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 Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:08 pm
It had been a VERY long day, he slogged up the creaking stairs and paused on a landin with a heavy sigh to listen to an argument through the plaster walls. He had a brief temptation to pound on the wall and yell at them to shut up, but that was just asking for trouble. He’d end up needing to power up to either finish the fight or keep himself out of trouble, and that would end up with dead neighbors. He wasn’t going to convert them, not even if someone showed up and offered to pay him.
He fished keys out of his pocket, shifting the paper bag of groceries and precariously balanced take out and headed up the last landing to unlock his door. He shuffled in and dropped his bags on the table, which tottered slightly under the load and then hesitated. Had he just heard something? Couldn’t be, no one in their right mind would be trying to rob this place.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:55 pm
Ever liked to think that things had been quiet, in Zac's life, with him abroad -- but, realistically, it had probably just been busier. Left to his own devices, Zac [and even more so Zink] were prone to overworking, to forgetting about downtime, to focusing too much on duty and not enough on himself. It meant Ever predicted that he'd be out twelve and fifteen hour days, if not more, expected baggy eyes and tense shoulders and grumbling exhaustion.
He had predicted right, probably.
The place looked sparse to him, strange, unfamiliar, and that was weird. He'd been expecting to step into it like an old shoe, but instead all the signs of him had been wiped away by time. Surely he'd left something, at some point, in Zac's place? He wondered as he ran fingertips over the book on the shelf.
The sound of the door made his head raise, halfway-turning: Ever himself thinner than he'd been, even, all angles and sharp edges. His left leg still awkward, stiff, just a hint of a limp all that marked the broken bone that had laid him flat for a few months -- combined, it also made him look taller. Or maybe that was just time.
"...hey chéri."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:11 pm
He started at the sound, the words, the motion, blinking like he wasn’t sure that he wasn’t imagining the tall, angular man standing there. A small snap of a laugh, abrupt and yet not displeased to see company there, back by surprise from the unfortunate adventures in France. Given that they had ‘presence’ there, he’d half wondered if Ever would ever return.
“You look like hell.” He blinked at the sharp edges of cheekbones only barely softened by the wild white hair. “How’s the leg?” He pulled out a chair and scrubbed absently at his eyes, dry and heavy as they were.
“You should have told me you were getting in, I didn’t order enough, and you look like you haven’t –eaten”
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:29 pm
"It's been weird." Which was, perhaps, as close as Ever was going to come to saying he hadn't, not really; not during the long trip home. He didn't think about these things enough. Or lacked the funds. Or maybe a bit of both.
Let Zac take a chair. He claimed the bed, stretching his legs out in front of him and hiking up one pant to show off the lingering boot. Removable, at least, but it explained the awkward way he moved. His jacket hung crooked around him as he considered Zac through narrowed eyes. "I was halfway worried you'd be annoyed about me busting in."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:42 pm
He shook his head. “I half expected it to be fair, and I’ve had… other people who have taken it upon themselves to pop in and do things like…make dinner, fold my papers into origami…” He waved his hand vaguely to encompass the strange occurrences.
He pulled the cooling take out out of the bags and set it on the table and scraped up what could pass for clean plates, paper or not they worked.
He divided the food onto it and stirred the fridge for left overs from the ‘dinner fairy’, found another bit of his paperwork that had gone missing, tossing the origami penguin onto the table before adding little cups of pudding to the plates and bringing one to Ever.
“I think, ‘Drew’ is still in your old place.” He said hesitantly. “I haven’t checked recently, I just corrupted a new senshi the other night, and someone suggested that he live with me. THAT got turned down quickly, I considered you a reason honestly.”
He tugged the edge of his ear, twisting the industrial as he thought. “mm…” He added to no end, an answer to whatever thought he’d just had most likely.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:51 pm
"Was he cute?" His eyes tracked Zac as he moved around the apartment, still slumped on the bed, faintly amused. It was surprisingly like nothing had changed, and that was weird over the strange feeling of everything being upside down. Cognitive dissonance. Even the English felt strange, after so long not speaking it.
