Office #26, Tuesday

[chosehumanity]

The worst of Mitchell's twitches about last week were starting to wear off, but that didn't mean that he didn't still have a touch of the foul mood about him. In fact, he was on the phone with George right now.

Doing helpful things.

Like going off on him for his anal-retentive attention to dietary choices. "...We don't need pomegranates," he snapped, "They're not even really food! Oh, like you need an excuse, you're practically chained to the stove."

...Yes.

[[ the office, however, was open. like the post. ]]

Comments

[chosehumanity]

"Uh huh," Mitchell said again, "So who told you to flee from Valentine's with your tail between your legs? Someone might be waiting for you."

Sometimes, he was too much of an Irish romantic in his own way.

[vanillajello]

"I can actually make decisions without anyone prompting me to do something," Kate said, eyes narrowing. "And there's no one waiting for me anywhere."

[chosehumanity]

"There's always someone if you look long enough." Mitchell, just stop. "But I forget how old and jaded you are."

[vanillajello]

There were several someones, even.

But all of it was far too messy to consider right now, let alone talk to Mitchell about.

"Don't mock me. It's not my choice to be cynical."

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell made an amused noise. "Yeah, I bet you fell from the womb like that."

[vanillajello]

"No, but I grew up like this."

[chosehumanity]

"And you're what?" Mitchell asked, skeptically, "Sixteen? You're still figuring out who you are."

[vanillajello]

"I'm not saying this is all I think I'll ever be," Kate replied, a little defensively. "God, at least I hope so."

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell shrugged. "I didn't have half the choices you did when I was your age," he said, "And I still didn't have the least clue as to who I was. Idealist, cynic, something else..."

[vanillajello]

"Things really that bad in the '90s?"

Yes, Mitchell. That's how young you look.

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell snorted. "Where I came from, we had all of three options," he supplied. "Get a farm and some cows, get into church, or get into the army. Anything else just didn't seem possible."

[vanillajello]

"That is pretty depressing," Kate had to admit.

[chosehumanity]

"It's just where I came from," Mitchell said, leaning backwards. "From that point, you make your decisions about what makes you happy, you know?"

[vanillajello]

"Yes, I know, Mitchell. Thank you for the random pep talk."

[chosehumanity]

Mitchell held up his hands in the air. "I'm just saying," he said, "Why spend Valentine's day holed up in a roach motel?"

[vanillajello]

"You really think spending it here and having a meltdown would be better?"

The likelyhood of completely falling apart seemed to have decreased since she'd had the idea of fleeing, but still.

[chosehumanity]

"Don't take things so negatively, come on," Mitchell said, inserting an upbeat tone to his voice. "If all else fails, you can just exact your revenge by stealing someone else's boyfriend at the dance."

[vanillajello]

"Because that would obviously make me feel so much better."

Luckily it wasn't possible to fatally overdose on sarcasm.

[chosehumanity]

"Or you could punch someone else's girlfriend," he said, shrugging. "You have to explore your options."

[vanillajello]

"Or I could just not be here to deal with anyone's girlfriends or boyfriends," she said with a mock-perky tone and a tilt of her head.

Picking up strangers in motel bars was so much better, obviously.

[chosehumanity]

"Maybe if you want to spend your weekend in a puddle of piss, vomit and a couple of roaches running around in whatever motel you can afford, instead of mocking Fandom's best and brightest," Mitchell said, cheerfully.

[vanillajello]

Mitchell, stop being such a realist.

Kate rolled her eyes, fidgeting in her chair. "If I thought I'd be able to mock, I'd stay."

[chosehumanity]

It was a dash of realism coupled with a heavier snuff of romanticism, attached to a healthy modern need to mock everyone he cared about. See it for what it is.

"Oh," Mitchell said, raising his eyebrows at her, "Is Kate admitting defeat in the mocking arena? I'm disappointed."

[vanillajello]

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, so was I, when I realized it."

[chosehumanity]

"Be more like Rocky," Mitchell advised.

It was sage advice! And mocking.