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Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
She had a feeling that question was going to come up. "Nah. Came close though: got third place. Not the gold, but pretty good considering most of us had no idea what we were doing. Bet I'd actually win now that I'm not completely green behind the wheel." She probably would do it again, that was the thing. It would be a pain to get all of them together again though. Ah well.
Blue-grey eyes narrowed accusingly at the blonde, but Deb didn't actually look offended. After a moment, a smirk cracked the non-heated glare. "Oh alright. Now let's see..." Out of the car shenanigans, huh? Her expression turned contemplative as she shifted through memories. There was plenty more of these, ranging from typical pranks to stuff she wouldn't want on her permanent record. However, her mind finally fixated on one.
"Oh I know. So a bit of backstory: my sister and I go on these long road trips during the summer. Experience the grand ol' American countryside without a destination in mind. Really fun. Anyways, this one trip we were making our way down from Illinois towards Florida and were playing some road roulette in Alabama. Ended up in some small little town and had to stop for gas and some snacks. Well my sister ended up chatting with this one guy inside and they hit it off. So when she came back she brought him along and introduced us. His name was Randy- I still remember -and once he'd found out we were new to the area, he offered to show us around." Caught up in remembrance, Deb laughed.
"It was pretty stupid. Hell more than that: we were two random chicks far away from home and some stranger offered to give us a tour. We took him up on it though. Alex had a good feeling about it and I wasn't getting any bad vibes from him either. Turned out to be our best idea yet. Guy was a local to the area and, get this, part of a biker gang. Had the special jacket and everything. So clearly we'd fallen in with the right crowd. Anyways, he showed us tons of little gems he and his friends frequented. Dive bars, restaurants, stores: you name it. We even went to some little bowling alley at some point. Those guys could really play, surprisingly. My sis and I ended up staying a few extra days in the state just to hang out with our new friends. Even got to go to a small concert with them for a few local bands. It was a blast, but Dumb. As. Shit. on our part. We were lucky we didn't end up on the front of a newspaper. Worth it, though."
She took a few seconds to relive the memories before sighing and looking back to Emmett. The smirk returned. "Now spill."
In part, Emmett had expected that her request would be turned right around back at her, but Deb humored her. The blonde leaned back in her seat, giving the girl time to think on her answer. It was a loaded question, after all. She had to wonder just what sort of adventures someone like her got up to. Given how events turned yesterday, from the dirty way she drove to the way it translated between the sheets, she had Emmett's attention.
A story that started with a road trip was always bound to be good, and as Deb continued her explanation it proved to be so. Dark eyes were lit with curiosity, widening when she described the man they took into his car. It was stupid, and for it Emmett laughed. That probably crossed the line of things she herself would do - though she never really liked men in the first place, so her opinion was already biased. And for it to only turn into an epic adventure? "Jesus, that's a story." Emmett replied once she had finished, clapping her hands together, feeling the ache of her jaw from grinning so widely.
"Alright, alright." Emmett gave herself a few seconds of thought, eyes turning to the restaurant before she finally landed on a thought and her gaze returned back to Deb. "I'm gonna have to say one time I was at the beach, and I jumped in the ocean and swam out. I mean, I swam out for a while." She ran a hand through her hair, refusing to stay still as she recalled the memory. "I just kept going. Then eventually I realized how far out I was. I turned around to go back but it was crazy that I made it. Waves were getting rough, and I was exhausted when I finally felt sand under my feet." She shrugged her shoulders. "Made it out okay, though." And instantly, her grin came back.
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
The laughter didn't bother her. After all, she'd already admitted the decision had been downright foolish. One with a happy ending at least.
Now it was her turn to listen. As Emmett took her time thinking up her tale, Deb patiently waited. When it did actually start, blue eyes went wide. Getting swept out into the ocean was pretty damn scary actually. Riptide didn't really care who you were- it took you out all the same. But she'd survived, hadn't she? Barely by the sounds of it. Still made for a good story though.
"Look I can appreciate the dedication to the search, but hasn't anyone told you mermaids aren't real?" She teased even as she laughed. Though blue eyes were quick to spot the approach of their waiter, drinks in tow. Eager hands snatched the hot cup topped with a miniature mountain of whipped cream. "That's crazy though. Here's to surviving our bad decisions so far." The mug was raised in Emmett's direction before Deb sampled some of the whipped cream. Drinking wasn't really an option until she got through most of it. "You ready to order though? Because she sure was.
Really, it was one of the moments in her life that really scared Emmett. She knew how angry the ocean could be, and she knew how lucky she was to get through something like that, especially because of her own stupidity to begin with. Her shoulders shrugged up and down a little as she laughed. "Hey, sometimes you just gotta make sure for yourself, you know?"
