RECORDING FILE 012.
DECEMBER 29.
THE INTRO
Soft decor from half-packed Christmas boxes still lined the counter tops and the dinner table off in the distance. The small dining space was soothing in its calm, as still as the settled snow clinging to the windows. The only indication that it was not simply a still image was the subtle flicker of a candle's flame dancing off in the corner, and the small numbers ticking upward in the corner. The peace—however—was broken as a cheerful young woman slipped onto the scene. She nearly toppled over herself, clapping her hands against the table to try and slow herself and stay in frame.
Royal violet curls bounced over her youthful, joyous features and threatened to dislodge the golden hairband adorned with adorable pony ears from her head. "What is up, my Pipp—No, no..." The words left her lips so full of life, but she quickly snuffed out all that energy as she switched to a shamed grimace. "That wasn't the take. I almost slipped." She explained to someone elsewhere as she reached for the camera.
"Mom just had the floor waxed, and you're trying to slide on it with your socks. What did you think was gonna—?"
RECORDING FILE 015.
DECEMBER 29.
UNTITLED.
The space remained much the same, only differed by the fainter flickers of the candle. The peaceful air of the after holiday glow was allowed to linger a bit more, even as the eager teen gently entered frame. There was no bombastic skitter or clattering of her hands against the table this time. She oozed control, grace, poise in its purest form. With a regal turn, she settled into a seat coincidentally already perfectly pulled out for her. Her hands knitted on the table face as she politely regarded the camera. Her lips pressed a thin, practiced smile, only opening to speak in calm dignity. "Hello, my—are you snickering!?" All grace immediately disintegrated as moss tone eyes shot daggers at the group just off-screen.
"Since when were you so prim and proper?" A guy's voice snickered, joined by another almost doubling over in her laughing fit.
"Guys, come on," another chided her group of onlookers. A brief flash of thumbs-up breached the shot, which sort of made the 'star' soften her glare, "You're doing great, Pipp."
For a moment, Pipp sat there with a struggling pout while the chorus of three chortling hyenas gradually died down. It was only when the 'set' was returned to her that she let the irked sigh out. "Thank you, Sunny," it was a pointed distinction as she made eyes at the other three, "I'm happy someone here is being supportive."
"Sis, I'd be supportive if I knew what you were doing!" The kernel of truth was in there, as a sister desperately wanted to be there for her sister, even if she did find this silly.
"It's so simple and obvious," Pipp tossed a bit of her hair back, flaunting herself just the smallest bit, "I'm trying to make an amazing video to start the new year off right with. On the first of the year, I'm gonna have the most original—the most jaw dropping bit of content the internet has ever seen!"
"Why?"
"The fact you even ask that, Hitch, makes you look ugly and stupid. I can't even look at you right—"
RECORDING FILE 019.
DECEMBER 29.
SPOON
A fresh candle danced a more lively dance upon the counter as sunlight dimmed its shafts through the room a bit more. This time, Pipp presented herself to the camera with a spoon lofted in one hand. Her expression was somewhere between amused and uncertain, though she wore it well. With another flip of her violet strands, she shot the 'audience' a focused glance. "What is up, Pippsqueaks? I love ya', and I wanted to come at you with something you can't find anywhere else!"
The little mutters from the peanut-gallery about how that was her best opening all day could be edited out in post. "Now, I'm sure you all heard of the Cinnamon Challenge..."
"Yeah, like five years ago..." A loving sister grumbled behind the camera, electing a few canned snickers.
Pipp would just cut that out, there was no reason to fret. She soldiered on, twirling the pristine silverware between her fingers. Her mom would forgive her for using the 'special silverware' once she saw how big this video blew up, of course. "But that's totally old news...!" And the guy at the store made such a fuss about a teen girl with a camera buying an industrial sack of cinnamon, "So today, we're doing the Ramen... R..."
RECORDING FILE 020.
DECEMBER 29.
SPOON 2
"So today, we're doing the Ramen Rush!" Pipp spoke with clear confidence.
A single set of applause sounded from behind the camera as Izzy was overjoyed her idea was used. "So instead of filling a spoon up with gross cinnamon—"
"There's no reason to take it out on the cinnamon..."
"—I've gathered a bunch of flavor packets from cheap ramen—"
RECORDING FILE 021.
DECEMBER 29.
