A beautiful fiction I invented to keep out the cold

[desperate_times_right]

Who: Chloe Frazer & others
What: Catch-all; open prompts
When: March and April
Where: Around Milton

Content Warnings: Self-injury content related to the echo effects. Descriptions of canon typical violence and murder. Talk about hunting/eating animals.


Chloe doesn't trust Methuselah as far as she could throw him, and a trip through a mine where she's forced to rely on the goodwill of a bunch of cop types does not sound like her idea of a good time. Also, sticking around Milton when most of the people who 'patrol' (imagine her air quotes) are away is a great opportunity to snoop in people’s houses.

Anyone who remains in or returns to Milton may find her either doing her usual wild running in the woods, checking her snares for snacks, or sneaking around newly empty locations to see what's been left behind.

Aurora nights are a different thing, however. Chloe likes to think that she's done her best to do right by the people that she cares about, but the truth is she's cut a few throats in her day, stepped over others to make sure that she would wind up on top. Something about the aurora this month brings every one of those memories roaring back. It has her running faster, drinking until she can't see, and doing risky climbs onto (and jumps between) rooftops, trying to escape the feeling.

Comments

[desperate_times_right]

“Lakeside?” Well, he's managed to get her fully alert, at least. “Through that death trap of a mine in this? Are you crazy!?”

What could possibly be so urgent that he'd risk it all right now? Maybe someone found weed over there or something.

[questioningmermaids]

"As crazy as you," March quips, that hand going up to gesture emphatically once more. It drops uselessly to his side, March opening his mouth for another second before leaning back slightly and scratching at his chin. He uses March logic:

"The mine doesn't have any wind. I'll porbably be fine."

[desperate_times_right]

“Do you even know anything about it? There's a bridge on the other side!” Yes maybe Lalo had exaggerated but it didn't sound like something you want to do when you can't see.

[questioningmermaids]

"Yeah, of course there's a bridge, how else are we supposed to cross it?"

March does not realize the physics of wind and rope bridges.

Yet.

[desperate_times_right]

“Walking over a broken train bridge in the fog, you're going to get killed -”

Wait. Maybe she can use this.

“What do you want over there anyway?”

[questioningmermaids]

March's head moves back so, for the briefest of moments, it looks like he has no chin as he all but side-eyes Chloe in the most suspicious way possible.

"No reason," he lies.

[desperate_times_right]

“So, you urgently need to get to Lakeside now, for no reason?” Sounds like maybe he's running from the same thing she is. “What's her name, dude?”

[questioningmermaids]

Oh, Goddammit. March gives Chloe a look, which isn’t very easy to read since 1. It’s windy and cold and 2. He’s got his rose tinted aviators on like he always does when he’s outside, but it’s still totally a Look, man.

“Maybe it’s not a she. Maybe it’s an idea. Maybe I’m running away from ennui.”

He doesn’t know what ennui is.

[desperate_times_right]

“To Lakeside?” A dead resort where hardly anyone lives honestly sounds even more boring than here.

“Look, do you want my help or not?” She's absolutely going to help him, not just because she needs to get out of Milton but because she’d feel bad if this idiot fell off the bridge, but he doesn't need to know that.

[questioningmermaids]

March thinks. It's for a fraction of a second, just a few beats, but he's very visibly weighing his options.

Fuck it. Whatever pride he has has been drained by the wild mountains of Canada.

"Yeah, I do." He's still gonna mumble it, though.

[desperate_times_right]

“Good call.”

Chloe starts walking quickly (as quickly as one can in this fog anyway, ugh) as if it had never been in question.

“The mines are pretty tricky so you're gonna have to talk to me.”

[questioningmermaids]

"Left, right, right, right and then left," March answers automatically. See? He's smarter than people give him credit for. Like now, he knows to wait for Chloe to take a few steps forward so he can admire the view before shoving his hands into his bright orange pockets and walking with her.

"So. What's your deal? Your whole thing."

[desperate_times_right]

“What makes you think I have a thing?” Chloe huffs. Having to walk like a normal person after getting used to drawing on her power is really annoying. “Maybe I'm just normal.”

[questioningmermaids]

Even if March wanted to, he can't control the half-snicker half-laugh.

"Lady, you're an attractive woman who's out in the wilderness of your own volition like an idiot." Pot, kettle. March shakes his head.

"No one here is normal. Except for me."

[desperate_times_right]

Maybe Chloe is a little too pleased about being called attractive considering that that's kind of what got her into this mess in the first place, but whatever.

“Right, just a normal guy running from ennui in the fog. Makes sense.”

She shrugs. “Maybe I need a break, too. There's nothing to do in Milton.”

[questioningmermaids]

"Ennui is a serious problem in modern day America. Streets are chalk full of it." Is it relevant? No. Is it something March feels like he needs to say in a desperate attempt to rationalize his very obvious lie? Yeah.

"Plenty to do in Milton. You can deal with the crazy guy in a mask, gaze upon the beautiful architecture of that incredibly sad looking community hall." March's sarcasm is biting. He raises his eyebrows.

"Watch whatever bullshit the rest of the Interlopers have going on. That's a personal favourite."

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe raises her eyebrows. She might not like the sound of that. “You been watching me?”

He’s right, though. That's really all there is to do.

[questioningmermaids]

"There's like, six people in this town, of course I do."

Obviously. March shrugs, reaches up to tap at his temple.

"Everyone here is crazy, anyway. Gotta keep an eye on that sorta shit."

[desperate_times_right]

“Well then, genius: What do you think my deal is?”

She's so defensive for absolutely no real reason, and still leading him in the right direction.

[questioningmermaids]

Finally, someone thinks he's a genius. It doesn't matter that it's very clearly sarcastic, March is gonna hold onto that.

"I don't know if I can answer that, you sound very aggressive right now." He keeps his tone completely and utterly flat.

[desperate_times_right]

“Yeah, it's so weird to not immediately be buddy-buddy with some clown insulting me in the woods.” Chloe rolls her eyes. “One that won't even tell me what he's doing, by the way.”

[questioningmermaids]

"Ennui," March reminds firmly, though there's a spark of something else as he slides his gaze over. Weirdly enough, this is kind of fun.

"Real answer? Trying to track down Wynonna Earp."

[desperate_times_right]

“Is that what her name is?” Don’t worry, she’ll forget it again immediately. “Yeah, she's over there, isn't she?”

Though that raises the question of why he's being so cagey about it.

“There some reason she wouldn't want to see you?”

[questioningmermaids]

March completely scoffs at that, and it’s a miracle they don’t actually stop moving from how much he clearly finds that question ridiculous.

“Everyone wants to see me. I’m a goddamn delight. What’s your name, by the way?”

[desperate_times_right]

“Chloe.” Hopefully this isn't the kind of guy that people you accidentally made fall in love with you would vent to. “Frazer. What about you?”