Processing and progression?

It had taken Serena a while but she had finally decided what it was that she needed. Calling the fenix, she didnt know whether she would pick up or not, but either way, she would just leave a message. "Hey... Frankie. I'm Serena Joy. I believe I was rude enough not to give you my name, but your friend was nice enough to give me your number. Anyway, I wanted to make you an offer. I'm a spokesperson for the brand CH. I really liked the way you had modified your dress to your own liking and I was wondering if you could be interested in reviewing some looks that we've made. You will be paid for your time, of course. If it's something that you'd like, please do call me back on this number. Thanks for your time. Bye!"

Frankie had sorta moved back, but she always felt like she had one foot out the door just in case. Maybe it was just some sort of safety precaution in her mind, but either way she hadn't had to use it just yet. She had woken up to a voice mail from a number she didn't recognise, but after listening to it she knew who it was. Rather surprised she had decided not to call back just yet, because she couldn't just jump on this opportunity without disclosing her own work first. It just wasn't fair, and especially to such a grand company.
She had walked up on the roof, seeing Deacon she sighed as she sat down beside him, wrapping herself up under the blanket next to him. "Sharing is caring," she muttered softly, taking a swig of the bottle before pulling a face. She didn't have the same pokerface as Mickey, that was for sure. "Tell me what you're thinking of," she just said, looking at out at the city.

He didnt seem to mind as the fenix joined him under the blanket, but it wasnt really like he was really thinking about it either. He did wrap an arm around her to keep her warm, but he could do that in his sleep too as some sort of natural reflex. "I'm still just.... uh coming to terms with everything that has happened. Thinking about what almost could have happened. If things could have ended different in the same direction but... just not badly," he just said, looking down for a bit before he leaned his head towards hers, closing his eyes. He felt so tired but also unable to sleep. Was this how Mickey felt most of the time? He kissed the top of her head and breathed out. "I dont even know how to deal with this? And Eliza.... all these years she has kept that secret, still talking to me even though I..." he stopped himself. He had cried once in the hotel room and it had been the first time in many years that he had ever cried like that. He wasnt going to let it happen again.

She knew he was far gone in his thoughts, but she appreciated the arm and pull closer regardless. Letting him speak his mind she just listened as she looked out at the city. She herself was still trying to understand everything that had happened in just the last week, so she couldn't imagine how busy his head was. But even so maybe talking about it could ease up his burden. He cut himself off and her hand massaged his back gently in a circular motion.
"Eliza make her own choices and you never forced her hand to do anything," she assured her. Of course she took what Thomaz had said seriously, but he was also so entangled in the situation that maybe the human couldn't see it from another point of view. "It's never just one thing that makes people tip over the edge ... If that was true then I would've died many times by now," she said, although it maybe wasn't what he wanted to hear. Breathing out in a soft sigh, she looked at him. He looked so tired, and she knew that when he finally slept he kept tossing and turning. "Maybe Eliza knows that too ... That it wasn't your fault and that's why she kept in contact," but she could only be guessing. It was a little weird comforting her boyfriend about his ex, but they all coped differently.
"You've told me so much about your past, and I think maybe it's time I tell you a bit about mine," she said, but only if he had the energy. If not she would urge him to go to bed.

He made a small sigh as she assured him that he wasnt fully at fault. It was probably true but it did seem that he had been that last thing that had made her tip over. He just sighed and looked down at the street below them. "I dont know why," he just mumbled, lifting a hand to rub his face a little. Frankie only knew a fragment of the story but it also wasnt Deacon's place to just dish out what had happened to Eliza's family. Not that he knew the full details, but enough that his parents had ended the betrothal without question.
He raised his eyebrows a little as she spoke about her own past, looking at her before he seemed to consider it. Maybe it was also good to just think of something else, so he nodded and moved his eyes back out on the city, but clearly ready to listen.

