just cal

it was fairly late, the sun already well into setting, when cal got to the bakery. he knew that he shouldn’t be here, that he should just turn around and go home but he couldn’t. or wouldn’t, either way. it was just his luck that he’d kept a bottle of whiskey in his office at the skate rink and had already had way too much of it before he found himself locking up and just walking. walking right until he got here. brooks was... a grounding person, to put it a certain way. he always seemed to say something that put things in perspective or made cal think twice before doing or saying something. he maybe could’ve done with that before trying to get to the bottom of the whiskey bottle. but it had been a rough day and he just couldn’t go home. the thought of being in the quiet house made him feel sick to the stomach. he hadn’t even realised he was without a jacket until he was leaning a forearm against the locked door.

with visible amusement, billie watched cal try to vehemently deny his rudeness, humouring him for the time being. “so… you’re not rude, no?” she echoed, arching a brow in what was clearly disbelief. “rude people have no place in customer service and I dunno what part of you thought this place would be a good idea because you’re worse than me,” she laughed, shaking her head. “you don’t have a small tolerance for bullshit, you just have a small tolerance for people in general.” arms folded across her chest, she knew she was right. she couldn’t blame him though; people could be pretty rude, and rudeness deserved rudeness in return. “hey, I ain’t judgin’.” maybe she was, just a little. “i don’t blame you for being as grumpy as you are. but don’t be so hard on yourself - you’re at least a little prettier than quasimodo.” to emphasise her point, she patted cal’s cheek with a smirk, clearly unafraid of getting on the wrong side of him.

glad that cal was well aware that she could handle herself, billie let him list his problems, listening and nodding periodically. “so to summarise; raccoon, vendin’ machines and customers,” she clarified, counting the problems onto her fingers. “customers are always gonna find somethin’ to complain about but the way I see it, ain’t nobody forcin’ ‘em to come here. and, what, you can’t get rid of a little raccoon?” she paused briefly, as though in thought. “i got the solution to all of your problems.” another pause, this time for dramatic effect. “have a few whiskeys an’ you’ll be too tanked to give a shit.”

denying his rudeness to most people would have been a hopeless case. because most people branded him as rude five minutes into knowing him. she was right. he did have very little patience for people. years ago, he was known as a patient man, someone who you could go to about anything and get an empathetic ear. but now? things had changed. life was cruel and short and he had very little patience for people, whether it was bullshit or genuine. “i can’t even argue with it. i don’t entirely hate you and i think i’d even tell you to quit it if you were talkin’ shit.” he hummed in thought, looking at her with slightly lifted brows. “you? not judging? that’s sure as hell a first,” he remarked, “i was born this way, leave me be.” the pat to his cheeks earned her a glare, one that lingered for moments before twisting into a scowl. she just wasn’t scared of him like some people tended to be. “don’t touch the goods, prettier than quasimodo or not.”

he lifted a hand to try and stop her for a moment in between. “except! this wasn’t just your average raccoon. this raccoon was huge. giant. clearly had been eating whatever went in the trash yesterday because i don’t even think it was hungry. ‘cept maybe hungry for laces.” he made a disgruntled noise which soon eased a little at the suggestion of alcohol. like he didn’t get trashed every single night just to get a few hours of sleep. “i gotta say that does work. however, can’t exactly drink on the job. done that before and either passed out in here with all the doors unlocked or i went home and forgot to lock up. but i’ll keep your solution in mind.”

“ yeah, that’s definitely the face i wanna see. “ jesse laughed— in all honesty, he was a good looking man, but he wasn’t exactly the peppy and cheery type. they had the staff for that. but jesse felt for the man, he had a lot on his plate, and he looked stressed half to death every time he ‘em. he couldn’t help but wanna help. 

