simplicity.

[candlejack]

Comments

[theclevergirl]

[There is a lady wandering through the farmer's market early in the morning, looking a bit dazed, but complacent. There is also a teenage boy somewhere in the market trying to find her, but it's not like she'll get into any trouble without him, he's just a bit protective.

Jackie stops to run her fingers over some flowers for sale, leaning in to smell them. She gives them a longing look but doesn't buy any and keeps walking.]

[matriotism]

[ Trouble? Here? Hardly.

The pretty girl definitely caught her eye, so she's going to follow her around a bit, and she is definitely curious when Jackie touches the flowers. She hasn't seen many flowers. ]

What're you doing?

[theclevergirl]

[She startles slightly, she wasn't really expecting anyone to stop her or talk to her, but she looks over her shoulder, taking in the blonde girl. She doesn't know her, but she's probably harmless, if a bit stupid maybe, because it was obvious what she'd been doing.

All Jackie says is,]

Just looking.

[matriotism]

[ Stupid could be the word, but it's more of a fact that Rai is still trying to figure out how most things work. If anything, it's more "kid dumb". ]

Why are you touching them? [ She inches towards the flowers and pokes one. ]

[theclevergirl]

[Jackie sighs. Yes, stupid could be the word. She reaches out and takes the girl's hand, manipulating her fingers around into the proper formation to run the flower petals between her forefinger and thumb.]

Because they're soft.

[matriotism]

[ She watches curiously when Jackie grabs her hand, letting her do the whole manipulation. Her eyebrows arch in wonder when she feels the flower and laughs a little. ]

They are! [ So is human skin, though. ] I never saw things like these.

[theclevergirl]

[That isn't normal. There are flowers everywhere, not all of them as well groomed as these, but everywhere all the same. Persistent dandelions crawling up from the concrete, flowering fruit trees and vegetable vines. Fields full of tiny wild strawberry blossoms and clover. There were even flowers in the desert and on the water.

Jackie lets go of the girl, her lesson is done.]

Flowers. They grow everywhere.

[matriotism]

[ She's still holding the petal while Jackie talks. Gently, though, it seems quite frail and although Rai is quite prone to violence, she's sure she can't eat flowers. ]

Do they? Where?

[theclevergirl]

[She frowns slightly. She's much too old to be so oblivious, but Jackie can't really summon up the effort to do much more than answer,]

They're plants, they grow from the ground.

[matriotism]

[ Letting go of the flower, she turns to Jackie and leans towards her slightly. She's pretty and Rai likes the pretty ones best. ]

Not home, they don't. [ Or, well, they do, but they are rare sights that she hasn't had the opportunity to look at yet. ] What's your name?

[theclevergirl]

[She's too close, looking too intensely. Jackie looks away and brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, closing in on herself, quietly, protectively. The anxiety it causes her is relatively minor, but she does not want to let it escalate. She feels guilty when she embarrasses Darren in public, even if he is constantly repeating that it's never as bad as she thinks it, that he doesn't mind.]

My name is Jackie. [...She forces herself to carry on, her voice going flat,] It's nice to meet you.

[They tell her the world is full of opportunities, that she shouldn't shut the door on everyone. That she should say 'yes' to life. They tell you that, after you try to kill yourself enough times and thinking that puts a low pang through her that she can't quite truly feel through the haze her medication puts between her and all the old scars.]

[matriotism]

[ She likes that, when they're meek, likes it when they look fragile, so she picks up on the little things. She's very observant for a little monster and her smile grows wider when she looks away. ]

I'm Raicho. Hi. [ She slips her hands inside the pockets of her red jacket. ] Are you going somewhere?

[theclevergirl]

[She's not watching the girl smile, wouldn't want to anyway. Raicho is a strange name, for a girl, and in general. Jackie's mouth opens to tell her 'Yes' and to then lie and tell her that she was leaving. But she stops and answers instead,]

No. My son and I came to pick up some vegetables.

[She should add something else, something about summer vegetables, something about inflated grocery store prices, or about cooking. But she doesn't want to, and she doesn't try to make herself this time.]

[matriotism]

[ If Jackie was looking at her, however, she would see that there is a sudden interest in her. Not as much predatory as it could have become, but instead genuine likeness. Mothers are mothers and this little monster here, well, she's a big momma's girl. ]

You're a mom. [ There's almost glee in her voice and she inches closer to her, uncaring if it makes her uncomfortable or not. ] I have a mom too. [ Like it's the most unique thing in the world, really. ] Are you good to your son? What's his name? [ And then she looks around the small crowd. ] Where is he?

[theclevergirl]

[Too close, and while Jackie doesn't flinch it makes her pulse quicken in her throat. She frowns slightly, trying to concentrate on what the girl is asking her, but that doesn't help. She tries to be good to her son, but she's not always sure she is. She asks him for too much help and leans on him too heavily and he doesn't get to be a child like he should be.]

Da-Darren. [She doesn't mean to stutter, but she's having difficult with this.] He's...

[She can't pick her eyes off the ground to look for him and her voice is a little strained when she raises it to call for him,]

Darren?

[partumscar]

[He had almost caught up to them as it was, and he quickens his step when his mother calls for him. He steps around the blonde girl, wrapping an arm around his mother's shoulders, subtly taking her a few steps backwards from the girl. She just needs a minute to clear her head and she'll be fine, but there's no way everyone is going to know that, so here he is.

His smile is amiable.]

Hi.

[He offers Raicho his hand to shake.]

I'm Darren Andrews.