ic Girls, Interrupted (IC)

[Fox]

"Know the feeli-cab." She held out her free hand, flagging down the cab she'd spotted. "Know the feeling," she corrected, lifting her bag out of the way as she slid into the back seats and gratefully rubbed her exposed legs as Ellie followed; once the door was closed and the vehicle was warming up again she gave directions to a fairly nice - if not black-tie upscale - privately-owned restaurant. "Always waiting for...mmh. Phrase. Other shoe to drop? But not that needy." That part she punctuated with a gentle poke at Ellie's stomach, smiling a little. "Could be dating me for money, demanding all of my time. That would be needy."

[Gizmo]

Settling into the cab's back seat, Ellie laughed and caught Mara's hand as it drew back from the light poke. She was momentarily acutely aware of the driver just in front of them, but decided that he was getting paid and could put up with a little teenage flirting if need be. "Oh, so you're not my petite, curvy sugar daddy?" she questioned with mock surprise. "Tell you what, you wear one shoe, and I'll wear one shoe, then we won't have to worry about the other one dropping," the taller girl suggested in a fit of silliness, for all that the general sentiment was genuine.

[Fox]

Rolling her eyes, Mara smiled - just a little - and replied with as dry a voice as she could manage. "Well. Not saying I won't...word. Lavish you with gifts and pay expenses if needed. Don't have a vault of money for swimming in, but certainly have enough, for now. Just saying you're not dating me for that. Clearly dating me for my expressiveness and social elegance." She snorted, paused, and added, tentatively, "....seriously. Though. If you ever need anything...not exactly Eve, but have resources to use on good causes...."

[Gizmo]

"I'm dating you because you're gorgeous and brilliant and wonderful and... you make me happy," Ellie clarified, starting out with dry confidence but adding the last item in a slightly quieter voice, evidently admitting a little more than she'd intended to at the beginning of the sentence. It wasn't so much that she considered herself particularly melancholic as a rule, but with Mara she didn't have to try quite so hard. Trying to fit so many obligations into her schedule, working toward so many long term goals, it felt good to just be content in the moment.

[Fox]

Mara's instinct was to lean in for a kiss, and she followed that instinct...but only made it about halfway before her brain reminded her that they were in the back of a cab. She mulled that one over for a few seconds, held mid-lean, but the moment and the sentiment made her giddy enough inside that she just pushed her insecurities aside and kissed her girlfriend, raising the hand that wasn't supporting her body to flip off the driver on the off-chance he chose to look back at his fare.

[Gizmo]

Ellie wasn't sure what to make of the halted movement at first, blinking in the second before Mara leaned forward the rest of the way then laughing lightly into the kiss as she hastily covered the engineer's emphatically gesturing hand in her own, pulling in back toward them. In the driver's seat, the cabbie studiously focused his attentions on the road ahead on him, pulling the brim of his woven newsboy cap a little lower over his eyes. Closing her eyes briefly and letting the kiss go on a few beats longer than might have been appropriate for the semi-public space, she stayed leaning forward as she broke away. "And that. That's a big reason, too," she appended her list with a small grin.

[Fox]

Mara blushed and bit her lip, but whatever she was about to say got cut off by the driver coughing lightly to indicate that they'd reached their destination. She blushed a little harder, ducking her head down as they exited the cab and giving the cabbie a decent tip; straightening her skirt and adjusting her bag, she glanced up at the restaurant. "French, mostly...some other variety. Eaten here once or twice as a treat...good food. We could...pick something different, though, if it didn't sound good...should have checked earlier. Sorry."

[Gizmo]

Exiting the cab with a small cough that wasn't quite sure if it was covering embarrassment or a chuckle, Ellie hurried after Mara, remembering to bring her own bag with her. "A treat, huh?" she drawled once the bemused cab driver had pulled back into traffic, linking their arms. "Guess that means I've been good, hmm?" The young woman added just enough rolling purr to her voice to make it suggestive, then ruined the effect by cracking her sly deadpan with a snickering grin. "I'm sure it'll be excellent," she assured her date, giving up on innuendo for the moment.

[Fox]

"The best," Mara replied, raising an eyebrow as they made their way inside. "But yes. Contrary to rumor I do try to leave the warehouse...sometimes. Rarely. Watch a movie, eat a nice meal. Very little time, but good to clear my mind. Not...as good as other things," she wryly observed, squeezing Ellie's arm a little, "but good." She gave her name - though only her first name, as usual for her when she had the option - to the maître d' before he lost patience with them, getting ushered to a quiet table by the wall.

