Fashion Advice ((for sweetcandygirl))

[fiveofnone]

At a small café in the heart of the Shopping District, Caspar sits at an outdoor table and sips from his tiny ceramic cup of espresso. Outwardly, his expression is one of calm indifference, but inside, he's a little concerned. For not the first time since he sat down, he pulls out his PINpoint and re-reads the text from Harley on its glowing screen.

It's not unusual for Harley to send him a text. It is unusual for her to request fashion advice. She seems pretty set on her style, such as it is. Her asking for help is like him asking for help.

Highly unlikely.

He agreed, naturally. He can't turn down an afternoon of clothes shopping, even if something seems off about it. So, hopefully for the last time, he puts his PINpoint away and takes another sip of espresso while he waits for Harley to arrive.

Comments

[sweetcandygirl]

The rules were set. But Harley knows how to play just inside of the rules, while still maintaining a level of surprise.

His jab to her back connects. But she aims another low elbow jab to the other side of his guy. She laughs. "Good thing. I am a better dancer."

[fiveofnone]

It's a trick worthy of a Cylon, but she won't catch him off-guard again. Her second jab is deflected, and he attempts to spin her back to face him properly. "That's because you get more practice than me."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Awww I am sorta sad about that. You should dance more. Especially with Adia." Harley moves away from him, circling for an opening for a second.

Then she swoops in quickly, with another fast one-two jab.

[fiveofnone]

He doesn't say anything for a while, concentrating instead on blocking her next attack. He throws another punch, hard, trying to put some distance between them.

"I don't know how," he finally admits, when he has room to breathe.

[sweetcandygirl]

The punch glances her shoulder, and Harley swears softly, before aiming another couple of quick punches. She is putting in a lot of effort to follow the rules.

"You don't?" Harley bounces on her feet again. "I can teach you."

"Then you can surprise her with a dance!"

[fiveofnone]

Ha, he almost tagged her! Considering how much more agile she is than him, he'll take that as a win. The first punch, he dodges, but she gets him with the second. She may be following the rules, but it still hurts, and he needs another moment to recover.

"No," he huffs. "No surprises." He comes at her with a succession of jabs to keep her off-balance and hopefully too busy dodging to not bring up dancing again.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Okay. No surprises." She does keep busy dodging of the jabs. But she won't be distracted from the topic at hand. "But learning to dance is good. What if there is a ball in the Nexus? Or if there is a villain who can only be defeated on the dance floor? Or first dance at your wedding."

She wings a harder punch at his upper chest, hoping to knock him back.

[fiveofnone]

Caspar snorts at the idea of defeating a villain with a dance off. Not that it isn't possible in the Nexus, but that somehow he would be the one to step up to the challenge.

That last time was a fluke. He is not a hero.

Harley's punch catches him right in the sternum. He staggers back, but the only thought in his mind is a wedding. He's still working up the nerve to pop the question, and now he has to worry about dancing on top of that?

"Frak," he hisses. His chest is throbbing; he should ask for a break. Instead, he regains his footing and resumes another round of jabs. "One thing at a time, okay?"

[sweetcandygirl]

She dodges away again, keeping light on her feet as he regains his footing. Really, she has quick enough reflexes to dodge his jabs, that she could just keep doing that for a bit to tire him out.

But that would not be the point of this little fight.

"You forget how my mind works. Billions of thoughts at once." And she goes for several quick jabs.

[fiveofnone]

"Yeah, but you don't have to share them all," he quips. His blocking isn't nearly as sharp. A jab or two get past his defenses, but he presses close in regardless, cornering her closer to the ropes to cut off any dodging.

He'll need to tap out soon. He should tap out now, conserve some of his energy for another round. Instead, he throws out a harsh uppercut, one that will be hard to counter, but will leave him open again.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Method to my madness." She taps her head, but it costs her when he presses close and is able to corner her.

And she is barely able to completely dodge the uppercut. And his fist slides up the surface of her chin.

[fiveofnone]

Any closer and he would have done some damage. But he's holding back, too. In a real fight, a no-holds-barred battle, he'd keep swinging, leaving himself wide open, letting her rain blows on him if it meant a chance to knock her out.

But this isn't a real fight. Harley's not an enemy. Jeff isn't even an enemy anymore, not technically. There's nothing to fight except himself and his own thoughts.

He steps back, holds his hands up in a 'T' for timeout, breathing hard. "What method is that?" he demands between gasps of air.

[sweetcandygirl]

In a real no-holds barred battle, Harley would be using her feet. And her knees. And her head. And her nails. Really anything to beat up her opponent.

She bounces back when he signals for a timeout.

"You would be surprised how much information people give up in the heat of a battle. You chatter a lot, and suddenly they are showing their cards, and you know how to defeat them."

[fiveofnone]

He almost rolls his eyes. Intel is gathered when someone is at a Cylon's mercy, not during a fight. What did he give up, anyway, except --

"Well played," he mutters. pressing a hand against his side. It stings from her jab, but the pain is a lesson he needed to learn. "I think I'm done. Any more and I'll have to explain the bruises to Adia."

[sweetcandygirl]

"I wouldn't want that." Harley stops bouncing, once he tells her that they are done the fight.

She heads over to her bag, and then tosses him a little jar of ointment. "Here! It is the fast-healing type." All natural (and might have come from Ivy's stockhouse).

Leaning on the ropes of the ring, Harley smiles. "I am glad we are on the same page with Jeff. If we are both keeping an eye on him... then really we aren't letting him get away with anything."

"And I will text you and Adia once I know more about Josh."

[fiveofnone]

He shrugs easily. Already he's breathing normally again, albeit looking a little disheveled. "She'd be upset with me, not you." A little humor breaks into his expression when he adds, "She doesn't like it when the merchandise get banged up."

The jar of ointment is caught without a second thought. "Aren't you full of surprises," he says, looking it over. Then, with more sincerity, "Thanks."

He doesn't say anything at first. He's glad they're on the same page, too, but for all they keep an eye on Jeff, they can't undo the damage that he's already caused Josh. "Okay. We'll do the same." He pulls out his PINpoint. "And Harley? No matter what you're wearing, don't stop being yourself. For all our sakes."

He smiles at her once, then teleports home.

[sweetcandygirl]

"And I would not want her to be upset at you." Especially if he needed to vent this way. Harley is glad she was able to be here for him. Just like he was there for her.

"I try to be." She grins.

"And I won't. I happen to like me." Harley waves goodbye him as he teleports home.