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 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:29 pm
Several meetings added atop a new energy quota was starting to take its toll on the woman. Delilah could feel both a headache coming on as well as the dizziness from being weak. In a way, it reminded her of giving blood. Just more often. How people did this so often, she would never understand.
Almost on cue, a sweet smell reached her nose. Stopping in her tracks, Delilah turned her head towards the left and she just smiled. A bakery. That was just what she needed at the moment. Something sweet would be just the cure she needed for this never ending day.
Stepping inside, the smell strengthened and warmth wrapped around her very core and caused Delilah to smell.
As she walked up to the counter, her eyes scanned around. ”Hello?” She called out before dropping herself down to look over the treats. So many seemed to be calling her name. Oh how could she pick when her body needed such a pick-me-up. "Now which one of you is going to fit so nicely in my belly."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:16 pm
Today, Arias was running the bakery by himself. One of the girls had called off sick after donating too much energy to the Negaverse, so he was running between the counter and the kitchen trying to make sure that everything was handled. For the first time in four hours, the Bakery had been empty—which gave him just enough time to move some of the cupcakes from the kitchen into the front so he could ice them while helping customers.
In his haste, he hadn't heard anyone come in, so when he walked back from the kitchen while carefully balancing a tray of cupcakes on his prosthetic arm and gripping several bags of icing between the fingers on his other hand, he seemed surprised.
More so that it wasn't just any old customer—it was someone he recognized.
"Delilah," he greeted, smile on his face. It filled him with warmth to see a friend. To know that she was alive and well—and here. "Now there's a sight for sore eyes." He moved closer, carefully setting down the rack and icing. "It's been too long, how are you doing?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:03 pm
It was the sound of her name that caused Delilah to jump. Thank whatever god there was out that day that nothing was above her head because it would have either gone flying or she would have smacked into it and left a nasty bump.
Quickly righting herself and looking around, Delilah's ruby eyes caught sight of who had called out to her. "Arias!" The smile on her face was one of the few that was genuine. It had been along time since she had stumbled upon a friend, let alone this one. "I didn't realize this was your bakery. When did you open up here?"
Leaning her arms up on the display case, she watched him set everything down. "And if you tell me you are trying to do everything on your own, I am going to hope over this an bop you with that icing. Where is your help?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:25 pm
Arias' eyes widened just slightly at her surprise, but a smile was quick to tug at the corners of his lips. "A few years ago!" he laughed. "I don't know, six, maybe? You should drop by more often, I don't charge friends."
Not when there were so few left.
"Here, I've just got a fresh batch right here, let me ice them up and I'll give you an extra box of them. I'm sure you know some people who could use them. I hope."
He paused, realizing that might have sounded a bit morbid, and added with a short laugh, "Or you can eat them all! But—yes," he lifted one icing bag, twisted it in his hand and then began coating the cupcake in a smooth spiral. "My help is out for the day. One just didn't show up and the other had to call out sick. Donations have been a little hard on her, but I'm going to drop by after work and make sure she's okay. Both of them, I suppose."
People going missing was far too common. Arias didn't want to admit that in the past five years he knew a total of five employees who had just 'gone missing'. Thinking about it was unnerving, and left him feeling weak and useless.
A part of him liked to think that they'd just saved up enough that they'd packed up and left. That they'd run away to a happier place.
It was more likely that the Negaverse had drained too much, or they'd been caught in the middle of a battle.
But he didn't like to think of those things.
He just liked to pretend like they were off living their happily ever afters.
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:38 pm
The look Delilah gave him was one of amused annoyance. He was mocking her. Well, she would make a mental note to get him back when the chance arrived. "I guess I never realized it was you. Always saw someone else up here helping out people. You must have been in the back working your magic. No one around can make cupcakes as good as yours."
Delilah rolled her eyes at the very thought of her eating them all. She might have been thin but that was over work getting her. Not to mention a bit of stress. Still, a whole box would have given her one heck of a sugar high! "Make sure you put two chocolates in there then. My boss' daughter and wife will help me finish these. I know they could use the boost." She shrugged watching him work with such skill.
"You have gotten good with that thing." Which thing she meant, Delilah was going to leave it up to him to decide. She had never been sure if the missing arm was a sore topic or not and did not want to ask. Not as she noticed his face seem to drop. "One would think it was a complete part of you."
Letting her eyes watch him work, Delilah was quickly trying to come up with something to cheer him up. "You know, I can tell there is something on your mind Arias. I'm here to listen. You know fully well I'm on your side."
