InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "rock my socks is so lame"

smokenmirrors (smokenmirrors) wrote in halcyon_halls,
@ 2008-10-30 12:53:00

Entry tags:

cassandra, max

Week Twenty: Saturday
When: 8 o'clock
Where: Outside the Zephir House and then...
Who: Max and Cassandra

To say that Max had been worried over the past couple of weeks would have been an understatement. The idea that this "Jack" had taken advantage of Cassandra had his blood boiling and his dark eyes seeing red. Truth be told, the other man was lucky that he didn't just "disappear" one night. It could have been easy, one phone call to a few of his fathers friends and a snatch and grab once the bastard was away from the school. However that really wasn't Max's style and he wouldn't piss on the hospitality the school had shown in him that way. No, he would wait for now and seize the opportunity when it decided to arise.

Fortunately he now how a more positive event to focus on and that was his upcoming date with one rather stunning dark haired woman. Cassandra deserved to have a nice night out without worry of her past creeping up behind her. No, he was going to see to it that she was spoiled and treated how she deserved to be treated. She might have been a more low key girl who enjoyed simpler things but that didn't necessarily mean she wouldn't enjoy being treated like royalty for an evening. Besides, if she had any desire to spend truly date him then she would have to get used to being spoiled.

After seeing that his arrangements for dinner were still in effect, Max spent some time getting dressed and actually doing his hair. Maybe that was a bit of an overstatement but there had been gel involved while standing in front of an actual mirror so that had to count as putting some effort forth. As far as clothing went, Max decided on a suit of sorts that was more of a lazy rock star look than anything. He even went as far as putting on his newer pair of Chucks rather than the ones that were on the verge of falling apart so clearly he had been trying to look nice.

A few minutes to eight, Max slipped a small box into his pocket and headed out of his room and over to the Zephir House where he had told Cassandra to meet him. Lingering outside of the door leading into the common room, he glanced at his watch before shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He still had a minute or two so now all he had to do was wait.

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with_hope_again
2008-10-31 01:18 am UTC (link)

Was it too soon to finally take a breath and attempt to relax? Cassandra wanted to say yes to that question, wanted to try and put it all behind her but it wasn't as simple as all that unfortunately. Jack... or Mircea as she'd found out he went by at this school was still there and she was too wary to be convinced that his presence meant nothing to her. It didn't matter if she tried to not be so bound by her cautiousness that she couldn't live anymore... there were some things that were just too large to be discarded completely.

She didn't want to be burned in that way twice.

She was always conscious of who she was around and Cassandra knew she'd spent far too much time cooped up but it felt safe. And so far that had been a rare feeling. Rare as it might have been it wasn't impossible to find, except for when she was with Max. It had surprised her and worried her at first. To put that much stock in someone she had only known for a short time in the grand scheme of things. But she couldn't shake the feeling that it was just right. The impulse was just too strong to deny.

So relaxing and spending time with Max it was. She'd even gone out with Sam to find something to wear considering her wardrobe of nice dresses consisted of one other dress that had already been worn several times and while Cassandra didn't care either way when it came to over-wearing a piece of clothing, it just seemed right to have more than one thing she could wear out to a dinner. And... if she wanted to be entirely honest she did want to look pretty. She'd nearly buried her head in the sand when that realization made itself known. Seemed petty in the larger picture but it was the case regardless.

Cassandra had decided on a simple black dress and brushed her hair until it crackled, letting it fall loose over her bare shoulders. She'd put the earrings he gave her on and hooked the bracelet around her wrist, the necklace she always wore around her neck. Picking up a shawl to slide over her shoulders if she felt the need for the covering Cassandra looked over at her clock. Oh only a minute until she was supposed to meet him! Low slung heels that Cassandra was certain might kill her by the time the night was over were pulled onto her feet and she hurried out of her door.

She careened down the stairs and out of Zephir House. Barely keeping her balance on the shoes that took a little getting used to, she spotted Max immediately. Smiling broadly she walked over towards him. He looked so handsome and relaxed standing there, she'd be lying if she said her heart didn't skip a beat. "How handsome do you look. New shoes?" She asked grinning.

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smokenmirrors
2008-10-31 01:49 am UTC (link)

He supposed that "relaxed" was one way to describe his state while he waited for his date to appear. in reality he was probably just more mellow than most and was good at hiding any nervousness when it did decide to rear its ugly head. Not that he was nervous. A tad on the anxious side maybe, he did want this date to go well but overall he was pretty confident in what he was doing. No he didn't generally wine and dine the opposite sex all that often but he knew how he felt about Cassandra and had a good idea that she felt the same way too. In the grand scheme of things that was all that mattered, right?

