tampered | log | ongoing | closed

log | ongoing | closed | backdated

When; Dec. 25th
Rating; G/tba
Characters; Anew [

irresoluteness]
Summary; a Christmas surprise made possible by City truly?
Log;

Christmas here, in this place, this City... it really was ideal, wasn't it? Almost too ideal, Anew idly thought, her palm against the window, chill to the touch, watching with a small smile as her breath left the softest fog on the glass. Snow... she knew it, and she'd been on Earth, set her feet to the true ground before this, but that didn't mean it had lost its beauty to her, or become the slightest bit mundane.

Only... had it truly only been two days since she'd come back here once more? Once more she was granted that solace, the gift of life, when she should by all accounts have none. There were times when she did question it, when she did wonder if it was right. But it never felt wrong, and so it couldn't be- for after all... it had been her heart that led her to her fate in the end, not her head. And it was a fate that she was content with, one she'd taken happilty.

And so these moments... another moment, the most normal of things, the most exciting of things, intimate things and sad things... they were perhaps the best gift for this holiday, weren't they? Anew couldn't help the small laugh, moving to draw the tip of one finger over the condensation left by her breath before she turned to take her eyes from the snow still falling.

Christmas was supposed to be about miracles in the end, anyway, wasn't it?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

There was a part of him that was too easily reminded of his childhood with the snow coming down like that. Amy always liked the snow; she liked rolling in it, making snowmen, and acting as if it was the best thing in the world. While Neil was the one who allowed himself to be visibly affected by her death—Lyle noticed it with how he handled Feldt—Lyle was not without his own personal feelings on the situation. He managed to keep his attention off the window, sitting on the couch while nursing a cup of hot chocolate. After all, he promised Anew that he would wait on the eggnog for a while.

With good reason, of course. He had a feeling that if he decided to drink the eggnog, the poignant part of the day would be wasted. There would be other days, but why wait?

His frequent appearances and disappearances in the City only made it obvious that time was fleeting. His conversation the other day with Kaoru only seemed to hit it home: he had been with Anew for a long time, and it was important to not let go of that. She was everything he needed, and while he jovially told her he loved her that first time, it was a fact that never seemed to be lost.

Carefully, Lyle gulped down the last bit of hot chocolate and rose from the couch. For the day, he did his best to bite back cigarette cravings, and the only ones he took outside of the apartment—to be fair, of course, His fingers itched a little at the moment, but he realized it was nervousness. A funny feeling, to be sure, but he imagined it was because he was human like anyone else. His fingers didn't drift over his left pocket, where his pack of cigarettes rested, but his right one, where a box remained. Focus on that, he told himself. That was the important part of today.

Prepping a smile, he came up behind Anew, and reached out, drawing a Haro on the window. Despite the action, he said, "Don't stick your tongue to it. It might not come off. And then what'll I do with you?"

Anew liked this place- this home, for it felt that way to her, even so newly arrived once more. Perhaps it was different for them- it probably was. When he left this place, he went back to their world, and continued his life, the future that was there waiting for him. And she returned to nothingness... or something of the kind. She had no memories, no impressions, even. Simply a blink, or a moment before she slipped away, and another in which she was returned, not in the same place, or the same time, the same month, the same season- yet with that distinct, unsettling feeling in her stomach, that she had gone. And so it seemed like only yesterday to her, to be here... and to be here once more.

Yet it didn't make it any less to her, just how his jovial tone when he'd said those words, I love you, didn't make her heart tighten, ache, and soar all the same. She'd heard him in more tones than that, and even if she hadn't... she understood. That was the most important. It always had been, with them.

The fact that he'd not been smoking like he usually did hadn't escaped her- she was not a woman lacking in skill, observation being on of them. But she'd no idea of precisely why, thinking perhaps it was simply the day itself, something to do with that significance, not any other in particular.

"If I did do that, I'd hope you'd make more hot chocolate and lend me some warmth to fix it." Couldn't help the smile, the small laugh, moving to bump her hip against him playfully as she moved to illustrate little signs of movement, just small wriggly lines on one side of the Haro with the tip of her finger.

Edited 2010-01-03 10:52 (UTC)

"A medical professional should know that by being stuck, your tongue has probably already gone through irreparable damage." It was complete bullshit, but he delivered it with a rather serious expression, making it seem as if he believed it. But as a man with a university education, it seemed unlikely that he would buy into something that simple—after all, Lyle had the brains in his set of twins.

With a bit of expertise, he drew a face next to the Haro, and drew hair next to it, and after a moment, there was an eyepatch, along with the rest of the features. It was obvious that it was Neil. And this Neil was kissing the little drawn Haro, who still went on looking like Haro. Lyle looked downright devious while he did this.

The act completed, he drew his hand back, gripping Anew's hand. Her fingers were even colder now, and Lyle felt the need to grasp them tightly, hold on to them, make them warm. His grip was tight, to be sure, but not painful—just enough to send warmth into her body.

"Irreparable damage? As a medical professional, I'm going to have to disagree." She didn't believe in that serious tone, not from him, when she knew a bit better. Her gaze followed his finger, at first curious, then a knowing sort of smile, slightly once she recognized the identity of the drawing. But even still, despite who it was and what they were doing-

"... You're just about way too good at fog art, Lyle." The look on his face dissipated any faint idea at chastisement for such an image of his brother- and even if it hadn't. It was just a joke, after all. A rather cute one.

Her eyes fell to follow once more, the feel of the warmth of his skin, all of him, something that she'd grown used to in contrast to herself. And something she'd grown more than fond of, something that served as her greatest comfort, in this place. Something that was more than obvious on her face, softening, and curling her fingers beneath his.

