I want you in my room (avec Lindsey)

[Tanner Larson]

Tanner was excited, and that was something that didn't happen particularly often. He and Lindsey had been talking about getting together one night and making dinner themselves for a while now, and it was finally happening. This wasn't their first time hanging out; they had known each other since taking a class together a semester earlier. Tanner had been feeling a bit nervous, shy, and all of the usual feelings that bombarded him during awkward social situations like the first day of class. Lindsey sat down next to him, introduced herself, and they started talking, and almost immediately Tanner was feeling a lot better about the whole thing. He always assumed this was just because Lindsey had a naturally charming personality, but after finding out about her powers, he'd always been a bit curious...

Regardless, they had been friends ever since, and this dinner was something they'd been talking about for a while now. And Tanner was pulling out all the stops: they would be making a nice rack of lamb with herb mashed potatos and roasted carrots, with lava cake for dessert. Just thinking about it was making him hungry - okay, he probably should have eaten lunch, but he didn't want to ruin his appetite - and he wanted to have the right setting to match the cuisine. So he bought some nice dishes and utensils - better than the usual stuff he used every day - as well as a tablecloth and cloth napkins, long-stemmed glasses and sparkling cider. This was how friends ate together, right?

He also wanted to look nice - for no reason in particular, really - so he spent a somewhat longer time than usual in the bathroom showering, combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and all that. Lindsey was due to arrive at six, so at that time he made his way out into the kitchen and living space he shared with Scarlett and waited.

[Lindsey Turner]

To say Lindsey was excited would have been an understatement. All day, the only thing she could think about was her cooking meeting with Tanner that evening. Finally, time that they could be doing something fun without fear of Zac complaining about the ingredients, and not doing any of the work. Lindsey often thought of forcing Zac to do the dishes afterward in payment for the food, the way television restaurants did when a customer didn't have money to pay the tab, but she'd never gotten around to thinking about it. No, she wouldn't bring it up tonight either. No Zac talk on their date.

Okay okay, so Tanner didn't know it was a date. Did that make it any less of one? Plus, they'd be eating together in his dorm room. Wasn't that more intimate than doing it at her family house? Granted, it might also have something to do with not cooking for other people. Becca would certainly have demanded a share, and Reece might have as well. Lindsey had been bouncing all day, trying to keep the emotions under wraps. She didn't need the whole world feeling like she felt. Damned meta powers.

Lindsey had promptly gone to get ready after she got home from school that day. Having people around the house, especially one that would definitely try to make her late, forced the girl to budget a lot of time for something that shouldn't take more than an hour or two. Then again, there was always making sure she had the perfect outfit on. And she would be dressing nicely for this dinner. Who didn't dress up for their first date? A nice dress, some pretty earrings that actually belonged to her mother, and a smokier look to her make up and Lindsey was out of the house, ready to cook.

She drove her family's SUV back to the school and wandered through the halls that were much creepier when they were this empty as, she assumed, people had left to go to their own dinners, or were in their dorms, and the teachers were all gone. Eventually, she arrived at the prescribed dorm room and knocked a few times, a smile on her face in anticipation.

[Tanner Larson]

Tanner had decided to turn the television on to give him something to do while he waited, and also so that at least there would be a little background noise while they worked in case there were any lulls in the conversation (and with Tanner, that was always a possibility, especially without someone like Zac to consistently steal the spotlight). He moved into the kitchen, which was adjoined to the living space, and started taking out some of the pots and pans they would need - no sense in waiting for Lindsey to arrive before doing some of that - but it wasn't long after he had begun this task that there was a brisk knock on the door. The boy wasted no time moving to the door and opening it - and if his eyes widened somewhat upon seeing the girl on the other side, then that really couldn't have been helped.

