Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Yes, you are!"

Harper Byron (takenover) wrote in cirque_rp,
@ 2017-10-21 19:27:00

Who: Halle & Orion
What: Breaking & entering.
When: October 15th, late night
Where: The Aquarium, Belle Isle

It hadn't been a difficult thing to sell. Halle wanted to see the Aquarium without the crowds, without little kids running around and shrieking, without having to stand on her toes to try and see everything. And without having to share her companion with everyone else. Things had moved slowly, but inexorably; she and Orion had gotten closer, more comfortable, more intimate. And she had become somewhat possessive of the time that they could steal alone together.

Getting in hadn't been too difficult. After they found a maintenance entrance, it had been cake. Halle had projected her spirit out of her body, which slumped into Orion's arms for a few moments. After that, a little focused poltergeist activity had opened the door without setting off the alarms. Only when her spirit had slipped back into her helpless body did the blonde open her eyes, grinning as she straightened up and supported her own weight again.

"It's dark, but I didn't sense any other spirits. Low on the creep-factor so far."

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takenover
2017-10-23 04:26 am UTC (link)

For the most part, Halle was okay with Baba Violette's low-key preference for Lucia. She was more like them; it made sense that his grandmother liked her better. And while Lucia definitely had her own stuff to worry about, it was very different stuff than Halle's – Lucia didn't have to worry about exorcisms, and as far as she knew, never left her own body.

Still, she couldn't deny that she would have liked more warmth from the old woman – more of a sense of acceptance and less being eyed.

Not that it mattered. Orion was comfortable with her; they had made good friends, and they were beginning to make a good... something else. Halle wasn't too worried about a label; it seemed like it would rub the relaxed Romani the wrong way. And that was the last thing she was interested in.

"We're not even inside, it can't be uninteresting yet," she teased. Her smaller body was through the door first, eyes adjusting to the new light as it was closed carefully behind them. It was dark, as she had advised, but basked in an eerie greenish glow – the result of the dim lights in the tanks and the beautiful green stone used in the building.

"I don't think we need a flashlight," she murmured, taking a moment to be absorbed by the emerald glow. "But yeah, I wasn't expecting you to flame up. It would upset the fish."

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intoashes
2017-10-24 12:33 am UTC (link)

It had not been a matter of liking the Lion-Shifter more than the Gifted girl, but a matter of Baba Violette being asked to look after her by Nik; this made Lucia part of the family while Halle was still a gadje. The old woman was a traditionalist taking her time coming into modern customs. Outsiders could be okay, Orion's father had been one, but the old woman kept a wary eye on them for sake of safety. Orion knew it was a matter of time before Baba warmed up to his friend.

Watching the little blonde move into the building, Orion smiled softly before following her into the dark. His species did not need a lot of light to see making the dark back rooms they had to move through to get to the patron area easy to maneuver in.

The green glow of the tiled ceilings and walls gave the shadowy rooms a magical look to them. Tanks made to look like hanging pictures on the walls stepped them out of a typical aquarium into a Wonderland-esque environment. Such a building would have fit well into the Cirque. Halle basking in the coloured light made her look simultaneously magical and impish.

"It would upset me too. The only time I flame up is when I die, and then what would we do," he replied in a nonchalant tone. Orion walked up to the wall and touched the stone tiles. "This is cool."

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takenover
2017-10-26 02:11 am UTC (link)

The trek through the darkness was worth it. The decoration was amazing, and beautifully done. Halle hadn't been to any great number of aquariums, but she didn't get the sense that there was anything spectacular about the fish themselves. She peered into tanks, but didn't see anything that seemed amazing. The way it was created, though – that made it amazing.

Halle turned her head to grin at her companion, moving away from the glow of one of the tanks in order to move closer. She had to admit that she had enjoyed getting closer to Orion in general. He was comfortable in a way that no one else was; he put her at ease with his own easy-going-ness. "I mean, one of us would have a complete freakout," she replied, moving to his side and turning her attention to the stone.

"Right? All we need now is a yellow brick road..."

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intoashes
2017-10-26 04:09 am UTC (link)

Blue eyes glanced over to her with a sense of ease natural to Orion's being. For a boy whose father and mother were taken from him (be very different means), Orion did not sweat the little things. He hid any discomfort in life well underneath thick layers of nonchalance and acceptance of fate.

