log - too tired for title whee - closed to B1 and A4, open to those likely to wander by

[conning]

Who: B1: Closed to Neal and residents; A4: open to B1 and those who wish to poke their heads in because socializing and open doors
When: Early September--on a Sunday and then the following Wednesday. Why the following Wednesday? Idk man I just picked something.
Where: B1 on Sunday, and A4 on Wednesday IG???
Summary: Meredith invited Neal to visit, and Neal suggested making it a mingle for both apartments. Then Malcolm invited Neal over and Neal decided to do a solo trial run or something like that.
Warnings: Not at the moment. except possibly meredith giving neal a shovel talk


B1 - SUNDAY

Okay, well, he meant to make it simple. But then he got carried away, because that's who he is as a person. So here is Neal managing two coolers, one slightly smaller than the other. He has to set one down in order to knock on the door.

The coolers themselves contain tiny servings of about a dozen different dishes, from tiny seasoned steak slices of varying doneness to little onigiri stuffed with lightly salted salmon. If it's stupidly elaborate, feel free to assume there is some dressed-down (read: locally available) version available in miniature.

The other cooler has small bottles of cheap wine and those little paper cups that barely hold a mouthful. He sets the wines with the foods that pair best.

Look this is who he is as a person, okay? At least he's dressed normally--turquoise sweater, close-cut jeans.

[ SUPPLY ACTIVITIES AS YOU WISH, both with Neal and each other. ]


B1/A4/Passerby - FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY

Okay, so the tiny food was a bit much. Only God can judge him.

At least this time it's a plain old cook-out with a grill on the patio of A4. Yes, the grill items include salmon, chicken, and... tofu in several marinades including citrus-chipotle.

Only God can judge him.

There's also a spread of perfectly ordinary salad-shaped objects and tiny pickles et cetera inside on the kitchen counter.

[ SUPPLY ACTIVITIES AS YOU WISH, both with Neal and each other. ]

Comments

[abrightboy]

“Hewing axes are only beveled on one side, so they’re handed. Competition throwing axes are designed… for throwing. The weight distribution, the edge of the blade, the shape of the handle. They’re optimized for that purpose,” he explains.

[conning]

Neal rests the small of his back against the counter, his curiosity piqued. “How did you get into axe-throwing?”

However Malcolm answers that, Neal will hit him with a flood tide of questions about weapon-related minutiae.

[abrightboy]

He opens his mouth and closes it and looks down before looking up at Neal again.

“After my father was arrested, I had to give up my… main extracurricular. Other kids’ parents weren’t comfortable having me in the class. So I had to find something I could do by myself.”

[conning]

That sobers Neal, his expression shifting to something like concern. It's not pity, that's clear enough. "Ah. Parents can be as bad as kids, sometimes."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm nods. "The kids were bad, too, though. I got beat up after school a lot." He slips his hands in his pockets. "And at school. On occasion."

[conning]

"I was pretty good at ducking bullies," Neal says. There's no particular fondness or animosity in the statement. It's just a fact. "And pretty good at convincing bullies that other bullies stole their lunch money. They kept me in candy bars until sixth grade."

The reality is that he used the money for lunch himself, but that's not worth sharing, for so many reasons.

[abrightboy]

"I took up Aikido and competitive axe throwing," Malcolm tells him. "And kept to myself."

The boy who ached for connection still aches for connection and is still also afraid of it.

"It was safer that way."

He wanted in. That didn't mean he ever got in.

[conning]

"Why don't you go back to it now?" It's less of a question, more of a suggestion. "Your main extracurricular, I mean. New world, new opportunities. I know I liked it when I picked up pool again."

[abrightboy]

“I’m too old now,” Malcolm confesses. “You have to start young. You have to keep it up.”

[conning]

Have to start young, keep it up. Something clicks and Neal tilts his head just a little. "You were into ballet?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm shifts his weight uncomfortably and shrugs a shoulder in a gesture meant to convey ‘casual’ and doesn’t at all.

“For a little while.”

He was getting beat up at school before Martin Whitly was arrested. The nickname ‘psycho’ was almost a step up from ‘twinkle toes’.

[conning]

Neal doesn't react in any kind of scornful way, taking a sip of his terrible wine and going on without acknowledging Malcolm's discomfort.

"Do you have a favorite choreographer? I tend to like traditional ballet more than modern fusions."

[abrightboy]

“I enjoy both, I just… really like watching amazing technique. Polunin is doing a lot of amazing work with modern fusion, but all the great dancers come out of the Eastern Bloc don’t they? I saw Baryshnikov dance in 1996…” He trails off. He’s babbling. Yes, that’s definitely making him look even cooler.

Though Neal seems actually interested in the subject…

Malcolm looks uncertain now.