[ voice/action ] please not now

[blessingone]

[It takes Fenimore some time to reach for her journal after they find Shirley missing. But, eventually, she drags herself over and opens it. It's no small matter for Shirley to have made friends in Luceti -- the girl had spent her first fifteen years friendless. She can't just leave that alone. But, even once she opens it, there's silence for a full minute. When she sighs and begins speaking, her voice is calm, though this is by willpower alone.]

For anyone who cares -- [While it's intended as a general "to who it may concern," the slightly bitter edge that creeps in at the end sounds accusatory. She knows it isn't fair and regrets the unintentional addition, but she has belligerence against the world to spare today. When she continues, her tone is flat again.] ...Shirley has gone...home....

[She trails off. The voice doesn't sound like her own. In fact, the entire entry sounds -- and, by the camera, looks -- as though it were made by someone else. Except for the tone, it sounds as though.... She slowly reaches up to touch a braid hanging from the side of her head.

Shirley's voice continues, quiet and strained:] Oh, that isn't fair.... [Using Shirley's hands, she closes her journal and cuts off the feed.

She doesn't want to meet any of the others like this. Not now. Even though she knows that Stella is out of the house, chances of running into her accidentally seem small enough to risk it. In any case, getting away from the house seems pretty attractive right now. She doesn't have to change, thankfully -- they're close enough in size that her clothes just feel a little loose in places. Though of course, on her way out, she does have to stop to grab some things for the cold weather.

Her intent was to avoid people entirely, but she stops at the river next to house 34, by the bridge. That's where she had found Shirley after Senel had left. Shirley had acted strong, no matter how much it had bothered her. "Acting"...but, if she thought about it, being able to act that strong was strong in itself.

She can be found sitting with her arms around her knees on the bank, north from the bridge and away from the pathway -- this time, it's far too cold to even wade, whether or not ice impedes that. She hopes that she's out of sight, and it might have been hard to accidentally catch sight of her were she not wearing a hat that stood out against the snow.

It's still a stupid hat. It doesn't even keep her ears warm.]

[Backdated to during the day! Comments will be answered by blessingone. Journal comments will be answered with an in-Luceti-time delay and, if she doesn't have anything to say, might not be answered at all (apologies if you get hit with the last one). Action ones she doesn't really have a choice on -- she might be a little unfriendly, but she's not upset enough to cut someone off completely.]

Comments

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

Do it for...Sokka, what are you doing? [She doesn't stand right away, but she probably will soon -- this is going to give her a crick in Shirley's neck.]

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Well, you can't put much force into a blow sitting down, can you? Now come on! [He offers a hand to help her up.]

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She takes the hand, but she gives him a slightly incredulous look.] I'm not going to try to hurt you.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[Sokka pulls Fenimore up.] Who says you even can?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She looks irritated for a moment, but...well, she knows she can't, if he's as good as he says. She instead just brushes snow off of herself.] I'm not interested. I already showed you I can punch.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

You were barely even trying, then. [He rests a hand on a hand on one hip and leans to the side, to show he's off guard. And then realizes he's touching Suki's hip. His focus is a little lost for the moment.]

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[Sadly, she doesn't take advantage of this opening, crossing her arms across her chest instead. suddenly it is easier to do so because there is less in the way]

It's not that I-- [fff, does she really want to admit that she was using as much of her strength as she could manage from that position?] I don't care.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Is it because you can't hit as hard as Shirley? [A perfectly reasonable excuse, as far as he's concerned. But it would also mean a rematch.]

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

...How would I know that? I'm not some expert on punching! Why do you even care?

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

I just happen to think that everyone should know how to throw a decent punch. Is that so wrong?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

And you think now is a good time to test me on it?

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Okay, okay. You're right. Forget I said anything. [Fenimore is definitely not a girl who will let her problems be forgotten like this.]

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She huffs and puffs and blows the house down looks like she's about to turn away when she...throws a punch after he'd dropped the subject. Normally, when she feels angry enough to want to hit something, she holds it back, but he asked for it, right? Most of the anger isn't directed at him, though -- he's just a convenient target.]

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[That? That gets him completely by surprise, right in the jaw, and bowls him over on the ground. As he lies there, his expression is one of shock, followed by annoyance, and a hand rubbing a now sore cheek. But he's soon sitting up, shaking it off.]

Now that's what I'm talking about!

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[FFFFFF. She hadn't been expecting to catch him off guard like that.]

I didn't think you'd just take it!

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Neither did I!

[He stands up and moves his jaw around, feeling it out. Looks like he's just bruised. That's good.]

You can hit harder than I thought.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She puts her arms behind her back in hopes that he won't notice her shaking her hand. His jaw hit back harder than she thought, too.]

Well -- well, you wanted to see how hard I could hit. And it's not like I'm out of shape.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't! For now.]

It's too bad you don't want to learn self defense. You'd be good at it.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

...I doubt it. Not against anyone dangerous.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Hey, who's the trained warrior here? It's me, right? I think I have a better idea of what you can and can't do when it comes to all things fighting, hunting, smithing, and meat preparation.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She was about to protest, but she's momentarily sidetracked by:] Meat preparation?

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Yeah, what about it?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

That doesn't sound like it has much to do with -- [But, then again, smithing is probably only tangentially related, too. She shakes her head.]

I can't do it. I -- [When she thinks of learning to fight, she first thinks of large-scale battles rather than just plain self-defence. And what she's seen of battles scares her.] I just can't.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Really? I didn't know you were vegetarian.

[He's uh, kind of stuck on the meat thing for the momen.]

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[EPIC FACEPALM. Even if that was kind of her own fault. On the bright side, this is certainly distracting her from feeling down about Shirley right now.]

I wasn't talking about -- I'm just fine with preparing meat!