Work, Breakups & Hangovers

Live guzzled her coffee as she made her way down the street. It was daylight out so she did her best to stay in the shadows. Usually she would just shadow travel to work but today she was hungover and she couldn't drink her coffee in shadow form.

She arrived at the front of Dark Arts Fashion and took a couple deep breaths. Kaya wasn't the biggest fan of Live showing up to work intoxicated (though technically she was just hungover, she hoped). She wanted to appear as sober and put together as possible. The last thing she needed was to be in a fight with Kaya, too.

Her mind immediately began to pull her down as thoughts of her fight with Loveless from the other night began to spiral up. She let out a heavy sigh and entered the building. Kaya knew at this point that Live had bipolar depression so maybe she could just use that as an excuse for her low energy and lack of usual spunk. Not that she felt particularly depressed today. She was just there.

"Hey Kaya. Sorry I'm a bit late." Live called out as she made her way to her desk. She had a few pieces to work on (she had gotten a bit behind the past couple weeks) so she set down her coffee and bag and began pulling out sketches and work orders and all those other papery things you have to look at at work.

@Kaya

"Yeah, everything is fine." Live shot back as she began making notes of everything she needed to get done so she was caught up with work. She really didn't like being behind.

"God, why does everyone want me to talk about stuff? I say I'm fine." She grumbled as she stood and went to go look at the fabric available in back. But when she stood up, Kaya was right there. She had been so distracted by her own thoughts she hadn't even noticed her walk over.

She stared at her friend, and boss for a moment, her expression nearly blank before letting out a sigh and crossing her arms. "Yeah. I need a raise. Or more hours. Whichever. I don't care. Probably more hours since I'm kind of behind on stuff anyway."

Hopefully Kaya wouldn't ask why she needed the raise. But Live also knew she would have to tell her sooner or later that her and Loveless broke up and she was moving out.

Live could hear the containment in Kaya's voice. She wanted to shoot back a response just like Live had but she had always had more self-control than Live.

Her eyes narrowed, challenging her friend, "What do I seem then?" Her hangover kept her from yelling but the tone was there. It was clearly not a good day.

"I just need more money. I..." She was about to say something about not making enough when she remembered that she was telling Kaya just the other day how she was able to save so much money right now, sharing rent with Loveless and all. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Part of her knew that she had been using her relationship with Loveless to save money but that wasn't all that it was. She felt feelings rising up so she quickly got defensive.

"I've decided to get my own place. Feels like a grown-up thing to do."

With that she moved around Kaya and over to a stack of fabric, putting her back to her friend. She began searching for the right color. She had a top to make that was only going to be part shadow silk. It would be the quickest to get done so she wanted to do it first.

Technically, Live wasn't lying. She just wasn't giving the full backstory to why she decided to be a grownup and get her own place.

She was a bit annoyed when Kaya didn't remember her boyfriend's name. "Yeah, Loveless. We've been living together for over a year now." She snapped. She had moved in with him after her high school graduation and everything had been going quite smoothly up until that stupid trip to America.

And then, she felt it. Her own thoughts had betrayed her. He wasn't her boyfriend anymore. She wasn't going to be living with him anymore. And that was her choice because she wouldn't be vulnerable about her past. She could try to make amends but she knew what that would entail and she wasn't ready for it.

Her energy leveled out a bit as her true feelings started to creep in. Sadness. Ironically, it was this feeling that brought a darkening of the shadows around her feet instead of the anger she was showing earlier. The anger was her control. The sadness, that was not control.

"No, Kaya. He's not doing any of that. We just...we just broke up is all."

She grabbed the piece of fabric she needed and made her way back to her desk, doing her best to avoid eye contact with her friend.