Oh...Hello. [Ingrid, Ben]

[Cobalt Weaver]

Cobalt and Ben had taken to making lunches a regular meeting time, usually with Josh (who was incredibly relieved that his friends were finally managing to get along), but they were able to get along fine without him. Ben was funny and well-meaning and energetic, and Cobalt somehow found himself enjoying the other man’s company even in his worst moods. And somehow, Cobalt’s worst moods didn’t deter Ben from still being his friend. It probably had something to do with the fact that Cobalt found it harder and harder to be actually cruel to Ben, and opted to just vent as the other man listened attentively. Either that, or he just told Ben that if he opened, he would say something he’d regret, so Ben better start talking. Either one worked and their friendship progressed smoothly, much to Cobalt’s surprise.

This time, Josh had been unable to meet, so Ben and Cobalt were left to eat together. Not that either of them minded anymore; they were comfortable enough to continue conversations without the help of Josh as mediator. Though they missed their mutual friend when he wasn’t around. Still, they managed; and Cobalt had something more interesting to talk about today.

“Hey, I need to ask your opinion on something.” He looked across the table at his friend, “Like, seriously. There’s this kid… she’s a new student from Hammel, originally from Australia, of all places. She comes to me couple of days ago, drops a pile of quarters and an old candy bar and says it’s a down payment if I can get a paper to have her sent home.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, “It almost broke my heart, tell you what. Anyways, we talked. The real problem is that she’s got major culture shock and having trouble with her ESL class. She’s—her name is Tamsin, and she’s really clever, very bright, and…” Cobalt huffed out a laugh, “A helluva lot like I was as a kid, which is not someone you want to be.” He looked up at Ben, “I told her she could just come to me and we could work on her schoolwork and she could talk with me but…” He rubbed his eyes tiredly, “All I want to do is help her. Should I have told her to go see someone at school? Should I have recommended she go to Sean?” He held out his hands helplessly, “I’m feeling a little over my head, but I’m still gonna do everything I can to help.” He gave Ben a weak grin, “Anyways, you’re the child psychologist, what do you…think…?” He trailed off, suddenly distracted by the newest person to enter the restaurant.

Dear god, it was Ingrid Barnes.

Turning around abruptly, Cobalt stared at Ben with wide eyes. “Holy crap.” He muttered, “It’s Mrs. Barnes.” He wondered if she’d seen him turn to look at her. Then, he wondered if she would come over, and what would he do if she did? Shadows coiled around his shoulders. “Well hell. That was unexpected.”

[Ingrid Barnes]

Ingrid rather enjoyed this particular little restaurant . She usually stuck to her favorite little cafe on principle, not as many people went there and she did love her privacy, but every now and again she'd brave the crowds to please her palate. Today so happened to be one of those days, when her mood was elevated enough to stand the masses and her stomach led her where it wanted to go. Upon entering, she gave the place a sweeping glance for a table. There was one by the window- ah, was that? She caught something familiar out of the corner of her eye and did a double take. Well, it was.

A devious grin crept on her face and Ingrid stalked over to her prey. So he was trying to turn away and ignore her? Now that just wouldn't do. Ingrid Barnes was not a force that could be ignored. She planted herself squarely behind his chair, giving a mischievous smile to Ben.

"Mr. Weaver!" Her voice boomed, and her eyes danced with mirth. He didn't seem to want to see her, so how could she resist brightening his day. "How pleasant it is to run into you."

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Ben listened attentively as Cobalt spoke about his newest "case". It had only been a few days ago since Cobalt started opening up to Ben and the psychologist was starting to feel like he was part of something special with the other man. Yes, it was way too soon to be thinking that way but hell if he cared. He was just glad Cobalt wasn't pushing him away.

The girl seemed like an easy case but that was probably only because Ben didn't know everything about her. He was given the barest bones of information about her but it seemed like all she needed was someone to help her adjust. Knowing Cobalt's soft spot for kids, Ben didn't see the kid having that big a problem with adjusting. Even if he insisted that she might be a problem.

Considering Ben didn't know Cobalt when he was younger - although he probably would have liked to have seen younger Cobalt in action - he wasn't all too sure how bad a state the girl was in. But even before he could offer his insight, Cobalt freaked. As much as the shadow manipulator actually could freak.

