Timelined a few hours after It's All in the Mind
<Shinobi> "Yeah, I'll hold." Of course, this was the second time they'd asked him to do so, but there was nothing else he could do. Shinobi picked at a chip in the paint on the wall, then stopped himself. Maybe he should ask if he could repaint this place...
<Hope> Hope carefully balanced her stolen supplies and two mugs as se made her way down the stairs. Unable to knock, she brushed his mind for state of dress before nudging the door open carefully. "Hey sorry. I don't have a hand."
<Shinobi> "I'm here... well, I'm in Boston, so there is a blizzard. No, it's really a blizzard this time. The power was blinking a while ago." He stared at the chip in the wall, eyes unfocused until Hope's interruption. "No problem, one minute."
<Shinobi> Opening the door, he smiled at her, surprised, then gestured at the phone.
<Hope> She smiled back and nodded, heading silently for his kitchen to start her magical cocoa making. Her eyes darted to the ceiling. Hopefully their power supplies would hold.
<Shinobi> His head tilted to watch Hope walk to his small kitchen, bemused and appreciative of the rear view. When the secretary started talking this time he almost jumped. "Again? Okay..." Licking his lips nervously and shooting Hope a more furtive glance, he dropped his voice and spelled. "E-S-S-E-X...."
<Hope> It took her a moment, but the soft humming stopped as she spelled that word in her head with a shudder. She looked over her shoulder at him, questioningly.
<Shinobi> There was nothing he could do but wince and shrug. "Yeah. Michael.... no, it's spelled... Michael..." He rubbed the back of his neck and then his face. This was far more ridiculously difficult than it should have been.
<Hope> Hope shook her head a bit. Whoever he was looking up had a suck name. A very unfortunate name. She resumed humming and preparing hot chocolate for them.
<Shinobi> "No... 2013 is correct..." The woman's sixth excuse cut off in mid-sentence and he stared at his phone.
<Hope> With the milk set to boil, Hope hopped up onto the counter. Her feet dangled a bit as she watched him. "What happened in 2013?"
<Shinobi> No service. Shinobi tried the internet. "Well... the blizzard got it." Tossing the phone onto the bed, he smiled at the pretty picture she presented in his kitchen. "I graduated high school." He smirked and strolled in to join her, leaning in and giving her a greeting kiss this time.
<Hope> Distracted, Hope smiled and wrapped her arms around him as she returned the kiss. "Oh yeah? Looking for a friend of yours?" She asked, running her fingers through his hair.
<Shinobi> "I suppose you could say that," he said, threading his fingers through her hair to stroke her face with his thumb. "My father said I didn't require transcripts to audit courses, but the registrar at MIT doesn't seem to agree..."
<Hope> She rested her forehead against his, savoring the contact. "You could just let him deal with that. He makes that face and people go scurrying..." She ran his words back though her head, analyzing them.
<Shinobi> "He would need to fly to Omaha to make it." He closed his eyes, tracing little patterns on her cheek, his other hand at her waist.
<Hope> "You don't think he would? And miss the chance to smirk as they go scurry off to do his bidding?" She asked with a smile, closing her eyes. "Do I want to know what you aren't telling me?"
<Shinobi> "Essex isn't a name I should advertise, especially considering what happened the last time I mentioned it in your company." He smirked to himself, at least secure that he wouldn't meet the same fate this time.
<Hope> She backed up enough to look at him, confused as she processed it. "Ohhh. Of course." It hadn't occurred to her that like herself, he hasn't always been blessed with the correct name. She wrinkled her nose a bit. Ew. Essex!
<Shinobi> "He liked to gift his wards with his name..." He managed to meet her eyes, which he felt rather proud of.
<Hope> She tightened her grip on him and closed her eyes, taking several moments before she could look into his again. She lay her hand on his cheek and sighed as she calmed. "I'd still let Sebastian handle that."
<Shinobi> "I'm sorry... for that... too." He nodded once and searched her eyes, hoping she understood what he meant.
<Hope> She shook her head and pulled him a bit closer. She brushed his mind gently before connecting with him. It is our choices which define us now. What do you choose now?
<Shinobi> It still surprised him a bit each time she did that, but in the best possible way. Wasn't the answer obvious? I choose a new life.
<Hope> She couldn't stop her smile in time to hide it. Rather, she pulled him back into a kiss, deeper this time. Me too.
<Shinobi> He responded eagerly, fingers tangling in her hair. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against her. "He told me my name when I was around seventeen... eighteen? Before that, I was Michael."
<Hope> Noticing the milk was ready she kissed him again as she slid down carefully, breaking contact to make their hot chocolate. "Michael..." She let the name roll off her tongue as she dropped a peppermint stick into her mug. She let one hover over his, looking for approval or denial.
