Bayden rolled his eyes. He was clearly a movie watcher. He didn’t read all the damn comics. That was a big not. Movies were free on the tv. Comics cost money he did not have to spend on the inside of the asylum. Such was his life. He was at a disadvantage there.
He laughed when she said he said more than her liking. “Yeah well, I never promised to stay in your comfort zone, did I? No I did not.”
And no, no Bayden did not try to annoy the nurse too much despite his own annoyance with the situation. He literally just got his privileges back. He wasn’t in the business right then for getting them taken again, not over shoe strings.
“String you down? Double A. You forget yourself and how dirty minded I am. You are not doing anything good for my visuals. You should stop whole you’re ahead.”
“Like I ever see you eat. I wouldn’t know what that is. OH! I may not be able to leave yet, but you know what we could do? I think can find my way back to my own house thanks. I got this. I don’t think either of us need a guide after all these years for fucks sake. These people dude.” He shook his head about the whole thing. He understood if they were new patients but come the fuck on. They’d been there for years. He guessed that’s why the nurse eventually came to her senses and just let them go.
This chick. All she ever annoyed him about the last time they argued was going out for the coffee he owed her but he lost his off property privileges. He was like hello community room free, gross, lukewarm, pot. In the middle of everything she just kept bringing it up. He couldn’t believe it kept popping out of her mouth. So, he was going to try and make some peace by fulfilling his promise somehow unless she was still going to hold out for privileges he may never get back again. He was a murderer who also had an escape on his record now. The likelihood of that was pretty damn nil. But, his mother had pulled off a lot in past. Pigs could fly and wouldn’t shock Bayden if someone said his mother made happen.
“You know I can’t take you out for that coffee but I am pretty sure there are places that deliver. Can’t promise it will get here hot but we do have microwaves. I know how to push the buttons and everything.”
The walk back to Asylum Acres behind Briarcliff Manor was actually a liberating feeling even if his heels kept slipping in the backs of his boots from lack of laces and even if they got a few stares on the way out due to Rowan’s lack of pants.
He looked over at her and grinned as they passed through the gates. He couldn’t help himself after all this time. Celestis of people had to know how much it sucked being in the hospital.
Then there they were, all the little pastel cottages, flowers, and picture perfect happiness, like a postcard. It used to be enough to make him want to puke. After having it stripped away and reminded life could be worse that puke-worthy cookie cutter image of perfect full of mental cases like him really was perfect to him. He looked at his house and then he looked at his neighbor’s house still there across the way. Rowan’s house. Now Celestis’s house. Inviting her in was a never done before, at least not really on purpose. But, now he already had.
So, up to his door he went, unlocked it, and there was his place completely empty like he never lived there. They’d cleaned it out. He saw his pile of sketch books were gone. His heart sunk. He never put a lot personality on the walls of the home to begin with. His sketch books were the only things around that made it looked like anyone lived there at all.
“Guess they really were just waiting to give this place to somebody else. Nobody thought I was coming back.”
He wondered which asshole staff did it because his mother built this place just for him. He knew it now. It twisted a knot in his stomach to consider her being the one to order the clean up. No. Some asshole did it. Right?
“More like hoping I wasn’t. Well, fuck ‘em, right?”
Guess he was starting over from scratch. He could do that. What more could they do to him? Fuck ‘em all. He was back. Bayden Warden was back.
TO be fair she didn’t read them either, as she was way to poor for that as well, but g o o g l e && fandom nerd pages have just enough info to build from to keep herself in the loop. However, that was the difference between the two of them. She was a lot more curious about things, && where they lead.
She looked almost annoyed at him. The usual way her lips pressed together tight, her facial features nearly void of most expression. “Apparently so.” Dropping it for now. Noticing a couple times the way Bayden looked or talked to her changed a little. Either that was a sign of growth between the two, or something she wasn’t quite sure.
Parts of her did feel it was her fault Bayden was there where he was in the first place. It would have been different if she took that night a lot more series. So she understood why, but still, it was so worth the bad-puns. Huffing a bit drastically “if I have to work on my p u n s, YOU have to work on that d i r t y m i n d of yours!”
Nearly humored by Bayden she couldn’t help but agree. “I wouldn’t even know what that is either if I’m being honest.” Not really sure herself anymore. It was by all means her fault putting Rowan’s body what she did, but what Celestis has learned was recovering from turning herself into an anorexic was hard. Hopefully, by the time she finds her body, she’ll return Rowan’s fully recovered but that’s only if she ever succeeds. As she didn’t want to get stuck in her own head about never returning to her own body.
