(2016-08-31) Mancala and Abbacai
Mancala and Abbacai
Summary: Tabitha tracks Besa down to apologize.
Date: 2016-08-31
Related: Follow up to This is how you fall
NPCs: None
Scene Runner: NA
Players:
besa..tabitha..

Besa's been pretty MIA the past 24 hours. He's not even been at meals, or if he has he's been in and out very quickly. The teen , while moping, isn't being completely lethargic. He found the most secluded area he could (He's just ignoring the signs and will play dumb if questioned)and has set up on the couch in the laundry room. there's no TV playing, just him quietly humming to himself as he tries putting togterh something with some wooden rods and large clay beads.

Tabitha did her own version of 'there-but-not' since her bout of foot-in-mouth disease at the training grounds. Once she pulled herself out of the funk, which didn't take as long as usual, she did a bit of a hack job on making a thing and went looking to apologize. That of course led to trying to find her target, which was tougher than one would think for someone who doesn't have that many places on his 'places to go' list. Eventually (and in hindsight, obviously) she ends up looking in the places one shouldn't be and ends up in the laundry room. She hasn't been in here since the dark tower incident and had mostly forgot it was there.

Her aura peeks in under the door to make sure he's there before she ducks in before she can be spotted. She's in her 'hide in plain sight' outfit of jeans, t-shirt, work boots, and a thick blue flannel hoodie with the hood up. Under her arm is… a small log that's been chopped flat on opposite sides. She pulls her hood down once the door is closed behind her and stands there a moment with dropped head before looking up, "Hi."

Besa's head comes up. He looks much more subdued than normal. A thin button up beach shirt, cream colored and jeans. Nothing fancy, but it suites him better than the strangley goth shirts he had been wearing. Thankfully the circles underneath his yeas are had to see with his skin tone. A faint smile is offered, "Hello Tabitha. Are you here to do your clothes?" He starts to scoop up the beads, he has a small cloth bag for them. Dark eyes are on what he's doing now, not looking up at the tiny girl. "I am sorry I did not return…Yesterday was…confusing."

Tabitha shakes her head as she floats up to sit on one of the machines across from the sofa. There is a somewhat muffled rattling from the log she's carrying, but she just sits it down next to her on a flat side so it can't roll away. "I'm sorry for yesterday, also. I didn't know hearing my over-voice would affect you like that, or I would've tried harder to suppress it when I felt my voice changing." She watches what he's doing with the rods and beads before asking, "What is that?"

Besa's hair sways as he shakes his head, "No…you could not have known. I did not." He doesn't sound angry with her. "I will not be affect again by it. It is alright." If he knows it's coming ti's not a shock. Dark eyes raise to look at her perched on the machine and he flashes a quick, soft smile, "I am building an abacus for math class."

That… was not on the list of expected answers. Tabitha's head tilts to one side like an inquisitive bird as she processes this information. Finally she finds her voice again. "Alright, that's… different. Not that I know much about abacai," at least she knows the proper plural, "but aren't they for the more basic and intermediate maths? Can they be used for algebra?" That doesn't even begin to cover the questions in her head with the combination of details building up to one big question she isn't quite ready to ask.

Besa pauses and a deep breath is taken. He's reminding himself that not everything is an attack, although after Sky it feels that way. "I am unable to use a calculator. I thought this would be best, instead of paper and lead." The rods are pulled towards him after the beads are placed in the bag. He seems tired.

Tabitha nods at the explanation, giving Besa a moment to collect himself before responding in a soft voice. "Use what you're comfortable with, and try not to let anyone give you grief about it. Everyone here has their own brand of weird going on, or else they wouldn't be here. No place to hassle anyone else on theirs." She shrugs and pulls her hands inside the sleeves of her hoodie. "I'm just lucky that I can hide the worst signs of my varied personal flavors."

Besa takes another deep breath, trying to not get upset. Tabitha didn't mean anything . "It is not a matter of comfort, electronicas do not work for me." He's not been seen with a phone, or actually touching anything electronic, actually. One of the rods is twirled in-between his fingers, but he frowns slightly, "You should not have to hide. I am sorry you feel you do."

Tabitha nods her understanding, although the idea of nullifying electronics strikes her as painfully over the top. Then again, she was designed by, created by, and raised around advanced technology. Even later, in her 'reset' childhood as Tabitha she was still very much a child of the modern age. "Ah. I didn't realize." Then her head does that tilt again, but this time with a soft half-smirk instead of a questioning look. "But then we have only spent a couple hours around each other so far. Still lots we don't know about each other." The remark about hiding gets a one-shoulder shrug. "It's not that I have to hide. I just do it to keep the questions down, mostly."

Besa shrugs, a habit he's picked up from Sky, "You would have no way of knowing." She gets another soft smile, "I meant here at the school. This is your home while you are here, correct?" But then she explains more and he nods , "I understand that. Sometime I wish to not have questions either." The rods are shifted to his other hand, like he's not certain what to do now. "I would still like for you to teach me to fall, if you have the time?"

Tabitha remains in a sitting position, but floats up off the washing machine and lands again on the opposite end of the sofa from Besa, perching on the arm. Her light frame barely causes it to shift. "This is a home. The place I still think of as my real home is just up the coast a short distance. I fly back there a few times a month when I need to decompress." She nods at the question about teaching him to fall. "I've got time for that, yeah." She cradles the log in her arms for a moment, then sets it down on the sofa between them. Closer up, the log (more of a thicker branch, really) has been roughly cut in half then held together with basic leather straps. The top/bottom of it have been cut to more or less flat planes and there is a wood plug at the end of both halves. The cuts have evidence of char, suggesting they were made with a very hot instrument. When she sets it down there is a repeat of the dull rattle from within. "I also wanted… this is to tide you over until the board you're making is finished."

Besa's smile turns a bit more relaxed, "That is good. Two homes." A low chuckle, it's kinda funny sounding, teaching him to fall. A head tilts and Besa's eyes widen, "Oh! Tabitha!" A hand reaches out to touch the board gently, "This is good. Where did you get it?" A thin finger traces an edge.

Tabitha nods her agreement, "Yeah, it's not bad having two places to call home." The board still has bark on the uncut parts of the outside. Once opened (the loose ends of the leather hinges are tied together to keep it closed), the cups are rough, uneven, and of irregular sizes. The home cups are at least recognizably square-ish. And all of them are slightly scorched. "Careful of splinters." She blushes at the question of where she got it, a beat passing before she answers. When she does, her voice is barely above a whisper. "I… made it last night."

Besa's eyes widen again, making him look somewhat like an owl. An Egyptian owl. "This is very impressive!" He picks up a cup, turning it in his hand. The roughness will wear down with use, the scorch marks fade into a more stained look. His hair bounces (When doe sit not?) as he nods his approval, "It is good." She gets a warm smile as he puts the cup back. "When you play, always have an ante…When i was younger, the priest would use honey or sweet breads. It makes winning that much sweeter."

Tabitha blushes againa the compliment, but doesn't respond just yet. When mention is made of putting up ante on the game and she give Besa another sidelong glance. "That's the first I've heard of betting on bao." She shrugs and stands up from the couch by floating up and over then lowering her feet. "Weather was good last night, and the area I raked out is still there if you've got time to train now." She gives a shrug. "Or later works, too."

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