"Of the school," his lips screwed up faintly before he huffed out a light breath. "Got it ages ago, probably. Nevermind." It was a stupid question and now he felt stupid for asking it. So he decided to bite the bullet on the harder subject.
"Y'know Wren showed up, right? You ask him to come here?"
"Oh! Well, some." She glanced down then back up at him. Not being proper staff, she wasn't treated entirely the same. "Just of this building and the dorm." She smiled as a shy defense against her status, which she took with a lot of pride, but she knew she was low on the ranking here. "Don't need me in classrooms or anywhere else." As in she wasn't shown those areas probably to keep her away from then.
"I told him I was coming. I didn't think he would come if I asked him. He doesn't like being around me none." It was an ongoing competition for which son seemed to despise her most at the moment. So sensitive that it probably fluctuated during the day. She looked down then up again to meet Jay's eyes. "The other won't respond." Other brother that is, but she knew calling either of them 'brother' to Jay would only make him mad; an assumption built since it made the other two mad when referencing Jay.
Her assumption was correct, because as far as Jay was concerned that family was dead to him. He stared at her for a moment as if trying to figure out whether or not she was telling the truth, but he didn't have any evidence to the contrary.
After a moment he finally spoke again, "Alright. I'm buildin' somethin' here, and if gotta leave it it's gonna be on my terms, not 'cause some hotheads want to get rid of me." A repeat of history was definitely not going to happen, Jay was going to make sure of that.
"I'm not pullin' any punches." Not that he ever did before but he was stronger now. "'n I've got friends who got my back. I warned Wren 'n if the other one shows up I'll warn him too." He didn't know why he was telling Aya all of this- warning her in advance so she could be prepared for trouble if it happens? If he didn't give a damn about her he would have left her in the dark, but... clearly there was something still there, a glimmer of something.
"You're building something?" She wasn't quite sure what he was referring to when he said that at first, but she listened patiently. "Does anyone here want to get rid of you?" She wouldn't expect that he was referring to her since she had made it clear - or at least had attempted to - that she certainly didn't want him to leave. Wren had only just gotten there so he shouldn't be trying to kick Jay out if Jay was here first. So much was being said, while so little communicated at times.
The punching comments told her he was referring more to Wren and she nodded with understanding. When he was done saying his piece, she commented, "I'm glad you've made good friends here." She knew Jay needed them and he must have learned to socialize well if he was making friends. Wren on the other hand, she knew didn't do the 'friends' thing very often. "It sounds like you like it here."
She would add that she'd do her best to be sure Wren didn't ruin that for Jay, but she knew better than to suggest that he needed the aid from her, his mother. Aya knew Harpy men and her sons were becoming just that- grown men -and with that, she knew not to mess with their pride.
"Yeah, a life. I'm buildin' a life here. Plenty o' people wanna get rid o' me, 'n I bet Wren would be at the front of the blerrie mob with a pitchfork in his hand." He was last time anyway, with a metaphorical pitchfork, prodding at everyone to knock Jay out of the flock. Jay couldn't imagine it would be any different at the school.
He nodded slightly, finally able to admit it. "I do like it here." He had people he loved here, he wanted to build a family here, but those were all things he wasn't ready to share with Aya just yet. Baby steps. "Is that what you wanna do here? Build a new life?"
"He can't make you leave." She said with a surprising boldness. "You were here first." It sounded more logical than it probably was. "He would leave before you did." That much she did know of Wren; he may be a fighter, but if he was grossly outnumbered, he would most likely turn tail. Or at least his mother could hope he could.
She nodded softly. "There is nowhere else for me to go right now." It was hard to admit, but with Jay, she wanted to be transparent. "'Back home' isn't home anymore. Can't go back there. And if it's safe here and...well, you're here...just made sense to...try." That confidence wavered a bit, having to say to someone who didn't want her around that she wanted to be where he was at. It was the honest truth, the reason she came after long searching, and the reason she was trying to get the others there. Somewhere safe and with purpose.
