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[laserguy]

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[laserguy]

sounds like the best idea i've heard in days

yeah let's do something. heh maybe we can even bring these stupid cameras but just take pictures of whatever we want.

[maellum]

You seem to have a better idea of fun than I do. What do you want to do? Or we can just wander around. There's a lot here I haven't seen yet.

[laserguy]

i'd say go to the mall normally or a movie theater, but those things aren't really here.

there's a small arcade i think in one of the bars, but i'd be cool with just walking around. especially since we played video games last time together.

was there a place you wanted to visit in particular? that you haven't been yet?

[maellum]

Let's just walk around and see where we get. Where do you live here, anyway? With Sophie?

[laserguy]

sure that sounds good. maybe grab a couple of pastries at the cafe and a drink and walk around?

yeah i live with sophie at the mansion. most of the mutants are there.

[maellum]

I never say no to pastries.

The mansion feels so big. I don't know if I could handle living there without feeling... too small, I guess.

[laserguy]

oh good to know that you still have pastries back home. what's your favorite?

you get used to it after a while. and it's not so bad since like sophie and the other dumbasses live there. [But okay, some real talk.] like if you ever think you feel out of place, just remember that someone you can actually kind of count on is nearby.

but honestly, it took a while for me to adjust. since like. it's a mansion that is different from the one back home.

[maellum]

Anything with chocolate. I don't have a single favorite. Do you?

Yeah. That's why I like living with Gustave and Sciel and Lune. It feels... safe. There's always someone around. Just in a much smaller place than a mansion.

Sophie told me people were pretty awful to mutants in her world. Yours too, yeah?

[laserguy]

heh can't go wrong with chocolate. that's my usual go to as well. we can grab a couple of chocolate croissants from the cafe and walk around then.

i guess a smaller place would be fine, as long i still had my own room. although, could you imagine sophie living in a place that isn't a mansion?

[Though, he is glad that Maelle seems to be happy living with Gustave and the others.]

well... not really. there's still fucked up things that happen i'm sure, but we don't really face the same things based on what she's told me. we're out in the public and humans are pretty chill with us? like before i arrived here, i just went to the mall with my friends, one who is outwardly blue and with a tail. and nothing bad happened.

[maellum]

Sounds like a plan.

Even if Sophie lived in a shack, she could make it look like a mansion to others, couldn't she? ... but no, the mansion suits her. I don't think she'd like my living arrangement. Sometimes there's a wait to use the shower.

Oh. That's good. Hers sounds worse than mine, in some ways. The mutants and humans, the dying multiple times...

[laserguy]

oh absolutely no way she'd be able to deal with that. could you imagine sophie waiting on anyone to use the bathroom?? let alone the shower? also i wouldn't want to wait on her. :p pretty sure she spends ages in there doing her makeup.

honestly the fact that you didn't know what video games were might tip things in your 'favor' in terms of suckage. but come on, let's get going, instead of talking about depressing things like how shitty your world is.

[maellum]

Yeah, yeah. Want to meet me at the bottom of the apartments?

[laserguy]

see you there. just give me like half an hour.

[But surely enough, Scott will be waiting or meeting Maelle right on time after about 30 minutes. And hey, he's actually dressed a little nicer than normal-- some nicer cargo pants and a blue shirt and brown jacket that Sophie 'forced' onto him because she decided to help overhaul his wardrobe. It's fine.]

[maellum]

[Anything outside of her Expedition uniform has some sort of Sophie or Sciel influence--in this case, jeans and a slightly cropped black t-shirt because that's apparently the style. Not that Maelle knows. Either way, she appears with a smile.]

Hey. You ready?

[Weird to hang out with someone that isn't Sophie or someone that lives with her. How do you do this?]

[laserguy]

[There's one passing thought that runs through his mind as he sees Maelle, one that can't help but think she looks pretty cute in that outfit, but he doesn't say anything and only raises his hand in greeting as she walks over to him. Yeah, well, there's always something with redheads with Scott--]

Born ready, Maelle.

