Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 17:52:06 GMT -6
When he stopped, so did Penelope. But she didn't turn. She stood there, facing forward as she listened to his words. Then, when he finished, she laughed. "For the love of god," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose before finally, she turned with her arms outreached. "Just stop, alright? Stop talking to me like I'm some kind of charity case, okay? I can take care of myself and I sure as hell don't need you telling me it's okay, that we don't have to do this, that we can just turn around and whoo-lee-dah, happy ending." She shook her head, frustration starting to seep into her voice. "I promised I'd go to this stupid part and I'm going to go to this stupid party with our without you, so man the fuck up and put on your big boy pants, because we have a party to attend."
Why she was getting so emotional, the brunette didn't know. Maybe it wasn't just one thing, but many smaller things put together. Their time at the skating rink, him constantly poking up out of nowhere, the dream, him constantly trying to reassure her and be this character with an ominous presence that really was nothing more than just another kid who was trying to survive in a world where people expected more out of you. "Stop being so concerned about my feelings and get a grip on your own instead."
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 18:08:43 GMT -6
Trevor watch Penelope speak as if she'd suddenly began growing a third arm out of her forehead. He took in every frustrated, exasperated word with a great deal of confusion and a hint of surprise. It was starting to feel like he was banging his head against a wall. He simply couldn't win even though he hadn't even joined the race. He figured it was about time for something to come to a head though he'd hoped it would have been over something much less confusing than this.
"Hold on." Trevor said in an effort to reset everything so he could respond to Penelope's outburst properly. "Let me get this straight. When I'm being evasive, defensive and guarded I'm being an asshole and you'd wish I'd get to the point and stop being such a pretentious dick." There wasn't much frustration in Trevor's voice despite the words he spoke. It wasn't in his nature to drift too far out of his safety zone in terms of emotional displays. "But when I drop all the bullshit and actually talk to you like a human being... I'm an asshole and you wish I'd grow a pair." He looked to her, studying her features for the moment. "Am I getting that right?" He asked curiously. "And when did it become so wrong to take someone else's feelings into account? Like I think I'm going to be some big damn hero for not forcing you to go to a party you didn't want to go to in the first place." Trevor gave a roll of his eyes and a dismissive wave of his hand.
Against his better judgement Trevor started moving closer to Penelope as his own response slowly escalated. He wasn't growing angry or frustrated but he didn't bother hiding his own exasperation with the situation. "It makes no sense at all. I mean, why do you think I'm here? You think I just like bothering you for no reason? You think that's who I am? Like I'm just going to poke you with a stick until you get pissed off and punch me in the face." By now he had drawn perilously close to Penelope, close enough to where he could see her features in the dim light the stars overhead gave off. "That wouldn't accomplish anything and I would hope after at least this much time you'd give me a little more credit than that."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 18:16:19 GMT -6
The annoying part about his speech was that he was right. Of course she was confusing him. Especially since she couldn't make up her own mind about this. It was as if no matter what he did, he annoyed her. No matter which way he pulled or pushed, her claws came out and she didn't even know why. Normally, she'd brush anyone off like they were an insect, but Trevor kept crawling under skin and making her kick her walls up full force. She didn't like it. She didn't like the potential power he had. It didn't matter if he'd use it or not. He still had it. And she had no response but silence. Fuming silence.
"I don't know why you're here!" she yelled at him, suddenly noticing how close he'd drawn. She didn't back off, though, but her body tensed. "That's the thing! You won't tell me why you keep popping up and insist on dragging me around!" Her voice was still agitated, but she'd lowered her tone. "What the hell am I supposed to think when you keep being so god damn cryptic and evasive?" She stepped away then, turning in a half circle to collect herself. "You know what, I don't want to hear it." She didn't need yet another smug or witty remark thrown at her. Or something that'd make her even more confused about his intentions. "Can we just get this god damn party over with?"
