𝚒'𝚖 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠

       “ i’m the DOCTOR -- i’m a time lord ! i’m          from the planet gallfrey, in the constellation           of c-- CARBURETOR ! “

               there’s an excitable pulling at the peachy                 windbreaker, clearly meant for someone                 a BIT bigger than she -- it brushes karen’s                knees as she does her pint-sized fidgeting                 dance. GLEEFUL.

“You’ve gotta hurry, Karen!”  Karen’s question makes Shapey blink in curiosity at the current object of his and Block’s affection.  IS IT string?  He tilts his head to the side a bit in the hopes of getting a better angle only to pout a second later when he realizes they aren’t looking at string!  He can understand why she would think it’s string though!  String IS pretty cool!  “NOPE, it isn’t string but it IS awesome!  It’s gonna blow your mind, Karen!  YOUR MIND!”  He claps his hands together!

“YEAH!  You know how we’re always talking about bugs and butterflies and stuff and bugs and butterflies?!  Well, we found a BUTTERFLY!  It’s a pink and yellow butterfly too!  Has that ever happened before, Karen?!?!  I don’t think so!”

       “ WOW ! i’ve never EVER seen one like this          before ! “

            she uses a flat palm to push the hair from her face as             karen studies the graceful little creature, perched so             CAREFULLY on a lone daisy. it’s probably one of her             favorite things she’s seen all day ! no, all week !

       “ we should give it a name ! like melvin. “

            the girl uses ONE very, VERY gentle finger to touch             the butterfly’s multicolored wing -- it FLUTTERS a             a bit in response and karen BEAMS.

@littlcstmccormick​

“KAREN!”

“C’mere!  We’ve got something really cool to show you!”

    “ i’m coming , i’m coming ! “

           the TIP of one sneaker swipes back and forth            to catch the mulch of the playground before            karen allows herself to repel from the ladder            of the slide.

     and then she’s RUNNING over to the duo,      slamming into the grass next to shapey      and block -- it’s okay, these jeans have      PERMANENT grass stains anyway !

@littlcstmccormick​​

“You have to go home at some point, Karen: we have school tomorrow!”  Trust me when I say the last thing Wendy wants to do is send this precious little girl back to her abusive parents but she can’t keep her here.  She wants to…. but she won’t.  “— Put your coat on.  Please.”

     every single PROMISE karen made on the       way to wendy's house is forgotten as soon       as she announces the growing lateness of the       evening --  i promise this time when i have to       go i WON’T be sad !

               “ but -- ! i’m not ready yet ! “

            but it was HARD because wendy’s house was always             really NICE. nobody yelled at her, or made karen feel             invisible there. it felt safe and warm and whole in a             way that didn’t come from the mccormick household.

     “ do you ever get he feeling that --

“OOF—- too much… love… for one girl— I-I can’t… I’m going down—!”  And down she went with her arms wrapped tightly around her little sister.

  and down they go ! into the grass, and karen    plasters herself on top of the older girl. arms    wound around around wendy’s chest and    SQUEEZING her in a vice --

“ —– One kiss equals five hugs, Karen!”  Wendy holds her arms wide open.