Rather than just standing there staring at the door, Max had taken his place on the wall across from the entrance and rested a shoulder against. From there he took his free extra minutes to zone out and go over the checklist in his head. Fortunately Cassandra was punctual so he didn't have to resort to naming all of the Stones albums in chronological order. It was a good way to pass the time.

When she appeared, her smile was infectious and he couldn't help that his gaze trailed down her slender form. She was breathtaking. "I am nothing compared to you," he smirked in reply as he pushed off of the wall and crossed the distance between them. "They might be. Yours?" It appeared as though they had both put forth a little bit of effort this evening. "Shall we?" he asked as he offered his arm.

Leading the way out of the school, he pulled open the front door and waited for her to exit before following. Waiting for them out in the front driveway was a sleek black car and a driver who stood ready at the rear door. "Your chariot awaits." The man in the suit pulled open the door once they were close enough and Max motioned for Cassandra to slide in...and find a bouquet of a dozen red roses he had arranged to be waiting for her. "I hope you don't mind French food," he said once he was settled in next to her.

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with_hope_again
2008-11-04 03:31 am UTC (link)

Maybe it was just the confidence that seemed to be so inherent to his being. That Cassandra admired. Wanted more of for herself. Not that she thought she was particularly insecure. Not the sort of girl that needed constant reassurances about her attractiveness but her worth for many years had been measured in means of her ability. Both positive and negative. That was something she still struggled to push aside. Though with Max... she rarely even thought about that. Just another reason why she enjoyed spending time with him so much.

Cassandra shook her head in an attempt to dismiss the compliment, but the smile that broadened ever so slightly on her face told how much she had soaked the words in. She couldn't deny that it was nice to hear the words. She pointed a toe out and looked at the low heels. "They might be," Cassandra echoed, grinning. "I hope you won't be offended if I end up barefoot at some point. I never wear these things." And maybe, just maybe her feet were already starting to hurt a little bit but they were pretty shoes. Thank you Sam.

She let him lead the way out of the school, enjoying the sound that her shoes made on the stone floor. The steady click, click, click... that thankfully wasn't followed by the sound of her rolling an ankle or anything terrible like that. The car waiting outside was a surprise. "Where did you get this!?" She asked eyes wide as she turned from staring open mouthed at the man in the suit to Max. No sooner were those words out of her mouth then she was ushered into the plush vehicle. Her mouth didn't have a chance to close when the flowers were spotted.

Cassandra pulled the flowers into her arms and leaned forward to take in their scent. "They are beautiful. Thank you. And I don't think I do. Though I admit to not being sure how I feel about the whole snail thing." She admitted as she settled back into the seat flowers still held delicately in her hands. The car turned to head down the hill into the town and Cassandra found herself sliding along the seat until she was flush against his side. And no she didn't scoot back to her side of the seat. She really didn't want to at all. She was more than content to watch the scenery pass by on the ride down to the city right where she was.

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smokenmirrors
2008-11-04 12:43 pm UTC (link)

Cassandra's smile was infectious and he couldn't help but return it. "Offended? Of course not. I just hope you'll take them off before it gets to the point of blisters." The whole mentality that pain equalled beauty was a bunch of crap and while he could appreciate her choice in footwear, he didn't want to hurt herself. Heels were sexy, he was a man and he could admit that much but there were other things that were equally as sexy and he could live without if he had to.

Max smirked but shook his head. "A magician never reveals his secrets." As if to say that he had simply pulled the vehicle and driver out of thin air. Though perhaps he did? One could never tell on an island meant for supernaturals. As he watched her scoop up the flowers, he couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction come over him. So far everything was being received just the way he had hoped.

"Don't worry, I'm not a big fan of snails either." People claimed they tasted like chicken but Max couldn't agree. Not only was the texture off, but there was no way those things tasted even remotely close to chicken. "There are far more better options when it comes to French cuisine, trust me." Especially their desserts which he was sure she would get a kick out of since she was the baker and all.

When her body slid against his, he casually extended his arm and draped it over her shoulders. That definitely made the ride into town more pleasant. Unfortunately the journey didn't take all that long and the door was being opened for them far sooner than he would have liked. Once out of the car, he offered his arm and escorted her into the restaurant. Having called ahead, they were whisked back to a private table for two where yet another bouquet, this time lilies, awaited her.

