|
|
Post by Caroline Sands on Jan 19, 2009 11:26:35 GMT -5
"I'm Caroline," She said with a soft smile, her blue eyes light with kindness and gentle curiousity. Not as forceful a look as before. She decided to calm a bit, since the girl seemed too surprised at her happy nature. That was reasonable of course, but Caroline couldn't help herself, if she let herself be serious, she wold only get sad. It was easier to forget the past if you were smiling. But sometimes her smiles were not so genuine.
She left out her last name because it was the same as her uncle's, and her uncle was the kings man, but she grew up on the streets, where she was only Caroline, where he father had denounced his line. Caroline Sands was the fate she was escaping, she was just, Caroline.
"What's yours?" She asked lightly, wondering if this would be a single night encounter, to disappear into time, or if maybe they'd be friends one day. Either way, she wasn't afraid of her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keelin de Lune on Jan 19, 2009 11:42:58 GMT -5
"Keelin de Lune." Kee replied, though internally scowling at herself. She figured if they were to be on first a first name basis, she should offer up only her first name. But alas, she was so used to saying her whole name that it slipped out without thought.
Oh well.
Caroline - a typical enough name, though a bit aristocratic if your pronounced it with the accent - making it sound like Carolin. Caroline didn't though, so the previous suspicion about her noble roots lessened.
Only slightly.
The cold wind encompassed Keelin, trying to find more direct access through the openings of her clothes to her skin directly. No matter how many times you were forced to stand outside during winter as a form a punishment - no matter how many times you had to trudge to the well, hoping it wasn't frozen up - you would always think "It's cold", just that simple phrase. However, after all those encounters with winter, you knew well enough that it could be worse, and you weren't foolish enough to wish for any sort of relief.
In fact, you grew thankful for the cold, because once you retreated back into the poor shelter four shaky, wooden walls provided, it did indeed feel marginally warmer in comparison.
"You wouldn't have heard of me from anywhere." Keelin provided without request. In villages such as this one, everyone always searched for connections. Your husband worked with for my brother's wife. My sister knows your aunt. Your nephew once sold me a warm pair of socks. Everyone always wanted to find ways to make all the stories fit - to figure out how everyone was connected. "I have no friends." Keelin explained.
|
|
|
|
Post by Caroline Sands on Jan 19, 2009 12:00:22 GMT -5
Caroline felt the cold wind and shivered. She hated the cold. And wind was hers, and she always felt strange when nature took a hold of itself in that respect. Made her realize how small she was in the world. She often warmed her families wagon in the winter, blowing heated breeze. She stiffened slightly and blew a soft warm breeze through the streets, just enough to cancel out the cold wind, but the winter air stayed cold. She couldn't warm a whole street without tiring herself out, there was no point.
No friends.
The words hung in the air, hung in her mind. Caroline used to have many friends, but now that she had been taken out of her comfortable low status and life, she rarely saw them all. Her friends were just peopel she watched on the street. She somehow sympathized with Keelin. But it did not make her any less sad. The words erupted from her before she coudl stop them. "I could be your friend."
|
|
|
|
Post by Keelin de Lune on Jan 19, 2009 12:11:16 GMT -5
The kindness was so endearing, that Keelin almost felt bad for the words that she said next.
"You could, but once you get to know you probably wouldn't want to stay my friend. I'm not very interesting." I'm a nobody. Weird, at best. And I'm useless, too. I can't even kill anyone without the help of baked goods. She knew the girl was speaking mainly out of sympathy - that was nice and all, but Keelin didn't need anyone's sympathy. The world was like the cold - unpleasant, but it had made her capable and taught her the most important lessen - how to endure.
She wasn't used to getting sympathy from people her age - mostly there were weird looks, sarcastic remarks, and plenty of eye-rolling. All the sympathy Keelin got usually came from kind hearted granny's she got to know because she saved their cats on more than one occassion. It shattered her defense like a surprise attack.
|
|
|
|
Post by Caroline Sands on Jan 19, 2009 12:28:55 GMT -5
"I'm sure you're more interesting than you give yourself credit for," Caroling said giving her a look that if she had glasses, she would be looking over the rims at her, head tilted slightly. The small smile was still in place. But what could she say? Maybe Keelin just didn't like her, and that was that, maybe this was her way of telling Caroline to get lost. caroline bit her lip to keep from saying anything, her smile faltering slightly. Unsure if maybe she should be saying anything at all. "I just mean, well........ no one deserves to be alone." She said looking down for a second. "No matter who they are."
Caroline looked up again with a tiny smile. She was so used to getting along with people, people who smiled and laughed and would have given anything for an escape to the fear that gripped most people. What lonely person ever wanted to stay that way? Keelin was a mystery to her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keelin de Lune on Jan 19, 2009 12:43:36 GMT -5
"I can promise you I'm not very interesting." Keelin reassured her hastily before her voice could give away any irritation. The look Caroline had given her was exactly the one Kee had received from various people, all the time - at the market, in the streets, ... at job interviews. Was what she was saying always so ridiculous?
