| Title: Let the falcon guide the way Time: Monday, March 15, 2004 The Thespians: Arabian Falcon, Elijah Cruise and Pascal Curio Location: Scattergoods Grounds - Mountain Lake Notes: Two parts to this RP, done over two days. |
| +---[ Scattergood Grounds - Mountain Lake ]-----------------------------------+ | | | A crystal-clear mountain lake laps its waters up against its shoreline, | | stretching out in an immense expanse to cover a good portion of land. The | | water's edge holds various terrains, at one point it splashes gently upon a | | sandy beach, another a grassy bank stands a foot above the pool; large | | rocks are scattered here and there to sit upon, including partially | | immersed in the water, as well as large trees of various types that provide | | shading. On the eastern edge of the lake a daunting forest grows right up | | to the tarn's edge, and there visible a small river merges with the lake, | | coming at an odd angle from the north. The dirt path that cuts through the | | area seems to stop about here, becoming so overgrown by grasses that it no | | longer is visible. | | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
| Arabian Falcon is perched on a branch of one of the many trees near the lake. His feathers are extremely puffed out. Cold weather would be Eli's death someday. He peers around the lake quietly. He'd managed to escape from the people at the school for the entire day. What he wanted was peace from everyone antics, and time away from the infirmary and his classes, and there was no place like the outdoors to enjoy it. |
| The tall grasses that grow over the dirt path rustle slowly as Pascal quietly moves on the path. Her emerald green eyes look off in every which direction, and as usual she is scanning her surroundings for any... well... threats. She looks at the falcon directly, but at first glance she doesn't seem to register the animal, as she continues to walk towards the lake, still looking around. She takes five more steps before she looks back at the animal, a strange look on her face. "Hello, there," she says with a rather gentle smile on her face. Funny how she's not that way to humans. |
| What's a Falcon to do? He's been spotted, and now she's talking to him. Eli isn't certain what to do. This was a new experience. Most people just ignored the bird assuming it was someone's pet, but apparently not Pascal. Deciding to play the part that he's embodied, Eli squawks in response and he stares at her in a rather Falcon-esque way. |
| "You're a smart falcon," Pascal continues to remark, staring off at the lake. She's now standing underneath the tree where the creature sits and looks up at him briefly before she looks back at the lake. "Smart enough to know that here is a good place to come without being disturbed." She bites on her lip and a rather bashful look comes over her face. If she only knew she wasn't really talking to an animal. "I'm disturbing you, aren't I?" |
| The bird squawks in response. As he blinks several times. he tilts his head at the girl. Slowly the bird jumps a few branches down the tree to get a little closer. Maybe he could scare her with his claws? Not likely. At the very least the Falcon could pretend to be a domesticated animal. |
| The sound of branches rattling as the bird moves manages to tear Pascal's attention, or lack of, away from the lake. She looks back at the bird, and smiles gently. "So pretty." She brushes some leaves off of her shoulders that have fallen from the tree, and tilts her head as well. "Too pretty to belong to anyone, hmm?" |
| Another squawk. Pascal is rapidly getting on Eli's good side. The Arabian Falcon peers at her intently. The trick was keeping the whole thing under wraps. The bird comes down several more branches so he's now at eye level with Pascal. He squawks again. |
| Emerald green eyes stare right back at those of the same colour as Pascal stares the bird down. Not in an aggressive way, of course; her own stares are more of the curious, and slightly jealous sort. She finally looks away from the bird, looking past it, and then she sighs with a slight smile. "If you don't belong to anyone, I wonder why you'd be here, of all places. There's nothing here, nothing for a creature like you." Her voice gains a slightly bitter tone and she shrugs half-heartedly. |
| Arabian Falcon curiously cocks his head so as to ask her why there's nothing there. The truth was, Eli didn't belong at the school; he didn't fit in there, and yet at the same time he did. The bird nods a little. He squawks again to retort. |
| "There's just nothing here," Pascal says again with a sigh that sounds rather final. She flits her gaze across the bird's form, and then looks past him again. "Not much here for me, anyway. Or at least I haven't found it yet. I mean, I've met one, maybe two, interesting people, but who knows?" She smirks darkly, her lack of trust peeking through. "Maybe I'm not looking hard enough." A dark chuckle. "Things will look up, I suppose, that's what the experts always say." Her voice is laced in thick sarcasm and she looks at the bird. "You're good at pretending you understand me. But you may, and I'd never know, now would I?" An arch look at the bird, and she relaxes slightly. |
