bunny
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Post by bunny on May 26, 2008 18:39:33 GMT -5
"It's wet," was the first thing spoken as the figure picked her way into the cave. Technically, "ouch" was first, but it wasn't a real word. It was more of an exclamation. However, since both summed up her reaction, either one chosen would be fine. The cave seemed to be empty of people and sounds except for the incessent pitter patter of water on the stones and the faint breeze echoing within the walls. It was dank and dark, but somehow that spoke to the visitor more than the brightly colored flower fields. Those were places happy people frolicked and confessed love.
She really wasn't in a love confessing mood. Pity.
"Ouch." She did it again. Natalya caught herself this time, the pain in her wrists was there to prove it. The water was slightly chilly, so, when she gathered her wits again, the girl picked herself up into a sitting position. With the water gone, she noticed a biting sensation in her palms and turned her sundarkened hands over. Scrapes. Small ones, though. There was something in the small brown satchel over her shoulder, but it didn't seem so important that she had to interrupt the flow of her movements.
Her eyes glanced over the walls covered in drawings. As a child, she would run her fingers over them until the skin had been rubbed off just to figure out what they meant. Back then, the meaninds were mystical as if it wasn't for her eyes they were created. An unopenable Pandora's box that would beckon at her until she found herself mad. Insane. Out of it. Sort of like Mother Sophie. Could her wizened face hold the secrets behind them all? It was a fascinating thought. One Natalya would have liked to ponder if it, also, was not what she wanted to do.
After a few more moments-- and a couple of times dipping her palms into the shallow water puddles-- she got up to resume her trek inside. Somewhere in here, she left a part of her childhood. A part of her memories. Carving her message with the soft crumbly edge of a pointed stone. It wasn't words; she didn't know them back then, either. It was just a jumble of symbols and shapes that appeared in her dreams. Appeared in the tarot cards when she examined her own life. Not that she could decipher as much back then which was exactly why she was finally returning. Having remembered the action for the first time in years, Natalya wondered if, perhaps, age could bring about understanding.
Looking around as she continued, Natalya brushed the pebbles off of her shirt and arms. The bright colors seemed out of place in a place of sorrow. It was as if her bright blue tunic was mocking the area in terrible way. The sound of her necklaces and bracelets and anklets were magnified until she began unconsciously slipping them off into her bag. Did the past not want her to come again? Did it only allow access to children? No. There were girls... There were people her age the frequented the cave. She didn't see them all the time, but Natalya knew they came and partook in something not meant for prying eyes. Whatever that was.
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Post by Poe on May 27, 2008 19:07:23 GMT -5
It was not Bryce's fault that the "job" that he was called to do made no money. He had not asked for this position. He could not deny liking it, though. But, that was beside the point! It was NOT his fault that he could not keep his eyes open and could not afford his own cup of coffee. He thought this all bitterly as he stalked through the woods, hands jammed in the pockets of his colored clothing, his sword bouncing against his back, and only the snap of twigs and crunch of leaves from under his feet kept him company on his walk toward the Cave of Sorrows. He ran a hand through his hair, tongue flicking the last drops of the dark black coffee he'd stolen- and then gotten yelled at for- from his lips. The taste was tantalizing and made the sleepy man lust after more. He was beginning to wake up, however, and as he neared the cave his hunched shoulders began to straighten.
Scratching the side of his neck he stopped at the entrance of the cave, just off to the side where a few nights ago he'd pinned Ara to the rock wall with a kiss. In his opinion she'd been asking for it. And, indeed, she had. He stood in the same spot that he always did. Here the grass was trampled and flattened and mostly sparse. A number of scores marked the side of the cave from where he'd beaten it with his sword, wondering how much more the old blade could take before it would shatter. His thoughts roamed as he leaned casually against the side of the rock, nearly dozing again until he heard the slight chink of jewelry echoing around the cave. Head shooting up, Bryce stepped from his small space, hand instantly going toward his back, gripping the hilt of his sword. Soon his knuckles were white as he drew out the blade- the sun glinting off of its clear as glass surface. He held it at the ready as he slowly approached the opening of the cave, making sure his footsteps were as silent as he could make them. It had been so, so long since he'd heard anything inside the cave beside the voices of the Florence girls. The... Priestess, as he should say. So this, this single, soft, nearly silent noise had sent his senses on high alert. Sword still held at the ready he walked into the mouth of the cave, the sound of dripping water filling his ears and making him think of tears. Bryce licked his lips, his shadow falling across the floor and across Natalya and in the quiet darkness of the cave he could just make out her features.
"Natalya?" He felt himself relax. "Jesus, Tali, you scared the living daylights outta me. What are you doing here?" His head cocked to the side as he kept his mouth closed against the string of Romanian curses from his mouth. She really had scared him. His muscles slowly relaxed and his sword drooped. Still, his senses were going wild- trying to see everything in the dark at once (which is harder than you all would think). From this far away he could not make out if Tali was herself or not- if she meant harm or not. But surely she wouldn't. Surely she couldn't! Sword still in his hand, though his knuckles were no longer white, he walked farther into the cave, his shadow starting to disappear as he neared her. His blue eyes didn't leave her now, trying to read into her, even though he trusted her immensely.
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bunny
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Post by bunny on May 27, 2008 20:07:55 GMT -5
There was an outline in the darkness, more solid, less silent. The fact that there was a figured almost caused her to abandon any ideas she had of looking around when a thought ocurred to her. The cave was rarely empty because someone spent most of their hours within its stone walls. Natalya felt silly as the rational part of her brain was confirmed to be correct.
"Natalya?"
There was no mistaking that voice. No. Even if she hadn't been slightly obsessed with the owner, the unmistakable inflections unique to Bryce's voice would have been enough to identify him by. They all had it, whether others ever stopped to listen to the distinctive traits of a person's voice. People understood after spending enough time with someone, but Natalya could mark them after one try. One word. One letter and the rest would fall into place. Before she could respond, he continued.
"Jesus, Tali, you scared the living daylights outta me. What are you doing here?"
