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 Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:30 pm
Mordekai grinned. “Yeah? I love me some Dragonball, man, that s**t kept me sane for a while.” He smirked and shrugged, “Over a hun'ed pounds'f crawfish din't disappear fast enough for us, I'm tellin' ya.”
He followed Anita's lead and stood up; he rubbed his shoulder and nodded, one hand tossing his cup up and down. “Yeah, man! Thanks for comin' with. Done wit' mine, but yea, take your time,” Mordekai turned around briefly to throw his cup away into a trash can, then looked back toward Anita-- he caught glimpse of the table again, then smiled while picking up his few straws, “Aw, man, I forgot to do anythin' with these.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:31 pm
”No kidding,” Anita adjusted her drink to keep it from slipping against her sleeves, ”I bet you guys were stuffed. I'm surprised there was so much left over, you did get a lot.”
Once Mordekai threw out his trash, Anita started walking. She paused and then backed up a few paces when he returned to the table to grab his straws. ”There's so many,” she laughed, then started forward again once he was beside her, ”What were you gonna do with them?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:32 pm
“I think I gotta little excited... an' Gaians don't eat as much as Cajuns do, ye'know?” he laughed, “Though I'm guessin' that's a good thing.”
Mordekai looked at the pile of straws in his hands and nodded. “Mhm,” he replied idly. When an idea finally popped into his head, he glanced forward then smiled wide as he took one of the straws and started removing half of its cover. Without much warning, he turned toward Anita and blew on the straw's uncovered end to aim the paper at Anita.
“Payback,” he whispered, then laughed while picking up his walking pace.
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:32 pm
”I guess so. You'll save some money if you have another, then.”
Anita watched Mordekai's hands, filled with straws, while he pondered. Her head lifted when he started peeling one. She caught the smile and started to give one of her own – the corners of her lips scrunched up tightly, along with her eyes, which just made her smile harder as the paper bounced off her nose. Her hands acted quickly but at first they only succeeded in playing keep it up. When she finally caught the paper, Mordekai was several paces ahead. Anita stuffed it in her pocket and jogged to catch up.
”Sneaky,” she snatched one of the straws from his grasp and allowed herself to fall behind a few steps. This one's trash was pocketed as well, and the straw was stripped fully. Anita pinched both ends and rolled the straw up tight, almost spinning the thin plastic until there was a single pocket of air right in the center. She presented it to Mordekai, grip firm on either end. ”Flick it.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:33 pm
“Guesso,” he shrugged, “Not like 'm itchin' to organize another onna those in a long time. Took the ********' life outta us to prep everythin'.”
Mordekai grinned over at Anita once she caught to him. “Never saw me comin',” he retorted; once Anita took one of his straws, he looked over at what she was doing. He anticipated her blowing another paper strip at her, but the further she worked at twisting the straw, the more confused he looked. He looked aptly confused by the time Anita held it up to him, with an uncertain smile and upturned brows.
“'Kay...” he gave a straw a good flick at its center.
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:33 pm
”The event itself was pretty exhausting, too, but I'm glad it happened. I had a lot of fun,” Anita smiled .
She adjusted her drink; it was nestled between the crook of her arm and her bust and it was starting to get very chilly. Keeping a form hold of the straw, Mordekai's finger hit its center and immediately the thin plastic ruptured. A small, sharp pop cut the quiet of the parking lot and, when it was done, Anita pocketed the now useless straw to dispose of later.
”Let me know if you guys want to do anything again, I'd love to get in on it.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:34 pm
“Glad you did! It was worth alla the trouble, then,” he smiled and glanced up at the sky, “Lab seems like it needs some fun once in a while.”
Mordekai watched as the straw ruptured and startled slightly into a laugh as it did. “Since when did straws do that!” he remarked, though he kept relatively quiet, as if the rupturing straw sucked up enough noise already. He kept one straw out and stuffed the rest of the handful into his jacket pocket. He repeated Anita's motions of unwrapping and twisting the straw. He held it out toward her with childlike curiosity, smiling all the while.
