Man, you know. Sometimes it just sucks to be a socially anxious vigilante. You're always worried about taking charge when you're out of costume, and God help you if you happen to see someone you know from your 'night job' when you're in civvies. You just want to leave off deciding which cheese product to buy (cheddar, or reduced-fat 'american slices'?) and get the heck out of there.
Daniel hurries along, hunching up his shoulders a little and trying to not be noticed by Montoya -- sure, the chances of her recognising him are infinitesimal, but you never know -- and manages to, instead, collide head-on with Cal.
Someone being helpful? Well, that's a first. "Monday." Cal sighs, straightens up, and looks up at Renee. Almost instantly, he's analyzing her. Why though? Simple answer. Habit. "Well, thanks." He picks up a container of yogurt and looks it over. Strawberry would have to do.
Cal looks up, just in time to collide with Daniel. Wham. The yogurt containers he was holding flew out of his hands to the floor. Cal picks up the container, then looks at Daniel. "I didn't know the yogurt section was this popular," he said, dryly.
Renee's half-a-smile turns into a sardonic one at the collision. This would maybe where the non-helpfulness kicks back in, as she leisurely leans over and snags a fruit on the bottom container rather than aid in the yogurt collection... well, Cal has it under control, doesn't he? And if anybody would help, it's probably the doofus that ran into him.
"Oh, Tuesdays is when the old folks center busses in. Veritable stampede."
The poor doofus does, in fact, try and help pick up the scattered dairy product, at the very least picking up his own cheeses. He winces as he pushes his glasses back up over his nose cast. "O-oh -- jeez, I'm sorry... are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Cal bluntly says, reassuring Daniel. Glasses and a nose cast. Well, that certainly gave a good impression. Thankfully, the worry was real. He nodded abruptly at the man, then picked up another container of yogurt he had dropped.
Turning back to Renee, Cal manages a smirk. "I would imagine. Don't get between the old people and their dairy."
For shame. Chin-matching should be a required part of GCPD training, seriously.
He smiles nervously, taking the offered dairy. "Thanks."
Here, usually, is where he'd retreat, skulking off with his tail between his legs to let them banter. But -- you're never going to deal with a problem like that, right? And it would just make the night job a little more awkward than it's already become, the past month or so. Deep breath, here we go...
"Were you looking for something in particular?" he asks Cal.
Daniel is becoming slightly more interesting to Cal. Granted, he's flustered. Obviously that's because they just smacked into each other. But Daniel still seemed to be nervous. A few of the signs of fear and nervousness were on his face, plain as day. Well...plain as day to Cal.
"Oh, just a brand of yogurt I'm used to. Nothing all that interesting." He turned to Renee, looking her over. Now, who was she? A look of confusion expertly planted itself on his face as he studied Renee. "You're one of the teachers at Gotham High, right?" Of course she wasn't. But, her profession might be interesting in figuring out why this man was so nervous.
Chin-matching will be a required part soon, won't it? Until then, Renee remains oblivious to the source of Daniel's nervousness. It's not that she hasn't noticed, exactly, but some people are naturally prone to flopsweat - he seems the type, and so her curiosity stops there.
She's distracted by Cal's question anyway, giving him a curious look. "Nah. GCPD." Her smile turns sardonic again, as if to say, yeah, I know, I know. That's why she chose the acronym. There's nothing so awkward as saying the word 'police' into a lull in the conversation, people further down in the juice section snapping their heads around to see what's going on.
Daniel nods to Cal. The lack of... being outright told to piss off helps boost his confidence, a little. "Yogurt goes pretty fast. You'll have better luck on Monday."
Montoya gets a glance, at the mention of her job, but no overdone 'really?' He's not a good liar, and he knows it.
Oh hell yes chin-matching will be a required part soon. Especially after Lightman's done with you lot.
Cal smirks at Renee, eyes briefly flashing to Daniel. Wow, he was an awful liar. "GCPD. That's how I know you. I'm a private detective, I've worked a bit with GCPD in the past." With that statement, his eyes scanned towards Daniel, waiting for a reaction.
"Oh, and thanks for the tidbit about the yogurt," he said to the man. "I'll definitely try to make it on Monday. Nothing's as serious as yogurt."
It's not that Renee doesn't want to know who her secret coalition is, but for the sake of further functioning she'd prefer that nobody else figure it out. Her mouth quirks at Cal but she doesn't challenge his assertion. It's not like she has encyclopedic knowledge of every private detective to work with the GCPD, but a British one might have hit her radar. Doesn't really matter, though.
