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There was really no reason why the pair should have ventured out of the dorms for any other reason other than Abbi bolted off and relentlessly shouted, and at turns pulled, Ripley to her intended path. Which was outside. Because, night air and stuff.
"I don.... I don't think... You never told me a secret!"
Abbi was... More than just a little tipsy. A drink and a half on an empty stomach hadn't been the best idea she'd ever had (not that she very often had many good ones), but the additional sneaking of that third drink as Ripley had led them out of the party had really been pretty swell. So maybe it had required her to make some lofty excuse about grabbing something from the snack table, and she really had, but it had also meant another round of that weird tasting punch thing. Now it left her feeling very warm, exceptionally fuzzy and somewhat energetic, her mind jumping happily from one subject to the next, much like how she was considering which drinks of the three she liked most. The fruitier the better, but she hadn't really had a lot of chances to peruse the drinks offered since she'd been pretty hasty in her attempts to get back to Mr. Suit. Which reminded her!

"I like this suit. Its very fancy." The teen ran around toward Ripley's front to once again walk backwards so she could face him. "And your hair is fancy too. I'm not really sure what you're supposed to be dressed as... But suits. A+. I approve. 10 of 10 would hire again." She gave him a thumbs up with a big grin before she took off toward the direction of the beach. Or what she thought was the right way...
"Let's go look at the stars on the beach! I bet its GREAT! I bet we even see a shooting one! What'll you wish for?" None of that was very properly sad, more slurred than she'd meant but certainly not what she'd necessarily noticed as being.

With a heavy sigh Abbi gave him an exasperated look accompanied with a motion meant to indicate that she was at her wit's end with him, but looked more like she was trying to wave a bug from her face.
"Yeah but ya gotta share your secrets with somebody. 'Sides!" A hand whipped forward to tap the side of her nose she disliked so much. "I think this is a heart event."
{ Abort. ABOORTTT STAHP }
Nope. There was no brakes on this bullet train.
"I AM NOT goin' to fall." The girl interjected between shuffles to the right and left and one final dip toward the ground before she leveled out. Triumphant in her success of not falling she stuck out her tongue at the man. So maybe it was kind of sad to see him absolutely refuse to help her, but Abbi was quick to cut that loss when it meant she got to see him smile.

Her own smile cracked easily, a laugh bubbling up a second later.
"Nah I didn't hire ya for anythin'... But you kinda hired yourself as like... My bodyguard? My "ride home"." Here she paused to make bunny ears with her fingers, stopping dead in her tracks to c**k a hip and give Ripley a very flat look. It didn't last long as she instead laughed and raced off. When she realized the beach was supposedly in the other direction she simply jogged her way back around and snatched at his arm when she was drawing closer.
"Man, this place is an ISLAND. Any way eventually leads to the beach but we'll just follow what The Suit says." That was a joke, but it felt more like word vomit.
Gosh, she couldn't stop what she was saying either as she mumbled another 'you're cute' as she linked her arm with his and tugged him off in the direction he seemed so intent on going. Everything felt warm, especially walking so close to him, but her center of gravity felt anchored in his direction so she didn't bother trying to fight it.

Another laughed left her as she tripped and used the man quite heavily to keep herself upright, a hand passing over her forehead in a quick gesture to indicate she was totally unbalanced.
"I mean like... Its only bad luck if you make a wish. And the uh... The person you tells makes a wish. But I don't so you should like... Totes tell me your wish." That was some serious word vomit going on, something she felt needed to be kept between herself and Viveca who wouldn't let matters in Abbi's mind lie still. Even now she kicked up a fuss over going to the beach and the company she kept, even trying to put blocks unsuccessfully over what her owner babbled.

