Careless Blue
Chapter 1
Author: Silent Moon
e-mail: silentmoonstar@yahoo.com
Rated: R
Genre: Romance/Alt. Reality
Disclaimer: standard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
moon beauty to live and to love
in delirious bitter gardens
the vision floods under the mind sky
night breaths, whispering symphony
love light relieves
kirsty hawkshaw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mud. She was covered in mud. That was what he remembered most vividly later.
Head to toe, hair hands and toes...all covered in caked-on mud.
The carriage pulled through the gate and two of the maids dragged her kicking and
screaming out. They spotted him and let out relieved sighs,
"Darien, thank the heavens...here, take her and make her wash."
He had stared incredulously at them. Had he heard correctly?
"You want me to wash THAT?" He'd asked skeptically.
The two maids had laughed as they thrust the thrashing, muddy creature at him,
"She's just a girl--and you're a strong lad. Go on."
And so, she was the first girl he ever had in his arms--and he the first man
to touch her. And it was NOT pleasant.
She was loud and rough and very very muddy.
"Put me down this instant BOY! I will NOT be washed!!" She'd hollared violently.
"Why is she here?" Darien had asked as he held her easily over one shoulder, trying
not to get kicked in the face.
One of the maids turned wearily to him, "She's to be the Count's next wife--once
we clean her up."
At this the girl shouted violently, "I shall be NO ONE'S WIFE! I'm only fifteen!"
The maid shrugged, "No matter, once you're sixteen he will marry you and that will give
us time to work on your atrocious manners! You should count yourself lucky, this is
a far better fate than the one you were heading for."
He felt her stiffen, then return once again to shouting, "Put me DOWN boy!!!!"
The maids shooed him off to the tub.
And so he carted the young girl down the halls to the bath, "I'm fifteen too." He
informed her between shouts.
"Am I supposed to care what age you are boy? Put me down!!!"
This time he obeyed as he dumped her into the tub and held her there.
"I do NOT wish to be washed." She informed him, "I am perfectly happy being dirty!"
He almost laughed at that, "I HAVE to wash you, so hold still!"
He scrubbed her face as she tried valiantly to pull away. Then he pulled her
sopping rag of a dress over her head and she squealed in protest, ducking under
the water.
"You aren't allowed to see me boy!"
"Stop calling me boy!" He blurted back, "And come up so I can wash you GIRL!" He
returned with a smirk.
She frowned as he forcefully pulled her up to scrub her shoulders and arms.
"Further, I have to make sure you're quite clean." He lectured.
"No!"
"Yes!" He pulled her rather violently and tumbled over backwards so she landed on top
of him, naked.
She opened her mouth to scream when suddenly he hollared instead, looking down at her
gently rounded chest pressed against him, "Y-you're not a girl!!!" He cried, throwing
her off him and backing away--eyes wide as saucers.
"You said you were just a girl!" He yelled desperately and then turned to look away,
thoroughly humiliated at seeing her naked when she was a woman.
She stood there a moment, trying vainly to cover herself and then her temper returned,
"I TOLD you to leave me be!" She scolded and watched him frown angrily.
"How was I to know?" He shot back.
Suddenly a rather cold draft blew in and he knew--without looking--that she shivered.
"I-Is there a blanket I may use?" She said, her teeth beginning to chatter.
He did his best to stumble over to it without looking at her and finally gave up utterly.
"Oh for--well it's too late, now I know what you look like so it doesn't matter!"
He gathered up the blanket and wrapped it carefully around her. And it was then he noticed,
with her long golden hair loose and wet down her back, and her skin free of mud, that she
had startling blue eyes.
"You're actually very pretty." He smiled kindly, "Under all that mud."
She scowled and stuck out her tongue, "So? I prefer mud!"
He laughed good naturedly and she couldn't help but smile at him over it.
"Who are you?" She asked cautiously.
"Darien." He said, smiling at her, "Darien Chiba. The Count is my God Father."
"Oh." She returned softly.
