Texas State Fairgrounds
The Texas State Fairgrounds is an educational and recreational complex, as well as a National Historic Landmark. Within the grounds are nine museums, six performance facilities, a beautiful blue lagoon, and the largest Ferris Wheel in North America. The most notable buildings in the area are the planetarium, the Hall of State, the D.A.R. building, and of course the Cotton Bowl.
The grounds are beautifully kept, and there are many pathways leading around and through the lagoon for those nature lovers that just want a bit of time away from the busier areas of the city.
Well, the drinks were drunk, and some nibblies were bought, and after new friends parted company, not old, but only newish friends made their way outside, into the fairgrounds proper. Mr. Panda is still flopping about, except that now he's taking a piggyback ride, Paige's hands on his arms, the majority of the stuffed animal at her back, as she picks her way along the grounds, having chosen a single path out of the many to lead her on her way towards the lagoon. It's late in the evening now, and the midway is winding down. Indeed, most of the fairgrounds are winding down, and so the sound of the hustle and bustle she's leaving behind is quickly fading.
—-
"You sure you don't want me to carry him?" Sky asks Paige, one last time, as he walks beside her. He seems relaxed, at ease - after a couple ales, he's not drunk or tipsy, but nor is he completely sober. Right now, he seems to be walking that small line between the two that allows for good feelings and an easy mood without the utter lack of sense.
—-
Paige turns, Mr Panda turning along with her, his head resting on top of hers, "No, he's fine with me." She still hasn't even mentioned any reason, if one exists, why she went out of her way to win herself a giant panda, but it is what it is, "Just as long as you don't fall in when we get there." And with that, she turns, back, continuing along the path until it peters out into the green grass around the lagoon.
—-
"I have a feeling I wouldn't live it down if I did," Sky replies with a chuckle. Not that he should, if he did, but still. "So, have you thought over whether you're going to take up my offer to attend the Fair when they hold it?" He grins a bit as he adds, "I can always throw in a bribe of lessons if that's what it takes." Apparently he wants to see her in a dress. Or is looking for an excuse to give her lessons. Hard to tell.
—-
Paige continues walking, moving off of the direct line of the path, and settling for a place by the lagoon where the grass is thick and springy. Once she has just the right place, Mr. Panda is set out on the grass, and she sits down herself, working at slipping off her boots and socks, working bare toes into the soft grass, "Oh, I'm thinking I probably will. But you can still try to bribe me." She twists around, enough that she can looks back behind her to where he's standing, "You just want to see me in a corset."
—-
Skylar stands there, behind her for a moment, looking out over the darkened lagoon and then up at the night sky. "Then I probably will. I hardly get to teach someone regularly these days. Its always different groups and simple things at the Village, and the guys I have working for me know a lot of my tricks these days." He turns his gaze back down at Paige's last words, raising an eyebrow briefly before his grin slides to one side in that lopsided way of his. "No," he says, a twinkle in his eye. "Not just."
—-
Paige turns her eyes back to the lagoon, and the sparkle of lights from moon and fairway and landscape dotting the rippling surface, "Well, I did enjoy the lesson, so we could probably work something out. My schedule's pretty flexible for the next little while." She moves, once again, turning the stuffed bear over on his stomach, if only to make a pillow for herself, as she lies back on the grass. Her head is tilted back, so that she can still look at you, with you standing now and she lying down. But there's enough room for two. He is a very big bear. "So what else?"
—-
"Well, you have my number then. The cool thing about having my own business is that I more or less get to set my own schedule." There are certainly other perks, like money, but the schedule thing is definitely up there. Skylar moves to sit down next to Paige after a moment, though he doesn't lay back just yet. Instead, curling his arms around his legs and propping his chin on the tops of his knees, the smith looks out at the darkened vista before them. After another moment, though, his eyes slide over to the side to look at Paige, and he chuckles lightly. "Well, you implied that getting you into a dress was unusual. I like to challenge people. Create unusual circumstances. You get to see more of someone when they're in an unfamiliar setting or circumstance." Sky pauses, letting out another chuckle as he adds, "Though, now that I've said that, I suppose you'll find a way to do the same with me."
—-
"So I'm the one that has to call you. Typical, really." Yes, there's some element of teasing there, as she settles in comfortably, her eyes now drifting up to study the stars, at least what few can be seen this close to the city. But soon enough, something passes over Paige's face, some small expression, some memory, but she shakes her head, in answer to one of your comments, "No, I actually prefer not to do that to people. Despite what I do for my work. I think people have the right to be as they are. Everyone has their ways, their secrets, and those should be respected."
