[ Both things can be true. She says it with such a quiet, knowing tone and coupled with the way her eyes shift; Robbie feels a pang sort of echo through his chest. There's a resonance there that's unmistakable. It's more than a reassuring statement spoken from someone who is well meaning, it's spoken from experience. It makes him curious, and he almost wants to ask about it - does she know what that's like? And how? His brow furrows slightly but he doesn't say anything in response; he doesn't look away either - that unspoken understanding that they may have more in common than realized passes in the space between them.
When the waitress arrives he folds that detail about her away along with the other ones, all of it creating a greater picture of who she is; beyond the surface level details.
And when the mood shifts he shifts with it, it's easier talking about things like drunken escapades and work after all. He chuckles at her comment and shakes his head slightly. ] You're saying this to a guy that insisted on subjecting everyone to his own version of Britney Spears, I don't think you've gotta worry about normal. We were both at our best, clearly. [ He teases. Between the two of them he's pretty sure the entire bar had had it with them long before the table dancing or the singing. And in hindsight, it's becoming more amusing to him than mildly embarrassing; which is good. ]
Yeah, I get that. [ He nods; he can definitely relate to the busy part. He wonders if she's more comfortable with busy, thrives on it; in spite of the stress. When she asks about the dodge with pneumonia he cracks an amused smile after taking a sip of his water. ] That is... actually not a bad description of it. It's gonna take more time than I thought, but we'll be able to sort it out. The guys love a challenge, anyway. Love arguing about what's gonna fix it and who's idea will be the right one. [ Said with begrudging affection, because though they got on each other's nerves; they were all a bit like extended family at this point. ] Thank you though, for recommending us. [ He turns toward her with a look of genuine gratitude along with a small smile. Every client they get helps get their name out there, and more business was always good, especially when it came to paying the bills and supporting Gabe's academic path. ]
[Selfishly, Karen's glad that he doesn't ask for more details. She's glad for that moment of understanding. To find that they have something in common beyond just easy conversation and a low tolerance for high quantities of tequila. But she never knows what to say about Kevin when people ask. She used to just...lie about it. Hedge around it. Say things like "he's a good brother" and change the topic. It's been years since she's done that, but hearing about her family just has a way of sucking all the air out of a room. A way of making other people acutely sad or uncomfortable in the face of loss.
Something in that moment of understanding makes her think that he might get it a little better than most. But hungover in a brightly lit diner just isn't the right place for that conversation.
And then he's joking about Britney Spears, and she's laughing again, shaking her head a little.] On the bright side, at least I wasn't dancing to your Britney Spears rendition? We kind of - spaced out menacing the other drinkers at least.
[It's kind of a cold comfort, but at least it's a comfort.
She smiles, listening to him talk about his co-workers in a way that makes the camaraderie apparent. She can just picture them squabbling good naturedly about which fix will do the trick. His thanks is met with a quick shrug of her shoulder.] Of course. You guys do good work. We like to talk up local businesses when we can. [That's all part of making a city better - doing your part to foster the sense of community.]
How long have you known the guys that work with you?
[ Robbie is a fairly perceptive person, but the majority of what he notices are things he won't comment on outright; and definitely in this circumstance with her nursing a pretty brutal hangover - he's not going to prod. He defaults to giving people space and never prying because frankly, that is his own preference. He also assumes that if someone wants to talk about something, they will; and he's happy to listen. Another reason he tends not to pry is that when you bring up a question about someone, it opens the door for them to ask similar questions about you. And that was... very complicated territory. ]
They really should thank us for going easy on them. Next time though, they're in for a real show. [ Teasing of course, because they would absolutely get thrown out for that and a lot faster. He can't help but laugh at the visual image of them both atop different tables, Robbie singing badly while Karen dances along to it. It's nice to be laughing about it though, and it's a nice memory to have between the two of them; it's ridiculous and it's funny and it's normal. A refreshing change of pace. ]
A while. I've been working there since I was about eighteen, just helping out keeping the shop clean. Learned how to fix up cars by bugging the owner to teach me. [ The waitress comes back with their food, setting the steaming plates down in front of each of them - and it smells amazing of course. He thanks her and begins pouring some of the syrup onto the pancakes. ] It's good work, I get to be around friends, and cars are easy. It's all about finding the right parts. There's nothing that can't be fixed, so long as you have the patience. [ A really satisfying feeling too when he could fix a car the client thought was hopeless. It was doing good in a way that drastically contrasted to his 'night job'.]
Maybe next time we'll try a karaoke bar. With a private room. You know, contain the chaos a little bit. [Karen's grinning a little as she makes the suggestion. Sort of...half joking and half serious. She would absolutely spend an evening out at a karaoke bar. Just a bit of lighthearted nonsense at the end of a hard week? She can think of significantly worse ways to blow off some steam. And honestly, outside of the table dancing, Karen doesn't actually regret the previous evening's revelry. She'll even accept her hangover as a just punishment for the table dancing.
She settles in her seat, listening as he talks about his work. There's a slight smile on her face. The waitress gets a quick but genuine thanks when she deposits the food so that she can signal for him to continue what he was saying. It's obvious that he likes what he does, and the people that he works with. And she always loves to hear those kinds of stories - the way people get very in to the specific dynamics of their workplace, the technical aspects of what it means to do the job. It's always oddly sweet, especially when someone's been doing it for a while.]
