17 Apr 2020, 03:42
A Flash of Curiosity
The Talent Show had been a surprisingly enjoyable time. Granted, Evelynn had come with the anticipation that it would be, but like most things, she had held her reservations. Better to be prepared for disappointment than to expect grandeur. Then, at least, should the results fail to be anything noteworthy, at least they would merely have met the lowered standards; and should they exceed them? Well, that would simply be an added bonus.
Today, although some of the performances had failed to draw any sort of significant interest in the young Gryffindor, she could hardly call her time in the audience a waste. More than a few of them had displayed levels of skill and confidence before a crowd beyond what she would have expected of anyone her age. More than that, there were clearly some exceptionally talented individuals. For those, she had applauded along with the rest, the expression upon her countenance enough to express her appreciation of their efforts and the obvious evidence of what must have been hours upon hours of dedication honing their crafts. There were a few, however, who she felt the need to express her appreciation on a more intimate level.
Holmwood happened to be one such individual. After all, his performance was one of those that had most keenly caught her attention. Admittedly, that was primarily due to the fact that D'Spacito happened to be his partner at the keys, and the moment she had seen his name upon the program, had been quite keen to behold his state of vulnerability as he took to the piano. Be that as it may, however, that didn't discount the ability displayed by his companion. She hadn't been aware of his name until the program had placed name to face, but this wasn't the first time that Evelynn had met the young Slytherin. Besides sharing classes with him, she had seen him most recently at Seilun's birthday party, and mentally noted the way that he had taken charge of the situation when the original hostess had been forced to excuse herself from the role. He'd displayed a natural charisma then, and by his performance just earlier, it was clear that it hadn't been a fluke occurrence.
"Hey, Holmwood, before you go..." Evelynn called out, snaking her way through the crowd in the rehearsal room. A few had remained to socialize after the performances, by many had already taken to dispersing from the rehearsal room. She meant to catch him before he took his own leave.
Admittedly, she felt just slightly uneasy about her decision to approach in this instance. For one, she knew almost nothing about him. Granted, she wasn't really one to shy away from social interaction. In fact, she enjoyed crowds and large gatherings. Still, she wasn't usually one to take a bold risk in approaching anyone with whom she wasn't at least remotely familiar. In those group settings, she held to a tendency to watch from the peripherals, absorbing the scenery around her. People watch. Here, she was going off on a bit of a limb. More than that, she was doing so while in potential proximity of those who she wished to avoid. Perhaps this was a test for her as much as anything else. An attempt to prove to herself — and to them — that she wasn't afraid to integrate, regardless of the beliefs they held of her...
She pushed the second-guessing aside. It was too late for hesitation at this point anyway; she had already called out to him. Adopting a smile instead, she took a few steadying breaths as she closed the final few steps, angling herself to the side as she slipped through one particularly tight group in order to come abreast of her target. Her wardrobe was a simple one today: casual grey woolen dress with 3/4 sleeves, black leggings, and her typical black buckled riding boots.
"We haven't really met yet," she commented, stating the obvious with a crooked smile. "I'm Decipio. Evelynn Decipio," she held out a hand — left hand briefly before correcting to the right — as she continued, "I just wanted to commend you on your performance. It was quite good, actually." Admittedly, there was a part of her that had to admit that rather begrudgingly, as to say so meant that Rafael's performance had also been impressive. And she had no desire to acknowledge that particular detail. "I wasn't expecting to see D'Spacito up on stage. Was it your idea, or his?"
Last edited by Evelynn Decipio on 10 Jun 2020, 08:47, edited 1 time in total.
17 Apr 2020, 13:53
A Flash of Curiosity
The events backstage as well as the performance itself had taken a lot out of him, enough that his mind was floating on a cloud rather than the grounded spot in reality where it usually resided. That was why when moving to leave the room, he was taken by surprise to be addressed directly. It shouldn’t have been too surprising, there were quite a few students around Hogwarts who knew his name by now, but most called him 'Flash'. The girl who approached him in particular he knew he recognized, but his mind was too scattered to pick through and figure out why.
