Pikachu (slidehammer) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-10-03 23:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | # 2019 [10] october, eliot garcia, sasha whittaker, viktor scherbatsky |
Who: Vic and Pikachu, then Sasha and Pikachu (guest-starring Mia!)
Where: The Scherbatsky/Whittaker/Mendelson abode
What: The day before Sasha's birthday, the Garcias drop by so Mia can give him a present. The adults head out back for some Dad-to-Dad talk, then Pikachu (and Mia!) chats with Sasha for a little.
When: The morning of 10/1
Pikachu and Mia had only stopped by for a little while, since Vic had to take Sasha to work soon (much to the kid's chagrin, though Vic wasn't budging on it), but it was better than nothing. The two men ended up stepping out while Mia gave Sasha his birthday gift, that yappy dog darting in and out of the back door before deciding it wanted to go outside with Pikachu instead of staying cooped up inside. "Thanks for coming over," Vic said, handing Pikachu a plate of pierogi as they took a seat at the picnic table. He'd made a bunch for Ryan's care package and they were still eating through the leftovers. "Nice to have someone else around even if it's just for a little bit." “If you're gonna feed me like this, bro, I'll come over every day.” Pikachu was already halfway through a pierogi, chewing it with one eye on the dog, in case it found some way out of the yard. It was a tricksy little creature, and Mia would freak if Squirtle escaped. “So where we at?” Asking someone who was going through some serious shit how they were holding up had always seemed pretty stupid to Pikachu, but no matter how obvious the answer that was the question people asked. “Have you hit peak ‘I'll punch a motherfucker who looks at me sideways’ yet? That's pretty much the first place I go when Mia’s hurt, so I figure there's a chance you're hanging out around there too.” Vic couldn't help but laugh, though the sound was more grim than anything else. "I've been kinda stretched thin these last couple of days," he said, knowing it wouldn't come as a surprise to hear that. He took a bite of pierogi, glanced up and through the doors towards where Sasha sat in the living room, and shook his head. "We've been fighting a lot, me and the kid. Can't tell sometimes if it's just me or if it's him on edge too, but it is what it is, I guess." He sighed, shaking his head. "It's been a little better lately. With his birthday coming up I don't want to make it a shitshow. Kinda talked it out yesterday, things are doing better." “Well, that makes sense, though. You know?” Pikachu gestured toward the house, using the motion to encompass Sasha within. “You two are both freaking the fuck out, and you don't have nobody else to take it out on but each other.” "Doesn't help he was being a little shit half the time, too." Vic was trying to make things better, but that didn't mean he could change his tolerance for the things Sasha had been trying to pull over him. "He was freaking out about being cooped up, doesn't get why in a fucking zombie apocalypse when half the family just got bitten he can't go out and do whatever the fuck he wants." Vic shook his head. "But we're working on it as best as we can, I guess." It had only been a day, but he wanted to be optimistic the good patch would hold on. Damn, it sounded like the two of them were really going at it. Pikachu reached for another pierogi, making an appreciative noise as he bit into it. Vic had been holding out on them, if he was this good at cooking all along. “Taking it easy for his birthday might give you both a chance to clear your heads.” "Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for." Vic fell silent for a moment, watching Squirtle bop around the backyard. "Teenagers are trouble, man." Pikachu glanced toward the door into the house, a smirk spreading across his face. “I bet you wish you could rewind him back to Mia’s age, huh? I wouldn’t mind keeping her little for good. Too bad they have to keep going forward and getting older, until one day they’re gonna be all grown up and leave us to do their own thing.” He shook his head sadly. It wasn’t unusual for Pikachu to get a little sensitive about this whole parenthood thing, even if it was at odds with the Hellhounds’ tough motherfucker reputation. "Sometimes I dunno if that ever really happens, them moving on and leaving." Max still lived at home -- at least he had until he'd needed to stay in quarantine for a month -- but at the same time, that had also been Vic's doing, keeping both of the boys at home. They may have had a dirty kinda reputation, but Vic had never been worried about being upfront about what he wanted. And in early July, it'd been way too dangerous for Max and Sasha to move out. Who knew if there'd ever be a safe time, though. "You wanna kick 'em out but at the same time make it so they