2025-02-02 - That's What We Call A No Thank You

There is never enough rest for the wicked. If anyone is listed under that term in the dictionary it is probably Peyton Hanna. She is the epitome of hissing at children, stealing your man, and throat punching the same man for looking at her. That's just before breakfast. Today, it's late afternoon and she's decided to venture outwards to the laundry. A sigh leaves her lips as she starts the washing machine and looks around. For a few moments, her metallic eyes seem to judge the brightly colored space. She doesn't listen, she judges.

Her hair is currently still in her work braids which means they hang down each side of her head and her make-up is more work appropriate. This means her cheeks have extra blush. She's and she has that 'wholesome' look instead of her eyes being darkly lined and her warning label presented to the world. She looks adorable and approachable. Two things she probably isn't really. After a brief back and forth with the barista, she is presented with a milkshake. It's a brown shade for the coffee flavoring and to darken it like her black heart. However (and she may deny this), she has opted for whipped cream and chocolate curls on the top. She finds a place to drop herself as she prepares to people watch for the next 40 minutes as the wash cycle goes.

It’s Sunday. This means it’s catch up day. Theo usually has Sundays off and so of course this means he’s coming in with a basket to get started with his laundry.

His eyes are like mood rings and gold lines ribbon his skin. He’s dressed in gray and home clothes. Definitely needs to do laundry. In seeing Peyton he smile, “Hey there!”

Peyton's eyes flick in the direction of 'hey there'. She just looks at him. There is no smile right away. There is nothing but a blank look and then it's like her brain connects with her face. She gives a half smile towards him. "Hey....." The international sign of a forgotten name is that lingering pause after hey and Peyton follows it up with. "... you." Yep. Nailed it.

She glances towards her milkshake as if she's suddenly nervous she will have to share it. Then she looks back towards Theo. "So... doing your laundry I see?" Her phone is pulled out as she is typing and trying to access the employee directory with photos.

Theo looks amused when he sees that Peyton might not know who he is, and he's not offended. Once he puts his basket down, he extends a hand out if she wishes to shake it. Have they exchanged names in the previous times? Who knows? He makes sure to do so now. "Theo. We met at the Shipwreck and then again at the diving lesson." If she did shake his hand, he would put it down after that exchange, and if not, he would subtly put that hand back to his side.

Glancing around as he often forgets that you can get a milkshake here. "I will never get used to the idea that you can get a milkshake at the laundry mat."

The offered hand is glanced at as if she's not sure there isn't a buzzer or something on the palm. Then she smiles in that sweet customer service manner of hers. "Of course, Theo." As if she remembered his name all along. Completely. Totally. "Yes, I suppose we are supposed to go down together again, hmm?" She looks at his basket and then back to where she got her drink.

"I think of it as a reward for doing a chore." Is that shake moved out of his reach a little bit? Yes. Does she have a sibling? Most likely. "You can also get that boba tea, which is fine. I just don't like when things go in my mouth and explode unexpectedly." Popping boba.

"Yes, I think so. I don't know all the logistics." Theo says, claiming one of the washing machines and throwing his clothes in it. He doesn't even look to see if the colors are similar or if he should have separated them, so he throws it in and hopes nothing comes out too badly at the end of the wash. It has worked out for him so far. Takes a few minutes to put the softener and the soap in the machine and then brings out his card to put it next to where one is supposed to pay. Everything takes cards nowadays as it is.

"I like the way you think," Theo tells Peyton as he takes a moment to close the washing machine's lid and then presses start. He turned to give his attention once again to the woman. Theo also has a sibling and may not have caught on to Peyton keeping her milkshake away from him.

"I like the concept of boba tea, but I don't like boba. I've tried it. Too chewy." He grins a bit when she speaks about exploding unexpectedly. "Dare I ask, does that kind of thing happen to you often?" Pointing to his mouth and then making an explosion sign after her own comment.

