11278/Dogs with Dogs

Dogs with Dogs
Date of Scene:	21 May 2022
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Cael and Jon get dogs with dogs - and talk about Cael's anxieties over close relationships, before making plans to... probably get a bigger place together.
Cast of Characters:	Cael Becker, Jonathan Sims

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Cael Becker has posed:
    The pair enter the park, after exiting a doorway that appeared in the side of a nearby building - each with a large dog on a leash accompanying them. Bear is without his service dog vest at the moment - which leaves the pup excited, tail wagging as he looks around in anticipation of having some fun in New York City's largest park. "The weather's nice," Cael remarks, looking up at a partly cloudy sky overhead, seeming perfectly at ease now that they've left the tense conversation behind them.
    "I think the cart's over this way. I'll put it on my card this time, hrm?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon is still tense.

    He was the one to suggest hot dogs and a walk in the park. It was that or go to the training room and shoot fireballs at something, potentially a dummy target made to look like John Constantine, and this seems more productive. So he takes Lady's leash and takes them both through a portal to Central Park, near one of his favorite hog dog carts. "If you insist on paying, certainly," he replies to Cael, trying to make his tone light and mostly landing on 'half-strangled.'

    "What the /hell/ was that?" he suddenly bursts out. "What did she tell you? What...?" He scrubs a hand through his hair, practically radiating worry and irritation.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael takes a deep breath in, and lets it out - the sound frustrated, and perhaps even defeated. "Just... what it sounded like," she replies. "She's researching how to bind this demon. She says it can negate her inherent magic - but not her mandalas, so she's going to design the perfect mandala, summon it, and bind it alone. She doesn't want to involve any of her friends because she doesn't want to be 'responsible' for causing them more pain and injury. She doesn't want to involve Rien - even though this is //liteally what she does// - because she doesn't know her. And when I pointed out how much it's going to hurt people when she inevitably gets killed by trying to do this alone with no back-up and noone checking her work... She said that that was fine, because her spell's going to make us forget she ever existed."
    She reaches down to let her fingers trail over the fur on Bear's head befoe she asks, "So... what goes in to having someone involuntarily committed? And would they be able to hold her anyways?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "/Christ/," Jon breathes, fervently. He rubs at his face. "I don't know if they could hold her, and there's not much they can do to help either. Drugs don't work on her, at all. Therapy... would help, but she has to be /willing/." His shoulders slump. He's not going to cry. He's /not/.

    "I texted Tim. I texted Chas. I don't know what else I can do, beyond rallying the Outsiders for an intervention--and Gabby's probably the better one to do /that/. But the girl needs help. I am trying not to blame myself; I should have known she'd be struggling. I suppose I just thought Chas being back would've been enough to keep her going."

    They come up on the cart and Jon lowers their voice a bit. "What was all that about... asking John for help with the meat puppet? For what? When would /she/ have needed access to /that/ spell?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I mean - I group-texted you and Chas. She needs help, and I know she won't take it from me. She thinks everyone expects her to be happy. I tried telling her it okay to be fucked up." Cael looks askance at Jon and flashes him a small smile. "Your friends help you - even when you want to do stupid shit like shove your hands in a fire."
    As for the meat puppet spell - she lets out another heavy sigh, and shakes her head. "I dunno Jon - you heard everything I heard about that. I dunno what she'd want access to something like that." She pauses for a moment then asks, "Do you think it might be helpful? If we called down Sandalphon to talk to her? Or you think she'd shrug that off, too?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "She seems to think none of the gods or angels care about her, so I don't know that Sandalphon would help. And she doesn't need divine intervention, I don't think. She needs to stay alive long enough to mature, her brain still isn't fully formed." Jon sighs. "I don't think she's suicidal, not really. I think she's in pain, and thinks she's a burden, and... I know the feeling. I really, really do. I mean, I understand feeling like everyone expects you to be okay when you're... not."

    A snort. "I'm /living/ that right now, you know? Well. You know." He shakes his head. "If you honestly think it might help, go ahead, but I'm not certain."

    The owner of the cart, spotting Cael and Jon and the dogs, is already prepping hot dogs. "Dr. Sims! Mayo, mustard, and chopped onions, and a plain one for Lady here, right? And a Coke." He looks to Cael. "And for you, miss?"

