|
Post by Caroline on Jun 30, 2011 9:10:02 GMT -5
After hoisting the last of the wood into his arms, Shawn nodded and started walking in the direction of the caverns. "It's not far from here," he told the girl. "Just over that hill a little ways and through the grass. And I'm Shawn, by the way." he introduced himself and looked down at the girl beside him, noticing for the first time how young she was in the face. "So I'm guessing you're not from around here, are you?"
OOC; Merrr... short posts.
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jun 30, 2011 11:40:04 GMT -5
Estelle followed behind him quietly, ghostlike. She felt like a child next to her guardian, someone she could rely on. It was a strange night. "Alright... Shawn," she replied, looking up at him as they walked. She quietly wondered to herself how he has gotten so tall, so strong. He seemed almost like one of regular people of Wixham, only less brutish and loud. A strange night indeed. Though she was initially hesitant to answer his question - what if she told to much??? - it was better than refusing and looking both impolite and naïve. "No, not really," she answered, looking up at the starry night sky. So entrancing... "Pretty far away, to be honest..."
((ooc; better than nothing at all!))
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jun 30, 2011 13:55:25 GMT -5
Shawn followed the girl's gaze into the night sky, admiring the beauty for a moment. It seemed so much more peaceful up there, away from this hell-spawn infested city. The horrible man who had abused him for more than half his life came to mind; the man who beat him, scared his friends, chained him up outside on rainy nights... The man he had once called "Dad". Shawn exhaled and walked on, pushing the horror stories aside. He didn't want to look upset in front of this girl. He wasn't even sure why he had thought about his father so suddenly. This girl, he thought. "And your name, Miss?" Shawn asked, immediately thinking afterwords perhaps she had already told him and now he just looked stupid.
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jun 30, 2011 14:03:11 GMT -5
As she stared, she thought of France. Lovely France! The Champs-Élysées! Notre Dame! The Eiffel Tower! Moulin Rouge! So many places she had visited, so many she had yet to. How it all seemed so far away now, since she left. Since she started noticing how cold the summers were, how deathly icy everything was. Her parents had never thought she would be one of... those people. The thought horrified them. Escape was the only option. That, or death.
Her trance was soon broken up by the sound of his voice, asking her name. He had asked it before, she recalled, but it wouldn't be any harm to repeat it. "Estelle," she replied. "Estelle Bertrand." A faint smile, a nod, and she walked on, thoughts wandering.
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jun 30, 2011 14:24:08 GMT -5
"Oh." Shawn frowned at himself, remembering instantaneously. He did this frequently with new people, being terrible with names. Now you just look like a fool, he thought to himself. There was silence until they reached the caverns entrance; a large, curved stone opening under a hillside. It was shallow, the back wall slanting in to one side. It appeared to be nothing more than a stone indent. Shawn tromped right up to the opening and unloaded his arms yet again, brushing the wood dust off his hands before rolling an enormous flat stone out of the way, revealing a rickety staircase. An inviting warm light shone from within, almost luring you like a moth to a flame. Shawn acted completely casual about all of this as he began tossing logs down. "Incoming!" he called, his muscles rippling beneath his tan skin as he worked and exhaled heavily with each throw. He was beyond exhausted.
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jun 30, 2011 14:24:57 GMT -5
OCC; Sorry about my slowness, I've kind of been on and off all day.
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jun 30, 2011 14:38:28 GMT -5
Estelle followed closely and watched as Shawn deftly rolled the gigantic stone out of the way, revealing a strangely soothing light coming from the inside. This place was most certainly interesting, seeming much more spacious and pleasant than the dingy, makeshift shack she was forced to call home. As Shawn unloaded the pile of firewood - throwing it down a staircase, grunting with exhaustion - she wondered how they would react to a newcomer like her. Surely, they wouldn't mind one extra person boarding for the night? One night, of course, only one night. She sighed, icy breath dispelling into the acrid air. This would either be alright or horrible, depending upon both the mood of Shawn's acquaintances, and her own mood. She was tired. She did not feel like talking. As her newfound friend rolled down the last of the logs, she was feeling quite drowsy.
ooc; no worries!))
