sirenspull_logs | sorry about the blood in your mouth, wish it was mine

'Bed rest' had only served to enhance the tensions between himself and his roommate, and Harry had taken to open defiance of regulation in response.

Using the walls and doorways as a makeshift crutch, he'd begun to navigate the apartment without collapsing within a few feet - his recovery was excellent, though the damage to his ribs had left him grumpy and feverish. Unwilling and uncomfortable with being tended to anymore, he was up and fighting that day.

"I don't need a babysitter," Harry protested. Again. For what was probably the umpteenth time, as though he was trying to make up for his earlier, vulnerable state by really getting under Marcone's skin. "I'll be fine here, just go do your - carjacking."

John is pulling his shoes on, sitting on the couch, when Dresden starts wandering around again. Jesus Christ. He rolls his eyes and gets up, only one shoe on, to stand by Dresden as he shuffles around like a... well, an invalid.

"Please don't make me carry you back to bed. I can, and I will, and it'll only embarrass you more," he says tartly.

It's been this venomous to-and-fro for a while. It's grating on John and Harry both, and only demonstrates further why John needs to get out for an afternoon.

"I am not leaving you here alone." He frowns. He's not going to justify that carjacking remark with a response. For one, it's true, for two, he's going to punch Harry in the face if they have this discussion again.

"Ms. Ella has made a very generous offer, and you are going to be kind to her while she is here. She's..." Not a friend, that's too soon, too close. "It's an act of kindness she is offering. Aren't you big on those, wizard?"

Shortly after she finished her conversation with John, she had hunted about her room for the few books she'd picked up, as promised. With Kyra at her side, she sauntered out of her apartment, closing - and locking - the door behind her.

They were only a few flights below her so Ella heads downstairs and over to the apartment door. Knocking lightly upon said door, she calls - with a teasing lilt to her voice - "Hello? It's Ella, from Ella and Wolf's Humansitting Service, where our motto is: You have a human, we'll sit on them!"

Smartass.

"Just you try it." Harry rises to the bait, snapping and seething at his roommate. There's only so long he can stand to be cooped up, before his mind starts thinking about things he doesn't want to think about. Hence, why he keeps himself in motion around ninty percent of the time.

He readies another hot-tempered answer, just before the knock at the door cuts him off and catches his attention. The wizard gestures to the door expectantly, just to get one last obnoxious jab in before his 'babysitter' arrives. "I'll show you 'act of kindness'." He mutters, and plasters a neutral, if not peaky, expression on his face.

John rolls his eyes blatantly, because as reserved as he is on the network and with everyone else, Harry gets the full force of his personality. Even if right now it's just a low simmer of annoyance.

"Be nice," John says, quietly now lest Ella hears through the door. "You need a distraction and someone to remember when you take your pills." He walks to the door, taking off the chain and unlocking it.

When he opens it, it's with a bland, strained smile. He's glad to see her, no doubt, but still tired. "Miss Ella. Last chance to run and hide."

Poor John; Ella is glad she'd offered to help when she sees the look on his face. "John," she waves pleasantly, with Kyra sitting behind and to the left of her. "You're starting to make it sound like I'm about to enter a dragon's den. I'm sure your friend and I will have a nice time while you're out." And if not, well no matter. Ella has dealt with cranky people before - if she could suffer Hattie, she could handle anything!

She holds up her hands -- well, one hand, as the other cradled a few books under an arm. "See? No bottles to smack people with or anythig." She pauses. "Just books. Which will absolutely not be used to smack people. Promise."

Only one of them gets to act like a child in public, and that would be Harry. With John's back turned, he goes so far as to mouth John's words in a way that is both juvenile and perplexed. Be nice? From his spot in the doorway to his room, he leans on his good leg and peers as best he can, trying to spot the young woman who was to be his sitter for the day.

She has a good sense of humor, that he can already hear. "Gonna' introduce me to your new friend, Marcone?"

John tilts his head back to Harry and purses his lips. "You are cycling through shades of pallor." He points to the sofa and tries to convince Harry to sit down with his eyes, because if he says the words, Harry will stand until he passes out just to be contrary.

He steps back to let Ella in. "Mr. Dresden, this is Ella. Miss Ella, this is the Wizard Dresden, whom I've mentioned in the past."

