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Crisis averted. Maybe, hopefully. How they managed to outpace that giant Durant, she doesn’t know.[break][break]

But she’s not about to question it, either.[break][break]

“Yeah, all good here,” she agrees with her brother, though the heat also irritates her just the same. Even less fond of warm overly weather than he is. And something about this place, both times that they’ve visited, has been ridiculously and unseasonably warm.[break][break]

Regardless, she slips off of the back of her meganium and gravitates toward Uriah. Just the same as he does. Her hand lifts to rest on his arm. “Are you?” she returns, before shortly being distracted by Kieran Roth’s exclamation.[break][break]

“Woah,” she steps closer to the edge of the massive crater in the earth. Teeters when some of the rocky soil slips under her feet. “Careful Kier, the ground seems kinda crumbly in spots.” Last thing they need is either of them tumbling down into the expansive hole and breaking a leg or something.[break][break]

Squinting, she notices something down in the basin of the crater. She turns back toward the group. “Is that a message down there?”

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She laughs, eyes rolling. "Guess we could always test the theory."[break][break]

It's something she should know better than to do. Is it a good or bad thing that he's loosened up that uptight need in her to follow the rules? She's bound to find out at this rate.[break][break]

But even if Calla doesn't want to fess up to it, there's a certain thrill in the idea of being sneaky out in the open.[break][break]

"Oh. Easily, I'm sure." she's playful as she says as much, though she's bound to be a buzzkill just too much at some point or another. Maybe.[break][break]

Her nose wrinkles as he kisses it, and she dips forward to let their foreheads rest together.[break][break]

"You're too sweet to me, Uri. It's like, tooth rotting." Except she finds she doesn't really mind all that much at all.

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For now, the intended purpose of baking is forgotten. “It’s the worst. How am I supposed to be productive under these conditions?”[break][break]

She eyes him as he draws closer, slowing the kick of her feet even as he dodged them easily. As he tilts closer, she holds herself still. The curl of a smirk dances at the corners of her mouth.[break][break]

“Because neither of those options are suspicious at all..”

Her hands lift, slipping along the line of his jaw, thumbs tracing curves under his eyes. She laughs—the sound light, breezy.[break][break]

“You’d be sick and tired of me in your office all day long.”

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"Ugh, already?"[break][break]

Somehow, she's back within this wild area and it's barely been minutes before they're assailed by some new creature. Well not really minutes, but it feels like minutes. "Are they supposed to be that big?" Calla yells back over her shoulder as she looks at the giant durant thundering after them.[break][break]

At least her meganium is better able to keep up with the rest of the group than her abomasnow had been able to in their previous encounter. Her arms wrap around his long neck as she hangs on for dear life.[break][break]

It's all kind of aimless, isn't it? Are they even actually headed anywhere specific, or are they just about to see where they land? That feels more likely, which clashes against her routine need for order. 

Her brows pinched together in thought. “Guess I’ll have to work on a strategy of persistence then if I ever want to get a shot at it.” It made sense, though. She figured most of the council was probably super busy more often than not. It was something that came with rank. Not that she would have any true idea of that—being at the bottom of the ladder as she was.[break][break]

“Oh no, I’m definitely curious, just trying to balance everything, you know?” The closer she drew to graduation, the busier she seemed to get with both her courses and her job. It left little room for digging and sniffing around.[break][break]

Calla glanced over at him with perked interest, eyes sharpening. “That so? Anything you’d be willing to share with the class?” She worked as she talked, also taking drinks and setting them into one of the other holders Paxton had set up. “What sort of experience was that like?”

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+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

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“Yesss.” Her bottom lip puffs out more for added dramatic effect.[break][break]

It’s the sort of behavior that she would normally call ridiculous, and yet he draws that silliness out of her as easy as breathing. If she wasn’t so smitten, she would probably be annoyed. But she’s not. Not one bit.[break][break]

She sighs forlornly instead and pulls herself up to sit on a part of the counter that isn’t occupied by ingredients and utensils. Her hands curl around the edge of the fake marble top as she leans back slightly while watching him, legs kicking aimlessly.[break][break]

“It’s sort of killer that I have to sit outside your office the whole time, but can’t, you know, go in and hang out with you.” So close and yet so far.[break][break]

She thought her brother was the one with the flair for the dramatic.[break][break]

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She doesn’t think it’s possible for her to smile wider, but somehow she manages. The grin pressed soft against his lips as he returns the greeting.[break][break]

“Yeah? It’s not much, but you know, it’s home and whatnot.”[break][break]

She doesn’t usually give others the opportunity to be here. Or at least, when it comes to entanglements she doesn’t. It’s too personal. Too close to the softer part of her heart. But there’s only comfort in allowing Uriah the opportunity.[break][break]

Her fingers hang onto his as she leads the rest of the way to the kitchen. The music from her speaker still plays quietly in the background from earlier when she was getting everything else out of cabinets and drawers.[break][break]

“Oh yeah, that’s so unfortunate.” She rolls her eyes as she laughs. Not that she would really have a problem with her brother being present, but there was still plenty of time and opportunity for that on other days.[break][break]

Today, she’s selfish.[break][break]

Twisting to face him again, she fixes him with a put-upon pout that should be considered elusive coming from her. “Missed you today.” Even if they’d seen each other at work not all that long ago. The context was different.

“Soooo, in theory, I could name drop you, and have a potential in,” she replied, nose wrinkling immediately. “I’m kidding.” Maybe, probably. Her own soft shrug follows. “I can’t claim that even I would have an exact subject to discuss, but I guess that’s the point of learning.” She was still figuring it all out–a pursuit to forge the proper connections for when she finished up her degree.[break][break]

“I mean, don’t most people have opinions?” she countered with a slight raise of her brow. If there was one good journalism skill she’d taken to, it was dodging at the right moments. “Oh, you’re fine. I’m definitely curious. Just been a bit busy to try getting my foot in the door.” Stepping to the side to wait for the order, she snorted softly. “Resilient, huh? Careful choice in words.” It was playfully said, though. She knew the reputation garnered.

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+ paxton concordas [break][break]


[break]

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“wait, wait, wait.”[break][break]

She’s still flouncing away when he speaks, and before he’s even catching up to her, a coy little smile is flitting back across her face as he calls her bluff. It’s really all just her being difficult for the sake of it, but she’s pleased that he humors her all the same.[break][break]

Leaning up on her toes, Calla tugs him down slightly by the shirt so that she can give him a short peck on the lips. Her nose wrinkles playfully, smile mirroring his.[break][break]

“Hey to you too. Happy you’re here.” The apartment she shares with her brother isn’t as upscale or nice as Uriah’s, but it’s still her space, and there’s a giddy sort of excitement that comes with the newness of sharing that with him.

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Her mouth falls open in disbelief as he fakes confusion. “Yeah, in the text I se—“ Calla’s eyes narrow as he produces the back, a sharp little smile twisting the corners of her lips.[break][break]

“You sneak,” she scoffs, reaching up to give him a light shove. Only for her to twist her fingers into the fabric of his shirt moments later and tug him inside.[break][break]

Grinning at him she bites down on her bottom lip and then swiftly spins on her heels to head back toward the kitchen, the swish of her ponytail snacking against him lightly.[break][break]

Making it perfectly clear that if he would like a proper greeting, he will need to catch her first.