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 Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 6:14 pm
Four meetings with clients down and Fiona was about ready to kill for a good cup of coffee. Having nursed a headache for over an hour now despite ibuprofen and multiple glasses of water, she'd deduced that it was probably a caffeine headache.
Which made sense since she'd skipped her morning cup of coffee.
It was nearly three in the afternoon by the time she'd made it to a coffeeshop with Just Add Coffee happening to be the closest one. With the mild hope that she'd see her old friend and shop owner Chase, Fiona had pushed open the glass doors and stepped into the homey shop.
The counter was in the center of the shop, curved and circular with the register in the center, espresso machines on either side with stainless steel fridges beneath them and blenders on the right side. An array of tea decorated the other side and there appeared to be very few patrons in the shop. A handful of students were sitting in some of the booths along the glass walls and some on the couches on the other side of the room.
It smelled like heaven, with Fiona tipping her head back to breath in deeply and soak up that sweet coffee smell.
Delighted to have the opportunity to finally kick her headache, she stepped towards the counter as another patron was leaving it, cup in hand. Unfortunately, her phone when off and in that split second of distraction, Fiona knocked her shoulder right into the man's arm, spilling his beverage over both them and the floor.
Gasping she clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, oh no. I'm so, so sorry. Let me - We'll get a towel or something from the baristas and I'll get you a new drink. I promise."
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:22 pm
Things could be better, to say the least, and it had Chris almost in a daze as he stood waiting for the cup of coffee he’d ordered. It seemed as though most of his waking hours involved caffeine of some kind, but he always preferred coffee for some reason. Probably for the warmth and the smell that seemed to soothe him.
He was home from New York after an embarrassing incident during a game that ended up having him placed on the disabled list for the rest of the season, which thankfully was only one more game for him. Still, he hated the fact that he couldn’t even finish off the season. The worst part about it was that he couldn’t help but wonder if the Comets would do better with him off the mound.
Needing some time away from his overly attentive wife, Chris donned a logo-less baseball cap and sunglasses to try and hide his face and shaggy mahogany hair from anyone that might recognize him, which, as arrogant as that sounded, luckily didn’t happen that often.
So it only seemed natural that when he wanted the least amount of attention, he managed to draw it anyway.
“S-s**t, sorry,” he gasped as he ran into the young woman as he turned away from the counter. “Are you okay?” he quickly asked, worried that the coffee might have burned her, but thankfully it was cool enough so that it didn’t burn the back of his wrist from where it splashed onto him.
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” he tried to explain, his free hand lifting to absently rub at his chest as it twinged with lingering pain that could not be explained by any medical means.
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 3:43 pm
Lucky for Chris, Fiona didn't spend much time watching sports like baseball and would have no knowledge about the very thing he was trying to avoid thinking of. Unfortunately for him, she'd spilled coffee all over both of them with only having barelyavoided a scalding hot temperature. It was a win-lose sort of day she decided.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, brushing aside his concern because she was more focused on him and his potential injury than her own. She'd taken much worse hits and if she could survive hot scaly dragon youma, she could survive some sorta hot coffee.
"You don't need to apologize, it was my fault too." She hadn't been paying attention either. Her blue and green eyes were fixed on her clothing, checking to see if there was anything permanently damaged. Seeing that things were mostly fine, she looked up.
She stared at him for a minute, mismatched eyes blinking before her brow furrowed. "Don't I know you?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:28 am
Despite being wary about people recognizing him, it was always surprising when someone did. He was in the process of opening his mouth to explain the whole baseball thing, when he caught sight of her eyes and he couldn’t help but gape in stunned awe.
“Oh wow,” he said lamely, color heating his cheeks in embarrassment for such a stupid comment only a moment later. “Sorry,” he quickly apologized again, taking a step back and reaching to grab some napkins from the nearby table and handed some to her, before starting to mop himself up.
“Sorry, I’m sure you get that a lot. Your eyes…” he continued to lamely explain before he finally shook his head. “I don’t think we’ve met,” he said, trying to remember what she’d just asked him, although he ducked his head away to prevent himself from staring at her awkwardly, and knelt down to soak up some of the coffee that had spilled onto the floor.