Despite the amused look on her face, Ella is undoubtedly concerned for The Friend(tm), peering past John curiously when he addresses the other man. When John steps back to let her in, she bobs a gracious curtsey to him in thanks, stepping in lightly. Once she moved, Kyra stood to follow, the wolf pacing warily into the room and already sniffing the air with interest.

"A pleasure, Wizard Dresden," Ella smiles gently to Harry, curtseying to him as well. "I'm glad to finally meet The Friend finally. Although I rather wish it had been under better circumstances. Ah - and this is Kyra." She motions to the wolf, "Don't worry, she'll be on her best behavior."

"Yes, mom." Harry limps to the couch of his own volition, because he isn't the sort to listen to commands - even if they are for his own good. He's just ready to sit down, that's what it is. Finally, he's able to get a good look at the young woman, and lifts a bandaged hand to wave at her in return. "Nice to meet you, Ella. You can call me Harry, if you'd like."

When introduced to Kyra, however, something in him lights up - and Harry proceeds to make an attempt at coercing the wolf to him. Shamelessly. Making low, sweet sounds like one would to her domesticated counterpart. "I have a dog, back home. It's okay. C'mere Kyra, come to Harry..."

Well. Better than expected. John wonders if the lightness in the wizard is artifice or genuine relief. He hasn't made many connections on the island yet. And John is not being self-deprecating when he notes that it is sad that he's made more acquaintances than Harry has.

John picks up his jacket off the table by the door. On it is a surprising array of hats, from ball caps to pretentious fedoras to a motorcycle helmet. John picks a pageboy cap. Somehow, once it's on, it's like he's faded into the background more.

"He had a bear masquerading as a pet dog back home," John explains to Ella sotte voce. Then, at normal volume. "I have a lot of errand without a lot of time to do them in, so excuse my haste. If Dresden gets shirty with anyone on the network, take his NV away. He needs another dose of," totally not illegally gotten, "pain pills in about forty-five minutes." It sounds very much like giving a babysitter the run-down, actually.

"And... thank you. I appreciate this." More than he can say. John couldn't leave Dresden alone, not after what landed him in this state in the first place.

Wait what - Kyra stares at Harry for a second, not sure what to make of this strange man. But after that cautious pause, she pads forward towards him, with little sniffs here and there.

Ella, on the other hand, is tickled to death at the sight. "You're lucky- I think she likes you." Well she liked a lot of people. Except the ones Ella was wary of, or had troubles with, such as Hattie. Hattie, Kyra would like to bite very much.

Glancing at John sharply, her eyes widen, "A wha-? ... it must have been very confused." Or was that just a joke - see, it wouldn't be that farfetched back home. She mentally erks at the command, straightening and nodding with a quick smile. "Got it." Ahaha..haha... ha... wait, what's shirty?

And pain pills in forty five minutes. Simple enough, "You don't have to thank me, John. It's nothing less than what I'd do for any friend of mine."

Oblivious to the image he must present (a grown man, cooing at a wolf? rather goofy, don't you think?), Harry continues to make an absolute fool of himself as he leans forwards and stretches an arm out - the back of his hand extended to Kyra invitingly. "Good Kyra," he soothes. Silly wizards getting psyched up about animals.

He holds for a beat, before wincing softly when he straightens, a hand gingerly pressed to his ribs. "His name is Mouse, and he's just a very big puppy." He was also sorely missed. "You see what I put up with," Harry is quick to wiggle a hand at John and roll his eyes. Perhaps not as cruelly as he had been earlier, when it was just the two of them.

John spares one last evaluating look at Ella, her wolf, and Dresden. The wizard's laid down and isn't exerting himself, Ella looks confident with her duties, and the wolf looks like... a wolf. John never had a dog; canine expressions are lost on him.

"I'll be back before the sirens," he says and with only a little reluctance slips out the door. "Be safe."

Exit, Marcone.

Extremely goofy. Kyra's tail thumps against the floor at the encouragement, choosing to settle in front of the couch and rest her head on the sofa cushion to make it easier for Harry to give her pettings, while Ella giggles quietly. She approved of animal-lovers, what can she say? And the sight was pre-tty hilarious.

