A Day Off

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

She would like to claim she is familiar with sibling shenanigans. But something tells her living with a bunch of other orphans who resent you at best isn't exactly an equal comparison. Or maybe it is, who knows? The concept of family is fake. Still, she was super excited to meet Callahan whom Ty kept mentioning literally all the time but didn't introduce her yet. The fucker.

Her eyes widened when the tall exhausted man walked through. Oh Woah, he's handsome! Also like- really tall. Why's Ty so short then if he's so tall? Did he like- steal all the height or something? Is that a thing siblings can do? How does that work? Her eyes were still fixed on Callahan before looking back at Ty and trying to get a picture of his face with the next best thing standing near him.  

However, all of that thought process went out the window as soon as she started fully observing the tech Callahan was armed with. She bit back an excited gasp as her mind raced with recognition at the parts, and curiosity when it all became a little unfamiliar. The two of them are lucky she's so wrapped up in her own thoughts that the conversation occurring isn't really understandable. Or at least- something she is definitely not registering at the moment.

The wheeze and sputter the younger brother gave was enough to get her back into the moment though. She bit back a laugh seeing a hint of red underneath the cap that was being weighed down by an armored arm. His brother seemed nice enough too, which was a relief. She's nervous meeting new people even if she knows they likely won't be a fucking asshole.

"Yep yep! I'm Louise. Ty's talked a lot about you. It's nice to meet you too!" She gives a little two-finger salute in return with a giggle, her mechanical limbs spinning in time with her laughter. In good manner she also offers out her hand for a shake.  She had to admit she was surprised Ty was apparently talking about her outside of work.  Not only that but saying good things about her outside of work.  Ok maybe it wasn't that far-fetched but it's something she's not used to.

  "I like the tech you have by the way. Especially the helmet. Who made that? It kinda looks like a respirator of some kind??? Does it make you breathe better?  Or is it part of the uniform aesthetic stuff?  Is there magic infused in there?" She was already leaning in to try and get a closer look at the gas mask. Fuck personal bubbles I guess.

[Sparky]

[Ty] [Callahan]

   The smile that was on the bigger man's features was small, but warm. More than polite. It was as close to fatherly as it could get. It made sense, Cal had been more than just a brother to Tyler and his friends for years now. The goliath took her questions on the nose and patiently waited for the young lady to finish her bombardment. Tired as he was, getting to fuck with Ty always put the elder sibling in better spirits. 

    Ah, brotherly love.

    "The uniform was made in tandem with Mages from a research division as well as a group of dedicated technomancers. It uses a blend of sturdy old-world materials, as well as modernized synthetic materials developed by tech-mages. The design is meant to have a slight intimidation factor, but is mostly function-over-form." The man lifted the helmet as he talked, and traced his fingers around the lenses. "The glass is polarized to reduce effects of flashbangs and blinding spells, while the reduced circumference makes the eyes a harder target. The respirator is fully functional, and filters out all standard airborne hazards, as well as a good portion of magical based ones. As for aesthetics? The white faceplate is to distinguish my rank amongst the guard. Shows my experience." 

    Gods, Callahan loved to talk about his nerdy gear shit. Sure, it was kinda interesting, but he didn't also have to use Ty as an armrest the whole time. Why did everyone have to torment him lately? Luna, Luke, Callahan, technically Louise?? The thing was though, Callahan was Tyler's older brother. So unlike Luna where Luke would murder Ty, or Luke where Luke would [still] murder Ty, Tyler could at least get away with fighting back a bit. 

    Callahan paused in his speech as Ty dropped the boots and grabbed onto his older brother's arm. The big man only had a split second to process what was going on before he was flipped completely onto his back. The heavy impact could be heard throughout the shop and shook the ground nearby. Sure, Cal was built bigger than Ty, but Ty's war affinity was higher than Cal's. A puff of smoke practically puffed out of the boy's nostrils as he gave a tough grunt. There was a definitive reason why the young punk was equated with Ape's. Looked as though the Gorilla in Gorilla Groove was Tyler all along. 

    The elder of the two Dumont brothers let out a hefty grunt as he rolled onto his side, then to his feet. A quiet standoff ensued, with the two brothers staring each other down. No words were spoke, not verbally at least. Instead, both brothers' expressions shifted. A wordless conversation held through facial movement. Little nods, head tilts, scoffs, huffs, and grunts. Eventually, Callahan lifted his hands up in mock-surrender and sighed. 

