Skeleton City // PSL

[birdsbirdsbirds]

They call it the "Market", and it's always buzzing like a hive. The vast caverns are warmed by the hundreds of bodies all hauling, shouting, pitching, laughing, exchanging things from one hand to another. Even more people stroll up above, their voices lost in the tangle of bridges made of stone and wood and metal. The place is lit by dozens of electric signs, spilling brightwarm colors where the hanging lanterns cannot reach.

There is a lot to look at. One person seems to trade a bolt of rich red cloth for some nails and hinges. One man is trying very hard to convince another that the chicken he is holding is worth at least three bags of grainmeal. And then there is whatever Phalanx is holding, which they most certainly did not trade for, and it most certainly leads to someone reaching out over their stall table and grabbing them harshly by the arm.

"Hey, you little theif!" Says an irate, heavy-set woman, "What do you think you're doing?"

Comments

[pileofspirits]

Without the usual sorts of things that would interrupt someone's focus--physical needs, social pressures, weariness--who knows how long Phalanx would sit there and sew if left indefinitely to their own devices. Once they get going, they seem set and ready to continue doing so forever.

They form quick little stitches, if not the neatest or most deliberate, and soon there is a seam of white thread running down their arm, sewing the wrap to itself.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

At least they won't be losing it any time soon--though it doesn't escape Robin that it will also be a bitch to peel that off of Phalanx if he ever has to clean him up again.

"Are you having fun?" He puts the minor annoyance aside, kind of pleased just to be watching them work.

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx doesn't look up from their work or answer with words, but they do smile to themselves, as if they're hearing a nice thing from far away.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Is he going to have to break him out of it? It seems a shame, they're having such a nice time, wherever they've gone. But eventually they're going to run out of things to sew--and Robin is a little concerned that they may just start sewing a sleeve to some other part of their coat without noticing.

So he crouches down to get on Phalanx's level, speaking to them again, a bit more pointedly. He sounds amused.

"Phalanx, where are you now?"

[pileofspirits]

"Work," Phalanx immediately replies, as if it really should be obvious.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"Oh, well." Robin shrugs with a bit of a laugh. "Fair enough, I guess."

He gives them another moment of peaceful sewing before bothering in again.

"We do have to move on, though. Can you finish that up later?"

[pileofspirits]

You let a kid have a toy, give them a project, and then want to take it away again? Phalanx does finally pause in their task to look up at Robin, but they seem pretty uncomprehending about it. Big, confused brown eyes wondering why Robin would even be asking something like that.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

They could almost make him feel bad, with eyes like that. Even if those aren't the eyes that Phalanx is usually wearing.

"You can't just sit in the dirt and sew forever."

[pileofspirits]

Yeah, this line of logic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Phalanx looks down at the ground, all the dust that they're sitting so happily in, and just look up at Robin again like the words coming out of his mouth are nothing but gibberish.

They don't see whatever problem Robin seems to be seeing, here.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"I'm serious..."

Though he says this with half a laugh again, which doesn't really sell his argument.

"Come on, put your pins away."

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx frowns, but maybe that instruction is simple and direct enough to not seem so daunting. Putting pins away--okay, they can do that.

They don't unthread the needle or undo any of the work that they're still in the middle of, but they do tuck the needle safely into their sleeve beside to the others.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

"There now, that's good."

With their tool tucked away, Robin stands up again, pleased that they're moving in the right direction again.

"I promise that you can go back to sewing once we're done at the market."

He will hold a hand down to them, hoping that the direction is simple enough for them to know to take it and join him up here in the world of people who aren't sitting in the dirt.

[pileofspirits]

Yes, Phalanx seems as though they might start trying to string words together or put the effort toward thinking hard about something, but Robin's offered hand keeps them from getting bogged down in that.

Instead of arguing, Phalanx takes Robin's hand and follows him up onto their feet.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Robin helps them stand, committing the whole scene to memory. He doesn't know if they'll be able to tap into that memory again later, or if they're even away that they'd done it in the first place--but that will be the next experiment, for when they're settled away from the prying eyes of others.

