Welcome to Gaia! ::

Every door and window in Cami's house was open to the summer heat and breeze off the ocean. Summer, despite the heat, was her favorite time of year on Deus because it felt like home. The view wasn't as nice, perhaps, but there were also no damned tourists getting in your way when you were trying to get errands run in a timely manner.

Mindful of Dawson's nervous comments about sex she had actually put on something other than teeny shorts and a bikini for the event. It was all still there, of course, because Cami didn't own anything but teeny shorts but she hoped that the flowing shirt covered up everything that would imply she wanted anything more than a friendly, casual dinner.

Hair piled atop her head in a messy knot of curls she swung open the screen door with a cheerful smile. "Clever's overrated. I prefer cheerful and drinks are super cheerful." She was forcing the joviality, just a little bit, but Dawson hadn't come here for her to cry all over him.

The signs were there nonetheless. Red eyes, dark circles speaking of sleepless nights, the bandage wrapped around her forearm that could be easily explained away as good ol' Deus. "It's nice to really finally meet you in person." Ushering him into the house Cami moved back towards the kitchen. He could either follow her or wander through her house, she didn't have any privacy for him to violate.

Cheerfulness faltered before dying as if it had been beheaded at a guillotine. Standing in the kitchen she'd meticulously scrubbed earlier that day to remove any trace of blood, dirt, or grime with several pots issuing forth with incredible smells, she looked like a shadow of the woman she normally was. Somehow the circles under her eyes grew darker, she seemed fragile enough to snap in half should poor Dawson sneeze just a little too hard, and for a moment she forgot he was there entirely.

Tracing a fingertip over her collarbone Cami tried to recover from where her mind had shut itself off at the very mention of Maebe Grace. "She'd only been here once and I had just taken possession of the place then. I've fixed up a few things here and there and she hasn't been back for awhile." God, how could she have forgotten that Dawson was a good friend of Maebe's?!

Then, a horrible suspicion overcame her, and eyes narrowed. How good a friend was he, exactly? Had she just invited an enemy into her home for dinner?! "What has she been telling you about me?" Cami tried to be nice, tried to be casual, but couldn't help the brittle edge to her words. Wincing slightly she shook her head at herself, lifting a pot to stir the sweet potato dumplings that were stewing within.

She was so ******** pathetic.

Tapping the spoon on the edge of the pot so as not to make any larger a mess than necessary Cami put it down before bracing her hands on the counter. "Big heart, big mistakes. Listen..." Turning back around her expression was at once tragic and apologetic. "I hate being rude but I need to be for a few minutes because I feel like you're trying to really take my mind off what's upsetting me. Unfortunately it's Maebe that upset me so if we can sorta...avoid talking about her? At all?" ********. ******** ******** ******** she could feel the tears welling up just thinking about why it was she even had a dinner guest.

Dawson felt sorry for her and was trying to be nice. He was saying really sweet things in order to make her feel better because nobody wanted to deal with a sad sack of useless b***h. Making room on the counter she tried again to smile. "You can put your bag down if you want. Be comfortable." Looking around she found a stool and pulled it up next to the burly sweetheart, all but pushing it under his butt.

Syn might have been pushing Dawson away from asking his hostess to let the maelstrom inside of her free but Kidana was doing the opposite. She was all but demanding that her hunter immediately tell this very nice man who knew that problematic harlot (she did not much like Maebe right now) so that it could get better. Wouldn't she like to have someone comfort her? Someone who was solid, and real, and he looked so comfortable.

Physically comfortable, in any case, in that he was squishy in that wonderful sort of way that Cami couldn't help but want to squeeze. But he'd seemed very adamant that she know that he wasn't interested in physical affection (because hugs = sex??) so she just turned back to the cooking to show him what it was she was making. Sweet potato dumplings to go with the yellow rice, shrimp in a very spicy sauce that could make the eyes water from its smell, and jerked chicken on the broiler.

She'd even made mango sorbet for dessert!

Giving in to Kidana, just to shut her up, the Sun Hunter laid a hand on Dawson's shoulder. "Don't be sorry. You didn't know. I'm sorry that you have to deal with my ridiculous feelings. We're going to have a nice evening though." Her smile, though a bit dimmer than it might have been usually, was genuine. Cami was trying. God knew she was trying!

