xp_logs | Manuel, Valentia & Callie

Manuel invites Callie in when she returns one of Valentia's toys. While having tea, Manuel discovers something that makes him act like his father before he can correct it.

The door was answered quickly by his sister and Manuel looked up for the couch, behind a newspaper, drawing up curious eyebrows as he set his paper aside. "Callie, I thought you had something to do?" he asked and when she gestured to the small stuffed animal she held out for Valentia, he knew she was bringing back the only toy he hadn't sent to charity.

"Val left this in my room," Callie explained unnecessarily as she crouched down to hand Valentia the bear and pulled the little girl into a hug. "I wanted to make sure she had it."

Of all the people to hug, Callie was the only one that got it freely. Valentia hesitated with the others, like there was a reluctance with her emotions though she was very good at keeping it behind a masked expression - something he was sure she learned from him.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked, getting up and gesturing her to the couch. "Sit, stay, Clearly she would like to see you."

Satisfied with the little girl's grip on the bear, Callie rose, and gave Val's hand a squeeze as she was led into the room. "It seems I am not being given much of a choice in the matter," she said with a laugh as she flopped onto the sofa. "I don't know why, she spent the past two days with me. I'm surprised she's still wanting to be around me, but tea would be lovely. Thank you."

"You are her favourite," Manuel supplied. "And the only one that bothers with her, or can bother with her aside from me. Doug knows sign language though he has been too busy to come by, therefore, you and I are her only source of communication." Manuel flipped to Spanish because it was easier for Valentia to understand and he enjoyed speaking without having to think about what he was going to say and if it was going to make sense.

"Are you going away anytime soon?" he asked as he began to fill the electric kettle.

Callie found it easier to understand Spanish than to speak it. She had a few years of it with Middle and High School and had to remind herself of it after she started babysitting Valentia. "Yes. I am not very good at speaking Spanish, but she seems to understand. I am better with my hands," she agreed in her rudimentary way. Turning to the girl who sat beside her and signed to her that her brother is silly.

Valentia snorted, very much a Manuel reaction, and signed back that her brother was boring, that she was bored and she wanted to watch TV but he wouldn't let her.

"She does not need to watch TV," he said and as an afterthought, took away the converter after the kettle was set up, just so Valentia wouldn't try. "It rots the brain."

"I never watched television when I was younger," she said to Valentia as she signed it. "We watched movies. Or read." Oh man. She sounded like one of those old people who talked about how things were back in the old days. "Would you like me to read you a book? Or we can ask your brother to watch a movie."

"Manuel," Callie called out toward the kitchen."Would you like some help?"

Valentia argued in sign that she wanted to watch the cars movie, or maybe the penguin one and Manuel watched from where he was.

"No, I do not need help," he said.

"~ I want tea too~" Valentia signed and then picked up two movies, handing a Knight's Tale to Callie. "~I like the horses. Do you want to watch?~"

"Her Highness would like some tea as well." Callie accepted the movie and rose to head toward the DVD player. "And is she allowed to watch this," she asked as she began to boot up the machine, but before she put the movie in. She didn't want anger Manuel by letting Val watch something she shouldn't. "She wants to watch a movie with horses."

"She watches enough movies," Manuel countered but he knew his argument was a loss cause. Both Callie and Valentia would want to watch the movie and he was one to let them, if only because they got on so well. After a few moments, the movie was well underway, Manuel had the tea ready and sat down, making sure that both girls had their own glass.

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about," he started.

"Gracias," she said as she took a sip of tea. Callie nudged Valentia to thank Manuel for the tea and the movie as well. She thought for a few moments as she sipped before placing her mug back on the table. "Oh? Can we speak English please," she asked still in Spanish. If this was going to be a heavy talk she would prefer to understand all of it completely. And probably keep Val from hearing. She did not need to hear everything that was going on.

"Very well," Manuel flipped to English and he set his tea aside, leaning back to cross a leg over his knee. "I would like it if you kept what I have to say between us and only us. I do not need anymore gossip than there already is floating around about me."

Callie nodded slowly. She knew what the gossip mill around the mansion could accomplish, and would not want anyone to experience it. "Of course," she replied finally, her face conveyed her sincerity. "I promise not to tell anyone."

"I want you to keep Carmilla away from Valentia. I am seeing her, technically speaking and I don't wish for her to have any immediate influence on my sister." He knew it was a very unpleasant request, but he couldn't chance Valentia with Carmilla. "She is too unstable, dealing with too much and the weight of her emotions can be unbearable to an Empath."

"What do you mean you're 'seeing her,'" Callie asked, surprised. It was probably rude asking like this, but she was shocked. Now it began to make sense, why Cammie was asking if Val was still in her room and whatnot. Plus it was impossible for her to imagine either of them dating, mostly because she didn't want to disturb her limited reality. It was comfortable in her world, and she wanted to keep it this way. "Are you guys dating?"

