Sketching in serenity [Cade]

[Cade Maddox]

"Do I...am I...do you have a headache now?" Cade asked, unable to hide a slight bit of disappointment accompanying his compassion. This wouldn't be the first time...or the second that he caused a girl pain, hardship, or annoyance while being in their presence. And now it was happening again, apparently.

With her laugh came reassurance, and he nodded, with a smile. "Yeah, okay, Elenora it is then. May elegance and serenity follow you, for it fits you." Internally, his heart just became unplugged. Seriously, he skipped beats. He had never said anything remotely close to that. That was romantic. True romantic. No, that was bad. He barely knew her. The last thing he needed was to start sounding like...well...like every character he ever wanted to be. But that was irrelevant. "I mean...it's...uh...you...seem elegant..." NOPE. "You...uh...I...won't forget that name, I mean."

"M-my-you wanna se-I..." Cade's word stumbling reached an all new high. "I don't like sh-I mean I usually don-I can't-" His mouth was broken. The connection of brain to jaw was flooded. No one had ever asked to see his dancing. Ever. A couple of people saw it off hand and maybe said it was neat or okay. More had seen his piano or heard him sing.

"I-you...maybe...I might be able-to-show some bit or other, I guess. I don't take classes. I'm probably not that good really, I-" Cade talked faster now, words flooding out as soon as the brain impulse fired.

When she pulled up her legs, he wondered if she was actually cold too, and took his avoidance seriously. He wouldn't blame her. She-he-they weren't really flirting. Cade was just taking it the wrong way. Yeah, the wrong way. That's all. He was too caught up on the name thing. That's it. There really was nothing.

Then she spoke. Maybe she was...maybe she wasn't. "No...you...I...it's...not awkward. People-don't us-uall-y comment on my...uh...my eyes. I'm glad they look nice...I guess...." Cade bit his lip then cautiously added, "You don't need to be quiet...I...you talk nice." Communication breakdown.

Cade was thinking of leaving. Regardless of what she said, he was probably causing her distress, and he didn't want to cause yet another girl to collapse or something.

[Elanora Brennan]

“No I’m okay, I can control it enough when there is only one or two meta’s around, so no headache” she explained which was true around only one person it was even easier she barely felt the all too familiar pressure from his power on her mind. It was when there were many different powers trying to push their way in so to say that the headaches really started and became a problem.

She couldn’t help the smile that spread on her face as he fumbled over his words in regards to wanting to call her by Elanora. She was flattered by his words about elegance and serenity, sure he back peddled and made her question whether he meant to compliment her in the first place. She decided it probably wasn’t worth worrying herself about after all she had just met this guy did it really matter if he was flirting, or trying to flatter her or whatever she had thought? Well okay maybe it would be nice if he was but no don’t be silly Nora, she mentally scolded herself.

Nora felt a little bad for asking to see him dance sometime she didn’t know it was going to upset him so much and she sat nibbling on her lip as she listened to him try to explain, thinking to herself slightly that she probably sounded a lot like that a lot of the time. “I’m sorry… y..you don’t have too… I…I totally understand if it's too uncomfortable… I’m the same with my drawings… I don’t… well I don’t usually show people either.”

She couldn’t stop herself she laughed lightly as he stammered over his response to her apology, shaking her head lightly. “Your right that was weird… sorry… in my defense people don’t usually comment on my hair either” she blurted out in her talking too fast awkward way laughing awkwardly at her own self. “So… what brought you out here if you don’t like the cold?” she asked curious and not knowing what else to say just then but not really wanting the conversation… if you could call it that to really end just yet, as much as part of her wanted to run and hide under a rock forever. Another part wanted to stay and work through this, get to know this guy and maybe break down some of her walls and his.

[Cade Maddox]

Cade still wasn't sure if he believed her that she wasn't in pain...but experience with girls told him it wouldn't matter if he did or not. "That's good to know..." He said half-heartedly. Next girl he ran into was gonna have some fear of cartoons or something, or be allergic to boys or whatever. That was his luck.

"Can we start with...like piano and then work up to it?" Cade asked with a wince. Her mentioning her drawing did cause a thought though..."And you can draw me and show me your art in exchange. How about that?" He couldn't help but laugh, "If I'm gonna embarass the hell out of myself, you gotta do it too."

Though her reply was quick and haphazard, Cade relaxed ever so slightly. It was awkward, it was bad, but it passed. Maybe they can avoid doing it again. But what brought him out here? The truth? A whole bunch of cartoons that lived in his head wanted him to get out more. Yeah, she may have met the Genie but that wasn't the answer he was gonna give, "Fresh air, exercise, time away from Hammel."

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora while socially awkward had done her share of people watching, sure it was usually to improve her artwork but she could tell from her people watching experience that Cade seemed skeptical about her lack of headache. If the body language wasn't enough his half hearted response made her positive he didn't believe her. "Yep so no pain meds needed today, another reason I like this weather its not as crowded out here" she said looking around her with a smile at the near deserted lake.

Her attention snapped back to him when he mentioned a piano... a man of many talents she thought to herself as she listened to his proposal. Hmmmm it seemed fair really if he was going to show her something personal he liked to do it was only fair she returned the favor right? He fingers found the corner of the sketch book again and toyed with the edge.

"I guess that would only be fair... but... you can't get angry at me if it doesn't turn out okay? I'm not the best at people I haven't practiced enough but it would be good practice to sketch you..." she clamped her mouth shut again she really needed to work on the rapidly speaking thing, though she realized she wasn't stammering quite as much so that was an improvement right?

"I can definitely understand wanting time away from Hammel" she said with a small laugh. She found herself wondering again how old he was? It was hard to tell because people usually attended Hammel until they had a handle on their powers so there wasn't really a cut and dry graduation age as such.

