2022-05-19 - It Takes a Village

(TXT to ) Charity : Hey Ava. It's Charity. Are you still interested in dance lessons?

(TXT to Charity) Ava : I am! I'll probably need a few days before I can dance though. I got roughed up in a Dream.

(TXT to ) Charity : Are you okay? Do you need me to bring you anything?

(TXT to Charity) Ava : I'm fine! I got some healing, I'm doing the bed rest thing. So I should be okay in a couple of days. I could use something for the pain, though. I don't suppose I could send you by my office to grab something from my nurse?

(TXT to Ava) Charity: Of course. I'll go by now. See you in a bit!

(TXT to Ava) Charity: Uh, is your office on Oak Street?

(TXT to Charity) Ava : The Bauer Building

(TXT to Ava) Charity: Okay, sit tight. I'm on the way.

(TXT to Charity) Ava : It's on the first floor.

(TXT to Charity) Ava : Thank you!

Sometime later, though probably sooner than could be expected given the normal speed limits being adhered to, Charity's pale green Corvair pulls to a stop in front of 3 Oak Drive. Well, slides to a stop really, with a hint of squealing rubber. The driver's door flies open and the newly returned resident hops out. Dressed in a black skater's skirt with faux suspenders, a white t-shirt with the words "Du Hast" on the front in black lettering, and knee-high black boots on her feet.

Amazingly graceful, despite the solid two-inch heels, she bounces around the car and up onto to the porch with a small bag in her grip. Her free hand knocks on the door several times in rapid succession, followed by two presses of the doorbell. Then she forces herself to take a step back and breathe.

Deacon had to head back out, and Nimue is with Una. Ava is left with all the quiet of her own mind which is never a good thing. She's drowsing in and out of sleep when she hears a car pull up. Of course, she's expecting knocking on her door, but hears it next door instead. Brows tick, but he's too tired for more texting. Instead, she's just using the same potted plant as before.

Then vine sneaks out to reopen the door to her house. Then it takes a moment to grab her own knocker and let it clatter noisily against the front to grab Charity's attention. The vine wiggles itself into the shape of an arrow and gestures to the front door.

Over here.

Charity's booted foot taps up and down like a micro-jackhammer. Which, given the sheer amount of caffeine she ingests on a daily basis, is probably not too far from the truth. The fact that Ava hasn't answered the door, nor called out for her to come in, is starting to frazzle already frazzled nerves. "No," she says in a soft, annoyed voice. "I'm not going to kick in her freaking door. Not when she might just be asleep."

Lifting her arm to knock again, she stops when someone on the other side knocks first. No, wait. That didn't come from the inside the house. It came from ...

Charity turns around to look at the front door of the house next door. At first, she's not completely sure she's seeing what she's seeing. Then the arrow actually pointing and moving seals the deal. With a final glance at the front door that isn't Ava's, Charity bounds off the porch, across the yard and up onto the porch of 1 Oak Drive. Poking her head into the open doorway, just in case this is a trap like in Day of the Triffids, she calls out.

"Ava? It's Charity."

The vine waits for Charity and then gestures up towards the stairs. "Hey," comes Ava's voice softly from the top. "I was hoping that was you tapping on Ravn's door and not some random stranger I just invited over. That would have been awkward. Granted, if they didn't run screaming from the vine, it would probably be okay. If not, well, at least I don't have to get up to defend myself, typically."

The vine retracts back to its pot and goes still. It sounds like Ava is in the furthest bedroom at the top of the stairs.

Charity steps inside, closes the door and then pauses at the bottom of the steps to watch the plant go back to being a ... plant. Okay, that might very well be the weirdest thing she's seen since she returned to Gray Harbor. Even the thing under her old house didn't set of her Strange-O-Meter as badly as the cartoon antics of the potted plant.

Ascending the steps, she stops at the landing and then makes her way to the end of the hallway. "Ava?"

The bedroom door is open, revealing the large bedroom with the four post, canopy bed against the back wall. Ava is nestled into it, back flat and knees up. Her fingers lift to offer a wave. "Hi Charity. I really do owe you one for this. Thank you. Sorry our dance lessons got pushed back." Ava pats the bed next to her in invitation to sit. "The clinic wasn't hard to find, right?"

