nebulochaotic | video & log;

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video & log;

VIDEO; OTA

( When the feed comes up, Darcy is still in the car on the way to the housing for Displaced Supers. It's loud in the background between one of her children shouting excitably about all the things he sees out his window and the other repeatedly asking "Mommy? Mommy? Mama? Hey Mommy?" as her attention goes to the camera instead of him. Darcy's an expert at ignoring her children when she needs to ignore them.

She neither looks panicked nor upset, just a little tired and a little annoyed. Darcy liked her life in Lawrence and she's hardly in the mood to have to create a whole new network of people to keep herself safe. In the meantime, the tattoo on her hip and the boys' amulets will just have to do. )

So, okay, what's all this about superpowers? That's new.

( In the background, the child trying to get her attention quiets briefly before asking "Who's got superpowers?!" Darcy's attention turns briefly to the child. )

Don't worry about it, baby.

( Her attention turns back to the camera. )

That's not real, right? Also, what's the longest anyone has been here, so far?

LOG; CLOSED TO ALLISON HARGREEVES

Once they arrive at the housing, Darcy helps the boys out of the car and takes their hands in hers to lead them through the front gate and up the steps to enter the building. Admittedly, these digs are a lot nicer than the apartments back in Lawrence. That said, she moved out of those goddamned apartments years ago and into her own house, one which might or might not have been best described as a McMansion. This is definitely a downgrade as far as that goes, but certainly an upgrade from what she started in, anyway.

As she moves through the lobby and then down the hall for the first-floor apartments, her boys are chattering animatedly and swiveling their heads to take in everything around them, and Darcy's just trying to keep herself calm. This is beyond obnoxious.

When she reaches apartment 102, Darcy lets go of the boys' hands. "Don't move, Clark," she says, already knowing that Conner won't. She fishes the key to the apartment out of her jeans pocket and is surprised to hear the sound of dogs barking behind the door as she turns the knob. Looking up at the apartment number, Darcy's brow creases. Definitely the apartment they told her...

Before she actually opens the door, Darcy just cracks it slightly and calls out. "Hello...? Anybody home?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, y'know this portal they've got literally just gifts people with abilities whether they want them or not. I hear animals. I'm a real fucking disney princess now. It's literally the most annoying thing I've ever been forced to deal with.

[For as casual and easy as the words come out...internally Cindy is practically praying - something she never does - that this is the Darcy she knows. That she's not from a different time or something equally fucking stupid.

And she know she should probably go to hell for it, but it just is one reason in a very long list.]

Longest resident here's at a year and some change, though. So semi-stable, anyway. And as a side note please tell me you recognize me?

Edited 2020-10-29 22:05 (UTC)

( Darcy's face lights up. )

Shut up! Oh my God! Okay, first of all, yes, obviously I recognize you. Is this a Seal thing or what? Second of all, what do you mean you hear animals? What does that even mean?

PRIVATE;
( She lowers her voice a little so the boys won't notice her swearing. )

And third of all, Stanley, Derek, and Sirius: give me the deets on the first Eglaf Hot List, bitch.

[Instant-fucking-relief.]

Had to check - this place is just as bad as Lawrence in that you never know when a person is going to get jerked in from.

[Cindy rolls her eyes.]

Surprisingly not a seal thing, but idiots playing with technology that they don't understand and don't seem to be in a rush to learn about. I'll fill you in a little more when I see you in person. And literally I came through the poral and I can now talk to and hear animals, all animals. So the portal literally tried to make me into the disney version of myself.

[Which she's still not amused about.]

PRIVATE.

You have no goddamn idea how much I've missed you.

[Cindy laughs.]

So, Stanley's newly arrived. Tall, dark, and hot, but on the struggle bus majorly when it comes to being in this place. That one's having a lot of trouble wrapping his head around the whole thing. Beyond the freakout seems calm. Dead where he's from and also married where he's from. Oldest member of the current hot list you've created.

[Cindy holds up one finger, then another as she talks about each guy.]

Derek's going to be a lifer here, basically. He's got two sisters, I see him in passing at the gym I've been helping out at, and he's a werewolf. Perma-single so far and not exactly happy about it. Dog-dad. His older sister's the one that's been here a year and change, she was dead back where she's from hence him wanting to stay.

