video:

[victoria_stay]

[So, after this weekend, Victoria went to her room and used up all of her crayons and probably broke a few dozen colored pencils to color a picture on the wall. It's in view now. It's of a very, very smiley man holding boxes and a woman and child with expressionless faces staring up at a house surrounded by trees. Victoria's adding finishing touches to one of the trees and she knows the camera is on, but she doesn't look at it directly.

Instead, she's busy frowning at what she's drawing.]

My parents died when I was three. Carla and Mr Fletcher aren't my mom and dad. That was a curse.


[And she wasn't impressed, City.

That being said, though, she has a question.]

Carla, can we still draw?

[She kind of liked that. A lot.]

Comments

[thenormalsquint]

[Ugh. It never gets easier to see kids dragged into the City, especially without their parents or a guardian.]

I'm sorry about your mommy and daddy, sweetie. [A beat passes because she doesn't want to talk death with a little girl.] That's a pretty picture.

[victoria_stay]

[God bless you, Angela. Victoria doesn't want to talk about it, either. She simply studies her picture, sitting on the floor in a ball with the device nearby.

She's not the most animated of children at all, Angela, so she doesn't do much past nod once as a 'thanks' and then turns her head slightly to look at the device.]

You're new.

[thenormalsquint]

[She's an odd child, Angela notices that, but after dealing with a certain violent and foul mouth kid who loved Hello Kitty, Angela's not surprised at anymore.]

Not really. I've been here before. I just got back.

[victoria_stay]

[Victoria would have had no clue how to handle that kid and then would try to emulate her because that's how kids behave, right?]

People come back? I don't like that. I want to be gone and stay gone.

[thenormalsquint]

We all do, but some of us aren't that lucky. Maybe you will be.

[victoria_stay]

Where were you before you came back?

[thenormalsquint]

Home. [A pause because she wonders if Victoria is asking for something more specific than just that.] Washington D.C.

[unflagging]

Yeah, it was a curse all right.

You okay, kiddo?

[victoria_stay]

I'm fine.

[Which for her doesn't mean much. She's missing home right now, and it was weird being an only child, so that whole curse has stressed her out some.]

Did you like being a dad?

[unflagging]

[Yeah, "fine" covers a multitude of sins.

He laughs a little, making it sounds almost embarrassed.]

I wanted to be a dad for a long time but I never got the chance. So, yes, I did like being a dad. Even for a couple of days.

I know you don't like that curse very much. So I hope you're not mad at me for saying that.

[victoria_stay]

[She considers it for a moment before shaking her head and then pointing the device at her picture again. She doesn't really say anything, just lets him see that for a moment.

She's not mad at all.]

Carla says some of her stuff is still at the house.

[unflagging]

That's an excellent picture. You're a very good artist.

[And he means it, really! Honest! Honest...as he can be...which isn't very, but... He sounds honest.]

I think some of mine is too. Are you missing anything? We can go and get it and bring it back if you think something is still there.

[victoria_stay]

My paint. The watercolors.

[unflagging]

We'll go back and get them today. Okay?

[victoria_stay]

After lunch? I want to finish my picture.

[unflagging]

Sure, after lunch. I wouldn't want to interrupt the creative mood.

[dignity_misery]

[Well. At least that spares Carla having to bluntly state I Am Not Nor Do I Want To Be Your Mother. The other question causes her a modicum of discomfort though. She had been enthused about helping her 'daughter' decorate the attic. It's not such a terrible prospect.]

We can.

[Although she's not going to offer any insight into whether or not she would enjoy it.]

[victoria_stay]

Okay.

[That's as close to thank you as she'll get right now.]

Was that really your house or was it part of the curse?

[dignity_misery]

...some of my things are missing. I think they're at the house.

[Is that an answer? Carla is hedging.]

[victoria_stay]

[That's an answer.]

I'm missing paints.

[But that's all she left behind.]

[dignity_misery]

You can visit that house, whenever you want to.

[Easy for Carla to say because the house doesn't really belong to her. Although it has Rory and Carla on its title now.]

[victoria_stay]

We're going after lunch.

[deadmanbusiness]

I didn't think you were.

[victoria_stay]

You're smart.

[deadmanbusiness]

Well. I know Carla and Fletcher and neither of them could have known each other long enough to have a kid your age.

[victoria_stay]

Does that curse happen a lot?

[deadmanbusiness]

You know, I don't know. It's the first time I've seen it.

[victoria_stay]

It's weird. I didn't like it much. I just like Carla and Mister Fletcher, but not as parents.

[deadmanbusiness]

They're nice... ish people.

It is weird though. I don't think I'd like being thrown into believing someone was my family when they really weren't.

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

[ He wonders how old the kid is as he watches her finishing off the drawing she's working on. He's never been the best with children, even though he likes them well enough, but it's the fact she's also an orphan that makes him open the feed; he knows he would have appreciated it once upon a time. ]

What's that you're drawing there, kid?

Re: [ Video ]

[victoria_stay]

This weekend.

[She may have not liked it, but she draws what she sees because she wants to remember. Especially when the memories are happy, false as the situation was.]

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

[ He leans in, squinting a little, as if to closer examine it. ]

See it now. [ Gesturing his head to it. ] Is that your sister?

Re: [ Video ]

[victoria_stay]

No. Carla. She was cursed, too. She thought she was my mom.

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

[ And now he's catching up with the programme. ]

Family day curse. Right. Well, kid, I'm glad you had a good weekend out of it, it's about time someone around here had something nice.

Re: [ Video ]

[victoria_stay]

It was okay.

What's your name?

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

Clint Barton. You got a name?

[ Because he can't keep calling her kid, obviously. ]

Re: [ Video ]

[victoria_stay]

Victoria.

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

Pretty name. You got people taking care of you here? Other than curses.