The Perk, Thursday Morning

[whatdattonguedotho]

So, he had a place to stay and a newspaper that no one here had apparently ever heard of to work for.

Run by deer.

We could go back to San Francisco. Back to Anne. We like Anne, Venom whispered in his brain.

"This is called movin' on, buddy," Eddie muttered into his disgustingly sweet mocha drink, only purchased to make the parasite happy. "It's healthy."

Venom sighed, clearly not pleased with that response, but settled in to rest. At least, that's what Eddie assumed he was doing to continue recovering from the near miss with Riot and not, like, eating a kidney or something.

"Just. Gotta give the place a chance," he said, looking out the window for some tried and true people watching.

[open!]

Comments

[built_fjord_tough]

Speaking of people to watch, how about that big green guy in the leather armor who looked vaguely like he'd been hit by a bus when he made his way in and ordered the biggest coffee they had, served black.

He'd been out on a bar crawl on the mainland with Fenris last night. Even odds he actually had been.

Coffee attained, he turned and looked around the room with keen golden cat-slit eyes, looking for a good place to sit for some people-watching of his own.

[whatdattonguedotho]

"Um." Eddie paused and hummed to himself yo sort of make sure this was really happening.

I thought humans were shades of pink and brown.

Thank you, Venom for your input.

[built_fjord_tough]

Well. That one seemed to be a little put off by him. Which meant that Fjord, mildly creeped out by that human's double-take, was making his way right over to sit nearby, leaning back in his seat and taking a casual mouthful of coffee.

"You know," he drawled, because of course he was a half-orc with an inexplicably Texan accent usually, "it's rude to stare."

[whatdattonguedotho]

Was it 'Texan' the way Eddie's was 'New York'?

"Sorry? Long night?" Was it a costume or was Eddie's nervous break down just a continuous series of events?

[built_fjord_tough]

The Texan was probably more genuine than the British accent that sometimes came into play, considering Travis. But also the opposite of that, because sneaky Warlock boy.

Acting!

"Long nights all around, apparently," Fjord noted, taking another mouthful of coffee. "You must be new."

Said with all the authority that a whole two months and some change on the island afforded him.

[mages_suck]

Fenris entered a little while after Fjord. He looked almost as bad. He was still a little tilty as he made his way to the counter and ordered a very large black coffee. It took him a moment to achieve that because the barista really wanted to make him a latte.

Dairy in coffee. Ugh. No, thank you.

He glanced at the face-off his roommate was having with an unfamiliar human.

Fenris took his coffee to a table at a flanking position of the human. "I wouldn't make him angry," he advised the man, with a nod toward Fjord, "You won't like him when he's angry."

He examined Fjord's face, "Though right now he looks hungover, not angry. I think. Are you hungover, Fjord? I don't believe I've reached 'hungover' yet."

A small urp and a sip of coffee. "Candy corn infused vodka. I cannot decide whether we should make our own or whether I never want to have it again."

[built_fjord_tough]

"I never get hungover," Fjord countered, taking another sip of coffee.

This was a blatant lie.

"And I'm never drinking anything with 'candy' in the name again."

This was probably not a blatant lie.

[mages_suck]

"Practicing our lying again, are we?" Fenris asked with amusement, "Good. You need it. You're terrible at lying."

He wasn't terrible. Fenris just enjoyed giving him crap.

[built_fjord_tough]

"You've got no idea, my friend," Fjord said, smiling crookedly.

But no, really. Ideally he didn't. Not that Fjord liked to lie, but he seemed to do a lot of it. Mostly by omission.

[mages_suck]

Fenris made a rude noise and sipped his coffee. Then he deadpanned, "'It's permanent. I got a tattoo all over. It really hurt.' Honestly, what did you think her next question would be? You walked right into that one."

Another sip of coffee and a smirk, "And then you literally ran away from it."

[whatdattonguedotho]

Eddie was from the Sony-verse and therefore didn't get the awesome Hulk joke there. Which was sad.

"Doin' my best not to make anyone angry. Unless they deserve it."

[mages_suck]

"Oh, I didn't say he didn't deserve it," Fenris said brightly, "I just said you wouldn't like it." He sipped his coffee and amended, "Also not to do it."

He peered a little blearily at the man. "Are you new? I haven't seen you before."

That didn't say much, Fenris, you'd met like 11 people.

[whatdattonguedotho]

"I'm new," Eddie replied, offering a hand to shake. "Eddie Brock. I work for the newspaper no one remembers existing."

THIS PLACE WAS OUT FOR HIM.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer was definitely having a multiple-latte kind of day, so after she finished her radio broadcast, she was slowly dragging her heels back to the Perk, hoping something with too much sugar plus some caffeine might do the job to kick her ass into getting something together for her class, which she really didn't want to do, and maybe she'd just cancel again, or not just have it. Cancel the internet. She was done. Turns out she kind of was over this whole teaching thing...and that was okay, right?

Right. And now she had more coffee and she took a look around the shop and noticed a mostly new face that she though she recognized from the party last night, but it wasn't like she was going to introduce herself in costume, what would be the point? She headed over now, though.

"I'm going to go out on a limb," she started, between another sip, "and guess you're that new guy, Eddie."

[whatdattonguedotho]

"This is a really small town, huh?" It was both super weird and kind of an interesting phenomena.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Well," Summer explained, "the short answer to that is, yes, yes it is. And the long answer involves squirrels."

He was new. It seemed just polite to give him the option of the long answer if he wanted it.

"I'm Summer, by the way," she offered. "Summer Smith. I run the general store here, so if you need anything, Turtle & Canary's a good place to go, and I swear, I genuinely wanted to come over and say hi and not just advertise for my business, which I now realize that's what it sounds like."

[whatdattonguedotho]

"I completely believe you, Summer Smith," he replied with a wry grin. "Eddie Brock if the, uh, squirrels hadn't already told you."

THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP, FENRIS.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel needed coffee, which was really nothing new.

He wasn't, at least, hungover after the party. Blessings of a healing factor. It didn't mean he wasn't staring at the barista when she threatened him with a pumpkin spice latte.

"Just coffee. Large and black. I will tip you well for nothing else in it."

She smirked and went to get it.

[whatdattonguedotho]

If Eddie had any sort of hangover, it would have been sugar related. But all that sugar had just gone to his alien goo parasite... buddy.

He was working on the right definition still.

He offered a friendly enough smile to the guy, clutching at his mocha creation while missing normal coffee.

[what_the_shock]

"Hey." Miguel toasted him with his coffee.

"So, how tired are you of being asked if you're new yet?"

[whatdattonguedotho]

"It's certainly hammering home that I'm in a small town," Eddie admitted.

[revengenotebook]

Slightly greasy? Muttering to himself? Drinking coffee?

Three dead giveaways of a newspaper dude, in Paris' experience. She squared her shoulders and marched right over. "Are you Eddie?" she demanded.

[whatdattonguedotho]

Okay, that was a rude if very accurate description of him.

"Yes?" he said, fighting the urge to hide under the table. He compromised by only hiding behind his mocha.

YOU KEEP MAKING US LOOK BAD.

[revengenotebook]

"I'm Paris Geller," she said, slapping down a comprehensive and slightly terrifying resume for a high school senior. "I want to work at your newspaper."

[whatdattonguedotho]

"You do?" Eddie, don't sound so confused. "It's run by these blue deer."

He couldn't in good faith not let her know that.