Who: grant ward or peter petrelli + you Where: all over wonderland When: 5/20-5/31 Rating: pg for now Summary: a catch all for both ward and peter. The Story:
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[ With one more event down for the count (he's hoping the mirrors will leave them alone for a little while now that they've had their fun), Peter decides to check in on those he knows in Wonderland just to see how they're doing. After all, he's been lucky so far that his mirror hasn't made any attempts to contact him or anyone he knows (he can't be entirely sure), and he also didn't run into anyone else's mirror during the event (...can't be sure of that either). But aside from the invisible zombies, he hasn't had to deal with much else, thankfully.
While he's clearing his painting supplies in his room, he sends Caitlin an audio message. He's thinking about asking if she'd be interested to join him for a painting session sometime this week if she's feeling up to it. She'd mentioned having trouble sleeping at night and he's not sure if it's due to stress or what, but he thinks maybe throwing paint on a large canvas might prove to be fun for her. Plus, depending on the size of the canvas, it might also tire a tiny nocturnal bat out so... points. ]
Caitlin's never lost time before, not like this. There's been a night here and there, fewer and further between, lost to too much vodka. She's woken up embarrassed about it, but never confused. Never lost.
She's trying to piece things together again. Everything happened so fast, but it's etched in her memory, crystal clear. Cisco's mirror attacked her. She'd been bleeding out when Jane found her, and she'd stayed awake to talk the woman through her own surgery. And then... nothing. Days and days and days of nothing. Nothing until someone was waking her up.
And now she's doing what she can to not fall back asleep. She's reached over and shut off the IV drip. The effort has been painful, but it's cleared her mind. And left her questioning the decision. His message is a welcome distraction. ]
Peter? I'm here. [ Her voice is strained, her quick, shallow breaths no doubt audible. ] Are you okay?
[ When Caitlin returns the message, Peter switches to realtime chat. Despite only having a flip phone back in New York with no video function or any of the other fancy stuff, he's getting used to the PalmPilot style device he'd been provided with. Back home, he rarely even texted. He's always preferred meeting people face to face and if he can't do that, the very least he can do is: make a phone call. His brother spent a lot of his time on his phone, tapping away, but that's just how Nathan got a lot of his work done. Peter simply preferred the old school way of communicating with friends and family. As a joke, he once sent his mother a telegram when she texted him with a dinner invitation. ]
I'm good. [ He's glad to hear her voice; a little relieved even considering all that's happened lately. Plus he'd read what had been written on the Wonderland blog. There was some mention of a kidnapping, but nothing that had been confirmed. ] Just wanted to see how you're doing. [ He's not one to pry so he's not going to ask outright if Caitlin had been involved in that whole portal experiment gone wrong, so instead: ]
I'm okay. [ Said in the voice of someone who is very much not okay. Caitlin isn't the best at lying, even if she's gotten plenty of practice back home. She'd managed to keep her powers hidden, still hidden at the point in the timeline she's from, and no one seemed the wiser. It's a dumb move to even try to fake it right now. She certainly wouldn't believe herself if she were in Peter's shoes. ]
I just — [ Her words are broken by a heavy, pained sigh. Maybe this isn't the best time to extricate herself from the tubes and wires, but she wants out of this bed. Out of this room. The adhesive from the tape holding the IV in place has left her skin raw, and she's pulled it off just a bit too fast. Her head is starting to swim, her body telling her she needs to take it easier. ] I've been trying to stay out of this mess.
[ She doesn't sound at all okay. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. It's in the tone of her voice, but also all that he's hearing is making him even more concerned. He knows that something's wrong. He's sure now that something must have happened to her. He stops messing around with the painting supplies; that idea of supplying Caitlin with her own box of beginner painting tools is forgotten as he focuses his full attention on her. ]
What happened? Where are you right now? [ If she's hurt, he really doesn't want to have this conversation over the phone. He's aware they've only had a few conversations so far and he doesn't expect her to open up to him, but he knows she's in pain and he can't just sit around and do nothing. ]
I had a...a-a run-in with a mirror a week ago. [ It's not a lie, so it's easier to tell. She's purposefully underselling it because she doesn't want him, or anyone really, to worry about her. Caitlin is too used to being on the other side of this. Being the worrier, the caretaker. The one who does the prying and the fussing. In true medical professional fashion, she has a tendency toward being a less-than-stellar patient.
