Catching up

House arrest, could you believe it? Florence already felt trapped, and now this? Some days she didn’t even feel like getting out of bed, unless it was for going to classes, but today was Saturday. The largest party day of the week, and here she was, basically locked in her own house. She heard her phone ring, looking at the screen she didn’t recognise the number, making it go to voicemail in case it was her father, or god forbid it Liron. Soon enough she received a voicemail, and hearing a voice she had only heard once before. She felt her heart beat, feeling like maybe this time there was a way out. She bit her lower lip as she looked at the screen. If she left, they would just come and find her eventually. Exhaling she started typing.

[Messages between two unknown numbers]
[X: Hi, it’s Florence- Sorry I didn’t pick up, I’m busy at the moment]

Now that was a full on lie, she was just too scared to pick up in case she was getting a scolding. She took a deep breath, calming herself, before typing once more.

[X: But you could stop by for a cup if you want to? I’m kinda stuck for the time being]
[Unknown number has sent its location]

She leaned back on her bed, wondering if he found it too weird. But then again, she couldn’t care if he came out of curiosity or something else. She just felt like she needed someone there.

Florence looked at the message he sent, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. For some reason it was nice to have someone just go with what she said, not questioning her in the slightest. She went down to the kitchen, finding the coffee beans and dumped some in to the self dispensing coffeemaker. Then she added the water, turning it on and leaned against the kitchen counter watching the dark liquid slowly make it's way into the coffee pot. It didn't take long for her to hear the bell ring, and she felt herself run to the door. Why was she acting like a child? She was usually rather calm when it came to visits, but it was like she just needed to see any face that wasn't familiar. Before opening the door she took a deep breath, biting her lower lip as she mumbled encouraging words to herself. Her hand touched the handle and slowly opened the door. There he was, the mysterious military guy that had tried to buy her drinks. She could barely recognize him with his almost long hair, but his face was so distinctive in a way. "Hi," she said, a faint smile on her lips as she stepped aside, letting him go inside, and then closed the door after him. "Just uhmm throw your stuff wherever," she said, as that was usually what Lana and Charles did when they came by. Charles hadn't been to see her yet, and she worried that something was wrong, but then again he was a wild demon, and she couldn't contain him even if she tried. Lana had come by, but the words they had been exchanged were few, they had just sat in silence and listened to one of the new albums that Lana was obsessed with. Florence liked her friend in that way, she didn't need to explain herself, she was just allowed to sit and be whatever she felt like in the moment. She had found herself caught up in her head for a second, snapping out of it as she looked to Simon with an almost apologetic expression on her face. "I know the house is stupidly big - My parents are loaded, so they wanted to make sure that I live well in captivity," she chuckled, but there was a truth to it. Florence was the only descendant of the Delaney line, which was probably why she had been hooked up with Liron.

She guided him in to the kitchen where the coffee had finished running through. She walked over, lifting her arm up and getting down two cups. "Sugar? Milk?" she asked looking at him briefly as she poured the coffee in the mugs. Whatever he preferred, she would make sure to add before handing it to him, sitting down by the kitchen table. It was close to a large window, overlooking the beautifully decorated garden that was adorned with statues and small bushes. Florence just held on to her mug, looking down in the dark liquid as she sat for a bit, trying to make sense of it all. "I'm sure this must be a little weird for you," she said, not really looking up at him.

He wasnt sure if he felt a little nervous or excited or maybe a bit of both. After everything that had been going on in his life, he was looking forward to something that wasnt complicated, wasnt something that kept tearing at his feelings and make him feel conflicted. The door opened and he made a soft smile as she greeted him, "Hey," he replied as he stepped in, looking around in amazement at the detail. He wasnt a man of riches, so seeing a place like this wasnt that often a thing for him. She told him he could throw his stuff, but he just neatly placed his helmet before taking off his jacket, laying it over his helmet. He looked around once more, frowning a little though it wasnt an angry one. He looked at her as she spoke, tilting his head with an unsure smile at her words. "Captivity? Tell me about it," he said with a crooked smile and a shrug. He knew what it felt like to be trapped, well probably not in the sense she was.
He followed her to the kitchen, trying not to look to amazed by how neatly designed her home seemed to be. He had been an orphan before joining the military, so before it was cold concrete walls, it was the streets. He couldnt imagine what her life would have been like, but a part of him thought that he might be wrong if he thought her riches made her life better. "Black is fine," he told her as she offered to add anything, grabbing the cup as she handed it to him. He sat down in front of her with the hot mug in his hands as he then shortly peeked out of the window. Her words made a smile spread on his lips as he moved his hands from the mug, leaning back into the chair while he let his eyes rest on her face, "No," he said truthfully as he pinched his lips and shrugged. "You dont have to explain," he assured her as she wasnt even looking at him.
He looked out the window again and made another shrug, "I get that things are not always easy," he added as he wrinkled his nose a little looking at a statue, not really understanding the whole point of half naked people in stone. "I mean I'd be pretty bummed to be looking out my kitchen window to see a bunch of half naked people standing around my garden every day," he then said as he looked at her with a trying smile, but he found his words quite funny, enough that he started chuckling. He took a sip off his coffee, burning the tip of his tongue on the warmth as he had forgotten all about how hot beverages needed to cool. He drew in a sharp inhale as he scrunched his face a little, placing the cup back on the table, "Oh my god, I'm an idiot," he mumbled to himself.

