Salt water sadness

Anybody up for a backstory?

Ákos clutched his baby sister in his arms as the ship sank, looking around in vain for his parents. The couple was nowhere in sight, and the last place the boy had seen them was the brig. The two children were cowering on the deck of the crippled ship, and Ákos tried to comfort his sister as panicked crew members raced past.

The water began to reach the top of the boat. Ákos remembered what his father had told him about sinking ships. If it went under completely, anyone near it would get sucked under as well. Ákos sent one last furtive glance at the stairs, but no familiar faces appeared.

Luckily, the boy knew how to swim, so he strapped a life vest onto his sister and jumped into the water. It was horribly cold, but he shook off the chill and kept the baby above the water best he could. The waves were tall and fierce; the boy struggled to stay afloat as he was buffeted by the storm raging around them.

Just as his strength was waning, a hand gripped his shirt collar and they were hoisted onto a lifeboat. He spluttered, hastily checking to make sure his sister was okay. She squalled, but the little one was just fine. Someone was shaking him, yelling something, but it took him a second to register what he was saying.

“Hey… Hey kid, you okay? Kid? Where are your parents? What happened to the ship, did you see? Hey kid, can you hear me?” Ákos blinked salt water out of his eyes and blearily shook his head.

“The ship… the ship s-sank. My parents were on board but I couldn’t… find them. We hit… a rock or something. I had to get out before it sank.” The boy answered, pausing for gasping breaths when he had to. He spotted a blanket on the edge of the boat and wrapped his sister in it, pulling her into his lap and looking at the other occupants.

There was the cook and a few ship hands in the little life boat, but no officials who would notice that the kids hadn’t been paying customers on the ship.  Ákos knew that was good, no one would realize they were stowaways.

The storm crashed around them and the boat pitched violently back and forth. The baby whimpered in Ákos’s arms and he held her tight, feeling exhausted. The younger fell asleep first, but the boy soon followed, rocking back and forth in the midst of a storm on the Adriatic Sea.

They woke as orphans the next day. The boat had washed up in Albania, and the ship had been searched for while the children still slept. Minus the handful of people in the life boat, there were no survivors. Nobody was certain what had cost the ship to wreck, but a rumor began to pass that the captain had drunkenly steered them into rocks.

With no family to turn to, and no families nearby willing to take on two hungry mouths people began to talk of splitting the children up. When he heard this, Ákos picked up his baby sister and set out while the investigators’ backs were turned. He figured that he could take care of her better than they could anyway.  With a heavy heart, he mourned his parents as he walked. He decided that they should head back for Hungary, where his parents were born. Perhaps he could find work there and get paid enough to take care of them both.

He carried his sister on his back and kept walking, never looking back at the little town they’d left.

“Don’t worry,” He told the baby that was now his to care for, “We’ll be okay. I’ll protect you forever, Ildiko.” 

~~Kels

A Baffling Beginning

Another short in the Prince and Jester story. New Characters!

“Ildiko, Ákos, come here a moment!” Queen Mathilde’s voice rang out across the throne room to the far wall, where two jesters sat chatting. The two snapped to attention, cart-wheeling over to the Queen and sweeping into identical bows upon arrival. “Oh, enough of your antics,” The Queen laughed, “I want to talk to you two about something.” The smaller figure, Ildiko, grinned cheekily.

“We are supposed to amuse, your majesty, I’m not sure we can be serious!” She chirped. Her brother whacked her upside the head.

“Be good, sis, mind the Queen’s orders.” He growled, but his eyes sparkled with laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Really though Ákos, you’re worse than I am!” Ildiko replied, rubbing her head and pouting. The Queen cleared her throat and the Fools returned their attention to her, the taller looking sheepish.

“As I was saying,” Queen Mathilde continued, “I need one of you to go on a mission for me. You two can decide between yourselves which one shall go.” The Jesters exchanged looks, mirth gone. The brother spoke first.

“You… You’re splitting us up, your Majesty…?” Ildiko slipped her hand into her brother’s. They only had each other since their parents died, and they had always hoped they could remain together.  The Queen frowned.

“I’m afraid so. I want one of you to remain here, while the other goes to comfort my friend. He just lost his father, and he could use a Jester to cheer him up. I promised you two that I’d never force you to separate from each other, but I was rather hoping you could do this for me. Besides, whichever one of you that goes is only going to be a kingdom away. He might even send you right back, I am not certain.” The siblings looked back and forth between each other and the Queen, and then nodded.

“We shall do as you command, My Queen” The elder replied, bowing smartly. Beside him, his sister curtsied.

“I shall give you two days to decide which of you is going. Choose well. You are dismissed for today.” The two bowed again and left without another word, traveling back to the servant’s quarters. Ildiko followed Ákos into his room and sat on his bed while he paced the floor.

“What’ll we do, Sis?” Ákos sighed, slipping his mask off and setting it onto a desk, looking distraught. “I don’t want us to be apart.” The man had worry lines on his face, and Ildiko wondered how long they’d been there. Surely her brother didn’t get upset that easily. He was the less serious of the two! But her brother was still pacing, brow wrinkled and frowning.

“Ákos?” His sister finally broke in after a few minutes of silence.

“Hm?”

“I’ll go.” Ákos whipped around and gaped at her.

“You’ll… what?!”  Ildiko stood.

“I’ll go on the mission. You should stay here.”

“No way, not happening, Sis. I should go, I’m the oldest. You must stay here where you’re assuredly safe.” He looked at her like she was crazy –more than usual, that is – and wrung his hands as he spoke. “I can’t just let you go off to another country!”

“You love her.” Ildiko said, without a bit of uncertainty in her voice.  Her brother turned an interesting shade of red.

“Wh-What are you talking about? I d-do not. You can prove n-nothing.” Ildiko clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“I don’t need to. You need to stay here where she is. I’ll almost eighteen; I’ll be fine, Ákos. You’re her favorite anyway.”  The smaller jester smiled sweetly and new that she’d won. Her brother was a pushover. Plus, he had a weak spot for his sister.

