Ask What's Tiamat-ter With You?

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc said nothing to her return quip, though he was privately pleased to see her be more of herself. Naturally, all of that went out the window as soon as they were surrounded by silence. He followed her sight to the moon, perplexed by her line of thinking, “I don’t know, sacrificing you would only displease the gods further so I’m safe with you,” He muttered with a half grin.

He glanced back the path they came and he blinked. None of it looked familiar. The color drained from his face as he stared vacantly in that direction for a moment, “...Yeah, I’d be happy to get our refunds if you can lead the way back..” His displeasure was clear in his tone.

Emryc started to walk again, ducking under trees and moving past them. At a certain point, he felt a chill along his arm as if cold fingers ran against his skin. Tia would feel something similar against her back. The half Sephi paused and glared at Tiamat.

“That’s not funny,” He hissed, “Now’s not the time for tricks,” Emryc looked ahead and smacked his forehead into a branch. After a stream of curses, he rubbed his head and ducked to keep walking. The air grew frigid and he could see his breath.

All of a sudden, a wolf’s howl rang out in the distance just to add to the already uncomfortable situation. There was some rustling behind them, but he couldn’t feel a presence or life in the Force. If Tia still kept her grip on him, she would be able to feel him completely tense.

“Do you see something?” Emryc squinted as he saw a hill with what looked like faint lights far in the distance. However, his vision was too crap to make out any details.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He was for a moment, just as worried as he saw what Tiamat saw with the trees behind them. However, he didn't seem too confident they were going to find their way back with her taking the lead and a pout crossed the redhead's face. As they continued, her grip didn't seem to lighten and in fact became only worse when she felt something crawl along her backside and she opened her mouth to scold Emryc who seemed to scold her first. The woman shook her head and glanced up at him, confused and when it clicked, became increasingly spooked to where it was beginning to grow harder to continue moving. She could feel her heart thumping loudly inside her chest and when the howl of the wolf came, Tiamat let out a yelp of freight as she nearly jumped ten feet into the air, without the aid of the Force surprisingly.

"Emryc...." she groaned and fussed, having released his arm, she huffed and stopped both feet in her mini temper tantrum that this spooky forest was just becoming too much. On the plus side, at least no one here was squeezing the bones in her skull like it was in the cave of the Entity. "Emryc, can't we just go back, that....way...." she frowned uncertain if they had even been walking in a straight line.

Hearing the rustling behind her, quickly Tiamat turned to look behind them, seeing nothing. She thought about using her senses, but the idea of feeling something here with all the weird stuff happening wouldn't give her peace at mind about anything. When Emryc directed her attention ahead, Tiamat looked more carefully, able to make out lights and a shape, "That...that looks like a house." she informed, feeling suddenly relieved, "Maybe they can give us directions or...oh no." she whispered, words quickly reaching a new octave, "Is that Gus' house?" she squeaked.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc stared blankly at Tiamat as she suggested asking for directions at the very suspicious house on the hill up ahead.

“Why yes,” He said matter of factly, “Why don’t we also split up and wander off into different directions since that’s always a bright idea too,” He grumbled. Sarcasm was something he had picked up recently in the past few years, and it worked well with his dry style of humor. Nevertheless, he looked over at Tiamat in case she was naive enough to actually believe him. For how brilliant she was, there were many ways she was a complete dunce and it never hurt to double check.

His ears twitched slightly as her voice became more high pitched to hit some soprano octaves. The half Sephi looked around and couldn’t spot anywhere else to walk, so he began to make his way towards the house. At this point he wanted to wander into the house out of spite.

Emryc paused as he looked at the dwelling, the building completely run down and decrepit. Vines and bushes were overgrown all around it and on it. The half Sephi stepped up and placed a hand on the door only for it to open with a creak. He didn’t call out for anyone like people did in the movies, and he promptly looked over to ensure Tiamat didn’t do the same.

The skies began to churn and thunder began to boom above them. Lightning streaked across the sky and heavy drops of rain began to pour. Emryc rolled his eyes and stepped into the house. Everything was dusty and a bit gross, which of course meant he expect Tiamat to practically be licking every surface like a toddler.

