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 Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 2:08 am
Sylvia was restless, and frustrated. She had been tossing and turning in bed for the last two hours, staring out the window, going against all better advice and trying to find soothing videos on her phone, staring at the backs of her eyelids and wishing herself to sleep… but nothing was working. Eventually, she gave up. She changed out of pajamas and into something decently warm enough to go traipsing across campus in the middle of the night – dark sweatpants with fuzzy insides, a long-sleeve cozy purple shirt, a grey sweater zipped over that – tied her hair back in a long braid that hopefully wouldn’t get tangled in any wind, shoved on some socks and tennies, and headed out into the night. Where was she headed? She wasn’t really sure. She just needed to get away from her bed for a while.
She heaved a sigh and hugged herself against the night chill as she stepped outside. Gosh it was dark. The moon wasn’t full and was hidden by a few clouds, and while stars were lovely they didn’t help light up the world too much at night unless you stared at them a while. It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the shadows, picking out the archives and Zeus dorm, and the gym beyond eventually. Once she felt fairly confident she wasn’t going to trip over a large, dark stone in her shadowed path, she started moving. The fire in front of the Hearth was at least still glowing (as always), so that was an easy target.
She decided to take her usual wandering wide path, at least, to get to the Hearth. She circled around the back of the building, passed the track and the studio, cast a glance at Hermes dorm, indulged in a deep breath near the extra greenery and new growth by Demeter and cut back by the classrooms. She considered the fire pit out front for a moment before pouting her lips and turning to enter the Hearth. Maybe a midnight snack would help. She was at a loss for other ways to waste time at the moment, not having yawned once so far and not wanting to wake herself up more with her computer or something. A book, perhaps, but only if nothing else worked – she had woken up on top of a textbook pillow once, which was one time more than it ever needed to happen, and even with fiction she hated the idea of falling asleep in the middle of a sentence.
There was a glow inside from the fireplace, and she shivered off the remnants of the cold as her body adjusted to the enclosed warmth. She wasn’t sure what sort of leftovers could be had in the fridge, or that she even wanted any, but it was worth a peak. Sylvia made her lazy way towards the kitchen in the back.[ 485 words ]
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Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 2:11 pm
Lukas heard the door open to the Hearth and just barely raised his eyes from his book, twisting every so slightly to peer out from the depths of his comfortable wing chair beside the low-banked fire. He said nothing, though, as the woman entered, her pale hair nearly glowing in the reflected firelight. He knew she would not be able to see him from where she stood. Of course he knew. He deliberately tugged the chair into position so he could have his back to the wall, his body in shadows, and his eyes on the door. Some habits died hard, he supposed, a small smirk twisting his lips. Watching in continued silence, he studied the woman thoughtfully as she stood, warming herself and glancing around with clear indecision. Pretty, he decided after a moment of consideration. Interesting dye job. Nice curves. He hadn't seen her around campus but, then again, he had not gone out of his way to meet people. Not everyone kept themselves to the gym and the cafeteria and the edge of the surrounding forest. Lukas dog-eared the page of his battered copy of "Tarzan Triumphant" and shifted in his seat until he could tuck it into his back pocket. He wondered what God or Goddess claimed this cute night owl. Book safely stowed, he slouched back in his chair more, lifted one leg to prop his ankle on the opposite knee, and arranged his hands lazily over his stomach. Then he cleared his throat as first warning. "Looking for something?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 11:01 pm
If Sylvia had been expecting any other insomniacs, she might have been paying attention enough to hear Lukas shift. As it was, she was preoccupied with fighting her own stubborn fatigue. She reached to run a hand over her braid and twirl the end around her fingers, detangling tiny knots and beginning to yawn – but her yawn was interrupted by a startled, “Oh!” that was half-gasp, half-scream reaction at the vocals that sounded behind her. She jumped slightly, turning as she did so, and ended against a table at the wall opposite the voice.
After the jolt to her heart passed, she giggled at herself. It was possible that a monster could find her in the depths of night on campus, but she doubted it would have that joking tone. She realized fairly quickly that her fear was probably unnecessary – or, perhaps it was just the sleepiness keeping her from being entirely on high alert for the moment. Either way, while a stranger in the shadows was not exactly the most welcome surprise in the middle of the night, it was better than a dragon.
Sylvia let out a leveled breath and allowed her eyes to adjust the little bit needed to view someone near the fireplace rather than the shadows on all other walls. She could easily see his jeans and the scuffed boots first, warm light bouncing off of those easily as they stuck out at his edges. The shapes within the bounds of the chair were flatter – shades of grey, depth harder to judge. After some squinting, she tilted her head at the flannel-clad man with a rugged edge and amused features. She couldn’t see much, but she couldn’t tell if that was why she was so intrigued. She didn’t recognize him.
