Let's go to the movies.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

WHO: Rimmer and Raven.
WHERE: Stark Tower at first, then a movie theater.
WHEN: Evening 10/5/09.
WARNINGS: Nah.
SUMMARY: Rimmer's in his happy place, so to celebrate he's taking Raven to the movies. Yeah. That's his idea of a celebration.
FORMAT: Whateva.

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[darkprophecies]

Raven was still in business mode as she quickly made her way out of her place of work - it usually called for her to be proper with her words, as good of a personal assistant as she could manage to be. She barely watched where she was going, one high-heeled step in front of the other, navigating based on the emotions of people around her alone.

Her eyes were focused hard on the cellphone in her hand, thumb going a mile a minute as she worked at inputting data, replying to texts, anything to wrap up her day and get that last thing in. She was becoming more like Tony every day, it seemed.

However, in her peripheral vision, she saw the car approaching, and quickly went to send one more message out before tucking the cellphone into her bag.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

His gaze went where hers did for a second, and he saw that look of...longing? In her eyes, which he totally misinterpreted. It rather broke his heart, in a way.

"...You know, one of the things I swore I'd do if I ever found myself alive again was have a family," he confessed quietly. "Have you ever thought that? I mean, having the childhoods we did, have you ever thought to yourself, by god, I want to do it too, only this time I'll do it right? I'll show my parents how it's done. Although the only prospective mother I'd even consider is...erm."

He cut himself off ruthlessly, biting his lower lip.

[darkprophecies]

There was a squeeze on his arm at that, and she sighs a bit dejectedly, only to replace it with a bright smile at the child that comments on the 'pretty gem' on her forehead before running off.

"I'll admit it's my dream to one day have a family, so yes. However I will more than likely adopt. I don't want this curse of my heritage to be passed down to any possible children. Besides..."

She pauses to watch one of the children being lifted up onto their father's shoulders, and leans a bit more into Arnold's side. "... there are so many children without loving families who could benefit from what I could give them."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

He'd never thought of that. Adoption. Huh. It burbled around in his mind for a bit, as he pondered all of the problems that came from parenthood, from either method of having a child. He knew that he'd be a lousy father, but the prospect of "settling down" was still an enticing one. Perhaps that was why he'd been so quick to let Lyra into his home...

"I think you'd be a great mother," he said with a small smile. "Always knowing what your child was feeling. That's definitely handy."

He rested the side of his head against the top of hers, wondering at the turn this conversation had taken. That he'd steered it towards.

"Anybody would be lucky to benefit from what you have to give. I know I am."

[darkprophecies]

"Mmn, but it takes far more than just empathy to be a good mother, I'm afraid. I have no experience with raising children, and was never around my own mother to learn anything from her to begin with. That may or may not have been a good thing, considering her choices."

She was suddenly aware at how they were standing, but simply smiled and accepted it warmly. This was something she was getting used to - quickly, at that. She had always been affectionate toward her friends when purified of the demon - and her team had always been like this with one another as it was. It wasn't strange territory to her, although she knew Harry or even Peter would flip if they saw her like this.
Someone hadn't hugged either of them enough as a child...

"But... I've been wrong about myself before, I may as well be wrong about that as well."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Whereas he had been incredibly conscious of their posture the whole time, and was having a minor internal struggle about it. On the one hand, he knew it to be entirely innocent on his end, with absolutely no undertones to it whatsoever. He had simply gotten used to being...well, physically affectionate, so it didn't seem wrong.

On the other hand, he was well aware of how they must have looked to the other passers-by. A thirty-something man walking closely, arm in arm, with a beautiful, "teenage" girl. Hm.

...Smeg, that did look bad, didn't it? And what would that boyfriend of hers say?

He gently disentangled himself.

"I think everybody just learns their own way. We teach people how to drive, and how to operate heavy machinery, and how to use bandsaws so they don't slice their fingers off, but we don't teach them how to be parents..."

[darkprophecies]

If she had known the exact thoughts running around in his head about the matter, she would have said something to reassure him. However this body didn't grant her the telepathic powers she once had. So instead she had to settle for a tug of disappointment on her own behalf.

"When the time comes, I hope I'll be ready and knowledgable. But, one step at a time, correct?" she glanced up at him with a soft expression.
She never talked about this with her teammates, possibly because they were all actual teenagers themselves, still plotting out the course of their lives. ... She was too, in a way, just... a little more seriously than going to highschool here, or getting a part-time job. She would probably be lectured for some of the plan rolling around in her head involving settling down and starting a family. They never did understand that part of her...

