[hr][center][h3][b][u][Castle on the Clouds][/u][/b][/h3][/center][hr]

Dawn watched the whole ordeal with an amused expression, up until the point Felix started violently expelling the contents of his stomach onto the transparent-aluminum flooring. What was once an optically pristine illusion of transparency: an invisible barrier between them and the sea of clouds below spattered with wet chunks and bile. Was that waffles... and honey? This boy...

Dawn wrinkled her nose.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Ugh. My immersion is ruined,"[/color][/b] she droned haughtily, though a smirk tugged the corners of her lips. [b][color=#f7e286]"It's a good thing I'm [i]not[/i] with 'Major Jackass' or you'd be vomiting on his designer carpets, and I don't think that would be a good time for either of us,"[/color][/b] she said, spearing him with a serious glint in her golden eyes over the rim of her coffee.

[color=f7941d]"So did your little bird also tell you that I was gonna finally succeed on a long term project today? 'Cause, not gonna lie here, that would've been a real good way to make up the morning beyond also seein' a new friend."[/color]

Dawn flinched a little: the term 'friend' seemed to hit her with a fair amount of force. Her gaze drifted away for a bit. Was she being friend-zoned already? Did healthy relationships start with friends? Is that how this was supposed to work? ...Or was it fling, feelings, awkward avoidance, messy breakup? Hopefully this wasn't already turning into one of those legendary misunderstandings that would live on to haunt her future incarnations in history and mythology courses. That's the thing about patterns... Her eyes snapped back to Felix. 

Right. He was expecting a response.

[b][color=#f7e286]"That's not how it works,"[/color][/b] she answered, breaking the long, awkward silence. [b][color=#f7e286]"More like... I got the notion that I could avoid some trouble if I showed up to work late, and that you might be thirsty when we met,"[/color][/b] she smiled.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Also, until I figure out a more permanent solution, I'm going to have to refresh the... thing... that... shields you... from [i]me[/i],"[/color][/b] she trailed off, her cheeks flushing as she avoided eye contact with him and suddenly finding the ripples of her coffee extremely interesting.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Uh. Manually. Through physical contact. Sorry, I didn't really ask this time I just...,"[/color][/b] she bit the inside of her lips. Why was this [i]so[/i] fucking hard? [b][color=#f7e286]"Didn't want you to feel bad... Uh. Worse when you got here,"[/color][/b] she amended, her eyes flicking to the spray of vomit floating in space above the sea of clouds.