I stared at him long and hard in silence. "What difference does it make?" I was still reeling from the fact he tapped my nose as if I were a child. Stop fighting him, he's right and you know it. Why are you doing this? Because I'm just as stubborn and my pride won't let me admit to this. "I haven't lived such a happy life. Back in Ireland my family was losing the respect we had held for generations because of a lie my uncle spread throughout the town and the cities we neighbored. My family had been in that town our entire lives, since it was first founded, and then suddenly nothing. Papa was a respected man, Mama was loved by everyone and my brother and sister and I were helpers to anyone in need and then suddenly nothing!" I caught myself before my voice could rise. "We... We were suddenly nothing there. I was but four and I knew when people hated us. Mama was pregnant with Maurice, mentally at least. She knew she would have him soon and by the time we got here, we'd be here four years before he would come and then she'd disappear from us too." I looked away from him, searching my memory. "I can't... I don't.... I don't even remember what my own mother looks like aside from pictures. She had already drilled it into me to do certain sports and do certain things because she couldn't do them anymore and.. And then she was suddenly gone." Tears brimmed my eyes. "I support not just myself but my family and everyone else in this bloody town. I have no time to myself, how could we keep a relationship if I'm never around? I saw was it did to Mama and Papa, I don't want that to happen to us."
Something Wild ["Pete's Dragon" Roleplay; Private]
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BUMP
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I listened, and my heart broke. It broke for Ayo, and the tears brimming her eyes added to the pain. She had suffered a lot more than me, I realized. Pete and I had lost our parents, but at least we had had Branch and Elliot. Ayo, she lost only her mother, but so much more hurt came with it. And she had never done anything to deserve, but it was clear that she was afraid same would happen if we were together. Something I refused to believe. Smiling tenderly, my hand reached up to her cheek, and I pulled her in for a reassuring embrace. If any repercussion occurred, I didn't care. I just wanted to help her. "You couldn't get rid of me even if you wanted to," I said with a dry but soothing chuckle. "I'm sorry for what has happened to you, and I don't think you deserved any of it. But you can't lock yourself away. I was in your shoes once, only you had it worse than I did. But Branch taught me it was still ok to love, even if I could lose it all at any minute. You just have to have faith, and...trust."
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And pixie dust.I stared up at him. He couldn't possibly think we'd be okay, could he? I didn't know how to respond, I just stared at him. He couldn't think that right? My mouth opened and closed as if I were a fish out of water. And then suddenly his hand was on my cheek and then I was in his arms. My hands balled into fists of his shirt as he held me tight and held me close. "I.. What do you want me to think, Kevin?" I whispered. "That we'll be okay?"
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GODDAMN IT"I'm not asking you to think anything," I answered, tilting Ayo's head up so we could look eye to eye. "That's for you to figure out. We are two individuals - therefore, we should think individually, and maybe try and see things from each other's perspective. But then, what do I know? I grew up in a forest for six years." Smiling ruefully, I released her, to give her some space, and some time. "I'm going to check on Branch and Myra. I don't think they would cause too much trouble, but just in case..." Backing off, I smiled again, leaving Ayo to ponder what to do next.
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I watched him leave and after a few minutes of standing there on my own, I left to the basement. Down there was a gym I built for myself. I started wrapping my hands, shedding my shirt before going to the punching bag hanging on the ceiling. I balled my fists and swung, my left fist blocking my face, switching roles of my hands as I started a hard rhythm. I bounced on my toes. So many things ran through my mind. Why would Kevin care? Why do I care? Animals tend to know when they have met their mate not too long after they meet. I could hear my father's words in my head as I continued to swing away at the punching bag. Sweat began to grow, slowly trickling down the side of my face. I hated that that was what came to mind. Kevin and I weren't mates, were we?
lmfao you set yourself up for it xD -
//Since I'm off restriction, you wanna keep working on the new chapter on here in a DM?
When I came outside, Branch and Myra were playing a game of hide and seek with each other. Each time Myra thought that the dragon was in front of her, it turned out she was actually reaching for his tail, and would laugh and squeal when he nudged her from behind. I smiled, despite how I was feeling. This was a game that Elliot, Branch, Pete and I would play all the time, and it never got old. However, I did need to have some time alone with Branch. "Myra, your auntie has dinner almost ready. You should come inside. Don't worry, you can play with Branch again after." The girl grinned, and ran inside, while Branch returned into the clearing.
