http://justhisblogger.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomtownies2010-09-29 03:01 pm
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The Perk, Wednesday Morning

It had taken John a spot of time to get on his feet on the island, but ordering in some tea at the local coffee shop seemed like a good idea to signify an honest-to-god start to life here. Mind, the island would never be able to make up for its fatal flaw - ie, not being London - but invasions aside, it could be much worse.

Or so John's train of thought went, as he settled down at a table with his hot coffee and a smile on his face. (The smile had wobbled a bit when the barista had ignored his compliment towards her coffee-making abilities, but one minor rejection wouldn't ruin a day.)

So there he sat, sipping his coffee, his phone on the table just in case of any last-minute desperate texts. He was starting to consider turning that off and enjoying his early morning, actually.

[[ open! ]]
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[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
If anyone asked Angua, she'd suggest that Ralph had been getting a little lazy on keeping an eye on restocking the coffee, but, really, she didn't mind going to get it herself. Just as long as no one referred to it as fetching.

Besides, the baristas knew before she even walked in. "Another ten pounds, Sergeant? You guys really blew through that."

"I know," said Angua, and then, "Actually, it's the Parent's Weekend thing coming up, isn't it? Better make it twelve."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 01:22 pm (UTC)(link)
That voice-- that was one he recognised. John looked up from his tea-- ah, sergeant Angua.

... Ordering twelve pounds of coffee.

"So much for defying stereotypes," he said, possibly less quietly than he'd been attempting. "...Did you just say twelve pounds?"

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"I did," said Angua, glancing over her shoulder toward John with a slight smirk. "We drink a lot of coffee at that station; it's tradition. The fact that coffee here is actually good makes it even bearable, too."

And, since this might take a few minutes and she wasn't going anywhere anyway, she asked, "How've you been? Getting settled?"

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 01:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"Getting quite settled, thank you," John said, with a slight, earnest, a bit self-deprecating smile. "Er, for as much as w-- I can. A hotel isn't exactly a flat."

And the island wasn't exactly-- well, anyway. "But nevermind me. You seem to be in relatively high spirits..."

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, it was no longer last week, but, since Angua couldn't exactly say that, she shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing to complain about at the moment," she admitted. "But, now that I've said that, ask me again tomorrow and we'll see how that changes."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"We'll have to see," he said, smiling a bit more. "I'm not very changeable, myself. Er..." He cast a look over her shoulder, at the barista. "Would you like to take a seat, or are they expecting you back at the station?"

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
It was right about when Angua, too, looked back over the counter that the sound of beans hitting the floor and scattering could be heard, followed by the subsequent cry of dismay and the unnecessarily chaotic scramble.

Angua managed to keep her sigh quiet. "I suppose I may as well," she admitted, considering butterfingers behind the counter. She pulled out the chair across from John and sunk into it. "It's slow today, anyway, so I'm thankfully in no rush."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not a lot of crime going on on the island, is there?" John replied. He said it lightly, and not unkindly, though he could hear Sherlock sneering in his head about it already. "You must get bored."

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"You have no idea," Angua muttered dryly, shaking her head. "And yet, miraculously, though nothing goes on, there's still no lack of paperwork. Why else do you think the Sergeant's the one getting the coffee? Because she just wants to be away from all that bloody paper. I had to pull rank to get to do this, even."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"Paperwork?" Please excuse John: it just seemed rather... strange, indeed, for an island without crime. "Like-- what kind of paperwork could you possibly get if there's nothing happening?"

A mystery worthy of Sherlock's attention, truly.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"I don't think I even know anymore," Angua admitted. "You just sort of do it without even reading it at this point."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"But... then what do you write, exactly?"

He was fascinated. He honestly was.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Which was troubling, really.

"You know," Angua said, "if I wanted to go into paperwork, I'd still be at the station. Besides, that's confidential."

Made up on the spot half the time, sure, but still confidential. If she needed it to be.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. Damn. "Right," he hurried, quickly. "Sorry about that. Of course it is." John didn't hold up his hands to plead his innocence, though the urge struck him for about a second or two. "I'm just... used to a bit less red tape, I suppose. I didn't mean to, er, put you on the spot."

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't smirk, Angua. Whatever you do, don't smirk. But it was terribly hard not to, and a little hint of one might have shown up in the corner of her mouth.

"Quite alright," she assured him, quietly glad that red tape could be used just as much for you convenience to make up for all the time it was an inconvenience. "I've been in far worse spots than this, anyway."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Mh, yes."

The actual smile was back on his face now.

"Actually, I'd like to talk to you about something... relating to that."

Smooth, Watson.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 03:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Angua wasn't sure she liked how this was smelling all of a sudden.