[Third finger up.]

Sirius not a recent arrival but not been here for super long yet. Cheeky, wizard, been through some shit here especially lately. Flirts with everything, but actually really smart when you look passed everything else. Seems to swing both ways from what I can tell, super involved in the community of people who've been brought in. Also the youngest out of the list you've created.

[Cindy drops her hand.]

Speaking of - if you and the boys need to go out you need to be careful. We either need to get you a gun or I should head out with you until we get things calmed on that front.

( Darcy can't help it; she bursts out laughing. After a moment, she settles a little. )

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, so...you're telling me that I can, according to these folks, levitate things with my mind and you got stuck hearing animals like a Disney princess? I'm dying.

PRIVATE.
What, you don't have anyone new to do a hot list with? Good.

( Her eyebrows lift as she listens to the breakdown. )

Okay, Stanley: older as in age-appropriately older? He can't be that much older than me unless he's like you, right? Also, married...fucking figures.

( Mirroring Cin, Darcy starts ticking off on her fingers as well. )

Okay, so Derek has potential, got it...

Sirius...okay, how young are we talking?

( At the warning, Darcy's expression drops and she frowns. )

...why? They have their amulets. What's going on?

Keep laughing, go on. We'll see who you drink with later tonight.

[No bite at all to the statement because she doesn't even mean it.]

Literally I have the most useless ability, though, and you got that. I think I really got the shit end of this 'power stick'.

[Cindy rolls her eyes.]

PRIVATE.

That's a big no. My one friend so far is a man trapped in a younger body.

[Cindy shakes her head.]

Age-appropriate older, he's like 40. But give him time he's going to probably be a lifer and open up when he gets over the whole transition into all of this.

Derek definitely has potential and Sirius is in his 20s - mid, I think, so totally not knocking him off totally if you're feeling like a cougar.

[Cindy waggles her eyebrows and then sighs.]

No demons here thus far, but the locals - regular people - have attacked some of the people who've been tossed into all of this.

Oh, stop it, you'd laugh your ass off if the tables were turned and you know it.

PRIVATE.
...wait, what?

Ehhh, married is a deal-breaker for me. I'm not that girl anymore. But a girl can appreciate a pretty face, right?

( She lifts her eyebrows. )

You think I can still pull off the cougar thing? You're too kind, sweetie.

( Once again, her face falls. That's...concerning. )

Well, shit...

I would, loudly and obnoxiously.

PRIVATE.

Yeah, Five - trapped in a teenage body but he's in his fifties. Don't judge me too much because he's a lot like me.

[Cindy snorts.]

Is that even a question - look at you.

[She kind of hates that she's got to be serious, though, given the boys.]

It seems to be getting a little better, but until local and displaced relations get better I'd rather you and the boys be kept as safe as possible.

Oh, I know you would.

Like how teenage is teenage though? Legal-looking or nah?

Psh, I love you. When do the boys get to see their favorite auntie, anyway?

Yeah, no, I'm good with that. I don't suppose Clark is around here anywhere, or Kon? I feel like they would've handled that pretty sufficiently by now if so. You're the expert, honey. You lead, I follow.

You know me well. And he looks like thirteen or fourteen tops. Poor guy has to have people who don't get carded pick his booze up for him, it's got to suck.

As soon as you tell me what what apartment you're in, I could use some kiddo time right about now.

No Clark and no Kon - Casey and the twins were here as adults a while back but they got sent back home, luckily, from what I can tell. This is why I missed you, you use your damn brain. Or one of many reasons, anyway.

Oh, ew awkward.

We're in 102, but actually, let me get them in and settled first. I'll give you a shout.

I'm glad they got to go home. I know it's really hard for Casey when I'm around because Clark and I still aren't a thing yet. If not for her, I really can't imagine us ever being one again. It really feels like that ship has sailed, you know? But for her, I keep an open mind. And wow, Clark got pulled in again? That never happens!

( Darcy preens a little, playfully. )

Well, I use my damn brain, I always find the best wine, and I'm a perfect outlet for you to perv on exponentially younger men with. Among other reasons, I'm sure. But this stuff is always so weird. We literally were having coffee while Aaron and the twins played like half an hour ago, for me.

