some (read: a lot of) assorted phoenix & handler headcanons but ones that specifically center around their relationship and also communication 4 some reason. mild cog spoilers as per usual yk the drill
phoenix and their handler initially started off on absolutely terrible terms.
phoenix flip-flopped between a good handful of handlers really early on, all of who became too quickly fed up with their lax and occasionally blatantly disobedient behavior. it was only once they officially classified phoenix as mute that they got assigned to crane
pretty much the only reason they did get assigned to crane is because he was one of the only ones on the team fluent enough in sign language to take on a mute agent. he was not at all excited to take on an ex-convict operative, let alone an insubordinate one. his usual agents had a little class, at least...
as one can imagine, pairing up the already frustrated phoenix (out of their element, probed to communicate in a manner they weren't comfortable with, and already seen as nothing but a future fatality to most of the agency) with the jaded and distant handler (needing to replace one of their older, 'better' late operatives with this pyromanic, disobedient little freak) didn't exactly go over so well at first.
despite the fact that crane could translate and communicate back in sign, he rarely ever did. or at least, phoenix never felt as if anything they signed ever actually got through to him. most of it was brushed aside with a non-committal "yes, well, anyways-". inevitably, phoenix stopped signing entirely, unless communication was absolutely necessary. it was the start of their 'stoic silence' era, as their handler put it.
(they also stopped acting like anything that left their handler's mouth made it to their ears. they wouldn't nod when he spoke or anything, really. their version of the 'silent treatment'.)
the most crane would get was an occasional "psst." into the earpiece when phoenix needed some help with something. the handler didn't really mind that, though. even if phoenix did speak, it would probably be something impertinent anyways.
... but deep dive was where phoenix finally hit their boiling point. their handler's snippy little "i told you so" nearly sent them flying off the handle. and while it certainly didn't help crane's impression of them by any means, it… planted a little seed in his mind all the same
neither of them could consider their relationship a close one until some time after Death Engine. but post deep dive, crane made an effort to… lay off of phoenix a little bit (… and it actually surprised him how quickly that made a difference in their synergy)
as much as phoenix could get on his nerves, he couldn't deny that they were a pretty good agent, for the circumstances. by all accounts they should have been dead twelve times over by now. he gave them little snippets of praise every now and again- no different than the unthinking commentary he'd give any other agent… but phoenix seemed to value it like gold.
(he… didn't really know how to think about that. how quickly his agent took to his praise, as hollow as it felt for him to say it. in some regard, it felt almost sad- the pathetic kind of sad. he wasn't ever gonna say that to his agent's face though)
as their handler started getting a little looser with phoenix, they opened up a bit more in turn. admittedly, that mostly boiled down to nodding when spoken to and obeying when their handler asked them to stop propping their feet on their desk. but it was as good a start as any.
post Death Engine and onward, phoenix got way more 'chatty' as their relationship with their handler developed. they still would "psst". into the earpiece when they need help, but they'd also hum, click, snap, and even whistle on rare occasion. (actually 'translating' those noises is a completely situational affair, mind you. but crane's grown to admire the little language he and his agent have developed over time.)
assorted thoughts that i can't fit up there but that are important to me anyways so. youre still getting them:
the handler is… bad at apologizing. thankfully, he knows this full well, but unfortunately for him, that only makes it harder for him to swallow his pride and actually do it. so when he first apologized to phoenix- right after he pushed the agent to their boiling point, right after deep dive... he did it in sign.
really, his thought process was that it'd be easier to sign the words than to say them… but phoenix took it a little differently. it was the first time he'd signed to them at all (honestly, they were starting to think the Agency was lying to them when they said their handler knew anything about sign).
they didn't really believe crane was all that sorry, mind you. but the act... touched them- and their handler was the last person they ever thought would affect them like that... so instead of outright saying that they didn't believe him, they just shrugged, and signed 'ok'. and the rest of the flight home was in complete silence.
it... was the first time either of them had a proper 'conversation' since they'd met.
to this day, whenever they're occupying the same space and the handler needs to apologize about something, they tend to do it in sign. phoenix chooses to read it as his way of trying to appear more genuine towards the agent specifically (even though they do think he should learn to actually force the words out of his mouth every now and again)
~~~~
hearing crane's little "i couldn't get rid of you if i wanted to! ... and believe me, i don't" just about snapped phoenix right in half. it touched a spot that they didn't even know they had.
in hindsight, they feel really bad for the fact that they couldn't even conjure something to 'say' in response. a warm hum, or a glissando whistle, or something to convey the fact that they reciprocated. but they were too stunned to think about that at the time...
they hope that their handler knows that anyways, though, even without them actually 'saying' it.
