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 Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:50 pm
It had already been a long night by the time Chris powered down and started heading home. He didn’t think the youma that he’d been called over to help with would have taken as long to dust as it had, but as always, he was happy to help out a fellow knight. In fact, it was probably a good thing that he was there to help; otherwise he didn’t know how they would have taken care of it on their own. Chris was very glad that the headsets were being put to good use, and he was always willing to respond to a call.
Already a bit beaten up from fighting monsters, Chris decided to take the longer, but less populated route home through the park, rather than keeping to the streets. He was pretty sure he pulled something in his shoulder and would have a few bruises in the morning, but what else could he do?
He almost completely missed the person asleep on the bench as he slowly made his way along the path darkened by tall trees on either side. The moon and what little stars shone through the brightness of the city lights were almost completely blocked out. It was one of the reasons he decided to take that path — it would provide some cover if he ran into trouble.
It was only after he’d passed by that his attention was drawn to it. Maybe he’d heard something in the bushes nearby, or maybe whoever was on the bench had made a noise or moved or something. Either way, Chris stopped suddenly and glanced back over his shoulder.
A homeless person? That wasn’t good… It was dangerous sleeping out in the park at night. There was a shelter nearby at least, maybe he could take them there?
His hand went into his pocket, searching for the headpiece that was needed to call whatever knight was still out on patrol, just in case he needed help, but as he drew closer he couldn’t help but notice how small the person looked. A child?
Chris’s eyebrows furrowed in concern, and although he was still cautious as he approached, he slipped the headset back into his pocket, not thinking he would need help with someone so small.
“Excuse me…?” he asked softly, reaching out to gently touch the teenager’s shoulder — they were too big to be a young child, but they couldn’t possibly be an adult yet, could they? “Are you okay…?”
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:38 pm
Wolframite had also been busy with his own fraction, and had been out for the day and most of the night working on energy collecting. He was exhausted, but it was a theme to his current lifestyle. Work till you couldn't think, and if your body ached, you were being productive. You were doing something. You were fighting the good fight and being useful. It kept his mind too sluggish to think properly about much aside from his work, and after he powered down each night, it was an autopilot walk to his apartment, eating whatever he had in the fridge or remembered to pick up, and falling asleep on the futon couch or his bed. Usually the couch. The bed had been divided ever since Billy left him.
Usually he was more on guard. When he went home, he locked up as many of the locks on his door he could with blurring, tired vision, and had to have the curtains draw open to remind himself he wasn't trapped. The locks made him feel secure, safe, while the open window meant he wasn't confined and that the world was still passing by. The affects of those two weeks were still etched deeply into him, and he had not managed to deal with it. That among many things - all of which were snowballing.
As it was, he powered down, but had felt faint and lightheaded on his way home. Tired, he sat on the bench to steady his wavering vision, and had laid down when that didn't go over well. Before he even thought that he should get up, he had already asleep. Passed out on a bench. The openness of the world around him meant he wasn't trapped, and the warm summer was welcoming and refreshing. A change of pace to his apartment and the various squabbling of his neighbors or bedroom noises from the prostitute next door who was busy at all hours.
When he felt someone shake hsi shoulder, he thought of only one person who would wake him. "Billy stop." He was still tired, and he didn't need the boy waking him up for lunch or dinner or whatever he was making him to eat. He muttered, turning on the park bench before looking up at the night sky and half of a only slightly familiar face. Not fully familiar, and a glimmering hope had died down before Ladon even knew it had risen. This boy was only a passing stranger he knew from sitting on a park bench and talking once in a great while. He hadn't seen him in ages. Then again, Ladon hadn't been to the park for a while either. He didn't go out much. Too tired.
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:04 pm
Chris stared at the teen that had been sleeping on the bench for a few long moments, recognizing him from somewhere, but it took him a little while to realize where that had been. Oh, right. It had been there in the park that they used to cross paths, even talk on the rare occasion. But why was he outside now? This late at night? It immediately concerned Chris and quickly glanced around to make sure there wasn't any sign of foul play — a youma or some mugger, even, looking for an easy buck, even if it was from a child. Not that he thought of the boy on the bench as a child, but he was younger than he was.
"Ladon?" he ventured, hoping he remembered the name. Well, s**t... What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just leave him out there. "Are you okay?" Chris asked again, leaning over him and reaching out to see if he could touch the back of his hand to Ladon's forehead. It was dark so he couldn't see him properly, but he wasn't certain if the tiredness in his voice was really from fatigue or if it was because he wasn't well. It didn't look like he had a bottle of water with him, so Chris's mind automatically went to the possibility of him being dehydrated, especially in the summer heat. It might be night but it was still quite warm. And had he eaten anything? What if his blood sugar was low?
