[dated 10/3] // don't stop me now

[fionnuisce]

Characters: Waver and open
Setting: dorm floors, floor 3, closed prompt on floor 4
Format: Either
Summary: Birthday? What birthday? Waver doesn't know what you're talking about.
Warnings: None yet.

[dormitory floors]

[Birthdays weren't of any particular importance to Waver Velvet. He noted his age like any other normal person, but thought little of it. October third was just a day, same as the second or the fourth. There was no point in calling attention to it or informing people who would in turn make the entire thing some elaborate production.]

[Even though the date was of no consequence to him, the magus had to wonder if the timing of the new item appearing in his trunk was more than mere coincidence. It was simple in appearance, just a metal case small enough to just barely fit in one's hand. The more he looked at it, the more Waver noticed it seemed just faintly charred in places. Whatever it was and whatever the reason it looked damaged in that way, Waver wasn't too pleased about it. He slipped the case into his coat pocket, walking out of his dormitory room and going to walk the halls aimlessly with a clear scowl on his face. Maybe if he wandered the Tower for long enough, he'd forget what kind of miserable day this was shaping up to be.]

[floor 3]

[When someone like Waver was in a particularly unpleasant mood, the coping mechanism was usually the same; head to the library with a cup of tea and occupy oneself with a collection of books. A small amount of various fiction was piled neatly on the table Waver had claimed today; seeming to be mostly leaning towards classical fiction. What he focused on specifically seemed to be a copy of the Iliad; Waver remembered his alternate self mentioning some odd fondness for it. There had been an odd sense of something like nostalgia when that particular text caught his eye, and so he'd decided 'why the hell not'.]

[While he seemed in less miserable spirits than he was upon leaving his room earlier, it was anyone's guess whether he'd stay that way if interrupted. Try your luck?]

[floor 4; closed to oathshackledbird]

[It had occurred to Waver several hundred times already that he probably should have been working. There was a lot to do back in the laboratory, but at the same time he doubted anyone, himself included, would be in a condition to do much at all after the recent unpleasantness. One day of being a useless mess likely wouldn't cause catastrophe.]

[Eventually he found his way to a relatively isolated corner of the lounge floor, taking a small notebook and pen from his pocket. It was far too long since he'd had any time to update the mess of theories he'd had about the Tower, and most of it was vastly outdated. If he wasn't going to work on anything else, that at least seemed like a reasonable way to waste time.]

Comments

no it has cooties :V

[fionnuisce]

[There was a cat staring at him.]

[But then again, he'd recently had an intelligent conversation with a telepathic red-tailed hawk. So it was safe to say Waver expected just about anything by now.]

...Can I help you?

no you

[bashfulshifter]

[Absolutely! As soon as Waver speaks in a tone that isn't outwardly violent, Rusty's tail goes vertical and he approaches with a happy meow and a bounce in his step. Somewhere down the hall, this transitions quite abruptly to a pajama-clad blonde man walking casually with a warm grin.]

W-Waver! [His cheeks flush light pink.] I-I, ah, d-didn't e-expect to see y-you a-a-around here!

rude >:V

[fionnuisce]

What the fuck.

[oh right. shapeshifter. Pardon him while he recovers.]

I mean, er...I was just walking around, that's all.

<3

[bashfulshifter]

[Oops, maybe should have given Waver more warning before shifting back. Rick's blush encroaches ever further over his face and he gives a nervous laugh.]

Ah...a-alright. S-Sorry, I d-d-didn't m-mean to...I'm not b-bothering you, am I?

[fionnuisce]

No, you aren't. [He shrugged, hands in his pockets.]

I really didn't have anything important to do.

[bashfulshifter]

...You don't?

[Rick blinks in surprise. For someone that appears as motive-driven as Waver--someone that routinely worked many hours too long in the laboratory despite the nagging of many of his teammates--the statement seems rather odd.]

...Are you f-f-feeling o-okay?

[fionnuisce]

...

[Actually, he raised a good point. Waver was entirely aware he should have been in the laboratory working himself to death. But on this day he was just...tired. Drained physically and mentally in ways he couldn't begin to explain, not that he wanted to let on at all.]

