Post by TempoPrestissimo on May 21, 2012 1:02:28 GMT -5
Caius hated waiting.
It was sort of their own fault. The last job hadn't actually gone that badly, but the decrepit building they were fighting in had decided to come down on top of them. They had gotten out mostly okay, no major injuries... But Caius was pretty sure they had both pulled every muscle they had in getting out of the rubble.
He didn't even blame Zig for frying the building when she did. The creepy, many-legged thing had been stuck to it, so, it had made sense at the time. But, it meant that while there wasn't a whole lot terribly wrong with them, neither of them could work in the state they were in. And so they had to wait.
At the moment, he was sprawled out on the couch, staring listlessly at the ceiling. He only moved when Zig sat on him, and then, he jumped, his limbs flailing about gracelessly as he tried to right himself and sit up properly. Unaffected, Zig stood, and repositioned herself comfortably on the couch. “Sorry, didn't see you there.” She said cheekily.
Caius groaned, leaning back against the couch with his eyes closed. That little bit of ungainly athleticism was enough to make everything hurt. It wasn't terrible. It was just...ow. And he was sure that Zig, despite being less restless about it so far, probably felt the same way.
She was perched happily on the couch eating something that was a rarity in the shade world; ice cream. What with the jobs they could take on, they were actually not that badly off. The house had power, which was a lot more than some other places did. It didn't have any holes in it. It was warm and dry and the furniture wasn't too threadbare. And they had food. Most importantly, they had food.
“Is that helping you feel better?” He asked without opening his eyes. Zig bounced once happily and nodded anyways. “Yup. And, you know, the painkillers we bought.” She added.
Caius's eyes opened just a little. “We have painkillers?” He asked, skeptically.
“We did. I finished them off. Though I guess we could get more tomorrow.” Most places were closed already, and he could tell by her tone that she was being more of a tease than a jerk. There was no malicious intent in her making him suffer; it's not like he was dying. That would have been easier to manage.
“Thanks for that.” He answered, closing his eyes again, shaking his head at her.
“Here, I got something to take your mind off waiting. It's making you particularly intolerable.” Zig suggested. Caius pulled himself reluctantly into a sitting position. “I didn't even know you knew that word.”
“Impressed? You should be.” She said, unbothered by his remark. If Caius had wanted to be hurtful, she'd know. She might not know everything about him, but she could tell things like that. And really, that was more than pretty much anyone else could do. It was enough for her.
“So what's this idea of yours?” He asked, running a hand through his hair. It was already tousled from many of the same movements. Zig shifted, moving to sit cross legged and she set her bowl of ice cream aside. “You have to sit the same way, your back to me.”
Caius gave her a weird look, but did as she asked. “Okay...”
“Calm down and follow the instructions.” Zig brushed off his wariness, rolling her eyes at him. Caius shifted and did as she told him to. “Okay, here's the rules. I'm going to spell something and you have to figure out what it is, and then guess.” She said. “Simple enough. I'm sure you can handle it.”
Caius looked back at her. “Wait, what? I don't get-” Zig looked at him pointedly. “Shut up. Follow the instructions. And don't look damn it!” She chastised him. Caius sighed, swallowing his insecurity. It was a game. And it was Zig. It wasn't going to be that bad.
“Okay, I'm starting, pay attention.” Sh said, her tone considerably gentler now that Caius wasn't cheating. She touched him, gently, with her index finger, and his entire body tensed up. She sighed.
“Just relax. It's going to be fine. And it's actually kinda fun, I promise.” For once, Zig's voice was actually gentle, and she rested a hand on his shoulder. He shivered, biting his lip on the inside, and nodded. “No, it's fine. I'm... curious.”
“Okay. Here, let's try something easy.” Maybe it was because Caius was so wary of human contact, but whatever Zig tried to draw on his back came out a crazy blend of sensations that he had no idea how to interpret. “I...I don't know.”
“You suck. I'll go a little slower.” She said matter-of-factly.
She tried again, her finger slowly tracing something. Caius closed his eyes and concentrated. “Maybe a T...?” He suggested, tilting his head. Zig scoffed. “How many lines did I draw? You're full of dumb. It's an 'I'.”
“Okay, 'I'. 'I' what?” Caius asked. Zig hit his shoulder. “How about you shut up and let me finish? Then you'll know.” Caius, a small smile on his lips, sighed. “Okay, go ahead.”
