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Post by mila2007 on Dec 5, 2007 15:19:05 GMT -6
Lucas was concentrating on a new song when Jessie arrived through the painting entrance. He heard her come in, saw her sit in the chair opposite him, felt her cool demeanor. Seemed she had let the little spat go as well. That was good, it was pointless. Something not worthy of argument.
The tip of his tongue poked from between his lips as he thought about the next chords. It was a complicated song, one that his mum loved to listen to when she was knitting or playing a cross word puzzle. In secret, he had decided to learn it for her over the school year so he could play it for her on her birthday in the summer time. The lyrics flashed in his head as his fingers worked, but the timing just didn't seem right.
With a defeated sigh, he gave up for the day. He had the chords down, it was just making the lyrics fit in. He cast his gaze to Jessie and Snickers. "Cute cat," he commented casually, reaching forward to stroke the animal between its ear. "Very intelligent face."
Lucas leaned back in his chair, smiling lopsidedly as he caught the beret positioned comically on Jessie's head. he didn't bother getting it back, she looked nice with it. It wasn't like he didn't have a million back in his room. He noted the pink hue in Jessie's cheeks from running after the incompetent cat and mentally smiled even wider. She looked cute.
With her slightly flushed cheeks and beret. She looked cute. He didn't dare point this out, knowing she would A) deny it B) tell him to shut up C) Bring up that Zack guy or D) all of the above in that order.
He settled on the cat. "My brother always wanted a cat," he said after a minute. "Ah'm more of a dog person. Cats seem so... superior. Ya have to run on their schedule else it's a no-win." He chuckled. "They are intelligent creatures though, I'ill give 'em that."
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Post by Stockmon on Dec 6, 2007 0:01:53 GMT -6
“Cute cat. Lucas said. He stroked Snickers on his head, causing the cat to purr a bit. Jessie smiled at this, “Very intelligent face.” He was quite smart, and adorable. And… Jessie blinked, she should have a girl cat, then that wouldn’t have sounded so confusing to her. Not that she’d ever call Lucas adorable; she only called babies and animals adorable. But either way.
He leaned back in his chair, smiling. Jessie felt like she’d taken a vow of silence, but she was certainly curious about what he was thinking. She ran through a few possibilities, one of which being that she didn’t know how to take care of her cat, letting him run away and all. But she just blinked and raised an eye brow at Lucas. She should calm down. If she couldn’t calm down with her friend, then what was the point of having a friend?
“My brother always wanted a cat.” Really? Jessie loved cats. She loved Snickers, he was a good cat, in her opinion. But she wasn’t about to tell Lucas this. She wasn’t supposed to talk about herself. “Ah’m more of a dog person. Cats seem so… superior.” Because they are. Jessie thought, smiling. They weren’t really, but she loved them best of all animals.
“Ya have to run on their schedule else it’s a no-win.” That’s what he thought, eh? Snickers meowed. Jessie stroked his head absently. “They are intelligent creatures though, I’ll give ‘em that.”
“Yeah. Cat’s are usually pretty smart. Snickers… he’s the one with the middle name. Anyway.” Jessie shrugged. She didn’t really think about it. They’d argued about the same topic she’d just mentioned, but it didn’t occur to her. “Do you have any pets, Lucas? Since you like dogs? And you’re brother likes cats?”
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Post by mila2007 on Dec 6, 2007 19:26:50 GMT -6
“Yeah. Cat’s are usually pretty smart. Snickers… he’s the one with the middle name. Anyway."
Lucas smiled. A cat with a middle name. How cute.
"Do you have any pets, Lucas? Since you like dogs? And you’re brother likes cats?”
Lucas grimaced playfully. His family had a multitude of odd pets. Each family member found some hurt or forgotten animal somewhere and promised, PROMISED, "We'll only keep 'im for a few days, mum. Just a few days!" And they ended up staying for the rest of their lives. His dad had given up trying to talk the kids out of bringing them home. In fact, half the time he was the one bringing some poor creature in. The only store bought or adopted pets they had was an old cow, a horse, the fish, the ferret, the parrot, and a pitbull puppy his brother had brought home last summer unannounced from the kennel. "Well," he began slowly, counting on his fingers in exageration. "We have Pretzel the cow. She's about as old as dust. Then my sister's horse Caramel and my brother's puppy Enrique."