    "Alright, alright, alright. I'll get out of your hair, gotta return to patrol soon anyways. Just let me finish up the conversation with your friend over here. You wouldn't want to dampen her excitement, wouldja?" Callahan jerked his thumb back towards Louise. Tyler shifted his head to look around his brother. At this point, the guy knew when Louise was eager over something new and shiny. The young man straightened back up with a small sigh. No. He would not like to dampen Louise's excitement.

    "Fine... just don't use me as a damn arm-rest and we're good." The brothers exhanged curt nods, and turned away from one another. Ty to put on his boots, Callahan to face back towards Louise. 

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she listened to Cal's explanation of the details. Hmm... she wished she had access to old-world materials. That would be so cool to experiment with. Then again seeing a little snippet of what the best tech-mages were up to is something she did not want to miss. The functions seemed pretty basic and there was definitely room for improvement. If she could just look a bit longer maybe she could reverse engineer this model and make something better. Hm.

"Oh woah! Do all of you guys get the latest gadgets and stuff? Also, you think they might be able to do a night vision upgrade to that thing? Could be useful- or maybe thermal detection too... Sorry- getting sidetracked here. I'm guessing this thing is built to handle a lot of blunt force... What about more extreme temperatures?" Filtering out the smoke was good when it came to dealing with fire mages and the like, but any crazy temperature that wasn't being dealt with could turn deadly, and most basic elements had some way of fucking with temperature.

She was about to continue her ramble before Cal was suddenly flipped over. Her excited expression turned into one of surprise, shock, then alarm as she looked over at the blacksmith. Oh boy, they didn't look too happy about what seemed to be a fight starts. Louise went to stammer out a demand for them to stop but Cal was up and handling it. Phew. Crisis averted. She would really hate to have been banned from the shop for that.

Plus she had never really seen Ty that angry. She knew he could get angry, that time they met Luna was evidence enough. But still, the outbursts are a little surprising. Then again, usually, the calmest people are the scariest when pushed to their limit.

She gave them both a relieved smile when they decided to continue the conversation. "When you got your equipment by the way did you meet any of the people who helped design it?" She's eager to get back to the previous subject at hand that's for sure.

[Sparky]

[Ty] [Callahan]

    With that over and out of the way, Callahan returned to Louise's questions. The big man hadn't had a chance to fully finish explaining everything, so there was a bit to make up for. Ty was busy in the background putting on the new boots. Honestly, he had no choice but to fully swap from the shoes to them, as they weren't the kind that just fit over them. A shame, but what were you gonna do?

    Callahan cleared his throat before continuing where he left off. "Anyways. The materials are fire resistant, and disperse heat a good amount. Of course, that doesn't mean we can just waltz into a blazing inferno, even magical reinforcement can only get you so far. But, rapid temperature changes aren't a problem. We don't technically get all the 'latest' gadgets, but we work with the guard and commission certain projects. I work for a security force, so we typically just come in, offer support and training, and just help around. Our gear is all paid for out of pocket, so to speak. We're really just over-glorified city guard, so our stuff is mostly made to deal with the sorts of things you'd normal face when dealing with petty crime. Thermal, night vision, none of that is really necessary and is usually made up for with spells anyways."

    "That being said, we are sometimes sent out to the periphery, which can entail getting into skirmishes with bandits. That's where the out of pocket part comes into play. Over-glorified Guard or not, we're built to take hits. But the real bread and butter are the arcane weapons and tools we use such as-" Callahan locked the helmet onto his hip and yanked his the metal brick off his back. The big man raised his arm, then thrust it down. In an instant, the metal brick extended into a massive tower shield. "-This." 

    Cal patted the large shield with a prideful smile. "This thick chunk'a shit can take a hefty amount of damage, and putting a literal wall of magically enhanced material between you and enemy spells is one good way to redirect incoming damage. Before you ask- it's made out of the same material as the armor, just thicker. It's an arcane weapon, so it's already enhanced to increase different statistics, and no, I'm not looking to improve it any. I'm content with it's capabilities and I don't need to worry about it needing to do anymore than it already does." 

    Ty rolled his eyes in the background, but couldn't help but smile. Callahan was a big fucking nerd when he talked about shit like this. Still, good to see his brother actually smiling for once. Well, when it didn't relate to teasing the younger sibling, of course. The guardsman swung his arm up and thrust it down once more, recondensing the shield back into it's portable state. Chances were, both of them could keep talking for hours on this subject. 

    Gods it was going to be a pain in the ass trying to drag the young woman away to get lunch. 

    At the latest question, the elder brother simply shrugged. "Never met many of them myself. They don't really interact with us meatheads unless they need to get feedback or guinea pigs. Most of the time, they just take the list of shit we need or want, try to make it work, get us to check it over, and then either ship it out or make changes until they can. I imagine many of them are similar to you, though."

