Personal Raincloud (11) : It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Destiny City–for everyone but you. There’s not a cloud in the sky–except for yours. No matter where you go, a dark cloud seems to hover, casting shadows wherever you go. It’s been raining since you woke up today, and it’s like bad luck and bad weather just follows you. It’s a constant downpour, always exactly where you are. The raincloud is usually big enough to easily cover a full building, so if you stick around for too long, your misfortune will turn into someone else’s too. The raincloud might follow you for a few hours or for the whole day before slowly fading; there’s no escaping it, or the strange, sombre mood that seems to follow you.
Stabbing herself with a seam ripper was the warm-up act. Showing up at the cafe looking like a drowned cat… That was the encore no one asked for.
Melody arrived looking like she’d stepped off the set of a disaster film, soaked from head to toe, with rain streaming down her face while her pale hair clung to her skin like brushstrokes on a wet canvas.
When she first stepped outside the theater the weather was beautiful. The sun was out, warm and reassuring, like the rest of the day might just go her way.
Oh how she was wrong…
It began as a light mist that gradually turned into a gentle drizzle, before becoming a torrential downpour that seemed to mock her optimism. By then her clothes were already halfway soaked and, sure… she could have gone back to the theater for an umbrella, but in the moment she’d convinced herself it would be faster to just run the rest of the way.
Oh boy, mistakes were made.
“Regret, thy name is Melody…” she muttered now standing at the cafe entrance, ankle-deep in regret. The hem of her pants were covered in mud as she… yes… wrung her hair on the welcome mat, which dripped like a broken faucet.
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 12:43 pm
The little tinkle of the bell that sounded someone's entrance got Harvey's attention whenever it went off, mainly because he was waiting for Mel (otherwise he could give a rat's a** who walked into the store). It went off a few times as he waited in line to get his drink, though the third time had him doing a double take because he could swear it was Mel…only she was soaked to the bones and looking every bit as miserable as he imagined she would in such a state.
He shifted his gaze to the state of things outside, noting the heavy rain with a sigh before he stepped out of line and made his way to her.
"Really?" He was more concerned than actually annoyed despite the tone, and he quickly took her hand and led her over to the nearest table before setting his work bag on one of the chairs. "Hang on, I've got a towel in the car."
Not that he gave her any time to object as he hurried off. He was back a minute or so later, a small duffel in tow from which he produced a towel, a spare umbrella, some clothes, and a pair of slides. Once he had everything out he draped the towel over her shoulders and started to towel off her face and hair.
"No time to grab an umbrella?" he asked as he worked, now actually sounding and looking concerned. "You'll catch a cold like this. I think these should fit you. You wanna get dry off and get changed first? I'll grab you a drink to warm you up."
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 12:54 pm
She’d tried to stop him, even reached out to pinch the hem of his shirt to keep him from leaving, but only managed to grab hold of air. There was no hesitation in his movement as he pivoted towards the door, leaving her to stand there under the scrutinizing gaze of a few nearby patrons sipping at their coffee and iced teas. Though nobody said a word, there were questions in their gazes that she did not want to acknowledge.
When he returned, the annoyance she picked up in his tone was all but gone, and in its place was a genuine concern as he dabbed at the droplets of rain that dampened her skin with a dry towel.
Melody’s expression softened considerably, her lips even turning into a small smile as she shook her head in answer to his first question. “In my defense, when I checked the weather this morning, it said there was a six-percent chance of rain today. When I left the theater, yeah… There were clouds outside, but the ground was still dry, so I thought I’d be safe in making it here without needing to grab one.” She did, however, shrug while gesturing at herself, a wordless acknowledgment of the error in her way of thinking.
“I’m not worried about getting sick, I’ll be fine.” It wasn’t cold outside, a little muggy and slightly humid, but a little rain had never gotten her sick before. Although he did say that often enough to his daughter that she offered a compromise, “But if it will put your mind at ease, I’ll go change.”
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 12:55 pm
"Might be my fault," he said, his own expression softening when he noted her smile. "Rain seems like it's been following me all day. It was dry when I got here, though, so I was mostly hoping…"
Harvey paused what he was doing when she said she'd be fine, pink eyes meeting lavender ones as he considered how to respond. He nearly had a rebuttal, too, when she relented and the corners of his lips turned up to form the smallest of smiles.
"Thank you," he said, gently pulling her closer and leaning in for a kiss. "Go. I'll order for us."
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 1:36 pm
Melody’s hand fanned against his chest, not to push him away, but to spare his clothes from getting wet; after all, he probably only had one spare set in the bag.
Harvey didn’t even have to say anything- Just being near him chipped away at her bad mood. It was ridiculous how easily her frustration dissolved like snow yielding to the first kiss of spring so that every sharp edge of her mood softened until only warmth remained.
“You make it hard not to want to tease you sometimes,” she commented quietly, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she stepped back to gather the bag. There were several things she could have said, but Melody wasn’t sure his eyes would survive the roll they’d provoke. “But I think it’s just a coincidence that the cloud came this way, I don’t think it has anything to do with you.”
