Geek-Chic for Dummies

Smiling as they entered, he watched Aishe's expression go into absorption mode. Clearly she wasn't a total stranger to the arcade scene, or she would have glazed over, overstimulated by the lights and sounds. Opting to play it safe, he steered them toward the area with the fountain drinks...from there you could really get to everything pretty easily. Noting the same teens manning the counters as last time, with perhaps a few more hickies, Alec smirked. Yes, he'd have no trouble mixing his own drink tonight.

Well, pick your poison. I'm going to mix a proper vanilla coke. Anything you'd like? And we can start anywhere - it'd take days to do everything in here. Probably a little moist for the minigolf, but that could add its own challenges if you're ok with the cold...but yeah, plenty to do here.

Aishe pondered a fountain drink but it didn't take her long to choose. "How about a cherry coke? Do they have cherry syrup? It's better to get regular coke with cherry syrup than the icky pre-mixed cherry coke!"

Still distracted by the fun lights and sounds, she noticed a couple of rather large tables off to one side. At one of them a couple whacked what looked like a flattened-out puck back and forth. Was it air hockey? She wasn't really too up-to-date on her games.

Pointing it out, she said, "I think I've been beaten at that before. Want to give it a try?"

Chuckling, Alec replied

EEEEeeeeeenteresting. Both you and Amberelle chose cherry coke the first time I was here with you, and both are more than willing to mortify me in public. I'll have to remember that in the future. Anyone selecting cherry coke from the fountain is obviously out to get me. So...just the syrup or maraschinos as well? Ah, I'll just bring the jar back, not like he'll notice.

Walking to the "bar", the "employee" began to look up, almost annoyedly, then smirked...apparently he remembered Alec. Going back to his magazine, Alec helped himself to the fountain - vanilla and cherry coke and a jar of those glowing cherries. Dropping two twenties on the counter, the reader plopped two rolls of quarters on the counter, remembering the routine. Nodding, Alec headed back to Aishe as the "employee" pocketed the change.

Oh, air hockey? Been awhile...you might actually get a point on me, especially if you let me talk about women's underwear and whatnot.

Handing Aishe her drink, the jar and a roll of quarters, Alec smirked. Taking a long slide from his drink, he nodded. That was damn tasty.

Also, before I forget, thanks. You really did help last night, despite the horrors that you two put me through. I appreciate it. Now you can bail me out of the next layer of complications coming my way.

Smirking, he took another slide. Prebottled vanilla coke was an aberration before the Lord.

Aishe raised her eyebrows at the coke coincidence. "Really? Shows what good taste we both must have."

She nodded enthusiastically at the prospect of cherries, which in her opinion were the best part of any good cherry flavored drink. She accepted the drink, cherries, and the quarters with good humor. Alec had apparently been here enough to know his way around; the kid behind the counter didn't bat an eyelash when Alec helped himself to all of the cherries.

Aha, she thought, as her friend talked. So I might be able to score on him with a few effective psych-outs. She didn't consider herself very good at those, for hers never worked on Kem in any game and she'd long since given up trying to win, but remembering Alec's furious blushing from the previous night she thought she might have a shot.

"You're very welcome," she said at his thanks. "Just further proves that Amberelle and I seem to have good taste. But what more complications could there be? I thought the gifts went over well? Isn't it supposed to be all flowers and rainbows from here on in?"

Normally she wouldn't have pried, but Alec seemed to want to talk. Aishe was certainly more than willing to help him out, if she could. She was hardly the expert on relationships, she thought with a wry little grin, but she'd do her best.

Frowning a bit, he walked over with her to the air hockey table and dropped his quarters in, activating the machine.

Well, everything went really, really well. She liked the ones I'd selected, they were the right size...so that wasn't a problem at all. I'm just a bit worried is all...as you might have noticed I'm not exactly the smoothest operator in the Western Hemisphere...and she's invited me to move in with her, and I accepted.

Moving somewhat mechanically, Alec started the puck moving, reacting to the motions of the plastic somewhat instinctually with their slow, starting pace.

Well...I've never really lived with anyone before. So...what drives people nuts? What should I do or not do? I'm just a bit worried since obviously behaving like a character from a sitcom isn't going to be quite as good in the flesh, y'know?

Noting that Aishe was favoring on her right side, he shot left and added a slight twist to create an ugly rotation on the puck that might cause her to inadvertently score on herself if she hadn't caught the twist.

So...what do you think? I know I'm probably being neurotic about it...it is just everything is going so well and starting so fast that I want to make sure I don't mess it all up right out of the blocks.

Aishe flexed her hands, stretched out like a runner, fortified herself mentally, got ready for a showdown...

