tooprettytodie: (Face)
[personal profile] tooprettytodie
Valkyrie had ended up letting Jessica wear her jacket while she had found a nice woolen overcoat that someone had been drunk enough to be willing to part with. She had to admit that Jessica looked pretty hot in it, even if it didn't necessarily go with her dress. At some point, she was going to have to convince Jessica to try the tight trousers and leather jacket look.

She was pretty sure that the pier had been the right way to go. The air was crisp and new and while Times Square hadn't been crowded, there were fewer people out here she didn't see anyone around that they knew. Privacy felt important right now, even if she totally wasn't nervous and those were not butterflies in her stomach. Not at all.

"I'm glad you suggested the pier," she said, squeezing Jessica's hand as they walked down the pier. "Perfect place to chime in the New Year."

Date: 2013-01-02 07:24 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([comics] Ta da?)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
I'm not entirely convinced I'm cool enough for the jacket, but I do feel cooler -- in the cool, sense, not in the warm sense, since it's the opposite of that -- and it sort of smells like Valkyrie, which is pretty nice.

As is the whole of this right here, actually. Midnight might be creeping up and with it my nerves, a bit, but it's not bad nerves. Yet. Sort of hoping those don't show up, or do so in lesser amounts.

"I am a smart lady," I declare. "Times Square might not be the clusterfuss it would normally be, but it's still sort of... done, you know?"

Date: 2013-01-03 05:37 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([comics] Sass.)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
She does know the way to a girl's heart. Compliment on the intellect and opportunity for maniacal laugh both.

"Boo-ha-ha," I say. It really is more of a 'say' than a 'laugh maniacally,' though, that was terrible. "No, let me try that again. MuahaHA. No, okay, I need to practice my maniacal laughter."

Date: 2013-01-03 06:03 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] well um you see)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
I'm about to admit that I have practiced facial expressions in the mirror -- if not the rather particular and individual reasons why that's a thing -- when she oh-so-smoothly changes topic there, to something that I have not in fact practiced in the mirror.

Because let's face it, when you're me, the idea of making out with your reflection goes beyond a little weird to outright discomforting.

"I'm not sure- what does staying power mean, exactly," I say, Not Freaking Out. By which I mean trying to examine how much I'm going to freak out. Hoping for 'not at all,' betting in... 'more than not at all.' Talking is fine. Talking is probably good? Establishing things. Preparation.

Date: 2013-01-03 06:17 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] Awkward smile.)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
"Good place for arms," I reflect. Meaning the wrapping around more than the high five idea, although that works, too. Part of the whole freaking out deal goes along with unfamiliarity with myself as applied to, you know, stuff, and handsiness at this point would be pretty much guaranteed to bring up that whole issue.

"I think that's doable," I say. "No, jeez, that sounds terrible, like I think it's a chore, can I rephrase? Because that's the opposite of true, that sounds great, like, genuinely."

Date: 2013-01-04 06:06 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] secret smile)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
Last New Year's, I was on the island, with all that entails. Which in my case, is more friends than I'm used to. Actually having people, in fact. The year before that, not so much.

(And the year before that I didn't exist.)

And here I am. So the situation may be weird but some things about still change for the better. That's a pretty good spirit to be in, going into another year.

"I declare that the exact right amount of cheese," I say, swinging our linked hands back and forth a little.

Date: 2013-01-04 06:53 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] a side of uncertainty)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
That has the dual effect of reminding me that said relationship status is sort of nebulous -- like, I don't know what we'd be on facebook, if I was on facebook -- and also alarming me that the result of discussion on that might not go the way I'd like.

Which alarm sort of indicates there's a way I'd like it go, doesn't it? Which would be nice if it weren't for the alarm.

"...oh yes?" I say, aiming for casual, hitting interested-and-possibly-suddenly-a-little-worried.

Man, I hate being skittish. I gotta quit it with the being skittish.

Date: 2013-01-04 07:53 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] chin in hand)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
That's a good point. That's already a pretty big reveal, maybe even of a size or bigger than being grown in a jar. I should just come right out and say that bit. Just... not now. Someday, probably. But not today.

So I laugh, instead, with delight, because as subverted expectations go, that was quality.

"You know, I really have no idea. I should have expected it, really, it is pretty good hair." It's always been the part of being a girl I've been unequivocably able to own. Nothing uncomfortable about liking your own hair. "Play your cards right and I'll give you my shampoo recipe."

