[ SEMI-OPEN ]

[ct_7567]

WHO: Those who have been invited & anyone who would have a reason to visit Maurtia Falls #010! Wondering if you fit into that category? Just contact anyone with an involved character (Andy; Rex; Martin; Cassandra Igarashi; Dio; Archie) and ask!
WHERE: Maurtia Falls #010
WHEN: TONIGHT? TONIGHT.
WHAT: The soldierfam has decided that regular group dinners are good for Martin, and this time they've got a few party crashers!
WARNINGS: None anticipated; will change if necessary!



At a glance, one could easily mistake Maurtia Falls #010 for being entirely uninhabited. Dio rarely returns home and Rex and Marty only have a handful of belongings between the two of them and Rex is meticulously tidy, returning everything to exactly where it ought to be - if anything, it's Andy who makes the biggest mess around the place, and she doesn't even live here.

Despite every sign to the contrary, however, they do live here, and it winds up being a hub of activity whenever one of Martin's guardians - if that's truly what they can call themselves - decides that it's about time to get everyone together for dinner. In Anderson's absence, Rex has taken on the opinion that cooking can't be that hard, which is how they wind up with one window open, a casserole dish burned black soaking in the sink and an assortment of take-out on the table.

(As it turns out, it is that hard - and he found a combination pizza & Chinese food take-out place, whiich means that it can only be better.)

In all, there's not much to do or see here; there's food, Rex the goldfish in his tank, a soccer ball neatly tucked close to the house in the backyard, and a mysterious shelf called "Martin's Things" in the cupboard. Otherwise, you're stuck with nothing more than some potential awkward conversation. Have fun, kids!

Comments

[killtime]

That's probably true, though Andy somewhat doubts her own influence is as good for Martin as Rex's or Anderson's might be. Not a single one of them is really the ideal parent, but Andy might be a little less put together than the others. Her moral compass might also not be quite as straight. It's knowing this about herself that makes her half-amused at Archie's optimism.

"I'm sure you're right," she responds with a mild wryness. "Besides, the kid could learn from examples of what not to do."

[h2no]

That makes him laugh lightly, ending it with a light Aahhh, shit.

"That's a good point if anythin'." He runs a hand over his head, through his hair. "Could probably get enough examples from any of us to actually be okay. Some kinda weird reverse psychology parenting."

Seems like it would work in theory, at least.

"Alright, alright. I guess if we're gonna be in the Martysphere we might we all get each other's names, huh? I'm Archie."

[killtime]

A mild sort of recognition lights on Andy's face.

"Oh. So you're Archie," she answers after a beat.

Somehow, he's not exactly what she pictured — but then again, she hadn't really pictured much either. His name was just a passing mention between her and Rex, something fleetingly discussed when the subject of soccer club came up. Maybe she should have asked more then, but she trusts Rex, and more importantly, she tries not to involve herself any more than she has to — though that's a half-moot point by now. At least when it comes to Martin Darkov.

"I'm Andy. Just Andy."

[h2no]

He looks a little unsure.

"No-one... usually says that with good intent," He offers with a light laugh. Archie can't tell if it's a good thing? She doesn't seem to know about the Sharpedo Bullshit, so possibly.

"Nice to meet you regardless, Just."

Said with a shitty grin, like his heinous dad joke is the best thing ever.

[killtime]

It takes her a second to catch the joke, and her response is to exhale with a light roll of her eyes — but it's mostly for show. If anything, it's a bit reassuring, as far as first impressions go. Usually a person with a shit-eating grin and an arsenal of bad dad jokes isn't sinister at heart. Usually. That, and Rex's endorsement, make for a solid case in Archie's favor.

"I didn't mean it with any particular intent," she responds mildly. "Rex mentioned you to me once. I didn't ask. But here you are, so." Another light shrug. "Don't worry. I won't bite, and I'm not judging. Not too hard, anyway."

[h2no]

"Well... I'd probably have it comin' anyway," he says with a shrug, leaning forward to grab his mug. "How long have you been here?"

He's digging, but... not with any particular intent. Archie's, unfortunately, the kind of person who'd rather have small talk filling the silence than have a silence at all, even if it's not awkward. Not to mention... it's kind of the expected line of questioning between imPorts, he feels. He's interested to get to know people, it's just how he is.

[killtime]

"A couple months."

Honestly, that's hardly any time at all. She's barely even keeping track of it right now — even a year or two isn't much to the likes of her. It is long enough to have gotten to know people though — well enough to feel invested, however reluctantly. She's even started forming routines around them. Now there's a disturbing thought she doesn't care to dwell on.

Still. If Archie's going to be hanging around anyway, she might as well know a few essential things.

"What do you do anyway?"

[h2no]

"Just wait until you hit the year mark. You'll be worn down enough to actually want to throw a party."

It's vaguely amusing to him how Andy asked him the same question in the same tone Rex had. Maybe they're from the same world? Maybe they're related? Wouldn't surprise him at this rate.

"I do underwater filming for a documentary network, swim lessons on the weekend and... pet healin' whenever I feel like it," he answers. It's a lot, but all things he genuinely enjoys, never work a day in your life, ect. "You?"