She had called out to him in the crowd, using his last name of all things, and admitted that they weren’t formally introduced yet. Even though he couldn’t place her face, he would never be so impolite as to forget someone who did him the honor of making themselves known to him. She almost moved to throw out her left hand, something Flash was trained to accommodate for, but righted herself instead when giving her name.
Trying to gather back his proper face, Flash righted his posture and gave her the firm but friendly handshake he was known for at that point, smiling generously with the added thrill of adrenaline still left tickling his heartstrings.
”Miss Evelynn, it’s a pleasure to meet you properly.” He certainly was pleased, it wasn’t often that he was given an introduction so properly. Most kids at the school weren’t upper class, so his formality often came off as over-the-top. The reality was that manners were predictable and comfortable. It put him at ease. ”But please, call me Flash, if it isn’t an imposition.”
She complimented his singing, a brand new experience for the secretive songbird, and it made his heart race to hear it. Still somehow, even after all the nice things people had said, he was sure that it was all a lie. That they were all trying to pull a fast one on him so they could tear him down properly later. He clutched his hands together behind his back so he could clench them nervously without being seen. She thankfully continued on, allowing the compliment to sit in the air and be digested in its own time.
Instead, she asked about the impetus of signing up to begin with. It was a fair question, neither he nor Rafael were particularly interested in sharing their talents before. Flash would never have opened up about his singing to anyone if Rafael hadn’t been so sweet to him in the owlery, and Rafael himself was a nervous wreck only moments before the act had begun. Anyone who knew either of them would have been surprised that they were taking part.
”Believe it or not, it wasn’t either of us.” Flash made a sound like a scoff, but the kind that was remembering a bad dream far in the past. ”We were signed up by someone else, but I suppose you could say Rafael convinced me to go through with it. He’s very supportive.”
The smile on his face when he thought about the way Rafael spoke to him was genuine, even dreamy.
@Evelynn Decipio
She had called out to him in the crowd, using his last name of all things, and admitted that they weren’t formally introduced yet. Even though he couldn’t place her face, he would never be so impolite as to forget someone who did him the honor of making themselves known to him. She almost moved to throw out her left hand, something Flash was trained to accommodate for, but righted herself instead when giving her name.
Trying to gather back his proper face, Flash righted his posture and gave her the firm but friendly handshake he was known for at that point, smiling generously with the added thrill of adrenaline still left tickling his heartstrings.
”Miss Evelynn, it’s a pleasure to meet you properly.” He certainly was pleased, it wasn’t often that he was given an introduction so properly. Most kids at the school weren’t upper class, so his formality often came off as over-the-top. The reality was that manners were predictable and comfortable. It put him at ease. ”But please, call me Flash, if it isn’t an imposition.”
She complimented his singing, a brand new experience for the secretive songbird, and it made his heart race to hear it. Still somehow, even after all the nice things people had said, he was sure that it was all a lie. That they were all trying to pull a fast one on him so they could tear him down properly later. He clutched his hands together behind his back so he could clench them nervously without being seen. She thankfully continued on, allowing the compliment to sit in the air and be digested in its own time.
Instead, she asked about the impetus of signing up to begin with. It was a fair question, neither he nor Rafael were particularly interested in sharing their talents before. Flash would never have opened up about his singing to anyone if Rafael hadn’t been so sweet to him in the owlery, and Rafael himself was a nervous wreck only moments before the act had begun. Anyone who knew either of them would have been surprised that they were taking part.
”Believe it or not, it wasn’t either of us.” Flash made a sound like a scoff, but the kind that was remembering a bad dream far in the past. ”We were signed up by someone else, but I suppose you could say Rafael convinced me to go through with it. He’s very supportive.”
The smile on his face when he thought about the way Rafael spoke to him was genuine, even dreamy.
@Evelynn Decipio
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
10 Jun 2020, 08:43
A Flash of Curiosity
Interacting with @Flash Holmwood
His grip was firm. But not overly so as to be painful or aggressive. Assertive. Even at her young age, Evelynn knew it to be an impressive handshake, especially considering how weak most others seemed to be. She met it as an equal, her mother having instilled in her as soon as she had been instructed on the etiquette of proper introduction the importance of a good first impression and the subtle nuances that the simple act of a grasping of hands could portray.