He liked the bold tone in her voice, he remembered it from a time where she was defiant in front of everyone and told them that she was keeping him no matter what. But after years that boldness had been worn down, defeated, and he supposed he couldn't blame her- you could only take so many hits for someone, and they all ganged up against her to dump him. It made him wonder how many hits she'd have to take before her strong spirit was broken again, or if things were different now.
His eyes dropped as he briefly mulled over these thoughts, but then shook his head as if to dismiss them. He hated thinking. "I don't care if he stays or leaves, he'd be smart if he stayed outta my way. 'n you..." A hurt part of him still wanted her to stay out of his way, but. "You don't gotta. 'm not ready to talk every day or to 'start over' or kak like that, but you don't gotta avoid me." He wanted to keep taking it slow because there were still too many conflicting emotions and it was hard to deal with.
As little as he said, it was progress to Aya and it made her smile brightly. He didn't tell her to piss off! That was far better than even she had made it with Wren! However, with him she had been too motherly and that was a mistake.
"We'll talk when you wanna." She offered. "I'll always be easy to find. Here or my room, really. Don't wander too much into town other than the weekends." She paused before she offered one more thing. She wanted to see her son, but maybe the messaging was easier for him? Or just a call? She dismissed texting if he couldn't read or write well.
"I can give you my number if you are to ever want it. If you don't wanna see me." Giving him that out even if she didn't want to. This wasn't about her anymore. Never really had been. "I'll leave it in the next basket."
"Nah, I got your number already." From the administration so he could block it. "'m not ready for that yet. It's weird but seein' ya face-to-face is a little easier." He wasn't sure why, maybe because he couldn't deny how real she was when she was right in front of him.
"Y'shouldn't... coop yourself up so much." He knew he shouldn't be giving her any advice, he had no right to and he was hardly qualified, but he suddenly felt the urge. "I did that a lot when I first got here but the people here, they're not like the people back home. They really care, y'know? Y'might... find someone special."
"Oh! Okay." She still managed to keep her smile unfaltering. His communication was helping her little by little to understand how he was handling things.
However, Jay telling her to not stay cooped up inside was not what she expected next and her wide eyes showed it. "Oh. I'm glad you found someone who cares." May not have sounded the way she wished it would, but she still said it because she meant it. "Like you found someone special?" She knew of the werewolf, but wouldn't say it. That was his news to tell if he wanted her to know more. "Then...maybe I'll go on more walks, hmm? If people here aren't...like our kind." Harpys. The asshole, judgmental South African kind that she had exposed her children to. "Then they aren't so bad, yeah?"
His brows furrowed when she said that, then he just shrugged a shoulder. He wasn't ready to talk with her about the loves in his life either, it felt too private. "Yeah, it's not so bad. Y'know how people always called us ugly back there? No one does that here. So uh, you don't gotta be so shy with 'em."
It was starting to get to be too much so he took a step back. "I might stop by tomorrow, dunno." He wasn't making any promises, but it was better than nothing, right? "See ya 'round."
It made Aya sad to hit a wall once again, as if she had misstepped. He wasn't nearly as harsh as Wren had been when she had inquired. Still, his comments suggested he had built some confidence and self esteem if he had managed to not be so shy. Fending for himself probably did that. "I never thought we was ugly." She still offered a smile.
The conversation was coming to an abrupt end, but this didn't hardly surprise her. Felt a bit more expected than anything. "Okay. It was nice to see you again." Up close.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2017-05-01 08:03 am (UTC)"Y'know Wren showed up, right? You ask him to come here?"
no subject
Date: 2017-05-01 04:12 pm (UTC)"I told him I was coming. I didn't think he would come if I asked him. He doesn't like being around me none." It was an ongoing competition for which son seemed to despise her most at the moment. So sensitive that it probably fluctuated during the day. She looked down then up again to meet Jay's eyes. "The other won't respond." Other brother that is, but she knew calling either of them 'brother' to Jay would only make him mad; an assumption built since it made the other two mad when referencing Jay.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-03 07:57 am (UTC)After a moment he finally spoke again, "Alright. I'm buildin' somethin' here, and if gotta leave it it's gonna be on my terms, not 'cause some hotheads want to get rid of me." A repeat of history was definitely not going to happen, Jay was going to make sure of that.
