hey guys! someone asked where's alanna...no, i didn't kill her or george off. yea?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kel slept.
A shimmering glow entered the room. Her tall, elegant mother, her stocky father, and gallant brother Anders stepped into the shadows. Kel's dream eyes widened. Stepping out of her body, she knelt on the floor in front of them.
"Now, what are you doing that for?" Anders asked, puzzled. He ruffled her shoulder-length golden-brown hair, smiling.
Kel just stared. She felt his gentle touch. "What...how?"
Grinning, her father replied cheerily, "Oh, yes, thats it. Kel, the gods saw how unhappy you were and granted us this visit. We just came to tell you to be merry and happy and things like that."
Kel gaped. "Okay," she said meekly.
Ilaine gasped in faked shock. "Kel! Giving in so easily?" Hugging her daughter tenderly, she placed a small porcelain cat in her palm. "Yama bless."
"I love you!" Kel cried out.
Her family replied likewise then turned to step back into the everlasting darkness. Anders paused, his eyes twinkling teasingly as he observed her still form with Neal's in the hay. "Kel, what were you doing before we came?"
She looked back at herself, curled tightly in Neal's arms. Kel blushed a delicate pink. "Oh, come on. I'm fifteen." Her mind told her to shut up. This is the last time i will see my brother for a while, and im arguing with him?
Chuckling at the dismay on her pretty face, he simply ignored her words. "That's plenty old. Besides, he's not that bad, and its your protective big brother saying so. Think about it."
At that, he left her and she dropped back into her body. He was her best friend after all. Wasn't he? They were completely platonic...except when his eyes met hers, or when they teased mercilessly...or...? She saw in him everything she admired, trusted.
Everytime he was around, her nerves felt on end. Her heart would speed up its thrum, as if a drum rhythm had invaded her chest. She had died a thousand small deaths on the fatal Chaos day, until she had found him. Was this...love? She didn't know, right now she was too tired.
Returning to her slumber, Kel smiled gratefully in her sleep. She didn't feel guilty anymore about her family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neal woke up midnight, stiff from sleeping in a funny position. Opening one green eye, he nearly jumped as he saw Kel snuggled close. Schooling his muscles to still, he calmed his nerves.
Don't move.
His movements halted, from his freezing toes to his long-fingered hands around her waist. Staring at her, he saw the closed eyes and its long golden lashes, her delicate nose, creamy skin, and softly curved mouth. The silvery moonlight cast pale shadows on her upturned face. Silky gold-tinged curls tumbled over his shoulder, its fine threads moving in his breath.
If her eyes would be open, they would be a glowing, emerald-flecked hazel. Ready with wit and humor, her lovely lips would open with some reassuring epithet, or a charmingly teasing remark. Her hands, curled on his chest, would sooth any frightened animal, let alone do strenuous work.
She was so beautiful.
Yet, there was the tearstains and cut hands to deal with before anything else. Kel's grief had stricken him last night, and for once he could say nothing. Afraid of her pain, Neal's reluctance to move stemmed from the idea to let her rest in blissful sleep.
His eyelids flickered, and he too slept.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At first dawn, Kel's eyes opened hesitantly to the light. Catching sight of Neal, she stirred suddenly. As his eyes opened, they simply stared in shock.
Neal rearranged his long limbs quickly. "Well," he said, falsely cheerful. "Have a good rest, sugarcake?"
She blushed, then hurriedly gathered up the hay they disrupted. "Oh, of course. Ready for a day of grueling work." Turning back, she smiled. "Thanks for yesterday."
His ears burning, Neal managed a small grin. "Don't mention it." In his heart, he was more eloquent. Kel? I would do anything for you.
Rushing into the partitioned areas, Kel kept up the nervous conversation. "Where's Cleon and Solane?"
Peering out the open window, cut straight into the wall, Neal surveyed the scene. "Well, evidently there was a party at the fire. We're the only ones awake, and everyone else is snoring yet."
Laughing, Kel ran out after she had changed her shirt. "Oh, i have to see this."
"Hey, isn't that Cleon over there? And...!" Neal grinned.
"If he and Solane are being as 'happy' as they appear to be," Kel grumbled, "I will be sleeping outside for a long while."
"That will be the two of us."
Venturing outside, they went to rouse some of the partygoers from sleep. Sneaking up on Cleon and Solane, they crept closer...prepared themselves to shout...
