Apr 05 20:22:31 106 PA
From Chronicles
The current game time is: Tue Apr 05 20:22:31 106 PA.
Zachary won't be more than about five, ten minutes behind Amber when it comes to getting back to the work place. And, fortunately, Cali is nowhere to be seen. He steps in with a growing casual familiarity. He starts unzipping his coat the moment he steps in. He's got his coveralls on, of course, so once he gets it off, he's ready to work! Though he checks for Amber first off.
Amber is standing at her work area, a welding mask over her face as she works on a rifle laid on her bench. The Garage is mostly silent, the soft hiss of melting components the only real sound. Occassionally she lifts the mask up as she checks out her work, before slapping it back down and continuing on.
Zachary pauses as he considers Amber quietly for a few moments. But after those moments he seems to decide against interrupting her just yet. He puts his coat up and will move over to start work on his own tasks. Mundane, run of the mill things.. a large number of small, relatively simple tasks. Though he'll not go through it without sneaking glances at her. As if waiting for the proper moment.. which never seems to come in his estimation. He tries to be discreet, but discretion is hardly one of his strong suits.
Amber finishes her work, her hand coming up to unceremoniously take her protective headware off and toss it on the work bench. She takes the rifle carefully in her hands and brings it up to her face where she gently blows some debris away. She then takes the rifle and holds it up over her head, trying to get some more light on the area of interest. She notices Zach finally, and rests the rifle over her shoulder as she smiles, "Heya, when did you get here?" she asks, "And thanks for earlier, I don't really know how that happened. I can assure you, it won't happen again."
Zachary looks up when he's address, just after an unsubtle duck back to his own work. He rises and turns, the tools laid down carefully. Standing a bit stiffly at first, he relaxes slowly as he speaks. "Well, there's no harm done. Mistakes are made, but you're here." Which he smiles slightly in response to. Though after a moment he takes a few steps closer and asks, "Are you having trouble sleeping? That man.." The name escapes him for a moment so after that delay he adds, "..he said you were having trouble."
Amber rubs her face against the bicep of her right arm, her left hand lifting her glasses out of the way as she does so. She looks over at you and shrugs a bit, "Yeah, I have a hard time I guess falling asleep, and that turns into a vicious circle of worrying about getting enough sleep, which keeps me up." her right hand is drawing circles in the air as she speaks, to illustrate, "I guess there are just not enough hors in the day for me to do all the stuff I want." she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, her smile returning, "How have you been? You look a little tense."
Zachary shakes his head a little and moves closer, lifting a hand, which has taken hold of one of his many handtowels, offering it to her as he responds, "I'm well," he says. "I didn't know you were having trouble sleeping.. perhaps something to aid that. Sleep is a very important thing." Indeed, by his tone it is one of those serious business topics. "Your new home.. is it comfortable?"
Amber accepts the towel, and holds it for a moment before using it to rub at her eyes, and then hands, "Yeah, I really like my new house, but if its not one thing its another. When i first got here, it was worrying about someone robbing me or worse in my sleep, now its," she pauses, handing the towel back, "now its other things. And when I do get to sleep..." she trails off but moves on quickly " I just can't turn my brain off, I guess, and sometimes I really just want too." She makes eye contact for a moment, a rare thing, but breaks it quickly. You notice that she does look a little bit worn out.
Eye contact would show that Zach's developed a concerned expression that looks genuine enough. "Well, at least you're secure in your person now," he offers, seeming pleased enough with that. The towel is taken back and slid into one of his pockets. "Perhaps some soothing music. When I'm troubled in the night, I listen to something that is calming. It helps me relax and sleep." His own eyes remain on her, even as he ponders the problem.
Amber sighs softly, "I guess I haven't tried that, but I've yet to really find any stations that play music that I'd want to fall asleep too, and I guess I don't have a collection of my own yet, I just haven't gotten around to really looking for something soothing." she shrugs, "I'm sure it'll work itself out, i've had a rough few weeks, and I think its only natural that It catches up to me, " she looks up at you, "right?"
"I could offer some of my own," Zach offers. He takes a few steps closer, until the talk is a bit more personal, though a respectful distance is maintained that keeps it from becoming more intimate. "I.. don't really know what it might be. To be honest, I don't know a great deal about your nature.. as you see it. But I see no reason why it should effect your sleep patterns."
Amber's expression changes for a minute, the look a familiar one as she seems to stare at nothing, her mind working. She shivers suddenly, her eyes blinking as her shoulders hunch up a bit, "I don't know" she says at last, "I'll really try anything at this point, but I'm beginning to think that the answer lies in chemistry. I saw a doctor in the dregs, I think, that I should be able to afford, maybe they can give me something? You think?" she looks over at you, and something does seem odd about her today, she is uncharacteristically submissive and soft-spoken.
And Zachary is uncertain. Though just what it is that confuses him isn't obvious from a glance. "Of course.. I could bring them to you to night if you prefer," he offers. "After work, drop them off and you can try them tonight." One thing is certain, his concern has grown. There is a soft tension.. a subtle physical indecision that only slowly tips to one side as he's speaking. He reaching out with a hand to gently touch her shoulder as he asks, "You don't.. seem yourself," he admits. "Sick perhaps.. seeing a doctor would be a good idea I think."
