open

[masticated]

poke him

Comments

[masticated]

[first mildly annoyed, any negative emotion diminishes as he watches the cocoon gather up the body and carry it away. he lets out a bark of laughter. he doesn't often see her use her powers for fun. correction: fun for him.]

What the fuck, that's funny as hell. [car door shut once she's in, he gets in the drivers side and switches through a couple of stations, then fishes his phone out and tosses it into her lap.] Pick something.

[off they go! it's an hour and a half drive, they have some time to chitchat.]

[longlegs]

Of course you'd think that. [ Because it is. RIP, that poor guy's dignity. She makes herself comfortable while he makes his way to the driver's seat, one shoe on the dashboard — so just happens to be the leg Saber fixed — thumb tapping and sliding across the screen. She picks a song off some random EDM Hits playlist, lets them both figure out what they're going to hate and what he may or may not tolerate. She's just vibing. ] So you're definitely not gonna tell Great, right?

[masticated]

[he eyes her foot on the dash, cigarette dangerously close to falling out of his mouth. he's admiring the curve of her leg, but he keeps that to himself. he shifts gears into four, then five, and they're speeding back.]

I'unno. [he killed a guy, picked her sorry ass up, healed her. not in that order. they're scrambled around in his head.] Can I sleep with you for a couple nights? I miss you.

[he's smiling wickedly, focus very much not on the road.]

[longlegs]

You wanna sleep in my bed.

[ Maybe she's being a little shit now. Just a little. Her eyes say as much. ]

[masticated]

[she's encouraging him.]

You love when I sleep in your bed.

[longlegs]

Love's a bit of a strong word, Sabe.

[ That rhymes with 'babe', ew. ]

So... [ sooo ] That's what you want in return for...?

[ Because she'll take it. ]

[masticated]

Sabe?

[she gave him a nickname. that's a huge mistake! (for her) and he's looking too excited about it.]

Yeah, that's what I want.

[longlegs]

Better than Cece. [ Defending herself!!, because she's pretty sure that was him criticizing her impeccable creativity. RIP, Cellar. ]

You definitely can't tell Great about that.

[masticated]

I like Sabe. You can call me that from now on.

[sure he makes that sound cute, but there's an underlying tone of or else.]

I won't if you won't. You don't like Cece? I wanna call you something special.

[longlegs]

[ Ah, mutual assured destruction. Though maybe Great doesn't deserve that much credit. ]

And you wanna call me something special because...?

[masticated]

[he shoots her a look of disbelief, mulling over his words between a drag of his cigarette. he knows she loves the attention he gives her, the apple of his eye. maybe he likes her so much because she hasn't surrendered to his advances.]

'Cause you're special. You don't need me to tell you that though, huh? You know that all on your own. Smarty-pants.

[he offers the cig out to her, waves it in front of her face playfully.]

Want a taste?

[longlegs]

[ Oh, Saber. You know how to stroke a girl's ego. Cellar takes the cigarette, keeps her eyes on him through the inhale, opening the window to exhale. Doubtful he gives a shit about getting the smell stuck in this car, considering, but hey. Call it a force of habit. ]

Shouldn't you be saying that to Ash?

[masticated]

[very doubtful - this isn't even his car. he sucks in his lower lip, bites it out with another smile. he thinks about how she's indirectly kissing him, putting her mouth where his just was.]

She's alright. [the little brat. he molded her into that.] She's not like you.

[longlegs]

Of course she's not like me. [ Hmpf. Gesturing with the cigarette, ] It's just, like. You were her mentor.

[masticated]

Yeah, and?

[does she expect him to be sentimental or something?]

Kids I mentor all turn out good. But Great doesn't like 'em the way I do. [holding his hand back out for the cigarette] Are you just trying to get me to tell you how clever you are?

[longlegs]

No. [ She would never. (She would.) He can have the cigarette back now. ] I already know I am, thanks.

[masticated]

That's my girl.

[with that predatory smile, fingers against his lips as takes a drag. he even gives her a cheeky wink.]

[longlegs]

Not your girl.

[ Does make her wonder, though. ]

Did you ask him to mentor me?

[masticated]

[wounded! whatever, he takes it on the chin, staring at her for some too-long moment, expression less flirty and more serious. did Great never tell her?]

No, I didn't have the option. [he rolls the window down enough to flick the cigarette out. he's stalling.] He made that clear.

[longlegs]

How come?

[ He didn't even give Saber a chance, just a warning. Who the hell knows why he chose Cellar to do that with. ]

[masticated]

[hmmm no, he doesn't want to answer that question.]

C'mon, sweetheart. You don't really wanna know, do you?

[longlegs]

What do you mean?

[ The more she keeps from him, the more she wants to know. ]

It can't have been that bad.

[masticated]

[he falls silent and thinks about lying. he also thinks about how she's stuck in the car with him. his behavior is no secret, but things were a little less erratic back then. he'd been reckless with Ash, but there was purpose to that.]

Maybe, maybe not. Ask him about it, if you're so curious.

[longlegs]

[ She's frowning. Might as well have been puffing her cheeks with how close her frustration gets to sulking territory. ]

Fine, I will.

[ She won't. ]

Where did you find that guy back there…?

[masticated]

[that's probably why, he thinks. he sees that she still cares, and if it isn't caring it's curiosity. he thinks both of those traits are useless. curiosity leads to weakness, and weakness means vulnerability.]

You wanna know about a no name? D'you wanna send his family flowers?

[he waggles his finger over the steering wheel, tutting.]

I thought you knew better.