Nell sighed at him, and he reciprocated with an angry growl. She said, "the point is that I'm alive."
He bristled, "No thanks to you! You ran off and just left it to me to rescue you. What the fuck were you thinking?"
Nell wisely realized he was being rhetorical. He kept talking, ranting about her bad choices, and eventually she (unwisely) snapped back at him. They argued back and forth until they were much too tired to carry on. The two recognized their exhaustion gave up talking simultaneously and sank, sluglike, into the couch. Nell fell asleep, and Derek dozed to the shows where white trash shouted at each other. The noise of the television disturbed neither until, about eight hours later, the 9 @ 9 news came on.
Travis Armstrong had showed up to work, as usual. The Afterdark woke up to catch the crime segment of the news. He was fed a steady stream of bullshit by Seer about the boy, Daniel, who had been reunited with his parents. No other people or evidence had been found in the building.
The Afterdark frowned. He'd killed a few people last night, and credit was not being given where it was due. He supposed that Platform's death wasn't discussed because Seer didn't want to have to explain a familial relationship. The segment ended, and Derek turned off his television. He got up and showered and brushed his unnaturally sharp teeth, kicked off his shoes, and changed from his black "criminal" outfit into normal clothes. With a blanket from his bedroom, he returned to the couch and to Nell. When he put the blanket on her, she did not stir. He rested in a sitting position, watching Nell out of the corners of his light blue eyes.
In her sleep, she mumbled things, most of which he couldn't make out.
He bristled, "No thanks to you! You ran off and just left it to me to rescue you. What the fuck were you thinking?"
Nell wisely realized he was being rhetorical. He kept talking, ranting about her bad choices, and eventually she (unwisely) snapped back at him. They argued back and forth until they were much too tired to carry on. The two recognized their exhaustion gave up talking simultaneously and sank, sluglike, into the couch. Nell fell asleep, and Derek dozed to the shows where white trash shouted at each other. The noise of the television disturbed neither until, about eight hours later, the 9 @ 9 news came on.
Travis Armstrong had showed up to work, as usual. The Afterdark woke up to catch the crime segment of the news. He was fed a steady stream of bullshit by Seer about the boy, Daniel, who had been reunited with his parents. No other people or evidence had been found in the building.
The Afterdark frowned. He'd killed a few people last night, and credit was not being given where it was due. He supposed that Platform's death wasn't discussed because Seer didn't want to have to explain a familial relationship. The segment ended, and Derek turned off his television. He got up and showered and brushed his unnaturally sharp teeth, kicked off his shoes, and changed from his black "criminal" outfit into normal clothes. With a blanket from his bedroom, he returned to the couch and to Nell. When he put the blanket on her, she did not stir. He rested in a sitting position, watching Nell out of the corners of his light blue eyes.
In her sleep, she mumbled things, most of which he couldn't make out.
