Of Last Names, Among Other Things [Asher]

    Of course her hand was taken, and of course that Amelie appreciated the gesture. After all, she had been the one to unilaterally declare that Asher was her boyfriend at a point during the date just to essentially try to irk Lantis after that unfortunate comment he made. The brunette wasn't in a position to complain about anything.

    Especially not about something she liked!

    Amy sighed. He was probably right. "I guess that one of them really wanted to have a double date and the other ended up agreeing? But that doesn't mean he's gotta try and have fun? Or... I don't know, really." By now, she wasn't even expecting an answer to her questions. She just felt confused; while those actions might have an explanation, they just escaped her understanding, or heavily clashed with her mindset.

    Had the girl been a computer, she would be displaying a logic error by now! At any rate, at least the redhead had proven to be proficient at calming her down. His suggestion sounded correct; better to just ignore what had happened and move on. It wasn't like she was forced to form ties with everyone she met. It was a somewhat hard pill to swallow, but the fact remained that, regardless of the disposition they could have to each other, some people just didn't click together.

    Hard to understand, but true nonetheless. Ultimately, Amy's face began to show hints of a small smile forming there. "I don't know how you do it, but I think you're quite good at balancing your speech before it turns too sappy. I'm not very good at it myself, as you might've seen." At least in her manner of speech, and generally regarding how she felt, the brunette tended to be a pretty intense person. Her emotions were out there, at plain sight for everyone to observe, and frankly? They were on the strong end of the spectrum more often than not.

    "I agree there, though. I personally have no plans for kids until after graduating at least. Considering I've spent most of my life studying, I'd like to at least have a couple of years of fun before deciding I want to be a babysitter for eighteen years at least, you know? We're probably gonna have more than enough with the egg, and that's having into account that digimons grow pretty fast... and that they don't need diapers, I think!"

    It was going to be an interesting adventure, to say the least! Considering that the only thing they knew about the egg was that it was likely going to be a from species that was thought extinct for the longest time, meaning that it'd likely resemble an eel. No more, and definitely no less. At least from that moment onward, the atmosphere took a more lighthearted note; at least for now, being called 'not lousy', was enough for her to cheer up. She'd have preferred a compliment instead of that, but considering how Asher was... good enough.

    What about the plan that the brunette had concocted in less than a minute? A surprise visit to somebody's house was something that could be taken really badly, especially since this was pretty much the equivalent of going to his place uninvited, and for a reason that could be accurately be mistaken as less than genuine. Surprisingly, Asher seemed to be okay at the prospect, barring a bit of the initial surprise. A relatively bashful response ensued, prompting Amelie's expression to become sly for a couple of instants. "I mean. If the worst case happens and nobody is home, I can cook you dinner, and then we can buy popcorn or ice cream and watch a movie together. At least to me, it sounds like a pretty good evening."

    Not to say that it'd be a well-deserved rest from what had otherwise been an exhausting day. "And don't worry about Whiskers. I'm aware that digimon aren't supposed to talk in the presence of humans that don't know about them! A Digital Masquerade of sorts, isn't it? So, just a normal cat if other people are present!"

    The next fifteen-to-twenty minutes passed rather quickly; getting changed into a proper, yet casual outfit and making sure that the portal location's in Japan wouldn't cause a commotion. In the blink of an eye, Amelie was holding Asher's hand, all while standing in front of the threshold of a house she wasn't familiar with.

    Was Amy nervous? Of course, she was, but she was also very, very happy about the development. Ultimately, she took a moment to close her eyes and exhale while squeezing her boyfriend's hand. When she opened her eyes, they immediately focused on the redhead, just as their owner beamed. "I'm sure, but..." Definitely a pause for dramatic effect; those were all too easy to identify. "I wouldn't mind a peck to build confidence before entering!"

    Talk about strange demands at strange times!

    Amelie shook her head at Asher's implication. She could empathize with shyness to some degree, but... "I don't think they were shy, honestly; if they avoided certain topics, it was because they were confident enough to not want to speak about them. I honestly think they weren't very interested in us. But that's fine, I think! It's their loss in the end."

