|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 10:28 am
Rough night was an understatement, and it felt like it was never ending. Zia couldn't even begin to say how late into the night it was. Her phone battery had died, and she had already spent a good chunk of it chasing down motorcycle driving negaversers and screaming in the doorway of her apartment.
So it was a good thing Chester had a habit of working late. If it was even that late. Either way, when Zia hopped the fence to get in the carnival grounds, she saw his office light on.
Her brain was too tired to muse on the fact that the last time she had enjoyed her time with him, she had left and injured Chester earlier than preferred because of some misplaced guilt, and now that she had a screaming fight with the source of that guilt, she was slinking back ot Chester's carnival.
Maybe not so much slinking as brashly opening the door and inviting herself in, and flopping right on the sofa in exhaustion. She wasn't sure if her migraine was from dehydration from so much crying or the over all stress of what had happened hours prior, but that combined with the now scabbed over scratches on her collarbone where her brand was, she felt like s**t.
"Hey," She managed to whine before she slid into a face first position to wallow. There was much wallowing and self pity to be done.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 2:10 pm
Chester was the sort of man who was very predictable in his actions, when it came to the day to day. he had a routine and a lot of duties that kept him in one spot during the day and into the night, until he went out to patrol as Luxor and took up a whole new set of duties for that part of his life.
During his day to day life, though, he was at the Carnival. It was ready to be opened again but he was holding out, perfecting things, making it better, safer. He was probably driving his staff mad with all the changes and delays he was imposing but he just could not reopen the Carnival yet, knowing what happened the last time he had tried. He was more focused on the work, anyway, as it kept him calm and sane.
Ish.
He was in his office, drinking a bit and sifting through a mountain of paperwork mostly for the sake of it, as he always did what was pressing and important. This was just stuff that other people should do, but didn't want to. He didn't mind doing it, during the slow hours of the night when he couldn't sleep and wasn't out patrolling.
The way he glanced up from the papers when the door opened made it seem like he was expecting company. He had no impulse to defend himself, and that even bothered him. Maybe that was because he was so used to Zia coming over whenever she felt like it, his instincts had been altered to accommodate it. He did stand, though, seeing how bad she looked, and he moved to get her a glass of the scotch he had been drinking.
He offered it to her, kneeling next to the sofa and watching her quietly, patiently.
"Are you alright?" he asked, though it seemed like a stupid question.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:19 pm
"Wellll..." Zia whined out into the pillow she was keeping pressed forcefully against her face with her arms, but it was clear from the jerking motions of her shoulders she was either crying to trying desperately to contain some crying.
She started talking pretty much the instant she pulled it away to breathe. "I had kind of an emotional night with a friend who is going to do something crazy and I guess I'm freaked out about all kinds of future things and consequences and-- oh. Ooooh," She took the Scotch glass the second she noticed it and sniffed it. "Oh, this is my favorite," She seemed to almost segue into a weepy whine as if that prodded something.
It didn't, and the reaction was anything but rational, but she was already overstuffed with feelings and had no idea where to begin assigning what went where and why.
She just sipped at it and pulled her feet up on the couch.
"Anyway," She finally spoke up again. "I dunno. I got home and got in a fight with my boyfriend and there's holes in the wall and stuff and he flipped over the couch so I walked out on him but the apartment is hist and now I'm jobless and homeless and I guess I just don't ********," She babbled rapidly before absorbing the rest of the Scotch like a vacuum and made a slight face before staring at the empty glass in her hand. "This is some decent s**t. Malt?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:56 pm
Chester did not like the idea of her fighting with her boyfriend bad enough for there to be holes in walls. It sounded violent and dangerous, and neither word sat well with him when used with her involved. He hid his anger at the very idea, though, scowling a bit but not saying anything immediately.
He moved to get his drink while she spoke, then sat down near her, at a small distance, looking at her thoughtfully. He was worried but his expression never really betrayed his thoughts. He usually showed it through his actions.
His first instinct, then, was to find out who it was he needed to punch.
"You can stay here," he said, assuming that she had already come to the conclusion. His door was always open to her. And if it wasn't, she had ways of getting in anyway. He paused for a very long time, killing his timing, but he looked at her and took a sip of his scotch before he continued.
"If you don't punch holes in the wall."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 6:26 am
"I'm not the one who punched holes in the walls," Zia grumbled bitterly, but at her empty cup. "Or tossed the couch or dumped all of my clothes in the living room or trashed the kitchen. He kept calling me names and demanding an explanation or an apology and I just told him I didn't want to stay with him anymore and left. I didn't even pack."
