Feb 23 14:30:49 107 PA - A new place to live

From Chronicles

Despite its location in the Dregs, this area is remarkably clean and kept up. A narrow street makes its way south, cutting between the makeshift buildings of the trailer park into the southern Dregs. Unusual for the area, the street is generally free of garbage and the buildings along it have been scrubbed clean of graffiti.

At this point on the street, three buildings dominate the area. The first and most notable is the looming bulk of Knight's Hospital, whitewashed cinderblocks taking up much of the west side of the street.

To the east, a smaller side street leads deeper into the Dregs, with brick buildings on the north and south sides. The building to the south is a long rectangle, the front wall painted with scenes of children and adults playing in a field. Thee building to the north, on the other hand, is unadorned brick, the facing crumbling a little and many of the windows cracked or chipped.

It's a bit after two thirty and a certain battered Diplodicas sits outside of the Cheapo apartments. A note left for Zero guided him to be here about this time. Or a bit earlier. Wether on time or running late, Sofi will find the truck there the engine off and a cloth burrito laid upon the drive's seat. Well, actually its Zero, wrapped up against the chill, having a little afternoon nap. Hardly working for the moment, though he has been looking for jobs, to his credit.

Sofiya appears like a bat out of hell from the Dreg's direction. She is clearly trying not to run, but she is moving at a fast walk, slow jog that gets her further away from the confrontation that has drained the colour from her cheeks. She hits the door of the truck, yanking it open and jumping inside, beginning to speak the moment she has the door open. "Zee, there was this man, he recognised me. I have no idea what he is, but he ...he... I don't know. He said to keep out of the Dregs, wanted to know who made the bomb."

Zero startles when his door opens and someone starts jabbering at him, though failing when wrapped ina blanket doesn't really work. So he mostly twitches and wiggles a moment before reality catches up to him and he stops, head turning to look towards Sofi. He blinks twice and groans softly as he works himself loose. "CLose the door SOfi," he asks, working himself free enough that he can slip a hand out to ruffle his hair. "What're you on about now? The bomb?" Part of her words lost in his own moment of waking.

Sofiya slams the door, turning back to him, a mixture of fear and panic on her face. "Zee, this man came up to me... not a man, he was something else. Black all over. He said he knew who the bomb was bought from, and he is digging to clear my name." She is facing him, talking fast. "He knows who I am, and that I didn't die in that bomb, and he knows you made it."

Zero blinks a few times. "How the hell would he know that? Not like I told anyone about it. Before or after. Besides, I'm not the one that used it. And you're just a patsy." He shakes his head and continues to wear a frown. He reaches out, his hand stroking through her hair lightly. "Calm down Sofi.. don't mean anything yet. Breath.. slow down and let that panic melt down, ok?"

Sofi closes her eyes for a moment, trying to do as he says, to calm down. She opens them again, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I don't know. There isn't anything he can do to us anyway, he said to avoid the Dregs, so he can't mean us harm." She puts her faith there, leaning into the touch slightly, forcing a grin. "I got a job."

"I dunno.. never can tell with guys," Zero replies. Though he doesn't seem too against the idea that the person is at least non-malignant for now. "We'll just have to see. Though if some shit comes my way, I might have to disappear for a while." He grins a little and adds, "A job, huh? With Rasputin? I didn't figure he'd hesitate to get you into the fold. Going to be getting out that's the problem." He lightly strokes his fingers through her hair as he says so. "I'm still looking. Guys are dragging their feet on giving me answers."

"Nothing is free, Zee." Her comment is soft, and she leans into the touch, closing her eyes. "With Rasputin. Waitressing, a little cooking maybe." Sofiya's mouth curves into a grin, and she leans over to offer him a kiss. "And there is an apartment here. We could just do it on my pay if we don't splash out..."

Zero grins and leans forward to share in the light kiss. After he says, "On yours for now. I still make a little from odd jobs. So I can pay a bit and I'll get a job eventually. I mean, I"m too charming to be turned down by everyone, don't you think?" His grin casually playful. "Wearing that modest dress for your waitressing?"

"Maybe. Or one of the skirts she made." Sofiya's voice is teasing, but she slides away to open the door. "Coming to look this place over?" The look over her shoulder as she slips from his truck is inviting, the bravado firmly back in place, the conversation just past pushed from her mind. "I might even wear stockings to work."

"I know where I"m eating now," Zero replies, indeed following. He wiggles out the rest of the way from the blankets to follow her right across the messenger seat without bothering with the driver side door. With his hand snagging a blanket as he goes. "Maybe we can even christen the place," he adds with a sly grin, the blanket tugged over his shoulder when he hops out behind her.

Sofiya laughs, running up the steps to the apartment block quickly. "You think?" She turns to glance at him as she pushes the doors open. "Upstairs." She doesn't wait for him, turning to run up the stairs, giving the grubby walls and poor decoration no mind as she pauses in front of a door. "This one." She dangles the key at him, holding it out.

Zero jogs his way up after Sofi, grinning broadly at her response. And he's got his eyes on her and not the decor. Once the reach the door, he smiles and snaps at the key that she dangles out for him. "Lets see what we got to work with." He slots the key, turns it and steps into the place, giving it a once over. He's not expecting much, of course. Always a bit of work to do for places like this.

And he gets what he expected. The previous tenants had taken no care of the place, and the walls have not been painted in years. The carpets have been taken up, leaving floorboards bare. Sofiya follows him in, giving the room a long look before she grins, her real grin. "Zee, it has a heater, and a shower, and a bath...and a stove." Those four things are here, sure, but old, battered, and possibly not entirely functional.

"This is a pretty sweet place," Zero says, nodding his head as he looks to Sofi with a broad grin. "I think this is going to work out nice. Some paint, some carpet where we want it. I can take a look at the gear. Fix it ourselves for cheap, not much need to worry about the super." He nods his head. "I think we can make this place great." He reaches out to slip an arm over her shoulders. "Find some decent furniture." He's already considering the bazaar and swaps for such things.

Sofiya snuggles into the embrace, her face warm, happy and excited. "My ma can give us a few things, and I've got blankets. We can hit the markets, grab second hand stuff, patch it up..." She is talking quickly, excitedly. "She won't like that we're living together. Do I tell her?" The question is thoughtful, softly spoken, her eyes narrowed on his face.

Zero considers Sofi. "I think.. we don't have to tell her. Just have to make sure she doesn't drop by while we're in the midst of our wild passion cause I think explaining that away might be a bit harder than me just coming to hang out at your place occasionally. Which I think she might only frown at a little if she walks in on us."

Sofiya blushes, turning her head to lean against his shoulder. "What wild passion?" The words are mumbled, before she slants a look up at him. "I think you are allowed to hang around, even if she thinks you are a fly by night..."

"The wild passion where we screw each other breathless of course," Zero replies, his arms squeezing about her shoulders closely, his words lightly laced with playful amusement. "We'll just have to make sure the door is locked so we have enough time to get dressed."