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Any question Louise would have had died on her lips. Man, Callahan must be reading her mind or something cause he's already answering questions she was gonna ask. That just makes it easier on her though. She can just listen to the really cool tech rant and maybe get some new ideas. Perhaps getting a better look at that material could help prevent her limbs from overheating and shutting down. Seriously it's not fun dragging these things around then they stop working, they're fucking heavy!

She let out an excited gasp when he pulled out the mobile tower shield. Holy hell that thing was effective. The material clunky but it got the job done. Her mind was already racing with new ideas for such weaponry. Imagine creating mobile force fields one could place on a vehicle. That would cut down on a lot of highway robberies that's for sure. She can't let her tech brain overtake her now though. She's really trying her best to not get sidetracked by her own head in the midst of the conversation.

Louise was a bit disappointed to here improvements were unwanted. Not like she was really going to follow that prompt. She was likely going to recreate it and remodel it however and whenever she saw fit. Cal just wouldn't get to know about it now. She just gives a small nod of her head, eyes still shimmering with excitement taking in all the gear.

"Technically no improvement or upgrades to gear is necessary, but it is nice to add a few extra bells and whistles!" Plus messing around with upgrades means someone could stumble across a crazy good improvement everyone could benefit from. "But I won't go taking your really cool shield and messing around with it." She'll just recreate it and start messing around with it instead. Therefore no one's property gets damaged- besides Louise but she doesn't think it counts.

A little disappointing to hear Cal never met many of the tech-mages. But if they're anything like her as he says, they're all painfully awkward recluses. Sounds about right for a tech mage honestly. "Can't say I've met too many either! Competition and all that or whatever. That and I don't think any of us really go outside!" She giggles at the thought and then remembers the time she literally didn't leave her house for fucking months. It's funny but it's also like- not.

[Sparky]

[Ty] [Callahan]

    Off over by the front door, Ty had finished getting the boots on. With how wet the shoes were, he had to get a separate bag to wrap them in before he could shove them in his backpack. Thankfully, the staff were fairly accommodating. Well, after the boy explained why he flipped his older brother. Sibling rivalries and all that. It was a relief to find out they weren't too upset. 

    Small mercies. 

    Behind him, Cal nodded along to what Louise said. "Well, can't say I haven't met any sort of tech-person that didn't fit that bill." Tyler's friend Luke was the first one that immediately came to mind. The big man swore his chin was still sore from when the punk techie clocked him. "And, yeah, sure, a lot of guys like adding all the newest stuff to their gear. Just makes a lot more upkeep, though. Always a trade off, remember that." 

    Ty glanced back towards his brother and the pink-haired techie. It looked like Louise was done bombarding Cal with questions. There was a quick, sharp whistle as he attempted to get their attention. "Louise, are we gonna go get lunch still, or what?" The words weren't impatient. If anything, it was more of a gentle prod to remind her that everyone here still had places to be. Callahan back on patrol, and them back to their shenanigans. It was going to be rough to go back out in the snow again after being so warm. 

    Callahan looked towards his little brother and nodded. "I have to be getting back to my post anyways. It's going to be a hassle explaining my detour." He stated, placing the helmet back on. Unlike Ty, he didn't need to worry about the weather. He was comfortably warm inside his uniform. The bastard. The brothers moved past one another, tapping their elbows together in farewell as they did so. Callahan shifted the brick of metal back onto his forearm before walking out the door, while Ty readjusted the hat his elder brother messed with.

    "I'll make sure to get him to visit the store when he's off-duty so you can talk to him a bit longer." The punk stated, casually jerking his thumb back towards the leaving man. It was actually funny. A rebellious punk had an older brother in the guard. Said rebellious punk, idolized that brother. The older guardsman brother allowed his rebellious little brother to be that renegade punk. Seemed contradictory. 

    You couldn't pick your family, though. And besides, it didn't matter if it was contradictory, as long as they got along and supported one another. Ty waved a goodbye as Callahan ventured back out into the snow, quietly jealous that the man didn't have to suffer the cold like he did. Come to think of it, Louise was practically immune to that shit too.

    Son of a bitch.

    "So what do you think of him?" Ty asked. Of course he meant his big brother. "You know, his teasing bullshit aside, of course. He's a good dude, right?" He'd never say that to Callahan's face, though. Too much pride. Sibling rivalries and all that.

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Man, guess all tech people fit the mold of socially awkward people who don't like leaving their god damn house and can only really talk about their projects. Well, she has more social skills than THAT but it's still pushing it. Topics that keep her engaged in conversation isn't all that common for her. Not like she doesn't wanna pay attention when people are talking about stuff she enjoys. Her brain just- says no.

