VAGABOND

Ty's always awake before you on Sundays and she usually has the TV on to boot. Hearing neither instantly tips you off on the fact that something's wrong. When you stumble to your feet you also notice that the curtains are drawn. You go to open them and see that it's dark outside. You look for Ty. She's in the kitchen, digging through the pantry and throwing some of the food into a garbage bag. Jared is resting at her feet. What're you doing? you ask Ty. It's the middle of the night. We need to leave, she says simply. Her voice sounds choked. [[Why?|okayy]] [[Who's Ty?]]

You're still half asleep so you don't know whether you're imagining the strain in her voice or not. They caught me when I stole those diapers from the store, Ty says, and they saw my tail, I think. It was on the news a bit ago. They're looking for me. [[Why would they be looking for you?|look]] [[Hold on why does she have a tail?]]

Ty is your girlfriend. She's the one that birthed your son. You know very well who she is. [[Is Jared my son then?]]

Yes. Enough with the questions. [[Fine.|okayy]]

Ty thinks for a moment before speaking again. I think they want to - to test on me or something like that. They called me - ahm - they called me deformed. She pauses again. We'll talk later. We need to get situated. She looks at you. You see that her eyes are red and swollen. She's been crying. I don't know - this is just so sudden. We just need to leave now. You understand, don't you? [[I think I understand.|understand]] [[Why can't we just stay?|stay]] [[Not really.|eh]]

I told you to stop with the questions. Ty doesn't know why she has a tail. You've never known why she has a tail. Nobody knows why she has a tail. [[Sorry.|look]]

Neither of you'd ever really had a way with words. There's an awkward pause before Ty steps forward and hugs you. You hug back. For a moment you trick yourself into thinking that everything's gonna be fine. I'm so scared, Ty says weakly. [[Don't be. We're gonna be okay.|dont be]] [[Have you thought about what Maxine's gonna say?|what maxine says]]

This seems to upset Ty. Why would you want to stay here? she screams at you, and you see Jared start awake out of the corner of your eye. They're gonna find me if we stay here - take me away - [[Okay, okay. Sorry.|understand]] [[We can't just leave.|we cant]]

Ty leaves the kitchen to get you the key to Maxine's apartment. You lean and pet Jared while opening the garbage bag Ty had just been piling food into. It seems like she's gathering stuff for you two to eat. You suddenly feel terrified. When Ty returns you offer to take Jared with you to Maxine's and back, just so she can focus on packing. Be careful with him, she says in response. The apartment hall is cold and smells a little funny, as it always does. You realize this is one of the last times you'll walk this hallway. Something in your chest tightens. Maxine's apartment is a few floors up. When you reach her number, you decide to rap on the door a little, making sure whether she might be awake before you let yourself in. After a couple minutes, several more knocks and one singular burp from Jared, there's no answer. [[Unlock the door.]]

You start packing everything you can fit into the suitcase and two backpacks shared between Ty and yourself. You both talk about the near future. Ty begins to cry at one point. You stop for a minute to hold her in your lap. You cry with her. You're leaving behind an apartment, a job, friends, a vast majority of your belongings. Basically everything. What are we going to do once we're out of here? you ask eventually. Ty doesn't answer. [[We should head for Aydin and Zach's, honestly.|aydin and zach]] [[We should head for the hills up north. Those're hills, right?|hill up north]]

Why not? Ty screams back. She's starting to get really angry. You think to yourself that Ty needs to quiet down. Jared is beginning to cry. The apartments next to yours might hear, anyways. [[We're leaving everything behind.|leaving everything]]

Ty doesn't have a response at first. She stares at you for a moment and looks down at her son, thinking. Jared is squirming and mewling on the floor. We - she begins, but cuts herself off and starts breathing slowly, heavily. Trying to keep calm. You notice her start to run her hands through her hair, something you've only seen her do a handful of times on a whim. Probably a nervous habit. I don't know. I'm on records. I've been caught stealing before. She squats and starts to comfort her son. Jared continues to cry, but after a minute he settles down. You stand and watch, not knowing what else to do. This has all hit you as hard and suddenly as a freight train. The terror will set in soon enough, you suppose. Sorry for yelling, Ty says after Jared's calmed down. We just need to leave now. Please. [[I guess we have no choice, then.|understand]]

You wake to the sweet, terrifying sound of nothing. [[What?|RUN]]

The key is sticky, so it takes a couple tries and a little shoving to get the door open. When you enter you find Maxine's wheelchair vacant in the living room. It isn't long before you find her on the couch, sleeping next to Elizabeth. Both of them are topless. Walking in on your girlfriend's mother without a shirt hadn't been something you'd expected. You're about to go and look for something to cover them with when Maxine stirs. Oh, you hear her choke, and she fumbles in the darkness to cover her and her partner's chests. Elliot, is that you-? [[Welcome yourself.]]

