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[right][b]Interactions:[/b] Loni [@Fernstone] Gideon (Indirectly) [@NoriWasHere] Destiny & Latoya [@Evil Ghost Note]
[code]Thursday November 24th, The Hollow Tap[/code][/right][hr]
Oh.

Um.

Whoopsie?

To say that Paloma immediately realized her mistake gave her too much credit. It took getting hit by a couple of waves first before she completely allowed clarity to wash over her. The first sign that she’d beefed it came when Vin’s first instinct wasn’t to pounce but rather to pass off a frozen toddler. The fact that the toddler was in stasis served as a second sign–it’d still be wiggling and oh-ee-ahing if it had just been an extremely stout doppelganger. However, it was only when Vin started hollering at Marco that the third and final piece of the Fisher-Price puzzle clicked into place. 

Sister. As in Vin’s sister. As in Vin’s twin sister.

Paloma felt herself go flush. This wasn’t her fault! Vin had said they had a sister, but they had never said it was a twin sister. That’s something a person should mention. Paloma was pretty sure twins were obligated to tell everyone that they ever met that they had a twin to avoid things like this happening. That was especially true when there was a doppelganger epidemic! Shit, this was so awkward. Shit, she had just abused the Samaritan’s power in public. Shit, Gideon was here, wasn’t he? 

Think quick, Paloma, think quick. No way they could pin this back on her, especially if she pretended to be caught in the Bystander Effect too! She froze. Well, kind of. Her rapidly blinking eyes darted around the room, realizing that the others would’ve already seen her move when she had taken Luciana. Okay, new plan. She was a dungeon master, after all. She was a pro at making plans that didn't pan out and improvising from there.

[color=00FA9A]“Oh, er, wow. How, uh, did…how did this happen?”[/color] said Paloma with a stilted delivery. She looked down at Destiny and Latoya. [color=springgreen]“Ha. Ha. Did you…do this? Wow, that’s–that is–this is…so. Crazy. Ohmigosh,[i]neverseenanything. Likethis. Before?[/i] Oh, excuse me, I should return this kid.”[/color]

Nailed it. Super believable. Super genuine. And those bitches back in the drama club had always insisted that she work stage crew. Paloma bolted away from them and made a beeline straight towards Loni. Certainly, she just wanted to reunite mother with daughter and definitely had no intentions of clam jamming–[color=ff7360]“You can’t stop me from sleepin’ with someone if I wanna and they wanna."[/color]–[i]OH MY FUCKING GOD! Vin, teach this motherfucker that family’s off limits.[/i] 

Paloma moved to run distraction, quietly praying that Vin wouldn’t completely cripple Marco. 

[color=00FA9A]“Hiii, hiiiiiiiii,”[/color] squeaked Paloma, hand held out for a shake while the other one balanced Luciana against her shoulder. [color=00fa9a]“You must be Vin’s sister. Vin just never stops talking about you. Honestly, it makes me almost crazy with jealousy, I mean, it’s just so nice.”[/color]

Except they forgot to mention one VERY [i]IMPORTANT [b]FUCKING [u]DETAIL[/u]![/b][/i]

[color=00FA9A]“Y’know, we’re actually neighbors. It’s so weird that we never met. Love your outfit, by the way. Pink is my favorite color,”[/color] said Paloma, shifting Luciana’s dead weight with a groan as the words flooded out of her mouth. [color=00fa9a]“She’s perfectly fine, by the way. Gosh, the way kids grow up so fast you kind of wish they could stay like this forever, y’know? Just kidding, I’m sure whoever did this had no ill intent and will fix it like-eek!”[/color]

Paloma froze again as Gideon called her out, her grip tightening on Luciana. Suddenly she felt like she wasn’t much older than the statue in her arms as Gideon scolded her like a child. It was only as he turned his attention to Vin and Marco did she thaw ever so slightly. In fact, she was starting to run hot. Girl? He had called her girl? She was damn near thirty years old. Nobody had the right to call her girl, especially not some geriatric, limp-dicked, trickle-down economics boomer who forced everybody to kiss his fucking ring just so that they wouldn’t go hungry on Thanksgiving. If Loni wasn’t completely distracted by the woman suddenly holding her child hostage, she might catch the string of incredibly colorful expletives Paloma bravely mouthed behind Gideon’s back. 

[color=FFFF00]“So enjoy your flirtin’ with anyone but their fucking sister…”[/color] 

On second thought, Gideon was okay. Just as long as he didn’t…

[color=FFFF00]““Now, girl, unfreeze my guests.”[/color]

…girl her again.

The crowd reanimated. A half a dozen heads or so, unnoticed in the crowd, turned toward Paloma. A few chairs scouted out. A couple of men stood up. And then, as an adorable ball of energy began squirming and Paloma’s thoughts turned towards the actual girl in her arms, they all went back to normal.  The atmosphere became lively again as chatter and laughter filled the air.  People argued about football and complained that the free turkey was a bit dry. A few people grumbled about having lost their fork. Children began slaving away once more at ruining what had once been delicious baked goods, overloading the gingerbread turkeys with icing and sprinkles. 

Paloma smiled down at Luciana, bopping up and down with her and forgetting for now just how good Gideon’s head would look in a basket. 

[color=00FA9A]“Hi, Luciana. Oh, wow, you’re just too precious. Look, there’s mama. Say hi mama. Hiiiiii mama,”[/color] said Paloma, finally handing the abductee back to Loni. [color=00fa9a]“I’m Paloma. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”[/color]

Now how soon was too soon to ask about somebody’s dead baby daddy?