maskormenacelogs | don't be scared i don't bite

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don't be scared i don't bite

WHO: Sasha Blouse & Will Graham & animals
WHERE: Will's place in Heropa
WHEN: This weekend
WHAT: Sasha came back and needed to talk to Will about a few things, so naturally he's making her some birthday food.
WARNINGS: Will update if necessary.

[Nothing too fancy today, though Will's rather convinced Sasha doesn't require her food to be fancy. Tuna salad sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, and corn on the cob might have seemed like a lot, but considering there were plenty of others in the house who could gnaw on any leftovers, Will didn't consider it that. Will, who's since started using an apron, though it ends up tied around his front instead of looped over his neck more often than not. Will, who already ate one cupcake so Sasha has a small set of five waiting for her. The other was a dud, totally, a weirdly-shaped lump that was not worthy of Sasha.

He's all decked out in the usual plaid and ill-fitting jeans when he answers the door, some residual flour hiding underneath his nails. Difficult to spot, unlike the slap happy grin that overtakes his face when he sees her. He might not seem like the most hug-prone person, but he looks like he could be. Even with the raccoon not too far behind him watching them both with mild interest, Will is definitely happy to have her come around.]

Hey. [One word, three letters, laced with fondness that is far beyond something so small.] Glad you're here, come on in.

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[ Sasha doesn't care too much about how her food is presented or how fancy it is. All that matters is that it's edible and the majority of food in this world may as well be deemed fancy in comparison to the military rations she's had to live on for the past three years when she wasn't stealing meat from her superiors.

Now that she's had a couple of extra days to refresh herself, she doesn't hesitate to look Will in the eye and beam back at him when he greets her at the door. She might look just a tad tired, but who wouldn't after the transition from one universe to another? ]

Thank you for having me over. [ The raccoon is still a jarring presence, though she doesn't panic and instead waves at it. ] Hi you. One of you.

[It's just a sunny day, then, as Will's smile grows when he looks back at One of you, holding the door open so she can step in.]

That's EAR. [Despite being more than familiar with the little fuzzy bandit (who might actually wiggle his paw in a way that could be taken as waving), Will still manages to inject some disbelief into the name. Yeah, he knows it's odd. Trust him, he knows that anything named EAR, even as a nickname, is odd. He had problems with it at first, though that related to a sink and there's really no need for Sasha and he to go back to sinks.] He keeps me company in the kitchen when I'm not playing music he doesn't like. You're looking well.

[She's in one piece and a little tired, that's pretty damn good for having poofed as long as she did, in Will's opinion. Sasha's already seen the house so he doesn't stop to point anything out or hurry so she doesn't catch sight of something out of order. The slow gait is all to do with being pleased Sasha is back, therefore having no desire to rush anything. Back and tired is better than the alternative.]

[ At the very least Sasha is well aware the raccoons aren't going to make her sick or bite her. She's been here before and nothing went awry. No rabies or bizarre rashes and/or allergies!

She's glad to see Will looking and acting the same. If there's anyone she's not that shy to turn to it's him. Dr. Crane has been helpful as well, but as typical of his profession he attempts to get to the root of whatever problem Sasha has in an invasive manner. Sometimes she doesn't want to have to deal with that. ]

I've rested and I'm back at work. They let me keep my job. [ Which she's glad for. ] April isn't home?

[As long as Will is around, those raccoons won't ever make anybody sick. For each dog or cat that gets a visit to the vet, damn right a raccoon rides along to make sure the whole family is healthy. And speaking of the family...]

Not right now. Everybody else is out, should be back soon enough. [Unless something goes to hell in the meantime, of course. He's never thought Sasha would have issue with being in a home alone with him, doesn't have one himself...and technically they aren't alone. There's plenty of animals around.] Good to hear about your job. If you wanna have a cupcake first, I'm not gonna tell anybody.

[Welcome to adulthood, Sasha, Will says by pointing in their direction. Does Doctor Crane make cupcakes for belated birthdays? No? Because he's a jerk, stay Team Graham forever.]

