Audrey's face is one of the most welcome ones that Eddy could see right now, and he shifts to make room for her in the grass. She's flaking, but he figures she knows. He wouldn't want to brush away the moss either.
There's a lot of thoughts and emotions roiling around inside him right now, and focusing on the little mouse is much easier. "This is Mickey," he says, holding her close for Audrey's inspection. "Sure she did her part by raiding the refreshments table last night." Harsh words, spoken with a deep fondness as he runs a finger through her fur. (If Mickey could understand, she'd be offended. She's a holler-native and she bit at least one vine last night to protect her home.)
It strikes her more easily than it would, normally, that this reunion could have been, easily, tragic. A little mouse surviving that night is a miracle. But it happened. Mickey found her boy. And they're all safe now. And someday, someday, she'll be able to wrap her head around that.
"Hello, Mickey." She murmurs, solemn, taking a tiny front paw by her pinky, shaking it gingerly. "I'm sure you were very brave...you know, you should meet Copenhagen sometime." She turns her eyes up to the human part of this conversation, to clarify. "Rat."
Mickey sniffs at the pinky and then hops onto Audrey's shoulder, inspecting the moss with her nose and, for once, does not sink her teeth in. Instead she does a thoughtful circle and then settles down into her new comfortable bed.
Eddy tenses for a moment, knowing how precious the moss is and how much it is not intended for breakfast, but relaxes a moment later, an exasperated smile settling on his face as he watches the whole exchange. "Just invites herself places," he apologizes quietly. "Usually eats everything in sight."
Then he turns his eyes back to Audrey, attempting to recall the proper social conventions of human interaction. "Would like to meet her. Copenhagen." He pulls his legs close and does grimace a little, squinting into the sun as he looks up at the maple and continues, uncertain. "If you come back."
She smiles, softly, because she can't think of a single thing that Pocket would rather have her moss used for, now that everything was safe. Let them rest. She strokes the little creature on her shoulder, gentle. If she's a tree-girl for now, she's glad to be of some use.
She stills along with Mickey, and closes her eyes. Not to sleep. Just to let the sun soak in. Feed all that moss. The answer's easy enough that she doesn't have to rush it. "I'll be back...like to see Kyle fire me now."
There are other logistics. Always. But she's confident. It'd be easier to find a cheap place in Elflock Falls. Maybe beg Maisy. For a little while. Or Fred's dad. Or Kyle's mom. Plenty of basement to go around. Maybe not the bowling alley. But leaving forever seems. cataclysmic. Impossible. A piece of her heart is here, too. "Not sure I'd..fit. Anywhere else." She admits, out loud. But it's true. Not now.
Mickey rubs her head back against the finger for as long as it's offered, and then dozes off quickly.
The corner of Eddy's mouth pulls up as Audrey speaks. He doesn't know the words to say he understands. At least, understands a little. He doesn't know Audrey that well outside the time they've recently spent together fretting about bugs in as few words as possible. But after everything that's happened, the sense of belonging nowhere else but the foot of this tree is overwhelming. "Don't wanna leave," he agrees. The idea feels impossible.
It's not, of course. Not up to him. He's got two mamas surely on their way to fuss in their own ways, one of whom never wanted them to come here in the first place. ("Look Ma, we're still not dead!" might not be the best greeting.) There's a long, hot summer waiting for him. No sudden chills in the air. No lazy, dumbass smiles. Just unwavering heat.
He's never looked forward to summer vacation less. Peckenpaugh not reopening isn't something he can consider right now.
The polish has practically been cleaned from his nails, but he fidgets through the familiar motion anyway. Even after everything they've just witnessed, he still frets, never fully free of the anxiety. "Think they'll be okay?"
Audrey says, like she knows. She leans back on to the tree, careful to move slowly because of her little passenger. It soaks her in, and vice versa. Although no one's said anything about the school staying open, that's not something she's worried about. Peckenpaugh didn't bend for infinity. It certainly won't let itself get closed because of it. This place has stronger bones than that. Especially now.
"More than okay." She sounds just as assured as if she knows. Audrey has a habit of that, a little. Talking about the future like she's really peered ahead. She hasn't. Not this time. But she can feel it. The intuition, even without any other signs, really must mean something too. "They're together again. Whole, again. Thanks to you. And they have a home." She beckons upward. "They're safe, now."
Audrey's confidence in the future is one that Eddy has a harder time getting on board with, but maybe she really is privy to something the rest of them can't see. Either way, in this moment, that seems like the better place to be. Calm. Sure. He tries to soak in some of her confidence. "Yeah," he agrees softly. "Can't not be." Even without the school reopening, he'd find his way back. Somehow.
