the lost get found [karen]

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Poe had been kicking around the carnival for a while now. Unlike everyone else, he wasn't playing games, and he hadn't eaten anything since the pretzel earlier in his dog form. He liked just being around people - something that he had learned to enjoy when he was in New York, especially since part of being a poet was understanding people, and there was no better way to understand people than to watch an awful lot of them. of course, it was kind of strange for a thirty-something year old man to just stand around watching teenagers, so Poe moved with the flow of the crowd. He was pretty sure some of the carnies had realized he was just circling, but none of them looked particularly bothered by it, since he wasn't causing any trouble and just trying to have a good time, like everyone else. When Poe turned right to stroll down a row of games and booths again, he stopped dead in his tracks. That hair... what? He had thought that had all been a dream, the fantasy of a broken heart. "Karen!" Poe called, hoping that he wasn't crazy.

@karen

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Karen had been back for two days, and there was a carnival going on by the school in that... village. Damn, what was it called? Hogs... she would look at the sign when she got there. She took the train, mostly because she wanted to see the countryside as she went. She was heading there to find Brandon, to surprise him by saying that she and Kara were back in the country. She finally arrived and looked up as she entered the village. Hogsmeade! Yes! That was it. She grinned, straightening up. Before she took a step in she sighed. Carnivals were more Kara's thing and... well, Brandon could handle Kara, right?

Kara stretched as soon as she took primary control of their body and squealed with delight. A carnival! What a fun idea! Oh yeah, Karen had written to her that she was planning on finding Brandon today! What a great place to do it.

She skipped inside the town and started skipping around, looking at all the fabulous things there were to offer. She was all wrapped up in watching some kids dunk a faux mermaid when she heard her name called.She jumped, that wasn't Brandons voice. She turned around to face the sound and a huge smile grew on her face. "Poet, wasn't it?"

@poet

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Wow. This really wasn’t a dream. She turned around, and it was really her. The girl who punched bad guys and then just… walked away. Poe was sure there was more to her than just being a vigilante, but she hadn’t stuck around long enough for him to be able to ask. Poe had continued roaming the streets at night, but he hadn’t ever seen Karen again… hence why he had almost convinced himself that she was just a figment of his imagination. Karen smiled when she saw him, and Poe couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Poe, yeah.” Had he introduced himself as poet? Had he really been that deep in his funk? Ugh, Poe hoped not. When he had first gone on his poetry kick, he had gotten a lot of amusement about how the prophecy in his name had come true, but now it seemed kind of stupid that he had ever found it so funny. “What brings you to the carnival?” That was lame. Almost as lame as ‘do you come here often?’ – and it was a good thing he hadn’t said that, since the carnival was temporary and only just beginning and – wow, he was rambling in his head. Okay. Deep breaths. Poe just kept smiling at Karen as he waited for her explanation.

@karen

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She nodded as he corrected her with his nickname. She didn't really if he mentioned preferring that before, but his full name was so much easier to remember because it was just so lovely. She grinned a little wider as he asked what brought her there. "Same thing that brought you, I assume... Fun and recreation!" she giggled. She took a step closer to him, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow high. "I assume you didn't come here with anyone? Or did you just ditch them when you saw my beautiful face not far off," she smirked, holding back her laugh this time. But oh, it was fun to tease! And, if she remembered right, this guy was good at playful banter. She hadn't found as many people like that in Norway. They were all just so... Up front and nice. Not easy to banter with at all.

@poet

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Poe chuckled a little when Karen said that she was there for fun and recreation, like him. There was nothing really funny about it, except that Poe wasn’t sure that anyone would call the carnival recreation, instead of just plain fun. Karen got closer to him, and Poe matched her step with one of his own, so that they were closer together than most polite acquaintances ought to be. The carnival necessitated that, though, Poe told himself, because everything was so loud. “No, I came alone.” Poe said with a laugh. “I’m not the ditching type.” He said breezily, only realizing after he spoke that his words could be construed as an insult against Karen, for leaving him that night. He assumed that she must have done more than just leave him, though, since he hadn’t seen her at all, anywhere, until now. Poe gave Karen a lopsided smile. “Have you played any games yet?” Poe asked. He hadn’t planned to play any games himself, but maybe they would be more fun with a partner.

