Agnes had sighed as she returned to Gina’s side and offered her one of the glasses of chocolate milk. Once that was done, she joined her sister’s side and dug into the collection of sweets that Gina had brought for them to share. Her hand dug into the bag, pulled out a smaller piece of chocolate and she had to smile. It was a mini Kit-Kat, one of her favorites. At least the fates seemed to be trying to make her feel better: her sister, the sweets, the chance that they got to be alone, all of it just pointed to the fact that she needed to get over her sadness. And she would.

Gina seemed to take a funny look on her face, though, when Agnes commented about how she should have known better than to feel so hurt.

>> "You think so? I wouldn't expect you to get over that quickly…I mean, I know you liked her. A lot. And, for all extensive purposes, it's kind of like mourning a loss. I think--"

Agnes paused, the chocolate treat in her mouth as she waited for Gina to finish her thought. She knew that the young gargoyle was only trying to help but the poor thing also seemed at a loss for how to continue the conversation. Poor Gina. Agnes would make sure to remember to give her a big hug later on for her help today.

>> "I'd be worried if you weren't so 'destroyed' over this, at least for a little while."

A nod and Agnes continued to chew the piece of chocolate thoughtfully. She was tired, her eyes were sore, but she did not want to be alone with her thoughts at the moment. The only thing she wanted to was enjoy her sister’s company. She was a lot wiser than she gave herself credit for. Regardless of the amount of time that Agnes had spent with Rhythm, the musician was her first relationship, even if it did not last all that long. That meant that no matter what, this break-up was going to hurt. As much as Agnes would have liked to have been prepared for it, there was nothing that she could do.

This was simply a pain she was going to have to deal with.

A deep sigh, a thoughtful nibble on chocolate, then Agnes turned and smiled a bit at Gina. She was certainly thankful to have a sister like her.

She raised her glass of chocolate milk and clinked it against Gina’s as a sign of “cheers” before she took a sip. Mmm…she always managed to get the right mixture of chocolate-to-milk. But despite the cool sensation of it rolling down into her empty stomach, the runaway still smiled a little.

“Yeah,” she finally said. “I-I know. I know that. It just…it still sucks. I…I’ve never…had a relationship like that. I never let someone get that close to me in that way.” she whispered as she reached into the bag for another candy. “Then…when I saw that video…it just felt like…like I was betrayed. Almost…felt like my parent’s all over again,” she mumbled as she big into the new chocolate she unwrapped. After chewing for a couple seconds, Agnes sighed as she very gently slapped her own face in a “wake-the-hell-up” kind of gesture. “God, this is getting ridiculous,” she meekly smiled as she wiped away from fresh tears that wanted to fall. No more tonight…she was not crying anymore tonight.

Gina accepted the chocolate milk with a quiet thanks, turning the cup around in her hands pensively. Her eyes flicked to Agnes, to see how what she had said was sinking in. She simply nodded, munched on her chocolate, let the gears turn in her mind. They toasted, to who knew what-- Gina pretended that it was to sisters, but didn't vocalize that. She merely clinked her glass to Agnes's, and took a swig of chocolate milk.

Ooh, it was really good chocolate milk. She took another, polite sip, relishing the taste, and set the glass down, retrieving another piece of chocolate. Gina would have a hard time pacing herself on chocolate milk that was that good.

>> “Yeah, I-I know. I know that. It just…it still sucks. I…I’ve never…had a relationship like that. I never let someone get that close to me in that way. Then…when I saw that video…it just felt like…like I was betrayed. Almost…felt like my parent’s all over again.”

Gina bobbed her head as she unsheathed and consumed another chocolate, simply listening to what Agnes had to say and implementing nothing of her own. She was here to listen, give feedback or reflect certain things when need be, but not here to voice her opinions of people. She couldn't draw the parallel between Rhythm and Agnes's parents, for the step between those two seemed much more drastic. Infidelity as opposed to torture? All that Gina knew was that she didn't like them, in different respects, and that Agnes felt betrayed by Rhythm in the same way that she felt betrayed by her parents. That was some heavy stuff.

Gina had to take another sip of chocolate milk to wash that deep thought down. Agnes patted her cheek, as if trying to get herself to snap out of it, and Gina quirked a faint smile.

>> “God, this is getting ridiculous.”