“Something, sure. Didn’t expect to find someone as restless as me.” She watched him for a moment, leaning against the wall behind her and stuffing her hands in her pockets, an almost shy gesture. She turned her face to the glow slightly. “Enjoying the fire?”[ 340; 825 total ] ShortGreen No worries! I make you wait all the time. x3;;;
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 2:13 pm
"Always." Lukas watched her watching him and his smirk deepened a bit. A few people were able to mistake his expressions for a smile and maybe even friendliness but they were few and far between and, if he was any judge, much more stupid than the pretty young thing in front of him. However, it was late at night, he was relaxed, and the mellow mood of fire plus book had him feeling in a rare, sociable mood. When she turned to fire, he followed her gaze. "Have to wonder who does the wood chopping, to keep it going," he commented idly. "I didn't see any chore rotations posted around this place. Do we have elves or something, going around tidying up?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:20 pm
When he turned to the fire as well, she stole a chance to steal a glance at him again -- just her eyes shifting ever-so-slightly for a moment. She smirked, curiosity only mildly sated to see his face in profile with a bit of fire behind it, and her eyes flickered back to the fire. Smirk turned to wicked grin and she tilted her head towards him playfully, “No one’s told you about the Fire Fairy? Mmm,” she hummed, “there’s all manner of magic here; you’ll learn soon enough.” Her eyes flashed back to him, “Just beware the gremlins.”
Her head shifted again, turned ever so slightly so that she was watching him askance. She couldn’t remember having seen his face before, even if she was only seeing shadows. His energy seemed unfamiliar as well -- subdued, a little jovial, but with a harsh edge… stony. Sylvia took a seat at one of the tables nearby, far enough away to still give him his space but with a clear intention to continue the conversation, if only for a few minutes.
“I don’t think I know you yet…” She smiled and lifted her face again, offering a curious smile. “Are you new? Or have I just not had the pleasure of crossing your path until now?” There was almost a teasing edge to her question. She wasn’t sure if it was because the silly part of sleep was creeping in, or because something about him made her feel a bit playful… but it didn’t much matter, for now.[ 263; 1088 total ] ShortGreen BLESS LUKAS and your manageable post for getting me to actually reply finally. ; w; Ugh I'm sorry. I hope this is a good sign, but I can't promise anything. Thank you for your patience. <3
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 12:22 pm
"I'm sure you'd remember an old man like me if you had seen me around." A faint rumble of laughter lingered beneath Lukas' words. "Just like I'd remember you." He sat forward a bit more in his chair and the firelight edged his profile more fully in a goldn glow. Nowhere near a classic sort of handsome, as far from the Grecian marbles as you could get, really. There was still charisma in the lines of his face, though. Rugged good looks, a five-o-clock shadow, laughing creases at the corner of his eyes and the impression of lines around his mouth that indicated either smiles or grimaces. He offered Sylvia something approximating a smile but holding back on getting too friendly. Then he shifted forward more before standing to his full massive height and offering a paw of a hand to her. "Lukas Volkov."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 10:46 pm
Sylvia never would have described him as an “old man,” but she figured he could say whatever he wanted about himself. She was a little amused, and certainly curious, about why he described himself that way – she thought maybe it would have to do with a bit more than just physical age. She admired the way the fire lit his face when he adjusted in his seat, warming some of his features and making him seem almost on the edge of inviting. She would describe him as handsome, but it was true that his was not a classical look. He was certainly weathered, but… well, that was part of his charm. He wore his experience well.
Then he stood. He was easily a foot taller than her, and the shadows playing around them made him loom even more. She shivered, a little glint in her eye as her lips curved into a smile and she reached out a hand that would be tiny in his. “Sylvia Owens,” she tilted her head up at him, “Nice to meet you, Lukas.”
With him now on his feet, Sylvia was freshly reminded of her reason for coming into the Hearth in the first place. She pointed a finger towards the back of the building, “I was originally going to poke around the kitchen a bit… would you like to join me while I see if there’s an inviting snack available?” She began to turn before fully hearing his answer, either out of hope or just presumption. She would at least appreciate the company, but if he didn’t follow… well, she would probably look for food and then come back out to interrupt his reading again if he stuck around.[ 286; 1374 total ]
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Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:27 pm
"Sure." He grinned suddenly, wickedly and just in time for her to catch mid-turn, as he checked the book in his back pocket with studied absent-mindedness. Then he brought both hands around to hook his thumbs in the loops of his battered jeans. "I can reach the high shelves." What could he say? He was an a*****e and even pretty girls were not exempt when his humor reared its dark head. Still, the grin looked good on him, further warming his features and presenting something almost open to her as if compensating for the sidelong tease. Then he tipped his head towards the kitchen and took a long stride to catch up to her. One more step put him past her and he moved to lead the way with certainty despite the dimness.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:39 am
There was something about the grin she caught as she turned that she loved. This was an interesting person, if nothing else. She was looking forward to getting to know him better, even if they didn’t end up being terribly friendly in the end. Not that she was opposed to friendliness, either, but she would see where their experiences took them. No need to be too eager for friendship or resigned to mere acquaintance.
