fandomhigh | BWI - Portalocity Lounge [Friday Morning]

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!event: newbie shuttle

BWI - Portalocity Lounge [Friday Morning]

Chloe got off her flight from New York and followed the signs to the lounge. She dumped the duffle bag of clothes that Andrew had hastily purchased on the floor and slumped into one of the uncomfortable airport chairs.

She was still against this plan but she realized on the flight that sulking wouldn't make it any better so she was going to put on a brave face and make the most of it.

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"Hi," Elena laughed. She couldn't help it, the bubbling was somewhat contagious. "Is he a fighter, or is it one of those ironic nicknames, like the fat guy everyone calls 'Slim'?"

She walked closer, but didn't have her arms out for the puppy just yet. She was going to wait for the answer to that, first.

"Exactly like that," she confirmed with a laugh of her own. "Building confidence no matter how big or small, is always positive. And Bruiser does appreciate his name." His small Tiffany's ID collar with his name engraved on it, proved it. "Oh, but no. He's definitely no fighter. He's sweet and harmless."

"You never know," Elena said. "Sometimes the small ones have the most fight. They're scrappy, and they don't give up easily."

That applied more frequently to junkyard dogs than chihuahuas, but Elena figured it was universal.

She held her hands out to the dog, smiling. "You wouldn't mind?"

"What a sad thing to think," she said, her tone quiet. "If a small one has too fight to prove that he's bigger and badder, then where is the happy life that's supposed to be his if he's always having to look over his shoulder?"

Elle logic was more innocent than it was worldly.

"Not at all," she smiled, genuinely and handed Bruiser over.

"Maybe he only has to fight the once," Elena reasoned, taking the puppy carefully, "and then, afterwards, everyone knows not to mess with him, and they leave him alone."

It didn't seem likely. The world wasn't usually so kind. But perhaps it would reassure the other girl.

She raised her brows, smiled. "Oh, I see your point. I never thought of it like that and I hope it is just as you say. But then Bruiser is always with me so I suppose my nature is to protect him first." She should really think about all those other little dogs out there.

"I don't think I got your name?"

"With you around, I imagine he won't need to fight," Elena smiled, nuzzling against the dog. He was adorable. She was telling herself strictly that she did not want a pet, thank you very much.

"Elena," she said. "And yours?"

Elle was radiant. She was a proud mommy and seeing others love on her dog, made her heart swell. "He's super good, really. I sincerely hope my roommate is totally affable."

"What a pleasure to meet you, Elena. I'm Elle."

"I can't imagine she'd mind," Elena noted. "Unless you get someone who's allergic. You would think they would ask that on the forms, who's bringing a pet and who can't be near one."

She gave Bruiser one last snuggle before offering him back to Elle. "How long have you had him?"

"That was my thought as well. If she's allergic, hopefully they'll just move me to another room with another girl who isn't. I totally wouldn't mind." Elle wouldn't be without Bruiser.

She accepted him back with gentle hands, bringing him up close to her neck. "Since he was a baby so I'm rather attached. You don't have any pets?"

"No, never," Elena admitted. "They weren't exactly allowed, at my last school. It was a bit ... strict."

Military academy: not known for its lenient policies.

"But I'm sure no one will ask you to give him up. I know someone who went here before, and he had a pet."

"Maybe you could get one here? They're like a little best friend when you don't have one, or when you're lonely, or when the boy you like asks someone else out. Pets love you unconditionally."

Elle was not a fan of the word 'strict'.

"You did? He's not here anymore?"

Elena's expression faltered on that bit about ... boys asking someone else out. Dammit. She could usually cover better, but that particular wound was a bit raw.

She cleared her throat and changed the subject, quickly. "He graduated," she clarified. "In May, actually. It's a nice little island, from what I saw of it."

The bar had plenty of liquor. They had checked that out, first.

Elle noticed lots of things about people. What they were wearing, their hairstyle; were their nails painted or natural, buffed and clean. While doing that certain expressions were easy to read, others not so much. The change in Elena seemed apparent and it gave Elle slight pause. She'd said something that touched the other girl and not in a feel good way. She thought she knew and her nature was of the nurturing kind, but she hesitated in invading her emotional privacy. It seemed wrong after just having met.

