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 Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:56 pm
Sylvia hadn’t seen much of Brian since Halloween, but that didn’t mean that he – or any of her new friends – were very far from her mind. She’d gotten a couple of gifts for a few people, though Brian’s came in the biggest box. She wasn’t entirely sure she knew enough about him to find something perfect, necessarily, but the thought was there and she hoped that he would appreciate it all the same.
She checked to make sure that the dark blue bow was still properly sticking to the snowflake wrapping before she knocked on the door. If he wasn’t there, she wasn’t sure if she would leave the gift at his door or try again later. Though the idea of trekking across the snow with the gift again wasn’t exactly appealing, she didn’t entirely love the idea of leaving the box leaning outside his door. She wouldn’t worry about that unless she had to, though.
For now, she waited with the long, flat box supported on her forearms, opal hair flowing in waves over her shoulders from beneath a pink, knit hat. She was adjusting to the warmth of being inside and more than worrying about possibly leaving the box behind, she would soon either be glad to get back into the chilly air or glad to slough off her matching gloves and grey coat.[ 226 words ]
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Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:01 pm
Brian could usually be found on campus unless he had gone home, and then there was no saying when he'd be back. Luckily for Sylvia, a voice echoed through the door toward her.
"One second!" Brian was indeed home, but he hadn't been entirely dressed after his shower. Considering the small list of people who knew him well enough to come knocking on his door, he didn't want to surprise them shirtless. It was an odd preference when he thought about the amount of time he'd been half-dressed in the bayou, but it wasn't something he felt the need to question.
He pulled the door open and smiled when he saw Sylvia, at first not noticing the box in her hands.
"Hey! Do you want to come in?" He opened the door wider and stepped back both to appear more friendly and to actually give the woman a chance to enter. It was then that he realized she was holding a somewhat large box.
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 7:44 pm
It was a relief to hear Brian’s voice call out from behind the door – followed by a rush of excitement. Brian had gotten to her with a gift faster than she had been able to figure out gifts for her new friends, and even if it was an assigned Xenia gift, she was excited to finally be able to return the gesture. She looked down at the box in her hands again with bright eyes and smiled, hopeful that its contents would be appreciated.
She heard movement behind the door and looked up as Brian opened the door. She grinned at him and graciously accepted his invitation with a nod and a step forward when he cleared the way. “Sure, thanks!” The smell and heat of a fresh shower came in waves. She turned back towards Brian, one side of her mouth tugged back briefly in a sort of grimace, “Hope I didn’t make you rush for the door too quickly after a relaxing shower.”
Sylvia smiled and planted herself, presenting the box in her hands to Brian, “I just wanted to come by and return Xenia well-wishes.” There was a twinkle in her eye as she watched him.[ 220; 446 total ]
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Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 3:57 pm
"Oh, no, don't worry about it," Brian said as he stepped back. He closed the door behind them to offer some privacy. Sylvia had been here before and hadn't seemed worried about the shut-up dorm, plus there had been that whole event after the bayou.
His friend offered out a rather large box and Brian's eyes widened. For him? he hadn't been expecting anything at all; he much preferred giving over receiving.
"Oh?" but of course it processed a moment later, "You didn't have to! Thank you." With the raw nerves of Beth's awkward Xenia-giving still a bit fresh, he began to unwrap the snowflake paper and opened the box. What in the world could it even be?
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Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:08 pm
Sylvia gave a light giggle. “Well of course I didn’t have to. But I wanted to!” She shrugged, glancing at the gift and back up at Brian, tilting her head a bit. “I consider you a friend, and I very much enjoy finding gifts for my friends.” It was, in fact, one of her favorite things to do when she got to know people better. She wasn’t really sure why… but she loved trying to figure out what someone would appreciate, what seemed to suit them. Hopefully she wasn’t all wrong and had done a decent job of finding gifts this year. Misha, at least, had seemed very happy. Beth seemed to enjoy her gifts, though they were small. Sylvia had anticipated being more stumped with what to get Brian, but in the end she’d found something she hoped he would appreciate.
