Clarice reluctantly poked her head into the room as the final measures of 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King' were fading away. "Um, I'm really sorry to interrupt..?" She blushed. "But, um, Lulu asked me to remind you? That you're sitting under mistletoe. She - she seemed to think you should be reminded." More blushing, and she made as if to duck back out of the room just as quickly.
Zak looked up at Clarice and grinned in hello, then started laughing. "Tactical strategist." Reminded to Moira. Lulu would have been a great one. But before Clarice could disappear, Zak spoke up to her again.
"Clarice? I, um--" He was untangling his arm from around Moira as he spoke. "I have something for you. It's really small, and I'm not sure what you wanted.." Typical boy in the gift-giving with this one. He smiled easily though and stood up, fetching the gift bag. And the one with the animal toys as well.
At least they were laughing and didn't seem annoyed. Not that Clarice had really expected them to be annoyed, she just... worried. As always. But Lulu had asked her to deliver the message in support of Zak and Moira's happiness, so how could she refuse?
She was startled when Zak rose, and startled more when it turned out he had a gift for her! And for Safina too. She was speechless, but she took the bag and peeked inside.
"Oh, this is... you didn't have to..." She pulled out a pretty pair of hair clips, her eyes darting from them to his face. "Thank you so much - oh - wait, just wait - please." Carefully replacing the bag on the table, she hurried out of the room.
Moira grinned. Lulu would be a good tactical strategist. She paused the movie as Zak got up to give Clarice her gift and then smiled at Clarice's reaction. Pulling her knees in closer, she settled her chin on them, looking over at Zak not without a certain smile on her face.
Zak grinned again, "It's no problem--" She left, hurrying as Clarice did.
Curiously, he turned to Moira. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" The strange-looking girl seemed to be easily startled. And Zak didn't want to do anything to rock the boat.
Clarice returned, thank goodness, and Zak looked curiously in her hands. Then smiled. It was small, at first, but grew wider when he picked it up gingerly from her hands. Then he looked up to her to speak.
"I lived in a city, back where I come from. But I always loved going on family trips to the water and picking these up." Without her even knowing it, Clarice brought a little bit of home in the gift. "Thank you."
He seemed to genuinely like it, which relieved Clarice. She ducked her head and smiled a little.
"You're welcome. Thank you." Picking up her gift (and Safina's) again, she hugged them to her chest. "I'm sorry, I'll let you get back to your movie now. Sorry."
"It'll be fun. The lion sings. And is friends with a meerkat and warthog." How awesome was that! They had television and children's programming back on the Colonies. But nothing quite like Disney. So Zak was amused.
"Oh... that's okay. I mean..." Clarice peered curiously at the frozen TV screen, and the DVD case lying on the table. Recognition dawned. "Wait, I think - I think I saw a preview for this movie. It's new - it was new. Going to be new. In the summer." She caught herself, actually covering her mouth for a second before trying again.
"But I can't. Thank you, but I have to, um... I have to get some more Christmas presents ready." Untrue. But she didn't want to be in the way of their date! "Sorry. I'll see it later. Have fun though. Thank you again!" She was edging toward the door the whole time she was speaking, and at the last she ducked out with a parting wave.
Moira couldn't help but smile and shake her head a little at Clarice's very typical exit. She really wouldn't have minded if Clarice would have watched. And she would have expected Lulu to have informed Clarice of precisely the opposite. But the purple girl was gone before Moira could say another word. She shrugged at Zak.
Zak chuckled as he went to carefully put the gift on top of the books in the basket. "She always seems to disappear."
Returning to sit by Moira, he glanced over and smiled. Then turned so he could regard her better. "Will you explain the meaning behind the hands, crown, and heart? The man at the shop explained that it means friendship, love, and loyalty.." But he wanted to hear it from an Irish person. From Moira specifically.
She laughed a little. "She's getting less shy." It was true. And Moira was happy that Clarice was becoming less shy. The poor girl still thought she was a burden to Moira and Lulu.
Moira tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's this saying, With my hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love. The hands are for friendship, the heart is for love, and the crown loyalty. When someone wears a claddagh as a ring, it shows people if they're taken or not. Right hand heart facing out is not taken. Right hand heart facing in is in a relationship or someone has captured the person's heart." That was the phrase she'd always liked. "Left hand out is engaged and left hand in is married." Her mum had a claddagh from Hunter that was found again in the madness that preceded Hunter's rescue.
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"Clarice? I, um--" He was untangling his arm from around Moira as he spoke. "I have something for you. It's really small, and I'm not sure what you wanted.." Typical boy in the gift-giving with this one. He smiled easily though and stood up, fetching the gift bag. And the one with the animal toys as well.
"This one is for you, and the other for Safina."
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She was startled when Zak rose, and startled more when it turned out he had a gift for her! And for Safina too. She was speechless, but she took the bag and peeked inside.
"Oh, this is... you didn't have to..." She pulled out a pretty pair of hair clips, her eyes darting from them to his face. "Thank you so much - oh - wait, just wait - please." Carefully replacing the bag on the table, she hurried out of the room.
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Curiously, he turned to Moira. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" The strange-looking girl seemed to be easily startled. And Zak didn't want to do anything to rock the boat.
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"I-it's not nice like yours, and I didn't even have time to wrap it, but, um... here." She held out her hands. "Merry Christmas..?"
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"I lived in a city, back where I come from. But I always loved going on family trips to the water and picking these up." Without her even knowing it, Clarice brought a little bit of home in the gift. "Thank you."
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"You're welcome. Thank you." Picking up her gift (and Safina's) again, she hugged them to her chest. "I'm sorry, I'll let you get back to your movie now. Sorry."
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"But I can't. Thank you, but I have to, um... I have to get some more Christmas presents ready." Untrue. But she didn't want to be in the way of their date! "Sorry. I'll see it later. Have fun though. Thank you again!" She was edging toward the door the whole time she was speaking, and at the last she ducked out with a parting wave.
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Returning to sit by Moira, he glanced over and smiled. Then turned so he could regard her better. "Will you explain the meaning behind the hands, crown, and heart? The man at the shop explained that it means friendship, love, and loyalty.." But he wanted to hear it from an Irish person. From Moira specifically.
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Moira tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's this saying, With my hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love. The hands are for friendship, the heart is for love, and the crown loyalty. When someone wears a claddagh as a ring, it shows people if they're taken or not. Right hand heart facing out is not taken. Right hand heart facing in is in a relationship or someone has captured the person's heart." That was the phrase she'd always liked. "Left hand out is engaged and left hand in is married." Her mum had a claddagh from Hunter that was found again in the madness that preceded Hunter's rescue.
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He listened then, smiling more. Then ducked his head briefly before lifting it up to look at her. "I like that. It's pretty."
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