whatisthisthingcalledlove

It's times like these, more than anything else, that Terra wishes she could... something. Feel something other than confusion, remember more than her own name.

Of course, she supposes that anyone finding themselves standing on unfamiliar-- concrete, (the word comes on its own, like house, and stone, and so many others had) wouldn't they? Perhaps if she sits for a moment, on that bench, under that tree, and gets her bearings...?

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There's someone watching from a cafe table, taking in the scene and scoping out a certain target. The great blond goof was eating a sandwich in between sketching something, but he couldn't stop himself from looking at the girl. Something in her eyes, something haunted, reminds himself of how he looks in the mirror every morning.

She can feel the eyes on her, even if she can't quite place the sensation.

She looks up, meets his eyes, and blinks.

He throws off an easy smile and a quick wave, obviously he'd been looking elsewhere and she'd just caught the eye by accident, right? Nothing to worry about. All good? he asked wordlessly.

Hesitantly, she waves back. That's what you do, right? She can't quite manage a smile.

Guilt is an odd thing for him, because most of the things he feels guilty for he knows he shouldn't feel guilty for, so while he knows he has a lot of work to do in tipping the cosmic scales, he doesn't generally feel BAD about it. This, though? This feels just... mean.

How could he play this? How could he play this?

He waved back and gestured for her to join him at his table maybe?

Terra blinks a couple of times, and nods a little. She makes her way over with an easy, unconscious grace, that doesn't match her awkward manner. It does match the long knife sheathed against one leg, in and amongst all the scarves and jewellery; it looks like so much a part of her, one could be forgiven for not noticing it.

"Hello," she says, sliding into a seat.

"Hey," he offers, as much because it's polite as because he's leaning around to see if he can still see the blond. As soon as he's sure Steve's in sight, he turns back to her.

"You... look a little lost, sweetheart."

"Yes," she replies. "I... suppose I am. Can you be lost if you don't know where you're supposed to be?"

That is... that is a question he'd asked himself more than once. And more than once over seventy years.

"Easiest way to be," he admits quietly.

"Then I guess I am," she replies. "Was that why you were looking at me? Because I look lost?"

"Something like that," he admits, because there were plenty of people here, of all shapes and sizes, for him to get distracted by but that look had done the number pretty perfectly.

"I don't understand," she says, frowning a little. "But there's a lot I don't understand." Pause. "My name is Terra." Because that's what you do when you meet someone, right?

It is. That's why it's not too easy for him either.

"Jim," he offers, holding out a hand to her.

She looks at his hand, and then at him, clearly confused.

He turns it into a quick wave.

"You should learn that generally, when someone makes that gesture, you put your hand in there's, give a little squeeze, and move it up and down."

"Wh-- ah!" Sudden pain in her temples, the kind a cure spell can't help with, and a hazy flash of memory: faceless men in uniform, saluting as she follows behind--

It's gone.

The empathy in his eyes is pretty thick.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

The look in his eyes reminds her a little of Locke, but there's a different quality to the emotion she sees there.

"I can't remember anything," she admits softly. "But sometimes... I don't understand what 'okay' is."

"I see,"

And boy does he.

"This isn't the best place for people like that." Like us. "Too many kinds of folks here, nothing familiar. Do you know where you came from?"

Cause no one comes from here.

"Before I was here, I was in... South Figaro," she replies. She's pretty sure that's what he means; she has no idea where she comes from.

He's been all around the world and some of those memories are damn hazy, but he's never heard of such a place.

"I have no idea where that is, honestly. But I'm sure if you head out the door, you'll be right back. So don't hurry too much. This place is good if you need time."