Hehe, yeah, so I realized I kind of hadn't updated this… ever. I'M SORRY,IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN, I SWEAR.
I decided I needed to, since it actually ties in very closely with Breaching asphodel, though it won't be apparent until this one is almost over(though, I don't plan for it to be very long, I just need to get Kira's story told, so she can play her role in the other one. I may end up making this one a priority, if I have to, because I don't want to give it away in Breaching Asphodel)
So, onto those way-too-old reviews!
ELLE55- Wow, I'm not even sure you read my stories anymore, it's been so long. Haha, I don't blame you, it must get old to put up with my crap. But yes, you were actually both the first and second reviews! Distinctive, you say? Well, we'll see about that…
FFC3- Yeah, I know I can't just be expecting a million reviews. I was happy to be over 20, before, so to hit 3 digits was crazy. It's funny, too, you said my plot isn't very clear at all, whereas ELLE said it's distinctive. I think you're closer, as when I published this, even I hadn't figured out the whole thing. XD
PurpleDilemma- Thank you! Yes, it's sad, but necessary for my plot!(sorry it took me so long to update… It won't happen again!)
KikaKatTIOI- Yeah, I thought that as soon as I posted it, too. I was re-reading my chapter and got to the part where her bangs were in her face, and though "she sounds just like Toph". Yeah, I'm not sure how fond of Bunny she'd be, with the whole tunnel thing. If I didn't make it clear in the last chapter, she's afraid of what she isn't physically sure will not move, like the ground or the trees, because she knows she doesn't need to see them to be sure they're there. I would think her relationship with Bunny would be complicated.
snowbumb- Thank you! And for the record, I did have every intention of continuing this, it really just slipped my mind. Which is bad, since she's important in the other story, but no one will understand what's going on if I don't finish this one.
Kentario- Thank you! What story, I would love to read it, though I don't like it when an OC will completely take over the story. I like it when they have a nice harmony with the actual cannon characters. And actually, that's almost exactly what happened when Jack met Willow in my first RotG story, but it was a great suggestion.
ONWARD TO STORY!
Kira awoke the musky aroma of turkey bacon wafting through the air, lightly mingled with cheese, egg and a touch of pepper. She smiled, realizing that today was one of the rare occasions that Julie was making breakfast, and probably omelets, by the smell. She slipped from the warm nest of her quilt, recoiling as the chill of the wooden floorboards seeped into her bare feet.
Her wrist still ached, but if she didn't move it much, it didn't really bother her.
After slipping a pair of thick, fluffy socks on, she made her way to the kitchen, where she heard the soft scrape of the plastic spatula on the pan.
"Good morning, Julie." she greeted, sitting down at the breakfast bar built into the island at the edge of the room
"'Oh, morning, Kira. I thought I'd make breakfast today, since I don't think I'm going to be going anywhere else. According to the news, most of the shops in town have been completely snowed out, and it's going to take hours to unblock them all." Julie's chipper voice replied. The young woman had shoulder length, dirty blond hair which was currently wrapped in a loose bun, several thick hanks hanging messily from the rough knot.
Kira's lips tugged into a small, knowing smile. "Oh, really? Well, I'm not complaining, since I get an omelet out of it."
Julie grinned and shook her head. "As always, that's right. Sometimes, I almost don't believe that you really can't see. I can only smell the bacon."
"Well, your nose hasn't spent the last six years growing as sharp as a dog's either." Kira pointed out.
"I suppose you're right." Julie chuckled. The small omelet slid from the pan onto a yellow plate, steam curling out in thick vines. "Here you go, sweetie. It's hot, but I made it just how you like it."
"Thanks, Julie." said Kira, her fingers fluttering through the steam as she savored the light warmth that rolled onto them. After a few minutes, the sensation faded and she picked up the fork beside the plate.
The lightly salty taste of the bacon and cheese blossomed in her mouth, every flavor going together just right. "This is great, Julie." she complimented around the bite.
"Aw, thanks. I wish I could cook more often, but mom's getting kinda slow, and needs a lot of help these days." she said, pouring the mixture of egg and spices into the pan for her own omelet.
"I know what you mean. The first time I ever went into there, just from hearing it, it sounded crazy. I can't even imagine running it, even with sight." Kira mused, chewing thoughtfully on another bite of omelet.
"Exactly. I hope she does alright on her own for a day, because I don't think I'll be able to open the door to my car, let alone start it. Otherwise, I'm going to have to walk" The pan hissed quietly as she flipped the round disk of egg.
"I think the rest of the kids will be pretty occupied by the snow by then." said Kira, standing with her empty plate. Usually, she didn't eat so quickly, but it had been months since Julie had last cooked and she hadn't eaten dinner the night before. "That was really nice, thanks again. If it's alright with you, I'm going to go walk around a bit."
"Sure, no problem. Just don't slip, because there's ice on some of the sidewalks." Julie answered automatically.
