2.3 Don't Be Awkward

Mariposa prances to the breakfast table in swimwear.

"I don't know why you're wearing that, but you look great," Lynx says.

He's given up on trying to help her look professional for her job. He's just going to appreciate that perfect chest in front of him, thank you very much.

Sanna Warbler invites Mariposa to the House of Ragnarok & Roll for some cheap drinks after work. Mariposa wouldn't consider Sanna a work friend, but they are employed in the same building, so she accepts.

When Sanna tries to steer the conversation towards maybe going shopping for 'appropriate work attire', Mariposa scoffs and heads over to the bartender to ask for a KTHXBYE.

"That's... The Grind's special," the bartender informs her politely. "The Grind is just down the road."

"Do you want me to take my business elsewhere?" Mariposa fumes.

Anyway, Sanna's sister Mina is there too, probably for backup but ostensibly because she's just taken a job as a lab tech and will be an actual coworker of Mariposa's.

Gateway Glam performs at this bar sometimes, but they don't draw much of a crowd or get paid enough to get by, so now that Astral's inheritance cash is running out Mina has been forced to get a second job to help pay bills.

Mariposa is thrilled to know her high school nemesis is failing so hard at life.

"What is she even doing?" Mina whispers to Sanna as Mariposa climbs over the counter and gets behind the bar.

"No idea," Sanna whines, clearly embarrassed though the bartender does not react at all.

"Why did you even bring this psycho here?" Mina hisses.

"I just wanted to help her. I think she needs guidance," Sanna whispers back.

Sanna manages to herd Mariposa to the correct side of the bar, where she spends most of the afternoon dancing.

While Mariposa's "career" flounders, Lynx's flourishes. Brooke is jealous, as she's the one always being passed up for the promotions Lynx snags, but she keeps that emotion to herself, because it's good to maintain positive work relationships...

She's talking about her boyfriend again, though.

"Should have dated me," Lynx tells her, when he's finally had enough.

"I guess I should have," she says, with an awkward laugh. "How different things would be, huh?"

"I have more in common with you than he does," Lynx points out, voice flat.

"Oh, well, what about Mariposa?"

"I'm not serious with Mariposa."

"Does she know that?"

"She doesn't know her head from her butt, so."

"Well... I'm with Chen. For multiple reasons."

"What reasons?"

"My family likes him."

"You don't like him."

"Lynx! Of course I like him... I love him..."

"Then why'd you agree you should have dated me?"

"It was a joke."

Lynx rolls his eyes. "It wasn't, but for the sake of our harmonious work relationship, I guess I have to let it go..."

"Come on, don't be awkward," Brooke whines.

"We're cool, we're cool."

"Can I play?" Mariposa chirps, slinking up from behind.

Lynx pales. "Uhm..."

"Yes!" Brooke says quickly.

"We're doing work stuff," Lynx protests.

"Oh it's fine," Brooke says.

Mariposa is bad at games, which is annoying, but not as annoying as her rant about the house.

"What do you think about this place, Brooke? I think the house Lynx and I used to live in was so much better. It had more rooms, bigger rooms, and an amazing kitchen. I always wanted a kitchen like that, to make all of my handed down family recipes, but nooo, we're living in this micro-home now."

"Well I think... this house is lovely," Brooke says. "And there's just the two of you, so you didn't need that much space."

"Well what if there are three of us soon?"

Lynx sits up straighter. "Excuse me?"

"What if I want to adopt a dog?" Mariposa clarifies. "For protection?"

Brooke smirks. Lynx scowls.

"I don't want a freaking dog in my house," he says.

"More of a cat person?" Brooke jokes.

Mariposa continues to be a nuisance for about two hours. Then it's nighttime, and Brooke goes home, and Marposa flounces off to the kitchen to whip up a fresh batch of mac&cheese.

"Could you just... NOT... embarrass me in front of my work friends?" Lynx complains.

"What did I say that was embarrassing?"

