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Salty Dog
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Post by Tempest on Aug 8, 2011 21:04:14 GMT -5
Caroline thought the flickering light was playing tricks with her eyes. Something about Tobias had seemed different, but she really couldn't put her finger on it. He was about as attractive as ever. Potentially problematic.
She smiled at the face he'd made and poured herself some of the vodka. She had to admit that it was a little strange, but she liked the spice paired with the heat of the alcohol. Salud," she replied, raising her own glass. She took a sip, not sure if she wanted to get hammered.
When Tobias apologized, she grimaced and downed the rest of the drink. She was not drunk enough for more of this. She poured herself another before coming up with a response. "As much as I appreciate the apology, Tobias... well, as they say 'Hindsight is always 20-20'. I'm not going to pretend that you didn't hurt me when you pulled that disappearing act, but there's really nothing more that either of us can do about it now." She leaned back on one hand, trying to cope with the collision of cinnamon vodka on mint tea. "The best thing to do would be to learn from what happened and move on with our lives."
She stared at the cards on the table, wondering why he had gone and made the mood all serious. Another moment, another swallow of vodka. "Dammit, I always drink more when you're around." She put her glass down resolutely. "Let's not talk about this anymore, alright? That's all we ever do anyways. Talk, fight, pretend at romance sometimes, then fight again. Let's play a card game before it gets any more predictable."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2011 13:36:41 GMT -5
“Hey, don’t blame me on your drinking,” Tobias said with a rueful smile as he topped off his own glass. He hadn’t meant for what he said to bring the mood down, but then he hadn’t meant for a lot of things. Outside the storm raged on and the candle light flickered in his occasional sigh. “I never meant for my romancing to be pretend.”
Tobias reached out for her hand, but not in the same rough and desperate fashion as he had on the docks. This time his fingers twitched near her skin; uncertain if it was wise to make contact. In the end he let his hand fall on the table beside hers and took another pull from his whiskey glass. With his other hand, Tobias flipped the edge of the cards mildly. “I’ll try to remember the game, but you might have to remind me about things,” he said grinning inwardly at how dirty the names in the game were.
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Post by Tempest on Aug 9, 2011 17:40:55 GMT -5
"Right, sorry. I'll start acting like an adult now." She decided that once the card game was over, she would dump the rest of her glass down the sink. Getting smashed was tempting (especially considering her current guest and the events of the day), but it would be stupid. How many times had she gotten drunk and wound up doing things of a physical nature with Tobias? No, never again. She had turned over a new leaf and Tobias was strictly off-limits.
Caroline shrugged. It didn't matter at this point what he'd meant to do. The romance had been illusory, too easily forgotten by one party or the other when things got difficult. She didn't want to perpetuate the discussion, so she didn't say anything. What was there to say? "I didn't, either, but look where we are now." Or, "Actions speak louder than words. Clearly, we were never meant for something better than fighting and physical intimacy." Or maybe, "How often did we do something nice and good, then ruin it with mean words or distance? Or lying?"
Caroline almost sighed when he reached out... and didn't touch her hand. When she realized her own feelings on the matter, her mouth tightened and she pulled her own hand away and busied herself with the card game. As it commenced, she ran a light commentary on it, just to make sure the rules were clear. "So if a queen falls on a jack, the first person to slap the pile of cards gets the lot."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2011 19:01:29 GMT -5
“That’s the sixty-nine, right?” Tobias asked with a sly grin. He waited for her to make the first move and continued to nurse his drink with slow contemplative sips. Outside the wind picked up and began to howl and the windows rattled. Tobias turned his gaze and saw that the trees were bending wildly and leaves were flying off the branches. He wouldn’t be surprised if the tornado warnings would start sounding off.
He sighed then, suddenly frustrated, still thinking on what Caroline had to say. “Look, I can’t just take that answer from you. I can’t just have you pretend to be as if our whole relationship was a bourgeois concept.” He finished off his whiskey. “I want to be with you! Can’t you understand that? And don’t give me that ‘actions speak louder than words’ rubbish, okay.”
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Post by Tempest on Aug 9, 2011 19:27:35 GMT -5
"It would be an affair." She flipped a card over and placed it between them. A two. Nothing to write home about, unless Tobias flipped over another two. Her cheeks suddenly became hot. There was no way that Tobias had already forgotten the difference between the two. No, no, she wouldn't rise to the bait.
