"It's a special occasion," he says. "You're seeing Jaws for the first time."
"Oh! That explains why you asked about sharks," she says with a laugh, leaning in to Charlie's lean. "I might jump in the theater, though. Lean into your shoulder a little. I can't remember the last time I watched media for fun, rather than academically, and I tend to get a little… immersed." She says all of this while maintaining eye contact with Charlie. Like she's making a promise rather than warning him of anything.
Charlie Speck wrote:
"I'm sorry. That was supposed to be a softball getting-to-know-you question. It's not supposed to be at all stressful. I'm happy to listen to anything about anatomy or biology or theology, but if it's not something you want to share, you don't have to. I can tell you all about my boring parents and my boring siblings."
"No!" She says, then lowers her voice a little, "no. You have nothing to be sorry for. I just always have to be mindful that people I'm talking to don't feel lectured at. It's very easy to assume that someone new to the Strange won't know a lot about worlds other than their own, but… I don't want to assume that and make you feel treated like you don't know things. Does that make sense?"
After the air is cleared there, she takes a deep breath.
"So the fae are creatures of magic and emotion, to boil the explanation down to its very essence. On Ardeyn in particular, the fae that don't leave, they are widely known for myths I'm sure you're familiar with. They're very… free with their love, with their angers, grudges, spite, passion. All of it. Civilized, but still, everything is on the sleeve, so to speak."
As she settles into the explanation, she seems to relax.
"And because we are creatures of emotion and magic, there is… I guess the best way to describe it would be the way we affect the world around us in moments of particular emotional spikes. It's those moments that define us, literally. So, I am of Summer Meadows. I was born on a seven moon rise during Suntide, the second month of summer in Ardeyn. With my emotions comes the warmth of the sun, the thick atmosphere of getting lost in a lush forest, the meadow you come upon to lay down in for a quick nap… or something more intimate." She looks at Charlie again.
"I met Agents from the Estate, I learned about what the Strange was, and what it meant, and I found myself fascinated with it. In order not to overwhelm or distract other students while I was in school, I had to work very hard to keep my emotions in check. Unfortunately for most people, and for humans in particular, they tended to associate my... aura, specifically with sexual arousal. And while that's certainly not wrong, it's not the only kind of arousal. So it confused people, led them to think I wanted something more than friendship. Or it upset people who felt like I was imposing on their free will by 'taking them' where they didn't want to go."
She doesn't shy away from watching Charlie's reaction to all of this information.
"And I didn't mean to do that to you. I suspect that because we seem to be enjoying a very nice connection," at this, the shy smile returns, "that this hasn't bothered you too much yet. But I am doing my best to keep even keeled. It's an aspect of who I am that has been valued, fetishized, rejected, shamed, and enjoyed in the past. And, well," she takes another deep breath, "I like you very much, Charlie Speck, and I hope it's an aspect of who I am that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable."
After she gives him some time to absorb that, she adds, "and I would love to hear about your family, and the life you lived before we met. I don't find those details boring at all. They are the network of happenstance that shaped who you are now."
"What? I came from a conservative garden." She says defensively, "I'd get the spoon if I said anything worse." Then she laughs, shaking her head. "There are some universal constants, I guess."
Charlie Speck wrote:
"Well, here's the good news. It's very easy to get me to go out for dim sum. So any time you want it, it's just a translation away."
She nods enthusiastically. "The Estate offers pretty much anything you could want. But there is nothing like eating the food where it's made from scratch, with real hands."
After Charlie mentions shumai and sesame balls, she heartily agrees with Charlie's assessment through a mouth full of said shumai, choosing not to speak, but instead making happy good-food noises.
Charlie Speck wrote:
"We have some time before the movie, so I was thinking a walk? You're going to have to get your appetite back up for all the popcorn and candy you want to eat." He says this like he's trying to tease her, but there's too much genuine affection in his voice to get more than the mildest sting.
"I'd tell you that I saved room for popcorn and candy, but that'd be a lie. A walk is a fantastic idea. Besides, if I keep eating like this, my wings won't take… wait," her eyes go wide and she stops to stare at Charlie. "I can eat anything. I don't even have wings! I don’t have to worry about lift!"
Another couple passing by give her a weird look, and she blushes, but maintains the grin, all the while lowering her voice slightly. "I'll go a little easy on the treats. I'd hate to have to come back to Earth just to go jogging."
Charlie Speck wrote:
"I hope it's not too forward, but I was kind of hoping you would tell me about Summer Meadows?" he says.
At this question, she leaves her fingers entwined with Charlie's, but she looks mildly concerned.
