tornheart | APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Entry tags:

APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Who: Open Log (All)
Where: Around the city (one prompt at the Green Valley school
Summary: Welcome Ceremonies, Dreams, Stirring a shadow hornet's nest. No big deal.
Warnings: N/A

"Are you ready my black lambs? Let's get to work..."

Apple Picking (General Prompt)

As September begins, the apple orchards of Greenfield Valley school are bursting with thousands of apples of various flavors and colors. There's even an experimental breed that's blue!

Those who have been attending the school know that this means a few important things. The first (and most important of course) is that it means that fall vacation is coming in just a few weeks (despite school having started just a few weeks ago), the second is that the school's menu is going to have a high number of apple-themed dishes until winter, and finally, the opening ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies are - well - one would consider them mostly boring for typical schools. And truth be told, Green Valley is not an exception. A single camera posed at the school's main gymnasium, a large podium in the center. For those who can't be physically there, the school's televisions all synchronized to a live broadcast as does the audio feeds. You can't quite escape it. Yet most people don't - after all it's one of the rare times of the year where the principal appears to wish students good fortune.

The person who stands in the front, Ms Michelle Andersen, is the very definition of an ice queen. Her face is perhaps locked forever into an emotionless stare. Bright blonde hair with blue eyes, both contract to her orange and black outfit.

Behind her, three men, the vice principals, who tend to play the good cops to her bad cop routine and insist that most students call them by their first names unless something really bad has happened; Norman (the most average man on campus that no one would know who he was if it wasn't for his name tag), Jeremy (the tallest staff member standing at over 195cm, thin, a bit of a lisp but he always means well), and Felix (possibly the hairiest man on campus as far as the rumors go, muscular, and a black beard that matches his scowling face when he isn't laughing - which is usually all the time. In fact, he's holding back himself from doing so when Ms. Andersen speaks.)

The presentation is short, as the Principal wishes all the students a great year, gives a bit of data on the number of students (they are up 300 new students from last year), the number of important guests that have passed, then as quickly as she was there, she leaves, explaining that there are additional meetings and events she will explain in greatest detail in the upcoming months.

Afterwards the students are treated to the vice principals singing a welcome song (it goes as well as one would expect it to go), telling the students that they are free to pick as many apples as they want as long as they all get eaten, but everyone is limited to two of the new apples and report to the hospital wards if any of them feel anything unusual after eating them. Just in case.

When the ceremonies are done, students and staff can return to their day...although some of the staff can be heard commenting that the Principal seemed even more...cold this year. Of course asking them for details would just cause them to shoo anyone away and pretend they didn't say anything.

[OOC: Players are welcome to speak to themselves or go have some apples. It's a general school mingling prompt! Additionally, it will be possible to email the vice principals during that week should the characters want to talk with them or ask school questions. Typical school stuff.]

Sound the Rebellion

(Special Prompt for the Unawakened, Monday the 4th)
The school's opening ceremonies aside, the Unawakened’s Monday was rather...strange. The night was plagued with restlessness as they heard the voice of someone laughing. Waking up feeling 'odd', although that differed between all of then - some would feel sick, others have a headache, or some just deciding that wearing a piece of clothing they haven't wanted to worn would look great right now. Perhaps they got a few comments from their relatives about how strange they were acting that day, or a worried glance if they felt sick. It might get dismissed with a wave of a hand.

After all, how can you explain that when they sometimes look upwards, they hear the sound of a child laughing and briefly see a symbol above their heads? Or that this somehow feels...fine?

Maybe in their new state of mind, they might not even notice the people that keep following them around...

Better than a GPS

(Awakened prompt, Monday 4th, day and night.)
"Alright Lambs, time to get to work."

Luci's voice echoed in their phone, laughing. Was he doing a peace sign?

"There's only a few but they'll be useful. I want you to find them and see what you can do. Who knows! Maybe you might be better at this than me, although I doubt it heh heh heh…Now remember what I said! You have to get them to fall asleep...but there's no real rules for that!"

For the Awakened, the symbols above the Unawakeneds’ heads will be as clear as day - Luci will even go so far as play little musical tunes when the characters are close by or distract them using electronics. "Come on! Stop wasting time and do something!"

