must we all create stories based on the final outcome, convinced that our fiction is real

[afallenstar]

Who: Anna Milton and Jesse Finch
Where: H20 justaddwater
When: Day 68
What: Check-ins and existential discussions.


In the short period of time between regaining her Grace an his return, Anna noticed the absence. She noticed every absence in a place this small, the sudden void where a soul had previously been, but when it was Jesse she...

...hadn't done anything, actually. Hadn't said a word to her siblings or her friends, didn't talk about it with anyone actually. She's unaccustomed to loss, after all. Until fairly recently, by her standards at least, angels didn't often have to process loss. Little but another angel could kill one, after all.

Just as she had noticed his absence she feels his return, but she waits. Galen, his other housemates, they deserve their time with him. She waits, and when she feels it has been enough time she goes to him. Anna doesn't announce it because it's important enough not to worry over time wasting trivialities like informing someone before appearing right in front of them. The epitome of manners, this one.

When she goes to him, she appears with the usual flutter of wings and a faint attempt at a smile. She's silent for a moment, then clears her throat and says quietly, carefully.

"You're back."

Comments

[rigging]

With the way that Anna just pops up in his room the way she does, it's a miracle he stays back. It's not exactly the best time to just appear in front of Jesse, not when he's paranoid and constantly terrified like he is. Jesse yelps and falls off his bed, and immediately scrambles up with the intent of putting up a fight. He won't let - he's not going to let him get him again, they won't --

But it's Anna. And Jesse's chest heaves with panic and adrenaline, and he slowly drops his hands down, expression gradually growing weary.

"... I - Anna." Hello. Sorry, just let him slump against the wall, swallowing hard. "S-sorry. Yeah. Yeah, m'back."

[afallenstar]

She expects surprise. It happens, it's not a big deal, it's just a little shock. It wot kill him. She's certainly not expecting fear though, and that tiny smile disappears in an instant. Concern is etched onto her face almost immediately, and slowly and steadily she approaches. Almost like approaching a cowering animal, really. She waits until he slumps, frowns just a little more, then carefully extends her han towards him. Things are worse than she'd thought, evidently.

"Are you okay?" Physically he seems fine. As far as she can tell he's not injured, but his reaction...maybe he hasn't just returned from home. Maybe it's more complex than that.

If she hadn't been so incapacitated while everything went down, maybe she might have known. As it is, she has to rely on the more traditional methods of communicating - i.e. her words. Because between the two of them, they're so good at that. Obviously.

"...Jesse, what happened?"

[rigging]

It's something he doesn't really want to talk about - he wants it to go away so he can stop thinking about it, so he can move on, but he knows, somewhere, that's not really how it works. There's an angel in front of him and she's asking him if he's okay, and Jesse finds that funny in a terrible way. In fact, he laughs, kneading at his eyes with the heel of his palms. Physically, he's fine. Maybe a little pale, exhausted, but he's not injured, no. This is all mental.

"I died," Jesse tells her bluntly. Just get it out, just get it over with. He closes his eyes and blurts the rest, wrapping his arms around himself. "I got killed, and I came back." He's not fine, but: "M'fine. Now. S-sorry."

[afallenstar]

There's certain situations where talking isn't the best course of action, and then there's situations where it has to happen. From the way he's approaching things, Anna ca't help but maybe this is one of those times where talking is still required. Carefully, of course. She's not about to start asking for the gory details, but she does move to lean carefully against the wall next to him, and offers a slight attempt at a sympathetic look as she nods.

"So you didn't go home." She pauses a moment, slowly wrapping her head around the idea that he could be back after that, - and 'got killed' prompts all sorts of questions, but it's hardly the time to ask them. Instead she just gently lays a hand on his shoulder, nice and slow with no sudden movements. Now is hardly the time for a heart attack.

"I'm...sorry I couldn't help."