That morning, they had plenty of exercise. Their angry roommates chased them clear around camp seven times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kel slept.
A shimmering glow entered the room. Her tall, elegant mother, her stocky father, and gallant brother Anders stepped into the shadows. Kel's dream eyes widened. Stepping out of her body, she knelt on the floor in front of them.
"Now, what are you doing that for?" Anders asked, puzzled. He ruffled her shoulder-length golden-brown hair, smiling.
Kel just stared. She felt his gentle touch. "What...how?"
Grinning, her father replied cheerily, "Oh, yes, thats it. Kel, the gods saw how unhappy you were and granted us this visit. We just came to tell you to be merry and happy and things like that."
Kel gaped. "Okay," she said meekly.
Ilaine gasped in faked shock. "Kel! Giving in so easily?" Hugging her daughter tenderly, she placed a small porcelain cat in her palm. "Yama bless."
"I love you!" Kel cried out.
Her family replied likewise then turned to step back into the everlasting darkness. Anders paused, his eyes twinkling teasingly as he observed her still form with Neal's in the hay. "Kel, what were you doing before we came?"
She looked back at herself, curled tightly in Neal's arms. Kel blushed a delicate pink. "Oh, come on. I'm fifteen." Her mind told her to shut up. This is the last time i will see my brother for a while, and im arguing with him?
Chuckling at the dismay on her pretty face, he simply ignored her words. "That's plenty old. Besides, he's not that bad, and its your protective big brother saying so. Think about it."
At that, he left her and she dropped back into her body. He was her best friend after all. Wasn't he? They were completely platonic...except when his eyes met hers, or when they teased mercilessly...or...? She saw in him everything she admired, trusted.
Everytime he was around, her nerves felt on end. Her heart would speed up its thrum, as if a drum rhythm had invaded her chest. She had died a thousand small deaths on the fatal Chaos day, until she had found him. Was this...love? She didn't know, right now she was too tired.
Returning to her slumber, Kel smiled gratefully in her sleep. She didn't feel guilty anymore about her family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neal woke up midnight, stiff from sleeping in a funny position. Opening one green eye, he nearly jumped as he saw Kel snuggled close. Schooling his muscles to still, he calmed his nerves.
Don't move.
His movements halted, from his freezing toes to his long-fingered hands around her waist. Staring at her, he saw the closed eyes and its long golden lashes, her delicate nose, creamy skin, and softly curved mouth. The silvery moonlight cast pale shadows on her upturned face. Silky gold-tinged curls tumbled over his shoulder, its fine threads moving in his breath.
If her eyes would be open, they would be a glowing, emerald-flecked hazel. Ready with wit and humor, her lovely lips would open with some reassuring epithet, or a charmingly teasing remark. Her hands, curled on his chest, would sooth any frightened animal, let alone do strenuous work.
She was so beautiful.
Yet, there was the tearstains and cut hands to deal with before anything else. Kel's grief had stricken him last night, and for once he could say nothing. Afraid of her pain, Neal's reluctance to move stemmed from the idea to let her rest in blissful sleep.
His eyelids flickered, and he too slept.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At first dawn, Kel's eyes opened hesitantly to the light. Catching sight of Neal, she stirred suddenly. As his eyes opened, they simply stared in shock.
Neal rearranged his long limbs quickly. "Well," he said, falsely cheerful. "Have a good rest, sugarcake?"
She blushed, then hurriedly gathered up the hay they disrupted. "Oh, of course. Ready for a day of grueling work." Turning back, she smiled. "Thanks for yesterday."
His ears burning, Neal managed a small grin. "Don't mention it." In his heart, he was more eloquent. Kel? I would do anything for you.
Rushing into the partitioned areas, Kel kept up the nervous conversation. "Where's Cleon and Solane?"
Peering out the open window, cut straight into the wall, Neal surveyed the scene. "Well, evidently there was a party at the fire. We're the only ones awake, and everyone else is snoring yet."
Laughing, Kel ran out after she had changed her shirt. "Oh, i have to see this."
"Hey, isn't that Cleon over there? And...!" Neal grinned.
"If he and Solane are being as 'happy' as they appear to be," Kel grumbled, "I will be sleeping outside for a long while."
"That will be the two of us."
Venturing outside, they went to rouse some of the partygoers from sleep. Sneaking up on Cleon and Solane, they crept closer...prepared themselves to shout...
That morning, they had plenty of exercise. Their angry roommates chased them clear around camp seven times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~