For the Unawakened who have a relative, it will be somewhat easy. It is the others that will be a pain. Maybe that's why Luci asked for help. Or maybe he just wanted to see his 'lambs' struggle. "Get them to bed! It's not that hard! If you have trouble, just show them the program I've put into your phone and toaster! Or knock them with your toaster first if you want, I don't care! Just go in teams when you go after them, got it?"

It's obvious that 'sleeping' as far as Luci is concerned, is when someone is unconscious - he seems to almost want someone to knock an Unawakened out and then drag him into a room and let themselves go to sleep.

Once the task is done, and the place is secure, the characters will have to do the same. While the hypnotic wheel from the program is the easiest way, there's no hard rule about knocking oneself out either.

MINDJACK
Once the characters get inside, they'll be in the person's mind and dreams. Eddan's memories are predominant, and the unawakened will be standing there wandering around. It will be up to the Awakened to peel back the fabric of reality, much like curtains and show them the true memories of their past...

But beware. Shadows lurk here, and transforming will be necessarily. And if a character dies in someone else's dream...they might never wake up. So be careful...

The main mission is to showcase the person a few memories. Give them an idea that something might be amiss...it can be a little or a lot. Just be careful that the more memories, the stronger the shadows become... When both are done and awaken, ten minutes will have passed. Perhaps it will be time for question afterwards.

[OOC:The Unawakened characters need to be isolated for the program to run, and so do the players, so half the 'fun' will be setting up the traps so that the characters will be alone.

Awakened might decide to have someone stand on guard while the others go to sleep with the Unawakened, or just all stupidly go together, or find an area where they won't be disturbed - everything is up to you.

The dreamscape can be anything the Unawakened desires! It could be good memories of their time in Eddan or bad memories, a mixture of both, or just silly dreams. Whatever it is, the Awakened will need to 'peel' those memories away - for example showing them that their mother was someone else in their other life, or even directing the person to a mirror so that they can see their true selves. But for each memory - both good or bad, shadows will start to attack both the Unawakened and Awakened. Be careful and let the mods know if a mission goes REALLY bad.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It was several moments before Kit answered, sliding off Vincent's lap and sparing the other boy the trouble of squirming out from underneath him as he did so. His voice was calm, much more steady than it had been when he'd taken the call, almost as if his escapades with Vincent had pulled the plug on his ability to feel anything else so intensely.]

There was an accident.

[He didn't meet Vincent's gaze as he pushed himself back into his pants and pulled up his zipper. He didn't even look at him as he tucked away his phone and, using the side of the bed as leverage, lifted himself back to his feet. It wasn't until after he'd peeled off his sweater, now spotted with blood, and made his way to his closet to find something else, something darker to pull over his head, that he bothered to explain any further at all much less look at his companion.]

My foster mother is in the hospital. You can stay here, but I need to go.

[His step father had told him not to worry, to come in the morning, but...how could he do that? Those people continued to be kind to him. To include him in their lives. And he had been revisiting bad behaviors when one of them had gotten hurt. It was like some sick joke. Or sick form of punishment...]

Not happening.

[Vincent staying here, that is. he shoves himself up roughly with a hand as soon as he's been unpinned, rolling his flapping sleeves back up before putting his pants back in order.

this had absolutely nothing to do with him, and if he were smart he'd stay here and at least try and get some secondary satisfaction on his own rather than just letting the whole thing irritatingly fade - and yet the thought never once crosses his mind. of course he was going along.]

You'll break someone's neck otherwise.

[even in an emotional state like this, he was completely confident that Kit could take care of himself. what he didn't believe was that he currently possessed the restraint to hold back if anyone decided now was the time to settle a score with him.

the lives of a few petty thugs didn't mean much to him. but it seemed like an awful waste to Vincent to have the other boy show up to see his foster mother covered in blood like a wild animal.]

[As he pulled a thin jacket over his turtleneck, Kit stared at Vincent.]

I'll be fine.

[Which sounded a lot like he was implying that any necks that wound up broken would be necks that should have stayed out of his way. Whether or not that included the other boy was hard to say, and Kit himself seemed uninterested in clarifying as he stepped into the bathroom to wash up before he went anywhere. His hair was a mess. The pins had to come out. And he needed to brush his teeth and chase the scent of beer from his breath with mouthwash. He would worry about the gouges on his back later. There wasn't time for those and they wouldn't show through the black sweater anyways. But the blood ringing his mouth...good grief. What had he almost done?

