please let this go well

[Alice Hobbs]

Nodding, as if to confirm, Alice pursed her lips. "Eight sounds fine," she said. She didn't like waiting for breakfast, and for someone who was used to eating breakfast no later than around seven, even on a Saturday, eight was more than enough, she figured. Lifting her hand, she ran her fingers through her hair, combing through her curls before nodding. "Don't hold back on my account," she shrugged. "Be yourself." As if that was easy to ask for someone this... Reserved?

Either way, Alice didn't mind Zoe texting her, even if that meant she'd have to spend every minute of free time she had on her phone. "If it gets annoying, I'd let you know," she assured her calmly with yet another shrug.

Not like Alice had that many people to text as it was, anyways. Could make for a nice change of pace.

"You seem awfully excited there, Miss. Wallerstein-Smythe," Alice noted, grinning. "Watch out so you don't fall off of your chair while you're busy bouncing in your seat."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Oh, Zoe was definitely going to hold back on Alice's account, regardless of what she said. She was already shoving more then enough and she just had to hold something back and prevent it from going too far over. She was tempted to insist that she was being herself... in fact, more herself then she'd been since arriving here. Everyone here likely thought the trembling, sad Zoe was the one who was real, but that Zoe hadn't been birthed until Zoe's power had manifested. The person she was blossoming into had taken that and become someone new, stronger, happier.

Zoe nodded at the assertion of texting, though she was already mentally prepping for a week of silence. "I am," replied Zoe, smiling, and running her finger around the rim of a coffee cup, "it's not every day I manage to get a second date with a beautiful woman, Miss Hobbs," she replied, before shifting again to take another sip. "Mm," she lowered it, holding out a hand, "that doesn't mean we have to cut this short, does it? Because I'd still like to spend some time with you, and I'd rather not have to paralyze you to keep you in place," and Zoe could not believe she'd just said that! She smiled shyly at it, lowering her gaze back to her coffee and feeling far too proud. Not only had she jokingly flirted, but she'd joked about her power. She practically cheered inside.

[Alice Hobbs]

"Fair enough; You make a very good point," Alice laughed, though, she wasn't sure who the lucky person really was; Herself or Zoe. It'd been a long time since Alice last had met someone she felt this comfortable with, and it was... Surprisingly nice too. Nothing about the girl sitting before her made Alice uncomfortable in a bad way where she felt the need to put her defensive walls up either, so there was that as well. Zoe clearly didn't give herself enough credit. Too bad Alice wasn't going to willingly hand it over that easily.

As for Zoe's comment about not cutting things short, and the joke about the ability she had clearly been so terrified about before, Alice couldn't quite hold the laugh back. "No, you're quite right, it doesn't mean we have to cut things short. In fact; We should go for a walk once we're taken care of our coffees." Smiling warmly, Alice took a sip of her coffee and offered Zoe a mischievous stare.

"Will you look at that, you're actually making a joke about your ability. I'd make a comment about how kinky that sounds, but I think praising you is time better spent in a situation such as this. Bravo."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Just when Zoe thought she might not be able to smile any more. She was tempted to start wiggling again and it took all she had not to really start doing it again. Instead she just suppressed the warm glow down, internalizing it, trying to use it to help fight off those inner shadows and demons that still infected her from time to time.

"A walk sounds nice," agreed Zoe, nodding. Alice had also suggested it, which meant that Zoe wasn't the only one here who wanted to spend more time. In fact, when had Alice started smiling so much? She had a pretty smile. no, wait, no staring at the lips, keep focused. Easy enough to do when Alice was showering Zoe with a compliment, making her blaze.

"It's not that kinky," insisted Zoe, fidgeting again, "though I probably would have to kiss you to manage it," another smile and another little cheer with you're flirting! tossed in for good measure. "And you really don't have to praise me everytime I do something good. You'll start making me think you're nice, and you wouldn't want that." Another smile, not that Zoe had stopped much as she raised her mug.

[Alice Hobbs]

"It's settled then," Alice nodded. Good. Besides, being able to move offered them a lot more space, and after sitting still for so long just staring at one another, that could prove to be quite the good thing - or even the opposite. Alice was curious to see where they'd end up, but she figured going to the park was always a safe bet. Besides, now that Autumn had settled, the colors licking their way over the landscape surrounding them were to die for. "How about the park?" Alice asked with a slight tilt to her head.

