|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:31 pm
 Viridian eyes searched the cloudy skies with for some sort of answer before continuing on. Raina’s steps padded forlornly in the silence of the outskirts of the city, the only sound to be heard under the whizzing of the cars passing by. The metallic flare that ripped through the night made her squint and sigh, and the dampness that was in the air was unpleasant on her tongue. Still, it was better than being cooped up inside, even when it was obvious it was going to rain. This was the reason she preferred living outside of the city- less life, less bustle, more… world.
This, alone, told many stories about the girl. She was young, barely into her twenties, but already providing for herself well without the help of her stern parents who seemed to cause more destruction than anything. It had already been a stretch, sending her to such a prestigious university when she really didn’t want to be a doctor, after all. But what did she want to do with her life? That was a question she couldn’t answer quite yet. Oh, of course she knew she wanted to be a writer. A novelist with a myriad of fans, someone who’d be praised as much as she was ridiculed, but she was far past the age of naiveté that allowed her to believe such dreams were easily granted. It would be easier if she had found a job with decent, steady pay, at least.
But, goodness, were those kinds of jobs mundane!
As she looked up, the clouds were dreary as ever, but she couldn’t help but smile a bit as she spotted the literal silver lining that ran across them like halos. The white was billowing and real, and above all of that smoky substance was pure, radiant light, though it didn’t reach down to her level. It was like another world up there, and she longed to see it, longed to live in it like she had always wished to.
She looked around before walking into the grass, hints of dew tickling at her toes through the sandals. Before she did anything, though, she set down Faustus’ egg on the ground. It was true; she had developed a sort of maternal instinct for it. She nearly took it everywhere she went, and it was a good thing that it was summer, or she’d probably take it to her classes, too. There was something just incredibly lovable yet enigmatic about the lonely aura it gave off, and she figured that if she could ease the pain of the little one inside it, even just a little, she’d keep it company. So, setting him down gently by a tree trunk, she sat herself down, ignoring the water that seeped through the seat of her skirt, admiring the vapour trails that graced the sky like ancient paintings waiting to be solved.
Life could be good, she was certain. No, life was good- and at that moment, she, herself had all the power to make it stay that way.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:01 pm
"Hello," Julien called out from nearby, waving to the girl he spied as he broke through the treeline, a satchel slung over one shoulder. He'd forgone his favorite sweater and jeans outfit for the day in favor of a light t-shirt over the comfortable denim, his hair wet from the pre-storm humidity and sticking to his head. As he tromped along, tennis shoes crunching through dead branches, he closed up a book he'd been carrying, stowing it in the oiled-canvas bag he wore. Approaching Raina, he offered her a cheerful smile. "You lost or out here visiting?" he asked, starting to sit down beside her when he froze, looking down at the beautiful egg tucked by the tree trunk.
"...You have an egg," he murmured, and though his smile had faded for a moment, it came back slowly, a curve of his lips that spread slowly to his eyes as he looked at it in fascination. "Is that an Ashe egg?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:27 pm
Raina flinched as she heard the voice- it was young, fluent. She gathered her patterned summer skirt around her before looking up.
He was quite the looker, in a summer shirt and jeans, and an easy smile captured his face naturally. He looked to be in his teens, but there was an air of maturity around him, and Raina let the usual sweet smile grace her lips.
"Why, hello, there," she greeted, tucking a stray lock of auburn hair behind her ear. "I live around here, actually, I come here all the time- I'm Raina, who might you be?"
She blinked as he froze, tilting her head to the side curiously.
"Ashes come from eggs?" she laughed jovially, wiondering what in the world he was talking about. "I don't know what this egg will hatch into, actually..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:36 pm
"Sorry, my manners ran away," Julien said wryly, dropping down to squat in front of her, knees stretched out to either side and the satchel thumping on the ground. He held out a clean hand, though there were traces of dirt partway up his arm, and evidence of light scratches with dried blood around them. But the hand itself was clear of dirt or blood, offered freely. "I'm Julien. It's good to meet you."