She nodded, padding back to her room to get dressed
Her hands trailed over the clothes in her closet, before pulling a pair of thick jeans out, along with a long-sleeved shirt and a thick jacket. She rarely wore anything but jeans, because they were universal and it wouldn't usually matter what she wore with them. However, most of her tops and jackets stuck to darker shades and earth tones anyways, since she couldn't really match them. She preferred not to stand out anymore than the slender cane made her.
The soft cotton settled over her skin, hugging her small figure a bit more closely than most of her shirts did, but that was simply because the rest of her shirts were either in the laundry or short-sleeved. Not that she particularly minded it, because that stereotypical teenage girl whispered in the back of her mind that it would only do her justice if she happened to run into Jack again. Or he sought her out, which, if she was honest with herself, was pretty likely since they had only recently found each other again.
Oh well, she was going to be wearing a jacket over it anyways, so it didn't really matter.
After winding the scarf Julie had knitted her around her neck, requested in navy blue, she took up her cane for the first time that morning and walked to the front door, looping it onto her left hand instead of her fractured right.
"Bye, Julie." she called, receiving a garbled reply to indicate the blond had begun her own breakfast.
The brisk cool of the morning air greeted her face as the door clicked quietly shut. Her cane brushed the thick layer of snow gently as she made her way down the sidewalk. Once she had reached the end, though, her steps became cautious and she was very mindful of the texture of the concrete beneath her cane. Julie had been right, as ice was a frequent occurrence on the ground, but she managed not to slip.
As she neared the park, the faint shouts and squeals reached her ears, whereas they would have been lost in the wind to most others. The crunch of feet moving around her were never in close proximity, partly out of the simple courtesy to keep from hitting her as anyone would do, but partly because they held to the prejudice that, since she was blind, she would run into them if they walked closer than three feet.
The delighted giggles were now much louder and the faint poof of snowballs hitting home could even be heard. Her cane brushed the worn newel post on the fence that enclosed the park, telling her that she had arrived. She took a deep breath, allowing the crisp air to fill her lungs with the sweet perfume of winter happiness. She shifted her course to the right, expanding the steady arc of her cane in search of the wooden bench she knew wasn't far off.
Predictably, after a few more steps, the white fiberglass ricocheted against the iron base of the bench. She brushed the snow from the smooth slats, before sliding into the end. She slipped a hand into her pocket, fingers grasping a few small squares of thin paper, an ever-present item in almost every one of her jackets. She pulled one of the small slips from its resting place in the warm depths of her pocket, taking a moment to consider, before beginning to fold it.
Origami was something Julie had suggested to her a few months ago, as a way to have better coordination with things she couldn't see. So, over the process of a few weeks, she taught Kira how to do three different pieces, by folding heaps of them and letting Kira unfold them until she could put them back together without too much difficulty. Now, she passed the time trying to re-create the designs. She was usually able to finish them now, but it didn't take a blind person to know that they weren't the prettiest little things, but she still practiced them, if nothing else to pass the time.
"Hey Kira."
She started, the tiny paper crunching as her finger slipped and squashed the folds.
"Oops." said Jack sheepishly from behind her, and she heard his feet crunch quietly in the snow as he dropped to the ground. "Sorry, I, um, forgot."
"It's fine, I know this isn't really something you're used to." she said, cracking a small grin. She brushed the snow from beside her and the planks shifted beneath her as Jack sat next to her.
"So, what are you doing?" he asked, looking down at the rumpled paper in her hands.
"I was trying to fold a paper lily. I've recently taken to origami, since I can do it without needing to see the paper. Although, I think this one would be beyond hope, sight or not." she said ruefully, stuffing it back into her pocket. "What's new with you?"
"Not much. Just finding an old friend who mysteriously vanished one day without a trace." Jack answered.
Kira's smile shrunk by a fraction. "It's not like I did it on purpose." she said quietly. "I wasn't planning for my house to catch on fire."
Jack's eyes widened. "No, that's not what I meant!" he said quickly. "I meant, you just vanished one day, and then out of nowhere I just happen to find you in the top of a tree."
"I know, Jack. Just because I can't see you doesn't mean I can't still tease you."
"Oh really? Well, now that I know you haven't lost your touch with the snowball fights, I won't feel bad the next time I let one fly." the Winter Spirit taunted.
"Oh, I see how you are." Kira pouted, filling her voice with mocking hurt.
Jack playfully nudged her side, causing her to nudge back and creating a miniature nudge battle that Jack eventually won when he almost pushed Kira off the end of the bench.
"Oops." he said again, tugging her back into the wood.
"That's beginning to sound like your catch phrase, or something." she commented.
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.
"That depends on why you're saying it."Oops" for almost pushing me off the bench isn't bad, just annoying on my part, but "Oops" for, say, making someone slip and sprain their wrist... not so good." she said pointedly.
"For the record, I didn't say oops that time. I was making sure you were alright." he countered.
"True... but you still made me slip."
They laughed and the idle banter continued on for another couple of hours. The snow had started up again and was lightly falling to the ground, putting a fresh layer on top of the thick blanket that already covered everything.
Finally, Kira seemed to notice how long it had been, and she pushed up her sleeve to reveal an odd watch without hands or even numbers. In their place, were four little dials with raised dots on them that gradually moved. Her fingers pressed a small button on the side and the crystal face popped up. She lightly brushed the raised dots on the dials, Braille numbers, Jack realized. It was a Braille watch.
