'Eventually' had been an appropriate estimate of time after all, given how long it was after the message had been sent. After a bit of fumbling with keys in the lock, the door opened to the sound of humming, indicating at once that Miklos himself had not returned. It was an upbeat sort of tune, interrupted only by the extended crackling sound of someone trying their hardest to suck the remnants of a drink out of a near-empty cup with a straw. Apollo lifted his head up and made a few quiet 'woofs', but otherwise stayed put. A+ guard dog.Sir Pugsley, on the other hand, started barking and howling. How dare an intruder come in. He bounced off Apollo and Peace, and made his short-legged way to the door. The noise was enough to rouse Peace from the impromptu nap the dogs had impressed upon her.
The sound stopped when Sir Pugsley appeared, though there was still the sound of the barking and the rattling of the keys until they were pocketed. "Hey there, little buddy. You're.. not at all what I was expecting. Hello~?"
Sir Pugsley barked again, and stayed just out of the visitor's reach. Peace patted Apollo, still half-asleep. "...Hello?" she mumbled, her voice raspy. "He...loooooooooo."
Following her voice, Calen stepped around the still-offended pug. Finally, Apollo jumped up and trotted off, his apparent recognition of the voice eliminating the need to bodily protect Peace from the potential threat. "I had a key. I'm supposed to be here. If you're lurking to hit me with something.. don't?"
"A pillow, maybe." Peace groaned as she say up and combed her fingers through her hair.
"Well, that's not too bad.." He said, though now he talked around the candy he'd unwrapped and started eating. "What's wrong with you? Hangover?"
"Nap." Peace replied. "I don't drink." She flipped over bonelessly and rested her chin on her kneecaps. "What time is it?"
"Whaaat? Really? It is-.." Calen patted his numerous pockets with one hand until he found his phone. "... A little after seven, apparently. Huh. Time zones. That's always weird."
"Where's Miklos?" Peace rolled until there was no more bed and stood up. A squinty glare around the room did not reveal where her glasses were. "Have you seen my glasses?"
"Back in New York. Something came up, s'all I know.." He started poking around in his phone, holding his candy bar between his teeth for the moment. "Oops.. oh well.." he muttered quietly around it, biting another chunk off after he slid the phone back into his hoodie pocket. "And I didn't see any glasses, no."
"That's stupid, he's my handler, he's supposed--" Peace went back to the bed and felt around for the thin black frames. Still half-blinded, she looked over her shoulder at Calen's blurry form. "You're not my new handler, are you?"
"No. Haha, no. Me? No, I don't handle anyone. I'm just supposed to help you if you need it and watch out for the-.." He stopped and looked around as if he'd missed something. "Creepy roommate," he said in a hushed tone.
"Are you bee-approved?" Peace crawled onto the bed and looked for her glasses, until her fingers finally found the slim black plastic frames and shoved them on her face.
"Yep," Calen said, peeling the wrapper off the last of the candy and finishing it off all at once. He rubbed his hands together and made a face, thinking nothing of wiping any residual stickiness off on the back of his pants. "You?" He was very much the opposite of Miklos: quite a bit shorter and dressed very casually, in an 'I purchased these jeans pre-ripped' kind of way.
"Yeah," Peace nodded and turned to sit on the bed. Her feet didn't even hit the ground, dangling just a couple inches from the hardwood. "Among other things, I guess. Who are you?"
There, finally, now that she was feeling less squish-brained, she could get to the important questions. She reached for her cellphone and woke it up, sliding a finger across the screen to send a message to Miklos.
Who is this dude, where is the coffee, why are you in NYC?
"Oh, right. I'm Calen." He grinned and gave her a little wave. "Have you tried any of the food around here? It is fantastic.."
The response to her message came about quickly.
You didn't think you were the only one I handled, did you? I assumed you would prefer to not be left with just a dog to cover you. You're welcome. I assume you've been un-wedged.
The coffee is where the coffee's always been. If you've run out, buy more.
I'm here taking care of a problem that couldn't wait.
"There's a lot of fried things, I noticed." Peace said, kicking her feet. "Do you drink coffee? Because I really need some before my head starts throbbing."
"'Do I drink coffee'," he repeated with a laugh. "Yes. Yes, I do. They have another coffee shop near here?"
Peace frowned at the message at it came through and wrinkled her nose. I have been unwedged. This person is weird. How much do they know??
"Yeah, there was a cute one down the way." Peace's head turned suddenly, watching something move in the kitchen. "Let me find my shoes."
"Sweet. I like this country so far.." At Peace's sudden turn he spun around to face where she'd looked, reaching a hand behind him. "What what?"
Another message returned at the speed of someone who didn't need to type.
He knows not to touch you. And what you're capable of, loosely, in the event you have an episode.
You're weird.
