Great opportunities come in awesome packages [Matt]

[Matt Davis]

(( Maggie and I had moved the posting Medium to Skype. We broke down her last thread into pieces, and worked through each point where they interacted. The next few posts will be JointPosts on our part. ))

"Oh, my sweet little pet." Jen teased, although there was nothing little about him, "Drama hasn't even started yet. You'll know when it does." She sent him a wink and a playful smile and turned on her heels to continue walking. "And surely you will." A taste for drama. Everyone had a palate for that one. "Especially around me, hun. Things start to get fun when I'm around." She gave a slight shrug, already showing off her full head, "You'll see."

Pet again. She really seemed to favor calling him that. He wasn't exactly sure how to take it, but he wouldn't take much offense in it. Drama was..always something he considered to be a bad thing. When friends got into a fight, it was drama. When his ex girlfriend skank made out with Danny, it was drama. Why was she saying that she flaunted it? Why would that be a good thing.

"I'd think that trouble an' drama could be swapped… 'aint somethin' you go lookin' for… Y'make it sound like I will -want- t'have drama witchya."

Jen almost rolled her eyes. What a good boy he was! Ugh. He wasn't getting it. "Ah, but life is so dull without it." She said with a half smile, "You will want it of course. There's lots of pleasure in drama." She turned to him to smile fully. "And there're lots of scenarios where drama could be... let's say good for you. Two girls fighting over you? Drama and pleasure. Getting revenge on someone you hate? More drama." She sighed, turning and crossing her arms. He had so much to learn. "You mean to tell me there's no one you'd wish some... drama upon? No one you hate?" Come on. Nobody could be that good.

Two girls fighting over him…it was appealing, he guessed. It'd make him feel damned awesome for one! And it'd mean two girls liked him. That was always a great feeling, but the fighting and the drama that came with it? It wasn't the good part. And while he might want to wish drama on someone, he couldn't picture a scenario at the moment.

"Even iffin I did, I wouldn' think I'd want that drama at me, now would I? Lotta pain comes with drama. Pain an' heartache, right?"

Jen laughed at his response. Pain and heartache? "Only if you care." She said, placing a hand on her hip. She almost regretted saying it though. Wasn't she supposed to hide her cynical side from others? And here she was, giving lessons about real life to a random, though very cute, guy. "If you manage to keep your head cool in such situations," she shrugged, "You can do pretty much anything you want. And have anything or anyone you want." She smiled at him playfully, "Wouldn't that be great? You just enjoy the show. No consequences. And then, after all the hits are delivered by other parties, you get in and take what you want."

Matt let out a small laugh at all of that. It was an uneasy noise. She was right, probably. He didn't have any wisdom to really counter that. Taking what you want without consequences was what people wanted. It just was… but Matt couldn't do that.

"There's always consequences… Jus' cause y'ignore'm doesn't mean they aint there… Even if that sounds like a hella lota fun."

"But the consequences are for others." She refuted with a pout. He really wasn't getting it, and she truly didn't understand why. It wasn't that complicated, was it? You liked something and then you took it, consequences be damned. And if you couldn't take it? Well, then you moved the pieces so it was available. So what was the problem. "I think fun is worth any consequence, don't you agree?" She winked again, smirking up at him. Sure, the consequences she talked about usually ended up being hurting other people, but like she'd said before: if she didn't care then it wouldn't matter... right? She could almost see Caelum's dorky face shaking his head in disappointment. Gah! Quick! Change of pace.

Matt considered that for a moment. Fun was worth any consequence? Well, Fun was one of those things that might work for one person, and might curse another if the consequences were damned. He rolled the idea, her little tidbits of wisdom in his head before he shook his head. “Not any consequences, nah. Not for me.”

Jen turned to him with a grim smile. “You’re such a boy scout.” She teased, although she was displeased with these news. There was not much she disliked as much as goody two shoes people meddling in her fun. If the guy hadn’t proved useful before, she’d had left the moment he disagreed with her.

