[PRP] smoke and mirrors (oliver & nasir)

[azuredreams]

After their last meeting, especially after learning that Oliver was having to deal with magic affecting his senses, Nasir had made a mental note to bring the other young man a care package of snacks and food. Mostly because he figured that if that was going on, he was likely not wanting to get out and about too much.

It was also a little selfish because Oliver was nice to be around. Nasir had many acquaintances, many people who he could speak with that liked him and were nice, but people who he actually got very comfortable around and considered a friend? Someone who might get to see past the warmth and smile? Those were few and far between and Oliver was definitely someone that he felt himself relax and be something other than rainbows and sunshine.

Double checking his phone for the address that Oliver had provided, he nodded to himself that it was the right one. Nasir moved to the door, rapped twice upon it, and adjusted the strap on his shoulder while waiting.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Well, Nasir wasn't wrong.

The door opened with a tiny crack, and then it opened the rest of the way. A billow of fresh-linen smelling air puffed outside, the white candles lit in the distance being the likely culprit. "Hey." Ollie looked... ruffled, but groomed, but together (mostly), "Come in? Oh, mind the cats, they like to run out..."

Cats?

Chai and Nosey were at the end of the entryway, both staring, both waiting for ample opportunity to charge out the door. Chai was all innocence about it though; Nosey was a black as pitch soot ball with eyes, ever ready for the change to run away on her spindly otherwise-useless legs.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Hi," Nasir said with a smile. His eyes immediately went down to make sure there was not anyone trying to escape. "Ah, so escape artists?"

It meant that Nasir was particular about scooting into the apartment to not let the cats make a run for it. "Bud tries to do that sometimes and he's not an outside creature like Trouble is, so I've gotten used to having to make sure there's no one hiding nearby when I leave home or come in."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Absolutely." Oliver nodded solemnly as the door was closed behind Nasir. "Granted, Chai can't run very fast..." Her legs were so stubby, "But Nosie can run like a ******** racehorse. Also she gets startled easy, so it's hard to calm her down enough to catch her." He sounded like he was speaking from experience. Mostly because he was.

"Anyway." He offered the smallest of smiles, "Hi. Oh uh, sorry." He patted all over his person like he was looking for something, but when he didn't find what it was he was searching for he descended further into his apartment. A small wave beckoned Nasir to follow.

Both the cats continued to hold silent wide-eye'd vigils.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"The kind that gets over stimulated and then you spend the next few hours trying to wind them back down? I know how that is." Nasir nodded in sympathy. Sometimes he got a little frustrated when they had calmed Bud down only for someone to wind him right back up again. Sleep had to happen.

"Hi," he repeated, waving his free hand and then blinking when it seemed like Oliver was looking for something. Nasir ended up following him. "Everything okay? You missing something?" Making sure the door was properly closed (used to escape artists okay), he turned to follow Oliver.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"It's... um..." He was still poking around. The apartment was tiny and cluttered, but not necessarily a mess. Oliver had apparently been busy at the kitchen table (of which had two chairs across from each other; there wasn't much room for more with how it was situated at the widow), for the surface was littered with skeins of yarn and knitting needles and a basket of fabrics and...

Oliver seemed to have found what he was looking for, but he was hesitating too. "It's so dumb!" He proclaimed suddenly, "I thought it was a good idea, but once I was making it, I realized how seasonally inappropriate it was." He sighed, dramatically, at his ineptitude or whatever the hell.

A moment later, he produced a cream colored scarf. Or well, it was mostly cream colored, but the yarn itself faded in and out with gradients of white and rich brown. "It's obviously warm out." He said as he folded it up into a neat square, "But if it's cold... That or I'm sure Trouble could find some use out of it. It's rather soft."

He handed it over without saying much else. It was painfully obvious how awkward Oliver was about these sorts of things.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir was setting down his bag after pulling it over his shoulder onto a small clean corner of the table as Oliver was poking around. He was blinking at the exclamation, not quite sure what was dumb or inappropriate or-

Oh.

Oh.

His eyes went wide behind the lenses of his glasses as Nasir took the soft scarf into his hands. Thumbs ran over the fabric and noted the way the colors all blended together nicely. It was pretty. It was amazing.

"It's not dumb at all! I wear scarfs now even with the warm weather? Trouble can hide in them and this is ..." There was a stupid happy smile on Nasir's face as he really couldn't stop himself from taking the steps forward and wrapping his arm around Oliver for a hug.

