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 Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:38 pm
The fact that Sammy was seated on the inside of the booth was only mildly comforting. It meant that the zombie ghoul couldn't just get up and storm out. However, that did mean that Sammy was far more likely to explode. ... Siddie took it back; that wasn't comforting at all.
"A Spite, please," she asked the waitress, and studied the menu, pretending to be very interested in the options. It was a good thing that Sammy was asking Barth what was going on; she wasn't entirely sure she could force the words out herself.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:48 pm
"Just err, just a chat. ...I'll explain after we've ordered," He looked very questioningly at the Sammy, and then, "I can't. I mean unless you have a license with you or something,"
Barth was also incapable of drinking anything with a smidgeon of alcohol. The last time he tried even a drop he wound up under the table.
He looked to the waitress, "...We four are on the same tab, by the way."
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:08 pm
Calder looked to Barth, frowning at their guests' lack of response. Calder liked to talk, but it was hard to pull a conversation along. He ducked his head back into his menu, and his brow only creased from there. All the dishes were things he had never tried before and didn't know. What if he got something weird? What if he didn't like it? Wouldn't that insult the nice waitress and it would be wasteful. He'd have to eat it, and then he'd be sick. He didn't want to be sick on their restaurant date.
"Um...." He was lost.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:13 pm
"Yes. Chatting." She flipped the menu about, "I'll have a 6 Under." She tossed the menu down again as the waitress jotted the notes on what they wanted.
Eventually the waitress slipped away and Sammy settled into her seat eyes locked on Barth, glancing only for a moment at Calder. The poor thing was about to be in the middle of fight between her and Barth most likely and that would not end well.
The waitress nodded, "Yes sir, the drinks will be ready in a moment." With that she was off leaving the four students alone in the dark corner.
"Well. Pillows, you said we would have a little chat... so. Chat." Her hands found their way back to her jacket, Siddie beside her could see it, they tensed into fists shaking slightly as the slipped inside the dark cloth.
It was one thing to be tricked or trapped by a hunter, but by your friend? Oh no, that was a nasty situation that no one should have thought to put Sammy in.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:15 pm
"The burgers are good," Barth suggested, leaning comfortably towards Calder, and looking at the menu over his shoulder.
He looked up at Sammy nervously, leaning away again.
"Alright. Um. How was your day?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:17 pm
"Oh splendid really, right up to the part where I think a certain Sloth set me up to something." The venom was not very hidden behind those words.
"Why am I here Barth and tell me now before I have half a mind to flip this table and walk out right now. This is not funny, you of all people would be the last person I would think to do this."
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:22 pm
Siddie swallowed hard, squared her shoulders, and said, "It's my fault, really. But I - I felt that you deserved to hear this, even if - if we haven't been talking." Under the table, her fingers twisted on her napkin. "Because I made a mistake in not being fully honest with you before, though it was unintentional. So I wanted you to know too." She swallowed hard. "Barth and I have agreed to an engagement, as a mutually beneficial business arrangement. It has nothing to do with romance. A practical matter."
She clenched her jaw, looked at Sammy, and said firmly, "Samantha, you will not flip this table and ruin Barth and Calder's nice date." Her nails were digging into her palms now, her shoulders stiff and tense. Her stomach rolled. Oh Jack, was she going to be sick? She couldn't be sick now.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:29 pm
Calder was looking at the burgers that Barth pointed out, reading what was in them. Okay, he liked bread. He liked meat. It seemed to have lettuce. That was greenery. Seemed to be good. "I'll get that then." Calder said, smiling as he closed his menu in time for Sammy to yell at Barth. Protective, he glared back at Sammy. Yes, she whopped him before, but that didn't mean he wouldn't knock heads with her to keep her from yelling at his man. She was not going to ruin their time at the restaurant. He wanted to try the burger. It sounded FANCY!
It was then that Siddie spoke up, and even more than she had so far, but as she talked, Calder's ears dropped down. "Engaged?" His heart sank somewhere in his hooves, and his grip on the menu tightened.
She was quick to clearify that it was just business. Yeah. Business. Not romantic but, it just meant that she and him would be tied that way forever. Then again, could he really say anything. Barth agreed to be with him even though he was engaged. Still, he had sorta hoped in some way, that if he ever managed to defeat Murchadh and be free of their agreement.....but this ruined his chance.
"Oh.." He said, but it was clear that he was holding a lot in. "....and you said yes?" He asked Barth, turning to him and looking in his eyes. "I guess...well, I guess you can too. I just didn't think......No. That's good. A very happy occasion." He sounded like he was ready to crumble. "Congrats."
There went his appetite.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:34 pm
For a moment both Sammy and Calde seemed to stare each other down, the hallway flashing between them as they bickered about Barth's actions during paintball. For a moment it seemed like they would end up fighting as well.
But before that? Siddie spoke, and the world ground to a halt. Slowly she turned to regard Siddie eyes wide and face somewhat slack, yes they hadn't been talking, yes Sammy had some idea that Siddie had been set up for this, but with Barth!?