“ actually, i’m kinda avoiding someone… figured why waste time when i could have some money and a solid alibi ? “ part of it was a joke, most of it held truth. jesse wasn’t the type to lie, but he managed to turn every bad or odd situation into a bright solution. “ not my first pick, but why not ? long as nova hasn’t stolen my stool. “

“wow, well, i must be pretty damn good looking if you’re offering to come in on your day off.” cal scoffed out a laugh, tucking his pencil securely behind his ear. you could guarantee there was never one around when you needed it. jesse was a great guy, from what he could tell. worked hard, was nice to customers, gave the place a great reputation. 

“only if you tell me who you’re avoiding. gotta know who to lie to if they come in.” he pointed out with a light smirk lifting the corners of his lips. “nah, it’s over there, next to the size elevens.” he gestured with his head and opened up the duffel bag, making a start on one set of laces. he’d taken them home but he couldn’t find the right spell to help without making it worse and he’d passed out before he coudld make headway with it.

another burst of laughter from the crimson beauty and she’s managing to catch her step, standing firm as she flips through the pages. she paid no mind to the scattered spots of drying water. she was swirling the bottle in her hand just as he moved to steal it. 

she gave a small gasp, half-open eyes flickering between his frame and the dangling bottle. “ quite rude, sir. “ her botched latin was almost as bad as her botched posh accent, a rated 3 on the caligo scale but she’s never admit her mistake. only another laugh to follow it. 

“ does it have any vowels ? or letters ? i probably can’t read it anyways. “ another joke and she’s moving to nudge his shoulder, peeking over the page to see if her drunken state could handle another spell or two. “ that’s a light spell, you try. “

“quite rude, huh? well, if you think that’s rude, you should have seen the way i spoke to some people today. you’d drop down our of shock.” cal responded, taking another few mouthfuls. it was a pleasant burn and definitely one he welcomed. it somehow was coupled nicely with old books and a skating rink floor.

“of course it has letters and vowels.” he scoffed, setting down the bottle with a light clink. “a light spell, huh? lemme look.” he pushed himself up properly, adjusting the book and squinting at the page until it became clear. it took a long few moments but he eventually managed and hummed in acknowledgement. a spell he’d done before.

georgia had known cal long enough now to know he had very little if no sense of humor but that didn’t stop her from trying to get any sort of positive reaction out of him. little did she realize that if she’d been just about anyone else, he would not put up with her nonsense.

she grinned, cocking her head to the side as he spoke with his mouth full. if she were her mother, she’d tell him it was impolite to talk with his mouth full. “hey, i’m not judgin’. like i said, you can have two because of it. if anythin’ i’m rewardin’ it.”

cal wasn’t in the business of putting up with anyone’s nonsense. if someone that didn’t know him tried to joke with him, he usually just fixed them with a stare until they stopped or changed subject. however, he allowed people he knew a little leeway. he would at least listen to their jokes and rarely respond. however, it was more than most got. 

he made sure to savour every inch of the baked good before he let out a sigh. life was so much better when it was filled with cake and pastry. “you’re rewarding me being a grumpy asshole or hungover?” he asked, wiping around his mouth for a moment. “but fine. maybe, just maybe. i did a bottle of whiskey and chased it with beer last night.”

@capriciouscal​

already tripping over her feet, rory stumbled barefoot onto the empty skating rink. one hand occupied with a grimoire, the other filled by an almost empty bottle. cal would have to steal that one back. 

“ propria manie— “ laughter burst from plump lips as aurora turns to her friend. by this point, it was safe to say the girl was tipsy. “ i said manie ! like, like meanie. “ it seemed the most hilarious thing in the world, her mind a dazr and her latin rusty from her third… no, fourth ? drink of the night.