never actually leave." Vic reached for another pierogi. "But I'm tellin' you, man, the big house is gonna feel real damned lonely once they're gone. Maybe I should've picked something smaller for me and Marina." Mentioning her and Max still twisted his insides up something awful, but it was getting better every day. “Yeah, I guess it’ll depend on if Austin manages to pull its shit together.” Pikachu wiped some of the crumbs on his hand off onto his pant leg. “But even if the little birds do fly the nest, it's not like they'll be going far. Then you guys can rent out the rooms or something. Or build a -- what the fuck do they call it? A man cave.” "We're making some kinda progress," Vic said, thinking about the last couple of months ever since everything had turned upside down. "Last couple of days have been all kinds of fucked up but look at this place. It's a hell of a lot better than living in a trailer." Pikachu was right, though; Vic was sure Max and Sasha wouldn't move all that far away, at least not if he had anything to say about it. "Man cave would be pretty freaking awesome. Big TV one day, get all the guys down there... " His thoughts were interrupted then by Squirtle's loud, high-pitched barking: someone indoors, either Mia or Sasha, had caught his attention and after a couple more barks he ran inside. Vic nudged Pikachu with one elbow. "Guess we better check up on the kids?" he asked, though he knew Sasha was no more a kid these days than he himself was. "Make sure no one set anything on fire." He grinned, then added, "Thanks for hearing me out." “Any time, bro,” Pikachu said, grabbing one more pierogi for the road before he stood up. “Dad solidarity or some shit. We gotta stick together.” |
When he and Vic had finished their conversation outside, Pikachu came back into the house to find Mia again and, eventually, head out. She was probably with Sasha somewhere, but rather than even bother to search, he just followed the sounds of Squirtle’s whines. No doubt the little pup would be bugging the kids. Sure enough, they were in the next room, where Mia was patiently explaining the meaning behind every swirl and shape in the birthday drawing she'd made for Sasha. “And that’s Dozor there, next to Charmander. Doesn't he look like he could be a Pokémon? I gave him lots of extra hair,” she said, and gestured to something on the page. God, she was cute. It was hard to imagine the tiny, often-screaming bundle she’d been as a baby had grown up into an actual person. Sometimes she gave him a particular look and, for a split second, Pikachu was sure he could see what Mia would look like as an adult. It was weird as hell, but kind of cool too. Grinning to himself, Pikachu came around the sofa and dropped down next to his daughter, giving a nod to Sasha in greeting. “Hey, man. Happy birthday. Sorry to interrupt your art appreciation over here, but I didn’t want you to think Mia was the only one in the family who gave a damn about your nineteenth.” Down on the floor, Squirtle gave up begging for attention and stretched out atop Sasha’s foot, which was clearly the most comfortable place in the room to lie down. Sasha would freely admit to anyone that Mia was hands down one of his favorite people. The little girl had a way of lighting up any room she entered and the way in which she was describing her gift to him made Sasha’s artist heart glad. While others might have been prone to do a lot of “uh-huh” and “okay” while Mia explained every last line, dot and squiggle, Sasha was truly transfixed, engrossed in knowing her every reason for why she chose that color, or made that squiggle where she did. “Don’t tell anyone but I secretly think Dozor is a Pokémon,” Sasha replied with a grin, leaning into Mia as if he were sharing a secret. “Can you keep that secret?” He asked the little girl who nodded enthusiastically. God, even if his birthday was going to be spent without two of the most important people in his life, Sasha could admit the everyone else was doing a damn fine job of trying to get him to stay upbeat on the days leading up to his nineteenth birthday. There was a quick glance up from Mia’s drawing as Pikachu appeared and settled himself on the sofa next to his daughter. “You know you might have a little artist on your hands,” Sasha remarked with a grin. “And don’t worry about it, man. I know she’s not the only one who gave a damn, so don’t stress,” Sasha paused as he looked down at the little dog now sleeping on his foot. “Though I think Squirtle might be trying a little too hard to make sure I know.” He laughed for a moment before going serious again. “Thanks though, I really appreciate you and Mia coming by,” he took a beat. “And I’m going to start an art gallery on my wall and this present will be my first piece.” Sasha leaned into Mia, giving the little girl a hug as he spoke. From the way Mia simply glowed