Unit #440 - Alexandrov Apartment
The living room of this apartment looks more like a very comfortable library than someone's actual living space. A large bookshelf encompasses all of one wall, various nooks and crannies filled with books and magazines. A small flat-panel television set sits in the center most space of the shelves. Underneath it is a cabinet that houses a DVD player, along with a few game consoles and a scary amount of video games. A good number of the books that rest on these shelves are obscure works dealing with mythology, the occult, and mysticism. A few select shelves have been dedicated to romance novels, cookbooks, and foreign language guides. The walls have been done in a warm beige, the carpet in a light, plush cream. A long off-white sectional couch sits a comfortable distance away from the bookshelves, with an overhead lighting fixture providing an ample amount of artificial light for the relatively small living room. A narrow hallway leads to a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
It's been what? A month since Chloe's seen Mischa? Probably so. If not, longer than that. She's aware she was a bit of a bitch last time, but things can be fixed, of this she's certain.
So a gift has been purchased, and while it's likely unnecessary, it acts as the telepath's shield as she makes her way upstairs, uninvited. The gift is intricately wrapped in black shiny paper, and tied with a red ribbon. One she just grabbed from the closet.
Tapping at her neighbor's door with her foot, she waits to see if he's even at home this evening.
Mischa has just gotten off work about a half an hour ago, and he's currently getting ready for a dinner out. He's just about to wrap his tie around his neck when he hears the door being tapped on. This makes him quirk a brow, and he keeps getting ready until he hears the noise again. Spitting his mouthwash into the sink, Mischa makes his way out into the living room and opens up the door. When the librarian sees just who's there… his face registers total shock. He doesn't even bother to try to recover. "Chloe!" He cries out before standing aside and attempting to give her room to come in without much thought. "What are you doing here…?" Not only is he surprised, but dumbfounded. The past few conversations they'd had, particularly the last one hadn't been too promising. Now she's here. With a gift.
"Peace offering," Chloe replies, smiling at him as brightly as she dares. "I… know I've not exactly been the sweetest person to be around lately, but you know, after throwing myself at you and making a total ass of myself… I'm sure you can understand?" As explanations go, it blows. It's the truth, but it just comes out wrong. "Anyway, it's just a little something. If you already have one, you can bring it back. I have the receipt downstairs and — oh. Did I interrupt a date? I'm sorry!"
The explanation is listened to with a raised brow and something of a grimace, although Mischa hasn't yet slammed the door in her face proverbially or literally yet. "No, I have a little bit before I have to leave. Come in and sit down if you like. You know you're always welcome here, Chloe." He takes the gift from her and moves to sit down on the couch. "I was hoping you'd… be here saying this sooner or later, you know. You really are one of my dearest friends. One of my only friends. All is forgiven…" Mischa trails off as he starts to unwrap the gift.
Just like that? Everything is forgiven… just like that? Now it's Chloe's turn for a bit of unhidden shock, but she stands by the door rather than sitting. "Well it probably should have been sooner, I guess. I was going to visit after the attack, but I figured that your girlfriend would be there, and I didn't want to impose." Shrugging, she crosses her arms over her chest, watching him open the gift. "I'll be glad when things get back to normal at work. Hopefully Doris won't be so cranky now that she's back."
Inside the wrapping is a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker.
"It still would have been nice to see you," Mischa says, perhaps a touch hurt that Chloe didn't come to see him in the hospital. "At the same time… I didn't really want anyone to see me like that. I don't think these scars ever going to fade." As he opens the box and sees what's inside, his eyes widen quite magnificently. "Chloe! This is too much… this is great! I don't have anything like this. You realize that you're going to have to be the first one to sample it, right?" He asks, looking toward the redhead with a grin. "I think Doris is stuck in permanent menopause, between you and I."
"I sent flowers." Chloe didn't want to see him, what with feeling guilty and all. "The attack was my fault. That wolf is after me and my family. I'm sorry that you and Doris both got caught up in it." And that poor waitress from Mary's as well. "Now, with this thing, the guy assured me that you can make from scratch, or you can buy their freeze-dried mixes. There's some of those in the box." Now she moves into the apartment properly, making her way to the couch. "As long as you don't make some off the wall flavor, I'll sample it. If you make tuna though, you're on your own."
