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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 16, 2016 17:11:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 17:11:28 GMT -7
Brandon didn't want to laugh at her again, but her confusion was obvious and it was ... dare he think cute? Was he allowed to think that a ministry worker was cute? How old was she anyway? Not that it mattered. Not that he really cared. He was just trying to see if he could lighten her mood. Maybe even make her smile. Yup, that was the goal here tonight. Then she started glaring at him. "Unsafe. Yup, that's the word I would use. We should avoid that, don't you think?" He asked, smiling at her. Actually, this was kind of fun. More fun than getting angry at her was. He shrugged when she asked if she spilled on him. "Nope, you missed me this time," he teased, wondering if he was taking the teasing too far or not, but not really caring. He was enjoying this. He nodded, "Next time I'll be sure to stand a foot away from the table," he answered keeping his face almost completely serious, except for the small smile intended to show her he wasn't trying to make her angry again. "Oh yeah, I was! Excuse me," he said as he moved up closer to her so he could reach the cups and fill one up for Elena. Then he turned around, curious to see if she ran off while his back was turned or not.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 16, 2016 17:31:58 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 17:31:58 GMT -7
He was clearly in a better mood and it was affecting her, and that was weird... good, but weird. She didn't smile, though. Nope. He seemed to agree that it would be unsafe to duel and suggested they avoid it, she nodded firmly. "I wouldn't duel with a minor anyway," okay, she didn't actually know if he as under seventeen, but he looked older than that. His smile was kind of blinding in a way, and she was glad her eyes were narrowed so she could see less of it. Then, he said that she didn't spill on him and she nodded once again before realizing what he said, "this time? I didn't spill on you earlier!" she said back with a snap.
Next time. There that term was again. "Please do," she said as he spoke about standing a foot away. But he was still smiling. Was his face broken? She seemed to remind him about something and he turned back to the drinks and she folded her arms, looking back out at the dance floor.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 16, 2016 17:45:51 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 17:45:51 GMT -7
At first Brandon pricked at her minor comment. That was uncalled for! Besides, he was of age. Then he got an idea. He let his eyes widen and took a small step back from her, fighting the smile that was tugging on the corners of his lips. "Then we might want to be more careful because I'm not a minor," he said, pretending like he was nervous. She would probably be able to see through that, right? If not, it would be funny for him at least. He held his hands up in a gesture of peace, smiling widely when she bursted out saying that she hadn't spilled on him before either. "I know! I was just assuming that if we can't keep ourselves from bumping into one another it was inevitable, at one point or another." This was fun. He doubted she was enjoying their exchange much, but Brandon really was.
She hadn't left. Well that was a surprise. "Is there something you're legitimately angry about or do you just not like balls?" He asked, unable to help himself. She probably wouldn't like the question, but he was curious. Why was she so angry here? Was it him or just her personality?
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 19, 2016 10:43:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2016 10:43:46 GMT -7
He wasn't a minor. Well, that must have meant he was seventeen or eighteen which would make him in his final year of school. She felt herself starting to smile, just a tiny bit, but she didn't know why. She didn't want to smile for this guy. "Well. I suggest we avoid one another then, otherwise it could get ugly," wait, wait. Was Callisto Wulfe actually trying to make a ... joke?
She scoffed at his words about the inevitability of her spilling on him and tensed a little. "Hopefully this is the last time," she said lowly and directly, as if it was a threat or a command rather than a wish. Why were his eyes looking all sparkly and amused?
She wasn't expecting him to talk to her again after he got his drink, drinks? She narrowed her eyes a bit at his question, "I'm just-" then she stopped. No one, save her siblings, had ever asked her why she acted the way she did. Her face relaxed and she breathed in, "don't know," she finally said. Her least favorite words.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 20, 2016 11:42:24 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 11:42:24 GMT -7
Brandon was having fun. He wasn't sure if he was enjoying it because he could tell he was getting under her skin or if it was because she looked pretty when she almost smiled, but he wanted to keep going. At least she wasn't snapping at him. In fact, was that a joke? Brandon grinned, not even bothering to pretend otherwise. "I doubt that'll be necessary. Have you seen the two of us? Ugly wouldn't be a word to explain what's going to happen." He didn't mean to, but now that the words were out there he was trying to keep himself from laughing.
