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[ It's only after almost a week of Athena on and off not looking him in the eye (probably with the worry he'd bring up that thing) that they manage to sort out a date for this... ~~date???~~ movie session. He wasn't sure what to bring, so in the end he's stuffed a bunch of snacks and desserts he's been introduced to while here (including an extra pudding for Ai, to make up for taking one of hers before). Instead of just throwing anything on like before, this time he's dressed a little more smartly with a nicer shirt instead of a thick jacket. It isn't worth the extra weight when you're only going up and down in a lift.

He knocks a few times on the door, stepping back, then forward half a step as he tries to work out where the best place to be standing is.

Is there any secret message about how eager you are to see someone from how close you are stood to their door? Maybe. Better not take the risk.

The only problem is that when Athena does open the door he's probably trying to count half a step back and just looks like a weirdo. No change there then. ] Ah--hello! [ ...Wait, too happy, so he clears his throat, then tries again. ] Hi. I brought. Stuff.

[ He holds the bag up to show her. Nailed it. ]

[ well, it's just an activity at home, so there's no point in dressing up as if she's going to party, right? she's decided to put a casual dress on. no suit this time since it's too formal for a movie, and the dress is light and breezy and something similar to what she usually wears when she's with ai. it's nothing special.

before coming to the door, she puts clonco into his charging station and presses the button that slides the door open. so merlin might see that there's a sleeping robot by the door.

she didn't exactly think of what to say once the door's been opened, so she just stares at him for a few good seconds before moving to the side to make space for him to walk in. ]

Oh- oh! You should come in. [ and a soft "of course" after that.

is she supposed to say something about the way he's dressed? ] Youlooknice— what snacks did you bring?

[ awwyis. ]

[ At least with girls it doesn't really show when they dress down, because her dress is still cute. He only glances at her because he's partly looking at the robot she's doing something to but then his eyes are back on her when she invites him in. ] Of course. [ He repeats it back, unable to stop a stupid smile from forming as she rushes out a statement about his clothes.

He lets her move on, mind you. ] This said it was perfect for movies so-- [ He pulls out a bag of popcorn, waves it in front of her face. ] I mostly just threw a bunch of things into the basket.

[ Other than the popcorn there's chocolate, the puddings, potato chips and... pocky. ]

Do you know how much variety they had?

[ merlin??? she is not a dog??? that said, her eyes follow the bag of popcorn being waved in front of her until she decides to just grab the bag. then she nods towards the direction of the living room. ]

Just set the food down on the coffee table, [ and she heads to the kitchen to put the popcorn in a bowl. ] And there's all kinds of desserts, Merlin. I like macarons the best.

[ athena has some leftover cake from the cafe in the fridge, which she had intended to serve during the movie viewing, but with merlin bringing food, she doesn't have to. and it's nice of him to bring snacks, she thinks, though she wonders how much he's spent because she knows that he's just as broke as she is.

once she sets the bowl of popcorn on the table, she takes a seat on the sofa and holds a throw pillow close to her chest. ]

There's a lot of movies available, but I was hoping to show you a funny movie about lawyers. That's okay, right?

Edited (I forgot stuff) 2016-02-23 11:46 (UTC)

[ It's fine... Some of the snacks were from before the whole experience of the dark side of the city but some he scrounged credits together for with a few nights of extra work. Enough to do this, and a little extra anyway. It's easier when you have 2 jobs that cam be paid for post-events. He leaves his shoes by the door, then moves to follow her instructions by setting the bag down on the coffee table. ]

What are macarons? [ An adventure for another day, probably. But it doesn't mean he can't ask. ]

Anything's fine. It's all new to me anyway. [ He sits down next to her, stretching out to get comfortable. ]

They're... [ athena's an eat now, think later kind of person. and she'd look totally dumb if she googled macarons now. TIME TO BLUFF LIKE THE LAWYER THAT SHE IS. ] Some kind of dessert made from eggs. [ egg whites, more like. at least she's close enough.

the lights are still bright, and it doesn't set a good atmosphere for a movie, so she gets up again to dim them. she doesn't switch it off, but just lowers the light's brightness. the lights in the kitchen are still on, so there's a bright light emanating from the side of the couch.

and then she sits back down, grabbing the pillow again, as well as the remote. the tv makes a humming noise as it switches on, and there's suddenly a wide selection of shows and movies available on screen.

time for some legally blonde. hope you like chick flicks, merl... ]

Okay, okay-- it's starting!

Edited 2016-02-23 12:45 (UTC)

[ Only the downside to this is that MOST desserts are made from eggs. Which, of course, is something he'll kindly remind her of. ] Aren't they all?

[ When she moves to turn down the lights he watches her go, lasting only a second before he draws his knees up, hands awkwardly hooking around his legs to stay like that. It's when she finally sits back down that he leans back and lets go, shifting to cross his legs instead like he can't get comfortable.

At least he keeps his eyes on the screen though. ]

Why is it so...pink? [ Well it'll be a little touch and go at the start, that's for sure. ]

[ rude, merlin. you didn't have to point it out?! ]

Well, if you're such an expert, then maybe you already know what a macaron is!

