Round and Around We Go (Adonia)

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Edmund questioned the fact that she wanted to get to know him and she laughed, leaning her head back a little as she did so so it rested on his shoulder. Once she stopped laughing she dropped her head to it's normal position. "Why else would I be dragging you around, Edmund?" she asked. He shrugged at her next question and she leaned back a little more as his arms tightened with the shrug. He said the carnival was fine, and that this was the first thing he had done there. "Oh, yes. Well, let's keep up that high, eh?" she suggested. Basically he had just said he was having fun with her, right?

"I like you, Edmund," she added with an affirmative nod, "you have a soothing tone to your voice," she spoke as if she was just stating facts, not flirting. But, alas, it was all a tactic. Honest, but a tactic.

@edmund

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She laughed at his question, leaning her head against her shoulder and Ed tensed again, afterwards reminding himself he needed to stop doing that. Every time he tensed at something she did or said, his arms tightened around her momentarily. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was getting to him. He already had that problem with Lily and she took advantage of it every chance she got. How did he know Adonia wasn't going to do the same type of thing. "Good to know," he mumbled at her question. He didn't understand why she would want to get to know him, but whatever. She leaned into him again and Ed found himself leaning back a little. He couldn't too much or he wouldn't be able to hold onto the bar, but the girl seemed to have no physical boundaries, which set him on edge. "Yeah, that'd be nice." Ed really didn't know if that made sense to her, but it did to him.

Then she said she liked him. At that, Ed couldn't help but freeze. Not only was she in his bubble, but she was telling him ... how could she like him? She hardly knew him. "You don't even really know me," he answered. Then she said his voice was soothing. "Uhh ... well thanks." He didn't expect the compliment, but it was a relief after her saying she liked him. Maybe she just meant she liked his voice.

@adonia

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He mumbled a little, and tensed again. She knew she was getting to him, but she wasn't sure if it was in the way she wanted... she wanted the kid to have fun. She just wasn't sure what that was for him. He was leaning away from her, though... and that made things complicated. She decided to focus on the fun for now. She casually leaned forward and reached a hand out to pat the head of the Hippogriff statue as he said that she really didn't even know him. "I have a good first judgement of people," she explained with a shrug. "You're welcome - what should we name our ride here!?" she asked quickly, nodding her head toward the Hippogriff in question and laughing a little. "Maybe... Bradley? Jameson?" she titled her head to the side and sat up straight again, not leaning against him that much now -- but not pulling away enough for it to seem like she was avoiding him. "What do you think?"

@edmund

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She leaned forward again and Edmund found himself relaxing a bit, now that he had some of his personal space back. He watched as she patted the Hippogriff statue they were riding, explaining that she judged people well off of first impressions. Well that was a gift. Edmund wasn't good at judging people at all. Most of that was because he was generally too grumpy to give them a chance on first meeting, but he was working on that. See where that got him? Riding on a hippogriff with a stranger. She moved on with the conversation before Ed really had a chance to say anything- not that he knew what he'd say if he had the chance. She started suggesting names for the Hippogriff and Edmund chuckled a little. "Bradley. It's a better name," Edmund answered firmly. He was starting to feel a little more comfortable around her now, not that he was planning on letting her know that. If he did, she might start leaning into him again. "Do you name all the creatures you ride on this thing?" He asked in a tone that sounded serious, even though he wasn't. He wondered if she'd be able to tell. 

@adonia

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She nodded as she chose the name Bradley. She shrugged at his next question, "only named this one so far," she explained. Then the ride came to a stop and she turned slightly to try and look at him over his shoulder, "you'll probably need to get down first, then I can climb down?" she suggested. It would be easier for them that way, and she could test to see if he would offer to help her down or if she'd have to do it herself... she was still gauging what would work on this guy. He was too clever for her usual tricks, and too stubborn for her best ones. Overall, he was a project. And Doni took that as a challenge.

@edmund

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Edmund smiled when Adonia said she only named their creature so far. "Good. Thats why we were able to give him the best name," he said, partly teasing. Maybe she didn't know him well enough to know that though. The ride was stopping and the girl told him he should get down first, but Ed was already dismounting. When his feet were solid once more, he automatically reached up, offering to take her waist and help her down as he did with his sisters when they went horseback riding. He hesitated before speaking. "Do you want some help?" he had no doubt that if this girl wanted she could jump down on her own, but he was being polite. At least, he was trying. It wasn't one of Ed's strengths, but things like this were infringed into him from a young age.

@adonia

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Adonia wasn't sure what to make of Eds comment about their ability to give him the best name. The sentence had rather positive connotation, however, so she took it for face value. Exactly! She agreed. Its I had waste it all the good names and all these other animals he wouldn't have had one for Bradley here, she added. As she told him he should be getting down, he already was, which made her chuckle. He turned, reaching up. She was surprised, but pleased. She held in her happiness, though, and just nodded sweetly before gently placing her hands on his shoulders so he could help her down. Once her feet were steady, she took her hands away. "Thanks," she half mumbled, feigning shyness.

She moved to step off the ride, so the next group of people could get on. Once down, she smiled at him. "That was fun, Edmund," she said, a little more confidence laced through and a softer smile.

@edmund

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She seemed pleased by what Ed said about the name for their hipogriff but it didn't really seem like a big deal to him. He smiled and nodded, "Well I'm glad you saved it for him." As Ed helped her down from the ride, he noticed that she looked a little surprised. Well, she probably wasn't the only one. Anyone who knew him would probably be stunned at the sight of him willingly going on a ride with someone. At least, they'd think that if they considered his attitude over the last few weeks. He didn't care though. They could think whatever they wanted.