To be completely honest she didn't know how to feel about all of this. Normally she would hate the fact that they were even talking about his ex, but in this situation it felt more normal. Perhaps because she seemed like a sweet girl who just made the wrong choices. Breathing out she took a bit of time to collect herself. "I think you have guessed by now that I didn't have the picture perfect upbringing," she said, frowning as she looked out at the city. Deacon came from a - what she presumed - good family who had money enough to go around. "I learned pretty young not to talk back to my dickhead father or he would hit me ... Or my mom ... Or if he was feeling particularly dickish, both of us," she told. It all felt like such a long time ago, and yet she remembered it so clearly.
"I guess that's why when I wanted to get away from things I started finding other ways to cope; Drugs mainly," she said, feeling a lump in her throat. She just kept looking out at the city. "That's how I met Gareth," she said, even hating saying his name, but Deacon deserved to know that everyone had a past, and that even though life felt shit it went on regardless. "He was way too old for me, I was 16 and in exchange for some good quality shit, I slept with him ... He didn't treat me right, he verbally abused me when he felt like it; Manipulated me, making me think that only he could love me even though he never loved me," she had to scoff at the thought. Gareth wasn't really a person you got close to without getting hurt. That was her experience.
She felt a shiver run down her spine as she thought of all the things she had done just to please the daemon. How she had let him humiliate her, parade her around his mansion and showing off parts of her body that she didn't want shared. But most of all she remembered the night that was the end. "Gareth wasn't the type to only have one person in his life," she said, her voice a little bleak as her eyes seemed to fixate on something in the distance. "I knew he was sleeping with other people, but in my head I thought maybe I was just hearing things, maybe I had voices in my head that was trying to make me doubt myself," telling the story out loud was something she hadn't done before. Mickey knew it all, of course she did, but that was perhaps why they were so close. "It was winter, and the snow was so high that I was tripping over it when I headed over to his place," she said, feeling her body react as if it remembered the cold very well. "I stood outside in the snow for hours and he wasn't letting me in ... Instead he had opened a window, letting me hear how hard he was fucking a couple of girls in his bedroom, moaning their names out loud to make sure I knew it was him." Shaking her head, she couldn't even cry about it anymore.
"I was stupid, so I stayed faithfully by the door ... It was past midnight at that point and I could see my skin was turning blue ... When he finally opened the door he looked at me like I meant nothing, like I was just some beggar on the streets asking me what I wanted when he had been the one to invite me over," Frankie looked down blinking a few times. "That was when I noticed I was bleeding, I had blood all down the insides of my thighs and he just scoffed in disgust ... Telling me that there were no bastards in his family, that it was good that when I couldn't take a hint, then the unborn fetus could." She went silent after that, just looking down as she tried to contain herself. She hated thinking that she had been pregnant. She never wanted children, and Gareth had promised that he was being careful, when in reality he had just taken advantage of her naivete.
"After that, he slammed the door in my face and I walked all the way to South from Northern, shaking and crying, until I reached Mickey's apartment ... I was dying at that point, blood loss and hypothermia is a dangerous mix, but Mickey kept calm - She knew what to do, covered me up, called for an ambulance and from then on I stayed at her place," she said, knowing it wasn't giving justice to all the things that the hybrid had done for her over the years. "I got clean, laid off the hard drugs, but allowed myself weed and alcohol, and ... Yeah," she said, not knowing how to finish her story.

Frankie's past had always been a mystery. Deacon did remember the times were he had stepped her over the toes by implying something about her past that he mostly just did to get some sort of reaction out of her. It usually resulted in her getting real angry, but they were always able to either make up or laugh it out.
But as she went on to explain, he kept his eyes on the city right until she got past her family and started talking about some guy. He had known that her home hadnt been a good place but he had never heard about the dickhead ex other than what Mickey had slipped up that one time when she was lecturing both him and Phineas on how horrible men could be.
Only that what he was hearing only seemed to justify how Mickey had been as angry as she had. Because it really didnt sound like something that should have even happened. Deacon looked at her with sad eyes, but he was also starting to feel angry. Angry that she had had to go through all that, because she really hadnt deserved it. He however bit his anger in him and let her finish the story, even if it was a horrible story that he didnt think could get any worse.
When she was done, he was just staring out on the city, thinking all that she had said through before he looked down and shook his head. "Frankie..." he said, frowning as he bit the inside of his lip, feeling a little speechless. ".. I guess that explains why Mickey is always so protective of you, and why she hates me," he then said before he sighed and hugged her a little closer. "I dont even know what to say... A complete broken record saying by now, I know," he mumbled, before he folded his lips and looked at her. ".. Or I do know what to say. I want to kill the guy," he then added, shrugging a little. But wasnt that a given?

