Rachel has just finished dance class. A quick glance at the time and she knows Claudia will be starting work soon, and lucky for them both Rachel was free for the rest of the day.
She really doesn't care what she looks like as she makes her way towards the bar. Her gym bag is thrown over her shoulder, and her hair is a bit of a mess in a ponytail.
She just wants to see her girlfriend. She can clean up later. Especially if there will be more time with the girlfriend later. She steps into the bar and sees Claudia and a smile lights up her face. As she's going over she hears Claudia's words and she comes to a stop. Her head tilts and her arms cross her chest.
"You don't, you're not, and you don't," she say simply.
Here Claud, have a pretty girlfriend to cheer you up.
Pretty girlfriends are awesome. But Claudia is still caught in her pit of self-pity, and isn't ready to dig herself out quite yet.
"Yes I do," she sighs. "I'm going to be a terrible guardian."
She knows it's true. She can feel it. It's this feeling that claws in her gut, and true -- she's only been an angel for four years, but still. That's four years enough to know that she isn't ready to guide someone. She's not even close.
She really doesn't know how to advise Claudia here. She isn't an angel or a demon or anything. She's just a girl.
She's a girl who very much loves this angel and thinks the world of her. Claudia is everything to her, Claudia helped her find her own personal calling - if one could call it that - and Rachel happened to have all the faith ever in her.
But she also knows that Claudia is scared and worried, and she wants to be able to say the right thing to make her feel better. She just...doesn't know what that thing is.
She settles for now for pushing herself up to lean over the bar and kiss her cheek.
"Are not," she says softly. No, it's not much, but Claudia should know exactly how much she believes in her already.
Claudia smiles slightly at that, picking her head up and leaning in to kiss her gently. "I missed you."
Which was the truth. It's been all of maybe six hours since she's seen her, but she did miss her. And she's never going to understand why Rachel has stuck around with her for so long, but she isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, by any means.
John wipes the counter beside her and frowns his concern when she declares that she sucks.
If he were a hobag, there are so many ways that comment could be twisted into something comical. Thankfully, John can be something of a gentleman when he wants to be. And he can tell whatever happened, she's been having a rough day. As a bartender, he is used to being a good listener. He listens to people's stories and he gives advice when it's needed or asked for. And often times when it's not.
"Pff, failure is all relative," he says, as if that's extremely helpful.
And hey, in his mind it is. "I bet you anything you're just being hard on yourself."
Claudia will never turn down an opportunity to vent. She doesn't even think to say that no, she's fine there's nothing to talk about. There's plenty to talk about. She's having a crisis here!
"I don't get people," she sighs as she turns to face him. "Books, I get. Science, I get. Science is logical and has predetermined conclusions, and you can predict how things will react. But I have to deal with an actual human person? And I'm continually tasting the dirt off my own shoe."
John leans against the counter and hides his amusement well. It does, indeed, sound like quite the crisis and he can be sympathetic.
"People are incredibly confusing creatures. Emotions make them that much more unpredictable and confusing. It might not help, but nobody's got a perfect read on them," he says, shifting to the side so he is facing her, as well. "Not that I'm saying you should approach people like books or science, but just because you can't predict their reactions doesn't mean you can't learn them from those reactions."
She sighs, running a hand through her hair. The hand just rests there for a moment, as she processes the words, understands them, tries to fit them into words that make sense, but it just ... doesn't click. She's had twenty years of experience in dealing with people. You think she would have learned by now.
"Yeah. Okay. But say that this person is my ward and I just ... perpetually offend them forever. Inferences and innuendo ... I'm not good at those. And I don't always think before I speak. That doesn't help either."
Comments 30
She really doesn't care what she looks like as she makes her way towards the bar. Her gym bag is thrown over her shoulder, and her hair is a bit of a mess in a ponytail.
She just wants to see her girlfriend. She can clean up later. Especially if there will be more time with the girlfriend later. She steps into the bar and sees Claudia and a smile lights up her face. As she's going over she hears Claudia's words and she comes to a stop. Her head tilts and her arms cross her chest.
"You don't, you're not, and you don't," she say simply.
Here Claud, have a pretty girlfriend to cheer you up.
Reply
"Yes I do," she sighs. "I'm going to be a terrible guardian."
She knows it's true. She can feel it. It's this feeling that claws in her gut, and true -- she's only been an angel for four years, but still. That's four years enough to know that she isn't ready to guide someone. She's not even close.
And that could change for her at any moment.
Reply
She's a girl who very much loves this angel and thinks the world of her. Claudia is everything to her, Claudia helped her find her own personal calling - if one could call it that - and Rachel happened to have all the faith ever in her.
But she also knows that Claudia is scared and worried, and she wants to be able to say the right thing to make her feel better. She just...doesn't know what that thing is.
She settles for now for pushing herself up to lean over the bar and kiss her cheek.
"Are not," she says softly. No, it's not much, but Claudia should know exactly how much she believes in her already.
Reply
Which was the truth. It's been all of maybe six hours since she's seen her, but she did miss her. And she's never going to understand why Rachel has stuck around with her for so long, but she isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, by any means.
Reply
If he were a hobag, there are so many ways that comment could be twisted into something comical. Thankfully, John can be something of a gentleman when he wants to be. And he can tell whatever happened, she's been having a rough day. As a bartender, he is used to being a good listener. He listens to people's stories and he gives advice when it's needed or asked for. And often times when it's not.
"Pff, failure is all relative," he says, as if that's extremely helpful.
And hey, in his mind it is. "I bet you anything you're just being hard on yourself."
Reply
"I don't get people," she sighs as she turns to face him. "Books, I get. Science, I get. Science is logical and has predetermined conclusions, and you can predict how things will react. But I have to deal with an actual human person? And I'm continually tasting the dirt off my own shoe."
Reply
"People are incredibly confusing creatures. Emotions make them that much more unpredictable and confusing. It might not help, but nobody's got a perfect read on them," he says, shifting to the side so he is facing her, as well. "Not that I'm saying you should approach people like books or science, but just because you can't predict their reactions doesn't mean you can't learn them from those reactions."
Reply
"Yeah. Okay. But say that this person is my ward and I just ... perpetually offend them forever. Inferences and innuendo ... I'm not good at those. And I don't always think before I speak. That doesn't help either."
Reply
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