InsaneJournal

Zoethian will be a thing, okay?
Who: Zoeya Proasheck and Rythian Enderson
What: Zoey wants Rythian to be more adventurous. Also, less drunk.
When: At some point after this
Where: Some nice diner that Zoey knows that is totally superawesome, and the nearby area
Rating: PG!
Status: Complete!

This was kind of awesome. Sure, he’d probably only agreed to it because he was drunk, but Zoey had faith that at least part of it was because he saw logic in her idea - he couldn’t spend his entire life moping! Life was about adventure, about going outside your comfort zone and doing something great.

Reaching the point she’d told him to meet her, she took a seat on a bench - or, well, sat on the top of the backrest - and fiddled a little with her goggles where they lay around her neck. They’d been a last-minute addition to the outfit, inspired a little by what she’d seen in that super awesome dream with the mushroom village.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t be left waiting too long for Rythian.

Thankfully for her, Rythian actually wasn’t the kind to get angry drunk, or violent at all. In fact, he became the exact opposite; fun loving, crazy, and insanely affectionate. Not that there was anyone to show affection to, far as he was concerned.

When he saw her, he arched an eyebrow. “On your way to a steampunk convention?” Folded his arms and just looked her up and down and coughed. Okay, he will admit she is very attractive.

Zoey stuck her tongue out at him, ever the epitome of maturity. “I just like how it looks, okay? And they’re awesome!”

Sure, there’d been the incident where she’d accidentally gotten herself in the eye with them, but she bet that people did that all the time. Especially people like Lalna, because even though he sucked, he seemed the type to be an absolutely massive dork too.

“If you say so. Zoey just to make sure, correct?” Ran a hand through his hair and tipped his head to the side. He was allowed to be cautious, correct? After all, this was totally out of his comfort zone.

Zoey nodded, jumping up off her rather precarious position on the bench. She couldn’t sit there forever, because hey, it’d get them nowhere. “Zoeya Proasheck. Pretty easy name to remember, ‘cause it’s so unique.”

Some would say weird. Zoey was not one of those people.

“Different, but do you know anyone named Rythian Enderson? Last name may be common but first name not so sure.” Shoved his hands into his pockets. “So... What do you have planned?”

“Rythian is an awesome name, if you ask me.” Coming from Zoey, that might’ve been less of a compliment than she’d originally intended... she meant it, though! It was kind of pretty, and really fun to say. “There’s a diner near here that’s awesome and I think you’ll like it. Then we can do whatever afterwards, if you want to stick around.”

“So long as you’re ordering for me.” She was doing the choosing, he’d given up on his schedule for today. Can you really blame him?

That was more responsibility than Zoey’d been expecting, but she could definitely handle that. Especially since she knew the menu of this place pretty much inside and out. “I’ll get you something nice~.”

“You better, or I’ll cut off all your hair.” He was allowed to joke around with her right? Especially since being around her made him feel warm - or was that just the alcohol in his system talking? Either way, he was enjoying himself already.

Zoey may well have pouted the most epic of pouts. How was that fair? Damn him and his... face. Yeah, that made sense! “Just trust me. I’m pretty pro, so...”

“As heck?” He teased and followed her wherever she was to lead him. Yeah, he could use her last name for a joke too!

He finished the joke! Zoey was half-tempted to tacklehug him for that, or at least go ‘eee!’ about it, but she decided against it. Sure, drunk Rythian was a bit more friendly than not-drunk Rythian, but she didn’t want to risk anything. “The proest!”

Which was totally a word. You couldn’t tell her otherwise.

“Of Protown? Are you the mayor of protown?” Tipped his head slightly with amusement.

Zoey stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t be silly, Rythian! Protown is only for people who aren’t pro as heck!”

“Oh, my apologies, your royal highness.” Stuck his tongue out in return and ran a hand over his neck. And well burped making him blush. “Oh my god. I’m sorry!”

Pfft. Zoey couldn’t keep herself from laughing, if only because of the blush. He was actually kind of cu-- no, no, not going there. Not whilst he was drunk. “It happens! Especially when you’ve been drinking and stuff...”