"I'm going to take you home okay? Can you get up?" he asked him, not wanting to invade his personal space unless absolutely necessary, especially since he didn't know him very well. Chris was trying to think back on their past, brief meetings in which he remember Ladon telling him how he had a tiny apartment and couldn't have a pet because it would get lonely. Did that mean he lived alone? Maybe taking him and leaving him at his apartment would be a bad idea, especially if he didn't know how Ladon was fairing. He'd just take him to his apartment and then drive him to wherever he needed to go in the morning. Or even the hospital if need be. Heck, if they got to his apartment and Ladon definitely wanted to go home to his, then at least he'd have a car available to drive him.
And with that, Chris decided on his plan of action. Er, well... if he could get Ladon up from the bench. He couldn't be more than a hundred fifteen pounds at most! Or rather, he didn't look like he weighed more than that. He'd carry him if he had to.
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Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:02 pm
Ladon was startled by the touch to his face and nearly punched Chris for it. Anything getting close to his face, namely his eyes, deeply troubled him and put him at high alert, but sluggish feeling as he was, he luckily was still waking up to react in such a way other than looking alarmed. While he was only slightly warm to the touch, he wasn't sick. Tired and having not eaten since breakfast, yes, and even that had been a quick bite before leaving the house. Usually he would have been more alarmed by his own eating habits, but he kept telling himself that he was young, would have a bigger dinner, and that a apple really was nutritious enough to be two meals in the end. It was flat out denial, but that was a practice he was doing a lot of in reference to many things lately. It was nice to kid yourself until it finally bite you in the a**.
"I'm okay." He said, sitting up slowly and rubbing his forehead before combing his short hair back. "Was just resting here and must have fallen asleep." More that he passed out without thinking, and in such a place! If he had been more alert, had a bit more energy, he would have been afraid to even lay down on the bench out in the open. Anyone or anything could have killed him, or hurt him in some way. That or taken him away to some underground room!
The thought chilled him, and he turned to start getting up, but remained seated. Oh, still waking up. The warm summer air was nice for sleeping, the air open and fresh, but he still felt run down. Reaching into his pocket, he went to go to his address book. "It's okay. I'll just call..." He looked at his cellphone screen and remembered who he couldn't call. There was no one at his apartment, everyone else didn't know where he lived, and he had few friends. The ones he did were ones he didn't want to alert by pulling them away from Nega business and come here to escort him to his apartment like some loser who couldn't handle his own issues. That in no way won you respect.
He put the phone back in his pocket. "I'll just walk home...in a bit." He said, looking up at the boy. "I just...need a moment." Or a half an hour to see if he could haul himself back up and get moving. If that wouldn't work, he might have to risk powering up at Wolframite and teleporting into his apartment, and even then that was IF he had the energy.
It was embarrassing to see Chris here. He barely knew the boy, but at all times he seemed normal, have all his business together, be very well and very at ease. To see someone like him, sleeping on some bench and always looking exhausted, he had to wonder if the boy thought he was some crack addict or homeless.
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Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:59 pm
Chris quickly drew back his hand when he realized that he startled him, a little startled himself. "Sorry! Sorry..." he quickly apologized, not wanting to freak Ladon out even more than he already had by trying to check his temperature. He was worried about him. He didn't know him very well (or at all, really), but he couldn't just pass him by. That just wasn't him.
He kept his mouth shut as Ladon tried to decide what he wanted to do, and he took a step back in the hopes of giving him a little more space. So, Ladon was really thinking about walking home on his own when he'd already fallen asleep on the park bench? Yeah, fat chance. Chris frowned in concern, a hand lifting to his shoulder to massage it, hoping that whatever he'd pulled would heal quickly. He didn't like feeling like he was worthless in a fight, so as long as he had working arms to throw and swing, he figured he would be maybe somewhat helpful. Hopefully.
"You're obviously exhausted," he said after a few moments, waiting to see if Ladon was planning on getting up or not. "It's dangerous to be out here by yourself..." There were monsters and people with ill intentions, and muggers, and who knew what else wandering the streets.
"My place isn't far. You're more than welcome to crash there," he offered holding up his hands to try and prove that he was harmless. He really was!
He paused with a small grimace, realizing how weird that probably sounded when he hardly knew him. "I swear I'm not a creeper or anything like that."