He scratched his head, getting on the list of odd creatures. "My dad has a parrot who talks a lot. We call him Yak. My mum keeps an ant farm and calls each one Petey." He flushed slightly in embarassment here. His family was so strange. "Um.. Ah have two iguanas named Stephen and King after my favorite author. And a snake who likes to get out of her cage. She's pretty big now and likes to snoop around my sister's room. Usually during the summer when it gets hot she goes in there 'cause it's the coolest room in the house. My sister wakes up everyone with her screams." He chuckled lightly, looking thoughtful. He was feeling a bit homesick telling her this. "My brother has his puppy and a tank of fish that always seemed to act like their stoned out of their skulls. Oh, and a ferret who scares away all the kids on Halloween and only likes my sister. Her name's Flo."
He nodded his head. "That's about it. We love animals in my family, but Ah wouldn't dare bring one to school. Too much excitement, and Ah feel that Ah wouldn't give them the attention they needed during the school year." He shrugged. "That's why it's so nice to go home and see everybody. Everybody," he emphasized with a wink, referring to the many animals.
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Post by Stockmon on Dec 6, 2007 20:18:33 GMT -6
Lucas smiled. Jessie smiled because of that. It was helping her mood for him to smile.
“Well,” Lucas said, he was using his fingers to count, “We have Pretzel the cow. She’s about as old as dust.” Jessie grinned. She highly doubted anything was as old as dust, but if he wanted to exaggerate, so be it. “Then my sister’s horse Caramel and my brother’s puppy Enrique.” So that brother who loved dogs had a puppy? Good. Jessie liked to hear that people got what they loved, even if it was Lucas who wanted the puppy, and his brother who got it. Zach dearly wanted a snake, Aunt Katherine hated snakes. Zach really wanted a hawk, Aunt Katherine hated birds. Megan adored foxes, Aunt Katherine didn’t like fluffy animals. Uncle Chris, Megan, and Zach all wanted a Doberman, Aunt Katherine declared the evils of “slobbery creatures”, in essay format, eight pages long, single spaced. Jessie would never know how she’d done it, but she never planned on reading it, despite the fact that it was posted on the kitchen cabinet. Megan also loved a few other animals, but you can only guess how that ended. Jessie figured that if you loved something, it shouldn’t be kept from you, that was just cruel.
“My dad has a parrot who talks a lot. We call him Yak.” Yak that talked a lot? So very original. But then again, Snickers wasn’t the most unique pet name. “My mum keeps an ant farm and calls each one Petey." Lucas was blushing, Jessie grinned again. “Um... Ah have two iguanas named Stephen and King after my favorite author.” Stephen… King? Oh, dear. That guy. Jessie had never, nor did she ever desire to read any of his books, that was too creepy a thought. She did, though, have a secret passion for one of the mini series. Kingdom Hospital. She’d sat for hours watching episodes of that show at her Uncle Jared’s house. He had quite the collection of random things, including videos.
“And a snake who likes to get out of her cage. She's pretty big now and likes to snoop around my sister's room. Usually during the summer when it gets hot she goes in there 'cause it's the coolest room in the house. My sister wakes up everyone with her screams." Lucas laughed, Jessie did too. She could imagine doing that herself. Snakes, she liked them well enough, but if one woke her up, yes, she’d scream. "My brother has his puppy and a tank of fish that always seemed to act like their stoned out of their skulls.” Jessie wasn’t sure what that was supposed to be like, but she didn’t ask, “Oh, and a ferret who scares away all the kids on Halloween and only likes my sister. Her name's Flo." Sounded like a good guard.
Lucas nodded, “That’s about it. We love animals in my family, but Ah wouldn’t dare bring one to school. Too much excitement, and Ah feel that Ah wouldn’t give them the attention they needed during the school year.” Jessie gave him a thoughtful expression. She continued to stroke Snickers. Enough attention… Oh. She did tend to spend less time with Snickers now a days. She was beginning to feel a bit neglectful. Oh well, she couldn’t bear the thought of being without Snickers, he was her only tie to home, and she needed that with her.
“That’s why it’s so nice to go home and see everybody. Everybody.” Lucas said, winking, Jessie smirked. Real vague there, Lucas.