But at the same time, she knows that she's not okay. She knows when she can't fully take care of herself, no matter how pigheaded she can be about it. It's why she let Dr. Allen check her over when she escaped from Zoom. It's why she talked Jane through the procedure that very likely saved her life. She carefully pulls the cannula from her nose, setting it aside. ] I'm in my room.
[ He knows some people have been hurt in the event and hearing that Caitlin had a run in with a mirror makes him wonder if she really had been kidnapped. He's hoping nothing bad happened though. ]
Do you mind if I come over? [ The fact she answered both of his questions gives him reason to believe there's a chance she might not mind his company. They might not be in the midst of an event right now, but that doesn't mean the mirrors aren't watching somehow. It's likely difficult for any of them to feel safe anywhere, but there's still safety in numbers; in not being alone.
Peter also just wants to see her. To make sure she's okay. ]
I don't mind. [ She's been alone in the room for who knows how long. And she can't shake the guilt that comes with thinking about asking Iris for company; no doubt her hands were full with Barry right now. And there's no way she could ask Cisco. It's better if she doesn't even think about asking him right now, for both of them. ]
You'll get to see me at my disheveled best. [ The remark is meant to be teasing. But she doesn't have the energy to inject levity into the words. ]
[ No doubt about it now. It's likely she'd been hurt in the event. It's hard to imagine who would want to hurt someone like Caitlin -- but the mirrors are a nasty bunch. He certainly regrets not checking in on her sooner.
After asking for her room number, Peter lets her know that he'll be there shortly. It takes him about ten minutes to get there. The one ability he still doesn't have is super speed and he'd had to walk all the way from Room #407, on the first floor. He should probably consider moving to another room already, but he doesn't want to live too close to any of the mansion's residents and risk endangering their lives in case something goes wrong during an event and he loses control of his abilities.
Once at Caitlin's, he knocks on her door and waits for an answer. ] It's me. Peter.
[ In the time it takes him to get from that far end of the first floor up to her room on the fourth, Caitlin manages to make it from her bed to the sofa by the door. A total of maybe ten steps. Possibly twelve. Each step is a struggle, and the worst part isn't even keeping herself upright. No matter how she moves, she seems to disturb and aggravate her ribs and the incisions on her abdomen. But she's cautious, taking care not to pop a stitch.
She's just made it to the overstuffed arm of the couch when he knocks. Even though she's warned him about how she looks, she still takes a moment to try and straighten her hair. The pain from the movement makes her gasp loudly; dropping her arm to her side hurts just as bad.
Man, how she misses that pleasant haze from the painkillers.
She opens the door and hangs back, half-sitting on the arm of the sofa. ] Hi, Peter.
[ Her face is swollen and bruised. Her left arm is in an air cast and cradled loosely against her chest. She's breathing high in her chest, shallow and quick. And because she feels like he's going to ask, she's quick to blurt out: ] I'm okay.
[ Of course he would have asked and despite the fact she just told him she's okay, it's obvious that he's having a hard time believing that. Peter hadn't expected her to be suffering from any kind of serious injury considering she'd acted pretty casual about it, but this looks bad.
He doubts she's supposed to be out of bed even, and despite putting on a brave face, it's clear that she's in pain. ]
Please tell me you haven't been treating your own injuries. [ He's lingering by the doorway still before he offers to help her get into a more comfortable position on the sofa instead of doing that half-sitting thing. ]
I haven't been, no. [ And at least that's the God's honest truth. Caitlin inclines her head slightly, indicating the opposite wall where the head of her bed is. There's an IV pole with several bags hanging, some only half or barely spent at all. An oxygen tank. A small cart with automated processes to monitor vitals.