SPOON 3
"I've gathered a bunch of flavor packets from top-shelf, gourmet ramen, and I'm gonna mix them together..." Her mom would forgive her for using the good silverware, but she'd never forgive Pipp if she got weird-soup powder all over the kitchen floor. Pipp carefully peeled open her selection of packets—the only flavors the store had left after getting cleared out by visiting college students—and emptied them onto the dip of her spoon. Shrimp mixed with cheddar cheese as spicy beef waited for them.
At least the beef would offset it. Probably. A still breath was collectively held by the four behind the camera; impossible to hear, but the anxiety was somehow palpable as the recording ran. Pipp lofted the concoction up and looked over the dune of flavors weighing down the spoon with the utmost certainty. "Tell your friends out there!" Pipp shot a wink at the camera before dipping the spoon into her mouth with a little chomp.
She briefly huffed a dry series of coughs as the mass in desperate need of water to offset it clung and caught in her mouth, but she held and offered a slightly teary smile to the group. A thumbs-up supported by her empty spoon let the others finally let a collective exhale come free.
"See, that wasn't so bad. Pipp-pipp-ho—" Pipp fell off down behind the table as a retching cry escaped her throat.
RECORDING FILE 022.
DECEMBER 29.
SPOON RECOVERY.
"Turn the camera off, turn the camera off!" Pipp coughed out from under the table as Sunny nursed her a cup of water.
"I told you to just buy the beef ones!"
"That's bad content!"
"Who'd know?!"
"I WOULD!"
Slowly trodding in, a blue haired girl munching on a bag of chips looked down at the flailing display not being caught on camera. "...I like coming to your guys' house..." She offered a warm smile to both the screaming Pipp grasping at Sunny to either finish her off or save her, and the girl in a shouting match with her still off 'set'.
RECORDING FILE 030.
DECEMBER 30.
FREEBASE.
"Alright, this is going to be it..." Pipp muttered into the camera as she fiddled with it upon the tripod.
Her face nicked and knocked against the screen slightly as she settled it into place against the snow draped terrain, but she finally found the purchase she wanted. When she peeled back from it, she gave her 'fans' a smile that pleaded innocence and radiated adorableness. Her winter attire snugly wrapped around her, though the cold still nipped small flushes to her cheeks despite the wrap of her scarf trying to save her.
"Hey again, my lovely Pippsqueaks!" She took a few fleeting steps away from her set-up, letting the full scope of the scene come into view. Trees sprinkled with fresh powdered snow were about the only thing other than the star herself that came into view, but that didn't stop Pipp from twirling in the snow like it was the grandest of stages. "I thought we'd start this year off right with something you've never seen me do."
Maybe doing something completely off the cuff was going a little over the edge. At least that was the vibe Pipp got when the clinic released her that morning. The last thing she wanted was to have to lay on a cold bed, clutching a can all night again; especially for a video she couldn't possibly use. This idea was much more foolproof.
"I'm going to freebase a tree," plucking her headband from her head, she waved its gilded shimmer towards the camera, "And put this girl on top to make it the first tree-Pippsqueak!"
The silence that followed was only broken up by Pipp feebly trodding through the ankle deep snow towards the nearest tree she could manage. Her designer boots and pants looked beyond fabulous, but their lack of snow-ready protection weren't doing her any favors as slush and chill seeped through with each lumbering step.
"...Have you ever climbed a tree with a harness?" Hitch finally spoke up seeing the others were all a bit too anxious to voice their clear concerns.
"I'm with Hitch, I don't think this is a good idea..." Sunny tried to reason.
"Guys, I love you, but you worry WAY too much!" Pipp huffed and puffed her response, clearly already getting winded even getting to her target. When her red-mitt hands clapped against the bark of her desired tree, she momentarily dipped her head behind the trunk to catch her breath where the 'fans' couldn't see. She sucked a strong, bracing breath in before returning to the show. "Okay! So let's climb this tree!"
Pipp had no actual idea on how to do so, opting instead to hop her entire frame up and hug the tree with arms and legs. For a moment, she remained clinging to the tree, pressing her face snug to the bark until gravity started to betray her. Everyone could only watch as Pipp slowly and pitifully started sliding down the trunk of the tree, her expression utterly unamused by the reality: she should've watched someone's video on how to climb a tree.
"Um... Pipp?"
