Branden
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Wandering...
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Post by Branden on Jan 6, 2005 2:43:32 GMT
-Invite Only, Thanks-
Branden stood, leaning against the wall of the Astronomy Tower, vacant in the middle of the day, and looked out one of the windows to the grounds bathed in light from the mid-afternoon sun. The black bird on his shoulder preened her feathers quietly, exposing the splashes of yellow on her tail matching the stripes on her neck.
Branden reached up to absentmindedly scratch Bryn, who cawed quietly. He was deep in thought, one thing - or rather, one person - occupying his mind.
After last night, he didn't know where he stood with Vivian. He hadn't been lying when he said he felt something for her. He sighed, and rested his elbows on the windowsill, lowering his chin into his hands. Ntohing could change what he felt for Branwen, but... if he was honest, it was fading. A little. She didn't want him, and Viv did. At least he thought she did.
And it wasn't like before. He had, now, given up on Brawen. She didn't want him, ever. Sometimes one has to take a different path through life than planned.
Branden reached up to scratch Bryn again, staring out into the distance.
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Vivian Pryce
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Post by Vivian Pryce on Jan 6, 2005 17:34:12 GMT
Night was the time that Vivian found herself enjoying to spend time in the Astronomy tower, sketching the night sky and the way the moonlight changed the look of the stone. It’d only occurred to her today that she’d never sketched the setting bathed in sunlight, never cared to see what stories the bright rays uncovered when she cared to look.
Bearing only a pencil and a sketchpad, she expected dully to find the tower deserted but instead found that she had very familiar company. Tucking the pad of artwork behind her back and hiding the pencil in her pocket, she cleared her throat conspicuously as she watched Branden and Bryn, noting the somewhat thoughtful expression on his face. She fancied that he was thinking about her, but some cynical part of her being considered the possibility that his mind was on the girl that she’d been used as a ploy to make jealous. Although she had forgiven him, some wounds still seemed unclosed. They needed to talk.
“H-hullo…” she began somewhat shyly, a few tell-tale clicks of her shoes against the stone flooring forewarning him that she was moving closer, if he hadn't already turned to look.
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Branden
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Post by Branden on Jan 7, 2005 7:39:32 GMT
At the conspicuous cough behind him, Braden began to slowly straigten up and turn away from the window, reluctant to tear himself away from his thoughts. When he heard Vivian's voice, however, he spun round to see her moving closer, and an immediate smile beamed across his face before he had time to remember to blush.
He took a few hesitant steps forward as well, closing the gap between them to a few feet. He knew they needed to talk, had been telling himself that all morning - but now that Viv was here, in front of him, he wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms.
This time, however, self-control managed to override instinct, and he merely smiled sheepishly, mumuring "G'day."
Bryn, sensing her master's mood, gave a slightly indignant caw and launched off his shoulder to do a quick circuit of the tower interior before soaring out the window. She would return once her master had regained his senses.
Branden wasn't sure if that was going to happen anytime soon. He took another small step forward, only just managing to stop himself from reaching out. He managed to say quietly, "We need to talk." He still smiled; he couldn't seem to help it.
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Vivian Pryce
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Post by Vivian Pryce on Jan 8, 2005 14:24:24 GMT
Branden's smile had always been infectious to Vivian, and so, she responded with her own. She remembered him telling her that she had a beautiful smile. Then, she'd been forced to wonder if he'd ever meant it when he said that as well.
The lies were the thing the got to her. Viv knew he had purposefully told her untruths for his own gain, and she wasn't sure that there would ever come a time that she didn't harbor some sub-conscious level of hurt and distrust towards him.
Sighing relief as he said exactly what she had been thinking, Vivian relaxed just slightly, though her stance still held a certain amount of her typical tenseness. Focusing her blue eyes intently on his face, she brushed aside a red lock absentmindedly with a jerky flick her her left hand, then letting it fall down and into a pocket that held her pencil and wand.
"S-s-so..." Viv began awkwardly, watching him intently despite how badly she wanted to look away. She needed to see in his face that everything he said was truth. She wouldn't be fooled again.
"Wh-where t-t-to begin..."
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Branden
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Post by Branden on Jan 9, 2005 4:51:25 GMT
Branden's smile faded slightly, and he lokked down to study the floor for a few moments. When he looked up to meet Viv's gaze once more, his brown eyes were sincere.
"I am so sorry," he whispered. "It wasn't fair on you, what I did... it was wrong, I know that now." The words spilled out in a rush, the hurt and the guilt beginning to show behind his eyes. Many long hours had been spent alone with nothing but the guilt, and now Branden finally had a chance to make reparations. He wasn't going to pass that up.