Thinking about how he'd almost turned his phone off instead of answering that call, he deserved the deep grooves Vincent's nails had left in his skin. If they scarred, that would even be better. Perhaps then he'd finally stop being such a fool.

When he emerged again from the bathroom it was to tug on a pair of gloves, grab his keys, and start impatiently for the front door where his shoes were. The trains had stopped at this hour. How was he going to get to Skyes from Green Valley? Did cabs run this late? Would it be easier and faster to just lift someone's bike? If police pulled him over, that would cost him more time, and it was stupid behavior like that which had landed him in this mess in the first place...

He didn't really have a choice then. Pulling out his phone again, he quickly dialed the number of a local taxi, all the while waiting for Vincent to join him. Never mind that he'd told the other boy that he should stay behind and had even implied that his company wasn't needed.]

I'm not thinking about you.

[he answers back just as defiantly, staring the other boy down with half-lidded eyes. let him try and snap his neck if he dared; one way or the other he'd get them there without any more felonies to weigh on the consciousness of a woman he'd never met before in his life. it was good that there was so much to distract him from that reality.

by the time Kit's finished making himself presentable his companion has pulled himself up off the floor to wait against the doorframe, following after him in silence several moments after he passes by. unlike the other boy he's made no attempts to clean himself up, although he does pause to have a drink of water as they wait for the taxi to arrive. it was less to remove the smell of stale liquor from his mouth and more to do the same for whatever remnants still lingered in his mind. he'd need to be as sharp as possible for this.]

[Kit didn't know how to feel about Vincent's response, so he decided not to think about it at all. At this point, arguing would be wasting time and energy he didn't have on someone who wasn't even family much less a friend. It didn't matter what they'd suffered through together, what they'd almost done, or that the other boy and him seemed to be caught up in something much larger than themselves, something beyond even his explaining. The only thing of any importance right now was making certain their cab driver didn't give them any grief when they finally slid into the backseat and told them where they were going and how fast to get them there.

Fortunately, the large man behind the wheel was extremely obliging to the blood-curdling looks both boys were wearing, and whatever protests he had about driving to the next district over at this time of night died as soon as they attempted to roll off his tongue. He was told to step on it, and he did.

The trip from Green Valley to the hospital in the neighboring district was mercifully short at that rate, but it wasn't until after paying their driver and heading toward the emergency entrance that they were able to get a good look at themselves in their reflections on the windows. Kit was presentable enough, but there was still blood staining Vincent's throat, the bite mark he'd left on him open and exposed.

He turned suddenly, peeling off his jacket and pulling it over Vincent's shoulders. He couldn't do anything about the piercings. He wouldn't even ask the other boy to go that far for him. But this...asking this wasn't too much, was it?]

[the entire ride Vincent's eyes are glued to the window, searching out the scenery flashing past them for anything that might possibly cause trouble. his gaze continues with this quest when they finally reach their destination, every person a potential threat until they're finally able to make it inside.

preoccupied as he is, he barely even registers the way he looks. the brief glimpse he'd gotten in Kit's dorm had been something that almost inspired pride; if he was so fearsome in appearance right now, it would do even better at dissuading people from approaching. it also meant that when a jacket suddenly settles around his shoulders he's caught completely by surprise, shooting his companion an openly baffled look before he can catch himself.

things click into place easily enough. manners dictated that he ought to at least seem to be mulling it over in order to preserve his pride, but there was simply no time for that. with a soft chuckle he shrugs his arms through the sleeves; at least they were the same length as his oversized sweater.]

[The lack of opposition was perhaps the only thing Kit saw worth smiling about, though his companion's chuckle ran a close second. He was nothing but grateful as the other boy slipped his arms into the sleeves of that jacket and silently agreed to acquiesce to the standards their society had deemed normal.

It was just for a few hours, but this was a kindness Kit would never forget.

Adjusting the collar of the jacket to better hide the mark on the smaller boy's throat, Kit took a deep breath and then...gave a start, his name called out by a middle aged man with glasses who looked more than a little frazzled. Presumably, this was Kit's foster father, someone whose taste in clothing was as dated as Kit's tended to be, but nowhere near as obnoxiously bright or hard to look at. In fact, the colors he seemed to prefer were drab in comparison, lending to the overall bookish sort of appearance he seemed to possess.

