Jessica Moore (lovesaves) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-06-12 19:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !partner thread, doug ramsey (cypher), jessica moore |
Who: Jessica Moore and Doug Ramsey (Cypher)
What: Running into each other
When: Recently
Where: Some cafe
Warnings: None
Status: Closed and complete
There came a point where Jess just couldn’t deal with her coworkers anymore while trying to edit one of the books that had landed on her desk. The constant stream of interruptions as they poked their head in to ask how it was going or if their boss was back from whatever meeting had taken him away from their publishing house. The man had a secretary right outside of his office and Jess would just never be able to understand why they didn’t ask his secretary - that was their job. Just like Jess’ was to edit this book and work with the author to make it the best they could. And wanting to do her job to the best of her ability by their deadline was what ultimately drove her out of the office and to a cafe nearby where she could work in relative peace and stay caffeinated, and get something delicious at lunchtime which judging by the way her stomach was rumbling right now needed to be now.
She closed the manuscript, capping her pen and sliding both into her bag before standing up and stretching and moving over near the counter to study the menu board on the wall to see if they had any specials that appealed to her today. She shook her head with a smile when the worker asked if she was ready to order lunch yet. “I’m going to be a few more minutes making up my mind. Go ahead to the next customer,” she said, looking around to make sure that she wasn’t standing in the other person’s way.
***
Doug smiled as he stepped in, having looked forward to eating again here, bouncing as he glanced around, then spotted a face that looked familiar. “Jess, isn’t it?” He smiled to her and waved, moving slowly toward her. “From the Valarnet? I’m Doug. I think we’ve talked a few times.”
He offered her his hand, smiling.
“How’re you doing today?”
***
It took Jess a moment to match up the face of the young man approaching her with the guy she’d talked to a few times on the network but once it clicked she gave him a friendly smile and waved back at him. “Nice to actually meet you Doug,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand. “And you’re right - Jess. Only people who call me Jessica are my parents when I’m in trouble,” she said, open and friendly like she always was with people she’d talked to a few times and hadn’t had any major disagreements with. Although thinking back on her conversations with Doug they’d all been pretty pleasant.
“I’m good. Taking a break from work to get something for lunch. This is one of my favorite places to come during the workday. How about you?”
***
“And you. “And you, too.” He smiled as he shook her hand. He was enjoying meeting people from the network. So far, it had gone well. One had even saved his life. He winced as he remembered that night.
It was not a pleasant evening. He was hoping today would be better.
“Exploring, trying to find new things to see, and new places to eat. I figured I would start at one I haven’t eaten at in a long time.” Seemed like a good idea to him.
***
Jess noticed the way the man winced but she didn’t comment on it, just filing it away for later. If an opportunity came up for her to ask him about it without it seeming incredibly awkward she would.
“Starting at one you used to eat at sounds like a good idea. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite thing to order. Or remember an old favorite. Personally I love their sandwich and soup combos, no matter how hot it is out,” she told him. “So what places have you found that are new?” She was always looking for new places to go and new things to try.
***
“I hope so. I just want to learn what i like.” He shook his head. His voice fell softly. “I died in my dreams, and ever since… some things have been different.” LIke things he liked or didn’t, and ways he felt about things. And memories, some memories were different.
It was weird.
***
Jess didn’t even think before reaching out to touch his arm gently when she heard him say that about his dreams, just wanting to comfort him like she would any of her friends. “Doug...I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine how weird that must be for you.” She said softly.
“Do you want to join me for lunch? We can talk more and get to know each other better.” She said, the offer coming out of her impulsively.
***
Doug blushed and smiled lightly as she touched him, then shook his head. “It’s okay, really. I’ve had time to adjust to the idea, you know? But my whole life is a little different and I’m still figuring out all the ways how.”
He smiled softer, and gave her a grateful look. “Sure. I mean, I would love to, if you’re sure. I don’t mean to impose.” Doug didn’t want her to do it out of pity, but he felt she was an interesting person, at the same time.
***
Jess hadn’t made the offer out of pity - she’d done it out of a desire to get to know him better. And because while she didn’t want to go back to her office yet she was getting a little lonely by herself. “You wouldn’t be imposing at all. You’d be doing me a favor keeping me company while we eat. I’m running the serious risk of turning into a hermit over there in that corner and forgetting how to do anything but work,” she said joking a little bit.
