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 Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:45 pm
Ladon wasn't cooking as often as he usually did or preferred, but when he spent more and more of his already workaholic schedule to patrol, he tended to feel too tired to go home to an empty apartment, make something to eat, sit on the coach, and stare at the opposing wall in silence. He barely watched TV anymore, didn't even know what was new or popular - not that he was ever the sort to know that when he did have a normal schedule, and usually just went home to wash, dress, and sleep. Something he wanted to do now and planned too after his very late dinner slash early breakfast.
He sat in what he now came to consider his favorite booth at The Whick and Spatula, a diner that was open at all hours, and took a sip of his hot tea, and looking at his plate of eggs, toast, bacon, and a side order of cut oranges. The waitress, who he knew now as Shina, already asked him if he needed anything and was now back at the diner, looking over a textbook for nursing. Ladon ate slowly, and looked out at the gently falling snow, the reason he ended his "shift" early. He'd take the subway home instead of powering up and roof hoping over tonight. It looked like it would get mean outside.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:23 pm
Ever pretty much never cooked -- because, well, Kraft mac'n'cheese hardly counted, and Zac probably wouldn't have stood for it anyway. If he'd thought it out properly, this idea might have left Ever faintly disturbed, confused. These days, he spent more time at Zac's little apartment than at his own. There was something serious about that. They'd exchanged presents. What did that mean?
Today, at least, he was alone and craving a burger. He stepped into the Whick and Spatula all bundled up in a rough scarf and a heavy hat, battered coat pulled in tight around him. He took a moment, at the door, to unwrap and peer around. His eyes passed over Ladon, unrecognizing, before they moved on to the bar, but perhaps Ladon would still recognize him.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:27 pm
Ladon did indeed recognize Ever, and he rose his hand only out of polite courtesy. As for Ever, he probably wouldn't recognize the slender teenager sitting alone at his booth with a open peacoat, dark blue sweater, jeans and boots. His green hat was set on the table, already forming a little puddle from the snow. As it was, Ladon looked like a very meek, quiet boy you might pass in glancing in the back of the room, though with a bit more pink in his face as he was still warming up. The only reason Ladon even knew Ever in his civilian look was because Zac pointed him out, but this was when Ladon had been a small cat, and hadn't changed back when Ever had been around.
As it was, that fact hadn't even dawned on the boy when he waved his hello, and resumed sipping his tea.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:11 am
Ever actually knew a lot of skinny, cute guys -- more than Zac knew about, that was for damned sure, though most of them were months in the past, and few of them were teenagers. As such, his instinctive reaction to seeing the hand shoot up was to turn in place to check behind him and, upon deciding that the wave was for him, to slide into defensive, suspicious mode. Waving exes, old one night stands, guys who'd leant him money...these could all lead toward more drama than he wanted right now, when he'd just been expecting a cup of tea and, maybe, a sandwich.
So. He lifted his own hand in reply, expression wary beneath a thin veneer of something friendly, and slowly approached Ladon. The combination screamed 'guilty', and he was probably well aware of it, but. Better to brace for trouble than get sucker punched by it. Sometimes literally.
"...hey." It lilted, vaguely questioning, uncertain, and waited for Ladon to fill in the gaps of who the hell he was.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:21 am
Ladon wondered if Ever was just apprehensive due to the way they usually spoke to each other. They weren't exactly friends, but he was making the effort to at least be civil. He owed Zac that much not to shout at every officer he disliked. That and it was just very impolite, though now that Ever was moving so slowly to him, he wondered if he should have just hidden and let the boy go on his own. Then again, if he didn't wave and Ever did stay, it would just be awkward that he didnt' wave to him and then he'd have to lie about not seeing him and he was always bad at that. No. This was better.
At the small 'hey', Ladon struggled with how to continue. He just expected a wave after all. Not for Ever to come over. However, if he wanted a conversation, then he could manage that. "Hey. Looks like you haven't been killed yet. Must have been a okay night." He pointed out, trying to joke lightly with the teenager. "Did you just get done with..." He had to be mindful of his words in public. "..work?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:34 am
Oh, thank god. Some of the worry washed out of Ever's expression. If they were talking about work, then this had to be a recent thing -- either an acquaintance from the library, or perhaps something from that other life. Library didn't do the night shift, so eliminate that one. He shifted, looking around for a moment, uncertain, and then slowly sank down to sit.
"Uh. Yeah." But he paused, squinting at Ladon, and then leaned forward just a little bit. "Look. Don't take this the wrong way, really, please. Don't get offended. But I have no ******** clue who you are."
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:04 am
Ladon smiled, finding it funny now that he realized why Ever was looking at him that way. "I completely forgot that you haven't seen me like this. Here. I'll give you a clue."
