Cal smiles. She's pretty, in a not-his-type-but-he-still-has-eyes kind of way.
"Sure," he says, "have a seat." He starts gathering together the papers and various other scholastic props that he's managed to spread all over his table.
Ava does not trust people anymore, in even a vague capacity.
If there's one thing she's learned from Cold Oak, it's just how small a push you need to do something really dreadful.
Nevertheless, she comes to his table and sits-- easy, a little nervous, a little confused. She doesn't look like somebody used to watching her back and summoning demons.
"Hi, Cal," she says, eyes widening as she glances back and forth. Yeah, she saw that window. "Um ... Milliways means what, exactly? Because right now it seems like it might be 'I've just totally lost my mind.'"
Sarah let her belly clear a path for her from the couch where she and Jim had been sitting to the bar who has helpfully provided cookies, an ice cream sunday, and a selection of hamburger that...is too raw for a normal person-even a normal person in her condition.
It's right as Ava passes that Jason starts kicking. Twisting, Sarah staggered, setting her food down and putting a hand on her stomach to settle herself.
She blinks, "....I'm sorry, did I-I didn't hit you did I?"
Ava's noticed that there are all kinds of people here, not just children her own age. 'Children,' in this case, refers to people who are technically grownups, but hanging out with the YED will do that to your vocabulary.
So a pregnant lady, at this point, doesn't surprise her that much; nevertheless, she jumps a little in perfectly passable mock-surprise when she is addressed. (Her eyes flick to the red of the meat.)
Sarah put a hand on her hip, running the opposite hand through her hair, "...Sorry, my center of gravity's completely thrown off..." She sighed, "You'd think I'd be used to this by now...."
She leaned against the chair next to her, "-Staggering around here-are you lost sweetheart?"
She waves a hand vaguely. She's not exactly sure if the woman has actually suffered any kind of collision, but it can't hurt to get the subject off herself.
SPN AU version! La la la.river_meimeiJune 4 2010, 03:28:05 UTC
Four months, River's been in Milliways.
Not exactly how she pictured the afterlife. But then a lot of things in the last six months haven't been what River ever pictured for her life. (This includes: how it ended.)
She's sitting in a booth, poking disconsolately at a fruit smoothie. But the door opening gets her to glance up.
Even a few weeks in Cold Oak teach you the kind of jumpiness that's very slow to fade.
Ava, for the moment, is mostly preoccupied with scanning her immediate vicinity. There's an awful lot to take in.
River may or may not recall the unhurried calculation in her expression, combined with a decidedly combat-ready set to her shoulders.
It's likely, however, that she recalls much more clearly what happens when Ava shakes her head once, as if to clear it, and both expression and demeanor change to a sort of well-intentioned, anxious uncertainty.
It's possible that it's not just the door opening that got River's attention, so much as the door opening and a small young brunette entering.
So -- yeah. Yeah, she remembers that.
It's an expression she used to believe. That ended shortly before the structural integrity of River's abdomen ended too.
She hasn't noticed River yet. Which gives her a minute to make her choices. It's the same cold, clear feeling you get before you go onstage; she never used to know that you feel the same way in a fight.
What does she have to lose now, after all? Here, among all these people, on ground that -- for a change -- she's the one who knows. With Security and all, and don't think River will shed a tear if Ava ends up in a cell somehow.
She rises, slow and calm. Begins to walk, unhurried, across the bar. She finds that she's got a cold little smile on her face, and she doesn't try to stifle it, or keep it out of her voice when she says, "Ava Wilson."
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It is currently doubling as a welcome distraction from the math homework that's kicking Cal's ass.
"Hi," he says, leaning back in his chair to look at the new girl. "You look lost."
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Ava makes the tactical decision to appear somewhat helpless (but not too panicked: this guy isn't) without a single flicker in her expression.
After all, she's done it before.
"Uhhh ... a little bit." What is going on, anyway? Ava makes her mouth smile sheepishly. "What-- um? Help a girl out?"