The additional insistence of secrets only nets Ripley a very decided eye roll of lilac eyes (someone remembered to put their contacts in before they went to the party!) before Abbi let out a heavy sigh. Of course she was talking about something simple like if the carpets matched the drapes, or an embarrassing story from middle school, but she would happily accept something only spoken in whispers or who he was currently fond of here at Deus. Any of those would have been totally acceptable but all of that was (thankfully) not spoken aloud as she instead continued to smile at him. Maybe smiling would get her somewhere?
Realizing that she had been quiet for far too long ({ Oh Jackdamn its been maybe five seconds-- }) the girl piped up a squeaky, "I GOT LUCKY?" before a peal of laughter left her and she waved both her hands at him.
"I assure you, Sir Suit, my luck is THE WORST. Whatever luck I just had is probably goin' to run out like...... Now." Once more a sigh was given, this one a little wistful, before the teen perked back up, flailing a little to get her hoodie back in proper order with the hood right on her head and her pigtails carefully stuck out from either side of the opening.

{ DO NOT-- YOU CANNA TELL HIM WHAT A HEART EVENT IS-- }
"So like--"
{ Abigail Lutece Killian-- I swear to the seven hells that ah'll-- }
"Wow Vivi knows my middle name but you don't woooow such secret!"
{ AH'LL MURDER YA-- }
"Community involvement? Really?" This time the sigh was hard enough to blow her bangs up off her forehead. If she hadn't stopped before, she did now, casting pitiful eyes up at the man and tugging lightly on the sleeve of his suit. Which she hadn't ever really interacted with. His, of course. Or well, any suit for that matter. The feeling of spewing all the words in her vocabulary to explain her interaction with suits was strong, but the distinct feeling of her very intense buzz being killed was stronger.
"Look brah. I am not community involvement. I'm not like... Even much involved with the community... You may have volunteered for this... But like... I'm totally... Capable of....Of..." What was she trying to say? The teen blinked at Ripley and huffed a sigh. "I'm an adult."
That was such a lie she couldn't even look at him long enough to properly deliver the line so instead she looked out away from him toward the path ahead of them. By this time Ripley had stopped walking so the girl paused too, looking down at her feet for a moment, swaying lightly from side to side.
"If you don't want to hang out with me... I'd rather you tell me now. I mean like... Finn and Jack are honest enough to tell me they don't like me enough to like... Not hang out with me." That was unfair and again Abbi sighed, tugging on Ripley's arm. Her fingertips smoothed down what wrinkles she could against his elbow, eyes trained on the spot and the feel of his jacket.
"OK that's like... Ok like... I mean Finn never said he didn't want to hang out with me but I'm pretty sure he would tell me to scram if he wanted. So I guess what I'm tryin' to say is like if you don't want to hang out with me or like whatever.... That you shouldn't."

Suddenly very quiet she let go of his elbow, wobbling a little before she moved five paces away from him, one hand tugging on one side of her hoodie. Everything else he said about the Island was ignored in favor of continuing her silence, which felt very difficult now that she was actively trying for it.
"It was only two-and-a-half drinks..." Abbi finally voiced, this time looking down at her feet, both hands anchored to the bottom of her skirt. That not all there, mildly floating feeling had risen up despite the sinking of her stomach.
"So if you really want to wish on a star for that.. Then like... I-D-K..." The additional voice in her brain was saying to shut up, to please for the love of all things spooky stop, but Abbi hated spooky things. Maybe that was why she had drunk so much tonight.
"I don't make wishes. Not anymore. So if that's your wish you should pick a better one. Like you find more hair dye or that a cute girl catches your eye or that your suit looks really amazing wait..." That last thought wasn't finished and then teen settled on pursing her lips and concentrating on her shoes since things were getting really, really fuzzy now.

