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 Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:05 pm
The "mission," for lack of a better term, had been entirely unsuccessful - and not for lack of effort, but rather because the "artifact" in question had been...well, not an artifact at all, it seemed.
"Bloody thing wasn't much more than a trinket," Gale muttered to one of the Sun hunters that had accompanied him, and the man, a tall, thin guy by the name of Blake, shook his head, dispelling a few flakes of snow from his tawny locks. "It was a waste of time, all right," said Blake, as they stepped through the portal, arriving moments later in the lighthouse at Deus Headquarters. "And here I thought I would be able to bring back something interesting, but apparently not."
Gale rolled his eyes and shook his head, bade the others goodbye, and traipsed down the stairs towards the exit.
He'd been gone, not for a few days, as he'd hoped, but in fact almost two weeks, the majority of his time spent doing extra research on the artifact-that-wasn't-an-artifact. The FEAR signature that they had originally read from it had been a false reading after all, which meant that he had spent two weeks up in the freezing mountains of some remote country for no apparent reason other than to get frostbitten.
Gale rubbed a gloved hand through his hair as he stepped out into the open, the fog wafting around him like a familiar friend. He tugged at his scarf, unbuttoning his coat (he was already getting much warmer just being back on the island) and pulled out his cell phone, turning it back on. He'd tried to send Stormy more texts as he'd gone about his daily business, but reception had been absolutely horrendous, and eventually he'd given up even trying, since all of the Message Send Failure notices he'd been getting were vastly irritating.
There were no messages from Stormy waiting for him, as he'd hoped. Trying not to be too disappointed, as he knew they both had understood there might not be a chance at talking (and Stormy had kept telling him to stay focused, after all), Gale headed back to his house to grab a shower and change, perhaps take a little rest afterwards before going to find her.
It was only after his shower, when Gale was standing in his room in a pair of dark sweats and a teeshirt, that he realized his phone was buzzing. He picked it up and eyed it curiously, a towel around his neck, and realized that it was all the back texts that had been logged while he was away, some dated as early as the day that he had left.
And they were all from Stormy.
The first few made him smile.
"Good morning sunshine."
"I’m watching The Lion King with her right now. Did I tell you she got me a dvd player and a few Disney movies? Best bestie ever <3"
"Well except the banana peel. I’d already eaten your banana."
"Oh my god that came out wrong you know what I meant okay you know what I’m just gonna go sleep early okay good night."
The rest were not as pleasant, and as Gale kept reading, he could feel the anger rising in him, could feel the panic welling in his throat almost as tangible as the air he was currently breathing. Fingers clutching the phone tightly, Gale grabbed the nearest jacket and threw it on over his shoulders, shoving the phone into his pocket. He took the stairs two at a time, shoved his feet into his shoes, and ran out the door.
<< Gale. >>
What?
<< She'll be okay. She's strong, remember? >>
Strong isn't the issue here. It's that she went to the Haunted House when Candace specifically told her not to, because it was dangerous, because that was where Nevada was injured, and what if she -
He couldn't finish the thought. Jinhai wrapped around his mind like a soothing blanket, murmuring quietly reassuring things as Gale pelted up the steps to the dormitory building and made his way down the hall towards Stormy's room. He slowed his steps a little until he was walking properly and not running, his breathing uneven, and paused outside her door, trying to stay calm. Gale closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
Then he knocked on her door.
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:32 pm
It was utterly silent in her room. That was the only way to counteract the noise that went on in her head: silence without was the way to overcome everything else within. When was the last time she had actually meditated? Yoga helped alleviate her mental stress (as much as her body had protested picking back up), but it could only do so much. Thus Stormy was on the mat at the foot of her bed, legs crossed, practicing her breathing exercises, when the carefully made silence was broken by the thing sound of her cell phone buzzing.
At least, she thought it was. It kept repeating, curiously enough, which made her wonder who would be texting that much in a row, let alone--
Oh.
