citylogs | [closed]

In some ways, this feels like a uniquely shitty thing for Johanna to be doing. She's been meaning to apologize to Steven ever since that welcome party, when she accidentally approached Marc instead. After that, she just ... didn't.

But that's not unique. That's absolutely bog-standard bad behavior for her. No, what might be edging this one beyond the pale is that she's going to surprise him. That seems like it may be just a bit cruel.

However. It also seems like it will be funny. And then she can apologize properly!

Judging that Steven is the kind who will be bang on time, she shows up to the restaurant at 7:05 ready for a date: makeup on point, a nice high-necked sleeveless blouse and slacks under her trench coat, and an orange chrysanthemum plucked from one of the City's green spaces to mark her as his blind date.

She got him in that sweet spot between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so he's at least eating something tonight even if he will be quietly avoiding the usual meat and dairy products he doesn't normally touch.

He didn't dress up too nicely but he did bother with a nice and clean button up shirt, and neat pants. Of course she spots him shuffling closer tugging on his clothes and taking shaky breaths before he spots her, but when he does eventually spot her he has a little deer in headlights moment. Too late to stand her up - not that that thought had crossed her mind - and too late to act anything other than genuinely surprised for a smidgen too long.

At least he doesn't cringe or greet her with 'Oh, it's... you...' He manages a brave, tight-lipped smile and nods in her direction before coming up within conversational distance. Notice how he's not within slapping distance though.

"Hey, you." Not much better. Does he get points for trying at least? "Wasn't expecting a familiar face."

Honestly, that's impressive! If he'd turned around and walked the other way it would have been right in line with her expectations. The fact that he comes towards her anyway means he's either brave or stupid.

She'll assume brave. She's trying to be nice this time.

"Especially not this one, I'll wager."

She gives him a crooked smile and holds out the flower, arm fully extended so he doesn't have to get too close.

"Ought to be an olive branch, but I couldn't find any."

Why not both? Although he's probably more stupid than he is brave, even if he can be smart in other ways. Definitely not smart around anything to do with women. Or danger. Or evil magicians. Or not-so-evil magicians, even, apparently.

"Tha's alright mate. Ta." He takes the flower and almost squeezes the stem a little too hard before taking a small step closer towards her.

"...wait. Are you looking for--" Steven's voice drops to a mouse's whisper. "spies?" For her spy meeting? That's so strange!

"Well, no, if I'm really honest, like I said, I was looking for casual sex."

She holds up her hands to (vainly, maybe) forestall any shock and awkwardness.

"Not if you're not interested, and let's be fair, bruv, who could blame you. Sounds like it's not really your thing, anyway."

"You're wot mate?" Not that he had heard her wrongly the first time or that he's intentionally making her repeat herself but he's just shocked, he says. Absolutely gobsmacked.

"I'm-- I'm--! Umm!" His shoulders rise as the tension mounts in his tight chest. He doesn't know what to say, it's like. Yes but no.

"I can't imagine anyone not being interested!" He starts. "Youuuu. Look. Very lovely." He gestures up and down with his palm open and facing the sky, like he's showing off a vase at the antique roadshow rather than talking about a woman. "And I'm sure you... are most excellent... casually. Sexing. But Iiii'mmmmnnnot. Casual... Sexual... casually... looking for casual... um..."

How is she not supposed to bully this man!! Look at the way he reacts when she's trying to be chill! It is simultaneously hysterically funny and sweet and ridiculous!

She cuts him off with wave of her hands. "Steven, you don't have to spare my feelings on this one or justify it or anything, trust me. I'm not here for a shag."

Okay, it's time to do the mature thing she intended to do. Buckle up, people.

"I'm mainly here to say sorry. For how I acted when we met."

"I wasn't," he protests quietly - he's not just saying these things to be nice or spare her feelings or anything, she's genuinely very nice-looking and all that - but he's rather thankful that she's saving him from that rather big hole he's digging for himself.

Anyway he's aware that he's unshaggable so it's probably for the better that she--... tries those moves on Marc or whatever. Good heavens, Steven doesn't want to know anything about that.

"How you acted?" He frowns and purses his lips as he tries to recall the most offensive thing that happened when they met. "Oh! You mean the-- right. Yeah. Don't worry about it love. I'd hit me too. Especially if I thought it'd fix anything." Not-- necessarily as hard as she hit him or as deeply as the way Marc harms himself or anything like that but... he can take a bit of a hit. Sometimes.

"Have you any new theories about what this all is?"

Unshaggable would be a strong word, with that bone structure.

Johanna looks surprised by how quickly he waves it off. Part of her wonders what that says about his self-respect; the rest of her is grateful that she won't have to do any real groveling.

"Do you want to talk about it over dinner?"

"Yes. Yes of course. Shall we?" Go through the rigmarole of getting seated and settled in and look over what's on offer. At least for Steven there's usually only one vegan option so he doesn't need to deliberate too much.

It's just as well she got him out of the flat. Marc can enjoy all the whiskey and steak he wants without Steven hovering and wringing his hands anxiously.

"Have you gotten yourself well acquainted with all the city's offerings then?"

It's very odd to come into one of these empty restaurants with somebody, with the intent of having something like a date. No waitstaff to upsell wine or tables filled with other guests, just a building that feels like everyone might have walked out moments before you walked in.

At least there should be some all right options for Steven. Johanna had suggested this place because she remembered it having falafel. Once they've made their decisions, investigating the kitchen reveals exactly what they each wanted.

"Er, in what sense?" She gives Steven a curious look as they claim a table. "Like the shops and restaurants and all that, or the stuff like the fair?"

Steven is, oddly enough, rather used to it by now. The emptiness of the space, and how much it feels like a vacuum. Going through spaces that were ravaged by the Blip, it had sometimes felt like some kind of apocalyptic siren had gone off mere hours ago and everyone shut up shop and hurried home. Storefronts and signs would stay untouched and you'd only realise a place was permanently closed when you saw the newspapers covering the windows. If it's between this or a dilapidated, been abandoned for years, struggling to find fresh food and produce city, he'd rather stay here.

Even if the place does give off bad vibes.

"Well I meant the more permanent fixtures but yeah. The fair's a wee bit strange, innit? Who set it up and how's it going to run itself and all?"

"Suppose it's working the same way as the parties and the restaurants, right?"

She shrugs as she starts in on her meal. "It's like these things just grow by themselves. Like mushroom fairy rings."

"Fair enough mate..." They know so precious little about this place, and she's being awful cavalier about it, but he doesn't have anything meaningful to offer either so... Well. Maybe he hasn't been as focused on finding out more about the city than he should be.

"I know very little about magic. Or mushrooms. Or magic mushrooms." Not those kinds of magic mushrooms. "But we'd be pretty buggered if all this just stopped, don't you think?"

"Yeah," she says, a little grim. "Don't know about you, but I've never been much of a farmer. I kill cactuses, even.

"What about you? Done much exploring? Found anything interesting?"

"I wouldn't mind learning. But it's one thing to grow some parsley on your windowsill and another to feed a city..." He has slightly more confidence given his track record with fish, but. Bit of a joint effort there between himself and Marc, and even if they could find and catch a live one somehow, he's definitely not going to volunteer rearing fish to be eaten.

"Not really, no. Marc's been adamant about not going off on me own too much so... and anyway I do love me some books. I've been reading a lot. You know you can normally tell a lot about a place by how accessible their libraries are. How many bookstores they have and what's being sold, what's not being sold, whether there's a separate children's section and whatnot." She probably shouldn't show Steven the contents of her fridge if she doesn't want to be judged.

"Considering how hard it is to get information about the city otherwise... It's been easier to just look elsewhere for clues."

That catches her attention. "Reading what? Find anything good?"

"There's a bookstore near one of the tube stations." It's a delicate balance between Marc not wanting Steven to spend the whole day holed up in the bookstore and Steven not wanting to help himself to the entire store and clutter up the apartment they're staying in.

Besides, the way the bookstore works, Steven has to trade stories if he wants to take other peoples' stories, and while he's full of stories, some fiction and some nonfiction ~~and some mental illness~~ he doesn't want to fill the bookstore with himself just because he's knowledge-hungry.

