(Untitled)

[wildlyconflictd]

Nearly three weeks it had been since the last island hijinks, and for the most part, things were back to business as usual. For Pepper's part, she'd scarcely taken a moment to slow down since reverting back to her normal self. It was at some point last week that she allowed herself to fully and clearly consider her own level of denial, and why

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[whiskytango_rto]

"I think the relief I'm feeling over your shoes is part empathy for your fucking feet, part knowing you won't end up on the side of the boardwalk moping when they wear out," Ray greeted, generally incapable of the usual hellos.

Noticing her shoes was probably weird in and of itself, but she generally wore ones that weren't worth the discomfort unless people noticed them, and he'd been watching the path more than anything else for the past hundred yards because, well, he was bored. You could only play Guitar Hero so many times before you got really fucking sick of the set list, or bug your somewhat beleaguered girlfriend and/or wholly beleaguered best friend for so long before you maybe felt sorry about it.

"Is it another sort of opposite-day," he asked, "Possibly one in which I can convince you to do something pointless and entertaining?"

[wildlyconflictd]

Pepper let out a short huff of a laugh at that and then shook her head. "No such luck, thankfully," she replied as she cast a knowing look Ray's way. "Although I'm sure you'd only ever think of completely innocent and noble ways to handle my vulnerability were the opposite true."

[whiskytango_rto]

"Having probably no control over what I think and only marginally more over what I say, I promise nothing. Actions though, those I can handle." His girlfriend proved that to him several times over before she was really even his girlfriend. "I can't promise that I'd see you home, either, you live on the other side of a fucking mountain."

Maybe he'd get Brad to take her, in that hypothetical set of irritating circumstances. "I get the impression that we're joking about booze, but I could just be projecting."

[wildlyconflictd]

"To be fair, seeing me home is a dubious prospect any day of the week," Pepper conceded with a knowing smile. The hike wasn't bad once you were used to it, but she'd been making it at least twice a day for months now. "And I never joke about booze, Corporal." Although not for the implied reasons.

[whiskytango_rto]

"I joke about everything," he said, smiling and shrugging with equal amounts of helplessness. "Is the grass that much greener over there," casting a glance in the mountain's direction; "it seems like a long way to travel when you could just live around here."

[wildlyconflictd]

"Best view on the island," Pepper countered with an arch of her eyebrows. "Nothing like it. And the walk isn't that bad, keeps me in shape without me having to try."

[whiskytango_rto]

"I don't know, I'm just really content to not be climbing mountains for awhile."

Though if you're trying to convince me to visit you up there, all you have to do is ask," he concedes. Fuck knew that if Brad or Marissa decided to move over there, he'd make the hike. At least it wouldn't be next to that cemetery.

[wildlyconflictd]

"It's only a small one, and we're only halfway up," Pepper remarked of the mountain, and then chuckled. "It's reassuring to know that if I throw a party, you'll actually make an effort to attend." Never mind that were Pepper to organize a party, she'd certainty have it somewhere more easily accessible, like the Hub.

[whiskytango_rto]

"I think if you threw a party, I'd have to let my girlfriend dress me before I started the trek." It isn't a serious complaint--if Pepper can make it up and down from her hut on a regular basis, Ray doesn't doubt he could do the same. "A few days ago I might've been able to figure it out on my own, but this casual thing is throwing me off."