hadriel_logs | [Closed] First it giveth...

Who: Closed to Jill Valentine and Will Graham.
What: Memories, awkward confessions and more!
Where: At an Island shoreline.
When: Backdated to the end of the Love event.
Warnings: None as of yet? General Will Graham-ness? Will update if needed.

Maybe it was the effects of Love's influence sill linguring in the air or maybe it was just Will's own overactive imagination, fear and overthinking? Whatever the cause, one thing was sure, Will couldn't bite his lip and sit idly by as he watched someone he cared about be oblivious about their past.

No, Will has lost too many people already, and though he had technically already lost her once, he couldn't stand to lose her again. Watching Jill go about her everyday life, not knowing what they'd had... It was cruel, wasn't it? Or was it? Was he just obsessing and letting his doubt and insecurities, uncertainties build up inside his chest, consuming him from the inside out.

Will was a little more on edge today, sure, he hadn't been sleeping very well and he had something of an idea as to why. If things felt off here, it was normally down to a God or two- But no, Will had seen this before, back home in Wolftrap, in Baltimore too. It was his curse. Push people away until he became untouchable then let that one small ray of light brighten up his darkness. Feel the warmth through the crack in his armour, the hint of colour to his otherwise black world. That's what Jill had done last time, snuck in and thrown everything off tilt and now that she was back? Well, Will was finding it hard, selfish really, but hard none the less, to simply stay at a distance and tell himself It was better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before.

As much as he was ready to feel the hurt or rejection, Will picked up his phone, fingered through to her familiar face, pause for a moment before pressing connect. In his blind panic, Will hung up as soon as the dial tone ended and it started to ring.

"Stupid. Stupidstupidstupid! What were you thinking?! Oh hey, Jill, you don't remember me but I'm some jerk you once pitty-dated."

Holding the phone in both hands as he banged it against his head repeatedly, eyes closed and teeth grit. Honestly, as if she'd even humour him anymore.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One would think a phone call wouldn't be so complicated, but sometimes it was. Jill was blissfully unaware of the turmoil going on with Will, who meant the world to her during her first stay this world before her departure. Now that she's back, she doesn't remember him or what they went through together. How they became close, bit by bit, until he was the one she cared about more than anyone else. There was a time Jill even wondered if they could manage not to part ways after the gods had fixed the doors.

Now, none of that was on her mind. She didn't have to suffer through all of this the way Will did. All she had to do was answer the phone when it started to ring.

"Hello?"

Didn't Will hang up? Oh... it appears the act of banging the phone against his head has somehow triggered a redial and Jill was now on the line, her voice coming through the device.

"Hello? Will, is that you?"

Thanks a lot, caller ID.

Most things that involved Will Graham were complicated, even the smallest of things, such as looking someone in the eye when you're talking to them or making a phone call. Will had shared all of Jill's old thoughts on the subject, still did but how do you tell that to someone who doesn't seem to know you anymore? It was difficult enough letting his walls down and opening up to Jill first time around, though after a while, it had become almost second nature, natural even.

How the hell was he going to start all over when he couldn't even get himself together, long enough to even call her?

Will's eyes grew wide as he heard the faint hello. The phone didn't hang up?! What!? A mild panic rushed over him and at first Will considered simply hanging up, turning his phone off and pretending this had never happened! He could feel his face turn red, feel the sweat bead at his temples as if he was keeping valuable information from a crime secret. Why was he so tense? She didn't even seem to hear what he'd said. In any way, this was Jill, she was still the wonderful, compassionate, strong woman he'd met, she'd probably not even mind if he said it was a wrong number.

Clearing his throat, Will placed the phone back to his ear. A devastated pause and a nervous sigh before he finally spoke.

"Hey Jill, I eh, I thought I'd hung up?."

Wow, smooth Will, smooth. He screwed his face up at how terrible that sounded before quickly responding again.

" -I mean... I eh. Are you doing anything?"