"Aw, that's too bad that he's graduated. You would have come here knowing at least one person already."

"Oh, I don't mind," she said, brightening up some. "He'll stay in touch. They never wander off too far."

Reno and Rude were like that, especially when watching over their rookie.

She hesitated another second, arguing with herself. It wasn't very Turk-like to start talking about your feelings, but then ... it wasn't very Turk-like to quit, so why worry about that sort of thing now.

"Is that your recommendation, then, for heartache?" she asked. "Nuzzles from a pet?"

Casual question. Mostly.

"That is an encouraging thought," she replied a bit more cheerfully.

She watched her and was quiet, giving her a moment or two before she thought of something else to say that could be helpful in a feel good way. She was getting the feeling that Elena could use it.

And her feelings were often right.

"Aw, Elena," she said softly, "are you suffering from it?"

"A little," Elena admitted, laughing self-consciously. "It's ... it's not too bad. I did something stupid, that's all. Threw myself at someone who wasn't interested, should have expected it wouldn't go well."

Bad ideas, while drinking with Reno. Never again.

"Those are the worst moments in time, ever," she said with a small shake of her head. "It's just I don't think throwing yourself at someone is altogether bad. It's the way you go about doing it."

She glanced down, shyly. "I don't know. I've never really liked anyone. And this boy? Was he unkind about it?"

Elena gave the other blonde a weak grin. "He was ... himself," she said. "He's complicated. He always has been. Shame I don't have better taste, that's all."

Somehow, you never got to pick who you wanted to fall in love with. Not fair.

"Sometimes, a friend takes you out drinking, and talks you into stupid things like, 'go tell him how you feel. Right now.' That little voice in the back of your head, the one that says it's a bad idea? Listen to it."

"Better taste or not, sometimes we can't help who we fall for. Our heart goes there and we give up on anyone else. My friend back home once threw up on a boy she liked during a horror movie. Three months later she was dating him." She grinned with a small shoulder shrug. "Sometimes these things work out." Of course Elle had taught Serena the Bend and Snap, but she figured now wasn't the time or place.

She listened to Elena, taking in what she was saying because she seemed wiser; like she really knew what she was talking about. "I'll take that advice to heart. I haven't heard from that little voice in the back of my head yet, but I'm totally sure my time is coming. I'm a take action kind of girl."

There should be classes on the Bend and Snap. Even Tseng would have a hard time ignoring that.

"I wasn't," Elena admitted. "The take-action kind, I mean. I liked him for a long time and wasn't going to tell him. And then I did, and it went bad, but ... I think I like it, anyway. The taking action part, not the ... bit where he shot me down. At least I did something, right?"

She shook her head. "I'm not making any sense, I know."

There so should be.

"You're making perfect sense. What if you never did anything? You would never know and I always think it's better to know than walk around always wondering, always being curious to the point of nail biting." She nodded. "That can be worse than being shot down. We all know how unattractive that is."

Elle did not speak from experience but she had a ton of friends. She felt her advice worthy. But she did know how ugly nails could be from teeth nibbling. Ew. She just didn't want to sound like Dr. Phil or some other self-help gurus.

"At least I told him," she agreed. "If he's too stupid to be interested, then I can find myself a hotter guy with working brain cells."

She didn't really believe that, but it certainly felt good to say.

At the mention of nails, Elena glanced down at her own - pale pink polish, trimmed ends. Functional, and not too long to snag. She'd been left to minimal upkeep, lately.

"You know, at the risk of sounding girly? I don't remember the last time I had a manicure," she sighed.

"Absolutely!" Elle agreed. "Who wants a guy who doesn't get it? He totally needs to be into you and he should let you know it."

Elle totally believed it.

...and she was super girly. "Really? We should go get one together!"

"And good riddance if he doesn't," she nodded. She was feeling better, even if it still stung a little. Moving on. Right? Right.

"They have to have a nail-salon on-island, right?" she said. "It's a small island, but that many teenage girls, they'd be passing up a gold mine if they didn't."

Re: Mingle!

awalkingfelony.livejournal.com - 2009-07-03 23:21 (UTC) - Expand

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