![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A nod is all she needs. Collette nods in return, glancing back toward the ground. "Where're you staying here?" Where is about a room number. She figures he'll know that much, without her saying it explicitly.
"You know where Jesse lives?"
It's not like he needs to memorize the number, honestly. Everyone always knows where Jesse lives, so that's all the directions he's needed. If she doesn't know, they're both going to have a tough time sorting it out. But he could always give her directions from the cafeteria if he needed to.
It's not like he needs to memorize the number, honestly. Everyone always knows where Jesse lives, so that's all the directions he's needed. If she doesn't know, they're both going to have a tough time sorting it out. But he could always give her directions from the cafeteria if he needed to.
Which arm?
[ The one she's close to, duh. Of course. Nevermind. ]
Sure. [ It's a general agreement, soon followed by clarification a few seconds later. ] For both. It's fine.
[ Yeah, he's going to need the straw. ]
[ The one she's close to, duh. Of course. Nevermind. ]
Sure. [ It's a general agreement, soon followed by clarification a few seconds later. ] For both. It's fine.
[ Yeah, he's going to need the straw. ]
"No," she said slowly, "But it's got to be in the East wing. I'll figure it out!"
Huh. That's gotta be the first time he's met someone who didn't know where Jesse lived already. And honestly, with how intense Saul had been about the thing with Collette, he'd assumed...but no, that wasn't about Jesse. It was about Stephanie, wasn't it?
He shook his head, clearing it as best as he could. "I can give you directions from the cafeteria? Me and Peace spent a long time walking, you know? She doesn't like to go too far now. We haven't explored much."
He shook his head, clearing it as best as he could. "I can give you directions from the cafeteria? Me and Peace spent a long time walking, you know? She doesn't like to go too far now. We haven't explored much."
( Duh as the question might be, she respond automatically with the side she's on -- left, right, whichever. )
Try to tuck your chin in!
( She adds helpfully, making sure her wheel's locks are on before her other hand slides along the same arm she has a hold on. )
I figure if I get a grip on the shoulder opposite to where I am now, I can get you up enough and hold you there to get things settled.
( It'd be far, far easier if she weren't her, and weren't as she is, but that only stops Collette when it is detrimental to others, and not even then. (Fortunately, unfortunately.)
Her hand is at his opposite shoulder, sliding around the back of it. )
If you can hold on, go ahead. If you can't, no big deal!
( On a count down from three -- 3... 2... 1...! -- she makes the effort to pull him up toward a sitting position. (Thank goodness her hips and thighs end up keeping her anchored against her chair. Thank goodness the cot is sturdier than she realized.) )
Try to tuck your chin in!
( She adds helpfully, making sure her wheel's locks are on before her other hand slides along the same arm she has a hold on. )
I figure if I get a grip on the shoulder opposite to where I am now, I can get you up enough and hold you there to get things settled.
( It'd be far, far easier if she weren't her, and weren't as she is, but that only stops Collette when it is detrimental to others, and not even then. (Fortunately, unfortunately.)
Her hand is at his opposite shoulder, sliding around the back of it. )
If you can hold on, go ahead. If you can't, no big deal!
( On a count down from three -- 3... 2... 1...! -- she makes the effort to pull him up toward a sitting position. (Thank goodness her hips and thighs end up keeping her anchored against her chair. Thank goodness the cot is sturdier than she realized.) )
Hold on to what?
[ No, really, what?
But it isn't as difficult as it could have been. Once she starts pulling, he helps by pushing himself upwards with first his elbows, then his hands, pressed firmly against the cot. Going up too far, too fast, was the problem before.
He can stay propped up with some effort for her to settle pillows and such behind him, if she needs to. ]
[ No, really, what?
But it isn't as difficult as it could have been. Once she starts pulling, he helps by pushing himself upwards with first his elbows, then his hands, pressed firmly against the cot. Going up too far, too fast, was the problem before.
He can stay propped up with some effort for her to settle pillows and such behind him, if she needs to. ]
Welllllll.
Rin's bein' a little fussy regardin' keepin' up her trainin', so I need some incentive to lure her into a situation where I can show her she's still quite a way away from not needin' lessons anymore.
And out of all the folks she seems on good terms with, you seem the only one I could ask this without gettin' the wrong idea, plus the only one I actually speak with.