"Why would either of us freakout? Or are you talking about the fish?" He smirked. While Orion did not know what a death would be like for him, he did not believe anyone would need to freak out- his whole species was known for coming back to life.

"I think we're too good for Oz. What would they do with a ghost girl and a fire bird?"

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takenover
2017-10-26 07:24 pm UTC (link)

"I'm sure the fish wouldn't be impressed either. But I would definitely freak out. I mean, I'm sure it's interesting, but... I don't want to see you go up in flames." Smirking a little, she leaned over and into him for a moment, a casual touch. He was probably right; there was probably no reason at all to worry. Rising from the ashes was something that Phoenixes were known for. But Halle still wasn't comfortable with the idea; she had been on the wrong side of the Veil once and couldn't imagine it being a great experience.

"Probably drop a couple of houses on us. We don't even have a little dog to win us Munchkin points."

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intoashes
2017-10-27 01:31 am UTC (link)

Orion could not say what being reborn would feel like for his kind. His father did not give me a lot of information on it before he left with the Fae woman. He was not sure of much besides that he would come back, really. Ignoring that subject, he took her hand gently and walked to another tank to look at the picture set up for them.

"I think you could win the Munchkins over for us, or at least the little porcelain doll creatures. They would think you were one of them," he chuckled- the sound a shy, uncertain note even after the few months of knowing her.

"Why do you think people flock to Aquariums? I mean, this place is gorgeous without the fish, but isn't it rude to cage the fish and keep them from a life free out in the ocean?"

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takenover
2017-10-28 12:49 am UTC (link)

With Orion's hand warm around hers, Halle strolled along beside him, generally pleased with life. As far as dates went, breaking into the Aquarium had been a good one so far – the atmosphere was lovely, and they hadn't been forced to battle any sort of crowd. She couldn't imagine that her Romani beau would have enjoyed a bunch of people milling around. And while Halle wouldn't have minded them so much, she much preferred having the place all to themselves.

His comment about winning over the munchkins won him a grin, complete with a faint flush of her pale cheeks. His unsure-but-game chuckle only served to widen her smile a little more.

"Hmm..." Turning her attention back to the framed fish, Halle thought for a long moment about the question. "No, I guess it isn't fair, not really. But that's just how people are. It doesn't occur to them whether or not it's fair for the fish... they just want to see something they would never get to, on a regular day. Most people don't ever get to see what it's like under the sea... they depend on someone else bringing it to them."

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intoashes
2017-10-28 02:30 am UTC (link)

The fish topic had been merely a thought. Nothing could be done for them now, their lives set on a particular course and forever changed by the interruptions to it. Sometimes Orion wondered if the caged mentality could ever be come back from, but he tried not to focus on those thoughts.

"They don't really see a lot of things." His gaze lingered on her a moment before he looked down at the ground with a smile. His fingers running through his hair, Orion didn't know what she saw in him. Why she decided to spend time with him over Bitsy or anyone else for that matter. He knew he was not a great conversationalist.

"What would you like to see?"

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takenover
2017-10-28 04:58 am UTC (link)

"Is it terrible that I don't know?" Pulling her eyes away from the green-glow of the tank and the surrounding stone wall, the little blonde smiled impishly up at him. Passing thought or not, Halle had been considering his question. There was a larger idea at work there, something that would lead her to existential questions about whether or not she herself was caging something that had no business being caged – luckily, she broke free of the train of thought long before then.

Honestly, she'd asked herself the same sort of question. Orion had this quiet sort of wisdom, and he had been so many places, and seemed to know so much more than she did. It was a wonder to her that she didn't irritate him right to death. "I just wanted to go somewhere – with you."

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intoashes
2017-10-28 10:27 pm UTC (link)

"We have the entire place to ourselves and you don't know what you want to see?" He asked, amused. He shrugged, running his hand across the back of his neck. "This was a good a choice."

Leaning on the railing next to her, he turned towards her. A quiet and alluring air between them. Orion enjoyed being in her presence. She seemed so normal, beyond the fact of her abilities, and he liked that. He enjoyed being around people who did not have to be so intense all the time. Every now and then while they were hanging out he felt drawn to kiss her but had not found it in himself to do so. His family (beyond his mother and father) traditionally took things slow. The fates would push them together if they were meant for it.

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takenover
2017-10-30 01:38 am UTC (link)

Honestly, 'normal' was a good way to describe Halle. Aside from her abilities, which she didn't make use of constantly, she was just a girl. Friendly, strange in her own way sometimes... but compared to a lot of the people in the Cirque, pretty standard.

