read between the signs

With her date with Piper inching closer and closer, Rory’s anxiety was very much heightened. She had no idea what to expect; and she prayed having admitting her feelings for the redhead wasn’t about to ruin the beautiful friendship she’d formed with the officer since they first met back at the Dress Your Decades party. But both their feelings were out in the open now; and there was no taking that back... not that the Brit wanted to. Part of her truly was excited for the date; but part of her almost dreaded it. She was unsure of what to say, how to act, what to wear... 

So needless to say, the petite brunette was quite grateful for the ability to reach out to some of her friends for help and advice, friends like Josephine. She’d become friends with the other shortly after deciding to stay in Crownsville; and due to the fact they had many similar interests, they just got along rather well. “I-I know it’s just dinner at some vegan restaurant; so why am I such a mess?” She inquired, her leg bouncing nervously as she sat on the other’s couch. Her heart had pretty much been racing ever since first learning Piper had feelings for her too; and while she was telling herself it was all anxiety-related, there was that nagging part in the back of her mind telling her there was more to it than that. “How do people even do the whole dating thing?”

Jo smiled back at her happy to know he had made her day a little bit brighter. He was a quick learner but he had never taken the time to take up any languages, sign language seemed like the best one and he had a pretty good teacher with Rory around. He mimicked her, learning more was definitely not going to turn him away. His brow raising as they continued their conversation. “I’d have to say don’t go to the typical tourist places. Explore the city.” He shrugged, “I went back for a little while after Katrina hit. Seeing what was left, you can probably still feel some of that heartbreak down there today honestly. I would definitely suggest just taking it all in, but don’t mess with any of the voodoo. The people there take it seriously and will curse you in a heartbeat.” He nodded, “definitely go pay the voodoo queen a visit though, and Madame La Laurie’s house. There is more heartbreak in New Orleans than people care to talk about it, but the city was built on the back of heart break. That’s why the people there are strong and not scared of anything.” He smiled, giving her a nod, “a good idea, especially with October coming up.”

Rory watched Jo’s lips intently as he responded to her question. He was giving a lot of information; and she really couldn’t catch everything that he was saying. She caught bits and pieces, random words she was trying to piece together; but there was just a bit too much. “I think I’ll have you write all that down for me.” She finally spoke up once he’d finished, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “My takeaway was Katrina, heartache, and... voodoo?” That seemed right to her. She was, of course, familiar with the tragedy Hurricane Katrina had been; and she knew New Orleans was known for elements of the supernatural, primarily where voodoo was concerned. Reaching for her tea, she took a sip before directing her attention once again towards Jo.

“Yes! I got many ideas.” Not that Ariadne was really the best person to ask when it came to style. The blonde tended to have one that was very much her own, one that she managed to pull off through sheer force of will. To her first date with Evangeline, she’d worn one of her best suits, one that her dad had helped her pick out when she announced that she wanted some fitted suits. She’d burned it now.

~~two days later~~

Now that Piper had actually asked her out on a date, Rory’s nerves were very much heightened. While she thought she knew nothing about having a crush, she knew even less about going on an actual date. What did she wear? What did she say? What did people even do on dates? She knew Piper was gonna take her to some vegan restaurant a few towns over; but that was it. That was the extent of her current knowledge; and that did nothing to calm her nerves. At least her sister had said she’d help her pick out something to wear if she ever got asked out. And now that she had, the petite brunette found herself seeking out Ari for said help. “I think I finally understand the meaning of feeling like you’ve butterflies in your stomach; those these butterflies make me feel like I’m gonna be sick... Piper asked me out. We’re going to some vegan restaurant; and—” She stopped signing, knowing she’d been signing much faster than usual. It happened when her anxiety kicked in. Letting her hands fall to her sides, she opted to speak up next. “I know I’m rambling. Stop me, please.” Her heart was starting to feel like it was gonna beat out of her chest; though she hoped her sister didn’t notice the pain behind her hazel eyes. She hoped she could play it off as just her anxiety. 

Piper was proud of herself for making Rory chuckle. The brunette looked cute when she laughed. It was beginning to be one of the redhead’s favorite things, to make the other laugh. “I hope you get use to my clever jokes then. I tend to make them a lot.” She mentioned, with a lopsided grin on her face. Her sisters at this point refused to take her shopping anywhere. She would spend the whole time making cheesy jokes. Which they did not find as amusing as she did. Well her youngest sister would but would never admit it. Noticing Rory getting closer the redhead couldn’t help but smile to herself. She knew it was most likely because the other was cold. Still having the brunette this close make her happy. 

“Noted.” Rory nodded at Piper’s words before turning her attention towards the movie. While she knew they’d definitely continue their conversation and probably miss most the movie like they had with Oliver and Company, she still wanted to watch it for at least a few minutes. It was her favorite Disney movie, after all. And even if she’d seen it 100 times and had whole scenes memorized, she never tired of it... Though speaking of tired, the petite brunette actually felt rather exhausted. Despite having slept well on the redhead’s couch the night before, the whole dizzy spell had taken a lot out of her. And she’d spent the morning rushing around, ensuring her apartment was perfect for when her friend arrived. Stifling a yawn, she leaned back to allow her head to rest on the back of the couch as she watched the movie. And after a few minutes, she decided to close her eyes... Just for a moment. However, that moment soon turned into the Brit drifting off to sleep, her head lolling to the side and ultimately ending up on Piper’s shoulder.

