9/28 Instance: Extracurricular Activities

[Ferguson]

Current Timeline


<@Paul> Mornings were a good thing for Paul, mostly because nobody else was up around the houses to hold him back as he made his way up and down the streets and to the neatly kept wooded area beyond the edge of the community for his daily run. Of course, unbeknownst to him, cameras even out there kept track of his every move but at least the illusion was still alive.

<Jessica> Jess had managed to lose her mother to shopping and had slipped out of the store to get some fresh air instead. She wandered out into the woods and looked around, a dew covered spider web catching her attention. Pretty. She should have brought a camera.

<@Paul> Paul came through, picking his path quickly with a practiced air about him as he wove through the trees. "Morning Jess," he gave her a wave, running her way. "What are you up to out here?"

<Jessica> Jess let out a yelp of surprise and looked round, "Oh hi..." she offered a smile, "Nothing really, just wandering aimlessly."

<@Paul> "I'd make some crack about bad ideas about wandering in the woods but I'd have no room to talk and, obvious, this is pretty damned safe." Paul laughed, coming to a stop as he fell in place beside her.

<Jessica> She laughed, "Yeah I think it's a little redundant here, unless you're that unsafe element." she gave him a playful smirk, "I just needed some fresh air so I thought I'd sneak away while mother's distracted."

<@Paul> "You never know," He smirked back, leaning against one of the nearby trees. "I could be a devil to pretty girls in the woods." That seemed like the right thing to say, didn't it?

<Jessica> She laughed again, "Oh really now?" she raised an eyebrow.

<@Paul> He puffed himself up, looking every bit as arrogant as he actually was. "You doubt it?"

<Jessica> "I doubt everything until I have the proof of it right in front of me."

<@Paul> "I'm living proof, perhaps I'll let you see sometime though." Wait...was he getting in over his head here? No, of course not, this was normal.

<Jessica> "Well you'll have to, I'm not known for taking people's word on things." She gave him a grin then reached to lightly tap one of the twigs the web was attached to, shaking the dew off but not destroying the web itself.

<@Paul> "Made yourself a friend there?" He asked, nodding to the web as the dew shook off of it.

<Jessica> "Don't know, haven't found it yet." She looked along the twigs to see if she could spy the spider's hideyhole.

<@Paul> "I'm sure she'll be lurking back soon enough, she has to be getting hungry sometime."

<Jessica> "Mmhmm, but might be too cold and damp at this time of the morning." She turned her attention away from spider hunting to look at him again, "By the way, if my mother asks, I was not looking for bugs."

<@Paul> "Is this something she gets onto you about a lot?" Paul asked, having a bit of a laugh at the idea. He couldn't exactly understand the appeal of such things. Actually, if this area didn't make for such a fine place to run he'd probably be wondering why nobody had developed it into something by now.

<Jessica> "Oh so much. It's not ladylike." she wrinkled her nose, "But they're interesting..."

<@Paul> Ladylike, that seemed like an odd notion. Well, too much interest in bugs and the like seemed an odd notion too so Paul wasn't exactly sure where he should stand on either. "Well, your secret's safe with me."

<Jessica> "Thank you. Dad says bad habits should be nurtured." she grinned. "You're an enabler. I like that."

<@Paul> "Hey, you be as weird as you like." Paul shrugged, though that wasn't going to stop him from thinking just that considering how much he prided himself on being pretty damned normal.

<Jessica> "I will! Being weird is no bad thing."

<@Paul> He looked less than convinced at that but shrugged it off. "So, is that all you do out here?"

<Jessica> "What? Looking for bugs?" she laughed and shook her head, "I really did just come out for a walk... got distracted."

<@Paul> Well, that was a little more normal at least. "It is a good day for it, still cool."

<Jessica> "Yeah, it's good... at least until she notices I sneaked off." She cast a shifty look around the treeline.

<@Paul> "Should I be keeping watch or leaving so she didn't think you snuck off in here for anything more than spiders?"

<Jessica> She giggled, "If that thought ever entered her head I think it'd explode." She turned to head deeper into the woods, "If you want to leave though, I won't stop you."

<@Paul> "Now why would it explode?" He asked, curious enough to let the rest of that statement slide.

<Jessica> "Extracurricular activities out in the woods? That's even more scandalous than my love of creepy crawlies."

<@Paul> "But she can't be so removed from everything that she hadn't at least thought about it before."

<Jessica> "It was never really a concern before I don't think, probably better if it stays that way."

<@Paul> "...so spiders really is her biggest concern?" Paul asked, expression clearly saying how strange he found that.

<Jessica> "Until I get a boyfriend, yep. None of my other hobbies are that threatening."

<@Paul> "Well, I'm sure she'll learn true fear someday soon." He cracked a grin, imagining that particular meltdown. "I'll leave you to your spider watching while you can still enjoy it then?"

<Jessica> "We'll see about that," she smiled, shaking her head a little and running a hand through her hair, "Sorry for disrupting your run."

<@Paul> "Nonsense, I run all the time, have to one up Mr. Simmons eventually somehow, don't I now?"

<Jessica> She laughed, "Well good luck, from what I hear you have some work ahead of you there."

<@Paul> "Oh, I am more than up to the challenge." Paul gave a mock bow and waved. "Just have to work for it, will see you later then, Jess." He turned and took off again, still wondering what the hell was so great about spiders.

[puppygirl]

Clarice - *narrows eyes at Jess*