Thea leans against a stone railing, her vivid purple gaze cast out across the River Tam beneath. The heavily tattooed punk is smoking; a cigarette rests at her fingers. A lazy curl of smoke drifts up from the cigarette, illuminated by the glow at the end... and the glow from Thea's exposed tattoos.
The glowing punk looks.. thoughtful. She raises the cigarette up for a drag, inhaling those sweet, sweet carcinogens deep into her lungs. And exhale. And repeat. It's a slow and considered movement, as she remains standing here, staring out at the reflections in the water beneath.
Widget is out a-wanderin', going nowhere in particular on her own time. She's open to whatever, having sorted out a pulled pork sandwich and a chocolate drink from the local gas station. It's not pork and it's barely chocolate, but Widget didn't pay for it and it's what she wanted at the moment.
She spots Thea, the gremlin smiling at her before hopping up to sit on the railing. Time to eat. Well, almost. Thea's smoking so it's a green light, right? Sure. It's a joint but...kinda counted.
"Hi."
Two specks of headlights appear on the road, accompanied by the rumbling growl of an old Ford truck's engine. That truck slows when it nears the bridge, pulls over on the side of the road, and comes to a halt. The engine died, the lights flick off, and the driver's door creaks opened on squealing hinges. Out steps Mavis, bundled up in her winter gear with a knitted beanie pulled down over her head and fingerless gloves snugged onto her hands. She has a scarf wrapped around her neck and an aviator-styled jacket with a warm, wooly inner lining. It's half-zipped over a hoodie.
Her boots crunch over gravel as she walks over to Thea to join her, flashing the Lost woman a smile that's bright in the moonlight. There's a smaller shape with her that Mavis recognizes when she gets closer. It's to this person that Mavis addresses first.
"Widget?" She both sounds and looks surprised to see the gremlin here at this hour and in such company. Mavis shoots Thea an uncertain glance then peers back at the imp with a tilt of her head. "What're you doin' here?"
Thea's pocket buzzes, and she pulls out her Nokia. Tap tap tap. One hand texting, the other hand raising to her lips for another drag of a cigarette. Not the all natural stuff that she probably could score offa Jenny. Nah, she's smoking Marlboros.
Thea really isn't paying attention to her surroundings. Aside from glancing at her phone, her gaze is about a thousand miles away. She's thinking. And perhaps that's why the simple 'Hi.' from the neighbourhood's friendliest gremlin has her almost jumping out of her skin.
"--ak!" Thea exclaims, dropping her lit cigarette. It falls, lost to the River Tam below. Her almost-glowing white curls bounce as she looks to Widget. A sharp swallow is followed by her usual rakish grin. "Widget. You snuck up on--"
Mavis pulls up.
Now, where Widget hat been a surprise, this didn't seem too shocking to Thea. The smile is directed Mavis' way. Aaand then a laugh. Plainly recovered from her surprise, she says, "Didn't you know, Mavis? Widget's my best buddy. Innat right?" She offers Widget a fist for bumping. "What are you doing here? Stalking me? Didnae recall inviting you to come river watching with me, but I suppose its a free country and all. And I must have talked it up something fierce."
By time Thea has been thoroughly shooketh'd, Widget's made herself comfy. The gremlin is on her back, reclining on the stone arch with her dinner set up alongside her. For someone like her, it might be weird to see the imp so...chill. Upside-down eyes watch the cigarette plop into the water, creating an upside-down smile. And the offer of her joint. Speaking of Jenny...
"Do that a lo- hn?" Right side up now, Widget's gaze settles on the old truck. Ah, she thought she heard that familiar engine. You better believe the intro Thea gives her gets a returned fist-bump. Aw yeah. Buddies. The imp looks genuinely touched at that.
"Me? Dunno. Just being here. Yes." Widget's clothes are bulky and warm-looking, free from her usual dirt, showing the imp is ready for a night....doing this, it seems. Bein' lazy.
Mavis pulls her phone out of a jacket pocket and the screen baths her tawny face in artificial light as she checks the time. "It's, like, 2:30 in the morning," she tells the imp, as though Widget had been caught up past her bedtime by a chaperone. The mortal's thumbs tap over her screen before she locks her phone and re-pockets it.
She looks over at them now, stuffing her gloved hands into her jacket pockets with her phone. The mortal grins prettily, the sliver-gap between her two front teeth glimpsed between her smile, and the winter chill has nipped a flush from her cheeks. Or maybe she's just blushy.
"Nope, had no idea," she chirps to Thea with an assuming look shared between her and the imp. "So, what're we doing? Robbing a bank or something? Storming a castle?"
Naturally, she assumes that the two troublemakers have roped her into something. Something potentially fun. And Widget is given a look of doubt and Mavis purses her lips in thought.
