Words In The Wind (Koe-chan and Zombie_In_A_Box) [possibly 18+]

[BlaqueCatt]

The brunette looked up at the woman and returned the smile, his own hand resting on top of the gray cat's back. "It's very small," he agreed, observing the little brown tabby. Its amber eyes were huge compared to the rest of it, and it looked a bit like an alien. It's ears are big too. He gently patted its nose with its finger. "I hope I get to work with you again too," he replied, blushing slightly at her rather flattering comment. No one had ever outwardly praised his personality before. "Does it have a name?" he asked a moment later, referring to the kitten.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth flashed a warm smile at the other, her expression softening. "I'm sure that at first Alexander'll make you work with others, so you get some experience in all kinds of work. Then he'll check where you're the best and you will either end up there or, if anyone quits, you'll take their position. I mean, that's how he seems to do things." The blonde finished with a soft chuckle, gently scratching behind the kitten's ears as the menus were brought to them. She smiled and thanked the waiter before glancing at Beck. "They said it was Aria, I think." The woman said and opened up the menu to pick something out.

[BlaqueCatt]

The young man nodded, seeing the reason behind her words, and carefully moved the gray cat from his lap so he could access the menu. He did want to get to know the others, even though he was a very shy person, and he was looking forward to learning how the others went about their work. Textbooks said nothing about how the journalists' personalities affect their jobs, and he wanted the experience. Don't look at me like that, he thought as he noticed the gray cat glaring at him from the corner of his eye. I'm not a pillow. He turned his attention away from the irritated feline and started to browse the menu.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth watched in amusement as Beck removed the cat from his lap. "He'll just get back on, y'know?" She chuckled before turning her attention back to the menu. She finally decided on her favorite pancakes with raspberries and chocolate and the mint mocha, which was simply incredible here. The blonde was truly a bubbly woman - even her favorite foods just screamed that. "Did you pick what you want already?" She asked with a smile, watching Aria curled up in a ball on the table. She began petting the kitten gently, giggling softly at the cute sounds it made.

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett had his head tilted slightly to the right as he scanned the menu. It was always nearly impossible for him to make decisions because of how deeply he considered his options, and when in school he often needed his parents' help when trying to do certain projects and choose classes. Even something as simple as food could be challenging if he thought too deeply about it. "Hmm...I'm not very hungry, so I'll probably just have vanilla chai tea," he said after a few minutes. I hope they don't use soy. Soy products were common in a lot of foods, though many people might not know it.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth felt both amused and somewhat amazed while observing how Beckett picked his food. God, if he was like this with work too, Alexander was bound to like him! The woman smiled sweetly when the other decided and nodded. "Are you sure that's all you want? You're not just ordering less because I'm paying, right?" The blonde pouted slightly, gently petting the little kitten. "Oh, or is there something else you're alergic to?" She asked with slight worry, looking at the younger with a concerned gaze. "I don't want to do you any bad..." She sighed out, running her free hand through her hair.

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett glanced up at her and quickly shook his head, his expression becoming one of surprise. "No, no! It's not because you're paying." A small smile spread his lips, as he was grateful for her concern. "I'm just allergic to soy, that's all. Although there is a lot of soy products used in tea, so I have to be careful." As soon as he put the menu back onto the table, the gray cat from before meowed loudly and pounced back onto his lap, landing with a heavy thudding sound. The young man huffed slightly and gave the cat a mock-glare before scratching behind its ears.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth seemed relieved to hear that. She smiled warmly and nodded in understanding before calling for their waitress. She said what they would be getting, glancing at Beckett to make sure he didn't change his mind. The woman was used to people changing their minds quickly seeing as she had three kids. The mood swings didn't even throw her off anymore... "So, what do you think of our boss?" She asked with a grin, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "I get that you only saw him for a little while, but what do you think of him?" She questioned excitedly, impatiently tapping her fingers against the table surface.