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jun 30, 2011 17:38:46 GMT -5
Shawn booted the last hunk of wood down the stairs and turned to Estelle, beckoning for her to follow with his fingers before heading down. The two entered a giant cavern room, it's ceiling at least hundred feet above with many sharp stalactites poking down. It was a very spacious area, stretching at least the size of a football field in both width and length. You could see toward the back there were several openings that led even deeper into the caverns. The main room was filled with crates and piles upon piles of junk, old furniture, appliances stacked against the walls. However, toward the middle there seemed to be a nice little sitting area on a rug. The cavern was illuminated by rounded modern lights that lined the entire room. "You home, Sid?" Shawn called out, his voice bouncing off the walls. No response. "Well, this is it..." he said to Estelle, opening his arms broadly. "Welcome to my home."
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jun 30, 2011 18:01:21 GMT -5
Estelle nearly gasped at the size of the cavern. It was beyond gigantic. Staring up at the ceiling with awe, she nearly tripped and fell. This place was covered with stalactites and stalagmites of all shapes and sizes. The belly of the whale, illuminated by tons of lights. Her eyes lead her to tunnels that lead deeper into the already boundless space. She wanted to go deeper, explore. But she stayed, thoughts stronger than feels, lingering behind Shawn. His voice echoed loudly across the room, heading deeper. "This seems awfully... large," she mumbled, her quiet voice faintly echoing after Shawn's. She would have loved to live in such a nice place, but she promised only one night. And she was not one to break promises... most of the time.
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jul 1, 2011 7:37:59 GMT -5
"Hah, wait until you see the rest of it." said Shawn, pushing the scattered logs into a corner neatly. He lead her to the tunnels, choosing the left path. There was a significant drop in temperature, cool air washed over him and Shawn sighed in refreshment, it was like walking into an great big air conditioning vent. He wasn't sure about Estelle though, who was tiny and probably more sensitive to cold. Then he remembered she could manipulate ice and wondered stupidly if that changed anything, or just made her even colder than normal.
The tunnel was dark and damp, but not very long, dim light could be spotted at the end. There was a fresh, moist smell lingering in the air, a certain scent of pureness that reminded Shawn every day that he was home. "Okay, so let me do the talking, alright?" Shawn said to Estelle, looking in her direction for a sign of agreement though he couldn't see her. The tunnel opened up into another large cavern, a fraction in size compared to the first, but still quite spacious. A fire lined with heavy stones was raging happily in the center, fully illuminating the room. There appeared the be a vent in the ceiling.
The faces of many curious people stared as Shawn entered with Estelle behind him. Few asked cheeky questions amongst themselves, whispering to each other, and others frowned in displeasure. It was clear the emotions in the room were mixed, but it was Sid who stood and spoke first. "Who is that, Shawn?" the woman asked in a deathly serious tone. Sid was a warrior, twenty-five and fierce as hell. She had short, bluntly cut dark brown hair that barely inched past her jawline, sharp green eyes and the body of a fighter. She wore a white tank top with thick straps that showed off her biceps and olive green cargo pants which were splattered and splotched with various stains. A sheathed knife hung at her hip. Sid stepped closer, eyeballing the new girl while she $waited for an answer.
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jul 1, 2011 12:09:16 GMT -5
Estelle followed him closely as they went deeper into the cavern, through the tunnel. The sudden whiplash of freezing air gave her shivers. She never liked the cold, never got used to the fact that her powers would be a bit more of a curse than a blessing, in her eyes, at least. She could manipulate the cold, but she couldn't bear through too much of it. How ironic, how straongely ironic. She went on anyway, the chills eventually numbing away, something she was aware of but didn't affect her. She wondered what Shawn would think of it, being her opposite in terms of ability.
She nodded at Shawn's comment, and hoped for the worst. As they got closer to the strange light, hearing the faintest murmer of voices, a growing sense of anxiety lingered in the back of her mind. She didn't know these people; what would they think of her? Thought usually she seemed strangely emotionless, somehow unaffected by whatever was throw at her, she was nervous. Very nervous. She was probably outnumbered, and these people were probably older, more skilled, more experienced, etcetera, etcetera.
As they entered the cavern - smaller, though still very large - she felt uneasy. She was aware of the stares and comments coming from all those people. She was an alien, wasn't she? Simply a foreigner. The air seemed so much colder than it was supposed to be, wasn't it? Estelle has already lost all hope for a relatively friendly greeting. A few seemed immensely displeased with her just standing there. Perhaps it was a better idea just to not turn up at all! She just looked towards the ground, hands shoved into her pockets. She did not like this place, nope, not at all.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a woman step up towards her. She looked like trouble, at least to her. Short, dark hair. Green eyes. A knife. A body that could rip her in half. These people meant business. The woman - who she assumed was Sid - asked Shawn who she was. For a second, she was thinking of a reply, but remembered Shawn's warning. She kept quiet.
