slayer_fray | [SANDBOX] The united states of Fray (for cantjossme primarily)

[SANDBOX] The united states of Fray (for cantjossme primarily)

She's gotten so used to coming and going through her window/the front door, that Mel pretty much takes it for granted now that she can come and go between Milliways and Haddyn as she pleases. So when she climbs through the window this time round, it takes her a few seconds to realise she's not in Kansas any more.

That's a twentieth century expression. She's been hanging around Mikey too long.

Her slouched posture doesn't change as she glances around this strange formless place, but she does slide her not'scythe out of the sheath on her back, taking the opportunity as she does so to glance at the switchblade inside her wrist. Not glowing, so she's not actually in danger yet.

She stands still, waiting for something new to happen.

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"Harth," Mel replied in agreement and shuddered slightly. It's the first time she said his name since arriving at Fandom High School.

And you couple with what Harth did right after the death of the giant lizard...

Mel shuddered again.

"Is he still around where you are?"

Mel winces a little in sympathy over memory, and her smile turns almost apologetic.

"Not at home. Dusted him weeks ago. Course, then he turned up in the tav, but he can't hurt anyone there."

"He's still back at home for me," Mel replied trying to mentally get her thoughts around this alternate timeline thing.

You'd think she'd have a handle on it by now with all weird folk from school but...

"Um. This tav doesn't happen to be called Caritas and a Zombie band, does it?" Mel asked carefully. "That's a local place where I go to school."

"No, it's Milliways..." Mel says, having no problem herself. Milliways is strange enough.

"....wait, you said you're at

school

Mel couldn't help but snort as she rolled her eyes. "I know. It's toy for the most part but there are definite things that make up for it," Mel explained. "I've got two watchers who won't set themselves on fire and there's a bunch of people there who are familiar with the slayer thing. Granted there are no lurks there and I spend most of my time patrolling... nothing. So what's this Milliways thing?"

"School?" Mel repeats. "Watchers?" That illicits an actual shudder, before she pulls herself together. "Just a bar, except it's, yanno, magic. And at the end of the universe so you can see stars and toy 'sploding out of the window."

That's less important than, "but there's a lake and woods outside, and you can see the actual

stars

"Yeah. That's one thing about Fandom. Clear skies everywhere," Mel agreed. "Actual daylight on a regular basis is something I'll miss if I ever get back home. Though according to the creeps that sent me back, it won't happen unless I get that whole psychic slayer mojo back."

OK,

that

takes Mel back, blinking hard at her. "You're kidding?"

"About what? The slayer connection thing?" Mel asked. "Um. Why? Did you get it?"

"The sky, no..." Mel says, but shrugs and smiles sheepishly. "Got the dreams and toy when Harth was dusted, though."

"Oh."

Mel dug her toe into the ground a bit at that. Is that what it's going to take?

"Was it hard? Dusting him, I mean."

Mel swallows, hard.

Sure, she can play tough all she likes, but who really know how much it hurts inside better than

herself

.

(Well, Rachel too, but she's special)

And as much as she wants to bravado it all, this one... well, she's

younger

. And it sets off her protective instincts hard.

So instead of saying 'yeah, just dusting a lurk,' she steps forward, looking down at the scuffing toe.

"'Bout as hard as burying Loo."

Another person Mel hadn't thought of... or rather tried not to think of since she went back in time.

"Yeah," she said with catch in her voice. "I bet."

She looked around the "room" trying to get a better idea of where they were and to desperately change the subject. "So you think we're it? Just two Mel's from different timelines?"

Funny you should say that....

Mel - this Mel - had braced herself for a day with the twins, doing nothing more put of the ordinary than sitting in the hotel lobby and playing baby games.

So she'd set them up on that sling that lets Loo ride happy on her back and Hana sit comfortably in front, and headed down from the roof. And when she steps through the door to find herself shifted out of yet

another

world, she stops sharp, drawing them to herself before she bothers to look at the two in front of her.

"What the

rut

Mel was just about to say 'why the hell should we be?' when she was interrupted.

By herself. Again.

Only this time with...

"

Babies?

"

Instantly she feels guilty at that note of longing in her voice.

Now the appearance of the third Mel shouldn't surprise her.

After all she did utter the words out loud so...

But the kids hanging off of her third self is, well, boggling.

Hence the expression on her face.

They're her, but they're not her, but they're...

Mel pulls herself up, stroking the hair of the baby in front of her, in a soothing way, looking from Melaka to Melaka.

"Who the hell are you?"

"We're..."

Mel hesitates, and glances towards the version she's Christened 'young Mel'.

"...you. Kinda sorta. Alternate timelines is my guess. Are those yours?"

Are they mine?

Maybe it's the fact she's seventeen.

Maybe it's the fact she's still scared to death of kids.

Either way "Young Mel" freaked out a bit.

"Holy CRAP! I have kids?!" Mel shouted.

OK, shouting around the kids isn't exactly good. Hana stirs fretfully in the sling in front of her mother, and mutters for a second, whine beginning to creep in. Her sister, behind Mel's back, starts to imitate her.

Mel herself keeps one hand on Hana's head, looking at the other two.

"They're mine," she says, and it's almost a threat, the way she says it. Her spare hand isnt' far from the bandolier of stakes across her chest slung under the baby.

"You wanna start explaining what the rut's going on?"

Mel stops herself in the act of steeping towards the babies, and forces herself back into a slouch.

"We're supposed to know? Clueless as you, really. Like I said, alternate timelines, skitzed-ass reality hub thing. It's OK."

"I have kids?" Mel said again. Mostly to herself.

Yeah she'll get over that soon enough.

Mel shifts her weight awkwardly, kissing Hana's forehead quickly. "Ssssh, Princess, ssssh."

But it's too late - their rest has been disturbed and first Hana, then Loo start sobbing loudly.

Babies crying cancel out eveyr urge Mel had to hang back and avoid scaring the mother. She just steps forward quickly, holding out a hand to the head of the baby in front of her, all the time lookint to the mother-that-is-her for permission.

There's a jerk back, but she does in fact manage to lay a hand on the baby's head, sending a wave of soothing comfort that only just rivals a maternal instinct.

"Ruttin' hell," she mutters. "Kids."

"Sorry," Mel said softly as she watched... yeah the babies. "I didn't mean to wake them."

[SANDBOX] The united states of Fray (for cantjossme primarily)

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