Rainy day OPEN

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac couldn’t stifle his chuckle when Annaleigh rambled on, trying to piece out the stories he’d given her and extract a logical solution. He actually thought it was cute. “Tell me about it. Fortunately Cedric was able to rescue me from even further humiliation. I think she almost cried when I kept on pestering her on what her parents can do and she can tell me nothing. Anyway, her not calling me back was her loss.” Zac just realized that the way he talked about Marga may say that he was bitter about her not calling back, when in reality he was not. “And yes, aside from the pressure to be a meta, there was the pressure of mastering my powers quick. Fortunately my mom taught me some meditation and breathing exercises even before I developed my powers, so when mine manifested, it was just a breeze getting them under control,” he chuckled, “And no, you don’t sound stupid. I ramble a lot too, especially when I try to make sense out of things. It’s normal dear.”

“You’re right,” he laughed, “Though I’d still prefer the comfort of my own car. I’d take walking over using public transportation any day though.” Zac had a not-so-enjoyable experience when he tried using the bus alone for the first time, and since then, he stayed away from such modes of transport. Finally seeing an empty spot to his right, Zac carefully maneuvered his car to the spot and parked. “And we’re here. Not stay there as I get you the umbrella,” he said, walking out his car and leading Annaleigh out of the car with his umbrella. Zac will normally tell you the chivalry’s dead, but it doesn’t mean he won’t act like a gentleman from time to time, if only to impress a girl.


ooc:
Don't worry much about it Ashers. It's all right. :3.
-Jam

[Annaleigh Valentine]

She watched him slowly and smiled. “You made someone almost cry? Wow you must be insistent.” She joked lightly. Anna scratched her neck lightly while he spoke. “Your mom sounds nice.” She said slowly, not sure if she could say that, after all he seemed to have a lot of pressure on him, but anyway she still said it.

Anna blushed slightly as he said it was normal. “Yeah but I tend to do it a lot and come around in a circle that makes no sense.” She said slowly. It was true, her reasoning didn’t make any sense to anyone, it wasn’t her fault though. It was just a way for her to try and talk and either stay awake or keep her mind working. Crazy person right? Oh well.

Smiling she laughed slightly. “Yeah I guess there’s that idea that you have it and stuff, and it is a nice car.” She said smiling. Anna was trying to be nice, because of course he had taken the time out of his day to take her for coffee, and he’d let her borrow the lovely clothes she was wearing. And though she didn’t approve of the price tag, she couldn’t deny that they were beautiful.

He walked around and she quickly got out and under the umbrella. Though she wouldn’t say that she liked Zac in anything other than a friendly way, she was beginning to warm up to him with some of his nicer ways of being. Hey, everyone was human, everyone had flaws, she just hoped that Zac’s weren’t too annoying like she thought he was when he came up to her while she was relaxing by the pond.

[Zachary LaRousse]

“I know right. Seems I was a very persistent kid once,” he laughed, remembering the look on Marga’s face when he kept on insisting that her parents should have some sort of ability, that it’s not possible for one to not have one.

At Annaleigh’s mention of his mother, Zac couldn’t help but feel a bit sad, even going as far as going a wee bit teary-eyed. Gabriella was taken a bit too early for comfort, being (brutally) murdered when Zac was still a fragile kid of ten. The people responsible for her death was never found (the investigation was kept from public knowledge as her being a meta-human is seen as the prime motive for the crime) and while Zac tried to cope with the fact that he may never receive closure, he still tears from the memory of her from time to time. She wasn’t part of the LaRousse/DuRei clan, hence she never really gave her any pressure about developing powers. She also grew up from a middle class family, hence was the one in charge of putting little Zachie’s feet on the ground. His mom was his secret Kryptonite – the black void in his heart that nothing can really replace. He forcefully held back his tears as he opened his car’s door and offered his hand to Annaleigh. “She was Lei, she was.”

Lightly rubbing his eyes, he carefully ushered Annaleigh through the wet street and into the café. “You concluded something from my pressure experience right? That means you didn’t go through a circle,” he smiled, trying to veer away from his mom-topic (as he perceived being so soft was a sign of weakness, hence it shouldn’t be shown, or even touched upon). He gave the owner (the guy behind the counter) a wave and tried to look for a nice spot to sit. “So, what would you like?” he asked, looking at the menu, “Pick anything. All are equally yummy.”

