three. (video.)

[reconnaissance]

( At least this time Ellie isn't in some random, ramshackle building, but enjoying the warmth of the kitchen and a giant cup of coffee. At least she looks marginally better rested than she has on previous occasions. )

So, with that whole swap thing, I've been thinking. ( A pause, and there's a note of self mockery in her voice: ) Because I don't think enough when weird stuff isn't happening. Or less-weird stuff, at any rate. ( Has she really digressed already and wandered off with her thoughts? She shakes her head at herself. )

I was thinking about anger. Or any emotion, I guess, when they get that intense that you feel like all your insides are writhing about like snakes, but anger's the one that stuck out for me. We're all in this war, and some of us have been in wars before and some haven't, and everyone handles it in these different ways.

( She trails off; articulating this isn't going so smoothly as she'd expected, but sometimes you just have to throw things at the wall and see what sticks. Homer used to throw pasta at the wall, a lot, and a bloody lot of that stuck. The memory makes her smile a little. )

I mean, just before I got here, Kev-- uh, this guy in our group, he wasn't doing so well with everything. ( See, Fi, she at least tried not to name and shame. Belatedly. ) Everyone tried different things to get him going, and it was this weird insight-- I guess it just said a bit about the kind of people we are, depending what tactic we used. ( Fi: sympathy. Lee: abuse. Homer: encouragement. )
I was all logic and common sense. ( A beat, before she continues, speaking a little more slowly as she grapples with her pride and tries to think it out. ) Sometimes I don't think that really shows the full picture, but.

( She could say that it definitely doesn't, not when you got anger that just bubbles up and blows being reasonable right out of the water. She could, but does not. )

Anyway, I was talking to this guy here, before, about anger. How you can use it, and that, make it work for you, and I just... I didn't know if that really worked for anyone. If anger's a weapon, or if you got an on/off switch for it, or what? 'Cause there's this quote in uh, this Shakespeare play - “wrath makes him deaf,” I think the Queen in Henry VI. ( She squints, trying to remember. ) And then there's another bit, about not coming between “the dragon and his rage,” in King Lear. I think Lear was already going crazy, though, by then, though. ( Quietly: ) It's been a while since I studied them. Trying to read that stuff and figure out all the language is hard, without those special high school study editions.

( Where was she even going with this? )

So I guess I just wondered what you lot thought about it. Anger and controlling anger and using it and whether it screws you up, or what.

( A beat, and she smiles crookedly. ) Or we could talk about dragons. We don't have any back home, but some of you have to have dragons, right?

Comments

[reconnaissance]

( Congratulations, Cedric; he just managed to get an unexpected burst of laughter out of Ellie. )
Oh, God. Sorry. That just reminded me of the bike sheds at my school. You never went near the bike sheds if you wanted to protect your reputation.

( But she's still laughing a little bit. ) Maybe one day, heh?

[theboywhodied]

[His expression shifts, suddenly cheeky.]

Did you ever visit the bike sheds?

[reconnaissance]

Never. I was far too concerned with my reputation.

( A beat. ) Though, you might hear some interesting stories if you spoke to anyone who was in the school play with me a couple of years ago. ( Oops. Was that an overshare? Sorry, Ricco.

Except how she isn't, and is totally teasing him. ) The important thing, though, is that I never went to the bike sheds. That was just a whole new level of debauchery. Mucking about with Steve during rehearsals was nothing compared to that.

[theboywhodied]

...I can only imagine how it must've been.

[Cedric looks quite embarrassed. He's glad there was nowhere in Hogwarts quite that bad.]

[reconnaissance]

( Oh, Cedric. She makes an amused sound that's somehow sympathetic, and ruffles his hair. )

I'm sorry. Was that too much information?

( She doesn't look that sorry but she's trying it's just funny okay whoops )

[theboywhodied]

[Cedric looks at her with his exaggerated grumpy face.]

Maybe just a little.