She casually waves away the comment about upkeep. "Well if it requires more upkeep then it wasn't really a good upgrade. Upgrades in tech are supposed to make things easier and more advanced. Not more difficult to deal with," she said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. News flash Louise, not everyone knows or gets it or wants it. But her point still stands, in her head anyway. She's not intentionally trying to be argumentative.

Louise's eyes widened at the mention of lunch. An excited grin spread across her face and she whipped around to look at Ty nodding eagerly. "Fuck Yeah!!! PASTRIES!!!" She cheered as a child would. Good thing he reminded her because Louise 100% forgot about that. It's so easy to forget...

"Just tell 'em the truth. You were helping out your little brother.
It was really nice meeting you though," she chirps, giving Callahan a smile. He was nice and also nice looking. You know that makes fucking sense, if you're nice you typically look nice. She makes sure to give one final wave goodbye before he is out the door.

She turns back to look at Ty and nods excitedly. She would love to talk to Callahan more...mostly about tech stuff. But, he seemed to enjoy the conversation...she hoped. She better not start overthinking how the conversation went. It was a bit funny that one of the guards had someone as rebellious as Ty. Then again she didn't exactly see Ty doing much rebellious shit. What does that even look like anyways now that she's thinking about it. Her brows furrow as she begins to explore her own inquiry before Ty's words draw her out of her mind.

"Hm? Oh! He seems really nice. He has a bunch of really cool gear and everything." Also he's hot, but Louise gets the feeling mentioning that to Ty is not gonna end well. So she keeps that little comment to herself. "He looks cool." That's the closest she will ever get to admitting that. "You ready to get pastries?" she asks, seemingly eager to change the subject before she gets too deep into thought once again about the whole fucking conversation.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    If Callahan got all the good looking genes because he was a good person, then that probably said something about Ty. Or not. Like fifty percent of his face was constantly hidden so... hm. It was curious though, perhaps Callahan's appearance shed a little more light on what the shadowy young punk looked like underneath. Were his eyes like his brothers? Did he have similar hair, striped white like Callahan? It's a mystery!

    And that's part of the reason why Ty liked to keep it this way. 

    There were other, more personal reasons as well, and perhaps Louise would learn those some day soon. When it came to rebellious shit, really all Louise had to do was look to his bat. Already she'd understood that the young man used it, and used it frequently. It was not hard to piece together. Chances were, if he went as far as to use that bat on people, there was more that the young punk did aside from it. 

    Which was true. All one had to do was dig into his backpack and they'd find cans of spray paint used to make graffiti, or multiple different fireworks for... various uses. The skateboard he rode was, itself, a symbol for rebellious teenagers all across the world. The only reason Louise never saw the young punk do anything rebellious was exclusively out of consideration for her. Ty wanted to keep Louise around, and that left a lot of fear and uncertainty about chasing the girl off if she saw the worst parts of him. It was a hard line to walk. On one hand, he was comfortable with himself, downright proud of some of the things he did, even. But Louise was an unknown variable. 

    Not everyone saw the shit he'd seen, done what he'd done. Luke and Luna were easy to trust because he grew up with them. They knew each other, experienced the same things. Fought together, watched one another's backs. Something Tyler never realized was just how anxious befriending new people actually made him. Thoughts invaded his mind, second guessing himself. If she knew how many people I hurt, would she still want to be my friend? If she knew who I was, what I went through, would she understand? 

    It was alien territory. 

    Louise's words pulled the boy out of his thoughts, and he returned it with a smile. "Yeah, pastries sound good to me." The young man sucked in a breath and turned to the door. "Alright... time to brace for the cold..." He hissed. Cold air battered the boy when he flung it open. The clothing helped, but after being in the warmth for so long, he wasn't as used to the chill as he was when the two were walking down the sidewalk. Ty grit his teeth and let out a few choice curses. 

    "Ladies first." He stated, motioning for her to go first. Less out of anything like Chivalry, more because he really, really didn't want to go out yet. Just let me savor the damn warmth just a little bit longer. He thought, bitter towards whatever god controlled the weather. Couldn't make it sunny and warm, could ya? 

    Outside, the young man tugged the hat a little further down on his head. Callahan had really fussed it up, and left it feeling a bit uncomfortable compared to how the boy had it before. "You know... as annoying as my older brother can be, and as much as I love him, some days I envy him." Ty mused. "He actually remembers what our parents were like. What they looked like, what they sounded like. Stuff like that. I've tried so hard to think back and remember them, but it's always blurry. It sucks, you know...?" 

