[ Have a kid outside, wrapped up in a threadbare hoodie against the chill of cold wind, huddling under a storefront awning. He's fumbling for something in his deep pockets, looks tired and a little exasperated. ]
[ There is a young woman making her slow way down the sidewalk. Her sleeves are pulled over her hands, which she uses to cover her mouth as she stops before storefront after storefront, peering into their windows. She is whispering quietly to herself, but stops a small distance away when she sees him. ]
[ Pulled from his floundering search, the boy raises his head, eyes round at the unprompted greeting. He attempts to register her face, but she's a stranger to him. Yet he can't shake the itch of familiarity, like he should still know. ]
[ She shuffles over, a little bit closer, hiding behind her hands. Her large peer at him over fabric and fingers, growing slightly wider when she speaks. ]
No no, I don't think so I would remember you would forget.
[ A smile. She likes smiles. They are open and meaningful and suggest that this new stranger will not dislike her for her strange manner of speaking. Still, she remains a bit skittish, pulling her hands down now away from her face. ]
Comes and goes strange little thing I remember everything told to me. People whisper their secrets to me and I never forget. [ She smiles back now, a little shyly. ]
I'm far from home too far, far enough but I am not on my own, so it is alright. Are you?
[ The rush of words surprises him, and he doesn't altogether understand their meaning, but he tries his best and his smile is as much as he can offer. Maybe coupled with a brief little laugh. ]
I don't think I have many secrets to offer. Nothing drastic-- somebody would've found out by now. But.. no, I'm not alone. Most of the time, I'm not.
[ But he feels the absence of friends keenly, and he's never quite gotten over that sensation of being displaced in this city, in this new life. ]
[ His laugh -- however brief -- gets her to crinkle her nose. And when she laughs in response, it is a light, bubbly noise. Effervescent like water splashing happily against smooth stones. ]
It is good not to be alone brothers and sister, following following, or else grow sad and lonely. Even the darkest place can warm you when you are not on your own.
[ A little more shuffling closer. One of her fingers finds a tendril of her hair and curls it around a bent knuckle. Her face goes thoughtful; although her expression does not truly show it, she does not like thinking of home. ]
There is no one left to look after us now gone all gone even the dead. My brothers and sister and I are no longer welcome. [ Her smile falters and then, after a moment's thought renews itself. ] It is better here.
That's true. [ His brow tightens, and he can't help the feeling of remorse those words stir in him, isn't sure where the sentiment quite comes from. ] It's better to be somewhere you're welcomed.
[ He scoops a sheaf of hair out of his eyes, bundles up tighter in his baggy hoodie, leaning his head to better hear her. ]
But.. someone's looking after you and your siblings here, right?
[ She shakes her head, her bangs feathering over her forehead as she does, and then leans closer as well -- the gesture mimicking his, like the way one's actions are mirrored when look down into a pool. He seems cold, that much is clear, and if she were a river still, Lethe would have made her waters run warm to bring him comfort. Instead, she continues to smile. ]
No no one no one, we are on our own. We must look after each other big sister cries for weeks big brother so quiet now, but it is not hard.
[ Her smile warms him enough; it's not every day he meets a stranger so friendly, not in the methodical engine routine of his existence. Between work and the blurry in-betweens of parties with people he's always hesitant to call friends, this is almost a breath of fresh air. Gunner's not used to the attention. ]
I-- well, someone used to, but I've been on my own now for a while. I have a few friends, though they babysit me more than anything. Truth is, I just go wherever.
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Hello hello.
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--Hi. Have we met?
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No no, I don't think so I would remember you would forget.
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You're probably right, I don't have the greatest memory. Are you from around here?
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Comes and goes strange little thing I remember everything told to me. People whisper their secrets to me and I never forget. [ She smiles back now, a little shyly. ]
I'm far from home too far, far enough but I am not on my own, so it is alright. Are you?
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I don't think I have many secrets to offer. Nothing drastic-- somebody would've found out by now. But.. no, I'm not alone. Most of the time, I'm not.
[ But he feels the absence of friends keenly, and he's never quite gotten over that sensation of being displaced in this city, in this new life. ]
Why don't you visit back home?
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It is good not to be alone brothers and sister, following following, or else grow sad and lonely. Even the darkest place can warm you when you are not on your own.
[ A little more shuffling closer. One of her fingers finds a tendril of her hair and curls it around a bent knuckle. Her face goes thoughtful; although her expression does not truly show it, she does not like thinking of home. ]
There is no one left to look after us now gone all gone even the dead. My brothers and sister and I are no longer welcome. [ Her smile falters and then, after a moment's thought renews itself. ] It is better here.
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[ He scoops a sheaf of hair out of his eyes, bundles up tighter in his baggy hoodie, leaning his head to better hear her. ]
But.. someone's looking after you and your siblings here, right?
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No no one no one, we are on our own. We must look after each other big sister cries for weeks big brother so quiet now, but it is not hard.
Does someone look after you?
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I-- well, someone used to, but I've been on my own now for a while. I have a few friends, though they babysit me more than anything. Truth is, I just go wherever.
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