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Though the words felt effortlessly easy, her mind still reminded her of the sentimentality of her statement. The brunette shook off the feeling, knowing full well that if the blonde could open up in such a way, he deserved honesty. "You remember who I was," She shuffled, her fingers dove into her pockets to avoid pulling at the water anymore.
"And I'm not that person anymore. At least, not entirely," She shrugged, "Thanks, in part, because of this place." The anger she used to hold, the constant resentment she harbored led her to do the stupidest things for the sake of the thrill. She didn't want that and Stagfort allowed her to develop into a person she enjoyed. She stopped doing things to spite others, and instead started to do things to enjoy herself. It was a liberating realization.
Rya knew more than most the appeal of a simplistic life. She enjoyed the fast pace of London at times, but more often than not, her favorite thing was to escape it all and breathe in fresh air, "I've always thought the same." Carter living a simple life didn't match up with the individual who left so long ago, but then again, people change over time. She certainly did.
The question was turned back to her, "London is a place I've lived, but it hardly feels like home."
Carter Chevalier was intriguing, to say the least. Gentle at times, head always held high. She remembered when they first met, he became a conquest. Shortly after, he became a friend. The blonde twin always had something to say, always had the right way to get under her skin. When he left, it took her by surprise how much she actually had grown used to his presence; Rya took advantage of it, really.
Her hand dropped from his, and instead it ran through her hair, brushing the the drenched hair back.
"So how does it feel?" She asked, her usual veil of sarcasm displaced for now, "Being back?"
People stared from a distance; she felt their eyes from where they stood. They didn't understand the way her body buzzed with every drop and they never would. Carter, however, understood to an extent. The terrakinetic may have been completely out of his element -literally- but he could comprehend the sentiment.
When he grabbed her hand, her lips parted.
To be frank, something about being this close to Carter felt strangely foreign but all too familiar. Her head tilted back slightly to maintain eye contact, but the look of surprise died almost as soon as it appeared. Instead, Rya closed her fingers to grip the hand that now held her own and she backed away, pulling him along with her. "Now that I think about it, you're far more attractive healthy."
Normally she'd have stayed except she felt the implication of the moment breathing down her neck and for the first time in a while, felt unsure of how to proceed. So much for the ball falling in her court. Carter Chevalier
Rya rarely explained the attraction she had towards the element because even she had a hard time doing so. It felt instinctual, much like a child is drawn to their mother minutes after birth. Her body gravitated towards it, her fingers twitched when she knew rain would come, and personally, she didn't know what life would be like without that sense of security. She didn't know if Carter held the same sentiments as she when it came to his element, but she only imagined he had a love of the land in his own specific way.
She watched his hair darken from the water, ruining the shape she was sure he intentionally created, "So it's a stand off now?" Rya raised her hand and pulled at the water that fell down the side of his face, waiting for a reaction "Maybe I'll just hold off for a bit longer, then." The Brit wasn't immune to illness after these storms, especially with the fluctuating temperatures, but that hardly bothered her now. Partially too stubborn to end it here, partially enjoying the rain, she'd make it last if only for a little while longer.
The sudden movement of his hand did not go unnoticed, but she made no comment. It amused her to know that part of his insistence to stay, at least in her mind, came from his stubbornness. The rain ultimately fell, small droplets initially, and that prompted her to move. A drop hit her face and she brushed it away without touching her skin. "I guess it's a party now."
They stood apart, but as soon as the rain started, she took a few steps forward to lessen the distance. "So are we going to just stand here?" Rya brushed her hair back, "Because at this point I think you've already committed to at least an afternoon of chaos with me."
This would be a moment when a jacket hood would go up for a normal individual, at minimum. She remained settled in place, blue eyes settled on the figure in front of her. His inquiry could widen her smirk to a grin, but she refrained, opting to shrug instead.
“Up to you,” she said, “But then again, there are worse things than getting a little wet.”
