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 Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:13 pm
In the Reaper dorms, up on the third floor, a certain grim reaper sat at his desk, absently sorting through a stack of papers that had accumulated in the wake of recent events. The Fright Night Festival had taken up much of his time, but now that it was over, Sparrow found that he had severely lacked in organizing his homework for the next few weeks.
But now, as he set a fresh stack of paper down in a newly straightened-up corner of his desk, he was finished preparing himself, and now he decided he rather needed a break. It was a bit too dismal outside to go for a walk, but perhaps he could relax down in the common room, take a small breather.
Sparrow pulled the reading glasses from his nose and set them carefully down on his desk, pushed back his chair, slipped his boots back on, and made his way out of his room, locking the door behind him.
Three floors below, he stepped out of the stairwell, absently smoothing down the front of his coat, and nearly walked straight into the figure sitting on one of the couches of the common room.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, I wasn't - Hel? Is that you?"
It certainly looked like Hel, but something was very definitely off, and Sparrow blinked, momentarily nonplussed.
"That is you, isn't it?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:26 pm
Earlier, Hel had opened the door that led outside from the common rooms, saw the dismal gray and rainy day and went NOPE and promptly shut the door. Not that she didn’t like running around in that weather…it was just some days the urge to sit inside and vegetate was really strong. Like today. Thus she ventured back to her room, grabbed a kettle, her jug of non-alcoholic apple cider, some mugs, and came back to the common room.
The ghoul was itching for a warm cup of cider, so she rigged a little place holder for her kettle in the fireplace. She was nursing a steaming cup of cider in her hands, nestled into a corner of the couch, when that little moment of calm was interrupted by a sudden jostle.
“Eeeeeegh!” Hel breathed, balancing her mug, and somehow managed to not spill a drop anywhere, which was awesome. It would have been hot. Luckily, before she could blow her temper, a soothing and familiar voice spoke out to her, immediately disarming any hostility she might have had.
Dark burgundy eyes looked up at the reaper who had run into her, and a grin pulled at her lips. “Sparrow!” She cried, elated. “Long time no see, friend! Of course it is me! Sweet Sally, it truly has been a long time…and you look so grown now!” Her tone was affectionately teasing.
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:33 pm
The voice that greeted him was unmistakably the voice of Hel Brynhildr, though her appearance was significantly different than the last time Sparrow had seen her. For one thing, he had grown used to the fact that her body had held a perpetual split in coloration, something he had always found quite interesting and endearing - but now, it seemed, that split was gone, replaced only by the darker color that now covered the entirety of her skin and hair.
"Yes, it has been quite some time, hasn't it?" said Sparrow, smiling down at the reaper. He had always found Hel to be enjoyable, and now he shook his head a little, causing the long hair to fall over his shoulder, pulled back in a ribbon away from his face. "Ahhh, you're too kind," he said, the smile turning into a grin as he ducked into his customary bow, reaching out to take Hel's free hand and press a quick kiss to the back of it in greeting.
"I trust you are well?" he asked her, and then added, "I hope I am not interrupting anything."
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:59 pm
“Bah, far too long!” One of Hel’s hands shifted to slap her forehead in exasperation. “…That is terrible! I need to keep better track of my friends!” The ghoul then laughed, shaking her head. “Me? Kind? Psssssshaw. Not really, but thank you anyways!” The ghoul blinked as the reaper took her hand and then kissed the back of it. Even though it had been done to her a few times already, she still found it…odd, but endearing! She also felt like a fancy lady when others did that to her…
She grinned widely at the reaper, and once her hand was free, she swept it in a gesture to the couch, indicating he should join her. “Oh, very well! Better than I have been in quite some time…No, you are not interrupting anything at all!” The ghoul then leapt up to her feet, placing her mug on a side table. “If you have no where to be, friend, why not stay a while! Here…” She made her way over to her kettle which was sitting near the fireplace to keep the cider warm, and she grabbed another mug. The ghoul poured the steaming apple cider in, and returned, offering the mug out to the reaper.
“How have you been?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:16 pm
"You and me both," responded Sparrow with a smile, and then nodded his head vigorously so that his hair fell across his eyes in pale brown strands. "Yes, you are kind, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise," he said sternly, and then took the seat indicated, settling himself into the couch.
