Drops of Jupiter (Open)

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Doing things alone was something Tak had grown more used to over the past year. She'd never been a social butterfly - she had her acquaintances, and lovers, but nothing that really meant anything. She was ridiculed and slut-shamed on a pretty regular basis, especially since the pregnancy; it was to be expected, of course, and Tak tried to brush it all off, but it still hurt even if she refused to show it.

She'd done a lot of self-exploring and growth over the past several months - giving Tacicala up for adoption, trying to get back into school so she could graduate (even though she was a year late), trying to decide what she was going to do next year. Since the House closed, she needed to find a new job too... There was just a lot of stress that the young woman was dealing with, stress she usually handled alright, but for some reason she was feeling particularly gloomy and pensive today.

Tak found an empty table in the cafeteria and took a seat, ignoring any prying eyes that might have shot her way. She sat proudly, with her back straight and dressed in her normal attire, which was loose and comfortable, but bared a good portion of skin and did little to hide her petite but curvy figure, some of the stubborn weight still clinging on post-baby. Ignore them, she told herself, poking a fork into her pasta and taking a bite. They don't mean anything.

It wouldn't hurt to have a friend, though.

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter Chevalier rarely bothered taking to the cafeteria. Sure, it wasn't so uncommon to catch him there, but it was most definitely a strange occurrence to those who didn't know him.

Standing in line felt ridiculous, especially given all he was carrying was an idle bottle of orange juice. As it stood, nothing in the line captured his attention as it should have; in front of or behind the glass. As he paid for the little bottle in his hands, he promptly turned out of the line and started to walk away. Truthfully, it was impossible not to notice the way people's attention was drawn to someone at the corner of the room. Alone.

People spoke, as they always did. The older twin kept his stride as he headed for the door. But before he got to far, he turned his attention away and instead moved to sit right across the table from the girl he used to know.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Well... That was the last person Tak would have expected to join her.

Her eyes snapped up as the blonde sat across from her, and she paused momentarily, surprised. She set her fork down and studied Carter for a moment, trying to make sense of this sudden appearance. Then,"I wouldn't expect someone like you to grace the cafeteria with your presence." She spoke with genuine confusion, rather than judgement, but the question was there all the same.

She cast her eyes back down to her food and took another bite, still processing the boy's decision to sit by her. "People are going to assume things if you stay here long, you know," she told him, nibbling on a carrot. "So it might be in your best interest to keep this interaction as brief as possible." Was she dismissing him? Or genuinely concerned for his well-being? He could make the assumption. "... It's been a while, though."

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter had yet to actually look at her. He didn't feel like he needed to - of course, he knew who she was. And he remembered what she looked like. Carter's eyes traversed the line of the crowd, his gaze catching on those that stared with intention.

And beyond that, he felt her eyes on him. But he still didn't look. He did, however, raise a single eyebrow. Why was she staring at him?

"Downtown is too far for something so minor." He replied, settling the bottle on the table. Immediately his hands clasped around it, his lips pursing idly at all the attention she received.

Finally, the older Chevalier turned to face her, his eyes looking curious at the words she'd decided to give him. "Have I ever cared?" He asked seriously, "More to the point; have you?" One of the things he'd appreciated about her was her ability to ignore the way people spoke about her. Why would either of them suddenly care about something to trivial.

He supposed for her, it was a little more difficult.

"It has."

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak's brow furrowed at the realization that Carter had yet to look at her, but she shrugged it off and returned to being simply surprised at his appearance. It'd been a while since she'd seen him this close - he was still incredibly handsome (what did she expect?), but she felt... Distant. Like there was some sort of veil between them that needed to be taken down after all that had happened.

"I see," she replied, figuring that was as good a reason as any. She reached forward and took up her own glass, taking a sip of water as she shifted in her seat. She wasn't sure what else to say; she almost felt... Awkward, which was unusual for the usually carefree young woman.

When he finally looked her way, Tak offered a coy smile, and even let out a soft laugh at what he said. "True enough," she agreed, twisting a finger through her dark hair. "If I did, I don't think I could stand to be here." She cast her gaze out over the cafeteria; if she met anyone's eyes, they looked away. Tak sat a little taller, which still didn't do much for her petite frame. "Teenagers can be incredibly rude and cruel." If she had any less willpower, she would have broken way before now.

Tak let her gaze fall back on the boy across from her, features going slightly softer again. She hadn't realized she'd tensed up when she'd looked away. "How are you, then?" she asked conversationally. "You seem... Well."