[Annaleigh Valentine]

Anna laughed slightly, inwardly. It sounded as if he didn’t think he was persistent anymore, and that wasn’t how Anna thought of it. Pushing her hair back she didn’t say anything that she was thinking, that wouldn’t be that nice. So keeping her mouth shut she just smiled and decided to leave him to his ignorance about him being a bit more lenient.

When he said that she was nice, Anna frowned lightly. He didn’t sound like the person she’d been talking to, she didn’t want to pry, but she wondered if she’d said something wrong. Pushing her hair back slowly she smiled up lightly. It seemed like he’d be ok, and at least she now knew there was a part of him that maybe wasn’t just all about him and selfish and things.

Taking his hand she decided not to dwell on it too much, if she did she knew he could get upset and Anna didn’t want to upset him. They quickly got into the café and Anna could instantly smell the lovely smell of coffee. Smiling lightly she almost drank the air in through her nose and bit her lip. Coffee was something Anna loved. That and energy drinks. Looking at the menu she frowned. “Uhm, just a black coffee with a shot of vanilla will do me.” She didn’t know why but that was her favourite drink. Black coffee and anything vanilla.

[Zachary LaRousse]

“You serious?” asked Zac, looking very much confused and puzzled, “Come on, pick anything really.” If this trip to the coffee shop would’ve happened earlier, Zac would most likely have insisted that Annaleigh order more. That he’ feels insulted that she just wants a simple black coffee with a shot of vanilla. That it’s like insulting Zac’s capability to buy stuff for her. If they went in earlier, he would’ve made such a dramatic speech about the whole thing to make Annaleigh choose more, so that he can brag more. Lucky for Annaleigh, Zac has learned from her previous replies to his seemingly generous gift-giving. And while it irked him at first, he’s grown (despite the short time they’ve spent together) to be comfortable with it and even admire Annaleigh for being like that (though he’d still insist she order more). “Fine. A simple black coffee with a shot of vanilla for Lei then,” he chuckled, giving Annaleigh a light pinch at the bridge of her nose, “I would’ve suggested a lovely spot outside, but because of the gloomy weather, I can’t. So I’ll let you decide where we sit now. I’ll just follow you later.” He gave her a wink before sending her off to find a nice spot where they can talk.

Zac then went to the cashier (thank goodness the line was short; Zac hated waiting) and ordered a cup of black coffee with a shot of vanilla for Annaleigh and one toffee mocha for himself. He also got two cinnamon rolls, an apple fritter and three chocolate-chip cookies. It may seem a bit too much, and if Annaleigh wouldn’t take a bite, he’d be happy to eat it all for himself. He’s got a bit appetite and he is a bit hungry already.

After waiting for a while at a nearby table, Zac promptly took the tray and tried to look for Annaleigh. Good thing he remembers what she is wearing, so he was able to find her easily. “Don’t worry, your coffee hasn’t gone cold yet. Want me to get some sugar and creamer?” he asked, putting the tray before her, “And since I assume you are quite hungry already but had no chance to ask you what you’d like to eat, I just picked whatever seems delicious. Not that some of the food they serve here aren’t. Hopefully my taste buds go the same way as yours.”

[Annaleigh Valentine]

Anna laughed slightly. “Yeah I’m serious, that’s my favourite drink.” She said honestly. It was, she adored black coffee with a shot of vanilla. It was just the best things coming together. Pushing a lock of hair behind her ear she smiled at Zac. “Seriously, think about it though, I adore coffee and really strong coffee and vanilla is my favourite flavour ever.” She said honestly, smiling kindly at the boy. Hey if this was a way to get him to stop trying to get her to get more, she’d try it. Plus it was a nice drink. Then he laughed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She frowned lightly and rubbed her nose where he pinched it. “Alright I’ll go find a table.” She said slowly.

Finding a table was a bit easier said than done. The café was small and slightly crowded, but she found a table and sat down at it. While waiting for Zac she began to braid a piece of hair that came from just behind her ear. She tended to do that every so often, it kept her busy but still she was able to think of other things. So she let her mind wander a little.