“That sounds like a very full house, Lucas.” Jessie smiled. She felt like making a comment, but she nearly decided against it, narrowing it down to a simple fact, “My father and I just have Snickers. I suppose he might be lonely in the house alone when we’re gone.” She sighed. She shouldn’t have said that, now it was making her homesick, and she did wonder about her father. “Where are the rest of your siblings?”
[[Admin Edit: 2 galleons given by Gin.]]
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Post by mila2007 on Dec 22, 2007 12:40:40 GMT -6
Lucas watched Jessie, wondering what she was thinking. Probably giggling over his freakish family. That thought made him smile. “That sounds like a very full house, Lucas. My father and I just have Snickers. I suppose he might be lonely in the house alone when we’re gone. Where are the rest of your siblings?”
He grimaced at the question before taking a deep breath. "Well, my oldest brother and sister are twins," he began. "Dave and Becky. They're taking a year off before they go to college. Then it's just my older brother Tad. He's in his senior year of high school. Ah think... they're all still pretty jealous that I'm going to a school like Hogwarts and they aren't." He paused, wondering if the next piece of information should be shared or not. He fiddled with his fingers a bit before continuing. "Ah think... it it wasn't for Tad Ah'd still be doing stupid stuff like drugs and running around at night. He was the only person Ah told before it started to get out of control."
Lucas stopped momentarily to glance at the floor. It was hard to bring back these memories of his mistakes. "And Ah thought he'd do anything other than what he did. Yell or scream or tell me Ah was screwed up. Because back then that was what ya wanted to hear. Ya wanted to hear people say bad things about ya. It fueled the adrenaline." His brow furrowed and his eyes hardened. "But Tad just said he was... he was disappointed in me." That alone was all that had to be said to make Lucas feel like a worthless nobody. He really looked up to Tad, so for him to say he was disappointed in him that evening had really shined the light on common sense. "And Ah had no idea that his words would affect me so much. Ah stopped doing drugs, Ah got help." He looked up at her, a light smile on his face. "And... Ah think it was the best thing he'd ever done for me. Tad and Ah have been a lot closer after that."
Lucas strummed a note on his guitar, still smiling softly. To talk about Tad made him feel better. He had really helped him.
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Post by Stockmon on Dec 22, 2007 19:46:40 GMT -6
“Well,” Lucas said after a deep breath. Jessie couldn’t understand why it sounded as if he didn’t quite want to answer the question. She loved to talk about her family. She did like to talk, sadly. And if she knew a lot about the topic, all the more to talk about. That made family a perfect topic. “my oldest brother and sister are twins, Dave and Becky.” Probably David and Rebecca. Jessie’d known a Rebecca, but she went by Becca. She didn’t understand all nicknames, but then again, she went by one, so she couldn’t really argue. “They’re taking a year off before they go to college.”
Jessie raised an eye brow, looking very confused. College? Hmmm… College. She supposed she might go to college. Her family seemed to expect her to get a job and live like a muggle, especially Aunt Katherine, but… she hadn’t thought about college. What an odd thought. But she had five years to consider it, at least.
“Then it’s just my older brother Tad. He’s in his senior year of high school.” Jessie grinned, that would make Lucas the baby of the family. She didn’t have to worry about it, being an only child, but more often than not the youngest seemed disdainful toward being called a “baby.” She gave the rest of that some thought. High school? She knew some people who went to high school, Muggles. She was beginning to get a bit confused about Lucas’ family.
“Ah think… they’re all still pretty jealous that I’m going to a school like Hogwarts and they aren’t.”
“Hogwarts is pretty great.” Jessie said quietly in agreement. She noticed Lucas messing with his hands, looking nervous. Why? What was he thinking about? She didn’t think what he’d said earlier would lead to anything that would upset him.
“Ah think… if it wasn’t for Tad Ah’s still be doing stupid stuff like drugs and running around at night. Jessie felt goose bumps rising on her arms. Right, that one thing. She made a mental note to thank Tad, if she ever met him. Lucas was too happy to sound that distressed about something. She didn’t like it when he said that, not because she looked down at him for it, but because she felt like he did, a bit. She didn’t like seeming any better than Lucas, because she wasn’t, and it just bugged her. She felt like giving him a teddy bear.
