Chapter Text
Sasha likes being helpful. It’s part of her character. Sasha James, archival assistant, is helpful.
She likes being helpful. Which is why she’s currently checking on Jon. He’s younger than her and he’s injured too, so she tries to be especially helpful.
She’s new to this whole ‘working in The Eye’s Temple’ thing but it’s not bad. The Watcher at the top of the building leaves her be and Jon isn’t old enough to find her out yet. The ambiance of the Temple leaves her be for the most part. The entities don’t normally target children.
There is an upside to working in a temple that is her antithesis, she’s gotten more curious. Strangers don’t normally seek out many answers, but it just feels right for her to do so.
Sasha is asking questions that the Circus can’t answer, leaving her to turn to the Temple. She obviously can’t ask any of the humans those questions, as they’re humans, nor can she ask Jon, as he’s practically an infant. Most of her answers are found through independent study of the Temple’s documents.
Sasha’s becoming a Strange Eye, and she finds that she doesn’t quite care. The Stranger is nice, it provides her a blanket of anonymity that she loves so. The Eye is new, it gives her answers and feeds her curiosity, and dotes on her like a parent like Breekon and Hope did when she was still New.
Multi-entity avatars and aspects, for Sasha never was human and could not be considered an avatar, aren’t unheard of. They’re just less common than single-entity avatars and aspects.
Back to the topic at hand, Sasha pokes her head into Jon’s office, knocking lightly on the doorframe.
“Jon? You good in here? It’s been a few hours and you haven’t taken a break.”
Jon looks up from whatever he’s scribbling on and gives her an inscrutable stare.
“I’m fine, Sasha. I took a break a few minutes ago.”
She can tell that’s a lie, so she gives him a glower.
“Come on, Jon! You and I both know that’s a lie. Come on, out of here now. You’re coming with me for lunch,” she chirps, waving her hands at him as she approaches his desk.
He squawks at her and tries to stay in his chair but she firmly latches onto his upper arms and hauls him out of the damned thing.
“Sasha!? This is highly unprofessional!”
She rolls her eyes and places him on the ground a few feet from his desk.
“Unprofessional is never talking to your coworkers. Stand up straight, man. Stop being a grump, you need to eat regularly to heal faster.”
Jon pouts but nonetheless walks out of his office. Sasha smiles at him when he turns back to her to raise an eyebrow.
She grabs his hand, not noticing his flinch, and pulls him out of the Temple and up the stairs to the ground floor.
“Where are we going exactly?” Jon asks, a bit miserably.
“There’s a nice cafe nearby that has nice sandwiches! Unless you’d like to go somewhere else?”
Jon stares at her, looking for something.
“...No, the cafe is fine.”
Sasha smiles at him and lets go of his wrist, assured he won’t run now that they’ve reached the lobby.
Before she can turn her head back to the front, she bumps into someone. Letting out an ‘oomph’ she starts to fall backward onto Jon who tries his best to push her up and not crush him.
“Goodness! Are you okay, child?” the voice of an elderly man asks.
A hand grabs onto her arm and pulls her forward enough to allow Jon to escape from behind her.
“Yes, I’m-I’m quite fine. Thank you for helping me stay balanced and sorry for bumping into you, I wasn’t paying much attention,” she says hurriedly. She knows the man she practically ran into. How could she not? Child avatars and aspects always end up meeting him when they’re young.
“Nonsense! It’s fine, dear! I think it’s best you run along now. Try not to get into much trouble, Stranger!” Simon Fairchild says, tipping his hat with a cane she hadn’t noticed until then, as he smiles at her.
Sasha nods at him and grabs Jon’s wrist again, this time noticing his flinch.
“Have a good day, sir! Let’s go, Jon.”
She pulls Jon further into the lobby before letting go of his wrist.
“Did you know him, Sasha? That old man?” Jon asks.
Sasha glances at him, confused.
“You mean you haven’t met him yet? But- Actually, that makes sense. You’re not that old yet. That was Simon Fairchild.”
Jon looks startled but quickly schools his features.
The rest of the way to the cafe is spent in silence.
-
Sasha enters the Circus and feels herself loosen in her skin. It’s nice being near Tim and Martin without their fear but there’s a certain feeling to letting her form shift and bend. Of course, she could always do this near Jon, but he’s far too young, only a few weeks old at most, to gracefully take her appearance.
“Evening, girlie,” Breekon shouts, Hope standing everpresent at his side.
“Have a good day?” Hope asks.
Sasha smiles at them and walks over. Breekon places a hand on her head and Hope smiles at her.
“It was good! I bumped into Simon Fairchild today but he wasn’t mad. I took Jon to that cafe you two like for lunch too! He’s healing nicely. Y’know, he didn’t even know who Mr. Fairchild was! Sure, he’s only a few weeks old but still!” she says to them.
“That’s not that bad-”
“-Fairchild don’t normally visit infants-”
“-No, Fairchild mostly visits toddlers-”
“-Yeah, he probably won’t see your Jon for a few years yet.”
Sasha beams up at them.
“Come on, girlie-”
“-Nikola wants us rehearsing soon.”
She nods and follows after them towards the dressing rooms.