Stifling a laugh, Alice nodded, "I see," she said, "I'm looking forward to finding out then," she added playfully. It felt so alien, acting this way, though she couldn't quite help it. It was as if it came naturally, and Alice wasn't so sure how she felt about that yet, but for now, she wasn't going to worry. There was plenty of time for reflecting once the date was over. Lifting her hand, Alice nodded. "Ah, you make a very good point there," she began, smirking. After all, Alice would never consider herself a very nice person. In fact, she quite preferred not being one, but she couldn't stop herself.

Zoe seemed to have a positive effect on her which was even more alien than feeling this way. Not once had anyone ever made her quite this pleasant. Even Liz still had to witness some of the reserved, bitchiness that seemed to make Alice up.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"That sounds quite splendid," agreed Zoe, nodding, "especially with all the fall colors coming in. I only just saw some of it last time, but I've heard it looks really pretty through here," it was, after all, Zoe's first autumn in October. She fought the urge to wiggle again and swallowed another smile. Too much happy and Alice might think (accurately) that Zoe never went on dates.

"I think that hand-holding is supposed to be next," replied Zoe, fighting the urge to crawl inside herself and start stuttering again. She kept telling herself to just keep moving forward, that she could manage it. "Though you'll have to let me know when your fingers go numb... oh, and have you ever done that in public here?" Zoe gestured toward the window. "Some of the locals get quite upset when they see a pair of girls holding hands or kissing. It can be, um, uncomfortable?"

Though Zoe sincerely doubted that Alice would think that. Most likely the response would be something along the lines of let them be uncomfortable, possibly with a so what tossed in for good measure.

[Alice Hobbs]

Nodding in agreement, Alice chuckled, "Yeah, fall around here is quite splendid. Montana's famous for its nature, and well, honestly? It doesn't fail to impress." It surely helped that autumn was Alice's favorite time of the year, mostly because of the colors and the fresh air. As much as Alice enjoyed the warmth of summer, nothing beat a cold evening huddled in a blanket with a good book in front of the fire.

Hand-holding? Well, Alice was certain that was something she could get used to, although it wasn't exactly something she'd done a whole lot in the past. There was a first time for everything, right? "That's fine," she smiled. No, having her fingers go numb wasn't something that scared her, but at least she understood the severity of the topic and yes, she knew that letting Zoe know was vital for her personal issue with her ability. Alice didn't think that having another girl get sent to the hospital would do Zoe's ego any good. "I have not, no," she admitted, though quirked her brow at what Zoe said next. "Do I strike you as the kind of person who care much for what other people think of me or what I do?" 

"If I've given you the impression that I do, then I'm afraid I have to turn back time and do this entire date all over again." No, Alice could care less what other people thought. If they wanted to stare, then so be it. The least Alice could do was putting up a good show, and as if to prove it, Alice held out her hand for Zoe to take, offering the girl a challenging smirk.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The thought of heading out and seeing all those vibrant colors practically had Zoe vibrating. The thought of sharing that moment with someone she was starting to like more and more with each passing second nearly had the girl wanting to abandon her coffee and go sprinting from the shop then and there. She forced herself to take another sip, which did a very good job of reminding her that she did enjoy the coffee here (and that a little extra caffeine couldn't hurt).

Alice didn't disappoint with her reaction either, which nearly had Zoe giggle. She swallowed it, not wanting Alice to think that she was an overly giggly girl or anything. "No, that's pretty much what I thought you'd say," agreed Zoe. Her smile slipped a little as she saw the hand and she swallowed hard. Her eyes flicked to Alice. "You have to tell me if it spreads too far, okay? I do have the antidote on me but, well, I'd rather not have to use it if we didn't have to..."

Then she slid her hand forward, entwining her fingers with Alice's and trying not to look like the gesture just sent shivers down her spine and made her heart skip a beat. "I'm probably the most out girl in Kalispell," Zoe said, rolling her eyes, "so it's kind of silly for me to be too shy about something like this." That and she'd had to push herself in her last relationship to show affection constantly, thus building up quite a bit of tolerance. At least this time she wasn't being stalked by a homophobic staff member.

That was a fun date.

