Well, That Is Embarrassing

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara had a few friends here in Kalispell but she more generally kept on her own. She liked to be on her own. She loved company too, of course, for a conversation over a few drinks, that sort of thing, but she was more often doing things on her own than seeking out others. It explained why she chose to leave the school for her day off without telling anyone and went to the center mall. She didn’t invite anyone to go shopping with her. If she could spend an entire afternoon in a mall, shopping, doing so with friends was a little less her thing. It was why she did not invite anyone with her.

She didn’t have anything to buy in particular. It was just nice to be out of the school for her day off. She needed that. And she didn’t feel like going to the theatre and hope there was a good movie about to play. She didn't watch a lot of movies in theatres, quite frankly. The only thing that could have kept her at the school would be a discussion with her son through Skype but he was not there. She often had to remind herself that he was eleven and might not want to talk to his mother as much as he did before. Soon, he’ll want to even less. That thought was depressing enough to require a shopping session, even if all she was to do would be to look around and not buy anything.

She ended up buying a shirt though, before she went to one of the few restrooms all over the center. When she washed her hands after, she thought that her hair was a mess and worked on redoing her high ponytail. The clasp of her necklace must not have been closed properly because the movement had the thing fall off. And because it wasn’t annoying enough, she accidentally kicked it a little further away. She kneeled to pick it up, just as the door of the restroom opened. She froze. Well, that was embarrassing.

[Charity Croft]

"Well, at least I feel like an old lady now," Charity had mumbled to herself before entering the bathroom. She'd been spending the last hour or so walking the mall, figuring that it would be a good way to get out and work through some of her jitters. Given her salary she couldn't exactly afford a good deal of the merchandise that was available, but that couldn't stop her from looking longingly. Even then, it wasn't like she could actually use a good deal of it. Single women living in dormitories only had just so many needs.

One of which happened to be heading for a bathroom. In this particular case, Charity mostly just wanted to relieve her bladder. She'd bought a Vitamin Water to drink and had polished it off about fifteen minutes ago, and now it had decided to wreak its vengeance.

Which meant that she was currently entering the restroom just in time to see someone kneeling down. There were a few seconds where Charity looked at the woman and the woman likely looked up at her and Charity just sort of smiled. She raised a hand, pointing toward a stall. "I just," she lowered it, "had to pee and," she shuffled, "yeah, that's, uh, it, more or less."

Well, at least she wasn't at the potty dance point, so she had that going for her. Also the other woman's strange position. Charity finished stepping inside and looked around, trying to figure out what caused the woman to be that low. "Drop a contact?" she guessed, already wondering if she should be watching where she put her feet.

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara generally tried to avoid the situations where her actions could be taken for something else. Kneeling in a public restroom was definitely one of those things she never intended to do. The things people may think she was doing down there was enough for her not to want to try that. Sure, with the way she looked, people mustn’t think she had to go through such desperate needs to see a bit of skin but look did not prevented you from being a freak and Tamara didn’t want to be labeled as one. Not in her town. Because Kalispell was her town now, she lived long enough here to consider it as such. And soon, she might even have her son there with her. She couldn’t wait for that even though she was also terribly nervous about it.

Not that she thought of her son right now. Because the door opened on someone. Tamara was unsure whether it was a good thing or not that it opened on someone she actually knew from the school. She didn’t know the woman very well, only that she was a trainer called Legrange too. She never really bothered remembering her first name.

At least she was nice enough to consider she might have lost a contact and not be trying to peep under the stalls. Tamara quickly stood on her feet and showed the necklace in her hand. “No, I dropped this. I guess the clasp broke again,” she answered. Normally, she wouldn’t bother justifying herself but in this situation, she preferred to. She looked at her necklace. It was just a silver pendant. But it was one with a picture of her boy in it and even if she could have this picture in another necklace, she always kept it on her and didn’t want to lose or break it. It was annoying though that she might have to change the chain.

Her gaze went from her necklace back to the woman before her. Right, she wanted to pee. Tamara moved away and closer to the sink where she had left her bags. “Didn’t mean to keep you, sorry about that Legrange... Sorry, I don’t know your first name.”

[Charity Croft]

"Ah, necklace," Charity said, nodding. She pointed at the dangling bit of jewelry, head still bobbing. "Totally my second guess." Because it totally would have been. Probably. That was an alternate future that would not actually be happening, so it was rather pointless to consider it, really.

