deathdrummer

[deathdrummer]

She turns her back so he won't see her start crying.

"Get some rest."

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"Promise."

She's hurt a lot of people. But she won't hurt this kid.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"You're welcome."

She worries he'll still somehow think she wants payback. So, she opts to make one thing clear.

"You're safe here. Okay?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"Nope."

They never planned for a kid, so they never had one. But if the other band mates can't manage, they can suck her dick. He at least needs out of the city. Maybe out of the world.

She does her best to cobble together a little bed out of old cases, blankets, and scraps. At least it's not nothing.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"Okay."

She keeps her feet moving and keeps her mind off things.

When they come to the tour bus, she opens the door and heads inside. Whether or not he follows is his prerogative, there's more than enough there to pay for a place.

Just money. No strings. She hopes he understands that, somehow.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

If her faith in the sons of man could sink any lower, then it does.

She grabs his hand and presses a crumpled wad of cash into it.

"Here. You need money, you call me. No more selling sex. Got it?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"I don't believe you."

She's too old and too tired to bother with lies and contrivances.

"But I'm going to look out for you. No matter what. Okay?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"No reason."

That is a total bullshit answer. But she's not going to push the issue.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

Okay, yep, that confirms her suspicions, alright. She's not dumb enough to call the cops, but she's going to make sure a bad situation doesn't get worse.

"You work for anyone?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"They are cool."

Okay, between that load-bearing "sort of" and the insistence he can't pay her, she's starting to suspect something's wrong.

"What do you do?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"Play the drums. Sometimes I pick up odd jobs between gigs."

She doesn't bother to address the anachronism of being a deaf musician. She hears enough about that already.

"You have work? If not, the band always needs new members."

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

She shoots her girlfriend a quick message and nods again.

She never gets described as nice. She just does what needs to be done, and what needs to happen right now is that this child needs to get somewhere he won't be hurt. Somewhere he'll be warm and protected.

She pays the tab and gets to her feet.

"Come on. We can walk and talk. Yes?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

She just nods. It seems intuitive to her. She's not letting a kid sleep on the street.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"Okay. I'll ask my girlfriend if you can ride with us. If not, I'll pay for a hotel."

The answer will probably be no. Carmilla gets bothered by her tendency to pick up strays, but she was a stray herself. She hasn't forgotten. She never will.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"You're okay."

She eats some soup and stays quiet. In no small part because eating soup requires the use of her hands. Once it's done, though, she speaks again, slowly and patiently.

"Do you have someplace to go?"

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"I said kid. Not baby."

They are visibly different signs. They leave no room for ambiguity, and she has no time for it.

"Let me be very clear. I don't let kids get hurt if I can help it."

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.

[deathdrummer]

"Like I said. I don't care. You're a kid."

Plenty of people did this kind of thing for her. She never forgot it. Might as well pay it forward while she can.

someone falls onto the ground, clutching a small child to its chest. he can’t be older than 16, yet he holds the baby like it’s his own. it is. it wanders about, eyes curious. but not too curious. he looks around at the world, and sighs. it doesn’t matter. nothing does.