[Alice Hobbs]

"Good," Alice laughed, "Guess I have to find other ways to surprise you then, if my enthralling personality can't do the trick." Not that Alice was all that worried, mind, as Zoe hadn't ran away yet, she doubted much else could. That was generally as bad as Alice got, the bluntness Zoe had been met with when they had met back at the training field. Well, that and her extremely cynical view on the entire existence of human beings and their purpose in life, but come on, that was for another time, surely. "Okay," Alice nodded, "I will."

At first, Alice didn't feel anything at all, but as their fingers intertwined and the seconds started passing, Alice could feel the slight tingling sensation begin. It wasn't nearly as bad as she'd expected it to be, but she could understand what Zoe had been referring to. It did make her wonder just how long it'd take before her hand would fall asleep, and then her arm. "Huh, this isn't too bad. How long does it generally take before it spreads? Or fall asleep, for that matter? Might be useful for me to know." After all, she didn't want Zoe to feel uncomfortable or worry for no reason. Baby steps and all that.

As for Zoe's other words, Alice smiled. "Alright, doesn't sound like we'll have many issues on that part then," she smiled, giving Zoe's hand a light squeeze. Had someone told Alice a few days prior that she'd be going on a date and holding hands with someone, she would have laughed in their faces. Look at her now; It was extremely surreal.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"That's not what I meant!" blurted Zoe, her eyes wide. "Your personality is definitely enthralling, honest, it's---oh, right," she flushed and looked down at their hands, again wanting to desperately pretend like seeing those entwined fingers didn't make her heart flutter. She swallowed, nervously, listening as Alice spoke.

"It's, uh," said Zoe, shifting again, "it's different for people. It usually takes only a few minutes or so before your whole arm goes a little numb and tingly. It can take a lot longer then that before it starts to spread further up, but, ah," Alice actually gave Zoe's hand a squeeze and the nervous Brit flushed again, "jus--just be careful because it could spread to your heart and I wouldn't want to paralyze your heart."

Zoe said these last few words while still looking into Alice's eyes, not seeming to realize what had come out. No sooner had she done so then those eyes again widened in panic and her throat closed up, making Zoe freeze out of sheer, unadulterated panic.

[Alice Hobbs]

Laughing a little, Alice eyed Zoe with a bemused expression. "Stop worrying so much," she said, smiling. Alice did however wonder, just how long it would take for Zoe to stop freaking out, or taking everything Alice said too seriously. Not that she could blame her though, as Alice often came off being extremely serious, with her no-bullshit and blunt personality, but lo and behold, she could actually crack a joke.

Taking note of what Zoe said, Alice pursed her lips. "Okay, so at what point should I ask you to stop?" she asked. Having her arm go numb didn't sound like that much of an issue, but she didn't wish to cause any problems or be overly brave. After all, Zoe was the one who had the most expertise on her own ability and as much as Alice didn't like to admit to it, she had next to none.

"Paralyze my heart, huh?" she smiled at that. "That sounds like a twisted metaphor," she laughed. Hoping a joke would lighten the mood, if only just a little. But alas, Alice understood the seriousness of the issue. "And don't worry, I'll let you know." At least, Alice could compliment herself with the idea of knowing that she had a lot of self control, and the need to look out for herself wouldn't make her do anything overly reckless.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe laughed a little at Alice's teasing comment regarding worrying. Her hand again went up to her face, though she seemed to mostly just be fidgeting, as her fingers played with the loose strands sticking out from under the hat. The other remained entwined with Alice's, rubbing nervously against it.

At first Zoe didn't answer the more serious question, mostly because of the twisted metaphor that followed. Zoe ended up smiling bashfully, lowering her eyes. "It sounds like the sort of thing I'd write in my poems," she admitted. She took a deep breath, pulling her head back up to meet Alice's eyes. "But you should be okay for a while. About the time you start to feel tingly in the, uh," Zoe nodded toward Alice's chest, "um, shoulder area, then you should probably let go for a moment. But it fades fairly quick or so people tell me," Zoe added a slightly bemused shrug. It wasn't as if she'd been able to experience it.

"So," said Zoe, "uh, I should probably try asking some more questions, right? Like, um,' she paused for a moment, trying to figure out what she should ask, "what kind of books you like to read?" Zoe smiled a little nervously at that, as it obviously revealed that yes, she liked reading, and she knew how horribly dull that was to the vast majority of the world. She ran her fingers nervously along Alice's hand, though she knew that Alice probably couldn't feel the gesture too much by now.

