IC Inbox

[lasergrenades]

"Hi, you've reached Pepper Potts. For some weird reason I'm not here right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible with as many messages as it takes to get in touch with you!"

Comments

voice;

[denyamenti]

[ It's Pepper's day off from the dojo, and yet: ]

Come over later today, I have something for you to do.

voice;

[lasergrenades]

[Amused:] Okay. Can I get some details or are you using the mystery to make sure I show up?

[As if that was needed.]

Re: voice;

[denyamenti]

Here I thought you enjoyed surprises.

voice --> action?

[lasergrenades]

Oooh, good point. Alright, don't tell me. I'll be over in a few hours.

[And indeed, once she finishes up what she's doing at work, Pepper is back at the dojo, curiosity written all over her features when she locates Bakura.]

Hey. So, what's up? I totally tried to keep the kitchen from growing any science experiments while you were gone, did I miss something?

Re: voice --> action?

[denyamenti]

[ a snort ]

Nothing like that, although thank you for keeping the place neat.

Actually I wanted you to help with something.

[ offers her some scissors... like actual kitchen shears ]

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper takes the shears and blinks at them, confused.]

Ooookay. What am I cutting?

[denyamenti]

[ Bakura pulled a handful of hair over his shoulder; it was approaching midway down his back. ]

What else? It's getting long enough to be irritating, and it's warming up besides.

[lasergrenades]

[A glance from Bakura to the shears and back again.

Then she just starts giggling, delighted.]

You know they usually use something finer than these? I mean, it'll work, but I'll have to be careful not to cut your ear off while I'm at it.

[denyamenti]

[ she gets a raised eyebrow ]

At least I'm using scissors this time. I usually don't bother.

[ although last time his self-chop had ended up pretty lopsided, hence the request for assistance ]

But if you think you can get one of those small pairs through it, you're welcome to try.

[lasergrenades]

[There is both horror and amusement at that.]

I guess if Mulan can do it... [A cursory examination of his hair, mostly to reevaluate the texture.]

They'd get through it, but it'd take a lot longer. How short do you want it?

[denyamenti]

At least half this short.

[ he seems pretty nonchalant about lopping off what's going to amount to over a foot of hair ]

I figured you'd know better what to do with it. Just don't try and do anything complicated.

[lasergrenades]

[It will be missed, but she sees the logic in reducing the load.]

I definitely don't know enough to try complicated, so no worries there. [A shrug, and there's fondness in her expression about this whole thing.] Okay, well, pull up a chair and I'll try to make it even. Unless you'd prefer to turn the bathroom into a barbershop rather than the kitchen.

[denyamenti]

It's not like we won't have to clean up either way, unless we went outside, so there's no--

[ Seeing the expression she's giving him. ]

... what?

[lasergrenades]

Nothing. Well, no, not nothing. This is nice. Especially after everything recently.

[He gets a peck on the cheek and then a nudge.]

C'mon, sit down and let me play with your hair before I get too distracted.

[denyamenti]

[ He's not sure how hair cutting got to be considered a nice way to spend time, but he can agree after the whole prison thing (which rankled still, and he doesn't intend to go through that ridiculousness again) it is good to be back on common grounds.

He sits as instructed, the quick kiss getting an affirmatively voiced note before he turns his back, letting her get a proper look at the task. ]

Do you ever let yours go long?

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper tucks the scissors in a pocket for a moment when he sits and runs her fingers through his hair, stopping midway down one lock to eyeball a length. The warm smile isn't going away any time soon.]

Not for a while. I started getting it cut short when I was in middle school, and before that it was around shoulder length most of the time. This is way easier to take care of.

Think I should give it a try again?

[denyamenti]

[ It's telling that she's one of the very few people he doesn't automatically tense up at when his hair is touched. ]

You could, if you think you'd like it. You can always cut it short again, if you change your mind... although I don't know if going into the summer is the best time for an experiment. Some of us like the heat more than others.

[ He loved summer as much as she loved winter. ]

[lasergrenades]

[Don't think she doesn't notice that continued relaxation. It's just going to encourage her good mood.]

Shoulder length's not that bad, and New York can get seriously hot in the summer so I'm not totally unused to it. I'll just have to invest in hair ties. Or steal some of Gene's. [Oh he of the glorious Mongolian mane. The scissors re-emerge.] Okay, no sudden movements.

[Carefully, she starts to snip.]

[denyamenti]

[ Bakura keeps still as instructed, almost bemused at the care with which Pepper is performing her task. ]

New York is humid, isn't it?

[lasergrenades]

[She's started getting some practice cutting her own hair here, but she still doesn't want to leave him with a ragged mop.]

It can be, yeah. It depends a little where you are. The parks are always cooler and if you're near the water there's usually a breeze that helps. [Pepper brushes some hair off his shoulder and onto the floor.] You'd probably have some frizz to deal with if you were there. Too short and it'd turn into a big poof, though.

[denyamenti]

[ But the real question is, how would anyone tell a mop from what he has now? ]

Egypt could be humid, if you were in the Delta... not so much farther out. People always think a desert must be dry, but it's not always.

[lasergrenades]

[There is an art to the hair mop. Or something. He'd look a bit odd with a straight cut.]

That makes sense, I guess. Lots of water evaporating in the heat. It can get pretty cold at night, though, right?

[denyamenti]

[ Feeling that Pepper wasn't actively snipping at the moment, Bakura nodded. ]

For almost half the year, around October through May. Cold enough that you don't want to be outside without suitable clothes or a fire.

[ He'd had some of those frigid nights; they weren't pleasant. ]

[lasergrenades]

[She pauses to check the length on a section and then continues.]

Yeep. Maybe you should teach me how to start a fire without a lighter, in case I ever visit.

[Of course she wouldn't remember, but that was besides the point.]

[denyamenti]

Pepper Potts, aspiring wilderness expert?