.

.

She wasn't sure what to do.

On one hand, well, chips. On the other hand there was the very real possibility that if she did what she wanted to do, ergo leaving, she'd get a phone call faster than the bird that hit her window that morning. But at the same time? The apartment was slowly falling apart. At first it seemed ordinary, albeit dusty. The file cabinets were obviously under the category of 'touch and feel the wrath of five respectfully attractive people' but everything else she'd fiddled with out of mind numbing boredom. The wardrobe had a funky squeak when you opened it three times in order, the window could open but the view was only of the other apartment complex on the other side, and the highlight would have to be the bed that was so big it could make the best pillow forts.

She was so bored it was starting to rot her brain.

Unexpectedly moving into an apartment hadn't been an issue. All she had to do was call her previous landlord, move a bit of clothes around (no way was she putting on a deceased girls clothes, it was already creepy enough as it is), and continue to suffer through her studies on her tiny lab top. Rika's desktop was looking more and more like a risk worth taking, but she would sigh and know somewhere a red head was waiting for that.

They trust me, maybe a little, she mused, but that's hardly what the issue is at the moment.

Right.

She was out of junk food.

She wasn't out of food, Seven wouldn't allow that at all. The staff always dropped off something weird whether it be home cooked meals or some back-asswords fish cake recipe that had no place existing on planet earth let alone in her stomach. But while meals weren't an issue, snacking always was. She couldn't really focus on her homework without it, and the fact she had to drop her job on top of all this nonsense was making her stress eat. Chips, yogurt, hell even chocolate bunnies were sounding tasteful.

She held up her hands. An empty chip bad and her silent phone stared back at her.

She frowned.

They can't hold me here until the party, can they? She wondered. I mean, it's only a few more days, but sunlight is good for human beings, right? A little walk won't hurt.

Pocketing both items, she marched towards the front door. The foyer was so small compared to the extravagant apartment, she almost tripped on a loose sweater forgotten on the floor.

I wonder if Miss Vanderwood would clean for me too? She snorted.

Her hand hovered over the doorknob. For a second she hesitated, feeling like a child running away with the cookie jar. But was it really a big deal? She wasn't even going to leave the building. There was a vending machine in the lobby after all. She had the cash for it too. It was a round trip, safety included! Unless she fell down the stairs.

"Oh c'mon." She rolled her eyes at herself. "It's just a small walk. Two minutes, tops. What's the worst that could happen? Besides, I've gone out before."

But that had been for laundry and the cleaning closet. She was going up and down two flights of stairs and, well, farther then she had been in a few days. For a moment she worried she was getting too used to being cramped in that place, before firmly stomping on those thoughts.

That ends here. She nodded to herself, throwing back the door with grim determination.

She braced herself, squinting across the hallway at the doors in front of her room. She warily peaked out, catching the hallways to be empty. It was a quiet evening, the only noise a vacuum a few floors away and the sound of a TV on somewhere else. A glint caught her eye and she looked up.

A camera was looking right at her.

That's right. She straightened, narrowing her eyes at the device. Seven has been watching me through that. That's what he says, anyway. But he has a lot of work. He might just be joking about watching all the time, right? He's a busy guy.

The camera tilted. She blinked.

"Seven?" She hoped that would get a reaction, but the camera didn't move. "Can you see me right now?"

The hallway was empty, so she hadn't anything to lose. Puffing up her cheeks, she forced her eyes to go cross and blew a raspberry at the camera. Still nothing. Not one to be beaten, she lifted one leg up and clapped her hands above her head, sticking her tongue out. The camera remained disappointingly still.

She huffed, crossing her arms.

I feel kind of dumb now. Despite that, she couldn't help the pleased smile on her face. It was fun though! I wonder if God Seven saw me? Probably not.

The walk to the lobby wasn't nearly as fun as the camera fight and having to carry ten bags of salted chips up two flights of stairs was even less fun. She caught sight of the camera again as she approached her door, unmoving as always.

Mischievously, she winked at it, "Look what you've done! I'm picking up your habits now. Soon enough I'll be worshipping your feet too."

Fishing her key out of her pocket was a hassle in a half, nearly toppling the stack of junk in her arms. Once the door was open, she tossed a final look at the resistant camera. She thought of the one likely behind the lens, or busy elsewhere with his workload. His messages, his promises, and his charisma. She felt a warm smile creeping on her face.

"Good night, Seven."

.

.

Elsewhere, someone exhaled. It was followed by breathless laughter.

"Good night." His eyes stayed where she had disappeared, back into the apartment. "You're a handful, you know? I can't even be mad you wandered off."

His phone was twirled in his hands. He glanced down at its current background and nearly lost himself into another gut wrenching fit of laughter. It was too ridiculous for him to handle.

"I'll keep the pose as payment, though." He couldn't help the snickers as his phone changed to the other picture. "That face! How did you even do that? Haha, it's perfect!"

You're perfect.

"Man." He ran a hand through his hair, mirth still making him grin. "The party can't come quickly enough."