[OTA] Cramming

[itsybitsyrigby]

She had an English test tomorrow, and she was worried. At sixteen, what else was there to be worried about, really? She didn't have a girlfriend to be concerned with. Most of her friends were already in bed, or dealing with their respective significant others. But Karisa? Pff. Karisa was sitting at the bar inside MacKinnon's, feet swinging while she pored over textbooks and manuals and notes. She had goals, and that meant keeping her grades up. Even one bad test could be disastrous for her GPA.

But her Sprite was nearing empty and she'd need another round of fried batter crispies soon. And probably a break, but she might have to be forced to take one of those, even though she already had her head in her hands and a frown rather than her usual sunny grin.

Save her brain before it starts leaking out her ears please.

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[itsybitsyrigby]

With a snort, Karisa shrugged her shoulders. "There's someone in the Deck who'd get annoyed at anything anyone does. There are people who would be annoyed if I tried to talk to them, and just as many who would be annoyed if I ignored them." And that's why people teach their kids to choose their battles.

"It sounds fun, at least. The twirling, not setting myself on fire; that would probably put a damper on my day, no pun intended." She winked. "I'll give it a shot if you try it with me. I don't care whether or not you've already tried it; I just don't want to look ridiculous by myself."

[intotherough]

It was more that there was a certain establishment that catered to that sort of thing - and more general sorts - already. But it was quiet enough that Karisa wouldn't know about it.

"Pick it up, and we'll have to throw a parade, just so you can show off. Beats another ball, in my opinion."

[itsybitsyrigby]

Karisa wasn't interested in knowing about it, so that worked out just fine.

Still, his pushing for her to pick up this baton thing had her laughing, chin in her hands as she polished off the sad remnants of the fried batter bits. "I think you could rock a suit, Mr. MacKinnon. Balls suit you." Oops, teasing and innuendo. Oh well. Look how innocent her smile was.

[intotherough]

"To be certain," he said. He'd spent a good portion of his life in suits, as a plainsclothes detective sergeant - and then inspector - back in Scotland. "But that doesn't mean I want to. I'm one of those heathenish Diamonds who prefer jeans."

[itsybitsyrigby]

"Shame on you," she giggled. "The poor King and Queen must have aneurisms every time they see you in your filthy jeans." It was so much teasing, but still funny. "Maybe you should wear a suit to work one day. Just to do it, you know?" She'd like that. He'd look amazing in a suit, she was sure.

Might help him catch a pretty girl, at any rate.

[intotherough]

"Mostly the King, I expect," Ben said fairly blandly. Säde doesn't really seem to care what he wears - though he expects that, in part, was only because he's of fairly low rank - but Silas looked pained whenever Ben appeared in his casual clothes. It wasn't the jeans so much as the flannel, probably.

"Can you imagine what all I'd get on it? The beer, the alcohol, the incidents with potato skins." It'd be a right mess, is what it'd be. Besides that...

Ben didn't have much trouble catching girls, even dressed like the host of a home improvement show.

[itsybitsyrigby]

Flannel will set any fashionista off in seizures, so that might just be it. Still, she shook her head and put her chin in her hands, grinning at her boss, bartender, and...well, she'd call him a friend in her head, but leave that distinction to him out loud.

"Well, you don't have that problem if you're being the bar manager like you should be, instead of Average Joe Staff. You get that privilege as owner, you know." Not that she expected him to step away from the work. It seemed to her that he enjoyed being busy, so she'd let it go.

[intotherough]

It's a good thing, then, that Ben doesn't particularly care for the opinions of fashionistas - at least where his wardrobe's concerned.

"Mm," he said. "But there's not much fun standing pompously in the corner watching money roll in and scarin' the shit out of the staff." Also, he can't actually afford more than a cook and a very part-time waitress. He's barely in the black, and that's only because the constant earthquakes seem to be making everyone want to drink.

[itsybitsyrigby]

"I think, if anyone is afraid of you, they haven't actually met you." It might have been an insult to certain members of the Deck, but she was just being honest. He just wasn't an intimidating guy, and she couldn't imagine that seeing him looming in the corner would actually change that much at all.

