🫧 ー idk some marvel/nikke psl apparently we'll name later.

[bubblesong]

"It's Tony's birthday today. Now, he won't want you to make a big deal out of it. Don't even mention it. Because, last year was a disaster. I mean a huge disaster. He and Rhodey broke the house with suits! It was bad. Really bad. So, this year, he has to save face publicly. It's part of having your name on a company and having a Board of Directors. He needs to look good so they look good. So, a big fancy party that isn't here at the house. He'll probably make a flashy entrance because thats just Tony."

"... And you need me to stay here otherwise it might cause a problem. Because I'm a NIKKE."

Pepper Potts frowns slightly. "More because of his reputation with women. I'm only there because he made me CEO of the company."

"Aoou... I see. Okay. I understand." Little Mermaid nods slowly.

This is what happens when you insert yourself into someone's life. You aren't the center of their world. They have obligations, duties, and relationships already in play. She can't try to over shadow them or be more than the place she has already carved out. She understands. The world isn't meant to know NIKKEs still even exist. Maybe she's the only one...

"I've already asked JARVIS to help with anything you need. Tony probably already has, but, I wanted to make sure too." Pepper tries to smile. It feels like telling someone she's not accepted by the crowd and purposely kept away. She doesn't like it, but, Rhodey also felt the same way. Tony has to save his face with this event. "Is there anything I can do before I go, Siren?"

"Ahh? Uhm, no! It's okay. I'm used to being alone! Although it really isn't being alone with JARVIS here."

Pepper feels her smile falter just slightly. "No. I guess it's not. If you need anything have JARVIS call me."

Little Mermaid nods before raising her hands to shoo Pepper away. The woman is busy and has her things to do! In a way, it reminds her of her old friends. Abe always had meetings or tests to run with them. Hansel and Gtrel would stick to themselves mostly unless it was to cause trouble. Cinderella was the closest one to her, while Red Shoes...

Her hands tremble slighy at the memory of the woman.

"Tony's birthday..."

She thinks for a moment before nodding to herself. Within moments she is in her room, placing on her old uniform wet suit, and then heading out the back door that would lead outside. The path she takes is familiar to her. Diving in the sea is an enjoyable hobby. Especially as her bubbles allow her to dive deeper than NIKKEs normally are capable of due to their heavy bodies. She spends enough time underwater that when she finally returns to the surface, night has settled in. A bubble rests gently in her hands as she quickly returns to the Malibu mansion. The bubble is tucked under her arm as she enters the home, making her way to grab a few towels. Water isn't appreciated in the workshop.

Little Mermaid presses her hand to the glass door. The system recognizes her and allows her to slip into the workshop.

"Good evening, Miss Siren. Is there something I can help you with?"

She jumps at the voice and coughs to regain her composure. "Ah! JARVIS..."

"Apologies for frightening you. Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts are far more accustomed to my random interjections."

"Oh, it's not that! I just... am used to being alone." Little Mermaid comes to stand in the middle of the workshop with a towel wrapped around her main body to dry her suit and what she could fit of her hair on a towel on her head. "Uhm... ah... JARVIS? Could you help me with something? I need a strong wire. It doesn't need to be thick! Thin is okay."

"That is a simple request. Shall I have it brought to you upstairs?"

"No! Here is fine."

Little Mermaid stops in the middle of the room. Then, she moves down to the landing area. She makes herself comfortable and moves the bubble in front of her. With a gentle tap the bubble dissolves showing variations of shells. A smile spreads to her face. She starts to work on organzing by shape and size, humming slightly to herself. It's only when the arm stretches the flexible wire out to her she remembers that she isn't quite alone. The smile simmers slightly into something else sadder.

"Uhmmm... JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Siren?"

"Oh! Siren is fine. Even Little Mermaid is okay." She fidgets slightly before taking the wire from the arm. She snaps it easily then begins to bend it into the shape she wants. "Could... you look for something for me?"

"Of course, Siren. I will note that anything searched for will be recorded on the database for Mr. Stark to see as well. If that has your approval we can proceed."

Little Mermaid bends one of the ends of the wire. "That's fine. I don't think he'd really care anyways..."

"Very well. What should I look into? I have access to several public databases as well as certain top secret databases. Some would require further access requests from Mr. Stark."

Little Mermaid places the wire down. Her hands extend out, bubbles forming at her palms into exact shapes of two women. One taller with twin tails and one slightly older with a lab coat and glasses. The small bubble replicas walk forward and stop a few feet from their creator.

