Stronger than coffee | Open

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

Whoever had thought up coffee was a genius. Theo knew this because without coffee he would probably become non-existent. It kept him awake during late nights and made sure he could concentrate on early mornings. But sometimes he needed something more than coffee, for completely different reasons. Although he was a stuborn, abrasive bastard he was still a person with feelings. And right now, those feelings were pretty much killing him.

It was one of those nights when he was feeling lonely, something most people would think was unheard of for him. In truth, it happened more often thn he would like to admit. He hadn't dated anyone for quite a long time, and not at all since he had come to Pilot Ridge. Inside he knew it was about time to try and start again but he had a reputation for being..well, for being downright mean. Theo didn't know how to circumvent that little problem.

" Cheeky little bastards." He muttered. So what if his sarcasm was a little more biting than usual tonight. It might have been from the strong alchohol in his coffee. You couldn't come to a club and not have alcohol, and he couldn't go without coffee. And this is the point where I decide not to go home. He shook his head slightly and took another drink. Theo ran his fingers through his hair, lookin around the place. Even though it was dark he culd see fine, down to every last sparkle that coated the floor. The music was plenty loud enough, almost too loud for him. By the end of the night I'll be deaf.

Theo sighed and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it. Another alcohol filled coffee was pushed his way by the artender, and he nodded. A chill went down his spine slightly as he felt someone approaching. The footsteps were unfamiliar, the scent too lost in the sea of smells for him to identify properly.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

It had been a long day, and an equally long night stretched out in front of her. There wasn’t practice with Reece and she didn’t have class, so with the exception of studying, the Spanish dancer had very little to do. She sat on her bed, staring blankly at the framed landscape on the wall in the deepening twilight. As much as she wanted Reece back, moping over it wasn’t going to help. A new sense of resolve filled her and got her up and moving. Celli would go and get her drink on, and attempt to forget about the longing for him for one night.

A cursory look at herself in the mirror made her add some pink lipstick and brush her hair until it fell neatly down her back. Celli decided not to change out of the green wrap dress hugging her figure, mostly because it would take too much effort. A pair of low heels completed the outfit, and she grabbed her jacket, wallet and keys and took off out the door, trying not to give herself to much time to think about what she was doing.

Several clubs lined the strip and it took some debate before she finally entered one. Most of the people in the darkened club seemed to be on the floor, writhing away to the cacophony of sound coming from the speakers, but there were a few here and there attempting to talk. Aracelli was interested in the bar though, and headed straight there, the click of her heels on the floor lost in the booming bass beat. A tanned arm rose to brush fingers through the long fall of black hair as she slid onto the stool and ordered an Irish Coffee. Aracelli, like most dancers she knew, kept to a rather rigid diet, and neither alcohol nor coffee was allowed. However, every once in a while, breaking the rules was allowed, and mixing two forbidden substances was like drinking the nectar of the Gods.

Her lashes fell, letting her body experience the bliss of the flavors as they mingled on her tongue, and then slid down her throat. With that first blissful taste down, the dancer turned and looked over at the man at the bar with a slight smile. She wouldn’t engage if he didn’t want to be bothered, but she wasn’t going to be rude either. His coffee cup matched hers, and she raised it in a small toast. It was far too dark in here for her to see much, and to loud to hear much, but that could be a good thing. Getting lost and just letting yourself go wasn’t always bad. Enough of these coffee’s and she could definitely forget who she came to forget. Eventually.

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

The young woman he was looking at had slightly darkened skin and long hair. Theo didn't recognize her, meaning she was most likely from out of town or a university student. Or somone new, anything was possible. Besides, he didn't really know many people anyway. So what if he had been living in Pilot Ridge for two years? The young woman raised her coffee mug, and he noticed that it was very similiar to his own. Another person who liked spiked cofee? Theo wasn't sure why he was really suprised other than the fact that no one ever talked about things they liked. At leats, no one he had talked to recently. But that mostly included silly students who were always getting themselves injured. Or people who were sick. Sick people did not match his temperment well.

