Welcome to Gaia! ::

It had been a long, long, time since he’d been in Destiny City and while he hadn’t really thought he’d miss the place it was nice to be back. He hadn’t planned on returning, too many bad memories, but when the magazine he worked for said they were opening an office in the city he volunteered to be relocated. Them paying for the expenses had been nice too and it meant he’d picked up gorgeous loft right in the center of town.

When he’d gotten settled the first thing he’d done was look up what was going on in town and where he could go for some fun. His boxes were mostly still packed but there was fun to be had and he wasn’t missing it.

One of the clubs that wasn’t too far from his new place was having a burlesque night and like hell he was going to miss that.

He’d pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans, dark green button up and his favorite coat, pinned his hair up, and called an uber.

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The Cat’s Paw was a unique club in Destiny City, reaching out to a specific type of clientele. Those looking for the more rowdy experience that often accompanied a trip to a ‘strip club’ were often disappointed when they were escorted out, or barred from entering the establishment. The way the wait staff was treated along with the overall atmosphere was why Cordelia had applied, knowing that she had assets that could be exploited in the name of large tips on the right nights.

Tonight was one of those nights. She’d shuffled into her outfit, checking the laces on her corset before shutting her locker after making sure that her phone was set to ‘silent’ while kicking back a message to a handful of important people, should they text or call, that she was at work and would be unavailable, save for an emergency, until after close that night.

She checked in at the bar first, flashing a grin at her favorite bartender as she picked up her tray, checking the table assignments for the night before heading out to work her magic.


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Inside the club was a lot better than he expected and he grinned as he looked around. The cover hadn’t been too bad which meant he had more money for drinks and, if the wait staff’s outfits said anything, tips. The show wouldn’t start for a bit and he headed over to the small counter to see if there were any tables open for reservations.

Thankfully there was a smaller table open and he charged that to his credit card before being shown over by a far too cute little blond guy. A few words and his usual charming smile sent the guy off with a blush and he settled into the table. It was in a good spot near the stage and he could see almost the entire club from his seat.

He was going to like this place.


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She made her rounds to the ables she’d been assigned to one by one, collecting orders for those that were ready to at least order drinks before letting them know that she’d check back in to see if they were interested in dinner as well, something only offered on show nights, or if an appetizer was more something they would be interested in.

His table was her next stop, tray leaning on her hip as she paused by the high top. “Thought about what you might want this evening? I trust Andi went over the specials with you… He’s usually very good at that when it comes to the tables he seats.”

He’d been pondering ordering his usual drink or one of the specials when he heard a voice beside him. Since he’d been looking down anyway his eyes went from the shoes up and as he took in the mass of black curls and almost purple eyes he grinned.

It couldn’t be.

“Cordelia?” It had to be her and that was one hell of an outfit she was in. Hopefully one her cousin didn’t know about or he’d flip.


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Her ‘work face’ faltered for a brief second at the sound of her name coming from a voice that was both familiar and not. They weren’t required to wear name badges while out on the floor, management giving them the option of whether or not they provided anyone they served with their real name or a false one due to the nature of the establishment. The man at the table hadn’t seemed familiar, but…

“Should I take that as Andi didn’t go over the specials with you? I can give you a moment longer to look at things if you’d like.”


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“You know. I am crushed you don’t remember me. Absolutely heart broken.” He knew it was her, even more so after the twitch in her face when he said her name. She didn’t seem to want to recognize him though. Which meant she really didn’t remember what he looked like or she’d decided she wasn’t going to acknowledge him for some other reason. He didn’t think Rik would have been that petty but weirder things had happened.

“He did, sadly he wasn’t on tap but he did tell me that all of the house liquor was three for a single mixer so I’ll have a whiskey sour.”