She waited for him to turn over one of his own cards in determined silence. When he came out with an entirely unexpected move (not of the card game variety), she stood up hastily, managing to knock over her drink and put out a couple nearby candles in her rush. The alcohol rushed over the table, carrying some of the cards with it.
"What relationship, Tobias?! We drank, we fought, had sex on a couple occasions, then started all over again! That's not a relationship, it's grounds for having our sanity questioned. Only crazy people do the same thing over and over and fucking over again and expect different outcomes." Her voice was clipped and the sound of the storm was beginning to tune in and out like a finicky radio. She put her hands on her hips. "If you want me so badly, you're going to have to try something different. And, you know, let me get used to the fact that you're not dead before you spring this shit on me. Also, if it didn't occur to you already: a sudden disappearance could be interpreted as rejection."
What the Hell was this?! An episode of General Hospital? If her luck kept running in this line, her parents or a long lost flame would show up and make everything more complicated. She wanted to go for a walk, clear her head, but the weather was too crappy to leave.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2011 21:00:36 GMT -5
Tobias had toppled backward surprised by the sudden turn of events and ended up smacking his head roughly against the floor. He jumped up too, but his first action was to search for paper towels or something he could use to stopper the flow of booze.
“Jesus woman!” he growled as he mopped up the mess. “Could you just take what I have to say without getting worked up? I’m not asking you to act on it.” He stood and pinched the bridge of his nose. Normally would have yelled back and rose to the challenge of a fight but he’d learned a bit of patience living with a bunch of priests.
“I just wanted to be honest.” He strode past her, his shoulder muscles tense, and threw the sopping rag into the sink. The feeling of rejection burned through him and stitched his thin lips tighter. Tobias stormed into the spare room and flicked his bic, searching for his pack of cigarettes.
“Why do you feel the need to push away from me?” he asked, turning on her again, forcing his voice to stay steady. “You know what? Never you mind…I’m sure any retort you have will be biting and unwelcomed if it’s partnered with more shouting.” He wrenched open the door open and sought refuge in the small overhang that protected only half of him from the raging storm. He bent low into the palm of his hand and lit his Woodbine. A small voice reminded Tobias how easy it was to run away, but he was tired of not facing his problems. No, this time he would stay. Even if fighting for a wildly angry woman would only end in chaos.
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Post by Tempest on Aug 9, 2011 22:00:29 GMT -5
Caroline made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat as she watched him leave. There were no words to describe how she felt. Although it would have been easy to use a wave of sound to put out all the candles, she did it by hand since she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep the sound contained.
The lights were out, but she somehow felt that Tobias would be able to find his own way back in just fine.
She banged her shoulder on the doorjamb of her room and sobered a little. Why the Hell was she getting so worked up? Sure, the evening had not gone as planned. However, they had had more explosive fights. Caroline was able to pin it down as she paced blindly in her room. Tobias had made her feel like a bit of an ungrateful jerk.
But she was determined that the feeling would not persist. She had other things to think about, better things to do than deal with the drama that always sparked between Tobias and herself. Brushing her teeth and washing her face were done mechanically while her anger threatened to boil over.
Sleep would be impossible at this point. She sat cross-legged in the center of her bed and closed her eyes. Using familiar paths to her inner power, she began to amplify the sound of the storm so that it surrounded her like a blanket. She moved them around so that thunder rumbled through her fingertips and the rain's sounds came from the ceiling.
At least he's not dead. He might be as infuriating as ever, but he's not dead.
The nerve! Showing up after a year of nothing. What was he expecting me to do after such a statement?!
The sound of wind swirled around the room, but it wasn't enough. Caroline got up briefly to crack open a window. She put a couple towels on the floor for the small amount of rain that would get in, then climbed back into bed to continue messing with the sounds. It took enough of her concentration and energy (it was natural for her to take things to silence) that her anger drained a little. However, a spark of it remained in her chest.
She worked on minimizing the sound of her own breathing and the creak of the building.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2011 20:55:06 GMT -5
By the time Tobias woke up the following morning, with every intention of leaving early, it was still raining hard and there was nothing to do but wait out the weather. He couldn’t do much work in the storm, but afterwards he’d have leaks in abundance. So, he made a cup of hot coffee and watched the deep puddles gathering rain.