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 18:28:52 GMT -6
Trevor's eyes narrowed as Penelope shot back. Every time she opened her mouth she took everything up a notch. He was finding it damn near impossible to maintain his usual semblance of control over himself and the situation he had put himself in. All of this was due to his machinations. Penelope would barely know his name if not for him, let alone be standing out in the middle of the woods during a secret party they both knew was breaking so many rules. Yes. He'd done it all and now that he had Penelope here and all but forced her defenses down revealing something resembling a true response he had no idea what to do.
"Oh, no." Trevor wasn't going to let Penelope off that easily. He hadn't put this much effort to get this far and have her not, at least, hear him out. His mind raced as he reached out for her in an attempt to grab her arm and stop her from getting any further. As it stood they were well out of earshot of anyone. There were only the bugs and any other critters about to hear their conversation. He doubted the two of them would ever find this much privacy again. "You can't lay all that out and then walk away. You can't stand there and verbally bitch slap me every goddamn time I try and be real with you. You can't have it both ways. Either I act like I don't give a shit and drive you insane or you shut up long enough for me to tell you I like you even though I have no fucking clue what I'm doing!"
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 18:46:24 GMT -6
She felt him grab his arm and with the force alone, the brunette swung back around, more than ready to have another go at whatever the hell he was trying to drag out of her. She was growing tired of this constant battle of wits. It might have been interesting at one point, but now it was simply confusing and tiresome. Staring at him, she opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as he took the word. And the brunette's verbal barb wires fell completely still and she simply stood there, watching the boy with narrowed eyes.
Through it all, through the anger and confusion, that was the last thing the brunette ever thought she'd hear coming from the usually cryptic boy. Now, she didn't know what his definition of 'like' was, but she doubted it was anything more serious than something that'd quickly pass. Things like these always did. It wasn't permanent, and she wasn't about to let either of them fool themselves into thinking.
"You like me," she repeated. "Now isn't that just adorable." She shook her head and averted her eyes. "You don't need me to tell you you've placed your money on the wrong horse." After all, she wasn't exactly receptive. He'd learned that by now, hadn't he? "And this, infatuation, crush, feeling of connection or friendship, or whatever the hell like means, well, you better save yourself the trouble and bury it. Bury it deep down." Her voice was shaking at this point. It wasn't purely out of her being emotional, but more a defense mechanism. Her reaction, her words, it was all a means to escape. Escape something she didn't know how to deal with. People didn't like her. It was for the best. It was what she'd always wanted.
The shake in her voice moved on to being a tremble going through her body. She could feel her eyes burn, but she swallowed hard. No, she wasn't going to let him get to her. She had a plan. A plan to get out of here. And nothing, nor no one was going to hold her back from that. People made you weak. "People like us don't have the time for like," she continued, refusing to look at him. She swallowed hard again, refusing to succumb to burning sensation in her eyes, threatening to crack her defenses.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 19:01:03 GMT -6
Trevor had to keep himself from literally bringing his hand up to smack his forehead in dramatic fashion. Even though he'd figured the real reason he'd worked it out so their paths would cross so much was painfully obvious outright saying it was still very much a no-no. The admission accomplished nothing save for dropping him a notch or two below Penelope. It gave her leverage, something to pick up and swing at him exactly like she had the moment the word slipped from his lips. Whether he liked it or not his accident had cost him the home court advantage.
The tension between the two of them hung in the air with an almost tangible weight. Trevor had averted his gaze as well and almost staunchly refused to look at her either, instead he opted to take in the sight of a rock that was embedded in the soft soil beneath his show. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many counters to the points Penelope had made. This wasn't a race or competition. There was no money, literal or figurative, to be placed anywhere. It was simply a boy who'd gone through life without a care in the world having stumbled across a kindred spirit of sorts and, as a result, learning how frustrating it was to deal with someone so evasive and guarded.
