originallutece | (no subject)

I imagine she was likely right. Did she pick out a specific name?

"Hana", I think, was one of the top contenders. Written with the characters for "one" and "love".

[Oh. Oh, that's sweet, and Rosalind leans forward, genuinely interested.]

How do you write your name? What-- what characters are used, I mean.

Ah — the ones for "eternal", "clever", and "revived". It's not easy to write a Western name in kanji, but Mother did pick them out even so.

You should show me soon.

[But not right now. She's a bit too comfortable to get up and grab a notepad.]

That's two I owe you, now, isn't it? Let's see . . . I once promised a friend of mine I'd get a tattoo, though thank god I never went through with it. And . . .

Ah. And I can sing.

So you're saying you broke your promise?

[He'll touch that second one in a minute.]

I didn't break it.

[That's just a touch indignant for the way he's looking at her.]

We never ended up going out and getting drunk. I suppose it's still in the air, it's not as if we don't still spend time together.

[Sordid stories from the professor office.]

Oh. Was this with, um.

[He hesitates, grasping mentally for the name he wants.]

...Victoria?

Er.

[For a moment she hesitates, but, well, friends tell each other about work, don't they?]

Ardyn and Jack, actually.

[Professors Izunia and Dawson, in other words.]

Although that would be perfectly in-line for Victoria, frankly, so well done.

What! Which of them wanted you to get the — oh, wait, no, it was Professor Dawes, wasn't it.

Of course it was.

[She wrinkles her nose.]

Back when we were all shrunk to six inches. A spider attacked, he grabbed me and we dove into a crack in the sidewalk. While we were waiting for the spider to leave us be, we started talking, and it ended in him . . .

[She hesitates again.]

Rather daring me to get one, with the understanding that if I didn't, I'd be too scared to do it. I'm a bit too competitive for my own good, so before I knew it I'd agreed.

Oh, I see. He played you like a kazoo, then.

[FAWKES.]

He did not!

He absolutely did. You're far more than "a bit" too competitive for your own good.

I--

[There's literally no way to argue against this, but still her mouth purses as she tries like hell to figure out a way. Finally:]

Shut up.

I won't, and you can't make me.

[he's literally baiting her to prove his point right this very minute]

[It's like a red flag to a bull, really; she's smarter than to fall for the bait but nonetheless:]

I most certainly can, in a bloody instant.

You can't.

[... ... ...]

And it's been longer than an instant, now.

[Well, she has one idea of how to do it. One utterly awful, absolutely terrible idea, and for a moment her eyes dart downwards, focusing on his mouth. That certainly would shut him up, wouldn't it? He'd be utterly stunned, all flushed cheeks and gaping expression; she'd most certainly win that way.

For one long, breathless moment, it seems as if she might indeed come closer. She's already leaning towards him; it would be the work of a moment to dart forward and over him. But time resumes, and she comes to her senses, meeting his gaze once more.

No. No, she won't. She presses her foot against his leg again, the movement just hard enough to jostle him.]

Prat. It's your go.

[She...backed down? Now that's strange. Why would she...hmm.

Hmmmm.]

I'm...thinking of getting a motorcycle.

Really?

[Well. That's surprising.]

What color?

[Absently, she presses her wrist to her mouth.]

Red and — er.

[...]

Red and — ah, why are you, um. Why are you doing that?

I'm not--

[Her hand darts down, her lips pressing tight together.]

It was just a, an old habit. I used to bite on my fingers as a child, it's just . . . an echo of that.

Oh. Like biting your nails? I see.

[That's not so very weird, really. And they're sharing things like that about themselves, anyway; it's nothing to dwell on, not really.]

Red and silver, I was saying. Or possibly red and black — colors we still have.

[Now her hands have gone to grab her mug, both wrapped firmly around the ceramic, for the record.]

I should think a motorcycle not particularly expensive - especially not compared to a car. Do you know how to ride one?