milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

bonnie murdock

(no subject)

[OOC: AU writeup.]

The door opens, and a young woman pushes a little girl in a wheelchair that appears to have been constructed from parts of a motorbike sidecar. It's a little bit on the heavy side, even with all the bits Bonnie has hacked off it in the process, but on the other hand, it looks pretty cool.

Bonnie skids the wheelchair to a halt at the bar, and the girl laughs. Bonnie moves around the front, and signs rapidly at the girl, before getting drinks from the bar.

"All right, Alice." she says, signing at the same time. "Quick break, and then we're gonna go see the horses, okay?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There's a dusty, travel-stained young woman in dusty, hard-worn clothes at the bar, nursing a cup of Ebony. She takes a look when the door opens - the bar is comfortable but doesn't always lend itself to the best sight-lines - but her face relaxes into a smile when she sees the young woman and her child. All hunters know some sign for use when signaling to others out of earshot, but the woman's signing is faster than Sunshine can easily follow. She gets the gist, though. Break... go see the horses...

Sweet.

Sunshine smiles and waves at the duo. "Hello there."

(ooc: heading home shortly, but wanted to tag in! <33)

Bonnie smiles and Alice waves back.

"Hi there." Bonnie says. "How's it going?"

"It's... going, despite all efforts to the contrary. Glad to find this place," she says, feelingly, without elaborating more on how things are going back home. What news is reaching her suggests that it's been a legitimately terrible week that will have significant ongoing consequences. But the work goes on, even so. Just because the Empire has finally taken the Crown City doesn't mean that the populace still doesn't need protection.

"How have you two been?" Sunshine asks, signing the common question along with her words with hardly any hesitation in her movements.

"We're getting by." Bonnie says. "Alice is a little tired today, ain't you honey?"

Alice makes the sign for ice cream. Bonnie laughs.

"Oh, we get ice cream fer bein' tired now, do we? I guess that can be arranged."

She turns back to the bar and orders a small ice cream, placing a plastic spoon in the girl's hand. Alice grips it, determined.

"Ice cream," the sign is not familiar, but she does her best, "is perfect for helping when one is tired," Rae beams at the girl.

"Love the wheels. Those're new."

Alice looks down at her ice cream.

"Gettin' a bit heavy ter carry, ain't you honey." Bonnie says, resting a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "She don't like the chair much, Bill can carry her fer hours but I cain't. She don't understand why she cain't run around like she used to."

Sunshine's smile softens. The girl's laughter upon her mother playfully skidding the wheelchair to a halt as they entered had given the impression that the new chair was looked on as a positive addition to their lives.

"I imagine it'd be hard to explain," she says, gently.

"We're tryin' to make it as fun as we can." Bonnie says. "But some of the kids on our street were a little mean about it." She crouches down. "It's nice to be able to go outside, though, right?"

Alice nods.

"And Sunshine thinks yer chair is really neat, not boring like other chairs." Bonnie says. "She ain't going ter make fun."

Edited 2017-08-16 20:18 (UTC)

"Mean people aren't worth bothering to get to know," Sunshine says, signing haltingly. She crouches down to be level with the six-year-old. "Your chair is much neater than other chairs, but the best part about it is that it's got you."

A thought strikes her, and she turns to rummage in her pack. She comes back with a small plush, soft and white and round with a friendly, almost catlike face, tiny bat-like wings, and a red bobble on its head, which she offers to Alice. "This guy's a moogle. Moogles are good luck where I'm from, always watching out for people they like. He'll keep you company."

Alice makes the sign for thank you, and looks in delight at the plushie.

"That was very kind, thank you." Bonnie says. "The other kids ain't never seen a little girl like Alice anywhere else. They either get scared or unkind. I'm glad she can come here and have friends her own age."

"Milliways is good like that," Rae says, softly. "It gets folks from all over, but generally they're good folks. I'm glad you both have this place."

"Me too. The medical care we get here is unmatched at home too." Bonnie says. "They're so kind to her when she gets one of her chests."

Edited 2017-08-17 15:00 (UTC)

Sunshine smiles at the girl holding the little moogle, and stands up.

"And it has surprisingly good timing. The bar's been a life-saver for many, I imagine."

"It's just past sunset on the other side of my door, and I still have a good ways to go before I get to safety. Milliways apparently thought I needed to stop by before the demons come out, and I'm not about to second-guess it."

Not when she can get food and rest here before tackling the cross-country run to the haven in mud and rain.

"Have you got plenty to eat?" Bonnie asks, ever maternal.

"I've got a few recipes I can whip up when I reach the haven," she assures her, grinning, "and ingredients for them, too. But I'll definitely get supper here and a good night's sleep, before I head back."

"Sounds like a good plan." Bonnie says.

"Want to come see the horses with us?"

Sunshine finishes off the last sip of her coffee, setting the mug back on the Bar with a word of thanks.

"Sure,' she replies, chuckling a bit. "I've only seen the horses from far away here, to be honest. We don't have them back home. Creatures that look a little like them in some ways, but spiracorns aren't anything anyone would want to try and ride."

"Oh, then that's an extra reason." Bonnie says, steering the chair.

"We prefer machines fer ridin', but it's nice to see the horses sometimes."

"Back home, too. But cars are only great for where there're roads," Rae chuckles, walking with them. "Chocobos are preferred for crossing open country, especially if you have a long way to go."

"Oh you want to try a motorbike." Bonnie says. "What's a chocobo?"

"They're... a bit like a horse in function, I imagine, from what I've seen of people riding horses here. They are great... big, fluffy birds, taller than a person, that can be ridden. They're mostly flightless, though they run quite fast and can jump much further than a human might. They're really sweet, too."

"Like an ostrich?" Bonnie asks, struggling to get the wheelchair over a bump in the path.

Sunshine chuckles, asking helplessly, "What's an ostrich?"

"I assume it's also a kind of large domesticated bird one can ride?"

"Yeah, I heard in a book somewhere you could do it. I wouldn't know, pretty sure they can take an eye out."

"A guy in Duscae runs the chocobo post, where people can ride, race, or rent chocobos," Sunshine remarks, following along. "I don't know about taking eye out, but they can pack a kick if they don't like you. Most of his are as gentle as can be, though. Loyal, too. They like their necks scratched and their cheek-feathers rubbed."

There is movement as Alice tries to get out of the chair to see the horses. Bonnie offers her a hand.

"Gently now."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only