milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Mike isn't so much seated at Bar as he is slumped over her. He hates days like today. You know the kind, where what you've been putting off all week just has to be done.

The concern du jour is the lack of writing on this week's Happy Hour schedule. There's just no amount of squinting that's going to make writing magically appear on the calendar before him, and he knows it.

It's just unfair the way the universe works, you know? That procrastination can't continue indefinitly.

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"You know, ask someone to cover for your work. Like if I'm away from work I get a locum to cover."

"Oooooooh! Hah! Right right, I thought you meant...like...because of the turtle thing...nevermind.

I could, but it'd mean bonding them with Bar."

"Ah, sounds difficult and possibly painful."

He runs a hand through his hair. "So, we start with tea?"

"I've been told it's not that bad, though...well, apparently milage varies there."

Mike sighs then shakes his head.

"But yes! Onward to inner peace! Okay, so told you the bit about the turtle, and showed you the picture. I did this because well...when you're cold-blooded drinking hot liquids is really kind of...well, you really really notice it. So it was easy for me to just focus on that feeling and go from there.

It...might not be so overwhelming for you? But seriously, just focus on the warm. Make your mind go warm colors. If there's a sound that goes with that, go with that.

You're in a safe space here, there won't be any judgments made."

Mike slips off his sneakers and slowly rotates his ankles, which crack and pop as he does so. He bows first to Guppy and then to the tea tray, before lowering him onto the cushion settling into a kneel.

Guppy, unsure what to do, gets up, bows to Mike, then gets into a kneeling position as well.

Mike's quasi-professional demeanor cracks enough for a smile to shine its way through.

Without further ado Mike begins the procedure of making tea. Normally he doesn't truck so much with the i-dotting and t-crossing aspects of life, but tea is a horse of an entirely different color. It's the one aspect of his training where he allows himself to excel past the abilities of his brothers. Raph can't boil water without burning it. Don is too methodical with his measures. Leo gets lost in the symbolism. Mike though, Mike actually loves the tea, and as any good chef can tell you the secret ingredient to any good food is the addition of just the right amount of love.

Now...if he could only get around to actually loving the flavor of tea, that'd be something.

Mike pours Guppy a small ceramic mug of tea and carefully hands it over to him.

"Don't drink it yet. Just hold it in your hand and see if you can't find the color of the temperature in your mind."

Guppy holds it carefully, wondering if Mike means to think of the green in the tea or the red of warmth. He decides to go for green.

"Green?"

"If green is how you want to roll, go with it."

Mike pours himself a cup of tea.

Guppy thinks of green. Sort of a... tea coloured green.

"Hold the green in your thoughts. Nothing but the green. Everytime you feel yourself slip away from the greeness, take a sip of the tea. Let the green of the tea fill up any available space in your mind."

Mike holds the cup of tea with his palm and closes his eyes. He sits perfectly still, which in and of itself is an achievement for him.

Guppy tries to, pushing away all the worry as much as he can.

Mike cracks an eye, just to check on Guppy's progress.

Guppy's expression is one of deep concentration. Like the one he wears when performing procedures he's not technically qualified to do.

"If you uncrinkle your forehead you can fit more green in there."

Suggests Mike, gently.

Guppy attempts to do this, ending up with an expression that looks somewhere between confused and having recently had botox.

Yeah...there's no way to not smile at that, so Mike gives in to the urge.

In his attempt to concentrate on his face, Guppy ends up choking on his tea.

Now that got him thinking about his oesophagus.

"Mayhaps the tea-route was the wrong way to go about this..."

"I'm okay, sorry." Guppy goes red with embarrassment and tries to stop coughing.

"Nothing what so ever for you to be sorry about. If like, anyone should be sorry here, it should be me.

Would taking off your pants help?"

"No, really, you're being very helpful." Guppy says. "I just got distracted by what face I was supposed to be pulling."

Blink. "Er, I don't know, it's not the first thing that would have sprung to mind."

Mike shrugs and says simply.

"Some people relax better without pants."

The chances of Mike being a part of that some are quite high.

"Well I never really tried it, so I'm not sure."

"Your call. Totally your call."

Guppy looks at his trousers. Well, you have to be prepared to try new things for success, so he takes them off.

And feels like a bit of a fool. He tucks his legs in self-consciously, to hide the few scars visible.

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