milliways_bar | (no subject)

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(no subject)

So, yesterday was traumatizing enough that he's sort of hiding again, half-invisible and behind a tree. Hoping very sincerely that the police aren't out to get him, which he's still half-convinced they are.

The most visible part of him is the vivid red blood, strikingly coloured where the rest of him tends to wash out.

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Gavroche has no way to know he's lying, and wouldn't care anyway. Not for something minor like that.

"Where're you from?" is his next question.

The orphanage there. It's not a nice place, and he doesn't sound particularly homesick.

"Oh. I'm from Paris", he offers. "In France. But I live in London Below now."

The orphanage is a days walk out of any city, because it's a secret, so he doesn't get more specific than that.

Paris sounds cool, though. He isn't sure what London Below is.

"Yeah", he confirms. "It's like... a city under the city. Most people don't know it's there. The House is there."

Santi nods, quickly. They have something like that. He touches his chest, because that's where he haunts. Nobody goes down there any more, actually. And it's not the same thing, but to his understanding of it...

"I'd show you", Gavroche says carefully, watching the younger boy, "but you'd have to meet Tom or Door first. It's their house."

Santi nods, and accepts that as a reason not to. He doesn't really want to meet anyone. It sounds like too much.

Santi, surprise, is rather shy.

Gavroche nods when he doesn't say anything, reading the silence well enough.

"Okay. Has anyone else come out to see you?"

He nods, excitedly.

He mispronounces all the names.

Gavroche doesn't know any better, for most of them. He laughs a little at Santi's excitement, not unkindly.

One name, he does recognise.

"Mordred? I think I've met him."

A little bit of hero-worship, for an older ghost who talks to him and is wonderful.

Gavroche grins. "You liked him, then? He's one of the dead ones too?"

It's been a long time since he last spoke to Mordred, he doesn't remember.

He nods, happily. Mordred is dead and he doesn't judge Santi for being and he's so cool too.

"Then I hope he comes back out here a lot."

Santi nods quickly, because he does too, actually. Very, very much. He hopes Gavroche comes back too.

"And I will too", he repeats. "Like I said."

Santi smiles at him because he really is super.

"I do now", Gavroche tells him. "Tom and Door, and Ingress."

He might bring Ingress out sometime, with the appropriate warnings.

His eyes widen. Does that mean Gavroche was adopted? Does that happen? Not where he's from.

"I met them here", Gavroche explains. "They're nice."

Meaning, more or less, yes.

Santi looks over at the door, whistfully. Maybe the angle, or, or. But it wouldn't really be fair, because Santi isn't really a normal kid.

"Yeah", Gavroche says, watching him carefully.

He's starting to wonder if illusion wizardries would work on a ghost. If Santi's worried about scaring people...

He smiles for him. Because he's very glad for him. He's been with enough forgotten children that when someone's rescued it's good new.

"I wish you could come in with me", Gavroche says quietly, but he smiles in return.