Florence felt her smile turning more genuine, and it felt strange to feel her own muscles this way. It seemed like such a long time since she had really smiled, and not just forced one on. As they sat down in the large kitchen she felt the nervous feeling in her still, running her finger along the rim of the mug as she just looked at the coffee. She was as usual wearing a very oversized sweater, doing a great job of hiding not only her body but also the marks on her arms. Sure, Liron's tears had healed her somewhat, but she still had the visible signs of the cut marks, and she didn't like looking at them. She felt a little relieved when he said she didn't have to explain, felt grateful that even if he found it strange, she didn't need to speak about it. His joke took her by surprise, looking up at him, with an expression showing shock and confusion, but then she snorted, covering her mouth with her hand as she started to laugh. How long had it been since she had felt her vocal-chords jump like this? Belting out a real laughter as her eyes seemed to have some light in them for once. She shook her head at him, still covering her mouth as she looked at him. His mumble made her frown, reaching over to place a hand over his. "No, thank you," she said with a genuine smile. She then noticed how her sweater had moved, showing the long mark and she quickly took her arm to her body, pretending she was just doing it to grab a sip of her coffee. Florence was young, but the weight that had been placed on her shoulders felt like it would break her any second. She coughed a bit, the drink still too hot, but she was just going to pretend once more, making sure her skin was covered. Her hair sat in a messy bun, more or less on the top of her head, no make-up, not really anything done because she hadn't expected guests today. "Well ... If you don't mind me asking; Why did you want to drink coffee with me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. She usually didn't want strangers coming to her house, but she felt so trapped that she would've probably have invited a wild raccoon in just to have the company.

He felt dumb than good was, though when she placed a hand over his, he knew it had just been his mind. "You'll realize sooner or later that I actually am an idiot when it comes to most things," he said with a bright smile. He was more or less expecting her question, as he had felt a little odd about feeling the need to contact and see her again. He looked down at the mug as he thought about what to say, before a broad smile spread on his lips as he looked up at her, "Obviously I had thought about my patriarchal ways and decided that I needed some change," he said, an obvious joke as he then exhaled deeply. "Joking, joking. But I did need some sort of change, even if it's drinking coffee with someone I had met once at a circus," he said lifting his mug to blow some steam away, hoping not to burn his tongue again. He placed the mug back on the table before leaning back into the chair. He sighed, shaking his head as he moved his eyes to the ceiling, losing his focus shortly to a thought before he quietly clicked his tongue. "Wouldnt be lying to say that this isnt the craziest thing that I've done recently," he said before looking at her with an apologetic smile as he realized it wasnt his place to lift his troubles onto her. "Your house looks nice despite the whole captivity part. But is it all just decorations and art or do you have some cool stuff too?" he asked rather curiously.

"Yeah, cool stuff," he said with a smile. He wasnt really sure how to explain it, but he had always just thought that rich people had something cool like the newest of the newest tech and all that. He nodded at her words, before he frowned in surprise at the mention of a panic room. He wrinkled his nose a little as he thought about it, "A panic room? That must be something for you rich folks, because I havent ever heard of such a thing," he said with a voice of wonder. Her admission made him shrug as he took a sip from the coffee that now was drinkable yet warm, "I could imagine it's not that interesting when you get everything in the snap of a finger," he said, before he realized that might have come out insensitive, "No offense," he said with a warm smile.
Her question made him pucker his lips in a quick motion before he nodded a few times, "Sure, why not. Sooooo ummmmm... Just make sure to show me where the treasures are before I leave so I know what to get when I come back with all my robber-friends," he said rather seriously though his wording was tainted with sarcasm. He made a small snicker as his facade was quickly falling apart, making him laugh a little as he shook a hand at her, "Obviously joking," he chuckled as he took in a deep breath to calm himself. "But let's go exploring," he said as he took another sip of the mug, to then get up from the chair.

"Yeah ... Rich folk things," she mumbled, a faint smile on her lips. She didn't really like speaking about money, mostly because she didn't feel comfortable with what was at her disposal. Sure she got what she needed, and more than enough to be fair, but it wasn't her money. She hadn't done anything but get born in to it, so she felt so estranged from it all. She looked down at the mention of her getting what she needed at a snap of a finger. He didn't blame him for thinking like that, but she had never wanted this. Of course she knew she needed to be grateful, hell that was what everyone always told her when she acted like this. She was well off, she was white, she didn't need to worry about food on the table nor a roof over her head. She couldn't find a genuine smile, just nodding as he said no offense. She tried not to, but to be fair she was rather sensitive these days. She got up from her chair, gesturing for him to follow, wrapping her large sweater sleeves around her fingers. "The dining room," she said, gesturing in to what looked like it had been taken straight from an old house from the south states of America. "My father's idea - not that I've ever used it," she mumbled, walking up one of the large staircases. She pointed to different rooms, telling him what was inside, opening a few doors as well. They reached around, heading downstairs once more. "Pool room," she said, shrugging a bit as she looked at the heated water. She didn't use it often, so it was mostly just there for show. "And the garden of course," she said, looking out the large windows overlooking the beautifully manmade garden that laid beyond. She needed some time to breathe, leaning her head against one of the doorways, taking some deep breaths. "It's nice to have people over that aren't just there to check on you," she said, looking at him with a genuine smile. At the circus she had seemed more upbeat, but that had been before she had slipped into bad habits. Her thoughts were back, but she was trying not to act on them. There had been one slip up, and everyone had seemed to lose their minds. "You seem to have some resentment against rich people ... What's that about?" she asked curiously.