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“Whisky sour, alright.” She was still smiling as she leaned over to turn the menu, giving him an ample view of her cleavage. It wasn’t always intentional, but considering the amount she had it also wasn’t always avoidable. “We tend to recommend one of these appetizers if you’re hungry for something other than our host to start yourself off… Or, if you’re staying for the show we do also offer dinner.”


She leaned back, giving him a look as she shifted her tray. “May I see your ID? Then I can get your order put right in for you.” The more she was around him the more familiar he seemed; the hair color and his eyes almost gave him away completely, but he’d gotten older… They’d all grown up, really.


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He had always appreciated Cordelia’s curves and was glad she was finally wearing something that showed them all off properly. He doubted anyone else in her life would agree she should be out in public like this but he thought she looked good. Proper pin-up.

“Any suggestions on dinner? I came entirely for the show but so far the rest of the atmosphere has been wonderful.” And still possibly the host of the way ‘Andi’ had looked at him was any indication. He did get out his wallet though and pulled out his ID to hand over to her.


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“Suggestions depend on whether or not you’re interested in an appetizer.” A soft smirk touched her lips as she looked at his ID, checking everything over before handing it back to him. “We do serve a spinach and artichoke dip that they don’t put on the menu, but I know they keep a batch of it back there on show nights. You do still like artichokes, don’t you?”

“I do.” He grinned, taking his ID back. “As long as it comes with bread and not chips. I bet there’s no chance you’re on the secret menu for the night hm?” He leaned back in his seat slightly, eyes running over her whole outfit again. “Does Luc know you do this? I bet he’d have a fit.”



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“I’ll put in for that whiskey sour and the spinach and artichoke dip, then, and you can take a look at the dinner menu. Avoid the rice pilaf.” Her smirk broadened as she avoided his question for the time being so that she could head back over to the bar to key the order in. She also grabbed a napkin and a pen while she was there, scrawling a quick note to tuck onto the table when she returned with his drink.

“I’ll be back with your appetizer once it’s out.” She set the folded napkin down with the note next to the napkin she’d set his glass on. “I’m going to check in on my other tables, but I’ll be back with your appetizer and then we’ll get your dinner order in.”

Tech not supposed to wait tables of friends. Too busy for chit-chat. If you’re sticking around for the show and you’d like to catch up, maybe after close.

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When Cordelia was gone he picked up the folded napkin and smirked at the note she’d left him. He hadn’t intended originally to stick around the club until after it closed but since he’d run into her that was probably a sign. He didn’t have work in the morning so staying up past his bedtime wasn’t going to make too much of an issue.

While waiting for her to come back he did actually look over the menu. For a club just a step up from a strip joint they did have a pretty good menu.


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She made her rounds, checking in on the rest of her tables before stopping back at Lysander’s table to deliver his dip once the appetizer was ready. “Any more thoughts about dinner before the show starts?” Her brow quirked as she set down the dish along with the cubed pieces of bread.


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“I think I am going to have the shrimp alfredo. Unless you're going to warn me off that too.” He'd settled himself back in the chair and when she stopped by the table let his eyes trail over her again. “Just so you know. You have the perfect thighs for those garters.”

He was sure half her coworkers would kill for curves like Cordelia had.


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“That’s one of the reasons why I wound up working here, darling.” A light smirk touched her lips, although it didn’t quite make it the whole way up to her eyes. “Nothing bad to say about the alfredo, though. I think it’s a fine choice to go along with the dip. Were you interested in adding on a salad too? Or just the pasta dish? And did you need anything else to drink?”

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“Just the pasta and I'm alright with the whiskey for now. I'm sure i'll get more later.” The drink was good and hed probably have a few more while watching the show. For now he could enjoy it and the dip though. “I’ll let you get back to your adoring public.”


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“Fortunately for me they’ve all been perfect gentleman and ladies tonight. Show nights generally bring out the best.” Cordelia winked as she backed away from his table, heading back once more to check in. All of the tables had settled for the night and after one more round of dropping off meals it would just be a matter of keeping them happy until after the show.