"Did you need some help getting it together or something?" Charity asked, moving forward a bit. She still had to pee and all, but that wasn't going to stop her from helping if it came to it. The woman was looking at it and then at Charity in a sort of quizzical way. Charity could feel that little nudging in her mind that let her know that she was dealing with another mutant (not a huge surprise; Kalispell was mutant central), but she wasn't really digging that close, especially not with Tamara moving.

"Oh, it's okay, I don't---waaaaait," Charity had started edging toward a stall, only to pause and turn, pivoting on one foot to face her. "How do you know my--well," she shrugged, "obviously we both work at Bell---the school," Charity looked around for a moment, just in case there were any civilians about, "but I don't remember us meeting?" she had to smile nervously at that, really hoping that she hadn't just forgotten someone. It did happen, from time to time.

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara was not going to say anything about the necklace being the woman’s second option. Seriously, had it been Tamara, the first would have been being a pervert and the second the hope it was actually a fallen contact. Not that she believed contacts were that easy to fall off. Who played with their contacts while they were on, or put them on in the middle of the day, in a public restroom of all places? Something that fell down might be a third option but she wouldn’t have thought of a broken necklace.

She sighed as she looked at her necklace in her hand. “I’m afraid I’ll have to replace the chain, unless there is some jeweler around that could replace the clasp,” she told her. She did have every part but, just in case, she opened the pendant. It did so easily, which had her sigh again, this time of relief. At least it was still intact. The thing being relatively old, she always feared breaking it.

Tamara was ready to take her things and leave the woman to do what she came here for but she seemed surprised that Tamara knew of her. Her name might have escaped her but one couldn’t call herself Legrange without Tamara remembering of it. It was hard not to know that name when you knew her father. She nodded as she seemed to guess how she knew. “Yes, I’m a dorm monitor there and we met when you arrived. I try to remember the trainers. And it’s kind of easy with your last name,” she pointed out.

[Charity Croft]

Charity actually let out a soft 'hmm" as Tamara mentioned jewelers. She had been to a few jewelry shops in town after all, what with having lived there as a teenage girl and having moved back as a relatively young adult. She pointed at it for a moment, seeming to consider. "I think I actually know a place?" she said. Except there was the whole confused identity thing mixing with Charity's still present need to pee.

Tamara: worked as a dorm monitor, so at least at the school. "Ah, right, that's why you sort of look familiar but we've not, like, talked all that much. I'm not usually in that section of the dorms," She gestured in a general manner before again taking a step toward the stall. "Hey, I still got to," she jerked her head toward the stall, "but if you hang on for just, like, a few minutes, I think I might know a place that can help with the necklace thing?"

Charity flashed a smile and waited just long enough to be polite before ducking into the stall. She needed to have voided her bladder like, five minutes ago, and she was definitely thankful to be somewhere that could happen without too much stress or mess.

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara went to one before, when the pendant refused to open. They fixed it and she was glad. It might just be a trinket and she wouldn’t die to have to let go of it but at the same time she had it for so long she didn’t want to part with it. That, and there was a picture of her son inside. It made it suddenly a lot more than a mere pendant, even if she had other pictures of the boy. It was sentimental, there really was no point in trying to be rational then.

She looked at the woman when she mentioned knowing a place. “Is it in this mall? I know of a place too but it isn’t and actually not in the direction back to school so if I knew of a place closer...” It was just a clasp after all. Surely any jeweler could take care of that. And if they could not, well they would all have some chains, even if some would be way over her budget.

“Yes, I figured. Other than maintenance, some security and the monitors, there aren’t that many other staff members coming over,” she pointed out, shrugging as it did not affect her. It made sense. They had enough to do on other parts of the school. The south wing was sort of her domain. And Tam can grow territorial.

She seemed to remember where they were and what Charity must have been here for. “Oh right! Sure, I’ll... I’ll wait outside,” she said, pointing at the door before actually leaving the toilets. Charity might not be shy but Tam would still rather not be here while the other woman used one of the stalls.

[Charity Croft]

Where was the place? Charity paused for a few moments as she tried to remember, her face scrunching with the effort of remembering. "I think there's one in here?" she said, unable to make it not a question. It had been so long since she'd really sought them out, and so much had changed. "I know there's definitely one downtown." Which wasn't that far away in the grand scheme of things, not really.

But that would be for later. there was the whole introduction thing to sort of sprint through and then the business that Charity had actually come here to do. She hurried through that: she had some embarrassment at the knowledge that the other woman knew what she was doing or was going to do or however that should be phrased, but it passed quickly. Everybody peed, right? wasn't that the name of a book?