“He was the only person Ah told before it started to get out of control.” Out of control? She really wanted to know what that meant. What, had he been using drugs a little… and then a lot? She didn’t understand the drug world, nor did she plan on it. But whenever someone told her anything, she liked to know exactly what they meant. But she didn’t ask right then, Lucas was looking down. “And Ah thought he’d do anything other than hat he did. Yell or scream or tell me Ah was screwed up. Because back then that was that ya wanted to hear. Ya wanted to hear people say bad things about ya.” Jessie didn’t know why you’d want to hear that. Ever. But Lucas kept going, so she waited.
“It fueled the adrenaline.” He looked upset about that, it didn’t help Jessie’s goose bumps. “But Tad just said he was… he was disappointed in me.” Then, of course, Jessie could understand why you’d want yelling. Yelling meant anger, and anger was easier to deal with than sorrow. If he dad yelled at her, she could always take it, and could just yell back, or storm off. But if he got upset, and when he cried, and she’d only seen him do that a handful of times, then she didn’t know what to do. And that made her feel horrible. She couldn’t imagine how Lucas would have fealt. She looked at him sorrowfully.
“And Ah had no idea that his words would affect me so much. Ah stopped doing drugs, Ah got help.” He said. Jessie didn’t think that she could be effected so much by someone telling her something. “And… Ah think it was the best thing he’d ever done for me. Tad and Ah have been a lot closer after that.
Lucas began to play his guitar again, smiling softly. Jessie blinked, smiling a bit back. She sighed, how Lucas just switched from happy to nostalgic to happy looking again, it was beyond Jessie. It took a lot to get her back to happy, usually. Snicker’s nudged her hand with his head, informing Jessie that she’d forgotten to continue stroking him. She quickly resumed her task. She’d asked about pets and siblings. She wanted to know about Lucas, but she didn’t want to feel like she was interrogating him.
She just sort of paused, listening to Lucas play, focusing on that for a while before just sighing. He certainly made her think more than most people. Normally she didn’t have to talk, and if she did, she could just come up with something. Now she was giving it a lot of consideration. “I’m glad you have Tad.” She said softly. She went to push her hair back with the hand not stroking Snickers. When she did she realized she still had on Lucas’s hat. She blushed and pulled it off. “Um… y-you want this back?” She asked, biting the side of her lip.
[[Admin Edit: 3 galleons given by Gin.]]
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Post by mila2007 on Dec 24, 2007 17:26:13 GMT -6
Lucas looked up at Jessie. She looked disturbed to say the last. He wasn't surprised. To think that such a nice boy like Lucas Supa-Fly Pitchinson had been a coke addict, a vandalizer, and a chain smoker. Just thinking about it himself was sickening. He swallowed, lowering the rising bile in his throat and focused back on his guitar. Jessie let them sit in silence for a while and Lucas was convinced she was going to make some excuse to leave. He wouldn't mind. What he had told her would upset anybody.
Instead she looked at him before saying softly, "I’m glad you have Tad.” That made him smile. "Yeah, me too," he murmured, teasing the tips of his fingers over the strings of his precious instrument. Tad was obnoxious, I mean what siblings weren't, but he had helped Lucas get past a milestone in his life. The younger Pitchinson supposed on many levels that if Tad hadn't done what he had, he, Lucas, would be dead right now. It didn't matter from what: drugs, police, violence... Dead. Just dead. A shiver ran up Lucas' spine at the thought and he swallowed again, willing himself to not throw up.
“Um… y-you want this back?”
Once again Jessie brought him back to the present just in time. He offered her a small smile before waving his hand absently. "Naw, keep it. It looks nice on ya. And it's not like Ah don't have a billion back in my dorm." He picked out some staccato notes before looking Jessie square in the eye.
"Penny for your thoughts," he asked with a grin on his face. He held up a finger. "And don't make up something to please me. Ah want to know exactly what ya're thinkin'."
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Post by Stockmon on Dec 24, 2007 21:55:17 GMT -6
Jessie didn’t know what Lucas was thinking, but he looked unhappy. She sighed. But when she offered his hat back, he waved a hand at her absently, smiling.
