Post by m!chelle--✗ on Sept 23, 2009 14:20:09 GMT -5
Jaclyn sat at the table in the small kitchen of the upstairs part of her shop. It was only hers now. She was the last triplet left. She was the only one who'd made it out-... She shook uncontrollably, trying not to let herself break down again. She must stay strong, for there were those worse off than her. Indeed, a good handful of refugees had come to stay in the shop, upstairs and down, on makeshift cots. She had offered her hospitalities to the healers and the injured before they had even tried to make the journey back to Tumosked. That had been... two days ago, now. Most of the circus and some of the others who had joined their ranks had come back to Tumosked. Those who were well enough, anyways. The rest had either stayed in Tymore to rest, or to help rebuild the torn city. The elves had also returned home to their forested mountains, bringing with them their wounded and their dead. Jaclyn took another deep breath to calm herself, and gained control of her emotions just in time for a young healer to slip into the kitchen to fill a water basin.
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
Varen gazed up at the shop before him--alone. After spending two days in Tymore, he'd finally returned to help in Tumosked. The streets, contrary to the normal array of travelers, were now littered with townspeople, healers, and the injured. Some had done their best to lighten up the mood of the city again...the faint noise of music could be heard coming from the town square. It didn't do much, but it was better than the silence that hung upon the further streets.
Drawing in a breath, he entered the shop through the main entrance, to be greeted by the stares of a small group of refugees on the first floor. Some were laying upon cots, others were standing about, conversing quietly amongst themselves. Jaclyn and Nyra were nowhere in sight. After getting word from the nearest refugee, he learned that Nyra was gone, having left with the elves. Varen nodded, but felt his heart sink a bit--he hadn't been able to say goodbye. ...And Jaclyn was upstairs. Bracing himself, he quietly ascended up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the short hallway, in the kitchen, he found the Charter mage sitting alone at the table. "Jaclyn?" he said quietly, not wanting to startle her.
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Sept 23, 2009 15:20:48 GMT -5
Jaclyn started, the soft word jolting her even though it was so quiet. The healer brushed past Varen without a second glance, leaving the two alone. Slowly she turned to look at him, eyes wide and bloodshot. "Varen..." Her voice was hoarse. "What... what are you doing here?" Her tone was not accusatory, more just distant and confused.
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
Varen took a couple slow steps forward, hesitant. "Were you not expecting me to come back?" He reached out, gently placing a hand on Jaclyn's shoulder and kneeling so that he was at eye-level with her. "I would never leave you like this."
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Sept 27, 2009 17:28:35 GMT -5
She stared at him, eyes half-glazed. "I-... I just wasn't sure. I don't really know what to expect any more," she muttered.
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
"I'm sorry," he murmured, reaching up to brush a few stray hairs away from her face. "I'm so sorry." His gaze flicked to the window for a brief moment, and without looking at her, said, "Your sister is alive, though. I'm not sure if you were expecting that."
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Sept 27, 2009 17:40:28 GMT -5
She shook her head slowly. "Didn't I just say I don't know or care to expect anything anymore?" A small, fluttering laugh escaped her lips. It sounded thin and shaky, but the faint smile was better than the blank look she'd been giving him before.
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
When he looked back, Varen gave a slight smile in return. "Well, you said you weren't sure. You seemed to have assumed that I wasn't coming back." He removed his hand from her shoulder and sat in the chair next to her's. "...I-I could stay, you know...and help out or something...I'm not sure what you were planning on doing but..." His voice trailed off nervously, not sure what she'd say about that. She had every right to refuse, after all. But it hadn't been his fault, right...? The guilty part of his mind reminded him that a small part of it was.
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Oct 1, 2009 12:50:57 GMT -5
Slowly her eyes rose to meet his. "Are you free?"
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
He was quiet for a moment, unable to find his voice as the question echoed distantly in a corner of his mind. Freedom...he thought that he'd know the true meaning of it by now. An odd expression passed just briefly over his face, his eyes never leaving Jaclyn's. After a few stretching moments, he said, "As free as I was when I realized I could never hurt you."
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Oct 5, 2009 20:32:38 GMT -5
She gave a weak smile. "Oh, good, then we shouldn't have any problems." Her eyes were still sad, but tentatively she reached out for him, as if she wasn't quite sure if she was dreaming or not.
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
Varen scooted his chair closer to Jaclyn's, wrapping his arms as gently as he could around her shoulders. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, close to her ear...just resting there, eyes closed. Exhausted in some ways, re-energized in others. Relieved about many things, worried for the future. It was complicated, but most importantly he had her.
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Oct 5, 2009 20:43:45 GMT -5
Jaclyn buried her face in his chest, clinging to him with her slender arms. "I missed you," she mumbled, voice a little warmer than it had been before.
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl
He sighed, and pulled her in just a little closer, but not enough to hurt her. "I missed you, too," he murmured into her ear. "I'm sorry." Sorry for her losses, sorry for what he'd done...and sorry to have drifted so far away from her. He never realized up until this point how much a person could miss something so much.
Post by m!chelle--✗ on Oct 5, 2009 21:14:19 GMT -5
She couldn't help but smile. "Well stop being sorry. I'm tired of all the sadness. Be happy."
"There are two things that'll get you far in life, so far as I'm concerned; a spunky attitude and a vocabulary of interesting words." ~ Imogene, The Blue Girl