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 Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:22 pm
It had been going on for nearly a week now and, sensing its own imminent demise, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. What had been a mild calm was now devolving by the hour, until the capricious wind that had pulled at her curls was on its way to becoming a howl in her ears. The rain came with it, stinging her skin in a wonderful way when it was blown her way, as the clouds overhead went from gray to charcoal. Stormy was standing at the beach and had been there for an indeterminable stretch of time, gazing ahead in a trance.
This was the sort of thing she missed. What she was missing.
Her hands were numb even as they curled deeper into her coat pockets, but she didn't mind. All Stormy could think about was how the beach looked, turbulent and as dark as the clouds above, crashing onto the beach with primal wrath. On and on it kept going, sometimes worse, sometimes more quietly, spewing foam like froth from the mouth; it had its own roar the rival the low rumbling of thunder. This--This was easier to lose herself in, something noisy and more chaotic, just like people could lose themselves in books or in music--both of which were also options to her, but neither which seemed quite strong enough for her needs. Too passive.
Just like she was.
Her stomach rumbled, signalling her to remember how to walk long enough to get something to munch on. One hand still clutched at her phone in her pocket, even though she knew if anyone had messaged her the rumble was enough to be felt through her coat easily. It was precisely why she kept a hold: just to make it something more than a brick, make it the test to remind herself that as cold as her hands were, she could still keep a grip. Don't be clingy, she'd tell herself, but what a farce that was: now, more than ever, was when she felt most possessive.
She turned and began to trudge her way back to headquarters, stepping over a half-hidden bar of soap. Don't be clingy. Don't text.
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:49 pm
Being in the infirmary made Gale Gentry grumpy.
Or at least, grumpier. He supposed a part of it had to do with being cooped up in the same room as a certain other Death Hunter, and another part of it was a direct result of a certain Death Lead. But the last part of it had to do with the fact that he did not like hospitals, he did not like feeling helpless, and he was missing his girlfriend quite terribly.
Several hours after awakening in the infirmary, he sent a text to her:Ol-j-man Text to Stormy:Requesting backup - Infirmary Escape Plan Beta.
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:30 pm
Her mind was set on food food food in a mindless, wordless loop, just remembering what it felt to have something delicious and warm again like she had stayed on the beach for an age instead of maybe for an hour (at the very least). Every motion felt mechanical, and she wondered if that was how some people went through life: like a robot. Some part of her felt horrified at the idea of being eternally gray, but it was a small part tucked away under the layer of cold, wet, and numb.
It was food food food and rain rain rain until she felt the umistakeable rumble of a new message in her hand. A cursory glance was all it took; Stormy changed directions on a heel, and the robotic motions made way for something more energetic, more purposeful.
kuroopu Text to Gale:Sit tight, sunshine, on my way
But Stormy had to pause for a moment and remember herself: and only once she had recollected that she needed to be as upbeat as she normally was, and what exactly that entailed, did she march in. Pulling her hood down (noting wrly that at least her hair was wet enough that being soaked didn't matter), she crept around the infirmary as silently and quickly as she dared. After several close calls and a few wrong choice of cots, Gale was located.
Stormy slunk in and pulled the divider closed behind her, dripping and cold but with a warm smile. "Complete stealth escape was Beta, right?" she asked in a whisper.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 8:26 pm
When Stormy arrived, Gale had only just finished arguing with a medic over telling him the proper dates about how long he and Otto had been out of commission. So far, he'd hardly gotten any straight answers whatsoever, which was annoyingly frustrating - but Stormy's presence, at the very least, helped to dissuade the six-month theory, if only because she did not seem horribly distraught over seeing him again.
"Judging by your reaction, I have most definitely not been out for six months, which means Caelius is just that - an arsehole," he said in relief as she appeared, a smile on his face - though it slipped slightly once he saw that she was soaking wet. "Are you okay? Is it still raining out there? I'm a little, er, disoriented, I think..."
Gale pushed himself upwards into a sitting position, his head spinning a little, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. At the last second, with a small, resigned sigh, he plucked the mystery teddy bear up as well and tucked it beneath one arm, giving Stormy a vaguely exasperated expression.
"Don't ask," he said. "And yes, it was complete stealth escape, thanks for coming to meet me. I just want to get out of this bloody place."
Gale reached out a hand towards her, his smile gentle.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 8:53 pm
"Starting to pour as a matter of fact! I think it's giving its last hurrah, so we better hurry." Are you okay, what a question.
S . . . Six months, though? Why would--? She gave Gale a bewildered look but didn't quite barrage him with questions just yet--that was for later, when her surprising restraint waned in the privacy of their own little world. The fact that he could text in the first place had been a good sign, though it wasn't until he was sitting up did she let out the air she had unconsciously been holding in; at least he hadn't been mortally injured. "Cheating on Leo already?" Stormy asked anyway with a cheeky smile, glancing at his new plush companion with a little wiggle of her fingers to say hi. Most people didn't bother leaving those, though . . . The image in her head was a child left gifts from visitors after a surgery. Maybe there was something more going on than just a simple mission mishap.
Regardless, she now had a task. Was it safe to assume he could sneak out properly? Hmm . . . A capricious light entered her eyes. "Well then! Welcome aboard, Captain Turner~" she said with a grin as she took Gale's hand, polishing her accent. Rather than simply help him out of bed, however, she suddenly dipped down to take a better hold--and then he was held in her cold arms as he had done several times before for her. It was about time to return the favor anyway, stealth be damned.
Though she still believed that plan could be executed like this, just dramatically. That was the excuse to be holding him even at an inconvenient time.
"I'm guessing you want to go back to your house?" Stormy asked, shifting him a little and hoping her wet clothes didn't get too him too soon. "It's kinda coming down bad now, though, so it'd be a real run if you don't wanna get too soaked." Rather than try to indirectly make him choose to stay in her room, however, she looked eager to run back out into the awful weather. A drop of water fell from the edge of her hood and splashed her nose.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:15 pm
Gale glanced at the bear with a grimace. "A present," he said with exasperation. "I can't really blame Mark for it, since he had nothing to do with it (I don't think), but I'm still blaming Mark for it anyway."
He caught Stormy's eye and smiled. "Brilliant, Captain Swan," he said - except he hadn't exactly expected her to carry him like she was, Gale giving a startled intake of breath, his arms automatically gripping Stormy's shoulders, around her neck. They were around the same height (Gale was maybe a fraction of an inch to an inch taller, if he were being generous), so it wasn't like Stormy would look awkward carrying someone bigger than she was.
Still, Gale's face flushed scarlet, and he stared at her with wide, surprised eyes. After a few seconds of soundless gaping, he snapped his mouth shut and sighed, linking his fingers together against the back of her neck.
"I'm good with running," he said, and then leaned his head up and pecked her nose affectionately. "You're mad, I'm hope you realize."
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 11:35 pm
She laughed and grinned so widely at his reaction that it almost hurt. There were few things in the world she could call secret pleasures, and surprising people, especially Gale, was one of them. Stormy preened openly in the time it took him to recover, congratulating herself on a job well done, turning a little pink as his arms came around her neck. "Hopelessly," she replied airily, her nose wrinkling at the kiss. "Hopelessly, irrevocably mad~ Isn't it wonderful?" There was a thrill she couldn't quite explain, not so much because it was impromptu--Stormy sort of lived off of the unplanned--but because it was different even for her. Different to be in control and active, unsure of what she would do next but knowing that at least it was her choice to make when it came. The ongoing storm had created a different sort of commotion within her, not quite stir crazy and not quite Stormy Crazy either: it was something new she wanted to explore.
Good thing Gale indulged her whimsies with patience.
"I'll tell you a secret, though." She leaned in close, hoping to exacerbate his blushing some more as she looked him square in the eyes. "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad. 'But Stormy, how do you know I'm mad?' Easy." The grin came back up as she returned fire and kissed his nose. "You must be mad, otherwise you wouldn't be here with me~"
And with that, Stormy double checked to make sure the bear wasn't going to drop on the trip over, slipped past the divider, and began a brisk walk. It was hardly stealthy, but at the same time the infirmary didn't seem all that busy today. Her boots squeaked a little at first, but then she started to show off just how quiet she'd learned to sneak, how to hit the tile floor with this particular set to eliminate sliding. It was harder of course while carrying someone, but she wielded a heavy class weapon on a normal basis: being encumbered was part of her training anyway.
It wasn't long before they were outside, where the rain had not let up and the wind had grown stronger. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself, pulled Gale closer, and and strode into the storm. "Hope you've got some canned soup still," she said over the rumble of distant thunder. "And tea. Tea sounds nice." The rain pelted them from all sides and the skies looked even more dismal than before--and yet her eyes seemed to light up even under the cowl, more gray than green. "And a working set of tongue and ears and arms," she added, looking ahead as she moved, "because you and I are going to talk a lot again; maybe not right this minute, maybe after you've gotten real rest, but sometime. I love it when we do, even if it's bad news bears." And she knew, at least within this time span, that something would come up; it was why she was striving to head off any unnecessary moping beforehand.