"And you," she had responded in kind, a polite smile on her lips. Withdrawing her hand from the greeting, she allowed it to drop to clasp over the back of her other hanging against her lap where she stood. An acquiescing incline of her chin accompanied the request of his name of preference.
Flash. How strange. She knew for a fact that that wasn't his name. It couldn't have been. Given a particular borderline obsession of a certain someone near and dear to her with the DC Universe, she was certain she would have remembered if there had been a student in her year had been called up to the sorting hat, referred to by that name. In fact, she was quite certain, unless she was very much mistaken, that his name was Demetrius. It had been the name of Holmwood, a name common to a certain equine Bloodstock, that had caught her attention during the ceremony in the first place. As a result, his given name — unlike most of their peers — was one of the few that she had inadvertently committed to memory.
But she left that curiosity pass without comment. At least for the moment.
"Oh?" She reacted, a brow rising in surprise as the boy indicated that the initial idea to perform had been born neither by he, nor D'Spacito.
Pliable, then? Given the way he had introduced himself so confidently, she wouldn't have expected him to be one to be easily influenced. And certainly not the impulsive Quidditch Captain, unless the idea had been planted that he were craven or incapable. Even more curious was what came next. D'Spacito? Supportive? The adjective was not one she would have associated with the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Then again, people weren't made popular by being impolite or unlikeable. They were only that way to a select few, their actions encouraged and socially rewarded by those in whom they found favour.
Still…
"Given what you said about needing convincing to go through with it, that was quite the gamble they took," she chuckled. "Although I suppose it's not as though there would have been any punishment if you'd chosen not to go through with it in the end. Pretty brave of you to do so. And kind, really. I'd wager that whoever it was that signed you up felt rewarded with getting to see you perform. Unless…" Her brows furrowed with mild uncertainty. "It wasn't a prank, was it? Was it meant to be an unkind thing? Of them to sign your names on the list?"
If it had been, well, what a way to show them. What an unexpected result that would have been, thinking to embarrass two individuals whom one might have thought talentless, only to see their performance be an outstanding success. As much as Evelynn hated to admit it, she'd been irritatingly surprised with how much she had enjoyed it. Well, not so much with regards to Flash, but rather his partner. She would much rather have seen her captain stumble and falter in his efforts. But… apparently he was not only a talented singer and pianist, but also supportive. In how many ways, she had to wonder. The smile gracing her conversation partner's lips had quickly been paired with an almost dream-like glossed expression. It was as though the boy had been afflicted with infatuation…
Interesting.
12 Jun 2020, 21:47
A Flash of Curiosity
Evenlynn seemed to hold herself with a nearly immaculate sense of poise. It wasn’t the sort of thing that went unnoticed by anyone, let alone someone who was paying attention. He wondered if it was a bit of reflection, perhaps his own posture and formality had given her the cue to act similarly. He wouldn’t know until he had more to work with, but it certainly wasn’t disagreeable to get to talk to someone who understood the concept of basic decency.
Already at ease in polite conversation, Flash chuckled when Evelynn mentioned the gamble Burnett had been taking in signing them up. Flash might have been mad about the prank if he didn’t understand where it was coming from. Perhaps he had been the only one who did, Rafael had been cross enough to pin the fox on the wall and threaten him with death. How much of a fatal threat a 12-year-old could pose, Flash didn’t know.
Unlike him, however, Flash was always trying to understand people, including people who annoyed him. It was a prank, one with the express purpose of causing discomfort, but it was much more complex than that. He was testing them, seeing what they were like together. How was Flash supposed to explain the way that trickster’s mind worked? It was hardly pleasant conversation.
”How astute of you to notice.” Flash was charmed by the path her thoughts took, learning so much from being told so little. ”A prank indeed. I would imagine he’s plenty satisfied by the results.”
