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..

Comments

[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."