InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Don't Panic!"

outdoorsymedic (outdoorsymedic) wrote in heureuxlake,
@ 2024-05-29 22:23:00

Entry tags:

Δ complete, Δ text/email/phone/mail, Δ threads, → eric reed, → gael cardenas, → serafina cardenas, ◦ tarrytown lighthouse

RP: Clearing the Air
Who: Eric + Serafina
What: Clearing the Air, First Meeting
When: Wednesday, May 29, 2000
Where: Tarrytown Lighthouse Supe Archive
Warnings: TBD
Completion Status: Complete

”Another time” is what he’d told Gael at Ram’s party when Gael mentioned she was also in attendance and he’d held to that the rest of the night. Basically underwear and a see through dress, and out of respect for Gael’s wishes he truly hadn’t even glanced at Fina the entire night. So why standing outside of the archives did he feel like he was walking into a trap? He’d hurt Gael who’d moved back after massive heartbreak and she was protective. Standing at the doors to the archive he wondered if she was receiving the same information Jani had relayed to him. “I guess that doesn’t matter now,” he mumbled.

He pushed the door open entering a room that looked much like a cross between the reference room of a library with desks at the far end. “Hello?” His voice echoed against the stone walls. Maybe they were on break, or taking a dip? He knew they were selkies but it didn’t make sense that they’d leave the building open while they were swimming in the harbor. He took to perusing the record shelves, would they even have anything about werewolves? He doubted his family would be among the annals if so, but it was worth a look while he waited for someone to return.

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Re: Post-Eric

sera_fina
2024-06-11 10:24 pm UTC (link)

Trying to play back the interaction in her mind Fina tried to come up with a coherent answer. "You know, as far as me yelling at dudes with about half a foot on me he took it pretty well. Didn't start yelling back, and when I calmed down a bit he did apologise for his shit timing, which I appreciated." She sucked on her teeth a bit and sighed. "Look, I don't think either of us was at our best. He was all trying to be charming and not realising he has shit timing, I was protective and angry about it. I threatened to kick him out into the lake, he agreed to leave by boat anyway."

"He took a book," she said. "Well, I did my best to help him in the ten minutes it was gonna take for the boat to get back and I found him the book I thought might be helpful for the query he had about weres and compulsion. It's all in the logbook," she said, waving in its general direction. "Also I told him it's best to wait for you to contact him. Or at the very least give it a couple of weeks." She was not mentioning the phone number right now. Probably.

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Post-Eric

shorething
2024-06-11 11:15 pm UTC (link)

He'd not considered that Eric might've yelled back and had a brief moment of disorientation as he failed to wrap his head around what he'd do or feel in that situation. As much as Eric definitely didn't deserve to get yelled at, neither did Sefie, who was only looking out for him. "It could have gone worse, then," he decided, about the most neutral response he could come up with. He did frown, slightly, at the mention of Eric trying to be charming. (Again, why?) But maybe what Sefie saw as 'trying' to be charming was just the way Eric naturally was. "I am glad you didn't kick him into the lake. Genuinely." If he and Eric were going to be friends, it would really help if Eric and Sefie didn't hate each other. "So, if you only refrained on my account, thank you."

Under normal circumstances, Gael would've been more curious about the research Eric had wanted to do, whether it was something he could help with. Right now, the unanswered question of what Eric had wanted to talk to Sefie about was much louder in his mind. He wasn't sure he could just come right out and ask; Eric's promise of honesty didn't feel like it applied anymore (just another thing to regret losing). Maybe if they were texting anyway, though, it would come up. He glanced up almost guiltily at Sefie's comment about him being the first to get in touch. He'd said he'd wait a few weeks, and he knew texting as early as this was probably stupid. He was going to do it anyway, though. Another fact not to tell Sefie, who'd only try to talk him out of it, and probably be offended that he felt the need to apologise on her behalf. "Can't throw that dinner until I make more friends I'm not related to," he confirmed.