    The boy shrugged. "I dunno. There's definitely some perks to being the older sibling, I guess... what were your parents like?"

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

Of course, she hates that somehow her internal monologue is being projected. Cause she is DAMN curious about what Ty looks like under that hat. She just figures that if he wanted her to know what he looked like he would let her know. Clearly, that wasn't the case so she just accepted the fact she may never know. It doesn't stop the intrusive thought of just knocking his hat off from entering her mind though. But that shit is rude and she would never violate someone's privacy like that.

Though meeting Callahan gave her a slightly better idea. She bet they had the same eyes and they definitely had a similar if not the exact same smile. But she can like- you know see that shit pretty easily. She's thinking about appearances too fucking much.

She knew Ty identified himself as a punk and the crew he ran with- the few she met anyways, were pretty punky spunky... She has a feeling both Luna and Luke would assault her forever referring to them in such a manner. She laughs to herself as the thought crosses her mind. Still, the closest she ever saw was that time he literally punched a mirror. Which just made her concerned for his well being. Like if he wants to punch something make sure it wouldn't injure his hand as bad right? She had to admit she was curious about what he got up to back in the day. She knew some crazy and most definitely violent stuff.

Louise is a lot of things, but stupid isn't usually one of them....usually. It didn't take much to figure out he's definitely used that bat on people before. The City that he kept referencing along with his friends sounded like a rough place to grow up. She wouldn't say her upbringing was violent but it wasn't pleasant and she was no stranger to it. She's gotten in a few fights- not intentionally of course. Her blabbermouth and inability to ya know, shut the fuck up, has gotten her in some tight spots on occasion.

She's been extorted, mugged, just beaten to shit for fun. You know the works of growing up as a low life. Books were her solace and education was the fire that burned within her to get the FUCK out of the life she was living. She was glad she had that much determination and self-respect. Though thinking upon the past was...painful. Most of the time the pain she experienced was more on the emotional side of things. It was rare that people went out of their way to antagonize her, but that didn't mean it never happened. Most people just...ignored her and strangely she would have taken being beaten up any day over the agonizing experience of being invisible to the world. At least that way people paid attention to what she was doing... people gave her SOMETHING.

She's gonna have to unpack that shit later dear god.

She just gives Ty a grin and a thumbs-up, hoping he was entirely ignorant of her inner monologing. She is the first to step outside with a chuckle and roll of her eyes. "I'm definitely no lady but I will brace the cold first," she said stepping out into the snow. She hums happily and sticks out her tongue catching a snowflake on it. Just one though, her body is more sensitive to internal temperature adjustments..well what's left of the physical flesh anyway.

Louise looked over at Ty as he began to speak as they made their way to a bakery to grab some food. She was a bit surprised to learn that Ty did not know his parents. Well, at least they could relate on that matter together. Her eyes popped a little in shock when he asked about her parents. Oh god... had she never told him that she grew up in an orphanage? Her brows furrow as she tries to recollect their conversations. It just- never really came up huh?

"Oh uh... Well..." she kicks a small pile of snow out of the way before answering. "I didn't know my parents either. I dunno what happened to them. I assumed they either didn't want me or were dead. I grew up in an orphanage with like- 20 other kids... I think. I don't really remember all of them since a bunch rotated in and out after getting adopted." Louise was one of the unlucky bastards who aged out. Still, she made the most of it which is better than some of the other kids could say.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Huh..." Though she couldn't see it, the young man blinked at her response. "...so you had a similar upbringing as the rest of us." Ty opened his mouth, as though wanting to continue. But once more, a shadow of something greater seemed to mount itself upon his shoulders. Yet this time, the young punk seemed to push through it. She grew up like us, she would understand. "Growing up, the group I ran with were all orphan's too. We didn't have any sort of adoptions though. We grew up on the streets in the most literal sense."
    
    "According to Callahan, our parents are... very dead. Just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was still way little, and Cal' was barely a teen at that point." From under the shadows, a faint glow of white watched his breath come out in a slow stream of mist. The young man stuffed his hands into his pockets before he continued. "I don't... remember much? Just... a lot of... scattered images, I guess. Loud noises. Someone I don't recognize screaming. Cal' holding me close to his chest. Fire."

    Ty lifted his head up towards the sky, watching the snow fall down upon them. The sensation reminded him of the ash that blew past his face, but nothing more. "Sometimes, little things spark a memory. A loud noise, glass breaking, the iron scent of blood. I mean, like, obviously they all have different memories attached to them, but it's never a full picture. Just bits and pieces. Random fragments. Callahan says our parents were good people, and that they loved us with all their hearts, and I don't argue with him. But I can never see their faces. He tells me these stories of when I was a baby. The way my parents would play with me and sing to me, and they just feel so far removed from who I am."

