Colin's posts

"Kind of." Rene replied.

"My original plan was to feed him and then... well, leave." he told her.

"However, with the weather worsening as it is, and with the fact he seems to have taken a liking to you, I very well can't NOT take him in." he chuckled.

"I have no idea for how long, but... well, I'm a sucker for animals, I guess." he added with a smile.

"But my place doesn't have the proper things for a pet." he told her further.

"So I need to make a quick stop to remedy that."

Rene was silent for a moment, and scratched at his chin.

'Hmmm...' he thought.

'Maybe...' he thought further, before shaking his head.

"I just need to make a stop on the way back." he told her.

"Need to pick up a few things." he went on.

"Notably, some things like litter and such for the cat." he then specified further.

"Ah, yes." Rene replied.

"You mentioned you went to Angel Hearts." he remembered.

He then thought for a moment, seeming to mull things over in his mind.

"Hmmm..." he muttered, before taking out his phone, going into the map feature, and fiddling around with it some.

"Well, I live about a 45 minute walk from that school, actually." he told her, handing her his phone so she could see the location of his place more precisely.

"And a 5 minute walk from a bus that stops at that school." he said.

"If that helps any." he added.

Rene looked at Erica as she said and did what she did.

"Hm?" he muttered.

"I believe I said I would also provide you with shelter for the night." he told her.

"I mean, look outside." he said, turning his head and looking at the heavier hail, which was starting to collect on the ground. "It's getting worse by the hour." he commented, as the wind howled.

"Don't tell me you have some place to go?" he then asked.

"Because, given how you seemed ready to hole up in that child's play structure in the park, I very much doubt that is the case." he then commented.

Rene looked back towards Erica when she said that.

"...seems you've had to grow up far quicker than is fair." he commented, her statement about 'what she was' not escaping his mind, but he decided not to bring it up now.

"But yeah, you're right." he went on.

"They say a person's reach should exceed their grasp, but... some things just shouldn't be beyond grasp." he sighed, looking back out the window.

As he did so, the feline crawled onto Erica's lap, and curled into a ball.

"Hm." Rene muttered.

"I can relate..." he said quietly, as Erica's second mocha arrived.

When the server left again, Rene sighed.

"Well, try the brownie." he told her.

"The ones they make here are quite decadent." he said.

He then pulled his wrap back towards him, and took another bite, flicking some to the cat, which gobbled it up quickly.

"Normal." he then muttered.

"Something people strive towards... but is impossible." he lamented, as he wistfully looked out the window at the worsening weather.

"......" Rene was silent, as he saw that the food had disappeared pretty quickly.

'Hoo boy.' he thought.

He then looked at his wrap, of which he had only eaten about half, and then pushed it towards her.

"Here." he said.

"Give this one a try." he told her.

"And... you're still in school?" he asked.

"I'll admit, for one such as yourself... seeming to have no home, and being in your sort of condition... that's very impressive." he told her.

"....all right, fair point." Rene replied.

"I suppose I meant those that aren't adults yet." he told her.

"Let's say... 18 and under?" he offered.

"Regardless, I get what you're saying." he went on.

"How old ARE you, anyway?" he then asked.

Rene opened his mouth to say something, but then noticed her drink was gone.

"Hm." he mumbled, as their wraps and brownies arrived.

"Another mocha for the little lady." he told the server, handing them 10 bucks.

The server nodded and took Erica's empty cup, and left the get the drink.

As soon as they did, the feline came out of the pocket it had been hiding in, and started sniffing its way towards Erica's wrap.

"Uhhhhh.... right, then." he said.

"Um... hm." he then muttered.

"Would you... care for them to be... refreshed, at least?" he asked.

"You know... have clean ones? Ones that will hold for longer, anyway?" he asked further, wondering all sorts of things about what those may conceal, and her nonchalant attitude towards them.

Rene was silent as he saw the wrappings.

"Uh..." he said.

"Those look... bad." he said.

"And by that, I mean old and ragged." he told her.

"That can't be... sanitary or hygienic." he commented further.

"Is everything okay under there?"

'A... curse...?' Rene wondered.

'Hmmmmmm...' he thought.

"All right." he said, letting the subject go for now.

"And yeah, it is." he told her.

"This place is a haven for those that seek shelter from the elements, and wish for a hot drink." he said.

"The food and pastries here are top-notch, too."

".....hm." Rene mumbled.

"I see." he replied.

"I get the feeling that there's more to that than what's said at face value, but I shan't pry. Not right now." he told her, as their drinks arrived.

Erica's smelled wonderful, and she could see that they had been liberal with the whipped cream, as it towered atop the drink.

"Thanks." Rene told their server with a smile.

"A runaway, huh?" Rene asked.

"I see." he said.

"Why did you run away?" he asked her.

"Surely freezing yourself in the elements isn't worth some sort of spat with your parents." he went on.

"...or is there more to this story?"