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 Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:33 pm
 The red glow illuminated the small clearing, casting its light over everything within, including the young faun crouched in its center, from where the light seemed to be emanating. But...that was impossible, right? Only the sun could create light. Well, and fire...and glow bugs...and some magic...and...
The glow was replaced by a bright flash, then the light began to fade, receding into the faun's hands until nothing remained but the sunlight pouring down from up above. In the center of the clearing, Vanya let out a deep sigh of exhaustion, as if she'd been holding her breath throughout the entire ritual. In truth, it was merely exhausting because she needed to maintain such strict concentration over what she was doing and for so long, that it turned into a physical, as well as mental, exercise.
Still, at least now she could relax, she thought, slumping tiredly, her knees bent to her side. Vanya leaned on one hand, reaching the other out to idlly begin sweeping away the ritual's symbols from the dirt. The forest was peaceful enough, not silent, but filled with the soft songs of the birds and the rustle of the leaves overhead as the wind waxed and waned. Serene, but not silent.
Allowing a soft smile to cross her face, Vanya reflected for a moment on these simple pleasures. She'd taken them for granted before, but not anymore. Not everything had to be a sign or symbol of something negative, or even something to be analyzed. Sometimes...some things existed simply to be enjoyed for no reason at all.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:22 pm
 Takis had been walking through the woods, as he often does, and thinking. Thinking is not unusual for him, but lately a certain blue-haired faun had been occupying his thinking. He wished he'd asked where she lived, so he might call on her sometime.
As he continues his walk, Takis feels...a ripple. A disturbance in the air around him. Frowning, he follows it to a clearing. As he draws nearer, everything begins to be red. Or at least, bathed in sort of a red light. Quickening his steps, Takis hurries toward the clearing until he stops short at the edge and ducks behind a tree.
There in the middle is the same faun he'd been thinking about so often. He watches, wide-eyed, as she performs some sort of....ritual, it looked like. There were symbols etched into the dirt around her, and she looked as if she were in a trance state. And then, at once, with a flash, it's over, and Vanya had slumped to the side.
Takis eeps and rushes into the clearing. "Vanya!" he exclaims, kneeling beside her. "Are you alright?" Compassion and worry etched into his young face, he takes her hand in his.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:37 pm
Exhausted as she was from the ritual, Vanya had let her attention drift, thoughts wandering far from her surroundings and the immediate area. She had thought herself alone out here, afterall, so what need was there to be wary? Most stayed far away from the eerie red glow of her containment ritual anyway.
So, when Takis had appeared as if out of the air, shouting her name and taking her hand, she'd been shaken from her peaceful daze and let out an uncharacteristic (for her at least) girly squeal. The sound was short, but sharp, and she clasp her free hand over her mouth, eyes wide and staring at Takis as if he were a stranger. Recognition dawned, however, and she lowered her hand slowly, both concerned and embarrassed by her own reaction.
"Takis? What in the Great Tree are you doing here? Where did you come from?" she blurted, blinking a few times in confusion.
Laisidhiel only knows what would have happened if he'd shown up and startled her just a few minutes earlier! Results could have been disastrous.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:46 pm
Well, she was alive, and talking at least. Takis begins babbling, relieved.
"I was taking a walk, and I felt weird, like the air was confused or something, and I followed it here, and everything was all red and you were there, I mean, here, in the middle of this clearing, and you looked like you were hurting, and are you okay? Do you want a drink or something? We can go to my house if you want and you can have something to eat. I can carry you if you can't walk..."
His eyes are wide and earnest, and he's still holding her hand.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:56 pm
Blinking owlishly at her friend, Vanya did her best to try and keep up with her rambling friend. Of course, her tired, hazy mind wasn't doing so well at that.
The air was...confused? Is that even possible?
"Takis?" she interrupted softly after a minute, patting his hands with free one. "Could you perhaps...slow down a bit?" she inquired, head tilted to the side. She was speaking slowly, pointedly, and she tried to smile reassuringly despite her exhaustion. "I'm fine, really. Just tired."
She put her free hand down again, as a base to lean upon, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Not hurting, no...just really, really tired...it's like that though, every time..." Her speech wasn't as formal and stiff as it usually was, even her words seeming worn from the experience. Her vocal pattern seemed more relaxed, as if drifting from one phrase to the next in a fog, or even upon a cloud.
"Could I just rest for a bit?" she asked, blinking almost sleepily at the other faun. "It gets better after a while, just takes some time. Always does," she added again, implying once more than this was something of a regular occurrence, not some strange phenomenon...at least to her.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:06 pm
Takis abruptly swallows his next set of questions. She was right; she was tired. "Sorry," says Takis, blushing. He shifts his legs so he's sitting instead of kneeling. "Of course you can rest, Vanya. You can lean on me, if you want," he says.