"Oh, Kit...your mother, she's..." He looked worryingly at Vincent and then back to his adopted son, hands wringing before him nervously. Seeming to sense the man's discomfort, Kit placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder and smiled.]

With how unsafe Eddan is after dark, I asked my friend from school to accompany me here.

[It was a bold-faced lie, but it seemed one Kit's foster father was willing to eat up, at least for the moment. He glanced nervously back at Vincent, attempted a grateful nod, and then turned to the taller boy again to tell him his mother was stable and resting in the emergency ward down the hall. He'd be waiting there for them after they checked in...

And that was that. He left quickly then, short legs still managing to carry him with an incredible swiftness back to his wife while Kit's hand slid from Vincent's shoulder and he proceeded toward the reception desk.]

[knowing that this wasn't Kit's biological father, it was even more amusing to see how closely their hideous tastes lined up. the faint amusement nearly brings something resembling a smile to his face, which would have likely only served to alarm the older man even further. some people said that he looked even more unsettling when he was happy - perhaps because it was so unnatural.

as it was, he met the probing gaze evenly, showing remarkable restraint by keeping any hint of defiance out of his posture. even partially covered up he was still exactly the sort of person that law-abiding citizens strove to avoid; if this were any other time, he'd have done all he could to further terrify this poor man.

but it isn't. instead he simply nods in accordance with his companion's lie, shrugging his hands into his pockets. with his disposition the way it was, it was better if he didn't say anything at all unless specifically prompted. less chance of fucking up that way.

he watches the man depart for several moments, until he turns a corner and disappears from sight. with Kit already beginning to check in, it's likely that he doesn't hear the subsequent comment.]

...cute.

[and with that he turns and finally makes his own way over to the reception desk, ready to sign himself in.]

[It seemed that Vincent's presence was of greater comfort to his companion than either boy realized, somehow lending itself to Kit's composure and preventing him from eschewing signing in at the reception desk and racing through the hospital halls like the hoodlum that he was. Although Kit wasn't aware of what his escort had muttered under his breath and just out of earshot, he was aware of this fact. And he was grateful.

As such, he waited for Vincent to join him before he proceeded down the hall toward the appropriate ward at a measured pace. Everything inside him felt tightly coiled and ready to break, but outside he was smooth as polished stone and, thanks to Vincent's company, not so liable to go to pieces.

Even if that was what he deserved.]

Aria and Rey Gardener.

[The name of his foster parents. Names Kit didn't share with anyone typically, much less their existence or the district in which they lived, ever fearful they might get tangled up in the mess that was his life, but since Vincent had insisted on coming and Kit hadn't really tried to stop him...well, it was best he was prepared. If only to better bolster the image that they were the friends he'd claimed they were.]

She works at an animal shelter here in Skyes, and he's a librarian at one of the smaller community colleges in Bornhornd.

[Which would explain why Rey was decidedly more skittish around wild people than his wife, but this was a comment Kit kept to himself. It was a personal observation and something of a private joke...as well as something he found endearing about the couple who had taken him into their lives.]

[completely oblivious of his soothing effect, Vincent simply meandered down the hallway alongside his companion, gaze sliding sightlessly past the various doors and personnel around them. it had been several years since he'd last been in a hospital, but he couldn't say that absence had made his heart any fonder. they screamed entrapment.

his turns slightly to look at Kit when he speaks up, expression still impressively stoic for him. it doesn't change as the other boy continues talking, but his eyes are sharp; every detail is filed away where he won't forget.]

Didn't know we had anyone that specialized in exotic animals here in the city.

[and by exotic, he meant foxes. even at a dire time like this, he couldn't help but be amused at the funny way that life had seemed to turn in Kit's case. no wonder she'd brought him running like this.]

[Kit didn't immediately clue into the joke, his mind working much to literally to think that Vincent had taken what little information he'd provided as an opportunity to infer whatever he pleased. And then it hit him.

Not quite laughing, the gravity of their current situation much too heavy too allow for something so weightless to escape from him, Kit still found his shoulders shaking with amusement and a smile spreading across his face. The implication was obvious. And, the more that he thought about it, not wrong in the least. His foster mother was a kind and generous woman, patient beyond his understanding, and while Kit hadn't been able to bring himself to inflict his presence in their home permanently, he appreciated Aria and Rey doing all that they did for him...making him feel like family. Aria especially. She tried so hard, and all her efforts hadn't gone unrewarded. Distant as Kit could often be, he had warmed up to her. She had a disarming way about her...