"I'm so sorry if you've noticed, it's… well normally I'm in much better control of my emotions," she begins by way of explanation. "If you don't mind a very short explanation on fae ah… anatomy and biology?"
Thanks for asking! He is feeling better, and mostly back to his old self. Says he can't quite shake the nightmares.
Speaking of which, how are you after your brush with Lovecraft?
Aleph
No problem at all! I'm happy to tell your group all I know about Karum/Quiet Cabal relations. I gave Kari a bit of a debrief on that already
Sabine
On Earth, Sabine's clothing manages to keep the spirit of her date-night intention. She's wearing strappy, flat sandals and a purple dress cut in handkerchief style. Her hair, lacking its usual colorful streaks, is down, hanging past her shoulders.
"Oh wow," she says in hushed tones, looking around the immediate area. Her grip on Charlie's hand has tightened, and she takes in a deep breath, eyes closed. "It's been a long time since I visited a city. I'd forgotten how much… more it is in cities."
She turns to Charlie with an excited grin on her face, eyes open again. "Yes, yes, and yes to all of that." She gives him a long up-and-down look before giving another shy smile. "You look great, Charlie Speck. Very handsome."
Charlie Speck wrote:
He brings her inside and grabs a table. "Are you a vegetarian? The noodles would imply no, but..." he trails off.
She shakes her head, tilting her nose up almost unconsciously to smell all the smells in the restaurant.
"I um… I observe some rituals before I eat meat," she says, as if unsure how Charlie will take the comment, "but I'm not vegetarian. And those noodles were definitely an accident." She says with a grimace. "I don't suppose those were Earth noodles, were they?" She looks around at other tables, as if a bowl of animated black noodles are going to appear in front of every patron.
Charlie's alien beverage is… strong. But not terrible. The initial taste is a kick in the mouth, but afterwards, it cools to a very nice and pleasant tropical flavor with something like low level poprocks occasionally tickling his mouth. He also finds that this does not seem to be alcoholic, or at least… he doesn't feel the usual burn of alcohol in throat or stomach yet.
Charlie Speck wrote:
"My eyes were bigger than my stomach. Go for it," Charlie says.
Sabine looks relieved as she pushes the noodle bowl sideways, and takes a giant bite of the wrap. She sighs happily, then stops midbite, giving Charlie a suddenly suspicious look. She swallows the bite she's taken before speaking.
"Wait a second… did you order this for me?"
Charlie Speck wrote:
"…but Moira gave me a ton of good tips. Do you know Moira Jackson?"
"I do! Moira is one of my favorite people to work with. Very comfortable in her own skin, and if you ever need to hear a hard truth, you can trust her to tell it. She helped me with a problem I had a few years ago." Sabine says this last bit casually, but there's something else behind it. "You couldn't find a better weapons master at the Estate, I'm glad you worked with her. How often do you tend to use your Paradox gifts vs. cyphers or weapons?"
She pauses. "I'm sorry, I try not to go into research mode, but I spent a little bit of time on this question with a coworker. There are sort of… distinct camps that people fell into after learning about the Strange."
"Before I forget," Charlie says. He reaches into a satchel and produces that silly, touristy model of the Space Needle and slides it across the table. "I got this for you."
"You are adorable. I really love these little gifts." She says with a coy smile and another pink tinge rising to her cheeks. "I'll have to show you where I keep the moon, sometime. In my room, I mean. I mean you don't have to, it's..." her face continues to redden as she speaks, before cutting herself off and tucking the Space Needle carefully into her purse.
Sabine tries valiantly to take her first bite of now-inert noodles, with a little bit of the yellow sauce on top, while giving longing eyes to the pepperleaf wrap.
She takes a bite of the noodles, and Charlie can see it takes every ounce of her willpower not to spit it out and throw the bowl across the room.
"I see why poisonous caterpillars decorate themselves in colors just like this." She says with a scrunched up face. She gently pushes the bowl to the side.
After a few moments of watching Charlie not reach for the pepperleaf wrap that seems closer to Sabine's hands by the moment, her willpower runs out.
"I'm sorry, do you mind if I…?" She gestures to it. "I mean we can order another one for me if you want this one first."
Charlie Speck wrote:
"Well, I don't feel like a hero. In most situations, I'm in over my head and doing the best I can to provoke the outcome I want. I did face down Michael Myers and that's something I didn't know I could do. I wasn't even thinking about it too much. It wasn't until later that I could reflect on it."
"That's a very reasonable reflection." She says with a nod. The silence stretches a bit as she looks at him, and as soon as that meadowscent creeps in, she looks away and blushes again. "First Lovecraft, then Myers." She shakes her head, looking sympathetic. "There's a reason Agents take occasional breaks to other recursions simply for enjoyment."
