Post by Ziggy Morgan on Jun 1, 2021 18:16:44 GMT -5
Minutes turned to hours, days, and then of course weeks. What was once a blur became dates that were actually connected, and not once did she give into the temptation or fade. The concept was wild to the woman who was focused on her own reflection after having freshened up, but something she absolutely welcomed. Though the details were fuzzy, disjointed at best, she knew that for as long as she could remember, she was running, desperately trying her best to latch onto reality. She only had a few clues to the truth, but struggled to put the pieces together in a way that would fit. Three names, the vision of red on white, the bright lights and the restraints. Thinking back to it gave her chills and it took a combination of deep breathing and thinking about what she had now to shake it off. It warmed her heart to have her life interwoven with someone the way that she had, and while it wasn’t clear what this was, she knew it was real and it meant the world to her.
Gently a hand reached out to the bathroom mirror, careful to make contact as if she was scared of a shatter or change when she was interrupted by the phone she had left on the sink. She was hesitant to answer it, knowing that any other number aside from his could lead to trouble but still she decided to do so, placing the call on speaker. On the other end she heard a soft voice that brought a sense of dread, though she had no idea why. “奈緒?あなたなの?ミラです。お答えください。彼らはまだ見ている、止まらない。その場所に戻る必要があります。真実から隠れないでください。奈緒?奈緒? 奈緒?” Nao.. the voice kept echoing that name, but all the woman staring at the phone could do was shake. Without saying a word she grabbed onto the phone and threw it across the bathroom, the device shattering as it collided with the far wall. The voice was gone, but quickly replaced as she heard a knock on the door that stirred her, ripping her down from the state of shock.
“Hey, you good?” came the youthful rasp of Robert James “Bert” McAlroy Jr. He fought back the urge to lean an inquiry ear onto the door as he had seen his mom pester his sister with over the years. He could never understand the common urge to intrude on the privacy of the most private room in the domicile. He took a step back, waiting for...well, something as he thrust his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, eyes locked on the door.
“I.. I’m sorry.” There was silence for a moment before the door slowly opened. Out stepped Nao with a couple stray tears coming down her cheeks and a bit of a frown. “I.. need a new phone. I got scared. Please forgive me.” Her gaze remained lowered, the young woman finding her head feeling heavy and unable to meet his concerned expression. In an instant, one of his hands reached out to rest on her shoulder.
“What scared you? Some asshole get your nu--” he stopped mid sentence, replacing the furrowed brow with a softer, less invasive look as he nodded, then shrugged, “Hey. it isn’t a problem. We’ll get you something new. Until then, you can use mine whenever you need it.” He removed the hand, suddenly aware of it lingering there before he returned to standing still as stone, awkward as always. He cleared his throat, then jerked his head toward the living room.
“C’mon. I’ll order a pizza. You pick whats on it, i’m not picky yo. We can talk about...that if you want. But only if you do.” His words brought a small smile to her face almost immediately. Slowly she raised her head to face him. “Meat lovers and extra cheese?”
It seemed as if she had gone back to normal, as normal as she could manage anyway. Still there was another pause, the soft cough that escaped her breaking it up before she finally expressed a thought beyond the usual. “I.. I don’t know who it was. She said that name. That I had to.. go back. I don’t know what she meant. I still have a.. hard time with that. I wish I could know and share everything with you. I feel like I let you down.”
“Never.” It came quick, as he started up the short hallway, staying ahead mostly so she couldn’t see the concern on his face as he questioned her. It always felt like she clammed up the second she noticed the worry, and as he had stated before. Hiding emotions wasn’t a part of his makeup.
“What name did they use?” he asked quietly before plopping down on a small couch that definitely spent time in a thrift store.
The sincerity behind his response brought back that warm feeling. While she was a bit nervous to discuss more, as she didn’t want to bring about worry, she felt it was best and the least she could do. “Nao.” Her voice was soft when it was spoken, and while it was the name she shared with him, she didn’t know how it came to be.
