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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 6:45 pm
He had tucked the key into one of his desk drawers, a yellow ribbon laced through the hole at the top. It had sat there for the better part of several months now, since he had moved in with Stormy, and he hadn't quite had the heart to just give it away. The little yellow house was still something special to him, in spite of it no longer being his own.
Now, however, it felt strangely okay to pass it along to someone he knew needed it. His home had moved, to be where Stormy was, and that was what mattered to Gale the most. Letting go was easier now, and while he had always been the sentimental type, it felt good to provide help.
Gale tucked the key into his pocket and went downstairs to meet Cami, hands tucked away as well, his hair loose around his shoulders, rather than pulled up this time. The eyepatch was still in place, but it itched, and he was half tempted to try and see without it, to see whether it would make a difference.
"Hey," he said, catching sight of her, just ahead. "Cami?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:02 pm
Cami didn't really know Gale very well past what Otto had said about him from time to time. Oh they'd met before but it hadn't been anything very remarkable. She was hesitant about accepting his offer and had taken almost half an hour to respond to the well-intentioned offer to use his empty house. It was laid out very simply: Pros: A house, not the dorms so away from Otto and Maebe. Her own kitchen, her own living room, where she could hold all kinds of meetings. Even a support group if she were so inclined! Robert was not there to yodel her awake with the force of his mating hour. Cons: Not her own, could be taken away from her whenever Gale decided he wanted it back. She wasn't sure how the lot rules worked. She and Mimsy hadn't really done more than scratch the surface of how they worked when considering a place of her own. In the end she accepted because, as much as she enjoyed living with her sister and brother-in-law, she was a guest. And God he was loud. So with ultimate gratitude she'd asked about a key and where to meet. Hastily she'd stuffed feet in sandals and had gone racing up towards the dorms. Running hadn't been necessary -- she was there almost a full three minutes (she was counting) before Gale showed up. Her smile was brilliant. "Hey!" She thought it was Gale. She didn't remember the eye patch but then...they hadn't been closed and Hunters got damaged fairly often. "You're my hero."
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:13 pm
She looked a little different than he remembered, her hair dark, maybe a little more weary than before, though their last meeting had been relatively quiet. But her face remained the same, and Gale offered Cami a small smile, a little shy, the one he usually reserved for whenever he wasn't quite sure how something would go.
He flushed a little at the compliment.
"It's really no big deal," said Gale, lifting a hand and giving it a slight wave. "I mean, as long as it might help you, I don't mind at all."
He could feel the key in his pocket and gestured with a little nod towards the door.
"I can show you the way and give you a little tour of the place, if you're up for it?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:21 pm
Personal space is a thing. Personal space is a thing. Personal space is a thing.Mantras were useful. They kept her from doing things like throwing her arms around the short blond and hugging him against her chest the way she would have were it someone she was more familiar with. Thinking of everyone she was currently familiar with had her heart constricting for a moment, the convenient excuse of looking towards town letting her hide the moment of pain on her face. "Might help? It's going to be a fantastic help. I don't like being a burden on Mimsy and Robert. They worry about me too much." Not exactly true but, in Mimsy's own way, she was concerned. "Lead on!" Finally, something to be excited about again! She didn't have huge hopes, was prepared to do some work, and relished the distraction. Hell, even if she didn't have to do a damn thing to the place, she was probably going to start working on a home. Then, maybe Gale could let another person move in when she was done with the place and she would have her own. Wonderful! "You moved back up in here?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:39 pm
"I've only met Mimsy once or twice," said Gale, a distinct dryness to his voice as he added, "I have, however, met Robert, and if you're living with him, then, well...I can guarantee that this house will definitely be quieter, at the very least."
He gestured for her to follow. The town wasn't terribly far, and most likely Cami already knew where most of the houses were. The one hundreds were right on the edge, and the little yellow home stood out just a little more than the rest, simply because of its color.
"Yeah, a few months ago," said Gale, as he fell into step beside her. He slid a sideways glance towards her.
"I moved in with my girlfriend," he added, by way of explanation. "I lived in the town for a good year and a half before I did, though, so I know my way around pretty well. It's why the house is in as good a shape as it is, I've rebuilt it from the ground up."
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:49 pm
Oh how their thoughts aligned! Laughter filled some of the empty space between them while they walked down into the town. "You have no idea. I've been sleeping with earplugs and headphones. He's really sweet though so you can't be too mad at him." Not for long, at least. Plus Jasper was letting her catch a nap on his bed whenever she got too tired to go on and his room was quiet enough for real sleep. Mention of rebuilding the house from the ground up earned more animated chatter. "Really? So you probably know all that's needed about rehab. I'm grateful for you letting me stay in your home but I want my own, and I plan to work hard for it. Would you mind me asking you a few questions from time to time?" The little yellow house made her smile and, when she realized that was the one they were stopping in front of, all but clap her hands together. "Oh! This one! I've always loved the color." Cami was easy to please, and maybe that was a bad thing, but there were worse problems to have. Like being homeless.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:01 pm
He winced, more out of sympathy than anything else. "My experience with Robert has been limited to mostly group gatherings," said Gale, alongside a sigh that indicated long-suffering. "And this one time where we were cleaning out a bedroom and he managed to find a stash of..."