@karen

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Ooh! She wasn't expecting him to take a step closer when he did. That was something she always liked to see. They were closer than Karen would have approved of, which only made this more fun. "Well," she said, raising an eyebrow slowly as he said he came alone, and wasn't the ditching type. She didn't even realize that it could have been an insult to that first not, because she honestly wasn't even thinking about that. He gave her a smile that made her purse her lips in her own smile back. "I have not," she answered. She almost told him to call her Kara instead of Karen, but she also hadn't explained anything to him yet... and didn't want Karen to throw a fit if some random guy called her Kara... not that Poe was necessarily random now.

@poet

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Karen said that she hadn’t yet played any games, and Poe’s smile got broader. “Well, would you want to play some games?” Poe asked. “Specifically, with me?” He added, in case Karen thought that he was inviting her to leave him to go play games on her own. He didn’t think that misconception would pop up, but it was better safe than sorry. Then, remembering that Karen had asked if he had come with anyone else, Poe realized that it was possible that she hadn’t come to the carnival on her own, and would need to leave to go find them. “If you’re free, of course.” He added nonchalantly. There were days when he was so much more charming and easy to talk to, Poe thought with an internal snort at himself. Now it seemed he was always teetering on the wrong side of the tightrope of being awkward.

@karen

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His smile grew and he asked if she wanted to play some games and she smirked, but then her smirk turned into a grin when he mentioned himself specifically. Then he added the thought that 'if she was free' and she chuckled. "Oh, I'm free enough for you," she said bluntly. She held out a hand, gesturing toward the games, "lead the way." Normally Kara preferred to lead, but it was actually kind of fun watching him take control of the situation. He was still being polite and giving her the chance to say no, but he was also doing the inviting and leading the conversation and she was very much enjoying letting him do that. "I'm down for anything," she added. Maybe she said it in a little bit of a suggestive way, but hey, this was fun.

@poet

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Free enough for him? It was good that Poe wasn’t eating or drinking at the moment, because he probably would have spit out whatever was in his mouth at that rather blunt attempt at flirting. As it was he choked on his spit a little, and it took him a moment to get his breath back and put a smile back on his face. Karen held out her hand, and Poe took it without hesitation, already preparing to lead them before Karen invited him to. He had been at the carnival for long enough that he had a rough idea of where some of the games were. He stopped in front of a multicolored wheel that proclaimed itself as the Wizard Wheel of Fortune. “Care to take a spin?” Poe asked. Karen had already made some rather suggestive comments on the way there, which Poe had steadfastly ignored, because there was no way that she was serious. But hey, if he had his chance to make an innuendo about taking a spin… why not?

@karen

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He seemed to struggle a bit at her words, but she kept her face unchanged at his reaction. Poe took her hand, and she felt one of those cliche jolts run from her fingertips into her stomach. She hadn't really felt that before... or at least, not for three months. He led the way and she bit her lip, trying to suppress her girlish giggle for the moment. He stopped and she looked up at the game in question, raising an eyebrow as she surveyed it. At his question about taking a spin and she turned to look at him with her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in a tight smile. "I would care to. Thank you," she said, still looking at him for several more seconds before turning to the wheel in question and lifting her hand to spin it. She watched it spin for a moment before turning toward him again, "what's it say?" she asked, not watching the wheel slow down to a stop.

@poet

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Poe wasn’t sure whether or not Karen had caught the double meaning in his question if she would like to take a spin or not. She seemed to look at him for just a bit longer than was totally necessary before turning to spin the wheel, but that could have just as easily been because she was confused, or because he looked funny, or something else. Poe watched the wheel go around and around, until finally it stopped, announcing that Karen had won five tickets. When the woman in question asked what the wheel said, though, Poe didn’t just rattle off the number like he had intended to. “It says that you should tell me where you’ve been.” He blurted out. “I mean… I thought that you were just a figment of my imagination, Karen.” Poe explained, taking the tickets from the carnie and hurrying to move their conversation into someplace that was a little less public, with fewer listening ears. “Where have you been since that night?” Damn, it sounded like they had had a one-night stand or something. But it wasn’t like that. Poe just wanted to know why she had disappeared.

