Somewhere in Eastern Europe (probably) [Late Saturday afternoon]]
Triela's eyes grew distant for a moment, as if she were lost in memories that she didn't have.
Karla
Karla paused for a moment, remembering belatedly that Triela had no idea of what her life was like before the Agency found her, other than a faint memory of perfume. "If you decide you want to be a kid again and play in the woods, I won't tell anyone," she promised with feigned solemnity.
Triela
"I wouldn't even know where to begin," Triela snorted. She was torn between amusement and sadness.
Karla
"It's easy, I can show you," Karla said, giving Triela an understanding smile. "Let's see...there're mud pies, hide and seek, tree climbing, hunter, but I don't wanna play that because you'll totally win, plus just your typical exploring to see what cool and or gross things you can find."
Triela
"Sounds like all of those would ruin my wardrobe." About halfway through that observation, Triela's tone went from disapproving to... thoughtful.
Because she was wearing a skirt and a blouse that felt just a bit too tight...
Karla
"Wouldn't that be a shame," Karla said as innocently as she could.
Triela
"Yes. It so, so would." Except... not at all. "So... tell me more."
Karla
"Well, mud pies, for example, involve patting a lot of mud into a roughly pie-shaped form and then decorating it with stones and leaves and feathers and things," Karla said, with great authority. After all, she'd had that refresher course just a few months ago. "That usually devolves into an argument about who has made the best pie, which then devolves further into a mud fight."
Triela
"So... my nails would get ruined?" That was half-tempting, and half-worrying. She rather liked her current nail job, actually.
Karla
Sigh.
"Triela, if you can't clean mud our from under your own nails..." Karla started, then gave up. "If it does, I'll treat you to a spa day myself."
Triela
"Oh?" Triela smirked just a bit. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Karla
Karla laughed and immediately hunkered down to remove the detritus of the forest floor to get to the rich loam of the earth underneath. "Since we're both older now, trash talking is completely acceptable," she said cheerfully. "Especially since my mud pie's gonna kick your ass. Well, your mud pie's ass, anyway."
Triela
Triela rolled her eyes, but followed suit. "Given your culinary skills with things that aren't mud, I rather doubt I have anything to worry about here."
Karla
"First of all, my cookies are awesome, as long as I make them with other people," Karla retorted. "Warren bought them all during the bake sale, they were so good."
Man, taste that sweet, sweet denial.
"Besides, I don't ever remember you bragging about your skills in the kitchen."
Triela
"That's because my skills speak for themselves," Triela smirked. And she actually was pretty good at cooking, as long as she had a very precise recipe to follow.
Karla
"I'll believe it when I see it," Karla declared, patting the mud into a vaguely pie-shaped form.
Hmmm...now for something to decorate it with. She grabbed a double handful of fallen leaves and set to creating a pretty pattern of orange and red on the top of her pie.
"You'll lose points if it isn't decorated," she warned with a grin.
Triela
"You're just making these rules up as you go along, aren't you?" Triela groused. Which didn't stop her from finding some pebbles and little flecks of bark.
Her skirt was getting ruined.
She smiled just a bit.
Karla
"Am not!" Karla protested. Maturely. "Besides, I mentioned decorating them first thing."
She finished layering leaves on top of her pie, then settled back to watch Triela work on hers. She looked so serious about her mudpie, like it was really going to be graded or something.
Triela
It was. By Triela if no one else.
Someone was a perfectionist.
Triela was hunched over, shoulders tense as she lowered another pebble (carefully separated from the growing pile of rejects at her side), trying to get it into precisely the right position.
Karla
All right. Fun was not supposed to be that much work. Someone needed to loosen Triela up a bit.
In her infinite wisdom, Karla decided that someone was going to be her.
She scooped up another double handful of warm, rich mud and sent it flying towards Triela. She didn't use Craft, either. You were supposed to get mucky in a mudfight.
Triela
Triela was engrossed enough in her mud pie that her situational awareness was down. Which was why Triela's hair (her hair) was now dripping with mud.
Her first, instinctive, response was to go for her gun as her head snapped up, looking for whatever threat had just appeared.
She realized what had happened with the pistol only halfway out of the holster. She glowered at Karla. "My hair? My hair?" Oooooh, someone was gonna get it.
Karla
"Okay, that I do feel bad about," Karla said, trying not to smile. "My aim sucks when I don't use Craft. Does it help if I promise I was aiming for your back?"
