one quarter-medusa, a hat on legs, and a bunny walk into a bar--

[immobileyes]

Who: Mary (immobileyes), Cole (existency) and Zara (sewayaku)
When: Forward-dated to January 3 let's say
Where: A park; Zara and Mary's apartment
What: Mary eventually brings home a boy
Rating/Warning: ... Everyone is adorable I don't know how else to prepare you--

---

[ Truth be told, Mary's wary of stepping out on her own, after the chaos that had led to a blizzard, her mother's gentle voice and her not-so-gentle laughter as she'd disappeared. No amount of chasing, of begging her to come back had yielded any results, and then had come that man with the monsters--

Even thinking about it now makes Mary shudder, but she'd still had to go to work. And now, returning home, she's being quick about it. Who knew what else was out there, lurking? More angry murderous men in red? Another familiar face willing to leave her behind again?

A...

... Hat?

Mary slows as she passes the park, squinting as though narrowing her eyes will help things make sense. She knows that hat, its owner-- did he really, really like this place? ]

Cole?

Comments

[immobileyes]

It's wet.

[ Well, yes. ]

So you should live with me. [ Well, with her and Zara, but still, it's better than living in the park. ]

[existency]

[ He's surprised, almost in disbelief, and it actually causes him to withdraw a little bit physically. The idea of actually living with people... That was a little frightening to him. He liked being unseen, in a way. It felt more right to him, though what was right was also difficult too. He fidgets nervously, twisting his hands together, but his response is soft. ]

It wouldn't be quiet. I'd be listening, hearing, speaking without stopping. Pain twists and turns, crying out for mother, but—

[ His line sets in a thin line, and the fidgeting stops. ]

It's kind. But you don't have to.

[immobileyes]

I know. [ That much, she does now, and she almost regrets asking when it looks so uncomfortable. But... no matter what, she doesn't think leaving him to stay out here alone is a good idea. A lack of quiet could be overwhelming, Mary also knows that much, but once you got used to it... it was almost comforting, coming from the people you knew. ]

But I still want to.

[ A pause; it's her turn to fidget. ]

Is it too loud around me?

[existency]

Everyone has a voice that the Fade hears.

[ It's not quite an answer, because it's not quite something that Cole can answer. He used the word loud because it was the best way to describe it, since some hurt came to him more readily than others. But for the most part, it was random. Little pieces floating in, and he's the one to grasp them and weave them into a bandage. ]

...If you want, though. I'll come.

[immobileyes]

... If it's okay. [ She won't force him to, but it's either she takes him home or she goes running out to look for him with an umbrella or a blanket or anything else to help shelter him from the elements. ]

[existency]

It's... okay.

[ But he's still very shy about it, since to him, it's almost a frightening prospect. Living in the attic of the tavern was nice, since the only person that ever really came up there was the Inquisitor. So living with someone else, he thinks that he'll just hide a little more. ]

I don't know where you live, though.

[immobileyes]

Oh! [ Right-- she quickly straightens, pointing off in some random direction. ] I can show you where. I've gotten a lot better at not getting lost.

[ How comforting. ]

[existency]

Lost...

[ He cants his head to the side, like he's reconsidering, but he ends up nodding. ]

If we get lost, I can find the way. It's hard to get lost. There's always a direction to pull, so there's always a way to go.

[immobileyes]

...

I wish I had pull-y directions.

[ Maybe life would be easier. ]

[existency]

You don't?

[ Clearly, this is a surprise to him... He assumed everyone did, but he's also generally surrounded by people with excellent survival skills that don't exactly get lost. So. ]

[immobileyes]

I know how to get to my old house from back home... but otherwise, I usually need someone to help me.

[ SHE SUCKS. ]