Some of the tension seems to drift out of the raven-haired girl. It's very likely that Charity might have expected to find her friend had become some plant creature. Given the actives of the rhododendron downstairs. Happy that Ava still seems human, as well as fleshy, she shakes her head as she crosses to the bed and holds out the bag to Ava.

"Not hard to find at all. I remembered where the Bauer Building was." Sitting carefully on the edge of the bed, so as not to jostle the doctor, she gives her a tiny smile. "You don't owe me anything, Ava. This is what friends do, right?" Spoken as cautiously as someone who isn't completely sure about the whole nuances of friendship. "Can I ask what happened? I mean, you said it was a Dream?"

Ava laughs, before she winces slightly and rests a hand on her stomach. "I know. I know it's what friends do. People keep reminding me. I still don't like inconveniencing other people. I'm the fixer type. I don't like others having to fix for me." Of course, Ava does notice that tension in Charity when she first arrives, brow ticking. "Did I scare you with the vine? I'm sorry. Limited mobility, much lots of magic." She wiggles her fingers. There is lots of plant life in the house, Charity would have notice, including in the bedroom.

"Spirit birds. We were natives on a hunt. There were quite a few of us, actually. They were fearsome. One of them got me pretty bad with her claws when she fled. But she didn't break the skin, it was all internal. I should have just passed out, but something wouldn't let me." There's a small breath. "A couple of us came back injured."

Charity nods at little. "Yeah, I know all about not wanting to be a bother to anyone. Once you get into that mindset, that your only there to help, not be helped, it gets really hard to get out of." She glance at the plants and shakes her head. "Not frighten, so much as making us do a double take. That was Ravn's house I was at, wasn't it?" She laughs. "If he'd opened the door to see me standing there in a tizzy ... " The laugh devolves into a giggle. "Well, I'm sure you can imagine how he'd react."

"You were a hunter in the Dream? Like a Native American hunter?" She frowns at the mention of others. "Do they need help as well? I can't heal anyone like Una said you could, but I can go to the pharmacy or back by your clinic."

"That is exactly it. I'm terrible at accepting help. But I'm fantastic at giving it. Friends here have been helping me get over myself, though, which I guess it really a good thing." Ava pauses for a moment, head tilting towards the black haired woman. "May I ask who the other person in 'Us' is?" Her eyes drift as if there's potentially a ghost lingering that she can't see. Of course, she just smirks at the thought of Ravn's reaction. "He's probably just be like ...what? Him and social cues aren't exactly the best. You might have run into Aidan, though! You would have been in for a delight. He's a peach."

"Mmhmm. But way way back. Della is next door, Una is going to update me on how she is. Honestly, I can heal her from here if I really need to. But I haven't gotten any panicked phone calls, so I think Una took care of things herself." Does Ava look proud? She might. Una taking control of stuff makes her proud. "Nicasia hasn't called about Myles, either. So I'm guessing he's alright. I'm trying not to do the panic thing.

"It is a good thing. You give help, you get help. It's like a happy quid pro quo." Charity's grin falters a bit when Ava asks about the plurality and she shrugs. "My brother is sort of in my head. I mean, not really. Not like he shrank and fell into my ear or anything. More like his ... echo? I would say his ghost but since I only hear him, I feel silly calling him that." She sighs. "It sometimes creates a plurality I don't notice. Una called me out for it the other day."

"No, Ravn is completely sweet and very polite, but even more clueless than the average man." Oh look! Obvious subject change! No turn signal or anything. "That deal with Willow, I knew what was wrong with her the moment you took her off alcohol. I bet Ravn still doesn't have a clue. Not unless someone told him."

"Della?" She says the other girl's name, rolling it around on her tongue for a moment before nodding. "Oh. I think I met her at the spa the other day. Ravn, Una, Dita, and Ari were there too." Then she shakes her head. "Nicasia I remember from the Pourhouse that day I thought you were going to eat a Dandy Bar for a snack. But I don't know Miles." Reaching out, she gives Ava's hand a squeeze. "I'm just glad everyone made it back alive."

