Audience: Sheila Hammond

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Comments

week 0, wednesday

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[she doesn't get a text back, but at some point, when she goes back to her room, pride is sitting in front of her door, staring out into the hallway. they slowly look over to her.

hello.]

[toesies]

—Whoa.

[THE AVATAR IS A SURPRISE. She stares back at them for a moment. Stares at their hood. And then, slowly:]

Uh... Hi! [HM.] You must be Pride?

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[they hum.]

Obviously. [they pull themselves to their feet - very fluidly, actually. they are shorter than sheila is.]

[toesies]

[How... How much shorter... How tiny is this alleged tsundere, wtf.]

I do talk to more than one of you, you know.

[Some of them, she proceeds to insult upon the first meeting. It's fine.]

Well, do you want to step inside? I can make you some of my roommate's coffee. Or you can have the White Claw I won't drink.

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[not a lot. maybe like an inch.]

You can see my hood. [they say, with a duh in their tone.] I don't like alcohol. [...] Coffee is fine.

[they move like six feet away from her to let her open the door, which is wholly unnecessary.]

[toesies]

Wow.

[This 5'3" sassy... not child. Legal adult. Who is alcohol free, apparently. Sheila stares when they practice social distancing, but doesn't comment on it as she proceeds to unlock the door.]

Take a seat wherever, and I'll get the coffee started.

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[... they follow her in after a moment.

they sit in one of the chairs near the table, sprawling in it. they're super slouched. ]

[toesies]

[PRIDE, YOUR BACK...

Sheila will start prepping the coffee, only to pause halfway as she takes out A Single Cup.]

Do you take your coffee with cream? And if so, do you like it salty?

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Salty? [they sound vaguely baffled.]

A little cream is fine.

[toesies]

Yeah... My roommate pissed me off so I poured salt in his creamer, and I'm not sure if he fixed that. [Gently. Rattles whatever container the creamer is in.] Is a little cream still fine?

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[... oh no, they laugh at that. it's a very quiet, very huffy sort of sound, but it's a laugh!]

I'll pass. Plain is fine.

[toesies]

Plain, it is.

[This is the first emotion Pride has displayed that isn't "..." so she will take this as a win? Once the coffee is served, though, she sets it on the table in front of them along with whatever sugar is in Luca's stash. Sorry but not sorry, Luca.]

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[they pick it up to hold, but don't drink.

and just stare at her. poor sheila has to direct the conversation, it looks like.]

[toesies]

[yeah

she stares back

and after a beat:]

... Oh. So, this is what we're doing. [pride, please.] Sitting here. In silence. Neither one drinking.

[sheila, you do not have a cup.]

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You did not make yourself a drink.

But yes. That is what we're doing. [they're totally fine with silence.]

[toesies]

Well, stuffing pieces of people into a blender so I can drink them in front of a guest just seemed like terrible etiquette. [vrrrrrr...] You must great at negotiations.

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[stop making them laugh sheila wtf]

If I minded, I would have said. [...] You could say I'm fantastic at negotiations. Yes.

[toesies]

[No, she has to figure out how to do it on purpose now.]

Could?

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Should.

[they take a sip of coffee finally.]

[toesies]

[She clicks her tongue.]

Now it's should? Come on, tell me about your resume.

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Ever played ten fingers?

[toesies]

I don't think so. Why?

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It's a game, of sorts.

You place your hands out palm down on the table. I ask you ten questions. For every answer I don't like, I take a finger.

[... that's their resume, ig.]

[toesies]

Whoa!

[LEANING BACK A LITTLE.]

So you have work experience with the mafia. Got it! [Pride???] What's next? The floor is lava but you need to swim out of a pool filled with concrete?

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I'm not sure what concrete is.

[hm]