She turns to John with his final words, nodding seriously. "You too, John." It was bad enough Harry got hurt, she didn't want to see him get hurt too. And once he's stepped out, Ella turns her attention back to Harry and Kyra, grinning.

"I guess it was a good idea to bring her along after all. I couldn't bear to leave her alone in the apartment...and I don't think she'd forgive me." It's bad enough coming home from work, when she's had to dodge a wolf hurtling at her with happies more than once. Eesh.

Although.

"Question," she says suddenly, resisting the urge to raise her hand like a student. "'Shirty'?" What even is?

"You better be back before the sirens," almost unbidden, Harry shoots that over Kyra's ears towards his roommate, expression dark and deathly serious. For all his huff-and-puff (apt turn of phrase, considering the wolf he was petting), that was something far too important for him. Get the point, John, because pneumonia or not, he will go after you if you're late. It's just in his nature.

With John gone, Harry seems to lighten - and he smiles through the bruises at Ella. "Shirty is, like - argumentative. Which is how things usually wind up when I access the network." He shrugs a shoulder, regretting the motion when it shifts his bruised ribs in a direction they clearly do not want to be going.

"I like animals," he further explains, running a hand over Kyra's head gently. "And a bunch of my friends are wolves, so I'm not too put off by her. You want to sit down? Make yourself into an actual 'sitter' and everything."

Dat's right he better - although when she first spoke with John she had wondered if they genuinely disliked each other. Clearly that was not the case, and she figured that out after her conversation with John in her apartment a few days ago.

They just had a very strange friendship. Also if John wasn't back by sirens, Ella wasn't going to be able to stop Harry from going after John- especially if Harry told her not to and that would be so so messy she... she doesn't even want to entertain the thought. JOHN YOU BETTER BE BACK BEFORE SIRENS.

"Oh - so no NV for you, young man." Her teasing grin freezes on her face at that wince, and she narrows her eyes slightly, "When did you last have your medication?" She doesn't want to give him pain meds if it wasn't time yet. At the suggestion, she nods with a bemused smile, pulling over a chair and tucking herself into a seated position. "So long as I don't have to actually sit on someone." Least of all the person she's supposed to be looking after.

The relationship between Harry and John was, in his mind, well-covered by using the words 'really fucking complicated'. Especially in the days following their arrival at the Port. But he's not the type to talk about things unless asked, and even then, it takes some elbow grease and a crowbar to pry something out of him.

"Pretty much," Harry replies, and neglects to admit that he's left his NV in his coat in the other room, to avoid the temptation of picking more fights. That's what landed him in this position in the first place. Though scratching behind the ears of the wolf is a bonus, in his eyes. He absently pets Kyra, but his attention is on Ella. "I don't really remember, they make me drowsy. Marcone said forty-five minutes from now, so I think it's safe to say he's right."

Harry relaxes when she finally sits down, and makes an attempt to be more personable. "Is this what you do for a living, here in the Port?"

Folding her hands on her lap neatly, she tucks her feet beneath the chair, tilting her head slightly. "All right, but if you start feeling more in pain, please let me know." She didn't want him to suffer needlessly.

"This?" She spreads her hands mildly, shaking her head. "No, actually. Right now I'm working at Purgatory, and the Uzushio. What about you?"

"Of course." It's a bland little answer, not truly a 'yes' and not truly a 'no'. Evasive enough to suit Harry, and hopefully not cause Ella to worry after him too hard. He's comfortable where he is on the couch, leg stretched out across the cushions - having a conversation. It's been a while since he talked to anybody in person. Well, anyone that wasn't John (or Castiel, because see where that landed him?).

Purgatory and Uzushio were places he'd heard of, but hadn't explored. Though when asked - he looked down, brow knitting softly. "I don't have a job." Well, that was to the point, and contained about as much guilt as he had in him in five words. "I've been trying to find something. But-" But he didn't play that well with others, it seemed.

But Ella was trusting enough to believe that he would actually do that. Inwardly grimacing as it seemed she brought up a bad topic, she waves a hand slightly. "Don't worry about it, Harry. You'll find something. There's always something in the world that only you can do, just waiting for you to take the reins."

"How long have you been here?"