...a way that would have been good for him to stay close to. Was that why he hadn't? All this time he really thought he wanted to change, but if that were true, wouldn't he have just done it? Instead of making the same tired excuses and falling back into the same patterns of behavior. Masquerading as someone taking steps, when really all that he was doing was walking in circles.

Unaware his smile had gone, Kit continued walking until they stood outside the ward. He could hear his foster father's voice telling his foster mother that he was here. He could hear her fretting, as if she wasn't the one who'd been injured. She sounded so tired. How bad had that fall really been?]

Don't hide from her. She'll see you anyway.

[That was the final warning Kit gave Vincent before he started past the other beds, some empty, some occupied by patients who appeared to be resting or who were speaking lowly with family with the curtains around them closed. His mother was toward the back and nearest the window, a fact for which he was glad despite the late hour and there being nothing outside to see. She liked being as close to nature as he did.

But when he drew open the curtain around her bed, all of Kit's ice cracked and fell away, his composure crumbling with it. He was quick to leave Vincent's side and move to Aria's, to prevent the woman from trying to sit up in her condition. It appeared as though she had either twisted or broken her ankle, and along with both of her arms being bandaged were a few scratches and bruises on her cheeks.

"Kit? I'm so sorry, you didn't need to come all this way. It was just a little tumble." She looked at his gloved hands atop hers, seeing things as clearly as Kit had warned Vincent she would. But she didn't say anything, only peeled one of her hands free from beneath his to gently pat his cheek. "Please don't worry."

Even an untrained ear would have been able to read between those lines. The real request his foster mother was making was for Kit not to blame himself.]

I don't hide.

[he grumbles sullenly, ill-humor completely derived from the aspersions cast upon his character and not the fact that he was totally just going to stay out of sight if at all possible. nope, not him. that would be stupid.

even so, he remains as close to 'out of sight' as could be possibly while still remaining visible. Vincent quietly steps back and out of his companion's way, allowing him uninhibited access to his foster mother while he took the time to draw the curtains shut once more. this wasn't a scene meant for unrelated eyes.

if he was being honest with himself, that ought to include him as well.

instead Vincent remains trapped in a private moment he had no right to bear witness to. the other boy may express himself more openly around him, but he'd never seen his face so raw. it felt like a violation to watch, an emotion that he isn't used to harboring. a hostile environment he could deal with - but to simply know he had no place here...it pressed down hard against his shoulders.

a soft huff of air escapes him when Aria makes her transparent request. the woman could try however hard as she liked, but he knew already that this was a lost cause. Kit was too much of a martyr to simply let this fade into the past.]

[No one but Vincent seemed to think he didn't belong there, least of all Aria. While Kit and Rey discussed what had happened, a tale that seemed to cut Kit as deeply as the shards of the glass rose he had given his foster mother, she observed Vincent, gaze soft but curious just the same.

Kit never brought friends home when he visited. He never even spoke of them. She knew what a lonely young man he really was beneath his smile, and knew without having to ask that whomever this boy was that he'd brought with him...he must be important. Just as she seemed to know better than to ask his name. Kit might have simply forgotten his manners in his urgency to be by her side, but he hadn't even introduced his friend to her husband earlier. Whatever their relationship, it was intense but delicate.

"Your mother will be alright, Kit. But she needs rest."

Reluctantly, Kit nodded but he didn't move from Aria's side until she mumbled something about keys to Rey. She didn't want them making the trek back to Green Valley at this hour. She wouldn't have it. And since she would be at the hospital overnight and Rey would be remaining with her, Kit and his companion could stay at their place. She would have no arguments...and Kit tried. No sooner Rey had produced the keys and Kit had tried to give them up that his mother's bandaged hands had fallen upon his. All resistance seemed to drain out of him then and he nodded.

But, after pressing a kiss to her forehead and promising to return in the morning, and after starting away from her bedside, Aria surprised them all. She held Kit's hand and made a simple request. One meant as much for her adopted son as for her husband.

"Might I speak with your friend in private?"]

