I know we've not known each other for long, but I kind of hoped I'd give the impression I'm not the sort to mock you. What is it? I assure you I won't laugh.
[it's another lesson! riptide's doing pretty well, actually. he's learning quickly under cecelia's tutelage-- though his problems never stemmed from not being able to comprehend the topics, just that he was never taught in a way that wasn't massively traumatic.
anyway, he leans back in his chair, rubbing his chin.]
Alright, so what's that curly style of writing?
[an innocent question. little does he know that opening his mouth and opening an avenue of conversation will let the tmi zone dig its roots into both of them...]
[and thank every god, honestly: Cecelia doesn't really have the patience to be a good teacher, so Rip meeting her halfway and grasping this stuff right quick is a blessing. she's quite pleased by his progression, though; she has no idea how long it ought to take him, now that he's seemingly grown -- there's no physical change to mark as milestones like back in her younger years.
still. this is good, right? she thinks it's good. and at least he's asking about things she excels at, so she can puff up and answer confidently.]
That'd be script -- cursive, in other words. Designed for grace and flow with ink -- writing without having to lift the utensil up until the very end of a word. It makes it much easier to see the separation of words than block letters, in my opinion, and just...looks better, to boot. Here --
[she grabs one of the many sheets of looseleaf and a pen, scrawling out a sentence: the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog she does it once in cursive and once in block writing.
[Does he sound awkward? He really hopes he doesn't, even though he kind of feels that way. At least he isn't babbling all over the place anymore, because that was just embarrassing. Anyway.]
I wanted to apologize for the other day. I didn't mean to drop all of that on you.
[Like really, nobody deserves to have to deal with all the things that make up his life right now. Least of all nice girls who clearly aren't living that kind of crazy.]
[ Sometimes, even the ever-responsible Cassandra Igarashi is too tired to remember to check the weather. That's how she ended up in De Chima on a day of close-to-freezing rain- and while she tries to stay out of anywhere besides necessary places (it was the library for research today), she can't possibly continue flying in this state. That's how she ends up landing and barging in to the first building that looks viable, practically spitting water.
She hadn't even checked what it was. Which is why after some cursing under her breath about the rain, she does some cursing about...magic supplies? Mumbling: ]
What the hell even...
[ At least the employees aren't bugging her. Yet. ]
--wish you'd stop lumping all "organics" into the same categories like that? Because what you just described is definitely a humans here thing, not everyone else. Definitely not me, thank you.
[Cecelia turns partway to glance at the door when she hears it open, grimacing a little. she hates having to interact at work almost as much as she hates being bored to tears at work -- there is no happy middle! except in these chances where she has someone she can talk to without having to look them physically in the face.]
Ri--hey. Hey. Riptide? Shush. I'm hanging up on you because I have to work. Mm. Yep. Whatever. [scoff. click.
Cecelia straightens up and turns properly Cass' way, but stays rooted behind the counter because this barrier is the only thing between her and crazy children's birthday party performers.]
Hi, welcome. Are you looking for something in particular or just browsing?
[or drowning?? she looks like shit. gods, they invented umbrellas here for a reason.]
[ Pointedly, there is a link to a news article where there is an anon comment that Cecelia made about Tony Stark, being dumb enough to go to that swear-In. ]
[This month wasn't exactly one of Darin's finest. He spent the first week laid up in the hospital after his very public beatdown and spent the second week in bed battling a summer fever. Seriously, it was like the planets were aligning specifically to give this clown a hard time. But as soon as he was able to be up and about, he had a promise to fulfill.]
[Hopefully the two weeks he was laid up was enough for Cecelia to move her belongings into Allura's mostly vacant room. Because this last week? He's been working like a man possessed in Cecelia's. He's spent the last two weeks planning and coming up with expenses, and the second he was feeling up to snuff, he ushered Cecelia out of her old room and began work.]
[He even taped the door off with 'KEEP OUT' tape just to make sure Cecelia didn't get any bright ideas and peeked on his work in progress.]
[Finally, around noon on Saturday, he lightly knocks on the door to Allura's old room.]
