[V-DAY EVENT] Something Improbable [Lili + Lukas]

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“That’s not very fair, is it? You should be learning practical things, not frivolous things.”

Lukas had to agree that all of the parties and other social events weren't exactly needed. Yes, it could help him get allies, but most of the people who attended were just set out on getting richer and nothing more.

"You have a good enough head on your shoulders to know he’s teaching you wrong. That said, I don’t think it’ll be too terribly difficult for you to pick it up quickly, since you know exactly what you need. Right?”

He couldn't help but smile a bit at the Liechtensteiner's smile. She was a really kind person, if only he knew more people like her. Then perhaps he wouldn't be in a "foul" mood most of the time.

"You're right there. Besides, I know the employees well enough, so they would probably help me out when I get lost somewhere along the way." Well, at least he hoped they would. He knew for sure that one of them would...

"I just hope I don't run the company into the ground..." he laughed slightly. It was a possibility. How did his father even know if he was fit for it anyway? He probably just put everything on his shoulders because he was the oldest. He would probably end up bringing that subject up during one of their arguments.

Though, he was at least glad he found someone to say all of this to. No doubt if he told most people, they would run off to tell the press. He just hoped that Lili wouldn't do that. She seemed nice and trustworthy... Though, there is are a few saying that would suggest she was otherwise.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together "You're right there. Besides, I know the employees well enough, so they would probably help me out when I get lost somewhere along the way."

[/b][/i] He confirmed what she had hoped. He was already making an effort to be a better man and employer than he father. All he needed was a little push in the right direction and more confidence in his efforts. If Lili would do one thing for the duration of this date it would be exactly that.

“There, see? You’re already on the right track! You’re not even the head yet and you’re already better qualified.”[/b] That small smile of his, though not quite full, was a lovely sight to see. He face was quite nice to look at when he let himself be happy.

"I just hope I don't run the company into the ground..."[/b][/i] He confessed, but he was laughing. He had a nice laugh too, it was comforting in a way. She wasn’t really well-versed in huge companies, but she did run a little business of her own. She could relate in that way, at least?

She snuggled into her coat, reminiscing for a moment. “I think everyone feels like that at first.”[/b] She said simply, hoping she could put down his worries with some related assurance. “I didn’t think I’d make any money – and believe me, there is a very limited profit you can make off just flowers.”[/b] She laughed too, attempting to lighten the otherwise unhappy mood. “It takes a lot of work – I think you’re lucky in that most of it is done for you and you just have to continue?”[/b]

Hopefully he wouldn’t that the wrong way. She only had the best intentions in mind with her words. “Anyway, yes. A lot of work to keep it up, but look at me now? Arranging for the city’s big names! And one day when people think of Bondevik they're going to think of you, probably in a much better light than the man you succeed.”[/b][/div]

And carry me away as light as a feather.

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“I think everyone feels like that at first. I didn't think I’d make any money – and believe me, there is a very limited profit you can make off just flowers. It takes a lot of work – I think you’re lucky in that most of it is done for you and you just have to continue?"

"I guess so. I would probably cave in under pressure if I had to start it up from nothing. Continuing is probably for the best," he said. He knew he had it better off than most people, and he was a bit grateful for it since if not by now he would probably be dead due to his health problems...

"Anyway, yes. A lot of work to keep it up, but look at me now? Arranging for the city’s big names! And one day when people think of Bondevik they're going to think of you, probably in a much better light than the man you succeed." She sure knew the right things to say, that was for sure. Perhaps he was right in thinking she was a kind person through and through.

"Yeah, you're right there. I hope everything will turn out well," he said, his smile growing slightly. He felt more at ease around the woman. She was a walking sun, she just had to be. She probably always seemed to cheer people up with her own happiness. If only there were more people in the world like that, then maybe everyone wouldn't be so moody and intolerable...

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together "I guess so. I would probably cave in under pressure if I had to start it up from nothing. Continuing is probably for the best."

