[center][color=0076a3][h2]Zachary Ackerson[/h2][/color] [h2]Jezebel Volcov[/h2] [img]http://pm1.narvii.com/6479/4ef068eaaecab2c2ab0654f8360c652b88a691de_hq.jpg[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/dUaKI5w.jpg[/img] [b][color=0076a3]"Zachary Ackerson: Wordsmith."[/color][/b][/center] [hr] [center][@Everybodyintheroleplay][/center] [hr] One of limited amount of pleasantries that came about being trapped here with the rest of the Infinites was that, despite what their status might be on the outside, nobody was truly a celebrity in this death game. This led to a sort of 'peace' between everybody that some might not be able to get outside. That's not to say everybody was cooperative and happy with each other, but there were no annoying fans to bug someone. Well, Zachary at least. But just like anything valuable, you don't really know its true worth until it was gone. This applied to particularly to Zachary, who had pretty much been greeted by anybody who saw him up and about the day after he suffered his injury. The most common response was surprise. Behind that came concern and, typically, some chiding because he wasn't in bed, resting his broken self. And finally, some claimed they had thought him to be dead. This was all much more attention than he was used to, and the fact that Noel had taken interest in him at all was a bit concerning. Yet even then, the most important thing of note during all of this was that out of all these Infinites, none of them were named "Jezebel". He had intentionally not spoken to her the day he awoke. But today was a new day! Today, he woke up determined to greet Jezebel with an abundance of life he could not show the day before, not stinky, bloody, or drowsy! And, of course, today would be the day he apologized for being an idiot and making her worry. To cause her distress was something he couldn't stand, and even though he knew how dangerous the Carnage Sisters could be, he still valued his pride over his sanity and chose to attempt to rescue Krista. Had it just been him getting injured, then that wouldn't be the biggest issue. He would learn to adapt to his injury eventually. But lives were lost and as one of the people who went along with a plan as reckless as theirs, Zachary was partially responsible for the casualties sustained and the worry and grief that affected others because of their loss. Had he not participated in the last trial, Zachary might've taken this news a lot worse than he did now. After all, he'd been a wreck during the trial at the mere thought he'd been indirectly responsible for supplying the killer with a weapon. Zachary understood he had been of very little help during an important moment due to how he acted. He realized that panicking or blaming himself for stuff he could not help would only make him a detriment, and he could not be such to others, especially Jezebel. Not when she'd been so kind to him. And so, Zach focused on apologizing to Jezebel, for she was the only one he owed an apology to that was still breathing. It was probably just an hour after the announcements and Zachary had made sure to devour some eggs and, of course, he had his coffee. There was no stopping him now. They were going to meet. He was going to say things. They were going to converse! That is... if she was in her room. It was the place he started to look for her after he finished eating, and he hadn't seen her on the way there. The one-eyed Infinite knocked on the door to the Tricker's room, hoping for a response. [color=0076a3]“Hello? Jezebel, are you alive?”[/color] he asked. No answer, not right away at least. But Zachary could hear someone moving around inside of Jezebel's room. The creek of something getting off the hospital bed, weight being shifted from foot to foot across a tile floor. Whoever this was, they weren't moving especially fast. The noise briefly stopped right at the door. Zachary could hear a sigh, and then the door swung open. While Jezebel's makeup covered most of her face, it didn't hide her eyes. They were glassy, and a little red. But they were looking directly at him. Her lower lip quivered, but she made no sudden movements, or attempt to speak. Zachary couldn't hide his confusion at her state and in response to her silence, was silent for a few moments as well. But then his brain chose to start functioning again and he panicked, despite moments earlier thinking he had to be above that. [color=0076a3]"J-Jez, what's wrong?! Are you alright?"