|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 8:17 pm
After the battle, things had been quiet. There wasn’t much to say. When they powered down, away and out of sight, Zac tasked Evan with getting the car. He carried Talia with him as far as he could go, but when Evan showed up, they loaded in and Zac drove them to the only place he could think of where he didn’t have to worry that the Negaverse could find her.
While she’d been a prisoner of the Negaverse before, he’d tried to take care of himself. He didn’t care if he got hurt. Every now and then he got into something bad, and he was fortunate enough to have run into a Cosmos Knight that could promise discrete treatment.
Zac had never broken an arm though, but a doctor should be able to fix that, too.
The clinic was well equipped. He wasn’t disappointed.
The treatment was fast, and discrete, but when Talia did wake up, she hadn’t been in the mood for company. He didn’t blame her. She seemed dazed. Maybe it was the painkillers. Maybe it was the heartbreak.
Her arm was wrapped up and Zac had promised to update Rhiannon and Malcolm when he had anything to say. They had been dropped off on the way home, and he’d let Evan sit with Talia in the back seat to make sure she was okay.
When they got home, Zac brought her down to their room–helped her change, and then left her briefly to get the cup of tea and a water bottle so she could take her medicine.
Evan sent him back with a tray of food–light food, snackable for now or later. Things that would last if she wanted to pick at them now or in a few hours. The medicine might make her dizzy, so the less time she spent on the stairs, the better.
The lights were dimmed in their bedroom already, and he had the television turned on to some kid’s cartoon to make sure things stayed lighthearted. The sound was low–enough to be a quiet murmur, but not enough to require any real attention.
He moved to the side of the bed and began carefully setting things on the table by her pillow. When he spoke, it was with a deliberate quietness. “Got a drink. And some food. How you holding up?”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 8:28 pm
Talia lay listlessly in bed, propped up on the pillows, her arm throbbing dully thanks to the pain medication that Priam had given her. It hurt but, it wasn’t a break that required surgery, she had understood that much and was thankful for it. Still. The idea of being in a cast for so long made her rather sick to her stomach.
When Zac entered, Talia glanced at him and at the food and attempted a smile, though it was less than the smiles she had had when she first came back from the Negaverse.
“...Surprised he didn’t give me mac and cheese…thought that was Evan’s go to.”
The words sounded flat to her own ears, but she had no real answer for Zac’s question. She wasn’t holding up. She didn’t think she’d ever want to hold up again, honestly.
“...Might need help with the purification in a few days, will you come with me? I’m not sure how the arm will be with all of that…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:44 pm
“That’s what you’re thinking of right now?” Zac asked. He gave her a brief sideways glance as he moved to the other side of the bed. “I mean, yeah, of course I’ll be there.”
He resisted the urge to say, ‘As long as it doesn’t wind up like this’.
It didn’t matter if it did, he was still going to be there for her.
“There’s a pot of macaroni and cheese upstairs if you want it. Evan’s still in the kitchen. I told him not to load me up with too much. The doctor said not to feed you anything too heavy in case the meds make you dizzy. I brought a bucket, it’s by the bed. Just in case.”
He sank down onto the mattress and looked at her–really looked. The smile wasn’t convincing, she must have known that. She sounded exhausted. Detached.
He didn’t blame her.
“What purification do you have planned? We can take a trip to your world if you’re up to it, if you want to try healing up there. There are other senshi out there with healing magic, too. It might make it go a little faster.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2023 3:08 pm
“Of course it’s what I’m thinking about right now. It’s the easiest thing to think about right now.” It might have been something that had heat behind it had Talia had any energy to have any heat but.
Well, she supposed all the heat had gone with Faustite. So.
No. Absolutely not. She would not and could not think of that right now. It wasn’t good for her, or for anyone. “Glad that he’s still on his mac and cheese kick. I’ll try to eat a little to make him happy. I know how he worries…and thanks for the bucket, that’s helpful.
Her stomach didn’t really feel like anything right now but, knowing there was a bucket there made it easier to put aside any worries of messing up the bed.
“It’s the purification that Brooklyn, the Lysithea Squire that visited a week or so ago asked me to do. She seems like she trusts the Senshi, and it’s something easy so I can just whisk her to Lysithea and if it’s a trap we’ll just drown her or you can run her through. I don’t care at this point, I guess.”
She wasn’t looking at him again, keeping her focus on the plate of snacks and grimacing. Nothing looked even remotely appealing but. She supposed that was to be expected.
“From what I know, healing magic doesn't work on broken bones, I’ll just wait it out. It’s no big deal.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2023 7:53 pm
Zac nodded. He was tired, but he didn’t let it show. It was physical, it was emotional.