Sylvia gave a mixture of groan and sigh at Lukas’s comment. It’s not like it wasn’t an overplayed joke, and she could tell he was aiming to be cheeky, but to be honest… well, she was mostly just grateful he could help with such things, now that he mentioned it, and maybe a little envious. “Oh, you don’t know what a treat that is.” She was an experienced shelf-climber by this point in her life, with no shame or fear of mounting counters and scaling cupboards -- so long as they seemed sturdy. Footstools were always hit or miss, an easy climb but sometimes creating distance with their design anyway, and short people tended to have short arms.
As Lukas strode past her, she amused herself with a thought and decided to share it. “I’m pretty sure you’d have no trouble lifting me to the higher shelves either.” She watched him with a playful smile for a moment, but then even she rolled her eyes slightly at her own joke.
Lukas moved with purpose, and Sylvia was happy enough to follow casually with her shorter limbs, falling behind slightly. Once in the kitchen, however, she skipped a step with renewed purpose and headed towards the refrigerator. Even though she couldn’t cook, she was hoping there might be something worth warming up -- a warm snack sounded good. She wasn’t sure how likely it was that she would find something, though. Her stomach wasn’t terribly hungry, after all, since she had mostly gotten out of bed due to insomnia, and found an interesting new friend along the way.
“So, are you much for midnight snacks?” She didn’t turn back to look at him, but eye contact wasn’t needed for continuing conversation, was it?[ 364; 1738 total ]
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:29 pm
He had been sorely tempted to answer her comment about lifting her but, for once, Lukas bit his tongue and resisted something that undoubtedly would get him a well-earned slap. What could he say? It had nothing to do with maturity but everything to do with the idea that this place appeared to be his life for now. He figured he should make the best of it and that meant playing nice. Mostly. Still she was definitely a cute little thing. Her sense of humor seemed to be in order, too, as she only groaned at his joke. He watched her digging through the refrigerator for a moment before leaning back against a counter and loosely crossing his arms over his chest. "Always," he answered. "What guy isn't?" As she continued to search, going right past a variety of things on display, Lukas realized something and had to suppress another smirk. Could she cook? Looked like a nope. "What's your opinion on eggs?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:44 pm
Sylvia smirked at his response, pushing a jar of sweet baby gherkins out of the way on the middle shelf. “Well, I don’t like to assume… too much.” She was as prone to assumptions as any human listening to their instincts, but she tried not to categorize people too quickly.
She huffed out a sigh, as most of what she was finding either had a name on it or was something that probably needed to be cooked or processed in some way. Frankly, even if she could cook, she wasn’t sure she would want to at the moment -- it was late, and she was mostly trying to distract herself. She was debating if mere toast would suffice when he spoke up behind her.
“Eggs…” She pondered the option, glancing back up to the carton on the shelf above. Standing upright, she turned back with a lopsided smirk. “I guess eggs are alright…” She hoped he was offering to cook them. If he tried to prompt her to do so… well, she usually didn’t admit to what a terrible cook she was so early in any acquaintance, but she’d probably have to be up front this time. “What sort of eggs are you thinkin’?” That at least seemed like a reasonable question, no matter who would be (attempting) to cook them.[ 220; 1958 total ]
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 7:32 pm
"Any way you like 'em, darlin'." Lukas chuckled beneath his breath but kept his amusement low-key and muted. Then, without thought of permission or boundaries, he stepped forward and shifted her out of the way of the wide open fridge door, a big hand at her hip to nudge and push her gently to the side. He ran quick eyes over the interior. In a handful of seconds, he had registered the contents - eggs, milk, red peppers, onions (who was keeping onions in the fridge, the idiots?), spinach, various cheeses. Who knew that Ranger training could be useful for kitchen recon work? Lukas gave a little snort and reached for what he wanted. "I'm thinking an omelette myself," he explained. "Heat or sweet, Sylvia?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:13 pm
She wasn’t sure how she felt about his tone and amusement, but for now she was intrigued enough that it didn’t bother her. She had suspicions, at least, that he has sussed out her secret already, even if they hadn’t directly addressed it. But she wasn’t going to say anything.
When his hand found her hip, Sylvia almost wished she could melt right into it; instead, she stepped back to give him room. She turned and made her way over to the counter, which was mostly clear and had plenty of room for prep and observation. She hummed approvingly at the suggestion of an omelet, turning to watch him as he followed her. Her eyes narrowed as she considered his question, a little smirk just barely on her lips. “Heat.” It was her preference, especially for omelets, but she had to admit there was a fun little suggestion possible.
As she answered, Sylvia popped up and back to sit on the counter to watch Lukas work. She wasn’t the best cook, but she felt you could still tell a lot from the way others cooked. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind that she was taking up some counter space – there was still plenty, but some people were weird about such things. He didn’t seem the kind to be bothered, but she didn’t know him well enough to really have any idea.
There were ways to remedy that. “So, from whence have you joined us, Lukas?”[ 243; 2201 total ]
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