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

[aerialassault]

Yeah, at that Christmas Fest or whatever it was that management threw a few weeks back. She offered to show me around-- cool kid.

[He grinned.]

Looks like this floor's got some cool folks, huh?

[psycholawgy]

[ That's definitely a good comment that Athena takes to heart. She's very glad that Cliff calls Ryuko a "cool kid", and that their meeting didn't turn chaotic. ]

A lot of the people who have been brought here are very kind. Everyone has to help each other out, you know?

Did you-- [ She gives him a lookover. It looks like he can fend for himself, but she asks, anyway. ] get hurt in the amusement park or anything?

[aerialassault]

Well...[he rubbed the back of his neck, thoughtful,] no one I was with got hurt, but we all got a few things to think on about this place.

[It was bizarre. He hated to use a coding reference, because he wasn't tech savvy in that regard, but there were a few instances where it seemed like glitches in a video game. After recent experiences, it was more of a frustration than anything else.]


Do things like that happen all the time, or was it a one-time deal?

[psycholawgy]

[ Athena shakes her head and laughs sheepishly as a response. It definitely wasn't a one-time deal, and she can't help but... well, feel bad about the truth. ]

No... sorry. [ It's not her fault, but she apologises anyway. ] This place - we might have been saved, but it's still plenty dangerous.

[aerialassault]

[A nod. Cliff understood and accepted her words without complaint. Resting his hands on his hips, he regarded the young woman with a more considering gaze. With her stature and build, he couldn't help but wonder how she had been managing in this place if situations like at the Santastical Funland were more common than he realized.]

Somehow, I'm not surprised. There's always a catch to these things-- its another reason I wanted to say 'hi' to folks, because it's better to have friends around for when stuff like that goes down.

[He glanced away for a moment, pulling out a small, giftwrapped package that he had been trying (and likely failing) to hide.]

This ain't what I wanted to talk about, though. Here. [He held it out.] I found something that might be useful, just in case some of the other people on this floor are less likely to appreciate the fun you and Ryuko get up to in here.

[It was a package of disposable earplugs, because he figured that there had to have been a few noise complaints about that apartment after that rowdy party a few weeks back, if not for the snowman.]

[psycholawgy]

[ She looks at the package and blinks curiously, not really sure how to feel about it. She takes it anyway, but doesn't unwrap it in front of Cliff. That would just be rude. It doesn't seem like it's a present of goodwill, though. ]

Thank you...? We haven't really received any noise complaints so far.

[ Mostly because the rest of the floor are also people who make a lot of noise. ]

[aerialassault]

[Don't misunderstand; he was merely giving her ammunition to keep doing what she did if, somehow, she did end up pissing folks off. He didn't care, but he was all for sticking it to the man if they tried to shut her fun down.]

Hah. Guess the folks here are more open minded than I guessed. I thought for sure there'd be someone here who wanted to mess up your fun.

[Every apartment complex, unfortunately, did have at least one soul like that...]

[psycholawgy]

[ Wait... she gets it. Or so she thinks, anyway. ]

You're not complaining about the noise, are you?

[aerialassault]

You kidding?

[He laughed.]

I like the noise. It reminds me of my crew back home. We'd been separated for some months by the time I got here, so the fun you two have is something I haven't heard in a while!

...Thing is, you might get a complaint. And, if you do? Just chuck a couple of the things in that package there at 'em. It should shut 'em up for a while.

[psycholawgy]

[ That makes things a lot better, and she smiles at Cliff. ]

Alright. Thank you!

There will probably be a lot more noise in the future. I just like having friends over, you know?

[aerialassault]

They're not all gonna be sleepovers, all they?

[Don't think he didn't hear that wild night. He didn't know what was going on that night, but he wasn't going to screw with anyone's fun by finding out.]

[psycholawgy]

Probably not! [ She's not sure, either. ] But it won't be as big of a gathering as last time, that's for certain.

[aerialassault]

[Cliff chuckled.]

Well, if things every get so big that you find yourself needing a bouncer? Don't hesitate to call.

[psycholawgy]

You're more than welcome to join us, you know!

Not just for gatherings, but if you'd like to have dinner or something.

[ Simon could use more adult friends, anyway! ]

[aerialassault]

[The offer brought a grin to his face.]

You don't want me hanging around for a sleepover, but otherwise? Yeah, sure. That sounds pretty fun.

[He actually had met Simon already, too-- the quiet gentleman was part of the reason why he had decided to speak to Athena at all. The man seemed rather fond of her.]

[psycholawgy]

Alright. No sleepovers, then.

[ She smiles warmly, because if there's anything Athena likes, it's getting along with people. Cliff is someone she's only just met, and she hopes that they'll get along well. ]

[aerialassault]

I'm looking forward to it.

[Cliff's hopes are similar. Even if he was almost old enough to be her dad, a friend was still a friend. And, Athena seemed like someone who had a good head on her shoulders-- smart, and fun. That was just the sort of friend everyone needed.]