I'm not actually that hungry. [ Worried that might sound worrisome, she quickly adds: ] Yet.

[ There's the half of her longing for a sweet treat, but the other half reminds her her stomach is still feeling queasy. She doesn't want a repeat of the sink scenario. The first time was embarrassing enough.

Her fingers find the end of her blouse, not tucked into her shorts and fiddles with idly as she thinks about what she might be able to stomach. ]

Do you have tea? I missed having that. It's expensive back where I'm from.

I'm assuming you mean the hot stuff.

[Lightly, a little smile still playing over his face as he pulls out a for-visitor's cup from the overhead shelf. The tea kettle he whips up from the back burner looks about as new as the cup. Yes, he remembered what she had last time, and yes, he already went ahead and made a fresh batch just in case. Some might argue this a thoughtful gesture; Will wouldn't be among them, not really.]

You can have a seat if you want. [What's with the fidgeting? The odd lack of appetite? Hell if Will knows, but he keeps his eyes off any signs of tension, pouring her tea and handing it over without any awkwardness or nervousness on his end.] Go ahead and make yourself at home, I doubt anything's going to jump in your lap.

I know it's a strange request considering the weather, but it feels like I haven't had it in forever.

[ She does make herself as comfortable as she can, taking a seat on one of the kitchen chairs. She gives her ankles a quick rotation before she comes to a still. ]

How have things been?

[ Now that Sasha's been back for a bit, she's had the time to scour the network for an familiar faces and take note of other ones that haven't made an appearance in some time. She learned a while back how to double-check whether a name on the network has gone offline. She only wonders when Annie was ported out and what effect it may have had on Will. ]

[Strange is rather in the name of this house, and while Will is reaching into the fridge to pour himself some holy cold sweet tea, he doesn't find it too odd a request. Some people simply like their tea hot, same as some people like ketchup on their fries and some like fries on their own merits. He's quick to put the jug back in place and take a sip of his preferred tea, giving him a reason to not speak immediately. Something tangible to hide behind as he figures out a way to say anything, or what there is worth saying.]

Same as usual.

[That's it before he leans against the counter across from her. Direct and vague at the same time, just how he's most familiar with. People come and go, troublesome events crop up, on large scales or small scales. It's to be expected at this point, isn't it? Sasha can, perhaps, glean from three words the exact effect disappearances have on him now—just keep swimming, so it goes, c'est la vie. Same ol' shit with different names attached. The secret is to know how things could end so that if they inevitably do...a few moments alone to grieve and perhaps a bit of grumpiness at the nearest member of the house are all he needs.]

[ Propping her elbows onto the table's surface, Sasha leans forward, setting her chin into her hands. She watches Will carefully, trying to get a read on him. Terrible things happened again, but he said he had managed to avoid getting caught up in those events. Has anything happened while she's been away? A month is a long time for nothing to happen. ]

You didn't do anything at all? Summer vacation's almost over.

[ Maybe he went on a trip with April somewhere? Took Kaneki fishing despite the fact ghouls can't eat regular food? Acquired new raccoons? ]

[He shrugs, fiddling with the cup in his hands.]

It's not really a vacation for us. We have to go to work and take care of responsibilities like any other time of year. [Adulthood, where summer vacation goes to die horribly. But, of course, Will isn't upset by it. He's not at all going to mourn losing out on a crowded beach. Too many people, better to go when the crowds have wandered back home if he has to go in the first place.] We all went to the Swear-In, that's about it. Guess I'm too old for much else.

[He's not upset about that, either, if the little smile on his face is anything to go by.]

[ Her expressions falls for a moment, considering the fact she's technically an adult now. While she doesn't know if she'll ever make it to be Will's age (how old is he anwyay?) in her world and she might die long before then, she knows she doesn't want to be in her thirties or forties being saddled with responsibilities that detract from having fun. There has to be benefits to growing old!

She sucks in some air, puffing out her cheeks. The pinnacle of a mature eighteen year old. ]

That's no fun. Sometimes it doesn't sound like there's a lot of freedom in being grown up.