[Jen Mitchellson]

After her little advice, he spoke again. "Ah, but if you practice enough with say- a willing target," She grinned at him, fluttering her eyelashes playfully, indicating she would be that willing target, "Any piece of bull that comes out of your mouth will sound legitimate." Was she telling him to lie? Why, yes she was. She lied to men all the time to get what she wanted. She thought that was just how life worked. You lie to get what you want, right? And here she was, being all selfless and totally unlike her for the sake of mister fixit. Oh, Mister Fixit. She was starting to regret having chosen 'pet' as his- well, his pet name. She shrugged then, "And I'm a tad disappointed in of the no girlfriend answer." She added, "That would've been a nice creator of drama." Not that Jen had ever broken up a relationship before, not that she knew of at least, but it was still fun to think that she could. Still, most people in this town were far too good- too nice for her taste. Was she really that rotten or where they really that good? Either way, she liked herself better. It was, at the very least, more fun and Jen was a sucker for fun.

Matt couldn’t help but laugh some at the mention of her appreciating the idea of him having a girl. “Well hell, ya really are some sorta vixen aint ya?” He smirked down at her and brushed some hair out of his face. “Iffin y’want, t’add some flare I wouldn’t mind ya keep on thinkin’ you’re doin’ something wicked with this ice cream trip. I doubt any women’d come after you though.” He raised a brow some and considered that. The idea of a girl fighting over him was something to consider. “Y’ever piss off a girl that much?”

Jen laughed at his answer. “Oh, you’re just noticing that now?” Oh how she liked that name: vixen. That certainly suit her. Plus that little thing he did with his hair? Hot. She truly didn’t mind being called a vixen. “Let them come.” She said to the women bit, “That’d certainly make a good story.” She turned to him as he asked that last question. “Not that I know of.” She said after thinking about it. That’d been surprising, Had she? “But I’m not one for confrontation anyway.” She gave a slight shrug and smirked up at him, “This face wouldn’t bruise pretty, don’t you think? I’ll rather stay out of that kind of trouble.” She pauses as she thought about it some more. “Maybe I’ve ruffled some feathers here and there. I met this girl at the lake who didn’t seem that fond of me.” She turned her attention back at the windows of the stores they were passing. “But I’m mostly left to my own. Hadn’t made many enemies in Hammel, curiously.” Nor friends, but she wasn’t about to admit that. “That’s too bad though. I’m up for a little banter.” She grinned at him again, “It spices up life.”


“Y’into those soap opera things too, or d’ya want your drama to come with some actual heartbreak?” He spoke with genuine curiousity, though it may have sounded rude if she wanted to pull it out of the statement. When she mentioned the bruised thing he couldn’t help but smirk. “Yeah? It’d probably take a pick up truck t’make that face not pretty… But I understand y’point.” He gave a small pause as the smirk grew more. “How ‘bout that? How was that a compliment? Y’soonin’ yet?” When she mentioned the banter he slid in a bit closer to her and shrugged. “Well, I gotta agree with that bit… Banter spice can make any day a bit more worth-while, can’t it?”

“I wouldn’t say I am.” She said with a playful smile, “But I can certainly turn life into one if I’m bored enough.” Heartbreak though? “Let’s just say I come out of any and every drama intact.” A heart couldn’t break if there was nothing to care for, right? And she wasn’t about to let herself care for anyone enough to let that happen. That was just too… soap opera-ish, like he’d said. Jen grinned at him as he complimented her, “Oh, so you think I’m pretty?” Of course he did! She knew she was pretty, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like to hear it. “What else do you think of me?” She moved closer to him, squeezing his hand, “And yes, I’m swooning already.” She chuckled, playfully hitting him with her hip. He agreed with her and she nodded along. “Spice.” She repeated, suddenly thinking of Paprika. “Well, of course it does!” Ha, odd thought there.

