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 Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:19 pm
It was two days after the whole…’ghost hunt’, and honestly, Gabby still wasn’t over it. She had taken a dozen showers, but she still felt the pitter patter of feet in her hair and every time there was any type of odd noise, and it was winter time, there were many odd noises, she would jump and imagine another swarm just…coming for her.
Rats had never been something she was freaked out over, but…this was just.
Honestly? She wanted to just hit Arnica.
The sun had set an hour ago, and Gabrielle bundled up in her coat and scarf, pulling on a warm hat and a pair of mittens that always kept her fingers toasty. Plus, it would be easier to land a punch with mittens. Maybe.
She had sent the male a text message before she left and now sat right where she said she would be, laying on the sliding board, staring up at the cloudy sky, simply watching the snow flurries fall.
Quote: Yo. I’m still super upset about the rats. You owe me hot chocolate. Meet me at the playground of Easton park, I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Normal, this time not…fancy.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:12 am
Was it irresponsible to meet powered down, in a park, with a Negaverse Senshi? Remarque had given him fair warning about the Negaverse, but Lazurite really hadn’t seemed bad. On the contrary, he’d actually even enjoyed their time together–even if it had been a bit wild.
He didn’t want to go out at night, it was cold! But, he’d been working on a project in a small coffee shop only a few blocks away from where she wanted to meet up, so it worked out. And, the coffee shop just so happened to have some of his favorite hot chocolate.
He didn’t think she knew where he was, so it must have just been a stroke of luck. Or destiny.
Who was he to fight destiny?
She wanted to meet up in twenty minutes, but it was a five minute walk and it would take just about as much time to get the drinks, so he started packing up immediately.
Leander entered the park a little more than ten minutes after she’d texted, two cups in hand, a bag over his shoulder, and bundled up from head to toe. He had gloves, a jacket, a scarf. Many layers.
He could have been prepared for an overnight stakeout–and, he might have been.
The park was empty, sans one person, and he supposed she could have been Lazurite. He didn’t recognize her, but when he got close he asked, “You order hot chocolate?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:21 pm
Her head poked up from where she was laying on the slide, and she grinned suddenly. “Freddie! You made it! It’s good to see you…you…ah. You do know that we’re not in the North Pole, right? Like…why are you decked out as though you’re on some expedition to hunt elk?”
Gabby made grabby hands for the hot chocolate though. She was cold, and even though he looked like he was…in total overkill mode…she was glad it didn’t take him too long to get here, or she might have become a gabby-cicle.
“I’m so glad that you can deliver way out here…sorry for the noticeable lack of ghosts…and the thankful lack of rats. What the Hell was up with that anyway? Seriously? Rats? God…I still feel them scurrying on me when I'm trying to go to sleep. It’s terrible.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:41 pm
He held out the hot chocolate without any real delay. “Freddie? Really, you think I look like a Freddie? Come on,” he whined, but he seemed playful about it.
“Sorry about the rats, I really didn’t think it was going to be that bad. I did some follow up on the place, made a call to the city. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that they’re probably just going to demolish the place. It’s historical, but I don’t know if they want to deal with the extermination fees. Sounds like the place might have a lot of internal or structural damage, I don’t know. I’ll have to text you when I find out, though.”
He raised his hot chocolate to his lips. “If you don’t freeze to death, first. It gets cold, fast, around here. I don’t want to get sick. I didn’t know how late I was going to be out so I dressed carefully. Nothing wrong with being prepared. What about you, you aren’t freezing out here?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:48 pm
“I mean if we’re going with the whole scooby gang thing, it’s not the first time I’ve called you Freddie.” She took the drink and held it in her slightly numb hands, inhaling the warmth that seeped from the small hole in the lid. “I’m Gabby, by the way. You know, like this and all that. Also, thank God it’s getting demolished. I hope that they make sure all the beasts are dead before they let them loose on that poor neighborhood. Yikes.”
Taking a sip of the cocoa, Gabby eased herself back onto the slide, sighing happily.
“I am freezing, but now I have good company and fantastic hot chocolate. You didn’t just grab some of the packets and put it in hot water. I’m impressed and very pleased. I suppose I’ll forgive you then. And remain part of your gang.”
She grinned and then closed her eyes, taking another sip.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:55 pm
Okay, fair. She had called him that before, they just weren’t Scooby-Doo-ing right now. “You sure? Might be more trouble. Hopefully less rats, but.”