He looked at her expectantly, "And you are..??" He finally asked.
She frowned, "None of your business!"
"I told you my name!"
"That doesn't mean I have to tell you mine!" She said and stuck out her tongue.
His eyes narrowed, "You had better tell me or I'll think up a dreadful name for you
and call you by it FOREVER!!!" He threatened.
She turned haughtily away and stared sullenly at the wall a long moment,
"Call me whatever you want."
And there was something almost hurting in her tone that made him stop from calling
her 'Mud-girl' for all eternity.
Instead he turned her round slowly. He regarded her stubborn, sad face and looked
thoughtful a moment, "Blue. You have blue eyes so I shall call you blue."
He smiled, "Careless Blue...."
She looked at him strangely, "That's not a name!"
He frowned again, "It certainly is! I say so!"
"That doesn't make it a name!"
"Then I'll call you MUD GIRL!!!!"
"That's even worse!"
"So, take your pick!"
He caught her by the shoulders as he said it and his strength frightened her a moment.
She stared into his eyes, "Fine," She conceded, "Blue it is."
He smiled, "Good. Well then Blue--how came you to be here?"
Her face darkened, "None of your business!"
He let go of her so suddenly she nearly fell.
"Stop saying that!!!"
"I can say whatever I please!"
"No you can't!"
She shoved him, "Yes I CAN!"
He stumbled backwards in surprise, before running at her as she screamed.
He threw her over his shoulder again, tore off the blanket and threw her back
in the tub with a splash.
"How dare you!" She screamed.
"You deserved it!" He informed her.
She splashed him with the muddy water, right in the face, "Take that!"
He reached over, grabbed her by the shoulders and dunked her, "Take THAT!" He returned.
Now she jumped out of the tub and tackled him to the ground--and this time he wasn't
embarassed. In fact he was furious as she pushed his face down with her hands, yelling
at him.
"Get off me!" He managed through the muffled smudge of his mouth.
"Never!" She hollared in triumph.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???" The older Maids voice cut in making them both stop and
turn to stare at her.
They both pointed at the other, "It's his/her fault!"
The Maid frowned, stomping over and grabbing her by the arm, "Come along girl!"
She pulled her towards the door as 'Blue' made one last face at Darien.
He stuck out his tongue in reply and then smiled. What a lively girl! He'd never
be bored again!
"At least you're washed..." The Maid muttered as she threw another blanket around
the skinny, pale-skinned creature.
She managed to wriggle the squirming girl into a dress and brush out her hair before
she tore down the hall and out the door, sprinting across the field without stopping.
Darien watched her go as the Maid stood panting in the door, brush still in hand.
He walked over to her, "Why is she here?"
The Maid looked at him then, "Her parents are dead. The Count saw her at a party
they held some weeks ago and asked for her hand--but they said no. She was still
too young to marry, but with them gone she had no place to go. She was living like
a wild animal when we picked her up--working in the fields of her family's farm
as though it would do any good--poor lass."
She put a hand on Darien's shoulder, "Maybe you can comfort her."
Darien nodded thoughtfully before heading out after her. He found her sitting in
the grass staring out over the hill top to the skyline. She was biting her lip to
keep from crying.
"Do you want to tell me now?"
"Tell you what?" She bit out harshly.
"How you came to be here?"
"No."
"You might feel better if you do."
"What would you know boy?" She said, turning further away from him.
"My parents are dead too. That's why I'm here."
She froze and then looked over slowly to meet his eyes. She was silent a long
moment, then asked, "How did they die?"
"They got sick..." He said softly, "About three years ago...I've been here ever since."
She nodded, "Mine got sick too. Mother died first....then Father..." Her voice broke,
"I didn't want to leave the farm...."
A tear made it's way down her cheek and he surprised her by catching it, "Maybe now
neither of us will be lonely." He said it cautiously, almost as a question.
She nodded, looking steadily at him, "My name's Serena..."
He smiled, "I'm still going to call you Blue."