Gina chuckled. For Gina, this was as far as it got from getting ridiculous-- this was progress, Agnes was vocalizing, and that was not ridiculous. It was nice to gain this insight, useful even-- a lot better than having Agnes bottle everything in and beat herself up about everything.

"Hmm..." Gina sighed, again twirling the chocolate milk absently, "It's insightful, though. It's nice to hear you talk about it." Gina smiled, took a sip of chocolate milk as she paused. Agnes was opening up little-by-little, which meant that, as she opened up, she'd be more open to inquiries, more ready to reveal certain details here and there. But, getting the juicy details was a delicate procedure, and Gina had to moderate herself so that she wasn't too nosy, "How did Rhythm handle it?" Or, if that was too broad and too raw of a subject, "--Was she more angry or sad?"

>> "Hmm...It's insightful, though. It's nice to hear you talk about it."

Agnes smiled a little as she thoughtfully chewed on the next piece of candy. She had to admit that Gina did have a point at that. In the past the runaway definitely would have bottled this incident up and never thought twice of keeping it a secret from everyone. She did not want to appear weak or pining after a lost love. After all, she had to be strong, she always had to be strong. That was how you survived out in the streets and sometimes that mentality tended to follow her even though she was now living in a beautiful mansion surrounded by people who actually cared about her.

But even though she was talking about it, that did not make it hurt any less. At least not right away. Agnes knew that this would take some time and she was completely fine with that. She should not be expecting quick fix cures with heartache like this. There were mistakes on both her and Rhythm’s sides. They both were going to have to live with them and living with your mistakes can hurt.

She sighed as she picked up her glass of milk and took another sip. Gina was being exceptionally sweet today and she was thankful for that. The little gargoyle was one of her true bright points in her life. She was tender, caring and she knew that she could turn to her no matter what. Deep down, Agnes knew that Gina had problems with Rhythm, but her little sister never voiced them. Maybe that was for the best. After all, if she had voiced any concerns, it could have easily harmed their relationship which would have been greatly unfortunate.

Agnes sighed a little as she considered what more to tell Gina. She did not want to keep burdening her young sister with all the details of her and Rhythm’s break-up, but it did feel a little better talking about it. Another sip of milk and Agnes reached for another candy bit when Gina spoke up once again…

>> "How did Rhythm handle it? --Was she more angry or sad?"

There was a pause. Agnes stopped and blindly looked forward. In that instance her mind flashed back to that day but all she could really decipher from her memory was raised voices (mainly her own), tear stained cheeks, and an all-encompassing blur. A shudder ran up her spine at the memory and she nibbled on her bottle lip. She did not like remembering Rhythm’s face during that encounter but the silent musician did have a very expressive eyes.

That day, those eyes almost killed her.

A glance to Gina and Agnes took another sip of milk. At least she was not crying now. “Most of that night was a blur,” she said honestly. “But…her face…that look on her face broke my heart. It was so…sad.” She shook her head as she took another sip. She meekly nudged Gina with her elbow. “When you fall for someone, make sure you really get to know them first. Promise me that, okay?”

Agnes paused, gathering her thoughts and looking beyond the kitchen, for only a moment. Gina had been sipping her milk, and now lifted her head a fractioin. Had she gone to far, asked the wrong question. For a moment, but only for a moment, Gina nearly took it back. She nearly apologized for crossing the line in her inquiries, but then, Agnes shuddered and seemed to be shaken back to life, taking a sip of chocolate milk before speaking. Gina hesitantly did the same, and then retrieved a chocolate.

>> “Most of that night was a blur-- but…her face…that look on her face broke my heart. It was so…sad.”

So, she was sad as opposed to angry. Maybe heartbroken? Why had Gina thought she'd be angry, anyways--? Gina sighed. Even if she hadn't been too fond of her, she doubted that Rhythm would have fallen into the "fiery redhead" temprament when it came to break-ups and moving on. She seemed better than that, and with the whole "kissing of criminals" bit, it wasn't like Rhythm didn't have any options. Gina let her gaze swim towards Agnes. What about her sister, though? Once Agnes was done mourning, how long would it be until she found someone else? Gina couldn't help but to begin mentally rifling through the names of people she knew from the school that could at least be friends with Agnes, if not something more than that. While Gina was doing this, Agnes elbowed her faintly, stirring her from her thoughts as she began to speak.

>> “When you fall for someone, make sure you really get to know them first. Promise me that, okay?”