| Another squawk comes from the bird's mouth in reply. Elijah was a good listener, when he wanted to be. The Arabian Falcon blinks a few times and pushes off the branch, spreading its wings and soaring into the distance. But he'd be back, just not in this form. And he'd be all understanding too! Oh yes, Eli knew how to play his cards. |
| Pascal Curio looks a little shocked at the bird's sudden leave, but her poker face is quickly regained and she stares only briefly at the branches where the bird once stood. Her attention is turned back towards the lake, and her lips move slowly as she walks back towards the grassy bank, sitting down with her legs swinging over the edge. "I guess it got bored of me," she comments somewhat dryly, and again, the pebbles have found their way into and from her hands, then back into the water. |
| Strange, no one had seen Elijah Cruise the entire day, and then randomly he comes padding over to the lake. He's managed to return to his human form although his robes are in somewhat of a disarray. So the spell wasn't /quite/ perfected yet. Soon it would be. Very soon. "Greetings," he states as he sees Pascal. He moves to her side, "What's up? Anything adventurous going on?" He glances at the lake and then back at the girl. |
| "You ever seen a falcon around the grounds here?" Pascal asks, skipping another rock into the lake. She seems rather distracted and doesn't look at Elijah right away. "It's a gorgeous one, with these green eyes that are just, so magnetic." She throws another rock and it creates a rather loud splash instead of the intended skipping, and then she looks up at the young man. "Oh, hello Elijah. How are you?" she says with a faint smile, not yet back to her usual harsh self. |
| "A Falcon?" Elijah repeats the question. "Yes... I think I have once or twice. It's strange, I don't believe they're native to anyplace cold." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Hey, you okay?" he asks in a sincere tone. Whether or not he's actually sincere is another story. "I'm good-ish. I managed to vanish for a short while. That's always a good thing." Elijah half smiles. |
| Pascal Curio's emerald green eyes flash so quickly that it may almost be missed as she looks at Elijah carefully out of the corner of her eye. His sincere tone is noted, and of course, filed into the back of her mind. She coughs slightly to clear her throat and gives a small shrug. "I'm perfectly fine. I didn't have as much luck as you, to vanish for a while, but I enjoyed what I found anyway." They may be on the same side, but that doesn't mean she'll open up to /him/. Oh, the irony. |
| Women defied all logic. Bah. Oh well, Elijah tried. "You don't seem fine. I wouldn't have asked otherwise." He scoffs, "We /are/ on the same side here." Wow. Touchy. Strangely, Elijah isn't certain what to make of this. The girl opened up to animals, but not to people and yet he had been that animal to which she'd opened up. The logic was... bizarre. "Are you sure it was a falcon?" If Pascal looked closely enough at Eli's eyes she might recognize him, as this is the only feature the boy and the bird share. |
| Those eyes glint yet again before Pascal blinks slowly, looking at Elijah. She's looking right into his eyes, but still has yet to make the connection. A serene smile crosses her face as he questions her about the falcon. "I'm sure, I'm positive." She repeats herself again, but sounds less sure now. "She, he, it... wasn't around for very long, but..." she stops and thinks for a moment, and then chuckles. "That made my day." Her eyes gleam again and she nods curtly at Elijah. "I'm fine. /Really/." She makes no comment about them being on the same side, but has to say this, grudgingly or not. "Thank you for asking though." |
| "I think I have seen one about, although I can't be sure..." Elijah's voice trails off. "Probably someone's pet." He swallows and asks, "You a bird fan then? If a falcon can make your day..." He shrugs a little as he stares at the lake. "Alright, if you say you're fine then..." His green eyes glimmer in the sunlight and he forces a smile. |
| "That falcon was too good to be someone's pet," Pascal says frankly, giving Elijah a smile. "I'm sure you'd agree with me if you saw it. Just the presence that the creature gave off, for some reason, he, if the bird was male, just didn't seem to be a pet." She shrugs, and continues on her train of thought. "I am so jealous of birds," she finally admits after a long pause. "The ability to just open your wings and fly away, and never have to..." she trails off and flushes. |
| "Yeah, me too. I've always wanted to be a bird." Elijah grins. "But I'm sure flying has its down side too... like... your wings would get sore..." That was something Eli was getting used to. His arms would be sore for days afterwards. He smiles, "So the falcon just had an attitude to it then? Like it belonged to nobody?" A pause. "I wish I could have an attitude like that..." |
| "But the ability to be free, and to go where-ever the hell you want," Pascal's slightly more animated now than when she first was. "Even if your wings would get sore, all that freedom..." she sighs. Her expression changes and she looks at Elijah incredulously. "You wish you had an attitude like that?" She can't help but laugh. "Please. You don't need me to tell you that your confidence levels are exactly they way they should be." She mentally tacks on, 'and the way I like it.' Pascal doesn't talk to people who don't have a sense of self, come on. |