He doubted Talia meant what she said about letting him do whatever to some would-be traitorous Senshi but he didn’t call her out on it. Now wasn’t the night for it and he wasn’t going to push her limits.
Maybe after a good rest she’d have a change of heart, but for tonight, it was enough that he was going to be there. Now, and in the future.
He nodded, so she’d know he heard her. He wanted to ask if her arm still counted as broken if it had been set, but the little voice in the back of his mind that had all the questions knew when to shut up.
“Going to Lysithea sounds like a good idea.” For more than just the security of being up there, he hoped it would give her some peace of mind. He hoped it had some hidden reserves of energy it could funnel into her to heal her. Not just her arm, but her heart, too.
“After that,” he shrugged. “You want to take a break from this? I don’t know. We could take a vacation or something. Wouldn’t have to be for long. I just don’t want you pushing yourself too hard. Might be nice to do something, take your mind off of things.”
Let herself heal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 2:51 pm
“A vacation? What, just us?”
A small amount of interest seemed to flare, even if it was only for half a moment. “...Where would we go?” The idea of a vacation with Zac was…a nice one. She wouldn’t mind it, and getting away could do her good.
“...Could you get off of work though? It always seems like all that you do is work. I miss you.”
The admission was hard and she glanced away after saying in, sighing and closing her eyes. “...It always feels like you’re working so that you can stay away from me, and I do appreciate the money but. I’ve tried to stay busy too if it’s me that’s bothering you. Now though. I’m going to be a burden again, so. I’m sorry for that. If you want me to find someone else to vacation with, I’m sure that I can…or I could just camp up on Lysithea for a while…whatever makes life easier for you, Zac.”
It would be nice to not be afraid of upsetting him. Of being able to rely on Zac the way she wanted to but. They were at odds. Even if he didn’t act like it, or claimed that they weren’t…they were. She was an idealist and she was Talia, not Cambria. It still bothered her, and right now…right now she had absolutely no strength to play pretend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:29 pm
Zac looked at her for a second and raised a brow before he spoke again. “A vacation, just us. Yeah, why not? I haven’t gone to do anything in a while. I don’t know where we’d go, I only just now started thinking about it. We could go camping. Or leave the city, visit somewhere nearby and make a whole itinerary for it. Truth be told, I’ve never planned a vacation before. Figured maybe you could help me. Or we could wing it. I can take time off. I don’t work because I don’t want to be around you. You think you’re a burden?”
He leaned back on the bed a bit so he could prop himself up on his elbow and look at her.
There wasn’t anything dishonest in his expression, even if he seemed a bit perplexed by the thought that he wanted to avoid her. Who could prefer work?
“I don’t want to find someone else to vacation with. I don’t want you to be up there all alone on Lysithea, either. The goal was to spend some time together and get away from all of this.”
He didn’t want to dig into anything deep, not tonight. She’d been through enough.
He just didn’t want her thinking that he was trying to avoid her, either.
“I can get time off of work. Home renovations are pricey, I wasn’t going to ask for money from Tobias. He’d never let me live it down. But I’ve got enough saved up to take some time off. Especially if it sounds like something you want to do.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:47 pm
“I’m sure he’d give you the money with no real objections if Evan asked him…men having to be so proud is just…”
Talia bit back her next words, her mind going to Faustie. He was proud too. Too proud to just suck it up and get help before it was too late. Getting help but not trusting her…not talking to her about what his real plans were. And now look at him. Shuddering slightly, Talia wrapped her good arm over her chest in an attempt to ward off the thoughts. It didn’t work, of course. But. It was something.
“Anyway…I’d like to get out of here. Plan something with you. That might be fun…should we wait for my arm to get all the way healed though? I can’t go swimming or anything as I am now, and the idea of a pool sounds…it sounds nice to me, I guess.”
Laying in the sun. Swimming in a pool, just relaxing.
No picnics though. Honestly, Talia doubted that she would ever want another picnic again. She was supposed to picnic with Faustite when he was free but.
Clearing her throat and swiftly wiping her hand across her eyes, Talia glanced once more at the food that Zac had brought down and sighed. “...something with water. A pool.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:07 pm
Zac bit back a sigh because, yeah, he was sure he could ask Evan to ask Tobias for money, but it just left a gross feeling in his stomach. He didn’t want to ask for money. He liked being able to say I did this, I made this happen.
And anyway, Tobias was a brat. He’d gloat about being little mister rich boy who didn’t have to work for anything.