Gina inclined her head, combing her rampant curls back with her hand. Why did their heart-to-hearts always seem to circle back around to Gina making promises that she couldn't necessarily keep to Agnes? Like the promise of running when her parents showed up at the school? Yeah, that had worked out really well. Sure, she'd run, but then she circled back around and ran after Agnes because blind loyalty had driven her to do so. Who was to say that this promise would be any different? But, just the look that Agnes wore in her eyes, and the look that she was tilting at her younger sister, compelled Gina to answer.

"I promise," Gina swore, bobbing her head faintly before adding on, "That I will not fall for a stranger, if it can be helped." She kept a straight face, despite the inner humor that had struck her-- Gina presumed that dating for her wouldn't be like dating for someone who looked human. It would take more work, would require someone to get to know her on a personal level, before they'd even be able to see past her mutation. Gina unwrapped her chocolate and popped it into her mouth. God, she wished she knew a boy that looked like a gargoyle. Or, at least mildly similar to herself. She'd be absolutely bonkers for him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, a boy such as that had yet to have come to the Mansion, but Gina was still waiting for him.

The mental image of her dragging a cute guy back to the Mansion was a funny one, though. Gina couldn't help but chuckle.

Agnes was truly serious about this promise that she wanted Gina to make to her. She loved the little gargoyle so much and she did not want her to get hurt like this. Maybe she was over-exaggerating though. After all, Agnes had never been in a relationship before, never gone through a breakup, never felt this type of pain. Was it right of her to ask this of the young gargoyle and be so protective of her? Maybe this type of pain was supposed to be normal for a teenage girl. It’s not like Agnes could expect Gina to just up and bring every person she had an attraction for to her for approval. That would be insane.

With was only with a resolute sigh and Agnes shook the thought away. She needed to stop being so paranoid, and she definitely needed to stop treating Gina as if she were some fragile porcelain statuette that could shatter the second someone looks at her.

>> "I promise…That I will not fall for a stranger, if it can be helped."

Agnes was about to smile and nod that she did not have to promise…and then Gina spoke. Again…with her usual humor.

The runaway tilted her head as she watched the gargoyle try to hide her grin (which was always brighter than the sun on a sunny day). It took only the sight of Gina’s grin and the twinkle in her eye for Agnes to connect the dots that the teen had cracked another one of her jokes. Quickly she mentally ran through what she had last said and just sighed, trying to stifle a smile.

“I’m being serious,” Agnes attempted to protest but could not stay stern with that sweet faced girl. She finally just sighed as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders, leaned in and gave her a kiss in her mass of curly hair. “But…I should know better. Of course you’d be safe. Guess…situation just made me a little paranoid. Don’t listen to me.” she beamed.

>> "I’m being serious."

Gina's grin faltered a bit, and her look easily shifted into a look of confusion. She'd hardly been aware of the smile or the faint chuckle as they surfaced. She'd been so wrapped in her thoughts, they'd just kind of emerged while she was on her unawares. But, when Agnes called attention to it, Gina pouted her lips and arched an eyebrow. It wasn't that she didn't take her seriously, it was just that, if any guy was interested in Gina without getting to know her, he was either really nice, some sort of freak, or a freak with alterior motives. Either that, or they'd be a gargoyle, too, and Gina had yet to see one of those sorts wandering around. Not that she wasn't looking.

Agnes kissed Gina on her head, as she often did, and Gina glanced toward her, inclining her head patiently.

>> “But…I should know better. Of course you’d be safe. Guess…situation just made me a little paranoid. Don’t listen to me.”

"It wasn't that, Agnes," Gina sighed, the corners of her lips curling as she spoke. How could she say this in a completely matter-of-fact way? How could she say this and not come off as completely depressive? Either that, it wasn't going to sound good however Gina tried to word it, "I mean, I'm absolutely serious, too. I'll probably be quite thorough at finding a decent guy. It's just that--" Gina took her tail in her hands, began toying with it absently as she paused to contemplate her wording once again, "It'd have to be a pretty stand-up guy to fall for me that fast. Either that, or he'd have to be sick in the head."

Because, in Gina's mind, no matter how many times someone said that it was the personality that mattered, what she'd witnessed in her young life was quite the contrary. Looks were the primary concern-- did they look human, or mutant?-- and personality was simply a secondary bonus... that is, unless this guy was the best kind of guy, the absolute nicest kind of guy in the world. The kind you'd adopt as near-family. Gina finished off her chocolate milk with an enthusiastic swig, setting the empty glass down upon the counter.

