IC INBOX; MoM

[pushtheboundaries]

"You've reached Robert Callaghan, Headmaster to the Heropa Organization for imPort Education. Please leave a message with your name, your phone number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. As a reminder, my office hours are..."

Comments

[pushtheboundaries]

You-? Well, I- [and he laughs a bit, himself, shaking his head] I'd have never thought...that's what I get, I guess.

So, tell me, 'doc'... [and he tilts his glass towards her] ...does this sound like the rambling of a crazy person? Because between you and me, sometimes I wonder.

[itistolaugh]

Surpriiiise! [ Jazz hands! ] Don't worry, I'm not billing you for this appointment.

It sounds like the rambling of a man with a lot of Scotch in him.

[pushtheboundaries]

You have only yourself to blame for that. I suggested something draft.

[itistolaugh]

Yes, and it was a terrible suggestion which I was right to ignore.

[ More Scotch? Mooooore Scotch! ]

Honestly, if you're worried about sounding crazy, you probably aren't. Now, if you find yourself, like ... Raising your fists to the heavens as lightning flashes in the background, screaming about how you'll show them, you'll show them all, while a bug-eyed hunchback calls you "master"

Then, yeah, maybe worry a little.

[pushtheboundaries]

[fffffft. oh no that's an amused sound. you're entertaining him now, Harley, how awful of you]

I was never one for that kind of construct, though- when I was a kid, I managed to piece together a machine out of five appliances. Does that count?

[itistolaugh]

[ Yesss, she's winning. ]

Depends. On a scale of one to ten, how much rampaging did it do? Also, how pissed was your ma?

[pushtheboundaries]

Pro-ba-bly...about a seven, but not for lack of trying. But by then people knew about me, and everyone joined in taking it down. Mom was more resigned than anything, Dad just told me next time I tried to take over the base, I should at least put some effort in to it.

[itistolaugh]

[ She actually spit takes and doubles over laughing. ]

[pushtheboundaries]

[yep, he'll just take another swig of scotch, grinning. good times, not that he'd really intended to take over anything- he was just playing around.]

The thing was, it didn't have any sort of AI- it was just- going on, you know? Robots only do what they're programmed, and if they don't have that, they just do what they're built- so here's this thing, fully powered, and the only outlet for that power is to try and activate everything at once continually, and-

-and I had to clean the bathrooms for a month.

[itistolaugh]

Oh my god!

[ Look out, she's laughing so hard she's sliding off the barstool. You've killed her, Robert! ]

[pushtheboundaries]

[oh no! better grab on to her to keep her from falling over, that would be awful. the fact that the easiest way to do it is to move his arm around her waist is just happenstance]

Careful-! I don't want to have to have an ambulance ride because you fell over and knocked your head.

[itistolaugh]

[ Well! That wasn't her plan but she'll take advantage and press against his side, leaning her head on his shoulder. 'Sup. How you doin'? ]

Oh please, don't be so dramatic. I'm not nearly as fragile as that.

[pushtheboundaries]

[unluckily for Harley, once he's sure she's stable, he'll be letting go.]

I'm allowed to worry. Alcohol does things to you. There's no way I'm going home except in a cab at this point.

[itistolaugh]

[ He can let go, but she's staying put. She is perfectly comfortable here, thank you, and it turns out he's pretty built under that awful sweatervest. Hello, sailor. ]

Uh huh.

Hey, bet I can drink you under the table.

[ Harley that is not even fair, your tolerance is stupid high. Be nice to old men. ]

[pushtheboundaries]

[his sweatervest is the peak of fashion and comfort, thank you. and oh no, you have him laughing again]

Now- I'm getting drunk, but I don't think I'm quite drunk enough to take you up on that. I'm not convinced I won't wake up in Tijuana.

[itistolaugh]

I don't think I could get you that far, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.

But since you aren't drunk enough for that, the question is are you drunk enough to stick around for when they set up the karaoke equipment?

[pushtheboundaries]

Halfway, then. Depending on how much I drink-

-and oh, no, Harley. You don't want to hear me sing. They have nice windows here, I don't want to break them!

[itistolaugh]

So the answer is not drunk enough yet. Don't you worry, we'll get there.

[pushtheboundaries]

Right. For that, you get to go up first. And I want a full song before I even think about joining you.

[also another drink how did his cup become empty]

[itistolaugh]

[ The bartender will get to know them very well. ]

As if I needed even one drink to do that! But if I do it, then you gotta do it to. You gotta. I'm pretty sure that's a law in Florida.

[pushtheboundaries]

Fine. Fine. Deal. You warm it up, and after I figure out if I want to get too drunk to remember this, I'll go up there.

[itistolaugh]

[ Harley unpins her hair and shakes it out because nobody can rock out with a tight chignon. She also unbuttons her shirt and ties it up underneath her breasts, and rolls her skirt up to mid-thigh, because karaoke is about putting on a show, Puddin'.

Really, you just can't take her anywhere. ]

All eyes on me.

[ And she blows him a kiss over her shoulder as she gets on the stage and starts the night off with "One Way or Another" because it is a federal offense not to have that at karaoke night.

She doesn't have a voice worth writing home about but goddamn does she have stage presence.]

[pushtheboundaries]

[and a body that make a dragon wanna retiROBERT NO. even he's still able to just. no. he'll just be rubbing his face at himself, mouthing 'wow' at that thought and looking down at his scotch. he's made enough poor decisions, let's not add ogling someone young enough to be his daughter to the list.

to be fair, she's probably doing it for exactly that reason. brat. but he can appreciate the humor in everything here, as can the rest of the bar, it seems; Harley gets a round of applause when she's done, Robert included.

though he's making no effort to get off his seat and head up. clearly it's because there's already someone in line to go next. yeah.]

[itistolaugh]

[ She's a little sweaty and a little out of breath when she comes back. It's very trashy romance novel cover. She pushes her hair back and leans against the bar. ]

Don't you dare disappoint me after that, Robert. I'd never let you live it down.

[pushtheboundaries]

I won't, I won't! I just want to let everyone else get their turn in, first. Patience is a virtue and all that.

[also he's kind of soaking in the warmth of the scotch in his body and kind of very lethargic right now.]