Teatime (for shardofwinter )

[chocolatechipbadass]

Dearest Sir Reynard~

You are cordially invited to Pandora's most exclusive premium social event of the year. Hostess Tiny Tina is requesting your audience for afternoon tea and edibles at the her fabulous desert resort. Dress code is Wasteland-Formal so please plan accordingly.

Note the time and coordinates below. Respectfully yours,

Tina

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It's a wasteland.

Here and there patches of scrub cling to life as the wind howls over the dust and dirt. The acrid smell of the Eridium mines tinges the air even this far out. In the distance settlements can be seen down the cliffsides and sheer rock faces. The rumble of engines fades in and out, the silence perforated by the sounds of gunfire periodically. Even the life that eeks out an existence here is harsh. The creatures savage and monstrous looking.

Tina's home looks to be nothing more than a shipping crate turned onto it's side. There have been modifications to it, of course. Windows cut out of the metal on one corner where a simple army-style bed sits atop a scrap metal frame. The rest of the tiny space looks to usually be devoted to her rather explosive passion and job, though for the moment much of it is tucked away in crates and lockers to make room on the work table (singed in several spots) for the mismatched and heavily chipped tea set Tina has meticulously set at her table.

The hostess herself is in a pink sundress with a ribbon tied into her wild and uneven hair, humming while she boils water in a teapot that looks to have been welded together from lord even knows what. A menagerie of aged and beat up stuffed animals are seated at the table, though two spots remain open at either end. One for herself obviously and one for her guest of honor.

Comments

[shardofwinter]

Reynard was not sure what constitutes as 'wasteland formal', so he found fabric to use as a makeshift cravat to add to his usual outdated attire. Somehow he doesn't expect to be lectured on appropriate clothing choices by Tina. Besides which, he has other things weighing on his mind.

When he appears at the coordinates she supplied he immediately gets distracted by his surroundings. This world makes his stomach churn and knot in a strange way the moment he sets foot on its soil. Although that might just be the sight of the barren earth, the sound of ever present danger, and the metallic smell of war that he can almost taste. He hefts the bag cutting into his fingers and heads to the shipping crate Tina calls home.

As soon as he's close enough he puts on his best smile, and knocks on the side of the 'building'. "Miss Tiny Tina?"

[chocolatechipbadass]

Reynard has done right by the dress code, worry not. Wasteland-formal means you do actually need to wear clothes and they should not be parts of your enemies, bloodied, or caked with dirt if at all possible. A tall order for some here on Pandora.

She spins on her heel at the knock, face lighting up into glee at seeing one of her closest friends here at her home.

"Reynard! Do come in, please. I've put up the shutters today so we may enjoy what's left of this fine afternoon sun while we gossip salaciously over tea and crumpets. Sir Bearingham has brought the wildest news home from the cities." She is full on faux-posh in her demeanor for the moment, but it doesn't stop her from pulling out his seat for him at the table. She's playing her part as the gracious and clearly important hostess.

"I'm just finishing the tea now. My but you look lovely today."

[shardofwinter]

The faux-posh act isn't what he expected, but he's more than happy to play along for her. He follows her to his seat, but instead of sitting, he bows low and offers up the bag in his hands. "I thought I had better not come empty handed to such a generous invitation. A gift, for you, my dear."

By 'a gift' he means 'a gift of many things'. He did not forget the conversation they had about her lack of jumpers or good boots. With Winter fast approaching it has been at the forefront of his thoughts. Within the canvas bag is a pair of wellington boots, a warm blanket, a couple of pillows, and a selection of clothes that include thick jumpers (one with a crocodile design), stockings, and durable trousers. Even with the help he enlisted, they might not be perfectly sized or to her taste, but he did his best and he can only hope she likes them. He watches her with eyes a little wide, and bated breath.

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Awww!"

Well, there goes the fake snooty accent as Tina dissolves right back into a squeal of glee, wrapping her bony arms around Reynard's waist once he straightens and hugging him tightly.

