Welcome to Gaia! ::

The pregnant pause did not go without notice, in fact, Sonia let the weight of it linger for longer than probably necessary. Standing beside him, sipping her own coffee slowly just waiting to see if he had anything else to add.

This was the reaction she had been expecting. That dawning realization that he was in over his head with this haphazard suggestion. It had been kind enough for him to offer, but she was beginning to wonder if it was even his idea or if someone else was twisting his arm instead. Either way, at least she felt fairly certain he now understood why she was so apprehensive and questioning before.

Still, she couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed or perhaps upset on his behalf because his life was going through a major upheaval as hers was by this mess.

"I get it, it's fine." Sonia turned to leaned her back against the siding. "It's one thing to bring a friend over, or an acquaintance. Someone you trust that isn't going to judge too harshly or mess with your things. We may be 'co-workers' but we're still strangers."

She turned her attention to the street. No broken sidewalks or trash littering the street. I don't belong in a neighborhood like this, thoughts echoed by her deepening frown. It's not that she lived in a bad part of town, it was still nice, had a good school and a few parks within walking distance. But it was one of those places that took lower priority due to funding to maintain.

Yes, there was garbage in the storm water drains and yards filled with nothing but weeds; but it was home and the people they called neighbors were friends and together they formed a community. This place felt picture perfect, like it had once been photographed in a home and garden magazine her mother may have read, or kept in the bathroom as a heavy hint to their father that she wanted a better looking yard than what she had.

It felt... isolating if not cold.

"I can call an Uber, have someone pick me up and take me home." Her screen may have been broken by the fall from before but at least it was a clean crack and not a web-like shatter. "Try again when it's not so dark out and if you still feel uncomfortable showing me inside then..." Honestly she had no other suggestion other than call it off which, as he pointed out before, wasn't viable for either of them.

You will live here. You will like it. You will feel welcome.

You will!


You will!



Blah blah, bull s**t, and some nonsense crap.

It was a true struggle not to mutter the words 'Yes Master' when he turned to open the door. It's as if he had watched Beauty and the Beast recently and in some capacity adopted Prince Adam's persona. Frustrated with himself, frustrated with the situation. Trying to assert some control over it by imposing his will on her own.

It was exasperating and left her feeling just mentally exhausted. Sonia did, however, roll her eyes; not caring if he saw or not when she stepped inside.

The lights came on and she was pleasantly surprised to see how tidy everything ways. No dishes in the sink, couch cushions strewn about the floor, or miscellaneous clothes left out rather than put away or in the laundry area. It at least gave her some hope that she wasn't being brought is as a part-time live-in maid.

Sonia leaned over to remove her shoes and set them beside the door before stepping further inside. Thoughts kept mostly to herself she peeked around corners just observing where things were, familiarizing herself with the general layout .Eventually she wandered over to the stairs, testing each steps before putting her full weight on it; listening for the inevitable squeaking sound of nails rubbing against the wood. There were few that groaned in protest but it was enough for her to decide that of the two choices he'd given, she'd rather not stay in the downstairs if at all possible.

At the top of the stairs, she spotted the second guest bedroom; the door slightly ajar on the left of the landing.

Lips pressed into a thin line, contemplative expression wrought upon her face. She paused on the threshold, one hand held against the door but the reality of the situation kept her rooted in place and she wasn't really sure she was ready to face it quite yet.

Then again, was he?

Here she had pushed Reed to bring her here, to let her see his home; where he proposed they'd be living. Now that he had, she just... felt a cascde of emotions come crashing down on her.

It took a long moment for her to finally muster the courage to step inside; would have been longer still if he wasn't shadowing her around the house. Even with her back to him she could feel the impatience, imagine the annoyed expression; narrowed seafoam green eyes contemplating just pushing her in if she didn't hurry it up. All in her imagination, of course; but it did keep her from turning around to face him.

The room was actually larger than her own by several square feet. A little dusty but she supposed that should be expected, most guest rooms went moths untouched unless someone was visiting. While there was no bed, there were a few pieces of furniture; antique looking things but it fit the aesthetics of his home.

A mirror hung on the wall and in it she saw her own defeated expression.