"...oh?" she asked, with the tentative voice of someone who wished she hadn't.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, the event a few weeks ago didn't go too badly, did it?" John? John probably smelled nervous, mostly. "And you're a lovely woman, and I was wondering if you'd like to have a not entirely terrible time with me at a restaurant sometime."

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Yup, that's what she was afraid of.

Angua winced as, behind her, again, someone spilled the beans.

"Well, that all sounds a bit like a...date, doesn't it?"

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
While John's mun cracked up over the pun John pursed his lips a little, unconsciously trying to show that he was absolutely no threat to her, honest. "A bit," he agreed.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, see, I don't...really...do dates," Angua offered, trying to sound as apologetic as possible, because, really, he had a face almost as convincing as Carrot's. "I mean, that whole things was just a bit of a...a fluke."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 04:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Why not?" he asked, trying to form that into a smile that didn't look too pained. "Because I solemnly swear I'm not a messy eater."

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
And gods damn that. With a smile like that, Angua knew she couldn't just explain that it was because she kind of had a boyfriend, because that only opened things up to explaining the kind of and that would just get...\

...depressing.

"No," she said, "but perhaps I am."

Which was close enough to the truth, anyway.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-29 04:31 pm (UTC)(link)
John sat back an inch. "I could live with that for an evening," he said, after a moment, trying not to feel too desperately rejected. He was a grown man, he could take a punch. "Look, just... consider it on the table. Just dinner. No other expectations. If you ever feel like it."

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
Ugh, and that was even worse. If they were persistent or pathetic, she could at least be justified in shooting them down.

"Sure," Angua said, glancing behind her even though she knew the coffee wasn't ready yet. "On the table. Whenever I feel like it."

Which just meant relying on the fact that she could smell John and therefor avoid him.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes."

The smile on his part was mostly reflexive.

Then he cleared his throat, eyes darting elsewhere for a fraction of a second, "But now that I'm finished making things awkward," he said, awkwardly stirring his tea, "Let's put... all of that behind us. How are your feelings on Parents' Weekend?"

Yes, he knew it was the worst segue ever. He was going to try and make it work anyway.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
Angua could have said something about paperwork. She could have said something about how it made Mondays hell.

But, no. Angua had decided to go a different tact, because she figured that it would be the thing to do to put John off.

"Last time I saw my parents, my boss killed my brother."

...And that was probably where Angua was wrong.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
Ah.

John's expression softened. "I'm sorry," he said. "It must have been difficult."

Not exactly put off, our John, no. "Did he have a criminal past, or was it an accident?"

[identity profile] 3patchproblem.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
God damn it, John. Stop messing about with harlots when there were cases!

In Baltimore. Need your assistance with a case. Please come at once.
SH
Edited 2010-09-30 03:45 (UTC)

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
Angua, despite herself, snorted, and not just because of that still unfamiliar charge of electrical colour in the air at the moment.

"He deserved what was coming to him. If you ask me, he got off pretty bloody easy."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
John attempted to keep eye contact as he flipped open his mobile. "A very criminal past, I'm assuming," he said, eyes flicking down for a split second to read the message.

Oh, no. No, Sherlock. You were not going to ruin a perfectly nice chat with a woman again.

...Though really he should go--

No.

He flashed Angua a tiny, encouraging smile.

[identity profile] 3patchproblem.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Like he could be stopped.

Bring your gun. And a change of clothing.
SH

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
A tiny, encouraging smile that Angua had far too much sense to believe.

"What is it?" she asked, brows lifting, glad for any distraction that might put and end to this, since Wolfgang was only a slightly better subject than dating.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
"It's nothing, it's just my flatmate--"

He sighed, shut his eyes, then opened up the next message.

Bring your gun.

Oh, what had he gotten himself into this time? "I'm sorry," he said, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "It's an emergency. It was... nice talking to you. And I hope you'll have your coffee soon..."

Dammit, Sherlock.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Well, this was all very interesting. Angua swore she could practically smell jaunty caper music, but that might just be her.

"Ah, yes," she said, "your flatmate. Best not keep him waiting, if it's an...emergency."

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes, well." John looked like he was about to raise his voice in protest against that, but he seemed to deflate. "Perhaps I'll talk to you later?" he offered, hopefully.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
"And hopefully," Angua said with a lift of her brow, "not out of anything this emergency might yield."

Not that she was suggesting anything, of course. Just call it....a hunch.

[identity profile] justhisblogger.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
"I doubt that," he said, as he slipped up and out of his chair. "It's not in your district."

Those parting words came with a flash of an amused, rueful expression, and then John was headed for the door.

[identity profile] colourfulscents.livejournal.com 2010-09-30 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
Well, there was that, then. Angua settled back in her chair for a moment, shaking her head, and realizing that, actually? It was kind of a pity it wasn't in this district, because then she'd actually get to do something, and no, she wasn't allowed to feel a little envious. She was just going to sit here and wait for her coffee...
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