Moon's room - Moon's dream: Moon, Danni, (Salene, Mouse)

[tribal_moon]

Moon was still sleeping from earlier. Initially she slept quietly and blankly, her body taking the opportunity to recharge itself. Then, she started to dream, clearly and vividly, tossing and turning in her sleep as she did so.

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[tribal_danni]

Danni looked down at her hand in Moon's and smiled. She was nervous about telling Moon exactly how she had ended up at the Mall, how Bray had found her, but somehow having Moon hold her hand made it okay. She took a deep breath and thought carefully about how to phrase what she had to say. "When Bray found me I was hiding. I was in one of the old government buildings, one of the places where scientists had been working on a cure for the virus." Danni paused, thinking about how to tell Moon about her father, not sure if there would ever be an easy way to say what she had to say. She no longer blmaed herself for the virus, but it would never be easy to talk about

[tribal_moon]

Moon listened in silence as Danni began to talk. She could tell by the way she was speaking that it was going to be quite a story - though as it progressed, Moon could hardly believe what she was hearing. Danni's father had caused the virus?! The whole hiding-with-crossbows thing started to make more sense now. Moon couldn't imagine how scary that must have been for a young girl, alone, waiting for your own death sentence. More than ever she was amazed at how Danni seemed to have coped through it all. She would never have guessed

[tribal_danni]

Feeling Moon brush away a tear Danni felt the urge to cry once more, feeling that with Moon she would be safe to show her emotions, but she stopped herself. Now wasn't the time. She had been here to try and comfort Moon and it wasn't fair of her to place any burden on her

[tribal_moon]

Moon could sense a lot of emotion going on inside Danni, which was hardly surprising. She felt it best to stay quiet, though, reasoning that if Danni wanted to talk about it then she would. Besides, she knew that she could never really grasp the enormity of what had happened.

"...I do believe that fate had a hand in introducing me to you. I..."
Moon wondered what Danni might have said if she had finished that sentence, but then Danni drew her attention to the food.
"Oh, thank you, you are very kind," she said gratefully, leaning over and picking up the plate and fork. As she started to eat, she realised that she was actually quite hungry, and for a minute or two she ate steadily in silence, her mind solely on the taste of the food. Once she slowed down, she spoke again.
"I wonder if it rained at all. Do we need to water your herbs?"

[tribal_danni]

"I guess we should go and check on them. I want to show them to Hawk later, he's come for a visit from the Gaian camp, where Ilearnt about herbs and stuff." Danni offer by way of explanation. "I'm hoping he'll go back to the camp and tell the tribe healer and get me in his good books." Danni smiled.

"So, what were you saying about fate?"

[tribal_moon]

Moon didn't know who this Hawk person was, but being a Gaian he was likely to know a whole lot more about growing plants than she ever would. Suspecting that she'd feel a little intimidated if she was there when he inspected the herb garden, Moon decided that she'd let Danni show him by herself, she didn't need to be there too.

Having finished off her food, Moon leant over and put the plate back on the table. Danni prompting her about what she'd said about fate, well, the moment had passed and the inspired braveness that Moon had felt had left her. She smiled a little embarrassedly, shaking her head, trying hard not to blush.
"Oh, nothing. It was nothing."

Thinking quickly, Moon changed the subject back again.
"You seem to have learnt a lot from the Gaians. Are you going to join them again at some point?" Moon wondered if Danni intended to stay at the Mall. She couldn't help thinking that if she did not, Moon would feel there was little reason to stay.

[tribal_danni]

"Oh I shouldn't think so." Danni said. "I mean, they're fantastic people and brilliant friends, but I'm a city girl at heart." Danni gave a soft smile. "Don't think I could cope out in the wilderness forever, I miss things like having a real roof over my head." she joked. "I guess I'll just have to see if the Mall Rats will have me back."

