acaseofyou | open post

Well, I certainly wouldn't try to give you any unless you asked. And we'd have to like. Talk about it a lot. It's a whole thing. But I do like being in your space, breathing or not.

It's nice to be in the company of softies. Especially musical ones. Haven't tried to get him on stage with me yet, but it's good that he's opening up more with the others.

Give me a time and date, I'll get some of those knuckles.

The personal space is good. No plasma exchange talks required. That it would be a serious situation if anyone was interested though is noted.

Yeah, yeah, you can both kumbaya together with stuffed pillows. I know to back out of the room when I hear the strumming.

I promise you'll be one of the first to know.

Yeah. I don't think you'd want the cons that come with the pros. But it isn't necessary.

Oh, sure. Back out and listen from the doorway.

Hopefully it isn't raining like this when it comes around. Unless we want a guard to get hit by lightning.

You've told me about the pros and cons, and yeah, even if I was interested the cons would make a good deterrent. I like how I am now, though. I'm proud to be a lowly little canal rat, and I don't need to be anything more.

Only to ensure you both aren't conspiring something worse than jollies.

I have an umbrella, but you'll still get some rain on you when you move to my car. Almost there.

I like you as you are, anyway. Best canal rat around.

Conspire? Me?? Have you so little faith in my conspiracies that you think I wouldn't tell you about them?

That's alright. I don't mind a little rain.

Very handy if you need any alleys scoured.

Mmm. Maybe not if part of the conspiracy was to serenade me with a feel good song.

Feels more strange when it isn't at least misting for me.

You're handy for a lot of things, don't sell yourself short.

Do you not like feeling good?

Makes sense. Once you get used to a thing it's hard to not feel odd without it.

I don't think I've ever made a short sale.

... well played, that was clever. I'm still not talking about my feelings.

Yeah. That's one reason travel's probably so useful. You get used to a lot of circumstances.

Good, but I'm keeping an eye out that you don't do it with yourself.

Still feeling them, though, so I count it as a win.

True. I still miss some of them, though, when I leave. Rain more than lightning.

I suppose everyone gets hard on themselves sometimes. Though not everyone has another looking out for it.

I try not to. Sometimes they sneak out. Or in. Not sure which way that goes.

I think I'd miss the rain more if I knew I wasn't coming back to it.

I think I see where you are, pulling up next to it. Coming to your door with an umbrella.

[Indeed, his feet sink into wet muck as he gets out of the car, opening the umbrella as he does so. The rain's not merely falling straight down so he's still getting damp, but it's better than nothing as he heads over and holds the umbrella so that when she steps out she steps under it.]

It's a tough job, Kaz, but I'm happy to do it.

Up, I think. They're already in there, they just... Bubble up sometimes.

You should avoid the desert, then, even if you'd get along with the cacti.

A real gentleman.

[ It's almost funny, the lengths he goes to to take care of others while decrying politeness and decorum. Sweet, too. Birdie makes her way out of her booth and toward the door, another crack of thunder booming once she's outside and under the umbrella with Kaz. The umbrella only does so much, the wind blowing the rain right at her in the moment between the door opening and her getting under it leaving parts of her hair dripping. ]

Let's go home before there's a power outage.

[Kaz is selective in who he cares for, rather than falling into the category of caring abstractly about mankind at large. Like most aspects of his being, he's deeply rooted in the material world. He's invested in those who have shown him it's worth his while. No saint is worth their salt, but people like Birdie who have earned a space in his life, those he'll go to the ends of the earth to protect. He also has no qualms about protecting those he loves through underhanded means.

In this instance though it's less nefarious and more simply... wet. The rain slides even down his collar, soaking through to his socks.]

You're fortunate I don't believe in jinxes or you'd have cost us a tow truck.

[He carries the umbrella for them, holding it more so over her than him for all the limited good it does, then holds the car door open for her to slide into the passenger seat. He heads to the driver's side after, already sure she's plotting to alter the music choices. Which is fine. He'd been listening to the news, not that he'd break her heart to tell her.]

No, jinxes aren't real far as I know.

[ As if that was a pertinent question at all. She sticks close to him as they walk the few steps to the car, and slides herself in quick as she can so he can get in himself without staying out any longer in the rain. She doesn't even reach for the radio when the news comes on with the start of the car.

She just sits, smiling at him, seatbelt dutifully fastened and bangs wet and sticking to her forehead. ]

Any other plans for the rest of your night?

There're some documents I have to review, but at least I can do it from home rather than being out and about. How about you?

[There's some stray hairs that managed to sneak out the sides of his hat, wet against his temple. He's used to the overall dampness of his face and clothes though, the persistent wet of Ketterdam. The cold though he could do without, its chill tickling his nose enough that he sneezes into his arm.

Starting the car, he turns one of the air vents towards her so she gets some of the heat that starts blowing.]

Give it a minute and it'll start getting warmer in here.

Hmmm, nothing big. Maybe a hot shower and playing with the cat, if she's not already occupied.

[ She's settled in, and at the sneeze she offers a quick and automatic: ] Gesundheit.

[ As the warm air starts to circulate, Birdie puts her hands out in front of the vent, fingers curled. The cold doesn't bother her much, the coat she wears mostly for show. Still, it's nice to know her usually cool fingers won't be frigid. ]

Really love modern technology. Much better than the record players they tried to put in cars.

She's well spoiled at the Slat, but I'm sure she'd come running to spend time with you.

[One hand on the wheel, he takes out a tissue from his pocket and wipes at his nose, giving her a small nod at the Gesundheit. The cold doesn't seem to affect vampires in the same way, but that's not surprising to him by now. He does know she at least can appreciate the warmth the heat provides. Pocketing it again, he shifts the car into drive and begins to take them back on the slick street roads, avoiding areas that seem flooded.]

I can't fault human ingenuity trying to combat the tedium of long car trips, but I'm having a hard time trying to imagine how they'd fit a record player into a car.

That's sweet. She's sweet. And so are you, when you want to be.

[ Which is rare enough, but she does appreciate every time it comes through for her. He pulls away from the curb and starts the trek back home, but it takes a few turns for her to settle back into her seat, hands in her lap, eyes on his face, the little bits of damp hair sticking out from his hat. ]

First, it was a little one. Most only played 45s, so you'd need a passenger in there flipping and switching 'em out all the time. Second, it went under the dash. Back before this... [ She gestures at the bump in the middle between driver and passenger for the center console. ] Was a thing. And they attached with bungee cords.

[ That last bit is said with a mock horror, like she's told the scariest story at a campfire. ]

She is sweet.

[He doesn't respond to the rest, because it's a complicated matter of not seeing himself as sweet but not minding her seeing him that way sometimes. Ghosts of the past whisper at him each time she sees something good in him, as though he's not as far gone as he once imagined. That he can indeed make himself into the sort of man he wants.

Seeing her hands hovering when they were in front of the heat vent, he turns the ones pointed at him towards her too as he starts to drive. The whole car will warm up eventually either way, and that's good enough for him.]

That's... well. Points for effort if not style, I suppose. Have you used a bungee cord for anything else? Ever gone jumping with them?

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