Finaly some quiet..

[Richard Buckles]

"Well maybe you just have not lived in good places the. Because where I am from that is what you do. It might not always b easy or convenient but it's needed. That's the sort of things this world need more of." he said to her before grabbing her hand.

In the slurry of his thoughts she could see where he had been injured and hurt as he went out of his way to help people. The scar on his face and back from being bitten and clawed by the big cat the strongest reminders. But even with this there was a strong surge of conviction. Any sense of doubt he had were often over whelmed by a sense of needing to do something.

He could tell his touching her was less than ideal and less than comfortable to her and then absorbing of that was in his mind was coming. He thought he might have gotten through as he face calmed and her body language suggested she was more relaxed. Her words following up their contact was not encouraging at first.

Richard smiled widely "I am happy to hear it." he said as he moved in instinctively for a hug. The thought didn't even register his brain just pushed him into it. He was a a hugger that was for certain. Not everyone appreciated that but he couldn't help his instincts.

[Annalise Jackson]

Anything Anna might have said completely left in a rush of air and a small sound eerily like a squeak. This was because he suddenly launched forward for a hug. Without hesitation, or warning, Annalise let out a sharp sound, jerked back, and literally dodged to the side. In that moment her entire body began to shake, and Anna's hand lifted to press to the side of her head, panic setting in within seconds.

As if she hadn't just relaxed entirely a moment before, Anna seemed to immediately revert, and worsen, her hand lifting upwards and brushing across her forehead in a slow sweep, wide eyes darting to her car and the escape it offered to her. Pressing back into the car door, instead of opening it up, she lowered her hand to her chest, as her breathing regulated itself. A slow and uneven thing that took several long minutes.

"You...you can't just ....I mean you don't even know me..." No complete sentences left her, and she was staring intently at her tennis shoes on the ground instead of looking up a him.

[Richard Buckles]

Richard of course compensated fro her movement as she jolted aside he moved with and captured her in his arms. The problem with an ability like his something that is a natural reflex like the hug or throwing something it occurred with precision most people didn't have. It was his state of being to be on point as long as he was not distracted by things or people

He of course had no real way to know what anxiety this would cause her. Even if he was thinking about it he would not have really thought much of a hug even if she didn't like to be touched much. He always had trouble with people who were so stand offish as he very much wasn't. He used to be a bit more shy about things but he had grown out of that with college. When she started to panic after a few moments he noticed and released. Watching her practically have a panic attack worried him.

"Well I guess I just don't think you need to know someone to love them and show that love. because everyone deserves to feel that warm feeling. Don't you think so?" he asked her. Though while his words sounded one way he was of course had different intention behind it. This had caused him some trouble in the past but he couldn't help that he was who he was including innocence in ways. He was a sweet and overly friendly guy.

[Annalise Jackson]

Anna had probably been more spurred on into the panic attack by his actual grabbing of her, than anything else, but for the moment it seemed to be calming down. People thought it was strange, she knew that. However, for a woman whom hadn't been touched in damn near twenty years, whom associated touching with some seriously horrid deep rooted thoughts, the anxiety was very much logical, and very much real. Whether or not anyone understood, or accept it.

When he let her go, she breathed deep and steady, eyeing him for a long moment at what he said, before actually laughing. At first it was an odd nervous chuckle, before it developed into more of a soft laugh, her hands coming up to cup her face, muffling the sound in her palms. After a moment the soft laugh relaxed and she crossed her arms beneath her chest, her eyebrows lifted as she stared at him.

"Yeah, well, you know..personal space and all that." She didn't seem upset, which was a good thing, since a moment before she'd wanted to get in her car and leave. Running was her answer to everything. It always had been. Leaving solved everything, if only temporarily. She did not, however, get in the car. Instead she just sat there, her bottom leaned into the car door, her eyes on him. "You're an odd person, you know that? People don't generally just randomly hug strangers. You never know what kind of people they are. For all you know, I could have pulled a knife out of my pocket."

[Richard Buckles]

The hug of course triggered for him memories of the past. His mind leapt its way through some rather pleasant thoughts. Being hugged as a kid by his mother. Which led to the smell of baked cookies. Coconut and toffee his obvious favorites. Which brought back to a warm smile on the face of a plain but sweet woman. It was obviously his mother. That's what he thought about down deep when he hugged. His mother and how it was like a warm blanket that was a mothers love.