Frankie had never thought she was ever going to share the story with anyone. Not even if she got married had she thought that she would let her future partner know, but all of this drama and back and forth just made her want to come clean. It was easier this way, because he could maybe understand her better when she had freaked out over the lipstick on his cheek. Why she had suddenly demanded to know what they were, because she was deep down still very insecure. It took him some time to digest, and she didn't blame him. She had had years to think all this through, but most importantly she had had Mickey. "She doesn't hate you ... She hates what she thinks you can be capable of doing to me," she clarified. Maybe it would make Deacon understand her friend more? Even if Mickey would never be satisfied with whoever the fenix ended up with, all she really had to do was tolerate him.
He hugged her closer, and she leaned her head against his shoulder closing her eyes as he said he didn't know what to say. But he didn't need to say anything. It was enough that he had listened, that he hadn't dismissed what she had experienced. He turned to look at her, and her eyes met his as his addition came forward. Shaking her head she scoffed at him. "No, killing him would only mean more trouble," she said, taking his hand under the blanket, entangling their fingers. "I've had years to come to terms with what has happened, and by now it's more of a distant memory than something that affects me daily," she assured him, leaning up to kiss his cheek, nuzzling her nose against his cheek as she just breathed in his scent. "I know it doesn't excuse my behavior, but it does explain it quite a bit," not that she ever wanted to use her past as some sort of excuse to treat others badly.
"But I also wanted to tell you this to show you that shit happens and that some people are better at handling trauma than others," she said. Sure, she wasn't completely right in the head, but who was? She was herself, no-one could deny it, and she was happy right now with Deacon. "When I first met you I still didn't trust guys ... But you showed me kindness and how to laugh again, you taught me to be daring and how to love again the healthy way," smiling she just kept her eyes closed.

"She definitely has every right to, after all that," he just said after her clarification. Like it didnt matter anymore what Mickey had said because he couldnt think that she was in the wrong if that was the starting point. It definitely wasnt a normal situation in any circumstance. He felt her entangle their fingers and her words made sense, though it wasnt making him feel differently towards the asshole that had done her wrong.
"It does," he agreed, running his thumb carefully over the back of her hand. Her words made him frown a little as he looked down. Sure, people did handle their trauma differently, but that didnt mean that he had been insensitive and still been a part of the problem that had lead Eliza to do what she did. "I actually just thought you really didnt like me back then. Which only meant that I became more persistent on trying," he said, smiling faintly before he made a small sigh. "Well that make me think about something else for a bit. But I'm also really tipsy and now considering hitting up Mickey to go on a crusade," he said, nodding a few times before he looked out on the city again. "Does he leave you alone now?"

Frankie nodded as she remembered just how standoffish she had been back then. How all he had needed to do was make a bleak comment about one of her tattoos and she had been ready to punch his face in. "Thank you for your persistence," she smiled, turning her eyes back out on the city. It looked nice from up here, but it was always a bit better when Deacon was there. The notion of going on a crusade to find and kill Gareth was amusing, but Mickey knew better. The Prideux were a dangerous family to meddle with, and she wasn't letting him risk his life just to prove himself. "He shows up now and then, trying to check up on me; He was the one who bailed me out of jail, and I know that as I haven't heard any notice for court that it has been taken care of as well," she said, shrugging because it was just a part of her life. Not that she wanted Gareth there, but at least he was staying out of her face and making himself useful. "I don't think he fully realized what he did back then; Not that it makes him any less of a dickhead," she said frowning lightly. She didn't want to think about him any more, not when she felt so content just sitting here. She was quiet for a bit. "I wasn't going to sleep with Thomaz," she said, just wanting that to be out there too. "They say that virgins are the one that become attached to their first, but I feel like you had me hooked on the spot," chuckling lightly as she turned to look at him. "Fuck ... I need to call that designer woman," she realized, knowing it was late already. Maybe it could just wait until tomorrow. Touching his thigh, she drew small circles on his pants. "I have to be upfront with what I do ... They might not want to associate with me after I tell them, but it's better than lying to them."

