Break Ups (and the World) Totally Suck [Calen, Peace, Open]

[psycelliums]

This wasn't jet lag or whatever else. Insomnia, maybe? Technically he'd gone back in time but no which way you turned it it was the middle of the night. His apartment was a mess. He didn't deny that. He couldn't. It had fallen into neglect since he'd officially-unofficially moved in at Anna's (see: he just brought his shit over there and never left). He did manage to take the trash out and try and move the clutter to the corners but there was nothing he could do about the fact that it was a generally depressing place to live. The bare brick walls and hardwood floors served as a stylish look to some but in his place just looked unfinished. The only thing he had was a massive sound system that looked like it was capable of blowing someone clear across the room using sound alone, a huge television, an impressive looking router, and a futon that alternately served as a couch or a bed. The cover looked surprisingly clean though, all things considered. In fact, the entire place smelled like Febreze.

Upon knowing she was there he buzzed her up and left the door slightly ajar so she could get inside. He tugged his t-shirt down and that was all. It was a fitted black shirt that said the words 'NSP' on the front in a fun-looking font and it matched the dark plaid of the boxers he wore. He wasn't even trying. His hair was in need of a haircut and didn't want to go in any one direction and he seemed not to mind that either. The only thing that seemed unusual was a much too bright and colourful scarf that was wide enough to drape over his shoulders if he wanted to but in most cases he buried his face in it like he was freezing on Everest and sat there. Whatever he was watching on Netflix seemed not to help his mood at all. In one hand he was Swype texting at a feverish pace; probably more of those things he'd regret in the morning. The little water rings on the coffee table were evidence of where he'd had drinks before but in trying to pretend he was a responsible adult he'd thrown them in the trash..

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[pace_tua]

Peace had stopped by Vimes's place on her way to get Calen fries (and, belatedly, a trip to the 24-Hour Convenience store to grab them both some extra drinks and snacks) to tell him where she was headed off to. The fruit of her bounty was a little air kiss, and a promise she'd be safe, as well as a copy of Fight Club (Vimes, it seemed, had weird taste in movies).

She let herself in after taking a quick look around the hallway. "Calen? I come bearing gifts and Fight Club, I guess?"

[psycelliums]

"Yeah, I'm here.." he said, turning the phone off and setting it on the table. He sat up a little, having laid down some in the meantime and had the courtesy to drape a throw over his bare legs. It was Game of Thrones themed and that was nice.

"I appreciate the fries and.. everything else.." he said, not sounding nearly as peppy as he could any other day, even when he was exhausted. "Sorry for bitching at you. Probably should've just gone back to wherever until Miklos was satisfied.."

[pace_tua]

Peace waved a dismissive, gloved hand. "No, it's fine. I mean, I'm not super great at the comforting thing, but I'm gonna try!" She flexed for him and got to work putting the drinks and the fries up to be most enticing. "I got a lot of different sauces, too. A few spicy ones, so if you have a stuffy nose..." She patted his shoulder.

"So, what happened? I mean, the nitty gritty. Not the over arching story."

[psycelliums]

He shrugged, thanking her quietly for the fries and variety of sauces. "What's to say? She said it was for me and my own good. That like I.. deserved better? And.. I don't even know? It's somehow not my fault and it's supposed to be for the best for me and for the both of us on the long term but I can't even figure out what I did. I know why.. I just don't like to think about it.."

[pace_tua]

"That's seems weird," Peace took off one glove and picked up a fry. "Like, even for her, that's weird." She took a dip of the truffle mayo and sighed contentedly. Fries would never betray her.

"I'm sorry, though. But maybe sending her a million texts isn't the answer, either." Peace held her gloved hand out as she ate. "Gimme your phone, I'm gonna sit on it the rest of the night."

[psycelliums]

He shrugged. "I don't know about girls. It's all fucking weird. ... No offence," he muttered, picking up several fries and shoving them in his mouth. For someone with his upbringing he had his moments of poor manners.

"If you lived with my mom you'd understand.."

He eyed her hand as she held it out and he frowned, wiping his hand on his shirt before he pressed a few buttons on the phone. "Not that I don't trust you.. not like you're gonna read texts with your-- I dunno. Butt fingers? It makes me paranoid about everyone even though Miklos is the only one who ever reads my texts and lock codes are useless there should totally be like a waiver against that.." The phone floated from his hand to settle gently in her palm. Better to make her more comfortable and better to avoid somehow accidentally touching her. Boy, he really didn't need anyone in his head just then.

[pace_tua]

Peace slipped the phone into her back pocket and rolled her eyes. "None taken, but I don't know. I'm not really sure how normal people have dates. Vimes and I just text, usually. Or watch netflix."

She paused, "But yeah, Miklos knowing what's in our phones at any given second is pretty creeptastic."

[psycelliums]

"It's probably really simple. She was like totally out of my league and it just caught up to me.." He took just one fry the next time and sampled one of the sauces she'd brought.

"Did you not know about the phones? Or did you just never think about it? I'm sure you're fine anyway.."

[pace_tua]

"I don't think about it, really. I mean... Work pretty much watches everything we do, see," she motioned to her glasses, "eat, how we date, how we handle missions... It was all in that handbook at orientation. The Eye Sees All and whatever."

Though, personally, Peace was pretty fond of the Pyramidion in general. "I'm sure it was probably... something... reasonable on her end...?"

[psycelliums]

"Wh-.. how we date? They don't-.. I mean.. they just keep tabs on who and like maybe where but that's.. all..?"

He may or may not have skimmed the handbook at orientation. Or slept through parts of it. He forgot, at this point.

"I don't know. It doesn't feel reasonable. I don't know why. Just all of a sudden she wasn't 'good enough' for me and I'm destined to magically find some perfect girlfriend that will cherish me. No idea what gave her that idea. Isn't 'it's not you, it's me' the most cliché thing you can say ever?"

[pace_tua]

"Well, yeah, you don't think they track us for shiggles, do you?" She liked that word, shiggles, it sort of rolled around in the mouth. "The better they know us, the better they can prepare for things. We're Illuminati, we don't like surprises, right?" Peace shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much, though. It's not worse than anything else."

[psycelliums]

"No. Well. Maybe. I always imagined people get to a point where they watch something long enough they start getting invested. Like.. 'how many times is that person going to order dinner from the same place before they get embarrassed and switch?'.." He trailed off and sat awkwardly, unsure of where to continue from there. He could certainly bitch about relationship things longer but he didn't want to make her feel awkward either.

[pace_tua]

"I'm not sure what it's like for the people that do it, I mean. I just know it's done."

She had certainly read enough dead bodies of fallen agents to know, even if she weren't an active participant in the data collection. "Personally, I think it's kinda nice when people are predictable, if only because I can say they haven't deviated from their norm. I kinda like normal."