((LOL, maybe I should call someone in here to clean this up. XD))
"He is old, age is hard on the human body." Mack offered, chuckling faintly. "But never mind. He'll be happy on some level to sell some tickets. And I think there is an show with Cary Grant today. I am, I confess, fond of Cary Grant. He is, I think, a good actor, and one hopes a good man, in his time. It's harder to have faith in the actors I see today."

((lol!...maybe? ^^; though I'll behave now and not type separate OOC posts lol...))


Malachi shrugged. There he was again making some mention of the human body...if the boy were wiser or perhaps more suspicious in his observant ways he might've wondered why Mack chose to word it just so. But instead he merely let it roll right off his shoulders. He heard "it's hell getting old" often enough from adults. And he knew that his mother had had a rough time. But he was not old so he could not know the truth of it.

'Oh, yes, he likes it better if I can pay at least,' he signed awkwardly while still trying to clasp his sketchpad and Mack's hand. The boy smiled. He was pretty sure he recognized the name. He liked a few different actors but tended to get more attached to the stories and characters of each movie. Sometimes it was just nice watching people and faces on the big screen and being part of their story without having them react cruelly towards himself. He wasn't really sure he had any favorite. There were a few he didn't like! After all he was a young boy...too much mushy romance made him grow bored and wrinkle his nose!

((Heh, yeah prolly a good idea. C_C. Man I always wonder what Mal would do if he saw Mack's back as I originally drew it. Nothing like a little open view of 'spine, muscles and ribs' to make your day. Can't figure out how he ever would though unless he walked in on Mack in the shower or just out of it.))
"Most people do." Mack chuckled softly. The boy probably didn't understand yet how important that could be, or how much the theater itself probably relied on it, but then he doubted as well that the boy had much source of income as it stood.
He was fond of Grant for his flippant sense of humor and voice, the way he was fond of Astaire and Rogers for their incredible dancing. If he had been like them... beautiful people, skilled people, things would have been so much different. Malachai, he thought, had similar potential to bloom past his lack of a voice, but he required encouragement, maybe help, like a peony trying to bloom.
As they left the diner again to return to the theater, he started humming. Some half remembered tune who's lyrics were in Italian, and of which he could only remember snippets in the back of his mind.
This proposed employment...if it was really offered, should he take it? Or should he chastize himself for dangerous attachments and shy away? But damn it was hard to live without ever growing close to someone.

[[OOC: oh goodness! he'd likely flip...screech if he COULD just because he'd be scared....and he'd likely fear Mack was really hurt heh.... lol and man, I'm wishing I knew more about history and the "times" so I could have better input when you mention like Cary Grant and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers lol]


Malachi glanced up at Mack and then blushed and chewed at his bottom lip as if he'd been chastised. The boy understood that he should pay if he could to go to places...like the theater and getting food in the cafe. It was why he strayed from most places besides Desre's bar and the theater. He didn't really have money except for that what he was given. As the mute saw it though, he wasn't harming anyone hiding away in the shadows watching the movies....so....and he did pay as often as he could. He didn't like to "cheat" about things if he could help it. But nor did Malachi enjoy complete silence and detachment from the world going around him. Indeed it was oft rather cruel and harsh against the lad but there were joys to be found. And he just ....well it was human nature to want to be around others.

The young boy glanced up again as Mack started humming, tilting his head as he watched the big man, quick-stepping along to try to keep up with the taller male's far larger strides. He wondered what the tune was? He hadn't heard it before that he remembered....but Malachi liked it. It kind of sounded like a car motor or a cat purring...he'd heard that a couple of times. Desre and others hummed..he'd heard it before...but something about Mack made it sound like some big ole machine...but it sounded pleasant to the boy's ears. He crooked a little grin, trying to hop occassionally to the beat.

Mack noted after a beat or two that the boy was trying to keep time to his song, and fought a smile at the edges of his mouth, raising his voice slightly, wishing he could remember the tune better, though he gave Malachai an amused wink. It was, he thought, maybe a love song, though he'd picked it up early, without even knowing what it meant until later, so the words hadn't stayed with him so well.
Still, at least things seemed to have taken on a better mood.

