Wellspring Arms & Meditation Center, Monday Afternoon
Cable had been on the phone all the way from the causeway to well into the store-- the Open sign was on the door, and had the owner been paying attention, he'd have taken note of the black kitten that divebombed his dog from the top of the bookcase the moment they'd entered. Maybe he had noticed and simply didn't find it worthy of note-- or maybe the phone call was proving to be more of a distraction than he'd anticipated.
The ensuing fight was brutal, and some of the display cases would never be the same; but Tether seemed to be holding his ground.
"Nathan, I know you want to make a difference, but do you really want to be doing it this way again?"
"I'm not doing anything in particular," he replied, stirring his coffee. "I'm just making a few suggestions where they're needed."
"Your 'making a few suggestions' is someone else's 'international incident'."
"It wasn't enough of a ripple to be a national incident. We simply talked."
"I keep forgetting you enjoy that."
"What?"
"Nothing. Please don't tell me this is 'part of the plan'."
"It's not part of the plan."
"But?"
"There's no but."
"There's always a but."
"No buts," Nathan replied, sipping his coffee, "Or hindquarters."
"You've become a real comedian."
"I don't have any plans. I'm just trying to contribute. This particular world has some of the same problems of our own-- but without particular troubling components..."
"Like the Silver Surfer?"
"Like super-powered despots."
"Define 'super-powered despot' for me in this context, please."
"Doom. The Initiative." He put his mug down on the table with a thunk. "I'm having a look. Seeing what I can find..."
"By harrassing foreign ministers?"
"I bought him coffee."
"So it wasn't an act of political interference, it was a date."
"Funny, Merryweather."
"Speaking of dates, how did he like the movie?"
"Just fine." He was going to have to get Irene back for that particular fiasco, sometime. "Anything else?"
"I suppose it's too much for me to ask what you were trying to do, exactly?"
"I'll send you a letter."
"You always say that."
His mouth twitched into a smirk. "And I always mail the letter," he replied. "I'll fill you in later, Irene. I'm dealing with a pet crisis..."
A sigh. "I won't ask. Take care, Nathan."
He flicked the cell shut, then ran a hand across the back of his head as he took to the task of figuring out how to keep an angry, rabid kitten and a stoic, determined dog from setting fire to the counter.
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The ensuing fight was brutal, and some of the display cases would never be the same; but Tether seemed to be holding his ground.
"Nathan, I know you want to make a difference, but do you really want to be doing it this way again?"
"I'm not doing anything in particular," he replied, stirring his coffee. "I'm just making a few suggestions where they're needed."
"Your 'making a few suggestions' is someone else's 'international incident'."
"It wasn't enough of a ripple to be a national incident. We simply talked."
"I keep forgetting you enjoy that."
"What?"
"Nothing. Please don't tell me this is 'part of the plan'."
"It's not part of the plan."
"But?"
"There's no but."
"There's always a but."
"No buts," Nathan replied, sipping his coffee, "Or hindquarters."
"You've become a real comedian."
"I don't have any plans. I'm just trying to contribute. This particular world has some of the same problems of our own-- but without particular troubling components..."
"Like the Silver Surfer?"
"Like super-powered despots."
"Define 'super-powered despot' for me in this context, please."
"Doom. The Initiative." He put his mug down on the table with a thunk. "I'm having a look. Seeing what I can find..."
"By harrassing foreign ministers?"
"I bought him coffee."
"So it wasn't an act of political interference, it was a date."
"Funny, Merryweather."
"Speaking of dates, how did he like the movie?"
"Just fine." He was going to have to get Irene back for that particular fiasco, sometime. "Anything else?"
"I suppose it's too much for me to ask what you were trying to do, exactly?"
"I'll send you a letter."
"You always say that."
His mouth twitched into a smirk. "And I always mail the letter," he replied. "I'll fill you in later, Irene. I'm dealing with a pet crisis..."
A sigh. "I won't ask. Take care, Nathan."
He flicked the cell shut, then ran a hand across the back of his head as he took to the task of figuring out how to keep an angry, rabid kitten and a stoic, determined dog from setting fire to the counter.
[ open! ]