As the drinks came to the table, Emmett immediately put her hands around the warm mug of coffee. Oh, how she needed that. "Yeah." Sitting here continuously smelling the food was making her stomach grow impatient. She looked to the server, offering a smile. "Can I get the waffles? And a side of homefries?" As per the recommendation of the woman sitting across from her. The mechanic turned her attention back to her, eyes on the summit of whipped cream before she reached a hand forward, finger swiping just a little bit of the fluffy substance before sticking it into her mouth.
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
She openly joined in the laughter. ”Oh sure. I challenge the ocean waves all the time.” She teased with a lopsided smirk before her attention was grabbed by the drinks.
Deb worked on the whipped cream while Emmett ordered first. Though her stomach was demanding a more protein-filled meal instead. So when it came her turn, she ordered. ”I’ll have a ham and cheddar cheese omelet with home fries too. And extra ham in the omelet if you can.” She found it never hurt to try.
The waiter was just finishing up the order and moving away when blue-grey eyes turned back towards her. Or, more importantly, the stray hand reaching forward to steal some of the whipped cream off her drink. An eyebrow arched upwards immediately as Emmett sampled the lovely fluff. When she was this hungry, there were only a few who’d dare to chance a steal like that and think they’d get away with it. Deb could count the number on one hand.
Yet she found the corners of her lips twitching upwards regardless. Looks like the number just might have grown. For now at least.
”Usually my sister’s the only one who’d dare doing something like that.” Deb chuckled, going back to her drink for a moment to appreciate what was left of the quickly disappearing cream. Then blue-grey eyes glanced over the rim towards the thief with the beginnings of a wicked smirk. ”I do bite, you know.”
With a look like that, Emmett was instantly grinning. If only because she loved a good challenge, and stealing whipped cream from a pretty and hungry girl seemed exactly like something she'd dare to do twice. It only grew when she caught sight of the smile that took over instead, but that didn't change her mind about making a second attempt. Her hands remained still. For the moment.
A clear laugh erupted from Emmett's throat as she raised her hand, pressing a palm to her neck where she was somewhat certain a mark existed from the night prior. "I do know," she teased easily, and she definitely wasn't complaining over the fact. Instead, she drew her hand away and shifted it back towards the cup of hot chocolate, daring to wave a few fingers over the dwindling amount of whipped cream left.
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
Though her hands had gone still, it was all too evident that she was going to try again. Deb could recognize that sort of expression far too easily. It was one she often wore herself.
She couldn’t help but be a little satisfied in the answer she received. They’d both given as good as they got. Deb was certain she’d discover her own marks once she got home and actually took the time to look.
However that thought stalled as the hand once again reached out to steal what was left of her whipped cream. By this point hardly any remained- Deb was actually able to drink the hot chocolate underneath. But she wasn’t about to give up the remains so easily. Emmett had been warned.
The hand managed to scoop up some of the cream before the cup dropped lower. In a quick movement, her teeth had trapped the thieving digit. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough so it wouldn’t be easy to escape. The stolen whipped cream was swiftly licked off the finger that had taken it. Only then did Deb let go and lean back in her seat. A somewhat smug look soon followed as she sipped away the rest of the cream. Though her eyes didn’t leave Emmett. ”I warned you.”
Quick reflexes made it easy to snag another sample of what was left if the whipped cream. What Emmett wasn't prepared for was the way her digit was taken captive, and although it didn't hurt, her eyebrows shot upwards. Hazel eyes drifted down to the mouth that had her finger, briefly forgetting where they were.
When she was let go of, her hand returned to her side of the table, grin growing wider than ever. "Who said that wasn't the reaction I was hoping for?" Emmett asked in her humor. "I'm not scared. Maybe I like the thrill of it."
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
A laugh escaped her almost immediately at that response. ”It’s one thing to seek out a thrill,” Deb returned with a grin. Of all people, she should know something about thrill seeking. ”And another thing to just not think about asking for something nicely.” She teased with a wink, taking a sip. Only to then pause. Her head tilted to the side in consideration.
”Although I don’t think I’d want to chance doing something here. Fun as that might be. I actually like this place.” God forbid she get kicked out even over a pretty face. Her stomach would never forgive her.
Now that the whipped cream was all gone, Deb was content to just sip at the rest of her hot chocolate. A wonderful warmth settled into her stomach as she drank. She hummed in satisfaction before returning her attention to Emmett. ”So I’ve got to ask: why’d you set up shop here in good old Oregon? Hometown? Map marker roulette? Saw a garage and thought ‘you know what, I’ll take it?’” A hint of a lopsided smile played along her mouth as she finished speaking. Sure it was playfully asked, but she was genuinely curious.
