Steel City Cafe

[Crash Bandicoot]

He had to sigh again and reached over to wipe a tear off her face. "Don't you believe that everything happens for a reason? Don't you think...you maybe need some time for yourself? Space? To just...get away? Do what you want? That kind of thing?" Crash subtly shook his head. He should not be counseling this girl.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari nodded. "Yeah... but still... it just- it just hurts, you know?" She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

[Crash Bandicoot]

Crash looked down at her, then looked up and found that...he could relate. He sighed for what seemed like the millionth time, his arm seeming to automatically go around Ari and pull her closer. "It hurts...when your heart breaks. I know the feeling. You'll...become stonger because of it though...and uh..." More than anything he wanted to sigh overdramatically, stand Ari up, slap her, then give her a harsh but much-needed pep talk telling her to suck it up but he figured that might be overdoing it.

Instead, he absently brushed her hair away from her face. "Want me to harrass the cashier over there and tell him to make you a free scone and coffee? I'll do it. Someone's gonna get wailed on sooner or later and that one's just askin' for it." Crash pointed at one cashier who had slicked back hair, nerdy glasses with tape between them, and like fifty million zits on his face.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari chuckled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She pulled the sunglasses off and put her hood down, shaking out her hair. "Nah. But thanks, Crash. You're awesome."

[Crash Bandicoot]

He opened his mouth to let out a very conceited 'I know' but his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Ari. Jeez did she look horrible. This break-up thing really was taking a toll on her. When he found his voice again, Crash pointed to the ladies' bathroom. "You wanna clean up?"

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari chuckled. "Do I really look that hideous?"

[Crash Bandicoot]

"You want my honest opinion?" Crash asked with a smirk.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari punched him in the arm. "Eh. I might as well. I mean, there's not way I could look worse," she said, walking over to the bathroom to at least wash her face.

[Crash Bandicoot]

"Ow", Crash muttered when she hit him, though it was more of a reflex than anything. Neil used to punch him a lot. "Hey, and while you're at it...stop by the counter and ask the cashier for another coffee..." He looked at his discarded mess on the floor with a sigh.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari chuckled and waved her hand in the air, consenting. She walked into the bathroom and stared at the mirror.

Crash was right... she did look terrible. She hadn't eaten since the break up three days ago, so her face was gaunt and pale. She had the ghosts of mascara running down her cheeks, for the original streaks had run their course hours before. Her hair hadn't been brushed and was in tangled knots, looking shorter and curlier than it ever had in her life. She sighed, rummaging around in her huge purse for a pony tail holder, some deodorant (she quickly realized she hadn't showered since the break up... she was honestly surprised that Crash, let alone anyone, could stand to be in a five foot radius of her), and a brush. She washed her face and spent ten minutes trying to comb the narles out of her hair, finally deciding to throw it up on a pony tail when she had it semi-tamed. Ari grabbed a wet paper towel and walked into the bathroom, running it all over her body and removing her sweatshirt, leaving her in a slightly crinkled t-shirt and sweats. She then walked back out to put on some makeup. Upon finally deciding that she was slightly presentable, she walked outside of the bathroom and sighed.

Ari walked over to the counter and absent-mindedly asked the cashier for a coffee and bagel, finally realizing that she was really hungry. The guy handed her the goods, she paid, and she walked back over to Crash, ploppling back into the seat next to him.

[Crash Bandicoot]

Crash looked over at Ari once she sat down, surveying her appearance with somewhat amused eyes. "Well......it's an improvement, at least. I suppose that's the best you can do in the bathroom of a coffee shop, though would it kill ya to take a shower?" He grabbed his coffee, drinking little gulps for a while. When he'd had his fill for the time being, he stared at her arms. "Deoderant can only do so much and ya need a helluva lot more work, kiddo. You're a mess. So come on." He stood up and patted his pockets for his keys. "You can get cleaned up at my place. No one's home now anyway, and it's closer." Crash chewed on the straw of his coffee absently, staring at the door.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari sniffed, still not sure she could completely hold herself together for longer than the ten minutes that had already passed. She pinched the back of his sweatshirt with her forefinger and thumb and followed him out of the coffee shop like a child.

