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Bran Wilder {The Phantom} ([info]lemortvivant) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-07-15 01:08:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:glinda, phantom of the opera

Who: Bran and Gabby
What: A spontaneous visit + dinner
Where: D3
When: Let's backdate this to Monday, about 5:30-ish
Warnings: None at present

Even though Gabby had been more tolerable than expected, Bran hadn't really thought about her offer of dinner very much during the next couple of weeks. It wasn't that he was particularly busy, because it wasn't like he had an actual job or anything, but he did need to get money somehow and most of his time was spent... exploring other options through which he could obtain money. Some might say he was breaking the law, but he liked to think of it as doing what needed to be done. Besides, he never took anything from people who didn't have enough of their own - hell, he was like a modern-day antisocial Robin Hood.

The idea came to him randomly, really. Bran was beginning to realize that he really had no friends or even acquaintances in the building whatsoever - he and Lotte were something weird and awkward, certainly not friends, and he only knew a few others in passing. Could it really hurt to play nice for a bit and try to get in a few good books?

He decided the answer was no, and it was that combined with a building frustration that led him to decide to take up Gabby on her dinner offer without prior notice. Fuck it, right?

Which was why he headed up to the deluxe floor that evening, a bottle of acquired (aka stolen) wine in hand (but at least it was expensive, which made up for how it got into his possession) and a winning smile on his face. He was sick of feeling like a particularly homely dog that had attacked someone and subsequently went around with its tail between its legs. Despite her overt cheeriness and habit of being a little too physical, at least Gabby treated him like a human being. Stopping outside D3, he raised his hand and beat out a little percussion of knocks on the wood.



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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-18 02:31 am UTC (link)
He regarded her with raised eyebrows for a moment before laughing, since he hadn't pegged her as the type to become all defensive over a novel. Some people were probably secretive about their ideas or whatever - but if she'd wanted to keep it a secret, then she never would have mentioned the book in the first place. Gabby was right in the assumption that it wasn't something he'd read, but he tried to look at least marginally interested. "Maybe. It sounds like the sort of plot that Oprah would like - you'll be set for life if she asks you on her show."

Clearly she wasn't quite aware of how the fables worked, but he didn't feel like explaining it all over again. Nor did he feel like pointing out that Erik couldn't stand anyone, save for a few select people. "Useful fables are a good thing to have. Erik isn't exactly popular, but at least he can handle himself if the need arises." He finished chopping up one pile of vegetables and moved onto another. "Do you have any ideas about what yours might be? Or any preferences?"

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-18 02:42 am UTC (link)
"We'll see! I do editing work too - I'm sort of a stickler for grammar and punctuation, so it's a good job for me - but I really enjoy writing," Gabby said, reaching for her wine glass as she stirred for a moment, then went to pull out the proper noodles from the cabinet. Perhaps she'd have to consider giving up the 'no alcohol' rule while living in Bellum. Yeesh. "I really don't know who mine could be," she confessed. "Is there a way to tell?" Gabby couldn't fathom what that might be. "Did you know who yours was, before he showed up?"

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-18 03:56 am UTC (link)
"Being a stickler for grammar and punctuation is a very good thing. It's unbelievable how many people lack basic grammar skills, especially people who write books. I've read a few novels in my time that had some mistakes, but I have a feeling yours won't be anything like that." Bran didn't expect a lot from humanity, but really - being able to form a coherent paragraph wasn't rocket science. Teenagers in particular annoyed him, since most of them seemed to enjoy butchering the English language with their ridiculous slang or whatever it was.

"Sometimes there are similarities. Erik and I are both musicians, for example." He paused, pulling a face. "Honestly? I went to see a fortune teller named Katya - she used to live here, but she moved out. She could... see things that were pretty accurate, and she hinted at who I might be. I didn't believe it until it actually happened, of course."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-18 04:14 am UTC (link)
The noodles had to soak, and by the time everything was chopped and ready to cook they would be set too, so Gabby took care of that and then made sure to preheat the oven to warm up spring rolls. No one likes putting junk into an oven without preheating it! "No, never!" she gasped at the idea of mistakes in her novel. "I'm too much of a perfectionist for that. Surely you understand."

She thought about what he said as she stirred the sauce once more, turning the heat down a bit. "Similarities? That makes sense. I guess fortune tellers around here would be pretty accurate too. I mean, I'm - " She froze, eyes widening as she had a horrible thought. All of those spells, the things she had been studying so intently ever since visiting Thailand? What if she was just some gnarled, revolting witch? Like the one from Hansel and Gretel who are children?! Oh, that would be awful.

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-18 10:23 pm UTC (link)
He found a steady rhythm to his chopping, easily able to avoid cutting himself and carry on a conversation at the same time. Maybe he was getting the hang of this kitchen thing after all. "Oh, definitely. I'm a bit of a perfectionist myself, actually."