"I..." He cleared his throat, doing his best to keep eye contact with Vivian. "I used you... and I am so sorry. "
He finally allowed himself to drop his gaze, nervously twisting his fingers. He'd said his part - the next move was Vivian's.
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Vivian Pryce
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Post by Vivian Pryce on Jan 9, 2005 5:30:41 GMT
Vivian was struggling slightly, trying to get her head around everything he was saying. Though she watched his face intently, she found herself lost more in his sincere eyes than his actual expression, which she was trying to read unsuccessfully. She wanted to believe every word he said, to just simply avoid the turmoil of debating everything to the end of eternity. It really just wasn't worth it.
When his gaze fell away, Viv took a few small steps to close the gap between them, resting one hand on his forearm and smiling slightly. She knew he had suffered enough. She knew he was truly sorry. He had saved her life. What more could she rightly ask for?
Nothing would ever make things perfect. Vivian would be insane to expect that something would. Thus, she allowed herself to forgive.
"I understand... it-it-it's okay now..." She began, her voice trailing off, though her gaze remained eerily fixed on his face, her wide eyes not blinking once in the span of more than a minute. "Y-y-you're f-forgiven."
Viv could never articulate to him how deeply he'd hurt her. Thus, she decided not to. Best save it for a good guilt trip later.
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Branden
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Post by Branden on Jan 9, 2005 5:56:26 GMT
Branden was extremely concious of Viv's hand on his arm. He kept telling himself that it was nothing, just a touch... but it still burned.
He watched her eyes, and when she murmured his redemption he exhaled and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. When he opened them he looked down at her, reaching to brush away the errant curl that had once more fallen in front of her eyes.
And yet... there was still something. He still felt so guilty... who did he think he was, trying to put it all back together again after what he'd done? He was truly sorry, and he knew he would never hurt Viv like that again - the long days alone with his thoughts had ensured that. But he couldn't reconcile his deserving this girl in any way, not after what he'd done, no matter how sorry he was.
And so he just stood there, unable to do anything more. His hand was still paused on her cheek, and his eyes were locked with hers. He had no idea what was the right thing to do.
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Vivian Pryce
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Post by Vivian Pryce on Jan 9, 2005 6:08:00 GMT
Oddly enough, Vivian was not nearly as confused.
Before, the day she'd come here, this kind of closeness would inspire convulsions and seizing up and tightening of muscles and the end of nerve impulses to the diaphragm, resulting in her forgetting entirely to breathe.
Now, she was breathing even more steady, it seemed, than he was. The trepidation in his face, the way his hand paused nervously on her cheek. Vivian could tell Branden was afraid of hurting her. Somehow, at the moment, she felt entirely invulnerable.
Maybe she would be like Icarus, flying too close to the sun, burning herself and falling. She'd never put herself so much at risk as she did when she was with him. It made her do irrational things.
So, as her eyes remained locked with his, the tension built between them and Viv didn't really know what to do. Until, without any forewarning, she snapped. In one swift motion she locked her lips with his, letting out a breath through her nose and holding on to him for dear life.
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Branden
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Wandering...
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Post by Branden on Jan 9, 2005 6:28:59 GMT
The kiss took Branden entirely by surprise, so much so that for a few moments he forgot to breathe. However, once what was happening sunk in, it didn't take long for him respond.
Wrapping his arms around Vivian, he returned the kiss with as much fervour as it had been initiated. He lifted a hand to softly rest it against her hair, leaning down slightly.
Everything else disappeared. He forgot where he was, which day it was. He didn't hear Bryn cawing from the windowledge, or feel the sun coming out from behind a cloud to shine on his back. All that mattered was the moment, and Vivian.
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Vivian Pryce
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Post by Vivian Pryce on Jan 9, 2005 6:44:34 GMT
The entire world had been flipped around and redefined in that single moment. Her mind was torn between a state of complete blissful ignorance of the world around her and intense concentration at the same time. Her heart beat at a pace so rapid as to compare only to a muggle machine gun. And yet, Viv thought she could count each and every little pulsation of the cardiovascular muscles in her chest if she cared to.
Instinctively she drew him towards a solid wall where she in her dizzying frenzy would not lose her balance, her slender arms wrapping around him, fingertips gently grazing his back in a rhythmic pattern as she completely let go of reason. So lost was she in her hormone induced stupor that she did not hear the beginning clicks of footsteps leading up to the tower where Branden and her were seemingly alone.
The corners of her mouth slipped just slightly upward as the world slipped just out of reach.
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Andrew
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Vampire
Even perfect people have secrets...
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Post by Andrew on Jan 9, 2005 7:02:12 GMT
It was yet another dull day at Magic Horizons, another afternoon where Andrew Pryce, despite popularity at other schools, had absolutely nothing better to do than hide up in the astronomy tower and hope that he'd find someone there alone with their thoughts that he could converse with.