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He only bothered Cordelia a few more times throughout the show to get a refill on his drink. The appetizer and his dinner were delicious, much better than he expected, and the show was amazing. It was going to have to become a semi-regular thing to come out here for it given how good this one had been. When the show started to wind down and everyone was paying their tabs or pondering other entertainment he got out enough money to cover his food, drinks, and a hefty tip. He wrote a little note on the napkin under the money while he waited for her to come back to collect it

Where should I meet you? And when


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“Closing out your tab?” Her brow lofted as she paused by his table to collect his bill, fingers brushing over the napkin as she glanced down before crumpling it up. “If you’re looking to head somewhere for after hours there’s a bar down the street that stays open a little later-- Otherwise, my personal recommendation is a diner two blocks down. It’s never a bad idea to go for a brisk walk and clear your head before grabbing some coffee to head home with. I’ll be right back with your change and you can be on your way.”


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“Closing out.” He nodded as she came by. He slightly raised a brow at her recommendations and grinned. “Don’t need any change, stuff over the tab is for you and those gorgeous thighs of yours.” He pulled himself up out of the chair and stretched. “Coffee does sound perfect.”

Hopefully she would also do that and he could catch up with her there once she was actually off her shift and done with work.


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Once the rest of her tables were cashed out she checked in at the bar, tucking some of the tips she’d earned that night into the jar there with a wave to the bartender before clocking out. It was a relief that she hadn’t been scheduled as the last closer-- Even better that on show nights the wait staff was usually let off the hook once their tables were finished so the busers could take over with clean-up duties.

Overall, it had been a good evening. Between this one and the last show she had enough to cover utilities and a decent grocery trip while setting a little bit extra aside into the ‘just in case’ fund that she’d started after locking away her credit card. It left her with a smile on her face as she slid her heels off, wiggling her toes against the floor as she rocked forward to get into her locker.

When she’d finished changing she checked her phone, clearing the alerts from the useless emails she’d gotten and confirming that she hadn’t gotten any texts. Luc wasn’t staying at her place anymore so there wasn’t anyone she needed to let know that she was going to be home later than a usual closing shift even if it was generally expected. The elderly waitress on staff at the diner actually knew her by name. Cordelia took an extra minute to shake her hair out before pulling it up into a messy pony-tail, readjusting her scarf and buttoning her jacket before heading out into the crisp night air.


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The walk to the diner had been nice and the cool air did wonders to wake him back up on the trip. He could tell walking in that it was the perfect sort of place to get coffee and a hearty breakfast if you were going to be wandering around late in the evening or in the early morning.

The older waitress seemed to know that his recommendation had to have come from someone at the club and she showed him to a table and got a fresh pot of coffee going.


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Her own walk to the cafe was a little bit slower as she let her feet adjust to not wearing heels anymore, rather glad that she’d at least picked up a pair of shoes with a thicker heel to make them far more comfortable to stand on throughout the night than some of the shoes that the other girls wore. When she walked in she was greeted by the waitress on duty, smiling brightly before heading over to the table where Lysander had made himself comfortable.

“Sorry for all of the spy games… I didn’t want to lose a table tonight just because I knew you-- You didn’t really have to leave that much of a tip, Lys. I hope you’ll at least let me buy you coffee.”


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“I brought that money to buy drinks and leave tips so since there weren’t any dancers I wanted to give it to why not you?” He grinned as he looked up at her. “Luc doesn’t know you work there does he?”


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“Luc wasn’t in Destiny City when I moved out of my parents’ house and started looking for a job.” Lucien had also seen her running around Destiny City in an outfit that honestly wasn’t much more than her work attire, so as far as she was concerned his opinion on the matter was void. “I generally clean house in tips on show nights and on some of the days we open a bit earlier for lunch. People like the atmosphere and the art and they actually enforce the rules, unlike some places in town…”


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“I did some research on the place before I decided to go to the show. It's why I decided to come out instead of unpacking.” Which is what he should have been doing. “Wasn't expecting to see anyone though.”