She would be scared about the situation if she had room for that feeling right now. ]
Someone was keeping me under. They must have -- [ She groans as she fully stands, her good arm reaching behind her for balance. ] They must have scaled back the drip once the mirrors went back.
Guess it'd be too much to hope that whoever it was left you with a medical chart. [ He takes a quick glance around the room as he helps Caitlin to sit before he goes to get her some water. It's clear she's dealing with a lot more than just the obvious physical injuries; likely a broken rib or two or maybe even worse.
Crouching down next to her, Peter offers her the glass of water to drink from. ]
[ It's a testament to just how poorly she's doing that she accepts his help without protest. Caitlin's terrible at asking for help and even worse at accepting it when it's freely given. She's too used to being in Peter's shoes; being the one taking care of someone instead of being taken care of. But trying to push him away would probably just sap what little strength remains and honestly, she doesn't want to push him away.
Keeping her injured arm tucked in her lap, she reaches for the glass with a shaky hand. ]
Yeah, I-- [ She swallows hard. ] Cisco came into my lab and told me he was taking a break right then, that what he and Fitz were working on had failed. And there was just something... off about him. I thought I was just projecting, but then, he--he tipped his hand. It was Cisco's mirror and the minute he knew that I knew, he attacked me. I've never been on the receiving end of his powers before.
[ Wanda was the very first person he'd spoken to in Wonderland and she seemed like a friendly enough character which is why he decides to approach her when he spots her by the bar. The perks of SHIELD having kept everything super classified is that he gets to have these friendly chats with people who have no idea his affiliations with HYDRA actually make him the enemy. After all, the last thing he did before coming here was to try to bring an Inhuman alien back to Earth to rule over the planet. ]
Hey there. [ He gives a Wanda a smile as he steps up to the bar. ] Can I get you another drink? [ He's looking a lot less like death compared to when they'd first met that day by the beach. He's not in any measure of pain this time. (Even if that had mostly been an act.) ] Wanda, right? [ They'd only briefly chatted that day as he hadn't wanted to take too much of her time and he'd gotten all the confirmation he needed: his identity as a HYDRA agent is unknown. He'd like to think that it's all in the past anyways. Right now, he's back to being a free agent. Or rather, he's a non-agent. He's in retirement. Something like that. ]
Hey, yeah that's me. [She offers him a small smile and a nod as she finished her drink that may or may not have been one of those with the tiny silly paper umbrellas in them (it totally was).] And sure, I'll have another of whatever you're getting for simplicity's sake. [variety is always nice too.]
And you look in better shape than last time, how are you holding up?
[ His first mistake was getting drunk a few nights ago. His second mistake was getting so drunk that he'd made a wish for a puppy. More specifically, he'd wished for a chocolate labrador retriever. Now he has this tiny thing that's been following him around everywhere and the worst part of it all is that it's never going to not be a puppy. The puppy will never age -- just like he'll never age while he's here in Wonderland.
Right now he's in the gardens playing catch with the yet to be named pup. Mostly, he's trying to see if it'll decide to run off somewhere and never come back, but so far it's been somewhat clingy. In fact, the puppy is more interested in climbing onto his lap and licking his face than catching that ball.
Ward doesn't do regret much, but he's definitely regretting getting himself saddled with a pup. (Even if he might be slowly warming up to to the little monster. Dammit.) He puts the animal back on the grass and throws the ball and this time it fetches -- thankfully. ]
[ Sharon's just finishing up her morning run when she sees the guy in the gardens with what looks like a puppy. She slows to a walk as she comes nearer, letting herself have time to cool down as she alternately watches and keeps an eye on the surroundings.
When she's closer, she turns toward him, but keeps her distance. She doesn't want to intrude on a game of catch and break the puppy's heart. ]
Don't tell me your mirror left you a puppy. Mine was an asshole who took a bunch of my stuff, and if yours is super-nice and left you a puppy, I'm filing a complaint.
[ It's obviously meant in jest. Who can file a complaint in Wonderland? Who could they even complain to that would care to stop anything here? ]
[ Just because two people happen to walk into the dining hall at the same time thinking about having a meal doesn't mean both sets of food should appear on the same table, but that's exactly what happens. And this is how Grant Ward ends up having a meal with the great Peggy Carter.
