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 Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 9:59 pm
Stormy had a vague sense of deja vu. On Halloween Gale had needed to escort her back to her room because she had been almost stumbling drunk, after a small series of annoyances and not nearly enough candy to sate her sweet tooth. Tonight on Christmas Eve, however, it was quite the opposite: she'd managed to get him to consider a pet, the ambient JOY was boosting her mood even with the party behind them, and now she was getting to enjoy a slow, romantic walk in the snow.
"It's been a little over a year now," she said after several minutes of amicable silence, looking to Gale with a bright smile. Her eyes kept straying towards his hair, still adjusting to the new look. "Since we first met, I mean. Time really does go by fast when you're busy fighting monsters and demons, huh?" She swung their hands a little as they walked. "Feel like making a snowdog to celebrate~?"
At least this time there were enough gloves to go around.
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Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 10:51 pm
He'd taken her hand again as they'd left the party, fingers laced loosely through hers, every now and then giving a little squeeze of affection or reassurance or both. It was cold outside, more so than inside, but at least it was quiet here; there wasn't the pounding of music, the cacophony of noise and laughter and foxfires trying to eat your ankles. Out here, it was just Stormy and himself.
It was rather nice, Gale decided.
He turned to look at Stormy, his eyebrows raised. "A year?" he repeated, and blinked. "Wow. It's really been a year?"
It somewhat boggled his mind that it had been so long; it felt like less time and simultaneously like more time. Gale stuck his free hand into the pocket of his slacks and tightened his hold on Stormy's, a laugh escaping his throat and sounding oddly ethereal in the otherwise silent night.
"I'm game for that," he said, and smiled at her. "Just like when we first met."
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Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 1:04 am
"Weird, right?" She laughed along with him, suddenly struck with a craving for that normalcy: where a year would have just been something to celebrate instead of strangely, very, important to note. "Well," Stormy said with a pat to his arm, "this time I promise you'll walk away with both arms just fine! Then afterwards we can go get cozy somewhere until it hits midnight--"
She heard the crunch of snow a split second before someone spoke: "Room for one more?"
The JOY in her system dulled what would have been a less subtle reaction. Grasping Gale's hand a little tighter, she glanced over her shoulder--there Jack was with a few gingerbread men in his hand and what looked like boxers (boxers?) slung over his shoulder.
"Nothing quite like a walk in the cold air," Jack said conversationally as he made his way over. "Keeps you busy, toasty, healthy, head's all nice and clear. Couldn't help but overhear you wanted to build a snowman?"
"Snow dog," she corrected, turning her head forward.
"Ah . . . Like that movie with Cuba Whatsit Jr. you used to like?"
She kept walking.
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Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 8:33 pm
Gale gave another laugh, turning to smile at Stormy, devotion mixed with amusement obvious in his eyes, even in the dimly lit grounds. "I like the getting cozy part," he said, and gently bumped his shoulder against hers, the gestures simple and affectionate.
He might have said something else, maybe something just as cheesy or silly and romantic, but whatever it was became lost the moment the voice behind them spoke. It was like getting doused in a vat of cold water, the cadence and tone of Jack's voice needling into Gale in unpleasant, icy jabs.
"Snow Dogs," said Gale, a quiet correction, stiff and automatic. "Wrong movie. Now if you'll excuse us, we're taking a walk here."
His grip on Stormy's hand tightened slightly, and he quickened the pace.
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:39 am
Stormy gave Gale a surprised glance (she hadn't figured he knew of that movie's existence) as Jack barked a laugh. "So am I!" he replied with unnatural cheer, his long legs helping him keep up. "Fancy that. Let's all take a walk, shall we? Christmas spirit and all that nonsense."
Crunch, crunch, crunch. Every footstep behind her seemed to drain the JOY out just a little bit more. Passive resistance wasn't working, and neither was ignoring him. He always seemed to find a way back into her life after all; not even running to the island had been far enough. Fighting him was tiring, even in the cold war strategy.
She wondered if the ocean had frozen over yet, if there was a risk in trying to cross.
< < You give others too much power, > > Thane derided from the corner whence he curled.