—-
"That's true," Skylar says, the smile sliding off his face as he turns to look more fully down at Paige. "Believe me, I'm not one to pry. I just… like to get a glimpse of the person underneath. And I try to be honest about what I'm doing, too. I don't manipulate people, I don't force them to do or be something that isn't them, or that they aren't comfortable being around me. We all have things we would rather keep buried, and I respect that." He falls quiet, turning away to look back out at the landscape, before adding, "You don't have to come if you don't want to. But it'll be nice if you do."
—-
"I wasn't meaning to imply that you were that sort of person, Skylar. I was more trying to assure you that, despite what it might seem, that I'm not. And if I wasn't comfortable around you, I wouldn't be here, and I certainly wouldn't have agreed to go to the next ren faire with you. I am many things, but biddable has never been one of them." But it seems clear that she's said something that's upset him, and so it's not quite as easy now, to lay back casually. And so, she sits up, twisting around to pick up the stuffed bear, and try to get to her feet.
—-
"I didn't think you were. I'm sorry," Skylar says. He doesn't rise at first, though he does turn to look back at Paige. His smile slides back into place, smaller perhaps, but not forced either. "And don't worry - biddable would never be a word I would have picked for you. I may not know you, and may be bad sometimes at the whole social thing, but I'm not an awful judge of character. Usually."
"There's no reason for you to apologize. It was my mistake." Paige hefts the toy into her arms, the animal large enough that it shields her almost completely from the view of the man sitting on the ground, "I'm just usually pretty good at reading people. I guess I've just been off my game lately. But I shouldn't have taken up so much of your time."
"Well, I don't think you're the only one off the game." He glances to Paige, or more precisely the bear, head cocking to the side. "And you didn't take up my time, Paige. Believe it or not, I had a good evening." He pauses, then finally moves to stand, wiping off his hands jeans where the dew from the grass got on them. "It was good to see you again… well, when Mr. Bear would let me see you anyways," he says, adding this last with his customary half-grin.
—-
"You ever have the feeling when you're talking to someone that you're just not getting it quite right?" Paige remains standing, the bear low enough that you actually can see her face. For once. "So did I, even if it did start off rather oddly." She's caught, halfway between, 'I really should go,' and 'I'd like to stay,' and that's not somewhere she's used to being, "Don't be jealous. Not everyone can have his manly proportions."
—-
"Well, right now for one," Sky says, with the same grin still on his face, though it turns into a softer smile as he says, "Well, I'm glad. Though yes, odd would definitely be the key word there." He seems about to say something else when Paige makes that last comment. And, instead of speaking, he bursts into laughter. Hearty and kindly amused laughter, which trails off after a bit enough for him to squeeze out the words, "Well… yes, that's certainly… true."
—-
The bear leaves Paige's grasp soon enough, the bulk of him heading in your direction, though it doesn't really have the same fear factor as say….a real weapon. But he's moving nonetheless, as the woman turns, moving away on the grass and heading towards the stepping stones set close along the shore. "He's not very happy with you, comes drifting back behind her.
—-
"Oof." Yeah, that's the sound Sky makes when he gets bear tackled. He chuckles to himself, slinging the bear across his back as best he can and moving on after Paige. "So he came after me to give me a hug to show his displeasure?" Sky calls out to her with a chuckle hidden in his tone.
—-
Paige continues to move along the stepping stones, her bare feet helping her in this case, as they give her a bit better, well, traction, on the slightly slick stones, the woman moving carefully out further into the lagoon, the light reflecting up in dots and splashes against the darkness of her clothing, "Hugs can be terribly deceptive."
—-
Sky stops at the edge of the stepping stones, frowning to himself. He seems to think better of setting off immediately, and sets the bear down and begins to kick off his shoes and socks. "That's true. He's going to need a timeout - I'm not letting him drag me into the lagoon," he says.
—-
Paige makes it perhaps halfway along the line of stones, which places her quite a distance from the store, before she turns back, watching you, in the middle of taking off your shoes, and Mr. Panda, now unceremoniously faceplanted on the grass, "He would never do something so ungentlemanly as drag you into the lagoon. Gently nudge you, perhaps."