She smiled back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1
Author: Silent Moon
e-mail: silentmoonstar@yahoo.com
Rated: R
Genre: Romance/Alt. Reality
Disclaimer: standard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
moon beauty to live and to love
in delirious bitter gardens
the vision floods under the mind sky
night breaths, whispering symphony
love light relieves
kirsty hawkshaw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mud. She was covered in mud. That was what he remembered most vividly later.
Head to toe, hair hands and toes...all covered in caked-on mud.
The carriage pulled through the gate and two of the maids dragged her kicking and
screaming out. They spotted him and let out relieved sighs,
"Darien, thank the heavens...here, take her and make her wash."
He had stared incredulously at them. Had he heard correctly?
"You want me to wash THAT?" He'd asked skeptically.
The two maids had laughed as they thrust the thrashing, muddy creature at him,
"She's just a girl--and you're a strong lad. Go on."
And so, she was the first girl he ever had in his arms--and he the first man
to touch her. And it was NOT pleasant.
She was loud and rough and very very muddy.
"Put me down this instant BOY! I will NOT be washed!!" She'd hollared violently.
"Why is she here?" Darien had asked as he held her easily over one shoulder, trying
not to get kicked in the face.
One of the maids turned wearily to him, "She's to be the Count's next wife--once
we clean her up."
At this the girl shouted violently, "I shall be NO ONE'S WIFE! I'm only fifteen!"
The maid shrugged, "No matter, once you're sixteen he will marry you and that will give
us time to work on your atrocious manners! You should count yourself lucky, this is
a far better fate than the one you were heading for."
He felt her stiffen, then return once again to shouting, "Put me DOWN boy!!!!"
The maids shooed him off to the tub.
And so he carted the young girl down the halls to the bath, "I'm fifteen too." He
informed her between shouts.
"Am I supposed to care what age you are boy? Put me down!!!"
This time he obeyed as he dumped her into the tub and held her there.
"I do NOT wish to be washed." She informed him, "I am perfectly happy being dirty!"
He almost laughed at that, "I HAVE to wash you, so hold still!"
He scrubbed her face as she tried valiantly to pull away. Then he pulled her
sopping rag of a dress over her head and she squealed in protest, ducking under
the water.
"You aren't allowed to see me boy!"
"Stop calling me boy!" He blurted back, "And come up so I can wash you GIRL!" He
returned with a smirk.
She frowned as he forcefully pulled her up to scrub her shoulders and arms.
"Further, I have to make sure you're quite clean." He lectured.
"No!"
"Yes!" He pulled her rather violently and tumbled over backwards so she landed on top
of him, naked.
She opened her mouth to scream when suddenly he hollared instead, looking down at her
gently rounded chest pressed against him, "Y-you're not a girl!!!" He cried, throwing
her off him and backing away--eyes wide as saucers.
"You said you were just a girl!" He yelled desperately and then turned to look away,
thoroughly humiliated at seeing her naked when she was a woman.
She stood there a moment, trying vainly to cover herself and then her temper returned,
"I TOLD you to leave me be!" She scolded and watched him frown angrily.
"How was I to know?" He shot back.
Suddenly a rather cold draft blew in and he knew--without looking--that she shivered.
"I-Is there a blanket I may use?" She said, her teeth beginning to chatter.
He did his best to stumble over to it without looking at her and finally gave up utterly.
"Oh for--well it's too late, now I know what you look like so it doesn't matter!"
He gathered up the blanket and wrapped it carefully around her. And it was then he noticed,
with her long golden hair loose and wet down her back, and her skin free of mud, that she
had startling blue eyes.
"You're actually very pretty." He smiled kindly, "Under all that mud."
She scowled and stuck out her tongue, "So? I prefer mud!"
He laughed good naturedly and she couldn't help but smile at him over it.
"Who are you?" She asked cautiously.
"Darien." He said, smiling at her, "Darien Chiba. The Count is my God Father."
"Oh." She returned softly.
