Memory and Music

Reggie addressed Catalin as soon as she spoke. "Yes, Muninn restored my memory. He is, however, opposed to doing it to Cha-" He stopped abruptly when Charlie suddenly burst out at him, calling Huginn and Muninn bags of feathers. Reggie was not planning on getting violent, but he would not let his friends be treated in such a way. He sat up, placing his arms on the table. By this action alone he took his entire half of the table completely up. Whether or not it was from being frozen, Reggie had a cold temper inside him, and it showed in the icy tone he addressed Charlie with. The words he spoke were polite, but the way he said them was anything but.

"Please do not refer to my friends in this way. They do not offer help to anyone who does not deserve it. They do not use their powers for anything but good. If you do not wish to have your memory restored, I will not make you have it be so. Do not assune that I woukd force such a thing on anyone." Reggie stopped, and relaxed his pose. He wanted to make a point, but not to scare the girls away. He wanted to help them.

Lena was surprised at Charlie's reaction, even though she understood it now that she had time to think about it. Lena had been more hopeful than she probably should have been at the prospect, but Charlie had kind of spat on her fire in a way with her reaction. She would have reacted, but Reggie was right on her, managing to nearly knock over the table. The waiter gaped at them, and for a second Lena was scared Reggie might hurt Charlie by the way he was looking at her, but something made her feel that he wasn't that type of person. Silence overtook the two as they gaped at one another in anger and Lena sat there gaping herself; she was about to get up and try to break the tension between them when Charlie got up abruptly and left. "Charlie-" Lena spoke, but it was too late. She was out the door.

Lena looked to Reggie for a second before there was a distinct crashing noise outside and Lena was on her feet in a second, at the window and ready to bolt out the door, her heart pounding with adrenaline as her eyes spotted Charlie, unscathed, getting up in the middle of the road and some driver looking astounded as she just walked away. Oh. Oh. Lena should have remembered about Charlie's resistance to accidents, but it never ceased to frighten her whenever Charlie emerged from a dangerous situation. She realized that many of the restaurant's patrons were gaping at her, and she looked around for a second before requesting the bill from the waiter and paying, shelling out 15 dollars and looking back to Reggie.

"Where are you heading?" she asked him, looking at him curiously. His birds were freaky, but he looked like he needed some big time help adjusting to society, and it was Lena's intention to (try to) do so. She truly believed that it was possible for him to help Charlie, even though Charlie didn't want to think about it. "Back to camp?"

Reggie was just about ready to scream at Charlie when she left. He'd been about to tell her how she would obviously have to get to know him and trust him. Thinking on it now, he realized that was not very likely. He hadn't done so well today, and any memory of him would be erased during the night. He would have to start all over. That seemed improbable, if not impossible and he sighed, slouching down. Within seconds, however, he was out of his seat and through the doorway. He had heard a car hit someone, and had even immediately registered that it was Charlie; he had slrung to action to save anyone hit, but when he comprehended that it was Charlie he boosted his speed. He stopped right outside the door, though, floored by the fact that Charlie had simply walked away from the accident.

He thought about going after her. He contemplated it for a good long while before walking back inside and sitting across from Lena. Apparently she'd just paid her bill. She asked where he was headed, and he was just about to say 'Above the shoulders' when Muninn reminded him that it was an expression for where he was going. "I have no plans for the day, only to return to camp at night." He said, and distractedly looked out the window, a look of longing that would put his Uncle Yorik's pre-feast face to shame. He wanted so badly to be able to help Charlie, but she obviously wanted nothing to do with him. He could see now that she could keep herself safe phyiscally, so he needn't worry about that. Instead, he wanted to safeguard her mind; let it be at peace without any holes or wounds.

My eyes wandered from the window down to the table, and I saw Charlie's journal sitting there, all the pages in haphazard order. I quickly scooped them up, organizing them chronologically with Muninn's hekp as I ran out the restaraunt anf across the street after Charlie. I had never had a problem with cars running into me; the drivers always saw me, and were generally frightened eniugh to slam on thei brakes. I caught up to Charlie, and had nothing to say. I just held her journal out to her.