It was about then that she noticed he was holding his sword out. It was also an outline, but the shape grew clearer-- along with the face-- as he seemed to move towards her. Maybe her previous sense to run had not been unfounded. Never having the sword pointed at her, Natalya never fully grasped how unnerving it was until she began automatically stepping back. She didn't suspect Bryce would kill her in cold blood. The idea was laughable. Besides, you don't kill people using their nickname. However, he could attack.
That was strange, to assume someone she'd grown up with could attack her because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite that feeling, she only crouched down a little, pulling her bag in front of her to look for something. Trying to appear unphased by the weapon which she had admired before under different circumstances. "Is that coded message telling me to leave or do you just want to know? I can certainly answer the question cleverly or honestly depending on what you're looking for."
It took her a moment to realize her voice shook. Ridiculous. She was perfectly safe. All those thoughts earlier formed from a need for adventure. Her subconscious was probably imagining how wonderful it would be to fight someone with a sword unarmed. Granted, in a real battle, she'd lose terribly, but her mind had no limits. In fact, Natalya could be invincible if she so desired. Right. Don't be a fool, Tali. You're overreacting. He has to be careful. Besides, it's not as if you come here often.
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Post by Poe on May 27, 2008 21:22:40 GMT -5
He was close now. Close enough to see her- to read her. He wondered if people who knew he could do that disliked that. Disliked that they could be read like an open book. He knew that he would, in fact, he did when his mother had used it on him. It was like getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar for the longest time. At one time he'd been excited when her piercing gaze would no long penetrate him, now, however, it made him ache. It was only once he realized she was "real", that this wasn't some demon illusion and that she was not possessed did he notice that the sword was raised. Clearing his throat he muttered a quick "sorry" and quickly slid it back into its sheath. Looking at her guiltily he said, "Sorry, Tali, I couldn't quite tell who you were at first..."
Or what she was would be a better explanation.
Bryce held up his hands in hopes of what looked like surrender- or at least peace. "I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry. Guess I can't be too careful. And actually, I just wanted to know what you were doing here. You don't have to leave." He grinned. "Company is a good thing when you're bored." Bryce bit her lip when he watched her back up. Damn, he really had scared her. That wasn't a good thing. How could he fix this one? "I would love to hear your clever answer too though," he said with a smile, putting his hands down, one going in his pocket as he stood still, head cocked to the side.
He hoped he wasn't being fooled, but he was sure (and he'd never been wrong) that she meant no harm. He could not only see it, but hear it in the way her voice shook. "Awh, gee," he muttered, feeling much like one of the younger boys being rejected by a pretty girl. "I'm sorry I scared you Tali," his voice was soft, but it vibrated through the cave. He really did care about this girl, considering they'd grown up together, he knew a lot about her. Biting his lip for just a second he offered a smile. It was strange of him to react like this, so quickly. Normally he held firm to the alarm- but it had slipped through his fingers like water, leaving him almost disoriented. It was just Tali, he kept telling himself. It was- it IS no one else. Mentally shaking his head he leaned against the wall of the cave, feeling and hearing the sheath rub against the damp wall. His eyes looked tired again as he studied Tali, then looked out the mouth of the cave.
But surely- with the death of the girl- something was coming for them out of Fantasia? Something was coming? That couldn't have been a mistake... That had to be evil. Perhaps that was why Mother Sophie was acting so strangely lately. Turning his gaze back to Nat he rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake on the job. Maybe the coffee had suddenly crashed his system, or maybe it was the quiet, melodic drip of water in this sad, sad cave, but something had suddenly made Bryce very tired.
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bunny
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Post by bunny on May 27, 2008 23:53:31 GMT -5
She looked up, relieved by the sound-- and sight-- of the sword returning to its sheath where Bryce couldn't unintentionally, or intentionally, stab someone with it. That would hurt. Really hurt. He said something about being not recognizing her at first, and that was understandable. The free time formerly devoted to completely random tasks around the camp and bumping into people was now monopolized by her job at Florence's. A step up, in their opinion. She went from a gypsy girl who wore shoes once in a blue moon to a girl who was starched straight with a no-nonsense styled bun. Now, her hair was in a tangled ponytail which reminded some kid of an actual pony's tail. Nice.
I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry. Guess I can't be too careful. And actually, I just wanted to know what you were doing here. You don't have to leave... Company is a good thing when you're bored... I would love to hear your clever answer too though."
When he put his hands up, she couldn't stop herself. Natalya flinched like a child still wary even after the prank had been revealed. It was nothing more than another child behind a mask, not a goblin. It was so silly of her. He had a job to do; of course he couldn't take chances. She didn't need to act so childish. With one hand still in her bag, Natalya moved to sit all the way down where she had been quatting. "It's... It's fine. I'm not scared of you...
"I came looking for something I carved on the walls a long time ago," she began, avoiding eye contact. "I forgot what the other answer was, honestly. I was never good at clever." By now, she had her nervousness under control. There was no way he could scare her now that she was prepared. So, with the fear no longer the first thing on her mind, Natalya felt slightly guilty that Bryce was still apologizing. It was sweet, no doubt, but there was no reason he had to go out of the way.
"Awh, gee. I'm sorry I scared you Tali."
She shook her head. "No. I should have knocked or something. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, Bryce," her replied more firmly and confidently. Now, her hand continued to feel through the large amount of junk in her bag. Of course, it was all important in its own right. At the moment, however, she wasn't keen on revisiting each piece of the day again. Her eyes flickered up. He always looked so tired. Was doing this that taxing and she just never noticed until recently? That was embarrassing when she boasted her ability to observe people. It would also be slightly embarrassing since she did pay extra attention to him when he was around.
"There!" she exclaimed, removing her hand and the package. "Usually, when I bring these home, the children coax every single bite from me until I've forgotten what I've brought back from work. Today, however, I was hoping to share with someone over the age of seven..." Her confidence was shakily returning. Not that she would be comfortable around him anyways. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own and would have still caused her to shake like someone posessed. At least, now, she had a probably reason that didn't involve her being insane.