<Shinobi> "The only name more generic would be John, I guess." He smiled at the peppermint in confirmation.
<Hope> She dropped it into his mug and poured the milk carefully. "Which do you prefer? Michael... Or Shinobi? Or hell you could probably pick whatever you wanted." She stirred his mug and passed it to him before doing the same to her own mug.
<Shinobi> He thanked her and breathed in the scent. "Shinobi isn't even a name, but Dr. Essex never had an explanation for that. He gave me possibilities for who my father could be, but it was fairly obvious once I saw pictures of Sebastian. I was Michael longer, but Shinobi was supposed to be who I really was..."
<Shinobi> "That's probably making it too complicated," he decided, nose back in the cup.
<Hope> "Not really. But you didn't answer the question. What do you want?" She asked, brushing his hair back with a smile. "I thought about changing mine when I found Tony. But this name has meaning. It was picked for a reason. A reason I still need sometimes."
<Shinobi> "Because I don't know?" He shrugged and smiled at the touch.
<Hope> "Fair enough. You should think about it. But I have to admit... I'm probably going to call you Obi when we're alone anyway." She smiled and took a sip of her hot chocolate.
<Shinobi> "That's probably the best one." He smirked over the cup and followed her example, testing the minty cocoa.
<Hope> "That's because it's mine," she pointed out with a smirk. "How is it?"
<Shinobi> "As delicious as you, of course." His eyes dropped pointedly to her mouth for a moment and he licked his own lips with a grin.
<Hope> That gave her pause as she smirked, setting her cup down so she could wrap her arms back around his neck. "I aim to please."
<Shinobi> "You do it well." He put his mug aside to rest his hands on her hips and draw her closer again, brushing his nose against hers. The drink did make her smell even sweeter.
<Hope> She moved to him smiling as their noses touched. "What can I say? I have excellent motivation to try." She kissed him softly, lingering.
<Shinobi> He was never going to tire of that, and when they eventually broke apart he lowered his head and pulled her into a hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Just what I said. Delicious." His voice was muffled, but she could feel his grin.
<Hope> She nestled into him, smiling and holding him tightly. "I forgot to tell you. Sebastian talked to me about getting my Masters at MIT."
<Shinobi> "Oh yeah?" He moved a little to make them more comfortable and rested his chin on top her head. "When do you graduate?"
<Hope> "In May. I'm still shocked that I'm going to graduate. Nobody thought I would." She played with a bit of his hair as she thought about it.
<Shinobi> "So you're finishing and I'm just starting. Maybe. If they can find my records." He shook his head, but not enough to dislodge her fingers. "Why would people think you wouldn't graduate? You're a Stark."
<Hope> She laughed softly. "I wasn't always. I've only known about Tony a couple of years. Halfway through Xavier's. Before that I only did enough to pass. He made it clear he wasn't handing the company over to an idiot so I better start making the grades."
<Shinobi> "You're hardly an idiot." He gave her a squeeze and kissed her through her hair.
<Hope> "I know that. He knows that. But Ds don't get you CEO." She smiled and snuggled just a little, though she'd never admit to it.
<Shinobi> "Didn't you know that C students rule the world?" He laughed.
<Hope> Laughing, she nodded. "Pretty sure that's what he made. But yeah. Apparently I can do better. So I'm expected to."
<Shinobi> "Yeah, I wasn't... fantastic in school. Still, I need the records, or I'll be going to your abandoned nuthouse school." He'd spent the years after high school in other pursuits, after all.
<Hope> She laughed and kissed his nose. "Do you want me to get them for you? Nobody can tell the First Lady no."
<Shinobi> "That much is certainly true." He smiled and jostled her gently. "It's not that they won't give them to me, they say they don't have them." It was troubling, and he chewed the corner of his lip as he ran the conversation back through his mind.
<Hope> She kissed his cheek and smiled. "I don't mind taking this on. You are stuck dating in private thanks to me. At least there should be some perks."
<Shinobi> "Yeah, but I'm dating you. Absolutely worth it." The idea they were dating was... strange and warm. "I have... gaps. In my memory. It's weird, but I swear it's the right school. It's hard to forget..."
<Hope> "Yes you are. I hope it's-" she was cut off by her phone. She pulled it out and her face lit up when she realized what it was. She hit play and rested her head against him while his voice told her he'd never reject her. After hitting save, she looked up at him. "There's a reason I keep reminders on my phone."
<Shinobi> He swallowed past the sudden and surprising lump in his throat at her expression. She saved it. "Well, I'm glad I stole your phone for that now."
<Hope> "Cortez did a number on my mind. Occasionally, not often, but occasionally I... Lose track of reality. So things that are really important... Things that matter. I keep them where I won't forget. Maybe she did something to your memories too."