He hadn't been all that surprised to see her though. He'd been keeping up with the network and might have stalked her post a little. Aside from Wanda, he hasn't had any interaction with the rest of the Avengers just yet, having little to no interest in those affiliated with SHIELD. He's dead back home and with it comes the realization that he's made some bad decisions in his life. He's trying to deal with all of that. (Or rather -- he's choosing not to deal with it. Avoiding any reminders of his past.) ]
You should give this a try. [ He points at his plate of pumpkin pancakes. ] It's my favorite. Hands down the best pancakes ever. [ He's a little obsessed with it ever since he got his first taste of it. It's pretty much the only thing he ever orders when he's in the dining hall because he mostly cooks his own meals. ]
[ -- it's remarkable what a week can do to one's resolve. one week, and she's taking her meals in the dining hall. it's considerably grander than anything to which she's accustomed (good lord, what she wouldn't give for a piece of automat pie), but when her lauded skills simply don't extend to the kitchen? well. she'd best make her peace with strange, magically-appearing fare.
a stranger shares her table. certainly, she doesn't know him from adam. but he's been a decent partner in easy silence right up until he points at his own plate. peggy supposes she can forgive him; after all, it's never her place to turn down a gastronomical suggestion. she sets aside her cuppa and subjects the man to a fresh once-over. ]
Is that so? [ she eyes the food, but wastes little time in spearing a pancake for herself and transferring it to her own plate. brazen, maybe. but he had offered. ] What makes them so special?
[ for a good thirty minutes, ward has a shadow — an elegant, black, and very soft shadow. her feet pitter patter against the ground and she weaves into crooks and crannies and the shadows if he looks over his shoulder, but it's in the kitchen the black cat known as vasilka takes her perch and stares at him. ]
[ Ward had been feeling incredibly uneasy ever since he stepped out of his room. He knew he was being followed and that he was being watched, but none of his tricks worked to lure whoever it was out and he'd wasted a good thirty minutes trying to get rid of that persistent and unwanted shadow which has put him in quite the mood when he arrives in the kitchen. He considered the possibility of one of the mirrors trying to get his attention, but there's the reflective surface of the oven right there and so far -- nothing.
He grabs the last of the ingredients from the fridge and turns to put it on the island when he spots the cat. A black furry cat. A black furry cat with yellow eyes. He's not sure where it even came from, but it's here now and he suspects it's the thing that's been following him around. Well -- now he just feels stupid. Ward makes an attempt to shoo it away with a motion of his hand and when that fails, he decides to ignore it.
That works for a minute or two, but the cat's stare is a little unnerving. He's not a cat person by any means. In fact, he's never even petted a cat before. Not in his life. But somehow, he ends up prioritizing making the cat a meal before making his own, hoping that feeding it will make it go away. He places a plate of roasted chicken near it, sliced to perfection. Plating and presentation is everything. Even if it's for a feline. He's something of a perfectionist. ]
You can eat. Or you can go. [ Great. He's talking to it now. Wonderful. Ward goes back to deciding what to make for himself. He does this thing where he cooks enough that there's always leftovers in case anyone stops by, so losing a quarter of that roasted chicken is not a big deal. ]
[ vasilka always gets what she wants in the end. after katherine had been swapped with her mirror, she'd worked tirelessly to get her back — and she did, after testing the wits of a few people she's never quite had intellectual faith in. and now it's time for her to reap her reward. ]
[ after watching him carefully and seeing how he doesn't so much as pick her up to plop her over the threshold of the kitchen, vasilka decides she'd very much like to remain stitched to his heels until she grows bored. he doesn't talk too much, which is a shame, but she likes the quiet and she likes how her disrupting his day doesn't see him acting out in a particularly unfriendly manner. ]
[ following strangers around the mansion is something she does once or twice a week, and she's found that doing so now has gotten her a great meal. she doesn't leave, not when there's an invitation to stay. ]
[ she digs into the prepared food with a happy swing of her tail (and doesn't say thank you, not even with a happy purr), and doesn't so much as look up when she hears those familiar clicks of katherine's heels enter the room. she doesn't even look up when katherine makes an amused and exasperated sound. ]
[ katherine rolls her eyes. ] I look everywhere for you and here you are trying to be charming. [ vasilka ignores her. katherine walks further into the kitchen, but doesn't move to pick up her cat. instead, she looks to grant. ] I'm sorry she's bothering you. [ with a pointed look at vasilka, ] She does that.
