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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 8, 2009 2:48:09 GMT -5
Oddly at home that particular afternoon, Zephyr was taking advantage of the ability to just take it easy and relax. Granted, when he'd gotten up - several hours later than normal - he had had to do a lot of cleaning to catch up on everything that was getting neglected. It hadn't taken long, however. In keeping with his lazy day off mentality, he hadn't even changed out of his pajama bottoms and was running around without a shirt - there was no one around, so he didn't have to worry much about keeping up appearances.
Shifts had been shuffled at both of his jobs recently, so getting used to a new schedule was a little frustrating. Being off on a weekday afternoon was rather foreign to him, but he was able to eat lunch at a normal time like a normal person for once. Cooking it was a different story, as he had limited ingredients left to work with. The mess he ended up making in the kitchen was colossal, but he decided to eat first and worry about it later.
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 8, 2009 10:14:39 GMT -5
Belle followed the dirt road, looking again at the scrap of light blue paper in her hand. She had sort of stolen a glance at the employee emergency forms while at work that morning, and had copied Zephyr's address from that. She had gone home after work and had taken a long bath, trying to decide if it was such a good idea to drop in, uninvited. Probably not, but she was trying to be more assertive than her usual passive personality, with mixed results.
She sighed, about to turn around when she finally caught sight of what might be a house in the distance. After a few more steps, she was certain she had found her destination, and she smiled. There would be no point in turning back now.
Belle carefully made her way up to the door and knocked softly, knowing Zephyr would hear it. She turned from the door slightly to look around the yard, curious. So this is where he lives...
She turned back to the door, fidgeting slightly as she waited for him to answer. She was sure she looked okay, anyway- she had taken a long time picking out her tan capris and the loose, thin black tank top she had on, her gloves the same black lace ones she had been wearing when they began whatever this was, but still, she felt like it wasn't quite right. Too late to change it now.
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 8, 2009 10:23:12 GMT -5
Fork halfway to his mouth when he heard the knock at the door, Zephyr's eyes narrowed and he set said eating instrument down on the side of the plate. Of half a mind not to answer it, he decided against that - Ministry officials came calling every so often to 'check up' on him. In simple terms, to be sure he hadn't yet snapped. Being on the Werewolf Registry was a right pain, much less when it gave him company he didn't exactly want.
With a sigh, he got up from the table and slipped out of the kitchen, making a stop in the laundry room to quickly dress in clean jeans and a pullover shirt. Shoes he didn't bother with, but he did smooth his hair down a little before heading for the front door. Best to answer it, especially when in doubt.
One look through the peephole and he recognized Belle - but now wondered if he'd given her his address and forgotten about it. Not thinking about that, he pulled the chain loose and unlocked the deadbolts, then opened the door with a bit of a tired smile. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise."
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 8, 2009 10:30:21 GMT -5
Belle looked up when Zephyr answered the door and grinned sheepishly. "I thought you might want some company... and I brought food." She held up the bag dangling from her hand. It had been a sort of afterthought, but Belle had felt like she shouldn't show up emptyhanded considering she was crashing. "Hope I'm not bothering you- you can tell me to leave if you want."
She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her as she took him in, biting her lip to keep from smiling at the fact that he looked like he had been sleeping, or at least, had recently been. She couldn't blame him much, her own expensive sheets- one of her only luxeries- often called her name on days off.
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 8, 2009 10:50:39 GMT -5
"Now, why would I tell you to leave? You're the first actual guest I've had in..at least six months." Seemingly not embarassed by the admission, he stepped back from the doorway to let her in, then closed the door behind her and put the chain in place. It wasn't that he was afraid of intrusion, but he liked at least hearing the door rattle before someone came in - and when he wasn't pay attention, anyone could sneak in.
"In other words, I'm glad to see you." He softened up the earlier response, then smiled a bit amusedly and again tried to flatten down his hair - it had a mind of its own. "We can take that in the kitchen, if you want."
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 8, 2009 10:58:21 GMT -5
Belle raised her brows, a little surprised at the comment, though she couldn't say much- other than her roommate that had just moved out (which Belle suspected was because she freaked her out,) she didn't have any visitors, either. Well, the landlord looking for rent didn't count.
She slid past him, her arm brushing against him accidentally, leaving the soft smell of roses in her wake. "Whatever you would like. I just made some pastries. They'll hold up, if you want to leave them for breakfast tomorrow or something." Belle didn't cook often (mainly because she had no one but herself to cook for,) but pastries were her specialty. She smiled at him over her shoulder. "I'm glad to see you, too."