    If he thought really hard, the punk believed he could see bare traces of who those people were. His mother, relatively beautiful. His father, built as sturdy as Callahan was now. But the faces were always blurred, always out of focus. Their lips moved but no sound came from them. Tyler couldn't even remember their voices. 

    "I know I should feel something for them. Sad or angry or something. But they're just memories that don't mean anything to me. People I never knew." Ty shifted his hidden gaze downwards now, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He worked his lips a bit, trying to find some sort of expression that fit how he felt. And yet the further he looked, the more he realized that he wasn't sad about not knowing his parents, he was sad that he didn't feel anything for them at all. 

    It was tragic, in a sense. 

    Thinking further, the boy gathered up his thoughts a little more and continued in earnest. "I can tell that Callahan misses them. And sometimes I feel jealous that he got to know them, while I didn't. I wonder if they'd be disappointed in me for how many people I've hurt, or if they'd be proud of me for helping people. Gods, I wonder what they'd think of all the graffiti I slap all over the place." 

    Tyler shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. There wasn't any real point in wondering. Whether or not they were proud of him didn't affect him. The most they had to do with his life was giving birth to him. Sure, they took care of him for a few years, but Callahan was the one who basically raised Tyler.

    "I hope that if I ever become a parent, I'm able to... you know... stick around and leave a better impression on my kids. Even if I don't feel anything for them, I feel enough to know that it's sad." He cast his gaze over towards the pink-haired techie, giving the girl a small shrug. 

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

"Guess so! Though what little you've mentioned it sounded waaaay more rough than me. At least I had like- a roof over my head and someone to give me food." Wow the bar was so fucking low holy shit. She figured the rejection and bullying was just a normal part of growing up without parents. The orphans you would think, want to treat each other like family. If anything, it was just a weird competition between them all to get adopted the fastest. She even remembers a few times when some kids purposefully sabotaged her interview with prospective parents. She blinks away that memory since the squeezing in her chest and the clenched fists were starting to bring up a lot more than just memories.

Louise stays quiet and listens to Ty's attempts at the recollection. It seemed painful to try and recall people who were dead. The only memories he seemed to hold was the night of their death. Though the description as it got into more detail was making her more and more uncomfrotable. She could feel smoke fill her lungs, the ringing in her ears, a blinding flash of light that made her nearly stop in her tracks. The muffled voices, the phantom limbs... that smell of burnt flesh, hair, and blood. Hot metal leaking down.

She realized that she had stopped paying attention to Ty's words and definitely missed a good bit of his little monologue. Fuck. "I mean...sure our parents technically make us- but I don't think they define who we are," she said. Would it have been nice to know her parents? She's...actually not sure. Part of her readily believes they gave her up and abandoned her. But she never dared to ask the caretaker what happened to her family. She figured that it was for the best if she never knew, even if the question haunts her occasionally.

"Mmm... I don't think they'd be disappointed in you. You're a good person that was put into like- really shitty circumstances. Sometimes you have to do crazy things just to survive. On the bright side- well actually this isn't super bright, but at least you lived to regret them?" She cringed at her own words and rubbed the back of her neck. SHe's so fucking bad at this dear god. "Also in my opinion graffiti is just surprise art. I always think it's dumb when people get mad at it." Seriously she does not understand why people have an issue with graffiti.

She grins at Ty's resolution to stick around for his kids, if he had any that was. Still... not liking your kid and pretending to like them sounds kinda shitty. Kids aren't dumb. Kids know a lot more than adults give them credit for. Louise can remember all the times she was frustrated when adults wouldn't take her seriously strictly because of her age. "I mean- I would hope you like care about your kids and feel something for em and stuff when you have them," she said with a small laugh. She can imagine growing up with a parent that doesn't really care feel fucking awful. Part of her wondered if that's why her parents left, because they knew they just- couldn't give a damn about her.

Oof. That hurts to think about. God where the fuck is that bakery before she makes herself cry?

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    At her comment, Ty laughed. Living to regret what he did was one way to look at it. But, despite her saying it wasn't all that bright, it genuinely wasn't a bad silver lining to look for. So many things could have gone wrong, but he was standing here right now. That being said, he didn't actually regret what he did in the past. It was fun knocking teeth out of people's heads. Playing vigilante. Skateboarding around like a mysterious superhero.

    Was fuckin' badass.