"Mm-hm," she hums, skeptical notes all-in-all, and the dusky-skinned mortal walks over to lean against the same stone arch that Widget's taking her supper on. "Sure, sure. I believe ya."
She totally didn't.
Whatever questions Widget had gonna been about to ask Thea are lost to the sands of time. The moment passes: Fist bumps are made. Friendships are declared.
And Thea tap, tap, taps on her mobile phone before firmly storing it in her coat pocket. The grin remains.
"Why do you assume two honest, salt-of-the-earth types like me and Widget are up ta summat, hm?" Thea adjusts her glasses, looking to the impish lost, before looking back to Mavis. "Well, I was just gonna take an honest walk around Fort Brunsett. See what the nightlife was like. See where people keep their stuff," Her phone buzzes and Thea pauses, but pointedly does not go to look at it. "That sort of thing."
She laughs. "No, but really. I got offered a job. I was honestly just out for a walk, clearing my thoughts. But hey, if you want to take Widget and me onna drive? I wouldn't be the sort to say no. There's a few places I wanted to look at, but I can always do that later. It's more a side project of mine, I suppose."
"It is? Oh. Sleep whenever. Yes." Widget nods to herself, looking at home with the concept of keeling over when the body says 'no more please'. It hasn't reached that point, not by a long shot. The gremlin is /ready/.
Like, where they gonna do crimes? She can do crimes! Watch, she's gonna do one r- Oh, she was joking. Widget knew that. Yeah.
Widget reclines, patting her stomach. Pat-patty-patter-pat. Widget-is-thinking-about-stuff. When her hands raise, they gesture at the stares like she's trying to hold a conversation with them, smoking trailing around her fangs as she talks to...anyone who is listening, really.
"Burgers."
Well, not the erudite musings of a novice stoner, but...
"Or donuts. But a big bag. Brown one, with grease on it. Yes." Hufffffff... "Dunno. Three pretty ladies. Can find something fun. To do." Her head leans to the pair beside her, eyes....well, Thea can see it. Ever hold a magnet near an old TV? "Sound neat?"
"An honest walk," scoffs Mavis with a dramatic rolling over her eyes and loll of her head, but her attention snaps back to Thea when she mentions she's now on a payroll. Her voice is a mingle of playfulness and pride. "Ha, really? Who hired ya?" Nevertheless, she does seem quite happy for Thea's recent employment, despite giving her some shit about it and the bundled-up human doesn't appear to be in control of her face as she beams over at Widget to share her mirth. She tries to battle down her smile by biting on it.
Mavis slies to her, "I thought gremlins weren't supposed to eat after midnight." Then, "Oh, I get it! Get Mavis out here, pile into her truck, and go cruising 'round town 'cos I'm some kinda taxi driver." ((TRIGGERED, Thea knows what I mean)) "Don't care if ya eat in the car, Widget. Just so long as you burp out the window."
She kicks off from her lean against the stone arch of the bridge wall and her boots start crunching off towards the truck. "C'mon, Thea, you're gonna have to show me where we're going."
The truck door screeches open and Mavis jerks her thump at the empty cab.
"Get in," she puffs, chilly air frosting her breaths. "It's stupid cold out."
Cold out.
Yeah. Thea adjust's her gloves as she looks over her glasses at Mavis. She's still grinning, a flash of brilliant white chompers flashed at Mavis as she sliiides into that passenger seat. And then into the middle. Bit of a squeeze, probably would've made more sense to get Widget to sit there. But hey. This way she could drape her arms around both of her bestest buddies shoulders! What a win.
"Well, you heard the girl. Let's go pick us up a burger."
The painted punk's expression shifts. "Say, Widget. You weren't at that art gallery opening, but.. when I was leaving, these two folks turned up. Big fella, reddish skin. Pretty lady, not a lot of dress. Lots of cleavage. Kinda.. shadowy, if you get my drift. Do you know 'em?"
Widget giggles, hopping upright and scuttling to the car. "Seen that movie! Can eat. And get wet. And like lights. Yes." Honestly Widget had been super-sad seeing that movie at first because she had sorta hoped she wasn't entirely alone in what she was.
But she recovered quickly enough. Have a hug, Mavis. And Thea, if she pleases. Then it's into the truck. The gremlin is small enough she's easily positioned to take up a small amount of space, settling in wherever she happens to end up. Excited, in the laziest possible way. Gettin' burgers. Aw yeah.
Hm? Those two? Oh! Ohhhhh! "Carter and Zillah. Yes." Widget blushes at the mention of the snake, too stoned to be flustered. Blink. Oh right. "Oh. Mavis knows." Widget reaches up, giving Mavis a fond shoulder squeeze. "Good to us. Yes."