We looked at each other, and Branch could tell I wasn't exactly happy. He let out several low yips, his way of asking - "What's wrong?". "I don't know, to be honest. It's a confusing thing. I like her, she likes me, but she doesn't think it would work. What's the worst that could happen? I don't think we would end up like her parents." The dragon looked at me oddly, and I quickly explained everything we'd discussed. "So, yeah, she hasn't had the best life. But that means she especially needs someone to be there. It's not alright to be alone."
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[fancypost borderwidth=0px; text-shadow: 2px 2px black; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:25px][color=white][font=georgia][sub]| Shine on. | The world needs your beautiful light. | Shine bright. |[/fancypost]
[fancypost borderwidth=0px][justify][sub][font=georgia]When I heard the familiar foot patter of my niece, I knew I needed to get upstairs and finish the last bit of cooking I needed to do. I didn't bother to remove the wraps, nor did I bother to change, I just threw a towel around my shoulders and headed upstairs. "Mimi, come help me finish cooking. You can help me stir the rice pudding." I called out to my niece whom giggled from her seat at the table. The girl slid off her seat and ran to me, me lifting her into my arms and uncovering the pot. Everything was done, considering none of us really ate meat, so it was some kind of veggie and potatoe stew. Myra waited to stir while the steam flowed from the pot when I uncovered it and my hand quickly grabbed hers before she could burn herself with the steam. "That's hot, sweetie. Don't touch yet." I told her. Myra looked at me with puppy dog eyes then at the rice pudding as I grabbed for the spoon. I set her down after a few minutes and asked her to go get Kevin while I went to go make our plates.ooc: yeah that may work
[/fancypost][align=center] -
//Cool.
I had not expected for Branch to give me advice, so we spoke no more of the me-and-Ayo dilemma and just sat together on the lawn, watching the sun sink below the trees and the stars blink into the night sky one by one. One star shone brighter than all the rest, and Branch looked toward longingly, a sad frown on his face. I wasn't a stranger to this: Elliot did this as well, and it was always because of that star. I always wondered why it was so important, and what it meant to them that it affected them so, but neither ever gave me or Pete an answer for it. I thought it may have had something to do with their family...but that was just speculation.
I started when Myra came out to get me, and I got up from Branch's arm and patted his fur. "I'll be back out in a bit, ok?" Branch looked at me, nodded, then turned to stare up at the stars again. I watched him thoughtfully, before turning away with a reluctant sigh and following the little girl back into the house.
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[fancypost borderwidth=0px; text-shadow: 2px 2px black; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:25px][color=white][font=georgia][sub]| Shine on. | The world needs your beautiful light. | Shine bright. |[/fancypost]
[fancypost borderwidth=0px][justify][sub][font=georgia]I plated the food and sighed when I heard them return before I looked over at them. "I am going to shower. You can eat without me." I told them, removing the wraps on my hands as I walked away from their view, not looking at Kevin. I had given Myra her food and set her on the sofa to watch her movies again. I didn't want to be near Kevin but it was hard not to. I sighed as I walked into my bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror after shutting the door so it was fracked enough for me to hear my niece. My eyes were puffy and my blood was boiling; I wanted to be near him and accept what he was saying to be true, but I was too scared to do it.
[/fancypost][align=center] -
I looked at Ayo, wanting to say something, but decided against it and let her leave. I half-heartedly ate, still deep in thought. There were many things I wanted to say, in order to convince Ayo, but at this point, I was afraid she still wouldn't believe it. But I still wanted to try - that was part of being brave for me. If I never tried, I wouldn't fail, but I wouldn't succeed either, and I'd live without knowing if I could. Feeling a little more resolved, I blew through what was left on my plate, before going to the door of the bathroom, where I had seen Ayo enter. I raised my hand, hesitated, then gently knocked. "Ayo? Are you in there?"
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[fancypost borderwidth=0px; text-shadow: 2px 2px black; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:25px][color=white][font=georgia][sub]| Shine on. | The world needs your beautiful light. | Shine bright. |[/fancypost]
[fancypost borderwidth=0px][justify][sub][font=georgia]I was in a towel sitting on the edge of the sink, waiting for the shower to finish heating up. I had been sitting in thought, in silence, until I heard a light knock on the door and I looked in the direction. Kevin's voice followed, asking if I was in here. I debated whether or not to answer and sighed. Better just see what he wants. "Yes I'm here," I crossed my legs, sliding off the sink. "Come in if you want. I'm just waiting for the shower to heat up. Fair warning, I'm in a towel." I added, moving to check the temperature of the water again. It was still warming up. Mental note, check the water heater when out the shower. I told myself mentally as I sat back again, looking at the door after adjusting my towel slightly so it didn't fall. My change of clothes were seated on the sink opposite of where I had been sitting and the ones I had been wearing were sitting inside the dirty hamper behind the door.
