chikaidestroyer | ∞ 82: Waiting for the next step [action]

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∞ 82: Waiting for the next step [action]

[Now that things have calmed down around the village and the rain from earlier in the week has dried, Albert is getting around to cleaning up his poor garden. Long-wilted white and blue moonflowers and morning glories litter his garden where trellises are propped up next to them, so he's pruning and plucking them out from between the growing flowers.

His horse is hanging around the house today, eating from a bale of hay.

It's a pretty idle scene on a sunny day. At least he's not closed up in his room, reading old books and drinking wine. That can be saved for tomorrow, when the weather's even warmer.]

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A generous offer! Thanks, but no thanks. [He leans over, grabbing his foot. Owww. He mumbles-] Who's not acting their age again?

[His expression doesn't change.] All's fair in love and war.

Well, thanks for the reminder. [Jerrrk. Okay, he's done. He sits back now, vaguely wondering what the lesson in all that was.] I can't even lay in your grass in peace!

[He drinks the rest of his water.] And you can't be expected to be treated like a guest when you imply you are going to make use of my kitchen. So we are even. [Just be glad he's not dropping his now-empty glass in your lap.]

Learning to adjust makes my words no less valid. [But he gestures for her to follow him back to the trellises.] Are you familiar with these flowers? [He points at the blue and white morning glories twining around the side of the house.]

[She takes a few steps towards the flowers in question, frowning and nibbling her bottom lip.]

They're...umh, pretty? And blue and, yeah. I have no idea.

Huh? I never expect that. [He's usually surprised when he gets that sort of treatment.] I offered because you were busy. I was trying to do you a favor.

[It doesn't occur to him that it was a particularly strange thing to do.]

A favor in which you also benefited.

[He will overlook the fact that it is strange. Probably confirming even more that he's a jerk.]

Edited 2010-06-02 01:04 (UTC)

[It's okay. That's what he expects.]

Like you wouldn't have done the same. Besides, if it was such a big deal, why didn't you just say no?

[A brief smirk.]

Morning glories. These blue ones bloom through the day and die by nightfall. [And then he points at the white flowers, which appear twisted shut.] And these are moonflowers. They bloom only at night.

Because I am not one to make a big deal out of trivialities. [And yet he just did. If only you knew how much he amuses himself by getting reactions out of you at his own expense, Caesar.]

[Morning glories. The name is nice and Buffy nods, approvingly. But when he mentions the moonflowers? Well, her attention sharpens.]

I'll have to stop by, some night. Check them out.

[Even at his own expense? Now that's just weird. Caesar has successfully been confused.]

But... you just- [...he really doesn't even know what he's supposed to say. He knows his brother is aware of what he just did.] F-forget it. We're even.

Yes, feel free. A rare treat for a usually-diurnal society. [He clips some of the heart-shaped leaves that have dried out.]

[If he played the game straight, it'd be far too easy to sidestep these things. So Albert will simply smirk and walk over to place the glass on the edge of the porch.]

Diurnal? [She asks, near instinctively. Normally, she wouldn't betray a lack of knowledge so easily...but Albert? Well, she trusts him. And she is also vaguely distracted by how to tell Spike about the night blooming flowers while maintaining dignity.]

[Albert responds in turn without comment.] Active by day. The opposite of nocturnal.

[She reaches far forward, touching the closed up blossom.]

Like normal people, working the nine-to-five.

[It takes a moment for him to place the numbers, but he nods in confirmation.] And asleep by nightfall, unlike the night owls.

[Buffy turns back, crossing her arms comfortably.]

Are they the only ones?

[He makes a faintly amused sound, letting the leaves drop to the soil.]

Hardly.

[But then she remembers the small scissors in her hand. But the smile is left over; after all, it was heartening to hear about night blossoms.]

But me making friendlies with the flowers is not helping, is it?

[At least one Silverberg in this yard didn't think it was as amusing. :| He pulls his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and resting his head. He's still not sure how to feel about that.]

You should get back to work so I can keep sitting here doing nothing.

[Oh, whoops. Diana knows that some people don't like others touching their animals. She hopes Albert isn't one of them.]

You're the first of your kind I've seen here.

If you feel there is worth in what you are doing, you are helping yourself, at the very least. But others' perspectives... [He makes a noncommittal sound, continuing to clean up the vines.]

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∞ 82: Waiting for the next step [action]

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