One update I break schedule, the next I can't get it up in time due to school work. For that, you guys will hopefully get TWO chapters for lateness.
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January ended on a quiet note, the snow starting to melt and go away. Only the ice and chill in the air remained as February dawned on city. It reminded Sasha of home in a small way, it made him reminisce on early mornings with his father. There had been the same sort of chill permeating the dawn as ice would freeze over the front step of their shop. He remembered helping his father clear off the ice from the front step, sweeping any stray snow off the sidewalk itself before heading inside.
It was days like this Sasha wanted to call his father. He occasionally missed his father and his aunt. Cold days made him wonder how they were handling a morning like this.
He brushed the thought away as he turned on his side. He burying his features into the back of her neck as he curled his arm around the woman. Sasha distracting himself by curling up close to the Brazilian woman, her warmth a solid enough distraction. The German man nervously kissed her neck as he curled against her. He trying to get comfortable again. The dark skinned woman stirred slightly as she leaned into the touch happily in turn. She turning in Sasha's grip to wrap one of her arms around Sasha's neck. She brushing her fingers through his short bed fluffed hair.
"Mmm, good morning, dear," She pressed a kiss against his cheek, "Did you sleep well?"
"I did," He shifted a little to lightly return the kiss. "I'm glad I could stay the night,"
"I am too," She softly laughed back as she nuzzled Sasha back, easily hooking her leg with Sasha's own as the two lay in bed together. Milla giving a contended sound, clearly intent on going to back to sleep as she closed her eyes. The German man quite happy himself to just watch her start to doze off.
He jerked slightly in surprise as the phone started to trill loudly through out the house. Milla grunting unhappily back as she pressed her features against the german man's shoulder, reluctant to rise initially before she sighed. The brown haired woman rolling out of the bed to go get the phone. It leaving the green skinned man laying in Milla's bed on his own as he squished his cheek against the softness of her sheets.
"Darling, you might want to get dressed," She called back, her phone tucked against her ear. A frown curled across her lips as she continued, "We're needed,"
"Of course," He sighed lowly back, it his turn to get up out of the bed. He glad he folded his clothing the night before.
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Exasperation colored his words as he adjusted his sunglasses. "That was pointless,"
"Pointless is a bit of a harsh statement, dear," Milla offered back as she levitated a few steps behind the German man. Her brows knit in concentration as a mental cage held two psychics in place.
"Harsh, but true. Anyone could have done this," He turned to face her, mentally aiding her in keeping the shield in place. "Why us?"
She rolled her shoulders simply back in a silent shrug, more focused on keeping the shield in place. The best Sasha could do was sigh softly back as he turned his attention back to the two rouge psychics contained under the shield.
"This is your only chance, talk now and things will get better for you," He offered, not in the mood to even try and play nice. Not that tone mattered about now, neither of the captured psychics seemed very intent on saying anything. The older of the two women simply glaring venomously back at Milla and Sasha. It wasn't the first time someone gave them that sort of look, nor would it be the last considering how their lives went. Sasha expected to get that glare from Andrea when he handed in his reports for this mission.
"I doubt they're going to talk, darling, at least not now,"
"True," He eventually surmised in turn, quieting his irritation over the whole affair as a police cruiser pulled up, as did an armored van. A mustached officer stepping out of the patrol car first, politely tipping his hat back at the two standing psychics before speaking. "These our suspects, Ms. Vodello, Mr. Nein?" He was a long term friend by this point, always dispatched to pick up any rouge psychics in the city with as little fuss as possible.
"Right on the nose, dear. Be careful though! They are prone to lashing out!" Milla called out in warning, her gaze never wavering from the two contained psychics. Officer Spangle calmly walked forward, reading the two their rights as he and his partner cuffed them. It a very routine scene by this point. Officer Spangle led one into the anti-psychic van, enabling Sasha to vaguely ease his tight psychic hold on the teenager. Milla able to do so as well when both teenagers were loaded and locked into the back. Whatever they used in that van kept psychics dulled for an hour, which was more than enough time to transfer them into Psychonaut hands or get the appropriate suppressing drugs pumped into them. Psychic were a hardy bunch after all.
