057 ± [visual / location: around town] i like the autumn but this place is getting old

[aintnoconvict]

At roughly quarter to nine in the morning, Taxon is greeted with a video broadcast of a holo broadcast.

"Hello?"

One can tell it's not a proper arrival because instead of the usual stark arrival room, there's a tiny Glitch hovering over a nightstand. Beyond, there is a patchwork quilt covering a shifting, grumbling lump.

"DG...Cain?" From under the covers, Glitch's head emerges and he peers blearily at his tiny duplicate. "Raw?"

"Cute," he mumbles, the props his chin up to watch the show.

"Cain's going to be mad," the hologram remarks fussily. Glitch snorts. "But...no, it's not my fault this time. I was following him! I was following him! I was follow-"

"All right, enough of that." Glitch pokes his tablet so the holo replay of his arrival vanishes, then scowls when he notices that it's still broadcasting. "Guess that's the aliens' way of wishing me a happy anniversary. Morning, all."

Then he turns the tablet off and flops back with a sigh.

Three annuals. Thirty-six months. One hundred fifty-six weeks. Something like a thousand ninety-five days and he's still not sure how he survived the first dozen of them. Illyria'd basically pointed him at the door and he'd been on his own until DG's arrival. Adaptation. Coping. Moving on. Waiting and surviving, that was 90% of this place.

Today, though, he'll keep busy and distribute a few gifts. The first pumpkin from the garden for Cain with a short length of distinctive gold braiding tied around the stem. One of DG's sketchbooks for Azkadellia, a more intimate glimpse of the younger princess' life here. He's ready to let go, and he hopes it will give Az some comfort. The first volume of his organized notes on Taxon for Mayland, a drink or two with Paul after lunch, dropping a scarf off for Madelyne (the days are getting chillier and he frets), and then...then he'll take Bagoas out for dinner. Because why not.

He sends a voice message to his friend to make arrangements (Italian, Glitch decides, will be nice), gets ready for the day, loads a basket with goodies, and sets off on his bicycle to make the rounds.


ooc: THREE YEARS what even. He'll be stopping by to see everyone mentioned above (and all of that's hadnwavey if you like), but anyone not mentioned is totally welcome to bump into him too. OPEN POST IS OPEN.

Comments

[azoftheoz]

Those memories, especially in the earliest days when Azkadellia was possessed, were blurry. In the days before she fought to try and gather her magic, a stronger magic, and fight back.

She smiled at that, at him saying he was letting go and yet kept one as well. "You aren't worrying you'll be next to leave, are you?"

[aintnoconvict]

"Not at all. Actually...would it be more or less unnerving if I said I'm pretty sure I'm never getting out of here?"

It was a conceit developed over time but...probably one Kirk and Angel and Faith had shared as well, and he's been in the city longer than all of them now.

[azoftheoz]

"I think the answer is just yes," she said softly, dropping her gaze down to the book. She shook her head suddenly. "No. More. I want you back there, so she's not alone and has someone she knows and trusts," she admitted, glancing up at him, eyes brighter than they had been a moment before.

"She and you both deserve that," she whispered. "You know I believe that."

[aintnoconvict]

He wants, quite badly, to remind her that they won't remember anything of this place when they go home, that she's picked up her life right where it left off and all of them are there with her, but he refrains. He spent too much time telling DG that, and now he regrets it.

Instead he smiles, and nods, reaching out to touch her had consolingly.

"I know, I do," Glitch says. "It'll be okay someday. Meanwhile, we've got this place to deal with. How are you holding up?"

[azoftheoz]

Azkadellia wondered so much about this place. So much more than she did about her home. Part of her thought it should bother her but it didn’t. Not while she had those she did.

“I’m doing beautiful,’ she admitted. “I’ve been working on gardening, doing some studies with my magic, and Cain even taught me to make truffles. I’m enjoying it well,” she said softly, glancing at him, wondering if she should feel guilty for that.

[aintnoconvict]

He'll believe her, because he wants to believe her, and he wants so badly for her to not be suffering. She's been through far, far too much already.

"That all sounds excellent, lemme--" He picks up one of the truffles and has a chews, lets it melt a little on his tongue, and sighs happily. "Oh, he taught you good, that's fantastic."

[azoftheoz]

She blushed and smiled at that, ducking her head. "I can't take too much credit. His recipe and his hand. Between him and Remus I might actually learn to take care of myself," she admitted with a smile. "With cooking and maybe even hunting."

[aintnoconvict]

"I think you're doing fine," Glitch says with a nod. "Let me know if hunting happens, I might want in on that."

He'd been a scavenger, it'd be nice to be a bit more proactive.

"And if you want to learn to fix things, you can always stop be the shop. I can certainly handle a second apprentice."

[azoftheoz]

She smiled at that, nearly preening for him to say that. "Thank you. So much. I'm trying," she agreed, nodding. "And I will. I know there's resources here but I like the idea of knowing how much I can do for myself," she admitted. "After all that's happened."

She needed to know she could be okay if they left, if she was here and they weren't with her.

"Honestly, Glitch, I would love that. Anything. I just want to learn."

[aintnoconvict]

"You're not just trying, you're doing," he assures her with an encouraging smile. "And...I understand, I had to do so much to make myself independent. It's not so different, really."

That settles, he picks up another truffle to resume nibbling. On to the future. "Definitely come by. I'll see what you remember about thermodynamics, and you can meet Bagoas. You'll like him."

[azoftheoz]

That definitely made her happy, so glad that he could see how she was trying and the chances being made from the child most, including herself, had known. "I feel like it's more than just learning who I became there, but learning skills I was never meant to know. I like it though. So much here."

Oh she perked then. "We've met! We shared tea during the whole singing thing. I utterly embarrassed myself and he was there for me."

[aintnoconvict]

"I'm glad," Glitch says, nodding, then grins at her revelation. "And I'm glad you've met him already. I'm sorta mentoring him in the ways of gadgets and gizmos, which they don't really have in his time. The enthusiasm's infectious."

[azoftheoz]

“He was willing to help me through some things. That day…” She sighed heavily, closing her eyes a moment. “That singing thing really messed with my mind,” she admitted, shaking her head. “Bagoas found me by the lake and took me for tea. Between he and Long I am learning quite a bit about tea. Which I’m learning I love,” she added.