Welcome to Gaia! ::

Finn hadn't been on this island long, but one thing he had come to appreciate at least was that there had been, you know, hot showers. And the fact that he could actually use a blow dryer after what had seemed like ages of not having anything to style his hair with at all. Lights were nice as well, though honestly being the dark wasn't all that bothersome, not when compared to the other two travesties.

Priorities. He had them.

Having less reason now then he did before to stay in his room, Finn found himself spending more and more time outside, sometimes patrolling the beaches, putting himself on extra shifts to do so. Tentacle watch...ya, that had become a thing.

Other times, however, he went outside simply to enjoy it. With the fog he had come to get used to clearing away and the arrival of the sun, it began to remind him more and more of the hot mid summer days at home, the days when he would spend more time outside then in, helping his dad with various chores, enjoying the space, reveling in the hard outdoor work that made you feel like what you were doing was actually worth something. Work that made you feel proud when the day was done.

Things had changed so much in his life since then, and none of it really for the good. Not until now, at least.

Now was like a clean slate. Now was like he could pretend the last six years of his life hadn't actually happened, that they had been different...

Until, of course, he exited the dorms, a cigarette in one hand (he'd have to be careful to ration what he had, he had realized early on), and a lighter in the other, only for the first thing for him to see to be her.

Lina. Or wait, no, she wanted to be called Stormy now. Right. He stopped and studied her a little bit from afar, debating inwardly for a brief moment whether or not he wanted to approach her. A large part of him said no, absolutely not, do not engage, but then Trynt had to chuckle at him, a mocking sound that rolled through his mind, one that very clearly tried to imply that he was afraid of her.

He began making his way toward her immediately, stopping just at the edge of her mat, a winning smile that habitually did not quite meet the look in his eyes spreading across his face.

"Lin--I mean, Stormy. Mind if I join you?"

Her tone suggested she didn't want him there, but her words didn't match. Finn had to roll his eyes, unable to stop thinking to himself that women never change, and Trynt rumbled in his head an odd sort of noise, one that sounded a lot like agreement.

Not really caring about how her thoughts and words likely didn't match up, however, Finn took the invitation before she could change her mind, and eased himself down beside her, spinning his cigarette between a thumb and forefinger. He was lucky he had gotten these before the portal had closed. Lucky he had something to fend off the hunger that he was sure was to come if they weren't able to get some proper food. Without asking her if it was okay to do so, without really caring if she was okay with it at all, he placed the cigarette in his lips and lit it up with a lighter he fished out of his pocket.

"It's too hot." He mumbled from around the cig just before he inhaled deeply, the cherry lighting up at the end, and a sweet hit of nicotine laced flavor entered his lungs, before he let out a long exhale, and turned towards her a bit, eyes slightly narrowed as he offered her a crooked smile, really unsure of how exactly to start, and feeling super uncomfortable though he refused to let it show.

"Look, I don't want to beat around the bush here, Stormy." Of course, he still wasn't used to her name change, and when he said the new one it sounded forced and emphasized though without him meaning to do so. "I've got something to say to you, and all I ask is that you listen."

She might have thought that she seemed untroubled, but Finn could practically feel the tension between them both. Maybe it was just that he was feeling hyper aware and was really reading too much into things, but it made him sigh out another long drag of cigarette smoke while he contemplated exactly what to say.

"I'm not sorry, and I doubt I ever will be. It's not in my nature to feel sorry for anything I do. So ya, I guess I'll start with that." The smile he turned towards her, combined with the words, likely seemed cruel. "I'm not going to sit here and lie to your face. I have no regrets for any of my choices or actions."

This was probably a terrible start.

"Besides that, I'm not looking for forgiveness. I deserve whatever resentment you hold towards me." He let out a chuckle at that, and took another deep drag, before exhaling through his teeth.

"But that doesn't mean I don't want to try and change."

Oh yes he had known. He'd known before Stormy had even confided in him, had asked him for his help. Of course, it was funnier to him at the time to say that he would, to give her that small bit of hope, but in the end he had only gone to Jack and told him that he sucked at keeping his woman in line, and laughed with him about how she had actually believed he might help her. Him. Finn. Did she not realize just why he and Jack got along so well?

Finn only ever got on with people who were a lot like himself.

And he'd never feel bad about it because he'd never be idiotic enough to put himself in that same kind of situation that she had. Some women, man.