"Can you find anything about them...? Cinderella and Abe. My dear friend and out creator. I tried for a long time to find them on my own before I was captured..."

Blue laser lights project from the ceiling and wall. They scan the two bubbles before disappearing.

"I will begin a facial recognition scan. May I ask how long ago was "a long time"?"

"Uhm... its 2011 now...? So, uhm... sixty years ago?"

"The time of World War Two. If I might say, Siren, you hardly look a day over twenty."

She laughs a little. "Thank you."

JARVIS gets to work and she returns to her own arts and craft project. While certainly not on the scale of what Abe or Tony can do? She's at least certain her little project here will have some meaning. Even if it's a meaning that ends up on a shelf and forgotten for years and years. The two bubbles she has created stand by and watch her work. The twin tails nods or shakes her head at the order of shells being threaded onto the wire, while the one in the lab coat points to where errors of sizing have happened. Little Mermaid nods along with them.

Her humming has stopped and is instead replaced by the whirling of the robotic arm and hums of the machine.

"It seems as if I may have found something. May I show it to you, Siren? It will help narrow down the search."

Little Mermaid raises her head at the announcement. She ties the two pieces of wire together and begins to secure it before standing. A hologram projection of an old newspaper comes to view. Her hands sink in front of her at the faces she sees. A man and a woman standing next together. The man looks familiar, but she can't ever remember knowing exactly who he was. The woman she knows very well.

"Abe..."

A hand raises to gently touch the hologram. Fingertips slide through the projection. A woman with unruly blonde hair and glasses, an old lab coat and period dressing of the time. She stands beside the man. Behind her another woman with short hair stands with a smile on her face. Little Mermaid feels her hands begin to tremble at the sight of the other woman. She is a part of the story that Little Mermaid wishes she could forget... or at the very least no longer feel afraid of when she thinks or sees her.

"It would seem not many public records exist of the woman you identified as 'Abe.' She disappears from census records sometime after World War II. I have yet to find public records of the other woman you presented for the facial recognition scan. However, it could take time, as records from this time period are still in the process of being digitized."

"You probably won't find anything." Little Mermaid lowers her hand and looks at the strung together seashells in her other hand. "We were secret... meant to be unveiled to the public after the success of our mission. That never happened."

She pauses.

"Are there no records of them being seen anywhere recently...?"

"Not that I have identified yet, but these searches can take time. Shall I widen the search to include other parameters?"

"N-no. It's okay. Thank you for looking anyways." Little Mermaid forces a smile on her face. The bubbles of her two friends then dissipate into smaller bubbles. "Do you have a pen and paper I could use?"

"Of course."

The mechanical arm returns once more with the requested items. She gives a gentle pat of thanks to the arm before walking over to the desk that is filled with various pens, notes, drafts, and cups. A quick note is written with the string of seashells neatly placed onto it.

𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝓉𝒽𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒯𝑜𝓃𝓎.

She places the pen on the table before smiling. Once more she bundles what hair has fallen out of the towel in her arms. She heads to the workshop door and pauses.

"Good night, JARVIS. Thank you for trying to find anything. S-sleep well."

"While I do not require sleep, the sentiment is much appreciated. Sleep well, Siren."

"I don't need to sleep either."

She leaves the workshop and quietly heads to the room that has been given to her and shuts the door. The lights dim and she shuts the curtains. She sits on the bed in the dark drying her hair before laying back on it. Then, she rolls to her side and closes her eyes. Sleep doesn't necessarily come though. Maybe that's for the best. Her dreams would probably be filled with memories of how her team fell apart. How they were betrayed from the inside. How their heroes had to come in and stop ...

Little Mermaid sighs and rolls over to put her back to the door. There's definitely no sleep for her tonight.

Comments

[doesntpaint]

[ As far as parties go, this one's perfect. There's no wild dancing, no glasses being thrown around and shattered, and there's no Tony Stark in one of his Iron Man suits playing DJ at the record player.

... In other words, it's boring, and highly annoying. Pepper insisted that he make circuits around the room, talking to people and making nice with them, but she's also quick to elbow him in the side if his comments start getting too pointed for her liking. Tony just rolls his eyes at her, as if asking her without words: "What did you expect? Me to stop being me? Fat chance."

But Tony has to make up for the travesty that was his birthday party last year, so in a way, this is like penance. And as far as Tony's concerned, it's the worst punishment possible. The food's all right, anyway, and at least the drinks are flowing, even though Pepper's keeping a sharp eye on him so that he doesn't drink too much. Killjoy.