Ben wasn't all too sure who Mrs. Barnes was but she couldn't be someone Cobalt was actually keen on seeing, judging by his shadows which Ben was still trying to adjust to but was now quick to mask his aversion before the all too perceptive Cobalt could even notice. "Oh crud...she's coming over. Um...does she always have that prowling jungle cat smile on-" he didn't get to finish his sentence before Mrs. Barnes was right behind Cobalt.

His lips twitched in a smile at the glint in the older woman's eyes. He immediately understood Cobalt's apparent fear of the woman.

[Cobalt Weaver]

It wasn’t that Cobalt didn’t want to ever see Ingrid Barnes again. It was just that… well, he didn’t very well want to see her now. He had respected and feared the older woman when she was his teacher, because she was a good one and she kept him in line far better than most of the other teachers there. But he’d finally gotten into a pretty good rapport with Ben, and he would rather not tell Ben just yet that he used to be a sullen, disrespectful, angry child that spent half of his free time in the school’s psychiatrist’s office silently glaring, and the other half trying to escape. Nor would he like Ben to know that half the school thought he was a sociopath until he was about seventeen years old. But there was little chance of escaping that now. Once Ben found out Ingrid used to be his teacher, he would probably demand stories, and he doubted Ingrid had forgotten any of it.

Ben certainly looked amused, albeit a little surprised. Cobalt’s eyes widened, “She’s coming over? Crap, that means she recognizes me. And yeah, she usually looks like that when she’s about ready to bust your--”

And suddenly she was speaking behind him. Cobalt jumped and turned around, shadows bursting around him. “Mrs. Barnes.” He stood up, got a hold of himself, and extended a hand to her, “It’s…such a surprise to see you again. I—I mean, it’s a good surprise, obviously, but still… a surprise. How have you been?” He glanced over to Ben, who was looking at him questioningly, “Ah, this is a friend of mine, Benjamin Rhodes. Ben, this is Ingrid Barnes, she was my…my teacher at Hammel.” Oh yeah. Now the questions were really going to start.

And because he knew she would anyways, Cobalt said: “You’re more than welcome to sit and visit with us. I’m kinda curious to see how you’ve been doing. How’s Hammel been treating you?”

Well, this was going to be awesome.

[Ingrid Barnes]

Ingrid barely held in a laugh of delight at Cobalt's behavior. Having the power to drive this man into a nervous heap was like a food for her soul. So she had a bit of an evil side. She kept it in good fun.

"I've been well. Not much to say on that." Actually it would a cold day in hell before Ingrid Barnes ran out of things to say. But she was spying a prefect opportunity to bud into Cobalt's life. That was enough to kept her marginally more quiet. " Mr. Rhodes, it's a pleasure." She held out one had for a handshake, smiling brightly. "How do you know my old student?"

Whether he had asked or not, she would have found away to intrude on their luncheon. "Ah, well that sounds lovely." She rounded up a chair and settled in with the grace that came from years of practice. "Oh, you know how it is up there. Still trying to deal with those hormonal teenagers. I swear they get more disrespectful every year. " She chuckled. "The debate's still out on whether I'm some incarnation of the devil. I suppose I won;t lose that little nickname. I got it around the same time you were a student if I recall. "

"But no one wants to hear about an old bat. What have you been into these past few years?"

[Benjamin Rhodes]

Ben tried to hold in his amusement at his friend's sudden jumpiness. Not even the appearance of Cobalt's shadows dampened Ben's amusement. He felt bad but man, if he were honest [and he usually was], Ben thought Cobalt actually needed this. To be frightened, that is. Payback's a bitch. Not that he would ever tell Cobalt that. Or anyone else for that matter. He wasn't that cruel.

At Mrs. Barnes' reply to Cobalt's question, Ben couldn't help but think, "No...that's not possible." He smiled and stood up to shake her hands and waited until the lady was seated before he took his seat again. "We met a few weeks ago through a mutual friend." The fact that Mrs. Barnes was Cobalt's teacher did not escape the child psychologist but he wasn't going to bring forth that line of fire until later. Ben was so nice.

Ben didn't know if he should laugh at the elder lady's form of a joke but he kept his small grin intact.

The conversation was obviously for the two so he let them reminisce. As much reminiscing as a teacher who was called a devil incarnate and a student who had trouble looking her in the eye would actually do.