InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "What is this, a missile launch"

Sarah Pryce {Persephone} (themaidenkore) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2010-06-18 02:07:00

Entry tags:

hades, persephone

Who: Sarah and Roy
What: Coffee + catching up
Where: A coffee place nearby
When: Wednesday afternoon
Warnings: Pfft none

Sarah was, admittedly, looking forward to seeing Roy again. He wasn't an ex-boyfriend, which meant there would be none of that awkward chitchat where they either a) tried to subtly find out about current/former relationships or b) pretended one - or both - wasn't still bitter about the breakup. If she had it her way, she would never see any of her exes ever again. Old friends, however, were more than welcome in a brand-new building.

Luckily her shift ended fairly early, so she had plenty of time to shower and pick something to wear that was beyond her usual attire of cutoff jeans and t-shirts. In the end she decided on a purple tank top and capris, leaving her hair loose and grabbing sunglasses and her purse before heading out of the apartment. They'd agreed to meet at a coffee shop nearby, and she knew she was a little early - but what was the point of hanging around the building waiting for a few minutes to pass? She didn't mind waiting, and ordered an iced coffee to sip while she watched people go in and out expectantly. Some time had passed, but she was still absolutely positive that she'd recognize him directly on sight.

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perishedking
2010-06-18 03:17 pm UTC (link)

Roy got to the coffee shop a little early himself, planning on picking up a coffee and scoping the place out for a good place to sit.

He'd gone out of his way to look pulled together but not over the top. Clothes were not something he cared overmuch about, but in dealing with the sort of people he did for his job, they were paramount to a good first impression. So he'd developed at least some small skill in looking presentable, and he arrived at the coffee shop in a loose black shirt and dark slacks.

He wore sunglasses from the moment he stepped out of his apartment. He liked any excuse to wear them, really, and it was legitimately a bright day. Sunglasses wore the world down to muted colors and turned the numbers into unwashed grays, so that any information he might pick up from their color was wiped away.

He pushed the door to the coffeeshop open and walked up to the counter pulling his sunglasses off and tucking them into his pocket. He ordered an iced coffee (black) from the barista (000:03:02:16:29).

He spotted Sarah while he was waiting for his coffee. She didn't look much changed. Older, of course, a woman when he'd known her as a girl, and even more beautiful. When shemade eye contact he offered a small smile, and it took the barista two tries to get him to acknowledge his coffee on the counter.

He walked over to her. "You beat me here. I feel shameful."

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themaidenkore
2010-06-18 07:06 pm UTC (link)

One elbow rested on the table, chin on her hand as she wondered if another iced coffee would put her way over the normal caffeine intake, and if it did was it really such a bad thing? Her gaze began to wander, but once the spotted the man in dark clothing it immediately snapped back to the door. Even with sunglasses, it only took her a few seconds at best to recognize Roy.

Sarah leaned forward on both hands and waited for him to spot her, pressing her lips together to keep back an amused smile. She took the few minutes in which he ordered his coffee to study him, deciding that he did look different, yet there was still much of the boy she'd known in school. She grinned once they made eye contact, barely able to wait until he approached before standing.

"Only by a few minutes," she countered with a laugh. There was a brief moment of hesitation before she stepped forward to hug him, which was - at least for her - an entirely platonic gesture and therefore not awkward in the slightest. "You look good," she commented before dropping back into her seat and gesturing for him to do the same. It was an honest observation, although there was something there that she couldn't quite put her finger on; but then again he'd always been a little too hard-working for his own good.

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perishedking
2010-06-18 11:25 pm UTC (link)

The hug was a bit of a surprise but not at all unwelcome. He squeezed back, just enough, not too much, and let go when she did. The urge to hold her any longer than that came, and then passed. It was just so good to see her again.

He looked tired, but he always looked tired. In fact, if he didn't look tired, that would be the time to raise the alarm.

He sat down across from her. "So do you," he said. "Botany and plant sciences are treating you well, I see."

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themaidenkore
2010-06-19 05:54 am UTC (link)

"They are indeed," she agreed with a smile, brushing aside the fact that lately things hadn't been going as well as she'd hoped. It didn't look too good for her when flowers wilted too soon and plants shriveled up, but she knew what she was doing - it was probably just a patch of bad luck. "Plants are very therapeutic, you know. Plus they're like silent, stationary pets."