Date: 2013-01-05 06:19 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] That's... unfortunate.)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
Crap. Right in the secrets. I even think about just saying, again, but I just can't work out the words that go along with it. I will. But not now. But if not now, how the heck do I answer that? I don't want to lie.

"I don't really... have much of a family," I say, because this is so. "Just cousin Pete and his family, and we weren't exactly... close. Not the spend holidays together kind. So not a lot of traditions no. How about yours, lots of traditions?"

Date: 2013-01-05 07:14 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] bright young thing)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
That's true. That's a good point. Because really, while I do like planning, what comes with an established time is also nervousness based around that time. Like, more and more nerves as midnight draws closer. It's fairly close already, I think, but less time for the bad nerves to build up and make me chicken out or something is for the best. More time for the good nerves, that weird pleasant-queasy feeling in the stomach, to pay off.

"...that it would," I say. "And, also, good practice for when midnight does actually hit. Don't want to be, um, unprepared."

Date: 2013-01-06 02:50 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] not usually a coquette)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
Freakout-watch 2012 (soon to be 2013): Nothing as yet. Which is good, because last time with the suddenness and the surprise I didn't take it all in as well as I might, and frankly, well, this time I do quite want to. She's great, and also she might have a coat on but I can remember that dress. The air is cool and crisp, and she's warmer and softer than it, and I can, in fact, put my arms around her neck and just enjoy it.

Date: 2013-01-06 03:45 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] tell me about the weather)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
Still thinking I'm either more sensitive or that someone else's memories of kissing aren't a patch on actually being in the moment of doing it.

Probably both, actually. Whatever it is, it's very good, she is very good at this. Man, I hope I'm good at this. I sort of know what I'm doing more than someone who's actually only done it the once before this time, so that's in my favor. Whatever, not concerning myself with that, just enjoying it right now, leaning into that press, opening my mouth against hers a bit.

Date: 2013-01-06 05:27 am (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Percy Whoa!)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
Now, to be fair, I wasn't staring for very long. Just long enough.

I'd gone to the New Year's Eve gathering at Times Square because, well, it's Times Square. And I'd decided it was well past time to stop moping about New York and Mom not being here. And I caught sight of Valkyrie, and the outlook for the evening got a lot better. I also saw that she was standing close to Jessica, but that was okay. Jessica was cool.

They were across the square, so it took some time for me to get across to her, what with the crowd and all, but by the time I got there, I saw that Valkyrie and Jessica were walking away. Very close together. And here I made my first serious mistake. I followed them.

I know that was wrong of me. I know it was basically stalking, but I couldn't help myself. I hung back so they wouldn't see me, and kept them in sight most of the way to the pier, when I lost them. And then I made my second serious mistake: I kept looking for them.

I don't know what I was thinking, really. I had no claim on Valkyrie. She'd made that very clear. But the thought that someone else might have made a claim on her... I couldn't let it go. And it pulled me forward. And I searched the pier, hoping against hope that I was mistaken.

And that's when I saw them.

Seeing them hit me like a punch in the gut. For a moment, I could only stand, staring. Then my brain spoke up, and told me that I had to get out, now. I had to move. Move, feet! Move!

I turned, and without meaning to, started running. And I ran right into a trash can and knocked it over with a tremendous clatter. That was my only lucky break that night -- though it didn't feel so at the time -- because it slowed me down enough that I didn't completely stagger off the curb and onto the street. And the yellow cab was able to screech to a halt in time. I just slapped my hands down hard on the hood -- I didn't hit the windshield with my body.

I stood, frozen, the cab driver shouting at me. And I looked back at the pier. Of course they'd seen me.

I turned, then, and walked away, across the street, as quickly as dignity would allow.

Date: 2013-01-06 06:57 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] taken aback)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
I was sort of expecting fireworks. The external kind, I mean, I think you could say there's some internal fireworks going on already. Did not expect the crash of a garbage can, which snaps me out of what was a very nice moment, and so I find myself startling backwards to look at the source.

Not the action I wanted to take, there.

Not the source I was expecting to see, either. Is that... Percy?

"...the who in the what now?"

Yeah, that's Percy. Interrupted in the process of making a break for it. Well, now I just don't know what's happening at all.