—-
Skylar doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned with Mr. Panda's currently undignified situation - they're apparently locked in a combat of manly proportions. Or something. Either way, Skylar leaves his shoes, socks, and the bear where they are, and begins to carefully make his way out after Paige. Slower then she did, however, since he's had a few beers and does not want to end up face first in the mud. "Well, either way, it would accomplish the same thing, which is what I'm trying to avoid."
—-
"Funny, you don't strike me as a man who's afraid to get a little bit dirty." Paige remains on her stone of choice, though she does reach out with her right foot to flick her toes in the water, "It just a bit of water and some mud. maybe some moss or something too." Not having had any alcohol at all, she's much more lucid than the man currently heading in her direction.
—-
"Well, that's true. But I'd still prefer to keep my boxers dry if at all possible," Sky says with a chuckle, moving from one stone to the next, still moving fairly slowly. Eventually, though, he nears where Paige is waiting, and pauses on the rock next to hers. There's a brief moment where he seems about to lose his balance, but he rights himself fairly easily - without a whole lot of armwaving, even.
—-
"There is so much I could say about that right now, but I think I'll just keep my comments to myself, when it comes to your choice of underwear." Discretion really is the better part of valor, yes it is. Paige does reach out, however, when she sees you start to wobble, hands attempting to catch yours. She's certainly not a small woman, and that might count for something, "No need to go headfirst just yet."
—-
"Then it's a good thing I can't read minds, I take it," Skylar says with a light grin. Sky takes the offered hand for balance's sake, giving it a brief appreciative squeeze once he's balanced once more, before moving to release it. "Ah, so you have a time table for the appropriate lagoon face plantings, do you?" he asks, his voice obviously teasing.
—-
"You wouldn't want to read my mind anyway. It's terribly boring." Paige provides what support she can, reclaiming her hand once you release it, her own hands, while not nearly as rough as yours, showing signs that she certainly did grow up doing an honest day's work. "Well, timing is key. And you can't be expecting it."
—-
"So as long as I'm paranoid I'm safe?" Skylar asks, raising an eyebrow. "Good to know." He grins to Paige, before turning his head to gaze out at the lagoon that they now stand relatively in the middle of. "And I doubt boring would be the word I'd use. But you're right, I wouldn't like to read your mind. I prefer to find out things the old fashioned way. Same reason I prefer to unwrap my gifts at Christmas, instead of putting them under an xray scanner."
—-
"Well, I would say a healthy dose of caution is always advisable. You never know when it might come in handy." Though, for the time being at least, Paige doesn't look as though she's inclined to send you, partly drunk for a swim in the lagoon. So that's sort of a plus, one might say. "Your mind is one of the few places where you can truly have privacy. It's not pleasant to think that that could also be taken away from you. Although I never waited until Christmas to unwrap my presents. I always snuck down and unwrapped them enough to see what was inside, then taped them back up."
—-
"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Sky replies to Paige, once more with a ready grin. "I tried that once, myself. Or rather, I planned to. I'll give you one guess as to the one member of my family who 'must' have mind reading." He chuckles briefly, even as he continues to look out at the lagoon. "It really is nice out here," he says after a moment. "Peaceful."
—-
"Oh, I'm sure I know who. And I'm sure mine did too…but I guess she didn't see the harm in letting me have my little adventure." There's laughter there, before Paige continues, "But then, people tell me she was always something of a maverick in the family." At your comment, Paige too look out across the lagoon, "Yes, it is. It's hard to find a place as quiet and uncluttered in the heart of the city like this. I enjoy living in Dallas, don't get me wrong, but sometimes…I miss the solitude of living at home."
—-
For once, Skylar doesn't have anything to say to that. Instead, he just nods, his smile dropping away and his features expression his understanding. He stands like that for awhile, silent. After a bit, he breaks the silence by saying, "So. Now to try heading back without landing on my ass, or some other inconvenient part of my body, hrm?"
—-
Paige knows when to speak, and when it's better to be silent, most of the time. And it seems as if right now is one of those times. She'll be happy with just standing in the lagoon, looking out across the darkness, before you speak again, and she nods. But when she answers, there's no small amount of gravity to her words, "I won't let you fall."
—-
Skylar glances to Paige at her declaration, and he smiles. It's not a big one, or his lopsided one. Just a small one that seems to say 'I know.' What he actually says is, "Ditto," and then he turns, slowly, and begins to slowly move back the way they came.