Amber nods, her hand coming up to rub the back of her neck as she stands there, her weight shifting from left to right slowly. "I guess thats a good plan, and you can of course come by and drop it off, I haven't even shown you my place yet. Maybe you can give me some ideas for sprucing it up a bit." she smiles, and it seems genuine.
"Well.. I could try, but my tastes are.. functional rather than decorative." Zach admits. "But we shall see." He pauses for several moments in that posture with her. There something.. His fingers relax and his hand lifts, then dips to his side. "Perhaps I could bring you some tea.. it's soothing as well," he offers, along with a smile. It's warm, but there is that lingering uncertainty in his expression.
Nuances of expression and body language are far beyond Amber in her current state, and she smiles half-heartedly, "That sounds really nice, I think I need to stop drinking caffine after a certain point in the day, and maybe not go out at night as much as I do. All the excitement probably isn't helping me." she sighs, and looks over at her desk and then back up to you, her smile holding. "As much as I'd rather be chatting with you, " she prefaces the next part of her comment, her smile fading just a tad, "I really have to finish this project up before Cali gets here, she'll know something is fishy if it isn't ready on time." she glances back once more, her body moving to face the bench before she spins around a bit, "Thanks again for looking out for me Zachary." she says softly, a hint of her usually self in her smile and eyes. She holds her gaze a moment longer before turning back to her bench, soldering iron in hand.
"I could do no less," Zach replies without a need to consider. and while he remains concerned, the outward show of it is relaxed somewhat. And he will let her get back to work. But only under the careful supervision of himself. Being a bit more discreet this time in keeping an eye on her, but doing it nonetheless.
OOC Note: There was a pause in scene as Amber's player went offline a bit, Alistair came back in before she returned, her next pose is when she returned.
Later in the day, Zach is here, working. He's got a small motorcycle he's servicing carefully, the work on it near done. It'll be done before closing time, which nears slowly. An hour or two more, perhaps. Though as he does his work, he's openly distracted. Working slowly on the engine, his gaze a bit distant as a bit of his rolling thoughts spiral off elsewhere. And while there's no one obvious around, there is some work left on the workbench to the side.
"Hello!" Alistair greets as he comes in, "How are you? You seem pensive" he comments, brows hiking up a touch. The young man does look like he's in good spirits at this time; he's likely coming to stock the fridge with fresh things, rather than letting Cali deal with things that have been in there for a while.
Zachary glances up, his muzzy expression sharpening after a moment. "Oh.. Alistair. Good evening," he replies. "I'm fine," he replies, though he does glance back towards one of the storage rooms. Then, after a moment, he looks back to the young man. "I am concerned for Ambrielle, but if you could, please don't mention it to Cali. She seems unwell, but I will aid her in recovering herself."
Alistair pauses and looks at Zachary. "Oh, no ... what happened?" he asks, frowning a touch. "Is there any way I can help? And I understand that you don't want to worry Cali about it, but - it's her garage and ... " he comments, slowing down a little, "It's just, she gets upset if she finds out I keep secrets from her, especially about things going on in her garage, and so - well, ummm ... " he takes a breath, though he looks sympathetic. "I can still do it if that's really important to you."
"I will tell her then," Zachary insists, his expression firming. "She's having trouble sleeping.. too many thoughts, it seems. I've given her advice and she plans to visit a doctor. But I wish to wait.. to see what comes of it before I speak to Cali. I don't wish her to worry or to think Ambrielle might be unreliable." He stands from his work as he says as much.
"Okay, I will wait then - but Cali is nice, she'll try to help" Alistair explains, shrugging his shoulders a little. "But ... what do you mean too many thoughts? Is she stressed out?" he inquires, tilting his head a little. "I might be able to ... help a little in case she doesn't take your advice as required."
"She will, I'll be sure of it," Zachary states. "But.. I'm not really sure. It's something I will have to discover. Though if the methods I provide her don't work.. if you could do something to aid her I would be appreciative. She.." He pauses, a soft, thoughtful frown coming to him. "She does not deserve something as this. If anything, she should be feeling more at ease now that she had before, yet she only seems to have more stress." He shakes his head slightly. He has been keeping his voice discreet as he's spoken with Alistair, standing near the motorcycle he's been working on.
"Oh .. " Alistair comes closer to Zachary, "I am not a doctor, just .. um. Well, where I come from we're all well verset with the various facets of emotion - I was just curious to find out whether I could find out what is going on, with her and ... " he pauses for a moment, "In some cases, there are techniques that help one find their center. But I've no formal training" he smiles sheepishly.
"I see.." Which seems, perhaps, half true giving Zach's softly confused expression. "I plan to ask her.. at some point. But.. perhaps she might not even be sure." He shakes his head again and kneels down again and considers the engine with a more critical eye. TIghtening the fastenings and eyeballing the work carefully as he finishes it up. There is a pause of a few moments before he wonders, "What do you do when Cali is troubled?"
