Abducted!
Well. Sort of. Mavis had at least asked Casper if he wanted to come into town with her. Just into town, is all she would say. This is her story and she's sticking to it, leaving enough room for it to be assumed that she and he would go sightseeing. She's certainly kitted for the weather, layered up under an aviator-styled jacket that's thrown over her hoodie, the inner lining white and wooly. A knitted beanie in gradient shades of gray and pastel yellow is pulled over her black hair to keep her warmth from escaping too easily at the clutches of the chill. Knitted, fingerless gloves in the same colors are tugged onto her hands, less effective at keeping her warm but it left her free to use a touchscreen. First-world sacrifice, right there.
Once they're in the truck, it takes awhile for the vents to blow hot air, but the cab warms up quickly. At one point during their trip, Mavis fondly notes a spot on the side of the road.
"That's where we picked you up," she reminds him with an affectionate glance over at him and then her eyes are back on the road ahead of them.
Sometime later, they roll into the Patterson District and Mavis seems like she has a destination in mind. They come to a stop in a library parking lot where Mavis parks the truck and looks over at Casper very seriously. Without the roar of the truck's engine or the music from the radio, the silence is heavy.
"So," goes Mavis, precursoring something that she was building up to say. "I want to tell you something that I don't want you to mention to Amity until I'm ready to tell her-- no-- it's probably not whatever you're thinking."
Long-sleeved autumn colored flannel, thin black wool gloves, and a scarf accent Casper's attire as he sits in the passenger seat of Mavis's truck. He is happy to spend time with her, having felt closer since their chat on the window seel. He had been listening to the radio until Mavis turned it down to point out the place where she and Amity rescued him from a snow-day that never came. Regardless of the weather, he has been thankful. He glances over toward it and rolls his eyes, "...yeah, that wasn't my best day," he admits. "Night got better though," he quickly adds with a smile to Mavis.
When they arrive at a library parking lot and Mavis departs, he climbs out as well. "Oh, hey. Cool, we still have libraries. I mean, with everything else, I wasn't sure," he remarks with a smirk. Then, Mavis makes a request of him and he blinks. "Wait, what do you think I'm thinking?" His red brows raise. His lips twist and he tucks his thumbs into the small front pockets of his jeans. "Um, okay."
In truth, he had not seen Amity very much. She seemed to be the working girl of the pair from what he had seen - or maybe shifts at the Red Rover? Red... whatever, hotel? must be long. "Nothing too heavy though? I'm... not trying to make her mad at me or anything."
Mavis gets out of the truck, swings the heavy door shut on its screeching hinges. She cracks a grin, shakes her head ruefully, and says, "Yeah. Libraries are still a thing, there's another one in Tamarack Falls."
She walks around to the front of the truck, leans back against it. The mortal wasn't yet heading for the building, but hanging around to have this conversation with Casper.
"Not a damn clue," she answers him, flashing a quick grin that winks out and is replaced by a pensive purse of her lips. Mavis dabs at them with her tongue and folds her arms, still leaning against the front of her truck. The engine pings as it cools while she thinks about Casper's own request. "Nah, I don't think she'd be mad. I just don't want to stress her out or fuck anything up."
Mavis was stalling.
"What do you know about, uhh-" Her cheeks tint dark, not just from the bite of the cold, and the mortal flusters as well by looking down at her boots and shifting them. She stops leaning on the truck, tucks her hands into her pockets, and hunches her shoulders in. "What do you know about," her voice drops low, "clairvoyants?"
Casper shrugs, "Just surprised. I didn't even know states could run out of money till I got here. Cities to dust," he rolls his shoulders as he quickly hovers around Mavis, glancing around. "It's comforting that some stuff is still around," he says glancing toward the library and then realizes Mavis is not heading for it, at least not yet. His lips push to the left and he lets out a small 'hm' as he takes place beside Mavis to lean against the truck himself.
"Good. Because, like, I could think of some stuff," he smirks to Mavis and then clears his throat. "So, anyway. Uh. Yeah. Cool. Secrets." He lifts his hands and folds them, tucking his hands into the bends of his elbows as a foot kicks up to rest on the bumper of the truck.
"Clairvoyants? Uh... Not much." He shrugs. "...Isn't that like a scam? Do people still do that on TV?"
She had let herself be a little hopeful that maybe Casper, her chosen confidant, would know more than she on the subject of psychics and all of that woo-woo. He doesn't though and Mavis looks somewhat wounded, sighing out her disappointment.
"That's what I thought, too, 'til someone told me differently," she carefully says to him, but Casper is given an appreciative smile for his understanding. "Someone I happen to trust and has no reason to lie about it. Apparently, psychics are totally a thing and always have been. Probably where the hoaxes came from," comments Mavis while shrugging her shoulders and leaning sideways until she bumps into him. She rests there rather than pulling back. Her voice is squeezed past her throat, sounding higher pitched than usual as if she were inwardly wincing.
