[OTA] It's the Best of Times

[dreamsofwords]

All things considered, one hasn't seen Alasdair writing much lately. He has been, of course - he's got deadlines - but he's been keeping it to late at night at his house, not so much in public. In light of things, though, school has been called off for the first few days of the week, and sitting in his house feels a bit oppressive just now.

So despite the cold, he goes out with his laptop, dressed for the weather in a coat, a scarf and fingerless gloves, and parked himself at a cafe table with a bottomless cup of coffee. He's tapping away, paying virtually no attention to the world outside.

Storms came and went in Chicago all the time, especially in the winter months. But this system was different. It loomed over the city like a bad mood, and wouldn't be banished, turning from rain to ice to snow and back again. Who knew, Dabney Rush thought as he watched the precipitation pummel the glass of his Gold Coast house, what this kind of weather would bring.

Absolutely, totally normal.

Comments

[heartvestment]

"--The conversation might've drifted that way for a moment." For more than a moment. "I didn't think I said anything too bad."

[dreamsofwords]

"About me? No, you would never." He doesn't look upset, though. Just quietly amused. Maybe it's because two years is a long time, and he's realized in retrospect that he did ruin things by trying to be too much, by masquerading as a perfect boyfriend with a perfect girlfriend. The truth was, neither of them would ever be that.

"Well, I'm sure I'll be able to handle it if she brings it up." He hoped Elani wasn't going to jump to his defense. He'd appreciate the thought, but...he'd made mistakes.

[heartvestment]

"Oh, shut up," she scoffs, rewrapping her scarf around her neck. Finally, she glances a proper glance at his face. "How... how are you?" Awkward.

[dreamsofwords]

"I'm pretty good, all things considered." Other than the fact that one of the tremors yesterday destroyed a good third of his dishes. Admittedly, it might have helped if he'd put them away instead of precariously balancing them on the kitchen counter. "Taking advantage of the unexpected day off. You?"

Awkward. Only more awkward if they'd run into each other in the grocery store and were having this conversation over turnips.

[heartvestment]

"I'm... fine, really. Um, getting ready to start helping out the kids with class picking and college decisions. It's that time of year." She shrugs a shoulder. "Hoping that my office doesn't get taken over by a random building."

[dreamsofwords]

"Ah yes. I'm not offering Shakespeare this year; they told me I didn't have to." He fought it tooth and nail every year, of course, because of bloody Henry and his obsession with all things Bard. "A Lost Generation class instead. I figured I could lure them in with the new Gatsby movie." And then they'd be trapped.

"It seems like they're going away now. For the most part."

[heartvestment]

She laughs a little. "Thanks for the heads up. Now I know I'm going to get the disappointed theater student who wishes you were teaching Shakespeare and will beg me to do something about it."

With a little huff, she glances away before properly looking at him. "I guess. Man, things are fucking up big time."

[dreamsofwords]

"He can always do an independent study with Master Henry." He's sure the theatre director would be more than willing, honestly.

"...Yeah," he says, and exhales. "It makes you wonder what's going to end up happening." In the end. Will they have to...move Outside? He goes a lot, but still.

[heartvestment]

“... it’s probably going to be alright, you know? It’s the Deck. It’ll be okay.” She doesn’t know what she’d do if they had to go Outside. She’s never left before, after all.

[dreamsofwords]

"Right. Of course it will be." He smiles a bit as he picks up his coffee. "Just the magic going a little wonky. It probably needs to be greased, least that's what Dad said at dinner this weekend."

[heartvestment]

"Hah. Maybe that's all. And, I figure until the Deck collapses, we still have to keep working hard. -Speaking of which, what are you doing?"

[dreamsofwords]

"Oh, you know, the usual." He shrugs. "Writing something that'll no doubt be read at some publisher's celebration of the most unlikely manuscripts."

what is this civil conversation.

[heartvestment]

"Well... I used to think that the chance that you'd actually publish something would but just as likely as the possibility of you actually growing up, so..." She offers him a hesitant smile. "Good luck."

It is utterly weird is what it is.

[dreamsofwords]

"One of them seems to have happened before the other," he says, dryly. Though, actually, the publishing happened first. While they were still together.

"Thanks, Evangeline."

oddoddoddoddodd

[heartvestment]

"Not a problem." She pauses, then- "Yeah, well, so, I have to go, so... I'll talk to you later.

[dreamsofwords]

He nods. "Have a good day," he says.

Well. That was weird.