...and totally missed the puck, looking foolish as Alec's shot zipped straight past her now outstretched hand and sank neatly into the goal. She scowled at it as if it had delivered her a personal insult.

Grabbing the puck and placing it back on the table, she looked up at him with some surprise.

"What drives people nuts? Well, different things I suppose. Everyone's got their little pet peeves."

She nailed the puck slightly to Alec's right, rather hoping it would bounce off enough of the sides to throw him off and somehow direct itself into the goal.

Continuing, she said, "I know it doesn't sound like much help but really, she must want you around because she cares about you. Living with someone else is all about compromise, really. In a sense, you're giving up a small part of your independence because you care about someone enough to spend every day with them."

Aishe frantically fended off the puck as Alec smacked it smartly back at her. This time she was successful, and they exchanged blows for a few moments.

"I'm not sure what else to tell you, really. I suppose I should tell you to always put the toilet seat down... hmm, and the remote control does not have your name on it; women know how to use them too."

She thought a bit more, resulting in yet another score on her. 2-0. Well, that was expected. She removed the puck from her goal yet again. Time to get dirty.

"Of course, if she does get irritated at you, you can chain her to the bed for a little while. Until she sees things your way."

It was mild teasing, but then again it generally didn't take much to get Alec to blush. She crossed her fingers and sent the puck flying straight for his goal.

Nodding at her replies, he continued.

Yeah, I've got that whole bit down..I mean, remote controls and toilets and whatnot. Right now I'm still a bit confused about the whole "hair care" and dozens of different soap type things, but it should make sense once I am a bit more used to it. I'll be keeping all of my work stuff at the lab, and we'll be doing a furniture selection session. For me, most of my work stuff has been my life up to this point, so in that way it is convenient.

As he talked, he had a few near point losses - one he overshot and led too far and another where he hadn't noticed he'd slipped to the left some. At her bondage comment, Alec chuckled nervously, blushing a bit, but looking down rather than at Aishe, rebounding her straight shot.

Um...no...I don't really picture her as someone who'd be into...

Remembering his dream in a sudden flash, Alec let go of his grip and rubbed the images from his eyes. Aishe's rebound shot scored easily, making it 2 - 1. Shaking his head, Alec took a long sip of his coke.

Uh, sorry. No, I don't think she's into bondage.

Taking the puck out of the slot, he started it off easy again.

I guess ultimately it doesn't make too much difference - I've been over there pretty much all of our shared off time anyway, so it is just a formal declaration of what is already implied and expected. I guess what is bothering me is the formalization of those understandings. I suppose that I worry a bit about them since I've had a somewhat natural inclination to break rules. I don't want these to feel like rules, I want them to feel like gifts, and stay feeling like that.

Hammering a shot a bit harder than he'd meant to, Alec shakes his head. "Reign it in, you're not going to make that mistake with Ginnie - she means too much."

But I don't know how. Sorry, I'm being stupid.

Aishe rejoiced at her cheap shot. It wasn't pretty, but it kept her from having a big fat goose egg. Alec's return shot was nailed home toward her, and only by sheer dumb luck did she connect with it. In her surprise at actually getting ahand on it, she somehow managed to jump and thwack it again, sending it back toward herself.

With a reflex she didn't realize she owned, she batted it away before she scored on herself. It wobbled uncertainly back down toward Alec, and she groaned inwardly, waiting for the inevitable pummelling.

"Well if she really loves you, she'll love your inclinations to break rules as well," Aishe advised. "There are of course, certain rules that are not to be broken, but those should be implicit in the fact that you're moving in together. Things like loyalty, fidelity, that nature. But if she doesn't accept you as you are, with your tendency to break the littler rules, well... then you might be making the wrong move."

She lost herself in her own thoughts for a moment. She could, at least, be happy that in this respect she'd taken her own advice. She made all of her choices willingly. She wouldn't deviate from her chosen course now, not ever. It made her smile a sad sort of smile, wishing she could be going through the little insecurities Alec was having now.

"Just don't take her for granted," she recommended. "If you never take her for granted, then you can't ever grow too used to her being around, and every day should be the gift you want."

Chuckling, Alec hammered the puck back toward Aishe's side of the table, banking it hard off of the left wall.

No...loyalty and fidelity are pretty much etched into my psyche. I'm not so worried about those as...I guess as growing complacent...accepting things that might develop poorly because the alternative would be to live without her. I guess that's a silly thing to worry about. And she's a bit of a rulesbreaker too, just in a different way. I guess just making sure those ways are compatible is the issue. Talking through it, I'm not really that concerned about it...I just need to ramble until I get my mind wrapped around it, I guess.

