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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 20:29:03 GMT -5
Cecil's eyes opened some in surprise. "It is a happy day for me, but me putting half of my effort into these trials is not true. I love Suzume with everything I have, and I know she loves me too! That's enough to get me through each one of them until they're over!" He was calm, but honest. He knew he'd never make it without a clean and focused mind.
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 5, 2008 20:34:49 GMT -5
She rolled her deep green eyes. "Then do something constructive." She moved as though to walk towards him, but after her first step hit the ground there was only a blur of motion, and suddenly the young woman was very close behind him. The water stayed where it had been, floating precariously. The girl's cheek was pressed against Cecil's hair as she spoke to him.
"What do you think I want? Something you can do to pass this trial?"
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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 20:45:22 GMT -5
Cecil side stepped her, that tight knot in his stomach constricting into something he wasn't too sure he was happy to have her say at all. His red eyes dimmed into crimson as some spark of light swayed in the room or wherever they were, his suit jacket left back at the site he was at before heading to the trials.
"I was thinking along those lines, yeah."
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 5, 2008 20:50:55 GMT -5
"Really?" she asked, curiously with a smile in her tone. "You're smarter than I thought, then. Well, come on. Show me."
"Or would it be easier if you saw me before you start?" the woman inquired, one hand going to her cloak as if to undue it, though it waited questioningly on his answer.
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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 20:55:52 GMT -5
"But that is one thing I cannot do, Miss." Cecil told her, his feet moving away from the girl and his back to her now. Now's my chance.... I need that water, or, whatever it is?!
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 5, 2008 20:58:45 GMT -5
The cloaked woman blinked. "Why not? I'm sure Suzume won't mind. And I promise not to tell anyone," she swore. "Besides, how are you going to pass this trial otherwise? You're only hurting yourself."
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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 21:05:19 GMT -5
"I'll be the first one to say that I'm not a religious guy, I never could grasp those concepts of such an easy redemption and such forgiveness by a man in the sky I never knew...." Cecil answered, "But if there is one thing I've been able to accept from that old book of stories and rules, it's that you do not lie- and if I went through with this, I'd be lying to myself the rest of my life- and on that altar with Suzume by my side. I'd look at her and know I wasn't honest with her, and that'd eat away at me forever."
Cecil's eyes looked to the distance, side swiping the water as she was distracted; though he wasn't lying to her in any way. "Even if it wasn't my wedding day, I would not agree."
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 5, 2008 21:12:39 GMT -5
The water fell back into the wheelbarrow, but the young woman just stared at him blankly. "But I don't want you to lie to me. I just want you tell me what makes you love her. You have to show me what makes her special to you. I know that might seem embarrassing to open yourself that much to me, but even if it's really mushy, I'm not going to go shouting it around. I mean, if you want me to tell Suzume that's fine too, but you're acting very weird about this. I think if you really wanted to marry... her......."
The girl's eyes widened, and red could be seen on her cheeks that weren't covered by that scarf. "Wait a minute! Did you think I wanted to reproduce with you?" She shook her head and made a sound of disgust, stamping one foot. "That's disgusting, and do you have any idea how angry Master Ensuna would be?" She seemed to want to say more, but all that came out were angry little sounds, and blonde eyebrows were slanted sharply down as she glared at him.
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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 21:24:10 GMT -5
"Well it certainly got your attention, not to mention I got the water back." Cecil said with a smirk. "Keyne, if thats what you wanted- you should have said it." Cecil actually laughed at this point. His words were honest- but he knew when he turned his head that it was her. A blonde lock flew around, and with that point- he used it against her.
He winced in an embarrassement but not too terribly noticeble way. "I love Suzume for a lot of reasons...even if sometimes we both get a little distant from each other at times." Cecil shrugged, trying to put it into words, "She's pretty, and smart, she cares about me and other people, she's my best friend as well as someone I love very much; and she makes me smile. She's my other half."
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 5, 2008 21:36:08 GMT -5
Keyne removed her cloak and scarf and folded them carefully under one arm. Her hair rested on her back in one thick braid, and a purple and green striped dress was the majority of her clothing. Half-sleeves gave way to fingerless gloves with a bunch of rings around the wrist, some with small things tied to them, and the loose v that the neck of her dress made revealed that she had grown... up, that is. The dress ended at mid thigh, and she wore pale leggins from that point on. There was an odd red mark on her forhead made up of sharp red lines.
"She completes you. She's nice. She's pretty," she repeated wryly. She laughed and shook her head. "This may be the hardest trial for the mighty Cecil: actually expressing himself." Casually she spun her hand around, and the water in the wheelbarrow started a slow whirlpool, making a certain fish very dizzy.
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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 21:44:17 GMT -5
Unlike what he used to be, Cecil was very much more open, sociable, and relaxed then years past; but there was always that place that concealed that part of him that let everything out. He, for the most part, had always been afriad that once let loose- it would never return to its closed manner.
