>>5229606“Hey, have time for a break?”
Orwell doesn’t seem to register the fact that you’ve come to stand right in front of her, the girl shifting her meagre weight between each foot in time to a rhythm only she can hear.
"Earth to Orwell, this is Shu speaking. Are you there?"
At the mention of your name, Orwell’s eyes shuffle through four different waves of static before snapping back to something more human, the teen wincing in the scarlet dusk.
“Ow, shit. Uh…yeah? Sorry, I think I’ve got everything squared away to where I don’t have to micromanage as much anymore.” She replies breathlessly. “What’s up? Are we moving out?”
"Look, I know you're having the time of your life when it comes to this streaming session…” You say, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “…but I think now's a good time to end it on a high note, don't you think?"
Orwell flinches when your fingers graze her, a quick shrug and a step back bringing you just beyond arm’s reach as she quickly stretches her arms above her head. Even through the thin cloth of her tee-shirt, her skin felt exceedingly warm to the touch, but more than that the skin beneath felt…thin, somehow. Brittle. As though you could have push right through, if you’d wanted to.
“Hey, I’ll be fine.” She says, dismissing your implied concerns. “I’ve still got some editing to do, chopping up the memories into some bite-size snippets for easier sharing, so if you all need to go ahead I’ll-“
"There's a time to stream, and there's a time to not stream.” You interrupt sternly. “I'm very certain that this is one of the times for the latter. Come on, I'm sure your fans will understand you unplugging for R&R once in a while."
And then, your voice softening with a smile; "Besides, your latest stream's gonna be the talk of the Skinternet for days and weeks. You'll be set for quite a while when it comes to your hunger.”
“It’s…it’s not just about the Hunger. This—everything you just did—was HUGE. Beyond huge.” Orwell groans, wincing when she rotates her arms and something pops. “You’ve got all three of the Apocalypse Amalgams under your belt, plus you just made sure that the Disassociated’s launch went off without a hitch. The feedback is NUTS, and if I don’t get ahead of the trolls then we’re fucked.”
“…what do you mean, ‘trolls’?”
“World hasn’t changed all that much, Shu. People are still people, and negative press is still going to flood in no matter how noble you are or how much good you do.” She explains with a frustrated sigh. “Best I can do is get ahead of it and keep an eye on anyone who’s trying to slant your story.”
“And by ‘get ahead of it’, do you mean…” You trail off, hoping that she hasn’t already broken the deal you made only a short while ago.
(Continued)