So I guess what I want you to do is pretend to be a hostage for me. Nothin' too big, maybe just a phony text or somethin' pretendin' to be in distress.
At least that way if she's too sore about it I'll just say I stole your tablet and did the whole farce m'self, no harm done.
[Said in the most casual tone ever, as if this isn't goddamned crazy.]
Rin's bein' a little fussy regardin' keepin' up her trainin', so I need some incentive to lure her into a situation where I can show her she's still quite a way away from not needin' lessons anymore.
And out of all the folks she seems on good terms with, you seem the only one I could ask this without gettin' the wrong idea, plus the only one I actually speak with.
So I guess what I want you to do is pretend to be a hostage for me. Nothin' too big, maybe just a phony text or somethin' pretendin' to be in distress.
At least that way if she's too sore about it I'll just say I stole your tablet and did the whole farce m'self, no harm done.
[Said in the most casual tone ever, as if this isn't goddamned crazy.]
She flashes him a smile, straightening up from her attempts at cleaning. "That'd be great, really! I'm pretty good with navigating." By landmark or description, her memory wasn't all that shabby for those sorts of things. "What about essentials? Toothbrushes, combs, stuff like that?"
( She asks him to, giving a squeeze of his arm and shoulder before pulling her hands back to herself. Unlocking her wheels, she executes a nice, tight roll and curve around backward to the nearest cot, nabbing up two pillows there in addition to the blanket already in her lap.
She's back with a little expressive whirl and movement of her hands, grin bright -- dimming slightly when she remembers he can't see. )
Two pillows coming up! Does your head feel wobbly on your neck? I'm by your left again.
( She says, chatting as she pulls the first pillow up and moves it behind him. The second follows suit, Collette chattering on about what she's doing while she's doing it. She's not sure what to do -- be default, she falls into a play by play, similar to the ones in her own head some mornings when she's motivating herself to get through a routine and on to something different for the mental exercise.
A final pat on the pillow before she pulls her hand out from behind him leads to a cheerful: )
I'd say go ahead and flop now, but that might be killer for your head. Here, I'm reaching for your right shoulder again, and my other hand's going to be behind your neck. Good thing you're not broad shouldered! I could never reach across like this if you were!
She's back with a little expressive whirl and movement of her hands, grin bright -- dimming slightly when she remembers he can't see. )
Two pillows coming up! Does your head feel wobbly on your neck? I'm by your left again.
( She says, chatting as she pulls the first pillow up and moves it behind him. The second follows suit, Collette chattering on about what she's doing while she's doing it. She's not sure what to do -- be default, she falls into a play by play, similar to the ones in her own head some mornings when she's motivating herself to get through a routine and on to something different for the mental exercise.
A final pat on the pillow before she pulls her hand out from behind him leads to a cheerful: )
I'd say go ahead and flop now, but that might be killer for your head. Here, I'm reaching for your right shoulder again, and my other hand's going to be behind your neck. Good thing you're not broad shouldered! I could never reach across like this if you were!
( Pause. Then laughter. )
You're so totally crazy!
( Because honestly! )
When did you want to do this?
You're so totally crazy!
( Because honestly! )
When did you want to do this?
So I've been told.
How about Saturday? Even the Initiative oughta appreciate the sanctity of the Weekend off.
How about Saturday? Even the Initiative oughta appreciate the sanctity of the Weekend off.
And then directions were conveyed, and they were the same directions as last time he told someone how to get to his apartment from the cafeteria, due to this strange inability of his to memorize his new lunar address.
Wobbly? [ What a ridiculous word. He's just going to pretend that it doesn't describe what anything feels like right now. ] No, not really.
[ He feels the pillows being deposited behind him, the quiet sound of weight and cloth dropping on more cloth, the presence of something new near his back. He isn't propped up far enough to be properly sitting, so the second one brushes past him as it's left there.
Ha. Not broad shouldered? And here he thought that's what girls wanted in a guy! Well, assumes. It seems to be the stereotype.
But he doesn't comment on it, instead concentrating on lowering himself back against the pillows. More with her help this time, less giving up and flopping about. Now the pillows are what prop him up, rather than his own arms, and that comes as an immense relief. ]
But this is much better. Thanks.
