BMPixy
Well-Known Member
"So... am I going to have to deal with him?" The android asked seriously as he exited the game.
"Well, hopefully not anything serious, though he might go through the usual 'you hurt her and once she's finished with you I'll turn whatever's left into modern art' routine," Elicia said with a slight shrug, closing the booth door behind her. "Though I will warn you, he does have a tendency to hold onto things far longer than he should."
"Is he the reason you were looking so nervous before on the shuttle?" Ezra asked as he led them over to an air hockey table.
"A, uh, little bit," Elicia replied hesitantly, unsure of how much more she should say. Mentally deciding to screw it, she might as well be an adult about this, she continued, "The reason I mentioned that he has problems letting go, is well... he's trying to play the long game. Y'know, the always be there, comfort them when things go sideways, wait until they slip and end up in your arms, that kind of stupid shit. He's a good guy, I mean, it's just that he doesn't know when to call it quits."
He looked Elicia up and down as he hit the puck towards the woman. "He hates Exalts, doesn't he?"
"Yep," she replied as she carefully deflected the puck away from her goal whilst keeping her guard close. "Not even really sure why. I mean, least his dad has the excuse where he was there when they first split off and joined XCOM, but even then it's just distrust, not outright hate like Riri." Elicia shook her head morosely, only for the puck to slip by her guard while she was distracted. "Dammit," she muttered, putting the puck back onto the field and sending it towards Ezra. "Regardless, if you two ever meet, he'll have double the reason for hating your guts: you've got that name and you've got my affections."
Ezra bounced the puck off the wall and he shrugged. "It doesn't really matter either way I guess... Not like he can kick my ass, and I don't see you being the one to turn their back on someone."
"Yeah, I suppose," Elicia replied half-heartedly, slamming her mallet onto the puck and then lining up a shot, sending the puck straight towards an opening in Ezra's guard. "Anyways, 'nough 'bout my personal dramas. How's your family?"
"Mark was caught about to pork with his GF right before the ban was lifted, Vindicta is as busy as ever. As for my parents..." Ezra accidently let the puck slip in and he sighed, "I haven't spoken to them in a while."
"Sorry if I'm prying, but why's that?" Elicia asked, cocking an eyebrow as she readied herself for the android's serve.
He hit the puck hard. "We aren't really a normal family as you can tell. I haven't talked to them in a while because they aren't really that readily available."
"Ah, I get i- shit!" she cursed as the puck slipped through her guard. "Nice shot," Elicia said, resetting the puck and lining up her shot. "But as I was saying, I get what you're saying. I know I have a hard enough time getting in contact with my ma, doesn't take much to imagine how much harder it is with parents like yours."
"Sometimes I wonder if they even care anymore..." Ezra didn't put much effort into blocking the shot. "They were around... Sometimes in the beginning. Then it just seemed like Vinny became more of a daughter to her then I was as a son."
"Yeesh, that sucks." Elicia gently knocked the puck back towards Ezra. "You ever talk to them 'bout this? Maybe it's just the product of incompetence, rather than malice. Hanlon's Razor and all that."
"You can call it that... you might be right but the four years of silence between me and mother begs to differ. I've tried to get ahold of her, but it never works out, something always gets in the way. I haven't even talked to my Dad in a while... And he was the closest one to me. Maybe they forgot about me... Doesn't really matter to me either way. I've lived by myself for a while now and survived, why should I need them?"
"Because you never know when something might happen," Elicia said, her tone deadly serious as she let the puck gently slide into her goal. "I mean, family's hella important. You don't want to suddenly get news that one of them's bit it, or visa versa, and all you've got is a massive gulf between you and all the regrets that come with it. Granted, I'm not sure how easy it is for an AI to join the choir invisible, but the sentiment is still there."
As Elicia hit the puck slowly towards Ezra he sighed in defeat. "Maybe I will call mother soon... I don't know." As the puck neared his goal, Ezra hit it hard and into an unsuspecting Elicia's goal. "But I do know I won."