He looked at her expectantly, "And you are..??" He finally asked.
She frowned, "None of your business!"
"I told you my name!"
"That doesn't mean I have to tell you mine!" She said and stuck out her tongue.
His eyes narrowed, "You had better tell me or I'll think up a dreadful name for you
and call you by it FOREVER!!!" He threatened.
She turned haughtily away and stared sullenly at the wall a long moment,
"Call me whatever you want."
And there was something almost hurting in her tone that made him stop from calling
her 'Mud-girl' for all eternity.
Instead he turned her round slowly. He regarded her stubborn, sad face and looked
thoughtful a moment, "Blue. You have blue eyes so I shall call you blue."
He smiled, "Careless Blue...."
She looked at him strangely, "That's not a name!"
He frowned again, "It certainly is! I say so!"
"That doesn't make it a name!"
"Then I'll call you MUD GIRL!!!!"
"That's even worse!"
"So, take your pick!"
He caught her by the shoulders as he said it and his strength frightened her a moment.
She stared into his eyes, "Fine," She conceded, "Blue it is."
He smiled, "Good. Well then Blue--how came you to be here?"
Her face darkened, "None of your business!"
He let go of her so suddenly she nearly fell.
"Stop saying that!!!"
"I can say whatever I please!"
"No you can't!"
She shoved him, "Yes I CAN!"
He stumbled backwards in surprise, before running at her as she screamed.
He threw her over his shoulder again, tore off the blanket and threw her back
in the tub with a splash.
"How dare you!" She screamed.
"You deserved it!" He informed her.
She splashed him with the muddy water, right in the face, "Take that!"
He reached over, grabbed her by the shoulders and dunked her, "Take THAT!" He returned.
Now she jumped out of the tub and tackled him to the ground--and this time he wasn't
embarassed. In fact he was furious as she pushed his face down with her hands, yelling
at him.
"Get off me!" He managed through the muffled smudge of his mouth.
"Never!" She hollared in triumph.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???" The older Maids voice cut in making them both stop and
turn to stare at her.
They both pointed at the other, "It's his/her fault!"
The Maid frowned, stomping over and grabbing her by the arm, "Come along girl!"
She pulled her towards the door as 'Blue' made one last face at Darien.
He stuck out his tongue in reply and then smiled. What a lively girl! He'd never
be bored again!
"At least you're washed..." The Maid muttered as she threw another blanket around
the skinny, pale-skinned creature.
She managed to wriggle the squirming girl into a dress and brush out her hair before
she tore down the hall and out the door, sprinting across the field without stopping.
Darien watched her go as the Maid stood panting in the door, brush still in hand.
He walked over to her, "Why is she here?"
The Maid looked at him then, "Her parents are dead. The Count saw her at a party
they held some weeks ago and asked for her hand--but they said no. She was still
too young to marry, but with them gone she had no place to go. She was living like
a wild animal when we picked her up--working in the fields of her family's farm
as though it would do any good--poor lass."
She put a hand on Darien's shoulder, "Maybe you can comfort her."
Darien nodded thoughtfully before heading out after her. He found her sitting in
the grass staring out over the hill top to the skyline. She was biting her lip to
keep from crying.
"Do you want to tell me now?"
"Tell you what?" She bit out harshly.
"How you came to be here?"
"No."
"You might feel better if you do."
"What would you know boy?" She said, turning further away from him.
"My parents are dead too. That's why I'm here."
She froze and then looked over slowly to meet his eyes. She was silent a long
moment, then asked, "How did they die?"
"They got sick..." He said softly, "About three years ago...I've been here ever since."
She nodded, "Mine got sick too. Mother died first....then Father..." Her voice broke,
"I didn't want to leave the farm...."
A tear made it's way down her cheek and he surprised her by catching it, "Maybe now
neither of us will be lonely." He said it cautiously, almost as a question.
She nodded, looking steadily at him, "My name's Serena..."
He smiled, "I'm still going to call you Blue."
She smiled back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~