“I shouldn’t give in…” He sighed, tugging on his auburn hair, but his tone suggested he was about to give.

“It will all be alright Bro. Besides, it’s not like I’m going across the world, just a few days travel away.”

“Fine…” He said, sitting down on the bed with a groan. “There isn’t any winning against you. You always get your way.” Ildiko plopped down beside him.

“Yep!” She chirped, and kissed him on the cheek before hopping up and leaving the room, giving a little curtsy at the door.

“Ugh…” Ákos said after she had gone. “I hope she knows what she’s getting into.”

~Kels

A Prince in a Foul Mood

This is the beginning of a story, and it all starts with a prince.

The Prince was grumpy, to be blunt. He’d been bombarded by all sorts of marriage proposals all evening, and between his father’s funeral and late night political talks, he had hardly slept through the night in a week.  Hardly anyone would leave him alone, and Prince Felix wondered if he’d have to kill someone to get some alone time. He eyed his official bodyguards with a sinister look, wondering which would be easier to take out. The smaller of the two shuddered without really knowing why.

“S-Sir?” A voice cut through his dark musings.
 He frowned sharply at the servant who approached him, bearing a platter with a roll of parchment on it.

“Yes?” He drawled, adjusting his crown. It didn’t quite fit him as well as it had fit his father.

“U-Um, the Duke of Hungary has a present for you, Y-Your Majesty.  He told me to give you this before I announce him in.” Prince Felix snatched the letter off of the tray and made shooing motions at the servant, who obediently scurried off.

The scroll was sealed with the Queen of Hungary’s stamp pressed into red wax, which the Prince cracked in half with the ease of one who got many such documents. He unrolled the parchment and held it up in front of him, squinting to read the Queen’s neat handwriting.  

Dearest Felix,

How are you faring, dear one? I know it must be hard with your father’s sudden passing, and if I were not so tied up with the legal works on this side, I’d come and visit you in person. However, since I cannot, I have sent in my stead a new friend for you. You became horribly depressed when your mother passed, and although my reports tell me you are faring fine, I suspect that you are in fact in deep turmoil over your father’s sudden death. Therefore, I am sending a member of my court, who you may have seen before, to join you for as long as you wish to host her. She and her brother have worked for me for many years, and she is by far the better of the two at doing her job.

I hope my letter has found you well, or can at least provide you with a bit of companionship in these dark days. All of my love,

Queen Mathilde the third

Felix set the letter down and sighed, feeling a bit better than he had before. Although he wasn’t anywhere near cheerful, his good friend had at least brought a brief smile to his face and lit his eyes with a tiny bit of light again. He folded the letter neatly and slid it into his hidden pocket, then turned and whistled sharply towards the door the servant had fled from.

An official sounding trumpet tune played, and a loud voice proclaimed: “The Duke of Hungary!” The large double doors at the head of the entrance hall opened and a fat man came waddling through them, arms out wide and a wide grin plastered onto his red face.

“Felix, my boy! How great to see you! It’s been forever since you visited us in Hungary, you should leave the castle more often!”

“Is that a diplomatic offer or an order, sir?” The Prince snapped coldly. The smile of the jovial man slipped a bit and he visibly seemed to deflate.

“N-Not at all your majesty. I m-mean, it’s an offer!”The man fumbled for words under the icy look Felix was giving him. “The Queen sends her best wishes, and um, also a gift.” The Prince gave him a look that seemed to ask him to either leave or continue, the Duke wasn’t quite sure which. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but apparently thought better of it and just snapped his fingers.

The doors yet again opened, but instead of a box or a cage dragged in by servants, a figure rolled in swiftly on a large round ball, bouncing around the vast throne room. Felix felt his eyes go wide as he watched the acrobat move around the various vases and tables that were placed randomly around the room. The figure did a few quick laps around the room before coming to a skidding stop directly before the Prince, jumping up on the ball and bowing dramatically.

Felix gazed at the person before him, taking in the odd dress of this character. It was a girl, for one thing, a young girl perhaps a year or two younger than him. She was thin, bordering on scrawny, and had piercing green-blue eyes. Her face was painted white, with a red teardrop under her right eye and a blue star under the left. She wore a jester’s outfit of blue and red, mismatched and bright, with bells on the ends of her cap. She was perched with incredible balance on top of the ball, which tilted and rolled a bit every few seconds.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the ball popped and the girl fell. Felix actually moved forward as if to catch her, but she did a back hand spring and landed on her hands, feet in the air. She gazed up at him with a simple care-freeness that left him stunned and said: “Ildiko the jester, at your service, ‘Majesty.”  She flipped back onto her feet and curtsied neatly, grinning.

Felix smiled automatically in response and stood, bowing back to this girl, who seemed to possess a contagiously bright mood. The Prince looked over her shoulder at the Duke who was watching with a wary look of hope on his face.

“Tell the Queen her gift of companionship is well received, and that I shall visit as soon as it is feasible for us both.” He said with a regal formality that prompted the Duke to bow.  “Oh,” The Duke looked up. “and tell Mattie ‘thank you’ for me, will you?” The Duke smiled and nodded, pleased to hear the Prince call his Queen by her less formal name, as he had practically raised the both of them. He left with a contented look on his face, very glad that he had a good report for the Queen.

The Prince sat back down once the man left, and turned his attention back to the jester.

“So,” He began, “Tell me about yourself.” 

-Kels

Pink lions

Another story about Ildiko and Felix. Enjoy!

             Ildiko bit her lip as the girls crowded around her. They were all like colourful birds, shallowly commenting on the young queen’s dress and lack of make-up. They were all normal court women, married into money and fortune. None of them had ever really faced difficulties or poverty, and their lilting tittering was making Ildiko’s head hurt.

“So, like, when will you guys throw another ball your majesty? The last one was so fun!” A girl in purple asked, checking her nails casually.

