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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 13:39:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 13:39:46 GMT -7
She was ... laughing? Brandon had to blink a few times and look at her closely just to make sure he wasn't imagining things, but he made her laugh! After all the struggles of the last few minutes, all the glaring and annoyed tones, she was laughing at something he said and he was glad. It showed that he could get through her ice wall. If he tried, and he was definitely willing to do that. She covered her mouth with one hand- to hide the fact that she was laughing he assumed- but she was still holding his other hand.
When she stopped laughing, she was looking at their hands and then saying goodbye, that she'd look him up in a week."Don't go yet," Brandon muttered softly as he looked into her eyes, glancing away and cringing slightly when he realized what he just said. She was going to think he was a child! He looked at her more closely for a second and then decided to take charge again, for the second time that night. "What your sister doesn't know won't hurt her," he mumbled as he tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her from the ballroom. As they moved, she said nothing, but he didn't care. He didn't know why, but Brandon wasn't ready to let Callisto go. So what if she was a few years older than him? So what if he didn't know how much older? He'd made her laugh and he wasn't ready for her to go yet. As he continued to lead her away from the Great Hall, her hand tightened around his own, holding it so tightly that she was almost crushing it. Brandon didn't mind, though. At least it meant that she wasn't leaving. Not yet, anyway.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 13:55:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 13:55:19 GMT -7
"Don't go yet." If Callisto hadn't stopped breathing already, she definitely stopped breathing now. She looked away from their hands, back to him, before he turned away and seemed to cringe a little. She understood why. She was feeling incredibly strange about this, too. She wasn't sure her brain had actually comprehended that she had just danced with a stranger. Someone whose name she didn't even know.
Then he was mumbling something and she almost missed it. But she figured it out. What Mina didn't know wouldn't hurt her. In all honesty, Mina would probably be proud right now. He started to pull her out of the ballroom and she went through a thousand thoughts in a second
I should go.
Get back to work.
But his hand is warm.
Who cares?
But he's being so nice.
He's a stranger.
Then she heard Mina's voice, "Having fun never killed anyone... I never see you having any fun." She gripped his hand tightly, because she knew that if she let go then she would run faster than she ever had before. She would get as far away from this boy, his eyes, and his smile as possible. She didn't realize she was practically crushing his hand.
They were soon outside in the courtyard and the cold air seemed to smack against her face. She gasped, "hold on," she said, tugging on his hand to get him to stop, "we don't have to move so fast-" she stopped, "I mean walk so fast. We don't have to walk so fast."
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 15:19:04 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 15:19:04 GMT -7
Brandon didn't know what he was doing. What he did know was that Callisto wasn't pulling away from him as he pulled her out of the castle. She hadn't made fun of him for asking her not to go and she didn't seem to be upset. The thing was, Brandon had never really been this impulsive. Well, sure, all the stuff that went down with Callie was impulsive, but that was all in the past. And she'd never been as independent as Callisto was. Callie always wanted him around, whereas Brandon felt like Callisto would be happier if he just left her alone. But he didn't want to.
Yet at the same time she was holding onto his hand so tight, did she really want him to leave? All of a sudden something that seemed so simple- doing whatever he could to make her smile- wasn't simple anymore. Maybe it was the fact that she actually did smile; rather, she laughed, but Brandon didn't know what to do now. What's more, he didn't know what he was doing?! Why was he pulling her out of the Great Hall? It wasn't like he had some sort of grand plan or anything. He wasn't going to kiss her or anything, was he? No, that probably wouldn't go over well at all.
When she gasped, asking him to stop, Brandon did, turning to look at her. She talked about moving fast and his eyes widened. Were they moving fast? Really, all they'd done was dance and talk, and most of it hadn't even been nice! Until he made her laugh. That seemed to change things. Then she corrected herself, saying they didn't need to walk so fast. Brandon's eyes narrowed skeptically. He didn't know if he believed that that was what she wanted to say. He shrugged, "But if we walk slow we're gonna freeze out here," he answered, deciding to go the easy route. He didn't know what he was doing so he decided to keep things simple. "Now why'd you bring me all the way out here, ministry lady?" He teased, pretending he didn't know her name. He was curious how she would respond to something like this.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 15:37:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 15:37:25 GMT -7
His eyes widened and then narrowed at her words and then he shrugged, and she tried to look casual about all this, but probably just looked stiff as a statue. He said if they walked slow they were going to freeze and she realized he was probably right. Her dress was not long sleeved. Then, he asked why she brought him out there and she scoffed, "you brought me," she corrected him. "Well, that is a better nickname than 'grandma'," she added. She knew the solution to the 'freezing' issue. That was to stand closer. She considered this for a moment before stepped up beside him, but still keeping at least a foot between the. She didn't release his hand.
