komm und rette mich / GISELLE

[Tobias Stanley]

Year: 2021
Title: 'Come and rescue me'
Tokio Hotel song lyric

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Tobias fiddled awkwardly with his tie, trying to straighten it one last time before entering the event room. His best friend slapped his hand away.

"Remember," his friend hissed. "You are on a date with a beautiful blonde, so please try to be charming and actually talk to the poor girl, yes?"

Tobias glared at him. "This was hardly my idea."

His friend had the audacity to smirk at him. "I know. We were the brains behind this whole thing." He continued to use both hands to flick imaginary dandruff off Tobias' shoulders. "Just relax, smile, drink champagne. You might even make Ministry contacts at this thing, for your career thing."

With a testy eyebrow held aloft, Tobias responded, "That 'career thing' was over about two years ago."

His friend waved a nonchalant hand. "Whatever. Just go in there. You can thank us later."

Tobias' chance to glare at his friend was cut off when he was none too subtly pushed through the doors. He was going to change his mind and just go right back out, when he remembered that there was a girl in here who was probably waiting for him, thanks to his idiotic friends, and he really shouldn't stand her up because that might hurt her. Sighing long-sufferingly, he roamed around the fringes of the room, hoping that someone would recognise the yellow carnation decorating his lapel.

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(( hope it's okay, lovely! ))

[Giselle Murray]

It was a Saturday and Giselle should have been with her friends, at some country club, munching on salad and eye flirting with the pool boys. Should have been because she was only twelve. But she was here instead, at some event that she knew nothing about, waiting for her date. Yes, date. This was her first date, ever, as an escort. She still wasn't sure what to do, so her mother had told her to not do anything unless otherwise instructed. Giselle had nodded and, thus far, she was obeying her mother's advice.

She didn't have any idea what her date looked like, or how old he was, but she doubted that he was anywhere near her age. She was waiting quietly (and timidly) around the edge of the event room, scoping out the men to see if her date was around. A few women looked her up and down and Giselle could feel her cheeks flood with color, and she wished that she could just disappear. They had to know she wasn't old enough to be here, right? No matter how high her heels were or how much make-up her mother caked on her face or how much she stuffed her bra. Didn't these people know she was just a little girl?

A flash of yellow caught Giselle's eye and she focused on the gentleman who was walking by her, looking as if he were trying to find someone as well. Was this him? She hoped so; he looked nice. And he was younger than she had expected. But what if it wasn't him? She would be mortified if she asked and he said no. That was the worst he could do, right? Swallowing, Giselle took a bold step forward and reached out to touch his arm gently. "Excuse me," she said in a voice that she suspected was too quiet. So she cleared her throat and stepped up to his side.

"Excuse me," she said again. "Are you... are you Tobias?"

---

((ooc: it's perfect! i'm so freaking excited! this is her outfit!))

[Tobias Stanley]

Tobias almost jumped out of his skin as a voice by his side mentioned his name. He turned his head and was met with one of the prettiest girls he had seen in quite a while. His friend hadn't been exaggerating when he had called her beautiful, because there really wasn't another word quite like it to describe her. Sure, there was a fair bit of make-up on her face (Tobias had a sudden impulse to want to see her without it), but make-up can only do so much - she looked like she'd be beautiful even without it on.

Tobias was glad his friend had picked a girl like her, although he still had no idea how his friends even knew of her and how they got her to come on this "date". Tobias didn't know how he would deal if he was set up with some classic blonde bimbo. His friends knew him better than he thought they did.

She did look a bit younger than him, and he wondered idly if everyone thought he looked much too old for her. He wondered if it would bother her that he was twenty three and she looked about seventeen. He wondered why the heck his friends were setting him up with seventeen year olds, and hoped that she just looked younger than she actually was. Then again, he wondered where the hell his friends knew her from, because if they were having sex with a bunch of seventeen year olds... Gads, he did not want to think about that.

He was so distracted by her face (because, yes, ladies and gents, that's what attracts Tobias the most, not any other part of the female anatomy) that he almost forgot he was asked a question. "Tobias?" He almost had to think about it, before realising what he was doing and feeling like he wanted to face-palm. This girl must think he's an idiot now. "Yes, sorry, yes, I'm Tobias. And you are?"

[Giselle Murray]

Giselle didn't know what to expect when she realized that she'd startled the man. Would he yell at her? Snap? Or would he take it well? She stood their awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot and avoiding his gaze, as the man stared at her. Giselle wondered if he knew she just how young she actually was. She swallowed and sneaked a glance at the young man.

He was handsome, she noted. He had dark hair and possibly the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen. He was tall and Giselle liked that because she was already a little tall for her age (which helped make her look older), but with heels, she was only an inch or so shorter than him. When he repeated the name, Giselle's heart sank. He wasn't Tobias. Tobias was probably some balding old man who would grope her throughout the course of the evening.

Her breath caught in her throat, however, when he confirmed that yes, indeed, he was Tobias. Giselle's eyes lit up and she finally met his gaze. "It's very nice to meet you, Tobias," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Giselle." Slowly, a smile appeared on Gigi's and she waited patiently for Tobias to take her hand.

