capeandcowllogs | circling your head

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circling your head

WHO: Davesprite and Nill
WHERE: Near The Abandoned Church
WHEN: Backdated to the nineteenth/twenith
WARNINGS: Teenagers being teenagers
SUMMARY: Davesprite's been homeless for a few days and is getting a little desperate.
FORMAT: Brackets

[By the time nightfall had hit, Davesprite found himself bouncing rocks off a trashcan. It had been a long day of naps in the park and trying to keep himself busy, most of which had been complete failures. Thankfully, Dave blended pretty easily when he wasn't in spriteform, so nobody bothered the kid in shades sitting on the porch with his chin propped up on his hand.

He had been taking spriteform to try and stave off the urge to sleep, but since coming to the city, the rules had seemed to change. Sleep was once again a necessary part of his condition, and he was starting to hate it.

Most of his anger at John had faded, but he had no way to return without feeling intensely awkward. So instead, Davesprite would continue to Be The Homeless Kid until further notice.]

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[Harvey coming back meant that the apartment that had been her and Kate's home for the past ten or so months was no longer safe. It meant that while Kate went to stay with Vic, Nill was more or less on her own. She'd promised she'd think about staying at the Avenger's Mansion, but she didn't really know any of them. It felt strange to ask them to give her a place to sleep when Luke and Danny had been gone for so long. So instead, she had gone to her actual first choice: the church.

Not much renovation had gone into it over the past two and a half years, but enough had been done to make it safer and easier to live in. Damian had helped with security, Heine with basic amenities when he'd still been around. Central heating was still far in the future with the stone walls, but a wood-burning stove never hurt anybody, right?

She'd taken the initiative a few days ago and moved the most basic things in, so when the time came to leave, she'd been ready. Just done with her shift, she's on her way back to the place that had been her first home when she hears the racket of pebbles on metal. It probably wasn't a good idea to look, but curiosity is something that usually still gets the better of her. At least when she pokes her head around the next corner to look, she recognizes Davesprite. For a moment, she considers continuing on--he'd helped her in Venezuela, but the sting of his words from the week everyone had switched ages still hadn't completely gone away.

Nill almost surprises herself when she starts towards him anyway, raising a hand in greeting, hoping he recognizes her even though her wings are tucked snugly beneath her winter coat.]

[There is a very distinct moment where it is obvious that Davesprite had looked up and noticed her, even with his shades covering his eyes. However, he indeed tries to look away in embarrassment for a moment -- which was stupid, considering that he had seen her wave at him already. There was no hiding from this interaction.

He'd have to swallow down his pride just for a second. Again, he looks up more readily, letting his hand fall out from under his chin.]

--you're out late.

[Wow that was stupid.]

[A slight frown crosses her lips at that first hesitant look, but she tries to push away her doubt. Maybe he just hadn't recognized her at first. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. He might have been a jerk, but he's still her friend.

Stating the obvious. Okay, she can deal with this. Something is up, she just has to wait until he gives a hint as to what it is. The blonde buries her hands in her pockets and continues forward, pausing just in front of him, nodding. Yes, she is. She dips her head towards him a bit, rebounding the observation. He's out late, too. What's up with that?]

[He shrugs halfheartedly, stuffing his hands under his armpits. They were cold. Another reason to stay in spriteform. But he wasn't just about to shift in the middle of talking to Nill. That would be awkward.]

Yeah, I know. Bored.

[Not a lie, but certainly not the reason he was out at this hour.]

[The body language isn't lost on Nill, but she can't tell if he's actually chilled or if it's just another defensive maneuver. Either way, it isn't entirely welcoming. But she tries not to take it personally. After all, it wasn't as if she hadn't been more than a little bit of a jerk, too.

Bored on a cold night, and he's outside flinging rocks at a trashcan. Sounded like he was having a blast. Brows raising, she steps closer to him so she can make a move to indicate that she'd like to sit too, if that's okay with him.]

[Davesprite moves sideways to invite Nill down to his level wordlessly once he interprets her body language, though his hands don't remove themselves from under his arms. It takes a lot of self control to keep himself from thinking about the cold. He should've grabbed a jacket before he had bailed. A few times, he had thought about going back and grabbing one (in addition to some of his stuff -- Dave must've been having a field day with his room, if John hadn't already set fire to it), but then remembered that he would probably have to pass Jade and John to do it and that just wasn't happening.

He shifts a little awkwardly to try and make it seem less like he was trying to avoid her -- he wasn't, even if his discomfort level was through the roof at the moment. Jade was only one step higher on the awkward scale to currently be around than Nill herself.]

[Deciding that he won't move his hands because he's cold makes sitting down beside him a whole lot easier. Except then she actually sits down and yeah, this was probably as uncomfortable for him as it was for her right now. Wow, this level of awkward is not something she'd been prepared for. But, being Nill, she soldiers through it, acting as if she doesn't notice because she hopes that he'll be able to save face somehow even if she sort of wants to get right back up.