I should be used to it. Keelin told herself, squashing any sparks of anger. It wasn't Caroline's fault that her daily patience reserve has been used up already by other people. Besides, any anger was unjustly deserved - this girl after all, was offering to be Kee's friend. That didn't happen often.
Kee tried to figure out what to say. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but that didn't seem to generate any articulate word flow.
"If you actually do want to be my friend ..." Kee started slowly, looking down. " - not to say I didn't warn you - but we could try ... being friends ..." Kee glanced up a bit nervously.
Now what? Was there some sort of official gesture? A process to be executed? Any forms to fill out? A sarcastic portion of her mind added.
"Umm..." Kee stuck out her hand awkwardly, figuring a handshake would do it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Caroline Sands on Jan 19, 2009 12:51:22 GMT -5
Caroline's smile grew as the girl talked. She at least would try. She felt less foolish now and as she shook the girl's hand, she laughed, a warm breeze blowed by, ruffling her hair. "Friends." She agreed, still grinning. But now what? Did Keelin need to get back inside? Or did they have time now? Did they start by talking, or racing or singing or dancing.... The night was not Caroline's time of day, and her confidence was less sure by now. But the smile stayed. What did Keelin even like to do?
"Are you busy now, or do you want to do something?" She asked, knowing most families avoided being out at night, and it was probably a good idea to stay inside, what with the war and vampires and everything...."Or.... should I just meet you in the morning?" Caroline said, still smiling at the prospect of having some to spend time with.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keelin de Lune on Jan 19, 2009 13:01:56 GMT -5
"Um ... morning would be nice." Keelin finally decided with a small shrug. "It seems warmer when the sun's out-" Whether or not the sun actually warmed up the atmosphere significantly enough was a whole other debate - but there was some sort of psychological relief to seeing the sun. "-and I should be heading to bed ..." Keelin explained. Not wanting to seem as though she was leaving the girl so suddenly out of avoidance, Keelin offered up a smile.
It was small, but still a smile, and the first one in ....
How long?
Regardless. "I live right there." Keelin explained, pointing to the top floor, left-most window on an old, large home. It may have been nice once, but like everyone, the owners fell onto hard times. Keelin was actually lucky to get a room - so many people couldn't afford to keep their homes anymore. Places like these seem crammed and in high demand these days.
|
|
|
|
Post by Caroline Sands on Jan 19, 2009 13:10:03 GMT -5
"Yes," Caroline agreed, looking off somewhat dreamily, as if she too could see the sun in the days ahead, and took comfort from the sight. "Morning it is. Shall I just come here to meet you?" Caroling pointed to the road after Keelin said this was where she lived. Many people crowded into houses like these, wether alone or with families, and she assumed the girl had had a hard life thus far.
Caroline used to live on the streets, in her families wagon, a nomad of sorts. She elt utterly uncomfortable in her new home, which was fine and grand. Lacy and delicate, it was all so fake seeming to her... and she couldn't stand it, like a small breath would knock over the walls. She had no desire to show her wealth to Keelin. She didn't want to be treated any differently, but if the girl needed something, Caroline would surely help.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keelin de Lune on Jan 19, 2009 13:17:36 GMT -5
Keelin considered the offer, trying to quickly run through tomorrow's events, before nodding. "I have to run a few errands out at the market around noontime." She said pleasantly. "You could join me if you like -" She voice grew a little worried. "-unless you'll think you'll be bored."
There was much to do tomorrow if Keelin was still hoping on surviving the winter without briefly flitting with starvation. Hopefully Caroline wouldn't be bored - and more importantly, be able to keep up. Keelin still knew nothing about this pleasant new friend, and wondered if Caroline herself ever had to run errands.
|
|
|
|
Post by Caroline Sands on Jan 19, 2009 13:26:36 GMT -5
Caroline smiled. "That's no trouble at all. I'll be glad to help in any way I can." She said. And that was true, the marketplaces of the world were always the places she called home. Running errands would be fun for her, she loved that world. The only trouble would be if someone recognized her at all, or if her uncle caught her sneaking from the house and forced her into one of those terribly pretty dresses. She preferred simple things. "I won't be bored." She assured Keelin with a nod.
She guessed she better be going though, if the girl wanted to sleep.... "I'll see you tomorrow then." She said with a smile. "Goodnight." And then she waved slightly before going off with a skip, humming a soft melody on her way, looking over her shoulder once to wave again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Keelin de Lune on Jan 19, 2009 13:39:05 GMT -5
Keelin looked at the journal in her hand - suddenly there seemed to be much more to add.
And just as I thought I was finished. Keelin thought sarcastically.
Well, that was the irony of life. Just as soon as you're done, there's more to do. Just as soon as you let go, something comes back. Just as soon as your eyes adjust to the dark, it becomes light.
And always - you receive what you never expect.
Keelin looked up at the sky to find white flurries circling down to meet her. I hadn't expected this. Keelin thought, almost giddy - as if her silent recognition of life's tendencies brought on this weather.
Slowly, and without realizing she was humming some strange tune, Keelin made her way home, with her dark curls collecting flakes that glowed in comparison.
|
|
