ArchivedLogs:Love and Loss

Love and Loss
Dramatis Personae Pedro and Anette
In Absentia	2015-12-19 Anette and Pedro talk over dinner
Location <NYC> IHOP - Bronx
Pancakes. Not the greatest pancakes, but it's two a.m., you're probably drunk, and they're available all night long. Late evening, and the crowds have mostly thinned for the night. But the lights are back on, and some are out getting their late night fix of pancakes and breakfast. Pedro peeks inside the doors, and grins, holding them open to allow Anette to pass. The batty mutant will insist on a booth seat by the windows somewhere. "This is one of the few places where I can order a boat load of fruit without getting looked at weird. When I have money, that is." Following behind Pedro is Anette, though with her coat and gloves covering wings and talons, she looks normal, at least compared to the walking bat. "Don't worry about it, I've got you covered," she says, gently patting her coat pocket. "I uh...recently got paid." As they make their way to the booth, she sits down though doesn't remove her coat or gloves yet, even as she picks up a menu. "God am I happy this city is returning to normal." "I know, tell me about it.", Pedro says, nodding in agreement. "At least we don't have to worry as much now. It was so creepy walking around, no people on the streets, burned out cars and junk. Sometimes felt like I was the only person left alive." He rubs his cheek and looks to her. "What are you going to get?" His menu is opened and he begins to look at what's on offer. "Hmmm." "I am /really/ in the mood for cinnamon rolls," Anette says, though she continues to casually peruse the menu. "I just hated being stuck on the island. Even if I did have good company," she says, peering up from the top of the menu with a playful wink. Pedro chuckles and shrugs. "Well, we weren't really stuck on the island, there just wasn't anywhere good to go. Unless you wanted to fly to New Jersey or Connecticut. I dunno how those places fared during the whole zombie plague." His cheeks flush lightly at her last comment though, and he grins to her. "It was fun.", he says, somewhat shyly. Pedro taps at his menu. "Maybe one of these giant waffles with loads of fruit. Are you getting anything with bacon?" "I've lived in New York too long to like Jersey. Connecticut wasn't bad though. Snuck out there with Dusk," Anette says, setting the menu down. "Nope, getting the chicken dinner. Might get that roll for dessert." Slowly, she begins slipping her gloves off, as if nervous to reveal her talons in public. She doesn't say anything and tries to avoid attractin attention to it. With the gloves off, a tennis bracelet is now visible. A discerning eye would notice is made with real diamonds. Pedro looks away as she begins tugging off her gloves, not wanting to stare. "I hear New Jersey smells funny. Connecticut is quiet compared to New York, way less people." He eyes her wrist a moment, and blinks slowly. "Did you get that recently?", he asks quietly, gesturing to her new shiny. "Or have you had it a while?" "It's kinda law. After so many years, you have to hate Jersey or your evicted from the city," Anette says with a chuckle. Pedro's mention of her bracelet seems to make her nervous, her smile faltering for a second before returning, though forced. "No, it's new. A gift." Pedro's eyebrows raise ever so slightly at the change of her smile, and he leans his chin on his hand. He feigns an interest in the other items on the menu, and chuckles. "You don't have to worry about upsetting me, you know. I won't complain if you're seeing someone else. It's okay." He glances up as the waitress arrives, and he closes his menu. "Er. A large glass of orange juice. And the large waffle with assorted fruit, please." He looks away as the waitress glances to Anette. "And what can I get you, then?" Anette lets out a quiet sigh. "It came from Killian, among other things. Payment for the job, he said." She falls quiet as the waitress approaches, letting Pedro order and only speaking when she's asked to order. "Chicken dinner, large hot chocolate." Once the waitress walks off, she gives a light shrug. "I kept some pieces and sold some. Like I said, I'm paying." Pedro grins toothily at the waitress as she walks away, and glances back to Anette. "Payment for the job? Heh, I guess I don't get a cut, even for smashing the shit out of his place, and slicing and dicing his goons?" He grins and winks at her. "No worries. And thank you for getting this. It is nice to be off the island after so long, at least, without looking over my shoulder." "Oh, I think I paid you back plenty for that," Anette says, beginning to relax again, her smile more genuine. "But I'll see what I can do." She nods, relaxing and leaning back against the booth. "It's nice being able to speak English again." Pedro giggles, his cheeks turning a light pink. "Well, I can't complain about your thank you, that's for certain. Just that any sort of uhm thieving I did was for survival. Food and supplies, you know? I didn't even realize until later that I probably could have lifted a bunch of stuff from those guys." He rubs a cheek lightly and looks away. "But I just wanted you safe. And myself." "Yeah, this entire time, I was swiping supplies. Then again, I had my mind on...other things," Anette says, picking up her glass of water and taking a small sip. "That night...it's a good thing I didn't think of stealing anything. I wouldn't have taken anything good." The tone of her voice suggests there's a very specific thing she would have taken. "How are you doing?" he asks, looking to her. "Has it been hard? Is there anything I can do to help out?" Pedro reaches up to fuss with one of his ears. "It probably would not have been a good idea to grab a box of that stuff. Aside from being really heavy." "Torture. Can't sleep, nightmares when I do. Every waking moment, all I want is coke," Anette says, her voice dropping in volume and friendliness. "No, it would have been