Caritas, Thursday

[wrongkindofsith]

Tonight, Tino was very wisely staying as far away from (a still sneezing) Cara it as was possible to be while still remaining behind the bar because someone was Not Happy.

Even with cold baths and sequestering yourself away from people, it turned out that emotional relief only went so far when what you needed, what you had a desperate, bone-deep craving for, was a physical one.

Not to mention ending up in the duck-pond multiple times within the first hour of her shift because some incredibly stupid people could not take a hint was only adding to her good mood.

[Open, no OCD.]

Comments

[suitably_heroic]

"Can I have a bottle of something alcoholic, and not a word when I do the kind of karaoke I don't want anybody else on the island to know about?" Atton asked, as he sank down in a seat.

He didn't even have emotional relief working for him. He was hoping Cara might have some empathy, like, in that we're-both-terrible-people-with-issues kind of way.

(He was banking on everyone else being at that party. Or somewhere else, getting laid. Wasn't that a depressing thought?)

[wrongkindofsith]

You couldn't cuddle do things with emotional relief, especially not when it came in the form of flowers.

Cara got out a bottle but didn't hand it over immediately. "Depends, are you a handsy drunk?" She'd gone a whole five minutes without a dunking, she was hoping to make it at least ten.

(Yes. Especially since if Cara hadn't working been she might have gone. Just to watch.)

[suitably_heroic]

"No," Atton said, rolling his eyes. He didn't even drink enough to get genuinely drunk, most days, when he wasn't just faking the whole thing. He was undecided on the drunk thing right now, though. "And even if I was, I'm not going to hit on you, trust me."

[wrongkindofsith]

Good enough. Cara put he bottle down in front of him. "Had to check," she said. "There's stupid in the air as well as sex."

[suitably_heroic]

"Don't I know it," Atton muttered. "How many of these guys have you tried to kick in the 'nads so far?"

Okay, fine, she looked more like a face-puncher. Still.

[wrongkindofsith]

She could do both, she was multi-talented.

"Not nearly enough, since they keep trying."

[suitably_heroic]

"Well, it's sex pollen week," Atton said. He glanced over to where a bunch of guys he didn't know were clustering. "Damn, they look desperate."

[wrongkindofsith]

"I don't care, it's not no self-control pollen week." Cara shot a glare in the direction of the cluster. "They were all in here for the first three, I have no sympathy for anyone trying after that." Or for those first three.

[suitably_heroic]

"Hey, I never said you should be sympathetic," Atton pointed out. "Just that they look desperate. Which isn't a good look on anybody."

He looked their way again. "Have some dignity, come on."

Said the guy who'd be steamrolling through 'Elastic Heart', 'Chandelier' and 'Titanium' tonight.

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara didn't care about their dignity. "If they're that desperate they can lend each other a hand," she said. "They have plenty of them."

[suitably_heroic]

"Don't say that too loud or they're gonna start pulling their pants down right here in your nice bar," Atton said, pulling a face. "Can't we have that week again where ice water kept falling on everyone?"

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara would prefer other, more witchling shaped things back, but she'd settle for the water.

"If they try they'll lose something very valuable," she said, voice pitched to carry. "By now I know how fast the spell works."

[suitably_heroic]

About half an hour later, Atton got up on stage with the zombies to go through his usual Metallica-heavy routine, even if he might've hit on 'No Leaf Clover' twice.

That wasn't the part he didn't want anyone to know about. That part came later, when more whiskey had been had.

"And another one bites the dust, why can I not conquer love...?"

Yeah, the irony of him digging into the greatest hits of someone called 'Sia' wasn't lost on him, but fuck it, she wasn't the woman on his mind anyway.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

It was rather late in the evening when a witch-shaped person slipped in through a back window. Yes, she was a few days early. This was a surprise!

...she was probably going to end up in the Duck Pond, she knew, but it was worth it.

Her cat-like skills were in full force as she ghosted over the floor, making almost no noise at all as she slipped out of the backroom to sneak up behind Cara.

[wrongkindofsith]

Oh no, a cold, wet witch who someone would have to warm up, so sad.

Unaware of such distracting possibilities, Cara looked around suspiciously as every single hair suddenly stood at attention.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

Don't laugh, don't laugh... Surreal waited until she was almost right behind Cara, then;

"Boo."

[wrongkindofsith]

Between Cara's hyperawareness of the room, and the fact she'd been punching idiots who didn't seem to comprehend a woman's lack of interest all shift, her response to the sudden noise was spinning and lunging to tackle the source.

So at least one of them was definitely ending up in the duck pond, the only question was whether Cara had company or not.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

She had laughing company, point of fact, who was now soaking wet and cackling at the expression on Cara's face. "Sugar, you look like something the cat dragged in!"

[wrongkindofsith]

It was the look of someone who was realising their girlfriend quite possibly had remembered flowers made them sneeze before sending them a bouquet.

Cara had any number of responses, but right now kissing Surreal seemed like the most important. Well, also getting back inside before they froze to death, but kissing first. Yes. That would teach her.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

Kissing was totally the right response. The bar would be there in a few moments, reminding Cara that she was totally real and not a figment of the pollen-imagination? That was the priority.

Eventually, however, Surreal needed to breathe, and she broke off the kiss to rest her forehead against Cara's. "Surprise?"

[wrongkindofsith]

Seeing that Cara's fantasies throughout the week had involved both far more nudity and seduction, and far fewer duck ponds and songs being murdered by Atton, the reminder was more than welcome and completely necessary.

She let out a laugh as she wrapped her arms around Surreal in a hug that was clammy, cold, and exactly what she needed right now. "You're infuriating," she told her. "I should make you find somewhere else to stay tonight for that surprise."

That was likely one of the most blatantly empty threats Cara had ever made in her life.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Liar," Surreal teased. "If you let me stay anywhere else, I'd be shocked and hurt."

So hurt. See how hurt she was, Cara?

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara didn't know how she'd live with herself for causing such hurt. "True. Who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into if I didn't keep an eye on you?"

You weren't the only one who could tease, Surreal.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm sure I could find some way to entertain myself," she replied, chuckling. "And then I'd have fun stories to regale you with!"

Surreal reached up to brush some hair out of Cara's face. "Let's go in and dry off, and you can threaten me to your heart's content."

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara turned her head to kiss Surreal's palm, before moving to try to haul them both to their feet. "You already have enough stories for me, without needing to go fetch more."

"First I have to throw out some customers and tell Tino to lock up." Because she had no desire for either of them to end up the pond (or any water that wasn't hot or in a tub) again any time soon. "Then I can think of better things to do to you than make threats."