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:40 am
It was hard to miss the way he stared at her, at her eyes presumably, but she didn't shy away or do anything but tilt her chin up to get a better look and let him get one too. She knew that the first thing people paid attention to, once they actually got a look at her, were her eyes. Even in a city full of people with strange eye and hair colors, hers were always something of interest.
She had yet to see anyone else with natural heterochromia.
"It's fine," she assured him, gently smiling. "I don't mind." Besides, it gave her an opportunity to study his features a little better, red brows knitting together as she tried to place his face. She recognized him, she knew she did, but where had she seen him?
"No," she shook her head, still wracking his brain. "Maybe I've just seen you in passing." She accepted the napkins and dabbed at her clothing. It struck her, the fact that she'd seen someone that at least looked like him when they'd been with Cosmos...
"Business maybe?" She didn't know how to broach it otherwise.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:04 am
The way she was staring at him was a little unnerving, if only because it was obvious that she was trying to place him. He had a feeling that he was going to have to end up admitting to something eventually.
“I went to DCU a few years ago. And… I pitch for the Comets,” he finally admitted, and reached up to remove his sunglasses (which was also because he really couldn’t see in the dim light of the cafe, anyway), and his baseball cap. He lifted his hand to almost compulsively run his hand through his hair, letting it fall back into place after being squished under the hat for a while. So far, it didn’t seem as though anyone else recognized him, so that was good.
But there was something about her expression that was still unnerving him, as though she knew that wasn’t it, that it was something else.
“Maybe you saw me on the moon,” he said in an awkwardly sheepish kind of way, hoping that she would understand if she had been there, and would maybe think he was crazy if she didn’t. And if she thought he was crazy, she would write him off as a bad decision to even talk to.
Chris lowered his head to work on cleaning up his own clothes with the napkins, waiting for the moment for this girl to turn and leave.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 10:55 am
Fiona had a habit of staring to intently and this was no exception. Recognition, true recognition and not that fuzzy deja vu feeling, blossomed across her features and she blinked several times. "Moon sounds about right," she said quietly, reaching up to tuck hair behind her ear. "I think - " Fiona hesitated, unsure if it was best to continue then resolved to anyway. "We might have mutual acquaintances."
She waited for him to look up before she offered him her hand and a pleasant smile. "My name is Fiona. I'm afraid I don't follow most sports," she added, as if to imply that she didn't know his name. "You looked a little rough there," she added, softer this time with an edge of concern.
Sure, the woman might not have known the baseball player very well, or really not at all, but he'd been on the moon in a state that had him powering down, for one reason or another, and that seemed concerning. If she remembered correctly, and she really wasn't sure she was because she'd been quite weary from too much magic usage and general physical exertion, he hadn't looked in the best of state.
"Anything I might be able to help with? I'm in nursing school, or I'm a good person to talk to."
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:07 am
”Oh good,” he breathed a sigh of relief when she said she didn’t follow most sports. That was good, because then she wouldn’t know that he had a horrible season, and then the whole incident in New York was too embarrassing to even want to think about.
“Chris,” he quietly introduced when she offered her name, and then paused to look around the cafe. Their mess had been cleaned up and the barista was already pushing new drinks onto the counter for them. “I wouldn’t mind… talking, I mean,” he said, the thought of her might being able to help was not something he wanted to pass up. Not when he was getting more and more desperate to find answers.
He looked around for a moment to locate a secluded table and gestured to it to make sure it was okay for Fiona before making his way to it and sitting down. His hand lifted to compulsively press against his chest, a habit he didn’t even realize he did any more, trying to get the ache to die down.
“Valhalla,” he said quietly once they were alone, thinking that if she was able to say she recognized him from the moon meant she was there as well.
