Anna's Place, 8:45 PM
Tharja was living a nightmare. The man she fell in love with just this morning was engaged. What's worse is that she is in the same boat as Cordelia, a love-struck fool who's desire was just out of reach. She needed a drink. "Anna, three apple pie shots." She ordered. This Pheros woman and Robin glanced at each other with hesitant expressions as Anna placed three shot glasses on the bar top in front of them and filled them up, Pheros spoke up.
"Oh! I actually don't... dri- oh my..." She said in awe as Tharja began to down all three shots, on after another. The amber concoction flowed surprisingly well down her throat. After the third shot, she shivered and wiped away the the excess alcohol from her lips. Inebriation could not come fast enough. The thought of having a conversation with Pheros seemed revolting to say the least. She needed the cavalry. Tharja pulled her phone from her pocket and began to text Sully. Pheros attempted to initiate small talk. "So Tharja, how long have you worked at the- oookay." The woman was interrupted by the secretary's extended pointer finger as she finished typing something on her phone. Robin's fiance seemed to become increasingly frustrated. She was trying her best to make a good impression for her soon to be husband's coworkers, but this Tharja woman was being incredibly rude and difficult for no seemingly apparent reason.
Pheros scanned the bar for anyone else Robin would be working with, despite not knowing what any of his cohorts looked like. She noticed a rather fit red-headed woman in a booth by the window whip her head around to directly look towards them. She then slid out of the booth and made her way over. Why was she moving with such purpose? Pheros noticed a glint around the woman's belt. A badge. It became clear that she was one of the detectives that would be working with her fiance. She took in the woman's physique. Her muscles were impressively toned, her messy hair seemed incredibly soft. The woman was attractive, yes, but wasn't Robin's type. Tharja on the other hand was not only gorgeous, but also seemed to carry herself as a no nonsense type of girl. She was similar in that regard, therefore saw Tharja as a potential threat to their relationship.
Pheros felt the desire to display her dominance. She turned to Robin and gazed upon him lovingly. While she loved him genuinely, this was a power move. Her right hand glided through his platinum hair playfully as her left hand laid on his right pectoral. He was pulled in for a deep kiss. It was intense. Full of passion, lust, and a whole lot of tongue. A woman's voice sounded out beside the trio.
"Oh wow..." Sully said in surprise, taking her spot next to Tharja. The pair looked at each other in an uncomfortable, short-lived silence as the couple lost themselves in each others arms. Sully leaned towards Tharja.
"T... Can I bum a cigarette off of ya?" She asked in an attempt to lead her away from the scene unfolding in front of them.
"You don't smoke." Tharja responded, half- focused and heartbroken. Sully grabbed the secretary's right arm and lightly tugged her out of the stool she was sitting on.
"Just come on!" She said, towing Tharja towards the entrance of the bar. Once outside, the black-haired woman began to pace back and forth at a nervous, staggered rate. She then stopped and leaned up against the brick wall of the building, bringing her thumb to her lips to nervously bite her nail. Sully had never seen this habit from her before.
"What do I do now?" Tharja asked. Sully could not tell if the question was meant for her, though she answered anyway.
"What? I... Is that why you sent an S.O.S text? To find out he next course of action?!" Sully rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. It is becoming increasingly difficult assisting the Shepherds with their love lives. Chrom can't see an opportunity to get date, let alone get laid, even if it stood in front of him. The only reason he is on a date with Olivia is because Tharja set them up, for what reason, no one knows. Cordelia is a coward for not asking Chrom on a date, despite the man being single for years. Vaike, while well meaning, is an ignorant doofus who blows up every relationship he enters in spectacular fashion. Detective Stahl is kind, but is average, painfully so sometimes. The Captain is too career oriented. So much so, he ended a seven year relationship with Sergeant Phila to advance to Lieutenant. That's just a rumor, though plenty have put stock into it. She transferred to the sixty-seventh precinct shortly after and now is the head training officer at the training academy most of The Shepherds attended. Sully feels as if she is forgetting someone, but who? Now there is Tharja, a woman she assumed was well put together, ended up being the biggest mess of them all. Sully spoke up. "Grow up and drop it." She said, perhaps a bit too loudly. Tharja stopped biting her nail and looked to the detective, surprised at the tone she used.
"Parden?" She asked, stunned.
"Look T, I can't tell you what to do here, but, that;s the best option. You don't want to be 'The Other Woman'. It never pans out like you'd hope." After a moment, Tharja's lips formed a mischievous smile. Sully took a hard gulp. "Oh I know that look, you are gonna do something really stupid, aren't you?" She asked.