Triela
"I don't know," Triela said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her left hand and try to look like she was thinking about it. That little twitch of amusement was the only warning she gave of her right hand coming up with a scoop of mud aimed straight at Karla.
Karla
Karla squealed and tried to duck out of the way, but to very little avail. Triela's aim was much better than hers. "Mudfight!" she yelled, and scooped up more mud to fling.
Triela
Triela wasn't about to do anything so undignified as squeal. She was, however, going to launch another handful of mud at Karla.
Her manicure was going to be ruined.
Karla
She'd been promised a spa day. She'd be fine.
The mud spattered all over Karla's shirt with enough force behind it to sting a little. Not that that was going to stop her from laughing delightedly at the absurdity of it all. If anyone needed to have a good, old-fashioned mudfight, it was Triela.
"Take this!" she said, lobbing two handfuls of mud towards Triela in quick succession.
Triela
Triela had to move to protect her pie, which resulted in her getting absolutely covered in mud. "Oooooh, so that's how it's going to be?" she asked, grinning menacingly as she scooped up more mud and pushed herself slowly to her feet.
Karla
"Well it is a mudfight," Karla said, laughing. "It would kind of have to, wouldn't it?"
More mud went flying towards Triela.
Triela
Triela grinned and let it hit, continuing her walk toward Karla. She sloooowly extended her mud-filled hand in what was obviously a signal that she was going to stuff it down Karla's shirt.
Karla
"Wait--no way, Triela--okay, come on..." Karla's eyes were wide and she started backing up slowly. "Seriously, Triela, you wouldn't, right?"
Yeah, okay, that was a stupid question.
Karla did the wise thing and turned and ran.
Triela
Triela's smirk just kept getting more and more set as she stepped forward. Then, when Karla started running, Triela laughed and chased after her.
Karla
It wasn't really a contest. Karla was in good shape, but she wasn't any match for Triela.
Plus, the nonstop giggling as she ran wasn't particularly helpful.
Triela
"Take that," Triela said, sounding almost calm, as she slipped the entire handful of mud down the back of Karla's shirt.
Karla
Karla squealed some more and tried to squirm away, but she had about as much of a chance of breaking free from Triela's hold as she had running away entirely.
"Coldcoldcold! Not fai-air!" She could feel the mud sliding down her back, like icy fingers tracing down her spine. "I'mma wash your face in mud!" she declared.
Triela
"You just try it," Triela challenged with a smirk.
She looked around. "Hey, you never admitted my mudpie was way better than yours."
Karla
"That's cause it wasn't!" Karla said, struggling to sit up. "Worst mud pie I ever saw."
Big words coming from the girl with mud in her top.
She glanced around. "Huh. Where are they in relation to us?"
On the plus side, it wasn't like they could get lost. -Er.
Triela
Triela frowned. "That way," she pointed vaguely back the way they'd come.
Or, at least, sort of that way. They'd figure it out when they got closer... right?
"And when we get there, you're going to eat those words." And maybe some more mud.
Karla
This was all kind of making Karla homesick. Especially the implied threat.
"Are you sure?" She asked, dubious. "I dunno..."
Triela
"Well... that's the way we came from..." Sort of.
Normally Triela had an excellent sense of direction since she paid obsessive attention to her surroundings. But this time? Er... she'd been a bit distracted.
Karla
That's what you get when you chase a good friend and shove mud down her shirt. You get lost, Triela. Really, really lost.
Let that be a lesson to you.
Karla rose, trying to get the worst of the mud out from under her shirt. "Okay then," she said. "Let's head back that way so I can show you what a proper mudpie looks like."
If she let some of the mud from her back fall in such a way as to spatter on Triela's shoes, it was completely accidental.
Triela
Triela deigned not to notice the mud. The heeled shoes were stupid anyway.
She was never telling her cobbler she said so, though.
"I bet I won't even be able to tell yours apart from a normal clump of mud," Triela smirked.
Karla
"Only because you are blind to all things aesthetically pleasing," Karla announced loftily. She started heading in the direction Triela had pointed. "My mudpie makes all others cringe in shame."
Triela
"I guess you would know about cringing in shame," Triela nodded sagely.
Karla
"I've seen you do it enough," Karla said brightly.
Triela
Triels scowled. She'd never admit it, but when it came to banter just about everyone at Fandom outclassed her. "I don't get ashamed."
Except, you know, all those times she got embarrassed about wearing dresses and stuff.
Karla
Karla had a very witty remark all lined up. It was going to be awesome, delivered with the perfect amount of deadpan and everything. Before she could say it, however, she fell into a hole.