When he let her go she smiled shyly at him and he gave her a real smile back. "No problem," he shrugged. He was only being polite, after all.

Once they were completely off the ride, she was smiling at him again. He nodded back to her. "It was, and it was something new for me so that made it twice as good." He looked at her curiously. "What are you going to do now?" Ed didn't think she would want to stay with him because he was kind of boring and didn't know what he war doing and she seemed to be all about the fun.

@adonia

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His smile, when he truly gave it, was nice. It made her smile even a little more genuine. He agreed that it had been fun, adding that it was even better because it was something new. If it was someone else, someone she thought would take to the comment, she would make some sort of innuendo about how she could show him plenty of new things. However, this was Edmund, and as far as she could tell so far he would not be on board with that kind of talk. He asked what she was going to do next, and she shrugged, lifting a hand to hold it out to him. "I don't know, but I think you should join me," she said softly."I don't think our adventure today is quite ready to be over yet," she looked at him shyly and raised an eyebrow. "Do you?" she didn't fully expect him to take her hand, but she kept it offered as more of a gesture than anything.

@edmund

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She was smiling even wider now and offering a hand to Edmund and he looked at it for a moment. He knew his mother would get after him for that. It was extremely rude to not take a hand offered to you, in her opinion, but Ed never was particularly good at being polite. He listened as Adonia said that she didn't know what she was doing, but asked him to join her. Ahhh. So that's why she had her hand outstretched. Edmund froze for a second as she said she didn't think their adventure was over yet. Really he had no idea. He had fun with her, if that counted for anything. The amount of people that he could really have fun with was low, so that was a point in her favor. He thought for a moment, still looking at her hand. He felt conflicted. Did he have to take her hand if he decided to go with her? His mother would say yes. After his short hesitation he reached forward and took her hand, shaking it a little before letting it go. Good job Ed, way to be awkward, he thought to himself. Then he nodded to her. "I'll join you," he said, smiling a little. At least he was pretty sure they'd have some fun together.

@adonia

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He stared at her hand for quite a while and she waited patiently. She knew now that this guy took patience. He finally agreed to join her, smiling and awkwardly shaking her hand. She chuckled nervously (well, taking nervousness) and bit on her lip. Her eyes searched his for a moment before she nodded. "Okay," she took her eyes from his, looking away quickly as if it was a difficult thing to do.

"I think food next, yes?" she suggested, her voice a little more confident now. She looked back at him, nodding her head for him to follow as she started walking ahead. "I think there is some chicken up ahead!"

@edmund

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She was acting a little differently than she had when they first met, but Ed didn't really notice that at all. He was just relieved that she wasn't all over him. Maybe she hadn't been at all. He could just be overly sensitive to things like that, he really wasn't quite sure. Then she said she wanted food and Edmund nodded quickly. "I think food is a good idea," he agreed, following as she started making her way somewhere. Honestly, he hadn't come out here before so he didn't know where to find the food. Maybe it was a good thing that the girl was leading him around and helping him out a bit. He moved a little more quickly so he could catch up to her. "So you like chicken then?" he asked casually, glancing into the distance. Was that the place she was talking about?

@adonia

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Ed agreed to food and followed her to the chicken cart, asking if she liked chicken. "I do! I like all food, really, I just get really hungry because I use a lot of energy," she explained. It was really true, too. She was overactive all of the time and had to eat a lot to make up for it. Thank gods for house elves and their magically refreshing tables of food! "It's a cart... I think I saw it over here," she muttered, turning a corner away from the busier part of the carnival. She stopped, looking around, then looked at Edmund with a frown, "maybe I'm a little lost," in all reality she really DID think the chicken cart was over here. For once she wasn't actually trying to pull something on someone. She pursed her lips to the side in confusion and raised an eyebrow, "maybe we'll just... follow our noses?"

@edmund

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She said she really liked food and Edmund smiled and nodded. "I like lots of food too, but I'm not sure if it's because I use a lot of energy ..." he paused a moment, thinking. "Maybe I'm still growing a bit or something." Huh. That was an interesting thing. Maybe it was because of Quidditch, but he didn't get to do a lot with it lately, since the tournament had everything on hold. It was lame. He followed her as she kept turning corners, telling him they were close. But nothing was there. No food cart. Edmund looked around curiously, but he still didn't see anything nearby. She asked if they should follow their noses and he nodded. "Sure. I probably won't be able to smell it unless we get close though. Let's try this way." He turned right at the next chance, walking for a bit and then turning to her. "Let's take turns deciding where we want to go," he suggested, raising his shoulders to make it look more like a question.

@adonia

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He said he liked lots of food too, but not for the same reason. He said he thought he was still growing a bit or something. "Probably," she guessed with a chuckle. Then he agreed to following their noses and said they he wouldn't be able to tell unless they were closer and started to lead the way. "Okay!" she agreed, but after a but he turned toward her and suggested that they take turns deciding where to go, his shoulders shrugging up a little. "Ooh! A game? Okay..." she sniffed the air dramatically as if her nose knew exactly what it was doing. "That way," she announced, confidently pointing down her chosen path. "Come along, Ed!" she marched forward with gusto, but only for a few moments before she laughed and turned to look at him, "I really have no idea what I'm doing," she admitted softly.

@edmund