2020-09-21 - Sofa Conversations At 7 Oak

It's been a weird few months at the Jones residence. Summer started with AJ enrolling in some study program out of town, leaving the twins on their own. Mac moved in in July and has been here since, possibly with more time spent in the make-shift studio they've made for her downstairs than up in her room or in communal space. Possibly due to threat of shirtlessness while wandering the wilds of 7 Oak. Last month, rumors started to circulate about Sparrow having thirteen kids and two husbands--Cristobal and Dante--with a GoFundMe campaign set up in her name to help support the flock and everything. That wouldn't be so bad on its own were it not for how damned persistent those rumors are, for how people can name the kids, for how people--including Sparrow & Corey's parents--have nonsensical memories that validate these inaccuracies. Gray Harbor can be really terrible to its residents sometimes.

And then there's the Bax situation. It's been about a week since he moved in rather suddenly. Vyv was over for dinner that night. After Sparrow had returned from a run back to the trailer to pick up some of Grant's things. Less than an hour before the trailer was burnt to a crisp. There's no way that was coincidence!

Add to that the fact that the fall semester is now in full swing, and it's really no surprise that the purple-haired drummer is spending Sunday afternoon sprawled on the couch, half-watching some movie and half-fussing with her phone. Some days just call for brainlessness. After the chores are done. Cuz yeah, chores have been done for hours now.

There has, it would be fair to say, been a relative lack of Corey in the social sense. The sheer weirdness of Gray Harbour left him reeling for a while, burying his head in work and study and doing very little else other than cooking, gardening and sleeping. Extra hours at the patisserie, late nights on campus - he barely leaves 7 Oak for anything else, these days.

That said, it's unsurprising that he's at home, the sound of muttered swearing coming from the kitchen, along with the sweet, tart smell of apples. Must be a lot of 'em if that has travelled as far as the lounge. Eventually there is the sound of the oven opening and closing, and the boytwin's voice telling his phone to set a 45 minute timer, then he's slouching his way through to the lounge, to flop down on the other end of the sectional, phone in hand.

"Phil," he addresses, glancing from twin to phone to twin again.

"C," comes with the barest peek past Sparrow's phone to gauge her brother's current state. For a few seconds, that's all there is, just the single-syllable greeting as fingers flick over her phone screen. Once she's finished that level and/or sent that text, she lets the device flop face down on her belly, interrupting the declaration of DIBS ON THE DRUMMER across her tee shirt. With a smile across the couch at Corey, she chirps, "Smells good," though it almost sounds like a question, like she's fishing for details about the shape those apples have taken. "Might lure a wild Bax out into the open. It's been both awesome and awful having two other people who aren't afraid of carbs keeping me from eating all the things all by myself."

"Yeah. It's nice having more people who eat proper food to cook for," Corey acknowledges, likewise dropping his phone. He aims for the sofa cushion, the phone decides to go diving through the gap between two cushions. There's a lazy, can't-be-arsed shrug from him, and he makes no effort to retrieve it. "Got plans for the week?" It's a neutral enough question, but also more interest than he's shown for a long time in the events that might go on outside these four walls.

"Besides work--" At Kelly's Gym since shortly after the Control Pad burned down. "--and class and maybe taking Bax shopping?" She shrugs, frowning faintly. "Depends on if Rhys and I can find any overlapping free time. Might just hide at his place for a bit either way." The absence of interest has meant a few developments on the romance front that she hasn't bothered to bring up, a little knit of her brows indicating she's not sure if she should dive through that window now and bring him up to speed. Maybe just to mention, "It's mostly just him now. I mean. Aside from..." Long distance and friends with benefits. There are always gonna be exceptions, aren't there? Sad as all those endings might seem, though, she admits, "Kinda liking it like that," with a reluctant smile. And then a lift of her chin as she redirects. "What about you?"

"Alright. Lemme know if you're gonna do that, I'll make up some food for you to take with you," Corey responds - because of course he does. It's as if Sparrow and her 13 children can't fend for themselves! He doesn't ask about Cristobal and Dante, because he's largely ignoring rumours of late. Then again, maybe that's also why he's been in hiding. He knows he doesn't remember his twin having a baker's dozen kids.

"Might go for a walk later, or something." What, outside? And not going to work or college? Adventurous! "So tell me about you and Rhys." He's managed to be absent in one way or another any time the other guy might've come over.

With an apologetic scrunch of her nose, Sparrow confesses, "We've got a tradition of take-out," which is only half-true. More quietly, she adds, "Or cooking together," with a warm smile, filling in the other half of that admission. "Been about nine months now. Steady. Even without regular karaoke nights as an excuse to see each other anymore." Her smile goes all soft for a second, but she shrugs that incoming mushiness off. "He's got two jobs. At Firefly and the casino. Management. Real smart. Huge nerd. Confident as fuck. And nothing's ever weird between us." Her lips part and then close, thoughts shifting direction. "He might take me out shooting soon. Not because I have any intention of ever owning a gun or anything. Just kinda. I dunno. Wanna feel a bit more badass than I have been, ya know?" With an arch of her brows, she offers, "If you're interested?"

Eyes wide, Corey gasps and clutches one hand to his chest, as if he's taken a mortal wound to his heart. "Mena! How could you?!" It's unclear if he means the takeout or the cooking with someone else, but either way he's not serious. Probably. There's more humour in his eyes than there has been of late, anyway.

"Glad it's never weird, anyway. That's important," the boytwin adds, knowing full well that life is weird enough without tension between lovers. "Eh, maybe. Don't wanna be the third wheel, you get me?"

