Let's Go To The Movies! (Arkady)

[Dusty Fae]

Now that the movin’ picture show were over, Dusty weren’t quite sure what ta think of it. She’d never seen a movin’ picture show afore and that one had seemed awful realistic. Well, except fer the part with the gun fight. Dusty’d seen plenty o’ gun fights before and that one’d been quite silly and weren’t realistic atall.

Dusty looked over at Arkady. She pulled ‘er hair half back and tied it with a ribbon ta match ‘er dress. She was real concerned ‘bout zombies. She’d never heard o’ them and they seemed real fright’nin’. She’d never wanna run inta zombies ‘round here. “Zombies ain’t real, are they?” she asked, the concern real plain on ‘er face. “I don’t wanna run inta any and if they are real I guess I better start carryin’ my gun around with me. Just in case. I wouldn’t want zombies to eat my brains. I reackon that wouldn’t be very pleasant.”

She bit ‘er bottom lip as she looked at ‘im. “I wouldn’t want you ta get eaten by zombies either.” The night were dark around them and she reached out ta take ‘is hand. It made ‘er feel a little safe, especially since she didn’t have either of ‘er weapons with ‘er. The knife wouldn’t fit in ‘er nice church-goin’ boots and there weren’t any place ta hide the gun, so she’d gone without them, even though that felt awful strange. She never went anywhere without ‘er weapons, so it were a little scary ta be without either one of ‘em. Hopefully they wouldn’t run inta any zombies.

outfit here

[Deleted]

On great thing about going to a movie for a date was that you could spend time with that person but not be obligated to make small talk, or any talk at all. You just had to sit beside them, share some food, and if you were lucky and the movie sucked... well, you could always find something else to do in the dark theatre...

Well, the movie had pretty much sucked, but unfortunately Dusty had been completely enthralled with the film so Arkady had been stuck actually watching it... although he had to admit that her reactions to what was going on were pretty amusing. He had probably spent more time watching her than the film.

Walking out of the theatre with her, he couldn’t help but chuckle at her question. Not just the question, but the way she kept going on and on about it. It was almost cute enough for him to overlook the reminder of her gun. Almost.

Having a loaded gun pointed at them isn’t something someone forgets easily.

Holding on to the anger and resentment the memory caused, Arkady kept a smile on his face and gave her hand a squeeze. “A place like this? I wouldn’t be surprised if they did...” he teased her. “And I wouldn’t worry about me. No self-respecting Zombie would want my brain.”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty weren’t sure what Arkady meant by ‘a place like this’, but it sure didn’t sound good. And what if there were zombies around? That would be just dreadful. She wouldn’t get ta tell momma goodbye or anythin’ like that and ‘er momma would probably be awful heartbroken at losin’ ‘er only child. And then she’d be all alone.

But she were awful glad that zombies wouldn’t eat Arkady’s brain. That was good. But what about e’erbody else? What would happen to them? Did any o’ the important high up people at school know that there might be zombies around eatin’ the students? Dusty didn’t much like ta think about that.

“I don’t think I’m gonna be able ta sleep tonight,” she told Arkady, perfectly seriously. If she slept at all it’d be with ‘er gun under her pillow or somethin’ like that. Close enough at hand anyway that if somethin’ came if through the window she could shoot it. And if she did sleep she’d probably have nightmares.

“But I’m awful glad that zombies wouldn’t want yer brain. I just hope they don’t want mine. But I reckon they would. I’ve always had real bad luck like that. Do you think people know about zombies? Other people, I mean? Not just us?” She wouldn’t want anyone else to get eaten by zombies. That would be real awful.

[Deleted]

Arkady gave Dusty a look when she agreed that the zombies wouldn’t want his brain. She obviously hadn’t gotten the joke, so he wasn’t sure what to make of her easy acceptance. What did she think was wrong with his brain that a mindless zombie wouldn’t want it?

“Well, there was a whole theatre full of other people, she they must all be aware now,” he pointed out.

She had to be pulling his leg, right? She couldn’t honestly believe that that movie had been real and that people really rose from the dead to snack on human brains, could she? It was ridiculous, nobody could really believe that... but she did. Dusty was noting if not honest, genuine and completely naive. It was both annoying and endearing at the same time.

“And since the zombies won’t want my brain, that just means I’ll be free to protect yours.” Though he thought it was pretty clear that his was much more advanced, and therefore more appetizing, than hers.

[Dusty Fae]

She hadn’t meant to agree that Arkady’s brain weren’t good enough fer zombies or somethin’ like that. She just figured that if zombies didn’t want Arkady’s brain then she had one less person ta worry about when zombies attacked.

Dusty bit her bottom lip. Arkady were probably right. There had been a whole theater full of people so everyone must know by now. But what happened now? Did they go somewhere special ta hide out from the zombies? Was there a place they could go? That seemed like the sensible thing to do, right?

Dusty’d found so many strange things when she came here that believin’ in zombies didn’t seem to far of a stretch. There were so many different things here that it just seemed natural like ta believe in zombies.

