![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
They both enjoyed studying on a particular bench in the botanical gardens. It wasn't a popular spot, as it was a few quick breaths from the corpse flower (one breath, if you had a good sense of smell), but it was settled between the duck pond and the aviary. It gave them both a kind of peace. If you felt a sense of overwork coming on, you could feed the ducks. Or you could stare at some birds. Either way, there was room to take a full breath.
Marnie had a thick book on her lap; Mari had about six thin ones. They both kept vying for space on the bench. This sort of thing had been happening for months. Well, weeks really, but it had felt like months. Finally, Mari turned to Marnie.
"You study... theology?"
She looked up from her book, already defensive, "Yes?"
"Couldn't you go read inside the chapel or... somewhere else ecclesiastical?"
"As opposed to?"
"As opposed to outsi- I mean, not that I mean it like that. Anyone can enjoy outside, but churches and all that exist for a reason and I-"
Marnie got off the bench and held the book she had been reading close to her chest. "Understand nature more?"
A few moments passed. Mari apologized, half meaning it. She looked at Marnie, with her haphazard-cut brown hair, her clothes that were far too large for her, and clenched her jaw. She patted the bench and gave the tiniest of shrugs. 'Sit back down,' she tried to say with her eyes. 'Let us both enjoy this. Let us enjoy each other. Let's feed ducks together and complain how much that flower fucking stinks.'
All she said was, "Hey?"
Marnie had a thick book on her lap; Mari had about six thin ones. They both kept vying for space on the bench. This sort of thing had been happening for months. Well, weeks really, but it had felt like months. Finally, Mari turned to Marnie.
"You study... theology?"
She looked up from her book, already defensive, "Yes?"
"Couldn't you go read inside the chapel or... somewhere else ecclesiastical?"
"As opposed to?"
"As opposed to outsi- I mean, not that I mean it like that. Anyone can enjoy outside, but churches and all that exist for a reason and I-"
Marnie got off the bench and held the book she had been reading close to her chest. "Understand nature more?"
A few moments passed. Mari apologized, half meaning it. She looked at Marnie, with her haphazard-cut brown hair, her clothes that were far too large for her, and clenched her jaw. She patted the bench and gave the tiniest of shrugs. 'Sit back down,' she tried to say with her eyes. 'Let us both enjoy this. Let us enjoy each other. Let's feed ducks together and complain how much that flower fucking stinks.'
All she said was, "Hey?"