    Jon smiles, a little sheepishly. "I come here pretty regularly, with Lady. Hey, Billy."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Well. Maybe he can just tell us how to prevent whatever fucking idiot spell she has planned to screw with all our memories," Cael remarks, with a hint of anger adding bite to her words. "Or maybe he helps. I don't know. What's his area of influence, anyways?" she asks.
    Yes, all those months fighting angels - and she doesn't know what they all //do//.
    Leaning in towards Jon, she kisses him on the cheek and adds, "You don't have to be okay around me, love." Straightening, her attention shifts to Billy as she adds, "Ketchup and relish. And a plain one for Bear as well." Her card is pulled out and offered over as payment, as they wait patiently for their food.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Billy looks between the two, eyebrow raised.

    "She's my girlfriend. Martin knows all about it," Jon says, answering the unspoken question with an easy smile. "All above board."

    Billy shrugs. "Whatever you say, Doc. Not my cup of tea, but my sister's got one of them open marriages and she seems happy, so." He shrugs again, and takes Cael's card, swipes it, then hands over the hot dogs. He grins at Cael. "I tried to offer the Doc free hot dogs for life, but he doesn't seem to think saving the city's a big enough deal for that."

    Jon rolls his eyes. "/One/ free hot dog is one thing. 'Free hot dogs for life' and I'd run you out of business. I know you operate on a tight margin. Thank you." He takes his hot dogs and notes, aside, to Cael, "Children and dreams. I don't know that either of those could help in this instance. For protecting memories I'd say... the Metatron? Maybe? Who is an ass, but might at least understand the concept of keeping events intact."

Cael Becker has posed:
"Please tell Jon that 'metamour' is not a real word. It's silly," Cael says immediately - abruptly enlisting Billy into her long-time 'arguement' with Jon and Martin. She needs an ally in this.
    Even if it is just the hot dog guy.
    At the mention of the refusal of free hot dogs, Cael gives Jon a 'really'? look - before shaking her head slightly. "I could give them shit about it, but Jon'd probably make some remark about the importance of supporting small businesses. And then he'd quite some dry economist academic using words I don't really know."
    She accepts her hot dogs - the amused smile she gets as she spots Bear's intent focus on her fading at Jon's words. "Metatron? Really? Fuck. He's a total dick."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Billy puts up his hands. "Not getting in the middle of /that/ one." Sorry, Cael. "You two have a good walk," he adds, in a friendly tone.

    Jon just smiles and taps his nose at Cael, while he breaks off a bit of hot dog to give to Lady, who's doing a very good 'sit-stay.' He tosses her a piece and then says, "Lady, heel." And then turns to walk further into the park, maybe not wanting to subject the poor hot dog guy to talk of angels and the rest.

    He takes a bite of his hot dog and chews and swallows it before saying, once they're well out of earshot, "If you're worried, we can work up some kind of ward against whatever she may have potentially done. It bothers me, that she's so willing to ignore other people's desires in this. I mean... that's /deeply/ upsetting to a lot of people, and not just because of forgetting /her/. She's essentially trying to say 'it's okay if I hurt people, so long as they don't remember it after,' and that's a dangerous road to go down."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "You're no help at all!" Cael calls back - but her tone is amiable.
    She takes a bite of her hot dog as they walk - nodding in agreement with Jon, and making a face at the talk of Phoebe's 'back-up' spell. "It's a violation. Consent is a thing. And she's so confident that it'll work, that it won't harm others- She's arrogant, and careless, and- it's a bad combination, and it won't end well. And if we can't get her to see sense... she'll die. It's that simple. She's going to get herself killed, and possibly the people who care about her when they try to save her. And she thinks it's inevitable but- ...not if she relies on the resources available to her."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "The Archive is fully attached to Ma'at now," Jon notes. "I'm not even certain... if she's banking on something she set up when Red Robin carried the Archive? I'm not certain Ma'at would have let him take it. Thoth had no issues with him. Ma'at... well. A superhero with a secret identity isn't the most /truthful/ person out there. I could be wrong; maybe she'd have been fine with it. But Gabby was right in that some fundamental things her spell might have been based on have changed. Maybe it wouldn't even work, now." He shakes his head.