He shrugged, "Are you sure you want it to be the last time? Aren't you having just a little bit of fun?" He was sure that she would deny him, but giving it a go anyway.
He cocked his head to the side when she admitted that she didn't know. That's not what he expected. He expected some sort of witty retort about how there wasn't a problem with her, that it was with everyone else or something like that. "Well ..." he hesitated, wondering how she would respond. "How about we try to enjoy the rest of the evening then. A little smile never hurt anyone, you know," Brandon said with a smile, hoping that he was convincing her and entirely forgetting about the drinks in his hands.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 22, 2016 17:01:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 17:01:13 GMT -7
For a moment Callisto wasn't sure if he was saying they'd be WORSE than ugly or saying that they were, in fact, not ugly at all. She raised an eyebrow slow, "are you... saying you think we're pretty, kid?" she asked, trying again for disdain but coming up short, coming across somewhat... timid, instead. Which she did not like one bit, so it was easy to scowl afterward.
The he was asking if she was sure that she wanted it to be the last time, if she was having just a little bit of fun. Her lips tightened into a firm line, and gave one short shake of her head. The problem was, she wasn't sure if she was saying 'no' to the first question or the second. She was intrigued now, why his mood changed so drastically.
He seemed just as confused as she was as she said she didn't know why she was so mean. He continued to 'invite' her to enjoy the rest of the evening, that a little smile never hurt anyone. She found herself almost smiling, almost, but she got distracted by the glasses. "You have two glasses," she pointed out.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 22, 2016 18:10:43 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 18:10:43 GMT -7
She asked if Brandon was calling both of them pretty and shook his head instantly. "Of course not! You would be the pretty one, out of the two of us. I'm just handsome enough to be able to tag along, grandma." He shouldn't have said it, but he did. She was asking for it, calling him a kid. Naturally, Brandon thought he did pretty well when it came to looks, but he wasn't trying to brag about it. Complimenting her, though? Yeah, he was down for that. She deserved to be complimented. Especially if it got her to finally smile.
She didn't really answer his questions. All she did was shake her head, but Brandon wasn't about to question her about it. So he decided to make an assumption. Grinning, he shrugged at her before turning to look at the room, full of dancing people. "I'm going to assume that means no you don't want it to be the last time." At least now she knew exactly what he was insinuating. Hopefully. Maybe she was trying to misunderstand him. He wouldn't be surprised.
Instead of smiling, or saying that she would enjoy herself, the woman mentioned that he had two glasses. Oops. Brandon looked across the room toward where he left Elena. Her eyes were still bright and a little puffy, but she was talking to some boy and smiling. That was a good sign, wasn't it? At least she wasn't waiting for him. He opened his mouth to answer the woman next to him when the boy talking to Elena extended his hand and pulled onto the dance floor. She was still smiling, so Brandon took that as a signal that he didn't need to intervene. "I do," he said finally. "But the person I got the other glass for is now otherwise occupied. Were you asking because you wanted some more?" Brandon said with a smile, extending one of the glasses to her, though he doubted that she would take it.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 22, 2016 18:36:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 18:36:00 GMT -7
Wait. Did he... just say she was pretty? Oh, but he said out of the 'two of them'. So, in comparison to the rest of the room, maybe he didn't think so. There was that term again 'grandma' and she realized he was probably saying that in retort to her calling him 'kid'. Her eyes narrowed and she turned away for just a moment, suddenly thinking about reapplying her lipstick.
He assumed the shake of her head was to the first question, that she didn't want this to be the last time. Her eyes zeroed in on him, "you're interested mister... whatever your name is," she was going to figure that out eventually, she swore that. Maybe tonight, maybe not. It seemed, though, that HE didn't want this to be the last time. She tilted her head to the side a little. "You want to increase the chances of one of us spilling a drink on the other?" she asked, her tone still harsh as usual but SLIGHTLY amused. Slightly.
