Ozma (boyprincessofoz) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2020-06-24 00:24:00 |
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Entry tags: | leon orcot, ozma |
Who: Ozma and Leon
What: Unexpected argument leads to a discussion
When: Recently
Where: The site of her soon to open restaurant
Rating/Warnings: Low/Medium - there's mild violence and language
Status: Complete when posted
Ozma knew that her annoyance at Leon was unfounded but it was still there as she thought about the fact that when he’d decided it was better for Chris to be living with someone other than him he’d picked D and not her. While still trying to claim that he hated the Count and wanted to toss him in jail. In what universe did that make sense? Even by Orange County logic it was strange but she was trying to remind herself that it was unfounded as she pulled into the parking space near the lot for her restaurant for the final walkthrough before setting the actual date for the grand opening. A lot had been put into the renovating of the space she’d found and she trusted the guy she’d hired for it. But she also knew that she was a little naive when it came to this so in the end she’d swallowed her pride and annoyance and asked Leon to meet her here and go through the space with her. Looking for anything that would need to be redone that she might not notice. She took a deep breath before getting out of her car, trying to shove the irritation down even further as she walked over to her friend, not even realizing that her hands were almost clenched by her sides.
***
Leon wasn’t a handyman, but he was handy enough that he was able to make sure if a place was safe or not. After all, he had managed to help Ozma buy her house, and now that Chris was staying with D, he had more free time to help out when he could.
He couldn’t help but look at Ozma’s fists as she walked over to him, and he frowned a little to himself, wondering if maybe the person who she’d hired to renovate the place had somehow screwed her over. “Hey, Oz,” he said, offering her a bit of a half smile. “Everything okay?”
***
Ozma didn’t even realize she was doing it until after her hand arced through the air to slap him. “Oh my God! Leon I didn’t mean to do that! I didn’t even realize I was going to until…” her voice trailed off as the gravity of what she’d done hit her. She’d assaulted her friend. Who was also a police officer. Who’d come out her on his time off to help her. Dammit! Her mother had always said that her quick temper and lack of thought would get her in trouble one day.
***
Leon gaped at her. He hadn’t been expecting the slap at all, though maybe he should have, and as a result he hadn’t done anything to try to lessen the blow. His jaw dropped and he stared, his face stinging as it sunk in. “What the hell, Ozma?!” he demanded, bringing his hand up to his face. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
***
Ozma was completely embarrassed by her actions and she dropped her hands to her side, looking away for a few moments to try to get herself under control. “I’m so sorry Leon. I guess I’m more upset than I thought.” She admitted looking back at him. “I found out that Chris was staying with D and not with you and...I honestly didn’t mean to do that.”
***
Leon scowled, rubbing his cheek and taking a deep breath - in through the nose, out through the mouth - so that he could keep his temper in check. “Ought to arrest you for assaulting an officer,” he muttered to himself, loud enough that Ozma could hear him. Another deep breath.
“It’s not like I planned for D to take Chris full time. Hell, I didn’t even ask. He decided Chris couldn’t live in my apartment anymore,” probably fair, because it had become something of a disaster zone after he and Alex had broken up. Alex had done most of the cleaning when they’d been together, “and decided all on his own that Chris would live with him instead.”
***
“I promise I won’t fight it if you decide to.” Ozma said, for once completely serious.
“And you didn’t think of a counter option to someone you swear not to trust?” She asked, raising one brow.
***
Leon let out a sigh. “I’m not going to arrest you,” he said after a moment. Still, his face still smated.
At Ozma’s next question though, Leon rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s complicated,” he said after a minute. “Chris gets along with all the animals, and he can help me keep an eye on D. Make sure he’s not doing anything shady.” That, and D could hear Chris. D was the only person Leon knew who could hear Chris like he could, but he couldn’t exactly get into that. It wasn’t like he’d ever really discussed his ability to hear Chris before.
“Anyway, Chris lives with him in the petshop in the Dreams, and D seems to do a good enough job there.”
***
Ozma knew that her shock had to show on her face at his comment about Chris helping him keep an eye on D. “You’re using your brother to keep an eye on him? Leon!” She said, arms crossed over her chest. “That is not okay!” She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down a little.
“Sorry. Sorry. Not what I asked you to meet me here today for it’s just...I worry about him. And you.”
***
“Detectiving’s in his blood, he’ll be fine,” Leon said, shrugging. At the very least, Leon knew that there was no way D would ever do anything to hurt Chris. That, at least, he knew in his bones. Whether or not D murdered people here like he did in the dreams… he would never hurt Chris.
“You know you can go visit him whenever,” Leon said. “He helps out at the petshop when he’s not at school.”
***
“You think D would be okay with me just dropping by?” Ozma asked, already half decided that whether D would be okay with it or not she might just do that anyway to see Chris.
***
Leon frowned. “Well, D doesn’t really like people,” well, humans more than people, but Leon had never been able to say something like that without sounding like a grade-A weirdo. Like D was. “But he’s not going to stop you from stopping by the shop. And if he knows you’re friends with Chris, I’m sure he’d let you hang around. Just don’t buy anything.”
Leon might not have any proof that D was selling murderous animals here like he was in the dreams, but why would Leon risk it?
***
Ozma raised one brow at him. “You’ve seen my pets. You really think I’d be buying anything from a pet shop? I seem to draw things a bit weirder to me. Or make things that are a bit weirder for pets.” Nothing against flesh and blood animals but by and large they never seemed to work for her interest wise. Also her schedule was too hellish and hectic for a pet. Or at least that was what she kept telling herself.
***
Leon pursed his lips together; sure, D’s pet shop had all sorts of normal animals, like puppies and kittens and songbirds, but it was also filled with weird shit - like T-chan, the carnivorous goat-tiger-dog thing. It was the weird shit that got people killed in his dreams though, the things that people swore looked human, like lizards that could kill with a look or ‘mermaids’ that looked like giant eels that devoured men whole, and he wasn’t about to direct Ozma in their direction.
“Well, good,” Leon said, rubbing the side of his head. “But yeah, D’s not going to stop you from seeing Chris. Hell, he’d probably even let you take him out if you told him that I sent you.” Maybe. D could be unpredictable at times.
***
"Maybe. I should swing by and give him a hug. Chris. Not D. I mean." Ozma sighed. "I really am sorry about slapping you."
***
“Better avoid hugging D. Who knows what he might do to you if you did,” Leon grumbled, though picturing it almost brought a smile to his lips. That sure would put D out of sorts. “Don’t work about it,” he added after a moment. “I’m already over it.”
***
Ozma let out a short laugh at the comment about not knowing what D might do if she hugged him. “Well you know I only hug people I care about. And I’m not sure if I care about him.” She said with a shrug. “Ready to go look over the place with me and make sure that I’m not going to be having this place burn down to the ground in a few months due to something I didn’t realize was a problem?”
***
“Yeah, of course,” Leon said. “Let’s get this over with.”