    "She needs to vent at someone. She needs to /talk/ to someone, about everything that's gone on. And that person may not be me, maybe it's Tim or Chas or... I don't know. Someone." He rubs at his face. "Dear gods, I hope Agnes doesn't wind up like this when she's 18. I mean /I/ was arrogant and careless and sure I knew more than I did about absolutely everything when I was 18; it may well be genetic."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael takes another bite of her dog before remarking, "You might be right - but it seems overly optimistic to just assume 'it won't work," she points out reasonably.
    "Agnes doesn't seem at all like Phoebe, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I-" She hesitates, her hands briefly tightening on her hot dog, and smooshing the bun a little. "I mean, part of it has to be in how you raise her, right? And- you, uh... seem to be doing alright at it..."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon nods. "I know, and that's why I'm willing to help you figure out some kind of shielding... we could do that /generally/, you know? It might be a good idea, regardless. One way or another, though, it's not going to work the way she wants it to."

    They let out a long sigh. "That's part of it, yes, but Elias will always have had the first and most formative chunk of her life. I suspect Alya's been sending her dreams for much of her life, and she's a smart kid--she's told me she pulled 'visions'--essentially statements--off of pieces of the house, or people, and knew things were going on that Elias was lying to her about... years ago. But I do worry, sometimes. I wish Martin had stayed, but he says he trusts me with her."

Cael Becker has posed:
    The conversation about Phoebe's spell is left at the wayside, as the conversation turns to Agnes, and parenting Agnes - and Martin's departure above all of that, causing Cael's anxiety to stiffen her posture as they walk. Bear lets out a quiet, anxious sound and nudges at his person's leg as they walk, while her mind whirls for something to say.
    "She's got a good head, and a good heart," she finally manages. "And, uh- you're doing fine. She respects you, and-" She lets out a laugh abruptly - it sounds a little more nervous than she'd like - before she adds, "Fuck - what, like I know anything about raising kids? I wouldn't know if you were doing a bad job. But you're doing much better than my mom." It's a low bar. Incredibly low.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I mean, you could at least tell if she's unhappy. Which wouldn't necessarily be entirely my fault--well-parented kids wind up with depression or anxiety all the time. But..." Jon shrugs, and then adds, "I think Elias has your mother beat, though. He never let her go to school or interact with modern technology, he was going to use her to try to attain godhood, and then he /handed her to vampires/ and let them drain a lot of her blood to make some kind of avatar of Ra." He shakes his head. "So long as I avoid all of /that/ at least I'm doing better than he did."

    He peers over at Cael for a moment while chewing his hot dog. "Umm... is something... wrong? You're anxious. Terribly, terribly anxious. Is it just... talking about parents?" Reasonable assumpion, given Cael's mother.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Elias has my mother beat," Cael agrees - a brief smile on her lips. "And yet she seems more... I don't know. Steady? Than I am."
    She's just taken another bite of her hot dog as Jon asks his question, and her gaze shifts towards them, and then away again as she looks down to Bear, finally tearing off a piece of the hot dog to offer to her pup. He practically inhales the morsel as she considers her answer with an anxious lump in her throat. "No, uh- not because of my mother," she admits. "Well- I guess not exactly because of that. I just-" She takes a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain her worries. "With Martin gone, and you asking me to move in, and I'd just- I'd just started to really get a grip on how we all... fit. You, know, together - and now..." Her gaze is fixed ahead of her as she talks, rather than looking towards Jon.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "And now...?" Jon prompts, looking at her with confusion. "I... have I been pushing, about you moving in? I didn't mean to, the other day when I said I'd miss you, well, I would. And I sort of figure, if you needed space, even if you /lived/ with me--you'd take it. Go sleep at your best friend's, yeah? I mean, Martin and I have done that when we've been... on the outs. For a while after Lyra died he stayed in guest quarters at the Trisk because we couldn't stand to be in the same apartment."

    A pause. "I went to a hotel. We figured out it was the apartment more than each other, and then decided to turn Lyra's bedroom into a library. But... umm... we stayed apart, nonetheless. I get it, sometimes people need space."

    He... has absolutely no clue, does he?