[ He feels the pillows being deposited behind him, the quiet sound of weight and cloth dropping on more cloth, the presence of something new near his back. He isn't propped up far enough to be properly sitting, so the second one brushes past him as it's left there.
Ha. Not broad shouldered? And here he thought that's what girls wanted in a guy! Well, assumes. It seems to be the stereotype.
But he doesn't comment on it, instead concentrating on lowering himself back against the pillows. More with her help this time, less giving up and flopping about. Now the pillows are what prop him up, rather than his own arms, and that comes as an immense relief. ]
But this is much better. Thanks.
I'm currently experimenting with a clingy girlfriend stage -- ( she says that without hesitation, though she smiles when she speaks; okay, it's amusing, but she cares about doing what she's been doing right now. ) -- so I'm not sure... how much time are you thinking it'd take?
( Wibbly, wobbly, bobbly, boo, just accept that's gonna be you! )
No problem!
( It's easy enough to say that, knowing she can school her voice to look cheerier than the expression on her face. It's a small blessing, that he can't see that concern there. )
Let me get this waterbottle open... One sec!
( She pulls herself away, taking the waterbottle into her lap and twisting the top off. It's not a new bottle -- these get reused -- but the water's decent, and room temperature, which wasn't refreshing as much as ice water might seem, but was kinder on the stomach.
She pulls out her borrowed straw, plopping it down into the neck of the waterbottle. )
Lift your right hand for me? I'm going to get the waterbottle set up for you. I went with the straw, by the way. Spilling when you're starting to go under is the worst. You feel so silly! At least I usually do.
( Continuing to converse as she reaches for his hand, if he offers it lke she asks, and even if he doesn't. She plans to help get his hand(s) wrapped around the bottle, and then prompt him to open his mouth to touch the straw against his lower lip. Hunting those things down when you could see them was stupidly difficult enough. )
No problem!
( It's easy enough to say that, knowing she can school her voice to look cheerier than the expression on her face. It's a small blessing, that he can't see that concern there. )
Let me get this waterbottle open... One sec!
( She pulls herself away, taking the waterbottle into her lap and twisting the top off. It's not a new bottle -- these get reused -- but the water's decent, and room temperature, which wasn't refreshing as much as ice water might seem, but was kinder on the stomach.
She pulls out her borrowed straw, plopping it down into the neck of the waterbottle. )
Lift your right hand for me? I'm going to get the waterbottle set up for you. I went with the straw, by the way. Spilling when you're starting to go under is the worst. You feel so silly! At least I usually do.
( Continuing to converse as she reaches for his hand, if he offers it lke she asks, and even if he doesn't. She plans to help get his hand(s) wrapped around the bottle, and then prompt him to open his mouth to touch the straw against his lower lip. Hunting those things down when you could see them was stupidly difficult enough. )
I said I didn't need the straw.
[ But he doesn't turn it down. He just wanted her to know! That's what he said! Yeah. He raises his right hand, assuming that he's holding it out towards her. If she places the bottle against his palm, he'll wrap his fingers around it tight enough to keep a good grip.
There's a few irritating misses with the straw, however, and he ends up prodding himself in the face with it once or twice before managing.
And then... ]
...ugh... plastic taste.
[ Reused water bottles are the woooorst. ]
[ But he doesn't turn it down. He just wanted her to know! That's what he said! Yeah. He raises his right hand, assuming that he's holding it out towards her. If she places the bottle against his palm, he'll wrap his fingers around it tight enough to keep a good grip.
There's a few irritating misses with the straw, however, and he ends up prodding himself in the face with it once or twice before managing.
And then... ]
...ugh... plastic taste.
[ Reused water bottles are the woooorst. ]
Right, right, I heard you the first time!
( She sounds affable enough, and to be honest, that he's complaining actually makes her feel better -- like there's a limitus test where if Caesar isn't complaining, she needs to start exponentially worrying about what's going on.
He gets the water handled, and she has to laugh, at the complaint on taste -- it's a short bout of laughter tinged with a measure of relief. And fair or not, associative or not, she ends up asking something about five months displaced and unrelated to water at all -- )
Did you really have lap dogs at the camp you were in when you were dealing with the fighting Hugo was doing, in your last war?
( This is totally why you're dating her, she bets. Right after the laundry, it's for exactly these sorts of things! )
( She sounds affable enough, and to be honest, that he's complaining actually makes her feel better -- like there's a limitus test where if Caesar isn't complaining, she needs to start exponentially worrying about what's going on.
