Ahh! I love all of you (:
The Thing followed Columbia like a lost puppy to the room her and Magenta shared. In fact, she wasn't far off from a lost puppy. Her eyes were large and sunken, brown and permanently frightened.
Colombia squealed, happy she had a new-found friend who hadn't found her annoying. Or, if she did, she wasn't saying so. "This will be really fun," she rambled, "really, really fun. We don't need Frank! Do we?" She sprawled out across her bed, sighing in contentment. The Thing followed her exact movement. Columbia smiled at her, an idea suddenly popping into her head. "You need a name!"
The Thing also smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
"Oh!" Columbia recoiled. "What, was he making, a vampire or somethingup there?"
Any trace of happiness vanished from her features. Although she didn't understand a word, the tone of voice Columbia used probably reminded her of a certain someone who would much rather be forgotten.
"I'm sorry," the groupie said. "It's just...Frank really screwed something up this time." Gently, she cuffed the Thing's jaw. "But you're cute."
She smiled again, and this time Columbia wasn't frightened. "Okay." She sat up from her comfortable position and leaned her back against the wall, the creation following suit. "A name. First things first. Name's Columbia." Columbia pointed a thumb at her chest, and then held her hand out. "Shake."
She stared at the pale hand in amusement.
Columbia took the smaller hand in hers, trying to ignore its strange clamminess, and shook, mindfully, up and down. "See? That's what you're supposed to do when you meet someone new."
A look of understanding came across her face. "Columbia," the Thing said, its voice a whisper, raspy and quiet.
"Yay!" Columbia clapped in pure happiness. "'Kay, your name. How about..." She scratched her chin, unusually deep in thought. "Can't believe the Master hasn't given you one. Well, I'll just call you Illinois, 'cause that's where I'm from, where my name is from."
Illinois' face was blank.
"Get it? Columbia, Illinois! Haha!" She burst into a fit of laughter, smacking her forehead. "I'm so smart. When did thathappen, huh?" Columbia carelessly threw her arm across Illinois' shoulders. "We're gonna be best friends," she muttered, more to herself than her companion. Truth be told, Columbia really hadn't felt so good in a long time. Illinois reminded her greatly of the pet mouse-Minnie-she had when she was a child, maybe nine or ten years old. Of course, Illinois was much, much different from a mouse. But the same idea still applied. You have to feed it, love it, clean up its poop. Illinois was going to be a big responsibility, indeed.
And then suddenly, Columbia did notfeel so good. Since when had she ever been a responsible person?
"Columbia," repeated Illinois, her voice slightly louder than before. "Columbia, Columbia, Columbia." She nodded her head and began chanting the name over and over, until to Columbia, her name didn't even sound like a real word anymore.
"Okay, that's right," she squeaked. "I'm Columbia, and you're Illinois." She tapped the creature's forehead. "Ill-i-nois."
"Illinois," she said. She possessed a strange accent, so faint it was barely noticeable. But Columbia tended to notice what others didn't, and it sounded almost like Frank wanted to make it similar to his, but it was a definite failure, the sad attempts of a perfectionist.
"I'm like a mother," Columbia mumbled. She had always fancied herself a mom, ever since she could hold a doll in her tiny little hands. There was a rag doll she had since the very day she came into the world, a scraggly old thing named Nancy. It must be around here somewhere, Columbia was certain she took it with her when she moved in with Frank. Maybe Illinois would like to keep Nancy. Isn't that what mothers are supposed to do? Teach their kids, help them through breakups, and give them their old toys?
Quite suddenly, Magenta waltzed in, unaccompanied by her brother. She had a way of sneaking up on people that was downright unnerving.
"Ahh!" Columbia squeaked, clutching at her heart. She gestured to Illinois. "We were having a moment, 'Genta!"
Magenta clearly was not impressed by Columbia's new friend. Perhaps she was jealous? Colombia highly doubted that. The domestic was not known to ever be jealous, or pay much attention to anyone but herself to even notice a quality on someone else that could spark envy within her.
"Dinner," she said in her regular, monotone voice. "Yours tonight." She gave a very quick smile to Columbia, and then a very quick sneer to Illinois before turning on her heel and taking off.
Turning to Illinois, Columbia grinned. "Birthday dinner!" she exclaimed, leaping off the bed and rushing to her secret stash of crazy hats even Magenta didn't know existed. She took out two birthday hats, tossing one to Illinois, who of course didn't realize she was supposed to catch it.
Columbia put her hat on and, suppressing a sigh, bent down and retrieved her friend's hat. Carefully, she placed it on Illinois' head. Her hair was softer than it appeared, and Columbia just couldn't wait to fix it up, give her a complete makeover.
"Birthday dinner!" she said again, taking Illinois by the hand and rushing to the kitchen.