—-
Paige moves just as slowly, and just as carefully, making sure to always stay on the stone directly behind you, never allowing you to get so far ahead of her that she wouldn't be able to reach you if you happened to slip. She doesn't seem to pay much attention to her own feet, seeming to feel that looking after you is a better application of her time.
—-
Skylar isn't doing too badly. The light buzz of earlier is seeming to wear off, and his movements, if careful, are still precise and fluid. That said, about halfway across, his foot hits a particularly wet stone at just the wrong angle. The foot slides away, leaving him on just one foot on the stone he was about to leave behind. His body twists around to compensate, his arms instinctively flaring out - the outcome is that one of his arms moves perilously close to Paige's direction. Even while all of this is happening on instinct, Sky still realizes the danger enough to warn, "Watch out!"
—-
Paige isn't doing too badly herself, and hasn't had any trouble, but sometimes it is possible to be too intent on what you're doing, and so she doesn't have enough of the presence of mind to hop back a stone when she sees you start to slide off. But then, that would have sort of defeated the purpose of telling you she'd keep you safe…or at the least dry. And so the arm does strike her and she too begins to lose her balance. It all seems to happen in slow motion, at least to her, until she strikes out with the hand furthest from you, sweeping it in a catching motion, and the wind suddenly picks up around both herself and you, strong and, while not buffeting, it's a firm pressure, as it winds around you, and seemingly around herself as well, as you're caught up along with her, as if by a gentle hand, and settled back onto your feet. And the pressure remains, her voice the only noise, "Are you alright?"
—-
Even while it looked like he was going to fall, Sky was trying to do his best to keep Paige from doing the same. The arm that had knocked into her had shifted to the other side of Paige, trying to press his hand against her side and keep her righted - even if that left him falling for a certainty. But it all happened in an instant - and then he somehow kept his balance. His first instinct is to look to Paige, making sure she is unhurt. "Are you ok?" he asks, practically in the same breath she does. He smiles as he hears her words through his, nodding his head. "Sorry," he says. "That was close."
—-
Thankfully, they're not far now, from the shore, and so, perhaps the end is in sight. Paige remains still, making no move to step out from under your hand, perhaps for fear of unsettling you again, all traces of the wind that moved around them gone as quickly as it picked up, so quickly that it might be easy enough to write it off as just the wind that their bodies moving created. "Yes it was, and I'm fine. But let's be very careful getting back to shore."
—-
"Yes ma'am," Skylar says, removing his hand and offering Paige a brief smile. He seems more relieved that Paige was not hurt then saving himself from a soaking. Nevertheless, he moves slowly, carefully, even more then before, and soon enough he is once more on dry land. He turns back, offering Paige a hand to shore.
—-
Paige follows easily behind you, as she's released, and this time she's as careful of her own steps as she is of yours, needing a bit more concentration, in light of the sudden feeling of tiredness that starts to leech into her. And she's grateful for the hand, as she steps off of the final stone and onto the grass. "Thank you. For looking out for me."
—-
"To be fair, it was my fault for you needing help in the first place. If you had been alone, you probably could have danced cartwheels on the stones," Skylar says, giving her hand another gentle squeeze before releasing it. "But thank you too. It's nice to have someone to watch your back."
—-
"If I had been alone, I probably wouldn't have come out here in the first place. Some things are meant to be shared." Paige returns the squeeze, before she moves back to where she left her boots, settling back onto the ground to put them back on, "Nor would I have had as much fun." Once she's finished with her boots, she returns to her feet, grabbing up the bear by one of his paws, "Walk a girl back to her car?"
—-
"That's true. And I'm glad you did. I've never been out here before, even living these past years in the city." Sky hunkers down to get his own socks and shoes on, then rises about the same time Paige does. He nods his head with an easy smile, saying, "Of course. It's the least I can do."
—-
Paige seems content to wait for you to get yourself ready to go, taking the time while she's idle to give you another going over, visually, to make certain that you actually are alright. There's certainly something of an air of caution about her that wasn't there before, "You sure you're alright? You didn't get hit anywhere?"
—-
Skylar glances at Paige oddly, before shaking his head. "I was the one who hit you, remember? I'm sorry about that, again. Anyways, yeah, I'm fine, and just glad that you appear to be too. Don't worry about it." He smiles, then gestures for Paige to lead the way to where she parked. "Come on, it's past Panda's bed time," he teases.
