milliways_bar | (no subject)

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[oom: A long talk with her daughter was long overdue.]

Now that that's out of the way, Little Washuu can start thinking about getting back to work for real. She has a key to drop off, either with its owner or with Bar. She's also going to have one more meal before she goes back to neglecting herself for science. She'll eat then go back to the lab.

At least, that's the plan before she realizes her feet are stuck to the ground near the bar. "What the..." She looks up and sees the mistletoe. "Oh sure. Very funny. Well, 'tis the season." So for now there's a very grown-up scientist stuck to the floor. Little help?

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"Hey, washuu. Wassup?" Oh, Plain Common Guy to the rescue!

"Ben, hi." She does forget how it feels to look down at people. "How've you been?" Good thing she was caught at a good balance point, or she'd topple over.

"I am fine, and you?" Wow, Washuu has this skill for looking good... damn good.

"I think someone's playing a holiday joke." She makes a show of trying to move her feet, and it's really not working.

"Someone put glue on the floor, or what?" It is Milliways, you never know how people might be doing things, pranks and making trouble.

"No, but I think this has something to do with it." She points up at the sprig of greenery above her. "Look familiar?"

"Mistletoe. Looks like it." And very naturally, in a casual move, Ben steps up, tiptoes, and gives Washuu a kiss. A nice, light one. "People under the mistletoe are obliged to kiss."

"That explains it then." Now she's free, so she'll give Ben a hug, stepping away from the sticking spot.

"Thanks for the rescue." Her voice is low and teasing.

"That was it? Magical mistletoe that holds people until they kiss?" Ben shakes head, holding lightly to the woman. "You are welcome..." And he is glad she is not upset with him, or at least seems to not be.

"Seems like this will be an interesting place to hang out at, you know. Rescuing as many pretty girls as you can from the mistletoe." Washuu winks at him.

Ben shakes head. "More likely ending with a broken jaw and half my teeth missing. I can not just offer a 'freeing kiss' to a stranger." Oh yes, he is back to a bad, low-self-esteem mood.

This is a different Ben from the one who stepped into the middle of a fight.

"Is something wrong?" Washuu's concern shows in her eyes.

"Eh, I just keep screwing up things. I am sure Ryoko hates me now, and I deserve it." Ben shakes head, looking down.

Damn, his life is a rollercoaster of emotions.

"Trust me, she doesn't hate you." Washuu taps her own temple. "I'd know, wouldn't I? She's just...distracted, lately."

From hated to insignificant, does not seem to be a good change for Ben. What really is bothering him, is the surety of having lost a friend... and it being his own damn fault. "Okay."

"I am so sorry you got caught between us, but it can't be as bad as you think. Have you gone to see her lately? Surely she hasn't walked by you without noticing? In Milliways it can be easy to miss each other for weeks at a time." Hence the length of time it took her to run into Ryoko herself.

"No, I have not." becaus he does fully expect things to be bad, terrible, and he completely thinks Ryoko is justified in not wanting to see him again. "Did not see her since that night." Not even a glimpse.

"She hid from me for days, then she ran off for some therapeutic pirating. I only found her in her room last night and we talked. I think she's back to normal now, and if she saw you, she'd be happy." Washuu laughs, trying to sound encouraging.

"She didn't even try to kill me, why would she be mad at you?"

Because he is a dumb kid who can not control his hormones and show some consideration? Because he is a nosy brat messing in things that are not of his business? Because he is a shithead, clumsy, klutz and stupid?

But Ben does not say it. "I guess I can try." Even if he does not plan to. But he will not let Washuu think he is angling for pity there.

There may be no mental connection between Ben and Washuu, but human body language is pretty easy to read sometimes.

"You know you didn't do anything wrong, right?" Her eyes narrow, pinning Ben with her gaze.

"I didn't do anything, I did everything wrong." He can not blame a single thing, it is his fate: no matter how much he works, he comes short and the wrong way on his attempts.

Silly Ben, thinking he could escape the fucked-up-ness of his world...

The urge to slap him was rising; it probably wouldn't help, though.

"You're her friend, you're my friend. You did nothing wrong, and feeling bad about it doesn't do anyone good and it only does you harm." Her voice is very firm.

"Washuu, it happens all the time. No matter what I try, I end screwing it up in the end." And that seems to be some new law of nature.

"I said I was going to investigate that, and I will. I think there is something off about your world, and when I find out what it is, I'll make it leave you alone. Okay?"

"And what if it's not only my world, but it's me as well? The world is screwed up, I am screwed up." It makes sense to him.

"Not necessarily, not judging by my preliminary analysis." And anyway, the truth could be whatever Washuu decided it would be. What's the fun of being the Greatest if you can't use it for your own purposes from time to time?

Ben just sighs. He will believe when he does -not- screw up things in the end.

She sighs. "Look, I can't promise that things will get better, but I can tell you that you're a good man. That's rare enough, I assure you." She turns to bring up her console. "There's something I want you to have." A little thing like a cross between a doorbell and a garage door opening pops out of a dimensional hole. She examines it before handing it to Ben.

"It's a dimensional door opener; attach it to a door with this button, and that door will open into my lab. If you push the blue button, it'll take you to the Atrium. The green one will take you to the Terrariums, and the red one will take you to wherever I am at the time in the lab."

Edited 2007-12-26 08:48 (UTC)

Ben looks over the object, and smiles a bit. "Thanks, Washuu. Hope you don't mind a random visit once in a while, then."

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