Sound & Fury ~ Part 1

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

What ifs and come what mays...
Alison, Miles ~ There's always something to remind you of what you never had. Miles ponders that for a little bit, before deciding that maybe it doesn't matter, in light of what he has now.

Kyle had wandered off to get something to eat while Terry and Sean were at the music store - the look of promised death on the girl's face when she had been sent off with her father had been entertaining, to tell the truth. Just as much as Kyle's had been at being allowed to get some food without someone stuck to him watching the entire time, for that matter. Not that he was that far away - a quick glance showed him nearby, apparently torn between choices for a snack.

Miles' hand was still in hers, although he'd stopped chattering at her a while ago. Kneeling down next to him, a bit out of the way of most of the crowd of people in the mall, Alison tapped his chin lightly. "Hey baby, why so quiet all of a sudden?"

Blue eyes looked up at her, the image-induced little blond boy only recognizable by his voice. "Miles was just... wondering." He turned to look towards the bay window nearby once more, the children inside playing cheerfully. Alison wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close while looking at the mall's kindergarten center as well. The children inside were younger than he was, one of them awkwardly leaning against the window, staring back at them with a gap-toothed smile of delight. Shyly, Miles lifted one hand to wave at the little boy, earning himself a smile of glee from the toddler before his attention was drawn elsewhere.

Turning around, Miles hid his face in the crook of Alison's shoulder, holding on silently for a moment, the Saturday afternoon shoppers walking around them without really paying attention. "Sometimes I wonder too," she whispered, holding on just as tightly. What if he'd died in the tunnels, what if he'd grown up a normal little boy, what if he'd never escaped the freak show.

"Hey." Alison pulled back, brushing the back of her fingers lightly against his cheek. "We're doing okay. That's what matters, right?" She'd been worried how he'd take to Haroun being in her life in such a significant way now, but things had apparently been agreeable to him - he'd even teased her about cooties a few times, at that.

Miles smiled at the words, slow and content, the only answer that really mattered to her. "Miles thinks we are okay too."

~*~

The ties that bind...
Sean, Terry ~ Father and daughter go run a few errands on their own before heading back to the foodcourt. The fact that they may have more in common than just their powers is a thought Terry isn't too thrilled about.

"Right then.  I've got me books now, so where is it yeh were wanting to go again?"  Sean looked across at his daughter, still not sure whether he wanted to thank Alison or strangle her, for forcing the pair of them to go off on their own together.  He was sure she'd put Miles up to that...

Terry had grumbled her way through the bookstore—though not so much she hadn't picked up new journal.  "Music Plus.  I want new harp arrangements."  Her tone made it clear that she resented sharing even this little piece of her life with him.  It wasn't fair!  She'd gone out so she could shop with Alison not him.

"Right yeh are."  Sean did his best to ignore Terry's tone, determined to get though at least one afternoon with his daughter without a fight, and looked around the mall for a minute.  "Have yeh any idea where it is?  I can't get over the size of this place - how do people find any one shop in here?"

Terry rolled her eyes, projecting far more attitude than anyone her size should be able to produce.  "It's this way.  It's not that hard to find."  She set off with a quick stride, dodging between and around people, weaving through the crowds with the ease of a seasoned mall veteran.  If he couldn't keep up, too bad.

Sean managed to keep up with his daughter fairly well - he'd been trained to follow people through crowds, after all.  "Is there anything in particular you're after, or are yeh just looking to browse for a bit?"

Terry glanced over her shoulder.  Still here then.  Damn. "Alison gave me a list of things to get.  You wouldn't recognise any of it."  She waved to the clerk as she went in.  The young man stopped leaning on the counter and waved back, suddenly looking a lot less bored.

"Yeh never know - I might surprise yeh yet."  He paused for a second. "But if yeh don't need me, I'm happy enough to have a wee browse on my
own."

"I can take of it myself." She flicked a hand at him and rolled her eyes again before wandering away to the counter.  She gave the clerk a big smile and fished her list out from her pocket.

"Right yeh are."  Sean wandered a short distance away, browsing some scores for some modern choral music, before finding his eye drawn to the sheet music for a Pogues "Best Of" album, which he started to flip through, looking fairly absorbed, although he glanced up from time to time, to see how Terry was getting on.

Like a house on fire, apparently.  She was still leaning on the counter, chattering away.  Her accent, usually mild to non-existent, was back in full force to the obvious fascination of the clerk who couldn't seem to go thirty seconds without telling her how cool he thought it was.  Her list was still in his hand and he jotted down something on it before giving it back.

Sean smiled slightly to himself.  Of all the things that he worried about for Terry, some daft wee kid in a music shop didn't even register.  He rubbed his jaw absently, remembering the night he'd
first met Maeve.  He glanced at his watch, and decided they could spare a little longer.

Terry tucked the list away again and waited while Mike got her the music she needed.  He rang her up with his employee discount, cutting the total significantly.  "Thank yeh," she said as she handed over the cash, nodding to show she'd noticed. Her answering smile faded when she remembered that she hadn't come in alone.  She turned and put her hands on her hips, "Are yeh done then or did yeh find something yeh wanted?"