He also gives their hood a polite little tug, just to keep any color-changing or face-morphing away from the eyes of casual passers-by.

"Good. We're going to get you a skirt next, I think that'll be easier."

Still holding their hand, he begins leading again, pulling them along the streets formed by the rows and tents.

[pileofspirits]

They might lose hold of the memory that they've just been pulled from, but the focus and agency that has been drummed up is at least still partially going. Once they're up and moving, Phalanx notices all the things that Robin is carrying and is drawn toward them. All of those lovely wraps and blanket, they now want them on their body.

So, as they're lead on toward their next destination, Phalanx starts reaching for some of the bundled-up cloth that Robin is carrying.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Robin is a little surprised when he feels the tug under his arm, looking back at Phalanx to see them grabbing at the bundle.

"You want these?" He assumes, shifting a little so Phalanx can at least take the wraps from him. The blanket is something he's inclined to hold onto a little longer.

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx seems perfectly happy with the wraps. As they continue their walk, half of Phalanx's attention wanders as per usual, observing their fascinating surroundings while the other half quietly busies itself with the bits of cloth.

Robin can get a glimpse of how the creature might have ended up in the tangled maze that he'd originally found them in, as Phalanx begins wrapping the cloth around their arms, tucking it under and tying it around their coat sleeves as they go.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

The nice thing is that, with the addition of that coat, Phalanx doesn't look all that strange. If they go any higher, the strange collection of spirits could arouse suspicion due to his appearance alone, but on the ever-mingling market level, he blends in pretty well. The addition of a nice-looking coat means that the mismatched arrangement of sewed and tied wrappings, as well as whatever else they find to drag around with them, are just... quirky additions. Tons of people here are dressed in things that look more found than strictly purchased, anyway.

Speaking of that, Robin takes them around a corner and down another row of people selling bottles, vegetables, one even seems to specialize in live amphibians. But Robin seems to be leading Phalanx directly towards a misshapen tent that's more... a piece of old tarp draped over a bent metal frame, with pointy bits sticking out where pointy bits probably shouldn't be.

There's a small woman sitting at the corner of this construction, cross-legged on the ground, hunched over a metal drum. Her clothes are ragged, but fairly well-constructed and utilitarian. Her face is painted in strips of stark black and white, making it hard to guess her exact age, but she looks mean--and she also looks mostly preoccupied with the steady, surprisingly complicated succession of quick beats she's striking on her drum with some kind of double-ended stick.

[pileofspirits]

Everything is interesting when it's all new, so Robin will have to remain an active lead if he wants the both of them to end up at the same place. And Phalanx is fine with being lead--they can pay even less attention to where they're walking when someone else is minding that part of the travel.

It's only when they're getting quite close to the ramshackle tent that anything changes, and it's that their feet begin to drag once they get a good look at the frightening woman and her drum.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

The dragging does not go unnoticed--Robin slows as well, turning back to see what it is that has his pile of friends distracted now.

"What's up?"

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx isn't distracted this time--just very definitely watching the woman with some amount of visible concern. And if Robin slows his pace, that gives Phalanx permission to lag all the way to a stop.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

And now the both of them have stopped. Robin follows Phalanx's glance towards the woman, then looks back at them with a slight tilt of his head.

"What, she scaring you?" He ends the question with a tiny smirk, even if he doesn't mean to.

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx glances to Robin, and either because of his smirk or the question itself... they frown a little bit.

Yeah, she might be scaring them.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

His smirk turns into a smile as he chuckles a little, under his breath.

"Don't worry, I know her. She's going to let us in."

He takes a couple of tentative steps in her direction again, giving Phalanx's hand a small tug to suggest they follow him too.

"I'll do the talking. You'll be fine."

[pileofspirits]

Phalanx doesn't dig their feet in, so they let themself be led forward... but they don't seem particularly reassured about it. They probably wouldn't be able to explain why they're unnerved, of course, and they're probably thinking hard to figure it out as they're pulled closer.