Business done, Charity headed back out, looking around for Tamara. She saw the other woman, which meant a smile and a wave as she approached. "I think there's a jewelry store in the mall that might be able to handle it," Charity said. "Ah," she looked around, tapping her fingers to her side, "I can't quite remember where it is? I do know there's a little jeweler downtown a bit who handles this sort of thing really easily. Makes them good as new."

Charity nodded at that, remembering the talented man from her past. She just had to hope that he hadn't moved in the intervening years since Charity had last been in Kalispell.

[Tamara Sulik]

In a place like Kalispell, nothing was really all that far. Without being a very small town, as long as you had a car, or a good enough sense of direction, nothing was really all that far. She vaguely remembered where the one downtown was and even if she might not know for sure, she doubted it would take her very long to locate it. She might even get back to school early. Though, at this point, Tamara started to think she might as well buy a new chain all together. She just wished the silver chains were not too expensive. She knew she had to resist the urge of buying too many things. She already had some difficulty resisting shoes so she better be careful with her jewelry.

The fact the Tamara knew what Charity needed to do in the toilets, basically what she just did before, did not mean she wanted to be around when said business was attended. Tamara didn't like using public restroom. Then again, she could not imagine anyone liking or even not minding at all to use them. It was something you went to because you had no other option. No one wanted to hear someone in the next stall doing their thing while they did the same. No one.

Charity returned and tam had a brief smile. She didn't really know her well so any judgement she may have on the other woman would have to be held until she determined what kind of person she was. “There should be a map somewhere with the list of stores in the mall, no?” It seemed like something normal to find in a mall. Of course, Tam had no idea if there was any near the restrooms. “You come from here or you just loved looking at jewelry when you were a student?” Oh wait, she had been here for a few months already. maybe she went looking for jewelry now.

[Charity Croft]

Charity smoothed her clothes some more, self-conscious in the face of a woman who came off looking very adult and put together. People like Tam made Charity feel like a twelve year old girl who just wore an adult's body... like that one film: 13 going on 30. That fact that said show happened to hit Charity's age almost exactly definitely unnerved her as well.

"Right, the map!" Charity agreed, clapping her hands and nodding. "It's right over here," she pointed with the hands and started walking that direction. "I used to hang out here all the time when i was a teenager. You know," Charity shrugged, smiling, "mutant teenager in the US. It was pretty much hang out here and all. I had baggy jeans and everything though: totally turn of the century, though I was into grunge for a while there."

Charity had to chuckle at that. She drifted a bit closer to the map, looking it over. "There's three of them, mostly chains though," Charity said, pointing at each in turn, tapping their location on the map. She was wondering about the fact that she'd ended up essentially teaming up with someone she met in a bathroom. Was that weird? it felt a little weird.

[Tamara Sulik]

Charity wouldn’t be the first woman being somewhat self-conscious in Tamara’s presence. Normally, it had more to do with Tamara’s confidence or sex-appeal oozing out of her, not because she looked all adult-like. Unless confidence and sex-appeal was what you considered being adult-like. Either way, Charity didn't strike her as someone who had low self-esteem or was not sexy herself, if not in an odd way. She ignored any feeling she seemed to perceive from her by the way she just looked at herself and stood near her. Whatever Tamara could say, she knew it wouldn’t do anything. She was not going to be someone else to help others with their self-esteem.

Charity was babbling on and on and Tamara wondered if it was her natural state or if she was simply nervous to ramble on like that. “I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t exactly in Kalispell during my teenage years and Saint Cadou was a little different from Bellefonte.” Or a lot. But was it really that important to point out all the differences now when she doubted either of them would ever go there? “I looked pretty much the same, I think. Jeans and tank tops, it’s kind of a classic, no matter the years you’re in no? Well, I had a leather phase at some point but it was after school...” and a story for another time.


She took a good look at the map as well and pointed at one of those three possible shops they could go to. “This one’s the closest,” she said once she noticed where they all were. She looked at Charity. “It’s nice of you to be here but don’t feel forced to or anything. I didn’t mean to keep you from... whatever you came here for.” She didn't mean to kick her away or sound like she did but it might give Charity that impression.

[Charity Croft]

A... leather phase? Charity gave the woman a slightly startled look at that, before raking her eyes over her. Yeah, she definitely had the body for it... and the confidence, apparently, and the... everything that Charity didn't have. Clearly someone had stood in line for seconds when it had come to handing out maturity and sexiness, that was for darn sure.