~~~~
crane was always fond of cracking the occasional joke or witty comment on the job. usually, phoenix would roll their eyes, or simply snort sarcastically, but nothing ever seemed to tickle them the same way it tickled him.
but then one day, the handler said... something. if he was honest, it slipped off his tongue so mindlessly he doesn't even remember what it was anymore. but phoenix absolutely barked when they heard it. they broke into an absolutely ecstatic cackle- the kind that trails off into giggle fits for up to a minute afterward.
it was the longest stretch of time he'd ever heard his agent's voice... even if it wasn't in the typical sense of them using it to speak.
the rate of his playful commentary increased since that particular day. he's never gotten a reaction quite like that out of phoenix again, but a part of him always hopes he can, bless his heart
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Y’all are being subjected to my Sims 2 tests, so there
The other set of Vargases came over for a visit and Scriabin picked up Shmee and started talking to Scriabin through him. Very normal, very usual
I downloaded some circle-glasses recolours and hghghh they look so good! Closer every day to his final details! Getting ever closer!
Edgar too! I made him a custom hair with a lighter undercut - I’m mostly happy with it, probably could’ve shifted it a shade closer to his skintone but the texturing was weird no matter what :P And his stripey shirt! I wish Body Shop didn’t have that hands-on-hips pose lol, it looks so much better in-game, but that’s all the better :)
I got some new clothes for Todd as well! As soon as I saw this ‘fit I was like “Oh that’s 100% Todd there he is.” Scriadad hug ♥ So cute
Foot-dancing together stopp it’s so cute!!
The way he looks at them stoppp <3 <3 They kept doing this right up til they left for home haha, Todd’s giggles are the cutest
Used SimPE to save him to the Body Shop, I now have infinite copies of The Boyyyy ♪
Moved him in with his “parents” as just shadow people basically, they’re not gonna matter in a bit as long as I remember how to get the Social Worker/Adoption process to work properly. Get her Todd!!
Wanna play? :D
Menacing :(
Look, Todd, your new dads are here! Initially I wasn’t sure who I wanted to adopt him, got lots of options; the first passes, the married couple with their own Todd, Johnny?? He definitely doesn’t have the facilities for a child lol
But these are the ones that showed up on their own, so the married Vargases are the winners!
Scriabin cares more about him than his actual parents ;; A stranger off the street shows him more care! Not that it’s a high watermark
Look at him being a good dad!
Weh, he just wants friends ;; Poor baby
Best timeline, thank you
While we wait for CPS, let’s get some other interactions in! Nny is mean so he tended to prank the other two with a nose flick - mostly Edgar lol ♪ Now kiss
“Oh please don’t break all my bones~ :3” I love Todd looking up at them haha <3
Pffft, I think he was talking about the other Scriabin and just how attractive he is. Classic Scriabin. Alternatively, also funny to imagine him bragging himself up about how he’s just so handsome that Edgar can’t help but love him hahaha ♪
Allow me to tickle you with my KNIFE! >:D
Get a load of this guy lol
He ended up passing out at one point - I forgot which motives make CPS show up >.> - and completely 0%’d his comfort, but for some reason stargazing increased it?? It’s the same ground wh
Is two not enough to satisfy your butterfly bloodlust child?? He ended up with three, I had him release them before he was picked up by the Social Worker - success!
He rolled a new Want as soon as Todd was taken away - “Wants to see Ghost of Todd” Woah, dark! :0
And here he is on the married Vargases’ lot!! Success!! I did it right!! Heck yeah! :D Unfortunately they were uh, indisposed at the time. Good job guys pft
Goes right for Shmee, he really is Todd <3
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