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 Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:27 pm
She made a soft whining sound at the back of her throat at the touches. "Y-Yeah, just . . . gimme a sec," she replied through a clenched jaw, thankful she could be under Gale's shadow for a moment because the sun had gotten horribly bright. But for a few moments, if only just for a few moments, she had felt good about herself . . .
< < 'Curiosity killed the cat.' That is one of your phrases I am using for this situation. > >
Satisfaction brought it back.
< < That would require you to be content with the results as they are and to never question them again. It contradicts your nature. > >
She almost laughed.
Carefully, Stormy allowed one eye to open. The light was still awful and it hurt to think, let alone exist. But there Gale was with the sun aimed just right behind him, seeming to make him glow with an aura of light; it reminded her of the portraits of saints her family had, still and with venerating or peaceful expressions. Gales of course was a little more on the concerned side, but it didn't negate the image whatsoever--if anything, it just seemed to add that extra bit of the human element, of reality, that so often escaped her.
She was taking deep breaths, but her heart was still thudding. Nor could she stop staring at him in that new reverent light.
"Here comes the sun, do-do-do-do," she found herself singing under her breath, expending air her body needed to exhale out at a faster rate than she was allowing. "Here comes the sun, and I say . . . It's alright . . ." There was a little smile on her face.
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:36 pm
He'd definitely hit her too hard; the bruise was turning a horrid blue-black, spreading over her neck and lower jaw, and Gale stared at her with a mixture of frustration and resignation. It would probably need to be iced for a few days, but hopefully that would take away some of the edge of it.
And hopefully she wouldn't be in too much pain, Gale berating himself internally. He reached out to touch her neck again, but paused with his fingers halfway there, Stormy's low, gentle voice beginning to sing the first few bars of a familiar song.
Gale's expression softened.
"Little darling, the smiles returning to faces," he said, only half singing, his voice a bit shy. He wasn't much of a singer to begin with, but the song was a classic, one that he had heard several times before, and it made him smile. "Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here."
He gave a small, soft laugh and gently ran his fingers down the side of her face, then the backs of his knuckles, his eyes flickering, and he reached up, pushing a few stray, damp strands of hair off of her forehead. "You're gonna be just fine, Dr. Watson," said Gale quietly. "You put up a helluva fight, I've gotta say."
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:53 pm
Stormy was used to doing her own thing--singing, impromptu dancing, sudden lyrics from a poem, odd questions out of left field. She was used to people smiling and thinking her strange but in a harmless way, that what she did held some sort of apparent charm one ought to watch rather than participate with, or at most be pulled along like the current of a babbling brook. She was not used to someone trying to actually follow after her of their own volition.
This was the first time she had heard him remotely sing and was initially surprised he was chirping back a verse at all, let alone sing. Both eyes swept open with an owlish blink, but Stormy felt compelled to continue the song now that he had answered in kind, humming the refrain's melody as he doted on her, too tired at the moment to blush but getting tingles nevertheless. On the outside she was drained, but by God on the inside she wanted to hold him close with fingers that dug and legs that hitched and kiss him until they made a whole new song together or until she forgot how to breathe, or perhaps both at the same time if she really got lucky, or perhaps something even more wonderful that her simple little mind couldn't comprehend on its own.
It was one thing for a bird to warble and another to hear it sung back, to go from creating something and giving it out to the universe, to the air, to an audience, and another entirely for someone to step up and not say I liked it but rather Let me join you.
This boy. This boy.
Why did her head have to hurt so bad? Why did everything have to hurt right now? If she was overthinking this again and seeing symbolism where there wasn't any, meaning when there was nothing more than just a little back and forth going on, then she didn't want to know. In her world, it was perfect.
"Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter," Stormy continued to sing softly, her smile brighter as she shrugged a little, as though she was unable to do anything else and was apologizing. "Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here~" This was clearly a better way of answering rather than by direct means. Every movement that remotely stretched her neck or jaw ached (it made her loathe to move at all really for a few minutes more), but that didn't matter. She wanted to see how much she could coax out of him--more boundary pushing, if less violently this time.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:44 am
He wasn't quite sure how to put it into proper words, this feeling with Stormy. With Eva he'd been shy and awkward, often putting his foot in his mouth and saying the wrong thing, always feeling anxious and confused and as though he wasn't quite doing the right thing.
With Stormy, it was so easy to fall into her routines, into her rhythms - like somehow he'd always been there, and simultaneously he felt nervous and shy, and it was a very strange feeling, one that he wasn't used to at all.
Her cheek felt warm beneath his hand. Gale brushed a few more pieces of hair away from her face, trying to ignore the very strong pull that made him want to lean down and kiss her because he'd been trying to save that for that moment, because he knew that Stormy had wanted to have a Disney perfect moment, even if she hadn't actually admitted it, but the urge was so immensely strong, and all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless.
Except he'd also injured her, right along her jaw and neck, and he couldn't quite allow himself such a thing after hurting her, even if she had asked him to.
"Little darling," Gale sang softly, and he was not a singer, had never pretended to be one, but he sang anyway, because he liked it, he liked seeing that smile on Stormy's face because it was so bright, like the sun in the song. "I feel the ice is slowly melting."
The irony of that line made him laugh softly, Gale leaning forward over Stormy a bit more. "Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear."
His eyes were fixed on hers now, his heart hammering in his chest, and no he wasn't going to kiss her, no, no, no, no matter how much he wanted to, no he wasn't going to - he wasn't going to -
"Little darling," said Gale quietly, the smile fading, just a little. He brushed his fingers alongside her chin, turning her face slightly so that he could lean down, pressing a very light kiss to the bruise that was starting to blossom along the underside of her jaw. Then he leaned back to a more respectable distance, pink in his cheeks, but a shy smile on his face.
"That old adage," he said, by way of explanation. "What we used to do as kids to our parents - you know, ask them to kiss it and it'll make it feel better. You didn't ask, obviously, but I thought I'd see if I could speed up the healing process anyway."
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:18 am
It didn't matter that he wasn't a singer. There was a brightness behind a person's voice when they tried that she could hear regardless of their tone, or how soft or loud they sang. It was energy put into the universe, it was good feeling, it was emotion no matter how sparse. It was showing a little piece of themselves that might not always be seen.
But she saw Gale quite clearly here, outlined by the sun and mist, and she saw him lean closer, and her calming heart began to get worked up again. Shieldless, Stormy felt more vulnerable than usual, but she did not move, could not move without consequence, which she did not feel like invoking this moment. Rather she watched unblinkingly as he tilted her chin just a bit and placed a little kiss along the burning area under her jaw, barely able to feel the pinprick of pain under the rush of giddiness and nervousness at how close he was getting.
When he explained, Stormy could help but chuckle a bit, even if it hurt to. "You haven't needed to ask," she replied, lazily raising a hand to touch her hair, her cheek, her nose, and her forehead--other places he had kissed before. "But I probably would have so...good initiative there. Very thoughtful of you~ Thanks."
Dropping her hand, Stormy braced herself and eased back up into a sitting position with a wince, restraining the temptation to touch where Gale had accidentally hit her. "Since we speed heal already, I bet it'll go Speedy Gonzales fast now," she added with a smile, though judging by how her heart was still pounding she'd probably get a bruised look even faster. Maybe it would cover up some of her own blush. "So don't start feeling bad like I bet you're doing, because accidents happen sometimes. I didn't mean to hit you that hard before, either..." The smile turned apologetic. "I think I got caught up in the moment, you know? Moving forward and dodging around while someone fires at me, getting in close...That was fast thinking there, going from on your stomach to defending!" Stormy chirped, reaching out to clasp his shoulder. "I think you're better prepared now to handle beasties up close and personal."