[ Peter's got his easel and his painting tools set up by the lake, but he's not having any luck painting anything because he's just not feeling it. In fact, he's thinking about packing up and quitting altogether when he spots a familiar face walking by. ]
Hey, Rebekah. [ He gives her a friendly smile and a wave before realizing that they don't actually know one another. He'd only spoken to her that one time during one of Wonderland's bizarre events in which they weren't even themselves. Not exactly.
This place is doing a good job of messing with their minds alright. ]
[Rebekah hasn't spoken to Peter much really outside of the one event, but she recognizes him at the very least, and that's reason enough to stop when he approaches her.]
Peter. I didn't know you were an artist.
[she may not be one herself, but she has an eye for it after spending so many years with one.]
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entrancelogs2017-05-20 09:40 am
super tempted to say 'surprise me' but you know i want peter.
◄ let it heal and let it go ►
While he's clearing his painting supplies in his room, he sends Caitlin an audio message. He's thinking about asking if she'd be interested to join him for a painting session sometime this week if she's feeling up to it. She'd mentioned having trouble sleeping at night and he's not sure if it's due to stress or what, but he thinks maybe throwing paint on a large canvas might prove to be fun for her. Plus, depending on the size of the canvas, it might also tire a tiny nocturnal bat out so... points. ]
Hey, Caitlin. It's Peter. You there?
no subject
Caitlin's never lost time before, not like this. There's been a night here and there, fewer and further between, lost to too much vodka. She's woken up embarrassed about it, but never confused. Never lost.
She's trying to piece things together again. Everything happened so fast, but it's etched in her memory, crystal clear. Cisco's mirror attacked her. She'd been bleeding out when Jane found her, and she'd stayed awake to talk the woman through her own surgery. And then... nothing. Days and days and days of nothing. Nothing until someone was waking her up.
And now she's doing what she can to not fall back asleep. She's reached over and shut off the IV drip. The effort has been painful, but it's cleared her mind. And left her questioning the decision. His message is a welcome distraction. ]
Peter? I'm here. [ Her voice is strained, her quick, shallow breaths no doubt audible. ] Are you okay?
no subject
I'm good. [ He's glad to hear her voice; a little relieved even considering all that's happened lately. Plus he'd read what had been written on the Wonderland blog. There was some mention of a kidnapping, but nothing that had been confirmed. ] Just wanted to see how you're doing. [ He's not one to pry so he's not going to ask outright if Caitlin had been involved in that whole portal experiment gone wrong, so instead: ]
You sound a little winded. You alright?
no subject
I just — [ Her words are broken by a heavy, pained sigh. Maybe this isn't the best time to extricate herself from the tubes and wires, but she wants out of this bed. Out of this room. The adhesive from the tape holding the IV in place has left her skin raw, and she's pulled it off just a bit too fast. Her head is starting to swim, her body telling her she needs to take it easier. ] I've been trying to stay out of this mess.
no subject
What happened? Where are you right now? [ If she's hurt, he really doesn't want to have this conversation over the phone. He's aware they've only had a few conversations so far and he doesn't expect her to open up to him, but he knows she's in pain and he can't just sit around and do nothing. ]
no subject
But at the same time, she knows that she's not okay. She knows when she can't fully take care of herself, no matter how pigheaded she can be about it. It's why she let Dr. Allen check her over when she escaped from Zoom. It's why she talked Jane through the procedure that very likely saved her life. She carefully pulls the cannula from her nose, setting it aside. ] I'm in my room.
no subject
Do you mind if I come over? [ The fact she answered both of his questions gives him reason to believe there's a chance she might not mind his company. They might not be in the midst of an event right now, but that doesn't mean the mirrors aren't watching somehow. It's likely difficult for any of them to feel safe anywhere, but there's still safety in numbers; in not being alone.