"Stupid? Don't be ridiculous, Sully. I have no intention of being' The Other Woman'." She replied. Sully felt off about how Tharja framed her response. The secretary began to make her way home in a stride filled with purpose. Sully shouted after her as she crossed paths with a pair of blondes. One was taller than Tharja by a few inches and the other was shorter, a teenager.
"What is your intention?!" She shouted. There was no response from the home bound woman. Instead, it was from the blondes. The teen pointed in the direction of the scheming woman.
"What was that all about, Sully?" She asked.
"Oh nothing, Lissa, just creating a monster on accident." Sully answered. The taller blonde giggled gracefully.
"There really is no dull moments with you all, is there?" She asked with an infectious smile. The red-head smirked and nodded.
"You may have a point there, Emm."
Lissa and Emmeryn Sterling, Chrom's younger and older sisters, respectively. Lissa sported a yellow t-shirt and denim shorts along with white sneakers, while Emmeryn dressed more conservatively, wearing a light green blouse and khaki slacks. They had matching necklaces and purses.
"Anyway, what are you both doing out this late?" Sully asked. The sisters looked at each other and smiled.
"We just got out of that new movie, 'To Fall In A Fortnight'. It was SO hot!" Lissa answered. The look on her face made it seem as if she was replaying scenes from the movie in her own mind. Sully recalled that a new medieval romance movie came out and that it was based on some novel that was deemed to be quite intense. From what she was told from Cordelia and Miriel, it focused on a princess named Eirika and her knight, Seth, and involves a lot of smut. Sully placed her hands on her waist.
"Isn't that a bit mature for your age?" She asked.
"Lissa did well on her finals back last month and wanted to see it." Emmeryn smiled. "Frankly, I found it a bit too long for my taste." She shrugged before changing the subject. "Are Chrom and Frederick inside?" She asked. Sully nodded.
"Yeah, Chrom is sitting at the usual booth with his date and the Captain is fixing the bathroom on the second floor." She didn't question why Emmeryn asked about Frederick, they had known each other for years. Her best friend was Frederick's ex, Phila and had met through that mutual connection, being close ever since. He even tutored Lissa every now and again, making it no surprise that she passed her finals. Emmeryn is a high school history teacher who is beloved by her students and the community at large, whose kindness was rather inspiring. Lissa, on the other hand, was the most mischievous out of the siblings. She is childish and immature, no doubt due to spending a large amount of time around The Shepherds during her formative years. She even has the habit of pulling pranks on the detectives at the precinct, though they are fairly harmless most of the time. Sully continued. "Chrom's date is pretty skittish and jumpy, so try not to overwhelm her, okay Lissa?" Lissa responded with an exaggerated salute as she headed into the bar. As Emmeryn followed suit, Sully sooked to the direction Tharja left in one last time. "Oh boy..." She said under her breath.
Meanwhile, in the second floor bathroom, Frederick toiled on the pipes behind the toilet. They sprawled along the wall in an almost nonsensical pattern, though he managed to to make sense of it... he thinks. He had removed his flannel and watch, leaving them on the bathroom sink, should he dirt or wet. As he was tightening a coupling that connected two metal pipes with a wrench, he an angelic voice from the entrance of the restroom.
"I thought you would be off of the clock by now." Frederick, while on one knee, turned to the doorway. There was Emmeryn, as beautiful and grateful as ever. She was leaning against the door frame, her eyes staring at him with a kind, gentle expression.
"Ah, Ms. Sterling, what brings you here this late at night?" He asked, releasing the wrench from the coupling. Emmeryn took a few steps towards the Captain.
"Lissa and I were coming home from a movie and decided to stop by. And I... wanted to thank you personally for taking the time to tutor Lissa." She took a brief pause, watching as Frederick stood back onto his feet. The white t-shirt he wore clinged to his chest and arms well, similar to the knight from the movie, Seth. She had always found him attractive, but right here, right now, it seemed her imagination was wanting more. She shook her head, changing the contents of her mind. "Chrom hasn't been answering my calls today. Did something happen?" She asked. It wasn't like her brother to not answer or call her back. Frederick turned a small knob on the pipes, turning the flow of the water back on. Emmeryn watched as he gently guided his fingers along the pipes, ensuring that there were no leaks.
"He lost a case today to Gangrel. In truth, I am not surprised he hasn't spoken to you about it." He answered. Emmeryn rubbed her left arm with her right hand.