She raises an eyebrow at him when he takes two pieces of cake, but all he does is give her a flat stare that quickly turns into a cocky grin. The cake's not for him, but for the person he knows is waiting back at home. Honestly, he really can't wait to get back there. This party's boring and dull and dragging on too long, and if he has to talk to one more stuffy bigwig in a suit, well... He might say something that won't be stopped even by the sharpest of elbows from Pepper.

Finally, after hours upon hours of forced mingling, the party winds down, and thankfully, there's no afterparty. Tony can't believe he's even saying that, but this is one party that should have ended hours ago.

Pepper all but puts Tony in the limo despite his protests, and she tells him to go home. She has some things she has to take care of first, but then she'll join him when she's done. With a roll of his eyes and some grumbling, he gets in the car. Truthfully, though, he doesn't mind leaving.

His mind's already on the project he has going in his workshop, but he's also thinking about something else... about someone else. Maybe it's stupid, but he went out of his way to make sure the two slices of cake he grabbed stayed in good condition. Why does he care? Even he's not really sure.

But by the time the limo pulls up and Tony gets out of it, he's more than ready to get downstairs and hopefully find Little Mermaid still there too.

When he gets to the workshop, it's quiet and no one's there, but his gaze zeroes in immediately on the paper that he remembers not being there before.

𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝓉𝒽𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒯𝑜𝓃𝓎.

He stands there for a good 10 seconds, still holding the cake slices, and looking at the note from Little Mermaid and the string of seashells she left there too. She's probably asleep by now, or whatever it is that NIKKEs do at night, but he knows he wants to go find her. He almost sets the cake slices down, thinking it might be stupid to bring them at this hour, but he decides to take them along anyway.

He goes up to her room, notes that the door is closed, and- well, he can't tap on the door with his hands full, so he decides to try and say something and see if she hears him. ]

Hey, Ariel, you still up?

[bubblesong]

"Welcome home, sir. I see you had quite the 'enjoyable' time at your party. Far less fan fare than last year."

[ The AI notes that his creator is certainly not paying much attention to him. It is far from the ordinary, however, the house assistant finds he has prudent things discuss. Certain notations and flags that had come up during the search that Little Mermaid had requested. ]

"Things have happened in your absence, Mr. Stark. Information I find very important for you to be aware of..."

[ If he could sigh, JARVIS certainly would at this moment. Instead, he simply places things into sleep mode until Tony decides it is now within his interests.

Little Mermaid opens her eyes at the sound of Tony's voice. She glances at the clock to find it hasn't been all that long since she tried to retiring for the evening. For a moment she lays there before pushing herself off the bed. Within a few steps she is at the door and opening it, pulling it back enough to look up at Tony with a shy but happy expression on her face. ]

Ooh... you're back already? [ Little Mermaid stands straighter against the door. ] Welcome back. Did you have fun at the party? Pepper made it sound like it was going to be really formal... oh!

[ She steps back from the door in order to open it so he can step inside. A hand reaches out to flick the light on. The light remains at a low ambient level and a calm blue light. Like the ocean. She imagines one day he will make fun of how much she seems to embrace the idea of the ocean and mermaids... but maybe that was why she became the way she is as a NIKKE. Maybe she loved the ocean as a human.

She doesn't remember.

Little Mermaid gestures for him to sit on the bed and quickly sits there as well. That's when she realizes she has no reason to direct him in his own home. A small sound of embarrassment and self chastising comes from her before she reaches for the towel and begins to pad her hair again.

Then, another realization. He's still dressed in a normal suit. Which means he had just gotten back not too long ago. She glances down at her battle-swimsuut and makes another embarrased sound towards herself. She thought he'd be gone all night with how Pepper made it sound... ]

Uhm, nothing really happened here. I spent some time with JARVIS though...

[doesntpaint]

[ Tony walks in the door, already working on loosening his tie and slinging his fancy dress jacket over his shoulder. He glances toward the ceiling as if trying to pin JARVIS with a look, because knowing the ever-vigilant AI system, somehow, he'll know exactly what that look means. ]

Put a pin in the important developments, buddy. I just walked in the door, and I haven’t even poured a drink yet.

[ That’s when the sound of movement draws his attention, and he turns just in time to see the door open, revealing her standing there just inside the room with the lights turned on but low and calm. Maybe a part of him would laugh at how much her room looks like some kind of underwater scene but without all the water, but another part of him, the part he keeps buried most of the time, kind of likes how calm it is. He's never calm, always going here and there and working on one project or another, so it's a nice change.

