(no subject)

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie's at the bar, with coffee. Sweet, sweet life-giving coffee.

"Still no?" she's saying, wearily, apparently to the bar itself.

Comments

[2020sight]

Shrug. "Sure, yeah, if you'd like."

Epimetheus is just trying to help, Charlie!

[ladyfirestarter]

"Thanks." It's entirely sincere. "I appreciate it."

[2020sight]

"Yeah." He tilts his head. "You doing okay otherwise?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"Yeah," she says without pausing to consider, "I'm doing okay."

[2020sight]

He considers her. "Yeah? Good."

[ladyfirestarter]

The fatigue she can't get rid of ... on the one hand, it's not something she wants to bother him with. On the other, it's not really his business.

And most importantly, it's not something she wants him to know before she's gotten to talk to Prometheus about it.

"So," deliberately wry, "now that I've wallowed all over you ... how've you been?"

[2020sight]

"Flaky as pie crust, apparently." He shrugs, and taps Bar; she provides him with a whiskey, and he gives her a pat in thanks. "Nah, I've been okay. Nothing much of excitement. Some riots in Chicago about the Olympics or something -- I stayed out of 'em."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie takes a sip of her coffee. "Riots?"

[2020sight]

Shrug. "It's Chicago. I think they're a traditional response." He looks thoughtful. "Though I gotta say, election night was a hell of a lot less violent than I'd've expected. Noisy, but not violent."

[ladyfirestarter]

A small, speculative smile. "Who won in your world? I don't even know if it was the same candidates as in mine."

[2020sight]

"One Barack Obama. Ring a bell?"

[ladyfirestarter]

The smile spreads to a grin. "It does that. He won in mine, too."

[2020sight]

"No shit!" He grins back. "The multiverse must like him."

[ladyfirestarter]

"He didn't make it in my boss's universe, though. Hillary Clinton got the nomination instead." She shrugs.

[2020sight]

"Did she win?"

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie sighs. "No, and I'm not going to tell you who did, it'll just depress you."

[2020sight]

He tsks. "Aw, c'mon, don't leave me hangin'."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Mitt Romney."

Enough said, really.

[2020sight]

"Okay, see, my problem with that," he says, holding up a declamatory finger, "is that that is a name that just lacks dignity. I mean, even -- ah, the one who set everything up for that war, lemme think, I was in Mexico at the time . . ."

[ladyfirestarter]

"Bush Junior?" Dry. "Though I think 'set everything up' may be giving him way too much credit."

[2020sight]

"No, no -- Buchanan! James Buchanan. That one. Terrible president! But a dignified kinda name. Presidents ought to at least have that going for them."

Beat.

"Well, okay, the Bushes screwed that bit up too, but, y'know, par for the course."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie chokes on her coffee.

[2020sight]

:D?, says Epimetheus.

[ladyfirestarter]

"Seriously James Buchanan, or are you messing with me?"

[2020sight]

"Seriously James Buchanan! C'mon, don't they talk about this? Dealt really badly with the whole secession thing, left the whole mess to Lincoln?"