Chapter Text
Zanka Nijiku woke up with the startled grunt.
Raising his head up from the study table, he groaned and wiped his face subconsciously, inadvertently smearing his drool further all over his chin.
This made him snap into clarity from his still half-asleep state.
He reached for his vibrating phone swiped sideways, accepting the incoming call.
*It was honestly so annoying but he was too tired to turn the vibrations off*
"Hi Zanka here. What's up Riyo?", he asked reaching for his packet of baby wipes on the desk and wiping the drool vigorously off his mouth.
He felt a pang of gratitude that he was in a secluded portion of the old library and that no one saw his downright appalling sleeping habits.
"Uh yeah. Zanka dude you're not like on campus right" Riyo asked, her voice sounding awkward and muffled from the speakers. Hm. It was windy out.
"Yeah. I'm in the old library. What's the problem?", he asked checking on his textbooks open in front of him, his tablet long since dead.
Thank god he didn't drool on any of them. They cost him his money and mental health.
"Yeah. That freak boyfriend of yours was asking about you. The raiders and Cleaners had a run in at the lounge. I don't know man. He looked crazier than normal and that's saying something".
"Riyo please.", Zanka sighed, rubbing his eyes. I'm too tired for this. I told you he's not my boyfriend".
"Yeah but he was wearing one of your sweaters. And he had bruises on his face".
"It's the purple freak! Of course he has bruises on his face! He probably got hit on purpose. Also he stole my sweater! Started swinging that damned vital instrument of his at me on no man's land three weeks ago. I was dead tired after work and after 30 minutes I just slipped out of it and run back to my dorm. I didn't know the bastard kept it. Goodness. What crime did I commit in a past life to deserve-".
"Yeah, yeah man. Whatever. I didn't ask for a monologue. Listen he's looking for you. So you better get outta there if you're so pissed off about him".
"Thanks, noted. Thanks Riyo", Jabber said very gratefully as he ended the call and began to pack his things. He WAS dead tired. He had only managed to get two hours of studying before he succumbed to the sweet call of sleep.
Even worse he had three pending assignments, his part time job and his back was killing him. He was busy. Too busy for Jabber.
Just as he was about to head out of the library his phone rang again. It was Riyo again.
He picked it up wondering what she forgot to tell him. His fellow cleaner wasn't the most memorable.
"Heyyyy baby. It's me Jabbe-".
He immediately cut the call, his heart hammering in his ribs in irritation as his face morphed into a frown.
His phone rang yet again. He took a deep breath, steeled himself and picked up the call.
"Babyyyyy. Don't do me like that. You know how you break my heart when you ignore me. It is kinda hot though I ain't gonna lie. Got me feeling all sorts of feelings".
"Mr. Jabber. How did you come into possession of Riyo's phone?".
"Ooh. Mr. Jabber is it. Have I graduated from your usual bastard or freak. Boy am I glad. It was getting kinda stale. This new one is.... Exciting. OK, OK! Don't hang up the phone. It was a dare. She and the rest of you cleaners dared me I couldn't eat five hot chilly bowls back to back but I did it. Might have diarrhea later today but I did it. So anyway you heading to work?".
Zanka's face morphed in frustration and exasperation. The only reason he didn't hang up was because he knew Jabber would keep blowing up his phone all day from random numbers.
Once he had somehow called the smart fridge back at his family's mansion when they where in high school but that was a dark time he'd rather not think about.
"Yeah I am. Mr. Purple Freak. Some of us don't have free time to waste", he finally blurted out without thinking.
Ah shit. Why did he tell him that? Now he'd be annoying him during his shift.
"Cool cool. Uh. Zan-zan. Sweetie? Yeah this is probably an app error but I sent you a message on Vibe. It was my playlist titled our kids with the vision board and music. Don't know if you saw it."
"Used a new account since I couldn't find yours on my old one. It says I can no longer send you messages? What's uh", he chuckled "what's that about? Do you have your apps hidden to strangers or something? Yeah. That must be it right. Say yes or I'm finna crash out".
Zanka walked groggily forward, only half listening, his vision mildly swimming. "Jabber. Jabber if you shut up I'll let you have my used baby wipes. I know you collect them. Please just stop talking".
There was a loud silence then a low hum. "Add a few locks of your hair and toenails".
"Deal", Zanka said agreeing. With Jabber you didn't negotiate. It would just make your life more tedious. You don't argue with crazy.
"See you Mr bad attitu-".
Zanka cut the call, turning his phone off. He then staggered his way to the dorms. He had two hours until his shift and he was going to make every use of it.