[/b][/i] He continued. Starting was always the hardest part. Starting over sounded like it’d be difficult to. New management, new policies, new contracts and wages. A system that worked before would be completely redone and possibly not even to the level it did before.

That sounded worrying.

“I don’t think so. It’d be new, probably scary. But look on the bright side!”[/b] Lili certainly was on a roll with this advice-giving thing. She grinned confidently. His smile assured her. “You’d be embarking on a grand adventure, make something entirely new and amazing!”[/b]

Her ensuring laugh at herself was sheepish, her excitement regressing just as soon as it appeared. “Of course, that doesn’t stop you from simply improving on what was already there. There’s a lot of potential for change. Good change, you could make the company better than it was before. It could be just as new and different.”[/b]

"Yeah, you're right there. I hope everything will turn out well,"[/b][/i] His smile grew slowly, but he didn’t need an excessive expression to tell Lili just how happy he was. His demeanor now was so radically different from how it was when they first met. If she was the light of the sun, brightening his day, she could rest that night easily knowing she managed to make a person happy. Her job, then, was finished.

“Of course it will! I’d like to think everything will work out in the end. There’s always trouble, and there are always obstacles, but I think everyone deserves a happy ending.”[/b] Especially in this case. She couldn’t relate entirely to Lukas’ problems, but sometimes trouble manifested itself differently for everyone.
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And carry me away as light as a feather.

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“Of course it will! I’d like to think everything will work out in the end. There’s always trouble, and there are always obstacles, but I think everyone deserves a happy ending." She seemed to know everything she was talking about well enough. She seemed confident too, since most people he knew were just arrogant.

"Yeah, I just hope my brother doesn't end up getting dragged into all of this family company business. He deserves better..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. He did love Sindri, though at some point he would have to accept the fact the other would leave him. He didn't want it to happen, but it would eventually.

He dreaded that day, seeing his little brother leave him. It was for the better, but sometimes the best things feel as though they're the worst.

He kept that smile on his face, though it wavered slightly. He wouldn't want to worry the Liechtensteiner. "Well, enough of that. Surely there are things you would rather talk about more," he said. Something must be more of Lili's interest than the topic of companies...and he would like to not talk about his family, since it would only bring down his mood.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together "Yeah, I just hope my brother doesn't end up getting dragged into all of this family company business. He deserves better..."

[/b][/i]

He didn’t look it, but that line told her that he was very family-oriented – or at least, only with his brother. That was interesting, she learned something new about this man with every work he spoke to her. But the last comment, the last sentence, it made her frown.

“He deserves better, and you don’t?”[/b] Of course, he already had plans to make sure everything with the company went well. It didn’t seem like too terrible a fate. “I’m sure he could do just as well as you will, but you can’t really say you should take the fall.”[/b] Oh, what if he misunderstood what she was saying? She was sure she didn’t convey that right.

Little did she know there was a rather impressive connection between Lukas here and her own brother. That fear of losing a sibling she could only relate to because Vash always came home to her injured.

But still, despite this he was smiling. That pleased her a lot. He had a lovely face and the smile made it so much better. She couldn’t stand it when people were sad around her, it drove her to want to cheer them up.

"Well, enough of that. Surely there are things you would rather talk about more,"[/b][/i] he quickly changed the subject. Maybe he was uncomfortable? He didn’t seem to willing to speak of his family.

“Not really.” Lili shook her head slightly. “Well, yes, I mean—of course I do have things I enjoy, but I do like listening to other people too.”[/b]

Hm, well. He knew she worked as a florist and helped to decorate his father’s many social events. What else could she say? “I think a lot of my hobbies are uninteresting to others? I read a lot – Vash calls the books silly, though. He never did like fairy tales. When we were younger he’d force himself to read the to me but would make the funniest faces while doing so.”[/b] The memory made her laugh.
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And carry me away as light as a feather.

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“He deserves better, and you don’t? I’m sure he could do just as well as you will, but you can’t really say you should take the fall.”