Lena nodded, feeling slightly disconcerted at his strange interest in Charlie. He barely even knew her. The journal lay on the table, neglected by Lena who was watching Reggie, who was watching the traffic go by out the window. She was about to suggest that they leave, start up a conversation, but all of a sudden he was grabbing up the journal and all of the waterlogged pages that she hadn't finished transcribing, and he was out the door without so much as a word. "I'm not-!" Lena tried to protest, aghast, but the boy left hurriedly with those freaky ravens of his. Great. Clearly, he needed some etiquette lessons. Lena sighed, pulling out her wallet and leaving a pretty hefty tip for the poor waiter, making small talk for maybe a minute before going back out to her car and driving down the road, slowing near the dance studio where Charlie danced every day. As she had expected, there stood Reggie, standing by himself and staring into the window in some state of awe. Wonderful. She pulled up to the curb, parking the car and getting out, walking up to the window and peering in beside him.

"I wasn't finished copying those pages, Mr. Chivalry," Lena pointed out, looking to him with some amusement in her tone, mostly because while Reggie seemed to try to be chivalrous, he actually came across as rather barbaric in today's society. "When were you born?" she asked him curiously. The question was kind of out of place as they stood there on a street in the Hamptons, upper-class mortal vacationers passing by the quaint, expensive boutiques that lined the streets, but she was curious to know more about Reggie. He hadn't seemed to have assimilated much to modern society.

((I'm just assuming that they're in a Hamptons-style town, there are many out east near where CHB is supposed to be and they're so adorable look:
http://www.hamptonsproperties.net/images/southampton.jpg ))

Reggie smiled when she said thanks, and then she had to go to the dance studio. He turned around and saw Lena standing next to him. She made something that Huginn identified to him as being sarcasm as to him being so kind to Charlie. "I'm not trying to be chivalrous, I'm trying to be nice." He replied simply, and then his forehead furrowed at her question. Huginn had to help him remember how the calender worked, and he finally understood after listening to the raven for a few seconds. "About 1,300 years ago. " He replied finally, and then added, "I was was unfrozen a few years ago."

Lena's eyes widened as he told her when he was from. 1,300 years ago? That was... surreal. She'd been thinking he could be from the thirteenth or fourteenth century, but she would never have guessed that long ago. She was quiet for a moment, watching the dancers inside the studio thoughtfully before speaking to him again.

"Do you really think that there's a chance that your ravens can help her?" she asked warily, not bothering to give Charlotte's name because it was clear who she was referring to. "I know that she acts like she doesn't want it back, and it would be dangerous for her to have it back all at once, but it would be good for her to learn to remember. It's not like there's anything that is physically preventing her from remembering. It's all psychological," Lena spoke, watching the girl from outside the studio as she danced gracefully.

Lena remembered the time in the fifth grade when she had begged her mother to enroll her in ballet with Charlie, and she had been so excited when her mom had finally caved. Her career in dance hadn't lasted long; however, after she experienced a crisis and she'd been pulled from school and activities altogether for weeks. Watching them now, she almost wished she hadn't dropped dance afterwards. There was something intrinsically beautiful about the art that seemed to reassure its practitioners even as they worked incredibly hard to be successful.

After another moment she looked to Reggie, who seemed awfully out of place from his clothing to the beard and his hair to the ravens on his shoulders- though she supposed those couldn't be helped.

"Has anyone ever tried to teach you how to fit in in the present? I mean, the way you are is wildly interesting and fine, but you're clearly foreign to modern culture, and it could be to your benefit to try to assimilate at least a little," Lena vouched. It was almost like she was interrogating the poor boy today, but she didn't think much of it. He was fascinating, and Lena was notoriously inquisitive.

Reggie watched the dancing thoughtfully. He only saw reason in training meant for practical uses, like combat. At first, he couldn't see how this was relevant to anything but looking pretty. Then he thought about it a bit more, and imagined the dancers holding a sword. They made movements that would be difficult for him to block, and he started analyzing the dances like they were battles, and saw great potential there. When Lena started talking, he turned to look at her. "Yes, I am sure they can help her. Thought and memory, that is what this deals with, and those are their specialties." He said, and looked at the ravens. "Neither of them want to do it all at once, and I agree. It would destroy her. I just want her to not forget again. To wake up tomorrow remembering today."

Reggie thought about her comments about him not fitting in. "When I was unfrozen, I knew things had changed and . .styles were different. I do not understand them, and at camp it does not matter. " He stopped and shrugged. "I would like to fit in better outside of camp, for I must leave it eventually." He decided.

