Thursday never looking back (Carter)

[Astley Pyatt]

It was yet another Thursday helping out in the art room. Astley liked the work, to be honest. It was... not exactly relaxing, but more... meditative. If a little boring sometimes. But she liked to sort things and inventory things, and do all sorts of busywork that wasn't especially taxing. Still. It did get a little boring sometimes. Frequently, her mind wandered.

At the moment, it was wandering toward Halloween, and the Halloween dance. Because there was a matchmaking service, and she didn't know if she should sign up, and she wasn't sure who she would go with. Well, okay, probably Brooke, since she was a trusty companion when faced with social events. But Astley couldn't help but feel like she should have some sort of dating life. She was 17 for Christ's sake, she should be making out with every other guy she met, right?

Ugh, this power thing was frustrating. This self-doubt that she wouldn't be able to keep control, that she would hurt someone again - the thing that had made her close herself off to anything that could make her angry or... erm... passionate. Any time she thought about kissing someone - which she did, even if it was usually at night when she was alone or... no, not like that - she just remembered her manifestation and the horror she'd caused.

Except that there was another kiss that crept into her thoughts. That kiss that she would never mention because she still wasn't sure what had happened that night. Brooke had been drunk, that part was clear, so surely she didn't know that... Oh it was all just so confusing. Especially since Astley didn't like girls. Or, at least, she didn't think she liked girls. She'd never thought of a girl romantically, really. Except in the last few months. Except with the one person she really shouldn't think of romantically, for fear of ruining their friendship.

Astley was confused. So she put aside the thoughts of... whatever was going on between her and Brooke... and let her mind stray back toward Halloween. Because she wanted to make a splash. And, while she didn't really believe that was going to happen, she could still fantasize about it. And fantasize she did.

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter spared more than just an idle thought for the girl he'd met at the gallery that day. Busy guy that he was - he had thoughts for a lot of people he'd met in his life. But occasionally he had to wonder if her offer about the art room had been a genuine one - if he'd ever actually find her there. Carter was an artistic individual in her downtime, but he never bothered with the club. Or the supplies they offered. He had his own, and he preferred to work on his own. But the order he'd made hadn't come in yet, and he was begrudgingly desperate for a decent pencil. So he thought, why not check the art room anyway?

When he got there, it seemed like the room was empty - if only because he couldn't actually see her as he breezed past the windows. Landing in the open doorway, he made a point of knocking at the door frame before moving into the room. "Anyone here?" He asked, leaning against the frame he'd just knocked on. If not, he wasn't sure what to do.

[Astley Pyatt]

To be honest, Astley had assumed that Carter had forgotten about her, or been caught up in something else, or maybe misheard her when she'd mentioned being in the art room. After all, she hadn't yet had the courage to go to his room, even though he'd given her the number. But she was relatively shy, and he didn't seem... Well, whatever reasons he'd had for not coming earlier (and the thought never entered her mind that he didn't have a legitimate reason), he was here now. And surely he was here to see her.

A smile appeared on her face and a blush touched her cheeks upon seeing him. The other side of her raised it's imaginary arms in triumph and delight at being called upon for flirting. Because this would be flirting. She was sure of it. And now she was definitely glad she'd worn something short and cute instead of attempting to dress for the chilly fall air. Sometimes this power came in handy. Not feeling the cold of autumn was one of the upsides.

"Hey stranger." There was a playful tone to her voice, even if it was a little quieter than she would've liked. She set aside her papers, but wasn't sure if she should stand and go over to him, or lean on the radiator, or just stay put. She decided on something between the second and third options, standing from the desk she'd been working at and leaning against the side of it, the work completely forgotten. It wasn't anything horribly important, and she was almost done with it anyway, she rationalized.

A hand unconsciously went to her hair, tucking it back behind an ear as she shifted back into her flirting mode. It made her almost giddy, getting to play this part again. Her memories of that day in the gallery had been slightly altered in her mind, making it seem suave and romantic and... Yes, okay, it hasn't really had that smoky lighting, or the film noir soundtrack playing beneath it, and there was no passionate kiss anywhere in there, even if her mind had stuck it in for dramatic effect - but it had still been an exciting meeting. "Can I help you with anything?" Her head tilted slightly to the side, punctuating her question with a impish smile, eager to play again.

