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Post by Shadi on Sept 7, 2007 13:55:57 GMT -5
*Shadi had fully intended to wait patiently for him, certain that sleep would be a long time coming. But when he arrived, she was breathing deeply and her face, so recently lined with her dark thoughts, was smooth and peaceful.*
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Post by Rochester on Sept 7, 2007 22:55:47 GMT -5
*Rochester smiled and set down the tray on the bedside table. Leaning over briefly, he pressed his lips reverently on her brow and turned to sneak quietly downstairs.*
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Post by Shadi on Sept 8, 2007 0:05:22 GMT -5
**IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT**
She's been here before. The courtyard of Xandros' home, her home, after dark. A noise behind her; she turns. A dark figure approaches, and laughs cruelly as suddenly her clothes vanish. She tries to cover herself, tries to explain, but the words won't come and he's moving inexorably towards her. As he steps into a patch of light from a window she's surprised to see a masked face, eyes glowing like coals, like a cat's.
"No," *she says.* "This isn't how I imagined it."
"Neither did I," *he says.* "But then again, nothing is."
It's different this time. Because this time, she knows she doesn't want it.
*Shadi screamed in her sleep, sitting bold upright and staring without recognition at the unfamiliar walls around her.*
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Post by Rochester on Sept 8, 2007 11:02:47 GMT -5
*Rochester had gone to bed, contented in the thought of Shadi under his roof. Not his though. Her father's. The thought made his stomach turn. He stood and paced to settle it once more. He found himself before the painting again and smiled gently. So lovely...he couldn't figure what it was about her that was so fetching. Then his brow furrowed. The setting, the background...it looked strangely familiar. Like...this house. How had he never noticed before? Then he noted the second figure, cloaked in shadow. His eyes widened in terror as the figure approached and grabbed his sweet Shadi. He tried to look away, but he couldn't.*
"It's a dream...just a dream..."
*Then he heard her scream. It was horrible. He lunged towards the painting, as if he could stop it, but then he realized that the sound was coming from behind him. Elsewhere. White rimmed his irises. Shadi's room. He burst out of his room and down the hall. He flung himself into her room without the thought of knocking like a decent gentleman. Once there, looking quite frantic and out of breath, he realized his rudeness.*
"I...I'm sorry, my darling. Are you...are you all right?"
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Post by Shadi on Sept 8, 2007 11:31:19 GMT -5
*Shadi was startled even more by his entrance, and nearly sobbed in relief when she recognized Rochester.*
"I had a bad dream," *she said, hating how like a whimpering pup she sounded.*
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Post by Rochester on Sept 8, 2007 12:11:30 GMT -5
*Rochester rushed to her side and sat on the bed, wrapping his arms around her tightly.*
You're not the only one...
*As he tried to soothe her, he failed to notice that he could not remember waking from his own nightmare. Instead he focused on her, stroking her hair gently.*
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
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Post by Shadi on Sept 8, 2007 14:40:41 GMT -5
*She burrowed in his arms.*
"No!" *she said quickly.* "I mean, it's nothing. Silly, really."
*She turned large green eyes to Rochester.*
"I'm sorry I woke you," *she said.* "I guess I was really loud."
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Post by Rochester on Sept 8, 2007 16:52:00 GMT -5
*Rochester shushed her and didn't lessen his grip. There was something just comforting about holding her, knowing that she was safe with him.*
"Don't you worry your pretty head about it, darling. I am happy to be woken by you, even if it means you are in need of comforting."
*He leaned back to brush the hair out of her eyes.*
"Are you, darling? In need of comforting?"
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Post by Shadi on Sept 10, 2007 11:45:19 GMT -5
*Shadi looked at him for a moment. It was an innocent enough question, but she wasn't sure she deserved comfort. Not from him, anyway. Instead, she asked him her own question.*
"Why is it so complicated, being an adult?"
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Post by Rochester on Sept 10, 2007 16:22:01 GMT -5
*Rochester sighed and smiled sadly, brushing back her hair from her face. He tried to keep some levity in his voice, although his heart ached.*
"Because if it was only the fun parts, nothing would ever get done. Well..."
*He's smiled grew a bit sweeter.*
"Certain things would definitely get done, but not the stuff that's really required for making a society function."
*He took her hand gently.*
"And why are you so worried about being an adult?"
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Post by Shadi on Sept 10, 2007 16:42:30 GMT -5
*Shadi looked absently at her hand in his.*
"Things were simpler when I was on... When I was a kid. Weren't no right and wrong, just alive and dead. You know? Hungry or not too hungry. And now... It's like everything has all these sides and nothing seems right or wrong anymore. How does anyone figure it out?"
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Post by Rochester on Sept 10, 2007 17:06:14 GMT -5
*The sadness returned to Rochester's smile. He squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead.*
"That's far too complicated a question for the middle of the night. Try to get some rest and we can talk about it in the morning, all right?"
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Post by Shadi on Sept 10, 2007 17:26:12 GMT -5
*She nodded, reluctantly, knowing he was treating her like a child and that she was acting like one.*
"Sorry. I should... Yeah."
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Post by Rochester on Sept 10, 2007 17:34:39 GMT -5
*Rochester sighed and slipped further onto the bed, opening his arms as if offering his embrace.*
"Or we might stay up for a while. If you would rather. I just want to see you feeling better."
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Post by Shadi on Sept 10, 2007 17:44:56 GMT -5
*Shadi smiled weakly.*
"I don't want to keep you up."
I don't want to tell you what I am... And I don't want to start anything we can't finish...
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