apartment dates | cara

[cara june bainbridge]

▲

Was the wine helping, or making it more difficult to get to where she wanted to be? They seemed to be on the same page, though both sort of jumping around the question at hand. At least she’d been able to say what she wanted to up until this point. The worst part was that she could feel her heartbeat ricocheting all over her body. And it was accompanying the wine very nicely. That was something else altogether, and she didn’t drink nearly enough on a normal basis to be able to handle it at this speed. Merlin, she was going to be a mess by the time dinner was done if she didn’t slow down. Which posed the next problem: could she do all of this without calming her nerves?

“Yes,” she responded quickly, before her brain could tell her to not say anything. For once in her life, she wanted to be impulsive. To let what she actually wanted take formation, instead of doing what should be expected of her. Not that that sort of thing really happened within her family, but she always assumed that there were expectations and goals that were to be met. Especially when she was so bland compared to the rest of her siblings. But this was for her, for once.

calliope ivory fleming ● 218 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[calliope ivory fleming]

━ if you ain't busy take a walk with me ━

SPONTANEOUSLY DECIDING TO SLOW DOWN her drinking, Calliope placed her wine glass down before resting her chin against her hand as she grinned over at Cara. She was quiet, but not in the sort that made the atmosphere awkward. It was the kind that tipsy Calliope was enjoying. "Well..Cara Bainbridge." Calliope began once more, ready to lean in to speak once more before the alarm from the timer she set decided to go off. "Oh. Saved by the bell I suppose..Excuse me."

Getting up without making it obvious that the wine had completely went to her head, Calliope headed to her kitchen to finish up their dinner, allowing herself to collect her thoughts and process what she even wanted to say. She wanted to make it clear to Cara that she likes her. Without beating around the bush or stepping on anyone's toes. The farthest thing she wanted was Cara having to feel like she's forced into saying something she doesn't want to say. With a few minutes passing, Calliope soon returned with their plates, placing Cara's down first like a careful waiter before grabbing some cutlery for the both of them.

Sitting across from her once more, Cal cleared her throat, deciding to speak up anyway. "I like you." She blurted out, making a mental note to thank the wine for that. "I like being with you..simply hanging out, spending time or even doing things like this.." She trailed off then, her wine brain catching up a little. "I won't..ask for anything more if you don't want that..nor am I expecting an answer anyway its just..I wanted to tell you at least."

| cara june bainbridge |

[cara june bainbridge]

▲

The timer in the kitchen almost made Cara jump out of her skin when it went off. She had been hyper focused on Calliope, forgetting that the two of them were supposed to be eating. That was an afterthought now. Between her nerves and the wine, she didn't even think she was hungry anymore. Obviously she'd eat - she would be an awful guest if she didn't. But Merlin was it going to be a long meal if the two of them didn't manage to get this out of the way beforehand.

Cara nervously played with her hands as she listened to the rest of the dinner being prepared. While she wanted to offer her help, she was still a guest and she was almost positive that standing up right now would not be a good idea. The combination of wine and excitement made her feel like her legs would give out if she attempted it. Infused with alcohol and adrenaline. She took several long sips of her glass to calm herself as she waited, though it barely helped.

She had been able to smell the dinner since she'd arrived, but it wafted towards her as Cal returned with the plate. As much as she wanted to make a comment on it, Cara also knew that would act as a distraction from their previous conversation. Under different circumstances she may have tried to do that. What Calliope wanted to tell her was important though. Staring over the tops of the food as her date returned to her seat, Cara swallowed nervously. One of the bonuses of the dimly lit mood lighting, she supposed. Being able to visibly hide some of the feelings playing across her face. Cal was slightly different, with her metamorphmagus ability acting throughout their talk, but that only made her easier to read. In the best way possible, of course.

Would it be wrong to say that she knew this entire time? That was the first thought that popped into her head as she listened to Cal display her thoughts and feelings. It had been so obvious right from the start, and that was what made it so charming. Cara couldn't even remember the last time she'd had someone be so open with their feelings to her, let alone about her. Certainly not Diana over the last few years. But Calliope Fleming was different, and as far as Cara could tell, they were the sort of differences that always left her wanting just a bit more.

She nodded her head as an initial response to show that she'd heard everything. Finding the right words was hard in the immediacy, as she could feel her heart rate starting to pick up. "I am..." she took another long inhale as she tried to formulate the best words in her head. What would come across best without being too flat or too aggressive? That she was 'fine' with the way things were progressing? Or 'okay'? Was it too soon to be one hundred percent on board with a relationship that formed naturally over serving ice cream? That sort of thing only happened in muggle movies. And poorly made ones at that. "I don't know where any of this will take us...but I really do enjoy our time spent together so far. So what I'm trying to say is that I hear you, and I understand you, and that I am fine with seeing where this goes." That sounded good enough to her, despite it feeling like some sort of divine, out of body experience with someone else talking for her. Maybe it was the wine. She took another sip of it, because she liked the way it spoke for her.

calliope ivory fleming ● 620 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[calliope ivory fleming]

━ if you ain't busy take a walk with me ━

BEING TIPSY SO EARLY INTO a dinner had to be the most embarrassing experience for the Fleming. But given her state, Cal could care less about how she looked or acted in the present moment. The darker her cheeks got, a sober mind Calliope knew she would probably regret some things in the long run. With the timer in the kitchen going off and allowing some time for both Cal and Cara to cool themselves, though after returning, dishing out the food and even going as far as confessing, the Fleming's hair turned dark as she anticipated a reply.

Maybe it was the nerves from the both of them, or the introduction of alcohol and lack of food for Calliope, but maybe this is where whatever journey the two of them had would end. After her outburst of a blurt and Cara's words being reduced to a nod, Calliope lifted her fork to start eating anyway, pausing only when Cara began to speak. "You are?" She found herself asking quietly, feeling every tense knot in her stomach and mind relieve itself.

The colours of her hair and eyes shifted once more then, showing this relief - with the hues turning lighter than they had been. It was fun, expressing her emotions in such a way, but factoring in the alcohol and the realisation that the person she liked was literally sitting across from her..maybe being easy to read was a bad thing. "It's..not going to be awkward between us?"

| cara june bainbridge |

[cara june bainbridge]

▲

More changing hair colors, from light to dark, and then back to lighter hues again. Calliope was so easy to read that it made all of this that it made it more flattering when she admitted her feelings. Maybe it was because she'd grown up with Diana and her metamorphmagus ability, but it was comforting this way. Everything felt normal. "Yep. One hundred percent," Cara confirmed. "I don't see anything wrong with awkwardness. Just means we'd be figuring things out." That was how this sort of thing was supposed to be go, right? Her limited relationship experience came from a couple of months at the end of her seventh year and into her first summer home - never going beyond that. She supposed where the two of them were right now was either right in the middle of the previous one, or just a little past. This friendship was definitely healthier all around too.

"You know...I sort of knew this whole time," Cara admitted. "Your eyes...their color flickers whenever we talk." It was more subtle than the changing hair, and definitely a more minute change. That was the sort of expression that could only be noticed by watching closely. And Cara had obviously been doing that for a while now. "And I know Fortescue's has great ice cream, but no one likes it that much," she laughed. Except the Benny guy that worked at Flourish and Blotts. Cara frequently saw him walking down the street with coffee or pastries. Though Cal definitely frequented more when she was working than anyone else.

"Should we eat now? I'd hate for it to get cold after you've spent the time making it," Cara pointed out as she looked down at her plate. That and she needed food to absorb all the wine she just nervously drank. There would probably be more after this too. Merlin...

calliope ivory fleming ● 311 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0