xp_logs | Cecilia and Aurora

Monday afternoon, after these e-mails, Cecilia goes down to keep an eye on a sleeping Aurora while Paul is out. Aurora, naturally, wakes up.

Aurora found herself waking up in a strange place again. It wasn't really all that unusual, certainly not for her, but she really didn't remember this pretty girl. She thought she would at least remember her. No headache, she hadn't been drinking. Then again, her metabolism usually took care of these sorts of things. "Hello there, lovely. Are you a gift?"

Cecilia looked up from her work - oh, but grading papers would take some getting used to - and blinked once, slowly tilting her head at the woman. "Hello there," she echoed, slowly developing a smile. "And I'd much rather be a gift than any of the alternatives that come to mind. Did you sleep well?"

"I knew Paul was loaded, but really, however did he afford you?" Aurora slowly stretched herself out, arching her spine for a long moment before rolling to her side, propping her head up on a hand. She figured that was more than enough of an answer of how she slept. If there was anything she did well, it was the just out of bed look. "So where is he off gallivanting now? He only buys me pretty things when he's been naughty."

"I'm a friend of his, so when he asked if I'd come and keep you company while he was out, I didn't make him pay," Cecilia grinned, glancing down at her work a moment before making a face and setting it aside. Later. "I'm a sucker for pretty faces, I guess. As for where he is.. he'd promised one of the students driving lessons a few days before you arrived, so he's off taking care of that. He was hoping to be back before you woke up, I think."

Aurora gave her a positively wicked grin, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't been more entertaining." She didn't bother to be subtle when she ran her gaze along the other woman. "Pardon me, I have no manners. No manners and a love of pudding. What's your name?"

This was going to be a bit of an adventure, clearly. "Nothing to apologize for. Sleep is most vehemently not a bad thing." Cecilia kept her grin, and shrugged a shoulder. Let's just try and ignore the looking-over, it's probably just the lingering drugs, right? "I'm Cecilia. And I'm pretty sure there's pudding in the 'fridge, if you'd like me to go grab some for you?"

Giggling, Aurora shook her head and sat up, still clinging the blankets to her. "I had it for breakfast yesterday. I should probably save it. Or make a secret stash of it. Perhaps if I knock out that wall there I could build a secret passageway. In a bookcase!"

Cecilia couldn't help a laugh, casting a quick look towards a likely-looking wall. "Everybody loves secret passageways.. though you'd need to ask the groundskeeper before you went ahead and did it, alas. He gets very tetchy when people do things to the house without asking him first. He's very grumpy."

"Pah!" Aurora replied in her typical overly-French way, waving a hand in dismissal. "I deal with Paul. No one is grumpier than Paul. He makes holes in the walls and then says he doesn't and then blames it on me! All I wanted to do was watch cartoons. Silly, grumpy boy."

"Paul can be rather silly and grumpy," Cecilia admitted, propping her chin up in a hand as she lets her attention return to Aurora. "You'll have to meet the groundskeeper sometime, and tell me who you think is grumpier."

Smiling broadly, Aurora kicked her feet, rustling the blankets. "I used to know a groundskeeper. I think. Maybe that was a book. Or a dream. I have very vivid dreams," she rambled, looking around the room for something of interest. "He'll like me. Everyone likes me, at least for a little while."

"I can see why," Cecilia chuckled, slowly shaking her head. "You're certainly very pleasant company so far.. and coming from me, that's a big compliment. I'm not a very people-oriented person."

"Why not? You're very pretty. People like pretty people. Is everyone here hideous?" Aurora asked, turned her attention to Cecilia just long enough to tilt her head in confusion.

Cecilia opened her mouth, paused for a moment, and closed it again, giving herself a slight shake. "Um. Thank you. And no, very few people here are hideous.." Physically, anyway.. "..I've just always tended to keep to myself. More of a book person than a people person." She shrugged helplessly.

Aurora nodded slowly, pretending to understand. "Ah. That is unfortunate." Hermits were no fun. She bet Cecilia didn't even dance; but then again, she always enjoyed a challenge. "And strange."

"People scared me," Cecilia explained with another shrug, lips quirking into a self-depricating smile. "So it was safer to just avoid them outright, you know? I'm a bit of a coward that way, but I seem to be getting over it, which I'm told is a good thing."

"Oh! So you're stupid. Like Paul! Not wonder you get along so well. Unless he's convinced you that he's less homosexual so you'll do his dirty work for him," Aurora chattered before gasping, clapping a hand over her mouth with wide eyes. "He didn't, did he? The last girl ran out crying. It was so depressing."

"Nah. He's been very honest about my lack of a chance due to our difference in plumbing, much to my everlasting woe," Cecilia replied wryly. If being called 'stupid like Paul' bothered her, she certainly didn't show it. At least it was good company.

Aurora sighed in relief, lowering her hand to reveal a smile. "Oh, good. He's silly sometimes but he really is the best person in the world. And I like you; I wouldn't want you to go away. Do you play video games?"

Cecilia grinned. "I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon, so don't worry about that," she mused, casting a thoughtful look towards the door. "I do play a little, though I'm not very good. Don't think I've had the right teacher yet."

"That's okay," Aurora replied serenely, pushing back her blankets to reveal another set of Paul's pyjamas. "I like to win."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," Cecilia grinned, shifting to get to her feet. "You can show me how it's done, and maybe I'll pick up some skill via osmosis."

Giggling, Aurora scampered into the next room where the television and game was held, peeking around the doorframe at her new companion to say, "It's sad to think that you're referring to the unconscious absorption process rather than the fluid exchanging so I won't. Come along," before ducking back again.

"You're the second woman I've met since coming here who has been disappointed about that," Cecilia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before she dutifully followed along behind. Try not to think about it, try not to think about it.. and try not to think about her meeting Domino, either. Yaiegh. "Um.. so what are we playing?"

"Race car," Aurora instructed. "I'm the red one."