"And he'd probably have to be a mutant, too," Gina added on. What she really meant to say was a visible mutant, but non-visible mutations would suffice, too. And, as lovely as her surrogate family was, she really couldn't ever envision herself being with a human boy, an outsider, to the life of mutants. Gina smiled faintly, the corner of her lips tilting as she added on, "I'm still looking for my gargoyle-guy."

She let her eyes slide towards Agnes, her brown eyes shimmering with humor. Perhaps Agnes didn't see what Gina understood the be funny, about what she'd said. Perhaps it wasn't even funny to her. Gina shifted gears, returning to her sister's dilemma and departing from her own inner thoughts for the moment. They weren't here to hear about Gina's romantic life, they were here to talk about Agnes's.

"It's okay to be paranoid, for a little bit," Gina added on, gently kicking her sister's leg. Falling out was like getting in a car crash-- for a while, you're antsy around the roadways, hesitant to drive and hyper-aware, but after a while, things simply return to normal for you.

The look on Gina’s face made Agnes falter slightly. Her sister was being serious. Not only that but Agnes remained quiet as she started to explain some of her viewpoints behind her words. She knew that Gina was speaking from her heart, but Agnes still found it so sad. The young gargoyle did not seem to hold her chances of finding someone to fall that head-over-heels for her very high. Agnes frowned at this. She hated that Gina thought like that.

But she didn’t say anything. She did not want to stifle any of Gina’s words. Gina had a right to how she felt and lord knows she let Agnes go on and on in her self-deprecating rants with an all too patient ear. Yet still…Agnes really could not see how Gina could think like that.

>> "And he'd probably have to be a mutant, too…I'm still looking for my gargoyle-guy."[/color]

Another sip of her milk and Agnes still remained quiet. She had an inkling of what Gina more than likely felt. Only mutants can really understand mutants. After all Agnes herself had insects that came out of her mouth! Not exactly the easiest ability to live with, especially when it came to kissing. At least with Rhythm she understood and was patient enough with Agnes wait until she had a better control over her powers. But Gina, her mutation was in her appearance. That wouldn’t change with time or control, at least the runaway didn’t think so.

But she smiled at that last part. Gargoyle-guy. That really would be adorable. And Agnes had no doubt that there really was someone like that out in the world. After all, there could only be a finite number of mutant powers, right? Besides, despite that, Agnes was sure that Gina would find someone who could see her for her. Her smile, her compassion, her caring, her beauty, all of it was too hard to ignore.

Gina would be fine, Agnes knew that. She hoped that Gina knew it too.

>> "It's okay to be paranoid, for a little bit,"[/color]

Agnes nodded as she took out another piece of chocolate and popped it into her mouth. Thoughtfully she chewed it as she cast a glance out of the corner of her eye at Gina. Her little sister, the only constant in her life she could always count on. She grinned as she kicked her back just as softly.

“I’ll get over it. I usually do.” she beamed as she took a sip of milk. “And when I do, when I meet your fantastic Johnny Depp looking gargoyle-boy, we can double date.” It may have seemed like a joke but the earnestness in Agnes face showed that she was serious. She had high hopes for Gina and knew that between the two of them, if would be her that attains her utmost happiness in the world.

Perhaps it was the recent events that had left her jaded, or events of the past, or good ol' teenage angst, but whatever it was, that was her opinion. She was surprised to see that her explanation had sent Agnes into a speculative silence, as if it were some profound idea. It wasn't that Gina had written off humans entirely, it was just that he'd have to be a nice guy, to compliment the fact that she was a nice and abnormal-looking girl. A guy that was in it for ther personality. Or just bizarre, and really into the whole visibly mutated-girl thing. She hadn't said it to be depressive, it was just how she saw things, at the ripe old age of fifteen. And she only needed one guy to prove her wrong. But Agnes seemed to have taken it to heart, and perhaps taken it wrong. That was okay, Gina didn't need to try and explain herself in any more depth.

>> “I’ll get over it. I usually do. And when I do, when I meet your fantastic Johnny Depp looking gargoyle-boy, we can double date.”

That comment caught Gina on her unawares, and she had almost begun to laugh without realizing that she still had chocolate in her mouth, and she choked momentarily. Luckily, it was a small chocolate, and most of the way chewed, so she managed to swallow it, but not without looking like an absolute fool.

