[005] Before the summer, there is the spring

[tristranthorn]

"Well, I really think we ought to be moving along once more," Tristran says as he begins to pick up the mess of things left in their room -- socks, dirty plates, cups, and other things of the sort. "We've been staying here for far too long."

He's been dreaming of home lately. As soon as he regained the ability to breathe properly and move about as energetically as he used to, he's been feeling restless for the journey ahead of him.
At first he didn't think much of these dreams, but soon he was dreaming of Victoria again, and of the day he returned to her -- with the star.

A sock hangs off the end of their bed, and he scoops it up, turning to Yvaine with a slightly serious expression on his face. "And we haven't had the chance to check on the unicorn either," he adds. Perhaps if he appeals to Yvaine's fondness for the unicorn, she will be more likely to cooperate with him. "I'm sure he must be eager to move around in Faerie once more."

Now, he manages a slight smile of a sort as though to say, 'Hmm?'

Comments

[an_evening_star]

Very good - the state of tranquility is maintained, and nothing gets ceremoniously tossed in any direction.

She breathes deeply, chin tilting back again. It's warm enough that his fingers won't freeze and their words don't fog, but the sun isn't harsh enough to make her skin prickle unpleasantly.

"Only one?" she asks, eyebrows furrowing almost incredulously. "It must be significantly easier to get time by yourself, I would imagine."

A pause and her nose wrinkles, "Though there are less options to blame things on as well."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran lets out a soft chuckle. "I suppose," he says, "but my sister and I got along for the most part anyway. She would often go off with her friends, and I --"

...Well, he didn't exactly have many friends in Wall, did he? Always the 'odd one out', always the slightly strange boy with a curious way about him.

"Well, I worked quite a bit. So I suppose we did have a substantial amount of time to ourselves outside of the house."

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine doesn't have friends, she has sisters. Sisters who are morally obligated to be your friend and really don't have a choice as to whether or not they want to deal with you.

And him. She has him, she supposes. Though there isn't a great deal of choice involved in that relationship either.

"You are telling me that you didn't get into the least bit of trouble when you were younger?" she quirks a curious eyebrow - Yvaine was a horrible little sister.

[tristranthorn]

"Louisa caused most of the trouble within the house," he says with a slightly amused shrug. This is not to say he didn't get into trouble, however.

There was the one time he'd fallen out of an apple tree by Victoria's window and broken his arm.

Leading her towards the lake with careful steps (after all, the terrain here isn't spectacularly flat), he continues. "When I was eight, I had told her the clouds looked like sheep. She laughed at me and had everyone at school make fun of me for thinking such." He shrugs. "I was eight. Children think that way. I wouldn't say something like that now."

[an_evening_star]

"Why not?" she inquires, hobbling carefully. "I happen to think that your sister was just looking wrong."

If there are shapes in stars, she doesn't find any reason for there not to be shapes in clouds. Imagination hardly hurt anyone - especially where she is from.

"I would not say sheep, however - possibly feathers," her chin tilts primly, eyes narrowing in contemplation. "That one rather resembles a dragon - though people say that they have not been seen for years."

[tristranthorn]

He tilts his head back up to stare at the sky for a moment, an almost grateful smile crossing his features.

Oh, if only eight-year-old Tristran had known Yvaine back then. He would have possibly been spared quite a bit of laughter from Louisa's classmates -- and his own, for that matter if so.

"I suppose my telling her we went to a... tavern at the end of the universe would send her into fits of uncontrollable laughter." He smirks. "Or she'll simply say I've gone completely mad."

[an_evening_star]

She would have taken care of it - for a given, and possibly great deal more violent, meaning of 'taken care.' And he probably wouldn't have constantly told her to stand up straight and that her hair was a mess, her dress was an utter disgrace, and she really shouldn't know such words, let alone use them while in polite company.

"Who's to say that you haven't?" she grins back, arcing one delicate brow. "You are discussing clouds with a star, Tristran Thorn."

[tristranthorn]

He laughs, now. And while the reasons for his next words don't make much sense to him yet, he means them.

"Well, if I've gone mad, then I wholly welcome it."

They've reached the lake.

[an_evening_star]

Her stomach flutters and she slows for a moment, tilting her head at their reflection and bracing her fingers over her chest - forcefully quelling the need to snap something unpleasant in defense.

This was all a great deal easier when she hated him. He couldn't just continue being obnoxious?

She almost would have appreciated it.

"You have certainly taken to it - madness or not."

[tristranthorn]

"It isn't an unpleasant thing," he replies, crouching down for a moment to pick up a loose pebble from the ground.