"Fine." The word slipped out before Stormy knew it, before she noticed that her legs were beginning to resist Gale's brisker pace so that Jack could catch up. Today or tomorrow, both were days she didn't want to have to fight; both were days were the key phrases were love thy neighbor and goodwill to man. Maybe she was an idiot to give him a chance, but Stormy decided that maybe one night would prevent future ones--maybe one night, one conversation, would be enough. Second chances were her vice and virtue.
And he knew it.
"Excellent." Jack caught up and hovered at her other side, not touching but certainly the distance reserved for friends rather than exes. "So! New hair dye," he observed, looking past her to Gale. "Shame. Blond really is best, right, Lina?"
"Either or is fine," she mumbled.
"Oh don't be like that." He shook his head at her and clicked his tongue. "You'd think having a life fighting nightmares might give you a little more spine as far as opinions go. Come on then: is it charming, or does it look like someone shat on his head?"
"I think that a person is entitled to do what they want to their body," she replied a little more firmly, though her eyes remained fixed ahead.
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 8:36 pm
The JOY that was still in his system was not enough to conceal the anger and loathing that bubbled beneath the surface of Gale's thoughts. He did not hate people; he had never truly loathed anyone - at least until he'd met Jack Hawthorn.
The JOY was not enough for him to forget what Stormy had told him already. Gale wanted to just pull her back into the building, get away from him, have it be just the two of them, alone, liked they'd planned. His fingers squeezed hers, ready to do just that, but -
"Fine."
Gale nearly got whiplash, his head snapping around to stare at Stormy with unabashed surprise - and, undeniably, a small bit of hurt mixed with confusion that disappeared as quickly as it had come, Gale pressing his lips together silently.
He didn't want to give Jack a second chance. He didn't even want to give him a first chance, and he certainly did not want to spend Christmas Eve with his girlfriend, Jack Hawthorn, and himself all in the same place. It was like a disaster just waiting to happen, a fight waiting to burst free.
"Good thing my hair has nothing to do with you," said Gale, turning to look at Jack. His chest felt tighter than normal. "Also at least my hair doesn't look like a Chia Pet turned upside down. Or better yet, why don't you keep your bloody mouth shut and your opinions to yourself, since all they are is a load of rubbish?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:35 pm
Stormy tried to play off the hurt look like it didn't sting, at best giving him a glance that was far too short to convey what she wanted to say: that Jack was the type to pursue relentlessly until someone either gave him what he wanted to stopped him in his tracks, and that trying to walk away when he was in this sort of mentality would only prolong their suffering. She was hoping this was the lesser of two evils.
"Chia pet? Sheesh. Chill, Harry Potter," Jack said with a look, an implicit aura of smugness emanating from him at the fact that she was giving him attention. "I was just being honest. Great to know you still like second place smartasses, though, Lina."
The hand not holding Gale's turned into a small fist at her side. "You can walk with us if you quit acting like the victim," Stormy stated with a little edge, still tempered by the JOY leaving her system but quickly getting a rise out of Jack's presence. "Tomorrow is Christmas. Can't you at least act a little decent for a day?"
"I am being decent; he's the one acting hostile, even if his insults leave something to be desired. Besides, I'm not attacking your boyfriend's height this time, or his rubbish accent." He wiggled the gingerbread men at them, grinning a little. "Hungry? Or will building a snow dog work up a better appetite?"
"No, thank you."
"Shame. They're pretty tasty." Plucking one of the several in his hand up, Jack bit off an arm and chewed. "How about you, kid? A little snack before we run off and play?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 11:05 pm
He had not wanted to deal with Jack, nor had he wanted to deal with Jack's disdainfully dripping sarcasm and his inability to keep his comments to himself, Gale thought; but now he had to not only deal with him, but try and decipher the mystery that was Stormy. Because it was not Jack pushing to get into their evening and ruin it (of which Gale had no doubt), but Stormy who was letting him in.
Why, Gale thought, and his face was flushed with embarrassment and confusion and anger as he stared first at Jack and then at Stormy, who was doing little to both diffuse the situation and stand up for her boyfriend. Why was she not saying anything? Why was she letting him here in the first place? Why was she not doing anything to dissuade him?
Why?
There were too many questions and too little answers.
" 'Decent,' " said Gale, "is not a word in your vocabulary, nor is it a word in any way applicable to you, Hawthorn."