Feeling like there was something heavy yet silken on her--better at least than the simply heavy she'd felt for the past day--Stormy left the floor and grabbed her phone. Maybe--Ah, finally! A little light came to her gray world as she flipped through the messages, short and concise and dry but at least from him, and she welcomed the distraction. Although she did feel bad now in comparison, as she had sort of . . . spammed Gale like he was her Facebook or something.
Wait, if she could read these, then--
Someone knocked.
Stormy wasn't quite sure what her feelings were doing. they wanted to leap with excitement and drawback in uncertainty (Was she ready? Could she keep her low mood hidden?) and burrow underground just to avoid the confusion and of course she could hide it Gale was back and so was Nevada this was clearly a momentous occasion so act like it you stupid--
"Yes?" she called out, finding her voice too soft. she cleared her throat. "Uh, who is it?"
It might be a good idea to validate said conflicting feelings before she flipped out just because someone wanted to borrow toothpaste or something.
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:07 pm
For a moment, he wasn't even sure she would answer.
The were as a small moment in which Gale suffered from a strong amount of anxiety that, a) Stormy wasn't even in her room and was probably with Nevada, and/or, b) she was still at the Haunted House, in which case he was going to have to run very fast to get to where he wanted, because if she was hurt, he was not going to have a very good day.
But then he heard her speak and Gale sucked in a sharp breath, relief filling his lungs along with the air. He closed his eyes briefly again, trying to steady himself, and then reached up a hand, his fingers curling against his palm as he rested them against the door.
She's right in there.
She's okay.
<< I told you so. >> said Jinhai, but the admonishment was soft and Gale could sense the dragon's gentle smile within his mind.
"It's Holmes, Watson."
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:32 pm
Keyboard smashing emotions were back again.
Her fingers tapped against the back of her phone idly as she tried to think of some way to uniquely answer. Stormy couldn't simply say welcome back and give him a hug and a kiss, no, that was too banal and expected . . . But at the same time it was a bit of a shock to go from wanting to be left alone to wanting to not be alone; she wasn't sure if the former was quite eradicated, even. After all, why would she want to let Gale see her like this? after being two weeks away, she ought to have done something: get a gift, or a nice snack from a day of leave--but wait, she hadn't taken leave at all, she was busy just being . . . stuck.
< < Your habit of thinking in circles is growing irritating. > >
She touched her temple with a wince. Sorry. Simple then. No more dramatics. She'd had her awful, sickening fill with the witch, and that was not something she wanted to spill onto Gale when he just came back. Not poison, but sugar.
Smile. It was easy to bring it back to life knowing who waited at the door at least.
Taking a breath, Stormy tossed her phone on the bed and glided to the door, her previous calm slowly eroded away with nervous energy each step closer she was: not quite the manic episode she had felt before, but a cousin to it. Smile. Hug and a kiss, darling, surely you can do that. A heavy body and a light heart were such awful conditions to have at once.
Having been silent for a handful of seconds, when Stormy finally opened the door it came ajar with a noise that rang a bit too loudly in her ears. And there he was.
Had he just come straight from the mission? He was still in his uniform . . . and she suddenly felt underdressed to greet him, just in shorts and an oversized shirt. Pajamas. Two weeks later and she was meeting him in pajamas. She chastised herself and her smile faltered, though it wasn't because of that: rather, more emotion than she could handle was bubbling forth, because Nevada had woke up and Gale was back and they were both okay. The rest of her worries she'd been bottling had to be vented somehow.
"Better than that," she mumbled in response, hesitating a moment more before she followed impulse and simply let herself go from being in a separate spot to occupying his. Arms constricted him with surprising vigor as she buried herself in his clothes, face tucked. Maybe it was a bit of an overreaction, because they were hunters first after all. Missions required time. Maybe she was silly for fretting so much, even if her messages didn't indicate it was happening.
