OOM: Surprise Blind Date with Nancy

[thesupersmeller]

After his heart to heart with Demeter, as they were always heart to heart with her, and all the confusion he's felt between his body, mind, and most of all his heart, Gus is more at ease than before but without any answers. He's already told The Devil once and for all it's off, he doesn't want to be that guy that keeps an open option - especially not an open option that could destroy him... and maybe still would. He's not that guy at all. Instead, he's been going through the motions; closing the case and helping get everything ready for the impending party.

The day after Juliet's birthday party, he gets a text message from Shawn telling him to be at Milliways as soon as possible at a bench by the lake. Later, it would occur to him that Shawn was clearly up to something - but as he walks a slow circle around the bench in the pink silk shirt and black slacks he'd worn to work for the day and waits for his friend to show it's more annoying than anything.

Comments

[thesupersmeller]

His brows knit together for a moment, considering her words.

"You're a refugee?"

[iamhismummy]

"In a way. There's kids I look after, make sure they get food one way or another - you'd be surprised how many there are out there on their own - and... and my son."

She looks at him over her wine glass at that, waiting to see how he'll react.

[thesupersmeller]

Slowly, he lets the new information register and quite honestly he's not sure what to think at all.

After a long pause, he sips his wine before asking; "Aren't you... you know, a little young for that kind of responsibility?"

[iamhismummy]

"I'm older than I look", she says with an amused shrug. "I know, I look about 15 but I promise I'm not. And maybe, all the same, but someone has to do it."

[thesupersmeller]

Slowly, he nods; "I get that..." But, he also gets the impression she's not that much older. Still, it was a different world during the war - and all that stuff with aliens and all that...

"You're a pretty amazing girl, then. I know a lot of people where I come from wouldn't be able to handle that kind of responsibility."

Honestly, part of him wonders if he even could.

[iamhismummy]

Nancy smiles at him, touched by the compliment.

"You might be surprised what they can do when it's thrust on them. It was just me and Jamie for a while, I kind of picked up the other kids one by one."

[thesupersmeller]

Another nod and he sips his wine before asking; "He's yours? Jamie, I mean?"

[iamhismummy]

She nods back, with a small smile and another sip of her own wine.

"He's seven."

[thesupersmeller]

"Seven? Wow... and you're...?" He can't help but ask, it's that linger feeling that he's the old guy at the table, child or no.

"I mean, not that it's a really big deal, I'm, uh... I'm thirty-five."

[iamhismummy]

"23", she answers easily. "I don't mind about you being older if you don't."

[thesupersmeller]

He considers it for a moment and then shakes his head; "No, I mean - if it works it works. You're a very interesting woman, Nancy."

Taking another sip of his wine, he asks softly; "And you're doing it all on your own out there?"

[iamhismummy]

"Mostly", she confirms. "There's a doctor who helps when we need him, he's going to help me be a nurse when the war's over."

[thesupersmeller]

[ooc: Oh man, I'm sorry! I didn't get a notif for this & was just about to message and check on you! My bad!]

"That's good," he nods slowly, sipping his wine. "Wow, I just... wow. And are things looking like the war will end soon?"

[iamhismummy]

[I was wondering! DW's usually good about that...]

"Hard to say", she says with a slight shrug. "They've been saying it'll end any day now for... four years."

[thesupersmeller]

[ooc: Pretty sure it's yahoo. *sigh*]

"Ouch," he's not about to compare it to the history he knows - who knows how different her Earth is from his, anyway.

"So, I guess you don't really get a chance to get out much? Millways must be a really nice way to forget about all the bad stuff."

[iamhismummy]

"I get out and about", she says wryly. "Just not usually for fun. Sneak into the back of the pictures sometimes... and yes, Milliways is a godsend."

[thesupersmeller]

He laughs slightly and nods; "It's a good place to get away from things."

Gus shrugs and offers a slight smile; "Or, you know, find new things."

[iamhismummy]

"And new things are always good to experience", she says with a cheerful nod. "And in no short supply here."

[thesupersmeller]

The easy pleasantness is contagious, anyone in her position Gus would expect to be sullen and withdrawn - not the sweet girl sitting across from him. It's pretty nice, really... and definitely a change from his mood when he walked through the door.

"You're telling me! Would you believe I've made friends with two goddesses, and a guy that reads minds?" He almost mentions The Devil, but there's no sense in admitting association with her at this point.

[iamhismummy]

She grins.

"A doctor from... around your time, thinking about it, the tribal king I mentioned, and there was a girl who glowed like a rainbow but I haven't seen her in a long time."

[thesupersmeller]

Shaking his head, Gus lets out a light chuckle; "A rainbow? For serious? Like Rainbow Brite?" Who he knows Nancy wouldn't know of, but just can't resist asking rhetorically if nothing else.

"Oh! Last time I tended bar, I met a computer program. Pure data in physical form."

He finishes the last of his wine and picks up the bottle, pouring another shallow glass before offering to top off hers with a silent nod of the bottle.

[iamhismummy]

She nods and tilts her glass towards him in acceptance, smiling.

"Computers... the things like typewriters with screens? I've seen them here, not used one. And yeah, she was all rainbow light and she could fly and blast things with it."

[thesupersmeller]

With an easy turn of the wrist, he fills her glass - the easy grin plastered across his lips. Computers, of course she wouldn't know about computers. He's slowly getting used to people not knowing about the same things his world takes for granted.

"Yeah, that exactly." He nods, and then asks; "Have you eaten yet? I'm pretty hungry and if you don't want to eat here, I wouldn't mind maybe going back to my place."

It takes a second before he realizes just how he sounds, but he adds hurriedly; "I mean my world, not... you know my place necessarily, but Santa Barbra. Where I'm from. I live there."

Smooth.

[iamhismummy]

She raises her eyebrows at him, but more in amusement than offence, especially when he reaches the hasty clarification.

"I haven't eaten, and I'd love to see your world." With a glance down at her dress, "If this would fit in there?"

[thesupersmeller]

Glad that she either didn't catch his slip or was gracious enough not to mention it, Gus nods even more eagerly.

"Oh, please. I'm from California - you'd fit right in with the cute bohemian looking girls that all want to look like you do but instead just look like they rolled out of a thrift store."

After a moment of of consideration, he says; "I know a really nice outdoor place by the beach, I bet you'd love it."