Well, it's not the same 'oh god' terror that Montoya seems to conjure up. Nervous, but interested, too. "Really? That's gotta be... a heck of a job." Pause. Wasn't there something else... "Um, you're welcome."
Cal shrugged. "It's a living." He looked over at Renee, then nodded. "You too." With that, his attention idly turned back to Daniel, waiting for a reaction.
"Well, I honestly don't know if I'll see you around or not, but thanks for being helpful." He stuck out a hand, slightly fake smile on his face. "Cal Lightman. And you are?" Come on. He wanted to find out who this guy was.
She glances once over her shoulder at the two men as she moves off down the aisle, sensing something more going on. But it's none of her business. This is the grocery store, not a crime scene, and as far as she can tell, this one's not likely to become the other. Plus, she already told them she was a police officer; any suspicious behavior will likely be to the minimum.
Daniel tracks Montoya's going, out of the corner of his eye, until Cal pulls his attention away.
"Oh! Sorry." Handshake! Weak, nervous, then firmer. Consciously reminding himself to be more assertive. He's got muscles on him, for such a geek. Underneath a layer of 'padding,' sure, but you can see it when he pumps his arm.
"Um, Daniel Dreiberg. Orderly." He doesn't say Arkham, for the same reason Montoya didn't say police. There are some things that just attract too much attention.
Daniel hurries along, hunching up his shoulders a little and trying to not be noticed by Montoya -- sure, the chances of her recognising him are infinitesimal, but you never know -- and manages to, instead, collide head-on with Cal.
Smooth, Dreiberg. Smooth.
Reply
Cal looks up, just in time to collide with Daniel. Wham. The yogurt containers he was holding flew out of his hands to the floor. Cal picks up the container, then looks at Daniel. "I didn't know the yogurt section was this popular," he said, dryly.
Reply
"Oh, Tuesdays is when the old folks center busses in. Veritable stampede."
Reply
Oh G*d don't let her recognise him.
Reply
Turning back to Renee, Cal manages a smirk. "I would imagine. Don't get between the old people and their dairy."
Reply
All right, maybe she'll pick up some cheese and offer it to Daniel, saying to Cal as she does so, "Yeah, not in Gotham."
Reply
He smiles nervously, taking the offered dairy. "Thanks."
Here, usually, is where he'd retreat, skulking off with his tail between his legs to let them banter. But -- you're never going to deal with a problem like that, right? And it would just make the night job a little more awkward than it's already become, the past month or so. Deep breath, here we go...
"Were you looking for something in particular?" he asks Cal.
Reply
"Oh, just a brand of yogurt I'm used to. Nothing all that interesting." He turned to Renee, looking her over. Now, who was she? A look of confusion expertly planted itself on his face as he studied Renee. "You're one of the teachers at Gotham High, right?" Of course she wasn't. But, her profession might be interesting in figuring out why this man was so nervous.
Reply
She's distracted by Cal's question anyway, giving him a curious look. "Nah. GCPD." Her smile turns sardonic again, as if to say, yeah, I know, I know. That's why she chose the acronym. There's nothing so awkward as saying the word 'police' into a lull in the conversation, people further down in the juice section snapping their heads around to see what's going on.
Reply
Montoya gets a glance, at the mention of her job, but no overdone 'really?' He's not a good liar, and he knows it.
Reply
Cal smirks at Renee, eyes briefly flashing to Daniel. Wow, he was an awful liar. "GCPD. That's how I know you. I'm a private detective, I've worked a bit with GCPD in the past." With that statement, his eyes scanned towards Daniel, waiting for a reaction.
"Oh, and thanks for the tidbit about the yogurt," he said to the man. "I'll definitely try to make it on Monday. Nothing's as serious as yogurt."
Reply
"Absolutely. You fellas enjoy."
Reply
Reply
"Well, I honestly don't know if I'll see you around or not, but thanks for being helpful." He stuck out a hand, slightly fake smile on his face. "Cal Lightman. And you are?" Come on. He wanted to find out who this guy was.
Reply
Reply
"Oh! Sorry." Handshake! Weak, nervous, then firmer. Consciously reminding himself to be more assertive. He's got muscles on him, for such a geek. Underneath a layer of 'padding,' sure, but you can see it when he pumps his arm.
"Um, Daniel Dreiberg. Orderly." He doesn't say Arkham, for the same reason Montoya didn't say police. There are some things that just attract too much attention.
Reply
Leave a comment