He raised his glass back to her, in a sort of salute. She seemed like she wasnted to come over nd talk, and Theo would have no problem with that as on as she was a halfway interesting person. He had talked to too many dullards lately and it was really wearing on his nerves. Almost as much as the loud music. A headache was starting to develop in his temples, but that could have also been fro the mix of alcohol and caffiene, he wasn't really sure. The man could throw down a pill to fix all that but really he didn't feel like it.

A thought crossed his mind that he really should be careful. There were too many youn people here, and alcohol tended to make people a little....forgetful of the rules of society. He sighed, setting his cup back down and letting a smile curve across his lips. And trouble is most likely going to be walking upon my doorstep soon. WHo knows, maybe she likes chess. Theo's own thoughts made him shake his head.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Since he had saluted her, Aracelli took that as an open invitation to ease closer and begin a conversation. If he hadn't, she would have simply left him to his own devices. However, with her goal of forgetting, it seemed like a good idea to do something other than sit alone with her thoughts. She sat on the stool next to him and flashed him another smile before speaking with a Spanish accent. "Hello, I'm Aracelli. How are you?"

Something simple and innocent. Although she would assume that most were meta-human here, you never knew when you ran into a regular human. The last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself. She had only just arrived. What would people think of her if it made the rounds that she was forward or stupid? That would be a disaster. So, stick with simple and easy. Besides, what if his salute hadn't been an invitation?

Now her nerves welled up and made her swallow hard, choking a bit on the coffee. Way to not look like an idiot Celli. She gave the man an embarrassed smile and waved a hand in front of her. "Perdón, I have to try to remember not to breathe and drink at the same time." A small laugh followed that statement and dark hair fell forward to hide the deep red color rising in her cheeks. Dios mio she was acting like a complete moron. It was a good thing she wasn't actively trying to flirt, that would be a disaster.

"So, what brings you here tonight?" There, a nice, safe topic to talk about. Unless he was a serial killer, but she doubted that. He looked responsible and nice, and a bit annoyed. Maybe it wasn't annoyance, but there was something causing the the pained look in his eyes. Maybe it was the music. It was pretty loud, and not good. Even in here where it was quieter it was loud. Aracelli knew she wasn't talking much, but she felt like she was babbling, so forced herself to take a long drink of her coffee. She didn't know why she was so jittery and silly tonight. It wasn't the alcohol, she hadn't had enough yet.

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

She moved through the crowds, coming closer. Theo figured anything was better than sitting here alone and drowning himself in coffee and booze. Of course, he would never say that out loud. There were alot of things that you would never be able to get the man to admit. The fact that he could be a nice person every once and a while was one of those things. When she opened her mouth and spoke she had a slight Spanish accent, which he found pleasant. Too many people now a days had that awful american sounding accent that just made his head want to come off his shoulders. He himself had a very strong scottish accent which had never gotten any less over the years. Her statement and question were very simple and rather innocent, not something he would expect from anyone who was in a club at this time. Of course, she may have had similar reasons for being there. To just sort of relax.

" Theo. I'm doing pretty well for a cranky old man." He replied to her, joking ly. Of course, he was still being acidic, more towards himself than anyone else at the moment. Theo didn't disciriminate in his harsh words, and if anything was more harsh to himself than anyone else. She seemed a little nervous, and for a moment she was choking a little on her coffee. Worry grew in his eyes and died a moment later when he saw she was okay. For everything he was still a doctor and he still had the feeling that he had to save people to make up for the one person that he couldn't save.

" Yes, I think trying to inhale your drink could be problematic." She smiled though. She was a rather sweet seeming person. Her hair fell across her face for a moment but he could still see the color that was rising in her cheeks. Theo sipped his coffee slowly, thinking of moving to the booths at the other end of the club for the simple reason that he wasn't going to be able to stand this music much longer if he didn't want his inner ear to melt.

" Me? Just drowning away the past in a good drink or two. Isn't that what most older people come here to do?" Even though his voice was acerbic and rather nasty there was a shadow of sadness and something else in his eyes. Maybe regret or guilt, or a combination of both.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

He didn't seem like a cranky old man, he just seemed off somehow. Since Aracelli didn't know him very well at all, she couldn't say why he seemed off. However, his accent was seriously distracting. The accent was rough and thick, and although she had to concentrate a bit to understand, it was far from unpleasant. It was rather nice actually, and as she finished off her coffee, she smiled at him again.