Another reason Peyton wears all black, you don't have to worry about colors mixing. You just have to worry about unexpected bleach. There is a tip of her head as she watches Theo do his laundry and then she watches his movements. "Most people would say they are intrigued by how I think, rarely do they like it. Usually because it ends in being questioned by security or the police."

There is a few moments as her eyes trail over the man. It's not so much for a flirtatious gesture as she's trying to see if he has wings, tails, and all the things that are vogue this year to have. "It happens enough that it annoys me. What about you? Do you enjoy unexpected explosions happening?"

Theo wears all sorts of colors. Black is one of them. But he is also not afraid to wear pink or even flowers. He does, at times, beat to a different drummer. There are no appendages on Theo. Thanks to New Year's Day, he just changed his eye color and the gold lines that can be seen on his skin.

"You get yourself into trouble often, I gather?" He crosses his arms across his chest and gives his attention to Peyton. "It depends on what the explosion is." A brow raised when he answered her.

Peyton allows a slow slow smile to that. She nods her head to that. "I wouldn't say that I get myself into trouble. I just don't tend to avoid it when it comes. Sometimes the best plan is the one that's opposite of what yo u made." She offers easily as she drinks from that coffee milkshake. "I suppose I could ask which ones you like, but I'm not fully sure we are at that point of the conversation yet. I'd hate to have to listen to some romantic drivel that might occur."

She does decide to be a bit polite and indicate the seat with her, but it's the one across from her, not next to her. Bubble. Personal bubble. "So what is your story, Morning Glory?"

"Morning Glory?" Theo chuckles when he hears that as he sits across from Peyton. He understands all about personal bubbles and never invades, usually without permission.

"Sometimes trouble is just an adventure waiting to happen and then dealing with the consequences. That question is general. Are you asking how I ended up at the park or something else?"

Peyton indicates the clock. "I have time to spin and then to heat and spin. You have my attention. Really, though, you should be offering me gifts of tribute for allowing you to grace my table and my presence. I suppose I can forgive you this once." Peyton offers in the most forgiving of manners. Really. She deserves an award or something.

"Well it is general. You can tell me about your family. How you got here. What sort of tricks you can now do. Who is currently in your bed. What your valentines plans are. Who you are thinking of offing if they look at you sideways again." She spreads her fingers and sweeps her hand between them. "The time is currently yours. Use it wisely."

When Peyton looks over the clock, so does Theo. 45 minutes on the washer and likely an hour on the dryer. He does have time to sit and chill for a bit.

"A confident woman. I like that." He grins in her direction. Not put off by her mannerisms. He starts to pat his pockets. "Sorry, I can only offer lint, and I don't think you'd appreciate it."

At the ask of family, Peyton might notice the accent as he speaks, "I am from North Carolina. I have a mother, a father, and a little sister who are still back at home. I haven't FaceTimed since these changes happened." He gestures at his eyes and his body in general. "How I got here? I was road-tripping, and I found an ad for this place and figured I'd inquire about it, and here I am."

It sounds like Theo is going to answer one by one. "Tricks. I am an illusioner." Laughing at the talk of bed. "Me, myself, and I. Sleeping alone is not bad. Sometimes, the best way to get sleep."

His hand goes to his heart about the question about Valentine's plans, "Those I'm keeping close to my heart. But I have some made, yes."

A squint about the offing thing. "I actually think I like everyone here at the park. If I have an enemy? I am not aware of it." Shrugging.

"So tell me about yourself. How come you waited until now to do laundry, and it looks like you just got off work? Didn't have a chance to change before coming here, or were the work clothes the last clean thing you had?"

Peyton looks down at herself and then back up at him. "Don't you dress like this every where you go?" Sure, Swiss Miss is a look. "Yeah, I didn't have anything left that was clean. Nicky won't do my laundry anymore." She scrunches up her nose to that. "It's pretty rude really. I feel like he should just help me out." She sighs most put out fashion.

Her brows lift as it seems that he is going through each step of those questions. Interesting. "Well perhaps your plans will lead to someone in your bed then. At least, if you made them correctly. I never understood the point of Valentine's. Buy me flowers on another day, not because you are told to. Take me out for the same reason." She shakes her head and allows the braids to shift a bit when she does.

