OOM: First Date with Agnes

[thesupersmeller]

This time, Gus at least has the benefit of knowing what he's going into a day ahead of time after confronting Shawn about his previous blind date. He's also got the benefit of added nervousness and the absolute certainty it's going to go badly because his dates usually do. After an hour of preening and making sure everything is perfect and as it should be, he settles on a dark blue shirt open at the collar with khakis - casual, comfortable and drives to the Psych office. On his desk is a small, square box with a sticky note on the front bearing Shawn's handwritten: "NOT FOR YOU" and beside it a Hershey bar with another note reading: "FOR YOU".

Sometimes, Shawn could be a pretty cool guy. Or,  you know, he felt bad about tricking Gus into going on the first blind date and setting him up like a piece of meat to begin with. But, he had to admit he was a tiny bit grateful that at least someone was looking out for him while he had himself all wrapped up in a bit of madness he never should have touched to begin with.

Steeling himself, he picks up the candy - leaving behind said sticky notes - and steps through the locker to Milliways. This time the meeting is to be indoors and he picks a quiet booth in a corner hoping that Shawn had at least had the sense to show her a picture so they could find each other. No less, he sits facing the doors and opens his candy bar, forcing himself to break off each chocolaty square to eat slowly and not assuage his nerves by downing the whole thing.

Comments

[thesupersmeller]

It takes a moment to answer, mostly because he doesn't want to come off as an uncultured idiot. Figuring honesty was a good idea, he answers; "I like the music, but I don't really understand it... you know? Maybe if I spoke Italian it'd be easier for me to get into it... but I have an ear for melodies that enjoys the sound."

With a shrug, he adds; "I sometimes do a cappella stuff with a group I ran with in college but, man... opera. That's like some serious singing."

[agnes_nitt]

"Nobody understands opera. That's part of its appeal, part of its power. One of the most beautiful arias I've ever heard is about a door that won't open. But it doesn't matter what it means, because the sound and the emotion is just so powerful that it overwhelms the meaning."

[thesupersmeller]

The thought brings out an easy laugh and somewhat shyly, he admits; "I do have La Traviata on my iPod - with Placido Domingo playing Alfredo."

Not that he'd ever admit to it publicly given the way Shawn already rails on his nerdery (despite being just as geeky in different subjects) - and it seems kind of odd nestled in with 80s hits, R&B classics and the odd pop song.

After a moment, he allows himself to push a little further and suggests; "I'd love to hear you sing sometime."

[agnes_nitt]

"I wouldn't mind that," she admits. "I mostly only sing to myself lately. It would be nice to have an audience again."

[thesupersmeller]

Pleased with the response, Gus replies; "Maybe for our next date if I play my cards right we can go somewhere worthy of an operatic voice." Clearly, karaoke night at Tom Blair's Pub wouldn't exactly qualify.

"For tonight, if you're okay with it, I'd like to buy you dinner - here or somewhere else, it's up to you."

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes looks around the familiar surroundings.

"Is there somewhere else you had in mind?"

[thesupersmeller]

He shrugs; "Nowhere particular. The last time I brought someone to my world we had fish tacos on the beach."

He lets out a small laugh and admits; "I'm kind of a foodie so I'll eat pretty much anywhere that tastes good."

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes chuckles. "Well, there's nowhere in Lancre that can live up to those high expectations, so I guess it'll have to be your world."

She stands up and offers him a hand. "Shall we?"

[thesupersmeller]

"Somehow, I doubt that..." there's good to be had anywhere in his experience, which is actually pretty limited.

"But, yeah." He nods eagerly and pushes up from the table, "that sounds like a plan - I think I know just the place."

There's a bistro close to the boardwalk not far from their office that does a mean pasta - well worth the trip.

[agnes_nitt]

"Someday, I may have to prove it to you, then." (On the Disc, Fifty Shades of Grey is a Lancre cookbook.)

Agnes loops her arm around Gus' and lets him lead her to the door. Milliways is nice and all, but she's in the mood for something new and different.

[thesupersmeller]

Taking her arm with an even wider grin, he's a lot more prepared to take someone through the door than he was last time... he knows now that things don't always end up badly. And he's done pretty well so far at not shoving both feet in his mouth, which is more than he can say most of the time lately.

"I'll warn you now, though... our door pops out into a high school locker in my office - so it's a bit of an adjustment the first time, just watch your step and you shouldn't trip."

He opens the door looking out into the Psych office and walks through before she can respond.

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes looks through the narrow doorway dubiously, but manages, after some effort, to squeeze her way through. Getting back to Milliways was going to be interesting, she decided.