[/color] he worriedly asked. His expression had changed from a determined one to a flustered one in a span of time people might not have thought possible. Jezebel leaned up against the side of the door with her elbow. [color=#bd71e8]“Like, what do you think?”[/color] She flashed a bright smile. [color=#bd71e8]“Am totally the best!”[/color] She folded her arms behind her back. [color=#bd71e8]“I'm totally free of pain, totally have both my eyes, and totally feel...”[/color] She closed her mouth and tipped her head. [color=#bd71e8]“How would you feel if we had to trade places right now?”[/color] [color=0076a3]"Trade places? I don't know how I'd feel. Being a girl and all would be---"[/color] The Infinite caught himself before he continued that sentence, realizing he was taking that just a tad bit too literally. Taking a step back, he coughed into his hand. [color=0076a3]"Erm, I mean I would be worried sick."[/color] he confessed, trying to hide the embarrassment from showing on his face. [color=0076a3]"Anyways, I came here to show you that I'm... well, mostly alright -- I could be worse. And to apologize."[/color] Jezebel pushed off the edge of the door and folded her arms. [color=#bd71e8]“You totally look plenty sorry already, trust me.”[/color] the clown gave Zachary a sideways glance. [color=#bd71e8]“So like, why did you wait a full day to come see me?”[/color] Zach's hand fell on the familiar place as he struggled to keep direct eye contact. [color=0076a3]"That's... well,"[/color] the truth was, quite frankly, a bit childish and embarrassing. As pleased with him as Jezebel looked, however, he figured he couldn't exactly keep quiet. [color=0076a3]"... I was in less of a good shape yesterday, is the thing."[/color] [color=#bd71e8]“What do you mean?”[/color] [color=0076a3]"I mean I couldn't really stand up straight and I wasn't too clean, either."[/color] he admitted. [color=0076a3]"And.."[/color] Zach thought for a minute. [color=0076a3]"Well, it's not important"[/color]. [color=#bd71e8]“Yea well.”[/color] Jezebel swiftly opened her arms and closed Zachary in a bear hug. [color=#bd71e8]“You're such a noid.”[/color] Her voice was cracking. [color=#bd71e8]“You look grody to the max!.”[/color] [color=0076a3]"A noid?"[/color] Zachary was a bit surprised by the sudden, intense hug he received. He didn't care much for physical contact with others, but if it was Jezebel, then he supposed that it was okay. She really did like hugging him, for some reason. [color=0076a3]"That's a bit of a rude thing to say though,"[/color] he tried smiling, finally relaxing. [color=0076a3]"I did my best to tidy up. I’m sorry I had you worried."[/color] [color=#bd71e8]“You're still Baldwin material, don't worry.”[/color] she chuckled. [color=#bd71e8]“So like, am I going to have to worry about you running off to save a betty come next night of carnage and junk?”[/color] [color=0076a3]"No, you won't. I mean I knew it was pretty dangerous before, but after that time... I can't trust that it'll go any better. We can't use those kinds of means against the Carnage Sisters."[/color] he said somewhat sadly. Admitting defeat against them was painful. He didn't like it one bit. But he had to be realistic. They would be crazy to try something similar. Jezebel closed her eyes. [color=#bd71e8]“I know that was hard to say, so thank you.”[/color] her eyes opened back up with a broad grin. [color=#bd71e8]“The others will want to do something like this in the future, but it's important that we stay out of it.”[/color] her grin broadened until she looked like a pumpkin lantern. [color=#bd71e8]“Now let's quit moping around and have some fun already!”[/color] [hr] Jezebel, Zachary, Denis, and Braden were seated around the table blocking the zen garden. [color=#bd71e8]“Faith totally knows how to help stage a party, fer sure. The concert is pretty bitchin' too!”[/color] She stabbed some finger food with a toothpick and ate it. [color=#bd71e8]“But we totally shouldn't tell her so. She's got too much pride as is.”[/color] Jezebel giggled. [color=0076a3]"Does she?"