Inside the dance studio Charlie moved with grace, she had known her dance partner for several years. Even if she didn't remember him, her muscle remembered his movements. Muscle memory is something completely different than mental memory. Dance steps she could remember with ease. People and what she did... not so much.
Fifteen minutes into it she called for a break and got a drink from her water bottle. She was sweaty and she saw Reggie and Catalina still yammering. She smiled slightly to herself. Charlie could imagine those two dating... if the guy got a better outfit and shaved.
Charlie and Catalina would never ever kiss a guy with facial hair.
With that she turned back to her partner and they began the dance again, his hands at her waist.

Lena nodded, watching him carefully. If the birds could help her even a little bit... Lena shuddered at the idea of those birds trying to penetrate Charlie's mind, but she was so inhibited by her memory loss. There was always the overlying worry of Lena's that she refused to voice regarding her illness and her ability to look after Charlie. With her anemia she could fall ill at any time with or without warning, and Charlie would be left with no guide and no memories to guide her. She would get by, eventually, but not in a healthy fashion, and it scared Lena. She couldn't leave Charlie like that, and while she knew that regaining her memories could be dangerous, she felt that it was essential to Charlie's well-being. She took in all of Reggie's words, looking to the gargantuan boy.

"If you want, we can help you," Lena offered, assured of his harmlessness.

"I mean, I'll help you. I can't speak for Charlie, but I'm sure she won't mind, either," Lena said, shrugging. "She'll get over what happened earlier. Hell, she'll have to. She won't remember it tomorrow." Lena paused, solemn.

"Why do you care so much, anyway?" she asked Reggie. "You don't even know her. You can't see how her memory loss affects her," Lena continued, scrutinizing him once more. The ravens on his shoulder disconcerted her, and she felt as if they gave him more knowledge than she realized.

"What exactly can your birds do?" Lena was interrogating once more; she couldn't help it.

Reggie nodded his appreciation for her offer to help him assimilate. "That would be nice, thank you." He said, and stopped watching the dancing. The guy had his hands on Charlie's waist, and something about that made him uncomfortable. She asked him why he cared, and he gave her a look of absolute incredulity. "You think I can't assume what it must be like? To wake up and not remember? To feel out of place, out of time, removed from something I should remember but don't? I care because I can guess how she feels. I care because I don't want anyone to have any unwarranted pain." He said, barely keeping his voice calm as he spewed it all out.

"What can Huginn and Muninn do? They know all thoughts and all memories. They know what you're thinking and they know all of your memories. They can access the minds of all humans. They are how my father knows what happens here, on Midgard. " He said, and pointed at them each in turn. "Huginn, Muninn. Huginn always sits on my left shoulder, Muninn on my right."

Lena was caught off guard by his vehemence; she should have made the connection. It was unusual that he cared so much about others' emotions, and Lena thought that it was kind of sweet that he was so determined to bring happiness to others. Beneath his coarse, robust surface there seemed to be a sensitive- if ignorant- guy, and it fascinated her. He went on to explain his birds' abilities and Lena listened wordlessly, intrigued and apprehensive at the same time. Their capabilities... Lena wondered how much they told Reggie. It didn't seem like they told him much of anything compared to how much they knew, but it still disconcerted her that they could see straight through to her core. She wondered vaguely why Odin would entrust this one son with their possession, but she figured she'd never know the answer to that thought.

For lack of anything else to say, Lena smiled slightly and addressed the birds. "Uh- hello Huginn and Muninn," she spoke, chuckling and feeling ridiculous as she turned back to watch the dancers, temporarily out of questions to use to interrogate Reggie. She glanced at the clock, and it wouldn't be long before Charlie was done with her dance lessons. Lena had a devious thought, but she figured she'd wait to share it until her friend emerged from the studio.

"I'm aware," Lena says, shrugging and looking to Charlie, watching as she tensed upon seeing the ravens atop Reggie's shoulders. Lena didn't address that, but instead proposed her devious idea.

"I offered to help Reggie modernize himself, and he agreed, so I was thinking that we should take him over to the mall? He could get some new clothes, maybe a haircut, and we'd be able to walk him through things on the way there. Want to come?" Lena asked Charlie, making her way toward the car. Either way she would drive Charlie back toward camp, so it wouldn't matter. "Oh, and Reggie gave you back your journal, but I need it. I wasn't done copying the pages," she spoke as she opened the door, turning on the engine of her relatively new used yellow Volkswagen Jetta.