"Wow," he said, a smile growing across his features. "You... look great." He hoped that didn't come off sounding like he thought she normally didn't look great, but... well, she was simply ravishing this evening. The dress, the earrings, and she was clearly wearing makeup - she had definitely spent time making herself look nice, probably more time than he had spent, although he'd certainly put in a fair amoung of effort. "Uh, come on in," he said. It was odd: they'd hung out plenty of times before, but for some reason it just felt a little different this time. The blonde mentally shrugged this off; he was probably just imagining it. "So, the oven's preheating," he said, moving towards the fridge and cabinets to take out all of the ingredients they would be needing - the lamb, the spices, olive oil, potatoes, butter, and all the rest - and placing them on the counter. There wasn't as much counter space as he would have liked, but the table was already set (and, if he'd done a good job, looked nice) so they couldn't use the table as extra work space. "How was your day?"

[Lindsey Turner]

The reaction as the door opened was not one that Lindsey was expecting, but she was certainly pleased by the sentiments. She was glad he thought she looked great. And besides, that was a reaction a guy would have at an attractive girl, right? Meant he found her attractive? Totally. She'd totally take it that way. She didn't even think that it might simply be because she was more dressed up than she normally was when she in class. Not that she didn't wear make up and nice stuff in class, but this was different. She stepped into the apartment with a grin and a slight blush, which would hopefully be mistaken for powdered blush, and glanced around.

Tv on, tablecloth, fine china and cloth napkins? The girl couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in response to all of that. It was like a five star restaurant brought to them. And with the pair of them cooking, it would be a five star meal as well. Finally, she gathered the words to respond to the compliment that had caused butterflies in her stomach. There was one thing to be said about having a power that wasn't illusions like her siblings had. She didn't get butterflies flying out of her stomach every time something (or someone) made her nervous. "Thanks. You look great too."


He'd already mentioned the preheating of the oven, and now that Lindsey had taken in the entirety of the evenings meal plans, she headed over to the kitchen and looked around. "So what are we making." It was probably a dumb question to ask as he pulled out the ingredients and put them on the counter. Lindsey grabbed a knife and glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised again. God he was cute. And he could cook. How perfect was he? "Anything need chopping? Or cutting or whatever? Is there a recipe, or is this a free for all?" She grinned at the thought of a nice freestyle cooking for the meal, though, with all the preparations that were already made, she assumed there would be guidelines.

[Tanner Larson]

Needless to say, Tanner would have toned it down with the compliments had he realized the way in which they were being taken. Not that Lindsey wasn't a perfectly lovely girl - she was attractive, kind, and sweet - but for rather obvious reasons (or rather, they were obvious to him), he simply wasn't interested in her like that. He was completely unaware of any of this, though - especially the fact that this dinner was supposedly a date - and so he allowed Lindsey into his room without a care in the world.

The blonde chuckled at the compliment, raising a hand to run through his hair - sort of a natural nervous habit of his. "Hah, thanks," he said. He always felt sort of weird when people told him he looked good. He knew he was handsome - his mother told him frequently enough - but he definitely wasn't the type who craved, or even just sought, attention, and personally he thought he was just decent looking.

Tanner smiled as he unwrapped the meat. "Rack of lamb with herb mashed potatoes, roasted carrots - and cake for dessert," he said with a friendly wink, nudging the girl with his shoulder playfully. It was strange: around most people, Tanner just simply wouldn't act that way. But most people didn't make him feel comfortable like Lindsey did, so he could come out of his shell a little bit around her. As for the recipe... "It's all up here," he said, pointing to his temple. "Why don't you chop up the carrots and potatos while I dress the lamb?" He said, digging around for his olive oil.

[Lindsey Turner]

Lindsey would be glad that her emotions weren't showing enough for it to be painfully obvious to Tanner how she felt about him. No, that would be completely mortifying. What if he didn't feel the same way? Hell, if Lindsey were paying any attention to her powers, she would have known i was more than that he didn't feel the same way, but that was okay. She could change his mind. Make him like her like that. Without using her powers, of course. She was certain he wouldn't forgive her, and that it was cheating if she made him feel things for her with her power. That wasn't fair to anyone.

