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"Uhhhh Finn had just been shot multiple times for refusing to sign..." Abbi pointed out in a flat voice, eyebrows going down to show her disdain for the subject. "No one was saying 'no' to Mr. Caelius anymore... I don't care what I signed, as long as he doesn't burn my eyes out..." Sure, Viveca was helpful to fill in the details of what other terrible things could happen to her because of her name on a piece of paper, but well, Abbi just cannot bring herself to care at the moment.
This day has stretched her out thin and small, her emotions nearly transparent because she just couldn't try anymore. Everything had been so trying, the whole games too much to take in in just one day so that she would need a few days on her own to get it all sorted. All of this didn't feel like life, it felt odd and fantastical in a terrible way, scary and ill fitting. The people Abbi met were worth the fight, but the outcomes of fighting did not match up...
"I mean I'm not super new... I got my.... Learner's permit!" Because just taking a test about road signs totally meant she was an adult.

As for being an adult, she pulled back both hands to shoulder level to clench in mid-air with a determined look.
"I'll learn and be really careful and be an awesome adult! Just you watch! I'll be like super careful and super responsible an-and super... Adult-like!" Just in nine months, was all... Not that she was counting or anything. Being this young felt kind of fun, especially when everyone always seemed to look so surprised she'd been accepted into Deus so young. Graduating young had its advantages, but at the same time, there felt something more to the way he told her to be careful, as though it were a warning for everything, as though he were included in that list.
Whatever warning the weapon gave was shushed as Abbi tried to think this through, hitting a mental brick wall she didn't know how to get around.

Naturally, that meant she just dodged it entirely in favor of other topics.
"I mean like, if you wanna read to me you can!" Holding his hand, especially without the gloves, was nice and Abbi gave his hand a light squeeze. "What book is it?" That was naturally very important.
As for his not being a ninja, the teen immediately went all puppyish and syrupy, bringing their joined hands up to rest against her collarbone in an attempt to plead with him.
"Awwww Ripley c'mon! Being a ninja is fun! Have you ever BEEN a ninja?!" How could he just deny something like that?!

So maybe it was only the learner's permit she'd acquired and not the actual driver's license, but he was smiling so it meant he didn't have to know. That smile, even if it was at her expense, was something Abbi was more than happy to work for, even if she wasn't quite sure as to why and certainly wasn't very keen on exploring the reasons behind it.
The reassurance he gives is nice, but the teen cannot help but doubt it. She blinks a few times and tries to smile for him, to pretend that she accepts his praise and believes it, but she still has so much practicing to do that what she gives is hardly convincing. But she is growing accustomed to trying, even if the attempts are poor at best and absolutely unconvincing at worst.
"I'll do my best!" She finally conceded in a lilting, hopeful with an edge of practicality tone.

The book sparks her interest in a strange way and Abbi pauses to take on a serious face, folding her arms for a moment to consider it.
"I haven't really read up on anything related to Halloween! I keep expecting someone to tell me its a joke... But if its not... Can I take some notes?" In an effort to show her seriousness over the matter she darted off toward her desk, a relatively messy place scattered with books and loose pieces of paper scribbled all over that required she move things around before she produced another black moleskine she was eager to show Ripley. It had been titled in a specific, left slanted hand 'Notes on the Enemy' in silver sharpie. When she sidles up next to him and cracks open the notebook, its empty and instead of saying anything, Abbi shrugs and wiggles the thing at him before she tosses it over onto the bed. Its not important, its her own wants that are secondary to what she had committed herself to, and that's protecting people. At the moment she's doing an absolutely wretched job of it, but at least she's getting a good example of what her job is supposed to look like.

"B-but! Ripley Ninja! Ripley Ninja is like best ninja!" Even if she hadn't ever seen him be a ninja, Abbi is quite sure he is best ninja. Mostly because it is Ripley and to her, he is best at everything so it is without a doubt obvious that he would best ninja.
Since of course she could not really argue with him, the girl is diligent to be the best ninja just as an example for him, even if it means she gets a little confused over the difference between a ninja and a spy, for the moment they get close to the cafeteria, Abbi joins her upright pointer fingers together under her chin in a dramatic show as she snuck around for food. There was not an often opportunity she wanted to be seen, but she was quite obvious, and happy, in her attempts to be sneaky to the point of being seen as she theme song'd her way to getting food and then back to Ripley, her own tray piled with food in her hands. Partially it was because she wanted to make sure his comfort blanket was the fluffiest of blankets, but also because it meant she could stash the additional bits in her room so she didn't have to leave for the next few days.

