The River That Washes You Clean (Maria)

She was quiet with her junior Cadet supplying the answer she wanted to hear. Not a boring nun? Maria could hardly agree with that statement. But the rest about living their lives and taking care of themselves sort of hit home a little. She stood still while still staring at the bubbling oil as if contemplating on his answer before finally dragging the fried fish and potatoes with tongs and plating them on a baking tray with a rack to drain them dry to let them rest. Maria finally turned towards him in a hesitant reply.


She wasn't really sure where any of this was going. But a side of her was curious enough to try and see where it did. In a way, his outgoing nature and how he tried to pull her out of her shell reminded her of Brittany, in a strange, but... good way?

part of Isaac hadn't expected Maria to acquiesce so completely. The complicated look on her face as she turned to face him, and the way she didn't actually respond to the things he said, told him that his words must have struck a little harder than he'd originally meant them too.

Isaac's responding smile was apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so heavy there." He laughed a little lightly. "I don't have any plans yet. Is there anything around town you've heard about but wouldn't go do alone? Could be as simple as seeing what movies are playing right now. You don't look like you go out to movies very often." He joked, tone lightening back up as if it were the easiest thing in the world to be normal when you spend your nights hunting demons.

Maria simply nodded as she accepted his apology, albeit hesitantly. It wasn't like he was deliberately trying to put her on edge, really. At least that's not what his eyes seemed to be telling her. Isaac wasn't a troublemaker like Rui or even Maverick were, at least not yet, but there was something different about him she couldn't quite exactly put her finger. Though there was one thing for sure, he wasn't going to embarrass the Cadets like those two.

"Well... I've never actually been to one. So I guess that could be a good place to... start?" She replied slowly and sheepishly. A movie theater? She always wondered what it was like going to one. For all of her life, it was oddly strange how estranged she was from society. Though it was weird... and awkward. But after hearing how Brittany tried to live her life, despite going through the same hell as she did, maybe it wasn't a bad idea to take a page from her book.

Isaac had not expected the demure reaction from the fellow Cadet, but somehow, it made him look at her in a feminine way that he was not expecting. The sensation brought a light blush to his cheeks and a tightness to his chest that he was not prepared for, and he averted his eyes. That was enough of that. Maria was a fellow Cadet. A soldier. A friend, nothing more. He shook the feeling easily enough, though his resulting awkwardness was poorly masked behind an enthusiastic smile.

"Yeah! I know the one! You've never been to one huh? Well, we'll have to get popcorn and snacks. I love going to the movies. It's a great way to completely forget the rest of the world for a bit. Though, I'll admit I haven't gone since joining the Cadets." He trailed off and did his best to look anywhere other than at her while she finished the food. "It's a..." Date? no, you can't call it that, idiot she'll definitely take that the wrong way, and then you'll never salvage the wreckage of this conversation. "...I wonder what kind of movies are playing... right now." He finished, busying himself with his phone to check listings.

"Well, I'm certainly looking forward to it. I heard buying snacks there can get expensive. So... I can bring something for us if we have to." It was her turn to be slightly amused by how flustered he was. Though she wasn't quite sure how she pushed those buttons. As tempting as it was to grope around to press them again, Maria failed to feel adventurous enough for a second time. At least for time time being, she was finally plating the food and setting it on the table for him. ""Sorry to have kept you waiting have some of Sunlake Palms Church's fish and chips. Bon appetit!"

She waited a moment to watch him take a bite of the meal before opting to wash her hands from the grime of the batter and cleaning the rest of the kitchen before disposing the oil into a plastic bottle. Even if it were such a simple dish, a mess was a mess and it needed to be cleaned up or the bugs would begin swarming in over time. It was a hard lesson she learned that one time the Cadet accidentally forgot to wash the dishes that one time.

Isaac looked at the only place on the table that was sitting there for him. Wasn't she having some? Suddenly he felt just a little awkward having put her through cooking just for him. He had assumed they both would be eating. He wasn't about to offend her or make the gesture moot by not eating it, though, so he took a bit. It was simple, but delicious in the way that Isaac loved. He like simple things like this. Fancy food made him feel out of place, usually. "Delicious!" He complimented after swallowing, looking up to where she had moved to start cleaning the dishes. "What about you? aren't you eating?" The answer was clear, but he wanted to voice his concerns for her anyway.

"And uh...the movie theaters don't like people sneaking in snacks. Not that I haven't done that a time or two when I was at the orphanage. But I like to actually pay for snacks when I have money. Warm, buttery popcorn is part of the experience!" He chimed before focusing back on his food.

He looked up at her last question, suddenly just a little more somber. "Yeah I am. I'll see you there, yeah?" He asked, hopefully. Getting to fight alongside people he was familiar with would be nice.

"Thanks, but I'm not feeling for it right now. I can make something up later. Don't worry about me, enjoy your food." Maria replied as she wiped up another dish with dish soap. There were piles forming, one where every dirty implement was set aside and the other where the remaining were being swept up in the soapy mixture. Though she found herself frowning about not being able to bring in anything of your own. "I... see. Be it as it may be, I don't mind taking part of the experience then. I just hope it won't eat too much into our budgets, but I suppose once in a while is fine... Yes."

She was getting a little hesitant of the idea, yet still open. Though spending so lavishly for an outing felt a little wrong to her. But if it meant getting to know each other, perhaps it was fine. After all, as Brittany might tell her, it was about time to take a break and splurge at times. Right?