"Scones," she continued, noticing his strange expression. "They seemed good when I smelled them... You always seem so... Would you like them?"
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Post by Poe on May 28, 2008 20:31:37 GMT -5
Bryce chuckled, settling down, sitting cross-legged on the rock floor. His elbows here resting on his knees, on his fist as he listened to her talk. "Knocking wouldn't have helped, sweetie," he joked. "I wasn't even here." He gestured back to the camp with a jerk of his thumb. "I was actually snagging coffee from Priscilla..." He let that hang for a moment, shaking his head. "I only panicked. Its been so quiet around here lately. I think somethings up." He looked around the stone walls fondly, thinking about the many nights spent here. "I'm not sure anymore though..." It had been so long since his mother had come to him in his dreams to tell him, or hint at what was coming. It had been so long since anything Mother Sophie had said to him about this forbidden secret world made sense. He knew she'd given something to Cicily, but he doubted Cicily knew what it was. He wasn't even sure. Rubbing his bright blue eyes he looked back at Tali, watching her dig around in her bag. "In all honesty I'm the one that wasn't thinking." His smile was small, trying to get her to trust him. He hadn't meant to scare her.
He watched the scone with an easy expression. "I may be over seven," he said with a laugh, "but my intelligence is barely over that age." He shrugged slightly. "I'll split one of these scones with you. Say, how is work up at Florence anyway? Cicily and Ara treatin' you right?" He doubted she'd like that he'd brought them into the conversation- or that he even spoke to these "rich little prissy girls that walked around like they owned the place." Oh they had much worse names among the camp. But, he also figured she didn't see the students much. He knew their headmistress well enough.
A brow rose up slightly at her half finished sentences. "I always seem so...?" He asked, wondering where this question was leading. It could possibly lead to anywhere. Putting his hands over his head he stretched his back, joints popping dully in the cave. As he resumed his original position waiting for her answer he watched the scone. It had been awhile since he'd snagged food from the school- coffee being the exception. He wondered how much anger Priscilla would vent for stealing her last batch before trading day. He sighed mentally. Trading day wouldn't be for another few weeks- after the fair that they were planning on throwing in the small town. There would be traders and gypsies from everywhere. Running his free hand (the one his head was not resting on) through his dark hair. "So you're looking for something," he commented. "What exactly though? There is a lot written on these walls," he said quietly.
ooc. =P I'm sorry, this isn't that great. >.<
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bunny
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Post by bunny on May 28, 2008 21:07:47 GMT -5
"Sweetie." She felt her cheeks heat up like a child. It seemed as if she couldn't help feeling so young and naive around him. She was a child. He was a man. It didn't surprise her, in reflection, that the difference would make her feel too crude. Her inability to conceal emotions effectively like most also contributed to the forming idea on her maturity. As did a distinct dislike of coffee. It smelled funny. Ah, well. Only time could remedy her if it so choosed. Somehow, she didn't see it choosing.
"I only panicked. Its been so quiet around here lately. I think somethings up... I'm not sure anymore though...In all honesty I'm the one that wasn't thinking."
"Of course you were thinking," she answered, already cringing from what she might say next. Lack of maturity could account for the fact that she spoke before thinking the entire phrase through. One might consider it was not in her nature to edit her thoughts, but people never see the pleasant sides of their personalities. If you considered the trait pleasant. "You were thinking about how you thought something might happen soon. Something big, perhaps. The cave, which has been so recently quiet, now has an unexplained visitor. What else could you do? Any other action would have been insane, Bryce."
She paused before apologizing, turning red. She had no right to tell anyone how to do anything when just a few days ago she managed to offend a group of ten plus people. Granted, she couldn't really understand how almost hitting them with a few arrows could upset them so badly. "I'm sorry. I should learn when not to speak."
I'll split one of these scones with you. Say, how is work up at Florence anyway? Cicily and Ara treatin' you right?"
Skipping over the comment about his intelligence which would ellicit more comments she'd rather not say, Natalya tried to be like other people and carefully choose her words, but her mouth began moving before the plan could even be confirmed. "It's as can be expected. I'd rather be doing anything else, but the money helps despite its lack of value to me. Mom finds uses for it around the camp... Cicily and Ara? I don't see them enough to answer that. I rather avoid people when I work, not that we talk often outside of Florence's."
He hung out with them. They were some of the girls around the camp that entered the cave at times. Natalya was rather clueless, but it didn't mean she never watched, wondering what a dank place could hold to tempt girls showered with beauty and education. Was there something in them that found nature more appealing? "It wouldn't matter if they didn't. I doubt many people want to be caught dead talking to me. I don't mind... The little kids still like me. Birds too."
She smiled blankly, retaining the expression when he spoke again, asking indirectly for her to finish her sentence. After a moment, she felt her face turn red and occupied herself by trying to split the scone evenly. Unfortunately, doing anything perfectly never came naturally to Natalya, so she just handed him the larger half. "I can't remember. I dreamt of it a few nights ago. I don't think I finished it, but it's somewhere near the back... I can't imagine why. I was so afraid of the dark back then."
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Post by Poe on May 28, 2008 21:46:17 GMT -5
It amused him to watch her cheeks heat up so quickly, but he said nothing about it not wanting to embarrass her. However, he didn't know how much he had succeeded in that already. Poor Bryce, so bad at reading emotions that he didn't use his eyes for. She was right, he knew she was. He'd been rational. But sometimes he thought he was too rational. He nodded quietly, thinking about what she said, eyes turning up to meet hers when she apologized. "What are you apologizing for?" He asked, eyes still light. "You've said nothing wrong. You put up a good argument," he smiled. "Anyway, you have every right to speak. An opinion is needed, especially a good opinion like yours." He let her finish her sentences completely, hoping he wouldn't interrupt or miss anything.