“Don’t touch any-” He glanced around, suddenly not spotting Tiamat where he thought she was.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She followed closely behind Emryc as he continued up the path, now her senses reaching outward to look for any signs of life inside. Tiamat looked at the house with awe and some worry; it seemed like with all the overgrowth that it would have long ago collapsed onto itself. She pursed her lips, thinking, deciding that this place may not be structurally safe to enter or for anyone to live inside. "This place is a health risk..." she whispered, peaking from around his broad body as he reached for the handle, "What are you doing? You just can't enter without-" The clouds clapped with thunder and Tiamat fussed as she quickly darted inside the home.

The place was covered in dust and cob webs, there was no surface that looked like it was cleaned in ages and even for Tiamat, she was unnerved by the uncleanliness. The only surfaces that were cleared of the dust and dirt where they stepped and touched...or where Tia was touching as she found an adjacent living room with broken furniture and a coffee table in the center. When Emryc would finally see where she had gone, Tia was reaching down to grab one of the dusty wrapped candies in the bowl and froze when she saw him looking over.

Slowly, Tia retracted her hand and stood up straight, "I don't think an-" Tia a paused as she caught something from the corner of her eye, turning quickly to face Emryc. Dust stirred behind him, wisps floated past his feet, the air chilled, "Emryc..." she whispered, lifting her hand to point to the wisps around his feet, "Look..."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc gave her a look of deep displeasure when he caught her actually reaching for old candies at a time like this. Thankfully, he didn’t need to utter words for her to understand that this was too much even for her. He followed her gaze towards his own feet and the way the dust and air moved unnaturally. Emryc could tell right away Tia wasn’t influencing it, and the realization sent a chill up his spine.

“What the fuck..” He whispered quietly, looking back at the strange wisps. By chance he glanced up at the top of the staircase. As lightning struck, the upper levels were lit up in a low hue of light, and it suddenly revealed the face of an old woman in a long, white nightdress standing there with her hand on the bannister.

“WHAT THE FUCK!!” He shouted as he sprang back, practically falling backwards and atop Tiamat. Emryc scrambled backwards, staring in the same direction but not spotting anyone there. Normally the sight of someone would never spook him, but he couldn’t sense their presence whatsoever. The entire house was entirely mute in the Force or the living outside of Tiamat. How, then, was that woman there?

“Did you see that?!” It was exceptionally rare for him to be visibly startled and spooked. His eyes were wide and his chest rose and fell rapidly.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She continued to watch the wisps, not wanting to look at Emryc just in case they would suddenly disappear or worse, more could appear and overwhelm them. Emryc seemed to be baffled, and suddenly there was a loud crack from the lightning flash; it sounded like the storm was right over the home and trying to get inside. The second flash and lightning crack was met with a holler from Emryc as he jumped back into an unprepared Tiamat as she was still fascinated in the wisps that now fluttered out of sight. Emryc's reaction pushed Tia back and onto her tailbone, and who would let out an annoyed yell as she knew she would be feeling that the next day, regardless of the relief the Force could provide.

Tia huffed and pushed herself up off the floor as Emryc turned to look at her, asking if she saw what he saw. Her face contorted in confusion as she walked back to where he was standing and looked around, "What was it?" she asked, meeting his gaze and quickly noting how wide his eyes were. She didn't think she ever seen him like this and frowned, "Maybe we should leave...and go back..." she frowned, offering her hand to help him up. Though, she froze hearing the wood creaking throughout the house. Though the winds howled outside, the creaks they heard were even and paced, and soon they would hear them in the hall upstairs and quickly down the steps as though someone were coming in a hurry before they would hear all the doors slamming in the house, but none were moving.

Tiamat felt her stomach drop and even worse, she couldn't sense anyone other than Emryc. The redhead whimpered with worry and unease, palms pressed against her cheeks to quickly cover her eyes when necessary. "Can we go now?" She whispered to Emryc, though she didn't even want to touch the door after hearing the slamming.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could count on one hand how many times he had been truly afraid, and this time was really getting up there. He popped up to his feet, knowing he’d topple Tia over if he took her hand. However, he abruptly pulled her behind himself, “Stay behind me,” He stated flatly as he gazed up at the stairwell. Even from his tone it was clear he was getting angry. Not understanding a situation was one of the easiest ways to trigger and frustrate the half Sephi. He knew he saw that woman upstairs, but she was nowhere to be seen or felt in the Force.