"Always does"? Takis mulls over her words in his head. Does she do this often? And why? Why do it if it drains her like this? Hmph. He'd ask her later, obviously now is not the time.
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:40 am
"...'S okay, Takis," she smiled tiredly, patting his arm in a reassuring manner. Or at least that felt like what she should do, so she did it. She was just so tired, she didn't have the energy to question things right now, just go with the flow, so to speak.
So she didn't question or think too deeply on his offer to support her. She didn't want to move right now, she just wanted to rest, she didn't care how. Vanya nodded sleepily, leaning to rest her head on Takis' shoulder, her weight half shifted to his form. While it didn't usually take her long to recover, the ritual did leave her completely drained for a short time, sometimes she went so far as to simply curl up and take a nap afterwards. Again, most living things stayed far from her and the eerie red glow, so she didn't usually worry about being disturbed afterwards, even if she'd had enough energy left to do such worrying.
Letting her red eyes drift closed, she sighed deeply and relaxed against the other faun. It was a strange feeling to have someone to lean on, someone to watch over her after her containment ritual. Strange...but somewhat nice. Almost comforting.
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:12 pm
Takis shifts himself a little to hold her weight better, and wraps a comforting arm around her waist. He watches her fall asleep and smiles a bit. It's nice to be trusted. It's nice to be needed, depended on. He resists the temptation to brush a lock of blue hair out of her face. If she was a light sleeper (and he suspected she was) she'd notice, and wake up, and then she'd be creeped out and tired.
Which left Takis alone to think. Which usually resulted in the incessant questions his parents hated so much. It wasn't like he could help it. He just thought of things he couldn't answer himself and asked his parents, who, to his young mind, had known everything. He had been so disappointed when he'd found out that wasn't the case...
But today he thinks about her. Vanya. She was so lovely, and so...strange. She seemed to think that was cause for everyone to hate her, or at least to not want her to be around, but to him it was endearing. She has no social skills at all, and was far too wary of people who were trying to be her friends. Although clearly she'd grown more trusting and less wary of him, or else she wouldn't have allowed herself to fall asleep on his shoulder.
Ach! Takis grimaces and is shaken out of his thoughts by his free hand. The one hand was wrapped around Vanya's waist, and the other had been propping himself up. And now his hand felt like it was being prodded with pins. "Ow," he mutters, and shifts himself--gently, slowly!--so he can shake out his other hand. He looks down at Vanya to make sure he hadn't woken her up, and suddenly wishes his power applied to people, and not just trees.
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:21 am
You know that stage between sleeping and being awake, where you're just about to fall asleep, but not quite, and you feel like you're drifting almost, floating...?
Vanya wasn't exactly sleeping, but she might as well have been, for all appearances. She was floating through a world of dark grey and black, relaxed and resting from her tiring ordeal. It was warm, but in a comforting way, not like she was going to overheat. Almost as if she was wrapped in shadows, keeping her protected and safe until she could fully wake, but for now allowing her to rest.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, as it was nearly impossible to compare time in the dreamworld to time in the real world, but she sensed it hadn't been that long at all when something caused her to stir. The shadows began to recede, the area lightening as her eyes fluttered half-open in the real world.
Where was she? Last thing she remembered...the ritual...then... Eyes opening wide, she sat up and turned to see just what she was leaning on as her brain attempted to catch up with her. "Takis?" she blurted, blinking a bit. Then softer, as if in disbelief, "You're...still here."
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:29 am
Just when Takis had decided he could spend forever counting the little white spots on Vanya's arms, legs, and face, she woke up. "Hey, sleepyhead," he murmurs softly, smiling. Girls are adorable.
He watches her take inventory of her surroundings again, disoriented from sleep. He frowns when she seems surprised that he'd stayed with her. "Of course I'm still here," he says, laughing gently. "What am I gonna do, prop you against a tree and scoot? Not likely." He squeezes her side softly in sort of a hug. "You hungry?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:21 pm
Vanya blinked again, biting back the response she'd been about to give. Of course, why would someone stay? Well, Takis had proven once again that he wasn't just 'someone', that was for sure. Could it be that there were more individuals out there like Takis? Or was he really as special as Vanya perceived him to be based on her experience?
Instead, she said nothing, only smiling slightly. "I guess not," she murmured, half to herself. At his question, she frowned, glancing down at her stomach in puzzlement. Was she hungry? Well, perhaps. She could probably eat, as she could likely use the energy from food. So, she nodded, "Yes, I believe I could eat. Nothing too fancy though, just something simple." She got the feeling that her friend would be eager to leap to her aid, given his history of actions thus far. She really didn't want him going to trouble on her behalf, she wasn't used to it...but she wasn't exactly sure how to stop him either. That was still a bit beyond her rough social skills.