[Vincent meets the woman's gaze intermittently, eyes always finding some excuse to slide away to settle on something else after a few moments. his stare is sharp every time, however, alert but not challenging. there would be no information given up readily here but he didn't want to fight her.

it's partially why he makes no protests of his own when Aria brooks the idea of them spending the night in their home; it's simply easier to agree now and then never take the offer after leaving the hospital. only his companion would ever know of the deception, and it would ease the woman's mind.

he's already drawing the curtains back before Kit's even said goodbye, eager to the point of desperation to be away from this enclosed space and the suffocating sense of whatever this was choking up his lungs. the unexpected question draws him up short, shoulders rising up to his ears in clear sight even with his back turned. from the look he gives his companion's mother when he turns his head, you'd think she'd shot him.

please say no, Kit. Rey. anyone. don't inflict this on a tired woman after he's done so much to not be a menace for once in his life.]

[Rey, unassuming man that he was, chose not to fight his wife on the matter. He'd already given up the keys to their home, it was too late now to change his mind. Of course, that didn't quite stop him from giving Vincent a worrying look over and Kit a pleading stare that almost seemed to beg the boy to say no.

Neither of which Kit saw, his attention solely focused on Aria. How could he possibly refuse her request after everything he'd put her through? How could he object to anything she wanted? But how could he say yes, either? Knowing that he hadn't prepared Vincent for this and that what little he had told his parents was based on a lie.

But then she gave his fingers a gentle squeeze...and he caved. Nodding with a small, sad smile before he released her hand and looked at his foster father. The older man sighed heavily and offered to buy them coffee down the hall from the cafeteria. Vincent could find them there.

In the meantime, as the curtains fluttered shut behind Kit and his foster father, he would find that he was alone with Aria. She didn't sit up, but she beckoned him nearer with one bandaged hand, sleepy gaze unwavering as it came to rest on him.]

If it isn't any trouble, would you come closer?

[never before in his life had Vincent felt so trapped in such a wide open space. there was nothing physically impeding him from simply bolting here and now, giving this entire family and its expectations of him the middle finger - but he knows better. upsetting this woman now would earn him a bodybag faster than he could blink...and to be perfectly honest, he doesn't want to upset her.

that doesn't stop him from shooting Kit the filthiest look to ever grace a human countenance as the other boy makes his escape, however. he wasn't going to forget what a traitor his companion was when the chips were truly down. asshole.

the expression's mellowed by the time he turns to let it settle on Aria, although there's still a visibly sullen downward tug to his lips. shoving his hands even deeper into borrowed pockets, he begrudgingly shuffles up to the bedside as requested.]

You don't have enough energy to be wasting your time like this.

[it's the first words he's spoken since entering the ER ward. there was something comforting about knowing that petulance couldn't diminish with neglect.]

[True to her namesake, Aria's laugh was musical, not unlike her son's despite their being no blood relation between them.]

You sound so much like him.

[Harsher, it was true, but always concerned for how she spent her time or whether or not she was being too reckless with her activities. Perhaps Vincent was a more kind person inside than he appeared outside? The sort of person she shouldn't be at all surprised Kit had allowed to be close to his side. And wear his jacket, too.

She smiled at that thought. She was certain of the fact now that she was able to see Vincent more clearly. Whatever scathing look he might have given Kit, he was a good boy just like her son.]

I wanted to thank you personally for coming with Kit. When my husband told me he had called him...

[She shook her head slowly.]

I was afraid what he might do. For someone so bright he can be quite senseless. But he wasn't alone. I'm so glad.

[being compared to Kit only serves to deepen his scowl, like she'd just called him an imbecile rather than paid him a compliment. was everyone even remotely related to this douchebag some form of irritating tease?

this was no increasing his desire to be 'a good boy', as evinced by the huffy exhale he allows to pass from his lips.]

You don't thank someone for babysitting. If it was any actual trouble I wouldn't have bothered.

[so he says, but the way he idly moves his jacket collar around to make sure that his open wounds remained hidden told another story.]

You must never have babysat anyone before.

[Or been babysat himself, it seemed.

No one who was fortunate enough to be granted a little extra spare time due to the helping hands of a babysitter would forget to thank that person. At least, they wouldn't if they ever wished to leave their child in that person's care again. Fortunately, Aria knew better than to take Vincent's claims at face value. He was no mere babysitter, not in her son's eyes.

He could scowl and huff and puff as much as he liked, but nothing would change that fact.]

That's alright, though it reminds me of something else. I have a request...

