Re: Crowd Outskirts: Conner/Donna
Donna would never say she was good at conversation. She'd say she was a victim of uncontrolled and incessant rambling before she'd say she was remotely skilled in any sort of social interaction. People talked, she knew that, but she had issues sometimes knowing when to shut up or what was appropriate to discuss. His silence though? Made her shut her yap, wincing internally, as if she had finally annoyed him to the point where he was done with her. She had warned him she was worse in person.
The barrier he formed between her and the crowd was so welcome that she would have thought she asked him to do it. "Do you think there's an actual menu written up somewhere? A menu would help, but I think in this situation, we grab a plate and find someplace quiet. Or, quieter at any rate. If we don't know what the food's called, we'll make something up." That had to do a lot more with her not wanting him to leave her alone in this ostentatious display. That was far more important than knowing what appetizer she should be referring to.
She sort of leaned forward as she examined the hors d'oeuvres, tucking an unruly lock of hair behind her ear, and nodded along with the list of ingredients he easily rattled off. It sounded really good, but how did he know? Wait. What? He could smell it? Donna pulled back so she could look up at him, eyes wide with one eyebrow quirked upwards inquisitively and perhaps a little doubtful. "No," the word was drawn out, tone raising towards the end and paired with a grin. "My nose isn't as refined, apparently. I can smell, you know, food. Not the ingredients."
Donna grabbed one of the mushrooms off the platter and popped it into her mouth, only mildly surprised that he was absolutely correct. The whispering thing was far more of a shock. This could have been a lucky guess, right? "Okay," she was still chewing between words, eyes narrowed in playful interrogation, "How? How did you do that? That is the coolest party trick."