"Ya didn' hafta but I love it already. Unless it's broccoli because that tastes like butt." A suspicious eye cast toward the bag, but no. No hideous health foods lie inside. Her constant stream of words dries up when she unfolds the brand new clothes, blanket, and pillows. She presses her hand into the pillow a few times, eyes wide at how soft they are.

"All...alla this..is for me?" She looks up at Reynard in equal parts wonder and a smidge of confusion. "But it's all new and..and clean."

[shardofwinter]

This time he's more prepared for her sudden hug. He laughs and pats her head until she lets him go to investigate her new things. It's with a quiet anxiety that he watches her. Buying her gifts had been a task in itself, and he hadn't been sure if there was a point that it became too much. Was there a point he should have stopped buying for her? Or as a responsible adult, should he have bought more? It was impossible for him to tell.

"All for you," he tells her with a wave emphasising his certainty. Putting his hands on his hips, he gives her a lopsided smile. "If it's too clean I'm sure you could dirty it." He hesitates. "Maybe… not too quickly."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"I've never had new stuff before. Thank you Reynard!"

Tina has never looked happier than she does right now, in this moment. Clutching a jumper to her chest and grinning up at the Winter Spirit. She's uncharacteristically careful as she folds each item back up and tucks it back into the bag before setting the whole thing neatly on her bed, which is sloppily made.

She'll move to get the tea from her makeshift burner and that can't be safe really it's just a metal coil attached to what looks to be a huge car battery with the jumper cables clamped on to each side of it short circuiting the battery. Though she does unhook it once she's done. No sense in wasting what's left of the juice in the battery now that tea's made.

"Let me pour you a nice cup of tea and you just take a seat and relax." It won't be the best cup Reynard will ever have. For one, it's impossible to tell what kind of tea this is supposed to be and for another Tina's makeshift stovetop doesn't get quite hot enough for a proper boil and steep but she's done her best. The crumpets clearly have come from somewhere else. There's certainly no oven in this crate.

[shardofwinter]

If she'd let him, he'd happily stand and watch her rifle through her new things for much longer, but instead she's insisting he sits so she can host him. Taking his seat, he wonders what it would have been like if things had been different. Would she have chosen a frilly dress instead of her mismatched outfit full of holes? Would she have long hair to braid or would she have kept it playfully short? Would she have been happier?

All his thoughts are kept hidden behind a smile. The first thing he thinks when he drinks the tea is that, considering their surroundings, there is a high chance that there could be poisonous substances floating around in the odd tasting water. The second is that, with Winter fast approaching, he can afford to risk his health a little. Winter will make sure he stays strong. He hopes.

So, after his first sip, he smiles brightly. "It's wonderful, my dear. As is your home." He looks around them. "Did you make this grand estate single-handedly?"

[chocolatechipbadass]

It's difficult to imagine Tina with a hobby that isn't blowing things up for fun and for profit but this is the world she was born into. Humming to herself while she serves up Scrubland Tea and crumpets to Reynard and then to the other guests at her table.

"I had a bit of help tipping it over, but the decoration's all on me. I've got a door that I can slide down and shut off the place for the night or if bad weather comes in." She points up to the shuttered metal door that's currently pulled all the way open.

"I like havin' it open so I can pull th'table out if I wanna when Lils and the other vault hunters show up for Bunkers an' Badasses."

[shardofwinter]

It's the strange, potentially poisonous nature of their meal that has Reynard so carefully sipping and nibbling at the treats being served. He leans on the table, following her gestures as she points and explains her home.

Still with a smile, he tilts his head at her. "Lils? And the Vault Hunters? They're your friends? Are there many Vault Hunters? Do they come often?"

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Yeahhhh boiii there's my adopted brother who's a total sweetheart named Brick and a sad man who lost his pet bird named Mordy. Mordecai. Whatever. And then their leader, Lilith. She used to be uh."

Tina stops then a moment. Looks down at the table ebfore looking back at Reynard again with a smile more firmly in place.