Even though he didn't want to, Trevor knew he had to speak. He couldn't very well stand in the dark staring awkwardly at the ground all night. He let out a low exhale of breath, his meticulously chosen words gathered and ready. "People like use choose what we have time for."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 19:14:27 GMT -6
Closing her eyes, Penelope took a deep breath of the fresh and cool forest air. She let the coolness damper her inner turmoil. She felt more relaxed as she focused on her breathing instead of what was sitting right in front of her, staring her in the face. She didn't think of this as leverage. She wouldn't hold this against him. But it did offer some clarity to the situations she'd often found herself in. She supposed that in hindsight, it made sense. But then again, it was always easier to look at something with a different light when you had all the answers.
Not that it had made the brunette any less confused, of course.
The response she had ready was expected. Perhaps we're not the same kind of people then. But she couldn't bring herself to saying it. What was she supposed to say? That he was still placing his money on the wrong horse? It seemed futile. She couldn't even make out her own emotions out of all of this. The urge to put up her walls and hide behind them flared up at the back of her mind, throbbing like a dull reminder that she couldn't get rid of.
She furrowed her brows then, trying to piece together all of it. In her mind she pictured it like a giant puzzle, trying to fit the pieces together one by one. "Why?" she finally asked after a long moment of silence.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 19:23:27 GMT -6
'Why?'
A single word resonated through Trevor's mind in the way he never thought possible. he hadn't given that part of the equation much thought nor had he even considered what exactly he was feeling. He was starting to believe a much bigger deal was being made out of all this than was necessary. He hadn't professed some deep rooted love or gone off the rails in lustful abandon. Nothing he said could be taken as excessive or overbearing it was merely an admission of subtle feelings he remained uncertain how to deal with. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Why not?" He replied with a faint shrug of his shoulders. A thin smirk had began to tug faintly at his lips even if his gaze belied the mischievous display. Dark brown eyes remained serious and sober much like his Trevor's voice. He was calm and calculating as he spoke. Each work meticulously considered. "Nothing I said comes with any sort of expectations. It's simply a matter of me looking at someone and thinking I'd like to get to know them better. For real. Without all this bullshit."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 19:31:13 GMT -6
Once again her eyes narrowed. She watched him now, carefully. The smirk didn't march his sober eyes, which was off putting. Much like this entire conversation had been. Why not? Well, she could think of a million reasons as to why not, but nonetheless, the brunette kept her mouth shut. She too, although she would never admit that much, was tired of the constant fighting and second guessing.
"And here I thought all this bullshit was the foundation of..." She stopped then, wrinkling her nose as she realized she had no idea what to call this. No expectations, though. She supposed she could deal with that. Moving her hands to cradle her upper body, the brunette sighed. "We're going to be late for the party."
Then she paused, turning her head to look at the boy. "You've really got to start dreaming of something more fascinating than military bases," she said as she turned and once again, she started to walk. She had a feeling that wasn't the only and last time she'd end up inside his dreams. Not after this.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 19:38:14 GMT -6
Trevor let out a soft chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you're not wrong." He replied, his tone quiet. And she wasn't. Bullshit was the foundation for how Trevor usually navigated his way through life these days and he also considered it largely the basis for much of any sort of romantic relationship. In a way he almost viewed just about everything as being at least some parts bullshit. No matter what it was Penelope was going to say, Trevor believed her to be right.
As curious as how all this was playing out happened to be Trevor couldn't deny he was a bit distracted with how it hadn't. He was surprised at his own willingness to end the charade and be straight with Penelope and something in the back of his mind had told him she should have responded in a much more... angry manner. He was pondering this until she made a comment about his dreams that quickly snapped him back to the real world.
"Excuse me?" Trevor asked, his brow furrowing as he trotted a bit to catch up to her. "You've been in my dreams?" Which was asking the obvious. Trevor knew Penelope's power, though he wasn't all that sure how it worked, exactly. "Should I remember that?" This was troubling. He didn't like the idea of anyone invading his dreams especially when he couldn't recall all of them. "What happens in my dreams when you're in there?"