"That's Ninja Abbi, to you Mister." She chirped as she skipped into the room, her own tray in hand before she scrambled over and onto her bed, quick to set the tray down so she could arrange the numerous pillows so that there was en equal share for herself and for what she was deeming his side of the bed.

"Reality is stranger than fiction, I guess." She shrugged and tried to let it go, because continuing to erroneously believe it was just demons would not get her very far. On the bright side, if strange side of bright, it did at least mean there was lots of learn. Intellectual curiosity was something Abbi had been missing since her arrival at Deus as there wasn't access to YouTube so she could watch about the latest science discoveries and she didn't often get a chance to bother Jack in the Life Labs. Not that he might have provided much for her anyways...
Once she was done ninjaing in the cafeteria itself, the teen giggled her way back alongside Ripley, nudging him with her shoulder when he looked too serious. She laughs bright and sudden when he complies with her name, though the noise is quickly cut off. She should not feel so happy after the terrors of the day, but she needs something to cling to and the man is offering his hand so sweetly she can't help herself.

With a penchant for pillows, Abbi has enough to spare and is happy to push half to Ripley's side, arranging them just so before she crawled atop and began to nibble on a roll. Blue eyes watch him over the curve of her bread, smiling when he sits and swallowing to answer his suggestion.
"What a recurring thing? Note sharing with lunch or the whole... Yanno... Bad things happen so let Abbi cry about them?" Because she didn't really want that to become a recurring thing.
But the idea of a couch has her considering it heavily, tapping one finger against the bread. Where would she find a couch and how would she get it in her room?
"Are you a couch guy along with a food guy?" Wow, she was just learning all his little quirks today how fun!

A finger tapped against her roll once more before Abbi split it in two.
"Oh." She replied softly before she popped one half into her mouth in a literal way of shutting herself up. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask in regards to that, but for a long while she simply turned the back of her hand against her mouth. Once the bite was swallowed and she had to open her mouth again for the second half, words spilled out instead.
"Is this a habit of yours?" Good glob that sounded dumb. "Comforting people after stressful events?" Maybe it wasn't a habit so much as a learned trait, since he had been a funeral director and all. The girl couldn't remember anyone comforting her after the one funeral she'd really needed it, but there had been so many faces and hugs that they had become disorienting and scary rather than sweet.

The bread had been quickly finished and, favoring food she had to eat with her hands, the girl picked up a banana that she ate in broken segments.
"That's... That's good though." She began, finishing the fruit quickly before she spoke again. "The negative energy thing, not the uh... Crumbs in my bed thing... I'll um... Change my sheets before I go to bed." This makes her smile for whatever reason and she busies herself with poking at what's left on her tray, not noticing his gaZE. Similar to her eyes, she's not hiding her scars, though her socks do reach her knees, they don't cover the long puckered streaks that were there first, or all the strange, webbed portion of scars that are more recent from their trip to the Sahara. But maybe Abbi can tell he's looking because her own eyes dart momentarily to his neck.
But they move quickly to her tray and she picks up one last thing to nibble on, finishing it in short order and not wanting to really eat anything else. She feels drained now, confused and sleepy and happy and worried and still mildly frightened.

A laugh punctuates the silence after his words, the teen having not noticed they hadn't spoken for a few minutes until Ripley breaks the spell. Busy sitting there staring at the floor, she looks over at him to see him lean across her toward the book.
Abbi knows that's what he's after, but she can't help herself.
Both arms shoot out and wrap around him, one around his neck and the other tossed between his arms so that she can once more bury her face against him, aiming for his chest and finding the crook of his shoulder instead.
"You're really nice. And you smell good." asdg;adsgfd; that's stupid and she knows it, but she doesn't let go and hopes he doesn't mind. Trying her best to be subtle about it, she does breath in an attempt to commit his smell to memory, even if realizing what she's doing makes her turn bright red.

"People pretend died." Maybe that was why he was doing such an excellent job of making her feel better. Naturally she felt terribly guilty for feeling better, having resolved on her run back to her room earlier that day that she would feel rotten for at least a week given the bad things she'd done. But here she was, sitting with Ripley and feeling marginally better. It was... Confusing. As were all the other things he was making her feel that day. #superduperunfair
"Oh! Good! See! I'm super responsible!" She clenched her hands together with a grin and quickly dropped them a second later, eyes trying to spy any crumbs to decide if he was lying or being genuine in his praise.