—-
Well, Paige is used to odd looks, so that's sort of like water off a duck's back, really. And once she has the assurance, she offers a smile, using it to wipe away the look of concern, before she turns, swinging the bear back over her back, his arm over her shoulder as she lugs him back, moving easily onto the path through the wooded area and towards the parking lot, "Did you drive tonight? I can give you a ride home. You had a bit to drink."
—-
Skylar says, "Yeah, I did. Only if you want, I was planning on calling a cab if I had more then a glass." Well, at least he knows his limits. "And despite the clumsy evidence to the contrary, I'm not exactly wasted, either." Sky grins, then asks curiously, "Do you drink at all? Not that I mind either way, but I like to know to avoid social mishaps in the future.""
—-
"I wouldn't have offered if I thought it was going to be a problem, so yes, I do want to. It would be silly to make you cab it back when I could take you home." Now that they're back on dry land, the going is quicker, and they're soon heading into the parking lot, which, at this time of the night, is considerably less crowded than it was when they first started towards the lagoon. "I'm the red truck over there." It's one of those big ones, with the extended cab with added seating. Thankfully, she's not redneck enough to have a truck topper over the truck bed. Because that would be seriously country.
—-
"Fair enough. I just didn't want to inconvenience you more then I already have. But I appreciate it." Sky follows her to the truck, obviously having no problem picking it out in the nearly empty parking lot. "You didn't answer my question," he points out. "You a teetotaller? Or just for tonight?"
—-
Paige's gaze shifts from the truck to the man walking beside her, a frown crossing her features, before she sort of 'snaps out of it', offering an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, guess I'm still a bit rattled. No, not just for tonight. I don't drink, I never got the taste for it. Anything that has the taste of alcohol in it just puts me right off." She remotely unlocks the door to the truck, opening up her side, on the extended cab, and setting the bear down in the seat, even buckling him in, though from the upward curve of her mouth, that's done for no other reason than comedic effect. Once the passenger is secured, she closes the door again, and then opens the driver side, to hop in.
—-
"Well, I can understand that. Good to know." Sky smiles, especially when he spots her buckling in the bear, but falls silent. He climbs into the truck, and buckles himself in, maintaining his silence for now - companionably, however, suited to an evening that is winding down.
—-
Paige does start the truck, but she doesn't make any move to depart the lot until you're safely buckled in. But, once everything seems safe and sound, she starts on her way, "I'll need an address, unless you've decided you'd rather crash in my spare bedroom."
—-
"Ah, yes, that would probably be some needed information, wouldn't it?" Skylar says, chuckling at himself. And he'll give the address, which is in a fairly nice part of town, and ends in front of not an apartment, but an actual house.
—-
"I know where that is, mostly," Paige offers as she turns onto the main road and starts off in that direction, "Much better area than my house. I can see why you decided against it." It doesn't take too terribly long, this late in the evening to get over in that area, following both her own knowledge, and your directions, until she's pulling up in front of the house.
—-
"Actually, it has little to do with that and more the fact that there is no possible way I'm going to impose on you any more then I already have - especially as this is only the second time we've met. Some say the first impression is what counts, but I try and keep a good impression a little longer then that." Skylar grins, then nods when they've pulled up in front of the house. He moves to take off his seatbelt once they've come to a stop, and turns in his seat to smile one last time at Paige. "Thanks again, for everything, Paige. I had fun."
—-
"Yes, I know." She honestly did not expect him to take her offer as anything more than the joke it was intended to be. And the grin he offers is answered with one of her own, as she watches him move to step out of the truck, "Well, I dunno…second impression…you got into a fight with a bear, spilled beer all over him, threw him down on the ground, and nearly sent me into a lagoon. I'm looking forward to seeing what the third impression will be." The grin escalates into fullblown laughter, "So did I. And you're welcome. Goodnight, Sky. And if you need a ride back out to the grounds tomorrow to pick up your car, give me a call."
—-
Sky matches Paige's laughter with a bit of his own. "When you put it like that, I almost think we should have held the evening in a cage grudge match and sold tickets." He smiles good naturedly, nodding his head at Paige's offer. "Thanks, Paige. You have a good night." And, with that, Sky exits the truck, and heads up the walk to the door.
—-
"You do the same." Paige will wait in the truck, watching the walk up to the door, and even wait until she's surely you're safely inside, before she'll considering heading back out onto the streets and off towards West Dallas.