The shock of seeing a blue Robin Williams was wearing off and she was curious about his characters. She imagined if she herself could make characters appear she would never be without a friend.

"It must be pretty great being able to make characters appear, do they hang out with you like friends?" She asked true interest on her features and so intrigued in the idea that she forgot fir the moment her own awkwardness and relaxed some. Leaning toward him her arms coming away from hugging her legs and legs dropping to the ground as she say forward placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands.

[Cade Maddox]

Pain medications? It got that bad? Cade's eyes told more than his words could, giving her a weak smile, "Yeah, I suppose that's as good as reason to get away from people..." Looking at the lake for a moment, Cade tried to picture any place with water that he had seen in a movie that he'd rather be...and that place wasn't coming to him...

"Why don't you leave?" Cade asked, questioningly. Looking back to her, he raised his eyebrows, "I mean, we're talking the largest concentration of metas just about anywhere. Wouldn't you be better...anywhere else? You're in college, right?" Cade trailed off for a moment before adding half-heartedly, "I mean, you're not trapped here."

Though his ears wanted to bleed from her flurry of response, they were too frozen to care, "Same goes for me. I'm not good, or I'd like, be somebody. Be on TV or whatever." He hugged himself in his jacket again, raising one knee. "We can be not good together."

Cade remained silent after that, at a loss for words. This was much further into the conversation than he really expected to go. They were still talking, neither had left. It was cold. Finally, she said something, asked about his characters. "They do-did-well, they used to. Now they just complain when I do see them, and refuse to show up. It's my power, it shouldn't work that way, but they don't come." He wanted to talk about how lonely it had become, but it didn't really feel right.

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora picked at a thread that had come loose from her jacket, doing so with her gloved hand was awkward but somehow the challenge of it felt more rewarding when the thread came away and fluttered to the ground. She looked up when Cade asked her why she didn’t just leave, her look turned thoughtful as she considered her answer. “I would love to leave, but the truth is my mum gave up everything to move us here for Hammel, and well we don’t have enough to be able to make a big move again yet, so I’m stuck here for now.” She said with a slight shrug, the truth was they could probably move to another state within America with little trouble but they both wanted to move back to Australia and that they couldn’t do without some serious savings.

She laughed lightly to herself at Cade’s comment about not being good together and nodded slightly, “That sounds great, I look forward to not being good with you“ she said not even meaning any sort of double meaning but realizing after she said it, that to the wrong sort of ears it could be misconstrued, going slightly red she looked down, she could see he was cold and probably wanted to leave. Her thoughts turned to options, she wanted to keep talking to him but didn’t know how to suggest they move somewhere warmer without coming off like some desperate for company weirdo.

She stopped her internal thoughts again when he answered her question about his characters, she found it interesting how different powers worked, and thought it was strange that his characters had become hard to summon. “That must be frustrating, not having control of your power can really drag you down” she somewhat mumbled knowing all too well about lack of control, “Would you like to go get a coffee or something… with me… warm up from this cold…” she suddenly blurted in a broken unsure way, wanting to stop herself but forcing herself to go on. Although she loved the cold she could see in his body language he was getting too cold and in all honesty she was starting to get a little too cold too, it would be nice to go somewhere to defrost.

[Cade Maddox]

Cade instantly felt bad. She was trapped here. It never occured to him that just because she was in college, she still couldn't afford to move away. Cade knew he wouldn't be able to leave. He was going to be stuck forever in this town. He didn't even know what he'd do. Maybe he could get a job as a waiter or something like that when he finally left Hammel. That'd get an apartment, right?

Though she turned red, Cade just gave her a weak smile. Did she take that the wrong? Did she think he was trying to meet up with her again? Was that it? Maybe it wasn't good to do this. Could girls be that easy to get excited? Was he the one over-reacting? That was far more likely. "Me too..." Cade said cautiously with a slightly higher pitch. Too many movie scenes went like this for his liking.

"Yeah, though I guess you know all about that...believe me. Not talking to them is much better than a constant headache. I'd hate to be in your shoes," Cade spoke nervously and quickly, not wanting to make it uncomfortable.

And then she went and asked him out. At least, that's what he heard. That's what he thought she meant. He stood up like a shot, "Y'know that's great, but uh, I uh..." Cade looked for an excuse before he was slapped in the face with something that wasn't even a forced excuse, but truthful. "I don't drink coffee!" Nervous laughter followed.

[Elanora Brennan]

Nora hadn’t meant to upset anyone or anything but from his strong reaction to her asking him to coffee she knew she had succeeded in putting her foot in it again. She didn’t know exactly what she had done wrong, after all coffee was just coffee to help you warm up and stay awake right? That’s what it was to her anyway, and she felt the need to explain and try and calm him slightly but she could feel the panic rising in herself as well, her instincts telling her to just run and deal with any uncomfortable future meetings if they happened.

She took a few breaths working herself up to responding, she had to stop this running and hiding behavior, it was her new resolution to be more social which meant she couldn’t just run when things got weird… right? Hell she didn’t even know maybe she should write herself some rules for social interactions, she could research it tonight maybe.

“I didn’t mean anything… it doesn’t have to be coffee… you just look cold… I thought… well I thought it might be best to go somewhere to warm up… I’m sorry…” her speech was broken and stuttered and the final I’m sorry was muttered as she gathered up her things and stood turning to go she paused and looked back “It was nice to meet you… sorry to have kept you...” she said before pausing slightly before heading back to the carpark with her head down. Sure she had intended to try and stay and change her behavior but she had in the end reverted back to old Nora who ran when she made an idiot of herself.