"Gwuh-huh!?" Elicia hastily moved to counter, but she was just slightly too slow, and the puck slid into her goal, prompting the display to flash wildly as the game ended. "Was that part of your plan, distract me with sad stories then steal the win?"
"Not at all, you just left your guard down." As they walked from the game, the android whispered, "I meant every word."
"Yeah, I know," Elicia replied, leaning against Ezra and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze as the pair walked off. "If you want, I can join you for the reunion, help make things a little easier."
"If you are available, I will let you know." He returned the squeeze of her hand, enjoying the fact he had something to keep him down. "I wonder if we could pass off as high school lovers. You certainly look young enough, and this is my high school body. Not really an 'adult' one needed."
"I don't think that there are many high school girls with these," Elicia retorted, gently lifting the hem of her shirt to reveal her washboard abs for a brief moment. "Though the compliment is appreciated, I have to ask where that thought came from."
"Out my ass." He said rather authoritatively. "Besides... Does there really have to be meaning behind my words?"
"There's meaning behind everything. It's just that sometimes that meaning is nothing. Doesn't make it absent of meaning," Elicia replied with a shrug.
"You're right... How good would you look in a school uniform?" Ezra asked to try and embarrass the woman.
"Eh, skirts don't really compliment my figure too well," Elicia said, rubbing the back of her neck ashamedly. "Plus if I want to keep people from having a free show, I gotta wear shorts, in which case I might as well just wear the shorts by themselves."
"I have to start paying for a mutual service? Times must really be hard." He joked with a snarky smile.
"You get a pass because you give just as good as you get," Elicia responded, giving a knowing smirk at her boyfriend. "It's those other shameless perverts who gotta pay for any hypothetical views."
"Oh really? That why you were so weak in the knees when you thought I was another guy?" Ezra asked, poking her ribs. All Elicia could do in response to that was shoot a hostile glare at the android, clenching her teeth to hold back a biting remark. Ezra chuckled, "Why so mad? I especially like the face you made after I kissed you. You looked like you were going to swoon before you nearly popped off my head."
"I'm beginning to wonder if I should have done that," Elicia deadpanned. "And for the record, shocked and confused doesn't equal swooning."
"Considering that was my kiss, I think I may take some offense to that." He continued to tease, the android enjoying the usual banter they regularly engaged in.
"Oh please," the medic muttered, rolling her eyes. "If you get offended by that, you're a helluva lot softer than that body suggests."
"There is a joke there but I will refrain from giving you a heart attack." Ezra put an arm around Elicia's shoulder. "Besides, you bring out the teddy bear in me. How often you see me making lunch and massaging other people?"
"Not at all, but that's because I've pretty much staked my claim there," Elicia said, nuzzling affectionately into her boyfriend. "Should I be worried about you cooking for other girls?" she joked.
"I might make a breakfast for Vinny, but then again this ain't Alabama." Ezra snickered uncontrollably.
"And here I thought with your love for Japan you'd be down for dating your cousin," Elicia chuckled evilly. "Or are you not that far gone?"
"Please..." He pulled Elicia real close. "You're the only one who can handle me."
"For given values of handle, at least," the Anglo-German replied, wrapping an arm around Ezra's waist. As the two continued their fun in the arcade, hours flew by and it was time for the couple to leave, Ezra so far having kept quiet so far about some of his surprises.
"Well, night descends, and your time has come," Elicia said, guiding the pair out of the arcade - a few knick-knacks she had obtained with her meager tickets clutched in her other hand. "Care to take the lead?"
Ezra smiled, grabbing Elicia's hand running with her, the two coming to a monorail station. "We are taking this to our destination." He explained as they got on and the train sped away from the capital. Soon they left the city behind and went out into the countryside.
"Oh don't tell me you really did bring the animal crackers," Elicia said, a light smile crossing her face as she examined the scenery as it sped by.
"No, just the rubber chicken." He joked as he put his chin on top of Elicia's head. "I thought it would be nice to stay in the countryside for a bit... Away from the worry of war. I already got permission for today and tomorrow cleared for us."
"Well, you're certainly hedging your bets," she chuckled flirtatiously as she ran a finger across the android's chest. "So, mind filling me in on the full extent of your plans, Ezzy?"