Awkward...
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 9:24 pm
The boy's concern for him was laughable. First because of him saying it was dangerous out. Ladon knew that better than anyone. Not only was he a "terrorist" by DC standards, but he was a terror to senshi around, not to mention associating with youma, but he was also in danger from senshi and anyone or thing from their side. There were dangers that this kid could only dream about or get gossip from the news from, and he found it rather funny that what Chris considered dangerous, the muggers, *****, and kidnapers, were so far down the list of dangerous and yet strangely a comforting touch of normalism that he had to give a chuckle. To add to that was the fact the boy was inviting him home, which caused him to give a weary smile and look up with baggy eyes at the kid. "What makes you so sure I'm not dangerous though?" It was spoken lightly, but there was a hint of something more serious behind it.
Still, he did consider that. Really, despite how powerless he felt as Ladon, he knew he could change into Wolframite in dire situation and kill a civilian if it came down to it. If someone threatened him, and if he was alone without witnesses, he could get ride of someone and leave. Chris didn't seem like he would put up much of a fight if he ever did decide to hurt him in any way. He also wasn't someone he knew and while that bothered him about trusting someone enough to be allowed in their home, it also meant that Chris wasn't a officer of the Negaverse who could loose respect for him. Then again, he would still feel a bit judged by the boy for being found sleeping on a bench.
Considering the pros and cons, he wondered if he could get up and go home. He really should sleep. He also considered what was the worst Chris could do to him considering they were just guys. The other certainly didn't seem the type after all, though it wasn't like Ladon was open about it either.It was hard not to see someone, anyone, as any type of threat. It also seemed a bit sad that this kid was this nice. What would a normal person do? It was sad he had to phrase his thought that way, but he did and considered it. If a normal person, who wasn't normally at home and who had by some normal situation grown exhausted, was offered by someone they vaguely knew on a passing glance to go home to their place to rest, what would they do?
Well, he would think they would risk going home where they knew it was safe instead of being stupid and traveling some to some stranger. Maybe Ladon was feeling a tad suicidal today or maybe he just didn't want to go back to an empty apartment, but for whatever reason, he decided to risk it and grabbed the boy's hand. He really was frail looking. He could kill him if he did try anything. "Um, just to get inside...and to keep from falling asleep. I'll call a cab when we get there." He hoped. Did he bring his wallet with him?
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 10:14 pm
A laugh...?
Chris stared at the younger boy, wondering what he'd said that was funny. If he'd known it was because of his concerns about it being dangerous, well... yeah, there were a lot worse things out there. Things he didn't want to get involved in but was still pulled to the middle of. Fighting, patrols, getting energy taken... it wasn't exactly a walk in the park (pun not really intended), but it seemed to be something he just... had to do.
"I'd rather risk it than leave you out here," he replied with a small smile of his own — one that was sad and concerned, although he didn't hold it for long, not wanting to seem like he was looking down on him or anything ridiculous like that. "If you are dangerous and I end up hurt or worse, then that's my own fault. But if I see in the news tomorrow that something happened to you because I didn't take the risk... I wouldn't be able to live with myself," he told him, speaking lightly himself, but he meant every word. He knew he took a risk with every person he decided to trust; sometimes he regretted those choices, but most of the time he was glad he did. He was still alive and kicking, after all.
It was the same risk he took when he'd grabbed his compass out of the air. He was just going to ignore the fact that he hadn't been aware of the consequences when he had grabbed it, but that was a thing of the past now.
His smile brightened when Ladon finally took his hand and he helped him up, and although he released his hold, he remained close enough to be able to grab onto him if he saw him starting to sway or fall. "Whatever you want, but it's really okay with me if you stay. It's just me and Annabel and she's never that active at night," he told him, just glad that he was agreeing to be escorted out of the park. He didn't like the idea of Ladon getting a cab home when he didn't know if he'd be able to stay awake during the ride. And then who would be there to take him inside?
And like he'd said, it was just a little ways away. Well, a couple blocks, but since he doubted Ladon would be in a talking mood, he kept to himself as they walked. It was a brand new apartment building, or at least new within the last couple years. Whitewashed on the outside and had a modern, sophisticated feel to it. 'Luxurious' is what his girlfriend described it as, and he didn't have any room to argue, even if he didn't think it was that luxurious. Okay, so it had its own doorman out front until about two in the morning, and the parking desk underneath had a legit rod-iron gate that opened when an electronic pass assigned with a resident's car pulled up to it. But other than that, it wasn't unlike many apartment building around, right?