    Truth was that, while Lantis hadn't spared words to say how amazing and many other adjectives his boyfriend was, Amy could have done a similar number if... anyone had bothered to ask, to be honest. But since such an act without somebody showing at least a mild amount of interest was undue, that's where things remained. The whole gathering felt heavily strained, and that wasn't the kind of atmosphere she enjoyed for a casual hang out. Sure, amid a fight to the death or when negotiating with a warmongering city-state in the Dark Area, that'd be fine, but on a double date?

    Prooobably not. Those were for relaxing, not for stressing!

    "I think we made it pretty clear that we weren't judging anyone. Heck, I'd probably win the 'Hypocrite of the Year' award if I judged anyone for anything. But I digress, I guess; that topic is footprints in the sand by now. In a week or so, what happened at the beach will be little more than a vague memory."

    That was a surprisingly pessimistic way to see the experience, but what else could she say? Both groups had, in all honesty, barely interacted, and the brunette was sure that no lasting tie between either party was formed, or even threatened to form. In other words, chances were that they probably wouldn't see each other again. Or any time soon, at least.

    At least, the topic naturally shifted into something way more pleasant than that, like how Amy admired Asher's ability to temper the way he talked, or how he appreciated her 'passion' when speaking. It was a nice compliment, all things considered; the brunette knew that her words could be quite inflammatory at times, but usually it was too late by the time she began talking. It was as if the flames in her mind just kept on fanning themselves. Maybe she could learn moderation from him, at some point? Adopting a somewhat conciliatory tone would probably help Amelie greatly down the line. But, once again... that wasn't important at the moment; there would be plenty of time to think about that in the future.

    Understandably so, Amy was relieved when her boyfriend echoed her desire to hold off kids for as long as possible. Her current mindset dictated that the best years of one's life were too short, and too precious to be spent taking care of others instead of using those for yourself. Selfish? Yes, but it wasn't like birthing a child was an act of selflessness either, so things were more or less even in that regard. "We couldn't agree more, I feel. There's a lot of things I'd want to do before settling down. And changing diapers is not one of them!"

    Then again, how did you put a diaper on an eel? Was that even possible? An interesting question, even if one that would ultimately remain unanswered for the time being. Unlike cooking; the mention of the topic made the girls' eyes gleam. Asher had no idea about the kind of beast he had awoken. "Is that something bad?" She asked coyly. "I'm not sure on what I'll find in your house's kitchen, but if you don't mind me doing it, then I'd be happy to! It'd be the most fitting way to end Valentine's day, don't you think?"

    Being the sister of three relatively useless siblings in the kitchen had actually managed to convert Amelie into a fairly decent cook, mostly because her mom finally had somebody interested in helping her in the kitchen. Add to that that she was a student living off a somewhat limited budget, and the truth was that she had enough practice under her belt to feel confident about her skills. At least regarding her tastes, that is! Unless Asher's differed wildly, then things would probably end up in a satisfactory note. And that wasn't to say that she could apply at least three sayings to that situation!

    Regrettably, however, Amy didn't have enough time to mentally repeat them; soon enough, the duo found themselves at the entrance. Was it normal for a person to feel nervous in a situation like this one, even when the plan had been their idea? The brunette concluded that yes, it was probably fine to feel at least a bit nervous. But she managed to steel herself quickly enough! In part thanks to her own efforts, but mostly because of the affectionate gesture she received and was promptly returned. It served to reassure her about the fact that everything would be okay, as corny as that was.

    How bad could this be, especially when compared to the many perils the Digital World had? Amelie's expression relaxed, slowly turning into her usual, calm smile. "Well~." She commented, flashing a brief smirk. "At least on my side, I can say it worked pretty well! You could try asking as soon as you need a boost in confidence and check out for yourself; I wouldn't mind lending you some if needed."

    Time to get in. First room? Totally empty, even if quite expansive! Was it bigger than her whole apartment? Probably not, even though the fact that it had made the brunette doubt was already quite telling of its size! Would it be rude for her to try and examine the room before moving into the next? Considering her career of choice, she was very interested in things like how it had been designed and how the space was distributed. Ultimately, she resolved for doing that the next time. Or if her plan of cooking was approved.

    Second room! None other than the lounge! For a second, Amy thought that the same procedure would repeat once again, but before her gaze could set on the room's architecture, it stumbled into the two other living beings currently occupying her room. A girl, who she assumed was Asher's sister, and an obviously-not-Tawna-nor-Mae Meicoomon, which probably was Whiskers!