Glomped! She's hugged and the mortal's arms, padded by winter clothing, close around Widget to pick her up off of the ground for a tight, weightless squeeze! Widget gets deposited back, then Mavis climbs into her truck and slides behind the wheel to turn the key still in the ignition. The headlights flick on, lighting the bridge in front of them, and the engine sputters to a growl and then its rumbly roar. Heat pours from the vents, the radio flicks on with static at first and then something from the 60s croons from the speakers.
She leans forward, grinning past Thea with her arm slung across her shoulders, at Widget as she clambers in and closes the door. "Buckle up, buttercup," she says to her, then adds with a nod at the glove box. "Hey, open that, break out the party favors."
She almost always had a joint in the glovebox. There's two in there at the moment. And, there's also a sharpened, wooden stake on her door-side, because vampires were a thing. And, since we're talking about such things, there might be a sheathed machete under the passenger seat, tucked waaaaaay back. If she was ever stopped by the law, she was a LARPer.
Mavis pulls the truck back out onto the traffic-less road. She glances over at Thea when the Lost says that about the pair who'd arrived late to the gallery party. The description was... intriguing... and then more-so once Widget connects Thea's summary of those two guests to none other than Carter and Zillah.
"Ah, I mean- well- I've met Mr. Logan," she explains slowly, keeping her eyes on the road, "and Zillah." It felt weird to address her titleless. "But, I don't see what you guys do when I look at them. Carter, he's an older gent. Handsome. Zillah's, uhh, that kinda spooky-sexy. Like, scarOUSing. Oh-! A hot sorceress who's good and evil in all the best ways." She nods. Yup. That was it. "Did either of you see Sleeping Beauty?" Mavis was talking about Maleficent, of course.
Widget's enthusiasm is contagious.
Thea chuckles, tempted to reach out and ruffle the gremlin's hair. But, instead, she settles with a gentle pat-pat on the shoulder.
Aand then both of them answer her question, in quick succession! Thea flinches, midway to reaching for the glove box. "Probably don't want to keep sayin' their names, lovelies." The punk speaks softly, forming each word carefully and distinctly -- though somehow her rough accent is all the more obvious because of it. Her tone is unusual: cautious. It's a state which seems too ill suit the tattooed punk, but here the three of them were.
The smile snaps back to her lips and Thea raises her voice, violently, intensely, forcefully cheerful. "Party favours, eh?" Thea cracks open the glovebox, and sighing dreamily, a dramatic look to Mavis. "Ah, a woman to me own heart," she coos, plucking one of the two joints from their hiding place. A flick of her lighter, and it's ready to go.
Pause.
Danger makes the nape of her neck prickle. "You two don't happen to know where *those* two live, work, and or frequent, do *you*?" She smiles. Passing the joint first to Widget. "I mean, just curious."
Widget beams, happy to have any sort of attention. She's high and bored enough that it's all good, the imp taking whatever conversation or items are offered. "Oh? Carter and Zillah? Yes. Sleep there a lot. Carter is like my grandpa. Yes."
Uh. Well, she's not lying, it seems. Not scared fo them in the slightest. Zillah makes her blushy because she's Zillah but Carter...well, the imp seems really fond of him.
Widget sighs to herself, content her explanation hasn't caused any trouble at all. She's...purring. Yup. Like a weird small engine. Rusty thing runs hot.
Mavis' honey-brown eyes skip over to Thea as that warning is given to them and then she shoots her gaze ahead at the road. City lights were coming into view and there's weren't many drive-throughs open at this hour. She knew of one that would be, though. The food was just the right kind of awful to be expected out of a burger and fry joint open this late at night. Terrible and so, so good.
"Pft-! Hush," she murmurs to Thea, shaking her head softly as heat climbs into her cheekbones. At least it was dark, but a car approaching in the opposite direction in the other lane momentarily lights her warm face as it ghosts by, engine unheard under Mavis' old Ford's. And Widget's own engine-like rumblings. The mortal chuckles softly then grins while the city lights are brought closer then, suddenly, they were amongst them.
The truck rolls up to a stoplight. Four-way stop. No one coming or going in any direction. The red light glares from on high down at them and Mavis peers forward and up at it, feigning patience.
"I've ran into Carter a few times," she mentions, staring in concentration at the light as she recalls those happenstance meetings. Hm. "Different places. He did mention you were, like, his niece, Widget. But,-" She breaks off, then huffs moodily at the traffic light. "Come ooon!"
Thea blinks. Her long dark eyelashes dip down in front of her violently purple eyes as she looks at Widget and Mavis over her chunky glasses. Clearly she hadn't expected the answers the two had given her, in response to her questions about *those* two.
"Soon as that light changes, gun it, Mavis. Our best girl here needs a burger."
Thea leans back. Exhales smoke. Passes the joint on. Thinking. She loosens her jacket, the warmth from Mavis' trucks' heater finally thawing her enough that she's stopped shivering.