Still, the fact that he bumped her lightly made her grin, outwardly and inwardly. That was most definitely flirting. The planned meal for the evening sounded delicious, and Lindsey really couldn't wait to try all of it. Lamb wasn't the most common of meats, but it was always delicious. Was it an aphrodisiac too? It seemed like a date sort of meat, not like chicken or pork or beef. More like veal. Something you order to impress someone with your obviously delicate palate. She nodded at the instructions and glanced toward his temple. "May be a bit difficult to read if it's up there. Got some head covering a few important words." Was that as awful a joke as it sounded to her outloud?

It had been funny in her had, promise. Oh this was a little awkward. Lindsey blushed again at the feeling and turned to the vegetables in front of her, moving her arm into a rhythm with the knife. Yet another perk of cooking here. There was no fear of the threat of a stabbing from her twin sister. Carrots chopped and potatos first peeled, then chopped, Lindsey glanced over at the still playing television in the common area. "So what were you watching when I got here?."

[Tanner Larson]

Tanner laughed; he had a somewhat bad sense of humor, and usually found cutesy little jokes like that to be, well, charming. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't get lost," he said as he rubbed the lamb down with some olive oil before patting it with a mixture of thyme, basil, and a few other herbs he had bought a few days before at Sil's. "'Sides, it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Lamb can be hard; there's a fine line between burning it, and cooking it just right." The last two words were stretched out a bit, and spoken perhaps a bit more softly, as he put the lamb onto the baking sheet, opened the oven door, and slid it all in. "That'll be in there for about a half hour," he said, shutting the door once more. He could have used his power to cook the lamb, but then it would be burnt on the outside and rare on the inside, and that was no good. "Why don't you go ahead and boil the potatoes?" He suggested, gesturing towards a pot that was sitting on the stove as he turned on the faucet to rinse off his hands. "I'll get another sheet for the carrots."

He'd all but forgotten about the television; he wasn't sure why he'd felt the need to have it on, as he and Lindsey usually had no problem finding things to talk about. "Oh, I was just kinda zoning out," he said with a shrug. "I think it was a rerun of Frasier," he said, twisting to get a look at the television, but it was on a commercial. "It's a pretty smart show; I like it."

[Lindsey Turner]

Lindsey was glad Tanner found hr joke funny, even if she didn't when she'd said it. Honestly, he had a way of making her idiotic mistakes and screw ups seem like nothing. And he had a great laugh. That alone made hanging out with him worth it. Lindsey would make him laugh a thousand times if she could just to listen to it. And the way he answered definitely seemed like one of those protective things guys did when thy were flirting. That whole damsel in distress thing. Now, Lindsey didn't think of herself as a damsel in distress, and she wasn't planning on getting lost in the kitchen, but she smiled anyway. "Good to know I'm safe with you at the wheel."

As she finished chopping the potatoes and Tanner gave her the instructions, she nodded lightly and set a pot on the stove, filled with water. "Hey, you want to give me a light? Power practice and all that." She was definitely willing to just turn the heat on, of course, but who didn't want to watch the guy they like literally set things aflame because he was so hot. Oh. Oh god that thought didn't just cross her mind. Oh dear. It was a bonus that Tanner was a pyrokinetic and not a telepath. Oh that would be mortifying. Time to change the subject. She glanced back at the screen as she dumped the potato pieces into the water. "Frasier, huh? Can't say I've watched enough of it to say whether I like it or not."

[Tanner Larson]

Tanner wasn't even sure if he'd ever flirted before. That was just so... not who he was. He always thought of himself as that nervous, lonesome little kid who, for whatever reason, had so much trouble making friends in middle school, and again when he came to Hammel. Sure he had developed into a reasonably attractive young man, but his self-esteem never really caught up with it, so he would never feel comfortable hitting on someone. The very thought would make him want to jump under his covers and shiver himself to sleep.