"Thanks, I mean it, because this is great." Hopefully Nasir wasn't making it more awkward but getting presents, especially the handmade kind, meant the world to him. So Oliver's confidant level with Nasir just went to nine.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"So do you li—" His words were cut off when Nasir abruptly hugged him, his hands still hovering in the air, fingers wiggling with sudden energy. How the hell was he supposed to react to this? How do people react to this? Oh right, they typically hugged back, Human 101 with Oliver Beaumont.

Slowly, ridged, he returned the gesture.

"No... no problem. It's nothing." He said in a muffled mumble. "I just... like... making things..."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Oliver got a good, but gentle, squeeze before Nasir was letting go with an apologetic glance. "I adore it," he told him with a smile. "It'll be great for me to wear and I like the colors."

The other young man was treated to a practically beaming, happy Nasir. It was something that was not seen often given the nature of what was going on but it was here at this moment.

"I miss things like this, you know? Things made by friends and family." He had come from a close-knit family group okay. Nasir was running his fingers along the scarf before he realized he was getting side-tracked. "Oh, I did bring you some stuff by. Kind of a care package thing ..."Food and stuff for a couple days in case no one wanted to go anywhere.

This might have explained why Nasir had quizzed Oliver a day or so previous about his favorite things to eat.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver let go just as quickly, but the expression he wore wasn't displeased. He was just awkward about touch, even though he really liked it. Actually, he ended up smiling too, "I'm glad." His voice was warm and content when he spoke; you'd think he was the one walking out with a gift.

Except, he sort of was. "Wait, really? Oh my god." His head tilted to the side, "Like... the kind of things college kids get when they're attending out of state from their parents?" Some people in the dorms back in Cali got those. Oliver was not one of them. Eli's parents had gotten him some ridiculous wine with gold in it. Thank god he didn't have to deal with that at the moment.

"I've never had one of those." He said quietly.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Yeah, really," Nasir smiled. "Exactly like those things." Things from parents. "I made a few things that you can kind of tuck away in the fridge or freezer for later but I did stop at McDonald's on the way over and picked up a fresh twenty-piece for you. Though they just changed their grease for the fryer, so who knows ..."

Mostly because sometimes when they changed the fryer grease things weren't as good until it had been used a few times.

"I kind of figured some comfort foods would do some good to have with all the crazy stuff going on?" Nasir was wrapping the scarf around his neck before he was going to the bag he brought with him. The nuggets were brought out first of course.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"You brought McDonalds?" The reaction was so instant that it looked like someone out of a children's cartoon. His attention snapped over, eyes squeezing into a hard blink. When they opened they were suddenly black rimmed, his ears fluffy, his mouth agape with pointy teeth. "I haven't had that in a while, actually. I'm sure they're still good. New oil just means fresher, right? Even if they don't have everything else to soak up, but it doesn't matter..."

In the midst of his rambling, a squeaky challenger approached. It was Chai, also lured in by the wonderful smells of food. She chirped. Nosey was someone on the counter just behind Nasir, watching wide eyed. Owls and stalkers, the both of them.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Oliver shifting his form, just slightly, in Ashdown over the nuggets was probably the cutest thing Nasir had seen in a long time. His smile widened and he nodded, handing over the box of nuggets. "Yeah, pretty much. I made sure it was a fresh batch too, so none of that ... they've gotten stale from sitting business."

Then he was looking over his shoulder at both of the stalkers who had been lured by the smells. "If he says so, I think I have bits for you too," he chuckled. "I've had to start keeping treats on me because of, you know, familiars."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Because of famil—huhs?" Oliver looked up, his featured decidedly... different. Raccoons didn't wag their tails like dogs, but Oliver's social knowledge of raccoons was rocky at best, and his was definitely out, proud and wiggling (not to mention massive and fluffy, holy ******** Ollie). He was practically clawing at the box when it was safely in his hands. "Oh, the cats. The cats." He looked at the cats, but his attention quickly slid back over to the nuggets, that smell.

His fingers were also wiggling awkwardly, and he kept pausing to shake his hand out like a dog with snow-booties on. Still, he didn't seem too deterred from picking the box open. Unceremoniously, he shoved an entire nugget into his mouth.

"Oh god the grease is so gross." His hand was flailing around again, but he seemed to be in too much food ecstasy to mind. "Feed 'em, sure." Nugget number two...

What? He hadn't eaten since... whoops.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir was pretty much enamored with this particular behavior from Ollie. It was sweet, it was cute, it was an Ollie that was relaxed and looked happy. Something he definitely wanted to see more often (not just for Ollie but for anyone he cared about).

"Sometimes you just got to have that gross fast food grease," Nasir chuckled, pulling a small container from his pocket and making noise with his tongue to get the attention of the fluffballs. A small, meaty treat was held out towards each one at a time.

"... and sometimes home cooking as well, which is why I brought the rest."

Melancholies