Iris West doesn't have a death wish, okay? (tellsyourstory) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2019-08-12 12:23:00 |
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After the whole ‘by the way, I’m alive’ bombshell that had happened right before Father’s Day, Iris had been throwing herself into her work more so than usual. It wasn’t that she was avoiding what she had learned, it was just a lot and she still needed to work. And with no actual office as she was still freelancing? Iris had set up shop at one of the many coffee shops in Orange County.
Thankfully she had gotten there early and snagged a table, her notes from on the border crisis pulled up on her laptop. As she was seeing on the booth seat and thus had a wall to lean against as opposed to the empty chair on the other side of the table, Iris just leaned back as she grabbed her coffee and took a drink. This was definitely going to be one of her ongoing stories. There were a few of those.
Now if only she could find an actual publication and have something more steady.
Hanna had been more upset that she had a right to be, considering she had been the one to put the brakes on things with Caleb after he’d told her the truth about what happened between them in the dreams. She didn’t think she was wrong, per se, in wanting some space, but it also reminded her that she really didn’t have any friends as when she’d left his apartment wanting to talk to someone she had nothing but that creepy text message Careful Hanna, I hear prison food makes you fat - A’ to keep her company and no one to talk about her break up or that weird text with.
That was - and she would argue this until the day she died - the only reason she had a large hot-chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows carefully balanced on the tray alongside a piece of cake.
“I’m so sorry,” she started, balancing the tray on the edge of the table. “Do you, like, mind if I sit here? The only other free table is with that guy over there,” she indicated a guy who had his head tipped to the side as he blatantly stared at a nearby woman. “And- honestly, I’d rather sit on the trash can.”
That was the funny thing about the Dreams, if you could call them funny. Funny strange, yes. Definitely not funny ha-ha. The emotions that could bleed over from them, or how things in them could impact your waking life when honestly, they really shouldn’t. Because there was no controlling what happened in them, just life here. Unfortunately for Iris, life here was complicated and the matter of truth had just been compounded by the timing of the Dreams, though she at least had mostly gotten through those emotions (it helped Barry had told her the truth months ago) and was now just dealing with the giant lie her dad had been telling her for over twenty years.
But work was also wonderful for distracting herself with that.
Hearing someone ask if they could sit with her, Iris looked up from her work to the young woman in front of her, then followed the gesture to the other open seat. Which just led to a wince at the guy’s antics. Turning her attention back to the blonde, Iris gave a nod.
“Yeah, go ahead. No one should have to put up with that if they can help it.”
Hanna settled as she slid herself down onto the seat and pushed the tray further onto the table, letting her bag drop off her shoulder and onto the floor with a thud. “Thank you so much,” she enthused, carefully taking her items off the tray and onto the table. “I just- ugh, I couldn’t bear to sit over there.”
She reached a hand out over the table. “I’m Hanna, by the way.”
Iris just smiled some. She certainly knew what it was like to want to avoid a person. She hadn’t always been a journalist after all. Oh no, she had worked in places like this and knew customers like the one Hanna was avoiding all too well.
“It’s totally fine, I get it.”
And with an offered hand, Iris reached across and shook the younger woman’s hand.
“I’m Iris. Nice to meet you, Hanna.”
Hanna grinned. “Yeah,” she said, “you too.” Having spotted the laptop she offered an apologetic smile. “Don’t feel you have to, like, talk to me or anything since I get that you’re probably working. A lot of people come to coffee shops to work. I don’t think I could do it, too noisy, you know? Too much going on.”
As Hanna noticed the laptop, Iris just shrugged some. After all, she didn’t mind one way or the other. Yes, she had a story she was working on and no real deadline, but she also knew how coffee shops could be. Usually she just tuned people out but if she was going to be sharing a table with someone? It was a play it by ear situation.
Though she had to admit to being amused as Hanna was saying she didn’t have to talk and was probably working and then just rambling. Nothing wrong with that.
“It’s fine. And I guess I’ve just learned to tune the noise out. This is hardly the most chaotic place I’ve had to work on a story at.”
“It isn’t?” Hanna asked, not completely joining the dots between ‘work on a story’ and Iris’ profession. “Are you a writer?” She leaned forward a little. “Where is the most chaotic place you’ve had to work on a story? What kind of story?” Wide eyed, Hanna only looked a little bashful as she realised she was bombarding a stranger for information. “Uh- sorry.”