"Well, hopefully not anything serious, though he might go through the usual 'you hurt her and once she's finished with you I'll turn whatever's left into modern art' routine," Elicia said with a slight shrug, closing the booth door behind her. "Though I will warn you, he does have a tendency to hold onto things far longer than he should."
"Is he the reason you were looking so nervous before on the shuttle?" Ezra asked as he led them over to an air hockey table.
"A, uh, little bit," Elicia replied hesitantly, unsure of how much more she should say. Mentally deciding to screw it, she might as well be an adult about this, she continued, "The reason I mentioned that he has problems letting go, is well... he's trying to play the long game. Y'know, the always be there, comfort them when things go sideways, wait until they slip and end up in your arms, that kind of stupid shit. He's a good guy, I mean, it's just that he doesn't know when to call it quits."
He looked Elicia up and down as he hit the puck towards the woman. "He hates Exalts, doesn't he?"
"Yep," she replied as she carefully deflected the puck away from her goal whilst keeping her guard close. "Not even really sure why. I mean, least his dad has the excuse where he was there when they first split off and joined XCOM, but even then it's just distrust, not outright hate like Riri." Elicia shook her head morosely, only for the puck to slip by her guard while she was distracted. "Dammit," she muttered, putting the puck back onto the field and sending it towards Ezra. "Regardless, if you two ever meet, he'll have double the reason for hating your guts: you've got that name and you've got my affections."
Ezra bounced the puck off the wall and he shrugged. "It doesn't really matter either way I guess... Not like he can kick my ass, and I don't see you being the one to turn their back on someone."
"Yeah, I suppose," Elicia replied half-heartedly, slamming her mallet onto the puck and then lining up a shot, sending the puck straight towards an opening in Ezra's guard. "Anyways, 'nough 'bout my personal dramas. How's your family?"
"Mark was caught about to pork with his GF right before the ban was lifted, Vindicta is as busy as ever. As for my parents..." Ezra accidently let the puck slip in and he sighed, "I haven't spoken to them in a while."
"Sorry if I'm prying, but why's that?" Elicia asked, cocking an eyebrow as she readied herself for the android's serve.
He hit the puck hard. "We aren't really a normal family as you can tell. I haven't talked to them in a while because they aren't really that readily available."
"Ah, I get i- shit!" she cursed as the puck slipped through her guard. "Nice shot," Elicia said, resetting the puck and lining up her shot. "But as I was saying, I get what you're saying. I know I have a hard enough time getting in contact with my ma, doesn't take much to imagine how much harder it is with parents like yours."
"Sometimes I wonder if they even care anymore..." Ezra didn't put much effort into blocking the shot. "They were around... Sometimes in the beginning. Then it just seemed like Vinny became more of a daughter to her then I was as a son."
"Yeesh, that sucks." Elicia gently knocked the puck back towards Ezra. "You ever talk to them 'bout this? Maybe it's just the product of incompetence, rather than malice. Hanlon's Razor and all that."
"You can call it that... you might be right but the four years of silence between me and mother begs to differ. I've tried to get ahold of her, but it never works out, something always gets in the way. I haven't even talked to my Dad in a while... And he was the closest one to me. Maybe they forgot about me... Doesn't really matter to me either way. I've lived by myself for a while now and survived, why should I need them?"
"Because you never know when something might happen," Elicia said, her tone deadly serious as she let the puck gently slide into her goal. "I mean, family's hella important. You don't want to suddenly get news that one of them's bit it, or visa versa, and all you've got is a massive gulf between you and all the regrets that come with it. Granted, I'm not sure how easy it is for an AI to join the choir invisible, but the sentiment is still there."
As Elicia hit the puck slowly towards Ezra he sighed in defeat. "Maybe I will call mother soon... I don't know." As the puck neared his goal, Ezra hit it hard and into an unsuspecting Elicia's goal. "But I do know I won."
"Gwuh-huh!?" Elicia hastily moved to counter, but she was just slightly too slow, and the puck slid into her goal, prompting the display to flash wildly as the game ended. "Was that part of your plan, distract me with sad stories then steal the win?"
