i_atetheapple Retail Therapy... -open-
Snow herself, had not slept after Bigby had been forcibly expelled from her bedroom. She'd been much to worked up to think about getting any rest, or closing her eyes or anything. She didn't trust this Bigby enough not to do what she said, since he'd clearly couldn't understand the simple concept that she was not nor had never been pregnant by him.
Around five in the morning, she'd pulled herself out of bed, and had drawn herself a hot, steamy bath, in one of the over-the-top spas that this apartment seemed to have coming out of its ears. For another hour or so she relaxed in the bath, occasionally playing with the bubbles that had come out of no where, but mostly just brooding.
By six, she'd pulled herself from the bath, and had climbed into the clothes she'd been wearing when she'd driven into this god-forsaken city. With cane in hand, she pulled all of the cash from Charming's wallet (Alimony, she justified it as in her head) and pushed it into a pocket. She had some shopping to do. Clothes, both functional day clothes, the usual underwear and pyjamas, and maybe one nice dress. You never knew when you might need a nice dress.
By seven, she was eating a nice breakfast in a nice cafe, with a good strong cup of coffee nursed between her hands. She dearly hoped that Bigby had decided that tailing after her and watching her would not be a smart move today. Snow really needed a little me time, and since she had a wad of cash in her pocket, retail therapy seemed the best way to go.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 16:53:56
Jesse was sitting in the cafe too. But his was more of a need to be less drunk. He'd been there since opening. It was amazing to him that when one fully saturated their body with alcohol, one could take days to recover.
The girl across the room looked vaguely familiar. He was sure he didn't know her, but something tugged at his brain. Jesse pushed it away as alcohol poisoning.
He looked into his cup and sighed.
The fight with Max was still heavy on his mind. And then meeting that strange neighbor. What was his name? Andrew Charm. Rediculous poofy name for a rediculous poofy man.
He couldn't remember a lot of the conversation they'd had. He'd been more than a little wasted, and hadn't entirely cared. And then, there had been more alcohol. Too much maybe.
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/24/2006 19:57:35
The scrambled eggs were quite delicious and fluffy, just like Snow liked them. But they could use a little pepper or salt, just to help bring out the flavour a little more. Not to mention her tomato needed seasoning too.
But when she reached for her little bottle of salt, it was surprisingly light, and when she shook it over her food, she discovered quite quickly that it was empty.
Instead of bothering the waitress, who was in the middle of eating her own breakfast, in between serving customers. Snow didn't want to bother her, so she stood up, and grabbed her cane and toddled a few tables over, where a nice man was sitting. "Excuse me sir." She said politely, looking appropriately bashful. "I wonder if I could borrow your salt for a minute? Mine is empty."
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 22:30:47
Jesse looked up from his cup of coffee into the eyes of the woman who was all too familiar for his liking.
"Yeah, of course." In true Southern Gentleman style, he ddn't allow her to reach for it, but picked it up and handed it to her. "I won't be needin it any time soon, you can go ahead and keep it if you like."
He managed a smile too. Two points for Jesse Custer, the alcohol was fading away.
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/24/2006 23:05:05
"Thankyou." She said graciously, taking the salt shaker with the hand that wasn't clutching her walking cane. "I'll bring it straight back." She promised, with a nod of her head. Her dark black hair tumbled down from her shoulders.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 23:08:26
Jesse shook his head. "I think that if you want to give it back, you should just let me know and I'll come get it, okay?"
It wasn't that he didn't think she was capable, what with the cane and all, but Jesse wasn't the type to make - or let - injured women put themselves out too much. Hell, he still opened doors and gave up his seat on the bus. How was he going to make this woman get up and bring back salt he didn't even need?
"How'd you injure yourself there, darlin?"
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/24/2006 23:16:54
"That's very kind." She said, faint pink blush appearing on her cheeks.
But his next question threw her a little more. She looked down at her cane, then touched a finger to the small little half-moon scar just above her right eyebrow. How did one phrase this nicely? I was shot in the head by a gun-toting leftist political agitator called Goldilocks, but because I'm actually a fable I managed to survive.
"I was in an accident." She said, figuring that the best way to approach this was to be as vague as possible.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 23:19:15
"You'll recover, I hope." He smiled again. "Pretty thing like you shouldn't have to hobble around for the rest of her life."
Jesse tilted his head a bit. Then shook it. "It's amazing, but I feel like I know you. I know that I don't, it's not possible, a girl like you would get stuck in a guy's head, and there'd be no forgettin, but here I am, thinkin that somehow, I've seen you before." The smile grew sheepish and he looked down. "Sorry, I don't mean to be bold."
