PSL: Jamie in New York City

[electro_kinetic]

It was one thing to live alone in the metropolitan jungle that was New York by oneself: it was entirely another to be doing it with the sudden addition of a better than six-foot Scot from Ye Olden Days who had a lot of ideas about how people should behave. Noriko, case in point, was spending more and more time bemused at James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser's continual learning curve and decided she'd take it easy on the guy for a night, and actually walk him through modern socialization.

So she came back to her apartment in her work clothes and changed into something comfortable and moderately stylish, being leather skinny jeans with a raspberry tunic and boots, leaving the shopping bag with clothes of a similar nature for Jamie by the door. "Come on," she called, coming back downstairs to pick up a jacket. "Come out with me, I want to take you to see someplace you'll like." It was quiet--not a club after the first try of that had gone sideways--and outdoors, somewhere he could at least feel a little more at home. She figured the Loch in Central Park was as close to the Highlands as one could get without leaving the island.

"Do you trust me?"

Comments

[electro_kinetic]

"I'm glad to be...somewhere I can be myself without fearing repercussion," she decided on, threading her fingers with Jamie's as they watched the water swirl past. "I really liked Scotland, though. I kind of miss it, all the space and the trees."

It was a strange time she'd been stuck in, sure, but the place itself had been pretty, all the mountains and trees and openness. "We could go back, you know. To Scotland, if you wanted to."

[hatesredcoats]

As much as Jamie hated to admit it, he knew that she was right. She just wasn't from his time period. It wasn't what she was used to and she never would. If he wanted to be with her, he would never get to go back to his time, his people. Maybe someday, maybe he'd see Scotland again, but his clan? They were long gone now.

Reaching down, he let his free hand play in the water, feeling the cool damp against his fingers. "It was bonny, wasn't it," he murmured.

Jamie blinked. It never occurred to him that they could go back. Mostly because he didn't think she'd want to. Slowly, he turned to look up at her, raising an eyebrow. "I doubt it's the same as it once was," he said sadly. "Would ye really want to go back?" He was sure she meant just for a trip, an adventure, not to stay. It wasn't her home.

[electro_kinetic]

"Jamie," she chuckled, squeezing his free hand reassuringly. "Of course I'd want to go back. It's your home, just like New York and Tokyo are mine. And nothing says we have to stay in one place forever, no one can keep us where we don't want to be."

Even Noriko isn't sure when the two of them stopped being a 'he and I' and started being a 'we', but she doesn't find herself caring about it either. "It was beautiful there. And even though it's not the same time, from what I know not much has changed about the highlands. We could go."

[hatesredcoats]

"I'm pretty sure that the mountains won't go anywhere." He laughed, looking up at Nori, before looking back down at the water. He wouldn't even know where to begin in terms of how to get there. Or where this Tokyo place was that she kept mentioning. This world was new and different, like nothing he'd ever seen.

Jamie inched a little closer to her, reaching up to cup her cheek and stare into her eyes. "We should go, aye."

[electro_kinetic]

"Not just the mountains," she said, eyes bright as he came closer to her and cupped her face. "I've been reading about it, and a lot is the same. I found the castle you took me to. It's still there."

His smile was so earnest she couldn't resist being happy that he liked the idea. "We can go and see it."

[hatesredcoats]

"Castle Leoch?" He stared at her, his mind wrapping around what she was saying. He knew that anyone he knew and loved would be gone, but the chance to see the castle again was amazing. To know that it was still standing made him feel good. He sighed, nodding his head in agreement to her.

Leaning in close, his lips hovered over hers. "Let's go, then," he murmured. And then he kissed her.

[electro_kinetic]

"Castle Leoch," she echoed in agreement, smile growing on her face. "It looks beautiful in pictures." Noriko was surprised he kissed her, blinking at first before she relaxed against him, paying no mind to the bright, happy glow from her chest.

"Well, you know how to show appreciation."

(should we do something new?)

[hatesredcoats]

"I do. In fact..."

His voice trailed off as he pulled away from her, smiling softly. His eyes widened when he glanced down, also seeing the bright, happy glow from her chest. "Um, Nori, lass..." He blinked, swallowing slightly. "There's, I mean, um... You... You're a bit, well, glowing."

One hand lifted, pointing at her chest. "Do ye' do that often?"

naaaaah

[electro_kinetic]

Noriko pulled back at the look on his face, confused for a moment before he pointed to her chest and she looked down.

And laughed. "Oh, that. It's...sometimes it happens, if I'm happy or scared." It shouldn't be a huge guess as to which she is right now.

"It's just a side-effect. Like ET, you remember that movie?"

Re: naaaaah

[hatesredcoats]

Jamie was quiet a moment as he thought about it. He vaguely remembered her showing him the movie. He had been confused by a lot of it, but he'd watched it all the same because she wanted him too. And it was nice to sit beside her, even if the rest of it was lost on him.

"I didn't know... I just have never seen your magic up close before," he murmured. One hand reached out, fingers trailing down her chest, staring at the glow.

"We should get going," he said before looking back up at her. "Thank you for showing this to me. It means a lot."

Re: naaaaah

[electro_kinetic]

Nori honestly hadn't expected him to sit through it all the way, much less remember any of it, and she smiled as he thought back, trying to remember. It was a jumble of pop culture references he didn't get, most likely.

That was okay. She was having to learn how to communicate with him too. "It won't hurt you," she said. "It's just a little light." Said light came in many forms, some as trembling and ethereal as a flickering candle, and some as radiant and powerful as the wave before a nuclear blast. "We don't have to hurry away. It's okay to just sit here and be still. We're allowed."