Callisto almost turned to look at whoever the drink was for, but she didn't. Probably his date, or something. Which was weird that he was talking to her if he had a date. But, he said they were occupied and asked if she was wanting more, offering the glass to her. She rolled her eyes and reached her hand out, "well, I was getting a drink when you got in my way earlier," she reminded him. As she took the glass, their fingers touched just a little as it transferred hands. Her eyes flickered to their fingers before looking up at him, and then pulling the glass toward herself. "Thank you."
This night was just getting weirder and weirder.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 22, 2016 23:14:56 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 23:14:56 GMT -7
She was glaring at him again, and Brandon started to wonder if she was doing it on purpose. Like, if maybe she wanted to smile or something and glared to keep herself from doing it? He hardly knew her, so it was harder for him to be able to tell. He was going to need to pay closer attention. Still, she wasn't stalking away from him. That had to mean something, didn't it?
His expression turned mischievous when she told him that he was interested. "So what if I'm interested," he said with a slight smirk. Sure, he was admitting that he was interested in her, but was that really a bad thing. Sure, she wasn't very nice, but he had a feeling that if he could get past her wall of ice ... well, it was something for him to work towards. And having a goal made Brandon all the moer determined. "So what if I want to increase the chance of that," Brandon teased a few moments later at her next question. Basically, he just wanted to spend time and get to know her a little more. Not that he was going to come outright and say that. Not yet.
He smiled when she reached forward, toward the drink that was in his hand. He handed it to her, fighting to keep his smile from widening when their fingers touched and she looked down. So she felt that. Good. "You're welcome," he said, watching her still. He had the strangest urge to grab her hand and pull her onto the dance floor, but she just got a drink. It would be rude to give her a drink and then drag her to dance before letting her drink it. Fine. He would wait until she was done or put it down, unless that took forever. Whatever! He was going to pull her onto the floor with him when the moment was right. It just wasn't right yet. Not quite. "So do you have a date here?" He asked. Might as well know if someone was going to be angry at him for dancing with her or not.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2016 11:53:03 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 11:53:03 GMT -7
So what if I'm interested, he said. At first she was confused, but then she realized. She had accidentally said 'interested' instead of 'interestING'. She gasped a little, her eyes slightly widening at his smirk, her brain short circuiting. Freudian slip, maybe? That was when you say what you MEANT to say, accidentally. Was she... was he... were they... interested?
Then he spoke again, saying that he did want to increase the chance of bumping into her. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "I guess that's a chance I'll have to take," she said, her voice a little higher than usual. She cleared her throat.
Once she had the drink she took a long, slow sip, drinking the whole thing in one swoop. She lowered the glass, now empty, to answer his next questin. "No. I don't date," she said firmly. "You?" why did she feel a strange tugging in her stomach. Like... she wanted him to say no?
She did not like this.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2016 14:53:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 14:53:13 GMT -7
Brandon couldn't help but chuckle when she gasped and her eyes widened. Apparently she hadn't expected him to say anything like that. It was interesting to see her speechless though. Refreshing after the constant arguing.
His eyebrows rose when she said it was a chance she'd have to take. "Oh, so you're willing to take that chance too?" he teased, unable to help himself. Was she possibly wanting to spend more time with him? Or was that just wishful thinking? Then again, for the first time she answered him in a way that didn't seem quite rude, so maybe he was breaking down her ice? Or maybe she was exhausted from acting so angry. Either way, he was glad. For some reason, it was hard to not get defensive with her.
He nodded, forcing himself to not grin like an idiot when she said that she didn't date. Well that was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it meant she wasn't dating anyone but bad because ... well ... the more time he spent with her, the more inclined he was to ask her on a date but he didn't want to be turned down. "Well I do date," he told her, even though he was sure she wasn't asking about that. "But no, I don't have a date here. I decided to come on my own." He put his cup down on the table and reached forward, offering to take her own. It was now or never. He cleared his throat, surprised to discover that he was actually nervous. "Well, would you care for a dance then?" There. Straightforward and to the point. Why was his heart racing so fast? And why was he so nervous that she would say no? Brandon shook his head slightly, refusing to think about those questions and choosing instead to focus on the beautiful woman in front of him. "Please say yes," his thoughts begged repeatedly as he waited for her response.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2016 15:04:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 15:04:32 GMT -7
He was chuckling. Did he think she was acting funny? She wasn't meaning too. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? THIS was exactly why she didn't date. She couldn't handle the confusion behind it all. The guessing. She liked cold, hard numbers. Black and white. Not the Grey area that was romance.
