Lorna and Haller: Backdated to Monday Night

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Lorna and Haller hangout and have a heart to heart talk.



Lorna had arrived at Haller's suite just a little after five but was not surprised when he wasn't in his room. Setting down the liquor and food, she checked all the rooms before putting her hands on her hips. "Now where could he...." She stopped in mid sentence and looked up at the ceiling. "Up there..." Lorna left the suite and made her way to the roof.

"There you are." Lorna walked over to him. "Did you forget that I was coming over?" Watching as a chunk of wood was vaporized in midair.

"David got tired of being Jim, and I got tired of being bored. Besides, I get bitched out if I burn our room." Cyndi fished another stick out of the bin and winged it into the air. The alter's forehead creased faintly as she tracked her target. It exploded into flame in mid-arc, showering sparks on the lawn below like a swarm of flammable fireflies.

Cyndi. She thought as she watched another piece of wood caught on fire. "Well I am here now. I brought goodies to share." Lorna looked down the side and towards the lawn. "No one has been walking by have they?"

"Gimme some credit. Besides, this totally counts as training." A little whiff of smoke began to emanate from the lawn, helpfully illustrating the cause of Lorna's concern. The micro-telekinetic sighed and gestured at the plastic bucket at her feet. A coil of water emerged, and with a little coaxing began to snake its way down to the smoldering patch of grass. The liquid briefly hovered in place as the alter adjusted it to the appropriate position before being released with a distant splash. Cyndi turned to Lorna, arms crossed. "See? I am completely being responsible."

Lorna looked back at Cyndi but didn't look convinced but decided to play. Maybe she would have a better outcome if she approached it differently. "How long have you been up here? Because you don't want to overexert yourself from training."

Cyndi shrugged. "I dunno, for most of a bin's worth of yard junk? Hey," she said, suddenly very interested, "did you bring booze? Like the hard stuff? Because it's liquid and I been wondering if I can make it burn and move at the same time . . ."

Lorna opened her mouth to speak but then quickly closed it. "This liquor isn't meant for burning. How about a pedicure? I have the supplies in my own suite."

"Setting it on fire's healthier than drinking it," Cyndi pointed out, but knew it was a losing battle. Lorna had never really appreciated arson. Besides, she was running out of things to burn.

"Fine," said the alter, somehow managing the put-upon tones for a teenager despite speaking from the mouth of a 32 year old man. "I guess I better clean up this crap first. Can you grab the bucket?"

Lorna smiled at the man and shook her head a she picked up the bucket. "Hungry? I did bring you some dinner. And I brought a movie."

"Yeah, we should probably eat. The dork's been bad about it." Cyndi led the way back to Haller's suite, where she unceremoniously dropped the bin of wood next to the door. The room smelled nice, at least; even Cyndi wouldn't argue the quality of Lorna's cooking. The alter performed a boneless collapse onto the couch and stared up at Lorna with annoyed green eyes. "And that was before the Daddy Lectures."

"Has he? How long as this been going on?" Lorna asked as she closed the door behind her. Haller should know how Lorna felt about not eating. "Well I brought a varitiy of things." Picking up the tupperware and gave it a little shake. "Salad, different types of meats, a little bit of pasta, cookies..."

"Dude, meat. I'm starving." Cyndi pushed her feet against the armrest and slid her body across the couch, placing her just close enough to Lorna that she could claim the container without actually getting off her back. The effort was only slightly marred by the fact she had to sit up to open it. "And I dunno. It started after NinjaBrit got the hell out of dodge, sometimes it's worse than others. Oh, and he's back on sleeping pills. Chuck kinda has him semi-benched, y'know?"

Handing the container over before sitting down on the couch and looked over at him. Lorna frowned a bit when Cyndi mentioned that his not eating started after Betsy left. "Should I start making care packages for you?" Placing a free hand on their shoulder. "You do know that I am here for all of you."

"Yeah." Cyndi hesitated over the tupperware, and for an instant the expression had far more of Jim in it than the alter. "I'm just tired of this crap. Yeah, we got dumped. Surprise surprise, when your power's freaking out it's probably time to cut loose the mentally unstable dude. Even Jim couldn't believe she stuck around as long as she did, so it's not like we didn't see this coming. We should be over it. But nope. Jimmy's trudging around like he mainlined fifty viewings of Old Yeller and Jack's just permanently pissy. Like, more. And I am so done with it."

