[PRP] tomorrow's ground is too uncertain [Alexis/Autumn]

[Daekie]

Alexis, appropriately enough (if, perhaps, surprising to the observer), felt absolutely awful about leaving Autumn behind in Other Ashdown. Sure, yes, they'd been being chased by -- something -- but -- no excuse for leaving people behind. It was no excuse at all.

Perhaps that was why they were loitering around the grocery store, half-hoping to see her without actually acting like they were looking. (People gave them odd looks, now and again, but given that Alexis sat around and fed squirrels it was difficult to actually parse why they were such a danger to the atmosphere of the place.) They mostly just wanted to verify that no, she wasn't dead, curled up and smoking, unmoving, unbreathing --

There was no fire in Other Ashdown. Why did Alexis get that specific mental image? They'd never seen someone burn like that.

They stood and waited, because she'd come by eventually; and if she didn't they'd email her. ...eventually. Maybe.

Moonstone DazzIe

hope this is ok!

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Seems like you're waiting for someone," Autumn called, not nearly as dressed up this time as she had been on their previous encounter. No high heels, still stylish. Just... not as up front about it. Really, she was trying to be more ready if Other Ashdown ambushed her. Seeing as it had on her last encounter with Alexis... well. Autumn wasn't taking any more chances.

"I was so worried about you, after we got separated. One minute we were running, and then..." she sighed, sitting down next to Alexis. "I popped out on the other side again. Couldn't get back in, and Rosalinde was too snotty to give me anymore entrance locations."

Autumn looked up, regarding them.

"Are you okay? I know that place can... rough people up. Wanted to make sure it didn't get you."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"I'm as okay as ever," Alexis snorted, voice dry. But there were dark rings under their eyes, darker than before, and half-healed scrapes on their hands from not quite cornering fast enough. "I just like t'loiter. Wasn't waitin' for you or anything, but I'm not gonna protest if we've got another adventure coming up."

Their hair was shoved messily into a beanie, bobby pins holding it in place; that, too, spoke to even less self-care put into their appearance than their prior encounter with Autumn a few days ago. "Rosalinde? That your friend or somethin'? Far as I could tell, though, you just -- I went around a corner, n' you disappeared." They bit their lip, shoulders tense. "Hell if I know. Think it only wanted me. Didn't get me, obviously."

Moonstome Dazzle

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Rosalinde is my cat. I'll have to introduce you, sometime. She's kind of a s**t," Autumn smiled, wondering vaguely how her temperamental cat and her temperamental friend(?) would get along. Rosalinde was every bit a diva and a showoff, preferring only the finest things in life. Alexis...

Alexis seemed like they needed a friend, honestly.

"I'm glad to see you're okay. REALLY glad. I've never been booted out of Other Ashdown in the middle of running around before, and I just... imagined the worst." Considering her own encounters with the beasts of Other Ashdown, sans Pax, it wasn't hard to do. But then again, Alexis hadn't gotten off on the best hand (hoof?) with Pax, either. Poor kid probably just attracted worlds of s**t to come after them, this side and the next.

"Any idea what it was, what was after you?" She asked, glancing over to Alexis.

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Your cat was being a total snot and refusin' to tell you things." Alexis paused for a second, considering those words over and over. "...I mean, sounds like a cat, yeah. Or a cat stereotype." So cats talked? Or understood human language? Given that service dogs existed, and magic was real, that wasn't really altogether too strange. Cats would be cats.

"...'sides a couple'a scrapes, I'm fine, really. Just haven't been sleeping well." It showed. It really, really did. "I'd invite you for a walk, but if I get pounced and eaten next corner I walk around, you shouldn't have t'see that. Far as what's after me --" They shook their head. "Couldn't even get a look at it."

Woonstone Dazzle

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Her kittens are nicer, far as I can tell. She's the snotty one," Autumn shook her head, sighing amusedly. Really, she loved Rosalinde. She did. Rosalinde was just a flirtatious s**t, and they were absolutely perfect for each other. "She was the first animal I figured out I could talk to. Honestly, I'm pretty sure she still lords it over me."

At the idea of being torn apart and eaten, Autumn fixed Alexis with the look.

"And if you get attacked, I kick like a mule and have magical healing powers. Honestly, I'm probably the best person for things to go to hell around." She smirked, just a bit.