"It's nice to meet you Theo." She slid the cup across the bar, silently asking for a refill. His voice came through the veil of her hair and a small laugh bubbled out of her. As her new drink came across the bar, it was gripped tightly between tanned fingers and brought upwards to inhale deeply of the wondrous scent. "I'll try to make sure I don't inhale and drink at the same time this time."

His next answer made her nod, even with the edge to his voice. "Well, cheers to us, then. And to attempting to drown the past for a few hours." The warm mug was brought to her lips and steam curled around reddened cheeks. "What are you drowning? I'm attempting to forget a past lover, and pretend I'm not thinking about the workout I'm going to have to go through to get rid of these calories."

Another smile lit her face, no doubt helped along by the alcohol in the coffee. The bartender certainly wasn't skimping on the liquor. She didn't want to pry at the tone in his voice, which was why she'd only asked what he was drowning. He could lie and she'd never know. Sometimes it helped to talk to a stranger, sometimes not, but it certainly would give her something else to focus on, and that was something that would be appreciated. Aracelli gave him a long look over the rim of her mug and then offered up a suggestion as the music got louder. "Do you want to move to one of the booths?"

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

For a moment he wasn't sure if he wanted to answer. Of course, he hadn't talked to anyone about it, so no one knew. Maybe it was about time though. This young woman seemed to be pleasant enough, a friendly sort of person. When she said she was drowning a past lover, Theo had to look away for a moment. Really, he was doing the same, but probably ot for the same reason. He motioned for another coffee, sending the mug sliding across the counter.

" I'm doing much of the same thing." He answered in a soft. low voice. Theo just shook his head before looking back to Aracelli. " I'm trying to forget. My wife....she died many years ago from ALS." Now that was something he rarely ever told anyone. Drinking so much made him rather loose in the tongue, and tonight rather lax in his normally biting comments and sarcasm.

" Yes, moving to one of the booths would be a good idea. It's getting much to loud here." He took his refilled mug and followed her to one of the empty booths situated in the back. It was quite warm, seeing as the heat had been turned on. In Pilot Ridge it was getting really cold and had even looked like it was going to snow a few times. Once sitting in the booth the music was cut back drastically and his ears no longer felt like they were being forced to listen to nails on a chalkboard.

" This is much better. " He said to Aracelli as he sipped his warm coffe drink.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Aracelli's eyes filled with sadness when he mentioned why he was drinking. A hand reached out and lightly rested on his arm for a moment. Although she couldn't claim to have experience in the arena he did, she could imagine what she would feel if Reece had, or did, die. She would be completely devastated. "Lo siento... I'm sorry for your loss." Instinctivly, she made the sign of the cross. She'd had to remind herself to speak in English as well. His sorrow was tangible, even if the loss wasn't recent.

They moved to a booth and the difference was amazing. She could feel her headache abating. "It really is." She said in response to his comment. "You would think they'd put up some of the same soundproofing near the bar." The darker and more intimate setting didn't really register on Aracelli, she was far more concerned with the man across from her.

"What do you do here? I'm a student at the University and a dancer. These coffees are going to force me to do a triple workout just to burn off the calories." Aracelli attempted a smile, hoping to lighten the mood and turn the conversation from sad topics to more neutral ones, or even, if she was lucky, happier ones. The hot liquid in her mug was sipped from carefully, and then set back on the table as she relaxed back against the smooth vinyl of the booth.

Dark eyes cast over the environment, noting the emptiness of the other booths and the lack of foot traffic in this area. They'd have a good degree of privacy unless someone at the bar wanted to use the restroom or have a booth for the same reason they did, to escape the loud noise that they were calling music.

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

Theo nodded in response to her comment. It would make sense to put up some soundproofing, but of course people didn't really do what made sense. He smiled as she said she would have to do a triple workout. Theo never really bothered with those thing because when he wasn't working, reading, or playing violin he was running. Running circles around the town, or sometimes going out of town to some of the longer trails a few towns over. That was one reason he was so thin, because he ran like a crazy person. It was a good outlet for all his negative energy that sometimes ended up pent insisde when he got really frustrated.

