[ Jen pushes the towel back against her face. she goes for an indignant sound but it just sounds like a muffled snort.
okay, that, too, was a little funny. ] Pfft! And you said I was being unfair? [ yes, she remembered that comment. ]
I'll just lay down 'til it stops. Just need a couple tissues and a butterfly bandage. [ Jen shifts herself to standing straight and gestures with her robot hand toward the bathroom. ] First aid kit definitely has those.
We can talk about how we're both objectively hot when you don't look like a Tarantino movie.
[she pulls herself away from Jen, then gives her a pleading sort of look and gestures towards the couch. and then she's off to the bathroom to get enough supplies to actually care for her roommate. it doesn't take long, but when she gets back with tissues and a butterfly bandage, like instructed, she damn well hopes Jen has gotten horizontal.]
[ Jen was about to quip something back about that wasn't what she said but it really was kind of implied. drat.
yes, by the time Lina has retrieved supplies Jen is lounging on the couch with a pillow under her neck and head tilted back. hopefully her roommate has considered the angle of her approach because she doesn't have a lot of options on where she's looking in that position. ]
[from this angle, Jen should be able to tell that Lina has definitely not put on any other clothing outside of the shirt, and clearly this is not a thing that Lina considered. oh well. she steps to the side, just out of her roommate's direct line of sight but still in her peripherals, and hands her what she brought out.]
Fix your nose and I'll get your dinner. And try not to think about any more cute girls. I'm the anime caricature here.
[ Jen stretches out to put the ice pack down on the table but in doing so she nearly stumbles again. this isn't her fault, though. ] Are you just wearing the — you know? Forget I asked.
[ she will just. busy herself with stuffing two halves of a tissue up her nose and then tape her lip together. if only Jen could stitch her whole mouth shut while she was at it. ]
[she says it casually, rolling her eyes as she walks away. from the kitchen, she starts speaking more loudly.]
I'm not done with my laundry yet and this is all I have right now. [a lie. not a huge one, but still a lie.] I was really bad at planning this whole thing out and I get it. Not like you've never seen one before.
[after making sure the stew is still warm enough, which it absolutely is, she brings in a bigger bowl than she expected for Jen. it's got beef that's ready to fall apart in Jen's mouth, carrots and peas and big chunks of potato all perfectly prepared, and some excellently seasoned broth if Lina does say so herself.]
[ she doesn't know what purpose it serves to try and figure out Lina's intent. or even her way of thinking. she knew today Jen would be coming home and could have just planned at least around that for her laundry, if nothing else, but. ]
I guess at least the hat came at the right time.
[ she can't smell the food anymore, which is criminal for how good it looks. that, more than anything else, is putting a huge damper in her appetite. ]
[yeah, weird, it's almost like she planned everything exactly as she wanted and the only unintended part was the nose thing. but that would obviously never occur to Lina.]
Guess so. If we're going to start taking these jokes seriously, I really need to be careful about what I say, huh?
[or where she stands. she is at least giving Jen the courtesy of still staying out of her direct line of sight.]
Same here. [ finally feeling less light-headed, Jen slowly pushes herself into a sitting position. ] I'm not going to underestimate your courage anytime soon. If I stepped out of the bathroom after a shower to look for a towel or something and you spotted me even accidentally, I'd pretty much wig out.
[she doesn't really know what to say to that, but she's glad Jen is sitting up, at least. give her a few minutes of awkwardly standing around and maybe she'll join her? hm. actually, bad idea. she'll just keep standing there instead.]
I stopped having shame a while ago. And you don't have anything to be ashamed about either.
[which she means absolutely sincerely, even though she'll never know what it's like to live with a prosthesis and is probably saying some dumb shit that will make her wish she'd also sewn her mouth shut.]
[ yeah, Jen... doesn't agree with that last bit. it's probably obvious in the way she just ignores commenting on it at first in favor of picking up the bowl and spoon. ]
Mmn. Must feel nice. [ she takes her first couple of bites rather quickly. it's... good. she nods. but right now the texture has more impact than actual flavor. ]
[yeah, she. expected as much. mm. great. good work, Lina, you stupid bitch. she stands there and looks down at the floor without saying much for a moment. then she walks away, off to her room, mumbling something about how she'll be right back.]
[it only takes her a couple minutes, but she's wearing a bra and underwear and actual shorts when she returns. it all looks clean. she doesn't have an exit strategy for fucking up like that, so she just kind of. keeps standing there. she should get some food for herself, but it doesn't seem right, right now.]
[ there's no objection this time. but she is surprised when Lina re-emerges with an apology. and more clothes.
the bowl? almost completely empty. with no real taste to motivate her to take her time, Jen just downed it like she hadn't eaten in days. there's no wasting a meal in her hands no matter how awkward the air around it is. ]
It's alright. [ whatever it was Lina was apologizing for, anyway. the comment, the plan, or everything. it'd be fine. in time.
Jen raised her bowl slightly. ] Thanks, by the way. It's good.