"I don't know, everything?"

"I thought Brooke and I were getting along nicely... she's a lot different from when she was in high school. It's a fresh start. We're grown up adult women now."

"Ugh..."

"Lynx, you're being a jerk. Either tell me what's wrong, or shut up. Keep moaning nonsensically and I'm going to pour these hot noodles directly into your eyeballs."

"Yeah that's a sane threat," Lynx sneers. "A sane person would make that threat."

"How did I get back into my blue shirt?" Mariposa asks suddenly.

"What?"

"I was in a different outfit. Now I'm in this one."

"You changed clothes. You randomly do that, all the time. Kind of a pain on laundry day."

"No... this isn't normal. I had my other outfit on, then I walked in here, and now I have this outfit on."

"Definitely a lizard conspiracy, right?"

"YES," she agrees instantly. "The lizards have been in my clothes!"

She darts off to check on the status of her underwear drawer, leaving Lynx alone in the kitchen.

He feels hollow.

Mariposa initiates woohoo with him that night, like every night, and for a little while that empty feeling is suppressed. It never goes away, really. It just retreats to a corner of his mind, scowling at him while lust takes center stage for a while.

He can always feel it there in that corner. Always. Taunting him.

Mariposa senses Lynx's melancholy, and feels it herself as she walks to work in the morning.

She was not meant to clean bed pans her whole life. She was meant for so much more.

She ends up skipping work to go clubbing alone.

Lynx returns from working overtime to find Mariposa in his 'programming den', typing away in a word document.

"What the hell are you doing? You're not supposed to touch my computer."

"I'm writing my book! I'm quitting my job to become an author, because I need to raise awareness about the lizards. I need to wake up the sheep."

"The sheep are a lost cause. Step AWAY from my desk."

"You have another computer under your arm! You don't need this one!"

"I am not having this argument with you. You are getting away from my computer. How did you even get my password?"

"I watched you type it in, duh."

"Losing my patience, here!"

Their arguments always follow the same trajectory. First there's calm, then there's yelling, and then there's woohoo. Sometimes it's angry woohoo and sometimes it's frustrated, sad woohoo that almost approaches making love, as Lynx wishes Mariposa could think straight and Mariposa wishes Lynx could just stop being a tool and understand.

"You'd better not have a work friend coming over tonight..." Mariposa purrs, between kisses. "Because I will screw you right in front of Brooke. Don't think I won't."

It may be worth mentioning that Lynx has other work friends, like Valter Oss here.

Lynx has the workaholic trait, so doesn't even care to have a social circle outside of his coworkers.

Mariposa needs to tell Valter about the Fish Kid conspiracy.

"W-why don't you have clothes on?" Valter stammers nervously.

"Because I just got out of the shower," Mariposa says.

"Didn't want to let those shower thoughts fade," Lynx snarks through gritted teeth.

"I'm going to just... awkwardly stare at the ceiling for a moment," Valter feels the need to vocalize.

"Mari, we're doing work stuff!" Lynx snaps. "Take your crazy somewhere else."

"I live here!" Mariposa shrieks.

She proceeds to bolt out of the house, into the darkness.

"Okay that was strange." Valter makes a habit out of stating the obvious.

"Yeah honestly I don't even know where she lives," Lynx admits.

"She doesn't live with you?"

"Functionally, sure, but this is MY house. I never invited her to move in or anything."

"Ooohkay." Valter frowns, confused. "What do you think she's doing out there? At night without clothes?"

"Don't know, don't care! She'll be back when she feels like it. Can't get rid of her, she's like a case of lice."

"Oh. Wow."

"I mean, she's hot though, "Lynx amends. "Like... she rocks that body like no one I've ever seen. You got a look at it, right?"

"Ummm..." Valter picks at his fingernails. "Is that a trick question?"

Lynx never finds out where she went, but she is back in time for breakfast.





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Etc.: Cat person. Because his name is Lynx. Get it??? OK I'll see myself out.