Title: Epiphany.
Rating: PG-13.
Pairing: Irvine/Fiona.
Notes: I can't quit writing. It's my nature to express myself through
words. I can't write poetry, though I've tried. I'm a perfectionist. A
horrible one. Who can't do what she wants to do properly. But I digress.
And persist.
To you flamers, I do believe UpsideDown-san phrased it properly when she
(he?) said, "Fuck you." I will no longer stand for your blatant, moronic
displays of damned Nazism. Quit it. Leave me alone. I'm sure you high and
mighty imbeciles have more important things to deal with.
By the way, I'd like to thank you all for your kind reviews. For those who
asked me to email them, I'll try. I'm relatively busy with school rolling
in and an abrupt abundance of real life problems. I'll try, though.
- - - -
His gaze was intent upon her, as she worked.
It was amusing, how infatuation could grow just as one watched another. She moved with swift, knowing, fluid motions - not one pause, not even to breathe - as she worked. Her expressions varied from cheer to determination, as she worked - though not now. It was..
Abnormal.
He felt as though he were in a dream and couldn't place his finger properly upon the details. Everything seemed blurry.
Except for the fact that he was falling in love with her.
She spoke not, her hands deftly moving over the ridges and curves, sweeping away endless amounts of film. It was growing annoying, the dust and dirt, and Zi knows what else, which had gathered upon the face.
No longer was it a simple mural, a plain indentation in the wall, but something far more.. larger. Deeper. It spanned into the wall. It circled about and shaped into something. Her fingers tingled and burned ass he touched it. Her mind screamed it. It couldn't be a lie.
He would have loved to talk. Babbling mindlessly, even, would have been a joy! Something to take his mind away from the throb upon his thigh. He shouldn't have walked the distance - though he had wanted to see her! So terribly. So horribly. The next time, He told himself silently, noting as she bit her lip and muttered something inaudible, I walk out the gates. No more.
"Irvine?"
"Mm?"
"Could you hand me that pick?"
He hesitated. Why? He hadn't the faintest idea! Though he looked nervously between she and the wall, before taking the object she had requested into his hands. He leant forward and held it out, handle first, to her.
She didn't look away from the wall as her hands sought blindly for the object. And, after a few feeble blind paws at the air, he sated her need for the object with guiding her hand onto it. She breathed some obscure thanks to him, drawing that new object into her work. The other sat, discarded, on the ground beside her foot.
"Messy-messy." He teased lightly, hoping for a response. She seemed so - different, as she worked endlessly at the wall. Not like your typical work determination - if 'determination' and 'work' could be paired in a sentence together - but something different. Stronger and more - belligerent.
She took the time to wedge the pick into the wall where a crevice was. With it stuck in there, sturdy as ever, she bent down and picked up the brush she had dropped and proceeded to carefully tap the handle of the pick, loosening a stiff triangle of dirt.
"You're one to talk." Was her voice tight? She was far more concentrated on the wall than him; maybe it came out just so due to her concentration. She drew the pick out of the crack before it could fall and swiped away at the excess dirt - until she stumbled across a problem, where the brush tip wouldn't dig deep enough into the hole. "Ah - sorry, Irvine. Could you hand me that brush -" He reached for the one nearest and she shook her head. "No, the larger one.. beside it."
He looked between the selection. What difference it made was also, beyond him. They were all the same size - well, for the most part! The only real difference was in the tip and handle. Narrow or round. Fat or thin.
Still, he took up the brush and held it out for her. She, this time, found his hand in a heartbeat, and actually turned away from the wall briefly.
"Hold this, for me." She drew the brush from his hand and replaced it with the pick. He kept quiet, brows knit together in confusion. This was strange..
She faced the wall once more and proceeded forcing the dirt away. When she found the spot to be cleansed enough, she jammed a sole index finger into the hole.
And a good sum of dirt crumbled away, cascading down the face to pool at her booted feet. Falling with that waterfall of dirt and dust, came a lucid, egg-shaped rock. It immediately caught both Irvine and Fiona's eye.
"What's -"
"T-That's -" Her voice was a borderline shriek. It rose to the volume of any normal scream; though she sounded so breathless it hardly could escape her throat. Teetering awkwardly upon her feet, she suddenly stared, determinedly, at the wall. She looked like she was about to fall.
"Fiona..?" He stood up quickly - and regretted it, moments later - to support her. He failed to reach her in time, however, as she sighed loudly and crumpled backward.
- - - -
Have you ever wondered how it all will end?
No..
Not at all? In the slightest? We all will die, you know. It will be horrendous! Yet.. so beautifully horrendous. So much blood! An arc, for you, for I, to bathe in! Have you ever considered that, dear?
Don't talk like that! It's -
It's right. And you know it, don't you?
What -
You see it, don't you? In your dreams. Whenever you close your eyes. When you see him. When you see them. You'll see it a lot more, in a short while. They'll all connect. And then they'll all die.