Taking a seat beside him, she looked his way once again, doing her best to compose herself. “I feel like there is so much missing, it scares me. I know it’s weird, and I’m sorry for that. I just hope you know I’m trying.” A bit awkwardly, she moved a little closer, leaning her head against him.
“Of course, yo” a pause, as he acknowledged the contact. He felt like ice and fire hit his insides all at once, but playing things uncharacteristically cool he snatched onto his train of thought and cleared his throat. “Like..I wish I understood more so I could help more but like...the way I see it, the best way I can see it for real..”
He shifted slightly, minding not to disturb her position the best he could.
“You’re missing so much, and we don’t know if it’s a curse or a blessing but...it’s blank. So, maybe you just...focus on here, now and be what you want to be, despite what you used to be?” He felt his own eyebrow raise at his unusual depth, “Like..okay. I’ve known you by like, four names...which one do you WANT to be known by?”
Though she didn’t move from her position, it was easy to tell that she was smiling. A little sniffle followed his words so she got emotional again as well, but in a good way this time. “You’re too good to me Bert. So sweet and kind..” It seemed as if she wanted to say more, but struggled to get the words out. “I like when you call me Nao.. I just don’t want others to say it. I hope that makes sense. I do like your idea though.. focusing on here and now. I like this time and want to stay. Can I stay?” She lifted her head after asking the question, trying to figure out the answer.
It was his turn to smile and, emboldened he shifts an arm to rest on the couch behind her, he swam in the warmth of the statement, the sentiment intentional or not, and let out a silent, contented sigh before he spoke, “Well..fair’s fair. If I get to call you Nao...you can call me Robert,” he felt an old cringe at the name that very few without some sort of badge or PHD called him by.
“Bert is like..thats just friends and uncles and stuff and, of course, work but...i don’t know. Feels like you’re more important than all that..” his own voice died off then, sentiment stuck on ice as he slid the arm closer to the edge of the couch away from them.
“Robert.. it’s nice. I like it. Thank you for this gift.” She looked down for a second, unsure if that came out the right way. “I think that way too.. about you. You are very important. I know I don’t have much, or anything really. But I.. I want you to know I’m grateful in sharing. Maybe I don’t need to know what is missing, like you said, it could be better this way. Plus that means we can discover things together. Like how we know what pizza I like and dislike after trying so much.” A soft giggle escaped after the example, turning into a full laugh before she went back to resting her head against him.
He felt himself fighting back his own laughter at her outburst, the arm emboldened back to the other edge and falling deftly over her shoulders as they shared the moment. A bare foot stretched out to rest on the coffee table, as if to ground himself here in this moment forever. No big match, no big fight, no mystery or tragedy. Just two people, specs of dust in the grand scheme of things, laughing at pizza and the funny faces made experimenting with it.
As the laughter died down and he took those microseconds gathering every detail from how her shoulder felt, the smell of her hair and that dirt spot on the window...for some reason...he felt a weight push up his chest, as a sentiment moved past his lips.
“If whatever or whoever was or is bothering you shows up...you won’t be alone, alright Nao? Just like..remember that.” A plus sentiment, C delivery. That’s a passing grade, yo.
Turning her body slightly, she allowed herself the chance to give him a sort of half hug, giving her best form of thanks without the words. Of course she still had to voice her gratitude, but needed an extra second to do so. “Robert.. I.. thank you. I hope you know that goes both ways. I’m not sure what I could do, but I’d do it without question. You’re not alone either.” She wasn’t the best at expressing herself either, but was hopeful it was taken the right way.
At this, a scoff that flowed into a chuckle “What you’d do? I’ve seen you fight. Trust me, i’m the support here, ex Champ…” a boyish chuckle as he shifted, breaking the intimacy and turning toward her “Like, I know how to jump and yeet myself into danger but you? You’re like...the gymnastics team but with a fuckin switchblade yo!”
Another fit of laughter escaped Nao, followed by a smile she could get used to showing. “You need to give yourself more credit, although it would be fun to see just where I stand at some point. First thing is first though, we get ourselves some pizza and stay like this for a while. If you want to, of course. I think you’ll have to call the place since my phone is in a few pieces.”
