Wouldnt know before it hits you

"Gods I hope you do. You deserve someone better. Like a hunk that's also the sweetest guy. I'm talking movie star with a golden body," she said, a smile spreading on her lips at her own words. Obviously that probably wasnt what she could get, but Deacon didnt even fall close to that description, so why would he even be considered eligible. Sure he was tall but he was so lanky. He looked like a twig if you asked Mickey.
"Ohhh... Tell me more!" she exclaimed, looking curiously at her friend. "What's it like?" she asked. She knew about the cam girl stuff, but Mickey hated anything that was online. She also hated the notion of being sexual with anyone, so there was that. She only had to pretend to be somewhat interested in the guys she went with, just to rob them blind once they fell asleep.

Even at a distance, he couldnt help himself, he had to hear what was going on. Acting like he was inspecting the menu card, he snooped on their conversation. Though what he heard was something his face couldnt hide the disappointment of. What was this guy doing! Hot girl in front of him and he decides to say something boring? He could have said they climbed a building or something cooler. The compliment on her eyes had the mythical widen his eyes and slowly shaking his head. This was a disaster wasnt it?

She narrowed her eyes a little at the guy because he seemed a little awkward to talk to. His answer was well... expected but also quite empty. She hummed and nodded. But then he spoke about her eyes and she frowned a little like she wasnt sure if what he was saying was a good or bad thing. This was awkward. She noticed how he seemed to realize that too and bow his head, she turned her eyes to see the brown haired friend snoop in on them. Frowning she looked back at the blonde, what a jackass friend he had.
Her eyes softened and she stepped closer, trying to catch his eyes. "Hey," she spoke softly. "Thank you," she then said with a smile, knowing that the friend would definitely notice that. "Yours look like chocolate. I've always loved chocolate" she then said, though she didnt know if she could actually still eat it. But she used to, so it could count right? And now his friend didnt have to seemingly judge him or whatever it was that was going on.

The standards for Mickey's dream guy for Frankie was high, but she guessed she felt the same way the other way around. She chuckled softly, but even though Deacon was lanky, he also was so warm, and she really liked the way his hair always seemed to fall in to his face when he was focusing. She had to change the subject, and work was easy enough. Mickey was the only one she had told about all of this, mostly because it was a girl thing and also she didn't need her other friends snooping on her nudes. Although, that would mean more money in her pockets, so could she really complain?
"Oh, it's phenomenal! The system even allows me to make custom stuff, take requests and chat; It's almost like a small social media site only for me and my community," she said smiling. Frankie knew that how she looked wasn't usually what stores hired. And she liked having control over her own career in this way. "I took this really cute pic to post for when I hit 200 followers ... Wanna see it?" she said, her eyes gleaming slightly.

He was awkward. The only women he ever spoke to were either above him in the clergy hierarchy or classmates, and he sucked at communicating with either. He knew what she was going to say next and that was to delete her number. He felt like such a failure, he couldn't even pretend to flirt. However her soft tone caught him a bit off guard, looking at her as she spoke, noticing she had stepped closer. "Chocolate is pretty rad," he chuckled softly, rubbing his shoulder slightly. "Do you ... Maybe want to join us?" he asked, trying to sound confident but it came out a little pathetically.

"That sounds... actually really cool. I've never really liked all the other shady sites you were on. It seemed like someone was just ready to pounce at the first opportunity to take advantage of you," she said in a sour tone, because she didnt want anyone to believe they could do anything to Frankie that she didnt want. That just wasnt going to happen anymore. "Yeah, come on, show it," she said with a shrug, wafting her hand like she was eager to see. They were soon at the apartments and Mickey could feel her eyes get heavy. At least they could share this small moment of joy before she knew she'd pass out at the first chance she got.

His surprise wasnt really that surprising for her, she could almost sense the defeat radiating off of him. But he could thank his friend for being a jerk earlier. Then he asked whether she wanted to come along and she hummed as she thought about it. Looking shortly at the friend he had come with, she sighed and smiled. "I've got nothing else to do. So sure," she agreed with a small shrug.