"Yeah, I haven't really called home either. Mine are just my eyes and my.. nails. I could probably explain both away. You could too. Just tell them they are contacts and you have on make up for a gig in the park." She does pause to display the mirrors of her nails before she nods and leans in just a bit. It's as if she is going to hit on him. It's that look. It's the look of interest.

"Illusions?"

The word is wrapped in an almost purr of persuasion. "How good are you at them? I can seem to make things seem like they are there that aren't or sound like it, but.. perhaps if I saw how you did yours, I could figure mine out just a bit more."

"I like your sense of humor," Theo tells Peyton as she takes another look at what she's wearing. "I usually throw an overcoat over my costume because it varies on what I am wearing on a particular day. I assume Nicky is either related to you or a significant other?" A curious look was given as that name did not ring a bell for him.

Theo is honest to a fault. And because of that honesty, it gets him into trouble, or people might just think him naive. It is just Theo being Theo. That is all he knows how to be.

"Yeah, maybe." He neither denies or confirms that comment from Peyton.

"I don't really know Valentine's Day, and I have never really celebrated it. This will be my first time. I am looking forward to it. Even if, as they say, it's a Hallmark holiday."

Glancing in her direction, he takes in how her braids move along. "Yes, ma'am, illusions. I just recently got better at it." Trying to decide what it is, he can show her as he looks around where they are at. He spies a discarded item. It must have been left out when it was meant to be in a dryer. He picks it up. The only hint that he is doing something is when those multi-colored eyes change into a different color. Going back to more of his original eyes of hazel green. When he hands the sweater to Peyton, he smiles at her, "Take a sniff and tell me what you think." Also, the sweater has changed into one of those expensive sweaters, such as a cashmere one.

Peyton looks rather disgusted, but it's not at the sweater (yet). It's at the idea of 'Nicky' being her significant other. There is a look that the slightly younger Hanna may lose that milkshake in a moment. Then she waves a hand to dispel the nausea as it rises. "Nicky is my brother." She will not hack up something. "Nicholas Hanna." She just stares at Theo a bit longer as if he just should have known that.

At being presented the sweater, Peyton takes it in her hands. The feeling is too rich for her blood. She does pet it a bit subconsciously. Then he's asking her to smell it. Smell forgotten or discarded laundry. She just gives him an incredulous look. "I'm going to let you know what we call that, Theo. When one hands you something and tells you to smell it, we call that a no thank you."

There is a bit of a laugh as Theo watches Peyton's reaction. First, because he mistook Nicholas to be her significant other, and second, when she caught on, he handed her something that was not in the best shape. He does an up nod in her direction. "But look at the sweater. At first glance, it looks like one of those sweaters you expect to buy from a boutique or something, right? If you had no idea that I just gave you an illusion, would you not think I handed you a present of sorts? Play along. I know you are not stupid." He's just trying to prove that he knows he's pretty good at this illusion stuff.

Peyton watches him for a few moments longer. "Yeah, I could see that. It does seem like it's made of nice material. Oh hell." Her metallic eyes, that are gold currently, open wide. "Is that what you are going to do to your date? Give them grass and say it's a dozen long stem roses?" Peyton pauses and might look a little impressed by that idea. "Tell me you don't expect me to sniff this still?"

"Naw." Theo takes back the sweater, but that isn't what it seems. He moves out of his seat to place the sweater where he found it. Because of his abilities, that sweater will look rich for at least an hour.

At the talk of grass and a dozen long-stem roses he smiles at Peyton. "No, I will not do that to my date. Whatever I do? It is going to be the real thing. I am not going to fake that. This person is too important for me to do that. I just wanted to show what I could do. Your turn. What is your trick? How do you make people come back to your business?"

