Fuck. How should he answer that? He can't tell her the truth, fuuuck think Richard! Luckily he is able to stall a little while going to the ATM and getting her half the cash he owes, which brings his meagre amount to about $500 but that's for him to worry about later right now he has to answer her question.
"I had a really bad panic attack last night." He says as he hands over the cash. "And I thought drinking would calm me down."
It's a hasty answer but not entirely false, he always panics right before he transforms because he knows how much it will hurt and sometimes getting plastered helps blur the pain a bit.
"No, I might be able to get it back home since we've got free healthcare but I can't afford meds here in the States."
Well, now Lois is definitely curious, after a response like that. She won’t question it for now, but she plans to run his name on a few databases she has access to.
It’s actually kind of surprising that she hasn’t run his name yet.
“Maybe you should consider getting blackout drunk at home next time.”
If and when she runs his name she won't get very much; a few unpaid parking tickets, minor arrests back home for probably similar drunken behavior. The most notable thing she will find will be a newspaper article about him surviving a brutal animal attack.
"I usually try to." He says and groans, holding his head for a moment.
"Fuck I feel like garbage, guess I look it too huhn?"
Lois shrugs. “I wasn’t really doing anything yet.” It’s Saturday, and while she doesn’t work as much on the weekends, she usually does a few work-related things in the afternoons and evenings. “I have a few of my colleagues’ stories to read over and send feedback to before they’re approved to print.”
"Huhn." Richard muses and un-fastens his seat belt once she's parked. "This is going to sound stupid but I never actually thought that anytime a news article says 'sources say' it's actually a real person you're getting the info from."
“Sometimes it isn’t,” Lois says as she locks the car. “Depends on the quality of the paper. In celebrity gossip? Usually fake.”
Inside, the diner is standard fare. A counter. A row of booths. Nothing fancy. But the coffee is decent and the food is good. A number of the waitresses say hi to her, which shows how often she’s here. Sometimes she comes alone to write.
Lois and Richard sit down across from each other in a booth. After ordering some coffee, she studies him.
He sits down in the booth with a long sigh, grateful to be in an easy, simple environment. After a full moon transformation he always feels like he's been rubbed against a cheese grater, his skin feels tight and sounds are always so much more intense.
"What?" He asks and then rubs a hand over his weary face. "Oh. A couple of times, all for stupid shit."
“Not when I’m caught in places that I’m not allowed to be in.” She smiles back at him, unsure if he’s just trying to put on a brave face for her. He’s a mess.
Their coffee comes and Lois unloads at least 5 packets of sugar into hers.
“Yeah, that’ll do it. I remember when I used to be able to sleep on a floor with no problems. Now? My back will be messed up for days. Getting older is great.”
“Nah, this is perfect,” she says before taking a sip. No creamer. Just black coffee and a lot of sugar.
Lois smirks at him. “You know what ‘chicks’ hate more than being asked their age? Being referred to as ‘chicks’.” She takes another sip. “I already told you though. 35.”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2026-01-09 03:20 am (UTC)Outside, they agree to walk to a nearby ATM so that Richard can take out the money that he owes her.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-09 03:38 am (UTC)Fuck.
How should he answer that? He can't tell her the truth, fuuuck think Richard! Luckily he is able to stall a little while going to the ATM and getting her half the cash he owes, which brings his meagre amount to about $500 but that's for him to worry about later right now he has to answer her question.
"I had a really bad panic attack last night." He says as he hands over the cash. "And I thought drinking would calm me down."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 12:13 am (UTC)“I don’t think alcohol helps with that,” she replies. “I guess you don’t have medication for it?”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 12:21 am (UTC)"No, I might be able to get it back home since we've got free healthcare but I can't afford meds here in the States."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 12:40 am (UTC)It clearly wasn’t for a job. Why not just go back?
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 12:42 am (UTC)"Personal reasons."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 12:57 am (UTC)It’s actually kind of surprising that she hasn’t run his name yet.
“Maybe you should consider getting blackout drunk at home next time.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 01:10 am (UTC)"I usually try to." He says and groans, holding his head for a moment.
"Fuck I feel like garbage, guess I look it too huhn?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 01:31 am (UTC)“You kind of do,” Lois says. “I can drive you home if you want.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 02:01 am (UTC)They get in and Lois starts towards a diner she knows that is relatively inexpensive.
“I’m sorry you had such a shitty night.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 03:15 am (UTC)"Well I'm sorry I kind of ruined your morning."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 11:11 am (UTC)She could use some coffee, actually.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-10 07:10 pm (UTC)"I hope you get paid double for all that."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 01:16 am (UTC)“You’re lucky I wasn’t tracking down any leads. Sometimes sources can only meet on the weekends.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 02:35 am (UTC)Lois turns into a parking lot and parks the car.
“If the source is scared or wants to be kept anonymous, we’ll meet someplace more private.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 03:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 04:06 am (UTC)Inside, the diner is standard fare. A counter. A row of booths. Nothing fancy. But the coffee is decent and the food is good. A number of the waitresses say hi to her, which shows how often she’s here. Sometimes she comes alone to write.
Lois and Richard sit down across from each other in a booth. After ordering some coffee, she studies him.
“How many times have you been arrested?”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 04:20 am (UTC)"What?" He asks and then rubs a hand over his weary face. "Oh. A couple of times, all for stupid shit."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 04:34 am (UTC)He looks hungover and exhausted. A little piece of her that cares about him feels bad.
“Are you okay?” Lois asks quietly.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 04:49 am (UTC)"Do you get a bit of a pass on stuff like that because you're doing it for work?"
He looks up into her face and tries to give her an encouraging smile.
"Yeah, I am. Just exhausted and sore, I slept a bit on a cell bench so my neck is all fucked up."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 12:28 pm (UTC)Their coffee comes and Lois unloads at least 5 packets of sugar into hers.
“Yeah, that’ll do it. I remember when I used to be able to sleep on a floor with no problems. Now? My back will be messed up for days. Getting older is great.”
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 06:18 pm (UTC)It's a little joke which means he must not be feeling like total death, although really it would take him dying to not make jokes.
"I know chicks hate this question, but how old are you?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-12 01:19 am (UTC)Lois smirks at him. “You know what ‘chicks’ hate more than being asked their age? Being referred to as ‘chicks’.” She takes another sip. “I already told you though. 35.”