He forces his hands apart and ignores the immediate itching to resume fidgeting. Especially when the praise comes. A deep breath in, and then exhaled. "Whole holler," he says, and Audrey is not forced to divine what he means by those two words when he clarifies further, "To thank. Protecting their home." He'd found Pouch's heart without meaning to. Just dumb luck, one seed in what seemed like millions. Even then it was just a small piece of a greater war.
"Saved her. Believed in her." He nods his chin slightly to the moss running along her shoulder. "That's the heart it really wanted." This time he doesn't clarify, because explaining that a half-man-half-anemone told him seems like a story for another day.
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peckenpaugh2020-06-11 03:01 pm
Two Small Reunions
There's a lot of thoughts and emotions roiling around inside him right now, and focusing on the little mouse is much easier. "This is Mickey," he says, holding her close for Audrey's inspection. "Sure she did her part by raiding the refreshments table last night." Harsh words, spoken with a deep fondness as he runs a finger through her fur. (If Mickey could understand, she'd be offended. She's a holler-native and she bit at least one vine last night to protect her home.)
Two Small Reunions
"Hello, Mickey." She murmurs, solemn, taking a tiny front paw by her pinky, shaking it gingerly. "I'm sure you were very brave...you know, you should meet Copenhagen sometime." She turns her eyes up to the human part of this conversation, to clarify. "Rat."
Two Small Reunions
Eddy tenses for a moment, knowing how precious the moss is and how much it is not intended for breakfast, but relaxes a moment later, an exasperated smile settling on his face as he watches the whole exchange. "Just invites herself places," he apologizes quietly. "Usually eats everything in sight."
Then he turns his eyes back to Audrey, attempting to recall the proper social conventions of human interaction. "Would like to meet her. Copenhagen." He pulls his legs close and does grimace a little, squinting into the sun as he looks up at the maple and continues, uncertain. "If you come back."
Two Small Reunions
She smiles, softly, because she can't think of a single thing that Pocket would rather have her moss used for, now that everything was safe. Let them rest. She strokes the little creature on her shoulder, gentle. If she's a tree-girl for now, she's glad to be of some use.
She stills along with Mickey, and closes her eyes. Not to sleep. Just to let the sun soak in. Feed all that moss. The answer's easy enough that she doesn't have to rush it. "I'll be back...like to see Kyle fire me now."
There are other logistics. Always. But she's confident. It'd be easier to find a cheap place in Elflock Falls. Maybe beg Maisy. For a little while. Or Fred's dad. Or Kyle's mom. Plenty of basement to go around. Maybe not the bowling alley. But leaving forever seems. cataclysmic. Impossible. A piece of her heart is here, too. "Not sure I'd..fit. Anywhere else." She admits, out loud. But it's true. Not now.
Two Small Reunions
The corner of Eddy's mouth pulls up as Audrey speaks. He doesn't know the words to say he understands. At least, understands a little. He doesn't know Audrey that well outside the time they've recently spent together fretting about bugs in as few words as possible. But after everything that's happened, the sense of belonging nowhere else but the foot of this tree is overwhelming. "Don't wanna leave," he agrees. The idea feels impossible.
It's not, of course. Not up to him. He's got two mamas surely on their way to fuss in their own ways, one of whom never wanted them to come here in the first place. ("Look Ma, we're still not dead!" might not be the best greeting.) There's a long, hot summer waiting for him. No sudden chills in the air. No lazy, dumbass smiles. Just unwavering heat.
He's never looked forward to summer vacation less. Peckenpaugh not reopening isn't something he can consider right now.
The polish has practically been cleaned from his nails, but he fidgets through the familiar motion anyway. Even after everything they've just witnessed, he still frets, never fully free of the anxiety. "Think they'll be okay?"
Two Small Reunions
Audrey says, like she knows. She leans back on to the tree, careful to move slowly because of her little passenger. It soaks her in, and vice versa. Although no one's said anything about the school staying open, that's not something she's worried about. Peckenpaugh didn't bend for infinity. It certainly won't let itself get closed because of it. This place has stronger bones than that. Especially now.
"More than okay." She sounds just as assured as if she knows. Audrey has a habit of that, a little. Talking about the future like she's really peered ahead. She hasn't. Not this time. But she can feel it. The intuition, even without any other signs, really must mean something too. "They're together again. Whole, again. Thanks to you. And they have a home." She beckons upward. "They're safe, now."
Two Small Reunions
He forces his hands apart and ignores the immediate itching to resume fidgeting. Especially when the praise comes. A deep breath in, and then exhaled. "Whole holler," he says, and Audrey is not forced to divine what he means by those two words when he clarifies further, "To thank. Protecting their home." He'd found Pouch's heart without meaning to. Just dumb luck, one seed in what seemed like millions. Even then it was just a small piece of a greater war.
"Saved her. Believed in her." He nods his chin slightly to the moss running along her shoulder. "That's the heart it really wanted." This time he doesn't clarify, because explaining that a half-man-half-anemone told him seems like a story for another day.