Bert returns the smile, his own just as easy and snatches his phone off the table “Alright, but i’m gettin half for me. Can’t have you picking all my stuff off again.” He jested as he dialed, a playful hand reaching out to shove her before a teenager who DEFINITELY had been smoking at work answered the phone and waiting a half second too long before speaking, oblivious of the moment on the other end and the burning wings in the oven.
Gently a hand reached out to the bathroom mirror, careful to make contact as if she was scared of a shatter or change when she was interrupted by the phone she had left on the sink. She was hesitant to answer it, knowing that any other number aside from his could lead to trouble but still she decided to do so, placing the call on speaker. On the other end she heard a soft voice that brought a sense of dread, though she had no idea why. “奈緒?あなたなの?ミラです。お答えください。彼らはまだ見ている、止まらない。その場所に戻る必要があります。真実から隠れないでください。奈緒?奈緒? 奈緒?” Nao.. the voice kept echoing that name, but all the woman staring at the phone could do was shake. Without saying a word she grabbed onto the phone and threw it across the bathroom, the device shattering as it collided with the far wall. The voice was gone, but quickly replaced as she heard a knock on the door that stirred her, ripping her down from the state of shock.
“Hey, you good?” came the youthful rasp of Robert James “Bert” McAlroy Jr. He fought back the urge to lean an inquiry ear onto the door as he had seen his mom pester his sister with over the years. He could never understand the common urge to intrude on the privacy of the most private room in the domicile. He took a step back, waiting for...well, something as he thrust his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, eyes locked on the door.
“I.. I’m sorry.” There was silence for a moment before the door slowly opened. Out stepped Nao with a couple stray tears coming down her cheeks and a bit of a frown. “I.. need a new phone. I got scared. Please forgive me.” Her gaze remained lowered, the young woman finding her head feeling heavy and unable to meet his concerned expression. In an instant, one of his hands reached out to rest on her shoulder.
“What scared you? Some asshole get your nu--” he stopped mid sentence, replacing the furrowed brow with a softer, less invasive look as he nodded, then shrugged, “Hey. it isn’t a problem. We’ll get you something new. Until then, you can use mine whenever you need it.” He removed the hand, suddenly aware of it lingering there before he returned to standing still as stone, awkward as always. He cleared his throat, then jerked his head toward the living room.
“C’mon. I’ll order a pizza. You pick whats on it, i’m not picky yo. We can talk about...that if you want. But only if you do.” His words brought a small smile to her face almost immediately. Slowly she raised her head to face him. “Meat lovers and extra cheese?”
It seemed as if she had gone back to normal, as normal as she could manage anyway. Still there was another pause, the soft cough that escaped her breaking it up before she finally expressed a thought beyond the usual. “I.. I don’t know who it was. She said that name. That I had to.. go back. I don’t know what she meant. I still have a.. hard time with that. I wish I could know and share everything with you. I feel like I let you down.”
“Never.” It came quick, as he started up the short hallway, staying ahead mostly so she couldn’t see the concern on his face as he questioned her. It always felt like she clammed up the second she noticed the worry, and as he had stated before. Hiding emotions wasn’t a part of his makeup.
“What name did they use?” he asked quietly before plopping down on a small couch that definitely spent time in a thrift store.
The sincerity behind his response brought back that warm feeling. While she was a bit nervous to discuss more, as she didn’t want to bring about worry, she felt it was best and the least she could do. “Nao.” Her voice was soft when it was spoken, and while it was the name she shared with him, she didn’t know how it came to be.
Taking a seat beside him, she looked his way once again, doing her best to compose herself. “I feel like there is so much missing, it scares me. I know it’s weird, and I’m sorry for that. I just hope you know I’m trying.” A bit awkwardly, she moved a little closer, leaning her head against him.
“Of course, yo” a pause, as he acknowledged the contact. He felt like ice and fire hit his insides all at once, but playing things uncharacteristically cool he snatched onto his train of thought and cleared his throat. “Like..I wish I understood more so I could help more but like...the way I see it, the best way I can see it for real..”
