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I wanted,
[if he were at, say, a 10 on the social prowess scale, he might know to ask first: do you have time to chat, how are you, are you in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you, but he's at like a 6 on his best days and it just ain't that kind of party.]
I wanted to apologise for, um,
[he trails off. great job buddy]
[if he were at, say, a 10 on the social prowess scale, he might know to ask first: do you have time to chat, how are you, are you in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you, but he's at like a 6 on his best days and it just ain't that kind of party.]
I wanted to apologise for, um,
[he trails off. great job buddy]
[oh no this is hard]
I accidentally, um,
[one gets the impression he's hiding his face, despite talking on the crystal,]
I said something about. You and Clarisse. ...to Clarisse,
[slightly more muffled,]
andthenVlastalso,
[this is Destroying him,]
I'm really sorry.
I accidentally, um,
[one gets the impression he's hiding his face, despite talking on the crystal,]
I said something about. You and Clarisse. ...to Clarisse,
[slightly more muffled,]
andthenVlastalso,
[this is Destroying him,]
I'm really sorry.
(Abby's mouth falls open — she misses the rushed bit about Vlast entirely. She feels, all of a sudden, very hot. Uncomfortably so.)
You —
(She's standing in the middle of the courtyard, sweaty from a run. She had been on her way to the baths. Voice dropping, she hisses,) What did you say to her??
You —
(She's standing in the middle of the courtyard, sweaty from a run. She had been on her way to the baths. Voice dropping, she hisses,) What did you say to her??
She gets back to their room before Abby does, and so Abby misses her initial reactions to the shield. Quiet shock first, then mild embarrassment over having gotten Abby gloves, even if she did stitch stuff onto them, then the kind of dorky, childlike excitement she only gets when confronted with objects that are cool and war-related.
Clarisse sits for a while on her bed, running her fingers over the engravings of the dragon and the flames and the lettering, grinning. She wants to take it and test it out, but she also wants to sit here and look at it longer.
She's still smiling when Abby shows up, and she gets to her feet so she can sock her in the arm, hard. She doesn't even think twice about it, she's so excited. "You dick!" (Affectionate.) "How much did you spend on this??"
Clarisse sits for a while on her bed, running her fingers over the engravings of the dragon and the flames and the lettering, grinning. She wants to take it and test it out, but she also wants to sit here and look at it longer.
She's still smiling when Abby shows up, and she gets to her feet so she can sock her in the arm, hard. She doesn't even think twice about it, she's so excited. "You dick!" (Affectionate.) "How much did you spend on this??"
She'd been a bit nervous about the gift — that's why she left it lying innocently against Clarisse's bed unwrapped like she thought that'd dress it down or something — but coming back to a delighted grin and a punch in the arm makes it all worth it, instantly. Clarisse looks like a kid on Christmas morning.
Abby says, "Hey," in protest, but she's pleased. "Not telling. But you know the only shit I actually buy is food and books, right." So she can afford, from time to time, to get something really nice for a friend.
"We should test it out some time."
Abby says, "Hey," in protest, but she's pleased. "Not telling. But you know the only shit I actually buy is food and books, right." So she can afford, from time to time, to get something really nice for a friend.
"We should test it out some time."
"Tomorrow."
Only because it's getting dark so early now, and the day's almost over already. She wants to try the shield out when she can make the most of the daylight and show it off to anyone who passes by.
Clarisse is already waving a hand, dismissing Abby's claim about only buying food and books. Yeah, maybe that's true, but still. She's not going to argue about it too hard, though; she doesn't want to protest so much that Abby thinks she doesn't like it or something, because she very, very much likes it.
She grips it with one hand, holding it over her left arm, hoplite-style. "Do I look cool as fuck or what?" And once she adds the spear? Be still her heart.
"I'll make it up to you on your birthday," she adds, before Abby can answer. "Seriously. This is awesome."
Only because it's getting dark so early now, and the day's almost over already. She wants to try the shield out when she can make the most of the daylight and show it off to anyone who passes by.
Clarisse is already waving a hand, dismissing Abby's claim about only buying food and books. Yeah, maybe that's true, but still. She's not going to argue about it too hard, though; she doesn't want to protest so much that Abby thinks she doesn't like it or something, because she very, very much likes it.
She grips it with one hand, holding it over her left arm, hoplite-style. "Do I look cool as fuck or what?" And once she adds the spear? Be still her heart.
"I'll make it up to you on your birthday," she adds, before Abby can answer. "Seriously. This is awesome."
Abby's grin widens. Yeah, she knew it'd look awesome on Clarisse's arm. She chose that round style because it's similar to what the Spartans used, right? Abby doesn't know if she's been influenced by knowing Clarisse is a demi-god but the shield feels like it completes her look, like she was supposed to have it all this time.