"Oh, wow, I didn't realize how long I had been here. I should probably go home before Julie gets worried." she said, brushing away the snow that had accumulated on her sleeves and jeans before standing.
"Mind if I walk with you?" Jack asked, also standing.
"Sure thing." She grinned. "Just stay on the ground, I don't need you freezing the cement in front of me."
"You know I wouldn't do that." he said, though he was also grinning.
"Really? Why not?" she asked, but there was an... edge, to her tone.
"Because..." he trailed off, realizing there wasn't really a way to answer that without offending her.
"Because I can't see, right? Jack, I'm not helpless." she said gently, but there was a firm edge to her voice.
"So, do you want me to freeze the ground?" he asked, slightly confused. She hadn't gotten any easier to understand in six years.
"Not particularly. I only asked to see what you would say." she shrugged, continuing to walk. The park was now behind them, though its commotion was still loud and clear. Once again, they found themselves in a companionable silence, at a loss for words despite the years of distance. The sun was at a slight westward tilt once they arrived at the pale green house once more.
"So, where do you spend your time here?" she asked suddenly, and it was a few seconds before Jack answered her question.
"Oh, um, nowhere in particular. I'm in the park a lot, because that's where Jamie and the rest of his friends usually are, but besides that, I just... drift around." he answered.
"Jamie? Jamie Bennett? I think I know him. He was one of the few people here who... kind of didn't even acknowledge the fact I was blind. He treated me like I was just like anyone else. It was a nice change of pace." Kira commented.
"Yeah, that sounds like Jamie." Jack agreed.
"You should introduce us sometime. It'd be hilarious if you introduced us, even though we went to the same high school." she said, running her fingers along her keys.
"Why me?" he asked as she slipped the rounded one into the door.
Kira deadpanned. "Jack, for all intents and purposes, you're a myth. To most, you don't exist." she paused, her hand freezing mid-turn. "I think his reaction would be interesting, too. It'd be kind of funny if a living legend introduced two people who already knew each other. Sorry, I'm rambling again." The key finished its rotation.
"Naw, it's fine. Just like old times." Jack grinned.
"Yeah." she whispered. "Just like old times."
(*)
"No!"
Jack laughed as Jamie scrambled to put the papers from his desk back in order from where Jack had sent them flying around the room.
"Jack, that's not funny! I have to turn that in!" he said, exasperated, plopping the stack of shuffled papers down on the, already cluttered, desk.
"Nah, you'll be fine." the Winter Spirit laughed.
"Okay, fine, when you're writing some monotonous final exam paper over molecular physics, remind me to throw it everywhere for you." the human grumbled.
"I'll get back to you on that one." Jack chuckled.
"So, was there a particular reason you decided to come in a blow around three weeks of research?" Jamie questioned.
"Sort of." He answered, leaning his staff against a wall and perching on his dresser. "You know a girl named Kira?"
Jamie turned to fully face him. "Yeah, she graduated last year from my school. She was a year ahead of me. Why?"
Jack noticed he didn't mention her blindness. "I ran into her in the woods yesterday. Believe it or not, I actually knew her six years ago, when she lived in Harrisburg."
"Knew…? Were you there during the fire?" Jamie asked. He knew what had happened to her, too.
"No. I had come back for the winter, but by the time I was there, the house was already empty." Jack answered.
"I'm sure this won't help, but you must have just missed her. She said the fire started when it started to get cold." Jamie looked at his lap, fidgeting. "She said she had really been looking forward to you coming back."
Jack didn't respond for a long moment.
"Y'know, it's not your fault." Jamie said suddenly, misinterpreting Jack's expression.
Jack glanced up at him. "Yeah, I know, I don't think I could've stopped it even if I was there. It's just… so much is different now. I mean, she does what she can to make it easier, but it's almost not fair that she's the one trying to make it easy for me. I mean, little things, like I can't fly next to her anymore, because it freaks her out when she can't hear where I am. Or, she's afraid to fly now, because it scares her she can't feel the ground, or something solid. Jamie, she used to love flying." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's all just so different."
Jamie nodded thoughtfully. "I kind of see what you mean. I didn't know her before the accident, but there were some things we had to do differently. The school went on a field trip two years ago, and the front of the building had a revolving door. The teachers actually had to ask an employee to unlock the emergency exit, because she refused to go through it."
"Because she couldn't see where the door was." Jack said, catching on. Jamie nodded.
"She does the same thing if there's escalators. She takes the stairs." Jamie moved to sit in the edge of his bed. "But it's really not all that bad. Yeah, it was a, little weird at first, but you'll get used to it. For the most part, it's not a big deal, you just have to think before you do some stuff."
Jack gave Jamie a grin. "Thanks, Jamie. I'll let you get back to that exciting project now. "
Jamie groaned. "Don't remind me!"
I'm going to make a real effort to update this as often as I do Breaching Asphodel, which I should be able to pull off since the chapters are shorter. Please review so I know which of you are left!