"Yeah, I've heard that Cadou's way different," Charity offered, hoping that focusing on that particular detail would help in some form or fashion. At the very least it should get them a little further on in the conversation, and at this point, Charity would take even that. She could practically see the other woman's mind working, wondering what this spaz was and why she wasn't tossing up...

wait, illusions? Holographic... imagery?

Great, now Charity was stuck staring at the woman while her brain starting pouring details of what specifically the person she already knew was a mutant was doing. yaaay brain!

"What? No, I'm cool," Charity said, waving a hand. "It's no big deal. If anything, you're doing me a favor. I was totally just going to wander around and window shop to stare at stuff I either can't afford or don't have the room for." and another nervous laugh. Charity licked her lips, let out a "yeah" and then looked. "oh, I've totally been there before, it's this way!"

she pointed and started walking, again hoping to use something as a distraction from the whole talking part (i.e. the bit where Charity failed spectacularly).

[Tamara Sulik]

Was it hard to believe Tamara once had a leather phase. Probably not although this could lead to several jokes and comments she’d rather avoid. Charity however said none of these and as long as she would not open her mouth and express her opinion on the matter, Tamara was not going to say anything about it. Baggy jeans didn't seem much like her. In fact, anything too loose or baggy seemed not to fit with her. Then again, she might have worn some. You do really crazy things during your teenage years, terrible fashion being the least of it.

She nodded at the mention of her old school. “At the end, the result’s pretty much the same but the approach is different. You wouldn’t expect any less of them,” Tam let out. She was actually glad she didn't have to go through the whole ‘you didn’t go to Bellefonte’ deal. People always seemed surprised to hear she was European. She never really understood why. She must have integrated herself here better than she thought. Not that she was really surprised about that. She loved to think she could adapt to anything.

She noticed Charity looking at her kind of weirdly. It couldn’t be because she was now picturing her in leather was it? “Are you alright?” she asked while trying to focus on the map. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” Tamara muttered as Charity exposed the plan of her day before the two of them met. Tam too knew a lot about window shopping for things she could not afford. Or shouldn’t buy. Half the time, she ended up buying them anyway. They just knew how to make people buy their shit, really.

Tamara followed Charity as the woman claimed to know the way. In her mind however, she could not help thinking she was an odd one.

[Charity Croft]

"Well, the goal of all the schools is to prepare students to adapt and survive in the world. That's, like, even the point of schools in general, but, like, we just get to deal with the fact that we're 'special,'" of course Charity added the air quotes. This time there wasn't a whole lot of nervous laughter or anything. This was something she remembered all too well, and if her father could have heard her speak then, he definitely would have been nodding along in agreement with her overall assessment of the situation and their overall goal.

then he would have laughed at Charity's oddness getting mentioned. "Yeaaaah," Charity said, knowing she was dragging the word out too much even as she did it. Her eyes moved to the side, the embarrassment clear on her face. "I'm not great at the whole being adult thing. Probably overthinking it. But I definitely know where this jewelry shop is, promise."

Charity nodded at that, before turning back to walking. She looked up at the stores, her lips moving slightly as she read things and tried to recall the map she'd just looked at. She had been there before. It had just... been a while. But she was pretty sure they were in the right direction? That looked like a jewelry shop over there... right?

[Tamara Sulik]

“If that was their goal, they did a very good job,” Tamara muttered. She liked to consider herself like a survivor who could handle pretty much any situation. She was not afraid of this world. The only fear she might have was for her son and that, any decent parent should feel that way. But if she thought only of herself, she knew she could survive anything. She was not sure it was all thanks to the school, she always had a fighting spirit, but she knew she had to give it some credit. As for helping the students deal with how ‘special’ they were, she left that in the hands of trainers, like Charity. Too bad Guy was dead. But that might just be because he was one of the few staff members she didn’t wholly ignored.

She didn't exactly know if it was her natural personality or if it was something Tam brought out of her. Either way, Charity claimed she was alright so maybe she was an odd one after all. Tamara didn't care. She’ll respect that she had the right of being whoever she wanted to them. Charity only then had to respect that Tamara found their personalities incompatible. “What do you mean, the adult thing?” She was used to students saying comment that made her feel old, she was not really used to someone about her age saying something like that. Tamara started to think more and more that this one would be a colleague she will not meet with too often.

She head out, probably in search for the jewelry shop. Tam didn’t look too much at the names of the shops as she walked along with her. She figured it would be very easy to recognize the jewelry shop once they’ll get there. “What exactly were you window shopping before I... requisitioned you?” she asked. She spotted the shop at the same time Charity did. She headed there without hesitation but still bothered to look at the other woman so that she knew she was not totally ignoring her now that she found what she had been looking for.