Glancing up at him when he asked about sugar or creamer, she smiled and shook her head. “No thanks, the vanilla makes it sweet enough, thanks.” She said as she took the coffee and took a small sip. Instantly she felt the caffeine working. Yum. A smile spread across her face as she felt the buzz. Yup, she was a caffeine addict. She’d realised what he’d done when he got the food. Glancing down at the cookies and other things she smiled. “Thanks.” It would be rude not to take one thing now that he’d bought them right? She picked up one of the cookies and broke the tiniest bit off and began to nibble on it. It wasn’t that she wasn’t going to finish the cookie, but she did like savouring the taste of cookies in a very slow progressive manor.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac simply shrugged upon hearing that Anna didn’t want anything added to her drink anymore. It was really surprising how fast he learned not to insist upon Annaleigh. Seems like Anna’s resistance was really that much for the self-proclaimed crown prince to give up so early (relatively speaking, of course). “I see. Let me just leave you here then while I go add stuff to my toffee mocha,” he smiled, pinching a small portion of a cookie as he went to get himself some creamer and sugar (and a good amount of chocolate sprinkles didn’t hurt much either).

As Zac went off to add more ‘spice’ to his drink, he couldn’t help but notice how dainty Anna looks. Sure she hasn’t slept a while and she was soaking under the rain a little while back, but she still has this allure that Zac just can’t get enough. Weird really. He chuckled under his breath, saying, “I should really get what brand of moisturizer she’s using. I mean, how else could she have gotten rid of those horrid dark circles?” Finishing off with one flick of his finger, he neatly returned the containers back to their places and made his way across the not-so-dense sea of people and back to their seat.

“The cookie’s good right?” he asked as he sat down opposite Annaleigh. She actually looked cute nibbling on the cookie little by little. Like a little chipmunk, he thought. He took one cinnamon roll, sprinkled a few more chocolate on top (apparently he brought the shaker with him) and handed it to her. “Here, I told you this is one of their best pastry dishes in the house,” he said with a smug, “Try it. Hopefully you’re not allergic to cinnamon or something.” He took the other one, put a more generous amount of sprinkles on his and sliced off a piece. “Yum. Delicious as always.” He laughed when he noticed how he might’ve overdone the sprinkling on his piece just a wee bit. “Sorry, I’m a bit of a chocoholic and lately I’ve been deprived of it. It’s hard getting back to your old figure really.”

He gave his drink a small stir, took a sip then turned back to Annaleigh again. “So Lei, you haven’t told me about your family yet. Anyone of them as interesting as you? Maybe another meta in the family?” It just hit him that he knew so little about Annaleigh as of the moment. And while he was still more than happy to brag about himself, he knows social convention states that you must also let other people talk, lest you’d be looked upon as a jerk and an egotistic brat (which, in Zac’s eyes, he is not). Who knows, Annaleigh might just become even more interesting.

[Annaleigh Valentine]

She nodded and took another sip of her coffee. She didn’t see the point in putting stuff into a toffee mocha. Wouldn’t it drown out the flavour of the toffee? Oh well, that was up to him. She sat there and nibbled slowly on the cookie, when she came to a chocolate chip, she couldn’t help but smile and roll it around on her tongue letting it melt. She seemed to always do that with chocolate.

When he came back and asked about the cookie Anna smiled and nodded. “Yeah, really good.” She said taking another bite of it. When he offered her a cinnamon roll, she slowly took it and broke a small piece off. She usually was pretty hesitant about eating some things. Taking a small bite from it she chewed thoughtfully. Yes, she was analysing the taste of the pastry, why not right? She swallowed and smiled. “I’m not a huge fan on cinnamon, but it is nice.” She said smiling as she took another bite. She couldn’t help but laugh slightly as he said that he was a chocoholic. “You could be worse things.” She said.

When he came to her family, Anna cast her eyes down into her coffee and refused to look up from it. He had to come to that subject. Frowning she tried to think about anything that was interesting about her family. “Uhm, I don’t know if anyone else is a meta.” She said truthfully. Still not looking up she shrugged. “My family’s just my family.” She said. What could she say? She didn’t want anyone’s sympathy so she really didn’t want him to find out that her parents abused her. It was in the past, she had nice parents now.

“I think my mom and dad were just a bit confused when I got my powers, I talked about how I’d had this weird dream that my dad had a son, I mean I knew he wanted one, but I had no clue why I’d dream about it you know? So the day after I went and told him, and he looked scared because.” Closing her eyes Anna took a deep breath in. “Because he’d had the same dream.” She said slowly.

It had never bothered Anna that her father wanted a son, nothing about her family bothered her, it was just the fear and surprise that her father had shown after she revealed that she’d seen his dream that had bothered her.