“If you want to wait for your arm to heal, sure. I was thinking we could get out and do some things while it was healing. Maybe I should get us a canoe, we could go out to the reservoir for a day. Meal on the water, maybe. I’ll do all the work. We could spend some time by the water, probably could get some good sunbathing in if you wanted. Or,” he shrugged and tapped his fingers on the bed as he thought.
“We could go bar hopping. Go see a show. Take a walk in that botanical garden they just had in the news. There’s a lot in the city I haven’t gone to see. Figure it could be fun to go with you. I could take you to my favorite rib place. When was the last time you were at the zoo? I’d take you to an arcade, but I think those are a little old fashioned now. And I’d have a little bit of an advantage.”
He flashed a quick, brief smile, but he wasn’t sure if she was in the mood for teasing. She looked like she’d been about to cry and he wasn’t good with emotions, especially when he was still trying to figure out where she was at.
“Spa day, maybe. I bet we could make a jacuzzi work. What if I go on one of those tourist websites and see what Destiny City has to offer? We can knock off whatever’s on the list while you’re healing. I bet we could make a lot of dates out of that.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:18 pm
“I...would really enjoy that, Zac. I would like to go on a lot of dates with you, and maybe we can figure out a big thing afterwards but…yeah. That.” Talia drew in a breath and closed her eyes again, resting back against the pillows and swallowing hard. “I’d like that. There is that big…adult Chuck E Cheese place over near downtown, I wouldn’t mind going there…but yeah, it might be better to wait for my arm for that but…that would be a fun date, and you could win me some prizes like the wonderful gentleman you are.”
Thinking for a moment she hesitated. “We should take Julian with us on the trip to the zoo…that would be fun, and he doesn't seem like he ever gets to do anything fun…and he’s one of my Knights as you know so…he deserves to have a little fun…maybe Brooklyn too if I can convince her. She’s. Closed off but. They’re both good kids…”
Sighing softly, Talia looked at him once more. “...You should hold me now, I think.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 8:35 pm
Zac shifted again, this time to better face her. “You definitely have a soft spot for little Lysithea Knights, don’t you? Don’t they both go to bad schools? They sound like trouble makers.”
He didn’t seem like he meant it, but it took him a second to recall that she didn’t remember him or stories about him from high school. “I was a tough guy in high school, I’m teasing. I’m sure they’re fine. Little Unicorn Knights don’t sound too threatening. If you want to take them to the zoo, well.”
Now, he sat up and pulled the blankets back so he could crawl under them with her. He fluffed the pillows and then, carefully, drew her close to him so he could hold her.
“I was thinking I might like to sneak away with just me and you, but I suppose a zoo isn’t very romantic. Ah, what the hell.”
He’d do anything to keep her mind off of things. He kissed her temple. “Yeah, shoot them a message and see if they want to go. Might be more fun to go with kids. And if it gets them to open up a little more, that seems like it’ll be good in the long run. It sounds fun.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:56 am
“Of course I have a soft spot for them…they’re mine. They’re like my kids…and at this point I can’t see myself ever getting the chance to have any children of my own so. I have to make due where I can. And when I can.”
She wanted to be a mother. Wanted it badly but. Zac didn’t and she respected that.
Honestly though, she had thought about asking Tobias for money to figure out another way but. This was not the time for it. Maybe later.
“I’m perfectly willing to sneak away….but I want the zoo to be us and those two, if you’re really okay with it…that would be wonderful to me.” Talia could be a mother to her knights…and perhaps that would be enough. It would be as family as she could go without…actually having one so. It was something.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:11 pm
Zac didn’t have to consider it for very long. Almost as soon as she was done talking, he was nodding along with her. “All right. Then, yeah. Let’s do it. We’ll go see some animals. Get something good to eat. Buy some souvenirs, even. We’ll go all out.”
He didn’t think he’d be good with kids. It wasn’t even necessarily that he didn’t want them, he just didn’t know what he could offer them. He was brash, he was quick to anger, he didn’t understand all those gooey emotions.
He was afraid of hurting them, or messing them up, more than anything. It didn’t seem fair to stick a kid with him, no matter how great Talia was.
“If they’re that important to you, I want to meet them, too. I’ll try not to scare them off.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:17 pm
Talia’s smile was almost genuine and she pressed herself against Zac and closed her eyes. “It’s a date then. I’ll get in touch with them both and see if they want to come…and you can figure out the us trips and…we can go from there. I’ll heal. Do the purification and all will be will.”
She would just. Be without her brother but.
…would it really be any different than the life she had now? Maybe though, she wasn’t going to think about it. Not until it didn’t hurt so much. Not until she hated herself a little less.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
