~♥~

ELLA: you ready for that tattoo yet babes?

ELLA: my offer still stands whenever you are

CALLIE: oh gosh

CALLIE: I'm still kind of thinking about it?

CALLIE: trying to come up with something that fully conveys a meaning is tougher than I thought it could be

CALLIE: I'm so super sorry to be doing this to you last minute.

CALLIE: Also for however many texts I'll send you in a row.

CALLIE: Do you think we could reschedule our next lunch for a dinner instead? I got my new schedule and then I saw my brother and I see him hardly enough as is during the week...

          there was always something about callie that made castor grateful; he didn’t think he would be able to appreciate someone else as much as he appreciated her. she walked through life with this tenderness, this ability to wear her ingenuity on her sleeve, even if it seemed like everyone was trying to shove it down. that’s exactly why her latest words stung so much; a frayed rope pulling hard around the expanse of his heart. sure, maybe she couldn’t understand why he could forfeit the pleasure of speaking to his sister, but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he had done so then and there. he loved her far too much to let anything come between them, and the sap alone in that sentiment forced castor’s eyes to roll far back. his left hand found it’s way to the back of her shoulder, arm curling around her frame, and he pulled her against him in a warm hug  — a hug hedid not expect to give her tonight. ‘ i’m sorry, cal. ‘ he murmured into her hair, chin resting against her bed of soft, blonde curls. ‘ it’s just hard not really seing you til now. you know how i feel about change. ‘ every day he was getting better, but sometimes being ripped from the norm still sent cas into an emotional spiral, pushing him into a realm where he felt truly alone.

spencer’s gaze softened as he looked down at callie, his frantic state momentarily forgotten. it didn’t escape him that simply turning over his hand would allow him to hold callie’s, but his hand stayed still; reveling in the gentle touch would be enough for now. “yeah,” he said finally, still not breaking eye contact. “of course.” he took a deep, audible breath for her benefit, giving her a crooked smile. “reagan will forgive me eventually. i mean, she probably will if i manage to not lose the next one she gives me.”

“Atta boy,” she whispered, the corners of her lips still curved up, her eyes fixed on his. He did have really beautiful eyes, on top of that beautiful person that he just so happened to be. Not that that was anything she should’ve noticed ever, in her life. “Or else you can let her have something in exchange. Like upload an unflattering picture of you somewhere -- if such a thing exists. Like one with your eyes closed as a kid? Bowl cut?” Callie giggled at the mere mental image, squeezing slightly on his arm before pulling her hand away as gently as possible without making it an abrupt move. “Would you like to distract her while I go undercover through the wardrobe trailer?”

“ GIRL scouts, huh?” sage chuckling at the thought. “can’t say i’m surprised. sounds like something that’s in your wheelhouse, just by looking at you.” he was never really the type to obey the ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ sorts of rules. “well, look at you with all of your connections. i knew there was a reason i was keeping your around,” he teased, pushing his curls away from his face. “i’m sage, but you knew that didn’t you? i’d say you lived under a rock if you didn’t. i’m on lesliean. or at least i think that’s what i signed up for. who knows.”

“They’re a national organization. And, pretty badass from what I understand.” Not that she had ever used that word in public - that she could recall. There was always a first time for everything. “Oh. I look like I would’ve been one of them? Thanks!” It didn’t seem to be much of an insult, at least. Her smile widened a little as she nodded, even though she had never really watched the shows until a few months ago. “Um, yeah! I almost applied to work there, but then I thought maybe a newer show would be easier. Jury’s still out on that one. You’re just joining them this season, aren’t you?”

“hey, don’t do that,” he said, giving her a sad smile from behind his tower. “don’t sell yourself short. you’re a great person and you were a good girlfriend; what happened was in no way your fault. i was just… going through some stuff. which is a terrible excuse, but it’s all i got.” he sighed, wishing he could tug a hand through his hair or drum his fingers against his legs or any number of his nervous ticks which all required use of his hands. “i mean, i ran off to guyana shortly after, so impulsive decisions were kinda my thing at the time. so yeah – not your fault in the slightest. you deserve a lot better than me.”

“I’d like to think I’m quite tall enough,” she murmured, the slight smile on her face a clear hint that she was joking. “Right. I think your parents said it was a spiritual retreat, or Habitat for Humanity, or... a mixture of those things.” Her eyebrows arched up, color flooding to her cheeks as she hesitated, trying to focus on getting all the drinks safely from point A to point B. “You look happy now, though. I mean - you know. You’re going out with Riley? She’s a nice person, fun and outgoing.” The smile in place was slightly more genuine now, having gotten to know the actress by way of working together. It wasn’t weird if his ex girlfriend pointed it out, was it? He seemed better suited with a person such as the brunette.

“ NO, i assure you i’m not that awkward of a human being. i just – tend to put all of my socks in the same drawer, unmatched, and then just chance it when the day starts,” he laughed not completely joking. “but in all honesty, it’s not that hard. i like socks with patterns, so they’re fairly easy to match.” connor lifted his pant leg about an inch to reveal a pair of socks with mustaches on them. in his nearly three years at zenith, he didn’t think anyone had every asked about his sock choices, therefore he had never revealed them until this moment. “i suppose you’re right about that,” he shrugged, agreeing she had a good point. “i’ve been here not quite three years yet. which is crazy because it doesn’t seem that long. what about you?”