"It has been too long, and I would enjoy being able to learn what has happened in your life since I have last seen you," said Sparrow, as he Hel busied herself with what looked to be some sort of drink by the fire. She came back a second later, holding out a steaming mug that smelled of cinnamon and apples, and Sparrow accepted it with a nod.
"Thank you, it smells divine." He took a sip, the cider tasting just as good as it smelled, and then leaned back to get more comfortable, letting the warmth of the cup seep through his gloves, warming him.
"Ah, I have been well," said Sparrow, with a glance over at Hel. "I've been mostly working on my campaign lately, you know, for Vice President. Besides that, I'm afraid my life has been desperately dull."
He took another sip. "How about you? How have you been faring?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:27 am
Hel laughed, purely delighted at Sparrow’s insistence that she was a nice person. No, really, she didn’t agree. She was rotten down to the core…but the fact he thought so highly of her regardless touched her. After the grim took the mug, Hel picked her own back up and took her spot back on the couch, settling down cozily near Sparrow. She took a sip as she listened, smiling a bit around her cup. All the things that have been going on since they last saw each other, huh? Oh Jack. Too many things…and not all necessarily good things.
“Ah, I see!” She remembered seeing him run for a position back when she had been scoping the school out. That felt like such a long time ago…but then again, the last time she had sat down and spoke with Sparrow seemed a very long time ago too. “Good luck with your campaign, friend! I have not looked much into those this time around…” She grinned a bit sheepishly. “…Just…there are too many things going on…for me anyways.” She paused, humming a bit thoughtfully.
“You remember when I first met you that one day in the library…when we were both first years…?” She chuckled. “Now look at us…it has not been that long…but at the same time, if feels like another life! Back when we did not worry about anything more than homework and essays…and now…” Now the world was what they had to worry about. “…I am pleased to see that you are still as pleasant as ever. I truly am!” She grinned and took another sip of her cider.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:50 am
Sparrow lifted one of his legs and set it casually over the other, lifting his mug to take another sip of the cider, which was pleasantly warm and very soothing. He leaned back into the cushions, smiled and said, "Thank you, my dear, I appreciate that. I would really love to be able to do more for the students, and this is my chance."
Hel's voice had shifted slightly, which made Sparrow tilt his head curiously at her, his friendly smile flickering.
"For you?" he repeated, lowering the cup in his hand, and his expression softened.
"It has been a while, since then, hasn't it?" he said, his gaze moving up to stare thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "It seems like so long ago...ah, I did have one thing happen to me recently that's rather eventful...I managed to finally move to third year," said Sparrow, his cheeks tinging pale pink. "It took me a while, but I'm pleased to say I've managed to pass my exam."
Shaking his head, he leaned forward and set his cup down on the table, shifting a little so that he was sitting more sideways.
"Hel, are you all right?" Sparrow asked, his brows drawing together in concern. "You seem...different, somehow."
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:19 am
Hel nodded her head, happy to hear about Sparrow’s desire to help others. “Even if you do not get that position, there is always a way to help others out as well. Jack knows we need all the help we can get, ya?” She offered in what she hoped was a supportive phrase.
The ghoul didn’t comment on the for her statement yet, instead listening to the bit of news Sparrow passed on. She lowered her mug and was grinning widely at the boil. “Oh ya!?” She echoed, “Congratulations, friend!” She cried excitedly. “It does not matter how long it takes! Just that you worked hard and never stopped trying, and it paid off!” Her grin was face splitting, though it fell as Sparrow expressed his concern over her.
Blinking, Hel looked a bit surprised. Was something the matter with her that she didn’t know about? It obviously wasn’t her skin…that was superficial. “…Ya. I am alright, friend! More than alright.” Her grin returned, though not as strong, and her fingers tapped on her mug in thought. “…I think…for a while…well…for a long time, I was in a pit…and that started when my wings were taken from me. I lost sight of many things. Myself, others…what is important…I let myself get swept up in a bunch of ridiculous and petty whirlwinds of circumstances and emotions…” The ghoul rolled her shoulders idly.
“But…I finally came out the other side now. I think I finally just pulled myself out of the pit I had fallen into. Everything is so uncluttered now…and it is liberating. I am ready to start enjoying existence again.” Her grin widened.
“Things change, ya?”
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:31 pm
"True," said Sparrow with a light laugh. "Very true."
He flushed a little beneath Hel's praised, unused to such a thing, but still pleased in spite of himself. His third year examination had taken place much later than planned, which meant that he was behind a great deal of students who had started later than he had, but she was right - he had kept going and he had persevered and it had all worked out in the end.