The storm continued to rage outside, each crack of lightning illuminating a face here and there. There were whispers around them, an idle branch raking against the glass of the window. If Tiamat touched him, she would feel the goosebumps lining his skin. Even then, he put himself in between the elements of the house and her. Silver gaze flicked to the side towards a window. He unleashed a concussive blast with the Force to shatter it, pushing the shards out.

“Come on!” He shouted as he grabbed Tiamat by the wrist and rushed towards the window. As they ran, a blood curdling scream could be heard. There was a loud thud as if someone was swinging a heavy ax. If they looked around, the lightning would illuminate what looked like blood on the walls.

Emryc didn’t wait for a response before he grabbed Tiamat and attempted to shove her through the window. If she dropped out of the house, there was a loud crack of thunder. When she looked up, the window would no longer be there even if she could sense Emryc’s presence on the other side. She would still hear the screams and the swing of an ax as it slowly drew closer.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There was a side to Emryc that he rarely allowed others to see and Tiamat couldn't recall any of it because the dark entity wouldn't let her. She could see the fear in his eyes, hear the seriousness in his tone and the way he kept himself between and the danger that laid ahead, how did he not care for her? She had known him for this long, she trusted what she knew despite the gaps that seemed...oddly unfamiliar. For a brief moment it the fog seemed to let up until another loud bang rattled her. It was increasingly hard to dwell on such questioning with the chaos that ensued outside and in, the noise was disarming, making it hard for anyone to focus on one angle or another. Faces molded from the the wooden walls, the wailing continued, and there was nothing Tiamat could feel in the Force as she pulled herself closer to Emryc, burying her face into his hoodie when she heard the terrified screams of children crying for their father to stop.

Her heart was pounding so quickly she thought it was going to burst from her chest, peaking as he felt the Force shift and watching him blow out a window with a direct blast. Her eyes widened, but it was hard to think clearly as she continued to grasp tightly onto his arm, certain if she let go, things would not go well. However, he seemed to have a plan as he rushed them to the window, pulling her along since her legs stopped moving from being so terrified. It was an exit though! They could finally get out of this place and go back to the town!

However, she heard the loud thud of an axe that nearly glued her in stillness; the lightning that flashed revealed the blood splatter of victims past. "EMRYC!" she yelled, gasping until she felt him shove her out the window.

She landed with a splat in the mud and the thunder cracked again, rain poured so heavily she could barely see along the walls of the house. However, as the lightning flashed again, the window she had just gone through was gone. Tiamat felt her stomach drop as she jumped to her feet, "EMRYC!" she screamed; she could feel him still inside the home and she started to move around the house, looking for another window. For what? Would she have the strength to go back inside to get him? Get lost again when he placed her first into safety?

Another thud of an axe and Tiamat felt her eyes sting with tears as her path was suddenly blocked with unruly overgrowth. "EMRYC!" she cried out again, she swore there were more windows than this on the house as she begun to move back to the other side of the home, slopping through the muddy puddles.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

There was a massive crash from the second story window as the half Sephi jumped out. He landed with a heavy thud directly next to Tia on the ground, mud splattering her body. The torrential thunderstorm continued, the entire sky illuminated with lightning. If she looked, she would see that parts of Emryc’s hoodie were shredded and tattered as if a beast with massive claws raked his body. The half Sephi had a look of pure terror on his face, and for a moment he said nothing, blinking in silence and simply standing there getting drenched.

If Tia said anything, he didn’t hear it, standing there completely frozen in place. It took several seconds before he finally snapped out of it, shaking his head and looking at Tia. He didn’t explain what happened inside the house, but he abruptly grabbed her by the wrist, “We have to go,” He said curtly before he broke into a run. He didn’t care that the height difference meant Tia was practically flying, Emryc was running away from that place fast enough to impress Huttball scouts.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

When she yelled his name for the third time, he would appear.

Just like Beetlejuice.