| "Freedom is a wonderful thing. Think of all the possibilities if you had wings... you wouldn't get stuck here all of the time," Elijah stares up into the sky. "You could fly away from the school and disappear for days at a time... now that would be bliss." He winks and chuckles a little at her response, "I suppose. No one controls me. No one really ever has." He shrugs. "You're the same way." |
| "You're telling me. What I would kill for the ability to be able to fly," Pascal muses, not even realizing what she's said. It's nice how her subconscious slips out when she's not really thinking. She barely catches his wink and chuckle in reaction to her comment about him, and just smiles faintly again, her emerald eyes glittering. "I... I don't see why people would let themselves be controlled. Such display of weakness can't be respected." Her voice hardens. "I won't, and I don't respect it people like that. They don't even respect themselves." If Elijah only knew what she's been through. |
| -------------PART
TWO-------------- Time: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 |
| Elijah Cruise takes secret satisfaction that Pascal was more than taken with his alter figure. The boy can't help but raise a single eyebrow at the mention of killing to fly. He even makes mental note of it. Why? It's hard to say. Sighing a little he nods in agreement, "But that is exactly why those people /need/ to be influenced by those who are stronger. I like to think it's that their naivety prevents them from truly being able to care or fend for themselves. This leaves them open as victims. Total victims." His left hand is raised to his chin, stroking it in contemplation, "Perhaps that's what I find so aggravating about the school." |
| Pascal Curio rubs her nose thoughtfully and nods slowly as Elijah speaks. "You've got to admit though, weak people are somewhat of a necessity." She stifles a chuckle and looks at Elijah out of the corner of her eye. If she only knew the truth about him. "Without people who need to be 'influenced'," she puts a slight emphasis on the word, "I wouldn't have much to do." Here, she laughs slightly, bitterly. "So while I can't stand weak people, I need them around. For amusement, I guess." |
| "Agreed. Everyone serves their purpose." Elijah muses. He clenches his teeth a little. "The school isn't nearly as bad as I'd once thought it was. Strange though, I still stick out like a sore thumb." A pause. "Perhaps those that are strong are few and far between." He stares at the lake. "Life can't cheat everyone." |
| "You're not the type to want to fade into the crowd," Pascal says quietly, still staring up at Elijah. "Given the two choices, I'd rather stick out like a sore thumb," she smiles ruefully, and then phrases her next question very carefully. Double standards are funny. She doesn't talk much about herself, but has no problem asking questions of others. Naturally curious, naturally hypocritical. "What was so wrong with school when you first transfered here?" |
| "My intention wasn't to fade, but it wasn't to bring attention to myself either." Elijah ponders this. Why did he end up front and center sometimes? Oh, right. Because the school was dead. "Things were just boring. That's all." Actually there was much more to it than that, but Eli wouldn't admit that to Pascal. Not now anyways. "What about you? Why aren't you all chipper and naive like everyone else?" He shifts his weight a little. |
| Pascal Curio lets her face fall slightly, looking away and she presses her lips into their regular thin line position. She doesn't say anything for a moment and just lets Elijah's words digest into her system. She finally looks back at Elijah, her lips tugging into a sarcastic smirk. "What's there to be all chipper about? Name me a reason to be chipper, and I'll think about adopting that trait." Right. She continues to talk, but more or less just mutters. "Naivety ---- weakness," that's about all from that mutter. |
| Quite the reaction there, Elijah. He frowns ever so slightly. "There's nothing to be chipper about. Not that I can see." It seems life has been hard to Pascal. Maybe harder than it's been to Eli? Nah, that was impossible, at least in Elijah's mind. "Except getting a rise out of the weak, that's always fun," an involuntary smile spreads slowly across the boy's lips. "Yes. There's nothing like getting a rise out of someone. Especially if they think they're smarter than you are..." |
| Pascal Curio crosses her arms in front of her chest and smiles along with Elijah, completely following his meaning. For his information, her life has been hard, but she doesn't enjoy sharing. Opening up and all that mushy gunk is weakness, and right now, Pascal's teetering on the edge of that rift. "It's rather interesting to see how quickly some kids here can get upset by so simple things. I don't even have to do much just to get them to freak out. Just sit there, and look at them the wrong way... and they whip their wands out at you." She glances at him again nods her head, still smiling. |
| "It's true! I don't even use magic to intimidate them, although really I could." The truth is, Elijah is strangely smart. Especially considering the numerous idiotic things he does. "I like using my height to freak them out. Apparently giants are frightening," he smirks a little as he runs a hand through his dark hair. "Or even knowing something about someone and letting them know without coming out and saying it. That's a fun one. I enjoy that." |