Harry stifles a small laugh, his hand stilling in Kyra's fur as he tilts his head back and glances at Ella out of the corner of his eye - otherwise avoiding direct eye contact. It's a thing. "I'm sure there is. However, I'd absolutely love any helpful pushes in the right direction. Maybe a referral?" Hint hint, nudge nudge, Ella.

He takes a moment to count on his fingers, trying to gauge just about how long he's been stuck in the port. Finally, he gives up and estimates: "Since early November, I think. About a month, I'd say. Marcone's been pulling my weight around too, and I can't keep doing that to him."

Edited 2012-12-10 02:13 (UTC)

D'aww, Ella just thought he was shy. It was adorable. If she knew the truth of the reason she'd help by not looking at him when she talked to him. "A referral huh? Let's see... I do know of a magic shoppe here. It's run by a friend of mine, Xellos."

No Ella, don't go sending Harry to a shop run by a /demon/ what is wrong with you. "I'd be happy to vouch for you if you want." Uh... even though she's only met him today. Yeah she's just like that.

"It's a lot better than coasting by on his laurels." Like SOME people she knows, that would. Although it was still surprising to think Hattie was actually working. "Have you thought about going into business for yourself? Offering services and the like?"

The name doesn't sound familiar, but thanks to his last network post he made himself familiar with with unique talents and traits of the Port's magic community. That, at least, gave him some ground to work with. It was something to think about, and he nodded to indicate he'd been listening.

Magic shops, she'd vouch -- wow, she'd vouch for him? Even looking like a walking, talking human train wreck that he was? Gee Ella, you really are a swell young woman. Hold that thought though.

"I did a lot of different things back home," he explains. "I'm okay at investigating, but I'm better at magic. I'm just wondering about how to get a leg up on the rest of competition, if that's the case." Hence his networking last month. Harry could be a duplicitous bastard when he wanted to. He grinned a bit, and gave his wrist a shake - holding up the bracelet of charms he wore so that Ella could see it. "I'm good with my hands. And no, the irony of my injuries doesn't elude me."

Well why not? Harry seemed a swell guy in his own right. Not counting the injuries. She looks thoughtful, "Investigating? Like what the police do here?" Hrm. As he mentioned wanting a leg up, and then shook his wrist... oh god, Ella, don't say it. Don't say it.

"Good, then I don't have to mention it." Ella grins, "But as you are right now, I think you might have a bit of a handicap."

God..damnit Ella, why did you have to say it. Although she looks absolutely unapologetic, save for that brief wince of 'Oh that's right, I went there.' "Maybe if there's a service you can provide that no one else does."

Then again between the shops and other independent mages in the port, was there such a thing? "Poor jokes at your expense aside - I do sincerely apologize for that, by the way..." she adds, trailing off thoughtfully.

It was tempting, so so tempting, to ask if he knew anything about curses.

Wit, manner and charm. Harry actually starts laughing when she tosses the pun at him, because he practically set himself up for that. Usually, he's the one making awful jokes, but points to her for using the set-up to her advantage. "Why, Ella!" He chuckles, and concedes defeat for that round. "I think you might be right."

That's the part that has him hung up. The competition on an island community is brutal; not that he doesn't think he could elbow his way in and set something up. Unlike Marcone, he's not a titan of overt charm. He's got a mouth that likes to run off and do sarcastic cartwheels and the nature of a hedgehog: all prickles, even when he'd like to be close.

What he's got is a little something different. But anyways: "If I couldn't handle a joke, I wouldn't dish them out. But anyways, what's on your mind, Ella?"

And Ella joins in with the laughter, because laughter is so darn infectious. Plus he didn't take offense to her pitiful pun. Chuckling under her breath, she almost startles at the question.

Then realizes she had trailed off there, and it wasn't that Harry had read her mind about curses, so she smiles a quick, dismissive smile. "I was just wondering about your options at the moment. There isn't anything like a magic guild around here, after all and I just returned to the port earlier this month so ... I'm not really familiar with all of the market stalls here."

Nothing about curses, nope nope. "But is that something you would even want to be involved with? Working behind a counter and peddling charms and talismans?"

Of course he wasn't going to take offense. A good sense of humor was hard to come by, and god, if he hadn't needed a laugh to distract him from everything that had been going on lately. Talk about high-stress and absolute disorientation.