Orion seemed like that, too. He was extraordinary, and he had lived an amazing life as far as Halle was concerned. But he was so... normal. He was easy to get along with. Sweet. He liked things like exploring an aquarium or watching Netflix with her, curled up on one couch or another.

Halle smiled, enjoying the vibe that seemed to grow between them in the moments of quiet. She leaned forward just enough to touch him, her body resting just against his, close enough to rest her forehead against his. "Like I said. I just wanted to hang out with you. Bonus points for the awesome decor, though, right?"

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intoashes
2017-11-08 01:37 am UTC (link)

A shy smile tugged at the corners of his lips. She was hard to ignore. Hanging out with her had been a godsend to the Phoenix, who had spent a lot of his life running and moving- none of it was bad, but it made it hard to make real friends. Her forehead felt cool against his own warm skin. While even in bird-form Orion was not made of fire, extreme temperatures did not bother him. His skin always cast the warm glow of a dying bonfire.

Everything in the empty Aquarium went silent for a moment; sound emptying the space, the green glow softening further. Orion raised his hand to her chin and gently leaned forward to kiss her. He did not know what to expect from his first kiss, but chose not to think too much about it.

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takenover
2017-11-08 01:58 am UTC (link)

Orion's smile was more than enough to make Halle smile in return. She was often all smiles – bright and cheerful, vivacious, laughing. Orion was much more subdued, calm in comparison, less prone to outbursts of any kind. For some, he was probably devilishly hard to read.

Halle had gotten used to him, though. They had taken their time becoming friends, and she had learned what his subdued expressions meant, how to read between some of his lines. He was... steady. Which was funny, because Romani weren't really considered the most stable people. But in comparison to Halle's outgoing personality, Orion was quiet and stable.

When his fingers touched her chin, Halle couldn't help but smile, her lips curved against his as she leaned a little into his kiss. It was warm and sweet, lingering without being pushy. Although she had only been kissed a handful of times in her life, Halle thought this was easily the most pleasant kiss she had ever experienced – full of shyness and sweetness.

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intoashes
2017-11-08 03:22 am UTC (link)

When he released the kiss, Orion stepped back and ran his hand over the back of his neck. "Sorry, uh... I should have asked first." A heat rose in his cheeks out of embarrassment, something Orion rarely showed. Baba Violetta always brought him up with a deep respect for females and an oddly strict traditional view on dating. There were many reasons why his family tended to marry young, one of those being traditional values, even though arranged marriages were extremely rare.

He closed his mouth to take a moment to think, before speaking again. "I've never kissed anyone before," he admitted quietly.

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takenover
2017-11-12 04:30 am UTC (link)

Halle took a second or two before she opened her eyes, smiling at his embarrassment – not in any unkind way, but with genuine affection. He really was so adorable, and he didn't even know at all, did he? "No, it's okay. I've wanted to kiss you for weeks, so..."

Her head tipped slightly to the side, eyebrows lifting for a moment. "Was it a nice first kiss? I mean, I hope it wasn't disappointing?"

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intoashes
2017-11-14 03:42 pm UTC (link)

The idea that she had wanted to kiss him for some time genuinely surprised Orion. He had never been allowed much time for friendship outside of the family in his life. While they hid in plain sight, Orion had been watched like a hawk by his cousins to make sure he did not get caught up in something like his father had. He understood Gadje and Americans but had generally had poor interactions. His very nature did not exactly scream out for extroversion. So to think that she had been waiting or wanting a kiss seemed strange in his mind.

A chuckle rolled off his lips in deep tones. "No, it was nice." Shades of rose spread across his cheeks as he answered her. Sometimes he did not know how to respond to her or if he should. Sarcasm did not work when she was around unless they were people watching.

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takenover
2017-11-21 01:41 am UTC (link)

If Orion was surprised that Halle wanted to kiss him, Halle was sort of surprised that he didn't know that of course she wanted to kiss him. He was, without a doubt, her favorite person at the Cirque. The only other person she was nearly as close to was Ghede, and their relationship was much different.

"Good," she answered, her own smile widening. His blush was wonderful, genuine in a way that she wasn't sure she would have even put into words. How funny, that she'd had to come somewhere so bizarre to meet someone so normal and wonderful. "Then maybe we can do it again."

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