Date Interrupted
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 8:44 pm
October 28, 2025
Being done with his side of the Hauser case for the time being, Ciaran felt ready for a small break and wanted to focus his energies on pursuing something more heart-related. He had spent several weeks of heming and hawing over whether he had the right to ask a signature member of Hope out on a date. He'd known her from his childhood days of periodically hanging around Centennial Park and occasionally asking for her help on homework.
Now, the thought of dating a dryad would certainly seem unorthodox to most of the city's citizens. She was seen, by most, as a celibate protectress of the main nexus and a physical barometer of the power balance between Summer and Winter. However, he didn't see her that way; well, not entirely. The former dockworker viewed Sophia as a beautiful and intelligent woman who dutifully served the metropolis since its beginning, yet she seemed like someone who wanted more than that. At least, that was what Ciaran hoped.
He wanted to see if he could move past her prestige and simply get to know her, discover what lay behind the epic battles of city-saving and camaraderie.
He dialed the tree spirit's home phone number and waited for her to pick up.
Seeing the somewhat familiar number of Ciaran's home he shared with Aislinn, she picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi Sophia, it's Ciaran," he answered, the faint sound of nervous sighing coming through her end of the line.
A tinge of warmth entered her voice as she responded, seeming to light up at hearing his voice. However, she was slightly concerned at the bit of tension coming through the phone. "Hello, Ciaran. How are you? Is everything alright?"
'Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for asking," he said sincerely, having managed to calm himself to move onto the intention of his call. He didn't want to seem like a younger and just as uptight version of Archibald when he had called Crystal, or so he had heard from Bucky. "Sophia, I was wondering, would you like to go out with me?"
A moment of stunned silence followed, and she replied, "You mean as a date?"
"Yes, a date. Just you and me, taking a stroll around the park in the evening. I know this is out of nowhere for you, but I thought you might like to hang out."
"Um, all right. That sounds like a good idea to me. When?" she asked.
"I know the Countess' big Samhain gala at the ballroom is in a few days, but would you be available before then?" he suggested.
Sophia was expected to attend Lady McLeod's parties, at least to speak with any visiting dignitaries from other Winter regions, but an entire night of talking, dancing, and drinking usually left her quite drained, the Dying Days leaving her with less energy to go on. She mused she had enough energy beforehand to go out with the selkie and have plenty of time to plan for the party.
"Yes, I'll be available tomorrow night," Sophia responded, a bit of uncharacteristic summertime liveliness in her voice. "Will 10 o'clock do? Even during the time before Halloween, there aren't many people in the park. However, Tom is supposed to be over tomorrow to pick up the requested staff he wanted. So, you may see him when you get here."
The selkie could almost be heard beaming through the phone. "Sure, that's fine, and ten's great."
Sophia smiled, feeling more excited at the thought of a relaxed pre-Halloween night with a friend. "See you then, Ciaran."
"See you!"
***
9:45 p.m.
Having taken his used pick-up truck, Ciaran parked it in a nearby lot and walked the rest of the way to Centennial Park's front gates. While some of the park's small, late-night venues were still filled with patrons, Sophia's area was relatively quiet. The larger-than average, pendunculate oak loomed over other trees in the vicinity, its colorful leaves still clinging to the branches and swaying gently in the crisp, nocturnal breeze. Even in the darkness, the green moss covering patches of the trunk, branches, and roots almost seemed to glow vibrantly. The Centennial Tree had just the slightest gloomy air to it, showing that it was getting ready for its winter slumber in a few months.
Going with the casual feel of the date, the roane had worn blue jeans, a dark green pullover shirt, and rugged sneakers. The clothes hung on his frame in a way that showed off his fit physique, but they didn't seem like he was posing as eyecandy for her.
Seeing that she was already outside her home, he could see that she was making the last touches to the long, sturdy branch the incubus had wished to have grown and then deadened, trapping a sliver of the nexus' power and his Hellfire within it.
The horned female looked up as she saw his approach and smiled. "Good evening, Ciaran." She equally treated their outing as nothing especially serious, but her statuesque form couldn't hide behind the light purple sweater and brown skirt that reached to her knees. The leaves in her vine and moss hair matched the ones in the Tree's upper boughs; delicate frost crystals clung to the loose waves like tiny diamonds.
"Hey, Sophia. Thanks for inviting me. Is Tom still coming?" he asked.
"He should be here shortly. Then we can head out," she told him.
"Okay, then. By the way, you look lovely," he complimented, grinning at her.
Sophia was thankful for the darkness and hoped he couldn't see the faint, green blush spread over her cheeks. She nodded to him. "Thank you. You look really nice as well."
They continued talking for the time being, figuring they could go for a walk in a labyrinth that had been created as a symbol of peace after the Battle of Hope. Nowadays, it was typically frequented by contemplative types, arcane students, or even as a popular place to sit and eat one's lunch during the daytime, given its serene demeanor.
