Davina Claire gives 'em hell. (givesthemhell) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2020-07-01 02:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | !partner thread, davina claire, ozma |
Ozma was honestly trying not to spread out all over Roland’s house while staying with him, keeping her things in her guest room with the exception of Sawhorse who just went wherever he wanted. She was settling back into a routine with her life as she started to feel safe again, evenings spent hanging out with Roland, working on her phone or watching something with him. Days spent in meetings for her businesses, outlining what she wanted to do with the fashion label before she actually started it. Just keeping busy in her next stage of her career, building a new path forward. But today she’d cleared her schedule for a long lunch with one of her oldest friends, someone she didn’t get to be in the same area as nearly enough. Time to catch up and see what they’d both been up to since their New Orleans Days.
She checked her makeup and hair in the rearview mirror, doing a slight touchup around her eyes before getting out and heading into the restaurant. Taking a seat in one of the booths to wait for Davina to arrive.
Davina wasn’t sure what she expected coming home. She knew she ran away last time she was home and hid on the other side of the country a little longer. Still, she put on a smile and did the best she could with her situation. She wasn’t thrilled having to be back home with their parents but at least she could help out. It was perfect timing because her brother had just moved in with his boyfriend. One less thing for John to have to worry about.
One thing she didn’t expect was to find Ozma here. Davina walked into the restaurant, scanning the patrons for her friend.
She weaved her way through before sliding into the seat across from Ozma.
“Hey. Hi. It’s so good to see you.”
One thing that definitely hadn't changed about Ozma since moving to California was her love of unhealthy foods. And this place had that in spades. She grinned at Davina's rambling greeting. "Should I have already ordered a couple of beers to be waiting at the table," she teased her friend.
"What brought you back?"
"Maybe those beers aren't such a bad idea."
Well. That was a question with so many answers. Family. Specifically one of her brothers. John was taking care of their dad. And Kol. She missed Kol. Not talking to him the last few years..it wasn't right. She knew that. But after the way she left…she just left it that way.
"I really wanted to be closer to family. My dad got injured at work and I didn't want John to be the only one helping them out," Davina answered, partially. The rest was a complicated mess and all her fault.
Ozma got their waiters attention, ordering their old standards for when they'd drank together. Turning her attention back to her friend as he walked away, frowning slightly as Davina filled her in. "Oh honey. I'm sorry. I didn't know. Is there anything I can do to help?" Doctors. Renovations. Whatever was needed she'd do.
“I don’t think so but I appreciate it,” Davina told her. “If anything changes...I will let you know.” She’d been a terrible sister the last few years. She hadn’t come home as often as she should have. Avoidance didn’t make anything better. “I didn’t want to let this all fall on John. And I guess it was a good excuse to come home.”
"Why would you need an excuse to? Hell I keep finding excuses not to." Ozma said, leaning back in her seat.
The waiter returned with their drinks and Davina took a long sip.
“The last time I was home...I kind of ruined a lot of things,” Davina told her friend. “I’m not proud of it by any means. And I just avoided and stayed away. Found a lot of reasons to stay in New Orleans. It was less complicated that way,” she admitted.
Ozma arched a brow as she looked at her friend, sipping from her own beer and getting the waiter’s attention to go ahead and order another. “Sounds like a story and a half. You should share it. It might make you feel better.” And there was the unstated fact that Ozma was curious as hell and wanted to know what had gone down. Not that she’d ever share the news with anyone else.
“You’re not wrong about that.” It was definitely a story and a half.
“Last time I was home was some time after my cousin passed away,” she started. “She was my best friend. It just...being home was hard.” Her family moved out here originally to be closer to them. It was just different now.
“And then Kol and I started to start things up again. I was going to move back here...and I don’t know. I guess I freaked out...and I haven’t been back since.” She was a bad daughter, sister and friend and she knew it. She wasn’t trying to sugar coat it or change the story. She told Kol that much. All she could do was apologize and take accountability for her actions.
“I missed family things, I left when a friend needed me and I hid on the other side of the country. That’s my sad story,” Davina told her.
Ozma knew Kol’s name at least. You didn’t associate with Damon and not know who his business partners for the clubs were. She’d never met him face to face was all. She played with the label on her beer bottle, scratching at the corner of it with her thumbnail. She looked up at her friend and weighed her words carefully before speaking. “Sounds like you freaked out because you might not have taken the time to grieve. Not the way you needed.” She took a sip. “Or at least that’s what it sounds like to me. Bear in mind I have no training in psychology. I just flipped through the texts my dad had at home while I was hiding from his parents during visits.”
Psychology degree or not..Ozma wasn’t wrong. What she said made a lot of sense and she said it a hell of a lot clearer than she thought any therapist could. Davina is pretty good at burying things or trying to forget about things instead of dealing with them. At least if they are that painful. Davina jumped into helping everyone else when she got home. If she stayed busy..she didn’t think about anything. “I...that’s probably true. Or part of it. And now Kol I think..hates me or close to it.”