Marlena (to Lulu): It's a castle... I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.
Lulu (to Marlena): That's very good advice. I mean you no harm. I'm actually looking for Wanda. My name's Lulu. Do you live here?
Eep (to Marlena): Mars? Who are you talking to out... (to Lulu) Oh. Uh, hey, Lulu.
Lulu (to Eep): Hi there! I was looking for Wanda when I ran into this little vagabond. She looks like she stepped out of Oliver Twist. So, are you guys babysitting?
Eep (to Lulu): Oh? Heh. Yeah. Guess she does. Wanda should be next door, I think. No. It's, uh, it's kind of a long story, but, um, this is Marlena she's, um, ours. Our kid, I mean.
Marlena (to Lulu & Eep): I'm not a baby, I'm three.
Lulu (to Marlena): Oh, I'm very sorry, Miss Mars. I'll choose my words more carefully next time. (to Eep) Oh okay... She's very cute. I should go find Wanda. We were supposed to go to a movie & I hate to be late. See you later! (to Marlena) Good luck with your castle!
Marlena (to Eep): Daddy, that lady had funny hair... Can I have funny hair?
Eep: Holy shit... (to Marlena) Uh, yes, but not until you're older.
Marlena (to Eep): Like when I'm this many?
Eep (to Marlena): Ask me again when you're this many.
Marlena (to Eep): ... Okay. Can I have a cookie?
Eep (to Marlena): How about we get you a snack instead? You can have a cookie after dinner.
Marlena (to Eep): Okay, Daddy. Can I have a banana, then?
Eep (to Marlena): Sure. Do you want peanut butter for it?
Marlena (to Eep): ... Um, okay.
Eep (to Marlena): Have you had peanut butter before? Here. I'll put a little on the plate so you can see if you like it.
Marlena (to Eep): It looks weird.
Eep (to Marlena): Just try it. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it. It's sweet.
Marlena (to Eep): ... Oh, it'th goood. Can I havth somemore?
Eep (to Marlena): Ha ha ha! Yeah. Sure. Just, uh, no talking with food in your mouth, OK?
Marlena (to Eep): Uh huh.
Eep (to Marlena): Heh. (to Mouse) Hey. We didn't wake you up, did we?
Mouse (to Eep): Heehee, what on earth is going on in here? No, you didn't wake me. I'm sorry I slept so late, I guess I needed it.
Eep (to Mouse): I figured. We were having a snack, and Mars tried some peanut butter.
Marlena (to Eep): Oh god, I have missed peanut butter. (to Marlena) How are you my lovely daughter this morn-- afternoon?
Eep (to Mouse): I can imagine. Want a sandwich?
Marlena (to Mouse): I'm good. I met a lady with teal hair today. She was silly & she helped with the wall on my castle.
Mouse (to Eep): Oh yeah, that would be great. (to Marlena) You did? Well, I guess you meet all sorts of people on our front porch.
Eep (to Mouse): Heh. Isn't that the truth? Here you go.
Mouse (to Eep): Oh, thank you... God, if I wasn't already married, I would make this sandwich my bride.
Eep (to Mouse): Heh. Good thing you're easy to please.
Marlena (to Eep): Heehee, you're silly.
Eep (to Marlena): Who are you calling silly, Monkey?
Marlena (to Eep): Mommy. She wants to marry a sandwich.
Eep (to Marlena): Yeah. She is silly. Good think I married her first, huh?
Marlena (to Eep): Uh huh... Can I go play, now?
Eep (to Marlena): Yeah. In your room with the door open, please.
Mouse (to Marlena): Hey, hold on. Before you run off, give your old mother a hug.
Marlena (to Mouse): Of course, Mommy. (to Eep) And, one for you, too.
Mouse (to Eep): Well, I can tell who the favorite parent is now. Not to worry it comes with a hat. It's fancy. :-P
Eep (to Mouse): Heh. I'm not the favorite. I'm just new. AND I let her stay up late last night. She was worried last night that you wouldn't come back.
Mouse (to Eep): Trust me, there were a couple moments when I was worried about that, too. Actually, a lot of moments. Mostly the moments when my brother did something foolhardy, like anger a man 10 times bigger than himself. Thankfully, those two make a good team. Is there still a first aid kit under the sink in here?
Eep (to Mouse): What? Jesus... Uh, yeah. I think so. Did you get hurt?
Mouse (to Eep): It's just my ankle. There was a booby trap at MacTavish's, I stepped when I should have jumped.
Eep (to Mouse): Oh shit! Lemme see it.
Mouse (to Eep): No, no. It's okay. I can take care of it. I just didn't want Mars to see it. She gets upset when I'm hurt.
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah, well, I can understand that. She won't see it. Stop being so fuc--bloody stoic and just lemme look at it.
Mouse (to Eep): Fine.
Eep (to Mouse): Don't make that face. I'm going to fuss over you, you know. Yikes. That looks pretty fucking nasty. What the hell was the booby-trap made out of? Old fishhooks? Jesus. I put some ointment and a fresh bandage on it.
Mouse (to Eep): Oh damn! I swear it didn't look that bad before.
Eep (to Mouse): Is it sore? If that swelling doesn't go down, we should have Dr. Addison look at it.
Mouse (to Eep): It's a bit tender... That's what I get for trying to be chivalrous. Damn. I'm going to have get a tetanus shot, aren't I?