Apparently, he needed to wrap his head around the air hockey game, too, since he just moved OUT of the way of the puck. What was that about? A bit irritated at himself for the sloppy mistake, he reclaimed the puck from his goal. This time, he smacked the puck fast from the start.

The differences in our jobs alone will keep things interesting, and that is another worry...whether or not we should work on projects together. I'd hate for one of her designs to fail because I distracted her or for one of my layouts to be flawed because I was busy staring at her instead of getting the details exact like did before. Unlike the other things, that IS a big worry, since I'd need to guess on it now. I think I can negotiate it, but if I change my mind later, it might cause a backlash.

Sighing, he continued.

The thing is, I was fine before she asked me to move in. I guess it is hard since I've never been a very stationary creature...the longest I've stayed in a single place was a year and a half. That single act really makes me redefine myself more than so many of the other aspects. I'd worry about the stir crazy portion on my personality, but I think it is done...I've not been as...exploratory...as I used to be since meeting her. Even if we are just both researching our projects, it just feels right to do it next to her. The only time that isn't true is when I'm at work...then I get into my zone and usually stay there. The rest of the time she is where I want to be.

Sighing, he shook his head. Everything really was going to be fine...sometimes you just needed to talk through your problems like that Oprah lady says.

Sorry to ramble like this at you. It just seems somehow appropriate since you've been there since the very beginning, really.

3-2 in Alec's favor, the little red lights told her. We'll see about that!

Aishe actually rallied a bit, knocking the puck back and forth with Alex for several rounds before an incredibly bouncy-spinny one sank solidly into her goal. Rats. 4-2.

As she listened to him, she had to laugh softly again.

"Actually, you sound like you're worrying about all the right things. I suppose I'd be alarmed if you said you were uncertain of your feelings, or feeling pressured, but it sounds like you're both on the same page. And from everything you've said, it also sounds like both of you are down-to-earth enough to be able to focus on your jobs and your own things but still be together. Maybe I'm just being practical, but it seems to me that if you can both maintain that, you should be fairly well set up to last a long time."

Taking the puck out and giving it a good, hard backhand off Alec's left, she continued, "It's probably important to give ech other room to be what you need to be, and if that doesn't always involve her having you glued to her hip, to just let her know that you're never going to be so far or so unavailable that you can't give her whatever support she might need."

She was speculating now, drawing largely on her own feelings even though her current situation strayed a bit from those. It was nice, she reflected, to help someone else sort through their own situation instead of living out her own stress. So when Alec apologised for 'rambling,' she simply shook her head.

"To be honest, I'm glad to be able to help, even if only as a sounding board. Sometimes I do things with my heart first and my head later, and I sort of run into my problems head-on with blinders. I've been dong that a lot lately, just focusing on what I think I need to do rather than what might be a better way to do it. You're getting my mind off it, so I should be thanking you instead."

She showed her appreciation by managing to strike on him again, making it a more comfortable 4-3.

Nodding, Alec interjected

Practicality-wise, we should be aces, yes. Since our work is so different, we won't really get into the whole competition thing that some folks develop, too.

Brow knitting, Alec nodded at the support comment. It really applied to all aspects of their life, from social to bedroom to work to moving. As long as he could be an effective support, it should be fine. Nearly missing a game-tying goal, Alec smirked, replying

That all makes sense. Women are pretty good at this whole relationship analysis thing, aren't they? Is Oprah like in the blood or something?

Smacking a nasty double bank shot right as he said it, he was curious if she would catch that one. Nope. 5-3. Nodding at her methods of operation as she served, he added

That's good, as long as you keep a clear target in mind. Going on gut instinct as well as logic is a practice of anyone who is expert in what they do. Universal truth. It is good that you can adapt that to your personal life as well - it'll probably serve you well.

Aishe wasn't always the most competitive spirit, so she was pretty happy she'd gotten 3 points so far. Still, she wanted to make a good showing, so she bit down on her lip and glared at the puck ferociously. Knocking it hard back to Alec, she nodded thoughtfully.

"It's serving me well so far, I suppose. Although I think that's largely credited to the fact that all the folks I've met here in Nachton so far seem so understanding of my situation. Honestly, I expected to have a much rougher time of it than I have. I've been very lucky."

Giving the puck another good, solid whack as it came back at her, she celebrated a bit too soon. The next hit came flying straight at her and instead of intercepting it she flinched and nearly ducked, blinking with astonishment at herself as it sailed cleanly into her goal.

"Oops," she said sheepishly.

6-3.

Chuckling, Alec figured sometimes the straightforward approach had its own value. He'd have to remember that for other aspects of his life. Smiling a bit wistfully, he asked

Luck is always nice when it is falling your way, isn't it?

