Dinner and movie... well just dinner.

Kasumi looked over at her combat partner, Mazer, and smiled. "Well, this is all taken care of, and luckily everyone is alright. We should probably depart, na?"

Mazer replies back to Kasumi

"Sounds good to me. You want to go somewhere or call it a night? I'm fine either way!"

"Sure, I'm up for about anythi--" Her reply cut off as she slumped against the wall all of a sudden, an expression on her face in a mixture of fatigue and partial drunkenness. Kasumi managed to right her self, but she was still a little shaky. "Huh, guess, all the excitement today is finally catching up with me huh?" The tall girl swayed a little, still trying to maintain balance as she found her balance again. "Probably should just head home."

She lurched to the doorway and turned back towards Mazer. "You got a place in town to stay at? I've got some extra space back home if you need to crash. Don't worry about imposing either, its perfectly fine."

"Woah, you alright?"

Mazer reached over to Kasumi to keep her from falling over, but she stands up without assistance.

"Yeah heading home sounds like a good idea. I live just outside of ACDC town, so I should be okay."

Mazer followed Kasumi towards the doorway.

"You live around here? I can walk you home if you want."

((Sorry. My summer really shouldn't be this busy, especially when I'm still looking for employment instead of actually having a job.))

Kasumi didn't answer back. Instead, Mazer's question was met with a sounds of her sleeping, apparently falling unconscious while still (mostly) standing up. One of the waitresses smiled at mazer and scribbled something down on a sheet of paper, handing it to him.

"This is her address, just go out the door here, go left about two blocks, then take another left and it should be on that street." It seems like this wasn't the first time this had happened before.

Mazer studies the paper for a few moments and places it in his pants pocket. He then gently grabs Kasumi's arms and drapes them over his shoulders. He then squats down, placing the majority of her surprisingly light body on his back and grabbing her legs right behind the knee.

With her slumped over his back and sleeping soundly, Mazer walks off with a chuckle.

"Not surprising, we had such a big day today. I am a little drowsy myself."

Machman chimes in from the PET in Mazer's pocket.

[[i]Is she alright? Should we take her to the hospital?[/i]]

"No, it's alright. She is probably just a little drunk; it is common to feel sleepy from drinking after a long day. Hey Mach, can you read the directions in my pocket? I would grab them but I'm afraid Kasumi might fall off..."

[[i]Stand by. Got it. According to the GPS, you should be making a left at this street. Look for house number 13.[/i]]

"Thanks Machman."

Kasumi has slid a few inches down his back by that time, so Mazer shifts her back up to his shoulders and takes a left turn. He continues walking down the sidewalk, looking for the house.

{10... 11... 12... 13. Here we are.}

Mazer turns his head to Kasumi's, resting on his right shoulder and luckily not drooling on him.

"Psst. Hey, Kasumi. We're here."

Mazer turns into the driveway and up a couple steps to the front porch in front of the door.

Kasumi didn't stir, still in deep sleep. "just a minute!" a woman's voice called out from the house, and the door opened to show a woman who looked alot like Kasumi, though a bit more mature in years, yet still very much attractive, and clearly her mother.

The woman too one look at Mazer carrying along Kasumi, and oddly enough, she sighed heavily in relief. "Oh thank kami-sama, she finally brought a boy home. And I was worried she'd never get out of the house these days, let alone find a boyfriend." She smiled warmly at Mazer, clearly misunderstanding their situation. "Please come in, I don't want to keep you out in the cold!" Funny enough, there was only a muggy heat outside, but that point was moot, as she was trying to hurry Mazer inside.

To his surprise, Mazer is greeted at the door by what clearly appeared to be Kasumi's mother.

{Great. I am standing here with a drunk girl over my shoulders and her mother shows up. Plus I don't have a way to escape! Damn!}

Mazer prepares for a verbal lashing but stands there dumbfounded, and almost falling forward, as her mother concludes he is Kasumi's boyfriend. Mazer stops his forward tilt and tries desperately to find a tactful answer, to no avail.

"Uh, what? I... I'm not her-"

Her mother cuts in, "Please come in, I don't want to keep you out in the cold!"

{What choice do I have? I'll try to explain it to her once I get inside and she calms down.}

Machman, hearing the entire conversation, tries to hold in his laughter. He is thoroughly enjoying this particular exchange.

Mazer reluctantly walks into the house and stops in the foyer as Kasumi's mother closes the door.

((sorry for the delay again. Stuff was happening and wasn't stopping))

"Oh I'm just so worried that this girl spends too much time in the lab like her father does, though atleast he manages to make time in his schedual. I swear, this girl makes me worry if I'll ever have grandchildren one day."
Kasumi's mother ushered him in and took Kasumi from him. Surprisingly, despite her seemingly motherly form, she easily lifted her tall daughter off his shoulders as if she were nothing, placing her on a nearby sofa in the living room. It was obvious where Kasumi got her natural athleticism now.
"Drunk and exhausted huh?" Kasumi's mother nudged Mazer in the ribs giving him a confident smirk. "had a little party togther before you got here, huh? guess I'll be gettting those grand children sooner than I expected, na? wink, wink, nudge, nudge, saynomore, saynomore..."