The sharp crash of glass pierced the mud as Emryc would land beside her, the mud slop would cover the front of her clothing, but for the moment, no attention took note of her ruined clothing. She was more focused on the ruined hoodie that had been ripped and torn; and instinct came before she could stop herself, "Are you hurt?!" she blurted out over the storm, but seeing his face, petrified with terror, she would have to find out for herself. Tia started to reach around to see if there were open wounds when she heard a high pitched screeching and rapid clicking, the growl nearly froze her her in place until Emryc announced they had to go.

She didn't get another word out when he abruptly grabbed her by the wrist the and took off running. She nearly tripped over her own feet keeping up with him, but when she saw the shadow seep from between the wood panels of the home's walls, it was all the encouragement to keep up.

Tiamat as uncertain how long they were running, it could have been only a few short seconds, but when they would look back over their shoulders, the house was engulfed in black. The storm clouds eased up the further they went from the house, but the heavy fog seemed to remain the trees looked still entirely gnarled and sickly. "Emryc!" she called out to grab his attention, "The house, its gone!" she shouted, uncertain if that even made her feel better.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t ease off on running the entire time, jumping over low roots and ducking and weaving between trees. His eyesight was poor in the dark, and he almost exclusively switched to Force Sight, relying on shapes to navigate the dark forest. As a result, Tia would find herself almost tripping a few times, leaping over obstacles she couldn’t quite see yet.

He released her when he felt as if they were out of danger. The half Sephi looked back in the direction they ran from, squinting his eyes. His sensitive ears couldn’t pick up on any noise outside of Tiamat’s comically loud breathing. Clearly she was still not in shape, the half Sephi not even the least bit winded from that run.

Both of them were drenched from the storm, but out here it was as if it never happened, the skies churning as if a storm would arrive and nothing more.

He could see in shapes, and even then he could make out that there was no house, “It’s gone,” He repeated quietly, confirming her suspicions. Emryc ran his fingers through his soaked and matted hair, glancing over at Tiamat.

“I think that house may have actually been haunted,” He declared after a few moments, blinking a few times. Emryc glanced down at his hoodie, looking suddenly profoundly unhappy, “Man… I liked this hoodie..” He was entirely unfazed by the fact that he had a very terrifying experience moments prior.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Covered in mud, wet from the down pours, Tia couldn't get over how the trees and ground where they currently stood was bone dry. She inhaled deeply, catching her breath, still trying to wrap her head around what they just ran from and Emryc announced the house is gone, "That's what I just said!" she shook her head and pointed back in the direction from where they came. Then he suggested the house was possibly haunted. Tia blinked, blue eyes wide still with fright from the House of Gus, trying to process what he just suggested.

"What! That was a real, legit, haunted house, how do you explain the moving windows and the spooky sounds. And the hoodie!" Tiamat glanced away from Emryc groaning in her discomfort. "I don't like this..." she whined and shivered, which seemed to help her refocus. She really just wanted a hot bath and to rid of her muddy clothes, her brow narrowed and a scowl crossed her features as she fell into an unmovable pout. Her arms folded across her chest as another shiver came, "No one is going to believe us." she grumbled, her blue eyes focusing on the clawed up hoodie.

"It didn't hurt you, did it?" she asked, reaching over to lift one of the flaps of fabric to check.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc quirked a brow as Tiamat all but rapidly spoke. With all the heavy breathing, the half Sephi actually couldn’t tell if she was having a panic attack or just completely out of breath. He simply blinked in silence until she asked if he were okay. Emryc looked down when she tugged at one of the tattered shreds of clothing. He rolled up the hoodie and the shirt underneath, peering down to reveal long scratches across his muscled stomach. They were shallow enough to where they would heal and disappear over time, but they were certainly there.

“Eh, no worse than what lovers put on me,” He muttered before rolling his clothing back down. Emryc narrowed his eyes at her, “What do you mean believe us? I’m not about to make a giant broadcast about this nonsense. We’re going to walk out of here and pretend nothing happened."

With that, Emryc began to do just that. He wasn’t sure where the other groups went and whether anyone else had the same bizarre experience. The journey back to the festival was going to be tedious, especially with how muddy the terrain had become. Emryc grimaced at the sight of his nice sneakers getting caked in mud, reminding himself to thoroughly clean them later.