“careful!” cal called without even looking up when he heard the familiar sound of fumbling behind him. he was laid across the flooring (which had just dried after being mopped, might he add), a book in front of him. it had been passed down from his aunt, the pages almost falling out and most pages bookmarked with herbs or pressed flowers. it added character.

at the botched latin, he began to laugh, pushing himself up with one hand. “i... wow. wow, gotta write that down somewhere. how not to pronounce that spell.” still laughing, he leaned in close to pluck the bottle from her hands. “my turn. what ‘bout this one?” he asked, using his foot as he swallowed a few mouthfuls of liquor to push the book in her direction. “looks easier to say.”

jesse gazed upon his boss, he could see the years aged upon him, the weight of his own world heavy upon his shoulders. it was a tough burden to bear, but cal pulled through it better than most he’d seen — liquor was the least of his problems. “ figured you’d be locked away in your office by now… “ he furrowed his brows, a soft chuckle on his lips.

“ you had me off today, but i thought i might come in to lend a hand, if you needed it. could always use the extra hours. “

“if i could lock myself away in the damn office all day, i would. but hey, who else would be here offering service with a smile and findin’ skates for our lovely patrons?” cal smirked, voice dropping with sarcasm. he stretched his arms above his head a moment, dragging a hand over his face as if it were capable of wiping away the stress. not that it was a likely ability, he hadn’t managed it in all these years and today wasn’t the day he thought it would start.

“you’re comin’ into work optionally? on your day off? i don’t want to be the one to say you need to get a social life since that’d be hypocritical but... yeah. worry less about work.” he stood, setting down a duffel bag. “could do with a hand untangling laces, if you’re up for it. can pay you for the extra hours.”

“outta interest, has anyone ever told you that you’re in the wrong industry?” billie quizzed, mirroring cal’s stance with her chin propped in her hand. “you kinda gotta, y’know, serve people if you’re gonna work in a place like this. that’s sorta the point. ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed though, are ya?” her smirk came as an assurance that she was joking – mostly, at least. she took a moment to study his face, head tilting to the side slightly. bless him. “this is why you should’a listened to your ma, cal. look at you. stuck like this for the rest of your life. cursed winds and their damn audacity to change. but it’s okay, i’m sure there are other people out there with faces just as grotesque as yours who manage to live a relatively normal life every day.”

she paused for a long moment, staring blankly at cal. “alright, so gimme the list. what, you think i can’t handle it or somethin’? c’mon, we both know that firstly, i’m more than capable of handlin’ myself, and secondly… i’m the only one who’s allowed to annoy you and get away with it.”

“oh, constantly. every middle aged lady that wants to whine about the skates pinching or the vending machine prices tells me that i’m in the wrong industry. that rude people have no place in customer services. but-” he sat up, pointing a little to emphasise his point. “i’m not rude. i just have a very small tolerance for bullshit.” he remarked. and it was true. like hell he was going to sit back and let anyone walk in and treat them however they felt, even if it was like something they stepped in. he was too hardheaded to let that slide. it got to the point where people knew there was no point asking for a manager in this place since he would just tell them straight if it was a stupid problem. “anyway, i am serving. people pay money, i give ‘em the skates. if their problem is genuine, i sort it. i do my job, technically.” he smirked a little, shrugging and picking up the pencil from the counter to let it play between his fingers. “fuckin’ winds. but hey, if quasimodo can do it, so can i.”

“of course you can handle yourself, i know that.” cal responded, stabbing the end of the pencil down against the counter before dropping it. “okay, so first thing. whoever worked last night didn’t lock the back door. so now i gotta deal with a raccoon in the old skate store bag. lil’ bastards like to chew the laces. then the delivery company who stocks the vending machines called to postpone but they’re already running low. then i’ve just had a few customers whining about stupid things. the music not being good enough, not having their size in the right colour and blah blah. stupid shit that adds up.”

jesse didn’t have to work tonight — hell, he’d had the whole weekend off, thanks to the neat mistake in the schedule. truth be told, it felt a bit awkward at home with azura, and he just had to get out. so, stepping through the doors, jesse welcomed the less-that-perky greeting from his boss. 

