2024-12-23 - This Is Either a Really Good Idea or a Really Bad One

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: You're thirsty.

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: No, that wasn't a question.

[TXT to Chase] Astrid: (...)

[TXT to Chase] Astrid: uh... what?

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: I am going to get a drink or five at Lucky's and I hate drinking by myself.

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: Which, by the way, I have done.

[TXT to Chase] Astrid: oh yes okay i am thirsty

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: 20 minutes. I'll buy the first round.

[TXT to Chase] Astrid: oh shit hahaha ok i will be there, forgive me if i look a bit messy i was with animals all day and only just showered

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: Show up wet. Leave wet. All the same to me.

[TXT to Chase] Astrid: if i had a nickel...

[TXT to Astrid] Chase: See you in 20.

Chase is already at Lucky’s by the time Astrid arrives. The employee-centric watering hole is sparsely patroned at the moment. With a couple of folks from Guest Relations huddled around one table and a guy still wearing his toolbelt on his hips sitting at the bar. The redhead behind it, Faith, gives Astrid an upnod when she enters.

Chase herself is turned sideways in a booth, looking at the phone in her hands. Her blonde-streaked brown hair has been parted down the middle and sectioned into a pair of simple ponytails. The faded jeans, black Chuck high tops, and black turtleneck give her a sort of 60’s beatnik vibe.

She glances up as Astrid enters and grins as she types out something on the phone and then places it face down on the table.

Astrid rushes over to Lucky's from her apartment, tying her wet hair in a knot at the back of her head as she walks into Lucky's. For her part, the zoologist wears an oversized shearling jacket with fur trim over a cropped white sweater that falls to her navel, blue mom jeans, and Docs. She has a little makeup applied - just a bit of mascara and eyeliner. She did her best with the limited time she had.

Her crystal-blue eyes light up as soon as she spots Chase, and she makes a beeline over to the blond woman. "Sorry, hope you weren't waiting too long. Have you started yet?"

Chase laughs and waves a hand dismissively, though her brown eyes do seem to take in Astrid's appearance with a slow appreciative look.

"You're fine. I just got here a few minutes ago myself. Benefits of waiting until I was clean and dressed before texting. And no, I haven't ordered yet since I didn't know your poison and didn't want to assume your preferences."

Dropping her feet, she turns so that she's sitting in the booth properly, rather than some lethargic bum. "Busy day with the animals? Or busy day being an animal?"

"Sorry, I came as quickly as I could. Literally had just gotten out of the shower when you texted," Astrid says, sliding into the booth across from Chase. Her eyes are bright as she meets Chase's eyes, cheeks flushing pinker as she sees the way the other woman looks her over. "You look so good - I love the turtleneck."

She takes her jacket off and sets it on the seat beside her, absently tucking a loose strand of golden hair behind an ear. "It was busy! I had to keep an eye on the big cats today, one--"

Astrid pauses as she processes the rest of what Chase said, her brows knitting together. "Wait. What do you mean, being an animal?"

Chase smirks. "Hopefully not too quickly," she says in a way that seems to be an inner comment, but was definitely said at a volume Astrid could easily hear. "Thanks. I felt I needed to be less 'Handywoman' and more 'Fun Girl' for the rest of the day." She gestures at the phone. "I even made sure I was not anywhere near the top of the On-Call roster. The only way I'm getting pulled back into coveralls until tomorrow afternoon is if the park is on the verge of a total breakdown."

Astrid's removal of her outer layer earns another obvious examination before Chase grins. "What do you think I mean. Flee occasionally gives the critters a break if they're getting overwhelmed. I didn't know if you did likewise."

She leans forward and smirks. "What did you think I meant?"

Astrid's cheeks go pinker at that comment from Chase, though she doesn't respond to it yet. "Oh, good. I bet you deserve the rest of the day off. Are you usually on call, like always?"

The cropped sweater that Astrid is left in now is looser-fitting, so it doesn't reveal much of her upper body, but it does leave her midriff bare. While she isn't necessarily muscular, her pale stomach is toned and smooth, with a silver navel piercing. "I mean-- no, I definitely hung out with animals all day," Astrid stammers. She wets her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. "God, Flee did say you were a bit evil, but I didn't know you were this evil."

The tall blonde laughs nervously, shaking her head. "Are you implying I was sleeping around all day? Chase, I'm definitely a bit slutty, but I promise I was actually at work today. Were you being an animal all day?" She snorts, leaning forward, too. "You ready to order? I could use a whiskey and Coke."