Allison is finishing putting groceries away in the kitchen when she hears the dogs barking. She knows it's not her brothers, because both Zeus and Apollo are so used to them walking in unannounced that they don't ever bark anymore, so for a moment she frowns slightly as she walks towards the door.

As she does so, though, she sees the way it cracks slightly and the sound of the unfamiliar voice makes her stop. Before Zeus or Apollo can bark again, she motions for them to stay, and opens the door to let the other woman in.

She has a key, so...new roommate, she's assuming, and she smiles. Friendly and polite, looking all too casual in her jeans and black t-shirt that easily shows the umbrella tattoo on her forearm, and the only jewelry she's wearing is the wedding band on her finger. It's not that surprising that someone is moving in - after all, she doubted that she would keep the apartment all to herself - but the sight of the two little boys with the other woman definitely manages to surprise her.

"Hi. I'm Allison." She stands aside to let them in, peeling her eyes away from the boys, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy that kids had managed to come through the portal and it hadn't been Claire. She ignores it, because Allison is a pro at that now, and smiles at the other woman. "Welcome. Just arrived?"

The dogs stop barking and, a moment later, as Darcy lets the door shut softly without it latching so that she can take the boys' hands again, it swings open to reveal a pretty woman Darcy can't place; nobody from Lawrence, at least not as far as she can tell. Over the years and in her personal growth, Darcy has learned to be more observant of her surroundings. The way that the woman stares briefly at Darcy's kids and the wedding ring on her finger suggests that maybe she has children of her own and wasn't fortunate enough for them to come through with her. That happened to some people back in Lawrence, too, but Darcy is a helicopter mom. She's seldom without her children unless she's sleeping — hell, even then, sometimes they're with her — so she imagines that plays a hand in the reason they've gone through the Seal with her twice now. Three times, if this counts.

While the other woman has to tear her eyes away from the kids, Darcy has to force her eyes away from the wedding band — something Darcy does not have, anymore. Her first marriage crumbled before it became a legal union and, yes, she's still heinously bitter. Her second ended unofficially when she got dragged back through the Seal a few years ago. When the one year anniversary of her second arrival in Lawrence hit, she'd given up; once people were there for a year, they often stayed a lot longer. She'd finally taken off her wedding band and accepted her singledom. Marriage doesn't seem to work out well for Darcy. Apparently, it works better for Allison.

"Hi Allison, I'm Darcy. And yeah...yeah, sorry," she says, letting go of the boys' hands to usher them in by the smalls of their backs. Conner stays close to his mother, a little fist snagging on the bottom hem of her top to keep her close while Clark wanders further inside and stops short of the two dogs sitting at the far end of the room obediently. "Sorry, I just kind of assumed they'd give me my own place so no one had to deal with my little monsters. This is Conner," she introduces, sighing slightly and relenting, scooping her son up and settling him heavily on her hip. He's getting too big for this... "That's Clark," she adds, gesturing. "Baby, don't bother the doggies, remember the rules."

The little boy whirls in place to face the two women. "Like with Krypto?" he asks, apparently looking for clarification. Darcy nods and he shifts his attention to Allison. "Can I pet your dogs?" he asks.

"You can say no," Darcy offers softly to the woman. "This is a lot, I am so sorry... Should I...like, is there someone I should call and see about finding me a different place? I feel bad..."

“Oh no, please, no need to apologize.” She smiles at the boys, giving them a little wave as Darcy introduces them. They’re adorable, and even with the brief moment that they’ve been here, Clark already reminds her so much of Claire. The lively attitude, the never ending curiosity, the way he’s not shy about walking in and wanting to pet the dogs even if he just met them.

“It’s okay,” Allison assures her with a small chuckle, with a level of patience and understanding that makes it obvious she gets it. Not to the same degree as Darcy, considering she has never had to deal with twins, or even a solo parent to one, but still. She’s a mother. She gets it. “I mean if you’d prefer it, I won’t take it personally and I think you can call the office but please don’t do it on my account.”