Sarah tilted her head slightly to the side, sipping her coffee. "Is lobbying for palliative health care treating you just as well?" She noted that he looked a little tired, but kept herself from asking too many questions about work habits and sleep.

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perishedking
2010-06-19 05:03 pm UTC (link)

"That require only water and food maybe once a week. As pets, they're fairly low maintenance. Good choice."

"As well as can be expected," he said. "Sometimes I feel like I'm making no progress at all, sometimes I feel like I'm making leaps and bounds. Sometimes both in one day, but more the former than the latter. That's the nature of politics."

He would have preferred to be on the care side, actually helping people. But after his fights with his old friend, and the way he was opposing him on the political scene now...no, he'd have to stick to the rights fight instead of the actual care.

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themaidenkore
2010-06-20 12:46 am UTC (link)

"Exactly. Plus, I'll never have to worry about neighbors complaining about barking at 4am." If there was one thing she'd learned from living in apartment buildings, it was that neighbors loved making noise complaints. Whether it was because they secretly enjoyed inconveniencing others or found it a way to relieve boredom, her last apartment building was constantly being visited by the police - who were none too pleased to find they'd been called because of loud music. "Then again, I don't think I'd have to worry about that here. So far a lot of my neighbors seem to be fond of loud music themselves."

Sarah had never pretended to be very knowledgeable about the political field, but she did know that nothing was ever easy when politics was involved. Not as easy as it should be, at least. "Progress is never easy," she agreed softly. "But people like you make it possible." She'd never regretted her career path, but it was hard not to admire people who actually made a difference, or at least tried to.

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perishedking
2010-06-20 05:25 pm UTC (link)

"So I keep hearing," he said. "I'm not near any of those apartments, but people seem to love to complain about them."

He smiled a little. "You're giving me a lot more credit than I deserve," he said. "I do a lot of hand shaking and breakfasts with minor political figures. It's like trying to tunnel through a mountain with a hand drill. I envy your job. Less punditry, more quiet.

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themaidenkore
2010-06-21 07:18 am UTC (link)

"You're too high to have to worry about the lower floor drama. See, 201 loves to blast her music and can only be reasoned with via food. 308 suggest earplugs to cope with his music, but would like complete silence during the night and earlier morning. Then there's 303 and 301, who have already engaged in 'loud-offs' and will probably do so again." She managed to keep a relatively straight face until the end, laughing at how absurd it sounded. "And then there's me, more of a spectator than anything. At least it saves me from having to buy a radio."

Sarah took another sip of coffee, shaking her head. "The hand shaking and breakfasts are all a part of something bigger, though. They're like... stepping stones. It might seem slow and pointless, but eventually they lead somewhere. My job isn't like that." She pulled a face. "I'm not saying it's pointless, just different." Admittedly, working in a greenhouse likely wasn't half as stressful as dealing with politicians. "There must be something you to do unwind, right? A way to blow off steam?"

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perishedking
2010-06-22 02:28 am UTC (link)

"That's a nice way of looking at it," he said. "Problem solved, from that perspective."

"I draw," he said. He made a small circle on the table with his finger, as if that illustrated the act. "Sketches, mostly. It's good for me. It forces me to focus, and to think. Drawing requires the utmost attention of the hands, but the mind can wander a little. I like it for that, even if I'm no good." He looked up, pausing for a moment to take her face in. She practically glowed. It was something he'd never really been able to explain, but part of what he liked about Sarah was her lightness, her ability to skip past things that bothered her without them dragging her down, like her dismissal of her neighbors. Any other person would have been on the phone with the landlord in ten minutes.

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themaidenkore
2010-06-22 05:05 am UTC (link)

"Exactly. What good would it do if I became one of those people that utilized caps lock to 'yell' at people over the forums? Aside from providing temporary entertainment." Getting angry wouldn't accomplish anything, and for some reason all it seemed to do was encourage them. As difficult as it was sometimes, tolerance went a long way; and then when it did get too loud, the offender was usually more willing to be accommodating to a neighbor that hadn't complained ten times in the last month.

It sounded distantly familiar, the fact that he drew, and she attributed it to one of those high school memories that she'd let slip through the cracks. In trying to forget some parts she ended up forgetting things she hadn't wanted to. "Really?" For some inexplicable reason it made her smile, and she leaned forward slightly. "What sort of things do you sketch - still life, like fruit and things, or people?"

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