The Magpie Emporium, Thursday (3/30)

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph had a couple of shipments of new games in this week -- stuff she'd backed on Kickstarter for the store, which meant she got to have copies in stock before the general retail release.

She was kind of frowning at one of them this morning, though, wondering if she should even put it out on the shelves. Eventually she did, but sort of sandwiched in between some of the other new releases.


It wasn't until she was finished that she noticed how the plushie displacer beasts were arranged into a stacked pyramid with a plushie dragon perched atop.

Which was cute, but maybe a tiny bit unnerving.

[OOC: Open!]

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

“Afternoon, Steph,” Watts greeted cheerily. It took a bit of work to get his hat on the usual beholder tentacle, given that he had a tote bag of goodies and a tray with mochas from the Perk with him, but he did manage.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Hey, Llewellyn," Steph replied, immediately darting over to help if he needed it. Drink trays could be tricksy things! "What's going on today?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts nodded in appreciation of the help. “One of those is for you,” he said, though at this point Steph could probably have guessed as much. “I know you purported to be all right following the events of the weekend, but hopefully you’ll forgive me for wanting to see for myself.”

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph set the drinks down on the counter and took one for herself.

"Thanks," she said, leaning against the counter. "That's entirely fair, given my track record. But seriously, I'm fine."

Mostly. But she would be, given a little time.

[pocketpretzels]

“Hmm.” Watts said, giving her a critical once-over as he took a sip of his own drink.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph looked at him for a moment and finally sagged the tiniest bit.

"I'm not injured," she amended. "Still kind of freaked out, but not hurt."

[pocketpretzels]

“An understandable reaction,” Watts said with a nod. “Would you care to talk about it?”

She listened when he was troubled, after all. Though if she’d rather not, well, that was fine too.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I would, but it's not exactly a light and fluffy story," Steph warned him. "If that's okay with you."

[pocketpretzels]

"I understand," Watts said with a nod. And he did; his own life was not exactly rife with light and fluffy tales (Well, until rather recently. Credit to Steven for that).

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph took a deep breath and a long sip of coffee to sort of steel herself first.

"A few years ago, the town where I grew up got basically wiped out by a freak storm," she began. Ripping the bandage off and all that. "I wasn't there, but my mom..."

She swallowed.

"They found her in the wreckage of our house. And ever since then I've imagined so many different ways that could have played out. Some of them, I'm there with her."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts nodded. “You told me a little about that, back in October,” he said. Not the part where she had imagined herself there at the time of the incident, that was new.

[drumsticksandd20s]

It was a weird survivor's guilt thing, but Steph didn't really like to share that part; it felt a little embarrassing.

"Some kind of panel fell and trapped me in a corner," she went on, shrugging one shoulder. "And it was like I just instinctively thought, was that what it was like for her?"

[pocketpretzels]

“That would have been quite frightening,” Watts said sympathetically.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi came by between classes. "Hey, I brought lunch." Namely every waffle she'd made that wasn't too under- or over- done (especially not the latter).

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I love you," Steph said immediately, and then she got a look at what Vi had brought. "Breakfast for lunch? Hell yeah."

[giveittoyoursister]

"Love you too," Vi replied, attempting to steal a kiss as she put the waffles down. "There's berries and syrup. Thought about bacon, but it would've taken too long."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Look at Steph, letting her steal that kiss.

"That just means we should obviously get bacon cheeseburgers for dinner," she said, pulling napkins and forks (real ones, because Ryan would never forgive her for using disposables) out of a drawer.

[giveittoyoursister]

It was very gracious of her.

"That sounds like a pretty great idea," Vi said setting out the little containers of various kinds of berries and a small jar of maple syrup. "You're gonna spoil me."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Completely gracious, not at all because she liked getting kisses from Vi or anything!

"Says the girl who's been regularly bringing me lunch for months now," Steph retorted with a good-natured laugh. "I'm trying to return the favor."

[giveittoyoursister]

Perish the thought!

"It's not about keeping a tally," Vi protested lightly, divvying up the waffles, then heaved a dramatic sigh. "But I guess I can't stop you if you want to find ways to pay me back."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I mean, I also just enjoy having dinner with my girlfriend," Steph said lightly as she loaded a waffle down with berries and syrup. "And maybe I like spoiling you."

[giveittoyoursister]

"I'll just have to endure it," Vi sounded Very Put Upon Indeed. "Having this amazing girl who wants to spend time with me."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"It's the worst, isn't it?" Steph teased, holding a forkful of waffle out to her. "Weirdly, I have the exact same problem."

[giveittoyoursister]

"The absolute worst." Vi leaned over to take the waffles before offering her own forkful to Steph. "Especially when I don't think it's ever gonna end."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph took a few seconds to enjoy the bite of waffle before replying.

"Tell me about it." She heaved a very dramatic sigh. "I thought she'd get sick of me after a while but it doesn't seem like that's about to happen."