[Zachary LaRousse]

“I know right. So tasty really. I can’t believe the chocolate isn’t imported,” Zac nodded in agreement, pinching off a piece from a cookie himself and delightfully chewing it. “And there’s just something in the cookie batter really. I just can’t put it into words.” It was a bit too obvious that Zac was fond of the particular café. So fond, in fact, that at one point, he offered to buy the establishment up to have it all for himself. And when apparently that didn’t work (thank goodness the store owners didn’t see it as insulting or offending in their part, ‘cause Zac really was just being too gracious), he offered to help fund their expansion across the country. And again he was politely turned down (the owners say they’re happy to keep their shop as homey as possible). “A bit sad they won’t tell me their secret ingredient though. Would’ve made my life better,” he chuckled, cutting the previous cookie into half and happily munching on it.

“I know right. Guess being a chocoholic isn’t that bad,” he replied, his fingers tapping absentmindedly on the rim of his cup, “I’m a shopaholic too, but you already know that.” He took a quick sip then continued, “I mean, I’d rather be a chocoholic and a shopaholic than be any other –aholics around there. Being a workaholic would just make me age fast and the probability of developing the unsightly beer belly is too great of a risk for me to indulge myself with alcohol.” Zac prides himself for having quite a healthy built, and would go at lengths to preserve such a state of being, even going as far as sneaking out in the middle of the night to use some equipment. “How about you Lei, any –aholic-isms about you I should know about?” he asked playfully.

He ate his cinnamon fondly while listening to Annaleigh’s account of her family. He sliced the roll into eatable slices, happily scooping the syrup with the piece before munching on it (which apparently, made Zac a wee bit messy, but he could care less). Good thing he remembered his manners still, politely gulping on the roll before speaking (wiping his mouth even). “Seems we’re on the same boat,” he laughed, “Your father wanted a son, my parents would’ve preferred me having mental powers. Well, my father did, but he got over it after a while. But still.” He could tell from Annaleigh’s tone that she doesn’t particularly like talking about her family, or her parents for that matter. If this were a different day, Zac would’ve continued pressing on for information, not really caring that Annaleigh doesn’t want to divulge any. But since he’s grown fond of the girl, he’d rather not upset her that much. So he decided to ask her one last question before dropping the subject. “So, have you kept in contact with them?”

[Annaleigh Valentine]

She smiled and continued to eat slowly and carefully, nibbling slowly on the cookie, she smiled lightly. “They are pretty good.” She said letting another chocolate chip melt on her tongue. She tucked her hair behind her ear. She laughed. “If they gave the secret ingredient to anyone, it wouldn’t be secret would it?” She joked lightly. They were extremely good cookies though, she could not deny that.

Anna continued to nibble on the cookie as he spoke about how he was a chocoholic and shopaholic. It wasn’t hard to figure that one out. In fact it was relatively easy. She sipped her coffee slowly and smiled at Zac. “Caffeineaholic if that’s a real thing.” She said simply. “Apart from that, I don’t drink or smoke or do anything that could be seen as interesting.” She said shrugging. It was true that Anna didn’t find herself very interesting. Chewing on the cookie again she smiled and shrugged slightly.

A frown appeared on Annaleigh’s face when Zac said about her father wanting a son. “No it wasn’t like that, I mean, he wanted a son, he never got upset with me or anything, they always wanted me and loved me, he just…” Anna sighed slightly and pushed her hair back. How could she get around this without saying anything about her past? Luckily for her Zac came onto if she’d kept in contact with them. She nodded slightly. “I don’t see them often, but I still talk with them. I miss them a lot though.” She said taking a long drink from her cup. She hated thinking about her parents because it often got her upset.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac laughed at the rather obvious logic Annaleigh pointed out. “I agree,” he chuckled, taking another sip out of his toffee mocha, “But if they just give me, and only me,the secret ingredient, then it’ll still be a secret ingredient, since you have no idea what it is, only now I’m included in the exclusive group that knows such a secret.” He moved his eyebrows up and down, and looked at Annaleigh with a playful ‘see-I-found-a-hole-in-your-logic’ stare. “By any chance, are you a good cook?”

“I’d call it coffee-a-holic, but caffeine-a-holic works too,” he laughed. “I guess I’m a bit of a coffee addict too, but only when I feel stressed out or I feel down.” Zac’s most turbulent years in Hammel happened two years ago, when he was 15. It can be said that it was his transition period, going from adorably bratty to disgustingly jerkish. A lot of things happened back then, most notably Justin’s (his pyrokinetic best friend) transfer to the Japanese school. Since it was Justin who introduced him to the café in the first place, he usually hung out in the place just to remember his buddy. He somehow got over the loneliness though, but the habit of going to the place stuck to him already. “Good. If you were an alcoholic or you tend to smoke a lot, I would’ve left you already,” he chuckled, “I never really had fondness for smoking. Seriously. I know it’s addictive and all, but you’re just killing yourself. Waste of money really.” And yes, this is coming from the guy who spends thousands of dollars on a pair of shoes and just wears them once.

