#LoveWins

[friendsfordinner]

Who: Cornelius Hickey & OPEN
What: hey. hey guess who's married. guess. take a guess. bet you can't guess, OKAY it's Hickey
When: early October, post Forest Talker attack
Where: Milton

Content Warnings: as always, the possibility of canon-typical Terror warnings (mentions of gore, cannibalism, period-typical homophobia, murder, all of Hickey's crimes. etc.). Will mention in the thread if they occur.

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Hickey's basically married now!

Yeah, sure he's considered himself basically married ever since Billy arrived here. They're living together, after all, and as long as Hickey's got Billy, he hasn't really felt any lust or desires towards any other people (except Crozier) (that's different). And he does love Billy. At least, he's pretty sure he does. Love's a weird feeling and it's something that Hickey has never really been able to put a name to or identify in himself, so yeah, it might as well be love! And Billy's been wearing the ring that Hickey gave him. And they've both been upfront about it with each other, to the point where Billy said that he and Hickey were together during that awful town meeting.

So yeah, they've been basically married already. But Billy gave him a ring (looted off some corpse, not entirely romantic but something the ever-practical Hickey approves of), so now they're officially married! What do you mean most marriages involve a priest or signing a contract in front of the law, they don't have either of those here! This is as official as it's going to get!

So naturally, Hickey's going to gloat.

He goes about his day to day life in Milton. He'll check out the notice board, he'll rummage through what abandoned buildings he hasn't yet rummaged through, he'll go on a little walk. But every time he spots someone, he adjusts his hair, brushing it behind his ear. And then brushing it behind his ear again. And then he'll lightly scratch his neck. Or he'll wave them over. And hey, just ignore the fact that all of Hickey's obvious stupid little tells are with his left hand and just ignore the fact that all of his obvious stupid little tells are blatantly him just showing off that ring finger. With a ring on it.

Hey did he mention he's married???

Comments

[friendsfordinner]

"I know," Hickey points out, with a cavalier little shrug. "I'm just saying that others might think that way—not me, of course."

Idly, he wonders if Illarion is thinking that Hickey's example isn't an example and is Hickey talking about himself. Best nip that one right in the bud.

[unsheathedfromreality]

"Not you," Illarion agrees. "You gave the first ring." Interesting that had to be clarified, though.

He files the thought.

"How long have the two of you been here?"

[friendsfordinner]

"I've been here over a year, Billy arrived a few months after me."

There's a moment before Hickey muses, "You're one of the new arrivals, yeah? Or newer, at least. Have any questions about this place?"

[unsheathedfromreality]

"August," Illarion affirms. "In the last group." The suspect one, until the Forest Talkers got themselves weeded out.

There's a gleam in his eye, at being asked whether he has any questions. "Has anyone lain down in the snow to die of despair? Who else is out to kill us? How much of this," a spare gesture, a sweep of his arm to take in all of Milton--or all the Earth, "resembles your home?"

Three's enough to start. He'll see how long this one keeps answering.

[friendsfordinner]

Right. So this guy is officially a smartass. Hickey rolls his eyes slightly before deciding that he can match Illarion's smartass energy with a completely unhelpful energy of his own.

"Dunno, fair number of things, quite a lot of it."

Answers which he knows are absolutely not helpful and which he's perfectly happy being a sassy little shit about.

[unsheathedfromreality]

Oh, good.

Someone turning this into a game might be harder to exhaust with questions. More--fun--to pry the answers out of, too. (If Illarion can even be said to have fun.)

"Did your world have a Darkwalker? Canada? Magic? Non-humans that can speak?"

[friendsfordinner]

"No for the Darkwalker, possibly for Canada, probably not for magic, no for that non-humans that can speak."

And then, like a shit, Hickey pauses and muses, "Except for parrots, of course."

This bloke does not look human. Those ears, for one, people don't have ears like that. So it's entirely possible that whoever this guy is, he comes from a radically different world than Hickey—a world that might not have parrots.

And if that's the case, Hickey will absolutely fuck with him.

[unsheathedfromreality]

Sadly for Hickey's ambitions, Illarion's related to parrots. Though--

He cocks his head, abrupt and birdlike himself. Seems to consider the answer before echoing, "Except for parrots. They much worth talking to?"

[friendsfordinner]

"Dunno," Hickey says, with a shrug. "Never met any of them. Parrots are tropical, yeah? Nothing about the place I'm from is tropical."

There's a pause before, "That being said, I'd guess they're worth talking to. People wouldn't mention them if they weren't, yeah?"