“Investigative Journalist,” Was the correction to being a writer, though it wasn’t that far off from the question on if she was a writer. Just more specified. As for most chaotic place? “Airports tend to be pretty chaotic. But I’ve also been at refugee camps, and everything going on there.”
As Hanna apologized, Iris just shook her head.
“It’s fine.”
Hanna’s eyes widened even more and her mouth dropped open to a little ‘o’ before she was leaning forward again, her cake and coffee completely forgotten about. “That’s the kind of journalist that does all the stories where you gotta go digging for clues, right? And find stuff out that people don’t want found? Is it as exciting as it sounds?”
“It is, yeah. A lot of questioning and interviews, going undercover if necessary. But what can I say, I enjoy it.” And since her dad had said no to the whole her going into the police academy? Next best thing. Though he undoubtedly was regretting that at times given the places Iris went for work. But no matter, she was an adult and capable of defending herself. “What about you? What do you do?”
Hanna let out a genuine gasp, somewhere between excitement and surprise. “That sounds like literally the best thing ever, but also super dangerous if you’re at places like refugee camps and stuff ‘cause they’re only ever in real bad places, right?” Not counting whatever it was that was happening at the border here. Hanna didn’t really understand it, but she knew it was bad. “Me? Oh, nothing interesting. I just graduated college so I guess I’m looking for a job?”
“It depends. Usually it’s more dangerous outside of the camps if it’s set up because of civil wars and unrest. It just depends on which one you’re at, and how far from fighting you are if that’s the cause of seeking asylum as opposed to climate related reasons.” As for everything at the border? That was definitely something Iris was working on as well.
As Hanna answered the question, Iris nodded some.
“Nothing wrong with that. Anything in particular? Or just trying to find something?”
“That’s like, the best thing. I couldn’t do that job.” And she couldn’t; Hanna knew she wasn’t the smartest person out there and she figured being in camps where there were wars meant there wasn’t much electricity and she would be hard-pressed to find a pair of straighteners. “I have so much respect for people that do what you do.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, I really wanna go into fashion but that’s hard and I gotta start from the ground up but I’m impatient. So I guess anything, right now? I’d love to be a junior buyer for a retailer or something, but there’s not much out there right now.”
“Well, it’s not for everyone.” There was a discipline needed and being up for the travel and being able to tell the stories that were told. And being adaptable to whatever conditions there might be. “But thank you.”
Taking a sip of her coffee, Iris listened as Hanna answered the question about wanting to go into fashion.
“Well, patience is pretty much needed for everything, so it’s not like you’re alone in that.” Then there were different hurdles depending on systemic issues, however Iris really had no idea about the fashion world. “I’m sure you’ll find something. Orange County is close enough to LA that there are more opportunities available than you might have elsewhere if you don’t mind the commute.”
Hanna chuckled into her coffee. “Yeah, I mean, I literally have no patience. None. It’s not-” She cut off as her cell phone buzzed and she glanced at it before quickly flipping it over. The message was the same one that had been bothering her for a few weeks now, the same message over and over, she’d received it in her dreams, too, in something she felt was the start of something really really bad.
“Anyway, yeah- I need to get up to LA and see if there’s something there, or just look more. Gotta remember stuff isn’t just gonna be handed to me because I’m good at putting outfits together.”
If Iris actually knew Hanna and was closer to her, she might have questioned the text and reaction. As it was though, the journalist instead just quirked a brow. Definitely not a normal response but she also knew how people could be insistent or the like and just annoying. Still, her instincts said there was something more to it.
But the conversation moved along, so Iris let it.
“As someone who has been looking for a permanent work placement, that’s all anyone can really do. Just keep trying and putting yourself out there until something comes through.”
Hanna gave a little nod of her head and just tucked her hair behind her ear, poking at her food with the fork she’d been given. “I guess so, one day it won’t be totally disheartening, right?”
She offered Iris a small, cheeky grin and added, after a moment, “But maybe if you ever work on any stories in the fashion industry you could… put in a good word for me?”
"In theory." It was always disappointing not to get a job after putting yourself out there, but it was part of life. Not much to do besides keep trying.
"If I do? Definitely." Not that it was her usual lane but that didn't matter at the moment. Noticing the time, Iris started getting her stuff.
"On that note, I have an interview to get to. Good luck with the job hunt."
Smiling with a wave, Iris turned and left once her bag was shouldered.