"Oh! Gotcha gotcha. I'd still say it's a ghost. Just more of a personal one than anything else. Some people have those. It's good that even though he's gone, you still have him." Ava smiles softly at that, trying to be reassuring. There doesn't seem to be any judgement there, at least. "Only thing I have in my head is stress and monsters." There's a laugh there as she tries to brighten the mood. But again, there's flinching to go along with it.

"He is far more clueless than most men, yes. It's one of his more charming, yet infuriating features. But he's one of the best people I know, clueless or not." Ava's hand wraps around Charity's as she relaxes some. "Della is one of Una's roommates. Nicasia and Myles are Bail Bondsman in town. Nic does the skip tracing. You'll recognize Myles when you see him, he is super tall and super hot. Nic's his ex-wife. They aren't together, but they live together, and they're kind of together. I wouldn't flirt with him in front of her. But I would flirt with him."

"Still sounds weird, though." Charity gives Ava a tiny smile. "Yes, Ravn is a really good guy. Like I told Una, the three of you did so much to make me feel welcome that morning on the porch. Like 'here, have some coffee and cookies and we might ask a few questions, but you don't have to answer if you prefer' sort of welcome. It was nice. It was really nice."

"So, Una has other people living in her house? I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I pop over. Wouldn't want someone to think I was a burglar or something." A little laugh follows that. "Tall and super hot? I'll keep that in mind. And your flirting secret is safe with me." She pantomimes zipping her mouth, locking it, and throwing away the key.

"Oh, I got that job at the Olympic. Cocktail waitress. Should bring in decent income until I can find something else. I told Una she was my good luck charm since I was having coffee with her when they called."

"Well, that's because you are welcome. So of course you should feel that way." Another little grin. She's finally reaching for the bag that Charity brought in and prying open the contents to take a one of pills inside. She grabs for a drink and pulls it closer, eying the stupid straw that has been forced into her glass by one insistent chief of police. Straws. She doesn't admit that it does help with drinking while lying flat, she won't give him that satisfaction.

"Della and Jules live with Una, yes. So I would definitely be careful with skulking. But we all have so many people wandering around our houses these days, that honestly I can't imagine we'd recognize an actual burglar unless they were wearing a ski mask."

"Congrats on the job, that's great! Now you just have to keep a hat pin on you to stab the guys that get a little too handsy. I'd say use your abilities, but you'd backlash so fast it wouldn't be worth it."

Charity waits until Ava has taken her pill before continuing. "I'll have you know I do not skulk. If anything, I sashay. Or maybe fox trot." She grins at the other woman. "I am a graceful dancer, after all. Skulking. Indeed!" There is no offense in her teasing, just an ever widening grin. "Plus, I would never wear a ski mask, the static cling I suffer from is already bad enough. Throw in a wool cap and my hair would stand out on end."

"Thanks. We'll keep the hatpin on standby. I mean, the last thing I want to do is short circuit the entire casino or give myself a debilitating migraine. The last one had me bleeding from the eyes." She shakes her head. "I'm not anywhere close to being a medical professional and I know that bleeding from the eyes is bad."

Zara may have got a text about what happened...eventually...but that is certainly not good enough as far as she is concerned. Oh yes, there will be yelling. But since she is a doctor first, she doesn't barge into Ava's house (right one, first try) in a fury. Besides, as far as she knows there is a sleeping blue baby somewhere. Quietly up the stairs she goes. The doctor, having just finished her shift, is dressed in neat casual and comes bearing gifts of flowers and a bag of something. Hearing voices she stops and knocks on the frame of the doorway to announce her presence.

A brief glare at the patient before a smile for Charity. "Hey. At least Ava is letting someone look after her. I'm Zara" she greets before turning her, slightly softer, gaze on the lying down one. "Okay, let's hear it. What happened and why wasn't I there?"

Charity turns as Zara comes into the room and smiles. "Yes, we've already covered how much she hates being the patient. I'm Charity." Giving Ava's hand another squeeze, the dancer stands and moves to allow the new arrival access to the bedside. "Ava, I'm going to go. Get some rest and call or text if you need anything else, okay? And we can put off the lessons until you're back up and able to move without making that face you keep making."