[Alice Hobbs]

Right, Zoe wrote poems. "You should show me sometimes." If they were twisted, it was probably something Alice would enjoy reading, and even if she didn't, that hardly mattered in the end. After all, they did say that one's writing was a window to their soul, or maybe that was something else? Regardless, Alice wouldn't mind reading Zoe's work.

Stop when she started feeling the numbing, tingling sensation on her shoulder. Alright, that sounded fair enough. "Alright, can do," Alice replied with a crooked grin. And having that as a boundary would serve them both well, as she had mentioned before. After all, this was a first date, and they didn't want to go further than what they felt comfortable with. "I'll let you know when I start feeling it in my shoulder," she added as a promise.

Turning her attention back to their intertwined hands, Alice gave Zoe's hand another squeeze. Her hand had started going numb ever so slowly, as if she had lost her blood flow, causing it to fall asleep. She recognized the feeling, but smiled nonetheless. "It's almost a little ticklish," she noted, more so to herself that to Zoe.

Snapping her eyes up as Zoe started talking again, Alice pursed her lips. "It depends on my mood, honestly, and I don't really have any favorite genres. As long as the story is good and you dream yourself away in it while forgetting that time is something that actually exists, it's a good book," she smiled. "What about yourself?" Alice asked. And no, Alice didn't feel Zoe's fingers against her skin, but she could see them, and it had her smile widening.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"I'll probably end up writing one about you," replied Zoe, half-confessing, half-teasing, and managing to look both pleased and embarrassed about it at the same time. Plus, she couldn't help but get happy anytime anyone took interest in her work, that Alice happened to want to read was even better. It then occurred to Zoe that she could probably ask Alice to model for her, as she was both pretty and had a pretty power, and she made a note to ask later on.

Mostly because Zoe didn't want to be accused of looking too far ahead again. She could always just mention it casually.

A squeeze to a hand followed more promises, and Zoe almost sighed with relief. Alice appeared to be one of those that reacted more slowly to her ability, and she also didn't seem to mind it or find it all that strange or disquieting. Which left Zoe to focus more on the conversation. She found herself nodding in agreement soon enough. "I know what that's like. I can't count the number of times I've ended up lost in a book. I usually read dark romances, especially older ones, where everyone ends up dying young and sad," Zoe lowered her eyes, smiling shyly again. She rallied fairly quickly though, bringing her smile up to Alice again. "So pretty well you'd expect, I'm afraid. Oh, and poetry. Ever so much poetry," she ran her fingers along Alice's hand again, only to look up and see Alice's smile widening.

That had Zoe looking embarrassed quite again, and pleased, both of which led to her turning to look out the window once more, obviously so wrapped up in those emotions that she momentarily forgot about the whole actually having a conversation thing.

[Alice Hobbs]

Tilting her head curiously to the side, Alice narrowed her eyes. "Oh?" she asked, taking note of what Zoe had just said. Write a poem about her? Well, that was another first. It seemed like Alice experienced quite a few of those with Zoe and it was both a little confusing and very surprising, but not in a bad way, as most things seemed to be around the girl. "That you'll definitely have to let me read."

"So, I assuming you're a fan of Shakespeare then? That guy had a taste of theatrics, that's for sure," Alice said, smiling. "But I do see where you're coming from; There's a sad kind of... Beauty in those kind of stories, but I'd say I prefer them over happily ever after, because between the two, the first is usually more realistic than the first." To say that Alice didn't believe in 'Once Upon A Time' and 'Happily Ever After' was putting it mildly, but then again, she was a cynical pessimist who always saw the world as dark and brooding rather than colorful and filled with sunshine. It was easier not to get disappointed that way. "I'm more of a quotes person than a poetry person; Mostly because when I was ten, I tried writing one and I failed miserably. I've been staying away from it ever since," she said with an overly dramatic tone to her voice, hoping that Zoe would get that she was only kidding.

She was not a poetry writer, mind. She lacked the certain kind of... Inspiration most people seemed to have.

Turning her attention back to her hand, she lifted her other hand and reached out her finger to point the soft spot of her wrist, a curious twist to her smile formed on her lips as she nodded. "Well, at least it's a slow progress. It would be much more troublesome had you paralyzed me entirely in one go; I believe there's hope for you yet, Zoe."