[Puffed out cheeks is a fine look for an eighteen year old in Will's mind, Will who takes another sip of that tea before he pushes off from his spot. He slides around to a take a seat with one chair left between them, pulling a face that clearly tells her he's giving this some thought.]

Freedom isn't about fun. Neither is being a grown up. [He doesn't sound too burdened by it, shrugging. Will sets his cup down and gesturing with one hand before he crosses his elbows and leans against them, alternating from looking at Sasha to looking at nothing in particular.] Doesn't mean we don't have any fun, and what you think is fun changes as you get older. I didn't always enjoy crossword and number-placement puzzles like I do now. Had to. Grow into fully appreciating them.

[Crossword and number-placement puzzles taken into account, Will Graham is roughly 950 years old.]

[ She mulls over his words, still trying to picture herself at Will's age. Will she ever reach it? A few weeks ago she might have felt differently, but now it's up in the air. Maybe she won't be old and able to appreciate crossword puzzles because she'll be at the bottom of a titan's stomach. ]

There's no way I'll ever stop thinking dumping buckets of water on people or setting traps isn't fun.

[ No, if she grows old she still wants the freedom to do that. Preferably with Connie still by her side.

She takes a sip of her tea, now trying to determine how to cross over into the guardianship bit. She supposes she can't stall that forever. ]

Um, speaking of... being older, I mean... my documents here got my age wrong somehow.

[It's odd to think of worlds where that's an absolutely legitimate fear. Not that his Earth is so fortunate on a global scale, of course, but an army of children against giants who devour humans is a tad different.

He keeps it light, lets out a quiet, short laugh at her confession—she and April would get on just fine, he thinks. But then that last part hits and his face screws up momentarily as he looks over. Being older. Wrong age. So...she doesn't need him any more? No, that can't be right. That can't be what she's saying. She doesn't need him in an official capacity, he has no more standing or reason to be listed as her guardian. That's got to be it, just that. Not his dreaded abandonment. He thinks it's fairly obvious they get along well, and unless something very very drastic happened back in Sasha's world...what would drive her to agree to food and then cut all ties that bind?]

They did? [The surprise is a small one. Put on because it feels like something he would be right to show surprise at, and surprise covers up the sudden sloshing of emotions in his gut.] So...you're legally considered an adult now and don't need anyone to sign papers on your behalf?

[Particular phrasing delivered carefully because, well. He's fine not being needed for that but saying "You don't need me now, then?" even jokingly is just not in the cards. No point in taking a knife to his stomach again.]

Edited 2015-08-14 21:08 (UTC)

[ As cautious as the delivery is, Sasha's stomach tightens apprehensively when she thinks about how that's all come out on her end. None of this should be a big deal, right? All she has to do is explain that it's true, she doesn't need Will to sign forms for her. Somehow though, she feels... awkward about it, as if it marks the end of something that she's honestly not willing to part with. He may not have to play legal guardian anymore, however, Sasha can't deny she still needs his advice and help in this world. ]

That's right.

[ She surveys him carefully, trying to pick the right words herself. A hand slides up the back of her neck in one tentative motion. She scratches the base of her head. ]

It's so soon... I'm sorry! I should have made that clear from the start.

But um... [ She places both hands back into her lap, sitting up straight. ] This is not going to change anything, is it?

[He wonders why the apology, especially when she follows it up with such sweet, sweet words. Is there more that she isn't telling him, or does she simply feel it's the best course of action at the time? She doesn't owe Will anything, really, and he wonders, too, if she realizes that. Perhaps they both have similar issues with abandonment, and now that Sasha's lost so many of her people...Well, makes sense she wouldn't want to completely cut out anyone else. Could be a protective measure as much as it's one to show she does enjoy having a shaggy dogman around.]

No need to apologize. You've been bounced around by the Porter, that's enough to deal with on its own.

