(Untitled)

[beat_death]

If Owen was in a sour mood today, it was for a good reason. He'd put off laundry day one day too many and was stuck in a t-shirt that read "FRANKIE SAYS RELAX" in giant letters on the front until his first load was done. It was one of the shit parts of the island that he should have been used to by now, but the clothes box refusing to be anything

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[dinnerfor1_girl]

Sally tipped her head to the side as she watched him in that horrid piece of clothing reading a strange book. "Either there's something entirely interesting spiking your drink," she began thoughtfully, "or you were really hoping no one would find you looking like this."

[beat_death]

If only it were that interesting. Owen couldn't help but roll his eyes as he closed his book and looked up at Sally.

"It's laundry day, the clothes box isn't cooperating, and the bookshelf's mostly picture books."

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"I suppose the world could be worse and the fridge could be populated with all your most-hated foods," she said with just the mildest of undercurrents in her tone that implied that Owen enjoyed basking in the misery. "At least you'll have clean clothes soon enough." She wandered closer and leaned against the dryer. "Want company?"

[beat_death]

Owen thought about it for a moment.

"Alright," he said, "But one word about the shirt and that's it."

The last thing he needed was someone hanging around just to take the fucking piss.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"I wouldn't dare," she confided as she perched nearby and crossed her legs. "Besides, we'll just say that it means that you owe me one free day in which you don't comment about my girth of stomach or bottom. I think that can be called fair."

[beat_death]

"Don't be ridiculous," Owen said, very nearly rolling his eyes again, "You're gorgeous."

In fact, Owen wasn't really sure why he hadn't tried to shag her himself yet.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

Sally offered him a slightly rueful smile, but it wasn't self-deprecating and it wasn't horrified. "I spend so many hours of the day trying to be, you know. It's a horrid thing, beauty. I think that if I'm thin and I'm pretty, that'll get me a husband or a man and then all my troubles go away. But really, that's never exactly been a formula for success, now has it?"

[beat_death]

Owen was quiet for a long moment as he just stared. Was she serious?

"Do you really expect me to answer that?" He asked.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"It was rhetorical, don't bother," Sally said dismissively, waving him away with a hand as she stared forward into space, slightly consternated. "I'm not normally this man and beauty obsessed, you know," she said off-hand. "It's just that without my best friend, my job, and my home, I'm left with little but my neuroses to keep me company. At least it's something," she said after a moment.

[beat_death]

"I think what you've just done is describe most people's predicament here," Owen replied. As glad as he was that arriving on the island had somehow rendered him alive again, there was no mistaking the fact that he missed Torchwood. The island was too bloody boring on a regular basis for him to not miss it.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"Yes, and even though it's the majority of everyone's predicament, no one's been rushing to solve it," Sally pointed out, her eyes lingering on that horrid t-shirt that she was meant not to comment on. "I suppose if you like tropical landscapes, this place is paradise and you wouldn't want to leave, now would you?"

[beat_death]

"Or if you were dead back home," Owen said, mostly for the sake of argument. He hated all of the fucking sand, but he'd take it over what he'd been going through back home.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"Well, there is that," she agreed, crossing her legs and bringing them closer to her chest as she regarded Owen curiously. "Tell me, truthfully. Do you actually like this place? Is all the moodiness just for some old insistence on following a lifestyle that you haven't observed in ages?"

[beat_death]

"I like it just fine," Owen said, with a bit of a smirk, "As far as mysterious islands in parallel dimensions go, it's a riot."

He took a drink from his nearly forgotten cup of coffee, grimacing a bit when he realized it'd gone cold.

"And I'm not moody."

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"You, not moody," Sally scoffed with genuinely bemused delight. "That's like saying I'm not neurotic about my looks." Because while she might be slightly insane, she was at least self-aware about it. Which only made her more insane. It was a damaging little cycle of self-loathing, really. "I suppose I couldn't suggest you just get laid to make it better?"

[beat_death]

Owen raised both eyebrows, curious.

"Is that your way of offering?"