ic contact;

[psycholawgy]

You've reached Athena Cykes. I'm currently unavailable, but leave a message and I'll get back to you pronto. Danke! (voice/call → text → video → action)

Comments

[faithfulflame]

It kept me alive. Do you want me to send you a list of things? Ami and I came up with it, with a little corroboration from Illidan.

[psycholawgy]

Yes, I would appreciate it : )

[faithfulflame]

[A moment later, the list pops up. Various dried foods, water cleaning packets, matches, flint and steel, knives and a hatchet, and other simple survival tools. And a few not so simple ones like a hand shovel. This was something else to focus on at least.]

The only revision I suggest is to include tightly rolled clothes, and a packet of soap. You can't shift outfits like I can.

[psycholawgy]

Right. I definitely can't!

Is there anything else?

[faithfulflame]

No. Have a pleasant day.

[moribound]

Yeah, I hope so too. [If it's Athena saying that he's nice, I'm sure he's nice too... That distraction almost leads to him misspelling a letter and Minato just avoids it in time, finally signing off with his name and handing the forms back to Athena.]

Here you go.

[psycholawgy]

Thanks, Minato!

I look forward to working with you. [ with the forms in one hand, she holds out the other for a handshake. ]

[covenantal]

[ How does he explain without divulging too much? He doesn't want to break Hiro's confidence, but at the same time... ]

I think he's under a lot of stress with everything that's been going on.

[ Something he knows, with a stab of guilt, is partially his fault. ]

Hiro is the sort of person who always tries to fix everything on his own, if he can. He should know he has his friends around him.

[moribound]

You're welcome, and I'm looking forward to it too. [He holds her hand with his right hand and shakes it firmly before letting, tucking it back into his pocket.]

It's close to dinner so I should go. See you tomorrow.

Post event and that other thing... action

[sortileges]

[ 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. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ 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. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ sounds like somebody she knows. (ie. herself) ]

Don't worry. He'll be fine. I'll make sure to watch over him. :)

[sortileges]

[ 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?

[psycholawgy]

[ 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?

[sortileges]

[ 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. ]

[psycholawgy]

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!

[sortileges]

[ 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. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ 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.

[sortileges]

[ 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. ]

[psycholawgy]

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. ]

[sortileges]

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?

[psycholawgy]

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.

[sortileges]

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?

[psycholawgy]

[ 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.

[sortileges]

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.