[fic] Relative Value [Numb3rs][for tainted4life]
written for a (filled multi-fandom) request made by: tainted4life
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pairing/characters: Charlie/Amita, Larry
Warnings/notes: A little ooc, perhaps.
After fifteen minutes during which Charles had spent approximately twenty dollars in as many attempts to capture a plushie that was probably only worth half that, if even that much, Larry decided that perhaps he should say something. Amita seemed torn between amusement and embarrassment, but was clearly not about to tell Charles he was being an idiot.
Larry sighed. In all likeliness, Charles would not thank him for being the voice of reason, and it was true that Charles wouldn't go broke from one afternoon spent tossing dollars in a diabolical machine that had clearly no intention of parting with any of the plushies it contained. Mostly, it was the principle of the thing and yes, a desire to not have Charles make a fool of himself in front of Amita entered into it as well, albeit only secondary, since Larry did not consider himself any kind of matchmaker.
"Impossible!" Charles made a movement as if he was about to kick the machine, then remembered his age and settled for a dirty look instead.
"Actually, it is quite possible, as has just been proven," Larry said.
"But considering the number of times I've tried, I should have been successful at least once. It's not that hard, after all - a simple mechanism, although I suppose there is an element of chance involved in that not all sides of the plushie are as easily captured and held." Charles circled the machine.
"While it certainly is true that no great amount of skill seems to be called for, I am not sure if you are not overestimating the ease with which a prize can be extracted." Larry shrugged. "The purpose of the machine is not to hand out plushies, you know - its purpose is to make money, which it wouldn't do if anyone who tried was to receive a prize."
"Mm-mm." Charles conceded Larry's point absently. "Still, it can't *never* give out any prizes - nobody'd want to play if it did that. There must be a way to get one of those plushies."
Larry swallowed a comment along the lines of how nice it was to be young and innocent. It probably wouldn't go over too well - Charles was oddly sensitive about his age sometimes.
"Maybe the glass has messed up my estimates." Charles frowned. "If I could take a look at the mechanism of the claw, I might be able to make a better projection of when to press the button to lower it."
"I ah don't think they're going to let you do anything like that," Larry said. He could picture Charles asking it though - he could picture that all too well, right to the point where Charles called Don to complain about the owner's lack of cooperation. Was there a federal law against machines that promised to give out plushies but didn't? Larry doubted it.
Charles grimaced.
"It's obviously rigged," Amita said, appearing to have finally decided to throw in her two cents', and to do so in support of Larry. Since she was the one Charles had been trying to impress, Larry allowed himself to hope her words would have an effect. "These things always are."
"Not always, perhaps, but often, yes," Larry corrected her, noticing the crushed look on Charles' face.
"But if I give up now, I'll have wasted twenty dollars," Charles protested. "Mathematically, it would be better to keep on trying and get something in return."
"Logically, it would have been better never to have tried at all, and to buy a plushie in a toy-store," Larry commented softly, loud enough for Amita to hear, but (he hoped) inaudible to Charles.
"You'll only lose more money that way," Amita pointed out. "And you promised me and Larry cotton candy." Larry had forgotten that, actually - it seemed like it had been a very long time since he'd eaten cotton candy, and he wasn't at all sure if he'd enjoy it, but he supposed he'd simply have to find out.
Charles looked frustrated. Larry could sympathize, although in a sense, he rather thought Charles should be glad Amita was letting him off the hook so easily, after his brazen promise that he'd win her a plushie she'd referred to as 'cute' - a comment that, Larry was sure, she'd made without the slightest ulterior motive and definitely not with any kind of expectation that Charles would promptly make getting her one of those plushies his goal of the afternoon, which, of course, he had.
It was, Larry supposed, one of the things he liked about Amita - her lack of, well, not a 'lack' in the strictest sense of the word, but for 'lack' of a better word, it'd have to do, awareness of the effect her words and actions could have on Charles. It was charming, really, especially since Charles, too, seemed utterly unaware of the effect some of *his* words and actions had on Amita.
The only disadvantage of it all was, of course, that for all that it was very charming and at times highly entertaining to watch, it was also slightly frustrating. Larry wasn't cut out to enlighten young(er) people about love, although he did his best every now and then, for Charles' sake as much as for Amita's.
One of these days, he hoped he'd find a right button to press at a right moment, and watch everything come together. (Until then, he'd do his best and let Charles buy him food and drinks sometime, all for the good cause of getting Charles and Amita get to know each other a little better away from the classrooms and Don's cases.)
