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Ib had fallen asleep at some point during their break from their trek.
They had been walking for some time, still trying to navigate the nightmarish Art Gallery to find their escape. The place was much bigger than previously thought, and Garry did not blame the little one for getting fatigued after so much traveling.
Hell, he could probably use a break himself. The location they chose to hole up in for the meantime seemed relatively safe, lined with bookshelves and a few chairs, and no paintings or statues in sight. So, he didn’t feel as frightened or like he needed to be in charge of keeping watch the entire time. He did make sure the door was secure before anything else.
It had been so long since they started, after all… He justified himself mentally. Alright, he would take the break and only feel a little guilty about it. First, he wanted to make sure Ib was comfortable. He gently re-positioned Ib on the love seat she chose as her resting place, moving her just so that she wouldn’t wake up with any cramps. He took off his outermost layer, tucking his frayed and tattered coat around her as she slumbered.
He felt… A little less safe without his coat, more exposed and vulnerable, but Ib turned in her sleep ever so slightly, adjusting to the new weight around her form as she curled up, seemingly relaxed. So Garry deemed the temporary loss worth it.
He stretched, not bothering to suppress a yawn as he himself began to loosen up. There weren’t any other chairs big enough for a person Garry’s size to comfortably nap on, so he resigned to a spot on the floor. He bent to sit down, leaning against the wall as he sighed. He figured the bookshelf in front of him would provide sufficient protection should anything happen.
It wasn’t a full sized one, just a little bit shorter than Ib when standing. It could, at least, be enough of an obstacle that would deter any attackers if he needed to gather Ib and flee. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath to calm down.
Although… After Garry had sat down to rest, he did not expect a pair of unblinking blue eyes to stare unwavering right at him after he reopened his eyes.
Right. He almost forgot about their company.
Mary was leaning over the bookshelf, elbows finding purchase on the wooden surface as she laced her fingers under her chin. He couldn’t tell if she was standing on a pile of books or standing on her tippy toes. Appearing out of nowhere, much like a jumpscare.
He jumped, hair frazzling much like a cat’s fur would as a defense mechanism when puffing up out of fear, a hand placed over his heart as if to stop it from beating. “ Christ , child, you scared me—!” He whimpered out, gazing back at her.
She did not move to respond to him, still looking straight at him.
Mary was… A peculiar kid. Tame blonde hair, a long green dress, and deep blue eyes that seemed like their only purpose was to stare unnervingly when directed at him. Also, he was pretty sure she hated his guts. Still a kid nonetheless.
She usually didn’t bother him, unless it was to antagonize him in the most childish ways possible. No, she was more often far too busy enthralled in playing games with Ib or spending a concerning amount of time tending to the twisted gallery as they explored.
The silence felt like it was stretching on forever, Garry looking at the girl with unease. Unsure of what she could possibly want, he made no move to get up, almost like he was scared of spooking her away. Maybe he was. Was she plotting something? He almost continued his little spiral of thoughts… Until, a voice cut through the quietness,
“Can you sing me a lullaby?” Mary asked, her voice sweet and soft.
… What?
It was clear she was ignoring his complaint of being startled, but… A lullaby? Was this a trap? Was this the real Mary? He wasn’t expecting her to ask such a thing of him. He didn’t think he ever would have, really, he just never imagined Mary would reach out for a lullaby, of all things.
Also, he didn’t know if he could sing a lullaby.
The question of why she didn’t ask for him to read a story instead died upon his lips the moment he remembered a certain erotica he had removed from Ibs grasp the second he realized what they had found. He would rather not have a repeat of that with Mary.
She held her stance. “Please?” She added on after the silence, as if remembering her manners would make him come to his senses and decide on a response.
“Ah, well…” Garry started, but could find no answer to give. What was he going to do? Decline? Tell her no, tell her to get lost? He chewed his lip. He could consider it… After all, what harm was there in singing a little tune for her? The worst she could do was mock him for it. And then he could easily stop and ignore her until their break was over.
The lack of retort caused Mary to tilt her head ever so slightly, blue eyes still staring him down.
No point in putting it off any further, he sighed. And so, he sang. He had no specific tune in mind, being caught so off guard by the request, but nonetheless, whatever he was producing came from the heart. His voice started off weak at first, leery and unsure of itself, before he truly got into the task at hand. His voice evened out, became smoother, definitely not a professional singer but soft enough that it worked. It was meaningful. It was a damn good lullaby.
And Mary had said nothing rude to stop him in his tracks.
Eventually, Mary had traded in her position of staring at him over the shelf to clamber over and lean against him, drooping her eyelids ever so slightly as she slumped. Asides from the initial surprise, he thought she could never get tired.
Maybe there was more to Mary than what meets the eye. Sure, she was an arrogant brat of a kid, but he realized that they were all stuck in the same crappy situation together. And with two strangers, no less. One of which was an adult man. Garry could understand why she was so put off, so incredibly skittish.
Without her harsh words and bold glares, as she quickly slipped away from consciousness, Garry saw that she was still only a child. She was the same as Ib. An unfortunate girl brought into an even more unfortunate predicament. Garry couldn’t fault her for the way she behaved. In her silence, she was peaceful.
He teetered off at some point, no longer holding the notes as strongly as possible, instead drifting into something more relaxed. Humming a tune, he re-positioned the girl’s head from his shoulder to his lap, figuring her body would be less sore if she was lying straight down compared to sleeping right side up.
Before he knew it, his fingers were carding through her hair. It was an act of affection he normally resigned from doing, reserving it only for Ib, usually when he becomes fussy about her appearance. This was almost no different, except for the familial feeling welling in his chest. He couldn’t help himself.
A soft sound parted from her lips, signifying her contentedness with the situation, and Garry couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Garry continued to hum, but he was no longer focused on that. Instead, he listened to the sound of Ibs breathing accompanying Mary’s in the room. Mary being mean be damned, he would be getting both of these little girls out of here one way or another. He would make sure of it, somehow.