"I'm not pullin' any punches." Not that he ever did before but he was stronger now. "'n I've got friends who got my back. I warned Wren 'n if the other one shows up I'll warn him too." He didn't know why he was telling Aya all of this- warning her in advance so she could be prepared for trouble if it happens? If he didn't give a damn about her he would have left her in the dark, but... clearly there was something still there, a glimmer of something.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-03 02:25 pm (UTC)The punching comments told her he was referring more to Wren and she nodded with understanding. When he was done saying his piece, she commented, "I'm glad you've made good friends here." She knew Jay needed them and he must have learned to socialize well if he was making friends. Wren on the other hand, she knew didn't do the 'friends' thing very often. "It sounds like you like it here."
She would add that she'd do her best to be sure Wren didn't ruin that for Jay, but she knew better than to suggest that he needed the aid from her, his mother. Aya knew Harpy men and her sons were becoming just that- grown men -and with that, she knew not to mess with their pride.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-07 06:04 am (UTC)He nodded slightly, finally able to admit it. "I do like it here." He had people he loved here, he wanted to build a family here, but those were all things he wasn't ready to share with Aya just yet. Baby steps. "Is that what you wanna do here? Build a new life?"
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Date: 2017-05-08 02:43 am (UTC)She nodded softly. "There is nowhere else for me to go right now." It was hard to admit, but with Jay, she wanted to be transparent. "'Back home' isn't home anymore. Can't go back there. And if it's safe here and...well, you're here...just made sense to...try." That confidence wavered a bit, having to say to someone who didn't want her around that she wanted to be where he was at. It was the honest truth, the reason she came after long searching, and the reason she was trying to get the others there. Somewhere safe and with purpose.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-14 07:43 am (UTC)His eyes dropped as he briefly mulled over these thoughts, but then shook his head as if to dismiss them. He hated thinking. "I don't care if he stays or leaves, he'd be smart if he stayed outta my way. 'n you..." A hurt part of him still wanted her to stay out of his way, but. "You don't gotta. 'm not ready to talk every day or to 'start over' or kak like that, but you don't gotta avoid me." He wanted to keep taking it slow because there were still too many conflicting emotions and it was hard to deal with.
no subject
Date: 2017-05-15 02:04 am (UTC)"We'll talk when you wanna." She offered. "I'll always be easy to find. Here or my room, really. Don't wander too much into town other than the weekends." She paused before she offered one more thing. She wanted to see her son, but maybe the messaging was easier for him? Or just a call? She dismissed texting if he couldn't read or write well.
"I can give you my number if you are to ever want it. If you don't wanna see me." Giving him that out even if she didn't want to. This wasn't about her anymore. Never really had been. "I'll leave it in the next basket."
no subject
Date: 2017-05-15 08:08 am (UTC)"Y'shouldn't... coop yourself up so much." He knew he shouldn't be giving her any advice, he had no right to and he was hardly qualified, but he suddenly felt the urge. "I did that a lot when I first got here but the people here, they're not like the people back home. They really care, y'know? Y'might... find someone special."
no subject
Date: 2017-05-15 02:49 pm (UTC)However, Jay telling her to not stay cooped up inside was not what she expected next and her wide eyes showed it. "Oh. I'm glad you found someone who cares." May not have sounded the way she wished it would, but she still said it because she meant it. "Like you found someone special?" She knew of the werewolf, but wouldn't say it. That was his news to tell if he wanted her to know more. "Then...maybe I'll go on more walks, hmm? If people here aren't...like our kind." Harpys. The asshole, judgmental South African kind that she had exposed her children to. "Then they aren't so bad, yeah?"
no subject
Date: 2017-05-17 04:23 am (UTC)It was starting to get to be too much so he took a step back. "I might stop by tomorrow, dunno." He wasn't making any promises, but it was better than nothing, right? "See ya 'round."
no subject
Date: 2017-05-17 10:26 pm (UTC)The conversation was coming to an abrupt end, but this didn't hardly surprise her. Felt a bit more expected than anything. "Okay. It was nice to see you again." Up close.