Chester's attempt to sit near her with some distance between them was thwarted when she traded the couch cushion for his torso. "So I don't have anything and I'm just gonna stay here for a while okay?" She babbled out in a long whine before tears started again.
She was a tired crybaby.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:42 am
"You don't deserve to be called names," he said, "or to have your things dumped anywhere. You can stay here. I can get your things for you."
A very muscular, grumpy man showing up at the house to collect her girly things would probably be more than effective enough in ending any further fights before they started. Or encouraging one. This boyfriend of hers sounded like he deserved a very well placed and solid punch to his jaw, which was hopefully made of glass.
When she grabbed on to him, though, he dropped any idea of leaving for now and let her cling to him. He could figure out how to get her some things later, as she seemed to just need some good company for the moment and he found he lacked the will to leave her, even though he was generally not much for direct contact with others.
He patted her lightly on the shoulder and let her cry. He would let her sleep in the bed, and he'd take the couch, because he was too soft for his own good sometimes.
"Okay." He said simply.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 5:28 pm
The thought of Chester showing up to collect her dresses and shoes in the wake of Pascal's rampage about how she was cheating on him was not a good image in her mind, and one she would've preferred to avoid as much as she deeply appreciated the thought.
"Oh, no... I can just. I'll go later when he's at class, I guess," She sniffed and adjusted her grip just to reassure herself he wasn't going to get up and leave. If Chester was terrible company Zia apparently missed the memo.
"I just... I don't know, why are guys such jerks?" Either gross insensitivity or she just forgot Chester was also a 'guy'. But Zia heaved a sigh and brushed a few curls out of her face. "I did a lot of stupid things to make him happy. And it's not like it worked or-- I mean I regret a lot of it," she mused, realizing one of these things was avoiding visiting Chester quite so often after the incident where she had driven him to the hospital at the cost of her job. That had been the cause of a fight with her boyfriend too, only that time she had actually complied. Except where did that get her? Pascal had driven her out and Chester was still here.
"I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. Are your injuries doing okay?" Well hopefully since otherwise she had just poked at them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 1:54 am
"We don't know what's good for us," he said, as far as men went. And it was true, in his experience. Every good thing that ever came his way, he managed to either miss completely or mess up because he did not know how to deal with it. He could not speak for all men, of course, as he did not believe he would be able to threaten or hurt a woman.
He would, however, feel immense guilt he wouldn't know what to do with if he knew his actions had caused her pain and suffering, even in a small degree.
"I'm okay, don't worry. I guess being super powered has its perks." He spoke like he was bored of it, though that was just his tone. He was rather fascinated by how fast he had healed, compared to other serious injuries he had over his lifetime. He thought it might have something to do with his being a Page, but it might also just be in his head. Either way, he was feeling fine.
Ready to go out and get his butt kicked again.
"I think, for a little while, you should stop thinking about it. Just try to relax... maybe sleep." He would try and avoid any issues by simply carrying her to the bedroom when she fell to sleep, leaving her on the bed and returning to the sofa himself. He watched her carefully, concerned but not knowing what to do with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:29 am
"Oh, good," Zia sighed, poking at his side a bit more before sinking in on the sofa next to him. While she still felt the guilt of not checking up on him as much as she should, she was sue it would've increased if his injuries had not healed correctly and quickly.
There was a long silence, and a calm that was quiet enough she could've easily been mistaken for being asleep. But then out of the blue, she spoke up.
"I shouldn't have said those things... when I dropped you off at the hospital..." She mumbled. "I've lost a lot but... I'm not really alone. I have a lot of great friends and people who are supportive and giving and saying something ignorant about being alone in the universe was just... stupidly unfair and ungrateful."
She shifted and slumped against him with a yawning drawl to her words."Thank you for giving me someplace to hide, though. I.... I just um.... I can't think of a not-sappy way to say I really value your friendship a lot, Chester."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:26 am
Chester watched her, looking a little surprised by her words. He frowned and shook his head gently, concerned but not wanting to push her. He did not mind when she was upset, or when she was honest with him, or when she was too caught up with her emotions. Most of the time, he didn't hold anything she said against her.
He was only slowly coming to understand why that was. In fact, the last thing she said made it a little clearer.
His smile was gentle and warm, almost looking misplaced on his generally stoic face, and he pat her arm lightly in what might almost pass as a hug considering he had to reach around her to do it, but he still wasn't too good with full on affection in any form. He knew she understood what he was trying to do, though, and that helped.
"You're always welcome here," he said, though he didn't know how else to respond. Her words gave him a little pause, if only because she was able to put her feelings into them so easily, while he was struggling to understand what he felt. She was his friend. but for him it was different. He only thought about it as she dozed beside him, staring ahead of him at the wall.
He would never say it, though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