Turning to Zara, she smiles. "Sorry to run out. It was nice meeting you."

"Nobody looks good in a ski mask. It just doesn't work. But fine fine not skulking. My apologies." Ava's eyes sparkle with amusement even if she tries hard to keep herself from laughing, setting the pill container on the bed stand. "No. Bleeding from the eyes is generally a bad thing. Ears and nose, too. But they are common backlashes. Which sucks."

Then there is a glaring best friend and she looks properly sheepish. "It's not my fault They keep trying to whoop my ass." Alright, it might be a little bit her fault because she keeps poking them, but still. It was a Dream, there were Spirit Birds. Internal Bleeding. Got a little bit of healing already, but for safety's sake I have to stay in bed for a day or two until it's safe to walk around. I'm sorry you weren't there! But I'm glad you weren't because you might have gotten hurt to. SO there."

Of course then Charity is leaving, her hand getting a squeeze. "Thanks for getting the meds for me. We'll dance soon. Take care."

"Nice meeting you too" Zara steps out of the way for Charity to leave. "Thanks for looking after her. I know how difficult that is."

Zara proffers the flowers towards Ava. "I got you these to remind you how frail we all are. I'll put them in water downstairs after I've checked you over. And, yes, you are having a check-up. And if you need some more healing, I can do that too." A nod towards where Charity disappeared. "She's in the Know?" The doctor sits herself on the edge of the bed. "They must really like you, Ava. They keep stealing you away on an almost daily basis. Though I might suggest that, if you don't want them to whoop your ass, try not to stick in their faces all the time."

She'll start with a pulse check while whipping out a thermometer. "Open wide."

Ava mutters at the difficult comment and makes a face at Zara. "You know, you can't be sassy and give me flowers at the same time. It's mixed signals!" Ava's hand comes up lightly to bat at the thermometer. "Woman. We both know I'll be fine in a couple of days. What are you doing?" she says with a smirk. Of course, opening her mouth just gives Zara room to put that thermometer in. Ava just gives a sour face and stares up at the other doctor. Hmph.

The question about Charity being in the know gets a single nod. Ava's pulse is a little weak, which is to be expected with her blood flow still being strangely effected and trying to find its way back to normal.

"Weak pulse" Zara frowns a little before pulling the thermometer out of Ava's mouth and glancing at the number. "Bit hot...in a temperature sense before you get smart" she notes before holding up the thermometer and winking. "Oh, and this is a rectal thermometer." It disappears back into the bag to let her words sink in. "Just kidding...or am I? Do you know how many patients I have had that insist they will be fine in a couple of days? I often go to their funerals. And you will only be fine in a couple of days if you're not dragged off again. Who is watching over you while you sleep?"

Zara looks around the room. "Speaking of sleep, where is your darling bouncing blue baby?"

"If you put a rectal thermometer in my mouth, I will never speak to you again. Let's just be clear on that one." There's a smirk from Ava, knowing that Zara would never. "Those patients haven't had magical healing, though." However, the point about not getting dragged in again is a good one. "Last night Aidan healed me and then stayed with me until de la Vega got back. He stayed with me the rest of the night. Deacon tagged in in the morning. Una has Nimue because I figured I would be useless to her today. She's safer with Una today."

"No luck with finding more of Nimue's kind? I suppose a child should be raised by a village. If you ever want me to look after her, just let me know." Zara summons up an innocent smile. "As if I would put a rectal thermometer in your mouth." Her halo may be slipping. "Speaking of villages, it seems we have one watching over you too" she laughs. "You want me to heal you further or you okay with how you are?"

"No luck. I think, I think, she might be related to Naiads in some fashion. But I still have more research to do on it. I'd love for you to look after her some time if you'd like." She reaches out to squeeze Zara's hand. "I do love my village. It's a very good village. I'm lucky that Javier was in that dream with me, honestly, and that he checked on me afterwards. Otherwise I might not have been as lucky as I was." Ava chews her lip for a moment. "I'd love a little more healing, honestly. Not being able to get out of bed is driving me crazy."

