Mirrored Parody

[Coco]

It took Coco a moment to process what Mhairi was saying. If her mom was free, what was the problem? Except...if she'd been Taken this long, maybe this wasn't really her mother calling. Maybe this was a twisted version of her, a trap, a piece of living bait. The Queen of fear had to consider that, hadn't she?

Except...there seemed to be something else going on.

"Mhairi, if you found your mother then why were you saying all that stuff last night about how you were, and I quote, 'stupid' and 'dumb'," Coco asked, flashing air quotes. "For one thing, you're literally the Queen of Fear, the foremost expert in the Freehold on everything from the strength of shadow to the song of the stars at night. So...what's this all about?"

To be honest, this wasn't exactly surprising coming from the woman who Coco had first met, stuttering and blushing all those months ago, but she knew something was different, now. Something was wrong.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"My uncle's been trying to find her since before I got Back." she admits more to her legs then to the Wasp. "He found her. I didn't even look. I-I have all this power and resources and I never looked. Didn't try. I...said I would. That I'd get to it. Eventually. After one more day. Or-or-or." she grits her teeth and smacks her leg. "I never did anything. And now she's found. Miraculously. And...I. Don't want go see her." she admits, knowing if it was anyone else they'd condemn her for it. What daughter in their circumstances felt like this was a time for a quick text cumulating in the sentiment,

kthxbi

She smack her leg again. "I'm wrong. I should go see her. Help her through dealing with like this side if the Thorns again...be that super that I never got. I-!" a sigh? A sob? "Fuck."

She lets her legs fall, snacking to the floor. "I'm horrible be I was of everything I've built and everything I'd miss and realized I don't want to miss it. I want to stay. But that means I value my mom's life and safety less." said as she finds some tissue to tear, into itty, bitty pieces.

[Coco]

Ah.

So that was it: filial guilt. Honestly, it made Coco want to laugh. She couldn't help it actually, and a giggle escaped that shook her antennae.

"Mhairi, you know, you--" Coco couldn't help it, and burst into a small fit of giggles. This was too much.

"Mhairi, you don't know if you've ever even met the woman. Of course, you're not wanting to blow up your entire life just because you got a phone call. I mean, if this was my mother," Coco continued, gesturing to herself. "Personally, if it was my mother, I would drop everything and go, but it wouldn't be because I'm a good daughter. It would be so I could go rub her face in the fact that she was a Faery's bitch for, you know, however long it was that she was taken. But that's because I hate my mom. She treated me like one of those lap dogs you parade around for your guests. But you, well, you haven't met your mom, and that's not your fault. You here me? Of course you're not feeling some sort of crazy need to see her and bask in her motherly affection. So it's ok."

Coco scooted forward so that she was sitting next to the Wisp, her own skin pressed up against the moonlight made flesh, and took one of Mhairi's hands between her own.

"You should still go, though. At least for a little bit. Nothing says you have to stay, right?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

'Nothing says you have to stay'

It reverberate and rings throughout her entire being. Sparks and flashes the embers smoulder but ignite as if they'd never sputtered near death. The moon glow of her skin lightens and dims in time with her heartbeat which now seems as if its a hummingbird trapped within her breast. The galaxy making her hair brightens, twickling, shooting stars wiz and whirl.

"I don't have to stay." she echoes once the words had nowhere else journey but out.

She squeezes the hand Coco had given her tight as she nods, "I don't have to stay." like a broken record, but to Mhairi it might as well be the best of songs.

Shifting her weight but selfishly not letting go of Coco's hand she throws herself at the Wasp and breathes into her ear, "Coco you're a genius."

[Coco]

Coco couldn't help but laugh as the Wisp enveloped her in a most welcome hug, even if it did mean putting up with a little bit of throw up breath in the meantime.

"Just promise me," Coco playfully breathed back, "that you'll let me house sit while you're away."

After saying so, the Wasp returned the hug for several seconds before giving Mhairi a light pinch (specifically on the side).

"Now get off me, or I'll start spreading the rumor that you're only the Queen of Autumn because your breath wilts all the leaves. Besides, we've got to get you some, like, crazy amounts of vitamins and electrolyte before your body decides to rebel and overthrow your alcoholic tyranny!"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Mhairi laughs, jubilantly. Frighteningly differently then the dispair that griped her moments ago.