Sonia turned away from it and walked over to the window where she parted the blinds to look outside. A yard with plants that were alive at least she assumed them to be since all she had was the soft yellow glow of the lights downstairs to see them with.

What fight she had in her before was quickly fleeting and without a place to sit, all she could do was lean against the wall.

She had wanted to fight with him, push him to the point of rescinding his offer. Force him to give up and go away if only to keep some semblance of her life still in tact even if it meant the next visit would be by someone who would just end her without a word of warning. And yet, as she stood in the quiet room, she felt... humbled, perhaps a little grateful that it wasn't some small office space where the only place to sleep would either be on a fold out of loft bed; a room with barely enough space for a dresser.

This... was more than she currently had; more than she could have ever hoped to have if she were to live on her own again in some studio apartment. Quietness would take some getting used to but at least there wouldn't be neighbors walking around above her or screaming down the hall.

"Three weeks?" voice cracked with some emotion she had not felt in such a very long time. Throat cleared she brought a hand up to wipe away the stray tears that begun to fall. A few hours ago she venomously rejected this proposition, now... she was giving it an honest consideration.

Reed was definitely smarter than she originally gave him credit for.

Inviting someone into his home who had a thing for collecting certain sharp weapons did not give her much faith in his foresight. But the fact that he cleverly exposed one of her reasons for wanting more time made her pause and consider him a bit more closely.

She had tugged the leash and he offered some slack but Reed's hold was unrelentingly tight. Suspected that he'd check on her often to make sure she didn't suddenly decide to go on vacation back to Spain or pull a Houdini.

"I've already considered that as an option. Purification," she added as clarification if only not to give him reason to think she'll flee. "I'm well aware of the memory loss associated with it."

"I can't protect my family if I don't remember them. And if I forget this," Sonia turned. Brow raised and motioned to him and what he was. An officer. A serrated blade against her throat until she complied or he bled her dry, yet she was tempted to lean into t it and call his bluff. Eventually one of them would yield, or so she assumed. Now, however, was no the time to test such things, but Sonia had little doubt that sooner or later they'd come to test that theory.

"Then I won't remember to watch my back." The Negaverse would be like a hovering shadow, blending in with everything, completely unnoticed until suddenly it wasn't and she found herself pulled back into the Negaverse's fold or someone found her dead somewhere.

"Not worth the risk..."

"So," She stepped away from the window, from the blinds, from the hallowed gaze of her reflection in the oval mirror mounted on the wall. "What else do I need to know before I move in."

She wanted to explain to him that her family was her everything and little else existed outside of them. When she’d turned eight, she had traveled across the world to come to Destiny City and since arriving they tried to afford her every opportunity to learn the language, the culture, anything so she’d fit in.

After the fight with Castor, she had been hospitalized… it wasn't the Negaverse who confirmed and see if she was okay. No officer arrived to check on her well-being, nor did they offer energy or starseeds to hasten her recovery. All she had, aside from doctors and nurses, were her parents and younger brother to rely and lean upon. It was a long arduous road and the only reason she was still standing was because of them.

However, Reed’s questions were more musings than anything. Soft green eyes set in her direction. His gaze, however, was focused somewhere on the far side of the room. Made her wonder if he did not get along well with his parents. There were no family photos on the walls, at least none that she’d take notice of; then again she wasn’t exactly looking either.

Questions probably best saved for later otherwise tomorrow would be a long day without any sleep.

“This one,” she decided quickly enough. Without a sound machine, the light foot falls and squeaky floorboards would surely wake her up. For the safety of this fragile situation, it’d be best if she did not roll out of bed ornery.

“As for chores, I’m not your live-in maid. I’ll clean the bathroom I use once a week,” As per the rules in her parent's home. “I’ll take responsibility for the dishes I dirty.” Assuming they’d be eating meals separately since she had no idea if he’d eat the things she’d make. “And I’ll help with sweeping, or vacuuming, the common areas.”

“I’ll need to buy a new bed and have it delivered.” If she could go home as freely as he suggested, even encouraged, then it’d be nice to not have to sleep on the couch or a blow-up mattress if she decided to stay the night.

“The furniture that’s in here, may I use them or would you prefer they’re moved to the room downstairs?” Didn’t matter to her either way. One would be more cost-effective and less time-consuming. Otherwise, Ikea delivered and it’d take a day at most to get shelving and a desk set up to use.

