Food for Thought

[Bjorn]

I've already been up for a couple of hours, first taking advantage of the luxury of my very own backyard to go out and do the exercises for my martial arts, and then taking advantage of the luxury of my very own hot shower to heat up again as I curse my excreable enthusiasm.

Since my boss is still in the States, I don't have to go in to work today, so I park down at my computer, log into #void, and then play Shogun: Total War, because there's nothing like using an army of Geisha to conquer all of Japan to take your mind off the fact that yesterday you were saved from being slaughtered by a gibbering tongueless pyrokinetic by a glowing mystical bracelet that you're not even sure why you own.

[Brian]

Bjorn:  Snow makes exercising in the backyard somewhat more difficult than normal, but after the attempt, the shower is more than welcome.  While Shogun: TW progresses well, there is still the aformentioned lack of quality leftovers.

Or leftovers at all.

Or (on examination) components from which leftovers could be assembled.

[Bjorn]

Well, that's a problem.  Assuming it isn't still snowing heavily, Bjorn is going to bundle up and head off to the nearest Safeway to pick up some groceries, since he still hasn't found a chance to scout for some good non-chain grocery stores.

While packing up, he finds the bracelet lying on top of my satchel, right where it was left after yesterday.  After staring at it for a long minute, Bjorn puts it in his satchel, in one of the easy-access pockets, though not entirely sure why.

[Brian]

It is, in fact, snowing.  Still.

But, the streets have again been plowed, and it's not snowing nearly as heavily as it was yesterday.

In due course, you find yourself at a grocery store, though it looks like some people are making moves to stock up for potentially being snowed in.  No one's panicking, and there's not massive crowds of people, though, so no worries.

Regardless, you manage to build a respectable foundation upon which to build future leftovers, including a number of frozen (ah, irony) incumbent leftovers-to-be.

When you reach the checkout counter, you can see one of those small demo televisions in this SafeWay's video rental section showing a news report about the lakes, and thoughts that with the deepening winter, they may have worries of freezing, since it's fresh water, and not salt water.  It comes off as the normal reporters' dry overdramatization, unfortunately.

Regardless.  The man in front of you is loading up for bear, but you are in the shortest (looking) line in the store that's open right now.  The news-stand (as you watch) has its inventory of magazines replaced, and last week's "Santa Cancels Christmas!  Children too Naughty!" edition of the National Enquirer is being replaced with a "President Ewling Sells American Rights to Summer to Ancient Norse God".  Though, you have to admit, their cover-artists are doing a better job of photoshopping, it's still got seams and artifacting.  Either way, Thor looks pretty pleased to be getting a rolled up piece of paper from President Ewling.

As the man in front of you finally finishes checking out, you move forward, and someone from behind you reaches for your satchel.  Or, at least, that's what it looks like initially.  In reality, when you turn, you realize that a blonde woman behind has tripped, and goes sprawling into you.

[Bjorn]

With a start, Bjorn braces himself and tries to catch the woman, or at least prevent her from smacking her head into something.  "Are you okay?"

[Brian]

[roll]Bjorn --> "OkibiOhki rolls 3d6 and gets 8."[/roll]

You manage to catch the young woman before she falls to the floor or smacks herself into or against something.  She looks both surprised and embarassed.  "I'm fine," she mumbles, getting back to her feet.  Now that you can see her clearly you can see she's about 5'4", her blonde hair is short, but from this range you can see darker roots.  She's wearing a sweater, gloves, and a skirt, which boggles the mind in this weather.  Her eyes are blue, and she might be cute.

Might, that is, because you know you've seen her before, in a helicopter.

She doesn't meet your eyes, and kneels to pick up a beret that fell to the floor when she did.

[Bjorn]

Mumbling something apologetic, Bjorn finds himself at a bit of loss.  After all, what does one say?  "You're cute, wanna go out on a date" is probably not quite apropos, and it's probably just as incorrect to say, "You know, it's the funniest thing, but you know, I think I saw you yesterday in a hallucination right after I had an unreported accident in which I ran over an insane wild-man who then tried to set me on fire, and was only distracted first by an old bracelet that was sent to me anonymously years ago that suddenly developed mystic powers, and then by the appearance of a black helicopter that he felt he needed to blow out of the sky!"

Wait a minute.   While holding out a hand to help the woman back to her feet, Bjorn circumspectly reaches into his satchel to check for aforesaid bracelet.

[Brian]

The bracelet is still there, though it is now emitting a dull glow.

[Bjorn]

Two heartbeats pause, and then Bjorn makes up his mind, and smiles at the woman.  "You sure you're okay?   Fall like that, you can really feel it a bit after."

He pauses, as if in thought, and then cocks his head.  "You know, if you don't mind me saying, you look awfully familiar.  Did we run into each other yesterday?  If not quite so literally, of course."

[Brian]

Her eyes flicker to the satchel briefly, then she shrugs her shoulders uncomfortably, and offers a sardonic smile, taking a half step backwards.  "Well, you've got sharp eyes, don't you?" she says quietly.  "If you caught that ... and then, you weren't alone.  Who do you work for?"

The kid behind the counter is now about halfway done scanning your groceries, and is looking at you with almost obvious envy.

[Bjorn]

Cocking an eyebrow, Bjorn replies, "Well, I'm a recent addition to the empowering family team experience at Audvantech, a duly and wholly owned subsidary of Intertrode, but I get the feeling that's not really what you're asking, is it?  Beyond that, the answer is: I don't work for anyone, as far as I know.  Whatever part you think I play in this, you're probably wrong."

Turning to the check-out boy, Bjorn adds, "Paper, please."

[Brian]

The woman stares at you coldly, then starts to smile, and turns away.  In the meantime, the checkout boy stares at you with mingled fear and respect.  "Do you have your club card today?" he asks unsteadily.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn explains that he doesn't have a club card, and that he doesn't have want a club card, and yes he's aware of all the benefits, and indeed, that does sound like a very good deal, but he really doesn't want a club card, and yes he's quite sure, and if you ask him that just one more time he will club you instead, and here's his credit card, no, he can manage the groceries himself.

After an appropriate amount of time, with a minimum amount of hassle, Bjorn ends up back home again, and starts unloading groceries, enjoying that rare experience of "not having to make room in the fridge because the fridge is literally empty".  Once done, he makes himself a bowl of cereal (Cap'n Crunch -- the exercise is good for the teeth), toasts the one bagel he deemed fresh enough to purchase, and sits down at the table, reading part of Pocketful of Daisies (book 13 of The Wheel of Time) as he eats.  Once finished, he washes the dishes, and sits down at his computer to log on to #void and check webcomics.

Or at least, that's his plan.

[Brian]

Webcomics are what you would expect, though you don't really know what draws you to read Sluggy (BunbBun 40k story arc aside...).

#void is as normal, save a new user, the unvoiced Cabbit_Fire.

[Move to House of Dracos thread until the IRC session ends]

[Bjorn]

Bjorn passes some time by chatting on IRC (which happens in the Dracos' House thread).