Rosita Espinosa (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
handleyourshit) wrote2032-07-23 01:51 pm
handleyourshit) wrote2032-07-23 01:51 pm
He nods, glad to share some gossip about their friends, about how their lives are pushing forward to better things despite it all. "Shari. She's going to be good for him, she's great with horses and he needs that."
She nods - slowly, but she does manage to pick out the details she thinks he's using to draw that conclusion. She thinks she did know that about Blake.
"How're Enid and Alden getting along? Figured out their shit yet?" That one she tracked from Alexandria.
"How're Enid and Alden getting along? Figured out their shit yet?" That one she tracked from Alexandria.
He grins. "They're so cute." He can say that out loud about them because, "He sings to her. I was doing my rounds before dinner and I came in on him singing to her in the infirmary. He plays guitar. I wish I'd asked him to teach me, I can barely remember what the chords are called."
If - when - she goes home, she won't remember any of this. She won't remember sitting here on this couch, sneaking her cold toes under Jesus's leg, watching him grin and call people they both know cute.
But he will. And she might be the last chance he has to talk about any of these people with someone who also knows them, someone who knows how good it is that he saved Alden's life, that Enid is letting someone make her laugh.
"Judith made us bring some people back to Alexandria, right before Eugene and I went out and got caught in that herd. One of them's deaf, one's a musician. The musician was teaching Siddiq how to sign so he and the deaf one could make fun of him."
But he will. And she might be the last chance he has to talk about any of these people with someone who also knows them, someone who knows how good it is that he saved Alden's life, that Enid is letting someone make her laugh.
"Judith made us bring some people back to Alexandria, right before Eugene and I went out and got caught in that herd. One of them's deaf, one's a musician. The musician was teaching Siddiq how to sign so he and the deaf one could make fun of him."
He can't imagine surviving so long while deaf. That person must be incredible and he makes a mental note to go and meet-
The thought turns sharp and his expression falls a little. He shifts so he's sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Rosita's toes tucked up under him, and he pulls a throw blanket over them.
"I'll let them stay," he says, and the words are present tense again and he winces. "Which means Tara will. When Michonne brings them to Hilltop," and she will, because she won't let them stay in Alexandria. "They'll get to teach everyone sign language."
The thought turns sharp and his expression falls a little. He shifts so he's sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Rosita's toes tucked up under him, and he pulls a throw blanket over them.
"I'll let them stay," he says, and the words are present tense again and he winces. "Which means Tara will. When Michonne brings them to Hilltop," and she will, because she won't let them stay in Alexandria. "They'll get to teach everyone sign language."
She sees that fall, that wince, and does the only thing she can think of to do in that moment: she wiggles her toes, knowing firsthand how distracting it can be from underneath someone.
"Luke is the musician," she says, so he'll know. "Connie's the deaf one. They also had Connie's - friend? Cousin? they're close, I don't know - Kelly. A woman named Magna that's driving Michonne crazy, and - you met Yumiko."
"Luke is the musician," she says, so he'll know. "Connie's the deaf one. They also had Connie's - friend? Cousin? they're close, I don't know - Kelly. A woman named Magna that's driving Michonne crazy, and - you met Yumiko."
It works; he jumps and looks at her with a little grin, and settles heavier on her feet.
"If she's driving Michonne crazy, Tara will probably like her," he says, absorbing the names, holding them in the way he holds all the other names and faces he knows. They all matter, still.
"If she's driving Michonne crazy, Tara will probably like her," he says, absorbing the names, holding them in the way he holds all the other names and faces he knows. They all matter, still.
"The rest of the group is pretty friendly - Magna's the only one that seems unsure about whether they even want to stay with us or not. I didn't talk to them much. Judith -"
She chuckles. She does miss Judith something fierce. "- she's as stubborn as Michonne is. As Rick ever was. I don't fight with that girl, I'd rather kick a brick wall."
She chuckles. She does miss Judith something fierce. "- she's as stubborn as Michonne is. As Rick ever was. I don't fight with that girl, I'd rather kick a brick wall."
He laughs. "That child is going to be a great leader someday. She already is. Alexandria is in good hands."
Sure things are ruled by vote now, and there are councils, but no one who's met Judith will ever doubt that she'll be at the head of things someday soon.
Sure things are ruled by vote now, and there are councils, but no one who's met Judith will ever doubt that she'll be at the head of things someday soon.
"Yeah," she agrees, and when she notices that she's rubbing one finger idly where her hand is resting across her own stomach, she stops it.
"If Jacob did go home," she says instead, "If he stays there. He has people, he has a family. He'll be alright. Dinah too. Better for her than here."
"If Jacob did go home," she says instead, "If he stays there. He has people, he has a family. He'll be alright. Dinah too. Better for her than here."
