★ KATE

[doublefists]

the most precious little not on purpose serial killer

Comments

[sootprints]

Yes.

I borrowed the helmet from someone else, so it doesn't fit very well...

[ she holds onto the keychain for now. ]

[doublefists]

You mind if I ask why you're wearing it? You can say no.

[sootprints]

It's easier to talk to people I don't know this way.

Otherwise, they might be startled when they see me... or worse.

[doublefists]

[ a pause, and she shoves her hands in her jacket pockets. ]

... You wanna try me? I bet you're not so scary under there. Promise I won't lose my shit, cross my heart, hope not to die.

[sootprints]

I...

All right. I suppose I will need to show myself eventually.

[ she steps away from the keychain rack and removes the helmet. soot falls from inside the helmet to the floor. she runs a hand over her hair to fix it, and faces vi directly. ]

I'm... a shadow. A person with no face.

[doublefists]

[ she leans back to wait for kate to pull her helmet off, casual in body language, shoulders at ease. and when kate faces her, she squints. studies her. and then: ]

Hey, I was right. You're not very scary at all. Kind of cute, actually. [ a half-smile. she's seen so much stranger, really, even just in her own home world. ] A real shadow? Like the ones on the walls, or is it different?

[sootprints]

Cute...?

... Different. A shadow is... a sort of fairy. One that has a human shape, and produces soot from its body.

[doublefists]

I've heard about fairies.

[ strohl apparently knows one and told her about her... but kate is obviously not that small, so. must be a world difference. ]

Is the soot annoying? I feel like I'd get sick of it after a while.

[sootprints]

... It's very annoying.

But there's nothing I can do about it, other than try to keep up with cleaning.

[doublefists]

Sorry. [ she is a little amused... not in a mean way, just that she sounds like she's Done. ]

Did someone tell you that you're scary?

[sootprints]

Well... no one here has. [ there's that, at least. ] But I've seen the way people react, and... in the place I come from, there are rumours and legends and the like...

[doublefists]

[ good because she was going to beat them up if they did. probably. she thinks about that for a second, and then: ]

... How old are you, Kate?

[sootprints]

... Thirteen.

[doublefists]

[ man. ]

I'm gonna tell you something, kiddo - most people here are decent enough to people your age. I don't think you have anything to worry about. And if you do? Come tell me. You can borrow my gloves.

[ the big fuck-off metal ones. ]

[sootprints]

Your gloves?

[doublefists]

Yeah, the big metal ones. Have you seen them? You can try them out if you want.

[sootprints]

[ shakes her head... ]

I can try them?

[doublefists]

Sure. Give me five minutes, let me grab them.

[ and she'll go to get them because she doesn't have them with her. she figures that nobody was going to try and steal them because like, one, where would you even go that she wouldn't see you wearing them, and two, they're heavy. she's... not entirely sure kate's going to be able to wear them, but listen.

she comes back with her gloves, and clanks them down on the ground.

... kind of laughs. ]

You might have to grow into them.

[sootprints]

[ she tries to pick one up...

and her entire body topples over with it. ]

--Ah.

[doublefists]

[ help!!!

okay, she laughs, but - she crouches down and lifts one of the gloves up, holding it up. ]

Here. Try it this way. [ if she wants, she can put her hand in. ]

[sootprints]

[ she slips her hand in. does the glove have flexible fingers? she'll try to move them. ]

Do you use this for fighting?

[doublefists]

[ it does! in fact, when she puts her hand in, it shifts and hisses softly, the inner workings adjusting around her hand. it's a little more comfortable, trying to mold to her form a bit better. she can definitely move the fingers; they have joints when normal fingers would. ]

I do. They're supposed to be for mining fissures.

[sootprints]

It's an impressive mechanism... I wish Oliver could see this.

[ she fiddles around with it some more, genuinely fascinated by it. ]

[doublefists]

[ she allows it, holding it up for her. ]

Oliver? Friend of yours?

[sootprints]

He leads the research team in the manor I live in... I enjoy seeing the things they work on.

[ there are a few flecks of soot that rise from her head while she thinks on it.

after a little more fiddling with the glove, she removes her hand from it. ]