[Tobias Stanley]

He could nearly feel the steam blowing out of his ears when he noticed she was standing there awkwardly, not looking at him. She probably didn't know what to say to an idiot, or was regretting coming to this event and be seen with him. My gods, Tobias Stanley, he thought to himself, way to start on the right foot.

He saw her sneak a glance at him, and well, she didn't look particularly disgusted, did she? Tobias cursed his inability to talk to the opposite sex without feeling like he was a complete dunderhead, putting his foot into his mouth, and completely lacking decorum. Damn and blast, girls should be taught at school.

He watched her face light up when he said that yes he was Tobias, and felt her smile infecting him, caught up in her eyes and the exhilarating high that he hadn't scared or disgusted her. He wanted to compliment her on her name or her dress or her face, but feared that he might say something disastrous. Instead, he settled for looking into her eyes and saying with a smile, "The pleasure is all mine."

He almost hesitated to take her hand, because he was sure that wasn't a very date-ly thing to do, but maybe it was in these formal events. Ah, damn and blast, she was waiting there with her hand in the air, he had to take it. He shook it, then decided to do one bold little thing that he'd noticed the other men had done with their partners: reached up his forearm, looped her hand under his, and finally placed it on his forearm. He peeked at her, hoping it'd be okay with her, although he'd had to gather up a lot of courage to do that little thing (it wasn't little so much as ginormous to him).

[Giselle Murray]

There was some sort of weird sensation that zipped up Giselle's arm and then quickly filled her from head to toe when Tobias took her hand. She hadn't been expecting that and part of her wondered if he felt it, too, so she dropped her head to hide the blush that ha slowly crept to her face. When Giselle felt it leave, she looked up and realized then that Tobias sill had her hand.

She almost panicked. Was he going to hurt her? Was he going to drag her away? She felt silly thinking those things, however, because she could tell that Tobias was a good person. A moment later, her arm was looped around his and her hand was resting over his. He hand warm hands, she silently noted, and a firm yet gentle hold. All in all, Giselle realized that she felt safe and she couldn't help but smile.

Her mother had told her to not make conversation. Let him initiate it and don't answer clearly if asked personal questions. But Giselle could sense that Tobias was nervous and that maybe he couldn't start the conversation right now because of it. Maybe if she showed him how calm (yeah right!) she was, he might loosen up.

"I like your name," Giselle said, looking at him. "It's not often that one hears it." And she was out of ideas. How long could they possibly converse on his name? Her mouth formed a small, perfect 'O' and she peered curiously at him. "Do you know what it means?" It was a start.

[Tobias Stanley]

He honestly didn't know what to do when she ducked her head as they shook hands. He'd only ever shaken hands professionally, and none of them had ever bowed their heads in the middle of it. He smiled shyly at her, feeling a little heat come up to his face when she looked back up at him.

He'd also be a liar if he said he hadn't noticed her tense - he was holding her hand, for crying out loud. He debated just dropping it if it made her feel uncomfortable, but when their hands were in place, she seemed to relax a bit more. Maybe she was just as nervous and clueless as he was. Wait, strike that, no one was more nervous and clueless as Tobias Stanley at a formal event. Damn it.

He turned to look at her, smiling shyly again. "Thank you, although I believe your name's more beautiful than mine." A beautiful name to suit a beautiful girl. Should he say it? Ack. "A beautiful name to suit a beautiful girl." He'd pretend he really was that smooth, when in fact he'd been very close to messing his words up. He looked at his shoes as he proceeded to walk them slowly around the room, for lack of something to do. He was no dancer. "Not a clue," he replied ruefully, smiling a little at her again. "Do you?"

[Giselle Murray]

It was strange, Giselle thought it herself. Tobias was a handsome young man yet he was acting as if he had no confidence. She didn't mind because if he was too straightforward and to the point, she thought she might hate that. But Tobias... he was older and attractive and Giselle wondered why he needed help getting a date. He seemed so sweet. She smiled to herself as she noticed a little color hit his cheeks.

Giselle looked up at him, about to say to tell him flatly what her name meant, but then he said that. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. To be honest, she was so young that she could be charmed by anything. But Giselle got the sense that Tobias wasn't really trying to charm her; he was merely telling her what he really thought.

"It's a pretty name," she agreed slowly as they walked around. They weren't dancing and she was thankful for that. She didn't know how to dance. "Until you know the meaning of it." Forcing a laugh, Giselle reached up to smooth back her hair that needn't be smoothed. It was ironic, her name. If only Tobias knew why she was laughing....

"Would you laugh at me if I said yes?" she asked, looking at him again with her head tilted just a tad to the side. Already, she could feel herself blushing. It wasn't cool to know things like that, was it?

[Tobias Stanley]

He could tell she was studying him. It made him feel slightly uncomfortable. What did she think of him? What was his impression on her? Hopefully it wasn't something dastardly, something that was as close to the real Tobias as possible, because he never wants her to believe in a lie about him. To him, she was a real jewel of a girl, and he'd never lie about himself to anyone, much less someone like her.