"When we get cold, we'll go inside. I've been gone too long anyway..." she said, glancing over her shoulder and back into the ballroom. "So, that's the deal," she turned to look up at him, realizing suddenly how tall he was. "When we start to freeze, we say goodbye. I'll get back to work, you get back to whatever it is you do," she said firmly, giving a nod as if this was a business transaction, "and this whole nightmare will be over," she added, but her lip was slightly curved upward, an attempt at a smile.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 15:55:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 15:55:05 GMT -7
She scoffed at him and Brandon lifted his eyebrows. "That's what I thought, but I'm pretty sure you tricked me into it somehow," he argued. Of course, she was completely right. He was the one who decided they should go outside, but she'd followed and now he didn't know what he was doing, so he was just going to play it off with confidence and hope she didn't call him on anything. He smiled when she said she liked ministry lady more than grandma. "Well as long as you call me a kid, I'll let you stay as ministry lady," he teased, though he was serious at the same time. If she called him a kid, he would retaliate, somehow. She stepped closer to him and Brandon noticed. Why was she getting closer? Because she was cold or ... no! This is not why he came to the Yule Ball. He came to have fun, not to attach himself to someone else who things wouldn't work out with.
Then she said that when they got cold they'd go inside and despite the fact that Brandon's mind was still arguing that he wasn't interested in Callisto Wulfe, his hand tightened around hers momentarily. He didn't want her to go inside. But he wasn't going to tell her not to go again. Not out loud, anyway. She got back to business, telling him that when they got cold they'd go back in and separate. Brandon nodded his head, but froze when she said that the nightmare would be over then. Not that it was a surprise that she thought it was a nightmare, but he thought that she was warming up to him a little. For the first time since coming outside, he actually felt the cold as disappointment rushed through him. Why was he disappointed? It was ridiculous. Then he looked up at her to see a very small smile on her face. Relief flooded back in and Brandon felt warm again. "Really? A nightmare? I thought you were finally getting used to talking to someone and actually enjoying yourself," he commented in the same type of tone as her. She couldn't get mad at him for that, right?
"What should we talk about?" Brandon asked as he started walking with her again. If they walked, it would get the blood moving, which hopefully meant he'd get to spend more time with her than he would if they stood still. He was still holding her hand.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 16:20:03 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 16:20:03 GMT -7
"Tricked you? How did I do that? Magic?" she countered, then she realized how silly that sounded considering she actually could use magic. She almost attempted a joke about a love potion, but she was sure she would just come out sounding drunk or crass or something, so she didn't attempt it. "Well, what can I call you then? Since you won't give me your name... dancing boy?" she offered, her face completely serious.
Callisto decided that if neither of them said out loud that they were still holding hands then they wouldn't have to let go. Yup. Made perfect sense. She saw his moment of panic at her words about the 'nightmare' but then saw him figure it out. That made her smile twitch just slightly. She rolled her eyes as he spoke. "I wasn't getting used to anything. I was just..." she paused. What was she doing? "Still not accepting this as reality," she finished.
He asked what they should talk about and they started walking. Her hand was extremely aware of his but, somehow, she forgot that people might be able to see her out here. She almost felt like she was in some private bubble. "How about a game? You ask one question, then we both answer. Then I ask one and we both answer, and so on. Until we get cold," she reminded.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 17:23:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:23:29 GMT -7
She asked if she'd used magic to trick him and Brandon cocked an eyebrow up. "I don't know. Did you use magic to trick me?" he teased, unable to help himself. After all, she was the one who brought it up and he wasn't above teasing people. "What can you call me?" he lifted his free hand to tap his chin as he "thought" about it. His smile turned mischievous, but Brandon thought it would be better to not say all the things that were running through his mind. He shrugged, "I dunno. What do you want to call me?" He thought about letting her suggest something. If she didn't have any good ideas, he would give her some ideas.
She smiled again, rolling her eyes and Brandon's eyebrows furrowed at her comment. "What do you mean you can't accept it as reality? Don't you talk to people and enjoy yourself?" He wasn't sure if that was what she meant, but he couldn't help himself in asking. He had to know if she was always as serious as she seemed.
