ax_main | Shinobi and Simon | Backdated to Shinobi's Party

Simon meets up with Shinobi and apologizes for his previous comments at the Back to School party. It goes surprisingly well.

Simon had been waiting for the right moment, between all of Shinobi's antics and karaoke and carrying-on. He'd kept an eye on Shaw, almost as much as he'd been keeping an eye on Warren, and when he saw Shinobi step out of the lime-light of his own birthday party, Simon met him halfway, offering the other teen a drink. "I'd suggest you have some water, but I think I might insult you further in that regard."

Making his way across the periphery to the refreshment table, Shinobi did not mind shunning the limelight for a few moments as he caught his breath. Dedicated hedonist though he was, even he had only so much energy--the night was young, and behooved him to pace himself! He drew up short, however, brows disappearing into his disarrayed and very slightly sweat-laden bangs. "Doumo," he replied cautiously, almost unconsciously accepting the drink formally with both hands. He just managed to stop himself from dipping into a slight bow. "I'm a bit surprised to find you especially concerned about insulting me, however. I was under the impression you labored under far weightier concerns than the state of my really extremely flexible dignity."

Simon deserved that, and glanced down for a moment, self-conscious. "I'm told that I'm terrible at making impressions," he admitted. "Worse when I'm a bit drunk and laboring under the delusion that I make good decisions. Ever."

That caused Shinobi a stab of ... something. Not guilt, not exactly; he wasn't morally evolved enough for that. Closer to sympathy, he supposed. And it wasn't as though he was actually angry. Not anymore, and not for some time. "Yare yare," he sighed, taking a drink from the glass Simon had brought him and smiling at the slow burn down the back of his throat. "You've made at least one extremely good decision in the recent past, and one I wholly support." It made Warren happy, after all, and that remained of primary importance to the flighty Shaw heir. His dark eyes sought out the winged mutant--picking him out of a crowd was rarely difficult, even one this colorful.

"And you weren't entirely wrong in your assessment. I am an ass; I'm not so oblivious I could be unaware of that. It was the other part that stung." He shrugged. "I could have handled it more elegantly, instead of just flouncing off in a huff."

"You had every right," Simon admitted, taking a sip of his own drink - virgin, this time - before looking up at Shinobi. "I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. Honestly, anyone who is friends with both Warren Worthington and Nolan Ross deserves a second look. Clearly you're a lot more than I originally measured. And, formally, I apologize for that."

"Apology accepted," declared Shinobi without hesitation. "That being said, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss your instincts. Nolan, I suspect, thinks that he owes me something; I appreciate his loyalty, but it is difficult at times not to feel like he's allowing me to impose on his tolerance out of a sense of obligation. And Warren has always thought me better than I actually am--it's one of his most charming traits, really." He looked into his glass for a moment, his smirk brittle and possibly just a touch bitter, for an instant. "Hearing someone else say as much was ... difficult. So please do accept my sincere 'sumimasen', too."

“I don’t think Warren is misjudging you. Not by what I’m hearing now,” Simon pointed out.

The half-Japanese mutant's lips screwed up wryly. "This is a rare interlude of honesty, no doubt brought on by a combination of fatigue and alcohol. Once I get my second wind, I'll be back to re-defining absurdity in novel and mystifying ways, you'll see." He paused. "Thank you, all the same."

"Before you go and get mystifying again," Simon inserted, "How has Ross been lately?"

"If you are asking from the standpoint of friendly curiosity, quite well, I think--he has that laboratory he shares with Kitty, and I'm half-convinced he'd spend all his time there, if possible. He occasionally takes meals with that odd, stone-faced telepath with just the one name. And I think he and Warren are getting along reasonably well. All-in-all, I've never seen him quite so sociable, which can only be a good thing. It helps distract him from the fact he had to leave everything he built behind to be here." Shinobi's dark eyes grew a shade more keen. "If you're asking from a professional standpoint, then he has had no further incidents of which I am aware. I'm very grateful for your assistance in that regard, by the way; I don't have so many friends that I'm in any rush to lose one of them to a teenage aneurysm."

"I have an interest in his health, yes," Simon agreed softly. "I want to be able to find a cure, because I'm certain he won't be the only case of such a disorder in mutants. I suffer from debilitating migraines, myself, which may have a similar triggering effect. And, honestly, I like him as a person. I can't say that for a great many people I meet right off."

"That's easy enough to explain away: most people are incredibly tedious, and to suffer them well requires more effort than is generally justified," Shinobi said, breezily as ever. "Still, I'm glad you've managed to find some small affection for Nolan. He's never had many friends, as far as I've noticed, and I'd considered that an awful waste. Also potentially problematic, as, scintillating though I am, I really probably shouldn't constitute the majority of anyone's social circle. That would be like a diet consisting solely of pixy sticks and straight gin." He shuddered theatrically for emphasis.

"I'm...afraid to say that I assumed that your diet did consist solely of pixy sticks and gin," Simon admitted.

"You weren't far wrong," Shinobi laughed. "But even I crave a nice, sensible salad every now and then." He tapped one side of his nose conspiratorially "I'd appreciate it if you didn't let that get around. I have worked very hard on my reputation, and would hate to see it damaged."

Simon snorted softly. "Trust me, I have better things to do with my time than tarnish your reputation as a flighty miscreant."

"You're much to kind to say so. We both have an image to serve, neh? I'll help you keep yours intact if you'll extend me the same consideration."

At that, Simon sobered a bit. That sounded a bit like blackmail to him, but he assumed that Shinobi was joking around. Even still, he nodded and tipped his glass. "Happy Birthday."

Shinobi saluted with his own glass in acknowledgement. "It's certainly off to an impressive start. We will see how the evening develops."