“As soon as my husband and I wish to.” The ex-jester said coolly, a smile plastered on her face. The girl whined but let one of her companions take her place in front of the throne.  This girl flounced up in a whirl of pink frills.

“My daddy said that you used to be a peasant! Is that true, M’lady?” The other girls gasped and whispered to themselves, staring up at the queen with prying eyes.

“Yes, in fact I was a jester.” The queen replied, sounding calm despite her pounding heart. These girls, although they acted and looked stupid, were like sharks searching for any ounce of weakness they could use to separate her from her husband.

Back when she was a jester, Ildiko had always watched with reserved amusement as girls flocked around the young prince. He was handsome, in a sullen, stoic sort of way.  Allied countries and rich nobles were constantly offering their daughters’ hands in marriage, but Felix had never given in or showed the slightest bit of interest.

Once he had confided in his jester that he hated those bird-like girls who flitted about senselessly. Ildiko didn’t blame him in the slightest.  Even when she didn’t personally have to deal with them, they still annoyed her endlessly.

“Your majesty?” The girl in pink interrupted the queen’s trail of thought.

“Ah, yes?”

“Why in the world would a king marry someone like you?” Ildiko flinched visibly and the girl flipped her hair ruthlessly, her posse chattering behind her in hushed tones. The all looked at her like cats surveying a mouse and the queen shivered.

“W-Well..” The girls pressed closer, waiting for her to slip up. “I-I… I think it was b-because-“

“It’s because I love her, of course. Now please quit crowding my wife.” A deep voice penetrated the crowd of girls who immediately flocked to the king as he walked towards the thrones.

They bombarded him with petty questions, but he ignored them, walking evenly over to his wife. In one fluid moment, he scooped her up and spun around, heading back to the door he’d entered from.  The girls slowed down and stop, a few of them sighing in defeat as the door clicked closed behind them.

The king set his wife down carefully once they were safe behind the door. She turned to face him immediately, burying her face in his chest.

“What’s wrong dear? Did they shake your faith in me that easily?” The king asked softly. His wife shook her head.

“They just… they’re all so vain and self centered! I don’t know how to deal with them… As a jester, I could just flit away or reply in riddles, but as a queen I have to worry about offending them.” Ildiko sighed. Felix pulled away from her slightly and raised her chin so she’d look at him.

“Do you regret marrying me?” He asked bluntly. His wife hurriedly shook her head, standing up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

“Of course not. I love you too, idiot.” She relaxed back into his arms again and sighed. “Even if it’s hard to understand all of these rules and manners, I’d never regret marrying you.” She felt him chuckle.

“Then do you want to go back out there and finish the conversation?”

“NO.” He grinned and pulled away from her, poking his head back out of the door into the throne room where all of the girls sat awkwardly waiting to be dismissed.

“You can leave now.” He said neatly, bowing slightly to be polite. He didn’t wait for a response.

“So,” Ildiko said slowly. “Now what?” The king sighed and deflated slightly.

“Actually, I should go back to the meeting with the other kings…”

“EH?!”  She whacked him upside the head. “That’s an important business meeting!”

“Yeah, so?”

“So you just can’t skip out on it!”

“But I missed you… Come with me?” Felix kept his usual bored expression on, but his eyes looked hopeful, if not pleading. As if she could say no to that.

“Fine.” Ildiko gave in with an overly dramatic sigh.

“Great!” The king took his wife’s hand and they set off towards the war room.

...
...
...
“Hey… are queens even allowed to sit in on kings’ meetings?”

“Only one way to find out.”

~~Kelsie

Friends

Another one about Shiro, Acorn, and co. This one includes Asa, the medic of the group. Enjoy!

Acorn knocked on the medic’s door, a piece of paper clenched in her fist. Asa answered it quickly, stepping aside without a word to let her in. The girl strode over to the couch with a familiarity that proved the numerous visits to this room. She plopped down in her seat, crossing her arms and staring her best friend down and waited for him to explain.

“You got my note, I see.” He began.

“M-hm.”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?”  Asa frowned and sat beside her, catching her eyes with a rather pointed look.

“You like Shiro.” Asa said firmly, not a question, not a smug exclamation, just a fact.  Acorn’s eyes went wide and she turned crimson, spluttering out pure gibberish. “Don’t bother lying; I’m not as dense as Shiro is. You like him.” Acorn finally got her tongue untangled.

“He’s not dense! And I don’t like him, honest!” Asa tapped his foot, scowling. “Stop that.” He scowled worse. “It’s not… I can’t… You know how much he loves her!” She blurted out, looking cross.

“That’s true. What are you going to do about it?” Asa took the near confession in stride, hardly batting an eye.

“Wait, you don’t think it’s silly that I like him?” Acorn was surprised; usually Asa was very practical, even to a fault.

“Of course not. You can’t control who you like. You should be careful not to get too attached though.” He replied casually.

“That makes no sense!” Acorn snapped in protest, fuming. “First you say I can’t help it and then say I can?!” Asa poked her nose. “H-Hey! Cut it out.” The medic poked two fingers on either side of her mouth and made her smile, looking very serious.

“There. Much better.”  She swatted at him but he dodged, getting off of the couch and rearranging his medicine vials on the table across from them.

“What was that about?” She growled, rubbing her cheeks.

“You shouldn’t look so sad all the time. Liking someone who doesn’t like you back is tough, but you can get through it, I know.”

“How would you know?!”

“Because I like someone who likes someone else.” Asa kept his back to his friend, re-wrapping a roll of gauze that had come un-done. He said it casually, but Acorn was intrigued.

“Do I know her?”

“No.” Not like I do anyway. He thought.

“What’s her name?” Asa paused on that one.

“I don’t know.” The fact was true. She’d never told him her real name.

“Oh. She’s a secretive girl then. Well, good luck trying to get her to like you!” Acorn said cheerfully. Asa laughed bitterly.

