Couch Surfing

Participants:

delilah_icon.gif magnes_icon.gif

Scene Title Couch Surfing
Synopsis Drawn in by little more than a spare ear, Magnes appears at one of the few places he can go to without worry in the wee hours of the morning.
Date August 22, 2009

The Verb - Delilah's Apartment

Just entering the apartment, it gives of a feeling of comfortable homeliness; light colors, pastel shades, floral designs, clean and sweet smells, and only accents of dark where it most fits. The front room leads to a den further on, with a large sofa in a coffee cream color sitting opposite a similar chair, and a wooden table in between. There is only an almost retro-looking television off on the other side, but the things hooked up to it show that it is not as old as it seems. Nothing is, really.
To the far end is the kitchen, which always seems to smell like something recently cooked there; the appliances and counters are squeaky clean, but obviously used on a regular basis, and the leftover anything in the fridge can attest to that, as can a perpetual dish of cookies on the table. The bathroom is also squeaky clean, and it seems as if anyone coming out smells significantly nicer than when they had gone in; there is a closet within where the washer and dryer stay. There are two bedrooms, but one is emptied and instead made into a big rainbow-colored sewing and storage room, complete with fabric bolts and racks on wheels centered around a masterfully ordered sewing machine and table.
The actual bedroom is based in those mainly soft colors, yet the lower walls have at least two long, cluttered tackboards home to pictures, clippings, seemingly random crafts, and generally quirky things. A desk in a similar state sits in the far corner by the closet, opposite a low, wide, fluffy-looking bed swamped in pillows and comforters. At least half a dozen stuffed animals peek out from various points.


It's rather late at night, or very early in the morning when Magnes shows up at Delilah's, at least 2am. He just seems absolutely exhausted, wearing his white Squirrel Girl t-shirt, with her making a sand castle on the beach, comfortably fitting blue jeans, a pair of black sneakers, and his hair is pretty damp from a shower. Since Delilah last saw him, he might appear just a tad rough around the edges. He has fading nail puncture scars on his face, as if someone just gripped and dug into it, and the same on his right arm, except they dug a lot deeper and electrically burned it.

He knocks, just a few times, then says in a rather unenthusiastic tone, "It's Magnes."

Rather than the shuffle of feet on carpet or the noise of a chair- or even a bedroom door opening- there's a growl. A loud, guttural noise after a new seconds of silence, rumbling out of the bottom of the doorframe and into the hallway outside. Is there a lion in there?

"Delilah?" Magnes asks, suddenly sounding a bit concerned. It is just a dog, but, that thing sounds huge… is it really worth kicking the door down though? He knocks a little harder.
BARK, BARK. Samson's reaction shudders the wooden door, and one person probably wriggles awake on that floor. It is followed by a hff-hff-hff-hff of nose on carpet at the bottom of the door.

"Samson, down." Delilah rustles around in the living room, and the dog noisily backs away from the door to allow her over to it. If anything, he listens very well. The girl opens the door next, holding shut a satin dressing robe and looking rather disturbed. "Magnes? It's two o'clock. Of course, you pick the day that I go to bed early…" Dee mutters this to herself, but moves aside to let him in anyway. Samson is standing guard in the living room, attention fixed on the doorway and his pose tense.

"Sorry, I didn't know who else to go to. I just…" Magnes frowns, slowly entering, allowing her to close the door as he heads for the couch. "I just need to think anything but the thoughts I'm having right now, and other than Claire, I couldn't think of anyone else to turn to who wouldn't just tell me to suck it up." he admits, sitting back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Samson draws closer, creeping up to sniff at the legs of Magnes' pants. He is not entirely convinced he should immediately like this person in their house, clearly. Delilah, however, sits heavily down on the sofa beside Magnes, feet propped lazily on the carpet below, legs somewhat askew. The process of waking up can be a harried ordeal. And one that can make her forget who knows what. "Is this about the poking kids with needles or Humanis First, or something like that? Or something else? What's this?" Dee gracelessly snatches up his arm to inspect his burn marks, just now also noticing the ones on his face.

"Kids? I don't really know what you're talking about." Magnes states quite sincerely, then looks down at his arm. "I am thinking about Peyton a bit, but that's not what's bothering me either. I created martial law in a country, and there's some group about to fight the government, because of me! If people start dying there, it's my fault…"

He takes a deep breath, then looks down at his arm. "It's from a breakup, I broke up with a girl. I can't remember her. I remember telling you I was doing something that I couldn't tell you about… well, whatever it was, I apparently quit and asked for them to make me forget everything except apparently conversations with people whose faces and voices are distorted."

