Closed Gone Too Long

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire hadn't seen Zennon in a long, long, long while. She had thought he was busy- he was training to be a healer, he had a kid. She had been trying to give him space, let him work out his life, but honestly, Sapphire was not a patient person. And she was done waiting. Sapphire gathered her bag- her portfolio, some of Zennon's favorite snacks, a bottle of booze. She was going to go see her best friend and they were going to hang out- even if he didn't know it yet.

Sapphire apparated to his apartment. It must still be his, because the warding still let her right to his front door. She listened a moment- no obvious sounds of company of any kind. She tried the handle. It wasn't locked. Smirking, she opened the door just a touch before dramatically kicking it open. "Excuse the f- out of me!" She announced loudly, hands on her hips and smirking widely. "I'm done waiting around, I have come to claim your attention!" She took a moment then to see what she'd busted into.

 

[Zennon Baros]

Zennon had only just managed to put Finley down for a nap when he heard probably the sound he least wanted to hear right now. Not because of who it belonged to, but because of the fact that the moment Finley had shut his eyes, they'd burst wide open again and Zennon face-palmed turning to greet his noisy guest with a frown. "Heck, Sapph, what the fu-udge," he said, quickly saving himself from swearing in front of his son. He didn't need him learning bad language this early in his speech development, he was hoping to wait until he was at least double digits, though that was unlikely, given his family. "It's good to see you, but jeez," he said, shaking his head and picking Finley up out of his bed. He knew he wouldn't nap now, so there was no point in forcing it, though he was clearly too tired to fully comprehend who'd just walked in. Zennon knew he'd realise any moment though and then Zennon wouldn't get the chance to greet her. "You'll have to get in line, Finley has been asking for my attention all day."​

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire almost pouted a little at the sight of Finley, but brushed it off. She knew it had been a fifty-fifty chance. She moved further inside and dropped into an open chair. She still wasn't sure how Zennon survived in an apartment this small. She rolled her eyes playfully. "It has been ages, Zenny bear. I got tired of waiting for you to not be busy," She crossed her legs and smirked at him. "How is the little tyke?" She asked, propping her chin in her hand and trying to get a good look at Finley in his dads arms. "How old is he now?"

 

[Zennon Baros]

Zennon laughed lightly at his friend. Despite it all, she’d been there for him through everything and he honestly couldn’t have asked for a better friend in her. He was about to speak when it seemed Finley finally realised who had walked in and made grabby hands at her. He didn’t see his fathers friends very often, but he heard Zennon talk about them often enough and he had seen many photos of them, that he knew this to be his friend Sapphire. Zennon looked over at Sapph, not willing to suddenly drop his son in her lap if she wasn’t feeling it. Just because he had children, or a child rather, didn’t mean he could force that on everyone else. ”He’s just gone four now,” and Merlin how fast it had gone.​

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire smiled as Finley seemed to realize she was there. She took the booze from her bag and traded Zennon, giving him the whiskey in favor of letting Finley cuddle into her chest. The boy quickly passed out as she played gently with his hair. "See, you don't talk to me enough, he's gone from tiny to still tiny but bigger," She teased him. "You're a recluse, Zenny bear. You wouldn't believe half the gossip I've got gathered for you," She winked playfully. "You first though. Please tell me you haven't just been dadding and burying yourself in your healer work."

 

[Zennon Baros]

Zennon laughed lightly and immediately summoned a glass for the whisky, as he assumed that Sapphire would like to drink some, but as he was entertaining Finley right now, on his own, or would be when Sapphire left, he didn't feel comfortable drinking it himself. He was alright with alcohol, but most people would probably consider him a light weight for the most part. "I think he misses Sam, and I don't have the boobs necessary for his comfort apparently," he said, shaking his head. "Sorry, kiddo," he carefully placed the glass of whisky on the table beside where she was sitting and leaned back lightly against the wall. "I'll dad and work if I want to, but now I want to know what this gossip is since it was so good you needed to break into my home."​

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire chuckled, rolling her eyes and moving past Zennon to lay Finley down in bed. Once the tiny thing was tucked in, she moved to grab the glass Zennon had poured for her. She opted to sit on the counter instead, crossing her legs and smirking at the man. "Merlin, I doubt it's that good," She laughed. "If you ever bothered calling I wouldn't feel the need to break in," She stuck her tongue out at him. "We both know I'm not that patient."

Sapphire took another sip of her whiskey. "But if you want the basics. Onyx got married to a French national player and they're living happily in a little place they built by the ocean in France. Kira is pregnant, still seeing Arc, obviously he's the dad." Sapphire was ticking people off on her fingers, looking like she was actually thinking about what she wanted to say. "Ava had a drunk one night stand and has twins now, still living above the bookstore with Vader. Noelle Maxwell took over Styx's old job at the school, and he's decided to pursue Ava, who is having none of it after all the drama she had with his cousin Phillip. Kira's ex-fiancee is trying to woo her current boyfriends older sister, that's been interesting."

