(Untitled)

[gavemea_45]

[From here.]The front door bangs open, and Sam stalks through. For whatever reason, he doesn't seem happy to be at Milliways; in fact, Sam's expression is grim and blank, like he forgot how to smile a long time ago

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[howling_laugh]

Coyote is there at the bar. She's got a brief sundress and strappy shoes on. She's sipping something on the rocks.

It's a fine night, for her.

[gavemea_45]

Maybe not for much longer.

The second Sam spots her, he cuts straight across the room in her direction.

"Coyote." His tone's as flat and level as his gaze.

[howling_laugh]

"Sam," she says, eyebrows rising. Who pissed in his cornflakes?

[gavemea_45]

He doesn't waste time bothering with pleasantries.

"Remember that favor you owe us? Here's your chance to pay it back."

[makesthings]

Sameth looks up from his sketches and stands up,

"Charter, Sam, what's wrong?"

[gavemea_45]

He shows a thin smile that bears no real resemblance to humor.

"Long day," Sam says, succinctly.

Several hundred of them.

"Got a chance to test your knife, though."

[makesthings]

Its an oddly familiar smile, his mother smiles like that, its a soldier's smile,

"How did it work?"

[gavemea_45]

He shrugs.

"Worked okay. I don't think it killed the demon, though. Sorry."

[gavemea_45]

Sam notices her as well.

(When no one else is with you to watch your back, it turns out you get even better at paying attention to your surroundings, even if you'd already been pretty good at it.)

"Elle."

[gavemea_45]

"What do you mean, what?" he counters.

A beat.

"Fine. Hi."

[theunsmiling]

The girl in the cheerful yellow T-shirt is probably not who he's looking for.

She doesn't care, tilting up her chin and raising her voice to be heard over the intervening distance.

"Sam."

[gavemea_45]

He turns quickly to face her.

"Michael."

Sam's tone is more level than it's ever been when speaking with her, and the look in his eyes has hardened.

"Unlike some, Sam, I can read the writing on the wall."

"Been a while."

Maybe not long enough.

[theunsmiling]

Michael merely inclines her head.

"So it has."

She doesn't smile.

"Sit a spell?"

[gavemea_45]

Neither does he.

"Any particular reason?"

[isaysimplewords]

[OOC: I saw this just before I went to bed last night, so if you're still accepting tags . . .]

Cal hasn't seen Sam (or Bela, for that matter) since the three of them discovered their various connections to each other. He's used to the weirdness of time in Milliways, so he hasn't given that too much thought, but he has wondered apprehensively about the potential fallout from time to time.

So that's the first thought that comes to mind when he looks up and sees Sam, but it's driven away in the next second as Sam's expression registers. He's seen Sam look grim before, but not like this.

"- Sam?"

[gavemea_45]

He spins quickly.

"Cal."

A glance is all it takes for him to see that Cal's alone this time, with no sign of Bela. Sam's not sure if he's glad or sorry.

"Hi."

[ooc: late tags are perfectly fine! glad you sent him. :) ]

[isaysimplewords]

The quick reaction catches Cal by surprise, too.

"Are you all right?"

Just because the answer is obvious doesn't make it a bad starting point, not least Cal isn't sure of what else to ask.

[gavemea_45]

"Yes and no. But everything'll be okay soon," Sam tells him, and there's a frightening intensity to that declaration.

"You?"