Instead of reaching out with a hand, she flares an elbow until it's gently touching his arm. Over the past several months of meditating with Damian and learning to control her power, she's gotten to the point where she doesn't need skin-on-skin contact anymore. Besides that, Venezuela had kind of made her wary of using her power at all, if only because a part of her was afraid of the utter lack of control she'd had then. What if it happened again? It's why she establishes as little contact as possible right now.]

Sorry you are bored. Has that been happening a lot lately?

[He doesn't miss that, though Dave supposes elbow contact is better than the utter silence he expected from her. It makes him lift his head a little so he can look at her more readily without moving his hands too much.]

I guess, yeah.

[This is still way too awkward -- he knows that Nill had spoken to John, as he had read the entire post after he and John had fought in order to figure out what the hell his problem was. She's very aware of what had happened -- as much as a third party could be, anyway. At this point, even Davesprite himself was nearing a third party.

He almost wants to apologize for John's behavior, since it had apparently been his fault, but fuck that. He shouldn't have to apologize for him.]

So...uh.

[How does he even bring that up?]

[Talking to John had been difficult, even after he'd waited outside her workplace for who knew how long just so he could apologize. She'd been so upset with what he'd said--about beating up Davesprite without giving him a chance to fight back--that avoiding him had seemed the best option at the time. But one conversation had led to another, and she still isn't sure if telling him about her world and her past had helped anything or not. Nill isn't totally sure how to gauge if she feels better about it. Mostly, she just feels like it's probably way past time for her to open up a little more to her friends. John had seemed like a good start--he's probably the most understanding, the least likely to offer pity. At least, that was what she'd told herself. The decision had been impromptu at best.

She he makes a move to pay more attention to her, she copies the gesture, angling her body and inclining her head.]

So uh what?

Sounds like you've been doing ok. Rockin' down the house. Chillin' like a villain. Hangin' out. Doing that thing you do.

[Yeah, this isn't working.]

I mean, I guess that's how it goes. We haven't really gotten to sit and jam in a while.

[Because he was a dick. Not that he flat out says it, but the sentiment is there, evident when he picks up his hand and rubs the back of his head. The thing with Jade and John had kind of opened his eyes to how quickly and easily he could lose friends over doing nothing more than being himself.]

I guess this is a bad time for that?

[She lets him ramble at her without interruption. It's therapeutic, she thinks. Or maybe, for once, a way for her not to have to deal with a silence that she is suddenly uncomfortable with. Uncomfortable might be too strong a word. She just prefers the sound of his voice over having to sit and think about the level of awkward this situation could bring on.

Nill doesn't miss the implication, and it actually makes her smile. It's probably about as much as she'll get from him right now (possibly ever), and it's good enough. She's suddenly very aware of the cold and shivers once before turning her head slightly in the direction of her church.]

Now is okay. Maybe just inside though.

Insi--yeah. Inside's good.

[He cuts off his question, deciding it would probably be better not to put off talking about his state of housing as long as possible. Rather than give her chance to think about it, he moves to stand and slips out his hand wordlessly to help her up. He doesn't entirely expect her to take it, seeing as she had avoiding touching him with her hand when speaking to him...but it was the least he could offer.]

I'd say inside's cool, but that'd be counter productive.

[Cheesy puns were clearly a good option.]

[Inside is probably a good option, especially since she's suddenly very aware that she can see their breath in the air. When had it suddenly dropped down to Winter temperatures? It probably had something to do with it being dark, she thinks, automatically taking his hand. Her eyes widen slightly at how cold it is--how long has he been out here?

But she doesn't ask. At least her hand is a little warmer than his. It might help.

Nill doesn't let go quite yet, and jerks her head in the general direction of her church.]

Is there okay?

[She assumes he knows where she means, since they're already so close.]

[He turns his head to follow her gesture and nods wordlessly. Davesprite turns and starts to lead her with his hand still holding her's, but he only takes a few steps before releasing it without thinking and jamming his hands back in his pockets, shoulders hunching a little against the wind.

It isn't until they make it inside that he stops and turns to glance at her again, though his hands don't stray from his pockets. They're cold -- most of him is cold, though the walls at least help with bracing them against the wind.]

[Nill doesn't worry about him letting go of her hand. To be honest, she's sort of glad for the opportunity to put it back in her pocket, too. Most of the body heat she's running on is left over from being at work, but it's quickly being siphoned away by the night chill. Getting inside is a godsend, and she closes the wooden doors after them, letting out a short huff as she does.

When she sees his shades (not his eyes) looking at her, she offers a smile and gestures down the aisle towards the back of the church. It's usually warmer back there anyway, and it's where the sacristy is. Just a second after she points, she starts back towards it, wings rustling beneath her jacket, already uncomfortable from being squished against her back.]

[Davesprite lets her walk ahead a little bit before following after her. The smile helps, but he can't help but feel as if he owes her a bit of distance. Or maybe he needs the distance himself. At this point, he isn't entirely sure.

