She's just another fractal butterfly [OTA]

[please_see_me]

Outside where the Conrad Hotel used to be is standing a tiny, blonde teenager with very brightly-coloured wings and a canvas messenger bag with colourful doodles all over it. She wasn't standing there a few seconds ago, but most of the people passing by don't seem to notice her

Comments

[shellbreaking]

"Hey, in angel years, neither of our ages are all that impressive," Mark says with a shrug and a grin at her. "Yep. Short for Rainbow Brite, which is what your wings remind me of... just minus the pegs and the batteries needed and the glowing. But just like you."

BAW! Mark likes being adopted. He is easily pleased that way, and he has a tendency to adopt many people too in his own way at any rate. He is glad he was out in the city today, and he could help her on her way instead of leaving her to be sad in front of destruction.

He laughs at the question.

It is... not too far from the truth for people that know Sonny. However, they do not do mob things. Sonny just reminds people of a mob boss. Sometimes.

"I live in a bar, because my cousin used to live there and work there and do good things for the city through it so after he... died, I wanted to help take care of his son and stuff. So I moved in," Mark says with a small smile that widens into a grin once he moves past the awkward talking about his feelings part. "I do awesome tech stuff though. No mob-like stuff."

[please_see_me]

"Well, I guess that's cool too," Dusty allows. Clearly it would've been cooler if you were a mob boss, Mark. "I'm sorry your cousin, died, though. That must've really sucked." And the thing about Dusty is that she is really and truly sincere when she says that. She is almost sickeningly sincere sometimes...

"Do you have a phone number? I should totally get your phone number. I mean, also journals, but if I have your phone number I can call you right away if something cool is happening! And I can totally make you brownies or cupcakes or something for being so nice to me!"

[shellbreaking]

"Sorry I couldn't be more awesome!" Mark says but he is totally joking, of course. Clearly, he would be, and he agrees. Ahem. "Yeah, it was... yeah." He shoves his hands in his pockets. He's not good at talking about his own stuff for whatever reason.

Though he can talk about anything else without any issues.

"I do have a phone number, of course! It's 2011, R.B. I'm all about the cellular phones." He takes his phone out of his pocket. "Even made some apps for this thing, one of them figures out Rift activity so it's useful and pretty because I filled it with colors. Okay, do you have a paper or pen? I will write my number, and you can call-- I do love food. Brownies and cupcakes. My cousin and I used to have like food competitions, see who could pack away the most food in the shortest amount of time."

It was pretty much... awesome.

[please_see_me]

"Cool, hang on!" Dusty doesn't have a cell phone anymore, but she does have her journal, a pink and purple affair with a unicorn and a rainbow on the cover, which she digs out of her bag, along with a sparkly pink gel pen.

It's too bad the people on the journal networks can't see that her entries literally sparkle.

"Okay, ready! So I can call you and we can make yummy treats and binge and watch movies and stuff!"

[shellbreaking]

"I am hanging on by the thinnest thread. At any second, I might fall off from the anticipation just so you know," Mark inform her with a tiny smile that spreads into a grin when she pulls out that BRIGHTLY colored journal. "Gee wiz, kid, you're all about the rainbow."

He says this with approval obviously, and he agrees that the sparkles are sadly missed by one and all.

"Yep!" And he gives her the number with Chicago area code and all. The narration dek what it is, but it is a good, strong phone number. "And if you need anything or advice, seriously, just call away! I'll pencil you into my calendar and it will be awesome."

[please_see_me]

"I like colors!" Dusty says with a laugh. She likes sparkles, too. And unicorns, though not as much as rainbows and sparkles.

She writes down Mark's good, strong phone number in loopy numbers in purple sparkly gel ink. "Cool! Thank you!" She tucks her journal and pen back in her bag, and secures herself under Mark's arm again. It's starting to really hit her that she might not actually have any friends left here, if she's been gone more than a year. With how much stuff seems to happen in Chicago in a year, the chances are... low. She knows it.

It's nice to have someone to turn to before she has to find out if her friends are still alive or not.

"Thanks for walking me to the Tower, by the way. You didn't have to, I probably could've found it."

[shellbreaking]

"Really? I had no idea at all that you would have liked colors," Mark says and this is his turn to be a little sarcastic but in a very goodnatured, positive way. He is not too big on the sarcasm so when he does it, it's super exaggerated and obvious that he's teasing.

He smiles when she writes down his number and then he shuts the phone, sliding it back into his pocket. "You are very welcome," Mark says, sliding his arm around her again as he can tell it's a comfort for her and he wants to help even if it's little ways like this.

Mark smiles sideways at her.

"Hey, you're welcome. This is Chicago, and you've just had a shock. Even if you could've found it on your own and wanted to do the solo thing, I wouldn't let you. I'm mean that way."

[please_see_me]

"The meanest," Dusty says, trying not to giggle. "How could you be so awful! You are just a villain, that's what you are. MARK THE DESTROYER!"

Yes, she's being a dork. It helps cheer her up, to be dorky, and make other people laugh.