deercountry | January and February Catch-All

thank you

wait there's an arcade??
yes i would like to go there
i can deal with the weather to hang out and play some video games

just a few
mostly for movies

but yeah let me meet u outside yours and we can walk together

there's only a few where i'm from too
but that didn't stop me from getting the high scores on them

[This was a personal challenge, now.]

okay i'll be waiting

[Does Sunny really need to wait outside on the stoop? No, it's cold and he probably shouldn't be doing that, even if he is bundled up. But he's waiting there regardless, excited about the idea of checking this place out.]

[ Someone's eager. Robby shows up, sorta surprised as he does get closer at seeing the figure, but not entirely. He's got his omen out with him, and even when they're going out, that's right: he's still a walking mass of shadows that's fulfilling his edgy-looking quota. Don't mind him, he's just shy.

It's as he gets closer that Robby speaks up, the cold air turning his breath white. ]

You eager to get cold? I'd wait inside--we don't get weather this cold where I'm from.

[ It sucks!! ]

[As always Sunny gives a wave to Robby's omen, and also Robby too. But he wanted the little omen to feel comfortable because he was such a shy good boy.]

Winters where I'm from aren't that different to this. I'm used to snow, so I don't mind it. [He walks down the steps to meet him.]

[ Robby's omen lifts his head at Sunny's waving, but otherwise...does not come close. Not in any meaningful way--he never minds if he's approached. A peculiar thing. ]

Yeah? What's it like your side of the world anyway? Or your world, [ Robby fixes, with some humour. They can start walking, with Robby's omen taking the lead. ] It looked normal enough, what I saw it. Twelve months, four seasons--no elves or thousand year old people or magic?

[ We following a similar kind of normal here, Sunny. ]

[They are definitely following a similar kind of normal.]

Yeah, to all of that. I live in the north-east of the United States. [He pauses as he stares after Robby's omen, considering things.] Some people here probably don't know that country, now that I think about it, though.

[Another pause as he looks upward. This is apparently a very interesting thought experiment to him.] Or states could be different, even if you did. Oh, and I think there might be ghosts where I'm from. But I'm not sure.

[ Huh, he lives in America? Robby didn't even consider it--everyone just comes from 'some place' in his head, mostly. ]

You actually seen ghosts? Everyone thinks there's ghosts. And aliens. [ Which he says with a little humour. ] And if we're not all from different USAs, I know a guy from Utah with a demon in him?

[ ...maybe he shouldn't share that, but if they're actually getting into Weird Shit That Actually Exists territory... ]

Utah feels like a place where that would happen. [Sorry, Utah. And person that has a demon in him. That's highly unfortunate.]

I think I have. One night I heard piano and when I went down to the piano room my sister was there. I thought maybe I was imagining it but someone else heard the music, too. [He frowns lightly.] I want to believe it was really her.

[ Okay, that first part gets a sort. Sorry, Utah.

But that second part? Yeah, Robby's not going to be a doubter on that. Instead: ]

That sounds better than the stories you usually hear. [ He pauses. ] How old was she?

[ Older than Sunny, or younger? ]

She was my older sister. Fifteen when she died.

[It was something painful to think about still. She was so young. She still had so much life in her.]

I'm older than her now. [He swallows.] It's hard to think about that.

[ He puts a hand on Sunny's shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. ]

You want to talk about her? We don't have to. [ Lightly: ] But I wouldn't mind hearing about her. Never got to know what it's like having siblings.

[Sunny blinks at the touch, looking over. It was appreciated.]

We can talk about her, it's okay. [Even saying that, it takes him a second to start.] I can't remember a time where Mari wasn't looking out for me. But... she looked out for everyone, really. She was kind, and thoughtful. Smart and hard-working, too. Everyone loved her.

[He pauses.] She used to set picnics up for us- our friends. We had a secret hang out spot behind the park and we would relax there. She always made me feel so safe.

Yeah? It sounds like you had a good group of you. And going out for picnics? I've never done that before. Did she have a blanket for it and one of those woven baskets you see them have on TV?