“I’d rather she didn’t.” Acorn opened her mouth to argue but Asa cut her off, turning back around. “For her to even realize I like her, she’d have to be hurt by the guy she likes. I’d rather her forget I exist than see her hurting.” Asa shifted uncomfortably, feeling like he’d crossed out of his comfort zone.

“That’s really sweet of you, Asa.” The medic looked up at her sharply. “That girl is stupid not to like you.” Acorn crossed the room and pecked him on the cheek, smiling. “Thank you for cheering me up, you’re the best friend a girl could have!” With that, she practically skipped out of the room, leaving Asa stunned.

Asa touched his cheek with a shaking hand, staring at the door as if Acorn was going to bound back through it. He sighed and laughed sadly, shaking his head.

“You idiot, you just insulted yourself.”

--Kelsie 

Fortune's Fool

If anyone can guess the reasoning behind the title, they get bonus points. 

No telling, Em-chan, I already told you. 

“Why, pray tell, are you wearing that monstrosity?” The King asked, holding out his arm for his wife to take.

“I think it’s pretty. Besides, it suits me, don’t you think?” The Queen replied, spinning a little before taking his arm.  In truth, the King thought the dress was lovely, a beautiful purple gown with gold stripes. It suited his wife extremely well, but he was in a sour mood. The king had planned a sweet and simple anniversary of their wedding, but his officials had commandeered it and made it into a masquerade.

“We don’t match.” He noted with a slightly strained edge to his voice. He was dressed in a more subtle grey and black suit.  It was a bit uncomfortable, but not the worst he’d worn, although the fleece cape made it a bit too hot in the stuffy ballroom.

“We do actually!” The Queen countered. She adjusted her gold mask and he noticed the grey and black Jester’s cap she wore that matched his suit. The Queen pulled away from him and teasingly pulled on his mask as well, or more accurately, the golden ram horns attached to his grey mask.  It was the same color of his crown, which admittedly matched his wife’s dress.

“Well it looks weird. I look dull in comparison to you.” He was just making excuses to argue at this point, and she gladly took him up on it.

“I don’t think so. I like the moon more than the sun.” That caught his attention.

“What do you mean? I thought we were talking about our clothes.”

“I am. My dress is based off of the sun, golden but flashy, colorful and eye-catching. Your suit is based off of the moon, calm and reliable, relaxing and stoic. Although the sun may have more attention, the moon is much more loved I believe.” She smiled. “Besides, it suits us! You are the strong king, and I am the frivolous jester queen!” That got a smile out of him.

“You know what, sometimes I forget you used to be my jester, yet sometimes I forget you are my queen. You are an odd one, Ildiko.”

“I’ll take that as a complement Felix.” The Jester-Queen bowed with a grin on her face and her eyes twinkling. The light reached even the Sour King’s eyes and he smiled ever so slightly. Perhaps the ball wouldn’t be so horrible; after all, he had a fool to make his evening grand.

The promised sequel to "The King and the Jester" along with "A Memento on Masks". I might post more about these too as I go, so keep an eye out! --Kelsie

The King and the Jester

A story to cheer up anyone who is sad, a tale of humour and masks. 

Once upon a time, there was a jester who went by the name of Ildiko. She was King Felix’s very favorite fool, and in fact his only one. Every time the King was blue or was overcome by his Kingly duties, she’d make him laugh with her antics. She’d fall down, tell jokes, and fall over herself to make him laugh, and she usually succeeded.

One day, however, she was having a lot of trouble making him laugh! She fell down often, told all of her best jokes, and performed all of his favorite tricks. Finally, she leaned on his throne (only a fool could do this and not be beheaded) and begged him to tell her what was bothering him.

He explained to his jester that his Officials had decided he needed to have a queen. They were going to host a Royal ball, a masquerade, where all of the princesses and noble women of marriageable age would be invited.  He had to choose one of the girls at the ball to be his bride.

The jester tried to cheer up her king all of the month before the Ball, but to no avail. It became so bad, that the king no longer even smiled. He declared to the Jester and His Royal Officials that if any of the girls at the dance could make him laugh, then he would marry her. However, he commanded that none of the girls be told this fact.

The time of the Ball came around and the King was in a foul mood. His officials had gone as far as to choose his outfit, forcing him to wear a sheepskin cape and a mask with ram horns on it.  Before the Ball, the jester tried to cheer up, but he was simply too upset, so she left.

One by one, and then in swarms, the girls entered the ballroom. He danced half-heartedly for awhile, but all of the girls were either boring or trying way too hard to impress him, so he sat down on his throne and hoped the day would get better. Just when he thought he’d go crazy from boredom, and was pondering how his officials would react if he went on a crazed rampage, a silence broke the walls around his mind. He looked, and saw the crowds parting. A magnificently simply dressed girl was approaching, without the jewels and heavy make-up of the royalty; she only wore a plain dress and a black and white mask.

The girls around her cackled, poking fun at her clothes and making snide comments about her mask. She paid them no mind, and neither did the king, their eyes locked as she approached the throne.  Upon arrival, she curtsied neatly and held out a bag to him, stating that it was a gift. He opened it hurriedly, anything to stop the boredom.  He was perplexed to find his Jester’s hat inside, and looked up at his guest, baffled.  She asked permission to place it on him, and he agreed. After she had, she looked him over and exclaimed:

“It looks like I have finally made a fool of ewe!”

He stared at her, and she stared back, straight-faced, until the pun hit him and he burst out laughing, surprising his officials and the other guests.

After he stopped giggling, which took quite awhile, he exclaimed to the whole ballroom that he’d chosen this girl to be his bride, and asked her to remove her mask.  She did so, and the King’s eyes went wide. It was his Jester, and although he had already guessed it was her because of her voice and actions, he had not expected her to be so beautiful without her normal jester’s makeup.     

The officials, upon realizing the identity of the girl, threw a hissy fit, as did the other girls and their parents, but the King could care less. He had found his bride and was pleased as punch. Perhaps, he considered, he was so upset at picking a bride because he was in love with her all along and never knew.  Only one girl in the whole kingdom could make him laugh, and he intended on marrying her. She of course, agreed, and they lived happily ever after.

