( accidental video | un: duckling )

[danserai]

[ it's a dark and — well it's just a dark month and ahiru never really functions well in the dark. she gets spooked easily which is sort of what happens here. a sequence of events, by a duck.

1. she enters the kitchen. the lights are off and she bumps into various furniture. ]

Ow ow ow ow —

[ 2. her hand brushes against a coat hanging on top of a chair. in her mind, she imagines a snake.

3. She panics and lets out a loud: ]

Quack!

[ 4. ahiru ends up turning into a duck on screen. gasp! not that she has realized she's being recorded.

5. she quickly waddles off and there's the sound of water and she comes back into the kitchen with a relief. ]

— Phew that was clo . . . ooooose, O-Odette! Were you displaying this the whole time?! A-Ah!!

[ ahiru immediately runs in front of the feed, waving her hands frantically. ]

You didn't see that! There's nothing to see! It was . . . uh, uh, a MYSTERY DUCK that broke into the house but it's gone now!

[ alas, ahiru has been well and truly outed as . . . a duck. ]

Comments

[danserai]

Yeah? My feelings are the same.

[individualized]

Then I do not understand why you would be upset if you are still "you".

[There's nothing judgmental in her tone, she's purely curious.]

[danserai]

Because . . . it's a me that doesn't get to be like other people.

[individualized]

[Echo thinks this over silently for a bit.]

And that is important is you. That makes sense.

[danserai]

I just want to be like everyone else.

[individualized]

I have found that people vary greatly in many aspects. It may make that difficult.

[danserai]

[ she shakes her head. ]

People are different but they can talk. They can walk. They can dance and sing and communicate with each other.

As a duck, I can't do any of that.

[individualized]

[Her eyes widen slightly.]

That's true. It is very hard when you are unable to do things such as those...

[danserai]

[ ahiru gives a small nod. ]

It's lonely. No one can really understand you.

[individualized]

Loneliness is...very painful, yes.

[Her small frown turns back to a more neutral expression.]

I believe I understand now. But I also do not think it is shameful.

[danserai]

No, it's not shameful . . . I just don't want to be seen as only a duck.

[individualized]

Of course... It is hard to value yourself if others do not. You seem to be more than a bird from what I am experiencing, however.

[danserai]

Oh!

[ that's so nice. ]

Uhm, thank you. I think it's because I've spent some time with people now?

[individualized]

[She calls it like is.]

...That can change things greatly, yes. I believe something very similar happened to me, as well.

[danserai]

Really?

[ that's interesting to hear. ]

What happened?

[individualized]

Spending time with someone allowed me to recognize myself.

[She says this like it's totally normal and explains everything.]

[danserai]

Yeah . . . it was the same for me.

[ when she first saw mytho. ]

[individualized]

[Conversely, it took her a while to like Oz.]

Interesting.

[Hold on, she's pulling out a book and writing something in it.]

It is good to hear this has been the case for others.

[danserai]

Oh, I imagine it's the same for lots of people!

[individualized]

You think so?

[She considers it for a second.]

If that is the case, it's not spoken of often.

[danserai]

Maybe you just need to ask. I'm sure there's more than you realize.

[individualized]

[Ahiru no, she's just gonna randomly ask people that now...]

All right. Thank you for the advice, er—

[Aaaand she just realized that she doesn't know her name. Or vice versa in spite of her obvious username.]

R-right, I am Echo.

[danserai]

Nice to meet you, Echo! My name is Ahiru.

[individualized]

Nice to meet you, as well.

[She bows her head politely.]

[danserai]

Are you new here? Are you making lots of friends?