Delilah peers over at Magnes, eyes careful. At last, he takes a deeper breath in through her nose, sitting up straight and clenching her jaw. Exasperation, some anger. And some contentment in knowing she knew it might happen from the start. "I told you they'd mess you up. And you did tell me about your electro-girlfriend, but I don't recall what else we were on about…"

"…If it hadn't of been you, it would have been something else. You just had bad timing with the stuff in Japan." Dee sounds certain about it. Meanwhile, Samson seems to decide that Magnes poses no new threat, and promptly stuffs his muzzle into the crotch of the boy's pants. Snffsnff. Ah, the minds of dogs.

"I don't feel messed up, other than the memories of that place, but I remember everything else pretty clearly. And I don't know, I just, feel really guilty, and I don't know how to make it stop." Thenc omes the dog, and Magnes rockets right up on to the ceiling, landing on his knees as he stares down like some sort of cartoon cat. "What's that dog doing?" he asks, a bit alarmed.

"Sniffing your crotch." Duh. What did it look like he was doing? Delilah barely keeps from laughing. Sam watches as Magnes leaps onto the ceiling, letting out a loud rumbling noise, tail rocketing around as he prances backwards and eventually crouches with his butt in the air. His stubby ears are as erect as they can get. Baarrooouuuuuuruuu!

"Don't feel guilty for inciting change. I don't know what to tell you, aside from don't go out trying to fix it yourself."

Magnes slowly releases the ceiling, landing right back on the couch next to her, legs closed tightly. He's moved over so his arm is pressing against her's, figuring if he stays close the dog will stay away. "I don't plan to try and tell a government to just stop doing something on my own. And, thanks for talking to me Delilah. I know I probably should have went to Claire, but I was following instinct when I came here. I guess I have known you longer…"

"A bit longer, yeah." Dee agrees, nudging Samson off with her foot when he comes over to try bothering Magnes a second time, tail wagging. He lets out a doogie-sigh, deciding to put his head on Magnes' knee instead. "You're waking the neighbors, Sam…"

"You're just the type to want to put things right- that's all fine and noble of you, but sometimes it takes more than just one thing, or more than just one guy. That's why there are protest groups and things." And Phoenix, but she does not say that, of course. "So how's the Claire thing going, anyway?"

"I learned my lesson about life not being a comic. If I ever do anything again, it'll be with help and very well thought out." Magnes moves to lean a head on Delilah's shoulder as he gently rubs Samson's head. "Things with Claire are pretty good. I made out for the first time, that was pretty amazing. But you probably think that's pretty silly to be impressed by. And yeah, Claire is a really nice girl, encourages me to be myself, wear whatever superhero shirts I want…"

"She's a cool bean, yeah. So, you got some tongue in? She good at it, or are you both just playing good ol'tonsil hockey?" There are good and bad ways of doing these things, obviously. Delilah doesn't mind the leaning. "It's not silly if you hadn't done it. It's a milestone, technically."

"I uh, well, yeah, she was really good at it. And I do kind've feel stupid." Magnes says with his eyes closed, actually waiting. "I mean, you're so much younger but you're way more experienced."

"I'm not that much younger. Besides, I was born European and that does not include me in your census. I do not subscribe to your newsletter either, as before I lived here, I was in the trailer park. Shenanigans." There are lots of shenanigans there. Delilah makes every effort to seem right, leaning her head onto Magnes' hair as he leans there. "I'd probably be awful and offer to teach you more if I didn't like your new girlfriend." At least she's honest. Always.

"I'd take you up on that if it wasn't for that same reason." Magnes adds, sighing softly, seeming more relaxed than usual, or perhaps just tired. "Sexual tension isn't cheating, right? Just checking. I mean, I'd never act on it or hurt Claire like that, I really do like her, despite however I may feel about you too. I like to think I'm a faithful guy…"

"Tension's not cheating, no. Not to me, anyway. If it was, then every time you stare at a butt you're committing it." Dee laughs, and the surface Magnes rests his head on twitches because of the noise. "I don't expect you to act on those sorts of things with anyone, though. You are the faithful type."

Like Samson! Who is now leaning up against their legs, tail hitting knees. "If you need tips, though- well, that's in the green." The redhead nudges at him tiredly, a jostling tease.

"I think I can live not knowing what you could give me tips on." Magnes sits up, yawning as he moves a hand to rustle the back of her hair. "I'm sorry for waking you up You can go get some sleep, I'll just sleep on the couch and lock up in the morning."

Delilah just smiles ahead and wriggles away when he ruffles up her already messy hair. "Couch surfing. Hope that's not your new philosophy. You'll run into a Jame Gumb and we'll never see you again. She stands up, only o have her vacated spot at one end taken up by Samson clambering up there and somehow fitting too. Seems like Magnes may have a furry foot-pillow. "If you get up before breakfast, you know where everything is."

"Sweet dreams, Delilah." Magnes smiles, so tired that he ends up curling with the dog, simply drifting off. He won't be there when she wakes up, but she'll find a warm personal breakfast pizza wrapped up and waiting for her, sit somewhere in the kitchen high enough to stay away from the dog.

Eggs with cheese and sausage, yum!


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