Sparrow's apologetic expression only deepens, even as amusement softens its edges, even as she flashes her teeth to mutter a half-sincere, "Sorry!" Worst sister ever! When he comments about the importance of things not being weird, she straightens a bit and points at him with a vindicated, "See?" Of course, whoever she's pointing his agreement out to isn't here. "You'd be surprised at how many people--" One, maybe more? "--told me that you can't know it's real if you don't go through weird relationship drama together or something and just. I dunno. I've had enough of that. I like it not being weird." Of course, she then pulls a face and adds, "I mean. The fact that he keeps remembering my kids is weird, but. That's not his fault." He just doesn't glimmer. Which might be points in his favor. "And we can make a thing of it. If it's of interest. Maybe find someone to make it a double date. Or a group outing. I dunno. Just. Out is good." Beat. "And I miss you."

"As you should be," Corey replies with lazy half-smile. "Yeah - I don't get that. Then again I don't really do relationship shit either." After all, he hasn't seen Ash for months - though that does happen when you bury your head in the sand and your pseudo-girlfriend does the same. "If you've got a cute friend to double date with, then sure. I mean, I did some shooting when I was up in Canada. Can't actually shoot for shit, but it's fun trying." There's a slightly guilty look of his own as she mentions missing him, though he doesn't vocalise it.

"Turns out I do relationship shit like whoa," Sparrow admits with wide eyes. A year or so ago, she would've said otherwise, but letting in one little yes launched her along a wild roller coaster of a year that's seen several people weaving in and out of her life with various degrees of attachment. On the bright side, the ride seems to be evening out. With a smirk, she chirps, "All my friends are cute," though that doesn't clarify whether or not she's got anyone in mind. Hearing Corey talk about shooting, she grins a bit. "Should take you down to the axe-throwing place we went to for Rhys and Nicole's birthdays. So fun. Just so satisfying when the axe thuds into the wood." With a snort, she adds, "Though Joey was adorable. Kept asking why we kept letting go of our weapons. It's been good working for him." There seems a 'but' there somewhere, some hesitation, but she doesn't add anything more.

"Okay. Cute and not psychotic," Corey refines his requirements, that half-smile lingering. Then he cocks his head slightly, hearing that unspoken 'but', one brow lifting just slightly. Yes, he's asking the question without actually asking the question. Because twins. "Axe-throwing sounds fun, too. Were you any good at it?" he then wonders, in case he needs to pencil in 'avoid thrown axes' as an addition to his survival checklist for when he pisses his sister off.

Sparrow opens her mouth like she wants to protest the second qualifier, but she doesn't. Nope. That's probably fair. And maybe a harder mark to hit. "I was surprisingly alright," she says of her axe-throwing, genuinely proud. "Rhys was amazing. Which is both entirely sexy and kinda concerning. Is he secretly a ninja? Has he been throwing sharp projectiles at people's head for decades?" Inquiring minds want to know! She shifts in her seat, pulling up straighter, phone falling down to the cushion as she folds her legs. She can't help the glance to see if the notification light is blinking. It is. But she's ignoring it. Kinda like she's ignoring his curiosity about her earlier expression. Whatever worry that was, they can save it for later. "Ya know. We could also go out just the two of us. Maybe a day trip somewhere nice. Bet I could work out something amazing."

"Okay. So, just reminding you, rental deposit." Because axes in the house would be bad, and all. Corey smiles a bit more, the comment teasing rather than serious. "But if Rhys wants to carry an axe, I'm down with that." Double standards? Or he's just comfortable with his twin's fella having a way of protecting them both in case Weird Shit(tm) goes down.

The thought of the two of them going out somewhere gives him a vaguely thoughtful look. "Could do, yeah."

Sparrow opens her mouth with an 'actually' on the tip of her lips... then reconsiders. Then re-reconsiders. Quietly, she notes, "He... actually carries a gun most of the time. As it turns out." Like this is a fairly new revelation to her. Nine months in. Which might bring up questions. Given that the guy doesn't glimmer, as indicated by his victimhood in this whole false memory nonsense. Best to just move on from that.

"Next weekend?" she proposes. "Just need a few days to work something out. And you'll need to tell Vyv that he's gonna have to do without you for a day or two." She cracks a smile at that. "He's kinda adorable with Bax." Yes. Adorable. That's the word for the man who barely smiles and wouldn't know how to slouch unless it was intentional.

Blinking once or twice, Corey sits up a little bit more. "Yeah?" He sounds pleased. And he doesn't ask awkward questions, either. "Yeah, could do the weekend. I haven't taken any leave since starting with Chef, so hopefully he'll be ok with it. Might need to be the weekend after if that's too short notice, though." Above all else, he doesn't want to jeopardize his job.

The mention of Vyv and Bax together does get a grin. "Yeah. It's freaky."

"In the best way," Sparrow insists of the mismatched freakiness that is her BFF and Corey's boss being all adorable together. "But yeah. Next weekend out might be even better." Her eyes go wide and wild, teasing grin to match. "More time to scheme." Giving her brows a little waggle she finally looks down at her phone to check the blinking light. And frowns at it. Faintly. Not a horrible bad thing. "But. For now? I gotta go rescue someone from a future shitty day. Labmate can't find his notes." So she's gonna go dig out her own and forward them over. And then get caught up in long conversation about what it all means. If only the whole world could be better organized. Ah well. Getting to her feet, she blows her brother a kiss then starts toward the stairs while typing out an assurance the help is, indeed, on its way.