Paces

[daybreak†]

((Kale Richardson continued from Let's Do the Time Warp Again))

Fifteen times.

Fifteen times he had loosened and tightened his silver tie.

Twenty-three times.

He had run his hand through his hair twenty-three times in the last ten minutes but it didn't make him any less nervous.

Kale stood infront of the mirror, staring at a different young man. A man in a suit, looking sharp, attractive and ready for the night ahead. Looked ready...Shame about his insides. He hadn't felt this nervous since his first attempts at a precision jump over a two metre gap with a three metre drop to concrete...Or maybe it was the first time he got caught practicing at a construction site...The Tracuer stomach flipped over itself again. Rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, he felt a little more himself. It didn't help how tight and restricting the vest he was wearing was, though. And his shoes...He could tell they had absolutely no grip what so ever. Formal, trendy shoes. He almost wanted to roll his eyes. How was he meant to pull off a Demi Tour wearing such impractical shoes? Kale just sighed. Seemed he was grounded for the night.

"Kale, honey?" He turned as his mother peeked into his room. Catching a glimpse of him she burst in, arms open wide. "Look at you," Coleen practically squeezed the air out of his lungs with a bear hug. "You look gorgeous!" Kale turned a shade akin to his hair.

"I feel a little stiff," he replied. His mother lightly batted him on the shoulder.

"Nonsense. Brad Pitt would be envious!"

"I find little comfort in the fact you're comparing me to a forty-something year-old-man, ma," Kale laughed half-heartedly. Coleen straightened his tie and looked him over.

"You have your grandfather's pocket watch and the corsage?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You rolled up your sleeves?" The teen shrugged.

"I was uncomfortable." The short woman could only shake her head at her son. Some things just never seem to change.

"I'll tell you what, Fox," with a pause, she reached up and fixed his hair. "This is a night for mostly the girls. Treat her like a princess. And make sure I get to meet her!" Kale tried to hold back a blush.

"I know, ma, I know. Open the door, get her drink and pull out the seat."

"That's my boy...Sweep her off her feet!"

"Ma! She's my prom date, not my girlfriend!" He protested, his face turning redder and redder.

"I'm an Italian woman, Fox. It's in my blood to want lots of grandchildren!" Kale nearly choked on his own tongue.

"I-I'm gonna be late!" Coleen laughed as her son raced for the door.

"And take the car!"

He couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough. The keys nearly fell out of his hand; he almost forgot the corsage he had spent so long looking for. Kale had to calm himself. Taking a deep breath as he slid into the driver's seat of his mother's car, he tried to slow his thudding heart. This was no big deal. He wasn't out to break any bones. He checked the silver pocket watch, tucked in his vest. Early, he was leaving early. With a frown, he started the car.

It had been about a fifteen minute car ride to Mirabelle's.

Back to numbers.

Kale hadn't been good with numbers. It was all theory. Practical had always been his strong point.

Ten minutes.

Was that too early? Early was good, right? Better than late. Kale got out of the car. Shutting the door, he steeled himself.

Twenty paces.

It was twenty paces to the door. He crossed the distance and stood at the door. Straighten your tie, Kale. Take slow easy breaths...Take the damn leap. He rung the door bell...and waited.

[Grim Wolf]

((Mirabelle Nesa continued from Fight Club))

Legs folded, arms crossed over her leg. The dress slipped backwards invitingly--it wasn't very long to begin with--but she didn't pay it any attention. Her eyes were staring vacantly into space. Her hair, normally a bit of a tumble, had been swept into a slick, straight black cascade that flowed neatly down her back and curled naturally around her shoulder. Her mother had helped her work on her make-up, though Mirabelle had spent a considerable amount of time on that herself.

She was ready. Physically, at least.

Will you calm down?

She nodded, taking a steadying breath, and then frowned. Why did she need to take a steadying breath? There was nothing to be nervous about. This was a prom date. She'd met him...what, a month ago? She didn't need to worry.

Still. Here she was.

"You really should be calmer," she could almost here Master Xiang saying. "It shall end exactly as it has to end, based on who you are and who he is."

You think that's all that takes to make a relationship fly? she shot back.

"Who said anything about a relationship?"

Oh God Damn it.

She sighed and got to her feet, pacing nervously. Heels. She hated heels, why was she wearing heels? They were useless; you couldn't run in them, you couldn't kick in them. Hell, she couldn't kick in this dress, either, but...

Well, whatever, it looked good.