Mazer was surprised and a little relieved to have Kasumi lifted from his shoulders and comfortably laying on a sofa. After hearing Kasumi's mother's little comment, Machman nearly lost it and almost choked as he desperately tried to hold in his laughter. Mazer's hand zips into his pocket and mutes the volume on his PET as Machman succumbs to laughter, practically falling over.

{I'll get you later for this, Machman...}

Mazer tries to compose himself in a dignified manner. "Well, we had a very nice dinner {until the place practically went up in flames... no need to tell her about that} at a local Japanese restaurant after some tandem virus busting in the SciLabs. Kasumi had a little too much to drink and was pretty tired from today, so I took her home and she dozed off on the way."

[[i]Liar,[/i]] said the muted Machman.

The mother's expression changed to slight disappointment. "Gosh, whats with these kids today?" She said to herself. "When Okura and I were kids in highschool, we were putting the spurs to each other any chance we got. Oh well, guess its the times... I just prudent nature doesn't end up wiping out the human race soon..."

Mrs. Misumaru got up and opened a hall cabinet, pulling out a folded cot, a blanket, and a pillow. "Here, sleep here tonight. I can't in good conscience let a young man who befriended my daughter to try and find his way home this late. Set this up in Kasumi's room upstairs, second door on the right when you get to the top."

Mazer's heart sank slightly as Kasumi's mother spoke. Feeling very fatigued with a hint of guilt, he kindly accepted her offer.

"Thank you very much. I am a little worn out myself..."

Mazer picks up the cot and places the blanket and pillow under his arm. He turns back to Kasumi's mother.

"I really appreciate this, Mrs. Misumaru. Good night."

Mazer walks up the stairway, careful not to bump the cot against the walls as he reaches the top. He passes the first door on his right and enters the second. The room is dark, keeping him from inadvertently snooping around in Kasumi's room. He sets the cot down on the carpeted floor and unfolds it carefully, silently. He lays out the blankets and places the pillow at the head of the cot. Fully clothed, except for his shoes just inside the front door of the house, he climbs under the covers and settles in. He looks down to see light coming from his pocket, and pulls out the brightly illuminated PET. He un-mutes Machman and rests the PET on the floor next to the cot.

[[i]Well, this is quite an interesting experience. I wonder what the rest of her room looks like. Do you? ...Mazer?[/i]]

Mazer is fast asleep, his glasses slipping from his hand and falling to the carpet with a muffled tap.

[[i]Heh. What a long day... Oyasuminasai, Mazer.[/i]]

The screen on the PET goes dark, allowing the darkness to swallow up the room once again.

Sometime in the middle of the night, someone stumbled into the room and flopped down on the bed. Kasumi, obviously, to tired and still a little drunk, but it seems she was still cognitive enough to locate her bed and fall asleep again. There were no more disturbances throughout the night, though there was a brief patter of rain falling against the window as the dark rainclouds that had been obscured in the night sky opened up right on time to deliver a good shower onto ACDC.

The room was a bit more well lit now, and it basically looked like any other room. Decent size, one near-queen sized bed in the corner, a desk next to it with a top of the line computer and PET terminal. there was a faint smell of metal and motor oil that seemed to permeate the air without being that strong or fresh smelling, and there were alot of tools either handing on walls or shelves along with various parts and accouterments from machines and devices. Half constructed projects were ontop of another work-bench type table on the opposite wall, as well as various scraps of paper with what appeared to be schematics and diagrams all over them. next to the work bench against the wall and against the wall on the other side of the corner were three bookshelves that held various books on different topics (mostly on mechanics and electronics) but a decent amount of manga was scattered here and there between them as well, and a few plastic figurines and models of anime characters and robots from TV shows were positioned along the rim of the shelves infront of the books. A large poster of a giant robot armed to the teeth and with the words "Ark Core, Third Strike" in large bold print below it was hung on the wall above the bed where Kasumi's unconscious form was unceremoniously sprawled.

Light shafted through the tiny slits in the window blinds as morning came. The rain was still falling as per schedule according to the weather station, so the sky remained gray and cloudy. Kasumi stirred a little as the light landed on her face, but she just grabbed her blanket and rolled over onto her other side, trying to go back to sleep. She didn't have a hang over at all really, just low blood pressure. not a morning person at all.

"Remi..." the screen of her PET clipped onto a belt loop blipped on, showing XIII's face. "Remi.... Its time to get up."
Kasumi didn't stirr.
"Remi, wake up." The navi tried again, a little frustrated.
"Ah dun wanna..." said the groggy voice from the curled ball that was his operator.
"Remi! Get up! Don't make me use the alarm..."
"fine, fine, geeze..."

Groggily, the girl slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes, still too out of it to notice Mazer on the cot next to her. So unaware infact, that she didn't hesitate to let her pants drop to the floor and begin to pull off her shirt to get ready for a shower.