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:32 pm
As he was heaved back up to his feet, Ladon took a moment to look Chris over. The boy was too nice. Too nice in fact that it pained Ladon a bit to know that he was exactly the type of person that was too good for this city, and would also make an excellent energy source due to being too kind. It wasn't strange to him. He had helped Paris in a similar way, and had also invited the boy over to his apartment despite barely knowing him, all because he worried and didn't feel right leaving someone in need. And now? Ladon doubted he would have helped much of anyone these days as paranoid as he was. He didn't like strangers, took the long way home, usually stayed in uniform most of the time and rarely went out aside from talking a walk to clear his head or grabbing essential groceries. If it wasn't talking to the person at the register at the store or whoever he was working in the Negeverse that particular day, he would have nearly zip for social interaction. Making friends? Well, it was hard to lie now that it just seemed easier to not attempt it. Did he miss having a few people to talk to? Always, but he had had so few friends before that he felt he should be able to get used to it again. Still, after you had someone living with you for a while, it left a gaping, throbbing hole in your life. It made going home sometimes the worst thing he could look forward to in the day no matter how tired he was. Maybe he should consider moving .....but then again, he often hoped someone would return home despite the letter.
While he still felt warm in the features from feeling exhausted, he followed quietly with Chris. He didn't know what to say at this hour that wouldn't just make things more awkward, and they were never close enough to share things because they knew very little about each other. Another part of his lifestyle - hesitant to reveal information. To prove how little he knew about Chris, he was surprised to see them entering the finer district of town. It was a far cry from where his apartment was, which was cheap, run down, and in the areas where you usually rolled up the windows, locked the doors, and didn't make eye-contract with anyone unless you wanted what his neighbor called "a good, easy time". Looking up, he was a little taken back by how fresh, clean, and modern it looked and that there was actual security to get inside. The only security that he had in his apartment was that the landlord would beat your skull in if you created a ruckus or did anything illegal that would close down the building. Aside from that, anyone could come in - which really helped a few people's "businesses" and allowed a few homeless a warm place to rest away from the ditch.
"You live here?" He asked, finally breaking their shared silence as he followed the boy into the apartment duplex. Naturally his thoughts with to the boy's parents. "What do your parents do?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:28 pm
Ah, yes... He usually got that question. It was only a matter of time.
"Mom's an artist of sorts," he started, giving a smile and a nod to the doorman who seemed just about ready to get off his shift, and Chris could have sworn he heard him mumble something about 'bringing in strays'. "She got a degree in photography, but now she gets commissioned to organize and plan events and gallas for a bunch of non-profit organizations, whenever they come to town." Chris waited to see if Ladon was interested enough in the building to at least follow him to his apartment before calling a cab or doing whatever else he was planning on doing, although he did press the button for the elevator to come down.
"Dad's in the Navy," he continued, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his wallet and slip the security card from its slot. "He was an engineer for a while... uh, computer and mechanics... but now he's an Admiral," he said casually, feeling a little too self-conscious to pay attention to Ladon's reaction, and stepped into the elevator, holding the card for the scanner to read before hitting the button. People either didn't know enough about the Navy to care, or thought it was impressive. For Chris it was just one more thing he had to live up to, and expected people to judge him based on his parents' success. He was really just a normal college student, albiet financially spoiled, who liked baseball and liked helping people out when he could.
Once it reached the top floor, Chris lead the way out of the elevator, replacing the card into his wallet since it was no longer needed and pulled out his keys. "Really, you're welcome to stay. Or at least have some water before you go. I can get you a bottle to bring with you if you'd like," he offered, turning the lock and pushing the door open to head inside.
He turned on some lights, but he really didn't need to. Even though they were on the top floor, they were still several stories beneath the taller buildings in the city — buildings that were now flooding light through the two story wall of glass, divided into sixteen smaller panels by iron beams. Earthy browns and white furniture decorated the large, open space that was turned into a living room type area in front of the large window, complete with a couch, love seat, and coffee table facing a large flatscreen television mounted on the wall.
The rest of the apartment consisted of a decent sized kitchen and breakfast area, and a loft directly above, a glass railing making as much use as possible of the natural light coming through the window-wall during the day. Other than the brown and white furniture, the rest of the apartment was still rather light and airy: the walls were beige, the floors were a light colored hardwood, and there were various shades of blue that had been thrown in for accents. There was the tiniest bit of red, too — a flower on the coffee table, some red in a couple of the large images of architectural structures and cityscapes that decorated the walls, and a couple never-been-used candles accompanied some books on a glass shelf. There was a second bedroom, the one that wasn’t the loft, that was out of sight on the other side of the kitchen and had been turned into his ‘office’ at his mother’s insistence, and he agreed in order to keep her happy. There was a bathroom detached from that room as well, and that was where Annabel Lee poked curiously out of, before bouncing over to see who this person was that Chris brought home with him, hoping to play with him.