    For a moment, Amelie remained silent while the siblings exchanged greetings, even though the girl didn't seem to be that into the conversation. Her book must have been very interesting, mostly because she hadn't even noticed the presence of a newcomer... until, after a couple of questions. And in a rather comical way, to boot.

    The redhead's gesture was reciprocated with a small shrug, just before the introductions began. Maintaining her usual smile, bright yellow eyes met Amy's deep blues. What would be Piper thoughts about her? Had the brunette given her a good first impression? Guess she'd find out soon enough.

    "Yup. I'm his girlfriend." She nodded at the question, only to vaguely quirk an eyebrow at how... strange the female redhead's greeting was. It almost didn't sound genuine! But maybe that was just her being picky. "Nice to meet you two as well. Hope you don't mind me joining you for the evening."

    It was a new environment, and somehow, the atmosphere was a bit tenser than predicted; still, Amy thought she could handle this without issue. She nodded once again, and waited for Asher to lead her to their ultimate sitting destination. Once there, she tried to ease her nerves a bit, before finally speaking. "What book were you reading? Considering how enraptured you were, it must be pretty interesting!"

    A pretty simple icebreaker. Hopefully that'd help!

    At least, the cooking plan seemed like a possibility! Of course, the condition imposed was somewhat expected given the previous experience Asher had with Amy's offers for food. "I swear I'm not gonna try to choke you ever again." She said, rather solemnly. "As long as you don't make lobster jokes ever again. Hope we have a deal!"

    Could this be the brunette's attempt at trying to control the redhead's life, like those over-jealous girlfriends who tried to dictate how their boyfriends should behave and act? Or maybe it was because the lobster jokes weren't fun to anyone, even their target audience? Granted, making those two laugh was probably a futile endeavor, but still... better to forget about it.

    "I like cooking." She remarked, absolutely sure of her words. "I feel comfortable in a kitchen, and I like others enjoying what I cook. Mom always used to say that something along the lines of 'As long as you do your best effort and cook with the intent of everyone having a good time at the table, there's no dish too hard to prepare. Those smiles are worth it'. Mom's a bit quirky, but I like to believe those words are true."

    After exchanging offers to lend the other 'self-confidence' whenever necessary, the couple found themselves inside the house and seated in a rather comfortable couch, and after exchanging some greetings, Amelie was suddenly in the receiving end of a combination... of not very nice comments coming from Piper. Still far from offensive, and not nearly enough to crack the girl's smile. Would she quip into the brotherly exchange, or just keep silent? For now, she decided for the latter, at least until she was offered a drink.

    Considering that, moments ago, she was drinking alcohol mid-beach, it was probably for the best to take it easy for now. "A glass of water with some ice would be lovely. Thank you." Always courteous in the face of the gentlemanly offer, Asher disappearing into the kitchen would probably mean some time alone with his sister. What would happen then?

    A small sigh of relief ensued as soon as the house's other occupant seemed to at least display a measure of interest in her. Amy's eyes would focus on Whiskers' form, and a hand would slowly reach to the cat's head. Would she accept some headpats, or was that something that only dogs were supposed to enjoy? At times like this one, she wished she understood animals a little more.

    Or Pipers, for that matter! Before she could comment on the Greek Classic, the two brothers were already fighting over her potential nature as a siren! While the initial comments managed to hurt her a bit, she was made out of tougher stuff than that. Advantages of a surprise attack? At least Piper was witty on that regard!

    Amy heaved a sigh. "It's fine, Asher. If she wants to talk, let her talk. Or, at least, let me defend myself? I appreciate what you're doing, but..." She wasn't going to say it, but chances were that she needed to prove herself or something to those effects. And Asher playing the role of the knight there was probably influencing Piper's opinion already.

    It wasn't like she didn't appreciate the redhead having her back. It was just that the situation at hand was... tricky. She made a pause, then spoke once again. "I've read the Odyssey, even though mine was in French. It's a good book!"