Some women.

He could feel that he had begun shaking his head, and he stopped, lips curling up into a crooked smirk. "Awww, what Lina? Don't trust me?" He let out a laugh then and sucked on his cigarette some more, contemplating. "Maybe you aren't quite as dumb as you used to be. You certainly seem to have changed a bit yourself." He exhaled as he spoke, and butted out his cigarette on the ground.

Her question still rang in his ears, however, a sound that he couldn't quite shake. She wanted to know how he planned on changing?

"Look I'm not good at this, and I'm probably doing a terrible job explaining myself. All I can say is I don't want to repeat any actions that I made in my past. If I could go back and change some of the things that I've done, I would, and not because I'm sorry that I did them, but because I do at least have the capacity of mind to see that a lot of what I did was wrong. Whether it be for my own amusement, or sense of power. I can start over here, wipe the slate clean. choose to behave differently, and perhaps even gain the same sense of satisfaction from it only without making so many enemies along the way."

See. It made total sense.

"So, keeping that in mind, know that I feel that what I did to you was wrong, despite the fact that I don't feel sorry for doing it. And no, I don't expect that to make you feel any better." He laughed. "I just thought you might like to know that I'm going to try not to do it to anybody else."

There were several beats of silence between them, and Finn was absolutely fine with that. He had said what he'd wanted to, and she could do what she wished with it. She could choose to believe him, or not, or call him out on his bullshit, or praise him for being willing to alter his behaviour to better fit this new lifestyle. After all, he was surrounded by nothing but the people he would be working with for the rest of his life, however shortened that time might be just for signing up. It only made sense that he would at least try to get along with them all, even if it was against his common nature.

He had just about decided it was time to get up and leave, and even began to shift as though to do so, when she spoke, her words having enough effect to make him pause, and relax back down so that he was still sitting on the mat beside her, turning towards her as she continued on.

"Foolish. Nobody needs a chance to change, they just have to decide to do it at some point. I'm not asking for any chances, Lin---Stormy--wait why the hell do you want to be called that anyways? Sounds like some My Little Pony crap. Do you have rain drops tattoo'd on your a**?"

Okay so that was probably a bad start. He sighed, and reached up to run fingers through his hair. "Okay I know that probably wasn't nice. Was it?" It was pretty sad, and very tellng, that he had to ask.

Eyes shifting down to his jacket for a split second, he shrugged, and then nodded. "Ya I guess so. I heard they weren't really sure whether to stick me in life or moon, actually. Whatever, if I have to protect anyone, it's not a big deal. I don't shirk my duties."

Finn's expression took on a more serious and hard look then before, his smile slipping.

"Don't ever call me that."

He then flopped down on the mat with a sigh, lying on his back to stare up at a pristine blue sky without a cloud in sight. Hot. It was so hot and there was hardly anywhere to go to escape it. He closed his eyes and listened to her without really listening to her at all, her sound advice going in one ear and out the other. Something about a more positive attitude. Yadda yadda yadda. Do unto others blah blah blah. Think before you speak.

Right.

His eyelids fluttered back open. "Well, I always wanted to be a hero. Slaying dragons-"

Trynt perked up at that, he could feel it.

"Rescuing distressed princesses. Damsels. Fair maidens."

Trynt scoffed out a dry and raspy laugh and settled back down. Finn was obviously talking nonsense now.

"Trynt do you have a problem with dragons or something?" He asked, not actually meaning to say it outloud, his eyes rolling upwards and to the right towards the industrial bar running through his ear.

"Whatever, where was I? Oh right. Maidens. Hey, speaking of. How's that lesbian thing working out for you?"

Finn gave a small nod from where he continued to lay on the mat, uninvited and with no intention of leaving right at that moment to let her get on with her day. He wasn't quite sure why he was bothering to stick around, really. Was it just to try and prove that he meant what he'd said about trying to be different? Even his comment about the lesbian thing wasn't something he had meant to be rude, though his lack of social skills certainly made it come out that way.

He blinked at her reaction, then frowned, eyes narrowing. Was she reacting like that because she was trying to hide it? Seemed pretty obvious from the fact that she was sharing her room with some hot chick, especially when there was plenty of room to get a place of her own.

"You know, you and that girl? In your room? Don't tell me there isn't something going on there."

No really, don't tell him, Stormy. He didn't want you to ruin the hot fantasy in his head.