He could hardly believe she was still letting him hold her hand, but he was enjoying himself. "Alright," he agreed easily to her idea. Now, what to ask her. He wanted to get to know her, so he might as well start at the basics. "How about this: You went to Hogwarts, right? What house were you in?" This was bound to be funny, if she knew he was from Durmstrang. If she did, then he would have fun explaining his history of switching schools. Even if the conversation didn't go well, this was sure to be entertaining.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 17:36:09 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:36:09 GMT -7
She could that this was flirting, banter, and that she had the opportunity to participate in it. But, she wasn't sure if she knew how. She simply shrugged gently at his question about magic. "That's for me to know and for you to... not know," she attempted, and failed. Sounding like a total fool, she thought. He thought about what she could call him before asking what she wanted to call him. "I like Dancing Boy," she said with a decided nod, like this was a business transaction.
There he was again, bugging her about enjoying herself. She sighed, "we already established that I don't do that, didn't we?" she said, her tone slightly harsh again, but more exhausted with the topic than anything. She already knew this about her. Heck, Mina called her out about it all the time. It was the reason Callisto sat alone sometimes and didn't admit why she was sad. She didn't have friends, she wasn't social, she knew that.
He agreed to the question game and she waited for his first. She nodded when he spoke, "Ravenclaw. Where... you have to answer now, I guess. Guess we could change it to what school do you even go to?"
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 17:58:12 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:58:12 GMT -7
Brandon smiled, ignoring her semi-fail at teasing him back. She needed practice and he definitely wasn't going to do anything to make her not want to try again. "Maybe I'll find a way to figure it out sometime," he teased back without missing a beat. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. He grinned when she gave him a name. "I like that too. Dancing Boy it is." He nodded.
He shook his head, determined to change her mind. "Maybe you don't do it often, buy you enjoyed yourself when we were dancing, didn't you? And aren't you enjoying yourself now?" Brandon wasn't sure if she would admit it, but he was certain she was enjoying herself. If he couldn't get her to admit it this time, he was going to have to do that another time. Huh. That was interesting. Without really understanding it or expecting it, Brandon was planning to meet her again.
Ravenclaw. Well that explained a lot. He smiled at her, "That's an interesting question. Right now, I go to Durmstrang, but two years ago I was a student at Hogwarts. I was in Hufflepuff." Sure, he didn't make her work for the information, but that was because he wanted her to know and wasn't sure if she would ask the questions to get the answers. "Your turn to choose a question for us to answer!" He told her enthusiastically, trying to wait patiently.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 18:05:07 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:05:07 GMT -7
"Maybe I'll find a way to figure it out sometime," sometime, he said. Like, a time other than now. As in, seeing him again. That was a weird feeling. Thought. Thing. "Maybe," was all she could get out. He said he liked the nickname and she nodded once more, finishing that little deal.
He was shaking his head, then saying that she enjoyed herself while dancing and that she was now. She looked away from him, straight ahead, her gaze stone cold once more, "I haven't decided yet," she said firmly. She wasn't going to go giving away anything happening inside her to this guy, especially since this was going to be over soon. Forever, hopefully. Probably. Maybe.
He was at Hogwarts before Durmstrang? "Oh," she said, "I guess we were here at the same time. Though... your first year would have been my fourth. And being in different houses," she paused, "I can see why we didn't know one another." That actually made her feel better, thinking about the fact that they had been at school at the same time for a moment. Then it was her turn to ask, and his enthusiasm was... contagious. Her smile grew ever so slightly and she spoke, "what is... your favorite color?" simple, she knew. He made it hard to think.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 18:22:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:22:25 GMT -7
She said maybe and Brandon shook his head, "No, I'll do it sometime," he told her confidently. Even if she wasn't planning on letting him figure that out, he was going to try. And he was going to try and enjoy his time with her.
Callisto went tense once more and Brandon sighed. Did he say something wrong? Probably not; she seemed to take things so seriously. "You haven't decided yet?" He asked, squeezing her hand without even realizing it as he tried to think of some kind of argument to convince her that she was enjoying her time with him.
He smiled, shrugging when she explained that they were going to Hogwarts at the same time but why they wouldn't know one another. "Yeah. I wish I could have met you here though when I went to school here. It would have been nice to have seen you then," he commented, thinking back and trying to remember if he saw someone like her. "Blue," he said, but he wondered if that was really true while he was looking into her hazel eyes. "What about you? Favorite color?"
