A.B.A had run out of decent scraps that she could try and set out for the small mouse under her stove. Before the rodent could find somewhere else to eat she decided it best to go out and get more food, and maybe even a cage finally.
Imagine her surprise when she walked past the wall and looked up to see the unfamiliar young man sitting there. Something about him seemed very off to A.B.A, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He looked just like all of the other humans she had come into contact with, though.
The girl's short attention span gave up on trying to figure it out, but she didn't continue moving. Instead, A.B.A reached out and poked a finger at the man's foot in order to gain his attention.
Niall watched the odd girl with the key in her head, waiting to see if she responded to him or not after all that staring, his own staring down much more subtly through peripheral vision. When she finally moved over, he made sure to look studiously at his Dreamberry and allow her to make contact.
He smiled for just a second at the way she chose to make that contact, and he looked up at her with some amusement.
A.B.A notices the way the man toys around with the phone. He doesn't seem all that confused like that Terra person she had met a few days prior, so it doesn't strike her that he could be new. He actually looks very comfortable sitting on the wall like that and she attempts a small smile back.
"Are you from the districts?" A.B.A knows there were quite a few people from there. Perhaps he just wanted to get away from the crime she had heard about lately.
"I've only just arrived. Maybe you could tell me about the districts?" he offers, not bothering to hide his look at the key through her head. He doesn't seem alarmed and doesn't mention it though, merely curious in a passing fashion. Compared to some of the fey, especially those in the Dark Court, that was nothing too strange looking.
"Only arrived?" She repeated and looked as shocked as A.B.A was able to look. She noticed where his gaze was and one of her hands went up to cover the head of the key in a protective fashion.
"You seem very calm for someone that has just shown up," she went onto say. "I believe other humans are frantic when first arriving. Even I was a little upset."
Either way, she used her other hand and pointed in the direction that the districts were located. "There are shops and other homes in the districts, but a few of them have been hit by bad crimes." Her eyes moved back to the man. "I try not to go there so often because of it. A friend of mine would rather I be careful. But, I do need to head over there now. It can't be helped."
The protective gesture for her key was noted. Niall could imagine the looks and comments, the ridicule even, she might receive for it. Niall stood then, glancing at the Dreamberry before sliding it into the pocket of his jeans. The comments about his calm demeanor went unacknowledged.
"That's good to have friends worried for you. She... or he? Doesn't think you can handle yourself?"
A.B.A took a step back when the man stood up. Her hand fell back down to her side since it seemed he wasn't going to do anything about the key on her head. Actually, he didn't even seem like much of a threat at all so far. She tended to judge anyone she met very quickly, though.
"He," she corrected right away. "I think he does. He knows that I'm strong. He just looks out for me because he cares for me." Just the thought of the way she had been looked after from day one had her smiling at the memories.
"What about you? Is there someone that cares for you in such a way?"
Niall thought quite seriously about that, and he wasn't really sure. He used to think the Summer King cared for him but it had been painfully obvious that wasn't the case.
And then there was Irial. Niall didn't even know what to think about the former Dark King. It was too complicated, too much past. Rather than give a genuine answer he opted, as usual, for a vague non-answer.
"I would hope so." He ran a hand over his shoulder and looked in the direction of the city. "What do you need to go there for?"
A.B.A allowed the answer to slide with only a small amount of curiosity plain on her face. She wasn't one to push too much unless it was in regards to learning new things.
At the question she reached around and pulled out her own phone and started to play with it. In a few moments she had a picture pulled up, albit blurry, of a small rodent.
"There is a mouse living under my stove," she explained while she showed off the picture. "I am going to buy more food to feed it because I am running low on scraps. That way it will trust me and be my pet. I also need to buy a cage as well."
He moved closer, invading her personal space so that he could look down at the blurry photo. Cute. This also afforded him a chance to get a closer look at the key; her discomfort was amusing, if she'd allow him that again.
"It takes very little to gain a mouse's trust, I'd think. He'll be yours in no time."
A.B.A thought nothing of the closeness at first. She figured the man was merely getting a better look at the photo. When it seemed he was staying near her longer than was really nessacary, even after she pulled the phone back, she frowned. She said nothing against it right away, though.
Her attention was instead caught by what was said, pulling her simple mind elsewhere. "Mmm, I hope so." A.B.A looked down at the photo for herself. "Many people said it was a bad idea. But, I was taught to do what makes me happy. The mouse will make me happy."
Her simplicity was interesting, but her lack of any real discomfort was a bit of a disappointment. Niall stepped away a more comfortable distance then. "It's hard to make others happy if you're not yourself."
Niall considered her a moment, offering a small smile. "You look like someone who hasn't smiled enough."
She considered such a thing while putting her phone away. A.B.A shook her head while she played with the sleeves of the oversized sweater that she wore.
"Before I came here I didn't smile a lot. There weren't many things for me to smile about." A.B.A could remember the jeers and the looks of all the humans that thought she was one of those Gears that her husband told her stories of.
"I am more accepted here. People question the way I look, but they do not speak ill of me."
