First steps

It seemed like it took forever. He sat waiting by the main fire staring into the light trying to find a distraction. The hand that landed on his shoulder was small l, but firm. He looked over his shoulder at Spears who looked concern "I'm sure she's fine. You shouldn't worry so much, Lightning" he looked back to the flames and whispered to himself mostly "I'm still not sure if its some sort of trick." A face appeared in the flames, a savage feral crinos face twisted in an anger snarl, but it was gone the next second. His mind started to wander back to London, but that scent hit his nose and his focus changed. He watch the main pathway waiting. Praying his mind wasn't tricking him.

Tempest was a woman of many a demeanor and whichever one she chose to don for the night, she committed to it when a vehemence. Some were more common to see, like one might return to a favorite pair of boots or a lucky tee-shirt. Not that the enigmatic kindred would have admitted it, but there were even one or two that had shielded her in the past far better then any set of armor could have hoped to.

Tonight's veil she must have dug out from the back of the proverbial closet. because it was blue moon rare to look at her and not have a bit of that delicious chill of, 'Danger, Will Robinson!' travel up the spine.

Tonight she almost looked... approachable.

Leisurely steps, because truth be told she wasn't exactly looking forward to the anticipated conversation that loomed in her path, carried her along toward the crackle of flames. Toward him, and from where he was seated beyond the makeshift hearth, it gave the illusion that the fire was licking up around that sylphlike form; effortless grace, that was how she moved and she closed the distance between them.

Well, the physical distance in any case. The true expanse between them, the one that really mattered, was unlikely to prove as easy to bridge.

His mind, was completely blank. He knew Spears had retreated to a safe distance, but wasn't gone. Just giving them space. She knew you didn't interfere with the Ulfric, not when it came to the Lupa. He watched her approach as he searched for something to say, words just not working. Eventually the only thing he could muster was "Uhhhh...". 'Really?! UHH?!?! THATS IT?! Seriously get your shit together man' his features were not helping him by betraying his inner turmoil.

That wild mane of blonde hard been somewhat tamed into a handful of long, messy braids that swept down around her lean shoulders. The rest of her chosen attire was equally casual; a tank top imprinted with a faded Iron Maiden logo across the front, long broken in, somewhat ragged jeans and bare feet. If one didn't know better, at a glance, she could have been mistaken for a member of one of the fiercer Garou tribes.

Gliding around the central fire she paused short of reaching his side upon the utterance of his oh-so-elequent greeting.

"You know, there is a certain satisfaction in being the one to leave you completely tongue tied for once."

He shook himself free of his mind and leaned back against the trunk he was in front of. He searched her features for something, anything that told him this wasn't real, that she wasn't truly here. But it wasn't there. The only things he found were every last bit that he fell for. He finally realized that he was staring like an idiot and chuckled "Yeah, I used to always have something to say, didn't I?" he scratched at his beard nervously.

"And it was usually fueled by heartfelt sincerity." A wry smirk formed. "Which was incredibly obnoxious at the time, I'll have you know, it really made it difficult to ignore your advice and go about my business."

A mildly indignant snort was given at the memory of the serious inconvenience he had proven himself to be when their paths first crossed.

His smile was a little less anxious now "Yeah. I was still pretty young then though. Did a lot of growing up when i met you. The first real thing in my life to mean something." he relaxed some more. She was real and she was here. He wasn't dreaming and no one was playing a trick on him. He just hoped he wouldn't scare her off "I missed you"

There wasn't an immediate answer and she stalled for more time by producing a pack of cigarettes and picking one to burn in effigy to who they had been a long time ago.

"I think maybe you were the first person to look at me and see someone to value and just between us. That scared the hell out of me." A plume of smoke rolled past her lips. "I still don't exactly know what to do with people counting on me, but I'm ...working on it?" Her nose twitched a bit.

"You've grown up even more in my absence. I'd even say you're doing better... But I missed you too."

He heard all of it, but those last words. He felt like the grinch all of a sudden. Heart, three times, or maybe it was just beating again. He wasn't sure. And then he thought of the things he had been through and couldn't stop himself "I almost gave up. Things got bad. Ended up landing myself another deed name. Not exactly proud of it" he looked down at the dirt shame on his face "Butcher of God's Army" the title fell from his lips like one would spit up something vile.