greatexpectations | zari tarazi

"Like the Dewey Decimal system... but for hair. Awesome." He grins and shakes his head while he starts to pluck items carefully from the bag, toss it in the air, then carefully scrutinize the label before slotting it back into his proper place. Almost like he does this all day, every day... "So. How was the trip?"

"Nerd." Zari complains like she's any cooler. He's doing great so she lets him off the hook quickly. She occupies herself with putting the clothes away. There are too many as always. "The trip was perfect... minus the demon." She looks absolutely blissful until Zari remembers that thing. She frowns at the memory of it. "John really needs better security. My crazy stalkers never get that close." Because of course she has those. As usual Nate gets to hear all her casual mentions of terrible things that go on in her world.

"And proud," he counters in the most nerdy way imaginable, naturally. He's onto the multiple types of dry shampoo and about to ask if he should categorize by brand, ingredient or fragrance first when she gets to the demon. His eyes go wide as he makes an executive decision to go by brand, slamming the first bottle against the shelf a bit too hard as a little shiver wracks his spine. "Of course those things would find him whenever he goes. Ugh, was it super creepy? Or was it all deceptive like the unicorn monster?"

Zari notes the extreme reaction with a raised brow. She had been starting to arrange her clothing by tops and variety of bottoms. She can't let that kind of extreme reaction go unnoticed. "Let's hit pause on that for two reasons. I kind of want to know about the unicorn monster for one. The second thing, and this is the part I need you to explain to me, why are you so freaked out by demons?"

She clearly isn't despite the whole Encore/meeting one on vacay thing. Zari was too young to really get what happened at Heyworld. She doesn't even really remember that the man who scared her mother on the television had been Ray Palmer much less that he was possessed at the time. Safe to say she doesn't know the Desmond saga either. Zari has no reason to get why Nate is so freaked. She only wants to know why.

He has to keep reminding himself Zari wasn't around for any of John's wacky magic mishaps, though he supposes she's seen enough up close by now to get the gist.

"Well, second thing first: one took over my BFF - and his wife, so it's kind of a big deal to me!" He's not defensive so much as excitable (always) and he takes a break from categorizing to sit back on the floor a second as he recounts the unicorn tale. "It was the 70s right? Totally groovy, Jim Morrison was there and that part was awesome. This beautiful unicorn showed up, just like you see in the fairytales. It shot rainbows across the sky and everything... then it betrayed us by impaling and eating all the hippies!! Not radical at all, man. John sacrificed Gary's nipple to save us or we probably wouldn't have lived to tell that tale..."

Yeah so she can care less what happens to Gary. John could sacrifice a whole arm for all it bothers Zari. She does care about who that BFF must be and his wife by association. "Wait! A demon took over Raymond?!" She practically screeches at that question. It only takes a second before Zari is fuming. She actually teamed up with Ray during the whole keeping Nate in the dark thing. Zari actually still keeps in touch with him. He's a good social media buddy!!

"Oh, that thing better hope I never see them! No one goes after the other half of Team Zaray!" She points for emphasis. It's on sight, bro!! Never mind that it's historically gone really bad for John's significant other whenever Neron is involved. It's not like she knows any of that. It's doubtful he'll come back too so no harm done.

Even Nate can't be bothered to worry about Gary, really, unless he's actively killing them. Which happens more often than he'd like to visit.

"Woah, you guys have a team name? That is... so cute." He's charmed af and also a tiny bit jealous!!! He shifts so he can keep putting her shelf of haircare back together even while discussing this very disturbing issue. "I don't think he's coming back around again after... all of that, but I'm actually surprised Constantine never told you any of this."

This is literally why poor Behrad got stuck calling Gary out. Zari smiles proudly when he calls it cute. That was a nice touch on her part. She loves Ray for going along with it and all her antics. Zari resumes her clothing sort now that the shock has passed. If Nate says it isn't coming back, Zari is inclined to believe him. He's earned that from her.

Zari does give him a side eye at the suggestion. "Seriously? We never talk about the past for longer than two minutes at a time. We like to stay in the present. I'm pretty sure you know more about my past than he does." Thanks to her oversharing when they met. Why she lonely or did Other Zari influence that? Who could say? It's done now all the same. She doesn't seem to mind they're not the kind of couple who has deep conversations about that.

"That's very... modern." He isn't sure what else to call it really, though he snorts at him knowing more about her than John. It's flattering in its way. "Is it like a secret? Because I am a vault if so. With triple-layer security and biometrics and everything."

"It's not a secret." Zari points out before she runs that over again. Maybe it is actually. John literally snapped the neck of a guy who went after her and that was before they were dating. How is he going to take hearing about a man who exploited her as a child and put her in a position to take back everything that was rightfully hers as a teenager?

"Actually lock that one down. I pretty much ruined that guy so he couldn't pull that with anyone else ever again. He doesn't need my magical boyfriend showing up like a decade later for revenge."