She pulls herself, and tuggs at the Wasp as she stands on unsteady feet. "I'll give you the keys to Edna's if you want!" she cries as she purposefully moves to the sink and the mouthwash waiting her on the counter. She cracks it open and takes a swig, swishing and gargling before speaking. "And the funds to move it back if you want it to be the old Edna's again. A replacement haunted house can be set up easily enough."

She turns from the mirror to stare at the Fairest. "I'm serious. Save it for the next Autumn to blow into town, or take it for Spring. Make it a place or rest and rejuvenation." calm, steady embers flicker as she takes in Coco's shock.

[Coco]

"Ooorrrr," Coco drawled, springing to her feet with the grace that seemed at once natural and choreographed, "you could give me the key to hold onto until another fan of horror movies comes along, aaaand you could also let me sublet your place here? You know that I had an illegal, under the table deal with my last landlord in town, right?"

The Wasp pranced over to the counter (even though it was only a few feet away and then hopped up so that she was sitting on it, legs crossed and looking as comfortable as if it truly were a surface intended to support her weight, though the truth was, it didn't even creak. It was as if the Wasp weighed little more than, well, a wasp!

"You don't know how long you're gonna be gone, and I need a place to stay. So why not just let me keep watch over your stuff here? That way you know it's ready and waiting whenever you're ready to come back. Besides, it'll keep me from being homeless, not to mention the fact that I would not even dream of sleeping in Edna's now. I know all that spooky stuff is fake, but please girl, why would you want to do that to me?"

  4 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2018-04-06 22:52:07		Coco rolls 7 to Peacock (Separation 1: dex4+wyrd3) (10 Again)		1, 5, 10, 10, 9, 2, 8, 6, 3		4 successes

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"You know? I expected...I dunno. More." Mhairi says bluntly as the Wasp prances and preens, posing perfectly upon her cheep countertop and smirks, "Seriously. I was expecting awe or something. I'm being amazingly considered here." she says ever so seriously before she Burt's out laughing. "Yeah. Take the key for Edna's and here. I don't wanna put you out into the..." she'd almost said snow, but unless Sasga wanted to play Ice Queen again they weren't likely to see any snow or ice around Sacramento. "Rain," she finishes lamely.

Moving away from the puke smelling room, and out towards the kitchen, "I needs them electrolytes!" she calls as she continues on gingerly, pressing a hand to her head. Just because her heart started its recuperation didn't mean her body had bounced back just as quickly.

[Coco]

The Autumn Queen's joke earned her the Cutest and Most Innocent Moue In the Whole World (according to Coco), and the Wasp seemed too surprised to respond before Mhairi was already out of the room, cradling her aching head.

"Hey, I made sure you didn't die!" Coco called, springing from the Counter to follow after the hung-over queen. "And I sacrificed my fuzzy pajamas for you! If that doesn't earn me a free haunted house, then I don't know what would!"

Of course, by the time the Wasp has caught up, prancing her way onto the coffee table and then balancing on the left over glasses and bottles, her arms spread as she were performing a dance, rather than maintaining her balance.

"You know, I kind of like that joke I made earlier, about the horror movies. Maybe I'll set up a projector behind Edna's and play old horror movies! That would be fun, don't you think? Ooooh, you could even help me! Unless you want help packing? I mean, you must still be worried about meeting your mom. Do you have any idea what you're going to ask her?" Coco inquired, not glancing down even as she stepped onto the rim of a glass, balancing entirely on one foot.

  3 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2018-04-06 23:41:35		Coco! rolls 7 to Preen (balance: dex4+ath3) (10 Again)		10, 6, 10, 8, 2, 7, 6, 2, 6		3 successes

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Those pjs were shoddy!" she calls with a grimacegrin. "I'll make ya better ones that are
unequivocally superior to anything else." with a nod, even if she groans under breath, "I'll even hedgespin 'em if ya want." she tries to smirk there.

The Fairest is proving to any and all she has the skill and everyone should be in awe. Mhairi smiles and gives her a (quite) standing ovation.

"Yes. Have my place. I'll give you keys and we can be sneaky and illegal. And yes. Do the horror movies by hat sounds awesome. Like really." she nods, or strikes to. The motion dosen't help her...icky.

Turing to the fridge seemingly for juice for that us what she reaches for, but turning from the Wasp the Wisp hides her face. "I...don't know. I still don't know what you feel. So. I. I'm going to wing it. I guess." she snares the juice and a glass, "Packing help...would be nice." she said returning up the counter and the preening women she was giving a house to. Two. If you considered this place and Edna's.