Ugh, she wanted to cry again.
"Better than Sherlock," she continued despite being muffled, "it's you."
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 7:26 am
A beat passed without the door opening, without evidence of anybody even walking towards the door, and Gale was starting to wonder whether he was intruding, whether the time apart had been a bad thing after all so early on in their relationship. It was not as if he'd had a choice (Caelius had very definite and oftentimes irritating means of persuasion), but he'd still been gone for almost a full two weeks, and that was a long time when one had just started a relationship.
A relationship that had been mostly him wanting her, but she had already explained that she wanted him back, which was a miracle in and of itself. Gale tried to tamp down on his insecurities, taking a small breath and reminding himself that maybe she was just trying to wake up, or perhaps she was getting dressed, or -
- or maybe she was hurt and having trouble getting to the door, his mind reminded him, and Gale ground his teeth together, trying not to go down that path, because if she was hurt, if she there was something wrong, then -
- footsteps. Quiet and gentle and then the door opened with a small creak and there she was, dressed in what looked like pajamas of some sort. Her clothes were wrinkled and too big, which made her slight frame look dwarfed by them, but it was still overwhelmingly adorable, and for a moment Gale just stared at her stupidly because this was Stormy, this was his girlfriend, the one he thought about way too much about in the space of a day, and he wondered whether he should move forward and give her a hug or whether he would let her move forward first.
But she let herself make the decision for him and then her arms were wrapped around his waist, her face against his chest and Gale, startled for only a second, slid his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly, his own face buried in her hair.
"It's me," he said, and kissed the top of her head, lifting her off her feet a little as he tightened his arms and then set her back down, not wanting to let go.
"I missed you."
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:00 am
Thank God. She buried her face deeper into his chest, inhaling and exhaling quietly. Being lifted was a pleasant surprise, though she couldn't help the small whimper that she hoped was masked by his clothes; her ribs still ached a bit from where the lance had struck.
Going to cry?
No. But she'd have to be careful about it: not often did Deus allow kind things to happen, let alone two magnificent ones in a row. They were safe, they were safe.
"Te extrañé," Stormy mumbled against him. "I missed you, too." And she'd missed being hugged almost as much and was glad Gale had no notion to let go yet. Was it possible to just spend the whole day like this? That would be very nice...
She turned her head towards him so he could hear her better. "Do you need to sit down? Or water or food or something? I have some granola bars..."
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 2:51 pm
He thought he heard her make a sound, but it was difficult to hear when her face was lost within the folds of his coat and his shirt. Gale set Stormy down gently, his hand rubbing at her back, and kept his head where it was, against the top of hers.
She felt so very right in his arms, which, if he thought about it, was a stupid, silly, romantic notion, but he couldn't help feel it anyway, and Gale took a step into the room, walking Stormy backwards.
"Only if you'll sit with me," he said lightly, kicking her door shut with his foot and maneuvering the both of them to the bed. Reluctantly he let go, but it was only to sit down, drawing his knees up and tugging gently on Stormy's hand for her to join him.
"How are you feeling? Is Nevada okay? Did anything happen while I was gone?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:15 am
She was led along backwards easily, step for step like a dance, Stormy thought. A funny little waddle for those reunited. Next, a crab walk! And afterwards, a fox trot to continue the animal theme. Did she still remember how to? She almost wanted to try, but Gale was leading them to the bed and she followed without interrupting.
Although she did wish she had thought to actually do her bed now. The sheets were still partly lifted from when she had awoken multiple times, the crease where they bent almost etched at this point. Gale had caught a glimpse of her room before, of the white walls and pillowed floor. He could now see the desk where several journals were lined up against the wall, a cup full of pens and pencils and a pair of scissors opposite it. The closer door was closed, but her Eeyore slippers were just outside them. Above the door hung a sign that said Smile, it confuses people. In a way the room was spartan like his house was, but less because of utility than it was she hadn't brought much over from her old life and had bought little since then.