Lorna saw the expression changed for a brief moment before Cyndi returned and just laid it all out there. "Breaking up is not easy, believe me. Different people just deal with it differently." Lorna ran a hand through her green hair. "Should I make it a habit to come and visit them all during different parts of the day?"

Cyndi gave an exasperated sigh, though it was clear it wasn't directed at Lorna. "Since I doubt he's coming outta his room anytime soon you might have to. Though you know, after the Molly thing you probably wanna take a prozac before you talk to Jim. Oh my god. I swear if I have to listen to him give or sit through one more lecture I'm going to kill us. The only one who isn't getting their butt chewed out is that Reyes chick, and that's because she bribed a dude with Hotness."

Lorna looked at Cyndi and bit her lower lip. "Please don't kill yourself. I happen to have a soft spot for you." She patted their shoulder for reassurance. "Really she isn't? Hmm....well good news I am not here to chew you out. I am just glad no one was seriously hurt. I am here to bring joy and laughter to your life by a disney movie."

Cyndi made a face. "Molotov cocktails would've been more fun. But fine."

"I did bring liquor. I just didn't want to you burn it."

With a heavy sigh the alter selected a chicken leg and studied it, uncharacteristically quiet for the next few moments.

"I'm tired." The psi's eyes remained fixed on the chicken leg, but the inflections of his voice signified it was no longer Cyndi Lorna was speaking to. "I'm tired of being sick, I'm tired of feeling like this, and I'm tired of letting people down because of it. I missed what was going on with Molly. I probably sent two guys to the hospital because my mood's so screwed up I didn't care enough to hold back, so Jack didn't. I can barely do my job right now, let alone go after my degree."

Jim dropped the chicken leg into the tupperware, appetite gone. "It's been almost twenty years," he said, exhaustion in every syllable. "When does this just get to be over?"

Lorna looked over at the man when Cyndi disappeared and Jim came out. She let him finished before she put her chin on his shoulder.

"We all missed what was going on with Molly. And those men are fine. You had some control right? Jack could had done worse. And it is alright to take a break from work. Hey Jim." Lorna sat up straight but was still looking at him. "It isn't easy. A broken heart hurts so much. It feels like it shattered and all you want to do is crawl into a hole and just try and shut off the pain. It will get better. Maybe it doesn't end but you will come out on top stronger than ever. I have faith in you."

"I'll have to take your word for it. And either way I'm going to need that drink." Jim laughed softly, shaking his head. "She's the only one I've ever been with, you know?"

"I'll get the cups." Lorna got up and walked to the kitchenette. "Your first one, huh?" Pulling out two cups and opened the bottle of liquor. "Now it is all making sense. Well you are handsome, I am sure all the single ladies will be lining up." Walking back to the couch and handed him a cup.

Jim accepted the cup -- which, due to his sporadic devotion to washing dishes, was a mug by necessity. "I don't think I'll be holding auditions," he said. "I never dated before Betsy because between the telepathy, the psychic hitchhiker background and the DID it's. . . that's just too much to put on someone else. The reason we connected is because she understood two out of three." He took a drink from the mug, barely wincing at the proof. "I made the decision to avoid relationships back when I still lived on Muir. I broke that rule once, but I think it was the right call. There's just too many problems."

Sitting back down after grabbing the bottle and placing it on the table in front of them. "Well here is to making decisions, breaking said decisions and way too many problems." Her mug touched his own before taking a sip and shook her head. "I forgot how strong this stuff was." Before taking another sip from the cup.

"You're the one who brought it." For the first time, Jim glanced at the bottle -- and paled slightly at the label. "Oh christ. Polish vodka? We'd better watch our consumption if we want to avoid more problems."

"You said bring something strong." Taking another sip and stood up again to put in the movie. "Well I better put in the movie before I end up on the lawn with Scott making loud noises and me clutching a golf club." Lorna looked back at Haller. "Long story..." Lorna came back to the couch after putting in the movie.

Now it was Jim's turn to open his mouth, then close it. Between all the people his brain was trying to be at the moment, he had to ask himself: did he really want to know? Really?

Surrendering, the telepath sighed and settled down with a mug of barely-drinkable paintstripper, a tupperware full of food, and a movie that turned out to be Aladdin.

"You know what, don't tell me. There should be some mystery left in our relationship."