psycholawgy | ic contact;

[ well, that's no good. athena can't very well dictate what he should and should be doing, but she can at the very least show her concern. she has no idea that he's passed out several times because of it and whatnot, but what she does know is what it's like to be terribly exhausted.

ie. earlier. ]

Then... you'll only use it for important things, won't you? [ she returns the squeeze, as if telling him not to overexert himself. ]

[ He could tell her, but what good would it do now, honestly? Other than potentially make her mad because it's pretty close to breaking the promise he'd made back then anyway. Instead he uses the pause to lead her into the cinema. Finally, he says: ]

When I know how to use it better, it might be alright.

[ He's never really reached out before, especially not to the distances he pushed while they were in the labyrinth where the world felt dead anyway. So... ]

[ skills do take some practise, athena understands this well. and all she can hope now is that he'll be able to learn how to use this telepathy thing properly and efficiently. it would be a waste if people could talk to one another from various distances and then just pass out from exhaustion. what's the point of that?

she just nods in acknowledgement, not really hoping to linger on a topic like that when they're supposed to be having a fun time. maybe another day, they can talk about it. as well as the other things happening in the colony. but for now, they're escaping.

the bright lights inside the cinema distract her, though. there's signs everywhere, and she doesn't know where to look. ]

Hey, hey, let's buy some popcorn? Or maybe chips? What do you want? And some soda, too!

[ He doesn't want to linger on it either, not when they're both tired. He's been working just as much as she has, the only difference being that the style of work is much less draining than polishing Arthur's armor or tending to his horses etc. He'll keep working on it, and hopefully next time he'll be better prepared.

He has Yu's aid, at least, to help him through it in a sticky situation like that.

It's better when she bounds around cheerfully like this anyway. ]

Popcorn is what people usually have in a place like this, isn't it? [ He points to the section that's selling that. ] We can line up and get everything at once though I think.

[ she coughs, clearing her throat. let the future expert guide you, merlin. listen well, young padawan, etc. ]

Just because people always eat popcorn in the movies doesn't mean that's what you should be eating. You can even eat cereal! Or maybe even an entire steak.

[ ATHENA NO... ]

Oh! And are we watching something in 3D? I bet you'd be so surprised if we did!

[ WHY ARE YOU TELLING HIM THIS..... ]

You can even eat STEAK?! [ That's way louder than either of them probably intended, but Ema introduced him to the wonders of how easy it is to get steak now after he's seen Arthur stuffing his face with roasts for a year and he found heaven that day. Meat heaven.

Then he stops suddenly to look at her. He clearly missed that update when researching cinemas because: ] What's 3D?

Edited (typo) 2016-03-14 11:31 (UTC)

Wow, calm down!

[ she just wanted to provide examples, not create an earthquake from the rush of his voice. jesus, merlin. calm your tits. ]

But, yeah, nobody's stopping you from bringing any kind of food into the theatre.

[ she nods sagely. nobody really would! just make sure to clean up after your mess, because the cleaning bots in the cinemas? they will kill you if you don't clean up. (that's an exaggeration, but they may as well with what they're going to do to you.) ]

Anyway, 3D stands for three-dimensional. When we watch stuff on tv, everything is flat, right? If we watch something in 3D, everything has more depth. It's really cool!

[ there is one thing, though... ]

Except the tickets are a bit more expensive.

[ He is calm (mostly) though apparently excited at the prospect of bringing a picnic of steak with him in future. Then again, after this experience he might rethink that. ]

I am calm. I just didn't realise it was that easy. Though wouldn't it be cold by the time we got here?

[ Though as the queue moves, he walks with it, leading her along. ]

Does that really matter though? I'm paying for today's ... anyway. [ There was a word missing there. ]

Thermal containers, remember?

[ how else would she have kept the food she cooked warm that one... whatever that was? ]

And in that case. . . [ merlin, please don't ever regret courting a high-maintenance young lady. ] I want some popcorn, and some gummy bears, and maybe those chocolate balls with malt in the middle.

And let's watch in 3D! [ she's trying to be cute by tugging on his sleeve too. pretty please, sweet prince? ]

Edited 2016-03-14 12:05 (UTC)

Right, I remembered that, of course I did. [ He didn't... do you know how much he has to remember about all this new fangled stuff Athena?! ]

...You're really going to eat all of that? [ Why is he making it sound like she'll get fat......... He squirms his arm free, or at least tries to, as he makes his way to the counter. He manages to order the first two but then has to look at her for-- what is the chocolate thing???? ]

[ good thing athena is here to make him remember things. but that's okay. she forgets things, too. it's a... thing, it seems.

she places both her hands on the counter and then points at the candies she wants. ] The chocolate malt balls too, please! [ then she looks at him expectantly, as if asking "what are you having?"

not that she isn't going to share. of course she is. he has to taste all the flavours of the gummy bears, and the malt balls. ]

Edited 2016-03-14 12:17 (UTC)

[ It's definitely a ... thing.

Though wow, he actually has the nerve to roll his eyes as he looks over the counter and spots--

nachos??? ]

Oh! What are those? [ He points over, and apparently she probably should have picked for him to avoid stuff like this happening. ] Actually, nevermind I'll take one of those too and... [ He looks towards the bags of candy, picking at random. They're both going to end up fat....... ] One of the yellow bags [ peanut m&ms... ] and the red stringy things. [ Strawberry... belts...... ]

Oh, two sodas too.

