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Yeah? (She's getting infected by his excitement, smiling now.) Um, okay. You guys don't have to leave if you don't want to but it's not like I know how to play anything, so...
(It will be boring. But maybe she could learn how to play, and then somehow figure out how to play some of the pieces she misses from home. Abby likes the sound of that.)
(It will be boring. But maybe she could learn how to play, and then somehow figure out how to play some of the pieces she misses from home. Abby likes the sound of that.)
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??
I--
[he scrambles through his memory, what did he say to her?]
it was-- she's been using the hair things I gave her.
[His mouth is dry, his stomach churning, but he presses ahead:] I said-- I made a comment like. You'd like it. Her hair.
I wasn't thinking.
[he scrambles through his memory, what did he say to her?]
it was-- she's been using the hair things I gave her.
[His mouth is dry, his stomach churning, but he presses ahead:] I said-- I made a comment like. You'd like it. Her hair.
I wasn't thinking.
(Okay. Okay that's not terrible, it's not the worst thing that he could have said. People say nice things about other people's hair all the time and it doesn't mean anything. Abby likes Clarisse's hair, she thinks it smells nice and that's — normal. Fine for friends to say.
Thank fuck she just exercised because she can tell her face is turning red.)
Okay. (She's clenching her jaw and thinking.) Um — does she know? That I talked to you?
Thank fuck she just exercised because she can tell her face is turning red.)
Okay. (She's clenching her jaw and thinking.) Um — does she know? That I talked to you?
[he's silent a moment,]
like... now?
[this is very hard for him Abby]
like... now?
[this is very hard for him Abby]
OH. [almost too loudly,
and then he considers a moment.]
...I don't... think so.
[a beat.]
I didn't stay long after I said it.
and then he considers a moment.]
...I don't... think so.
[a beat.]
I didn't stay long after I said it.
I'm sorry.
[this feels worse somehow, why does this feel worse]
[this feels worse somehow, why does this feel worse]
(Abby makes a sound and then sighs and says,) Yeah, I know.
(She feels kind of... annoyed, not fully angry but pissed off enough that she doesn't want to keep talking to him right now. Still, she knows him, so she adds,) We're good. Okay? I have to go.
(She feels kind of... annoyed, not fully angry but pissed off enough that she doesn't want to keep talking to him right now. Still, she knows him, so she adds,) We're good. Okay? I have to go.
[He takes a breath, like he might say something else, but thinks better of it-- perhaps the thing to do here is to follow her lead.
It's not what he wants, but strongarming through this one, trying to control the outcome, seems inadvisable.]
Okay, [he relents instead, quietly. Then he puts the crystal down and sits in silence for a while.]
It's not what he wants, but strongarming through this one, trying to control the outcome, seems inadvisable.]
Okay, [he relents instead, quietly. Then he puts the crystal down and sits in silence for a while.]
[ It's nice, she's learning by watching someone do it. Taking mental notes, deciding on the spot that she will ask Abby to watch and judge if she does the second hand well, by herself.
Still, undistracted: ] Scotland, actually. Originally, I mean, even though I have very clear, very vivid memories of spending close to three years in a strange other world, before the Fade rift spat me out here.
Still, undistracted: ] Scotland, actually. Originally, I mean, even though I have very clear, very vivid memories of spending close to three years in a strange other world, before the Fade rift spat me out here.
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?"
"Oh my god," she says, immediately laughing once Clarisse rips the jacket out of her bag to show her a familiar print, "She's such an asshole!" They're matching. No, but actually she loves this, it's so funny—
"Benedict got me some hair stuff that smells really nice." She's sitting on the end of her bed and thinking aloud, tracking back over all the little things left on her desk or in her pigeon hole. The amount of stuff that turns up always surprises her. "Viktor gave me this really cool metal clip that can hold, like, 60 pounds without breaking — and Lazar gave me a key holster that's shaped like a wolf."
Which is actually on her belt right now and she lifts her hips in Clarisse's direction to draw her attention to it.
"Oh, and some dork gave me embroidered gloves, I didn't even know she could embroider. They're really cool."
"Benedict got me some hair stuff that smells really nice." She's sitting on the end of her bed and thinking aloud, tracking back over all the little things left on her desk or in her pigeon hole. The amount of stuff that turns up always surprises her. "Viktor gave me this really cool metal clip that can hold, like, 60 pounds without breaking — and Lazar gave me a key holster that's shaped like a wolf."
Which is actually on her belt right now and she lifts her hips in Clarisse's direction to draw her attention to it.
"Oh, and some dork gave me embroidered gloves, I didn't even know she could embroider. They're really cool."
You're from Earth. (It's reassuring, actually, to learn this. A different Earth though, because of the magic... unless witches were always in Scotland and Abby never knew, on account of having never gone there before she fell through a hole in a dream. Who knows.
But this next thing—
She stops wrapping and looks up.) You did? What was it called?
(What had Glimmer called the place she and Ellie came here from...?)
But this next thing—
She stops wrapping and looks up.) You did? What was it called?
(What had Glimmer called the place she and Ellie came here from...?)
Abby lifts her hips to show off the wolf, and it's not like she's doing it on purpose or anything (why would she be?) but Clarisse is all of a sudden very aware of the fact that she knows what it feels like when Abby does that. With her hips. She's felt her do that before, on top of Clarisse.
Thank fuck Abby keeps talking because, instead of standing there in embarrassed silence, Clarisse can just reach over and chuck a pillow at her head. Shut up, don't mention the gloves. "Ugh. If I'd known you were going to give me a sick-ass shield I would have given you something a lot nicer."
Normally she would wait for Abby to throw the pillow back at her, and it would start some kind of mild scuffle, but instead Clarisse just bends over the side of the bed and starts pulling stuff out of the bag so she can figure out what to do with her gifts. Little catapult, music box... "Benedict got me hair stuff too," she says to the mattress. "Well. He already gave me a bunch of stuff, randomly, like a month ago. I guess this is for when that runs out."
Thank fuck Abby keeps talking because, instead of standing there in embarrassed silence, Clarisse can just reach over and chuck a pillow at her head. Shut up, don't mention the gloves. "Ugh. If I'd known you were going to give me a sick-ass shield I would have given you something a lot nicer."
Normally she would wait for Abby to throw the pillow back at her, and it would start some kind of mild scuffle, but instead Clarisse just bends over the side of the bed and starts pulling stuff out of the bag so she can figure out what to do with her gifts. Little catapult, music box... "Benedict got me hair stuff too," she says to the mattress. "Well. He already gave me a bunch of stuff, randomly, like a month ago. I guess this is for when that runs out."
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