She means it, too. Maybe she shouldn’t stop her from leaving, because it makes her very painfully aware of the part of her that’s still mourning the fact that her daughter is lost or gone after everything that happened, but it’s not Darcy’s fault.

“If your mom says it’s okay, yeah you can pet them,” she answers Clark as she crouches near Zeus and Apollo, almost as a way to reassure Darcy she can interfere if the dogs misbehaved - even if she knows damn well that they won’t. “This one is Zeus,” she says as she scratches his ear, and then does the same with his brother. “And this is Apollo. They’re very friendly and well behaved, I promise.”

The level of patience that the other woman shows for not only Darcy's being frazzled but for Darcy's son just making himself immediately at home in her space only serves to further Darcy's intimation that the other woman has children of her own. If that's true, having Darcy around could complicate things, since Darcy has her kids and Allison, presumably, does not. "Oh, I don't mind, but they're five and they're boys and rambunctious is putting it really mildly," Darcy hedges with an apologetic smile. "They can be a handful and we're invading your space."

Allison moves to crouch near the dogs which Darcy appreciates. Her boys are pretty good about being careful with dogs. Being as close to Clark and Kon Kent as they are means plenty of exposure to Kon's (flying) dog Krypto, and Kon taught the boys well. All the same, these dogs aren't Krypto and it's nice to see that Allison is aware of the potential for a child to dog introduction to go awry and is preparing, just in case.

When Clark looks back at her, Darcy nods. "If she said it's okay, then it's okay, we just always have to ask the doggies' momma first, that's the rule, right?"

"Right," both of them reply in unison, even though Conner is still staying close to Darcy while Clark approaches the dogs and offers his hand, palm down and fingers curled in to look like a paw, just like Kon showed them, to let the dogs sniff. "I like your dogs," he tells Allison, "they got cool names."

"I don't suppose you have a coffee maker in this place?" Darcy asks hopefully. "Once this," she gestures toward her little boy and Allison's dogs as Clark finally reaches to pet Zeus first and then Apollo with gentle strokes and a bright smile, "is finished, I'd love to make us some and see if I can pick your brain a little bit about this place? I'm kind of old hat to the concept, but I've never been to this place before." Darcy can get information from Cindy, sure, but it'll be nice to get several perspectives.

Allison waves a hand, as if to say that it really isn't a big deal. "Technically it isn't my space, I was assigned here, just like you were. Roommates come with the territory, so really, it's not my space. And, I'm one of seven kids - five of which were boys, so trust me. There's not a whole lot that your boys can do that will shock me."

If Darcy decides to move, Allison wouldn't take it personally; she'd get it. She'd probably want her own place with Claire if--

Nope. Not going there.

Allison smiles as Clark introduces himself to the boys. "Thank you, I think they like you, too. You ask them to 'shake,' they'll introduce themselves to you and offer their paw. They're pretty polite."

She sounds like a proud mama, because she is. She may not have adopted Apollo and Zeus from the beginning, she has Diego to thank for that, but they mean a hell of a lot to her. Especially after coming back, they've been a great source of comfort and companionship, so to say that she's the type to brag about them is a complete understatement.

With a smile, she nods at Darcy as she stands. "Matter of fact, I do. And yeah, that works. Why don't you guys settle in first, though? I can get that coffee going." Since Allison hasn't had roommates for a few weeks now, especially after her trip back home, she had moved to the primary room. Considering the dogs and their beds - plus the private bathroom - it felt like an easy move.

"Just join me in the kitchen when you're ready. The dogs won't follow you guys into the room unless you invite them in," she assures her, just in case, "they really are pretty polite."

Darcy looks less surprised by the flexibility the other woman is showing than she is to hear that Allison is one of seven children. Jesus, that's a lot of kids. Two is more than enough if you ask Darcy. "Oh wow, yeah that's a lot of siblings. I think I'd have gone crazy with that many. I have one little brother and that's more than enough for me. It's hard enough keeping the spotlight when a new baby comes in, forget it if there's more...where in the hierarchy are you?" she asks, smiling. "Oldest? Youngest? Somewhere in the middle?"