"Have a good evening you two," Officer Spangle offered back, his overly large mustache moving along with his words. His friendly smile half obscured by the hairy monolith across his upper lip as he settled back into his cruiser. He taking off once the van had gotten a double check, leaving the two psychics alone in the alleyway.
"I will always wonder what inspired him to grow that monstrosity,"
"Sasha," Milla's chide barely had any bite to it as she did her best to conceal her amusement. "Worry about his mustache later, I think you have a certain someone to pick up tonight,"
Her words earned a nod from the man as he checked his pocket for his car keys. "Ah, right. I can't keep her waiting after all."
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"Sasha!" Her voice carried, loud enough to make her fellow students warily glance at her as Lili pushed her way past them. The redhead not caring about the looks or being polite to her fellow students as she jostled past them. She waving a hand at the German man with a brief flash of a smile on her features. It was enough to make Sasha chuckle, as he gave his own wave in turn. "You certainly are in a good mood today, Ms. Zanotto,"
"Well, duh. Why wouldn't I be?" Her red hair was tied back out of her features as she smile at him, puberty having made her gangly. She was in-between being a child and young woman. Sasha still remembered Truman handing him a sticky fingered child all those years ago when he first became a Psychonaut."You're picking me up, that's kind of worth being in a good mood over,"
"You say this now,"
"I will say it forever," She teased easily back. "Come on, I think you are my driver for the day,"
"Don't make me reconsider driving you, Ms. Zanotto," He easily teased back as he lightly tucked his hands into his pocket.
"If you did, you'd never hear the end of it from my dad,"
"I'm certain he would understand," He laughed as Lili reached out and punched him in the shoulder. There no real weight behind the actual hit as Lili smiled up at the lanky man. The German man easily accepted it as he gestured for her to follow after him as he headed to where he parked his car. It was far enough away from the school that he wasn't worried about it being scratched or getting caught in traffic when he actually left. Lili didn't exactly complain about the walk as she kept pace with him. Her sloppy ponytail coming undone the further they walked. "I believe you need new hair ties, Ms. Zanotto,"
"I just tied my hair up last minute," She let a hand drift upwards to fiddle with her hair a little. Her other hand clutching at her bag strap to keep things balanced. "I was in the middle of packing up my backpack before the bell rang. I didn't want to get trampled in the rush of idiots trying to get out of the school all at the same time,"
"Not all of your classmates are idiots," Though he didn't really seem to be defending them. He lightly taking her backpack for her as Lili quickly fixed her pony tail back into place.
"A good portion of them are, trust me,"
"I'll take you word for it," He answered as he handed the red headed pre-teen her backpack as the two of them walked over to Sasha's car. He unlocking it, he sliding into the drivers seat as he playfully questioned Lili back. "Shot gun?"
"Shot gun!" She called brightly back as she flopped into the passengers seat, Lili dropping the bag at her feet as she buckled herself in. Even now, Sasha enjoyed the fact Lili was so relaxed around him, she didn't need to play up the pretense of aloofness she enjoyed using when at camp. Here she was still that pre-teen with a large fondness for those silly comics and debating them with Raz.
"Were you able to get those back issues you were talking about last time?" He questioned as he started up the car, checking his mirrors for any other cars coming as Lili easily supplied him with an answer. "Yeah, I was. I just had to drive the people at the comic book store crazy about it for a couple weeks and they eventually found those issues I wanted."
"Issue 344 and 400?"
"Along with 220 and 16," She easily corrected as she relaxed into the passenger seat. "You think they'd be use to me driving them crazy by now," Lili had bought most of the True Psychic Tales issues from the local comic book store, as well as buying up several racks to show off the various comics. Sasha had been present for that, watching a 12 year old talk a grown man out of three metal comic book racks had been immensely entertaining. Sasha quite enjoyed the memory of watching the realization of the deal implications
"Apparently not if any of your stories are to be believed," He dryly offered back as he pulled out of his parking space, easily driving through the neighborhood surrounding the school. "Or are you embellishing on some parts?"
She sassily shook her index finger back at the German man. "I do not embellish!"
