[R] Coincidence (Azzo/Sydney) FIN

[Syusaki]

It was a relief to be able to stroll around the city and not feel like you were in a ghost town. A satisfied grin on her freckled face, Sydney hopped down the front steps of her house into the warm sunshine. Feeling the light warm up her cool skin, she happily sighed and ambled down the sidewalk, separated from her skateboard for once. To anyone that remotely knew the girl, they would surely find the sight to be odd. Somehow the redhead was incomplete without her trusty skate gear.

The trek to the commercial area of Destiny City had taken awhile since her home was near the outskirts of the city, but the walk had allowed her to soak in the lively atmosphere the town had regained recently. Just a few weeks before when Sydney stared at her reflections in the mirror she had often compared herself to an empty doll. Without the exciting vigor and life that her friends and family provided, she was just another zombie. But once the comatose patients stirred to consciousness, so did the soul of the town, and life was breathed into the city—and Sydney—again.

When she reached the shopping district the streets were already filled with a small, steady stream of pedestrians that strolled up and down the concrete walkways even though it was still an early morning weekend. It delighted the tomboy. Just as Sydney was about to immediately leap for the nearby arcade, the low groans coming from her stomach held her back. Lightly placing a hand on her stomach, she decided that it would be wise to have a bite to eat first. Rummaging in the pockets of her baggy jeans while waddling over to the diner at her right, she noticed a vaguely familiar up ahead.

Thrilled at the prospect of having company, she hyperactively waved an arm at them. “Heyyy! Azzo! Is that my beloved classmate?!”  

[LP]

The pup haired boy turned to find himself being called beloved. He held a look of confusion as his eyes lighted on Sydney. "Oh.... Hi."

He greeted after a second slightly confused but shook it away easily enough. "How're you?" He asked curiously, he seemed to be searching his head for a name. "...Sydney right?"

His honey brown eyes seemed to hold the question longer than the rest of him. His attention had turned back to he dinner, for a second. "Where are you headed?" He asked trying to be polite, though he'd heard this place had some pretty decent food.  

[Syusaki]

All of Sydney’s classmates were what, she considered, to be her beloved and precious peer! People could just get so interesting at times, perhaps herself being one of the more notable eccentrics that appeared to be so talented at making others laugh (more so laugh at her than with her, but she didn’t mind that fine detail, a laugh was a laugh).

Catching a flicker of confusion across Azzo’s face, she heartily laughed and roughly smacked him on the back. “Yup, Sydney’s the name! Just peachy keen,” she answered, keenly noticing how he glanced at the diner. Grin growing wider at his innocent question she replied in a rather loud and excited voice, “To that diner over there! You thinkin’ of heading over there too? Because I’d love to have some company while I fill myself up with some delicious food.”  

[LP]

Azzo nodded as he watched, odd how he could forget a name of someone so... so... energetic. He seemed to watch her almost curiously wincing at the slap to the back, "That's good to hear."

It was after another pause in the mention of the Diner he nodded, "I heard they made good omelets." He said after a second, at least company to eat with wasn't so bad, right?

"Soo..... how're classes?" He wasn't sure what Sydney liked to talk about, which made things kind of odd for him. He normally tended to pick out people and watch them just a little. Though he didn't really have time to get to know many in Meadowview. He'd only been there a semester... and not quite a full one at that. As he seemed to kind of head towards the diner figuring she'd probably follow if she was headed that way anyways.  

[Syusaki]

Her head bounced along to his omelet comment. “Really? I see! That’s rather nice to hear. I’ll pretty much just waltz into any nearby restaurant, really. My friends and neighbors haven’t really told me of any nice food places recently. Probably because they’re getting back into the groove of life after being stuck as a comatose patient for so long, right?” she heartily laughed, momentarily forgetting that Azzo had also been one of the many comatose patients.

Sydney shrugged, eagerly leading the lad towards the diner while she affectionately wrapped a loose arm around his scrawny shoulders. “Like they always are. School just started up again, right? Since lack of faculty closed down the schools and all that good stuff,” she answered. They strolled through the glass doors, an electronic ding dong signaling their arrival.  

[LP]

Azzo wasn't quite use to people just throwing their arm around his shoulder. So he jumped just a little but he tried his best not to look worried by it.

"Yeah..... I know that feeling." He muttered as she mentioned the comatose and school. The sleeping hadn't been so bad, it was the school part he hated.

"Mmm, wish I could've graduated instead of having to go through another semester." He sighed, "Highschool makes finding a job hard." He looked around as the ding dong signaled their entrance. It looked like the sign that normally said please wait to be seated was turned to say please seat yourself. Obviously they were either busy or possibly short on staff after all the Chaos.  

[Syusaki]

If Sydney had noticed Azzo flinch she ignored it. She could be a bit touchy feely if she wanted it, but it was nothing affectionate or feminine. Strong pats on the back and constant flinging her arm around people’s shoulders were probably the extent of it, but the way she so easily did it with even strangers could unsettle anyone.

“Oh that’s right!” Her eyes lit up with remembrance, recalling the day she had arbitrarily visited him in the hospital. “Happened to pass by your room and found your Melody friend.” She gave him a toothy smile. “Real nice, that girl.” Sydney would have asked him if the pair were in a relationship at all, but she wasn’t sure if that was a very good question to bring up at the moment. The redhead kept quiet on the issue.

“Pshaw, Azzo. Pshaw! Once summer rolls around again you’ll have plenty of time to do your money making!” she insisted as the waitress silently led the duo to their table. After placing a pair of menus on the table she bowed and recited the usual speech before walking away.  

[LP]

Azzo almost wondered if the waitress had noticed the awkwardness he was giving off as she glanced back before going back to her routine.