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 18:28:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 18:28:25 GMT -7
He was determined, it seemed. To figure her out, or whatever the conversation had turned into. She didn't argue, sure that they were both so stubborn that an argument would last ages. They'd already proved that.
"Yes," she snapped, but her voice caught at the end of the word as she realized that he squeezed her hand. She looked down at their hands, then up at him. "Oh no," she said, her eyes wide, "I acknowledged it," she said. She started to take her hand from his, but realized she wasn't able to pull away. She wasn't sure if it was because of her or because of him, but she stopped fighting.
"No, no," she said, shaking her head, "I didn't... It wouldn't have been nice," really. Her time at school was a hard time. Her siblings all in one place, her trying to control them all while focusing on school and... it was just long and hard. She wasn't a friendly person. Well, still wasn't.
"Blue," she repeated, nodding. "Green," she answered, a chill shuddering up her spine. Was it cold already? She chose to ignore it.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2017 20:58:53 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 20:58:53 GMT -7
To Brandon's surprise, Callisto didn't say anything. He expected her to argue with him and tell him that he was wrong, but she didn't do anything, just let it go before snapping at him. When she said yes, it took Brandon a minute to realize that she was agreeing, telling him that she was admitting to enjoying herself. His brows puckered when she seemed upset that she told him. "What's wrong about that?" he asked, not understanding at all. He stood still as she tried to pull her hand out of his, then she stopped. Brandon didn't know why, but he was glad. She was enjoying herself and she wasn't leaving.
She didn't seem to like the idea of him wanting to see her when they were back in school, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. It wasn't like he could rewind time and go back. He shrugged, "Well I didn't so I guess that's that," he said, hoping he hadn't riled her up. He didn't want to make Callisto upset.
Brandon smiled when she told him that she liked the color green. Then he felt her shudder. His hand tightened around hers and he pulled her a little closer to himself, hoping that maybe that would help her not get cold. He didn't want her to leave yet. "Favorite food?" Brandon asked, deciding to continue on with what she started.
@callisto
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 9, 2017 6:31:04 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2017 6:31:04 GMT -7
She swallowed, "I just meant... never mind it," her voice become harsh again at the end of her sentence, in those last two words. She had acknowledged the fact that their hands were still clasped together, and now she was acutely aware of it. So much that there was a pounding sound in her ears. Still, she found herself not letting go. Maybe she was Cinderella for just a night. But, she wouldn't leave a shoe. She wouldn't leave a trace, if she could help it. This was a one time thing, talking to this guy and walking with him.
He seemed a tad defensive on her saying that it was good they didn't meet in school. She didn't respond, though, because she still meant what she said. He wouldn't have wanted to meet her anyway.
The tension was broken by going back to the question game, him asking what her favorite food was. "I like almost any pasta," she answered quickly, almost as if she was in a hurry to get it out. She felt a strange sensation behind her eyes. She looked down at the ground and stopped. She didn't realize she was squeezing his hand incredibly tightly. After a moment, she spoke again, "tell me it's not cold," yes, she was basically telling him to ask her to stay, because everything inside her but a small piece was ready to run.
@brandon
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:25:53 GMT -7
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Jan 11, 2017 20:18:11 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 20:18:11 GMT -7
Brandon smiled, squeezing her hand despite the fact that Callisto seemed upset again. Not that it was a surprise. He was pushing her about things she probably didn't want to think about at all. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "I'm enjoying myself too, if that helps at all." It probably wouldn't, but maybe it'd put her at ease. That would be nice, but Brandon didn't know if he could really hope for that.
"Pasta," Brandon repeated, logging that away in his memory. Not that he needed to remember it for any reason, but he wanted to. He wanted to make this woman smile again in the future. Maybe pasta would help him with that. Her grip on his hand grew incredibly tight and Brandon was about to ask what was going on when she asked him to tell her it wasn't cold. She was thinking about going in. Brandon's hand tightened on hers now, almost like he was refusing to let her go. "It's not cold yet," he told her immediately. "We just got out here. We haven't even made it to the fountain yet. Stay." It wasn't really an order. If she wanted to leave he would let her. Really, he had a feeling he couldn't force her to do anything, but he didn't want her to go.
@callisto
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