closed

[feistytrader]

WHO: Silver, Elda, and Hitsugaya
WHERE: Elda's place
WHEN: 5/13
WHAT: Life's been pretty strange over the past couple of weeks. Silver goes to the one place he can maybe sort of trust and hopes to god that he doesn't ruin Mother's Day the way he ruined Christmas.
WARNINGS: Social ineptitude, mostly- no uh I can't see this needing any particular warnings



Silver is not a brave person.

Of course, there are some things he just doesn't fear. Heights, fist fights, joining Yoshiko wherever she wants to spread her artistic vision- vandalism, it's vandalism but you know what, it's pretty vandalism, so who cares- aren't particularly scary. Dog bites aren't scary. Weird hallucination and memory cocktails that depict potentially terrifying things in great detail aren't particularly scary.

People, on the other hand? People are terrifying. People can lock you up and control you. They can stalk you from a distance and take pictures of your every move. Or influence how you think or feel. They can make you feel welcome and loved, and they can just as easily take that way. They can get attached to you and miss you when you leave. Which isn't to say something wild like they're all bad and everyone's better off without them, but there's a reason why Silver can eagerly jump onto the back of a bird without any semblance of consequence but tries to keep people at arm's reach and runs away when things get to be too rough for him to deal with.

...He's not particularly good at keeping everyone at arm's reach, he's starting to realize, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't try. Yet right now, he's doing the exact opposite of trying as he approaches Elda's place late at night and... Stands in front of her door for a good ten minutes, wondering where the hell he got the nerve to come back here. ...Or maybe it's the opposite of that. He should have come back a long time ago, shouldn't he? It's far too late for that now- he'll never be family again, and it's probably better that way- yet it's also a start. A start that's entirely fueled by everything that's happened over the past couple of weeks- both good, in that he got to talk to Elda more honestly than he possibly ever would have on his own terms, and bad in that their lives have gotten bizarre and terrifying in a way that can only be shared with a couple hundred people. Good thing Elda's one of those people, huh? Why is he even surprised that he came here? Elda's one of the only people he's ever believed in, even if he's reluctant to do so now.

It's a good thing she doesn't have dogs. He eventually knocks on the door and fidgets- not with his backpack straps, but with a ring he twirls around in one hand and a single flower in the other- hoping she won't answer.

Comments

[matchbreaker]

[ She does have a lot of cats. But it's true, cat's don't usually rush the door or anything. Still, the manor is actually pretty big, so the first knock falls on deaf ears inside. The second summons her a little, and then finally by the third the woman is at the door. It's late now, and she was actually making ready for bed, and so she's thrown on a bathrobe overtop of her night gown to give herself some more modesty, peering out the partially open door for just a moment before she opens it wide and- ]

Silver?!

[ Exclaiming something super loud. ]

[toushiro]

[ hitsugaya's coming downstairs from his room when the first knock happens; the second knock grabs his attention, but elda's already going to the door. he figures it's one of the neighbors, here to talk nonsense with elda or something (their neighbors are crazy ok), so he pays no mind to it as he goes to the kitchen to grab a snack.

except when elda yells, he pauses before he can even open the fridge. ]

...Silver?

[ that was a lot quieter than elda tbh ]

[feistytrader]

[...Well, anything he had to say goes right out the window at that reaction. He stares at her awkwardly for a moment, then shoves the flowers- it's a bundle of hyacinths, they're purple- into her hands.]

Here. You wanted this.

[And then he shuts the door. Yes, he handled that perfectly.





What the hell was that?]

[matchbreaker]

[ Toushiro why are you awake it's later at night man.

But that said she takes the flowers, looks down at them, sees the door shut... And then drops the flowers on the ground, re-opens the door, and then grabs him by the collar. ]

Where are you going, boy?!

[toushiro]

[ why wouldn't he be awake. he's got a lot of homework, okay.

he saunters up behind elda, raising an eyebrow and giving silver a scrutinizing look. ]

You don't have to run, you know.

[feistytrader]

[He hasn't moved, at least; he's standing in front of their door like a deer in headlights and doesn't move when Elda grabs his collar- partially because he has no intention to and partially because although he knows Elda could probably kick his ass, she's a solid foot shorter than him, and deep down, he doesn't really think she'd have it in him to legitimately hurt him. Slap him in the face, probably, but not much else.]

I'm not going anywhere.

[He was just planning on, you know, awkwardly standing on her porch for another hour. Gets the blood going.]

[matchbreaker]

Then do not shut the door on my face!

[ He's getting.

Yanked.

Inside the door? Oops. ]

[toushiro]

That was a little rude.

[ he's just giving silver shit at this point, tbh. ]

[feistytrader]

R-right. Sorry.

[Inside he goes! ...He gives Toushiro a bit of an exasperated look, but. Well. He deserved that.]

I was just stopping by.

[With the flower, late at night. That's not even a little convincing.]

[matchbreaker]

... No one stops by with apologetic flowers, Silver!

[ GOSH . ]

[toushiro]

...Is that what this is all about?

[ an apology?

silver. you can't just drop apologetic flowers and run away. bro. come on. ]

[feistytrader]

How was I supposed to know it was an apology flower? I'm not some flower nerd like you.

[...Silver is an absolutely terrible liar.]

[matchbreaker]

It's been weeks since then, boy.

[ Don't give her that! She's going to poke a finger in his chest a little!! ]

[toushiro]

[ alright. seriously, you two. stop it. hitsugaya made his "amends" with silver a while ago, so. at least try to get along. ]

Enough.

[ he shakes his head, stepping forward towards the door, right next to elda, and faces silver. ]

What do you really want?

[feistytrader]

[He opens his mouth to protest, and then Toushiro calls him out and he deflates fairly quickly.]