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“I wasn’t expecting to see anyone I know either. The last time it happened a friend got so wasted that one of the bouncers who also knows her had to see her home.” She shook her head slowly, thanking the waitress when she came over with a cup of tea.

“Same as usual, Cordy?” The woman flashed her a warm smile, not even bothering to pull out her order pad. “And what about you, young man. What’ll you be having this evening?”


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He snickered slightly at the idea of one of Cordelia’s friends getting that wasted. He knew he had missed a lot but that was a whole other level of interesting than he was expecting with coming back. “Lemonaid? And I think I’ll have that waffle combo with bacon and over easy eggs.” He smiled at the waitress as she spoke to him.


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“Same as usual for me, yes.” She smiled brightly at the waitress who let them know that she’d get their order right in and be back around with their drinks. “What on earth brought you back to Destiny City, Lysander? I thought you’d had enough of this place.”


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“The magazine i work for opened an office here and there weren’t any takers for a bit, probably because of all the s**t that goes on here, and …” He shrugged slightly. “Something told me I should take the job and come back. So here I am.”


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“Luc just came back too-- Finished up his schooling and now he’s looking for a job in town. You’re working for a magazine now?” Her brow lofted as she leaned on the table, watching him for a moment. It was interesting to hear about how everyone had moved on while she felt like she had mostly stayed the same. She supposed that living on her own and having a job was moving on, especially for someone like her, but…

“Sometimes you wind up where you’re needed. It’s hard to deny that, what with the way the world is these days.”


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He nodded. “I am too short, and not ripped enough, to be a model so I decided to major in journalism with a minor in fashion. So now I write articles and work under the creative director in charge of setting up clothes and props for shoots for a smallish magazine. I run an instagram too cause people actually pay me to take pictures of myself in their clothes.”


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“Well, if you ever need any help with that.” She smirked softly, leaning back in her seat as the waitress returned with her tea and the lemonade for Lysander. “I’ve been asked about modeling a couple of times, but I’ve got the feeling most of the people who’ve left me their cards were looking for something a little more involved.” Mostly because they’d hit her up at work, which had gotten them a warning, for the mouthy ones, and a polite smile with no promise of following up for the nicer ones.


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“There’s a lot of places that would love someone like you. If you want to do something like that I can talk to the people who hire our models? Since we’re a smaller magazine we use a lot of freelance models rather than going with big agencies.” Though since the magazine was getting bigger they’d probably start using the usual models more. “Since the office here just opened they’ll need some local contacts.”


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“I was thinking more help you out with your instagram.” Cordelia laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear. “I don’t think I’ve got the figure to be one of the typical models that winds up on magazine covers… Not sure I’d really want that much attention anyways. Highschool me? Maybe. Me now… Believe it or not, I’ve grown up a little.” She smirked.


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“Well I can see that you’ve grown up some.” He smirked, leaning back to sip on his drink. “You’d be surprise how little the right people care about ‘typical’ models.” And there were plenty of ways to keep her more anonymous if she wanted too. “If Luc’s back in town I might have to get him in on it. I bet he kept up his photography stuff and he can probably take some good pictures for me. I might worry about you in my closet though. Who knows what you might uncover in there.”


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“He is looking for a job right now. He’s not staying with me anymore and paying for a flat of his own is going to start cutting into his savings if he doesn’t find something sooner or later. With the hours I usually keep I can understand him wanting to have his own space, even if it was nice having him around for a bit.” She gently peeled the top off of a plastic cream container, pouring it slowly into her tea before giving it a light stir. Her eyes were dancing with amusement as she glanced up to Lysander again.

“Keeping skeletons in your closet, are you? Or do you have tastes you didn’t let any of us know about the last time you were in town?”


