leona (pea) wrote in fableless, @ 2017-05-03 13:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! log/thread, aspen sams, leona quinn |
WHO: Leona Quinn and Aspen Sams
WHAT: Catching up and a few confessions!
WHEN: 4/27/17, evening!
WHERE: Leona's apartment in Vintery
WARNING/RATING: Mentions of Leona's kidnapping.
Leona stared into the bathroom mirror, hands grasping the edge of her sink as she leaned forward, looking like she was on the verge of a pep talk. But the knock that came at the door-- holding the two food bags in one hand, Aspen tried to make it obvious it was him knocking-- forced her eyes to peel away from the mirror. Socked feet quickly pitter pattered across the hardwood floor, swallowing the anxiety that often came with receiving visitors. Was her home clean enough? Was she presentable enough? These insecurities were swallowed, and when she answered her door it was with a bubbly, “hey! H-- Wow, it’s--” It was too obvious to say he’d grown. Obviously he had. She had, too. Swallowing, she offered a smile in place of the rest of her sentence and stepped aside to let him in. Aspen bit his bottom lip as Leona greeted him, trying to hold back a laugh. Was this even the same quiet girl he had known? He had waited for the inevitable comment about how much he looked like Jasper, and happily took the smile instead. “Hey. Yeah, long time,” he laughed, answering the cut off comment. Placing his hand on her shoulder, it was his version of a hug when greeting someone. She wrapped an arm around his waist, giving him a jovial little squeeze. Stepping into her place, he immediately looked around to get a sense of who she had become, how relatable to her Tale she was, etc. The apartment was sparsely decorated, the furniture softly used. It wasn’t to Leona’s taste, but Nic had been kind enough to let her use it, as she didn’t have the finances or means to supply her own. Regardless, Leona was nothing but grateful. “Where should I set the food?” “Oh! Oh, right. Ahhh-- here,” Leona gestured with an arm towards the kitchen, taking quick little steps as she led him in before leaning against the counter. The smile had yet to leave her face, though her brows were fraught with worry. “Thank you so much for picking up food-- it smells great.” With the food set on the counter beside Leona, Aspen looked over and smirked. “It's no problem. It was a good suggestion, this way we can actually hear each other opposed to the bar or something.” His smile faded when he noticed the worry on her face that had not yet hit her mouth. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, totally!” Whether this was in agreement to the home vs. bar argument or reassurance as to the fact that she was okay, however, was up in the air. She turned at the waist, her hands grabbing a couple of plates from the cabinet behind her. “It is a little weird though, right? Like. I mean-- okay, not weird, but-- I don’t know. I like-- don’t… really talk to anyone from before we moved here, I guess. Me and Charlie to Woodsbridge, I mean.” “I mean, not really. Dad lived here as a kid. Tales tend to come to Tale town, or so I was told. That's how my parents met. Plus, we were all in the state already. It would have been weirder if say, we were in Canada together and happened to all come to a small, strange town in California.” Aspen leaned against the counter as he waited for the plates. Even though they had not seen each other in a while, Aspen felt comfortable in Leona’s presence, more than he had with most everyone he met- including his roommate. “Yeah,” Leona agreed as she passed the plates off to him, though her face read frustration as she tried to articulate what she meant while also trying to wade through the waist-high meanings of why she felt the way she did. “I guess-- it’s been so long, you know? I just didn’t think I’d see you again. And it’s totally weird, in that like, I’m sure you totally remember me as like, an awkward girl with frizzy hair and a kind of big nose.” Setting down the plates as they were passed, Aspen took her hand gently. Familiarity led Leona to squeeze his hand. “Maybe an awkward girl, but don't put yourself down. Your entire family is gorgeous. Anyway,” he shrugged going back to the food and opening things up. “I had been helping your mom all the while I was an officer in LA, I was pretty sure that I'd eventually see you again.” His smile was sincere. Yeah, comparing the two daughters Leona had been the awkward one, but they all had their issues then. Leona’s smile found its way back into her eyes, and she nodded plainly. “I’m glad Cheryl had someone! I-- like. She wasn’t in trouble was she?” Smirking, Aspen plated the dishes with food. “That's why I was there, so she would never be in trouble.” She had been a family friend, after all, he could not let her hang for simple things. “So, are we eating in the kitchen, dining room or should we go wild and eat on the couch?” There was a touch of the Lost boy he was in the past when he thought about his childhood. He had relaxed quickly, instead of being dragged down by Tale issues. “I'm glad we did see each other again,” he went back. “This way I can be jealous over the other guys in your life.” He teased. This prompted a quick, sharp little exhale out of her nose, one hand grabbing her plate as the other went to wave the idea out of the air as her cheeks