" Me? I work at the Institute. I'm the on-call doctor there. I do research in my free time on metahuman genetics and such." And lately he hadn't really gotten very far. He just shrugged a little and sipped his coffee. He enjoyed his work anyway. The man cast a glance around, noting how empty it as, which he thought was unusual. Weren't these places supposed to be filled with people? Normally they were. Of course, it seemed that everyone was at the bar or on the dacefloor. It was nice to have some privacy anyway.

The setting was darker, with only a little bit of the flashing dancefloor lights coming through. They were sort of hazy, being blues and ambers and all sort of other random flashing colors. He only shook his ehad slightly at that and smiled. It was nice.

" A dancer? That sounds interesting. I tried taking lessons in my younger days. It didn't turn out so well." Meaning he had no knack for dancing. Just running.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Celli's eyes widened and she leaned in across the table. When she spoke, her voice was breathless and full of excitement. "Really??? That's what I'm studying for. I want to be a researcher to help find metas, especially those that have quieter powers, like mine." Aracelli was so excited, she didn't even realize that she'd revealed herself to be meta. This was the first chance she'd gotten to speak with someone who was actually working in the department that she wanted to be in.

"What do I need to study? Who do I need to know? My father is a scouter for Kocher, which is where I went before coming to the university here, in hopes of getting a job after I graduate. Please tell me you can help me with it?"

A blush rose on her cheeks as she realized how forward she was being. "Dios mio, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She struggled to control herself, and took several generous drinks from her mug. While doing so, she thought back, trying to remember what else they'd been talking about to change the topic. Oh! Dancing!

"You should take lessons from me. I could teach you a step or two." A smile flashed at him. "I ballroom dance competitively, so I'm pretty good at breaking it down and making it easy to understand." Maybe if she brought new clients in, Reece wouldn't be so mad at her. Maybe he'd actually not consider cutting her. She really had to up her game to make sure that Reece didn't get rid of her, as a partner and as a teacher. The supplemental income was needed.

"Really, I could teach you. It would be fun."

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

She was so excited about his work that he was taken off guard for a second. She was also studying to be a researcher? And she was a metahuman? He hadn't even thought about it. There was nothing to give away the fact that she was. in fact, she seemed so..normal. He looked don, a smile on his face because he was slightly embarrassed. What did she need to study? He had worked with so many different things that he wasn't really sure. As for who she knew? That was another mystery. But he could, for sure help her. In fact, the thought crossed through his mind that He might have even just made a friend

" Well, theres alot that I studied, but I'm not sure how much you actually have to have. Sciences and mathematics are important for research. English is too so you can write reports. But, there are so many side things to study. As I said, my specialty is genetics, not just general research, although I do some of that from time to time."

Dance lessons. Now that was a totally foreign concept to him because he hadn't done it in so long. He barely even remembered what he had learned so long ago. Of course, that when he had still been married... Noel had loved to dance. Well, maybe he should do it, just for her.

" Okay. Where would we meet? If I was to take you up on said dancing lessons?" Theo was actually pretty serious about this. He could just hear Neol, congratulating him on making a friend, telling him he needed to get out more and not work so much, that he needed to move on.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

The brunette nodded along as Theo spoke. A lot of the courses he was mentioning were already in her schedule. The bartender came by with fresh cups and Aracelli sipped at hers, knowing that she'd crossed her rather fragile line a while ago. She could feel the alcohol going to her head and her cheeks filled with color again as she listened. The specialty for her was going to be location, trying to find the young ones before anything odd happened to them.

"I want want to help locate them. Especially ones with subtle powers. Those are the ones that slip through the cracks. I likely would have if my father wasn't a recruiter." Alcohol had a strange effect on Aracelli. Given that it was rare that she drank, hardly anyone had ever seen the side that Theo was about to be treated to.