Lukas stayed silent. His brother did deserve better. He didn't care what he got himself, just as long as his brother was happy and doing well. Even if he had to give up nearly everything, he would do it just so Sindri could be safe and well...

Of course, he would never voice that to anyone, especially his his brother that wanted to be independent. Lukas would respect that though he would always stand by to give aid when it was needed, regardless of if it was wanted or not.

“Not really. Well, yes, I mean—of course I do have things I enjoy, but I do like listening to other people too."

"Hm, well, how about hobbies? I suppose that can be a well enough topic, yes?" he asked, glancing around.

"I think a lot of my hobbies are uninteresting to others? I read a lot – Vash calls the books silly, though. He never did like fairy tales. When we were younger he’d force himself to read the to me but would make the funniest faces while doing so.” Then Lili had laughed.

The Norwegian let out a small smile. "Like you, I love reading. I almost always have a book in my hands. Unlike your brother, though, I enjoy fairytales. I used to read them to my brother when he was little. I think I might have passed my interest of them to him since I told him stories so often. He always did have a smile when I read, sometimes even asking to hear a second story afterwards," he shared, the memory only causing his smile to grow. It was probably one of the few memories of his childhood that he was fairly fond of.

Great, they were getting back into the family zone... Better to try to get back out of it.

"Last I checked, I probably still have those books lying around somewhere. Never had the heart to throw them out. Just goes to show how sentimental I can be towards a bunch of thin picture books," he laughed.

He didn't even give them the chance to collect dust. Frequently he would skim through them, as if he doesn't want to forget the tale he has told many times to his brother. As if the memories he held so dear would disappear if he forgot the story itself.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together "Last I checked, I probably still have those books lying around somewhere. Never had the heart to throw them out. Just goes to show how sentimental I can be towards a bunch of thin picture books,"

[/b][/i] Lukas laughed. Wow, he had a very lovely laugh. Smooth and natural. She’d briefly seen Lukas a few times while working on decoration for his father’s gathering, but he never looked quite as content as he did at that moment.

“That’s pretty much me.”[/b] Lili added in. “A lot of my books are so worn down the spines are splitting.”[/b] Books sometimes older than she was, though well taken care of by attentive Lili, still splintered from the sheer use she got out of them. “I could probably buy new copies, but those particular books are precious beyond their stories. Though, from the sound of things you know exactly what I mean, huh?”[/b]

Hm, what else did she like that was interesting? “Oh well, if you noticed my flower pin, I do a lot of needlework, too.”[/b] She quietly wondered to herself whether or not mentioning her recent interest in martial arts, courtesy of Vash and all of his aggressive misgivings at work. One day she’d master something and go teach his bully a lesson.

“I think I might want to buy copies to use, so I don’t destroy the books important to me.”[/b] Lili concluded. “It’s an idea.”[/b]
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And carry me away as light as a feather.

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“That’s pretty much me. A lot of my books are so worn down the spines are splitting. I could probably buy new copies, but those particular books are precious beyond their stories. Though, from the sound of things you know exactly what I mean, huh?”

"I know what you mean. Sometimes I'm just grateful one of my books doesn't break apart while I'm trying to reread it," he said. Sometimes he did buy older books, since they had a more alluring vibe to them. That and they're a lot better than most of the novels written nowadays. Really, most of them are horrible.

“I think I might want to buy copies to use, so I don’t destroy the books important to me. It’s an idea.”

She had a point there. Lukas wouldn't want to see the books important to him crumble before his very eyes. It would be a very sad sight, seeing memories just fade away so quickly. As if all those memories the book held just became too much, and it gave up.

"Sounds like a good idea. It would be a shame if those books were to just fall apart at the seems..." he agreed. Now that he thought about it, he should probably get some replacement books. Not that he minded, since he would be greeted by the fresh scent of ink on paper.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together "Heh, you make me want to go out and buy all of those books again. I might have to do that tomorrow or something."

[/b] Lili said, cheerful and inspired. It took her this long to even consider what she might have considered insulting, considering most of the old books were originally her mother's. But perhaps keeping the books intact would honor their memories better than using them into destruction.