Emmett laughed at the idea of asking for anything nicely. She was far more the type to just do something and ask for forgiveness later - or hope that forgiveness was never something required at all. Though she had a feeling that the girl sitting across from her already realized that, and instead decided to reach for her own mug, drawing it to her lips and taking a long sip of the warm liquid. At the very least, she knew she could play along.
It was new to be asked so many details of her life. Often, Emmett would already find herself escaping from whomever she had found herself with the prior night, but breakfast and a good attitude offered a strange change of pace. "I grew up in Oregon." Emmett said with a shrug, letting both her hands wrap around the warm mug. "I went to high school in Montana, and after I graduated I decided to come back. This place seemed nice enough of a town to end up in." The corner of her mouth rose up at the memory. "I worked at the shop for a couple years before the owner decided to retire. He thought I'd be a good fit to take over." It really was a lucky circumstance to have fall in her lap.
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
Ah. Hometown it was. Sort of. Regardless Deb gave the mechanic her attention while more of the hot drink in her hands disappeared past her lips. She could understand wanting to settle down around here. It was pretty peaceful. ”I’d have to say I agree with him.” She wore a smirk followed by a shrug. ”Though I might be a little biased now.”
As for her? ”Originally, yeah.” She admitted freely. ”Had to come here for Bellefonte once we found out I was a discount superhero. But I didn’t hate it there or here, so I decided to stick around and get my degree through it.” Deb never had an issue revealing she was a mutant. She’d been fortunate enough that she hadn’t run into many that really disliked them, and the few that she did usually were easy to just ignore and avoid. ”Then I got my job and my apartment and figured, hey, why not stay? They’ve got good roads, nice scenery, the people usually aren’t assholes, and I mean the mechanic in town ain’t half bad.” She grinned as she said it. ”Though that was a later discovery. But yeah. Guess I’m here for a few more reasons now.” Maybe even permanently. She’d have to see.
It was a simple question that had lead into a detailed answer, which Emmett appreciated. She recalled the bright haired girl explaining that she went to school here, and could only assume. A clearer image came to view when she explained that she attended Bellefonte as well. It wouldn't have been a surprise to hear that they attended around the same time, and somehow had just missed one another before Emmett all but decided to skip college.
When she was brought into the equation, it immediately pulled a laugh from the mechanic. "I fucking love it here." She settled with finally, something she thought they could agree on, given the stance Deb seemed to take. "Think you're gonna stick around when you're finished school then?"
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
To be honest she didn’t need to think that long on her answer. The smirk turned into a warm smile. ”I do, actually. Love it here too. Even minus everything else, I’ve already got a steady job assured and an awesome landlord. Doubt I’ll find anything as good right off the bat anywhere else. Plus, if I’m being honest, I’m probably too lazy to move again even if I wanted to.” The last part was a complete joke, but the rest had been sincere. Deb was content here. Unless that abruptly changed, she’d probably stay.
”What about you? That cozy garage going to be your home for a while?” There certainly wouldn’t be any complaints from the bright haired girl if that meant she might get to meet the mechanic fun enough- or just crazy enough -to let Deb take the wheel a few more times.
It was genuinely interesting to hear how people could fall in love with a place because they had been forced to move there over things they couldn't control. She couldn't wait to get out of Montana, and it was just funny that Bellefonte ended up following her a few years after she left. It made her wonder if she would have liked Oregon just as much were she born in a different state.
"Got no plans to leave." Emmett confirmed easily, taking another swig of the coffee and letting out a content sigh. "I can't think of a reason I'd want to let go of it." For her situation, it was the perfect setup. Her job brought her genuine happiness. "I mean, sometimes when you get something - you just know, you know?"
Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so, but let me tell you something: The best people usually are.
Deb could understand that easily enough. She nodded her head, careful as she took a sip, before raising her mug in something of a salute towards the other girl. ”Here’s to having found pretty much everything we need. Somehow.” She said with another crooked smirk. Thinking on it, she really was lucky. They both were from the sounds of it.
Whether or not the gesture was returned, Deb went back to drinking more of her hot chocolate. She loved the stuff, maybe too much. But as she drank, another question came to the forefront. With it came a grin.
”So you’ve told me about the craziest things you’ve done, but I’m sure you’ve met plenty of people coming into your garage. I’ve got to ask,” Her head tilted to the side slightly. ”What’s the craziest customer you’ve ever had? Besides me.” She threw in jokingly.
