Chase Stein is going to have a (psychicraptor) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2020-06-26 19:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | chase stein (talkback), clary fray |
Who: Chase Stein and Clary Fray
What: First meetings
When: Beginning of May
Where: Some grocery store
Rating/Warnings: None really
Status: Complete when posted.
Chase was slowly getting back into the swing of daily practice and training sessions in preparation for the fall season. Every year he planned on not getting out of practice during the off season and then every year he found himself having to get used to it again with sore muscles and aches. He was going to enjoy the spajets in his tub tonight. But first he needed to finish buying up Lace’s food for the week. He really needed to break down and get a membership to one of those big box wholesalers so he could buy her meat in bulk to save himself some time. He had a deep freezer already, set it out the night before in the fridge and she’d eat it just fine the next day. Probably supplemented with some squirrels and stuff from the yard. He tried not to think about that part though. Or about the hoods he’d found in the yard when cleaning up from the Ewok invasion in May. Or the scorch mark on Rock’s shell. That day had been a nightmare in so many ways but it had been fun to get to put on the gauntlets and go fight some Stormtroopers.
He turned down one of the aisles to get what he needed to restock his pantry, bending down to grab the rice and accidentally pushing his cart forward to bump into someone else. He stood up already apologizing before his eyes fell on the redhead woman that he’d hit. “I really should pay more attention I know.” He said, following up the stream of sorry’s with an attempt at a joke.
***
Clary was new to the area and she didn’t have much in the cupboards of her apartment, so it was time to do some shopping. Luckily she’d sold a bit of her work, enough to pay for the move and a couple month’s rent with some left over to get some food. Since she was currently living alone, she didn’t need much for food. And she was good at making things last. That would be important because stuff was pretty expensive here. But she was confident she could make some money selling her art, and then she could always get a ‘real job’ if she needed to.
She was lost in thought when the cart bumped her from behind. She turned slightly to face him, startled by the cart hitting her. It hadn’t been a hard hit and it hadn’t knocked her down but it was definitely enough to startle her a bit. “Um, don’t worry about it. I wasn’t really paying attention either.”
“Fault of the store for not giving these carts horns?” Chase joked, giving her a flash of a grin as he reclaimed his cart, dropping his bag of rice into it with all of the meats he’d picked up. “You’re okay though?” He asked her, concern obvious. On the field and in a fight yeah he didn’t worry all that much about damaging somebody else but in his day to day life? Different story.
***
Clary laughed and shook her head. He was funny. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. Gonna take a lot more than a cart bump to knock me down. Honestly I should have been paying more attention too.” But she’d been lost in thought, new place and all. “I have seen people get pretty road ragey with these things though.” Especially if they were taking up too much of the aisle or something. “I just moved here so I’m still a little...all over the place.” She admitted.
Chase gave her a grin as he leaned against his buggy lightly. “I save my road rage for Mario Kart where it belongs I promise,” he told her. Well Mario Kart and GTA when he was feeling particularly pissed off about other drivers. “Well there’s hope for you at least. I’ve lived here most of my life and I still get a little all over some days. Chase Stein.” He held out a hand to her as he introduced himself.
***
“I’m Clary,” She said with a smile as she shook his hand. “And I’m pretty ragey when it comes to Mario Kart too, I think everyone is.” She told him. That was one of those games where one almost couldn’t help themselves, but fortunately she was not like that when she drove for real or when she was shopping. “It’s nice to meet you, Chase.” She added. “Do you like living here? I guess you must since you’re still here and all..”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a rule in Mario Kart. It’s why you do not play with your family. Things get said that can’t get unsaid.” Chase said as he stood up straight. He did his best to keep from getting actual road ragey when he was behind the wheel of his actual vehicle.Too tempting to take it way to far that way. He knew himself. “My careers out here. My friends. My boyfriend. Plus...not to sure Old Lace would fit in as well if we moved anywhere else. I’ve actually never lived anywhere but California. Can you believe it?”
***
“Well, a lot of people do like California,” Clary said. So it was reasonable that some people didn’t want to leave. Plus it was such a big state that people could find whatever they were looking for in some capacity. Beaches. Mountains. California had it all. They even had a possibly active volcano in Mount Shasta. There were drawbacks of course, but she could see the appeal of living here. Especially in the OC. “Who is Old Lace?”
Chase had to think fast about how to answer that question. Was Clary going to think he was nuts if he told her Lace was his raptor? Be one of those people that wanted to put her in a zoo for her own protection? He decided to hedge his bet on the safe side and give a mostly truth. “She’s one of my animals. I just woke up to her being there one day and been taking care of her ever since. I also have a turtle named Rock that keeps her company when I’ve got to be away.” He’d have to throw an extra pack of steaks in the cart before checking out to make up for referring to her as his. Even if Old Lace wouldn’t ever find out since he could feel her sleeping in that part of his brain that was connected to hers.