The tug was unnecessary: Stormy was already situating herself next to him, trying to funnel her neediness in bits and pieces: sitting by him as opposed to tackling Gale, tightly locking her arms around him, and refusing to let go no matter how hard it was to breathe.
The first question was...simple yet difficult to answer. There were many things she was feeling in that moment, so she quickly parsed them down. "Sleepy," she answered truthfully. "A little tired." Her eyes strays to the bandages wound about her wrists and palms, fresh from the infirmary. "Somewhat cold." She was already rubbing life into her fingers by using his, ignoring the unpleasant tingle they produced in the more burned portions of her skin.
"Nevada's awake, though." Stormy could definitely smile at that, swallowing down tears because, again, she was reminded of the rare and happy occurrence of things going right. "She's recovering...So, ah, good timing, Odysseus~" she added airily. "Penelope's not had any luck with that burial shroud anyway."
Was that an okay joke? She hadn't made a literary reference in what felt like forever--the fight with the witch didn't count--so now things just...slipped out. Bubbled forth more like, for the longer she sat by Gale, the giddier she felt.
Casually slipping past the third question, Stormy decided to prompt him in turn. "How was the mission? Did you get the artifact with or without trouble?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:47 pm
Gale lifted his arm to let Stormy in next to him, settling it down around her waist as she curled up beside him on the bed, turning his head so that he could press a kiss to her forehead. He lingered there for a moment, closing his eyes, and then leaned back, reaching up with his free hand to brush away a few strands of hair.
"I'll warm you up," he teased gently, and curled up closer to her, drawing his legs up against his chest and leaning the side of his face against the top of her head. While two weeks might not have been a long time in the grand scheme of things, it sure felt like forever, and he was only glad that Stormy had not changed her mind while they were apart. He let her slide her fingers alongside his, curving his so that their palms were pressed flat against each other's.
"She is?" Gale lifted his head, smiling. "That is great news, I'm so pleased to hear it."
The Odysseus comment had his lips quirking upwards in a wry smile, though his Death-oriented mind had not missed the fact that Stormy had slipped past one of his questions, which worried him. But he answered her instead, saying, "Well, it was cold. It was some place up in the arctic, but the artifact wasn't an artifact after all." Gale shook his head. "False alarm."
He leaned his head back against the wall, idly moving their entwined hands this way and that.
"Are you all right?" he asked lightly, after a moment, deliberately trying to keep the question as casual as possible.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 3:51 pm
"Mhmm~" Like water, she strove to fill the spaces as he provided them, all but pushing herself onto him; a light shiver went up her spine as Gale warmed her up. "When is an artifact not an artifact?" Stormy mused as she leaned her head back against his arm. "When it's artifake of course~ Sorry you went through all that trouble for nothing."
I could've used you here.
Her eyes swept closed, the sleepy urge kept at bay. "I'm better," she answered with a little smile. "Don't worry about the hands, that's routine maintenance after a charge goes bad; nothing serious, just a few burns that should go away within a few days." And God help her if they left scars, for she would forever be self-conscious of them. "I...forgot to send texts for a few days, didn't I. You weren't worried, were you? I wasn't worried for you since I knew you knew what you were doing." Though two weeks is a little long...
"Anything interesting happen? Did you find yetis?" she prompted. "I went on an arctic mission once and there was a nest in an old base of ours."
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 6:44 pm
One hand rubbed methodically up and down her back in almost automatic gestures. "Artifake," repeated Gale, with a roll of his eyes. "That is terrible. Brilliant, but terrible at the same time. You are quite a piece of work, I hope you realize."
He meant that in the most affectionate way, of course. Gale curled their fingers together more tightly and tried not to look too hard at the bandages he could see around her wrist and arm. They made him slightly sick to know that beneath them were injuries, especially with Stormy telling him not to worry - which, of course, just meant that it had the opposite effect and he was going to worry even more.
