IC Inbox/Overflow post

[fistsofchange]

This is Bai Lin! I can't answer the phone right now but I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Comments

[fistsofchange]

I think the proper order of things is

1 watch a movie
2 get ice cream
3 visit a hotel
4 see what happens

[Her memories of that first trip to Marilla were still spotty, but Lin had a vague recollection of him promising her a good time.]

[sleight_of_fate]

Okay, I can work with that. =D We can watch something ridiculous, feed ourselves, and then see where it goes.

[Rhys's memories are equally hazy, but he likes Lin and it does sound completely like him to promise a good time. He's easy company, and not shy in the least.]

I'll meet you at the shuttle, then, and we can figure out what kind of movie we want to see?

Continue in here? Start a log?

[fistsofchange]

The other movie I saw had something to do about the undead. Zombies or something. So like

something other than that

If it's going to get smutty, might want to keep it here?

[sleight_of_fate]

No zombie movies, no problem. We can find something lighter with some action, maybe, Let you try a few different genres and see what you like.

I'm still learning what movies here are like, so it'll be an adventure for both of us.

Sure

[fistsofchange]

Meet you at the theater at 6?

Re: Sure

[sleight_of_fate]

Perfect. I'll be there- see you then. =)

[And exactly as promised, Rhys will be at the theater at 6, dressed in a loose pair of comfortable linen pants and baggy shirt. It's a compromise between comfort and modesty and it seems to work well for him. He smiles when he sees her, stepping away from the wall to greet her properly.]

Hey. Good to see you.

[fistsofchange]

[Lin got turned around on her way there, and showed up a few minutes late. She had on a deep red, backless sundress. It was modest enough as long as she didn't bend over too far.]

Rhys! Sorry I'm late.

[She threw her arms around Rhys' shoulders in a quick hug.]

I got a little turned around is all. Did you pick out a movie?

[sleight_of_fate]

[Rhys has been waiting a little bit, but not enough to worry him and he's happy when he finally spots her. He returns the hug, quick and light but sincere.]

No problem, I haven't been here long. You look great.

[There's a lot to be said for simple and comfortable, and she seems genuinely happy to see him...that counts for a lot, even if he can only see it and not sense it.

Which is interesting, and a little refreshing. The calm quiet is something he doesn't encounter often and he appreciates it. Being tuned into everyone's emotions all the time can be so draining.]

There's a couple of options, I figured having a choice was good. There's one about a normal guy who becomes an action hero, that looks pretty good...chases and fights and all that fun stuff...and then one about a woman who makes friends with a dragon. A real dragon, I mean, not a Gembonded.

[It's funny how some things are the same, even in a whole other world. Love of explosions, and love of all things mythical.]

[fistsofchange]

I DO like dragons. Let's see that one.

[Lin had known a few dragons, actually. Or at least, humans with the reincarnated souls of dragons. Enormously powerful people. Two of them had been bastards but the third had been her best friend.]

[sleight_of_fate]

That sounds like a lot of fun to me, too. Dragons are extinct where I'm from, but the idea has always fascinated me. The little bits of lore and imagination around the whole thing.

[Granted there are Gembonded that turn into dragons here, but it's not quite the same.]

Popcorn and drinks, too?

[He gives her a hopeful smile because at the very least, he's going to get a box of candy. It's the movies, it demands it.]

[fistsofchange]

Sure.

[On top of all the OTHER nice things happening to her tonight, she was also going to find out what popcorn was!

Lin glanced at other people entering the movie theater to see how other couples were acting. Thus informed, she wrapped her arm around Rhys' and leaned her head on his shoulder, just a little bit.]

Shall we?

[sleight_of_fate]

We shall.

[He smiles as he takes her arm, completely content with the little bit of extra contact as they make their way into the theater. It feels nice and he has a feeling it's going to be a good evening.

Popcorn and drinks for sure, and maybe a box of candy to split because Rhys likes to be thorough. He's not always the best gentleman but he certainly tries.

So he orders for them, with a glance toward Lin to make sure it's agreeable to her. Juggling the tray means letting go of her arm, which he regrets, but they have the whole evening.]

Figure if we're going to do this, may as well make it the whole experience, right?

[fistsofchange]

[Lin has little experience with movies, and the last one she was at didn't have much in the way of snacks. So when Rhys offered to handle the snack portion of the movie going experience, Lin nodded and stood aside while he made some very important decisions about whether to get regular M&Ms or Peanut M&Ms.

You should always go for the peanut ones.]

That's the whole point. Trying new things.

[sleight_of_fate]

You'll have to tell me more about your world, sometime soon. It sounds like it's pretty different from here.

[Of course the peanut ones!]

My world is different, too, but some of the things are the same. At least, close enough that I can figure a lot of things out from past experience. It makes things easier that way, but there's still enough new to keep me on my toes.

Like, the fact that there's so much magic here, and that everyone knows about it. That's sort of crazy, to me.

[Popcorn, soda, and M&Ms. Perfect.]