Deacon is later than usual. But he has arrived with goodies. Coffee, actually. Three of them, fortunately, though Zara isn't the person he thought would be here. Plus the fixings but he didn't mix them before. Of course, as he enters, he is pleasantly surprised to see Zara as well and so he knocks at the door entrance. "Am I interrupting?" He peeks in, looking to the pair, not wanting to disrupt things just yet. He is relaxed at least, giving a glance about the room to see if there was anyone else about. He's dressed for the chill, with slacks and a button up shirt and a pull over sweatshirt with one of those 1/4 length zippers.

Zara warms up her hands by blowing on them and rubbing them together. "Nothing up my sleeve..." she winks to her friend before pulling down the covers, lifting clothes, and laying hands upon Ava's stomach. "No squirming. At least we don't have to directly touch where we need to" she notes as healing warmth emanates out of her and into Ava. "Internal wounds would be difficult. And imagine working in a V.D. Clinic." She concentrates for a moment, doing all she can. "That feel better?"

Zara glances over at Deacon when he appears. "Hey, Deacon. Nothing to see here" she assures him with a smile before looking back to Ava. "Not sure Deacon wants you out of bed yet though." A wiggle of her eyebrows before lifting her hands away and pulling the covers back up.

"Don't go pulling my shirt up and then tell me not to squirm, you tease," Ava giggles, nose scrunching up at Zara. "I don't always touch for healing, honestly. That's more of a mental block. Not that I mind. Please put your hands on me, doc." Of course, talking about a V.D. clinic ruins that mood pretty much immediately as her face scrunches in a totally different sort of way, disgust taking over. Gross.

"Hey cutiepie," is offered in Deacon's direction, before her lashes flutter as the warmth of the healing floods through her. There's a sharp breath before her body relaxes into the bed with a pleased expression as more of the pain floods away. Granted, some of that is the pain killers hitting her brain, but the rest? Oh, that's so much better. "I can actually move again."

"In bed...out of bed...I mean really it just turns into a sort of choose your own adventure type scenario. There's still plenty of...er...story...to be had," he says with a grin, playing on the double entendre as he looks to the pair. "I can come back though. I just got a text earlier in the day saying to come by after work. I believe it was actually 'send help' but I figured that meant me." Deacon grins with a warm smile, walking over to put a cup of coffee down next to the Doc before giving the other Doc her black coffee. Cream and sugar are set down as well, both in a little bag that came with the cups before Deacon lifts his own and then walks over to the other side of the bed, peering down at Ava. "So, what's the prognosis. Do I finally get the house or are you going to live still?" He looks over to Zara before stage-whispering, "Don't tell her but it's the real reason we're dating." He does not seem too worried about Ava using the energy to hit him just yet though.

"You don't touch the people you heal, Ava? Long range healing. Hmm, I might try that. Wonder what else I could do from a distance" Zara muses with a mischievous smile on her face. But then Deacon's being all charming and she has to roll her eyes in amusement. "I can leave if you wish, Deacon. I don't want to get in the way of the lovebirds. And, sorry to tell you this, but Ava's going to outlive us all. No matter how much she tries to prove me wrong. And I don't think you've been dating long enough to get her house. Besides, I'll say I'm her mistress and have been for years so I can get the house" she winks over the bed at Deacon before looking to Ava with surprise. "Oh, you're still here."

"Sometimes I do. But I don't have to. They just have to be inside my range and I have to know where they are. Just like I can break someone's bones from afar. Handy in a fight, or if you're running away from an attacker." Ava glances between the two, then to the coffee. There's a laugh at the talk of her dying and leaving the house to them. "I'll leave it to both of you and you'll have to get married to keep it. That'll show you." Ava giggles.

Her eyes flicker between the two, a brow lifting. "Suckers."

"I can envision worse punishm--fates." He winks over to Zara, clearly entertained by this line of questioning and he shakes his head. "No reason to leave. Ava and I have a rule that nothing happens when she's hopped up on pain meds or drunk anyway. So...unless she learns to stop getting hurt, we get to go from friends with benefits to friends with the potential promise of benefits if one of us could stay healthy long enough..." And while the words may seem a hint bitter, there's none of the matching bitterness in his tone. He's having fun, especially knowing that said Ava will likely not be hopping out of bed anytime soon with the intent to kick his ass.