“Oh,” he chuckled and shrugged, “Yeah, we'll be sure t'tell you, jus' dunno when our next thing will be-- guess we're doin' fourth of July, but that ain't really a Lab thing. Sure Duncan'd like it if you dropped by an' ate some food, ah?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:35 pm
”Yeah, I'd say so.”
Anita laughed at Mordekai's reaction to the straw and gave a wide-eyed shrug. She smiled while he prepared his own, the sudden eagerness he had in repeating it tickling her. It was reminiscent of Cruz.
”Oh yeah? I've never actually done a fourth of July thing. I mean-- mom watches fireworks on TV but that's it, really.” Anita leaned toward the straw and poked her tongue out to concentrate, lining up her middle finger with its center. Another pop. ”I'd love to. I'm sure Cruz would be into it, too. He really liked the fireworks on New Years.” She pursed her lips a little, then took a sip of her drink. ”I guess bringing Tango's out, though, since fireworks are kinda the whole point, aren't they?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:35 pm
Mordekai slowed down in his walking and watched intently as Anita focused on flicking the straw, eyes wide. He laughed again with the pop, pocketed the used straw, and dug into his pocket to get out another fresh one, because he couldn't help but be damn amused by something like this-- that, and the strip was quieter and emptier than he'd really expected, specially by the seashore, maybe because of the oncoming weather. He unwrapped another straw.
“Awesome! Will plan on makin' more food, then, be ready,” he twisted the straw, slower this time, and grinned at the mention of Cruz, “Cruz should definitely come! Dunno if Farrer's got anymore poppers, but ye'know, I'll get some.” He held out another properly twisted straw to Anita-- he was less enchantment and more quiet wonder and focus, now, mostly from thinking about prepping everything for July. Sure, fourth of July was months away, but he hadn't really thought much on it until now-- in reality, he wasn't even sure if Farrer and the rest would even come, if he asked them.
He snapped back into attention at the mention of Tango, though, then sobered a bit at the sentiment; he shrugged, then offered Anita a small smile. “Yeah, that'd be best for 'im. Duncan'll prolly be joinin' us for fireworks this time, so no one'd really be around to watch 'im.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:36 pm
Just as quickly as she broke one, Mordekai was at the ready with another straw. He seemed to be enjoying it, which was fine for her – Anita just hadn't expected to give him a new favorite idle pass time.
”I'm always ready for food,” Anita assured him as she lined her finger up again. This time she left him hanging a bit, squinting at the straw as they walked and stretching her other fingers out while her middle was curled and held in place by her thumb. Once or twice she glanced at him to check on his anticipation before finally going ahead and popping the straw's center. She leaned back proudly and giggled.
”Yeah, that's true. Better come in and give him some love, in case you don't see him again before then.” They were already crossing the main through way toward her apartment complex, the walk short on its own but speeding faster with the added amusement.
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:36 pm
“Best thing to say to someone who cooks! Glad to hear it.” His smile grew more as his anticipation grew; after a few moments, he held his breath, and he looked between the straw and Anita and gasped quietly a few times when he thought she was going to go ahead with it. When she finally did, he laughed and raised the straw up in the air, like some wand of wonder and victory, and held it back at face level to study it a bit.
Once he was done admiring the straw, he pocketed it, then looked over at Anita with a lopsided grin. “Don't gotta tell me twice, miss 'im already,” he glanced back toward the road-- he chuckled, seemingly at nothing, then hung his head. “...Sorry 'bout bein' so excited 'bout your dog, swear I ain't some crazy dog kidnapper.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:39 pm
”Well I know for a fact your cooking's good, so I'm double ready.”
His excitement and anticipation amused Anita, and when he held aloft the broken straw in triumph she lifted her own arms to join him and laughed. It was a pleasant surprise for him to get obvious enjoyment out of something so simple, Anita had honestly figured Mordekai would dismiss it after the first showing.
