2nd Floor Common Room - early evening - 12/25

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Fiona had been looking for Griff most of the day when she finally settled in the common room to hopefully catch him as he walked to his room. Of course, she knew it was entirely possible that he'd never actually walk past her, considering his talent, but it was as good an idea as any she could figure out. The little wrapped present sat next to her as she read, a glass of egg nog sitting on the table beside her mostly because that was what she'd read she was supposed to do. The TV wasn't on, but she wouldn't mind if it was. She wouldn't really mind anything right about now, because this book was even more boring than the last three times she'd read it.

[open as these things are]

Comments

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She nodded and managed a quick little smile for Effy.

"Just fine. You?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Not really feeling the Christmas thing," she admitted, wandering over. But then, Effy was hardly the festive, 'sing around a tree and dress up cute' kind of girl. "Otherwise, not so bad."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"We never celebrated anything," she admitted right back, closing the book and putting it aside, "so there's not much to 'feel'."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"We did, but, not there, so--" It was different, and Effy suspected even if she was home it would be a shit Christmas now her parents were separated or... whatever, anyway.

"Nothing, huh?" Sounded worse than the sporadic holidays celebrated in her house.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Our family didn't do holidays."

Though she had received a card from her father. She wasn't quite sure why her father had thought it funny and especially ironic, but she'd been happy to accept the soft blue sweater. It even had a little black cat button at the neck.

"Doesn't do holidays. One of the rules. And it'd be kind of weird anyway."

She looked around.

"Been a while. Things all right for you?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy shrugged, sitting back. That was... one of those questions at the moment. Honestly? They were. Confusing and complicated as things were turning out, she couldn't say any of it was bad.

"Not so bad," she allowed, curling a bit of a smile. "Benefit of break week. Fuck all to do, and lots of time to do it in."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"Not used to it, really," she said with a shrug.

"Last one was my first. We never got breaks at home. I kind of like it, but I kind of don't."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Don't know what to do with yourself?" Effy wondered. Honestly, she sometimes had that problem too. Proof of her boredom showed in all sorts of random skills she'd picked up, like morse code and learning how to pick stuff up with her toes.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Maybe they could tap things back and forth in a class, if they shared one.

"I read. And clean. I even rented a couple of movies to try them, Christmas movies. I don't think I understood them, though."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"What didn't you get?" Even without celebrating that sort of thing, it seemed like Christmas was just everywhere. Difficult to avoid working it all out over the years. Then again, Effy didn't know just how Fiona grew up.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"...most of it?" she admitted with a bit of a blush.

"None of the stories and movies having to do with Christmas seem to have anything to do with, um, Christmas. They all just kind of happen around it."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"The vague Christmassy theme seems to be enough for most people," Effy remarked, shrugging. "But I'm sure there must be nativity ones out there somewhere."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"I found those," she agreed, "but I don't quite know how they're supposed to be at all connected."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"It's what you're supposed to be celebrating," Effy pointed out, settling into a chair. "Gets lost in the consumerism."

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She stared at Effy for a minute before shaking her head. Then she pointed at the egg nog.

"This doesn't taste very good either."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"It the kind with alcohol in it?" Because so long as it was that, Effy could approve. Why they made that non-alcoholic crap, she would never understand.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She glanced at the egg nog.

"No one mentioned alcohol. Though if I was going to drink, I'd just drink and leave this out of it."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Me too," Effy shared, shrugging. It was hardly her first choice. "But getting plastered, is getting plastered, whatever other junk they put in there." She found that every little helped.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"It's not as fun to do if you don't have other people to do it with you," she observed.

"Unless you wanted to with me."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

It wasn't as much fun on your own, no, but that rarely stopped Effy. In fact, it would never stop Effy. Still. She quirked a bit of a grin.

"Never pictured you as much of a drinker," she commented.

There was a 'yes' in there somewhere, however subtly.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She smirked, just a little.

"It's fun. And I don't have to mind the taste, so it doesn't take too long."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"And we are supposed to be celebrating," she pointed out. It was Christmas. They might not be doing much else, but it was definitely the time of year for getting trashed and enjoying yourself.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She smiled.

"I probably shouldn't, though. Waiting for Griff."

She pointed at the present.

"That's for him."