Magic guilds. Harry actually snorts at that, because like hell if he wants to get wrapped up in anything resembling a guild. Too many restrictions, and the inquisitive part of him that had a thing for questioning people in power was actually glad that the Port was outside his 'guild's' authority.

"It's a start. I can't not work," talk about feeling guilty about it taking him this long to get on his feet. Also vaguely panicked because christ, he needs a job before he goes mad and takes his roommate with him. "I'd really take any sort of work right now, at least to have some sort of income. I've got quite a resume, to be honest. I can worry about how to best compete with the other businesses once I've got a foot in the door and a feel for the economy."

Ella always seemed to get along best with people who could roll with the punches. And ... strangely... serious people too. It's really uncanny. Her best friend was the most serious of serious people.

Raising an amused eyebrow at the snort, Ella grins, "Bad idea?" Thoughtful for a moment, "Well, tell you what; I don't know too many people, but I can ask around the people I do know, and see if anyone would be interested in the services of a wizard. Helping people out is the best way to get your face known and... you'll literally be getting your foot in the door. As well as the rest of you."

"Not necessarily. I mean, guilds have been as helpful as they have been hindering." But that's a lot of talking, and Harry doesn't think Ella cares much about the significance of guilds in a historical context let alone when you apply it to further engines such as tabletop games. Nor does he really know if she's from his world or not. Things might go differently in Ellaland, so he waves a hand and waves off that line of thought as best he can.

When she offers to ask around, Harry instantly thinks to decline, to try to dissuade her from taking care of what could technically be considered his business, to not take advantage of her goodwill -- but that's actually really rude of him to think, and he stifles it. Especially since it's actually very thoughtful of her and he needs the assistance. "Yeah," he says instead, "I'd really appreciate whatever help you could offer. I could..." He looks to his hands, the right one bandaged, the other mottled with burn scars and laughs wryly.

"Well, I was going to offer to write a quick or messy resume if that would help, but I'm afraid the emphasis would be on messy. I have a lot of experience in a lot of fields, provided that experience with technology isn't a requirement." Foot in the door, that's right. Foot in the door. "But enough about me, really. Tell me something about yourself. It's only fair I get to know my charming sitter."

"Hindering? Really?" She would have actually been interested to hear about it - as clueless as she was about the tabletop games he'd have been talking about. The only table top game she knows is a variation of chess, or cards. Or checkers. But as Ellaland is the happiest land on Not!Earth she wasn't going to press the matter. It probably isn't important anyway.

At indication of his hands, she giggles, "It's okay Harry, I'll lend you a hand. Heck, I'm feeling generous, I'll lend you two." She wiggles the fingers of said hands. "If you have pen and paper, I can take dictation." Come to think of it, John did say Harry was rather bad around technology. About to make another offer, she mentally chokes, her body snapping to and straightening at the command. An odd quirk, but she passed it off as simply straightening to pay attention. Yah.

But it was safe enough an order, "Well,... is thre anything specific you want to know? I mean... I am only child, and I come from the town of Frell. I have an older stepsister who's here as well; Hattie of Ehvenn." And she was extremely wary of that faker. "The year is 1523, back home at least. I was forced to go to a finishing school, but I never finished - ironically enough." Uh... what else would she say to this...

Harry spreads his hands out, shaking his head as he explains quickly: "Pro - someone has your back. Con - you tend to have to play by their rules." Of course, this is all from his point of view. It's colored by several years at the less-than-tender mercies of a 'guild' and then several more working for that same group. He's still a little mixed up, but it's not all spite and indignation now.

Though he snickers again when Ella makes another joke, and drops his hands into his lap. Things are starting to hurt a little, but he pushes the discomfort to the side. He'd like to talk to her a little more, and that means he's got to be some sort of lucid. Drugged babbling gets you in trouble, lots of trouble. And because he's not loopy on painkillers, he briefly regards her little twitch with a furrowed brow and a bit of a smirk. Odd quick indeed.

"Whoa, slow down there, Speedy." At ease girl, you don't need to tell him your whole life story! Or so he thinks. "Why don't you tell me what Frell is like? I like hearing about things like that."