Maybe all this would have been easier to take if he hadn't continued to stare at her with a gaze she had seen warm but now lacked any emotion. Limbs that normally gave her no trouble now began to feel heavier and clunky, her hands slipping off her skirt to splay out in the air around her thighs in attempt to keep her balance. Viveca was saying something about staying upright and Abbi went pigeon toed in attempt to obey her weapon.
"If I was forty I would be married... Maybe. Probably not, I'm not really lucky you see..." That was a stupid thing to say and she took in a deep breath. A squeaky "Look, I--" was all she got out before he spoke again. For whatever reason his words were worse than she expected and she flinched hard, taking a fumbling step back from him. Her ankle gave out on her and she stumbled to one side, a small noise escaping her before she caught her balance and refused to look at him.
Even being outside in the evening air didn't fix the suddenly too warm feeling or the sudden hurt she felt. That was confusing her more than it should and even Viveca's strong voice was being turned into white noise in Abbi's head. She knew she should say something to him but all she could think was surely not right. Too bad her filter was completely removed tonight.
"You're... Nice. You're like... A gentleman... So even if I don't particularly matter you're... Goin' to escort me to my room and that'll be that."

His eyes on her felt too much, especially when he came closer and all his attempts at smoothing over his coldness from before only made her feel worse. The hover hand wasn't the commitment she wanted so she side stepped out of his perimeter, though once she was out of it she wished she hadn't.
"Nah I like it outside... I couldn't... like... Hang outside at night back home. Shadows, yanno?" She mumbled to him with a sigh, realizing only now that the warm feeling was slowly being replaced with a disappointed chill. Wasn't drinking supposed to fix problems, not put a magnifying glass on them?
"And you should wish for somethin' better. Look! I won't even ask what it is this time!" Though she had walked away from him and hadn't stopped the forward motion, her trajectory was totally off so that instead of walking away she had only walked a large circle around the man. Now that she realized it she stopped, swayed a bit for a moment and looked at him. She was hurt and it was his fault... What had she wanted to say about that again?

With a huffy sigh the teen stuck her arms out into the air on either side of her and flapped them for a second before she rose on tip toe to make a lazy spin.
"Sooooo... You don't drink?" No, really, she had wanted to say something to him what had it been? "Or are you like... Used to being the DD?" She'd watched movies! She knew what those were!
"Did you and Toto not uh... Knock a few back? Is that what they say? I'm terrible at lingo... Unless its like... Yanno.. Internet stuff." The world felt swimmy, but Viveca did her best to remind the teen that it was her and her movements, her head swaying from side to side and up and down in odd figure eights.
"Gosh doesn't this feel like babysittin'? Man I'm such a bummer." It was his fault, he'd made her feel this bad and sad and hurt and like she wanted to cry.

"Probably not. The Suit speaks in riddles." She replied in her most mystic voice, a hand fluttering through the air. Her own words reminded her of Alice in Wonderland and she almost began to recite the poem about the crocodile and the golden waters of the Nile. Or the one about the teacup and the bat? Or maybe she shouldn't recite any at all, Ripley probably would not appreciate an impromptu poetry reading.
But these new words cut through her foggy melancholy enough that she turns to look at him, unable to focus on him for a second.
"So I... Do... Particularly matter?"
The crash of a wave sounds and the teen blinks first at the man that now has her by the elbow before she turns to try to spy the waters through the darkness. All she could glean was choppy noise, a splash here and there and perhaps the faint hint of giggling. Yeesh, that wasn't good. Maybe she didn't want to be on the beach after all...

"But not tonight?" Abbi posed to him as she padded along, glad for the arm to keep her steady. Navigating sand was way harder than it usually was, especially with how heavy she felt. Man if she could just sit down that would be nice...
"Oh. Oooohhhhh. Hey! You told me something about yourself, that's so cool!" But its something he says that catches her attention. It takes her a second to figure it out, though she feels she is usually faster on the draw than this, but eventually she sputters out an odd, "You said 'states'..." A slow blink of violet eyes in his direction. "Do y'mean like... Somewhere else its legal to drink at twenty?" In the morning she would regret that phrasing because wow that was dumb.