“Well then it’s all good after all. Sorry for misjudging your family,” he said, looking down and slowly stirring his drink. Family has always been a soft spot of Zac. Sure he may act all brash and arrogant, but when it comes down to family matters, especially the serious ones, he feels strongly for those affected. If there’s one good trait he’d pick up when he was young it was his parents’ unending reminder that blood is forever thicker than water. “At least they’re still both there. I mean, what I’d do to see my mom again,” he took a quick sip of his drink to stop any tear from falling. He and Annaleigh are having a happy chat over coffee, why does he need to be so touchy?


ooc:
Sorry for the crappy post. >.<. I don't know what had happened to my muse halfway through. D;. I promise I'll do better next time. ^_^.
-Jam

[Annaleigh Valentine]

She looked at him. “Ah but that’s the thing, if you had the secret would you set up shop and sell them in your own place or give it to a rival?” She asked logically. “I mean they give you the secret, you bake the cookies, give a cookie to someone and they beg you for the recipe would you give them it? Or what if someone from a bigger business gave you an offer for the recipe? If I could make cookies this damn well I wouldn’t give the recipe to anyone.” She said simply as she chewed on a piece of cookie slowly. When he asked if she was a good cook Anna couldn’t help but laugh. “God no, I think if I wanted to I could probably burn water.” She said truthfully. She was beginning to come out of her shell, it was probably the caffeine buzz she was getting.

She shrugged. “Whatever you want to call it, if it has some caffeine in it I’ll probably drink it.” Anna said smiling. It was the truth. Anna did anything to keep her energies high. Caffeine came in many forms, energy drinks and coffee were Anna’s favourites, but she did drink tea and other things that helped with caffeine buzzes. Even if it was only for a little while. She smiled lightly and shook her head. “I don’t like alcohol or cigarettes. I mean I don’t mind people having them or whatever, but I just, I don’t like being around drunk people and stuff.” She said. Smiling weakly she shrugged. “Personal preference I guess.” She said trying not to think about it.

Anna pressed her lips together and sighed. “Sorry, my family is kinda different and strange to talk about.” She said. “But you know, I guess every family is a bit weird.” She mumbled to herself. When Zac said about his mom Anna felt terrible. “I’m sorry, no more talk of families, deal?” She said trying to make it easier for Zac, he may be a bit self absorbed and stuff, but hey she wasn’t heartless, if she knew he was in a bad place with the conversation, she’d try and push that conversation away.

((OCC- Don’t worry about it lol I feel like I’ve had a lot of those lately))

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac simply nodded at Anna’s logic. That seemed to make sense, somewhat. While it really isn’t perfect (anything that doesn’t agree with what Zac was is imperfect), it was enough to somehow tone down the need to push the owners for the secret ingredient (for the time being anyway). “That actually makes sense,” he nodded as he grabbed his cup and sat back, crossing his legs in a very relaxed and ‘chic’ manner, “I wouldn’t say I like the thought, but it’s fairly logical so I can’t argue much with that.” He took what remained of the previous cookie and munched on it with one bite. “Now I know why they didn’t let me buy their recipe or even just invest in them and make them grow big,” he chuckled as he finished the cookie, “Guess I’ll have to settle with my weekly trips to their shop and simply order in bulk so I have something yummy to munch on every night.”

“So that’s how you coped with your sleepless nights,” Zac smiled, as if making a great discovery. If Anna had mentioned it before, obviously Zac has forgotten about it already. “But didn’t it make you hyper or anything? I mean, popular media usually shows people high in caffeine as very panicky and nervous and simply all over the place.” While he has tried staying awake for more than a day with the help of caffeine, he didn’t really turn into a jitter machine back then. So he somehow assumed that such wild motions are associated with prolonged caffeine intake without sleep, or simply a work of fiction.

“I mind. Drinkers, not so much. Smokers and substance abusers, very much.” Maybe that’s the reason why he can’t get along with Sammy very much. “I mean, fine, destroy yourself, I could care less. But smoking affects those who don’t use it too. Carcinogens aside, I don’t think my skin can take too much smoke lightly. As for the substance abusers, I just hate them.” Of course it all falls down to his skincare. Whoever thought Zac had depth anyway?

