Main Room (Aichi)
-Aichi's a little sheepish still, but he's not worried about them not liking the gifts anymore. He's really glad that Leos and Sthesia like his gifts to them. He's not really sure what to say in response to Sthesia saying it was nice of him to make them for the two of them...-
"W-Well... Thank you... It was the least I could do."
-He wasn't really sure of what else to say...-
edited 22nd Dec '17 3:05:01 PM by CrystalMemoria
Main Room (Aichi)
-Well, Aichi was taken off guard by the hug. He's not mad and he's not pushing her away. He's simply not used to something like this... The poor kid's about as red as a tomato now. He's flustered. Very flustered.-
"I... I... um... I..."
-Formulate words, Aichi! He's a little too flustered to really think about what he means to say. However, he does manage to speak, albeit awkwardly.-
"Y-You're... welcome...?"
-Despite his extreme sheepishness in the situation he can't help but feel kind of happy about the hug. It's comforting.-
edited 22nd Dec '17 3:22:59 PM by CrystalMemoria
"Of course, Marcia, that's totally not a problem," Franklin awkwardly replies. " 'Sides, it's pretty commonplace where I'm from." He adds a modest shrug on top of it, trying not to sound like a gloater.
"Indeed, The Ship Should Be Fully Submerged At This Po—."H.E.R.B.I.E takes note of the conversation, asking, "Is there something wrong, Mr. Tapferin?"
(As H.E.R.B.I.E has probably noticed, Michael is obviously a little different to when they last saw him. In fact, one could argue that something clearly happened to him, and it's more or less shattered his professional image.)
...I'm fine. Why?
(Sthesia eventually lets go after Leos's joke, and smiles at the poor kid.)
"We all fail. We all make mistakes. That is what makes us human."Main Room (Aichi)
-The hug has ended, but Aichi's still rather pink. He's still struggling to figure out what he should say if anything.-
"I-I, um..."
-Come on, Aichi! Say something!-
"I-I didn't really expect that... I'm... not really used to being hugged like that..."
-Despite saying this he has a smile on his face. It's a bit sheepish, but he's also genuinely happy about the hug. It felt... nice.-
"T-Thanks..."
-Wait... are you supposed to thank people for hugs? Aichi's not entirely sure, but considering he's still a little flustered it just kind of came out.-
"It Does Not Take A Through Analysis Of Your Current Emotional Status To Realize That You're In A Non-Optimal Mood." H.E.R.B.I.E. notes, before his yellow pupils blink again like a notification. "Admittedly, For Your Discretion, Mr. Tapferin, I Have Nearly Done Just That.
"Paparazzi? Yeesh!" Franklin looks more lively now. "I can understand, both from experience and from the people I know."
"Worst journalist I've met? Well..." Franklin ponders on the thought. "Funny, I can't say I've known the worst, personally."
"I mean, when I was younger, tons of no-named (to me) newspeople charged at my family for tons of answers. Sometimes I get caught in the middle, but my uncle Johnny lets his "charms" distract them long enough for me to escape."
He rolls his eyes playfully, only to conclude with, "But if we're talking about the best, I'll always vouch for my Uncle Parker. Well, he used to be anyway, but he moved on. Now he had a pretty strict boss..."
edited 22nd Dec '17 4:09:48 PM by XMenMutant22

"Oh right! Well, you know, you know..." Franklin literally handwaves his poor attempt at giving an explanation. Okay, so the fatigue is looking a little more apparent.
"I Would Have To Agree, Mr. Tapferin. Master Richards and I Have Been At Hard Work On Two Projects Since Thanksgiving." H.E.R.B.I.E salvages the conversation. "Both Projects Involve The Retooling Of The "Quantum Batteries" That You, Ms. Juris, And I Managed To Acquire From The Space Cargo Ship."
Franklin, meanwhile, looks towards the unmasked Marcia with amusement. " You know, I shouldn't be as shocked as I'm feeling right now, but I kind of am. I mean, I thought you were just as, you know, store owner."
edited 22nd Dec '17 3:01:21 PM by XMenMutant22