Rey's warehouse- Friday afternoon

[thatwaslucky]

Rey was waiting dutifully outside the warehouse, leaning on the door with the lightsaber burn in it until Anakin showed up. There were some changes to the course today that she was pretty excited to see, but she didn't want to see it too early and give herself a chance to figure it out before running it. (Maybe Leia's sink-or-swim method had gotten through to her.)

So don't mind her, just hanging out for the moment.


[Open!
ETA: That Annie was there is fine to report, contents of conversation NFB.]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie had portalled in mostly just for her class, yes, and she did have to get back before too long, but....

Well. She also had a little bit of time to do some visiting. And while she had enough time to make the rounds and see more people, she -- look, she did not like admitting this, but she wasn't really sure she could face all that many congratulatory people who wanted to hear about how it was going.

So, while she did have to get back for that photoshoot sooner than later...well, rumors of just how quickly she had to turn around might have been a touch exaggerated.

But. Annie knew where to find Rey on a Friday afternoon, and after their conversation on Tuesday, she was pretty much the only person Annie was sure (well, mostly sure) she could handle seeing. Though she was a little surprised to see her outside the warehouse when Annie walked over with a promised T-shirt and a prototype Junior Seven Starlight Kuddle Buddy doll nestled in the crook of her arm.

"Locked out?" she called in greeting, waving with her free hand.

[thatwaslucky]

"There are changes to the course today, I'm waiting for Master Skywalker," Rey said, grinning. "I didn't think you'd be back already!"

Rey of course was happy that she got the job she did, but she was way happier about Annie in general.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm just here for my class," Annie explained with a smile, and everyone just ignore how her class had been done for a couple hours by now. "But I had a little time and brought you presents!"

She held up the doll, making her dance a little. "You get the first one. They're not even really in production yet."

[thatwaslucky]

"Oh, that is adorable," Rey told her. "You make a very cute doll, you know."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"There are more coming -- like, plastic ones, with hair you can brush?" Annie said, and maybe her smile widened a teeny bit at Rey's reaction. "But Kuddle Buddiez are meant to be, like, bedtime protectors."

So yeah, Annie was kind of psyched that something in her image was being used to help kids feel safe from closet monsters. If she concentrated on that kind of thing, this all felt a lot better.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey looked really amused at that. "Bedtime protectors?"

This may in fact be her introduction to the concept of things like monsters under the bed.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"For kids who're scared of the dark," Annie explained, and she gave the doll's foot a squeeze to make her hands light up with a little glow. (Yes, Rey, just for you, she had actually included the batteries already.) "Or who imagine stuff that isn't there, you know? Like, monsters under the bed or whatever."

[thatwaslucky]

"This is possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen," Rey said, and she was almost sorry she hadn't had it for when Cerra was around. "Thank you so much."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"And a shirt," she added, holding out both gifts. "No obligation to wear it, ever, but I did opt to get you the one that looks like my uniform the most."

There was an option in black, as well, which she'd be distributing to Diego and Jessica.

(Assuming she could ever bring herself to talk to either of them in person, again.)

"How are you?" she added, because hey there let's just create an opening to not talk about herself.

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm good," she said, taking the items. "I'll probably say differently once I see what's changed in there. How about you?"

Sorry, Annie. But at least you sounded better.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"What do you think's changed?" Annie asked, side-stepping the question of how she was, actually. (Which, in a way, was an answer in and of itself.) "Is he adding more quicksand or something?"

[thatwaslucky]

She did notice that, but she'd let it go for now.

"I know the jump is bigger, so yes, probably more quicksand," Rey said. "Otherwise I wanted to be surprised. I hope the rock wall is still there."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"What, it wasn't hard enough?" Annie teased lightly. "Can you seriously jump even further than it was? Rey, that's super impressive."

Please note that Annie was not exactly over her own experience with the quicksand, even if she knew better than to attempt a second time.

[sith_happened]

Anakin came jogging up, grinning. "I was hoping to beat you here!"

[thatwaslucky]

"I was excited," Rey smiled. And she usually got here early anyway.

[sith_happened]

"Hopefully it's fun for you," he said, smiling. "It was a blast to run through for me."

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm guessing you didn't end up in the quicksand?" she teased.

[sith_happened]

"I did not," Anakin said with a huge smile as he opened the door. "Let's see if that's true for you, too."

The gap over the quicksand was almost twice as wide now, the climbing wall had half of the hand holds removed and all of the pathways were skinnier and steeper.

And it was pouring. Anakin was so proud of himself.

[thatwaslucky]

"You had to do the rain thing," Rey said once she got a look at the course.

[sith_happened]

"We both grew up in the desert," he explained. "This is not our natural environment."

[thatwaslucky]

"And you think it's funny."

She knew you, Anakin.

[sith_happened]

"A little," Anakin admitted.

[thatwaslucky]

"Is it ready for me to run?" Rey asked.

In case you wondered if she liked it.

[sith_happened]

"Knock yourself out," Anakin said. "But maybe not literally."

[thatwaslucky]

"Cross your fingers," Rey said, already starting towards the ramp. "Remotes, yes or no?"