"You weren't accepted where you came from?" Niall asked, assuming that like him she'd been brought here. This also confirmed his suspicions about the key in her skull not being common and her being defensive about it. The old urge was there, to reach out to her, to draw emotion from her. For so many centuries he had denied himself that. If he really was the Dark King now, he knew it would be safe for him to, he could feel that power over his baser nature.
And wouldn't it be amusing? Amusing, but harmless, which is what Niall was concerned with. He reached out, without permission, and pet a lock of her hair near to the key.
A.B.A had watched that hand closely, wondering if the stranger planned to touch the key in her head. She hadn't minded allowing such a thing before, but only when she allowed it. She was put on edge otherwise.
When fingers started to touch her hair, going so far as to stroke the red strands, A.B.A's body relaxed. This was known to be a gesture of affection, wasn't it? She had seen many couples doing such a thing. Men combing fingers through women's hair. Even normal people doing so just to give comfort to other humans.
Those thoughts were enough to help her feel a bit more content. Even just a little happy that there was someone in this strange world that wanted to touch her in such a way.
"No," she finally answered in a softer voice. "Some people were scared of me and thought I was something that I was not."
Such a brilliant shade of red for a mortal. It made Niall smile, and he watched his own fingers play with the lock of hair, going so far as to curl it around his fingers. She didn't mind, he might as well indulge himself.
"And what did they think you were?" he asked, a shadow passing briefly over his eyes as he watched his own fingers intently, rather than looking at her face.
Imagine her surprise when she walked past the wall and looked up to see the unfamiliar young man sitting there. Something about him seemed very off to A.B.A, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He looked just like all of the other humans she had come into contact with, though.
The girl's short attention span gave up on trying to figure it out, but she didn't continue moving. Instead, A.B.A reached out and poked a finger at the man's foot in order to gain his attention.
"Hello."
Reply
He smiled for just a second at the way she chose to make that contact, and he looked up at her with some amusement.
"Hello," he answered simply.
Reply
"Are you from the districts?" A.B.A knows there were quite a few people from there. Perhaps he just wanted to get away from the crime she had heard about lately.
Reply
Reply
"You seem very calm for someone that has just shown up," she went onto say. "I believe other humans are frantic when first arriving. Even I was a little upset."
Either way, she used her other hand and pointed in the direction that the districts were located. "There are shops and other homes in the districts, but a few of them have been hit by bad crimes." Her eyes moved back to the man. "I try not to go there so often because of it. A friend of mine would rather I be careful. But, I do need to head over there now. It can't be helped."
Reply
"That's good to have friends worried for you. She... or he? Doesn't think you can handle yourself?"
Reply
"He," she corrected right away. "I think he does. He knows that I'm strong. He just looks out for me because he cares for me." Just the thought of the way she had been looked after from day one had her smiling at the memories.
"What about you? Is there someone that cares for you in such a way?"
Reply
And then there was Irial. Niall didn't even know what to think about the former Dark King. It was too complicated, too much past. Rather than give a genuine answer he opted, as usual, for a vague non-answer.
"I would hope so." He ran a hand over his shoulder and looked in the direction of the city. "What do you need to go there for?"
Reply
At the question she reached around and pulled out her own phone and started to play with it. In a few moments she had a picture pulled up, albit blurry, of a small rodent.
"There is a mouse living under my stove," she explained while she showed off the picture. "I am going to buy more food to feed it because I am running low on scraps. That way it will trust me and be my pet. I also need to buy a cage as well."
Reply
"It takes very little to gain a mouse's trust, I'd think. He'll be yours in no time."
Reply
Her attention was instead caught by what was said, pulling her simple mind elsewhere. "Mmm, I hope so." A.B.A looked down at the photo for herself. "Many people said it was a bad idea. But, I was taught to do what makes me happy. The mouse will make me happy."
Reply
Niall considered her a moment, offering a small smile. "You look like someone who hasn't smiled enough."
Reply
"Before I came here I didn't smile a lot. There weren't many things for me to smile about." A.B.A could remember the jeers and the looks of all the humans that thought she was one of those Gears that her husband told her stories of.
"I am more accepted here. People question the way I look, but they do not speak ill of me."
Reply
And wouldn't it be amusing? Amusing, but harmless, which is what Niall was concerned with. He reached out, without permission, and pet a lock of her hair near to the key.
Reply
When fingers started to touch her hair, going so far as to stroke the red strands, A.B.A's body relaxed. This was known to be a gesture of affection, wasn't it? She had seen many couples doing such a thing. Men combing fingers through women's hair. Even normal people doing so just to give comfort to other humans.
Those thoughts were enough to help her feel a bit more content. Even just a little happy that there was someone in this strange world that wanted to touch her in such a way.
"No," she finally answered in a softer voice. "Some people were scared of me and thought I was something that I was not."
Reply
"And what did they think you were?" he asked, a shadow passing briefly over his eyes as he watched his own fingers intently, rather than looking at her face.
Reply
Leave a comment