W-What are you - how can you..?
Revel in it, Alicia Lynette. It is your past, you present, your future. Don't turn your back on it, don't ignore it.
Stop it! It will save us!
No. It will come.
- - - -
"Hey," His voice was a million miles away, though his hands, placed firmly upon either shoulder, was right there, dead center. So far, yet so close. He gently shook her. "Fiona - you alright..?"
"Mmm." She stirred. He wasn't atop of her - he sat beside her and she could see, even through nearly fully lidded eyes, that his expression was of complete shock, complete fear. He looked pale, even. His expression wasn't reassuring and reassurance was something she needed - desperately. Her hands trembled furiously and she could feel her jaw quavering.
"Mmm-yes, or mmm-no?" He returned, his tone teasing, confused. "
"That rock -" She suddenly shot up as he went to move back, accidentally forcing him to put pressure upon his injured leg. Her eyes went wide, as she bent forward to dig through the pile of dirt. "Where is it, Irvine?"
"Right here.." He frowned and held out a hand. It was balled, carefully, within the center of his palm. She took it - though not without gracious thanks, of a full out, though nonetheless chaste, kiss upon the cheek. "Are you alright, Fi'?"
"Fine, thank you." She pushed herself up to her feet, only to find that she wobbled dangerously. Though that seemed to be apart of the whole of everything, in general. To support this theory, she tipped to the side, the hand currently palming the small rock pressing firmly, and roughly against the wall.
Due to the impact of the weight, more dust dribbled from the wall. Which eventually pushed onto a full-blown spill of dirt, clouding the hallway in dust. She made haste to back away, to avoid being fully covered in it, and equal haste to withdraw an extra mask from her apron pocket. She forced it into Irvine's hands and he took it and he was quick to consider grabbing her around the waist and running -
Though that seemed to be the last of their matters. Or worries, or curiosity, as through the thick cloud of dull brown, was a light. So bright and illuminate that it literally brought life to the hallway - shining a brilliance upon everything. Letting no crack go unrevealed.
"Holy shi -"
- - - -
"- So?" His attention had been focused on a small piece of glowing - literally glowing! - stone upon his desk. A dull, subtle blue in hue and relatively translucent. It pulsed and throbbed, mayhap audibly, under his gaze. He looked away, fixating a confused gaze upon her. "It's just a rock, Fiona - many that have been in the ocean for a long while tend to get this way.. sort of.."
"'So'?" She echoed, a hint of incredulity within her voice. "'Just a rock'?" She took his wrinkled, cold hand into her own and gave him a light tug. "Quickly! Quickly!"
"Ah, hold on! I can walk on my - augh!"
Had he have been given the time, he would have proclaimed his ability to walk properly. But she wouldn't allow it. A beaming smile danced upon her face and triumphant excitement surged within her veins. She had found something! Something important, perhaps, at that!
- - - -
His gaze was intent upon her, as she worked.
It was amusing, how infatuation could grow just as one watched another. She moved with swift, knowing, fluid motions - not one pause, not even to breathe - as she worked. Her expressions varied from cheer to determination, as she worked - though not now. It was..
Abnormal.
He felt as though he were in a dream and couldn't place his finger properly upon the details. Everything seemed blurry.
Except for the fact that he was falling in love with her.
She spoke not, her hands deftly moving over the ridges and curves, sweeping away endless amounts of film. It was growing annoying, the dust and dirt, and Zi knows what else, which had gathered upon the face.
No longer was it a simple mural, a plain indentation in the wall, but something far more.. larger. Deeper. It spanned into the wall. It circled about and shaped into something. Her fingers tingled and burned ass he touched it. Her mind screamed it. It couldn't be a lie.
He would have loved to talk. Babbling mindlessly, even, would have been a joy! Something to take his mind away from the throb upon his thigh. He shouldn't have walked the distance - though he had wanted to see her! So terribly. So horribly. The next time, He told himself silently, noting as she bit her lip and muttered something inaudible, I walk out the gates. No more.
"Irvine?"
"Mm?"
"Could you hand me that pick?"
He hesitated. Why? He hadn't the faintest idea! Though he looked nervously between she and the wall, before taking the object she had requested into his hands. He leant forward and held it out, handle first, to her.
She didn't look away from the wall as her hands sought blindly for the object. And, after a few feeble blind paws at the air, he sated her need for the object with guiding her hand onto it. She breathed some obscure thanks to him, drawing that new object into her work. The other sat, discarded, on the ground beside her foot.
"Messy-messy." He teased lightly, hoping for a response. She seemed so - different, as she worked endlessly at the wall. Not like your typical work determination - if 'determination' and 'work' could be paired in a sentence together - but something different. Stronger and more - belligerent.
She took the time to wedge the pick into the wall where a crevice was. With it stuck in there, sturdy as ever, she bent down and picked up the brush she had dropped and proceeded to carefully tap the handle of the pick, loosening a stiff triangle of dirt.
