@lokitheliesmith

The war was over and done with, but Wanda couldn’t keep going like she had been. It had all been too much. So she’d fled to the outskirts of the city-- setting herself up in the temporary housing units which had been built quickly after the blip to accommodate everyone who had returned. She was once more a refugee--an internally displaced person-- within her own state. Sometimes she wondered if that was all she’d ever be. She’d made it as homey as she could, but it still felt so cold sometimes. So empty, so alone. This was an apartment but it certainly was not a home. 

The one thing that did brighten her day, though, was sitting down on the couch and talking to the man in the apartment next to her. She could hear the television on from time to time. At first it had felt silly. Yet, each day they said hello--- they talked about their day, about the world. It was comforting. 

Tonight she’d made a little extra sarma and grilled peppers. With some set aside for herself, she plated the rest and went to the door. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves she knocked. 

“I-- I um, you said you were hungry. I hope this is okay?” 

A list was how she started every day. A list of everything that needed to be done. It was a never ending list, but this way she could plan out her day.

Call the contractors back

Get an estimate from the electrician

Daily call to CPS and clinics

Get lunch (Don’t skip this again)

Call Lorna Stark about the mutant trafficking case

Swing by new apartment to chat with the land lady

Make sure the food and clothes banks had everything they needed

Call the doctor about test results

Kveta glanced at it and sat back. There were about 80 million other things she needed to get done. However, she knew that if she didn’t compartmentalize and organize she would get overwhelmed and would get absolutely nothing done. I

However, there was nothing fun on that list at all, Kveta frowned. She needed to do one nice thing for herself a day. Remembering to have lunch didn’t count. So She jotted down the last thing to do for the day: 9. Invite Kaidan over. 

She and Kaidan weren’t living together yet. In fact, they’d only been together about two and a half months. Kveta wanted to take it slow with him. She didn’t want to rush into anything with him. She’d been there and done that. She wanted things to be different with Kaidan. She wanted to get to know him, and, maybe, even fall in love with him? Her cheeks flushed. She shook that thought out of her head. It was too early to question that. Instead, she shot him a text asking if he wanted to come over tonight. 

By the time the evening rolled around, Kveta had ordered them a fancy surf and turf dinner from her private chef, and was waiting for Kaidan to show up. Everything was set up beside neatly with a candle in the center of the table and two glasses of wine. No one could ever say she wasn’t a romantic. 

Kveta, though, hadn’t exactly had time to change out of her work clothes. She hoped he wouldn’t mind. He knew she was a busy woman. 

Radka let her know when he had arrived and Kveta opened the door almost as soon as Kaidan had a chance to knock. She blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t want her to get too riled up. How was your day?”

@sebastianshaw: “That’s not an unearned perception of what the Inner Circle does, I admit,” Shaw smiled as he cut the angus sirloin on his plate, 

 “People are useful tools as much as any inanimate object---often more so. And we make use of this. I’ve no shame in it. If someone does not wish to be used... 

“ He sliced off a section of the steak, and the blood seeped from it on to the pure white plate, “Maybe they should do something about it.”