"I didn't think you'd see much of them," he said. "And if they dare say a foul word to you, come tell me. I'll give them a scare next time they decide to poke their noses in here," he said with a quiet laugh. "The children will always love you as long as you keep bringing them back treasures such as these," he said with a slight smile before he allowed his eyes wandered around the cave as she spoke. They lingered at the entrance and then wandered toward the dark, where the door would appear when called upon by the right people. He looked back at Tali as she spoke of the dream, taking the large half of the scone and breaking part of food off in his dark fingers, sticking some into his pocket that he could feed his dog, Louie, later. Taking a small bite himself he tilted his head to the side. "You dreamt of something in the back?" He asked, interested in this dream. It was something that the soon-to-be Priestesses dreamt about before they were shown there power. It was something that Bryce had dreamed before he was passed on his role. And it was possibly something that the next sword bearer was supposed to see... He wasn't quite sure though, and munched on his "gift" in silence for a moment.
His eyes drifted to Natalya, studying her for a moment. Studying the bright blue tunic she wore and the bracelets and anklets that she had slipped off of her wrists which were for the most part gone. Watching the black hair that she'd pulled back into a horse's tail, falling from its normally prim bun that didn't look right on her. He sighed quietly. Girl and boy. Alone in a cave.
Correction. Bryce and Girl, alone in cave equals... Well, probably a bad outcome. For as good as he was to women, he often angered them.
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bunny
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Post by bunny on May 28, 2008 22:49:38 GMT -5
"What are you apologizing for? You've said nothing wrong. You put up a good argument... Anyway, you have every right to speak. An opinion is needed, especially a good opinion like yours."
She was going to mutter something about her opinion being the least likely to trust when her fingers became sticky. Looking down away from his face, Natalya noticed she was already picking away at the scone's edge, rubbing the pieces into crumbs and letting them fall. A lot of people told her not to apologize. In fact, they had been saying so often that words weren't even used. Just a slightly exasperated expression. She didn't want to offend anyone, though, so it had become more of a habit than anything else. Florence's, at least, thought so. Speaking out of turn, expecially as a cleaning girl, was abhorrent.
How could they live like that? Cleaning silly, confined rooms with liquids that smelled unnatural, worse than sulfur even. Sometimes, the older workers left at the end of the day with bleeding hands, a sort of irony seeing as one would have to clean up after themselves because of wounds gained by cleaning. The only flowers were the ones in vases for decoration, ending the vibrant colors they gained in the sunlight and moonlight. She always longed to escape and return home, sometimes even sleeping out under the trees to erase the unnatural scent.
"I didn't think you'd see much of them. And if they dare say a foul word to you, come tell me. I'll give them a scare next time they decide to poke their noses in."
She laughed too, but probably for a different reason. Her automatic response had been to say that was impossible. Had the incident earlier never ocurred, that statement might have held true in her mind. As it was, the comment could now be said with a certain amount of sarcasm, unused to being used by her. She needed a sense of humor that could be translated into words. People always seemed to gravitate towards those who could make others laugh as easily as they were influenced. "You could never be scary."
"The children will always love you as long as you keep bringing them back treasures such as these."
"A love based on material goods," she responded wishing she could raise an eyebrow like she's seen him do like just a few seconds ago. Her voice didn't accent it the same way too. It sounded more serious than joking-like, and she wondered if he could tell after spending years in each other's company. This time, she looked back up and noticed the small smile, before ducking her head again. Not before returning it in a genuine fashion this time. When she had composed herself to look up again, Bryce's blue eyes were looking elsewhere all around the cave. Meanwhile, he stored half of his half in a pocket like a squirrel.
"There are more," she offered, absently picking apart the rest of her half, leaving her lap full of uneaten crumbs. She stood up for a moment to wipe them off, thinking of the feast hundreds of ants would have if they came across the banquet. He asked something as she sat back down, and it took a moment for her to decode what it had been.
"Oh! I'm not sure," Natalya replied honestly, fiddling with her jewelry now that she had decimated the part of the pastry she had. "I suppose so. Or not... I dreamed of a memory, or-- I mean-- I remembered something as I slept and sort of watched outside of my body. It wasn't that special, just me carving what I thought to be a random design or words. They reminded me of letters, but I can't read... I guess I just wanted to know what I drew. I seemed so scared like there was something behind me, but I can't even remember actually coming in here to do that... Oh, now I'm rambling on. I'm going to drive you away, Bryce. I can't stop myself."
His reaction surprised her slightly. What was a dream to him? Doubtless he was thinking of something else and she was misinterpreting where the attention was being focused. Maybe he thought about whatever he did in the cave. Or maybe one of the girls he brought up. Hadn't he talked about them in a casual way? Did that mean they were close? It was funny for her to have questions she'd never ask. Something in her wanted to ask, but that feeling was always there. An endless fountain of questions and theories.
Fountain? Pears! Not certain where the connection came in, Natalya resumed her former search in the pouch. "I have fruit too. Do you eat in the mornings? If so, I understand if you might not want all this food.
"Ow," she commented turning her hands over. She had forgotten about those scrapes, but it seemed the fabric or the edges of her cards had irritated them. Honestly, she looked at them longer than necessary to keep her from looking at Bryce. Or staring. She did that enough from afar; again showing her lack of control over her actions.
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Post by Poe on Jun 1, 2008 17:18:09 GMT -5
Bryce watched each crumb fall from the edge of the scone and collect on her skirt, grinning slightly to himself before looking back up to her. It was true that she had no need to apologize, people simply needed to get over themselves in his opinion. Well, that was a lot of rotten talk. Bryce was easily offended, and even he knew that- so maybe it was easy for him to say she didn’t need to apologize when she’d done nothing to offend him. “Never be scary?” Bryce actually laughed, shaking his head. “That I could argue- and don’t say that just to be nice,” he added quickly, remembering her expression when she’d first seen him in the cave. That had been nothing but fear stretched across her face, and that had pained him.