((XD It's ok, I know about them becuse we used to watch a lot of old movies and stuff. Watch Father Goose if you can find it, good Cary Grant. :)
*Mack trying to explain that no, in his case, it's perfectly fine that you can see his spine. XD*))

[[ooc: oh dear!!! double post again heheheh.... lol I'll keep my eyes open for it ^^; if I can find it. I suck at history and whatnot...I tend to forget or get all balled up with history facts >< lol even if Mack tried to explain it I'm not sure he could convince Malachi that it was "ok" lol ^^; ]


The boy blinked and looked up as Mack started to sing a bit louder. His facial features lit up as he smiled at the large man, shifting his hold on his sketchpad as he bounced back and forth from foot to foot hopping along with his companion's song. They were a peculiar song and dance routine but it was a cute on in its own right.

Malachi seemed to have forgotten his previous assault by the bullies. He'd put it far from his mind. Instead he was here with this other outcast. And though Mack was so very big and still so much a stranger and thus intimidating to the youth, he was also being so nice. Mack was letting him stick around and actually interacting with him. The boy suddenly let go of Mack's hand and bounced in front of the big guy, trying to trot to keep in front so he could keep ahead without falling over. 'Are you having fun?' he asked, an eager glint in his large eyes.

((I just asked someone to clean it up. I think it's some kind of hiccough. If you hit post and it imediately comes up with a message saying 'you have to wait x time between posts', save your message but assume it already posted a copy. Thats what I'm noticing. X_X
XD and I don't know that Cary Grant counts as real 'history' just yet.))

"Yes, I am." He admitted, after a moment of thought, slowing his pace slightly to make it easier on the boy. He had to concentrate slightly to be sure of his step, unaccustomed to making sure many others could keep pace. "You look as though you are as well."

[[ahhhhh.....well hopefully it can be all fixed up then ^^; hmmm those lil dragon things in siggies seem really hard to keep alive o.O ]


The mute blushed, hoping for but not exactly the plain and positive response. Malachi gave a silent, little chuckle. He skipped in step with a bright boyish glee. He'd not actually believed he'd made anyone happy for so long!!!! Desre was happy for his help sometimes but he didn't really think she was always happy to have him around. On pure instinct the boy just turned and threw his arms around Mack's tree trunk of a leg and gave him an awkward hug nearly tying them both up for a crash.

But the mute bounced back scrambling to keep from toppling. He gave a sheepish grin and then shrugged. 'You are nice to me. And you are giving me gifts though I don't know why. Thank you very much! Very, very much! I want to give back if I can!'

((Bleepiding browser eating my breepeding posts...))
It probably would have been easy enough for the towering giant to continue steaming along, in spite of the young anchor on his leg, though he obligingly stopped, waiting until Malachai had released to smile and keep moving. "You do quite a lot. It means as much for me to have a freind as to be one. We are the lonely sort, are we not?"

[[it was eating your posts? o.O ]]

Malachi blushed, seeming uncertain he did quite a lot. The boy tried, certainly. He scuffed his dirty, damp shoe to the ground as he nibbled at his lips. He plod along beside his towering companion shifting his grip on his sketch pad, hugging it close as he smiled up at Mack. 'You'd call me a friend?' he asked, that hopeful glimmer sparkling in his large eyes once more. The expression alone answered the older man's question. Indeed they were lonely sorts. The mute longed to have companionship...to have someone to interact with. He was a young boy...he wanted to laugh and play and share with others. He didn't quite catch on to what Mack was meaning by his words, but Malachi smiled shyly, nodding.

'I am lonely a lot,' he admit.

((Just a browser glitch on my end I think. X_X And a cranky laptop in one case.))
"I would." Mack agreed, smiling again. "We might hurry. I think the rain will start again in a little while." He was sensitive to the promise of lightning, which was an almost parental comfort to him, but not so much for many, and usually not to children. Much as he was more likely to be struck by a bolt than Malachai, he didn't want that headache, metaphorical or otherwise.

