circling your head

[cawky]

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.]

Comments

[culver]

[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.]

[cawky]

[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?

[culver]

[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.]

[cawky]

[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.

[culver]

[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.]

[cawky]

[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?

[culver]

[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?

[cawky]

[When she asks the question like that, she might notice him swallow a little awkwardly as he shrugs, body language subtly closing.]

Nah. Unless you're trying to point out subway musk that I'm missing. I didn't even go down there.

[He hadn't done much more than take a few naps inside a coffee shop or two when exhaustion had taken over his stubbornness, so it didn't really count. His shades hid the bags under his eyes pretty well.]

[culver]

[Nill's lips press together as she tries not to laugh at his joke, because this is actually a pretty serious matter. She doesn't like it when any of her friends are in trouble. This counts as trouble. Her wings flick, betraying her agitation. She can't tell if he hadn't been serious about the hobo remark, or if this is just a way to play it off as no big deal when it might actually be. The most she can do right now is play along.]

No you do not have subway musk. I would be a little upset if you did since you have friends who do not throw tantrums over stupid things and would give you a shower to use.

[This is probably the closest Nill will ever come to saying something mean about John Egbert.]

[cawky]

[That statement makes Davesprite scoff in laughter, which he almost feels bad about. However, he does notice that she didn't laugh at his joke, and that she's trying to be serious. That only makes him want to keep the jokes up, of course.]

Yeah. That'd be pretty lame.

[Still, the wound was still fresh, as was his bruised pride, so he doesn't admit to his hobo tendencies. At the mention of other friends, he gets a little more serious. This was probably his chance to apologize.]

Dunno about the shower gig, though. Subway musk is all the rage with studs who also happen to be shitty friends.

[culver]

[She hadn't expected him to bring up the elephant in the room again so soon. The blonde shifts, her grip on his arm tightening for just a split second before she corrects herself. Blue eyes focus on the wall behind him for a few moments before she can actually look at him. She doesn't know if he means he's a bad friend for kissing her when they'd been older, for almost immediately trying to make her regret it, for not alerting her earlier to the possibility of him being an actual hobo, or all of the above.

No matter which it is though, she isn't mad. She can't be. Having time to think about at leas the first two options, she can understand what his rationale had been, even if she disagreed.]

Too bad I do not know any subway musky studs who also happen to be shitty friends.

[cawky]

[There's no hint as to which one he's referring to, but he doesn't bother fighting her when she rebukes his claim. Dave simply doesn't have the energy after what had went down the past few days. The tightening grip doesn't seem to bother him, but judging by the way he doesn't answer her quip, he's having trouble agreeing with her.

Not because of what John had said (ok, maybe a little), but because Jade had been hurt by it in the process.]

[culver]

[Without a response from him, she's at a loss of what to say. At least his silence confirms for her that he's been having issues with finding a bed to sleep in. Or at least that he hasn't been going back to the house with his friends. She wonders why nobody told her.

Nill's head dips a fraction as she looks away. She doesn't drop her hand, maintaining contact for the conversation. And because it doesn't feel right to yet. What she really wants is to tell him that it's okay, that she's here to help him if he needs it. But it isn't as if she can just outright say it, of course.]

Are you hungry?

[cawky]

[Its likely because he's managed to avoid all contact with trolls aside from Kanaya, who had probably been sworn to secrecy. He hadn't actually told anyone but Jade that he was planning to leave, so that had probably been another factor.

When she mentions food, his head lifts a little. He had been keeping fed well enough when he remembered to eat, but it had been a few hours since his last meal.]

Always.

[culver]

[A hopeful smile quirks the corners of her lips. Maybe a good meal will relax him a little. At least he feels a little warmer, she thinks. Or maybe it's just because her hand has been in the same spot for the past minute or so.

She nods, and moves back towards the cupboard to grab a few things: chocolate, a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers. If he hasn't figured it out already, they're going to make s'mores in her stove. She sets everything on the nearest table-like surface and heads back to the cupboard to grab two metal rods that will serve as marshmallow roasting sticks. She is a super classy girl who understands food groups. Or maybe just what mike someone feel better when they're down in the dumps.]

[cawky]

[At this point, Davesprite finally pulls a chair near the stove so he can sit, fully preparing to put his feet on the nearest surface where there isn't food or danger of catching his pants on fire. Once he's given the metal rod, he'll take a second to pop the marshmellow on, but if Nill tries to do something similar, he'll playfully parry her attempt with it.

Either way, he's glad to have something sweet to chow down on, so if she happens to look up, she might catch a tiny grin.]

[culver]

[S'mores are a pretty standard snack for her, even if she doesn't look it. A possible perk of being genetically engineered in a test tube. The sweet tooth is something that's come naturally, though. It's probably Danny's fault.

Fortunately (unfortunately?) for Dave, Nill has actually had a considerable amount of training with swords--specifically, Naoto's katana, which she'd brought with her during her first (and so far, only) port-out. So with a grin, his parry is met with one of her own as soon as he tries to start roasting his marshmallow. She doesn't even try to hide her smile, eyebrows raising almost with a challenge.]

[cawky]

[Davesprite clearly appears surprised, though not in a negative way. He scoffs audibly and moves his poker aside slightly, letting a grin leak past his usual facade.]

Woah woah...s'cuse me, princess.

[culver]

[Feeling successful, she slides a marshmallow on to the end of her roasting stick and makes to move it towards the fire again. On the way though, she gives his poker a nudge, metal clanging against metal lightly. She's full of surprises.

But ladies first, Dave.]

[cawky]

[When she nudges his poker, it springs into action, trying to butt it out of her hand and into the air -- if that happens, though, she will get to enjoy Davesprite's nearly failed attempt to try and catch it while simultaneously trying to beat her into roasting his marshmellow.

Someone in this room is a quality human being. Guess who it isn't.]

[culver]

[Damian would be ashamed if he could see how easily she'd been caught off guard. But who expects a sneak attack from a friend who has already been bested? Nill scrambles forward for a second before realizing that he's trying to catch it, which prompts her to back up a little so he doesn't smack her in the face with it if he misses. It's a close call, but he manages, and she's impressed in spite of herself.

Except he has her marshmallow and is on the fast track to getting a s'more before her. The blonde ducks around him and tries making a grab for her roasting stick.]

[cawky]

[This escalated quickly. Now Davesprite is struggling to keep his balance, lean away from Nill without dropping her marshmellow, and roast his marshmellow all at the same time. Its not really working, as evident by the shock crossing his features when Nill comes at him to try and rescue her captive sweets.]

[culver]

[She's comin' at you, bro. Not really, she doesn't want to send him toppling. Nill isn't a very solid human being, but throwing all of your weight at someone is a pretty good way to knock them off balance. So yeah, good thing she isn't doing that.

Instead, she's stretching up on tip-toe, reaching upwards to try and grab the rod higher than where he's holding it, or at least rescue her poor marshmallow. She doesn't see his face, too focused on her rescue attempt. She hasn't stopped smiling.]

[cawky]

[And suddenly, he stops fighting her and lets her have the poker, because he has more important things to do. Like get graham crackers and chocolate. Davesprite will be smugly doing that with his golden brown marshmellow, struggling to keep the smirk out of his expression. It doesn't work.]

[culver]

[Wow that was easy. But--oh no, he's beaten her to the s'mores! Nill puts on a pout, but it isn't at all serious. She moves in front of the stove and starts roasting her marshmallow. Except what she does is a sad excuse for roasting; she pretty much ends up with is a slightly warm, slightly gooey lump of sugar.]