Matt looked between them when her hand tightened around his. He hoped that her fingers were alright between his. It felt odd, but not in a bad way or anything. He gave her fingers their own squeeze and his thumb brushed over the back of her palm just as her hip hit his. He let out a little chuckle and shook his head some. “What else d’I thinka you… Well, y’seem fun so far. An’ full of y’self… But I can get it. You’re excitin’, so that comes with a bit of cockyness… But overall, I like what I’m on a date with so far… But if y’start t’fall, just fall towards me instead of away, yeah?”

He was caressing her hand now and, honestly, it was an odd feeling. Jen wasn’t used to kindness, she was used to rough kisses and getting right down to business, one of the reasons she constantly tried to stretch her encounters as long as possible, just to keep them wanting more. But a caress wasn’t something she was used to get, not like that and certainly not as random. She smiled though, despite her confusion, thinking maybe he was just that innocent, just that gentle. There had to be people like that in the world, right? Even if she didn’t understand them. “I am fun.” She agreed with his words, already feeling her pride grow bigger with every word he said. “Why?” She teased, “Are you going to catch me if I fall?” She leaned closer, not wanting to lose the power in their little banter, “How about give me mouth to mouth if I stop breathing?”

“Well it’s better than lettin’ ya fall onto the concrete… An’ hell, if it’d feel as good as holdin’ your hand, y’better know that I will.” He gave her a playful smile, part at the continued dialogue but also at the feeling of her getting closer. “Hmm… Mouth t’mouth? Well I think it’d be dangerous t’promise that… y’may pull a Squints maneuver an’ pretend t’pass out just t’get it, y’know? An if it’s real… Well, I’m sure my lips’d make y’feint again! An’ i think two feints in a row might just kill ya.”

Feel good? “Oh, you have no idea how good it can feel.” He truly didn’t, did he? Jen nibbled on her lower lip just thinking that. He was starting to be more and more like a big boy scout, some sort of Superman, innocent and gentle, and it was rather endearing, if not a bit frustrating. Where were the pushes against the wall or the rough kisses or the blatant flirting? This was new though, and Jen liked new. “You certainly think too much of your abilities.” She smirked up at him. Wow, was he tall. “I’m starting to think you’re all talk and no action.”

He smirked down to her some as they walked and shrugged a little. “Well, y’can go ahead an’ think that… But maybe I’m bein’ humble an’ I’m better than I say, hmm?” He shrugged some and looked ahead of them as they continued down the path. His finger still rubbed along the back of her hand absently. “Or maybe I am an’ y’might find out iffin y’pass out. But I aint got no complaints. An’ y’seem to be happy yourself… Or are we jus’ sort of bein’ pulled t’gether by some invisible rubber band I can’t see?” Of course he had moved himself closer just as much as she had, but he wasn’t going to point that out yet...especially if he could get away with just pointing out what he had.

“I guess I can always find out later.” She said with a shrug, although she was still teasing, “When we’re not in such a public place.” Hey, if a date didn’t end with a little making out then it wasn’t a date at all. At least in her book. He was still caressing her hand and she nibbled on her lower lip. It was hard to not smile at that. Who knew such a small gesture could be that nice? “Are we now?” She asked innocently, moving even closer, so her side was pressed against him, “I hadn’t noticed.” Of course she had, she’d been walking closer with each step. It was hard not to, what with him being so tall and big and her being… well, her.

Not in such a public place? Well… that sounded like a promise. And it sounded promising, consequently. In truth, Matt only had the smallest idea of what he was doing. He was pretty good at projecting confidence and wits when he was really nervous and ignorant. He could do a simple date, though… What would happen in a private place, though? He wasn’t as well versed as she surely was. “Yeah, I think we are… but hell, I aint sayin’ it’s bad or nothin’.” He smirked down to her, which was a little harder with how much closer the girl had come.

“Oh, and here I thought you were complaining.” She said with a grin. She couldn’t see him now that she was so close, not that she minded. He was handsome enough to want to be held by him, and just being this close meant she could tease him as well. “Just don’t get too excited.” She added playfully, “You still have to win me over and earn that… alone time.”