***
“Oh great,” Clary smiled. “I love animals.” Of course she had no idea what kind of animal Old Lace actually was, but that was fine. She figured maybe it was a dog or a cat or something. “Do you have a lot of animals? I was wondering if I should get a cat or something.” She said. She wasn’t always home enough for a dog but a cat might be okay. Maybe she’d check out one of the shelters soon and see what they had available for adoption.
***
“Just her and Rock. I travel a lot during the season so the less stress the better for my friends looking after them. They’re both good as long as someone comes around to feed them and talk to them for a while every day.” Especially since Lace knew he’d make it up to her as soon as he got home. Extra time and attention. “You should talk to this guy named James - he’s got ins with the animal shelters so he’d be able to help you find the right place to adopt from. If you wanted to adopt a pet I mean.”
***
“Cool, I might do that.” Clary said. Maybe he had some cats up for adoption, and of course she’d take a look at the dogs too even if getting a dog right now wasn’t her best option. Then again, her work depended on when she had commissions so maybe she could be home enough for a dog. “It’s so gorgeous here,” She commented. “I bet Old Lace likes to go for walks.”
***
“I end up letting her out in the back yard more often then we get to go for a walk.” There weren’t many places she wanted to walk to where they lived now. And their yard was big enough that she could just run around. And menace the squirrels as much as she wanted. Even if she didn’t really intentionally go for the menacing.
***
“You have a big back yard then?”Clary asked. “I just have an apartment right now, but if things work out well here and I sell some of my work then maybe I can find something more permanent.” Right now she was still new and getting used to the place. “Maybe I’ll get a cat. I like dogs but I don’t know if I’ll always be home enough for a dog. Cats are more...independent.” She nodded. “But I like all animals.”
***
"Yeah. It was the main selling point for me on the house. A big fenced in back yard." And no neighbors nearby. That was the other big one. "Just make sure to pick the place that feels right when you buy. And don't just agree to the first one."
***
“Oh don’t worry, I’m picky about that kind of stuff. It took me like twenty different apartments before I decided on the one I liked.” Clary told him, shaking her head. “I’m pretty sure they were getting frustrated with me, but I had a lot of requirements.” And in the end the one she had chosen met most of them. Affordability was definitely a factor too.
***
Chase grinned. “Oh yeah. I was definitely doing some couch surfing before finding the apartment I moved into before my house.” He admitted. That was partly due to pickiness and partly due to having to be emancipated so that he could sign a damn lease. And now he was spending half the week at Nine’s apartment, Lace either coming with him or giving him the silent treatment for a few hours the next day. She liked it a lot more when Nine stayed over at the house with them.
***
“See, so you get it.” Clary nodded. An apartment was a pretty big deal and could be a big commitment too, especially if there was a lease or something. She was pretty happy that she wasn’t the only one to take her time with something like that. “I was just doing some shopping now because my cupboards are embarrassingly bare.” And she was supposed to be a functioning adult and all that so she really needed to buy some things so that she wasn’t always having takeout or something.
***
“Same. Cupboards and freezers. Lace likes her meats and I like my life a lot better when she’s not pissed off at me for not getting what she needs. She can guilt like you wouldn’t believe under the right circumstances.” And he didn’t just have to see it on her face, he felt it through their bond. And if she got annoyed enough to bug Nine about it? He would never hear the end of it.
***
“She gives you those big sad puppy dog eyes, huh?” Clary was amused. “So you cook for her too? I know a lot of dog owners do that because it’s healthier for the pups.” It also took a lot of time though, and not everyone had that so fortunately there were other healthy dog food alternatives. It was nice that Chase could do it for Old Lace though. She was sure she appreciated it. “Those puppy eyes get people almost everytime.”
***
“And a whining noise.” Chase said. Clary wasn’t wrong about the puppy dog eyes - somehow still effective from a dinosaur. Maybe even more so for him. “I spoil her more than Rock but he’s a lot less maintenance. Give him fresh green vegetables and he’s happy. Pretty sure he snacks on the grass and bushes out back. And I do cook for her. She likes her meat on the rare side so I always cook her dinner after mine.”
***
“You’re such a good furdad,” Clary said nodding. “And turtles probably don’t need as much looking after.” Dogs were tougher, they could be mischievous when they wanted to. “I think for me, I’ll start looking for a cat. If I buy a house then maybe I’d get a dog but we’ll see.” That was probably a long time off. “Do you know Simon Lewis? He’s my best friend.”
***
Chase gave her an awkward smile at that comment about being a good furdad, reaching up with one hand to rub the back of his neck. “I think I might have talked to him a couple times but I’m not entirely sure.” The name sounded familiar, like someone he might have run across over the Valar network but he talked to a lot of people on there. And in his day to day life.
***
“He’s the best, really.” Clary said. “And his band is awesome. You should check out their next gig, I know I’m going to.” She smiled. “So I guess I should let you get back to shopping and I should do the same, but it was nice meeting you Chase, I hope we bump into one another again.”
***
“I’ll keep an eye out for it. Nice meeting you Clary. I’ll try not to bump into you literally next time.” Chase told her with a grin before resuming his shopping. Steak tonight for Lace and for him. That was the plan.