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 Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:38 pm
Paris had many resolutions for the new year, some of which she thought might actually end in success and some she was already afraid she would be unable to meet. There were those that were school related (“make straight-A's”) and those that were health related (“gain five more pounds”), those that she kept secret (“be a better Senshi”) and those she made less of an effort to keep to herself (“spend more time with friends”). Of them all, she thought the last was the one most likely to be met. Indeed, she was already making efforts to see that 2014 marked a resurgence in her social life.
After all, she'd spent months and months spending more time with Chris than she'd ever thought it was possible to spend with a single person without becoming annoyed by them. Even if she thought she could go months and months more doing the same, at some point she had to get out and see other people again.
That was socially healthy, wasn't it?
And what better way to spend a Sunday than to partake in a little shopping? And what better person to spend that Sunday shopping with than her best friend?
Fresh from Mass and Sunday brunch with her in-laws, still dolled-up in her Sunday best, Paris lingered around the outdoor seating of a small cafe in one of Destiny City's shopping districts, occasionally checking her phone for any missed calls or texts as she waited to meet Ladon. Her mood was chipper, her cheeks a little rosy from the cold, and her eyes still had that sparkle to them to prove the honeymoon period was still going strong even nine months on.
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Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:33 pm
Ladon's New Years resolutions were a jumbled mess, but they were all ones he hoped to achieve come year's end. As usual, he wanted to become a stronger force in the Negaverse, but this time he also added on that he never wanted to fall for another trap again. He had to live and not just sacrifice himself for the cause - and for good reason. His other resolution. To marry Billy Roadinger. To afford a ring and propose in the best way he possibly could...when he figured what that was of course. He also wanted to continue having a good relation with his mother, and to also find a job and support Billy so he could relax and go to school. While the Negaverse had been his main focus for many years, now he wanted to keep a good, normal life as well. A future that wasn't just in uniform. That meant keeping what few friends he had.
Having spent over a week recovering from his near death dip in the river, Ladon was dying to get out of the house. It took some convincing from his mother, but after bundling up, charging his phone (just in case something happened - his mother insisted) he headed out.
Still a bit stuffy and worn, he was glad to have some fresh air and arrived at the cafe wearing a dark peacoat, the hood from his hoodie over his head and showing off the small dog ears on either side.
With a sniffle, he headed over once he spotted Paris. "Hey. Been a while." He hadn't gotten to talk to Paris much after his wedding.
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Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:31 pm
“Funny how we always say we're gonna get better at this, and we still let a while pass,” Paris said, smiling ruefully.
She stepped forward to bestow upon Ladon a quick hug and considered making her excuses (“Chris is so helpless; I can't leave him on his own” or “Chris's mom keeps me busy a lot” or “School's been so exhausting”), which were all true to a certain extent, but when Paris stepped back again to look Ladon over to see for herself what changes might have come about since she'd last seen him she knew that every excuse she could possibly make would seem weak, a pointless explanation when the truth was she'd been so distracted by her own happiness and the changes in her own life that she'd allowed herself to loose track of time.
Pulling her gray military-styled coat a bit tighter around her, Paris motioned for Ladon to join her on a slow walk down the lane of shops and storefronts just beginning to loose their Christmas trappings. For a moment she was uncommonly quiet, a bit lost in thought as she tried to determine what she wanted to say to him. There were things she knew she should discuss, things she should have discussed with him sooner than now, but they were also things she still wasn't quite sure how to talk about.
Instead, she said, “How've you been? You don't sound so great. Are you feeling alright? You didn't have to indulge me, you know. Or if you need something warm, I can get you something from the café.”
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MoonKitsune rolled 0-sided dice:
Total: 0 (-0)
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Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:33 pm
"I'm ffiinnee" He said in a tone that suggested he heard it asked too often. "I just got really sick. Had a bit of an accident and fell in some water. Just caught a really bad cold after. My mom insisted Billy and I stay at her place for the holidays and to make sure I got better. I've been copped inside for over a week and it took me enough of a fight just to be able to get out of the house. I want to be here, Paris. Anything to let me breath some fresh air and not mentholated humidifier fumes." He have another sniffle, his voice only slightly nasal from the stuffy nose. "Don't worry. I'm not contagious. Just stupid and accident prone. It's a wonder why Billy even puts up with me after how many times I jeopardize my health." He have a weak chuckle, but looked guilty. Billy had to save his life again and here he was the more experienced officer. He wanted to show he could protect Billy in some way.