"It's not too heavy, right?" Is a joke because what is too heavy for Clarisse? What she's saying is, "I'm glad you like it."
Really. She doesn't need Clarisse to make it up to her later, or anything, it's just... great to know that she likes it and she's gonna use it, and that this year was really shitty in places but she can smile like that anyway. Even thinking that feels slightly embarrassing, but it's true. Abby drops her stuff at the foot of her own bed.
"What other stuff did you get? Gigi made me this really cool vest—"
"It's not too heavy, right?" Is a joke because what is too heavy for Clarisse? What she's saying is, "I'm glad you like it."
Really. She doesn't need Clarisse to make it up to her later, or anything, it's just... great to know that she likes it and she's gonna use it, and that this year was really shitty in places but she can smile like that anyway. Even thinking that feels slightly embarrassing, but it's true. Abby drops her stuff at the foot of her own bed.
"What other stuff did you get? Gigi made me this really cool vest—"
"Oh! Me too. Well, it's a jacket, not a vest, but—"
Clarisse leans the shield back against the side of her bed and is already parkouring off her mattress to get to the rest of her haul, which is in a large bag sitting on the floor. She pulls the jacket out—it's the biggest thing in there, not hard to find—and holds it up for Abby to see. Check it out, they're gonna match.
"Barrow gave me this little catapult with a griffon I can shoot at people," because of course he did, "and Jayce gave me these special goggles so I can zoom in on shit while I'm griffon riding, and, oh, Cosima gave me this music box that plays Enter Sandman." She could go on, she's very excited, but she's stopping herself (for now).
"What else did you get?"
Clarisse leans the shield back against the side of her bed and is already parkouring off her mattress to get to the rest of her haul, which is in a large bag sitting on the floor. She pulls the jacket out—it's the biggest thing in there, not hard to find—and holds it up for Abby to see. Check it out, they're gonna match.
"Barrow gave me this little catapult with a griffon I can shoot at people," because of course he did, "and Jayce gave me these special goggles so I can zoom in on shit while I'm griffon riding, and, oh, Cosima gave me this music box that plays Enter Sandman." She could go on, she's very excited, but she's stopping herself (for now).
"What else did you get?"
The first thing Clarisse notices is that the light is different. The room she was staying in back in the apartments didn't get direct sun, and the mornings always seemed cloudy and subdued. This room is filling with soft pink light as the rising sun touches it. It's familiar. Her room.
She stretches, arching her back, and yawns. Abby is a warm lump next to her, mostly covered by the blanket, her weight resting against Clarisse's hip and ribs. It feels good, the pressure soft and warm. The blankets and pillows smell like Abby's hair. She's still riding the high of being remembered again, and of everything that happened yesterday.
She doesn't want to cut all that short, ruin what feels like a good thing, but at the same time she isn't sure she should stay here, either. In Abby's bed, that is.
The alternative, though, would be getting up and going about the rest of her morning like nothing happened yesterday. Which is basically what they both did after the training yard, and it hadn't felt good then, and Clarisse knows it would feel a hundred times worse now.
She exhales slowly, but it's thoughtful more than a sigh, and rolls onto her side facing Abby. "Hey."
She stretches, arching her back, and yawns. Abby is a warm lump next to her, mostly covered by the blanket, her weight resting against Clarisse's hip and ribs. It feels good, the pressure soft and warm. The blankets and pillows smell like Abby's hair. She's still riding the high of being remembered again, and of everything that happened yesterday.
She doesn't want to cut all that short, ruin what feels like a good thing, but at the same time she isn't sure she should stay here, either. In Abby's bed, that is.
The alternative, though, would be getting up and going about the rest of her morning like nothing happened yesterday. Which is basically what they both did after the training yard, and it hadn't felt good then, and Clarisse knows it would feel a hundred times worse now.
She exhales slowly, but it's thoughtful more than a sigh, and rolls onto her side facing Abby. "Hey."
She's awake at more or less the same time Clarisse is, a normal thing, because they usually get up around the same time anyway. They're early risers. Abby has known this ever since they started rooming together and it's strange to think that for the past week she was getting up alone and thinking it was normal. This morning she's not even in bed alone: Clarisse is a nice weight beside her in it, a warmth Abby is holding onto, both hands literally curled around her forearm. She opens her eyes. She closes them again. Leaves her hands where they are until she feels Clarisse start to move, because she assumes they're getting up.
It's nicer to find her closer instead, turned over onto her hip to talk. A do-over of the morning after the training yard, nakedness she doesn't need to be embarrassed about. Their clothes are strewn all over the floor.