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 8, 2009 15:21:08 GMT -5
"Probably best that I find somewhere to put them so I don't lose them in the mess." Making a face at the thought of what lunch had done to the kitchen - or what his making of lunch had done - he led her to the kitchen. Clearing several pans and miscellaneous silverware off of one of the counters, he then made sure the grease was wiped away. "You can set them here if you want. Would you like anything to drink? No contamination in the refrigerater, I swear." He could just imagine how the whirlwind mess came across.
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 8, 2009 16:07:33 GMT -5
Belle followed Zephyr into the kitchen, hiding a small laugh at the mess. It reminded her of the state of her own kitchen right now, as she hadn't bothered cleaning it up after her baking spree that morning. "Water would be great." She said, setting the bag onto the counter. She observed the mess for a moment before beginning to move the dishes to the sink. While she hated cleaning up messes of her own creation (she didn't think she'd recognize the floor in her bedroom due to all the clothes,) she didn't mind cleaning messes that other people made.
"I hope lunch was good with all this mess." She teased lightly, running some water into the sink and putting some of the dirtier dishes into the water. While she knew the cleaning charms like any other witch, Belle preferred to do her cleaning herself, as it gave her more of a feeling of accomplishment when she was finished. Also, it took up more time in her rather uneventful evenings.
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 9, 2009 0:43:43 GMT -5
Going to one of the nearby cabinets to pull a clean glass out, Zephyr took it to the sink and rinsed it out just to be sure. "Ice, or no?" He asked, feeling the need as she didn't specify. A bit chagrined now that he hadn't cleaned up at least some of the dishes, he sighed and watched her. "You know you don't have to do that..I just hadn't gotten to it yet." He glanced towards the table absently, where his plate of food still sat - abandoned.
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 9, 2009 0:58:19 GMT -5
"Ice would be great." She turned off the water, sticking her finger in to make sure it wasn't too hot. Finding it an acceptable warmth, she began to work, cleaning the dishes at a fast yet efficient pace. In almost no time at all she had them finished and stacked neatly in the dishrack to dry.
"Don't worry about it- I like cleaning. Go back to your lunch, I'm sure it wouldn't taste very good warm." She dried her hands and smiled at him, hopping up to sit on the counter next to the sink. Anything to give her a few extra inches.
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 9, 2009 1:05:07 GMT -5
Raiding the freezer for the trays of ice he kept ready - quite a few as if it was a necessary supply - he filled the glass. Glad that the tapwater wasn't all that bad in the area, he let the tap run for a little bit to take the edge of warmth off of it, then filled the glass. Able to hear the ice cracking rather loudly, he passed it to Belle before going back to the table to sit down. "I'll try to finish quickly." He commented quietly, knowing most people didn't like watching others eat.
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 9, 2009 1:20:38 GMT -5
"Take your time. I've got all afternoon." Belle stated, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a drink of the cool water. A thought crossed her mind and she smiled vaguely to herself before forcing her thoughts elsewhere. She looked around the kitchen curiously, taking in everything.
"So this is where you hide when you're not out making money." She tried to remember the last time she had ever lived in a house, and her mind was blank. She was pretty sure she had when her mother had been alive, but that time was barely memorable. She hadn't since, that was for sure.
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 9, 2009 1:55:55 GMT -5
Taking the time to watch her for a moment, Zephyr seemed to do it without even consciously realizing it. The realization came only after she spoke again, and he blinked quickly and looked down at his plate, poking the scrambled eggs around before taking a bite. "This is it." He replied after swallowing, glancing over again. "I grew up here, actually. Inherited it after my parents died." It certainly had been in a better state of upkeep during those times, but could still be called cozy and inviting.
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Post by Belle Hullett on Sept 9, 2009 2:06:40 GMT -5
"I like it." Belle said, swirling the ice in her water for a moment. "It suits you." She took another drink, watching him watching her over the rim of her glass. She met his gaze, wondering vaguely if it was a challenge to stare a werewolf down in human form the way it was to stare a real wolf down. Well, she'd probably figure it out soon enough.
"It's definitely more... I don't know... personal than my apartment." Her apartment worked for her, and it was tastefully decorated, but Belle couldn't help but feel like it was merely a stop in her life before she moved on to somewhere else. It was hard for her to feel at home anywhere.
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Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 9, 2009 14:57:05 GMT -5
"Yet, sometimes I'd much rather have an apartment." Dropping his eyes - not because the stare-down was too much, but because he needed to watch what he was spearing on his plate - Zephyr ate a bit more in silence before speaking again. "There's too much room here for one person. It feels..empty a lot of the time. Just can't get rid of that feeling."
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