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 Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:15 pm
Evan sighed happily, wrapping his arms around Sasha as she cuddled close. This was nice, even with clothes and newly born declarations of friendship between them. She fit well against him in ways that had nothing to do with her head beneath his chin. She felt comfortable despite the way she had dragged things out of him that were usually content to be buried. "I know," he agreed on a sigh, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I know I am. I'm glad you are." His fingers tangled idly in her hair as she stroked his face, and for a treacherous moment he wanted to stop time, to preserve them forever just as relaxed as this. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd still be here with her if the circumstances had been different. They had arranged for breakfast with the unspoken promise that she'd stay the night, but this went far beyond eggs. His lips twitched into the barest grin as she altered the terms. "I can owe you some dinners, too, if you want." He tried not to sound too desperate, though everything he managed to get out sounded the same level of exhausted to him. He wanted this kind of closeness with someone who maybe--maybe understood, maybe a little. He wanted as much of it as he was allowed to have. He almost didn't answer her question. He was comfortable and almost drowsy even though he knew he probably wouldn't sleep, and it wasn't a question that had any place there. He considered lying about it and telling her he had just been on the losing end of a fight. It wasn't completely untrue; he had lost a couple of battles in the Haunted House, but he had won far more despite his injuries. He considered just not answering, but he owed her. She cared, for whatever reason, and she had taken care of him and she had never asked him to pretty up the truth. "I...failed." Again. As usual. "I got mad. I like to--sometimes patrolling helps me think. Takes the edge off." He squeezed her tightly, selfishly. He had failed Tuck just like he'd failed Chel and failed Runt before all of them. If she wanted to kick him out of her bed now, he wouldn't have been able to blame her, but he desperately wished she wouldn't.
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:41 am
"Five dinners," Sasha exhaled softly, lifting a hand to vaguely gesture at the microscopic kitchenette across the room. "I went shopping. I even bought pots and pans. I've been learning how to cook." And by learning how to cook she meant burning nearly everything she touched, but Sasha did not elaborate. He was too comfortable. This was too comfortable. "Next time we'll go together." It was as simple as that. It had been foolish of him to go alone, even more stupid of him to be so careless with himself - but Sasha had no love for the monsters on the other side of the portal, and she never had. "It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of ripping a horseman limb from limb. The more I think about it, the more it appeals to me." Maybe Evan had the right idea. Maybe taking out her frustrations on the creatures who deserved it would be far better than meddling in the lives of the others on the island. It was something worth thinking about, if nothing else. "We all fail." Sasha had certainly failed on more than one occasion. "It's a given. But to be so foolish with something so flawless," she lightly dragged her hand down Evan's chest, "is just a silly, stupid thing to do. Especially if you are on your own. No more of that," she chided gently, lifting her face to press a kiss to his jaw before nestling back against him. "Promise we'll go together next time."
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:25 pm
"Five dinners?" Evan croaked in mock outrage. "Seven, at least, since you went to all that trouble. I can show you how to make some things." With dinner came dessert, after all, and dessert could stretch all the way into breakfast. Sasha had her own kitchen, of a sort, and a bathroom, and a damn comfortable bed. If he planned it right, they wouldn't have to leave the room for anything until they ran out of food. He quieted as Sasha decided that she would accompany him on his next trip to the Haunted House. He didn't dare contradict her, but neither would he be as ambivalent to her safety as he was to his own. He woke up a little as she described what she would do to any horsemen they came across. He swallowed hard and squirmed ever so slightly beneath her. He had seen how vicious she could be, all raw and ruthless intensity in a deceptively waifish body. The more he thought about it, the more it appealed to him, too. "It's just skin," he soothed, "just flesh. It looks worse than it is. It'll heal." Mostly, probably. The cuts on his arms had been pretty deep. A few of them had been shallow, but bled a lot. The internal damage was already mostly mended, and waiting out the better part of a week in the pod room instead of the Haunted House would see him back to fighting fit again. Hopefully. Still, her scolding was touching. Concern without being smothering, demanding in a way that wasn't demeaning, just brooked no arguments. He was almost tempted to get used to it. "I promise," he agreed, even meaning it. "I kinda wanna watch you, now that you've put the idea in my head," he admitted.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 8:45 am
