[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]
dw, taking this message and really holding space with it x
(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??
(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?
(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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[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]
dw, taking this message and really holding space with it x
Then,) What?
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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.
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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??
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[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.
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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?
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like... now?
[this is very hard for him Abby]
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and then he considers a moment.]
...I don't... think so.
[a beat.]
I didn't stay long after I said it.
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(Well now she has to go and think about how to handle that. Goodbye relaxing bath.
Begrudgingly,) Thanks for telling me.
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[this feels worse somehow, why does this feel worse]
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(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.
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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.]