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:50 pm
He loved hearing her laugh. Gale smiled a little. "Yes, well," he said, a bit ruefully. "I told you - I'm still a little new at this whole boyfriend thing. It just raises the question of am I supposed to ask before I kiss you? Or am I just supposed to go with my instincts? Do I let you hold my hand first or do I take yours first?"
Laughing, he helped her up, a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady. "I suppose I'll figure it out eventually. And hopefully you'll be recovering well enough as it is - after all, we've got a date on Friday, remember?"
Absently, he rubbed at a spot of dirt on her forehead, pushing her hair away from her eyes. "I wasn't feeling bad," said Gale, almost defensively, but then he relaxed a little, his expression mildly sheepish. "All right, I was. I don't like seeing you hurt, especially not when I'm the one responsible for it."
He reached up and covered her hand resting on his shoulder. "Maybe when we're actually put into the situation now, we'll both be able to defend and attack without hesitation. We'll be each other's strengths, rather than distractions.
Getting to his feet, Gale slipped his fingers around Stormy's and tugged gently, encouraging her to stand with him. "Come on," he said. "Didn't you say something about a smoothie?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 3:39 pm
"Strengths, huh? I like the sound of that~" She pulled herself up with a little grin. "Has a nice ring to it, too."
Oh dear God ow though. The strain of running around with a heavy weapon on a rather muggy day hit her all at once, and Stormy hated how her legs almost buckled. Handling three charges in the span of an hour was probably a bit much as well...But they'd done it! Hah! Training was really starting to show. She took a breath and wiped at her forehead as her weapon was desummoned; Thane felt her exhaustion and curled up in a spiny, cool ball.
"Onwards to smoothies~" She swung their hands a little and tried not to think about how that bruise burned with each step. "Don't think of this in terms of questions like that, though. If you put relationships in terms of questions, like when x happens or when y should go on, then it's more like a dating sim...All points evaluations and predetermined choices."
Not that she had ever played those, oh no.
"Go with your gut," she told Gale with a nod as they walked. "Or, uh, instinct. If your feelings say try it, then try it! Ask of course if you're not sure, but don't let it all be can I's and should we's." Stormy squeezed his hand with a tired smile. "What does it matter whose hand gets taken first so long as we're holding them, right?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:49 pm
His back and shoulders hurt, but at the same time Gale felt slightly more satisfied with himself than he had before, an odd sense of pride making him feel more at ease than he should be.
His fingers were laced with Stormy's, and Gale turned his head to look at her, his cheek still pink. "Probably not the best way to look at it, I'll admit," he said, a bit embarrassed. "But I'm Death Division for a reason - I tend to over analyze things, over complicate things. I look at all the possible scenarios I can and figure them out - which, as you've already figured out, is just another facet to my personality, one that I've been trying to work on."
He squeezed her fingers back, pleased. "But I'll do my best. And yes - especially since I rather like holding hands with you," he added, a bit shyly, Gale tugging Stormy forward gently in the direction of the kitchens, which were just down the hallway. Inside the main building felt much cooler than the muggy outdoors, though Gale was relatively certain he could really have used a proper shower.
"What sort of smoothie did you want?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 7:29 pm
Stormy paused because in some respects she forgot that Death, being all about information gathering, would attract that sort of person. Especially since Gale had been lightening up around her more. "Is it overcomplicating? I think it's one way to look at things is all. It's useful to in some respects," she agreed with a little nod. "Believe it or not, I do it often. Not as much as I used to, but sometimes if I really concentrate and think I can. That's how I figured out Nevada had an issue with boys and you had a past thing with Eva--reviewing tidbits like past conversations, body language, tics, diction, tone. In high school I took honors or AP English when I could because that's the sort of stuff you had to analyze all the time. Sort of a 'read between the lines' deal; and I guess that translated to real life eventually."