It's always endearing to Darcy to see people who like children interacting with her boys. Allison is no exception. Clark's smile broadens and he holds out his hand. "Shake!" he says and giggles when the dogs offer their paws to him just like she said. He knows that trick because Krypto does it, too. "Mama look!" he cries out, beaming as he looks back around at her.

"I see, baby!" she says cheerfully back, rolling her eyes and shaking her head a bit, grinning with endeared amusement when his attention turns back to Allison's dogs. "Oh, are you sure? I don't mind, honestly," Darcy protests. She doesn't put a lot of weight into it, though, because Allison is already on the move.

Darcy gives her a grateful smile. "That would be great, thank you. We'll be in in a second." It's not like they have anything to unpack, but she does want Conner to introduce himself to the dogs, as well, so that he's not a strange scent for them. If they're going to be sharing the same space, she wants to make sure that everyone is properly introduced so there's no issues.

A moment later, Darcy wanders into the kitchen after getting the boys onto the couch in front of the television, having looked for a kids' channel and leaving them there for a moment to be entertained. It's not that she lets television be their second parent, but every once in a while, Darcy needs a minute, too.

"You're being remarkably cool about this, so I appreciate it," she starts, smiling apologetically. "I'm not sure I'd be quite as cool about it if it were me."

“The hierarchy is complicated. We’re all adopted, all the same age. But you could say I’m the third.” It’s not a lie, technically. And, while they’re all the same age, they did all fall in some sort of hierarchy anyway. “Four of them are here in Eglaf, so I’m sure you’ll get to meet them at some point.”

Klaus and Ben have a key, after all, and Klaus comes to hang out a lot even on days when they don’t have plans. Considering the children, though, she’s already planning on moving their trashy television days to Klaus’s place instead.

Allison finds herself grinning at Clark as he discovers the way that Apollo and Zeus introduce themselves, and she gets them a treat from a nearby jar for being so good.

“Yeah, it’s really not a problem,” she assures Darcy before moving towards the kitchen to get the coffee going. By the time Darcy joins her, there are already two cups served at the small table that’s in the kitchen, and a plate of cookies in between. She had just got grocery shopping, and Allison tends to have snacks and treats to indulge on during the week, although Darcy and the boys will get to enjoy some of the stuff she bakes or cooks whenever she can’t stay still, or can’t sleep.

At her comment, she breathes out a small chuckle before she moves to sit down. “I’ve dealt with a lot of crazy stuff in my life, some of it relatively recently, so...having a roommate move in with two adorable little boys isn’t really too shocking.” She tilts her head slightly, curious. “You mentioned you were an old hat to this. You’ve ‘traveled’ to another ... I don’t know what to call it. Place? Timeline?”

Darcy laughs a little, her eyebrows lifting. Yeah, at this point in her life, she knows all about crazy. "You say that now, but give them a few days to start fraying your nerves and then hopping up and down in tandem on your last one," she says wryly, only mostly joking. Darcy loves her boys; they'll forever be her whole heart and soul, but they can sometimes be A Lot, even for her.

She takes a sip of the coffee and nods a little, humming an affirmation as she swallows. "Mmm, mmhmm, yeah. You can call it either and probably be just as accurate," she replies. "I use the two pretty interchangeably in describing my own experience, personally. Although, I have to say, you really have to use 'traveled' as an incredibly loose descriptor since 'travel' makes it sound voluntary," she laughs. The thing is, she's pretty sure that she and the boys are marked with the Seal. No matter how long she ends up in other places, including her original home, she always ends up back in Lawrence. It's home, now.

"Why, is this your first time?" she asks, reaching for a cookie — hey, she deserves some sweets right now, dammit, fuck the calorie count for the day — and snapping off a little piece to pop it into her mouth.

Allison laughs lightly. “Oh I believe you. You must have the patience of a saint with twins.”

God knows she herself didn’t have it, and she only had one child to contend with. She couldn’t even manage without rumoring her.

As Darcy speaks, Allison takes a sip of her coffee before she smiles in agreement at her comment about this not necessarily being considered ‘travel,’ since it most definitely wasn’t voluntary.

“Mine is a little complicated,” she admits with a small laugh. “I got here a few months ago, got sent back in time, and then came back again recently. So...this is the first place I’ve visited where this kind of thing happens, but I’ve ‘arrived’ here twice. How about you, how many times have you been displaced?”