[Crash Bandicoot]

He felt her grip on his shirt and looked back to see her holding onto him. Crash smirked and turned his head forward, rolling his eyes. It was actually kind of cute how vulnerable she was, to be honest. He started to make his way to his car. "Y'know, playing with Lynx can make me happy most of the time. Maybe she'll be awake and you can bond." He smirked.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari's eyebrows lowered in question. "Who's Lynx?"

[Crash Bandicoot]

Crash smirked and opened the doors of his car. "My cat. She actually did this to me the other day." He showed her a long cut on his arm, running the length from the inside of his wrist to his elbow.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari grimaced. "Ouch. Why'd she do that?" She hopped into the passenger seat and pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and laying her head on her knees.

[Crash Bandicoot]

"...Cuz I was teasing her with a stick and I wouldn't let her have it. So she got pissed and attacked me." He smirked and shook his head, turning on the radio, where 'Teach Me How to Dougie' was playing. Crash drove off with a smirk. "She's not the average house cat, just a fair warning."

[Arianna Rivers]

"Should I be worried?" Ari asked with a small smile.

[Crash Bandicoot]

"Depends. Are you afraid of the cats at the zoo?" He smirked and turned a corner.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari looked at him, incredulous. "What kind of cat do you have??"

[Crash Bandicoot]

Crash smirked. "It's just a cat, Ari. It's nothing to worry about." He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw it. Whatever happened, he did give her a fair warning.

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari pulled her legs in tighter to her chest, feeling a wave of sadness coming on. She frantically started searching in his glove box for something she could read, something that would get her mind off Ace. She found the driver's manual and flipped it open to the first page, getting herself lost in the text.

[Crash Bandicoot]

Crash blinked and looked over at her weirdly, staring at the driver's manual in her hand, then at how she screwed up his glove box. He let out a small scowl. Everything had finally gotten into some kind of order in there and Ari just up and ruined that. He sighed and suddenly stopped when he realized he'd left his wallet in the cafe. "Dammit...hang on." He made an illegal u-turn and sped back to the cafe.

"This'll only take a minute." Crash grabbed Ari's hand and dragged her back into the shop while he looked around. All of a sudden, there was a loud BANG as the door swung open and a man carrying a bag and a gun entered, waving the weapon around crazily. "GIMME ALL THE MONEY OR SOMEONE'S GETTIN SHOT!!!" Crash looked at the guy lazily, unconcered as he picked up his wallet.

[Arianna Rivers]

(OH GOSH! Really.... really...)

Ari looked at the man and back to Crash, completely amazed at his unfazed expression. "Crash! Put down the wallet and get your ass over here!" Ari whispered, frantic.

[Crash Bandicoot]

((Really!!!! Haha something had to happen and I figured this'd be fun :3))

Crash blinked and had the nerve to start whining. "Whaaaaaaat? Are you serious?" He sighed heavily, like this sort of thing happened to him on a regular basis and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking calmly over to Ari. The guy aimed his gun at both of them as soon as Crash got to Ari, standing in front of her. "HEY!" he snapped, some spit flying from his mouth. "EMPTY THE REGISTER!!!!" He looked at Ari and winked. "And how about you come with me, cutie?" Crash just stared at this guy in disbelief. "For real? What the hell...?"

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari just stared at the guy, dumbfounded. "Hell no," she stated, glaring at the guy.

[Crash Bandicoot]

He chuckled and strode over to her, taking her arm in his hand. "You're fiesty. It's cute. Come on, I promise you'll have fun, huh?" Crash's eyes flicked over to the guy, narrowed as his hand reached into his pocket. "Don't be a dumb-ass. Let her go or..." All of a sudden, the power went out, shrouding everyone in complete darkness. Crash moaned. "Aw, come on!"

[Arianna Rivers]

Ari frantically tried breaking out of the guy's grip, to no avail. She cocked her arm back and punched him in the nose as hard as she could- at least, she hoped it was his nose.

[Crash Bandicoot]

And she hoped wrong. It was his eye but either way, it made him release her and drop the bag he was holding. Crash heard the sound of a punch, figured that Ari got punched, and ran blindly in the darkness until he rammed into the robber dude. "You're dead, asshole!" Crash tripped over the robber's bag, which felt like there was a lot more in there than empty air, fell into the robber, who in turn fell into Ari.

[Arianna Rivers]

"Ahhh!" Ari screamed as she fell to the floor with the robber and Crash on top of her. "Get. OFF!" she said, twisting to place her legs on his back. She pushed as hard as she could, not making much progress to get him off of her.