Hearing that Gareth was still keeping in contact made him grit his teeth slightly, because how dared he? "He's the biggest dickhead I've ever heard of. And I've met a lot of them," he just said. But then again, Gareth did take the crown of who had done the worst shit. Deacon didnt like to associate with people like that, so he had been quite cold and upfront with just cutting off guy friends that were like that. Maybe that was why he liked hanging out with girls more than other guys.
"Well maybe not, but he did offer sharing you when he was outside with me and Mickey stopped me from punching him," he said with a sigh. Thomaz was really good at getting into his head if it wasnt quite obvious by now. Her next words did make him chuckle faintly with her. But then she mentioned the designer and he made a small scoff. "Yeah you're welcome for that," he just said in a slight teasing tone as an offhand remark. But he wasnt sure he agreed with her as she said the corporation wouldnt associate with her. "If it's Serena, then you have nothing to worry about. She's friends with Kaden, so I think she's not too bothered unless you're like a heavy drug user with no stable ground in life," he just said with a small sigh, looking back out on the city again.

"I fucking knew he wasn't completely straight," she just said, pushing her chin forward as she chuckled. Because why would a straight guy ever offer to share his prey with anyone?
As the conversation turned over to the design talk, she just hummed softly, giving him a light push with her elbow at his teasing remark. She knew he meant well, but did he have to be so annoying about it? "Kaden was that tall blonde guy in pink, right?" she asked, mostly because the whole night seemed a bit like a blur. But that pink outfit had stood out in her mind, that was for sure. "And I don't know ... I'm not like some fashion genius, I just cut a dress shorter," she said, although she had done more than that. It was just not a part of her life that she explored much. Most of her craftiness had come out of necessity, rather than it being a hobby. "I mean, I'll call her for sure, but I just don't know what I could possibly contribute with."
To her it wasn't about selling herself short, it was rather about not wanting to waste Serena's time. She seemed like a busy person, and the last thing she needed was some 20 year old fenix telling her what to do. "By the way, who is Kaden? He looks so familiar, but I can't really seem to put two and two together with that guy."

"He has always been carefree like that, ever since we were kids. So I'm not really that surprised. Only angry that he was being that way about you," he said. He didnt really not not like Thomaz, it was just weird after all that had happened.
He hummed instead of answering her question with a small nod. Kaden in some brand new outfit that always seemed to amaze the crowd. It was only a wonder that no one had told the press so they could make a new headline. The club would have probably appreciated the attention. "Dont be like that, Franks. You looked great, so dont go all humble on me now," he said but he also meant it. She should definitely call back, he wasnt doubting that at all.
As she asked about Kaden, Deacon made a small groan and then chuckled. "I'm sure you've heard of him once I say his name. But K-Mills? Yeah that's him," he explained before he looked at Frankie for a moment. "I met him in Portugal when I still lived there, I was like 19 or something. And I dont know, forward a few years and now he's one of my best friends. Though, he's busy with making music and such, so we dont really get to hang," he said. It wasnt really that big of a deal because they always seemed to bounce back as if it was the old times whenever they hung out.