Champagne was poured into two crystal flutes the second they were seated and he smirked at her over the candlelight. "I had them translate the menu for you because I wasn't sure if you could read French." Max was by no means fluent in any way but like a true male, he knew enough when it came to either starving or ordering something completely disgusting. That and his mother had insisted on it for when they travelled. Occasionally her pushy nature did come in hand.

"Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?"

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with_hope_again
2008-11-08 02:08 am UTC (link)

While Cassandra was more than excited to see what Max had in store for her at the end of their car ride... she wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing the trip in the vehicle end. It might have had something to do with the fact that she had found that she enjoyed the way her body fit in next to his, the way his arm draped over her shoulder protectively. It made her feel... well it made her feel a lot of things but warm, safe and happy were right at the top of the list. Eventually though the car did come to a stop and she had to extract herself from the comfortable seat she'd found and head into the restaurant.

It was a gorgeous place. As always nice restaurants brought a bit of a look of awe to her features. Would she ever get used to such places? Maybe but it was doubtful. Or at least that she'd cease to appreciate their beauty, that was truly doubtful. "Max, this place is... and the flowers..." words failed her as her eyes roamed the private table and the lovely bouquet of lilies that were there waiting for her. They were such beautiful flowers, her favorite actually. Cassandra traced one white blossom delicately before she took a seat and took in her surroundings.

"Oh Champagne!" Cassandra couldn't help but be delighted at that prospect. She'd only had it once before and the bubbly goodness of it... well she wouldn't mind having it again at all. "Thank God you did that or I would have been guessing entirely." Cassandra's knowledge of French didn't really extend past please and that she couldn't even spell. She picked up the translated menu and began to scan it over to find something that looked good. "Any suggestions? Meal I shouldn't miss?" She'd definitely take recommendations, Cassandra was always up for trying something new.

She reached for the champagne and was already reaching for a sip of the bubbly which tickled her nose when Max began to speak. A pink flush came over her features. "I think you might have mentioned something. Sam helped me find something to wear. I think it just might be nice enough." Cassandra had worried about that but it seemed as though it was for naught. "Thank you for planning tonight. I needed out of that school or I was going to lose it." She had been cooped up a bit too much lately.

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smokenmirrors
2008-11-11 03:19 pm UTC (link)

"You're welcome," he said simply as he moved to pull her chair out for her. The one thing he probably enjoyed the most about spoiling her was the genuine gratitude that always followed. Far too many women expected such gestures and were put off if they weren't grand enough or as frequent as they thought they deserved. With Cassandra, he could tell that she didn't expect anything and everything he chose to do or not to would be appreciated.

Max smirked to himself when the translated menu idea paid off and he also had to admit that he had enjoyed the ways her eyes had lit up at the prospect of champagne. "It's all supposed to be excellent but personally I would go with either the Canard Aux Baies Roses or Cotelette De Porc." Duck or pork loin, couldn't really go wrong with either of them and they were fairly difficult to not pull off.

"It's perfect. Remind me to thank this Sam some time." Max couldn't remember meeting Sam but perhaps he would have to make it a point to in the near future. If she had been kind enough to help Cassandra find an outfit, then perhaps she would have some valuable information for him as well. It was usually a good thing to get in good with the friends anyway. It also never hurt that they normally had some pretty decent advice and insight.

His features darkened slightly at the sound of the words that followed but he quickly covered them up with a lazy grin. "Any time you need some time away, just say the word and I'll whisk to anywhere you want to go." London, Paris, Rome...the world could be hers for the taking if that was what she wanted. One day he hoped he would be able to share such things with her but he also knew that it would take time and he was willing to wait.

"You know I was going to save this for after dinner but..." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a familiar blue box and slid it across the table. "I don't know that I could sit through an entire meal without doing it. Go ahead, open it." Inside the small box was a ring that matched the earrings he had given her earlier. "Consider it a promise ring of sorts," he explained once she opened it. "That is, if you would do me the honor of being my girlfriend."

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with_hope_again
2008-11-12 01:33 am UTC (link)

Cassandra couldn't honestly imagine a time where she would expect such extravagant treatment. Perhaps with time she'd become more accustomed to it but she couldn't imagine not appreciating every moment of it. And if she wanted to be completely honest... made her feel like an absolute princess. At least what she imagined what it would be like to be a princess... minus future ruling of a country and/or arranged marriages. Cassandra traced her finger down the menu finding the French phrases that had so easily rolled off of his tongue. "Hmm..." she tapped the menu as she read the English translations. "Cotelette De Porc..." Cassandra said, doing her very best to not butcher the words. "S'il vous plaît" She added with a grin. The only other bit of French that she knew.