This is in the same time and about the same characters as "A memento on Masks", previously posted. I'll probably post a sequel piece as well. --Kelsie

A memento on masks

A little short piece I wrote a while back

The Jester watched as people passed in the crowded ballroom, masks lying abandoned on nearby tables. Although it was a masquerade, not many had actually followed through and worn their masks for more than three minutes.  A barrage of faces smothered the tables in frown and jeers, colors and sparkles, feathers and sequins. 

Although all the decorative masks were cast aside, the Jester noticed with slight amusement that each and every person was still wearing a mask. A mask of Bravery, of Happiness, of Pride. Each person in passing wore an invisible mask of emotions that kept them bordering on sane.  One woman the Jester passed had recently divorced her husband, yet was laughing and smiling with her friends. However, the mask of peace painted on her face didn't reach her eyes.

That was the thing about masks. They didn't cover the eyes, the most expressive part of the face. The holes that allowed the wearer to see also allowed people to see them. In the eyes of every laughing person was an underlying truth of boredom, pain, loneliness, sadness, fear.

A person can easily fake a smile, but when that mask is put up, the smile never quite reaches the eyes. A painted mask made of the most beautiful gems in the world seems worthless on the face of someone whose eyes scream to be freed.

Even the Jester’s beloved King wore a mask on most occasions. A mask that makes him “royal” and “proper”.  When duty constrains one to be polite, then a mask is firmly fitted and tied to the face it’s deigned to fix.  The Jester’s job was to loosen this mask, to make light dance in the ruler’s eyes.

And so the Jester ties on her own mask, and acts to her very best capability to keep her eyes honest and happy. Even when she is on the verge of a breakdown, she ties the solid mask to her crumbling face and steps into a curtsy, ever the fool.

Everyone wears a mask. But the eyes give them away.

-Kelsie

Not like you

A companion piece to "Say something", set nearly a week later. Enjoy!

Acorn stared at Shiro, worried.  He looked tired. He was fixing a broken bike-one of the extras- and seemed very intent on his work, although he’d been working on it for hours with very little accomplished.  Shifting the tray of food in her grip slightly, she stepped into the workshop, clearing her throat to get her boss’s attention.

“Yes?” Shiro replied, not looking up. Acorn set the tray beside him on a workbench, picking up the neglected one she had brought him for lunch.

“I fixed you dinner… it’s macaroni. Your favorite.” The teen didn’t reply, tightening a bolt for the fifth time. “Shiro, please eat something. You’re going to starve if you don’t eat and stop thinking about-“

“Don’t.” He interrupted, setting the wrench down carefully. “I’m not hungry.”

“Shiro, you haven’t eaten hardly anything in days!”

“Yeah, well who cares? I’m still doing all of my duties as leader.” He resumed working, oiling a gear.

“You aren’t yourself, and you haven’t been since Lay-“

“I’m just tired.” He replied quickly, cutting her off again. He sighed and massaged his forehead, covering his ears and closing his mouth.  Acorn knelt beside her friend and covered his hands gently with her own. He had his eyes closed, but Acorn stared at them anyway.  He had dark circles under his eyes, and looked gaunt and paler than usual. Although he always appeared asleep when Acorn went in to check on him, she could tell he hadn’t been getting any rest.

Very softly, she snaked her hands under his, feeling his ears and hair. Then, with a force that surprised even her, she dragged Shiro’s hands to his sides and pinned them there.

“Listen to me Shiro.” The boy nodded but didn’t look up. “Listen. Layla is gone. She won’t be back for a long time.” Shiro made a soft sad noise, and for a moment she considered letting him go, but she’d gone too far to stop now. “You have been acting so tough and uncaring since I found you on that bench, but I’m your best friend Shiro. You don’t think I would have noticed that although you haven’t frowned, you haven’t smiled either? I’m not stupid. Why don’t you just cry like you want to?” Shiro’s eyes shot open and met hers. “I can read you better than you think I can, idiot. Besides, I miss her too…”

She felt her eyes fill with tears as he reached out for her like a child. She hugged him tightly. Although he hugged her back like she was an anchor, and his hands were shaking, he kept up his composure and pride stubbornly.

“You don’t have to be so strong now Shiro. Let me be that person for a while. Go ahead. I don’t mind.”

Shiro stiffened a moment and began shaking harder; crying silently but trying to be quiet although nobody would be able to hear him from the workshop anyway.

After a few minutes of that, Shiro returned to his normal self, and Acorn was able to persuade him to eat and sleep. He slept a good twenty-nine hours, nearly reaching thirty before waking up feeling better. When he woke, it was night again, and it seemed everyone was asleep. He slipped out of bed and into the hallway, not turning on any lights and following his memory to the room of the friend he had a hunch would still be awake.

Acorn was sewing when Shiro knocked softly on her door. She called out an invitation, and he came in a few moments later, looking sheepish. She didn’t comment as he approached her where she sat in her armchair, mending what looked like one of Cardinal’s old shirts.

“Acorn?” Shiro spoke finally.

“Yes, Shiro?”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A day or two.”

“Ah.” Shiro sat down on the bed across from her and looked at his feet. They sat like this for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence and thinking. Then, Acorn finished sewing a final stitch, and set the shirt aside, looking over at her friend. He bit his lip, finally looking up.

“Thank you.” Acorn didn’t seem surprised. She just smiled and stood up, mussing his hair.

“I’m just glad you’re better silly. Now go on, go back to bed. I’ll wake you up in the morning and we can get back to work.” She held out a hand to Shiro and helped him up. She walked him to the door and they stood a moment before he hugged her tightly, muttering another thank you into her hair. She chuckled.

“Goodnight Shiro.”

“Goodnight Acorn.” And so he left.

