cat--maestro:
Berlioz resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he didn’t look like an Edgar, he wasn’t an Edgar. He could have picked any other name like Fred or George or even Mary and it would have made more sense than Edgar did. Still, he plastered on a smile and laughed nervously. “I have heard that one before. It’s a family name.”
He was almost shocked Wendy Darling had actually agreed to leave with him. she didn’t seem like she was in the mood for anything, really. Still, it happened, and now they were both outside with nothing to do. He looked down the road, mostly taking in his surroundings. He had been in this part of Disney a few times so he knew it, just not very well. Berlioz contemplated telling Wendy Darling he was going home but – he didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to be at the party, either. Apparently he didn’t want to be anywhere.
…Actually, that was a lie. He knew where he wanted to be but he couldn’t go there. Berlioz sighed in spite of himself. So then – what to do? He couldn’t go where he pleased. What would he and Toulouse do if they were in this situation then? Now there was something he did know the answer to; cause some trouble. He grinned a little at the memories, took a sharp glance at the convenience store down the street, and then looked back at Wendy Darling who was still awaiting his reply. “Oui, possibly.” He gestured for her to walk with him down the road. “I hope you don’t mind breaking a few rules.”
It was a short walk. They reached the convenience store quickly and Berlioz pushed open the doors, holding one open for Wendy and then following her inside. “The paint section.” He directed simply, smirk twisted with mirth already. “We’re going to be modern Picasso’s!” When they reached the shelves of spray paint he started walking down the isle quickly and selecting a random assortment of colors. He got two different shades of blue, just because. “You can pick a few out as well, it’s on moi.”
Wendy hesitated for a half-second. Maybe she should just back out now. After all, she had no obligation to go with him; they had just barely met. But the thought of crawling back home alone only to lie in bed awake until 4AM again just seemed so… pathetic. And it wasn’t as though this would be the first time she had let a boy whisk her off to have adventures at night. And at that thought Wendy quickly picked up her pace to join Edgar at his side.
Breaking a few rules? At that, Wendy’s mouth tilted up into a smile. “Never."
She was confused and uncertain when Edgar began making a beeline for the convenience store, wondering whether, by “breaking a few rules”, he had meant shoplifting. Her father would absolutely hit the roof if she was arrested. Things took a turn for the interesting, however, when Edgar led her to the paint section. Her smile turned genuine now, and a spark that had been absent for a very long time entered her eyes. “Modern-day Picassos… I like the sound of that.”
“Oh, well that’s awfully nice of you, thank you!” Her instinct was to reach immediately for the blues, but Edgar had already chosen two, so there was probably no point getting more. Wendy opted instead for a deep violet, a mossy green and a bright red (she tried not to read into her first two choices, but they were embarrassingly obvious). Thinking she might get one more, she shot a look at the colours already gathered up in Edgar’s arms before selecting a dark grey.
Once they had paid for their paint cans and were back out in the chilly night air, fluorescent signs glowing behind them, she turned to Edgar with a grin. “So, where did you want to go now?” She could already think of a number of places that could do with a splash of colour, and a number of people who certainly wouldn’t appreciate said splash of colour. Her heart was already starting up into a quick staccato. Perhaps this wasn’t to be such a bad night after all.