"She's in your house. I don't know if you've met her, if not... you should." Cassandra said with a nod of her head. She was clearly a big Sam supporter and she would be lying if she didn't want Max to like her friends and vice versa. That did seem important but somehow she didn't think that it would be all too difficult a thing to ask. Though she really did want him to meet Micah and Jasper, those two had meant the most to her over her time at Halcyon, but meeting them was difficult all things considered. Then there was Ada. the list kept getting longer and longer.

Cassandra reached her fingers for the glass of champange that had been placed before her and sipped at the drink again. It happily bubbled in her stomach with each and every sip. Setting the flute back down she looked over at Max. "I might insist on a trip back to that waterfall soon, if that's the offer. And I'll remember the anytime part." She added with a quirk of her lips. Though in reality she might insist he help out on a trip to the library... she did miss the place and didn't like that she felt as though she couldn't go there anymore.

His words brought a look of surprise to her features. He wanted to wait for dinner for what... it started to make a great deal more sense when he pulled a box from his pocket. "Max you didn't have to get me anything. Really!" She said as he pushed it towards her. His excitement was infectious and she found herself eagerly reaching for the blue box. Opening it, Cassandra's eyes widened darting from the beautiful ring in the box and over to Max. "It's a... ring?!" her mind was going all too quickly over the possible meanings of that but she wasn't quite able to figure it out with her limited knowledge. Thankfully, Max filled in the gaps. "Promise wha-" she blinked and slid the ring free from its packaging. "Are- of course -but are you sure that's what..." She stumbled through her words and the few worries that had always plagued her. Cassandra shook her head and closed the ring into the palm of her hand. "Of course Max."

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smokenmirrors
2008-11-12 11:59 am UTC (link)

Max smirked as she tried to let the French words slip easily off her tongue. It wasn't the easiest of feats but she managed to do fairly well. "Bon," he answered with a nod. "Good" being one of about seven other words that he knew aside from food and how to order. Lifting a hand, he motioned the waiter over and ordered for the both of them, deciding on the duck for himself. At least that way if Cassandra didn't like the pork for some reason then they could trade.

"Hmm, I might have to pay more attention then." While he couldn't picture this Sam, it couldn't be very hard to figure out who she was in the end. If anything he could always approach her through those online journals and go from there. Actually, that seemed like the easiest way to go about things. Max would be willing to meet anyone Cassandra would want him to and appreciated the fact that she already started to build a list in her head. Somehow he would have to convince her to go home with him so that he could introduce her to some of his friends and family.

Max nodded as he took a sip from his own flute of champagne. "I can't guarantee that I'm the easiest to wake up in the middle of the night but I stand by the anytime part of that offer." What had his mother always told him? That he and his father could sleep through a nuclear holocaust? That sounded about right. It generally took a lot of shaking and/or yelling to wake him up once he hit that REM cycle.

"I know, but I like to all the same." His mother had actually had some part in picking this particular gift out. She was much better when it came to jewelry than he tended to be. A chuckle rumbled in his chest and spilled from his lips at her reaction. No, he wasn't proposing marriage just yet. That would be a far more extravagant ring if his mother insisted on him using his grandmother's ring. Briefly he wondered if Cassandra's small hand could hold the damn thing up.

Pushing to his feet, he closed the small distance between them and reached for her hand, careful not to apply too much contact at first. "Good," he said as he uncurled her fist and pulled out the ring. "Now let's see it on." He watched her eyes as he slid the ring onto her left ring finger and internally sighed when it fit. Ring sizes had never been his thing mainly because he had never cared enough to buy anyone but his mother one before so this had been a shot in the dark. "It suits you I think," he said as he leaned down and brushed a kiss to her cheek.

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with_hope_again
2008-11-14 01:00 am UTC (link)

It really wouldn't take much convincing at all to get her to meet the people that meant most to him. His parents... now that might be a bit intimidating for her. Not because they were demons but because they were his parents. if anything the fact that they were demons made her feel slightly better than if they were human. She just needed to start boning up on his music interests if she was going to be able to hold her weight with his friends. Note to self: ask to borrow cd's.