Zig started again. Caius actually didn't mind the game, even if it was a little strange. “ 'I'... and that one is an 'H'... Are you sure you know how to spell?” He asked. She hit him again. “It's two different words.”
“ 'I'...'H'...'A'....'T'...You hat?” He asked. Zig shoved him. “This is supposed to be fun! You are ruining it!” She poked him hard in the back, but she was laughing. The sound made him smile a little wider.
“So, that's an 'E'... you hate... what, everything?” This was getting easier as he got more used to her touch. He was relaxing a little, actually enjoying himself. It had been a while. It really had. Zig nudged him but kept going. “ 'M'...'A'...'R'... Wait, you hate Marc?” He turned to look at her, incredulous. She laughed. “Well no, not really, but it was easy and I figured you would get it. Marc was the one who actually taught me the game, when we were little.”
Caius smiled, “It's a fun game... a little silly, but it's fun.” He admitted, however reluctantly. Zig shook her head, “We're only half done. You have to do me next. No excuses.” She turned away from him, the motion easy, relaxed. Caius marvelled at it a little.”Okay, if you insist....” He said quietly.
He had the phrase he wanted to use in an instant. It was a little risky, but, once it had come to mind, it was like there just were no other options. “You're going to have to be patient, it's a bit of a long one...” Zig shrugged. “I can take it!”
“Okay, just...be patient...” He said quietly. He started, strangely not nervous... at least, not until Zig started to piece things together. “ 'Y'...'O'..'U'...is that an apostrophe? You can't do that!” She gave him a look like he had just broken some sort of fundamental life rule.
“Fine, let me try again.” Caius sighed, biting back a smile lest she think he wasn't taking her seriously. She started guessing again. “ 'A'... 'R'...'E'.... if you say I'm an idiot I'm not going to talk to you for the rest of the day.”
“So much for your being patient!” Caius tapped her shoulder, certainly a lot lighter than she had 'tapped' him. “I'm almost done, just let me finish.”
“'B'...'E'...'A'....'U'...'T'...-” Her voice started brash, then became confused, and slowly, it became wondering, “ 'I'..'F'...'U'... 'L'...”
Caius took his hand away, folding them nervously in his lap. He took a deep breath, looked down at his hands, and regretted nothing.
It was sort of their own fault. The last job hadn't actually gone that badly, but the decrepit building they were fighting in had decided to come down on top of them. They had gotten out mostly okay, no major injuries... But Caius was pretty sure they had both pulled every muscle they had in getting out of the rubble.
He didn't even blame Zig for frying the building when she did. The creepy, many-legged thing had been stuck to it, so, it had made sense at the time. But, it meant that while there wasn't a whole lot terribly wrong with them, neither of them could work in the state they were in. And so they had to wait.
At the moment, he was sprawled out on the couch, staring listlessly at the ceiling. He only moved when Zig sat on him, and then, he jumped, his limbs flailing about gracelessly as he tried to right himself and sit up properly. Unaffected, Zig stood, and repositioned herself comfortably on the couch. “Sorry, didn't see you there.” She said cheekily.
Caius groaned, leaning back against the couch with his eyes closed. That little bit of ungainly athleticism was enough to make everything hurt. It wasn't terrible. It was just...ow. And he was sure that Zig, despite being less restless about it so far, probably felt the same way.
She was perched happily on the couch eating something that was a rarity in the shade world; ice cream. What with the jobs they could take on, they were actually not that badly off. The house had power, which was a lot more than some other places did. It didn't have any holes in it. It was warm and dry and the furniture wasn't too threadbare. And they had food. Most importantly, they had food.
“Is that helping you feel better?” He asked without opening his eyes. Zig bounced once happily and nodded anyways. “Yup. And, you know, the painkillers we bought.” She added.
Caius's eyes opened just a little. “We have painkillers?” He asked, skeptically.
“We did. I finished them off. Though I guess we could get more tomorrow.” Most places were closed already, and he could tell by her tone that she was being more of a tease than a jerk. There was no malicious intent in her making him suffer; it's not like he was dying. That would have been easier to manage.
“Thanks for that.” He answered, closing his eyes again, shaking his head at her.
“Here, I got something to take your mind off waiting. It's making you particularly intolerable.” Zig suggested. Caius pulled himself reluctantly into a sitting position. “I didn't even know you knew that word.”