The analogy makes her laugh softly, the first one she feels she's made since they left the party. Oh yeah, maybe she felt so down because she hadn't wanted to come to the party. And she hadn't ever found out why Finn had mentioned Ripley in the text her sent her.
"Are there even DVD players here? I haven't watched a single movie since I got here and I am dying to just ugh... Let my brain melt for two hours." She laughed again and followed his gaze toward the rocks. "I promise not to throw a tantrum. Viveca is threatening me not to so I won't. And... 'Cause I don't want to make you mad again." Seeing him angry was awful, she hated it.

As for climbing, the teen puffed out her cheeks as she looked at the rocks. Rationally, no. She could not climb right now. Irrationally... Nah forget it.
"I am sorry Ripley and Suit. I... I can't do it. As Viveca would say, "I canna climb"... She never said that. She just says "cannot" as "canna" its so weird I think she's Scottish maybe?" Not sure what else to do Abbi flapped her arms again and pulled the hoodie back onto her head as it had been slipping previously.
"Do you really think my hoodie is cute? Did Finn tell you there was a party going on? He sent me a text about it... What are you dressed as again? Did he tell you I was going to be there?!" All very important things.

Just drunk, yup that was the perfect way to describe it.
Normally the girl might have wished it were lighter for her to see Ripley's face when he told her she mattered, but she was young. She understood the importance of the dark when it came to confessions. They felt bigger without the light to play off eyebrows and sides of noses, they felt easier without the glint of sun or lightbulb glow on hair. Maybe she was erroneously thinking this was a confession of sorts for she flushed when he got quieter, looking down at her feet again. The sand swayed gently in her vision in time with her own body's movements, but she smiled. She mattered to someone important.
"Thank you." Was all she replied in her own low voice, sounding more genuine that way.

It might be dark but it wasn't dark enough to keep the girl from sticking herself right under the man to poke at his chest, turning a too happy attempt at a pout up at him.
"You've told me hardly anything about yourself! Like... Where you're from! Or y-your hair color and the drapes! I haven't forgotten about the carpet! What about um... Your favorite school subject or your favorite movie or um..." She was starting to sway dangerously again and felt it perfectly acceptable to use Ripley as an anchor, splaying her hand out against the chest she had previously been poking.
"And what foods you like or if you're allergic to anything... What about... The best vacation you ever had? Or the worst? Like... There's so much!" And naturally she wanted to know it all.
"Why does the drinking age in Canada matter oh my god Ripley Bryce Crowell are you Canadian oh my god."
Give her two seconds, her mind was blown... For whatever reason.

"Um... Iiiiii waaaaaaant...." She couldn't think and instead just leaned forward to clunk her head against his chest. This was a good chest. She might have said that out loud.
"Um... Wow this suit is super nice. Such suit. Much swank. Wow." AH! Thinking! Did she want to climb? Could she climb? Wait he offered help... "I want your help!" She finally half-shouted, going upright along with a stick of one finger into the air. With that settled she flushed again at his compliment, but it disappeared a second later.
"N-n-n-ooooo he just s-said that I should c-come!" Of course Finn hadn't mentioned Abbi to Ripley, of course he hadn't! That had been stupid to think he had, to even hope that it had been a reason for the man to want to join the party. Either it was the sand or her stomach, but either way Abbi felt herself sinking a little.

Mildly shocked, she looked up at him with wide eyes.
"You're right! I haven't! Bu-but does that mean you wanna know that stuff too?" It was so strange, but she just kept feeling more and more woozy. Was this how alcohol worked? (Yes, a far away part of her called out. Yes! You know about metabolic rate and-- The voice disappeared in favor of really speaking) "If I tell you, you gotta tell me too ok?!" She laughed because he was laughing, wobbling a little before him.
"Ok um... I can't remember all my questions... I'm from Connecticut! Little tiny town with lots of sidewalks to walk on. I walked home from school a lot, unless it got too cold. The leaves were really pretty in the fall! Um and uh... My favorite school subject wassss... Well like... I liked science a lot but not everything about it? Literature was good but I hated art and P.E. Go figure." She laughs again and is about to continue on when she finds it more appropriate to gasp dramatically.