"My god, Belle, you're going to wear a hole in the floor, you keep that pace up." Belle looked up; her mother was standing in the doorway, watching her with a rather peculiar expression on her face. "You look great, you know."

She shrugged, smiling. "When don't I?"

Her mother chuckled. "Knew I should have raised you to have more issues," grumbled Eloise, pulling up a seat. "You're way too confident for your own good. One day you're going to meet something as stubborn as you, y'know."

Belle's smile widened. "She's sitting in the living room."

Her mother laughed harder. "Oh, dear, no," she exclaimed. "It evolves with every generation." She thought for a moment. "Regresses, would probably be the better word."

They were both laughing now. Belle collapsed into the seat next to her mother, leaning against her. They fell quiet, and for a moment they simply say like that.

"Be safe, Mirabelle," her mother instructed, a sudden note of anxiety in her voice. Belle looked at her, puzzled, as she went on, "Whatever you do, be safe. Please."

Mirabelle hesitated, then with a laugh wrapped her arms around her mother and pulled her close. "Sorry, Mama," she managed. "Caution just isn't in my nature."

Her mother gave a weak giggle. "No," she agreed. "It never was."

There was a knock on the door. Belle got to her feet, sweeping imagined dust from her dress. She examined it--the sleek outline against a distance mirror, and a renewed confidence filled her. In spite of his peculiar mix of timidity and audacity--or maybe because of it--she rather liked Kale so far, and, well...

Well.

She opened the door, smiling. "Took you long enough, Kale," she drawled. "Only ten minutes early? You sure know how to keep a girl waitin'."

[daybreak†]

The door pulled open and Kale forgot the concept of breathing all together.

"Took you long enough, Kale. Only ten minutes early? You sure know how to keep a girl waitin'."

The Tracuer couldn't stop his eyes from sweeping over her. She looked so very different. He had seen her as a fellow athlete, a fighter...but as a girl, as a woman...

He released his breath, realising he'd held it long enough for his lungs to hurt.

"Sorry," he apologised, some how managing a nervous smile. "I'd been here sooner if I ran..."

He was staring again, taking in all of her features. His lips curved upwards a little more, but not from nerves.

"Why, Miss Mirabelle. I expected you to look beautiful tonight, but once again you've managed to take a step over my expectations."

Did I just say that? Guess the auto gear is back up and running...Kale had surprised himself. A little part of him prayed however that he didn't sound like an idiot, despite all his confidence. There was always one down side to acting before thinking...

[Grim Wolf]

"Sorry," he apologised, giving her a nervous smile. "I'd been here sooner if I ran..."

"Be here sooner if you ran?" she choked, laughing. "Kale, you're a great runner, but I think you might be overestimatin' yourself a bit there." His eyes darted down and then up, and Mirabelle smiled ruefully--she didn't suppose she could begrudge him a quick look, long as he wasn't a total creep about it.

"Why, Miss Mirabelle. I expected you to look beautiful tonight, but once again you've managed to take a step over my expectations."

Oh, fuck it, he can look as much as he wants. She was astonished to find she was blushing; her hand flashed to her cheek as she gave him an embarassed smile. "Well, god damn!" she exclaimed. "I guess you've got some game after all, Kale!"

"If you could please not use language like that in front of me, dear?" her mother inserted. Belle flushed an even deeper pink and stepped quickly aside as her mother sidled up from behind her, eying Kale with predatory interest. "You must be Kale Richardson," she more or less growled. "I'm Eloise Nesa." She extended a hand.

[daybreak†]

"Be here sooner if you ran?" she choked, laughing. "Kale, you're a great runner, but I think you might be overestimatin' yourself a bit there."

He laughed. Part of him wanted to get into the 'side streets versus main roads' but he bit his lip instead. Focus.

"Well, god damn!" she exclaimed. "I guess you've got some game after all, Kale?"

The Tracuer tilted his head, his expression blank. Game? He hadn't heard some one say that to him before. What did she mean? Was she blushing? Kale wasn't entirely sure. It had just come out of his mouth. Was he being rude? He was struck out of his thoughts by a chatising voice. Seeing Mirabelle's mother come to stand beside her, Kale simply smiled.

Waves of hostility. Oh, he felt it. But he had felt the same thing from his mother when an older woman had made a pass at him. He didn't feel too troubled by it. Why should he? He was going to make sure a pleasant night was ahead for his date.

"You must be Kale Richardson," she more or less growled. "I'm Eloise Nesa." She extended a hand.

