"So," Cally looked around after team Galena had been announced winner. "Guess we are done. I totally had the upper hand."
"I guess you did," Pewter admitted shyly.
What he didn't admit was how his insides were rising up in his throat and threatening to choke him with nervousness. The wind was catching her hair in just the right way, and her light green eyes were bright, reflecting the yellow rays of the sun. She seemed to be staring right into his soul, and he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. Powerless.
"So…" Cally said slowly. "I guess we better be getting back to our teams."
"I guess," Pewter gulped, not moving.
She gave him a long look and he felt his knees weakening by the second. He needed to do something before he melted into a puddle.
"There….there's this cafe...in t-town," he stammered.
"Ooh," Cally grinned. "Is it any good?"
"Lots," Pewter forced his voice to remain steady. "I was hoping that...that."
"I'd love to go," Cally grinned. "What's it called?"
"Coquelico Cafe," Pewter answered, finding that facts were easier to say.
"Cool, when do you want to go?" Cally suddenly blushed. "You were asking me to go with you….right?"
"Y-yeah," Pewter nodded.
Cally's confident grin returned, "Awesome."
"When is it possible to go?" Pewter asked.
"Well I'm all busy this week," Cally noted. "Team stuff. But I can next week. Wednesday?"
"Sounds good," Pewter smiled crookedly.
"I'll see you then!" Cally said, before hopping off the wall to rejoin her team.
"You'll be fine, man," Richard waved dismissively at Pewter. "The shirt is nice, but not professional looking. Pants are informal but not homeless looking. Shoes are regular guy shoes. You look great for a first time date."
"But it has to be perfect," Pewter protested. "Not...great….family's motto is 'First of all, Perfection' and I believe it."
Richard stared at him, "Your childhood sounds awful...and I don't think you really believe that."
"Oh?" Pewter returned the stare.
"You hesitated before you said you believed in it," Richard stabbed a pencil through air in Pewter's general direction.
"You need to quit watching so many tv shows on your scroll," Pewter scowled, turning to Onyx. "You won't kid around," Pewter addressed her. "Does this look perfect for the first date?"
Onyx turned from her book, quietly observing Pewter. "I am not an expert on the matters of love or dating," she began. "But your apparel is logical and flattering."
"Thank you…" Pewter took a deep breath.
"Don't listen to them," Robin patted Pewter's shoulder, handing him his jacket. "You look perfect. Cally will love this. I bet you two will find a lot in common," Robin said encouragingly. "Also….if you catch my parent's snooping, don't be afraid to wave them away."
Pewter nodded, "Thanks."
"Yeah," Robin nodded.
Sucking in another deep breath, as if that could chase away the butterflies in his stomach, Pewter walked out the door.
(One week ago...)
Geppetto sawed furiously, severing the hair from the dead woman's head. As soon as he had enough he glued it together, making a full wig, ignoring the rotting body in the corner of his cabin. Tenderly, he carried it over to a puppet, gingerly glueing it to the puppet's head. Stepping back, he caressed the hair, running his fingers over the smoothed wood. The puppet's brilliant glass blue eyes stared unblinkingly at him. Geppetto reached out, touching the homemade dress.
"My beautiful wife," Geppetto whispered, eyes gleaming with an unholy light. "My dear Marion."
He bowed gracefully and the puppet woman curtseyed. With a smile on his face he turned to an old, rickety piano. There on the bench sat a life size puppet of his son.
"Play for us, Ette!" he called merrily.
Immediately, the little boy puppet began to play the out of tune piano. Geppetto and the woman puppet began to swirl across the floor, dancing elegantly. For a moment, there was only the music and the dancing. Then Geppetto stepped back, motioning to the woman puppet to stand by the piano.
"Sing, Marion," he begged. "Like you used to."
The puppet just stood there gazing out at the world with her unmoving glass eyes. Geppetto shook his head, the madness springing into his eyes.
"Sing!" he ordered.
Still, the puppet did not move, unable to fulfill his request. Rage burst into Geppetto's features and threw the puppet across the room. Running a hand through his hair, Geppetto licked his dry lips.
"Say something, Ette, my boy," he pleaded. "Say something."
The little boy puppet sat there, still playing the lively jog from earlier. Soon, he joined the puppet of his mother, thrown against the wall. Geppetto sank to his knees, twisting his hands together and mumbling incoherently. He didn't hear the knocking at his door, or the boot crashing into it, breaking the lock and flinging the door open. Only when the man's footsteps landed nearby, did Geppetto look up.
"Geppetto Coquelicot?" A man's deep baritone rumbled.
"I can kill you without even touching you," Geppetto smiled sickly, looking up at the man...no faunas.
"I don't think you will," the man replied.
"Why's that?" Geppetto sneered.
"Because, my master has a job for you...a retrieval," the man stated.
A dangerous fire lit in Geppetto's eyes, "Oh?"
"Just the kind of retrieval your kind likes," the man said.
"What is my kind, messenger?" Geppetto flashed him a white toothed smile.
"Bounty hunting," the man didn't look away.
Geppetto surveyed him for a few moments. "I'll pack my bags," he said after a minute.
Fun fact: Geppetto's wife and son's names together are Marionette, which is a type of puppet :D