He does follow her though, slowly feeling a bit more at ease the longer he's inside.]

[The room she takes him to is small, but not uncomfortably so--at least, not for two people. Any more, and it might start to feel a bit crowded. There's a sink in one corner and a wood-burning stove in another, a bed pushed up against one wall, two chairs, and blankets pretty much everywhere (all folded neatly, of course). The shelves that used to hold wafers and wine are now divided between clothes, more blankets, and nonperishable foods. But it looks lived-in, cozy. Like a place one could easily hide in for an indefinite amount of time.

Without missing a beat, she heads to the stove, grabbing a few pieces of wood from a pile beside it and stoking the fire to get some heat flowing (the movements look practiced, as if she's done them a hundred times before). The chimney that leads up to the roof has zero cracks, which means no smoke at all--just the lingering scent of burning wood.]

[Davesprite seems surprised by the coziness of the area, pausing in the doorway and looking around for a few minutes before actually stepping inside. Instantly, he feels warmer, and he counts his lucky stars that he happened to run into Nill on her way back.

His shoulders stay hunched out of reflex, though after a few moments, his hands slide out of his pockets and his posture straightens a little.

He notices everything is pretty well stocked, and he frowns a bit.]

...don't you already have an apartment?

[Too late, she realizes that... none of her current friends know she's here. Hell, none of her friends know how much this church means to her and how safe it makes her feel. Cliché, obviously, but that didn't make it less true. It had been where she'd spent her first few weeks in the City, where Damian stayed when he was having family troubles, where she and Heine had spent time in silence with one another during his short stints in this world. Nothing but good memories are associated with this church (her church, where there aren't services anymore but people still came around now and then because they've heard that some days there was a real, live angel inside).

Once the fire gets going, she shuts the little glass door on the stove and slips off her coat, hanging it on the nearest chair as she lets her wings stretch and flap a few times before settling. It takes her a moment to turn to him and shrug, rubbing at her right arm with her left hand, a nervous habit she's never successfully managed to break. If he meant the apartment in the MAC, the answer was yes. But she can't stand to be there alone. It's not the same as the church, it doesn't feel as safe.]

Edited 2012-11-24 09:43 (UTC)

[He notices that and looks behind him as if to make sure they hadn't been followed before he moves a little deeper into the room. He doesn't bother sitting or...doing anything, really. Davesprite just sort of stares for a second, trying to figure out if he should ask this question.

He watches her wings flap, quietly suppressing the urge to shift himself.]

...did something happen?

[Her immediate worry is that he's going to think it was something Kate did wrong, which is the opposite of what had happened. Leaving the apartment, going to live in different places--it had all been done for Nill's protection (or so Kate said). But she doesn't really have a way to lie about it, especially since it's pretty clear that someone lives here.

So all she can do is nod. Yes, something had happened. And part of her is glad for it; the waiting had been the worst part, which is something, coming from a girl who had spent most of her life waiting for things. Well, mostly one trigger-happy albino, but there were other things she'd waited for, too. She smiles, trying to let him know that it isn't all bad, that she's just fine here. It was almost like being home again--except less dangerous.]

[Davesprite's shoulders sag a little. Of course something had happened, that was a stupid question. Maybe he was hoping not everything was going wrong, but that was obviously too much to hope for. On the bright side, it had gotten him an hour inside at least.

Or at least, he hoped she would let him hang around that long. He rubs the back of his head awkwardly.]

Makes two of us, I guess.

[Her confusion only lasts for a few moments. The pieces aren't that hard to put together: he'd fought with John, who lived in the same house. Of course Dave wouldn't go back, not after what had been said during John's tantrum. If one of her best friends had said those kinds of things about her, she probably wouldn't go back, either.

Nill's wings droop and she starts towards him, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his arm if he'll let her. Even with her resistance to contact over the past few weeks, she can at least offer this.]

[He let's her, if only because its nice to have the contact. He felt bad accepting it from Jade, and maybe a little with Nill too, but. It was nice.

But then he recognizes it as, perhaps, a gesture of pity and glances sideways at her.]

Wasn't looking to make you feel bad.

[Pause.]

We can hobo it up like bros. I bet I could hook us up with some moonshine.

[He was pretty sure Roxy didn't hate him yet.]

Let's skip the subway musk though, deal?

[No, pity is something Nill can't stand. It's an emotion she's been faced with far too many times in her relatively short life, and she'd quickly grown sick of it. Empathy is what she offers. She can feel sorry without feeling sorry for him. It's a distinction she takes great care to make--at least, in her head.

But his jokes get a smile out of her, and even a short huff that could pass as a laugh. Hobo it up like bros. It... doesn't sound incredibly awful. But could she even be counted as a hobo, having an actual bed to sleep in? More importantly: what if he doesn't? She doubts he'd go to Kanaya's house, and if he isn't staying with the other kids from his world...]

Have you been an actual hobo this whole time?

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