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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 7:25 pm
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Shopping was boring. Very, very boring. Not even a trip to the maul food court could save it, though the extra-large blood orange smoothie certainly tried it's best. At some point, the little Wendigo - who had actually put some effort into her appearance since she was out with a friend, and wore many layers of thick clothing, not a one with a patch or tear - had lagged behind, her steps getting slower and slower as the agonizing boredom of the all-important school shopping progressed. Eventually she stopped entirely, her attention caught by a large board of colourful little brochures.
Blue eyes stared up at them curiously, looking from one to another as she read each of them slowly, all the while sucking at the smoothie's straw.
Then, slowly, she reached up and plucked one of them from it's slot, and brought it down at more of an eye level to read it closer. She flipped it from one side to the other and back again, her eyes widening at what she was reading. Then, eagerly, she looked up and around, trying to spot the poor Raum she had likely gotten separated from.
kuropeco SIGHS AT UR CHOICE OF TITLE
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:11 am
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Xavier had half expected Helmut to collapse onto the floor five minutes into their little excursion; it was amazing she'd made it this far. He himself had his arms laden with school supplies, though really, he wasn't exactly having a grand ole' time.
He had not noticed Helmut stopping, and in fact it was only when Xavier was several feet away that he was alone. Twisting around, he glanced frantically through the crowd, until he spotted her again, hopping towards him, her smoothie in hand.
"I thought I h-had lost you," said Xavier, though he sounded relieved. "W-what were you looking a-at?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:40 pm
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Xavier may not have noticed, but Helmut did. She made a strangled noise as he dabbed at her face, and turned her head away from him in an attempt to stop him from removing any more delicious leftovers. Ultimately he was too much of a Mom for her, and her chin dribbles disappeared before she could enjoy them later on. Sigh.
"Yes, zoo! It'll be fun, right? All the animals!" Now noticing her sloshing drink, she pulled it in close to herself, cradling it in one arm like a porcelain baby.
"AND I want a sip of your smoothie!" He stole some of hers on that handkerchief, after all. It was only fair. Then she stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide with wonder...and suddenly, the floor was very, incredibly interesting. Especially her own feet. Gosh, how cool were these shoes...?
"It c-could be, a, um, da-" She squeaked, ducking her head into her shoulders, her grey cheeks getting darker.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:57 pm
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He vaguely recognized the squawk of protest, but it didn't stop him from what was doing, Xavier sliding the handkerchief back into his pocket with as much dignity as he could muster under the circumstances. Which, considering who he was with, wasn't much.
But still.
Xavier was in the process of extending his drink out towards Helmut when he caught the rest of her sentence. His hand stopped abruptly in its path, some of the smoothie sloshing over onto his claws, and he stared at her with wide, dark eyes, his own face heating.
His mind was trying to comprehend the last few syllables that head trailed away. Xavier stood frozen in place, opened his mouth, and then shut it again somewhat stupidly.
"I, erm."
He cleared his throat an said, in a deliberately casual-but-not-really-all-that-casual voice, "S - sure. Okay."
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:25 pm
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Helmut wasn't sure when it would be safe to look up at him again. If it would ever be safe to look up again. She knew she would, eventually, but in that small stretch of eternity where he figured out what she had been trying to say, she was certain this was forever. That she'd never be able to look at him again. This awkward, terrible moment was going to last until her end of days; she'll grow old in it, and die in it, and -
He'd agreed! Her life was saved!
"G-great! Tomorrow?" She had a test tomorrow that she had no interest in taking. It was the perfect day to go to the zoo. With the awkwardness of her offer over and clearly forgotten, she turned to more happier things - like reaching out for the half-offered drink, little black claws extended in grabby hands. One hand was noticeably behind the other, as her own drink was still cradled in the crook of her arm.