Kale cracked a bright, charming smile; his energy levels peeking again. Some one new. He had recently learnt how good it was to meet new people. Taking her hand, he bowed his head slightly. A habit his father drilled into him when greeting a lady...

"Mrs. Nesa, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope I'm not intruding, getting here earlier and all..."

[Grim Wolf]

[It was game, by the way. You've got some game. I edited it, by bad.]



"Mrs. Nesa, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope I'm not intruding, getting here earlier and all..."

As Kale bowed Eloise, for a moment, looked taken aback, but then she managed to grin ruefully. "Oh, alright," she granted, the suspicious inspection fading. "I guess my dear Belle might be right about you. You've got some game." She gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't worry too much about getting here early. I'm told most girls take extra time to get ready for Prom, but Belle here has been pacing anxiously around the living room for about ten minutes now."

Belle flushed. Oh, thanks mom! she mentally berated her. Now he-

What? Knew she was waiting on him? Why didn't she want him to know?

"I'm not going to detain you kids too long," Eloise continued. "Let me get one quick picture and then you can be on you way, alright? Be right back." She vanished into the house, and Belle, sighing, grinned with embarrassment at Kale. "Sorry about that," she managed. "My mom, she...she likes things her own way. Maybe it's a French thing?" She gestured backwards, and then whispered, "By which I mean, I think all French women tend to be bitches."

[daybreak†]

((*Laughs* Should have picked that up...either way, his reaction still stands. The boy's pretty simple and innocent. Try throwing an innuendo at him...It's fun...*tosses innuendo at Kale*))

Kale's smile never faltered. Though he was still at a loss. Got game. He had heard the reference so many times before but no one used it to describe him, at least not in a social sense. Now flow; that was one he had heard from his fellow Tracuers. 'Kale's got flow,' he loved hearing that one. His smile turned wistful.

Drop it. Thinking too much always breaks your momentum... He pulled himself back to the conversation at hand. When Eloise mentioned getting a photo of the two he could barely stop himself from bouncing ball to ball on his feet. He hated the idea that there'd be evidence of him stuck in such a monkey suit like this. It's no big deal, yeah? The Tracuer turned his gaze to Mirabelle, and beamed. She was there to make the scene look at least believable. Kale in a suit, and stubborn Mirabelle being the cause. It made more sense. A small part of him hoped his crew didn't get to see him dressed up like this. Even wearing expensive cologne. It was just not like him at all. But as he listened to Mirabelle, his energy rose again. It was for her after all.

"By which I mean, I think all French women tend to be bitches."

Kale's eyebrows rose. He seemed a little unsure of what to say at first. But with a soft expression he replied;

"Really? I think she's nice," pausing to look at the door her mother had left through, he sighed. "Any mother who protectively glares down a guy for her daughter is alright in my books." He grinned again, turning back to her. "She's cool. Kinda like you, yeah?" A blank expression washed over his face as he thought of something. "Oh yeah." He held up the little box that he had been holding the entire time. "I got you a corsage," the Tracuer said as he opened it.

Inside was a delicate white flower arrangement, put together to fit snugly on one's wrist. The two ivory roses were framed elegantly with small white lilac buds. The silk ribbon tied into a many-tiered bow held it all nicely together on a silver wristband. Kale had spent so much time looking for it. Sacrificing hours of running to go from shop to shop to find just the right one.

"This one looked pretty alright. You said you wanted white and all...I had no idea what flowers you wanted, so..." he trailed off.

[Grim Wolf]

"Really? I think she's nice." Hee sighed. "Any mother who protectively glares down a guy for her daughter is alright in my books." He grinned again, turning back to her. "She's cool. Kinda like you, yeah?"

Mirabelle tossed back her head imperiously, to that her silk hair fell back in a black tumble. "You're layin' the flattery on tonight, Kale," she said playfully. "Hopin' to get somewhere?"

She was beaming at him, and it only widened as he offered her a flower. Perfect white roses, set up with a silver ribbon pulled nicely into place. "Oh, Kale!" she breathed. "It's perfect." She plucked it out of his fingers and deftly threaded it around her wrist, still smiling. "You didn't have to spend so much," she murmured; white roses were never cheap at the best of times, and two--in a corsage--during prom rush.

"It's very nice," Eloise agreed, sliding out from the house with camera in hand. "I'll need your mother's number, won't I?" she asked Kale. "She's going to want pictures, I assume." She lifted the camera to her eyes. "Get close to him, Belle."

Belle rolled her eyes and stepped backwards, sidling up next to Kale.

