Locke and Terra - Chance Meeting
Title: Chance Meeting
Theme + Number: 11. Destiny
Claim: Locke and Terra (challenge)
Characters/Pairings included: Shiva, Maduin, Madeline
Rating: T
Warnings: nada
Summary: Regardless of the circumstances, they will meet, and he will make her life brighter.
Terra wore a sleeveless yellow sundress with big bright tulips embroidered on the neckline. It made her look childish, but she didn’t mind. She felt airy and comfortable, which was nice. The beach was still warm despite the evening that had overcome the sun. Her parents sat up on the deck with Shiva, who was blowing frozen bubbles that floated into the air. One wandered down and pricked Terra’s arm, and she shivered at the sudden chill.
She watched the wave of bubbles creep far down the beach to a bonfire. They pricked the humans sitting in a circle around the flames, and Terra could hear their incredulous shouts from her perch on the deck stairs. She laughed softly, and glanced up to see Shiva’s mischievous wink over the deck rail.
Silly creatures, humans.
Her human uncle was getting married in this bright seaside city. Mama insisted the whole family attend, even Phoenix, who was off feeding where there was still sunlight. Terra didn’t quite understand why this was so necessary, because Mama hated her human family, but sometimes being related to humans made Mama do funny things. Humans, even Mama, made no sense sometimes.
Especially their fascination with espers. She just wished they wouldn’t stare.
The beach was lovely, and Terra hadn’t seen sunshine in a very long time. Lying on the white sand in the morning sunlight with Father had been relaxing, until the human families began arriving. And then she had tensed, feeling all the eyes on her, until she scrambled back to the villa just to escape.
Espers weren’t familiar to civilians. At court and at military functions, Terra felt… not comfortable, but not stressed, but in this place, there were just so many eyes.
She picked at the wood of the deck stairs until she found a rough spot, torn up enough for her to peel off a sliver. A breath of magic, and the wood sparked to life. She idly began tracing fire circles, humming softly to herself.
“That’s a cool trick.”
Terra jerked her fingers closed over her spark and looked up. A human male. Young, tall, with pale hair swept back into a bandana. He had a smirk on his face and one of Shiva’s ice bubbles balanced on his fingertip. One of the humans from the bonfire, maybe.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Terra glanced up to see Shiva looking down. Shiva shrugged, and Terra bit her lip and looked back at the stranger. He was still smiling, but as the silence lingered it started to strain.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to offend you.” He dug his hands into his pockets. “I just saw the light and wanted…”
“It’s ok,” Terra interrupted, knowing Mama wouldn’t want her to be rude. He looked back up to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry; I’m just not that good at talking to humans. I don’t see them very often.”
His shoulders relaxed. “So it’s ok for me to talk to you?”
She felt herself flush and looked down at her bare feet. “Of course. I’m sorry.” She cast about in her head for small talk. This was so much easier with her parents or Celes and Leo around; they usually led the conversation, leaving her to one-word replies and occasional smiles. “Umm…” She stuttered another apology. Should she introduce herself, or ask for his name first? Which was polite when talking to a stranger?
He laughed softly. “You don’t have say sorry. I didn’t mean to be intimidating. The name’s Locke, what’s yours?”
She glanced up at him through her bangs. “Terra. Terra Branford.”
He whistled. She winced.
He face immediately turned apologetic, which was fascinating to her. His face was open and earnest, expressions that the humans with which she was acquainted (Mama being the blaring exception, of course) lacked. She sensed no guile here, even as he started to talk. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to react that way. I just didn’t realize I’d be meeting you when I came over. What brings you to Albrook exactly?”
She fidgeted, picking at a loose thread in her dress’s hem. “My uncle’s getting married. We’re here to attend the ceremony.”
He took a few steps closer to her, and she looked up to see him craning his neck to see her family sitting on the deck. “Is that your family?”