“Annabel, back. Go crate up. Sorry… maybe later,” he told her and the dog stopped mid-bound at the order, her ears falling in disappointment and her curled tail, which had been flopping back and forth in excitement, stopped and seemed to droop. “Crate up,” he said again, making sure she listened to him. The dog let out a whimper and turned to sulk back to the bathroom. Chris felt bad for not letting her out to see their guest, but now probably wasn't the best time to have an excited, attention wanting dog jumping all up on Ladon.
"Let me get you some water..." Chris mumbled to himself, shutting the door behind him but not locking it. No need to if Ladon decided to leave and he didn't want him thinking he was trapping him in there — if someone did that to him, he knew he'd be very uncomfortable, at least. He made his way over to the kitchen and around the island to pull open the refrigerator and picked up a bottle of water from the door. "Did you want anything to eat? I've got soup and stuff for sandwiches... There's a big bowl of banana pudding my mom brought over yesterday. It's pretty good. Or there's also some blueberry bread she made..." He had plenty of food...
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Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:51 pm
To hear that Chris' mother worked in art actually got Ladon excited for a moment. His mother was rather important, and he instantly thought if he could find a way for her to meet Billy and give the boy the big break he needed - and just as suddenly as he had such an exciting through, he was reminded of a valuable nugget of information. Billy wasn't with him anymore. The thought was quickly extinguish, and Ladon felt worse for it because he wished he could help his ex (his first ever). The looked from the security guard didn't improve his mood either, and he followed closely by Chris as he watched him go through the front desk and also use his security card to call the elevator. The level of security here meant there was probably a lot of valuable items in each apartment and he briefly wondered about how he was going to pay for the rent this month.
Once on the top floor, they entered what had to be the grandest place Ladon had ever set foot in. The place was amazing. Those billionaire suites you saw in movies where the high-roller at a casino would walk into, martini glass in hand, and just survey the city as they loosened the tie. It floored Ladon to know that Chris wasn't just a random jogger out with his dog, but very, very, CLEARLY rich. Couldn't he just hire someone to walk his dog or even walk it at a country club?! WTF was he doing talking to random strangers at a public park?
Too struck with awe at the entire place, not to mention feeling very out of his element considering the rather lazy arrangement of t-shirt, sneakers, and shorts he was wearing, he hadn't noticed that Chris hadn't locked the door. Good thing considering Ladon didn't like feeling trapped. The massive windows certainly helped with his nervousness about being closed in, but being high up rather startled him. Still, even he was curious enough to take a few steps towards the window. It was true he saw the city scape plenty of times, what with patrolling and roof hopping, but there was a sense of class in looking out indoors.
When he heard the whine of the dog, he looked over and was wondering if he'd be floored, but Chris was quick to act and shoo the dog away. It wasn't like Ladon was bothered by her. Chris had walked his dog all the time when they met, the only reason they probably met at the park, and he had petted her a few times. She was a good dog. Didn't bark at him. Good dog.
At the offer of water, he decided that couldn't hurt, and it wasn't polite to decline. "Thanks. Water is fine." He said, and at the mention of a long list of savory foods, he turned his attention away from once again trying to look at everything in the room. This time, he felt really like a stray and was about to decline. A simple 'no thank you' and not wanting to be a bother. He was sure he had some leftovers somewhere in hsi fridge that hadn't gone bad yet. He did own a few cans of food at least.
But he was interrupted ...by his low groan in his stomach.
He instantly turned red and tried to look at the window again. "Um, I probably have something at home. I'll be fine." Stupid body noises!
Quick to change subject, or say anything in case his stomach whined again, he looked at the door Annabel left. "You don't have to send her away. The dog. I don't mind her."
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:53 am
He turned, shutting the door to the refrigerator behind him as he took the water bottle over to where Ladon was still standing, holding it out for him. "You're welcome to sit if you want. Anywhere is fine," he told him, before taking a few steps back towards the kitchen, even though there was only a counter with a couple stools, and a lower ceiling, that separated it from the living area. He didn't know what Ladon was planning on doing, but he at least wanted him to know he could do whatever he wanted there. "Just don't fall asleep on your feet, okay?" Chris half joked, although he made a face at the thought of him collapsing. Yeah, he would rather that not happen.