Sparrow's gaze flickered back towards Hel, and he lowered his head a little, frowning slightly, the look of concern still evident on his face.
"I am sorry about your wings," he said quietly. "I was...not there to offer you support in that time, and I am sorry for it."
Pushing a few stray stands away from his face, he offered Hel a small smile. "But I am glad to hear that you have 'climbed out of the pit,' as you have put it. That is quite good to hear, especially since I worry about my friends often because I lack the strength to protect them most of the time."
Sparrow shrugged, trying not to let it show that that lack of physical prowess still bothered him, and reached for his cup again, taking a sip of the cider.
"Things change," he said agreeably, and then smiled a little, eyes twinkling. "And then some things stay the same."
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Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:41 pm
Hel just waved a hand dismissively at Sparrow. “Do not apologize, friend. It is not your fault.” She smiled a bit. “What is done is done, after all. You live and you learn.” She then smiled widely at the grim, and laughed. “Oh, no. Count your lucky stars that you were not around after it happened, ha! You may insist that I am nice, but I can assure you I was a complete and total monster after it happened. I lashed out viciously at those closest to me, because I had just wanted to be alone…” She trailed off, rubbing her thumbs along the top of her cup. “But then one of my friends came along and more or less made me shove my selfishness up my a**…ha…he really helped me out, because he is just as stubborn as I am.” She spoke very fondly of this friend.
“I would have felt horrible if I had said or done something awful to you, out of pain.” She tilted her head, humming a bit. “…You too huh? You think you are not capable of protecting your friends…? Sometimes…I think…for some people…protecting them does not always mean fighting for them…” Hel mused. “Just for some people.” She grinned again. “I will always fight. I must fight. I love to fight.” The ghoul nodded her head again, amused as Sparrow’s little smile and his words.
“Ah! Ya!” She cried in agreement. “It is true! Very true. I like talking to you a lot, friend.” Hel replied happily. “I feel very smart when I converse with you.”
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Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:52 pm
"It is not in my nature to dismiss such a fault of mine so easily," Sparrow reminded Hel gently, but there was a hesitant smile on his face anyway, his fingers absently tugging at the cuff of his sleeve, smoothing down the fabric. "I do not like hearing that my friends have had problems that I could have helped with - or just been a nuisance throughout," he added, a bit ruefully, but his expression softened a little.
"You speak well of this friend," he said, and smiled, a genuine one this time. "He sounds as though he is someone you would want to have by your side for when you have need."
Sparrow resisted the very strong urge to add "unlike me" at the end of the sentence, considering it was both melodramatic and self-pitying, and attempted to push aside his own insecurities in favor of listening to Hel. It was not about him, after all.
"Ah," he said, and then gave a small sigh. "Well, I am not exactly...physically adept, you see. I have my scythe, but it was so easily broken by Aisa that I am rather ashamed. It has taken me a while to get where I am."
Hel's comment, however, made his lips quirk upwards in a small smile. "I enjoy a good spar now and then," he conceded. "I suppose I will just have to find strength elsewhere, and not a strength that lies in physical abilities."
Her cheerfulness was contagious, and Sparrow shook his head, amused. "I am not that smart," he said with a little laugh. "I like to think I am, but really I'm not."
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:51 am
“ Ha…forgive everything in others, nothing in yourself?” Hel offered. “ But I am serious, friend. Do not worry yourself over my stupidity. Put it to other places that are more worthy of your concern.” She grinned at him, and at his observation, the ghoul nodded her head vigorously. “ Oh ya! He very much is!” Once again the ghoul nodded her head, and took a moment to do a once over of Sparrow, thoughtful. Hmm. In a way he was like Mot it seemed. Thin…not like her or Mac or Shun…but that was okay! The ghoul blinked. “… Your weapon was…broken?” She echoed, staring at him with her eyes a bit wide. Wow. Was…that one of the heirs…? Hel nodded her head though. “ Ya! That is the spirit, friend! Not everyone is going to excel in physical strength, but fighting does not always mean you need to be physically strong! It is finding what you are good at and honing those skills to be the best that you can be! But ah…if you enjoy a spar, then you and I should definitely have a match one day!” Her grin returned in full force, and the ghoul then wagged a finger at Sparrow before reaching forward to poke his nose. “ If you are going to insist that I am nice, then I am going to insist that you are very smart.”
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