He's about to say it sounds like a secret when she renegs and he nods at the explanation. Pretty much what he figured.

"Probably a good call. He's the vengeful type." Which kind of makes him lucky to be alive, huh? His eyes widen a little at the thought as he starts to make some actual progress on this bag, though it seems bottomless really. "You have a lot of hair, but can you use all this stuff up in like, your whole lifetime?" He gets the influencer thing to an extent, and he's kind of a packrat himself, but this is even ridiculous to him.

"Yeah he is not someone screw with." Zari winces at the memory of that snap. Sometimes she forgets just how dangerous her boyfriend is. Add that to the pile of things to never examine. It helps that Nate actively offends her with that statement. She glances at him like he's stabbed her in the chest. "Rude! Can you read all those books in the library?!" She's just saying!! It's the same thing!!

Nate chuckles at her reaction, touching the bottles in the front row and rotating them all to face the labels forward.

"It wasn't a criticism, it's an impressive collection." Though, he has to point out... "Books don't go bad. Which is great because I'll be like, old by the time I finish them all. Especially if I keep getting distracted by the Greats."

Zari must have her favorite products too, and he touches his hair idly in thought. It's not like he's a stranger to hair care okay, he probably has the second-best hair on board!!

"Do you have a rec for me...? I always get these weird sticky-uppy pieces right here in the front."

She drops her anger immediately. Maybe John isn't the only one who can't stay mad at these people and their dumb faces. Zari is sorting blouses when he asks the question. She drops them all dramatically, face lighting up. "I have so many recommendations! Do you want some from my brand or something you can get in the 2020s? I mean I am willing to stock you with mine of course, but absolutely not pressure." She pauses a second like she's trying very hard not to crack.... until she does. "We're completely natural in case you were wondering." PICK HER, CHOOSE HER, LOVE HER.... BRAND. :')

"You have your own line of hair stuff?!" He knew about the perfume, obviously but he already has a ~signature scent OK. "Of course I want that. All these other brands are so obviously inferior." Though he maybe only recognizes one on the whole shelf. Friends support friends' small businesses wow!!!

Zari can't control herself. She claps, swaying from the balls of her feet to her toes in excitement. "Yay! You won't regret it. That perfume launch was a total fluke. I only release the best." She's already dashing into a drawer to get it. What? It's not weird to have already set aside ideal products for each Legend. "Hang on. I already picked out the perfect set for you."

"You did?!" Nate jumps to his feet, way too excited about this as he trails behind her to said drawer. "Is that one for everyone because like, we should totally get everyone on the same hair level. We'd be un-hair-stoppable."

"Oh, I'm way ahead of you." Zari informs him cheerfully as she reveals a set for each Legend... minus Mick. Sorry. She can't do anything with a shaved head! She pulls out the mini-set for Nate and presents it as a gift. It also helps she put a little bow on it. Clearly she's had this planned for a while. "I was going to force all of you to take this as a gift next month for the holiday, but you can have it now. A month should be enough time to think of something new."

"Woah," he says, somehow infusing reverence into such a silly word as he takes the package like it's the most precious thing he's ever been given. Nate looks from her to it a few times before blurting, "Can I hug you now?"

His reaction is literally why she loves giving gifts. Zari shifts from one foot to another like an excited little kid. The question is met with an enthusiastic nod. "I actually love hugs when I'm not at award shows." Those dresses are basically held together by tape and prayers. :( She holds out her arms. "Come here."

"That sounds like a story," Nate admits without asking for details as he steps into Zari's arms all too eagerly, his gift still clutched in one hand as he squeezes her. "Hugs are awesome."

"Oh, it's a story." Zari confirms as she pulls away at just the socially acceptable time. "I can tell you it if you help me finish putting all this stuff away and tell no one about my secret gift drawer." Zari is confident she can keep him away from the sexy stuff. She's less confident about Behrad hearing about the secret gift drawer.

He snorts before nodding like a loyal puppy as the hug breaks, still grinning like a fool.

"If there's one thing Heywoods' specialize in, it's keeping a secret." He whispers the secret-y part and gestures vaguely at the bags, putting his hands on his hips as he waits for instruction.

Zari laughs despite herself. What an actual loser. It charms her endlessly. She gets back on task pretty quickly, scanning the bags and mentally reviewing what's in each one. She starts putting from there. "Okay let's divide and conquer. Take those four and I'll take the other four. Don't touch the other two. That's camera equipment." And lingerie, but whatever. He doesn't need to hear that. "Empty them out and I'll point you at where they go." It will forever be a mystery how she keeps so much in this tiny room.

He has a sneaking suspicion it isn't just camera equipment at all the way she says it, but Nate knows better than to challenge it, going for the bags she points out and tearing into them without further ado.

"This is like, a lot of stuff for seven days. You guys must have been really busy." His eyes go a little wide, but he doesn't correct himself as he dumps out the stuff and starts sorting it into categories before she's even told him what's going where.

zari tarazi | dctv

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