The "kid" rankled him, scarlet brushing across Gale's cheeks. Abruptly he stopped walking, and his hand let go of Stormy's, Gale moving to stand in front of Jack, his expression utterly livid, in spite of his attempts to stay calm.
"Let's get one thing straight here, Jack," he said, and each word was laden with fury, Gale's eyes sparking. "I am not a kid, and you are not an adult. In fact, I'd say it was the obvious, because you're the one acting like an adolescent incapable of taking his head out of his own arse before he speaks."
He was shaking now, every trace of JOY having ebbed away.
"Get out," said Gale, and the tone of his voice was iron, cold steel in the dead of winter. "Get out, and leave me the hell alone. Find someone else to torment, I don't care, but I am through with your s**t."
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Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:10 am
"Oho! So we're on last name terms," he said delightedly, breaking off the other arm to chew. "At last, I can finally feel like we're getting to know each other."
Stop, stop, stop. She winced as they began to exchange words, her fist (now fists with Gale's withdrawal) shaking at her sides. Stormy had hoped, prayed, that Gale wouldn't have risen to the goads and just followed her example as he had before, short answers and distant tones until the Lifer got bored and left. She'd forgotten just how easily Jack got under people's skin, however, and she felt dread pool in her heart at the idea of them going at it like they almost had at Halloween.
< < His Fear shield would be just as delicious as any other, > > Thane whispered hungrily, and it felt like claws were sinking into her stomach.
Aria said keep a low profile; he could report me, and I can't have another mark on my record.
< < If the fool is so attached, he would not. > >
But violence wasn't supposed to be the answer, not for her. What had violence done to her in the trials? With that witch? With her break down in her room for Gale to watch? The impulse was there, she wasn't so naive as to pretend she didn't think certain things to feel better, that power wasn't intriguing to her--but she wasn't supposed to act on it because she was better than this ghost before them.
But ignoring him didn't work. Giving him a second chance wasn't working. Pretending he didn't exist was no longer an option. Running away would only prove her cowardice. Was attacking really the least damaging of her options?
She hated, hated, hated hearing how cold Gale's tone became, and on an unconscious level became wary and afraid he was capable of that. This was the darkness he'd spoken of in her room that awful and wonderful night. This was what being dragged in looked like.
I don't want you in that darkness either.
"Who says I'm here to torment you?" Jack asked, all traces of humor gone even as his smile remained frozen in place. His posture tensed as if prepping for battle, cold fingers in colder gloves twitching. "We had our little chat and you proved yourself to be a little spitfire, just as you are now. Fun to light a spark under, but ultimately short-lived." He paused, then broke into humorless laughter at the unintentional jab at his height; looked like he couldn't keep that promise for long. "If you're so fed up, how about you leave me alone with her for a few moments . . ."
He trailed away as he looked upon Stormy who had marched up and planted herself between them. "If you want to say something to me, then you can say it now," she said with more courage than she felt, tilting her head to look him directly in the eyes, "and you can leave Gale out of it like he asked."
He waited as if she had just started a joke and was about to get to the punchline. When silence greeted him, he snickered again for want of something to break it and bit the gingerbread's head off.
"Need your girlfriend to fight for you?" A throwaway line, words to buy him time to stare her down and figure out where she was getting the nerve.
Stormy's face became more determined. "Nobody's fighting. Here's your target, so go wild. Nothing you can say'll bother me at this point."
"Is that a challenge?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:21 pm
He could say, with all honesty, that he was not the sort to get riled up easily.
It was well-known, at least to Gale, and perhaps those closest to him, that he was of a serious nature, and most of that seriousness stemmed from a) lack of a proper childhood, and b) recruitment to Deus Ex Machina from a very young age, younger than most everyone on the island. Because of this, he'd had to learn very quickly how to act, what to say, and most importantly, what not to say, which had led to a very swift lesson in learning how to stay calm.
And Gale had practiced this lesson for the past two and a half years, almost three, as long as he'd been on the island. There had been breaks in it, of course; when Ben had died, Bix had "died," when he'd been promoted to full hunter, when he'd learned of other deaths, such as Clarice's.
When he'd decided how he felt about Stormy Ortega.
When he'd met Jack Hawthorn.