Of course I am. [His left hand curled around the small metal case in his jacket pocket absentmindedly, thinking about it even on some subconscious level.]

[bashfulshifter]

[Careful, Waver. You're making the blonde man suspicious. He squints, trying to piece together what he could be doing wrong--because this is obviously Rick's fault, right?]

...If i-it's the l-lab...i-it's n-nearly c-c-cleaned up, now. S-Sorry it's t-t-taken me so l-long, I, ah...

[Now it's his turn to fiddle with something in his pocket.]

...got a l-little d-d-distracted y-yesterday.

[fionnuisce]

It's fine. Don't worry so much about it.

[well, Waver certainly looked calm enough, at least.]

Are you alright?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick wears his emotions a touch more loosely than Waver does. He laughs nervously and shuffles his feet.]

Y-Yeah, I...yeah. [A beat; his eyes flicker to the floor.] ...You h-haven't, ah...found a-anything r-recently, have you? I m-mean, in...you know. Y-Your t-t-trunk or s-something.

[fionnuisce]

So it wasn't just me? I thought as much, but it's good to have confirmation.

[bashfulshifter]

[He looks reasonably surprised.]

...I c-could say the s-same thing. I d-didn't know...Hmm.

[Insert pensive chin-scratch here.]

...W-What did you g-get?

[fionnuisce]

[Waver didn't answer right away. While his expression wasn't angry or offended that Rick had asked, some part of it still caused him to hesitate.]

...I could ask you the same thing.

[bashfulshifter]

--Oh--S-Sorry, I d-didn't m-mean to p-pry or--w-well--s-s-sorry.

[Slightly dejected at having been too intrusive, Rick still strives to answer. He fishes through his pocket and produces a simple black leather wallet.]

...Just this.

[fionnuisce]

[True to his word, Waver produced the small metal case with its charred edges.]

It's fine, I'm not angry. I just don't particularly like talking about my past or my personal life. Leaves a miserable taste in my mouth, to use the common phrase.

[bashfulshifter]

W-Well I...I d-don't want to m-make you u-uncomfortable or a-anything. We don't h-have to t-t-talk about it.

[fionnuisce]

Relax. At least try to, you look like you might faint. Just because we got something from home doesn't mean the whole tower needs to unload our miserable and/or traumatic pasts on each other. I'm fine with keeping our collective mouth shut about it.

[bashfulshifter]

[His face goes bright red; as per usual, telling Rick to relax has the opposite effect. Goodness, does he really look that nervous? Waver must think he's absolutely ridiculous.]

...F-Fair enough.

[Rick briefly considers mentioning that his gift was actually really nice, but he thinks better of it. He replaces his wallet without further mention.]

...You th--think the a-admins g-gave us these?

[fionnuisce]

Who else could have, honestly?

[bashfulshifter]

[He chuckles with surprising wryness.] W-Well my w-wife u-usually made s-sure I d-didn't l-leave my w-w-wallet at home, but...heh. True.

[fionnuisce]

You're married? I didn't realize--sorry, perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut on that.

[bashfulshifter]

Uh--w-well yeah, I--

[Rick gestures uselessly, confused and rather anxious that he's made Waver uncomfortable...again.]

--N-No, no it's--I d-don't mind. I m-mean, t-talking a-a-about my wife. [Then, quickly added as if to prove his point: ] Sh--She's w-wonderful and I l-love her.

[fionnuisce]

[you're both socially stupid]

I'm...glad to hear that. [how does i conversation]

[bashfulshifter]

[oh god they're so awkward it hurts]

[Rick grins stupidly, but soon realizes just how unbelievably weird the past minute or so of conversation has been and is too mortified with himself to say anything else. What's worse is that all he can think about to move this along is to show Codi's picture in his wallet, and talk about how much he misses her. Which would make things so unbearably uncomfortable that Rick can hardly stand to think about it.]

[...Hey Waver, remember when you said Rick looked like he might faint earlier?]

[fionnuisce]

...Er...Rick, are you feeling alright? You rather look like you might want to sit down.