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"Sure," he says, "have a seat." He starts gathering together the papers and various other scholastic props that he's managed to spread all over his table.
"I'm Cal," he says, "and this is Milliways."
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If there's one thing she's learned from Cold Oak, it's just how small a push you need to do something really dreadful.
Nevertheless, she comes to his table and sits-- easy, a little nervous, a little confused. She doesn't look like somebody used to watching her back and summoning demons.
"Hi, Cal," she says, eyes widening as she glances back and forth. Yeah, she saw that window. "Um ... Milliways means what, exactly? Because right now it seems like it might be 'I've just totally lost my mind.'"
Maybe she'll have to kill him, too.
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It's right as Ava passes that Jason starts kicking. Twisting, Sarah staggered, setting her food down and putting a hand on her stomach to settle herself.
She blinks, "....I'm sorry, did I-I didn't hit you did I?"
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So a pregnant lady, at this point, doesn't surprise her that much; nevertheless, she jumps a little in perfectly passable mock-surprise when she is addressed. (Her eyes flick to the red of the meat.)
"What?" she says. "No, no, you're fine--"
She holds up her hands.
"Not a scratch."
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She leaned against the chair next to her, "-Staggering around here-are you lost sweetheart?"
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"I'm fine ..."
(Maybe she's a little lost.)
Blinking, "Are you okay? I mean, with the--"
She waves a hand vaguely. She's not exactly sure if the woman has actually suffered any kind of collision, but it can't hurt to get the subject off herself.
Whatever the subject actually is around here.
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Not exactly how she pictured the afterlife. But then a lot of things in the last six months haven't been what River ever pictured for her life. (This includes: how it ended.)
She's sitting in a booth, poking disconsolately at a fruit smoothie. But the door opening gets her to glance up.
Even a few weeks in Cold Oak teach you the kind of jumpiness that's very slow to fade.
Reply
River may or may not recall the unhurried calculation in her expression, combined with a decidedly combat-ready set to her shoulders.
It's likely, however, that she recalls much more clearly what happens when Ava shakes her head once, as if to clear it, and both expression and demeanor change to a sort of well-intentioned, anxious uncertainty.
Reply
So -- yeah. Yeah, she remembers that.
It's an expression she used to believe. That ended shortly before the structural integrity of River's abdomen ended too.
She hasn't noticed River yet. Which gives her a minute to make her choices. It's the same cold, clear feeling you get before you go onstage; she never used to know that you feel the same way in a fight.
What does she have to lose now, after all? Here, among all these people, on ground that -- for a change -- she's the one who knows. With Security and all, and don't think River will shed a tear if Ava ends up in a cell somehow.
She rises, slow and calm. Begins to walk, unhurried, across the bar. She finds that she's got a cold little smile on her face, and she doesn't try to stifle it, or keep it out of her voice when she says, "Ava Wilson."
The undertone: well, fancy meeting you here.
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But seeing River constitutes Ava's first genuine shock of the evening.
It registers, briefly, an ugly flash of astonishment and uncertain horror, and for a moment it seems possible that that is the look that will stay.
However, an instant later, the expression vanishes completely, a faint amusement seamlessly taking its place.
"Hey," she says, blinking.
"Um."
A pause.
"Aren't you supposed to be deader than this?"
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Stands to reason he would. Tends to make an impression, the last thing you see before you die. Especially if --
(hey, we have the same initials)
Andrew's already sliding out of his chair and trying to get something large and opaque in between them.
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But rest assured, recognize it she does.
"Andrew?" she says brightly.
"Andrew Wells?"
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"Yeah."
Flat.
"Hi, Ava."
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Oh.
Wait.
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"Wow. This is like, total class reunion."
She kinda likes it here. It's trippy.
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Dean's smile is just as friendly as ever.
(The razorblades are for later. Like after-dinner drinks!)
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Slowly, she starts to smile.
"Wow."
Solemn, maybe mock-impressed.
(Then again: maybe it's really-impressed.)
"You are new and improved."
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