[Gizmo]

"Leaving the warehouse? Goodness, it's almost like you've got some sort of secret, double-life going on," Ellie teased as they sat down, even as her cheeks darkened subtly when she was compared favourably to such activities. As much as she would have liked to feign total nonchalance, at least inwardly she had to admit that being out in public with Mara on a traditional date made her a little more self-conscious than normal. Part of it was the exposure, but more than that it was the feeling that things were getting steadily more serious that had her stomach doing internal acrobatics.

[Fox]

"Probably at least triple," Mara wryly agreed, carefully putting her bag down on the floor next to her, by the wall. "But time has to be put aside for important things. Not," she corrected, glancing up from her opened menu (and, for the sake of her ability to talk, trying hard to keep her mind on the conversation), "that you wouldn't already be familiar with that. School, family, volunteering. Other...activities. Probably more busy than me most days."

[Gizmo]

Ellie smiled softly, lightly brushing her dyed bangs behind one ear with the fingertips of one hand, while she perused the menu with the other. "Lucky for you I find the hyper-competent and driven workaholic thing pretty much super hot," she noted, letting her expression slip sideways into a lopsided smirk. "I wouldn't say 'more busy', though. I mean, I have a lot of things going on, but I think your projects are probably bigger, individually." At that her smile shifted again to turn a little rueful. "Probably fair to say we both have some issues with moderation. Any idea what the salads are like here?"

[Fox]

"Can do moderation when we're immortal," Mara replied, dryly. "Though don't know when we'd have time to find immortality. Salads...not bad. Wouldn't trust their fruit in winter. Good dressings, though." mmh - onion soup - no - better pass on the onion - chicken? - immortality - transhumanism? - backup plans for brain collapse somewhere - not a danger anymore - repurpose - salmon sounds good "Have tried the lemon chicken and ratatouille. Both were very good. Why I like the restaurant - fancy enough for well-cooked meals. Not too fancy to give you filling portions. Balanced."

[Gizmo]

Ellie wrinkled her nose in amusement. "Pfft, where would you even put it?" she asked, casting an appraising eye across Mara's petite build. Opening up dimensional pockets that were bigger on the inside was one thing, but unless the inventor had a hollow leg, the taller girl didn't see where she could keep what most people who consider 'filling portions'. Might have to perform a physical exam just to make sure, she though idly to herself, unconsciously biting lightly on her lower lip as she resisted the urge to make the suggestion aloud. Instead she set her menu down with a nod. "Lemon chicken it is."

[Fox]

Mara raised an eyebrow, looking back down at her menu and snorting. "Have a good metabolism. Efficient. Stomach will happily withstand food thrown at it. Dessert, too, maybe; important to be able to...phrase. Pack away, food when you sometimes miss a meal, anyway. Part skill. Part raw ability." Her deadpan cracked a little, the corner of her mouth tugging into a grin that she tried to conceal by lifting her menu as she folded it and set it aside, adding, "Smoked salmon, I think. Fish sounds oddly good."

[Gizmo]

"You're a real Renaissance gal, alright," Ellie agreed with a smile that pulled a little to one side as she dropped her eyes back down to her closed menu and idly wrapped the longer lock of dyed black hair around her index finger, waiting for their server to arrive. Shuffling her feet absently somehow resulted in her ankle brushing against Mara's under the table. "So," she began nonchalantly, "how've things been at work lately? Any neat projects in the works?"

[Fox]

Mara coughed and imperceptibly blushed, shifting in her seat to a position that was a little more comfortable (and, mysteriously, happened to put her feet an inch or two further out under the table). "Sort of," she replied, frowning a bit. "Still rebuilding and repairing after...ah. Recent events. Mostly working on a design to help preserve biological or chemical samples. Suspension, fight entropy. Improve on an old project. Have a project for...mmh. Other interests, too, but won't be done for a few months yet."

[Gizmo]

Leaning forward a bit as she listened, Ellie folded her arms atop the table. "Well, if you ever need an extra pair of hands," she offered, lifting her fingers briefly from her elbows for emphasis. The prospective medical student wasn't used to being the lesser intelligence in the room, but she typically only grasped the basic concepts of Mara's work, enough to appreciate the goals but not enough to contribute. She had to admit, the unfamiliar dynamic put her a bit off balance, but then again a lot of things about her girlfriend did that, so it wasn't all that bad a feeling.