Flash was never a very loose lipped person. Even when in a good mood, he rarely shared more than the very vaguest of shreds of information. Harmless details, nothing too personal. He couldn’t trust just anyone. Even close friends had trouble prying even the most basic information out of him. Flash much preferred talking about other people, and learning about them.
”What, have you been sent here to investigate the crime? Burnett did it, detective.” The comment may have come off as sarcastic if not for Flash’s genuine smile.
It wasn’t like it was a secret, Burnett himself certainly didn’t hide the fact. He signed up at least two others that he knew of, and mocked Rafael to his face. Still, he didn’t know what interest this girl could possibly have with any of that drama. He didn’t even know why she was curious, could she have just been making conversation, or was there a motive?
@Evelynn Decipio
Already at ease in polite conversation, Flash chuckled when Evelynn mentioned the gamble Burnett had been taking in signing them up. Flash might have been mad about the prank if he didn’t understand where it was coming from. Perhaps he had been the only one who did, Rafael had been cross enough to pin the fox on the wall and threaten him with death. How much of a fatal threat a 12-year-old could pose, Flash didn’t know.
Unlike him, however, Flash was always trying to understand people, including people who annoyed him. It was a prank, one with the express purpose of causing discomfort, but it was much more complex than that. He was testing them, seeing what they were like together. How was Flash supposed to explain the way that trickster’s mind worked? It was hardly pleasant conversation.
”How astute of you to notice.” Flash was charmed by the path her thoughts took, learning so much from being told so little. ”A prank indeed. I would imagine he’s plenty satisfied by the results.”
Flash was never a very loose lipped person. Even when in a good mood, he rarely shared more than the very vaguest of shreds of information. Harmless details, nothing too personal. He couldn’t trust just anyone. Even close friends had trouble prying even the most basic information out of him. Flash much preferred talking about other people, and learning about them.
”What, have you been sent here to investigate the crime? Burnett did it, detective.” The comment may have come off as sarcastic if not for Flash’s genuine smile.
It wasn’t like it was a secret, Burnett himself certainly didn’t hide the fact. He signed up at least two others that he knew of, and mocked Rafael to his face. Still, he didn’t know what interest this girl could possibly have with any of that drama. He didn’t even know why she was curious, could she have just been making conversation, or was there a motive?
@Evelynn Decipio
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
25 Jun 2020, 01:48
A Flash of Curiosity
The chuckle that had escaped Flash's lips had been met with an expression of pleasant puzzlement by Evelynn. Evidently, something of which she had said had touched on some aspect of the truth. Or so she liked to believe. The alternative was that the words that had spilled from her mouth were on such a preposterous level as to be ridiculed. Somehow, given any apparent lack of malicious intent in the peel of laughter, however, she didn't think so. And soon enough, he spoke to clarify the matter.
So it had been a prank. And the prankster would be "plenty satisfied with the results"? What was that supposed to mean, she had to wonder. Satisfied in what regard? They hadn't fumbled their performance; on the contrary, it had been marvelous. Or perhaps it was with regards to that which Flash suggested satisfaction had been met. Had they been desiring to hear their performances, but hadn't yet been graced with such an opportunity? Or had they been pushing for them to perform, and where suggestion had been met with declination, action had to be taken to force their hand? Or was it something else entirely..?
"Burnett did it?" While the boy's teasing — or so she had chosen to interpret it, given the smile with which it had been accompanied — comment had been met with the curling of a smirk and loft of an auburn brow, the revelation of the prankster had elicited a chuckle. "Why am I not surprised? If there was anyone who would push someone out of their comfort zone, it would be Burnett. I'd wager he did it to prove a point, didn't he. Had there been a statement said by one of you that you couldn't do such a thing as perform on stage, and he sought to prove you wrong?"
Or did he want to see how the two of you would manage together?
Given the reaction she had just witnessed a moment ago as the boy spoke about the haughty Gryffindor Captain, she wouldn't have put it past that crafty snake to do a little testing of sorts. Admittedly, ever since her run-in with Burnett in the dungeons of the Potions classroom, she'd almost been surprised he hadn't attempted to settle the score of the clever — if she could say so herself — use of one of the two favours he'd given her to force his hand to serve as her study partner for potions, and thereby finish the potion he'd intended to abandon upon her arrival.