[well, not having the catalyst of that awkwardness around probably helped a little. she appreciates that this stew has entered the clean plate club, though. she really did try hard with it; she really did want her roommate to be well-fed after that whole excursion.]
Of course. [and she takes a moment, then walks around to the back of the couch and folds her arms on top of it, leaning on it and trying not to sound as off as she feels.]
Stuff like that is why I text more than I talk. I can actually think about what I'm saying first. Guess it was only a matter of time before I fucked up again.
I can understand that. [ she does a fair share of her own correspondence that way, if not for that exact reason.
at first, Jen tries to follow Lina's walk with her eyes but then she gets the idea that not facing one another directly was kind of the point. so she focused on the food again. ] It's just as easy to misread someone's writing. Maybe not after you've known them for a while...
[she lets the protest die. Jen knows what she's going to say anyway, probably, and Lina just exhales through her nose, not a full sigh but still depressed enough to get the point across.]
What I'm trying to say is that I need to remember that... it isn't like you don't have any problems just because you're rich. And if I try to act like your life is perfect then I'm being a total asshole.
[she looks down at Jen without trying to make it obvious. it's not what she meant, but if it helps Lina save face then she will absolutely take it. which means she can instead focus on trying to be... kind. encouraging.]
You're out with me, though. Whatever bullshit you have going on out there? You can always come home and be as gay as you need to be. That's a promise for as long as we're roommates.
[ Jen teased. at the question, though, she smiled. ] It was good fun! Sweaty, sunny, fun. I'm really sorry you couldn't make it out. I think you would have liked it until the point you melted.
[ she sticks her tongue out. ] I'm kidding, obviously. I did bring back some leftover drinks if you want them. They're in the cooler. [ couple of craft beers, some wine coolers, maybe a hard lemonade or two. some hard stuff if everyone didn't polish it all off. ]
Maybe. I burn, though. [especially under the sun in the middle of July.] Wouldn't have lasted very long before I hit that melting point.
[besides, taking that much time off work... not really in the cards. of course it's not. Big Bang Burger would fucking fall apart without her there. (it would do fine and she knows it.)]
I'll hit those up once I don't have to be on medical duty. Probably once you pass out. [or maybe she'll just stay in her room and berate herself some more for causing the problem in the first place!] But I'm glad it was good. I bet everyone you were with appreciated getting to see you in action.
[ Jen finished off the rest of the stew while Lina spoke, and then she leaned forward to put the bowl on the coffee table. ] Mm, see, that's why you should come to the beach with me sometime. Your body would get used to it.
[ as for the other part... she had a good chuckle about it. ] Satsuki can probably lift the camper without breaking a sweat, I'm sure Alison told you all about her adventures abroad, Kara can literally fly...
I'd say Natalia was the lucky one but sheeee didn't seem that interested in us. [ hint hint, nudge nudge. Jen may be exagerrating (because she can't say more la la la that hasn't happened yet). ]
[she lets uncertainty fill her face, but that it's uncertainty and not just straight-up rejection might be a good sign.] Maybe. I don't know. We'll see.
[however, she's. pretty interested in what Jen has to say about the others there. the only name she doesn't immediately recognize is Kara, but, like, big deal—talk more about Natalia.]
Really? Maybe I should've gone with you after all... [still not worth it, but.] Then again, I don't think she was very happy with me after I didn't give her an answer to some meaningless thing she asked. I guess she just likes being in control of things.
[ Jen raises a brow. ] What kind of question was it? ...if you don't mind me asking. I know I'm meddling a lot and you can stop me anytime but...
[ yeah, she was curious. also, she's pretty sure she mentioned Kara at least in passing when talking about the bike she had in the shop, but it's more likely she just said "Ellis Motorworks" and didn't draw the dotted line there. ]
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okay, that, too, was a little funny. ] Pfft! And you said I was being unfair? [ yes, she remembered that comment. ]
I'll just lay down 'til it stops. Just need a couple tissues and a butterfly bandage. [ Jen shifts herself to standing straight and gestures with her robot hand toward the bathroom. ] First aid kit definitely has those.
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[she pulls herself away from Jen, then gives her a pleading sort of look and gestures towards the couch. and then she's off to the bathroom to get enough supplies to actually care for her roommate. it doesn't take long, but when she gets back with tissues and a butterfly bandage, like instructed, she damn well hopes Jen has gotten horizontal.]
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yes, by the time Lina has retrieved supplies Jen is lounging on the couch with a pillow under her neck and head tilted back. hopefully her roommate has considered the angle of her approach because she doesn't have a lot of options on where she's looking in that position. ]
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Fix your nose and I'll get your dinner. And try not to think about any more cute girls. I'm the anime caricature here.
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[ she will just. busy herself with stuffing two halves of a tissue up her nose and then tape her lip together. if only Jen could stitch her whole mouth shut while she was at it. ]
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[she says it casually, rolling her eyes as she walks away. from the kitchen, she starts speaking more loudly.]
I'm not done with my laundry yet and this is all I have right now. [a lie. not a huge one, but still a lie.] I was really bad at planning this whole thing out and I get it. Not like you've never seen one before.