***
Doug smiled a little more at that. “In that case, my answer is yes.’ He smiled at her. “No hermitting! We shall talk, and hang out, and call this time george.” He paused, then shrugged. “Or something like that.”
He grinned at her.
***
Jess grinned back at him, relaxing a little more. She could definitely see herself enjoying hanging out with him. She liked spending time with people who could relax and didn’t seem to mind being silly from time to time. “Please promise me you won’t let me get started talking about work. I came down here to get free of my office and I need to take a break. New friends are excellent reasons to take a break.”
She made up her mind and placed her lunch order, using her card to pay for it and waiting for Doug before heading back to the table. “One thing I love about this place - they bring the order to you so we don’t have to be listening for numbers or names or anything like that.”
***
“Alright.” He made his order, and then turned back to her as they walked toward a table. “NO work talk. Just fun talk. What do you do for fun?”
He settled opposite her and smiled, listening. “Perfect. Now I can just bounce at you.” He grinned at her. “I’m finding life much crazier but more interesting these days.” Which was sometimes good, and sometimes bad.
***
“Lately I’ve been a bit of a homebody, staying home to read or watch a movie and not going out like I used to. I’m not really sure why. I guess I just haven’t felt like going anywhere.” Jess admitted. Part of that was the time of year, everywhere she liked to go was going to be packed with tourists, the curse of living near Disneyland she guessed. The other part was that her best friend was normally busy with his own life and while she was super happy for Regulus that he’d met someone he was clearly crazy about and that he got along so great with his boyfriend’s kids - she missed hanging out with him as often as they used to.
“What about you? What do you like to do for fun?”
***
Doug nodded. He could understand that. People changed, and time went by. It wasn’t a bad thing to be a homebody. He thought, anyway. He smiled to her, even so.
“Maybe we can go out and explore together, then. Have weird adventures, explore strange new shops and restaurants, and still make it home safely to dinner… well, make it to dinner safely somewhere, even if not home.” He grinned again.
Doug blinked at her question, then nibbled one lip. In a flash, he decided to tell her all of it. “I used to swim and surf a lot. Now, ever since the dreams got intense, I mostly learn languages, read, and play with computer code.”
***
“I’d like that actually. I’ve lived here most of my life but there’s always something I haven’t seen before. Sometimes because it’s new and sometimes because I just haven’t stumbled across it before. There’s a guy on the network who runs a nightclub and I keep planning on going down there but I just haven’t yet. Something you might be interested in for exploring with me?” Jess asked him as the server came over with their orders. “Another thing I love about this place on top of it being walking distance from my office - about this time they aren’t that busy so you get your food quickly.” She told him.
“What languages have you learned?” She asked him, before biting into her sandwich.
***
“Then it’s a deal. Adventuring together.” Doug grinned at her. And he nodded at her question feeling bouncy at the idea. This was exactly what he had needed! “Absolutely! We can hit it, enjoy it, and then flee to an all night cafe of one of our places and defrag. “
He grinned wider as he took his order. “Exactly. They do seem very quick and the place smells great!” He hoped the food tasted as well as it smelled.
“Well, Seven programming languages, French, Chinese, and something called Shi’ar. It’s an alien language. But I have not been looking at other languages much, yet. It seems like if I do, then I get drawn in, and a few hours later, I can read, write, and speak it.” It was weird, and hurt his head a little. He shook his head before starting in on his food.
***
Jess almost choked on a french fry when he told her he’d learned so many languages. “I didn’t realize there were even that many programming languages.” She said, reaching for her cup to take a long drink once her coughing fit subsided. “So - what are aliens like really? Or have you not met any of them? Stormtroopers show up here enough that I know what they’re like. And avoid them,” she said, setting her cup down again.
***
Doug blushed red, then grinned at her, and sipped some water before answering. “So far, in my dreams, they are either huge assholes, or really nice, really innocent beings.”
He chuckled. “One of them is my best friend in the dreams, a living machine being, who is supercool. But most of them really are assholes.”
He dug into his meal more and nodded. He was enjoying this, and enjoying his time with her. Once he had eaten some he smiled.
“We definitely have to do this more.”
***
“So they’re just like humans but not from our planet. I should have been expecting that. Still not trusting storm troopers though. Overall they just seem like dicks. In the movies and when they’ve shown up here.” Jess told him with a shrug.
“I am definitely for that.” She raised her glass in his direction briefly before taking a sip. “To an interesting new friend and getting to spend more time with him getting to know him better.”