Post by Raya Hope on Nov 21, 2024 1:25:40 GMT -6
The night air was calm and crisp, a clear distinction that winter time was coming and it had already made its presence known in the windy city. Raya had to tighten the straps on her coat as she let out a light little shivering sound. The New York Native was used to the colder temperatures of course, but it never failed to rattle her cage when the cold started to creep in again. Chicago thus far had been a pleasant experience for that, with mother nature having a rather bi-polar response to the time of year, it had gone from cold to warm and back again within a matter of days and she was feeling that internal shift that her body couldn’t seem to get acclimated to.
After sending him a text with a little difficulty, considering she was still nursing her arm from that kimura lock she walked towards the docks staring out at the Chicago River and the even more perverse Chicago Skyline. At night it seemed so beautiful and peaceful although much like her home state, it had its disadvantages. A mix of crime intrigue, and urban decay, offered the painting of Chicago with a bit of mystique. Nevertheless, Raya had found her time here to be pleasant despite all of those facts.
She’d been to see this river multiple times and she had even gone on the River Walk a time or two, but tonight she wanted to see it with a different view and had bought herself tickets for the 2-hour night cruise. Obviously it was just something to pass the time at this point as she’d seen pretty much all of the fanciful landscapes, but she didn’t really purchase them for herself this time. Instead, she looked at her phone and waited, getting his response she smiled. Before she walked to purchase a warm cup of Chai Tea from a local shop while she waited.
It wasn’t long before he’d arrived and she practically leapt on him grasping in a hug. Almost covering the whimpering sound she’d made from her arm as she draped it around his neck. You’d think she hadn’t seen him in a long time when in reality it was only the bulk part of the day, but Raya of course was never one to over dramatize (she absolutely was).
“I can’t believe you left me to my own devices alllllll day” She beamed, now giving Nathan a kiss, wrapping her legs around him as well to hold herself up easier, as he rested his hands beneath her for support, though he seemed to hold her up quite easily.
“Its been torture I’ll have you know.”
He grumbled but any lingering bad mood was lessened when he saw her. The kiss erased it entirely.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
He shrugged.
"I'm sorry. I'm here now."
A smile found its way to his lips.
"And you somehow still look absolutely stunning. Be careful with that arm though."
He frowned then, thinking back to the way she had been taken down in her last match. He couldn't coddle her, nor was he trying to, but he did care.
“Just because I’ve been tortured doesn’t mean I can’t look nice.” She teased, now moving her hand to rummage through his hair, since he was supporting the bulk of her weight she didn’t have to cling so tightly.
“Its fine though, seriously. You needed a moment.” She let her nails dance down the back of his neck before she massaged lightly with her fingers, letting some of the tension she could feel still there from how he was feeling erode at least physically.
“And this old thing? It will be fine. A little ice a splash of tumeric in a smoothie.” She downplayed the pain she was feeling rather well until she went to let herself down and of course a small wince echoed through her lips.
“Okay, point taken.” She said now clinging to his side.
“Are you okay though? You seemed pretty upset.” She said, having lost herself in that emotion for a moment. She’d mistaken what he was saying and it felt like he was planning to leave her and . . . again she was never one to over dramatize (seriously!)
"Upset?"
He scoffed. What did that even mean, really?
"Not upset, annoyed. Annoyed because you got a trio of dipshits making a mockery of everything. You, me, we didn't come here to 'chase ghosts' or whatever. We wanted a legitimate academy."
He let out an extended sigh, through gritted teeth.
"And...they are making it into a joke. So, yeah, that annoyed me. They shouldn't even be here, they don't belong."
She gave pause listening to what he was saying. Truthfully they didn’t always agree but she listened to his concerns because she cared about them clearly. He was annoyed, she got that and in a large sense of the word he was right. They didn’t exactly give off the edge of seriousness.
“Okay, maybe I though you were upset because I didn’t understand.” She admitted.
“But you have every right to be annoyed, or upset, or anything really.” She said now taking his hand in hers and motioning towards the docking station so they could head towards their destination.
“I just don’t like seeing it, it hurts you know. Knowing you’re sad, angry, annoyed, mad. All those things.” It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to have those feelings she wasn’t naive he was as human as any of them and he had his thoughts about things. Raya often found herself too willing to accept things as normalcy and perhaps that made her a bit too understanding, but Maddox he was strong and stood his ground on everything. She admired it, she wanted to be like that in so many ways.