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Re: Post-Eric

sera_fina
2024-06-11 11:34 pm UTC (link)

Sefie cocked her head, thought about it for a second and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. There was an amount of conversation that wasn't me yelling and I didn't dump him in the lake. It definitely could have gone worse." It was a bit closer to her dumping him in the lake than she was going to let on, but that was beside the point. "It was a little bit you, a little bit me calming down enough to offer to ring the boat back," she said honestly. Both a little bit for the sake of Gael's feelings and so Eric didn't end up in the lake at the same time as Gael in his seal form.

She nodded in agreement and hummed. "If you don't manage to meet him before I'll introduce you to Ram at my party. He insists on throwing one for me when my exams are done." She groaned and rolled her eyes hard. "I have to do more when I get home," she said sulkily. Maybe she'd perk up once she had some food. Or maybe had gone for a swim of her own.

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Post-Eric

shorething
2024-06-12 03:50 pm UTC (link)

Sefie's confirmation was reassuring, even though Gael would still have preferred for there not to be yelling. He could do his best to fix that part on his own, apologise for Sefie and make sure Eric knew Gael hadn't been making things sound worse enough than they were that yelling was the correct response. Honestly, the fact that Sefie had eventually calmed down also reassured Gael that the picture he'd painted in his mind of the interaction was worse than it had needed to be. "I'm glad," he said, though mentally he wondered if he was glad Eric wasn't still here. Mostly? Glad he and Eric and Sefie weren't all there simultaneously, certainly. "Come on, let's go wait outside for the boat," he suggested.

Despite the eye roll, Gael smiled. "Afraid I'm fully on Ram's side on this one," he told her. "You deserve a party after your exams. I'd throw it myself if I had a house that didn't belong to Mama." He was still close enough to give Sefie a sympathetic squeeze when she said she still had more work to do. "Can I help? Quiz you on things over dinner? Or just make you dinner." That might be more likely to be helpful, since Gael had no experience in linguistics or of doing anything postgrad.

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Re: Post-Eric

sera_fina
2024-06-12 08:18 pm UTC (link)

Well this explanation was going better than Sefie thought it might. Although she had no idea how Gael might have reacted to hearing Eric had left her his number, even for archive help reasons. She grumbled a bit and crossed back to her stuff, finishing packing it all into her bag. It was almost all done, just a stack of stuff actually to move into the bag. "Good plan, just one sec," she said.

The thought of a party at Mama's house was honestly her idea of a nightmare. "I wasn't rolling my eyes at the idea of a party. I like a party. It's just his enthusiasm for organising one. At least he agreed to wait a week. I'm gonna spend Saturday sleeping, swimming and doing as little as possible." Her brain was really and truly ready for the break, even if this was just her first waypoint on the PhD journey. "I wouldn't say no to dinner," she said. "I should probably give myself a break before I try and do more."

"Okay, locking up time," she said, shouldering her bag and heading for the exit.

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Post-Eric

shorething
2024-06-12 11:13 pm UTC (link)

As Sefie packed up, Gael retrieved his phone from where he'd left it on her desk, absently checking that there were no new messages. He left the log book closed, too preoccupied with other mysteries, at least for right now. The record wasn't going anywhere, if it seemed like to might be more than an excuse, he could check it later.

Two parties organised by Ram so close together did seem a bit much, at least for an introvert like Gael, but he shrugged. People were different, and he was hardly about to complain that someone wanted to do something nice for his sister, even if she wasn't over the moon about the level of enthusiasm. He smiled as they headed for the exit, trying not to wonder what he would do with his Saturday. The same kinds of things he'd done every week since he got back: things with Eric didn't actually change that. "Dinner it is, then." Thinking of Astrid's injunction that he should make people things they liked, not just experimental things, he added, "I will even make you completely normal risotto." Surely, there could be no truer sign of gratitude than that?

Once they were outside, having collected everything from their lockers, he took care of the locking up, then moved to sit down on the jetty while they waited for the boat.

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