Welcome to Gaia! ::

He hadn't had a chance to catch up to Zee for a while, not since he'd let her crash someplace she didn't know was his, in the wake of her breaking up with her ex. He'd had a few go rounds of his own. Battling shades, his own and others, arguing with a senshi whose name he couldn't pronounce on the subject of his commitment, and got pounded by a DMC with... issues he still couldn't fathom. Zee was right, every last one of them was crazy.

So that was more or less what was going on. He was trying to make sure she was alright, and was trolling to find her with slowly melting ice cream in a 'keep it cold' bag and a bottled drinks besides. Breakup food he assumed.

"Don't ask about the bruises" food anyway. Fortunately many of them were covered, but he couldn't hide the boot print on his face, even partially healed already.

Realgar was both glad and dismayed that Zia chose to tackle him from behind. Dismayed because he didn't think it was possible to hit that many black and blue spots in one hug, or that she'd hit the still healing ribs either, but glad because she couldn't see the expression on his face when she did. Bugged-watering eyes and a grimace weren't exactly much prettier than the tread mark on his face.

"First... yes... the food is for you..." He answered slowly, trying to catch his breath around impressive waves of pain wrapping around him like a constricting serpent.

"Second... just your friendly neighborhood DMC saying Hi. With his feet. But hey, you're pretty on the nose, they're ********' nuts."

"********, that's cold!" He sputtered. It was like getting bludgeoned by a tub of melty evil slush and good intentions. He wasn't sure what hurt worse. The bludgeoning or the good intentions, or if they had merged together into a perfect harmony of 'aw-hell-no'.

"I don't do 'stay in bed' well...pretty much... ever..." he admitted. He hated feeling confined to bed, especially since the crash.

"And if they do I gotta find out how, it would mean someone ratted me out, and the suspects are pretty limited."

He wasn't sure what he'd do if someone had. If the DMC knew, he doubted they'd have sat on it... and he hadn't been summoned yet.

"...I think he just had a bug up his a**, I can't figure that if they knew that Zink wouldn't... and I don't think he'd have me on a long leash if he knew." There was nothing to gain from it, not that he could think of. No extensive network of Order friends to hurt, no deep civilian bonds to shatter, no network to uncover because... well... the ability of royals to purify was apparently not much of a secret. Besides, Zink's territorial tendencies were at least as 'not a secret' as purification.

"And before you suggest it, not powering up just means I don't notice them coming. It wouldn't stop them from hauling me in if they were so inclined."

He added, gingerly fingering the bruise on his face.

"...Didn't know what kind of ice cream you liked so I guessed a little." Chili dogs were not a good predictor of ice cream.

"I'd make a joke but I think you'd hit me." He noted, picturing one of those neatly manicured fists popping him in the ribs.

He didn't doubt she was right, but what was there to do about it?

"If it'll make you feel better you can. I've got stuff at home but it doesn't stick around when I power up, y'know?"

He was still alive, anyway.

"I still heal faster than normal people, it's just been kinda nuts. You see any of those weird grey copy-people running around? Found a few of those... even copied a Guardian Cat."

"They went after freaking everyone apparently... well... not so clear about your favorite people to hate. One of their big shots showed up, but for all I know they were just trying to sweep their own mess under the rug. I had one pop up too, Iris cruised through and helped take it out, but she had one after her too and didn't stick around... And uh, no. No that was the DMC whackadoo. Maybe it was about that dippy senshi Remarque said they had plans for. I kinda roughed her up a bit at one point, maybe they're still steamed. Or maybe it was over that punk idiot Avior. Who knows."

He guessed now that he thought about it there were plenty of reasons for the DMC to get mad at him, but still.

He rolled his eyes slightly (he couldn't help it entirely. He was manly what were a few scrapes?) but followed after her as she tugged him along.

"Hardly matters if I go out and actually do s**t or stay at home and watch a crappy movie." He protested. "Zink wouldn't notice if I wrote "BRB Purifying" on my forehead and walked around in the rift for a week." He protested, carefully avoiding eye-contact with the receptionist as she buried herself in her magazine. Not that it was a difficult task, but he made an effort anyway.

"Oh I'm yours now?" He teased. "I thought the whole idea here was I was ditching the collar, I didn't think I was just switching out the 'return to' tags."

Had it been someone else, he might have even been angry at the assertion that he 'belonged' to anyone, but Zia got a certain... elbow room, that others didn't.

Although he was pretty sure the Receptionist had some very strange ideas about Zia's night life after watching her drag a beaten man in black leather through in a very commanding way.

...Maybe he wouldn't share that observation. He didn't think she'd find it quite as funny.

"Oh so you're not going to assault me with ice cream again? Sounds like a start..." He noted, glancing around with raised eyebrows. "I gotta say I think this is the most expensive place I've been in."

He'd seen one of the most expensive cars he'd ever handled up and closes once, but this sort of left that display in the dust. It did make sense, given who he'd found out her father was, but still. Seeing it in person was different than having once made jokes about it.

"I take my sass lessons from the master... meaning you." He joked, though he shot her a look loaded with mixed emotions. "...And I am seriously not the horse to which you should be harnessing your mental health. Zinkenite didn't recruit me because I was all Zippidy Doo Dah and bluebirds on my shoulder."

He let out a sigh as she applied the ice back, which made him wince, but was also considerably better than the dull, constant throb of pain you didn't quite get used to.

"Best I can promise on mental health is to say we're both pulling in the same direction."

Cat Lady? Ow. He only had three...

"No problem, wasn't any trouble for anyone..." It was weird referring to himself as a separate person, but then... he couldn't really TELL her could he?

"And I appreciate the lack of assault."