There had to be some sort of merit to be gained from managing to keep himself so composed all this time, especially considering his age. Gale had long since lost any desire or expectation of recognition or praise for this particular accomplishment, but it was something that he himself had felt satisfied with; because after everything he had been through, at the very least he could say that, for the most part, he'd managed to go through it all with his mind steady.
Jack Hawthorn was ruining everything he had built up, just wanting to watch it crumble around him and crush it beneath his feet. It had taken all of two seconds for Gale to discern the type of person he was, and another two seconds to determine that he was not strong enough to deal with him, nor did he even know how to deal with him.
But one thing was for certain: he was not going to stand around and let Jack Hawthorn treat him as though he were a child, as though Stormy were some sort of property to be passed back and forth like a toy. All of this was clearly evident by the way that he talked of Stormy as though she were not there, making demands that were not about to be fulfilled. And though Stormy was finally (finally) speaking up, it was doing little to deter Jack.
Gale did not have the arrogance to believe for one second that Stormy was "his - " either of theirs.
She was not a possession.
It was this thought that brought back the calm, that allowed Gale to remember that he was in control of himself, in control of the situation, and that he was, in fact, not about to let Jack ruin the evening that he'd planned to have with the girl he was in love with.
Gale was still standing in front of Jack, who was tall, so very tall that he'd had to tilt his head up to look at him. But being the height he was gave Gale one distinct advantage to the situation, one that he had never really taken notice of before until now.
"Not a challenge," said Gale, and shockingly, there was the faintest trace of smile on his face. "I don't do threats, Jack Hawthorn, and I certainly don't answer to the likes of you."
And with that he jerked his knee upwards as hard as he could straight between Jack's legs.
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medigel rolled 3 8-sided dice:
5, 3, 1
Total: 9 (3-24)
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Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 9:46 pm
Two things happened simultaneously: Stormy gasped and Jack yelped.
There was something to be said about Fear shields, because he knew at least there couldn't possibly be real damage to worry about--that was the thought sustaining him as he crumpled to his knees and bent over, hissing in pain. The boxers he'd received from the party fell to the ground, as did the crumbled remains of the other gingerbread men.
"I-I said no fighting!" Stormy scolded Gale, though it was half-hearted; the rest was taken up still by surprise and a bit of vindication, though she'd never admit it. She reached out to take his hand. "Look, let's just go--"
Something struck her hand away sharply: the tip of a blade. Jack's weapon embedded in the snow shortly afterwards as an anchor to help him up, the once smug look now turned up to eleven.
"No--No, I think he wants to stay," he said as he pushed himself up and above the pain, his free hand embedding fingers into his palm while the other yanked the zweihander out. "Makes a nice Christmas show. The Nutcracker." The laugh that left him bordered along manic at the pun.
Feeling a small shiver go down her spine, Stormy summoned her own weapon but made no move to counter. Jack eyed it with glittering amusement. "Even got matching weapons, wonderful; still a couple through and through, snowpeople and swords. That one looks a bit over-sized for you, though, don't you think, Lina? But then," and he grinned toothily, "I suppose you still like handling them big."
Her jaw clenched.
Jack HP: 40
Attack: 2 for Stormy
Charge: 1/3
Stormy HP: 48
Stormy Defense: 1 for herself wow you two
Charge: LIES (side effect of removing Binding)
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kuropeco rolled 2 12-sided dice:
6, 7
Total: 13 (2-24)
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Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:21 pm
Maybe it was the last remnants of the JOY still floating around the air, but Gale did not regret in the slightest kicking Jack where he knew it would hurt. It was a low blow, perhaps, and not at all mature (childish was the word that came to mind), but either way, Gale felt better about it than he probably should have.
He felt Stormy's fingers against his own, and then they were gone.
The sword whistled past them, between them. Gale turned slowly around, his face still utterly calm. "Her weapon is her own," he said, as he held out his hand. The ring on his left index finger glowed a bright white and then dissipated, the long form of his rifle appearing in its place. "They don't match at all; something wrong with your eyesight, Jack?"
A bullet whistled through the air, followed by another, directly at his leg.
HP: 60
DMG: 7
Charge: 1 / 3
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medigel rolled 3 8-sided dice:
8, 5, 1
Total: 14 (3-24)
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Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 11:25 pm
"You're a nitpicky little b*****d, aren't you," Jack grumbled, wincing through the bullets. Owain was shouting at him to back down, making his head hurt on top of that--but attention was attention, even if it was negative. "Why don't you just ******** sit back down so I can get this over with?"
