ONCE BURNED was made by MEL. Copying, altering, or stealing any of the site's content is prohibited. All of ONCE BURNED's characters are the original work of their owners and may not be replicated or stolen. All images and graphics belong to their rightful owners and ONCE BURNED does not claim to own any of them.
She studied him for a moment; It was such a difficult question to answer, because could a person truly seem as one or the other? While she didn't really have an answer to give him, she supposed she could use the opportunity to poke fun at him.
"A cat." She said, turning her gaze to the other side, only so she could hide the small smile splayed on her lips. "A Sphynx cat." She added, clarifying. "With a cute little suit and a bow tie."
She could honestly picture it. Perhaps that was the most amusing part of it all.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Carter didn't mind putting the potential decision in her hands. If she offered a good enough explanation, he might have actually gone for it. She mentioned a cat first and it already had him considering it. Even when she continued and she understood what she was doing, he was still thinking. He did laugh for her thought.
"I actually wouldn't mind a cat. It'd need fur, though." He proposed, shooting down her option, even if it had been a joke. "To keep me warm at night, of course."
She thought about it for a moment; "Then it'd have to be a pretty big cat." Like a Maine Coon or something. She didn't really have any preferences herself; She liked all animals equally. Fenrir had happened by chance, really. He could've easily had ended up being a cat. She wouldn't have traded him away for anything, though. He'd become as much part of the family as the rest of her family members.
"Would you get one from a shelter or privately?" She asked. She'd gotten Fenrir from a breeder, but the idea of getting rescue animals had always appealed to her. She hardly had the time nowadays, with two jobs that kept her more than busy.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
"I could get two." Carter quipped quickly, considering what his life would be like with two lots of small pressure to look after on the daily.
Humming to himself, he considered her question, which she mightn't have expected from him. Given who he was, people would automatically assume he'd want something new. But he turned his head to look at her in a brief second. "I could save a cat or two. I mean, the only dog after my own heart is Fenrir." And he couldn't go around trying to replace that.
"Would you come with me? If I went to adopt, I mean."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
She smiled at that: she loved her dog. She had since the day he'd entered her life. He'd been such a positive thing throughout it all and it was nice to know that someone, if only just barely, shared that feeling with her. "I know what you mean." She replied with a soft smile.
The question surprised her and for a second, all she could do was stare at the blonde. "Of course." She replied easily. Though, she didn't understand why he'd want her there.
"I don't know a lot about cats, though, so I wouldn't be much help." She shrugged. "I think you'd be better off asking someone who do."
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Though he couldn't look, Carter could feel her eyes on him. He genuinely liked the way he could surprise her after all this time. Proving how different he'd become was worthwhile, even if it wasn't his intention.
Her agreement had him smiling widely. He hadn't really been able to stop smiling since he picked her up.
"What's to know? They're fluffy, they're cute, they're... Cats." He explained, and he had to laugh at his own words. "I'd rather fly into it with someone I like over someone who thinks they know what they're talking about."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
He made a fair point, one she couldn't really argue. After all, had their roles been reversed, she'd likely make the some choice he was.
Still, it was such a strange thing to gear. Especially coming from him. "Then I'd be happy to go with you." There was little else to say about the matter, after all; She'd rather not read too much into it.
Not too afraid to sound like an impatient child, she asked; "Are we there yet?"
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
"And I will always accept your gracious company." Carter replied. Even if she liked to take digs at him, he could handle it. For someone with such an outlandish ego, he practically lived for finding someone he'd let take him down a peg or two.
"Oh yes, we passed it twice already. I just thought you'd like driving in circles for a little while." Carter offered honestly. And a second later, he broke his façade and laughed. "No, we're not there yet. The car would do this funny little thing where it'd stop all together if we were."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
While the difference was large, he still felt like the same guy. Though, this time sround they felt more like equals than what they had four years ago. "When you're too polite like that, it feels like you're up to something."