"Nothing bad happened," she said, rolling her eyes a little. Sure there were some creeps here and there, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle. Frankie chuckled, unlocking her phone and heading in to one of her secure folders. Opening the picture it was her in a cute set of lingerie, her biting her lower lip as her eyes were rolling back in to her skull. She was sitting on her bed in the picture, the LED lights in her room purple to give off an inviting feel. "I know it's not something you like to watch, but my boobs look fucking great and I'm kinda proud of it," she said, putting her phone away as they went up in to the apartment.
Turning on her stereo, it just blasted something from a random playlist, but Mickey could always change it to whatever she wanted. Moving some stuff around, she opened the door to her bedroom. "Just don't lock yourself inside like last time," she reminded her. Her phone buzzed shortly after, biting the inside of her cheek before walking over to the window.

[Texts between Deacon and Frankie]
[Frankie (1:26):] Yeah, I love those noodles!
[Frankie (1:27):] Get them extra spicy for me, will ya?

Phineas swallowed once more, out of pure nervousness, but chuckled as she revealed her answer. "That's great! - Just pick something to order and we'll head out," he said, feeling rather giddy. This girl was more than just cute, she was gorgeous, and she actually made her smile tonight which wasn't all that usual lately.
They got their food, and as Phineas tried to show off he decided to carry it all, but walking beside the pretty girl. "Should I just call you E.J.?" he asked before he seemed to remember, "oh, yeah, my bad; I'm Phineas and he's Deacon." It was a little awkward again, but it was always like that with him it seemed. Clearing his throat he looked at the bags, seeing there was a lot of food for the five of them, but he also knew that weed made him hungrier than usual. Not that he smoked often, it was more because Frankie smoked that he participated.

"Yet," she added with a roll of her eyes. Mickey knew that sex work was dangerous and some people were really messed up. But it was also a risk you had to take sometimes. Money was money after all, no matter how you got it. Looking at the picture, Mickey took the phone and inspected it closely. "Mmm. It's very good. I like it. Print this shit out and hang it on my bedroom wall, HD and all that shit, just put it up there!" she said with a bigger smile over her lips right before they headed up into the apartment. Mickey took her hipflask and took a sip, chuckling a little at the reminder as she tumbled off towards the bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and fell asleep pretty quickly.

Deacon glanced at the two others while he was making sure the order was perfect. Adding whatever the dead looking girl wanted, he turned his attention to his phone. He lifted his hand up to his face, biting his thumb as he read his messages. Smiling a little he sighed. Thank the gods for Phineas and his observance. This were definitely good boy points, he could feel it.

[Text between Deacon and Frankie]
[Deacon (01.29):] Say no more, my lady. It is over and done. Extra spicy just for you. WinkingFace
[Deacon (01.30):] Shouldnt be too long now. Is Mickey asleep?

She could tell he was excited and she didnt know if she found it lame or sweet. Maybe a bit of both but that wasnt too bad. Maybe he just needed to open up a bit more. She had seen it before, when she used to have a decent social life. His question made her sigh as she thought about it. "That makes me sound like some sort of edgy person. I dont like that," she said with a shake of her head. He introduced himself and his friend and she reached her hand out. "You can just call me Emily for now," she said with a small smile. Once the order came, she grabbed a bag, not wanting to walk empty handed. She just let them lead the way, wondering if she had made the right decision. Sure, Phineas seemed sweet, but she could just be walking into something where were it would just be the three of them. She thought if it came to that, she could always just dip and go home.

Fuck, why did she feel so giddy when he was texting her like this? It was stupid and not at all cool, but she just really liked how it made her feel. Letting Mickey go in to sleep was perhaps the best option for now, as she could always wake her up later and ask if she wanted something to eat. The only thing that worried her now was Phineas' mood.

[Messages between Deacon and Frankie]
[Frankie (1:31):] Yeah, she's asleep - I can hear her snoring in the other room

She bit her lower lip a little, contemplating what her and Mickey had been talking about. Deacon was a dork, sure, but he had some redeeming qualities as well. Such as how he always seemed to know when she was cold or him knowing her order. There was just something sweet about it, and it wasn't how she had felt for a long time.

