(Untitled)

[victoryisboring]

Mai pauses as she opens the door to find Milliways.

This place again.

Well, she's here. And the tea is good. She might as well stick around.

Which means that a few minutes later she's sitting at a table out of the way with a teapot and a single glass. She is neither expecting nor inviting company.

(But don't let that stop you!)

Comments

[river_meimei]

River won't!

Well, if 'company' includes 'drifting by the table, holding a mug of hot chocolate very carefully in both hands.'

River's hands are steady, but all the same the whipped cream has slopped a little at least once.

[victoryisboring]

Mai spends a lot of time looking like she's not paying attention while paying a lot of attention. She notices River, or at least she notices the way River moves.

Which means she's watching River quite intently.

[river_meimei]

River's grace is an odd one: smooth, balletic and barefoot, and yet she places her feet with a care that suggests either a pattern of her own devising or obstacles visible to no one else, and there's an almost childish intensity of focus on carrying that mug. Her gaze flicks away, skidding across thin air to fix on something across the room, and then to Mai.

[victoryisboring]

Mai flicks her gaze to whatever nothing River is looking at before she turns it back to River.

That girl is dangerous.

[river_meimei]

"You're waiting," River says, head cocked slightly.

It's hard to say if it's question or statement. It's calm, anyway, and a little distant.

[victoryisboring]

"Am I?" Mai asks, voice barely rising in question at the end.

[river_meimei]

"It's in the habitual procedures."

River sounds almost friendly.

[victoryisboring]

"I'm not a big fan of doing what's expected," Mai says slowly.

[river_meimei]

River's smile is quick and small, and incongruous: a flash of brightness, there and gone.

"That too."

[victoryisboring]

"You are odd."

Mai isn't sure why she feels the need to mention it. It's sort of obvious.

[river_meimei]

River agrees that it's an unnecessary statement.

Amiably enough, but still.

"It's mutuality," she informs Mai.

[victoryisboring]

Mai cocks her head curiously.

Most people know better than to give a girl as crazy as River the sort of training she obviously have. That makes Mai a bit wary.

[river_meimei]

The Academy doctors had many, many ideas that most people know better than to consider. 'Let's make crazy supergenius psychic assassins!' does not top the average to-do list.

River peers back.

(The hot chocolate is tilting precariously.)

[victoryisboring]

Mai simply continues her seemingly-casual observation of River, watching as the mug tips in almost-fascination.

She's... not going to let it spill is she?

[river_meimei]

Possibly Mai is boring.

Possibly something in the rafters is just really interesting.

At any rate, her head cocks upwards, her attention pulled away.

(The hot chocolate tilts mostly upright again, without spilling. Whether this is because of River's skill or because Bar is wise enough to not fill her mugs up all the way is open to interpretation.)

[victoryisboring]

Almost against her will, Mai's neck cranes around in an attempt to see whatever has River enthralled.

But, as far as she can tell, there's nothing there.