Room 220, Sunday Afternoon/Evening

[swerval_zero]

The door was propped open by a brick Zero had scavenged from somewhere, and for once there was no loud music playing, not even over the headphones. Zero lay on the bed that was actually her bed, as opposed to the couch-like one, muttering to herself.

"'The king doth keep his revels here to-night:
Take heed the queen come not within his sight;
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she as her attendant hath
A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king...'"

"Gremlin baby Jesus!"

"Quiet, Fish. 'She never had so sweet a changeling;
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild;' bloody little usurper. That's my job!"

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hell if I know." Parker pushed her hair back and looked bleakly at Zero. "Stop feeling like this about Jarod? He doesn't feel the same way. Or he doesn't want to, same thing, I can't tell."

[swerval_zero]

"'M pretty sure you can't just turn feelings off, Parker. You've gotta deal with 'em. For good or ill."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Maybe. But I'm thinking that avoiding him for almost two weeks is a good strategy." She shrugged, looking tired. "Helped by me being in England from Saturday through Wednesday of next week. I told him I was busy with the play coming up too." Parker hugged herself, looking miserable. "They'll fade after a while, right? I mean, how the hell do you stand this? I don't like it. Why would anyone want this? Ever?"

[swerval_zero]

"Oh, you can stand it. You'll just be miserable inside. An' if it's meant to be...it really doesn't fade."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Meant to be." Parker snorted, but relaxed a little. "I don't see that happening. So maybe in a month or so, I won't feel like this? I can hold out that long." She sighed. "We had this phone call on Friday. And I just-- I couldn't keep kidding myself. That's all." She sighed. "Which is probably why Lee, and, you know. Everything."

[swerval_zero]

"Mm, yeah," Zero said noncommitally, because what she was thinking was, And de Nile's not just a river in Egypt, and she knew that wasn't what Parker wanted to hear. "I'm sure it'll just...blow over."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Parker went quiet. "But for now, it blows. And sucks. And bites. And I'd pay good money to have someone else suffer this instead." She put her head down on her knees, and sighed, closing her eyes. "Wake me when I'm over it?"

[swerval_zero]

Zero lightly bopped Parker on the head with her copy of the script. "Hey, now. If you're going to zuzz out for a hundred years or so until you're over him, do it in your own room. I can't be stepping over you for a week."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker looked up, and stuck out her tongue at Zero, then grinned. "Thank you. I almost went emo there, didn't I?" She straightened. "Right. Operation Avoid-and-Repress is now under way. Want to run lines? Hell, do we even have any lines opposite each other?"

[swerval_zero]

"I think you're pretty much unconscious whenever I'm onstage with you. 'Cept at the end. Sorry 'bout the donkey thing, by the way."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Enh. Talk about bad mojo. Just help me get His Freakin' Majesty at some point, and we'll call it good." Parker grinned. "For instance, making him carry the 'changeling child' should be punishment enough."

[swerval_zero]

"That shouldn' be a problem. No way am I carryin' the little bugger. I'm a henchwoman, not a nursemaid!"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Deal!"

[swerval_zero]

"Swerval. Er. You are goin' to get Gremlin Baby Jesus Changeling Boy a muzzle, right?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hell yes. Even if I have to get it specially made. Anyone who questions Us on that," Parker said, working the Royal Highness vibe, "Can be assigned babysitting duty for Our little darling."

[swerval_zero]

"You're very good at that."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker grinned. "Thanks. We'll see if it holds up under stage lights, and audience, Lee glaring at me, and Gremlin Baby Jesus escaping. Art thou ready to cause mischief, Puck?"