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“There actually might be a plastic skeleton in it right now from my halloween shoot.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “I doubt I could pay him enough to give him a full time job but if he’s looking I can maybe hook him up with some freelance photography gigs.” If he was still good at least. He wasn’t sure what Lucien had been up to but he figured he hadn’t given up that hobby.


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“I could give him your number, assuming you’re going to give it to me before we part ways tonight… Or a card, if you have one of those now instead.” Schmoozing and making connects was far more what she felt like her parents would have expected her to be doing with her life at this point, as opposed to what she actually was doing. Unfortunately, she had chosen to put more into her other life as opposed to getting to invested in the one she was currently living at the moment.

“Plastic skeletons aren’t all that bad. I almost found myself with one or two bird ones this holiday, but the wings were terrible and I didn’t feel like putting in the effort to make them look more realistic on my own… So I settled for more artwork instead and a few bottles that have been repurposed.”


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“Did you get those ones that had wings made of bone? Rather than, you know, how actual bird wings look?” He’d seen them in a few stores and had about died laughing. “They look like birds but wow. I’ll stick with my actual skeletons thanks.”


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“I saw them, but I didn’t pick them up.” She’d seen enough odd creatures in the variety of youma roaming the streets of Destiny City that she hadn’t thought it would be necessary to bring any other nightmare creatures home. “Have you been in touch with anyone else since getting back? Or is this really your first night out on the town.”


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“Really is my first night out. I just got moved in two days ago and i’ve been unpacking since.” it had taken him almost that long just to get his closet unpacked much less furniture and other things.


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She looked like she might have considered saying something for a moment, but her thoughts were interrupted as their food arrived. She flashed a bright smile at the waitress, unwrapping her knife and fork so that she could start digging in to the breakfast plate in front of her.


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He thanked the waitress as well before digging in. The breakfast looked delicious and he was looking forward to eating a proper cooked fatty breakfast for the first time in a while. Once they’d both started eating and got a few bites in he leaned back a bit. “So is working all you’ve been up to lately?”


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“Working, getting Luc settled back in… I’ve been taking classes here and there while time permits. I-- Took some time off after everything that I was running away from caught up to me.” She set her fork down for a moment so that she could reach for her tea, taking a slow sip. “Talked to a few people, got into some grief counseling, finally. It hasn’t made everything better, but I’ve also made new friends with some good people and it’s helped.”

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“Well that is always a plus, why the grief counseling? If you don't mind me asking.” He hadn’t kept up a bit with what had been going on, too busy with his own life outside of Destiny City.

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“Because it was something I should have done before we met, as opposed to running away to the happiest place on earth,” she laughed, shaking her head slowly. “I was in a bad place for a while after I lost my friends to that accident. I could have gotten myself into a lot of trouble in a number of different ways.”

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“Running away from all of it seems to be something a lot of us are good at. Probably says something about the kind of people who become, well … us.” He smirked, shaking his head. “Breakfast here is delicious.”

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“Adults who sit in diners after midnight enjoying breakfast like it’s nothing?” Her brow lofted as she took another slow sip of her tea. “The breakfast here really is incredible, though. There’s a reason why it’s generally a stop on my way home unless I’ve got anywhere else to be.”

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“Something like that.” There was a little more to it as far as he was concerned but having breakfast earlier than most people even got out of bed was something he’d gotten used to in highschool. It made things easier.. “I might have to come out here just for these waffles. They’re brilliant.”

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“Well, if you ever happen to be in the area on nights that I work, this is generally where I wind up after.” She smiled, picking up her fork so that she could get into her pancakes again. It was always good to have a nice, filling meal after a long night at work.

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“If the shows there are always that good you might end up seeing me again. Might still have a hard time resisting those garters though.” He grinned as he finished off his bacon.

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“I haven’t waited tables on a night where the shows haven’t been that good. There’s a reason why we enjoy working on show nights and it’s not just because of the tips-- Although that is at least a small perk.” More of a large perk, really, but they only let the more skilled wait staff work on show nights and she’d worked her way up to that.