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter didn't reply. And contrary to her potential vibe, he didn't feel awkward in the slightest. He felt annoyed. Annoyed that people were staring at her.

He couldn't help but offer a slightly amused grin at the coy smile she gave him. It was a look she always wore well. He supposed he had to concede and nod at her response; she wouldn't be here if she couldn't handle it, and teenagers were cruel. "Hadn't they always been, towards you?" He asked genuinely. To his understanding, people rarely stopped speaking about her. Of course he knew the answer. They used to spend a lot of time together before things got so muddled.

Just as her features softened, his did too. Even he couldn't help it when he was given a look like that. "I'm as I always have been." He replied, his lips curling into a smile. Chevalier's rarely changed. "And you? Surely your life has taken a significant turn."

Even at a distance he could tell she was... Different. Changed; and not just by the obvious facts of her life.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak shrugged at his question, casting her eyes down momentarily before looking up again. "I'm sort of an anomaly, I guess," she replied, voice slightly bland. "And people like to talk about things that are out of the ordinary." While she wasn't the only girl at school that got around a lot, she was also sort of a loner by nature, which made her more... What, mysterious? She didn't know. Tak wasn't sure she would ever understand the minds of her peers. "And now, after all that's happened, it just adds more fuel to their fire." She would have been surprised if people didn't talk and taunt. Teenage pregnancies were like the ultimate taboo.

She was glad, at least, that Carter seemed to be alright. "That's good," she replied, smile widening slightly as she took another nibble of her pasta. "Are you... Graduating this year?" She didn't mean it as any sort of nosy prod - she was graduating a year late, so she wasn't one to judge anyone for being later than average.

Tak nodded, a hand dropping to sort of automatically caress her stomach. "You can say that again," she agreed, pursing her lips. "Tacicala has... Well, she's taught me a lot already." While she couldn't take care of her daughter herself, she fortunately got to see her on a somewhat regular basis, which helped things. "It's hard to believe she's nearly seven months old," she breathed. It hadn't seemed that long ago.

[Carter Chevalier]

"We're at a school where people can move the earth like Gods and see spiritual animals." Carter quickly reasoned, the corner of his mouth tugging into something of an amused smile. "In a room like that, what's ordinary?"

Pursing his lips at her question of his graduation, Carter glanced down at the bottle in his hand and twisted the lid off, glancing towards it for a moment longer before taking a sip. Tentatively, he placed it down again. "I believe so, yes. Though where I'll end up after that still remains a mystery." Likely, he'd remain in Pilot Ridge. He hadn't heard much about where Dom stood on the graduation front.

Carter took the name she offered and nodded his head once. So that was how things had ended up. A baby born, and given the fact that she was here, he had to wonder where she ended up. "Tacicala is a perfect name for a daughter of yours." He admitted. How could he not? It fit with her own so well. "Where is she now?" After all, he knew she'd gone home for a time. Perhaps the girl was with her family.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak laughed, tilting her head in acceptance of this fact. "And yet, people still spread average gossip," she replied, resting her chin against her palm. "How is your control on your ability going, anyway?" she asked curiously. She'd hadn't seen terrakinesis in action a lot, but it was definitely an intriguing, and intimidating, power. "I can't help but imagine you being like an earthbender from Avatar," she added with a chuckle. She wasn't sure if he'd get the reference, but it was true.

Tak's sleeve slipped down her arm as Carter considered her question, and she tugged it back over her collarbone before poking into her last few bites of lunch. She peered up at him again as he spoke, giving a short nod. "I'm in the same boat," she said, tapping her nails against the table. "I miss home, but..." Tak sighed, looking down. "I don't know. I don't know if that would be the best place for me to go." Not with Tacicala here, and... Well, what would she do back on the reservation?

"Thank you. It means 'fawn' in Lakota, so... It felt appropriate," given that her name translated to 'doe'. She had hardly even needed to consider it. "She's found a great family to be with," Tak replied, a hint of sadness coming to her smile. "Here in Pilot Ridge, though. I'm allowed to see her sometimes. It's not perfect, but... It's the best for her." Tak wouldn't have been able to provide a stable upbringing for a baby girl. She shot an uncertain glance upward, and slowly spoke,"If you... Ever want to meet her... I can ask." Tak shrugged, averting her eyes again. She had no idea if he would care to, but it seemed polite to offer, considering their history.

[Carter Chevalier]

"That they do." Carter conceded in the end. Average gossip was unavoidable, after all.