"Yeah, I got nothing. I'm not exactly big on secrets, but I gotta wonder, Mavis, what do you think of all this? Folks talking about shit that you can't even see." Thea squints, and leans in, aiming to rest her head on Mavis' shoulder. "Or can you see it? Folk turned up and made you swear? Or.. Amity--?"
"Saw me. Saw Amity?" Widget hrms, looking at the light. Squint. C'mon. C'monnnnn. Well, fine then. Be that way.
Widget gives the light a little push, smacking it from red to green with the power of her magic. Well, what little magic she has. "Can feel Amity. At least. Yes."
THe gremlin is beaming to herself, either from a good-natured rib or the fact that she is in fact the best girl and would very much enjoy a compliment like that. Burgers incoming would be excellent too.
Y'know. For reference.
Sighing, Mavis leans back while keeping her boot down on the break. The light stubbornly remains red. She takes her hands from the wheel to hastily unwind her scarf with just a hint of agitation. The cab was good and toasty now with the three of them crammed into the truck with the vents blasting hot air. Once untangled from her-- it had seemed to want to cling to Mavis or strangle her-- the scarf gets stuffed into the driver's side door, crumpling down onto of the stake she kept there. The hat goes next, crammed on top of that, and her hair's a tousled mess.
All of that had taken approximately twenty-two seconds that had felt like an eternity to Mavis. If she'd elbowed Thea next to her then it was purely unintentional, but the bespectacled Lost seemed to have the same idea. It was stuffy in here.
Finally, the light turns green and Mavis guns it. Her fingers lift a little from the wheel to wave off the joint, non-verbally relaying that she wasn't going to toke while driving. Thea's head settles on her shoulder and she flinches under all of those layers then glances nervously at what she can glimpse of the Lost's face with all of that coily, white hair crowning her head before peering up at the rearview mirror then back at the road. Mavis takes her time before answering, turning into a fastfood drive through. There's two cars ahead of them, the one immediately in front placing their order at the two-way speaker.
"I dunno, it's.. weird?" She crinkles her nose, trying not to look at either of them now that they were stuck in a queue rather than a traffic light. "But, I'm used to my peepers how they are, aren't I?" She slides a guilty glance over to Widget, unable to stop herself then uses putting the truck into park as an excuse to look away.
How could she say it with Widget right there? That she had seen the gremlin stripped of her Mask and it had struck a deep chord of pity in her heart that never stopped resonating. Or, how could she tell them that November was so lovely that that same mortal heart of hers broke and cried? Or, that she hated finding Amity so beautiful when her girlfriend loathed what her Keeper had done to her? Or, that, sometimes, she was just plain afraid.
Instead, she says, "Amity and November wanted me to, at first, but neither were.. forceful about it." The idea was crazy. "Amity let it go this Thanksgiving, doesn't want to push me into pledging to the Freehold or ensorcelment, and, uh, I'm not really sure about getting involved in some strange, fae government. Least not til I know more of the rules." She kept looking for some kind of secret clause of fineprint.
If Mavis elbowed her, Thea didn't complain. She offers the joint to little Widget, smile for a moment growing broad as she notices that beaming grin the blurry little gremlin was wearing.
For a moment, Thea almost could pretend that she was fine. That everything was fine. She's had a great day. She's got the beginnings of that.. soothing calm just washing over her. Widget was pretty excellent company -- anyone who joined in, in late night fireworks displays got the Thea seal of approval. And Mavis?
Well.
Being around the mortal gave Thea butterflies in the pit of her stomach. For so many reasons. Some of which were.. nice. Nice butterflies. Others?
Thea listens as Mavis explains.
And suddenly, the cab of Mavis' truck was feeling awfully cramped. Thea finds herself shrugging off her jacket as their car inches closer and closer to the two-way speaker. Perspiration is, once more, dotting her forehead. She wipes it away. Shivers.
"That's awfully nice of Amity," Thea states, deadpan. There's a message there between the lines, good old British sarcasm. She doesn't think it was nice at all.
She looks to Widget. "Why'd you strip your Mask off?" She asks, tone more neutral. Curious, more than judgmental or accusative.
And then it hits her. Mavis wasn't sure about getting involved in some sort of strange, Fae government. "Wait, you think you have a choice?"
Blink.
Oh, suddenly Thea was really needing some air. A laugh. Low and angry, masking fear, rumbles from deep within the glowing, painted punk's throat. Ha. Ha. Ha. Haaah.
"Let me out."
Widget starts to talk and stops multiple times, hushing herself when the conversation shifts away from her. She's a good sport about it. She really just wants to some burgers to order. Let's see. Um. Bag off the dollar menu, some fries, maybe a shake, but mostly the burgers those looked really good and did they have hot sauce because that would be great bec-
Wait.
