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 Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 6:38 am
Trying to get on with his life while not being able to remember the part where he actually grew up was tough, but not impossible. He had the support he needed at least, but he had no idea how he managed to end up in his dream profession. Thankfully the baseball season was over for him, seeing as he’d been placed on the disabled list after getting ‘electrocuted’ and ending up in a coma and losing part of his memory. Seeing himself in the tabloids every so often was weird as well, but he supposed that was what happened in his line of work. Lucky for him, he wasn’t well known enough to prevent him from going out in public.
Going back to places he already knew from when he was eighteen was supposed to help in triggering memories to return. So far he was fairly certain it had less to do with him not remembering and more to do with the damage done to his starseed. Still, Chris Gallo found himself standing in line at the local coffee shop he used to go to while still at DCU. His coffee was nothing special; just the house brew which he would then add some sugar, but nothing else.
But as he pulled out his credit card to pay for the drink, someone caught his eye. A young man with glasses who seemed to be looking his way as well. Something about him seemed familiar, but… he couldn’t quite place it… Something about a youma and being off-planet…
“Fritz?” he asked cautiously, not sure about his assumption because it had been a few years since he’d seen him at the Surrounding.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 10:57 pm
His argument with Tolliver had lasted eighteen and a half days so far, not that Fritz was counting or anything. And so far, absolutely nothing had been resolved, or even talked about, because every time that he had tried to speak to his brother about it, the results were anger, tears, and stubborn denials. It had left them at a serious crossroads, one where neither one was really willing to move forward.
They had been together since birth and beyond, and they had never before had a fight such as this one. Which was probably why Fritz was in the cafe at present, drinking his tea (Tolliver was the coffee drinker) a little more aggressively than was strictly necessary. He was antsy and tense, but he'd also been dying to get out of the loft and just go, and besides, being outdoors was better at present than being cooped up inside.
He'd drunk too fast and needed a refill. With a slight groan of annoyance, Fritz dragged himself to his feet and padded over to the line, landing behind a young man with brown hair who looked almost his own age. He had his wallet out, credit card in hand, and Fritz, almost automatically, let his gaze flicker curiously down to the name on said card, squinting a little to make it out.
Christopher Gallo.
...Gallo, Fritz thought, still staring absently in the other's direction. Christopher -
His name echoed in his ears, and Fritz snapped out of his inner musings to find the man staring at him. It took him a second to realize that it was, in fact, him that had spoken, and suddenly the pieces clicked into place, recognition dawning. A wide smile broke out across Fritz's face.
"Chris!" he said delightedly, reaching out to grasp the other's shoulder. "Hey! You're Chris, right? Chris Gallo, yes, I'm Fritz St. James!"
He stuck out his hand towards him, beaming.
"It's an absolute pleasure to finally be meeting you in person, bloody hell!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:06 pm
The wide smile from the other young man seemed to indicate that his assumption was correct, although he was surprised by the enthusiasm with which Fritz responded. It wasn’t bad, of course! Just unexpected, as Chris was not very confident in recognizing people he thought he knew, these days. Still, the manner in which he was greeted by the other, although surprising, put him more at ease.
“Likewise,” he said as a smile grew on his own face, and he reached out to take the offered hand, but then paused to amend his statement. “Well, I’ve met you before; I just didn’t realize I recognized your name until a few hours after you told me the other night.” He paused to glance towards the lady at the cash register and quickly finished up his transaction so he could get out of Fritz’s way, waiting until they were no longer in direct earshot of anyone else to continue.
“You’re not on your way out, are you? I don’t want to keep you if you’re busy,” he said, concerned about wasting Fritz’s time if he had to be somewhere. “I was just going to sit here for a while, if you’re not,” he offered, genuinely intrigued about the zodiac knight. Trying to be as cool and nonchalant as possible seemed to be the best way to not scare Fritz off.
“Uh, not busy… if you’re not, I mean. If you wanted to sit with me… to talk… about things… I guess.” Ah, and he blew it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:03 pm
He was undeniably excited to be able to meet Chris Gallo in person, not just because he was the civilian behind Valhalla, a quite respectful and kind man; but also simply because it had been too long since Fritz had had any real friends to talk to. He made sure to check in on some people every now and then, but sometimes days or weeks passed with him having not had a single, genuine conversation with someone that did not involve meaningless idle chatter.
His fingers gripped Chris' hand firmly, but not powerfully, Fritz giving it a shake before he let go. Head tilted to the side, he wore an expression of bemusement on his face for a brief moment, mouth open slightly.
'You've met before?" he asked curiously, paying for his own refill before following Chris over to the side, Styrofoam cup warming his fingers as he held it. "Really? When and where, I apologize profusely if I seem to have lost you in the crowds of time."
Fritz took a sip of his tea, swallowed, his bemused face giving way to a more pleased one. "It would be my delight to sit and talk with you, Chris," he said, and gestured around to the the empty tables and booths that currently were there. "Please, I'm absolutely escatic to finally be able to meet you, I don't wish to run off again so soon after."