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:53 pm
Arias did not look up while he worked.
At first, it was out of concentration, but then it was because of the arm.
Outwardly, he struggled to make sure he wasn't projecting his feelings on the matter. It wasn't good to be negative. He wasn't going to add to it if he could help it.
The smile that lingered on his face was tight-lipped and he was quiet as she spoke. "Well, thank you," he said, at first. No matter how good he got with it, it was never going to feel like a part of him. Seeing it in action did not make it feel any more like it was his arm; it might as well have been a stranger reaching around to do his tasks for him.
But it wasn't just that. The phantom pains, the soreness of the prosthetic, the weight that he'd never been able to adjust to.
It wasn't the same.
But it was better than nothing.
"I suppose there's something on everyone's mind these days. You have to be careful who you talk to, though. You never know who's listening."
It was only then that he glanced up, skimming the still empty room.
He looked down and resumed working. "But nothing more so than usual. How are things going?" he asked, only this time he wasn't just asking about her.
He wanted to know about what was going on in the war, outside of what information he had scrounged together.
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:30 pm
There was no mistaking the look and the question he asked. Following his led, Delilah too scanned the room, trusting no one was around back. Slowly she made her way to stand closer to the area he was working at, positioning herself so that she could see the door out of the corner of her eye, just in case.
"I wish I could at least say they were the same but I would be lying." Delilah started with a long sigh as she stole one more glance towards the door. "Something scared them recently and I don't know what it was. They are cracking down on night time activities. Even threatening to install a curfew. I would not doubt that we will be under martial law soon. What will be difficult is if the wall in the city. Prevent us from coming and going without question..."
Delilah trailed off there. They had been able to work all this out now but what if things got worse? Would taking it underground work? The sewers ran quite a ways out but she could bet even those would be watched. The agents were alot of things but idiots wasn't one of them.
"There seems to have been an increased focus on getting people, especially children, out of the city. From what I can tell, efforts have been going well. Those they have gotten out are safe in either camps or with other family members."
Stopping for a moment, she stepped back from the counter and walked to the side where she saw a small opening. Slipping into it so she was now around back of the cases with him, Delilah walked up close, her eyes on the icing. "I wish I could say things were better Arias. I really do." Delilah sighed as she dared to reach down and dab her finger into the icing of one of the cupcakes. She planned to eat it later anyway. "But I like to think there is still hope. People still sing and dance. People still go about their days and do things they enjoy. I like to think it is the little things that keep us going and that one day, this will all be a bad dream." Delilah stuck the icing covered finger into her mouth.
As she licked it off, her eyes turned to her old friend. "Butter cream?" She asked before returning her finger to the one she had dabbed, taking a little more and smiling. "It's really smooth." She reached out and brushed it on his nose. "Now, no more heavy burden on your shoulder or you are going to make me shut this place down for the day and take you out. I'm worried about you Arias. Your talents bring so much happiness to people. I think I need to show you that."
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 11:49 pm
Arias' attention was firm and he listened intently, nodding occasionally. He didn't like everything Delilah was saying, but it didn't mean he wasn't grateful to know.
When the conversation turned away from his question and to the icing, he blinked, and suddenly didn't seem so serious. With an almost shy laugh, he just shook his head. "Ah, Delilah. Thank you, but they're just cupcakes. There are people out there with far greater skills." He reached for a napkin and wiped the icing from his nose, soft smile still on his face. He had sampled enough icing in his time to know how it tasted, but he was always over critical of his own. "I could give you some recipes if you wanted, you could make your own. Or," he laughed, "You could just drop by and get some whenever you like. I enjoy your company. As long as you aren't threatening to shut me down. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't working."
Exploring just wasn't the same, and spending time with his family was great and all…when they weren't badgering him about kids, or Negaverse, or fussing over him.
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, Delilah," he insisted, hoping the smile on his face reached his eyes. "You've just got to take one day at a time, and make the best of it, right? Isn't that the key to happiness?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 10:35 pm
"You are selling yourself short again...." Delilah signed as she felt weight in Arias' words. Time had not been kind to him and Delilah could see that more and more with each passing moment. She was honestly worried that he has started to lose himself more than he let on.
With a sign, her shoulders dropped. "I don't believe you Arias. You know that right?" Standing there in silent for a moment, Delilah missed the days when he was willing to go out on a whim. He had gotten her out of some dark places when she had begun having falling outs with her father. That's how she found the bakery after all...