She did find it awful sweet that Arkady wanted to protect ‘er from zombies. “Well that’s awful nice and all but I couldn’t let yah. You’d be in danger and then I’d feel bad fer puttin’ you in danger. And then what if you died? I’d feel horrible. And then I’d probably die too and it would all be in vain anyhow.”

[Deleted]

Turning to face Dusty when she just rambled on, Arkady’s brows seemed to move higher with each word. It would be nice to think she meant that she would feel so awful that he’d die for her that she would just die too, but it was pretty clear that she would only die because then she wouldn’t have him protecting her anymore.

He couldn’t help it. He had to laugh. For someone who was actually talking about zombies as if they were a real threat, she was being very practical about the whole thing. It was tempting to lead her on and let her keep thinking this could all really happen, but it was just getting too hard to keep it going while maintaining a straight face.

“Hey,” he said, bringing one hand up to rest on her cheek, just trying to get her to stop talking for a moment. “They’re not real, alright? It’s just a movie, it’s all made up. Your brain is safe in that pretty little head of yours.”

If he really did stop to think about it, the idea wouldn’t really seem too far fetched, but then he hadn’t really encountered much for magic, nor magical creatures himself since coming here. Yet.

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty were awful surprised when Arkady laughed at ‘er. She didn’t see what were so funny ‘bout zombies. She didn’t want ‘er brains eaten. She didn’t understand how that were funny atall. It were fright’nin’, not funny.

But then he explained and she felt real stupid. It was all made up. Zombies weren’t real after all. Well that were a relief she s’posed. But she still felt awful silly, worryin’ ‘bout somethin’ that weren’t even real.

“Oh,” she said after a minute. “But, you said…you let me believe in zombies. You made me think that I were gonna get my brain eaten.” Well really weren’t really very nice, though she s’posed it were probably a little funny the way she’d been worried ‘bout ever’thin’.

And it suddenly struck ‘er as funny, so she laughed too, coverin’ ‘er mouth with ‘er hand. “Why did you let me think there were zombies? Gosh, I feel downright silly. No wonder they wouldn’t want yer brian. It’s cuz they don’t exist.” And then she giggled again.

[Deleted]

Uh oh, now he had gone and done it. She really didn’t seem to pleased with him teasing her. He should have known, really. At Halloween she had made it quite clear that she was one of those people that obviously did not take lightly being made fun of. At least she didn’t have a gun to pull on him this time, though he didn’t have a mask to hide behind either.

Right, backpedalling time. Time to be either hopelessly apologetic or throw her off with something terribly romantic. Both options sounded equally painful and unappealing. The price he paid for popularity.

Fortunately for both of them, probably, he didn’t even get his mouth open to try before Dusty was suddenly laughing too. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Arkady’s chuckle sounded somewhere between confused and nervous. Well, he certainly hadn’t expected that, but then he was sort of intentionally trying to find bad things about her to store away for those moments when he found himself thinking and feeling far too many good things. Like how she had a nice laugh. At least he knew now that she had a sense of humour. Last time he hadn’t so much been teasing her as down right harassing her, so a more extreme reaction made sense, and boy when she went extreme she went all out.

“I just couldn’t help myself,” he replied, his smile becoming easy and smooth again. “You were just so cute, all genuinely concerned and ready to blow their heads off.” Now that he knew he could tease her and get away with it, then why not continue?

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty giggled again. Gosh, she felt real ridiculous, goin’ on and on ‘bout zombies and how they were gonna eat people. It were quite the relief ta find out that they weren’t real after all. Arkady were right though, she were prepared ta blow their heads off. Well, she’d only be able ta shoot five heads off, cuz she only had five rounds in ‘er gun. She still hadn’t replaced the bullet that that other person’d walked off with the night o’ Halloween. But she weren’t gonna think ‘bout that.

“Yah ain’t supposed ta let me think there are zombies. I was gonna be up all night worryin’ if’n yah hadn’t said anythin’.” She probably still be up half the night anyway ‘cause zombies were still a little bit fright’nin’. She might have nightmares about eatin’ brains or somethin’ awful.

“Oh gosh, I hope no one heard me goin’ on like that. I’d be awful embarrassed.” She would be real embarrassed if anyone had heard her. They would think that she were just an ignorant little girl who didn’t know much and as embarrassed as she’d be ta have anyone think that, she’d probably giggle uncontrollably if’n they said any such thing to ‘er. She were feelin’ as giggly embarrassed. But that were much better’n just standin’ there turnin’ beat red like she woulda on any other night.

[Deleted]

Arkady’s nervous chuckle from before was quickly replaced by a genuine laugh. Taking a step back from Dusty, he made as if ready to protect himself if she so saw fit to hit him in retaliation. “I’m sorry, it was just too hard to resist!” he laughed. “Besides, I would have told you eventually... though if you’re still scared and think you’re not going to sleep, I could always come over and keep you company...”

With any other girl he would have said this with a suggestive smirk and a wink of an eye, but Dusty was just far too innocent to play along with that kind of teasing, so instead he faked a cough and rubbed the back of his neck as if regretting even suggesting it.

