( stargazing )

[absurdities]

the stargazing meme

oo1. comment with your characters
make sure to put names, series, & preferences somewhere!
you can use < ! > sans the spaces to make the comment "blank"
oo2. reply to others in character
oo3. use the rng and enter 1-10
oo4. play out what happens—anything goes!
oo5. profit? oh yeah!

prompts

one → meteor shower you just saw a falling star! and another! make a wish!
two → aliens what was that? was that really? omg no way a ufo!
three → lunar eclipse you've been sitting out for hours, waiting for this. it's so cool!
four → comet does it move fast or slow? either way, it's amazing.
five → full moon the moon is so huge! just don't look too long, it's really bright too.
six → star dust anything can happen in space. make up your own plot!
seven → solar eclipse this might be happening in the middle of the day!
eight → planet sighting is that a new star? nope, just a neighbor in the solar system!
nine → constellations do you know the stories behind these odd patterns?

Comments

[inyourdreams]

She watches the sky for just a moment or two more even after the last light has fallen and then gets to her feet when she realizes he is already up on his.

"That was beautiful," she says as she brushes off her jeans, more something to do than actually removing dirt. He's sizing her up she thinks but she's not sure why. And she wishes the light were brighter because she can't get much of a handle on him at all. "Um...thanks for letting me stay to watch."

[desecrated]

"Are they bad people?" He asks, ignoring her statement, and clearing his throat a little. "The ones who are chasing you." She's running from something, but he can't quite tell what she's trying to get away from.

He supposes he's maybe a bit mad, it feels like not all the pieces are there some of the time.

[inyourdreams]

She sighs because he's clearly got a handle on her and isn't going to let it go. And because yes, they're bad people.

"They are," she says with a nod, looking suddenly a bit tired. It's tiring all this moving around. She always imagined a backpacking trip through Europe as a fun adventure with friends. This one has been trying and lonely, even though she has been doing her best to make the best of it and see some wonderful things along the way.

[desecrated]

He blinks for awhile. "You could erm. Sleep, on...sofa if you want." He gestures to the cottage. "I'm not bad," he states, a bit earnest. He likes helping after all, and it's rare he feels comfortable around someone he doesn't know. Usually strangers make him nervous and shy.

[inyourdreams]

The offer is somewhat surprising and it probably shows on her face. The one thing she still needed to work on in the business was her poker face. The kindness of strangers here is still surprising to her. She thinks she's spent too much time in big cities and with bad people.

"You don't seem bad," she assures him. And she thinks about the hostel she was going to walk back to and the prospect of drunken Irish teenagers waking her up in the middle of the night. The feeling of being even more lonely around more people. Her mother's voice in her head is warning her of the dangers of going back to a strange man's house alone, but her mother's voice forgets that she's done a lot worse and risky things lately.

"I...that would be...I mean...if you wouldn't mind. I can give you some money."

Something she's in no lack of even if she looks like a raggedy, poor uni student.

[desecrated]

He shrugs. He doesn't really care about money a lot. His honey sells and he has enough for winter.

He just turns to lead the way. The cottage is small, white crates in the backyard and the hum of what is obviously bees, though it's quieter now because it's so late.

He's wary still, the cottage is a bit...disorganized, but there's books and science magazines on the sofa and he seems to scuffle to clean it up. There's a cane in the corner, but he doesn't use it that often. Only on 'bad days'.

[inyourdreams]

She gathers up her things - blanket and her bag and the barely touched can of cider - and follows him to the cottage. He wasn't joking about the bees part, she thinks as they walk by the crates.

The inside of the cottage is cluttered but cozy feeling. A home. It makes her ache for her own. Her father was a bit of a clutter bug himself. An intellectual with no time to deal with things like organization and cleaning. Too many things to read about and research and discover.

She takes off her shoes at the door because it's what she's been taught (by her much more neat and organized mother) and watches as he tidies up a bit, just looking at the things around her, trying to figure him out at least a little.

[desecrated]

He seems to have a rhythm - or perhaps a ritual - way of doing things. Clear off the sofa, set off a few blankets, clear the teacup on the coffee table, take it to the sink, then the dishwasher. He might seem to have an odd way of walking, sometimes limping, other strides fine.

He just seems to go about his tasks without noticing her much, then shifting to the kettle to warm some milk. Warm milk helps him sleep.

