Anya Antonovna Romanova Stark (anyastark) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2010-09-07 18:08:00

Entry tags:

Tied Together With a Smile
Anya gulped down the last of her champagne and put the empty glass on the tray of a passing waitress. Normally she would pace herself, but tonight she just didn't care. She grabbed a full glass from a passing waiter and took a drink. She wasn't drinking to become numb, just the opposite. She was drinking to be able to forget the numbness and emptiness inside of her.

A deep sigh escaped her and she looked around the room. It was a fundraiser for the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Pepper had given her a heads up about the event if Anya wanted to go and Anya hadn't planned on going, but the Russian Embassy had asked her very politely to attend on behalf of the Embassy and the Royal Family. There was a collection of Russian art going on display and tonight was the opening night. Anya almost told them to go stick it, but they were making a effort to abide by her request not to be set up on play dates. She could do a formal party at a museum. She had done many before and could do this without much thought or effort.

She could put a smile on her face and make others think she was having a good time. It was easy enough. Or so she hoped. The dress she wore was new, a Van Dyne Original, as well as her shoes and jewelry. Some major retail therapy had been needed and Anya indulged. The amount she spent on that shopping trip had been obscene even by her standards.

Another drink and the glass was already half empty. Her head was already swimming. Maybe she should slow down, or better yet leave. She had made her appearance and had been seen by the people who needed to see her. The Embassy would have to be satisfied.

Anya took another drink and started to make another round of the room.

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nextgen_citizen
2010-09-08 12:33 pm UTC (link)

"Ah have an older brother and a younger sister. My little sister suffers from Bipolar Disorder, so Ah'm very active in supporting causes that make the disorder more visible so that people understand it." Austin says.

This is information one could find online, however, Austin doesn't just assume that people are looking up info on his life regularly, though sometimes it seems that way to him. As long as no one asks about his real name, he considers this good.

"So, can A ask what has you in such a tizzy that you've got the plastic smile goin'? Ah didn't meant to take up your time if you've got places you need to be." he says.

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anyastark
2010-09-08 07:44 pm UTC (link)

Anya nodded. "That's completely understandable."

"You're not," she assured him. "I'm here because the Embassy asked me to come. Otherwise I would be home doing homework." She went quiet for a moment. How did she answer that question? My boyfriend got teleported to another dimension and I don't know when he's coming back?

"My boyfriend...went away for awhile. I don't know when he'll be back and I can't contact him." That would work, right?

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	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-09 12:30 am UTC (link)
	Austin's expression clearly shows that he feels like a jerk for prying. "Ah'm...really sorry about that, Anya. Ah didn't mean to get up into your business or anything. Ah hope he can come back to you soon, because it's no fun watching a pretty girl pretend to be happy." Austin says. Awkard, thy name is Austin. he thinks to himself. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-09 02:31 am UTC (link)
	"It's okay," she assured him. "And thanks. I hope he comes back too." There was a little blushing at the pretty girl comment. "I was about to blow this joint since I've been seen already. Would you like to grab a cup of coffee?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

nextgen_citizen
2010-09-09 02:38 am UTC (link)

"You are an angel of mercy. Ah will sing your praises when Ah think of this moment for the rest of my life. Let's go." Austin says, letting her proceed him out. He thinks nothing of who might see them leave together, because he doesn't think of this as anything but two people getting coffee because they hate fancy-pants gatherings like this.

"What's your favorite kind of coffee?" he asks.

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	anyastark 2010-09-09 02:48 am UTC (link)
	"Any," she said. "It's just a caffeine delivery system." Anya hailed a cab. "I know a pretty good place over in Cambridge. Knowing where to get coffee at all hours is kind of a necessity with the weird hours I keep." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-09 03:10 am UTC (link)
	"Oh, come on. You've got to have a favorite." Austin says, smiling. "Ah suppose that's good, though. Sometimes, Ah wish Ah'd gone to college just for the experience of late night studying, finals and makin' friends." he says. "Do you attend Harvard?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-09 03:13 am UTC (link)
	Anya climbed into the cab. "There's a great Turkish blend that's about ninety percent high octane," she said after he got in. "It's hard to get and I usually only get it at home. It's my mother's favorite." "MIT. Which is why Firewall was a good comedy flick." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

nextgen_citizen
2010-09-09 03:22 am UTC (link)

"Ah'm a fan of Kona Roast, myself, but then Ah love coffee in general, so it's all good." he says, slipping into the cab with her. He remains a respectful distance away and lets Anya tell the driver where to take them.