Something feels weird.
Widget pauses, settling back in the car to look between the two women. Was something wrong? Yeah. Felt like-
"Okay. Okay. Here." The imp works quickly, hopping out on her side to keep Mavis behind the wheel, darting over to open the door on her side and let Thea out. It's cold but there are outdoor benches and it's okay and hey hey hey.
She doesn't get people well, but she gets wanting out of somewhere enough. She gets PTSD. Or what she thinks is PTSD. Home. Streets. It got in everyone, down there.
Mavis pulls her truck out of park, creeping it forward as the car ahead of them creeps forward too as if about to make their way around to the next window. They stop, however, to add something to their order, and Mavis pushes down on the brake pedal with a sigh. She peers over at Thea with a deadpan stare to match the Lost's deadpan tone.
Silently, she disagreed with Thea. Obviously, Amity going along with what she wanted was the better, wiser path, but she stops herself from snapping at the Changeling to mind her own business. After all, Thea had only just agreed on how NICE Amity had been. Fine, she could play that game, too, and Mavis stares straight ahead with her jaw tighter than usual while she lets Widget explain why Widget she had chosen to shred her Mask.
The car ahead of them finally completes their order and pulls around, but then Thea is protesting to get out. Mavis hits the brake after slowly rolling forward so hard that the truck lurches and creaks to a hard stop.
"What is the MATTER with you," she snaps at Thea, turning to look at her with her temper prickled. She'd forgotten Widget was even in the truck with them. Thea just had a knack for riling her usual good nature and Mavis still thought this was about Amity. But, then her angered expression turns to Thea she sees her pallor, sweating brow, that furtive, harried glint behind her glasses. Mavis' righteous fury snuffs right out like a candle flame. She'd been horribly wrong.
The truck veers out of the queue, plunges into a parking spot diagonally, and Mavis opens the door while unbuckling her seat-belt and hopping out of the driver's side all in one motion. Widget had beaten her and Mavis could just see the imp through the open doors of the cab as cold, night air spilled into the truck and smoke billows out.
If Widget had actually explained why she'd shred her mask, Thea missed it. But truth be told, all she could really hear was the blood surging in her veins. Her heart beating. She grits her teeth, forced grin back at her lips. She would've barreled Widget aside if the little blurry gremlin hadn't moved.
Her heart is thumping so loud it's almost surprising that those with her hadn't heard it. What the fuck was wrong with her. She'd been feeling so good! What the fuck was wrong with her?
She's trembling. Vague memories press at her mind. For a moment, she's back there. For a moment, everything is on fire. All she can taste is ash.
She twitches, stumbling as Widget comforts her. Offers her a seat. And for a second, she trudges over and sits down. Puts her head in her hands. Lets out a shaking, trembling breath.
A bad trip? Yeah. She was having a bad trip all right. All the good vibes are gone. And once more, she stands. Marches back over to the car. Stiff.
But in truth, it's not just worry or outrage at the idea that Mavis might just.. elect to not be involved. It's.. a complicated jumble of feelings that sees her lashing out.
The light from the cheap all night burger place glints off her glasses. Steam rises, not just from each harsh, gasping exhale. From her shoulders. Heat and steam rises from Thea. The fuzzy, hazy memory of Summer lurks around the white haired woman.
"What's wrong with me.." Thea laughs at the question. Again, its an angry bark of laughter. Ha, ha, ha. She shakes her head at Widget, shoving her hands into her coat pockets. Fuck. It is cold out here.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you, Mavis!" Thea shakes her head. Her shoulder-length shag of curls cascades around her. The dip dyed ends almost glow. A trick of the light, enhanced by being backlit by headlights. Surely?
"You know what I am, Mavis? What I've done? What I've seen? Naw, yeh don't. And that's not yer fault, I haven't told yeh, love. But the thing is," she adjusts her glasses. "I'm one of the folk what fixes the problems you and yer beloved Amity make. I'm the one what's gonna have to fight whatever pops out of the hedge to come and snack on your adorable, plump hiney when you inevitably cross a line that those so kind folk in this backwater town have neglected to tell you exists."
She looks to Widget. "Why'd you show her your mask, Widget? Fun? Do yeh do that often to mortal folk? I don't get it, love."
The two-way speaker crackles. Something about 'can I take your order' repeated, a few times, along with 'hello?'
Widget does what she can. She's careful not to touch, allows herself to be touched, few words, few actions. She's here, right? See? It's just Widget.
Widget's seen this before. Not with Lost, just with people. Some of them got up in the night and ran into it and never came back. Some started swinging. Others screamed. Most of the cried. Some just stared and didn't move even when the water turned their clothes to mush. One just grabbed her and held her like she was his daughter. Probably though that. Her name was never Macy.