When the drink didn't get to her fast enough, she grabbed his hand with both of hers and made it come closer. She stole a sip much bigger than the bit he had taken from her, and also graciously patted away the liquid that had spilled over his claws with her sleeves, because unlike him, she didn't own any fancy handkerchiefs.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:18 pm
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His claws clean and her tax taken, Helmut considered releasing his hand. She had every intention of letting him go and resuming her own drink, which would bring her back into the comfort of her own space. Yet, for now, she didn't. Little black fingers pressed into the warmth of his hand, comforted by the familiar heat against her constant chill.
"Um." Helmut stammered out, her fingers worming their way down his wrist and under the fuzz of his sleeve. "Wh-whenever's fineā¦" She was back to looking at her feet, fascinated even more now that there seemed to be something colourful leaning against one of her shoes. With a squawk, she realized what it was; the pamphlet she had shown him, long since dropped in her quest to steal his smoothie and his warmth.
Suddenly, she pulled her hands free from his sleeve, and scrambled to pick up the pamphlet and to busy her remaining hand with her own cup.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:46 pm
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For a few seconds, they both stood there, Helmut's hands still holding his own, the two of them frozen in place. Xavier felt stupidly tongue tied; several things came to mind of what to say and then fizzled out of existence again, his mind not quite working around the block that had been thrown up unexpectedly.
Helmut was just being Helmut. That was how it always was. He'd fallen asleep with her tucked against his side more times than he could count now - and had woken up with an elbow to the face or a finger to the side just as many times. He'd comforted her, and she'd comforted him for months - years (it felt like forever and just yesterday all at once) - now. She remained the only ghoul he felt safe enough around to be able to speak properly, even losing some of his stutter the more comfortable he got.
Except now, apparently, when he felt sluggish of mind and ridiculous of thought.
He opened his mouth, fully intent on saying something, but Helmut had already pulled away, and Xavier wilted a little inside, feeling, as he always did, relatively incapable of proper communication. He shifted a little and then asked tentatively,
"Ten - ten o'clock okay?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 4:09 pm
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Helmut, her face flushed, nodded eagerly.
That was how, at ten o'clock the next day, Helmut found herself on the bus to town, in clothing that was a little more presentable, with her hair neatly brushed and only a tiny amount of food crumbs on her person. Xavier at her side, along for the exact same bumpy ride she was. Black little claws gripped the thick tights over her knees, her back ramrod straight in a failed attempt at being a proper lady, and her plastic cartoon deer-head side bag squashed between them as though it were a wall. A tiny and inconsequential wall, but one nonetheless.
At ten-oh-three, she realized this was a bus she had never been on before, and that they were going to a place she hadn't ever been to.
Her attempts at being a proper and respectable person failed pretty quickly after that.
The record of three minutes was likely noted somewhere, even as she turned suddenly in her seat, drawing herself up onto her knees and gripping the back ledge of the chair, leaning her face against the cold window. The school bumped on into the distance, and she let out a breath of awe so deep she fogged up the window in front of her mouth and nose.
"Did you see that house?! It had a pink front door! Did you see? Did you see!!" She reached out, groping blindly for her best friend, and shaking whatever part of him she managed to grasp once she could. "Are pink doors normal? Are they-" Her voice dropped low with conspiracy. "-goths?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 3:43 pm
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Xavier had, in true Xavier fashion, not slept at all well that night. This was half because he was worried and anxious about the next day, and half because he (stupidly) could not get Helmut's face out of his head, nor the touch of her hands.
He tried to at least make himself somewhat nice looking before he went to meet her. Still dressed in shades of brown and black, fur thick around his neck, but at least his feathery hair was somewhat tamed, pulled back into a clasp at the back of his head.
(He noticed the bag wall and wilted slightly, but at least she was sitting next to him.)
"What?" Xavier said, rocking a little as Helmut shook him. "A pink door?"
He peered sideways through the window, across his best friend, and tried to squint at whatever was out there. "Is - w-wait, what are g-goths? What do they do? Are they bad?"
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