[ yeah, ace deflection!!!

she'd like to draw her legs and fold them so she can hug them, but she's wearing a skirt so... you know, bad idea. she just squishes the pillow she has to get more comfortable instead. then she pulls the bowl of popcorn and puts it in between them. ]

She's a sorority girl. Of course it has to be all pink.

[ Of course he did... It's him. He just laughs while watching the screen at her dumb comeback. ] Definitely not. But are they big? Are they small? Are they flavoured? Are they sweet? There are plenty of ways to describe things you know.

[ Why does she put up with this...]

So if a sorority girl has pink... What were you? [ His eyes look towards her, dipping to the yellow of her dress. Someone tell himhe's being rude. ]

Small, like this— [ she touches her thumb with her index finger, forming a small circle between her fingers. ] ... Maybe slightly bigger.

[ also?! that is rude, and she wasn't particularly the social student back in college, so... ]

I was that girl who was always alone in her room, studying. That's who. [ she purses her lips as she looks away, kind of disappointed in herself. of course, she was in a hurry to graduate and finish law school, so she nerded it out. she didn't even socialise much and solely focused her time on studies. it's only after finishing law school that she became the social butterfly that she is now. ]

I'll look out for it for next time. [ Next time. ]

I have no idea what that's like. I've never been to what you call a school. Everything I learned I did from my mother or from studying book. A lot of the newer things I learnt was from Gaius. [ He shrugs. Unphased. ] It isn't always a bad thing. Besides... You had a goal to complete, didn't you?

There's some in the fridge, [ she says, glancing at the kitchen. ] Do you want to try it? [ athena always, always takes home sweets from the cafe. ]

I did, and I've done it. [ and she sinks further into the couch. ] So now I'm trying to catch up on the fun school things I've missed.

Later, maybe. [ Because while he was an awkward butt about it, it isn't a priority right now. Besides, he brought plenty with him as it is. He turns his attention back to the movie, head tilting as he tries to work out how this kind of techology is possible. There's video on the CereVice and she said she was documenting that night the other day but a movie feels incredibly different.

So he just picks at the material of her sofa next to the bowl of popcorn. ]

What kind of school things?

[ a soft smile escapes her lips, her school memories not exactly that great, but having friends here really changed her experience. she looks at him and rests her cheek on the pillow before mumbling-- ]

Stuff like prom... it's a kind of ball. Then there's school festivals, fairs, and everything else.

There was a prom here in Cerealia last month. It was fun, and I wanted to be crowned prom queen, but they didn't declare a winner.

I heard about that from another girl here. She said something about a guy she knew. Her having a good evening because of him. [ That leaves a rather awkward moment though, doesn't it, almost as if prompting her to offer her own experience. So he (not so) skillfully tacks on: ] It sounds like a fun event.

[ Only saving one awkward moment probably means he can't save them all, considering his mouth seems to work too quickly when he says: ] You should have been, then.

I should have been!

[ she grumbles then looks back at the movie, watching elle as she tells her friends that she's probably going to get engaged soon. ]

I did so many things... [ embarrassing things. . . shameful things. . . things she'll never tell merlin, probably. ] It was a disappointing night.

Did you take any photos? [ Mope the movie is lost on him at the moment, though he does at least take a handful of the popcorn, making a small noise in his throat in approval at the taste. Though the way she ends that, he ends up pausing with his hand to his mouth, popcorn still being stuffed in.

It gives him the time to ask a rather terribly timed question anyway. ] What, didn't find your King to join you on stage?

[ she slowly shakes her head as her lips move into a pout. she's 100% sulking now. the prom was just a disaster for her. it happened just a few weeks after simon had disappeared, and she would have wanted to dance with him then. that would have made the prom a thousand times better.

instead, that night was full of tears and disappointments. ]

I didn't take any photos... I wasn't in the mood to.

[ she doesn't mean to ruin the moment, or the jolly (so far) mood of the movie, but ah... ]

Edited (wanted to add something) 2016-02-23 14:57 (UTC)

[ Well thankfully that shuts him up and encourages him to take things a lot more seriously. He isn't insensitive enough to ignore something like this--in fact he's anything but insensitive normally. He twists a bit on the couch, one foot resting on the floor instead.

He isn't even facing the movie. ]

...Did something happen?

[ she doesn't cry, but dear god, she really wants to. she can't cry real tears now... not when they're supposed to be having fun. but she can't control her expression as her eyebrows turn into knots, and she fights back a sob.

she buries her face on the pillow, and then nods. in a muffled voice, she says: ]

Some bad things happened to me before the prom. [ are you understanding this, merlin? fear not, she lifts her head soon after and just looks at her feet. ] Somebody I liked disappeared, and he showed up as an illusion later on... And I-- [ she holds back another sob. ] died.

The prom was a surprise event in ViViD, and I wanted to be happy because I didn't go to prom back in high school, but. [ she stops to laugh, then looks at merlin as a few tears roll down to her cheeks. she wipes it immediately though, letting the pillow fall to the floor with a soft thud. ] But I couldn't, because I couldn't even dance or walk around the gardens with someone I liked. I also wanted to be prom queen, to cheer myself up. That didn't happen, either.

