(Untitled)

[bass_line_blues]

Preston ambles into the Wasteland and slings his backpack onto his seat

Comments

[cheng_hu]

"What," Daniel says, trying hopefully to dry himself off with an already wet shirt, "is that on your face."

[bass_line_blues]

"Hair," says Preston, grinning, "I'm pretty sure. Ninety-eight percent, at least."

[cheng_hu]

"Are you sure? It might be some kind of new secondary mutation. Nothing to do with werewolves."

But his grin is telling. "How are you?" He claps Preston on the back, going against the hug for now. Preston is slightly drier than him.

[bass_line_blues]

"Even if next step was yeti, man, it'd still be hair."

Preston throws caution and manliness to the winds and goes in for the quick hug regardless!

[undermyheel]

"The prodigal judge returns," Claire says, dryly.

She raises an eyebrow at him.

[bass_line_blues]

Preston turns, with half a shrug and half a grin.

"I never officially sat as a judge. Biased in the courts, wouldn't be fair."

[undermyheel]

Amused, Claire says, "I was there, sweetheart. Unless we've all forgotten the bruises and reign of terror."

[bass_line_blues]

Preston snorts. "Which one?"

[bitingmybullet]

"Holy shit."

Whether Gwen's reacting to his presence or his facial hair, her eyebrows really couldn't climb any higher.

[bass_line_blues]

"Hey, Gwen!"

Preston's grin is genuine. And he does not raise a hand to tug at the facial hair, which would seem to indicate a lack of self-consciousness about it!

"Keep my bass all right?"

[bitingmybullet]

"Rocked it to sleep every night." She looks maybe a little stunned, but tries not to miss a beat.

This is difficult when the beat in question is several weeks long.

"You're looking very ... terrorist."

[bass_line_blues]

"That might be racial stereotyping," Preston says.

"Do we hug, or stick to the manly shoulderpunch thing?"

[k_gabriel]

He gets punched in the arm.

...Okay, not very hard.

Karla's hair is a little longer--down to her shoulders--and seems to have only the most passing acquaintance with a brush. Otherwise, she looks pretty much the same.

[bass_line_blues]

Preston turns around.

His grin was already pretty firmly in place, from various other meetings - but it gets just a little brighter now.

"Hey, Karla."

. . . all right, now he is feeling slightly self-conscious about the beard.

[k_gabriel]

"Hey, yourself," Karla says, tone a little grouchy even if there's a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

She holds out her arms and steps forward a little, in a pretty clear offer of a hug.

[bass_line_blues]

Preston hugs her tightly - he tries not to make it too tight - and then steps back, quickly.

"I can't be in too much disgrace," he informs her. "I didn't sneak off, right? Squared it away first and all. Also, came back with no injuries. That covers most of it, right?"