Which reminded her… she'd never actually made use of that second favour…
[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Flash Holmwood[/font]
3 Jul 2020, 13:54
A Flash of Curiosity
Though at first it seemed she was almost surprised at the mention of Burnett, it swiftly changed into something more like delighted amusement. Shouldn’t be surprised, she said. So she must have had the honor. Not only that, but her short summation of his behavior was a lot more spot-on than he might have expected. Certainly either she had quite a lot of interaction with him or… well, perhaps Evelynn was just a brilliant deductive mind. At least, Flash was starting to get that impression. He liked it. What might have been a furtive smile in another conversation was boldly shown.
Perhaps it wasn’t smart, and perhaps his mood had been so vastly uprooted from it’s normal placidness that he had entertained the idea of letting all his inhibitions slide. Still, he liked Evelynn and the way she seemed to collect and analyze data. Like him, he supposed. Wasn’t that the idea behind mimicking someone’s behavior an act in order to instill some sort of false similarity? Well, not always. Clearly the next step was to try and figure out what kind of person Evelynn was. More specifically, genuine or putting on an act.
Evelynn had asked her own question in reply, gently coaxing more information out of Flash by making assumptions for him to either approve or deny. Flash rubbed his chin a bit, looking up idly at the ceiling. It might have looked like a clear sign of buying time, but accompanied by his amused look, it could even be said to look a bit like evil plotting.
”Ah, was that how Burnett was with you? Had he challenged your pride, tried to prove you wrong?” Flash was a bit curious, though he never intended to give Burnett the satisfaction of being talked about behind his back. But in this case, he was more of a platform to step on to get to the reward of knowing Evelynn better. ”In my case it had been a surprise. We were just signed up one day.”
Bringing his attention back to Evelynn to watch her expression carefully, he realized that most of the leaving students had left at that point. It wasn’t as though most of them were sticking around to socialize, they all likely had things they wanted to be doing. Had one of his friends caught him, he might have left to attend to whatever they needed of him, but since Evelynn started a conversation with him, the two of them were lingering in the rehearsal room as only the stragglers were left behind, as well as someone starting to clean up the decoration.
Why had she become so engaged? Did she have a bone to pick with Burnett, or an interest in people spending time with Rafael? While it could have been that she was just showing interest in Flash himself, he doubted singing alone would spur the kinds of questions she was asking. More like a private investigator going through the details of a crime with a victim than a mutual enthusiasm.
”I was lucky everything went off without a hitch. Rafael had quite a different experience. He was hardly amused.” Volunteering information was normally a bit out-of-character, but this had a purpose. Gossip, drama, secrets backstage. Was that going to catch Evelynn’s imagination, or would she stick to Burnett? ”Maybe he wanted to see if Rafael would forsake me, but he didn’t. He did something though.”
Burnett’s findings, Detective.
@Evelynn Decipio
Perhaps it wasn’t smart, and perhaps his mood had been so vastly uprooted from it’s normal placidness that he had entertained the idea of letting all his inhibitions slide. Still, he liked Evelynn and the way she seemed to collect and analyze data. Like him, he supposed. Wasn’t that the idea behind mimicking someone’s behavior an act in order to instill some sort of false similarity? Well, not always. Clearly the next step was to try and figure out what kind of person Evelynn was. More specifically, genuine or putting on an act.
Evelynn had asked her own question in reply, gently coaxing more information out of Flash by making assumptions for him to either approve or deny. Flash rubbed his chin a bit, looking up idly at the ceiling. It might have looked like a clear sign of buying time, but accompanied by his amused look, it could even be said to look a bit like evil plotting.
”Ah, was that how Burnett was with you? Had he challenged your pride, tried to prove you wrong?” Flash was a bit curious, though he never intended to give Burnett the satisfaction of being talked about behind his back. But in this case, he was more of a platform to step on to get to the reward of knowing Evelynn better. ”In my case it had been a surprise. We were just signed up one day.”