"Tell you what. If we get through this, you can come over to my place and we can have a mini spa day or something. Ice cream and alcohol, on me."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"Wish I could talk to animals. It'd make the shelter a hell of a lot easier." Alexis fidgeted, shifting their weight from foot to foot. "Just cats, or all sorta furry things?"

They looked quite reasonably shamed at the look, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar - "I carry a knife, n' I'm tougher than I look. It's just --" a shake of the head. "I couldn't ********' think about even fightin' it. Only running. ...And don't turn into a Disney Princess in ********, you'll probably summon ghosts. But -- if you'd be payin '-"

Alexis looked...cautious. Wary. People didn't just offer to do things for them. "No catch?"

Moonstone Dazsle

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Birds and mammals. I'd probably ******** kill myself if I could hear bugs," Autumn grumbled, expression bemused despite her words. At the comment of the knife, Autumn snorted.

"I remember your knife, believe you me. I remember it very well." Pax, certainly, had not approved of Alexis's knife. Autumn had simply panicked and wanted everyone calm, but hell. She grew up in a shitty part of town. She knew the importance of keeping yourself defended.

Autumn raised her eyebrows at the question of a catch, staring.

"...No catch. I'm not an a*****e."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

There was a moment of very awkward silence, then, where Alexis just stared at Autumn with the expression of someone who just didn't get it. "People don't just offer a mini spa day with no catch. You don't have to try n' be nice to me. I'm not an idiot."

Moonstone DazzIe

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Okay. You wanna know my catch?" Autumn asked, lips tight. "My catch is that, my whole life, my family thought hair and makeup were a ******** joke. I got spat on every chance they got about my dream. Now that I'm somewhere that I can live my life the way I want?"

Her gaze turned, out to the park before them.

"I'm going to enjoy it every ******** chance I get. Hair care. Skin care. It's what I do. It's what I LIKE doing. Part of the whole healing people, minus the nasty magical bits of it. Taking care of people is just... who I am." Autumn shrugged.

"So it's something I enjoy. And no offense, you look like you could use some R and R, and maybe someone looking out for your a**."

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

"...You're lucky." Alexis bit their lip, almost hard enough to bleed, and ducked their head. "I don't think my parents know where I am. An' I don't think they care. ******** 'em, right? ...We should get going." And just like that, they shuddered with a deep breath, looking up at her with a flat expression.

"Anyways. Want to walk n' see if we get rained on to hell n' back? It'll be pretty dramatic if we do."

They, very specifically, did not mention Autumn's mention of them needing 'someone looking out for their a**'.  

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"You'd think with how movies make family look, we wouldn't get the short end of the stick so much," Autumn replied, her tone having lost some of its warmth. But the anger wasn't there, either. It was distance. Looking back, for once, rather than moving forward. Remembering a father she was never good enough for, a mother she always disappointed. Brothers whose faces she couldn't recall.

"Yeah. ******** 'em," she agreed absently. At the question of whether or not she wanted to take a walk, Autumn stood.

"I can't see why not," Autumn smirked. "I've always had a love of dramatics."  

[Daekie]

"Families are crap," Alexis scowled, their face temporarily contorting into something vicious before they wiped their (definitely not watering!!) eyes off with the back of one sleeve. "There's a good bakery this way. They're cheap n' stuff. If we get there, you buy me a pastry or some s**t. And if we don't get there, you get to run for yer life again. Sounds good?"

Moonstone DazzIe

 

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"I mean, if we stop by Rosie's place, I could probably get us something for free. I healed Rosie's arm, so she's... kind of thrilled with me." Autumn laughed, thinking of the sweet little bakery owner. Good lady. Shame she'd been introduced to magic through Blackfriars.

"Unless we were headed for the same bakery. In which case, lead away!"

Daekie

 

[Daekie]

The walk passed uneventfully -- Alexis was quiet, hands constantly fiddling, shooting a hefty side-eye at anyone who chanced to pass their way; through a combination of that and the time of day, the two managed to pass to the bakery unimpeded, right -- up -- until --

Alexis walked through the door to the building and was greeted by a distinctly empty interior and the sound of rain behind them. Without turning around, they growled "Are you <********' kiddin' me," hands clenching each other so hard the knuckles went white. "Fine! Hopefully whatever it was won't show up again, yeah? Let's go explorin'! ******** it."

Muonstone Dazzle