"You have no idea," Darcy laughs, taking another sip of coffee and looking over her shoulder at the couch where the boys are sitting. She can't see them from where she's sat, but she can hear them talking to one another. That's good enough for her. "But, actually, you know how they say 'it takes a village to raise a child'? I literally had a village to help me back in Lawrence, so it wasn't ever that bad. Here might be a challenge," she confesses with a shrug. "I mean, Cindy's here, so that's a huge relief, but I had a whole, like, mom network back there and now I kind of feel like I'm on an island, you know?"

It's something she's already anticipating how much she's going to miss because it's hard work taking care of two little boys all by herself and it's going to be made worse without their friends around to play with, here. So much for playdates with Svetlana's girls, or Jo's. Cindy here made no mention of Aaron, so Darcy assumes that that's not a thing in Cindy's timeline, yet. Or, if it is, Aaron isn't here. That means Darcy is going to have to be completely in charge of keeping the two of them entertained and she has no idea how to do that for elongated periods of time, anymore.

Darcy sighs a little and nods. "Oh, boy, do I know that particular song and dance. Fun fact: I've actually given birth to those little shits twice, thanks to time travel shenanigans, would you believe that?" she asks, almost incredulous even though she absolutely experienced it.

Frowning slightly, Darcy shrugs, snaps off another piece of her cookie.
"Twice to Lawrence from home, once outside of Lawrence to a place called The City, briefly...back to Lawrence, and now I'm here. It's actually kind of gross how many times I've done this," she mutters, wrinkling her nose with distaste and popping the piece of cookie in her mouth.

After a moment of chewing and swallowing, she goes on, "I think once the Seal gets ya, you're linked to the multiverse forever because it seems like every time I wind up in a place like this, there are other people from Lawrence there. Or there were if they aren't anymore. We're like magnets for this crap, now."

[Stan looks very concerned, especially because the sound of small children is utterly unmistakable.]

You were brought in to this place with your kids in tow?

[There's concern, horror, and he very obviously feels for this poor woman; he thought coming in on his own, after everything, was bad enough, and she has two (what sound like) small children to worry about.]

( Darcy, on the other hand, looks hardly bothered at all because she's pretty used to this by now. Once, while pregnant, was shocking. A second time with the boys in tow was surprising. This third go around? Well. She's practically a pro by now, isn't she? )

Yeah, you'd think one of these times, I'd get a little vacation, but no rest for the weary, I guess.

( She's joking, of course; she'd be devastated at the idea of leaving her sons alone at this age, even with the reassurance that time stops when she's not around.

Her attention turns to the boys, at that, trying to settle them a little because no matter how much she loves them, their incessant noise can be really grating when she's trying to focus on other things and, frankly, a top pick from the Hot List is one of those things at the moment. )

Boys, come on, Mommy's on the phone. Let's use our inside voices, okay? Please?

( Her attention shifts back. )

I'm Darcy. I'd say I'm new here, but that's sort of a given, I guess. Have you been here long?

Wait, wait - you're another person that has been through this multiple times before?

[Again, Stanley's face is utterly horrified, that's just something he's not sure that he's ever going to get used to. Of that much he is completely sure. This really shouldn't be possible and each new bit and bob seems to give him even that much more of a headache.

And, yet, still somehow that confusion osftens a little at the little voices in the background.]

How old are they?

[Stan tilts his head.]

I'm Stanley - Stan, and I haven't been here long, really. Ten...eleven days, maybe. I'm still getting used to all of this, and having a lot more trouble than the majority of people so far.

Mmmm, yeah. This is my third time, but it's the first time going to a different place. The first two times were to the same place.

( He looks absolutely horrified by her situation, so she's guessing he must be new to this sort of thing. But then he goes on to introduce himself and she smiles a little when he confirms that suspicion of hers. )

They're five. Nice to meet you, Stan. It took me months to completely settle in when I first showed up in Lawrence. It takes a while when you're not used to this sort of thing, hon, don't be too hard on yourself. Everybody's adjustment period is different.