    Tyler tilted his head towards Louise as she mentioned how he'd treat his kids. "Of course I'd love my children. I wouldn't want to have kids if I wasn't prepared to, you know, be there for them. Care for them, support them, etc. etc. Luke may have been the babysitter back in the day, but I definitely got along well enough with the kiddo's to know I'm not one of those people who hates children." 

    The snow wasn't coming down as hard now, and through the falling flakes the bakery was coming into view. Salvation for Louise. "Kids is something that I'll probably have a clearer idea on in the future though. If I ever feel like I'm ready or not. I'm at that point right now where, like. Having kiddos of my own isn't such a bad idea, but at the same time like...? Me? A parent? The fuck? How does that make logical sense?" 

    With a deeper, more "extravagant" voice and a slight pep in his step, the boy spun to face louise. "Mmm, yes, perhaps once I am more... ma-ture, I'll decide whether or not my... bloodline perishes with me?" He laughed after that. He certainly wasn't at that point just yet. Who knows, maybe he won't actually get there. The guy had his moments, but so did everyone. In a world full of whacky, zany characters, the fact that Ty was so painfully average at times made him seem unique. 

    Opening up the door to the bakery, the scent of fresh baked goods immediately bombarded the duo. Many different items were on display, in a calm, clean shop. Cakes, breads, cookies, so on and so forth. A few tables were set up overlooking a massive window, allowing patrons to gaze at the sea of perfect white just outside the building's walls. Ty was already eyeing a booth in the far corner. Nice and snug. 

    "I gotta figure out something to actually eat that is more... filling than just sweets." He mused, gaze shifting back up towards the front counter. This being a bakery, it meant there was more than just sugary piles of fluff. For instance, there were some artisanal breads, different herbs and cheeses and other tasty things baked into the fluffy loaves. The young punk stroked his chin and wondered if he wanted to try some of them. Order up a bit of bread dipping sauce, just munch down on fucking carbs. Make his body hate him. "Eh, you order first while I figure this out, ye?" 

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

She grinned in relief when he laughed at her comment. Ok, good, she didn't say something royally fucked up. Nice. She lets out a small sigh of relief, containing her giggles as a cloud of steam left her lips.

Louise admittedly hasn't been around kids long enough to see if she really liked them or not. She is pretty childish herself, that she could admit so it wasn't so far to assume she might get along with kids. Been a hot minute since she had a reason to interact with them though. Besides, she isn't sure what she would do with kids really. Her line of work would make it difficult to spend time with them. They could hang out in the workshop but that's asking for a bad accident to happen.

Why is she even thinking about this shit?

"I didn't know Luke babysat. He doesn't strike me as the person who would handle kids but- I guess perceptions are deceiving. I think you'd be a pretty cool dad if you had kids one day. Though you sorta have to find someone to have kids with- or not...adoption is a thing. I think I would do that if I wanted a family. I dunno though I don't think I'm parent material." She would want to adopt, given her own experience. An older kid too so they didn't have to be stuck in such a lonely place their whole life. Louise knows for a fact she is in no place to raise or take care of a child. Taking care of herself was a struggle enough on its own.

She lets out a snicker as he puts on a more posh voice. "That's one dramatic way to put it," she said continuing to laugh. Plus Ty had an older brother so the drama of the whole bloodline thing probably didn't rest on his shoulders alone. Is that what people worry about? She didn't really ever think it was a concern if she died without having kids.

Shit, she nearly died as a fucking kid for fuck sake. The thought of having a family of her own never crossed her mind until Ty brought up the topic. She's all too eager to forget about it though once they enter the bakery.

Her eyes lit up as she took in the atmosphere. The mouth-watering scent of pastries commanded her to make a beeline towards the counter and look at all the sweet goodies available to her. She wasn't sure if there was a limit to how much she could order. Hm.... she could get a tart, along with some cookies, a cupcake that looked utterly delectable, and maybe some sweet flowery tea to go along with it all. Without any hesitation, she puts in her order to satisfy her never-ending sweet tooth.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Oh yeah, Luke's great with kids. He could probably explain it better, but he gives them a lot more patience than he does for people in our age group or older. Plus, he's dumb and mischievous enough to keep them all entertained. I call it 'babysitting' but really he just kept all the younger kiddos entertained and in high spirits." Ty shrugged his shoulders. "Believe it or not, he actually wants to be a dad as well. Maybe he'll tell you about that shit sometime." 