“Naw, keep it.” He said. Jessie grinned, putting the beret back on. She liked to wear it, she wasn’t entirely sure why, but it just made her happy. “It looks nice on ya.” He added.
“Thanks.” Jessie laughed, blushing.
“And it’s not like Ah don’t have a billion back in my dorm.” He said, Jessie laughed again. She highly doubted that, but she would certainly like to see his oh-so-vast collection of hats. But of course, before she could ask Lucas was looking her in the eye. She gulped, still smiling a little.
“Penny for your thoughts.” He asked, but held up a finger before she answered, not that she really knew what to say. “And don’t make up something to please me. Ah want to know exactly what ya’re thinkin’.”
Jessie frowned. What, oh what, was she thinking? At that moment? Well, at the moment she was thinking that she couldn’t think clearly. But then she shook her head, but the hat back on. “I think… Well…” She perced her lips, blinking a few times but continuing to keep eye contact with Lucas. “That I wish I could hear all about you… but when I ask, I feel like I’m interrogating you. I miss my father.” She said, looking down at Snickers for a moment, before looking back to Lucas. “Glad I get to keep the hat, it makes me happy. And… I wish you wouldn’t look so upset with yourself when you talk about…” She shrugged, was there a way to say that in a few words? Correctly? She ignored her thoughts and kept going, “About what you did. It makes me feel like… I don’t know, like you think you’re a horrible person, and that I’m just sitting there, completely innocent. But I mean… it makes me sad when you do that, I guess.”
Jessie sighed, noticing that Snickers had fallen asleep, “Oh yeah! And if I ever get a change to meet Tad, I want to thank him… What about you, Lucas?”
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Post by mila2007 on Dec 25, 2007 19:20:40 GMT -6
“I think… Well…” Jessie pursed her lips in thoughts, still looking at him. “That I wish I could hear all about you… but when I ask, I feel like I’m interrogating you. I miss my father. Glad I get to keep the hat, it makes me happy. And… I wish you wouldn’t look so upset with yourself when you talk about... About what you did. It makes me feel like… I don’t know, like you think you’re a horrible person, and that I’m just sitting there, completely innocent. But I mean… it makes me sad when you do that, I guess.”
Lucas furrowed his brow in thought. He did think he was a horrible person when he thought back to those horrible days. Whatever sucked him in had taken control completely, and eaten him until there'd almost been nothing left.
"Oh yeah! And if I ever get a change to meet Tad, I want to thank him…" He smiled at that. He owed a lot to Tad. He supposed he should really thank him with a gift someday as well.
"What about you, Lucas?”
Lucas narrowed his eyes as he thought, gnawing on his bottom lip. What exactly was he thinking? He supposed the drug reference wouldn't be adding to Jessie's mood, but he'd cornered himself with his own rule. “And don’t make up something to please me. "Ah want to know exactly what ya’re thinkin’.”
He chuckled, shaking his head before looking at Jessie. "Well, since we've been sworn to honesty," he began slowly. "Ah was just thinking about how Ah was so stupid to have done all of the stuff Ah did." He stopped, looking grim before licking his lips. "Bloody stupid. Ah mean, it's over now but when ya really think about it..." He didn't really want to think about it anymore, so he cut himself off. "Nah, nevermind."
Lucas leaned back in his chair, staring into the glow of the fire in the hearth. "And to ask questions about someone isn't interrogation," he replied casually to her earlier statement, a light smile on his face. His features darkened in mock seriousness. "Unless ya're going to drag me into a secret room with a two way mirror, one table, one chair, and one eerily swinging lightbulb and when I don't answer your questions you beat me across the face and grab me by my lapels and yell, 'Son this is serious! Who did it!' Because I swear I know nothing."
He panted, flushed from talking so fast.
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Post by Stockmon on Dec 25, 2007 19:42:48 GMT -6
Lucas was narrowing his eyes, Jessie blinked at him. She watched him biting his lip, she didn’t really know what he was thinking, but she supposed that seeing the outward expressions of one’s inward thoughts did help. Then he laughed, shaking his head and looking at Jessie, who gave him a weak smile.
“Well, since we’ve been sworn to honesty,” he said. Jessie nodded, giving him a slightly dramatized serious look. Honesty was good, usually. She recalled a poem, not one she’d written, though she wished she had been the one to write it. “Ah was just thinking about how Ah was so stupid to have done all of the stuff Ah did.”