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"Warning noted," I said dryly, and I pushed the door open slightly, so I could walk in, keeping my eyes planted to the ground so I didn't make Ayo feel uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable myself, and I don't think I was doing a good job at hiding it. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I...umm...You ok?" I started, inwardly berating myself as I sat down on the counter next to her.
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[fancypost borderwidth=0px; text-shadow: 2px 2px black; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:25px][color=white][font=georgia][sub]| Shine on. | The world needs your beautiful light. | Shine bright. |[/fancypost]
[fancypost borderwidth=0px][justify][sub][font=georgia]I shrugged after his question. "Things could be worse, I suppose." I replied, looking over at him calmly. "Are you okay? You look like you want to be somewhere else." It didn't dawn on me that maybe my attire was making him uncomfortable. I slipped off the counter and went to check the water again, happy this time with the temperature. "Could you look away for one sec? Imma get in the shower," Waiting until he did, I let the towel fall before entering the shower; I closed the sliding door behind me. The glass was thick, blurry all throughout, so a person could properly see the person inside. Deep down I wouldn't mind Kevin seeing me naked, I knew it, I just didn't know why or how I did. "So, why are you in here exactly?"
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"I suppose to talk about earlier, though I don't think you would like to continue that conversation, to be honest," I started hesitantly, swinging my legs absent mindedly as I looked at the tile floor. Sighing, I decided to change the subject, for a little bit. "There's a star that me, Pete, and the dragons watch every night. It's the brightest one in the sky, and every time we see it, the dragons seem like they miss something. But I don't know what. The star...does it have a name?"
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[fancypost borderwidth=0px; text-shadow: 2px 2px black; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:25px][color=white][font=georgia][sub]| Shine on. | The world needs your beautiful light. | Shine bright. |[/fancypost]
[fancypost borderwidth=0px][justify][sub][font=georgia]I didn't have a chance to comment about what he said at first and I didn't want to. I simply began to wash my hair as I listened to what he had to say instead. Brightest star in the sky? There is only one that like. I thought to myself as I rinsed out my hair. "Brightest star? There is only one I know of and that's the Northern Star. I'll check when I get out the shower." In terms of dragons and the like, it made me curious. Made me remember some song Grace's father told me once before he lost his memory for it. What was it again? How did it go? Curse my memory for not being able to conjure it up right now.
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"North?" I repeated. It rang a bell. A distant one, but it brought back a snippet of memory. My mother when she would tell Pete and I about the North Star, and how it would guide our way. Then, we came to Millhaven - a long time ago, before we lost ourselves in the woods, and where I had first heard the song that for all those years I played to find Branch. I called it the Finding Song, but now I remembered it to be the Dragon Song. As if in a trance, the words flowed out.
Go North, Go North
With Wings on your Feet
Go North with the Wind
Where the three rivers meet
There's a clearing of sorts
In the circle of trees
Where the wild constellations Shine
One, two, and three..."Look all around you and see...Deep in the forest, there dragons will be..."
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[fancypost borderwidth=0px; text-shadow: 2px 2px black; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:25px][color=white][font=georgia][sub]| Shine on. | The world needs your beautiful light. | Shine bright. |[/fancypost]
[fancypost borderwidth=0px][justify][sub][font=georgia]The movement of my limbs stopped when he started speaking a tune I knew. My eyes remained closed mostly because of the conditioner running down my face from my hair and because it reminded me of when Grace's father told me it. It was sometime after I got back from first seeing Catori, the only time I saw her. When he finished I stayed still for a moment before completely finding the conditioner from my hair. "Kevin," I rinsed my body off throughly, "I think we have something to do after Myra gets dropped off tomorrow."
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I returned to the present when Ayo spoke, but before I could question, the phone in the living room rang. I blinked, unsure of what to do, but I went out and picked it up, hesitantly raising it to my ear. "Hello? Oh, hi Grace. Yeah, I'm at Ayo's. How's Pete? Good? Can I talk to him?" I waited patiently for Grace to switch the phone over, and soon Pete's voice rang through. "Hi, Pete! You're doing ok, then? That's good! Are we still going back to the woods tomorrow? Great! Have our friends come yet? Well...Branch is here. Elliot isn't. I think he's still looking for you. Don't worry. I'm sure he'll come soon. I'm ok. I'm staying at Ayo's. I'll see you in the morning. OK? I love you."
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Bump.