He shifted slightly, minding not to disturb her position the best he could.
“You’re missing so much, and we don’t know if it’s a curse or a blessing but...it’s blank. So, maybe you just...focus on here, now and be what you want to be, despite what you used to be?” He felt his own eyebrow raise at his unusual depth, “Like..okay. I’ve known you by like, four names...which one do you WANT to be known by?”
Though she didn’t move from her position, it was easy to tell that she was smiling. A little sniffle followed his words so she got emotional again as well, but in a good way this time. “You’re too good to me Bert. So sweet and kind..” It seemed as if she wanted to say more, but struggled to get the words out. “I like when you call me Nao.. I just don’t want others to say it. I hope that makes sense. I do like your idea though.. focusing on here and now. I like this time and want to stay. Can I stay?” She lifted her head after asking the question, trying to figure out the answer.
It was his turn to smile and, emboldened he shifts an arm to rest on the couch behind her, he swam in the warmth of the statement, the sentiment intentional or not, and let out a silent, contented sigh before he spoke, “Well..fair’s fair. If I get to call you Nao...you can call me Robert,” he felt an old cringe at the name that very few without some sort of badge or PHD called him by.
“Bert is like..thats just friends and uncles and stuff and, of course, work but...i don’t know. Feels like you’re more important than all that..” his own voice died off then, sentiment stuck on ice as he slid the arm closer to the edge of the couch away from them.
“Robert.. it’s nice. I like it. Thank you for this gift.” She looked down for a second, unsure if that came out the right way. “I think that way too.. about you. You are very important. I know I don’t have much, or anything really. But I.. I want you to know I’m grateful in sharing. Maybe I don’t need to know what is missing, like you said, it could be better this way. Plus that means we can discover things together. Like how we know what pizza I like and dislike after trying so much.” A soft giggle escaped after the example, turning into a full laugh before she went back to resting her head against him.
He felt himself fighting back his own laughter at her outburst, the arm emboldened back to the other edge and falling deftly over her shoulders as they shared the moment. A bare foot stretched out to rest on the coffee table, as if to ground himself here in this moment forever. No big match, no big fight, no mystery or tragedy. Just two people, specs of dust in the grand scheme of things, laughing at pizza and the funny faces made experimenting with it.
As the laughter died down and he took those microseconds gathering every detail from how her shoulder felt, the smell of her hair and that dirt spot on the window...for some reason...he felt a weight push up his chest, as a sentiment moved past his lips.
“If whatever or whoever was or is bothering you shows up...you won’t be alone, alright Nao? Just like..remember that.” A plus sentiment, C delivery. That’s a passing grade, yo.
Turning her body slightly, she allowed herself the chance to give him a sort of half hug, giving her best form of thanks without the words. Of course she still had to voice her gratitude, but needed an extra second to do so. “Robert.. I.. thank you. I hope you know that goes both ways. I’m not sure what I could do, but I’d do it without question. You’re not alone either.” She wasn’t the best at expressing herself either, but was hopeful it was taken the right way.
At this, a scoff that flowed into a chuckle “What you’d do? I’ve seen you fight. Trust me, i’m the support here, ex Champ…” a boyish chuckle as he shifted, breaking the intimacy and turning toward her “Like, I know how to jump and yeet myself into danger but you? You’re like...the gymnastics team but with a fuckin switchblade yo!”
Another fit of laughter escaped Nao, followed by a smile she could get used to showing. “You need to give yourself more credit, although it would be fun to see just where I stand at some point. First thing is first though, we get ourselves some pizza and stay like this for a while. If you want to, of course. I think you’ll have to call the place since my phone is in a few pieces.”
Bert returns the smile, his own just as easy and snatches his phone off the table “Alright, but i’m gettin half for me. Can’t have you picking all my stuff off again.” He jested as he dialed, a playful hand reaching out to shove her before a teenager who DEFINITELY had been smoking at work answered the phone and waiting a half second too long before speaking, oblivious of the moment on the other end and the burning wings in the oven.