Kieren picks some at his nails, debating whether or not to push the issue, at least until Kal offers the use of his room. He opens his mouth to point out that he doesn't actually need to sleep, or even to lie down to rest, but wisely closes it again and shrugs a shoulder.
"If...If you're sure. Thank you," he replies quietly, pushing himself back up again and offering Kal his hand to help him back to his feet. Maybe the time alone would help him decide what to do next.
"The way I see it, you're due one of the key comforts of choice, Kier. Y'know what that is?" He laughs because the way Kieren opens his mouth and thinks twice is enough to tell Kal that androids don't sleep. He uses the help to stand upright, and he reaches to touch the other's shoulder.
"It's the decision to do goddamn nothing with yourself."
People actually value the ability to sit around doing nothing. Personally, he can't see the appeal in it. But most people are given the choice of what they do with their time to do nothing.
"If you say so," he replies, lips pursing briefly at the idea, but he takes it in stride and turns to head back inside. He'd take the time to retrieve a blanket and pillow from the bed to give Kal in the hopes of keeping him comfortable out there on the couch, but it's clear that he's conflicted about taking the offered space in the man's room. Joking aside, it is Kal's bed, and the man should be able to rest in his own bed...
Given that the sofa is decked out in an array of smaller blankets, he can't help but cut a grin at the fact Kieren is playing host eons better than he is. Takes to the doorway of his bedroom, leans into it and watches him - "Nah. I'm good on nestin' out there. Won't be the first time, will not be the last."
He isn't convinced. Kieren ain't convinced and Kal laughs. Man, he must look real fucking lazy, you reckon? Arms cross and he squeezes an elbow as he looks down for a moment.
What's he worried for? Does he really think one of Crom's will come knocking before lunch? A little. A lot. Yeah, likely.
"What do you want, Kier? I got a nag in the back of my head that says they'll be by in the mornin'. Do you jes' not wanna be alone?"
Kieren's arms cross under the folded over blanket and his eyes drop to the floor as Kal hits that particular nail straight on the head.
"'s...more like I've never had off-time before," he answers quietly, the answer a very subdued version of the truth. "Don't worry about it. 's something I'm gonna have to get used to, right? Being my own man an' all..." He squares up a little better and turns back to the bed to put the blanket down again. He takes a seat beside the disorganized stack of bedding with his hands together atop his knees, posture subtly curled inward.
"Will you really be alright out there, just the two of you? If they come unannounced you're pretty vulnerable out there aren't you?"
That, that cuts a line in his smile and his eyes follow Kieren as he sets the blanket down and takes a seat. Reckon that's the right of it, but who says it has to be the way? Kal shifts, stepping forward to close the distance between he and th' bed. Extends a hand, he does, reaching out to ruffle through Kieren's hair as he shakes his head.
"Ain't nothin' we haven't handled before, Kier. That though, yeah, that's the grit if you're on your own, but you aren't while you're here. You got that?"
Kal turns, migrates to his closet to retrieve himself a change of clothes. He drapes a pair of pajama bottoms over his arm, a tee, turns to Kieren as he lifts his hands, flashes his palms.
"I'm not sure where we're headin' with this, but I can kip in here with you and spare you the crisis of manhood another day, if that'll put you to ease."
And th' more Kal thinks about it, the more it seems... nice. Nice to not be alone. Fuck though if it's not a boundary he's worried about crossing, and he wavers an inch as he gets to the door.
He goes to open his mouth, assure him that rest is the only thing he plans on, but fuck if it doesn't fail to find the words. It's a smile he gives Kieren, weak and concerned and wondering if he's just paranoid or if the devil really creeps.
Kieren's eyes close when Kal ruffles his hair, the gesture unexpected but not entirely unwelcome. He looks up with a soft pout, but that could just be the natural set of his mouth.
"I think...maybe I'll try and stick it out for a night. See how freedom feels," he quips, but with a little less energy than he'd had back out at the landfill. He looks up as Kal starts to say something, but falls short, and offers the man a soft quirk of lips that might be a smile if he put a little more oomph into it. "Go sleep, Kal. You probably need it more than I do."
"Got jars of blue out in the kitchen if you wanna drink up and run some proper diagnostics," Kal says, resisting the urge to offer advice - he gets it, independence, and he isn't gonna refute the choice. Kid shoots the android a wink and a grin that's lofty and comfortable, because fuck, even if he's denied a chance to kip with more than a cat and Ivy, Kier is still the first guest proper in months.
And he's thankful, even if shit is gonna get shaky.