Bringing his attention back to Evelynn to watch her expression carefully, he realized that most of the leaving students had left at that point. It wasn’t as though most of them were sticking around to socialize, they all likely had things they wanted to be doing. Had one of his friends caught him, he might have left to attend to whatever they needed of him, but since Evelynn started a conversation with him, the two of them were lingering in the rehearsal room as only the stragglers were left behind, as well as someone starting to clean up the decoration.
Why had she become so engaged? Did she have a bone to pick with Burnett, or an interest in people spending time with Rafael? While it could have been that she was just showing interest in Flash himself, he doubted singing alone would spur the kinds of questions she was asking. More like a private investigator going through the details of a crime with a victim than a mutual enthusiasm.
”I was lucky everything went off without a hitch. Rafael had quite a different experience. He was hardly amused.” Volunteering information was normally a bit out-of-character, but this had a purpose. Gossip, drama, secrets backstage. Was that going to catch Evelynn’s imagination, or would she stick to Burnett? ”Maybe he wanted to see if Rafael would forsake me, but he didn’t. He did something though.”
Burnett’s findings, Detective.
@Evelynn Decipio
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
4 Jul 2020, 05:25
A Flash of Curiosity
What had begun as a fishing attempt to glean information on her idiot Captain had transformed into an unexpectedly enjoyable encounter. Admittedly, having never had the pleasure previously of formally making Holmwood's acquaintance, she hadn't realised she would actually stay for longer than she had intended. She'd already gained enough insight into whatever relationship it was that D'Spacito and he shared. Enough to do some further poking of her own, anyway. She could have taken her leave and offered her final congratulations and farewells and been on her merry way. But the conversation had taken a natural turn that continued to keep her attention.
What was more, it actually seemed — seemed being the authoritative descriptive word, here — as though the sentiment were mutual. Before her, as she administered her speculation, the boy's lips split into an unquestionable grin. And at least as far as she could tell, it wasn't because he was silently laughing at her. The idea that she could actually be having a nice, normal (relatively, anyway) conversation with someone… it was nice. Quite unexpectedly, she found herself emulating his expression, a smile having found its way onto her countenance as well. One that deepened all the more to accompany the cocking of a brow at the rather devious look that fell over his face moments later.
"Something like that," she laughed, pleasantly amused by Holmwood's assertion about she and Burnett. The encounter was still clear in her mind. What had begun as a defensive lashing out had quickly turned into something of a tête-à-tête. Whether a war remained to be fought, she wasn't entirely certain, but she'd stood her ground in that battle at least, and come out with more than she had entered. But there was no need to advertise any of that. "He's clever," she allowed instead with a non-committal shrug.
It was then that she noticed the flicker of Holmwood's gaze away to the area around them. She reflexively did the same, quickly realising that the room had been clearing out fairly quickly during their interaction. Which was, actually, slightly embarrassing. Hopefully nobody got the wrong impression. She wasn't left to roam long, however, as the conversation was picked up right where it was left.
"Oh?" She quirked a brow, not quite sure what to make of what Holmwood had just told her. Hardly amused? Yea, she could bet. Given how he'd blown up at her for just wanting to talk to him after the last Hufflepuff match, and his literally attempting to set her on fire for her audacity… She could only imagine how he would have reacted to being unwittingly signed up for something so personal. Had she not come into the conversation prepared to discuss the captain, she might have had difficulty keeping the glint of anger out of gaze. Fortunately, she had. "Well, he seemed to have recovered well. By his performance, I never would have guessed that he had been upset about having the chance to sit at your side."
But it was the last comment that made do a double take. The way he had emphasised the something… The gaze that Evelynn set upon Holmwood then, grey irises flicking between each of his as though attempting to read the unspoken intent. She knew very well what that something could have been.
"Is… Burnett okay?"
