taileaten

[taileaten]

ISABELLA.

          “  okay but  ,  listen  ,  we were talking up a fucking storm but then this morning  ,  when i asked if we could go out for a nice little brunch  ,  i got back  ‘  busy. talk later.  ’  not even an emoji. what does that even mean  ?  should i text again  ?  i should text again  ,  right  ?  ”

         tom falls silent, uncertain of how to answer. how long has it been since he’s texted anyone, let alone for a date? too long, according to the few people he’s managed to keep in his life. “i... i don’t know. maybe they got busy?” it feels HOLLOW, his advice, but he has little else to offer. “i think you should text again.”

[taileaten]

EMMA.

“   Up to you. Promise, it’s not an intrusion.   ”   She returns with a bottle of Clorox and a bucket, making no comment of his faltering at the doorway, instead offering him a half-sheepish smile, worried about her own intrusion.   “   But also, if you’d rather spend the day alone and you don’t want to tell me, you can tell me.   ”   She hands him the supplies.   “   Promise. Won’t be offended.   ”

         tom can’t help but appreciate her efforts. even as he feels he’s INTRUDING in her life, she jumps at the chance to help. is there anyone in this world as unmistakably good as emma? he would be hard-pressed to find them. “i... i wouldn’t mind the help,” he admits, feeling sheepish. “but only if you’re sure. i’m sure you’d have better things to do. it’s a lot of stains.”

[taileaten]

HARVEY.

“   Some kind of fuckin’   …   mental disease that makes your ass wanna keep bothering me.   ”

          “like what? i don’t think i’ve been CHECKED for anything.”

[taileaten]

CHACE.

     “   dry cleaning? for this old thing? i can not let your money go to waste like that. it’ll better spent on another cup. having to go about your day uncaffeinated would be an inordinate punishment.   ”

         “ —no, really it’s...” tom trails off, PERTURBED by his own carelessness. “it’s fine. let me pay for it. anything. really, i’d... it’s my fault. i wouldn’t want to cost you anything more than i already have.”

[taileaten]

CHACE

         “   bloody hell!   ”    purely reactionary, his tone settles with the apology, and a once-over of his stained shirt.     “   no worries, mate. really. should’ve looked where i was going.   ”

         the curse makes him flinch, but then... what wouldn’t? “no, really, let me... let me pay for dry cleaning, at least. i... i should have been the one watching. i bumped into you, i was just—god, i’m just so... stupid.”

[taileaten]

          starter for @esoteristic​ ( for polly ) !!

          “did he just say his dog’s carrying... dynamite?”

[taileaten]

PANDORA.

     “  nah man  ,  ain’t nothin’ wrong with takin’ your sweet ass time exploring the benefits of getting right fucked.  ”  moving to sit closer to him  ,  she takes the joint from his fingers.  “  however  ,  you are going to keep choking like that if you inhale like that. allow me to show you  ,  young grasshopper.  ”

         handing over—or rather, letting her take—the blunt, alan sits back with a slightly hooded gaze. “i didn’t think there was a wrong way to inhale,” he admits, eyes shifting between her and the blunt in hand. “how am i supposed to do it?”

[taileaten]

          “...checked for what?”

@taileaten​    !

“   Anyone ever tell you you should get your fucking head checked?   ”

[taileaten]

EMMA.

“   Of course.   ”   She steps aside and opens the door before making her way into the kitchen, and searching under the sink for the bottle of bleach. From the cabinet under it, a voice disembodied by a head tucked under and rendered quieter by wood cabinet:   “   You want any help with anything? I’m free today. I don’t mind helping. Might help inspire me to do my own deep clean of things.   ”   She pops out, holding the bottle victoriously. 

         “thanks,” he starts, hanging awkwardly in the doorway. he isn’t sure whether he should follow emma inside for his requested materials or wait until she’s gotten it, herself. thus, a middle ground—tom stays where he is, a foot in both worlds. “oh, uh...” he trails off, reaching to scratch at the nape of his neck. “if you wanted, i guess i wouldn’t mind. but... i don’t want to fill your day with just... you know, cleaning.”

[taileaten]

          “i’ll... take your, uh... i’ll take your word for it.”

     “  hmm  ?  see  ,  look at that. it stinks. go ahead  ,  smell it. you know you wanna smell it. it stinks  !  ”          (   +   @taileaten​   )

[taileaten]

MINICA.

“Only if I can watch.” Minnie hovers the crime scene, bearing a tinge of animosity toward the object. That’s because she’s already tried the at home method for this. Let’s just say, it didn’t work out, and she’s lucky she didn’t arrive with a plunger suctioned to her car. It did make it as far as the gas station, though. But now that’s hidden in the backseat. Possibly in several pieces.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you — well, maybe I shouldn’t.” She feigns a frown, settling against the bumper. If Alan was tip toeing around the elephant in the room, Minnie’s dancing all over it. “I guess it depends. Are you harboring any grudges for someone who may or may not have ran you over like roadkill?” 

          watch? “watch?” he echoes, slightly confused. it’s uncommon that someone would stick around to wait for him to finish work on their car, let alone look over his shoulder while he works. then again... most of the people that walk in here aren’t people he knows. more than that, he isn’t the same object that’s caused the dent. whatever shred of normalcy he’s found in his work here, it seems time to abandon it. 

          so while up until this point he’s been... carefully... avoiding the circumstances that have brought her here, he doesn’t pretend that he’s developed amnesia. “it was an accident,” he says, shrugging a shoulder. “and you didn’t kill me. if you had, i might have held more of a grudge.” death notwithstanding, he steps away to grab his tools. “i’ll just be a minute.”

[taileaten]

          starter for @cotiere ( for chace )

          “—shit, i am... i am so fucking sorry!” a misstep here and all of the sudden, the contents of what he’d been carrying spill all over the unfortunate bystander.

[taileaten]

          starter for @ycunggcdx​ ( for pandora )

          “i’ve never done this before,” he admits, after the worst of his coughing fit has subsided. “is that weird?”

[taileaten]

MINNIE

One can assume he’s trying to be cute, but by the way his line has landed, Minnie doesn’t take out brain damage as a possibility. Especially since the dent in question aligns perfectly with Alan’s head. “Nope. It’s my first time.” She plays along, feigning zero recollection of him as well. “Think it’s a quick fix? I mean, it’s not that bad right? Definitely not as bad as the damage I left on the other guy.”

         while not the smartest move, alan takes her at face value. even if it seems odd that it would be her first time at his job. “right,” he says, stooping to examine the dent in question... the one that his own body had left. is it awkward to point that out? he decides the answer is probably yes. “i should just be able to smooth it out. it shouldn’t take too long...” a pause. “did you want to wait for it?”

[taileaten]

EMMA

“   We might have some left with our cleaning supplies. I can check! You going blonde or doing a not-so-spring cleaning?   ”

          “just... cleaning up something. i don’t think blond is my color. do you mind if i — can i come in?”

[taileaten]

          starter for @anoetics​ !! ( for emma )

          “this is a weird question, i think, but... do you have any bleach?”

[taileaten]

          starter for @pandemoniacs​ !! 

          “it’s a bit dented,” he agreed, pulling himself up from examining the bumper. the same one that had struck him not so long ago. “i can even it out for you, no problem.” a pause. “have you been here, before?”