"I guess I'm supposed to be one of them?" She clarifies with, "A clairvoyant, I mean. I dunno how it's supposed to work or why I didn't figure this out sooner, but that's what I'm here to hopefully find out here." Why exactly Amity should be the last to know is left unsaid, however. "And decide whether or not this is even something I _want_ in my life-- I mean-- I'm fine without it, y'know?"
Casper's arms unfold and his face pinkens - further coloring his face dots when he feels Mavis brush up against him. His lips press together as he thinks for a moment and he shrugs his shoulders once again. "I mean, I've heard that some bad acid trips left people thinking they could read minds?" He offers not-so-helfpully. Still, his eyes lid for a moment and he takes a deep breath. "Then again, uh, you're in a whole town of people like me, broken freaks. I guess I could be a little more open to the idea." He glances toward her and lifts up a hand, slowly placing it on her back. It felt just a touch awkward since she was taller than him.
"So, how are you sure? I mean, did you have bad dreams? Were you kidnapped by aliens - oh! Are you secretly from New Mexico?" He grins feeling just a little stupid. "I mean, between us, I kind of like you being the sane normal one. You're like, you know," he taps the truck twice. "Reliable. Sturdy, in a way. Not... twisted up and changed like me. ...Or Amity."
Audra comes in from the east, leaving the Patterson Bridge.
((She OOCly calls us nerds, presumably for being at a library, then leaves)) <3
Audra heads southwest into the Four Hills district.
Mavis turns her head slightly to shoot Casper a slitted-eyed glare and an elbow digs into his ribs. "I'm not talking about an acid trip," she gripes, but laughs despite herself. She sobers quickly, though. "A couple of months ago, I woulda told November that she was barking mad," explains Mavis in a slow, deliberate voice. This "November" she spoke of was the mortal's boss, the very same who might offer Casper a job, and also a subject that seldom came up with Amity around.
"Gee, thanks," says Mavis with a roll of her eyes that leads her into leaning against Casper's side once more. "I'm still me, you know. That's the thing, I don't feel any different from before, just.. curious, I guess? Confused. Like, how could I be this-" She curls her shoulders inwards, keeping her hands inside of her pockets, and indicates herself. "And not know? But I did live in New Mexico, briefly. I think I was two, though, so if the aliens took me then I don't remember what they did."
Casper squirms but he does manage to rest his hand on Mavis's back without rebuke. He huffs at the dismissal of his theory - plenty of friends when he was a teenager just knew that they could read thoughts. Just, not his, or the teacher's, or anyone of importance to help them pass tests. "It sounds like November is kind of a big deal."
"So, what I'm hearing is... you were abducted when you were two, and have gained comic book powers and you think... um," He glances toward the library, "that you can check out a book on them? Like, what are we talking here? Cheating at cards? Seeing the future?" He raises a pair of fingers against his temple, "I~ am Mental Mavis! Fear my mesmerizing mind, mundane mootals!"
Casper takes his hand off of Mavis's back and gestures outward with it, waving his hand outward toward the horizon in small waves.
Mavis hums out a squeaky, "Um-mmm?" Then, sighs out the word, "Yeah. Pause. "She sort of is a big deal around here, I guess every place has 'em. I think she's Waykeeper, not too sure what that means, but I guess it's someone who's supposed to help those Lost who come to her."
The mortal turns against Casper's arm along her back to glare at him again. She steps on his toes with the heel over her boot without looking down at their feet.
"C'mon, asshole," she huffs, lifting her foot off of his. "No one thinks this is loonier than I do-- promise-- and I already told you." She hated him for having to repeat this. "I'm clairvoyant." Mavis stares at him stonily then that hard expression dissolves into one of self-exasperation. "Ugh! You are just... THE worst." She flicks him playfully on the forehead. Thump. "And you better be glad I can't read what's up here."
Casper is thankfully wearing boots, but Mavis is forceful and probably heel grinds! He does let out a small noise of protest, "Hey, ow! My powers!" when she flicks his forehad. Still, he huffs and gives a small nod. "Yeah? What, would you punish me?" He smirks at her, ready to flinch if she goes for another forehead flick. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind taking a peek into yours." He smiles and then looks around.
"So, um. What are we doing here, exactly?" Flirting. Poorly. Still, the question seemed important enough to ask. "I mean, obviously, I won't tell Amity; I promise. But, like, that could have been a text? Are we waiting for someone?"
"Maybe," Mavis warns when he asks that about being punished, but she's grinning her impish smile at him to dull any real threat with that statement.
