Who: Anna and Carolina When: Recently Where: CarWash Apartment Home Base What: Breakfast Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
Anna hadn’t cut herself making cereal in a long time. She’d picked up a box of Lucky Charms and some milk, and brought them with her the last time she’d come over to Wash’s place. It wasn’t exactly like leaving a toothbrush (she kept one of those in her purse, actually) but it was a little like staking a claim. Kinda.
Her hair was a mess and she stared blankly like a zombie as she sat at the kitchen table and ate her cereal. Wash was… out for a run? Maybe? And Anna was just putting some food in her belly before getting dressed and heading out into the real world. She had an hour before her morning class.
It had not been a difficult transition for Carolina to include dog walking into her daily morning runs. If anything, the slower pace was welcomed as her gym sparring had increased considerably in the last few months. Both she and Wash had suspicions as to how much the dog had been trained before they had found her by the cabin. Regardless, Sophie seemed to be taking to Carolina’s training like a duck to water and had been heeling well enough to be taken on short runs for a few weeks.
This morning had included a bit of fetching practice at the dog park, followed by staying practice as Carolina did a few sprints on her own. It was a nice, short workout and put her back at the apartment long before her brother. Opening the door, she let Sophie off of her leash before heading to the kitchen. Once there she plucked one of the various sports drinks from the fridge, not bothering to look or care about the color of the label.
It took her a moment to realize that someone was actually sitting down at the table, but the bride-of-frankenstein hairstyle that was signature Anna was becoming a familiar sight in the mornings. “Morning.” She called at the girl before taking a long gulp of her drink. Urgh. She made a face before resolutely putting the cap back on. How did Wash drink that shit? She made a note to look before grabbing a drink from the fridge next time, no matter how tired she was.
It took Anna several seconds to realize someone had just spoken to her. She tilted her head a little, looking toward the kitchen. “M-M-Morning,” she yawned, then stirred her cereal. “How was your run?”
“Sophie did great. We set a new record this morning.” Carolina was proud of her dog. Hearing her name, Sophie looked up from her water bowl. Acknowledging the look with a nod, both owner and canine returned to their respective drinks. She considered the cereal on the table for a moment - huh, she didn’t remember that particular cereal being on their list - before deciding on something warm instead. Then again, she should probably shower before attempting to cook. She took another drink from the bottle, trying to finish it as soon as possible, while she waited for her muscles to cool. “Morning classes?”
“In an hour.” Anna said. She didn’t even have her phone out. Normally she spent her breakfast time checking emails and Facebook and Valarnet, but this morning she was extra tired, and she didn’t know why. “We’re all super proud of Sophie.” Best dog. Anna lived vicariously through her friends’ animals because she couldn’t imagine bringing one home to her house with the “vegetarian vampire.” Not that she thought Stefan would eat her pet, but there were no guarantees.
“She’s definitely part of the family.” The dog had earned her place in the household helping Carolina watch over Wash that week at the cabin. Now it was getting hard to imagine life without her. It had apparently taken even less time for their friends to accept Sophie as one of their own. “Getting enough studying done?” The comment was timed so that she could watch Anna’s reaction over the bottle.
“Yeah?” Anna responded, wincing a little bit at the thought. She was still half asleep, really, and wasn’t sure what the question even meant. Was she getting enough studying done? Not like last spring. She and Wash were back to spending time together, but it was nowhere near as distracting as it’d been in May and June. “I think so. I haven’t failed any tests or anything, but midterms are coming up pretty quick.” She should probably pull back a little from her … whateverthiswas with Wash. Her thoughts were always so scattered with him.
“Hmmm.” Carolina replied noncommittally. Well, it was none of her business anyway. She doubted there was a human alive who wouldn’t feel at least a little like sheltering the girl. However, it was not her job to do so. The two of them would have to figure it out on their own if they wanted whatever it was between them to go anywhere. Wash would probably feel a bit guilty. Her brother was resourceful, though. If she could sneak actual lessons into her time with Kanan, Wash could find a way to make sure Anna got in all the studying she needed to keep up her grades.
She looked at the bowl of cereal and considered. “You going to be fine with just that?” Carolina nodded at Anna’s sugar of choice this morning. Although she was no longer in the military, the older woman had kept up an active lifestyle that required her to consume around the same amount of calories. Breakfast was a meal that provided fuel for the rest of the day. Which mean that in her opinion, cereal was a snack, not a meal.
Anna had lifted her spoon when Carolina nodded to the bowl of cereal. She glanced at it, then up and over at the other redhead. “Why wouldn’t I be fine with it?” She asked, genuinely confused as to why a bowl full of sugar might not sustain her for half the day. Of course, if real food was put in front of her, it would be much appreciated, but Anna wasn’t in the right state of mind to cook anything. Anna wasn’t ever in the right state of mind to cook anything. She didn’t want to burn herself to death.
“It’s pure sugar.” Carolina said flatly. Where was Wash? He should make sure the girl had actual food for breakfast so that those studying sessions could get shorter, not longer. She glanced at Sophie. The dog was looking up at her expectantly. She had already learned that after a run the former Marine would slip a few pieces of whatever meat she had for breakfast into her bowl. Reluctantly, she turned back toward Anna. “...I’m going to put on some bacon and eggs after I shower. You’re welcome to some if you want.”
“Oh my god, I'd love some bacon and eggs.” Anna replied. She turned a smiling face to the older redhead, even if it was a sleepy smile. Hey, Anna didn't need anything but sugar, but who could resist bacon? Not Anna, that's for sure. She finished her last bite and stood to bring her dishes to the kitchen. “Can I help?”
“Nothing to help with.” Carolina shrugged. She refilled the now-empty sports drink bottle with water. She’d continue hydrating after her shower. In the meantime, the dog could keep Anna company. Hell, she figured the dog made far better company than she did. “Sophie. Watch Anna.” The German Shepherd tilted her head, ears at attention. The next moment she was padding over to the younger girl and sitting down next to her. Sophie’s tongue was still lolling out of the side of her mouth as she smiled up at Anna as if to say “Hi!” Satisfied that the dog would (hopefully) keep Anna occupied for a bit, Carolina headed to her room to shower. “I’ll start the bacon when I get back.”
Anna wasn’t sure that she needed to be watched by the dog, but she wasn’t complaining. She turned to the dog and grinned, feeling a little more awake now that some of the sugary goodness was hitting her bloodstream. “Hey, buddy! Are we gonna play while your mom’s in the shower? Huh?” She set her bowl down in the kitchen sink, then turned to climb down onto her knees and play with the dog.
Whether or not Anna cared to be “watched”, it was the command Carolina had been teaching the dog to mean “go keep someone company”. Especially when she was busy with other things. Like showering. She cast one last look at the pair before ducking into her room. Long showers were a luxury that she occasionally took now that she did not have a ration of water to work with. Still, she was dressed and headed back to the kitchen not ten minutes since she had left the two. Some habits were harder to break than others. “So. Eggs?”
“Eggs!” By the time Carolina was back in the kitchen, Anna and the dog were in full-on play mode. Anna was down on the floor banging her hands into the ground, and the dog was happily jumping back and forth, wagging her tail. Anna sprung up to her feet, though, once Carolina was fully back in the room. “Yes, please!” She said, grinning and bright pink on her cheeks.