Isaac's eyes lit up a little bit as she accepted his offer more fully, not with added snacking! Snacks at the movies were great, and he had never gone with a girl before! Not that there was anything special about that in and of itself, really... He wondered if people that saw them there would talk? Did he care? not one bit. A broad smile stretched across his face as he continued eating. "I do a bit of carpentry and odd jobs on the side. I try not to use Cadet budget for this kind of stuff." He told her easily. "Don't worry, it's on me." He assured her, taking another bite.

When she asked if he was ready for the mission that night, he paused, thinking. Was he ready? He'd gotten some provisions to prepare himself, and after the fight with the terrorists, he was feeling like he really did have what it took to be a Cadet, all things considered, even if it hadn't gone exactly as planned. Besides, this was more a patrol for demons, not PTs. He nodded. "Yeah, I think it will be fine. fun, maybe, even. There's a lot of new Cadets like me, but also a few Veterans going. If we watch each others' backs, I'm sure we'll make it through the night." His voice leveled out as he looked at her meaningfully. "Besides. It's my job now, and I'll do it no matter what happens."

She felt a little flustered that someone would pay for her own fare. It just didn't feel quite right to simply freeload off someone, no less  her own junior. And besides, the nun had to admit she was only just in it for experience's sake taking a page from Brittany's book as said before. But there was a bit of foreboding in it, admittedly.

On the other hand, he seemed rather optimistic of his chances tonight. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad if there were veterans coming along. They usually knew the score being Cadets for some time and she likely knew them. All of them tended to be people she can reliably trust her back to, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad night as originally thought. Of course, Julius wouldn't have allowed such a thing for newcomers from the get-go if he could help it.

But... there was something that just kept bothering her.

Isaac finished eating and set his fork down. It wasn't like he was gonna demand to pay for her or anything. If she wanted to pay that was fine, he just didn't want her to be hung up on anything. With a grin, he allowed, "Yeah, sure, I just thought I'd offer. But hey, you don't have to think of me as a soldier or anything when we're hanging out. We're just two kids enjoying our free time. Don't need to stand on ceremony." It made him a little sad that she used being his superior like that. Could he not be on even footing with her in any instance because of that? in missions it was one thing, but did it color her entire perception of him? hm...

"Yeah, I'll be careful. But I'll also be going all out. It's not that I have anything to prove, per se, but I want to make a good impression on the others, you know? But you don't have to worry. I know the risks and I wouldn't have signed up if I wasn't willing to face them." He punctuated the statement with one of his good-natured smiles, but there was a note of seriousness in it. He wouldn't be misunderstood. More than anything, since joining the cadets he'd had the overwhelming feeling like he was made for this. Maybe he had been.

He finally pushed his plate away from him a little and stood up, carrying the plate and utensils over to where she was by the sink. "Thanks for the food. Sorry for making more mess for you to clean up. If you want, I can help you with whatever cleaning is left. I don't have anything else planned for today." He grinned sheepishly as he gently placed the plate wherever she had the other dirty dishes gathered.

"Yes... I suppose you're right. I'm sorry about being up tight about it. It's just... Maybe I do need a break and heading to the movies might help with that..." A nervous chuckle escaped her lips as he tried to assure her. It really was showing, wasn't it? Being duty-bound and trying so hard to maintain such decorum even outside of work. Maria blamed the work load. It was hard to relax sometimes when all you knew from each waking day was work.

"Just do your best. You don't need to try too hard. As long as you can prove to work well with others, everyone is willing to give a fair amount of clout as one of us. After all, Cadets are supposed to watch each other's backs." The Cadet supplied with a small smile as she finally began to dry her hands with the nearby towel by the stove. Though she soon found herself cleaning the rest of the plates Isaac partook from in his meal.

It was unspeakably hard watching Maria do the dishes that he himself had caused her to dirty. Even if the whole thing was a thank you for him. He supposed it was her job after all. They were both doing their own work regardless of what sentiments there would have been. She probably would have felt the same if he'd been working on the roof and she asked if he wanted help. In the end it was best to just let these things settle themselves. The conversation seemed mostly over, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away with her doing that for him. There was an awkward silence coming, and he was doing his best to avoid it.

"The Movies will definitely help. Truth is, with everything that's happening I could use the break too. For now though, I better go grab the tools and stuff I left up there. I'll uh...check back in with you before I leave for good, alright? Thanks again." With a smile and a wave, he turned and left the kitchen. It was an extremely reasonable way to leave the conversation before it started to drag or repeat itself. Sometimes, only sometimes, Isaac could actually manage to not destroy a conversation with someone.

He'd collect his tools at a leisurely pace before checking back in with Maria before he left, making sure their plans for the movie were assured and that he gave her his number in case she wanted to reach him. With items collected, he'd gently walk away up the sweeping wide roads of sunlake.

>> Isaac Exit

She smiled back at him before making quick work of cleaning the remaining dishes and setting it back to the rack to dry. By the time they came back, she was just drying her own hands. They exchanged numbers, of course. And as Isaac finally made his exit and after waving in farewell after his receding presence, Maria heaved a sigh. A small tinge of pink began to lace across his cheeks. It confused her, why was she feeling this way? It was just a guy and a co-worker at that. They were just going to hang out and all. She furiously shook her head, aptly dismissing of the anomaly.

No. This was just to have some R&R to better get used to her workload. That's it, nothing more and nothing less. The Cadet glanced at her clock on the phone and noticed the receding time left before night fall as she returned back into the Church. The full moon was no joke, but the Cadets dealt with worse scrapes. So... it was going to be fine. Maybe.

[End]