"Nothing happens? There are things you can do without having to tear open any wounds, you know." Zara arches a brow at Ava before stage whispering to her friend. "Oh, is this how you keep him keen? Keep getting injured." Her brow furrows now. "Or is this your way of dumping him? Holding out until he moves on. You are one cruel woman, Ava." She looks up at Deacon. "Oh, you're still here too."

"You really think this house is worth marriage?" Zara looks around before musing, "I'd have to check the pipes first." A beat. "I mean the house." Back to more serious talk. "Were you in this Dream, Deacon? It sounds like your boss was. And you should keep up the mascara. It looked good on you."

Ava scoffs and lifts her hand. "Don't look at me. It's his rule as a gentleman, thank you. He's a sweetheart when it comes to consent, which is a damn good thing, but terrible when I'm drunk and just wanna nail him." She sighs wistfully at Deacon, grinning. "If it were up to me, I'd fuck you both right here and now." She's going to remember that came out of her mouth at some point tomorrow and be horrified. But right now, those drugs are singing sweet melodies in her head.

"Deacon. I'm going to eventually get out of this bed. You're in soooo much trouble when I am," she laughs, waggling a finger in his direction. "I could never dump Deacon. He's too amazing. You'll see, Zee." Apparently she'll see?

Looking over to Zara, Deacon just raises a brow a-la-Spock or The Rock and then just shakes his head. "More like...one of our first dates she was hurt and drugged and I said I wouldn't do anything when it wasn't fully...you know...of sound mind. Cause I think we know she is of sound body...HEY-O...." says Deacon with amusement now as he looks at the rule and then he turns into Captain America as he looks over to Ava. "Language." Still, he doesn't seem too stressed as he settles on the side of the bed and takes a sip of his cup, just looking across to the two. "But yes, of course I am. I think it's adorable you think you'll even remember that I was here tomorrow."

As he asks then he looks over to Zara. "Anything I need to know for taking care of her? Besides of course making sure she doesn't hurt her own self in the process of trying to get up and do things."

Zara heard Ava's sexual desire comment and it has her snorting in amusement and shaking her head. "Ava, dear, did you take some Viagra as well as painkillers? Yes, I am sure he is wonderful. He had better be, you only deserve the best." Another roll of her eyes at Deacon's words. "Oh, yes, very sound body. If she stops getting it attacked and mangled. I worry she is only doing it to get me to touch her. You just have to ask, Ava. No need to go hunting killer birds."

"As for what to do to look after her. Make sure she's fed, watered, and gets a good night's sleep. She'll be fine in the morning." Zara shrugs. "If you want, you can even give her a bed bath. Ava would like that. She might even give you one too."

There's a little moving and shifting as Ava tests the parts of her stomach that were having issues earlier. There's an inward press of brows as she tries to concentrate and eventually figures out the extent of damage still there and how much she can still move. "I can finally sit up and really move around." With that, the woman wiggles herself up into a seated position and relaxes back against pillows. "So much better than flat on my back. No comments from the peanut gallery." Her finger waggles between the both of them.

"Look. Those birds were dangerous, okay? Sometimes The Veil is mean. I haven't died yet, so that's a good sign, right?" Heaven forbid someone had said that to her. But look at the cute face. It's so innocent. That'll work, right? You can't beat up an innocent face making, injured person, right?

Open mouth. Shut mouth. Cut off before he can give an answer with regards to the flat on her back comment. And one can see it too. He was ready. This was about to be a rap battle and he was ready to spit rhymes and lyrics for days. But alas, his retort was cut off before it could grow. He just grins then and nods, "Yes ma'am," he says to Ava as she settles upright and then looks back to Zara. He's about to say something else, as his mouth opens, and then he sees Ava and he whispers to Zara, "She's still here. I can't say what I was going to say." Again, as if Ava can't hear that even though it is said RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER.

He does nod though to the instructions and then eyes the bed. "I'll just help her shower in the morning if she's up to standing. Not that bed baths aren't fine but I always found I got too cold too quickly with them. But yes...perhaps a little more doctoring and a little less patienting might be good."

