anti-otp: Gideon/Cassandra

[apolloscurse]

Cassandra is curled in a chair, feeling downright gloomy. She tries to remind herself that it's been years, but every day she half-expects to turn around and see Ajax leering at her, holding her arm in bruising fingers so she can't run. She swallows hard and tries to think of something else, but the only other thing she can think of is the surreal

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[it_took_five]

Gideon, having ditched his wizard robes in favor of jeans and a t-shirt today, crosses into the room just in time to overhear. "What are you trying to forget, miss?"

[apolloscurse]

She turns around, her eyes flying wide, and stares at him, quickly putting the chair between herself and the strange male. For a moment, Ajax's image is overlaid onto him, and she opens her mouth to scream, but her vision clears and she snaps her mouth shut, quickly. "Just," she says, blushing and trembling a little. She glances toward the door, nervously, but retains enough control to keep from bolting, this time. "Just nothing," she says finally, "It's nothing. Just a memory."

[it_took_five]

"Shh..." Gideon hold his hands out so she can see they're empty. "I won't hurt you. What's the trouble? Maybe I can help."

[apolloscurse]

Cassandra looks at his hands, looks at the floor, and flushes. "Of course not," she says, "I didn't think you would, it's just..." She bites her lip, hard. "I shouldn't bother you," she says in a much smaller voice.

[it_took_five]

"I did ask. My day job, so to speak, is teaching and helping look after an entire castle full of underage wizards. I'm good at listening. So bend my ear." He tries to look friendly and unthreatening, but that mostly consist of a goofy, hopeful grin. Maybe it'll work.

[apolloscurse]

She frowns and looks down a little. His goofy grin is nice enough, and he exudes a sort of relaxed friendliness that she finds appealing. "I was just remembering something that happened a long time ago that I can't forget," she says softly. "It scares me, and recently I was reminded of it."

[it_took_five]

"I don't mind if you want to talk. Or not." He thinks she's calmed enough for him to move a little closer. "I'm Gideon or Gid, if you prefer."

[apolloscurse]

"Gideon?" she says, and looks up. She starts a little when she realizes that he's closer, but he seems so...sweet. Friendly. She tries another hesitant smile. "Cassandra," she says in a small voice, "And thank you. I think..." she hesitates. "It's strange, being here," she says at last. "After years of being...dead..." It's still hard to say that, but she manages and hopes that she won't scare him away, "To be here, and somehow alive again. And then finding something about myself, in a book..." She shakes her head.

[it_took_five]

"I've been dead too. It's quite common here." He's trying to be reassuring.

[apolloscurse]

She gives a small smile. "How strange," she says. "This place is so peculiar. Nice, though. I just wish I could find more of my old friends, though maybe it would just be strange seeing them again."

[it_took_five]

"Are you more lonely or more frighened?"

[apolloscurse]

"Frightened," she says, "Because even though I'm lonely, I still have a hard time standing still when I'm in a room alone with someone, unless they're very quiet and calm, like you." She offers a small smile.

[it_took_five]

"I'm only calm and quiet around the easily frightened, but I assure you again, you don't any reason to be afraid of me." Her smile cheers him. "Should we sit down like civilsed people?"

[apolloscurse]

Her eyes widen a little. "Oh dear," she says in a horrified tone of voice. "I'm so sorry! Where are my manners? Please, sir, sit. Would you like some tea, or...?" She flutters a little anxiously. Manners are very important to Cassandra.

[it_took_five]

"I don't need any." He pulls up a chair and sits. "I just thought you might be more comfortable if I wasn't standing over you."

[apolloscurse]

She looks surprised. "Oh. Well...thank you." She sits carefully and folds her hands in her lap, then blurts out, "That's sweet. Most people I know wouldn't think of that."