[DRP] Magic House (Preacher/Chester)

[The Semblance of Unity]

make like a tree

She shifted abruptly while he was still mid=sentence. Preacher could feel his stumble and she managed to swing herself around so that while he ended up on his back, she didn't get crushed. Instead, it was a good thing she was fairly light. "Timber," she said, then collapsed like a dead weight onto his chest in a fit of giggles.

"So-" a snort, another laugh. "-what were ya sayin'-" It was hard to talk through the laughter, but she tried. "About safe words?" Her shoulders were shaking.  

[The Semblance of Unity]

treats

Mink began to purr, loudly. He clearly understood Chester and even more clearly wanted treats. Although he'd been quite the scrappy cat in alternate Ashdown, here he was quickly becoming spoiled.

The Egyptian Mau sidled over to Chester casually, like he wasn't going to snorf down the treats in milliseconds. In fact, he did just that and looked up at Chester for more.  

[The Semblance of Unity]

a rat's nest

Chester bounced his knee and she awkwardly grabbed at his waist. "I dint sign up for a roller coaster. Don' bounce me out m'top, Pester!" It was a legitimate concern. Sports styles usually held everything in better, but she hadn't wanted the straps to get all damp. The consequence was that, especially in this position, things were precarious.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Ya heard me, straddlin'. N' the water's fine. I hope ya have nice hands."  

[The Semblance of Unity]

groovy, man

"In tha 20s, I used m'phone ta pretend I was magic. Siri n' all that. was pretty funny." Swipe back, swipe forth.

She still was looking at the pictures, but Preacher reached over and poked Chester in the ribs. Then she glanced up at him, grinning. "You think I'm cooooool."

smerdIe

 

[Smerdle]

treats

Chester gave the othercat a few more, standing up again before Mink was done this time.

"That's it for now. We can't be too obvious, right?"  

[Smerdle]

groovy, man

The poke had him hunching forward a little in anticipation of a further attack to his vulnerable midsection. When he straightened again, he paused, considering how he might reply. Coolness was one of her defining qualities, as far as he was concerned, but that probably didn't mean he needed to tell her about it, especially when she was clearly teasing.

"Do you remember when I came into the police station with that book I found in the park?" It had since been lost to the universe shift, but the short time he'd spent with it had revealed that it hadn't been all that special anyway. "I thought it was the coolest thing that you were just... unfazed. 'Oh yeah, a glowing book under a tree! We deal with those every day!'" He snickered. "And you were a cop, or sort of a cop, when I'm still such a mess."

"I feel like I unintentionally made fun of your name that day too. I always meant to apologize for that."  

[Smerdle]

a rat's nest

"Sorry," he muttered, keeping his attention on the logistics of hair washing rather than accidentally rendering her topless. He ran the water over the bulk of her hair first before moving up to her scalp and dampening that too. Then came the shampoo. The green bottle, like she'd said. Chester squirted a generous amount, probably too much, onto one of his palms, rubbed them both together, and held his breath as he started to scrub. He began with a light touch, but soon dug in a bit, intent on getting things clean.

He hoped he had nice hands too.  

[Smerdle]

make like a tree

He saw stars for a short while after he landed, the air forced from his lungs by Preacher's weight, and even though his left arm was somehow awkwardly pinned under him and he was pretty sure at least one part of his body would bruise, Chester found her giggles contagious. He laughed as his breath returned, shaking his head with playful derision once he'd fully reclined.

"Watermelon. Or kumquat, maybe. So this doesn't happen in public."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

wind me up

Preacher groaned and poked the little metal insect. It was something she'd filched from rooting around in the noble rooms and, presumably, it was supposed to do something when wound up. It did nothing. It looked like some sort of cicada, the gold and greenish sheen of the metal gorgeous, if nothing else.

Thoroughly bored with the non-working thing, she snuck into Chester's room and put it in his bed, carefully pulling the sheets up over it.  

[The Semblance of Unity]

a rat's nest

For someone usually tight-wound and on her guard, having someone else wash her hair was an interesting experience. However, when his fingers dug in )right when she was about to tell him to stop being such a ******** wuss about it), she went kind of boneless.

"Mmmm," she said. "You can keep doin' this forever." She wriggled a little into his hands. Later on, Preacher would probably feel embarrassed enough to never mention this ever again.  

[The Semblance of Unity]

Make like a tree

"Like I'd climb on anyone in public. Mebbe in bullshit Ashdown, though. Watermelon, watermelon, let me on ya." With a sigh, she rolled off of him, still laughing a bit.

"Sorry if I squashed ya flat." Reaching over she awkwardly patted his chest.  

[The Semblance of Unity]

groovy, man

"Ya, how could I forget? I weren't magic-like then, but I knew bits 'bout it." She flushed a little. It seemed as though he actually, legitimately thought she was cool. She cleared her throat.

"S'okay. Everyone thinks m'name is weird. I should be used ta it. Y'ain't gotta apologize for anythin'." He'd been tame; she was just.. oversensitive. "Plus, I ain't call you by ya regular name often anyway, Chester."

smerdle

 

[Smerdle]

wind me up

That night, as he was getting ready for bed, Chester's hand brushed something cold when he moved his sheet aside. Had he been anyone else, he might have assumed the worst—glass, cat puke, a threatening tool of some sort—but the mechanical bug was already whispering quietly in his mind before he had even fully seen it. Knowing he wouldn't suffer for it, he stayed awake to fix it, but he didn't leave it on the kitchen counter to be found again until he had been to the other side with his tools and had added a little more.

Where it had once only waved its legs when it had been wound, now it extended delicate wings and fluttered prettily as well.  

[Smerdle]

groovy, man

"It's all right. I don't mind." And she did, that was the difference. "It's fun. Who will I be today? Only Preacher knows." He looked down when he noticed her flush, a part of him sure he shouldn't be seeing it.

"I wonder if anyone met my clone. It would be easier to ask someone to tell me about him than go to the library, I think." Seeing another version of himself carrying on a normal life in some book would freak him out too much. It would only serve to remind him of how little time he had left to be this version. "As long as everyone stayed far away from 70s Chester, I think I could stand to hear more."  

[Smerdle]

make like a tree

"It's okay." He pulled his arm free and rested both hands on his stomach, lips curled with amusement.

"Did you like being taller, at least?"