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 Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:37 am
"Nope, I'm pretty sure it's you," said Gale in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. He fiddled with the blender, attempting to set it up correctly, though really he wasn't entirely certain what he was doing quite yet. "I like thicker," he added, as she began to cut the papaya. Gale watched with some fascination, moving to stand beside her.
"My sister was left handed," he said, a gentle smile on his face. "Drove Mum nuts when she was trying to teach us to write, since everyone in my family is right handed and Leslie was the only one who wasn't."
He lapsed into the same silence as Stormy, both of them watching as she finished peeling it. Gale's eyes flickered towards her hands, sticky with papaya juice, and then reached out and took one, squeezing her fingers affectionately.
"That whole thing about how it's not what you say it's how you say it," he said, and let go, picking up a banana and absently turning it over in his hands. "Maybe you just say more physically than you do with compliments or anything. Besides," he added. "I've always felt that some compliments can be empty, and sometimes you just need someone to hold your hand or touch your shoulder and words aren't even needed because you just know from that that they're there for you, or that they're proud of you."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:01 pm
She passed Gale a sidelong glance, smiling to herself as he spoke of Leslie. This was the first time he had mentioned her without looking pained, which meant maybe there was progress happening. "There are some pains you righties will never understand: like right handed desks and handshakes and how scissors are held, which hand holds the fork and which holds the knife, all doorknobs and handles made ever. It's so lonely being part of only 10% of the world," Stormy lamented with a sigh, though the corners of her lips were pulled up to show she didn't really mean it. Maybe a quarter of it.
She hummed and wiggled the finger as he squeezed it. "Some words can be empty," she agreed as she began to slide the papaya slices into the blender. "And some can have genuine meaning behind them, but then they scatter like rain drops when trying to land on you because you have an umbrella up that says 'I don't believe you'. Or in fairies," Stormy added as an afterthought. "I guess that's why I have trouble with compliments, because I still think it's raining outside and have on more than just an umbrella, like boots and a coat and gloves and sometimes a scarf if it's really cold . . . but it's good to be prepared, though, right?
"This does prompt a question, though!" She licked her fingers clean unabashedly and unpopped the milk to pour a little in. "A picture is worth a thousand words . . ." Staying paused, she closed the milk back up and went to add a few dollops of yogurt. ". . . but what words do they speak? A second thought: how much louder do actions speak? Do they get bonus points if the action you're doing is speaking? Is it all a game in the end like the Sims anyway, getting affection points by saying this or that, picking from an invisible dialogue wheel until we get what we want?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:31 pm
Thinking of Leslie was painful, but not as painful as it once had been. And somehow, talking about her with Stormy made it just a tiny bit easier because maybe he was finally letting go.
Maybe he was finally starting to move forward with his life.
"Well, I know it's more words," said Gale, pushing a banana with his fork and cutting off the top of it. "But I always tell the truth, and all the compliments I've been giving you are true, even if it takes you a bit to decipher the meaning behind them."
He slid a sideways glance at her, smiling a little. "And you told me I was over thinking it - don't think, just use your instinct. Actions will always speak louder than words and it'll always be easier to see how people react to things rather than how they say they'll react to it."
Gale pushed a few bananas into the blender. "If, er, that makes any sense."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:51 pm
"Meaning? There's more behind them?" She tilted her head at him curiously. "Oh dear . . . I'll try to pay more attention then! Not that I haven't been, but instead of deflecting maybe I'll just, um . . . let you splash me a bit with some complimentary rain."
Wait until Candace or Nevada saw that one in a 2am text: "Today I let Gale get me wet instead of covering up!"
It wasn't the only odd thing that came out of her today, as Gale pointed out a discrepancy that made her pause. And pause. And pause a little more.
"And so I did," Stormy agreed, a little embarrassed. "I don't know how I turned myself around like that; whoops. Sometimes I do things like that--talk in circles--so um . . . there you go?" She flapped a hand at him dismissively, trying to play it off. "Here I am telling you not to overthink it when that's sort of all I do--I can say very simple things, but oh God the thoughts that run around like gerbils in my head can get nibbly and complex and drill tunnels in the dirt like an ant colony . . . Ugh, I can't even keep the analogy straight!" She lightly slapped her cheek to get herself together and sighed.
"I think you hit my head just a bit too hard; and my brain was already scrambled eggs before!"
