Bonding Experience (Sam)[MATURE]

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam looked up at him, comforted by his words. A small smile even started making it's way across her face. Nick was just misunderstanding the whole situation, that was all...

"I just... didn't expect that from him. We're pretty good friends. I told him my fighting skills were next to none, and I just don't know where he got the idea that I..." She stopped, shook her head, trying to clear it. "He should know better than anyone how much I want to be able to at least defend myself. I'd rather not get sent to the hospital or worse because my dad's got a tough love complex."

She thought back to their pasta-cooking night. She still hadn't told anyone else about her father sending her here, so Nick was the only one who knew. Of all people, she thought he'd be the first one to understand that she needed someone to help her out. She wouldn't be able to survive at Moral Crest on her own.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"Like I said, try to just tune him out... If you want, I can help with that." I said, manipulating my Qi for a moment to encase my apprentice in a bubble of silence. Though I knew she would be unable to hear the following words, anyone who knew ANYTHING about reading lips could understand me. "Sorry Nick, I can't hear you. Speak your shit louder."

I let the bubble down with a grin, getting the same sense of pleasure I always do when I use my Qi. Oh, I loved this power... Soooo much.

"People like him need to be kept in check... Some of them have venomous words... Words that can poison the mind and body. No good things there." I shrugged. "That, or he's just a silly stupid high-schooler."

Yeah, I'll go with the "he's a dumbass" category...

Agreed Damien, agreed.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam grinned, a real grin, and she giggled, watching Damien mouth words at her from behind the sudden silence he'd obviously created for her.

Hearing it straight out of Damien's mouth made her feel much, much better about the whole thing. Sam didn't see her relationship with him as anything but trainer/trainee, and obviously Damien didn't either. So Nick was just imagining things. Or he was purposely trying to push her buttons for some reason. Some strange, completely unreasonable reason. Nah... that was a majorly far-fetched theory stemming from paranoia, and Sam couldn't think of any reason it might be true. Nick was a close friend of hers, and he had no motive to want to try to upset her. Did he?

"I think he just misunderstood the whole thing. I just didn't want you blowing that whistle again." She grimaced, remembering the pain. "Though if he's running around mouthing off to Pillars like that, someone IS going to smear his head on a locker somewhere." She shook her head. Stubborn bastard... After growing up with the father she did, Sam had discovered alternate - and less violent - ways of dealing with authority. Sure, it meant swallowing your pride a little sometimes, but it usually wasn't too hard a price to pay to wiggle your way out of a punishment. At least in Sam's opinion.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Ah, an opening.

What do you mean?

I smell doubt.

"Listen, Sam..." I began. "I've spoken to Nick before, and from the time I've spent with him, I gather he doesn't hold me in much of a regard... I fear that your connection to me may be worsening your situation..." I smirked. "Honestly, from what I've gathered of Nick's more real side, he is speaking out of what he feels..."

I extended my hand to take hers tenderly. "As your teacher, and as your friend, I want what is best for you. I truly do. I mean, look around you. I've practically taken the front door off for you. I just want you to be careful around Nick... I don't know what capabilities he has, and I don't mean combat."

Damn, I'm good.

Jester, what are you doing?

All in due time my dear boy, all in due time.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam's lips tightened as she tried to process the information that she was getting, but it wasn't making much sense yet. She chewed on her lip, looking down at Damien's hand as he placed it on hers, but she didn't move it. Was he implying what she thought he was implying?

"What are you saying?" She said slowly. "You think he..." She couldn't even finish the thought. Sure, Nick was a flirt - a big one - but beyond that, he was her friend. A damn good one, at that. And until today, he'd been nothing but great to her. She just couldn't imagine him having... ulterior motives. It just didn't seem right. It didn't seem like Nick.

And yet, Damien had no reason to lie to her, either. He was right, he'd done just about everything but give her keys to the front door. So was it Damien that was seeing things about Nick that weren't there - or was it Sam?

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"Look, I'm not trying to imply anything... I don't want you to start thinking things about him that may or may not be true. All I'm saying is to stay on your toes... It is a lesson, and one that should be noted..." I ran my thumb along her finger as I held it. "I don't presume to know anything about him other than his raging God-complex. I'm just hoping you're smart enough to not do the same."

Raising her hand higher, I wound lean forward and place a small kiss on the top of her fingertips. "I just don't want my apprentice to wind up in an unfavorable situation, that's all." I gave her the grin- not any grin... the fucking grin. The one that once upon a time would reduce Kate McHallin to the consistancy of hair gel. "What kind of teacher would I be if my apprentice failed her first lessons?"

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam tensed slightly as his thumb moved along her finger. She hoped she was smart enough, too. He grinned at her, and she swallowed hard, trying to hide the chills that were now going up and down her spine as his lips brushed her fingertips. But she pulled her hand away slowly, bringing it down into her lap with her other hand, her fingers playing with each other nervously.

"I hope I live up to your expectations, then," she said softly. Taking the lesson he was trying to teach into consideration, she knew him about as well as he knew Nick. And she didn't presume to know anything else about Damien besides the fact that he could fight. And he seemed honestly concerned for her well-being...

Now she was really confused. Really, really confused.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Mmmm, I am loving this. So much fun.

"I hope so as well... I really do." I said as I returned my hand to my side of the table as well. I noticed and loved the reaction my move made on her. Such a simple action getting such a fulfilling result. I loved cause and effect.