[reconnaissance]

( Fun fact: Ellie is terrible at concealing the fact that she is trying not to laugh. )

I promise never to tell you about frantically needing to do up buttons again.

( :'D )

[theboywhodied]

[Ellie! Cedric claps his hands over his ears.]

Not. Listening.

[reconnaissance]

( seriously, he is way too much fun for his own good. )

What? It was fine, we didn't actually do anything.

( if she really wanted to be mean, she could tell him about Lee )

[theboywhodied]

[He lowers his hands warily.]

...then is there a reason there were undone buttons?

[reconnaissance]

Because we were hormonal, lusty teenagers? We were just fooling around, the unbuttoning itself was the fun part.

( That may or may not help. Sorry Ricco. )

Now Lee, he was a different story.

( HEH sucker )

[theboywhodied]

[Cedric makes a very undignified squeak.]

Well...wow, all right then. Don't need to know any more about that.

[reconnaissance]

All right, all right. Keep your shirt on.

( Teasing, but that phrasing was deliberate, and she smirks a bit as she picks up her--
Hmm. She looks at her mug, now very empty. ) Need a refill?

[theboywhodied]

I think maybe I ought to head home.

[He tugs on his collar and laughs, very awkward.]

[reconnaissance]

Sorry.

( Okay, okay, she really does sound apologetic, this time. ) I pinky swear not to tell you anymore terrible stories. Okay?

( Yes the war-hardened guerilla fighter is holding out her little finger to pinky swear, don't you even judge )

[theboywhodied]

[Ellie, no. He's cross. He's not gonna take it anymore. He...caves with a tired smile, squeezing her pinky with his own.]

It's pretty late, you know. Did you want me to sleep over or something?

[reconnaissance]

If you like. You can have my bed, if you like. I'm not really tired. Spare you having to get down all those stairs.

( Insomnia strikes again - the not being tired part would be a bit of a lie. It should have occurred to her that Cedric might need to sleep, especially after being trapped in a body like that, which sounded far too exhausting. )

[theboywhodied]

Seriously?

[A mischievous smile suddenly crosses his face. He walks to the doorway, points his wand out...and his things for sleeping arrive about a minute later, zooming straight into his arms.]

I hope those didn't bother anyone on their way.

[He really is feeling lazy.]

[reconnaissance]

( Surprised, curious, she's just watching what he's doing, when-- suddenly! Things. Ellie laughs, maybe just a bit delighted. )

I think if I had magic, I would just abuse it horribly.

( . . . ) Or deliberately let my stuff fly in people's faces.

[theboywhodied]

[Cedric laughs, then briefly disappears behind a door. He changes into gold pyjamas and a simple black dressing gown, already looking comfortable as he walks back out.]

I left the fuzzy slippers at home.

[reconnaissance]

That's too bad. Maybe Sami has some you can borrow.

( Good Old Asami. In fact, Ellie really wouldn't put it past her to have fuzzy slippers.

... Let's face it, Ellie is probably just jealous she doesn't have any of her own. )

Your pjs are gold, Cedric.

( Gold. As if he might not have noticed. )

[theboywhodied]

[Cedric just smiles, embarrassed. Hey, what can he say?

It's because I know I'm a golden person. And I couldn't get away with wearing gold during the day.

[reconnaissance]

I'm pretty sure you could pull it off. Nothing wrong with a bit of glitz and glamour. It'd brighten things up around here.

( Hang on, this means she needs to change into her pyjamas too, and she disappears out of the room for a few ticks, before ampling back in what appears to be a pair of boxer shorts and a singlet. )

You've got me thinking I should upgrade. What do you reckon?

[theboywhodied]

What colour do you like? I think...I think a violet might be good for you. Maybe red.

[reconnaissance]

What colour suits the lions you were talking about? Do we get special colours?

( Because she wants to be a cool wizard like Cedders, let's be real. )

Violet isn't bad, mind. I like the red, too. You're better at this than most blokes, Ricco.