Post by Ziggy Morgan on Apr 26, 2021 8:30:23 GMT -5
T h en . . .
“I need to stay.. I have to stay. There’s too much going on now, too many responsibilities. I’m starting to feel and I can’t go back. There has to be a way to stay... there has..” Before anymore could be said, her trance was broken by the sounds of someone approaching. Unsure of what to do she remained frozen in place, her expression unchanging.
“Hey, Ahmya” came the friendly, youthful rasp of Bert McAlroy. He paid her a pat on the back, oblivious to her expression or her crisis, “Just wanted to say, that was my favorite interview to date. I mean...I haven’t had that many but it was nice to interview someone who I didn’t think was gonna put me through the wall. So, yeah. Thanks for bein’ cool, yo.”
He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets, having ditched the dress shirt as soon as the cameras left him alone.
Realizing it was Bert brought her a small sense of ease, though there were still a couple stray tears to wipe before she turned herself slightly to greet him more properly. “Of course! Thank you so much for the interview Bert! I’m sorry the ones you’ve had before weren’t as good but hopefully this one was the start of some real fun for you. You definitely helped to make me feel comfortable.” While there was no sense of doubt within her voice, her tone was softer than usual. “Oh and you don’t have to call me Ahmya when the cameras aren’t on. You can call me... Nao.” Following a split second where she seemed a bit confused by her own words, she offered a smile.
“Nao” he repeated, paying her a smile, and nodding as he rolled the name over in his mind a few times, “I like that. I’d say you can call me Robert, but then it’d feel like I was talking to my mom, or Knox. Who’s like a mom just..with more makeup.” God, that joke was awful. And he was awful for laughing at it, if even for a split second.
“Hey,” he interjected with all the tact of...well, himself “I know it can be kinda big here sometimes, and I haven’t seen you running around with too many people so I just wanted to say, if you ever need anything even to just have a friend in the back, i’m always around here, usually putting together stuff for Havoc. So don’t be afraid to just find me if you want, yeah?”
Though she didn’t want to do so too loudly, his joke did manage to make her chuckle a tiny bit. She couldn’t help her smile widening a little either, his words bringing her some comfort. “Thank you Bert.. I’m sorry for not being around you and the others more often. I want to, people seem nice despite the drama. It’s just sometimes I feel like..well like I’m here and then I’m not here. That probably doesn’t make any sense.”
Letting out a sigh, she lowered her gaze. “I’m doing my best though, to stay here. I do really like it. I have to work harder is all, and it means a lot that you want to be here for me. I want you to know the same thing works the other way around... I think you’re nice.”
Bert listened, squinting for a moment at the implication of here leaving, he thought? Maybe it was the drama she mentioned. He though for a second about pulling at the thread, but decided against it. Why mess up a nice conversation with ‘so, why you wanna leave?’. Instead, he cleared his throat to break the silence he had barely realized he had let form.
“I try to be. Like you said, all the drama? I’m not about it. I mean, i’ll dive in when Matt is involved if I need to...but, I haven’t needed to outside of when the rat almost ate him. And that was more visiting him in a hospital than diving in…” he trailed off, then shrugged, chuckling again as a smile forms on his face, “Fuck, i’m starting to ramble like him. Thank you, Nao. I appreciate the kind words. You got a friend in me.” Toy Story joke. Nice, Bert
“I love that song!” Clearing her throat now herself, she found herself laughing some more, cheeks growing a bit of color. “Sorry, I just really like the song, and the movies... That means a lot to me. You got a friend in me too. I’ll do my best not to get involved in all the drama. I’ve done okay so far but I get a little nervous about the pressure. Part of me thinks I may need something heavy to keep me grounded but I don’t know for sure. It’s kind of scary when you think you’re somewhere but end up in a whole different mess. I mean.. well never mind that for now. I don’t want to end up rambling myself.”
Doing her best to find the words, she finally looks as though a lightbulb went off in her head. “Maybe we can help each other in that way! Keep ourselves out the chaos, no pun intended, and keep each other here. I do have to warn you though that there will be times I feel like I’m fading. I do hope that’s okay.” Feeling more perky as the seconds pass, she smiled at him once again, this time with a bit of a curious twinkle in her eyes.
“Yeah, sure. I mean, I’m only up to about a buck fifty-five, but i’ll do the best job I can at being an anchor. Don’t worry about feeling lost, or...like, adrift? I had a friend, who I helped out of a pretty bad place.So whatever you have going on, i’m good with it.” He offers a warmer smile, and a nod. He then juts a thumb over his shoulder behind him, before speaking again.
“I..gotta go get ready for the second interview tonight. But I just wanted to touch bases, thank you. And, I guess. Make a friend.” he chuckles, “Little surprises, huh? I Left my phone back in production but you can get my number out of any directory. That cheapskate fuck C$J didn’t wanna spring for a company phone.” He laughs, before taking his first step away.
“Be good now, Nao.” Jesus, Bert...just..Jesus.
She giggled this time, a little more high pitched, yet soft. “You are adorable.” More laughter, this time closer to her normal tone. “I will make sure to retrieve your number. Thank you again Bert, you actually kept me here for another night which is... nice. I hope when I get to see you again that I’ll be here. I’m keeping note of tonight.” Though she knew he took a step back to ready himself for his departure, she decided to take a step forward to maintain the previous distance. Slightly motioning with her hands for him to move closer, she offered a sweet grin. “Shall we have a quick one to celebrate our new friendship before you have to go?”
Bert laughed, and stepped forward without hesitation, and accepted the offered hug. He pats her once on the back, smiling genuinely. His perspective on the roster changed for the better for once. The roster could use more of Nao and a lot less of..like..a lot of them. Winter, for one.
Enjoying the embrace of the hug herself, the woman behind Ahmya, who reached out as Nao, found herself feeling far more calm than before. The shakiness had settled and for once she stayed where she wanted to be. Perhaps this was a spark of hope, a sign of things to come? Either way she was smiling and felt safe letting her eyes close without drifitng away.
---
Now.
Bert took a long pull from the joint, staring at the screen on his Android phone. He had sent the DM with his phone number to Nao..Ahmya..Shiori, whoever she was. He didn’t know a thing about her outside of what he was shown on the surface. But he knew first hand that the surface was usually little more than deception and defense.
He drops the joint, it’s cherry still aglow upon the coffee table and runs a tired and bruised set of hands over a scuffed face as he releases a sigh he had no idea he was holding onto. He didn’t know if it was her, or if it was him but the need to help, the voice in his head crying out that this person needed someone would not silence itself. When he had left Baltimore not longer after Matt, he half-way considered her just lost in the shuffle of it all.
If he had known..
He shook the thought before it consumed him, snatching the joint and taking another healthy pull from it before erupting in a coughing fit as he overestimated his abilities..
But hey, what else was new right?