Raising his hands up, he cupped his hands in that he hoped looked like cat ears. "Meow."
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:13 am
Ever just stared at him, eyes blank as he dug through memory, trying to find something that could tie into. Perhaps he should have thought of the recent fiasco, but instead his mind went somewhere else, a slow shudder going down his spine.
"For the love of God, tell me that's not a sex thing." The words came out when the waitress -- likely someone Ladon knew -- came around to ask if he wanted anything. She froze, turned, and headed back to the kitchen. She'd come back later.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:12 pm
That was NOT the answer he was expecting!!
"No! NO!! It's not ..It's not a..that thing!" his wide eyes danced between Ever and the startled waitress. As she retreated, he knew that ordering at the diner again would be unbearable.
"It's Wolfram." He whispered before covering his beet red face with his hands. He gave himself a moment before he dropped his hands. "Why would you think that was a s.. a sex thing?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:33 pm
"...Oh. Uh." Oddly, Ladon's flustered expression made him blink, left him more relaxed instead of tensed or embarrassed himself. And why should he be? It wasn't like he knew that waitress, or cared what she thought. Plus, making Zac blush was one of his favorite hobbies -- why not add Ladon to that list.
Instead of an apology, he smiled, a quick flash of teeth, and swept the hat off his head, apparently preparing to stick around for a while. "I don't know. You're surprisingly cute in civies, I guess, and I've got a bad memory for what I get into after a few drinks."
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:13 pm
Ladon was only getting more horrified by the moment, and looked at the man across him as if he was surprised with how causally he was taking all this. This was wrong and what Ever said was wrong. "But with a cat? What are you doing that involves a cat? No matter how much you drink, bringing a cat into the equation of whatever it ...whatever it is that you are doing with someone is just wrong." He looked at Ever as if he had some weird, horrible fetish that he didn't want to think about but couldn't help NOT thinking about because he was thinking how a cat even worked into anyone fetish list and just decided to stop that crazy train right then and there. OMG! He had been a cat when Ever had been around. Thank the Negaverse he hadn't been messed with in any odd way!
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:05 pm
There was a moment when he was too stunned to answer that: it lasted about two seconds. Then he dissolved into laughter, wriggling out of his coat, too, long legs stretched out under the table. Ever was ten times more relaxed than his counterpart, much more comfortable powered down, even now. He was easy going, like this, with none of that tension or concern about appearances. Pride? What pride?
"What's your name? I don't think...uh. Maybe someone mentioned it once..." He leaned forward to rest elbows on the table, eyes flashing past Ladon in search of that flustered waitress. He wanted tea.
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:51 pm
Ladon went from finding Ilmenite annoying if not hard to deal with from finding Ever just all levels of wrong and possibly mentally ill. However, he didn't want to point out the man's sanity when Ever had already done that to him once more. It was not a subject he wanted to bring up again.
Instead, he watched the man laugh, blinking a few times and thinking he really was nuts. He also made a note not to bring animals around him. EVER!
"Ladon." He answered, very simply. "Ladon Shepard." He glanced around, trying to see what Ever was looking at, when he noticed Shina braving to come over. She forced on her most controlled smile and looked at Ever, embarrassed for him after what he just talked about. She probably thought they were just two guys talking about sex, and moved on.
"What can I get cha?" She asked, Ever, pen and notepad at the ready. Meanwhile, Ladon just turned his head away from her and shielded part of his face with one hand, not able to look at the woman now.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:30 pm
Ladon obviously cared a whole lot what people around him thought. Ever, less so -- he set his chin in one hand and smiled up at the woman, rumpled and too-skinny and usually women at diners loved him. He looked halfway starved. They wanted to stuff him full of fatty, cheap food, and that was just fine by him.
"...tea? Earl grey if you can. And, uh, I don't know." All these places were the same. His eyes shuttered for just a moment before he rattled off an order; something with eggs and meat that probably came to about $4. Perfect. As she left, his attention resettled onto Ladon and his cowering, and Ever's expression went bemused.
"What the hell are you doing?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:58 pm
Ladon was still somewhat hiding his face from both of their view now as he composed himself and tried not to think of what the waitress was thinking of him or what type of person he was or what type of people he hanged out with. "I don't know. Sinking into the Earth? Changing identities? Thinking of other restaurants that are open this late and have yet to know you." He finally glanced up. "Nothing really." He reached out and very slowly picked up his tea. He hated reaching for things, and sipped his tea a moment before looking over at him. It was HIS fault now that they thought he was some weird pervert and had weird, perverted friends.
"What are you doing out this late?"
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