She shifted a bit, righting herself and centering her weight before she started trying to get her hooves under her. The rest had done her a world of good, but she might still be a bit unsteady. Best err on the side of caution, rather than fall. Of course, that was a danger when one was alone, always, but not always when one had a friend nearby. So, when she stumbled a bit, she shook her head as if to rid herself of the passing dizzy feeling. "...woah..." she muttered, the action only making things worse and sending the forest spinning in her vision.
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:26 pm
"Woah, hey," says Takis as Vanya stumbles into him. He puts a steadying hand on her waist. "You alright? Just stand for a minute, get your bearings again."
"Let's think about what we want to eat. There's a cute little restaurant on the beach, or we could go to my house and make something. It's up to you, I'm fine with either. I'm not a very good cook though," he jokes.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 12:49 pm
'Oh, I--I'm sorry," Vanya stammered, more than just physically unsteady. He hadn't been expecting help, though really, by now, she should have been able to handle herself without needing it. Her cheeks felt a bit warm, but likely only she would notice. "I'm alright, really."
Where to eat? Her usual options were limited to what she could find and make for herself, so Vanya really wasn't sure what to make of either choice. She'd heard little of these 'restaurant' things, so she wasn't sure what to expect. Would there be lots of others there? She wasn't sure she was comfortable with that, at least not with big crowds just yet. However, since they were supposed to specialize in food, wouldn't that imply that it would be of high quality? Not to mention, she was a bit curious about exploring new concepts.
And yet, something quieter, without chance of too many people or drama...even if his family were still around, perhaps she should take the risk and join Takis in his home for a meal. Though...he did say he wasn't a very good cook. And yet, he'd likely go out of his way to make the valiant attempt to make something for her anyway. She'd rather he not go to so much trouble...but whichever he was more comfortable with.
"I...I'm not sure. How about you decide?" she responded, blinking those large red eyes at Takis. Oh, if she only understood half about teenage boys and the effect she had on poor Takis, as she understood about nature and other creatures from her observations.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:03 pm
"Oh, um, alright," he says, not having expected her to leave the decision up to him. "I suppose I can try my hand at cooking. Mom always says I make better toast than she does, so....there's that at the very least," he jokes. "C'mon, this way!" He takes her hand once he's certain she'd steadied herself, and leads her toward the edge of the forest where his family lived.
Likely as not they'd all be out. Mom and Papa would probably be together, somewhere. They liked the outdoors, like he did, so they didn't suffer being cooped up in the house gladly. His brother Terran...could be anywhere, but he wouldn't bother them either way.
Soon they reach the little house. "Home sweet home," says Takis cheerfully. "Doesn't look like there's anyone home. We can have a nice quiet lunch or something, right?" He opens the door and holds it open for Vanya. "So, what do you want? I can make pasta, but it won't have sauce or anything fancy, I can just grate some cheese on top and put some black pepper on it. That's always my favorite when nobody's home." He smiles goofily.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:42 pm
Vanya followed obediently along behind, letting herself be led to whatever their destination may be. It was an enormous amount of trust that she placed in her 'guide', but she did so without a second thought. Maybe she was just that tired...or maybe she really was learning to trust Takis. Whatever it was, the pair continued through the forest, only one thought echoing through the young Faun's mind.
What in the Great Tree was toast?
As she'd stated before, she'd grown up in Laisidhiel, the Great Tree, and even then, much of the time she'd been fending for herself anyway. Her diet mostly consisted of fruits and vegetables that she gathered from the forest, sometimes some grains if she found them growing wild...but never anything more sophisticated or complicated than that. Bread wasn't a far reach for her, she'd had it once or twice...but she'd never thought of toasting it again over the fire after it was already baked.
And if 'toast' boggled her mind, she had no hope of comprehending what 'pasta' was.
In fact, she was already distracted, her gaze traveling about they neared the house. This would be her first time inside such a thing. Would it be anything like the Great Tree? Could it be? If not, what would it be like? Well, she'd find out in a minute if she didn't get herself wrapped up in questions about it.
When Takis held the door open for her, while a bit puzzled at the gesture, Vanya flashed him a brief smile before stepping slowly through the doorway. Her eyes moved about the room, trying to take in everything all at once, which only left her brain spinning. So she started concentrating on one detail at a time, committing everything to memory for further analysis later.
She barely heard the question about what to eat, and if she had, she'd have had no better answer, not having a clue what pasta was. Still, Takis' voice reminded her that she wasn't alone, not anymore, and that she probably should pay LESS attention to her new surroundings, fascinating though they might be. What was it he'd said? She'd missed the food description, but Takis said it was his favorite, right? She'd take his word and trust that whatever it was, it'd be good. Plus, if it was his favorite, that implied that he ate this food often...so he had to be able to cook it without much trouble right?
Smiling, she turned back to nod at Takis, pretending she had followed the conversation and hadn't been completely lost in her own thoughts for a while there. "That'd be good." Then, as an afterthought, as she was always eager for more knowledge on any topic, even food, she added, "Could I help?"
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