milliways_bar | (no subject)

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You know how you have those nights where you can't sleep? You toss and you turn, you doze off and then the slightest thing jerks you awake again, and then in the morning you feel cloudy-headed and grumpy at everything?

Ajedrez had one of those nights. And thus she is grumpy at everything.

Not her breakfast, though. The breakfast is a good breakfast. Just, the rest of the world which isn't nice, hot food.

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"I'm looking for an instrument for a child to start picking up later. Don't know if he's big enough for a cello yet. Thinking more along the lines of 'recorder,' since we don't have a piano and it'd be a bother to put one in. And drums, of course, must pass on the trade."

"You can buy children's sized cellos - they came in different sizes. A quarter ones and so forth. How old is he?"

"Yea high."

Because time's too difficult to explain.

"I'll ask him for his input."

She nods.

"I used to teach the children in my street, if you wanted a teacher at all."

"I'll keep your name in mind."

Except. Ramon.

Oy.

A little smile that says nothing and everything. She had to say it, really.

Milliways is slowly driving her insane.

"Have you got anywhere to go?"

Big cats in small cages.

"And would you be interested in doing some hit-work for the cartel? That I know we need more of. I'll tell Ramon to get in touch if you're interested."

"No, I don't. I have a friend who can take me to his Mexico, but it's...it's not mine, not exactly."

And then she stares.

And, slowly, grins.

"I would. I really, really would."

"Thought so."

Big cat, small cage. Recipe for horrible.

"It won't be soon, you know? We're on Christmas holidays still. Maybe a week or two. But we can pay you for what we need done, and I'll tell him to go to you next time."

Recipe for horrible, horrible trouble.

"That's fine, I can wait a bit." She doesn't add, it's not like I can go anywhere.

Because that'd be childish.

And the thing's there ahead of her anyways. Not just this bar, ending forever and ever.

"Stick clear of Sands, of course, it'd be a damned shame to get locked up just before we needed you. And he tends to provoke violence in even the most rational people. I almost murdered him once."

"I went out with him for two years, I know what he is like." But her tone is thoughtful.

Chance for working vs snarking at Sands.

She'd take the chance to work.

"I don't know how you managed."

And Random's even attracted to that gender, so it's really true. Not just some guy snarking. He has insight.

"It was either go out with him, or shoot him, and I couldn't be be bothered doing the paperwork. And then...I don't know."

He bets the sex was hot.

"I thought that. And then he shot Ramon."

Big mistake. Big. Huge.

It was. It really, really, really was.

"Ah. And now you are not so happy with him?"

"And now I keep him on his toes. In his defense, he was cursed at the time."

It goes around Milliways like the plague.

"He doesn't need to be cursed."

"Yes, but he knows better than to fuck with me when he's not, so I was excusing his judgement, not his morals. Not a man's fault when he can't remember that the boyfriend's going to sit on your chest and take the eyes back out again, then the tongue and the fingers and ears too."

Shooting. Ramon. Is. Bad.

(It's scary mostly because he says this absolutely cheerfully, in the same tone as discussing cello lessons.)

That gets a choked laugh. She doesn't attempt to eat, doesn't attempt to do anything, really, except to eye him. She's amused, never think that she isn't, but right now Random has a big label saying 'DO NOT CROSS. EVER' in flashing red lights in her head.

"Can I be you when I grow up? Please?"

"If you try very hard and spend nine thousand years learning that the best way to deal with annoying people is to go with your first instinct."

He smiles, innocently. Which is scary too. Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"I'll try very, very hard then." She promises him, good girl (daddy's girl little princesss) sincerity.

"You'll do alright."

He honestly thinks this. Says it like he means it. She's going to be fine. This place won't break her. She's stronger than it is.

"Survivor type. Something in the eyes, I suppose."

"Like I'm sure you know, you don't last terribly long in the cartel world unless you can survive. But...gracias." Softly spoken, the last bit, and she means it. Thank you for saying that, thank you for meaning it.

"I'm sorry for it sometimes."

Watching Ramon get cought in the thought patterns of it. Trapped by what he thinks is expected of him.