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
Once the single-stall restroom was available, Melody slipped inside and quickly changed. She then rolled her clothes in the towel before stowing it away in her purse so he didn’t have to worry about it when he got home.
When Melody returned, she set the bag under the table and took a seat across from him. “Stacia is definitely going to have questions when I get back.”
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:18 pm
He honestly couldn't have cared less if his clothes had gotten wet if it meant the gap between them could be smaller, but it was a small thing so he let it go. His small smile shifted to an expression of amusement at her words, and he eventually nodded when she grabbed the bag and headed off.
He got in line to order, and by the time she was back there was an order number on their table, and he was scrolling on his phone, which he set aside as she took her seat.
"Maybe you can use it as an excuse to call off the rest of today," he said. "So you can hang out with me instead, and then me and Rae when she gets out. She loves spending time with you, too, y'know."
It was small talk, sure, but there was a warmth in his tone when he said it. It was possibly the most personal he'd gotten in recent weeks, now that he thought about it, which was…well. He had his reasons, but there was a point when those reasons became more of an excuse.
And he was probably well past that point by now.
Harvey rested his hand on the table then, palm up, and playfully wiggled his fingers. "And so do I, if you need more of a reason?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:28 pm
The weight in her chest bloomed into an uncomfortable ache, a dull throb that was difficult to ignore. Just as it was hard to silence her father’s gentle voice, which echoed gently in her mind, urging her to be honest with Harvey and not hide her feelings like she had in college. But the words would not come, she did not know how to broach the topic.
Not here… not now. Later, she promised herself. When I’m not scared I’ll mess things up.
Melody let out a quiet hum, her fingers brushing across the lines of his palm in slow absent strokes. She let her gaze drift over the rise of his knuckles, her smile thoughtful.
“I could be persuaded,” she murmured, her tone light despite the tension in her chest as she glanced out the window. The parking lot was starting to look more like a lake by the minute. “You’ve got rain, charm, coffee, and possibly food on your side.”
“I might be able to be convinced.” She turned to look out the cafe window at the deluge of water turning the parking lot into a large puddle, possibly a pond. “Given the current weather outside,do you have something planned?”
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:34 pm
He had his eyes on his palm, a small smile settling on his face as he watched the playful way that she seemed to trace his lines. His mind absently went to some fortune-telling something-or-other his mom had forced on him just after high school. While he couldn't remember specifics, he did remember being simultaneously amused and freaked the ******** out, though overall it was a good memory.
"Charm?" he chuckled, raising a questioning brow at her. Even if she knew him better than most, he doubted he had any level of charm about him.
"Well. Obviously indoor stuff." The temptation to make a suggestive look or comment was acknowledged, but he let it go with a little hum. "I was thinking maybe a movie and a nice, home cooked meal. Probably soup? Noodles?" He had a backpocket ramen recipe he'd been curious to try since he learned about it.
Glancing down and noticing that she paused, he closed his hand over her finger, the corner of his lips spreading out into a wider smile as he absently adjusted his hold on her hand until he could twine their fingers loosely together.
"Feels like forever since we last hung out."
His fault.
"It's been weirdly busy since the whole…"
Still his fault.
"Well, y'know."
He kept his eyes on their hands as he spoke, not quite sure how to broach an apology. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but for whatever reason he couldn't quite get them to come out.
"And I kinda just…wanna make up for that."
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:37 pm
Years of knowing him had taught her how to navigate the spaces between his words. She didn’t need full sentences to understand what he meant.
Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but the tightness in her chest silenced the words her heart bled for her to say. She understood now that part of the ache was a longing for what was sorely missed.
Him… This…
Being near Harvey and present and not just existing within the same house or sleeping beside him in the same bed.
“You don’t need to make anything up to me,” she said softly. “Everything that’s happened… it forced both of us to take a step back. And maybe that was needed in its own awful way.”
“It put things into perspective. Things taken for granted, or not previously considered…” They had settled in a comfortable routine that had become a norm. But now, after witnessing him disappear before her very eyes, what was familiar and left her content no longer felt like enough.
“For these last several weeks, I kept thinking about what I’d miss if-” Melody paused, squeezing his hand gently, “... if I lost you.” Her voice cracked under the admission, but she cleared her throat and continued. “But I’ve had to remind myself that you’re still here.”
“I love you.” Feelings she perhaps didn’t express enough before the world nearly ended. “Take what time you need, Harvey. Just… remember that I’m here too. I’m anything if not patient.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his fingers, a small gesture of reassurance. “I’m not going to begrudge you if you need more time with Rae. She may never know what happened or the dangers you faced, but I know you are a wonderful father and you will always do right by her.”
“I adore your daughter, and I enjoy spending time with the two of you. But I also don’t want to intrude on father-daughter time. I know how important that is.” Coming from a single-parent household, most of her cherished memories were with her father.
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:43 pm
He gave her hand a squeeze in turn, the conversation taking a turn he didn't expect, and certainly not in such a public space. Not that she was wrong, but he'd always been far more private when it came to these kinds of conversations. Private, not to mention lacking in confidence when it came to actually talking about his feelings. That was what brought him here in the middle of the day in the first place…
So while he was incredibly tempted to shrink back in on himself, take advantage of her very generous offer for him to take his time, and redirect the topic to something else, he instead lifted her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it in turn.