[Trying to act cool even now-- but he seems to take point, the teen bumping his shoulder into hers as he smiles.] So, pastries first, right? Then walking around.

[maellum]

[She laughs, grinning. This is already much better than their encounter in the fog. Less bats potentially coming her way, at least.]

Yeah, sure. I don't really know what else we could do. I don't get out much.

[Well, that's not entirely true. She just doesn't get out with people her age.]

[laserguy]

Stop, everything you're saying gets more depressing by the second.

[He's still teasing, really. A light jab even as he starts leading the way-- towards whatever closest coffee shop is nearby. Mostly for the pastries and since it is cooling down... maybe they can grab some hot chocolate too? He wonders if she ever tried that before.

Only one way to find out.]

Besides, you have me around now. Your resident expert of all things cool. [Somehow saying that with a straight face.]

[maellum]

You sound like Sophie.

[Or, you know, the only other person she's really explained her world to. It's a compliment, at least. Maelle really likes Sophie. It's why she let her drag her to this and that. And if she hadn't allowed that, she might not have met Scott.]

... except she's pretty cool. Maybe expert level. You'll have to convince me otherwise.

[laserguy]

[Another small playful nudge against her side because wow.]

Are you saying that I'm not as cool? So deeply hurt, Maelle. Wounded. [Of course that means he definitely has to convince her otherwise. Luckily, they'll have like all day to hang out and do that, hopefully. Just. Chilling and eating pastries and walking around without something stupid happening. No fog or anything.

And at least he knows what she actually looks like without a tint of ruby quartz from his glasses.]

But yeah, Sophie is pretty neat I guess.

[A small acknowledgement of that, especially if Maelle is at all worried about how he was during after all the fog stuff.]

[maellum]

Yeah? You sound devastated, I can tell.

[No mention of any tears she may or may have not seen in the past from him, just gentle teasing with an equally as gentle nudge back.]

There's definitely worse than her. She's very [what's a good word for being A LOT] encouraging.

[laserguy]

[He's heartbroken, truly.]

...Yeah, she really looks out for me.

[Okay, guess he's actually being real for once. Even if it's easy to be endlessly teasing about Sophie, he honestly would not know where he'd be if she wasn't here. Probably pissed and alone in his own way because that's his normal go to before Alex helped him up and he's not here.

Not that she's replaced his older brother or anything. Although speaking of older brother/father figures...]

I guess I should meet your old man at some point, huh? He's so worried about you.

[maellum]

[Maelle adores Gustave, so there's not an ounce of embarrassment there.]

He signed adoption paperwork, you know. There was a whole part where it says he has to worry.

[Only part of that is a joke, and Maelle smiles, hands clasp behind her back as her ponytail swishes behind her.]

You really should meet him, though. Maybe don't call him an old man to his face until the third or fourth meeting, yeah?

[laserguy]

Is that why he has all those worry lines already?

[He jokes, even though he knows full well that their world is pretty much shit and horrible. They're trying to get away from that general feeling.]

No promises.

[But honestly, anyone that willingly took in Maelle and looked after her is pretty alright in Scott's book. Hell, even Sophie is asking advice from him. Not that he's anxious or worried about making a bad impression, but uh, he's keeping that in mind maybe.]

Buuut I will promise that today is gonna be cool and stuff. Actually, there's a place I wanna take you to after we grab pastries. I just remembered about it.

[maellum]

The lines are because he's twice our age.

[Lune and Sciel are exempt from being called Old despite being the same age as Gustave.]

Oh, yeah? Do I get a hint about this place you've just remembered, or is it a surprise?

[A beat.]

Actually, I probably wouldn't get it even with a hint. So... where are we gonna go?

[laserguy]

Well, if I tell you right now, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore.

[He's gotta keep her in suspense!! It also might be a little embarrassing to admit to Maelle that he's planning on taking her to a flower field-- a place that Shadow showed him all those months ago. His hedgehog friend is long gone, but he sometimes visits it when he wants some alone time.]

It's all about the anticipation. [And just to be a dick, he starts to walk a little slower.] But we can still take our time.