Actually, it only happened to him when he was nervous for the most part. Which was confusing as hell on his end. He coughed into his hand and tried to will the pink in his cheeks down.

And Zoey’s word-filter failed to kick in quite quite enough to stop her from saying something. Something terrible. “You’re kind of cute when you blush, you know.”

Realising she’d said that, she might’ve turned almost as red as her hair. Why didn’t that word-filter work half the time?! Was it her curse?

Rythian stopped in his tracks and arched a brow before choosing not to have heard that. Even mostly drunk he had the mind to push anything like that aside. He couldn’t help it okay? When they got to the diner he sat down and ordered black coffee and a glass of water to combat the hangover he figures he’ll get tomorrow.

Naturally, Zoey intercepted the waitress and made a little alteration to Rythian’s coffee, just in the interests of making him try new things - it’d be a good new thing, honest. “So. Uh. I don’t know if this place is exactly like that other one, but... I hope you’ll like it! The people who work here are really friendly.”

“So long as they can cook, I’m fine.” When the waitress set the coffee down it wasn’t black, but rather light cream colour and smelled of chocolate. “What did you have them do to it, Zoey?”

“Nothing bad, promise!” Zoey wasn’t the type of person to do things like that. She was a good person, dammit! “I’d just... like you to try it. Please? If you don’t like it, you can go right back to your usual...”

Rythian rolled his eyes and took a small sip... He tried to hide the flicker of enjoyment in his eyes. It was really good, okay?

Sure, he might’ve tried to hide it, but Zoey was good at noticing things like that. She couldn’t help but grin, and may’ve bounced in her seat slightly. “See? Change can be good!”

“I guess so... It tastes like chocolate with coffee.” Took a longer sip and set the cup down. “What is it... In case, y’know, the off chance I’d want to get it again?”

Zoey kind of doubted this’d be the only time he ordered it. It was awesome, after all! “It’s a mocha. There’s lots of different types of them!”

“It’s... okay.” He liked it, quite a bit actually but there was no way he was just going to out right say that.

Only okay? Seriously? Was he out to make Zoey pout? “Well, then it’s something new that’s okay. I still win.”

“Heh, if you say so. It is good... Not my usual, but it’s good. I will give you that much.” Gave her a slight nod of his head before taking another, this time longer sip.

Hah! Good was totally an improvement over okay! The little mini-Zoeya in Zoey’s head may’ve done a spontaneous happy dance, simply because she knew, somewhere, that it’d weird out Rythian if she actually did one.

Even a Proasheck had limits! “Does this mean you might try other new things? I mean... this is a good start, right?”

“Sure, why not. Already gone this far, right?” Gave her a smile, he sure was smiling a lot around her, which was weird. But... Something about her just made him so very happy, so very content.

The smiling was definitely a good thing. Even if it was only down to him being more than slightly tipsy, it was still a sign he was enjoying himself. “That’s the spirit!”

“Guess so, just nothing with mango. I’m allergic!” He stuck his tongue at her before finishing the cup off. He blinked and stared into the empty cup. When was the last time he finished a cup of coffee so quickly?

Alright, no mango, easy! Zoey was definitely going to remember that, and not only because Rythian was, as she’d said before, really kinda cute. “You want me to get you another one? ‘Cause I know they’re awesome and stuff...”

“Yeah... I’d like that. This is the first time I’ve ever finished a cup of coffee this quickly since...” Went quiet and swallowed hard. Thinking on it just made him tense a little even whilst slightly drunk. The guilt and blame he put on himself from it more than able to cut through the haze.

That really didn’t seem like a good sign. Which, naturally, meant Zoey was concerned. “You okay, Rythian?”

“Just... It was my fault.” Gripped the cup tight, too tight in fact that he caused it to break. Thankfully he only nicked the fleshier part of his palm when it broke. “Oops...”

“Hey, careful!” Zoey was quick to move around the table, gently taking his hand to check it over. The last thing he needed was to wake up tomorrow with a hangover and a bleeding hand... “Don’t know your own strength?”