“Impressed? You should be.” She said, unbothered by his remark. If Caius had wanted to be hurtful, she'd know. She might not know everything about him, but she could tell things like that. And really, that was more than pretty much anyone else could do. It was enough for her.
“So what's this idea of yours?” He asked, running a hand through his hair. It was already tousled from many of the same movements. Zig shifted, moving to sit cross legged and she set her bowl of ice cream aside. “You have to sit the same way, your back to me.”
Caius gave her a weird look, but did as she asked. “Okay...”
“Calm down and follow the instructions.” Zig brushed off his wariness, rolling her eyes at him. Caius shifted and did as she told him to. “Okay, here's the rules. I'm going to spell something and you have to figure out what it is, and then guess.” She said. “Simple enough. I'm sure you can handle it.”
Caius looked back at her. “Wait, what? I don't get-” Zig looked at him pointedly. “Shut up. Follow the instructions. And don't look damn it!” She chastised him. Caius sighed, swallowing his insecurity. It was a game. And it was Zig. It wasn't going to be that bad.
“Okay, I'm starting, pay attention.” Sh said, her tone considerably gentler now that Caius wasn't cheating. She touched him, gently, with her index finger, and his entire body tensed up. She sighed.
“Just relax. It's going to be fine. And it's actually kinda fun, I promise.” For once, Zig's voice was actually gentle, and she rested a hand on his shoulder. He shivered, biting his lip on the inside, and nodded. “No, it's fine. I'm... curious.”
“Okay. Here, let's try something easy.” Maybe it was because Caius was so wary of human contact, but whatever Zig tried to draw on his back came out a crazy blend of sensations that he had no idea how to interpret. “I...I don't know.”
“You suck. I'll go a little slower.” She said matter-of-factly.
She tried again, her finger slowly tracing something. Caius closed his eyes and concentrated. “Maybe a T...?” He suggested, tilting his head. Zig scoffed. “How many lines did I draw? You're full of dumb. It's an 'I'.”
“Okay, 'I'. 'I' what?” Caius asked. Zig hit his shoulder. “How about you shut up and let me finish? Then you'll know.” Caius, a small smile on his lips, sighed. “Okay, go ahead.”
Zig started again. Caius actually didn't mind the game, even if it was a little strange. “ 'I'... and that one is an 'H'... Are you sure you know how to spell?” He asked. She hit him again. “It's two different words.”
“ 'I'...'H'...'A'....'T'...You hat?” He asked. Zig shoved him. “This is supposed to be fun! You are ruining it!” She poked him hard in the back, but she was laughing. The sound made him smile a little wider.
“So, that's an 'E'... you hate... what, everything?” This was getting easier as he got more used to her touch. He was relaxing a little, actually enjoying himself. It had been a while. It really had. Zig nudged him but kept going. “ 'M'...'A'...'R'... Wait, you hate Marc?” He turned to look at her, incredulous. She laughed. “Well no, not really, but it was easy and I figured you would get it. Marc was the one who actually taught me the game, when we were little.”
Caius smiled, “It's a fun game... a little silly, but it's fun.” He admitted, however reluctantly. Zig shook her head, “We're only half done. You have to do me next. No excuses.” She turned away from him, the motion easy, relaxed. Caius marvelled at it a little.”Okay, if you insist....” He said quietly.
He had the phrase he wanted to use in an instant. It was a little risky, but, once it had come to mind, it was like there just were no other options. “You're going to have to be patient, it's a bit of a long one...” Zig shrugged. “I can take it!”
“Okay, just...be patient...” He said quietly. He started, strangely not nervous... at least, not until Zig started to piece things together. “ 'Y'...'O'..'U'...is that an apostrophe? You can't do that!” She gave him a look like he had just broken some sort of fundamental life rule.
“Fine, let me try again.” Caius sighed, biting back a smile lest she think he wasn't taking her seriously. She started guessing again. “ 'A'... 'R'...'E'.... if you say I'm an idiot I'm not going to talk to you for the rest of the day.”
“So much for your being patient!” Caius tapped her shoulder, certainly a lot lighter than she had 'tapped' him. “I'm almost done, just let me finish.”
“'B'...'E'...'A'....'U'...'T'...-” Her voice started brash, then became confused, and slowly, it became wondering, “ 'I'..'F'...'U'... 'L'...”
Caius took his hand away, folding them nervously in his lap. He took a deep breath, looked down at his hands, and regretted nothing.