As she asked her second question, he looked over to the egg again, pale eyes searching over it thoughtfully for a moment. "If it's what I think it is," he finally offered, smile warm and hopeful, "it'll hatch into a child, like mine did."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:48 pm
Raina quirked a brow at the pleasantries that the teenager offered, but accepted him with an open heart, smiling and taking his hand. As she shook, she bit her lip at the sight of his upper arms, hoping he wasn't getting into any trouble. Looking up into his cobalt eyes, she replied,
"It's alright. It's very nice to meet you as well, Julien. It's rather uncommon to meet a boy so polite for your age," she spoke graciously, grinning at the white-haired youth. She patted the grass next to her, an invitation for him to sit down.
"If you don't have anywhere to go and you don't mind getting a little wet, you should sit," she offered, swallowing hard at his words. Taken aback, she let her eyes flit over his face to look for any signs of a joke, but found none. "So you used to have an egg like this? What happened to the, uh, 'child' inside?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:01 pm
"I don't mind," Julien said, settling down onto the grass beside her without hesitation now that he'd been invited. "Forgive the way I look. I was digging up herbs. I found a book on cooking and medicinal herbs in the wild, and wanted to try my hand at harvesting some on my own." He reached up, dusting at his arms, which only served to smear the dirt around, and then dug a water bottle out of his satchel and cleaned off his hands, wiping them on his jeans.
"I didn't have an egg like that, actually," he added, looking over at the egg. "I was one. I'm what became of the child inside. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but it's the honest truth. The woman who raises me saved bits of my shell to prove it." Eyes on the egg, he spoke quietly, "I was lucky she accepted me into her home, I think. So that means this egg must be lucky, too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:02 am
Raina smiled appreciatively as he took as seat beside her, and leaned back into the grass, patiently listening to his explanations. He wasn't the average teen in today's society, that was for sure. If it wasn't enough that he read, he followed up on his knowledge with exploration. But he would have to be a bit more careful. Frowning, she looked over his cuts a bit and shook her head.
"When you're digging up herbs like that, it's likely that something dangerous could get into your bloodstream, be it bacteria in the dirt or venom from a plant nearby. If you get cut, it's best to treat it before it scabs over, just in case," she explained, though her eyes shone with admiration at his plight. There wasn't a lot of blood, but anything could happen. She wanted him to know that.
She closed her eyes quietly as she listened to his next comments, but they flew open in surprise almost afterwards. The green of her irises traced a path from Julien, then to the egg, back and forth, yet it was still hard to believe there was a connection. She swallowed hard.
"Y-you're kidding..." she tried to laugh, but she caught the seriousness of his tone that made her chest flutter in wonder. His hair was an immaculate white- unless he was albino, it was near impossible for it to have ended up like that. But if he wasn't human. what was he? She swallowed again.
"What does that make you, Julien? Are you, what did you call it... an 'ash'?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:26 am
"To be honest, I'm not sure what I am," he admitted easily, offering a wry smile. "I know the woman who raised me is human, and I have friends who are like me, but I've never really learned precisely what I am. I could be some alien from another world, for all I know. But I know that I can think, I can feel, and I have a body that can be hurt. The rest of the knowledge will come in time." He reached up, running his fingers through his pale hair until it pulled away from his forehead, laying in sweat-matted clumps at his temples.
"How'd you find the egg? May I ask?" he added, reaching out a hand to it without touching the egg. Instead his fingers hovered over the shell, near to one of the flowers that decorated it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:05 am
Raina blinked at his honesty, but let herself accept the boy for who he was (or knew he wasn't). It was enough that he was able to live life in this manner, happily, at least, and if so, why bother figuring out your roots, anyway? A rose, by any other name, would smell just as sweet.
"Well, as long as you yourself aren't bothered by it, Julien, that's the key thing. It makes me happy to know that this egg will grow up into someone as capable as you," she laughed, winking at the pale-haired boy with conviction. She was ready to believe it, at this stage. "His name is Faustus, by the way. I'm sure you two will be great friends."
Raina blinked as his hand reached out to the egg. In response, it wiggled its wings a little bit, as if it recognized the hand. The wing tips reached out a bit until they brushed his fingers, and the storm cloud below it rolled calmly, as if it were about to rain soon.
"It looks like he likes you," she giggled pleasantly, eyes rolling up to the sky in remembrance of not so long ago. "Let's see, it was the funniest thing! This girl, looking about fifteen, maybe younger, came out while I was strolling around the neighbourhood, near midnight! And she had this little guy in her arms and admitted she couldn't go home until she found someone to take care of him. So I just took him in- she told me what he hatched into would be a 'surprise'."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:54 am
"Huh," Julien said, brushing his fingers ever so lightly against the wings in return, careful to keep from hurting them. "Mireille found my egg in a quilt shop. No one gave her hers, unless you count an irate shopowner who didn't want eggs anywhere near her quilts?" he laughed, eyes warm as he reached into his satchel, pulling out a foil-wrapped package and unwrapping it.
Inside were sandwiches made on little biscuits, the lunchmeat and cheese nestled between two bits of light, airy bread golden brown and each sandwich looking as though it would be no more than three bites. He held out the package toward Raina. "Would you like one? They're ham and swiss," he noted, in case she liked neither. "I have plenty." And though the size of the package really looked about right for a single person, if rumors about teenage boys' appetites were to be believed, she could see the glint of more foil still in the satchel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:32 pm
At his touch, an excited shiver ran through the egg, and it tilted to the side, as if asking a quiet question. Raina ran her eyes over his alabaster finger tips, comparing them to the color of the silvery threads that lined the storm clouds in the sky. A dull rumble sounded in the air, shaking it, but she ignored it, knowing they still had some time.
"A quilt shop, huh? The world is just full of mysteries..." she mused aloud, more to herself than anyone near. At his offer, she accepted thankfully, taking the foil package into her hands. "Thank you, I was just thinking I might have needed a little snack~"
She took a bite eagerly, and the flavor filled her mouth. It was rich in taste, and she hummed appreciatively, seeing the boy in a new light.
"Did you make these?" she bubbled, fingering the golden loaves that kept them together, brushing a crumb off the corner of her mouth. She smiled gently at him, "They're delicious."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:49 pm
"I like to cook," Julien nodded, taking the second package out and unwrapping a corner so he could take a biscuit sandwich of his own. "It's something I can do that brings a smile to others as well as serves a purpose," he added, eyes wistful. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. It seems like each of us is different somehow. I know one girl who is incredible at slipping into the shadows of night, and another boy who's very much a thinker. I just work with my hands."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 1:02 pm
Raina 'mmmm'ed in agreement as he spoke, adjusting her seat on the ground before replying.
"Your work really is something, Julien," she gushed, finishing off the sandwich in her hands, then leaning back into the grass with a content smile. "I can't ever get my cooking to work so perfectly."
As she leaned back, her eyes caught light of the tone of the greying sky, and she heard herself distantly wonder how much longer the weather would keep up. She lifted her hand from the grass and rubbed her fingers together, feeling the moisture. It didn't bother her much, because she lived nearby- if it started raining, she'd take Julien there, too, at least until it let up. She cast him a sidelong glance. If he would trust her.
"These other people, are they the same as you and Faustus? Did they come from eggs, too?" her voice was breathy against the slight wind. "I wonder what kind of boy Faustus will be like..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:29 am
"Aesop definitely did," Julien nodded, eyes fond as he spoke. "He's the thinker I mentioned before. Apparently, Mireille met the woman who was chosen for him before he was born... hatched... however you wish to say it." He stretched, looking up at the sky. "And I think I remember Kurios mentioning that Kashya also came from an egg. I'm not so sure about Toulouse, though, but it doesn't matter. Coming from eggs is just one small part of us."
Julien shifted a bit, drawing one leg up and resting his arm over it, so that he could pillow his chin on his arm and watch Raina's egg thoughtfully. "If you love the person that comes from this egg, I think he'll grow well."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:25 am
Raina stopped her cloud watching for a second to turn her gaze to Julien. Aesop was a rather peculiar name. The only one she had ever known in history to carry it was Aesop, the fable writer. She swallowed, dusted off her palms before leaning back casually, but her back had a bit of a bristle, showing she was deep in thought. So there really were that many- Aesop, Kashya, Toulouse... if luck had it that way, there would probably be more.
She turned her face to Julien, smiling.
"The more the merrier, I say. I'm not so worried so much about what you all are. I see you're quite capable, living in this world, I'm sure Faustus will be the same," she said with a twinkle of delight, leaning further back on her shoulders. "I'm just glad that there are many of the same kind here."
Raina followed his gaze, and almost as if he detected it, Faustus wiggled a little, coaxing a laugh from her belly.
"I don't know if he feels it, but I do love him very much."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
