Super Awesome Friend Bonding Times

[ghostking]

[It was Jason's idea.

He said it would be good for him. He needed to spend time with friends and have fun. Do things that teenagers are supposed to do. Things that don't include fighting for your life or saving the world from complete and utter destruction at the hands of vengeful deities.

A movie night was his suggestion. A movie night with Piper. Jason had been so eager and earnest about it that it was hard for him to say no. So he didn't. And that's how Nico found himself sitting on her couch on a Friday night with the strained awkward silence that seemed to follow him like a rain cloud planting itself firmly between them.]

... Nice place.

Comments

[ghostking]

Used to your dad being in terrible movies, used to having to watch them, or both?

[He tries to hide his laughter after her impression of her dad by quickly stuffing some more chips in his mouth, but he can't quite manage to force the corners of his lips to stay in a straight line like he wants them to.]

Oof, harsh.

[But in the end Nico just shrugs before settling back onto the couch.]

All right, if you say so.

[keepitsimple]

Both. But to be fair, they're not all terrible. Not even most of them. It's just...when they're bad, they're really bad.

[Her dad is a good actor, after all, not just a pretty face. And he's passionate about it, and dedicated too--enough that it was hard not to feel a little...well, jealous sometimes. Piper didn't doubt that her father genuinely loved her, but there were plenty of times over the years (and even now) when it felt like he paid more attention to his career than his own daughter.

...But that's not important tonight. Tonight is about paying attention to Nico, and really, what better way to bond with someone than to rag on a bad movie together?]

Most of the acting isn't so bad, it's the script that's awful. I mean, Anthony Hopkins is in this one, and even he couldn't save it.

[Piper turns her attention back to the screen, munching on popcorn in silence for a few minutes before chuckling at a certain line, then reaching over to lightly tap the side of Nico's shoulder with the backs of her fingers.]

Hey, we should play a drinking game. "Take shot every time someone says some obviously made-up piece of wannabe futuristic slang."

[She's almost completely joking...but then again, they've lived through way more dangerous stuff than most people twice their age, and technically Nico is well over the legal drinking age. If he does actually want to go for it, Piper is on board.]

[ghostking]

[He chuckles, shaking his head a little.]

Look, if you want to meet my dad that badly there are other ways to arrange a meeting that don't involve actually killing yourself. I mean, if we were to play that the way drinking games are supposed to be played we'd be dead before the movie was over. That's just a guarantee. You have better chances of survival trying to sneak into the Underworld.

[keepitsimple]

[The fact that he can tell that already and it's only about 10 minutes into the movie...well, that sure says something for the quality of the film. Or "quality", in air quotes. In any case, Nico's totally right and Piper knows it--that's why she said it in the first place, to be ridiculous--but that doesn't mean she's gonna back down so easily. She gives an offhanded shrug.]

Hey, if you don't wanna play the game, that's totally your call.

[Somehow it's ridiculously tempting to teasingly push him about it, to throw down the if you're not up to it, I understand completely, di Angelo gauntlet, but...the mood right now is light and he's chuckling and almost really smiling and Piper doesn't want to do anything to make him go serious again.

So instead she thinks: what would Leo say right now if he was here? and says that.]

Then again, we could always play it with hot sauce instead of booze...though honestly, as someone who's already seen this movie, that could probably kill us, too.