((Just a browser glitch on my end I think. X_X And a cranky laptop in one case.))
"I would." Mack agreed, smiling again. "We might hurry. I think the rain will start again in a little while." He was sensitive to the promise of lightning, which was an almost parental comfort to him, but not so much for many, and usually not to children. Much as he was more likely to be struck by a bolt than Malachai, he didn't want that headache, metaphorical or otherwise.

[[awe!!! *pets*]]

Malachi blushed brightly and had it not been for Mack's encouragement that they hurry, the boy might've been prone to attaching himself to the big man's leg once more in an impromptu embrace. 'You are very nice,' he replied shyly, smiling softly as he chewed at his lips once more. It was a wonder with the fact they'd just eaten that he fussed at them so! One might've thought instead all he ate was his lips!

Even excited at the prospect of having a friend--and being called a friend to someone--the boy glanced towards the sky at the mention of more rain. He didn't really feel like getting drenched all over again...and his sketchpad had already seen enough torment for one night. He cast a glance at Mack and then stuffed his drawing utensils into one patched pocket on his worn coat. Gripping firmly onto his sketchpad the boy smirked and then tapped the big man's leg before sprinting ahead as fast as he could. If they were going to hurry...then why not race?

Mack stood for a moment to blink in surprise, sorting out what had just happened in the blink of an eye before realizing that he was being challenged, not fled from, and he jogged after. He was pretty sure that if he made an effort he could probably have easily overtaken the boy, just on basis of leg length, but his intents weren't so much about that, the small victory meant far less to him than he imagined it would to Malachai.

((hmm. Ok I can definitely see some car action here, now the question is do we have Mack total a car or not. *rubs chin*))

Brakes squealed and the brassy blare of a horn gave notice to the fact that cars, in spite of all efforts, find it very difficult to stop a ton or so of steel, plastic and glass on a moments notice as an alarmed driver attempted to come to a stop without hitting Malachai, and Mack stopped pretending to be slower than he was, putting on an explosive burst of speed as he threw himself forward to try and snatch Malachai from the path of the cars bumper. Even if it just meant putting himself between the car and Malachai, though if he couldn't also grab the boy, hitting the boy with his own weight could be just as detrimental as the car hitting him, perhaps a little less, but at many times the boys bulk...

[[yeah I left it kinda open just in case....yay for drama? ^^; hehehehe..... hmmmmm.....well we could always flip a coin? hehe]]


The mute was luckily not deaf even if had been somewhat blind to his surroundings. Wild-eyed, he spun towards the sound and let out a silent screech of shock and terror as he gasped. White-yellow electrical light filled his vision, leaving the boy confused and blind as any deer caught in headlights. On pure instinct he dropped his sketching pad and lifted his hands to try to shield his eyes even as he cringed away from the pain of the noise and light.

Somewhere within the depths of his mind, Malachi scolded himself. How foolish he'd been!!!! Not watching where he was going!!! How many times had his mother told him to always be careful of such things?? He'd gotten so caught up in the strange joy of having someone actually take interest in him and hearing that word....friend!!!!....that he'd lost track of his street cunning.

Frightened and confused, the boy leaned back the way he'd come, trying to curl away from the car coming his way like some sort of shying animal.

((Did a coin flip, Mack just escapes having to discuss if the guy has Insurance vs Frankensteins Monster. XD))

The sudden grip of enormous hands might for an dizzying moment not feel much different than the impact of a car bumper, nor the sensation of being yanked from the ground as though he weighed nothing, though while it likely knocked the wind out of him, it was considerably less detrimental to a persons health as Mack, with Malachai pulled close to him as though he were holding a ming vase during the running of the Bulls, flung himself in front of, and then past the car, eating up ground in enormous strides, and nearly sending startled passers by, some of whom had paused to gawk in vulturelike awe, sprawling. He'd come so close that he'd felt the vehicle brush his clothing, and scuffed the heel of his shoes on it's tire...but it hadn't hit them. Which was nothing short of a miracle...and the unholy, perhaps unintended power his father had instilled into him. Still, even for Mack, it was enough to leave him gasping from the rush of adrenaline, enormous hands and powerful muscles trembling slightly, like an alert racehorse.
He hadn't grabbed the sketch book, which he looked back to, shivering slightly, lying in the road where the car had passed over it, the driver trying to unclench their horrified hands from the steering wheel and function enough to find out if they'd actually hit something.
If they stayed it would make the driver be reassured... but if they stayed, he'd feel more exposed. He didn't want to be exposed. The more people noticed him....what if someone took a picture?
"Are you alright? We should go..." He murmured, still holding the boy close, as peoples tongues loosened and they began to gasp and chatter.