"I don't want anything to drink. I've been drinking so much herbal tea that I don't ever want to see it again." He took a tissue out to wipe his nose. "How have you been? Did the honeymoon go okay? I haven't even gotten any texts talking about it." Despite not wanting to hear about the midnight tango they probably did, he was still a romantic that believed in love, and liked those gushy fairy-tale stories about honeymoons.
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Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:56 pm
Paris nearly insisted that they turn right around so that she could drop into the cafe and buy something for Ladon that might help to at least warm him up and ease some of the discomfort caused by illness, but as Ladon seemed to be quite adamantly against the idea, she kept her peace for the time being but continued to look on him with concern.
“It's nice that you've been able to spend some time with your mom,” Paris said.
She tried not to indulge her curiosity by asking any pesky questions, wary of prying too deeply into family matters that likely weren't any of her business. She had enough trouble with her mother; even now things were... not awful, but still a bit tense from time to time, and she wasn't sure how to alleviate that. To her, Ladon seemed content enough about the topic, so she let it be.
Talk of her honeymoon brought a larger smile to her face, though even then she was a bit cautious about what details she let slip through.
“Oh, Chris just took me to Disney World after, over spring break,” Paris said, like she was trying not to make it seem like something noteworthy and explain away any lack of previous comment on it, when really it had meant a great deal to her. “It was crowded, but... still a lot of fun. I'd never been before, and I always really wanted to go at least once, so Chris surprised me. I didn't know until we got to the airport. We're probably gonna go again the same time this year, one last hurrah together before Chris graduates in May and we have to figure out what to do about him playing baseball somewhere else... assuming he doesn't end up playing here...” she trailed off sadly.
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:36 pm
He smiled at the honeymoon, but it didn't seem like the sort of thing he expected Paris and Chris to do. "I would have thought you guys would be in some romantic villa in Paris or Italy for a week or on the beach by the shore. Not the beaches we went before, but like, Hawaiian beaches. Big and blue and lined with servers." He guessed he still always thought Paris was the living large sort from when he used to go clubbing constantly till he was blackout drunk.
"Disney world sounds nice though. I only went once when I was a kid with my sister. My dad insisted we should go. I barely remember it, but I can remember that I liked it." But this wasn't about him. "You seem well rested."
But not without stress, and Ladon caught the implications of that last sentence. His expression dropped, worry mixed with panic. "You...." His heart squeezed tightly. "Are you moving?" His walking had stopped all together.
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Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:23 am
Paris's smile twitched into something a bit awkward and nervous at the thought of such a lavish and luxurious honeymoon, always unsure as to how much she wanted to discuss the fortunes of the family she'd married into. Slowly but surely she was getting used to the thought of having access to so many opportunities (not to mention so much money), but to say that she was entirely comfortable with it would be untrue. She decided it best not to comment further, and kept the truth of the matter (that the room she and Chris had stayed in while vacationing had cost more per night than Ladon's apartment likely cost him in a month or two) to herself.
She paused in her easy gait down the shop-lined street as Ladon came to a stop, and turned to look back on him with an expression of mixed curiosity and sadness.
“Oh, no, I probably won't be moving,” she said. “At least not for a while yet. I've got too much keeping me here.”
Her family, for one; her friends, too; her secret life as a Senshi that she couldn't seem to let go of no matter how much sadness and stress it caused her. Many times she'd considered leaving and putting it all behind her, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do that until it was all finally over.
“I still have to finish school,” she explained instead, since she couldn't bring herself to talk about any of the rest of it. “I start my apprenticeship with the Destiny City Ballet next semester, and even though I could probably find a place in a company somewhere else, I just... I've put so much work into school that transferring would seem like such a waste when what I've got going for me here is such a sure thing. But... Chris'll probably be gone for a while. Even if he gets drafted by Destiny City, he'll have to spend some time in the minor leagues before getting called up to the majors, so there's a chance he'll be living a couple of states away, if not further if he gets drafted by some other team.”
Paris's usually boisterous voice lowered at the thought, and the look in her eyes grew a bit dim, but she forced herself to keep smiling, even if it looked sad. “It'll be a big adjustment. I'm not really used to being on my own anymore, plus after he graduates I...”
She took a deep breath and suddenly clammed shut, though she figured it was still rather obvious that she was leaving bits and pieces out. She forced herself to look more chipper, and tried to encourage Ladon to continue their sedate walk.
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