| Making those little innuendos were always Pascal's favorite past time as well. As she looks at Elijah, she can imagine him being able to use the same tactic rather well. Her lips quirk slightly again and she unfolds her arms, now jamming them in the pockets of her robe. Bringing up an older subject she chuckles, "That's how you got Potthast so angry, isn't it? I still think that was brilliant. She can't come out and accuse you of anything without revealing more of herself." She sighs, seemingly happy as she thinks about Elijah getting under Potthast's skin. |
| "Exactly! The Professor was livid, but she couldn't do anything about it!" Elijah Cruise grins from ear to ear. "That's really why I do what I do. Not for attention, just to make people mad," he beams at the thought. "Especially since it's so easy! It's a hobby I'd say. A good past time." Of course, Eli does have other past times, he reads really old books that he stole from the restricted section at Connelly's. "Yeah, that's one thing, at my old school the strong banded together, that's probably why I miss it." |
| Pascal Curio continues to smile and keeps nodding in agreement to Elijah, but she raises her eyebrow at his last comment. She purses her lips together and finally asks, "Is that why you're trying to get all of us," she takes her hands out of her pockets and starts listing them off, "Navilee, Kit, Ritchie, you and myself, together?" She winks at him now. "Trying to resurrect the feeling you had at your old school?" Aww, look. Is Pascal slowly realizing that she may be just a pawn? |
| "What are you saying?" Elijah asks although he already knows. "It's not the feeling I'm going for; it's the power. With Gary back at Connelly's we virtually ran the place. There were Professors that were afraid of us," okay, so the last sentence is an exaggeration, but who tells the truth all of the time anyway? "Imagine the power we could wield together..." He sits up a little. "And that's a secret, the other students can't know about it. Besides, I haven't set the proposal in front of them yet, but I will." He swallows hard and then stretches; his arms were becoming increasingly sore as they tensed up. With a sigh he attempts to change the subject away from Connelly's and the past, "So... what's your favorite course here?" Small talk. Good one Elijah. |
| A glint passes Pascal's emerald eyes as her one eyebrow raises just slightly, and then lowers again. Looks almost like a twitch, except slower. Her head turns and she continues to stare at him rather eerily out of the corner of her eye, her lips still in that smirk. "I'm not saying anything. I just asked you a question." Funny how a simple question can get so much out of a person. She closes her eyes and finally turns to face Elijah face to face. "How are you so sure that they'll be able to wield the power? How do you know that they won't yield in the way of their own feelings? That they won't feel bad when they have to hex a student just to show them not to mess with them?" She's hexed enough warts on faces, and beaver teeth on other kids in her life to well, not care, which is what's so disturbing about the girl. She narrows her eyes slightly, and from her slightly gritted teeth her response to Elijah's small talk is a simple, "Defence against the Dark Arts." She doesn't ask the question back to him, but her face speaks plainly. Don't change the subject. |
| "Look, Miss Curio," Elijah hisses through clenched teeth. "I know because I know." Very articulate. "Besides which, you said yourself you only have to look at students at this school to intimidate them." He stretches his legs out in front of them. "And it's true. Intimidation is an attitude; a presence that one emits. Believe me, I know." He frowns. It seems that something has gone off inside the boy. He narrows his eyes so they're slits as he stares out to the horizon. "You said yourself that those who are strong come off that way to everyone else. Like that falcon you saw... didn't belong to nobody." Strangely, that pretty much described Elijah too, he didn't belong to anyone. |
| Pascal Curio cocks her head to the side and remains the picture of serenity as Elijah hisses at her. She's so calm she's actually smiling right back at him. Inside is a different story. She pushes herself off from the bank, and brushes her robes off. "I told you once before that if you found that they would be good, that I'd trust you." She pauses, looking down at him with an amused smirk. "I hope you don't question yourself in your findings of them now." She's horrible. Really, she is. Her attention is only briefly directed to the falcon. "That falcon embodied everything that I would ever want to be," she says quietly. Why she would share this information is to be locked away inside her forever. She turns away from Elijah and calls out over her shoulder. "Don't think too hard now. And Elijah," she turns back to wink at him. "Calm down. There was no need to get upset." With that, she's off walking through the tall grasses, robes blending in, her flaming hair standing out until she turns a corner in the pathway. |
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