"Someone is going to think that sweater is real and be so pissed when it wears off." Peyton offers, not that she's offended. There is another scrunch of her nose to that 'too important' comment. Gross. "How I get them back? That's not magical at all." She points to her 'assets' that fill out the top of her top easily enough. "Also, my skirt is a bit short. I also pretend to be friendly. I sell chocolate, people would come no matter what."

Peyton looks at her hands for a moment and then curves each into a 'C' although, to be fair, the right one is backwards. She connects her hands together to form a 'heart'. Look at her all romantic and stuff. The lady runs her tongue over her lips and presses them together as if she's going to blow Theo a kiss. She does blow, but it's the empty space between her hands. As she does a rainbow of heart bubbles float out and upwards around them.

Look, they are accidentally in anime love.

"My other trick is to see visions and pass out cold. This one is more fun for me."

"Yeah, well, hopefully, my laundry will be done by the time that effect wears off," Theo tells Peyton when she warns about how a future person might be pissed off at being tricked.

"Ah ha. Assets and flirt. I guess that would get a body to come back, yeah." Laughing as he says that. "I mean, who doesn't love chocolate.? You are right; people will come for that, at least. I will have to see you in action at work one day. You are welcome to come to my show. I perform at the Lamplight Amphitheater. It is the show right before the fireworks if you ever have time. You are not allowed to make fun of me until after my performance since I am known as the singing storyteller."

But when Peyton starts to move her hands, he pays attention because he's interested in what she will do next. His eyes go upwards after the heart is made, and he sees the rainbow of heart bubbles. "Oh wow! That is fantastic!" He says this with enthusiasm, and his words are sincere.

Looking back at her, it takes him a few minutes because he keeps looking at the bubbles. "Yeah, my other magic is empathy, and only once has it backfired on me, and it was a doozy." Shaking his head at the memory.

Peyton perks up at something. That's probably not a good thing, in all truth. "How do you feel about trying chocolate that might be a more unconventional flavor? You know lavender or something along those lines?" Completely innocent. Play completely innocent.

There is a nod towards the singing storyteller thing. "Maybe I'll see if Wes wants..." Peyton frowns just a bit. Just a tiny tiny bit. Perhaps how easily that came off her lips and how she doesn't like that. ".. to get a group together and see your performance. He has a couple roomies. I don't remember the guy, he wasn't really there last time I was. Esme is... well.. .she's Esme. We go back a bit. She seems the type to like that."

"As long as it's not poison, I am game," Theo tells Peyton. "I kind of like the living thing. And I would be sad if I was no more." He grins at her when he says that. It is true. Life is good, and he doesn't want it to stop because of death or something.

Nodding a bit at the talk of Wes and getting a group together to see his show. A brow raised when he takes in her frown. Side effects of empathy: Theo can pick up on things even when not actively using it. That doesn't mean he's totally wrong. "So you and Wes, huh? Or is that just a friend thing?" A truer smile is seen on his features when Peyton talks about Wes's roommates. "Elmo and Esme. They are pretty solid. I am friends with both of them. It is Wes I don't really know. But yeah, maybe you all can get together to watch me perform and we can go out for drinks or something after." The fact that Esme is underage slips his mind when he says that.

"I make no promises. I mean, I don't really want a murder charge. I don't look that great in orange." Peyton offers and then pauses. "That's a lie. I look great in everything. I do look better out of it though if I'm being honest." She nods a bit to him as she cants her head in a thoughtful manner.

It's not really that she's thinking about her and Wes. Although, she is sort of not answering that part of the conversation. Black cat energy never tells. Then she hmms a bit and the actual thought comes out. "I don't think Esme is twenty-one until .. fall Damn. September or October? I can't remember when her birthday parties were, but she's more than a few years younger than me." There is a pause. "Our families live near each other."

"I mean, I have heard of that show Orange is the New Black or something like that." Theo is probably butchering it. "So maybe." He teases right back about whether or not she'd look good in orange in his own way.

There's another brow raised when Peyton goes quiet when Theo broaches the subject about Wes. He doesn't touch it. If Peyton wants to talk about it, she will, in due time. He's not going to push. That isn't his nature to do so.

