video; un: seeingtheworld

[schoolingfish]

[When Luca comes onto the screen, it looks like he's been crying.]

So...um...I just wanted to let everyone know that Varian and Fern are gone. They...probably turned back into squids. Which...I mean, they're still together, so it's fine. They're fine. They're happy out there in the ocean, doing squid things, and really it's not like it's the first time I've realized I'm going to be separated from the people I care about, so...

[After all, when he went to school he was separated from Alberto and his family, expecting to not see them until the summer. Then he ended up here and realized he might very well never see them again. Still, having a feeling of loss strike him like this even in his new life when he's still longing for the people he loves from his previous one to show up...it hits him hard, and he looks like he might start crying again.]

So I'm fine, too.

[This is obviously a lie.]

That's all. I just thought everyone should know.

[He ends the recording right there.]

Comments

[schoolingfish]

Back home I had a friend that got himself a new family. His biological dad...well, I don't want to get into that, but he met a human that was a lot better who took him in. Sometimes it's better to find a new family. And sometimes when you show up in a place like this without warning...that's your only option. Although I think the family here were the best family I could have ever asked for anywhere.

[zib]

[He's never thought that you could just... find a new family, honestly. Not unless it involved just sliding into a universe where his Dad and sister are still alive and picking things up right where he left off with them in his own timeline. That's why it kind of baffled Zib at first when he saw Luca and Luz and everyone else in this house living together and thinking of themselves as family too, not just a group of friends. But now it makes sense to him, and he can imagine why Luca and Luz have been grieving like they have over Varian and Fern leaving.]

Yeah, I think I understand what you mean. Or at least I do now in comparison to when I first got here and had never seen that sort of thing done before that point.

[schoolingfish]

Yeah. I'd seen it back home but...I'm sure it happens a lot more here, since all the sleepers are separated from their homes.

[And while some might have a couple family members brought through as well, most seem to be entirely without their biological family.]

[zib]

Makes sense.

[There's a pause, before his focus turns back onto Luca again.]

Are you going to be okay?

[Not asking if he is okay, but if he is going to be okay eventually, like he had asked Luz before.]

[schoolingfish]

I...I don't really know. I hope so.

[He wants to say yes, but it's really so hard to tell at this point. The pain just doesn't feel like it's going to fade, but since it only just happened...]

[zib]

[Well, that's a better answer than "no", at least.]

Is there... anything I could do to help somehow?

[schoolingfish]

I don't know. Just be here with me? Company helps.

[Company reminds him he's not alone.]

[zib]

[He tries to offer a smile at that.]

Yeah. Of course I can do that... I'll stay for as long as you want me to.

[Actually, speaking of which...]

Luz asked me to move in recently. Instead of, um... continuing to sleep on your guy's lawn.

[He figures he should probably mention that if Luz hasn't already told him.]

[schoolingfish]

Oh? That's great, I'm really glad! I'm kind of surprised you didn't just move in a while ago. I mean, I know there weren't any more rooms, but there's plenty of places to sleep around the house that have to be more comfortable than the space ship. Although your space ship is really cool, so I can see why you'd want to spend a lot of time in it.

[zib]

It sure is. I worked really hard on keeping up with it's maintenance, and even upgrading it to make it better than before.

... But it is kind of hard to sleep in sometimes.

[Either you sleep in the pilot chair or on the floor behind the chair, to be honest.]

[schoolingfish]

[Luca wants to point out that they'd have let Zib come inside whenever he wanted, but he decides there's no point. At least he's inside now.]

Well, I'm just glad you'll be sleeping in here now.

[zib]

[To be fair, Zib is also a rather stubborn guy. Until his beast incident recently, he had been content to just hole up inside his ship rather than worry about his own comfort levels. But now...]

Yeah. So... I'll be even easier to get ahold of now if you ever need me for anything, okay?

[schoolingfish]

Yeah, I will! And I'll probably need you to answer all sorts of science questions.

[zib]

Of course--I don't mean to brag or anything, but I am pretty knowledgeable in a lot of different things when it comes to science.

[He does, in fact, like bragging about this.]

[schoolingfish]

Well, I'll love hearing all about it! Especially stuff about space!