"Two weeks," the first deadline he had given her. "I'll have most my things packed by then and will invite you over for dinner." Might take a couple days to move everything between houses but the timing would at least afford her parents enough time to voice their disapproval over the arrangement.

"I won't be introducing you as anything other than a soon-to-be roommate. It'll make things too complicated if I tell them that we were friends or former classmates," or some s**t like that... Unfortunately, she had no friends in the Negaverse, aside from perhaps Meridiana, with whom she could throw under the bus and say that she met Reed through them.

No... keep it simple stupid.

Less fumbling over words or stories that way; her mother was perceptive enough to see right through that sort of thing. To this day Sonia would swear up and down that her mother truly did have eyes in the back of her head because, as a child, she got away with nothing!

"At the very least it will keep them from randomly showing up for a time, at least until things are settled. Which reminds me..." the question she did not want to ask. "How much will I owe you for rent?" Even though she stayed at home, Sonia still paid her parents a monthly sum and took care of her own necessities; the rest was put into savings. Now she wondered what kind of budgeting changes she'd need to make to be able to afford staying here with him.

Her eyes narrowed skeptically at him.

Reed kind of reminded her of balsa wood; thin and rigid, flexible under certain conditions otherwise on the verge of snapping. Wondered which one of them would inevitably break first. If tonight was any indication of how fights would end, then the answer was blatantly obvious; she would be the one to break first.

"Sorry, but that's not going to fly." As chivalrous as he was trying to be, living here for free didn't sit well with her. "Nobody watches my accounts except for me, but I'm not about to give you the chance to tell people I'm some freeloader either." It was a matter of both honor and pride; she wasn't some friend that invites themselves over and sleeps on the couch for months on end.

"At least figure out what the change in utilities ends up being then add three hundred." It should come close to what she pays at home and shouldn't stunt her ability to keep putting money aside for a down payment on a place of her own. Or... whatever she ends up using it on since there was no knowing how long this living situation was supposed to last.

Sonia just had this feeling that he was going to be like one of those managers who had been promoted because they rubbed elbows with the right people but when given the power they were tyrannical assholes that should be dropped off the building. Unfortunately, she didn't have that ability yet and likely wouldn't for a long... long... time with her current record.

"Anyway, as for food... You can make a suggestion, otherwise, we'll make chicken enchiladas." Wasn't sure if he liked spicy things and as long as her father stayed out of the kitchen then he wouldn't need to worry about setting his mouth on fire; the thought of that however almost made her grin.

He owned the house... of course he owns it. How else would someone living off a teachers salary be able to afford such a place, fully furnished find time to care for all these plants? Ok, so she'd been wrong in assuming that this arrangement, this sudden need for a roommate, it wasn't due to financial reasons. Which made this more of a tenant and landlord living agreement.

Made her wonder if there would be some sort of written contract involved or if one day she'd find her things out in the front lawn, soaking wet from the rain and probably ruined. Street trash since she didn't really fit in with this whole fancy front yards and pretty homes scenery; HOA's... her parents openly balked at the idea of them, as did she.

Good God this was overwhelming.

Ships passing in the night, opening cannon fire on each other with pointed statements, implied accusations and missing the other by a mile. Then he'd mentioned something about eggplant parm and she looked at him as if he'd suddenly grew a second head.

The ******** is that she wondered.

Shook her head and then clarified her last statement "WE," Sonia motioned to the space between them. "Aren't making anything. You just need to show up; my mother and I will be cooking something for you. As thanks. For..." again she gestured to the room the house the whatever this is.

"Contrary to your current opinion, I'm not as needy as you seem to believe. I don't require, or even ask for nightly dinners, or weekly for that matter." Once in a while might be nice just to know Reed was still alive but she was sure he'd find other means to let her know he was still around. The goal, after all, was to bring her back into active status with the Negaverse and was not inclined to patrol without someone there.

"You know..." Hands held up in surrender. "It's late, we're both tired and a bit ornery. Coffee is obviously waring off." Still sore from before her body all but begged to lay in bed and slip into a dreamless sleep. "Why don't you give me your number, I'll call an Uber and we can talk more on this later?"