Fashion Police [Sakume, Alti]

Marcus clung tightly to her as they went through the door. Ruin lingered for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. Do I follow him? Well, I can't say I have anything better to do, and ice cream sounds fantastic. Everyone was so focused on the little boy it was easy for him to slip in behind the party, leaving the mall for favor of a much calmer and brighter environment. He couldn't help but let his lips part in fascination. Much different than his current abode, to be sure.

When he got into the brighter environment of Louis' Dome room, it was much easier to see how frail the boy actually was. He was malnourished, incredibly pale, and still frightened. His clothes were incredibly high-fashioned and rich in material, more like a small suit than anything suiting children. He shielded himself from the light by burying his head into Cadenza's chest, whimpering softly, Jessi's orb in his pocket.

Kate had grabbed onto Celia's hand and pulled her along, beside Louis. The woman was too shy to say anything, but followed along, all thoughts about locking up shop gone. Kate smiled as they arrived, knowing this place well. "There's my horsie, Eram!"

"I wish I knew... how you got to be like this..."

Cadenza had settled herself at one of the many picnic benches scattered about the meadow, with Marcus in her lap. She was still a bit bewildered about that last part. Marcus in her lap. But as long as he was this needy little boy, there was some disconnect in her mind, a want to believe that a child like this couldn't be all bad, and when he whimpered she instinctively hugged him closer until he calmed. Under her breath, she was even singing...

Louis watched for a while, and shook his head, trying to turn his thoughts to brighter things. There was going to be no prying the child from her... he hated to see her get burned, but that looked to be where things were headed. Marcus couldn't really be just a vulnerable child. This had to be a game. He'd watched them and he must've known how to prey on Cadenza's weaknesses. The minstrel wondered in the back of his mind what was next.

"There's my horsie, Eram!"

He cracked a smile when the beige-speckled pony trotted over, whinnying and looking for a sugar cube from Kate. Celia seemed delighted at the sight of the animal, and reached out to pet him with a gentle hand that, if Louis wasn't mistaken, was no stranger to caring for horses. There was a certain technique.

"...Do you like horses as well, milady?" he asked her, not noticing Eram reaching to chomp off the end of the sprig of hay in his mouth.

Rain sat beside her, listening to her singing. His eyes were on Marcus with his hand gently stroking his hair. This seemed so odd, so wrong. This was Marcus in her arms here, as a child, and she was singing to him. But at the same time, it felt... right. The back of his mind nudged him, telling him it was some sort of trick, that his eyes and ears were being deceived.

And then perhaps this was real. This was Marcus, somehow turned into a child, crying from the fear of the darkness. Maybe it was the darkness that turned him into a child.. if that was the case, then the light should turn him back, right? If it turned out to be so then... there'd be a lot less irritation in Rain's voice if they spoke to each other.

Rain felt something move in the cloak he had brought with them. He lifted and peeked through the folds until the little furry ferret popped its head out inquisitively.