"No, but I won't ever have to, will I, Blondie?" Rya always found the act of getting to know someone to be tedious, filled with small talk and uncomfortable silence. Carter reminded her how easy conversation could be, regardless of how long they'd been apart.
At this point in the conversation, Rya felt the rain would fall soon, and figured she could offer up a bit of a warning. "I'd give it a few minutes, but this rain will really start going." If the Terrakinetic didn't wish to get soaked, now would be the time to leave. Something inside of her, however, wished he decided not to.
Rya made just enough to rent her own apartment. It had taken a while of saving, and continual months of budgeting, but the Brit left the dorms for a more... comfortable alternative. 700 square feet of space was plenty for herself. Plenty. It still was difficult to imagine living on her own in a house.
“Im still finishing up my degree, yeah, so it’s very well possible,” Rya said, “So there is really no way to escape me now.” On that note, she laughed, though she knew she was far from obligated to his company. Thunder rumbled once more, and lightning soon followed. Her fingers twitched.
The side of Rya's hand moved upward to rest above her upper lip, fingers slack but covering enough of her mouth so that her lips were no longer visible. "A house?" The surprise laced her tone, but otherwise her eyes showed no ill emotion. "Well congratulations, then." What did someone say to another who purchased a house?
Thunder boomed, and her hand fell. "So does this mean that I'll be seeing a lot more of you around town?" It didn't hurt to ask.
Carter at least understood the tenderness she showed when it came to water, but his comment amused her as Rya heard it often. "Good way to redeem yourself." She exhaled lightly on a laugh.
She followed his gaze to a furniture shop. In the window sat a piece that seemed worth three times her entire being, but she said nothing. "A couch?"
"Did you buy an unfurnished apartment then?" One could only assume, though the idea that he bought the home really did solidify his presence in Stagfort for longer than a few months, though he very well could have rented. Regardless, Rya could hardly complain.
The last time she stood person to person with Carter like this had to be years prior. Rya changed significantly, or so she liked to think. She assumed the Terrakinetic had also, seeing as he came back. She doubted she'd ever see him again. But here they stood, thunder close to cracking, speaking as if nothing had changed.
The Brit scoffed, "Am I really that predictable?" It was no secret she loved water, she hoped it poured. "I'd be offended, but you aren't wrong."
"So, shopping?" She inquired, knowing that the Chevalier very well knew what he wanted so she assumed the trip was purposeful.
He treated this like a serious game, stretching accordingly. Rya had to wonder just what ran through his mind, but she just made it out to be blind enthusiasm or simply a good day. She considered it a welcome reprieve from bad moods and shit talking that she had been dealing with lately.
As she waited, she continued to toss and catch the sack in her hand. "Rya," She offered. "You?"
Her eyes did not fail her, it seemed, when the familiar figure turned to face and move towards her. The earbuds that draped from Rya's hands were rolled up and placed in her bag while she met him halfway, glad to meet him in relatively neutral territory where alcohol didn't cloud her mind or general judgement. Their last meeting was something worthy of forgetting, if her memory served her right.
"Surprised you're out," She said simply, but her lips turned upward into an amused smile. "It's about to rain."
Life in Stagfort hardly appealed to most, but for those who appreciated the small town feel, minimalism, and the natural world, it didn't seem too bad. For Rya, life in London starkly contrasted her life today, and while she didn't believe she'd enjoy it in the long run, the little city held her tightly. Most people hated the rain; she grew up with it.
The skies were dark but thunder had yet to crack, so the Brit ventured out to the shops near downtown, window shopping for her own amusement. She preferred walking around with her hands in her pockets, shoulder strap bag bouncing against her hip, and glancing occasionally into the windows of shops that were far from her price range. As she walked, Rya noted few people were in the streets due to the impending rain, or so she assumed.
It wasn't until she saw an impeccably dressed blonde coming from a shop a few feet ahead that she pulled the headphones from her ears. "Carter?" It very well could have been someone else, but she figured she'd call out just in case. "Carter!"