Why was this so hard?

Jill was easy to get along with and could talk with others without hesitating much. That was just talk, though. She had to be able to get along with all kinds of people in her line of work. That didn't mean she let everyone get close. Will wasn't just anybody to her back then.

Thought he'd hung up? There's silent confusion at first. Had he called her by mistake? Maybe a wrong number?

"Oh, was it a mistake?" It could have been, and Will had his chance to take that out and run with it. She was glad when he didn't, though. There was something about him... Jill couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something that got her attention.

"No, I'm not doing anything. What about you?" She already knew conversation wasn't easy for him, so she tried to encourage him a bit. Although odd, he seemed nice enough.

Jill was like the Knight, covered in armour and ready with a sword in hand, whereas Will was her shield, ready to protect her at all costs, no matter how damaged and dinted he got. Or well, at least that's how he felt about it. She was a nebula, beautiful beyond comparison to look upon, something to be treasured and Will felt privileged whenever she gave him the time of day, even now.

"I'm eh, I'm water, fish- I eh, I'm down at the water is what I meant to say. Fishing."

Chewing his bottom lip and screwing his face up as he spoke, internally chastising himself for babbling like an idiot. It would just be so much easier if he stopped talking altogether and became a mime! After a deep sigh, Will shook his head and spat out what he wanted to ask.

"Can I- Um, I mean... Eh, do you want to? Fish, with me, that is. You kinda would have back then is all and I eh, I just- Well?"

God, he felt as though he was having a heart attack. Forcing words out of his mouth was like draining blood from a stone when he was this nervous and stressed. All self-inflicted of course! He just wanted to see her, be near her, see if she remembered anything or if the time they spent together felt different in any way.

"Actually you know, nevermind. You're probably busy and just being polite. I'm sorry."

When in doubt, back out. Man, was it hot? Will was sweating.

It took awhile for Will to get out what he wanted to say, but Jill was patient enough to wait. It's not like she had a busy agenda. She wasn't a member of the city guard or anything, though she had considered joining. Things had been just a little too busy for her to consider it yet, with the ocean voyage and all.

When Will finally had it in him to ask, he retracted the invitation a moment later. Was he really that shy? It would seem so!

"That sounds really nice, actually. I'd love to join you, if you wouldn't mind." As if her presence would be the burden on him. "I don't really know how to fish." But maybe he could teach her a thing or two.

There was a point, back in the days, when Will actually wanted to join the City Guard too. He'd tried and been denied by a certain Maketh Tua however and ever since then, he had the opinion of they wouldn't appreciate his help anyway. Still, it kind of suited Jill to want to join, she was such a caring and giving person, plus she had enough fighting and gun skills to be able to protect most of the city single-handedly.

"Its funny because well, because you eh, you're the one who got me the fishing rod in the first place."

An awkward sound as he smiled on his end of the phone, huffing out a breath at the memory.

"I eh, never got to properly thank you for getting it for me. I'd like to catch you a fish?"

A random way to say thank you but this was Will Graham she was talking to. In fact, he was still in shock that she even agreed to come and meet him. That's right! She was coming to meet him!?

"Oh! I em, I'm down at the- Do you have your GPS switched on? I'm sure you can find me using that."

Did that sound pushy? Shit! He felt that sounded pushy! What was he doing?!

"I mean, sorry..."

The way Jill sees it, all the gun skills don't make a difference if there are no guns or bullets. She was still trained to fight, but given the nature of some of the creatures that appeared here, hand to hand probably wasn't a good idea.

The news that she gifted him the fishing rod is a surprise, but it somehow feels right, so it must be true.

"Will, take a deep breath, alright?" There's a smile in her voice as she tries to encourage him. "I'll head right over."

Jill seeks his location on the GPS and sure enough, she can use her phone to guide her. It's not long before Jill is leaving the walking path and heading down to the river to find him.

[Closed] First it giveth...

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