    The brunette tried to measure her tone, and especially not to raise her voice over the usual. "I'm an amateur at best at singing, though. So... if I get to be one of the monsters there, I could be Scylla! I've always thought her tale was pretty cool, even if a little tragic. But if you gotta go through a bit of tragedy to eat as many sailors as you want, I'd say it's worth it."

    Now, what about all the other questions? They were quite a handful, so Amelie went through them as orderly as she could. At least she could handle the interrogation way better than direct insults. In a sense, this was almost like an exam! "Let me see. I'm in an exchange program, and, currently studying at Tokyo University. I'm majoring Architecture, and I'm about to begin my second year there, so I have at least three or four more years left, given everything going smoothly." One done, one to go. "We met at Miyashita. I go there every now and then because there are board games set up there in the afternoon. I was waiting for an opponent at chess and he sat. Regrettably, we couldn't finish because things got really weird. Then, we met again due to chance at a shopping mall on a rainy day. That's when we exchanged contact information."

    A pretty weird coincidence, especially considering that the third time they met, it had also been by chance! But given that the encounter had been in the Digital World, best to not mention it. "That was roughly... a bit more than a year ago. Hope the answer's good enough!"

    Had she passed the exam? Chances were that this was just the beginning, but that was okay. "Any exciting plans for tonight? Dinner, movies, an arcade? Or maybe even a karaoke bar? I've been to those a few times. They are fun."

    One thing was for sure. The brunette wouldn't just answer all the questions without asking some back.

    Well, if one thing could be said about the situation it was that Piper was feisty, even if one interesting tidbit had been revealed on that last exchange. Asher didn't normally touch women. For an instant, Amelie looked genuinely surprised at that sentence, even if, after a couple of seconds, the biggest and dumbest smile ever was plastered in her face. At least for those moments, if Piper's intent was to piss her off, she had accomplished the exact opposite!

    Whiskers, on the other hand, had managed to be an utterly adorable cat for the time being. As soon as a positive response had been displayed in the face of her first advances, the brunette would begin to caress the Meicoomon's body with way more confidence. Nevermind the fact that she would just leap into her lap and make herself comfortable.

    "Awwww." Despite the previous barrage of questions and personal attacks, the old saying remained true. Sometimes, cats were all the remedy you needed. At least that seemed to be the case with Amy, who now was spoiling Whiskers. Rotten. "You're a good girl, aren't you~?"

    Of course, the fact that she was spoiling the cat didn't mean that she wouldn't stop paying attention to Pip's comments! "I mean, yeah. My argument's not compelling at all, but... if you were given the choice to be one measly harpy-like being with a nice voice, or what amounts to a massive aquatic hydra. What would you pick? I feel like Scylla is way cooler! And since the two of them would probably end up murdering and then eating your brother, it isn't like I'm losing a whole lot, to be honest."

    Guess that, by now, Piper would guess that this was how Amy's brain operated. Sure, its logic wasn't very sound, but that was just how things were! "Besides, the role of Penelope is so boring that I almost fell asleep while reading what was up at Ithaca during Ulysses' trip. Just wait for twenty years until her husband gets back from waging war; truly, a classic Greek heroine, lameness included and all. Would rather be any monster from the book than her. They all had more interesting lives."

    At least for now, the conversation was taking a more lighthearted note. At least momentarily! For some reason, any situation felt way less tense when you had a fluffy cat sitting in your lap. She nodded when asked about chess. It was funny how all their first encounters had produced, apparently by the workings of mere chance or Dice-tan's doing.

    Yet, that didn't make them any less enjoyable... much unlike the situation the younger girl had found herself in. "A sudden breakup? That's horrible, even though that means the guy wasn't worth a lot to begin with." She sentenced, her acquiring seriousness that had been otherwise lacking. "Hope you can help her feel better. I'm sure she wants to be with her friends right now. Have fun!"

    Whether that outing ended up in actual fun or not would depend heavily on the other girl's disposition, she reckoned. Sometimes, they just wanted to cry all night long. Others, they decided to let loose. In any case, Amy didn't envy Piper's place. At all.

    Not nearly enough time to dwell there, however. Once again, the redhead was proving that she was pretty sharp. And unaware regarding the nature of digimons; that was somewhat interesting! Up to that moment, the brunette hadn't been sure on whether she was in the know or not, but at least this confirmed it.