She hesitated and then gave Gale a sheepish smile. "Freebie: I still sort of internally break down people into bits and pieces so I can understand them. Before that, people baffled me. Now they only confuse me every long once in a while. I think the last person to confuse me, actually, was you."
The cool hallway was like heaven to her, and Stormy breathed the air in deep as they walked towards the kitchen, sighing in relief even as the sweat on her body chilled her into a shiver. "Oh yeah, IIII'll tell you something, I think you'll understaaaand," she started to sing with a grin. "When IIII say that somethiiiing: I wanna hold your haaaaaand~!" And she squeezed Gale's hand with a little giggle. "Today has been a Beatles Day! Think some of that ocean water really got to me; or maybe you jiggled my brain too much. Now, what sort of smoothie do I want, hmm . . . Well, we should probably see what sorts of fruit they have first! Bananas, strawberries, blue berries . . ."
Stormy tilted her head at him curiously. "Orrrr, maybe they'll have my favorite fruit, which is . . . ?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:00 pm
Gale slowed to a stop as Stormy did, turning to face her. "About Eva," he said slowly, almost hesitantly. "I didn't...that is to say, I never dated her. I liked her, a lot, but we never even had one date. I know I already told you that this is my first time being anyone's boyfriend, and that was the truth - my feelings for Eva were entirely unrequited, considering she outright rejected me."
He smiled a little, almost sadly. "I seem to have a knack for not getting what I want, really. Except now," he added, and gave Stormy a small, shy smile, which widened a little. "And you confuse me too, Watson," he added affectionately, and squeezed her fingers. "I'm hoping to spend a lot more time figuring you out, though."
She was singing again. Gale felt himself becoming rapidly more cheerful, laughing a little. "The Beatles were my mum's favorite," he said, shaking his head ruefully. "She used to play their records over and over again. Her favorite was Let it Be."
Inside the kitchen was cool and quiet. Gale let go of Stormy's hand to move over to one of the fridges, pulling it open and examining the contents within.
"Lots of choices here," he said, ducking over to peer more closely. "There are some blueberries here, some raspberries and bananas - oh, I think there are some apples behind this box here..."
A moment later he added, "Raspberries are my favorite, by the way, though I do also like blackberries."
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:19 pm
"Ah, that wasn't--I believed you when you said that," Stormy said quickly. "Really, I did and I do. And it's not like even if you had that it's bad to not get it right the first time--Not that Eva is a bad choice! She is very nice and sweet I think--A-And not like it's bad you didn't end up with her either, 'cause then we wouldn't--I won't bring her up again if you'd rather, i-if that's an awkward topic," she ended in a mumble, sighing into her hand as it facepalmed her. She'd caught Gale's foot in mouth syndrome.
< < You have a penchant for getting wound up over details, > > Thane remarked in a tone that implicitly said not to.
She sighed quietly as Gale went to investigate their choices, sliding her hand down her face before joining him, her face still pink. "Raspberries and blackberries, gotcha . . ." She sifted through the fridge with a squint. "Are papayas too exotic? Or mangos? Or pineapples? Those make great smoothies. Hmmm." She started to pick out oranges and grapefruit and setting them on the countertop.
"I hope you don't figure me all out though. That's like trying to learn how magicians do their tricks: the glamor goes once you know the secret . . . Then you'd just end up with chaos and none of the magic," Stormy teased gently. "But if it means anything at all, I'm glad you're happy so far."
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:35 pm
He leaned towards her and smiled a little. "You can bring her up," he said. "That may not have worked out in my favor, but this did. If Eva had said yes to me, maybe I would have never found you, and now she's with her boyfriend and I'm with my girlfriend, and everyone is happy." Gale tilted his head a little. "Right?"
He rummaged around in the fridge a bit more. "I've never had papayas, I don't think," he said, and squinted slightly at the fruit. "They're very peculiar looking. I like pineapples, pineapples are good, especially when they're grilled."