"Sometimes I thought that some of the so-called 'sane' folk of Wall could do with a bit of...something out of the ordinary once in a while." Or imagination.

He flicks the pebble in the lake's direction, not particularly getting the effect he was going for. It skips once, then sinks rather embarrassingly into the water.

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine happens to think that 'sane' is another, far more diplomatic, word for 'terribly boring.'

"It is a wonder you survived at all," given what he is he must have felt terribly suffocated - the very idea of it makes her shiver. A place where magic only dares to come close every few years.

"You are tilting your wrist too far down," she murmurs absently, watching the ripples with a vague sort of interest.

[tristranthorn]

Blinking, he looks down at his wrist, then turns to her.

Tristran doesn't really know yet how different he is from the people in Wall. Sure, he has a feeling, but that's all it is. To him, at this moment in time, Wall was -- and always will be -- his home.

Another nervous laugh, and he stoops once more to pick up a slightly smaller pebble.

[an_evening_star]

It's not so much an issue of home, at least not in this context. It's that difference - it's a wonder that it is still there, that it is still loud enough that she can even notice it.

She shakes her head again, tapping the back of his hand dismissively.

"No, something flatter," another pause and she searches the ground, gesturing vaguely and then carefully pointing once she remembers that she's not going to be able to get it herself. "That one - and keep your wrist straight this time."

Her lips quirk again, challenging.

[tristranthorn]

However, for Tristran whose experience in the outside world is almost slim to none (though he is learning), home means he ought to belong there, no matter how awkward and different he may feel while there.

His head turns in the direction she points at, then taking a couple steps, picks up the rock, the chain between them stretching a little.

"This one?" He returns to join her. "Where did you learn to skip pebbles?"

[an_evening_star]

"I know a great many things," she replies. "It comes from paying attention."

Her nose wrinkles and she just continues to grin, silently and privately amused.

"Come on then," one hand waves toward the lake, causing the chain to swing. "Impress me."

[tristranthorn]

He raises an inquisitive eyebrow at the star, but doesn't say anything.

Straightening his wrist upon instruction, Tristran attempts to flick the pebble across the water.

Oh, he really wants to impress her, but...well, he really isn't any good at that. Sure, the pebble skips a little farther this time, but it still only skips once before plunking into the water again.

[an_evening_star]

Yvaine takes a moment to look distinctly unimpressed before she bites down on one half of a snicker, fingers pressing over her lips.

"Not exactly," she snorts, eyes bright and amused.

"It is, perhaps, very fortunate that you endeavored on a quest with stones that turned out to be girls, and not the other way around."

[tristranthorn]

"I suppose it's official, then. I can't say I'm any good at skipping pebbles," he says with a shrug and an awkward laugh.

He puts his hands in his pockets and watches the water for a moment.

[an_evening_star]

"I do not think it is a cause for great concern," comes the reply, followed by a mild shrug. "I cannot say that I have ever had the opportunity to try it myself. I could very well be just as horrible when in actual practice."

There see, look at that - momentary lack of superiority complex.

[tristranthorn]

Aww. Well, that's something to write home about. Only, neither of them has paper or a pen. Or a messenger.

"Perhaps you'd like to try it?" he suggests, giving her a sideways glance. "We might not find much in the way of lakes for a while once we...leave here."

[an_evening_star]

The star darkens slightly, then squares her shoulders with a resigned sort of sigh forcing a not quite so dismal expression back onto her face.

"Perhaps I will save it then," she answers. "In anticipation of future lakes."

A mild sniff, "I'm sure there will be sometime when you need to laugh at me."

[tristranthorn]

He gives her a reassuring look. "I'm sure you would be far better than I could ever be," he encourages. "And thus, I won't have any reason to laugh."

But he isn't going to force her, either way.

[an_evening_star]

Having things to do later ensures somehow that there will be a later - she's rather fond of the concept of actually having time to do things.

"Later please?" she replies, swallowing the unpleasant shakiness and replacing it with a crooked smirk. "I will even promise not to hit you with things if you do laugh."

[tristranthorn]

He nods, expression becoming a little more serious.

"Of course," he replies. He turns back to stare at the lake for a moment before clearing his throat. Something about that 'please' lingers in his mind. It sounds almost...well, concerned.

He's sure there is a reason; he just isn't sure of what that reason is.

"...Would you like to take that walk to the stables now?"

[an_evening_star]

"Very well."

A soft sigh, quiet and almost relieved. She likes that he doesn't ask questions - though she doubts that he would even know which ones to ask.

"I do not imagine that he will be pleased at being left alone for so long," she murmurs, voice steady again and she slants her gaze, bumping his hip as she turns. "I will not hesitate to blame everything on you."

She smiles, "Just so you know."