IC CONTACT | Mask or Menace

[animated]

"Hey, you've reached Charlie Maxwell. Leave me a message. Or just text me. I might get back to you faster that way."

Comments

at the kitchen table;

[orangehoodie]

Charlie.

[The Bull is out or something. The others? Preoccupied somewhere. Nonah 05 has plenty of places for people to hide. Anyway, they're alone. And Ken sits across from Charlie with his (still completely full after 20 minutes) mug of coffee, raises it to his mouth to attempt to take a sip, and sets it down with a Very Serious Face.]

Are you and Kasumi-san dating?

[animated]

[ for his own part, Charlie is standing at the stove, scrambling eggs, because he is house dad and this is what he does.

He glances over his shoulder at Ken, one eyebrow arching ] Where did that come from?

[orangehoodie]

[He raises the coffee again. And decides not to so he sets it aside. Yet another day of not conquering the caffeine.]

Just curious, really. I just found out that one of my friends had... has? Seven. Girlfriends.

[animated]

[ Now both eyebrows go up at that, but he turns back to his cooking soon enough. ] Well, far be it from me to comment on other people's dating habits.

But to answer your question, I love Kasumi dearly and we're friends, but we're not dating.

[orangehoodie]

Can I ask why? I mean, you love her... but you're not?

[it doesn't occur to him to ask if it was unrequited but that's for the best]

[animated]

[ Charlie gives a little laugh, dishing the eggs from his skillet onto a pair of plates, one of which he slides in front of Ken ]

Because I'm gay, that's why.

[orangehoodie]

[Ken's about to thank him for the plate but--]

... A what?

[animated]

[ Charlie just. Stares at him for a moment. ]

Do you really not-- oh, you sweet summer child.

It means I prefer to be romantic with men, not women.

[orangehoodie]

[Ken stares back, then blinks once. Twice. Then:]

... Oh.

[He knows what that is. It was in his social studies textbook. Something about how people of the same sex weren't allowed to marry each other. But that doesn't affect his view of what Charlie tells him, because it's not like something banned by law is always wrong or bad. So he blinks again.]

So... people like Star-Lord-san?

[animated]

...Did you seriously call him "Star-Lord-san"?

[ STAY ON TOPIC CHARLIE ] I mean, we've gone on a date, but that's about it.

[orangehoodie]

Aoki-san said he liked being called that, and it's still weird to remove the honorific.

I guess that means Kasumi-san was wrong, though.

[animated]

Wrong about what?

[orangehoodie]

She said you were "basically like Prince Charming." But we went to Disneyland on our trip, but the princes always only got princesses, and the princesses only got princes.

I mean, I guess you could still be like one of the princes, but he'd still be -- you know -- um, not... gay? so it's different?

[animated]

[ This sure went in a direction he wasn't expecting it to. ]

Well... some people aren't as open-minded as others. Just because Disney thinks Prince Charming can't be gay doesn't mean that's true.

[orangehoodie]

Mmm. I guess so. [But it's not?? explicitly canon?? Ken's very confused.]

It's too bad. Well, I don't think you have to worry about Mr Bull or me being 'not as open-minded' at least? I mean... I don't judge that sort of stuff considering all other issues. [little does he know]

[animated]

[ His eyebrows go up for a second.

Wow. He and Iron Bull must be better at stealth than he thought. ]

I appreciate it, Ken. You're a good kid.

[orangehoodie]

[Ninja levels.

The urge to brush off the thanks and the comment rises up again. He totally hates that. (He doesn't.) (It's just embarrassing.) But he bites it down and turns his attention to his food instead, picking up his fork and stabbing into the poor scrambled egg to hide that his face is a little red.]

I don't think you deserve anything but support. So I hope everyone who knows has given you that.