[fistsofchange]

You could say that...

[It's MUCH worse than here. But she doesn't say that. She's getting tired of people's horrified reaction to the truth of where she came from.]

There's more magic here than where I came from too, though. I'll be honest it makes me pretty nervous a lot of the time. Magic seems to mainly cause trouble, back home.

It seems to be different in other places, though, so I'm trying to keep an open mind.

[sleight_of_fate]

Magic is tough where I'm from, too. I mean, I have it, and it's still rough. Most people don't know about it, and if they did, they would likely freak out in the worst possible ways.

So, you're probably not wrong being wary.

[He gives her his best reassuring smile, before he snags a piece of popcorn and crunches it between his teeth.]

This place isn't bad for getting used to magic, honestly. It's so much more...benign. It's weird sure, with the shapechanging every month and everything, but they're using it for good things. And that makes a big difference, I think.

[fistsofchange]

I think I have the opposite of magic.

[She meant it as an off hand comment, but it was more or less accurate.

Lin reached over to steal a piece of popcorn and stared at it.]

What is this stuff, anyway?

[sleight_of_fate]

Huh. The opposite of magic? really?

[he's noticed that there's something interesting about her, most specifically the lack of vibrations he gets from her. He's curious, though not so rude as to grill her about it. If she wants to share, though...]

It's popcorn. It's, uh. Corn kernels that have been dried, and then heated until they explode into this.

[He holds up a piece, before popping it into his mouth and crunching it happily.]

They're good. Especially with salt and butter.

[fistsofchange]

Yeah, it's part of my training. The whole order of the Soaring Fist has rejected magic so thoroughly that it has trouble touching us.

I wonder if staying open minded about it will make that stop working...

[While she considered this question, she tossed the piece of popcorn into her mouth.]

...It tastes like salt and butter.

[Which was what popcorn was supposed to taste like. Lin wasn't sure what to make of it, but for some reason she found herself helping herself to more as they walked into the movie theater.]

[sleight_of_fate]

That actually explains a few things.

...If I notice any difference, I'll be sure to let you know. I'm an empath, and...well, it's been interesting because you don't put off much of a vibe at all for me.

[he adds hurriedly:]

Which is nice, actually. Peaceful. Usually I have to work hard to block out the static around me, so it's a nice change of pace.

[he chuckles as he watches her sample the popcorn, and nods.]

Salt and butter. It goes fantastic with chocolate, too, so it's good we got the M&Ms to go with it. There's other flavors for popcorn too. Like caramel, or cheese if you want something more savory.

[fistsofchange]

Mm.

[Lin was digesting everything he'd just said about empathy and didn't have a lot of mental bandwidth left for popcorn talk just now.]

I never thought anti-magic would feel comforting to someone with magic. That's something to think about.

After the movie, though.

[sleight_of_fate]

It sort of depends on how you deal with your magic, and how much it takes out of you. One thing that's true in my world, at least, is that magic always has a price. You can't create something from nothing.

I don't think I'd want to be without my magic completely, but a little bit of a break? That works out pretty well for me. And I think I'm doing pretty well without having it to rely on.

[He flashes her a quick grin, confident that he's still got his charm.]

And yes, we can definitely talk about it more later. Right now, movie. And snacks.

[fistsofchange]

I never pictured people who choose magic as the types who think too hard about costs and consequences but I guess you learn something every day.

Anyway I'm glad I can give you a little peace of mind, at least.

[She took a piece of popcorn and popped it into her mouth, with a small grin.]

Anyway lets watch a movie.

[And then they watched the movie.]

[sleight_of_fate]

Not everyone chooses magic, though. Some of us are born with it, so we just gotta deal, you know? For better or worse.

[But they have snacks to eat and a movie to watch, so he's happy to let the conversation fade off there. They seem to be in good company in spite of their differing experiences, and that's something they can certainly talk over more later.

For now, however? Magical things on screen, and the completely sublime combination of M&Ms and popcorn together. Rhys is grinning when they come out of the theater, full of the soft good feelings of an enjoyable couple of hours immersed in escapism, and he glances to Lin when they exit into the cooling evening air.]

How'd you like it?

[fistsofchange]

[Lin had a feeling that starting a deep, philosophical conversation about magic and responsibility and chaos might ruin the mood tonight, so she let the subject drop for now. They could come back to this some other day.

Somehow, magic in a movie didn't seem as ominous. It probably had to do with how Lin had less chance of being personally set on fire here. A hero rose to slay a dragon only to realize that the kind was despoiling the land far more with taxes and cruel laws than mere dragonfire ever could. Together, the hero and the dragon gathered all the people together and defeated the king and his cabal of dark wizards in a climactic showdown in a burning castle. In the end the hero and the dragon flew off into the sunset and everyone lived happily every after except for the king but no one liked that guy so it's fine.

Lin emerged from the theater full of popcorn and good feelings about how everyone could band together to defeat evil.]

I had trouble following some bits but the climax was real dramatic. And I always like a happy ending!