"You're one to talk." Was her voice tight? She was far more concentrated on the wall than him; maybe it came out just so due to her concentration. She drew the pick out of the crack before it could fall and swiped away at the excess dirt - until she stumbled across a problem, where the brush tip wouldn't dig deep enough into the hole. "Ah - sorry, Irvine. Could you hand me that brush -" He reached for the one nearest and she shook her head. "No, the larger one.. beside it."
He looked between the selection. What difference it made was also, beyond him. They were all the same size - well, for the most part! The only real difference was in the tip and handle. Narrow or round. Fat or thin.
Still, he took up the brush and held it out for her. She, this time, found his hand in a heartbeat, and actually turned away from the wall briefly.
"Hold this, for me." She drew the brush from his hand and replaced it with the pick. He kept quiet, brows knit together in confusion. This was strange..
She faced the wall once more and proceeded forcing the dirt away. When she found the spot to be cleansed enough, she jammed a sole index finger into the hole.
And a good sum of dirt crumbled away, cascading down the face to pool at her booted feet. Falling with that waterfall of dirt and dust, came a lucid, egg-shaped rock. It immediately caught both Irvine and Fiona's eye.
"What's -"
"T-That's -" Her voice was a borderline shriek. It rose to the volume of any normal scream; though she sounded so breathless it hardly could escape her throat. Teetering awkwardly upon her feet, she suddenly stared, determinedly, at the wall. She looked like she was about to fall.
"Fiona..?" He stood up quickly - and regretted it, moments later - to support her. He failed to reach her in time, however, as she sighed loudly and crumpled backward.
- - - -
Have you ever wondered how it all will end?
No..
Not at all? In the slightest? We all will die, you know. It will be horrendous! Yet.. so beautifully horrendous. So much blood! An arc, for you, for I, to bathe in! Have you ever considered that, dear?
Don't talk like that! It's -
It's right. And you know it, don't you?
What -
You see it, don't you? In your dreams. Whenever you close your eyes. When you see him. When you see them. You'll see it a lot more, in a short while. They'll all connect. And then they'll all die.
W-What are you - how can you..?
Revel in it, Alicia Lynette. It is your past, you present, your future. Don't turn your back on it, don't ignore it.
Stop it! It will save us!
No. It will come.
- - - -
"Hey," His voice was a million miles away, though his hands, placed firmly upon either shoulder, was right there, dead center. So far, yet so close. He gently shook her. "Fiona - you alright..?"
"Mmm." She stirred. He wasn't atop of her - he sat beside her and she could see, even through nearly fully lidded eyes, that his expression was of complete shock, complete fear. He looked pale, even. His expression wasn't reassuring and reassurance was something she needed - desperately. Her hands trembled furiously and she could feel her jaw quavering.
"Mmm-yes, or mmm-no?" He returned, his tone teasing, confused. "
"That rock -" She suddenly shot up as he went to move back, accidentally forcing him to put pressure upon his injured leg. Her eyes went wide, as she bent forward to dig through the pile of dirt. "Where is it, Irvine?"
"Right here.." He frowned and held out a hand. It was balled, carefully, within the center of his palm. She took it - though not without gracious thanks, of a full out, though nonetheless chaste, kiss upon the cheek. "Are you alright, Fi'?"
"Fine, thank you." She pushed herself up to her feet, only to find that she wobbled dangerously. Though that seemed to be apart of the whole of everything, in general. To support this theory, she tipped to the side, the hand currently palming the small rock pressing firmly, and roughly against the wall.
Due to the impact of the weight, more dust dribbled from the wall. Which eventually pushed onto a full-blown spill of dirt, clouding the hallway in dust. She made haste to back away, to avoid being fully covered in it, and equal haste to withdraw an extra mask from her apron pocket. She forced it into Irvine's hands and he took it and he was quick to consider grabbing her around the waist and running -
Though that seemed to be the last of their matters. Or worries, or curiosity, as through the thick cloud of dull brown, was a light. So bright and illuminate that it literally brought life to the hallway - shining a brilliance upon everything. Letting no crack go unrevealed.
"Holy shi -"
- - - -
"- So?" His attention had been focused on a small piece of glowing - literally glowing! - stone upon his desk. A dull, subtle blue in hue and relatively translucent. It pulsed and throbbed, mayhap audibly, under his gaze. He looked away, fixating a confused gaze upon her. "It's just a rock, Fiona - many that have been in the ocean for a long while tend to get this way.. sort of.."
"'So'?" She echoed, a hint of incredulity within her voice. "'Just a rock'?" She took his wrinkled, cold hand into her own and gave him a light tug. "Quickly! Quickly!"
"Ah, hold on! I can walk on my - augh!"
Had he have been given the time, he would have proclaimed his ability to walk properly. But she wouldn't allow it. A beaming smile danced upon her face and triumphant excitement surged within her veins. She had found something! Something important, perhaps, at that!