"Emily? Wow, that's a pretty name," he said, feeling how her name felt to say. He smiled a little as he seemed to make up his mind that he liked that feeling. They walked for a bit before they reached the apartment complex, not sure if Deacon wanted to take the fire escape up like the edge lord he was or be a normal person for once. No matter what, Phineas pressed the button and were buzzed in quite quickly. "Two of our friends should be inside; Mickey and Frankie," he said, not really realizing that they might just sound like a bunch of guys in one apartment. As he reached the right door he opened it, holding it for the pretty blonde girl to enter.

[Text between Deacon and Frankie]
[Deacon (01:32):] Aight, cool.
[Deacon (01:32):] You're not going to believe it but Phineas is bringing a girl along.

He smiled a little to himself as he popped his phone back in his pocket. For once, he chose not to use the fire escape, mostly because it didnt seem as cool when it was almost expected. And he wanted to hear more of how excited Phineas seemed to be talking to this girl. It was a change that he knew Frankie had been hoping for. It made him happy to know that she would smile if she saw what he was seeing now. Inside, he lifted his arms in triumph, "We bring the food! And company!" he announced, with a bag in each hand. To then gesture towards Emily and Phineas.

Hearing him call her name pretty made her smile grow a little more genuine. It wasnt something she heard often so she definitely felt like it was a most welcomed compliment. Looking up at the apartments, she couldnt recall if she had ever been here. But Churchill was also quite big, so it was no surprise. She was too used to being up in the Northern district or the fancier streets in Central. "Mickey... and Frankie, okay" she repeated, narrowing her eyes a little. Was she walking into a sausage party? Phineas held the door for her and she thanked him. She quickly noticed that it wasnt exactly a man's apartment she got into and that put her more at ease. But Deacon's announcement made her frown a little displeased.

A girl? Had the mopey clergy actually met someone on the way? It sounded a little too good to be true. However it mad a small smile creep up on her lips. Soon enough she had to buzz them in, just waiting to hear them make their entrance as she was sitting on her couch with crossed legs, smoking a cigarette and swaying along to the music. Hearing Deacon made her stomach to summersaults, and she found it almost frustrating.
"You really don't get the whole people are sleeping in the next room, do ya Grant?" she chuckled, getting up and walking over to grab the bags from Phineas. She then turned her attention to the newcomer. "Hey, I'm Frankie - Just feel at home, and if the guys are bothering you, I'll pull their nut sacks out through their throat," she said, smiling and being friendly.
Placing the bags down on the coffee table, she took another drag of her cigarette before unpacking the food and not get it too filled with condensed water.

"Hey, I would like the record to show that I'm always very well behaved," he said feeling a little hurt by the notion. Of course he could say stupid things, but he always apologized if he was called out for something. He moved over to sit down in one of the bean bags, reaching forward to grab one of the canned sodas and popping it open. "I got the veggie crunch rice," he said, as Frankie was dealing out the food. He smiled as he was handed the styrofoam container, already smelling the food inside and it made his stomach rumble.
"It feels like ages since I've had an actually hot meal," he sighed, grabbing one of the plastic forks as he started to dig in. The music playing was nice as well, not really a band he knew of, but it seemed like Frankie was always listening to some new indie band she had discovered.

"Oh please. Once the beast finally sleeps, no one can wake her, and the gods have mercy on whoever that actually does," he said in such a sure tone. He looked towards the bedroom and listened in, but hearing the snores made him sigh in relief. He helped unpacking the food, having just ordered fries for himself as he wasnt feeling super hungry, but he also didnt want to sit by and do nothing. As Frankie assured the girl that there would be no issues he scrunched his face in disapproval, letting Phineas speak first before he gave his input, "And, I'm a grandeur prince charming in the making. Or I would've been. Besides, I'm only an ass to girls that I like, I promise." he said with a teasing wink to Frankie, popping a fry in his mouth.