Not that he'll ever tell anyone that.

He grins at her when she gestures to the bed, noting her immediate embarrassed reaction. ] You know, Ariel, it's okay to relax a little. [ He doesn't mind that she directed him to the bed. He's usually the one calling the shots, so when the shoe's on the other foot, he finds he doesn't mind. Although, maybe he doesn't mind because it's her doing the directing. Anyone else would get a little (or a lot) pushback.

He notes then what she's wearing, but he doesn't raise an eyebrow or really draw attention to it. He figures she must have gone swimming, a normal occurrence for her, and had only just gotten back. ]

Yeah, and you went for a swim, from the looks of it. Did you have a good time?

[bubblesong]

"Very well. I will keep a 'pin in it' until it is of interest to you, Mr. Stark. "

[ If only she was embarrassed due to the reason he most likely thinks is in her own mind.

She slowly sits down beside him on the bed. The towel gently moves down her hair as she pats it down. Golden eyes shift to the floor for a brief moment. Then, she nods. She did enjoy herself. Finding shells for his present had been fun.

Pepper told her not to mention his birthday. That means not asking if he had found her present or what he thought of it. She reminds herself that it's okay if he hadn't noticed it. If it was too simple and too basic compared to everything else he owns. The classic old gorgeous cars. The suits he has built. The priceless art, the house itself...

Her lips press together realizing how silly the idea truly was. There could be time to sneak in and slide it out. As if it had never been there. ]

Mm. I did. [ She looks up at him, head tilted, bent over as she moves towards the lower parts of her hair. ] Was your party fun?

[ Asking again can't hurt. Can it?

She imagines the party was large. Loud. Filled with people and music. The things Tony likes. Big business people. Maybe women too, given how Pepper keeps pointing that detail out. She's not sure if there is an attempt at protecting her. She doesn't need protection of that's the case.

Little Mermaid frowns. Should she tell him...? ]

Uhm... I... asked JARVIS to try and help me find something. I hope that's okay. [ Fingers curl slightly and cause the towel to crunch into her hair. ] If not, I won't do it again.

[ She supposes this isn't what "relaxing" is like according to Tony. Then again, it's hard to relax when things you had been searching for seem to be gone.

No, this is Tony's birthday. She won't weigh him down with her own woes. Not tonight at least. She puts the towel down in her lap then looks down at his hands to find cake. ]

Ohh... they gave you a birthday cake too?

[doesntpaint]

[ Tony sits at the edge of the bed, looking like he's trying to find something to do with his hands. Impressive, since he's still holding the plates with cake slices on them. ]

Hey, you can ask JARVIS anything you want. You're not breaking some high-security protocol. Worst case, he tells you I'm an idiot, but in that hyper-polite way of his. But you don’t have to ask for permission to ask him questions, all right?

[ He watches as she sort of crunches the towel into her hair, and then he adds: ]

As for the party, it was impressively loud while simultaneously being boring. Half the guests didn’t know what they were celebrating, the other half wanted to talk mergers and defense contracts. Boring stuff, but Pepper wanted boring. The board of directors wanted boring. I guess after the last party, it had to be boring, but- [ He cuts himself off, faking a yawn. ] Almost put me to sleep a few times.

I always thought, what's the point of it being your birthday if you can't celebrate how you want and with whoever you want? So I made an excuse to duck out early. I think Pepper was relieved, frankly.

[ She asks about the cake, and he leans back slightly on the bed, glancing at her. ]

Yeah, Board-ordered cake. Board-certified, probably. [ It's a bad joke. Actually, it's not a joke at all. ] Triple-tier monstrosity with sparklers and edible gold leaf. Fancy stuff.

[ He holds out the cake slice to her. ] Figured you might enjoy it. If not, well, it won't hurt my feelings if you toss it out. By the way, you left me something. You probably thought I didn't even notice it, but I did.

Believe it or not, I don't actually get many presents. Something about "what do you buy the rich guy who has everything?" Fun fact, I don't actually have everything, although you probably won't believe that.

[ He pauses, and when he speaks again, his tone is more genuine than it was just moments ago. ]

Thanks, by the way. Really. Is it laying it on too thick if I say it's one of the best presents I've gotten in awhile?