He watched as Sydney's eyes lit up, "Huh... ohhh your the red head. Mel couldn't tell me your name, probably forgot it with all the worry and stuff she had to deal with." He chuckled slightly. It was at least a familiar topic.

"Mhmmm." He said when she said Mel was a nice girl. "She is." He agreed with a nod.

He shrugged, "Hurr... I hope I'll be out before summer." He wrinkled his nose. Another half of a semester of torture, oh well.... things could be worse.  

[Syusaki]

She laughed along with Azzo, plopping down in one of the dark brown wooden chairs and picking up a menu by its bottom corners. Sydney flipped open the booklet, occasionally peeking at him from behind the menu as she mulled over his agreement. Could there be something hidden beneath those words? There probably wasn’t, but she was just dying to know what Azzo’s feelings were about Melody. Alas, it was far too private to ask about! Just this once she would restrain herself and not ask. He probably wouldn’t answer anyways. Hmph.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she pouted behind the menu. “Lucky! I still have a year of school compared to your semester, you know? But then I have to go and think about applying to college, what I want to major in, blah blah blah! My parents . . .” She stopped at the word. “Parent is harping all about it to me and my siblings. So annoying.” Turning rather sullen, half-lidded eyes listlessly scanned the list.  

[LP]

Azzo watched Sydney with a brow lofted as the menu he was holding now rested on the table. "Huh, I shouldn't even have to go back this semester." He added to make a point of he wasn't enjoying it much either.

"I figured I'd throw in for a minor of psychology or something if they have it at SHilP. Gramps was a hypnotist, so while there's not many people I'd trust to teach me the art I can at least get a few lessons in something he knew." It was at least where he got his obsession.

He tilted his head at the sudden word change. "Oh? ... I'm sorry?" He said slightly unsure, he still had both his parents though he had a strong dislike for his own father, he wondered if Sydney was the same way or if one of her parents were lost in that weird pandemic.  

[Syusaki]

“What a lucky duck you are then,” Sydney grumbled with pouted lips.

Hearing his plans for future studying, she idly whispered “Eeeeh” as she rocked her head back and forth while she examined the menu for any prospective orders. “I’m not sure what I’d want to major in. Maybe something to do with sports, since I’m pretty good at that. But on the other hand I make a pretty decent graphics designer, or so my teacher says.” She continually moved her head left and right, eyes angled to the ceiling as she briefly thought over her college plans. Finding that to be too troublesome, she laughed and offhandedly waved. “No worries, Azzo! No worries. It’s all in the past now,” she reassured. “It’s all in the past . . .” She repeated the words in a softer voice, arbitrarily deciding on steak and fries.

“What about you?”  

[LP]

Azzo chuckled, "I suppose, you shouldn't pout." He added with a shake of the head, "It just means I'm in more trouble than you because I haven't decided my field of expertise."

He leaned on the table slightly, "Sports sounds interesting, My father would've liked that. Especially if I was going out for it, however, the great disappointment I turned out to be when my grandfather got me interested in Psychology and being a Puppeteer."

He paused, "Though the second, isn't entirely his fault. He just bought the puppet." Azzo still had that puppet hanging on his ceiling, his first knight that he'd ever had.

He nodded softly when she said it's all in the past, everything seemed to always be in the past. He sighed, "Well.... perhaps for the better." He said softly.

"What about me?" He asked, unsure of what she meant and was hoping she was asking about the food. While his eyes landed on one of the burgers and onion rings. Which of course he just so happened to want all but the kitchen sink on the burger, which included stake sauce.  

[Syusaki]

Sydney shrugged. “You’ll find your dream job someday,” she said with confident affirmation. “If you know what you like then there’s definitely a way to find the thing you want to do for the rest of your life.” She attempted to speak with a wise, mature tone, but appeared like a joke than something sincere.

“A real sports buff, your dad? Not surprising, since a lot of men I know are interested in at least one sport or two,” agreed Sydney with an understanding nod. “My dad, brothers and I, we’re always in front of the television watching some match of sorts. We’ll be yelling and eating junk food at the same time, too. It drives my mother nuts!” She laughed, nostalgically thinking back on it until realizing that she had used present tense rather than past tense. Her smile disappeared and her gaze turned glassy.

“. . . yeah, I mean what do you want to order,” she whispered, keeping her eyes focused on the black printed words inside the menu. “I think the waitress will be coming back soon, so yeah.”  

[LP]

"He's in the armed forces. Anything that involves bone crushing blows are unfortunately his idea of fun. I blame the drill Sargent in him."

Azzo watched her as she seemed to go quite, "Probably a burger with onion rings..." He lofted a brow.

He was playing with a straw as he thought. "Gramps use to say 'When I'm dead and gone don't waste your energy on being sad. Remember the good things and don't do anything I wouldn't do.' Then again Gramps was kinda weird, I guess that's what made him good at being a quack." He wasn't sure if it'd cheer her up but he could try right?

"If nothing else, after we eat here, I know where there's a sale on chocolate ice cream." He gave a hopeful grin.  

[Syusaki]

Imagining someone barraging her with painful blows, Sydney uneasily laughed and rubbed her shoulder as she awkwardly smiled at him. “Yeah, that sounds really fun,” she agreed weakly.

“Yeah, I guess that’s what a lot of the deceased would like to say, if they still could,” she replied, her lips sourly pulled into a tight line before she motioned for a passing waiter to take their order. As the lad attentively stood, waiting for the pair to tell him their choice of food, Sydney idly glanced at the menu for what seemed like the hundredth time even though the redhead knew what she wanted to order. Reflex, she supposed. “I’ll have a plate of spaghetti, lots of cheese, and no drink.”

He nodded and hastily scribbled it down before turning to look at Azzo, expecting his order.