“I’m sure nobody heard you,” he pressed on quickly, “and if they did, then who cares?”

That was really rich, coming from him. His whole existence now revolved around creating a certain image for himself. It was easy to put on a devil-may-care attitude, pretend that he was laid back and that he could care less what people thought about him, but that was all part of the image as well. He did care, people were just supposed to think that he didn’t.

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty propped both hands on ‘er hips. “Eventually?” she asked, a laugh in ‘er voice as she looked at ‘im, ‘er head cocked to one side. “Well at least that’s better’n never I s’pose.” She grinned at Arkady. It was awful sweet of ‘im ta suggest that’d ‘e keep ‘er company.

She bit ‘er lip, thinkin’ ‘bout it. She’d love ‘is company and she were still kinda scared, but she weren’t sure that were proper. Though, things here seemed a lot less proper than back home, so maybe. Well she weren’t sure and afore she could say anythin’ Arkady were already talkin’ ‘bout something else.

“Well I wouldn’t want anybody ta think I’m crazy or somethin’.” Dusty’d always gotten hung up on what people thought of ‘er. She cared ‘bout what people thought of ‘er. She couldn’t help it. When yah spend yer whole life knowin’ that people look down on yah fer what yer momma did, well the feelin’ o’ wantin’ ta belong never really left yah. And if people thought a girl were crazy then she wouldn’t belong, now would she?

[Deleted]

Dusty put on an indignant stance, but she didn’t attack. No matter how silly she felt, she at least saw the humour in it and was able to laugh at herself. Arkady wasn’t sure he could say the same for himself if situations were reversed. He really didn’t take kindly to being made a fool of.

As he predicted, she didn’t really pick up on his suggestion of spending the night with her, and even if she had and just didn’t mention it then she probably only saw it as exactly as he proposed, just keeping her company. She seemed so pure, he wasn’t sure any untoward thoughts ever crossed her mind. It was... well, he didn’t know what it was.

“Oh, pfft. Sanity is overrated,” he threw out flippantly, brushing it off with a wave of his hand. “Didn’t you know? Crazy is the new ‘cool’.”

Well, it certainly worked for some people, though if you have enough money, popularity or power then you get to be called ‘eccentric’ rather than crazy. “Besides... if it turns out they are real, when the zombie apocalypse hits, you’ll be prepared while the rest of us won’t know what to do with ourselves.”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty did have a sense o’ humor, though it weren’t like ‘er momma’s where she could just laugh anythin’ off without a care in the world. But Dusty could laugh at ‘erself when she felt silly enough. And right now she were feelin’ silly enough.

She giggled at Arkady, tellin’ ‘er that crazy were the new cool. “I guess I’ll fit right in, then,” she said back. And she were pretty sure she would if’n she really did believe in zombies that would qualify as crazy. But if’n crazy were the new cool then it wouldn’t be so bad bein’ crazy and she’d probably be real popular. Though she probably wouldn’t know what ta do with ‘erself if’n that were the case.

But when Arkady suggested that maybe zombies were real, she bit her lip, suddenly a little bit afraid again. “Yah don’t…think there really are zombies, do yah?” she asked a bit worriedly. Zombies were real fright’nin’. They sounded worse’n ghosts and banshees and probably ‘bout as bad as vampires, if not worse.

[Deleted]

If crazy really were the new cool, then he would probably already be popular; Arkady hadn’t exactly been feeling very sane lately.

“If nothing else, you will always be in... entertaining company,” he replied, slipping an arm around Dusty’s waist and starting down the sidewalk. She was still pretty jumpy, and all it took was the smallest suggestion that he could be wrong and that zombies might actually exist to get her all nervous and worried again. He could easily reassure her... but it couldn’t hurt to have her a bit scared and... clingy.

“Well, to be honest, before I came here I would have said that there was no chance that they were real,” he said in reply, sounding thoughtful as he chose his words. “But in this place? I’ve heard about vampires, witches and fairies, not to mention the fact that we all know that magic classes are taught here. So... I guess it is possible. Anything is possible, right?”

[Dusty Fae]

Well entertaining company were always a good thing. At least she could be entertained with all the other people who were crazy and that were comfortin’ at least, more so’n the thought o’ zombies.

Dusty didn’t really like ta hear that there might be a possibility o’ zombies. She’d never even heard o’ zombies ‘til she came here. She’d heard o’ ghosts o’ course, ‘cause the abandoned silver mines weren’t too far away from Los Avalos. And there was s’posed ta be a ghost town ‘round Los Avalos somewhere too. But never anythin’ ‘bout zombies or other supernatural beings.

“I s’pose,” she told Arkady. Honest, anythin’ were possible ‘round here, but that didn’t mean she had ta like it. “But I really hope there ain’t zombies. I don’t think Momma would be real happy if’n she ever heard that she sent ‘er daughter to a school where there are zombies. I really hope there ain’t any. That would be terrible.” She were awful glad that ‘er arm were ‘round ‘er waist ‘cause that at least made ‘er feel a little safe. Though it were a shame she didn’t have ‘er gun.