"Oh baby, Johnny Depp?!" she exlaimed, out of breath from her almost-choking, "Ooh, if I found that paired with my mutation--" Gina slouched back, a hand fluttering to her chest wordlessly as she envisioned such a glorious, wonderful thing, "It would be a beautiful thing." That boy wouldn't be single very long, if his personality checked-out just fine. He didn't even have to be a gargoyle boy. He could have just the wings, or just a tail, or something else absolutely bizarre and wonderful. He didn't even have to be visibly mutated.

"That would be a lot of fun," Gina agreed, nodding her head slowly, "Even if I didn't have the luxury of being accompanied by a God-like, Johnny Depp-lookalike, gargoyle-boy-- I might even just find a casual date, just for the heck of it, for a double-date." Gina mused. There were plenty of boys at the school. Nice guys, who'd be fun to take on a date, even if it wasn't a serious date.

She dared to fish out another chocolate, unwrapped it expertly, and nibbled the corner. Maybe go mini-golfing. Or bowling, even if Gina could wear the shoes. They could have a lot of fun with that. But, who would they go with? Gina peered at Agnes with that look in her eyes-- the "who could I hook Agnes up with?" look. Gina knew that her emotional wounds from breaking up with Rhythm were still fresh, but she couldn't help but get that look in her eyes. Finding another girl just made it all the more of a challenge, but Gina didn't care. God only knew how Agnes would react, once she saw those gears turning in Ginas' eyes.

>> "Oh baby, Johnny Depp?! Ooh, if I found that paired with my mutation--It would be a beautiful thing."

Agnes grinned as she watched Gina’s reaction. She knew it was hard for her, especially concerning how visible her mutation was, but Agnes knew that deep down it didn’t matter. Whoever met Gina was immediately infected by that sunny disposition of her. They would not be able to help being nice, or sweet, or having their deepest inner joys bubble to the surface. Gina just had that effect on people, especially Agnes.

As she sat back and watched her flourish with the drama of a theatre student, Agnes could only do so much to suppress her giggle. Gina was so sweet. Agnes knew that whoever was the lucky guy who earned her attentions would indeed be in for a happy partner. She only prayed that this person understand that going in.

But in the end, the runaway could only slightly shrug to herself as she reached into that magic bag of candy and pull out another expertly wrapped piece. She unwrapped it, held it too her lips and took a small nibble. It was while she was doing that that she heard Gina musing to herself…

>> "That would be a lot of fun…Even if I didn't have the luxury of being accompanied by a God-like, Johnny Depp-lookalike, gargoyle-boy--I might even just find a casual date, just for the heck of it, for a double-date."

Agnes arched her brow. Gina really seemed to be into this idea of the double date. She had this contemplative look that made the runaway curious as to what she was thinking. Surely she was not thinking of going on a double date now. Rhythm was no longer a part of Agnes’ life and as far as she knew, Gina was no dating anyone. Therefore the whole idea of a double date was completely moot--right?

She watched Gina as they caught each other’s eyes and Agnes sat for a good few seconds watching her closely. She watched those wheels turn and turn behind her eyes. There was something there, something that was practically screaming a warning at her.

And then it clicked.

Agnes narrowed her eyes as she watched Gina closely. “Gina…no. Don’t you dare,” the runaway said with a slight bit of sternness that was mixed with fear. She did not like to sound angry towards her little sister but if there was one thing she was not ready for right now, it was a date. Besides…she knew Gina’s track record with matchmaking. “I’m not going to allow you set me up with someone. You do and I’m never making you chocolate milk again.”

It was a harsh thread. But Gina needed to know that she was not joking.

It was nearly impossible, staring Agnes down and trying to contain a rising fit of giggles. Gina was grinning like a maniac, but no matter what, she simply had to resist the urge to start cackling. Agnes seemed confused enough as it was, the unspoken conversation going right over her head. Yet, as they sat there, exchanging two, very different glances, something seemed to snap in Agnes's mind. So, she'd caught on--

>> "Gina ... no. Don't you dare."

Gina couldn't help it. She giggled mischeviously, like a kid who'd been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. But, her laughter didn't last long-- Gina really didn't have a particular person in mind, yet, and Agnes sounded pretty intense, and not in the good way. She sounded a little... mad, maybe, scared and annoyed, too? And, as Agnes continued talking, she realized that Agnes really did mean business.