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"One step at a time, indeed," he agreed with a little smile. "Not to mention the fact that raising a family here would be foolish in the extreme. How can you have stability when there's always the prospect of mum or father vanishing in an instant?"

There was a great wash of bitterness at this thought, naturally.

"...Do you ever feel like your entire life is on hold? Or worse, has passed you by entirely? I feel like that all the time."

[darkprophecies]

"The concept of being ported out while raising a family? I don't see that as any different from raising a family in our own worlds. But perhaps that's because I view it as a life cycle, rather than a technological phenominon." there was a pause, she couldn't let too much emotion seep into her tone. It would let on that she had been thinking about this for a long time now. "In my world, it's very common to hear about friends dying... on a monthly, sometimes weekly basis. Yet some of them have decided to get married, have children. But they always risk being taken away from them in an instant. Life is unpredictable like that."
There's an inhale. She was already in this conversation too deep.
"Besides... I can't think of anyone I would want to raise a family with who isn't... here... in this place."

Best to let it drop, Raven. Really.
"I used to feel like my life was on hold like that. But... then I decided to take hold of the reigns of my life and do something about it. Not take a single moment for granted."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Too late. He caught that tone, that deeper emotion, and paused to look down at her in a very serious fashion again.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not speaking in the hypothetical? The person you want to raise a family with...it's not the young man you're dating, is it?"

It was meant as a sincere question, to start, but slid into the implication that he already knew the answer and was demanding the truth from her.

[darkprophecies]

There was a sound of discomfort that leaves her throat at that. Damn it all, she really needs to get some less observant friends... she can never get away with anything like this. Not to mention the feeling of dread was starting to creep into her stomach - it came from having her entire team practically hiss whenever Harry's name was mentioned to them.
She expected nothing less in this situation.

"... We have our rough times, yes, as any couple does. But---"

Her voice trails off for a second as she tries to put the words together in her head first.
"... he would make a wonderful father, and he's supportive of me. He didn't even blink an eye and forgave me immediately after what happened with the demons... and he had been forced to be the most ruthless of them all. It's just... how he is, and---"

A cringe, and she's suddenly unable to look Arnold in the eye.
"I love him."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"You didn't answer my question, Raven," he responded gently. Rimmer. Being understanding. Apparently he does have a nice streak that he kept well, well hidden, and only came out around certain people.

He angled himself next to her, and gently put a finger under her chin, to tilt her face back up.

"I don't doubt you love him at all. And if he hadn't forgiven you, I'd be forced to...glare at him from a safe distance. But he's not the one you want to raise a family with, is he?"

[darkprophecies]

... This had to be a joke. Rambling on in such a way would have easily thrown off anyone Raven could think of off the top of her mind. Perhaps even Batman himself could have fallen for that line of thinking. Yet here was Arnold, seeing right through her as if she was made of glass.

After a few moments of silent staring at him, her shoulders slumped.
"No, he isn't."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Rimmer was about as self-centered as a top, 99% of the time. His ego wouldn't allow him to see past the tip of his nose. But then he met a certain redhead who'd forced him to pay attention. Pay attention to the little things, tones of voice, body language.

Not to mention that he was the king of blowing off personal questions, and recognized tap-dancing when he saw it.

"Mm. I knew it," he said, looking slightly smug. "And I suspect I know who you're thinking of, but I won't pry much further. Dear, you're still young. You've got plenty of time for family, in spite of the temporary nature of...everything. All right? It'll happen for you when it's time."

Then he paused.

"Listen to me, I sound like some self-help guru on quaaludes."

[darkprophecies]

At that she just shook her head with a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. He was right, of course... it would happen one day, Azar willing, and she would welcome that day with open arms when it did. Until then, she had this - friends who had become like a family to her. They were the ones she had to care for and look after right now.

"To be fair, it isn't even who you're thinking of. I know this because I never told you about this person, and he isn't even here." there's a pause, and she takes a few steps forward as it gets closer to their turn in line. "Yet. It would honestly be my only chance - if he came here, that is."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"Oh!" His eyebrows went up in surprise, and he made an interested face. "Goodness gracious. You've managed to surprise me. Deary me, how many swains do you have, missy?"

He was teasing her, naturally. Trying to steer the conversation back away from these 'family' matters. Why had he gone there in the first place? It was a mystery in his own mind. What strange, furtive urge in his soul brought out talk of family around her?