[daybreak†]

"You're layin' the flattery on tonight, Kale," she said playfully. "Hopin' to get somewhere?"

Kale blinked once, twice...three times before replying; "To prom?" Her cheekiness was utterly wasted on him. Kale was wondering what was so wrong about saying exactly what was on his mind.

His confusion faded into embrassment, however. Mirabelle liked the one he'd picked. He was pretty sure he was blushing because the fuss.

"You didn't have to spend so much."

The Tracuer scratched the back of his head.

"Well...It's not like I spend my money on gas," he said honestly. "I don't know much about flowers so I went with the ones I knew."

"It's very nice," Eloise agreed, sliding out from the house with camera in hand.

Kale grinned again.

"Thankyou, ma'am," he blushed once more, running a hand through his hair. When asked about his mother wanting photos, he couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sure she snuck some in. But, yeah. That would be great, thankyou. I'm sure she wants to have a picture of Mirabelle and I." Leaning down he added with mirth; "she's pretty set on meeting you, though. I think she'll be pretty steamed if I just give her a picture."

[Grim Wolf]

"Well, I'm pretty hot stuff, if I do say so myself," Belle replied nonchalantly. She gave him a broad smile. "You want to stop by your place on the way their? I don't mind."

Without thinking about it she snaked an army around Kale's waist as her mother snapped two, three, four pictures off. She pulled away, her fingers trailing across his lower back as she did, and smiled at her mother.

"When's my curfew?" she asked.

Eloise looked between the two for a moment, her brow furrowing, and then at last she shook her head. "You're a big girl," she replied. "Going off to college next year. And I trust this one. Unlike some of the others..." Her eyebrows bobbed suggestively, and Belle flushed.

"Just take of her, Kale, alright." She extended her hand. "It was nice to meet you."

[daybreak†]

"You want to stop by your place on the way their? I don't mind."

Kale nodded enthusiastically. It seemed like a good idea.

When Mirabelle moved closer, Kale swore his heart rate increased. It was like he was mentally preparing himself for a huge jump. Odd. He didn't quite understand his own reaction.

As he felt the warmth on his back, he calmed, though. In return, the Tracuer wrapped an arm around Mirabelle's shoulders. He smiled broadly. Friendly...it was all so nice and friendly. It made him feel so much more comfortable, as the camera clicked away.

He listen to the exchange between mother as daughter, still smiling as he always does.

"Going off to college next year. And I trust this one. Unlike some of the others..."

Kale brightened.

"Thankyou, ma'am," he said positively beaming. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of her. She'll come home to you in one piece, every hair in place."


((Sorry about the slow reply!!! Work decided to kill my brain.))

[Grim Wolf]

S'all well and good.

You wanna get us to Kale's house? I don't have much to say here.

[daybreak†]

The pair said their goodbyes and headed for the car. Kale was more than happy to get the door for Mirabelle and with a smile he stated;

"Well, it's no Mercedes. But it'll do, yeah?"

He jumped into the driver's seat and started up the car.

The for the most part of the trip, Kale was quiet, a smile tugging at his lips. The energy was flowing off him again. He was expecting a good night ahead.

"This is it," he said cheerfully as they pulled up.

[Grim Wolf]

"Well, it's no Mercedes. But it'll do, yeah?"

"Oh, I think so," she said dryly. "Certainly better than running all the way back." She gave him a grin as he held the door open for her, and slid inside. "Such a gentleman," she teased.

They spent most of the car ride in silence, which made Belle feel more than a little uncomfortable. Didn't he find her interesting? Maybe it was just that he didn't have anything to say? Oh god, what if he was a total dud and this night just a total blow-out, how much would that suck?

She glanced towards him, intending to say something, and saw that he was wearing a smile. So he wasn't nervous. Why the hell didn't he say anything?

She shifted uncomfortable into her seat until they pulled up at his house.

"This is it."

"It's nice," she replied, smiling as she stepped out of the car. She shook her head as though to dispel her anxiety.

[daybreak†]

Kale felt all too tense the moment he got out of the car. He had spent the entire ride trying to think of how good the night was going to be...but despite his cheerful out look. He was damn nervous. He couldn't conjure words to really express it either. He was excited and anxious? On the edge of a cliff with a safety net at the bottom that he just couldn't see?

Let it out. Look at her...let her know what you're feeling...he coached himself inwardly. Honesty is a virtue...Kale took a deep breath and managed a weak laugh.

"Is it bad that I'm really nervous?"