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 Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:54 pm
Lonan had no idea how long he had lain on the floor, the soft pants he'd worn before gone he knew not where. He did know that he felt badly off balance and his limbs felt too long. That and his back felt heavier than he was used to.
Slowly, carefully, he turned on his side and rose to his knees before nearly falling again, dizzy. Shivering slightly he moved to his feet, using the wall for balance to prevent falling again and made his way out the back door and to the shower stall. He was grateful for the Indian Summer gripping the land that let him be outside without feeling chilled through.
He didn't bother with closing the glass barrier but rather turned the water on, letting the steam head build to an acceptable level before sliding down and letting it rain on his wings and back. The warmth helped push away the lingering dizziness and detached sense.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 10:56 am
Though she didn't know it, Elle placed one hand against the nearest tree in near imitation of Lonan, feeling a moment of dizziness. The basket of flowers still rested against her hip, full of the colors and scents of spring. Had she stood up too fast? She took a breath, and pulled herself straight.
The thin pink sun dress she wore gathered a bit at the hips, falling just past mid thigh. Though the neckline was modest, the back was scooped low, and the sun felt delicious on her skin. She'd gathered enough...it was time to see him.
Elle picked her way through the forest on quiet bare feet. The 'quiet' part Lonan had taught her. She felt at home here, for many reasons. Being nestled between the trees, crowded with flowers and rustling undergrowth reminded her of Frae's cellar...the polished wood banisters, the barrels of apples and hanging herbs, even the yellowed pages of dust covered books. Taking a deep breath, Elle smiled, and stepped into the clearing.
She didn't know where exactly he would be, but he was close. A thin cloud of steam over the shower stall brought a smile to her face, and she took a moment to sort through her basket of flowers...drawing out a long stemmed wild lily that grew by the water's edge. Setting the rest of her collection aside, Elle walked quietly to the stall, the single blossom twirling between her fingers.
As soon as she rounded the corner, she stopped. He'd left the door open, and Elle's eyes went wide at the sight of him. He reminded her of a rock, amid the rapids...with a world of color and motion and sound around him, Lonan was pale and steadfast; scarred and grand. She approached slowly, taking in the differences as well as the familiar.
"Lonan." She wasn't announcing herself, surely he already knew she was here. But her tone said more than her words, warm with curious desire. "You've...changed." She trailed the blossom across his wet shoulder, ignoring the spray, and taking a breath as the steam caught the sweet scent.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:55 pm
A languid sort of heaviness had settled in and he was quite content to let it remain. His position along the wall was a bit odd, but it wasn't uncomfortable. He'd almost dozed under the fall of water when he finally noticed the soft steps nearing him.
"Elle?" He must have been truly out of it not to hear her approaching sooner, or even realize it was Elle until she spoke. A slight shiver worked through him at the gentle touch of the flower, nerves zinging with the sensitivity of nearly new skin.
Slowly he turned his head up towards her. His hair once to his shoulders was now down to his waist, water playing and making little twists on his torso. Some scars seemed to have deepened while others split into smaller ones.
"Elle? Do you.. what happened? Why do I feel so ... odd?" An expression of confusion crossed his face, the normal still facade mobile while his mind tried to match motions and memories. For all he did not act it, he was still younger than her, and sometimes that showed itself. Oddly enough he had yet to open his eyes even instinctively.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:06 pm
The flower lowered, still gliding along his arm, but her other hand rose to fit against his face. "It happens to all of us. I don't know what you've been through, Lonan, but life has left its mark." The flower shifted and brushed along the top the the smaller dark wings, as gentle of a touch as was possible.
Her thumb smoothed over scars she had once known so well, absently tracing their new path. "You look glorious." He was taller, now, and she stretched up a bit to settle a soft kiss on his jaw, ignoring the spray. "How do you feel?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:58 pm
His face turned into her hand, expression relaxing at the familiar touch. The wing in question shivered slightly, nerves zinging sporadically. It felt good and almost too much at the same time.
"I feel... old and new at the same time. It's... confusing." One of the smaller wings twitched and moved to rest against her hip. That seemed a trigger for him to move. Shifting slowly he folded his larger wings back, turning so he was seated against the wall, rather than just leaning against it. Arms rose, letting his hands rest at her sides.
Only when she was seated on his leg did his eyes finally open. They weren't white. The left eye was a dark indigo, nearly black, the right so pale as to be nearly silver. For a handful of moments they seemed to focus on her face. "Elle?" There was undisguised wonder in his voice, one hand rising to lightly touch her cheek.
Then he blinked, and they were white as clouds again.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:16 am
The flower drifted to the floor as Elle released it, her other hand mirroring the caress on his face. When he opened his eyes, a thrill of shock ran through her, delicate and high. Her expression, that very moment, was one of hope...full lips parted and eyes wide, a few strands of hair curled against her cheek under the misting of the spray.
She knew what she'd seen, but Elle could only wonder what Lonan would make of it. "It looks like life has chosen to give you gifts, Lonan. Accept them!" Some part of her worried that he might resist the change, so she lent what strength she had, her eyes crinkling with her usual smile for just a flash before he blinked. White again...but that was no loss.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:55 am
He blinked again, but the white remained. "Elle? I... saw you?" There was wonder mixed in the unusually rough voice, emotion thick. His eyes remained white, useless again, but he did not seem to mourn the loss. Rather he let his eyes close again, a few clear tears leaking out, a true smile on his face.
Carefully he pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin, wings wrapping around them both. His body trembled, shocked and amazed at what he'd been given if only for a moment. "I never expected something liek this. If my eyes were only ever to work for an instant I am heartily glad it was to see your face."
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:21 pm
Elle gladly relaxed against him, but she was even more surprised by what he had to say than by what had just happened. Really? Her face? Out of all the beautiful things in the wide, wide world...that was truly what he would have wished? It hadn't occurred to her, even for a moment, that it might have been the only glimpse of the world he'd be given. Closing her eyes tight, sharing the darkness with him for a moment, Elle buried her head under his chin and tried to understand.
Images flashed in her mind. Lonan, his dark hair against a white pillow...Asra, smiling down at her with the canopy of sunbacked leaves haloing his face. Jars of paint, messy brushes, apples in the trees...
"Life is often unexpected, but it wasn't a fluke, Lonan. It was a gift." She pulled away slightly, and touched his nose with hers...urging his face up, waiting for his eyes to open. White. "There are things, many things, that you deserve to see...and I want to show them to you. I want..."
Her voice faltered for a moment, but Elle didn't sound sad. "I want you to see what you've painted. I want you to see how you make me smile! I want...you to fly."
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:39 am
It was such a rare gift, and only an instant, but to him it was perfect. A clear image unmarred by other images or flighty distractions. One chance to see clearly what he'd never expected to view. He startled slightly when other images flashed across his mind, almost too fast to put names to but he did.
"Was that... me? Day?" He was shocked again when he realized that Elle had been concentrating, trying to understand him, and inturn gifted part of herself to him through that ephemeral link of emapthy they shared.
"I know it was a gift, Elle. And I can see readily enough, just not with my eyes. But.. perhaps this was a precursor, a warning or heralding to things yet to come. As we mature we grow stronger, perhaps I just needed to grow a bit more for this step. Imagine what could happen in the future, perhaps I'll even be able to fly like you wish." He did not want these things for himself, had never thought to really think on them, but rather because they obviously meant so much to her.
The wings tightened for a moment before relaxing again. Funny, one thing he certainly approved of was how she fit perfectly against him now.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:56 pm
Elle's lips parted in shock as he spoke of the images, though she certainly didn't tense. She knew she was blessed, with love and understanding, with the solace of night and the bright song of day. But knowing that just for a moment, Lonan had seen them both as she did, gave her a moment's pause. Some small, artificial part of her worried about how it might make Lonan feel, knowing that Asra was a part of her story as well.
It was just a small part, and her hope that his following words were true far outweighed the fleeting qualm. "I know you will." Though they fit so sweetly, Elle turned, gazing back up into his face. "Lonan, when did this happen? What..was it like?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:41 am
Lonan could sense her unease, burying his face in her hair for a moment as he found the words. "Elle, I know you care for Asra. I have told you this before, I would not begrudge you that which makes you happy. Aside from you, he is probably one of those I am closest to. For your happiness I would be willing to share."
He felt calm, content, and more relaxed than he had in a good while despite still being a bit out of sorts. "It happened... perhaps a day ago now. I'm not sure how long I slept. It was unexpected, or at least, the sensatiosn involved were. It was hot, almost too much so, melting and then reforming into something new and not. I think it should have hurt, or been upsetting, but it wasn't. I am not sure if I was meant to be this out of sorts with longer limbs and frame, but perhaps that was the exchange for that moment. If so I believe I got the better end of that deal."
Unbidden a humorous thought crossed his mind and mouth, muttering it before he could check himself. "I've heard of growth spurts but this is ridiculous."
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:26 am
He could feel her smile against his skin, first as his acceptance, then again at his joke. Humor! From Lonan! It was a rare and beautiful thing, and Elle pressed closer against him with a laugh.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here. And...thank you." She took just a moment, leaving a soft his on the side of his neck as she spoke. "And I think I got the better end of the deal, truth be told. So what will you do now? Life's gifts aren't meant to be spent in the shower!"
She ignored the way her thin summer dress had plastered against her...a few hours out in the sun, and they'd both be right as rain! Elle didn't mention her own trials with growth, the unexpected company and the darkness, the uncertainty and the...
The thoughts were already gone, driven away by another kiss. "You're getting all pruny."
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:19 am
"It was not your fault Elle. I am fine, if still a bit wobbly. Nothing a bit of rest and food won't fix." He chuckled softly at her playfulness. It was certainly a much deeper sound than it had been before, but rich rather than rasping. "I think Asra might have argued the gifts and the shower, Twilight, being Passion." Another joke, he was certainly in rare form. That or Drac was rubbing off on him entirely too much.
Sighing softly he carefully stood, helping Elle to regain her feet as well. Then he noticed a rather increased weight on his back. "And my wings water-logged." Reaching out he shut off the water and pushed his hair back from his face.
A slight tremble remained in his limbs, but nothing so bad that he couldn't walk into the small house. He hadn't realized quite how his balance had changed when he lifted his wings and shook them to get rid of some of the moisture, nearly toppling himself back to the floor. "Between this mass of hair and the added pair of wings this is going to be a chore. Mat I ask for some assistance?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:37 pm
"You know it would be my pleasure." She'd always enjoyed helping him groom his feathers, it was comfortable in a meditative sort of way. She kept his arm as they walked, but her eyes wandered...along his new height, and back to his face.
Elle was still smiling at his last joke, deeply glad that he wasn't rocked by his recent changes. It was hard, changing so suddenly...but Lonan had always been stronger than anyone had credited him. Bending to scoop up her basket as they passed it, Elle took a deep breath of the spring bouquet. Perhaps she'd make an arrangement for Drac, if there was a vase to spare!
"How are you spending your day, love? Aside from drying."
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:50 am
One ebony brow rose, feeling her eyes move, but he didn't say a thing.
"I had no plans. Honestly I did not know I was about to grow so that's probably a good thing." His walk was not as graceful as it usually was, but that was negligible for now. "Ah, and Devmani dropped something off for the next time I should see you." The centaur had expanded his skills and if what he'd felt when he held the item was any indication he had taken to the new hobby like the proverbial duck to water.
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