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Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2015 1:15 pm
”It was only briefly,” Chris admitted when Fritz voiced his surprise that they’d met before. “When you were taken to the Surrounding and some of us came up to help, bringing supplies and support. I don’t remember if we actually had the chance to speak, but you were one of the people I remembered having a good grasp on how to handle the situation,” he explained, although now that he said it out loud, it sounded a little funny in that he could remember that instance but he couldn’t remember so many other things. Still, his memories as Valhalla seemed to be intact, despite everything.
He followed Fritz’s suggestion to take a seat at one of the tables, choosing one that was isolated. The table would allow them to speak without needing to lean across, unlike in a booth, should their conversation change to one that probably shouldn’t be voiced in public.
“How are you? What do you do?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. “You’re not from here, are you?” he added with a small grin; Fritz’s accent was obvious.
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:32 pm
He thought on this, mind flickering back several years to the first time he'd ever awakened as Celsus. Fritz didn't remember Chris - but then again, it had been rather a blur of events happening one right after the other, and he'd been accosted with so many other people. There had been an awful lot going on, and he felt bad that he couldn't remember, but...
His smile widened. "That's quite the compliment," Fitz said with a laugh. "I appreciate it, though I'm relatively certain I spent the majority of my time running around like a hen with its head cut off. There was so much to learn back then, I was quite green..."
Fritz slid into one of the chairs across from Chris easily, crossing a leg over the other and taking a sip of his tea. Another laugh escaped him as he lowered the cup.
"I'm a freelance painter. And no, my brother and I are originally from Leavesden," he said lightly. "But we came here several years ago together, our parents are both still back in England. I've gone back once or twice on holiday, but we like it here in Destiny City."
His smile faded, just a little, though it still maintained most of its cheeriness. "Well. For the most part."
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Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:21 pm
Chris didn’t know why he thought he would be nervous the first time he actually got to sit down and speak with Fritz. He knew he shouldn’t have been surprised that he seemed to be just as cordial as he was as Celsus, but seeing as everything was a bit strange for him these days, his ability to not be surprised was a bit off, at the moment.
“I think we were all like that, to some extent,” he agreed, smiling back as he lifted his coffee up to his mouth to sip. “Some of us still are, to be honest,” he admitted, only half joking.
“Are you, really? What’s your style? Do you have any of your work in the galleries around her? Uh… my mom is big into art and galleries and all that,” he quickly explained, not wanting to seem overly enthusiastic for something that he did not share talent in. “I’m not much of an artist. I’m going to school for--” he paused and backtracked, lowering his voice at the awkwardness of it. “Uh… I… guess I graduated with architecture and mathematics… but… I pitch for the Comets… or did. I don’t know if this breaches my contract or…”
He shook his head, trying not to dwell on the ‘ifs’ when he could get his memory back any day. “You have a brother who lives here, too? You should both come over sometime so you can meet Paris. And at least you’ll have a place to go if things get too rough. Or at least you won’t have to worry about your parents getting involved in this mess. My parents live here, my brothers live here, Paris’s mom and cousin live here,” he rambled absently, not realizing that the quality of his voice was beginning to slip from casual conversation to something more distressed. “Paris is my wife… I don’t remember the wedding, but I’ve seen pictures. And we’re supposed to be having twins sometime early October. I mean, I like kids and always expected to have kids, but eightee--... twenty-three is kind of young for kids, don’t you think??”
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:32 pm
Fritz was nothing if not easygoing - at least, in terms of dealing with everyone except for a certain someone lately - and he had always felt comfortable around people, even if he didn't know them. Chris was no exception, especially considering his other identity, and if anything, Fritz was quite eager to learn more about him like this, as civilians and not as knights.
He took another sip of tea and smiled. "I work in acrylics, mostly," said Fritz, and then laughed, waving a hand. "Don't worry, I don't mind answering. I haven't had my work in any exhibits lately, no, but I've shown in or two galleries before around here. I feel it might be time to start looking again, gain interest."
He'd almost forgotten that Chris did not have his memories as a civilian - or rather, that he had lost the ones of the past several years. Fritz watched him with a somewhat worried expression on his face, though he tried to school it into something more casual.
"I would very much enjoy meeting your wife," he said with a smile, though it was mildly strained. "As for my brother coming...well, that's questionable, but if you would not mind the company, I would be very much interested in meeting Paris."
Surprise flickered briefly onto his face, Chris' rambling not bothering Fritz, but -
"Oh, bloody hell, congratulations!" he said, leaning forward to grasp his friend's hand. "Children, that's bloody wonderful, I'm so happy for you! And no, twenty-three isn't too young, I think it's just a good age, though you might be a little overwhelmed at times, what with twins, hey - "
He gave Chris' wrist a little squeeze.
"You will do just fine, I think," he said firmly, Fritz giving him a pointed look. "You have an extraordinarily kind heart, and you are entirely capable in what you do. I mean," he added, letting go and leaning back again, crossing one leg back over the other. "I know it must be...terrifying and frustrating, to be in your situation, but you have already shown yourself to be a good man, I think you will do very well as a father, and you do have Paris to help you along the way, right?"