"Pretty much. I may not be the main go-to person when something's being wonky, but I'm close to the top. Being a technopath means easier diagnostics. It's not unusual for me to get a call at 3am because someone discovered Ride X is misbehaving."

Chase's midriff is completely covered though the turtleneck is definitely form-fitting. "I am not evil and I'm gonna kill your sister." She laughs, because that threat is completely empty. One thing that is very likely to have been communicated to Astrid by Farah is that the three girls in 102 are tight. "Okay, maybe I'm slightly evil. I'll concede that."

"I don't usually imply anything, Astrid. I'm more the direct type." She shakes her head. "Nothing wrong with being slutty as long as you own it. Be slutty because you want to be, not because some asshat christened you slutty." Another laugh follows. "That, cutie, is privileged information."

"Whiskey and coke it is." She slides out of the booth and walks over to the bar. Is there a bit of extra sway in her hips? Maybe. Leaning on the bar, she says something inaudible to the redhead, getting a nod in response. Then she turns and looks back at Astrid while Faith starts mixing items.

"Oof. That's gotta be rough - do you find it hard being on call that often?" Astrid asks, frowning.

Her warm blue eyes certainly linger long enough to be obvious on Chase's form, clad in that turtleneck, before flicking up to meet the other woman's eyes again. "Hey, she did say you were a good kind of evil! Fun evil, even. Mischievous, et cetera." She laughs and shakes her head.

Getting called 'cutie' definitely ratchets the blush across Astrid's cheeks and ears up to another level, the color going to more of a red. "No, this is a self-diagnosed slut case. Nothing wrong with it at all - I'd like to up my slut game, actually. And what do I need to do to get access to the 'privileged information?'"

As Chase walks over to the bar, Astrid turns to watch. At first, she's only casually paying attention, but then the sway of the other woman's hips is enough to get her properly staring. When Chase finishes ordering and turns around, she'll find Astrid still at it, staring away. She blinks, her face feeling very warm as she's caught.

It isn't long before Chase returns with a drink in each hand. She sets Astrid's down in front of her and keeps her own in her hand as she slides back into the booth. "Like the view?" She asks coyly as she sits. "Finding a pair of jeans that perfectly showcases my ass was a stroke of luck. Or a miracle. Know what I mean."

"A good kind of evil, huh? I guess that's probably high praise coming from Flee." She grins and takes a sip from her glass, which seems to be filled with something light red in color. "And I wouldn't say I'm particularly mischievous. More like ... alternatively fun."

"A few more drinks might loosen my lips." She winks and laughs. "Actually, I wasn't in, around, or about animals today. Just routine maintenance checks on some of the stuff over at River Village."

The tiny black stirrer is twirled around inside the glass. "Are you getting settled in?"

"I--"

Astrid stammers for a few moments, unsuccessfully trying to find anything to say. Eventually she just gives up and laughs, shaking her head and taking a sip of her drink. "God, you're gonna kill me. Yes, I did like the view. No, I don't think it was a miracle - you'd look good in any jeans," she says with a nervous chuckle. "Sorry, I promise I don't usually act like a helpless teenager. I think you're just so evil that you affect me differently."

The golden-haired young woman laughs and takes another sip of her whiskey and coke. "Okay, we better work quickly on these drinks, then. I want to get those lips loosened." Astrid winks back, her cheeks still flushed. "Are you off at all over the holidays? Home to family, maybe?"

Another sip. "I do really love it here. Totally settling in. It really helps to have two older siblings already working here. After all, I got to meet you pretty quickly because you already know Flee!" She tucks an errant strand of wet hair behind an ear, smile widening. "I've got you to show me around - of course I'm gonna be fine."

Chase chuckles at Astrid's fluster. "I really should stop. People tell me I flirt too aggressively sometimes. However, there are plenty of things my ass does not look good in. These jeans are not in that grouping." A brow arches and a smirk follows. "I don't think you're helpless, Astrid. Plus, you blush so well."

She takes a sip from her drink and shakes her head. "Went home for Thanksgiving. Parents and sisters are coming up to Lansing for Christmas. I'm going down to see them on Christmas Eve and come back the evening of the 25th. I invited them all to come to the park but Aunt Jetty insisted that they all stay with her and Uncle Mark." Another sip. "When I got the hell out of North Carolina, my aunt and uncle took me in." Another sip. "You probably don't want these lips too loose. No telling what might happen."

Chase nods in agreement with Astrid's assessment that having family around makes things easier. "Unfortunately, I can't think of any reason why Eve or Kim would move up here. They have lives and careers." She smiles and arches a brow. "Oh. Want me to show you around, huh?"