[/color] Zachary inquired rather curiously. Faith was one of few infinites he hadn't yet spoken to. Though she did seem a bit weird, so that might've been a reason. [color=0076a3]"I can't argue about the performance though. You couldn't pay to get this kind of entertainment."[/color] [color=662d91]”Hey, pretty lady!”[/color] Denis waved to Braden's doll. The two of them weren't getting anywhere, but seemed to be enjoying the party. Jezebel scooched closer to Zachary [color=#bd71e8]“Hey, are you alright?”[/color] She was still smiling. [color=#bd71e8]“I don't think I've seen you smile once all day.”[/color] [color=0076a3]“Huh? Oh…”[/color] Zachary sighed and found himself staring at the table. [color=0076a3]“I’m just not exactly happy with the results earlier.”[/color] [color=#bd71e8]“Well, you didn't expect everything to stay the same right? I knew you were going to need to adjust fer shur”[/color] Jezebel placed a hand on Zachary's shoulder. [color=0076a3]"I knew that there'd be issues. I knew that, but it's still irritating."[/color] Zach confessed. [color=#bd71e8]“If it makes you feel any better, I so came to this hospital to get my eyes checked out. You'd think they'd cure my eyesight before dropping me in a killing game. But nope. They were all 'psych! As if!” and put me in here just like this.”[/color] Jezebel looked across the dance floor. [color=#bd71e8]“I think my limit is like, twenty, maybe thirty feet? Beyond that, things start to look all grody.”[/color] Moving his eye from the table the Jez, Zach couldn't hide his surprise. [color=0076a3]"Is that true? I hadn't even noticed, I'm sorry."[/color] Even if he had just lost an eye, that one eye could still see well. It made judging distance a daunting task, sure, but it would be much worse if he couldn't see too far like Jez. Now I feel like an ass. Looking rather serious to the woman beside him, Zach sighed. [color=0076a3]"Well, damn. I can't say I feel any better after that, no. Try again?"[/color] and allowed himself a wry smile. [color=662d91]”Let's dance, pretty lady!”[/color] Denis took the arm on Braden's doll and got up to dance. Jezebel watched them walk away from the table. Before turning back towards Zachary. [color=#bd71e8]“Maybe we'll have better luck dancing?”[/color] she shot the archer a grin. [color=0076a3]“...no, definitely not.”[/color] he suddenly got serious. Did she think he’d ever done such a crazy thing like moving his body in a way that was considered beautiful? Ha, what a crazy lady! [color=0076a3]“The last time I danced was in a different life, I’m sure. I cannot absolutely definitely impossibly cannot.”[/color] [color=0076a3]“In front of other Infinites, I would die of embarrassment.”[/color] he claimed. [color=0076a3]“I have two left feet, as well. Hell, I’m just awkward in general…”[/color] Yes, he was adamant that he was not going to dance, even if it was with Jezebel. It was one of those things he thought was silly. Dancing? Pssh, there were cooler things out there. Maybe if he was going to die--- [color=0076a3]“...well,”[/color] he somehow realized there was a very real chance this would be his only chance to dance with someone. Hopefully he died of embarrassment after the fact. [color=0076a3]“...If you insist, I guess we could?”[/color] he let out a soft, nervous laugh and stood up. [color=0076a3]“You’re some kinda of dancing genius though, right?”[/color] [color=#bd71e8]”They totally called me queen Volcov of the dance!”[/color] Denis took the arm on Braden's doll and got up to dance. Jezebel watched them walk away from the table. Before turning back towards Zachary.[color=#bd71e8]“Like, the only time I remember I'm Russian-American is when I say my last name. It's so weird!”[/color] she stood up and took Zachary's hand. [color=#bd71e8]”Anywho, regardless of how well I dance, I'm still a clown. So like, there's so nothing to worry about.”[/color] As soon as Jezebel got on the dance floor, her footsteps slowed. The clown turned to face Zachary and took hold of his other hand. [color=662d91]”You so don't need to be a ninja to dance, you can just move your feet while holding your hands like this.”[/color] [color=662d91]“Pretty lady, blind guy!”[/color] Denis ran up to them. [color=662d91]“If you're going to dance slow, make sure there's no place for her to go.”[/color] Denis placed his hands on their backs and pushed them closer together. [color=662d91]“This is better, yes?”