[BlaqueCatt]

The brunette rested his chin in his palm with his arm propped up by his elbow, nibbling on his bottom lip slightly as he thought. "Well...I haven't had much time to get to know him, and I don't really like first impressions." He averted eye contact and focused his doe brown eyes on his hands, where he was now fiddling with a napkin and ripping the corners. It was hard for him to stay still with his nervous energy, so he was often bouncing his leg or doing things with his hands. "I'd like to get to know him better. But...I don't know. He seems nice, but also serious. Maybe...maybe like he's always thinking about something important?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth listened curiously, resting her head on one hand while the other was busy gently patting the little kitten. She chuckled softly at the last thought, smiling warmly at Beck. "He does sort of look like he's always thinking at work. He's really worked hard for the company... But don't worry, when you're alone with him, he gets less tense and serious about work. I like him, as a person." She said with a small smile playing on her face. The blonde glanced up as their drinks were brought and thanked with a wide smile before taking a small sip. "Ahhh, I like this cafe so much!" She exclaimed with a laugh, glancing at Beckett with a carefree smile. "Is there some place you like?"

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett raised his head and placed his hands on top of the napkin in an attempt to stop tearing it to shreds. He had thought he had stopped doing such things once he entered college, but it seemed that it still happened every so often. "I'm glad you like him," he said, giving her another smile. "If you like him, then he must be nice." He thanked the waitress when she brought his tea, but before she could leave he asked, "You don't use soy milk, do you?" She shook her head, and as she walked away Beckett took a small sip, not wanting to burn his tongue. "Um...I really like this restaurant that serves Thai food."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth laughed, shaking her head slightly. "I wouldn't exactly call him nice. He's Alexander, you just have to get to know him." She said with a chuckle, slowly sipping her coffee. Watching the other carefully, the woman hummed softly under her nose. "Oh? I don't think I've ever been there... You wanna go there someday?" She asked immediately, set on getting to know her new colleague. The blonde ran a hand over her hair again, that seemed to be a habit of hers. "Oh! Before I forget, err... Be careful around Leo." She chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "No matter what, don't bring up foods around him, okay?"

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett had to refrain from frowning at Annabeth's cryptic comment. He's Alexander? What does that even mean? He blew on the surface of his tea cup before bringing it to his lips again. He had already warmed up from the cold after having been inside for quite some time, but the hot beverage still felt nice as he swallowed. "If you want to," he responded to her question, though he was unsure as to why she wanted to go there with him. She should go with her husband and kids. And if he had been confused by her first statement, he was even more confused when she mentioned Leo. Was he the guy who was staring at me earlier? "Um...does he have a problem with food?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth grinned happily, looking at the other with a warm gaze. "Thank you~" She was certain that she'd have a chance to go there with her family, although her husband disliked anything spicy. Or anything with spices, in general. "Ah, yeah, he sort of does. Look, I don't know the whole story, but I'm pretty sure he had some disorder... Anyway, I'm not supposed to be talking about it. Just don't bring that up, okay?" She asked with a soft sigh, lightly scratching the back of her neck. The woman sipped her coffee, leaning back against the couch. "Leo may be scary in general, but he can be really helpful. He doesn't talk much, though." The blonde sighed, closing her eyes. It seemed like everyone at the company had a story of their own...

[BlaqueCatt]

The brunette felt a small twinge in his chest when she mentioned an eating disorder. It had been horrible having to live in his house as a teenager when his older sister had been struggling with anorexia; it hurt to see her suffering, and the fights between her and his mother hadn't been pleasant. I can understand why he doesn't want to talk about it. He mentally shook his head to chase away such thoughts and focused on the cat in his lap, which was currently kneading his thighs. Ow. Why do they always use their claws? "I won't say anything," he promised.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth smiled gratefully, taking another sip of her coffee. "Okay now, let's talk about something lighter~" She chuckled a little nervously, flashing a smile at the waitress when her pancakes were brought to her. "Thank you!" She said with a smile and began eating them. The blonde hummed in delight, offering a piece on her fork. "You wanna try?" She asked with a smile, wiping off some chocolate from the corner of her mouth. It was honestly surprising how she managed to have a good personal life, a career and such a bubbly personality. If Alex was the dad of the company, she was the mom.