[[lol that'd be an interesting insurance claim! ;P ]]

Malachi winced as he felt the contact, too confused and scared not to know that it was his would-be protector instead of eminent death colliding with his small frame. His breath exploded from tiny lungs with a puff as his head spun. Pain and panic errupted along all his senses even as the boy lost touch with what was going on, uncertain if he was alive or dead, dying or saved. His world spun and rushed all around.

The mute panted heavily, instinctively clutching to Mack with unyielding death grips as strong as his tiny fingers could manage. He didn't even hear the man's words, shaking like a dead leaf in a tornado against the older male. Tears welled in the young boy's eyes and spilled down his cheeks unbidden.

((I can see it now: no officer I swear! It wasn't an tree, there was this huge guy!...
If you want btw you can do stuff with the croud, otherwise Mack's gonna wander around and look for Desere's I think.
Mack: @[email protected];;;;))

Mack made soft shushing sounds as he backed away, putting his head down and deciding it best to retreat for now. He wanted to retrieve the notebook, but he wavered, uncertain. From his own standpoint, it didn't seem as important as departing, but then he was no artist...and finally after a few moments of hesitation, he bulled forward again to snatch the sketch pad off the ground and keep going, still holding the terrified child close in one arm, the sketch book in the other. "It's alright." He reassured, still walking, head bowed slightly as though that would make them invisible. "It's fine. Every thing's fine."
He'd mentioned a bar hadn't he? Perhaps now was a good time to take him to more familiar arms. He could still hear peoples voices, their shock and amazement as they rationalized what they'd just seen, and what was walking away, waiting any second for a hand to pluck at his sleeve, waiting for someone to assume that the boy had run into traffic from fear, not a race.

[[lol!!!! indeed! hehehehe.... likely a good idea to head in that direction heh ^^ though no doubt Desre won't be exactly happy to hear what happened heh]]

Mouths gaped and whispers flew. The driver at last managed to pull themselves from the car and inspect for damages...and survivors...in absolute shock. Some folk rushed to aid the bewildered and terrified person while others clustered together. Luckily the streets had not been overly crowded in the first place and the growing gathering was trying to chitter with each other to discover just what had happened as much as those that had indeed witnessed it were growing further involved where they could. A couple of people moved towards Mack and Malachi trying to cry out after both--knowing neither--to see if they were ok...some cursing for the lack of attention on child and adult's part for being able to otherwise prevent the accident in the first place.

Malachi was too shaken up to attempt a response even if he could've spoken to anyone. All the boy did was pant and cling tight to his guardian, sobbing in silence. As reality slowly filtered back in the mute realized he was not dead. He could hear Mack's voice whispering to him and knew too that the man was there. Fear from his brush with death started to melt and meld instead to anger at himself and fear of what others would think. How dumb he'd been! He'd almost gotten hit by a car....! Why oh why hadn't he paid attention?? Now he'd caused a lot of trouble....and just after he'd been making this big strange man smile and laugh and call him a friend...and now this...?

Malachi began to cry all the harder, his tiny body quaking with the mute wails as he crushed his face against Mack's breast.

Others tried to catch up with the pair, were astonished that all the huge man did was stoop to pick something from the ground and walk away. They were confused, some angry, some curious at what in the world was going on. One woman rushed over to them, trying to reach out to catch Mack's attention, inquiring if the man and child were alright.