She nodded. “My parents and my cousin. Her parents are inside and my grandmother is out.” He had asked her why she was here; maybe she should do the same. “Do you live here?” she blurted.
He looked down, surprised. And then smiled. “Nope. Flew down with some friends to celebrate graduating from University. I’m from Kohlingen, but went to school in South Figaro. Never visited the Empire; figured it was about time.”
She nodded, and then found herself lost for conversation. This was ridiculous; it shouldn’t be this hard to talk to someone.
“I saw you earlier.” His voice made her jerk up again. “On the beach,” he clarified. “You didn’t stay for very long.”
She nodded. “I don’t like it when people stare,” she explained softly. “I look mostly human which helps, but everyone knows what we are and that’s hard sometimes.”
He nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee that I’m perfect at doing that, and who knows how good my friends will be, especially when they find out who you are… But do you want to come over? We’re roasting s’mores.”
Terra’s breath caught in her throat. Spend time with humans? An entire group of them? She jerked her head up to Shiva, but her cousin’s attention was back on her parents. She looked back at the man, who had a slight, uncertain smile on his face.
His eyes were soft.
He seemed so nice. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad. And if it was, she could always run, right?
“I’ve never made a s’more before,” she offered.
“I’ll bet you’d make one better than anyone. Hell, you’ll probably show us up and roast it without even sticking it in the fire.”
She felt a real, genuine smile creep onto her face, and the man’s-Locke’s, he said his name was Locke-eyes lit up in return. She stood up, brushed the wrinkles from her skirt and stepped onto the sand. He half turned to move back to the bonfire, but then hesitated and raised a single eyebrow back at her. “Do you want to grab your shoes or something?”
Terra giggled. “I don’t need them.”
His smile became a full-blown grin. “Lucky. Okay then, let’s go!”
He took off running, and she giggled again at his sudden boyishness. The awkwardness was gone, replaced by nerves. It was different-not the kind of nervousness that made her shaky, but a kind of tightness in her stomach that almost felt like glee. Without another thought, she took off in pursuit.
Theme + Number: 11. Destiny
Claim: Locke and Terra (challenge)
Characters/Pairings included: Shiva, Maduin, Madeline
Rating: T
Warnings: nada
Summary: Regardless of the circumstances, they will meet, and he will make her life brighter.
Terra wore a sleeveless yellow sundress with big bright tulips embroidered on the neckline. It made her look childish, but she didn’t mind. She felt airy and comfortable, which was nice. The beach was still warm despite the evening that had overcome the sun. Her parents sat up on the deck with Shiva, who was blowing frozen bubbles that floated into the air. One wandered down and pricked Terra’s arm, and she shivered at the sudden chill.
She watched the wave of bubbles creep far down the beach to a bonfire. They pricked the humans sitting in a circle around the flames, and Terra could hear their incredulous shouts from her perch on the deck stairs. She laughed softly, and glanced up to see Shiva’s mischievous wink over the deck rail.
Silly creatures, humans.
Her human uncle was getting married in this bright seaside city. Mama insisted the whole family attend, even Phoenix, who was off feeding where there was still sunlight. Terra didn’t quite understand why this was so necessary, because Mama hated her human family, but sometimes being related to humans made Mama do funny things. Humans, even Mama, made no sense sometimes.
Especially their fascination with espers. She just wished they wouldn’t stare.
The beach was lovely, and Terra hadn’t seen sunshine in a very long time. Lying on the white sand in the morning sunlight with Father had been relaxing, until the human families began arriving. And then she had tensed, feeling all the eyes on her, until she scrambled back to the villa just to escape.
Espers weren’t familiar to civilians. At court and at military functions, Terra felt… not comfortable, but not stressed, but in this place, there were just so many eyes.
She picked at the wood of the deck stairs until she found a rough spot, torn up enough for her to peel off a sliver. A breath of magic, and the wood sparked to life. She idly began tracing fire circles, humming softly to herself.
“That’s a cool trick.”
