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Mr. Blue Sky
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Post by Tempest on Jul 10, 2008 0:21:24 GMT -5
"...no. Something came up with his work. He told me to tell you that he'd see you around."
He accepted the tea gratefully, then shrugged. "Follow me." And she walked over to a table in front of the window. A habit- she didn't like enclosed places too much and windows were always preferrable to dark corners and the like.
She sat down, her fingernails tapping lightly on the edge of her teacup, as she used to do with soda cans. Way back from before she met Tobias. Before all of this unnecessary confusion came about.
What is happiness? Is there a defined line between that and contentment? And between happiness and insanity?
I shouldn't be moving so fast with Hector... yet it's hard to slow down when it's been like wading through molasses for so long...
She said suddenly, "My parents want to come see me. I told them no. Now I wonder if I was right to keep them away... They adopted a little girl a while ago... I have a sister now..." Caroline was staring into the tea, as though the cup was empty and she could see the proper path in the dredges.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2008 11:33:38 GMT -5
“Oh that’s…cool. How are you feeling about it?” Tobias had spent his whole life playing the older brother, but he wondered how Caroline would handle it. “How old is she?” Maybe the age difference was so far apart that she would be more like the friend or aunt. Depending on the age difference, it wouldn’t affect either one of their lives. Or that’s how it was with Tobias and his youngest brother Theo, who was only five.
He ran a hand through his hair and glanced out the window. The clouds were getting thicker; people seemed to be dispersing from the streets and sidewalks. A storm was coming, slowly but surely.
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Post by Tempest on Jul 10, 2008 13:26:47 GMT -5
Caroline ran a finger around the rim of her teacup, thinking. "I don't know how I feel about Lydia. The letter only said that she was wary of accepting her new home." Caroline made a noncommittal not-knowing noise at the question of age. "Emilio said she was in elementary school."
Caroline's eyes strayed, but never touched on Tobias's face. His shoulder, his hands, the dark clouds outside, the brown-gold of the tea, the faces of the people who passed by the window in their rush to get out of the weather's way... all that she took in. It only incited a sigh. Last time she found herself drinking tea while waiting out a storm had been when she'd met Amy.
And she was wondering if she felt any better now than she had back then. Caroline also wondered whether she would get soaked if she left now. And how long she'd be stuck here if she didn't leave before it started raining.
Going out in the rain was tempting if not for the fact that she was wearing white. The dress was made for lighter days, most definitely NOT for rain.
"I don't like to think about my parents. I'm glad that they found Lydia, but I don't want to see them. I wouldn't even have written a letter to them if not for Emilio. Speaking of family, though... how's Eddie doing?"
She took a drink from her still-steaming cup of tea and winced when she burnt her lips and tongue.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2008 13:23:23 GMT -5
Tobias sighed. “He’s doing well, you know…opening up the pub and all that…” Tobias focused on his sandwich as the feeling of awkward silence began to settle in. The truth was that he and Eddie had a falling out, due to the fact that Tobias had withheld information about being with Eddie’s now fiancé. Katy Landon had been a ‘study’ partner of Tobias’ and because Tobias had a different surname than Eddie’s, she of course had no idea that she was shacking up with his brother. Of course Eddie hadn’t blamed Katy at all, but he put plenty of that blame on Tobias’ shoulders.
On the radio in the bistro, I believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness began to play. On a normal day, Tobias might have enjoyed the song, and it wasn’t playing very loudly, but as a new full moon was coming in his ears were more sensitive and the high notes vibrated harshly against his eardrums. He ignored the discomfort and scratched the spot behind his ear again.
“So this…what’s his name again? … This guy. How long have you known him?”
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Post by Tempest on Jul 14, 2008 13:37:20 GMT -5
Caroline smiled. Eddie was a good person and she wished him the best of luck. She remembered him being very nice to her when she and Tobias had still been... well, she couldn't call it together. As far as her memory served, they merely took up with each other as long as they could stand to be in the other's presence. Fighting was too common.
She listened to the song for a few moments, then ignored it. It was easy enough to block out sounds- with her gift, Caroline was a master of selective listening.
Caroline raised an eyebrow about his questions regarding her new interest. "His name is Hector. I met him at the festival a few days ago. I was looking for somebody to dance with and he stepped up." She was going to be annoyed if he asked any more questions- Emilio was already giving her grief about her relations with Hector. She honestly didn't know why her brother disliked him so.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2008 13:47:08 GMT -5
Tobias raised his hands in defeat. “Alright, alright love. I can tell when you get testy.” A woman wearing lo cut jeans, sleek black heels, and a reveling shirt walked by. She gave him an unreadable look. Did she just touch his shoulder as she passed? If she had it had felt like a feather briefly connecting with him.