He remained standing, but only because he didn’t want to deal with the cold of the bench. He didn’t know how she was handling the slide right now. “It’s nice to meet you, Gabby. I’m Leander. And you texted me at the right time, I was at a little coffee place. They just so happen to have my favorite hot chocolate, and it’s late enough that I thought it’d be okay to swap out caffeine for sugar.”
He was going to be up for a long time tonight anyway, but he didn’t think that was really important.
“What are you doing out here? Aside from freezing, and waiting for hot chocolate.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:59 pm
She grinned at that and nodded. “Well then, Leander. It could be more trouble, but that’s what happens when you get involved with things you don’t understand. Besides, it might be fun trouble so. I’m still in. And…as for what I’m doing. I just wanted to be outside. Of course, now that I’ve been here for a while…I’m ready to go inside. But.”
Shrugging, Gabby took another long pull from her cup and exhaled, enjoying just how much she could see her breath after the hot drink.
“...Being inside keeps making me think there will be rats. And I swear, if you saw my actual apartment, you’d be giving me the most unimpressed look but. Eh. It’ll pass I know. But until then. I’ll just…go outside more often. And freeze a bit.” She glanced at him. “What about you?”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:07 pm
Leander gave her a look, held his breath for a moment, and then exhaled. “I was working,” he shrugged. He didn't seem upset about taking a break. Honestly, the chairs were comfortable there, but he needed to stretch his legs and this was a good opportunity.
“Sounds like I might need to get you into some more ‘fun trouble’ soon if you’re still thinking about those rats. I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean to traumatize you. You want to go to the pet store and pet some, just to see how friendly they can be?”
Was the best way to deal with a fear to confront it? And those domestic rats were sort of cute. Girls more than boys, but he wasn’t going to ask her if she knew how easy it was to tell the difference.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:12 pm
“Ew, work. Nasty stuff. Thankfully, my parents have money, so that’s not something I have to really worry about. They bought an island a few months ago if that tells you anything. I’m past the utter embarrassment and on to the amused disgust at the thought of just…having that money and not like. Doing something good. Just. Buying an island. Because they could.”
Gabby sat up and drained the last of her drink, sighing. “...Yeah, that does sound like a good idea. I don’t think they’d be so bad if it was just one or two, but we were about to get like. Mufasa’d.” She yawned and rubbed the back of a mitten across her eyes. “I think that is my cue to get home and get warm. Please call me for more adventure soon though. Or more hot chocolate powwows. This was fun.”
She stood, beginning to shiver now that she was out of her small self made pocket of warmth. “Let me know too…if you ever want to visit my parents island.” She rolled her eyes at that, grinning. “Though, I’m sure you won’t find any ghosts.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:32 pm
Leander snorted. “Wait–what? An island?” he sputtered. He looked at the hot chocolate, at her. She could have probably hired a full-time personal assistant instead of having him bring her something to drink.
“Wow. I mean, yeah. I’ll go visit a private island. Doesn’t even have to be for ghosts. I haven’t been to the beach in years, I could use a little sun. Hope it’s further south, I want out of this cold. So tired of winter already,” he sighed, and tipped his head back so he could look at the stars.
The only good thing about this season–now that the holidays were over–was that the sky always looked so clear.
January was different from December, and all the warmth and cheer from the holidays had faded into just cold and snow.
“I’ll head home too, but if I don’t thaw there, I’m going to harass you about that island. I’ll see if I can’t find something just weird, not spooky. Get you back in the right headspace.”
Maybe send her some cute rat pictures, but then. If she woke up in the middle of the night to see those on her phone, he didn’t want to spook her.
“It was good to see you, though. You have any pets? You should get a cat if you don’t, might help chase away any rodents that want to mess with you.”
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:40 pm
His reaction was everything she hoped for and she nodded. “An island, yes. And it is quite warm there. It’s in the Caribbean and most of the beaches are pretty rocky, but there’s one really nice one. I’ll see about taking you the next time they’re in their home in Paris or something. I don’t have any pets at home, but I have a horse, her name is Meadow and she’s perfect.”
Gabby stretched and took a few steps to the trashcan, tossing her cup into it and grinning back at Leander. “I’ll take another spooky one. Just tell me when and where. I’ll be better next time, I promise. But I don’t promise that I won’t give you a hard time about it after…that’s just how I roll!”
A shiver went through her and she laughed, trying to stop her teeth from chattering. “Anyway, I’ll see you later, Leander! Text me!”
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