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“If you were at that one I’d bet you’d be at more. Someone like you has to be able to pull in quite a bit of money for the club. Guys just buying drinks so you’ll come back to their table.” He’d have been tempted to do that if he didn’t know Cordy.

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“Guys, girls… It’s more about the way you schmooze than the way you look, but I’ve definitely gotten a lot more comfortable with myself working there. I like my co-workers-- Most of them, at least.” She smirked softly, running her fingers back through her hair. “It’s meant that I haven’t had to look for a second job and I haven’t had to fall back on my parents’ credit card either.”

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“Looks always help. If you could schmooze but looked awful no one would want you coming near their table. Sad thing but true.” Not that anyone he’d seen in the club looked anything but amazing but you heard stories. “It feels good to be making it on your own doesn’t it? I remember how liberating that was.”

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“It does, yes. Better than I thought it would, honestly, but… I couldn’t keep relying on them. It’s meant giving up a lot of the comforts that I was used to, though.” Grabbing food at a diner wasn’t one of those things, though. She’d made sure to work that into her budget, cutting out some of the name brand clothing lines she used to shop for solely in high school. “I’ve got a nice little place, though, and it’s me on top of being mine.”

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“So it’s completely fashionable and mostly neutral colors?” He grinned, voice taking on a teasing tone. “I think one of my favorite perks of my job is all the free clothes and stuff i get sent by companies who just want it to show up on my instagram. And now some are hoping i’ll get them into the magazine too.” Which he couldn’t really do and hadn’t really told his bosses about anything unless it was really something he liked.

"I don't really think any of us ended up in the lives we thought we'd have a children." He had to say his wasn't too far off. He'd always though he'd be a model but he was a little too short for that one professionally. What he did he loved though and that was good enough for him at the moment.

"I found a cute loft studio but it's certainly not one of the ones you see the artsy people in movies owning." It was at least better than his one out in Cali.

"It's not the big open space I could sing musical numbers in but it's roomy enough. And there's a little loft in my loft where my bed is so i can sort of escape if I have anyone over."

He didn't have a pull out though and somehow he doubted his couch would be all that good to sleep on unless you liked getting a crick in your neck.

"The place does make a good backdrop for photos though which is half the reason I decided to get it."

"I don't know. There's plenty of atmosphere to do a sad little 'woe is me' number while looking out a window." He grinned as he too another bite of his breakfast. "Just no big fancy numbers or anything. Also, i work at an indy fashion magazine. Random musical numbers have been known to break out at work."

Those were always fun days. Unless they happened the day before an issue went to print and someone was getting yelled at for wasting time.

"Sometimes that isn't always a good thing." He'd noticed her odd pause but didn't want to press it. He had no idea what had gone on with her over the years and that could have been something she didn't want to get into. "Some songs ... i dont think I ever want to hear again."

When he finished off his breakfast he nudged the plate to the edge of the table so it was out of the way.

"Wasn't really anyone to get in touch with. I mean I guess I could have texted you or something but there was always the chance you'd changed your number." He smirked slightly. "Other than that maybe some of the people I have on facebook know but no one's sent me a message or anything.

"Kinda liked the idea of starting fresh and seeing where it took me."

"No I think i'm good. I shouldn't keep you from getting home any longer and i -should- try to go to bed at a reasonable hour." That wasn't likely to happen but he could pretend that he'd tried at least. "You don't have to cover my breakfast you know. Unless that's going to be the 'welcome home' present I get."

He grinned as he finished off his coffee and set the cup aside.

Before she could get too far away he caught her arm and pressed a business card into her hand. "So you can at least text me. I didn't realize how much I missed talking to you." He let her go so she could sneak off and stayed where he was for a bit, long enough to thank the waitress when she came to collect the money.

It was an easy enough walk home and he hoped she would actually keep in touch so he had someone he knew to talk to in town.