    She grinned haughtily. Despite her otherwise conciliatory tone, it wasn't like Amy was forced to be a saint or anything of the sort. Some payback was due. "Why, wouldn't it be nice if I told you the answer to that?" Her tone, combined with how she was petting Whiskers at the moment probably made her look like the villain of some corny superhero movie. "Pity I won't. But at least you look like a smart girl; I'm sure you'll find out by yourself eventually. Or maybe you could try asking your brother, or Whiskers even! On a good day, and if they feel like it, any of the two could tell you the answer."

    This wouldn't benefit her relationship with Piper any, but it was also true that the redhead's initial comments hadn't either. Probably not a smart thing to do, but... it wasn't like it was her place to answer personal questions about Asher. Things like where he went was something he would have to disclose on his own. Or that his sister would have to find out on her own!

    "Afraid I'm gonna steal him from you, or something?" Wow... now that was mean. Guess that the two girls could bare their teeth when they wanted to.

    By this point, Amelie probably cared more about becoming friends with Whiskers rather than Piper. At least the cat had shown good faith since the start, instead of likening her to monsters or witches. As fun as that had been.

    What could she say? The redhead was pretty smart, even though the perfect comeback was prepared! "I mean, Circe would be fitting for me... if it wasn't a better match another person I'm thinking about at the moment. Somebody who's treating her guest as if she were a sow. Maybe it'll ring a bell!"

    Wonder how Pip would take that one? Considering it was essentially true, Amy wouldn't be surprised if the answer was something along the lines of 'because she deserves it', but that way okay. At least her point had been made.

    Regrettably, the teenager didn't have all that much experience in regards to mending broken hearts. Sure, it was sad when things like those happened, but there wasn't a whole lot that could be done about it. "Time's the best medicine for a broken heart. And company that will ensure she'll avoid the usual pitfalls for when shit like that happens. I think it'll be for the best, just that... she hasn't realized it yet."

    Who could've thought, Amy felt more sympathy for the broken-hearted stranger rather than the person that had been pretty stubborn at mistreating her. Was that even surprising? Or maybe just a tactic to show her she could actually be nice if the other person was nice to her as well? A weird variation of an eye for an eye, but that's just how things went.

    Amelie would try to calm the feline down a bit. Had she gotten nervous? Or was that just an expected reaction from a cat? Considering she had no idea about how cats were supposed to behave, she settled for the later. And just in time for the verbal confrontation to continue. It was somewhat funny, but the brunette's smug expression hadn't receded.

    Not one bit. "Don't worry. At most, you'll only have to worry about sharing him. If anything, I think you'll see him around more frequently from now on. Alongside me, of course! We'll have plenty more opportunities to chat in the future, I feel. Ain't that great? We'll become best friends in no time at this rhythm." Or they would end up hating each other's guts. Either or! Sadly, it seemed like their time together was at an end. And if Amy didn't know better, she could almost say that Piper was fed up with her!

    She had even gone as far inquire into something that, at least to the brunette, was pretty unrealistic. "Sue you...?" A pensive hum ensued. Could Amy really think about a reason why she would sue them? "I could just present a lawsuit stating that your cat is too cute, and that it should be mine instead because I feel offended at that?" A small shrug accompanied that statement. The truth was that Whiskers was utterly adorable. So adorable it probably was illegal. "But I'm feeling benevolent. As long as I get to pet her every time I come here, you can keep her."

    Luckily, the face-off would end as soon as Asher came back. Her request had been fulfilled, and she received the glass of water with her spare hand. "Thank you." First things first. "And don't worry! In your absence, we spent some quality time together. I actually made two friends today; it's just that little Pip hasn't realized it yet. Just give it time."

    At least, any leftover traces of smugness weren't present anymore. "Right now, it's a bit of a pity that she has to watch a movie with one of her friends. Otherwise, she would be one of the fortunate few to taste my cooking! It'll have to be the next time."

    Was the younger woman in a hurry to abandon the household? Would she bid her time, in hopes of souring the gathering one last time? Or would she seize the moment to take her leave? In any case, once that happened, the only occupants of the house at the moment would be Asher, Whiskers, and Amelie. And that meant that... she could lean in and whisper in the cat's ear. "Hey, Whiskers. You can talk normally now, if you wanna. Thanks for being so friendly with me! I thought Pip was going to shoot me or something at any moment, so that definitely helped."