"Seriously, Deacon, she's fine now. She could get up and shower now if she wanted but Ava likes the attention" Zara deadpans, totally aware, of course, that Ava is hearing every word. "I just thought you might have both enjoyed some bed baths." A scandalised look at Ava suggesting that Zara was going to comment about flat on back. "Oh, please. As if I would make a comment about such things. You know I'm an angel and have a mind as pure as white sheets in a nunnery. Text me what you were going to say, Deacon."

"If you die in a Dream, do you think you would even wake up?" Zara muses with a frown. "I guess we would be reliant on other people in the Dream seeing a person die to figure that one out. Not that I really want to test it anytime soon. Okay, time to cheer up the situation. Why does an elephant have four feet? Because it would look silly with six inches."

Ava squints warningly at Deacon, though her lips are stretched into a smile. She knows him well, this much is true. "Oh, you can say it, darling. You're just going to pay for it." Coffee is taken and sipped with a thankful expression and a happy roll of eyes in enjoyment at the taste. So good. "Zara's right. I could get up and shower now if I wanted to. But I will not say no to you coming in and helping me out. It's always better with a little company." Brows wag.

Zara's question about death has her expression darkening. "You die." It's stated as a fact. "If you die in a Dream, you are dead. Just like the way we carry our wounds with us." Her eyes drop, a frown turning at the edges of her lips. There's something haunting in her mind for a moment, but it's pushed aside with that lame joke. "Oh, for love of god. That was horrible. Booooo."

Deacon nods to both. "Fine..." he says. "Bed bath in a bit. First you two finish up. I'll go downstairs and check on your roommates," he says, gesturing out back to the faeries' home, "And straighten up a bit before getting bcak up here. Trash out...that sort of thing," he says and he stands up before moving over and giving Ava a kiss. It's not a long one, cause...you know...company and all. But he does smile and looks over to Zara. "A paragon of virtue. That's what you are..." he says, before he takes out his phone and starts to text. Totally coincidental that the doctor's phone goes off shortly there after, when he's downstairs, with a slew of jokes such as <since when do we do it with you on your back? You've never complained before? Does it count as flat on your back if your back is on my chest? That's funny, I like it better this way than flat on our back too. I could go on...>> But for now the Coffee Fairy named Deacon is gone, and the house is being straightened up before he eventually wanders back upstairs either after the Doc leaves or to join in and have fun witht he banter.

"Now you know why my stand-up career never went anywhere" Zara smirks to Ava. "But that joke is very popular in Africa. Though they never really got the 'Wurlitzer and Xerox merged and will now produce reproductive organs'. I think you have to be old to understand that one...much less think it's funny." She holds up a hand in goodbye for Deacon. "Catch you later. Make sure you use the perfumed soap that makes lots of lather. Got to make it worthwhile. And the sheets get clean at the same time."

Once the man in the room has gone, it is time for serious talk. "He seems nice in the flesh" Zara grins. "Not that I know as well as you. But I better get going soon. Leave you to do what you two need to do."

"You are an amazing doctor. Why don't we leave the jokes for other people," Ava smirks. Her eyes follow Deacon as he heads out to take care of things downstairs, watching him with a pleased smile. "He's a good man. He's coping well with the polyamory thing, too. It didn't scare him away like I feared it would. I'm relieved."

Her hand finds Zara's and links with it. "You don't have to go just because he's here. Or did you need to run off for other stuff? In that case, don't let me stop you. We do need to have a girl's night out, soon, though."

"You talked to him about it? Well, that's good news for you" Zara smiles at her friend. "Maybe you can find out for sure when you bring another guy into the equation. That is always the test with guys." She squeezes back her friend's hand. "I do not leave for you and your sex drive" is promised with a laugh. "I go because I came here straight from work and I need to crash. You don't want me cramping your style and crashing here, do you." Zara leans over to kiss Ava on the forehead. "Take care of yourself for a change, okay? Enjoy the company. And we will definitely have a girls' night out soon."

Ava laughs. "We'll talk more over girl's night. But yeah, you go and sleep for right now. Thanks for coming over and looking after me. I love yoooou." Ava beams at the head kiss. "See you soon."