That's great. You can tell that you guys have a real rapport. Which can really make or break a job. And considering I'm hopeless with an engine, I'm definitely glad that there's people in this city that think cars are an easy puzzle. [Her tone is all playfully self-deprecating. She knows how to check her oil level and refill the wiper fluid, even how to change her own wipers and even check the tire pressure. Once upon a time she could change the tire too, but it's been long enough that she's not entirely confident she'd still be able to pull it off.
His follow up question is met with a smile, though she crunches into a piece of bacon to give herself a second to think before she answers it. Opening up is tricky for her, because she worries about letting people in and getting them hurt. But there is something to be said for putting less hurdles up. So, she continues after a moment.] Uh, since they opened, actually. Though my role has changed over the years. I was actually their first client as an independent law firm.
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When the waitress arrives he folds that detail about her away along with the other ones, all of it creating a greater picture of who she is; beyond the surface level details.
And when the mood shifts he shifts with it, it's easier talking about things like drunken escapades and work after all. He chuckles at her comment and shakes his head slightly. ] You're saying this to a guy that insisted on subjecting everyone to his own version of Britney Spears, I don't think you've gotta worry about normal. We were both at our best, clearly. [ He teases. Between the two of them he's pretty sure the entire bar had had it with them long before the table dancing or the singing. And in hindsight, it's becoming more amusing to him than mildly embarrassing; which is good. ]
Yeah, I get that. [ He nods; he can definitely relate to the busy part. He wonders if she's more comfortable with busy, thrives on it; in spite of the stress. When she asks about the dodge with pneumonia he cracks an amused smile after taking a sip of his water. ] That is... actually not a bad description of it. It's gonna take more time than I thought, but we'll be able to sort it out. The guys love a challenge, anyway. Love arguing about what's gonna fix it and who's idea will be the right one. [ Said with begrudging affection, because though they got on each other's nerves; they were all a bit like extended family at this point. ] Thank you though, for recommending us. [ He turns toward her with a look of genuine gratitude along with a small smile. Every client they get helps get their name out there, and more business was always good, especially when it came to paying the bills and supporting Gabe's academic path. ]
no subject
Something in that moment of understanding makes her think that he might get it a little better than most. But hungover in a brightly lit diner just isn't the right place for that conversation.
And then he's joking about Britney Spears, and she's laughing again, shaking her head a little.] On the bright side, at least I wasn't dancing to your Britney Spears rendition? We kind of - spaced out menacing the other drinkers at least.
[It's kind of a cold comfort, but at least it's a comfort.
She smiles, listening to him talk about his co-workers in a way that makes the camaraderie apparent. She can just picture them squabbling good naturedly about which fix will do the trick. His thanks is met with a quick shrug of her shoulder.] Of course. You guys do good work. We like to talk up local businesses when we can. [That's all part of making a city better - doing your part to foster the sense of community.]
How long have you known the guys that work with you?
no subject
They really should thank us for going easy on them. Next time though, they're in for a real show. [ Teasing of course, because they would absolutely get thrown out for that and a lot faster. He can't help but laugh at the visual image of them both atop different tables, Robbie singing badly while Karen dances along to it. It's nice to be laughing about it though, and it's a nice memory to have between the two of them; it's ridiculous and it's funny and it's normal. A refreshing change of pace. ]
A while. I've been working there since I was about eighteen, just helping out keeping the shop clean. Learned how to fix up cars by bugging the owner to teach me. [ The waitress comes back with their food, setting the steaming plates down in front of each of them - and it smells amazing of course. He thanks her and begins pouring some of the syrup onto the pancakes. ] It's good work, I get to be around friends, and cars are easy. It's all about finding the right parts. There's nothing that can't be fixed, so long as you have the patience. [ A really satisfying feeling too when he could fix a car the client thought was hopeless. It was doing good in a way that drastically contrasted to his 'night job'.]
How long have you been with Nelson and Murdock?
no subject
She settles in her seat, listening as he talks about his work. There's a slight smile on her face. The waitress gets a quick but genuine thanks when she deposits the food so that she can signal for him to continue what he was saying. It's obvious that he likes what he does, and the people that he works with. And she always loves to hear those kinds of stories - the way people get very in to the specific dynamics of their workplace, the technical aspects of what it means to do the job. It's always oddly sweet, especially when someone's been doing it for a while.]
That's great. You can tell that you guys have a real rapport. Which can really make or break a job. And considering I'm hopeless with an engine, I'm definitely glad that there's people in this city that think cars are an easy puzzle. [Her tone is all playfully self-deprecating. She knows how to check her oil level and refill the wiper fluid, even how to change her own wipers and even check the tire pressure. Once upon a time she could change the tire too, but it's been long enough that she's not entirely confident she'd still be able to pull it off.
His follow up question is met with a smile, though she crunches into a piece of bacon to give herself a second to think before she answers it. Opening up is tricky for her, because she worries about letting people in and getting them hurt. But there is something to be said for putting less hurdles up. So, she continues after a moment.] Uh, since they opened, actually. Though my role has changed over the years. I was actually their first client as an independent law firm.