"I'm seriously about to. Let me just email my lawyer."

Her voice is thick with sleep, bags under her eyes, barely brushed through hair- the whole shebang. But she's here, because he asked her to be, and it was time to pull down the blanket covers and get a move on. Life went on, shit happened, she couldn't just keep hiding behind closed doors.

Ice cream couldn't fix what was broken.

"Ugh. Stop smiling."

The urge to reach up and pinch his cheek to pull that troublesome grin right off of his face is powerful- but her unease wins the war. She doesn't reach for him at all, and keeps distance between them. What warmth she used to give off is suddenly cold, like a stiff breeze.

Angelo does, however, extend a gift in the form of a hot cup of coffee. Stormy glances between it and his face, a moment of anxiety flickering across her face. There was nothing to be worried about, she knew, but paranoia creeps at the back of her mind.

She reaches for the cup, avoiding brushing her fingers against his, and pulls it close to her chest.

"Crisis averted-- this time."

Slowly, she lifts the cup to her lips and takes a slow sip. Her exhale leaves condensation against the lid.

"Where are you going?"

angelo vestri

☉

His response genuinely stuns her. His unabashedness, his lazy smile, the ease of which he made such a bold and warm statement. Once upon a time, she would have sought out those sorts of replies, pined for that sort of warmth. Now, it almost feels foreign, as if he must be speaking through her, or to someone else.

It immediately gives her the urge to run.

Fortunately, the cool wind and her tired expression keep her feet rooted to the spot. She stands across from him, arms wrapped around herself at the elbows to hold in her warmth. She exhales, but ultimately says nothing in response. Somehow, she is at a loss for words.

"Fish."

Her nose crinkles just at the thought, and she shoots a look at him that is deadpan and unimpressed.

"You dragged me out here... for fish."

Stormy draws in a long, dramatic inhale that pulls her posture back up with straight, squared shoulders. So be it then. She does frown a bit at the thought of fish for breakfast, but it is a bit late to back out now. Not to mention rude. As tired as she was and as messy as she had let her life become, she was hesitant to share her mess with others.

"You're driving."

angelo vestri

☉

Too caught up in her own self-doubt and grief, she doesn't catch onto the distance he puts between them. It's hard to say if she ever would have, had her life not fallen off the perfect path she'd set for herself. Selfish, is what one might call her, and that would be the most accurate word of all.

Instead, she walks in silence behind him as he leads them to their destination. She doesn't even respond to his slight jest, or perhaps she hasn't heard it, too caught up in her own thoughts to consider being.. considerate.

"I never said I didn't want fish."

Hostile again, even if only for a brief flare-up, she clears her throat and glances away. Her gaze softens just slightly at the bustle and buzz all around them. In some way, it comforts her. Perhaps it is the feeling of not being alone, of not being singled out. Stupid, really, because she hadn't been alone in the Soiree. Not really.

Stormy clears her throat a second time, suddenly aware of her rudeness.

"I-I do want fish. I'm sorry."

angelo vestri

☉

Lashing out at him was wrong, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth as soon as she'd opened her mouth. They walk in silence, shoulders brushing from time to time as they weave through the crowd. He makes her nervous in a way he hasn't before.

Maybe it's because he doesn't leave, or snap back at her with his own fire. She knew he had it in him, even in spite of his kind smile and his casual, laid-back personality he put on display.

"You will, don't lie."

She doesn't know a damn thing about fish, so there would be plenty of stuff to judge her on. Stormy looks away from him, masking her awkwardness with feigned confidence. She peruses the options even if she has no idea what she's doing.

"Not a damn thing. What do you recommend?"

The woman glances back up, catching him watching her. It makes her uncomfortable, briefly, given the change in the colour of her eyes. She blinks, looks at the ground and then away.

"They.. changed colour when Moltres disappeared. My fire went out."

angelo vestri

☉

Stormy squints, unconvinced but thoroughly amused.

She does a brief double-take as they come to a halt in front of one of many assorted stalls. The smell is frankly overpowering, but lucky for her, Angelo's company is more compelling.

"Sure, I trust you."

She rolls her eyes but smirks. But the longer she stays, the less nauseating the smell becomes. In fact, her lips purse in a rather fond sort of.. understanding and appreciation.

But her eyes dart away, straying from meeting Angelo's searching gaze. He is magnetic but she is driven away by shame. She swallows when he pries, she flinches, avoids, and that bitter taste returns.

"I mean just what I said, Angelo. When Moltres disappeared, the flame it had shared with me, the power, the connection we had-- it feels like I've been snuffed. I'm not the same."

angelo vestri

☉