“Will you keep up?” He quipped as he glanced back at her, “I told you never to skip cardio days. Clearly the wings and old candy are finally catching up,” It had been a while since he had given her a stern talking to about her life choices, and of course it was surfacing right after a crisis.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She starred at the scratches as he brushed them off as minor, not much different from love marks. The redheaded woman quirked an eyebrow and sighed, but that sigh only partially escaped as he made his opinion known about just walking right out as though nothing happened. "But...But!" she tried to argue pointing to his tattered hoodie and then back to her mud stained clothing. "Pretend nothing happened, but we clearly look like something happened." she huffed, "I'm covered in mud, soaked, you're soaked, clothing ripped up, my shoes are ruined, my hair..." she felt the dread wash over her as she thought about how long it was going to take to clean her hair, "My hair...." she sighed, slowly walking behind him.

Emryc quipped about her keeping up and her brow narrowed with annoyance as he went on, suggesting she was skipping cardio and eating too much. "I don't skip cardio!" she argued, "And I'm not fat." she pouted, in fact since coming in contact with the mask, keeping an appetite was a challenge.

"Maybe you should stop growing so I can keep up. Like the not-so-jolly green giant, take a step, and I have to run a mile to catch up." she squeezed out some more rain water from her hair, picking out the pieces of dirt that remained. Not too far in the distance, the trees started to thin and the lights of the Autumn festival could be seen. Tiamat a few steps behind, only occasionally jogging to keep up.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was quiet as he made his way back towards the village, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Because of the scratches, a hand was comically visible in the hoodie pocket. The half Sephi looked around, beginning to recognize some of the surroundings to confirm they were on the right path. He didn’t respond to any of her complaints about how they looked. Who was going to ask them questions? His face was a great deterrent for overly eager and nosy people.

“It is possible to be thin and still have the endurance of Yoda on his last day on Dagobah,” Emryc stated icily. A faint grin tugged at his lips at her quip about his height. It was then that he finally slowed down, walking closer to a pace where she could keep up beside him.

The festival was still alive and booming, more people dancing and singing. There were a lot of drunks already stumbling about, but everyone was cheery and happy. The noise made Emryc’s ears flatten slightly, but he ignored that for now.

“So, what now?” He asked as he glanced out at the celebrations. A few people looked over at them curiously, but no one reacted beyond that. He realized the two of them probably came across as people in costume.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

"I bet yoda didn't have to deal with this nonsense." she grumbled as she quickly jogged to catch up, noting how Emryc slowed his pace. She sighed quietly, some relief falling from her shoulders, but it didn't stop her from occasionally looking over her shoulder to ensure the old house was still absent. Though, it didn't stop the idea if a house can just disappear and reappear, would it reappear on other worlds. Her lips pursed, eyes narrowed with her thoughts as she tried to push away the idea that the house will show up next to her lab in the morning.

Tia watched with confusion as people continued the festival, "How can they just do that with that house still out there..." she hissed in disbelief and glanced at Emryc, his ears flattening from the sudden wave of cheers and music. "I think its safer on Ship." she said, "This place is a health hazard."

The woman sighed with a shake of her head, "Can we just go back to ship?" Tia asked and took out a piece of stale candy from her pocket, "I don't want to be here if that house shows up," she whispered as though mentioning it out loud would automatically summon Gus and his house. Just for safe measure, she looked over both shoulders, checking to see if the house wasn't peaking from behind a tree. "Plus its warmer, I'm cold, and my hair, and the rest of the candy is in my bag."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked blankly ahead, his face looking exceptionally unamused, “The house isn’t going to just jump out of the bushes if you say it three times,” Despite his state of attire and what happened, it was clear the half Sephi wasn’t going to sweat it. He had been on enough sketchy adventures with Renfry including spooky magick to be fazed by haunted houses.

The half Sephi shrugged vaguely and walked back towards his ship. He paused to buy himself a veggie smoothie, but continued shortly after. As they arrived at Ship, he lowered the ramp and held his hand up to make Tia stop from walking forward.

“Shoes off,” He said curtly, “I don’t want mud on my ship,” Emryc said as he took his own sneakers off. He walked with just socks on up the ramp and directed Tia to drop her shoes into a designated box where he dropped his own. The half Sephi walked past the familiar rows of bookshelves, sipping from his smoothie. Emryc didn’t make his way to the cockpit just yet, instead plopping down on the sofa in the common area. The half Sephi tilted his head back and exhaled, closing his eyes.

