The Magpie Emporium, Thursday (1/22)

[drumsticksandd20s]

For some unknown reason, Steph had been plagued for the past week by a vague nagging sensation that something about her past was... potentially wonky was about the only way she could describe it, really. It wasn't anything foreboding or especially concerning, just the odd awareness that some of her memories from high school were starting to get kind of fuzzy around the edges.

Great. Next thing I know I'll be getting arthritis.

Anyway, she was just going to ignore it.

[OOC: Me @ Squeenix and D9: Haven't you put Max and Chloe through enough? YOU COULD HAVE COME UP WITH NEW CHARACTERS AND A NEW STORY BUT NOOOOOOOO. Anyway, I'm also choosing to ignore it, and open.]

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

Hopefully she wouldn't ignore the person swooping in to the shop sometime mid-afternoon, with a tote bag slung over one shoulder.

Watts deposited his hat on the usual tentacle before making his way over to Steph. "Afternoon, Steph," he greeted.

[drumsticksandd20s]

No, no, that just helped her ignore the weird feeling more effectively so she welcomed the interruption.

"Hey, Llewellyn," Steph replied as both Saffron and Little Bot raced past in the background, in hot pursuit of a loose silicone die. "How's it going, man?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts spared a moment to peer around her at the antics of Saffron and Little Bot, and then shook his head.

"Not a whole lot to speak of," Watts admitted. "Looking in to warm destinations for a trip during the school break, but that's about it. You?"

[drumsticksandd20s]

"God, it's almost that time again." Steph shook her head, a bemused look on her face. "Have it narrowed down to a short list yet?"

[pocketpretzels]

"Somewhat," Watts said, setting the bag he'd brought on the counter and reaching for a handful of dice. "We've settled on somewhere in the Caribbean."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Niiiiiice," Steph said in a clear tone of approval. "I think we'll probably end up going wherever the break trip turns out to be, as usual. It's always somewhere way cooler than I ever thought I'd get to go anyway. Why the Caribbean? Or just because?"

[pocketpretzels]

"We went to Barbados a couple of years ago," Watts explained. "And the climate was- perfect. But we both like to explore new places, so- somewhere else in the Caribbean just made sense."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"It's a pretty sweet life, getting to explore a bunch of new places with awesome company," Steph remarked with a slight smile. "Looks good on you."

[pocketpretzels]

If there was a briefly melancholic expression that flickered across Watts's face at the mention of a 'pretty sweet life', it was gone as soon as his thoughts turned to that awesome company she mentioned. "Thank you," he said, the hand not fiddling with dice reaching up to scratch his cheek.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph grinned at him. "Just stating the obvious. Having someone who's down for as much adventure as you are isn't the kind of thing you can take for granted."

[pocketpretzels]

"Believe me, I know," Watts said. "It's- the sort of thing I never even let myself dream about, before. And here I am."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Here you are." Steph picked up a pair of d12s and began rolling them in her hand. "And I've known you for long enough by now that I feel pretty good about saying it isn't just a really long, really nice dream. You know, in case you were worried it was."

Which totally wasn't just her projecting, really.

[pocketpretzels]

"Can't say I've never worried that it all might..." Watts waved a hand around in a vague gesture. "Even as logically, I know that- that this is my life."

[giveittoyoursister]

And since they were ignoring it, it was a completely random coincidence that when Vi brought lunch in, it was one of Steph's favourites.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Iiiiii smell bacon. Is that breakfast for lunch?" Steph asked, perking up. "You continue to be the actual best."

[giveittoyoursister]

"That's because my girl deserves only the best," Vi said, reaching out to hook Steph's belt loops with her free hand as she passed her the bag.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"You spoil me so, so much," Steph said happily as she took the bag and let herself get pulled in. "Please feel free to carry on doing that forever."

[giveittoyoursister]

"Oh, I'm planning on it," Vi told her, and if she waggled her eyebrows while doing so, then it counted as flirting and not a commitment.

[drumsticksandd20s]

The same principle applied when Steph shot her a slow, cocky smirk and replied, "Damn right you are, and I'm holding you to it."

She began unpacking the bag, eyebrows inching up higher and higher with every little tub of maple syrup she pulled out of it.

"That... is what you could say is an obscene amount of syrup."

[giveittoyoursister]

It was a plan that was both perfect and foolproof.

Vi thought she covered her own surprise well enough with a saucy (heh) "Well, you're obscenely sweet."

Nailed it.

[drumsticksandd20s]

They were brilliant, shut up.

"You are what you eat and all that," Steph replied, and it was her turn to waggle her eyebrows as she unpacked pancakes and eggs and the aforementioned bacon. "But you are the resident expert on the subject, so thank you."

[giveittoyoursister]

So brilliant. They had the best plans.

"That explains why I suddenly want to wear beanies all the time, Vi teased as she reached for the cutlery.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Planning to talk around a certain subject indefinitely instead of ever actually addressing it, under the theory that it was a clever way to thwart disaster? Genius.

"You wanting to wear my clothes is unusual now?" Steph asked, snorting as she helped herself to a piece of bacon, cutlery be damned.

[giveittoyoursister]

No one in the history of the universe had ever been as smart as them!

"There's a difference between wanting in your pants and in your hats," Vi replied, licking a bit of syrup off her thumb.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Or as encumbered by abandonment issues. Surely.

Steph was paying attention to Vi's mouth, perhaps a little too keenly. "Okay, so where's that leave wanting to wear my shirts, then?"