"I'm always worried," said Gale lightly. After a pause, he added, "No yetis, just a lot of snow. I was going to bring you back some to make sno cones with, but it didn't quite work out too well, since I figured it would all melt eventually."
Not willing to let her off the hook so easily, Gale pulled Stormy's arm in front of him, holding it carefully so that he could examine the bandages.
"So you went to the Haunted House?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 7:56 pm
She preened openly, hiding a wince behind her smile; Gale was squeezing her fingers a bit too much for comfort, but she wasn't going to complain for a little pain--she ought to be better than that. "That I am~" Stormy hummed, wondering how much of a piece of work Gale knew she really was. "For which I'm not sorry for at all~" Though her last encounter in the Haunted House revealed some things she wasn't as confident about...
"You shouldn't worry so much," she added, opening one eye to look at him. "Worrying just raises blood pressure. Buuuuut maybe we could get snow cones the next time we go off island? Maybe on our date?" Now that was an idea. Coconut snow cone on the beach, all laid out in the sun to tan...She fought the drowsy urge once more, which was easy to do when Gale reverted the questioning on her.
Stormy bit the inside of her cheek as he stretched her arm out for examination, keeping as still as she could; her skin was unblemished now thanks to speed healing, though it was a little red just beyond the bandages. The memories were still too fresh; she wasn't sure she could recount them without having a small break down, or...or whatever it was people had when they weren't sure they knew all about themselves anymore. Identity crisis? But how stupid was that, not knowing yourself or being afraid of it..."I did," she answered simply. "And I came back." She almost said 'in one piece', but that wasn't quite right either. It was more like fragments.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:07 pm
"Yes, and you're a piece of work I hope to spend a very long time figuring out," said Gale, in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. "And you shouldn't be sorry for it, because I'm not sorry for it, and I like you just the way you are."
The sno-cone date idea was very tempting, considering that, a) they still hadn't been on their first official date yet, and b) Gale was still spending a great deal of time trying to think more than he should on their date. Stormy had told him not to overthink things, but it was more easily said than done.
Her forearm was bandaged, the skin slightly reddened at the edges, but he couldn't see any marks - at least not visibly. Perhaps under the bandages, there would be more, but Gale let it go for now, giving a small sigh. Carefully he drew her hand upwards and kissed her fingertips lightly before letting go, leaning his head back against the wall again, both of his hands in his lap.
"You did come back," he said quietly. "But at what cost, is my question."
He turned his head to look at her, his eyes gentle.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, and it was clear from the way he asked it that Gale did not mean in the physical sense at all. However, there was no anger to his voice, no frustration, even, but merely a soft inquiry of concern.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:28 pm
The lance still looked like a piece of work--
She closed her eye, wanting but unable to handle that gentleness Gale pervaded. Her fingers curled at the kiss, curled further when they were let go and could retreat back into her lap. She didn't want to talk about it, not when it was still raw rubbed on her emotions...but would avoiding it only make Gale more persistent, in his need to get information as Death was wont? Or would he back off? She wanted him to not worry because she was already worrying at it like an itch in her mind, and two people worrying over the same problem was just messy and unnecessary...Would talking come across as whining? Would it undo her attempts to assure him she was capable of taking care of herself, thank you kindly?
"No cost," Stormy answered, her smile fading. "I won. She--It didn't even break my shield." As if that would validate anything else Gale might get out of her.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:59 pm
Gale drew one leg up against his chest, resting an arm across his knee as he tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling. His eyes traced the lines in the white tiles, absently counting each of the cracks.
"That's good, then," he said softly. "Y'know, I'm not worried that you can't take care of yourself. I know you're able to handle your weapon and that you're strong - which I've said before, now that I think of it. I know you're strong."
He turned his head to look at her, his eyes gentle, slightly sad.
"I just worry that one day you won't come back. Or that I won't come back."
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