"She used t'be under Roland. They all were. But when he died she took over. OH an' now there's also Axton, Maya, Zer0, Gaige, Salvadore, an' a really yelly guy named Krieg. They're pretty cool too. They're all Vault Hunters. Lots'a folks try to be Vault Hunters. What makes them special is they actually found the vault. And brought down a really evil bad man."

She shrugs at the last question. Often by whose definition? She was alone for a long damn time before they came into her life.

"I see some of 'em more than others. Brick hangs around th'most probably. But it's still about once a month maybe I see him?"

[shardofwinter]

That's a fair lot of people she knows. A lot of bonds. Though once a month isn't a lot of time either, especially in a place where lives might be cut so short. Her answers don't make his decision any easier. They don't fill him with certainty or calm his worries. Of course they don't. Life couldn't make things easy on him, could it?

He tries to curl his gloved hands but only ends up grimacing at the stiffness of one, and pulling his arms closer to himself. Winter will be here soon and his pains will be washed away. But after that... Well... He still has a mortal life to plan.

"That's a lot of friends you have," he says as he reasserts his smile. "They're so lucky to know a lady of refinement like yourself. It sounds like a happy life you have here."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"That's why I'm in the Nexus a lot these days. It gets real lonely when they're out doin' stuff an' busy. Plus there's free coffee and kinda stale cookies at those little tables in the Plaza."

Food can be scarce and Tina is not above scrounging around the Nexus for a free meal. Especially if it's cookies.

"It ain't much but it's my home."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard shifts in his seat. It feels like there's no easy way to go about this. At least he knows one thing he has to be sure of, absolutely certain of, before he asks his question.

Leaning forward, he tilts his head. "Tina... Do you remember when I told you I'm a Winter spirit?" He leans even closer, paying careful attention to her reaction. "Do you understand what that means?"

[chocolatechipbadass]

"I do."

Tina slurps at her tea and stops pretending to listen to what her stuffed animals are 'saying' to her so she can turn all of her attention to Reynard. She's getting the feeling that this is important enough that she probably shouldn't make light of it or keep telling stories.

"It means you're an ice siren. You can do magic, and I bet you are REAL strong in winter."

[shardofwinter]

A low laugh rumbles through him and he can't help a smile. "I am."

But that's not what he needs to talk to her about. He smooths his smile out into a more sober expression. She needs to understand. To properly understand.

"I don't know what ice sirens are like, but being a Winter spirit makes me... different from humans. I'm almost exactly the same as you except for three months of the year." He shifts in his seat and looks her in the eye. "When it's my Season, when it's Winter, I'm... I'm not human. I don't think like you, or feel like you."

He heaves a sigh as he thinks how best to explain. "It's like... It's like being a wild animal. I don't mean to be bad or good. I don't react well to people trying to train me. I am what I am. I don't recognise my friends the same way. My friends are people who are useful to me, but I only... I only really feel love for Winter."

There's worry in his eyes as he searches her face. "Does that scare you?"

[chocolatechipbadass]

"I had a skag puppy once for a while named Enrique. They're wild animals, yanno. I tried to train him an' love him but I learned real quick that some things ain't meant to be kept up in a cage. It gets lonely sometimes out here and I wanted a friend."

Tina kicks her feet while she talks but her usual flippant exuberance isn't in her voice now.

"Most of the people I know are monsters, Reynard. Probably me too. If you gotta go...be wild or whatever...for the winter, I'll be okay. I'm used to being alone."

[shardofwinter]

Then she understands. He thinks. She understands as well as he's going to get her to without experiencing it first hand, something he'd like to avoid at all costs.

He shuffles in his seat and takes a deep breath. "Then, I was thinking. You don't need to answer right away, but... Would you like to come and live with me? After Winter, when I'm mortal again." Trying to hide his nervousness behind enthusiasm, he smiles. "I'll make you your own room, and you'll have a bed and a wardrobe full of clothes to choose from. It's... It's not a big place, but you can go to the Nexus whenever you want, or come back here."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"You mean like...a home? With you?"