"Wait, the K-Mills like the alternative rock star guy?" she asked, frowning cause she had only listened to some of his music whenever it popped up in her recommended. But it seemed as if Deacon just knew everyone. "Hold up ... Serena? CH? Fuck, that was Serena Joy, like the Serena joy," she sat for a bit in amazement. Mostly because she thought the woman had looked familiar, but this was borderline creepy. Shaking her head she ran a hand over her bald head, a smile from ear to ear as it wasn't the musician that made her startstruck, but rather the designer. Looking to Deacon she scoffed in disbelief, a smile on her face and eyes that clearly asked if she was dreaming.
It didn't take her long to get on her feet, running inside and downstairs, but not without yelling "don't fall off the roof!" Inside the apartment she scrambled around to find her phone, grabbing it and dialing the number, even if it was late. "Hi, uh, Serena, you left a voice message on my phone; Sorry to call you at this hour, but I've only gotten around to it now," that was a lie and a half. She hadn't been busy, but the cool designer wouldn't know that. "Uhm, I just wanted to maybe set up a meeting, maybe see where that takes us?" Please, anything just to work for Serena Joy for a day. Frankie was obsessed with all her designs.

He nodded at her question and then she seemed to piece it all together. Frankly Deacon hadnt expected to get to know Serena either, but she was always with Kaden if it wasnt because of some special event or anything that wasnt out of personal preference. "It's funny that you know her, because she keeps talking about how no one really knows," he said. Seeing Frankie so happy was contagious and he managed to make a small content smile though. As she got up and made her leave, he grabbed the bottle and looked out on the city again. "You're such a comedian, huh?" he just mumbled, unscrewing the bottle to take another swig.

It was a little late, but Serena was up. Seeing her phone ring with the number Deacon had given her, she picked it up. She listened to the fenix explain and just smiled faintly. "Hey Frankie. No dont worry, the hour is fine," she assured her. She was sure her own sleep schedule was pretty messed up with the current collection she was working on. "A meeting? Yeah, I was actually hoping you'd say that. Do you mind showing up at my office somewhere around..." she said as she was going through her calendar. "12.30 next monday?" she suggested, scribbling down on a paper as she waited for the answer.

How could anyone not know who she was when her name was uttered? Sure, a designer wasn't usually recognized by their face but rather the time and effort they put in to their concepts. Surprised the human picked up and Frankie felt like she was over the moon, trying to contain herself. Next monday? Fuck, she needed to sound cool. "Give me a sec to double check," she hummed, pretending to flip through some pages in a calendar, but it was just her messing with some magazines on Deacon's coffee table. "Yeah, next monday sounds good - Is there anything I would need to bring?" Okay, that sounded lame, but she had never met with a designer before. She didn't know if this was like a job interview or perhaps just some one time chance to influence something bigger than herself.
After setting everything up, getting the address etcetera, she bid the human goodbye in a calm and professional way. But as soon as the phone had been hung up, she squealed, running around the apartment, having a hard time containing herself. Was this her big breakthrough? Sending Deacon a message she just wrote how she had scheduled her meeting before going in to the bedroom, sitting down on the floor where her clothes were neatly stacked. Or as neatly as she could make it. The ones on the floor were mostly the pieces that she wanted to do something different with or perhaps adjust further. Deacon had given her space for her other clothes.

"Sure, take your time," the human said politely, scribbling down in the meantime. She hummed as a reply as Frankie made up her mind, "Oh, just bring the dress that you wore that night. And if you've got time, an inspiration board? If you've done one of those before. I can send you some references of what we've done here for earlier collections," she said, and once it was all set up, she wished her a nice night and emphasized that she was looking forward to seeing where the meeting would lead.

Deacon checked his phone as the message sound rang. Shortly after he got up and brought the bottle as he went down to the apartment. Seeing her on the floor in the bedroom he smiled a little faint and leaned against the frame. "So should I be bothering you now or are you completely focused?" he asked, walking over to the bed before laying down with the blanket, or rather sit up against the bed frame to see what she was doing. “I’m also kinda sure, not completely but enough, that Mickey was flirting with Kaden. Well I was kind of in my own head so I wasnt listening in, but I’m also sure she has no idea who he is,” he said but as funny as he wanted it to sound, he couldnt quite bring himself to be comedic.

