Dishes and dishing
Who: Zan and Clem Where: Diner When: Evening
Clementine really needed to get out of the house and the first thing she thought of was getting to Zania. She knew her friend was working but she really needed to get there, to talk to her. Heading to the diner, Clementine smiled as she stepped instead and headed to the bar to pull herself up onto one of the stools there. She waited patiently to see when Zania was free and gave her friend a smile when she could.
When Clementine came in, things were relatively busy, but it wasn’t long before they calmed down enough that Zania was able to pull up a chair on the opposite side of the counter. Everyone else had been served their food and only needed the occasional drink refill and to pay their check. “Hey,” she smiled, glad for the opportunity to take a seat. “Glad you could come join me. How’s it going?”
"Hey!" Clementine smiled at Zania, having been happy to wait for her friend until she had some time to take a break. "It's nuts tonight. You're like…Super Waitress." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked back Zania's way. "Things are…ok, I think. Confusing, I guess. Did you know Skylar was coming to see me?"
“It happens sometimes. It’s good for business, but it can be tiring,” Zania smiled. She was glad to be off her feet for a bit. “Can I get you something? Food? Drink?” she offered, then listened to what Clementine had to say. Skylar. Shit. “Yeah, he came by the house while you weren’t home, so I told him to go find you or come back another time. Why? What happened?”
She shook her head a little. "Not on your break. I'll order later," She promised, though she did lean in to rest her elbows on the counter. "Well..he was there when I got home and…seemed really weird. I went into the kitchen to make some soup for us and he came up and was..really touchy, which wasn't bad, but the weird part was when he started saying he didn't want me to let Mannix feed from me anymore. And that he understood how it would feel because…well, he'd been fed from." She said, looking back at Zania. "And mostly our conversation was a weird mix of me agreeing to donate blood a more traditional way to you and Mannix, without biting, and him agreeing not to make out with Kenzie anymore."
Zania bit her lip, now wondering exactly how much detail Skylar had gotten into. Hopefully not too much. She felt guilty, even if she hadn’t been the one to initiate it. “Keep it down,” she said softly. She didn’t want it getting out what she was, even if a werewolf could probably guess instantly. Normal humans wouldn’t be excited to learn there was a vampire in their midst. “He came over and, when you weren’t there, we got to talking,” she said. “I bit him so he’d know what you were talking about, because he didn’t believe… any of it. Afterwards, I told him that if he wanted to know what you were thinking, he needed to talk to you. Are things better now?”
Clementine lowered her volume when she spoke again. "Things seem better, yes. But I'm just a little confused about it all. I wasn't aware that we were at the..making rules stage, you know? Any maybe it's nothing, I don't know, but it sure felt like something. Like…why would he come over to my house and tell me he didn't want me to let Mannix bite me anymore if he didn't…feel something? Am I wrong?"
“Wait, he wants to make rules, said he wouldn’t kiss Kenzie, but didn’t tell you he felt anything for you?” Zania asked, clearly feeling like a major step was missing if that was the case. “I don’t know Skylar well, but he seems really against any kind of self reflection. He didn’t seem to know what he wanted when I talked to him, but he also didn’t seem like he wanted to figure it out. It seems like he’s showing all the signs, but not committing to his own feelings.” This part of the conversation she didn’t feel like she needed to keep her voice down for. It was the talk of biting and vampires that made her nervous.
"Well…I don't really know. We kind of just…agreed to each others terms, basically. Not really sure what we are, if we're even a thing…I don't think we're a thing, not yet at least. But he had rules so I wanted a rule too. He said he didn't like it when Mannix bit me and I said I didn't like it when he kissed Kenzie so…maybe neither of us really said anything past that?" Clementine said, shrugging a little to herself. "It was just a surprise, that's all, I guess. It's been a weird day."
“I guess that seems fair, he gets a rule, you get a rule, but your rule is more for if you’re dating him and his is… Well, I don’t know what he has the problem with, the bite or the effect the bite has,” Zania said, biting her own lip. Skylar had been fine with the effect, until he thought about Mannix having it over Clementine. So she supposed their exchange was equal, but it was still indicative of a more-than-friends relationship. “Are you okay with it all? I mean, it doesn’t matter what it means if you’re okay with it.”
"The effect, I think," Clementine said, looking back at her friend. "I…think I'm ok with it. I can still give blood," She said, keeping her voice down. "And he doesn't have to be making out with Kenzie in front of my face…" Which was maybe where her larger issues stemmed from. She'd been jealous of that kiss and hadn't known it until she'd done some thinking after Skylar had left. "Am I ok with..everything that's happening? We're not fighting anymore, which is good. I'm ok with not fighting with him."
If it was the effect, then Zania thought they were pretty evenly matched on their requests, even without the explanation that that’s what they were doing. It was weird to her that two people wouldn’t be able to put their finger on the fact that they liked each other like that, but then everyone was different. She knew she shouldn’t judge. “As long as you’re happy,” she said, giving Clementine a small smile. “Boys can be idiots sometimes. Often, in my experience. But Skylar seems like a nice guy and I hate to see you fighting with him.”
"Which is why I'm glad we're not fighting anymore," She said, looking back at Zania. "…Did you make any pie tonight?" She asked, figuring the only better way to end this evening was with Zania's homemade pie. It would make things make sense that still didn't quite make a lot of sense.
Zania grinned. She’d given away her fresh cherry pie, but that just meant she’d started on another. “I’ve got blackberry cobbler in the oven,” she said. “And I bet I can find us some ice cream. How’s that sound?” In her experience, sweets made everything a bit better, no matter how weird they might be.
"…It sounds like I should be going out and finding a ring right now, because anyone who can make blackberry cobbler is probably someone I'd like to marry," Clementine said with a grin. "And if you need help out so that you can take a cobbler break with me, I can wash dishes or something."
“As your housemate, I can make you anything anytime you want,” Zania grinned. “Though I wouldn’t turn down a ring, cause I like shiney things. You sure you want to help out in the kitchen? It’s not exactly exciting work.” But she wouldn’t turn down the help if it meant she got to spend more time with Clementine.
Clementine nodded a little. "Course I don't mind helping out." It'd be better than her going home and mulling over what happened with Skylar today, plus she'd get to hang out with Zania. Standing up, she smiled again. "Put me to work, Boss."