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 19:45:02 GMT -6
"Not by choice." Shrugging then, the brunette pursed her lips. "Some dreams you remember, some you don't." It was a simple answer, sure, but it was true nonetheless. Her entering dreams worked the same way as regular dreams. Either you remembered them, or you didn't. At least that was what she'd experienced thus far, and she had a terrible habit of entering people's dreams and invading their personal space. Then the complicated question came, the one she'd rather not answer.
"I've only been in one of your dreams," she said, cocking an eyebrow in his direction. She didn't want him to think it was something that happened often, after all. "I'll spare you the grotesque details, but there was a morbid military based that seemed to almost be some kind of mixture of more than one," she shrugged. It held no great importance to her, after all. "Not very interesting. And you also seem to be quite eager to marry whoever enters your dream and go with it as if it's normal, even though your "wife" appears completely appalled of the idea." She supposed it was comical in a morbid kind of way.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 19:53:31 GMT -6
Trevor gave an almost apologetic shrug at that. "Yeah, well... I've seen a lot of them." He admitted. "Comes with being the son of an Air Force officer." He chuckled a little then. "Most of my dreams that take place in any... 'home' type scenario involved an airbase of some sort." He paused a moment to contemplate that. "I think they're usually a mix between Germany and California."
Penelope's next musings on his dream caused a single brow of Trevor's to quirk comically upward. He wasn't fond of being taken back to the bases he grew up on, especially when the dreams involved him being in uniform. Just the idea of being in a military environment again, especially as an adult, made his skin crawl. It was bad enough she'd brought up the constant, nagging dreams where he was stuck on some military base, did she have to throw in that sort of curve ball as well? "I do what now?" He asked, his face still a mask of surprised confusion. "Are you trying to say...?" He trailed off before using both hands to point to himself and her simultaneously. "... in my dream?"
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 19:57:39 GMT -6
She turned to look at him, both eyebrows raised as if what she'd said was the most common thing in the world. Well, to her it kind of was. Perhaps not the whole marriage ordeal, but she'd seen quite a lot of strange things in people's dreams, regardless of her being an active part or not. "Mmhm," she said finally, shrugging. "Imagine my surprise when I enter your dream and not only do you act as if I belong there, but we also get married. While I'm yelling at you, mind."
She remembered telling him not to touch her at some point of the dream. It was growing a little hazy to her too. It was in times like these that Penelope was glad she didn't have a perfect memory to accompany her ability. It would have been utmost dreadful.
Post by Trevor Paige on Apr 22, 2016 20:02:55 GMT -6
It was then Trevor actually did slump his shoulders and bring his palm up to his face. "Oh god..." He muttered in sheer embarrassment. He hoped like hell Penelope didn't think he was some creepy stalker who thought the two of them would end up married or some cheesy, insane junk like that. It wasn't as if he stayed up at night thinking of her or anything. Hell, he hardly gave her much thought at all when he wasn't around her. Anything he felt toward her was more rooted in curiosity than some sort of deeply rooted romantic notions.
Good luck getting her to realize that now.
"Yeah, uh about that." Trevor paused again and dropped his hand to his side. He glanced to Penelope. "You sure it wasn't a nightmare? Because it sounds like a nightmare." Being on a military base and married certainly sounded like the worst possible scenario to be dreaming about. "I'll be happy if I never see an another airbase or wedding ring the rest of my life."
Post by Penelope Adams on Apr 22, 2016 20:08:20 GMT -6
"I don't know. It was your dream," she replied simply. She wondered briefly if she should have felt insulted, but she also understood that she wasn't the issue. Everything else was. At least in the dream. "But dreams are just that, dreams. I don't think they hold any deeper meaning than simply being random." At least, that's what she'd gathered from all the weird encounters she'd had in the magic world of dreamers.
Then, the brunette realized something important. Getting married sounded like a nightmare to him. Was he that terrified of deep rooted commitment? So, why the hell was he out here, yapping on about liking her and wanting to get to know her? Wasn't that going against that fear of commitment? Friendships were also a form of commitment, so it hardly mattered what like meant to him. Perhaps she was jumping to conclusions.