(Untitled)

[wrong_sometimes]

WHO: wrong_sometimes and OPEN.
WHERE: A cafe near an art school.
WHEN: Backdated (kinda) to Saturday afternoon, April 23rd
WARNINGS: Angst
SUMMARY: Cassie has a birthday and she doesn't tell anyone.
FORMAT: Tagger's choice

Comments

[hells4children]

It'd been a long few days for Alex. With all the schools closed, he didn't have to pretend he was busy during the mornings, so they had him pulling double-duty at City Hall. Plus there was still his campaign to keep Hundred on his toes, and he was running behind on that. Phase Two should've been implemented this morning, but with all his time being taken up by work, he was still drafting the script.

He'd come by the cafe to toy with a notepad and a pencil while working on a sandwich. Couldn't help noticing the girl with the highlights on the adjacent table. It was the dog that caught his attention, do they let pets in places like this?

Hell, maybe it was a seeing-eye dog.

[wrong_sometimes]

While Cassie was focused on her drawing, more rats, pigeons and pests, the dog was focused on everything else. He was curious (to a fault, Cassie would probably say), and while he'd been trained not to directly interfere with others it didn't stop him from watching, especially when the person he was watching had obviously seen him.

Cocking a mechanical-looking head, seen only in shadow under the table, the dog stared back.

[hells4children]

Alex shut his notepad and turned his chair at an angle to face her. He nodded his head in her direction and pointed at the dog. "What's his name?"

[wrong_sometimes]

"Bot. As in Ro-Bot. Come on out, boy." From under the table a mechanical voice chirped, "Yes, Mistress," and the mechanical mutt came fully into the light.

"Greetings, sir."

[shiny_lilkaylee]

Kaylee had been trying to adjust to -- this since she'd gotten here a couple of months ago. It wasn't so bad, it hadn't been, she hadn't been too alone. And now? Sure, she had a few she'd met here, but she didn't see them regular and it wasn't so she could call most friends. And she'd lost who she did have here. To say the least, it was making the ordinarily chipper woman bluer than she'd thought possible.

But she'd promised herself she'd venture out and do things more than she had. She wasn't sure whether she felt lonelier by herself or in the crowd, and it wasn't as if outside was too safe right now, nor enjoyable, but gorramit, she was gonna brave it. And braving it by bribing herself with cocoa and sweets? Always going to work.

She saw a younger girl in the cafe she'd wandered into, sitting and looking equally lonely. She didn't want to presume, but a smile didn't hurt anything, right? So while she was waiting for her drink, she cast the girl a grin.

[wrong_sometimes]

Looking up from her drawing, Cassie saw the new cafe customer's smile and she actually looked behind her in a couple of places to see who the woman was looking at. 'Cause strangers didn't just smile at her, not with er hair and general, don't-talk-to-me attitude. But there was no one there, behind her at least and Cassie ended up looking back at the woman with a kind of dumbstruck look on her face.

[shiny_lilkaylee]

Well, Kaylee wasn't one to ignore someone just 'cause of things like hair, and attitudes didn't bother her 'less they were a going-to-kill-you sorta attitude. So she just smiled again, waving a bit. Nothing wrong with being friendly.

[wrong_sometimes]

Out of sheer habit she returned the wave, hand hanging in the air as she realized what she was doing. After an awkward pause, she dropped her hand and went back to her drawing, giving the occasional furtive look back in the stranger's direction.

[notyourutopian]

It was chance that had Eleanor glance in through the window as she passed the cafe, spotting Cassie sitting there drawing. The birds and rats were mostly leaving her alone, though occasionally her hand would flare to life, heating up the air to frighten one of them away from her. She wasn't going to kill them, not unless she had to. And her method had worked so far.

Even after spotting Cassie, she almost didn't go in...it was hard to guess what the other was thinking, pretty much ever...and she might have wanted to be alone to draw. Still, Eleanor hadn't talked to her in a few weeks...she hadn't talked to anyone, really...so after a few seconds of thinking about it she slipped inside.

"Hello Cassie," she said as she paused near the table, one hand absently tugging on her skirt as the other fingered the back of an empty chair across from the younger girl. "...Care for some company?"

[wrong_sometimes]

Huh, of all the people, in all the world, in walks Eleanor.

"Guess so, long time no see."

Pulling together some of her drawings, she made room at the table for her friend. "Look out for Bot, he's under the table."

[notyourutopian]

Eleanor settled down in the chair and then leaned over to peer under the table, giving the little robot dog a pat on the head and a smile before she sat back up. "I know. I'm sorry. I've just been..." Been what? She wasn't even really sure. Avoiding everyone? That sounded right, but admitting it was not exactly the easiest thing. "...Busy." Lying felt wrong too though, and after a few seconds she shook her head.

"That isn't true. I just haven't been talking to anyone, really. But I'm sorry. ...How are you?"

[wrong_sometimes]

"Josh left, I'm taking art classes, life goes on." She picked up a pen again, idly adding some shading to her drawing, something that looked more realistic than her previous scribbles. She could say this for losing herself in her classes, her art skills were getting better.