Sylvia clasped her hands in front of her once Brian took the box, biting her bottom lip in anticipation. She couldn’t help but be a bit nervous. Inside the box, he would find two things: first, a long, wide, soft scarf with frayed thread fringes at the edges, in block colors of grey and a sort of ashy blue. This, in fact, acted as tissue paper would, being wrapped around the bigger gift inside: a picture frame, for several photos, with a dark, brassy finish. Somehow it had seemed like a good fit.
“I hope it’s okay. I was a little unsure on colors for the scarf, but I hope these are okay. And after my last visit… well,” she shrugged, “I thought it couldn’t hurt for you to have more frames for photos, just in case.” She had been watching the gifts more than his face while explaining, and finally looked up to see his reaction, a bit of a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.[ 308; 754 total ]
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:02 pm
"Me too," Brian agreed, and when he looked up from his gift fora moment his brows were playfully furrowed and one eye was half-closed in a joking wince. "It's sort of stressful, though, isn't it?"
Then it was right back to his present, instinctively tossing the paper onto his desk rather than the floor. He opened the box and was pleasantly surprised. Of course it was a scarf, what else would it be? He didn't have much as far as winter clothes, and though he had put it on his Xenia list his giver had never shown up.
He looped the scarf back behind his neck and let it drape down his shoulders and chest while he pulled out the picture frame. When Sylvia looked up, she would find him smiling broadly. It was a goofy, boyish sort of expression, but an honest one. Grey eyes flickered to meet hers when Brian felt her eyes on him. There was a moment's hesitation, then he opened up his arms for a hug.
"Thank you," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, careful of the frame and box in his hands.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:18 am
Sylvia gave a knowing, and slightly amused, smile. “It certainly can be.” Especially this year, when she was shopping for a number of people she was still getting to know, she could admit that she’d been a bit stressed. That wasn’t exactly her norm, but not everyone found gifting as enjoyable as she did. She found it almost relaxing when she knew a person really well – but that would take time for her friends at the Prytaneum.
The drape of the scarf made her smile. The way he had immediately adopted it was almost a better compliment than if he had said something first. She admired it for a moment and decided that at least she thought it seemed to suit him well. She might not have known his favorite color or anything, but the sturdy blue worked.
The grin on his face when he pulled out the picture frame was everything she could have hoped for. It seemed unguarded and genuine, and that was the greatest compliment of all. There was a difference between the sort of contained smile that most people had when they were pleased, and the sort of smile that brimmed over before a person realized its growth. Brian’s smile at least seemed like the latter, and she was surprised at just how pleased it made her to see it. When he opened his arms for a hug, she did not have the same hesitation he had, and slipped easily into his embrace, curling her arms around him for a firm hug.
“You’re welcome.” She ended the hug with a squeeze, beaming as she drew back. “I’m glad you like them.” Her hands found the edge of the scarf, and she ran her hand over it, then gave an approving pat. “You look quite handsome in proper winter clothing.” She gave a cheeky smile, wondering again if she was the only one who had noticed that he didn’t seem quite as prepared for the cold weather as he should have been. Her eyes flicked up to his head, “Though maybe I should have found you a nice hat to match.” Even with her full head of hair, she rarely left the house in winter without a cap; she couldn’t imagine how cold Brian’s head might get.[ 380; 1,134 total ]
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 12:26 pm
Brian gave Sylvia a decent squeeze as they hugged, and when they stepped back he didn't retreat far. His smile had relaxed somewhat, though it was still a bit sideways and large compared to his public norm. His gaze followed Sylvia's hand and his grin came back at the unprompted compliment.
"Why, thank you," he said, a there was just a blip of a drawl in the peripheral radar. Brian hadn't noticed. "Does it bring out my eyes?" Now he was teasing, but he didn't have any idea what colors actually complemented what. As it turned out, blue was a rather nice color to bring out the cool hues in his grey eyes.