[ The poor assistant is going to have a heart attack. ]

[ ah... by the time merlin pays for it, they have a giant paper bag full of snacks. which is great! athena's decided to carry them, as well as her own soda. merlin can carry his, smh. ]

Nachos are really good. You picked some really good snacks, Merl.

[ merl!!! ]

[ Did they even decide on a movie... whatever, he's picking whatever 3D option is available, apparently about animals (?) and pays for it all with his card. It comes out pretty high in credits but whatever... he's paying for it with... questionably sourced money anyway. Hopefully Athena never finds out about that. ]

Why are you back to that? [ WHAT A LAME NICKNAME.... ]

Come on, we're in screen...7? [ He reaches out with one hand to slide the 3D glasses onto the top of her head, shoving his on right after.

]

I think it's upstairs?

[ hopefully she never does find out... she'd rather give him all her money than have him do shady things for credits... seriously. ]

Back to what? [ no, tell her, she's clueless.

but merlin, you aren't supposed to put on those glasses until you're in the theatre itself... ah. . . whatever. she finds a table to put their snacks on for the meantime, puts on her glasses and then pulls him close. ]

Come on! Let's take a picture before the movie!

[ It's just easy.......... okay......... ]

The name. [ He follows her along, presuming she was trying to get a better hold on all the stuff they got when she pulls on the glasses as well and pulls him in. ]

Do you have your device on hand? [ Definitely not a no, though his CereVice is going to have an embarrassing number of photos with just them on it at this rate. ]

[ she cants her head, peering at him curiously, though it's probably not obvious when her eyes are covered by plastic... or whatever shut up liah. ]

Merl's not a bad name, is it? You don't like it? Or-- [ hm. maybe she should let him call her by something else? it's only been juniper who calls her by a different name. it's okay for merlin to call her by that same name. it makes things more special. ] Do you want to call me Thena? That's my nickname.

[ though as she says that, she's already setting up her cerevice and setting it to selfie mode. she has a ton of images of merlin from the cosplay cafe; candid pictures, of course, but she'd never tell him that.

or let his slimy hands on her cerevice. ]

Ready?

Edited 2016-03-14 12:59 (UTC)

[ Look... It isn't my fault you're behind with the times?!

Either way, he wasn't really expecting this either. The only person he's ever had to deal with nicknames before with is Guinevere, and that was merely because her name is longer than most people and she just shortens it to Gwen. ] Do you want me to? And really it isn't bad I'm just not used to it, I guess? No one really has nicknames that I know of at home.

[ He shifts so they can both fit in the frame anyway, and right as she takes the click he shifts quickly to press his mouth against the side of her cheek, laughing at the same time.

Don't......... kill him. ]

Right! Let's go before it starts then. [ Like nothing...... happened at all. ]

[ SHOVES YOU INTO A DITCH. ]

Well, I don't mind, either way. You can call me whatever you like. [ wait. no. she immediately regrets saying that. ] So long as it's not annoying. [ because she definitely won't call him "boob" in an endearing manner. ] But I can just stick to Merlin if that's what you want.

[ she'd do anything he wanted her to do at this point. being smitten sure has its cons.

and she's definitely surprised once the photo's taken, even grabbing him by the shirt after he pulls away. she gives her a look, but she can't fight how giddy she is. especially when a smile escapes her lips and she can't do anything to hide it. ]

I'll get you next time.

[ up the floor they go! not forgetting their snacks, of course. ]

[ DIES........ ]

Whatever I want as long as it's not annoying? [ He repeats it back at her, and it doesn't really matter to him whether she "gets him back" but when she grabs his shirt he uses the momentum keep close. ]

I don't know what you're talking about, Buttercup.

[ No wait... maybe that's a little too embarrassing........... even he's embarrassed by that. Enough that he definitely takes off with his share of the snacks to carry. ]

[ she's silent.

too silent.

until-- ] Buttercup. [ said flatly. ] That's the worst you can think of, Amore Mio?

[ thank god it's only athena who can speak italian between the two of them... or so she thinks, anyway. . .

then she stops and almost trips when she realises what she just said. her face turns as red as her hair and she covers her face, paper bag hanging by her hands. ]

Oh my gosh. I didn't say that.

I wasn't trying to think of anything bad. [ There's a chill down his spine at the silence, even as he walks down the corridor, finally glancing back at her to witness...

Athena being a hot mess. ]

What? That language even was that?

[ softly: ] Italian...

But I don't to tell you what it means. [ never, ever. that was just too much. she may like him, but to call him her love is just something else. she just wanted a cute pet name, and that was the first thing that she ever thought of.

and she regrets it. ]

I think I'll just call you my Prince from now on. Even without the costume, you are one. To me, anyway.

Italian? [ He doesn't even know Italy is a country so... even if he asked, it doesn't help.

It's with restraint that he stops asking her about it, gaze softening as he watches her admit everything else. Instead of winding her up further, instead he says: ]

Let's go inside then, my Princess. Before we end up too late.

[ Even if neither of them would truly have that kind of title. ]

[ oh, thank god, he didn't decide to prod on it further. she would have died in a heartbeat. not that she isn't dying now. she's still so nervous and confused; lightheaded to the point that his words are the only ones guiding her on where to walk and where to go.

she still can't believe she said that. she didn't mean it. she didn't mean it. and it's going to eat her up alive just thinking about it throughout the movie. but hopefully, merlin doesn't notice that she's disturbed by anything and just eats his snacks and enjoys the whole 3d experience. ]

Do you mind if we sit in the middle?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject