2022-03-31 - How Do You Talk About Me

It's a bit later. Not like, bed time late but it is probably after dinner. It's in that gray area of time where a person would have to wonder if they can call or come by without checking first. Usually a courtesy text might not be a bad idea. Still, there is the sound of a vehicle pulling up that has a decent engine. THen there's the sound outside of a car door that perhaps Ava can or cannot hear depending on what's happening inside. It's possible the tv or music might drown it out. Then of course there's the knock at the door before he presses the doorbell. No walking the property this time. And so he's standing at the door, wearing a simple hoodie and some jeans, having clearly changed after work. It makes his beard stand out a bit more since all one can see if his face and then a whole bunch of clothes. He's got a plate tucked under one arm as it drizzles on him while he waits.

Dealing with nightmares is no fun, and it requires a good bit of effort to shake them off, and pre-game to try to keep them at bay. That means prepping. Nice, calming music and meditation for one thing. That's what Ava was in the middle of when she heard an unfamiliar car outside. It's crazy how in tune you become with a neighborhood once you've started living there for a little while. She hops up from the pillow she was sitting on, and hits the pause button on her phone so that she can hurry over towards the door. She opens it, blinking in surprise at both man and drizzle. "Oh! I guess the faeries decided the flowers needed some rain, I'm sorry! Come on in," she laughs, reaching out to pull him inside.

"I guess...." and yet, as soon as he steps inside, it appears that the drizzle on that side of the street, at least in front of Ava's house, stops. He ponders for a moment stepping out again but that is probably a question he doesn't want the answer to. "Sure...we'll go with your theory," he says with a grin as he steps in and smiles to Ava, looking down to her with some fondness, clearly. "I may have to have you speak with said fairies on my behalf, hmm?" He hands over the plate that was tucked under his arm. "A friend of yours brought this by. There were more cookies on it when she gave it to me. Nice girl. Inquisitive, too." He seems amused, as he mentally reflects on the conversation and the questions about him and Ava.

Ava laughs as the rain stops. "They are pranksters. Pranksters are going to prank." The door closes. "Let me grab you a towel." The fond look is returned for a moment, keeping Ava from actually going and getting the towel. Which is good, because he's handing her a plate. "Hm? Oh! Una, yes. She mentioned that she stopped by to bring you some cookies." Right, towel. Kitchen. Bare feet shuffle towards the kitchen to put down the plate and grab him a dish towel. She hurries back and hands it over. "How exactly do you talk about me when I'm not around, sir?" she wonders with a little amused twitch at the edge of her lips.

"Yes, Una," says Deacon with a smile. He looks over at Ava as she finally slips to the kitchen and grins. "Oh? Did she?" He can't help but smirk a little bit. "She mentioned she might do such a thing. Mentioning that she and I spoke, that is," he offers. "She makes excellent cookies. Chocolate chip and snickerdoodle. I actually found myself considering chocolate chip snickerdoodles at that point." He waits before taking the towel and runs it over his head first, brushing it along his hair and the back of his neck as he looks over. "Hmm? How do I? Oh taht's easy," he answers as he wipes his face off. "Much the same way I do when you are here. The vocal chords in the back of the throat vibrate when one wishes to make sound. I use my lips to control the shape of the sound, along with my tongue, so that they form the words we're hearing right now. That's how I talk about you."

"I love Una, she's the best. She lives two houses down. The last house on the street with this garden is hers." Ava's arms cross as she leans against the wall, her expression getting more wry as he gets sassy with his answer. There's a sparkle in her eyes. "You know what I meant," she chides. "I think the word she used was proprietary." It doesn't seem like she's at all offended by it, more curious. "But she was also blushing the whole time. Not used to macho men."

"I do know what you meant," he says right back, "And as I sort of hinted to her, I could answer her question but I think it's more fun for people to wait and see what the narrative says," he offers with a pleased little grin. "Proprietary, hmm?" He ponders that as he leans against a bit of wall, still near the door since they haven't really actually moved in much further yet. "I could see that. I mean you are my our doctor slash coroner...." he adds. "So I could see that sounding possessive." Also, clearly, NOT what Una was implying nor likely how the conversation went but it seems that Deacon is having fun with this. "Why..." he asks, "How would you want me to talk about you, hmm?" He does look over, staring into those piercing blue eyes of Ava's as he asks and waits for her answer.