[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Flash Holmwood[/font]
10 Jul 2020, 17:14
A Flash of Curiosity
Evelynn confirmed Flash’s suspicions, accompanied by a delightful laugh. It seemed that despite her having become a ‘victim’ herself, she didn’t have the kind of deep-rooted ire that Rafael had shown, even calling Burnett clever. Though Flash wasn’t exactly the first in line to compliment Burnett on his method of engagement, he could at least admit that much. Cleverness to what end, though, was hard to say. Perhaps if it was sharpened and directed, it might have been something useful, but as it stood, Flash could only see it as obstructive and, well, more work than it was worth.
Had he benefited from taking part in the talent show? It was still freshly over, so it was hard to tell. In the end, Rafael had spent more time attacking Burnett than he had bonding with Flash. Perhaps it was a point Burnett was trying to make, or perhaps he had wanted to see what would happen for himself. Still, things would have been different if he hadn’t come by to poke the irritable lion to his breaking point. On the first pass, Rafael had let Burnett walk by without much more than a glower. It was only after he walked by a second time to taunt him more that he seemed to snap. Really, he needed to know a lot more about their previous history before he could draw any real conclusions from it. Though, more selfishly, he wished Burnett had left the two of them alone. Rafael was being sweet to him before the chatter fox felt the need to comment on it.
His thoughts ran hand-in-hand with Evelynn’s line of discussion. He could almost think she had the ability to read them, though he was learning instead that she was simply paying close attention. The assertion that Rafael might have enjoyed the opportunity to be beside him was… flustering. She had caught him out-- no longer able to keep his eye contact, he reddened as he tried to regain his composure, a furtive smile unable to be contained. Embarrassing for sure, especially since it was really quite an innocuous partnership. Rafael was complementary to Flash's singing, but who knew what he thought of Flash himself. He probably spared no thought at all. Flash shook his head to try to banish the foolish notion.
Though before he could recover completely, Evelynn seemed to become more serious, focussed. She wondered whether Burnett was alright… an astute observation. She seemed to not only have a decent understanding of Burnett, but Rafael as well. It didn’t come as much of a surprise given how much information she had been able to glean from him so quickly and efficiently. Who exactly was this girl, and why did she remind him so much of himself?
”Yes he’s alright, no need to worry. He’s endured much worse.” Flash wasn’t about to spill the tea to someone he didn’t know, instead keeping it extremely vague. Given the range of what Burnett had gone through in his first year so far, it would be hard to pinpoint what level of violence he was talking about.
Even though he was enjoying the back and forth, Flash knew not to dawdle. Flash’s theory for Evelynn’s purpose in talking to him was as a means of gathering information. She had done well to choose him among the three involved, and eased her way into asking questions without seeming like she was trying to pry. Given that, Flash couldn’t help but think how useful she would be beside him rather than across from him. He would be keeping an eye out for her, at the very least.
”I worry that I’m keeping you. Though I can say earnestly that it’s been a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Flash shifted towards the exit of the rehearsal room, holding his arm out in the universal signal for her to follow along. They could part in the hallway at her leisure. ”I hope we can meet again soon.”
Had he benefited from taking part in the talent show? It was still freshly over, so it was hard to tell. In the end, Rafael had spent more time attacking Burnett than he had bonding with Flash. Perhaps it was a point Burnett was trying to make, or perhaps he had wanted to see what would happen for himself. Still, things would have been different if he hadn’t come by to poke the irritable lion to his breaking point. On the first pass, Rafael had let Burnett walk by without much more than a glower. It was only after he walked by a second time to taunt him more that he seemed to snap. Really, he needed to know a lot more about their previous history before he could draw any real conclusions from it. Though, more selfishly, he wished Burnett had left the two of them alone. Rafael was being sweet to him before the chatter fox felt the need to comment on it.
His thoughts ran hand-in-hand with Evelynn’s line of discussion. He could almost think she had the ability to read them, though he was learning instead that she was simply paying close attention. The assertion that Rafael might have enjoyed the opportunity to be beside him was… flustering. She had caught him out-- no longer able to keep his eye contact, he reddened as he tried to regain his composure, a furtive smile unable to be contained. Embarrassing for sure, especially since it was really quite an innocuous partnership. Rafael was complementary to Flash's singing, but who knew what he thought of Flash himself. He probably spared no thought at all. Flash shook his head to try to banish the foolish notion.
