withering willow

“Harsh. I brave the storm for the pleasure of your company and the first thing you do is insult me.” His voice was smooth, lazy with amusement. “Still, if you’re so convinced I’m better quiet, maybe I’ll give you what you want. For once. Just don’t act surprised when you find yourself missing the sound of my voice.”

"You act like it's the first time when it's quickly become one of my most treasured hobbies," Charlie quipped back easily when he'd commented on her insulting him. When he seemed content with complying and staying quiet, she knew she couldn't just trust that. She kept her gaze laser focused onto the street, watching as water ricocheted off of the cobblestones. She was almost trying too hard to focus anywhere but on the body beside her, immediately feeling the weight of his eyes on her. She could see the shadow of him in her periphery, trying to keep herself from rolling her eyes or sighing when she felt as though he was boring a hole into her with his calm and calculated stare. Charlie's weight shifted in her boots as she kept trying to keep her eyes out forward, not wanting to give him any satisfaction with the little game he was playing. How could he be so infuriating and attention-drawing just by standing there. It was maddening to her.

🍦- get ice cream together

"Do I really look that ridiculous right now?" a laugh bubbling from her lips at Reid's description. "I haven't had sugar in like a week and I'm well excited for this," Charlie admitted with another laugh. "But I appreciate that you'd replace it if it was lost to the birds," she added fondly, giving him a little nudge. At his next suggestion she let out a theatrical gasp, "You wouldn't dare!"

🌧️ - get caught in a sudden downpour

Suddenly engulfed in a wall of water, Charlie would've normally welcomed the weather she found comforting if not for the materials she was carrying that she did not fancy getting damaged. Film canisters and handwritten notes from her latest investigation for an upcoming article. Desperate to find sanctuary for the duration of the storm, the woman quickened her pace to try and find a dryer spot. "Oh I am being punished," she murmured to herself as she lifted her head to see who was speaking to her and being met with that unmistakeable smirk. Water beaded off of her fringe into her eyes as she begrudgingly sheltered herself under the awning with the other. "You sure you can handle it for so long? I figured you loved the sound of your voice so much," she commented, looking around and realizing very quickly that there was a slim chance of her finding someplace else to wait it out without risking further damage of her precious goods, even if most of them were tucked away in her bag. "You know, I do find you far more attractive when you speak less. Any chance you'll do me such a kindness in charming me that way?" she directed back towards him.

Asher sighed. "I'm thinking way too much about this, aren't I?" he asked. "I wish I knew what everyone really paid attention to."

"It's because you think so much about this that makes you perfect for the job, Asher. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise," Charlie reminded him firmly with a smile. "Everyone is different. There's no one formula that works for everyone. Trust that it'll get the message across but also appeal extra to those who have a love for the artform."

"Of course." Isabelle couldn't fault her for that. Life had many ups and downs and she supposed that the only way you were living it properly was if you had both of them. "Life is worth it." Or rather, people were in her eyes.

"So I've heard," she replied softly, trying to blink back the emotional reaction that had spurred within her. "Gotta live it to the fullest and all that, right?" Charlie then offered up in a cheesier tone, hoping to disperse the heavier energy that the conversation had seemed to adopt.

"I guess so," Asher said with a light sigh. "I just want to resonate with as many people I can. However, sometimes half the people reading the articles aren't looking at the pictures well enough or with an artist's eyes."

"I understand that, I really do," she empathized with a nod. Charlie always tried to cover as much as she could with her writing, but sometimes she had to stay true to her own voice. " And some people only look at the pictures– skim over all that writing. There's two sides to everything," Charlie pointed out to him with a smile.

"Neither can I. I am saving up for it and working every hour I can to make sure I am competent." She already knew she could do it but she wanted to learn everything she could so she could realise it sooner rather than later. "I think it will start out small but I intend to become big."

"Everything starts somewhere. Even the tallest trees were small little saplings once upon a time," Charlie pointed out to the other when she said it would start small before it'd become something big like she wanted. "I have no doubt you'll achieve those grand dreams of yours. You seem tenacious as all hell."

"Your mouth says one thing and then your comments and actions contradict." Xander pointed out with a grin. "I'm not that used to it no. I think there is some attraction in power and money. That I happen to be handsome too is just a bonus." He teased lightly.

"Oh? And pray tell how exactly am I doing that?" she quirked a brow at him in response. "Absolutely, to some there is the appeal of all of that. But it doesn't necessarily interest everybody," Charlie pointed out. Considering that her mother's side of the family had all of that, she never really cared much for it. She had always been the type to find value in other things.

"I know my own limits so I have that privilege. I mean, that doesn't necessarily mean I listen to them where I am concerned but that's my own prerogative." He said with a grin. "I'm actually very considerate where others are concerned." When she mentioned how it seemed like a very him answer, Alfie laughed softly. "Yeah, well... It comes from doing a lot of the former and dealing with the after effects. Bad and good. Seems to me that the type of person who would notice that though, is someone of a similar persuasion."

"I didn't say that you weren't considerate of others," Charlie shrugged back. "I don't know if it's necessarily a similar persuasion. You say you push yourself and encourage others. I'd say I borderline crush myself while offering others closest to me support where I can," she snorted lightly. "But sure, I guess there's some similarities there."

"You're like having my own cheerleader around." Lucas said with a fond smile at the encouragement he was being given by Charlie. It was very sweet and not expected but welcomed all the same. "You sound a little like you understand it."

"All of us carry our own fair share of regrets, don't we?" she shrugged when Lucas had pointed out that it sounded like she understood it. "Sometimes we're reminded that in the end our time here is limited. Better to take chances and see where it goes than to not even take those chances to begin with, you know?"

"Do I though? You could be a bit of a dark horse Char." Reid joked softly, always keeping that warm, playful behaviour with his friend where he could. "Keeping me from friends? How? You're one of them. One of the closest in fact so I'd not pass up the opportunity to spend time with you for anything."

"It's a relief that I haven't done anything to make you sick of me," Charlie considered with a light snort. "But I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to spend time with you either," she assured him warmly. "Even if I don't feel like I'm up for it, you seem to wave the clouds of out my gray skies and I'm grateful for it."

"What can I say, I am a little bit terrible when I want to be." Natalya was always a tease, she just chose to do it in a different way where Charlie was concerned. "Oh? And what does it tell you about me?"

"Well for starters, you don't like to take no for an answer," she responded when the brunette asked what it told Charlie about the woman. "And you probably like to test limits too. Stir a little trouble, perhaps?"