[killtime]

Truthfully, Andy somewhat doubts that. She's almost 7,000 years old — a year is heartbeat for her. But that isn't really the sort of thing you just say out loud to someone you just met. Besides, it's not like she needs an excuse to drink herself stupid — that's already her coping mechanism of choice. Why wait for a year?

"You're not very aerodynamic, for someone who spends so much time in the water." She might be joking. Mocking maybe, but it's almost friendly. "Less streamlined swimmer, more buff-and-bearded."

Pointedly, she has neglected to explain what it is that she does.

[h2no]

Archie almost slips up. He almost slips up and mentions his shark that helps with it, but stops himself at the last moment, leaving him opening his mouth and saying nothing for a few awkward, awkward seconds.

"Ah-- that's why they invented flippers. So bricks like me can actually move around."

He'd noted she hadn't mentioned anything and raises his eyebrows a smidge.

"If I had to guess... you're a cop like Rex?" He asks, figuring they have a similar personality. Sound logic.

[killtime]

Andy actually huffs out a light, amused breath at his response. At least he takes her teasing in stride — that's always a good quality for someone who's going to have to deal with her more than a few times. Truthfully, the better she gets to know a person, the worse the taunting gets.

"You think I look like a cop?" There's a certain entertained quality to her dry tone. "I guess that's flattering, depending on who you ask." Because while Rex is the epitome of a disciplined soldier, Andy spent most of the dinner party drinking in the bathroom, and while the comparison is probably an insult to Rex, it is, in turn, a compliment to Andy. "But no, I'm not a cop. I was a bouncer for a while, in De Chima."

[ Was. Past tense as of recently, because she was a little too rough with the rowdy drunks. ]

[h2no]

"Someone with authority," he follows up, "through literal means or just through how you carry yourself."

The anti-social part is definitely part of what made him think that. He hasn't seen Rex around recently... and the bathroom's presumably free now Andy is out of it.

"Close enough!" Archie chirps, not even close to derailed by being wildly wrong. "You sure got the face for being a bouncer, ha!"

[killtime]

It's probably the whole "been-alive-several-thousand-years" thing that gives her that air of authority — but Andy's just as full of shit as the next person, maybe even more so for having been rooted in her own ways for so long. Centuries of trial-and-error have given her that combination of apathy and confidence that makes it seem like she knows what she's doing.

"Yeah?" Her response comes dryly. "You saying I have a scary face, Archie?"

But she's not offended. Definitely still amused, and being a little mean by purposefully hiding that under the dryness of her voice.

[h2no]

"Absolutely terrifying. Like you could curdle milk by glaring at it."

It's a special skill to have-- Archie's good enough at bullshitting his way through things he doesn't know or the rare times people actually look to him for guidance. He was the leader of Team Aqua for a reason, though his attitudes have changed wildly. For the best, really. No-one wants him to try and end this world.

...Again.

[killtime]

Andy eyes him for a long moment, her expression absolutely unreadable for several seconds before she finally glances away with an entertained huff of breath. You know what, she'll take it. Terrifying is a useful thing to be. And she definitely has a face — sloe-eyed, an often severe mouth, and that strongly Grecian nose.

"Yeah, well, keep that in mind if you ever think you might piss me off then," she responds with her usual wryness. "I'd hate to do to you what I do to milk."

[h2no]

He chuckles, but not in a way that suggests he's not taking her words seriously. He'd be stupid not to, especially with the whole superpowers thing in the mix.

"I'll make sure to start bringin' cakes over for ya with the stuff for Rex and Martin to stay on your good side," he teases.

[killtime]

Andy scoffs lightly, amused by the idea of being bribed with desserts. Not that she's never been bribed before, but she isn't really the type of person that people bring around baked goods for. Maybe it's just that lack of a neighborly air.

"That's sweet of you," she answers mildly, "You bring stuff over for the boys a lot?"

[h2no]

"Have you seen the dish in the kitchen?"

There's no doubt in his mind Rex is very good at other things, it's just too bad food isn't one of them.

"I could pay off my mortgage if I'd put 'em on a tab. Sometimes you just gotta buy people's love--" and forgiveness for accidentally letting your pet shark almost eat a small child "--by shoving a variety of food at 'em."

[killtime]

She has seen the dish in the kitchen. And made her best attempt to scrub it clean — but even an immortal like Andy is apparently powerless against the charred remains of whatever Rex had been trying to cook. It's probably good they have someone around that has any skill whatsoever in the kitchen. Andy hasn't tried to cook properly in a century, at least — and even if she wanted to dust off her kitchen chops, cooking for others is a little too openly sentimental for her.

"If it works," Andy replies with a light shrug. She won't underplay the influence of food — even if she couldn't starve to death herself. They do have a saying about armies and bellies, don't they? "But I really doubt they'd tell you to fuck off if you stopped feeding them." Wryly then: "They're nice like that."

[h2no]

"Probably not," he says, though he doesn't sound very sure.

That's not something he really wants to get into, though, so he's eager to move past it.

"What about you? Better at it than Rex?"

[killtime]

"Maybe." The wry tone hasn't left her voice. "But that isn't saying much, is it? Better stick to whatever it is you're feeding them, or it'll be take-out until the fucking cows come home."

Yeah, the charred whatever that's now soaking in the kitchen sink isn't much competition for anyone. It's definitely not edible, and probably never was.

"If you ever get Ported out, there's a non-zero chance that they'll actually starve."