[NFB, NFI, preplayed with the demi-goddess who is glacial_witch.]
Karla
Karla paused for a moment, remembering belatedly that Triela had no idea of what her life was like before the Agency found her, other than a faint memory of perfume. "If you decide you want to be a kid again and play in the woods, I won't tell anyone," she promised with feigned solemnity.
Triela
"I wouldn't even know where to begin," Triela snorted. She was torn between amusement and sadness.
Karla
"It's easy, I can show you," Karla said, giving Triela an understanding smile. "Let's see...there're mud pies, hide and seek, tree climbing, hunter, but I don't wanna play that because you'll totally win, plus just your typical exploring to see what cool and or gross things you can find."
Triela
"Sounds like all of those would ruin my wardrobe." About halfway through that observation, Triela's tone went from disapproving to... thoughtful.
Because she was wearing a skirt and a blouse that felt just a bit too tight...
Karla
"Wouldn't that be a shame," Karla said as innocently as she could.
Triela
"Yes. It so, so would." Except... not at all. "So... tell me more."
Karla
"Well, mud pies, for example, involve patting a lot of mud into a roughly pie-shaped form and then decorating it with stones and leaves and feathers and things," Karla said, with great authority. After all, she'd had that refresher course just a few months ago. "That usually devolves into an argument about who has made the best pie, which then devolves further into a mud fight."
Triela
"So... my nails would get ruined?" That was half-tempting, and half-worrying. She rather liked her current nail job, actually.
Karla
Sigh.
"Triela, if you can't clean mud our from under your own nails..." Karla started, then gave up. "If it does, I'll treat you to a spa day myself."
Triela
"Oh?" Triela smirked just a bit. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Karla
Karla laughed and immediately hunkered down to remove the detritus of the forest floor to get to the rich loam of the earth underneath. "Since we're both older now, trash talking is completely acceptable," she said cheerfully. "Especially since my mud pie's gonna kick your ass. Well, your mud pie's ass, anyway."
Triela
Triela rolled her eyes, but followed suit. "Given your culinary skills with things that aren't mud, I rather doubt I have anything to worry about here."
Karla
"First of all, my cookies are awesome, as long as I make them with other people," Karla retorted. "Warren bought them all during the bake sale, they were so good."
Man, taste that sweet, sweet denial.
"Besides, I don't ever remember you bragging about your skills in the kitchen."
Triela
"That's because my skills speak for themselves," Triela smirked. And she actually was pretty good at cooking, as long as she had a very precise recipe to follow.
Karla
"I'll believe it when I see it," Karla declared, patting the mud into a vaguely pie-shaped form.
Hmmm...now for something to decorate it with. She grabbed a double handful of fallen leaves and set to creating a pretty pattern of orange and red on the top of her pie.
"You'll lose points if it isn't decorated," she warned with a grin.
Triela
"You're just making these rules up as you go along, aren't you?" Triela groused. Which didn't stop her from finding some pebbles and little flecks of bark.
Her skirt was getting ruined.
She smiled just a bit.
Karla
"Am not!" Karla protested. Maturely. "Besides, I mentioned decorating them first thing."
She finished layering leaves on top of her pie, then settled back to watch Triela work on hers. She looked so serious about her mudpie, like it was really going to be graded or something.
Triela
It was. By Triela if no one else.
Someone was a perfectionist.
Triela was hunched over, shoulders tense as she lowered another pebble (carefully separated from the growing pile of rejects at her side), trying to get it into precisely the right position.
Karla
All right. Fun was not supposed to be that much work. Someone needed to loosen Triela up a bit.
In her infinite wisdom, Karla decided that someone was going to be her.
She scooped up another double handful of warm, rich mud and sent it flying towards Triela. She didn't use Craft, either. You were supposed to get mucky in a mudfight.
Triela
Triela was engrossed enough in her mud pie that her situational awareness was down. Which was why Triela's hair (her hair) was now dripping with mud.
Her first, instinctive, response was to go for her gun as her head snapped up, looking for whatever threat had just appeared.
She realized what had happened with the pistol only halfway out of the holster. She glowered at Karla. "My hair? My hair?" Oooooh, someone was gonna get it.
Karla
"Okay, that I do feel bad about," Karla said, trying not to smile. "My aim sucks when I don't use Craft. Does it help if I promise I was aiming for your back?"
Triela
"I don't know," Triela said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her left hand and try to look like she was thinking about it. That little twitch of amusement was the only warning she gave of her right hand coming up with a scoop of mud aimed straight at Karla.
