InsaneJournal

WHO: Lilly Desange & Illyana Rasputina
WHAT: Looking for Mama.
WHEN: Mid-afternoon.
WHERE: The park, to start with.
RATING: TBD
STATUS: In Progress
NOTES: Some spoilers for "Mama" are behind the cut. Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled.

After spending the night with people she didn't know, even if they seemed perfectly nice, Lilly had woken with the determination to find Mama. Crawling out from underneath the bed she'd been given, as Lilly hadn't slept in an actual bed since she was one and wasn't going to start now, she had made her way to the nearest window and peered outside. Mama was out there, somewhere. Lilly just knew it. Maybe even Victoria, too. She just had to find them. Then, they could all go away together and be a family again.

Ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that whispered she wasn't supposed to use the window, but rather the stairs, when she wanted to go outside, Lilly did precisely that. A few moments later, she was on the streets. Almost immediately, someone noticed her and tried to approach. Which a loud screech, coupled with a swiping of her hand as though she were some sort of wild cat trying to claw them to pieces, she had scurried away as quickly as she could. A few moments of running later, the yards she was cutting through went away and Lilly found herself at the entrance of a place that made her really and truly smile.

Trees. There were trees everywhere! Giggling, she reached out and ran her fingers down the trunk of the nearest one, craning her neck to peer up at its top. The leaves were mostly gone, the branches covered in a light smattering of snow. The look was so similar to that of the forest that she'd called home that Lilly felt positively giddy just looking at it. Mama was here. She just knew it.

"Mama?" she called out, making her way with steadied steps further into the park. She caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye and, smiling, turned toward it. "Mama!" she exclaimed, running toward whatever was up ahead. Unfortunately, as she drew closer, she realized it wasn't her mama but was just a playground, filled with giggling children having a snowball fight. Lilly whined in the back of her throat then immediately dropped into a crouch amidst the snow-covered shrubbery in order to hide when a few kids turned toward her. With a wary gaze, she watched as one of the adults began moving toward her hiding spot.

By the time they reached where she was crouched, though, Lilly was already gone. Back through the trees, deeper into the park, she ran and ran and ran until she finally reached a clearing. Coming to a stop in the middle of it, the six-year-old turned in a slow circle and peered upward with a curious gaze. "Mama?" she tried again, head tilting a bit as she listened for any sort of response. When there was none, Lilly's lower lip trembled and she sniffled as she slowly dropped into a crouch in the snow. She was going to stay there, she decided, until Mama found her.

Hearing the crackling of underbrush as someone approached, Lilly glanced over her shoulder with wide, curious eyes. She held her breath, prepared to bolt at the first sign of danger or trouble, but stayed where she was until the interloper revealed themselves. After all, for all she knew, it could easily be Victoria coming back with a promise to never leave her and Mama ever, ever again.