Suddenly, a smile crossed her face. It was quick but it spread. Reaching out to the hand he was icing with, Delilah grabbed it. "I'm not closing you down for good but I am for the rest of the afternoon. Come, I want you to see something so tell me where some of the boxes are and I'll cover the cost for two dozen cupcakes."
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:03 pm
Arias blinked and looked around, as if he expected her to be talking to someone else.
"Close for the afternoon," he repeated, as if briefly entertaining the idea. "I don't know," he finally replied hesitantly, leaning back thoughtfully. It wasn't like he was aching for money, but just walking out with no one to take over made him worry if doing so would make him seem irresponsible.
Still, he reached for a box and handed it to her. "I can't charge friends, go ahead and pick what you want. I haven't taken my lunch yet, so I suppose I could head out with you for a bit. Let me finish icing these while you get your cupcakes, then we can head out—deal?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:10 pm
There was no mistaking the moment he took to consider. Delilah could see the flicker in his eye before it was cleared away. So part of his old self was still there. It brought a smile to her face.
"I think I can accept that." Delilah nodded once in agreement as she slid the box into one hand and picked up two of the finished iced cupcakes before turning to the display cases. Picking up another 8, mixing the flavors and the toppings, she placed to box on the counter and closed it.
"What can I do to help you lock up before we go?" glazing towards the back, she looked to see if there was another door. "Oh! Do you happen to have any of those chocolate chip cookies you used to make?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:11 am
Delilah mentioning the cookies made Arias blink and he looked up. Admittedly, he wasn't making as many as he used to, though he couldn’t remember when—or why—he'd really stopped.
"Yeah, I should .Hold on," he said, moving to a different display. He slipped on a latex glove and began to flick through the cookies like they were files. After a moment, he brightened. "Yeah, here," he said, moving out a measly few. "Three," he continued, laughing. "You want them? I'll have to start making more. Especially if you plan to drop my more often, eh?" he winked at her and flashed another quick smile before he began closing up the display cases. Ordinarily, closing up took a while, but he was taking shortcuts since he was planning to come back. He could finish up the rest then. For now, he didn't need help—or, maybe even now he just didn't want to accept it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 1:35 pm
"You should go back to making more." Delilah cooed as she walked over to him and picked one out of the trio before shoving it into her mouth. Taking a bite, she threw her back back and moaned. "Don't you dare stop making these again." Her voice showed the enjoyment she got out of them before her eyes shot back at him with a warning to go with the so called threat. Those cookies were heaven. What did he put in them? Crack? Not that it mattered now.
Offering him the box of cupcakes that appeared to still have some room, Delilah keep eying the last two as she finished the one she stole. "But I will be nice and bring those other two. Now come on. We have a little walk ahead of us but some fresh air will be just what both of us need. An office all day gets stale and how much flour do you have in your lungs?"
Kyuseisha no Hikari Sorry about that...had to get through a really stupid exam....
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 2:38 pm
Arias blinked and then laughed, shaking his head at her. "Probably a little too much," he admitted, but it was hard to make time to get out. He missed the fresh air...but maybe didn't realize just how much until Delilah was taking about it.
And cookies...when was the last time he'd even had a cookie?
...Maybe tomorrow he'd have to put a few extra on the shelf.
"I missed this," he said suddenly, walking next to her. "...All of this. I wish it could be like this all the time. Back...how it used to be. Before the Negaverse."
He'd have given almost anything to go back to simpler times. Times when every day wasn't spent in fear for your life or your loved ones. When he didn't have to feel guilty about doing something fun--something he wanted to do.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 3:01 pm
Making a very large show of suddenly not walking in a straight line, Delilah closed the distance between them and jabbed an elbow into his side. "Oh no you don't." The raven haired woman glared She was looking at him through the corners of her eyes but the thin line of her lips couldn't be missed. "I hear you and your mind wandering back down the road. Stop it. The past is just that and we cannot change it. Heck, when you think about it, what could we have done? Most senshi are no where near the age to be in government event now. Odd though isn't it?" Delilah commented as her eyes suddenly shifted to the other corner. "Those of chaos wake up at an older age than those of order."
A large inhale signed a sigh as she waved it off for now. Something to ponder in the shower later. "All we can do now is find happiness in other places. Like what I want to remind you. How your skills bring more happiness than you think." Turning one more corner, Delilah stopped in front of a large brick building. It was plain with few windows but one large thing caught the eyes. The sign above the door was covered in colorful drawings made by children that framed the name: Destiny City Kid's House. It was a safe place for children.
Fearing Arias would stop, Delilah reach back for his good hand and moved to pull him up the few steps. "Com. I want to introduce you."
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