Mazer slept soundly, completely unaware of Kasumi's rather ungraceful return to her bed in the dead of night. Mazer continue to doze quietly until awakened by a fairly familiar voice. XIII was alerting someone to wake up... Mazer's head was covered by blankets, so he only heard the muffled version. Mazer stirred and popped his head out from under his blankets, seeing the morning light.

Mazer then started to slowly look around the immediate area, still laying on the cot, to search for his glasses. He finds them with one hand and then slides them on. He hears the ruffling of clothing next to him and he turns over towards the noise. His eyes stop before an unknown object about a foot from his face.

{Bubblegum Pink... with white floral lace... OH CRAP!!!}

Kasumi had already removed her pants and was in the middle of removing her skirt, facing away from the cot, when Mazer turned over. Mazer's face turns white in a matter of seconds and he quickly turns his head away. His now shaking hands start to pull the blankets over his head as quietly as he can.

{Did she see me, see her? Oh god, I hope not. She and her mother would end me!}

Mazer had successfully pulled his head under the covers, and remained as quiet as possible. He heard Kasumi's footsteps change from muffled bumps to taps as she walks onto the linoleum of her bathroom, and closes the door. Mazer's head emerges from the covers and he breaths a sigh of relief as he hears the sound of the shower turning on. Mazer collected himself and took a quick glance around the room.

{I guess she didn't see me. I doubt she has a change of clothes in her bathroom, so she probably won't appreciate me sitting here to greet her when she comes out with nothing more than a bath towel... or less.}

Mazer picks up his PET and places it in his pocket as he climbs out of the cot. He notices Kasumi's lighted PET and fakes a yawn.

"Good morning, XIII. Is Kasumi in the shower or something?"

Mazer stands up and starts to gather the blankets and pillow, then folds up the cot. Mazer thought Kasumi probably would have seen the cot, but she might have never noticed him sleeping there. If she found out he was sleeping there and remembered how she inadvertently "prepared" for a shower right next to him, it may cause some un-needed trouble.

Mazer picked up all of the bedding materials and brought them down stairs. Mid-way down the stairs, Kasumi's mother seemingly appears out of nowhere, smiling cheerfully.
"Ah, you're awake. Just in time for breakfast! Here, let me put these away and you can have a seat at the table in the dining room."

Kasumi's mother handily grabs the bedding from Mazer and quickly walking down the stairs and rounding a corner; she seems like a morning person, humming happily as she goes.

Mazer walks to the modest sized and neatly set dining room table and takes a seat. As he settles into the chair, Kasumi's mother returns.
"How was it, were you comfortable last night?"
"Yes, thank you very much!"
Kasumi's mother's smile widens.

"I heard Kasumi start up the shower, she must have gone back to her room sometime during the night. How convenient."
Kasumi's mother giggles as she turns and walks back towards the kitchen.

((heh, nice touch.))

XIII sighed at the exchange between mazer and Kasumi's mom. "It tends to be like this alot around here, albeit without the addition of someone else."

The water stopped and Kasumi walked back into the room, a long white towel wrapped around her chest to cover herself (but left little to the imagination otherwise), and seemed far more awake than before. She stopped quickly, now noticing Mazer in her room, but didn't seem that surprised oddly enough.

"Get a good sleep, Mazer?" She asked, walking over to her closet and opening the door. "I'm sorry you had to carry me back last night. I hope my mom hasn't been driving you crazy."

((>ω<))

Mazer looks back to Kasumi as she enters the room.

"I slept very well, thanks!" Mazer chuckled a little after Kasumi's apology. "It was no problem at all, don't worry about it. Your mom was very kind, she gave me a cot and everything. She is actually making breakfast downstairs."

Mazer watches as Kasumi walks to and opens her closet doors.

"I can wait in the hallway if you want."

Kasumi takes out a T-shirt and pulls it on, letting the towel drop to the floor now that pretty much everything was covered. The then picked up her pants from the floor and proceeded to put them on.
"Nah, its fine. I'm almost done anyway. So did anything happen after we left last night?"

Mazer averted his eyes as Kasumi dressed herself.

"Well, I took you home then your mother dropped you off on the sofa downstairs. Otherwise, nothing else happened."

Kasumi's mother calls up from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready, you must be hungry from last night. Come get it while it's still hot!"

Mazer turns back to Kasumi. "Sounds good to me. Shall we?"

"u-huh," Kasumi said while nodding in agreement. She finished fastening the belt on her pants and grabbed the PET form the bed, walking towards the door.

((So, do you want to continue this thread, or do somehting new? I thought I'd ask, considering how long this has been going. I'm prepared for either, so what do you want?))

((We can finish this up soon, we can always interact again at another time.))

Mazer follows Kasumi down the stairs and into the dining room, where a delicious smelling breakfast awaited them along with a smiling Kasumi's mother.

"Please have a seat and enjoy. If you need anything, let me know!" Mazer replies, "Thank you, it looks great."

Mazer slides Kasumi's seat back for her to sit down. She sits and he takes the chair next to her and sits down. He says grace under his breath and starts to dig in. "Wow, this is delicious!"