"I apologize, I'm being vague. I have training as a psychic, but that should not be costrued as a license to practice any form of medicine" Alistair explains, and hms softly, "Oh well -" there's a pause, and a blush. "I try to be there for her ... maybe it is a little different because of our relationship. Sometimes being there and holding someone's hand is enough. Sometimes less, sometimes more" his brows hike up slowly, "And consideration needs to be given to the person's situation which can be difficult because sometimes they won't tell you things. It is easy to tell one to see a doctor for example, but how do you show that you personally care beyond that? Sometimes this is what people need, other times, they need to be left alone. Hard to tell - speaking of which, ummm" he glances about, "Do you like Ambrielle?" he inquires, "I mean, if you do ... like ... more than as a friend, or you feel an incling like that ... "
Zachary looks up, distracted a bit from his work as Alistair starts to speak. A soft crease of his brow betraying his thoughtful state. Though the question is what gets him. Well, at first he starts to speak, though when Alistair clarifies past mere like, his brows hike slightly. There is a pause before he looks down to the bike again. "She is a pleasant woman. Intelligent.. capable. She is more than a simple friend." Yes, that will work. "Holding hands.. I don't know that such a thing is appropriate. We are not.." He pauses, then adds, "..like you and Cali. But.. I do want to be there for her." His mood calmed again, back in the comfy place.
A loud crash can be heard, followed by a sharp intake of breath from Amber. She reaches down and picks up the cause of the noise, her welding helmet, and places it back on her bench, this time with more care. She looks back over her shoulder and blinks a few time as she notices Ali now in the garage. "Sorry!" she says, her tone apologetic, and she looks sheepish, her gaze on the floor near the men's feet.
"Holding hands is a show of support, a close one - it is a little more than a friend, but it does not imply intimacy, if that is what you mean" Alistair's turning red at all this now, because he just blushes that easily. "It is only inappropriate if she does not wish it. Simply don't interpret too far if she - well, I'm sorry. I'm assuming you want to hold her hand, and if so, you should just try that. It's really easy. Ask to check her palm, see how she takes it. Make a chivalric joke, kiss the top of her hand - it doesn't matter how you do it, so long as you can gauge it. Now might not be a good time to gauge anything more than appretiation of the gesture itself, but try it nontheless. There are very few people out there who would not welcome kindly contact and uh - that's just my opinion, not trying to push you a whole lot or anything. Just saying, a little touch means a lot when someone needs support." He turns aorund to look at where Amber is, and he waves at her. "hello!" He looks surprised, probably at the noise.
The expression that Zach shows to Alistair when he refers to the holding of hands as non-intimate marks an obvious, if unspoken disagreement with that assessment. And the young man just keeps going on. Zachary's consternation lingers as he shakes his head slightly. "It isn't what I want, it's.." He jumps when the sound comes, his head snapping in Amber's direction. Though he manages to keep his hands on his tools. Fortunately his work is done, so he quickly gathers up the tools he has at hand and takes them with him as he goes to Amber. "It's alright.. are you feeling tired, Ambrielle? They day is near over.. we can close a bit early," he offers, his voice softened as he starts to put the tools away at the workbench.
Amber blushes a bit, and her hands, clasped before her , pick at their nails idly. "Nah, was just happy to be finished I think, " she looks up at the two men, "Maybe I wasn't as careful as I should have been. " she looks from one to the other, her powers of perception apprently not completely lacking, "Am I interupting something? I didn't mean too, I have some cleanup I could do..." she lets the sentance trail off unfinished, and she turns to motion to her bench. Alistair looks from one or the other and smiles sheepishly, "Not really, we were only chatting" he replies, "How are you Miss Ambrielle?" he inquires, tilting his head a little as he looks at her, and the mess that just happened - he also notes Zachary's behaviour - his smile brightens again when he looks at them.
"Not at all," Zach replies, pausing his clean up to turn towards her. "I think you should allow Alistair to walk you home," he asserts. "I know you're fatigued. I'll finish the clean up and I can bring you the music and tea I promised after. It will give you some time to settle yourself. And tonight, perhaps you will find better rest." He smiles at her lightly. "I don't mind it, it won't take too long."
Amber's eyes narrow a bit and she looks confused, her eyes moving from Zach to Alister. She lets out a small sigh, defeat perhaps, and she nods slowly, "Yeah, I'm really tired, I guess, i wouldn't mind cutting out a bit early, but i really hate to leave you with a mess, after sorta leaving you with one this morning." she looks over to Alistair questioningly.
"Ah..." Alistair blinks, and bites his lip, "Certainly - where do you live?" he inquires with a smile, "Perhaps we'll be going in the same direction" he nods his head, and waits for Ambrielle to prepare herself to head out.
"The morning went smoothly," Zach reminds Amber, a touch more firm in saying as much. "Go, I'll see that things are settled here and I will come to you soon." The firmness smoothing away for the rest of his words. He then looks to Alistair and gives him a thankful smile before he looks to Amber and tells her, "I'll be along not too long after you get settled." He then moves back towards the bike and goes about moving it into the back. He'll be back there a bit, long enough for the two to be on their way before he finishes the clean up.
