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 Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:06 pm
"You told me you were out in the jungle, didn't you? Well, I have come," she picked a leaf off a nearby tree and let it fall to the ground, a soft smile on her face as it billowed down, "to visit you."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:14 pm
That had quite possibly been the last thing Thom expected to hear. He graced Em with a long, confused stare, as if trying to decide whether her words were genuine. Then, apparently deciding they were, he grinned sheepishly, pushing himself off of the ground to climb to his feet. "I'm afraid I 'aven't much to offer t' guests. But th' company is most welcome, thank you." After pausing to clear his throat, he changed the subject. "You've been feelin' better since we last spoke, I 'ope?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:19 pm
"Mnn," she said, pulling a strained smile across her muzzle and raising both her eyebrows to give her face a wide-open expression for a moment. Then her face dropped to normal and she waved her hand in the air, as if to literally push the question away. She hoped she was obvious about not wanting to talk about it.
"Don't worry- living out here makes you concerned with yourself. Hard to accommodate for anyone else." The statement was intended to brush off his apology for a lack of 'hospitality', but also, as soon as it had cleared her muzzle, she realized that it also somewhat explained her emotions, and her actions- of late.
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:27 pm
He wisely dropped the subject, instead turning to her assurances that he need not worry about the poor accomodations. The parallel the simple sentance had to their conversation back in the graveyard did not escape him, but he carefully avoided mention of it, instead focusing on the more literal meaning. "I rarely stay in one place for more than a night at a time, but..." He grimaced, rolling his eyes upward. "T' be honest, I've been 'opin' I could convince someone t' retrieve some pants for me. I wasn't fond of th' dress."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:32 pm
"And you're also not fond of the... er... loincloth?" Her smile was less strained, now- as she purposefully kept her eyes matched to his. She was glad Thom refrained from mentioning their last conversation- or pressed her too far on gauging her emotional state. It was- precarious, at best, and knowing how he felt about the situation, Emelyn was already guilty that she'd been unable to shake the 'funk'. The best she could hope to do right now was push it away, and realize that she did not have a monopoly on pain- that others would be suffering, too.
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:38 pm
"Should I be?" he pressed, hiding his own grin while attempting to draw out hers. His first few meetings with the woman had set her in his mind not as someone who never frowned, but someone who mostly smiled. That smile had been far too scarce of late, and, selfish as he was, he wanted it back. Even after all four injections, Emelyn had a lovely smile. Not for the first time, Thom found himself wondering what she had looked like before the island.
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:41 pm
She could not read the cobra man's mind- nor would she have guessed the nature of his current thoughts. And yet, even so, her smile spread into something wide and genuine- a sight that seemed so out of place, so human, amongst her animalistic features.
"If you're fishing for a compliment, you'll have to use better bait than that."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:51 pm
Success as its finest, he thought smugly as the smile appeared. He echoed it with a grin of his own at he retort, laughing aloud and taking a small step towards her. He could manage that much without his crutch. "Pity th' poor disabled 'alf snake? I'm sure you've won compliments left 'an right since arrivin'. Humor me."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:54 pm
"Awww..." she said, making no small exaggeration with the word as she batted her eyelashes and mimicked his small step. "Well then, I think that the loincloth suits you. Very... SnakeBoy.. er... man," she said, bowing slightly to accommodate for the slight, "SnakeMAN on the prowl. ...Although of course I'll get you some pants, if you'd like." She pinned that one note of seriousness onto her reply, though the smile remained on her face throughout.
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:02 pm
"SnakeMan on the prowl," he laughed, clapping his hands in sarcastic applause. "Brilliant," he praised, gracing her with another step forward. "An' I'll take you up on that offer. But not just yet. You came t' visit me, not to 'ave me send to you off on errands."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:05 pm
Emelyn wondered why they were moving even closer to one another- but by now, it had become a game, of sorts, and she wasn't apt to relinquish her 'turn'. She stepped forward once more, and gave a belated curtsy to his sarcastic clap.
"Psh." It was a joking, dismissing nose that came out easily despite the hindrance of her changed hedgehog muzzle. "Who said I was leaving already?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:35 pm
"No one," he quickly assured her, shrugging his shoulders. Apparently their game had ended, for he remained where he was, even turning and reaching back towards the tree for his cane. "Tell me somethin', Emelyn." Turning back to face her, he quirked a brow. "Why did you really come t'day? Because if it's out of pity, or out of guilt, I don't want you 'ere."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:43 pm
The smile fell from Emelyn's face, and she, too, stopped in her tracks. Game over. She crossed her furred arms before her chest, mostly covering the green bikini top she'd donned that morning in the process.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," her voice was even-toned- almost unassuming, "but that doesn't seem to be the sort of thing that one says to a friend. ...I figured we were friends, Thom. Are friends."
She did not speak to guilt- nor did she allow any condescention or hurt to creep into her voice. Instead, it was just a gentle statement, intended to answer Thom's statement in the best way she knew how. A quick assertion to negate his suspicions would doubtfully clear them from his mind... and it would do him no good to accuse him or to allow anger or hurt emotion to dance through her words. Emelyn had always been sensitive to the way she dealt with other's emotions (even if her intentions sometimes translated badly to those she spoke with)- it was only with her own feelings that she was so cavalier and cruel.
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:59 pm
His smile returned, but it may not have been entirely genuine. He nodded in something of a half bow, shifting his weight off his tail to the cane. "Of course we are. Just as we would be if you 'adn't come, just as you are with those friends who 'aven't come t'visit you in th' village. Your timing seemed...questionable." He paused, then offered a sheepish grin in apology, voicing it aloud meanwhile. "I apologize. I could've worded that better. Let's walk? I've been 'ere for three days and am rather sick of th' place."
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:02 pm
She nodded at the offer of a walk, and hope he didn't mind that she headed off in a southward direction. It was filled with a darker sort of jungle than on the sparser northern half- and it was easier on her eyes, especially to be facing away from the glare of the sun as it clamored its way through the canopy.
"If there's a question about my timing," she said, "it's only to question why I didn't come earlier. ...Even if I didn't know you were out here then." It was a soft joke, and came with an equally gentle smile... and an unspoken apology.
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