"Oh, the narrative, huh? Well, that can be a tricky thing, can't it?" Ava's lashes dip. "The proprietary wasn't in response to our working relationship either, and you know that, as well," she notes, reaching up to press a finger to his nose before gesturing down towards his shoes. "Socks and wet shoes off before you step on my carpet." Then she's off the wall and gesturing for him to come into the house. "I have a house guest for a little while, while their boat is being fixed. He's staying in one of the guest rooms. But he's out tonight, so he won't bother us. Do you want a beer or something?" Her eyes flicker towards the fridge then back at him. If she can't get a straight answer, why should he? "How do you want me to want you to talk about me?"

"It wasn't, no," he says about the proprietary speech, before looking down at the finger that pokes his nose. He bends down to start to slip off his shoes though on ehas to wonder if she catches a bit of the look on his face when she mentions the 'he' staying with her. "I'm fine," he says. And the beer isn't the only thing that's frosty. There's a little bit of a frosty edge to his tone as he walks in. And it colors his next statement more than he means to. "I suppose however you feel like," says Deacon, who suddenly doesn't get to control the narrative quite the way he'd like now. And so he follows Ava in, looking around now for hints of said guest that may be out and about.

"Oh. I may not have any powers of the mind persuasion, but even I can feel that," Ava says as she turns to settle a firm look on Deacon, lifting a hand to settle on his chest. "Hey, what's with the tone?" Her head tips to the side, eyes searching his face. "Was it the 'he' part of that statement, or was it the fact that I'm not giving you straight answers until you give me straight answers? Because two can play at that game? Hm?" She takes a step in. "Or was it a mix of both, Deacon?"

"Would you like to sit? We can talk about it?"

Deacon looks back as she turns to him, hand going to his chest and she steps in. As she asks about the he, or the not straight answer, he answers without answering. "I don't mind the word games," he offers. "They're fun." He takes a deep breath, as he looks to Ava and lets her lead over to where they sit. "For the record, I thought I made myself fairly clear on our shopping trip how I'd like to talk about you,' he says quietly. He's not...angry. No, it's actually the other way. He's awfully calm, which is not his usual style. So...there's that. "I also don't like finding out that after you had the attack at the clinic and when you're having trouble sleeping that strange guys are staying over too and you didn't tell me so I could check on them," he says, as if that's his job.

Ava guides Deacon to the couch to sit, and settles next to him against the arm rest, turning her body so that she's facing him with one knee up on the couch. "I know you like the word games. I like bluntness. It's better for me. It's who I am. What you made clear on our shopping trip is that you are attracted to me, yes." Ava grins. "That is something quite reciprocated, by the way, in case I wasn't clear." Her hand moves to settle on his arm. "But that's all that was made clear with a kiss. The rest has to be made clear with words, Deacon."

"As for my friend staying with me, he's not a strange guy just because you don't know him, and I don't need you running background checks on everyone, I promise. You also seem to forget that if I think someone is trouble, I have methods of dealing with them myself." She laughs softly.

He looks over. And there's a sort of pause a moment. "So my sitting up all night to look after you, letting you rest on me. Not...you know...doing anything unseemly while you were sleeping, then taking you to breakfast, THEN kissing you...that wasn't a good enough hint?" He just chuckles and pokes her gently in the side, especially if he happens to know that she is ticklish. "should I give you my letter jacket? Ask if I can carry your book bag? I like you Ava. The timing hasn't ever really been all that great but...I think -you- are great. So...there. Words."

However, as she speaks about him not having to run background checks, He says simply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCFyJIDGztA That's right, Deacon pulls out the "I'll do what I want," of course, it's said with a bit more of a smirk. He seems to think he can be funny, or at least try. Of course that's what happens when the doctor calls you out on your nonsense a bit. "To be fair, I thought actions spoke louder than words so...you know...there's that."