((mack getting clobbered with a bar broom...XD))
Mack, still shivering faintly and rubbing Malachai's shoulder gently, trying to do so without dropping the sketchbook, did his best as well to look smaller, ducking his head again to hide the scarred side of his face from the Samaritans view. "He's fine, I'm going to take him home..." He promised. "He's just very frightened. He was only excited...." His own deep voice sounded a little rattled, as it settled just how close they'd come to being hit by the car, shuffling his feet and remembering the clip that had scuffed his heel. Too close for comfort.
He was half tempted to relinquish the boy into hands that could take him to make sure he was alright, and half defensive, unwilling to relinquish an like soul into the hands of normal people.
Malachai could probably hear the huge mans heart beat, an deep thunder like racing horses from alarm, but it might sound a little different, though it would take time, probably, for how different it was to register, a massive body powered by two hearts, not one, and one of the reasons he was particularly glad not to have been struck by the car, because he would have found it necessary to refuse any help as long as he was able. "Shh, look. I got your sketchbook...." He offered, still rattled, glancing warily at the woman and debating continuing to move past. "Malachai...."

((Stole that from Koontz's version, instead of the original. He's a very mixed breed Frankenstein.))

[[he has two hearts then?? interesting! hehhe...I mean heck I knew he had a big heart most definitely ;P heheheh....but not two cool! hehehehe..... oh and btw did you ever reply to the thread with Lea and Pen and Seifer yet or no? I haven't checked on it in awhile to see if ya had o.O lol and oh, something tells me a bar broom wouldn't do much against him anyway lol]]]


The woman screwed up her features trying to look at the boy. She could see no blood or outright damage...on either so it seemed that the stranger spoke the truth...still it seemed... She shook her head and frowned. "Are....you his father? Guardian?" she tried to pester. Malachi would've whimpered if his voicebox would've made any noise. He simply curled away from the woman and nuzzled his face into Mack all the more, trying to hide the fact he was crying...trying to simply hide. Part of him wanted nothing but to cling to the protection of the huge man's body as it created a physical wall against the world trying to pry in and part of him was scared to be with Mack just then. So scared of what he'd almost done....and how the man might think of him now. He kept repeating 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry' within his head though he could not bring the words to his finger and thus "aloud" to the man. Instead he simply remained lost in his trembles, sniffling as his savior mentioned the sketchbook. Malachi tried to blink and peek out at the notion....having forgotten all about the thing....and being quite shocked Mack had somehow gotten it.

He peeked out at the woman, making a sour face and tugging on Mack's shirt instinctively--away from the stranger, before he turned to press his face back into the other man, too scared and shy of being a spectator sport any further than he was already.

((C_C Er, no I hadn't yet, I keep letting that one fall by the wayside.
Yeah the Koontz version had two hearts, among other improvements, though later versions were flashier. In this though, as far as Mack is aware he's the only one.))

"Guardian." Mack answered, refusing to change his grip on the boy, though he did move to pin her with one yellow eye, the other still largely hidden by his hair. He was half tempted to demand how she suspected him, but that would only draw more attention. Where, he half wondered, was this Samaritan behavior when the boy was being chased by bullies. "And you are?" He demanded, forcing a suspicious growl into his voice, as though he mistrusted her intent. Pretending to be mortally offended that she thought he might be a human sort of monster, though theatrically he did allow her to see the boy's clinging, half convinced that even if he let go the boy would hang there.

[[d'awww.... it's ok I just like wondered heh ^^; oooh that's really interesting ^^ I'd never known hehehe..... "as far as Mack knows" ? ooooooh do I hear a "dun dun DUN!!!!" ? lol ]]

The woman blinked and stepped back visibly with an aghast expression. As if startled by his curt reply or perhaps he was simply that intimidating. They'd just escaped possible death, one might not expect a person to be on their best behavior but.... "I...I was merely concerned...." she stammered. Though even as the woman glanced down at the way the child clung she had to wonder if she was not going to get much out of the pair nor really help by trying to do so. An exclaimed shout and ruckus from behind where the thick of the crowd still gathered stole her attention briefly and if it was for any time that Mack and Malachi were to make their escape it was likely then.