"Don't stop just because I turn red. I should be clear - I am not uncomfortable in any way. Getting flirted with by you is very pleasant," Astrid interjects, laughing softly. She bites her lip. "Thanks."

"Oh, that's amazing. Where are your aunt and uncle?" she asks. "Nice to have family so close. We'll go see our folks in Indiana for a few days around Christmas. Not too bad getting back there. It'll be nice to see the farm."

Astrid finishes off her drink and flashes a small, nervous smile. That blush of hers isn't going away just yet - especially after that last thing Chase says. "Yes, of course I do. You probably have all kinds of stuff you can show me, right?" Her smile widens.

Chase smirks. "I don't recall saying I was going to stop. Only that I probably should." The smirk widens into an amused smile. "It's a gift. Of the three of us, Kim is the shy one. Eve is a lot like me. Only blonder. And smarter."

"It's a town about five miles east of Lansing called Grand Ledge. When things back home got a little dangerous for me, they asked me to come live with them. For a wide spot along Highway 43, Grand Lodge was pretty accepting. Indiana sounds nice. At least it does the way Flee describes it."

Chase lets out a little chuckle. "Oh, that is such a loaded question, girl." When Astrid finishes her drink, Chase turns and signals to Faith for another round before grinning at Astrid. "Let me know when you're starting to get to your limit. The last thing I want is to have your sister breathing down my neck. Well, breathing down it in a non-exciting way."

"Sounds like a nice place. I'd love to visit sometime." Astrid smiles, eyes bright. "I mean, considering I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere, it could have been much worse? People usually keep to themselves out there and so I didn't get too much trouble. There were still some bozos, though, of course."

She laughs, leaning forward and grinning at Chase. "Hey, I know my sister is hot, but you should know that I vet everyone for Flee. Be careful."

The blonde absently tugs the hem of her sweater down a bit, glancing down at herself before meeting Chase's eyes again. "I'll let you know if I get to my limit. I'm not that good at handling my drink. I don't have that much tolerance. If we keep going for awhile, I might make some really questionable decisions."

"Yeah. My hometown was like that. Had about a hundred thousand people and around ninety-nine thousand of them sucked." A shoulder rises and falls. "But that's life, right?"

When the Protective Little Sister comes out, Chase raises her hands in a defensive gesture. "Easy there. If I actually wanted to hook up with your sister, I would have already. But, despite the fact that she's, as you say, hot we've all agreed to never act upon any inter-roommate desires. Avery as well. So you don't have to worry about finding Flee in my bed."

Then she tilts her head to the side, smirking. "Though I am curious as to how you vet Flee's amorous entanglements."

Faith delivers two more drinks and retreats back to the bar. Did she give a little smirk of amusement Astrid's way? Who know.

"Questionable Decisions is my middle name." She picks up her glass and lightly taps it against Astrid's. "However, I will be sure to cut you off before you reached that point."

"Good rule. I can't really see any of you ending up together, anyway." Astrid snorts and shakes her head. "I try to vet people for her, but she isn't that interested in it. I'm hoping to do it more now that I'm here, too. Only the best for my sister."

She flashes a nervous smile at Faith after the drinks are dropped off before looking back at Chase. Her drink is grabbed and lightly tapped against Chase's, too. "Oh, good. We can make Questionable Decisions together." Her lips curl upwards. "With your hair like that and you in that turtleneck... My judgement is already getting clouded. Watch out." She sips her drink and winks, cheeks pink.

Chase laughs. "Well, I guess I can back off on my duties then. Now that you're here. I was doing my best to keep her and Avery from doing anything regretful. Though I'm not really sure how successful I was." A sip is taken from the cranberry-colored concoction. "No. And it would just make things awkward between us. As much as I think I would jump at the chance to be with either of them like that, the friendship means too much to me."

"Well, that's certainly a goal to drink to, huh?"

"Are you saying that my appearance is having an undue influence on your judgement, Astrid?" She reaches up and tugs on one of the two-toned tails. "Maybe I planned for it to."

"Oh, God. What regretful things have they already done?" Astrid asks immediately, eyes widening. She chuckles. "Bam doesn't count as regretful, right? He sounds nice."

Her eyes go even wider and her heart goes faster when Chase tugs on one of those tails. Gulp. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't," she admits, taking a big sip of her drink. The blonde tugs at the neck of her sweater, feeling warm around the collar. "You planned it well. I'd hope to have had the same effect on you, but I'm not so sure I have. I'm a bit too gross at the moment."