[Carter Chevalier]

Carter admired her playful tone of voice. Such a transition, he thought to himself. One that intrigued him greatly. After a short moment or so, he decided to enter the room, glancing behind him as if a sound caught his ear before he opted to close the door.

"I was looking for you, actually. I was wondering when I'd run into you again." When, not if. He'd made the move to choose his words carefully. He was sure that in time he would have seen her again, and in truth he hadn't expected her to come looking for him. He often started a chase, of sorts. It was almost imperative to.

But his eyes turned out, away from her and around the room. He rarely spent time there, despite how many years he'd been a student at Hammel. "You must be very trustworthy, to be able to help out the way you do." He said idly, finally allowing his eyes to settle on her again. "I don't suppose I could borrow a decent pencil? I was halfway through a sketch when my last one broke."

[Astley Pyatt]

His first comment sent a lovely zing of pleasure through Astley's system - so he was hoping to run into her, that was... the only word she could use to describe it was awesome. It was delightful, but better. She straightened slightly, a little proud that she'd caught his attention.

"You must be very trustworthy, to be able to help out the way you do."

...What was that supposed to mean? Astley wasn't sure, but the confusion kept itself inside her head. It was... nice? But in a way it made Astley feel a little bit like a goody two-shoes. Not to say that she wasn't, cause she basically was, but still.

"I don't suppose I could borrow a decent pencil? I was halfway through a sketch when my last one broke."

Oh. Astley wilted a little at his request, but she kept her smile up. So he hadn't really wanted to see her after all. Of course, why would he, she was plain and unworthy of his attention. Well, that sucked. But she could still try, right? Still attempt to keep his interest?

"Yeah, sure," she walked to the cabinet where the art pencils were and pulled out a pack. "Which type did you want?" Ugh, couldn't she come up with anything? Any sort of vaguely suggestive comment that would bring it back to flirting? ....The only thing she could think of wasn't really something she would say to anybody. So she'd just have to dig for something. "May I ask what you were sketching?"

[Carter Chevalier]

Throwing the thought around for a moment, Carter pursed his lips and mulled over a response. What was he looking for? "A HB graphite, if you've got one." The corner of his mouth curled into the hint of a frown. It really did bug him that it broke in the first place. "I like sketching people. Faces that really catch my attention; ones I can't really get out of my head." He admitted. It was difficult to admit something he had a genuine passion for.

"So tell me," Carter began once more, his mouth deterring ill feelings and offering something of a smile, "Did you find that this was a good enough excuse to come looking for you?"

[Astley Pyatt]

Rolling the pencils over in their case, Astley picked one labeled HB.

"I like sketching people. Faces that really catch my attention; ones I can't really get out of my head."

His admission seemed.... very sincere. She was a little surprised - and that combined with the sudden shift of topic made her feel like she'd witnessed something very private and personal and she felt honored. Honored? Was that really the right word to describe it? ...Yeah, probably. She felt sort of touched, like she was special enough, or maybe he was just so open with his feelings - either way, it was swoon-worthy.

And the fact that he claimed this was an excuse to come see her, well that helped too.

The flirt in her returned, tentatively, as she tapped the pencil against her other hand. "It is a good excuse..." she admitted, as though she were on the verge of decision. With a wider smile, she walked toward him, her hips swaying slightly, even though her mind was just bouncing up and down with giddy delight. "I suppose it'll have to do." Her tone was playful as she stopped a few feet from him, smiling but not offering the pencil, still playing with it idly.

[Carter Chevalier]

"I'm glad you liked it." Carter replied, offering her an amused grin in tandem with a nod. If nothing else, he was struggling to get those images of her out of his head. The artistic side of him had been intrigued about that transformation since he'd met her. Wherever that curiosity took him, he was willing to go.

Given the smile on his face, it was clear that he enjoyed her playful tone. Was it that he brought out a different side of her, or was she always this way? She had seemed so innocent at first glance. "I'm very grateful for your help, Astley." He began, extending his hand out to her even if she showed no signs of giving the little pencil up just yet; "Surely there's something I can give you in return?"