She'd told him he could "go wild" anyway, so quite literally she was asking for it once again.
Ignoring Gale was perhaps the most ill advised course of action he had taken tonight, but then again Jack just seemed full of those. Feigning a swing to try and get him to back off, he then pivoted and swung at Stormy instead, breaking her defense almost too easily. "If we're going to do this, at least try."
She didn't say a word, only set her jaw again and backed off with her weapon raised. It wasn't much of a defense at all and she knew it, but at least maybe she could goad Jack away from Gale. Or distract him at the very least. She tried to catch his eye around Jack, though it wasn't as if she could engage in silent eye-to-eye communication in these circumstances--
Jack struck out again and she managed to hop to the side and avoid it. "Silence isn't how this deal works, Lina," he growled. "Talk to me. If this is the only way to get you to even ******** look at me, so be it."
"Talk about what?" she asked, eying him warily. "There's nothing to discuss."
"Says the coward who keeps running away. Surprised you're not just going for the hills already; guess murdering someone does give you a bit of spine when it's convenient."
Jack HP: 33
Attack: 8 + 5 = 13-6 = 7 - 1 defense = 6 to Stormy
Charge: 2/3
Stormy HP: 42
Stormy Defense: 1 for herself still going strong
Charge: LIES (side effect of removing Binding)
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kuropeco rolled 2 12-sided dice:
12, 2
Total: 14 (2-24)
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Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:32 pm
"Are you talking about me?" Gale asked blithely, having lost most of the anger and irritation from earlier and instead showing an utter disregard for Jack and his snippy comments. If he was talking to try and gauge a reaction, well, then, he just wouldn't give him one. "Because if you are, last I checked, I don't take orders from a trainee like you."
He wanted Stormy to stay out of it, to not get hurt, and each "Lina" was like a thorn in Gale's side; an irritating reminder that Jack was doing it just because he wanted to cause that thorn. Jinhai made a soft sound of reassurance inside of Gale's head, the dragon curling around lazily.
"Hey."
The gun lifted with one hand easily, Gale directing it towards Jack again. "Pick on someone your own size," he said, and fired several shots while still standing in the same place, his face utterly calm and devoid of any annoyance. "And by that I mean, pick on me and quit acting like the world revolves around you and your unbelievable ego. Which," he added with a roll of his eyes, "is about the same size as the world, so there you have it."
HP: 60
DMG: 8
Charge: 2 / 3Ol-j-man stormy pls ur defense A+ also idk what I am typing anymore lalala
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medigel rolled 3 8-sided dice:
7, 1, 2
Total: 10 (3-24)
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Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:11 pm
Gale's words buzzed like static in his ears, an unwanted witness to what was supposed to have been a private conversation. That's what angered him the most: that she had driven him into something as barbaric as a fight in order to finally get her attention, that someone else had to watch, and most of all that it had to be that one. His ******** replacement.
The more things changed, the more things stayed the same. Everything was still her fault.
"Is that the sort of guy you like now?" he asked her, incredulous. "A yipping brat with a big stick who doesn't understand when he's not wanted? That is who you replaced me with?"
"Replaced? Jack, you were never--" Her words were cut off by another strike, weaker than before but still able to push past her defense.
"Don't lie. Is that what this place made you into? A murderer and a liar?" The manic look melted away into cold anger. "Not you. You were supposed to be better."
He strode forward and took little pleasure in the fact that Stormy backed up.
"So how long have you known this one? Is he another one of your wounded animals you like to tend so that you feel useful? Or did you get past that stage right on to a straight up pet?"
"Neither." Short answers, calm tones.
He swung low. "Liar. You can't help yourself around those sorts. You couldn't with me anyway, and isn't he just an updated version?"
She glanced past him with an inscrutable expression. "Gale, I'll find you later, okay? Please head home."
Jack HP: 25
Attack: 2 - 1 = 1 to Stormy
Charge: 3/3
Stormy HP: 41
Stormy Defense: 2 GETTING BETTER
Charge: LIES (side effect of removing Binding)
kurotomato /hugs you close It's okayyyyy neither do I 8D;
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