Bran raised his eyebrows at her expression. "Something wrong?" Either the had a problem with fortune tellers or she'd remembered something that related to a fable, although he had a hunch it was the latter.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-18 10:36 pm UTC (link)
"Nothing, I just...well, I'm not really a musician. I can appreciate the art of music but there's not much there and, well, it'd be too much of a coincidence to have a writer fable, wouldn't it?" She was babbling, she knew that. But goodness gracious! Why hadn't she just taken up wind surfing or something? "I'm a witch," she groaned, chugging her wine down to the very last drop in the glass. "I'm the witch who ate Hansel and Gretel."

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-19 04:22 am UTC (link)
He paused, resting the knife blade gently against the cutting board. Clearly something had caught her off guard, and he'd bet his life on 'sudden revelation'. Really, though, how bad could her fable be? So far Gabby seemed to be a regular girl who liked cooking and was currently writing a novel. Did she think she was some kind of Austen character or something?

Bran couldn't hide his surprise when she announced she was a witch. "What?" He was very close to laughing in disbelief, because the last fable he would have guessed was that kind of witch. "What makes you think your tale happens to be a cannibalistic witch?"

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-19 04:36 am UTC (link)
Gabby straightened up a bit, thinking over what she would say next. "If I show you something..." she started, looking at Bran, square in the eye. She liked him - really, she did. A lot more than she liked anyone else she had met so far. "Do you promise not to tell anyone else?" Mostly because she didn't really have a grasp on it yet, and would hate to be held accountable for false advertising if the rumors were blabbed.

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-19 07:07 am UTC (link)
Contrary to popular belief, Bran could be trustworthy when he wanted to be. Even though he wasn't usually entrusted with the secrets of others, on the rare occasion that he was, he judged whether they were worth keeping on a case-to-case basis. But when he deemed someone worthy, then nothing on earth or even beyond could persuade him to betray them.

Even though he had no idea why, he didn't mind Gabby. She'd initially struck him as a spoiled airhead over the forums, but in person he realized that - to his surprise - he'd misjudged her. Thus he had no reason to tell anyone else whatever she was about to divulge, and honestly, he didn't want to tell anyone in the first place. "I won't tell anyone. I take secrets very seriously, because I know what it's like to have someone reveal things they said they wouldn't." A frown passed over his features, but it was gone before it even had a chance to form; replaced by the most reassuring smile he could muster. "What is it?"

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-19 03:09 pm UTC (link)
Gabby thought she noticed a change - a flicker of disappointment at the mention of people revealing things they shouldn't. She smiled a little too, reaching up to cup his face with one hand, patting his cheek lightly, then she dropped her hand and put both of them together.

"Well, it's..." She tried to think of some way to describe it. "Here, just try and cut this apple. I'll show you with this." Gabby pulled one from the basket on the counter, setting it down on the surface. She couldn't really practice on Bran; that would not be nice.

And then she closed her eyes. She had read about grounding, what that meant - this kept a sorceress from becoming entirely too mentally scattered, flighty, or uneasy. Centering prevented one from being distracted by outside forces; it was the concept she had the most trouble with, simply because centering required that you know who you are.

As if it were that easy.

For this to work, she had to feel connected with the earth, and believe that nothing could disturb the roots of her strength. Creating a shield was no small task but now was a good a time as any to practice. Most likely, she would need one in this place - not just a shield from physical harm but from mental negativity as well.

The ball of light first formed in between the middle of both of her hands; she held it there gently, murmuring a few words with her eyes closed. Biting her lip in concentration, she opened her eyes then stretched the shield furiously and, like a champion javelin thrower, flung her creation out into the open space of the kitchen, where it hovered like a mushroom cloud of liquid tungsten - unbreakable, even against bullets and blades. She kept concentrating, despite her ever-rising blood pressure and the gigantic brick in her stomach. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and ran cold down the back of her neck.

The invisible shield covered the area she had projected it onto and when he would try to cut the apple (she imagined it as a person, that helped make it less silly) all that would happen would be that the blade would miss; somehow it would end up on either side of the object, despite the fact that it should have sliced into the center.

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-19 07:17 pm UTC (link)
Bran was expecting some kind of spell, since she must have had some reason to believe she was a witch. The only problem was there were so many versions and representations of witches that he had no idea which one she might be. They seemed to get less and less sinister as time passed - witches in the eighteenth century didn't quite measure up to the Wicked Witch of the West, after all - but somehow he couldn't see Gabby as some kind of evil, cackling spell-caster.

He didn't quite understand why she wanted him to cut the apple, but he shrugged and picked up the knife regardless. He raised his hand over the apple, watching with raised eyebrows as a ball of light appeared out of nowhere between her hands. Although he knew people had abilities, this was something completely new. It was hard to keep from staring at the light-thing hovering in the middle of the kitchen, but he regained his wits just in time to realize he was supposed to be cutting the fruit. He brought the knife down directly through the center, but instead of slicing through the blade ended up on the right side of the apple, leaving it unmarked.

