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[angelskills]

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. For people just connecting to the network, my name is Colette. I hope we can get along! If you ever need any help with anything please feel free to contact me. I'll do my best to help.

Um... though, for everyone who was involved in the Mine collapse -- what have you been telling your families and friends, in regards to your injuries? It's probably not a good idea to tell people who don't know about this network the truth, right? What do you think?

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[angelskills]

[ Ahhh the ocean... she really wants go to! But going now would probably be a poor life choice, with all of the cuts... salt water is good for cleaning yet burns. She blinks and looks a little sheepish when he says that, though, turning a little and curling the ends of her hair around her fingers. ]

You're the guest! You should have the comfortable spot.

[argents]

Yeah, but you're still hurt, aren't you?

[ X. Neg. Nope. Nada. Zero. Zip. His expression is set. ]

[angelskills]

[ She is going to try to get her way anyway.... ]

Mm, a little. Really, I'm almost all better!

[ Total lie. ]

Please, sit!

[ She pats the bed with her hand. C'mon, Bannie. ]

[argents]

"Almost" isn't all the way though! I just can't make you sit up in a chair through one movie, nevermind two.

[ STICKING TO HIS GUNS. You don't get your way all the time just 'cause you're cute. ]

[angelskills]

But I don't want to make you sit in the chair.

[ What if she breaks out... the puppy eyes? ]

The bed is much better!

[argents]

[ Playing dirty, that's what.

At a loss for a fraction of a second when confronted with the eyes, he knows for sure that this will go no where fast. Even when he's not about to let her weather out two movies in a desk chair. He doesn't even like studying in those! Pressing his mouth into a line, he glances between her and the bed. ]

Alright.

[ He finally concedes, moving past her to climb across the soft comforter, propping himself up with his back curved against the headboard. However, he's also moved over completely to one side, which doesn't take much, seeing as he's slight enough himself. Pointedly he indicates the spot with his elbow. ]

Lucky I don't take up much space, huh? If it won't be weird for you, I mean... I'd just feel really bad if you had to sit the whole time when you're still in pain.

[angelskills]

[ Oh, wow! She hadn't really expected that to work... that boy had been right about that. Who knew! Though it does look like this is going to end up with a compromise, one that she doesn't mind one bit. She should have thought of it herself! She doesn't mind being close, but she's not entirely sure how he feels about it. They'd been close before but that was after the mine incident... it might not have counted.

But seeing as he doesn't seem to mind she perks up instantly, the puppy eyes put away for now and a smile back on her face. She won't sit beside him just yet though -- gotta set up for the movie! ]

It won't be weird for me! I think it's a great idea.

[ Now no one has to sit on that chair! A chair she should really replace, because damn, that wood is hard on the butt. ]

We can watch netflix through my wii, right?

[ She loves playing Mario. It is the best game ever. ]

[argents]

[ Thank goodness, those weapons of mass destruction are being put away. ]

We should be able to! You can keep my password too, in case you want to use it later. Since you'll have a while before you can go back to the parlor, right?

[angelskills]

Okay!

[ Setting up netflix on the wii now, wheeee. ]

Mhm, yeah... it'll probably be about a month before Grannie thinks I'll be able to work there by myself again. It's nice to have free time but it's so strange. I've been working since I was... 13.

[argents]

Thirteen? That's such a long time!

[ Banagher taps his glass of tea against his bottom lip thoughtfully, gaze settling on the ceiling for a moment. ]

A month will probably pass by before you even know it. There's a lot to do around here during the summer at least, so when you feel better, you don't have to be bored while you wait. Just the two days of sitting around was enough for me...

[angelskills]

[ Thankfully the wii isn't hard to set up, and she steps back and settles down on the bed next to him with the wiimote in her hand. Ahh it's so hard to get the hand to stay on the screen sometimes! She wags it around before it catches and she can finally download netflix. ]

Mhm! There's a lot I want to do before the summer is out. Go to the beach, the festival, maybe even a theme park! Oh, and I love the boardwalk... games there are so fun, or just walking and seeing all the shops. Oh! And a horse and carriage ride, I've always wanted to go on one of those. Or row-boating...

[ She wiggles into the spot next to him, leaning against him a little as she presses the Netflix button that is now downloaded. ]

Fishing sounds fun, too.