Straightening a little, Gale pulled a package of yogurt and milk from the fridge and set them on the counter. "I hope I don't figure you all out either," he said, and grinned. "I like learning about you, but I also like knowing that there are parts of you that I don't know, that are very purely Stormy. Just part of your charm, I think."
Gale put his hands on his hips and surveyed the counter.
"So. Where do we start?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 9:13 pm
"Right," she said with a nod, calming herself down with another breath. "Right. Very happy~ Especially when you do little things like sing back," she added with a little poke to his nose and a warm smile.
Her face lit up as she located the papaya and slid it out with a reverent, if somehow also eager look. "You're peculiar looking. I've never tried grilled pineapples before, but I've seen them on pizza. Are they still just as sweet?" Her question was a bit distracted as she moved away from the fridge with several more papayas, arranging all the fruits in groups and surveying them with a critical eye. After a moment, she started to nudge away all berries, leaving bananas, papayas, and the mixed group of oranges and grapefruits.
"Hmmmmm. I'm in the mood for papaya really. What about you? Want me to do raspberry or blackberries? Wait, do we have those?" She frowned slightly as she looked around. "Aaaand the runic bleeeender issss . . . wheeeere . . ."
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 9:21 pm
"And I like it when you sing," said Gale in return, bumping Stormy's shoulder playfully. "Because when you sing, everything just seems a bit more cheerful than it was before."
Childishly, he stuck out his tongue at her and then picked up a pineapple, examining it closely. "Grilled pineapple with glazed sugar - ten times better than on pizza, I'm telling you. Especially when it's done right, it's sweet, but not overwhelmingly sugary."
He set the pineapple back down and surveyed their little cluster of fruit with a curious, slightly pleased expression. "I'm okay with trying papaya - there aren't any raspberries that I saw, but there was a small box of blackberries. We can use those too, if you're good with that. And I, er...lesse here..."
Gale pulled open a few cabinets, searching for the blender until at last he found it, buried behind what appeared to be a toaster and what might have been a rice cooker.
"Right here," he said, pulling it out and setting it on the counter.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:41 am
She made a face at the image of pineapples on pizza, though sugary fruit . . . Mmmm~ Stormy laughed a little as he stuck her tongue out at her and bumped him back. "Ah, but that's not me," she stated simply, if factually. "That's the power of music compelling you to feel something~" And this was her deflecting as was instinctive to do.
As Gale went and grabbed the runic blender, she dove back into the fridge to grab a few ice cubes. "I guess another question I should ask is how thick you want yours to be! I get around three or four ice cubes tossed in to help make the smoothie kinda thick," she chirped as she tossed them in and, as if tugged by an unseen force, did not stop there, moving to the drawers to find herself a large knife, after which she was ghosting back over. And even as she stood still the momentum seemed to carry in her arms as she reached out and grabbed the largest of the papayas, bringing the knife delicately to its skin to begin peeling.
"Mom used to coo over how weird it was I was left handed. She didn't understand how I could hold the knife like I do and cut things like she could with her right; it sort of baffled her really in an endearing way." Stormy was quite focused on the fruit, as she would have hated to add cuts on top of her bruise for the day, but there was a wistful smile coming up at the memory. "She could do this a lot faster than me too, and not even with a lot of looking. She could memorize how things felt and should be shaped with her hands and just sort of . . . melded with it. Like if you know your room inside out, it doesn't matter if the lights are off: you can still navigate it because your spacial memory and long-term memory are working together. That sort of thing."
She looked as if she might say more, but something flitted across her expression and she finished peeling the fruit in silence. Only when she set it down to cut into smaller pieces did she pick up a different line of conversation. "In a way I guess that's why I sort of interact with my hands more than anything else physically, too. Sometimes I feel like they can cross the boundaries words can't go past and music can't touch. The difference between hearing a compliment from someone and feeling their hand proudly rest on your shoulder."
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