Sighing inwardly he smiled again at the six words she spoke. “Sometimes the only love a person can know,” he said quietly, “except every child should understand and have the love of a mother or pet.” He was speaking to himself now, remembering better times when he had had the love of a mother. Better times, before she’d been ripped away from him and tortured before his own eyes. Scattering the thoughts from his brain he looked back up at her, wondering if she’d said something else that he’d missed. He knew children that loved him simply for the stories that he told, and for the sword that he carried on his back. At the same time he knew they feared him when they fed cheese to his dog and destroyed his sense of smell. When Bryce saw her smile- a real one- his widened and he ran a hand through his hair. “Hm?” For a moment he was confused at her offer of more, and then he remembered the scone he’d tucked away. With a laugh he shook his head. “Oh no, I couldn’t take more of your material love- its for my dog, Louie.” He was still smiling at her kindly, before breaking off a piece of the scone and popping it into his mouth. God, how could they never have had this? Surely the girls would have brought him some on his birthday! And yet he could not remember tasting something quite like this. “Thank you again,” he said quietly, ducking his head at his bad manners, and motioning to his scone. “You really didn’t need to give this to me.”
Bryce watched the pile of scone crumbs while she started to talk about this dream, or memory that she dreamt. “Can you show me what you drew, Natalya?” He asked softly, kindly, but his eyes were still thinking, and looking straight at her. He smiled though. “Oh, you won’t scare me away, don’t you worry about it,” he said. “I like to listen to people talk, better than listening to my own voice.” Which was true, he had spent far too many a night listening to himself talk- or listen to his thoughts jabber away. It was that though, or the constant silence that was the night. And, strangely enough, he preferred the mind boggling jabber.
Fruit? Where had that come from? All the same he began to refuse. “No, no, I’m fine-“ but the rumbling of his stomach gave him away. At the first taste of scone he’d been forced to want more, it seemed. He didn’t normally eat in the mornings, but he wouldn’t tell her that. He didn’t like to let people know that he didn’t often take care of himself the way others did with large meals and good sleep. “Must’ve skipped breakfast,” he said a bit guiltily, biting his lip and looking up at Natalya. “I’ll scare you away with my stealing of your things,” he said with a quiet laugh.
He’d been looking at the pile of crumbs again when she heard her exclamation and he looked up again curious. She was looking at her hands. Silently, he stood and moved to sit next to her, his folded legs not quite touching hers. Smooth Bryce, that would scare her away for sure- if it didn’t then this next thing would. Gently, he reached out and took her hand, holding it in his as he examined the scrapes. “How did you get those?” He asked softly.
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bunny
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Post by bunny on Jun 1, 2008 18:07:21 GMT -5
“Never be scary?” Bryce actually laughed, shaking his head. “That I could argue- and don’t say that just to be nice."
She looked up, surprised at the laugh, and then frowned. "I'd never flatter you, though others will. What could you think of me if did?" What indeed. She didn't care for those who said the opposite of what they mean or overembellished. It made it hard for her to tell what was true and what wasn't. Obviously, Natalya had a hard time doing that anways, so she didn't need the extra work.
"What does it accomplish?" she asked, seriously. It was something she wondered as she saw students give various gifts and favors to teachers, or the staff do the same with those higher up. Perhaps she witnessed occassionally in the camps, but it was slipping her mind now. Her mother never did it. Nor her father. As for herself? It seemed unlikely since she wasn't sure what it gained.
“Sometimes the only love a person can know,” he said quietly, “except every child should understand and have the love of a mother or pet.”
He said it softly as if to himself and that made Natalya frown. Was he thinking of his own mother? She wasn't around anymore... Natalya never really thought about it that often. Yes, she knew she was gone, but that he no longer had a mother with him like hers. Natalya's mother was her favorite person in the world, she couldn't imagine losing her ever. Some of the other kids in the camp had lost a parent too. They would be the ones she took on her lap to tell stories to or visit them at night to kiss. When she played with a larger group, she would keep an eye on them in case they became sad. For the children, she noticed, but Bryce never seemed to show it. Was he sad too? Did he ever want to sit on someone's lap again just to feel as if she was there?
"The children... I notice that," she replied whether or not he wanted one. "You can tell in their eyes how they feel about it. I try to make it go away as often as I can, but I can't be a subsititute for their mothers..."
She paused, letting the sentence hang before looking around the cave again. Bryce was in it a lot; it must be very lonely. Now that she thought about it, he probably enjoyed the company of the girls that used to come more often. Natalya was too intimidated at times to try.
He was so... there wasn't a better word than intimidating, actually. When he would be nearby in the camp, she was unable to string two words together, and, to avoid that embarrassment, she would walk away. The other girls that fawned might be able to chatter as if everything they said could be interesting, but not Natalya. She was more at home with the animals or the plants or the children. Now that she thought about it, did it make her appear stand-offish? Others certainly thought so.
"Sometimes there are bones," she offered when he explained the hording. She looked back at him with wide eyes. "You don't have to thank me. They're not anything special," -She laughed.-"If I had known you liked them, I would have brought you some earlier." Probably not. It was explained decently enough before that she was usually very self-conscious around him. In fact, she was surprising herself by how she was acting now. Could it be that the dismal cave empty of other pretty, witty girls made her feel more at home?
"Can you show me what you drew, Natalya... Oh, you won’t scare me away, don’t you worry about it,” he said. “I like to listen to people talk, better than listening to my own voice.”
Shrugging, she nodded. "I'm not sure I even drew anything. Even if I did... If it's words, I'd need your help-." She interrupted herself with a particularly violent attack of blushing that caused her to look down and cover her red face and nervous smile with a hand. That was embarrassing. It was difficult to have control only over her voice and nothing else. At least the blush was hidden partly by her darker skin. If the thought had occurred to her, she might have blamed it on the heat.
"You must listen to your own voice often," she managed to say before groaning. "I'm sorry. That was rude. I was only thinking that you spend so much time in here by yourself- Oh! That's rude too. I shouldn't comment on your lack of social- I think I was right in shutting up earlier... You must have very strong nerves to deal with me- Oh yes, here." She put the stinging hands back into the bag to pull out some pears when she noticed heat coming from next to her. Looking up, Natalya gasped, placing a hand to her heart.
"You scared me!" she exclaimed breathlessly, laughing at herself. When he took one of her hands in his, she almost lost track of what she was going to say. "I think you remember not eating... That's bad, you know. They say that at the school. I skip too, but... We should both eat... Oh, my hand. I'm sorry. I forgot you asked."
She rolled her eyes at herself. "I fall down a lot. When I was feeling around in here, I fell a few times." She looked at the hand not in his and frowned. The scrapes weren't as bad as they felt-- she's certainly gotten worse-- but there were a few places where blood had dried. She broke the skin! It was a new record to how fast she could accumulate an injury in less than an hour. It had been the first ten minutes. "It's nothing, though. I've had worse."
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Post by Poe on Jun 1, 2008 21:36:25 GMT -5
“Oh, but I know I can be scary,” Bryce said thoughtfully. “You just gotta see my face when I wake up in the mornings- now that is a scary picture.” He sighed, shaking his head. “It can accomplish a lot, actually,” he said softly. “Like, getting people on your good side, so that when things don’t go your way, you can go to them, and they’ll fix everything up for you,” he added, shaking his head. “It is a pitiful way to live,” he said, leaning back slightly to look up at the ceiling of the cave, studying it. “Running to someone when something goes wrong, not the way I’d want to live. What about you?” He rubbed his chin. “Being someone’s favorite doesn’t mean they’ll always cover for you,” he added, almost as a last minute thought.
”A mother’s love isn’t replaceable…” He looked up at her. “But it’s amazing to feel that someone will want to love you still.” He smiled. He wasn’t any older than a child in that sense. Bryce was ripped from his mother, older than many of the children, but at the same time unready for her to go. Many times he still felt like curling up next to her in the caravan, or even just sitting up with her long into the night, listening to stories she told, and talking quietly about the world in general. She was the one person that Bryce had trusted to cry in front of. To actually weep. And now that she was gone he had no shoulder to rest his tired head on, no one to tell about Fantasia that would take him completely seriously. In fact, he knew that several people in camp did not believe in what he did, or simply thought he was stupid. “All a child needs sometimes is to be told everything is okay,” he said thoughtfully, still watching her. He smiled. “And to be held. To be held never hurts.”
He was a bit confused at her comment about bones and looked at her before understanding what she meant. “Oh, no!” He said. “I can’t spoil him too much, this is just a treat for later.” He grinned. “Believe you me, that dog gets plenty to eat. More than me, maybe.” He listened to her laugh, smiling. “No, m’lady,” he said almost teasingly, almost endearingly. “I must thank you. You, the bringer of sweet goods,” he grinned, laughing quietly. “No, it is in my nature to thank those that give something to me, I am simply doing as I have been taught. And I wouldn’t have asked you to go out of your way to bring me scones every day,” he added, with a smile.
“I’d be glad to help you. I’m not great at reading,” he said slowly, “but I can do it fairly well enough. I’ll help you all-----“ He broke off at her blushing and stopped to watch her, finally realizing what was so embarrassing to her. “Don’t be shy about that,” he said with a shrug. “I learned to read by chance, and not many of us can. Anyways, asking for help isn’t a bad thing- I ask for it all the time.” That was true enough.
He only roared with laughter at her next few words. Yes. He did listen to his own voice a lot. In fact, he’d fallen backwards on the cave floor with laughter. “No, no, you’re incredibly right. I’m not all that social with this ridiculous job of mine, I do listen to my voice a lot- but I have to find some way to entertain myself. Perhaps you should just come up and visit me more often,” he pressed slowly, honestly wanting to see her more often than he was around camp. “Maybe then I wouldn’t just have to be in my own presence. It would be a nice change.”
“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, his head tilted to the side. “I didn’t mean anything by it.” That smile was still there- so far she hadn’t made him mad, that was a good sign. Men found an easier time making him angry than women did though… Maybe the fact that she was a pretty girl had something to do with it. That was probably it. “Bring breakfast up and we’ll eat together,” he said. “That way we’ll be sure to get food in our stomachs, and we won’t disappoint the school.” ”Worse than these?” He tsk’d his tongue. “You are much braver than I. I would never walk again if I fell as much as that---“ Now it was his turn to shut up. He snapped his mouth shut. “Sorry, that was rude.”
Of course, a lot of what he said, was.
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bunny
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Post by bunny on Jun 2, 2008 1:49:38 GMT -5
She frowned at the explanation. So flattery was used to intentionally lie to gain the loyalty of someone so that that relationship could be exploited at a later time? That was rude. It was her decided opinion on the whole matter, agreeing wither her original assumption that it wasn't the best thing to practice. Who thought to do it anyways?
“Running to someone when something goes wrong, not the way I’d want to live. What about you?” He rubbed his chin.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I don't have much experience in doing it... Not many things go wrong that I can't handle. I must live an unexciting life." That thought bothered her. All the stories she told the children were pleasing to herself because she wished she lived in them. She wished she had been Esmeralda and the Bear or any other tale where the heroine was thrusted into a world of magic. Wouldn't that be adventurous? What she wouldn't give... No. That wasn't right. Natalya wouldn't give up her home. Her family. Florence's gardens. No.
“Being someone’s favorite doesn’t mean they’ll always cover for you,” he added, almost as a last minute thought.
"Have you had experience in that?" she asked before stopping herself. Questions just sprung forth when she didn't understand and wanted to which was most of the time. Every moment, every word, ever fact, she wanted to know it. Except reading. Nothing really pushed her to learn how, even though she picked up on various spoken languages. People, too, she learned about through her readings, but she never did one for Bryce. It just never came up. Perhaps Mother Sophie got one.
”A mother’s love isn’t replaceable... But it’s amazing to feel that someone will want to love you still. All a child needs sometimes is to be told everything is okay,” he said thoughtfully, still watching her. He smiled.
She nodded, not understanding the loss but the love. Natalya never tells the children things are going to be okay. Even thought she doesn't lie, words mean little to most people, so she tried to show them. Show them that she would always care for them. The older ones and younger. Those who still had their parents and those who didn't. It never really occurred to her that someone older might want the same thing, but it made sense. She watched the smile and frowned in return, finding herself frowning a lot now.
"You do know that everything's going to be okay?" she asked worriedly, looking up at him to make sure. Didn't her admit to feeling that something might be wrong, that he was almost waiting for something bad to happen, maybe as bad as losing his mother? Natalya thought so, and that almost stressed her out. She wanted him to be happy. Everyone assumed Bryce wasn't affected by things the same way everyone else was; it was as if people viewed him as this indestructable statue... not human. He was, though. That's what she was being told now. He was just a little kid like everyone else.
“And to be held. To be held never hurts.”
It was a spur of the moment; she really couldn't stop the impulse, but he was acting like a child, and she treated him as such. Without thinking too much, Natalya wrapped her arms around Bryce when he came to sit by her, leaning her head against his arm. He was warmer than she imagined which caused the blush that had appeared before to strengthen but hopefully he couldn't see her in this position. What was she doing? Natalya wanted to say she was sorry again, but that didn't come out. "Of course being held never hurts. It's quite nice sometimes."
His endearing tone earlier probably filled her with a little more confidence. He hadn't been talking as if her presence was revolting nor did his body language send that message. He was being really kind, and she wanted to return the favor. Seeing as he probably didn't have confidence issues with such an impressive weapon that could scare the crap out of her, the reading skills she lacked and the looks to cause any girl to swoon, maybe she could do something about the lonliness. It was something she was good at, at least.
When he began laughing, she pulled away. It was her luck she did because he fell away from her; she would have been pulled down with him on the terribly hard floor. She couldn't tell, at first, what he was laughing at until he began speaking again. Her face had already lit up as a byproduct of the mirth. It was hard to continue and frown when someone was laughing that hard. Bryce certainly didn't act as intimidating as she supposed he would. A child...
“Perhaps you should just come up and visit me more often... Maybe then I wouldn’t just have to be in my own presence. It would be a nice change.”
Natalya watched him for a moment, looking to see if the suggestion was sincere. When she was satisfied that it was, she nodded entusiastically. "You're one of the few people I don't see on a regular basis. I mean, since you're here most of the time... I almost forgot what you looked like" - It was true. She wasn't good at remembering physical features. Her mom reminds her once a day that her own eyes are dark brown.- "Though... sometimes I have a large group of living beings following me. It might cramp your style since you're so used to being alone."
“Bring breakfast up and we’ll eat together,” he said. “That way we’ll be sure to get food in our stomachs, and we won’t disappoint the school.”
"I didn't think you ate it that often," she replied. "I'll always bring breakfast if you're not going to get it yourself... Is there anything else I could bring? I don't know your habits, so I can't suggest anything. Maybe a ball to play with? Snacks? Stories?" Didn't she establish he was a child. Isn't that what children wanted? Things to keep them occupied when others weren't around. She used to explore the forest, but he couldn't do that from inside.
”Worse than these?” He tsk’d his tongue. “You are much braver than I. I would never walk again if I fell as much as that-- Sorry, that was rude.”
She laughed brightly. "No, it's true. Injuries don't bother me. I find them fascinating since I usually forget how I got them. When the children ask, I make up stories. Now, if I did mind... You'd never get anything to eat if I refused to walk... I do have something for them. I'm just not in the mood to apply anything; I'll just get more like the time I got caved in a dirt hole when I was little... was it you that save me? Or someone else? I remember some boy..."
She paused, realizing how terrible her memory was. "What is your job here? I don't think I ever really understood what anyone said."
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Post by Poe on Jun 10, 2008 18:22:14 GMT -5
“No, I can’t say that I’ve had experience,” he said, shrugging. “But I do know lots of people that do. They get hurt more then helped.” Bryce sighed, running a hand through his hair, remembering the many times that someone would come to him- most often one of the girls in the group- in tears. They’d sob to him about how they were hurt when they should have been helped. And they only should have been helped because they’d excessively flattered and helped a person for no reason other than that. Did they really deserve the help in the end anyway?
He did sound like a child, and he knew that. Of course he did. But he didn’t want to be treated like one. Sure, he was horrified by his mother’s death, and it still burned to think about her, but he’d grown up, and he could take care of himself. So when she asked if he knew everything was going to be okay, he was slightly taken aback. Head tilting toward her, Bryce rose an eyebrow. “Of course I know everything is going to be okay, everything has been okay for the past years.” He smiled now, trying to make her stop frowning. Seriously, everything was fine. It had been rocky right after his mother’s death, the image of her being raped- forced upon several different men- and then the image of her hand stretched through the bars, blood coating several fingertips and her shrill voice in his ears screaming that she loved him… It had all been so fresh. So new. He had not let go of that image easily at first. But he grew up, and remembered his mother in other ways, more respectful ways. Like, her smile…
And suddenly, her arms were around him. He sat still for a moment, letting her arms envelope him. He didn’t mind it. It had been a while since any girl, or person for that matter, had bothered to give him a hug. Any touch, in fact. So this one, this simple act of what seemed like friendship, was nice. No, Bryce didn’t try to be intimidating unless he needed to be, and right now, the world was simply full of colors- it never seemed to be all black and white for him. So as he rolled and laughed with mirth, he slowly sat up to listen to her answer to his question. His sides hurt from laughing so hard…
“A large group of living beings might be just what I need to stop all this loneliness,” he said quietly, though he wouldn’t have minded a few moments alone with Natalya every morning like today. In fact, this visit had brightened his day as no other act or thing would. It was simply amazing to be with another human being. On top of that, it was simply amazing to be with a woman. Alright, so maybe he was a bit girl-crazy, but at least he picked the girls he went after not only for looks but also for their personality, and this girl had it all, in his humble opinion.
Snacks, stories, a ball? Okay, well, uhm, maybe he needed to draw the line. “Just some company and food,” he said simply, smiling. “I don’t need much to entertain myself with…” This was true. When he was a boy he and his friends would swordfight with sticks, or play pirate in the trees if they were bored. Being gypsies they didn’t have much. Maybe a dog or a doll, maybe a different costume or some prop of their parent’s act that they could use, but normally they had to use their imaginations. And, because Bryce normally just stood here all day he had a wicked imagination that could have stories pulled from the air and he’d simply embellish them more until he was sure that they were good enough to entertain the children back at camp. Tali wasn’t the only one that could tell a story, that was for sure.
Bryce smiled. “Yes, stories often do make a child happy, don’t they? I try to tell them as much as I can- but I’m not sure they can compare to yours.” He listened quietly. “Yes, that was me. You were surprisingly calm for falling into a hole…” And he’d thought he’d been some great knight that day, he remembered.
“My job here?” He paused, thinking. “I’m not sure who assigned our family- my mother and grandfather always told me it was Mother Sophie who told us to stand at the cave’s entrance. We stand guard over a great treasure,” he said quietly, nodding after a moment. “You’ll think I’m crazy,” he said with a laugh. “But this treasure is a door that leads to some other world.” And suddenly he was telling of Fantasia, rambling on as he did when he told the children of the bright colors and forever twilight sky that he had never even seen. His voice flowed quietly, and finally, he seemed to remember who his audience was and quickly shut up. “Sorry,” he said softly. “You probably don’t want to hear about my crazy job…”
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bunny
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Post by bunny on Jun 10, 2008 19:47:50 GMT -5
“A large group of living beings might be just what I need to stop all this loneliness."
"Perhaps," she admitted brightly. "Of course, you might just be saying that. I'll try to distract the children and animals with some of whatever I bring and come alone a few times. Sometimes silence with another person there is better than a very loud crowd... unless you'd prefer a crowd to me. I mean, I could bring them all the time. Though, even I would need a break... Hmm... some of the children are less rowdy than others. Maybe with some rope-" She broke off with a laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. That sounded terrible, tying up children and tossing them into the bushes. It would cause a revolt of which no amount of charm could get her out.
But, she was getting more comfortable around him when they were alone. Would she have to deal with her self-consciousness all over again if the children were here, wondering if he was judging her playing methods and stories? What if he found her dull or too childish to continue contact with? Natalya knew that he liked children, but what if her style didn't hold up to his standards. Then again, she was comfortable in a loud setting. Would sitting alone in the mornings grow awkward? This wasn't planned, and it started off rockily. Oh dear.
“Just some company and food,” he said simply, smiling. “I don’t need much to entertain myself with…”
Mirroring the smile, she nodded. "Of course you don't. I'm sorry. You've been doing this for a long time. You know how to occupy yourself... I just get so caught up in something," she leaned towards him slightly, "that I sometimes overshoot. It's really a terrible habit. I should learn to just be quiet... But you're nice to be around. You haven't been at all mean to me. I want to repay you." There was always that feeling that Natalya was never doing enough. Natalya felt she wasn't working hard enough nor long enough. She didn't try hard enough or was nice enough. There was always this unreachable standard to which she held herself. Sometimes it was crippling, but most of the time, it just served as a reminder that she wasn't perfect and would have to strive to make others happy.
“Yes, stories often do make a child happy, don’t they? I try to tell them as much as I can- but I’m not sure they can compare to yours.”
Completely unrelated to what he just said, she felt the urge to point out something, "You've smiled a lot so far. I can't tell if that's good or bad. Sometimes people smile to hide things... I can go if you'd like..." An answer didn't come, however, because it seemed she had interrupted him. Oops. That wasn't her intention.
“Yes, that was me. You were surprisingly calm for falling into a hole…”
"I knew it. My knight in shining armor... you even have a sword," she replied happily. "I was so calm because I was sure someone would save me eventually. It didn't occur to me to cry. And, just when I was starting to doubt, there you were. Of course, I was too intimidated to thank you properly even though you had suddenly become my hero." It was about that time that her mild obsession had begun much to her chagrin. Of course, as she grew older, the hero image faded very much so.
“My job here? I’m not sure who assigned our family- my mother and grandfather always told me it was Mother Sophie who told us to stand at the cave’s entrance. We stand guard over a great treasure."
Oh. A treasure. Why had no one bothered to mention that? Oh, wait. Someone did. Maybe. Natalya wasn't very good at remembering the difference between stories and reality. Perhaps it was because, to her, there was no difference. She always felt that stories were true at one point. There was a reason behind her ability to read the tarot cards, right? What stopped the same force from doing so many other things she wouldn't be able to comprehend.
“You’ll think I’m crazy, but this treasure is a door that leads to some other world.”
"That's amazing," she replied, completely serious albeit slighty shocked. The cave she was sitting in had a door that led to a magical world? It was what he was explaining to her. As soon as Bryce launched into telling her everything, her thought process just stopped. No longer was she hovering over the sheer wonder of it all, but taking in the details he presented her. She thought what he said, trying to create an image in her mind. Without thinking, she turned slightly to face him as he sat next to her, her eyes resting on the cave floor. When he stopped, Natalya suddenly felt as if a dream had ended far too quickly for her liking.
“Sorry,” he said softly. “You probably don’t want to hear about my crazy job…”
Natalya shook her head, placing a hand on his leg and leaning closer, something she did often when talking. "No, I liked listening. It's so fascinating to find out what is so close and so far away. I wish I had known ealier; it seems that it would be just as wonderful to dream of Fantasia as to enter it. And it's not a crazy job. I think I'm jealous... How often do you go into it? I'm surprised you spend so much time just outside the door when something so amazing lies on the other side... though, I don't think I would go that often." It was true. Fantasia sounded like it should be a place visited only very so often to her. A sacred place that wasn't to be taken advantage of. It would seem rude.
"Was that why you were interested in my vis-dream?" the thought occurred to her suddenly. "I'm sure it has no connection. Such a place isn't meant for me. I'd trip and break something."
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