featherduster: uhoh, bullied, sheepish (that's not what the instructions said...)
trash the stampede ([personal profile] featherduster) wrote in [community profile] savetheearth2014-05-11 01:00 am

(no subject)

Who: Ace and Misato
What: Being late to a date like a champ
Where: Locke City, movie theater
When: Saturday evening
Warnings: Vague The Amazing Spider-Man 2 spoilers whoops


Working Criminal Investigation for the FBI means your average workday is a downer at best, dangerous at worst, and downright stressful the rest of the time. Add in a shuffling police force and a Numbered murder and it's a recipe for unpleasantries coming at you in every direction, even on the network.

He would have followed through with their date plan anyway, of course - Mistao just seems to get it when he talks to her about Numbered matters, and they mesh very well - but there's an added need to just do something relaxing that guides him to the theater. Though he's confident he can maintain an air of cheer (it's his specialty, after all) he can't quite help being acutely aware of the line of tension that pulls him taught, like a too-tight marionette string. He rolls his shoulders, to no avail, and elects to simply shrug it off.

Plus... well... he'd been entirely honest when he'd said he likes superhero movies. It seems like a winning combination all around.

He makes an effort to leave his apartment early for the sole pupose of arriving early. Which, naturally, means that he gets lost twice along the way, has to ask for directions, and ultimately ends up fifteen minutes late (without even having any Starbucks) and mildly frazzled. Showing up late is rude! And leaves a bad impression! And he should really know where the theater is by now!

It's how he ends up moving his way through the crowd milling in front of the theater with various excuse me, pardon me's - easy thanks to his height, and he sends yet another quiet thanks to the Height Gods for smiling upon him - and muttering quiet curses under his breath. Misato is surely here by now. He can just hope she's not put out with his ongoing ineptitude.
imbibing: (Rushed.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-11 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
If she hadn't been playing Candy Crush Saga, she might have noticed Vash wasn't on time sooner. It's not until the brunette exhausts her ticket supply that she checks the time -- and notices that Vash is already five minutes late.

She briefly deliberates whether or not to text him. She doesn't want to seem clingy, does she? I mean, he was only five minutes late, after all. It probably was't anything to worry about.

But then another ten minutes pass. Fifteen minutes total. Things are not looking good at the moment. Misato presses her lips together pensively, then opens up her SMS screen. She glances up for just one second --

-- just in time to catch a glimpse of a familiar mop of messy blonde hair.

The phone immediately goes back into her pocket as her legs carry her towards him. "Hey," she calls out from behind him.

And when / if he turns around, Misato's standing there, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"I hope you plan on making this up to me," she says with a playful pout. "We're going to miss the trailers."

It's probably a good thing that Misato doesn't care about missing them.
imbibing: (Hi!)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-13 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Misato's willing to buy that excuse -- if only because Ace is new to town. Google Maps and GPS could only be so reliable -- especially with all the tall commercial buildings around. The lousy GPS in her car started to act up the moment she entered the city; apparently the height of the city skyscrapers kept it from getting a reliable satellite signal.

Misato finds it increasingly difficult to hide her own mirth behind that pout of hers. She completely gives up the act the moment he attempts to make amends.

"I'll forgive you this time, then," she says with a laugh. "Hope you don't mind, but I already bought our tickets." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the two movie tickets. She passes one off to Ace, then proceeds to make the walk towards the theater doors.

"It's been awhile," she remarks as she pushes open the doors. "How's work been treating you?"
imbibing: (Teasing.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-15 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
"Don't worry about it," she says, with the wave of the hand. A government contractor probably wasn't making as much money as she was modeling, anyway. Not that she'd ever mention this aloud. Most guys preferred to think of themselves as the breadwinners in the relationship. And though Ace definitely didn't seem like one of those guys, she didn't want to risk it. Not when things seemed to be going so well already.

"Yeah, I guess so," she says with a smile. "Can't say my work week's been all that different from yours, honestly. I actually had to turn down some work because of some uh--" They need some sort of shared code word for Numbered for use in public. "--stuff," she supplies.

Misato queues up in line for popcorn and soda. The trailers are probably still rolling and she'd much rather be properly hydrated for the two and a half hours of the film than be able to sit through a bunch of trailers she saw the week before when she watched Sergeant USA.

Besides, it'll give them a little more time to talk before the film starts.

"Pen 2's doing just fine. I actually managed to get someone to set up something like the, uh--" Misato suddenly goes quieter. "--other-me had in her apartment." And then it's back to its normal loud and cheerful tone. "He's actually pretty happy right now. I kind of envy him, you know?"
imbibing: (Rushed.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-17 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Ace's mental image isn't too different from the reality. Pen-Pen does, in fact, live in a pretty swanky freezer. Apparently, the penguin was pretty particular about his habitat both here and there.

