It’s unusual for the air to be cold. Perhaps it were the nature of events unfolding – but that’s way too poetic. But all in all it is a too familiar situation – in the sense that somewhere, deep within the vast expanses of his knowledge, resided good memories of this place. That’s why he dismisses Phi’s commentary entirely, or kind of, “And you are rude.”
It’s comical that they reunite in a place that seems to collect the misery itself, but such is the way of them to spend their “free-time”. The order goes with the basics, beer. Bartender is swift with the task, managing to serve it in a little period of time. One of his hands brushes his face casually before taking the first sip; awaiting for her further answers.
And he nods when she ends up telling him something he knew, though he wasn’t really that deep in the subject to pinpoint it, “Ah, I noticed. He’s a good guy - at least not as annoying as some folks I’ve encountered in this damned place,” He says that as if the place were a bother, but oh how he enjoys being here, anyway. There’s finally a sip from the glass that contains beer, relaxing and fulfilling – but all ends up ruined when she talks about him paying, meddlesome.
“Uuuugh, fine,” But there’s no another way about it - despite the kind of childish gruff. However, it’s not like he wants to clean the dishes for the rest of the night because his usual recklessness, “You better enjoy it while you can.”
She certainly doesn’t expect him to give in without a fight, but she knows giving in is what he’ll do eventually. She straightens up in a self-satisfied sort of way, her drink all the more refreshing because she wasn't the one paying for it.
“I plan on it.” She tips her glass in his direction, in a sort of mock salute.
There’s a college basketball game on the TV in the corner and the melancholy blues single on the radio has faded away and into an acoustic hit from the 70′s. Phi sips the foam bunched around the rim of her glass and then looks up, gaze directed at Sigma but somehow still looking past him.
“Hey, can I ask you something? And don’t make it weird okay? I’m being serious--”
“Do you ever have dreams? Well no-- sometimes they’re not even dreams, but like you’ll be spacing out and then suddenly you see stuff, and it’s like you’re recalling some kind of distant memory. It’s in scary detail, but it’s something you’ve ever actually seen or done before.”
A weird question by anyone’s standards, but probably weirder still coming from her. Confiding wasn’t a thing she did often, but it’s been bothering her all week and Sigma seemed as a good a person as anyone to tell.
For various reasons.
