11/30 Instance: Petrifying Paige

[Slarti]

Timelined right after Pink Cheer

<Jessica> Jess was sat in one of the common areas of the second floor of the now completed D-wing. It was quite pleasant up there and quiet, she curled up under a throw and watched the snow falling outside.

<Paige> It took Paige all of about fifteen minutes to track down and locate Jess. "Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessiekins!!!!!" She pounced, landing on the couch beside her. "Congratulations!!!!"

<Jessica> Jess yelped in surprise at the sudden noise and company, jumping almost all of the way out of her seat before she realised who it was. "Holy shit! Don't do that!"

<Paige> She waved her hand and giggled. "You owe me a quarter. Remind Sebastian he does too. Hi! I can't believe your good news!" She squished her... carefully.

<Shaw> In the Grey Gables building, Sebastian felt the flash of panic across their link and straightened from the box on the bed. That he could sense this across the grounds was testament to her shock, and that it ended just as quickly and he was too far from her to feel if she was okay caused him to bolt for the door.

<Jessica> "I... um... what?" She wasn't sure which part of that she was most confused about and she was still half out of her seat and holding the throw protectively around herself while she was hugged.

<Paige> "Now Sebastian said there was a rush, so I need to get your measurements so I can get started on the most beautiful wedding dress you've ever seen. What did you have in mind? Something flowy perhaps?" She let go of Jess to find her measuring tape.

<Jessica> Jess was now even more alarmed and she backed up until she hit the window, still hiding under the throw, "What? No... I don't know..."

<Paige> "Don't worry about that then. I'll draw up some sketches and get some samples." She waved her hand and found the tape. "Ahha!"

<Jessica> "I'm already worried..." She lifted into the air a little bit as there was no further horizontal retreat available.

<Paige> Paige gave her the most puzzled expression she possessed. "Worried about what?"

<Jessica> "I'm not sure about all... this..." she gestured vaguely to the tape and drifted a little higher.

<Paige> "And how else do you propose to get a wedding dress?" She asked her, still baffled. "David's Bridal?"

<Jessica> "Um... I thought I'd just.... buy one?" she gave a helpless shrug.

<Paige> Her puzzled look turned horrified. "No no no. That can't happen. Those dresses are overpriced and underqualityed... is that a word?"

<Shaw> Coatless and covered in snow, Sebastian rounded the landing on the last flight of stairs, his slick-bottomed dress shoes skidding slightly on the surface.

<Jessica> "Sebastian?" Jess' attention was caught by the noise and now she was even more confused, "Are you okay?"

<Shaw> "Are you?" He spotted her immediately, then the source of her distress... Paige. Sitting on a sofa. He halted sharply, running one hand through his hair and dislodging melting snow.

<Paige> "Cookie!" Paige was up and crossing the room, pouncing on him with a happy hug.

<Jessica> "I'm... fine..." she chewed her lip, lowering herself back onto the floor as Paige went after him instead.

<Shaw> "My, you work quickly, Paige." He had used telepathy to find Jessica, he couldn't guess what senses Paige had employed. The hug again knocked the air out of him and gave him a slight jolt of energy.

<Paige> "Now if you can get her down from the ceiling, I can measure her for her dress." She giggled and bounced back to the couch for her measuring tape.

<Jessica> And Jess retreated back upwards again, shaking her head slowly at Sebastian, eyes wide.

<Shaw> His head tilted curiously at Jessica's reaction. Are you certain you're alright?

<Jessica> She wants to measure me... Jess eyed the tape again.

<Shaw> ....and? Having stood for his fair share of fittings with tailors, he failed to see the problem. I hoped to warn you she... accosted me, but it appears I didn't have time.

<Jessica> And I don't know why? She's talking about making me a wedding dress but I don't remember being asked... She didn't know what she was supposed to say to make the excitable teacher calm down either.

<Shaw> She wanted to ask to make your dress... she wishes to help with the wedding. He wasn't sure now if he should have told her and gave Guthrie a small smile as he moved across the room to Jessica.

<Jessica> There was definitely no asking... and she seems offended by the idea of me buying one... She landed again, near to him, and slid her arms around him.

<Shaw> I'm certain she means no offense... she's excited. It seemed fairly obvious to him, although her enthusiasm was certainly far more unrestrained than... anyone's. "I'll get you wet, love." Sebastian kissed her forehead and tried to move back.

<Paige> Wet... that reminded Paige. She brushed the snow off of her.