“That would nary count as a flaw even if it was real.” Callie smiled again, her attention caught by the male’s choice of socks, both eyebrows raising in an admiring manner. “Wow. I think only pugs with mustaches could’ve topped that.” Her tone was genuinely approving, as though nothing said more about a person than their sock situation. Now there was a reason why people should show off their ankles more often - and not only grandpas. Or guys who wore boat shoes. “It’s only been a few months for me. And by that I mean, well, give or take half a year. But I’m going to guess you enjoy what you do? And the, well, everything that goes on around here?” Because that question had made perfect sense, she supposed.

         it was rare that castor actually attended one of these events — not from a lack of invitation, he received enough of those. just as he had predicted, he was more to the side of the venue, trying to keep a distance between the mass of stars and himself. castor was suddenly eerily aware of how many strangers were around him, and that forced him to come to terms with the fact that he was truly uncomfortable in this space, swimming in a sea of faces he barely knew. it wasn’t until he heard her voice  — soft, and sweet, and forever guarded  — that he even realized his shoulders were tensed. he could pick her voice out from any crowd, a soft counterpoint amidst the chorus, and it only brought with it a wave of confusion. what did she expect from him when she came over, obviously aware that she had up and left the family not too long ago. if he were in her shoes, castor would have ruthlessly avoided her, but that was his sister, apparently. ‘ callie, what a surprise, ’ his voice drifted off, searching for somewhere to drop off and die out, but with no such luck. ‘ i’m glad you still remember who i am. ‘  he gave her a tight smile, still reaching out to squeeze her wrist — a mannerism he adopted for her throughout their childhood.

jace raised an eyebrow, lips pulling into a smirk. “scary face? oh, i gotta see what you consider a scary face. don’t hold out on me now, headey.” he pulled her in closer, thwarting off any others lurking around and waiting for him to leave. his gaze softened as he turned to face her, his smile genuine. “hey, don’t worry about it; you’re always gonna have me to come and rescue you if you need it.” jace wasn’t exactly knight in shining armor material, but the ones who went to war for what they believed in always had dents in their armor anyway. “i’ll take the bullet for your clothes any day; i’ve heard trying to get that shit out is a nightmare.”

“Shut up, it’s not like you can actually see anything here, what with all these lights.” Her expression very nearly resembled a pout after her excuses, arms crossed uncharacteristically in front of herself as she sulked. It wasn’t meant to last long at all, not with someone as warm as Jace in front of her, so she quickly dropped the defensive stance into something friendlier, more receptive. She smiled, nodding wordlessly, and reached out to lay a friendly hand on his arm, gaze fixed on his own. “I know you would. And you have no idea how much I appreciate you saying this,” she pointed out, eyes landing on her hand touching him, before coyly flicking back up towards his face. “But then what kind of a person would I be if I let your clothes get ruined? How about we just try not let ourselves get caught in that position to begin with?” A slight squeeze, smile growing wider as they both took the time to both tease and speak seriously at the same time.

“ DO they? man, i’ve been doing it all wrong,” connor laughed. he supposed this was one of those times that being male might impact the situations a little differently. taking the cup from the blonde, the warmth of the coffee felt comfortable in his hand. “agreed,” he nodded, thinking about the caffeine addiction most of the cast and crew seemed to share. “yeah, that makes sense. don’t want anyone turning red and puffy while shooting. or worse, i suppose. no, i’m pretty standard. i don’t have any nut allergies. just strawberries, but that rarely comes in contact with coffee, so we should be fine there.“

“Really? You look fairly well put-together. Although maybe you’re simply fooling everybody and everything in your wardrobe is color-coded depending on the day of the week you’ll turn up wearing it.” She gave him a critical once-over, smiling just to let him know she was joking all along. “I could’ve suggested strawberry milk, or strawberry whipped cream, so you’re lucky you mentioned this. See, some things are important to ask.” Having helped oversee several large gatherings in her family’s estate, however, had made her more sensitive to the common needs of the many -- and the least likely items to result in actual allergic reactions. Hence why it was simply smarter to stick to traditional items. “So, how long have you actually been working here for?”

“ I SUPPOSE that’s fair,” sage nodded, attempting that she had a good point. she could appreciate someone that could look at a situation from all the angles. “home for the elderly would be a good option, but yes i could see where health concerns could be an issue there. yeah, if you wouldn’t mind that’d be awesome. i don’t even know if i’d know where to start, actually.”

“Oh, sure! I mean, that’s what I did all the time with my mo-- whenever there was something, uh, slightly related to charity involved. In, uh, girl scouts. Or anything that... does that.” Callie’s face flushed slightly, her flub not going unnoticed to her own critical mind. “I’d just have to get in touch with someone in charge of the nurse station. And make it not come off threatening at all -- not when you’re suddenly asking people which patient might be allergic to which ingredient. I’ve got this, though. And that’s -- I’m Callie? I work on Super Human. Just as a P.A., though.”