(Untitled)

[herturn]

WHO: Nina Sayers | herturn and Terry Ward | iknowyourfear
WHERE: Abby's old apartment.
WHEN: Monday morning.
WARNINGS: So much awkward.
SUMMARY: Nina has been looking around for a new place to live in! She visits Terry's place after Abby's suggestion.
FORMAT: Whatever the lady prefers.

Comments

[iknowyourfear]

It's funny, but Terry is the stark opposite. If there's one thing he rarely worries about, it's his own safety. It's something about being seventeen and being treated like you're dangerous all the time, knowing nothing can really kill you -- it makes you become convinced of you own invincibility, no matter how cranky you get about it. He doesn't even lock the door -- there's not a point really, because Miho and Carrie are always letting themselves in one way or another -- and it almost surprises him to hear the doorbell.

It must be that girl. Nina. He can hear Terror scampering out to the front door, barking up an excited storm. It takes him a second to follow after. He has lingering doubts about sharing his space, but either way, it's late for that. He exhales and pulls the door open. The girl standing outside looks surprisingly normal -- but then again, nothing about him really screams devil demon-child either.

He pauses a second, then awkwardly steps back and pulls the door the rest of the way open to make room. "Right. Well. This is it."

[herturn]

Nina becomes a little more aware when she hears the dog's enthusiastic announcement, eyes wandering about with pressed lips, fingers brushing her hair behind her ear. It's loose, for once, falling on her back and over her white scarf. It reminds her of the one she owned before, so she decided to keep it.

She shifts when the door finally opens, subtly surprised by the figure now standing before her. A teenager, dark hair and eyes, reminding her of one of the many groups she avoided in her high-school years. Nina parts her lips momentarily and offers him a polite smile. Any plans to introduce herself are set aside when he takes the lead.

"Hello."

She steps inside, hands tucked together over her coat, leaning her head to take a look down at the dog. She mutters a little 'hey you' at it and leaves it at that -- she's not too used to dealing with animals.

There's a short and quiet moment of observation before she turns her attention from the apartment to Terry.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long."

[iknowyourfear]

He closes the door behind her, with Terror shuffling excitedly around their feet. The small white dog is wagging his tail enthusiastically -- the way he always does when there's someone besides Terry in the apartment. The apartment itself is clean, wide, and sparse. The furniture is basic, the cupboards and fridge are a little lacking. It's easy to forget to eat when you realize you don't have to. There are college textbooks on the kitchen table.

"You didn't," he responds in that frank way of his, "It's cool. I'll show you around, if you want?"

It's surprising, but she doesn't really annoy him at all. Most people do, at least a little. But she's so quiet. It's almost tempting to read her thoughts -- but he doesn't try. Avoids it. And he probably always will, if she decides to stay.

He moves deeper into the apartment, gesturing as he goes. "There's the kitchen, living room -- foyer, whatever, bathroom, my room, and the extra room. That's yours if you're gonna stay."

[herturn]

"Okay." She nods softly, smile still on her lips. This apartment is visibly larger than the ones in the M.A.C., but she can't help noticing it's considerably more spacious than the one she shared with her mother, too. It has more lighting and looks less cluttered with the accumulation of someone who has been in the same space for many, many years. Nina glances at the books, at the kitchen, at the hallway... She curls her fingers around her bag's strap, following him coyly and quietly, wondering why someone that looks so young is living by himself (the obvious reasons come to mind immediately after). She looks at him for permission before stepping into the extra room. She nears the window, then turns back.

"How long have you been here?" She's mostly curious, almost for the sake of conversation.

[iknowyourfear]

He seems mildly surprised by her question, lingering in the doorway. Unconsciously, he's always giving himself space -- or maybe always giving her space, as if something bad might happen if they so much as brush shoulders. Of course, that isn't how his power works, but the proximity... He's always wary of it. Still, she seems like the type to keep to herself. Shy, or something.

"This time? A couple months, I guess." He pauses, leaning down to scoop his little dog up from the floor and into his arms. "I've been here before. That's what they said, but I can't remember it. Different versions of me, or something. Whatever."

Terry glances her way. "So, do you like it?"

[herturn]

There's a little confused frown at that. No one ever mentioned amnesia to her. The concept of a 'different version' of other people just draws her back to the belief that this place is very much determined to make fun of her. Nina looks visibly uncomfortable for a moment, turning her head away. She arranges her hair and composes her jacket when she hears the last question and produces another smile.

"Yes." She sounds a little quieter, but sincere. "It's very nice."

With that, she starts to step toward the doorway again, a little smile directed at the image of Terror in Terry's arms. She looks a little lost when she focuses on the boy again. "Are there any conditions?"

[iknowyourfear]

He backs off a little from the doorway, maybe vaguely embarrassed. Even with Carrie and Abby making a point of treating him as normally as possible, he still isn't used to the small things -- like being smiled at. He's always unsure how to respond, uncomfortable when his sarcasm has no place. So, instead, he just eases back into the hallway, looking down at the fidgety little animal in his arms.

"Yeah. There's one." Terry pauses. There's always hazards to living with a demon, and the last thing he needs is to drive his flatmate crazy. Literally. "You just have to be conscious of what you're living with, alright?" What, not who. "I mean, I won't try to read your mind or anything. But there's a reason I'm the only one living here."

[herturn]

Nina looks a little surprised - unpleasantly so - but quickly composes herself with the reminder that she has been warned before. It somehow managed to slip her mind in the few short minutes she spent with Terry. It makes her feel a little regretful and there is now an air of caution when she smiles sheepishly, slowly.

"--it's okay." She shakes her head in a hesitant pause, now very self-aware, looking away, looking for a distraction. Then, as if she suddenly remembered: "How much is it?"

[iknowyourfear]

Back to business then. "It's not much. Abby technically owns the place, so there's not any rent -- just the utilities. Between the two of us, it'll probably be around two-hundred each."

He crouches to set Terror down, letting the excitable terrier scamper off down the hallway, tags jangling. In his head, there's a list of things to do, to make the place safer, if she means to move in. Check the doors, make sure the locks work. That's important. He tries not to think too hard about a situation in which she'd have to a locked door between him and her to be safe, but better to be pessimistic about it than sorry later.

"If you want, you can move in whenever. It won't bother me or anything."

[herturn]

The girl arches her eyebrows. The price is very much unexpected and it shows -- she'd consider herself lucky enough to find a room for four hundred, ready to let Terry know of her very determined plans to find some sort of job as soon as he asked how she'd be planning to pay. The price turned out to be half of what her most optimistic (less pessimistic) expectations and the question never came, however. Nina arranges her hair. Her mind is pretty much set.

"Alright." She inhales quickly, nodding with her eyes set on some other detail. It somehow feels as if it will make it easier to mask her inexperience that way. "I still have a couple of places to look at, but I'll contact you. Today."

[iknowyourfear]

Maybe it was just him being seventeen-years-old and unconcerned about most things outside the scope of himself, but Terry didn't seem to be worried about where Nina would get the money -- there was an assumption, perhaps, that if Abby trusted her enough to let her come here, that there was no reason he should worry. Or maybe it was just a side effect of his powers, the immortality. Few ordinary, daily things troubled him. The things that did were inside, dark and deep somewhere.

"Alright." His answer comes nonchalantly, hands absently pushing into his jean pockets. Then, almost as an afterthought, "You should tell Abby, too. When you decide. She was worried about you."