st Sasha’s words, Pikachu knew the kid had said exactly the right thing. He had a big heart, to go out of his way to make a little girl happy, and he fact that it was his little girl was only part of what made Pikachu like Sasha. “Yeah, I know all about Mia and art. We've got a gallery of our own,” he said, with a grin. “It used to practically wallpaper the inside of our trailer, but now there's a whole house to use for the display.” Seeing Mia’s cheeks were starting to turn pink -- half embarrassed to be talked about and half pleased -- Pikachu changed the subject back to Sasha’s birthday. “And sure, you know she's not the only one who gives a damn, but I figure given the shitty circumstances, it probably doesn’t hurt to hear how much people care about you.” Not that it would help, considering who the people from Sasha’s life were who sat in quarantine right now. But it was something. Pikachu reached around Mia to clap his hand on Sasha’s shoulder, then gave it a light shove for good measure. “Good babysitters aren't exactly easy to come by, after all.” Sasha was a lot more than that, but he didn't want to get too emotional on the kid. “Good?” Sasha lifted an eyebrow as he peered over Mia’s head to look at Pikachu. “I’m the best da--darn baby-sitter in the Greenbelt,” he stumbled a little, remembering to censor his words. Pikachu, who hadn’t bothered censoring his own language, grinned. “Maybe even all of Austin. I mean who else, besides you, would play horsey for hours without complaining?” Sasha had never had siblings, at least not until Max entered their life and even then he was still the little brother, so it was nice to be able to kind of fill the role of big brother for someone, and well, it was really hard to say no to Mia. He had to admit it was pretty damn nice that Pikachu and Mia took time to acknowledge his birthday, especially when half his family was in quarantine. With everyone living outside of the Dog Park now, sometimes it was easier to forget that feeling of family the MC had provided, though Sasha could only assume that was because he didn’t see everyone every day like he used to. “Really though, thanks for taking the time to come over here,” he paused a beat as he ducked down to look at Mia. “And for bringing me a present. It means a lot, especially with everything….” Sasha couldn't bring himself to end that sentence, but he has a feeling Pikachu would know what he was going to say. Pikachu did know what Sasha was going to say. He’d missed having the chance of knowing the kid’s mom by showing up in the Hellhound camp only a couple days before she got bit, but he remembered the fall out. It had seemed like most of the residents felt the pain of the woman’s passing. But while he might not have known Zhenya, he did know Marina and Max, and given the timing of their quarantines, he knew Sasha had to have his mom on his mind. “They’ll be back,” he said, shifting his hand up from Sasha’s shoulder to ruffle his hair lightly. Not enough to actually mess up the style or anything though. “How do you think your dad is taking it?” Even though Pikachu and Vic had just touched on the subject outside, he was interested to hear Sasha’s take on it. Sasha wanted to cling to Pikachu’s words and trust that they were true. He couldn’t imagine life without either Max or Marina in it, he had become so accustom to both of them in his life -- a brother and the nearest person he had to a mom. With a faint laugh and a ghost of a smile, he didn’t even shift away from Pikachu as the other man mussed his hair, though he couldn’t stop himself from reaching up to see if his hair was out of place at all. “You think so?” Sasha finally asked, needing that extra bit of reassurance. Pikachu nodded, certainty written in his expression. With a sigh, Sasha chewed on his lower lip before answering. “Not well, I mean I think he’s trying to be strong and shit, but he’s just as scared of losing them as I am,” They had both expressed as much to each other a couple of days ago. “Two years ago he lost mom and then he finally manages to move on from that pain and now Marina’s sitting in there, and then Max got bit….yeah, I don’t know what he said to you, but he’s about as shaken as I am.” Or at least that’s what Sasha thought. “I don’t blame either one of you for worrying or lashing out in the middle of a shit situation. That’s normal, you know?” Pikachu gave the barest glance at Mia as she slid to the floor and began rubbing Squirtle’s ears. With her own mom gone for a few years now, it was probably hard for her to listen to this kind of talk. Maybe she’d just checked out of the conversation because she was bored, but he knew she usually paid more attention than she let on. “Marina is tough as nails, though. A hell of a lot tougher than me, that’s for sure.” He gave a wry chuckle. In truth, Marina was probably tougher than more of the