<Shinobi> "She's part of it, I'm sure... The SHIELD doctors weren't sure if it was Stryker or..." He paused, cleared his throat. "Nur, or even Dr. Essex..."
<Hope> She didn't shudder in his arms that time, rather proud of herself. "In any case you are safe now. Except maybe any troubles that I might bring." Maybe you were better off alone. I bring trouble everywhere.
<Shinobi> I wasn't better off alone. I was just alone. He tightened his arms around her and nuzzled into her hair. "And maybe I like a little trouble," he whispered into her ear.
<Hope> She snickered, pressing into him. Then I have no more to say against it. You aren't alone anymore.
<Shinobi> He breathed in deeply. Peppermint and shampoo and Hope. "Well, I-" The lights flickered once, then died, and Shinobi looked up.
<Hope> Hope looked up, shuddering at the darkness. Too dark. "I don't like this."
<Shinobi> The truth was, he didn't either. Darkness at night he could handle, but this... Shinobi drew in a deep, ragged breath. "Hopefully it'll just pop back on?"
<Hope> She pressed her face against his chest, breathing him in. It steadied her enough to think. "We should get to the others."
<Shinobi> "I have candles. Jess made sure I did, for things like this..." Now where he had put them was another matter...
<Hope> "Do you know where they are? I can get us light.... But last time I used that power it don't go so well."
<Shinobi> He paused, considering that option. "Um... stay here and I'll find them." That was too much temptation for his liking right now, and so he kissed her forehead and moved to check a drawer by the sink. Vaguely, he remembered throwing them there weeks ago, when he'd once again been annoyed by Jessica's meddling.
<Hope> She smiled in their mind since he couldn't see and tried to make out any shapes in the pitch black. "Remind me to.... Keep a oh my God I'm an idiot." She whipped out her phone and opened the flashlight app. "Battery won't hold forever but it will find us some candles."
<Shinobi> "It's okay. The darkness steals brain cells." He laughed and moved to the side to see into the drawer, quickly shuffling through it and moving to the next. "I'm an idiot too... I was pissed she gave me candles, so I didn't pay attention where I put them."
<Hope> "Why would that piss you off?" She questioned, stepping closer to give him the light.
<Shinobi> "Well..." he sighed, irritated with himself. "It wasn't the candles. She was being... too nice." The flash of white wax saved him from further explanations and he fished out the candles and a box of matches.
<Hope> She smirked, but his irritation kept her from pressing the issue. No wonder Sebastian liked this telepathy thing. It was the ultimate cheat code. "You found them!"
<Shinobi> "I certainly did." After two attempts to strike the match, he found success without burning himself and lit a candle, handing it to Hope. "Now we're doing at least as well as cave men."
<Hope> "All hail Obi, maker of fire!" She grinned at him, taking the candle and putting her phone up. She needed to save that battery.
<Shinobi> "Just one of my many skills," he laughed, lighting the other candle and searching for something to put it in. The flickering light did improve the gloom of the basement.
<Hope> "I like your skills," she teased, watching him. "Should light candles down here more often."
<Shinobi> A glass would serve for now to seat the candle in a bit of melted wax, and he handed her the finished DIY light in trade for her bare candle. "Yeah," he said, looking around. "Although, fire could make if more of a traditional dungeon."
<Hope> She traded with a grin. "Can't lie. That would be pretty badass."
<Shinobi> "I was kind of disappointed he didn't have one, really. He is the Black King after all." He laughed and finished his own light, leaning against the counter. Then he spotted their mugs and stretched to hook them and slide them over.
<Hope> Hope just smirked and kept the thought of the club dungeons to herself as she took her mug. She leaned back against the counter and took a sip. "This isn't so bad."
<Shinobi> "Not now. Every now and then..." He made a face and took a drink of the hot chocolate. "It's..." No, he could tell her. "Sometimes it reminds me too much of SHIELD..." And Stryker.
<Hope> "I get that. You know where I was held." She reminded him, running her fingers over his. "My room is bright. You are always welcome there."
<Shinobi> "Thanks," he said with a smile, watching her hand. Such small hands, and bright nails.
<Hope> She smiled back at him and relaxed, playing with his fingers. "If the power stays off much longer we need to rescue Flounder."
<Shinobi> "If it stays off too long, he won't be the only one who's freezing." He played along, enjoying the contact. "We're not all ice queens like you."
<Hope> "I won't let you freeze Obi!" She gave his cheek a loud kiss to prove it. "If Drake was here I wouldn't mind the cold at all."
<Shinobi> "Well, I do have blankets, and we have light now..." He turned his head to give her a quick, playful kiss. "And we have hot chocolate. I think we'll be okay for a while..."
<Hope> Hope grinned and laced their fingers together. "A long while." She kissed him properly and thanked the snow for the excuse to cuddle under blankets.