<Jessica> "It's okay..." She waved a blanket covered hand at him. "You can have this if you want..."

<Shaw> "No, you can keep it." He stripped out of his sweater, buying himself some time to not deal with whatever this strange situation was.

<Jessica> "Okay..." She wrapped it back around herself and peered out at Paige.

<Paige> Paige shifted her weight impatiently. She needed to get started if she was going to get this done in time for their wedding. What was taking them so long? Sheeeeesh!

<Shaw> There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

<Paige> "Sooooo.... should I come back?" Paige asked, hopeful to get something done.

<Jessica> "Come back for what?" Jess glanced between her and Sebastian.

<Shaw> He sighed. "Perhaps that would be best," he said to Paige, tossing the sweater onto a chair and running both hands through his hair this time.

<Paige> "Oooohhhhhkay then. I'll just uh... draw up some sketches... and fabrics... and things..." What a weirdo couple. She shrugged and bounced toward the door. Hmmm maybe some lunch!

<Jessica> Jess turned her attention back to Sebastian once Paige had bounced out of sight, eyebrows raised.

<Shaw> One of his eyebrows rose in question.

<Jessica> "That was weird... and unexpected... and weird..."

<Shaw> "She's... excited." Somewhat warily he moved back over to her. "From your reaction, I thought you'd been assaulted. I felt it in our room."

<Jessica> "Sorry... she kind of jumped me... loudly... with surprise hugging... freaked me out..."

<Shaw> "Yes, that's clear. She startled me as well, but the woman is clearly harmless. That constant level of enthusiasm can't be healthy." Sebastian slid his arm around her blanketed shoulders.

<Jessica> She turned towards him and rested her forehead against him. "There's too much stuff to think about...."

<Shaw> "I believe," he started, lowering his head to rest on hers, "much like Cassandra, she just wants to be a part of things - to help you think about these sorts of things that frankly I will be more or less useless with." Thankfully.

<Jessica> "I know... and I am thinking... I just.... I'm not sure how to respond to someone that... full on... especially without warning."

<Shaw> "Well, as I said, I intended to give you fair warning, but she moved far more quickly than I expected - she left our room hardly twenty minutes ago." He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's actually most impressive."

<Jessica> Jess glanced out of the window at the snow and conceded that much with a nod. "I don't think she got the part where we want it to be a small thing..."

<Shaw> "I told her we were considering a small civil ceremony soon and perhaps something else later on." He watched her watching the snow, nuzzling into her hair.

<Jessica> "So... which one of those is she measuring me for?" she cuddled into him but kept her gaze on the snow outside.

<Shaw> "Both, perhaps?" He paused. "Her enthusiasm is a tad infectious, I'm afraid. I told her about the baby."

<Jessica> Jess winced a little, "So much for keeping that a secret from everyone else... whole school'll know soon."

<Shaw> "Well, I'm certain I can impress upon her that we'd like to keep it quiet for now."

<Jessica> "I don't know... might already be too late - she's fast." She wrinkled her nose, turning her attention away from the window at last. "And I'm kind of terrified she'll try to put me in a pink dress."

<Shaw> "I doubt that," he laughed. "She strikes me as too much of a traditionalist to ignore the custom of a white wedding dress."

<Jessica> "Well that's something.... but I still might end up looking like a meringue or something... she was talking about floral..."

<Shaw> "Well, I'm certain you would be a vision," he said, unable to stop himself from snickering.

<Jessica> Jess gave him a small shove, "Not funny!"

<Shaw> "I'm sorry, love, but perhaps you overreacted a tad." He let the shove jostle him and moved back in to hold her.

<Jessica> "Probably... but I do that a lot so that shouldn't be too much of a surprise." She pointed out, poking her tongue out at him playfully.

<Shaw> "This is true enough," he chuckled, stooping to nip at the tongue. "Well, perhaps to save you from further trauma, you can assist me with packing."

<Jessica> She laughed giving him a hug and folding him into the blanket at the same time. "I can do that, it'll go faster that way too."

<Shaw> "Indeed." The blanket closed around them both and he smiled, moving his attentions to her neck. "It will, but we can get back to it after a break... we are nicely isolated here, after all."

<Jessica> She giggled, tilting her head to expose more of her neck to him and nipping at his earlobe, "A break would be nice for you..."

<Shaw> "Mmm, and for you as well." His hands stroked up her back, pulling her tight against him.

[TechPrincess]