[OOM: The Fray-Hamato household]

[mnr_splinter]

Mel and Mike's comfortably cluttered home has become a bit more tidy and refined with Splinter living in residence.
It smells less of baking, there is no sign of dust anywhere, and for the first time EVER there is tea in the kitchen

Comments

[realmrsreynolds]

"Don't tell me they've been making you clean around here."

The voice is from the woman in the doorway, who has long since gotten over her compulsion to knock and wait for someone to let her in at Mike's.

[mnr_splinter]

"Years of practice," he says smirking into his cup of tea.

[realmrsreynolds]

"Exactly."

[mnr_splinter]

Pause.
Blink.

"Touche."

Splinter sits back slightly, and gives Sallie an appraising look.

"Though, I might need to ask you when you began your ninjitsu training, what with the speed with which you have disarmed my attempt at small talk."

[realmrsreynolds]

D:!

"I certainly didn't mean to? I just - it's a complicated question, how I got to be where I am. It's over half my life, and I'm not really thinking you're going to want that whole thing. I didn't make nearly enough pie for that."

[mnr_splinter]

His face may be somber, but his eyes are bright with amusement.

"I'm sure other refreshments can be procured."

[realmrsreynolds]

Well.

Okay.

"Can I ask you somethin' before I launch into that whole saga?

"Why do you want to know?"

[mnr_splinter]

"You are a fascinating woman who I would like to know better.
...

Also, I don't get out much."

[realmrsreynolds]

A couple things happen here, sort of all at once.

Sallie, despite working outside most of her life, is incredibly pale. When 'fascinating woman' hits her ears and she processes it, she blushes a rather vibrant pink.

The follow-up commentary of not getting out much is given a rather indelicate snort. You're at the end of the universe. How much more out can you get? she thinks, but that's really not the point, is it?

"I suppose the simple answer is that I married into it..."

The longer answer takes about fifteen minutes, glossing over any nastier aspects of her divorce and the Unification War, and ending something along the lines of, "...which brings me back to being a Barman at the end of the 'verse. At least I can see my son here more often than ever I did on Shadow."

[mnr_splinter]

As Sallie speaks she has Splinter's undivided attention. He nods at all the right moments, and even diverts his gaze as she speaks of what he would consider "sensitive territory." Splinter can spot a good gloss-job from fifty paces. It's a skill he's mastered not only from being a single parent to four boys, but also from many hours of watching daytime television.

"An additional benefit of this place to be sure. I look forward to making his acquaintance."
He takes a serene sip from his teacup.

"Thank you for sharing your story with me, Sallie."

[realmrsreynolds]

"That's more than I've talked about myself in what feels like forever."

At least Sallie's history. There's a lot of people that she talks about her present with.

"Wonder why that is."

[mnr_splinter]

"I'm a very good listener," he says over the rim of his teacup.

"It's the ears."