He tried again, with the same result. "Wow." So she could cast... what, shield spells? That was a useful ability. "That's impressive, not to mention useful."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-19 07:30 pm UTC (link)
Useful and impressive, it may have been both things - but it all seriously drained Gabby, and she let the invisible shield disintegrate as her bones began to feel like they were turning to liquid. She grabbed Bran's shoulders to steady herself so she didn't collapse. "I'm still working on it," she gasped. "Trying to hold it longer, you know? But it's difficult."

She blew a piece of hair off of her forehead. "Anyway. That's what I do in my spare time. I've had a lot of it lately."

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-19 09:59 pm UTC (link)
He was too caught up in the awe of seeing what she could do to notice how much it had taken out of her, at least until she grabbed his shoulders. "Are you okay?" Now it was evident that a supreme effort was required to keep up the shield, and since he couldn't just let her fall he let his arms go around her waist to keep her steady. "Yeah, it doesn't look very easy. Just don't push yourself too hard." At least his ability didn't require too much effort - he'd felt a little tired after calming down the mob, and his throat felt raw, but that was about it.

"That's one hell of a hobby." Bran grinned, and he thought about how she'd probably never have to worry during the full moon if she managed to get a better handle on it. "If you can cast a shield spell, though, I think it makes you a good witch - not one who eats children."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-19 10:16 pm UTC (link)
"I'm okay," Gabby promised as she moved her arms to drape them around his neck. "Is there such thing as a good witch?" she asked and, going by history, it didn't seem to be a notion that many people believed. Even just the word 'witchcraft' tended to freak everyone out, whether it be black or white magic. "But thanks. If you ever need one..." She rose herself up on her toes, grinning as her nose touched the tip of his. "I've got your back, darling."

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-20 03:29 am UTC (link)
Suddenly she'd gotten very close, which hadn't been his intention whatsoever, but at least she didn't flinch or look terrified when Lotte did - and she'd never even been that close to him. "I think so. I mean, there are... books and things about white witches, aren't there? I'm sure some use their powers for good rather than evil." Shield spells had to be white magic, since they were used to protect others. Somehow that didn't seem very evil, even if Gabby did just use them to protect herself.

Instead of tensing and pulling away, the contact made Bran smile. A part of him asked what he was doing, but he shrugged it off. "Good to know. Thanks."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-20 03:57 am UTC (link)
"I'm sure there are. Ironically, I haven't read many books about witches per se. I just studied the magic itself. It was part of my conversion to Buddhism and, well, I was intrigued by the magic and wanted to learn more," she said, and was proud of her ability to pick up 'the craft' rather quickly. Gabby had a lot of natural talent, she told herself. Of course, she never considered the notion that it might be more than that.

She was glad to see him smile - it seemed to be a rare sight, but at least it wasn't one of those awkward, tight smiles - and she didn't care that she wasn't Christine or someone from Erik's story. Erik wasn't here now! She kissed Bran - his bottom lip, the top lip, then the third time she curved her lips around his and stole another one, sweetly, like candy - and warm like gin going down one's throat.

Eyelashes fluttering open, she went back down on the balls of her feet. "But yes! Back to tofu," she chirped, moving the pot of sauce off of the stove with one hand.

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-20 07:18 am UTC (link)
"I never thought magic actually worked," he admitted. "I always thought it was one of those... mind over matter things, you know? Like positive reinforcement or whatever. I guess I was wrong." Clearly, since he'd just witnessed proof that magic existed with his own eyes.

Bran had been severely lacking in physical contact of the female variety since moving to Bellum, and it extended to even before that - although it wasn't something he ever discussed with anyone, and he certainly didn't want to publicize it. That didn't mean that he was inexperienced, however; he was actually far from it. As bitter as he had been and still was, a part of him still craved affection, and it was that part of him that overrode his surprise and uncertainty quickly enough to return her last kiss before she drew back. Just because Erik had zero experience women didn't mean he had or would follow in his footsteps, after all. Besides, it was just a kiss.

Still, it was sweeter than he was used to and unexpected, and he hadn't quite recovered when she went back to preparing the food. "Right, tofu. The vegetables are all chopped - anything else you need me to do?"

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-20 10:31 am UTC (link)
"Hmmm!" Gabby pondered that for a moment. "Well, I can think of many things I'd like you to do, darling, but none of them involve tofu." Her eyes glinted in amusement. "But you can set the table? Everything's in the drawer beside you and those two cabinets," she pointed, then opened the fridge for tofu. She could take care of that, and throw everything into the wok while the spring rolls got crispy in the oven. "Oh yes! And you can tell me something that no one else knows about you. Any random fact will suffice, like how your favorite song is secretly Telephone by Lady Gaga or you cried at the end of Moulin Rouge," she said as she slid the baking sheet of spring rolls into the oven. Now for the wok!