Sapphire sipped her drink. "As for me, well, my photography career is going great, I just spent four months with Onyx out in the middle of the wilderness on a shoot, my boss was insanely pleased with my work. And as far as my love life goes I've been in a... thing? some messy nonsense with a pretty boy that lives down the street from my uncle." She shrugged and finished off her drink, smiling at Zennon. "Think that's enough to justify breaking in?"

 

[Zennon Baros]

There were at least half a dozen moments in the monologue of where Zennon wanted to interject and ask more leading questions, but honestly he was just trying to process everything she said and it took him a moment to realise she'd stopped speaking. He just blinked at her, a little stumped that this was even happening at all. He know most of the names she'd mentioned through various things, either from Elsie, Rowan or herself, but there was only one thing he was really all that focused on. Well, two things, but one of them was like a huge thing. "Hold on, wait, wait, wait," he said, shaking his head and looking back at her. "Styx quit? Like he quit, quit? Not teaching anymore? Like at all?" Zennon wasn't sure he actually believed it. This was Styx, the man who seemed to have been at the school since it was built. It seemed impossible to him to believe that he had stopped working there, or indeed was out to find another wife... hadn't he been married to Professor Black? Or was he misremembering that? Merlin he hadn't thought about any of his Professor's in a long time. This seemed crazy.

"And Onyx? He got married? Your brother Onyx?" he didn't mean it to sound so unbelieving, but the last time he'd seen Onyx, the guy had been a bit of a mess, but it had been years, so he supposed it wasn't really fair of him to make such assumptions. They'd all grown into different people over the years after all. This was all just so much to take in. Ava had kids now, Kira was also pregnant, whom he'd known a little better than some of them as she'd been Prefect with him - but wow, this was a lot. "You know what," he moved to pour himself a drink beside her. "Maybe I will have a drink."​

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire let out a laugh, sipping her whiskey and giving him a moment to process. "Yeah, he quit completely. From what I gather, almost every Styx there was at the school just disappeared. Maybe they all just collapsed back into the giant cauldron of ooze they all crawled out of," She teased lightly.

She couldn't help but laugh again at the other point he chose to pick up on. She smirked and shook her head. "Yeah, that walking disaster that just stumbled into drama every other day," She confirmed, sipping her whiskey and smirking a bit more as Zennon went to get a drink. "Though eloped might be a better word. Before I stole him for my last photo shoot him and Jamie ran to the courthouse and tied the knot. He is now Onyx Derouin," She let the last name roll off her tongue a bit more dramatically, twisting her wrist a bit to add to the dramatic affect. She laughed lightly. "Apparently they're planning some big party and getting married again in front of everyone. You can be my plus one if you want," She offered with a playful wink.

 

[Zennon Baros]

Zennon wasn't quite sure he could believe it. To think that all the Styx's might have left New Zealand. What did that even mean? "Damn, so I guess the entire population of New Zealand just dropped by like ten percent then, huh?" it seemed really odd to him, but he also guessed he could kind of get it. He got the general impression that Professor Styx hadn't enjoyed New Zealand all that much - or teaching really. He sometimes had wondered why the man was even still there. Zennon shrugged when he was asked to be a plus one, looking over at her. "Can I bring Finley? Well, I guess it depends on when it is as to whether or not I can get a babysitter or if he can be with Sam," he wouldn't mind going if he was invited of course. He hadn't seen Onyx in some time after all - considering he hadn't seen any of his old friends in a long time though it made sense. He wasn't even sure if Onyx was actually considered a friend with how little the two had interacted over the years.​

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire laughed at the mans comment, shaking her head. "I'd say fifteen, but yeah, wonder what drew them all back in." She mused, sipping her drink. "That old fossil was as ancient as the castle." She set her whiskey down, flipping her hair back. She rolled her eyes fondly at his question. "Of course you can bring Finley," She retorted. "Onyx still listens to whatever I tell him. Besides, he loves kids. I'm pretty sure Ava is bringing her twins- and her stepmother is bringing Ava's little sister. That was a hell of a revelation, finding out they were both pregnant." Sapphire laughed lightly, shaking her head.

 

[Zennon Baros]

Zennon laughed lightly, sipping his drink and thinking. He had been to a few get together's lately and he was going to some more soon, but Finley was a different thing all together, Zennon didn't like taking him out too much because he liked to get into things and it took time away from Sam spending time with him. "I'll chat to Sam about this and I'll let you know in the end, I just have to work out what would be best, you know?" he'd missed having his friends around to talk to. He was definitely going to have to work on actually spending time with them. he didn't want to end up in that situation where he wouldn't have the chance to be around his friends because he'd let those friendships fade. That was always the worst feeling.​

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire chuckled fondly. "Oh, of course, of course," She told him, crossing her legs and downing the last of her glass. She pulled her array of snacks out of her bag and held them up. "I did bring more sustenance," she teased, winking at him. She tossed half of the snacks towards him, before popping open some of the treats for herself. "Come on, Zenny bear. Is it really just Finley and work?" She asked him. "I can take you out sometime, you know. Maybe just dinner somewhere or out to a club or something. Just out," She raised her brow at him.