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[She doesn't reply, at first. Not because the sentiment is unexpected (she assumes he likes her, at least a little), but because he actually said it out loud. It gives him time enough to move on to a rushing backstep, though at least it's something that makes her laugh.]

Oh, no, really? [Spirits, she doesn't want to think too hard about spiders, or anything about spiders, but the idea of it! She laughs again, quieter, then she turns her face to him and pulls her blanket in a little tighter around her frame.]

I like you too, Peter.

[He really shouldn't worry so much.]

[That could have gone WAY WORSE. I mean he made himself a little homesick and he misses his BFF Ned like crazy, but it'll be fine. He'll just ignore this problem too.

But anyway, she's laughing, things aren't too awkward, this is good. Peter can let himself relax. Which he does. For a second, but then she's all "I like you too" and he's like "oh GOD WHAT NOW". It's fine, she just means as a friend, you can like your friends. They're just friends and this is friend-level liking. Totally normal. Stop grinning like that Peter, Jesus.

...Okay the grinning won't stop so maybe another subject shift is in order. Like the way she pull the blanket around herself a little tighter. THAT WORKS.]

Are you getting cold? We don't have to keep sitting on the floor.

Hm? No, not really.

[That's a lie, and one followed up almost immediately by her getting up off the floor and pulling the blanket up around her shoulders. That grin on his face sticks in her mind even when she isn't looking at him, and she grins at the floor, tucking her hair up behind one of her ears.

Just friend-liking. Sure. Why not. That's definitely why she feels so light on her feet.]

Do we have anything to make a hot drink with?

[Right it's just FRIEND-LIKING nothing to panic about.

Well Peter's butt was starting to get cold. He hops up after Poison and stretches a little before heading for the door.]

I... huh. Maybe some tea? Can't tell you how fresh it is, I found it in this little shop upstairs.

That sounds nice.

[She observes Peter for a moment, then follows him out of his room. A lot of what they can find here seems to be 'out of date', but when that's something you've never been brought up to worry about, it matters a hell of a lot less.]

I'll be able to tell you. More or less.

[By looking at it. Smelling it. It's probably fine.]

Was it sealed?

Yeah, it was sealed. I mean, it's just dried leaves, right? So worst case scenario, it's just stale, we're not gonna get sick from something like that.

[I mean he'd probably try to drink it even if he thought it could make him sick, because science. Or just teenager. Either way.

Once they're in the kitchen, Peter opens up the cabinet and digs out an unopened little box of teabags, and passes it over to Poison.]

[He's probably right, and Poison isn't getting to sleep one way or another, so she follows him into the kitchen and leans on the counter while he finds the tea. She fiddles with one of the bags when she gets it out of the box, and holds it up with some measure of scrutiny.]

This is unnatural. [She says, quite pointedly, before dropping it into a cup.]

Why does everything have to be in a bag or a box?

[He chuckles, but not in a judgmental sort of way. Chatting with someone from somewhere so different from where he's from is always interesting.]

Convenience, preservation. Where I'm from, people don't often have access to fresh food, like in cities or other places that aren't close to farms and stuff. A lot of stuff gets packaged before it's shipped out.

[Logically, with her prior experience, she knows this... yet it's still very hard to imagine living somewhere with so many people that you can't simply get the food you need 'for now' and not have to worry about wasting it.

(She was introduced to the concept of tinned food in The Box, but never really took to it.)]

Have you never really had to gather food for yourself? Pick it, cook it, learn which things aren't going to give you a stomach ache?

Nope, I've never had to do any of that stuff. I mean, obviously I learned not to eat like, spoiled food? But no, I've never had to go out and pick my own food or like, catch my own fish or anything like that. There was really nowhere to grow food in the area I lived. Man, I wish I could show you-

[He just freaking stops abruptly and his eyes light up like he's just realized the most important thing ever,] Oh, wait! I can show you! Wait here, I'll be right back!

[BRB, Peter pops back into his room, returning a minute or so later with his old phone from home. It's a miracle that this thing isn't smashed into tiny pieces by now, but shhh. After flipping through his photos for a moment, he flips his phone around to show her THIS ONE.]

Just uh, ignore me there, but that's where I'm from. Not really anywhere to like, grow food.

Edited 2019-08-08 23:57 (UTC)

[She thinks it's a pity, but there's still something attractive about not really having to try to find your food. Yet, she'd not change how she grew up for anything. Not in that way of things, anyway.

Poison has heard of cities. She's heard the described in nebulous terms that she's tried to apply to her own experience - Shieldtown being the biggest she'd ever set foot in - but her experience is nothing compared to what she sees in the photograph. Her eyes grow wide.]

Where's the ground?

[Naturally, her first question.]

You're so high up.

The ground's a few hundred feet below me. Swinging between buildings was literally the fastest way to get around in New York, so I was always climbin' around on 'em.

[He smiles fondly, flipping through a couple more photos. GOD he's homesick, he wants to go climb around on buildings SO BAD.]

[She peers at the photographs while he flicks through them, her entire expression lighting up.]

That's amazing. And you're never scared you might fall?

[He might be watching her face more than he's looking at his photos, honestly. He knows that expression, he totally saw it before back when they first met, when he'd tried to cheer her up by doing a sick flip. Shit, how long ago was that? Couldn't have been more than just a few months, but shit, Hadriel already felt like a lifetime ago. Time is weird.

Aw beans maybe he should like actually pay attention to like, now, and answer her question.]

Hm? Oh, no. I mean, not anymore. I used to be terrified of heights, but then I got these powers and had to climb a few skyscrapers to help people. After a while, I just got used to it. Hell, I miss it now. The view from the top of some of those buildings was amazing, especially at night when everything was lit up.

Amazing.

[She murmurs, trying to imagine it, looking at the photograph with open curiosity.]

The marsh, where I grew up? I didn't realise until I left it that it was in the bottom of a hole in the ground. I'd never even been at the same level as everyone else.

[He doesn't have any weird pics in there that he's worried about people seeing, so he just flips absently through a couple more neat pictures for her]

Wow, really? I mean, never mind all this being teleported around stuff, just leaving home must have been a huge thing for you. What did you think of it?

[Her expression turns thoughtful as he flicks through a few more pictures, then she looks at him again.]

I always wanted to leave Gull. I didn't fit in there.

[She folds her arms loosely.]

But it was... [And here, she presses her lips together, because making herself vulnerable in certain ways is still something she struggles with.] ... Different. I'd never realised how much I didn't know.

Different isn't always bad.

[having reached the end of his wacky New York photos, he sets the phone on the counter and starts t get a couple glasses out They were making tea or something, right? He's pretty sure they were.]

Did you like it? Getting out and being able to see the world?

It was better than staying in the village for the rest of my life.

[She was never going to fit in there. Eventually, one way or another, she would have left.]

And now I don't just see the world. I can make it.

You mean that... that thing you can do? Does that work here?

[Because if she can just write a hot tub into existence right now or whatever, that would be super dope.]

No.

[If it could, she certainly wouldn't still be here.]

It hasn't worked in any of the places I've been taken to. These stories aren't mine to write.

[YEAAAHHHH fair point. bummer that we can't have magic hot tubs but that's ok]

Huh. Well, um. Maybe you can't write them in the literal sense anymore, but you can still shape the way things happen here, y'know?

Only as much as anyone else.

[She shrugs, though, not particularly minding that idea.]

But that's how it's been for most of my life, I suppose. It's not so bad.

Yeah, I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. Everybody pitching in what they can makes a huge difference.

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