[Cecelia very slowly lowers the book in her hands down to peer sidelong toward the door.]
...Why.
[even with one syllable, she sets her tone very blatantly. she is wary, suspicious, and more than a little disgruntled. not out of being busy, of course -- unless reading about girls who discover they're galactic princesses and in love with alien bounty hunters who are also maybe half-dog or whatever is considered busywork.
no, she's...still not wholly thrilled about interacting directly. not after that snuff film! and now the tizzy he's got himself in building things. it's like waiting for another godsdamned shoe to drop. what is it going to be this time? nailing his hand to the floor? electric shock? gonna take three steps backward, tumble down the stairs, then break his neck?
one can only wait for the worst with bated breath.]
[It's a habit now, when Wolfwood gets home and up to his room, to check across the way and try to figure out if Cecelia is there. This is harder now that there's that...architecture in front of the window. He's not sure how to describe the balcony, other than "ornate" and "intrusive." Darin keeps adding to it or fixing parts in what seems to be an endless process of making it suit Cecelia's fairy tale taste.
...Not that he knows about her taste. He has never seen the kind of buildings she dreams about. She's just talked about trees, and that's in the decoration there.
Maybe it's finally over, though, since it's genuinely quiet today. Thinking the coast is clear for once, he takes out a cigarette. He's just lit it when there's a furious stomping (not hammering, for a change) from next door, followed by the loud crack of something breaking. And then a whole lot of yelling from Cecelia, as he instinctively ducks away from the window and next to the wall.
This is clearly none of his business. So she's upset - from the "blue idiot" part, it has to be something Darin did. He can deal with her apparent tantrum over...breaking the stuff that was just built herself. When he gets back from wherever he is, if Wolfwood's following the yelling right. It's not Wolfwood's problem.
It's a potential source of yet more noise, though.
Wolfwood spends the time it takes to head downstairs and out the door going over all the reasons getting involved in whatever's going on is utterly pointless. It's not like he really knows the girl, she's probably just going to stay upset or do whatever she wants to do anyway, she might even throw something at him if she's going around breaking things, Darin's the one who should doing something... By the time he makes it outside and down the walkway, cigarette still in his mouth, she's storming down the street. "Storming" definitely seems to be the right word.
This really was a stupid decision.] Hey. What's wrong?
[right now, her head is chaos and her heart already prepared to leap out of her even before being called and approached. before he can finish two syllables, Cecelia bristles with alarm, whirling around with her hands up, sparks flickering and crackling off her fingertips.]
[gods, what is this. she just wanted to relax tonight and finish painting her nails that no one will ever see because she always wears gloves is that too much to ask.
wait.
...what is this.]
It depends on the context. Can you provide your point of reference?
Is this in reference to you stressing out about your glitter-magic, perchance? Because as I remember it, you were justified in your stress? Am I missing something here? Forgive me if I am, but I don't know if you being "terrible" at me of all people is at all what happened.
[There's someone new sitting on the steps that lead from number 3 to the sidewalk. Possibly new? He looks like Wolfwood, but he's (apparently) younger, not wearing a suit, and is apparently whittling something. Also, he looks up and waves right away, smiling.] Hi!
[the chipper call stops her in her tracks, herself having been making determined strides back to number four. she whips her head directly toward the source of the sound, her eyes big and suspicious...but they quickly narrow in a confused squint.
the face-shape is right, but the face expression? and whole...aesthetic? and lack of cigarettes??
[Merry Christmas, Cecelia! Roland has sent a gift card to the local mall... though he would be lying if he didn't at least think about buying her a karaoke machine just to see those fireworks.]
[There is a small box in the mailbox which must have been dropped off in person, since the only identification is a small note which says "Cecelia" on the outside and "merry Christmas" on the inside. The box contains a hand-carved ornament of a rose.
I hope you don’t mind another poem Lets this time keep it between you and I For I may be a braggart and fool But I realise my dear Cece is exceedingly shy
A room of ice, illuminated in soft pinks and blues. It's a dancefloor, and couples are just starting to form. In the center, Catra, wearing a dark suit with magenta accents, extends her hand to Adora, wearing a red dress, with a smirk.