Mischa pretends to look affronted. "Tuna? Please, I would never." Although in truth, she's just opened up Pandora's box for him. There's a brief pause before he lets out a quiet sigh and stands, putting the box down in the kitchen. It's the ever-fun game of 'where Chloe goes, move away'. Except this time he comes back promptly. He works once more on tying his tie around his neck. "I got the flowers, they were appreciated. The attack… it would have happened sooner or later, probably. If it makes you feel any better, I tried to put my key through it's eye. As it is, I think I may have blinded it there… and made urination very painful for it for a few days."
"Good. That bitch deserves to die." Okay, so there's still some cranky Chloe in there, but can anyone really blame her? Her boyfriend was kidnapped, her family has been harassed by this wolf, and she's got perhaps… well actually no friends, except Mischa. "I think it may have been shot, but I'm not even positive about that." Exhaling a sigh, she reaches over to adjust his tie. "Are you nervous or something? This isn't even remotely neat."
Her final question brings a quiet laugh from Mischa. "Well, it's just that I have some apologizing to do of my own. I think I hurt Summer's feelings. To be fair, she has some guy nosing around her and being really obvious about it all. I don't think she understood though, and I was… a little stand offish." Mischa feels like an idjit for it all. He frowns a bit before letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "Sorry. You probably don't want to hear about her." He lets Chloe fix his tie though, biting his lower lip before looks toward her. "This thing has nine lives or something."
"It's a wolf, not a cat. If someone doesn't find out for sure soon, I may take up hunting. It's hurt my family for the last time." She tucks the tie neatly into place, then shakes her head. "I know something it doesn't. I can read its thoughts if it comes near me in its human form. If it does, its dead." Just a nice, typical conversation from Chloe! "Mm. Well if you did, you did. She'll eventually get over it. I did." So there's that. It's the only comment on his relationship that she bothers to make. No, she doesn't particularly want to hear about it, but she's trying to be a friend and not let it bother her. "Who's the guy?"
"His name is Brett, I think. I was seeing a bit of red and wasn't paying attention too much…" Mischa leans back on the couch and looks to the ceiling, shaking his head. "Very charming. Exuding chemistry. It was hard to watch." He won't get into why, but eventually he smiles briefly and looks back to Chloe. "I think that it'll be fine. In the end. Someone may have to get maimed first, but…" He trails off there. "I mean, more. That's how these things go, isn't it?"
"Brett? Well I don't know anyone by that name, but I'll keep an eye out, I guess." Chloe watches him, and knows why certain things are hard to watch. "I don't know what to tell you, honestly. I've had two people interested in me in my entire life. I mean, really interested in me. One went and got himself a girlfriend, and I'm pretty sure the other just wants to turn me into a vampire." A lopsided grin is given, and she brushes her hands over Mischa's shoulders. "There you go. That's much better than before."
Mischa frowns a little bit at Chloe's revelation that Will just wants to turn her. He purses his lips considerably and then shakes his head once more. "I don't know what to tell myself either. I'm not good at these things. I just feel like a negligent loser who would have done a better job having a handle on these things had he been paying attention." He looks down at his tie and smiles at Chloe. "Hey, thanks. You're pretty good at that. Mister Grant wants to…?"
"I'm amiable toward it if that's the case. Ivan doesn't think I should be." Well there you go. Chloe does have another friend. Though it may not be one she particularly wants. "Liar. You seemed pretty okay with me and my issues. You know what though? I suggest not giving her an ultimatum. Girls tend not to like that kind of thing." Resting her hands on her lap, she shakes her head. "Then again, you might want to ask yourself why you weren't paying attention. There may be a reason for that too."
There's a brief bit of blinking before Mischa reaches out, taking one of Chloe's hands if she'll let him. "Have you really thought about being turned? It's going to be hard, Chloe. And I know you've had a… well, a difficult time lately. Your whole life, even. But please, just think about it really in depth. I care about you." With that Mischa smiles very softly. He withdraws his hand and puts it back at his side before standing up and moving over toward his bookcase, withdrawing a pair of cuff links for his white dress shirt. "I know the reason I haven't been paying attention. It just gets down to me being a tool, really."