Then, instead of flicking Casper on the forehead again, Mavis gives him a playful shove. Hard to dodge with them so close. She simply turns where she stands, braces herself, and gives the short punk a good, rough push then fails at looking angry.
"Nah," she tells him now, shaking her head. "You probably wouldn't. I'm sure it's pretty boring in there, mostly me wondering if Amity's makin' more of that bread today." Amity made a LOT of bread and it ALWAYS got eaten.
"Nope! Although," adds Mavis, doubtfully, "I wish we were waiting for someone 'cos I don't know what we're supposed to do. Just go in, I guess. Like..." Mavis shoots him a puzzled stare. "Is someone psychic in there waiting for us? Was this FORETOLD?" She pulls her hands out of her pockets to make, what she thinks, are mystical signs in the air then, just as quickly, shrugs and puts her hands back in her jacket pockets. "And, I don't like to drop stuff through text. It's better in person-- You can't backspace." She sticks her tongue out at him then steps away. "Ready?"
Casper notes the smile and arches an eyebrow. He silently mouths, "oh", and then, before he can ruminate on that, his thoughts are popped with a quick shove from Mavis! He staggers, clearly caught off guard and huffs. Mavis is probably much sturdier a build than the only-recently-properly nourished punk but he take it in good cheer, chuckling and remarking, "bully."
"Yeah, I noticed that. Kitchen smells super nice, but it sometimes wakes me up since I'm like... right there." He shrugs, "thought about asking for a room..."
Then, Mavis starts pontificating about destiny. "...We could always knock and ask if they were expecting us. If they ask 'who is it', we'll know they're frauds." He gives a cheeky and toothy grin and then nods. "Mm. Yeah, fuck waiting, let's just go in. Um, also, I'm not psychic, so let me know if they are doing weird mind shit, please?"
Oh, she's sturdier than him AND weighs more and then bully just laughs about being named one. It's not a mean, bully's laugh but Mavis' warm, dusky one. Then, she stops and thinks about Casper sleeping in the living room this past week or so.
"Yeah," she decides at that brief pause, smiling as she speaks. "Yeah, I _think_ we can move some stuff around. Most've the rooms upstairs except for mine are just full of... stuff." Mavis blinks. "Old lady stuff, my grandma's stuff. She was something of a hoarder."
Signs of this were evident around the house, but Mavis and Amity had done their best to declutter. She just didn't have the heart to throw away the old woman's things.
Mavis takes another step for the building, drawing moral for the thump of Casper's boots as he walks with her. "I'll, uhh, you know I'll have no idea, right? I'm just as fucked as you if they DO, but... They shouldn't." From the impressions she'd gleaned through November, anyway, the local psychics were welcoming of new wards.
"Hey, so---" Mavis pauses at the door, then pulls it open. "---You're not gay, are you?"
Casper gives a small nod of understanding. Wait, did Mavis just agree to let him have a room? He pauses for a moment, letting Mavis get just a bit ahead of him before he hurriedly catches up. Longer legs, comparably cuter butt, all walking advantages she has over him. "I mean, at least you've kept it up and neat," he remarks as he follows along.
Casper is not necessarily convinced of the benevolence of the so-called psychic community of Vermont. "Oh, so if they melt our minds with weird mental powers, it's over. But they're nice? I mean, how would we know? Should we look for Bernie stickers?"
"...What? Um, kinda?" He shrugs his shoulders. "I... don't know. Is this about Francis? Because I'm Free. I like boys and girls. Anyone, really."
Casper comes in through the front doors, a burst of street noise quieting as the door slides shut behind him.
"Yup." They were fucked if mental mind magic was used against them. "But, hey, at least if anyone in there is Lost then you can spot 'em for me." She holds the door for him, taking this opportunity to watch Casper closely.
"Well, it wasn't about Francis til you said it," she tells him with a grin that flashes the sliver-gap between her incisors for a brief few seconds. "But I had kinda wondered. He sure got close to you," Mavis points out with a quiet, disapproving sniff that she made anytime Francis' name was brought into a conversation.
She then ushers Casper through the library doors, stopping inside with the one closing behind them. From outside, the place looked huge. Inside, Mavis felt very tiny standing beneath the high roof and amongst huge columns.
A librarian glances up to greet them with a spiel that started with, "Hello, welcome to-" and her asking them if they needed help finding anything. Mavis quickly blurts out, "No," to that. Then, "Thank you, I think we'll just have a wander."
After pulling Casper off to the nearest set of shelves, she murmurs in a rush to him, "Okay, so, uhh, I guess we go to the, ah, supernatural section?"
/Then we FTB'd because I realized that I, Mavplayer, I had no idea what to do at this point and needed to get my ducks in a row about The Eye and such. To be continued!/
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