Welcome to Gaia! ::

After delivering her present to Sylvia, Beth made her way to the Zeus Dorm to track down Brian. It occurred to her that maybe she should have sought him out first, rather than making the journey back toward her own dorm. But her quest was mostly fueled by opportunistic desperation. As she walked into the dorm, she gave it an appreciative once over. It was like the Hera dorm in mirrored, masculine form. There was something to be said about sticking to the classics. But something about being in there made her uneasy. She determinedly stalked the halls, trying to find the room that Brian made his home in.

She had been walking for a few minutes before she remembered that she had his number in her phone. So she pulled out hers and quickly shot him a text.

Beth's arrival was probably sooner than Brian anticipated, as she had been wandering around the dorm building searching for him. Her arm was just beginning to ache under its burden. Perhaps she should have gotten a bag for all the bags. Or maybe see about borrowing a wagon. She giggled to herself at the mental image of her pulling a Radio Flyer behind her, laden with presents. What a childish Santa Claus she would have made! But in the end, it was mere fancy, like most in her life.

In the end, it was just her, her ill-planned scheme to deliver presents all across the Prytaneum, and the single day she'd given herself to accomplish it.

She finally found Brian's room--according to the text--and knocked lightly on it. As she waited, she idly wondered if she should set the four bags down next to her to give her arm a break. Individually, they weren't heavy--in fact, two were barely larger than a wallet might be. But she had been walking around for a bit, and hadn't moved them along her arm, a wonderful recipe for putting her arm to sleep. At least she'd been working them out, what with choosing a whip and everything.

She had enough dexterity to follow up his response.

Beth was just pressing the send button as Brian opened the door. Her features lit up. "Thanks! I think I'm good. Just need to set some stuff down for a few." She lugged everything in with her and did just that, pulling one of the wallet-sized bags from the group and holding it out to him. It was dark blue with golden starbursts and a spray gray tissue emanated from the top. "Merry Christmas!" She chirped, holding it out to him.

Beth exchanged bags with Brian's wrapped box, grinning as she more or less flopped into a seat at the foot of the bed, bouncing slightly with the small ripples her movement caused. Her arms were wrapped around the gift so it didn't fall, but she watched him with some interest. She preferred to take turns opening gifts and so gently nudged him with, "You first!"

Beth couldn't help wringing her hands. While she prided herself on giving thoughtful gifts, she confessed herself at a loss when faced with her companion Chosen. She wasn't sure he would find the beads of value. That was what the gift card was for. She leaned forward, suddenly wondering if this was the right way to go.

Immediately sensing the shift in his posture, the eager smile dropped from Beth's face. Her cheeks became heated. Had she done something wrong? She stared at the card in Brian's outstretched hand and then lifted her eyes to his. Apprehension was written in her gaze. "W-what do you mean? I know it's lame, but I figured it was better to let you get something you wanted. You're actually kinda hard to shop for." She made no move to take the card from him. He had seemed pleased with the prayer beads. What was it about the gift card that shook him so much?

"I...." She curled her fingers around the present in her lap so that it didn't automatically rise at the tacit demand of his outstretched hand.

It was something that had always bewildered her when she faced it. So many of the friends she'd made since college got squirrelly when it came to money. What was it about currency that pained them so much? They refused it, they laughed nervously, they quietly buried any evidence that it was needed. And all Beth wanted was to help them.

She tried to smooth her laugh into something calming, but it jangled sharply down her spine, before she said, "Don't be silly, Brian. It's just a gift card." Several snatches of sentences which could follow that up filtered through her head, none of which adequately conveyed the entirety of her feelings. "I couldn't figure out something else to get you, that's all. I just thought you'd...." And even then, she couldn't find a way to end that sentence. She couldn't help the childish petulance in her voice as she said, "Why don't you want my gift?"

Beth's mouth was suddenly very dry and she had to swallow against the lump in her throat. Had she angered him? Had she actually offended him? She was quite aware that her upbringing was not that of her comrades. Painfully aware, in some cases. But she had no idea why on earth that would be something to be rejected.

"Not appropriate for what? I just wanted you to be able to get yourself something you wanted. What's wrong with that?" Her mind was running into overdrive, but she was able to stop her customary rambling thoughts from crossing her lips. She didn't want to take the card back. She wished Brian would just quit getting hung up on the number. She wished she'd chosen a better gift. But what was done was done...if Brian would just accept what she'd given him!