[argents]

[ He can't help but start laughing at her sudden laundry list, shifting in place to make sure she's got room enough to stay comfortable. When she settles next to him, it's nearly impossible to keep from smiling. Carefully he reaches to take the controller from her and enter in his email and password. ]

Wow, you've already given this a lot of thought! [ When it connects, several rows of movies cascade forward, and he flicks the remote down to find the comedies. ] You can do a lot of those at once at the summer carnival, since the pier and the boardwalk get involved... they should start setting up for that soon. I like to watch them put the rollercoaster up!

But a horse and carriage ride always seemed like a winter thing to me. Have you actually seen one?

[angelskills]

[ When he laughs she laughs too, the noise being completely contagious. Though her laughter does drift off a little as she studies the screen. Wow, so many movies! And they can watch any of them? That's great. She scans over titles and info bubbles as she tries to decide. ]

I haven't! Wouldn't the horses get cold in the winter?

[argents]

[ Just don't pick Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Making a short 'hm' sound in his throat, Banagher watches the blurbs go by. ]

Don't they grow winter coats? I have a feeling they're a lot better at getting used to the cold than we are. I need two jackets!

[ Because he hates being cold. ]

Plus I've seen the policemen on horses during the winter before, but I've never been up close to one.

[angelskills]

[ Excuse you, that movie happens to be adorable. ]

I don't really know much about horses... maybe you're right! If they do grow winter coats then they're better off in the winter than we are! I always need a scarf and earmuffs on really chilly days.

[ Oh! How about this movie? ]

How about The Wedding Crashers?

[argents]

I don't even own earmuffs. My grandma sends me scarves all the time though.

[ 'Cause, well. He idly scratches through the tufts of hair sweeping this way and that over his temples and the tips of his ears. When she announces her choice, he presses his shoulders back against the headboard and gives the screen his attention again. ]

You can go for it! I've actually only seen it once?

[angelskills]

[ Briefly, she imagines him in a pair of earmuffs. Wow... that would be so much fluff... really cute... she giggles a little, and then nods her head before selecting the movie. ]

Okay, here we go!

[ She pushes herself back so she can get comfortable, close to him but not too close, still paying attention for the sound of the oven timer going off to let them know the brownies are done. ]

Oh! Before I forget, did you want popcorn?

[ FAT FREE..................... ]

[argents]

[ BUT FAT FREE THOUGH.............

He clears his throat and puts on a convincing smile. ]

I'm fine waiting for brownies! Maybe later we can make some?

[angelskills]

Okay! That sounds good to me.

[ She relaxes more now, curling up against him comfortably. Ah... this is nice. ]

[argents]

I'm looking forward to seeing how they turned out. [ He explains away! ] I'd probably fill up fast on too much popcorn... like at a real movie. I always do that.

[ And as the opening rolls by, it's not difficult to shift naturally into how she curls up near him, just close enough to brush elbows or knees but not much more. He's alright with that. It's quiet, and unassuming, and after the past week, more than welcome. ]

[angelskills]

[ At least she's not alone anymore. In all honesty she doesn't much like it even if she's made herself get used to it. Alone when she was a kid at home, having parents who both work long hours, alone here because Grannie has more of a social life than she does... it's one of the reasons why she takes on so much. Better to work and keep busy than be alone with her thoughts, which can get surprisingly timorous. ]

I do that too! Only with candy instead of popcorn.

[ There's a little laugh from her as she thinks about it. ]

I always feel like I should keep eating through a movie.

[argents]

[ He puffs a quiet laugh, drawn in completely by that wisp of a sixth sense that he's not all together paying attention to at the moment, but lies cognizant in the back of his mind. Like a quiet hum. He's felt this from her before. ]

It's part of the experience, there's no point if you don't go all out.

[angelskills]

Even if you end up with a bad stomach ache.

[ Even if the movie is on she likes talking to him much better, the sound of his voice comforting even now when she's not in distress. ]

It's worth it.

[argents]

Candy stomach aches are the good kind!

[ He'd take a thousand of those over the kinds of aches they'd had to deal with recently. It makes him remember how her fingers had flexed earlier in the kitchen, stiff and halting. Being nearly shoulder-to-shoulder makes it easy for his fingertips to seek out her wrist, pressing up towards her palm. ]

You... really feel okay?

[angelskills]

[ She hesitates for only a second before nodding her head, turning to glance over at him. ]

Yeah. I do now.