See? It's okay! Let's just go back to the car and...w-wait!
Widget just stands there, confused. She doesn't....doesn't understand. She wants to, it'd let her help, but the gremlin is way over her head now. She could keep an addict from beating her, an old soldier by the fire so he didn't get cold, a lady from missing her kids so much she joined them. Not this. This was a people fight.
And it comes around to her, Widget blinking. Was she supposed to answer? Um. Okay. She's not going to lie. She's never going to lie. Was Thea mad at her? "No? Just Mavis. Um. Wanted to be me. For her. Yes."
Her voice is quiet, guarded. She's staring at Thea like she's about to literally explode. Or at least hit her. "...Sorry?"
Mavis tries not to hover so she just comes around the truck to put both of the Lost in her sights. She spies Widget looking just as worried as she felt and glances back at Thea like she were a tiger they'd just sprung out of a zoo entrapment only to have it turn on its muchly chagrinned liberators.
Thea was shouting at her now and she wanted to shout back. Instead, Mavis angrily flares her nostrils and huffs through them while sending the tattooed Lost a slitted-eyed, scathing stare. The headlights of the truck illuminate the steam rolling off of Thea in hot waves and she's reminded again of the night they'd met for a brief, fleeting moment.
Something Thea says to her rankles her. It's not until the very end that Mavis draws in a quick breath to fuel her retort.
"Yeah?" A challenge. "Maybe that's exactly why I don't want to get involved in your bullSHIT politics! What EXACTLY is it am I supposed to know? Know what-? Fuck you."
The confused employee's voice crackles over the speaker, ignored. Mavis throws her arms in the air and stomps off to the rear of her truck, snatches down the tailgate, and rummages around in a backpack thrown into the bed for her cigarettes.
Suddenly, her voice cuts through with a sharp, "Don't apologize to her, Widget." And, then, she's stamping back with the crunch of boots and a methol between her fingertips. She jabs it in Thea's direction, growling at her, "Don't you bully her just 'cos you're mad at me. No one's asking you to stick your neck out, and, I've been in the Hedge." Woops. That was actually a secret. "I'm not some frail, precious thing for you guys to fight over which one of you gets to keep me safe."
This wasn't exactly how Thea had envisaged her night ending. The Lost's gaze darkens as she looks down at Widget. It's.. difficult to hold onto that hot coal of anger, looking down at the fuzzy-little-gremlin-girl. But she *has* to. And so, her mouth tightens into a scowl. She *has* to. After all, what even was Thea, if she let go of her anger? Her rage?
Maintain your rage and enthusiasm, Mathea Goodwin.
But still, she looks away. She doesn't *want* to frighten Widget. Or Mavis for that matter. And she certainly does not want to harm either of them. Though, they both could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. The tattooed, glowering, glaring punk certainly cuts quite an intimidating, striking profile.
Lit profile by Mavis' trucks' headlights, Thea reaches into her pockets, doing her fucking best to keep her hands from shaking as she lights another cigarette. Her zippo flares. Smoke once more rises in lazy streamers from the end of the lit cancer-stick. Mavis is yelling at her. She's definitely aware of that. Her violently purple gaze sloooowly turns to look at Mavis. Anger simmering. That.. strange sense of heat just seeming like steam's just pouring off her. She wants to scream. She wants to. Wants to. Wants to scream at Mavis. Scream that the mortal just wasn't listening to her. She was angry! But she was angry *because* Mavis was messing around with stuff that was going to get her *killed.*
"Bully?" Thea suddenly blurts out, a lot of her bluster suddenly forgotten, replaced briefly with surprise. "I--" She looks to Widget, notes the.. rather.. apprehensive aspect that the small gremlin seemed to have taken on. And suddenly there's a new emotion welling up within her. Guilt.
Yeah. Guilt. Not enough, however, to distract from the sudden chill at Mavis' proudly angry declaration of how she'd already been to the hedge. "Wow." Thea exhales. "Mavis, is that what yeh think I'm tryin' to do?"
The two-way-speaker crackles. "Could you move along if you're not going to order?" And finally, Thea takes notice of it. Swaggers over, and leans a shoulder up against the metal box. "Yeah, I'd like a burger meal for my friend here, and I'd like some nuggets."
She looks to Mavis, unimpressed. "I was gonna buy you sommat, but that rather feels like I'd just be fattening yeh up to be someone's snack."
Widget watches the pair fight, wincing when it turns to her and slooowly shuffling away when it gets away from her. She ends up against the wall of the place, eyeing the speaker like it's supposed to say something important. Thea orders. Widget watches them continue to fight.
There's a near-inaudible whining sound. It's an oddly...animalistic, sort of noise. Juvenile. Insane? It's so quiet. She needs to make it but doesn't want anyone to hear her make it. Just in case.
