(no subject)

[isaysimplewords]

Today, when Cal asks for his first of too many cups of (decaf) coffee for the day, a napkin pops up.

In answer to your questions about the passage of time - you've been here a month as of today.

"Oh." Cal stares at the napkin. ". . . Thanks."

A second napkin shows up. This message is written in a looser, more sprawling script, the written equivalent of a gentle change in tone.

It gets easier, Cal.

"A lot of things get easier," Cal points out. "Doesn't mean I'd recommend all of them." It's meant to be somewhat sharp, but comes out mostly just sounding tired.

In answer, his coffee appears, accompanied by a muffin. Cal rolls his eyes. At least it isn't toast. He takes the coffee, the muffin, and the second note, and finds a seat toward the back.




[OOC: Would prefer tags from people Cal knows, friends and acquaintances both. If you really want your pup to meet/talk to him for whatever reason, I am totally pingable. Thanks!]

Comments

[likesthecoat]

"That muffin looks delicious," Ianto says as he takes a seat near Cal. "Gift from the Bar?"

[isaysimplewords]

[OOC: Now with non-borked HTML! We hope.]

"Hi," Cal smiles. "Yeah. I guess she noticed I was getting sick of the toast."

Either that or death anniversaries have themes, like wedding anniversaries, and dead for a month gets you a muffin.

It's a bigger deal than that, of course, and it's sinking in bit by bit, but Cal's mood is more okay than he might have expected. Ever since he figured things out and got his music back, he hasn't felt quite so overwhelmed.

[likesthecoat]

"You should try beans on toast sometime. It's a good way to eat toast."

[isaysimplewords]

"Beans?" Cal asks. "Like, from a can? Or green beans?" That last a bit doubtfully - he doesn't really see the benefit to either one, but green beans would just be a little more ridiculous.

[likesthecoat]

"From a can," Ianto says. "In a sweetish tomato sauce. It's comfort food."

[aimedforthemoon]

Towards the back is where Esfir is, still attempting to tame her (long, impossibly thick) windswept hair.

She's never, ever, had it loose downstairs before.

"Pryvet, Cal!" she calls out, almost absently.

[isaysimplewords]

"Hi?" The questioning inflection is faint, but there, because Cal doesn't know that word. He assumes it's a greeting, but he's not a hundred percent on that.

The hair may also be a factor. That's new. And there's existential angst, and the memory of their last conversation, but Cal has not forgotten what sparked his interest in the Russian astronaut, and he is very much reminded of it as he looks at her with her hair down.

[aimedforthemoon]

Amused,

"Yes. 'Hi'. Or sometimes, 'hey', but they mean same thing."

[isaysimplewords]

"Pryvet." Cal tries it out. His pronunciation is pretty solid, since he did just hear the word five seconds ago. Try him again in half an hour and see how it's holding up.

[a1enzo]

Enzo wanders by, holding a file window in one hand. Every so often he taps at it with the other, but a lot of what he's doing is staring and brow-furrowing.

Either way, though, his eyes are on the file. Since he doesn't have the mun's years of practice developing her peripheral vision, he's in grave danger of bumping into stuff.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal glances up, spots the familiar figure, and hesitates. He's had time to think, and to conclude that he just needs to watch himself and not be overbearing with Enzo. Not act like another adult on his case.

But warning someone before he trips and lands on his face isn't overbearing, right? Right.

"Be careful, Enzo," he calls, immediately undermining his own decision with a traditional parental admonishment. Oops.

[a1enzo]

And is answered with a traditional juvenile reply: "I know, I know." The accompanying eyeroll, however, has a smile under it. "Hi, Cal."

[isaysimplewords]

"Just saying," Cal says quickly. "I met a guy who thought the furniture was trying to kill him." Thinking about it, rafter guy might not have been wrong. Cal still hasn't managed to figure out how a person could drop from directly over a table and land on the chair.

[livewithrats.livejournal.com]

Krycek is situated somewhere near the back of the bar, sprawled out in a booth, head dangling upside down over the edge.

This is his "I am dying of boredom and would be dead if I weren't already" position.

The cat settled atop the table looks just as bored as his owner.

[isaysimplewords]

The instinctive human response to this is to tilt one's head as far as possible in a futile attempt to match the person who is upside down.

Cal is now doing this, while thinking that it is fairly appropriate to run into Krycek again today.

[livewithrats.livejournal.com]

Now that is an amusing image.

Still, though, the bored look remains.

"Should I expect to hear a hoot?"

[isaysimplewords]

"What?" Cal hadn't even noticed what he was doing, although, judging by the precarious angle of his coffee mug, he probably would have in another second or two. He laughs and straightens back up.

"No, not today."

[cutting_edgex23]

X approaches him a little carefully, making sure he can see her.

She has trouble remembering to make noise when she walks.

"Hello."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal smiles in greeting.

"Hi, X. How are you?" It still feels a little odd to use a letter as a name, but not half so much as it did before. Cal is continuing to learn that odd is relative in Milliways.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I am okay."

Beat.

"I am staying here."

People seem to think that is important to know.

Then--

"You are okay?"

[isaysimplewords]

Cal shrugs in answer to that, asking, "You weren't before?" He doesn't know anything about his various acquaintances' living arrangements unless it comes up. He sees the same people around, sure, but doesn't really notice where they go.

[not_lugosi]

Bela did not see Cal last night. Not that she looked around for him or anything. No, not at all. If she had looked for him, it would have been to avoid him.

Tonight, though, she does see him. She freezes, mid-step, on her way to the bar for a drink. If he looks up, he'll see her.

If he sees her, she has no idea what will happen next. It will pretty much depend on whether he ignores her or not.

The funny thing is, she'd like to talk to him again. The idea, though, makes her stomach tighten up in knots.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal does look up.

He's not sure how many days it's been since that argument, but it's been a while. Things have happened. He's not as annoyed as he might be otherwise.

So he nods and offers her a little smile. He won't be too offended if she ignores him. It was her birthday, after all.

[not_lugosi]

It is ridiculous how relieved Bela is to see that smile. She returns it, and shifts her course to walk over to his table.

"Hi," she says, her voice more tentative than she'd like it to be.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal's smile turns more cheerful. People not being angry at him is good. He's got enough to worry about as it is without adding to it. So he says,

"Listen, I'm sorry I was a dick the other night. I hope I didn't wreck your birthday."