"I love you, too," he said softly, though rather than focus on her face like he knew he ought to, he kept his eyes on their joined hands.
Baby steps.
"Which is why I wanna make it up to you. I can't imagine dealing with me the way I have been recently has been easy, and like you said that whole thing took a toll on you, too, so carrying on like this just because it might be easier for me is just…so unfair to you. So I'm not gonna do that. So I'd love to take this afternoon, if you can, to just spend time with you. We can do whatever you want, talk about whatever you want. And then when it's time to get Rae, if you don't wanna come with us that's fine. Just…"
He trailed from there, not quite sure where to take it so assuming a "less is more" mindset and just letting it go.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:46 pm
Melody inhaled deeply, then exhaled with an exaggerated sigh.
Her lips curved into a small smirk as her eyes flicked to the Exit sign behind him. “It has been difficult,” she replied with a slow, exaggerated nod, barely able to keep a straight face.
“Some days I could have sworn there was a ghost in the house.” She gave a small laugh, her tone lifting into something more playful.
It wasn’t her intention to make him feel guilty or make the mood feel so heavy. So, to break the tension, she reached up and lightly tapped his chin with her finger. “Hey, I’m just messing with you. Mostly.” Her smile widened a little more. “I’ll give Stacia a call and take the rest of the day off. I think they’ll survive without me.” Not much was going on, save for fixing loose bolts and old curtains.
Melody gave a small shug. “Besides, we both know all the real ghosts live in the costume closet.”
“But I honestly would enjoy some alone time with you away from the house.” Even if it was only for a few hours, it would be more than they’ve had in weeks. ”What was the saying… sometimes you need to touch grass…” Well, if they could find a place unbothered by rain, perhaps they could do just that.
“How much time do we have until we’d need to pick up Rae?”
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:52 pm
He relaxed, lips spreading into a rare, small smile as he caught the little signs of her lightening mood with a well-trained eye. It was, he briefly wondered, something he ought to work on–actually talking things out. It was one of his many faults, being content enough leaving things alone until he was at his breaking point. It was less than ideal, obviously, now that he was in a relationship.
Even at his age, he still had some growing to do apparently…
"It'll have to be proverbial grass for today, love," he said, a little sigh escaping him just as their server came with their order. Once she had gone, he took a sip of his drink before continuing. "But something outside the house would be nice. I was thinking a movie was the easiest thing, but there's also some cafes with pretty loungey setups we could go to."
He paused to check his watch. "We've got…three-ish hours 'til Rae gets out. What do you think?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 3:02 pm
Melody took a sip of her caramel latte. Despite the rain, the iced drink definitely hit the spot, and she was glad he knew her well enough to order something she’d enjoy.
“A movie sounds nice, it’s been a while since we’ve gone to the theater.” She rummaged through her purse for her phone to see what was currently playing. “It looks like the new Jurassic World won’t be out until July 2nd, and Superman is July 11th. But there is the final Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Ballerina,” she looked up from her phone at Harvey to catch his reaction.
“It’s the one that takes place in the John Wick universe. And then there is the two live-action remakes: How to Train your Dragon, and Lilo and Stitch, which I think Des might be interested in seeing.” The rest of the list she either wasn’t familiar with, nobody had recommended them, or it looked like a horror film like M3GAN 2.0, which was a definite pass.
“Do any of those sound interesting enough to see?” Otherwise, they could go home and pick something from either Netflix or Amazon Prime and enjoy a leisurely time on the couch. She could make some popcorn and nachos, maybe… or put together a quick charcuterie board with some cheese, crackers, and lunch meats for something a little more fancy.
itspao_
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 9:24 pm
"Superman," he said after taking a few sips to consider, a little smirk on his lips to show that he was both being honest but amused that his choice wasn't an actual option. "Or Mission Impossible," he eventually added after setting his cup down. "Or maybe we can table the trip out and just spend some time at home. We can make lunch and just talk for a bit."
Because he did want to start opening up about that out of body (which felt more accurate than "near death") experience.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 10:18 pm
“Umm,” Melody hummed thoughtfully, weighing each option in her mind with the side-to-side tilt of her head. “I think I’d rather stop by the store to pick up some items and head home, if you’re ok with that?” She winced, knowing that she’d just said that it’d been a while since they’d gone to a theater. However, that was one where she felt they should either watch the latest installment or the entire series to appreciate the finale fully.
But if they were going to go out on a date, she would like to look nice in her own clothes.
Melody gave his hand a small squeeze before reluctantly unlinking their fingers and gathering her belongings. She rose from her seat and quietly moved the chair back under the table as she waited for Harvey to join her, since he had the umbrella.
“I’ll call Stacia while we’re in the car and let her know what’s going on. I’m sure she’ll be fine covering for me.” The last thing she needed, or wanted, was someone to ask questions on why she came back to work only to leave again. “I’ll figure out the car situation later.” For now, it should be fine to leave in the parking lot.