“ hey, cal. “ he smiled, checking behind him to see that there were, indeed, no customers to be found. so he had a second to chat. “ you uh, ya look a little stressed there, boss. need some help ? “

he could hear the smile so he dared to brave a look up from his hand, looking at jesse through one open eye that peeked from the edge of his palm. “stressed is what people say when they’re busy and can’t find time for things. this is more pissed off and tired than stressed.” he just sighed and dropped his hand. “you’re not on the schedule for tonight, are you?” he asked, doubting for a moment whether or not he’d scheduled things properly or not. “vending machines aint getting restocked till tuesday cause the delivery guys are pricks. but hey, what’s new.”

billie had spent the week rushed off her feet at the pharmacy – she was overworked and understaffed, and the aftermath of the sheer chaos at the fair was doing nothing to help matters. her morning had been occupied with frantic townsfolk searching for remedies for their varying ailments, accompanied by lengthy and unnecessary tales about aforementioned ailments. billie? well, she wasn’t really cut out for customer service. it was this thought that occupied her mind as she scoffed a laugh at the less-than-enthusiastic greeting from cal as she pushed open the doors of letum skate.

“you’ve never heard of service with a smile, then?” she moved to lean against the counter, arching a brow. “let’s be honest, darlin’ – have you ever seen me skate? no? let’s keep it that way.” she folded her arms across her chest, studying cal closely. “what’s gotten you all worked up today, anyway? you need me to go have a word with a few people or somethin’?”

magic or not, nothing ever seemed to cure the headache to callister that was customers. all kinds of customers that just seemed to enjoy making his life a living hell. requesting a specific colour skates that just so happens to not be in their size, complaining about the music, trying to give him advice he didn’t ask for. either way, it all came with some new fresh hell that he attempted, at all times, to solve with simply a resting bitch face.

the scoffed laugh was his first signal that this wouldn’t be solved with a resting bitch face but it also wasn’t your average customer. it was billie. “you’re lucky if you get service here, nevermind service with a smile.” he huffed, propping his chin against his hand instead so he could look at her. “well, thankgod for that. cause i aint getting up to go in the back and search for your space, i can’t be bothered enough for that.” he just looked at her for a long moment. “nothing in particular. my mother told me if the wind changed, my face would stick like it and she was right. the wind changed. grumpy forever. tada.” he sat upright to roll his shoulders a little. “if i needed you to have a word with every customer who’d annoyed me today, i’d have to just give you a list of all the entries.”

he didn’t even lift his head up from his hands when he heard the doors open, just huffed out a greeting in response, “welcome to letum skate. what size d’ya want?” 

@capriciouscal​

“here i am, your lord and savior,” georgia joked as she busted through the door of the skate rink. her mama would tell her that was an inappropriate joke, especially on a sunday. but georgia doubted any of the people who worked in letum skate was all that religious. still, she was glad that it only seemed to be cal at the moment. 

“i brought your favorites,” she sing songed as she strolled over to him. “even if you won’t admit they’re your favorites, grumpy pants.”

so far, he’d had a sum total of eleven people. all morning. the occasional couple on a date, someone who wanted exercise, an old couple who were trying to be adventurous. it was a boring day. so he put the music on and settled behind the counter, trying not to admit to the hangover that was slowly just beginning to fade. it had been hard work waking up to get here to unlock the doors, put it that way.

“i don’t have any favourites.” he responded, lifting his head from where it had been pressed into his hands. “and it’s cal. grumpy pants sounds cutesy.” he huffed, still craning his neck to see what she’d brought. “go on then. whats in the box?”

( daniel sharman, warlock, he/him & cismale ) is that (go your own way) by (fleetwood mac) playing? (callister calex caldwell (aka cal)) must be nearby!  heard folks say the ( twenty-seven ) year old ( owner of letum skate ) was at the thanksgiving fair, ( trying to go unseen between the stalls ) when chaos ensued. during the glitch, ( he ran along with the others but was pushed down. he was pretty sure he was knocked out in the process only to awaken amongst the fallen ).

(death tw & alcohol mention tw?)