06-27-2020, 10:30 PM
It was about the most unpleasant experience she could have imagined. The hot jungle pressed in too close, thickening the very air stifling, and its night noises sang eerie and unfamiliar. Natalie pulled the jacket close, glad to have bare skin covered despite the slick of heat that quickly soaked her through. She kept up as best she could. Jay did the hard work of clearing the path anyway, and though she might have at least offered to help, likely she would only have gotten in the way. He seemed to enjoy the chivalry at least, or maybe the keeping busy. It was the worst date in the history of dates, though. Which didn’t really explain the occasional glimmer of smile to her expression, sometimes, when she watched him.
Natalie wasn’t squeamish, but neither did she relish their surroundings. At all. Jay seemed more enamoured of it than she could ever be, or at least all its poisonous, bitey, painful secrets. Her pale gaze passed cursorily over the wide leaves and strange plants, trying not to linger on the inky darkness of shadow. She was not even sure that during the day it would have drawn much wonder from her, unless it was perhaps viewed through the comfort of a wallet screen. Thus the tarantula received a flat look, though given it was probably one of the jungle’s fuzzier denizens it did not make her shudder. Neither did it stop her drawing closer to his teasing grin, though. “Don’t think I won’t pay you back, Jay.” The dare whispered back. The flicker of a smirk followed.
By the time they stopped misery set her expression to blank steel. She’d pulled her hair up into a knot, though it had seared her shoulder to do so. Scant relief it offered but a fleeting comfort quickly swallowed by the heat. She would have liked to have sat down for a moment, but she didn’t actually want to touch anything, particularly following Jay’s useful example. After obligingly swatting off the evidence of his idiocy, she retreated as bid, not especially convinced that messing with the swarming tree further was among his best ideas. But he was the ex-marine.
Despite herself she watched curiously for how little evidence there was to her senses at what he did. Just what she could see with her eyes. Though she barely had time to appreciate the effort before he began to flail violently, and comprehension followed on swift heels.
The note of urgency in his voice tightened her chest, though she didn’t pause to acknowledge it. The power flooded through, and she drew without thinking. Pulled hard on all the surrounding moisture; quickly, and probably a little inelegantly.
The water dumped a drenching blast over his head.
Natalie stepped gingerly through the streaming puddles at his feet. “You’re okay,” she said. She was not wary of his ghosts, but she was mindful of them as she approached. Her own hands swiped at the tenacious few ants still clinging to him, their ugly red bodies a little too distinct to her power-sharpened eyes. At least it was a distraction from all that naked skin, if not the feel of it beneath her palms. “Are we checking under here too?” Her thumb swiped the waistband at his hip. Her eyes flashed up under her lashes, joined by a small smirk. She was probably joking. Difficult to tell with her sometimes. But she did twist then to check his back.
“They aren’t poisonous or anything?” He probably would have said before, if they were. Concern pinched for what might linger of the pain, but there was nothing she could do about that. “I’d offer to heal you, if I could. And you probably don’t need my help to get dry.”
Natalie wasn’t squeamish, but neither did she relish their surroundings. At all. Jay seemed more enamoured of it than she could ever be, or at least all its poisonous, bitey, painful secrets. Her pale gaze passed cursorily over the wide leaves and strange plants, trying not to linger on the inky darkness of shadow. She was not even sure that during the day it would have drawn much wonder from her, unless it was perhaps viewed through the comfort of a wallet screen. Thus the tarantula received a flat look, though given it was probably one of the jungle’s fuzzier denizens it did not make her shudder. Neither did it stop her drawing closer to his teasing grin, though. “Don’t think I won’t pay you back, Jay.” The dare whispered back. The flicker of a smirk followed.
By the time they stopped misery set her expression to blank steel. She’d pulled her hair up into a knot, though it had seared her shoulder to do so. Scant relief it offered but a fleeting comfort quickly swallowed by the heat. She would have liked to have sat down for a moment, but she didn’t actually want to touch anything, particularly following Jay’s useful example. After obligingly swatting off the evidence of his idiocy, she retreated as bid, not especially convinced that messing with the swarming tree further was among his best ideas. But he was the ex-marine.
Despite herself she watched curiously for how little evidence there was to her senses at what he did. Just what she could see with her eyes. Though she barely had time to appreciate the effort before he began to flail violently, and comprehension followed on swift heels.
The note of urgency in his voice tightened her chest, though she didn’t pause to acknowledge it. The power flooded through, and she drew without thinking. Pulled hard on all the surrounding moisture; quickly, and probably a little inelegantly.
The water dumped a drenching blast over his head.
Natalie stepped gingerly through the streaming puddles at his feet. “You’re okay,” she said. She was not wary of his ghosts, but she was mindful of them as she approached. Her own hands swiped at the tenacious few ants still clinging to him, their ugly red bodies a little too distinct to her power-sharpened eyes. At least it was a distraction from all that naked skin, if not the feel of it beneath her palms. “Are we checking under here too?” Her thumb swiped the waistband at his hip. Her eyes flashed up under her lashes, joined by a small smirk. She was probably joking. Difficult to tell with her sometimes. But she did twist then to check his back.
“They aren’t poisonous or anything?” He probably would have said before, if they were. Concern pinched for what might linger of the pain, but there was nothing she could do about that. “I’d offer to heal you, if I could. And you probably don’t need my help to get dry.”