This ...was going to spiral out of control quickly. "Sorry..." she said slowly, a quirky grin on her lips to play this off as a gag as well. "I didn't realize I was ...jumping ahead." Actually she was privately relieved she could make sure she didn't physically slow down that much, but...

"It's a quiet country village about a day's journey from the Castle. It's more or less a very peaceful place, although there are a few scattered occasions of ogre attacks. Our Prince is a little... lacking in responsibility. I don't really know how much we will be able to rely on him after his coronation. His uncle, the Regent passes all of the laws in his stead and... they're just awful."

Slow enough?

"It's okay," he says, though the way his brows had knit indicate that he was really starting to think about something. Ella now has his full attention, because either she really wants that gig as leading comedienne or something weird is going on.

Okay, maybe it's not technically okay, but Harry needed something to say while he was regarding Ella. Weird physical tic coupled with something - funny about the way she threw her all into the conversation. "Frell sounds nice," he added politely. "Like a fairytale world." Let's not talk about faeries though, or fairytales. Or maybe the two of them should.

"I came from Chicago, which - well." Harry's smile curls at the scarred corner of his mouth. "You don't just live in Chicago." But that's something else. Harry buries his face between the wolf's ears, as if suddenly remembering she was there. "Thanks Ella. You don't have to tell me anything else if you don't want to. I was just curious."

YES. She really REALLY wanted to be a leading comedienne. Tapping the side of her knee absently, she shifts restlessly in the chair, glancing away from Harry for a moment. Normal, Ella. Damnit be normal. "You know, I just noticed, but your apartment is pretty nice." Not nearly as pigstyish as she thought it might be, actually. What with it having two swinging bachelors in it and all.

An awkward laugh follows that statement, as Ella absently tucks a strand of hair behind an ear, ducking her head sheepishly. "Heh-heh, you wouldn't believe how many people tell me that. That it sounds like a fairy tail world, I mean." She should introduce him to Red.

"What do you mean, though, that you don't just live in Chicago?" Delicately, she keeps from giggling (much) at the sight of Harry burying his face between poor Kyra's ears. The Wolf herself a bit puzzled by the action, huffing a noise and flicking an ear briefly, but otherwise not moving.

Ella's done similar to her before, though she usually buried her face in puppyfur. A marvel how docile the wolf was with her, compared to around Hattie. "Thanks, Harry..." She smiles, restraining relief from her face. "How are you feeling? Any pain?" They've been chatting a while, after all, and she hadn't even gotten to the books she brought yet.

"Marcone is a neat freak." Harry supplies cheerfully, casting a look around the apartment. "By that, I mean he's all about first and second and third impressions." Were he living by himself, the place would have been decidedly messy. If anyone acted like the textbook definition of bachelor, it was Harry Dresden when he was all on his own. Thankfully, having a roommate seems to have done him some measure of good. He keeps his stuff out from underfoot, folds his own clothes and even manages to make his bed. Sort of.

His leg is starting to twinge, and he smooths a hand over the bandages irritably, as though trying to soothe a fitful animal. It's so absurd, how disconnected he is with his own body. "It sounds like a nicer faerie world than the one I'm familiar with, that's for sure." As though to emphasize his disdain for his personal dalliances with faeries, he rolls his eyes and slouches back into the couch. "I mean that you survive in Chicago. It's like a jungle."

He points to the scarring on his face, as if that'll explain everything; drops his hand into his lap and twines his fingers through each other; avoids talking about how he's feeling by putting on a deceptively bright smile and leveling a finger in Ella's direction. "So! How about you tell me about what's bugging you?" Because he gets that there's something going on, he just can't describe it - not yet.

Somehow, this news about Marcone being a neat freak doesn't surprise her, but Ella laughs quietly either way. Brown eyes flicking towards his hand as he brushed his bandages. "It sounds like your Chicago is pretty rough if it's that bad-" John had told her some about it, when he stopped by her apartment before.

Grimacing lightly at the sight of the scarring on his face, Ella starts to ask again about the leg, only to freeze at the question. Almost literally actually, the look on her face is vaguely remniscent of a deer in headlights.

She recovers quickly, a smile flashing across her face, "Bugging me? Nothing is bugging me." She lies. LIES LIKE A LYING LIAR. "How did you get that scar?" She shifts in the chair, in the hopes of changing the subject. And Hoping Marcone gets back soon. HALP.