Stormy inspected the blender's contents with a scrutinizing gaze. Papayas and bananas together? Hmmm . . . Interesting. It'd be a rather "fluffy" drink in her terms, but if they were going to experiment they might as well go all the way. "Anything else you want to add to this super fruity smoothie? Fruithie? Sruity?Fr'moothie?" She made a face at the odd combination of words, almost frustrated she couldn't come up with something catchier.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:05 pm
"There's always more meaning behind my words," said Gale, in a deliberately mysterious tone of voice. He waggled a hand in Stormy's direction, smiling mischievously. "But the question is - can you figure them out?"
The smiled faded a little, Gale turning sideways fully now to face her. "Hey," he said, and reached out, pulling her hands away from her face. "I didn't mean it in a bad way, I like when you talk in circles because you always come back to your point. And besides," he added, letting go of her hands to turn back to the fruit laid out in front of him. "We're already a contradiction together, remember? And it's not a bad thing."
His face colored somewhat at her comment, Gale trying not to think about how he'd hit her, and he coughed, trying to dispel some of the awkwardness. "Nope, the smoothie looks good to me."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:09 pm
Stormy shook her head. "Not always. Sometimes I'll start at one point and talk and talk and come to a different conclusion. Sometimes I think it ends there but really I just end up where I was in the beginning--or some place else entirely. And sometimes I forget I took the path at all, or think I took it without having done so. Yet knowing that way leads on to way / I doubted if I should ever come back," she recited with a little, if apologetic, shrug. "Not very good at sticking to one thing . . ."
The mysterious tone was a little more effective than was probably intended. She paused and began to seriously consider Gale with a studious look, stepping closer and getting on her tip toes to eye him levelly, as if trying to read something on his face. It was like this for an unblinking handful of seconds before Stormy let off, humming thoughtfully. "Definitely paying more attention, then . . . You'll be my project," she stated with a nod to herself. "No--case study. Wait, no, that has different implications. Character study! There we go." She reached up and poked his nose gently. "I will make my would-be creative writing concentration proud!"
It probably meant fanfiction. Or at the least drabbles.
"Now let's try this thing out." Stormy sealed the lid atop the runic blender, took a breath, and braced herself inwardly as she flipped the switch on and held the machine down. The first few seconds were always the worst, especially with ice involved: the blades made loud cracking sounds as they bit into the mixture, shaking under her hands until the concoction began to smooth out. Stormy let it go on for a full ten seconds before she turned it off, gingerly lifting the cap off as if they'd created a monster rather than a smoothie, or that the blender would get set off somehow by sudden movements. "Grab a few cups?" she suggested to Gale as she tipped the blender and scooped a bit with her finger, tasting it for herself.
A . . . little odd. Not her usual blend to be sure, as she hadn't thought to blend bananas and papayas together. It was creamy and fruity, sure, and definitely thick, but . . . not her best. "You might like it, but it's always better to work with fresh fruits. It's already a little naturally sweetened but you can grab some sugar if you want more sweetness."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:15 pm
"Well," said Gale. "I'll still listen, even if you do just talk in circles, so at least you'll have someone to talk to instead of just going in circles in your head."
"And besides," he added. "I like you the way you are, remember? So don't feel like you have to not talk in circles, because I like listening to what you have to say, even if I can't offer anything on the conversation."
He arched a brow. "Character study, eh?" said Gale, with some amusement, his smile slipping into a grin as Stormy eyed him, her finger poking his nose. He tilted his head to give her a look, giving a sigh. "Well, I suppose I can let you do that, since we are sort of dating now and all that."
Grinning at her, Gale winced a little at the loudness of the blender, peering into it with a large amount of curiosity as it slowed to a stop. With the lid off, it smelled fruity and banana-y, and he reached in a finger as Stormy had done, taking a little bit for himself.
"It's not bad," he said contemplatively. "All things considered, it's pretty good."
He dipped his finger again into the mixture and then, without much thought or warning behind it, reached out and poked her face, smearing frothy smoothie on her cheek.
"Here you go," said Gale innocently. "I found some more sweetness."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:02 pm
"Oh, I needed permission?" she asked innocently, though the glint in her eyes said something else. "Maybe I've already written something and you just don't know it yet~"
Note to self: write something at the next available opportunity. Like, anything at all.
"Thank you, though," Stormy went on to say with a grateful smile in return. "Even if I'm not sure you know what you've signing up for." Gale was right, though, it was always best to have someone else listen, even if they couldn't really offer advice; better to release thoughts rather than cage them up, which she knew she had an awful habit of doing regardless of how much she babbled at him . . . She turned to grab the blender. "'All things considered'? What's that s--"
--Something wet was on her cheek. Something wet was sliding down her cheek like a snail.