"You knew, I've been talking to you, about everything Barth, and you agreed to this. You... you where one of them? Set up without me knowing and you go and do this?" Her hands slowly reached to the table digging into the wood, her left hands bones slowly pressing into the wood flickers of purple lingering around the tips as she fought the desire to throw the table right then and there.
"Romantic... or not... this... You lazy, b*****d p***k of all people." She shook slightly her eyes starting to water somewhat.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:40 pm
"No, alright, well hold on," he said, "Yes, our parents set us up. But ultimately I suggested it. Siddie was, you know, having some difficulties. This is just a temporary arrangement."
He had rather hoped to build up to it, and eyeing the flaming hand on the table, was inching very slowly and casually behind Calder.
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:47 pm
"Temporary," Siddie repeated, with emphasis. "Because I would very much like to be able to afford to continue my schooling. Because legally, my father can have me dragged back there if he feels like it, since I'm underage. Because I would like to be able to gain some kind of skill with which I can eventually help to support myself when I can get free of my parents. And that? That requires me to be at school and that requires me to be on some kind of good terms with my family."
Her fists had clenched even tighter; under the half-gloves, her knuckles were probably purpling. She kind of wanted to hit Sammy, and she didn't know how she felt about that.
"So announcing that I've come to an engagement agreement with one of the candidates they picked for my sparkling future gets them off my back and lets me stay here. And I very much doubt I'm invited to any more stupid parties, thank Jack, and - and - " her breath hitched, and she wrestled with tears. When she'd gotten herself back under control, she looked across the table to Calder. "I'm sorry," she said in a choked-up voice. "Please understand, I don't want to take him away from you."
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:04 pm
Calder was wrestling with his own fears. He had felt that him being with Barth for this long as too good to be true. Any relationship over a week was the longest one he had, and Calder hadn't been happier. He was giddy at all times whenever he thought of Barth, that now that this was here, he felt it was probably expected. No surprise. This always happened to him. Just when he thought he was with someone, had a relationship, the person told him he didn't like him, or disappeared, or ...got engaged!
At least Calder could say Barth knew about his engagement BEFORE they dated, but saying anything to the demon would make him a hyprocite. He had no ammo and for that, he was left sitting, gripping the menu and staring at the words.
It was hard to listen to Barth now, and when the boil brushed behind him, his warm body against his, it just hurt more because he wanted to hug Barth and curl up to him and tel Sammy to bug off, but he didn't know what to do.
It was Siddie who caught his attention, and he looked up, eyes misty, as she spoke to him. It was temporary and something required for her to stay in school. She didn't want to take Barth away from him.
He was still worried, but he had to take her words. In fact, they were something he was in a situation himself. Murchadh, his band leader, wanted to take him out of school, and being engaged let him stay in his clan. To be a member of their group. It was temporary, but far too long than he would like.
He didn't smile, but he felt relief. "Don't ever change your mind." He warned her. On the temporary, and on taking him away.
Calder then leaned back in hopes of squeezing the demon. "......Barth....you should have talked to me." He turned over his shoulder to glare daggers at the demon.
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:18 am
Her finger still dug into the table ever so slightly. She listened but part of her wanted to scream and shout, to flip the tables and hit something. "I'm with the Kelpie, you didn't tell him, you didn't tell me, you just spring it up on me like I'm suapposed to roll over and be happy with my ghoulfriend suddenly being engaged." Part of that was a slip up, or was it? Her and Siddie had never called it off Sammy had simply said she didn't want to see Siddie.
Honestly part of her still loved the ghoul, even if the other half was furious at not being told anything, and now? Now it felt like everything was just getting worse. Engagements, money, always money. To keep Siddie in school though and her hideous parents at bay.
But all of this still felt like a harsh slap to the face.
So she sat back arms crossed FEAR flickering faintly around her left arm as she tried to resist the urge to punch through Calder to hit Barth's face.
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:09 am
"Er, I can't say I was expecting you to be cheerful about it. I was mostly hoping not to be assaulted. The restaurant is more of a buffer than celebratory."
Barth cringed at the glare. "...I am sorry, Calder, I wanted to tell you, we only came up with the idea recently, and after we made sure our parents were on board I thought it- it would be easier to explain all at once. But Siddie and I aren't...involved in any sense of the term. To our families, this is a potential business merger. This allows Siddie to give the pretext of cooperation without actually being committed. And we're both um, well, Calder- you and I are still- that doesn't change anything there."
He looked at Sammy,
"Please try to understand. We're not getting married. It's just to grant Siddie some freedom and time until she's graduated. And err, to keep my mother from worrying about me so much."
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Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:09 pm
Siddie flinched as though she'd been slapped. "There was no way to tell you t-that you'd be happy with," she said, and turned to look straight at Sammy. "But I wanted you to hear it from me. Before anyone else." She glanced over to Calder again, some of the forced confidence draining out of her posture. She should have asked Barth to tell him first, gently, so he wouldn't be so horribly shocked. She'd screwed it up again, in the middle of trying not to screw it up.
"It's not real," she said, her voice going quiet. Now that she'd looked away, it seemed like the hardest thing in the world to meet Sammy's eyes again; but Sammy knew her, could see the bare flicker of her gaze. "I don't want to marry anyone I don't love."
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