Sasha gave a low laugh and turned to sink her teeth into his shoulder. Lightly, of course, before she rested her head on his chest again. "You have an interest in watching me fight? That can be arranged. You know how I spar, and you're more than welcome to watch me train." Sasha paused and fell silent, pulling a at slightly to glance at Evan. "Or is this going to be some kind of foreplay? Patrol, I mean. I must admit I never thought of it in such a way but now you've got me intrigued." She could absolutely see the appeal. Just the thought of it was absolutely thrilling. Maybe a little too thrilling, considering how tired Evan looked.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 10:11 am
Yes, he wanted to say, to all of it. He remembered their spar--vividly and often--and how she had moved with an economy of grace. He remembered watching her tear through Dakota like the man--who was twice her size, easy--had been made out of tissue paper. And the prospect of watching her do it to things she didn't have to exhibit restraint against? Yeah, it was hot. "I mean," he fumbled, reaching to pull her close again, "I wanna see how other people do it. See if I can learn from other peoples' fighting styles. In the field." He cleared his throat. "That's all." As if he didn't have enough on his mind to keep him awake.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:14 pm
"That makes sense. You are a Sun, after all." Sasha let out a low, thoughtful hum as he drew her close once more. If he'd been any less tired she might be tempted to show him just how intrigued she was. However, she'd brought him to the room to rest, shower and eat before he went back to the pod room where she'd found him - and while ******** his brains out was something that was always on the menu, Sasha didn't want him feeling more exhausted than he had been. On second thought... ...maybe sex would be a good idea. "Nona changed again. My weapon? She's a staff now. She comes apart at the middle, connected by a chain. How many ways," Sasha leaned up to whisper into his ear, "do you think," she nibbled at his earlobe, "I could kill monsters?" Sasha shifted so that she was fully in Evan's lap. "What do you think? It will be fun to find out, don't you agree?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 4:56 pm
Evan nodded determinedly. Yes, he was interested in the way people fought with different types of weapons. That was all. It was kind of his job, really; some of the monsters had weapons, so the more he knew about all the different kinds, the better prepared he would be. That knowledge could even save his life one day. It had nothing to do with having a scorchingly hot hunting buddy. Nothing at all. He sighed, content, as Sasha settled close again, deciding that if he couldn't sleep, he could at least do her the courtesy of waiting until she fell asleep before sneaking back down to the pod room. She had done so much for him, after all, and it would cost him nothing to let her think that she had been completely successful. He owed her more than breakfasts and dinners, more than anything cook or make or give her. He owed her, and someday he would find a way to pay her back. He listened attentively as she described the changes her weapon had undergone. He started thinking of the possibilities even before she turned into something more than just a hypothetical question. It was a testament to his exhaustion that his mind seriously considered it even as he shivered at her breath and lips against his ear. He didn't stop her from making herself comfortable on his lap even as he thought of all the different ways to bludgeon something to death, the things that could be done with just the right amount of play on a chain. He kept his hands on her, idle touches as his mind wandered. "I can think of 17 just offhand," he replied, smiling wearily. "Maybe more, depending on how long the chain is. Definitely more if it still has the hooks. But I would have to see it to be sure."
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 5:10 pm
Sasha was mid-kiss along his neck when she realized that this was not going in the direction that she'd wanted it to. At first she felt absolutely furious. Sasha clenched her jaw and inhaled deeply before very slowly leaning back far enough that she could look into his eyes. She felt a little foolish, then, as she realized that she'd been attempting to seduce a man that looked dead tired. He'd reacted to her touch against his ear, but it was obvious that his mind was not... exactly where she wanted it to be. Pursing her lips, Sasha slipped off of Evan's lap and curled against his side again, head tucked against his shoulder, her pale hand resting against his chest. "Are you going to sleep? If you aren't, we can keep talking, or I can make you a sandwich. Do you want me to get you some clean clothes? I can show you my weapon whenever you'd like - now, even - but I'd much rather you catch at least an hour of sleep."
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 6:45 pm
Evan was oblivious to Sasha's frustration, only noting distantly that what she was doing felt good before she moved again. That was fine, too. As long as she didn't move. She felt good in his arms, grounding him even as his thoughts continued racing. That was okay. It meant he still thought about how horribly he had failed Tuck and Stormy, how bad he felt about leaving Stormy down there by herself even for just a few hours, the shame he'd felt about showing Sasha the evidence of weakness displayed across his skin--but he also thought about how comfortable she felt in his arms, how good she smelled after their shower, how well their broken parts fit together. "I dunno. Don't leave, though," he murmured, clumsily covering her hand on his chest with one of his own as if that would be enough to keep her there. "I wanna be able to sleep," he admitted. "Don't go, just...keep talking to me. Maybe that'll help."