other patches. “Anyway, I figure it’s a good sign there’s no change on her status or Max’s. They just gotta wait it out a few more days.” A shrug was Sasha’s only response for a moment. Of course it was normal to lash out when things got stressful, but that didn’t mean he liked it any. “Yeah, I mean I know it’s normal,” he paused. “And it’s not like it’s been bad, I can just feel the tension and the gaping hole that’s left by Max and Marina not being here.” The house felt too big with just him and his dad inside of it. “And Marina’s tougher than everyone,” Sasha added with a laugh. “I just wish there was more I could do, you know?” He couldn’t deny it was a good sign that her status hadn’t changed, but he was still scared as hell that in the next few days she might make a sharp turn towards going geek. Pikachu nodded again. “It's shit feeling helpless. Anytime, but especially when it's about people you love.” A normal injury or illness there might've been something to do, but the geek virus didn't give a damn about anything. It either converted people or it didn't. “It's not like I know more than you, but the important thing is you're being there for them -- sending the stuff they need and talking to them on the phone so they don't feel so alone. I think that's all you can do.” Just to prove she had been listening after all, Mia looked back up at them. Her expression was solemn. “I could make pictures for Max and Marina too. Would that be okay?” “Sure thing, mija.” Pikachu smiled at her. “I bet they'd like that. We’ll call too, to make sure they get them. And you can talk.” Mia, apparently satisfied by that, went back to scratching Squirtle behind the ears. While Pikachu might not have anymore insight into the outcome for the current quarantine situation, he had to think the older man had more years under his belt so was probably wiser in all things panic inducing. “I mean it’s almost like last year when dad was in prison, because we didn’t know if the guards or someone might decide to take a Dog out.” They would have had a hell of time taking Vic down, but it was still a concern Sasha had had. “Except it’s not guards looming over Marina and Max, but a virus that nobody knows a whole lot about…” he sighed, realizing he was spiraling down into worry again. “If cell phone plans still existed I’m nearly positive I’d have gone over my minutes by now with how much I call.” Sasha laughed slightly, though it sounded a little hollow. “You should draw a ton of pictures, Mia,” Sasha agreed, reaching down to ruffle the little girl’s hair just a bit. “I know how much I love the picture you made me, so I’m sure Max and Marina would love one from you too.” He was thankful for Mia’s interruption, it stopped him from letting his thoughts go too far down a darker path. Sasha turned his attention back to Pikachu. “You should call them though, I think they’d both like hearing from more than just dad and I,” he paused. “Thanks man, for all of this. I really appreciate it.” “Sure thing,” Pikachu replied, with a nod. “Anytime, okay?” He knew they hadn’t even come close to solving anything -- none of Sasha’s worries could be solved until the missing pieces of his family came home -- but maybe airing some of his thoughts had helped. He hoped so, anyway. With a nod, Sasha said. “Okay, I’ll remember that,” this whole situation sucked, but he was thankful for the people in his life who were willing to give him a listening ear, even it they couldn’t change the fact that Max and Marina were sitting in rooms by themselves waiting out the virus. Pushing off from the sofa with both hands, Pikachu rose to his feet. “We should get going anyway. Give him one last hug for his birthday, Mia. Make it a good one.” In response the little girl threw herself at Sasha, wrapping both arms tight around his neck. For his part Sasha returned the exuberant hug with as much enthusiasm as Mia, wrapping his arms around her tight and giving her a squeeze. “Alright, alright. Don’t choke him to death or nothing. Grab Squirtle, I’ll meet you by the door.” As the girl and the dog ran off together, Pikachu pulled Sasha in for a hug of his own. “Happy Birthday, Sasha. You guys know where to find us, and you just keep hanging in there.” Turning back to Pikachu after watching Mia and Squirtle disappear towards the door, Sasha returned the hug. “Thanks, you know you and Mia coming by has made it a little brighter of a birthday,” he stepped back from the other man then to allow him to head down the hallway towards the door. “Tell her I want to see more artwork from her, I’ve got a whole wall I need to fill up.” While Sasha was positive he was still going to feel the ache of the people who couldn’t be with him on his birthday, the fact that the people who could be were making an effort to take time out of their schedules to see him meant a lot, a whole damn lot actually. |