-Kelsie

A short story- Say something

             First off, I' apologize for never posting. I have no excuse. Next, this is kinda sappy, so, if you don't like romance, don't read it. This is based off of one of my unfinished stories, about an orphan and a girl who'd lived with him and his gang for a while. This is also loosely based off of the song: "Say something" 

“I love you” She whispered, clutching at his shirt, hiding her face in his chest. All Layla could hear was his heart beating and the sharp intake of breath at her words. Her heart plummeted when a silence grew between them, and she swallowed.

“Say something.” She choked out, feeling her shoulders shake. “I love you Shiro. Let me stay! I want to be with you and the gang forever! Don’t make me go!” She felt her face grow hot and tears escaped her eyes, clenched tightly shut. “Say something! Please.” She wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face in his shirt.

Hands reached lowly back and unhooked hers, pulling her away from him so they were a foot apart. Shiro leaned down to his friend’s eye level, cool red eyes looking horribly sad. Layla wiped her eyes and waited for him to speak.

“You have to go home Layla.” Every word he spoke pierced her heart. “Your parents need you, and you have to finish school. You have a home Layla, a family. We don’t have that. You need to take good care of yours.” She shook her head.

“My home is with you, Shiro!”

“Layla…”

“I love you! Does that mean nothing to you?” Layla rubbed the balls of her hands into her eyes, sobbing out her words. Shiro leaned in then and kissed her sweetly and chastely on the lips. Every ounce of love went into the kiss, leaving them both stunned. Layla hiccuped and looked up at him with sad brown eyes. 

“I love you too… But you need to go home. You just, finish college and… come back to me, okay?”  Shiro kissed her forehead once and drew her into a tight hug, and the girl felt warm and safe for a single moment. Then the taxi honked and they both flinched, drawing apart. Words were no longer necessary, so Layla put her bags in the trunk, sliding into the passenger seat and shutting the door behind her. Shiro couldn't watch, so he turned back towards home as the engine revved.

“Shiro!” Her voice cut back to him and the boy whipped around, hardly catching the necklace that had been thrown to him. “I’ll come back to you. Wait for me!” With that the impatient taxi flew around the corner and vanished from sight, leaving Shiro standing on the sidewalk clutching the heart shaped pendant.

Shiro walked a few steps in silence before falling onto the park bench nearby. He held the necklace tight in his hands and promptly burst into tears, sobbing and trying to stop, but the emotions had finally caught up. He was later found by Acorn, cried to sleep on the park bench, Layla’s heart in his hands.

There. sappy right? --Kelsie

Oops!

I've been slacking off lately with posting! Sorry!!! I will get back to work!

Slippery Scalding Soup Save

 

“Hey, Mari, will you pass me the soup?” Stephen asked, his hand stretched towards his best friend. He and Mari were out at a restaurant, talking over plans before they went on a long vacation.  Since they couldn’t decide on a certain type of food, they’d gone to a buffet and were getting their meals.

His mute friend nodded; ladling a large helping of potato soup into the bowl Stephen had waiting. The hot broth sent tiny tendrils of steam spiraling into the air. Mari got some macaroni and cheese, and a slice of ham, and they went back to their seats. They had almost made it to their booths, when a toddler came out of nowhere, running directly into Stephen and upsetting the bowl in his hands.

“AHHHH!!!!” The toddler screamed.

The little boy’s parents came running over, flustered and angry.  They tore their child from the safety of Mari’s arms, and marched on, muttering about kidnappings and shooting glares at the manager.

Mari stood frozen, bent low to the ground with tears in her eyes; her hands were shaking and still held out as if she was still protecting the child. Stephen was staring in horror at the girl’s back, covered in the burning hot soup. A waitress ran over, several towels in hand. Stephen snapped out of his daze and took them from her.

“Mari? Are you alright?” He asked, gently patting her back with the cloth. The girl shook her head no. “Alright. Let’s go home and clean up, okay?” the girl shook her head again and made an eating motion, pointing at her companion. “That’s okay, we can order a pizza. Don’t worry about that; let’s just get you cleaned up.”

Stephen helped his friend up, and reached for his wallet to pay for their untouched food, but the waitress said that she’d take care of it.  Stephen thanked her profusely, and hurried out the door.

A few minutes later, (you do not want to know how fast Stephen drove home) they arrived at the house where they were staying, Mari hurrying into the shower. Stephen paced as he waited for his friend, nearly forgetting about calling the pizza delivery service that they usually used. By the time he’d finished making the call, the water in the bathroom had turned off, and it wasn’t long before the bathroom door opened. Mari, wearing a tank top instead of her normal sweater, walked over to the table and grabbed her notebook and pencil.

Do you have any Aloe? She wrote, pointing to her back. Stephen yelped out a ‘yes’ and ran to a nearby junk drawer, pulling out a small bottle of the green gel. He took it over to his friend, who gave him a questioning look.

“Do you want me to put it on?” He asked. The girl nodded, bangs falling over her eyes. Slightly pink in the face, Stephen moved Mari’s hair away from her back, gasping audibly when he saw it. She had minor burns on her upper back and shoulders, stopping just before the back of her top. Stephen sighed, shaking his head. He squeezed some of the aloe into his hand, and rubbed it gently on the burn.

Mari flinched when the hand touched her red skin, but relaxed as the aloe cooled down the burning pain. Mari smiled softly at Stephen when he finished, but found herself unable to tear her gaze away.

The two stared at each other, blue eyes to brown, for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Stephen opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the doorbell rang.

“Ack! Uh, the pizza’s here!” he laughed, face red again.  He started walking to the door, but turned around and walked back over to Mari. He placed a hand lightly on her head.

“You did well today Mari, that was really brave of you.” With that, Stephen went to get the pizza, leaving Mari smiling after him.

The Misadventures of dear Allyson round one

The Misadventures of dear Allyson round one

 

Ally burst through the door of the house she and her friends were sharing, skipping every other step on her way up to the family room, where she knew her friends would be waiting. She burst in, causing Gavin to half throw his book across the room, and Finian to jerk awake with a start.