Though before he could recover completely, Evelynn seemed to become more serious, focussed. She wondered whether Burnett was alright… an astute observation. She seemed to not only have a decent understanding of Burnett, but Rafael as well. It didn’t come as much of a surprise given how much information she had been able to glean from him so quickly and efficiently. Who exactly was this girl, and why did she remind him so much of himself?
”Yes he’s alright, no need to worry. He’s endured much worse.” Flash wasn’t about to spill the tea to someone he didn’t know, instead keeping it extremely vague. Given the range of what Burnett had gone through in his first year so far, it would be hard to pinpoint what level of violence he was talking about.
Even though he was enjoying the back and forth, Flash knew not to dawdle. Flash’s theory for Evelynn’s purpose in talking to him was as a means of gathering information. She had done well to choose him among the three involved, and eased her way into asking questions without seeming like she was trying to pry. Given that, Flash couldn’t help but think how useful she would be beside him rather than across from him. He would be keeping an eye out for her, at the very least.
”I worry that I’m keeping you. Though I can say earnestly that it’s been a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Flash shifted towards the exit of the rehearsal room, holding his arm out in the universal signal for her to follow along. They could part in the hallway at her leisure. ”I hope we can meet again soon.”
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
20 Jul 2020, 03:08
A Flash of Curiosity
She'd offered little more than an accepting nod of her head in response to the assertion that Burnett was alright. Really, Flash's response wasn't terribly comforting. As brief as it was, it had actually proven to provide a decent amount of insight. Granted, she had made the assumption that the something that D'Spacito had done related to his tendency to lash out physically. In this case, an assumption that had been directed at Burnett. She could very well have been wrong. It could have been that D'Spacito's something had been related to a performance of taking the higher ground, of taking the act of staying to support Flash to the next level, of something else entirely. Flash's answer washed any possibility away, however. Yes, D'Spacito had done something. Something to Burnett. She was right. But the what, exactly, remained in question.
What was more, his reply spoke to Burnett as well. He's endured much worse. Evelynn would hardly say that D'Spacito was anything to be feared, really. He could hardly cast or aim a spell to save him from what she'd observed. That aside, however, he had a physical presence that could not be ignored, and she'd felt the strength behind his swing first-hand. That coupled with his explosive personality was something that could cause serious injury. Not to mention that for being such a dullard, he had a surprisingly sharp tongue when he wanted to hurt someone. Enduring him wasn't to be taken lightly. But to suggest that Burnett had endured not just worse, but much worse.. It almost sounded like Flash was suggesting that Burnett had been faced with experiences few would even begin to imagine. Surely she couldn't think of what it might have been. Unless D'Spacito had been uncharacteristically contained and she was assuming worse than reality…
For several moments, silence spanned between them, Evelynn's gaze still flickering between each of her counterpart's eyes, perhaps hoping he would carry on with additional detail if she gave him enough time. As curious as she was, she didn't want to pry further. She knew it wasn't in her place to ask for details. Her pulse quickened the moment that Flash began to speak anew. Only to sink back to the depths of hungry disappointment a second later when it wasn't further elaboration that spewed forth, but instead a politely veiled suggestion to part ways.
"Not at all," she smiled, giving a slight shake of her head to dismiss the notion that he was keeping her. "The pleasure has been mine," she added, the shake of her head transitioning into a briefly declined tilt and bow of her chin. At his silent gesture offering for her to follow along into the hall, she responded with a bit of bemused dramatics, "As it happens, Mister Holmwood, you aren't the only one to put on a remarkable performance." Her gaze darted to scan the crowd before returning to meet his. "Looks like there are still a few others still here that I also wanted to give my congratulations to for a job well done. But I hope so as well, actually. It was nice speaking with you. I hope the rest of your day goes well."
One last smile and she'd excuse herself, allowing him to take his leave and her to wander to seek out the next victim of her praise.