His eyebrows rose and he asked to confirm if she was willing to take that chance too. "I..." she froze for a moment before answering, "I just think if we're going to keep running into each other anyway then we may as well deal with it," she said, adding a firm, businesslike nod at the end. That's all she meant. That they may accept their fate that they were going to run in to each other whether they wanted to or now. Not that Callisto ever really believed in fate...
He nodded when she said she didn't date and her eyebrows knit together, waiting to see what he'd do next. He said he did date, and seemed pretty confident about that, even though she didn't exactly ask that specifically. He answered her question next, though, by stating that he didn't have a date.
She was still frozen as he reached out to take her glass from her. She moved her hand forward, allowing him to grab it. Then he cleared his throat and she looked out at the dance floor, then back to him just in time to hear his question. "Excuse me?" she choked out almost sounding offended. Then it was her turn to clear her throat, "I'm not a good dancer," she said flatly, somehow making that sound proud.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2016 15:46:30 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 15:46:30 GMT -7
She seemed a little tongue-tied, but Brandon wasn't about to tease her for that. He was positive she wouldn't take it well and he didn't want to make her angry again. At least now they were being semi-cordial with one another. So he waited patiently for her to say what she was going to say. Ahh, so she was on the defensive again. Not that that was surprising, but he'd rather hoped they would be past all that by now. He smiled, "You're right, we should deal with it. I think positively would be a good idea, since we're now planning on running into one another. That would go much better, don't you think?" He wasn't sure if she'd agree with that, but he didn't care.
And now she was frozen? Hmm. Maybe she didn't get a lot of attention from guys. Well, if her icy attitude was normal, then that wasn't a surprise, despite how pretty she was. He laughed when she asked him to excuse her and then said she wasn't a good dancer. "You're excused," Brandon answered with a chuckle. "Awe, I can help you with that. Let's go dance," he grabbed her hand and pulled her on to the floor, not giving her a chance to say no this time. A new song started, which was perfect timing. He moved to dancing position and then started to dance, wondering whether or not she would follow his lead or argue with him about it. At least she hadn't said no initially. That would have been bad.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 26, 2016 7:35:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2016 7:35:48 GMT -7
Positively... so was that it? This boy just decided to be positive and it worked. That was a gift few people had, she knew. She nodded as he asked what she thought, but she didn't respond as to whether or not she was capable of that. A very strong part of her wanted to walk away just then, without even saying goodbye, getting back to work and not thinking about this boy anymore. He was a predicament to her, a puzzle, and Callisto didn't like unsolved puzzles. She didn't like them sitting there in front of her, telling her stories and doing things that didn't make sense to her. Like this guy.
At her confession about not being a good dancer, he seemed un-phased and took her hand, causing her protests to catch in her throat. He led her to the floor and the song started. She moved into position with him, her hand in his and her other hand resting on his shoulder. He started to dance and she was stiff as a board, barely moving her feet an inch and not getting into the music at all. She grimaced, her eyes narrowing at him without even realizing she was glaring at him.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:17:12 GMT -7
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Dec 26, 2016 11:20:52 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2016 11:20:52 GMT -7
She wasn't saying a thing. Brandon wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he decided to pretend like it didn't matter until she spoke. To his relief, she didn't pull her hand out of his when he tried to pull her on the floor. She followed him and actually went into dancing position, though once she was in it, she seemed to just freeze. Sure, she was moving, but not really. It was almost like she was doing the least she possibly could, by it still counted as dancing. Almost. She was also glaring at him, but that didn't phase Brandon at all. Not after an evening of running into her and getting that glare every time. "Aren't you getting tired of glaring at me." Brandon asked with a smile. He knew that would probably annoy her more, but he couldn't help it. He was trying to get her to enjoy yourself. "Do you have any overprotective friends that I need to worry about?" If she did, they were doing a terrible job protecting her, but he decided to say it anyway as he continued to dance with her. He wasn't gong to let her get away so easily.
@callisto
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