"Not at all, you just left your guard down." As they walked from the game, the android whispered, "I meant every word."
"Yeah, I know," Elicia replied, leaning against Ezra and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze as the pair walked off. "If you want, I can join you for the reunion, help make things a little easier."
"If you are available, I will let you know." He returned the squeeze of her hand, enjoying the fact he had something to keep him down. "I wonder if we could pass off as high school lovers. You certainly look young enough, and this is my high school body. Not really an 'adult' one needed."
"I don't think that there are many high school girls with these," Elicia retorted, gently lifting the hem of her shirt to reveal her washboard abs for a brief moment. "Though the compliment is appreciated, I have to ask where that thought came from."
"Out my ass." He said rather authoritatively. "Besides... Does there really have to be meaning behind my words?"
"There's meaning behind everything. It's just that sometimes that meaning is nothing. Doesn't make it absent of meaning," Elicia replied with a shrug.
"You're right... How good would you look in a school uniform?" Ezra asked to try and embarrass the woman.
"Eh, skirts don't really compliment my figure too well," Elicia said, rubbing the back of her neck ashamedly. "Plus if I want to keep people from having a free show, I gotta wear shorts, in which case I might as well just wear the shorts by themselves."
"I have to start paying for a mutual service? Times must really be hard." He joked with a snarky smile.
"You get a pass because you give just as good as you get," Elicia responded, giving a knowing smirk at her boyfriend. "It's those other shameless perverts who gotta pay for any hypothetical views."
"Oh really? That why you were so weak in the knees when you thought I was another guy?" Ezra asked, poking her ribs. All Elicia could do in response to that was shoot a hostile glare at the android, clenching her teeth to hold back a biting remark. Ezra chuckled, "Why so mad? I especially like the face you made after I kissed you. You looked like you were going to swoon before you nearly popped off my head."
"I'm beginning to wonder if I should have done that," Elicia deadpanned. "And for the record, shocked and confused doesn't equal swooning."
"Considering that was my kiss, I think I may take some offense to that." He continued to tease, the android enjoying the usual banter they regularly engaged in.
"Oh please," the medic muttered, rolling her eyes. "If you get offended by that, you're a helluva lot softer than that body suggests."
"There is a joke there but I will refrain from giving you a heart attack." Ezra put an arm around Elicia's shoulder. "Besides, you bring out the teddy bear in me. How often you see me making lunch and massaging other people?"
"Not at all, but that's because I've pretty much staked my claim there," Elicia said, nuzzling affectionately into her boyfriend. "Should I be worried about you cooking for other girls?" she joked.
"I might make a breakfast for Vinny, but then again this ain't Alabama." Ezra snickered uncontrollably.
"And here I thought with your love for Japan you'd be down for dating your cousin," Elicia chuckled evilly. "Or are you not that far gone?"
"Please..." He pulled Elicia real close. "You're the only one who can handle me."
"For given values of handle, at least," the Anglo-German replied, wrapping an arm around Ezra's waist. As the two continued their fun in the arcade, hours flew by and it was time for the couple to leave, Ezra so far having kept quiet so far about some of his surprises.
"Well, night descends, and your time has come," Elicia said, guiding the pair out of the arcade - a few knick-knacks she had obtained with her meager tickets clutched in her other hand. "Care to take the lead?"
Ezra smiled, grabbing Elicia's hand running with her, the two coming to a monorail station. "We are taking this to our destination." He explained as they got on and the train sped away from the capital. Soon they left the city behind and went out into the countryside.
"Oh don't tell me you really did bring the animal crackers," Elicia said, a light smile crossing her face as she examined the scenery as it sped by.
"No, just the rubber chicken." He joked as he put his chin on top of Elicia's head. "I thought it would be nice to stay in the countryside for a bit... Away from the worry of war. I already got permission for today and tomorrow cleared for us."
"Well, you're certainly hedging your bets," she chuckled flirtatiously as she ran a finger across the android's chest. "So, mind filling me in on the full extent of your plans, Ezzy?"