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. You probably should, and some antibiotics wouldn't be a bad idea.
Mouse (to Eep): I'll call her right now & see if she can squeeze me in. I'm sorry I don't mean to be so difficult. It's just weird to have you around to worry about me. It's been awhile.
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. I know. Why do you think I was being so pushy about it?
Mouse (to Eep): I don't know, cuz you're a pushy jerk. :-P
Eep (to Mouse): Well, yeah. There's that too.
Mouse (to Eep): Heh... Any word from Poppy & Vincent? He was in rough shape when they dropped me off.
Eep (to Mouse): No, I haven't heard from them all day. You wanna go check on him?
Mouse (to Eep): No, if they need me, they know how to find me.
A few hours later:
Vincent (to Poppy): Hey, hun. I didn't mean to sleep all day. Sorry.
Poppy (to Vincent): It's okay, honey. Can you hand me that ice compress on the counter?
Vincent (to Poppy): Here you are, sweetie. Are you still sore?
Poppy (to Vincent): I wasn't until last night, honey. You knocked me out of the bed right onto my sore hip... What is it with you Potters going around pushing people every which way?
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. Good heavens. I'm sorry, hun. I was a bit out of my head last night. I don't even remember getting home.
Poppy (to Vincent): I'm sorry, honey. That would be my fault.
Vincent (to Poppy): Ah. Had to drug me, did you?
Poppy (to Vincent): Yes, honey. You were a bit out of your gourd.
Vincent (to Poppy): I can only imagine. I can't say that I really blame you, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): It's okay. Are you feeling better?
Vincent (to Poppy): Well, I'm not a raving like a lunatic, so there's that.
Poppy (to Vincent): That's true, honey, but are you feeling okay? You were worrying me.
Vincent (to Poppy): I'll be OK, lover.
Poppy (to Vincent): Fine, honey. I've made fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potatoes & corn bread for dinner and, peach cobbler for dessert.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh? You ARE worried about me, aren't you? Thanks, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): Of course I am, honey. You don't normally lose your, well, shit like that.
Vincent (to Poppy): Usually, I don't watch my sister die and then come across her mutilated body a few weeks later. I know it wasn't "technically" her, hun, but the copy that was living here in West Piedmont was so, so very much her. It... Well, I'm sure you understand. I haven't really been sleeping well, since. I'm sorry I kicked you out of the bed, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): I know, lover. It's okay.
A short time later:
Vincent (to Poppy): Thanks for dinner, hun. It was delicious. Hee hee. You can stop watching me warily out of the corner of your eye, you know.
Poppy (to Vincent): I'm sorry, honey. I'll leave you alone.
Vincent (to Poppy): Heh. I wouldn't go as far as to say you had to leave me alone, sweetie. I just meant you can stop fussing. I'll be fine.
Poppy (to Vincent): I'm just going to go check on Victor, honey. Honey, I'm going to forever be fussing over you. I love you. But, I'll stop keeping an eye on you if you want... I just know that all of this stuff with your sister has gotten to you more than you'd like to admit. And well, you're just not acting like yourself. Or more to the point, you're acting like your old self. Just please don't shut me out. I can help, even if you just need someone just to listen.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. Hee hee. Sorry, hun. I wasn't trying to shut you out. I think I didn't want this to effect me as badly as it did. It shook me, hun. It shook me right down to my core, which--of course--is exactly what Hiiri wanted it to do. The, good God, the way she -displayed- the body of the other copy... That wasn't insanity. It wasn't some wild whim. She did it on purpose so we would find it. Like she did with the bodies of those two henchmen of Smythe's. She wants me angry, and upset, and off-balance and making -stupid- mistakes. Which I AM. It just--it frustrates me..
Poppy (to Vincent): I know, honey, she was sending us a message, well, I think specifically you a message. Any ideas?
Vincent (to Poppy): Good heavens, hun. I don't know. I just don't know... I'm having a hard time thinking straight. Aside from the obvious benefit of being horrible, upsetting, and proving she could hurt us if she wanted... what could her end game be? Last time I spent any amount of time with Hiiri, she kept going on about how similar we were. Alistair told her about the slaughter on the Reliant, and she kept twatting on about how we had more in common, more blood on our hands, than Mouse and me.
Poppy (to Vincent): It's alright, honey, no one is expecting you to have her figured out, but I think whatever she's doing is significant & it's aimed at you. I don't know why, yet. But I'm worried about it.
Vincent (to Poppy): Maybe she's just trying to be as awful as possible, and I'm the lucky lad who keeps blundering into it. Oh. Or maybe it's because she blames me. Huh. That could be it... Mouse and Eep have forgiven me, but perhaps Hiiri hasn't.
Poppy (to Vincent): Blames you for what exactly, honey? You didn't go out of your way to get involved with all of this craziness, did you?
Vincent (to Poppy): I know, hun. I'm just trying to work out what's behind her seemingly sudden fixation.
Poppy (to Vincent): Honey, you shouldn't blame yourself. It's not your fault. If that were the case, then it's my fault for agreeing to work for Tesla & climbing into that stasis chamber, because Percy wouldn't have spied on you & so on.
Vincent (to Poppy): Heh. I for one, am infinitely pleased you agreed to work for Tesla, lover. If you hadn't, we may never have met.