"It's my only chance at being normal, Mischa. I could possibly have something with a shifter or a werewolf, but that would be putting them in a bind, right? Considering how difficult it is for them to procreate to begin with, it's not fair for me to want something like that." Chloe's made up her mind, sadly. Unless something happens to change it within the next month or two, it's bye-bye sunshine, hello night time. "Are you sure? Because I meant some deeper reason. Often we tend to forget the people that care about us, when we don't care as much in return."
"I'm not trying to offend you, but you realize that what you just said is an utter paradox, right?" Mischa asks, shaking his head at Chloe. "Vampires are not normal in the least. I'm not saying they're unnatural, but… I don't think it would solve any problems for you." Mischa pops his cuff links in and then reaches up to run his fingers through his hair, only managing to effectively muss it. "I'm sure." Whatever is going on in Mischa's head regarding his own relationship, he's reluctant to talk about. He moves to sit back down. "How's your mom? Are you back in the apartment now?"
"I'm not taking offense to it. Vampires are just different than humans, but they give me the ability to not have to have my own guarded shields up all the time. Thus, normality." Would it solve all her problems? Likely not. Chloe is certain nothing would solve all her problems. While he's being reluctant to verbally speak his mind, it doesn't mean that the telepath isn't going to pry. She is. Gently, and unobtrusively. "Sometimes. I go back and forth between her place, the apartment, and Will's. I'm home often enough to check my mail and change my clothes, otherwise…" She's just not there a whole lot. When he sits back down, Chloe rests a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mischa. You'll never be as stupid or pathetic as I am." After all, he's not throwing herself at someone.
Mischa nods a little bit. "I guess that's all fair enough. But with your luck, you'd retain your powers after being turned." He can't help but grin at the notion before smiling at Chloe softly. He reaches for the ribbon that she used to tie his package, moving to gently tie it around her wrist. "There's really no sense in you keeping the apartment." «She could stay here. …didn't work out too good the first time… and with Sum in the picture…» As she probes his previous thoughts, he tilts his head at her, unable to keep from grinning just a bit more. "You're hardly stupid or pathetic. You're a victim of circumstance. Me? I'm… somehow completely love disabled. It's all getting a little too disconcerting at this point."
Chloe laughs a little at that thought. "We've discussed it, actually. There is a vampire in the city that was once a witch, and he retained his powers. So it's entirely possible I'd keep the curse, but I still wouldn't hear vampiric thoughts, so that would be alright." Looking down at the ribbon on her wrist, she blinks. Is it… nah… she wouldn't be that careless… would she? Eyes drift slowly up to Mischa's face. "I don't know how well my staying here would do for your relationship." Reaching up to muss his hair even more than it is, she grins. "Thanks for the unspoken offer though. I don't think you're love disabled. I think you've been through a lot, and maybe things just moved too fast for you?" But she is biting her lip, and glancing down at that ribbon again, just to ensure that it's not one of those ribbons. God.
This all brings a faint blush to Mischa's cheeks although he seems to shrug it off a little quicker than he used to be able to. "You're welcome. I just don't like the idea of you wasting money." He sighs quietly and gives a faint shake of his head. "I don't know, honestly. I've been considering that. It's going to take some time and thought to muddle through it all. But I think she's worth it." There's a pause as Mischa glances down at his silver wristwatch before his eyes widen. "Damn, I'm almost late. I hate to shoo you out, but… you can stay here as long as you like, Chloe. Just lock the place up when you leave, alright?" He pauses. "And thank you for the gift. I'll be leaving some yogurt in the work refrigerator for you, though with Doris back, it's totally not my fault if it's not there when you get to it."
"It's alright, Mischa. I should be going anyhow. With Will out of the city taking care of a few things, I thought I'd stop by Mary's and bring a care package to Mellie." Smiling, she gets up. "I don't want to impose, and anyhow, you do have a date to get to. Enjoy the yogurt maker. If you hide the jar in the back, she might not find it." Either that, or Chloe will have to bribe her with coffee to get her yogurty goodness back. "See you around," she offers, quietly. Then she's on her way back to her apartment. Hurrying as fast as she can to check the ribbon compartment to ensure that this is just a regular ribbon. It has to be. It better be.