"We can meet at the dance studio in town. I Love Salsa. Reece owns it, but I work there. I could give you a lesson now if you wanted." As the topic turned back to dancing, a wide smile slipped across the girl's face. Her accent thickened as she spoke, the silly grin staying on her face. Aracelli slipped from the booth, holding out her hand to him, brown eyes lit up with joy and excitement. She hoped he would take her up on the offer, it would be fun to dance with someone who wasn't a student and who wasn't Reece. The dancing had gotten to be something torturous with him, and Theo might be the kick she needed to break out of her rut.

"It'll be fun, come on Theo." Even without him getting up, she began to sway slightly to the music that had come over the stereo. It wasn't sexy or anything, just dancing to the beat of the slower song that flowed into the quiet darkness that surrounded them in the area.

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

He let his head hang, a chuckle rising from his throat. Why not? Why not enjoy himself for once. In fact, he couldn't think of the last time he had gone drinking and been happy. It was never a happy thing, it just was. He sighed, trying not to smile anymore than he was. I guess It's about time. he thought wryly. The tall man stood, following Celli as she walked out to the dancefloor. The copious amount of alcohol in his system was doing two things for him at the moment. One, it was letting him actually be a kind of nice person and making it so that he could get out from under his personal dark cloud. Two, it had dulled his senses enough to where he was right about at average, a pleasant thing when you're always hyper sensing everything. To him it was the haze normal people would feel when drunk, but it was warm and pleasant. The way Celli moved said nothing about anything personal, but just in a friendly manner. Her body language was completely platonic, which to Theo was the best thing. He needed friends.

" I haven't danced in a long time, so you'll have to excuse me." His words were slurred slightly, just enough to show that yes, he had been drinking. Theo kept in mind that this girl was probably half his age, but ignored it at the same time. He was an adult and could handle himself accordingly......most of the time anyway.

[Aracelli de Rosales Salamanca]

Celli smiled as Theo joined her on the dance floor. She took his hand and guided it to her hip, taking the other hand and holding it up. They were both slightly past tipsy without being all the way to drunk, so there were a few giggles from the Spanish girl as they moved to the music. Whispered instructions were given to Theo, their bodies swaying to the beat. Aracelli wasn't attempting anything interesting or complicated, just a basic box step, the sort of thing teenagers all over the world did with their dates at school dances. It worked though, since the slow music only lasted for the length of two songs.

When the dance ended, Celli pulled him off the floor, laughing softly. The heat of all the bodies in the small space had been detrimental to the state of her alcohol soaked brain. She was now full on drunk, and leaning more into speaking Spanish than English. She was also stumbling slightly as she returned to the booth they'd been in prior and scooped up her now cold coffee. A pout formed as she realized it was empty and she flopped down into the seat.

"That was fun. You really should come to the studio." Celli beamed another smile at him as she sat back against the booth cushion. She said more, but it was entirely in Spanish and too difficult to comprehend with the slurring in her speech. The only thing that was clear was the last bit of what she said. "I think I should go home."

She knew she was drunk, and although she didn't want the night to end, since she was having a good time with Theo, and had even managed to forget Reece for a while, it was time to end it. She had class and then teaching at the studio after, and she already knew that a massive hangover was just waiting for her at home.

[Dr. Theo Atwell]

He could tell that she was good and drunk off her face. Rat-assed you might even say, although not in polite company. Theo didn't want the night to end either, but with both of them in a rather sorry state of happy-smashed there wasn't much of a choice. See, Theo was just going to walk home in the dark [like being drunk wasn't asking for disaster enough already], but he couldn't just leave Celli here all on her lonesome. It wouldn't be a kindness in anyway to let the 'tenders deal with her. Besides, since he was showing kindness towards another person tonight he might as well keep it up. The man pulled out his phone and made a quick taxi call, getting 'Celli to tell him her address [in a mix of Spanish and English the man found hard to understand.] Once that was done he gently helped her up to take her outside. A wide smile lit his face, because for one he was really, truly happy.

" I'll see you tomorrow at noon then 'Celli. And hopefully I won't feel as bad in the morning as I think I will." He laugh gently, a true, happy laugh that anyone could swear would never come from him. The master of sarcastic, derisive laughs. He helped the young woman into the cab and paid the man, waving to her as they drove away. Then he started down the dark street home, ready for sleep so that tomorrow he could take a lesson or two on dancing.


[wrapped]