@karen

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Kara wasn't expecting him not to answer her question. At least, not tell her the truth about what it said. Instead he used her question to basically ask one of this own. That it said she should 'tell him where she had been.' He said it rather... abruptly too, which made her smile a little in amusement. She slowly turned to face him as she said that he thought she was just a figment of his imagination. Her smile faltered a little. She remembered when Karen thought she was just a figment of her imagination. Back when they were young... but she understood what Poe meant. She had been there one night and then been gone with no word.

He took her tickets and pulled her aside, and she followed, surprisingly silent for a moment. Surprising for Kara, at least. He had outright where she had been since that night. He sounded so urgent and so serious that she bit her lip to keep from grinning too wide. She had thought of him too since then, she wasn't going to deny that, and knowing that he did too... well, that was exciting. "Norway," she finally answered, reaching her hand out to gently clasp at his elbow. "We were called on assignment for three months," she answered. "I didn't mean to vanish on you, Poe. In fact," she squeezed his elbow a little, "I really wish the timing had worked out differently," she felt that familiar pull in the back of her skull. It wasn't necessarily that Karen wanted to come play, maybe... but rather that Karen didn't approve of what she was saying, maybe?

@poet

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Norway. Poe narrowed his eyes a little bit. That sounded like something that someone would say as a lie – just a little too far-fetched to be true. But he trusted Karen. He wasn’t sure what she meant when she said that ‘we’ were called on an assignment, but assumed that a few of Karen’s colleagues were also called to investigate whatever matter it was that she had been looking into. It had to have been important for more than one person to be called out for such a long time, Poe tried to rationalize with himself. Besides, he and Karen barely knew each other. He didn’t have the right to be mad at her for disappearing, even if the memories of the adrenaline of that night still made his heart beat a little faster when he looked at her. Karen went on to say that she hadn’t meant to vanish, and that… she wished things had worked out differently? Poe’s mind was just about ready to run away with that one, but he stopped himself before he could dissect all of its possible meanings. “We all have things that we regret, and people that we miss.” Railynn, Poe’s mind whispered despite his wishes to the contrary. He wasn’t sure that everything he felt for and about Rai would ever heal all the way – she had left a wound, and that wound looked like it was going to form into a scar. But he couldn’t let that stop him. “I don’t want to start over, but I do want to start again.” Poe said to Karen. He wanted to know more about the woman who prowled through back alleyways and skipped through carnivals and made him feel a little bit like he was flying. He needed a friend like that.

@karen

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He narrowed his eyes at her words, but she had told the truth! He said that they all had things they regretted and people they missed and she nodded. Then he said he didn't want to start over, just to start again and -WHAM. Kara gasped loudly, as she often did when they made the switch. Karen shot into the conscious part. She pulled her hand away from Poe, harshly, and her brow furrowed at him. "What's going on here?" she said, not even bothering to pretend that she was the same person. But she could tell Kara was feeling some strong emotions. She could feel the remnants of Kara's heart racing, of a rock forming in her throat, of the adrenaline pumping through their veins, that tugging in their stomach.

Kara liked this guys. Liked him. It was that same guy from that night! The one Kara was running around starting fights with! She felt her blood boil and she straightened up, clenching her fists at her sides. 

@poet

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Poe was expecting some sort of a reaction to his words, but the loud gasp wasn’t it. Even more confusing was what Karen said next. What’s going on here? Hadn’t she been paying attention across the course of this conversation? …Had something like this happened before? Shoot, hadn’t it happened the night they met? Poe’s memories were blurry with time, and he mentally kicked himself for not being more observant. “We were talking. About why you left.” He prompted, unsure whether or not that was what Karen was searching for, or if she wanted something different. Poe bit his lip, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out the mystery. Somehow, he didn’t think that mentioning wanting to start again was a good idea now, since she seemed so out of it. “…How was Norway?” He asked in absence of any other ideas. Poe found himself wondering why anyone would want to go to Norway – or any Nordic country – in the winter, but if it was for work, he supposed Karen didn’t have much of a choice.

@karen