Adora looks away, groans, then faces Catra again and takes her hand. They begin dancing as a midtempo song starts playing by swaying toward and away from each other. Then, they start circling around each other, still holding hands in the middle.
"I don't know about you, but I am having a blast," Catra teases.
"Whatever it is you're planning, it won't work," counters Adora as they grab each other's hips and continue to circle.
"You sure?" They look into each other's eyes intently before twirling away, each dancing with other partners for a bit until, finally, they turn toward each other again.
Catra falls with her back against Adora's chest. Adora catches her with a hand on her shoulder, which Catra takes. "Maybe my plan won't work," says Catra, turning her head toward Adora, "but then again," she turns away, grabs Adora's hip, and swerves her around into a deep dip, "maybe it already has."
She draws Adora back up into a standing position, hand on her forearm. "Says where's your friend? Bow?"
Adora's eyes widen, then she rips her arm out of Catra's grasps, balls her fists and snarls. She jumps on Catra with force and as much of a growl as she is capable of.
The monster is huge, a one-eyed bird flapping about through the trees, vicious talons swiping at the diminuative figure of Hikaru and the more elegant but also much more excitable Umi, her long blue hair flying. And then a third figure...
He's good-looking. Tall, with a short shock of green hair and an x-shaped scar. "Ferio, look out!" Hikaru cries as the bird swoops again, but Fuu--it's Fuu's voice which speaks--throws out an arm.
"Wait! He has a plan."
The bird's healing powers are extraordinary, but so is Ferio's agility. He dodges and backflips and leaps, his huge curved sword flashing in the sun, until the bird is flying right where he needs--impaling itself on the broken branches of a huge snag. With its healing confounded, it rattles out its last breath. "Ferio's an excellent bodyguard! Great idea, Fuu!" Umi gushes. But the monster isn't done yet.
Fuu looks up just in time to see it belch one final blast of magic. "IDIOT! Don't just stand there!" Before she can even try to unfreeze, Ferio has crashed into her, tackling her to the ground as the shot goes right over them.
She blinks up at him. He's blurry now; he knocked her glasses off. "Thank you... you saved my life." Her face feels warm as she sits up. "You know... that's the first time I've ever been called an idiot."
"Hey. You're cute when you smile." He laughs. "I thought you were a little shifty at first... but now I see you're kind of a babe!"
Maybe it's the force of the glowing red blush that cuts off the memory here?
[well, it's kind of nice to know it isn't just HER having her guts spilled all over the network? this is still really annoying, however. and embarrassing? because this isn't like escapist TV -- this person isn't calling her cute! he's calling Fuu cute!
voyeuristic and weird and she's not at all into it.
and yet...were this the other way around? she can't just. sit on it. so, grudgingly, Cece will emerge in the morning with the video loaded and set the phone down on the kitchen table in front of Fuu, grumbling as she makes her way to the fridge:]
[how very strange to hear rummaging at this hour. she only notices after she's done clinking and rummaging around upstairs with hair and face stuff for her usual routine, her ears picking up sound downstairs.
gods, she hopes Allura isn't resorting to late-night depression eating.]
Wh...h-how...
[nnnope, not Allura. not that shape slouched halfway into the fridge. after the initial mini heart-attack at the sight of him, she, having ventured downstairs to investigate, gawks in disbelief, all fuzzy robe and slippers and hair clips and a bottle of whatever-the-fuck hair product.
gawking continues until she's noticed, and even thereafter, because she's trying to decide if she's hallucinating or not.]
I'm not sure why but I was assigned a new job. It sounds like something you'd be really interested in, though, so I was wondering if you knew how to write? I'm not too good at it.
[ Oh, hey, Luke found a familiar name on the network. Lucky for him... probably not so lucky for Cece. He's too close to the camera when the video pops on, so not only does she get a good look up his nose, but also an earful of his loud voice. ]
LADY ARDENBURY, THERE YOU ARE! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON, I NEED YOUR HELP.
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