(Untitled)

[notstrangers]

The autumn has come, and with it the temperatures have dropped and the winds have picked up. The trees in the City, small but thriving now, get red and gold and brown edges to some of their leaves, and...well, there are no birds to fly South, and no South to fly to, but you get the idea

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[call_me_rat]

Rat's noticed the preparations, but he prefers not to sleep on Shell Beach ever since Willie's death. Having been just inside the city for the night, he turns up at the fair a little later. His budget is two dollars and some change, which isn't half bad at the City's 1940's era prices. A nickel buys good coffee, which is the first thing he's really looking for.
He comes from between some tents, to dodge any possible cover charge, and so he sees Charlotte, Harley and April first. There's a moment where his brain kicks in with some ugly memories, but Charlotte alone is all right. He always felt bad for her, and wonders what's become of her since the little group left the city.
Since he's standing there watching them, and he's a head taller than anybody else, they might notice him too.

[harley_is_love]

Harley does in deed note Rat's presence. While she offers Charlotte some money to play one of the games at the carnival, she flashes him a warm smile.

[br_oke_n_city]

Charlotte accepts the penny from Harley. Indeed, she has no real money herself and is only at the fair due to having PINpointed directly into it. "Thank you, very much. I will attempt to win a goldfish. My guardian might like it."

Then she notices Rat and bites her lip, hesitating. She didn't really want to be recognized, but of the little group she ran into before, Rat is the most innocuous. She lifts a hand in a slight wave, face blank.

[call_me_rat]

As soon as he realizes he's been spotted back, Rat turns on the friendly smile. There's something hesitant in the expression still, and while his eyes meet Harley's briefly, it's clear Charlotte has his attention and he seems slightly worried about her. Rat's never quite come to terms with killing, even if it was a Stranger, and he doesn't like the idea of having it brought up.
He weaves through the crowd to meet them both, giving a slight wave back, but when he reaches them he's uncharacteristically awkward. "Hey Harley, er... Charlotte. I guess this place is a good draw..." He'd find a corner and start busking if he wasn't afraid of getting in trouble for it.

[harley_is_love]

Harley glances at Rat when he recognizes Charlotte without an introduction. And she does notice the small girl is biting her lip. It gives her a slight pause of wondering what she is missing.

"I am sure your guardian would love a gold fish," Harley replies softly. She glances between the two of them, hoping someone helps her out from feeling lost. April just tugs on Charlotte's sleeve and points to a smaller fish in the middle of the area. "That one?"

[br_oke_n_city]

"Hello, Mr. Rathbone, yes." Charlotte fidgets. "I did not expect to see anyone I knew here. I am only visiting. I do not intend to stay in town. I have been living in the Nexus, with my companions."

She notices Harley's glance and tries to look reassuring. "We have met once before, under...less than ideal circumstances, yes." The 'yes' on the end of her sentences appears to be more a speech habit than anything else.

Then April tugs on her sleeve and points, and the girl blinks. It takes her a moment to understand what she is being told, but then she breaks into a genuine smile, less self-conscious than the one before. Maybe she has a soft spot for other children? "Very well. I will make an attempt."

She turns toward the fish and pitches the penny gently. It does a couple flips in the air and lands neatly in the indicated bowl. Only someone looking very closely would notice the little telekinetic push it recieved in mid-air. No one ever told Charlotte that using tuning to win games is technically cheating.

[call_me_rat]

That's as tactful an explanation as anyone could make, and Rat immediately feels guilty for making charlotte be the one to do it. He's also a little caught off guard by how much older April is, and generally wishes he could start over. He shifts his pack and takes a breath and continues to smile. "It's a beautiful day for visiting, did you-" There's no good way to ask if she brought the others. "Mind if I join up with you ladies? I can try to win you each a stuffed toy if you'll have me along."

[harley_is_love]

"Bear?" April asked, looking up at the mention of a stuffed toy. Harley just smiles, brushing the blonde hair out of her daughter's eyes. "We will see. Not too much today. Charlotte just won you a fish."

April gives a giggle, hiding her smile behind a hand. "Thank you."

Turning her attention back to Charlotte, Harley asks, "You mentioned you were visiting from the Nexus? It is no wonder you seemed unique to the other Dark City residents."

[br_oke_n_city]

The barker hands over the fish in its little bowl, and Charlotte looks pleased. "It is a pretty creature. Can she carry it herself, or shall I?"

She smiles at April again. "You are welcome, yes."

"I do not object to you joining us, Mr. Rathbone. I have a stuffed toy I brought with me, but if you insist, I will not refuse your offer."

Then she looks up at Harley, mildly surprised again. "You...are familiar with the Nexus? I am from another version of this City. It is destroyed now. I am, in short, a hybrid of human and Stranger. I would like to pretend to be an ordinary child today, however, inasmuch as I can. I mean this place no harm."

[call_me_rat]

Rat tries not to wince at the frank explanation. "It's too nice a day for the details." He hesitates, then reaches over and ruffles Charlotte's and April's hair both at once. "And little girls can never have too many stuffed toys." With a sheepish grin he adds to Charlotte, "Just Rat, or Markus..." Maybe she and April can start calling him Uncle Ratty, he'd actually like that.

[harley_is_love]

"You better carry it. April is still too small to carry such a fragile creature. For now." Harley replies.

Then relizing she missed accepting Marcus's presence, she offers her arm to him. "Oh yes. Please do join us?"

And then she returns her attention to the last question. "Well I myself am from the Nexus. Not from this City or another version of it. Someplace else. And my dear, you are free to be a child as much as you desire. I shall let no one know you are more than as you appear. As I do for April."

April stares at the goldfish in amazement. "Fishie."

[br_oke_n_city]

Charlotte twitches in surprise at the hair-ruffling, but doesn't move away from it. "Very well...Rat, then."

She flashes an awkward smile at Harley, not quite as comfortable with her as with April, but warming up to her. "Thank you. I am grateful to meet people here who are willing to accept what I am, yes."

She holds the bowl out to let April get a better look at the fish. "Fish, yes. Goldfish."

[call_me_rat]

He's relieved she's okay with it, but if she wants to pretend she's a normal little girl, then he's determined to treat her like one today. "I can carry it if you get tired. Where are we going first?" He takes harley's arm graciously, and tries to give her a look that speaks volumes of 'I'll explain the details later'.

[harley_is_love]

Grinning at Charlotte, April decides to give the fish a name. "We will call him Goldie."

Harley nods with an appreciative smile to Rat's look. resting her head on his shoulder for a moment.

April looks around the carnival with excitment. She points to a booth where one can shoot ducks to win stuffed toys. "That one!"

[br_oke_n_city]

"Goldie. I suppose that is an appropriate name." Charlotte lifts the fish to her own eye level to get a better look at it, then tucks the little bowl back under her arm to carry it, carefully. "Hello, Goldie."

Following April's gaze, she looks over the toys hanging at the duck shooting booth. There's an array of kitties, bears, bunnies, monkeys, and assorted others. She nods in agreement.

((Going to bed now, but I will catch up tomorrow. Thanks for playing! :3))

[call_me_rat]

Rat ambles that way with Harley, letting the girls lead. "Your wish is my command. You'll have to name the stuffed toys, too." He's hoping Harley's over that crush she spoke to him about before, but it's awfully nice to have a lady on his arm for once. They could almost be mistaken for a family if he wasn't so much shabbier than the rest of them. At least he has ready cash to pay for the games himself. "Who gets the first one? Assuming I do win..."