"So, this is where you work?"

[thesupersmeller]

Gus offers her a hand to help, but as expected she's got it on her own.

"This, is Psych..." he laughs slightly; "this is just the office, though. Mostly we work out in the field or at the police station - but, uh... yeah. This is where we sort of do paperwork and hangout."

It occurs to him that he probably should have picked up a little, but he wasn't exactly expecting company.

"My desk is the clean one."

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes looks around and nods approvingly. "It's nice. Could use a little sprucing up, but I like the view."

She crossed over to Gus and takes his hand. "So, dinner?"

[thesupersmeller]

Smiling almost dumbly at the clutch of her hand, Gus nods eagerly; "Right, yeah... dinner. I was thinking this little Italian place down the boardwalk - they're a little busy this time of day, but the food is really good."

He leads her to the door, locking the office behind them and clicking the remote alarm on his car to make sure it's set with a hollow horn toot and flash of lights. "It's close enough we can walk."

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes smiles back. "Good. I'm still not sure about those car things. Just doesn't seem right for anyone to move that fast without magic."

[thesupersmeller]

"Sometimes it sort of seems like magic." Not that he's familiar with real magic, the closest he's come is when the Devil healed his arm - and he's still absolutely sure that's going to come back to haunt him in a big way.

He gives her hand a gentle squeeze and leads her out toward the boardwalk. Their office is nearly ocean front, a walk and narrow road in front of it is bordered by sand leading right down to the water maybe two hundred feet away. In one direction the slow weeknight crowd gathers around an assortment of food carts, mostly families with kids and dogs and beach gear. To the other the lights on a large ferris wheel light the way toward the pier - which is close to their destination.

"I guess being in a world where there's no magic is pretty weird for you, huh? The closest we've got here is... religion, I guess. Miracles and angels and stuff." He believes in miracles - and that they're quite possibly the only reason he and Shawn are still alive after some of the scrapes they've been in over the last six years - the book's still out on angels.

[agnes_nitt]

Agnes looks around as they walk, enjoying the ocean breeze, the crisp scent of salt in the air. She'd only been to a beach once before in her life, when she'd visited the Rim. This was much nicer, and with less chance of falling off the edge of the world.

"Oh, we have religions on the Discworld, too. Even a few gods still hanging around and making a mess of things. More trouble than they're worth, if you ask me."

[thesupersmeller]

It's one of the many things he loves about living in Santa Barbra - any time day or night, in all but the smelliest of locations, he can still smell the ocean.

He laughs under his breath and replies; "That's pretty much the opinion of a lot of people here." He looks at her a long moment and then back up at their destination; "I used to be Catholic, but I guess it just sort of... I don't know. I'm not very good at it."

Which isn't saying much, few are - but he guesses he's got a few more reasons than most to be considered a bad Catholic. "I am because my parents were, you know? I grew up with it, but now it's different."

[agnes_nitt]

"Different how? My parents weren't the most approving of my 'becoming' a witch. And no amount of my explaining that one is born a witch and can no more become one than one can become a rabbit seemed to make any difference to them."

[thesupersmeller]

Gus chuckles slightly under his breath and nods, it's a strange comparison - but he kind of gets it.

"My parents had all these dreams about me becoming a priest when I was a kid, and when that was shot down it was still assumed I'd be a deacon - or at least leader of the choir." He sighs and looks away; "I guess the turning point was high school - they started panicking that I was still spending all my time with Shawn instead of going out with girls and all that... and well, you've met Shawn... but it wasn't like that. It's never been like that. Still, they sent me to this conversion camp so I could 'pray the gay away'." He laughs bitterly.

"That's when I guess I realized that it wasn't really for me, because man... if I had been gay that would have crushed me. As it is, I still don't think I could forgive them for it. Since thing it's just gotten more and more difficult to have faith and believe in church doctrine - and I find myself wondering just how much of it is what God would want. I mean, I think God would want his people to be happy, right?"

[agnes_nitt]

"Would he?" Agnes asks. "It's been my impression that most gods don't care about happiness one way or the other. So long as they're believed in, happiness is as good as misery."

[thesupersmeller]

It's a heavy thought, and one he's not really ready to handle, so Gus merely nods and mutters; "Yeah... sometimes that's what it feels like."

Quick to change the subject, he leans slightly against her and says; "Has anyone ever told you, you've got really great hair? I mean... very nice. Not that the rest of you isn't equally amazing, but wow..."

He means well, but is always good at shoving both feet his mouth.