gocirclegogo | the joys of cat ownership

[She still manages to be innocent sounding. Really, Willard, are you suggesting she'd do something terrible to the church she's loyal to? Wow rude.] Non non. I only want to give them the best possible candidate. I'm certain you agree no one is better suited, right?

[Don't do it, bad idea, unleashing that kind of hellspawn in a church is bad karma, openly marching into a rival faction is suicide, it's not like you're missing that much, just tell her not to do it.]

...Agreed. And he'll be happy to assist. [...Wait a minute. Amusement falling.] You've already asked...?

[Or did you come here to schedule a time to make him do the actual work again?]

[She holds up a hand. HEART READER!!

Or she put a lot of thought into this because she wanted to surprise Will with a surprise that would actually be happy making and not a dead rotting rat on his desk. You decide.]

I will ask. But it wouldn't be as much fun overseeing his training alone. I wanted to make sure you were available first. Though... I really doubt he'll say 'no.'

[He thinks That Thing being involved makes it a dead rotting rat anyway, but this one comes in a red ribbon. And Febreeze'd to all hell.

She still gets the same flat stare for a bit before sighing. Taking the time to turn away and pull one of those weekly schedule books from a drawer, flipping through pages until landing on the beginning of next week. All the lines are filled, but-]

When did you want to do the field training?

[With bright eyes, she contains her joy and does not bounce on the desk. He can be grateful.] How about this upcoming Monday? That's enough notice, isn't it?

[It's horrible and mondays are his catch-up days and he already has to cut his hours earlier to beat Lion in stupid rich-girl sports and he has a meeting with a bishop that day anyway an] Sure.

[And red x'ing the day written at the top. More stress to make her happy, what else is new. At least there's payment in it this time.]

[She leans over the desk - still mindful of his stupid work - and nuzzles his cheek once.] What a wonderful priest I've chosen to help me.

[It gets her an annoyed grunt, knowing she's being careful and clingy for one reason. But she isn't messing his paperwork, so fine. Headpets for Erika. Though it's more like the ruffle one gives to make their cats yowl.]

Our Lord doesn't appreciate brats who fish for compliments.

[It doesn't quite earn a yowl but a whiny sound that is the Erika version of one.] But you like it, right? It sounds like fun, doesn't it?

[She's still being a needy bitch and God doesn't approve of needy bitches, but he sighs and pets her normally.

Yes, Erika. You did well.]

[This time her sound is brief but gentle and happy, a special little Erika purr. That was all she needed. See? Excellent system where headpats = approval = self-worth.] I'm pleased that you like my gift. Oh, do you need any assistance? Well, of course I'm bored, but I thought at least if you need filing, I did become quite good at it.

[She's not sure if that came out as suspicious or casual or friendly. She was aiming for the latter?]

[She would've gotten away with it if she just left out the 'I'm bored' part. It's obvious enough it even makes him stop to glance at her. She's not bored. Her actions when she's bored tend to cause worse things like, oh, say driving her friends insane. Saying she's bored means she's trying to find an excuse for caring about someone and wanting to help.

Positive side to him losing the ability to care, he doesn't call her out on it.] The piles on the third shelf need to be reorganized. I was going to do it myself after these reports, but if you're bored, then feel free.

Well, since you asked nicely. [Maybe she's just programmed to tsun. Don't judge.

She jumps off the desk and goes over to the shelf, taking note of everything and beginning to organize it. If anything, it's a good chance for Will to see that she is actually efficient at it. Perfect memory and having to do it while he was off helps a lot. It also means she can do it while talking.]

Anything else later? You're going to be behind because of that. Since I dragged you in, it's at least considerate to help with the backlog.

[Alright. He's been her cat owner for almost a year now. What Erika would normally do is except that one job, blather on incesantly, and - if she still wanted to talk - ask for another job. Her goal is to have someone to talk to, and helps while doing it.

For her to actively request more things before anything else means she wasn't here to speak. To deliver her idea? Maybe, but she's already finished that. Still being here, but not speaking, acting out of character, and trying to be needlessly helpful?

She can hear the sound of him calling bullshit by the long hesitation of no writing and then slowly setting his pen now. The voice is oddly measured.] That's all. You can leave once you finish.

