milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Bela arrives, moving a little more slowly than usual, but with her familiar smirk. It's been an interesting day. In the end it was a quite profitable one, even if she's paid for it in bruises.

Ghosts can be so pesky when you try to take their treasures.

Tiny tag: Bela Talbot, Cal Chandler

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Marshmallows? No, really, are those marshmallows? Maybe he's a Boy Scout.

Bela laughs and salute back.

"Oh, very." He grins at her, reaching down to take her hand. "The Bar dressed everyone like pirates. Apparently it was some kind of holiday. There were some pretty interesting get-ups." A slightly pained expression crosses his face. "I had leather pants."

He has accepted, by now, that he got off exceedingly lightly compared with plenty of other people, but that doesn't mean he has to be happy about it.

Hey, what else are fireplaces good for?

Jamie grins, and gestures with the stick in a way that is meant to indicate his willingness to share, if people are so inclined.

"Yes. I procure items for a select clientèle of buyers. Mostly occult items, but sometimes more traditional antiquities and artworks. It's quite a lucrative business."

"How old is Merry?" she asks, making with the polite conversation.

The toddler makes her very uncomfortable. She tries to never involve children in her work dealings. Ever.

She nods, thoughtful, and takes a slurp of smoothie.

"I guess it would be. Occult books are worse than textbooks."

"Leather pants? Damn it. I miss all the fun." She leans in for another kiss. Kissing Cal is a fabulous thing to do.

Then the whole pirate bit processes.

"Wait, pirates? Really? How? Did you just- wake up in pirate clothes?"

No way. Boy Scout is actually offering her a marshmallow. This is too much.

She heads over anyway. Why not?

"You're pretty free with your marshmallows, it looks like."

"He was a year in July," says Amy. "Weren't you, darling?"

"Beeeeeeeeeee," says Merry happily.

"We had quite the celebration."

The worst of the rationing was over by July, and the kingdom needed a party.

"Well," Jamie says reasonably, "they're cheap."

More expensive things do not get offered away so easy.

"Well, they are if you have to read them. If you get to sell them, then they translate into Ferragamo pumps."

Cal agrees. Bela kissing him is most definitely a very good thing. As is him kissing her right back.

"You and Sam with the leather pants," he snorts. "How about you guys wear them next time?"

. . . this is a plan Cal can get behind.

"Uh, no, it happened when we came downstairs. Or ordered something. I dunno, it was different for everyone." He laughs a little. "Sometimes a door would open, and someone would look in like, 'Oh, fuck this,' and close it again. I guess it happens every year."

Oh dear God... The cute is terrifying.

"The kingdom needed a party?"

Shit. Is she a queen or something?

"I didn't know things like that could happen. Doesn't sound like much fun to me," she frowns. Ah, control issues.

"Sam? Is this your mystery man you're so close about?" She nudges him playfully with her elbow.

"Yes," says Amy. "We'd had a rather difficult year before, and the first birthday of the crown prince seemed a good time to focus on the fact that things are getting better."

So, yes. She is a queen (there's no or something).

Bela huffs, mock offended. She takes a marshmallow anyway.

She never got to be in Girl Guides when she was little. Toasted marshmallows taste much better than she ever thought they would.

"Not bad."

A look of pain crosses Buffy's face.

"I got the wrong calling," she says plaintively.

"Not bad?" Jamie echoes.

"That's pure toasted sugar you're eating! I think it deserves a little better than a 'not bad.'"

"Thank you," Cal says. "Jesus, finally somebody sane around here. Some things should be voluntary." They have a matching set.

"Uh." He laughs uncomfortably. He'd forgotten he'd even mentioned anything at all about Sam to Bela, vague though it was. "Yeah." And here are some more of Cal's issues on display.

"You really ought to start charging, at least some of the time. If you do special favors for people. I mean, I know it's good to save lives and all, but what's in it for you?"

She blinks.

There's a pause.

"Their...lives?"

"Oh, I see. You're the Queen of Ambergelder. And... you come here?"

This does not seem to be a suitable hangout for a queen. With a toddler.

Is bringing a kid even allowed? If you're a queen, then apparently so.

She kisses him on the cheek, and the subject is dropped.

"Yeah, I don't get into the instant makeovers unless I ask for them. Even though I do want to see you in leather pants sometime. So let me guess, lots of corsets and pirate wenchery abounded yesterday, yeah?"

Pirate movies are popular right now where she's from. She knows the drill.

"It's very good. I've never had one before, but I knew what they were. In theory."

Cal smiles. Maybe he can have this conversation without getting into a bunch of weird, unpleasant shit. He gives Bela's hand a squeeze and admits,

"I still have them, if the cleaning staff hasn't gotten hold of them yet." Well, if she's interested, he may as well put it out there. He still maintains that it is questionable taste, but he can put up with it if she will be helping him back out of them.

"Yeah. Serious stiletto heels, too. Esfir was actually over five feet," he adds with a laugh.

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