>> “I’m not going to allow you set me up with someone. You do and I’m never making you chocolate milk again.”

Gina frowned-- was her taste in people really so terrible? She had to admit, she had a difficult time finding fault in others, but she wasn't a complete and total poor judge of character. But to absolutely forbid Gina from setting Agnes up with someone, and to never make her chocolate milk again if she did so? That was really harsh, so she knew that Agnes meant business. Gina held a wrapped chocolate in her hands, tugging at the wrapper without tearing it off of the candy speculatively. She licked her lips, as if preparing for the words she was about to say.

"Just like that, huh? I set you up with anyone, and you revoke my chocolate milk privleges," Gina smiled, laughed faintly, "Geez, Agnes, you're really serious about this?" She made a small tear in the corner of the candy's packagain, hefted her gaze towards Agnes's once again, "What if she was really nice? It'd just be a casual date, and if you didn't like her, no sweat-- c'est la vie. You wouldn't have to get serious with her." What was so wrong with having a little fun-- or casually dating and playing the field? They were teenagers, for God's sake, they had their whole lives to get serious with someone, but the teenaged years were a time to explore.

Gina finally unwrapped her chocolate, popped it into her mouth, and chewed quietly, still watching Agnes. She realized that this was probably a moot point, so when she spoke, Gina had adopted a tone of nonchalance to show that, if Agnes was really, truly serious about not getting hooked up with anyone that Gina set her up with, it wouldn't hurt her feelings. (And, it truly didn't, for Gina didn't even have a specific person in mind. The whole discussion, in Gina's head, was a "what-if?" scenario.) But, perhaps Agnes thought she meant "right here, right now", let's do a double-date? So Gina clarified--

"Not now, I mean. I'm speaking hypothetically... like, if I found someone I thought you'd like, if you'd give them a shot? I don't have a specific girl off of the top of my head... it isn't as though there's some mystery woman right outside the door, waiting for the go-ahead before coming in..." A smile touched Gina's lips as she said the words "mystery woman", and she wiggled her finger's in Agnes's direction, as if to be spooky.

Agnes had never wanted her voice to come out that stern. As she sat there, watching her younger sister chewing on a piece of chocolate, Agnes could almost see the wheels in her head turning. She, a second ago, had been giggling at the prospect of setting her up, but as soon as Agnes had spoken, she could see the deflating of the expression on her face. She did not want her to feel so bad for just trying to be a good sister and wanting to help her out but at the same time, the whole idea of actually going out with anyone else completely made her spine tingle. The last thing she wanted was to expose herself like that again.

But sitting there, thoughtfully chewing on her own piece of chocolate, Agnes could only watch her sister as she sat there looking as innocent as can be. She could tell that the young gargoyle did not want to caution saying any more on the subject, at the same time she was not going to let it go either. Agnes could see how she was worried about her. After all, the runaway was close to swearing off ever dating again considering how badly she felt she got hurt from Rhythm and hers relationship.

That was the thing about Gina, though, she always did what she could to make people happy. Even if that meant making them face what they were most terrified of.

So, while sitting next to her sister and contemplating over the last of her chocolate milk, she tried to think of some way in order to apologize. She really did not want to date right now, but she did not want to hurt her sister’s feelings either.

Apparently, though, Gina beat her to the punch…

>> "Just like that, huh? I set you up with anyone, and you revoke my chocolate milk privileges…Geez, Agnes, you're really serious about this? What if she was really nice? It'd just be a casual date, and if you didn't like her, no sweat-- c'est la vie. You wouldn't have to get serious with her."[/i]

Agnes listened. But that was all she did. She did not want to go with her gut reaction of saying no to everything. She knew that Gina was trying to help, she really did. And because she did not want to hurt her feelings, she was trying her best to not snap and say no again. Gina was sweet and well-meaning, Agnes should know better to trust her. She knew that whomever Gina had picked out that it would not mean a promise to a relationship for the rest of her life. But still…right now, the concept made her a little sick to her stomach.

That or it was all the chocolate she had just consumed in a short amount of time.

But as she contemplated the rest of Gina’s words, really disliking the idea of going out right now, the young gargoyle calmed her nerves considerably.



