Private 1x1 roleplay with Meekins12345

[Meekins12345]

Her last comment seemed like a hint, a hint Zoticus wouldn’t just look past. Nevertheless, he wasn’t going to make her relive whatever she had been hinting at by probing her about what happened. Instead, the frown that graced his face remained, and soon he offered her his arm. “I do not have a preference on what mode of transportation we take, but knowing now that it’s only a block and a half away, I think walking would be most effective. I will walk near the road, so you do not have to be too close.” At that moment, in an attempt to calm her nerves, he flashed her a small smile. “You can hold onto me as tightly as you desire, if you find yourself still nervous.” He said softly.

[Hannah Grace]

Avery swallowed hard as she switched her hand from his arm, to reach for his hand. Holding hands instead. Entwining her fingers with his, she looked away, a blush starting to form across her face. Physical affection was her favorite, obviously. But it was what also made her more comfortable in awkward and nerve wracking situation. “Thank you. That’d make me feel better about everything, I’ll feel safer, too. I think I’ll be alright, as long as you don’t leave me alone. In traffic.”

[Meekins12345]

He couldn't help the subtle flush of warmth that washed across his own cheeks as he felt her hand take his, her fingers fitting in between his perfectly. Such a mundane act, and yet so intimate... something he hadn't found himself doing in a long time. Zoticus was still for only a moment as if pondering something, but soon just gave Avery's hand a gentle squeeze. If she wished to hold hands, and if that calmed her nerves, then perhaps it would be good for now. "I would not dream of leaving you in such a situation, Avery." And with that, he'd begin to lead her toward the theater.

The walk, unless something happened, was uneventful and quick. Traffic did seem a bit congested, but they passed most of it since they were walking, and Zoticus kept his hand in hers as long as she held his.

Once they found themselves walking into the theater, Zoticus did a quick scan of the lobby only to see that Brian was not too far off, waiting near the entrance of the viewing room, messing around on his phone. Zoticus merely huffed at the sight, soon glancing to Avery before motioning to her that he had found the man, flicking his head in the boy's direction.

[Hannah Grace]

Avery had seemed to be holding her breath as she searched about the lobby for Brian, her nerves rather obvious. Once she caught sight of Brian, she looked up at Zoticus, then back to Brian as she reluctantly slipped her hand out of his. “I-I guess I’ll see you afterwards? Meet out here? You won’t leave, right? I’ll stay with you, if you want.” The girl fussed, rather antsy. Her small form quivered slightly as she wrung her hands together.

“I’m scared. Really scared. I don’t know why.”

[Meekins12345]

A frown graced Zoticus's face upon seeing Avery's nerves fire up, and his gaze flickered down to their hands as she slipped hers out of his. Her questions, however, had him thinking for a moment, he soon looking to the figure of Brian before looking back to the woman before him. "I was going to come with you and watch from some distance away... but I think I have a better idea. Please, follow my lead for only a moment, Avery." At that point, he'd motion for her to follow him, and they'd both come up to Brian.

Who looked up from his phone, a smile lighting up his face, but it quickly disappeared once he saw her bodyguard was not leaving them be. "Hello Avery." He greeted nevertheless, his words woven with a false calm. His gaze went back up to the guard who even towered over him. "Is, uh, something the matter?"

"Miss Avery has confessed that she desires my presence during the picture, so I will be sitting next to her." Zoticus commented monotonously, as if it were a robotic response.

That had Brian raising a brow. "Can I ask why?"

"No, that is none of your concern." Zoticus looked down upon the boy, his voice seemed to grow cold. "Does that bother you, Mister Brian?"

Brian shrunk. "N-No... if it doesn't bother Avery, it doesn't bother me." His gaze looked to her then. "Are you, um... Are you ready to find our seats?" Brian's voice almost cracked twice before he finished his question, and Zoticus couldn't help the small smirk that appeared on his face.

[Hannah Grace]

“H-Hi. Uh, no, nothings wrong. I’m completely fine.” Avery managed a smile, her features suddenly seeming rather pale before she stepped sideways, suddenly a little shaky. “It-It doesn’t matter to me, how about y-you guys find seats? I don’t feel very good, I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.” She stammered and stuttered, clearly either overthinking everything, or it was one of her rare but slightly dangerous panic attacks.

Making her way towards the bathroom, she hadn’t made it to the bathroom before she stumbled towards the wall, losing her balance as her heart rate picked up, and she squeezed her eyes shut before turning her back to the wall, and quickly sliding down into a sitting position, vivid flashbacks of her childhood came and went as she struggled through her mind, everything moving in blurs before she lost consciousness, her breathing patterns irregular due to stress.

[Meekins12345]

Both men frowned as Avery nearly fled, and Zoticus had half a mind to catch up to her and ask her what was the matter, but her destination only hindered him. So, he was stuck alone, with Brian, who looked at him as if he were any other household servant, not meant to be here, not welcomed, and most certainly not of a more privileged status than he.

It wasn't exactly the most comfortable of situations to find himself in, but until Avery got back, he felt he had to remain where he was. He would give her some time, hopefully she wouldn't be too long.

However, Brian seemed to suddenly have the gumption to speak up. "What is your real purpose here?" He begged, causing Zoticus to look the man over, content to have his glasses on, even in a dimly lit place as this.

