(Untitled)

[saw_too_much]

An older woman creeps slowly into the bar, keeping to the edges of the room. Pushing her small shopping cart before her, she finds a dark corner and settles down in a chair, her eyes wide and watchful.

She murmurs to the blue tarp covering the cart which seems to be... wriggling.

"I hope this is it. If it's not it, we run. We run."

Comments

[bitingmybullet]

Gwen eyes her.

Um.

This is ... new.

"... Ma'am?"

[saw_too_much]

Helen freezes.

"What?"

[bitingmybullet]

She holds her hands up, palms up. Nonthreatening.

"Um. Hey."

You wanna park that outside?

"Can I ... get you something to drink?"

... And, incidentally, that's a dog.

She has a dog in the cart.

[saw_too_much]

"No."

She smiles. Or tries to.

"Is this a safe place?"

[iholdtheline]

"Um, ma'am, are you all right?"

Polite, southern voice. Soft and husky and it matches the speaker's startled cornflower blue eyes. She seems genuine, but don't they all?

[saw_too_much]

She narrows her eyes slightly. "Yes, I'm fine. Just fine. Never better."

[iholdtheline]

She looks down, ducks, really, shoulders curving inwards.

"Oh. I was just...asking, ma'am."

[saw_too_much]

"Asking is fine. Asking is fine."

She scoots herself to the edge of the chair, gripping the handle of the cart. There is no one between herself and the door. She can run if she needs to.

[sky_from_sea]

Anna shifts in her chair to watch the newcomer, looking a little wary.

Humans are--dangerous when they get twitchy.

[saw_too_much]

Humans are surrounded by dangerous beings these days, so that's a fair enough assumption to make.

Helen glances at Anna, and then cuts her eyes away. You don't make eye contact unless you want trouble. She learned that a while back.

She tucks the blue tarp down more firmly and twists her hands together.

[sky_from_sea]

Anna keeps watching, visibly hesitating.

"Are--are you quite well?"

[saw_too_much]

"Well enough. Fine. Thank you for asking."

The voice is clipped and cultured for a moment, but then she hunches over the cart and begins muttering quietly to herself.

[bass_line_blues]

Preston has a cart too!

It's got a bass on it. Also, it's . . . kind of less professionally made. Still: kinship!

He grants the woman a friendly smile.

[saw_too_much]

The woman just stares at him. No smile for him. But she has to be careful. If this is a safe place, but there are (monsters) changed people here, she has to be careful.

She nods at him.

[bass_line_blues]

A pause.

Then, cautiously, in case she hasn't noticed: "There . . . seems to be something under your cart."

[saw_too_much]

She grips the handles. "Just my things. I found them. They're mine."