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jul 1, 2011 13:01:14 GMT -5
OOC; Sorry if I go too fast.
BIC; "This is Estelle, I found her on the way back. She's not a threat, she just needs a place to stay, I--" Shawn began, but his words were sliced by Sid's. "Not a threat? Shawn, we've been through this! Never fall for the innocence gimmick! I would think you'd know better by now... Christ." The woman spat, rubbing her forehead in stress. Shawn remained unphased by her anger. It was common for her to have a temper and he had grown accustom to it. "Listen, I will take full responsibility for her and my actions. She's only staying a night--" "Do you know how much damage one night can cause? You know what happens when she leaves in the morning? She's going to go rat on us to her people, and then we have to move. Do you even know what her gift is? Or where she came from?" Sid shot back, folding her arms over her chest and clenching her jaw. Her expression was similar to that of a provoked mother bear. "She's an ice bender." Shawn replied in a tone that half-hinted toward Estelle to demonstrate. Sid's bitter glare immediately switched to the girl in expectation.
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jul 1, 2011 13:15:56 GMT -5
She watched them go back and forth, listening thought not really paying attention. Sid obviously didn't trust her, by the looks of it. It seems the only way she could prove herself is by simple demonstration. Oh well. This was quite common. Estelle, herself, didn't look especially trustworthy, anyhow. When Shawn hinted at her to use her abilities, she wasn't surprised. All eyes were on her. They were watching.
Quietly, she slipped her right hand out of her pocket, holding it out for everyone to see. Palm side up - frail, thin, a perfect representation of her own gift. The girl let the natural aura that surrounded her create a layer of frost, and, speeding up the process a bit, a few icicles. From standing in the same spot for some long, she had also managed to freeze the ground around her. Hopefully this would be enough to convince them. She didn't want to make a big circus out of it, unless that was what they wanted. Eventually, she put her hand down, wondering if this small show would be enough to satisfy the amazon that stood before her. "I hope this is enough for you," she mumbled. Of course, she was not particularly proud of her gift.
ooc; don't worry about it! i just get easily distracted, is all xD))
|
|
|
Post by Caroline on Jul 2, 2011 16:29:24 GMT -5
OOC; No I meant in the story xD
BIC; Sid stood silently contemplating for moment, biting the inside of her cheek with her head at a tilt. Her gaze shifted to Shawn, then waved her hand dismissively. "Your responsibility. One night." she granted, straightening up. Shawn nodded as relief flooded him, though he knew very well that this did not mean either of them had won Sid's trust. Shawn ticked Estelle's hand with his before heading down another tunnel, this one narrower than the last. He silently thanked the heavens that Sid allowed him to handle a decision of his own, and for not putting a knife to Estelle's throat.
This tunnel was short, leading into stone staircase that came to a small circular lobby-Esq room with single battery-operated light. There were two heavy wooden doors opposite each other, their knobs browned with rust. Shawn twisted the handle of the left and pushed in, the hinges created a horrible squealing noise. He groped around the wall and flicked the light switch, illuminating the room with dim yellow light. There was a four-poster bed with a pink and green plaid blanket with a single pillow, a petite dresser and an ancient-looking trunk at the foot of the bed. "Not much, but..." Shawn shrugged, looking down to Estelle for an opinion. "Hope you don't mind the dark."
|
|
|
Post by Caitlin on Jul 2, 2011 16:44:34 GMT -5
As Shawn lead her even deeper into the caverns, a quiet sense of relief washed over her. Sid, while still pretty suspicious of her, didn't kill her outright. That was good enough for her. The woman had frightened her somehow, commanding respect and fear from those she knew and those she had just met. Usually she was unaffected by those who demanded attention, but Sid intimidated her far too much. Thankfully, she would only have to see her the next day, to go back home. Home. She didn't consider it home, not a bit. "Temporary shelter" was a better term for it, especially since she had made plans to ditch Kennedy and travel away from Wixham, that hellish city. Whether these plans would work or not, she didn't know.
Eventually, Shawn brought her to a small room, barely able to even be called one... but it was still a bit better than her usual sleeping quarters. "It's fine," she smiled faintly, stepping towards the bed. A bit dingy, but better than nothing. "It's only for one night, anyway..."
ooc; OH. now i feel silly xD but no need to worry about that, either!))
|
|