He notices. There are times he watches Rosita and thinks of the mother she'll be, the child he'll never get to meet, and it hurts worse than the thought he'll never see his people again. He's used to loss. Not meeting that baby is different somehow.
"They'll be okay," he agrees. He misses Dinah. He hates that so many people are hurting for the loss of Jacob now. "And we will, too."
"They'll be okay," he agrees. He misses Dinah. He hates that so many people are hurting for the loss of Jacob now. "And we will, too."
Rosita, at least, is used to losing people. She can operate around the ache, function even when she's still tripping on the fresh memory of them not being here.
Doing that knowing that they've gone back to somewhere better? Without any doubt about that? It's simple by comparison, even if it's still hard for those left behind.
"Yeah," she agrees, shifting closer. "We will. We've got people left here. We've got shit to do." And as long as they have that, she and Jesus know how to keep getting up every morning.
Doing that knowing that they've gone back to somewhere better? Without any doubt about that? It's simple by comparison, even if it's still hard for those left behind.
"Yeah," she agrees, shifting closer. "We will. We've got people left here. We've got shit to do." And as long as they have that, she and Jesus know how to keep getting up every morning.
We've got people left here, she says, and he smiles, something in him settling down warm in his chest. That's all he wants: for them to have their people. For it to be a them, without a division between Jesus's and hers.
He's so proud of his friends, his men, who came when he needed them, who proved to her that they are everything Jesus saw in them. That they're welcome here in this thing he and Rosita need to build together.
"I still don't know how to run a bar," he warns her. "I might ruin the Eagle."
He's so proud of his friends, his men, who came when he needed them, who proved to her that they are everything Jesus saw in them. That they're welcome here in this thing he and Rosita need to build together.
"I still don't know how to run a bar," he warns her. "I might ruin the Eagle."
She's not quite there yet; the people she has here, that she counts as hers, are on this couch. There are people here she'd still fight for of course, but only Jesus that she really, truly believes would fight for her in turn.
But she does have him, and he has his men that rallied around him, and she's content with that for now. She snorts at the mention of the Eagle.
"Maybe Sara can help you. Or Vrenille. We don't need to hang onto it for long, just until we can decide what to do with it and make sure we know what all's going on there. Make sure there's nothing I need to honor for him before it comes around to bite us."
But she does have him, and he has his men that rallied around him, and she's content with that for now. She snorts at the mention of the Eagle.
"Maybe Sara can help you. Or Vrenille. We don't need to hang onto it for long, just until we can decide what to do with it and make sure we know what all's going on there. Make sure there's nothing I need to honor for him before it comes around to bite us."
"I'll make sure anything illegal doesn't get near you," he says softly. That's his biggest concern: that something Jacob was involved in will come around on Rosita, will lose her job or much, much worse.
"He always talked like he needed to protect me." She shakes her head. Fucking Victorians, which is apparently a thing she gets to say now.
"I wish he'd just been more willing to put things on the table. To ask for help. Which, I know, is rich coming from me."
"I wish he'd just been more willing to put things on the table. To ask for help. Which, I know, is rich coming from me."
"You're better at it now." Asking for help. She's asked from him, which is all he can ask, really. She's taken help from Jesus's men.
"Staving off the unending tide of the restless undead will do that for a girl," she chuckles.
"I sent Carver a birthday cake. I apologized for ghosting him."
"I sent Carver a birthday cake. I apologized for ghosting him."
"I'm glad. He understood, you know. That you needed time." But he's still glad. Carver showed up and he deserved an apology if not an explanation.
"Need," she says, present tense. She knows that much.
"I figured he might. He - we were both pretty rough. The night before."
Of course, Jesus knows that. He found her crying in her kitchen.
"I figured he might. He - we were both pretty rough. The night before."
Of course, Jesus knows that. He found her crying in her kitchen.
Edited 2023-04-23 20:58 (UTC)
He knows. His hand rests on her ankle. "Has he been in touch with you since you gave him the cake?"
"Yeah."
She'd had some doubt. She still has some doubt, and she doesn't know what it'll take to dispel it.
"We have... a date." That's what it is, after all, even if neither of them called it that. "Tomorrow night. Just getting a drink."
She'd had some doubt. She still has some doubt, and she doesn't know what it'll take to dispel it.
"We have... a date." That's what it is, after all, even if neither of them called it that. "Tomorrow night. Just getting a drink."
"Where are you going?" Because that says a lot about what kind of date it will be. Just a drink could be a lot of things.
"The Wild Pony," she answers. "In the Down."
He said he knew he was inviting her to a western bar. But mostly: "He said it's pretty quiet, mid-week."
He said he knew he was inviting her to a western bar. But mostly: "He said it's pretty quiet, mid-week."
"That Western bar?" He raises an eyebrow. "Like from Texas? Or am I stereotyping?"
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