"Come on, we can call it an exercise in fanciness. Or something like that, anyway."

[intotherough]

"Why are you so determined to get me into a suit?" He's just curious, honestly; his best friend might wear them all day long, but it's never entirely appealed to him.

He leans his elbows on the bar and raises his eyebrows. "Is it because I'm a Diamond and I'm letting the side down by not dressing to the nines?"

[itsybitsyrigby]

"That can be the official reason, if anyone asks, but. The real reason is that I'm just curious to see how you clean up. I have my suspicions that you'd look really nice, but I've never seen it, so I can't say for sure." Her face turns very serious for a moment. "What will it take, Mr. MacKinnon? Do I have to wear monochromatic neutrals one day?" Please don't make her do that. She would not be a very happy girl in black and white and gray. There's no fun in those colors.

Except when they're on men. Suits in monochromatic neutrals are just nice. "I won't tell anyone or even take pictures, I promise."

[intotherough]

"I think I prefer the real reason." Diamonds were all about being fashion plates about as much as Hearts were about dancing to the music in their heads and singing to flowers, after all. Some of them were, indeed. But not every single one of them.

"Well, I imagine I'll make my way to some sort of theatrical production this spring." The orchestra, or once the plays started again. He did like Shakespeare, as long as it wasn't the slanderous tripe called Macbeth. "And they might bar me from the door if I don't put on a tie."

[itsybitsyrigby]

Amused, she shrugged. "The real reason is as good as any reason, I think. It's an explanation, at any rate, which is far superior to no explanation at all." Of course, the debate over merit of truth as opposed to elegant, comforting lie was in constant flux, and she still wasn't sure which side would win that one.

"Let me know before you go so I can make sure I see it. Can we agree to that?" She even held her hand out expectantly. "If necessary, I'll tie your tie for you." She would rather see King Lear anyway.

[intotherough]

"I happen to know four different ways to tie a tie, Miss Rigby." School uniforms were sort of a requirement in the British isles, after all, even if you didn't go to a fancypants public school with the aristocrats. "So I think I'll be fine, but I do thank you for the thought."

He shrugs, then. "If nothing else, you can come take a picture of my formal kilt in April before I go force the King of Clubs into his."

[itsybitsyrigby]

"My apologies, then. You can tie your own tie like a grown man, and I won't interfere," she teased. "But my point stands. Suit. Tie. Theater. Can I hold you to it, Mr. MacKinnon?"

Of course, she'd be gladly taking pictures of everyone that day, as much as she was able. It would definitely be a Kodak-moment day. "I'll be there, I promise."

[intotherough]

"It sounds like it might be a date." Albeit an entirely platonic one, as he doesn't want to hear about cradle-robbing.

"You're a doll," he tells her. Possibly he might get Victor to smile, but that was a bit of a long-shot.

[itsybitsyrigby]

She grins broadly at that. "I'll be looking forward to it. In the meantime, may I have another Sprite?" Since he was behind the bar, and all. She pushed the little container for the batter bits off to the side; she'd throw it away herself when she bothered to get up.

"I do my best. It's going to be a gorgeous day, and I can't wait to see how everything looks." If she was lucky, maybe she could get Zoe to let her do the photos for the wedding. That would be nice, actually. Definitely something to look into, at any rate.

[intotherough]

Zoe probably hadn't thought of that but, well, the girl couldn't think of everything and Victor's general reaction to the wedding seemed to be a state of 'whatever you want.'

He pulls another Sprite for her and slides it across.

"'Twill be lovely, I'm sure, and I'm thinking Mrs. Fox might sleep for a week once it's done. She's been run off her feet with it."

[itsybitsyrigby]

She'd figure out how to bring it up, and do precisely that. It would be a glorious thing, and she would take great pride in it. Smiling as she sipped from her fresh Sprite, Karisa nodded.

"I'm thinking you might be right. Hopefully, she'll find time to do proper honeymoon things during that week, but mostly it'll be just relaxing. Poor girl." She could sympathize with overworking herself, at least. Weddings were foreign, but stress wasn't.