Cael Becker has posed:
    None at all - and it doesn't make it easier for Cael. The more he talks, the more anxious she feels. And the more anxious she feels, the more Bear leans in towards her. It makes walking hard, so she stops - staring off in the direction of Lydia's tree.
    "No, umm..." Cael says around a lump in throat. "I, uh... I just got used to the way things were. And now I feel like I have to figure out all over again how things... //are,// and- well. If I ever did move in, how I'd- How that might change things between you and me, or- well. Or me and Agnes."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon frowns at her, stopping along with her, eating more of his hot dog and then tossing Lady a bit as she neatly stops with him, murmuring, 'good girl.' She's still being trained, after all, and Jon's a proponent of dogs working for their meals.

    "You and... Agnes? Why would anything need to change between you and Agnes? You're not her /mother/, Cael. And we're not married, we hadn't agreed to... like I said back when Martin left, that was part of the agreement Martin and I had, part of why we married. So I could adopt Lyra. That's why Martin moved right into being Agnes' parent, aside from missing his own daughter. It's /different/ than just... living together."

    The frown deepens. "You've been really worried about this, haven't you?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's still not looking towards Jon - that as much as anything else answers Jon's question. "...yeah," she admits in a quiet voice. "I mean- any adult I ever lived with as a kid- in foster homes, group homes, whatever, they were all- they all told me what to do. I just- how does an adult move in with a kid, and not become- a parent? To some degree?" It honestly doesn't seem possible to her that any other outcome was even concievable. "I'm nobody's parent."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon sighs. "Well... no, you're not. Being Agnes' parent would mean taking responsibility on a permanent basis, not just temporarily if you're the only adult around. It would mean helping in decisions like where she goes to school and 'can she get her hair dyed,' not just taking her down to the salon. If I left her with you for some length of time I'd tell you the rules and expect you to enforce them but not for you to /decide/ them. Does that... make sense?"

    He frowns thoughtfully. "I mean, your experience was... well, in places where you'd been specifically placed with people who were supposed to be parenting you. But I've heard of situations where, yes, some single parent will get a significant other--usually a boyfriend--and that adult just assumes they have authority over the children in the house, rather than working things out. A new spouse is one thing, but a guy someone's dating, who comes over and thinks he's in charge just because he's an adult and sleeping with the kids' mother? I mean... come /on/." He shakes his head. "I... would never presume that, either way. You have to create a relationship with a child, not just walk in and say 'hi I'm your parent now.'"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael takes a deep breath in, and lets it out slowly, as she often does when she's processing something, or just trying to keep or regain her cool. "So... nothing has to change?" she says uncertainly. "I mean - it seems like- you'd think moving in would change something?" And Cael was clearly anxios about that change. She glances towards Jon for a moment, then looks away once more as she tears Bear off another piece of hot dog, which he devours.
    "I want things to stay the way they are. Almost like... I'm an older sister or something. And we can still have fun, or I can help her out with... some things if she needs, but without- I don't know. Without anything //really// changing."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I mean... you'd see her more often. You might have to be not the 'fun one' more often." Jon smirks. "But I was always going to address how much responsibility you'd be comfortable with. Like, would you be okay being home alone with her overnight? Would you be okay as a potential emergency contact for school, if they can't get ahold of me? Things like that. But actually being anything /more/ than emergency, to the school? I hadn't expected that."

    A pause, and then he adds, "Another thing about Martin's relationship with Agnes is that... back when Alya was pregnant with her, Martin was dating Alya's boyfriend, Tim Stoker, along with me. We all escape the cult together, and lived together. We presumed Stoker was the father, but I think Alya might have known otherwise and just let it slide because Tim and I were /just/ becoming friends again. But... I mean... either way he was dating the baby's father, and Alya was one of his best friends. We all agreed to raise Agnes together, all four of us. And he doesn't remember that, exactly, but... I think some part of him did, even before I told him about it. That's /very/ different than your situation, you know?"

    He looks over at Cael and smiles. "Nothing much has to change, not fundamentally. I think Agnes is just fine with things as they are anyway. She talks about Alya like she... not like she /knows/ her, but I don't think she'd let anyone replace her mother, you know? There's a mystical tie there."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's silent for a while, finishing off her hot dog to stall for time. She wipes her fingers on a napkin, and crinkles everything up, while Bear anxiously waits for more of his treat - wagging his tail hopefully.
    "I could pick her up at school - if you ever needed," she offers quietly. "And, uh- I mean. I already offered to stay overnight with her."
    Her gaze flicks towards Jon as she asks, "So - I've gotten myself all worked up over nothing?" Again, goes unsaid.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "It's not as bad as me and the 'how you feel about Chas' thing, but yes," Jon says, with a grin. He's finished his hot dog as well, and leans down to unclip Lady's leash. Says 'stay,' and walks away a bit, and when the dog does, indeed, stay, he tosses her a treat.