"Yeah, she's twenty years old." Theo would agree. Does he remember when Esme's birthday is? No. He's going to have to remedy that. Making a soft ah sound when Peyton shared that they lived near each other. "Did you know that the both of you would end up here at the park?" A curious tone is heard when he asks that question.

Peyton offers, "We weren't friends" It's not said in a cruel way or anything that implies drama or anything like that. "I came here because Nick worked here. I didn't know Esme was here. I don't know if he did. He was maybe still is good friends with her older brother." Peyton studies Theo for a few moments and then shrugs a bit. "She and I aren't.. um.. we don't.. we didn't."

There is a sigh. "She got pushed a lot with the skating thing. Poor kid." Like they are more than four years older than her or something. "I don't know if she had a lot of friends. I was kind of the bad influence to keep away from their princess." Surprising, no? "I kinda thought she had a thing for Nick growing up. You know your older brother's friend. Hell, she still might have one. Everyone seems to like him." That last statement is said only how a sibling in another sibling's shadow can say it.

Giving a small nod when Peyton tells Theo that she and Esme are not friends. "I did not know anyone when I first got here. My first friend was Jett, and we ended up as roommates."

He will do that brow raising again, "Age difference and her ice skating kept you both apart?" Even if she says it, he doesn't see Peyton as a bad influence. "She is the Ice Princess." No disagreement with that.

"Really? Your brother? Interesting." He smiles. "I don't know your brother so I will just have to believe you."

"I mean. I don't have empathy. The power or just the skill." Peyton offers with a bit of a smirk. "It's just one of those romcom tropes that Esme seems to be into." Ugh gag. There is a noise as Peyton moves over to change over the laundry from the washer to the dryer. She also sucks down the rest of the milkshake.

A few moments later, she's back at the seat and dropping back into it. "So you have been here awhile? What's the tea? Who's with who? Who use to be with who? Drama. I would like it spilled please."

Theo also moves when Peyton does and moves to put his clothes in the dryer. Doing the whole routine of wet clothes in the dryer, dryer sheets, closing the door, and showing his card again to the pay thing on the machine.

Claiming his seat once again across from Peyton in time to hear her inquiry. "I actually don't know who is with who. No one really tells me that kind of thing. And drama?" He shrugs. "I try to stay out of the drama, so sorry I don't have tea to spill."

At the talk of Esme being a part of a romcom, he brings his brows together and thinks about that. "She is a genuine person. Not just some Hallmark figurine. I would consider her my bestie, and I am glad for it."

Peyton does not have empathy or if she does, she would deny it with her dying breath. Empathy means feelings. Feelings mean caring. Caring is the dark side. The dark side has bitter chocolate. However, Peyton has street smarts like the girl boss she is. It's probably the only reason she's still alive. So there are a few things that take notice to her. It could be wrong, but... you know she allows that to happen sometimes.

"You don't know the drama? What good is the tea if it can't be spilled?" However, the more important thing is his reaction and moreover defense of Esme to a woman he has just met. Peyton stops and just looks at the man for a long moment. A longer moment than that. "Oh. So you like Esme then/" There is a like like on that word. Her lips start to curve upwards a bit. "Your bestie huh? As in best person to see naked?"

Theo probably knows some drama, but he is still getting a feel for Peyton. But also, he is probably the last person to know what is true and what isn't since he tends to take things at face value.

He looks at Peyton when she asks him that question, making him pause for a minute as he studies the woman he is sitting across from. "It has been a recent discovery that I do like her. It's a bit complicated, and I feel like I had to be hit in the head." Fine. He will spill the tea a little on himself.

"I uh....what? You are putting words in my mouth!"

"I do that." Peyton admits easily. "Putting words in people's mouths. I sometimes like to see how people respond to it." She looks around realizing that she is now milkshake less. Then she tosses her braids over her shoulder.

"I think that's how relationships happen. Or they maybe happen. You wake up one day and boom. Relationship." Peyton is quiet for a moment and then she smiles in that customer service manner. "Well, what's complicated about it?"