Even eating ice cream Piper still managed to maintain a warm body heat. It made summer uncomfortable. Especially in the thick uniform she had to wear. However she always managed to keep warm in the winter. The redhead didn’t mind sharing some of her warmth with Rory. “Ice powers or not I think you are pretty…cool.” She gave the brunette a bright smile. Proud of her own cheesy joke. Her smile faded to a bit of shock at the other’s words. Did Rory just call her hot? She never expected to hear such a compliment from the brunette. A bit of pink crept onto her cheeks. “No it wasn’t cheesy at all. My joke was way cheesier. That was actually pretty clever.”

With her gaze still on Piper’s lips, Rory couldn’t help herself from chuckling at the cheesy comment said by the other. While it was cheesy, it was clever too. She’d grown to really appreciate the redhead’s sense of humor. She was quirky and witty; and she didn’t try and force the funny. It just seemed to happen naturally. “Give yourself credit. Yours was clever too.” She stated, taking another spoonful of ice cream as another shiver was sent down her spine. Despite being wrapped in the blanket, she was still cold. She couldn’t quite understand how Piper could be so warm. It wasn’t fair. Shifting her position as to better cover herself with the blanket, she also scooted somewhat closer to her friend in an attempt to steal a bit more warmth. Plus she kinda just wanted to be closer to her. Part of her still didn’t fully know what it was she wanted in that moment; but the part of her that did felt like scooting closer was a good start.

Piper took a spoon and began eating the ice cream. No wonder Rory loved it so much. The ice cream was really good. Her attention was pulled back towards the brunette’s hand left hers. She chuckled softly, watching her friend wrap herself up in a blanket. “No, I’m not cold at all. In actually run pretty warm. See,” She took the other’s cold hand between her two hands. The redhead’s warmth managed to warm up Rory’s hand. “My hair is red because I secretly have fire powers.” She joked, giving her friend a playful wink.

Piper’s hands really were warm; and right now, Rory was a bit jealous. She hardly ever ran warm, even in the middle of summer. She had a tendency to always run cold, especially if she made the mistake of trying to look cute by wearing sundresses and/or sandals. As much as she loved the way they looked, they were nightmares when it came to regulating her body temperature. But at least now she was wrapped in one of her many blankets; and her friend was kind enough to share some of her warmth. That definitely helped. “I wish I was always cold because of secret ice powers. That’d be a much better reason than simply being anemic.” She chuckled, positioning the pint of ice cream carefully on her lap so she could eat it while continuing to hold the redhead’s hand. “Though you having fire powers makes a lot of sense. I mean, you’re hot like fire... And that was cheesy. I apologize.” She blushed. She had no idea how to do the whole flirting thing.

INSTAGRAM: @rorydakota uploaded a new photo!

Once again on a vampire binge... Forever one of my favourites #Carmilla (And no. I’ve not seen the web series nor do I know who Elle Sheridan is)

❤4.7K LIKES, ✐ 32 COMMENTS

“Napkins,” he responded gingerly, doing his best to hide the stain that’d wanted to make itself known. Any higher and he’d have looked like he wet himself or – something else entirely. “I can’t really – uh – get up to do it myself.”

Rory’s eyes followed the man’s gaze; and it was then she noticed the wet stain on his pants. She hadn’t caught everything he’d said as he’d glanced downward, thus making lip reading momentarily impossible; but between the stain and the fact she’d caught the word ‘napkins’, she was able to figure out his request. “Right, yeah.” She nodded, before moving to get up and make her way over to the nearest napkin dispenser. Grabbing several, she returned to the man and held them out. “For your sake, I’m hoping that wasn’t hot coffee.”

His brows raised and he nodded, “Wow you’re getting around for sure. I was born in New Orleans ya know?” He said with a smile, “we moved here to be closer to a job for my dad, been here ever since.” He raised his brows again and nodded, “I sure do.” He said proving it to her as he carefully moved his hands to show a few of the things she had taught him before thanking her using his movements.

Eyes trailing from his lips to his hands as he started to share the signs she’d taught him, Rory’s face lit up; and she beamed. She loved when others were enthusiastic about learning to sign, whether it be BSL or ASL. “Brilliant.” She applauded him, opting to clap first before switching to the sign for ‘applause’. After a moment, she returned her attention to her tea, taking a quick sip before continuing on. “I actually don’t think I knew that about you... Have any suggestions for someone visiting the city for the first time? I’ve not planned much of my itinerary yet other than touring several locations made famous by Interview With a Vampire.” She commented, holding up the book she was currently reading, the third book in The Vampire Chronicles series. “I’m Lestat trash and unashamed to admit it.”

Ember: Good, you deserve to always be smilin.

Rory: Smiling is contagious; and I like to do what I can to make others smile

Jo had just walked in when Rory waved him over. A smile on his face as she already made his morning that much better, “I could say the same about you, kiddo.” He chuckled, “haven’t seen you here in a while. I’ve been missing our conversations.” He smiled before holding up a finger, “let me get my coffee and I’ll be right back.” He said walking over to place his order and get his drink. He sat down across from her and smiled, “so what have you been up, sweetheart?”

Rory nodded as Jo said he was gonna go grab his coffee first. That made perfect sense. And she didn’t mind waiting for him to return. Moving her belongings off the table in order to make room for him to sit across her from, she placed her bag at her feet, returning her attention to her book until she caught his presence out of the corner of her eye. Placing the book back down, she glanced up as he sat, her eyes trailing to watch his lips. “I was in Nashville several weeks back for my blog. And I’ve recently been planning two trips to New Orleans and Orlando.” As of now, October would be a busy month for the petite brunette, as long as both trips panned out. “How about you? Remember any of the signs we went over last time?” She inquired. They’d only touched on the very basics thus far; but that was honestly the best place to start.