February vssCollab - Nervous Dates
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Before you start reading...
You can read the twitter thread as it was intended to be read over at Sunlance on Twitter. I really just let this one go wherever it wanted to, but since it was February (good ol' month of valentines day) I knew I at least wanted to make it themed. So in the end I went with Callie going on a date - because all my irl friends love her and honestly, she deserves it.
Hope you enjoy!!
Callie looks around, taking a second to appreciate the convocation's attempt at upscaling the market, before focusing on her companion.
'How to mitigate the fallout of this impending disaster?' she wonders, offering her companion a weak smile.
Her companion - a human woman with pale skin, wide blue eyes, and a name that reminds Callie of some exotic food - looks at her expectantly. It makes her feel more like a harbinger of death rather than a girl just trying to break some bad news.
Sariel would probably say something about 'missed opportunities' but Callie doesn't really feel like fooling around with a stranger. Especially not one she hasn't connected with.
She averts her gaze, anxiety rising, and starts tapping her foot.
The silence has stretched too thin. Callie should say something, but her throat feels remarkably parched.
"Are you okay?" her companion asks. It's such a juxtaposition of her conventional role; Callie shows concern, not the other way around.
"Me? Oh, I'm peachy," Callie says, accompanied by an unsteady, squeaky little laugh. Not for the first time she wishes she could hop back to that key point of the evening where the two of them were sampling the local cuisine in amicable silence.
Callie had taken her to a favourite tavern, expecting it would give her the confidence to turn this silly little date into a success.
Fate clearly has other plans. Whichever god is narrating her story, Callie thinks she must have pissed them off.
Next time Callie might get Sariel to recommend a place. She claims to be good at this whole dating thing, after all.
For some reason, Callie's brain betrays her. She says, "I hope we can do this again!" so quickly it becomes an octosyllable word.
Curse her brain for being untruthful. She wonders if it's not too late to backtrack and set this whole thing going south, plummeting into the tragic, final quatrain of this dreary poem. But her companion replies, "I'd love to," and Callie falters.
"Oh! That's... good," Callie says haltingly. She could really use a little help right now. "Um, well, I'd love to stay and chat but I really should be getting home..."
Her companion tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear and Callie watches those near symmetrical features crease into a disappointed frown. The look sparks a dull ache somewhere in the hidden depths of her soul.
Gods, Sariel had said the date would be gratifying. Why did Callie trust her?
All she wants is to fade away from existence and hide from her embarrassment, but it might just keep her rooted to the spot until tomorrow's sunrise.
Before she can foster anymore embarrassment, Callie coughs to get her companion's attention. She can be astutue like Sariel and fix this, she just needs to get past those jittery nerves before this becomes wholly unsalvagable.
"Wait, that sounded bad, didn't it?" Callie says. "And a little rude... Let me make it up to you - this Soldies, let me take you to Tuskon's Chamber of Taste for the gourmet special."
The way her eyes light up would make Callie's heart flutter had she not already decided the night was a bust. Though, maybe Callie has judged too quickly and a second liaison with the woman might prove more fruitful.
'Okay,' Callie thinks, 'I'll try it. What's the worst that could happen?'
The worst is that the second date irks her too and she has to break the woman's heart. Gently, of course. But that's a problem for the future anyway.
"Callie..." her companion starts, "Tuskon's is an expensive venue, you really don't have to–"
"I want to," Callie replies. Before the decision can fry the rest of her brain, Callie offers her a smile. "I'll meet you after your shift at Aziel's?"
"Okay!"
"Great!" Callie sighs, relieved, as her companion finally walks away. Pleased that she can't serve up anymore stupid ideas, she starts to make her way home as well, only to feel a faint arcane shimmer in the air around her.
This particular shimmer she knows quite well. Callie turns, gaze falling to a rather smug looking Sariel, clad in a guards uniform that looks more mauve than grey under the evening light.
"Please don't, Callie entreats, raising a hand to try and cover some of the embarrassment on her face. She hopes whatever bond she's cultivated with Sariel over the years might help stay her tongue.
Thats seems unlikely though. Callie knows the youngest member of their ragtag band better than that; she's more likely to start speaking in hushed, conspiring whispers than stop altogether.
"What did you get in the end?" Sariel asks.
"Um..." Callie glances away, trying to focus on anything but Sariel as heat rises to her cheeks once again. "Just some 'za."
"Just some 'za?"
"What did I say about causing a stir?"
"Nothing?" Much to her chagrin, Sariel grins, lips tugged wide, looking as elated as a child who has just received the perfect birthday present.
That grin - Callie's seen it a thousand times before - usually precedes a risqué comment. Sariel wholeheartedly surprises her when it falls to a cooler smile, shakes her head and instead says, "sometimes you're too sweet for your own good."
"I– I'm not sweet!"
Sariel waves a hand, dismissive of her protests. "Fine, fine, good-natured then. I mean, you do realise the intention behind setting you two up was a one off fling?"
"I'm well aware Sariel!" Under the unwanted pressure, Callie's cheeks flare with unbridled heat. Sariel trudges forward, still smiling, and pats Callie's shoulder as if to offer her some comfort.
Scant though it may be, Callie leans into the touch. She takes a moment to look at Sariel, fresh faced and smelling faintly of roses, and wonders briefly why she's even here in the first place.
"Shouldn't you be on guard duty?"
Sariel shrugs. "I've got another half hour before I need to meet up with Jada. Besides, this seemed more urgent."
"Who wouldn't want to witness the creation of a beautiful relationship?" When Callie pouts at her, she just laughs. A few seconds later her expression softens. "I actually just wanted to make sure it went okay. That you were okay..."
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