“Not after drinking, usually able to control it.” Rythian said and let her look at his hand, nothing deep at all, just a little puncture wound and a tiny scratch of a slice on the other hand. “I’ll be fine, Zoey.”

“You better be. You might need that hand for... stuff.” Descriptive until the last. Words weren’t exactly Zoey’s strongpoint sometimes, especially not when she was this close to a guy like Rythian. “And, uh, I really don’t mean that in a wrong kind of way, I just kind of suck at words.”

And he could take that one the wrong way too, she realised a little belatedly.

“Don’t worry, don’t do that kind of thing often anyway. I’ll be fine, just get me a paper towel.”

Zoey nodded, quickly getting up and grabbing one (after waylaying a passing waitress to keep an eye on him whilst she was temporarily not-there). When she returned, she handed it over to him, biting the inside of her cheek. “Will you be okay? I know what you said, but...”

“I’ll be fine, there’s no need to worry, sweetheart.” Oh god did he just say that?! He held the towels against his palms and tried to focus on just that.

Yes. Yes, he had just said that, and for a moment - a very brief moment - Zoey had no idea what to say. He’d managed to strike her speechless, and he should’ve been very proud! “Can’t help worrying. Kinda what I do.”

“I will seriously be fine, Zoey. Honest. You don’t have to worry about me.” She really didn’t, and if he’d not been trying to forget that he called her that, he might be rather proud.

No matter how many times he said that, Zoey probably wasn’t going to listen. She cared for him, at least a little, so! “Not even a little bit? ‘Cause I can’t really turn it off.”

“You can worry... It’s kind of nice actually.” He’s not had someone care enough to be worried about him in quite a long while.

Well, that definitely made things better! Kind of. Maybe. Okay, it totally did. “Someone’s got to worry about you, Rythian. If people don’t, you’ll get all emo and stuff and probably sulk in the corner forever...”

“Emo? Really? I don’t think I classify as emo...” Arched an eyebrow and took the bandage that the waitress had run off to get for him. Once all covered over he smiled and held his hands up, “See.. As if it never happened.”

Well, maybe he didn’t, but it was either that or ‘broody’ and that sounded a little too attractive. Zoey wasn’t about to go into that area of things, no sir. “I’m really glad you’re okay...”

“I will seriously be fine, though. I’ve been burned, and cut, and bruised and all sorts of things. I once had acid drip onto my shoe and burn a hole through it. I’m missing a toe on my left foot!” He’d show her if she wanted to, yay drunk.

Zoey could definitely do without seeing that, because it’d be a little weird and all. Especially with the drunkenness. “I don’t know how you do it. I get all panicky and flaily if I hurt myself even a little...”

“I’m a tough guy! Been through a lot. You ever tried to go through college on three hours of sleep a week and cup of noodles?” Pointed at her before taking another drink of the coffee he’d been given with the bandage.

That sounded pretty damn terrifying. In more ways than one. “I can get the noodles thing, but... three hours of sleep? Seriously?”

“Yeah, but now I’m a licensed pharmacist and everything. And I didn’t do it all by myself... She...” Tensed before sighing and just going to focus on his food.

Poor Rythian. It can’t have been doing him much good to keep focusing on... well, whatever that thing was. “Everything’s a lot easier when you’re not doing it alone. That’s why I never host my shows alone.”

That, and Zoey had issues with being lonely in general. She just didn’t like to talk about them.

“I guess you’re right, I mean... We all need assistance right?” Shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. “Who do you host your shows with?”

“Well. There’s Minako, who’s the, uh, ‘Goddess of LoveLove’.” There were quote-bunnies as Zoey said that, because seriously, the title was ridiculous. Accurate, maybe, but ridiculous - which meant a lot coming from someone called Zoeya Proasheck. “And sometimes, there’s this nice lady called Carmen. We get to go on awesome tangents between songs and argue about which superhero’d win in a fight.”

Rythian smiled and was just content with listening to her ramble on. The rest of the time was rather calm, nothing too eventful and when they parted ways for their home he gave a handshake and a nod before turning in for the day with a cup of calming tea.