Surprised at herself, Abbi keeps clinging, feeling her face grow warmer by the second, her heart beating hard enough she's sure he can feel it. But she keeps her head down, her reply muffled by his shirt and him.
"You keep sayin' that and I keep proving you wrong." What was he then, if he was here with her? Keeping her together and dispensing limitless advice to end her tears? But her voice is just as soft as his, though more tender because she doesn't want to sound like she's trying to pick a fight. That is the last thing she wants today, not after what she's been through and seen and done, but the ride doesn't seem to be over yet for he begins to move.
Its subtle at first, but he's stronger than her and she's not fighting him. Careful to follow his lead, the teen shuffles herself until he goes still and she realizes that she is in his lap. This place feels warm, and safe, and sweet and she immediately likes it.
The inside of her head becomes a fuzzy place, half full of her own keyboard smashing and half silence from Viveca who watches the scene with keen, ghostly eyes. She is curious while Abbi is all the more confused. Her head is still down, but she peeks up when he says her name.

"Y-yeah, R-ripley?" Somehow she sounds genuinely interested, glazing over her own awkwardness to notice his. She knows what comes next. He'll tell her she's a good friend, that she's like a little sister to him, that he'll protect her yadda yadda yadda until the lines are drawn clearly. Abbi expects this, but she still finds herself wishing, she still finds her eyes blinking widely, she still discovers butterflies winging through her, ready to pounce at any moment in graceful, nervous formation.

There seemed just enough time to begin to doubt herself as everything slowed down except her heart which seemed perfectly content to hurry the moment right along as though it could just wing its way out of her chest and be done with them both. Thankfully its stuck there, doing countless flipflops and beginning to question its headmate over all this. But the ever present voice in Abbi's head has gone willingly silent, shushed herself up and in a strange turn from earlier today, the teen doesn't mind the silence. After all, its not quiet here with her own thoughts that are starting to short circuit and the sound of her racing heart in her ears and that particular gold color that is looking at her through lenses and not saying anything but still seeming to have a voice that speaks sweetly to her. Maybe its the color of his eyes that catch her attention and betray her usual need to hide from things that frighten her, even if they are scary in a nice way like this is.
But her question hangs in the air, her eyes rising to peer at his and then a bloom of warmth on her chin tilts her gaze all the more north until she realizes this is the moment she should close her eyes.

Except she doesn't. She feels she can't, not when he's looking at her like that and his finger is curled around her chin because if she closes her eyes, she'll miss something. She might miss when he explains why he's doing this, how he could possibly have been the one to pull her into his lap and hold her close like the couples in the movies do. Its imperative not to miss when he unfolds for her exactly why he came searching for her and why its her he's choosing this moment with. None of it makes sense in Abbi's head, but everything in her mind goes quiet when he speaks again.
"I--" Is about all she tries for before she closes her mouth and her eyes, the best way she can hide from something she really wants.
Somehow her heart manages to kick even more forcefully in her chest, the surprise of this along with what is honestly happening to her causing her hands to curl gently into the front of Ripley's shirt.
I didn't think I had enough affection points for this heart event yet... She finds herself thinking, but she doesn't mind the skip in game time, content to lean forward into him just to burn this moment more fully into her mind. Its beyond perfect, the most wonderful moment and she couldn't have planned it better, even if she had tried.

After leaning forward, Abbi expects for this to end, that this will just be a one time thing like the only other kiss she's ever known to be. Just a quick union then nothing else. But, as she has been since the moment Ripley found her in the hallway, she is surprised to find this not to be the case. A second press of his mouth comes about the same time as his fingers brush her cheek and she gasps, startled and flushing and perhaps prepared to move away when she is instead anchored by the hand in her hair.
That gets her more than anything else, strangely enough, and she happily hands herself over to him. Since he has taken the initiative, it gives the girl the luxury of figuring this out (since this is brand new territory), her own return affection a slow mimic of his. Not sure what to do with her hands, one stays curled in his shirt while the other starts an upward path up to his shoulder only to chicken out before she reaches the curve to dart back down to where it feels safer.
There is no counting for Abbi, just experiencing and concentration on what's going on. She feels so small and tiny wrapped up in his arms, warm all over and happy. That's what she hasn't quite figured out yet, because she's far too busy actually kissing someone she really likes, but its there, waiting patiently to be recognized.

Her own eyes do no open until she realizes the warmth of him has vacated, the teen's eyes fluttering softly as though waking from a long sleep. Now she realizes their backward descent, her hands turning vicelike in his shirt, afraid he might just drop her back onto the bed at any moment.
"I-I can't breath--" She blurts out, taking a deep breath as she hangs there, not sure if she wants to be set down or pulled back up. What she does know, however, is that he's looking at her expectantly.
"Do y-you always comfort people l-like that-- Cause w-wow-- That was-- Wow--"
Finally Viveca steps back up, prodding her headmate gently to shut up, which Abbi is quick to follow, her lower lip pulled between her teeth half in nervousness and half to prolong the sensation of his mouth on her's.