He taps the doorway and turns, gingerly closing the door behind him. Flicking the light in the hall off, he buzzes toward the couch and drops like bricks beside the half constructed Ivory, who errs with dissatisfaction when Kal reaches for the remote and mutes the show.
Turns on closed captioning though, like any decent person. Where's Gaff?
Doesn't take long to bundle up once he's shucked his shoes off, takes a couple blankets and wraps up, nesting into the couch ridden android with a pillow and a small grunt, "Bear with me a few hours, Ivy. You'll hear the sweet dulcet bass of Andrew Andrews after I get some sleep."
"Thanks," Kieren calls quietly, still sitting on the edge of the bed for a little while longer after Kal goes to make himself comfortable in the living room. He hears the brief one-sided conversation, at least until he's distracted by something rubbing across his shins, nearly making him jump.
But when a cat looks up at you balefully there's only so much you can do, and gently shooing it away doesn't seem to have any actual effect, so Kieren has to just kind of accept that suddenly Kal's cat is just kind of...here, and apparently determined to leave a smell on his leg by way of rubbing his face on it. Kieren lets it go for now, but he scoots back onto the bed proper and spreads out the blanket to finally get comfortable enough to power down for the night. It would be much easier for him to run his self-repair, and really make good use of the thirium that the human had scrounged for him.
Ending up with a large amount of fluffy, squash-faced cat resting on his sternum during the night isn't ideal. But it is nicer than just laying there alone, anxious that something is going to happen in the night where neither he nor his host could react to it.
In the morning Kieren would be coming out of sleep mode, but still resting a little while longer, just listening to the world outside waking up as well. Early morning traffic always makes the biggest racket...but it's nice to just listen to it until he actually needs to do something.
There's the occasional breach of claws from the beans of its paws, the slow and intrepid kneading of a cat who wants to nest into him - but otherwise, it's a quiet night rife with crickets and the brief flit of traffic from the early mornin' crews.
Consciousness hits Kal around 8a and he palms for his phone, sliding off the couch by plying his legs forward, and eventually he hits all fours on the carpet. Spine arches, shoulders roll, and he makes sure every vertebrae is still intact with a stretch that creaks and pops. It's enough to wake Ivory up from her diagnostics run, and she drops her single-optic gaze down to stare at the kid until he fucking realizes it's time.
And Kal does, he doesn't forget the promise he made. He palms for the remote, whips it toward the tele, and flicks the station to a daily talk show with the juttin', polished profile of one Andrew Andrews, who is talkin' somethin' smooth about local restaurants.
He eventually gets to his feet and to the kitchen he goes, maneuvering through the morning rites of cheap coffee, off brand cream cheese, and a couple slices of bread.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2018-08-29 08:37 pm (UTC)"If...If you're sure. Thank you," he replies quietly, pushing himself back up again and offering Kal his hand to help him back to his feet. Maybe the time alone would help him decide what to do next.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-29 08:45 pm (UTC)"The way I see it, you're due one of the key comforts of choice, Kier. Y'know what that is?" He laughs because the way Kieren opens his mouth and thinks twice is enough to tell Kal that androids don't sleep. He uses the help to stand upright, and he reaches to touch the other's shoulder.
"It's the decision to do goddamn nothing with yourself."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-29 10:57 pm (UTC)"If you say so," he replies, lips pursing briefly at the idea, but he takes it in stride and turns to head back inside. He'd take the time to retrieve a blanket and pillow from the bed to give Kal in the hopes of keeping him comfortable out there on the couch, but it's clear that he's conflicted about taking the offered space in the man's room. Joking aside, it is Kal's bed, and the man should be able to rest in his own bed...
no subject
Date: 2018-08-29 11:24 pm (UTC)Given that the sofa is decked out in an array of smaller blankets, he can't help but cut a grin at the fact Kieren is playing host eons better than he is. Takes to the doorway of his bedroom, leans into it and watches him - "Nah. I'm good on nestin' out there. Won't be the first time, will not be the last."
He isn't convinced. Kieren ain't convinced and Kal laughs. Man, he must look real fucking lazy, you reckon? Arms cross and he squeezes an elbow as he looks down for a moment.
What's he worried for? Does he really think one of Crom's will come knocking before lunch? A little. A lot. Yeah, likely.
"What do you want, Kier? I got a nag in the back of my head that says they'll be by in the mornin'. Do you jes' not wanna be alone?"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-30 12:26 am (UTC)"'s...more like I've never had off-time before," he answers quietly, the answer a very subdued version of the truth. "Don't worry about it. 's something I'm gonna have to get used to, right? Being my own man an' all..." He squares up a little better and turns back to the bed to put the blanket down again. He takes a seat beside the disorganized stack of bedding with his hands together atop his knees, posture subtly curled inward.