His white-blonde hair was intentionally ruffled, that and his pale complexion contrasting sharply with his dark colored robes. He stepped lightly but surely, ascending the stairs into the astonomy tower if for no other reason than to see the view that the artzy types liked to rant about.
Although this was some sort of revenge fantasy come true, he wasn't at all expecting what he found.
Andrew bit back a groan as he saw a rather involved couple, nearly turning on his heel and leaving, but something held him up for just a moment. His first guess was mere sick curiousity, but then he spied something oddly conspicious.
The girl had red hair.
With a twisted grin he fully identified her as his sister, watching with almost incestuous interest before he cleared his throat and stomped impatiently, putting on a facade of being simply a protective older brother.
"Vivian! What is wrong with you?" Andrew demanded, grabbing her arm and wrenching her away with a force that made her wince as the beginnings of bruises developed beneath the thick layers of fabric.
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Vivian Pryce
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Post by Vivian Pryce on Jan 9, 2005 7:13:09 GMT
The perfect little world that her mind had created in this moment was shattered so suddenly that Vivian nearly lost her footing at the shock. Rudely awakened by the sound of a stern, masculine voice, she expected to mumble apologies to a professor but instead found herself face to face with her worst nightmare.
The force of his fingers digging into her arm made her eyes well up with tears. Viv struggled to break free of his grasp and nursed her arm when she finally did, glaring at him with a slight sense of defiance before the terror took hold of her and she fell silent.
"I-I-I-I-I'm s-s-sorry..." she stammered out, repressing the words she actually wanted to say knowing that not doing so could and would cost her dearly. If the extent of her fear had not been apparent before, it was now. Vivian forgot entirely to feel exposed and remembered only to submit no matter how it hurt her pride to do so. Bruises of the ego hurt her less than bruises of the flesh.
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Branden
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Post by Branden on Jan 9, 2005 7:23:23 GMT
Branden's eyes flew open as the kiss was broken so abruptly, and it took him a moment to recognise Andrew. Once he did, however, his face hardened, his eyes flashing with resurrected anger.
Even if he hadn't recognised the boy from their brief encounter in the Dance Hall so many months before, Vivian's immediate reaction to him would have caused Branden to do the exact same thing.
He immediately positioned himself in front of Vivian, between her and her brother, gently moving her back a step or two. He wasn't about to see her hurt or abused in any way, not now.
She might submit, but Branden wouldn't let Andrew anywhere near her without a fight.
"She's busy," he said curtly, watching the other boy's eyes. Branden was a few inches taller than Vivian's brother, and the other wasn't exactly Arnold Schwartzanegger; still, it wasn't clear who would best who in a fight.
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Andrew
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Even perfect people have secrets...
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Post by Andrew on Jan 9, 2005 7:32:52 GMT
The way Branden reacted honestly caught him off guard. Andrew wasn't used to people fighting or rebelling against him. Despite the bit of shock, he quickly regained his composure, narrowing is blue-gray eyes to slits and sending Branden an acidic glare. He wasn't tall, but he was relatively built for his height and also nursing a somewhat damaged pride. This guy was making him look bad.
He wanted to just snatch at Vivian but knew that Branden wouldn't let him do that on purpose. Sneering to an extent that could have been deemed impossible had the expression not been right on his face, he grabbed at the fabric on the other male's shoulders agressively, his voice coming out in a low, sarcastic growl.
"So you're the only one allowed to hurt Vivian now?" Taking a moment to look around Branden, he caught a glimpse of his younger sister, standing visibly shaken a few feet back, not wanting Branden to fight her battles for her but being too afraid to move.
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Branden
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Post by Branden on Jan 9, 2005 7:45:26 GMT
Branden wasn't especially surprised by Andrew's reaction, and simply stood there while the other grabbed at his garment. The boy was predictable; bruise his ego, and he'd react.
At Andrew's remark, however, Branden's face hardened further, and his eyes seem to darken. No matter what was said between himself and Vivian, nothing was ever going to completely remove the guilt he felt at hurting her - and this was perhaps as it should be. Andrew's remark had touched that guilt and sent it flaming up again.
Now, however, Branden fed the fire with determination. Determination never to hurt Viv again, and to stop those who would. As he stood there, Andrew's hands on Branden's cloak and their gazes locked, Branden wished let the anger consume him. Vivian had never fully revealed the extent to which she'd been hurt by this boy, but Branden could see it. A lifetime of scars.
And with these thoughts pounding through his brain, he swiftly brought his knee up to connect firmly with the other boy's groin. As he did so, he twisted away from Andrew's hands and gave him a shove toward the wall, away from Vivian.
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