Another drink. And another. "What are you up to after this?"

"Bam is acceptable. For now. But as I warned Avery, if he breaks her heart, I'll beat him to death with a shovel." She laughs. "And with my magic, I would have an airtight alibi. However, neither of them have done anything regretful as far as I know. I'm usually the one that fits into that basket." Grinning, she downs half of her drink before continuing.

"Oh, I definitely noticed you, cutie. But something tells me this isn't your bumming around look. More like the 'I'm hoping to make a good impression look'. If so, kudos on your success. You aren't gross in the slightest. Trust me."

Chase stirs her drink slowly, looking at Astrid. "That depends. Is there something in particular you want to do?"

Astrid grins. "If anyone ever hurts Avery, you can count on me as an alibi. I'm in."

She takes another sip of whiskey and coke, biting her lip. "Shit. Am I that obvious?" The blonde groans softly. "I mean, yes - very much hoping to make a good impression. Thank you, Chase."

Another sip, and then she goes back to nibbling on her lower lip. Sky-blue eyes linger on Chase's hands for a long moment before meeting her eyes again. Gulp.

"God, you love torturing me, don't you?" Astrid asks with a soft laugh, her ears pink. "I'd enjoy spending a bit more time with you if I can."

A single nod is given in response to Astrid's vow of solidarity in the defense of Avery's heart.

"No, you're not obvious. But I am pretty good at reading people. Probably comes from working so hard to figure myself out. I'm sure you can relate." She stirs her drink again, smiling. "What if I told the the torture comes later? This is just a bit of informal verbal foreplay?"

Chase takes a slow sip of her drink, keeping her eyes on Astrid. "Of course. If I didn't want to spend time and get to know you better, I wouldn't have texted." The glass is set down on the table as she leans forward, resting her arms on the top. "Question is, Astrid, what sort of things to you like? Other than sit here and drink and flirt, is there something else you want to do?"

GULP.

Astrid hides her flush with her drink, sipping it again. She's moving quickly through this whiskey and coke.

"Actually - I have some decent booze back at my place. Want to swing by?" she asks nervously, sitting up straighter. "You don't have to. But it could be nice."

Chase downs the rest of her drink and smiles. "Sure. I'd love to see where you go when you're off the clock."

Sliding out of the booth, she signals the redhead that she's done and to put the beverages on her tab. She gets a nod and a grin in response. Then she turns to Astrid and smiles.

"I can't predict what's going to happen when we leave here, but I can promise it won't be anything you're not comfortable with."

"Oh, Chase. Don't worry. I might be blushing and nervous, but I'm just fine." Astrid gets out of the booth and rises to her feet, tugging her coat back on. "I trust you, darling."

She leads Chase back, then, heading back to Turning Leaf. They head up to apartment 403, where Astrid unlocks the door and lets Chase in. "Welcome in. I just share this with one housemate - Laney. She's lovely," she explains, kicking her shoes off and hanging her coat up.

"I've got beer and some nice rum. Any preference?" Astrid asks, walking into the kitchen.

"Plenty of people might say that's a mistake. But I'll let you be the judge."

The funny thing is remembering that many of the park's employees live in the same building. However, Chase is more than happy to let Astrid lead her upstairs to number 403. Once inside, she nods and looks around while Astrid hangs up her coat and mentions her roommate. "I'm sure she is." In response to Laney's loveliness.

She follows into the kitchen and smiles before stepping right up into the other girl's personal space and planting her mouth right on top of Astrid's as her arms go around the likely stunned girl's waist and pull her closer.

Astrid is turned away from Chase, grabbing glasses for their drinks, when the other woman comes closer. She turns just in time to get kissed by Chase, letting out a surprised squeak and melting into the embrace, letting herself get pulled closer. She ends up pushed against the counter slightly.

After just a moment, Astrid kisses Chase back passionately, hands sliding into the other girl's hair.

Chases own hands slide down to cup Astrid's rear as they both try to devour the other's face. However, it is Chase that breaks the kiss first and look at Astrid.

"If you don't want Laney to come home and find you in a compromising position, we should probably take this to the bedroom.

When Chase does break the kiss, Astrid is left breathless, her eyes opening slowly. "Uhhh, right. Yes. This is the first time I've done this here," she laughs, reaching up to brush a lock of hair away from Chase's face.

The tall blonde takes Chase's hand in her own and leads her over to the bedroom with a skip in her step before closing the door behind them.