"I'm sure there'll be a library in the university or near the town hall or something but I haven't gone exploring much..." It's awkward to say that Marc gets anxious if he goes out alone without adult supervision, so Steven leaves it at that.

"I think mostly it's stories from other people who were pulled in here. Historical events from their place of origin, creation myths and whatnot. Have you been to the bookstore yet?"

"Oh! Right."

She looks mildly disappointed for a second before she nods.

"I thought you meant something from the City. I poked my head in. Glad someone's doing that." A wry smile. "Guess it does say a lot about the place that all we've got to read is each other's campfire stories, doesn't it? Bloody Chaucerian."

For her own part, she's thought about contributing a story or two -- maybe what she remembers of something like Peter Pan, or the fairy tales her gran used to tell her. What exactly is stopping her, she couldn't say. Misanthropy, distraction, take your pick.

"You said Marc doesn't want you going off on your own? 'S a bit controlling."

He's keeping his eyes peeled for that. He'd love a local bookstore, or library. But failing that, the one they have is better than nothing.

"It's not so bad I suppose. Even if it means we can't learn anything about this place, we can at least get to know each other better. That is worth more sometimes, innit?" Even if they found some clues, like maybe the name of this place, or where in the world this place might be, what good would that do them? They'd still have no way home. They might not even recognise it if they're on a completely different-- planet or solar system or time or whatever. Steven's not ruling that out, despite all the familiar comforts this city has offered to him.

"Marc? He's not controlling. He's just-- worried. He's a worrier." And also a warrior, sure, but mostly a worrier as far as Steven is concerned. "Silly things have happened here, you know. Not as safe as it looks. He'd worry about you too and warn you about all the dangers if you gave him the chance."

Johanna snorts.

"Silly isn't the word I'd use, bruv, I'd say bit fuckin' horrifying. If he's been saying not to go into any of the new big building that pop up I'd say he's probably got a point."

She shrugs. "But if he told me not to go outside, I'd still probably tell him where to shove it."

"Yea alright..." Steven hasn't seen the bulk of the horrifying but he can attest to some discomfort with things that have happened in the city. Fortunately or unfortunately, he's still rather sheltered from everything.

"The mall wasn't much to write home about, I'd heard." He didn't hear why, exactly, but at the same time, does he really need to know all the nitty-gritty details? Malls never really held much appeal to Steven to begin with so Marc didn't have to worry about Steven spending too much time in there anyway... although yes he would have checked the place out the first time had he not been ~~banned~~ forewarned from going.

"I suppose you're well within your right but I don't like to talk to him like that..." Steven has one or two mean bones in his body, contrary to popular belief, but he'd never say something like that to Marc.

"It's not always a controlling thing, with people. Sometimes they do genuinely care for you, you know. Even if it sounds ludicrous, like not going outside. He might know something you don't." And proceed to gaslight the living daylight out of you and pretend like everything's fine... Because that's completely normal, no?

This is actually ... feeling slightly concerning to Johanna. Yes, Steven seems timorous and out of his depth, but keeping him from going outside? Somehow keeping him from hearing about the nightmare of the mall? Is he just downplaying things, or is Marc actually sheltering him like a fairy tale princess?

"'Course you don't talk to him like that, you're -- well, what are you two, anyway? Twins separated at birth or something?"

"Ummmmmmmm... something like that!" Although given how high-pitched that 'um' was, it's safe to say it's nothing like that. They haven't exactly come up with a better cover story just yet and it's better if they're both working on that actively rather than going off saying different things to different people. It'd be confusing and obvious that they're lying if those people started talking to each other.

"I suppose we don't seem like it. He's very-- better." Steven clears his throat. "I mean he's got this tall, dark, mysterious, handsome thing going on." Despite the fact that they sort of basically look the same. "Man of action and few words. I'm sure he's very popular. I'm not. But at least it makes it easier to tell us apart?"

"You look the same."

Clearly something is going on, and both of them have been weirdly evasive about it.

"So, you're both tall, dark, and handsome. He's just more American about it."

She frowns at him. "Are you clones?"

Like, she's pretty sure that's not how clones actually work, but hey, there are more thing in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in her philosophy.

For Steven (latersgators), around September 21/22

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