>> "Not now, I mean. I'm speaking hypothetically... like, if I found someone I thought you'd like, if you'd give them a shot? I don't have a specific girl off of the top of my head... it isn't as though there's some mystery woman right outside the door, waiting for the go-ahead before coming in..."

Agnes remained quiet as she tried to think over her sister proposition. Gina…how could she really say no to her? Yes, she was a little apprehensive about the idea of dating anyone. But her sister had a point, they were young and as much as these things hurt, it was all a part of living a normal life. Agnes had always said that all she wanted was a normal life. Besides, what was so bad about just going out and hanging out with someone to go to the movies, or have ice cream? There was nothing wrong with hanging out, right?

She sighed a bit in defeat as she smiled back at the growing grin on Gina’s face. She held on for a few more seconds before she finally just nodded. No one said no to Gina forever.

“Alright, okay. I’ll trust your judgment,” she said with a nod. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Just…no musicians? Okay?”

Of course Gina couldn't stop smiling, even through the pout that she was attempting to wear on her face. She could see the gears turning in her sister's head, unnerved by the silence in which they sat. Gina drove a hard bargain, but was it really so difficult of a decision that she had to give it so much thought? Finally, Agnes cracked--

>> "Alright, okay. I’ll trust your judgment-- You’ve got yourself a deal. Just…no musicians? Okay?”

"Yay!" Gina cheered quietly, practically bouncing up to hug Agnes. Even now, she was contemplating this new job of hers, running through a list of girls in her mind, who she thought wasn't straight, who didn't have a lot of emotional baggage and was good enough for Agnes. After a short hug, Gina released her sister, sinking back with a furrowed brow, as if the "no musicians" bit had actually caused her to pause.

"'No musician'?" she echoed contemplatively, "Not even a fellow violinist? Or a pianist?"

These were the only grounds that Agnes had given her, though, and Gina could tell that she was being both very lenient, and very serious. It was best not to push too hard, or she'd risk losing Agnes's blessing. Before she could retort (if Agnes was going to retort), Gina added on, "I kid, I kid."

She fished into her bag for another chocolate, eyebrows furrowed in thought. Gina didn't know Agnes's tastes, though, which would probably be a good thing to know, if Gina were to take on the endeavor of finding her a date. Just her luck, she'd grab someone that Agnes wouldn't be seen dead with in a million years, and there'd go her credability as a good date-finder.

"Do you have a specific type, Agnes?" Gina inquired, "Like, tall or short? Funny or sensetive, or whatever--? What would you say that you go for?"

>> "Yay!"[/i]

Agnes’ eyes widened slightly in surprise. Gina cheered, then proceeded to attack her with a hug. After a second Agnes simply broke down with laughter as she hugged her little sister back. Apparently this was something she had been wanting to do for a while? Not that the runaway could blame her. Wasn’t one of the staples of a sisterly relationship setting one another up on dates? After all, they were sisters and therefore were entitled to follow the rules of such.

But as twitchy as the subject of her dating again became, Agnes knew that Gina would be respectful. She would give her time, patience, and the tender care she deserved. She would listen to her wishes, she would wait and give her time to heal before they actually got down into the serious talk of it. After all, it was not like Gina was going to suddenly present her with a random girl and force her onto a date that very evening, right? Gina was too much of a good person to allow that. Agnes knew that she was in soft and capable hands…

>> "'No musician'? Not even a fellow violinist? Or a pianist? I kid, I kid."[/i]

One eyebrow went up. Agnes looked as if she were ready to slug her little sister directly in the eye. But thankfully Gina had managed to save the incident by reciting that it was just a joke. God she hoped it was.

In silence they continued to munch on the rest of their supply of chocolate. After all the chocolate milk and candy that they had, Agnes was surprised that she was not flying higher. After all, that was a lot of sugar to consume at one time. But Agnes was actually feeling pretty calm. She was not jittery or shaky or suffering any other signs of a sugar rush. Instead there was an odd sense of calm. She guessed that after her break up with Rhythm she had been pretty numb. Maybe all the sugar was just what she needed to get herself going again.

She sighed as she plucked out another piece of chocolate and began to gnaw on it. This was her last one. She was promising herself that.