Jessie took a deep breath, closing her fists on either side of Snickers. Of course, that, again. It was stupid, sure. But… she shook her head at him, it couldn’t be helped. If he’d been thinking about the color of the walls at that moment, she supposed she’d be hearing about that right now. So she couldn’t complain.
He licked his lips, looking unhappy, Jessie bit her lip, “Bloody Stupid.” Jessie cringed, he was doing it again. “I mean, it’s over now but when ya really think about it… Nah, never mind.”
Jessie’s features softened. Good. She was happy to end that subject. If he wanted to talk about it, she’d always listen. But it hurt to hear him put himself down like that. Probably because she didn’t think she could say anything to make it better.
“And to ask questions about someone isn’t interrogation.”
“But it can feel like it sometimes…” Jessie mumbled under her breath, allowing Lucas to keep going.
“Unless ya’re going to drag me into a secret room with a two way mirror, one table, one chair, and one eerily swinging light bulb and when I don’t answer your questions you beat me across the face and grab me by my lapels and yell, ‘Son this is serious! Who did it!’ Because I sweat I know nothing.” Lucas finished by panting. Jessie smiled at him for a moment, before laughing.
“I’ll keep that in mind, but pulling lapels is fun….” She said, thoughtfully, smirking. She thought about beating him across the face, “I will promise not to beat you across the face with anything. And I’d beg to differ… you know quite a bit, or so it seems.” She smiled, “Have you hear heard of a poem called ‘Tell all the truth but tell is slant’?”
[[Admin Edit: 1 galleon given by Gin.]]
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Post by mila2007 on Jan 4, 2008 4:04:33 GMT -6
“I’ll keep that in mind, but pulling lapels is fun…" Lucas chuckled, crossing his legs and leaning back in the chair. He supposed pulling lapels was fun. Spot on. "I will promise not to beat you across the face with anything." That was good news. He hadn't been trained in that department yet. "And I’d beg to differ… you know quite a bit, or so it seems." It was good to know that Jessie was bright enough to know that Lucas knew he was quite brilliant. Ya know? "Have you hear heard of a poem called ‘Tell all the truth but tell is slant’?”
Lucas shook his head, placing his arms on the chair's fluffy armrests. "No, Ah can't say that Ah have. So Ah hope you recite it to me." He grinned, really hoping she would tell it to him. Poetry was very similar to lyrics. In fact, poetry was lyrics. Just on a whole different plane of emotion. Music had a way to make you want to move, want to express yourself. To touch you in a certain way. Sensually, lovingly, wrathfully... It didn't matter. But Lucas always felt that poetry reached you, and held you there. Sometimes forever. It was like tiny hooks grasping you and keeping you in that feeling.
And when someone read a poem with such emotion? Holy god. It was like heaven on a page.
Lucas gazed at Jessie fondly. He could tell earlier when he had been talking about his unfortunate choices that it upset her. Frankly, he didn't blame her. It was a scary and touchy subject for his whole family. It just bothered Lucas more because when he really got down to the marrow of the situation, part of him knew that if given the chance again, he'd do it. He'd repeat that horrible process all over again, and wind up where he was now, fretting and worrying about it. It was like a never ending loop.
The other part of him knew that was crazy, the past was the past. The present was great and happening, and the future held lots of options. He shook his head, ridding the thoughts from his mind. He had a poem to hear, hopefully.