I just wish my prom experience was more fun. I just thought that that night was something that's supposed to be romantic, you know? Something that you'll remember forever. And I still will, just in the wrong way.

[ it sounds like such a childish thing to be upset about, but when you do have fantasies of what something should be like and it doesn't happen, you'd be disappointed as hell, as well. ]

[ It's amazing how much an experience can differ. Listening to Iris who talked of the event with hope, inspiration for the future compared to Athena now... it's immense. There are some words in there part of him doesn't want to hear, but he tries to forget that part to be a good friend. To listen. To understand.

Where he's from prom doesn't exist, but banquets do and he knows how Morgana had looked that night then when she'd clearly tried to make tongues wag. How Gwen had chatted to him about it, too. If prom king and queen existed for them back home, there's no way anyone but Arthur and Morgana would have won it.

Looking at Athena even now, it's hard to imagine anyone else winning it... even if she can be an idiot at times. He doesn't say anything while she explains herself, waiting patiently for her to get the words out.

Quietly, he reaches out with his hand towards the floor, and before the pillow can get dirty he's making it hover in the air and flinging it back onto the couch. It isn't even while he's fully concentrating on it either, but it helps him digest things in some way, spreads out his response to this. ]

...Sorry. [ It's all he can say at first, before he gathers his thoughts. ] I um... obviously haven't been to one of those events, but if it helps at all--I think you would have deserved it.

[ He bites the inside of his cheek as he looks at her, finally reaches for the popcorn between them to put it on his other side for now. It's a question of whether it'll stay in place or not, but eh... who cares. It probably cost very few credits. Instead he shifts himself, his other arm that's closest to her reaching out and pulling her into him gently by the shoulder. ]

Some things don't always work out the way you want them to, but it just means that next time, with something else, you try again.

[ athena lets herself be moved, much like how a doll would. she's clearly very upset, but it's not the same now as it was a week ago in the dark parts of the colony. and athena's quick to cheer up now, which is a miracle in itself.

the touch makes her hairs in her body stand up, and a small percentage of her was terribly surprised by the contact, but it was easy enough to let go. for someone who talks a big game about strength and protecting people, she herself can be so sensitive. but at least she's true to herself in times like these.

merlin's always been warm, and it's something that she really likes. she hasn't had a chance to take in how warm he can truly be, but this might seem like a good opportunity to. and she needs the warmth of somebody right now, too. especially after talking about her death again. she's been good at keeping it a secret from some people, but she knows that she should be more open about it.

so she lets herself get pulled, and she even moves an inch closer just so twisting her body slightly wouldn't hurt her side. she lets silence permeate the room for a bit until she speaks in a whisper: ]

That's true... Though I probably won't try anymore. [ lies. she's way too competitive to not try and win anything. ] I'll just try and do things my own way.

I think I might be happier that way, anyway.

[ He isn't even sure what to expect honestly. She could push him away. She could slap him. He isn't sure why he worries about that after she hugged him before anyway. Even went so far as to kiss him on the cheek. He relaxes into it as soon as he can tell that she's rolling with it, and even shifts so his knee won't get in the way and she can twist closer if she wants.

His head moves to rest on top of hers, hand sliding across her back as he tries to not think about how weird this is. This isn't weird, is it? Maybe it is in some ways, but from what he's read of stories while here it might not be anymore. Close friends might do this, but usually it was someone you were courting back in his time.

Not that the line wasn't often crossed. Wobbled on top of.

It makes it easier when she says that she won't try anymore and a laugh bubbles up, one she can probably feel vibrating in his chest as he tries to hold it back. ] Sure you won't. Even if you'd be happy that way, you're too stubborn for that.

[ Just like him really... If he thinks something should be done he won't stop until it's finished. ]

[ it might be weird, but that's the last thing athena could ever think of at this very moment. she's more concerned about the warmth and the feel of someone with her, and that's all her mind is focused on.

the joke is appreciate, as she lets out a soft giggle. one hand was tracing the outline of merlin's back as she pulled herself closer to him. though whatever sentimental moment they were about to have gets interrupted by athena lightly slapping him on the chest with her other hand. this jerk! ]

Jerk! I have self-control! [ so she says.

she should probably pull away now, but she's actually liking this half hug. so instead of being the one to initiate-- ] You're missing a good part of the movie, by the way. [ even though she might not know what part it is. (the break up scene.) ]

[ It's easy to let the warmth sink in too, even as he ends up sliding himself forward a bit on the couch, just so that she doesn't get her arm crushed behind him. That seems pointless when she slaps him though and he jerks back, hissing only faintly. It isn't anywhere nearly as loud as the time when she crushed his hand, but he really should be learning something about her after all this--girl is violent. (:()

His hand reaches up to catch hers, keeping it locked against him, his own arm twisting to keep her trapped there. It's funny, because he can definitely still see the screen if he wants to. ]

This is a good part? You're paying even less attention than I am. [ The hand against her back shifts to her side, fingertips grazing as if searching for something (yes, he sure is trying to tickle her for slapping him as she did). ] You're short enough that I can see like this anyway, you know.

Post event and that other thing... action

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