Then his enthusiasm dampened, just a little, and it was Anita's turn to sober. She kept her smile and tucked her hands into her pockets after a shrug. ”He likes you. It's better that you like him a lot than for you to not like him at all,” Anita chuckled, ”Hope the dog boyfriend jokes aren't annoying.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:40 pm
“Aw, don't be playin',” he chuckled. When Anita joined him in cheers, he smiled even wider; he wasn't quite sure if Anita would think of him as even weirder if he got this excited over some straws, but he was nothing if not easily amused. He took out his handful of straws briefly to count how many he had. Did Cruz know about this? He kinda hoped not.
He kept his hands in his jacket pockets and smiled calmly at Anita, then shrugged and hummed in response. “If y'think so...” he laughed, “Cain' imagine not likin' him, though. Hatin' dogs is like hatin' sunshine.”
His expression broke into a cheeky grin. “Oh, y'think those're jokes?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:41 pm
Anita scoffed and shook her head, ”I'm not.”
Mordekai's sentiment was appreciated. It made her smile down at her feet while they walked, occasionally sipping what was left of her drink. Her brows lifted and she turned to him with a grin. ”Not if you don't.” Congratulations to the happy couple.
The remainder of their short walk was pleasant. Storm clouds rolling in towards the beach became more prominent as they reached the apartment building. No thunder, so hopefully it would be a calm sprinkle for Mordekai's trip home. Anita lead him back up the stairs to her floor, to the door, and once again they were greeted by Tango with a slight delay as she turned the key.
What they were greeted by was not unlike what Mordekai saw when Anita opened the door; Cruz was taking up the couch and poked his head over the arm of the chair, offering a small wave to both of them while Tango was yipping and wailing for attention in front of them. A third party stood in the kitchenette putting together a single sandwich and breaking up some chicken breast into Tango's food bowl.
”Hey, sweets. You get my coffee?” Minerva smiled without looking up from her work.
”What?” Anita's arms dropped to her sides. For a moment she stared at her mother with abject disappointment, then let her head fall back and bent her knees, ”s**t!”
Minerva laughed and slapped the top slice of bread on. ”Gotcha.”
”Don't do that,” Anita scrunched her face up as she stepped aside for Mordekai to enter. Tango was still pattering around him and lifting off his front legs to try and nose at his beard. ”Mom, this is Mordekai. He's with Lab and is Tango's boyfriend as of Thanksgiving last year.”
”Ohhh, I see,” she wiped her hands on the fridge towel. Minerva approached Mordekai with a bright smile and a hand ready, the other lightly covering Tango's eyes so he stopped a moment and just stood there panting and whining instead. ”Nice to meet you. You know, Tango's been talking non-stop.” Tango let out his most pathetic tantrum yet. ”Clearly.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:41 pm
Mordekai's attention was divided between Anita and the rolling storm clouds-- he hoped it would rain hard enough for him to stay around Gambino for at least a little while longer, even if it facilitated in having to do a number of errands around town, and even if it meant the weather was freezing. He was semi-distracted in thought between any conversation they held, hands fiddling with the straws in his pocket the whole way.
Once they got up to Anita's apartment, though, he looked onward at the door as Anita fiddled with the keys. His smile grew when hearing Tango. He waved at Cruz and glanced at Minerva as she spoke to Anita.
"Oh--" he quietly began-- he felt completely guilty for Anita having failed to pick up Minerva's coffee, but managed to calm down at the realization that Anita didn't have to. He laughed quietly, brows upturned, and raised his hand toward Minerva in simple greeting.
"'Ey there." He broke into a grin at Anita's latter part of the introduction, then glanced between Minerva and Tango once they approached. He offered Minerva a firm handshake before smiling bemusedly at Tango's whine, though his attentions were still focused on Minerva. "Nice to meet ya-- damn, dunno why he keeps me 'round, I never visit," he chuckled, "Never caught y'name, though. Sorry for interruptin' your sandwich makin'."
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