(Untitled)

[piperaceae]

It's been a while since Pepper's been in the bar - call it a long stretch at the office - but she seems glad enough to be back.

She's settled herself at one of the tables, occupied by a Rubik's cube that she's carried in with her from the other side of the door (not something she usually has, but one of the many odds and ends she's found lying

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[sliceitwithwind]

"Pepper!" true pleasure in his deep voice, and Xaldin moves towards her with grace and speed. He hasn't seen her in far too long for his tastes.

[piperaceae]

A smile immediately breaks over the redhead's face when she recognizes who he is.

"Xaldin," she nods, with an ill-concealed smile.

"How've you been?"

[sliceitwithwind]

He leans in, quite casually, to brush his lips against her cheek. This also brushes his sideburns against her cheek, but he doesn't mind that in the slightest.

"Very busy, but very good." he informs her, "Lots of looking for a new world for the Lessers, lots and lots of reports, and I got a kitten. How about you?"

[piperaceae]

"Nothing nearly as exciting," she declares, holding up the Rubik's cube.

"Look," Pepper says, mock solemnly, "This is what I've been reduced to."

[gondolin_noble]

"Curious." Observes someone from overhead. "Is it a time-keeper of some sort?"

You see, Glorfindel has never seen a Rubik's cube. And since it isn't quite finished, and she only moves it ever so often, he cannot quite figure out what it is she is doing with it.

And he's long ago figured out the best way to discover the answer is to ask.

...

He still hasn't learned, even after all this time, that sometimes humans don't like it when elves appear seemingly out of nowhere. Humans are terribly strange creatures, after all.

[piperaceae]

Fortunately, Pepper has seen weirder, and only looks surprised for a brief moment before a neutral expression is back on her face.

"Not in any sense of the word," she responds, holding it out for him to see.

"It's a puzzle. You're supposed to twist the blocks around until each side of it is a solid color."

[gondolin_noble]

His answering grin shows he noted the surprise, but is pleased by the recovery, and that honestly, why should she care if he is pleased or not?

He's remarkably modest, considering. Even if it's hard to tell sometimes.

"And are you making any progress? You do not seem overly frustrated."

[piperaceae]

"I'm not doing great," she admits, looking down at the cube.

"But this is one of the few places that I'm not going to get any flack for it, so I'm pretty happy."

Relegating the cube to her left hand, she offers him her right.

"Virginia Potts. Most people call me Pepper."