(Untitled)

[not_lugosi]

A week to go, a week to go... That's the refrain that's been echoing through Bela's head all day. A week to go until her "one year to go" countdown.

She can't take much more of this, except she can and she will. She simply doesn't want to. The fucking door to Milliways finally showed up earlier tonight, and she slipped in to claim her usual booth

Comments

[hadyougoing]

Eventually, one Ava (in gray sweatpants and oversize purple sweater, as well as ubiquitous silver headband and clown nose necklace) wanders by, and smiles brightly.

"Hey Bela!"

She's carrying a Scrabble box.

[not_lugosi]

"Hi Ava," she says, her smile bright and not a bit forced. At least, that's how it looks anyway!

Oh God, is that a board game? Is that... a clown nose?

She's not sure which is more disturbing.

"How's it going?"

[hadyougoing]

It's three clown noses, actually.

This week at the office has been a little insane.

"It's good." She yawns. "I'm taking kind of a quiet night-- you know, ideally. But now that I've said that, it's my own freaking fault if we get invaded by ..."

A beat.

"I don't know, geese. Mean geese."

[not_lugosi]

"I think we could handle mean geese. Unless they were giant and fanged or something."

She motions to the booth across from her. "Come have a drink with me. It sounds like you deserve one."

[walksthebounds]

Jamie is staring wistfully at the martini from the next table. Bar still won't give him any. He's nearly sixteen now! Or four hundred, depending on how you look at it, and either way, it's hardly fair.

[not_lugosi]

She raises her glass to him. That was probably a mean thing to do. Oops.

"Jamie, right? Have any marshmallows on you tonight?"

[walksthebounds]

- they've met before!

She has a name!

That . . . Jamie can't remember for the life of him.

"No marshmallows," he says, apologetically, "and apparently no memory either - you've got me, and I know we've met, but your name's gone straight out of my head." He puts his hands together, comically plaintive. "Sorry, I'm awful, forgive me in advance?"

[not_lugosi]

"No worries. It's been a long time."

She has an excellent memory, is all.

"I'm Bela."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal does not require an invitation from the narrative to invade Bela's space the moment he spots her. Especially since he hasn't seen her since she left his world to go back home.

So, Bela now has a Cal to go with that martini. One who is glancing at her neck as he sits, saying,

"Hey, Isabella."

[not_lugosi]

"Hey, Cal," she says, and her tensed shoulders visibly relax.

She sets down her glass (she's on her third martini, but not acting like it) and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a most welcome kiss hello.

"I can't believe it's been so long since I last saw you. It feels like months. Look!" She points to her neck. "All gone. Magical cosmetic surgery. It's ancient history."

She's over the vampire bite. She has way more pressing matters on her mind.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal takes a close look and grins.

"Good," he says. "Glad to hear it.

"So how are you, other than that?"

[not_lugosi]

She could lie, but he'll see right through it. He knows her too well by now.

"I'm okay. Ish. Better, now that I'm here."