[closed] I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

[hyanaimne]

Date & Time: December 12
Location: Winter wonderland of snow and fun
Characters: Tempest and Charlie Dyer
Summary: Someone was missing for a few days. Someone else wants to shake her.
Warnings: None!

[milling around just inside the doors leading to the transporter room, Tempest finds her attention drawn to the floor; idly drawing designs in the slush with the toe of her boot, pushing it around. Not quite a nervous gesture, but almost.

It's been over a year since she's been here, and yet only a few days passed. She honestly does feel cheated; that she spent months wondering if she would ever be brought back, or if she had been kicked out for some reason, and just when Exsilium was no longer on her mind, a blink and she's there. She almost wanted to laugh at the irony.

She pauses moving slush around to glance down at her hand, flexing the fingers with a frown. The cold was making it ache again - nothing new, for her nowadays, but still annoying. She'd have to pick up another pair of gloves at some point. She sighs, and leans back against the wall and forces her attention to the door instead]

Comments

[falla]

[ As usual when it came to go and meet someone, Charlie decided not to go when she was halfway there, so she had ultimately turned around.

She changed her mind another three times before she realized she had walked too much now to head back (this was a lie of course, but if anything it would allow her to finally reach the end).

Now Charlie was getting closer to the transporter with every step, and Tempest's figure had just became visible. Yeah, still in one piece. Sighing (and unconsciously unclenching), Charlie finally got to the transporter room and stepped inside, rubbing her hands together for a moment before looking up, always in that particularly shy way of hers. ]

H-hey.

[hyanaimne]

[Tempest manages a small smile when Charlie finally arrives, her hands disappearing under her cloak and into the pockets of the coat she was wearing underneath. Though she can't help but make a face as the armor she's wearing creaks, just a bit. She'd have to get rid of that soon]

Hello.

[falla]

[ And when she talks, Charlie feels relieved, but also kind of pissed. Angry-pissed-worried, because reasons.

So up goes her arms, each hand landing on Tempests shoulders. She then shakes her, but softly, as if wanting to make sure she's really in one piece. Really there. ]

I was so wo-worried!

[hyanaimne]

[the shaking is unexpected, and as much shows on her face - she doesn't even try to stop Charlie, she's so surprised]

I-I'm sorry?

[falla]

You could h-have gotten killed or trapped o-or something and I- I didn't k-know what to do.

[ The shaking finally ends when Charlie finally takes in Tempest's armor, along the other changes that came from a year or so away. ]

You k-keep getting older...n-now you're two years over m-me.

[hyanaimne]

[she just barely bites her tongue on the "getting killed" thing; been there, done that, she still had the scars from it. And it would be in bad taste to be a smartass about your own, albeit brief death]

I really am sorry . . . [it's a bit confused, but no less genuine]

[falla]

Th-this is...

[ She turns around, muttering the next sentence. ]

Confusing. You make me feel c-confused.

[ She then sighs and turns around slowly. ]

So tell me ab-about it?

[hyanaimne]

[even if it's muttered, that close, Tempest hears it loud and clear]

What do you mean, I make you feel confused?

[falla]

[ Look at Charlie's face getting as red as her hair as she looks away and unconsciously takes a step back. ]

N-none o-of your b-bu-business.

[ Well damn. ]

[hyanaimne]

[and in return, Tempest takes a bold step forward, leaning in a bit]

You cannot say that and then tell me it is none of my business, Charlie.

[falla]

[ So Charlie is looking like she's about to cry more and more by the second.

Two steps back. ]

I d-don't k-kno-I don't know.

[hyanaimne]

[okay crying is a bad thing, and Tempest immediately backs off, holding up a hand]

Okay - okay, forget it.

[falla]

[ Funny thing, Charlie takes a few more steps back, hits a wall and stays there, face still red.

Cue awkward silence for a moment. ]

I'm j-just- just bad w-with people.

[hyanaimne]

[Tempest's lips twist, wry]

I remember. So am I.

[falla]

A-and you are- you are great. You m-make me feel g-great, and I n-never, ever feel like that.

[ Too late to pull back? ]

I'm ju-just a n-nuisance.

[hyanaimne]

[it's way too late. Tempest knows she's staring incredulously, but she can't help it. Who even says that? To her of all people?

But she latches onto the last part and runs with that first - it's easier]

Oh, for—you are not a nuisance. Anything but.

[falla]

[ Well, if Charlie wasn't an emotional mess she would tell her that we seldom have much of a say in the way we affect others. We can try, but ultimately? It's a lot like the lottery. ]

I d-don't know. I'm bothering you ri-right now.

[ She sinks a bit against the wall. ]

Y-you don't need to deal with m-my issues. Sorry.

[hyanaimne]

You are not bothering me!

[it comes out a little louder than she intended, but no less genuine. She'd spent a year and change away from the only place she'd ever had people she cared about, and even if this reunion wasn't going how she pictured it, it was still important to her. Moreso than she thought it would be]

Honestly, why would I agree to anything if I did not want to see you or deal with - [she cuts off and just frees a hand to wave it] It is fine, okay?

[falla]

[ Silence.

A minute later, Charlie snorts softly, eyes glued to the floor. ]

W-went better than ex-expected.

[hyanaimne]

[. . . now she's confused]

What did?

[falla]

Us, t-talking. I thought I wo-would screw it up w-worse. Hug you o-or something.

[ She sighs. ]

I'm j-just not used to this. To ca-care. I barely had to th-think about that b-back home.

[hyanaimne]

[she still sounds confused, but there's some understanding, as well]

No, I . . . I understand. I did not care about much back home, either. [it's a little different now, but family is also another topic entirely]

I did not know hugging would be considered worse, though . . .

[falla]

I'm just-

[ And she honestly has no idea of how to finish that sentence for a moment. She looks up slowly. ]

I know p-people, a-and emotions and relationships but it n-never applies to m-me. So you're- you're confusing, in a good w-way.

[ She blushes a bit again. ]

I don't w-want to touch you without per-permission.

[hyanaimne]

[now it's Tempest's turn to duck her head, idly picking at an visible piece of dust on her cloak]

I do not know any of that, and the only relationships I've known have been a bit terrible. [Maias, always the sore spot] So I guess I . . . am confused by you as well. Also in a good way.

[she snorts, though]

You have permission.

[falla]

Y-you are?

[ Charlie looks at herself and then around, as if to make sure they're the only ones in the room and she's not transparent or something. Then she blushes some more.

A moment later she finally unsticks from the wall and takes a couple of steps towards her. ]

You c-could stick a-around, help me f-figure it out?