[Fox]

Nodding, Mara unconsciously leaned forward a bit herself, resting her weight on her arms, which in turn rested on her chair's armrests. She brushed some hair back behind her ear, and it immediately fell back again as she tilted her head, replying, "Will keep that in mind. Would make a very good...mmh. Project partner? But not always -" don't say 'not always safe' "-mmh. Not always work that needs extra help. And don't want to take up too much of your time with my engineering unless you really want to."

[Gizmo]

"Y'know, muñequita," Ellie drawled wryly, her tone teasing, "I can tell you're choosing your words carefully when you 'mmh'." As much as she found Mara's blunt way of speaking an attractive quality, the taller girl had to admit that the inventor's occasional, guileless attempts to spare her feelings were endearing too, in a completely irrational way. "If I'd just be in the way, that's okay," she assured her date, "but of course I want to help. Engineering is important to you, it's an important part of you. Seeing you work is exciting." The medic's cheeks coloured slightly as she played that back in her head. "I, ah, I mean... no, y'know what? I'm going to stick with 'exciting'," she decided resolutely, jutting her lower lip out in exaggerated defiance.

[Fox]

Tired eyes widening a bit, Mara shook her head. "In the w- no. No no - mmh. Not what I meant to imply. Mostly. Sorry. Know you're not a...dedicated engineer or physicist. Very intelligent, but have your own focuses...still, certain you'd be helpful. Smart. Good with your hands." She paused for a moment, that last bit apparently derailing her train of thought until she could wrestle it back onto the tracks. She shifted a little, continuing, "Just...know that it's not always exciting. Hours of circuitry or metalworking or wiring...and not always...mmh. Not inherently unsafe, but......not...really too great a concern given your talents. Sorry. Not entirely rational there."

She winced a little, partly at her unnecessary concern and partly at her own rambling...and then blinked as her mind spun the rest of Ellie's reply back. "Exciting?" she asked, raising an eyebrow a little.

[Gizmo]

Ellie coughed lightly into the back of her hand as their server arrived, taking their orders and retrieving their menus with a pleasant manner but minimum of smalltalk, obviously sensing that he was somehow intruding. The dark haired girl had to consciously straighten after reflexively ducking her head slightly between her shoulders. "Well... yeah," she finally replied, the self-consciousness sitting poorly with her naturally assertive personality. "Look, I mean, competency, extreme competency, obviously, is... attractive."

[Fox]

Mara blushed a bit when the server arrived, a sudden and mysteriously-timed interest in the salt & pepper shakers on the other end of the table saving her from making eye contact as she ordered her fish. As soon as he was gone, however, Ellie had her undivided - if a little bashful - attention again. "That's...would certainly accept the help. Then. If you want. Would at least try to spare you from the boring or very dirty parts, maybe." She was trying very hard not to imagine Ellie in overalls working on a greasy engine, and wasn't having a lot of success; she blushed a little, coughed into her hand, and tried to shift her brain to another line of thought. "Offer works both ways, of course. If you ever need a hand, or...not sure. Help making ends meet, maybe. Anything."

[Gizmo]

Mara's mention of dirty engineering conjured some pretty specific images of engine grease and overalls, but Ellie managed to push them to the back of her mind. "Well, the hospital's always looking for volunteers," she admitted, "but that can be dirty in more of a 'stranger's bodily fluids' kinda way, so I'm not sure you'd- ah. Heh." With a small, lopsided smile, the medic lifted her palms upward. "I think I see your point." Working at the hospital probably seemed a lot more glamourous before one actually tried it, and day to day procedure at the Lab likely followed the same pattern. "Anyway, I'm not going to stop you from picking up the cheque now and then, but you don't have to worry."

[Fox]

"Will...try," Mara replied, pulling some hair back behind an ear. It stayed there, this time. "Don't mean to imply that you badly need the help, of course. Just...don't...have that many people that I care for." two? - probably two - don't say that - likely sounds depressing "Have to fight the urge to....help out. When it isn't always needed. Or in ways that would be uncomfortable for the person I help. Not very good at subtlety, and paying power plants to...mmh. 'Misplace' electrical bills wouldn't go over well. Not even really wealthy, just...want to put the money to better use."