Peter also just wants to see her. To make sure she's okay. ]
no subject
You'll get to see me at my disheveled best. [ The remark is meant to be teasing. But she doesn't have the energy to inject levity into the words. ]
no subject
After asking for her room number, Peter lets her know that he'll be there shortly. It takes him about ten minutes to get there. The one ability he still doesn't have is super speed and he'd had to walk all the way from Room #407, on the first floor. He should probably consider moving to another room already, but he doesn't want to live too close to any of the mansion's residents and risk endangering their lives in case something goes wrong during an event and he loses control of his abilities.
Once at Caitlin's, he knocks on her door and waits for an answer. ] It's me. Peter.
no subject
She's just made it to the overstuffed arm of the couch when he knocks. Even though she's warned him about how she looks, she still takes a moment to try and straighten her hair. The pain from the movement makes her gasp loudly; dropping her arm to her side hurts just as bad.
Man, how she misses that pleasant haze from the painkillers.
She opens the door and hangs back, half-sitting on the arm of the sofa. ] Hi, Peter.
[ Her face is swollen and bruised. Her left arm is in an air cast and cradled loosely against her chest. She's breathing high in her chest, shallow and quick. And because she feels like he's going to ask, she's quick to blurt out: ] I'm okay.
no subject
He doubts she's supposed to be out of bed even, and despite putting on a brave face, it's clear that she's in pain. ]
Please tell me you haven't been treating your own injuries. [ He's lingering by the doorway still before he offers to help her get into a more comfortable position on the sofa instead of doing that half-sitting thing. ]
no subject
She would be scared about the situation if she had room for that feeling right now. ]
Someone was keeping me under. They must have -- [ She groans as she fully stands, her good arm reaching behind her for balance. ] They must have scaled back the drip once the mirrors went back.
no subject
Crouching down next to her, Peter offers her the glass of water to drink from. ]
Do you remember what happened?
no subject
Keeping her injured arm tucked in her lap, she reaches for the glass with a shaky hand. ]
Yeah, I-- [ She swallows hard. ] Cisco came into my lab and told me he was taking a break right then, that what he and Fitz were working on had failed. And there was just something... off about him. I thought I was just projecting, but then, he--he tipped his hand. It was Cisco's mirror and the minute he knew that I knew, he attacked me. I've never been on the receiving end of his powers before.
★ grant ward
◄ friends with monsters ►
Hey there. [ He gives a Wanda a smile as he steps up to the bar. ] Can I get you another drink? [ He's looking a lot less like death compared to when they'd first met that day by the beach. He's not in any measure of pain this time. (Even if that had mostly been an act.) ] Wanda, right? [ They'd only briefly chatted that day as he hadn't wanted to take too much of her time and he'd gotten all the confirmation he needed: his identity as a HYDRA agent is unknown. He'd like to think that it's all in the past anyways. Right now, he's back to being a free agent. Or rather, he's a non-agent. He's in retirement. Something like that. ]
no subject
And you look in better shape than last time, how are you holding up?
Grant Ward!
◄ digging in the dirt ►
Right now he's in the gardens playing catch with the yet to be named pup. Mostly, he's trying to see if it'll decide to run off somewhere and never come back, but so far it's been somewhat clingy. In fact, the puppy is more interested in climbing onto his lap and licking his face than catching that ball.
Ward doesn't do regret much, but he's definitely regretting getting himself saddled with a pup. (Even if he might be slowly warming up to to the little monster. Dammit.) He puts the animal back on the grass and throws the ball and this time it fetches -- thankfully. ]
no subject
When she's closer, she turns toward him, but keeps her distance. She doesn't want to intrude on a game of catch and break the puppy's heart. ]
Don't tell me your mirror left you a puppy. Mine was an asshole who took a bunch of my stuff, and if yours is super-nice and left you a puppy, I'm filing a complaint.