He looked rather confused as she laughed after he spoke about love. Though he thought maybe she was nervous and it was one of those things people sometimes did when nervous. Then it changed into a softer more even laugh. Still he didn't understand why she was laughing but the hug did its job which was to lighten her mood. She had seemed so dark at their first meeting and see her laughing so sweetly was showing him more of her that he liked.

He looked at her tilting his head "You don't get that when you need a frown turned upside down." he said nodding as with his arms crossed like a stoic and serious man for a moment. He shrugged as his mind shot to the scenario and his hands quickly gripping the wrists of a knife wielder and then sweeping them to the ground and pinning them. Her scene selection triggered an automatic response of how to defend against a knife attack "Well I was not to worried about being attacked you are a nice person."

He was much of a by his gut kind of guy so if he saw you as a good person you did not appear one you were one till proven otherwise. Most anyone was in his book to start as he had great faith in people being good deep down inside. "Besides if you don't take chance with people how you ever going to reach out and help anybody? So Anna I take it you live in town here?" he was buttering her up to his talk earlier about maybe coming back to school.

If she was having trouble with controlling her power would do her some good but also help her socialize with some people she could identify with. He knew there were a couple telepaths up there. Though then his mind wandered and thought that would be trippy having a conversation totally in yours and the others mind just looking and acting like you are talking but no words. So he envisioned it a bit and just made him smile wider.

[Annalise Jackson]

For a moment Anna was lost in thought, and not her own. It was odd, being next to a single person, picking out specifically his thoughts. Memories triggered by emotions and words. Usually these things came in a cacophony of noise and rush, from several places all at once. It often confused her, pushed her, and more often than not, completely broke her. With just one source, however, his thoughts bled through simple and easy, and she couldn't seem to stay in the present for a moment or two.

"You don't know that." she suddenly responded, breaking her silence and blinking at him around the thoughts. "After all, I'm the one who can read thoughts. You couldn't possibly know what's going on in my head." Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and chewing at it, she eyed him for a long moment after his question, her arms still fixed under her chest in a tight crossing, wrapped around her body.

It was a defensive position she took very often, and was something of a habit by this point in her life. she did seem more relaxed, however, even managing a small smirk over his point about giving people a chance. Letting out a soft sigh, she pulled her lip from her teeth, and tilted her head at him, once more dragging her gaze to his face.

"Yes, I live here in town. Would be a little off to travel to an entirely different city for a jog, hmm?" smiling softly she finally uncrossed her arms and let them hang at her sides. The moment his mind switched to the school, telepaths,c onversations, she blinked and frowned. Pushing her body up off the side of the car she gave her head a shake, her hand coming up. "No. It isn't happening. DO you have any idea how long I have kept myself away from people?" With a soft huff, Anna cleared her throat and smiled tightly at him. "Look, thanks for the bump, and the laugh, and all the fuzzy goodness of the memories, but I think I should go."

With a nod she turned to her car and pulled her keys free of a pocket.

[Richard Buckles]

He shrugged "Sure I don't know that from a mind probing or reading but you have to have faith that people are just good at heart. Besides lots you can tell from how someone acts. She was a stubborn one that much was certain.

He couldn't help but catch her drifting whip of her wit as she replied pointing out the silliness of his question. He nodded "Well how true. Most don't have weird reasons why they are here instead of at home." His mind going to last nights business. Then a small head shake as he recalled the sounds Selena and her lady friend made till well past his usual bed time.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. As she seemed a little less than inclined with his notions he had in mind. He went back to the numbers now "Anna why are you trying to run away instead of having a calm and rational conversation about this? Not like I am forcing you into anything. I just want to discuss the options."

He put his hand out towards her though not making contact. "How about we get a cup of coffee maybe some breakfast and talk a bit more? ". She needed his help that much was certain to him. "I promise you nothing bad will happen.

[Annalise Jackson]

Wake Me Up

When it's all over.