It was an effort for Sean to keep his face straight, but he managed it.  "I thought I might pick this up." he said handing up the sheet music to the clerk.  "Did yeh get everything yeh were after?"  He fought to keep any laughter from his voice.

Terry glanced at it and her eyes went wide.  "Yeh like the Pogues?" she blurted before she could stop herself.  She missed his suppressed amusement entirely, too blown away by the idea that her father had actual taste.

Sean smiled, as he settled up with the clerk.  "Sure I've been a fan since before yeh were born, so I have.  Just a shame that they had to sack your man MacGowan for drinking."  He paused.  "I met him once, yeh know."

Mike looked as impressed as Terry felt.  Terry was torn.  She couldn't stand to agree with Sean on anything but at the same time…no one could argue with the Pogues.  Terry blinked rapidly and finally settled on shaking her head mutely.

Sean shrugged.  "It's not really very impressive.  They were on tour in Europe - I forget where now - but one of their roadies was a big London Irish fella.  He got drunk, and started mouthing off about how he was using the tour bus to smuggle weapons back home.  Local police gave us a call and stopped them from moving on, and I popped down myself, like yeh would.  Like I said, there was nothing in it - it was a drunken eejit mouthing off, so I got them off the hook, and the band insisted I have a wee drink with them."

"Wicked." Mike said with feeling.  Terry was inclined to agree.  Even if it was a story about his precious job, it was a good story nevertheless.  "When did that happen?"

Sean thought for second.  "It'd've been 1986 some time?  Just after they released Haunted, I think it was."  He glanced at his watch. "Anyway, we'd better be on our way - don't want to keep the others waiting."  He turned to Mike.  "Thanks again."

Terry nodded absently, "See yeh next time."  She gave Mike a half-wave and followed Sean out.  '86 was two years before she'd been born. There was so much about her father she didn't know.  She skipped up beside him and scowled at him, "Yeh never told me about that."

Sean didn't remark on the fact that her accent seemed to have stuck. "Never thought of it." he said with a smile as they strolled toward the food court.  "I met the big fella from U2 once, as well.  That was about ten years back when they were doing that big Zoo tour, they wanted to see if they could get some kind of special security arrangements made.  I liked MacGowan better."

Terry stopped walking so she could gape at him.  "U2?" her voice squeaked embarrassingly.  She blushed and hated her fair skin for making it obvious.

Sean pretended not to notice, as he caught sight of Alison and the others ahead.  "Yeah.  Tell you the truth, I thought he had his head up his arse, at the time."  He turned to look back at her  "I've a bit more time for hi-"  He trailed off, his eyes going wide, as he reached out quickly to pull her forward, shoving her behind him.

"Hey!" Terry stumbled and hit her knees, turning to see why he'd grabbed her. "Oh hell! Dad!"  She screamed involuntarily as she saw Sean take the hit that had been meant for her.  She scrambled backwards, trying to draw enough breath to do some kind of good.  She looked around wildly trying to find anyoneclose enough about to help.

~*~

What to choose, what to choose?
Kyle ~ The foodcourt is both heaven and hell, something Kyle discovers far too quickly in a somewhat unexpected way.

It wasn't so much that he was hungry - Kyle was, but he kind of was always vaguely hungry. It was that between all the smells and all the possibilities, he was stuck. He just couldn't decide on any one thing. And he wasn't sure he had enough spending cash to get more than one.

Getting Chinese seemed like a good idea, and oh, sesame beef smelled so good now, meant he couldn't get a burger and he kind of wanted one. And those both meant he couldn't get a smoothie and they had the kind with no dairy, which meant no stomachaches. But a smoothie wasn't filling, and he should get real food and even the sushi place and -way ew raw fish yuck- smelled GOOD. Really good.

He pinched his nose, hoping that that making the smells less would help.

It didn't. Now he was just reminded that even if it smelled foul now, he liked pizza, so long as he remembered to order it without cheese. He sighed, unpinched his nose and nearly gagged.

What was that ungodly smell? It was like the pond at home when all the leaves in it rotted, only combnied with something like Forge's leg or something and Kyle nearly doubled over, trying to keep the bile in his stomach from coming up.

And then his sensitive ears caught the thud, and he'd fallen over enough himself to know that was the sound of someone falling, and then a yell, and that accent could only be Terry. and Terry was cute, and Kyle had a thing for red-heads - (okay, Kyle had a thing for girls, period) - and food was forgotten in his rush to see what was going on.

Oh, hell. He's  -  just  - ugly, Kyle thought, looking up and over at the, well, just plain ugly yellow-green man.  His attention was diverted by a larger form - a huge man, with dark blonde hair and a long coat and ... claws...  and...  ears.. and Kyle went wide-eyed. Shit. Shitshitshit, Jesus, its like me only way older, and fucking scary.