[bubblesong]

[ She could have broken a high security protocol if she had JARVIS keep digging it sounded like. That could have gotten Tony in trouble because she was being selfish. She got a participle answer though... and while she feels there's more? She has decided she won't use Tony or his systems to find more answers. ]

He said everything I looked for was recorded and you'd know anyways... so it was better that I say so instead of looking like I was trying to hide it.

[ So, the party was more business than a party. The kind she figures he hates the most. A bit of a smile comes to her face at his yawn and a small giggle even comes from her. Tony has a unique humor to him. Her hands fold neatly in her lap. ]

How do you want to celebrate your birthday? [ She pauses, knowing that Pepper had said not to mention it. Tony brought it up himself though, so, it should be okay. ] It's probably not even really your birthday anymore...

[ Another small giggle escapes at the idea of a truly gaudy cake that Tony is describing. It sounds more like a cake someone would make for Tony with who they think he is deep down. Not that Little Mermaid would presume to know him at that level. She has, however, seen how he sees himself as Iron Man. If they wanted to know Tony then all they would have to do is see the suits he has on display.

Surprise crosses her face at the cake slice handed out to her. She takes it shyly, almost as of she has never recieved something like it before. NIKKEs don't necessarily need food or sleep. But, the mind is still human, and thus they need to do the things a human woman would or they spiral out. ]

... thank you. [ Her voice is soft, barely over a whisper, but she truly means the two words. Then, louder: ] It's okay if you don't like it. Pepper said not to bring up your birthday... but not doing anything for you seemed wrong. So, I thought I'd make something.

[ Meaning that is why she went swimming. Shells from the water outside his home. The meaning might be lost on someone with as much money, fame, and power as Tony Stark, but that's okay for Little Mermaid. She knows the meaning and the intent. She would rather those things be lost than be alone again.

Then, his tone changes, and the entire line of thought immediately stops in her mind. She stares at Tony with a sort of awe that seems reserved for people when they are in the midst of their hero. Being seen by their hero. Millions of people see Iron Man as a hero so maybe that is less of an impact as well.

She gives him a gentle smile. Not a quiet or reserved one, but one that speaks more than her words can convey. ]

Tony. [ Little Mermaid sits taller to make sure there is no wavering in her voice--as much as she can anyways. ] I'm glad that you were born on this day. I'm glad that you survived whatever it was you did to be alive--[ a gesture to her chest as to where his arc reactor is, ]--and that you're here. I'm glad that I met you.

Happy Birthday.

[doesntpaint]

[ He doesn’t respond right away. That alone is telling, because Tony Stark doesn't do silence. He's 100% not the kind of guy who lets silence hang unless there’s a reason. Maybe it’s the way she said his name. Maybe it’s the sincerity behind words like “I’m glad you were born” that makes him pause. ]

Damn. Not every day someone makes me go speechless. You should write that down.

[ Tony's unsure how this actually makes him feel, but it seems clear enough that Little Mermaid knows how to get right under his skin. Ordinarily, he doesn't make admissions or confessions like the one he just did. Maybe it's nothing for the average person, but like Tony said, he's always talking, and he hardly ever goes speechless. Maybe Mermaid's power isn't only in her Kotodama. He already thought there was more to her than that, but now he's really thinking that's the case. ]

You know, I’ve had a lot of birthdays. Some loud, some flashy, some that ended with property damage and a helicopter ride I don’t remember.

[ He grins faintly at that, like he’s poking fun at a version of himself he’s outgrown, but still recognizes in the mirror. ]

Not a lot of people say things like that to me. Not without wanting something. Not without already knowing what I can give them.

No, you know what? You're a hell of a birthday gift, Ariel. [ He knows most people wouldn't like being called a present, but he thinks Little Mermaid will get what he's saying. He genuinely means it, too. It's not a flirtation or a joke. It's just a fact. ]

And for the record, this is how I want to celebrate my birthday. Just like this.

[ A second or two passes, and Tony just sits there quietly for those few seconds, before he adds: ]

I’m glad I met you too.

[bubblesong]

[ Little Mermaid smiles.

There are so many things she wishes she could say. How she likes his name for her--a human name. How she sees him as her hero. Not for only saving her and pulling her back into the world, but for reminding her what it was like to be a human girl. How much it means to her that he would want to spend his birthday with her when he has so many people he could be spending it with. Parties, music, cars... women. Pepper is sure to keep bringing up the last fact. Little Mermaid may be naive in many things, but, a simple search into the life of Tony Stark would show why.

Still, a part of her can't help but hope she might be different. Like Pepper is different.

Even if the emotion she feels may not be returned in the same way.

