forum Stronger than Some // Roleplay with Crocs

Started November 01, 2019 by Deleted user

tune

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"I'm sure it'll be fine." She said, focusing on the TV for a second before nodding. "They're gonna go interview another player." She sounded incredibly sure about that, and sure enough, next thing, they were pulling a different player to a stop, shoving the cameras and mic in his face.

"Good," he grumbled, still obviously frustrated about the entire situation but calm enough that there was no need to comment on it anymore. "Is Criminal Minds on? I hear it's on its last season."

"I'll check. I watched the first season while still livin' at the club, but Hank broke the TV throwin' beer around while drunk. Gonna be weird seein' somethin' in the last season." She commented, patting his head twice before grabbing the remote and switching to the guide to look for the show.

"Maybe," he said, scooting up so the back of his head touched her stomach. He found that even more comfortable, so he settled into the spot. "I watch it every once and a while after a game is done, but I typically don't make it to the end."

She glanced down at him for a moment, carefully shifting to make the way he was laying a bit more comfortable, before clicking on Criminal Minds. "Huh. So you're 'bout as clueless as I am."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "They typically show who the murderer is about half-way through the show, so I don't see the point in continuing it. All of the action of taking the people down seems fake compared to the things I watched the Reapers do."

That drew a strange noise from her, like a choked off exhale of air that didn't seem to have any point, until she spoke, and one realized that it was sort of a laugh. She sounded amused. "Ah, yes. The finger incident. Ya got lucky, that was just breakin' 'stead o' choppin' 'em off. I told Caleb that was a bit overkill." That was just one thing, not even mentioning the other acts of violence he'd witness, including almost being caught in a gas station shooting that was entirely a plot to take out a group of Panthers who'd been causing issues. As soon as the 'shooter' had stepped into the store, Khione had grabbed Raymond, dragging him out into the parking lot.

"It felt like I was in a real life Cops scene whenever I hung out with the whole gang," he mumbled. It was hard to tell if it was him whining or just making conversation. "It's the reason why I never actually joined it. I could never do things like that."

"Tha's probably a good thing. If ya can' do it, and you're already one o' us, chances are ya won't make it long. It ain't easy work, for sure." She said with a nod, eyes on the screen as she tapped her knee with her fingers. "Never leaves ya, either. The things ya see."

"At least you'll be away from that stuff for a while," he said softly, looking up at her face for a moment before returning his gaze to the TV. "Maybe the time away will reduce the amount of nightmares you have."

She stilled, taking in a slow breath as she thought that over. "Maybe. I-" Whatever she had been going to say, she decided against it, growing quiet again. The nightmares aren't all to do with the Reapers, though. And maybe those ones would never go away. "Imma miss a few of them, the Reapers. They gave me a home."

"I've missed them too, despite how bad they are," he admitted, jumping slightly when a gunshot was fired on the TV. No matter what the situation was, the sounds of guns always made him jump, a result of the situation that Khione had just thought about. "It's nice to be around people I know."

She moved her tapping hand to his shoulder, not placing it on it, just resting it against his shoulder. Like she was offering comfort. "It is. Some o' 'em are good people. Rico, obviously, and Silas most o' the time. Couldn't'a gone so long without Kaitlyn, either."

"Silas was good at basketball, too," he said, his body beginning to loosen slightly. His voice portrayed no hint of emotion, however. It never did. "If he was as tall as me he would probably be better than me."

"He didn't like it as much as you did though. Didn' have the same love." She said with a small shrug, turning to tapping on his shoulder now. "Silas was an ass sometimes, but he was one of the three people I really trusted. He's the one who helped me learn bits and plays that made no sense."

"College and pro basketball is a lot more complicated than college," Raymond agreed, feeling the tapping but not really sure why she was doing it. It didn't hurt him or anything, though, so he let it happen without making a comment about it. "He watched my games with you?"

"Yeah. One of 'em, all the way. He got called out o' on the second one early, an' was workin' durin' the third. Recorded 'em though." She leaned her head back against the headboard as she tapped his shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. "Helped me out during high school with the practice plays too."

"Why not just ask me?" he asked, looking up at Khione's face again. This time, his expression portrayed slight confusion, his eyebrows furrowed aver so slightly and his lips pursed a bit more than they usually were.

"I felt…kinda stupid, when I didn't understand what I was reading or watching in prep for the next day." She admitted, eyes still closed. She looked more relaxed than usual, for sure, her face not quite as harsh. "An' I didn't wanna try'n help you without knowing it. Didn't wanna ask you and feel stupid either. 'Cause o'…y'know. So I asked Silas."

"There's a lot of complex motions, rules, and plays that go along with basketball," Raymond said, shrugging with the shoulder he wasn't laying on. "You wouldn't be stupid for not knowing everything about it. I don't even know all of it."

"Still felt like I would be." Khione murmured, her breathing slowing just a tiny bit with her eyes closed that long. "You always seemed to know what you were doing, and I was always two steps behind. If I couldn't get it, I at least wanted to keep up."

"It was just…instinct, I guess," he said, rolling over onto his back to look at her face. "My brain doesn't think all that much when I play." After a few moments of studying Khione's face, he asked, "Are you tired?"

"Hm? No, I'm not." She said, another one of those blatant lies of hers. She really never could lie to him, no matter how hard she tried. "Just…resting my eyes. For a bit."

"You should get some rest," he said, lifting his head up from her lap and sitting up. "It's been a pretty long night, and knowing you, you haven't slept in days."

"Can't sleep." She said, shaking her head and finally opening her eyes. He was right. She hadn't slept in days, and was definitely feeling it tonight. "I don't want-the nightmares. I don't want to deal with that tonight. Maybe tomorrow."

"You need it," he insisted, shaking his head to her protests. "Maybe being away from the city will keep them away. And….I can sleep with you, if you need it. Well, go to sleep, I mean."

"It won't." She said simply, taking in a deep breath before exhaling it with a loud sigh. "But you being here might. You really aren't gonna let this go, are you?"

"You need sleep, Khione," he said, looking down at his lap. "I've heard horror stories from the guys in the NBA who didn't get enough sleep. One of them had to go to the hospital. I don't want that for you."