"Just cut the video..." Pipp sat in the snow, feeling the cold and wetness starting to seep through even more.
RECORDING FILE 041.
DECEMBER 31.
NEW YEAR DROP.
"This is the one!" Green eyes flashed to life as the camera woke. Wild, desperate, and just a bit too tired, the green eyes drifted away as the camera was shunted into another person's hands with a clatter. The evening was well upon the day, small twinkling lights in the sky ushering in the night. But moreover, the camera could now see a disheveled Pipp, chips of bark clinging to her once pristine coat, a few dents in her headband, and noticeable scuffs against her cheeks. Despite her rough appearance, she still was glowing with vigor. Maybe a little too much vigor given the late night and slight rips in her pants and mittens.
"Maaaybe we should just go home..." There was no reasoning with a wild beast, and Pipp shot her sister a death glare at the mere suggestion of giving up, "Oooor we just keep doing this. That works too..."
"So... What's your big idea this time?" It was cold, and she was likely missing a New Years party somewhere with friends, but Sunny still put on a kind, supportive tone to her gradually feral friend.
Pipp gestured above, leading the one holding the camera to scan up to see what she was pointing out. Just beside them was the brick exterior of city hall, and above was the roof, of course. But more importantly, situated on the roof was the New Year's Display: a rather typical time ball hoisted high, but still dim as the celebration and countdown had not yet begun. Not a single one of the group besides Pipp liked the idea of where this was going. Even less when Pipp produced a wild smile as she yanked the camera's attention back to her.
"I'm going to climb up there, crawl into the ball, and be the first thing that appears this New Year!" She didn't wait a second to hear everyone's protests, simply darting off towards the small outcropping of bricks the city used as a makeshift roof access.
"Pipp, that doesn't make any—How are you so quick at climbing now?" Everyone tried to keep up with her, but it seemed the several failed attempts at climbing trees had taught her something. Freebasing was hard, but climbing a vague ladder was a piece of cake.
The camera followed Pipp as she shambled up the wall, the dark making it look like she was some creature doing it entirely without aid. "You're gonna get yourself hurt!" On cue, Pipp's mushy-mitts clipped a grip and she stumbled back from the wall.
With the trees it was nothing to worry about. She didn't get to even the first branch, and the snow was still powdery enough to eat her every stumble. This time, everyone took quick note that Pipp had scaled nearly to the second floor of the hall, and that pavement was the only thing waiting for her this time. The camera fell flat against the ground with a resounding clatter as everyone scrambled to catch their friend before the unspeakable.
As the camera stared up to the starry sky, the loud series of shouts and curses were all it could catch before a telltale sound of a crunch and clatter. Snow drifted down against the lens and the moments continued to tick away. Four hours to midnight, and all was quiet.
RECORDING FILE 042.
JANUARY 1.
FIRST VIDEO OF THE YEAR!
"Hey-hey, my adoring Pippsqueaks. I'm so happy to see you guys!" For what it was worth, the bleach-white of the hospital bed and walls were actually a pretty great backdrop; great for lighting. And she'd be lying if she said the crisp-white gown with subtle polka dots wasn't a look she was pulling off. "What's up with me? Well, I got a little over my head the past few days..." She carried on with her one-sided conversation, only ever briefly broken up by one of her friends sliding in frame to collect the fruit cups or glasses of juice she had, "I really wanted to impress you all, and I got lost in the numbers, or whatever... I lost sight of what's truly important... Friends, and family..." She fiddled with the camera she propped up on her sliding table, turning it around to show everyone behind the camera.
The three flinched for a second, not expecting to be in a video today. Sunny quickly tried to comb her already perfectly kept hair, Izzy threw up some hand-signs though kept shifting them in a bid to find which one was cooler, and Pipp's sister Zipp just offered a sigh and waved to the 'adoring public'. "They're the real heroes. They're the real content that makes it all worth it... Right Hitch?"
The camera spun to another hospital bed just beside Pipp where a man was wrapped in a series of slings. Both legs were hoisted up and guarded with several layers of casting tape, and a brace was tightly keeping his neck in place. He offered a dismissive huff, completely unable to look over at Pipp with her single pinkie in a splint.
"Well, that's all for now, I suppose. I'll see you all later. I love ya, take care of yourselves this year, and remember: always listen to your friends. Pipp-pipp-hooray!"
"How am I the one in the ca—"