"...m'gonna...get'th'food..." And Widget scuttles of when the attention is fully away from her, the imp fleeing inside the burger joint. Well, kind of. She's peeking around the corner of the building. Hard to see, though. She's good at making herself small.
This wasn't exactly how Mavis had envisioned her night ending either, but here they were. Screaming in a near-empty parking lot, save for a couple of employee vehicles. And, now, Mavis just wanted to run away except she couldn't leave the two of them stranded here in the cold. Certainly not sweet, shrunken Widget who had done nothing at all wrong. The Summer, however...
"Hmph."
Her head turns as Widget skuttles off then her gaze cuts smoothly back to Thea.
"Look," she blurts and there's a heavy pause after this in which Mavis draws in a deep, calming breath. The cold bit at her fingertips, her nose, her cheeks and lips. Its prickle helped to soothe her awoken temper. She didn't get mad often, but when Mavis decided to dig her heels in... It was like all that energy she'd been wholesomely saving up was upended in one spectacular burst. And, Mavis was finished yelling. "I don't want to argue with you, not-" She glances off the way Widget had went then back. "-like this. Let's just grab some food-- I'm not hungry, thanks." GLARE. "And I'll take you guys home. But, if you don't mind? Let me decide how to live my damn life. You don't know everything either."
The anger hadn't gone away. Buried, sure. Mostly for Widget's benefit. Even if Thea wasn't looking Widget's way, the Lost was most certainly aware of he discomfort now. Thea might have been many things, but a bully really wasn't one of them. Not to people she didn't like, and certainly not to people she had affection for. And, oh, she certainly *DID* have affection for Widget, and distinctly *MORE* than affection for Mavis. Thea wasn't screaming at Mavis because she was wanting to hurt the woman! She didn't want to hurt Mavis, or embarrass her, or harm her in any way, shape or form.
She was worried.
And yet, even so, she couldn't keep the scorn out of her gaze, from the snort she gives at Mavis' words. "Look, I'd apologise, but this time I ain't sorry. Someone's playing you, Mavis, love." She takes a deep breath, continuing. "And if it isn't Amity, if it isn't that November, you're playin' yourself. If you think you can avoid getting involved, you're FOOLING yourself, love. You're already involved. The only choice you've got is whether you learn how to protect yourself, or you bury your pretty little head in the sand while someone else literally makes a dish out of you."
Stare. "Think about it, love. Why's they think it's a good idea to take you somewhere what literally strips what makes you human from you? What, because you asked nicely?"
She might have laughed, if she had been at all feeling cruel. But.. the laughter's gone from her now. She shakes her head. "Ah, whatever. I'm getting my nuggets and getting out of here."
Widget already left. She's not there when either party goes t oget the food. She took some, not a lot, and just....ran away. Maybe she was scared of the police or something, but the imp fled and didn't leave anu indication on where she intended to end up.
She might not know, really. She got like this sometimes, especially when the police where called. The rusty woman likes being a git, likes causing scenes, but doesn't like to /be/ the scene. She's been an easy target her entire life, no reason to paint it on herself.
Widget would be fine, surely. It's cold, it's dark, but Widget is dressed properly and does know the city well enough. She has a house, right? Somewhere to stay? Yeah.
She'd be fine!
This used to happen a lot.
Her teeth grit and, behind her, Mavis' truck sputters then rumbles back to an even idle. She'd left the engine running and the radio still croons out old music. Some Christmas tune from decades ago. She scowls at Thea as she talks, but at least they were talking. No longer shouting. But, she wanted to open her mouth and yell at Thea again.
How was it that this frizzy-headed Lost managed to aggravate her so much?
"Well," she grunts. "I guess I'm the idiot 'cos that's pretty much exactly what Amity and November said. The way I see it? I've been fine without a freehold, pledges, or contracts- or any of that." Thea shakes her head at her and Mavis finally puts her cigarette between her lips, digs in a pocket for a lighter. She sparks it, touches the tip to the flame. Puffs. "You guys are the ones who got caught."
She looks around for Widget, shoots Thea a glare, then stomps off a ways to peer around the side of the building.
"Great, fucking great," she spits, whirling back, and flicking her cigarette so hard that half the ember falls out. Then, accusatory:
"She's gone."
Thea was in control. She had swallowed her anger. It had cost her a great deal to do so, to use her words rather than just howling like a banshee about how her friend was being tricked.
You guys are the ones who got caught.
