Who: Nova Artino McLain and Magnus Chase What: Random Encounter When: June Where: A sporting goods store Rating/Warning: Low/none Status: Complete
If there was anything someone couldn’t have too much of, it was climbing gear. Some of her carabiners were worn, and while she was sure that she might be able to get a few more uses out of them, it was better to have something that she knew she could trust, instead of something that was was only pretty sure she could trust.
She frowned at the guy on the packaging of the climbing gear she was looking at, and wondered if she’d be able to somehow get around him to open it up and inspect it first hand. She made to look over her shoulder to make sure there were no shop clerks near by that might disapprove, and then caught sight of the blond guy next to her. The blond guy who looked suspiciously like the one on the packaging she had in her hand. She looked back down at the packaging, and then back up into the face of the boy.
***
Magnus had a list of things Frey and he needed to replace before they went climbing this weekend, and a few extras he wanted to pick up in case they had a ‘surprise’ guest this weekend in the form of Apollo. Nothing had been said yet but Magnus was willing to bet that the two men were about to get back together and he hoped for everyone’s sakes that it worked out this time. He didn’t think he could keep his sanity if he had to see Frey walking around with a broken heart again.
He wasn’t paying attention to the other people on the aisle with him but he felt the somewhat familiar sensation of someone staring at him and he looked up cautiously, meeting the gaze of another shopper who was holding one of the packs in her hand. “That one has a five year warranty from the manufacturer. They started listing it on the packaging earlier this month so it might not be on that one.” He was used to this, it came along with being the face of the climbing gear and nutrition lines. And the few profiles his parents had signed off on him being featured in along with his father.
***
Nova flushed a little when she was caught staring. How embarrassing. She looked at the package, and then back at the guy who was on it. “Thanks for the info,” she said. “It’s not. Listed, I mean.” She swallowed, forcing herself to get her cool back. “So, you model for them and they can’t even be bothered to deliver their gear right to you?” she asked with a bit of half smile.
***
Magnus rubbed his hand over the back of his neck a little awkwardly. “The modeling was the result of a lost bet when the products were first getting ready to launch. Normally we just get the stuff we need for our trips through an assistant at the company but this time it would take longer than I’m willing to wait.” He said, keeping it quiet about exactly who’s assistant. “A little bit of a last minute trip.”
***
“A last minute rock climbing trip?” Nova asked, eyeing the gear in his hand. Nova had occasionally needed rock climbing gear at the last minute, but that was normally because she had Family Business that needed to be taken care of immediately. She somehow got the impression that this guy wasn’t using this stuff to break into places.
What a charmed life. “Must be nice.”
***
“Well camping and rock climbing. One of my uncles is coming to visit and it’s better for everyone if Frey and I aren’t around the house when he’s in town.” They just clashed endlessly and it caused stress for Natalie and for Frey and Magnus so...distance.
***
“Makes sense, I guess,” Nova said, though she wasn’t terribly familiar with the concept of visiting family. Her uncle Alec was the only blood family she had, though there was the rest of the Family. Still, there were people in the “family,” - not the type who Nova would consider actual family, but more like business associates - where she usually did her best to get out of the house for a while when they came to visit.
“Hopefully you guys have more fun rock climbing than you would being at home.”
***
“That’s the plan. And she can enjoy a visit with her brother without having to deal with the bad parts.” Which for a lot of people would probably sound weird but Magnus had a long time ago accepted that there was his family and then their families outside of it. Drawback, and benefit, of Natalie and Frey deciding to do what they wanted when it came to their son rather than going the ‘traditional’ route of getting married.
***
“Whatever works for you guys,” Nova said. She was familiar enough with not having what most people would consider a standard family. The only person in her Family that she was actually related to was her uncle. “You must be excited to get to spend the time with your dad though.”
***
“Is it that obvious?” Magnus joked, pushing his hair back from his face. Probably time for him to start thinking about getting it cut again but he liked the length himself. And it was easy enough to keep out of his face when he had to. “This is the first trip we’ve gotten to take since moving so I’m looking forward to it.
***
Nova really wasn’t so good at this small talk thing, and normally this was the point in the conversation where’s he’d say kthxbai and leave, but she’d promised Leroy that she’d at least make an effort, and what was an easier way to practice than on some celebrity in a random store that she’d probably never see again? Science was all about trial and error, and it was probably better if Nova got all the ‘error’ out before she started college. “Oh? Are you guys new to the area then?” she asked.
***
“We were living in Boston when in the country until a few months ago. Career opportunity for Natalie and now home base is in Orange County California.” Magnus said with a shrug. It wasn’t all bad - Will and his parents were out here so he’d already had friends out here, family other than his parents. And it wasn’t like he couldn’t just pick up the phone and call Blitz and Hearth to talk anytime he wanted.
***
“Boston, huh?” Nova asked. She’d never left California herself; she wondered what Boston was like. “You guys have a lot of tea parties out there?”
***
Magnus grinned at that question. "Not too many when I was there but I did think a few times about staging one myself when we were in country."
***
Nova snorted. “Does your production company know what a rebel you are?” she teased.
***
“They’ve always just said don’t get caught by the cops.” Magnus joked. It was completely the truth too.
***
Nova couldn’t help but snort a little. “Well, I hope you’re able to live up to their evidently high standards,” she teased.
***
“No criminal record so far.” Magnus said with a grin. “I just have to keep that streak up for another couple years.”
***
“Good luck,” Nova said, wondering vaguely if he even really needed luck. He didn’t really seem like the type to go around breaking laws in general. “And good luck with your weekend camping trip.”