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:10 pm
"I'll stay," Sasha murmured. It was almost a little terrifying how comfortable this all felt. Natural. Nice. She kept thinking about how they were on the same level. He didn't feel unreachable to her. She didn't feel like she tainted him just by being around him, and that was something new to her.
"I can play the flute, you know," Sasha began, just talking because he'd asked her to. It was easy to open up, even just a little, here in this room. "I've been playing since I was little. I can also sing a little. I dabbled in painting a bit, but music has always been something special to me. A long time ago we were on a mission in Antarctica. The doctor sent me an mp3 player so that I could listen to music. This was.. this was a long time ago, when things were... simpler. Everyone turned into penguins on that mission. Penguins."
Sasha shook her head. Her fingers drew lazy designs across his chest as she continued talking.
"I could play for you sometime, if you wanted. It's been a long time since I've wanted to, but since moving to this room I feel like I should play again. Well, like I can play again, rather."
Sasha kissed his shoulder.
"I grew up in France. Have you ever milked a goat? We had a goat. I was awful at milking her. One time she ate my hair. Horrid beast. We should see France sometime. The countryside, I mean. Not the touristy parts. The last time I was there I visited my old home. It was utterly gutted. Squatters. Before I left, I went a little crazy and destroyed what was left. It kind of felt like I had put part of my past to sleep. Have you ever done anything like that?"
She kept talking, almost as though she really did not expect a reply. With any luck he'd fallen asleep. Sasha did not move to check.
"I'm a Delacroix. Do you know the name? It's a bloodline. It means I'm very important, Evan, and you would do well not to upset me." Her voice was soft and teasing. "I had no idea until quite recently that I was a Delacroix. I knew I was involved in hunter bloodlines, but I did not know how important my family was."
Sasha paused before continuing to ramble. Her voice dropped to a low whisper.
"I don't know why I picked frogs. They're ghastly. I just saw one and thought that I needed something to collect. Why didn't I choose something fanciful. Music boxes. Unicorns. Why frogs? Frogs and pillows. Foul puzzles. I just thought it might help me feel normal. That's stupid, I think. We aren't normal. Sometimes I think about how nice it would be to be normal, though. Sometimes I think about how wonderful it might be just to be enough. I had a dream that Clarice was here. And she was hugging me, and it was so very nice. It felt safe. Maybe this room is like ... a Clarice hug, you know? Silly, isn't it. I've had a lot of time to think. Too much time, probably."
She finally fell silent and very slowly pulled away so that she could see if Evan was still awake.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:56 pm
Evan closed his eyes--just in case--as he listened to Sasha talk. The little details of herself that she offered him were things he could focus on until the ridiculous image of flute-playing penguins milking goats that were listening to mp3 players overrode his guilt and insecurity. It was something less serious to focus his thoughts on and soon they, too, were lulled into relaxation. His last thought before he fell into a light, troubled sleep was no, she was definitely not someone that he wanted to upset.
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:17 am
She kept talking even after he'd fallen asleep. It was a little therapeutic, maybe, to voice all of the things that were roiling around in her brain. She told him about her first promotion mission, where everyone had giant breasts and had to wear bikinis, and even the men were women, and it was awful because Dr. H was a woman, too, and she'd had nightmares about it for ages. She told him about the strange dream she'd had long, long ago when she'd first come to the island - Dr. H and Jerry had saved her from some sort of tentacle monster, but they'd ridden in on a runic motorcycle (of all things) and then Dr. H had sprouted wings and it really was the strangest dream she'd had. She told him about Wash, and how much she'd felt like an interloper in his room. She'd cared for him, and maybe it wasn't as deeply as she'd thought. He'd kept a picture of his wife and son in his bible, you know. His bible. She admitted softly, shamefully, that she was almost glad he was gone because she sometimes didn't feel like she deserved to have him. She spoke about Rep, and how they'd fight until one of them was in the infirmary. She talked about how nice it was to be in this body, because there was nothing there to remind her of him. No scar on her lip, her neck. Not even the deep, thick scar on her shoulder where she'd very nearly lost an arm during a spar with Rin. She talked about how much she hated the kitten puzzle, but that she was compelled to finish it. She informed him that she'd tried to knit but it had been disastrous, and maybe she wasn't meant to be a knitter. Puzzles seemed to be more her speed, and there was something rather soothing about fitting pieces together - even if the picture was completely terrible and she absolutely loathed it. Soon enough she fell asleep herself, lightly snoring against Evan's chest. There would be drool, of course, because there always had been when she was younger. Her snores would escalate, as well - because they always had when she'd been younger. Sasha slept the sleep of her youth, which was something she hadn't done in a long, long, long time.
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