Then something seemed to process, and Brian clicked his tongue. "Are you saying you prefer me covered-up to shirtless in the bayou? I'm offended." Still he was teasing, and his hand came up to rub the fuzz on his head. His eyes flickered up as if he could somehow see his own hair. "Yeah, well, Houston isn't the chilliest city, and I've been bald for years." It wasn't quite 'bald,' no, but he'd been shaving his head since basic back in high school. He was no fashionista and hair was more of a nuisance than anything else, so away it had gone. Hair also didn't help his baby-face, and that wasn't something to play around with in the military and especially not as a cop.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:13 pm
Brian had such a good smile. It was a nice, blooming sort of feeling to know that she had caused the grin on his face. And damn if that drawl wasn’t charming as hell. She laughed at his question, but gave a genuine nod, “Actually, it sort of does!” Surprisingly, that hadn’t been at the forefront of her mind, but the grey and blue was exactly the right compliment for his eyes, though the blue was darker than the bright highlights that popped out of his grey.
Sylvia nearly guffawed at his suggestion that she would ever shun a shirtless Brian, but laughed instead and looked him square in the eye with hooded eyes. “Now, I would never say such a silly thing as that.” She angled her head slightly, a sparkle in her eyes, “I’m simply remarking that there are many forms of Brian to be admired.” She gave a wink and grinned at him, “You are a man for all seasons.”
She chuckled a bit, “Fair enough.” Old habits died hard, she supposed, especially after being in the military. She wasn’t sure if it was more work to keep shaving your head, or to take care of your hair if you let it grow. She tilted her head and raised her brows in a bit of a questioning look, “Perhaps we could find you a matching hat together sometime. If you ever feel a bit chilled, that is.” If he didn’t think he needed a hat, so be it, but she couldn’t imagine that his head never got cold. Then again, he could always just drape the scarf over his head if it came down to it. He probably had a hoodie or two that could cover him anyway. Nonetheless, she’d leave the offer there.[ 297; 1,431 total ] grasshopper pie FINALLY ;; So sorry, love <3
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:23 pm
"Oh, does it?" One of Brian's hands rose to the scarf and he looked down as if he could somehow see the scarf and his own eyes at the same time. He had seen the effect on women, of course, but he couldn't imagine it on himself. His smile had fled and been replaced with surprise, but it came back just as quickly when Sylvia simultaneously complimented and teased him.
"Damn straight!" he agreed. For all he was goofing off, Sylvia's response actually made him feel a little bit better about himself. Sure, the draw was mostly in his body, he knew that, but even then he hadn't ever been the most confident. Whipping off his shirt in the bayou had been instinctual, though. There had been no time to consider who might be looking or that they would be looking at all. He briefly remembered Sylvia guiding him back to her room and stripping down right there, and he laughed a little. That had been a weird couple of days.
It was his turn then to tease her. "Sylvia, are you asking me on a hat-date? I thought you were better than that," he said, turning his head slightly and pretending to give her a stern look. Undoubtedly someone on campus knitted so a hat wouldn't be that hard to find, but Sylvia was a good person for fashion for certain. What would he even look like in a hat that wasn't all sharp corners and part of a uniform?
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:17 pm
Sylvia’s eyes widened a bit at his question, but there was a steady shine in them -- she wasn’t surprised so much as amused. She tilted her head slightly, a wide smirk on her face as her eyes glinted and she answered, “Why, I suppose I am.” She raised her brows and her smile relaxed into a mock-seriousness, “Though I think you are severely underestimating hat-dates if you think they’re beneath me. Or perhaps you’re underestimating me and my ability to keep you entertained even while just looking for hats?” Her eyes flashed as her statement turned again to teasing, the thought occurring almost at the same time it left her mouth.
She dissolved into a good-hearted smile and shrugged, “Besides, don’t worry -- it’s just a casual setup that can easily roll into dinner without you feeling too intimidated.” She winked and then broke into a wicked grin. She wasn’t sure why she enjoyed teasing Brian so much, but she did. In the back of her mind, however, she had to admit that such a setup wasn’t such a bad idea. Not that she had ever meant to ask Brian on a date, but it was sort of amusing to think that might be where they’d end up anyway.[ 214; 1645 total ] grasshopper pie AAAHHH <3 Sorry it took so long!