And although he was about to, he decided it best not to comment on the noise Ladon's stomach made. He knew he would have done something similar if he thought he was intruding on someone else's home. Suffer in silence and not be a bother about it. At least he took the water he was offered.
Regardless of whether or not Ladon declined the offer for food, Chris still opened the cabinets and pulled out a couple plates and placed them down on the counter for the time being, before going back to the refrigerator, pulling out the afore mentioned food, as well as whatever else he thought Ladon might like to eat. He had a lot of leftovers from home, so he figured he might as well offer them to the other young man. A small container of steamed broccoli, another of chopped green beans, a small plate of Italian marinated chicken breast, a pork chop that had been marinated in his mother's mix of soy sause and honey... And then his mother wondered why Chris was horrible in the kitchen and couldn't make food for himself to save his life. Except for a sandwich. He could make a sandwich.
When Ladon said it was okay for Annabel to be out and about, Chris paused to consider it, before turning over his shoulder to the room beside the kitchen. "Annabel, come here," he said, feeling bad for sending her away, but he figured that she would be more happy out and about, anyway. The dog almost immediately poked her head out of the room, looking curiously at Chris and waiting for him to jerk his head in the direction away from the room she was in before she was sure it was okay. She immediately bounded out of the room bouncing and clicking her nails on the hardwood as she made her way over to the new guest, her entire backside going back and forth with her tail as it wagged in excitement. And then, just as she reached Ladon's feet, she flopped over onto her back on the floor to wiggle around, clearly wanting attention.
Meanwhile, as nonchalantly as possible, Chris placed the two plates on the counter in front of where the chairs were on the other side. He then made sure to open the containers and remove at least a portion of the plastic wrap or aluminum foil that were covering the food, as if he was taking the time to decide what he wanted to have, himself. "I haven't eaten yet, so I hope you'll excuse me... but really... you can help yourself," he said, before casually moving back to the cabinets and pulling down a couple bowls for him to spoon some banana pudding layered with what looked like tiny vanilla wafers in between each layer. He pulled out a couple spoons to put into the two bowls, and then placed the bowls next to the plates he already had out.
"Ah, she likes her belly rubbed," he explained, not able to remember if he'd told Ladon on another occasion that they'd run into each other. Chris also really hoped his attempt at subtly with getting food out for him wouldn't insult Ladon, but rather to... maybe convince him that there really was enough for him to eat, and then some. He needed to get rid of some of the stuff in his 'fridge, anyway. His mom would probably have more food for him to take home with him soon. "There's a bathroom just around the corner over here, and one upstairs," he suddenly remembered to tell him, just in case he needed one.
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 6:36 pm
Ladon took the water with a small 'thank you' and drank as he continued to look over the place. It was massive, and he felt he could pack in 8 of his apartments just on the first floor, not to mention that the ceiling was high up, and the view! The place was spotless, there were no stains anywhere, no old radiators clanking in the background, it was warm, and aside from the chime of dinnerware and plates as Chris prepared something to eat, there was no noise. No loud neighbors up at all hours, or odd smells from people cooking things with far too much vinegar or garlic.
Sipping the water, he turned when Annabel was left out, and watched her come over and flop on her back. With Chris' instruction, he found she wanted her stomach rubbed. It was something Ladon had seen Chris do several times, and he knelt down and rubbed the dogs stomach awkwardly. It seemed Ladon didn't play with dogs often. He did so for a while, unable to fight a smile at how happy the dog seemed with such a simple action. Pets were nice, and he wished he had one. They were soft, happy to see you, and couldn't talk to you to say horrible things. He probably would have liked some pet for the company. A cat? Maybe not. He would always think of guardian cats and didn't want that messing with his head if he had to get rid of one. Dogs? They needed a lot of walking, and sometimes he never came home until very late. He would feel horrible. Well, guess pets were out. Maybe he could just visit some animals in people's backyards when he went patrolling. Let them take care of the pets and he could stop by for a few pets. That would work. Totally not sad in the least.
Once the food was offered and Ladon noticed a plate had already been set, then the not-being-a-bother rule was replaced with being polite. If someone went through the effort of pulling out food, silverware, plates, and everything else, it was considering being rude and snubbing a person's offer. Chris was only being a proper host, and as such, Ladon had an obligation as a proper guest to take him up on his kindness when the effort was put into it.