Date: 2013-01-06 10:58 pm (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] Well that's okay then.)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
This feels like its gotten away from me a little. I'm still trying to get my footing back on the shift from 'hey, kissing is swell,' to sudden drama that I'm not entirely clued into, although I've enough second-hand knowledge to have some theories.

"I don't entirely know what's going on but I understand you have to go do a thing," I say, waving her on. "You'll come back, yeah? Go talk him down, do what you need to do."

Date: 2013-01-07 05:00 am (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Default)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
Valkyrie's shout didn't stop me, but I didn't run, either. I kept walking. Standing still was impossible, but I wasn't going to run away. No. After the initial shock, a sense of grim foreboding swept over me. Like just before the Battle of the Labyrinth, I knew I didn't want to be here. But I also knew it wasn't my choice. Valkyrie and I were going to have a talk.

I kept walking until I heard Valkyrie coming up behind me.

Date: 2013-01-07 03:50 pm (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Percy Resigned)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
I stopped. Of course Valkyrie was quick. I took a long breath, held it, then let it go. "Valkyrie," I replied, not looking at her. "I shouldn't have come out here. I'm sorry."

Date: 2013-01-07 07:54 pm (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Default)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
I winced. I still couldn't bring myself to look at her. Yeah. This wasn't my finest hour. "I know I shouldn't have, but... yeah. Kinda. I wanted to say hi at Times Square and... well, I shouldn't have done it and... well, now I really wish I hadn't done it."

Date: 2013-01-07 09:02 pm (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Percy Resigned)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
Oh, twist the knife, why don't you? I closed my eyes a moment. Then, bracing myself, I turned and faced her. "I know. You told me so and I should have listened, but..." I sighed. "I still kind of hoped for more."

Date: 2013-01-08 06:35 pm (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Default)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
I swallowed. "I know." I reached for her hand and looked her in the eye. "Jessica Drew is one lucky woman. Make sure she knows that."

Date: 2013-01-09 07:28 pm (UTC)
percy_jackson: (Default)
From: [personal profile] percy_jackson
And there seemed nothing left to say. "You'd better go back," I said. "Shouldn't keep her waiting."

Date: 2013-01-11 08:12 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([comics] contemplative)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
There was a part of me, while I was standing there waiting around, that kind of felt like it figured. I finally get some kind of handle on where I stand with regard to relationships and physical affection and then, bam, hiccup. That's either the Parker genes or the luck of the clone-ish, right?

She came back, though. The demigod has not stolen my... well, we should probably work out what she is. This would seem to be an appropriate reaction.

"It's okay," I say, shrugging a shoulder, arms still around myself for warmth. "What, uh, was that, though? That kind of seemed like a whole thing."

Date: 2013-01-12 09:13 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([comics] fretful)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
Yeah, it seemed like it was that kind of thing. The wistful ex kind of thing. I'm familiar with it. I've never been in those exact shoes, but I've been in the same kind of shoes. Ones that... fit the same? Maybe? I'm not really sure how to continue the shoes metaphor, frankly, so I'm going to abandon it.

"I can understand that," I say. "I'd probably freak out if I saw you kissing someone else. Heck, we already know there's a non-zero chance of me freaking out when it is me, so. But definitely if it was someone else, which, um. I'd like us not to be doing that? Not that I think you're doing that, but maybe we could officially not be doing that?"

Date: 2013-01-14 08:07 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] not usually a coquette)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
And thus, officially not doing that. That was easy. There really is something to be said for forthright communication.

Thought the girl with the big ol' secrets to herself. I'd feel guilty, but I'm saving it for later, because there's a whole being pulled closer by the jacket thing going on here that is pleasantly distracting me.

"I think we can work out some kind of schedule," I say, leaning in, and then pausing about an inch away as something occurs to me. "...that's a joke, I realize past experience may have made that... not obvious."

Date: 2013-01-16 08:52 am (UTC)
notaparker: ([pb] tell me about the weather)
From: [personal profile] notaparker
I get this look. I get this look. I have looks, and Valkyrie has paid enough attention to work out at least one of the looks. That's... real person material, I like that. I like that a fair bit.

And I definitely don't have said science brain look right now, I can guarantee that, what with that brain being more focused on the kissing, insert soft focus joke here.

"Mmn," I say, which isn't really a cogent response to what she said, but mostly I'm just kissing her back, here, I think that's an adequate stand-in.

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Valkyrie Cain

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