“And you aren’t wrong. I wish there was a little more seriousness as well. We are supposed to be aiming at being professionals at this some day. Right now it’s a little bit high school.” She paused then thinking back to her throwing balloons at him and then she chuckled.
“But the slime balloons were festive.”
"Professionals, exactly. They act like kids. Then you have that idiot Twitter intern saying there's no problem with them?"
He laughed. None of it made sense to him.
"And what you get is the whole place looking like a shambles. But, well, we won't be here forever. Unlike them, you and I will go places once we graduate. Right?"
He thought back to her whole situation, her family, their approval (or absence of).
"I mean, assuming you actually want to..."
She gripped his hand fiercely.
“With you, yes I do.” She said simply. There was no hesitation, no moment to think it was simply assurance.
“The family situation I’m working on it’s not easy, but I’m going to tell my mom and deal with the other situation eventually.”
She said now looking away. The other thing meaning her brother Olly. The entire thing being hard for her, but she would look back replacing those scary thoughts with the assured ones again.
“But you, I’m with you 1000%. After graduation we will be off to new heights and honestly the academy will have to deal with the shambles of what’s left.”
She smiled then now hugging up to him again.
“You are stuck with me 5 ever”
"5 ever sounds fine to me."
He grinned wide at that, cheesy as it was.
"Just gotta be us together, that's what matters.The rest we can figure as we go."
And he meant it. At least, to him that's what made the most sense.
"So...I look forward to everything to come, even if right now I'm not enjoying being party of a carny show. But that's temporary. You're forever."
Laughing she’d crinkle her nose just a bit up at him before playfully nudging him in the side.
“At least we are seeing wrestling at its roots, before the rise up to entertainment. The Circus is practically extinct these days. It’s a free show.”
Ever the optimist with her wisp. She would smile again.
“But you and me wouldn’t have happened without this Carny show so. . . If nothing else, I’m just thankful for that.” She mentioned it although she wasn’t sure that was true fully. Right now she imagined she would’ve met him at some point in life because it was one of those “meant to be” things but she wasn’t going to say all of that mushy stuff. Instead she just squeezed his hand a little bit tighter.
“But enough about them.” she tossed the chai tea she had into a trash bin before circling her freehand back to his chin. “Do you know where we are going today? I thought you would like it.” She mentioned about the tiny cruise ship they were about to board.
"You're right. It did give me you and that's valuable as all hell."
She had this way of making good points that made him feel better, no matter his mood.
"Today..."
He thought on it, smiled and shrugged.
"No, but it looks like you've got this all planned. Or am I wrong? Are you...no, you're not winging it, are you?"
“Would I ever do such a thing?” She questioned but clearly rhetorical, a minx like grin on her face then. Honestly it made her so happy to hear him say the sweet things, he was opening up more and more day by day and well he did say what he said before. . . about you know the “L” word, but she hadn’t pressed that button yet.
“I am only half-winging it.” She said with a smile.
“I know the next two hours we’ll be on this tour and then, we are going to find dinner some place. I am tired of salads and protein shakes.” There were a lot of things she was tired of really.
“But you and me, the chicago skyline, and a fountain light show are on the agenda, I don’t think I’ve ever actually gotten to see it, I seem to miss it every time!” She was really into sights and well so far they had made good stories for her mom to be appeased with the time she was spending in Chicago.
He could only smile and pull her into a hug, careful with her arm even. As he held her, he kissed her forehead.
"You're the absolute best."
He gave another kiss to her forehead, and a stroke through her hair.
"And this will be a blast. I'm excited. A good meal, the tastiest dessert in the city..."
He nudged her there.
"...aaaand some fantastic sights."
She smirked then. Always making her feel like the only girl in the world.
“I think the absolute best title belongs to you.” She hugged him again taking in the scent of him, a soft mix of whatever cologne he wore and the freshly showered version that she was awfully familiar with.
“Who said anything about dessert?"
There was a wink then as she handed the attendant their tickets so that they could board the ship.
“Because I usually prefer dessert first.”
There was a mischievous playfulness that exuded. Clearly teasing him running her finger down the front of his jacket to mimic trailing her fingers down his skin as she pulled him onto the ship behind her.