“My… starseed…” he said slowly, trying to figure out how to explain. “It’s leaking energy… so I can’t hold a transformation for long.” That was the short story, of course. He didn’t want to bombard her with all the symptoms right away. “Anything that you could think of… I would be happy to take any suggestion… I’ve spoken with, well, a lot of people, even Cosmos. But they weren’t sure what to do. If it keeps up I’ll probably…” But he couldn’t continue, not wanting to admit that he would probably die because it felt like he was giving up, and he refused to give up if there was still any inkling of hope that he would find a way to fix it.
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:23 am
The redhead looked confused, but smiled nonetheless at him, assuming the relief was related to his career. She wondered what that was like, being known for playing a sport professionally and how many people recognized him from that. Considering Fiona was usually recognized because of her eyes, or the fact that she'd been once a frequent member of high society socialites, she assumed that getting recognized for a possibly well-followed career could be exhausting.
Snagging her drink from the counter, Fiona followed Chris easily, taking advantage of his turned back to look him over as if she could spot some sort of injury just from the surface. The once over proved to be moot once she slid into the seat across from him, both hands wrapped around her cup and shoulders hunched slightly as she leaned in to give him her full attention.
A bit surprised at his easy admission of who he was, even if it was said low and subtly, the woman nearly forgot to offer her own alter-ego in return. "Dragonflies," she offered, because it saved her from having to offer her sphere later.
"I'm afraid I'll need more details," she said slowly, taking in the bit of info that he had provided her. She wondered what it was like, living with a cracked starseed that could splinter on him without warning. "Our...starseeds are connected to who we are right?" She pursed her lips trying to think about what little she knew about them.
Clearly she needed to do more research, another thing to add to her list of things to dive into. "I won't - there's got to be something." Fiona might not have heard of his plight before, but she was a bit of a bleeding heart who couldn't turn her back on the people that might need her.
"I don't know much about how...knights get their magic," she spoke softly, brow furrowed as she tried to think about it. "Have you tried going to the source?" She was connected irrevocably to Denebola, maybe it was the same for knights.
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:42 pm
Dragonflies, Chris repeated to himself, and showed her a small nod in understanding. Going into more detail about his problems might reveal just how pathetic he really was. He appreciated that she seemed willing to try and help him, and offered her a small smile at her attentiveness. It wasn’t often that he talked about this with people, and he didn’t want to overwhelm them with too much information, especially if there wasn’t anything that could help him.
“A couple summers ago, the teal haired General-Queen, Laurelite - she tried to corrupt me. It was stopped before she could obviously, but I think it damaged my starseed in the process,” he explained quietly, leaning over the table. He wondered if it was weird that he was so open with a near stranger, but he was also desperate, and had always been friendly with others anyway.
“There was an incident in the subway a while back and my starseed got pulled out - I really don’t have much luck with it, I know,” he quickly said with a grimace, his cheeks flushing a little as he realized how ridiculous it sounded. “There was a noticeable crack in it. I can’t use my magic or feel auras. I can’t remember years of my life - hardly any of college.”
As for going to the source, Chris hesitated, remembering very well everything the Code had told him the last time he was there. There wasn't much for him on Valhalla.
"Last time I went, the Code - the piece there, at least - told me that Metallia would like me. And that it was surprised I was still alive after..." he trailed off, lifting his hand to his chest again to absently rub at it. "I don't know if I can stomach that again..."
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:07 pm
The second the name Laurelite was mentioned, Fiona shuddered, flashbacks of her attempts to tackled the woman in a desperate attempt to rescue her friend coming to the forefront of her mind. "That sounds like something awfully difficult to experience," she replied tactfully, thinking that it was incredible that Chris was still standing and still trying even though it was likely ticking minutes off of the timer that was his life.
It was in that moment that the redhead wished that she had a more analytical mind, that she had been built for the type of science that brought new possibilities into fruition because then, perhaps she would have a better answer for him.
Instead, there wasn't anything for her to say, so she sat quietly, hands tight around her cup, and listened. "Sometimes, we have a long streak of bad luck before the good starts to come pouring in," Fiona offered gently. She wondered if it was a common theme, for knights to be so...self-deprecating and low on hope. Either way, she was determined to remain positive and offer her support in what ways she could.