That's for the best, isn't it? He should focus his attentions on a human woman. Someone like Pepper. ]

You've already given me a place to stay. [ A place to call home. ] That's more than I should ever ask from you! Especially when you could of turned me over...

[ Her story doesn't matter right now. It's Tony's story. His birthday. The ending to her story is already being rewritten, just like Cinderella said it would. That means she needs to live up to how she can be a Goddess of Victory: celebrating the life and existence of someone who took even a handful of minutes to acknowledge her.

She smiles more at his final statement. ]

You should have JARVIS pick a song.

[ She puts the cake piece down on the bed. Her hands come together and from Spindrift comes a clear bubble. She releases it to float down onto the floor, and proceeds to make a few more. With how the light bounces off of them they look just like balloons.

Little Mermaid stands up then and pats her bodysuit down nervously. She turns to Tony, hands extending her hands out to him. ]

We can have a small party before your birthday ends! One dance and then you can say it wasn't a boring birthday at all. Uhmm... if that's what you'd want to do!

[ If she really is a "hell of a birthday gift", then, she wants to make sure he really has a smile on his birthday. That he gets to celebrate it the way he wants.

One he'll remember with a smile when they inevitability come to take her away. ]

[doesntpaint]

[ Tony blinks at her for a second or two as if he's been left speechless. And actually, he has, for once. He said once that he didn't do feelings and he definitely didn't have much of a heart. Not like that girl in the Grinch story. But now? He feels something weird. A tugging feeling somewhere in the heart he said he didn't have. Except, well, that was a lie and part of him knew it when he said it. That was awhile ago, though, or something. At least, that's his excuse.

He really didn't expect anything like this, not from her, not on his birthday. ]

You know... Most people just show up with a bottle of scotch and a “Happy Birthday, Tony,” before angling for a ride in one of the cars or an invite to the next gala.

But you? You give me balloons made out of light and magic, offer me a dance, and you actually mean it.

[ There’s a pause, not long, but just long enough. Then, feeling like he's about to do something incredibly stupid that will look even more incredibly stupid, he steps forward, holding out a hand like some wannabe prince to a lady who extended her hands out to him like they're royalty and this is some fairytale ball.

A fairytale ball in a place that's nothing like a palace. ]

Alright, Ariel. You win.

[ He gives her a grin, the kind of grin that not many people get to see. It's not the smarmy press smile, or the one he uses when he's trying to schmooze someone. Or schmooze Pepper when there's something he wants that he knows she won't approve of. Not that that works, because Pepper sees through him every single time. He figures Ariel can probably see through that too, which is why he doesn't use that one. She gets the real thing. ]

You’re officially my favorite birthday present. Sorry, Lamborghini I didn’t want. You’re being outclassed by a girl who makes balloon-light magic and still thinks I’m cool.

[ He raises her hand slightly like he actually knows what he's doing. He's good at faking it, at least, so that probably counts for something. ]

So, about that dance. Fair warning: I do a mean robot, a questionable moonwalk, and something that vaguely resembles the Charleston if I’ve had enough champagne. Pepper thinks I can't really do any of them, and she's probably right, but it's all in the attitude.

So, you still wanna dance?

[bubblesong]

[ The smile remains on her face.

She wants him to remember all of their time together in a happy light. All their conversations. Tonight especially. It needs to be happy for him. Something to remember fondly.

If she is the only NIKKE left? Then, there is no doubt in her mind that the ones who oversaw the program will find her. They will take her with them and... maybe she'll be scrapped as they intended to originally. The failed second generation Fair Tale models...

A blush immediately takes to her face at his out stretched hand. She shyly has hers sit in his, all the while only being able to think of what Cinderella would have thought is she saw the whole display. She seemed to embody the concept and idea of being a Fairy Tale model. Then again, Cinderella adored the Godesses . They were her heroes.

Just as Tony is hers.

His smile makes herself grow. ]

They're bubbles! Not balloons, not really. [ The small giggle in her voice shows she finds it amusing rather than offensive. ] They won't leave a mess. I'll be sure of it.

You are cool! You're a hero. A real hero. Someone who has saved lives. Someone who turned his life around and his company around. Maybe that isn't impressive to others because all they see is the past you, but, I can see who you are now. You're Iron Man.

[ She gives a nervous sound. ] Uhm... I don't know any real dances. Cinder--my squadmate showed me the box waltz dance? She said it was elegant and what every one of us should know how to do!

So... we can figure it out together!