Cami couldn't help but laugh delightedly at the awed expression on her guest's face. This was why she had invited Dawson over for dinner and why she had offered to make such an elaborate meal. Everyone needed to eat and most people enjoyed eating; learning to cook might have been a self-preservation exercise when she was a teenager but it had blossomed into something that Camille adored doing for others. Making food for herself usually involved the rice and sometimes the dumplings, with something simple like chorizo or shredded pork.

Actually she hadn't made anything this elaborate since moving in. Making a mental note to either invite herself over to the Morrises or to invite them here she lightly slapped the back of her hand against one of Dawson's meaty arms. "Hey! Pina coladas are perfect for this kind of meal. Makes me wish I had some curacao or daquiri mix for a Lava Flow or Blue Hawaii. Then we could have all sorts of party." Unable to ignore the stove any longer she turned back and began to move around the kitchen with deftness born of old skill. This was one of the first things she had learned to cook and was a hundred percent home.

In a moment of lull she turned, abruptly, and began to confess her sins. "Maebe dumped me. Hard. You probably know, like most of the island, that I fell stupidly in love with her. Unfortunately it seems it was ultimately unrequited." Muttering beneath her breath, in Spanish, she added something very uncomplimentary about herself and how it was the story of her accursed life.

Tears were welling at the mention of what Maebe was, down to her core. Tough, good, so convinced that she wasn't that she was determined to sabotage every relationship she had. Friendship, romance, anything positive was wrong for Maebe Grace because Maebe Grace wasn't a good person. Wasn't worth the time, effort, or energy spent on any of that. Teeth bit hard into her lip to fight the impending tears so that dinner was not ruined, letting out a shaking breath before speaking once more.

"Nobody knows a damned thing about love because it's all different. I certainly don't know anything about it but I know her. I used to enjoy arguing with her about her worth. I even supported her celibacy pledge though I think celibacy pledges are doomed to failure no matter your willpower." Of course she'd been the whole reason that Maebe's had failed but that was not really something that she wanted to announce to the world. It was one thing to discuss your faults. Another to admit to what was almost a crime against humanity.

Then again, Maebe celibate was a crime against humanity in and of itself.

Snapping off the burners to the stove she pulled the shrimp off to the side to rest on a pot holder, stirring relentlessly as she ranted. "She accused me of choosing someone over her. As if I could ever choose someone over her! All I ever wanted was for her to let me be a part of her life. I never asked her for anything I didn't think she could give. But every. Single. Time I got shut out." Clattering into the pot she all but slammed the spoon down.

Hunter strength was not taken into consideration when building plastic utensils. With a loud SNAP the handle came clean off leaving her staring at half of a plastic spoon sitting in her shrimp. With vituperation Camille launched into a long spate of Spanish before reaching it in, picking it out, and flinging it into the sink with incredible accuracy. "Well. I think it's safe to say I am a little emotionally invested."

Seeing Dawson thaw out of the corner of her eye made Cami immediately contrite and immediately sad. Hadn't she told herself that she couldn't allow these storms to show any longer? It didn't matter what people said was alright because people didn't always mean what they said. They wanted to. Cami wasn't so jaded and bitter as to think that people deliberately lied to lure her into an uncomfortable situation. She just knew that people lied to themselves and she was not exempt from this assessment.

Pulling another spoon from a drawer she made a note on the fridge to buy more cooking utensils while out and this time to invest in wood or metal. Pots were pulled from the stove, placed on holders, plates were fished out of drawers and colors exploded. Fiestaware was one of the first things that Cami had purchased for this home of hers. She hadn't even bothered to use it for herself meaning that Dawson was going to get to inaugurate the colorful stoneware.

"Well, it'll be easier for her to be here soon. I've been considering the virtues of an outpost mission for awhile now. I made my peace with Otto and reconciled that we'll never truly be friends again. I don't think I will ever have peace with Maebe Grace but I don't think even she has peace with herself. And, as much as I love her, I can't force her to want me around." Stepping back she gestured to the food. "So I'll be gone soon and everything will be better. Bon appetit!"