He alternated between standing inside and stepping out on the porch to smoke. It was an hour before the rain lit up enough for Tobias to run to the corner store to pick up a pint of milk, bread, beans, and a half dozen carton of eggs. He had gone through the kitchen earlier to realize that Caroline hadn’t been lying to him about how sparse her kitchen was. Normal he wouldn’t have minding, being one to skip breakfast all together, but he had gotten used to home cooking. Now, starving, he hurried through the rain down to the gas station and back, thunder rolling on all sides of him as he traveled.
It took him a little longer than anticipated to find a skillet. When Tobias had been looking for a shot glass the night before, he was sure he had taken a glance at it. Once found, he took the last bit of butter in the fridge and greased up the pan. Hopefully Caroline would see it as a peace offering rather than an odd form of seduction.
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Post by Tempest on Aug 10, 2011 22:05:47 GMT -5
Caroline had subconsciously dropped a layer of silence over her room, effectively drowning out the blare of her alarm. Thus, she woke up a little later than usual and scrambled out of bed only to find that jogging was out of the question. Her dark eyes took in the rain hitting her window as she turned off the alarm clock.
She resolved to hit the gym later (or, if it dried up a little outside, go for a jog in the woods near Foresta), tossing her sneakers and workout clothes into a bag. She also put some of the papers into a plastic bag, then into a satchel, since she needed to start moving her work back to school.
Going to bed angry had her feeling drained. It was as though her morning off (read: day off, since she had not gotten around to doing anything job-related) never happened. Caffeine. The newspaper. Caffeine. Then a hot shower.
No, better make the shower first on my itinerary. That way, I won't feel rushed when I fix tea.
I wonder if Tobias has left yet.
Caroline picked up the wet towels from her floor and closed the window, then draped the sodden cloths over the edge of her hamper.
With all the intentions of going right to the bathroom, she left her room. It took her a moment to realize that she hadn't put down the silent shield yet. Question was: did she want to? Tobias could be awake and about- did she really want to tackle the awkwardness first thing in the morning? With a sigh, she eased up on her powers and heard the sounds of activity in the kitchen.
Her curiosity was piqued enough for her to pad quietly into the kitchen doorway and peek in. Wait, was Tobias... cooking? When had he gotten around to procuring food? Surprise flashed across her features before she carefully forced a blank expression up.
Mechanically, she crossed the kitchen to fetch a mug, fill it with water, and stick it in the microwave (much faster than waiting for the kettle to whistle.) While waiting for the microwave to beep, she offered Tobias a quiet, "Morning." She really couldn't bring herself to look directly at him, so she kept her eyes shut (easy enough- another few hours of sleep would have been incredibly welcome at that point) or trained on the floor.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2011 22:33:28 GMT -5
“Morning,” he responded with a strangled yawn. “How do you like your eggs?” Tobias wore the same shirt as yesterday, as he had left most of his wardrobe oversees expecting to come back to a full closest and not the utter dismantle of a nonexistent life he had continued to pay for. However he was able to find jeans that fit him better so that was something. He had been thinking on all these necessities as he watched the butter melt in the pan, but now that Caroline had made her appearance he was resolute in presenting a positive vibe. An act of contrition even, so long as Tobias wasn’t seen by her with a moody attitude.
Tobias turned the heat down on the stove and tied his hair back into a short pony-tail that ended in a slight curl at the nape of his neck. Caroline was lovely all tussled in the morning and he couldn’t help but smile a little. She could be grumpy with him. That was okay. He liked watching the way Caroline moved, even if it was staccato and unwelcoming and he liked her quiet in the mornings. It kept him guessing and wanting to discover every benign thought she had. Plain oatmeal his mother called it.
Outside the rain was still steady but it was brighter, the light of day had a milky glow. There was no clue to suggest if it would stay this way, but the wind was still strong and wasn’t keen on lighting up. “You know tea tastes better if you use the kettle,” he said, cracking an egg against the edge of the frying pan. Immediately, Tobias realized that the offhand comment could be taken as criticism and he sighed a little. “I mean to say, I don’t mind making you a cupa if you want to pop in the shower.”
The egg sizzled on the pan and he broke the yoke with the edge of his spatula, waiting for her retort and keeping his resolution that however she did so wouldn’t raise his anger. It was an issue he had constantly needed work on and if Caroline had to physically be there to reminded of it, so be it. Some people snapped rubber bands against their wrists. Tobias had the prettiest girl in the world to chew his head off.