terrible. But I would have. It just...takes over your mind. And it really, really doesn't let go." "I know that I have made things difficult for you. But I can set aside my feelings, if you need someone to lean on, yeah? I mean, I guess Killian could do that. But you don't have to be alone when he isn't around. I can distract you, we can fly places that aren't the island, like here, si? I mean, I'm more a night person anyways. If you're awake and want to talk, or play a game or watch a movie, just knock on my door, yeah?" Pedro leans forward enough to touch one of her hands with his, squeezing lightly before letting go. "I know it is hard, and it is going to be sucky for some time, but you don't have to be alone." Anette looks up to Pedro and gives him a faint smile. "No, you didn't make anything difficult. Not really. You've been great through everything." As Pedro offers his help, her smiles grows slightly, closing her eyes and nodding faintly. "I am...so amazed with how you're handling everything. I know I haven't been the best roommate to you lately." As Pedro takes her hand, she sits up straighter. "I might just take you up on that offer." "Well, neither of us would gain anything if I acted like a dick, si? And no, you've been good also. You're dealing with something rough, and I can understand how that must feel. You've not taken that out on me, for the most part." Pedro falls silent as the waitress returns with their food and drink, and the young mutant smiles at the woman. "Thank you, miss. Looks delicious!" He waits for her to walk away before continuing. "We all need someone in our lives. If I can't be that person for you, I can be a good friend. I won't fuck that up, okay?" "Hm, acting like a dick doesn't stop some people," Anette says, eyes lighting up when the food arrives. "Trust me, I'm not a pleasant person when I'm not going through hell. I just have an excuse now." She lifts her spoon and takes a tiny scoop of her mashed potatoes, nibbling. "I've gone my whole life without 'that person'. Not sure I would know what to do with one. Even 'good friends' are a foreign concept." Pedro plucks a few blackberries from his waffle, and munches on them, grinning brightly afterwards. "I'm in the same boat, as far as having someone in my life. I'm a little light on friends too, but I'm working on that." He raises an eyebrow, looking to her. "So you're not usually this nice?" "One way or another, I make more enemies than friends," Anette says with a faint shrug, taking another small spoonful of potatoes. "Sometimes by choice, sometimes it just happens. She glances towards the mug steaming by her, grasping it in both hands and taking a slow, steady gulp, enjoying its warmth. "Never did buy into the idea of having people close to you. Friends, sure. Allies, of course. But anything more than that? I usually tried to avoid it." "Well unless you do it on purpose, you won't make an enemy of me." Pedro pauses to down half the orange juice in his glass. "It might seem wrong, in a world that will destroy you if it gets a chance, to have someone very close to you. It's easier to only have to worry about your own ass, right? But I don't see it as a weakness. It is a strength. Someone willing to fight like hell at your side, and move mountains to be there, that isn't something to scoff at." He shrugs. "I dunno." "There was a time I would have called bull on that. But...well, you might be on to something." Anette picks up a piece of chicken, biting into it and chewing thoughtfully. "Still, I work better alone. I'm enough to worry about, I don't need anyone else to worry about. In the future, it got me killed." Pedro hmms and shrugs. "I know it felt real, that dream. I am willing to entertain the thought that it was real. However, it was a world where you made the decision to bear a child. Daken's child. He's not here at the moment. You're not pregnant. So that future cannot come to pass. Meaning that you are not likely to die, at least, you cannot make any of the same decisions that lead to your death in that world. At this moment." Pedro rubs his chin. "I don't know if that is of any comfort to you, but that's how I see it." Anette's mood begins to darken, any amusement she had gone. "There are about six things wrong with everything you just said. The most important being that even though that particular situation won't come to pass, it doesn't mean something else won't. The one time I let people in, have a family, and care about something other than myself, above myself, and everything goes to hell." Lowering her eyes and no longer speaking to Pedro for the moment, she begins stirring her potatoes, not even bothering to pretend to eat them. Pedro is quiet for a little while, taking the time instead to eat the fruit on top of his waffle. He glances at the selection of syrups, and tries blueberry, pouring a little over his plate. "Of course, Anette. Every decision a person makes can be wrong. Everything we do has consequences. But you can't stop making decisions just because you might choose wrong. You should not let fear deprive you of something wonderful. Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all." "It's not about...decisions. Making right and wrong ones," Anette says, finally setting her spoon down and looking up to Pedro with a sigh. "It's about pain. Love leads to pain. One way or another, without exception. And I've never been able to justify it. It's not worth it." She peels a chunk of chicken off the bone and pops it into her mouth. "I'd rather not love than to love and lose." Pedro looks to her a moment and nods, looking down at his plate. "I understand. And that's okay." He looks up, rubbing a cheek. "I'm sorry, about how those dreams messed with you." He slips an apple slice into his mouth and chews. "How is the chicken?" "It's fine," Anette says, perhaps a bit too quickly and sharply but tries to soften her words with a faint smile. She picks at a bit of breading, apparently fine with letting the conversation go.