Terra jerked her fingers closed over her spark and looked up. A human male. Young, tall, with pale hair swept back into a bandana. He had a smirk on his face and one of Shiva’s ice bubbles balanced on his fingertip. One of the humans from the bonfire, maybe.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Terra glanced up to see Shiva looking down. Shiva shrugged, and Terra bit her lip and looked back at the stranger. He was still smiling, but as the silence lingered it started to strain.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to offend you.” He dug his hands into his pockets. “I just saw the light and wanted…”
“It’s ok,” Terra interrupted, knowing Mama wouldn’t want her to be rude. He looked back up to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry; I’m just not that good at talking to humans. I don’t see them very often.”
His shoulders relaxed. “So it’s ok for me to talk to you?”
She felt herself flush and looked down at her bare feet. “Of course. I’m sorry.” She cast about in her head for small talk. This was so much easier with her parents or Celes and Leo around; they usually led the conversation, leaving her to one-word replies and occasional smiles. “Umm…” She stuttered another apology. Should she introduce herself, or ask for his name first? Which was polite when talking to a stranger?
He laughed softly. “You don’t have say sorry. I didn’t mean to be intimidating. The name’s Locke, what’s yours?”
She glanced up at him through her bangs. “Terra. Terra Branford.”
He whistled. She winced.
He face immediately turned apologetic, which was fascinating to her. His face was open and earnest, expressions that the humans with which she was acquainted (Mama being the blaring exception, of course) lacked. She sensed no guile here, even as he started to talk. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to react that way. I just didn’t realize I’d be meeting you when I came over. What brings you to Albrook exactly?”
She fidgeted, picking at a loose thread in her dress’s hem. “My uncle’s getting married. We’re here to attend the ceremony.”
He took a few steps closer to her, and she looked up to see him craning his neck to see her family sitting on the deck. “Is that your family?”
She nodded. “My parents and my cousin. Her parents are inside and my grandmother is out.” He had asked her why she was here; maybe she should do the same. “Do you live here?” she blurted.
He looked down, surprised. And then smiled. “Nope. Flew down with some friends to celebrate graduating from University. I’m from Kohlingen, but went to school in South Figaro. Never visited the Empire; figured it was about time.”
She nodded, and then found herself lost for conversation. This was ridiculous; it shouldn’t be this hard to talk to someone.
“I saw you earlier.” His voice made her jerk up again. “On the beach,” he clarified. “You didn’t stay for very long.”
She nodded. “I don’t like it when people stare,” she explained softly. “I look mostly human which helps, but everyone knows what we are and that’s hard sometimes.”
He nodded. “Well, I can’t guarantee that I’m perfect at doing that, and who knows how good my friends will be, especially when they find out who you are… But do you want to come over? We’re roasting s’mores.”
Terra’s breath caught in her throat. Spend time with humans? An entire group of them? She jerked her head up to Shiva, but her cousin’s attention was back on her parents. She looked back at the man, who had a slight, uncertain smile on his face.
His eyes were soft.
He seemed so nice. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad. And if it was, she could always run, right?
“I’ve never made a s’more before,” she offered.
“I’ll bet you’d make one better than anyone. Hell, you’ll probably show us up and roast it without even sticking it in the fire.”
She felt a real, genuine smile creep onto her face, and the man’s-Locke’s, he said his name was Locke-eyes lit up in return. She stood up, brushed the wrinkles from her skirt and stepped onto the sand. He half turned to move back to the bonfire, but then hesitated and raised a single eyebrow back at her. “Do you want to grab your shoes or something?”
Terra giggled. “I don’t need them.”
His smile became a full-blown grin. “Lucky. Okay then, let’s go!”
He took off running, and she giggled again at his sudden boyishness. The awkwardness was gone, replaced by nerves. It was different-not the kind of nervousness that made her shaky, but a kind of tightness in her stomach that almost felt like glee. Without another thought, she took off in pursuit.