“You know where the shower is. I’ll be here,” He murmured quietly. It was clear he was far more exhausted and drained than he admitted. Emryc wasn’t exactly vocal about not being in top form, and this was an example.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tiamat's eyes narrowed; despite his reassurance the house wouldn't appear, she couldn't be too sure. She was not sure though how he could go from terrified to his typical unamused. He didn't disagree about returning to the ship, though she felt he could have skipped the veggie smoothie; at least there was no line, everyone seemed to be more interested in the ciders, ale, and hot drinks. Though the one other person standing in line gave her a toothless grin and Tiamat quickly averted eye contact.

There was overwhelming relief to see Ship and as the ramp lowered, Emryc stopped her. Tia looked at his hand then back at him and sighed when he mentioned shoes. Taking off one and dropping it in the box, she went to the next, only to realize, she was missing a shoe and her sock was caked in enough mud to replace her shoe. A long unamused sigh exhaled from the woman as she proceeded to remove both socks and went straight to the shower without another word.

Careful not to drop mud flakes onto the bathroom floor from her clothing, she never felt so appreciative of a hot shower. Water any hotter, it would boil, she lost count how many times she washed her hair in an attempt to get all the dirt out. As she scrubbed, she turned in to her thoughts, trying to remember things about Ship that she thought she should have remembered. Again, the fog remained and the irritation of not being able to freely recall made Tiamat pause. The water beat along her back as she dived deep into her mind, pain prickled throughout her body and then a flicker.

The water had become ice cold and Tiamat opened her eyes, inhaling sharply as she turned around to turn off the water, quickly drying off with a towel, wishing to warm up as soon as she could. Comfortable and frumpy she saw Emryc lounging and she joined him on the couch, tilting her head back, eyes closed, "No more spooky adventures." she sighed, ready to say more but stopped herself, glancing at Emryc, but remained quiet as her gaze returned to the ceiling.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

By the time Tia emerged, Emryc had changed into a fullsleeve shirt and some sweatpants. These were very comfortable sweatpants that he hadn’t bothered to get rid of. This meant that he didn’t care that they were higher up on his ankles from his growth spurt. Emryc had Holonet on, and it was currently on the sports analysis of the latest Huttball game which was a massive upset. The half Sephi was eagerly listening, leaned forward in his seat with his chin resting on his hand.

He barely noticed when Tia walked in, eyes narrowing as the sports analyst mentioned some things about how the way Bom Trady played looked odd. Emryc finally glanced up at Tia before his eyes flicked back to the Holo.

“What’re you talking about? That was excellent,” He said before he finally turned to look at her again, “Well worth the money. That got my blood pumping. Most of the 'haunted experiences 'are phony and silly,” It was clear he was genuinely thrilled at what happened despite still sporting some scratches from it.

“You’re just a wimp,” He stated declaratively before focusing back on the analysis.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He was glued to the huttball sports review and noting they were talking about Bom Trady and his knack for stirring controversy on how he plays the sport. There was no way he would be possibly bothered by anything else, nor did she think he even was paying attention to what she said with how focused he remained on the station. However, she knew better despite what she wished she could believe and Emryc commented, challenging her distaste for the haunted disaster. Tiamat sat up straight, turning slightly to face him, "What?!" she gasped, finding him quite amused by the adventure.

The redhead shook her head, "It ruined my outfit." she sighed quietly and leaned forward, now resting her chin her palm, her gaze falling to the abnormally short sweatpants as he called her a wimp. Though, it didn't quite process with her what he said as she tried to figure out if those were the same sweatpants from years ago on Tatooine. And just like those years ago, the abnormally short pants, regardless of their leisure status, still bothered her. Didn't he have enough credits to buy himself a pair that didn't look like flood pants? And he had the nerve to pick on her fashions decisions! She slid down onto the floor to try and adjust the legs and see if they looked better cuffed, gently folding the pant leg an inch, then trying to cuff them inside instead of out.

"I'm not a wimp either, in fact, I've been to places far scarier." she corrected.

@Sreeya