"I told you what you asked, Keyne....please don't spin the stuff....water....whatever it is. What more do you want out of it.....? I'm not like Gerro. (=.=')"
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Nov 5, 2008 21:45:14 GMT -5
The fish was unhappy with this development and very much wished to be left alone.
The blue jay on the other hand seemed to almost shake it's head, being very pessimistic about everything Cecil seems to do during the course of the trials. The bird didn't have much hope. It simply sat perched on Cecil's shoulder, hoping that nobody would mess with him like they were the fish. Poor fishy.
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 5, 2008 21:51:52 GMT -5
She giggled. "I don't know, Cecil, after that episode. I don't want cliches, but if you're not even going to try, I might just give up on you. You're so frustrating, Cecil. Who cares if it doesn't make sense? Give up your pride and spill yourself out like a fool. There will always be one person who will not think you are." She smiled, her face clear and innocent, and perfect in a way a human face could never be. Ensuna had obviously poured years of devotion into it.
She grinned and made an 'okay' sign with one hand. "And that's not necessarily me, but it doesn't matter."
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Post by Arual on Nov 5, 2008 22:25:06 GMT -5
"Well, I don't know where to begin- and even if I had.....it's not so much pride anymore," the young man admitted, "it's instinct, and a habit. I lived in a place that didn't allow things like that, even for kids. After a while you get used to it- and don't know anything else..." Cecil shrugged.
He'd try....for only reasons of moving on- and the fact that this was a friend of his- who hopefully, unlike when she was ....little?.....she'd stay quiet about this whole conversation. "When I met her, I had Shana....and I couldn't figure out what to do, because I'd known Shana for ages- and she never stopped bugging me....but, Suzume was different. Something about her made me think I wasn't the only one struggling with something I may never have been able to overcome. I got to know her, and I saw she was hurting like me, but in a different way with different circumstances....and for a while, I had loved Shana. But Shana -"
That subject, no matter how long ago, was very painful for Cecil. he stopped himself a moment to bring his thoughts together. "Shana had decided that someone else was more in that category then me- and went with him. I don't blame her...I wasn't a good person to be with, anyways. Suzume saw through my means to push people away, and even if she didn't know it- it made me see that (especially when Shana died) that even though I had fought to help her as a friend.....that she cared. Suzume, even though we had been friends a while....was afraid to say she liked me. I was afraid to tell her too....but I didn't know how much she really did. She did more than Shana could do, I suppose, in a lot of ways....because we both knew what was wrong with the other person. When she had to be watched over, I did it. I was asked, but I never minded it. She's a gentle, loving person, and words can't describe something as amazing as what I feel right now."
"I was thick in the head, even when we were going out...because of a lot of problems that I didn't want her to be in- I loved her too much. I cared too much to let her help me out even when she pleaded to come with me. Even though I may have died- or she get seriously hurt- may die; she was willing to risk her life to help and cheer me on. I don't know what love is, if that isn't true love for someone else."
Cecil felt like a girl, no lie. He didn't like this, but it wasn't terrible with Keyne being the one who asked, and his hand ran through his hair. "I took her to meet my friends, see my house and where I grew up......its not like I could show her my parents, you know? But something happened there....and when I finally got better from my confrontation with Darishan and my father....she was worried, she still cared even though I pushed her away to make sure she wasn't hurt. I was cruel, so she'd stay away- but I didn't enjoy acting like that to her; if anything, of all people. But after it was all over, I never realized how much she made me smile- or laugh. I mean /really/ laugh, like I did when I was little with my mother and brother. Everything always seemed more worth while and more barable when she was holding my hand or just saying hello. She made me want to live when I wanted to die........."
Cecil stopped. He couldn't go on, and his voice trailed off into nothing.
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Post by Ladd Russo of the Russo Family on Nov 6, 2008 0:23:52 GMT -5
Keyne listened attentively, twirling her braid in one hand without realizing it. A faint smile touched the curve of her lips, and then she closed the distance between them in an instant with a big tackle.
"You're silly," she told him laughingly. "But that wasn't bad. Fine, you pass, but don't think everyone is going to be as easy as me! And don't try to solve everything with fighting! Do you think Suzume feels like having a heart attack every day when you have to drag yourself home bleeding? If you want to look after her, look after yourself, too!" She rolled off of him and then stiffened in surprise as a small rag doll flopped out of her wide sleeve. It's hair seemed to actually be real, dry but fine and also blonde.
Keyne twisted her head to look at it with apparent surprise and stared at it silently for a while. "Mommy wants to say something as well," she said, turning her head back to Cecil.
"She says that everything leaves eventually, through death or some other separator. She says you have to accept it, somehow, and there are many ways, but don't hold on to grief for too long. It... 'it can destroy you...' and you remember what I said about looking after yourself, right?" Keyne said, smiling weakly. She held the small doll close and made a tugging motion with her other hand. A door at the far corner of the room clicked audibly, unlocked now.
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