He was glad she wasn't pulling him off to the dance floor. They really were alike - Tobias found himself liking her and her company more and more after each minute that passed. "It sounds nice," he replied. "Then again, never judge a book by its cover, right? Suppose that goes for names as well." He smiled at her when she laughed. It was such a pretty sound, nothing fake about it. There was an undercurrent of something Tobias couldn't put his finger on, but it was a nice laugh, anyway. "Oh, now you have to tell me why you're laughing. Has it got something to do with the meaning of your name?"

He turned his attention back to his shoes, cheeks colouring a little again. She knew the meaning of names! Who else knew the meaning of names? She was special, a rare find. "No," he answered honestly. "I think it's pretty awesome that you know the meaning of names. It's not a common thing." He smiled encouragingly at her when she blushed.

[Giselle Murray]

Giselle smiled up at her date, and nodded. He seemed to understand... just about everything. She knew that if she were to tell him her deepest fear, he'd understand. He just seemed like that type of guy. He was like a prince from a fairytale, someone who rescued the damsel in distress. But what about this damsel; what about her?

Gigi reached up with her free arm to grab Tobias' bicep and she leaned into him, biting down on her lower lip. She looked up at him from under her lashes, looking more amused than anything else. She liked him. He was nice. She felt safe with him. "Giselle means hostage," she finally said very softly. "And it's just... I feel trapped, you know? Tonight's actually already going better than I'd expected. Not to say that I feel trapped by you! I don't! I just mean... life in general."

She let go of his arm, only holding onto him with the one arm he'd grabbed minutes ago. Giselle pulled him over to the side of the room, stowing them away in a corner for some privacy. She slipped from his grasp and leaned back against the wall. "Tobias means God is good," Gigi explained. "But I reckon that would depend on if you believe in God or not. Do you - do you believe in God?" It a bold a question to ask; she'd read muggle articles that stated asking about one's religious preference was never a good thing to do. But she was curious; did he even know who God was?

[Tobias Stanley]

He thought that she was about to kiss him, the way she grabbed on to his arm and leaned in. It was too early, he thought, but he didn't feel particularly repulsed by it. Then again, she wasn't that kind of person, was she? For a moment, he panicked that she would, the way she was biting her lip and looking up at him, but he should have known better. His judgement of her - that she was a nice girl - was proved right when all she did was say something very softly. And with those words, Tobias knew why she'd rather say it softly.

"Oh," he said, at a loss for words. He wasn't the best conversationalist, and he was floundering now. What was a person to say to someone who says their name means hostage? And that they felt trapped in their life? "I understand what you mean, being trapped by life," he said slowly. "I think all of us feel that way some time or other. I guess the only thing we can do is enjoy when we can and relish those memories when we can't." He shrugged. It wasn't particularly eloquent or poetic, but that's what he did, although he didn't feel too trapped often.

He had to fight down the urge to stroke her hair. She was too beautiful to be trapped. He felt like she was the princess locked up in a tower, waiting for her prince. But he was no prince - he didn't have the courage, the strength, the bravery. He wasn't heroic, he wasn't even that good looking. He couldn't be her knight, and that saddened him a little, because for some lunatic reason, he wanted to be her knight.

He let her lead them into a more secluded corner, although he knew he'd have to dance her sometime during the night for his friends' sakes. He felt cold as the warmth of her body moved away from him as she leaned against the wall. "God is good," he repeated, smirking a little as he looked at the ground. "Me personally? I... don't believe in any God, but I believe in Fate and destiny, if that makes sense." He felt strange discussing religion in a magical function. Was Gisele halfblood or Muggleborn? Or was she some introspective witch who'd read about religion and God? "You?"

[Giselle Murray]

For a minute, Gigi thought Toby might laugh at her or even walk away from her. Here was this girl he's just met, telling him that she felt trapped. Who does that? His words gave her some sort of hope - or maybe it was just that she was so in character at this very moment that it was easy to believe what Toby had to say because she could change her real at any point... when in reality, she was just a little girl with a greedy, sneaky mother. "I suppose," Giselle replied with a nod. She gave him a tiny smile. "It's good advice."

As she leaned against the wall and looked up at Tobias, Giselle wondered what it might be like to kiss him. She'd never had a kiss before and she wasn't feeling gusty enough to make the first move, but part of her almost wanted to. He was sweet and handsome and Gigi thought she'd liked to share her first kiss with someone like Tobias.

"No, I don't believe in god," she responded after giving herself a minute to think about it. She liked his answer; it made sense to her... sort of. Why was this her fate? What had she ever done wrong? "Sometimes, I wish I did. I wish I could believe in something so strongly... I wish I could put my faith into someone that's not even there and trust that everything is going to be alright." Giselle paused, frowning. "But, at the end of the day, it seems more like a fairytale, doesn't it?" She laughed so her words wouldn't sound so heavy.