Karla
Karla squealed and tried to duck out of the way, but to very little avail. Triela's aim was much better than hers. "Mudfight!" she yelled, and scooped up more mud to fling.
Triela
Triela wasn't about to do anything so undignified as squeal. She was, however, going to launch another handful of mud at Karla.
Her manicure was going to be ruined.
Karla
She'd been promised a spa day. She'd be fine.
The mud spattered all over Karla's shirt with enough force behind it to sting a little. Not that that was going to stop her from laughing delightedly at the absurdity of it all. If anyone needed to have a good, old-fashioned mudfight, it was Triela.
"Take this!" she said, lobbing two handfuls of mud towards Triela in quick succession.
Triela
Triela had to move to protect her pie, which resulted in her getting absolutely covered in mud. "Oooooh, so that's how it's going to be?" she asked, grinning menacingly as she scooped up more mud and pushed herself slowly to her feet.
Karla
"Well it is a mudfight," Karla said, laughing. "It would kind of have to, wouldn't it?"
More mud went flying towards Triela.
Triela
Triela grinned and let it hit, continuing her walk toward Karla. She sloooowly extended her mud-filled hand in what was obviously a signal that she was going to stuff it down Karla's shirt.
Karla
"Wait--no way, Triela--okay, come on..." Karla's eyes were wide and she started backing up slowly. "Seriously, Triela, you wouldn't, right?"
Yeah, okay, that was a stupid question.
Karla did the wise thing and turned and ran.
Triela
Triela's smirk just kept getting more and more set as she stepped forward. Then, when Karla started running, Triela laughed and chased after her.
Karla
It wasn't really a contest. Karla was in good shape, but she wasn't any match for Triela.
Plus, the nonstop giggling as she ran wasn't particularly helpful.
Triela
"Take that," Triela said, sounding almost calm, as she slipped the entire handful of mud down the back of Karla's shirt.
Karla
Karla squealed some more and tried to squirm away, but she had about as much of a chance of breaking free from Triela's hold as she had running away entirely.
"Coldcoldcold! Not fai-air!" She could feel the mud sliding down her back, like icy fingers tracing down her spine. "I'mma wash your face in mud!" she declared.
Triela
"You just try it," Triela challenged with a smirk.
She looked around. "Hey, you never admitted my mudpie was way better than yours."
Karla
"That's cause it wasn't!" Karla said, struggling to sit up. "Worst mud pie I ever saw."
Big words coming from the girl with mud in her top.
She glanced around. "Huh. Where are they in relation to us?"
On the plus side, it wasn't like they could get lost. -Er.
Triela
Triela frowned. "That way," she pointed vaguely back the way they'd come.
Or, at least, sort of that way. They'd figure it out when they got closer... right?
"And when we get there, you're going to eat those words." And maybe some more mud.
Karla
This was all kind of making Karla homesick. Especially the implied threat.
"Are you sure?" She asked, dubious. "I dunno..."
Triela
"Well... that's the way we came from..." Sort of.
Normally Triela had an excellent sense of direction since she paid obsessive attention to her surroundings. But this time? Er... she'd been a bit distracted.
Karla
That's what you get when you chase a good friend and shove mud down her shirt. You get lost, Triela. Really, really lost.
Let that be a lesson to you.
Karla rose, trying to get the worst of the mud out from under her shirt. "Okay then," she said. "Let's head back that way so I can show you what a proper mudpie looks like."
If she let some of the mud from her back fall in such a way as to spatter on Triela's shoes, it was completely accidental.
Triela
Triela deigned not to notice the mud. The heeled shoes were stupid anyway.
She was never telling her cobbler she said so, though.
"I bet I won't even be able to tell yours apart from a normal clump of mud," Triela smirked.
Karla
"Only because you are blind to all things aesthetically pleasing," Karla announced loftily. She started heading in the direction Triela had pointed. "My mudpie makes all others cringe in shame."
Triela
"I guess you would know about cringing in shame," Triela nodded sagely.
Karla
"I've seen you do it enough," Karla said brightly.
Triela
Triels scowled. She'd never admit it, but when it came to banter just about everyone at Fandom outclassed her. "I don't get ashamed."
Except, you know, all those times she got embarrassed about wearing dresses and stuff.
Karla
Karla had a very witty remark all lined up. It was going to be awesome, delivered with the perfect amount of deadpan and everything. Before she could say it, however, she fell into a hole.
[NFB, NFI, preplayed with the demi-goddess who is glacial_witch.]