He gets the water handled, and she has to laugh, at the complaint on taste -- it's a short bout of laughter tinged with a measure of relief. And fair or not, associative or not, she ends up asking something about five months displaced and unrelated to water at all -- )
Did you really have lap dogs at the camp you were in when you were dealing with the fighting Hugo was doing, in your last war?
( This is totally why you're dating her, she bets. Right after the laundry, it's for exactly these sorts of things! )
The basket dogs?
[ Of all the things to ask! He frowns at that. ]
Of course. The castle decided to use them as guard dogs, but why I'll never understand. They're tiny and not very useful! But considering the captain of the guards there was a little girl, I guess that might explain it...
[ Of all the things to ask! He frowns at that. ]
Of course. The castle decided to use them as guard dogs, but why I'll never understand. They're tiny and not very useful! But considering the captain of the guards there was a little girl, I guess that might explain it...
A little girl?
( She's smiling enough at a mental image of a bunch of chihuahua or pomeranian sized dogs defending anything, but tacking that little tidbit on makes it even more puzzling. )
How'd that happen? I could get the dogs, if what you need is something to bark a lot when people are coming in, instead of needing something that can hamstring or tear out throats, but the captain of the guards was a little girl?
( Looking for something for her hands to do, she tucks the blanket in close to his hip, then lower by his thigh. )
After all, what's that they say? Wonderful things come in small packages!
( Pats out the blanket on top of his thigh with a satisfied smile, brushing it straight downward. Something as small as a cockroach lisening in is enough to turn tides in some instances. It's the action and what yu do, not the size, that matters! )
( She's smiling enough at a mental image of a bunch of chihuahua or pomeranian sized dogs defending anything, but tacking that little tidbit on makes it even more puzzling. )
How'd that happen? I could get the dogs, if what you need is something to bark a lot when people are coming in, instead of needing something that can hamstring or tear out throats, but the captain of the guards was a little girl?
( Looking for something for her hands to do, she tucks the blanket in close to his hip, then lower by his thigh. )
After all, what's that they say? Wonderful things come in small packages!
( Pats out the blanket on top of his thigh with a satisfied smile, brushing it straight downward. Something as small as a cockroach lisening in is enough to turn tides in some instances. It's the action and what yu do, not the size, that matters! )
Well, little as in a few years younger than I am, but how that happened, I have no clue. If the castle lord decided to let her go on as that, it's not entirely my business. Of course, he was hardly any older than her!
[ He can complain about Budehuc all day, don't get him staaarted. ]
[ He can complain about Budehuc all day, don't get him staaarted. ]
( But if he's complaining, he's distracted until he drifts off! And she can listen to the dulcet tones of his... uh. Complaints.
One of many reasons why Collette never expects a sweet anything that's not along the lines of Caesar's humor out of his mouth toward her ever: expectations like these.)
So what, eleven? Kids get thrown into all kinds of things... How old was the castle lord? Did he just inherit suddenly or something?
( A little more tucking in and fussing with smoothing the blanket out because she can't sit still yet. )
One of many reasons why Collette never expects a sweet anything that's not along the lines of Caesar's humor out of his mouth toward her ever: expectations like these.)
So what, eleven? Kids get thrown into all kinds of things... How old was the castle lord? Did he just inherit suddenly or something?
( A little more tucking in and fussing with smoothing the blanket out because she can't sit still yet. )
Fourteen, maybe? Though now that I think of it, that's about the same as Hugo, but he at least had an idea of how to fight. As for Thomas, fifteen, I think. He was handed the place in hopes he'd never bother his big trader council father again or something, sent out to the middle of nowhere like that.
[ He's not sure why he's adding in all the details like that. Normally he wouldn't! But he's woozy and blind and who cares if someone knows about Thomas anyway. He'll give the water another try before eventually just grimacing and holding it away from him.
Which is to say she should probably take it away before he drops it (not that he would mean to). ]
[ He's not sure why he's adding in all the details like that. Normally he wouldn't! But he's woozy and blind and who cares if someone knows about Thomas anyway. He'll give the water another try before eventually just grimacing and holding it away from him.
Which is to say she should probably take it away before he drops it (not that he would mean to). ]
Page 17 of 24