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 Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:07 pm
Her expression softened in sympathy, "I know how that can be, before coming to the Island well...the alone and lacking part was pretty much my own fault but...I suppose it does explain why you've advanced faster and shown more maturity here than well..." a silent list of trainees scrolled down her tongue in the pause that followed, and in the end she just settled for, "...a lot of others. But that sort of thing can burn you pretty quickly too."
The question made her pause again, longer this time, her attention firmly on her drink. "I...did, but not...not as well as I should have. My fault again." She finally looked back up at him, and when she continued it was with a wry ain't life just funny that way smile, "We were supposed to have our first date after...when he came back from...well...yeah."
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:04 pm
"It was really my own fault too," Gale admitted, almost sheepishly, but his expression shifted back into a serious one almost immediately. "I ran away from home, so it's not like I was exiled on purpose. Though to be honest, I think my parents were pleased that they no longer had to deal with their strange son."
This was all said rather calmly, though there was the faintest hint of what might have been bitterness in Gale's voice. He caught Clarice's eye and managed a small, wry smile.
"I'm glad someone thinks I'm mature," he said, a bit dryly, but there was good humor this time.
And then it was Ben. Gale felt his chest grow a little tighter, and suddenly the cup of cocoa felt heavy in his hands.
"We were supposed to have our first date..."
He felt, if possible, horribly guilty about this - as if he were personally responsible for Ben never returning from the mission.
Well, you weren't supposed to be going, said the irritating voice in his head. It wasn't Jinhai, but more an annoying conscious that kept nagging at him.
"I'm..." said Gale, then stopped abruptly, trying to figure out how to speak properly.
"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I...I'm sure you would have had fun."
It was, quite possibly, the lamest sentiment that could ever be expressed. Gale felt his face heat with embarrassment, hastily becoming very preoccupied with his cocoa.
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:55 am
"Yeah...I think we would have," Clarice answered, a bit wistfully. Setting her cup down with a sigh, she reached over to his mug and wrapped her hands around his own. "It's okay, Gale." A slight increase in pressure, "It's okay." Sitting back, she let go and picked up her own mug before standing up, "I better get going, someone should explain the ah... extra cargo." And assure Caelius that this was neither an attack on Deus or sign of an artifact being nearby. "Thank you again for your help today."
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:31 pm
The hands that closed over his were both surprising and strangely welcome. Gale pressed his lips together as he felt his throat constrict just the slightest. It was embarrassing, certainly, but for some reason he felt...better about it - as though her confirmation was exactly what he needed.
And maybe now he would be able to move past the Sahara mission and not have it always there, somewhere in the back of his mind.
Clarice stood to leave, and Gale lowered his face, his cheeks slightly red.
"...thank you," he mumbled, so quietly it was barely audible, but he gave her a nod as she made to leave, lifting his mug of cocoa to his lips and lapsing into a quiet, thoughtful silence.
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