26 • [video|action]

[endthem]

[the journal falls open to the sound of a gasp and a metallic clattering, and the camera might just pick up a glimpse of a boy with long blue hair falling to the ground and scrambling backwards, iron shackles on his wrists jangling like oversized bracelets

Comments

[action]

[tehoniongirl]

[she could have asked Horatio to take her back to House Seven, but Jilly preferred to get around as much as she could on her own. As long as it took, it felt right.

Besides, getting down from the ladder was a lot easier than climbing up. Stephen's gift of the little, thread contraption meant that it only took a fraction of the time to get back down to the ground.

Securing the ladder in place, she unfurls the thread over the edge. It doesn't occur to her to look down and see if anyone happens to be hiding below]

[endthem]

[currently huddled against the wall beneath a window, legs hugged to his chest, the kid startles a little when something small lands on his head. Ducking and shimmying over in surprise, that something then falls onto his shoulder instead.

...It kind of looks like... a ladder?]

[tehoniongirl]

[Coming to the window ledge Jilly leans over, tiny face becoming visible. She's about to step out onto the first rung when she spots the boy. Her eyes widen just slightly, apologetic.]

Oh! I didn't know anyone was down there. Sorry.

[endthem]

[he looks up when he hears a tiny sound, and--

oh, big gold eyes suddenly get even BIGGER, and he scrambles back a little.

...He cannot actually be seeing this...]

[tehoniongirl]

[she'd planned to come down anyway...but the instant his eyes go wide with fear, she freezes, shifting carefully to rest her arms on the edge of the ledge.

Making herself smaller certainly wasn't the issue, but she instinctively moves to trying to be as still and calm as possible]

Hey...hey, it's alright. I didn't mean to startle you.

[endthem]

--A fairy??

[one hand goes to the side of his head, totally alarmed. ...He really has gone insane. He's seeing fairies, now]

[tehoniongirl]

...No...not a fairy. Just...tiny. [it's hard to explain. Even harder thanks to the brown and white speckled wings on her back. She sighs a little, and offers him a smile]

...you're new here, aren't you?

[maybe it should have registered, with the blue hair and the vibrant, gold eyes. But there were so many people here of unusual description...especially during a shift. All she's noticing at first is his fear]

[endthem]

[he still kind of clutches the side of his head like he's losing his mind, but h-he tentatively nods]

[tehoniongirl]

[voice gentle, she smiles a bit more, but doesn't move from her perch]

It can be pretty unnerving, showing up in a new place. Are you...alone?

[the longer she looks at him, the harder it is to keep that smile in place. The links that she thought were merely bracelets are obviously more sinister, now that she can see the broken chain dangling from the heavy cuffs. His hollowed features and ragged appearance...it all speaks of something much more sinister than just a new feather.]

[endthem]

[another nod, though he checks over his shoulder just to make sure. He's looking a little less outright alarmed now and a little more caught with horrified fascination, still totally convinced that he's seeing fairies]

[tehoniongirl]

If you need some help settling in...I can try to help. Showing you where you can stay or get food. Things like that. [it'd be tricky at this size, but doable]

...Would you mind if I came down? [she pointed at the little ladder, not wanting to startle him by moving]

[endthem]

[most of that seems to sort of glide right over his head, until her question. That gets him to blink and nod, scooting over to give her room]

[tehoniongirl]

[she climbs down easily enough, the string rungs easily holding her weight. When she reaches the ground, she moves a little closer, but not terribly close. She doesn't want to startle him any more than she already has...and being too close means she needs to crane her head to look up at him]

If you want, I can show you were the welcome center is? There's food and places to sleep. It's a good place to start.