[Erika pauses. She can't even doubt that she heard him right thanks to her enhanced hearing. So, he definitely said that in a strange tone that she can't understand. But she keeps sorting since she said she would do that.

Possibly, too, because she's nervous of looking at him right now. She doesn't know what expression he might be wearing and she wants to sound like her usual flippant self.]

That's a little cold, Willard. I take some pride in how well I managed your responsibilities. I'm not going to mess it up.

[There's no sound of movement or change in his voice's volume, so she can easily recognize he hasn't moved in response to her answer. Unlike the hesitation from before, this time has him speak right after she finishes her own.]

I'll shorten the sentence. Leave when you're finished.

[It's probably for the better he didn't turn to face her.]

[To Erika's credit, she doesn't actually stop working, even if she tenses, even if she shuts her eyes for a moment. Well, she said she was fine if he hated her, right? So it's fine whatever happens as long as Will ends up happy.

God, what happened to her? It is sickening. Caring is strange.]

You're snippy today. Well, go on. Tell me why you're angry now. What have I done that's gotten you particularly irritable?

You helping for the sake of helping? As ridiculous as Battler's writing.

[Let it be known that Erika's subtlety is on par with Lord Battler's. Permission has been granted to the Observers to point and laugh at this fantastic bit of failure.]

What are you really doing?

[OBSERVERS CAN GO AWAY. She is busy waffling between tsuning and knowing that probably won't help or just make him think she has ulterior motives. Which maybe she does but she doesn't see how she does actually since she's trying to be a good friend! That's her motive okay.]

What could I possibly be scheming? Really, Willard, the paranoia isn't needed.

[But Observers love Erika! Loooove~ And for the first time during their facing-away face off, she can hear him move just to tap his pen on his desk a few times. Each light metallic 'tik' is like a timer counting down.]

That would be why I'm asking, Erika. Or are you refusing?

[She winces from the sound. Great. Either she can try to deny it and piss him off or admit it and get.... she has no idea what reaction. But she can't do the first. She really can't.

She hates admitting feelings she hates admitting feelings she hates-]

...I just wanted to help you.

[She sounds sincere, even a little sad, but still doesn't look up from organizing.

Seriously someone help her, she can't handle this.]

[Normally, he'd call bullshit. But with that kind of tone, she actually means it. So that whole thing was her failing at feels and tsun-ing really hard and going about her idea an entirely wrong way that made her more suspicious than anything. Somewhere, it dimly resonates that he should've caught that earlier. That he's better at reading people than that.

The pen stops tapping. Erika could think she misfired horribly for that moment of nothing. Until he sighs, turning just enough to glance at the back of her head. The cat can mark it as a victory because it's nothing but exhaustion and bitterness and no posturing and he really does feel bad about it now that he's realized it.]

Sorry. Stay as long as you want. [Then turning back to his work. That's as much of a bend as she's getting on it.]

[Erika glances up when he looks. That doesn't make her feel much better. A little better, in the sense of having a proper gauge of what's under his workaholic routine and the irritation flipping to apathy. But it doesn't actually help her. She doesn't know what she's supposed to do to make him normal again. And it's still her fault, so she should be able to fix it. Breaking a puzzle so thoroughly that it's just guts... she's still no better than that, huh?

How depressing.]

Well, yes, I'm not staying any longer than I want. I don't need your invitation.

[A normal response to get her footing back. She can't do honest emotions well. But she's always obvious to him and he can't even catch this? She needs to try something. Something something there must be something. What do friends usually talk about?]

So... how are you and Lion-san? [It sounds just as awkward as can be expected.]

Uh huh. [Failing at reading emotions or not, that was such an obvious tsun that even Bern would catch it. But that's the only move to call her out, or any movement in general after the line. And nothing still until her obviously-awkward attempt at small talk. It says something that he only takes it for what it is.]

Same as ever. You and Zelos? [At least he's better at not being awkward at said small talk. Even if it's a subconscious dodge.]

[She noticed in the sense that it was likely a dodge, though it could be Will's normal apathy. Or maybe it should be worrying that she can't tell? Well, she has to roll with the small talk thing now. Wonderful.]

We're doing well. He's been working on helping me sleep better. [Not said with an innuendo tone, since she's actively avoiding anything that annoys him for now. And it's true so it counts.

...Wait does she ask him another question now or wait for a response? Shit.]

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