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Post by Tempest on Aug 11, 2011 17:59:49 GMT -5
Caroline finally looked at him, but the question didn't seem to register for a few seconds. Then she gave herself a little shake and said, "If you're offering, I'll take them however you feel like making them." A smile tugged at the edges of her mouth as she explained, "It's been ages since I last ate breakfast." She reminded herself that she had gone to sleep angry at Tobias and quickly forced her expression back into neutral.
It was probably good for Tobias's own sake that he clarified his comment about the tea. Caroline was teetering precariously between moods and that was exactly the sort of thing that would have sent her toppling into the "bad" territory. One of her eyebrows shot up when he made an offer she couldn't refuse. This... domesticity was weird. Having an apartment-mate who offered things like eggs and tea was weird. Not unpleasant, but she wondered if there was another shoe and whether it would drop now or later. Or was this the other shoe, a dramatic counterpoint to what had happened last night?
Right, he had not been exactly pleased by what she'd said and done either. And yet... what was with this new attitude? If she had been facing Emilio the morning after a fight, she might have expected something like sugar in the salt shaker and salt in the sugar container. However, that seemed a mite undignified for Tobias. Also, kind of vindictive.
In any case, she was determined not to apologize and not to even bring the matter up.
Finally, she responded with, "Thank you. That would be great." She pressed a button on the microwave and took the mug out, placing it next to the sink before nodding and leaving the kitchen.
What made this all instantly more strange was how easy it would be to allow herself to resume feeling what she had previously felt for Tobias. Even despite with the bad parts, like seeing him kill himself with cigarettes or being unable to do anything when he'd had a heart attack in front of a bistro filled with women who had wanted to jump his bones. Even despite the fact that when she'd telegraphed her feelings for him, he'd gone and repeatedly insulted her (she distinctly remembered the phrase 'Babylonian Whore' being tossed at her), then made excuses for his behavior. She wasn't a saint, some of their arguments had definitely been her fault, but she wondered if she had once been masochistic to consistently go back for more.
It was hard to reconcile that version of Tobias with the one currently cooking eggs in her kitchen.
Caroline shook her head. Both of them had way too much baggage, some of which was shared. "You're not allowed to do this again. It's too damaging on both sides," she muttered to herself as she entered the bathroom.
There was a waterproof radio under the sink that she rarely used, but now was as good a time as any. She turned it on and the news immediately filled the bathroom. Trust politics to make one's own life seem uncomplicated and sane. As she showered, her mood went from a mix of bewilderment and general drama to one of seriousness and tranquility.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 20:37:49 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Tobias continued to fry up the eggs. Quietly he sang Drown in My Own Tears and tried not to think of Caroline in the shower. Instead he focused on the hazy rain and that old Ray Charles song running through him and the cigarette that he would have the moment he was done cooking. His stomach growled and the rain slapped against the window, picking up its speed again. The ceiling by the window was beginning to swell and Tobias made a mental note to get onto the roof later and patch it until he could inform the owner.
The thought of the landlord made him grit his teeth and press down roughly on one of the unsuspecting eggs. Tobias knew that he would lose all since they crossed paths. He slid the rasher onto a plate and then covered it with another to keep the heat in before starting on frying up the beans and toasting the bread. The greasy steam had slightly fogged up his glasses and he took a step back to clean them off.
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Post by Tempest on Aug 11, 2011 21:14:39 GMT -5
Caroline finished showering and, wrapped in a towel and carrying her nightclothes, she darted into her room to get dressed. It didn't take long to slip into a white a-line skirt and charcoal gray blouse. It was just professional enough for her role as Vice Principal, but not overly stuffy (which would be out of place in the library.) She emerged from her room while still braiding her damp hair into a french drape (much like a regular french braid, but a little looser and tucked under at the bottom.) Her mouth quirked into a smile when she thought she heard Tobias singing.
She finished the braid in the bathroom and secured it with a few bobby pins, checking her roots to see when she would have to re-dye her hair. Luckily, they weren't showing just yet. Her eyes cast down, down the scars on her arms. A phantom of her old self-consciousness crossed her face and she pulled out some lotion that was supposed to make things like scars disappear over time.
Caroline didn't wear a whole lot of makeup as a rule, so that part of her routine never really took a whole lot of time. She emerged feeling a bit more awake than she had, and a lot more ready to deal with the world and all its inhabitants.