Tobias closed his eyes and rolled his neck away from touched shoulder. When he opened his eyes, they were still fading from their feral yellow. He let out an exasperated sigh. It was getting harder to control those animal urges. He forced himself not to turn and watch the woman, and planted his attention on Caroline. “I hadn’t meant anything by it darlin’. Only forgot his name.” His fangs were more noticeable than they had been and he ran his tongue over them habitually.
Because she was seeing this Hector guy, Tobias hadn’t paid much attention to him, she was off boundaries but that didn’t stop the wolf remembering her touch, the smell of her skin. A growl submerged from the back of his throat and he tried to disguise it as a cough. “How are the dance lessons?” he asked quickly like a man trying to change the subject in front of a harsh jury.
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Post by Tempest on Jul 14, 2008 14:18:31 GMT -5
Testy? Her? No way. She was just tired of defending herself to people. It felt like everyone believed her incapable of making good choices on her own.
What made the beginnings of his potentially dark mood worse was the woman touching Tobias on the shoulder. Didn't these women (and girls) have anything better to do? Like their jobs? Or something? Caroline was pretty sure she'd up and leave at the next pass. It made her angry and sad and sort of sick to her stomach all at once. Such a volatile cocktail of emotions would most certainly get somebody hurt.
She watched him run his tongue over his fangs and remembered the full moon coming up. It was hard not to remember the first night she'd come into contact with a more feral Tobias. She only raised an eyebrow at the cough. Maybe it was residual from his smoking, she reasoned.
"They're over for now. Emilio says that all I really need to do is practice- he's too busy to teach me any other styles." She felt a little guilty, thinking about the dance lesson Tobias had walked into. "In the place of dancing lessons, I've followed a couple of other pursuits in the name of self-improvement." Her eyes rested on his chest for a moment, then went back up to his face.
Why did she feel frumpy all of the sudden?!? Caroline tried to remember the self-confidence she had learned for her lifestyle changes and there was an immediately change in her demeanor. It was more relaxed, more steady. Yes, she was still ready to jump on the next woman to interrupt, but at least she could do it while feeling that she had nothing to prove.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2008 14:39:29 GMT -5
Tobias raised a brow as she looked away from his face. “What?” he asked tilting his head like a dog very intrigued by something. He cleared his throat feeling the animal part of him flow in and out of his blood like ocean waves. Although he was done with his meal, he was still hungry and knew that it was a hunger sandwiches wouldn’t fill. There were too many single women and housewives running around today.
“I need to go out and get a smoke.” He laughed a little. “You know I just tried so hard to cut it cold-turkey but….” He shrugged with one of those ‘grade A’ charming Tobias smiles. “Come out side when you’re all set with you tea? I’d like to catch up.” He stifled a growl with another cough and walked toward the door.
Outside the storm was coming in at a crawl, but that usually meant it was going to be twice as big. He had to duck slightly so his head wouldn’t crash against the wind chimes strung above the door and took a place under the green awning. The humidity the changing whether brought flattened his shirt against his skin. He lit a cigarette and watched the first drops of rain fall heavily to the ground.
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Post by Tempest on Jul 14, 2008 14:57:23 GMT -5
Caroline watched him walk outside and sat there a few minutes with only her teacup for company. Catch up? What else was there to catch up on? It wasn't like they hadn't seen each other for years... only a few weeks ago, Caroline had decided she was angry with him.
And she was sure she heard it this time. He was only coughing to hide a growl. A half-smile curved her lips and she turned the teacup on the table in front of her. Without a second thought, she drained the cup, left a tip on the table (most of her sundresses had hidden pockets), and followed Tobias outside.
She didn't like the fact that he hadn't quit smoking altogether, but what was she? Nothing more than a friend, if that. There was nothing she could do at this point without pretending to be closer than they were. Besides, his smile had driven all thought of trying to talk to him about it out of her head.
Her hair started curling wildly in the pre-storm humidity and her worry about getting caught in the rain renewed itself. She stood under the awning and looked out at the clouds. "I should go," she said quietly. "Before it starts raining."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2008 15:27:38 GMT -5
Tobias put a hand on her wrist. “Stay.”
The hazy blue smoke flowered in front of his lips and he tilted his head back so that the smoke drifted away from them. “You looked at me funny inside, why?” Lightning shot in ribbons from one black cloud to the next. The wind picked up and he loosened the buttons on his shirt to catch the breeze.
The trees began to bend and the leaves rustled like newspaper. The rain was still slow to fall but it came in thick drops, spiraling down and slanting in whichever way the wind blew. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes traced her neck and he growled again. “So tell me more about Hector. And keep in mind that I’m just curious.” Tobias added as he lit another cigarette.