"Mm?" Leaned down to press a brief kiss against his knuckles before she looked back to him, still smiling. She knew she was cold- especially when compared to him. But knowing didn't mean she felt it... not really, not like that.

Lyle's voice dropped low for this next statement, the mischievous expression still set in place. After all, playing along, playing a game, it was all a part of their daily conversations. They may have serious ones from time to time, but he was trying to be easy, comfortable—himself—before he took the plunge and pulled that ring out of his pocket. "I was always the talented one in the family. It's just no one bothered to look." Surprisingly, he said it without even the smallest bit of bitterness.

His smile faded a moment later, as he drew her close and wrapped his arms around her. "Of course, in our family, you're the talented one." The sly tone completely evaporated, replaced by a softer one. Lyle leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, before inhaling the scent of it. Her being alive may have been a fabrication of the City, and done in a way to remind him that she was forever gone whenever he returned back home, but he didn't allow it to disrupt him now.

Without the traces of bitterness that had once laced words such as those, Anew only smiled against his chest, fit there like she belong there- and she liked to think those things, even now, when she had no chance to stay there forever. Forever was something no one got- not even Innovators, or perhaps, especially not.

Not when forever was useless, in her heart, without someone to share it with, without the memories, the experiences that had made her life worthwhile. That had been worth both living, and dying for.

"Our family." Murmured, as her arms instinctively moved around to his back, tangled in his shirt.

"I like the sound of that." She'd decided, this time... she was allowed to be happy. To be happy simply for these moments. To try not to let the truth of it weigh her down, and take him with her.

If there was ever a time to do this, it was now. Lyle allowed himself to linger in her words, nose nuzzling against her hair, and he wrapped her even closer against him. The time would come, but he wanted to draw it out, to savor it. When they were together, the agitating ticking of the clock was absent, and replaced by each other; the City, at least, was kind enough to not make it so the walking dead did not have a chance of nullifying that pressing problem.

Lyle's fingers grazed over her back before he pulled back. His fingers slid down quickly into his pocket to pull out the box, and with capable hands, he opened it up with a small sound. There wasn't much room for subtlety here.

But there was room for romance. Even if she would already be able to tell what he was doing, Lyle moved down onto his knee and grabbed her left hand. It was amazing how he didn't twitch or shift at the feeling of her skin anymore. Just another matter of things, just another fact, one he understood. He slid the ring over her left ring finger and tilted his head back to catch her gaze. "Well, there's a chance we might be gone tomorrow again, but I'm not one for passing up on opportunities. What do you say, Anew?"

Was it funny, that she could only stand frozen, as if the idea had never occurred to her, as if something like this was an idea so impossible she'd never gone through it in her mind, never considered it? But... did every woman dream of that at least once, perhaps? Wasn't that what was said... and yet Anew wouldn't know, what other women, women who weren't Innovators, dreamed of. She only knew her own dreams of a future, of a life.

That was right in front of her. Right here, with that man on one knee before her, that she loved and knew beyond a doubt that... any future she would have had. It was right there, with him. It always had been.

"Lyle..." Her eyes fell to the ring, then back to his face, unaware until her vision blurred just slightly that tears had welled up, but had yet to fall, waited until she nodded to trace down one cheek, even though she was smiling.

"Even if we're gone tomorrow. I want to... Yes." Moved to try and wipe that tear away with her other hand, curling her fingers around his hand and squeezing, almost too tightly.

She was crying. It was enough to make him a little choked up himself. Only Anew was able to make those little budding and burning emotions fill up inside of him so easily. The battlefield had a way of doing its number on him, but Lyle was capable of keeping himself in check even there. His rage there had a purpose. It had a method. Around her, there was no method, only the surging feeling within him whenever he saw her tear up like that.

Better to not make a joke or play it off, even if he wanted to. Old habits died hard.

Lyle stood up and drew her toward him. No words came out—it wouldn't be some joke if he managed it, but rather some sappy statement all the same—and he kissed her, firmly. They would have to plan a wedding and deal with Neil turning into a mother hen around them (there, that was a joke), but Lyle would deal with it. This was happiness. This was what their world couldn't provide.

And that was okay, for that place. But he liked being happy here for the time being.

The part of her that thought this might be cruel of her, that she was unfair, or selfish to be thinking things like this, to want so much for these days in this place to last... it seemed so very small in this moment. Resolved to make it so, this time, not just for her, but for him as well. Because despite her concerns, the worry that it was innately wrong, for this City to do this, to offer them this hope... it was still a gift. Still a gift for the both of them, as long as it lasted.

Though it was something their world couldn't provide anymore, Anew kissed him like it was the first time, the last time, or the worst or best time, unused to wearing anything like jewelry, and so feeling the rings presence so truly on her finger when her hands tangled up somewhere with his shirt, at his neck, the tears in her eyes still welled up, but no more tracing down her cheeks after the first one.

"Yes-" Once more, whispered against him, another brief kiss before she whispered it again, a litany of promises.

"Thank you, Anew."

Perhaps it wasn't the time for something like that, for thank yous and gratefulness, but it seemed to be only the appropriate thing. He felt comfortable with her there, her face pressed against his neck, and as if he didn't need anything else for the moment. It had been that way for some time. Leaving with her—even if it had been a ploy, some part of him wouldn't have minded the idea of them running away, to safety. But knowing the Innovades, there was a chance she would never be safe.

They would always find a way to find her.

He breathed deep and relaxed while he stood there. This would last for some time. He would make sure of it.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

log | ongoing | closed | backdated

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject