Galway Girl [Closed] - Printable Version
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RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 06-14-2017
He could see magic... That made sense. Damn his reasonable requests. She ran a tense hand through her hair, not quite registering that this meant she still had her hat off. She was still considering her response when Evan Jackson pulled a pocketknife out of his desk and sliced the back of his wrist. Bree screamed, there was no other word for it. It was not a screech, or a yelp, or a shout. It was a scream, full bodied and full of alarm. This didn't seem to bother Evan over-much, and he did some stupid blood oath thing or whatever, swearing a rather nice little promise about her coming to harm that was very reassuring and all that but was not her primary concern because blood!!! Bleeding!!! Blood!!!
She practically fell onto his desk as she half-bent, half-lunged to grab his wrist. "What the fuck!" she yelped. "That wasn't! You didn't have to!" He was wiping it off with an antiseptic wipe, and she just! He was way too calm about this; it reminded her of Jean. His calm should have tipped her off that he would be perfectly fine, but all she could register was the pounding of her heart.
"Don't fucking do that!" she exclaimed, clutching his hand with both of hers, bodily bent over with her front half essentially sprawled over his desk. "Fuck!" The cut, not even that deep, was already healing, much as Jean's burns had, but she had yet to let go. Wincing, she ran a finger over the already-sealing cut. "Fucking shit, goddamn, warn me, or better yet, don't cut yourself at all, Jesus fuck," she rambled, voice now a more reasonable volume but still obviously highly distressed.
She glanced up at him, seemingly utterly unaware that she was bent over his desk, holding his hand, and without a hat. Her eyes were full of concern. "You're fine, right?" This she asked despite the fact he was all but fully healed.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - ambientmagic - 06-18-2017
"It was barely a scratch," Evan said dismissively. "Blood is usually a shortcut in magic; if I'd known you would react this strongly I may have reconsidered." He probably wouldn't have, but bygones. He dug around in his desk drawer with his free hand and found a Band-Aid with some cartoon character on it. It was unnecessary, but Miss Bridget hadn't stopped staring at his hand since the knife appeared. Out of sight, out of mind, as they said."Better?" he asked, presenting the bandage for her inspection. "I need two hands to open this, so if you wouldn't mind..."
Really, Evan should have known better. How she'd reacted to his w--to his back showed she was highly empathetic. He should have expected no less. Her brown eyes were so concerned. Wait. He peered a bit closer while she was fussing. One eye was brown, yes, but the other one was a dark blue. How lovely. "You're full of surprises, Miss Bridget," he murmured.
Threatening violence in one moment and melting into sympathy the next. Jumping off buildings and singing old songs Evan hadn't heard in decades. Pure human, but with one of the strongest curses he'd ever seen this side of the rainbow.
Maybe I shouldn't have kept everyone at arm's length for so long, Evan reflected. Not if all mortals are so interesting.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 06-18-2017
"Good!" she exclaimed. "Next time, reconsider!" She didn't like seeing people hurt. And also, she was making a fool of herself, and she didn't like doing that, either. He pressed a band-aid--why did he have My Little Pony band-aids--onto the already pretty much healed injury. He was placating her. She knew he was. Also, she was still holding his hand. She dropped it, flushing yet again. She honestly... did that a lot. "Er, right. Sorry." She rubbed under her nose, mostly to distract herself from the awkward feelings. "And, uh, that should be... fine, or whatever." She cleared her throat. "I mean, I believe you. Yeah. Alright, um, my address." She grabbed a random pencil and a scrap of paper that had something scribbled on it that, nonetheless, was less important than what she needed it for. She scribbled her address on the corner, then, as an afterthought, scribbled "Bree" over it. She didn't know how good fae memories were.
"If all you need at first is to see my other form, then come over Wednesday," she said with a sigh. "No point in putting it off." Two days. That would give her plenty of time to do some research and fae-proofing the apartment. "Sunset Wednesday is attt...." She pulled her phone out of a pocket, and opened an app. "6:40. So come around six. Sunrise the next morning was 6:33. Twelve hours with a fae. Should be interesting, if nothing else.
She glanced up at him, still bending over his desk. "Does that work for you? Walk me through anything else we'll need."
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - ambientmagic - 06-18-2017
Evan looked down at his hand, where Pinkie Pie smirked up at him. Mentally he made a note to take it off by the end of the day and focused on more important matters, like Miss Bridget (or Bree, apparently) writing all over his notes of the efficacy of sunflower oil for treating burns. He sighed, just a bit. He'd been working on that paper for a week and only gotten a few paragraphs done. It could be transliterated, he reminded himself."Wednesday at six in the evening," Evan confirmed. "I'll bring the supplies I require to take samples and make notes, as well as a few other things I might find helpful. Nothing," he hastened to add, "that would be harmful to you in any way, in either form, so long as you don't eat it. I assume you have your own means of communication worked out, but I will see if there's anything I can do to make that process easier on us both as well."
He stood, stretching his tall frame. With Bree still bent over the desk, he towered over her. It brought to mind certain activities that might--Evan put a pin in that thought, to contemplate later. Alchemy first, after all. Time for more frivolous fun later, when Miss Bridget wasn't so... skittish.
"Well, that seems to have worked out satisfactorily," he said cheerfully. "Coffee? My treat."
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 06-18-2017
"I have a tablet," Bree nodded. "And a magnet board, but it's... eh. Touch and go." She declined to elucidate, since the only other thing she could point out was how hard it was to use a touch screen with paws, though she was getting better every day. "Anyway, the stuff you bring shouldn't be an issue, it's not like I go around just sticking stuff in my mouth or licking it. I'm still me, even at night, just--" Oh, he was standing up. She should too. Men kept putting their crotches in her face without thinking about it; she was getting a bit tired of it. Between Jean and this "Evan," she would certainly have her hands full of exhausting terrors from beyond the veil. With the emphasis, honestly, on exhausting.
And now he wanted to take her out to coffee. Her mind flicked back to the second time they'd met; he'd offered then, too. She'd wanted to break his arm. She didn't now, but mostly because she had something to gain from him. And also, knowing his back was... what it was, putting him in pain had lost all appeal. Like kicking someone who was already down.
She sighed. "...Fine. They have some new tisane I was thinking about trying, anyway." It was mango, and utterly free of anything that might harm her. She'd vetted it extensively online. Which she did for most things she ingested. She straightened, stretched a bit. Glanced over her apparel. They were extremely mismatched, between the two of them, but it was just as well. They'd probably look like professor and student, and she'd prefer that to any other misconceptions people might have.
The hoodie just felt silly now that she wasn't going to be beating up anyone, though, so she yanked it off over her head by the hood, leaving her in just her tank top. It was still warm out, by Bree's standards. Well, by Bree's standards, anything over 50 was warm. She shoved her hoodie unceremoniously into her backpack, which was still sitting by Evan's armchair. The sight of the book still in it made her frown.
She'd really have to keep an eye on him.
"Alright," she said, straightening and pulling her backpack over one shoulder. "Let's go have fuckin' tea time in Wonderland, then."
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - ambientmagic - 06-21-2017
"I don't know about Wonderland," Evan said mildly. "I was thinking about the campus coffee shop, myself." He moved over to the door and held it open for Miss Bridget, offering her hat as she walked by him. "I can, of course, glamour your ears if you'd rather not wear it, but I have the sense you prefer headwear." He enjoyed her blush and the furious way she stalked past him and out the building. Evan strode behind her, long legs eating up the ground to make up the distance she'd gained scuttling away from him. He whistled a little tune as he walked, hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts, sandals flipping and flopping against the ground.
He caught up to her just outside the coffee shop and pulled open the door so she could walk in. It was late enough in the morning that the place was bustling, the line full of sleepy undergrads and distracted professors on their way to their first classes. Evan cleared his throat, just loud enough to be heard over the hubbub.
A moment later, a girl in sweatpants sighed furiously and stomped off, the line apparently taking too long. Another wandered over to the bathroom. A professor stepped out of line to make a phone call. A couple holding hands spotted some friends and ran over to them, exclaiming happily.
Less than thirty seconds later, the way to the counter was clear, and Evan waved Bree forward.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 06-22-2017
Bree hadn't noticed her hat was still off. She doubtless would have soon, when the outside air hit ears that had never felt it before, but she was so unaccustomed to having it off that she forgot entirely. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd been uncovered outside her own bedroom, after all. She flushed brightest, vividest crimson, and snatched the hat from his hands, shoving it on his head and practically fleeing out the door, as if he'd belatedly pointed out her skirt was caught in her underwear, or some other such mortally humiliating gaff.
She considered just storming off, but was fairly certain that Evan would follow her, idly wondering which coffee shop she was taking him to. So she just went to the one on campus. She had thought she was ahead of him, but he was holding the door open, having clearly caught up to her at some point. She glared at him for his manners, and then headed in, hands stuffed sullenly in her pockets. Another student's head lifted from his laptop as she entered, admiring the excess skin on display. He got a glare for his trouble, the kind of whithering disgust that could rust steel. He quickly looked back down to his laptop.
It was busy, very busy, as it so often was. Bree projected a sort of air of loathing that kept people from bumping into her, but it seemed Evan had his own techniques. He cleared his throat, and suddenly everyone had better places to be. The line cleared in front of them like the parting of waters for Moses. She glared at him, mostly to let him know she was unimpressed--it was a lie, but whatever--but still walked up to the counter.
"I'd like a shaken berry sangria, venti. Please," she added, almost like it was an afterthought. It had orange, but it shouldn't be nearly enough to upset her stomach. She glanced over her shoulder at Evan, as if if inviting him to order. He'd said he got drinks here for free, or something, but she was thinking now it might be something like him just charming the barista. Either way, she wanted to see.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - ambientmagic - 06-28-2017
Miss Bridget ordered something fruity--ah, that makes sense, caffeine would upset her dog physiology. Evan wondered if that was truly a physical reaction or if it was psychosomatic in nature... How interesting that a curse would have such long reaching side effects. Even if he couldn't literally see the strength of it in her aura he would be--Oh.
Bree was staring at him. Right, coffee. He stepped forward and grinned at Jasmine behind the counter--she was one of his favorite baristas. "Good morning," he greeted her cheerfully. "How's Derrick doing?" He chatted for a moment like he did every morning, feeling Miss Bridget twitch with impatience next to him. Finally, he came around to his order. "The usual, if you don't mind."
Jasmine squinted at him, Sharpie at the ready. "Venti coffee frap with three expresso shots, toffee nut, and raspberry, right?" she confirmed.
"That's right," Evan said cheerfully. "Actually, only two espresso shots today. And extra caramel drizzle?"
Jasmine passed off his cup to Peter and started punching his drink into the register. "That'll be... $14.85 for both drinks."
Evan handed her a crisp bill and graciously accepted his five dollars and change, dropping it all into the tip jar. He ushered Bree to the end of the counter right as Peter called out, "Venti berry sangria and a heart attack in a cup for Evan!"
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 06-28-2017
He knew the barista. Of course he did. Bree didn't feel overly bad for not knowing anyone here, herself; she barely knew anyone on campus. Just professors and a few other people in her major. She wasn't good at faces. Or names. And she was rarely in a coffee shop, for obvious reasons. His regular sounded aptly named as a 'heart attack in a cup,' but also sounded like it would taste terrible. Toffee nut AND raspberry?
She already knew she was going to steal a sip when he wasn't looking. You couldn't dangle something that terrible in front of her and not expect her to go for it. And a single sip of caffeine wouldn't hurt her in the least.
Bree smelled sharpie, weirdly strong, overwhelming the smell of coffee that always permeated this sort of place. She assumed it was the marker, but it had already been capped. Why was she smelling it now? Her nose twitched in displeasure. And why was it so damn strong? Ugh. It wasn't just sharpie, either, it smelled like someone had rubbed basil or something vaguely green--
She remembered, briefly, the bizarre smell of olive oil on the card he'd given her at the library. The way the weed had permeated her nostrils after he'd hidden it. Her eyes narrowed as she followed him towards the end of the counter. With no real warning, she stuffed her hand into his pocket, not bothering to be stealthy. She pulled out his wallet, taking advantage of what appeared to be mild befuddlement. Wallet was a loose term. It was either covered excessively with or entirely made from duct tape. She gave it a whiff, then wrinkled her nose.
Yep. Sharpie. She hoped her glare communicated that she knew what he'd done. She thought she knew what he'd done, mind--she didn't actually, but wanted her glare to be more sure of itself than she was. She wasn't going to make a scene right there in the store, because that would be extremely embarrassing and this was the only cafe on campus.
"You do know what happens to a worker when their drawer is short, right?" she asked, what passed for subtlety with her.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - ambientmagic - 07-01-2017
"Give me back my wallet," Evan protested mildly. "I already left a tip." He held out a hand so Miss Bridget could return it to him. She seemed upset for some reason. Did she--Ah. She was worried about the cashiers. How did she know that he..? It didn't matter for now. "Luckily, drawers are counted very carefully at the end of every shift, and then the money is taken to the bank at the end of the day," Evan informed her cheerfully. "If something comes out incorrectly there, it's a clerical error and not a disaster. The baristas here are very conscientious about making correct change. I wouldn't worry about it." He waved a hand airily, collected their drinks, and flopped down at his favorite table.
The second Bree joined him he hopped back up. "Straws!" he exclaimed. "I forget about those. And have you had breakfast? My treat, as I said." He waved his wallet teasingly at her.
He walked off to the counter to grab a couple of straws without waiting for her answer.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 07-01-2017
Bree kept her eyes narrowed as she handed him his wallet back, her point having been made, and followed him back to the table. An increased understanding of Evan Jackson was forming in her mind. It didn't quite match up with what she thought of fae, in general. But, well, he was sort of, um, a disabled fae? Or something? So he might be weird. "Are you broke and homeless?" she asked as she sat down, what passed for tact from Bridget Corey. She wasn't even sure he heard her, he hopped right back up again to get straws, and possibly breakfast. She eyed the display of food suspiciously. Eating out was a very dicey game for her. "Maybe like a plain bagel or something," she said, as always opting for really straightforward when worried about ingredients. No garlic in a fucking bagel. "And I'm not convinced you're not getting some bank teller in trouble, somewhere," she added, though there wasn't much bite in it. "Though I don't know how you fool anyone; those bills reek of fucking sharpie and... I don't even know. Basil? Do you rub basil on them?" She wrinkled her nose again at the memory.
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - ambientmagic - 07-05-2017
When Evan returned from ordering breakfast (another twenty in the drawer, with the change in the tip jar), he took a moment to take a sip of his coffee and sigh happily before focusing on Bree. "Did you just ask me if I'm broke and homeless and make counterfeit money?" he asked. "Usually I don't get that personal until the second date at least, but if you're curious..."
He started ticking off points on his fingers. "No, I'm not homeless, yes, I suppose I'm 'broke' since I don't have a social security number, which one usually needs to have a job and therefore income. As for the bills, the bank this particular Starbucks uses is owned by a pack of dragon princesses who rip off their customers anyway, so don't worry about it." He held up a fourth finger thoughtfully. "And the smell, of course. Most mortals don't bother with their noses, so I don't worry much about it. Apparently I'll need to be more careful when you're around."
He took a sip of his drink before leaning forward again. "So now I've answered your invasive questions. Is it my turn?"
RE: Galway Girl [Closed] - SolitareLee - 07-05-2017
"This isn't a!" Too loud! People looking! Modulated voices indoors! Seven years and she still fucked it up regularly. "This isn't a date," she said, firmly but at a more reasonable volume. "...Do you go on-- No wait, no, I don't actually need or want to know that," she decided. Broke(n) fae could go on dates if they wanted. "Couldn't you just fake one?" she asked curiously. "Er, not that I'm advocating any major crimes or anything, just seems like... Well, I dunno, actually." She scratched her head, under her hat a little. "The only other guy I know who's 'like you' is so stupidly rich that I'm pretty sure he just sells off another gold bar any time he needs local currency. But all the faiiiii...r folk here live in Brighton, which is a fancy-ass neighborhood, so I just assumed there was some kind of..." She shrugged. "Method."
She took a sip from her own drink, and was pleased to find it was delicious. "You don't have to be more careful," she said with a scowl. "Since that would imply you wanted to trick me, too, and that would be horrible for the slow trust we're attempting to build here." She took another slow sip, glaring at him.
"I already answered plenty of invasive questions from you," she said pointedly. "But if you wanna ask any about my financial or housing situations, knock yourself out, I guess."