His face reddened considerably. "...inappropriate magazines," Gale finished, glancing away from Cami and feeling slightly embarrassed. "At any rate, he's quite the character, I must admit. That loudness of his can be strangely endearing at times, I suppose."
Gale took a side path, winding slightly downward. "A little, yes," he said with another smile. "I redecorated the house a few times, and then I helped Stormy redo our room now, so I suppose I know a little more than some when it comes to at least renovating. And I don't mind at all," he added. "Please do feel free to ask me whatever you'd like."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, taking a small breath before he inserted it in the lock. Gale pushed open the door to the little yellow house, and gestured for Cami to step in first, following soon after.
Inside, it was drafty, the front hallway leading into a small living room and an even smaller kitchen. Everything was as he'd left it, neat and tidy and carefully arranged. The sofa and armchair was still there, as well as a small coffee table.
"I'm afraid there aren't many utensils," said Gale apologetic, turning the key over between his fingers. "I took most of them with me, but I left a lot of the furniture here, since Stormy and I share what she had."
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:14 pm
Though the house was small, it was probably no more than 1100 square feet entirely, it was homey. There was that impersonal feel that made Cami feel a little more at ease about how long she'd be allowed to stay; clearly Gale's personal touches were back at the dorms. He and his girlfriend must have had a solid, agreeable relationship. Considering that air conditioning on the island wasn't something that was reliable the draft in the house would likely be welcome come the height of muggy summer. Already her mind turned over possibilities for where to put her things and what would be too much for a small space that wasn't entirely her own. Lost in her own thoughts it took a minute to register what Gale had said. "Hm? Oh. That's alright! I have some money and leave saved up from just being too busy to spend either of them. I can pick up what I need and take it with me when I'm done." Gnawing pensively on her lip blue eyes looked around. "What's the bedroom like?" Really the most important question; Cami spent more time in bed than she would anywhere else in the house.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:34 pm
He gave a nod, half wondering if he should offer her some money as well, but then deciding that it would probably be considered pitying if he did; and he wasn't letting her stay in the house out of pity, but out of a genuine interest in making sure she wasn't homeless.
"That's why I still have a lot of savings," he said, with a slightly wry expression. "Haven't really had much to spend it on myself, though I'd like to go on a vacation sometime, take a few days off."
He nodded towards the staircase, which was slightly narrow, but not particularly high. "There are two bedrooms, actually," said Gale, starting the ascent upwards. "Both are around the same size, though, one is slightly bigger and it's got a slanted ceiling, that's the one I used to sleep in."
The upstairs hallway was a single path, a door on the left, a door in the middle, and a door on the right. Gale pushed open the door on the right to reveal the main bedroom, which had a window embedded in the ceiling to allow more light to stream in.
"It's pretty airy," he said, glancing around, a feeling of nostalgia settling in his stomach as he remembered all of the time he had spent here, both with and without Stormy. "The bathroom is down the hall, but there's a little bathroom attached to this one too."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:39 pm
Dutifully she followed Gale upstairs, trying to keep her thoughts positive and forward-looking. Cami knew that one of her faults was looking back behind her to pine for what she'd lost or could have had. It was part of the very real issues surrounding her relationship with her mother and part of why she so desperately needed to be needed. Moving through the bedroom and right to the bedroom windows. There she looked out on the town around them, the houses that were repaired and still in need of love, and smiled somewhat bitterly to herself. Maebe had been talking about independence, about 'you time', and learning to be alone. Camille would have all the time and space in the world for that now. One finger idly spun a curl around her finger as she thought about something, anything, that wasn't related to the two people who'd been making her ache. Turning back to Gale her smile wasn't quite real but it was at least there. "Let me know if you ever want to go to the Caribbean or Central America. I know a bunch of great places." And, turning once more to look around, a more honest look of pleasure. "You did a great job with this place, Gale. It really feels like a home."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:24 pm
He wasn't about to press her for information or anything of the sort. Gale had already talked to Otto, knew the basics of what had been going on, and that was enough for him. Specifics weren't important here to him; the fact that Cami needed somewhere safe and quiet to stay was what was at the forefront of Gale's mind.
"I've never been to either of those places," he said with mild interest, catching her smile and returning it with a slight one of his own. "I grew up in Britain, as you can probably tell by the accent, London, to be exact. Spent most of my life there, except for once or twice when I came to the states, and then, of course, here."
He flushed a little with pride. Gale glanced around the room and put a hand on the wall, letting his fingers trail down slowly.
"I was the first of my pod batch to make it to full hunter," he said. "I wanted to prove something, because I was so young, and I wanted a place that I could point at and tell people that it was mine; proof that I had earned something."
His smile softened. "I don't need the proof anymore, but it's still a good home. I'm glad it'll be put to good use, I'm sure you'll do it justice."
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