The Perk, Monday Afternoon

[suitably_heroic]

Class was over with, and with it, the week or so of hiding out in the apartment that Atton'd been doing. It'd been nice, for as long as it lasted, but getting out of the house that morning had felt better than he'd anticipated.

So instead of heading home after class, he took a detour past the Perk. He ordered something caramelly and sweet at the counter - once again swearing the barista to secrecy about the drink's contents - and then set up shop at the edge, waiting for his drink to be finished.

"So how much longer until you guys hit the Pumpkin Spice again?"

Sigh.

[[ open! ]]

Comments

[future_sandworm]

Leto kept making excuses to visit Fandom. And during visits, it had become a habit for him to visit the Perk for a coffee. It was oddly relaxing, just sitting there, watching people walk past outside and listening to the baristas trying to deal with whatever strange orders they got today. Or find that someone he knew was there, although that was becoming increasingly rare. Today turned out to be one of those days though.

"So, are you a regularly here?" he greeted Atton, grinning.

[suitably_heroic]

"I live here and it's the only place that does decent coffee," Atton said, turning away from the counter. "Leto. On vacation again?"

[future_sandworm]

"I am," Leto said, not offering further explanation. "And you are right about the coffee." After a pause, he added: " What are you having today?"

He wouldn't judge him about the caramel, if that was the case.

[suitably_heroic]

There was a long pause.

"Coffee."

Sure. Leto would buy that.

"Strong, black coffee."

Yep.

[future_sandworm]

No, Leto didn't buy that, but he made no sign not to. He ordered a black coffee to himself, then said:

"A good choice. So, any news on the Island, apart from it being back in its usual place?"

[suitably_heroic]

"If there is, I don't know about it," Atton said, shrugging. "I haven't been back long."

And had not been paying enough attention to notice the whole wedding mess.

[future_sandworm]

"Sparkle mentioned that you were away in your own universe when he came to visit." He picked up the cup the barista placed in front of him.

[suitably_heroic]

"I had some things to take care of," Atton said vaguely, and took the coffee he was offered. "Then I stuck around for a while, sine I didn't have a class anyway."

[future_sandworm]

"Are you teaching now? My sister just left Dune to return here to teach, after a summer at home."

He gestued towards a table, should Atton want to join him.

[suitably_heroic]

"Just started again today," Atton agreed. He crossed the length of the Perk and sat down at the table Leto had pointed out. "But the first week is always the easy one. What's Ghanima teaching this go-around?"

[future_sandworm]

Leto sat down opposite him. "Introductions? Ghanima is teaching what not to do in a fight." He smiled a little. "And you?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Sounds like she's got her work cut out for her," Atton said frankly. "Me, I'm teaching probability." Beat. "In a practical sense."

[future_sandworm]

"Practical probability?" Leto looked at Atton. "How would you determine it? What is probable in a specific situation?" He grinned. "Theoretically, I suppose."

[suitably_heroic]

"You could use math," Atton said, "But that only gets you so far."

He took a sip of his coffee.

"Especially practically," he said. "In practice, some of us have good instincts, and some of us don't. Yet."

[future_sandworm]

"The untrained human mind is too limited for that," Leto agreed. "I suppose you could use one of your Thinking Machines, but that has its own risks. What methods are you going to suggest to your students?"

He was genuinely interested, and looked at Atton as he stirred his coffee.

[suitably_heroic]

"On the one hand, I want them to play actual games of chance, so they can get a feeling for when to take risks," Atton said. "On the other, I want to expose them to dangerous situations, so they can figure out in a safe environment when going with their gut works. Or at least teach them to think about the odds, and when to flaunt them."

[future_sandworm]

"That should be good for them. So, what about yourself, would you say you rely more on your instinct or on analyzing the situation?"

Sometimes Leto wished it was possible for him to teach at Fandom as well, but these short visits were all that he could find time for.

[suitably_heroic]

"I've got a lot of experience combining the two," Atton said wryly. "And the Force doesn't want me dead. So... both."

[future_sandworm]

"I have never quite understood what the Force is and what it does to people who are sensitive to it," Leto confessed. "We have nothing like it in my universe, as far as I understand."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter was sticking with tea again today; it seemed to be harder for the baristas to mess it up.

He nodded at the guy he didn't recognize. "Hi."

Yeah, his conversation openers hadn't improved much since Saturday.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton raised his eyebrows at the guy. "Hi," he echoed dryly. "What are you staring at?"

[suitably_heroic]

"What, you don't have a mystic energy field running everything that may or may not be sentient?" Atton said dryly. "That's weird."

[future_sandworm]

Leto raised an eyebrow. "Considering the universes people here come from, does that necessarily surprise you?"

[suitably_heroic]

"That wasn't surprise, that was sarcasm," Atton pointed out. "So no."

[future_sandworm]

"Sadly, my universe is lacking in certain things." Leto replied. "But thank you for the clarification."