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-21 08:43 pm UTC (link)
Well then. Bran raised his eyebrows curiously, as if he had no idea what she could possibly be alluding to, before turning to follow the direction she was pointing in. "Sure. Setting the table it is, then." Cutlery, napkins, plates and glasses - how hard could it be? He pulled open the drawer first, pausing momentarily at her second request. He hated things like that, especially because most people found it so easily to choose random tidbits to reveal about themselves. It couldn't be anything serious; just a stupid little fact would do. "Something else no one else knows about me?" Which was pretty much everything. "Well, I've always been kind of afraid of horses. They never liked me very much." It was actually true; he'd had some bad experiences with horses in the circus which involved him nearly being kicked in the face and trampled on two separate occasions.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-21 09:08 pm UTC (link)
Gabby liked unique, random tidbits about people. Oftentimes, they would reveal more than the person sharing even thought. It was much better than 'talk about your hopes and dreeeaaaaaams' or whatever bullshit people pretended to be interested in. "They can sense fear, you know," she said wisely as she tossed everything - chopped veggies, tofu, spices, noodles, and sauce - into the wok and began cooking. Mmm, smell that pad Thai! "So developing horse sense takes some skill, but even the most ornery of horses can be trained. Did you go through a cowboy phase? I don't detect a southern accent so I'm curious as to where you rode horses."

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-21 11:39 pm UTC (link)
He knew it was sort of strange, since he didn't have a problem with most other animals - there was just something about horses. At the time he hadn't had his ability, or been aware of it, so singing to them had never really crossed his mind. "So I've heard," he remarked, managing to set the table and watch her cook at the same time. "That combined with the fact that I chose the avoidance route probably didn't help matters."

Bran stifled a sigh - he should have known that mentioning horses might have led to further questions. "No, I can't say I ever had a cowboy phase. A travelling circus visited my town a few times when I was growing up, and the horses they used during the shows and rides didn't like me." No need to mention that, despite his disdain, he'd also felt bad for them - the way they were treated, it was little wonder they weren't very friendly.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-22 12:07 am UTC (link)
"I can't see how anyone wouldn't like you, darling," she said, tone playful as she tossed - literally, tossed - the lean cuisine by holding the handles of the wok. Bam! Gabby was all over this shit. "You're certainly my favorite person in the building. I have half a mind to plow you with wine and take advantage of you." Wine or a love spell, either one! Tee hee.

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-22 04:41 am UTC (link)
"Don't be fooled by my obvious charm. I'm hardly all sugar and spice and everything nice," he countered with a smirk. "Although that doesn't mean I'd be willing to relinquish my role as your favorite person in the building." He couldn't really remember the last time someone had actually said they liked him without it being an obviously outright lie, nor could he recall anyone wanting to 'plow' him in quite some time. Bran's laugh was a mix of sound and an exhale of air, although he refused to become one of those men who became tongue-tied over silly things. "You make it sound like it's easy to take advantage of me." He raised his eyebrows, shooting her a glance before returning his attention back to the table.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-22 10:31 am UTC (link)
Gabby slid a pot holder on and removed the baking sheet from the oven, turning it off. "Not sugar and spice and everything nice? Well, I'd hardly think so. Everyone has a bit of a bite to them," she said as she moved the food to two separate platters - a big one for the pad thai and a smaller serving dish for the spring rolls. "I don't mean that literally, of course." Apparently unless you were a vampire. "And I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you!" she added, as if the thought scandalized her. "That would be the portion where I'm not exactly sugar and spice and everything nice."

Expertly balancing both platters, she carried them to the table, then went back for the bottle of wine. "Go on and dig in! I didn't put too much of an aphrodisiac in it."

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[info]lemortvivant
2010-07-23 02:38 am UTC (link)
"The non-literal bite makes things interesting." Somehow he managed to say it with a straight face, eying the platters of food with an impressed raise of his eyebrows. "But it's good to know that I won't have to watch my back too closely around you anytime soon." Not to mention the fact that it would take quite a bit of wine to get him to the point where anyone could take advantage of him.

Bran took his seat, barely hesitating before spooning food onto his plate. "Too much?" He glanced up at her, pretending to be surprised.

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(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-23 03:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-23 06:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-23 11:17 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-23 06:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-23 07:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-24 02:58 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-24 02:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-24 08:56 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-24 09:29 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-25 05:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-25 02:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-25 09:42 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-25 09:53 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-26 02:50 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-26 03:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-26 06:07 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]i_luv_shoes, 2010-07-26 12:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lemortvivant, 2010-07-26 09:52 pm UTC

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