With All The Odds Against Us

Ch 3

What do you do when the whole world is against you?
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Aria woke slowly, trying to remember where he was. He couldn’t remember anything about being kidnapped, and even if he was kidnapped, he certainly would not be on the most comfortable couch he had ever been on. He was faintly aware of a blanket on him, and Aria debated just going back to sleep. He was warm, and he didn’t want to face wherever had happened yesterday.

    It all hit him then, right in the chest. Rayelle, what she had done, and where he had gone afterwards.

    Aria finally opened his eyes, looking around the room. He had to admit that he was a little shocked. He had never pictured Calixte as someone who would live in such a...warm place. He thought it would be more doomish and gloomish. But looking around the room, it seemed like the kind of place that Aria would gladly live in, and probably never leave.

    He was also convinced that Calixte owned literally every book in existence. There were so many, and even though Aria was not an avid reader, he could still pick out some books he had read and enjoyed greatly.

    He was distracted from his scan of the room by the sound of humming. He looked around, but no one was in the room but him. So he unwillingly got up and started moving towards the noise. He went down a very large hallway (with books lining the walls), the humming getting closer. Aria turned into the kitchen, marveling at the room . There were more books still, so many pots and pans on the open shelf cupboards, and a wide assortment of cooking utensils . And there, at the stove, was Calixte. They were humming to themself, making some pancakes. Aria watched as Calixte laid the pancakes on a plate before turning to the fridge. They grabbed fruit baskets and laid them on the table beside some plates. They grabbed a knife out of seemingly nowhere (literally nowhere, Aria checked and there was no knife holder or drawers near them) and started cutting the tops off of strawberries, putting them on the plate next to blueberries and raspberries that were also produced from the fridge.

    Calixte turned and handed Aria a plate, still humming, before turning and getting some juice. Aria was a little confused, because he had made no noise coming in the kitchen, and yet it seemed like Calixte knew the whole time that he was there.

    After Calixte got the juice, they ushered Aria to a table in the corner of the kitchen. 

    “So I’m assuming that part of the reason you are here is because of the news last night? Who’s that girl? She seemed like a jerk.”

    Aria stared at Calixte for a second before clearing his throat.

    “Um, yeah. She, she kind of-”

    “Took the town square over? I know. I saw. Are you okay?”

    Aria hated the pity he heard in Calixte’s voice, but nodded anyway.

    “Yeah. I couldn’t face the people after...that. It was kind of, um, not that good of an outcome.”

    “I know. Again, I saw.”

    “You saw?”

    “О боже ты и идиот,” Calixte mumbled to themself. “Yes, I saw. I woke up really early this morning and went out to get stuff to make breakfast and saw, and even if I never left my house, it’s all over the news. People are wondering where you are. They’re kind of scared that you just disappeared. Or that you’re in the state building with the girl.”

    Aria stared at his pancakes. Calixte sighed before shaking their head and starting to eat their food, which Aria noticed was significantly less than what he was given.