[things worked a lot differently in Japan, alright. also being babysat implied that his parents were able to catch him for long enough to hand him off to somebody.]

You're knee deep in one already. Sure you want to take on a second so quickly?

[it's not a yes, but more importantly it's not a no. Vincent couldn't say if he'd indulge her, Kit's mother or not, but he'd at least have the decency to hear her out.]

I wouldn't ask these things of someone I've only just met if they weren't important.

[She seemed to consider holding out a hand to him before thinking better of it, folding both delicately atop the thin blanket drawn over her instead.]

Perhaps even that is a poor excuse. As his mother, I shouldn't lean on the kindness of strangers, but you two seem close, and you're his friend...

[Meeting Vincent's gaze, Aria left no room for him to interject and correct her. These weren't assumptions she was making, she was sure of that.]

...please look after him? No mother should ever admit this of her child, but I don't think that boy has any other friends.

There's a reason for that.

[he's supposed to be making some semblance of an attempt at behaving, but being designated that guy's friend without having the opportunity to argue it summons forth a brief moment of pettiness. Vincent wrangles it almost immediately, but in the meantime his comment comes out sounding more like a growl.

with a soft 'tch' he runs the back of his palm across his mouth, looking away as he contemplates the actual request. how exactly to approach this..?]

I know the kind of 'looking after' you want, and I can tell you right now you're begging the wrong person.

[Kit's not here to see, so he makes a decision that's perhaps a little reckless. but the point needed to be gotten across so that Aria didn't have any illusions about him, or the sort of person he was. he tugs the jacket collar down, tilting his head so that she can get a good look at his ravaged neck.]

This is the closest I get to caring. You want that for him?

[It wasn't alarm in Aria's eyes when Vincent exposed the aggravated bite mark on his throat, but something more along the lines of concern. Whether it was for her son or for Vincent, however...that was impossible to say.

At least until she struggled to sit up, doing her best to keep the twinges of pain she felt from registering on her face. And even then, it was all in the name of being able to reach out and take hold of his arm. Or was it the sleeve that hung so loosely on his small frame?]

I...I want this for you both.

[Someone to hold onto and be held by.

She knew the kind of person her son was, the person he was working very hard to distance himself from, but she also knew that rehabilitation took time. No wounded animal turned a new leaf overnight. She would never expect that him or of Vincent...]

[the sudden movement of his conversation partner was faintly alarming, but he regarded it with an expression more akin to annoyance than anything else before she took hold of him. the thought that he'd have to push her back down if she kept shifting like that completely flies out of his mind, as if it had never existed.

if Vincent were to be mistaken for a statue right now, it wouldn't be terribly far off. his entire body has gone stock still, eyes as wide as a deer staring down its oncoming demise. he can't even feel his own heartbeat.

a mother's touch is powerful, but her wishes even more so. he'd stopped allowing his own mother to get anywhere near him almost a year before he'd run off and it had been even longer since he'd heard her tell him she wanted to see him happy. this wasn't meant for him - it was all for Kit, he knows - but the simple gesture strikes him somewhere so vulnerable that is incites physical pain.]

I already told you, you're asking the wrong person.

[...]

But if you're going to be such a pain in the ass about it then I guess that mistake's on you now.

[With a soft smile, Aria's hand migrated upwards from the sleeve of the jacket wrapped around Vincent and to his cheek. She was as warm as he was, but all her fire came from a gentler place.]

That is a mother's burden to carry, but I don't believe it is a mistake.

[No, the real mistake was forcing herself to sit up. With a faint tremble, her hand withdrew and she attempted to lower herself back to her bed. Kit would worry so much if he knew she was pushing herself, and he would blame himself or even his friend. She couldn't allow that. As she had told Vincent already, such things were meant for a mother's shoulders. She had to believe this was the right thing. She had to have faith.

As she settled back against her pillow, her breathing a little heavier from exerting herself, she did her best to smile again at the small teen next to her bedside. She didn't even know his name. That was the real tragedy here.]

Thank you.

[Because, for all his sullenness, he hadn't really said no.]

They're probably wondering where you are by now. I won't keep you any longer.

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uses whatever icon because

you're free now just smash that random icon button

alright fine here we go

rng off to a good start picking your most feminine icons

i'm just amazed it picked a yoko that wasn't bloody

that's for the dinner log

naturally

om nom nom

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