The numbers returned, and it was like a slap in the back of the head. For a moment she was lost in confusion as she worked her way through it to pay attention to the present moment. Something she always struggled with. However, the fact that her brain didn't work in numbers, and, in fact, numbers in general confused the hell out of her, made it a bit easier to ignore. Like brushing off someone nearby who had a habit of reading out loud...only they were reading a list of numbers. Pushing passed this she eyed him, turning to face him yet again with a very slow and low sigh, her hand on the handle of her door and her lips pinched in together.

No, he wasn't forcing her. Nor would he be able to. She had proven quite crafty in the past when avoiding people and their incessant need to make her a social creature. Her fingers flexed on her car door, but, eventually she let it fall, her teeth gathering her bottom lip, where she chewed at it. For a brief moment what came to mind was the bartender from work. Something she'd noticed had happened increasingly more the last few days, especially after her ridiculous episode at work. For the first time in possibly her entire life, she had wanted to socialize...but had run, as always.

"Alright." she finally said, emerging from her thoughts as she zeroed her eyes in on him, as she'd been staring off over his shoulder for a few moments before finally answering him. "I run, because it's easy." She managed a tight smile, and shrugged a shoulder. It was harsh, but it was the truth. She didn't try to mask what she did as some other reason. She did what she did because it was far easier than dealing with every day life, and no grasp of control on herself. "I don't...normally go out to breakfast. Public places and all that."

We're addicted to the song lyrics that spill our hearts for us.

ulla

[Richard Buckles]

He could tell she was pulled out of her own head for a moment as he pushed her out of his thoughts behind his wall of numbers. Apparently it was easier to keep things to himself even the more innocent or whimsical notions floating through his head. She did say it was easier with numbers but he just assumed cause of what people usually thought up. Apparently it was more just thoughts as a whole not just what they were.

"Yeah but sometimes the best thing isn't the easy thing. Good to see you are fighting through that flight response to give me a chance." he said with a warm and big smile. "Well then we have two options now don't we? Go pick something up and go elsewhere or could always cook something for you." he suggested.

He didn't normally offer to cook for people he just met but she was a special circumstance. He could understand why she might not want to be out in public to much. Though he had always been a fight type when it came to response rather than flight so their outlooks on life were bound to be drastically different.

[Annalise Jackson]

Wake Me Up

When it's all over.

Anna could have made a very childish face at him. She could have, but she didn't. Instead she just gave him an uneasy smile and leaned back against the car door. His suggestions, however, made her blink repeatedly. Both of them made more sense than the other, which in and of itself was a confusing thing to contemplate. On the one hand, going out in public with someone you didn't know from a hole in the wall wasn't just smart, is was a no brainer. Wandering off alone to private places with strange men was how women ended up on the nine o'clock news.

On the other hand, an environment chalk full of people, their thoughts, their secrets, and their suggestive needs towards their dates, wasn't exactly an ideal placement for any type of relaxed conversation. Tightening the cross of her arms beneath her chest, Anna shifted her weight from one foot to the other, pushing back against the bright red car behind her, before taking a slow breath.

"We'd better go somewhere that doesn't have a lot of people." She sighed softly and slid her hand across her own jawline, before pushing upright from her car and once more sliding her hand onto the handle of her door. "But I'm driving my own car...I'll follow you or, something." She lifted her eyebrows, more so as if the challenge him to insist on another route. If she was going to go somewhere private with a male she only just met, she was going to have her own transportation at least.

We're addicted to the song lyrics that spill our hearts for us.

ulla

[Richard Buckles]

Of course Richard was proposing the plan of somewhere private because of her loathing of the public and all the thought that would entail. He didn't think much of the idea that he was asking someone he just met to come somewhere alone. To make it worse he could block out her mind reading so that could easily make it scarier to her. But he being an unassuming person about how bad the world could be was thinking she would be fine with it.

He watched as she shift back and forth on her feet while she twitched with obvious nervousness. She had so many ticks it was almost unreal or she was just that stressed at the notion she was exhibiting then all at once. He didn't get much of a work out because if this encounter but helping her was more important than one morning run. "If that is what you would like we can do that." he said softly. He was going to fairly giving on the specifics of the meal.

He was hungry and still a bit tired from the night before so eating had to happen while they talked. He looked around "Ummm my car is back at my friends house about half a mile away so you to either drive us both or want me to get my car?" he questioned as he didn't want to inconvenience her ambit had to be addressed.