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Post by Tempest on Jul 14, 2008 15:59:23 GMT -5
She was about to say that no, she couldn't stay. Between the rain and Tobias being... well, Tobias, she couldn't think clearly, understand why she felt the way she did. But the storm seemed content to ruin her plans of escape. Also, it was hard to resist when Tobias had a hold of her wrist and just... he looked more appealing than getting soaked at the moment. She cast a helpless look out at the rain and sighed.
The skirt of her dress shifted around her legs in the wind, revealing different angles of her scars. Those scars... they had once been a matter of contention, now went ignored by herself at least.
"It was nothing... I-" she was silent as she thought up an excuse. "I was just remembering." Still, it was hard to keep color from rushing to her cheeks.
At least the Hector thng was somewhat easier to talk about. She took on a semi-pensive position, her head tilted forward a little, her eyes downcast, and her arms folded loosely over her stomach. When she found what she wanted to say, her eyes and head lifted. "He's interesting to talk to. When there only seems to be two solutions to a problem, he always manages to find a third, hidden way of doing things. He manages to surprise me, but in good ways... The only think I find a little off-putting is that whenever I'm at work, he's not and whenever he has to go in, I'm free. The only times we see each other are when he unexpectedly drops by and in the evenings." She shrugged. "But that's not so bad. As far as I can tell, he's well-rounded, stable, and is interested in me. That's enough for the time being."
She allowed herself a smile and asked, "Is that enough to sate your curiosity or would you like to know what vintage he orders when he takes me out to dinner?"
As she asked, she took two steps to the nearest chair and sat.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2008 16:09:38 GMT -5
“I would only hope the best,” his words were smooth and casual now. “A Château Rieussec 1988 perhaps? Or something more daring?” He grinned. “I’m glad you found him, and whether or not I, your brother, or anyone else has found a reason to dismiss him…it’s shouldn’t matter to you.”
He looked at the scars on her body. He searched her face. “I wish I could have helped you when you needed me most. But you and I both know I’m too selfish and arrogant for that.” He leaned against the window and traced his own this scar down his forearm. Sometimes it amazed him that he had changed so much since his dug years…sometimes he felt the same, having only moved on to a different type of drug.
Tobias tongued his fangs again and flicked his cigarette butt to the ground. “I try to only have two an hour now.”
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Post by Tempest on Jul 14, 2008 16:31:39 GMT -5
Caroline looked at him evenly and replied, "Something like that." His encouragement only hurt. Of course, she wondered what he had to dismiss- Tobias had his share of womanly affection, apparently, and more besides.
She frowned. "Tobias, you once told me that I should not be the one to point out my flaws. I recommend you use your own advice. And that was a dark time for you. I only wish that I hadn't gotten in trouble to begin with. You and I are different now I think." Caroline allowed herself a smile, a full-blown smile unhindered by doubt or condescension. "No, I know we're different."
As for the cigarettes... she shrugged and tried to be indifferent in her answer. "Ahh..."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2008 16:56:42 GMT -5
“Caroline,” he said her name with a sigh and a half smile. The wind died down but the rains picked up, darkening the sidewalks and street, and cooling the air around them. “I’m still in a dark place, and I think I always will be, but I shouldn’t use that as an excuse.”
There was another blood churning rush inside of him and his eyes flashed quickly from feral to human, from burning yellow to icy blue. He was starting to feel light-headed and his breath was begging to become shallow. What was going on? It wouldn’t be a full moon for another week…
“I think the whether is giving me a headache,” he said slowly. Were his words slurring together? He let out a full growl when the chest pain hit. His whole upper body started to hurt. Images were starting to fuzz at the edges. “I…I need to get inside.” Slowly, Tobias stood. “Aaah, my chest hurts,” he managed to say through gritted teeth, just before he collapsed.
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Post by Tempest on Jul 14, 2008 17:15:13 GMT -5
She had been about to ask him if he was alright when he collapsed. Immediately, she was out of her seat. From the sounds of things, he was having a heart attack. Of course, it wasn't exactly like what she remembered from biology class in high school, but whatever. It seemed serious. She dashed inside and yelled to the people behind the counter, " Call an ambulance. Fortunately, it was already being done- Tobias had been next to the window when he fell and several of the woman patrons already had their phones out.
When Caroline dashed back outside to drop to her knees next to Tobias, she was followed by several of the aforementioned female patrons. She didn't want to make things worse by touching him but she was afraid.
Yes, afraid. Afraid that Tobias would die right here outside a cafe that seemed filled with women who'd probably jump into bed with him if he smiled at them. Afraid that she'd never... never get to what? She was taken. There was no hope for them anyways.
Tears welled up in her brown eyes and she murmured a forlorn, "Tobias.... Don't do this... please?" She only moved his head so that it was cradled on her lap instead of the ground. She hoped he would keep breathing- her knowledge of CPR was sound, but she didn't want for it to get so bad that she would need to use it. "C'mon, Tobias... stay with me..."
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