    "Is this what you've been all tense about this whole time? Agnes, and whether I was... expecting you to step in and be her parent?" He peers at Cael. "I've been wondering, actually. It was driving me just a little mental, and I don't use the term lightly. Every time I thought I'd figured it out that tension would crop up again and I couldn't fathom..."

    He rubs at his nose. "Did /Sara/ give you this idea or something?" He wouldn't put it past the woman to start going on about Cael being Agnes' 'mom.'

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Uhh... she tried to disuade me of it, actually," Cael counters, her smile small, and tight. "But I just couldn't- it didn't make sense to me. I was having trouble understanding things any other way." After another deep breath she adds, "Though - I don't htink she really understood how much it bothered me. She seemed to think that if we just had three bedrooms everything would be fine, and I could just move in - completely - with no worries. I don't think she really gets how hard it is for me to-" So what? She shrugs helplessly without finishing the thought.
    "I mean, like I said before, I think a third bedroom would help a lot, but- I don't think it'd solve everything."
    She doesn't seem too worried about making Bear work for his treat as she offers more of the hot dog - but then, Bear spends a lot more of his time working than Lady does.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon has started taking bits of the hot dog and tossing them for Lady to fetch, complete with command. He regards Cael quietly for a moment and says, "How hard it is for you to... accept the change? Or be... close to people? Or both? I mean, Cael, honestly... a /lot/ has changed for you in the past six months, and you're adjusting rather well. But I also know... I mean, I figure maybe in a few months you've adjusted enough to move in. Maybe it's just too much, too fast. Or maybe you never do, and that's okay."

    He sighs and adds, "It /really/ is okay. Whatever's bothering you at the core, you can tell me." Then Lady grabs a piece of hot dog right out of the air and Jon grins at her and coos, "Oh /good/ job! Look at that, what a smart girl!" He's sure changed his tune about the dog.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Pretty hard," Cael admits, a few tears springing to her eyes. Bear sticks close to Cael - and not just for the hot dog, as he nuzzles at her leg. "It makes me anxious," she admits. "Admitting I had friends again was hard. But having family has been... I mean, it's great, don't get me wrong. I've been happy - but it //scares// me. And it's not- I think Agnes is great. She's a good kid, and she's important to you - of course - and I wouldn't have things anyother way. But I think - if it was just you and me, moving in would be... easier. Change is hard, and I'm really trying not to let it bother me, but- it does."
    She crouches down next to Bear - giving him the rest of his hot dog as she runs her fingers through his fur. What is //really// bothering her? At her core? "I love you, Jon, and being near you makes me happy. But at the same time, the closer we get to each other.... it makes me anxious. I don't know if I could explain why. I don't really know."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Are you afraid of losing me? Or... losing yourself in being with me?" Jon frowns, looking at Cael, looking her over, trying to figure it out. "Or are you just..."

    A pause, and then he says slowly, "If... if /Martin/ wasn't involved... would it be different? Would you be less anxious? If you had me... all to yourself, I mean, in that sense." His tone is gentle. "It's alright if that's how you feel. I won't be upset, or even disappointed. It's... a natural feeling."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I think..." Cael has to stop, and think about that. If there wasn't an Agnes - it would be easier. She felt pretty certain of that. If there wasn't a Martin...?
    "I, uh... I think so, yeah. A little bit. Not that I wanted Martin to go - I'm not glad that he's gone," she asserts.
    "I just..." Her fingers scratch at Bear's fur as she simply believes. "It's hard enough, letting myself be this close to //one// person. And then there's... all these other people, too. And I want to be with you. I- for the most part, I //want// to move in. I want to spend every night with you - but it's hard, because somehow it scares me."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon eyes Cael for a long moment, reading her aura. Trying to see if there's anything he can tell underlying all the rest.

