The Perk, Monday Morning

[ifwebeworthy]

"Something's off," Don muttered into his coffee. "Don't you feel...weird?"

I do not feel anything.

"...right." Because Thor was in the void.

It almost itched, and for some reason he found himself thinking that maybe he should try to figure out those hookup apps Thor had tried to steer him toward last summer. He was poking at his phone when a new email notification popped up, and he opened his email to find it was from the Maryland Board of Physicians. He stared at it for a moment, for some reason thinking, This feels like it should be a laptop kind of email, before he raised his coffee cup to his mouth again to tell Thor under its cover, "Looks like I can start looking for a job."

Hm?

"My license transferred."

Congratulations, Dr. Blake, Thor said, sounding almost amused, possibly at the prospect that Don would have trouble finding a job even after more than ten years out of the game. This calls for a celebration.

"Maybe I'll get another coffee," Don suggested. "Or...something."

(Open Perk is open!)

Comments

[seriesofbaddecisions]

Sabine didn't have a reason to be out besides basic restlessness. The last thing she wanted was to sit around and deal when she could deal while also maybe getting a free drink from a barista.

She gave a nod as she waited for that free drink. She knew how this week worked.

[ifwebeworthy]

Don did not know how this week went. In fact, this might somehow be his first rodeo with sex pollen. Had to keep things Comics Code friendly and all that. He smiled at Sabine and told her, "They seem to be getting the orders right today."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"I am actually very surprised by that," she admitted. "Grateful, though. They also probably created a peppermint shortage."

[ifwebeworthy]

"Peppermint season's over," Don joked. "We're in chocolate season now...that was not meant to give the baristas ideas." He didn't trust them, you see.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Yeah, the baristas definitely don't need any ideas," she agreed, and frowned because that just sounded wrong.

[ifwebeworthy]

Don, who was still blissfully unaware of what week this was or why he felt...off...didn't exactly catch the innuendo there, and just shot the baristas a wary look. "Well. As long as they behave themselves."

Ahem.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Though it's not terrible if they don't..."

No, Sabine. Bad.

[ifwebeworthy]

Don was remembering that "coffee" he'd gotten that had both grit and viscosity, and eyeing Sabine like he was wondering if she was okay. "If you say so..."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Sorry," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That kind of week."

[ifwebeworthy]

"Rough one?" Don asked sympathetically and obliviously.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

Sabine, fingers still at the bridge of her nose, sighed and said, "Maybe by Saturday, who knows."

[ifwebeworthy]

"Vague," Don said with a nod. "I can respect it."

This poor man.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

She peered at him. "Are you actually okay today?"

She was going to be so annoyed if he was.

[ifwebeworthy]

"Why wouldn't I be?" Don asked warily, because he definitely had not connected 'maybe I'm a little horny' to a question like that.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

How to ask this of someone she didn't really know.

"You're not all... amped up?"

Like everyone else on the island??

[ifwebeworthy]

"...why would you ask me that?" They were definitely not on weirdly personal questions terms! Did it show?

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Because it's more or less everyone," she said.

[ifwebeworthy]

"Say what now?" This was not his area of medical expertise, Sabine!

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Whole island. Either everyone's going to be irritated all week or it'll get debauched, I don't know that there's a middle ground."

What with last year's Waffle House spin the bottle and whatever was happening on that Wednesday's Caritas, and yes she was going back.

[ifwebeworthy]

"Okay," Don said slowly. "Why?" Did Thor need to punch something? He'd be thrilled.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Pollen."

She shrugged.

[ifwebeworthy]

"I'm sorry, did you say pollen?"

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Yeeeep," she said, popping the P. "Some allergies make you sneeze, I guess some make you want to take the barista home."