[text] @five [open]

[fogey]

[ well, there's no way to say it, except to say it, so: ]

One of us died today. Big guy, blond hair. I don't know his name. I found his body.

[ that's his schtick, isn't it? finding bodies. ]

What I do know is that he fell on some rocks near the beach. Looks like an accident, no foul play. The fall shouldn't have killed him.

[ could've, if the bastard really were that unlucky, but it's unlikely. besides: ]

But it did break his lantern. Seems like Winters was telling the truth about that after all. Before anyone asks:

1) No, I didn't see it happen.
2) Yes, I checked for a pulse.
3) No, I didn't do it.

[ juST COVERING HIS BASES THERE ]

One more thing. I had to step away to get my tablet. When I came back, both he and his lantern were gone. No one else was here, I'm positive. They just vanished into thin air.

[ ooc | so as of today, rosinante (callada) is dead :C feel free to threadjack in this post and use it for discussion or whatever! ]

Comments

TIME FOR EMOTIONS

[withsadness]

He'll be at the church when he wakes up, that's what they said, isn't it? I have to go there right now, so he won't be alone when he comes back!

[Not an answer to where she is now, but heck, she's running.]

[fogey]

[ well. it's answer enough. he bites off a swear, then -- teleports to the church. probably makes it there before mary by virtue of cheating, and waits, tablet and lantern in hand. ]

action forever now in this network thread

[withsadness]

[It's not terribly long of a wait, at least, though Mary might have nearly forgotten her lantern in her haste. When push comes to shove, she has all the speed you'd expect from a child her size, and she comes bursting in through the doors without care or consideration for what kind of noise it makes. Mary stumbles to a stop when she sees Five, and for a long several seconds she just stares at him with her lips shut into a tight frown.

But then, naturally, she gets that look on her face: the face of a child who is on the verge of tears.]

He told me. He said he'd be just fine. It wasn't a promise, but he still said!

goddd

[fogey]

[ he sets down his tablet and lantern on a pew when he hears the doors open, attention focused on her. five doesn't have any softness in him, certainly nothing that should be offered to a child. but he crosses to where she stands, kneeling to be closer to eye level.

someone else might think she's too young for this. he doesn't, because he knows how death comes for anyone, at any time. has come for her already. he'd only been a few years older than she is when he dug his brothers and sister out of the rubble of a destroyed world. ]

I'm sorry. I didn't know you knew him.

[ his own fucking fault for making a public announcement like this, not thinking about who it could affect. ]

[withsadness]

We're staying together...at The Invincible.

[Mary bites her lip as her watery eyes slide to the floor.]

He told me a lot of nice things, like how...how...being different doesn't make you bad. That made me really happy.

[fogey]

[ someone looking after her, christ ]

He was right about that. [ ... ] Do you have any other roommates?

[withsadness]

[Thankfully, she nods.]

Wade. It was the three of us together!

[fogey]

[ he's quiet for a moment, carefully picking his words. then, ]

Wade's going to be worried about you if you don't go home. Don't you think?

[withsadness]

No.

[The word's a bit lower, less tearful.]

A home isn't anything without family, and it's Rosi's room. He found it first, and then he let me stay, and he found Wade and brought us all together.

[fogey]

Family's more than just one person, Mary.

[withsadness]

But it's broken right now! It's broken!

[fogey]

Did I ever tell you about my brothers and sisters?

[ not a real question; he knows he didn't ]

[withsadness]

[She shakes her head. Because, yeah, of course he didn't.]

What are they like?

1/2

[fogey]

There were seven of us. Five brothers, two sisters. All adopted by our father -- which was about the only thing we had in common. That, and our birthday.

[ and the freaky way they were born. but. moving right along past that. ]

But my brother died when we were young. [ five was the first, actually; he got lost, and the cracks only spread from there. ] Believe me, our family is sure as hell broken. Worse than I can describe. But that doesn't mean we don't come together when it counts.

[ they banded together to stop the apocalypse the first time. they've helped him, when he let them, when he asked them; and he knows, deep down, they would've done more if he let them. ]

[fogey]

If you want to stay here for a while, I'm not going to stop you. [ he doesn't care, or something. ] I don't have anywhere better to be, anyway. But you're going to have to tell Wade where you are, if nothing else.

[ is he the responsible adult here?? terrifying ]

HELP

[withsadness]

...I'll tell him.

[It's not like she intended to keep it from him, anyway, so much as...she just reacted before thinking about much of anything else. Or anyone else, for that matter.]

I just don't want people to go where I can't follow all over again, Five.

YOU MADE IT

[fogey]

[ he nods, like, good when she says that. he's not going to force her or anything, but he will keep an eye as to if she does or not. he might have to reach out himself if she doesn't, is all. ]

I can't promise you that'll never happen, Mary. Not without lying.

[ and that's just going to hurt her worse in the long run. he breathes out, scoots backwards a little so he can rest his back against the side of a pew, sitting down more fully. ]

[withsadness]

[Quiet for a moment, Mary's tears slow and she calms, sitting down against the side of the pew across from him.]

Thank you for not lying.

[fogey]

Don't thank me, kid.

[ PLEASE DON'T......he's the worst guardian figure.... ]

[withsadness]

[It's too late. It's too damn late!]

But I mean it! And I bet...your brothers and sisters must miss you.

1/2

[fogey]

[ what the fuck is this attack, oh my god mary

he breathes out a wry not-a-laugh, tips his head up so he can look at the ceiling. ]

My brothers and sisters...

[ have a lot they need to do first. this isn't even a thought he's orbited, because it's so much more critical that they survive long enough to be able to worry about missing him.

if this weren't mary, he might bring up her father, her own family. but this is mary, and she's barely stopped crying, so -- ]

[fogey]

You should call your friend before it gets too late.

[ what are emotions. ]

[withsadness]

I will.

[...]

Five?

[fogey]

[ he looks back at her, at least. ]

What is it?

[withsadness]

Don't die.