    No more and no less than thankfulness where it was due.

    It seemed like Piper was very comfortable from her position in the trenches. The ball had been returned to Amy's court, just for her to shrug, seemingly in defeat. "I that's your final answer, then there's not a lot I can say about it; doubt anything would change your opinion, anyway."

    That was where the line was drawn for the brunette. She could entertain unreasonable notions for a while, but adapting to them was definitely out of question. She could only hope to understand why Piper had turned into a literal bwitch to antagonize her so fiercely from the beginning, yet the true reason ultimately eluded her. That was something that would probably be found out at some point, just... not any time soon.

    Similarly, Amelie wasn't going to comment on the friend situation anymore. In a sense, she understood Piper's mindset, given its context; considering how many times she had experienced it herself, she could tell when somebody was being intense for the lack of the better word, even if the redhead's words were pretty much a wildfire in comparison to her own, mostly cold approach.

    Both were scary, but Pip's definitely was quite the show to behold. Despite the otherwise calm and subdued tone, her words were cold and sharp, and definitely were being aimed at the correct place. Had Amy not being the owner of an above-average temperance and resolve, she would probably be crying at the moment.

    "At least it seems like you understand the game's rules." She commented, mirroring her matter-of-factly tone. "You've played it plenty of times, and you think you know all the rules and tricks there are to it. You've grown cynical to it, mostly because all your 'opponents' have tried variations of the same strategy. But, with me, you'll be up to a surprise." A calm smile graced her face for a brief second. "It's called earnestness. And you'll have to get used to it. Like it or not."

    Now, it was the brunette's turn to counterattack! The 'you don't know anything about us' card was something that she didn't expect, but that her brain had processed as a pretty lame argument from the first second. "That's true. I don't know a lot of things about Asher, but can I also say that I'm just his girlfriend, and not his therapist? I'm not gonna practice psychoanalysis on him, nor force him to tell me the history of his life if he doesn't want to share it. If he wants to tell me something about him, he will do when he feels like it. And if not, he won't; easy as that." What else was supposed to do? Break into his mind and just snatch the information? That would definitely be rude. "But I like to think I know one or two things about Asher's life that you don't. And for me, that's already good enough."

    The confrontation had been very violent. It was mostly a relief that it had been ended by Asher's timely return. Preferring to not comment about any of Piper's parting words, the brunette just sighed as she collapsed in the couch, her body relaxing from the previous tenseness. "I guess that I passed the literature exam, at least. Good for me?" Sarcasm dripped from her tone, even though that was more or less expected. The previous moments had been harsh, and that was to say the least!

    Whiskers' cheerful nature and rather original manner of talking managed to cheer her up some. Talking in puns wasn't something you saw every day, that was for sure! It'd take some turning, but eventually, Amy decided to just attempt to lay face up, using her boyfriend's lap as an impromptu pillow; at least that way, he'd have an easier time at playing with her hair! "Well~." She began, while still caressing the Meicoomon's fur. Where even to start? "To name a few; she admitted that she was treating me like a pig, scoffed at my attempt at friendship, thought I'd try to sue you, and then told me I didn't know anything about your family. Overall, I guess that kinda bad, even if not catastrophic? But it could've been way worse, I think! So I'll consider myself lucky."

    Question was. Had she been? Was normal to expect irrational siblings from your boyfriend's family? Amelie wasn't entirely sure, but wasn't going to question her own logic. "Proobably not something I should say, but I think there might be one or two deep-rooted issues there. That it also means she cares a lot about you, I think? Can't say I've gotten a full grasp of her personality, anyway, but I can tell that you two are definitely siblings. That much is very obvious."

    She had to admit, her new position was quite comfortable! That's probably how cats felt when sitting on a human's lap, except maybe not quite. Right now, her eyes were focused on Asher's face. "Each family has their issues, and you know I'm above asking about them unless you feel comfortable about sharing them, so... why don't you tell me how the Digital World has been? Is the Knights business going alright? Knowing K, it wouldn't surprise me if she's subjecting you all to some kind of hellish training regime, or already sending you to perform dangerous tasks and that stuff. You are taking care of yourself, right?"