Absently, he reached out for a fork, flicking it between his fingers instead of going straight for his food.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:02 pm
“The senshi or the apartment invader? If you mean the senshi, no…no he was not.” He was rather pointed on that too. “Imagine… well, no I’ll introduce you later.” He shook his head. “Are you alight?” He asked awkwardly. “You…can still stay here.” He shrugged slightly, if you’re not uncomfortable with that.”
He prodded at his own food, an absent reflection of Ever’s own behavior, not wholly hungry but knowing he really should eat something.
“I’m looking into a better place too… but I don’t know if it will pan out.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:10 pm
He blinked, looking at Zac, and then flashed a smile. Maybe realizing the awkwardness, the discomfort. It was weird. He grabbed his plate and, fumblingly, moved over on the bed to make room, nodding to the vacated space. Maybe it would help, just a bit, if they were shoulder to shoulder...
Ever poked a bite of food into his mouth, maybe to encourage Zac to do the same. "You mentioned. Kind of. Details?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:23 pm
He shifted from where he was sitting and made himself comfortable, or close to it next to Ever. “Nothing concrete really, I’ve put the idea out to those who have the actual funds to start the project, I was just thinking we have a lot of people without a place to stay. Like that Senshi I just corrupted.” He waved the fork. “Either because they forgot their old life, or because they can’t go back since corruption changed their identity, do you see where I’m going with that thought?”
“I mean look, Obsidian took over your old place.” He shrugged.
He frowned slightly…and I got an earful about this place.” He rolled his eyes.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:30 pm
Ever bumped him a little, leaning in -- and, at least, he finally relaxed with the contact, settling back into himself. He ate, now, even if it was a bit mechanical, eating for the sake of eating -- and because Zac had made it up all nice for him. Hardly seemed right not to eat it.
"Our side..." It came out hesitant, slow, thinking about it. He hadn't thought this way in ages. His time abroad had been vacation, even if Zac didn't fully get that. "We're just misfits. Outsiders. It comes with the territory..."
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:36 pm
He leaned back and sighed quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. “mmm…yes, perhaps that’s why we all ended up together. But…it doesn’t mean we can’t build a proper island for misfit toys here in Destiny City.
“Glad you came back, sort of thought you might not.” He admitted and then stabbed a fork into the dinner.
“…I should take a cooking class.” He admitted. “…except, ugh… there aren’t enough hours to do everything.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:17 pm
He could, instead, send Ever to take the cooking class -- not that Ever would volunteer. Instead he worked through most of the food, and then shoveled some onto Zac's plate, to make him eat it. It was, after all, his food.
"Are you still at the candy shop?" It was somewhat absent, and somewhat thoughtful, his eyebrows knitted together. They obviously hadn't talked enough, and he was halfway surprised that Zac was still living alone...
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:36 pm
“Mmm….” Was the most coherent reply for a moment, head tilted towards Ever’s shoulder and not really paying attention to the added weight on his plate from it being added to. “Mm…yeah, … I’m still pondering killing them all. I think I still know good places to hide the bodies.” He yawned enormously.
“Mmm…collecting energy may be less messy, but star seeds had a sort of purpose.” He stabbed at his dinner and ate a distracted bite. “Stupid candy shop.” He added irritably.
“I told you I re-corrupted Linarite, right?” He asked with a small frown. “So yes, we can do that…she lost a rank though.” He shrugged. “…and It made her uniform darker….and she won’t stop folding my paperwork. I keep wondering if that’s her or Howlite, except It’s probably her.” He rambled and yawned again. “mmm….”
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:46 pm
"Uh huh." None of that actually required an answer; was just Zac rambling, talking to the air, except -- this time, at least, there was someone there to rant to. Ever leaned in against him, considering all the food, and then reached out to grab the plates and set them on the bedside table. Better to save it -- Zac could eat when he was ready -- than to spill it all over the sheets.
"Some homecoming, you falling asleep." But it was dry, at least -- definitely joking.
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