[ It's lighthearted, or meant to be, Robby holding an imaginary basket as he tries describing it. His ideas of picnics are pretty basic--things meant for bigger families--or friend groups--than he was ever a part of. ]

[The question makes the tiniest smile appear on Sunny's face.]

Yeah. The blanket was always red checkered and I was never sure how she managed to fit so much food in the basket. [A beat.]

We should have one, when it's warmer. [Since Robby had never had one. He wanted him to be able to experience it.]

Oh yeah? [ There's an intrigued note. ] Sure, let's do it. We'll need to find a good place; I've never actually seen anywhere when it's warm, or looking nice. [ Weather nice. ]

I don't even think I've seen a park. [ Saying that. ]

Does this place not have spring or summer? [He'd come in winter so that's kind of all he knew of Trench.]

Hm. I guess we could have it in the greenhouse if all else fails.

Nah--I showed up in September, so, you know--fall weather. Came in when everything was looking appropriately spooky for a place like Trench.

[ Real autumn vibes. ]

I heard there's a fruit farm somewhere around, though. And there's a big flower conservatory too, outside of town? I've never been to them. We'd have to check where they are.

Do they have Halloween here?

[Actually the most important question ever asked.]

Okay, I'm sure someone must know how to get to them. Either of those places sound ideal for a picnic. If the fruit is edible- [Because who knew in a place like Trench-] we could even eat some of it.

[ God, let Robby think. Not because he doesn't know the answer, but... ]

I think...October here was when they had some kinda parade. I don't remember what it was about, I didn't go, [ for reasons, ] but none of the pumpkins or trick-or-treating, or anything like that. But Peter from the dojo let me carve a pumpkin with him. Probably regretted it.

[ He grins at that last part, an implication for his carving skills. But they're now getting closed into the city to the Entertainment Feed ~~because I said so~~, a busier activity around them of people. ]

We could do them this year. Mob can grow them--he says anything he grows tastes bad, but that sounds perfect for shoving them outside.

That's too bad. We could do costumes at the very least. [Though perhaps this place was weird enough that dressing up in costumes once a year wasn't as interesting or fun.

He glances around as they get closer to the Entertainment Feed, noticing the change in people density, but still being focused on the Halloween thing.]

That does. We should carve them. [A pause.] I guess we'll have to manually grow our own pumpkins if we wanted pie. [This is planning for things way far into the future here.]

You wanna grow pumpkins? Peter probably bought his--I can ask him. [ But. ] But how hard can it be to grow some pumpkins? I'll bug a friend to tell us what to do if you want.

[ He's half (or more) joking, but the idea is funny enough to consider, for someone who knows absolute shit about growing pumpkins. But as for the meantime, a building does come into view where Robby can point to it, standing out with its rather large clocks. ]

That's the place. [ Just letting Sunny knows. They can keep talking about pumpkins, of course. And dressing up. ] But sure, you wanna dress up? Sounds like we're on the way for making plans for Halloween already.

[Nod nod to the pumpkins.] Could be fun to grow them. And if they don't turn out we could buy good ones. [So no major loss?

His eyes go a little wider when the building is pointed out.] Wow. I didn't expect it to look so cool. More like a place that smells like pizza and has that confetti carpeting from the 90s. [Which was cool in its own right, granted, but this was something else.]

Yeah. Halloween is one of the best times of the year, so I like to plan for it.

[ A pumpkin plan is set! And that description does get a scoff out of Robby, who can't help but say, ] Yeah, that's what I was expecting.

[ Even just smell like it, but the inside? The inside is very different, and with so many floors. The entrance hall--once they enter--is rather spacious, and there is a plaque on the wall detailing what is on each floor. Robby goes over to examine, then nods to it. ]

Fourth floor. Alright, let's get up and check it out.

[The inside is no less grand than the outside and Sunny is still surprised by how it looks.]

Wow. My town was pretty small, so I've never seen anything like this before. [He starts moving to go up to the fourth floor.]

Do you know what games they have? [Like, he'd find out in a minute or two, but he's curious.]

January and February Catch-All

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