Rising, Ladon moved over slowly before taking a seat. "Um...thank you. You really didn't have to." And to his relief, no matter how tight his stomach felt, it didn't make a noise. Good, but now he really should eat. There was certainly a lot. A lot for one kid actually.
"Your mom cooks a lot." He said, and felt his throat clench. He missed cooking for his mother. He missed his mother.
He went over and helped himself to some vegetables, putting a portion on his plate and making sure to leave very good amount for Chris. "Do you live here alone all the time then?" If his mother brought him leftovers, where was the kitchen she was using and why wasn't she living here? It might have been nosey, but he was needing something to talk about. Certainly not why he was sleeping outside and looked like a train wreck.
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:18 pm
The dog wiggled around a bit as she was pet, and then went to seek out attention (and maybe some food) from Chris once Ladon stood up from petting her. Annabel obviously liked guests, especially since some of them liked to slip her food under the table if she begged just right. More than likely, she would try it with Ladon. Just sit next to his chair and stare up at him with her big brown eyes.
"It's okay, really. I can't eat all this myself," Chris insisted, pulling out a glass to get some water for himself from a filtered pitcher next to the sink. He was glad that Ladon finally seemed willing to eat. Listening to his stomach growl would have been painful for even him. It wasn't right for a growing teenager to go without a proper meal! Not to mention how disheveled the younger teen looked already. Chris still couldn't believe that he'd fallen asleep on a park bench! What was he even doing out there that late at night??
"My mom likes to cook. She's spoiled me, really... I can't cook to save my life," he said with an awkward little laugh as he turned back to the island to look at what he wanted to eat, poking a bit of some things onto his plate before sticking it in the microwave for a minute or so. "You caught me on a good night. Usually it's just pizza or some other left over takeout," he explained with a sheepish, awkward looking smile, and ducked his head down a little in embarrassment as he waited for the food to finish heating up. He knew he should probably take a class or two in how to cook for himself. It was one of those skills that were easily learned, right...? Yet somehow, he managed to ruin even the simplest things. His best friend won't even let him make pancakes! How sad was that??
Taking his plate, and sitting in a chair a couple away from Ladon in order to give him some space, Chris poked at the food as he nodded to his question. "Yeah, just me and Annabel. I mean... sometimes my girlfriend comes over, and some other friends now and then, but I think I'd rather live by myself if I can get away with it," he said, taking a bite of broccoli. He was curious about the darker haired teen, but what could he ask him that might not end up being offensive?
What were you doing out in the park? No, that was too nosey. Do you live alone? Wow, creeper question. When was the last time you had something to eat (you look like a stick!)?? Too nag-y...
"Can I get you anything else?" Chris asked after a little while when he had finished most of his food and tossed a piece of chicken to Annabel, who happily gobbled it up from the floor. He left the plate on the counter for the moment as he got up and went to where the bathroom where Annabel's dog bed and food were hidden, and because it was easier to clean that kind of floor if she made a mess. He didn't shut the door, but instead rummaged around through the cabinets, pulling out a toothbrush and travel-sized tube of toothpaste. He left the bathroom and stopped for a moment next to where Ladon was sitting, placing the dental care products on the counter next to where he was sitting.
"Please stay the night?" he asked, feeling a bit sick to his stomach imagining Ladon wandering back out into the night on his own. "It's late, and I can take you to wherever you need to go in the morning," he promised, wondering if he should offer some medicine for him to take, too. Was he usually that pale? Maybe it was from exhaustion...? "I'll let you borrow some clothes to sleep in, if you'd like. And I have a bed I'm not using," he added, hoping to sell the idea to the young man. Well, the bed he wasn't using was his own bed (and he wouldn't be using it tonight if Ladon stayed, so he wasn't lying!), but he was well accustomed to sleeping on the couch whenever his girlfriend came over. It wasn't a big deal, really.
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:25 am
Ladon looked at his plate, turning hsi head when to be able to see Chris further a few seats down. While it was nice to have space, he also realized he seemed to be avoided or maybe Chris was considering him to be some wild animal, a stray picked up from the street out of pity but you weren't quick sure had rabies and would snap at any minute. For someone in such a nice house, comforted by his mother and seeming to have no real troubles outside of those that normal teenagers considered important, Ladon probably was some strange aspect to just pop up in that closed environment. Everyone thinks you're crazy. The memories came back, picking at him. They were talking about it more and more. Billy had. The other officers. The senshi saw it, but that was the only perk to see them look afraid. But here, now, he felt his stomach turn. If it wasn't for the fact he was starving, his appetite would have been gone.
