evowhisperer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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raisetheearth2015-09-16 11:34 pm
evowhisperer) wrote in raisetheearth2015-09-16 11:34 pm
Entry tags:
[Projects 2 and 3] Open and Closed!
Who: Blaise, Cesar, and you!
Where: Marty's Gourmet Soda shop, Gateway City
When: Soda shop: Within a few days of the 16th, give or take.
What: Cesar and Blaise meet in person for the first time!
Warnings: Talk about Ryu (and all sex-discussion related warnings)
Status: Open! Blaise and Cesar's thread is closed.
Marty's Gourmet Soda shop is a warm, pleasantly crowded affair. The counters are heavy wood, the stools are the sort that attach to the floor and rotate back and forth. Cheerful big-band music plays over tinny corner-speakers, and a young cashier behind the counter taps away at a cash register that might be older than he is. 'Stu' reads his nametag. He's a handsome young man, and whenever Stu smiles a girl by the door sighs happily.
Stu isn't paying attention just now, since he's leaning forward over the counter to squint at the cellphone presented to him.
"A, uh... Oh! Sure, sir, one Exprezzy Espresso, coming right up!" He straightens and rattles off a price, scrawling letters on the side of a cup.
Cesar takes the phone back and fishes out change, passing it across the counter. Cha-ding! Coins are handed over. Cesar pockets the change and backs out of the way, already reimmersed in his phone.
He won't look up until his name is called.
"Fizzy coffee! Cesar S!"
-----------------------------------------------
Who: Tony, Cesar, and you!
Where: Cesar's apartment, Gateway City
When: A few days after their text conversation.
What: Cesar and Tony meet for a suspense-ridden intercourse of science.
Warnings: Needles, what is essentially a low-key version of unregulated human testing. Also, underaged drinking and drunk shennanigans.
Status: Closed
It's another door with another number on it. This time the hallway outside has rows of doors on both sides of the walkway, and potted plants stand as greetings by several welcome-mats along the way. Cesar's door has no plant, but it does have a welcome mat. It has no words--just a generic pattern.
It's quiet. A pair of children can be heard playing in the distance, and a tabby cat cleans itself by a door some apartments away. There's no smells or sounds from the apartment, this time.
It's quiet. A pair of children can be heard playing in the distance, and a tabby cat cleans itself by a door some apartments away. There's no smells or sounds from the apartment, this time.
no subject
This is the kind of smalltalk he could carry on in his sleep: 'how's your fastest record?' 'How was the trip?' 'how's the family?' ... Maybe he'll avoid that last one. His eyes sweep the young man again while he talks, trying to take in more details than before. He doesn't know the specifics, but he knows that Tony is estranged. Cesar's not a part of that clan, but he has other debts to Tony, and he's close enough that this is where his childhood kicks in. 'Family is the most important thing, mijo. Do not forget this, even when you are angry.'
He's lost one brother to the cruelty of fate already. If he can help this distant not-quite-a-relative's situation, he wants to try.
no subject
On closer inspection it'd be easy to see Tony's doing his best to keep up a convincing front, but there are cracks. Bags under his eyes, a bit of a tired tilt to his posture. He hasn't slept well in ages, and especially not since he's hit the road. Speaking of, his clothes are starting to look more worn and filthy as if he'd barely stopped being on the road for more than a few brief moments. He'd tried to clean up a little for the visit, but there's only so much one can do at a truck stop bathroom.
It's the stress he wears the heaviest. Ghosts of his memories haunting just behind his eyes. Where the jovial and confident grins just don't quite reach. Sure, he puts on a good display when he's animated. But when he's still, it becomes easier to see there's more going on there than he talks about.
"How's life treating you, looks like you've managed to keep work at least? I know the whole job situation is rough on a lot of people right now." The world's a mess, even a year after everything.
no subject
He nods, typing easily. 'My company survived. Their Locke office was only one of their branches. The equipment and data lost was bad, but they had backups. I was back to work as soon as enough had been relocated.'
As simple as that. The text fills the screen, and he waits for Tony to finish reading before trying to continue.
no subject
"Well that's good, lucky. Too bad about the loss but it sure could've been worse." And was, for a lot of people. But at least Cesar managed to pull through comfortably enough.
Even if his couch looks very sad and lonely. Tony is ready, do continue. Maybe he'll ask Cesar to start teaching him some sign language tonight. How hard can it be?
no subject
'The work itself has been hard. Apparently trying to implement radical new technology that you only half know the basis of comes with its own set of issues.' A corner of his mouth kicks up, then drops. 'It's made it important for me to take breaks, like now.' Another smile, this one a real one.
The moment passes. A moment of shared appreciation is nice, but Cesar isn't one to dwell on it long enough to make it awkward. 'I've also started hiking. You walk everywhere. Do you walk outside of cities?