"Will you really be alright out there, just the two of you? If they come unannounced you're pretty vulnerable out there aren't you?"
no subject
Date: 2018-08-30 12:51 am (UTC)That, that cuts a line in his smile and his eyes follow Kieren as he sets the blanket down and takes a seat. Reckon that's the right of it, but who says it has to be the way? Kal shifts, stepping forward to close the distance between he and th' bed. Extends a hand, he does, reaching out to ruffle through Kieren's hair as he shakes his head.
"Ain't nothin' we haven't handled before, Kier. That though, yeah, that's the grit if you're on your own, but you aren't while you're here. You got that?"
Kal turns, migrates to his closet to retrieve himself a change of clothes. He drapes a pair of pajama bottoms over his arm, a tee, turns to Kieren as he lifts his hands, flashes his palms.
"I'm not sure where we're headin' with this, but I can kip in here with you and spare you the crisis of manhood another day, if that'll put you to ease."
And th' more Kal thinks about it, the more it seems... nice. Nice to not be alone. Fuck though if it's not a boundary he's worried about crossing, and he wavers an inch as he gets to the door.
He goes to open his mouth, assure him that rest is the only thing he plans on, but fuck if it doesn't fail to find the words. It's a smile he gives Kieren, weak and concerned and wondering if he's just paranoid or if the devil really creeps.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-30 07:09 pm (UTC)"I think...maybe I'll try and stick it out for a night. See how freedom feels," he quips, but with a little less energy than he'd had back out at the landfill. He looks up as Kal starts to say something, but falls short, and offers the man a soft quirk of lips that might be a smile if he put a little more oomph into it. "Go sleep, Kal. You probably need it more than I do."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-30 07:36 pm (UTC)"Got jars of blue out in the kitchen if you wanna drink up and run some proper diagnostics," Kal says, resisting the urge to offer advice - he gets it, independence, and he isn't gonna refute the choice. Kid shoots the android a wink and a grin that's lofty and comfortable, because fuck, even if he's denied a chance to kip with more than a cat and Ivy, Kier is still the first guest proper in months.
And he's thankful, even if shit is gonna get shaky.
He taps the doorway and turns, gingerly closing the door behind him. Flicking the light in the hall off, he buzzes toward the couch and drops like bricks beside the half constructed Ivory, who errs with dissatisfaction when Kal reaches for the remote and mutes the show.
Turns on closed captioning though, like any decent person. Where's Gaff?
Doesn't take long to bundle up once he's shucked his shoes off, takes a couple blankets and wraps up, nesting into the couch ridden android with a pillow and a small grunt, "Bear with me a few hours, Ivy. You'll hear the sweet dulcet bass of Andrew Andrews after I get some sleep."
no subject
Date: 2018-08-31 03:03 am (UTC)But when a cat looks up at you balefully there's only so much you can do, and gently shooing it away doesn't seem to have any actual effect, so Kieren has to just kind of accept that suddenly Kal's cat is just kind of...here, and apparently determined to leave a smell on his leg by way of rubbing his face on it. Kieren lets it go for now, but he scoots back onto the bed proper and spreads out the blanket to finally get comfortable enough to power down for the night. It would be much easier for him to run his self-repair, and really make good use of the thirium that the human had scrounged for him.
Ending up with a large amount of fluffy, squash-faced cat resting on his sternum during the night isn't ideal. But it is nicer than just laying there alone, anxious that something is going to happen in the night where neither he nor his host could react to it.
In the morning Kieren would be coming out of sleep mode, but still resting a little while longer, just listening to the world outside waking up as well. Early morning traffic always makes the biggest racket...but it's nice to just listen to it until he actually needs to do something.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-02 12:58 pm (UTC)Consciousness hits Kal around 8a and he palms for his phone, sliding off the couch by plying his legs forward, and eventually he hits all fours on the carpet. Spine arches, shoulders roll, and he makes sure every vertebrae is still intact with a stretch that creaks and pops. It's enough to wake Ivory up from her diagnostics run, and she drops her single-optic gaze down to stare at the kid until he fucking realizes it's time.
And Kal does, he doesn't forget the promise he made. He palms for the remote, whips it toward the tele, and flicks the station to a daily talk show with the juttin', polished profile of one Andrew Andrews, who is talkin' somethin' smooth about local restaurants.
He eventually gets to his feet and to the kitchen he goes, maneuvering through the morning rites of cheap coffee, off brand cream cheese, and a couple slices of bread.