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/24/2006 23:24:50
"Oh no, it's not too forward." She said, shaking her head sincerely. "I get that a lot. I just have one of those familiar faces."
She chuckled a little, although a well trained ear could tell that apart from being a nice technique to disarm a conversation, it was a good cover up for the nervousness that had welled a little in her belly.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 23:27:07
"You're probably right." He felt a little silly. "M'name's Jesse, by the way. So you don't have to stand and talk to a stranger. Or leave and wonder who the hell you just spoke to."
Couldn't very well be rude. Even if she didn't tell him her name, at least he'd introduced himself.
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/24/2006 23:34:29
"Snow." She said with a little roll of her eyes. "I had eccentric parents."
Which was not a lie. There weren't many people who had a father who sent you to live in the forrest because your stepmother wanted you dead. Or a sister who seduced and slept with your husband just to spite you. When she thought about it, Snow's whole family was fucked up.
But now was not the time to worry about that too much, especially since none of that family were currently here in The City.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 23:37:00
"It's a pretty name, and fitting. Somehow." Jesse wasn't sure if it was the milkiness of her skin, or something internal that cried out and said it was the only name she could have.
His eyes noticed her plate and he felt horrible.
"I'll stop buggin you now, Miss Snow. Sorry to have kept you so long from your meal."
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/24/2006 23:49:04
"Thank you again for the salt." Snow said with a small nod and a bright and perfect smile, framed by ruby-red lips. Then she twisted around, and hobbled back over to the booth that she'd been occupying. Her plate was still sitting there, and her eggs were ready to be salted.
She slipped into the booth, and placed her cane neatly on the seat next to her, so that it wouldn't be in anyone's way. And once her eggs were salted, she dug into them, savouring their salty-eggy taste.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/24/2006 23:52:13
Jesse returned to staring at his coffee.
He was feeling better now. The haze had completely left him. He had this unnatural feeling that he wouldn't be drinking again any time soon. Every once in a while it happened, he didn't touch the booze for a week or so. Once he hadn't touched it for almost a month.
Maybe he was an alcoholic.
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/25/2006 04:17:51
As soon as she'd polished off her meal, she felt instantly better. She had energy, her bad mood had waned considerably, and she hadn't thought about what Bigby could've been doing while he'd been watching her in a good five minutes. Things were beginning to look up.
She placed her knife and fork down on the plate, pushed together so that if the waitress were to pass by she'd know that it was fine to take the plate away. Snow took a quick sip of the coffee, then waved a hand at Jesse, getting his attention and waving him over at the same time.
He'd said to call him over when she was finished with the salt, and he seemed like an honest gentleman-- there were so few around these days, and those that she did know were pricks (Read: Charming) Snow didn't want to deny him something so simple, and a chivalrous gesture might make her feel a little less despair toward the males of her race.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/25/2006 14:07:52
Jesse immediately stood up when she motioned that she was done. He smiled down at her and picked up the salt.
"I hope the salt was to your likin, ma'am." He tipped an invisible hat at her.
He had the urge to pick up her plate too, and would have, had there not been bussers busily flitting about to do just that.
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/25/2006 16:29:20
"It was fine." Snow smiled, then nodded to the seat across from her. "Please sit down, have a chat. I'll buy you a coffee."
He seemed like a nice enough guy and Snow felt a need to repay the kindness he'd bestowed upon her.
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/25/2006 23:20:16
"Well. If you insist." Coffee was a good thing to offer right now. How could he say no to it?
Jesse slid into the booth across from her and folded his hands neatly on the table in front of him.
"Was a specific topic you wanted to chat about, or just a 'let's get to know the kind stranger' sort of chat?" Said with a smile, of course.
From: i_atetheapple Date: 07/28/2006 18:13:40
"Either works fine for me." Snow smiled in return. This city might be strange and foreign and just generally weird but the two people she'd met who weren't Charming and Bigby had both seemed like very nice people. Sincerely nice people, that is.
"Of course, we know very little about each other besides our names and we share a mutual like of coffee, so maybe it's best if we do the small-talk thing first."
From: i_seekgod Date: 07/31/2006 15:20:21
Jesse nodded. "Of course. That makes the most sense, don't it."
He waited for the waitress to fill his cup with hot black coffee before smiling at Snow again.
"So, anything in particular you'd like to know? I'm not so good at randomly talkin about myself. I got one for you, whatever did your parents have in mind when they named you Snow? It's so unusual. Even for a hippie name."