fandomhighdorms | Second floor common room, Thursday late afternoon

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Second floor common room, Thursday late afternoon

It had been bothering Steerpike since Ares's class. How could Annette expect him to obey her every whim, simply because it was her birthday? Worse, how had he allowed her to fool him into thinking that she might actually care?

It was foolish, the whole damned thing. He would have to step up his plans, just to ensure he did not get fooled again.

Steerpike was in the common room, slouched on a couch, and plotting.

He was also juggling the wee-tiny penguins, which made them give out weetiny "WEEEEEE!"s of delight and fear as they were lobbed repeatedly into the air and then caught again.

[ooc: open, though possibly a touch on the slow side until work ends]

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Having time to calm down from Ares' class and her argument with Steerpike, Annette was going to try and make amends with him. To apologize for whatever the heck she did wrong.

Not finding him in his room, she checked the common room next and walked in to witness him juggling the penguins. Frowning, she stepped over to the couch where he was slouching, and folded her arms across her chest, staring down at him.

That the penguins might actually be enjoying the juggling did not phaze her. "What the crap are you doing?"

"I am juggling the penguins, though I'm not certain that's any of your business,"

"I don't think they like it. And you are juggling them in public therefore making it my business."

Steerpike raised a single, graceful eyebrow and glanced from Annette to the penguins he was tossing from hand to hand.

All three were letting out periodic "WEEEEEEEEE!"s.

"And how, exactly, are you the judge as to whether or not they are enjoying themselves?"

"I'm not. But I see fear in their eyes." She was sure that was fear.

Annette sat down by Steerpike. He may not have invited her too, but she did. It was a public couch after all.

"Just how long are you going to stay mad at me for nothing at all?"

"Were the case that I was angry with you for 'nothing at all', the answer would be not long, at all. However, in this instance, I may in fact remain angry with you for quite some time."

He two of the penguins an extra high toss, then plucked another from the arm of the couch and added it to the mix.

Extra-high tosses meant extra-loud "WEEEEEEEE!"s from the penguins in question.

Hmmm. He wondered if he would be able to add a fifth penguin to the mix.

She frowned and pouted at the same time. Quite a look. It was new and she hoped he appreciated it. "You have nothing to be angry at me for and well you know it!"

She stared at the penguins.

"You kissed me. I don't see how you can kiss a person you don't like." She managed feebly.

"Yes, well, you had me quite well taken in by your act. I have learned better, now."

"What act?" The extra high tosses were scaring her a little bit.

Steerpike smirked. "You acted as though you merely wanted to understand. But you're just like all the others in your 'elite'. You want to order those of us serfs around, change us into someone who fits your little world view. And I will not be part of it any longer."

He would much rather be the one doing the changing.

"You have a very narrow minded opinion of me if you think that Steerpike. You don't know me at all. I've never ordered anyone about in my life." Pause. "Stop smirking at me!"

Annette was going to snatch his weetiny things if he wasn't careful.

Steerpike's smirk vanished and he quickly caught each of the penguins and set them down.

There was a weetiny chorus of "awwwwwww!"s of disappointment as he leaned forward, getting very, very close to Annette.

"Are you listening to yourself, Annette? In the same breath, you deny giving orders, and then order me anew. You tell me change my behavior, insist on bringing me into your rituals. And I don't think I like it."

"...but you were smirking at me." She said slowly. "It...it wasn't nice. That look."

"I think the penguins would say that it wasn't nice that you assume how they react to something that I believe they enjoyed."

"Maybe." She conceded in a gentler tone. "Still, it is not nice for you to say those things about me. I am not like that. Not at all. And I don't know what you mean by rituals. I don't have any rituals. I can see myself in the reflection of your eyes, Steerpike." Was he trying to prove his superiority by getting up in her face?

"And that's all you see. I said I did not celebrate my birthday, and you grew angry at me for not getting excited about a party for it? I propose to juggle penguins, and you assume I mean them harm." He turned from her again, scooping up the penguins, which gleed and hopped on his hands. This was good. He might be able to use this. "It makes me wonder what you must think of me."

"I did not get angry at you. I was upset that you would not allow me to be happy in trying to do something for you. Why can you not recognize the difference?" She sighed, watching the little penguins hop up on his hands. "One poked you in the nose with your pencil. I did not know what your feelings were about them. How was I to know?"

"You thought I would be brought low by . . . a pencil?"

Annette gave him a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "I wasn't certain."

"I see." He gave the penguins a quick toss, eliciting another "WEEEEE!", but didn't turn back to face her.

After a moment of silence other than the weeeee! of the penguins, Annette asked him, "You've never really liked me, have you?"

Steerpike shrugged. "I thought I had. I may have been mistaken."

She could only nod.

"I'm sorry, for what it is worth even though I am still confused about why you believe what you believe about me."

Annette stood up to go.

"I suppose," Steerpike said, giving the penguins another toss. "You cannot help it. It is what you are born to, and what you are taught. But it's a shame."

She looked down at him but didn't think it was necessary to say anything else to him. He had this brick wall surrounding him and stared out through a tiny crack at the rest of the world.

Okay, she had to add, "You're right. It is a shame." And then she walked away.

Steerpike watched her leave, a series of odd, half-formed expressions flitting across his face, before it settled into his usual, unconcerned mask.

"Yes. A shame."

He looked at the penguins. The penguins looked at him. They gestured with their little stubby wings for him to follow Annette.

So he started juggling them again, instead.

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Second floor common room, Thursday late afternoon

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