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pairing/characters: Charlie/Amita, Larry
Warnings/notes: A little ooc, perhaps.
After fifteen minutes during which Charles had spent approximately twenty dollars in as many attempts to capture a plushie that was probably only worth half that, if even that much, Larry decided that perhaps he should say something. Amita seemed torn between amusement and embarrassment, but was clearly not about to tell Charles he was being an idiot.
Larry sighed. In all likeliness, Charles would not thank him for being the voice of reason, and it was true that Charles wouldn't go broke from one afternoon spent tossing dollars in a diabolical machine that had clearly no intention of parting with any of the plushies it contained. Mostly, it was the principle of the thing and yes, a desire to not have Charles make a fool of himself in front of Amita entered into it as well, albeit only secondary, since Larry did not consider himself any kind of matchmaker.
"Impossible!" Charles made a movement as if he was about to kick the machine, then remembered his age and settled for a dirty look instead.
"Actually, it is quite possible, as has just been proven," Larry said.
"But considering the number of times I've tried, I should have been successful at least once. It's not that hard, after all - a simple mechanism, although I suppose there is an element of chance involved in that not all sides of the plushie are as easily captured and held." Charles circled the machine.
"While it certainly is true that no great amount of skill seems to be called for, I am not sure if you are not overestimating the ease with which a prize can be extracted." Larry shrugged. "The purpose of the machine is not to hand out plushies, you know - its purpose is to make money, which it wouldn't do if anyone who tried was to receive a prize."
"Mm-mm." Charles conceded Larry's point absently. "Still, it can't *never* give out any prizes - nobody'd want to play if it did that. There must be a way to get one of those plushies."
Larry swallowed a comment along the lines of how nice it was to be young and innocent. It probably wouldn't go over too well - Charles was oddly sensitive about his age sometimes.
"Maybe the glass has messed up my estimates." Charles frowned. "If I could take a look at the mechanism of the claw, I might be able to make a better projection of when to press the button to lower it."
"I ah don't think they're going to let you do anything like that," Larry said. He could picture Charles asking it though - he could picture that all too well, right to the point where Charles called Don to complain about the owner's lack of cooperation. Was there a federal law against machines that promised to give out plushies but didn't? Larry doubted it.
Charles grimaced.
"It's obviously rigged," Amita said, appearing to have finally decided to throw in her two cents', and to do so in support of Larry. Since she was the one Charles had been trying to impress, Larry allowed himself to hope her words would have an effect. "These things always are."
"Not always, perhaps, but often, yes," Larry corrected her, noticing the crushed look on Charles' face.
"But if I give up now, I'll have wasted twenty dollars," Charles protested. "Mathematically, it would be better to keep on trying and get something in return."
"Logically, it would have been better never to have tried at all, and to buy a plushie in a toy-store," Larry commented softly, loud enough for Amita to hear, but (he hoped) inaudible to Charles.
"You'll only lose more money that way," Amita pointed out. "And you promised me and Larry cotton candy." Larry had forgotten that, actually - it seemed like it had been a very long time since he'd eaten cotton candy, and he wasn't at all sure if he'd enjoy it, but he supposed he'd simply have to find out.
Charles looked frustrated. Larry could sympathize, although in a sense, he rather thought Charles should be glad Amita was letting him off the hook so easily, after his brazen promise that he'd win her a plushie she'd referred to as 'cute' - a comment that, Larry was sure, she'd made without the slightest ulterior motive and definitely not with any kind of expectation that Charles would promptly make getting her one of those plushies his goal of the afternoon, which, of course, he had.
It was, Larry supposed, one of the things he liked about Amita - her lack of, well, not a 'lack' in the strictest sense of the word, but for 'lack' of a better word, it'd have to do, awareness of the effect her words and actions could have on Charles. It was charming, really, especially since Charles, too, seemed utterly unaware of the effect some of *his* words and actions had on Amita.
The only disadvantage of it all was, of course, that for all that it was very charming and at times highly entertaining to watch, it was also slightly frustrating. Larry wasn't cut out to enlighten young(er) people about love, although he did his best every now and then, for Charles' sake as much as for Amita's.
One of these days, he hoped he'd find a right button to press at a right moment, and watch everything come together. (Until then, he'd do his best and let Charles buy him food and drinks sometime, all for the good cause of getting Charles and Amita get to know each other a little better away from the classrooms and Don's cases.)