[Deal with, cope, same difference. Will knows how that goes. For himself, for those he cares about. It can leave a person disoriented, and uncertain what to share and what not to. It can also leave them eager to crawl into bed for a week and never come out, so Sasha being resilient enough to avoid that particular tactic speaks volumes. Will recognizes that and gets his tone in check, watches her as he shifts to drape one elbow over the counter, fingers interlaced. Casual but still treating this seriously with a gentle hand and a calm, steady voice.]

Being an adult changes what you can and cannot do. It'll change your limits and freedoms, and may change how some people see you. How they treat you, too. If you're asking about you and me, specifically, [he gestures outwards with his thumbs, shoulders tensing as he looks off like the answer is going to descend from the heavens carried by a winged raccoon, and then all tension vanishes with an exaggerated face of giving up on the wait for said divine intervention] don't see a reason for anything to change unless you want it to.

[ There's a rush of warmth that flows from her cheeks and down her shoulders to the tips of her fingers and toes. It's a tremendous relief to hear from Will nothing has to change between the two of them, especially when she's gone through tumultuous changes in the past few years. She's been forced to adapt over the years to changes that pushed her far out of her comfort zone, and though she's done well, sometimes it's nice for certain things to remain unchanging. ]

That makes me very happy to hear.

[ She twiddles her thumbs a touch nervously. She's not a secretive person by nature ― it's only that there are some things that are difficult for her to admit. Personal things. ]

A while back at home I found a child in a village nearby mine. A titan had killed her mother and I took her and ran. I told her it was okay to rely on people if she was weak or lost.

... sometimes, I think I forget I believe in that myself. [ Not the part where she's weak, though she knows she's not as strong as many of her friends. ] There are still things in this world I might not understand, so I'm sure I will continue to need your help.

[ And not just over learning watermelons are berries or about local hunting laws. She'll need Will's help for something always and if he's willing to offer, she's not going anywhere. ]

[The smile that answer earns her quickly shifts to a frown, shallow but still there, when she speaks of dead mothers, adopting on the duty of looking after a child. Even if Sasha only took her until she could find a better place, someone more equipped, for however long she ran, she might have been all that child had. And what did "child" mean to someone as young as Sasha, if not much, much younger? Much needier.

He's suddenly far more grateful he sent everyone out of the house. Sasha came from a world torn apart, or at risk of it, speaks of still caring for others, yet she's capable enough to admit she needs a helpful nudge from time to time. Perhaps that wouldn't be as easy to do if there were more people around, ones she didn't know and didn't know if she could trust to not find this...laughable? Weak?]

What you told her is absolutely correct. [His voice drops to match the severity of enormous not-people-but-still-people leaving orphans in their wake, fingers loosely clutching his upper arms as he leans against the counter more and keeps his eyes on her.] There are still things in this world I don't understand, too, you know. I have to rely on other people all the time.

[ Half an hour tops, maybe, but Will's correct. All that child had was Sasha, who luckily was a soldier in the Survey Corps, though still one young soldier without a proper weapon to fight the titan with. She remembers when she discovered a girl sitting paralyzed in the room, watching her mother getting eaten, she realized she had a choice: run and save the girl or let them both die. The latter was not an option she could take. ]

Really?

[ The fact strikes her as surprising. Will always seems assured in himself -- at least to Sasha -- and knowledgeable in the world around him. ]

Do you think we'll ever understand this world?

[His eyebrows lift, lips drawing together. Really really. One set of fingers taps along his arm as he thinks, mouth twisting as he savors his thoughts, his answer. He's assured that whatever he says now needs to be weighed carefully, needs to be a worthy answer—]

I doubt it.

[—or that, simple and blunt and honest. Will doesn't have any qualms admitting there are things he does not understand, things he thinks may never be understood. He takes an inward sort of pride at what he can understand, unfortunately, but there is no point in refusing to admit when he may be wrong or incapable. He thinks they're all incapable of truly understanding this world, and Will Graham quite enjoys having a boat that's full, being in the same category as everyone else.

Being common.

Being normal.]

It's not here to be understood. It's just...here. It exists, and we exist within it. Trying to understand more past that seems. Unlikely.

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don't be scared i don't bite

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