Thea almost flinches. It's like the mortal woman threw a brick at her. She almost doubles over, before straightening. She slooowly turns. Sloowly levels her gaze at Mavis. The light from the mortal's truck makes her glasses glint as she stalks forward. Her shoulders squared. A shockingly forced smile at her lips. "Mavis, love." She purrs. Everything Mavis had said about Widget being gone was completely lost on Thea. Thea's gone, too. Lost in her righteous anger, her rage, as she strides right up to the mortal woman. Looks down at her. Well within her personal space. She takes the deepest breath, exhaling only briefly as she says, words inflicted with gravitas, "Mavis, I swear, on my true name (sullied as it is) that up to the end of this season I will not fail to come to your aid. I will protect you, Mavis, whether you like it or not. Should I fail in this task, I shall be cursed."
A rush of power flows through her. And then, she blinks. "Wait, what?"
"Widget?"
It was cruel of her to say that out loud, but Mavis couldn't take it back. She would not, her pride wouldn't allow that sort of thing. Thea was pushing her and this was the mortal's way of shoving the Summer right back to where she belonged. Out of Mavis Octavia Baines' business. She had known those words would wound and even expected Thea to loom upon her as she does like a threatening storm.
Mavis lifts her chin high and stubbornly when she gets close, ready to challenge her. But, then something strange was happening. There was an odd look in Thea's eyes behind her thick glasses and dread plummets into Mavis' stomach. Oh, this would be just the sort of spiteful thing that Thea WOULD do and the human thinks she has a good idea of what's happening or about to.
She's horribly correct in this assumption.
"Stop-!"
Mavis throws down her cigarette and sparks erupt from what's left of the ember. Her hands fly to the Lost's shoulders, shake her hard enough to bounce her curly hair.
"Thea! Quit it!"
The words are spoken. Mavis' hands squeeze above Thea's upper arms in frustration at what she could not stop.
"Please! God DAMNIT! No!" She closes her eyes, hoping to blot out the SOUND of them. Then, Thea finishes and the finality of it sinks in. Her eyes open, blazing at Thea in fury. "WHY would you DO that?!"
Those were pledging words. She knew them to be even without any magic or ken. Mavis' hands spring open, she spins away to face her headlights, intending to pile into her truck and leave. With or without Thea. Probably the latter. Both of the truck doors are still wide open, slow 60s music mockingly drifting from the speakers.
Thea's forceful grin remains at her lips. Even as the smile makes her face hurt. She tastes metal. She feels the surge of power. Feels the Wyrd accept the oath, blessing her with what she **NEEDS** to complete her duty. A shiver runs through her. Not of cold -- though, fuck, it is freezing -- but of pleasure. It feels **GOOD** dipping into her fae powers. For a moment she feels the pull of that other world. Not just the hedge, but the place which had shaped her into this.. this creature.
Thea blinks. The smile fades as Mavis stops trying to shake her. As the woman flees from her. Runs to the interior of her truck. Thea's purple eyes track Mavis' movement. Watch her for a moment. A minute perhaps? She remains standing, bathed in Mavis' headlights for what feels like an eternity.
And then she moves. Stands by the open passenger side door. Leans against the cab. Looks in. Why did she do it? "I'm calling your bluff, Mavis. You don't want nothing bad to happen to me. You need help, but you're too fucking proud to admit it and everyone else in your life isn't willing for whatever reason to stand up to you."
With a shrug, she boldly, brashly, impetuously gets in the car with Mavis once more. And shuts the door. "Besides. You get real cute when you're mad."
Mavis swings into her truck so hard that it creaks under her weight. She yanks the door shut, hinges shrieking in the cold, then glares out the windshield for several heavy seconds. Her face looks down, still scowling darkly, and her phone screen lights her features. By the tightening of her expression, it could be assumed that her messages to Thea prior to all of this are what greet her when she unlocks the cellphone. No messages from Amity, though. She sends Widget a text real quick.
When she locks her phone, slides it back into her pocket, Thea is still just standing there in the headlights. It angers her so much just to LOOK at the Lost, but Mavis can't bring herself to ditch Thea here in the cold. She could seethe as the woman finally climbs into the car, though, and Mavis icily refuses to so much as glance at her.
She doesn't say a damn thing, keeping her mouth shut and lips pressed tightly together as she pulls the truck out of park. Once they're back on the road, back at the light that had caught them before and was now holding them up yet again, Mavis finally reaches out to smack her radio to cut the music off. The light turns green. She drives. Quiet. The silent treatment stretches on for another couple of miles without the crackly radio. Mavis drives grimly with a tight grip on the steering wheel, still refusing to take her eyes off of anything except for the road or to check a mirror.
Then, she stops at a stop sign. No one was coming or going except for them, not another car in sight, but she doesn't roll forward. The engine idles loudly. Mavis turns to stare at Thea, smug as she is and gloating inwardly, no doubt. Then, she reaches over, grasps Thea by a fistful of neon-dipped hair, and yanks her into a hard crash against her lips.
-- TBC, prob'ly
|