His smile was gentle, with a little bit of teasing in his voice. "And me, though not quite to the same extent as your wife."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:40 am
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he mumbled sheepishly at the compliments, unprepared for them. It made him feel guilty, if anything. Fritz didn’t know him well enough just yet, and once he did, he would likely change his mind. He tried to be a good man, of course, but they all had their faults, and Chris was very keenly aware of his own.
The look Fritz gave him when he teased him about helping him… “O-oh god, no…” he sputtered, shaking his head and cursing to himself as he felt his cheeks burn just slightly. “No offense…” he quickly added, not wanting to insult one of the very few people who actually made him feel like a normal human being and not an invalid with no memory. Then again, he kind of was his own fault for going around telling people he couldn’t remember anything. So yeah, that was all on him.
Chris let out a small groan and shook his head again, eyeing Fritz curiously. “You’re very good with people…” he pointed out, although he was certain Fritz already knew. He knew what to say to calm him down and distract him, and whether it was intentional or by chance, it said a lot about Fritz’s intuition.
“Anyway,” he mumbled, feeling as though he was being awkward enough as it was without explaining to Fritz how much he appreciated him taking the time to talk with him. Things had been rather hectic and he really didn’t have many people to turn to, aside from Paris of course, and his family. But they were already involved enough as it was. “Let me give you my number if you need anything,” he offered, pulling out his phone so he could maybe make a note if Fritz wanted to share as well. “Then we’ll have to plan some time to meet up again. And no, Paris and I wouldn't mind the company.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 7:28 am
Even if he didn't know Chris well enough, Fritz still probably would have rambled on with the compliments anyway. There were certain people that he simply found himself comfortable around, and both Chris and his alter ego fell easily into that category. He would have gone to bat on the good man belief he stubbornly held onto.
(And his own faults always crept up on him, clawing at his throat, his lack of strength, his inability to provide for himself, the walls he constantly put up around himself to keep everyone and everything at bay...Fritz forced these all away, focused on the matter at hand.)
A laugh escaped him. "No offense taken really. Don't worry about it too much - which I know is probably like saying don't breathe - but really, Chris, I'm sure things will work out. It's probably a bit of an idealistic point of view, but I've always been a bit of a romantic anyway, so I like happy endings."
He grinned across the table and took a sip of tea, Fritz tilting his head. He gave a snort that was probably not very graceful at all, an almost sheepish grin on his face. "Maybe not good with people," he said, trying very hard not to think of certain people who should remain nameless. "But I do like to make people feel good, even if it's all I can do."
A hand tapped out an idle rhythm on the top of the table. "Oh, yes, that's right, I should give you mine too, that way we can contact each other in a method that doesn't involve randomly meeting in coffee shops - though I do appreciate serendipity of it all, I must admit."
He grinned at Chris. "I do like the company, it's much more preferable to many things at present."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:18 am
"Paris and I kind of met like that," he said almost absently as he opened up a new contact page on his phone before passing it to Fritz so he could enter in his contact information. "We met at a party. She knew the song I was playing on my guitar and no one else did. And we didn't even get each other's phone numbers," he said in exasperation at himself. "Somehow we ran into each other again and I asked her out. Keep in mind I hadn't dated anyone in a couple years," he added just to prove how crazy it was.
Chris shook his head at himself, almost surprised that he could remember that. Then again, he seemed to be able to remember up until shortly after first powering up.
"I hope you're right," he admitted after a few moments. "I'm not usually pessimistic, but it's been... a strange couple months. I would like things to work out. Hopefully I'll get my memories back, but I guess if I don't, it's not the worst thing, right?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:37 am
Fritz was, if nothing else, a romantic at heart, even if his own love life was sorely - and deliberately - lacking. He listened to Chris talk about Paris with a little grin on his face, resting an elbow on the table with his chin propped in the palm of his hand.
"That's adorable," he said. "I love stories like that, and it's something to tell your future children, right?"
Fritz took a sip of his tea, which was growing cooler, and rotated the cup a little, stirring the liquid inside. "I don't think it's so much you being pessimistic as it is trying to figure out a realistic side of things," said Fritz, after a moment's contemplation. "I mean, I know I literally just said I was an idealist, but you've had a lot going on, haven't you? It's only natural that you'd be concerned about things now."
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling a breath, but Chris was given a warm smile.
"If you don't get your memories back, you just make new ones."
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:29 pm
Chris lifted his coffee to take a large gulp, having been too distracted by Fritz to remember that he had coffee with him. It was strange, sitting here as if they were long time friends, chatting about things that seemed so mundane, considering everything going on around them.
But, it was also a relief. Chris didn’t realize how much he needed to have time to just talk about what was going on until he was actually doing it. He was grateful for Fritz’s desire to make people feel good about themselves. He knew he certainly needed the morale boost at the moment. He tried his best to keep going, of course, but there was only so much he could handle.
Still, Chris found himself staring at Fritz in surprise. Not because he didn’t expect him to say such kind things, but because the casual, confident manner in which he spoke to him was… uplifting.
After a moment, he felt himself relax a little and smiled back. “You’re right. Thank you.”
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