“Deal.” Good thing Annaleigh doesn’t mind staying off from the topic. It really isn’t that good to get teary-eyed and cry a river in front of a girl you’ve just met. “So back to your cooking, really? And I thought I was the hopeless case,” he laughed. A sharp turn from their conversation, but at least it’s relevant, he thinks.

[Annaleigh Valentine]

She smiled. She knew that her ramblings weren’t always logical, but sometimes she did actually know what she was talking about. Laughing slightly, Anna shook her head and smiled, shrugging ever so slightly. Hey if he didn’t like the thought he had every right not to. Personal opinion right? Smiling she finished chewing and nibbling on the cookie. Taking a few big gulps of coffee she smiled into her cup because of the smell. Two of Anna’s favourite smells were vanilla and coffee, and for some reason she adored it when those smells fused together to make a smell that was almost impossible for Annaleigh to refuse.

Anna laughed slightly and shook her head. “I’ve learnt how to even out my caffeine intake. Like when I was younger I used to drink five energy drinks at one time and just burn out all my energy after an hour or so. And it made me more or less run around doing everything insanely quickly and I was just annoying really. Now I have almost a schedule for when I have what type of caffeine drink.” She laughed and shook her head as she realised how silly she sounded. Shrugging slightly she took another drink from her cup. “Plus the fact that I don’t sleep much kinda balances out my body from hyperness to tiredness so I’m kinda mellowed out a bit.”

Looking up at Zac, she smiled. “Now, I don’t mind smokers, because some of them go and smoke them alone, but alcohol makes you stupid, and…well you just don’t wanna run into a stupid person who’s under the influence of alcohol.” She said as she swirled the coffee in her cup around slowly, not looking up as she explained it. It was true, if someone was smoking, she didn’t mind, but if she saw someone drunk, Anna may walk away from them and avoid them at all costs.

Smiling slightly when Zac asked if she was really that bad at cooking, she was glad it didn’t take him too long to get over an upset inside himself. Anna didn’t think she’d be able to deal with him if he got upset. “I can make it if I have specific directions and I don’t stray away to do other stuff, but I get distracted very easily and walk away from stuff. It’s not a good thing I can tell you that.” She said laughing as she took another drink.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac laughed quite loudly when Anna told her energy drink story. Zac was never fond of energy drinks himself, not really needing the stuff much anyways, so it was an understatement to say that he was amazed on how much she can consume in a day. Just the taste of the stuff makes him squirm but apparently Annaleigh can drink as much as five at a time? That’s just insane. “Woah. That is addiction really,” he said jokingly, slicing himself a piece of the apple fritter, “I mean five at a time? Seriously? And I thought I was an addict with three cups of coffee.” He quickly put the slice in his mouth, let out a rather audible “mmm” as he chewed, then continued. “And wait, when you were younger? You mean even before you manifested your powers you were an energy-drink-a-holic already? Amazing.” He chuckled even louder when he heard her energy drink schedule. “An energy drink schedule? Lei, you really amaze me. Care to divulge such ‘confidential’ information?”

He has probably eaten around one-fourth of the lone fritter when he realized that Anna hasn’t tasted it yet. “Oops. Sorry, where are my manners. Here, have some,” he said, slicing Anna a piece and offering to feed her. He looked at her sternly, his brown eyes telling her than he’s not taking a no for an answer now.

“I guess people under the influence of alcohol do have a higher tendency to be crazy than those who smoke,” he nodded in agreement. Zac has never been drunk himself (Cedric would kill him if he does, not that Stephen would approve) but he’s seen enough of his ‘peers’ get wasted themselves and it was really ugly. Vomiting plus the general groggy appearance will so not do good to his public image. Despite being the crazy heir that he is, apparently he knows he must keep such image under wraps. “Glad we’re not like them, eh?” he said, offering a toast with his coffee cup.

“At least you can do something if you have a recipe to follow and enough focus to finish the task,” said Zac, “I mean, even with the recipe in front of me, written in such simple language, I find it real hard to make anything of value. I find it hard knowing when something is cooked or not, hence my tendency to overcook and undercook.” Telling people about his mistakes is really not Zac’s style, but since he almost slipped with his mom-sob-story, he couldn’t see why he couldn’t let his kitchen woes get out. It’s not like Annaleigh would spread them all over the Institute or anything. “Fortunately I didn’t really need to learn how to cook to live. Even without my personal chef in the dorms, at least there’s take out,” he chuckled, taking another sip from his precious toffee mocha.