    "You're scared, and you're vulnerable, and... even though you know I won't deliberately hurt you, you're afraid of that. And... you have nowhere to retreat, right now, because of the Alhambras. Without me opening a portal, you can't really... go anywhere that's yours and /just/ yours."

    A hesitation, and then, "Look, Cael, if... if I just went and... if I tell the building manager I want the first three-bedroom--well, two bedroom and a den--that opens... would you sign the adjusted lease?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael doesn't deny anything Jon says as she continues to scratch at Bear's fur. she wasn't planning on making him work on this outting - but even without his vest, he knows his job, and he leans towards her, licking her chin, and trying to get her to relaxed.
    The question if she'd sign the lease, though, gives her a momentary spike of emotion that's very close to fear. It was a big step. It was an undeniable statement about their relationship for others to see. //Would// she sign the lease?
    "I- ...I think so?" she offers. "I think probably yeah."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon beams at her. /Beams/ at her. "Well. Then. If you don't want to... to do that, then just... say so, but... look, I... I'm..."

    A deep breath, then, all in a rush, "I'm scared too. I'm scared that I'll lose you, because you're fragile, or because you'll walk away for good. I'm scared that I'll change because of being with you. I /have/ changed because of being with you. I'm scared that I'll toss everything away for you, even Martin. And I know you'd never let me, and I /know/ that's ridiculous, because wouldn't I toss everything away for Martin, too? That's... that's what love does to me. In that moment when someone I love is in danger I'll sacrifice anything and everything for them, and it's terrifying."

    He frowns. "I'm scared because... because Agnes has to come /first/, and she always should have, and what would I do if... we live together, and there's a fire, and I have to choose between you two...?" He shakes his head. "But that's a /stupid/ idea, because you could just pop to the Velvet Room and so I'd save Agnes. You know?"

    He swallows. "But I keep holding back, and saying 'oh well if you ever leave,' and... and that's ridiculous, isn't it? We both came back from the dead for each other. What other proof do we need that this is... long-term? So I guess... I mean... if you'll go over the cliff with me, I'll make sure we both fly?" That's a weird metaphor for moving in together.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Martin was first," Cael interjects immediately - as soon as Jon suggests the idea of tossing Martin aside for her.
    No. She definitely wouldn't allow that, no matter how much it cost her. She'd been very clear about that, from the beginning.
    "She has to come first," Cael agrees. "She's a child. I'm a grown-ass adult." She can take care of herself - almost always. She keeps scratching at Bear's shoulders without turning towards Jon, still crouched close to the dog's comforting presence as she add, "Look, I'll, uhh... sleep on the idea tonight. And tomorrow... if I haven't managed to put myself into a panic attack, we'll go see the building manager," she suggests.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "If I haven't managed to either. I know I hide it well, but... you scare me, sometimes, Cael Becker. You walked into my life and turned it upside-down. In a good way, in the /best/ way, but..." Jon shakes his head. "I love you, and that's terrifying."

    He hesitates. "Do you need to sleep somewhere else tonight? Or can we... keep on walking, and talking, and... just... be together while we both... digest all of this?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It scares you too?" Cael's voice is small, and vulnerable in a way she rarely allows it to be. She does look towards Jon now - and somehow, the thought that all of this frightens him as well seems to... reassure her. Though she'd be completely incapable of explaining way.
    "I think... I think I need to be with you tonight - if that's okay, Jon."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Didn't I just say it does?" Jon smiles, though it's a tremulous thing. "It's terrifying, but I want to do this, if we can."

    They've given Lady the whole of her hot dog; they go to throw away the containers and napkins and then walk over to offer their hands to Cael. "It's more than okay. I always want you to be over for the night. I can't... I mean, maybe I need to walk away sometimes when I'm upset, but you're always welcome. Okay?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael nods her head, giving Jon her hands to pull her back to her feet. Once on her feet - she wraps both of her arms around them, burying her fact against their shoulder as a few tears sneak out. "And I'll always come back to you - even if I do need to walk away, sometimes," she promises in a quiet voice, squeezing Jon tightly, and fiercely. After a few moments like that, she lifts her head to kiss them, before turning to resume their walk, Bear taking his place at Cael's side. The pup wags his tail cheerfully, as if claimming all credit for reversing Cael's mood, himself.