"Oh, M.I.T. was great. When Ah asked if Ah could attend some classes to prepare for the role in Firewall. Ah know it wasn't a great movie, but a comedy? Ouch." he laughs.

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	anyastark 2010-09-09 03:28 am UTC (link)
	"Oh /you/ weren't bad, but the writing was horrible. I think they threw every tech term they could think of in there and none of it made sense. To hear them misused so badly, well it was funny. Like bad B-movie funny." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-09 03:49 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah..." Austin says, looking a bit embarrassed. "Ah barely know anything about that stuff, but even Ah could tell they were just throwing stuff together." "It's kind of nice to meet someone who's seen a bad movie of mine and is honest about it. Most people tell me how great it was, even when /I/ wasn't proud of it." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

anyastark
2010-09-09 04:05 am UTC (link)

"We all do things we're not proud of," she said speaking from experience. "The key is learning from your mistakes and take responsibility for your actions if necessary." Anya had a lot of experience in that regard.

"I love bad movies, though not as much as my brother and I'm not afraid to speak my mind."

She smiled a little. "Well if you ever need any help with tech stuff, give me a ring. I am a Stark."

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	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-09 04:27 am UTC (link)
	"Well, Ah might have a role coming up soon that Ah could use the help with, Miss Stark. That is, if you wouldn't mind bein' a consultant. Since Ah'm sure you don't need the money, Ah'd be willin' to compensate you in coffee and Thai food. If you like Thai food, that is." Austin says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-09 04:44 am UTC (link)
	"I would love to consult and make sure things are right. Coffee and Thai food sound like perfect methods of payment." "What's the next project you're working on? Or is everything hush hush and you can't talk about it?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-09 05:06 am UTC (link)
	"Well, there's going to be information coming up soon. But...someone wants to do a remake of another hacker-type movie." Austin says. "Have you ever heard of Sneakers?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-09 05:25 am UTC (link)
	"Sneakers is possibly my favorite movie of all time. If someone is even thinking about remaking it, I will seriously have my father by the studio just to shut it down." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-10 12:29 am UTC (link)
	"Well, it's not exactly a remake. It's more of a...sequel? I guess you could call it that. It's following the children of the original." Austin says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-10 01:03 am UTC (link)
	Anya's eyes narrowed a bit. "I guess I can live with that. If it sucks I can pretend it doesn't exist. Much like I do with anything after the first Highlander movie." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-10 01:26 am UTC (link)
	"Amen to that. I loved Highlander too." he says. "Though, I keep telling George Clooney that when they do the remake of Ocean's Fourteen, I want in. He said he'd put in a good word for me." Austin says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-10 01:30 am UTC (link)
	"It was a great movie," Anya said. "I'm sure you'll get a part," she assured him. The cab came to a stop outside of an all-nite diner. It wasn't in Cambridge, but in Watertown, the next town over. Anya paid the driver and stepped out of the car. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

nextgen_citizen
2010-09-10 03:19 am UTC (link)

Austin's a little miffed that she beat him to paying the driver, so he'll have to work twice as hard to pick up tonight's check. He gets out of the car and goes to help Anya out, if he can, then looks at the diner.

"Wow, this place seems like it's off the beaten trail." Austin says. "I like finding places that few people know about. They usually have better service than 'establishments'."

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	anyastark 2010-09-10 03:31 am UTC (link)
	"It is," she said as she climbed out of the car. "I love places that are off the beaten path as well. Chains are nice when you're traveling because you know what to expect, but for daily stuff, Independent places are the best. I found this one not long after moving up here." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-10 05:14 am UTC (link)
	"Speaking of that...how long have you been around here and how is school going?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	anyastark 2010-09-10 02:47 pm UTC (link)
	Anya opened the door to the diner and held it for him. She was all for equality. "This is my second year up here," she said as she held the door. "School is going well. I just had one of my professors ask me to help him with a project." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	nextgen_citizen 2010-09-11 02:27 am UTC (link)
	"Really? Can I ask about the project or is top-secret?" he asks. Austin does not step through the door. He's been raised with firm ideals about men holding doors for women and he motions for Anya to proceed him. "I insist." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)