Sass and Counter-Sass

[hazlogs]

11/7/2015

The Hub: Main Floor

The main floor of 'the Hub' is a spacious, almost sprawling room, with a two-story high ceiling and a large loft that looks out over the room itself, accessed via a winding metal staircase set at the opposite end from the heavy security door. One side of the floor is completely open, with a bank of windows facing north and offering a brilliant view of the city, especially at night. The other side contains a series of doors and doorways that lead into other rooms, large and small. One is clearly a kitchen (a very nice large kitchen with its own island and eating area), one is a bathroom, and one a repurposed conference room with a smaller central table than likely existed before, and comfortable rolling chairs that have clearly been reclaimed from various goodwill sources. Other rooms serve as storage, with one standing out as a well maintained server room, from which the local Walker server, various databases, and hardware responsible for the block's free wifi can be accessed.

The open floor itself sports several areas clearly designated for various purposes, though none have been walled off from the rest in any real fashion. One contains a comfortable, beat-up couch and armchairs arranged in a semi-circle around a large flatscreen TV and coffee table, another is a bank of multiple computers, each with their own desk and office chair, while a third is a modest exercise area mostly consisting of an open space of floor covered in a cushioned mat and several free weights. A number of monitors have been mounted on the wall next to the security door; the largest displays the area immediately on the other side of the door, with another showing the interior of the private elevator. The third and largest is split into sections, with one section dedicated to the sub-basement, another to the roof, and the others switching routinely between various parts of the interior and exterior of Maxwell Tower.

Rina looks the slightest bit embarrassed, and an awkward smile kindles, then deepens into something warmer yet. She picks up her leather jacket, only to hug it to her chest. Her boots are moot-chic, but obviously not meant for riding; big blocky heels add three inches to her height, and buckles climb the outside of each calf.

"I. I wasn't sure where to go," Kavi tells her, ducking his gaze for a moment. "I don't-- Even with the moon smaller, I still... But there was a place I saw when I was walking? It's not too far, and. They call themselves Thai Fusion. If that's okay?"

"Thai's great," Rina says swiftly, her smile going wide for a moment in genuine happiness.

Kavi's own smile hides a fair bit of embarrassment, but it doesn't stop him from looking to Rina as he approaches. "I wasn't sure. I know-- You cook, and so I thought about Italian, but I thought. I thought you might like something different."

Salem wanders out of the guest bedroom he's been using, looking muzzy and distracted. He stops at the top of the stairs leading down from the loft, eyeballing the pair of them.

Rina catches one side of her lower lip between her teeth, in a gesture that belonged to the old Kavi. She gives a swift nod. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great."

Kavi swallows again, and his gaze dips down toward her hand, indecision visible in his expression, in his posture. "I'm glad," he says aloud, lifting his gaze and offering a somewhat unsteady smile.

Salem comes down the stairs and heads for the kitchen as unobtrusively as possible, his expression carefully neutral.

Rina swings her jacket up and shrugs into it, giving him an awkward look. "Should we, ah..."

Kavi's embarrassment shoots up a notch as he spots Salem passing by, and he nods swifty to Rina, hurrying to open the door for her. "Yes. Sorry. I--"

"Have fun, kids," says the tween Philodox, deadpan and without looking back at them.

Rina looks in that direction, a look that thankfully goes unseen, its daggers missing their intended target. "Don't wait up, mom," she retorts.

Salem glances rather sharply back at that. "You couldn't have at least said /dad/?"

Rolling one shoulder, Rina gives him one of those insouciant wise-guy twists of the mouth.

Kavi holds the door open, tense and internal and not looking to either one, until Rina passes through and then closes it quickly behind. "It's not too long a walk," he says as he moves to call for the elevator. "I... I hope you don't mind?"

Salem's mouth thins out; he vanishes into the kitchen without another word.

"'S'all good," Rina answers, apparently carefree. "I like walking'."