The blonde was all too happy to comply with the suggestion, lifting his hand casually towards the stovetop and making a small flame appear on the hob. It went out rather quickly, however, leaving just a small line of smoke drifting up towards the hood. "Oh, oops," he said sheepishly, reaching for the knob. "Gotta turn the gas on." He was blushing somewhat, feeling like an idiot - which was, much like flirting, totally unlike him - as he turned it on, creating another flame that, this time, continued burning long after he went back to what he was doing, which was dressing the carrots in olive oil and black pepper. "Frasier's good. It's another one of those 90's-era sitcoms like Seinfeld and Roseanne that were funny but also kinda brilliant. They don't make 'em like they used to." He opened the oven door, sliding the pan ful of carrots in and closing the door before too much heat escaped. "So, uh, we kinda have some time before the potatoes are boiled and ready to be mashed..."

[Lindsey Turner]

Flirting wasn't really a part of who Lindsey was either. Yes, she could recognize it when she saw it, and when she felt it. Well, usually she felt it before she saw it anyway. But she was a believer in true love, and true love didn't flirt did it? Or it didn't take serious effort to flirt. Somehow the conversation was just supposed to evolve and seem like the perfect flirting. Lindsey didn't just go up to random guys she didn't know in a bar and start trying to get them to buy her drinks. And not just because she wasn't old enough to drink either. She just didn't see that as making the relationship special.

Making dinner with a guy, that was special. Heck, it was really special, and really, all of the flirting was just spilling from her. That had to be a good sign, right? It was easy to talk to Tanner. The small flicker made Lindsey smile before the gas was turned on and ignited. Yeah, that would have been a good thing to do before asking for the light. She nodded lightly at the conversation. It made sense that an old show would be good. She had seen Seinfeld, and some Roseanne, and they were good. And nothing was ever as good as what came before it. That was, like, a rule of nature. That was why television shows were always better when they started than when they ended. That was why networks had channels for old shows that were no longer on the air.

"That's very true, actually. I liked some of those old shows. Now everything all seems very... similar." She moved toward the common area at the mention of free time. Kitchens always got warm when stoves and ovens were on, and Lindsey did enjoy getting a breath of air while waiting for things to finish cooking. She smiled lightly and turned back to look at him. "Any suggestions for what we do in the mean time? We could watch the show, or just hang out and talk. Or, I dunno, play a game or something. Or work on something else. I don't have a lot of homework to do tonight though."

[Tanner Larson]

Tanner nodded in agreement. "Yeah, television was definitely better back in the day." Of course, he hadn't really been around to experience 'back in the day' - at least, not in any way that would allow him to remember it fully - but from the reruns he had watched and the older music he had heard, things were definitely better then. "I feel like now most shows just cater to the lowest common denominator," he added with a shrug. "It's just... not as good," he finished with a laugh.

Following Lindsey over to the living room - not really a room so much as a common space that had a couch, table and television - he sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Being with Lindsey was... easy. He liked it. Hell, if he was straight he would probably like going out with her; she just made him feel comfortable, like he could open up a little and enjoy himself, something he didn't really get to do that often. But as for what they would do... the blonde shrugged. "We could watch tv and just, ya know, talk," he said, shrugging his shoulders yet again - this was a fairly typical nervous habit of his. "I don't really have any games," he added. He'd already finished all of his homework, as well; that was usually the first thing he did when he got out of classes. Looking over at the tv, he found that it was again at a commercial, which didn't exactly help.

[Lindsey Turner]

Lindsey was definitely up for some relaxation as the prep for the harder part of the cooking took place. It was nice to get a chance to get off her feet now and again while away from home. Home was more stressful than being at school anyway. As Tanner passed her and plopped himself onto the couch, Lindsey smiled, sliding into the seat next to him, right where he'd pat the cushion. So very close to him. And he was very warm, either from the heat of the kitchen, the heat from his powers, or Lindsey was imagining it just getting warmer. Please just don't let it be blushing.

She nodded at the suggestion of tv and talk due to the absence of games and shifted to look at him better. "Well alright. We'll have to talk as the commercial plays. So what made you pick lamb? Any special reason?" What an awful conversation starter. Who discussed the meat they were cooking and the reason for picking it? Date or not, that was a lame question to ask. She blushed a bit and shook her head. "You know... nevermind. You don't have to answer that. Stupid question. Been a long day, you know?"