When monday came, Deacon's mood had also lightened a bit, but maybe it was because of Frankie's upcoming meeting working as the best distraction so far. He made coffee early after still not really being able to sleep, so he wanted to do something nice for her. All this depression-like behaviour had really turned him domesticated, hadnt it? Well it was probably nice for as long it could last. Leaning down he kissed her temple gently. "Hello sleepyhead. Ready for your big day?" he asked in a gentle tone, placing his hand carefully on her head, running his thumb over the prickly hairs that were growing out, though they never got to be long.

An inspiration board? It sounded simple enough, but she did give Serena her email to get some examples. That way she couldn't mess up completely. After that she hung up. Sitting on the bedroom floor as Deacon entered. The mention of Mickey did grab her attention, turning around to look at the mythical with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure?" She asked, because while the hybrid could flirt, she rarely did it without getting something out of it. And if Mickey had known he was some sort of celebrity, then Frankie would've heard of it. "The day Mickey finds a guy she actually likes and I'm too occupied," she sighed, shaking her head as she cracked a small smile. All she wanted to see was her friend genuinely happy.

Monday morning rolled along, but Frankie was sleeping and exhausted still. She had been up late finishing up the inspiration board, glue still stuck to her fingers along with a few random stickers all over her body. But the scent of coffee was something that could wake her from the deadliest of slumbers. Smiling as she felt his kisses, she opened her eyes slowly looking up at the messy haired boy who had stolen her heart.
"I'm not ready, I'll never be ready," she sighed, sitting up and taking the cup that was offered to her. Adjusting her back q bit she blew on the coffee before taking a big gulp. It was still nice and steamy, just how she liked it. "Maybe I should just cancel, I mean what I'm bringing isn't even that amazing," looking disgruntled at the board drying in the corner of the room.

"You said that yesterday and the day before and every time it's like you're a step closer. So dont give me that bullshit now, Franks" he reminded her, handing her the cup as he moved a bit back to give her space. "No dont say that, you'll finish the board and she'll love it and you. You were not up all night after the phone call to just give up now," he said with a shake of his head, looking towards the board. He looked at her with a trying smile, reaching out to gently caress her arm. "She wouldnt have asked you if you didnt have potential in her eyes," he argued, because it was what he thought. Serena Joy always seemed to be very calculating, only doing something if she found it beneficial.

He was right, but she felt like she had to put herself down, because everything seemed so good right now. She had Deacon, she had her friends and this was some good opportunity for her to get maybe a job? Part of her brain was just wired to think that the next thing to happen would be bad.
Deacon was encouraging, and it was only something she had ever experienced with Mickey. "I know, you don't have to keep saying it," she sighed, reaching her hand out to touch his long hair. It really just had a mind of its own, didn't it? It felt like it was getting longer every time she touched it. "You know ... I'm actually liking the long hair a lot," she said, smiling as she took another sip of her coffee, her fingers playing lightly with his hair. She just needed to talk about something that wasn't her project. "You at least have enough hair for the both of us to have normal haircuts if we shared," she chuckled.

"Hmmm, that's not really going to stop me from saying it anyway, is it?" he asked a little defiantly but a smile was on his lips. It must have been a lucky morning because he was smiling more than usual. Feeling her touch his hair was always nice, even though he wasnt really that used to it being longer. "I can keep it for a while till it starts annoying me. Then it has to go," he said with a small affirming nod. Her chuckle made him wrinkle his nose as he tilted his head slightly, "Is this a ploy so you can braid my hair and give me makeovers?" he asked, reaching up to grab her hand. He held gently around her wrist before he kissed the inside of her palm. "Come on, drink your coffee and get ready to finish your board. We should also get some food in you while we're at it,"

"Maybe," she said with a small shrug, "but just to be sure, you would let me, right?" It was just a tease, but with her you never really knew. He took her hand and she smiled as he started kissing the inside of her hands, his lips warm against her skin.
"But you are so hot when you act this domesticated," she groaned before finishing up her coffee, getting out of bed as well. She was just wearing one of his t shirts along with a pair of her underwear. He had said at some point that this was how he liked her the most, no make up and just a little bit of clothes. She still found it hard to believe. "I also need to figure out what to wear," she said, folding her arms across her chest as she poked her inspo board with her feet.