"No. I'm fine." Ladon said, declining the offer for anything more. Chris had done enough. Far too much. He resumed eating his food slowly, finding the taste of home cooking and not the rushed meals he had been preparing or picking up to be comforting. His mother hardly cooked, which was why he thought about the most recent person to cook for him. He wondered where Billy was and if he was cooking for anyone else.
While Chris got up to go to the bathroom, Ladon turned in his seat to look at Annabel. She was a sweet dog, and as Chris had predicted, ready for scarps. Smiling, he tore off pieces from his chicken, destroy at least half of it, and tossed bits only to be surprised how quickly she gobbled up the scraps. If Ladon didn't know the dog was living in the lap of luxury, he would have thought she had never eaten a day in her lift. He continued feeding her, watching her vacuum up the pieces of meat, and stopped just when Chris returned. Now if the boy wouldn't be too concerned if he had thought Ladon had eaten at least half of a chicken breast.
When the dental supplies were placed, Ladon looked up, chewing on a piece of chicken and looking perplex. Did his breath smell bad?
No. It was the offer again, and Ladon felt rather put on the spot. It didn't seem Chris would feel right letting him leave, and now that Ladon was eating, he was feeling just as tired. He probably could step out, turn a corner, and see about teleporting again, but he didn't feel he had that sort of energy regardless of getting a filling meal. Now that he was eating here, sitting here, it would seem rather rude to eat and run. Out of the two, Chris was taking a higher risk in being kind to someone off the street than someone off the street going home with a stranger. There was no indications or feelings that the boy would do anything to harm him, despite how silly Ladon thought he was for still being paranoid and on edge. As a last push to his offer, Chris indicated a spare bed - which probably mean a spare room. Looking at the place, a guest room didn't seem out of the question. There was really no reason for him to leave aside from being paranoid.
Ladon looked at the toothbrush before looking up at the boy. This was embarrassing, but.. "I don't want to be a bother." More or less, that was a 'ok' from Ladon.
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 11:52 pm
Chris stretched up his arms and yawned as he watched Ladon apparently debate with himself if he wanted to stay or not. It was kinda funny, but in a bittersweet way... offering such simple things to someone he'd found on a park bench, and then finding out that he was a very polite, well mannered young man. And Annabel didn't seem to have any problem with him — if his dog liked someone, then he liked them, too. Well, it was a little more complicated than that, but they generally agreed on the same people.
"I promise you're not being a bother. It would be more of a bother to have to walk you down to the lobby and let you out, onto the street," he exaggerated, but Ladon didn't have to know that. Chris made his way over to the island where the food had been laid out and started clearing it of now mostly emptied containers, and decided to give Annabel the rest of the chicken instead of putting it back into the 'fridge. There wasn't too much left, thankfully, and what was left was combined into new containers. The dirty dishes went into the sink to be dealt with later. It was late and he didn't want to bother with things like that. Although... he did have a dishwasher... he was just too lazy to rince them out and put them in there.
"You'll be up here," Chris continued, pointing towards the end of the stairs that were almost hidden between the wall of the kitchen and the entrance of the apartment. Or rather, they would be hidden if they weren't accented with chrome railings and white, tempered glass steps. He really only had one bed, but it was where his girlfriend would sleep whenever she came over. He just grabbed his stuff and went to sleep on the couch downstairs, leaving her to her own devices in the loft.
He lead the way up, pointing across both the room and a large bed set low to the floor, at the door on the other side. "The bathroom's in there," he told him, heading over to get his own toothbrush to take back downstairs with him and use the other bathroom, but he paused at one of the dressers. He opened it and pulled out what looked like a teeshirt from some animal volunteer event, and some gym shorts with a drawstring because, like his girlfriend, Ladon looked way too little to fit into any of his clothes. "If you wanted to wear clean clothes," he said, tossing the items on the bed to be picked up or ignored. "You're welcome to use the shower, if you want, too." He knew he'd like to shower after sleeping on a park bench... "Just pull on the handle and turn to adjust the temperature. Remote is on the table..." Maybe he liked background noise when he slept? Or at least the light?
"If you need anything else, just let me know. I'll be downstairs," he told the young man after he grabbed his toothbrush and a set of shorts and a shirt for himself to wear to bed. "Oh..." he paused, picking up a remote on the banister overlooking the living room and pressed a button towards the large wall of window. A huge canvas slowly rolled down and over the wall, blocking out the city lights, as well as the morning sun when it came.
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