Reggie found himself blushing from watching Charlie break into a fit of laughing, wishing it had been him who had gotten that reaction from her. He idly stroked his beard in thought. Tomorrow, this girl would forget him, but he would remember her. If he was assimilated... he wouldn't seem so strange. She might like him better...

Reggie's back straightened, and he almost slapped himself. He would not think like that. He would not twke advantage of this. He would help her, regardless of how many times he had to meet her,and how many times she would act like he did not exist. He set his rrsolve now. No matter his words, he did not truly understand hiw she felt. He only lived through memory loss once, but she did it every day. He admired her, and Lena's, resolve. He was about to start forming some kind of plan with Lena when Charkie walked out. She made a remark he realized was meant to be teasing and merely shrugged. She seemed to tense up when she saw Huginn and Muninn, though, and he found this disconcerting. How would she every agree to them helping her if she wouldn't accept that they weren't out for evil? He sighed a little, and merely nodded in acknowledgement that he'd agreedto being helped.

He watched Lena go towards an. .automobile. He still hadn't gotten used to the things, and did not wish to enter this one. He did not move towards it. It did not look like it would deal with his stature very well, either.

Lena pressed a button and the roof retracted automatically, neatly folding itself up into a compartment of the car's trunk. She turned on the radio, plugging it to her favorite indie station before glancing back toward Reggie, who seemed to be a bit apprehensive upon their suggestion that he get into the car. She took Charlie's journal, popping it into the side compartment before stepping out of the vehicle to open the back door, turning to Reggie afterwards. It struck her that he may have never ridden in such a vehicle, and she felt bad that it was making him nervous. She could understand his fear, but she was determined to have him come with them. She offered him a guilty smile.

"Come on, Reggie! It'll be fun, I promise. I'm a good driver, and this car is smooth. There's enough room for you, and besides, if you ever want to assimilate to modern society you're going to have to get into a car someday. It won't be much wilder than pegasus riding, being that it's open air," the girl vouched, glancing back toward the car. She realized that he may fit more easily in the passenger seat, but she wasn't about to make Charlie get up, and so she shrugged and looked back to Reggie hopefully. How many guys could deny two relatively pretty girls as they pleaded with him to do something?

Reggie looked at the car with worry, especially when it broke into pieces into itself. Lenatried to convince him, and it seemed like a good enough argument. He would have to get used to cars eventually, he supposed. He also didn't want to forgo to opportunity to gain Charlie's trust. He had never been on a pegasus, either, but did not mention this to either of the girls; he hasn't because none of them could support his weight very well. He walked toward the car a bit apprehensively and got in the back, nodding his thanks to Lena for holding open the door. He tried sitting like most people would, legs in front and back to the seat, but found there wasn't enough room. He put his legs up on the seat and leaned against the side of the car, finding this to be much more comforting.

Lena couldn't help but laugh lightly as the boy managed to squeeze himself into the back seat of the convertible, angling so that he would be more comfortable. She climbed in the driver's seat, sliding on a pair of sunglasses before starting the engine and taking off toward the mall, turning the music off and getting onto the highway.

"Where should we take Reggie first, Charlie? I was thinking the barber shop. What do you think?" she asked, a slight twinge of amusement in her tone. She wasn't sure how Reggie would react to the idea of getting his hair cut.

Reggie put one of the seatbelts over his legs, hoping that would help him stay in the car. His knuckles were white where they held on to the upholstery of the seat, and his eyes were dilated. He caught snippits of the girls' conversation, and figured they were planning on having him chop his hair off. "You mean to remove my beard?" He asked, eyeing them suspectively. His beard was a sign of pride and he would not let it go easily. He figured his clothing woukd be next, and he did not fear that too much, for these clothes were getting old and about to start falling apart.

Lena couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as the boy spoke. She didn't want to strip him completely of his identity. He seemed strangely vulnerable sitting in that back seat, even though he was huge and muscular. She kept her eyes on the road, and they approached the mall quickly.

"If you're willing," Lena spoke, not wanting to pressure him too much. "Most teenagers in 2013 don't have beards, so you look a little out of the ordinary." She couldn't help but laugh, pulling into a parking space. "You don't need to remove it if you really want to keep it, but maybe if we even made it a lot shorter it would be better," she suggested, shrugging.

"The hair needs to go, though," she said certainly.

(so apparently this didn't post yesterday >.< thank god I caught it before I lost it)