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[overlies]

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[strongroots]

[ thank u miss makima... ]

ok. thanks

[ a pause, and he includes: ] has he been ok?

[overlies]

We've been making progress, for sure. I could've sworn I saw him smile with his eyes when I made custard buns the other day.

And how have you been?

[strongroots]

im ok. mr larussos recovered and the dojo got fixed up. everythings returning to normal [ if with less muted Mob smiles for him....

but there's another moment before: ] there was something maybe i should tell you? about mob

[overlies]

Yes?

[strongroots]

[ It takes him a few times to stop backspacing and fixing his words, but. ]

when i talked to him i said we had been messing around and didnt take his powers seriously. i knew if i just blamed myself to his face he wouldnt accept it

but i dont know if it was the right call. sunny says i blamed him. and i did but [ ... ] i dont know if that helped. he wouldnt have accepted it if i took full blame and i didnt want him to try and fix things. i wanted him to focus on getting better

[ Some more typing and silence. ] did i mess up? you said mobs been getting better

[ So. Maybe it's okay. ]

[overlies]

Oh.

[ she opts for sympathetic, even if it's hard to "see" in text. ]

That was a tough call to make. I'd say it was the right one for your position, as pained as it was. [ hmm. ] Sunny's protective and a little impulsive when he's upset. What else did he say?

[strongroots]

he was just defensive about mob. i dont care if hes mad at me

he was worried about mob closing himself off but i know he has ppl. and it sounds like hes doing ok with you

[overlies]

Looks like you're a step ahead.

Why don't we go to a tea house when you're free? We should have time to talk outside of what concerns Mob.

[strongroots]

[ Well, he's glad nothing else is being said otherwise. As long as his assumptions are true (and she said he seemed happy before--).

Though, the offer makes him pause. Not exactly due to any stranger danger, but... ]

sure. what time works for you? i can do lunchtimes or later in the day most days. after 5

[overlies]

[ well it should be, robby!! it should be!!! ]

Does 6 work?

[strongroots]

it works. what day?

[overlies]

How’s today sound?

[strongroots]

[ He has to figure out what he's going on, but after a quick think... ]

i can make six. wheres the place?

[overlies]

[ a location ping! ]

One of my favorite public stops. I'll see you there, Robby.

text to action!

[strongroots]

thanks. see you too

[ And Robby will be the good boy who goes to the location given, his arrival time depending on how public or out of the way the spot is. It's likely a little early-ish either way, by about five minutes at most, entering inside to see if Miss Makima's already there or not.

hii makima hiii ]

[overlies]

[ makima is never late to a party. or a meeting! not unless there’s an unexpected call she has to take, but she’s never that busy here in trench. maybe she should change that and make her own little business? oh, who knows.

once robby enters, bright red hair waves for him and flags him down to the table for two she’s snagged. ]

[strongroots]

[ He's a smile when he spots her, coming over to her and the table at her attention; a quick 'Hi' as he's there, taking his seat at the other side of the table. ]

Sorry I panic-texted. [ He remembers this isn't meant to be about Mob, but, you know--it's not every day you get asked to meet a woman at a tea shop, and though he likes Miss Makima (who wouldn't?), or because of it, Robby feels the need to say something. Knows at least to go on with, a smile on his face and in his eyes: ] But how you been doing?

[overlies]

[ oh, robby. don't you worry about that. makima dips her head and murmurs reassuringly: it happens. who doesn't worry about good boys! just look at her (cries in narrator). but once robby takes a seat, makima folds her hands and crosses her legs, pushing a scrambled little "menu" of sorts out from her side of the table. ]

Well. Thank you. [ but, ] But I have been a little antsy lately.

[strongroots]

[ He gives a small muttered 'thanks' at the menu being pushed over to his side, caught on the start of her words. Words that easily distract him from said menu, blinking up at her while his hands touch both sides of the sheet. Curious. ]

What for?

[overlies]

I was a busy woman back in Tokyo. I enjoy having some time off, but—

[ it's a little too much, even when she's baking and watching movies and plotting against mariana. she's read everything she could in the archives. now it's just . . . meh! ]

You know what they say about too much of a good thing.

[strongroots]

[ Huh. He can get that, though his life wasn't really busy outside of muscle and karate training before the tournament. But there's a structure that's missing from Trench, regardless. ]

You can't do what you did there here?

[ Not easily translatable? ]

[overlies]

Not quite. There’s little government to work with in Trench.

[ a government job is the only little snack she gives! ]

I wouldn’t mind a career change, though. Maybe— a tea shop?

[strongroots]

[ Weeeell, moving from one government to another sure sounds like a lot of bullshit to Robby, so.

But her answer does make him huff, a sound of amusement. ]

You like tea that much? Don't let the owner hear.

[overlies]

What's a little friendly competition, hm?

[ makima really said WITNESS ME ]

[strongroots]

[ It gets a small laugh out of Robby, anyway. ]

Can't be worse than a dojo rivalry. [ A beat. ] Actually wouldn't mind seeing a tea shop version.

[ He sounds delighted by the idea, even. In a playful way. ]