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett peered up at the blonde from behind the rim of his cup, which he had been staring into thoughtfully. His brown eyes widened slightly when he was met with a fork being pointed at him. "Oh, no thanks. You should have them." He felt a bit uncomfortable accepting food from a woman he had only just met, despite her kind personality. She reminded him a lot of his sister, who was more of a mother to him than his actual parent. He hadn't seen his sister in years, though, as she had decided to go on a tour of Europe and hadn't come back yet. I don't think she even knows that I moved to this city.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth huffed and stuck the pancakes into her mouth. "Your loss." She mumbled while continuing to eat. The woman was a little bit chubby, though her obsession with sweets and the three kids were probably good enough explanations. She didn't take too long to finish up her food and coffee, then called for the bill. "Okay, Alexander doesn't have to know we were here... Just tell him about the interviews and you'll be okay!" She smiled widely and set the money needed down. She always left a lot of tips, seeing as the first place she worked at was a cafe. She knew exactly how hard it could be there...

[BlaqueCatt]

Annabeth's conspiratorial tone unsettled him slightly, but her wide smile and cheerful way of speaking was enough to reassure him. He was about to root through his pockets in order to find his wallet before he remembered that the older woman had insisted on paying. I guess I'll just have to pay for dinner, he thought as he once again removed the cat before standing. It looked up at him with its head tilted, and he scratched behind it's ears briefly before starting to put his many layers of clothing back on. "Thanks for this," he told her, referring to both the tea and the work.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Annabeth smiled softly and gently ruffled up the younger one's hair. "No problem, Beck." She said with a smile and began walking out of the cafe. They didn't take long to get back to the office, not attracting too much attention as they walked in. The blonde walked towards her table and took her coat off, sitting down at the computer before flashing Beck a warm smile. Just then, Alexander walked out of his private space, one eyebrow raised slightly. "You two sure took long. Which cafe was it now?" He asked with a teasing tone in his voice, slowly walking closer to Beckett. "I expect a summary of what you've learned and did today by evening."

[BlaqueCatt]

Beckett blushed lightly and ran a hand through his straight brown hair--which was slightly curly at the ends--before zipping up his coat. He silently followed her down the street, his eyes narrowed against the icy wind, which was blowing snow straight into his face. Relief flooded him when they reached the office, and he gave Annabeth a nod before going over to his own desk. When Alexander came out, he didn't jump, which was an improvement, and instead turned to face him. "Okay," he replied with a small, clearly nervous smile before taking a seat and pulling out his notebook.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander leaned against the wall as he observed Beckett. "I'm sure Annabeth already told you not to mention the coffee, or whatever you two had, but do add any tips she told you. For now you're going to have to work a bit harder than everyone else, I hope you understand why." Offering a small smile, the raven moved back to his own office. He sat down on his chair and resumed whatever he was doing before. The work was supposed to end at seven, as they only started at ten. Beckett had one and a half hour to present the summary of his day with Annabeth...

[BlaqueCatt]

The brunette sighed through his nose as he took a moment to stare at his notes. He had already known that he would have to do more to prove himself because he was new, and hearing Alexander say that only made him uneasy. its no use worrying. I should get started. Beckett preferred writing by hand, but he wasn't incapable of using technology, and he was sure that his coworkers would prefer that he typed what he wrote. So, he pulled his small Mac out of his satchel and unfolded it, setting it carefully onto his desk. He had already looked over his notes, so he didn't need to look at them as she began typing.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Alexander found himself glancing at the newbie more than he did usually. He had a really good feeling about Beckett, for some reason. Just as he was about to go and check up on him, his phone rang... The raven cursed quietly when he saw the caller ID and stood up to take it outside. Even from the outside, yelling could be heard. His relationship with his wife was doomed, he wasn't even sure why they didn't get a divorce yet. It was obviously what they needed - and after that, what he would need was a long evening with someone else. Preferably along with alcohol.

[BlaqueCatt]

The young man was so absorbed in his typing that he didn't hear Alexander step outside. However, the sudden--and extremely loud--sound of shouting had him turning in his chair to glance out the window. He tilted his head upon seeing his boss pacing back and forth in front of the door, clearly arguing to somebody over the phone. I wonder...is it his wife? He winced at the thought, unable to comprehend why a marriage would turn out like that, or why that couple would have gotten married in the first place. Maybe it was a family thing... He shook his head and turned away, his thin fingers flying across the keyboard.