burned red. “There’s not really-- I mean. I…” Leona found herself once again straddling the line between having too much to say and not wanting to overwhelm him. She led them to her couch, but she opted to sit on the floor, close to the coffee table. “I have… friends,” complete with airquotes,” but I-- you know. I’m trying,” really hard, “to just kind of do me right now? Unless that’s not what you meant in which case like, you should just totally ignore meeeeee yeah! Anyway!” Sliding down from the couch to the ground, Aspen followed Leona’s example. He smirked again as she answered his jest. Sure, she talked more, but that awkward girl still resided in her. Aspen had always found her endearing. “You know, you don't have to hold back on talking or babbling for that matter.” He started with that comment as she always stopped and respoke. “And hey, you do you. That's all of us can all for.” Starting in in his food, he had not meant to make her feel that he was straight up hitting on her- if that was what those comments were about. “So how do you like this town?” Leona cleared her throat, and took the opportunity to use her food as a prop, forcing a silence between them as she chewed and swallowed so that she could have a moment to gather her thoughts. And yet even still, once she was ready, she found herself speaking a little slowly as she tried to, for once, carefully choose her words. “It’s… home. I feel at home here. I guess I can’t imagine myself anywhere else? Even with everything that’s been going on and-- well, I guess if you’re going to be working for the Police, you’re going to end up knowing I was like…” But she didn’t want to bring down the conversation, so instead she waved her hand dismissively, fork and all. Maybe it was better to let him assume she was in trouble with the law or some kind of hardened criminal. She smiled, despite herself. “Anyway! Even with everything that’s been going on, I don’t know that I’d ever want to move, you know?” “No, you can’t just wave off that comment, Leona. Tell me?” Aspen might have been a cop, but he was not a stupid one. Of all the people in his life that could be a hardened criminal, Leona was not one of them- in fact, he would think Charlie would go that route long before Leona would. “Pretend we’re kids again and there’s nothing you can’t tell a Lost Boy.” He gave her a soft smile, but was met with a look of faint hesitation. They both might have changed a lot since they were kids, but he had no problem going back to the more innocent time. Leona, meanwhile, didn’t know if she could. “I don’t want to like… bring down the mood?” “You tell me what it is and I’ll tell you something about me.” He promised. “We’ll see where the mood takes us.” Aspen winked at her in a small tease to try and get her to relax- not that his normal flirtation might make her relax, but it was all Aspen had. Leona kept her eyes on her food, her fork pushing and poking, though she did not eat. “I was kidnapped? Taken. In December. And they… used me and two others to help them find something. A clock. Um. One of my powers is Burial Detection, and I guess what they needed was underground and…” Leona trailed off, pushing her plate of food away from her as she fidgeted. “And like. I’m fine. I’m okay, or I’m… trying to be. It’s just A Thing.” Aspen sat back away from his food as he listened. “A clock? Why would they need people to find a clock for them?” He shook his head. “Sorry, the detective in me…” Sliding his legs under him, he moved closer to her and gave her a hug, which she leaned into for a moment. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I know too many cases of kidnappings and it takes a long time to get over it.” Sitting back into his place, in case she did not want hugs, he pushed his fingers through his hair and licked his lips. “You told me something uncomfortable and as promised… I just need to know you won’t say anything to anyone, okay?” He would wait for her answer. “I’m… Twin 2. And it’s been ridiculous coming to this town because I guess Jasper looks a lot like me to the point that his mother even mistook me for him… But I’m not telling anyone this- Not even him- even though I know you’re his friend- I don’t want him finding out from anyone but me.” It was easier for Leona to latch onto a new topic of conversation rather than dwell on something she already spent a lot of time sitting on. “He does look a lot like you, now that you mention it!” Rather than the other way around-- Leona knew Jasper. Maybe a part of her loved the idea of Jasper, too, once upon a time. But she knew Aspen first, and Leona was a creature of loyalty, if nothing else. So she put her pinky out towards him, her face softened by a little smile. “I can keep it secret.” Chewing on his lip, Aspen scoffed. He appreciated that she saw him as the first more than she would know. It was not jealousy or hatred for his other tale half that motivated him in his reactions recently, all Aspen wanted was to be seen as his own person. He would be fine being the little brother as their tales selves saw him, but would Jasper even view him like that or someone moving in on his territory? He knew now that Jasper had a twin sister, how would she react? Aspen pushed all those thoughts aside. Linking his finger into hers, he smirked back. “Good, because you’re the only one who knows in town.” |