When she asked about his ability, surprise coloured his blue eyes. It was rare for someone to ever show interest, much less be genuine about it. "Good. Anger still takes its toll, but I suppose that's to be expected." Terrakinesis was a difficult thing to conquer, and his recent emotional outbursts made it all the more difficult.

"Mmm." He offered the small, simple sound; musing over the thought of his future. And hers in time. "I suppose I have a business to learn to run. Where I choose to study for that is..." His voice trailed away. The answer was clear - he was still uncertain.

He nodded along as she explained the name. With that context in mind, it truly was even more fitting. Realisation caught his eyes when she continued on; she seemed sad for the loss, but truly, she was right. It was what was best for her. The offer to meet her genuinely surprised him, causing his eyebrows to raise. Immediately he dropped his gaze to the bottle in his hands, turning it idly.

"Would you like me to?"

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak chuckled and shifted her elbows on the table, finding herself becoming more relaxed the longer the conversation went on. "I wouldn't know about the anger issues," she replied. "I mean, I understand it, but I've never experienced it. My ability doesn't really take my own emotions into consideration, just... Emotional and physical closeness with the other person, I guess." The more intimate she was with someone, in both of those areas, seemed to have an effect on how strong her ability was to perceive things. Some days it was almost easy to forget she was even meta.

"A business?" Tak asked curiously. If he'd mentioned it to her before, she'd forgotten. "Are you and Dom, ah, doing that together, or...?" She had no idea if it was a touchy subject or not, and she didn't want to pry. If he seemed closed to talking about it, she wouldn't ask anything more.

She wasn't sure what she wanted. Would she benefit in any way by having Carter meet her daughter? Perhaps not, but that didn't need to determine her decision. "Well, I wouldn't want to push you to do anything you don't want to, but..." She shrugged. "She's probably the prettiest little thing I've ever seen." Tak smiled adoringly and added,"But then again, I may be a bit biased." She realized she hadn't answered his question, though. "So... If you'd like to, it would be my pleasure."

[Carter Chevalier]

It was a little clear from the way she moved that she was starting to relax a little. The realisation made Carter feel just a little more at ease. If she wasn't focused on the way people stared, then that was a good thing. "Am I still what you always thought I was?" Carter asked curiously, unable to help himself. She'd once called him a white tiger; he wondered if it still rang true.

He nodded his head when she talked about a business. He never mentioned it for a reason. Not to anyone, really. "The family business. Running art galleries, among other things. Trading, dealing and commissioning." He explained, the corner of his mouth turning into a smile. Though he wasn't particularly fond of the book-keeping side of it, he supposed there wasn't a real choice.

It was strangely enthralling to listen to the way she spoke about her child. It surprised him a little, how clear her adoration was. But he kept that to himself. "I believe I'd like that." He replied after a time, glancing across the table to her with a hint of a smile.

[Takchawee Ominotago]

Tak looked up and caught Carter's gaze for a moment, taking a moment to really study his features, his expression, the vibe that he was giving off from sitting across from her. He'd always been a little difficult for Tak to read, even with her ability; still, there was no denying the elegance, the exoticism. "You seem to be," she said softly. "I would have to spend more time around you to be certain, though." Carter could take it as an invitation, if he so chose - it was the truth.

She listened curiously as he explained the business, tapping absent-mindedly on the table. "That sounds... Like a lot of work," she replied, tilting her head. Not something she thought she would enjoy doing, but she couldn't see herself doing a lot of things. "Is it something that you want to do?" she couldn't help but ask. He didn't seem particularly... Excited about it.

When Carter agreed, though, Tak smiled brightly, obviously pleased. "I can ask the next time I visit if it would be alright," she told him, starting to stand. "I'm sure it would be fine, though. They're wonderful people." She was very, very lucky to have the position that she did.

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter nodded once when she expressed that her initial analysis of him may very well have been true. Still. But the latter part of her statement was what caught him more than anything else. The concept of a potential invitation - he wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to take it. Straightening his back, Carter folded his hands in front of him. "I'd like you to be certain." He replied, raising his eyebrows once.

"It is a lot of work." He reiterated, again with a small nod. But when she asked if he would like it, he felt his mouth pull to one side; not quite a frown, but close enough. "I'm still not sure."

Though really, perhaps that was more an answer than an actual admission.

He raised his eyebrows as she moved to stand up. He supposed that made sense; people weren't staring at her any more. Carter curled his hand around the bottle he had and moved to stand, too. "Let me know what comes of it, then."