"This is common knowledge, Mister Brian."

"It's Mister Bernardi, to you."

"This is common knowledge, Mister Bernardi."

"Hmph. Don't patronize me, I am your superior, as is Avery. She just isn't well versed in the ways of the upper class yet. That doesn't give you the excuse to be chummy with her."

"You misunderstand, Mister Bernardi. Miss Avery has expressed that she desires that I, as you have stated, be 'chummy' with her." Zoticus couldn't help the little smirk that twitched on his face.

"I don't care what she has mentioned to you, you aught to ignore it and continue your duties like any other hired person." Brian bit in irritation.

"You are not my client, so what say do you have in the affairs of her?" Zoticus huffed.

"Enough, I have her father's permission to do so."

"Do you, now?" Zoticus's voiced dropped an octave as he slowly took a step closer to Brian, who took a step back. Zoticus took another, and the other, likewise. "For a man who boasts of power, you appear quite weak."

"Do not come closer to me." Brian's voice cracked as his back bumped against a wall. "I am warning you, I have guards too!"

"I do not see them, nor do the cameras see them." Zoticus huffed, setting his jaw before lunging for Brian's collar, soon tugging on it like a owner did a dog's leash. "Bluffing will get you nowhere, Mister Bernardi. I suggest you stop the charade while you have a shred of dignity left. I will not hesitate to end this pulse," a finger pressed upon the soft flesh of the boy's neck, "if I find you a danger to Avery... So play nice, little rabbit, for this game will not be played for long." He threw Brian off to the side before turning on his heels and casually striding off toward where Avery had gone. "If you will excuse me, Mister Bernardi, I must go check up on my client." He left Brian gasping for the air he nearly choked on.

She had been in there a while... he'd knock on the door, but remained near the side, so as to allow others to still go in. "Avery? Are you alright?" He'd try to call. Hopefully she would hear him.

[Hannah Grace]

An elder lady, possibly old enough to be Avery’s mother herself stepped outside of the bathroom, a panicked look painted across her face. “A-Are you with the girl? Sh-She passed out… or something. I-I don’t know what to do…” She stammered, before she hurriedly pulled her phone out, swiftly dialing 911. “I don’t know if she’s responding or not, I’m not trained in the medical field. There isn’t anyone else in there. You can enter.” She pushed the door open before stepping away to attend to her phone call.

Avery remained rather pale, unconscious on the tile floor. For a moment, she appeared asleep, but her features were pale, in an unhealthy, malnourished state. Her anxiety tended to affect her in rather severe ways, and in this case it wasn’t good. Since she hadn’t had anything to eat recently, a bit of the nausea was from lack of iron and other major vitamins she’d need to live. It didn’t help that her nervous system was a mess. Ever since she was little she’d had a hard time with her physical health, as she wasn’t as tall, nor filled out as other teenage girls had. Suffering from a irregular heartbeat at a young age had affected her immune system, and other factors.

[Meekins12345]

Zoticus, upon hearing the older woman's words, was quick to give her a nod. "Please contact the paramedics." Was all he said before rushing into the bathroom without so much as a second thought.

She was easy to spot, and he was quick to slide to his knees in front of her, assessing her current condition. He was no doctor, and only had experience treating his own wounds or the wounds of those in the group, but even so his knowledge was limited. He could see her face was pale, and that she was clearly unconscious, but that's all he could assess. He didn't recall receiving any information on her when he began working for her, besides the basic stuff that he had scrounged up beforehand, none of which was really health related. A soft growl escaped him as he glanced around the room with uncertainty. He didn't know what to do in this situation... but he did know that just leaving her there on the floor would prove uncomfortable for her and him alike; for her in such a position that she may wake up aching, and for him - for he was still a man who was a place not allowed of him.

After a moment or two of thinking, he eventually decided to pick her up, his hands tentative as he took her, as if any wrong move could very well break her, despite having done these same actions just earlier that day. He stood up with her in his arms, cradling her to his chest before wandering out of the room, soon nodding to the older woman, if she was still there. Brian seemed to finally manage the nerve to come over, only for his eyes to widen as well.

"What happened?"

"Back to your stupid questions, I see." Zoticus bit, now clearly more agitated than before. "The paramedics are on their way. All we can do is wait. You might as well sit." And without much of a second thought, Zoticus opted to sit down on a nearby chair, his arms still keeping Avery in a secure hold. Brian followed shortly after, sitting a couple chairs farther from the two. It'd be that way until, either, the medics arrived or she woke up. Whichever happened first.

[Hannah Grace]

Avery remained in her unconscious state until the paramedics arrived. The movie had started, meaning everyone was out of the hallways, which made things easier for them. The older women had seemed to disappear the moment the paramedics arrived, who knows where she was now. A stretcher was wheeled in, and a paramedic approached Zoticus. “Any idea if she’s breathing? We gave whoever dialed in instructions, but whoever it was hung up almost immediately after they were told we were on our way.” The young man had dusty blonde hair, and navy blue eyes. He appeared deft with his hands, as if this was an everyday occurrence.

“We’ll have to take her back to the hospital, as I can tell from how she appears that she’s got a couple vitamin deficiencies. Both of you wanna ride with? Or are you driving separately..” In a friendly, almost too-kind gesture, he reached forward, gently smoothing a few curls out of the girl’s face.