[inyourdreams]

Soldier, she thinks. Maybe. The slight limp, the movements that look practiced or at least done the same way over and over. And the way he just leads her in and lets her be without indicating she should sit on the couch or tell her where the bathroom is. Those things actually remind her more of her father's university friends. Smartest people you could know, but a clear lack of social skills.

Soldier turned professor turned bee keeper?

She takes it upon herself to set her things down near the coffee table and take a seat on the couch. The table in front of her is piled with books and magazines of all kinds. Topics that don't seem to go together at all. He's certainly an interesting man whoever he is.

It's not until she spots the volume on Essential Forensic Biology that she puts his name into context, her head lifting up to watch him puttering in the kitchen.

No. It couldn't be. She'd read some of the stories of his detecting skills of the cases he'd solved. He was brilliant and famous. World famous even. But this couldn't be the same man.

[desecrated]

He shifts,after the milk is warm, stirring in some honey into the cocoa and warm milk and handing her the one cup. He's used to making just one, for him. Brother never wants any. He then turns to make the other, tapping his foot a little.

He doesn't seem to care about her looking through his books, almost acting as though he hasn't noticed.

[inyourdreams]

"Thank you," she says as she takes the cup from him and breathes in the smell of the cocoa, blowing on it a bit before taking a sip, still watching him. Maybe a little bit closer now. She was curious before but now she's intrigued. It's like when that one actor's name who played in that thing that time escapes your mind and you can't let it go until you come up with it. That's how Ari is when a piece of knowledge is just right out of her reach. It's a compulsion to know the thing for sure.

"This is very good. How long have you been keeping bees?"

[desecrated]

"Year and a half," he stirs the honey, not clinking the spoon against the cup. Carefully. Doesn't like the sound of metal and ceramic.

He puts the spoon on the counter and sits in the chair, sipping hiss cup.

[inyourdreams]

"Oh, so not too long," she says before taking another sip. "Some kind of life-long dream?"

It seems a little odd for someone his age to be starting something like bee keeping, but the whole having your own garden and living off your own land was becoming popular lately, so maybe not so odd in that context.

[desecrated]

He shrugs. "I suppose so." Not really, though. He just wants things quiet now. Or maybe his brother wants that life for him.

[inyourdreams]

"You don't say much, do you?" she said. It wasn't a judgment, just an observation.

[desecrated]

He shakes his head."No I suppose I haven't got much to say. Who um... Are they, the people chasing you?" Clearly wants to change the subject. "They aren't very nice."

[inyourdreams]

"What if I'm the one who isn't very nice?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow. It's a fair point since he doesn't know anything about her, and she is a criminal after all. She is also avoiding his question.

[desecrated]

He frowns a little and picks up his cup, rubbing his arm, from his elbow to his shoulder. Clearly a nervous habit. "You're not," he says, shivering a little, wishing he didn't doubt himself so badly.

[inyourdreams]

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she says. "You're right I'm not."

He was nice enough to invite her in as a stranger. She doesn't want upset him or make him change his mind. And she isn't really a bad person. Not like some of the people in her line of work. Not like the people after her.

[desecrated]

He nods, taking the cup if she's done with it and going to wash it in the sink. Trying to get his mind of that.

[inyourdreams]

She has upset him she thinks.

Maybe she's forgotten what it's like to be around non-criminals who aren't always insulting each other for fun and sport. Some people are more sensitive.

[desecrated]

If he was upset, truly, he'd be having a bit more of a panic. He finishes the dishes and sets a few blankets on the end of the sofa for her if she wants them. "Bathroom is down the hall," he explains.

[inyourdreams]

She stands up as he comes in. His height combined with her shortness and sitting on the couch, makes it sort of uncomfortable for her to look up at him.

"Thank you again," she says. "I really appreciate you asking me in. This is...a lot nicer than my hostel."

[desecrated]

He nods a bit. She might be safer here, than the hostel, though he's not very good at fighting anymore.

"Do you know if ... They know where you are." Just so he's prepared.

[inyourdreams]

"I don't think so," she says. "If they did, I think I'd already know."

In other words, they would have already taken her, or worse, she'd be dead.

"It's been a month since I basically went off the grid and I haven't seen anyone suspicious."

A month out there by herself just wandering around Europe.