“Guys, guess what! I got my drivers permit!!” She squealed, jumping up and down. The boys stared at her for a minute, and then jumped to their feet. Gavin moved in for a hug, but Finian beat him over there.  He looked his female friend over a few moments, from her drenched hair to her hand clenched tightly around a very short handled umbrella.

“It’s raining, huh?” He thought out loud. What makes you think that you’d make a safe driver Ally? You stink at Mario Cart!” Ally pointed the umbrella at him angrily.

“Take. That. Back.” She snarled.  Gavin blanched, glancing nervously between his two friends.

“What, or you’re gonna beat me up with that puny umbrella? I’m only telling the truth! I refuse.”

“It’s retractable.” The girl glared, and pressed a little button by her fingers. The top part of the umbrella shot out, bopping Finian in the face hard enough to drop him to the ground.  

Gavin simply stood and stared at him for a few moments before turning anxiously to face his girlfriend. She retracted the umbrella and pointed it at him instead.

“And what do you have to say?”           

“I k-knew you could do it! I’m s-so proud!” He managed a shaky smile. The girl hugged him, turning again into the silly version of Ally.

“Yay! I’m gonna go eat lunch now! See ya!” With this she ran back downstairs, leaving her boyfriend in the dust. Gavin stood frozen a bit longer, than turned, sat back down on the couch, and resumed reading his book.

Not in MY kitchen you don't.

Once, a few years before the adventures of Lucy and Flyn, three children made their way into the arms of the Orange gang.  Their names were Seymour, Ted, and Ratchet. Now, Ratchet was a quiet fellow, and tended to stay closer to his younger brother, Ted.  But Seymour was a trouble maker. He loved nothing more than to pick fights and make fun of the other kids. The boy was small, but he had a large mouth. His favorite target was none other than Ratchet’s little brother.

The left side of little Ted’s face was covered in bandages, chin to forehead. The boys had been in a fire, one that had killed their parents. The disaster had left them injured, and without a friend in the world. Ted was set in shock, and never talked to anyone except his brother; and then only if they were alone. Ratchet was his constant companion. Since Seymour was afraid of Ratchet, he left Ted well enough alone. Except for one day.

The Blue gang had staked out an area at a nearby town and was stealing any valuables they could get their hands on. Bossie and Flyn had decided to act on it, to confront the leader before it got too bad, and they had asked Ratchet to join him. The teen had only reluctantly agreed. They set off early, leaving Ted in the care of the cook, Dinah.

Dinah was a simple minded fellow, with his rules set in stone and written in neat handwriting on the bulletin board.  Everyone knew his rules. Well, almost everyone. The new kids hadn’t quite memorized them yet.

About an hour after Ratchet left, Seymour slunk into the kitchen. Dinah was doing the dished in the corner, while Ted was slowly stirring a pot of soup. They were the only people around. Seymour immediately walked over to Ted.

“What’s up, freak?” Seymour sneered. “Busy doing nothing useful? You can’t do anything right, I hope you know. That’s why nobody talks to you.  Nobody likes you. How does that make you feel huh?”

“…”

Dinah stepped forward, a medium sized steel pot in his hand.

“That’s enough Seymour. Get out of my kitchen.” Seymour rolled his eyes.

“I’m not talking to you; I’m talking to the freak. Not like he’s going to talk back, he’s just a-“

Dinah swung the pot, connecting to the side of Seymour’s head with an echoing CLANG. The boy crumpled, rubbing his head. He spent a few moments to refocus his eyes before standing up and glaring at Dinah.

“I hate to hit you, but I have a rule against bullying, and you broke it. Not only that, you also refused to get out of my kitchen. I’m giving you another chance. Leave.”

“You hit me!! I’m going to kill you! I’ll kill you and the freak. You stupid-“ CLANG! Seymour collapsed again, but this time he stayed down. Dinah glared at the prone figure and rubbed at a scratch on his pot.

“There’s no cursing in my kitchen either.” He turned back to Ted, who was looking at him with a mix of awe and fear. “You alright kid?” Ted nodded. “He won’t be allowed back in here, so if he’s ever bothering you, just tell me, okay?” the boy nodded again.  Then, as Dinah turned back to the bread he’d been making, he heard a small whisper.

“Thank you.”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! thank you so much for watching our blog! Everyone have a wonderfull day and eat too much food! >_<   =D

The Misadventures of Poor Finian Round Four

The Misadventures of Poor Finian Round Four

 

“ Achoo!”

“Bless you.”

“A-a-achoooo!’

“You too.” Finian sighed, leaning over a crockpot in the kitchen of the trios shared apartment. His friends were sick, probably the flu or something. Due to his superior immune system, however, Finian had gotten off scot-free! Lucky him. That means he had to take care of them. And so he stood. 

He’d tied Allyson’s light red apron around his neck, and a chef’s hat had been forced upon his head. It was lunch time, or would be after the stew was done. He’d gone for a beef stew, with fresh cut potatoes and carrots from his garden out back. He had hand chosen the herbs and spices for use from a natural food store down the road. In short, it was just about perfect.

Finian turned around to the stove, and opened the door to peer at his garlic bread. The butter had melted into the crusty bread, soaking the ground garlic and salt into it. He nodded in approval and turned the stove off.

“Hey! Sick people to the table. Hurry up, or it’ll get cold!” He laid out two bowls and forks (it was stew after all) and set a piece of the toast beside them. Then he ladled spoonfulls of the thick broth, veggies, and meat into their bowls.

Two figures shuffled into the kitchen, an ice pack on Ally’s head and a blanket wrapped around Gavin. They slumped down in their respective seats and glared suspiciously at their meals. Gavin poke cautiously at a chunk of meat and raised an eyebrow at Finian, seeming to ask a usually rather important question. Finian sighed.

“Yes it’s edible. Eat.” Gavin closed his eyes and shoved a spoonful into his mouth. His eyes flashed open and a look of complete contentment settled over his features. He sighed in ecstasy.