Danni thought for a moment, thinking back to what Moz had said to Moon in the market yesterday. She's called her a supposed 'free spirit' and had said she was the Mall Rat's slave. Moon didn't have the Mall Rat stamp on her hand, so would that mean that she wouldn't be staying for long?

"What about you? You thought about joining the Mall Rats? I know they bicker, well, I mean we bicker, but the Mall Rats are really a good group of people. Despite their many differences they really do look out for one another. Plus, I reckon I'd miss you if you weren't around...." Feeling brave Danni's free hand joined where her other hand and Moon's were entwined and covered the top of Moons hand.

[tribal_moon]

Whilst feeling glad that Danni wanted to stay, Moon also wondered how Danni knew she was a 'city girl' - how did people know where they belonged? Moon had never felt a sense of belonging anywhere, she just... couldn't tell.

Feeling a little glow from the warm contact of Danni's hand, Moon smiled at her briefly, then turned her eyes down again as she spoke.
"Actually... Salene asked me this morning if I wanted to, um, be put up to be voted in as a Mallrat." She remembered how unsure she had felt at the time - it was only a little while ago, yet so much had changed in that time. Her foremost fear at that point had been whether she and Danni could ever look each other in the eye again, and somehow here they were, holding hands and talking. It didn't seem real, and yet...

Moon still had apprehensions about the vote, however. What if she agreed, then they voted against? She would definitely have to leave the Mall if that happened - leave this.

[tribal_danni]

Danni was very glad to hear that Moon had been asked by Salene to join the Mall Rats. But then she saw a look of apprehension and was worried for a second. Maybe Moon hadn't intended on staying this long. After all, she had only come looking for Bray in the first place, and surely seeing him with Amber would have changed any plans she might have had.

"What do you want to do Moon?" Danni asked, scared to hear that Moon wanted to leave. For a fleeting moment she thought that if Moon did go, then maybe she could go with her. But maybe Moon wanted to go alone. Danni hated the fact that she had so many doubts in her mind, she disliked her insecurity intensley, but if she wasn't entirely certain about where she stood, how could she be certain about Moon?

[tribal_moon]

At Danni's question, Moon looked up, a little surprised. She had almost expected Danni to encourage her, to tell her how great that was and how she should definitely do it. She certainly did not expect to be asked her opinion - she just wasn't used to people asking her what she wanted.

"Um, I don't know," said Moon hesitantly, "I... I've never been asked to stay anywhere before." Her joining of the Horse Traders had been somewhat deficient in free will, and other tribes she had come across had always regarded her as an outsider.

"I never really minded, that's part of being a free spirit, I suppose," she shrugged, a little defensively. She gazed thoughtfully at her hand, so warmly clasped in Danni's. In a softer voice she said,
"But then, I never really had anything to stay for, before."

[tribal_danni]

Danni wasn't entirely sure what she was hearing, was that Moon saying that Danni was a damn good reason to stay with the Mall Rats? She felt her face flush a little, feeling flattered by the remark, though still not entirely sure what to make of it. She hadn't really given Moon that much time to think, and yet here she was saying something about the way she felt about Danni. As much as Danni herself wanted something to happen between her and Moon, it would mean nothing if it was a rushed decision. She didn't want to push Moon into deciding anything too soon

[tribal_moon]

Moon saw Danni blush, the colour in her cheeks reminding her of the night before, when they were both flushed with alcohol. Her mind went over that first kiss, still causing her insides to jump at the thought - it had been such a shock

[tribal_danni]

Danni couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. Was this Moon's way of telling hershe wanted to be with her? Danni certainly wasn't going to take that for granted, she certainly didn't want to assume too much and ruin any chance she stood of being with Moon, but she knew enough to guess that Moon was willing to see how things would go.

"If you wanted to leave I'd go with you." Danni said, not wanting to pressure Moon into staying at the Mall. It was a place she loved, but she figured that if she was with Moon then it wouldn't matter where she lived.