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Post by Stockmon on Jan 4, 2008 18:35:09 GMT -6
Jessie watched Lucas shake his head, “ No, Ah can’t say that Ah have. So Ah hope you recite it to me.” He grinned. Jessie gawked at him. Yes, literally, mouth having open starring. She then turned her face into a pout. “You,” She said, nodding, “know nothing, then. C’mon… Emily Dickinson? How can you not have heard-… oh well whatever.” She said, folding her arms. She watched Snickers sleep for a moment, as if she was going to forget mentioning the poem at all. But then she took a deep breath, “I haven’t read it in a while, I suppose… so this is from memory…” She paused, closed her eyes and tried to remember what the paper had looked like, she’d scribbled it down on that paper years ago. Then she’d carried it in her pocket with her for another year at least. Then her father had washed her jeans without asking. She scowled at the memory, but opened her eyes. She couldn’t see the page, but the words were burned into her memory, “Tell all the truth but tell it slant— success in circuit lies. Too bright for our infirm delight, the truth’s superb surprise. As lighting to the children eased, with explanation kind, the truth must dazzle gradually, or every man be blind—” She sighed. She had said it with emotion. She always felt like she were telling a story. Like someone was telling someone else that poem because the weren’t sure if they should lie. She could always see the children that it mentioned, and she could see the lightning flashing across the sky. She grinned. She loved that poem, though she didn’t really think most people understood why. “What do you think of it, Lucas?” She asked, she hated hearing her own work, or her own poems. But when it was someone else, something else she liked, that she had no hand in creating… oh she loved it. It reminded her of another poem, Ann Bradstreet? She thought that sounded right. Mrs. Bradstreet had written a poem about her own poems. Something about avoiding critics. She called her poem her child. Jessie knew how she felt. Her friends had taken and published her work, being more loyal than wise. Like Lucas, he thought it was good, and he was loyal, but not wise, apparently. Her work wasn’t good, but he thought it was. Silly Lucas. She sighed, smiling at Lucas. She really did like that poem. “Why don’t you go out and socialize more, Lucas?” She asked. She had specific examples in mind, but she’d take a general overview. [[ Admin Edit: 1 galleon given by Gin.]]
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Post by mila2007 on Jan 11, 2008 20:05:20 GMT -6
“You know nothing, then." She seemed quite decided on the matter. "C’mon… Emily Dickinson? How can you not have heard-… oh well whatever.” Lucas snorted playfully. "Well, Ah am still only a guy," he stated matter-o'-factly, eyes closed and index finger pointed in the air to state his point. "So Ah can get off scot-free when it comes to knowin' nothin'." “I haven’t read it in a while, I suppose… so this is from memory…” The Scottish teen nodded patiently, eager to hear her speak. “Tell all the truth but tell it slant— success in circuit lies. Too bright for our infirm delight, the truth’s superb surprise. As lighting to the children eased, with explanation kind, the truth must dazzle gradually, or every man be blind—” Lucas sighed contentedly. "That was amazing," he said dazedly, eyes brushing closed. He had liked it a lot. also, the way she had told it was so rich. “What do you think of it, Lucas?” Lucas opened his eyes in full-out ponder mode. "Well," he began, tapping his chin. "'Too bright for our infirm delight, the truth’s superb surprise.' That's... that's incredibly true." He paused, squinting as he tried to figure out how to word it. "It's like... saying that the truth is too intense for us, ya know? Like we aren't ready for it yet." He paused again before continuing. "And... half the time that's the case. The truth always does surprise us, and we usually aren't prepared for it. But... but if ya spread it out, prolong it... well, it's not that surprising anymore." He nodded thoughtfully, turning his eyes back to her. "Yeah, monologue over," he cued with a hand, re-crossing his legs on the chair and smiling. "Thanks for sharing that with me, Jessie. It meant a lot to me." He had really enjoyed that poem. He made a note to remember Mrs. Emily Dickinson so he could show his parents when they got home. “Why don’t you go out and socialize more, Lucas?”That really was a good question. Lucas just shrugged his shoulders, fingering the head of his mahogany guitar. "Ah don't know," he said honestly, scratching his head. "Ah guess... sometimes Ah just feel that people are too... too much like the truth described in ya poem. Too intense, too real, too... surprising." His eyes had narrowed as he said this, but not in a friendly way. More of a trying-to-grasp-what-he-meant way. He smiled. "Music isn't too much of a shocker for me. Ya know the notes, and the pitches, and the crescendos, and the timing... Nothing's out of beat. It's... it's predictable, right?" He looked at her as if to confirm his thought. Nevertheless, he nodded, looking down at his hands with a puzzled expression. "Yeah, that's what Ah mean. Music's predictable. People aren't. Ya can probably tell Ah'm not much of a risk taker." He laughed gently before quieting down and throwing her a tender look. "The thing with music is that it speaks to ya just like a person... only... deeper somehow. It just seems more... alive."
