Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mad Eye Touz 
Aspen nudged in closer to Cornelius, only stopping once her feet and knees bumped into his side. Then she reached up to run the pad of thumb under his eye. Dark circles were there. But she nodded at his insistence that they could talk about that later. If he didn't want to, that was fine. He didn't need to, really. Even though she wasn't a mind reader, as they'd established through a series of ACEs, Aspen could read his face today.
"Well... I got an owl from Aunt Linda. She's going on a cruise this summer with ... Oh I don't know, her second? third? husband," Aspen explained in a rare, but potent display of sarcasm. Maybe a touch of contempt and resentment was there, too. "Which normally would be fine, but Dad is still in France so me and West are going to be spending the summer with Mr. and Mrs. Bole, and then Mr. and Mrs. Branxton." Did Cornelius recognize those names? Though it didn't matter - none of them were family and that was the point.
She continued her thumb across the bridge of his nose and to his other eyes, like maybe she could wipe the fatigue off.
Cornelius listened as Aspen explained her summer plans, displaying a rare case of sarcasm that seemed very new to the boy who was still discovering Aspen's different tones and expressions. He couldn't help but give a soft, amused smile at her words, rather amused with her little bit of sarcasm. His eyebrows rose as the girl at his side completed the tale,
"And you don't want to spend the summer with Mr. and Mrs. Bole, and then Mr. and Mrs. Branxton?" he repeated, making the obvious guess at her emotions as he flashed her another smile.
It was clear that Aspen wasn't that happy about this, but Cornelius couldn't help but smile at her. She was just... He couldn't put a word to it, but she was being very Aspen-y, facing him at the table even though they were sitting side by side, her feet tucked up right next to his arm. And, more obviously, she was stroking his face with her thumb as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
He didn't mind though, and allowed her smooth finger to trace the lines of his face as he grabbed another roll.
"What's wrong with these people?" he teased as a follow up question, absentmindedly resting his arm across her knees and placing his chin on his forearm as though to physically suggest she had his full attention. He flashed her a grin.