"Hi." She's on her back, so she rolls over too, curling, then stretching out her legs. Her voice is sleepy. Eyes mostly open. "You good?"
It's nicer to find her closer instead, turned over onto her hip to talk. A do-over of the morning after the training yard, nakedness she doesn't need to be embarrassed about. Their clothes are strewn all over the floor.
"Hi." She's on her back, so she rolls over too, curling, then stretching out her legs. Her voice is sleepy. Eyes mostly open. "You good?"
"Yeah." It's so uncool of her, but she can't stop the smile that breaks out onto her face. Abby doesn't seem uncomfortable with this at all, or like she feels weird about what they did yesterday. All good signs, even if she does look half-asleep still.
"Did you, uh, sleep okay?" Stupid question. Not to mention kind of formal and awkwardly polite, for her.
Look, she isn't sure what to do in this situation, exactly. It's not like she can lean over and kiss Abby good morning. She can't just, like, assume. All the weeks of awkwardness and tension and sideways glances and finally they've done something about it, but they still haven't talked, they still don't know exactly where they stand.
"Did you, uh, sleep okay?" Stupid question. Not to mention kind of formal and awkwardly polite, for her.
Look, she isn't sure what to do in this situation, exactly. It's not like she can lean over and kiss Abby good morning. She can't just, like, assume. All the weeks of awkwardness and tension and sideways glances and finally they've done something about it, but they still haven't talked, they still don't know exactly where they stand.
Abby smiles too, an automatic reaction and eager nerves suddenly bring the moment into focus, the two of them facing each other like this, tucked in. She wonders what she looks like to Clarisse lying on her side, one arm between them on the bed and the other sort of crushed underneath of herself. She's never wondered so much about what Clarisse could be thinking about her. She says, "What?" a little laugh in her voice, and Clarisse's answer makes her grin. "Um, yeah." She scrubs her eye. "I think you're a good luck charm against nightmares."
Cuz she didn't have one. She slept good, sound. Didn't wake up in the night. Same as that other night they spent together, lying tangled up. "You?"
... Yeah, it's awkward. Pretty new. It's nice, though. Clarisse checking on her is kinda cute.
Cuz she didn't have one. She slept good, sound. Didn't wake up in the night. Same as that other night they spent together, lying tangled up. "You?"
... Yeah, it's awkward. Pretty new. It's nice, though. Clarisse checking on her is kinda cute.
"Yeah," she says. "Much better than I have been."
Nothing was wrong with the apartment room. It just didn't feel right. She'd take forever to fall asleep, and wake up with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach only to find that just a few hours had passed and it was still dark outside. This was a thousand percent better.
She's up but doesn't really want to leave, not with Abby lying there smiling at her like that. Their legs touching. But her heart is starting to race already and if she stays here she might say the first thing that pops into her head, and who knows what weird shit that might be?
Okay. Okay okay okay. She needs a few minutes, not to escape but to clear her head, figure out what she's going to do about this.
Clarisse rises to a sitting position and rubs a hand across her face, wiping sleep from her eyes. The part of her that sucks at this kind of thing and doesn't know how to react to stress is just dying to say something stupid, but she manages to sound pretty normal, actually, when she speaks again.
"You hungry? I can get some breakfast and bring it back here." Not that the two of them couldn't both walk to the dining hall. But eating there would definitely fuck up the intimate conversational vibe that Clarisse is planning on so she hopes Abby just says okay and lets her go.
Nothing was wrong with the apartment room. It just didn't feel right. She'd take forever to fall asleep, and wake up with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach only to find that just a few hours had passed and it was still dark outside. This was a thousand percent better.
She's up but doesn't really want to leave, not with Abby lying there smiling at her like that. Their legs touching. But her heart is starting to race already and if she stays here she might say the first thing that pops into her head, and who knows what weird shit that might be?
Okay. Okay okay okay. She needs a few minutes, not to escape but to clear her head, figure out what she's going to do about this.
Clarisse rises to a sitting position and rubs a hand across her face, wiping sleep from her eyes. The part of her that sucks at this kind of thing and doesn't know how to react to stress is just dying to say something stupid, but she manages to sound pretty normal, actually, when she speaks again.
"You hungry? I can get some breakfast and bring it back here." Not that the two of them couldn't both walk to the dining hall. But eating there would definitely fuck up the intimate conversational vibe that Clarisse is planning on so she hopes Abby just says okay and lets her go.
When they first got together Clarisse had been pretty suave about the whole does this mean I can take you out thing, but when it actually comes down to asking her for real, she finds herself having to fight off the impulse to be a nervous little bitch about it.