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Post by Stockmon on Jan 11, 2008 22:25:53 GMT -6
Before Jessie had recited the poem Lucas had made the comment of "Well, Ah am still only a guy, So Ah can get off scot-free when it comes to knowin' nothin'." She’d laughed at that. Yeah, sure, whatever Lucas. He knew enough, and they both knew it. But if he wanted to say that, it was fine. It was funny.
“That was amazing,” It was, Jessie agreed. She loved that poem, it was nice, and it was true. It was perfect, as far as she was concerned. It didn’t ruin your mood, it improved hers even, it was nice. She smiled at his response.
“Well, 'Too bright for our infirm delight, the truth’s superb surprise.' That's... that's incredibly true." Lucas said, pausing. Jessie leaned forward a bit, he sounded as if he was understanding it. "It's like... saying that the truth is too intense for us, ya know? Like we aren't ready for it yet." Jessie nodded, anxious to her him keep going, he was hitting it dead on, she was really surprised at how inept he was about this poem. Not that it was really hard to figure out, he was just so correct about it "And... half the time that's the case. The truth always does surprise us, and we usually aren't prepared for it. But... but if ya spread it out, prolong it... well, it's not that surprising anymore. Yeah, monologue over,” Monologue, eh? Whatever he said. It was hardly a monologue where Jessie was concerned, but fine. "Thanks for sharing that with me, Jessie. It meant a lot to me."
“Anytime.” Jessie smiled, nodding. Then she asked why he didn’t socialize. He shrugged.
"Ah don't know," he said, scratching his head. "Ah guess... sometimes Ah just feel that people are too... too much like the truth described in ya poem. Too intense, too real, too... surprising." But surprising wasn’t always a bad thing, it could be good. It kept things interesting, and not boring. Some surprises could be bad though. She didn’t seek out surprises, but she didn’t always dislike what she found anyway. She looked at Lucas, his eyes were narrow, but he smiled. “Music isn't too much of a shocker for me. Ya know the notes, and the pitches, and the crescendos, and the timing...” He did, that was too much to say for Jessie though, she just grinned. “Nothing's out of beat. It's... it's predictable, right?" Jessie shrugged, giving an I-guess-so-if-you-say-so face. He looked at his hands before continuing "Yeah, that's what Ah mean. Music's predictable. People aren't. Ya can probably tell Ah'm not much of a risk taker." He laughed gently, Jessie did too. Then he gave her a look, she liked that look, it was soft. "The thing with music is that it speaks to ya just like a person... only... deeper somehow. It just seems more... alive."
“The way you talk is cool, Lucas. Poetic actually. Which might explain why you’re so good at coming up with stuff off the cuff.” Jessie said. “Surprises can be good sometimes, but I get what you mean.” She said, recalling how she hadn’t expected to meet Lucas in that tree a few months back. That had been a good surprise, to be sure. Friends were nice like that. “Definitely understand.” She mumbled, recalling other things. She snorted, smirking, memories were weird sometimes.
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Post by mila2007 on Jan 12, 2008 14:25:35 GMT -6
Jessie seemed happy she had shared the poem with him. Lucas was happy too. It was truly a wonderful poem. He settled back into his chair, cradling his temple in the crook of his forefinger and thumb as he regarded her.
“The way you talk is cool, Lucas. Poetic actually. Which might explain why you’re so good at coming up with stuff off the cuff.” Lucas smiled warmly at her, letting her continue. “Surprises can be good sometimes, but I get what you mean. Definitely understand.”
Lucas was sincerely touched by her words. He nodded his head in thanks, before putting on a mocking embarassed face. "Aw, shucks, Jessie... ya're gonna make me turn strawberry red." He fluttered his eyelashes before laughing and sitting back in the chair. "But, good," he finally admitted sheepishly. "'cause Ah lost myself with that last one, so at least one of us got it." He winked jokingly before chuckling.
Well, that was his excuse. So what was hers? He saw her outside of the common room and class of course, but she always seemed to be alone. Maybe he wasn't looking hard enough. Jessie reminded him of himself. They both seemed very secluded and calm about things. And they both had common sense, a rare trait in most teenagers these days. So how come she wasn't that social either?
Lucas looked at her seriously, tilting his head to the side as he asked, "And what about ya, Jessie? How come I don't see ya with a guy on each arm and a gaggle of girls behind ya?"
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