BUT TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT WE CAN REALLY LET GO ( OPEN )

[medusalith]

Date & Time: SATURDAY AT FIVE ( IT'S BACKDATED )
Location: DITR's offices in the hold, possibly spilling out into the hall if it gets super crowded.
Characters: Medusa, Saul, the staff of DITR, and YOU
Summary: In an effort to promote COMMUNITY OUTREACH the DITR hosts an open house! Free food and drink - you can't say no to that.
Warnings: Nothing? If anything comes up, please mark it in thread headers.

( IT'S A PARTY. THERE IS MUSIC OF QUESTIONABLE TASTE - PROBABLY ONE OR TWO ONE HIT WONDERS FROM THE 1980S ON REPEAT BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY COULD FIND UNTIL ANNE SINGS. THERE IS ALSO FOOD, BUT IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN THE MUSIC. THINK OPEN HOUSE FOOD - CHEESE AND CRACKERS AND MEATS AND LOTS OF DAINTY DESSERTS.

AND WINE. THERE IS LOTS OF WINE.

TAG YOURSELF IN OR HIT ANYONE ELSE UP - IT'S A FREE FOR ALL. )

Comments

[speakveryclearly]

Oh, I see. How fortunate. [The corners of her lips turn down at this unexpected reply. If the gap between now and the in-evitable backlash is so long, what could the United Earth have planned next? A more effective bombing - nuclear...? There's nothing they can do about the storm until it hits, though, except perhaps cover up, which may or may not be the motivation for her dress too, shut up Mr. Goodman you're an Exile physiologically before Cody got his hands on you.]

I was on separate mission but I did retroactively see Feferi's [though it's the other troll girl she doesn't bother identifying her as such or her friend] announcement about the Cretaceous-era mission. It's wonderful to see the department functioning so well.

[5055034455]

[Saul's worried, too. He knows better than to get too comfortable with the relative calm and quiet that have settled around them — something's going to happen, he's sure. Sooner or later. Probably sooner.

His eyebrows raise slightly at her mention of Feferi. Huh. It's good that they know each other. Maybe they're friends.]

Well gosh, thanks.

[speakveryclearly]

[She puts her gloved hand on the back of her head, blinking a little bit as she thinks about what other information she might want and how to get it.]

It's a good thing she was allowed to become a liaison, I wouldn't be nearly as suited for the position. Not many trolls can charm humans as well as her.

[5055034455]

She is pretty charming.

[Mostly cute, though. Saul likes her because she listens to him.

He grins a little wryly.]

So the rest of you are more like Sollux, then?

[speakveryclearly]

[She doesn't really relish the comparison, and it's clear on her face she can't keep from getting cross, glowing a little more harshly - whether that happens when she's compared to Sollux or with the indirect affirmation that Feferi is more charismatic than her is hard to say.]

You could say that, but I'd say it's more nuanced than that. Interspecies communication requires both confidence, comfort with your mode of discourse, and charm, politeness and kindness; I think she's the only one of us who has both in sufficiently high measure.

[5055034455]

[Whoops.

Note to self, Saul: Don't make the troll glow.]

And which do you have?

[speakveryclearly]

[As her smile widens, more obviously polite and forced, she can't help allowing her teeth to protrude. Hardly any trolls look like omnivores. Feferi has the dentition of a shark, Sollux something more modest like a dog. Kanaya's teeth are sharp mainly in the canines, easily twice as long as the surrounding teeth and unapologetically pointed.

She continues to glow.]

Mine would be modesty, sir.

[5055034455]

[His smile widens as well — it's genuine, a little amused, and not at all nervous, even in spite of those choppers she's got going on.]

Ah. Of course.

[He takes a sip from his glass, then switches it between hands so he can offer her his right.]

Saul Goodman. There's no need for the "sir."

[speakveryclearly]

Mr. Goodman, then. I'm Kanaya, and I suppose nobody will call me Ms. Maryam until I "turn eighteen".

[She raises her hand to shake his in a gesture that is not exactly awkward; her tighter expression, as her lips tuck her fangs underneath them once more, just indicates that she views this cultural ritual much like petting a snake. When it's over she thinks for a moment.]

Is that a common pattern of surnames for men in your world?

[5055034455]

I'll call you that, if it's what you prefer.

[Why not, right?

His handshake is equally firm. Maybe she'll notice that his hands are a little softer than one might expect, but that just adds to the warm friendliness of the gesture.]

What do you mean?

[speakveryclearly]

[Any special mode of reference is something that gets to her like the sucker she is. The corners of her lips actually turn up instead of lengthen outward for the first time, and the glow around her face warms up while it gets softer - analogous to a flattered slight flush.]

Like Mr. Pinkman. Oh, and Dr. Freeman.

[5055034455]

[Great. Saul can breathe a little more easily, now that she doesn't look quite so radioactive.

The mention of a Pinkman, naturally, earns her 100% of Saul's attention. Where he was glancing around on occasion before, he's now focused on her completely, one eyebrow slightly arched.]

I take it the Pinkman you're referring to is Jesse.

[speakveryclearly]

Yes. [She gives a calm nod.] He's... [He's just this guy, you know?] One of the only Initiative workers I know who'd also been somewhere else before here, he's been quite helpful in his time here.

[5055034455]

[Yeah. Saul knows.]

Jesse's a good kid. We're from the same place.

[speakveryclearly]

Oh, really? I'd wondered if that was the case. You have that same--

[Middle class white guy look. She can't articulate that.]

Network usage pattern.

[5055034455]

[Whatever it is she just articulated, Saul doesn't get it. He arches an eyebrow.]

What?

[speakveryclearly]

Just. That doesn't surprise me.

[5055034455]

I'm not sure what you mean by "network usage pattern."

[That sounds like some robotic bullshit.

Are the trolls also robots?

ROBOTROLLS?]

[speakveryclearly]

[By now she's at least figured out what she was trying to say there.]

I mean I see you answering his posts sometimes, rather regularly.

[NOT THAT THERE AREN'T TROLL ROBOTS OUT THERE.

...Seriously.]

[5055034455]

Ah.

[Of course there are.

It doesn't show in Saul's expression or body language, but he's always uncomfortable when people bring up what he's done on the network. He really needs to start being more careful.]

Yeah. We're friends.

[speakveryclearly]

I'm curious - what came first, your employment or his?

[5055034455]

He's my client.

[Look at her, fishing for deets.]

[speakveryclearly]

I meant, with the Initiative, did your ascension to the Department come before or after his acquisition as a chemist.

Now I'm confused as to what kind of client you mean.

[5055034455]

Oh, uh — yeah, he was here first. As for the client thing, I'm a lawyer. He's my client. Simple as that.

[lol no it's not.]

[speakveryclearly]

I see. [She doesn't know much about law or its practice on Earth. It's still strange that they'd have a working relationship even here... Mr. Pinkman's never committed any crimes, right?



Human romance sure is weird.]

It's really nice that both of you are working so hard here. [She doesn't want to say it's especially rare for outwardly normal humans but she's thinking the hell out of it.]