"Occasionally I sense that you do," His lips quirked upwards into a slight smile as she poked him in the side a few times. The German man taking it all in stride as he drove on, "Do you need to drop by your home to pick anything?"
"Nope, I've got everything I need in my backpack now," She reached down and patted the top of her beaten up backpack. Lili stretched her legs out, slumping into the passengers seat somewhat as she watched the scenery go by. Half peering up from the edge of the car window, Sasha finding some amusement in the sight of the usual serious pre-teen acting her age for once. It was a comforting rarity considering she was always trying to force herself to grow up faster.
"Good, I'm glad you remembered to bring everything this time,"
Her gaze snapped from the scenery back to him, giving him an annoyed look. "Ha. ha. I never forget,"
"Except that time you forgot your pajama's and I had to drive you home to get some," Lili stuck out her tongue at Sasha, laughing when he tried to grab her tongue and missed it. The redhead covering her mouth with her hand to protect her tongue and muffle her own laughter. The German man shook his head, amusement clear as he resisted his urge to try again.
The drive over itself calmed down, Lili simply going back to gazing at the scenery as Sasha drove. The German man reaching out to turn his radio on, jazz music filling up the silence easily.
Lili picked up her backpack as the German pulled into his parking spot, she hefting it up onto the seat into her lap as Sasha parked. The German man unbuckling himself as Lili easily beat him to the punch on her seatbelt, getting out of the car and stepping out into the cool air. She sliding her backpack on momentarily as she stretched her arms over her head, a yawn hitting Lili full force.
"Lets head inside before you fall asleep out here," The German man calmly answered back as he gestured for Lili to follow him. The redheaded pre-teen having no real qualms with it as she walked along behind him.
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"Who have you been texting all night? Because, it is super hypocritical that you get on me for it, then do it yourself,"
Lili's words broke Sasha's concentration on typing a coherent sentence, he looking up from the glowing screen with an owlish blink. "Ah," He spared his phone another glance before tucking it into his sweater pocket. "I was texting a friend. He's out of town and had to cancel plans tomorrow, we were rescheduling,"
"Che?" She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes as she spoke, "I didn't know he was out of town,"
"Ms. Zanotto, I do have more friends than just people working at the agency," He dryly intoned back with a small roll of his eyes.
"When did that happen?"
It took effort on Sasha's part not to roll his eyes again. "You are incorrigible, I do hope you know that,"
"I do," She leaned back into couch slightly as she gave him a look, "Who is it?"
"His name is Eddie, Eddie Riggs." He answered simply back, knowing Lili would drive him crazy if he didn't answer her. "I met him at one of Milla's parties. And no, you probably don't know him, he doesn't work at the agency, as I said earlier,"
The straight forwardness was the correct move, as Lili seemed to lose some interest in the topic. She nodding a little bit and offering a simple response. "Cool," She stretched out a little before continuing, a teasing jibe clear in her tone. "Though it means I can't nag you about being social anymore,"
He chuckled softly at that, directing his attention back to the television before them. Some cartoon playing in the background, he barely knew what was going on with it beyond the fact it was exceedingly colorful. "No you cannot,"
"Though you can't nag me about texting now," Sasha didn't have to look to hear that grin in her voice, Lili wasn't hard to predict when a person really knew her. Sasha sensed sarcasm in his near future.
"Yes, I can, because I have the trump card of being much older than you, Lili."
"No, you can't since its hypocrisies and I will drive you crazy over it," He felt the nudge she offered him before she actually finished speaking. "Especially since you were super intent on that texting, you two must be close,"
Sasha shook his head a little at that, "I am merely texting, there is no intensity, we're friendly but that close."
"Let me show you what I was seeing," She dug her phone out of her backpack, hunching into herself making a scrunched up face and tapping her thumbs quickly against the keys. "And that is you, Mr. Super Intense I Must Text This Guy Immediately,"
"Mhmm," He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Says the young lady who texts her boyfriend almost every hour of the day,"
"Do not," Her phone chimed whilst in her hand, her gaze dropping from Sasha to the screen. "…Hold that thought,"
"Point, proven,"
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