It felt good to be pro-active, if only temporarily.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:21 am
Gale was now roughly the color of a tomato. "Just get me out of here, you mad girl," he told her in exasperation and embarrassment; but there was a note of affection in his voice and he was smiling shyly as she kissed his nose, Gale's fingers brushing against her neck.
He'd known it was cold outside, that it had been storming for days, but it still didn't really prepare him for the torrent of rainwater and wind that assaulted them the moment they stepped out the door. Gale wrapped his arms tightly around Stormy and buried his face against her arm.
"Are you saying that you have some bad news bears to talk about?" Gale said, or rather, half shouted, over the din of the rain. He pushed the teddy bear he was carrying further into his shirt, hoping it wouldn't be too soaked by the time they got to his house. "I don't like bad news bears."
He could see the yellow outline of his home now, a stark contrast to the grays and the muted blues of the rest of the world around them. Gale shifted in Stormy's arms, and said, "I'm good, I'm getting down now!"
Twisting, he managed to roll sideways, out of her arms and land somewhat ungracefully on the muddy ground, slipping a little in the water. Gale stumbled, and his arms went around Stormy's waist almost immediately, half to keep from falling, and half to just give her a proper greeting.
"Thanks for getting me," he said, and kissed her (romantically) in the rain, just so he could say that he'd done it and just because he had missed her terribly in spite of having it only been a few days. Besides, she would find it romantic, and when he pulled back, Gale was smiling.
"Come on!" he shouted, and took her hand, tugging her towards the stairs.Ol-j-man what is even happening with your avi
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:04 pm
"Maybe, maybe~ Maybe it's just good news gophers or no news newts." Maybe she was just talking for the sake of talking, reveling in the contrast of warmth in her arms and chill at her back. A similar delight took her when they spotted Gale's house as a splash of color resisting the gray around, as it always had been to her regardless of the weather.
When he announced he wanted to get back on his feet, he met a mild resistance that quickly folded once he rolled. Stormy laughed again as he stumbled to find his balance and tried to help steady him without falling herself. There were more teasing words on her lips, something about probably being Jack Sparrow in this instance if he planned on walking like that the rest of the way, but they scattered when he kissed her. Gale was right, it was very romantic and had in fact been an idea in her head since she was a child, and she melted into it almost instantly--but it didn't last nearly long enough. The moment she felt him pull away was the moment she whined softly under the noise and reached out to stop him, though it was too late: he was taking her hand and leading her to his house.
"I wouldn't ever leave you," Storm replied as a matter of factly, at first following his lead but slowly beginning to drag her feet. "Not there, not anywhere. Can we stay outside a little more, though? D'you have an umbrella? Or--Or just on the porch so you don't have to get wet?" It wasn't too bad yet in her eyes, even though the wind was starting to get strong enough to physically nudge her and another roll of thunder rumbled closer than before.
kuroopu angry jackcat is angry : DDDD
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 2:06 pm
He knew her well enough to know that she'd appreciate the kiss in the rain, and Gale wasn't disappointed. Stormy was wonderfully romantic at heart, which was half of the reason he was so drawn to her in the first place, and at her sound of protest, Gale leaned forward and pecked her cheek affectionately.
"You're full of surprises and stubbornness today, aren't you?" he said with a laugh as she began to drag her feet. The rain pounded on the roof of the house, noisy and messy. "We can stay outside for a little longer if it's what you want. Why?"
He took a step back off the porch and back towards her, his arms around her waist. Gale smiled at Stormy leaned closer so he wouldn't have to yell as much to try and get her to hear him.
"Two more minutes," he said sternly, as rainwater slid down his cheek.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 2:58 pm
Why? Now there was the rub. How could she begin to explain a feeling she couldn't fully understand herself? "Why not?" Stormy retorted with a grin, immensely pleased when he agreed and happy to reward him with a show of it. But two minutes, damn it, why just two minutes...It was cold and it was wet and it was slowly turning into a hurricane outside and it was perfect. And she just knew the moment they stepped into that house, they wouldn't be going back. Something would happen. Something would always happen. She needed to know so many things, and that always meant trouble in one way or another, but it could wait just a little more...couldn't it? Couldn't she just hold onto this moment, in this rare space of time where she felt useful and needed and alive, where no problems could touch her?
Two minutes. Alright. She could bend time at will anyway, make it stop completely if needed. "Why?" Stormy repeated in a hushed tone, her cold hand curling into the front of his shirt. "Because I need to remember this feeling. I need proof it existed once, that I can do this, that I'm not just crazy but mad." Her hood, plastered to her head from the rain, brushed his forehead as she followed suit and leaned close, their noses almost touching.
"Can you feel it?" Her hand was a gentle pressure over his heart.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:45 pm
It was loud and wet and cold and rainy and storming and Gale had only just gotten out of the infirmary after being there for who knew how long - and yet he sort of, in a roundabout way, understood Stormy's desire to stay outside in the middle of the chaos. It wasn't always clear to him, and he was shivering a little as he stood in front of her, his arms around her waist, but simultaneously maybe he could feel it.
Gale lifted his hand and covered Stormy's where it lay against his heart. "I don't know," he said, his voice almost a shout to be heard over the clap of thunder that cracked across the dark sky. "I can feel a lot of things, but I don't know if what I'm feeling is the same as what you're feeling."
He smiled a little, tilted his head forward so that their foreheads were pressed together, in that special space they had created for just the two of them. Gale breathed in the scent of the water, and of Stormy, and closed his eyes briefly, exhaling a long breath. His fingers linked together against the small of her back.
"What do you feel?" he asked her.
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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:39 pm
It wasn't fair of her to make him stay out there when she had just gotten him out of the infirmary, but he could stand. He could talk. He could smile. There was no real danger of illness thanks to their fast healing, and the storm around them was more bark than bite to her: wind and water and occasional flashes of light. She was getting to talk circles around him, and it was delightful enough that nothing could stop her short of moving her to the house and cutting her off from the source of her state of mind.
"I feel," Stormy replied with a small but childish smile, "like I've learned something I'd forgotten I had. I can be the storm. I can be alive." The word was spoken reverently, leaving her arms tingling. Or maybe that was the water accumulating there. "And I shouldn't feel so--happy? Is that what it is? I feel like I could fly off if you weren't holding on. I shouldn't be happy, not someone like me, not someone who does what I choose to do. But I spend so much time grieving anyway, another minute of this wouldn't hurt--just another minute of untarnished happiness, of the rush before reality comes back in.
"Would you blame me for a little addiction?" Softening for a moment, she tilted her head and pressed a kiss to him, not as impassioned as before but lingering nevertheless. "When all that's left for me to look at are my many mistakes and how badly they've affected others, isn't a need to escape only natural? It's temporary, I know it is, everything is . . ." And then she forgot her train of thought, and what was visible of Stormy's face twisted momentarily into a frown. She tightened her grip above his heart just a little to make herself feel better.
"What about you?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:16 pm
He listened to her - well, as much as he could, over the din of the storm that raged around them; a cacophony of thunderclaps, cracks of lightning, and the sound of the rain as it hit the ground and the roof of his house in a clatter.
"You can feel whatever you want to feel," Gale told her firmly. "Whether that's happy or alive, or storming, or placid, or whatever it is that goes on in your head. Granted, I'd rather you feel alive rather than the contrary, and I'd much rather have you feel like you want to stay with me rather than the opposite - but I might be a little biased in my opinions."
He smiled down at her and touched her cheek, leaning into her kiss with his lips quirked upwards. "Don't frown," said Gale gently - or somewhat gently, since he still had to raise his voice to be heard. "Don't be sad. Mistakes are only that - they're mistakes, you can move past them, they can be remedied."
His grip tightened around her, Gale sighing. He'd forgotten about the two minute limit he'd given Stormy, and now looked upwards, catching a face full of rain in the process. Ducking, he shook his head, spraying water, and kissed Stormy's forehead.
"I feel much better, now that I'm with you," he told her truthfully - albeit a little sappily as well. "I always feel better when I'm with you."
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Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:32 pm
A weak chuckle left her at the forehead kiss. Count on Gale to hit her with the sap she had a soft spot for . . . But for all her earlier bravado and confidence, it was starting to wane now that they had stopped moving. Stormy no longer felt invulnerable: the chill of wind and water was beginning to sink to her bones, just like reality was beginning to seep in. They can be remedied, he said, but she wasn't so sure this one could. But she pulled her lips into a smile because it was important not to worry him excessively, and she had learned from watching people like Nevada how to hid her feelings properly.
Nevada. Her heart fell. Her smile brightened.
"Forgot to mention: if I ever went flying, I'd take you with me, naturally," she told him in an increasingly louder voice as the wind howled, reaching up to wipe some of the rain off his face. "But I bet you'll feel betterest dry and warm~ Sorry for the hold up." It was all just a mad fancy that had no impact on the world anyway, this idea that the storm could baptize. She wasn't better coming out of it, nor really worse for it--it was all, as always, in her head. An excuse.
She needed to stop making those for herself.
Letting go of Gale's heart and taking up his hand instead, she turned them back towards the house and started them up the porch steps. Lightning flashed somewhere behind them, a few seconds later accompanied by thunder. "By the way, you gonna name her, too?" Stormy asked with a little wiggle of their hands towards the bear, commandeering the gender in a motion that was not at all biased whatsoever.
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