You know, you really should let us go on for a little longer... We haven't gotten to the part where I call her old and she calls me poor yet.

[Or the part where they almost died. He scratches the back of his head. Jeez, he's really been put on the spot, hasn't he-]

...I wanted to ask if I could stay here for a little while. Just a week or two. I can pay.

[He refuses to look either of them in the eye as he asks.]

1/2

[matchbreaker]

You can cut that part out, surely!

[ Despite their experience not all that long ago, she's well prepared to get defensive. She needs to protect her heart - almost no one can or has hurt her as much as Silver has hurt her. She-- ]

[matchbreaker]

[ -- Did not expect that.

Silver is asking to come back into the house, to be let back into their lives, willingly wanting to come back in. The woman's at a loss for words, her heart constricting in a strange way she's felt numerous times before. Her eyes widen and she knows she can't afford to be this fragile. She's a mother.

Her heart.

( Just for a little while )

( I can pay ) ]

[toushiro]

[ even though he'd had that talk with silver at the ice cream shop, he's still visibly surprised. he can't say he expected that, either. after all that talk about leaving and abandonment...somehow, he's back. he's back here, and he wants to stay.

he looks over at elda for a moment, taking in her expression, the look in her eyes...and then back at silver. something in his heart unravels.

toushiro stays absolutely silent.

this is elda's decision, after all. ]

[feistytrader]

[...This is the prime time to you know, try to explain himself, or say a proper apology, or... You know, something. Instead, he darts his eyes around anywhere he can find... It's not too unlike the way he looked the day he left, although there's no anger whatsoever to it.]

Sorry. I shouldn't have asked that.

[He wants to run, but that just isn't an option at this point. He's not doing that twice.]

[matchbreaker]

[ She can't be like this, not in front of her boys. She can cry later, and probably drink a lot of wine. Reginald will hear out her whining, or maybe Sasha. Maybe Noir. Any of the cats.

Right now, she --

Reaches hand out (ah, not her boys. Only one of them is hers, even now, he's holding her at an arms length) and- Elda grabs a small fistful of Silver's shirt, using what power she has in her arms to give him a tug inside. ]

We've several free guest bedrooms.

[toushiro]

[ and there it is. that's what he thought would happen. either that, or silver running away again; though if that happened, toushiro definitely would've been upset and they would've had to have another talk. toushiro steps aside, turns his back on the door and starts making his way back upstairs. ]

Don't go making a mess again.

[feistytrader]

[He comes inside- both because he's being told to and because Elda's literally yanking him in- and pauses for a moment, looking at both of them in disbelief. After all that, he's just that easily allowed in? He doesn't even have to explain himself?

Is this what he's been missing out on for years?]

Yeah. Thank you.

[The words sound automated, almost; he doesn't know how to process this or proceed.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda... is going to get the flowers into her hand and... ]

We'll have to pick which room'll be yours. You have what you need, right?

[toushiro]

[ you know, the guest rooms are in pretty good shape, but... ]

Pretty sure one of the cats sleeps in one of them.

[ he's calling from halfway up the stairs, now. ]

[feistytrader]

Yeah. I've got all my things.

[He doesn't have all that many things to begin with, really.]

Is it okay if I sleep with the cat?

[He's... keeping it together, but he's still not really looking at Elda or making any attempt to move. ...He might be starting to tear up now that Toushiro's heading upstairs. Maybe. Maybe something's just in his eye.]

[matchbreaker]

You're talking about Chamot, right? [ She's calling up to Toushiro ] We got her more recently, so she might not be a good one to sleep with until we get her more used to the house. But third from the left should be fine.

[ There's enough cats that, you know, a lot of them just kinda sleep anywhere.

Elda remains near Silver, to help him with his bag(s) ]

[toushiro]

The newest one, yes.

[ ...and then toushiro comes back down to get a glass of water. (more like he actually wants to hear what's going on.) he opens one of the cabinets and pulls out a glass. ]

I'll give you two some alone time to talk.

[feistytrader]

[Silver nods quickly, grabs his stuff- he can fit all of his things into a backpack and over the shoulder bag, it's fine- and scoots on over to the room quickly. For a moment, it seems like that's all he's going to say, then-]

I'll be sure to be loud so you can overhear us.

[Look he's sort of emotional, but he is nothing without his sass, okay-]

[matchbreaker]

Thank you, dear!

[ But now, to Silver...

She looks more serious. ]

Are you in any trouble, Silver?

[feistytrader]

No. I mean... I maybe a little?

[That doesn't sound good, uh-]

I didn't do anything wrong.

[matchbreaker]

I didn't ask that.

[ Guilty much??? ]

[feistytrader]

[...Easy, Silver. Don't blow it. You just got here.]

Then no. I'm not in any trouble.

[matchbreaker]

You're sure? No one's threatening you? Harassing you?

[ :T :T ]

[feistytrader]

[Lie. Lie. It's so much easier to lie, just-]

I just don't want to live with anyone that isn't on retrospec. You can understand that, right?

[...Maybe she can't, but. It's a start, anyway.]

[matchbreaker]

[ She reaches out and ... makes to wrap an arm around his waist, pulling him in closer into a sort of half-hug ]

You can stay with me whenever you need to, you know. I do worry about you.

[feistytrader]

[...He doesn't know how to respond to that, or the hug, or the fact that he's actually allowed to stay here, and it shows. He's tense for a good while, but eventually gives up and returns the hug.]

That's why I came.

[Because he's selfish, because he's scared... Because he doesn't have anywhere else to go.]

[matchbreaker]

There, there, boy. I'll keep you safe here.

[ If he's hugging back she'll shift it from an awkward half-hug to wrapping her arms around him and gently raking her nails on his back in what's meant to be a soothing way. ]