Metal Chains [Closed]

Seren was a little surprised when she was taken by the hand, guided away through the thick fog. Despite the courtesy, the girl could only think about how the daycare was the last place she wanted to be at right now. She was eight years old now! She was old enough to explore! And she already knew every knew and crannies of that place.

"But it's so booorringgg there!" The girl whined quietly, the strange jail comment passing straight over her head. That's just the place people went to on Super time out, right? "Can't you take me somewhere funner? I promise I won't tell on you!"

Arbor stared for a while, half down to the girl and half to the foggy scene that surrounded them. It didn't bother her that she was keeping Serenity waiting on the answer. She kept her hands shoved deep in her pockets, her arms unbent and close to her body against the chilly murk of the day. In the silence, a squirt of a sound came from her, the high-pitched murmur of her stomach. Arbor blushed. Her frown anchored harder, and she turned on her heel to take a few steps in the opposite direction. It seemed like she was going to leave the girl, but at last Arbor said something as she was a few meters away.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat," the girl said simply to the child, not raising her tone even when her back was to the little girl. It was either she heard and came or didn't and stayed; it didn't matter to her. "Follow me if you want."

For a brief time, Serenity had wondered if the girl had even heard her. She was certain she wasn't being quiet at all, and it wasn't like it was hard to hear anything in the still fog, but yet the older girl just stared away. Maybe she was just playing that dumb ignoring game. Maisie did that with her a lot...

The small girl daughter back a giggle as she heard Arbor's tummy growl. Seren finally resigned into staying in place, at least for the moment, as the penny controller began to walk off. Her blue eyes brightened immensely at her words. "Oh, where are you going?" She asked excitedly, "What do we get to eat? I can bake really good cookies if you want or make a yummy sandwich orrrrr~" She dragged on the last word thoughtfully, trying to think of foods that might please the student.

Arbor hesitated, the sole of her sneaker sending a sharp skid across the dusty cement. A little girl's food was far from her first choice to eat, yet besides the change that bounced noisily in her pocket, she did not have any money. She left it in her dorm. The girl's mouth was closed tight, but the grit of her teeth behind her lips was tighter. She tucked her bangs into her hoodie, and pulled it further over her eyes. "Whatever," was what she said to Serenity's suggestions, and thus the leader became the follower, as her unamused eyes bored into the girl.

Serenity didn't seem to skip a single beat. Although her new friend didn't seem to be giving off many ideas, she had a certain choice of her own in mind. "Weeeelllllll, if you can't make up your mind, let's get ice cream!" The little blonde paused in her walk, the puffing the small pig-tails out of her face and reaching deep into her pocket. In a moment, she whipped out a ten dollar bill. "Ta-da! Let's get all the toppings too!!"

"Does ice cream have toppings?" Arbor's response was hesitant and low. She tried to say nothing but couldn't help the intrigue from her adolescent mind. Was it like pizza? She'd had pizza with toppings before. She always thought ice cream was light, though, almost non-solid, like any toppings would fall through. Were they just very light? The girl's thoughts sidelined as she saw Serenity pull out the ten dollar bill. Her mind began to race, her thoughts pulling towards the money. If she were in Madison, she would have stolen it by then. However, her instincts were biting at her heels. She buried her hands deeper in her pockets, bulges forming on either side of her vest.

ooc;; in 1890, Amsterdam Theatre burns down, and around 11 million acres ceded to US by Sioux Indians opens for settlement

The young girl paused a moment, staring up at Arbor as if she'd seriously just asked if water was wet. "Yes!" Serenity began to whip her head around, looking left and right, trying to remember and pin-point the exact direction the delicious treat store was in this thick fog. She had to take it upon herself to show her new friend into ice cream heaven. "There's sprinkles of all kinds! And syrup and gummy bears and cookies and cherries and strawberries and chocolate chips and peanuts and fruity pebbles and caramel and -"

On and on Serenity went, crumpling the bill up in her hand and grabbing at Arbor's wrist. She guessed on a direction and started happily marching off.

Her fingers around her wrist were warm. Arbor was taken by surprise by the sudden grab. If anyone would have tried that at any other time, she would have cut their hand off with the edge of a flattened coin. This time was different, though. This time, she let it happen, her hand jerking out of her pocket and sending a coin clattering to the ground. She didn't pick it up. She couldn't with Serenity pulling her. "What about ice cream?" The question came low and muttered, ambiguous and on a regretful tone. Arbor's eyes drifted to the buildings they passed, the trees that lined the avenue.

ooc;; in 1892, Ellis Island becames the reception center for new immigrants into America, the first basketball game was played in Massachusetts, and the longest boxing match under modern rules occured, taking 77 rounds in Nameoki, Illinois. It was between Harry Sharpe & Frank Crosby.

The small girl was absolutely unwavering in her quest to find the ice cream store, except when she had to stop and remember exactly which way she was going, in which case she quickly picked herself back up and pushed forward again with poor Arbor in tow. Finally, they stood before a rather brightly color store amongst the rather old-appeared buildings, newly built but still made with a rustic look in mind.
"Come on! Let's get the biggest bowl!!" She beamed, finally releasing her grip on the student and using both hands to swing the door open. Inside, was all pastel and bubblegum, with cardboard bowls set out for the taking and machines with levers, ready to pour out yogurt at the ready. (Not exactly yogurt, but her mother never told her the difference.) On the walls and in the counter were mouth watering toppings of every kind. "I bet I could make a bigger swirl mountain than you!"