Tina looks back at her workshop. Rakes her gaze across her dirty stuffed animals all sitting at her table. Something inside swells with happiness at being wanted, worth looking after. It's stronger than the ugly part that insists he'll leave her behind again like Roland did. Like her parents did.

"Can...can I have people over? I'll come back here if I'm gonna see my vault hunter friends--too many questions otherwise-- but what about my Nexus friends? What about Blaze an' Ghost?" Aside from Reynard, they're the other two most important people in Tina's life. She doesn't want to go somewhere where they can't follow her if they want to or need to.

[shardofwinter]

At first he smiles and nods along with what she says. A home. With him.

That doesn't last, however. He's midway through inhaling to tell her that she can, of course, have friends over, when she names names. His face drops. "Blaze?" He sits up, pulling back so that one of his hands can rub his leg. "I don't... think that's wise. Of course I don't mind you having friends over, but... Blaze doesn't..." How to phrase this. "She doesn't... like me very much."

[chocolatechipbadass]

That's right.

Tina remembers now, how they were at Halloween when she mentioned hanging out with Reynard. She half expects him to counter with how he shouldn't hang out with Blaze or Ghost too but it doesn't come. She gets up then and circles the table. Wraps her arms around Reynard's shoulders where he's sitting and pulls herself against him for a hug.

"I remember now. Yeah, you guys are...not great friends. But I like you both a lot. Like a lot, a lot. Blaze has been over here lots of times. Takes me out to movies an' stuff in the Nexus. Brings me back here when it's over an'...and stays here when I get sad. She's like you are to me, huggabutt."

[shardofwinter]

When she comes over and hugs him he pats her with his good arm. It gives him time to instil a little patience in himself, a little distance, a little coolness. He waits until she's finished and then pats her again.

"You're allowed to like her if you want, Tina, but she doesn't like me, and I don't much like her. I want you to be happy, but bringing people who don't like me into my home…" He sucks in his breath and winces. "That seems dangerous."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Naw, no worries. I won't bring her over." Especially not to a place not covered by the AV field. She's lost enough people without watching them fight each other in front of her.

"I'm gonna have to tell her I'm movin' though. So if she shows up here she don't worry none. Ain't no trouble with my friendos here cuz I've got my PINpoint installed into an ECHO device an' can call them from anywhere."

Tina casts another look around her workshop then looks back at Reynard.

"It's kinda a dump, I know."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard barks a laugh. "You might want to see my home before you call this a dump. Or before you make any decisions." Leaning closer to her he tells her with certainty. "This is a palace, my dear lady."

Then he pats her shoulder. "You have all Winter to think about my offer. When Spring comes I'll ask you again then." He looks her in the eye and tells her earnestly, "I want you to be sure."

[chocolatechipbadass]

Tina nods, face flushed with pride at Reynard's certainty about the state of her home. It may not be much, and it might not be nice, but it's hers. No matter how bad things get, she's got plenty of good memories tied to this place.

"I promise I'll think about it. An' hey thanks to all the nice clothes you got me I can come play in th'Nexus in the winter too!"

[shardofwinter]

His moustache lifts and his eyes squint with his broad smile. With a few pats he says, "That's a good girl."

Sitting back, he gestures to the table. "Now. Shall we continue this elegant afternoon soirée?"

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Hehehe~" Tina accepts the affections and pats eagerly before stepping back herself and bounding back over to her seat. She clears her throat before putting on her fake posh tones again. Works on setting a scone at each of the places at the table though Reynard's is the biggest.

"Now then, you simply must hear the stories Sir Bearington brought back from Sanctuary. He's got his thumb on the pulse of high society alright. More tea, Sir Reynard?"

The food might be storebought and the drink questionable, but in this tiny oasis of a home in the middle of a wasteland sharing stories with a friend Tina has never felt more at home.