"Your position is awkward... your fingers are fiddling... Why, Ms. Ballerino, do I make you nervous?" I teased, deciding to have a bit more fun. For a long time at 552, I had been the neighborhood skirt chaser... It seemed that some habits died hard, especially around an attractive girl... A little young for my tastes, but still lovely nonetheless. She was at LEAST worth the teasing and flirting.

Jester, you are awful.

Guilty as charged, what can I say? Hmhmhmhm.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam's face reddened slightly. She stopped playing with her fingers, lacing them together and leaning her chin on them, elbows on the table.

"A little bit," she said, completely honestly. She raised an eyebrow at him, unable to keep a grin off her face. Probably not in the way he was thinking, though. He was older than her, had more authority than her, and was going to be beating her into the ground on a fairly regular basis. The fact that he was good looking and had a gorgeous smile didn't help things... But it definitely wasn't the heart of the problem.

That little kiss was confusing, though. Damien seemed like a formal type, judging by the fact that he wore dress shirts and slacks on a regular basis, and was referring to the olden days of apprenticeships. And kisses to the hand easily seemed to fit into the concept she had of Damien's style. But she still had doubts.

Dammit, where was her pasta? She needed her Italian comfort food. And she needed things to not be complicated. Ever. That would be marvelous.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

Well, at least now I got her to admit it... On top of that, she's giving me looks... Hmm... I hope they're the good kind of looks... That would be marvelous.

"Why do I make you nervous?" I asked in a teasing tone, feigning a slight hint of shock in my voice. This would be the fun one... This would be fun question. The one where she would either formulate a good answer and spill it, or the kind where she will curl into a ball and not say anything... Judging by what I had seen, it would be A... I hoped.

Getting interested, are you?

Now Damien, this young lady is my apprentice and nothing more. You old lech. How dare you accuse me of such things.

.......

Hehe, yeah, I know. Did I ALMOST fool you?

Nope...

[Sam Ballerino]

Fishing for compliments, are we? That little kiss was seeming less and less like a representation of Damien's formal style. Sam shook her head, still grinning, putting her head in her hands and sighing. After a moment, she looked up at him again.

"You..." She thought for a second, trying to find a good word that encompassed all the reasons he made her nervous. "You intimidate me." That pretty much covered it. And allowed her to keep her distance a little bit. Score!

Wait a second. Wait just one second. Was he flirting with her? ...Well, that much seemed fairly obvious by now. And was she flirting back? It certainly sounded like it. Why? Why, why, why? It wasn't like she was attracted to him or anything. Though that smile was... Business relationship, Sam. Business relationship. He is the teacher, you are the student. No more. Ok, maybe friendship. But no more.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

I let out an amused laugh at her responce. "Intimidate you? Oh dear... Don't let the fancy title and all the bells and whistles get to you- no whistle pun intended." I pointed out. "There's no need to be so uptight now deary. Sure, it's a teacher apprentice situation, but that doesn't mean we need to be bound by it. You just need to learn to relax..." I offered her a grin.

The bell rang, echoing throughout the building. "I'll go get the food. While I'm getting it, think of an answer to this question." I paused a quick moment. "Does the intimidation come from my title and position and ability... Or because of fidning the forward path to be the easiest." I smiled. "Excuse me." I said, leaving the table to go retrieve the food. At last, it had arrived. I took the food from the delivery man at the door, paid him, and returned to the table with a handful of food.

"Ah, here we go." I put the container of Fettucini Carbonara in front of Sam, giving her a fork from the delivery bag with which to dig in. I popped the container open, smelled the aroma, and stabbed a few noodles. "So, care to share?" I took a bite of the food, finding it to be just as amazing as I recalled.

[Sam Ballerino]

She rolled her eyes at the "whistle" pun. Still a painful memory...

She didn't need much time to think about the question he posed. Of course he intimidated her with his title. He was much more powerful than she was, which was why he was teaching her, not the other way around. But more and more, his candid attraction towards her was making her nervous as well. Not exactly uncomfortable, she realized with a shock... just nervous. It was flattering, to say the least. He was good looking, and caring... though he did have a definite cruel streak. God, he was confusing.

He came back with the food soon enough, and was ready for an answer. Taking the fork from him, she simply said, "Both." she didn't know if an explanation was expected of her, so she filled her mouth with pasta before he could respond. Her eyebrows went up. This just about topped her mother's... now THAT was an achievement in pasta.

[Damien Kross, Jester]

"Both huh?" Lame answer, but fair. "Well, the Pillar thing I guess I understand... But the other..." I looked up to her with a sly smile. "Is it a bad thing?" I asked with a certain boyish innocence, but teasingly enough she would know it to be a real question and another flirting run at the same time.

The times with Sam had proven to be more than I expected. In fact... This was almost more fun than just forcing myself onto her. Seeing her play along, but at such a safe distance, was amusing. However, it was not a morbid amusement... The kind I was always accused of... This was true amusement- the noble kind. The normal kind.

I continued to eat the pasta, waiting anxiously for her responce.

[Sam Ballerino]

Is it a bad thing?

Was it a bad thing? Well... "No," she said, a small smile playing on her lips and sparkling in her eyes. "No, it's not a bad thing, really. Just... a little scary, I guess."

Damien fascinated her. There was no other way to put it. He was just... different. She didn't quite know what to make of him yet, but she was willing to spend more time with him to figure it out. He was fun, he was handsome, he was smart... but she'd seen firsthand that he had a potential for cruelty. It was that bit of him that was pulling her back. How far would he be willing to take it?