FLUFF BREAK

[acautionarytale]

Astrid hadn't been kidding when she said this house had plenty of room. It's a big, sprawling, two-storey... thing on a corner in a residential district that's slowly putting itself back together. Sure the place looks a little worn on the outside....

...But on the inside she's managed to make it an actual home. The place used to belong to a Loyalist couple who, sadly, no longer need it. Astrid has, interestingly, made a habit of appropriating abandoned Loyalist property, mainly because the current provisional governmant considers them forfeit. First come first served, and it seems the Fringe team won't ever have to pay for anything again in this area. So she moved out all the Loyalist propaganda and managed to get in some real furniture and decor. It's a warm and inviting and roomy place that needs explored.

Comments

[tookhishand]

"I thought they shaved it off. I heard buzzing."

Or did he dream that? It is a mystery.

[acautionarytale]

Oh, no... no, not this much cute this early in the day. Astrid doesn't know if she can handle it. Her smile goes a little wibbly and she pets his hair some more.

"No, it's all there."

[tookhishand]

Wibbly, eh?

"Is something wrong?"

[acautionarytale]

WIBBLEH.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just glad you still have all of your hair."

Are they really going to have this conversation? Yes. Yes, they are. Because there's Donald on drugs and then there's Donald on drugs.

"Why would they shave off all of your hair, though?"

[tookhishand]

More wibbling?? What is this world coming too.

"I don't know, I wouldn't question doctors."

Maybe there were sticky goopy sensors involved. He doesn't know.

[acautionarytale]

It's coming to a wibbly wobbly endy wendy.

"I don't think they'll do that."

Oh, hey, did they bring him breakfast? They did. And it's...

Egg sticks and fibre loaf.

Astrid wonders if they're secretly trying to kill him with the sheer power of bland.

[tookhishand]

He's not hungry, he forgot about the food soon after they brought it. It doesn't smell tasty enough.

Fat people are rare in 2036.

"I hope not. I mean, I hope you're right."

[acautionarytale]

Maybe food that isn't food is the key to weight loss. Egg sticks and fibre loaf for everyone!

She doesn't blame him for not eating it.

"I'll make sure they don't." pet pet pet.

She suspects, though, that no-one is going to lose their hair unless it's vitally necessary right now, anyway.

[tookhishand]

He's going to be thin once he's free to go. What a way to loose weight. He won't reccomend it to anyone.

"That's very kind, thank you."

Also, loving the hair pets. Mmmm.

[acautionarytale]

mua ha ha. It's all part of Astrid's evil plan to make him contented so that she can...

erh...

Something. She'll think of something. Probably involving the nefarious use of cookies.

"It's no problem," she answers.

[tookhishand]

More hazy questions... "How is it out there? How is the world?"

[acautionarytale]

The world. Astrid keeps petting his hair and looks out the window. She still isn't used to seeing the sun, even though she's only been awake in 2036 for a few weeks.

"The sun's out a lot, now. It's a little warmer. On the way here I saw someone painting the outside of his house bright blue." She makes an amused sound. "People are planting flowers and hanging colourful flags and... getting rid of all the signs."

She doesn't want to say Observer. Not right now.

[tookhishand]

"That sounds... wonderful. I'd like to go out and paint a house."

Maybe he's actually forgotten why he's on drugs.

[acautionarytale]

Picture him and Astrid and Peter and Olivia on a nice warm day, all wearing beat-up clothes, smudged with paint, making a house all bright and colourful. It's a nice image to try and get through the day with.

Astrid smiles. "Sounds like fun--when you're healed up."

He's lucky to be alive, but maybe once you survive one gunshot, the odds of living through another skew in your favour.

[tookhishand]

Throw in Walter and Michael, and it would just about be his favorite day.

"Is everyone else alright?"

He's asked this before too. Suddenly he's irrationally worried about Walter...

[acautionarytale]

Hers, too. She misses her best friend.

"Peter and Olivia are doing all right. They're busy looking for somewhere to live."

She doubts they'll find a place they agree on, though, or anything they'll agree on any more....

[tookhishand]

"Did you find someplace?"

So many questions he's just going to forget.

[acautionarytale]

"Mhm," she answers, going back to petting his hair. "A house is easy to find right now."

Yanno. With so many people gone. She's not going to mention that, though, because she doesn't want to bring him down.

[tookhishand]

That's going to put him to sleep. You tricky trickster.

"Where?"

[acautionarytale]

He needs sleep. More than he needs that terrible food. She'll sneak out while he's making z's and bring back something edible. Pet pet pet.

"It's not far from here, actually. About a mile away, in one of the reclaimed districts."

If he's heard anything about that, it's a pretty big clue that it's forfeited Loyalist property.

[tookhishand]

Real food's been hard to come by for twenty years, but that too should improve soon.

He's not up to putting two and two together. "Is it nice?" They did earn something nice.

[acautionarytale]

She knows a guy who knows a guy who can get her a real honest to god pizza, but strictly on the downlow, aaighht?

"It is nice," she answers softly. "With all kinds of room and a real lawn that I think will have grass and flowers this spring."

[tookhishand]

"It does sound nice." Flowers, how sweet. He used to grow things indoors...

[acautionarytale]

This gets Astrid thinking, looking about at their surroundings. Hospital rooms always struck her as depressing--the light was the wrong colour, the windows were always in the wrong place, everything just seemed... bleak.

"Maybe I can find some to bring here. This place could use some colour."

[tookhishand]

"Oh, that sounds nice." He's been lucky enough to be given a private room, but: "For everyone?"