[Tanner Larson]

Tanner was smiling: he liked spending time with Lindsey. She was basically his only friend who didn't start drama or tease him or make him feel uncomfortable. Well, Morgana was the same way, but he didn't know her too well yet. Actually, come to think of it, it was really just the guys who would poke fun at him, or snuggle up to him in ways that made him feel strangely - his female friends never did that stuff. The more he thought about it, the more hea realized he was really spending the most of his time with the wrong people entirely. But this was nice: just him and Lindsey having dinner together. None of the stress of having to entertain Robbie or deal with Zac's gags or anything else.

The blonde laughed as Lindsey stumbled. "Nah, it's not stupid. I chose lamb 'cause... hmm... well I was watching a cooking show where they made it, and it looked really good. So I found a recipe online and it didn't seem too hard, but it was something I never tried before. Then I went to Sil's and they had all the right spices and everything. So it worked out." He shrugged his shoulders; ask a geeky question, get a geeky answer, he supposed. His smile faded a bit. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, moving his arm closest to her so that it was around the back of the couch, although not directly touching her. "You seem, I dunno... tense or something." He wasn't great at reading people usually, but it was positively radiating off of her at the moment, which was a shame because she looked terrific otherwise. Pretty girls like her should be more confident. And she smelled good, too; was she wearing perfume? Just another thing to add to the long list of things Tanner would never say aloud.

[Lindsey Turner]

Lindsey definitely relaxed a little when Tanner actually answered her question. He really didn't need to, but the fact that he wasn't put off (or turned off) by the mere presence of the question in the conversation put her mind at ease quite a bit. At least on that front. She was still nervous. There was a large difference between cooking after school with Zac screeching at them to get things perfect. That was stressful but it didn't compare at all to cooking alone at night. Making dinner. No, scratch that. Making a romantic dinner in a mood setting. With bedrooms maybe twenty yards away.

Nerves peaked as the boy mentioned her seeming tense, and Lindsey's eyes widened. Dear god no. He couldn't know. Quietly, she focused on trying to rein in her power to keep any of the tension she was feeling from affecting, well anything, but mostly him. Then came the conscious effort to take smooth, silent, yet deep calming breaths. Without Tanner noticing. She had no idea how weird she looked, and she didn't care. All that mattered was him not knowing that she was nervous about tonight. (Because obviously trying to calm down doesn't send up red flags that you're nervous or anything.)

Eventually she shook her head lightly and smiled at him, relaxing a bit into the cushion toward the arm that was basically wrapped around her -- or so she felt. "Uhh no. No I'm not tense. I don't think I'm tense. Are you tense? I mean there's that test coming out that I guess might be a little bit tense but no, I'm pretty sure I'm not tense at all. Doesn't the word 'tense' sound awfully weird to you? Or maybe it's just me I guess. I should probably stop before I make this worse."

[Tanner Larson]

It certainly didn't take any sort of supernatural capabilities to determine that Lindsey was anxious about something. After all, the girl was simply radiating nerves: the rambling, the awkwardness, the nervous laughter - something clearly wasn't right, and Tanner was at least somewhat determined to find out what that was (somewhat, of course, because he was aware that it was probably none of his business and had absolutely nothing to do with him, so he wouldn't pry). Her rambling answer was somewhat amusing, and he smiled a bit at the other's quirky behavior, but this only made him feel more certain than ever that something was amiss. "Yeah, you definitely don't seem tense at all," he said sarcastically, lips spreading into a grin. "Come on, is something up? You can tell me." He liked to think they were very good friends, so while he wasn't exactly the most socially graceful, he was a good listener and would help in whatever way he could. And if it was, in fact, some test that was making her nervous, then he could help her study; he was very good at that.

Looking over briefly at the kitchen area, he saw that the water was boiling, and so he got up to go check on the potatoes. Sure enough, they seemed to be ready, so he got out his masher and turned back towards Lindsey. "Wanna help me mash?" He asked as he turned off the gasoline and, using an oven mitt, brought the pot over to the sink to drain.