The smell of the food was heavenly. Breakfast had been a meal she had not missed until now. She smiled, watching Tobias step back because his glasses had fogged up. Those glasses... it hadn't been the hazy light of the night before. Tobias still managed to pull them off better than anybody she'd ever met. "That smells awesome," she said and promptly went to grab cutlery and napkins. She quickly put them on the table in what could be argued were place settings. "One sec. Newspaper."
She grabbed an umbrella from a hall closet and dashed outside. About half a minute later, she came back with the newspaper. Caroline left the umbrella next to the door and brought her trophy back to the kitchen. Something on the radio had been a little worrisome and she'd wanted to check the facts against the newspaper before forming any conclusions. However, she realized that it might look rude if she immediately started ignoring her guest, so she placed the paper (not even taken out of its protective plastic bag yet) on the table. "Did you sleep well? Is there anything I can do to help? With the food, I mean."
Christ, I keep forgetting how tall Tobias is.
Note to self: start wearing heels when he's around.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 21:54:47 GMT -5
He placed the food and milk on the table while Caroline had run out to get the paper and shook his head as he let out a wide yawn. Tobias thought about mentioning how nice her blouse was, but he hadn’t really been looking at the shirt and it wasn’t like he could tell the colour. No, he had defiantly felt more inclined to appreciate it for the way it fit her. When Caroline came back in, Tobias smiled and sat heavily into one of the chairs.
“I slept okay. Still not used to the time change…but there it is then.” The kettle whistled then and Tobias stood to attend to the tea. “You can help me by eating some of it,” he added as he placed her mug now full of wonderfully properly brewed hot tea. As Tobias set down, his knees knocked the underside of the table and he let out a curse.
“So, what do you got planned for the day?” he asked, helping himself to fried baked beans. There should have been bacon. It wasn’t a proper fry up without bacon. Tobias chewed thoughtfully, his mind already back on the next time he’d be able to smoke. The best option would be to take his fill while he was up at the school, working, and that would take the edge off.
Now that was something to be had, no edge around Caroline. It was pleasant and foreign all at once. “I like the way you did your hair, by the way,” Tobias suddenly blurted out. Last night’s sudden outburst flashed through his thoughts and Tobias turned his attention back to his plate. It probably wasn’t the best thing to lay thick the compliments just yet.
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Post by Tempest on Aug 11, 2011 22:36:02 GMT -5
Having made international trips herself, Caroline could understand how much of a drag it was to be jet-lagged. She nodded in sympathy, but didn't really offer anything in that line of conversation. She took a seat with a grin and helped herself to a bit of everything, but first took an experimental sip of the tea. It was good, but too hot to drink without running the risk of scalding her tongue and not being able to taste the rest of the meal. She winced internally when Tobias hit the table (with his knees, presumably, but it wasn't like Caroline had been looking under the table when it happened.)
It was as good as it smelled. Caroline paused after the first bite of egg to sprinkle a little salt and pepper over it. "This is really good," she commented, picking up a piece of toast. "Thanks." In a moment of blind reciprocity, she added, "I get to do tomorrow's breakfast." She faltered, "That is, if you're still here..." She could have smacked herself in the face for walking right into that bit of awkwardness. Who knew if Tobias wanted to stick around after the welcome he'd gotten last night?
She cast her eyes back down to her plate and focused entirely on her meal, if only to not dwell on the rising awkwardness she felt. At least she had a question to answer. "Well... if there's admin stuff to do, I'll do that first. But I'll probably spend most of the day changing the system over from Dewey decimal to Library of Congress. You?"
His compliment took her by surprise and she came close to choking on a piece of toast. Caroline managed to regain her composure and respond, though her response only managed to renew the awkwardness. "Errrr... well, thank you." Oh, for Pete's sake, she was blushing! If she had been seeking to renew their whatever-it-was, she would have paid him a compliment in kind, maybe told him that he was very easy on the eyes. Or perhaps she wouldn't have, since making her feelings known had never really worked in the past anyways. Did that mean that she could freely compliment him now without fear of eliciting a romantic feeling or response?
In any case, thinking about it made her head spin and she kept her thoughts to herself. The food was too good to waste, so she decided to continue eating and try to pretend that there was no surreal air to the fact that she was having breakfast with an ex-something or other, a man she had thought dead only a couple days before. A man who was now a temporary housemate who did things she would never have attributed to his character, like not escalate arguments and cook breakfast the next morning.
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