The Perk, Tuesday morning

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Strangely enough, a few Christmas decorations in his hotel room had cheered him up. Simon hadn't considered returning to Serenity for the holiday - if any news about River would turn up it would be here, and that meant he had to stay.

Still, now he smiled to himself as he sipped his tea while skimming through a newspaper at a corner table at the Perk,

[very open!]

Comments

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Ray had snagged a cup of coffee over by the counter, which was good, and it had the shot of chocolate he kinda craved in the mornings. He scanned the area while stirring it, noticed a familiar face, and, after some mental debate, shrugged, and sauntered over there.

He flopped into the seat opposite Simon without as much as a hello, and sipped his coffee.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon smiled a little. "Good morning," he said. "Tired yourself out doing Christmas shopping?" Yes, he thought that question was funny.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Somehow, the idea that Simon would actually start a conversation with him had flown straight past his brain. Or something. He blinked, then shrugged. "Nah, don't really have anybody to shop for. Except the Mountie." Ray was unaware that that had been a joke, yes. "But he's Canadian, so eh."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Canadians don't celebrate Christmas?" Being from a different solar system, this was perfectly plausible to Simon. "I don't either, not here, but I did get some decorations." He added that last part as if it was a dirty secret.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"No, Canadians celebrate Christmas," Ray said, in that tone of voice that implied he thought Simon was from another solar system or something. "Just ain't gift people--" Even if he was going to get Fraser something-- "--What, you from Africa or something?"

Ray had such tact.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"No, uh, I'm from another solar system," Simon replied, realising he'd said something strange, but not quite getting the 'not gift people' part. "Is Africa a bad place?"

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Ask the starving kids," Ray snarked. Then the rest of it caught up with him. "...Wait, back up a little."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Huh?" Simon raised his eyebrows, looking at Ray over the rim of his teacup.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Another solar system? You trying to kid me or something?"

This place was starting to make him paranoid.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Why would I do that?" Simon did look just a little hurt. "I come from another solar system in the year 2520. Earth got overpopulated."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"...Yeah, and I'm a unicorn," Ray countered, "Nice story."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"You don't believe me? But some people here seem to be from a lot stranger places." Simon now looked truly confused.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, I'm from Chicago, and it's plenty strange," Ray groused, "No people from another planet, though."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"How?" He blinked. "But I really am from another planet."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Ray leaned back, "I can tell from the look on your face." He wasn't serious, no. "Is it just me, or is everybody a freak in this town?" It had taken him a while to catch on to that, yes.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"You think I'm a freak?" Simon looked amused rather than insulted. This was him being called that, not River after all.