[/color] the spy didn't wait for a response. He quickly returned to his dancing partner. [color=662d91]“This fun, no?”[/color] Denis said to Braden's hand. Jezebel cleared her throat. They were touching more than just hands now. [color=#bd71e8]”Comfy?”[/color] [color=0076a3]"O///O"[/color] Zachary did not have a verbal response ready for Jezebel, at least not right away. He was overwhelmed by the situation more so than he had been a few days prior, against the Carnage Sisters. In the same way that he could have died at any moment in battle against Nariko, Zachary was desperately trying not to perish due to intense strain on his nervous little heart. The skin on his face, his cheeks in particular, was a brilliant red that nothing short of an actual mask could hide. He thought he might've made a mistake. Could he get out? Surely there were other things to do before he died. Ones that wouldn't speed up the process, too! He was unused to being so close to another person, and certainly the fact that he liked Jezebel made it a million times worse. With their hands clasped together, their bodies so close, he was wholly incapable of hiding his feelings from showing. That, in turn, made him even more nervous, and the fact he couldn't dance caused him embarrassment. He feared stepping on her toes, looking like a fool, or anything, really. There was too much going on in his head. [color=pink]"No, I'm Zach."[/color] he tried joking to lighten his own mood, but his voice was noticeably higher than it typically was [s]plus it wasn’t even the right color[/s]. That added to his embarrassment, of course. By this point, it was difficult for him to keep eye contact with Jez, even as close as they were. He pitifully tried looking everywhere that wasn't her, but eventually failed. [color=0076a3]"H-how about you?"[/color] Jezebel was completely looking away from Zachary. Her eyes were half closed, and the dancing queen hadn't taken a single step. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. [color=#bd71e8]”This... totally doesn't feel right to me either..”[/color] Jezebel took a step back, releasing Zachary's hands as she did so. [color=#bd71e8]”Wanna go to the break room?”[/color] She wasn’t smiling. With a bit of distance between them, Zach could grasp just a tiny bit of himself once more. Not that anybody could tell. [color=0076a3]"The break room?..."[/color] was going along with the idea to dance actually a bad choice? He worried he did something wrong. [color=0076a3]"I suppose we could."[/color] he agreed. He wasn't sure why, but he felt disappointed it had ended so soon. [hr] It was a lot quieter in the break room. The music from the party was still audible, but it was a quieter atmosphere. The coffee brewer Jezebel operated was the loudest thing in the room. [color=#bd71e8]”So, is this better?”[/color] The clown didn't look away from the coffee pot. By the time they’d arrived in the break room, Zachary had cooled down. His face was no longer red as a beet, but he wore a troubled expression. He worried he had caused her to call the dance off with how nervous he’d gotten. [color=0076a3]“I’m sorry.”[/color] he apologized after a minute of silence between them. The awkwardness he felt was getting to be unbearable. [color=0076a3]“...I know I’m a bit of a spaz.”[/color] [color=#bd71e8]”It's okay, I totally didn't feel comfortable up there either.”[/color] Jezebel turned around. [color=#bd71e8]”That was kind of cool though. Didn't think Krista was bitchin' enough to admit she was carrying a secret like that.”[/color] She snorted. [color=#bd71e8]”I mean, it so figures she was a total fake the entire time. But like...”[/color] Jezebel sighed. [color=#bd71e8]”Kinda makes me jealous too.”[/color] Zachary’s raised eyebrow was a visible indicator that he wasn’t quite sure what the woman was talking about, but he went ahead and asked anyways. [color=0076a3]“What do you mean? Why would you be jealous of Krista?”[/color] [color=#bd71e8]”I'm just saying, she was totally talking about her darkest secret like it was nothing. ”[/color] Jezebel took the coffee pot and poured it into two different mugs. [color=#bd71e8]”I mean, I'm not totally buying it, but she chose to say something that could make people think less of her.”