"Yes," He replied. It was easier to say that they were dating, rather than they were screwing. It wasn't an easy relationship or whatever it was and both Manuel and Cammie were having difficulties defining what they really were. Callie was too young and easily embarrassed that she didn't need to know how unattached he was being nor that Cammie was seeking his bed at night.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Whatever makes you happy dude." Callie took another sip of her tea. Oh great. There went that limited reality. Or just not think about it. That worked too. It wasn't her life. She didn't have to deal with it. "I mean you guys are both adults and stuff. So it doesn't like matter or anything."

"Of course," Manuel agreed. He knew the discomfort there and took a shift of conversation to turn her away from her focus on his own personal love life. "And what is happening with Fred?"

That caused Callie to blush a deep pink that extended to the tips of her ears. It was all she could do to keep from spitting out her hot tea. Instead, forcing herself to swallow it allowed her to think about what she was going to say. "Nothing," she finally managed to squeak. "He's fine."

He had not expected such a reaction. "You are comfortable with him?" he asked, surprised and picked up the remote, turning down the volume, much to Valentia's gesturing protest that he ignored.

"Mhm." Callie was forcing herself to drink tea. She did not want to talk about her love life with the man who paid her to babysit his sister. He was her boss. And one of the adults. Can you say awkward? "He's nice."

"Yes, nice," Manuel echoed, frowning slightly. He couldn't help but feel this was a fault of his. He'd talked Callie into going to the prom, asking this boy and now they were getting 'comfortable'. "Are you dating?" he asked more specifically.

"Nooooo," Callie ventured, turning the word into a question. No no no, her brain told her. You are not talking about this with your boss. Don't do it! But it seemed that her mouth didn't want to listen to her as the words continue to spill out. "I mean we hang out a lot. And watch movies. And do other stuff. But I don't know dude. We're not like Angel and Julian or whatever."

Why couldn't she stop talking?

"You like him." It was not a question.

She nodded and looked into her mug with a frown. She had consumed all of her tea. Now she had no real excuse not to verbally respond to what Manuel was saying. With a heavy sigh the mug was set back down on the table. "Yes," Callie replied as she crossed and uncrossed her legs, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't working. "I do."

"And there is no other boy appealing to you?" Manuel ventured, just like his father, he knew, but he was not keen on what was panning out between her and this boy. What was suppose to be a lure for prom now was turning into something more.

"In the Mansion," Callie asked without skipping a beat. "No. Julian is Julian. I love him and all, but we're just friends There is zero, dare I say negative, romantic interest there. And Johnny is sweet, but no. And I haven't really met Nick yet, but from what I hear he and Catseye are a something or some degree. Nor have I encountered any outside of here. Why?"

"So you are taking left overs?" he asked. Nosy as it was, he knew he should keep out of her business, though her cool detached attitude told him as much as he needed to know.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms over her chest, a sure sign that she was getting annoyed with this conversation. "You asked me if there were any other boys, and I explained that there were not. I don't know what you were expecting me to say."

“You and this Fred are getting comfortable, yes?” Valentia looked up at the shift in mood from the pair and she glanced curiously at her brother, worried at Callie. He could feel the tension from his sister, the aggravation from Callie and decided to drop it before it escalated. “No, do not answer that.”

"Please, do me a favor and please just say what you mean, or what you're trying to get at." He was circling around something, Callie could feel it. She could tell he wanted to say something, and while she had something of an idea as to what he was on about she didn't want to unfairly assume anything.

"What I have to say is none of my business Callie, except that whatever you pursue is your own choice," he replied.

"You don't like him, do you?" It was the only thing she could think of as to why he would be acting this way.

"I do not like anyone and I do not know this boy enough to make a judgment." But if he was, he would have made the judgment that Callie was too good for Fred and that was all over his face like a disapproving father.

It didn't take a telepath or an empath to see what Manuel was thinking. It was clear as day, to Callie at least, that he did not like Fred, not one bit. "Look, it's obvious that you don't like him, or don't like the idea of him and me, or whatever. I'm sorry. I'll make sure not to allow him around Valentia," she said sincerely. "And for the record, I don't think it's possible to not like everybody."

"It is possible because I have lived it. However, I do not think of Fred as a threat to Valentia. I simply do not think he is appropriate for you. "

This mean that he didn't like her either? Based on his actions he seemed to care, and he still trusted Callie with Valentia. "What do you mean you don't think he's appropriate?"

"It is none of my business," he replied quite sternly and turned his attention towards the T.V. "Do not ask me again." A conversation cut short.

"Well I am interested. I implore you," Callie was ignoring the blatant indicators that she should let this drop. "Manuel. Please. I am interested in what you have to say. I promise not to get upset."

"No," Manuel said sharply and continued to ignore her. "I am not pursuing this. Drop it."

She slid up next to him and reached for his hand. "Manuel. Please. I value your opinion. Please tell me what is wrong."

He removed his hand, only because skin contact make the blocking of emotions so much harder and he didn't feel he should have to do that within his own suite. "We are not speaking of this. You can make your own choices." Let us just hope it is a wise choice that you make, he seemed to say quietly.

She studied him for a few moments, blinking several times. "Okay. I'll let it go. I'm sorry for forcing the issue."

Manuel settled an emotional hand over Valentia, soothing her from the tension between himself and Callie before he turned his attention back to the TV, content to let it drop completely.