It seemed like no matter what they talk about, the end result was that it always brought them back to thinking about family. Lili's cheerful smile faded immediately as she thought of her parents. Was it immature to keep missing them as much as she did? It was natural to lose your parents first, but it happened so quickly that she scarcely had time to prepare. It hit her much too hard.

"Hah, well, maybe I'll be able to repair them or save them somehow."[/b] Lili forced herself to continue, despite the welling up of emotions in her eyes. She finally understood Lukas' unvoiced displeasure for talking about the family, except in Lili's case it only made her want to try.[/div]

And carry me away as light as a feather.

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"Sorry about that, I guess... Though, I'm sure there's a way you can save them. You could always try to repair them, no?" Lukas asked. He remembered seeing a few of his father's leather-bound books be tattered one day, then good as new the next.

His smile nearly faded when he saw how sad her eyes seemed to be. Perhaps it was best to change the topic again, if it seemed to be bringing up bad memories or something of the sort. He could just change the genre of literature instead of the topic entirely...

'She doesn't appear to be a fan of Sci-Fi, so that's ruled out. Non-fiction is a bit of a bore to talk about at times, so I should save that for later, if it's ever needed. Horror isn't one of my favorites, though mysteries might not seem appealing to her... Hm...' he thought.

He continued thinking, his expression slightly showing some sort of concentration. Then it disappeared suddenly. 'I got just the thing...and if she doesn't want to talk about it, I suppose we could talk about our favorite places to go around the city, even if my list is pretty small...' his mind went on.

"...What do you think of poetry?" he asked a bit hesitantly. Not many people he knew were entirely fond of it, but it couldn't hurt to try and see if Lili liked it. It would be a shame if the conversation were to just die so early on in their little "date".

The reason he chose poetry was simply because there was a wide variety of it. Rhymes, lyrics, sonnets, even epics, each one different from the next depending on the author, and even the reader. They convey feelings in a different light, using all kinds of figurative language in many different combinations. In some sense, it was art.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together “Well, some of our first fantasies were poems, were they not?”

[/b] Lili inquired. It was true that she preferred novels – and she was quite picky about her reads, even! – but poetry was a lovely way to spend time between such large reading projects. “Poetry is not my favorite thing in the world, but I enjoy it all the same. It depends on the subject matter, I think. That, and my mood.”[/b]

The unspoken subject of music was an interesting one, though. Much of her favorites in that respect were actually without lyrics, with the exception of the occasional sappy love song that made her heart go all a-flutter.

“I don’t think you’d know most of the poetry I like, though.”[/b] Lili confessed sheepishly. “A lot of them are German.”[/b]

Wow, this conversation made Lili realize she really needed more hobbies. This was almost embarrassing to talk about, considering she had so few interests that appealed to others. Sometimes she just preferred to go about her hobbies alone… that was all.

“I do like it, though. I admit, I’m a bit of a sap. Give me a romantic poem and I’ll just melt.”[/b] Lili laughed. “You wouldn’t happen to write any, would you? I’m afraid I don’t really indulge in writing as much as I do reading.”[/b]

He did seem a little happier now that they were going into subjects that didn’t directly involve his family. After his rant about his father earlier, she needed to be a little more careful about the subjects she accidentally lead into. She didn’t really want to make their date uncomfortable or anything. Though, seeing his interest and expressions assured her that everything was going decently even with the conversations they’d had. Hopefully after this he’d go home a little more confident in his abilities and future.
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Lukas hasn't read any German poems, only because of the fact he doesn't know the language. He probably has read translations of them, though sometimes translations are never accurate as one might think. He's seen his fair share of poorly translated material. It was flat out depressing to see. It was as if the translator didn't even care about what they were doing and didn't even try.

'So she enjoys the love ones... I'm not entirely fond of it in general, though there are a few I am fond of. I prefer epics, things along the lines of Dante's The Inferno. Sonnets are fine, though I prefer Shakespeare's over anyone else's. Though, Death Be Not Proud was a good one... As for if I write them, well, I don't really have time to even dabble in it. If I had the inspiration, I suppose I would, though I'm not so sure...' he thought.