You are much better adjusted than I am, that's for sure. I think I'd be in a straight jacket if I were in your shoes by this point.

[Stan's joking, but there is ane lement to truth. Having that little control, the world making that little sense...that would go badly for Stan.]

Still really young, wow. And it's nice to meet you too, you are much stronger than I am given you've got two litle guys depending on you wading through all of this...adjustment periods differeing and all. I haven't heard of anybody else coming in with their childrenbefore you, granted that doesn't mean much.

Well, I certainly hope so. I've been doing this on and off for almost six years now. This, though? This sounds pretty mild. The place I've been the longest was overrun by demons and filled with superheroes, so talk about mind-blowing. You say that, but...you'd be surprised about the things you learn to get used to over time.

( Then again, there are some things that one just can't ever get used to and who knows if he's different than she is in that vein. )

Yeah, and they're a real handful, too.

( She laughs, but the truth is, they're exhausting most of the time. )

I'm really blessed that they're so resilient. I'm always sort of an anomaly. Twins when most women have single babies; single mom when everyone around me in my own world and the ones I've been to have doting husbands; always one of the few whose children get dragged along with her. You know...I guess I'm just special like that.

( Her tone is wry and she rolls her eyes a little. )

[Stan whistles, shaking his head; he literally still can't wrap his head around it, honestly. Sure, he might one day find that this isn't so strange to him and maybe with more understanding it won't feel like his reality has been upended and make him feel like everything is wrong and a struggle, but he's just not there yet.]

Sounds like I would. Right now I can't imagine but you've clearly got seniority on me in all of this.

[Stan offers a smile, albeit, a small one.]

I can't say I know from experience, I can only imagine that they're a handfull on top of all of this. But blessing does sound about right even if all of it's an anomaly and you're special. Sometimes it's a good thing to be the stand out.

[Not necessarily in his case, but her's - being blessed with the kids doesn't seem so bad.]

Did they set you all uip with everything that you're going to need having them with you, though? They were a little useless when it came to me. I got drugged and dropped off, so I've got to ask.

[If not Stan, despite not knowin her, can't stand the idea of those kids having to go without, so he'll help figure something out to give a hand on a fellow kidnappee.]

You'll get there if you're stuck here long enough, sweetie, trust me. It sounds hard to believe, but I'm telling you. You'll see.

( Darcy smiles a little, looking down and shaking her head. )

I used to think standing out was the only way to be. I'd be kind of okay with blending in once in a while, though.

( She looks back up at the camera, lifting her eyebrows. )

They drugged you? And no, they didn't really give me much, but they did give me money, so...I'll figure it out later. They don't need anything right this second; they'll live. But thank you, that's really sweet.

I hope you and everyone else is right about that.

[Right now he's still not sure he wouldn't bow out of being here, the biggest reason not to is his friends. And he isn't alive there.]

I never worried too much about blending in. When you're one of the only Jewish kids in town you kind of get used to it, I guess. I've always just done my own thing.

[Unashamed at that.]

I was pretty upset and worked up, but yeah. They drugged me and dropped me off at the apartment building. I wasn't being very cooperative, though. If you need any help you'll let people know? Your kids shouldn't suffer or do without. I think there are enough of us here that we could giev a hand. My buddy has been here a while and I can always pick his brain or whatever on how to help get you anything you might need for them.

If this place is anything like the other places I've been, we are. It's just a big adjustment.

( It's easy for her to be confident, though; she doesn't know his individual situation and Darcy won't ask. Over the years, she's learned that it's best not to ask, but just to be prepared to listen if it's offered. )

I used to love standing out. Things change, you know? But I also think that doing your own thing and standing out versus blending in aren't mutually exclusive concepts. I've always done my own thing, too. Not enough people do. I knew I was going to like you for a reason, Stan.

( She looks unpleasantly surprised to hear that Stan's being understandably upset and worked up had resulted in him being drugged and left to figure it out on his own. )

That's no excuse; that's a terrible thing to do. I'm so sorry you went through that.

( Darcy huffs a soft laugh and shakes her head. )

Oh, I'm sure between this stipend and their auntie, they'll want for damn near nothing, but I really appreciate that. I'll keep that in mind.

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