>> "Do you have a specific type, Agnes? Like, tall or short? Funny or sensetive, or whatever--? What would you say that you go for?"[/i]

Agnes paused…

Now…at this point she had stopped breathing. She had hoped that by telling Gina that she would go out with whoever she set her up with that that would end the discussion for a little while. But apparently she was wrong. Gina actually wanted to know the type of girl that she was into? How would she even answer that? It’s not like Agnes lusted after every girl she came across but she didn’t know exactly what her “type” was or if she even had one. So far the only girl she liked was Rhythm and she definitely was not looking for that type of person again.

She frowned a little in thought as she glanced at Gina and finally remembered to breathe. After a long pause, the only thing the runaway could do…was shrug.

“Um…to be honest, Gina, I just don’t know. Not really something I gave a lot of thought about,” she said as she blushed. Her face must have been so scarlet now due to embarrassment. Was she really talking to her little sister about the type of girl’s she was into? She simply shook her head. “I mean…I dunno. Long as they’re nice, I guess. I just don’t want someone lying to me again, you know?” she said with a meek little nudge.

If they'd been two girls talking about boys, types might have not been such a difficult thing to touch on. For Gina, it wasn't an awkward question to ask-- it served a purpose, and that purpose was to figure out what she was looking for. It didn't feel too invasive or awkward. Or, maybe that was just the California within her speaking-- she came from a pretty openminded town--

>> “Um…to be honest, Gina, I just don’t know. Not really something I gave a lot of thought about."

Her face was such a bright red that it reminded Gina of a stoplight. She didn't laugh, merely smiled placidly as Agnes rummaged for the right words. It wasn't too tough of a question. Were there just certain things that screamed out to her more than others? For example, Gina like tall guys, which wasn't a difficult thing to come by at her standpoint... Did Agnes like... hmm, outgoing people? Rhythm was certainly outgoing. Okay, maybe it wasn't that casual of a question for Agnes-- Gina looked towards her friend again, who was still taking a moment to articulate before speaking once again.

>> "I mean…I dunno. Long as they’re nice, I guess. I just don’t want someone lying to me again, you know?”

Agnes nudged her shyly, and Gina nudged her back. That was probably about as far as it was going to get.

"Okay, nice and truthful," Gina summarized, as if making a mental list, "And not a musician." In a sense, not having too many particulars was nice. It gave Gina more wiggle-room. It meant that Agnes actually meant it when she said that she'd trust Gina's judgement. And, Gina knew plenty of girls that were nice, truthful non-musicians. The real challenge would be figuring which way they swung on the scale of orientation. Gina glanced towards the bag of chocolates, which now had a sufficient dent within it from the chocolates which had been devoured in the heart-to-heart. All the while, she ran through people in her head, disregarding preferences for the time being.

>> "Okay, nice and truthful…And not a musician."[/i]

Agnes nodded. Yes. That was her preference and other than that she was putting her complete trust in Gina. She loved her little gargoyle sister and knew that she would not throw her into some uncomfortable circumstance. What she was most thankful of was that at least Gina would give her the time to relax and learn to breathe again. After her break up with Rhythm, Agnes felt she still had shaky feet. She didn’t want to worry about making herself look foolish or meeting someone who was completely wrong for her and fall for them…again. She instead took a calming breath and allowed herself to trust Gina.

A glance to their nearly empty bag of chocolates and Agnes felt a small rumble in her stomach. She had way too much chocolate today and cried more than she should have. But at least she was feeling slightly better, if not a little sick from all the sweets in her system.

But another glance to the bag and Agnes shrugged her shoulders. What was one more piece? After all, she did remember seeing that there was at least one more Kit-Kat; she really loved those. But as she pulled open the bag to fish it out…to her horror she spied that it was not there. Confused flashed across her face as she moved candy around. She was sure it was in there! She just saw it.

Yet her continued attempts to seek it out were futile. For whatever reason it simply was not there. Then she heard the crinkle of a wrapper. Agnes looked up to see Gina holding a the remains of a crumpled, familiar looking wrapper.

The pair of girls looked squarely at one another and Agnes could smell that familiar scent of chocolate in Gina’s breath. Agnes arched a brow…

“Gina…you know those are my favorite…”

In a bolt, Gina was up and running away, out of the kitchen.

"You little -!"

Agnes, mouth gapped in surprised cursed her breath. Gina was shorter and stockier but dammit that girl knew how to run! Muttering to herself, Agnes jumped onto her feet and bolted out of the kitchen and straight after her.

Her little sister who found her in her time of need and made her smile again…was so dead. No one steals her Kit-Kat...No one…