"...Oh, I don't have that sort of writing talent. It would probably end up sounding like a lame children's nursery rhyme. Probably even worse than that," he responded. That wasn't entirely a lie. He was probably over-exaggerating how bad it would be, but he thought it wouldn't end up...well, decent. He can't say he was a hundred percent sure, since he never really tried.

"Surely authors of children's books would be offended if they saw any sort of attempt from me. You would probably be better at it than me," he went on. Even if she wasn't all that into writing it, she might have a talent for it. If not, well, they could both be bad poets together, at least. It's not like either of them needed the other to be good at poetry, it was all out of curiosity the question came up. It doesn't really matter if they had any skill at it. Well, unless Lili wanted to have a contest to see who could make the best poem. Surely she wouldn't, though...right?

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, height: 495px; width: 530px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/ri98c1.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; border:inset 5px #7D053F;] Then the Earth and the sky they open together To say Lili had any writing talent of her own was a stretch of the truth. Ink and pen wasn’t her specialty, not in the least. She remembered writing silly things for her brother, but that was about it… and nothing recently. No, no. No writing for Lili. She was perfectly fine reading the things other people wrote. She had a better appreciation for the art, she figured, knowing it was something she couldn’t perform to any level. She hoped this would help people appreciate her own hobbies… There was a kind of wonder present in watching someone do what you couldn’t. In Lili’s case, perhaps wonder in imagining Lukas having to run that company by himself. It was difficult enough to simply run her little shop on her own… managing so many employees sounded like a nightmare! "...Oh, I don't have that sort of writing talent. It would probably end up sounding like a lame children's nursery rhyme. Probably even worse than that,"

[/b][/i]

Surely he could make a better excuse than that.

Lili gave him a knowing grin, eyes narrowed playfully. “Please, nursery rhymes can be pretty morbid if you listen to them. Humpty falls off a wall and dies; a baby is put in a crib and left to fall.”[/b]

We sing those to our children. The realization suddenly dawned on her. That was… that was actually a little unnerving. Wow. “Lame, right?”[/b]

"Surely authors of children's books would be offended if they saw any sort of attempt from me. You would probably be better at it than me.”[/b][/i]

Offended if material like that was published, sure! Who wanted such awful things in children’s books?

“Please don’t tell me that.”[/b] Lili laughed, mood happily lightening after that lovely epiphany. “I’d like to stick to my needles and leave the pens to people that can actually write, thanks.”[/b]
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“Please, nursery rhymes can be pretty morbid if you listen to them. Humpty falls off a wall and dies; a baby is put in a crib and left to fall. Lame, right?”

She did have a point there. nursery rhymes weren't all smiles and sunshine. Even some fairytales weren't that way either, some were pretty...unpleasant. For example. Grimm's Cinderella has each of the stepsisters cut off a piece of their foot to fit in the shoe. No wonder Disney went for a different version of the story, since kids would be scarred for life if they saw an animated movie with that of things in it.

"I don't see why people think Humpty was an egg. Never once did it state that he was in fact an egg. Sort of make you think, doesn't it?" he said under his breath. Well, moving on now since the subject wasn't the most cheerful one. Or rather, just divert it away from such terrible things. Surely talking more about it would only put the both of them in a rather...unhappy mood.

“I’d like to stick to my needles and leave the pens to people that can actually write, thanks.”

"Well, you never know unless you try," he said. It is true, people do assume things without attempting to put effort into it. There's no harm in trying something once, right? Surely trying is a beneficial thing in some cases.

'Though, people are usually more comfortable with what they know, not the unknown or unfamiliar. Though, if she is indeed as bad as she thinks, then I can understand why she won't try. I'm the same way, not wanting to try something I 'know' I'm bad at. There could be a chance that do have some sort of talent, though that chance is very small,' he thought.