Stormy blinked and then laughed, wiggling her tongue at her cheek until she finally caught it. "Splenda-id!" she chirped, because she couldn't help the set up. Then she lightly slapped her cheek in mock horror. "Oh no! Gale, you're not colored all the way in! Hold on--"
Several fingers dipped into the smoothie as she approached with purpose and a helpful little grin.
"Your hair, there's still white leftover! Here, I think this is your color . . ." Her hand darted out to try and ruffle his bangs.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 12:58 pm
Gale just gave Stormy the most innocent look he could manage to adopt - which, all things considered, wasn't very innocent at all, and he still had smoothie on his fingers. He swayed a little where he stood, watching her first look confused and then laugh, a smile spreading across his face.
"Not colored all the way?" he repeated, and then realized a second too late what she meant, taking a step back - except not in time to escape her own fingers, which, covered in pink frothy smoothie, now ruffled his hair. He gave a gasp of mock outrage, reaching for the smoothie again.
"No, no," he said, and stretched out a hand towards her cheek again, the smile sliding into a grin. "I think it's you who's missing some color, just come a little closer, let me help you with that..."
And then he promptly smeared smoothie across her forehead very maturely.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 1:44 pm
"I'm missing color. I'm missing color??" She laughed in disbelief and barely fended off his smearing because that was just rich. "I have a lovely natural tan, thank you very much. You're the one who needs color here! You're so white, ghosts look like a rainbow in comparison!" Stormy retorted, poking a somewhat covered finger agains his chest accusingly. "You are...a pale face."
An idea struck her, and she stepped back and held her head up higher. "And I am Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan! I have a question for you, John Smith." She dug her fingers into the smoothie and scooped out a handful, barely bothered by how cold it was.
"Can you paint with all the colors of the wind~?" Stormy sang with a grin before dipping her other hand into her supply to try and, well, paint Gale's face in return.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 4:42 pm
"I am not pale faced," said Gale indignantly, batting away Stormy's finger. He put his hands on his hips and gave her the most stern look he could - which really wasn't very stern whatsoever. "I happen to just be lighter skinned than you - what are you doing with - "
She was stepping towards him with an entire handful of smoothie, and Gale backed away rapidly. Unfortunately, right behind him was the counter, and he didn't exactly get very far - which meant that in the next second he got a face full of cold smoothie.
He stared at her in astonishment, smoothing dripping down his cheeks.
"Oh, it's on now," said Gale, and scooped out his own handful, flinging it towards Stormy without so much as a warning, his fingers coated in frothy pink liquid.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 5:09 pm
Stormy grinned impishly, ducking her head and receiving a good splash of smoothie on her ponytail. Despite still being tired from the battle (and still thirsty from it), she couldn't say no to the impromptu food fight. "What's that?" she asked, tilting her head like a dog while grabbing the whole blender this time and wiggling it threateningly. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of me winning."
Cue a forcible toss of the blender's contents at Gale like a happy, fruity shower.
"It's a better color on you anyway~!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:38 pm
Was she going to -
She was, wasn't she.
Gale ducked, but it was far too late. The smoothie hit him like a heap of snow, icy cold and slimy, sliding down his face and neck and under his shirt to create a very sticky sort of feeling. He gave a gasp of surprise and straightened, his hair now sopping wet and sticking to his forehead in damp clumps.
"No, no, I think you still need some more color," he said, and grabbed a few of the leftover strawberries, pelting them in Stormy's direction.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:48 pm
She saw him go for the strawberries and opened her mouth to commend him for making this not just a food fight but a fruit fight--except when she did, one of them actually struck her in the mouth and left her with a burst of strawberry juice and a slight jar to her teeth.
The rest of them either missed or splattered on her coat as Stormy devolved into a fit of giggles and licked her mouth clean. "Waitwaitwait, I got one, hold up!" she announced, quickly swiping at her face so she could see Gale proper, grinning like an idiot even as she felt the fruits begin to seep through her clothes and stain her skin with stickiness.
Somehow a handful of blueberries came to her possession.
"Berry nice to meet you~!" she shouted as she threw them in retaliation like so many little blue pellets of a scattershot. "But it looks like I blue you away!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:07 pm
He tried not to laugh, except he was most definitely laughing now, Gale trying to wipe some of the smoothie from his eyes, the liquid sticking wetly to his eyelashes. Plucking a strawberry from the counter, he dangled it in front of Stormy before throwing it at her, hands on his hips.
"That," he said, as few blueberries were flung in his direction, Gale ducking his head to avoid them. One beaned him in the side of his head, and another smacked him on the neck. "is a terrible pun, I hope you realize."
Reaching out, Gale snagged one of Stormy's wrists, dragging her towards him so that he could rub more smoothie on her cheek. "You are so not winning this war, I hope you realize."
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