Ava blushes for a moment and looks down at her lap. "To be completely fair, outside of the kissing thing, I would do all of that for any of my friends. Especially ones I was attracted to." There's a little squirm to get away from the poking finger, and a giggle. "Plus, you could just be wanting a hook up, a casual thing. Something easy with no strings. I don't know. These things have to be discussed!" It's a valid point. At least in her mind, they are.

"I like those words," she offers with a soft smile. "I like you too. We've been friends for a very long time. I just want to make sure I know exactly what you are looking for here. Just you and me? And all my crazy?" Another smile.

Her head just shakes at the he'll do what he wants. "Then I just won't give you his name, the poor soul. It's better that he stay here then at Murder Hotel, and you know it! That place is the devil. I have four rooms in this house and I only take up one with a bedroom and one with an office. Until I have kids to fill the other rooms with, I might as well help people out."

"Well..." he says. "It is possible we should discuss boundaries with your patients," offers Deacon with a bit of a smirk as she says she would do all those things. Well minues the kissing. Still, he wrinkles his nose. "No, I am not really interested in a casual hook up. And to be fair...it's possible I don't even want all your crazy. I'd like to find out though, possibly. Over time. A little bit of dating, a little bit of you having to put up with me too. I can be a little bit moody. And cause I see so much of people and all the negative things they do, I occasionally have trouble admitting to trust issues."

Which, of course, leads him to say, "Trust me...I'm working on it." There's a hint of a growing smile again at the joke, as he looks back. "Really I don't think it makes any sense to define all the things we could or couldn't be looking for when we've only been on half a date. I like being around you. I'd like to increase the amount of time I spend around you, and see what that leads to. in the process< I may even hold your hand, try to kiss you, or surprise you with presents. These things happen. It is best not to question the presents."

"I said friends, not patients! Though, sometimes the two overlap. That happens in a small town. But still." Ava gives Deacon a little shove, laughing. The not wanting all of her crazy gets a little bit of a brow lift. "Well, me and the crazy come hand in hand, I'm afraid. But I suppose time will tell if you can handle it. Believe me, I already know that you can be moody," is assured with a smirk. "I've put up with it for quite a few years." He gets a little pinch of one cheek.

All of the things that he's mentioning gets a little bob of her head. "I think I can handle all of that. I happy to like kisses and gifts, and being around you. Being around you more sounds delightful. Though, that comes with the warning that being around me tends to have the side effect of getting drawn into crazy things happening around me. I do live within the bounds of a Faerie Garden after all. I'll have a green house soon that's growing Veil Fruit. I'm trying to head up a new Historical Society after the last one mysteriously all vanished. So... crazy will come for you.

"I'm glad we have this settled then," he adds, looking over and smiling. "I am the one who wants to date you, and you are the one who is crazy. I think as long as we stick to this baseline, we cna figure the rest out." Yes, he is twisting her words just slightly, but to be fair, she did say that she is the one bringing the crazy. As she pinches at his cheek he turns his head and slowly makes a bite towards her hand, possibly getting her or possibly not. It's for fun though, as he's not really trying to bite her but there is a little growl and his teeth do sort of snap together, that click as they hit and he grins as he looks over. "See what happens when you touch the wild Deacon?"

He looks back again, and reaches over to take one of Ava's hands. "Anyway...if it's alright with you I'll just sit here while you work. For the next five days or so. Just to make sure your non-stranger house guest is comfortable." He probably wouldn't really do that. Probably.

"I'm not crazy. I just come with a lot of crazy. There's a small, yet very distinct difference, you'll find." It must be an important difference because Ava is bobbing her head very incessantly about this. Her fingers curl into his with a warm smile. "But yes, I think that this seems like a pretty good baseline to be working off of." The playful bite gets a laugh before she tugs her hand away and with equal playfulness baps his nose.

"You're more than welcome to sit here with me. But you need to leave poor Mikaere alone. He's not doing anything but existing. So you be nice. He's a perfect gentlemen." She leans against his shoulder. "I was just doing some meditation. So here, you can go ahead and do some with me." With that, she leans forward to press play again on her phone, before guiding him into the meditation with her.