“Finian… why didn’t you ever tell us you could cook this good? This stew is phenomenal!” Finian smiled lightly, but shrugged off the complement. The only reason he didn’t cook was ‘cause he was too lazy.  The boys looked over to their companion.

Allyson was wolfing down her stew, not letting a drop escape her grasp. A few seconds later, She held out an empty bowl.

“Refill.” She demanded. Awed, Gavin scooped another serving in. Not even ten seconds later the bowl, re-emptied, was again held out.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Finian muttered, and moved to take the bowl away.

STAB

“Aiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!” Finian withdrew his hand and rubbed it in pain. “You stabbed me! With a fork!”

“Refill.”

“Y-yes ma’am.

The misadventures of Gavin round 1

Gavin nervously sat down in a booth near the middle of the restaurant. This was his solution to “Wooing his fair maiden”, inviting her to dinner. True, it wasn’t entirely his idea, Finian had suggested not letting Allyson cook. Gavin reminded himself to think him later.

A bell tinkled and Gavin sat ramrod straight as the object of his affection walked in. Allyson had dressed nicely for the night, (by nicely he means she brushed her hair and put on a dress shirt.) and Gavin found himself unable to stop staring. She sat down across from him, smiling and picking up the menu. Who knows how long later, the waitress showed up, breaking Gavin out of his trance. He quickly ordered a sweet tea, and turned back to Allyson.

“S-so, how are you?” He blurted out.  She giggled.

“Gavin, what’s with you? I saw you not twenty minutes ago. Are you sick? Your face is red.” Gavin’s blush increased. Luckily the waitress came back with their drinks, and Gavin promptly gulped some of it down.

“So, what can I get for you two?” The waitress asked.

“M-macaroni and c-cheese for me, p-please ma’am.”  Gavin stuttered. She turned to Allyson.

“Chicken noodle soup please!” Gavin secretly wondered if Allyson had an off button when it came to soup. Probably not.  Ally grinned at him.

“So, how did you manage to convince Finian to stay at home anyway? He really loves going out to eat! I don’t see why when I am perfectly good at making dinner, but…” Gavin, recently recovered from his last blushing spree, half choked on his drink and reddened.

“I-I um, really, really wanted to eat out, w-with just you. I wanted to t-talk to you. I g-guess Finian understood that.” The poor boy cocked his head, a shaky grin on his face.

“Hmm. I suppose that makes since. And what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“ I-I-I-I-I-I-I um… I l-lo-lov-“ 

“Here is your Mac and Cheese, and your Chicken Noodle Soup, can I get you anything else?”  Gavin banged his head down on the table in frustration, but gave a thumbs up at the waitress. “Alright, enjoy your meal!” The waitress nodded her head and left. Allyson poked Gavin’s head

“Gavin!” a muffled noise was heard. “What? I can’t hear you. Speak up. Gavin, what were you going to say?”The teen’s head shot up.

“I said I love you!” Gavin’s face went from bright red to pale in about three seconds. Ally’s dark skin flushed. “I-I… I said that out loud, d-didn’t I?

Pretentious lions

Oh, beware the lion that you see as pretentious,

As thinking itself to be unique and worthy of all attention.

For if you claim it to be preposterous,

It will most likely eat you.

...
...
...
What? It will!

The misadventures of poor Finian round three

Finian was pouting, to put it gently. He had just accidently figured out that Gavin, his best friend, had a crush on Allyson, his other best friend.  And to make matters worse, Finian himself had a crush on her. So where does this leave him? Pouting.

“Stupid Gavin. Stealin’ my girl. Best friends don’t do that! It’s rude. ‘Sides, I saw her first. I get dibs.” The door to his room creaked and Finian dropped the pillow he’d been strangling. Gavin stood in the doorway, looking slightly upset. Gavin didn’t show emotions often, so it was hard to tell. 

“Finian? A-are you mad at me?” Finian didn’t answer, just looking guiltily at the floor. “Finian, I can’t help it if I like her… You can’t choose who you like. But I know you like her too… So… If you want me to… I’ll stop trying to get her to like me.” Finian looked up, startled.

“Hey, you can’t just-“

“I don’t want to make you angry again Finn. You and Ally are the only friends I’ve ever had.” Finian sighed, shaking his head.

“It’s awfully hard to stay mad at you Gavin.” Finian stood up and held a fist over the other hand, open in a palm. “Rock paper scissors for her then?” Gavin cocked his head to the side.

“What’s that?” Finian gaped like a fish for a few moments, before snapping out of it.

“You’ve never played rock paper scissors?”

“No.” Finian sighed again.

“What am I going to do with you? Okay. This is how you play. Paper looks like this.” Finian holds his hand flat, all his fingers out. “Rock is this.” He holds out a fist. “and Scissors looks like this.” He made snipping motions with two of his fingers. “Got it so far?”

“I think so.”

“Alright then, I’m gonna say ‘Rock Paper Scissors Shoot!’ and you have to put your hand like one of those. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock. Okay?” Gavin nodded. “Oh, and no mind reading, got it?” He gave the telepath a soft glare. The boy simply smiled, nodding once more. “Alright then, Rock Paper Scissors Shoot!”

Finian looked at their hands. He himself had gone for paper, and Gavin had gone for- “S-scissors?!?” Finian yet again found himself gaping like a fish. “O-okay, that was just a practice round. Let’s try again. Rock Paper Scissors Shoot!” this time he went for rock, and Gavin went for… paper?! “B-best three out of five?”

Twenty rounds later, Finian felt like crying. He hadn’t won once. He bowed his head in defeat.

“Fine. You win. You can try to win her heart.” The brightest grin Finian had ever seen lit up Gavin’s face. 

“Thank you Finian! Thank you so much!”

“But you’ve gotta make dinner for a month.”

“What? Why?”

“Do you really want to let Allyson keep making dinner?”

“…”

“I didn’t think so.”