Being done with his side of the Hauser case for the time being, Ciaran felt ready for a small break and wanted to focus his energies on pursuing something more heart-related. He had spent several weeks of heming and hawing over whether he had the right to ask a signature member of Hope out on a date. He'd known her from his childhood days of periodically hanging around Centennial Park and occasionally asking for her help on homework.
Now, the thought of dating a dryad would certainly seem unorthodox to most of the city's citizens. She was seen, by most, as a celibate protectress of the main nexus and a physical barometer of the power balance between Summer and Winter. However, he didn't see her that way; well, not entirely. The former dockworker viewed Sophia as a beautiful and intelligent woman who dutifully served the metropolis since its beginning, yet she seemed like someone who wanted more than that. At least, that was what Ciaran hoped.
He wanted to see if he could move past her prestige and simply get to know her, discover what lay behind the epic battles of city-saving and camaraderie.
He dialed the tree spirit's home phone number and waited for her to pick up.
Seeing the somewhat familiar number of Ciaran's home he shared with Aislinn, she picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi Sophia, it's Ciaran," he answered, the faint sound of nervous sighing coming through her end of the line.
A tinge of warmth entered her voice as she responded, seeming to light up at hearing his voice. However, she was slightly concerned at the bit of tension coming through the phone. "Hello, Ciaran. How are you? Is everything alright?"
'Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for asking," he said sincerely, having managed to calm himself to move onto the intention of his call. He didn't want to seem like a younger and just as uptight version of Archibald when he had called Crystal, or so he had heard from Bucky. "Sophia, I was wondering, would you like to go out with me?"
A moment of stunned silence followed, and she replied, "You mean as a date?"
"Yes, a date. Just you and me, taking a stroll around the park in the evening. I know this is out of nowhere for you, but I thought you might like to hang out."
"Um, all right. That sounds like a good idea to me. When?" she asked.
"I know the Countess' big Samhain gala at the ballroom is in a few days, but would you be available before then?" he suggested.
Sophia was expected to attend Lady McLeod's parties, at least to speak with any visiting dignitaries from other Winter regions, but an entire night of talking, dancing, and drinking usually left her quite drained, the Dying Days leaving her with less energy to go on. She mused she had enough energy beforehand to go out with the selkie and have plenty of time to plan for the party.
"Yes, I'll be available tomorrow night," Sophia responded, a bit of uncharacteristic summertime liveliness in her voice. "Will 10 o'clock do? Even during the time before Halloween, there aren't many people in the park. However, Tom is supposed to be over tomorrow to pick up the requested staff he wanted. So, you may see him when you get here."
The selkie could almost be heard beaming through the phone. "Sure, that's fine, and ten's great."
Sophia smiled, feeling more excited at the thought of a relaxed pre-Halloween night with a friend. "See you then, Ciaran."
"See you!"
***
9:45 p.m.
Having taken his used pick-up truck, Ciaran parked it in a nearby lot and walked the rest of the way to Centennial Park's front gates. While some of the park's small, late-night venues were still filled with patrons, Sophia's area was relatively quiet. The larger-than average, pendunculate oak loomed over other trees in the vicinity, its colorful leaves still clinging to the branches and swaying gently in the crisp, nocturnal breeze. Even in the darkness, the green moss covering patches of the trunk, branches, and roots almost seemed to glow vibrantly. The Centennial Tree had just the slightest gloomy air to it, showing that it was getting ready for its winter slumber in a few months.
Going with the casual feel of the date, the roane had worn blue jeans, a dark green pullover shirt, and rugged sneakers. The clothes hung on his frame in a way that showed off his fit physique, but they didn't seem like he was posing as eyecandy for her.
Seeing that she was already outside her home, he could see that she was making the last touches to the long, sturdy branch the incubus had wished to have grown and then deadened, trapping a sliver of the nexus' power and his Hellfire within it.
The horned female looked up as she saw his approach and smiled. "Good evening, Ciaran." She equally treated their outing as nothing especially serious, but her statuesque form couldn't hide behind the light purple sweater and brown skirt that reached to her knees. The leaves in her vine and moss hair matched the ones in the Tree's upper boughs; delicate frost crystals clung to the loose waves like tiny diamonds.
"Hey, Sophia. Thanks for inviting me. Is Tom still coming?" he asked.
"He should be here shortly. Then we can head out," she told him.
"Okay, then. By the way, you look lovely," he complimented, grinning at her.
Sophia was thankful for the darkness and hoped he couldn't see the faint, green blush spread over her cheeks. She nodded to him. "Thank you. You look really nice as well."
They continued talking for the time being, figuring they could go for a walk in a labyrinth that had been created as a symbol of peace after the Battle of Hope. Nowadays, it was typically frequented by contemplative types, arcane students, or even as a popular place to sit and eat one's lunch during the daytime, given its serene demeanor.