[ It's obviously meant in jest. Who can file a complaint in Wonderland? Who could they even complain to that would care to stop anything here? ]
grant ward »
◄ good food good mood ►
He hadn't been all that surprised to see her though. He'd been keeping up with the network and might have stalked her post a little. Aside from Wanda, he hasn't had any interaction with the rest of the Avengers just yet, having little to no interest in those affiliated with SHIELD. He's dead back home and with it comes the realization that he's made some bad decisions in his life. He's trying to deal with all of that. (Or rather -- he's choosing not to deal with it. Avoiding any reminders of his past.) ]
You should give this a try. [ He points at his plate of pumpkin pancakes. ] It's my favorite. Hands down the best pancakes ever. [ He's a little obsessed with it ever since he got his first taste of it. It's pretty much the only thing he ever orders when he's in the dining hall because he mostly cooks his own meals. ]
no subject
a stranger shares her table. certainly, she doesn't know him from adam. but he's been a decent partner in easy silence right up until he points at his own plate. peggy supposes she can forgive him; after all, it's never her place to turn down a gastronomical suggestion. she sets aside her cuppa and subjects the man to a fresh once-over. ]
Is that so? [ she eyes the food, but wastes little time in spearing a pancake for herself and transferring it to her own plate. brazen, maybe. but he had offered. ] What makes them so special?
grant ward & his inner dog lover
◄ 'meow' means 'woof' in cat ►
He grabs the last of the ingredients from the fridge and turns to put it on the island when he spots the cat. A black furry cat. A black furry cat with yellow eyes. He's not sure where it even came from, but it's here now and he suspects it's the thing that's been following him around. Well -- now he just feels stupid. Ward makes an attempt to shoo it away with a motion of his hand and when that fails, he decides to ignore it.
That works for a minute or two, but the cat's stare is a little unnerving. He's not a cat person by any means. In fact, he's never even petted a cat before. Not in his life. But somehow, he ends up prioritizing making the cat a meal before making his own, hoping that feeding it will make it go away. He places a plate of roasted chicken near it, sliced to perfection. Plating and presentation is everything. Even if it's for a feline. He's something of a perfectionist. ]
You can eat. Or you can go. [ Great. He's talking to it now. Wonderful. Ward goes back to deciding what to make for himself. He does this thing where he cooks enough that there's always leftovers in case anyone stops by, so losing a quarter of that roasted chicken is not a big deal. ]
no subject
[ after watching him carefully and seeing how he doesn't so much as pick her up to plop her over the threshold of the kitchen, vasilka decides she'd very much like to remain stitched to his heels until she grows bored. he doesn't talk too much, which is a shame, but she likes the quiet and she likes how her disrupting his day doesn't see him acting out in a particularly unfriendly manner. ]
[ following strangers around the mansion is something she does once or twice a week, and she's found that doing so now has gotten her a great meal. she doesn't leave, not when there's an invitation to stay. ]
[ she digs into the prepared food with a happy swing of her tail (and doesn't say thank you, not even with a happy purr), and doesn't so much as look up when she hears those familiar clicks of katherine's heels enter the room. she doesn't even look up when katherine makes an amused and exasperated sound. ]
[ katherine rolls her eyes. ] I look everywhere for you and here you are trying to be charming. [ vasilka ignores her. katherine walks further into the kitchen, but doesn't move to pick up her cat. instead, she looks to grant. ] I'm sorry she's bothering you. [ with a pointed look at vasilka, ] She does that.
[ the cat remains purposefully ignorant. ]
peter pls
◄ we're just strangers with some memories ►
Hey, Rebekah. [ He gives her a friendly smile and a wave before realizing that they don't actually know one another. He'd only spoken to her that one time during one of Wonderland's bizarre events in which they weren't even themselves. Not exactly.
This place is doing a good job of messing with their minds alright. ]
◄ we're just strangers with some memories ►
Peter. I didn't know you were an artist.
[she may not be one herself, but she has an eye for it after spending so many years with one.]