"I see..." She said, a hint of regret and sadness displayed on her face. Gangrel, her high school boyfriend. She dated him primarily to spite her father, before his sudden passing. Emmeryn was left to raise Chrom and Lissa in their inherited estate. When Chrom entered the police academy, they had agreed to sell their childhood home to invest in Lissa's college funds. That's when Gangrel showed his colors, breaking up with Emmeryn after finding out he wasn't going to get a single bit of that money, let alone have access to it through her. Frederick spoke, bringing her back to reality.
"Are you alright? You seem upset." He asked.
"Yes, I... Thank you for telling me, Frederick." she said, giving him a small smile and used her fingers to put her hair behind her right ear. Frederick returned the smile.
"Of course. I believe I am almost done here. Allow me to check the flush of the toilet and then we can join the others downstairs." He said, turning to the toilet. His hand pressed the handle downward, causing it to flush. He smiled with accomplishment. "Well, I believe that accounts for every- AGH!" The pipe burst, dousing Frederick's face and shirt with water. He quickly gripped the pipe coupling with both hands, preventing the water from leaking any further. "Quickly, turn the knob above my hands!" He ordered. Emmeryn complied, turning off the water's flow with haste. She glanced at Frederick, drenched in water.
"Are you alright?" She asked, attempting to hold back her laughter. He chuckled as he ran his hand through his wet hair.
"Heh, I guess my work really is never done." He said, walking towards the sink. Emmeryn watched as he untucked his shirt, preparing to remove it in exchange for his dry flannel. As he lifted it, he stopped, realizing he was being observed. "If you wouldn't mind..." He requested privacy. He wasn't ashamed of his body, quite the opposite actually. He just believed it was improper to expose oneself in front of a lady.
"Oh, I don't... I mean, of course." Emmeryn had a slip of the tongue. She turned around to face the doorway, her eyes catching him in the reflection of the mirror on the wall. She only managed to see the right side of his body, noticing a scar below his ribs was now exposed. Emmeryn looked away, the thought of Chrom or Frederick succumbing to injuries like those was too much to bare. "Does it hurt? The scar, I mean..." She asked.
"Mostly my ego and pride. It was a humbling experience." He answered as he finished buttoning up the final buttons on his flannel. Frederick turned to the pipes once more. "It seems I'll be at this for a while yet."
"How may I help?" Emmeryn asked. The Captain turned is focus to her, a kind smile across his own face.
"Are you sure? It can get quite dirty." He assured her. She laughed softly.
"Frederick, I practically raised Chrom and Lissa, A little dirt won't hurt me." Emmeryn extended her hand, her palm facing upward. Frederick picked the wrench off of the floor and placed it in her hand.
"Very well, Ms. Ster-" He began before being interupted.
"Emmeryn." She insisted he used her first name.
"I would very much enjoy your company, Emmeryn." He said with a light smile. "Let's get to work."
Cordelia and Sumia's Apartment 9:17 PM
Cordelia stood by the island in her kitchen, staring at the clock on her phone. She was growing impatient waiting on Sumia.
"Are you almost done?! We're late!" No response. The detective rolled her eyes and made her way to the doorway to Sumia's bedroom. She raised her to knock on her door before pausing, hearing a soft, sad voice on the other side.
"I don't understand, Gaius... But everything seemed fine between us earlier!... No... I don't care that you're an ex-con, I love you!... Gaius, please don't hang up... Gaius?" It sounded as if Sumia was on the phone with Gaius. Cordelia rapped her knuckles against the bedroom door. The door cracked open, Sumia's face became exposed through the gap. Her eyes were red, cheeks were wet and her hair was messy. It became clear what had happened. Gaius broke up with her. Why? Questions for later, for right now, Cordelia's focus was solely for Sumia. "I'm not going to the bar tonight." She said with a sniffle. Cordelia opened the door a little bit more and shook her head.
"Then neither am I. Come on out and let's talk about it, okay?" She opened the door further to only be met with a tight hug from her roommate. Sumia buried her face into the redhead's shoulder and began to sob heavily. "There, there Sweetie, it'll be alright. I'm here..." Cordelia said, lightly rubbing Sumia's back in some small attempt of comfort. Frankly, she had wished the pair had broken up sooner, but seeing her best friend in this state isn't what she wanted. Cordelia slowly and gently pulled Sumia off of her and gave her a reassuring smile. "Come sit on the couch and I'll grab the wine glasses." She feels as if the night is just getting started.
To Be Continued...
Thanks for being so patient! It took a while for this chapter to come out but it's here! Please give feedback and I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.