[after making sure the stew is still warm enough, which it absolutely is, she brings in a bigger bowl than she expected for Jen. it's got beef that's ready to fall apart in Jen's mouth, carrots and peas and big chunks of potato all perfectly prepared, and some excellently seasoned broth if Lina does say so herself.]
Here. When you're ready.
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I guess at least the hat came at the right time.
[ she can't smell the food anymore, which is criminal for how good it looks. that, more than anything else, is putting a huge damper in her appetite. ]
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Guess so. If we're going to start taking these jokes seriously, I really need to be careful about what I say, huh?
[or where she stands. she is at least giving Jen the courtesy of still staying out of her direct line of sight.]
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[she doesn't really know what to say to that, but she's glad Jen is sitting up, at least. give her a few minutes of awkwardly standing around and maybe she'll join her? hm. actually, bad idea. she'll just keep standing there instead.]
I stopped having shame a while ago. And you don't have anything to be ashamed about either.
[which she means absolutely sincerely, even though she'll never know what it's like to live with a prosthesis and is probably saying some dumb shit that will make her wish she'd also sewn her mouth shut.]
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Mmn. Must feel nice. [ she takes her first couple of bites rather quickly. it's... good. she nods. but right now the texture has more impact than actual flavor. ]
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[it only takes her a couple minutes, but she's wearing a bra and underwear and actual shorts when she returns. it all looks clean. she doesn't have an exit strategy for fucking up like that, so she just kind of. keeps standing there. she should get some food for herself, but it doesn't seem right, right now.]
Sorry.
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the bowl? almost completely empty. with no real taste to motivate her to take her time, Jen just downed it like she hadn't eaten in days. there's no wasting a meal in her hands no matter how awkward the air around it is. ]
It's alright. [ whatever it was Lina was apologizing for, anyway. the comment, the plan, or everything. it'd be fine. in time.
Jen raised her bowl slightly. ] Thanks, by the way. It's good.
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Of course. [and she takes a moment, then walks around to the back of the couch and folds her arms on top of it, leaning on it and trying not to sound as off as she feels.]
Stuff like that is why I text more than I talk. I can actually think about what I'm saying first. Guess it was only a matter of time before I fucked up again.
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at first, Jen tries to follow Lina's walk with her eyes but then she gets the idea that not facing one another directly was kind of the point. so she focused on the food again. ] It's just as easy to misread someone's writing. Maybe not after you've known them for a while...
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[she lets the protest die. Jen knows what she's going to say anyway, probably, and Lina just exhales through her nose, not a full sigh but still depressed enough to get the point across.]
What I'm trying to say is that I need to remember that... it isn't like you don't have any problems just because you're rich. And if I try to act like your life is perfect then I'm being a total asshole.
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[she looks down at Jen without trying to make it obvious. it's not what she meant, but if it helps Lina save face then she will absolutely take it. which means she can instead focus on trying to be... kind. encouraging.]
You're out with me, though. Whatever bullshit you have going on out there? You can always come home and be as gay as you need to be. That's a promise for as long as we're roommates.
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[ look, Lina. it made her smile a little. be proud of that. don't pay attention to the poor attempt at imitation though. ]
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Less useless than me. I mean, come on, you just went out and did things with people. Which I just realized I never asked you about. How'd it all go?
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[ Jen teased. at the question, though, she smiled. ] It was good fun! Sweaty, sunny, fun. I'm really sorry you couldn't make it out. I think you would have liked it until the point you melted.
[ she sticks her tongue out. ] I'm kidding, obviously. I did bring back some leftover drinks if you want them. They're in the cooler. [ couple of craft beers, some wine coolers, maybe a hard lemonade or two. some hard stuff if everyone didn't polish it all off. ]
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[besides, taking that much time off work... not really in the cards. of course it's not. Big Bang Burger would fucking fall apart without her there. (it would do fine and she knows it.)]
I'll hit those up once I don't have to be on medical duty. Probably once you pass out. [or maybe she'll just stay in her room and berate herself some more for causing the problem in the first place!] But I'm glad it was good. I bet everyone you were with appreciated getting to see you in action.
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[ as for the other part... she had a good chuckle about it. ] Satsuki can probably lift the camper without breaking a sweat, I'm sure Alison told you all about her adventures abroad, Kara can literally fly...
I'd say Natalia was the lucky one but sheeee didn't seem that interested in us. [ hint hint, nudge nudge. Jen may be exagerrating (because she can't say more la la la that hasn't happened yet). ]
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[however, she's. pretty interested in what Jen has to say about the others there. the only name she doesn't immediately recognize is Kara, but, like, big deal—talk more about Natalia.]
Really? Maybe I should've gone with you after all... [still not worth it, but.] Then again, I don't think she was very happy with me after I didn't give her an answer to some meaningless thing she asked. I guess she just likes being in control of things.
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[ yeah, she was curious. also, she's pretty sure she mentioned Kara at least in passing when talking about the bike she had in the shop, but it's more likely she just said "Ellis Motorworks" and didn't draw the dotted line there. ]
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