The cashier at the ice cream shoppe seemed touched by the vivacity of the small girl, a feeling quickly extinguished by locking eyes with the less-than-pleasing visage of Arbor as she was pulled forward. The orange-hoodied girl grabbed a modestly sized cup, giving an overwhelmed bite of her cracked lip at the variety before her. "I'm not that hungry," she announced, though the steady murmurs of her stomach came to life as her eyes made their ways around the assortment of toppings and treats; granted, most she'd never tried before, but the bright colors did catch her fancy. Was the taste as vibrant as the display? She tried her hardest to convince herself she didn't care.

She put a hand feebly on a lever, one labelled 'vanilla.' Curiously and hesitantly, she dragged it down. The loud mechanical noise that came from the machine startled her, however, and she dropped her empty bowl.

In response, rather than picking it up, Arbor instead smashed it under her foot.

"This is stupid," she spat lowly, and marched her way out of the store. Like a horse with blinders, her eyes kept straight ahead, and no one in the door dare put themselves in her gaze. A customer that had been reaching for the handle outdoors stopped himself and stepped back to let her pass.

ooc;; in 1898, Brooklyn merged with NYC to form present City of New York, John Philip Holland achieved successful test runs of the first modern submarine off Staten Island, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain, and Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium.

If the older girl had said anything at first, Serenity hadn't bothered to notice at all, rushing up to the counter and grabbing the biggest bowl they had. She ran straight to the swirl machine and pumped out an enormous pile of chocolate and strawberry swirls, certainly more than enough for any sane adult to eat, much less just a little ten year old girl. It made no matter to her, and while Arbor find herself increasingly frustrated with the machines, she was already throwing on m&ms, oreos, and enough other sweets to send you packing to the dentist.

She'd set her bill on the counter when the loud snap of Arbor's own cup drew her out of her ice cream daze. "Hey, where are you going?" She called after her, glancing once more St the ice cream man before taking off after her, leaving her change behind. There was no time.

The lastest costumer let the door shut behind them and Serenity squeezed her way through at the last moment, spotting her new friend quickly and jogging up after her. "Heeeeeeyyyyyyy! You forgot to get your ice cream!!"

She didn't forget, all right. Arbor kicked a pebble, the stone rocketing into a tree and skipping violently to a collision with the bark, splinting the wood. She didn't bother to watch, marching right along. The girl was hoping that her violent exit would scare Serenity into leaving her alone, but it seemed the kid was dense as a wet sponge. She clenched her fist and kept moving. If the girl came any closer, Arbor would clobber her, she'd really give it to her good. She had to learn there was no use coming up to bad looking people in the real world and trying to give them favors. There was no use going up to people like her.

ooc;; in 1906, the San Francisco earthquake and fire killed nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city. Henry Ford became President of Ford Motor Company.

Serenity sputtered off to a slow halt behind the girl, watching with wide eyes as the stray pebble went shooting off against the tree, practically breaking it in half! ... In her eyes, anyways. 's-so cool.' For a moment, to Arbor's credit, she did hesitate, shuffling around back and forth on her feet, looking down at her ice cream and back in the direction of her small school. It seemed like a good idea to leave the grumpy student alone then, but at the same time, it felt so wrong. She had to cheer her new friend up, and ice cream made everything better!

"It's okay if you forgot," The little blonde cooed, stepping around and staring up at the older girl again, holding her bowl up higher for her in offering. "You can have some of mine!"

Arbor was a volcano. A notch below having steam begin to leak from her ears, she tried her hardest to walk fast without actually running. Nevertheless, this girl with (only slightly) shorter legs than her met her step, and not only that, circled her and caused her to stop. Ready to knock the girl over the head, she opened her mouth to speak. The little girl spoke first.

Instantly, all her anger melted away like ice cream on a hot day. The girl stifled and closed her mouth, then opened it again, an uncomfortable range of emotions going through her and the development of her processing them clear on her face. The clench of her fist lessened, her fingers unraveling with the occasional resistant twitch. She breathed, but it was a long breath, almost a calming breath, and she looked over Serenity like a tower, despite only being a hair taller than her.

"Okay," she murmured lowly, mechanically.

She still really wanted that ice cream. As aggressive as she was, her juvenile curiosity prevailed. She had to erase that.\

ooc;; in 1907, US President Theodore Roosevelt shook a record 8,513 hands in 1 day. Hershey Park, founded by Milton S. Hershey for the exclusive use of his employees, opened. Harry Houdini escaped from chains underwater at Aquatic Park in 57 seconds

The small girl could have bounced up and down out of sheer excitement, that is if it didn't put her dear bowl of strawberry and chocolate wonder at risk of splatting across the ground. Serenity managed to take in a deep breath and shake most of it out, grabbing Arbor's hand again with little issue and pulling her towards the tree that was assaulted not a few moments before.

"Lucky you, I grabbed two spoons!" She held one plastic, bright yellow plastic ware out to her, way too proud of her supposed forethought. (In reality, it was a total accident that happened in the girl's rush to hurry, but the super cool big kid didn't need to know that.)