Because, first, part of the date involves flying, which she knows Abby hates. Second, she's not sure whether Abby is going to find this cool or interesting at all. Third, she's got Abby's crazy-belated birthday gift stuffed in her bag, so this isn't just some stupid casual date, it's like, an occasion.
But this is the first day they've both had off at the same time in weeks, and the weather's good. So she's going to do this.
And like a lot of things that make her nervous, Clarisse figures it's better to just get it over with, consequences be damned. Besides, what's the consequence for this going to be? Abby realizing that she's dating the Thedas equivalent of that girl who makes you go axe throwing? Boo hoo.
She swings the door to their room open. "Do you want to go somewhere cool with me?" she asks before Abby can even say 'hi'.
Because, first, part of the date involves flying, which she knows Abby hates. Second, she's not sure whether Abby is going to find this cool or interesting at all. Third, she's got Abby's crazy-belated birthday gift stuffed in her bag, so this isn't just some stupid casual date, it's like, an occasion.
But this is the first day they've both had off at the same time in weeks, and the weather's good. So she's going to do this.
And like a lot of things that make her nervous, Clarisse figures it's better to just get it over with, consequences be damned. Besides, what's the consequence for this going to be? Abby realizing that she's dating the Thedas equivalent of that girl who makes you go axe throwing? Boo hoo.
She swings the door to their room open. "Do you want to go somewhere cool with me?" she asks before Abby can even say 'hi'.
"Hi," Abby says, after she's said that. "Sure."
She'd been sitting here thinking about Clarisse, and knowing they are both free and the weather is good. If Clarisse had taken ten more minutes to reach her door she would have picked up her crystal to ask if she'd wanted to do something and so it feels like she willed this to happen, and she's grinning as she finds something to mark the spot in her book — a ribbon, nearby.
The dog is asleep on her bed and barely stirred when Clarisse came in through the door. It's another day ending in y for him.
"Where's 'somewhere cool'?"
She'd been sitting here thinking about Clarisse, and knowing they are both free and the weather is good. If Clarisse had taken ten more minutes to reach her door she would have picked up her crystal to ask if she'd wanted to do something and so it feels like she willed this to happen, and she's grinning as she finds something to mark the spot in her book — a ribbon, nearby.
The dog is asleep on her bed and barely stirred when Clarisse came in through the door. It's another day ending in y for him.
"Where's 'somewhere cool'?"
"I can't tell you. It's a secret." She's definitely overhyping this, but it's okay.
Clarisse steps forward and takes Abby's hand so she's already pulling her up off the bed as she adds, "We have to fly to get there, but only for a few minutes." She gives Abby her most guileless smile. Pleeease it'll be fun and very safe.
Clarisse steps forward and takes Abby's hand so she's already pulling her up off the bed as she adds, "We have to fly to get there, but only for a few minutes." She gives Abby her most guileless smile. Pleeease it'll be fun and very safe.
"Right."
God, she grins instantly when Clarisse grabs her and hauls her up, forgetting to stop grinning when she betrays the fact of the flight to get there. Honestly... if Clarisse told her right now they'd have to fly for hours to get there she'd do it. That smile is very convincing, that's all!
Thinking of something, she tugs on her hand. "I'll go if you kiss me?"
Too cheesy...?
God, she grins instantly when Clarisse grabs her and hauls her up, forgetting to stop grinning when she betrays the fact of the flight to get there. Honestly... if Clarisse told her right now they'd have to fly for hours to get there she'd do it. That smile is very convincing, that's all!
Thinking of something, she tugs on her hand. "I'll go if you kiss me?"
Too cheesy...?
Oh. This was easier than she thought it'd be. Turns out all she needed to do to get Abby to go flying with her was start kissing her.
"I can do that."
She tugs Abby closer and leans in to kiss her, resting her free hand on Abby's waist. Abby's lips are warm on hers, and she smells good, like she washed her hair and let it dry in the sun. Clarisse, in a flash of instant gratification, thinks about postponing the date and staying here instead, but then she reminds herself about the good weather and the birthday gift, so after a few more seconds she breaks the kiss.
"Ready?"
"I can do that."
She tugs Abby closer and leans in to kiss her, resting her free hand on Abby's waist. Abby's lips are warm on hers, and she smells good, like she washed her hair and let it dry in the sun. Clarisse, in a flash of instant gratification, thinks about postponing the date and staying here instead, but then she reminds herself about the good weather and the birthday gift, so after a few more seconds she breaks the kiss.
"Ready?"
A bottle of nice whiskey with a rolled-up note that reads: "Sorry. Barrow"
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