JSA Brownstone

[caleb_z]

As the gathering breaks up, Caleb numbers among those heading towards the door. Unlike the rest, though, he lingers, and stares at the door for a moment. He lets out a sigh as he brushes his hair out of his face with a hand.

Hesitantly he moves away from the door, and drags his tired, sore frame towards the cold comfort of the guest rooms.

Comments

[green_shield]

"Hey Chimp, all well and good, but as you said - selfish prat. Who wants back with his ex...Whose boyfriend is the team leader." She nods towards him. "And with his track record - even not messed with by Neron - the DEO, the secrets, the mistrust -" She meets his eyes. He knows she's thinking about Amelia, but she bites her tounge hard on that. He can think she doesn't have limits all he wants."The superior vibe, all the other crap. I'm not allowed to wonder just a little here if at some point Sand is just going to be in his way? Sorry about his dignity and honor and my bad blunt manners here, but I don't think he can stow it if we need 'em too."

She looks back at him. "Time proves that. I'll give you that and I'll extract you from whatever fires you haul into - because of Corrine and Trevor and the fact this is a team. Doesn't mean I have to tread on eggshells for your pride - or your past."

[caleb_z]

There’s the impossible to miss flash of anger in his eyes, but he lets it go. He wants no part of a fight.

“For beginners,” he says as calmly as he can, “Sand and I have been on rather good terms since the day after my possession ended. And I can’t fault you for being concerned about him, but he makes Corrine happy. I’d never conspire to deprive her of that.”

He then snorts, and continues in a somewhat more assured voice. “Besides, truth be told, I don’t want Corrine back. Behind closed doors, she really was rather rotten to me. Back in January - just a few weeks after we broke up - I received a call from her in the middle of the night. She had fallen off the wagon, and I popped ‘round, and made sure she didn’t hurt herself. She repaid the courtesy by insulting me, and then threatening …. and then saying some things she needn’t have said.”

“It hurts me the way she and I ended, and I wish we hadn’t, but given the option, I’d avoid going there with her again.”

[onthecase]

Now it's the chimp's turn to roll his eyes. "You humans and your hormones." He shrugs. "Look. Let's deal with past issues like this. Caleb, you can be an arrogant self-absorbed ass. I mean, I know you mean well, but to claim that your only desire to be on this team is to protect someone you feel obligated to protect? Nothing about, you know, saving lives or anything like that? You can really come off as caring about no one but yourself, even when it's clear to those who have read your files that it isn't the case. You probably managed to tick Tara off something fierce with that attitude of yours, and it sounds like she wants an apology

[caleb_z]

The talking monkey is starting to irritate him, but Caleb remains calm. He’s trying to heed Sand’s advice, and right now Chimp seems to be facilitating that. Even if he does have all the charm of Janet Reno in lingerie. I get it already, ‘I’m an ass.’His voice betrays none of these thoughts, though. On some level, he knows he’s just being defensive. “I, uh .. you see … All my life, I’ve not had an abundance of friendships through which to learn polite social interaction. With only a few exceptions, I’ve only really worked in professional settings. Things just … they never became personal. With only one exception, I’ve never had to do both, and that person was - or is, rather - more consumed with his work than I. This is a shortcoming of mine that I shall most likely need to overcome

[green_shield]

Actually, it's amazing to finally have someone call a spade a spade here. Or in this case, Caleb an ass. Or at least to have "bwana," irritation directed at someone else for a change. It's oddly reassuring and she never knew how much she needed to here someone else finally call him on it. Her attitude with everything is significantly improved just with that little thing. she has a smile spreading across her face and she relaxes

[caleb_z]

He notices her relax, but holds little hope that she’ll begin to conduct herself more reasonably. To Caleb, words are just words, and most of the time they’re only worth the paper they’re written on. Actions dictate his opinions, not words.

“I spend rather a lot of time interdicting the reaper’s activities myself,” he notes. “Most of the time, it’s been against people I’ve never met, and often on behalf of people I don’t and never will know.” He pauses for a moment, carefully selecting his words.

“Despite the fact that I joined for Corrine, it would be unwise to extrapolate that she’s the only one I’ll go the mile for in the field. So long as we fight under the same banner, my best efforts are put forth.” Honestly, he’s quite insulted that someone - especially someone who’s worked with him in the field - could hold that opinion, but then again, Tara didn’t exactly get to know him during the best parts of his life. Best to just let it go.“Still, apology accepted,” he adds. “As both Sand and Detective Chimp noted - and both

[onthecase]

"Excellent," the chimp says, shaking his glass. "Now, live up to what you've been saying, and I can go snag another Long Island."

[green_shield]

She does shake, but it's still a wary one. It's going to take time.

"Great. Well, I have a boyfriend downstairs. See you guys later."

I mean, what else is there to say?