    Watching Louise run up with stars in her eyes, Ty expected her to buy out the entire bakery's pastry supply. She totally would too, if she had the money for it. The young man knew she had a sweet tooth just from the way she acted and her entire personality, but this was next level. He couldn't help but laugh as he watched the woman place her order. Louise knew exactly what she wanted right from the get-go, didn't even need to consider it. Whilst Ty had to think a bit longer on his order. 

    Finally the boy approached the counter and ordered up a bread that was baked with herbs and cheese, along with a special dipping oil for them. For a drink, he got a coffee with three creams and two sugars, and snagged up two raspberry tarts to have afterwards. It was both completely average and also entirely expected out of him. Ty neither had an incredible sweet tooth nor was he adverse to having a sweet treat. The boy just wasn't as over the top as Louise was. 

    Once their food was paid for and gathered up, Tyler led his pink-haired friend over to the booth he'd been eyeing. He sat down and slid directly up to the window. His shadow gaze studied the surface of the snow, watched people walking past. With the street clear, a large group of children and younger teens came out to play. Large fortifications of ice and snow piled high as laughing kids hurled snowballs at one another. Every so often one would used a spell, but from the looks of it, that seemed to be foul play. 

    Ty took a sip of his coffee and felt slightly reenergized. High quality stuff. The bread was soft and fluffy, and even by itself it tasted amazing. The dipping oil certainly completed it and brought it all together though. "Huh. This just hit me, but I don't think I ever actually asked you what your favorite season or weather or anything like that was?" 

    His head turned back towards his friend. The boy sat back in the seat, sipping at his coffee. The entire demeanor was casual and relaxed. Nothing unusual. Heck, Louise could probably drop Ty into a fire pit and the guy would somehow make it seem cool and comfortable. Maybe that was his magical ability? The passive skill of being able to relax wherever the fuck someone put him. In actuality, it was easier for Tyler to relax like this because of one simple fact;

    He was no longer in The City.

    Not having to fight for his life and fear for the safety of his friends made it a lot easier to lighten up. "Personally, my favorite season is Autumn. I love the cooler air. Spring is definitely good for playing shit like baseball, and summer is amazing when you want to go swimming. But, I think fall is just a completely different ballgame. The world feels calmer, like shit's winding down for a nap. With Winter being the nap. Snow's nice, I s'pose. And it's fun to snowboard, definitely. But!" Tyler took another sip of his coffee and nodded. "I prefer being able to run around without either freezing my ass off or sweating buckets. So, no shit, I like sunny weather with a nice, easy breeze." 

[fluffymcsnuggles]

[Refs]

She has to admit that comes as a surprise to her. Then again kids always seem to be drawn to the grumpiest most aloof people. Even growing up in the orphanage that was the case and she was most definitely guilty of it. Ya know thinking about it maybe it wasn't as shocking as she initially believed. She could see it a little if she pictured it. She doubted Luke would like that being brought up though. Messes with the punk vibe maybe? She bites back some laughter at how incredulous he might look if she knew.

Man, she's acting like her and Luke are way closer than they actually are. She's met the guy one time and held one conversation. Ah well, Ty talks about his friends a lot so it isn't too unusual she gets swept up in thought. "Maybe, if we ever see each other." Which is unlikely considering their work and also they are on two different sides of the city.

She followed after him to the snug booth tucked in the corner. The first thing she made quick work of was the cupcake she ordered. It was a chocolate cupcake and the frosting was fucking AMAZING. She took a sip of her nice warm tea, she needed it to cool a little before she drank more of it though. She could feel the warm liquid all the way down and that was not fuckin fun.

Her eyes flickered to the kids outside who were enjoying themselves in the snow. Must be nice. If she played like that her mechanical limbs would fucking hate her. She'd rather have her arms though over a snowball fight. Her legs idly kick back and forth as she continues to stare out across the snow-covered market.

She paused at Ty's question as she was about to take another large bite of the chocolate cupcake. She sets it back down so she can answer without a mouthful of food, or a long awkward pause as she tries to eat.

"I used to really like the rain before...ya know," she sticks out her leg and gestures to it. The mechanical limbs make it difficult to enjoy the wet weather she loved so much. "Especially thunderstorms. Most of the kids growing up were freaked out by it but I dunno I always found it kinda...comforting?" She never understood it herself really. "I guess I like spring the most since it rains the most then. Autumn is pretty nice too- I like Winter for the holidays and Summer is sooo fun cause everything is bright and warm. I don't really think I have a favorite season. I just like em all for different reasons." She can't pick just one, they have their own benefits and drawbacks unique to each season.

She wondered what Ty was getting out of the question. Knowing someone's favorite season doesn't say a lot about them. IN her mind anyway, she's not good with social bullshit.