"I'll just have to be inventive with my wake up methods." Cassandra replied with a devious sort of expression on her face. She could be creative when she wanted to be and while they might not be the sort of wake up methods one would assume... no doubt they would be effective if not entertaining. "But thank you Max. The past few weeks really would have been impossible without you." She could thank him until the end of her days with all the security he'd helped instill in her, enough that she almost felt confident that Jack really could do nothing to her ever again. That meant the world to her.

A ring was just a bit surprising to her. She didn't know what to make of it past the conventional means. Not that she thought he would do anything crazy like that it was just the first thing that popped to mind and boy was that a... just wow. Good thing he explained quickly! She still had a bit of a dumbfounded expression on her face as he moved toward her and helped to uncurl her fist, sliding the ring onto her finger. Wow again. The sparkle was enough to send her over but that wasn't really it. It was the way he carefully settled it onto her finger that had her heart flipping over.

As he leaned forward, Cassandra leaned forward and locked her arms around his neck. Her head turned to the side and caught his lips as he moved to brush her cheek. Caution was thrown entirely to the wind and Cassandra was letting her mind and body work on instinct. She wanted to kiss him... so she was going to! If something was going to happen... it was and she wasn't going to let it rule her every action like it always did. Not when he meant this much to her. She'd just have to put her trust in him and in herself.

"Thank you," she murmured with her lips still pressed tightly against his. She couldn't even think about the fact that people might be looking. Good thing the table was in the back of the restaurant. Hopefully the waiter didn't return with food soon...

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smokenmirrors
2008-11-15 05:04 pm UTC (link)

Max's brow quirked a bit at the mention of inventive methods. It wasn't like he could help his mind falling right into the gutter, he was a male after all. It was just a shame that Cassandra was probably thinking about ice water or a trumpet rather than other things. "Any time." It seemed being sent to Halcyon would pay off in the end, who knew?

While the assault on his lips was surprising, it was definitely welcomed though slightly awkward with him standing and her sitting. Not that he particularly minded though. Reaching up, he brushed the hair hair away from her face and skimmed his fingers down her cheek. He would have allowed it to go on far longer but again, the position was awkward and on top of that, he was beginning to get hot under the collar. Time for more champagne.

A "you're welcome" was muttered as he stole a final kiss from her before returning to his chair. While making out with her in a restaurant wasn't on the top of things to do (mainly because he liked to keep intimate moments private) he also didn't want to risk getting too hot and heavy because who knew what flashes that might trigger. Sure he had a few ideas on how to help prevent all that but this was neither the time nor the place to go exploring them.

Once settled, he raised his glass with a lop sided smirk tugging on one edge of his mouth. "To new beginnings," he toasted before finishing off what was left in the glass. Refills were poured soon after and the food had impeccable timing because it appeared a few moments later. "It looks and smells good enough," he commented as he inspected either plate. "Shall we give them a try?"

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with_hope_again
2008-11-17 01:54 am UTC (link)

Cassandra hadn't really thought about awkward things like angles and the fact that he was standing and she wasn't. That hadn't even touched on her radar. After she went for it, full board and well thankfully Max was good enough to make sense of it all for them. She was entirely lost in the feel of his lips and then the skimming of his fingers along her cheek. Yep gone. She'd never even knew you could feel that way about anything and she didn't exactly know how to deal with that yet. Other than not want it to stop just yet.

But, it had to. They were in the middle of a restaurant. And the second Max pulled away Cassandra had a small moment of embarrassment, a flush of her cheeks while she settled back into their respective seats. There might of been a little throat clearing and hair tucking while she tried to get her blush under control. As well as her breathing. Cassandra gladly raised her glass of champagne in the toast that was offered. "I like the sound of that," she said after taking a sip of her glass, well really getting to just about finish it. That bubbly... could probably be dangerous.

The arrival of the food was perfect. A distraction from her thoughts that were running a bit wild... at least for Cassandra you know like more of the same but still, that was distracting enough for Cassandra. She stared down at the food and took a nice slow inhale. It smelled amazing. That was really the closest word she could come up with. "I don't think waiting to try it is an option." Cassandra said picking up her fork ready to dive in. And it was just as good as it smelled, better actually. She was torn between not being able to stop going bite for bite and wanting to savor the food but her love of appreciating things won out and she found that she was taking her time with each bite.

Only the fact that Max's meal looked just as good as hers got her to really stop. "So what do I need to do to steal a bite off of your plate?" She asked pointing her fork teasingly at his plate. That bite might be the last she could handle, full as she was feeling. But it looked like it would be worth it.

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