Hearing the guys defend themselves made Emily chuckle, shaking her head at Frankie. "I've dealt with fratboys and rich kids. I think this is easy enough," she said before she grabbed her food. She noticed Deacon's curious stare and shook her head, "I got around when I studied," she said, putting it in past tense and hoping that she didnt have to explain further. She had ordered chicken, mostly because it was the only thing she could really eat. Bread made her queasy and any vegetable came right back up if she ate it. Looking at what Phineas had ordered, she found it a little interesting. He seemingly liked whatever she couldnt eat. "Why is that?" she asked as he said he hadnt had a hot meal, wondering how that could be. Then again, she couldnt see who was a clergy and who was human from just the looks.

"Prince charming? Oh please, you keep flattering yourself to no avail," Frankie chuckled, pushing Deacon with her foot as she shook her head. Why was he getting to her so much today? It was as if she couldn't contain herself. Maybe it was because of the talk she had had with Mickey, and her friend was right. She could probably do better, but why would she?
As she opened her container, she pouted as she looked at Deacon. "You even remembered the sesame seeds?" she said a bit surprised, mostly because it seemed like he never listened when she spoke. But maybe he actually did? "Maybe you are useful," she said in a more teasing manner, reaching her hand forward to mess up his hair.
The newcomer in the room seemed a little strange, but at least she was positive, and that affected Frankie's mood greatly. "What did you study?" she asked, just to be polite

Phineas was just enjoying his food. He was a rather simple guy who just needed some more stability in his life, and it was fun how a hot meal just made his day. Then the question came and he fell silent for a bit, sinking more in to the bean bag as if he was a slug hiding in it's shell. "I'm a clergy," he said, and he hated to say that out loud. He hated to admit what he was. hated that he had to be this way. Everyone else got to decide what they wanted to believe or do, but he was trapped in this net of devotion. "I've been helping out at the temples ever since the pillar appeared in Southern," he said, his eyes spacing out as he was clearly not fond of thinking about it too much. His body felt stiff, a few tears escaping his eyes before he seemed to realize, rubbing them with his sleeve, sniffling as he pulled on a smile.
"But I'm just happy to be here," he said, clearly not wanting to dive in much deeper than that. What he had seen at the temples he couldn't really talk about, but the mass grave was only expanding, and the worst was when kids came in infected. Because how could you ever tell a kid that they had a death sentence over their head this young in life? He took another bite of his food, chewing it slowly before swallowing it.

"Maybe I am. But at least it feels good to compliment myself," he chuckled. As she opened her food and it seemed to be exactly what she wanted, his eyes softened for a moment. It had really been all Phineas, so he felt a little bad that she was giving him all the credit. Maybe he was an ass. As she messed up his hair he had a crooked smile on his lips, looking like he was displeased that his hair got messed up, but actually it was not remembering her favorite food that bugged him the most. He ate his fries in silence as he pondered over the other things that he thought she might like, while all the attention seemed to shift onto the newcomer.

A clergy? She nodded, though she felt herself soften up a bit at the thought. Because he was the same species as the people who had nurtured her back to health, restoring her to their best ability. Maybe that was making her like him more in the moment. But then he mentioned the pillar in southern and she had seen some of the chaos that went on up at the temples when she had gone for her checkup. He seemingly spaced out and she looked at him, noticed how it seemed to affect him. "It must still be pretty hard to deal with every day, the stuff going on up there. I'm sorry you have to deal with that, it's not fair even if it's expected of you" she said in a sincere tone, reaching over to touch his arm a little. She smiled at him and rubbed his arm with her thumb before she sat back and dug into her food. Emily was a bitch in many ways but she had her soft spots. And this clergy Phineas, seemed like he needed that acknowledgement.
Frankie's question made her sigh shortly, because she never really got to finish the study... well because she died and stuff, but that felt a little weird to say out loud. "Business and economics, I wanted to get an office job somewhere and spend the rest of my life analyzing and forming budgets and boring stuff. But..." she said, looking a bit away for a bit before she scoffed and shook her head. "After the accident, I was gone for too long. I fell behind and now I'm not sure what I want anymore. I guess I'm also just happy to be here," she said with a shrug, eyeing Phineas for a short moment before getting back to eating her food.