[/color] She set down the coffee pot and picked up one of the mugs. The coffee was still too hot to drink, so Jezebel just held it in front of herself. [color=#bd71e8]”That's nothing I could ever do. You know? I mean hiding the handbook from all of us was a seriously stupid thing to do, and I'd never have done it in her position. But sharing a personal failure like that? That's totally only something you do with like, lovers and stuff.”[/color] [color=0076a3]“When you put it like that, that does seem a bit impressive.”[/color] Zach agreed, nodding. [color=0076a3]“I certainly don’t think I could ever go up on stage and blurt out my darkest secret so willingly, and to every infinite here, no less!”[/color] Zachary shuddered at the mere thought of it. If he could get out of here alive and nobody learn of his troubled history, then it would be best. At least, not the entirety of the surviving members of their group. [color=0076a3]“That’s a kind of mental strength I don’t have.”[/color] the archer stated. [color=0076a3]“It’s probably better that way, though.”[/color] [color=#bd71e8]”Oh?”[/color] Jezebel picked up the second mug and offered it to Zachary. [color=#bd71e8]”Better that way. Like, that’s an interesting choice of words. Mental strength is typically what you wish for, isn’t it?”[/color] As he listened to her speak, Zachary took the mug and proceeded to take a sip. For the briefest of moments, he made an odd face but as soon as it had appeared, it left. He swallowed what little coffee had drank and nodded. [color=0076a3]“That’s correct. If I was a better person, I wouldn’t need to be stronger in a mental sense... “[/color] he shook his head after trailing off. [color=0076a3]“...well, I’ve got all the physical strength I need, anyways. Not to brag, but archery requires a fair amount of strength. I’m sure I’m stronger than anybody whose specialization isn’t physical, though I might not look it.”[/color] he proudly said. [color=0076a3]“I have my profession and a bit of running to thank for that. But… well, I admit I’m not the brightest bulb in the bunch, which makes me mostly useless here.”[/color] he deflated. Jezebel couldn't help but chuckle at Zachary's words. [color=#bd71e8]“You know I don't talk to infinites much right?”[/color] She looked away from Zachary. [color=#bd71e8]“I mean like... Before I came to this game and junk, I totally steered clear of everyone. Like, I'd hang around in groups and such, but I never really trusted anyone. I guess that's why I prank people so much. It's just my way of keeping my distance from everyone.”[/color] She took a sip of her coffee before turning to face Zachary. [color=#bd71e8]“But like, I dunno, I don't feel like I need to keep my distance from you and junk. You're not as smart as some of the other guys here, fer shur. But even some of the noids here make mistakes.”[/color] the clown set down her mug and placed her hands on her hips. [color=#bd71e8]“I'm so hanging out with you right now because of what's in your heart, not your head. That's why you're the number one Baldwin in my book.”[/color] Taking a long sip, Zach stared at the Infinite Trickster for a moment before responding. [color=0076a3]“That… makes me very happy to hear, honestly.”[/color] Zach seemed to have a blush. [color=0076a3]“I hope you realize that I feel the same about you. There’s nobody here I trust more, and I really don’t hang out with anybody in general.”[/color] he smiled. [color=0076a3]“Would that make you my number one Betty?”[/color] Jezebel laughed. [color=#bd71e8]“You’re going to make me blush!”[/color] She set down her coffee mug and stepped out into the center of the floor. [color=#bd71e8]“Anyway, like, maybe you’re not much for parties, but if you’re as athletic as you say you are, you can totally dance.”[/color] She clapped her hands together. [color=#bd71e8]“I do most of my dancing in the shower anyway. It’s just fun to move around. You don’t need anyone to watch you.”[/color] She started flicking her heels around [color=#bd71e8]“Come on, show me whatcha got!”[/color] [color=0076a3]“Ah, I suppose…”[/color] Zachary, foolish as he was, glanced around the room before realizing they were the only two there. If it was just the two of them, then perhaps he could learn to enjoy dancing. At least with her. Zachary set down his coffee, stood up, and the two of them began dancing together in the somewhat quiet break room, alone.