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:43 pm
"I would never." Brian was able to maintain a faux-stern expression for only a few moments longer, giving Sylvia a little shake of the head before his lips morphed into a smile and then into a grin. His hand, having risen to shake an index finger, fell before it had made it very far. Though the eventful times at the Prytaneum were pretty dramatically action-packed, his friends were the people that Brian felt he could spend time with during the down time. Work-buddies and plain old buddies were very different things, and making it here had reminded him of that. Sylvia happened to be a plain old buddy, though theirs, like most relationships Brian had forged at the Prytaneum, had started in the field as well. Hat-shopping would be plenty entertaining even if Sylvia wasn't trying to make it so.
The woman's coyness made Brian laugh, though, and he half-rolled his eyes in what was actually reflexive embarrassment. To an outsider, though, it'd probably just look like a turn upward. Brian hadn't even noticed it himself.
"Well! That's very sweet of you. You know my delicate sensibilities all too well." Only then did he remember that he still had the scarf wrapped around his neck, and he took it off carefully and laid it on itself on the bed. "You know where to find me if you ever do want to do something." After all, his list of activities had gotten a bit shorter with the loss of his job, and it was nice to get out sometimes. With two younger sisters, shopping was a perfectly acceptable excuse; he'd never minded shopping.
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Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:12 am
Laughter was the best reaction she could hope for. She was glad that Brian seemed to roll with all the teasing that came his way, especially since she originally wasn’t sure what to expect from him. She’d sort of put him on the spot quickly in their acquaintance, and initially had been worried that he would always react with blush. It probably helped that she wasn’t half-naked with him on a regular basis, though.
Sylvia giggled. “Well, I had to learn fast – I didn’t want you to be permanently pink around me.” She still remembered well how embarrassed he’d been when she’d handed over his shirt after the Bayou. It was still a little silly to her, but she couldn’t entirely blame him. This entire setup presented ample opportunities to get to know someone much faster than you otherwise would – nudity, or at least scant clothing, was not exactly something she’d expected either.
She gave a nod, “And you know where to find me.” She certainly hoped he wouldn’t hesitate to contact her if he wanted or needed a friendly face, but they hadn’t really discussed it before, so she took the opportunity to return the offer. “Well, anyway,” she closed the distance between them and stood on her tiptoes to hug Brian around the neck, “thank you for letting me intrude to finally give you your gift.” She dropped a kiss on his cheek as she settled back on her heels again and began moving towards the door. “And really,” she pointed at the scarf where he had laid it, “when the scarf reminds you of how cold it is out there and you’re ready for a cap to match,” a wink, “let me know.”[ 305; 1950 total ] grasshopper pie FINALLY, I'm so sorry ;; Apparently I have a two-month turn around lately. ;;
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Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:28 am
Brian's brows raised in question. Permanently pink? It took him a second to remember their first real interaction outside of the field, and the head that had risen to his cheeks and ears at the sudden appearance of a young lady in her underwear. Almost everyone had been in some state of undress, but Sylvia had started off more dressed than she had ended up. Really, Brian would have expected himself to still be embarrassed by it, but he wasn't. Maybe a punch to the proverbial face had been what he'd needed to get over himself, even if it had taken a day or two afterward.
As for going to find her, it rarely struck him to go looking for other people, save maybe Misha and Beth. How was he supposed to know when someone wanted him around? Then again, how did the other people know that either? Maybe he really should suck it up and start seeking people out.
"Maybe I'll stop by," he said, but he didn't say when. It might take him some time to gather up the will. Sylvia was sweet and certainly a friend, but he didn't know her as well as some others. Still, the hug came easily and he returned it with warmth. "Of course!" The kiss was more of a surprise, but it only made Brian smile.
He nodded as she left, walking her to the door and opening it even though it was only a few feet away. "I might take you up on that." Without really thinking about it, he reached up and rubbed the fuzz on his head, then let his hand fall again. "Thanks!"
Mika_Yumi It's all good! Do you want to consider this done, or do you want to post one more time?
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