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."

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[animated]

What, and I'm not? [ he says as he pulls out a plate and a fork and sits down at the kitchen table with the intention of devouring said cake ]

Take a seat. I want to know what you've been up to lately, missy.

[stealwithit]

[ She shakes her head at him. ]

Have you seen yourself, Charlie? You need to put some more meat on those bones. I'm worried.

[ She is 100% joking because as you know Charlie's body is p e r f e c t and even she has to admit to that. It is so unfair. ]

[animated]

Sure you are.

I also notice you are not telling me what you've been up to lately.

[stealwithit]

I've been doing a lot of sleeping.

[ Which isn't entirely untrue... Although the generally tired expression on her face might say otherwise. There's only so much catching up on sleep you can do when you're up all night most nights and are particularly bad at sleeping in the first place. ]

[animated]

When you're not running around at the gym at one in the morning, right?

You know, I've been worried about you. You just drop off the map, you call me in the middle of the night and you're running and kicking down doors or whatever. What's up?

[stealwithit]

[ She folds her arms across her chest, although it's more of a defensive gesture than a defiant one. ]

It's... not something you should be worried about, Charlie. It's fine.

[animated]

Like it or not, I am worried. I can only see half of your face, but you still look exhausted.

[stealwithit]

[ Welp, that gives her pause. ]

Have I mentioned I'm a really light sleeper?

[animated]

[ He gives her a bit of a Look. ] Kasumi.

[ But then he sighs, expression and tone softening significantly. ]

Hey, you know you can trust me with anything, right? Ten-year-old me wasn't lying. You really are my best friend.

[stealwithit]

[ It's telling, the way she casts her gaze aside, unable to look him straight in the eye. Not that it would be that easy to tell, anyway, with the hood and all. ]

The less you know about me, Charlie, the better. Probably. [ Part of her is afraid that when he learns about all the stuff she does on the side, he'll change his mind about that whole friend thing. ]

But I feel the same way.

[animated]

Why? Are you afraid I'm going to just change my mind if I find out your deepest darkest secrets?

I'm not here to judge you. I just want to make sure you're okay.

[stealwithit]

Well. My secrets are pretty deep and dark...

[ There she goes, trying to make light of the topic at hand. ]

I'm standing right here in front of you, in one piece. I'm okay. But I really didn't want to worry you, Charlie. That's why I've been off the radar--I guess that backfired.

[animated]

[ He sets his fork down, leaving his cake untouched, and just... looks at her a moment ]

You always try to make jokes when we get too close to a topic you don't want to talk about.

[stealwithit]

... You're awfully observant, Charles Oliver Maxwell the Third.

[animated]

[ He huffs out a little laugh. He knew she'd figure out his middle name eventually. ] Comes with old age, I guess.

You have no idea what to do with the fact that I'm worried about you, do you?

[stealwithit]

[ her fingers find the edge of her hood where it meets her shoulders, skirting it tentatively--a nervous tick--and she manages a rueful little laugh of her own. ]

I guess not. That wasn't really a thing in my life back home.

[ not really since Keiji, anyway. ]

[animated]

Hey, you wanna move somewhere more private and talk?

[ They are the only ones in the house for the moment, but that could easily change.

Cake can wait, after all. ]

[stealwithit]

I...

[ what is having talks with people who aren't shepard? ]

Okay. Sure. Let's do that.

[animated]

[ He sets his cake in the fridge, maneuvering it somewhere behind Bull's gajillion beers where hopefully it will stay hidden so he can come back for it later. ]

This is the first time in a long time I've invited a girl into my room.

[ he says it with a small smile, guiding her back to where his bedroom is. The space is actually quite clean, save for a desk in one corner buried under papers that are covered in various notes and the runes of Charlie's magic.

Also books. There are books everywhere.

Once they're inside, he motions the door closed with a wave of his hand before he sits on the side of the bed. ]

Come sit with me.

[stealwithit]

I'm honored.

[ She follows him to his room slowly, and when she walks in, she can't help the little smile that forms on her face. If she ever had to imagine what Charlie's room would look like, this is basically it. Charlie, you nerd.

But that's okay, because Kasumi is one too, and she loves that he's one.

There's a moment of hesitation on her part, but she joins him and sits at the edge of the bed. ]

So...

[animated]

So, mysterious hooded lady, tell me what you've been up to. Then at least I can worry with some context.

[stealwithit]

Well... A lot, actually.

A couple of weeks ago, Jacob asked me to help him out on a little project he wanted to get started in Maurtia Falls. So, there's that, mostly. It's a lot of going back and forth and--working late, so.

[ It is not just a "little project," but okay, that's a start... ]

[animated]

Just what sort of "project" are we talking about? [ Maurtia Falls has a rep, after all ]

[stealwithit]

[ There she goes, fiddling with the edge of her hood again. ]

Meddling with organized crime and kicking the collective asses of drug lords and rich assholes?

[animated]

I knew I was onto something when I nicknamed you "Robin of the Hood".

[ He smiles at her ] And hey, guess what? My opinion hasn't changed.