"It's busy?" The response is a weak one. Harry is pretty fond of Chicago, and talking about it makes him feel plenty homesick and plenty worried about just how well he and John will transition when they get back (still when, never if). Things he doesn't want to think about, but the pain in his leg and the hard cough in his chest are building even as he sits there. He really ought to take his medications before it gets any worse, but that means sacrificing mental clarity.

"You twitch sometimes. It's almost a flinch," he's going to doggedly pursue that line of questioning, and shakes his head when asked about the scar. "I don't know if it's something I said or the way I said it, but if something's bothering you, you can tell me. I'm kind of insensitive at times, and I'm really trying to work on it." At least, that's what he thinks might be the problem. He doesn't know the whole of it, but he knows enough to figure out that Ella's not totally okay.

Harry waves his bandaged hand in what he hopes is a gentle way. "I'm decent at reading people," he explains, tapping just under his eyes. "I can't look 'em in the eyes, so I make do with watching all the other things. I wouldn't ever make you tell me, but - you can." Then, he concedes, just a little and winces at a particular wave of pain in his leg.

Ella grins, leaving off the topic of his home for now. The smile on her face twitches a touch as he points out her ...quirk, but she waves a hand gently, dismissive. "Oh that? That's... that's just a ...thing. That I do. It's ...weird, I know." But oh, OH. THAT'S what he thought -- oh bless his heart.

"It's nothing you've done," deliberately anyway, "Believe me, you've been a perfect gentleman." At least she didn't notice any insensitivity. Perceptive people were definitely her downfall, and though she hated every day she had to lie to someone's face - it was survival instinct.

Kind of odd he couldn't look someone in the eye though. Maybe he was shy? "... I appreciate that." More than he could possibly know. But she's caught sight of the wince at this point, and - even more relieved for a change in subject, she gets to her feet. "I really think I should get your pain medication now. Even if you brush that off as twitch or something, it's about that time anyway, don't you think?"

A thing she does, she says. And Harry, for all intents and purposes, actually fixates on her twice as hard as he previously was. All hard-eyed curiosity and a scar that pulls taunt as his lips thin. Ella isn't eager to talk about it, the way she brushes off further conversation. Defensive, in a way that is both practiced and gentle. Okay, Harry will keep this entire, awkward segment of conversation filed away - he won't force the issue. He has absolutely no reason to.

He doesn't wear a watch, but Ella's prompt has him pretending to check his wrist for the time. "I'm thinking I shouldn't fight the inevitable," he murmured, and pulled a face. Harry was so looking forwards to those painkillers and being unable to hold conversation past inappropriate laughter and slurring his thoughts together and regurgitating it like a drunkard. Good painkillers. Awful sideeffects. At least John would be returning at some point relatively soon? Poor Ella. Without scintillating conversation.

"Drug me up, Ms Nurse." He muttered, pressing a hand to his ribs gently, resisting the niggling urge to cough, because it'd hurt. "I mean - please. And I'd like to apologize in advance for the... god-awful everything that comes when they kick in. With luck, I'll just fall asleep."

The more he fixates on her, the more awkward she feels, glancing anywhere but at her friend, a nervously twitching finger tapping against her knee. Silently sighing with relief when he took her cue and finally agreed to the painkillers (though she inwardly cringed at the phrasing of his words), Ella hopped to her feet, quick like a bunny.

If she'd hesitated, she'd have been jerked off of her feet anyway. "Sit tight, I'll be right back. Kyra, don't let him wander off." She teased, padding away to get the medicine. Kyra was quite content to stay at Harry's side, yawning widely. Yep you're not budging mister.

Not taking too long, Ella stepped out again with a glass of water and the painkiller medication, casting an amused look at Harry for the advance apology. "Don't worry, I'll tell you all of the embarrassing details afterwards if you're not lucky. I'd hate for you ot miss out." She chuckled, "Come on Kyra, out of the way already." She nudged the wolf gently, offering the painkillers and water.

sorry about the blood in your mouth, wish it was mine

no subject

no subject

Go Team Babysitter!

ella you are the best

John will be on his way out soon

And then Harry will be DOOMED. DOOMED to Miss Sassy Lassy! And Wolf.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject