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 Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:19 pm
 Her head hurt, terribly. It was a pounding, throbbing, explosive ache behind her eyes. Nothing seemed to alleviate it. No amount of sleep or caffeine or lack thereof would work. So, Elysia had decided to leave her chaotic household and all the different members of it to take a walk around the lake. It was a secluded lake, thank the Goddess, and it was gorgeous at dawn or dusk. She'd painted it quite a few times, and she always came here to think. Though, she probably wouldn't be doing much thinking right now.
Her dark paws made little to no sound on the lush spring grass of the bank. The water was still expect for the occasional ripple of a breeze or a fish taking to the surface. With a small smile, she strode forward, her tail curling and twitching behind her. As she sat by the water's edge, listening to everything so intently she almost forgot her headache, she ran her paw through her hair. She'd left it down today, since adding the tension of a hair band would more than likely increase the pain.
A soft breeze scattered blue, black, and silver silky tendrils of hair across her face and over her shoulders. Her scarlet eyes scanned the surrounding area, ever captivated by such astonishing natural beauty. Her eyelids fluttered down, half covering her now unfocused eyes as she drifted on day dreams. She dreamed of being a bird and of flying to more exotic, more beautiful places than this. She dreamed of finding love and being accepted. She dreamed of being beautiful. A sharp pain in her head brought her crashing back into reality and she groaned softly.
Dropping to the ground, she curled her tail around herself, covering her eyes with her arms. Oh, this bloody headache was going to kill her! She just knew it would! Another sharp pang drew another gasp and groan from her lips. What she wouldn't give for relief from this excruciating pain right now.
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Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:44 pm
 A beautiful lake secluded in the woods? Sure, Sherman had heard of it from his housemate, Ranger, but the god had a strange sense of direction and distance. "Strange" here having the meaning of incredibly vague. So on a rare day off his father had forced him to for the sake of--what was the phrase..."mental effing health and to get you stop moping around"? Yeah, that sounded right--he had decided finally to seek it out and see if it was as beautiful as Ranger claimed.
And it was. The lake stretched out in the vast clearing, reflecting the unbroken blue stillness of the [relatively] early morning. Ripples spread out as trout leaped up for midges hovering breathlessly across the glassy surface; miniature waves lapped at the earthy shore, pushed ahead by the same gentle breeze that stirred the needles on the elegant pines silently reaching towards the flawless heavens. Not too strong a breeze; but enough to be noticeable. Some inner stress he hadn't even known that he was feeling eased. No wonder the old man had told him to take a day off. With the drama of his huge family chomping constantly at his nerves, he had tensed up in ways he hadn't thought strictly possible.
Sher wandered around the shore quietly, relishing the cool mud underneath his unarmored paws. He had left behind the cumbersome attire he usually donned. After all, he doubted his enemies would find this place, and it seemed too peaceful from the descriptions to dare sully it with thought of war and bloodshed. He could be a terrible romantic in his private thoughts.
Private thoughts interrupted by the unmistakable sound of someone groaning further along the shore. Sher tilted his head and ran ahead on his backpaws, as he always did, towards a black figure curled on the ground. Careful not to startle her--his face, he knew, could be rather startling to strangers--he asked in as soothing a voice as he could assume, "Excuse me, ma'am, are you hurt?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:10 am
Another cool breeze streaked across the back of her neck, easing some of her pain. Carefully, Elysia removed her paws from her eyes, looking out over the water again. The tip of her tail twitched as she flexed her paws, feeling a little... strange without her paint brush or pencil or something clutched there. She sighed, closing her eyes again. The pain was slowly--way too slowly for her liking--ebbing away. It seemed she'd made the right decision to go off by herself this morning. The silence and tranquility of this place seemed to sink into her fur and flesh, then deeper, right into her bones. It was relaxing.
Quick, sure paw steps rushed toward, causing her ears to perk and twitch in their direction. A moment later, a shadow slashed across her back, robbing that spot of the morning sun's warmth. Turning her head, she opened her eyes and looked up. The sun shone bright in her eyes, casting the other fox's face in dark shadows. She blinked, her brows coming together in confusion as she worked through the haze in her mind to figure out just what exactly he'd said. "O-oh!" She blushed, giving him a quick smile before sitting up, her eyes averted from him in a vain attempt to his the betraying scarlet tinge of her dark cheeks. "I'm f-fine, thank you. I just h-have this dreadful headache," she paused, wrinkling her nose, "Which I b-believe my ho-housemates caused."
Shifting slightly, she curled her tail around her paws. She wasn't very good with social interactions. Every time she met someone, she'd get that darn nervous stutter and, sometimes, she'd forget to breathe. Or she'd absolutely embarrass herself beyond all repair. She bit her lip, hoping she wouldn't do the later this time around, "F-forgive me for m-my stuttering. I-it happens whenever I-I-I'm nervous." 'Which seems to be all the time, now,' she added silently.
A ripple at the edge of the lake caught her attention as she opened her mouth to introduce herself, causing her to forget what she about to say and looking curiously down the bank. Three turtles had emerged from the cool waters and began making their way up towards a small knot of trees further down. A small smile graced her lips and she turned back to the other fox, another searing burst of pain making her eyes squeeze shut and her smile faded as quickly as it had come. Biting back another groan, she reopened her eyes and almost immediately blushed again.
'He must think me terribly rude!' Averting her eyes yet again, she muttered another apology, "I m-must seem s-so terribly ru-rude! My n-name is El-Elysia Dorean Hale, an-and it's a pl-pl-pleasure to m-meet you, Mister...?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:31 pm
The fox that uncurled was pretty, but then, a lot of female foxes were, weren't they? Sher's jaws continued to pulse in and out as he watched her, forming his face into the closest to a smile he could get it. "Being noisy, were they?" he asked, careful to keep his voice down to make sure he didn't worsen the headache. "Did you take some sort of painkillers for it? Maybe you should sit in the shade. It's warm in the sun, but sometimes headaches are worse for the bright light." He hesitated and held out a hand to her, aware that his front paws were...different.
"Sherman Whitman," he replied to her question. His eyes briefly skittered to the turtles crawling out of the water. He itched to follow them and observe them, but he had to help this poor stranger. That was more important at the moment. "But people mostly just call me Sher. It's simpler. Easier." He shrugged and waved away her apologies. "It's okay if you stutter. I don't mind." With a rueful smile, he added, "Gods know there are worse things than being a stutterer."
Like being a coward. Like being a fool, or being inept with other people. I've done all of those. Seems like my only good decisions are at the clinic. That's when things go right. He had long ago tried not to be bothered by that, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to be a jerk, but what his father--and some of his housemates--occasionally referred to as a "Southern temper" caused him to shove his back paws far into his mangled mouth more often than he liked to admit. She's not rude. I'm rude, about as rude as they come, without exception. Sure, I'm nice now, but just wait until I get to know you better, and I'll bite your head off and s**t it back out, metaphorically speaking.
He couldn't say that of course, so he shook his head again and settled for, "You're not that rude. I'm the king of rude, and you're nothing like it. You've got a headache--that pretty much excuses you anything, and it sounds like a b--a doozy, at that."
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Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 8:43 am
Oh, thank the Goddess. With a very feminine snarl, Elysia waved away his questions of pain killers. "No," she began, her voice threaded with steel, "I've refused to take a-any kind of dr-drug. Especially pain killers. A housemate of m-mine is always watching the news and I always see s-such dreadful stories of people getting addicted to them and doing ve-very bad things." She frowned, her distaste on the subject showing clearing in demeanor. Shaking herself mentally, she looked back at him, squinting slightly behind her bangs. "Some shade d-does sound delightful right n-now," she smiled, slipping her paw into his.
....Strange. His paw was definitely different from hers, she could feel that much. However, thanks to the sun, she had yet to see what Mr. Sherman Whitman looked like. That sent a slight shiver down her spine. She, little Miss Innocence, was having a conversation with male and she didn't know anything about him but his name! Oh, Rin was going to have a conniption fit when she found out about this. As scary as that was, she almost found herself laughing. Why? She had no idea. It was certainly possible she had gone inexplicably and irrevocably nuts this morning and this was all a dream. Oh, great, now I'm crazy. She inwardly groaned, hoping he would simply dismiss it as another pang from the headache. Serves them right if I have gone crazy. It would be all their fault.
Pulling herself from her inward ranting, she looked quickly back at him, barely catching what he'd said. The corners of her lips curved in a bare hint of smile. She'd noticed what he'd been about to say. "I'm sure it w-would have been, had I not ran for m-my sanity," she joked, relieved that her nerves were finally calming down enough that he stutter was subsiding. Now it just needed to go away, but that wouldn't happen until she was completely calm. Taking a deep breath, she raised her other paw, patting the back of his, "So far, Sh-Sherman, you have been nothing b-but kind to me."
Flashing him a quick smile, she pushed her tri-coloured bangs from her face and scanned the surrounding clots of trees. There was a cluster of fragrant pines--rather large ones, at that--not far from where they stood. The shadows beneath the canopies stretched wide enough for both of them to lay down with ample space. That seems fitting. Her scarlet eyes darted quickly to Sherman's shadowed face, then back to the trees. Since he, like most others, will probably not want to be that close to me. Stifling a sigh, she gently pulled at him, "Come, I see the perfect little slice of shady paradise out here." Grinning, proud that she had uttered her first sentence in the conversation without stuttering, she began to gently lead toward the ruggedly elegant evergreens.
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Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:00 pm
Sure, painkillers are very addictive. So's coffee. And chocolate. And daytime television. And being self-righteous about something you don't know about. Sher lost a bit of the conversation after that; he was trying, with difficulty, to come up with a civil response, and to calm down. He swore that he could hear the sound as his jaws slammed shut and snapped open again. When he finally thought he had himself under control, he found himself half of the way to the shade. He felt insulted by the implication that he was advocating narcotics. "...Ma'am--or miss, whichever is more appropriate--I am aware that there are some drug-addled spazzes running amok with an addiction to Vicodin and other such strong painkillers, but for the most part, Vicodin is used for severe pain such as surgery, broken bones, and cancer. The reason it is so addictive is that it is a narcotic. I was suggesting something like acetaminophen, which, while deadly in high doses, such as those taken by people attempting suicide, will hardly cause you much trouble if taken properly." His bad mood subsided a little as his mind replayed that last bit. "I'm a medical student," he said with a rueful shrug. "Second nature to instantly start spewing something about a drug. But seriously, just because pain is natural, doesn't mean you have to live with it. Also, I'm a little...distractable at times, what did you say your name was?"
Sher was, he knew, not easy to get along with. So why is it that every wide-eyed beauty I meet instantly say, "Oh, Sher, you're such a nice, sweet guy!" Excuse me! I'm a bitter, anti-social half-alien with a fuse as long as a snowflake's life in Hell! But you couldn't say that to someone who obviously thought you were nice. That would be like strangling a puppy with its own leash. Best to try being nice for a while. It surely couldn't kill him! Play hell with his nerves, yes. Fine. But literally kill him, he doubted it.
The shade was nice, he decided, as the shorter female lead him into it gently by his hand. The pines wafted a heavenly perfume that spoke of long summers soaking up sunlight and equally long winters in the diamond beauty of the snow. A timelessness. An endless energy. Patience with the world, a confidence that everything would go on, even change a benevolent force to move life forward. "Paradise," he murmured softly, "is definitely to be found under an evergreen. Lead on, miss." He returned her smile in his odd, four-jawed way, and followed.
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Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:07 pm
He was talking. Really talking! Okay, maybe it is just a rant about medicine, but it is directed at me. No matter how... offended his voice sounds, he's still talking and he's talking to me. ...Which means I should probably stop babbling to myself and listen. Quietly, Elysia listened to what he had to say. With each word, she grew more ashamed, intrigued, fascinated, and devastated all at once. She was smart, yes. Yet, everything he said was completely new to her. When she was just a bowl, she'd heard many foxes argue about pills--most of them very violent arguments. So, she supposed, in her little mind that mean any kind of drug equals bad things and violence. She sighed, her shoulders hunching slightly, as she began to realize just how little she knew.
"Forgive m-me," she murmured, not daring to look back at him before she apologized, "I realize how...misinformed I seem to you. And, that is true. I don't really socialize much, or go outside of my el-element, so there are a lot of things I'm sure I don't get." Her ears fell slightly as she drew in on herself. Shame for her lack of knowledge dominated her mind, pushing her initial fascination of his studies into the background. A small, vaguely hollow laugh passed her lips when he asked for her name again. "Elysia Dorean Hale," her voice quivered slightly, almost as if she was going to cry, "but most of my housemates call me Ely. Or Sia."
As her paws passed into the shade, the cool serenity of it washed over her. Her lashes fluttered down, half lidding her scarlet gaze. The air was richer here than it had been by the water, more earthy. It really was paradise. Slowly, she dropped her paw from his and turned to him. A bright slash of red blazed across her cheeks--the only real sign of her embarrassment--and that was already fading fast. With a small, shy smile, she looked at him without the sun blinding her. Her jaw fell, her mind racing through memories to try and figure out why the way he looked seemed so familiar.
His jaw looked to be split, which intrigued her--and made her frantically dive through her memories again to try and ease that nagging sensation that she'd either heard about or seen someone like him from somewhere. "N-not to be rude, which according to you I can't be, but how...?" She trailed off, waving her paw expressively around her own jaw. Her right paw tingled annoyingly. She wanted to sketch or draw or paint. This place, Sherman, the turtles still slowly inching along the bank; it all inspired her. And, sadly, it was because he was different. But, different's good, right? I'm different from the rest of my family. Difference is beauty, and beauty is a treasure that deserves to be made immortal. Her gaze flew back up to him, wondering if he thought his difference a curse like she thought of her own.
Probably not, she decided before giving him a bright new smile, "You know what? Forget I even asked that. I realize it's a bit too personal and we just got each other's names." Her curiosity would kill her because of that, but it was better to be polite and say nevermind than to push into his life and risk him getting upset.
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Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:16 pm
The girl was stammering again, and just when she'd gotten good at speaking normally. Sher sighed and mentally kicked himself for being so abrasive. It was a pretty common mistake, easy to make if you didn't know enough, it's not like she knew what he was and was trying to insult him on purpose. "It's okay," he replied gently. "Sorry I almost lost my temper there. I mean, it's good that you thought of that--I wouldn't have thought of that. At least you keep your ears open and apply what you know to the world around you. Useful trait, that." He trailed off, not sure what to say. This was where he naturally floundered--what do you say to someone now?
Luckily, she had given him something else to cling to on the cliffs of conversation. "I'm not particularly social, either," he confessed. "I'm really horrible with people--I never know what to say, and I offend people a lot." He sighed again as his mind, unbidden, replayed many of his past mistakes. "And sometimes I just make the wrong decision when dealing with people socially. I think the things I don't get are a lot worse than the things you don't seem to get." He smiled encouragingly and nodded. "Well, nice to meet you, Elysia." It took, if not all, then at least a third of his self-control to not add, "So you're a Hale?" The Hales were quite wide-spread, and he knew he shouldn't make any snide comments about their tendencies towards...excitability. He'd gotten enough trouble for commenting that the Warren-Myers family bred like rabbits on Viagra.
Underneath the pines, Sher could smell the dust of pine needles long past and the prickle of the rust-colored needles felt oddly good on his pads. The shade was a welcome respite from the morning sun, and the lower branches shielded out the blinding glitter of sun on the lake. He was so distracted with the pastoral scenery that he hadn't noticed her surprised expression until she started talking.
He wasn't offended. A younger Sher might once have been offended, but no more. He shook his head and shrugged. "It's okay," he replied. "It's not personal. At least, not badly personal. I'm half Sangheili--they're an alien race. A few of them live around the shop, and we all have four jaws. Unless we lose one in combat or something like that. It's perfectly normal." He chuckled. "Though it does make eating in public difficult, or chewing anything at all." Releasing her hand, Sher flopped down below the tree, patting the ground next to him to imply that Elysia should sit down.
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:31 pm
A soft chuckle escaped her, "Apparently, I have many traits that are good to have. I just don't seem to use them in the best ways." Elysia blinked, lifting a paw to twirl her hair around as she thought. "At least you aren't considered socially retarded," she admitted, curling her tail around herself slowly. It wasn't a lie. Some foxes actually did consider her socially challenged. While she didn't really believe that--she knew she could improve on her awkward socializing--it did hurt her to know that someone thought that. Her smile lit up her face again when he remembered her name this time, a slightly girlish giggle accenting the faint pink blush on her cheeks.
She was thankful he didn't bring up the fact that she was a Hale. As much as she didn't like it, it was her last name--and her blood. She wasn't oblivious to the things they did or the havoc they caused. Of the purely Hale line, she was sure she, her sister, and her brother were the most... passive. Or, at least, she and Melanie were. She hadn't seen her brother since they were born. An ear dropped as she cocked her head, lost in her thoughts on her M.I.A. brother. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen her entire beautiful family in quite a while. Though, they probably didn't want to see her wingless hideousness anyway.
His voice pulled her back from her dangerously self-loathing thoughts. Sangheili. The word hit her with an almost over powering physical force. The Sangheili were the alien race that Rin said she'd fought while in the service. She'd said they were dangerous beings not to be trusted. Again, she let her blood-coloured gaze drift over him. He did look dangerous. Maybe not destroy the world dangerous, but dangerous all the same.
His laugh elicited a chuckle of her own as she swept elegantly over to his side and perched on the strangely soft prickly pine needles. "I'm sure it does appose a bit of a problem when in public," she agreed, reaching over to pat his paw again. "It's just that it's different. Personally, I think it adds to the ruggedly intelligent look you have about you," a small pink blush spread on her cheeks again. That had sounded like she was hitting on him, she knew it did, but she wasn't. It was just a compliment on his natural looks. Sure, he was quite handsome, but she barely knew him. So, no, she wasn't hitting on him. Just... making friendly conversation.
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:00 pm
"If you are considered socially retarded, then I am considered socially leprous," Sher snorted. Well, perhaps he wasn't that badly off, but it did seem that way, and he didn't have an excuse for any of it, sort of like how people still weren't sure how leprosy spread. Don't think about that. Think about how it's a beautiful day, and you're talking to someone and you've only sort of put your foot in you mouth once. Don't let the past ruin the future, or even the present.
The past seemed to be determined to ruin it, though, at her compliments. Is she hitting on me? It brought to mind girls who had crushed on him and only been disappointed when he didn't return their feelings. The closest he'd come was an affection for Jenna, but that hadn't quite bloomed into love for her, and it had all shattered when she left him with Pan; shattered as if had never been there. It was hard for him even to remember those feelings now, even after he had forgiven her and knew what pain she had went through later. "Uh...thanks," he murmured. He watched her out of the corner of his slit-pupiled eyes for any signs of...well, anything.
We've only just met. She's probably just making conversation. Stop being so paranoid, Sher! Not everyone's out to get you, you're not that good-looking! He slammed down on the part of him that wanted to add, All evidence to the contrary. That would not help him. Think, think, something else to say! Keep the conversation going! "So...do you come here often?" he asked.
...Crap. Just the sort of thing a guy would say to a hot chick at a bar. Not that she isn't pretty, but that's not the point! "I mean, I've never been here before," he added quickly, "and I was wondering if you've been here before, or something, or if this is your special..." He stopped and shook his head ruefully, jaws pulsing a little in nervousness. "You know what, I'm babbling, and I'm sorry."
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:16 pm
"Socially leprous?" Elysia repeated, her voice vibrating with barely restrained laughter. "I'm sure you're not that bad, Sher. After all, we are holding a rather fine conversation, aren't we?" She smiled, hoping her lame teasing would cheer him up, and keep her from saying some terribly ridiculous thing again. Of course, she knew she was bound to say something sooner or later that he would find offensive. She always did, somehow or another.
With her close vicinity, she could see that he'd been sucked into his own thoughts for a moment. His face contorted slightly a few times, showing remnants of long past emotions. Her heart clenched for him. He spoke and carried himself like he was far older than what he seemed, and he occasionally seemed quite wary of her. She frowned slightly, focusing her vibrant eyes on him. Instinctively, she wanted to help him; to befriend him and assure him that everything would, eventually, be okay.
When he next spoke, her cheeks blazed and her eyes flew wide. He'd thought she was hitting on him! She knew he would! "I-it was just a compliment," she smiled, trying her best to fight back the slash of colour brightening her dark fur. "You looked like you n-needed it. So, I figured I could give you a compliment and it would ho-hopefully brighten your day." Mentally, she railed against her embarrassing stutter. Every time a blush came, she began to stutter. It was beginning to get on her nerves, but it was a part of who she was, so she had no choice but to sit quietly and wait until it wore off.
Her ears twitched slightly, her lips curving into a smile as he babbled, then quickly apologized. "Yes, I do come here often," she laughed, giving him another bright smile, "Almost every week, at least once or twice, I'll bring my paints and easel or some other medium and let inspiration flow. I have stacks of oil paintings, marker drawings, and coloured pencil sketches of this place. It's just so beautiful and peaceful out here."
For once, her gaze drifted back out over the glittering surface of the lake. The blue-green water rolled softly in waves, casting shafts of brilliant sunlight in varying directions. The lush greenery of the woods surrounding it was a striking verdant contrast of colour against the baby blue sky. This place was true beauty, down to the last speck of sand. The sight made her pulse race and mouth get suddenly dry. Absentmindedly, she licked her lips and dragged her gaze away, trying to refocus on the fox beside her.
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:28 pm
"Well, sort of," he replied. He couldn't help it; her barely contained good-humor made him smile--well, it might not seem like a smile to people who didn't know him well enough, but the muscles around his jaws were drawn back into something that greatly resembled a smile and meant the same. "But sometimes in stressful situations, I make the wrong decisions, or I'm rash. I'm sort of hoping I'll grow out of it eventually. Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't. I suppose it's time to hope again."
He was almost prepared this time when she got embarrassed. "It's okay," he said quickly. She was blushing deeply under her fur and the stutter was back. She's probably one of those humble, self-effacing girls. Though I suppose I shouldn't make early assumptions. "I was just a little...startled by the compliment." Totally and completely true. "And it did make me feel better. Thanks, Elysia." He smiled at her again and patted her hand reassuringly. "You're very observant of people for someone who claims not to have much in the way of social skills."
Slowly he was starting to be at ease. Tension in his muscles he hadn't sensed before were starting to be eased, and he could feel himself starting to relax. "I can see why you come here. Everything's so beautiful and peaceful...you almost feel like you belong here, even if you're a strange fox who's only come here once or twice." The words flowed out of his mouth from some part of his brain that had not been active for a while. As Elysia started to look out over the lake, so did Sher. Even ignoring the incessantly bright sunlight on the crests of the small waves lapping at the shore, the setting was beautiful; golden sand and a greenish-blue lake unmarred by jetties or docks. It seemed to stretch out into the distance, the hills around it carpeted with evergreens turned black by the distance. "Hard to believe there's this much beauty," he murmured softly without realizing it. "So much beauty in an ugly world."
He felt his eyes starting to close. He was tired...but why? He had been getting plenty of rest lately, hadn't he? Well, as much as he could get. I think I'm forgetting something...what was it? "How's your headache?" he asked when he finally remembered what he had forgotten in the excitement of meeting someone new. "Has it gotten better?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:00 pm
"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" Elysia huffed, attempting to halfheartedly glare at him, though it didn't work out the way she planned. The moment she saw him smiling, little flutters of happiness stirred in her heart. She, the unwanted daughter of two very different foxes, had made someone other than the people she'd known since she was a bowl smile. Her voice dropped to a mere whisper as she playfully bumped his shoulder with hers, "I'd be willing to bet you're not as bad as some other foxes, Sher. Trust me, I know quite a few of them." She grimaced at the thought of her birth mother that surfaced with that comment. With a sigh, she shook that off and reached over to lay her paw over his for a moment. "You made it sound like you gave up hope," her eyes glittered sadly as she stared into his golden gaze, "Never give up hope, because, eventually, things will turn around. It's just best to cling to it like it's a life preserver and pray you don't get sucked down." She realized how much like Rin she sounded just then. She'd gotten that speech many times over when she was young, and she still got it whenever she let something bother her too much.
A small chuckle squeezed its way passed her lips, brought on by her own thoughts. "I'm sorry," she removed her paw from his and shook her head slightly, "I honestly don't know what came over me--" Yes, I do. "--to make me go all..." She paused thoughtfully, trying to think of a suitable word or phrase for her strange outburst. Finding none, she lifted herself up on her hind legs, hooked her front paws like claws and tried to make her face contort into a snarl--which actually just made her look like she was constipated--then she drew a deep breath, "RAWR!! On you." She realized she'd probably just freaked the hell out of him, but it needed to be done to get her point across, in her opinion. Of course, he'll probably think I'm some crazy freak like my mo---like Stacy.
Her blush was now just a faint pink tinge as she turned her eyes back to him, ears perking happily as he spoke. "Startled?" She questioned, honestly amazed that a simple compliment startled him. "You must not gets many honest compliments without bad repercussions, huh?" Her eyes darkened and dropped, her smile wiped cleanly from her face. That's not right. Everyone should get compliments that are just that. No devious strings attached, just words said in appreciation by a friend. Her frown deepened, the tip of her tail twitching with just a hint of temper. He was a kit once, for the Goddess' sake! Surely he would have gotten them then. She chanced a quick glance at him, still seeing that echo of pain that had shot through his eyes earlier; her tail thumped the ground with a soft thud as her temper spiked for a moment. No, I don't think he did. His voice--sounding very faint and oddly far away--pulled her back from her reverie and temper, along with his paw patting her gently. "I live with some very observant foxes, and the human is very perceptive as well. One learns to play to games the others play to survive," she admitted, slightly ashamed that she had to learn such a devious talent.
Her smile returned when he voice his opinion of her favorite spot in the entire world. Her twitching tail calmed and curled back around her slender paws as she listened to him. "This is what the Gods blessed us with. This beauty. There are many places--I'm sure--that are just as beautiful, and maybe more so, than this one. I don't know about you, Sher, but I'd love to see them," her voice quivered excitedly, her eyes shining. She'd dreamed of leaving her home to travel the world, looking for sites like this; places untouched by modern oddities that overpowered the land's natural beauty. Her breath left her on a wistful sigh.
....My headache? She looked at him, utterly confused for a moment before she remembered. "Oh! My headache!" She blushed again, having forgotten about that hideous pain with the excitement of meeting someone new. "About that," she chuckled, amazed that she'd forgotten her own pain, "it's gone, now. Thanks the Gods. Don't ask when it subsided, though, because I honestly have no clue."
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:28 pm
Sher turned his golden eyes back to his companion, eyebrows raised. "That sounds like a speech," he murmured. "The bit about cling to life." It was all starting to come back to him in a rush, and he knew, just knew that if he started talking about it, he would start to cry, and he had a feeling that he would have to talk about it, because that would be the best way to explain to her. There were unspoken questions in her words that she probably didn't realize she was saying, unspoken questions she didn't know she wanted to ask, but she wanted to ask somehow anyway. He looked away, back towards the lake. He couldn't look her in the eye somehow. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to think of where to start. Where in all of that to start? "I know...I'm not the worst person there is," he said slowly. "I've met some worse people. My mother, for one. My...well, I don't like to use the most appropriate words to describe them..." He trailed off. The word trembled on the tip of his tongue, but he refused to say it. He didn't want to. That would mean admitting relationship, and cutting out forever all possibility that he could correct the matter in the only way that would ensure a permanent resolution.
I have to take responsibility. I must. How can I call myself a rational, mature adult if I don't? Good gods, I'm over a year old. It's time to start acting like an adult instead of a cynical kit. "My...grandkids are worse people than me." Yes, that was good. Spit out the word, show the distaste, the bitter taste, of the word in the mouth. "Much worse. I'm bad because I'm rash. They're bad people because they're murdering scoundrels." He gave a short laugh. "No, I'm not bad at all. Just...stupid sometimes. And depressed all of the time."
That laugh was fake. Maybe not as fake as they came, but a forced, dry ghost of a laugh, called a laugh only because it was made the same way. Calling it a laugh would be like calling a spider a butterfly because they both came out of eggs. But Elysia's little roar made him laugh genuinely. He turned his head again on his knees and grinned at her. "No, no, it's totally okay. I know the feeling--get frustrated at someone because they're being all down on themselves, have to shout at them to get them to get a hold of themselves. Trust me, I find myself doing that more often than I'd like.
"As for compliments? I get a few...mostly from Dad when I do something right. But that's stuff like, 'Good job,' or 'Well-thought,' or 'Correct' or something. It's not the same as someone telling you that you look good. I haven't got compliments like that since...well, since almost a year ago. And that didn't turn out so well." That was when Jenna complimented me, back when we were...lovers. And that didn't turn out well at all. She fell in love with me, and I...fell out of love with her. It was different. It was a lot different. And I'd rather go through a tunnel of fire being pulled apart by Jora and Sesa with my hands tied behind my back and my front split open than go through it again. "Our human, Geyser, isn't very observant. She's just...weird. We try not to think much about her, even if she is the one paying the rent and buying us food. And most of the people in my house try to just pay attention to their own lives. Unless they're annoying like Monty and Pi. Those are two of my housemates--they're sort of like a Greek choir that notices everything uncomfortable that's going on with your life." He didn't comment on the games to survive. He was never good at playing the same games as everyone else.
"As for the scenery here? I find it hard to believe there's any spot on Earth or on any other planet that's more beautiful than this. It's just so incredible...and it's not that far from where I live. Why travel all around the world when you know that beauty is practically in your backyard, give or take a mile and a half?" Yes, there were other places, but this was his home, as strange and unhappy as his memories of the shop area were. He didn't want to leave. It was a funny thought, that. And I don't think the fact that other places won't accept me as well is the reason why I don't want to leave. Maybe it's more. Maybe it's not. I don't know.
And it's good news that the headache's gone. "Good," he replied. "Sometimes things go away on their own when you start thinking about something. Or when they're brought on by stress and you just need to take your mind off whatever's been bothering you."
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:34 am
"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to throw a speech at you, it just just came out that way," Elysia giggled nervously under his gaze, huddling in on herself slightly to make herself seem smaller. Then he looked away, almost as if he couldn't bring himself to look at her. His body language changed, alerting her to the darker emotions within him. She shifted uncomfortably, facing him more.
His voice rolled over her, and she imagined she could see the dark rain cloud that was now his train of thought--somehow thanks to her, no doubt--flashing with ominous bolts of lighting above his head. Ironic, how in every way that refers back to me. Her thoughts flickered to her dark markings, specifically the blue storm cloud and the white arrow-lighting bolt on her right thigh. The comment of his own mother being a worse person struck her to the core. It resonated on every chord that her own thoughts of her own mother did. Not that she'd admit that. Stacy was her mother by blood only. Ellie Hale was her mother by any other right.
Her consciousness flickered back to him. Just in time, it seemed, for he spat out a word she'd never expected to hear from him with such bitterness interlaced in it. Her jaw dropped, her bright eyes widening. Though, what he said next struck her like a blow to the chest, sucking all the air out of her lungs as she gave a short, choked laugh. Murdering scoundrels? Oh, Gods, Sher... He'd revealed so much to her, and it astounded her; shook her so hard she had to fight to make sure her teeth didn't chatter.
Her next moves were pure instinct. She saw someone before her, someone in pain with, seemingly, no one to help him. Her paw gripped at his arm softly, pulling him to her as she opened her arms and wrapped them around him. She squeezed him tightly, attempting to convey all the motherly comfort he probably hadn't gotten along with a softer friendly support. Then, instinct faded back into the background and she pulled away. Surprisingly, though, she did not turn away and no fiery red blush marred her dark fur. Embarrassment darkened her eyes, but her spine went stiff and she held his gaze. She would not apologize for that, even if it was an invasion of personal space. That was something she'd had to do and so be the consequences.
A genuine laugh left his lips and a faint smile flickered on her lips, though that was the only thing that changed. He had no idea how right he was, so far. She was feeling a bit frustrated, but not with him. She was frustrated with herself. Majorly. She listening silently, nodding and looking appropriately aghast according to her nature whenever necessary. Her ears perked intently now, though they mostly laid flat against her skull. She noticed what he didn't comment on, but thought nothing of it.
His tone changed when he began to speak of this place again, and another flicker of smile twitched on her lips. She knew that tone. It meant what she always thought in the back of her head. This is my home. It was true, she spoke of leaving. It was also true that she would turn tail and run as fast as she back home if the opportunity to leave ever presented itself. Here was where she was accepted by most, and, thankfully, left alone by the ones that did not accept her. Here was where she felt comfortable, where she grew up. She could not leave that.
She continued to listen to him quietly as he spoke again. "Yes," she answered, her spine still stiff with her rigid determination, "things do happen that way, occasionally." Then she fell silent once more.
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