Maybe she didn't know Chris very well, but he looked as if he needed a friend and she was in the business of lending her support to people her instincts insisted she ought. Like they were now.
"From what I've heard, that code is a right a**." Fiona's lips were pursed together and those mismatched eyes of her were narrowed as she thought about everything she had been told about it. "And sounds full of crap if you ask me." She sounded utterly certain in that thought. "If you want my opinion," she started slowly, assuming that he did because that was the point of the talk wasn't it? "I think it's worth going back, even if the code is a d**k," she made a face, "demand answers. When it tells you those awful things, you tell it to shut up because it's not true."
She refused to believe it.
"And, if you're worried, don't go alone. Sometimes..." She thought of Altais and Corvus, who provided her with so much more courage than she possessed innately, "sometimes you need to know that someone else is with you, who is willing to be strong when you can't. Sometimes it's one person," she thought back to the moon and how she thought she'd seen him surrounded by people, "sometimes it's a few. Or, maybe you just need a willing hitchhiker who's not afraid to tell someone off." Oh, there she was making a stab at a joke and offering him a soft smile.
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 9:49 pm
Chris smiled as Fiona spoke, soothed by her encouragement, not realizing how much he needed it until he sat down and started talking with her. Even though they barely knew each other, he couldn’t help but feel like she was someone he could trust and rely on. It was nice. And warm. And comforting.
“Thank you, Fiona,” he said softly, trying not to seem too amused by the way she spoke of the Code. “You sound like you’ve had some experience with the Code, too,” he said, appreciative of everything she was suggesting. He knew she was right. He had to try and go back. He’d tried everything else besides going back to his wonder, it seemed. He worried that he wouldn’t have enough energy to get back, but he figured he would face that challenge when he got to it.
“I think I will try,” he promised, drawing in a deep, settling breath. “I’m not sure when, but soon.” After all, if he didn’t try then he would never know.
“You’re a good person. I wish I had met you a long time ago,” he said softly, glad that it didn’t seem as though he had and just forgot about her, like he had so many others. It wasn’t easy not being able to remember so much, but there were still people who did whatever they could to help him, and that was all he really needed.
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:50 pm
"Nothing personal, yet," she made a face, thoughts drifting to Kam and the request he had asked of her, "but I don't take kindly to mythical beings of power treating my friends poorly." For a long time it had been Fiona putting herself first and then putting the world first and now? Now she put her friends, the ones who made up her family, first and there was very little the feisty woman wouldn't do for them.
It wouldn't be hard for her to make room for Chris on that list, especially since she was considering it already.
"What's the harm in trying when you feel like you've already exhausted your other resources?" Of course, she didn't quite understand how knights traveled or how it might have differed from the way senshi did. "I mean, isn't it important that you haven't given up or that people haven't given up on you either? You've got a fighting chance, Chris. I'm positive of that."
If Fiona was good at anything, it was being supportive and she liked to think she was a fantastic personal cheerleader when the need arose.
"I'm just a person, Chris, doing my best, but thank you." She reached across the table and offered her hand to him. "Well, you've met me now and I'm pretty stubborn so I'll stick around and..." she paused, wondering if it was a good idea to make the offer or not. "If you need someone to hold your hand when you think you're facing death and you're trying not to worry the most important people in your life, you can call me. If you wanted."
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Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 12:41 pm
Chris stared at Fiona, not quite in surprise but in obvious awe of her compassion. He found his smile slipping a little as he tried not to become overwhelmed with emotions because he did often feel like he was alone. He didn’t want to worry Paris more than he already knew she worried, and he hated being a burden on others, especially when they had their own troubles and lives.
“Thank you,” he said again, knowing he probably sounded repetitive at this point, but he wanted to make sure she knew just how much he appreciated everything she told him, everything she offered to him. He needed to hear it, all of it. Especially since it was verification that someone was fighting for him, although he knew there were plenty, even if he didn’t want to burden them.
“I’ll be okay. I have to be,” he promised as he reached across to take hold of her offered hand, giving it a squeeze, his grasp probably feeling unintentionally desperate. He would have to be okay. One way or another.
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