Wherever there was before, anyway. It did bother Misato, somehow, not knowing where these things came from. If he was from an alternate dimension, was he no longer in that dimension? Did that mean that the other-Misato was now penguinless? Or if it was like others said and they were reincarnated, where did Pen 2 come from? Was he risen from the grave by the forces-that-be? Or was he reincarnated too, only to be delivered to her at that particular moment?

These were the sort of things that Misato inevitably ended up pondering while in the shower.

"He's already spoiled," she says, with a wave of the hand. "I still don't know how I'm going to explain him when my parents come over, though. I've managed to avoid any surprise visits until now, but it's only a matter of time before they drop by unannounced and realize their daughter's in possession of a potentially illegal new pet.

They take another step forward as another customer moves out of the queue, hands filled with a humongous tub of popcorn and two drinks.

"Oh, it's nothing serious," Misato says, waving her arms in front of her. "It just seems like it takes so little for him to be happy. It's a nice, simple life. Being human -- that's a whole lot more complicated."
imbibing: (Content.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-21 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"I keep telling the younger ones to tell their folks," she says, suddenly embarrassed. "You'd think I'd take my own advice."

A beat.

"I guess the difference between me and them is that I have a choice in the matter. If you suddenly sprout wings or your eyes change to some crazy color and you live with your folks, well, you can't really avoid it. Or them, really. But truthfully, I don't know how they're going to react. All I can really do is speculate."

Misato takes a step forward as another theater patron leaves with a tub of popcorn large enough to feed a family of four.

"I think that they wouldn't want me involved. And honestly, I don't blame them for feeling that way. If my mom or dad were a Numbered, I'd feel exactly the same. But this isn't something that you can say 'No' to. You can't close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears and pretend that nothing's going on because there's always going to be a chance that you're going to remember something or suddenly grow a third eye even if you don't want to."

Misato scratches her cheek. "Sorry, I'm getting kind of off-topic, aren't I?" Her lips quirk up into a smile, though, at Ace's next question.

"I like eating good food, kicking punching bags, and nice clothes." All simple, right?

"I also really like doing things with you."
imbibing: (pic#7597789)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-23 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Misato opens her mouth to speak only to be interrupted by the loud, hurried shout of the cashier:

"Next!"

"A small popcorn and Coke please," she says, offering her card to the cashier. The card is swiped, Misato is presented with her card and receipt, and the cashier moves to fill a bag with popcorn.

Which gives Misato just enough time to ask Ace a few questions of her own.

"I guess so," she says with a laugh. "I try to remain civil, though." But back to their initial topic of conversation. "What about you?" she asks. "What's your relationship with your parents like? You think they'd be okay with you being a Numbered?"

"Here you go!" The cashier presents Misato with her soda and popcorn then directs her attention to Ace. Misato steps aside as she waits for Ace to pay for his own snacks.
imbibing: (Touched.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-05-27 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Misato knows better than to prod any further. Not everyone has had the privilege to live a childhood with involved, loving parents like she had. If Ace wants to say more later, well, she'll hear him out. But for now, she's stepping back and letting him make the next move.

Well, sort of. When Ace gathers his candy from the counter, Misato shifts her drink into her other hand, and smooshes her popcorn in the narrow space between her arm and her chest. And as she passes her, the tip of her fingers brush against his until she reaches out and grasps his hand in her own.

"You're right," she says with a nod of agreement. And the two of them slip into the theater just as the trailers roll to an end.


They're sitting in the coffee shop -- L's coffee shop, in fact -- after the movie when Misato sets down her coffee and leans over the table with a frown.

"I liked it," she begins, because her rants always require a disclaimer. "It just stinks that Quinn Macy had to die like that."
imbibing: (Fatigued.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-02 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah," Misato agrees with the nod of a head. "I mean, I hadn't read the original comics, so I didn't even know that her death was a thing, but... What's the point of making a movie that's so radically different from the original if you're still going to be married to a character death?"

Misato lets out a long sigh.

"It just seems like all the cool female characters in the TV shows and movies I watch end up getting killed off for the development of a male character. I wouldn't mind so much if it were more evenly split, but it always feels like the ladies are the ones who get shafted in the end."

Misato selects a donut from the plate between them, then frowns down at it. It's not the donut that she's disappointed with.

"I just hate the idea that when I die, it'll just be part of some other person's character arc."
imbibing: (Pleased.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-07 01:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, so it might be a pretty weird compliment, but it's one that Misato is more than willing to take. A small part of her was hoping that the other-her was heroic and strong; unfortunately, though, she hasn't had many Echoes to validate these particular wishes.