It took the brunette half a moment to realize he was pulling her leg. Her expression changed from thoughtful to narrowed in a split second. "Funny guy." She drawled as she pulled her gaze away.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Politeness didn't really seem like something in his wheelhouse. Not unless he absolutely needed to use it. Carter had the charisma of a different species, and it made feigning politeness a breeze. So she knew to scrutinise his attempts. That was clever of her.
"It's all part of my master plan to bore you to sleep so you'll never actually see where I live." He explained, waving a hand in the air between them while the other stayed fastened to the wheel. "It couldn't possibly be that we live at opposite ends of the city, or something like that."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
"Sass doesn't suit you." It did. Sort of. "I don't think you could bore me to sleep." It was hard to imagine. He often kept her on her toes. Not many shared that ability.
Her gaze turned towards the side window: it was easy to forget how large Stagfort was. Being used to Kalispell, she'd gotten used to the small town life. To think it could take so long to move from one end of the city to the other.
"If I hadn't told you where I wanted to go, where would you have picked?"
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
At the idea that Carter couldn't actually bore her so intensely, he chose to take it as a compliment. A smirk beamed from his features, because he wanted her to know that he found it so funny, and so ego-boosting.
Humming idly, he wondered just how much he should give away. "Well, I did consider being traditional. You know, dinner, something like that. Then I thought something that'd force you closer to me, like ice skating, but I considered that you're a clumsy wreck from what I remember." He shrugged his shoulders with a small laugh, letting it dwindle down naturally; "There's a place just north where you can see a lot of the sky without the city lights. I considered that too." Among so many other options.
"But I like the idea that you could have some power over things." Rare as that might have seemed for her; "Dating isn't something I do often, and my understanding is that its a mutual exchange, so not every choice should be mine to take."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
She laughed. More so because it was true, than it being funny. She was clumsy. There was no point in denying something so obviously true. "You've given this more thought than I thought you would." She said truthfully.
She appreciated the power she was offered so rarely. People seemed to think she wasn't capable of making her own choices. Or maybe they just thought they'd be better at making them than her.
"Giving away the control of the situation must have felt odd to you." She noted thoughtfully.
Carter Chevalier
Usually I hold the power with both my hands tied behind my back
Luxanna had a good point; one he didn't want to outrightly admit. No one wanted to express how odd it was to give up power on a daily basis, but there she was, looking right through him. "You're right." He admitted then, trying to make it look easy. "But you're worth the extra effort, I suppose." And the entire situation was wrapped extra effort for him.
Finally, he pulled into the driveway knowing she must have been relieved at that. Despite the fact that everything about him screamed an interest in modern life, the house he'd chosen was far more rustic. "There, you can finally escape the enclose space with me." He teased, dragging himself out of the car. He fiddled with his keys as he walked up the steps and across the wooden porch. "When I thought about moving here, I was so sure I wanted to live in the heart of the city. But when I found this place, I guess I figured the distance wasn't so bad."
Luxanna Cross
Never to touch, and never to keep. You loved too much, and you dived too deep.
"Hm." She mused, looking out the window as she mulled over his words; She wasn't sure she'd agree or go as far as actually believing that, but it was a nice thought, after all. She'd take what she could get, but if there was something she'd learned over the years, it was not to take everyone's words as the cold hard truth.
Finally, the car came to a stop and the brunette couldn't wait to stretch her legs. Or get some fresh air. While she hadn't minded the car ride, she'd never been one who enjoyed confined spaces. She'd always preferred open spaces. They'd always made her feel more comfortable. "Finally." She teased back.
Opening the door and stepping outside, the brunette stretched her arms in the air. She gave herself a moment to look the house over; It wasn't at all what she'd expected. She'd expected something white, possibly made of stone and very, very modern. "Who knew you'd prefer something so Arcadian?" She looked at him, smiling. "You're full of surprises tonight, aren't you?"