sixwordstories | (no subject)

[It's not unusual for Christian to find himself unable to sleep, but the odd coursing of adrenaline through his body is particularly unsettling. He's feeling a bit reckless, which is why he's ventured up to the roof instead of down to the first floor to take a walk. Without his cane, he stretches his hands in front of him and takes small steps, shuffling with his feet to feel for the edge of the roof where he can sit down and feel the cold night air on his face. When he hears a sound at his right side, he stops dead in his tracks.]

Uh... hello?

OOC: Couldn't resist the novelty of it. Christian's blind, but he's proficient in ASL and does well with tactile sign. He's had a couple of deaf friends, so I thought it'd be worth a try.

[For Penny, it was never unusual to find her wide-awake late at night. There was always something that made her hyper and got her to venture up to the roof to watch the stars and be fascinated by the beauty of it all. Of course, Penny doesn't hear the man by here or even notice him by her side, too interested in the night and coming up with an idea for her poetry book.]

[OOC: Oh, I don't mind this at all. Penny is pretty much friendly to everyone and most likely will adjust to him being blind quickly. ^^]

[Christian remains totally still for a moment, straining to listen for another noise. When no response comes he assumes it's just the wind. Perhaps the breeze made a noise with something on the roof. He breathes in and extends his hands again, continuing his pursuit towards the edge of the roof. Each step is careful and measured -- he checks and double-checks before taking another. When his hands find the ledge of the roof, he slides his fingers over the concrete and steps right up to it to lean against it, turning his face into the breeze.]

OOC: Excellent! It's been a pretty fun dynamic in the past, so I figure it's worth trying to navigate any hiccups just to see what might come. Besides, she seemed lonely.

[Oh, how she wished she bought up her notebook with her. This would've been a nice night to write up a little poem or haiku about the night. Seeing something move out of the corner of her eye, Penny turns quickly to see a man move toward the rooftop. She smiled slightly. Guess she wasn't alone on not being able to sleep. Carefully, Penny approaches the young man and stands beside him, looking over at him, not noticing he's blind yet as she signs slowly.]

Beautiful night tonight, don'tcha think?

[OOC:I'm pretty curious as well to see ho these two will interact and how Penny will adjust to it. :) Aw, she's only lonely because she's new. I recently made her ^^]

[The footsteps are unmistakable. Christian freezes in place, feeling his blood run cold as they approach him. He turns away from the ledge, facing towards the sound and trying to let his jumping heart settle so that his voice doesn't sound quite so uncertain. His unfocused eyes blink a few times rapidly, then open to reveal two bright blue orbs that settle on a point far beyond her body.]

Someone's definitely there. I hear your footsteps. Hello?

[Penny's eyes flicker at the man as she tilts her head slightly to the side, a little confused. Didn't he see her sign? She watches him closely, seeing his lips move and of course, hearing nose sound but she understood a little of what he spoke. He couldn't see her. Penny moved so she was in front of him and once she caught the sight of his eyes, it hit her. This man was blind. Biting her lip, Penny gently reached out to take the man's hand and signed into his palm. It seemed rational enough.]

Hello. Sorry for freaking you out. I didn't know you were blind.

[Instinct told Christian to recoil from the touch, but by the time he had reacted enough to do so he had already begun to realize what was happening. Instead of stepping back, he shuffled just a half-foot forward and extended his other hand out towards the stranger's. The hands were small and cool. He was certain they belonged to a woman, and she had probably been outside for some time. He tipped his head down in thought, then pulled back to sign into the space between the two of them.]

It's O-K. I expected to be alone. Are you deaf?

[Penny smiles as he moves closer to her as she signs. Least she was doing something right. His hands were arm as she sighed against them before drawing back when she was finished. Smiling as she watched him sigh, Penny placed her hands agaisnt his again and signed again.]

Yes. Mute as well. Names P-E-N-N-Y. What's yours?

O-K. It's nice to meet you, P-E-N-N-Y. [Christian's face relaxes into an easier smile that crinkles his eyes and makes him look younger and less stoic.] My name's C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N. Am I interrupting? I just came up for fresh air.

Nice to meet you too, C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N. [Penny looks up at Christan's face and smiles at his expression before replying.] No, not at all. I couldn't sleep. Came up here for something to do. [Penny pauses for a moment before signing again.] I like your smile.

[The compliment takes Christian by surprise. He starts to take back his hands to reply, then stops himself and squeezes Penny's fingers in his own. While his expression does soften, he seems just to get a little shy at this.] Thank you. I hope I'm not bothering you. I've never come up here before. It seems like a nice night, though. Peaceful. I bet it's really clear.

[Penny watched him briefly and chuckled softly, her laugh sounding slightly like a fog-horn and a little off tune. She gently squeezed his fingers back and smiled.] You're welcome. No, you're not bothering me at all. I liked coming up here. It's my favorite place to be. It is it's beautiful. Moons full and bright and stars scattered everywhere.