momchester finally made a bb account

[minifridge]

You know they're just icons, right? [Mary brushes her hair out of her eyes and stares unimpressed into the... wherever it is she's looking.] There's really no need to obsess.

[She rolls her eyes and scoffs in an... incredibly teenage way.]

I don't even know why you made this account. It's not like there's a point. [squaring her shoulders determinedly, self-consciously aware that she looks a little silly.] My life will be way too boring for you to write anything about and that's just fine with me. Got it?

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[magnetic_magpie]

Yes you can. That's what I'm saying.

[A slow quirk of his lips. Come on Mary, you're clever. You can figure this out.]

[minifridge]

[So offended. But not really.]

Do you think I'd just stop protecting them? That I wouldn't sew anti-possession charms into their clothes and put wards on the house? That I wouldn't find a way to lay down iron and salt permanently?

[magnetic_magpie]

I think you don't know how to explain that to them, without making them afraid. But I know you'll figure it out.

[He smiled.]

Iron is easy, by the way. They sell iron strips a quarter inch deep by one-sixteenth to a quarter inch wide and in lengths from six inches to several metres. Use a gouge to open a trench in the doorway or window, tap it in, seal over it. Use metallic paints to make it look artistic.

[minifridge]

[Blink blink.]

You'd just have to coat them with salt. That couldn't be hard.

[She shakes her head again, eyes downcast.]

I wish I could just forget. I know that I can't.

[magnetic_magpie]

Toddlers with muddy feet.

[So deadpan. Maybe voice of experience.]

No you can't. You can turn it into a strength.

[minifridge]

Yeah, maybe. But some day, some friend or cousin will come for me, they'll try to drag me back.

[magnetic_magpie]

[He laughs softly, runs his fingers lightly though her hair.]

You're strong enough to push back.

[minifridge]

[She freezes a little, a hitching uncertainty that has her torn. The fingers feel nice, but.]

Yeah. [Distractedly coming back to the conversation now. Yes. Focus.] I- I think I am.

What about you? How do you keep people safe without scaring the daylights out of them? I hate having to lie.

[magnetic_magpie]

You are.

[So sure of that.]

I pull rank. I'm Dad. Dealing with scary things is my job. I do teach them how to protect and defend themselves. But I do with the same tone of making sure they know basic self defence for being mugged, or CPR and basic first aid, or how to drive.

[minifridge]

[He sounds so sure of himself. Just thinking about it makes her head hurt.]

I don't even want to have kids yet.

[magnetic_magpie]

No reason you should be yet. You've got a while.

[Yes, yes he is.]

[minifridge]

Yeah.

[Beat.]

What about you? I've talked about myself so much, but I don't know almost anything about you.

[magnetic_magpie]

I have quite a few, biological and adopted.

[That was an understatement.]

More of the latter than the former.

[minifridge]

[She nods, smiles, says something sweet in return. They talk like that for a while, his hand in her hair sometimes, talking about shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. Mary relaxes more and more, finding him easy to be around, soothingly trustworthy, something simple to cut through how twisted up her own mind is.

A distraction she desperately needs.

It's enough to distract her from the little touches, the little (but significant) ways he's invading her personal space, and he's easy enough to talk to that she accidentally leans into his touches sometimes, encourages without meaning to when honestly, she's just going with it and trusting that he's just acting in a way that she's be fine with in the future.]

[magnetic_magpie]

[He enjoys the chatting, and he doesn't mean to keep invading her space, but he doesn't bother backing off either, as long as she is comfortable. He eventually leans over and kisses her lightly on the temple.]

Are you feeling more settled?

[minifridge]

[Dfkgdh not expecting that. She hesitates a little, thrown off-balance by him (again), and glances up with an uncertain smile.]

Yeah. I feel a lot better. [Pause.] Thanks.

[magnetic_magpie]

I'm glad to be able to help.

[Warmly.]