"Sure did," she says, opening the hand that Derrica is reaching for to reveal said note. And then realizing that Derrica was reaching for her hand and that probably doesn't include the note, so she should get rid of the note so her hand is free...
"Uh and I also have this for you." Athessa raises the box a little as she passes through the doorway, still futilely trying to be casual. Why is being casual so hard?? It's all this social stuff that requires thinking that ruins it, if it was just kissing and fooling around it'd be FINE.
"Yeah this is the first time I've ever really done any of this," she'll go wherever Derrica leads, and waves her hand in a vague gesture. This of course, referring to Satinalia.
"I hope you know what to do with them," Athessa says as she's sitting, nodding to the box. She doesn't want to spoil the surprise, of course, but she also can't stop herself from offering disclaimers. "I sure don't."
Derrica swings her legs up, crossing them before setting the box in her lap.
"Let's see," she begins, before continuing, "On the ship we'd have extra rounds of some kind of alcohol, and maybe some..."
As she reveals the contents of the box her voice trails off. It takes her a moment to fully place the vials, but she lifts them out, uncaps one to sniff.
"Athessa...these are expensive," Derrica says softly. She's never had any oils this fine. It feels like a lot to receive.
"Oh yeah?" Mild interest, like she suspected as much. And, like she's not bothered at all by the prospect of gifting them. "That's good. Wouldn't wanna give you cheap shit."
And then she gets hit with the sense that Derrica might feel guilty receiving something expensive. Athessa sure would, even though she knows full well just how unconditional the gift is, coming from her. She makes a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry, I didn't give you all of them, I kept some, too. I mean...you could have all of them if you wanted, I wouldn't mind, but you don't have to feel weird about...it."
She reaches across the opened package to take Athessa's hands.
"I'm not worried," she says, though the gesture still feels a little overwhelming. "I'm...I don't even know what to say."
In fairness, it isn't entirely about Athessa's gifts. It's about all the gifts she's received. The kindness of it is unexpectedly overwhelming. She brings Athessa's hands to her lips, and kisses her hands softly.
"You don't have to say anything," Athessa smiles, and hopes it's a reassuring expression. Overwhelmed is a feeling she knows far too well of late. She turns her hand in Derrica's grasp so it's not just being held, but holding as well, and her fingers brush against the inside of Derrica's wrist.
"Although if you wanna tell me what this stuff is, I guess that's something you could say."
"It's for baths," Derrica says, taking the escape Athessa offers her. "Some of them are to soften your skin, some are to help scars fade...they all do different things."
As she speaks, she releases Athessa's hand to pick carefully through the bottles. It's an abundance. Athessa could have kept these for herself. Derrica doesn't mention this again, but it lingers as she takes a cursory inventory.
"Oh," she always thought bathing was to get rid of dirt and oils, not add more oils on top. She picks up a bottle and sniffs it, making an appreciative face. "But oil doesn't mix well with water, does it?"
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kneeslides over to this
"You got my note?" she asks, before opening the door the rest of the way, inviting.
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"Uh and I also have this for you." Athessa raises the box a little as she passes through the doorway, still futilely trying to be casual. Why is being casual so hard?? It's all this social stuff that requires thinking that ruins it, if it was just kissing and fooling around it'd be FINE.
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"I've never had so many presents," Derrica admits. "We celebrated, but it wasn't really..."
She doesn't want to talk about the Circle. Or think about the different crews. She covers Athessa's hand with her own before lifting the box away.
"Come sit with me? I'll open it now."
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"I hope you know what to do with them," Athessa says as she's sitting, nodding to the box. She doesn't want to spoil the surprise, of course, but she also can't stop herself from offering disclaimers. "I sure don't."
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"Let's see," she begins, before continuing, "On the ship we'd have extra rounds of some kind of alcohol, and maybe some..."
As she reveals the contents of the box her voice trails off. It takes her a moment to fully place the vials, but she lifts them out, uncaps one to sniff.
"Athessa...these are expensive," Derrica says softly. She's never had any oils this fine. It feels like a lot to receive.
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And then she gets hit with the sense that Derrica might feel guilty receiving something expensive. Athessa sure would, even though she knows full well just how unconditional the gift is, coming from her. She makes a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry, I didn't give you all of them, I kept some, too. I mean...you could have all of them if you wanted, I wouldn't mind, but you don't have to feel weird about...it."
Smooth.
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"I'm not worried," she says, though the gesture still feels a little overwhelming. "I'm...I don't even know what to say."
In fairness, it isn't entirely about Athessa's gifts. It's about all the gifts she's received. The kindness of it is unexpectedly overwhelming. She brings Athessa's hands to her lips, and kisses her hands softly.
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"Although if you wanna tell me what this stuff is, I guess that's something you could say."
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As she speaks, she releases Athessa's hand to pick carefully through the bottles. It's an abundance. Athessa could have kept these for herself. Derrica doesn't mention this again, but it lingers as she takes a cursory inventory.
"Mainly they all should smell very nice."
And what more can one ask of their bath oils?
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It's lightly delivered, but Derrica's meaning is made very plain.
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