Still, Ace's enthusiasm is more-than-a-little catching, and Misato can't help but smile at how completely into it he seems.

"Of course," she says -- and Ace has his third date. "What movies are you talking about, anyway?"

She's curious to know if she and Ace share a similar taste in movies. Outside of The Amazing Tarantula-Man, of course!
imbibing: (Pleased.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-10 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
If Ace's threat is supposed to intimidate, it doesn't work; all it really manages to do is draw out another one of Misato's smiles. Still, it vanishes when he leans forward and starts to whisper -- if only because she's sure he really is about to convey some deep, dark secret.

Only... he doesn't. Misato's eyes widen, and before long, that smile is back on her face again.

"Sailor Sun? Who hasn't? That show was super popular when I was a kid. Half the girls had Sailor Sun backpacks and lunchboxes."

Which of course means that Misato was among the gaggle of girls playing Sailor Sun on the playground during recess.

"I haven't seen it in ages, though. I barely remember it."
imbibing: (Rushed.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-15 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
Misato thankfully didn't notice -- she was too absorbed in the movie to catch Ace's sniffles. Not that it would have mattered; there was a good chance that it would have endeared Ace to her more. Most of the guys she dated previously weren't prone to displays of emotion. Ace could be emotive, but it was one of the things that Misato liked about him.

"Really? That's certainly something!" Her lips quirk into a smile as she reaches for another donut. "I'm kind of nervous about re-watching the old one, though. I made the mistake of watching some 90s movies I loved as a kid, and I ended up really disappointed as an adult."

She takes a bite of her donut.

"So what are they doing with the new one, anyway?"
imbibing: (Overwhelmed.)

NOT META AT ALL

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-20 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"I wonder if the same voice actor is going to be voicing Sailor Sun," Misato muses, more to herself than to Ace. "When I was growing up, people said that I sounded just like her. It kinda makes me wish I had gotten into voice acting instead of modeling. It'd be nice to pretend to be someone else for a change."

Misato smiles as she watches Ace take another donut. Wow, he can really suck them down! It's amazing he can keep that nice figure of his. His job must involve a lot of strenuous activity.

"Not a problem -- any time, actually." Her lips quirk upward into a smile.

But soon, that smile turns a little lopsided.

"So, uh--" and suddenly, Misato's dialogue is just as awkward as her expression "--I wanted to ask you. What are we, anyway? I mean, are we-- are we a thing?"
imbibing: (Reading.)

omfg i am grinning so hard at this tag

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-23 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Despite what he might think of himself, there's plenty of things to like about Ace, too. He makes Misato laugh -- really laugh, not like those awkward, tempered laughs she choked out whenever any of her dates attempted to make a joke. And he's a genuinely nice guy. If the past two months made anything abundantly clear to Misato, it was that the Ace that showed up to her apartment with a bag of dog treats was no facade conjured up for a first date. That was really what Ace was like.

"I mean," Misato manages, after Ace's awkwardness. "I'd like it to be a thing, if that's a thing you'd like to do. I mean."

She swallows.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Since when did these conversations get so awkward? Suddenly, Misato feels like a junior high girl again, asking a boy out on a first date, stumbling, struggling to find the right thing to say.
imbibing: (Overwhelmed.)

Re: this is hilarious, i have secondhand embarrassment

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-06-30 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
It's difficult for Misato to suppress the smile that's quickly drawing itself across her face. Where anxiety and worry had been painted before, sheer happiness found itself now. If Vash's awkwardness bothered her in the least, it simply didn't register on Misato Katsuragi's face.

However, that smile quickly vanishes when Vash talks about needing to mention something. The anxiety rises back in full force. What was it? Did he have a child? A wife he was in the process of divorcing? Maybe that's why he moved back here.

"Mention something?" Misato echoes, trying to keep her tone as even as possible.
imbibing: (Pleased.)

[personal profile] imbibing 2014-07-02 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay.

Misato takes a deep breath as she reaches out for the card, mentally preparing herself for the worst. It was clear from those words of his that this was clearly a work issue. That meant kids or a wife were scratched straight off the list. How bad could it possibly be?

Misato flips the card towards her, her eyes slowly widening as her eyes scan over the words. She mouths the words as she reads them, and it's a moment before the weight of this all finally hits her.

"Wow," she finally manages, setting the card back down on the table facedown. "I'm not really sure what to say."

What should she say?

"I didn't really expect this, but it's definitely better than virtually everything else I thought you might tell me."

Her lips quirk upwards.

"Thanks for coming to me with this. You didn't have to, but... I'm glad you trust me."