Both hands shot up into the air to wave frantically at him before they lightly tapped at his chest because it was a good chest ok.
"No no no nononononononoooooo no I didn't want to use it just then but I was excited because wow Canada that's so cool eh! No no no don't count it against me! Pleeease!? I'll tell you my middle name if it means I get to have another chance to use yours! Please Ripley? PLEASE?!" The small, frustrated voice of reason in her head tried to remind her that name usage was not a thing she had to barter for, it was free knowledge now and she could do with it as she pleased. But Abbi was far too excitable for her own good, especially compromised with drink, and instead folded her hands under her chin to give the man her biggest puppy dog eyes.

"I am a great liar even Nevada said I had a great poker face!" No, Nevada had said it sarcastically but drunken Abbi didn't care. Drunken Abbi was stuck on-- "Wh-what." He was going to touch her waist. Totally unprompted.
"And then get on the rock ok." Those were easy enough directions to follow!
And then they weren't because asdhfds';gjhkf;l',l;afsdgkl;'asdgkl;'agdsfd he was touching her waist. Suddenly too warm she stood there, stock still and trying very hard not to sway but he was touching her he had said she mattered to him and he was touching her asdgfdshl;kg
"I-I really l-like strawberries and I'm allergic to p-peaches but just the skin and I'm o-ok with peach flavored stuff and the b-best vacation I e-ever went to was when we went to Florida when I was f-fifteen but that was a-also the worst b-because my s-step-brother u-um stole my b-bathing suit top a-and I cried and did I already say I like strawberries?"
The only way to combat asdglf;hdksg he's touching me was with word vomit. Good job Abbi. You did it.

"I didn't demand anything!" Abbi spouted in a tone that sounded more hurt than she felt. When she turned around to pout at him, Ripley was smiling and she felt woozy so she smiled too. It wasn't fair that his hair was all slicked back and his suit was all suity and staring at her and that she was in some stupid teddy bear hoodie. That had not been a good choice. Maybe next year she would take Fini's advice and totally be a sexy nurse. Yeah. Definitely.
"So you're gonna tell me stuff now too, right?" It was only fair, after all.

The grace Ripley lent her upon promise of another use of his name seemed more like a holy blessing than some silly game to play. The girl sighed with relief, crossing her hoodie covered hands over her heart in reverence along with a solemn bow of her head. This was all a lot of fun to play at, as evidenced by the smile that she could not wipe from her mouth, but it was also such an over the top game because she was about to reveal one of her secrets. Which felt important enough in her drink addled mind to speak aloud.
"This is one of my closely guarded secrets. Mostly because my middle name is kinda dumb... But you have to promise only to use it on a really, really, really special occasion like I don't even know but special ok." To seal the deal, she offered him one pinkie that barely stuck out over the sleeve.
Once that was done, the teen looked from one side of them to the other, scouting the beach from anyone who might hear her name and use it to spread blasphemous rumors about her. One could never be too careful!
Certain that no one was nearby, Abbi leaned very close to Ripley and whispered, "My full name is.... Abigail Lutece Killian."

It was the additional force of his grip that made her finally stop talking, her words cut off mid sentence as she squeaked. Man, that was some grip. Wowza.
Though it was strange and dizzying, she was lifted into the air (that was some strength! WOWZA.) and toward the rocks. Shaking her sleeves to free her hands, Abbi reached out for the closest solid surface and latched on, her feet sliding through free air for a scary second before she found a foothold. It wasn't far up, but she was also really drunk at this point so she wobbled to one side before she hauled herself up and onto the rock face. Sure, she could have climbed a little more but it felt so high!
"Um um um this is um good enough? Or did you want like, higher?" With a twist she sat down, hands pushing down her skirt, the paranoia that he might have looked suddenly rising.
If he wanted her to climb higher, he was going to have to come up here first. And now that she was up here, she felt like she might fall off. That necessitated a tiny whine and some grabby hands in Ripley's direction.