video:

[charring]

[Charlie's also confused as to where this came from. She woke up next to it and has been carrying it everywhere. It's made of light, as far as Charlie can tell. And it pulses occasionally, colors flickering like flames and puffing out small bits of smoke that almost seem to form words, dissipating quickly before any of the words are fully recognized.

She's at home, in the kitchen and has her device turned towards her heart, held safely in her hand. She tried putting it down at one point, tried setting it on the surface of the kitchen table but there's a charred spot. Oops. She wasn't expecting that, honestly.]

I get that this is mine. Whose else would it be, really? But...where did it come from?

[Charlie turns the camera to herself, one eyebrow raised.] Anyone know where it came from?

[And the feed shuts off. This is gonna be an interesting day.]

Comments

[oceantrauma]

A lot of people on the network seem to have heart shaped things that came out of nowhere. Maybe it's some sort of Valentine's thing?

[charring]

It's possible. It coulda just given me a card of some kind. [Pausing.] Never mind. Scratch that. I just thought of a couple ways that could end badly.

[oceantrauma]

It could...? Well, it is the City. It could have been an obnoxious singing card.

[charring]

Exactly. And the song would blab some embarrassing secret or something.

[oceantrauma]

This is probably prettier, too.

Would you like any help with the table?

[charring]

Nah. I have it.

Did you wake up with a heart today?

[oceantrauma]

No. [He shakes his head. Almost glad of it, too. No telling what it would look like.]

[charring]

That's good. This curse is kind of weird.

[Charlie's looking at her heart again, chewing her lower lip slightly.] Any idea what it means?

[oceantrauma]

[Ken shakes his head.] They're all different. Maybe they're Valentine's suited to the person given to them?

[sangreine]

Wow, Charlie. That's really pretty.

Ah -- I don't know where they came from, though.

[charring]

Hello, Saya. Survey says it's a curse. Which would make sense. There's a lack of actual beating in my chest right now.

[sangreine]

[Saya winces, that really doesn't sound good.] Are you okay? I mean, other than your heart being... like that.

[charring]

I'm good. It's almost like being City Dead, which I've done, only I still want to eat and breathe and all. And I'm still warm.

[sangreine]

[Charlie being like Karl, even hypothetically? Not such a comfortable thought.]

I guess that's good. Is there any way to put it back? Or... something.

[charring]

I'm not sure. It's been like this all day, so I don't see what harm waiting til midnight will bring.

[sangreine]

Yeah...

[This just Does Not Feel Right though.] What if something happens to it, I wonder?

[charring]

Ken already suggested keeping it out of water.

[A thought's occurred.] Saya, I want to try something and was wondering if you could meet me for a minute? Not here, if you don't want to. Just somewhere.

[skintoskin]

Hey, that's cool, shrimp.

[charring]

Actually, it's pretty warm.

[See what she did there? That was a joke.]

[skintoskin]

Ha-ha.

[He saw, he saw.]

So that's... What, a 'ghost' of your heart or something?

[charring]

A representation? My...own heart, in a way? I'm lacking a pulse at the moment but apparently still alive and kicking.

[skintoskin]

That's... kinda creepy, shrimp...

[charring]

Remind me to tell you about the time I was murdered and then City dead for a few days.

[skintoskin]

[Bwah...?]

When should I remind you?

[charring]

When you want to hear about how truly creepy this place can be.