001. out there in the sun | beneath the sky // open post

[clayce]

Take a prompt, take some time, drop in whenever you like.

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[maggienificent]

[ She doesn't expect that last part, doesn't expect the kindness even if she'd wanted it. Badly.

She drops her head. ]

Did he mean it?

[ She can't wrap her voice around an I'm sorry just yet, especially since the apology isn't supposed to be for Aidan anyway. But her body language, the way she feels so terribly small speaks enough. She'll have to make it up to her classmate.

And to Renae. ]

[clayce]

He did.

[If he didn't, well... Aidan wouldn't have stepped in at all.]

[maggienificent]

[ She presses her lips together.

And then, softly: ]

I'm sorry, sir.

[ For being a selfish brat. For not being smart enough to realize when someone wanted to make friends. For making such a fuss that you had to step in. ]

Mom's going to be mad.

[clayce]

[And now he's going to reach out and pat her knee. He can do that now, right?]

It's all right. I'll make sure to have a word with your mother about this, just to clarify things.

[And about a number of other things, of course. But Maggie doesn't have to bother herself with that.]

[maggienificent]

[ Maggie just nods wordlessly at that--

--before she leans in, her forehead bumping his arm. ]

[clayce]

[Which prompts a kinder gesture from him now, in the form of his hand coming up to pat her on the head.]

Tell me when you'd like to go back. I'll speak to your teachers for you.

[maggienificent]

I can go back now. [ Softly spoken. ]

I have to say sorry to-- [ she frowns, hard, remembering. ] Alan.

[clayce]

Then let's walk back together.

[Standing up now, and taking just one moment out to brush the grass off of his pants before turning around and offering his hand to his companion.]

Shall we?

[maggienificent]

[ Both hands come up to latch onto his ( she's a small thing, she's only eight, ) fingers threading together halfway.

There's only a moment of hesitation before she pulls herself to her feet -- and the slightest tilt of her head in her brother's direction, before the motion is aborted and her full attention is back on the Voidseeker.

And because all is well now, she peers up at him. ] Do you really eat mean little children?

[ It's a... thing. Among the older students. She's seen Renae go livid at the idea of it, a total affront to the fact that her brother is in awe of the Dragon, head to tail.

She does shrink a half-second after she realizes she might have spoken out of turn, and blinks up at him with a tense and apologetic look of welp. ]

[clayce]

[It takes a supreme amount of effort on his part not to laugh out loud, much less smile. But he manages it.

Now, in an incredibly serious tone:]

I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I do.

[But if there's one thing he can't erase, it's the warmth in his eyes.]

[maggienificent]

[ O-oh. ]

Do I count?

[ She shuffles her feet a little at that. ]

[clayce]

No, not this time.

[The smile is back, just to show her that he was joking.

Maybe.]

[maggienificent]

[ It's enough. She can see why her mother likes him now.

Maggie's hands latch onto Aidan's arm and she leans her head affectionately against his skin.

Easily won, the loyalty of this one. ]