You reassure Maxine that yes, this is Elliot, albeit a bit awkwardly what with her sitting there half-naked in front of you. Why are you here so late at night? Maxine asks you, and Elizabeth begins to rouse awake beside her. Before she can say anything you tell Maxine it's urgent and that it'd be better if the two of them had shirts on first. You turn away to let them situate. Elizabeth asks who you are and they talk quietly to each other in hushed voices. You hear one of them get up - presumably Elizabeth, you can't help but think to yourself - and the lights flicker on. Jared's getting restless so you hold him out in front of you and bounce him a little. He gurgles. Okay, I think we're ready, Maxine eventually tells you. [[Give them the bad news.]]

You'd woken up no more than fifteen minutes ago, so you go over the night's events in your head and piece it all together groggily. It takes no more than a minute for you to explain everything to Maxine. She looks shattered at the very least. Elizabeth has been twiddling her thumbs since you mentioned that you'd have to be leaving. Are you - are you serious? Maxine asks slowly, heavily. [[I'm serious.|srs]]

Well, what don't you understand? Ty says. You think your remark over carefully. [[How are we supposed to just drop everything and leave?|just leave]] [[Never mind.|understand]]

You and Ty have to leave tonight? [[Yeah. Don't you want to come with your daughter?|duaghter]]

Yes, but - what about Elizabeth? [[It's one or the other unless she wants to come with us. We haven't got much time.|no time]]

It doesn't take long for Maxine to burst into hysterics. She starts sobbing and yelling that she doesn't want to leave, and Elizabeth pulls her close and tries to talk her down. She only starts to cry as well. All you can think to do is go and steer Maxine's wheelchair to the couch. Elizabeth helps her sit down. I'm sorry, but I need to be with my daughter, Maxine chokes out between deep, gasping sobs. Don't leave me, Elizabeth wails. She leans and hugs Maxine, nearly lifting her from the wheelchair. I love you. She repeats this over and over. Don't leave me, darling, I love you - [[Offer to help Maxine pack.]] [[Let them work it out.]]

You ask Maxine through all the screaming if it'd be okay to help her pack up. No answer is given; she is currently too invested in the woman clinging onto her. You wander a little to look for Maxine's closet. Once you locate the closet you rifle through and find a duffel bag and a backpack. Taking both, you return to the living room to find Maxine and Elizabeth on the couch with their faces locked together. You think about what it'd be like if you and Ty were in their situation and subsequently turn away. They deserve the intimacy. [[You guess you could start gathering Maxine's things.]]

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That's a lie, Ty murmurs. She follows this statement with a long, shaky sigh. Come on, we need to pack - [[We just need to find a place somewhere else, that's all. We can get away with that, can't we?|new names]] [[But I didn't have a home. I was fine, wasn't I?|i was fine]]

It won't be that easy. Ty breaks the hug and stands back dejectedly. We - we stand out too much. You know right away that she's referring to your eye. You can't find it in you to get angry. [[Ask your mother what we can do.|ask mother]]

Something inside Ty seems to spark and flare to life. Oh - oh my god, she stammers. I didn't even think about telling mama. [[See? I'm sure she knows what we can do. We're gonna be fine.|she knows]]

Ty ignores your remark. My mama needs to come with us, she says. She's gonna want to come with. I can't leave her behind. She looks up at you despairingly. Could you go and tell my mama that we're leaving? I can pack your stuff. [[Go and tell Maxine that you two are breaking loose.]] [[Stay and pack your things. Maxine can wait.]]

Yeah, but - this is different - you didn't have a tail, you weren't a criminal who's gonna get put in jail or a lab or something bad - Ty's voice is wavering. You're only making her cry. [[Don't cry now, honey. I won't let anything happen to you.|dont cry]]

You step to meet Ty and hug her again. She lays her face against your chest - it feels warm and damp. I'm so scared, she repeats. I want my mama. [[I'll be here for you too, Ty.|she knows]]

Why them? Ty says to you without looking up. She's in the middle of folding Jared's onesies. [[We might be able to live with them, you know.|live with them]] [[We can tell our closest friends goodbye, at least.|tell them goodbye]] [[They could drive us somewhere.|drive somewhere]]

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What makes you think we'd be able to live in the mountains, you goose? Ty says. She reaches over the clothes and boxes you've both been organizing to thump you gently on the leg. You can't help but smile a little. [[Sorry, just throwing out ideas.|bad idea]] [[That's the only place where no one'd ever find us, really.|find]]

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Ty considers this. I didn't think about mama at all, she says eventually. Her voice sounds like it's lifted a little. Just a little. [[Yeah - we're gonna talk to her about this, right?|she knows]]

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