She almost wanted to tease Bayden, if he ever got lost he could just use google maps. But sensing the heat from where she stood, she didn’t say it. “It’s just protocol Bayden. It’s just like she said before..” Understanding the issue both ways, but in the end there’s not much they could do about it. Shrugging it off as they got to walk without an escort back. Perhaps in some way, if Celestis wasn’t in the room lil-Miss Nutrix might have not even bothered with shoe-strings, && guides. It might have only been because she was with Bayden that she took it to that level.
The only other option was that his mother actually ordered it, or Janet did. If Janet wanted the upper hand in Bayden’s favoritism, all she would have to do is target the weaker Nurses. It get’s a bit muddy when someone had the upper hand on someone else. In theory anyway. Celestis didn’t really think Janet was actually going about finding faults && dirt on other Nurses just to target them when they happen to be assigned to Bayden making them push his buttons on purpose. Making her the crowned numero-uno. That would be CRAZY.
Forgetting how comfortable && cool it felt being bare-less along her legs as she walked side by side. It was always her being so cautious && careful that she forgot what it felt like. Giving those who stared at her the middle-finger along the way. That was really out of the blue. Wondering where all that came from all of a sudden. Looking up as the clouds looked even more greyer then they were the last time she was outside as she wondered if that triggered the coffee conversation.
“Eh. Don't FRET o v e r it anymore Bayden.” She seemed to vocally && express herself nonchalantly. “The truth’s already out between us anyway right?” It’s not like she could go back && change what had happened back then. She exhaled rather loudly “It was just me wanting to hang out with you && tell you the truth outside the Asylum properly.” It really never was about the COFFEE. She just became f l u s t e r e d for a while, more at herself then at Bayden. It was her fault for lowering her guard that night anyway && not preparing better incase of the truth came out accidently. It all happened to fast. “You deserved better.”
Shrugging a bit, it’s all done for as she wouldn’t have brought it up again. Not sure why he had. She had the time to think about it for a while, since they stopped talking briefly. Celestis honestly didn’t know any other way to explain it rather then that. It was all to messy, && she held onto her own anger && frustration. Projecting it. && she knew it, sort of, after really thinking about it.
Celestis felt a small tug of a smile, as Bayden looked over her && grinned. She can’t deny the sense of relief not having to live behind locked doors again. Depending on the program level if there were camera’s or no camera’s. Constantly using an intercom. Marched to a beat of there insane schedules, && there impossible many rules, along with neglect time to time. Being in a cookie cutter puke-worthy cottage meant she never had to live with her doors locked, && yea that’s dangerous, but she rather take that risk, then live constantly LOCKED i n like she had been since she’s been in Rowan’s body.
It was strange. They always invaded one or the other’s space, as she’s undone his lock, broken into his cottage multiple times, to do something she shouldn’t do, like vandalize his space with artwork since he didn’t really do it himself, while her door was just always unlocked making it easy to invade her space at anytime. However being invited? That was new.
Hopefully it doesn’t become a thing. It would just be down right awkward. Closing the door behind her softly, as she’d lean into the door. She found herself gazing into the newly covered painted walls, the echo of emptiness surrounding them. The same structure, as it’s old scars where covered.as she took it all in. Same old same old build just like the one she lived in as she ran her hand up the doorframe slowly. The little framework of art dedicated to Janus was gone around it’s frame.
“Maybe. RUMOR has it the neighbor's quite a m e g a - b i t c h. Who breaks into locked cottages, especially the one to the left. It would be hard to find someone who can tolerate that.” Celestis knew for a while that his place was cleaned out && gutted. She had witnessed it after coming back from a run. With them not talking. . .well she kept that info to herself it wouldn’t have helped either of them.
Unfortunately his MEGA-b i t c h of a neighbor couldn’t save everything of his either. Having help. Being lucky that Princeton was in a good mood, as Garrison only would budge if she owed him a favor. Between the three of them, she was able to at least recover what she could without it being too big of a deal. Inconspicuous as possible when they weren’t paying attention when they were cleaning && re-painting inside the house..
“Well isn’t that the usual Princess Trope, you’re highness?” His princess struggle was so very real as of right now. With the Evil Queen just up && sent her minions to do the dirty clean up, as it was up to a very MEGA-g r u m p y Huntsman? To gather up a band of idiots to help aid the distressed && upset Princess in question?
“Princess jokes aside, don’t be to upset, not everything was lost in the minion sweep up. That MEGA-b i t c h of a neighbor of yours is peculiar && even useful sometimes!” Hopefully lightening the mood just a little to ease the pain he must be going through. She knows it can’t fix or change how he was feeling right now. It was a lot to take in, but she hoped the hinting that there was something good to look forward to even if this all felt like a set back was still there. His stuff that she did save would all be on his porch by early morning tomorrow, since she won’t be making that morning run since she didn’t have any shoes.
