Find Solace In Memories

Rada had a lot of feelings about last night. Among them was uncertainty, annoyance and maybe even slight hopefulness. And also regret for not being able to become drunk. But after that grand speech to Zienna it had felt right to just leave and let the woman consider things on her own. Rada's presence wouldn't have helped. But Rada wasn't desperate enough to drink on her own in her room and she didn't want to share a drink with her brother's underlings so she had went to sleep barely drunk and the next morning nursed an infant of a hangover.

Yet again Rada's babysitter followed her the whole day. Thankfully she didn't have school today, so Rada was able to direct her anger at the punching bags in her gym instead of her innocent classmates. And she was even able to talk the babysitter into sparring, so Rada could direct her anger at its source. Perfect.
By the time evening and Rada's shift rolled around her babysitter was already sick and tired of her, and Rada was able to slip out of his radar by the time her shift started. So her mood became exponentially better.

As Rada climbed the stairs upstairs she didn't know what she should be expecting. Would Zienna be there, or had Rada driven her away? Either option had its ups and downs, but overall Rada would rather have the woman around. She was a customer, and a potential friend if Zienna took down some of the walls she had up. Though that might've been wistful thinking.
Rada got all the way up, looked around and...Zienna wasn't there.
Rada exhaled through her nose and slipped behind the bar, greeting the bartender and putting on an apron. Suppose Zienna had had enough and decided to find another bar.

Rada had just begun to wipe a part of the counter a customer had left covered in vodka spills, so wasteful, when a rather large figure approached her from the other side of the bar. Rada looked up, and received money from a man that looked very familiar. And a moment after she thought that he called her Miss Rada. Dear Lord, being called that made Rada shiver from disgust, she had been called that back in Russia by the household staff. She hated it.
"Just Rada, please and thank you. What do you want?"
And the man proceeded to tell Rada what he wanted, making her frown in the process. Their vodka tasted like shit? The fuck? Rada was going to make Zienna regret those wo-
Wait, meet her? Rada raised a brow at the man, Zienna was sending her lackeys after Rada now? What was this about? Zienna hadn't gotten sick of Rada? But rather than ask these questions from the messenger Rada decided to ask them from Zienna. So she just took the apron off and grabbed a fresh bottle of the watermelon vodka(after tasting it because damnit, Rada was going to make sure she made Zienna swallow her words in the form of the most delicious watermelon vodka they had).

"She won't be paying for shit. So just take me to her so I can prove her wrong."
Rada said after coming out from behind the bar, and she waved the bartender over. She told them in Russian "If they ask for me tell them I'm busy playing". And after that Rada turned to the man, hands on her hips, ready to be shown to his oh so high and mighty boss lady.

Rada felt like she was in a bad action spy film, when outside the bar there was a car waiting and the door was even opened for her. Rada looked at the man like "Really?" before sighing a bit and just going in the car. No need to throw a feminist fit about being able to open her own damn door, Rada was sure her gender wouldn't have mattered in the least in this situation.
They drove to the same house Rada had taken Zienna to few days before, and she was shown to a rather fancy little garden in the backyard. It was nothing compared to the gardens Rada had seen in her life, but she had also seen worse. Not that she was even focusing on the damn garden right now.

Rada saw Zienna before the man even gestured to her, and Rada began feeling even more like she was in a spy film or something. Who exactly was this woman? Well, Rada could ask that soon enough. She headed over to Zienna in the pagoda and without any hesitation out the vodka in ice and sat down, looking at Zienna with an expression that was a mix of irritation, confusion and amusement.
"I did tell you to savour the taste of our vodka, but I think you did it wrong. Because it does not taste like shit."
Of course that was the first thing Rada said, she took pride in the things she and people close to her made, including each and every vodka made in their distillery.
"So, what's with this whole show, and just for the little ol' me?"
Rada asked bit sarcastically and scoffed a bit, leaning back in her chair.

Rada narrowed her eyes at Zienna, guess she could accept that excuse, since it was a fact that not every vodka could fit everyone's taste.
"Watermelon's point isn't the taste, it's the mouth feel and freshness, and sweet and light aftertaste. You looked at it from the wrong angle."
Rada did point out, and took the vodka bottle out of the ice and poured each of them a shot.

The way Zienna put Rada's attempts at trying to lift the woman's spirits pissed Rada off, and she frowned. Rada took her shot glass, emptied it and then turned a bit so she was facing Zienna.
"Who said anything about playing a fucking therapist? If that's what I'm doing here then you're better off taking me right back. I wasn't kidding, I'll leave you alone if you just tell me to fuck off. All I did was offer my company, I'm not here to live a fantasy or heal you or some other shit like that. I couldn't even if I wanted to, that's up to you."
Rada huffed, and stood up. She didn't leave, but she did lean on the table and raised a brow at Zienna with a challenging look in her eyes.
"If you want to talk then just talk and I'll listen, and you stop making excuses. Or I'm going to go back, even if I have to run."

Brash. Rada had been called that many times, she didn't mind. Rather she preferred it. She rather expressed her thoughts just like they were, not sugarcoat things or play mindgames. Though Rada could do both of those things when she willed it.
"Maybe you should try it too, in my opinion it'd be good for you."
Rada said and chuckled a little.

Zienna got bit more honest and this time didn't regard Rada in a condescending manner, or at least not as much as before. That was enough for Rada, enough to keep her here. She gave Zienna some slack, since the misery and sadness were still very much present, although not as strongly as when she wallowed in them while drinking.
"I meant it literally. I can tell what people feel, I can tell what you're feeling right now."
Rada explained, and sat back down, pouring herself another shot and sticking the bottle back in ice. Rada kept talking while doing that.
"But before you nag me about using my empathy on people without their consent let me just tell you I can't help it. It's out of my control, I just constantly feel what others feel."
Rada finished her explanation by downing her shot, exhaling and looking forward, in the same direction as Zienna.