round 4 day 4, afternoon

[bitofafiction]

Characters: Theta Buckley and Sherry Holmes
Format: prose
This log is: closed
Location: let's start with the gym
Summary: Sherry and Theta investigate the unknowns of her new Ability ring.
Warnings: none at time of posting ...kind of kinky flirting? Also identity issues. And then REALLY kinky flirting.

Originally they were headed to the library, but Sherlock agrees that the gym makes a much more logical destination given the circumstances.

He follows Theta there, hands tucked in his pockets, thinking.

Comments

[bitofafiction]

"If that is how you think of it, then yes."

[ergaleomancer]

Suddenly, it felt like she was turning something down. She took another deep, nervous breath, trying to get her bearings and carry herself boldly. "Why? How else would you take it? You had something else in mind, didn't you?"

[bitofafiction]

"I try not to theorize in advance of my data, but it seems as though we are becoming fond of one another."

[ergaleomancer]

Her expression cleared for a moment--acceptance, agreement, and...crushing sadness. She hung her head. "Female ergaleomancers lose their status if they court anyone. I...think your theory is most apt, but..."

[bitofafiction]

He looks down at his hands.

"I don't believe either of us will be seeing home anytime soon."

[ergaleomancer]

She thought on that for several long moments before she did anything. When she did move, her movements were slow, careful, and deliberately trying to hide her nerves. She reached over, trying to take one of his hands in hers.

"I am...growing quite fond of you quite quickly."

[bitofafiction]

Sherlock lets her take his hand, lightly intertwining their fingers.

"I am growing similarly fond," he admits.

[ergaleomancer]

"It's...a strange hobby we have in common... What do you think of it?" she asked. Hopefully he knew what was going on, she certainly had no idea what had possessed her. Though she knew she'd do it again if she had opportunity.

[bitofafiction]

"Not so strange as all that. I've read books about it," he says serenely.

[ergaleomancer]

"Other people do such things...?" she asked, partially incredulous about the whole thing. "I still don't even know what possessed me..."

[bitofafiction]

"They do it, they write books about it, they have constructed an entire subculture on the strength of it. It's lovely."

[ergaleomancer]

A faint blush rises to her cheeks again, and she moves to stand. "Then we need to go to the library. Now."

[bitofafiction]

"By all means," he says, following.

[ergaleomancer]

Her limp is more exaggerated when she's trying to walk quickly, but right now she doesn't care. She'd rather get there fast, and she even hurries forward to open the door for him when they get there.

[bitofafiction]

He blushes a little as he steps through it.

[ergaleomancer]

She follows him in, then heads for a table. "Go fetch me some of these books and bring them here~."

[bitofafiction]

"Of course," he says agreeably, laughing as he heads for the shelves.

[ergaleomancer]

She waits, trying to convince herself that she's not nervous. What kind of books will he bring?

[bitofafiction]

Quite a lot of them, in the end, tending toward analysis and always written by insiders. Sherlock does not believe in learning about anything from people who do not understand it themselves.

[ergaleomancer]

Theta cheerily digs into the books, and can easily lose hours just reading and absorbing the information, occasionally bothering Sherlock to share a passage from what she's reading and discuss it. For the moment, at least, her discussion is purely hypothetical, not in terms of their interactions.

[bitofafiction]

The realm of the hypothetical is a comfortable one for Sherlock. He is quite content to stay there.

Around sundown, however, he glances out the window and shuts the book on the table in front of him.

[ergaleomancer]

Theta looks up when she hears the book shut, and she smiles curiously. "Had enough for the day~?"

[bitofafiction]

"The library will still be here tomorrow. There's no rush."

[ergaleomancer]

"True, true. This has been amazing...I never would have thought there were such things in the world," she said, smiling softly for him.

[bitofafiction]

He smiles back.

"The world contains all kinds of things we never expect it to. Sometimes I rather think that is what it is for."