Slapping his grip down on the puck at its next pass, he stopped it, letting go, and took up his glass.

Here's to things going our way! Or, in cases when they might conflict, my way! Salut!

Drinking a draught, he returned to the table. Serving slowly, he continued.

That's good that things haven't been rough, though I have to admit I hope there is someone out there giving you as much grief as you gave me,

Aishe raised her glass along with Alec. "Hear, hear!" Popping a cherry into her mouth, she recovered and sent the puck flying back at him.

"I've done a great deal fo what I originally came here to do. I've still got my work cut out for me, but hopefully it'll come out all right in the end."

She very much hoped she sounded confident; she certainly had no plans to give up her goal of becoming a vampire... and the more Evenhets she met, the more she was growing to like them. They certainly seemed close with one another, and she was starting to feel like truly joining them would be a privilege.

Pulling her mind back to the task at hand just long enough to block a vicious rebound, she caught what Alec had just said.

With an ironic little smile she said, "There is someone giving me grief, indirectly, and most likely unknowingly. So you can rest assured on that one... although I'm not sure it counts as giving grief if the grief-giver is blissfully oblivious. Does it?"

Laughing, Alec completely missed the puck, and the score was 6-4.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that qualifies as "being difficult," but I'm sure you know all about that as well.

Pulling out the puck, Alec served it with some spin.

I won't pry into what it is you came to do, but hopefully it turns out right. Many, many things never lead to where they are supposed to...the real trick is making the most of what you're left with at the end of the road.

So...thinking of making this a more permanent location? Been here awhile now...I'd imagine it depends on how your search goes and all, but thought I'd ask. Going to be working for Leifde as well as living there, or are you going to hit up the University?

Aishe gave him a grateful look for not being nosy. Even if she could figure out how to discuss the topic, she wouldn't be comfortable doing so in such a setting. Intercepting Alec's next blow, she grinned at his suggestion of the University.

"I really don't think I'd make a very good teacher," she asserted. "Meridian seems to be full of interesting people though, and if things go well here and I decide to stay, I hope they might eventually have a job opening I could apply for. I may give them my resume anyhow just to hold onto. I have a pretty decent savings so I can kill a little time before the purse-strings start getting tight."

She batted the puck away again, almost scoring, but Alec was too quick. How did he seem to be able to get his hand there in time anyhow? He must be good at pool, too, reading the angle and the spin and such.

"I've been thinking though, and the more I stay here the more I like it," Aishe said. "I think I just might stay here for the long haul, even if things don't work out the way I hope."

Damn, she'd lost track of the puck yet again. Hopping up a bit she twitched at it spastically but didn't come anywhere close to hitting it. She glanced down in mock disbelief as it sailed easily into her goal.

"7-4 and your game! Good one. You even let me score a few. What's next? Round 2? Or do you beat me in something else?"

She leaned forward on the air hockey table and grinned at her opponent, ready for anything.

"Resume on file? That's kind of strange...wonder why they woudn't make a spot for her like we do?"

I'm sure with a business as large as theirs that they have need of someone who can make coffee. I mean, it IS a big company. Maybe you could bring a widget-maker his daily fix! Um...you can make coffee, can't you? Never know with some of these liberal arts schools.

Chuckling, he said

Let's kick your ass at something else. I'm sure there's something here you might be able to beat me at.

Aishe smiled at Alec. "Well, I can make coffee but that would be a little - hmm - anti-climactic after having spent time in Egypt doing fieldwork and translating hieroglyphs. Although if it gets me a foot in the door I'd probably tackle it!"

She looked around at the number of games and shrugged, at a loss. "You choose my method of beating. I'm not familiar enough with any of these games to really know which is which, and I chose the air hockey - so it's your turn!"

With an evil grin, Alec stalked to the pinball tables, stopping in front of the Devil. Placing his hands gently upon the machine, he turned to Aishe.

This, as you can see, is the Twilight Zone table. What you might not know is that it is the single best pinball machine in existence. I will allow you to bask in its glory for a moment before it humbles us both.

Looking at the tri-flipper, dual ramped table...it was in excellent shape. The Gumball machine looked to be intact, as did the lock. Rarely did things go wrong with the other portions of this particular table...the Power, the Spiral, the Town Square and the Jukebox all seemed perfect.

Aishe managed not to scratch her head. It looked a whole lot like a pinball machine to her. Alec seemed to be regarding it with every evidence of deep infatuation.

She looked back at the machine and then up at Alec.

Machine.

Alec.

Machine.

Alec.

*abnormally long pause*

She cleared her throat. "I think I'm done basking. Are you two finished? Or should I leave you alone?"