"I am not very good at this relationship thing," Theo admits. "I seem to get it wrong. For someone with empathy magic, I sure read people wrong. I have had heartbreak, and I do not wish that on ANYONE. It is a killer. I want to be sure, but some of me is freaked out."

Why in the hell is he confessing to Peyton? Because this is Theo. He is an overthinker, and then he just word vomits. "Esme has seen it all with me, and she still wants to be a part of my life, and I don't want to abuse that." Fine. There. There is the tea, Peyton.

Peyton is quiet for a moment and then she looks around the area. Her eyes flick over everyone there and if they can be overheard. She then tries to figure out how she wants to handle this information. A breath is taken deeply into her lungs and released. Damnit. They are going to do this.

"I am horrible at relationships. If it's a red flag, I run to it. If it smells healthy, I get an allergy and have to leave." Peyton starts a bit as she holds up a finger and goes to get a bottle of water. She needs something to do with her hands. She then comes back to sit back down. "I'm kind of a fuck em and forget em kind of girl. It makes it less complicated. It makes it easy. You know?"

She nods her head to that. "While I am not interested in sharing my um.. current.. um.. well my.. rel-sit-.. current thing. I understand how things sort of just happen and then there you are and you are like huh, well that happened, but then do I want it to happen or do I not want it to happen or how do i feel about this should I feel about this?" Peyton gives Theo a look. All the look of a person not so into relationships that might have found herself in one.

Theo sits and waits over in his space and in his chair as he waits for Peyton to gather her thoughts and her water bottle for something to do. "I think that was me. Oh, red flag? Oh yeah, let's see what happens if I pick at it." He laughs a bit roughly when he says that. Not that it's a funny matter, but he can relate to what Peyton is telling him. "I uh thought a hook-up was more than that, and then after processing it, I realized that is all it was, and that took a bit to recover from."

If allowed, he invades only to pat Peyton's hand in understanding. "Hey, in your current situation, if you both are on the same page, no rule book says to go fast or slow. Do what is comfortable for you, the both of you and keep the communication open."

Hell, he is no expert in this, but still, he bubbles out that information anyway. He's done a lot of observing, and hence, Peyton gets his opinion as he straightens and sits back in his seat. "Life is hard. If it brings you happiness and your not harming anyone?" He shrugs.

Peyton smirks a bit to that. Her lips curve up. "I am more than likely the one that does the wrong not getting wrong done to me. If it was a hook up. I'd be the one to be cold and cruel about it, not the one catching feelings. I think I'm a little broken that way. I'm sure this is going to go down in flames, but for now. I don't know."

She shifts a bit. Feels talk is uncomfortable. "Just when I crash it and burn it to the ground. You buy the first three rounds, okay?"

"Sure. If you crash and burn it to the ground, I will buy you the first three rounds. I'll be your friend in this. And if you see me fuck up, you can let me know, yeah?" Theo laughs when he says that.

"You are older than me. So hopefully, I can use your experiences as learning lessons or something." Maybe that is the wrong word, but his intentions are meant to be well-meaning.

There is a slow narrowing of her eyes as Peyton hears him. At first, she's good and then there is that comment. That needless comment about her age. Peyton pauses and then taps her foot on the ground. She then hrms.

"Older than you.."

That might be his first idea that empathy tinge starts tingling. DANGER. He is in danger! Run. Run quick.

"Did you just call me old?"

There is a narrow of her eyes more that come across more cobra like. She doesn't hiss out loud but her look does. "Oh. Look at the time. I have to go somewhere not here."

"Naw. You are not old." Theo grins as he watches his words get a rise out of her. "Don't forget your clothes out of the dryer. It was nice hanging out with you, Peyton."

He rises from his seat to check on his laundry. "I hope I don't have to buy those drinks because of crashing and burning. If I am buying anything, it's because of victory. We can do a victory dance or something later." Grinning, he then proceeds to open the dryer, and his basket is on his hip as he gathers his clothes.