Post by Dreamer on Nov 7, 2015 4:49:45 GMT
I'll be using this thread to post various one-shots of different characters from all over my writings, just whenever I feel inspired.
Just Out of Reach
Scott always wondered what the Lighthouse would look like if it still worked. He fancied that it would be like the sun as it hung just so on the horizon, half obscured with darkness leeching ever closer over the water and the sky, a beacon of light shining as a guide. But of course the light house had been dead for years.
It was quiet this evening, the normal sounds of the sea seemed hushed and the waves still. The stones were coarse beneath his hands as he leaned back against them, his feet dangling from the cliffs over the gently lulling sea. After the raid today, this quiet was exactly what Scott needed, to drain away the tension, the taste of disgust from his mouth. He was almost a full pirate, he would soon be given his next shell earring… but he still could not find enjoyment in what his comrades did. Hijacking boats, terrorizing people…. The little girl’s blue eyes haunted him still, her terror and fear only made the situation worse. Catching a personal ship was a rare occurrence, most of the wealthy knew to stay away from Pirate territory… but the idiot man must have been a newcomer, he seemed not at all phased at first, laughing at the pirates’ demands. Had it not been for the threatening of the girl, the situation could have turned bloody. But the fear, it burned at Scott.
“Hey….”
Scott didn’t exactly start, but he turned around quickly, his hand flicking a dagger into defensive posture. When he saw his sister, he immediately dropped the knife onto the stones beside him. Guilt, and memory of the blue eyes from earlier today, made him look away. He felt her hesitate before she sat beside him, her form almost tiny compared to his, pulling a tattered shawl around her shoulders and settling cross-legged a few steps from the edge.
“Rough day?”
Her voice was so light, hesitant, almost feathery. It was different than about anyone else he knew, and very different from either of her parents, certainly not their mother’s voice.
“Not that great, but at least nobody got hurt today.”
“Im happy I didn’t have to see you in the infirmary.”
“You almost did.”
Dawn quirked her head sideways, her bobbed blond hair escaping from behind her ear to fall in front of her eyes. Scott smiled and reached over to tuck the strands back behind her ear, the way she liked them.
“Some idiot thought he could challenge us, but after we threatened his—his daughter, he gave in. But then one of the guys thought it would be funny to try and hurt the girl. I was about to stop him, but the raid leader shut him down. Some of the other pirates would have let him. Im just grateful that as harsh life as a pirate can be, there are still good people here.”
Dawn nodded, understanding.
“Did she look like me?”
Scott winced visibly. So perceptive, but then again they were very close, even for siblings. Especially for half-siblings.
“She had blue eyes a lot like yours. I don’t want to ever see you that scared.”
The words were nearly spit out, his posture stiff and hard. It was quiet for a moment, before he felt a small hand flutter lightly on his shoulder.
“Scott, its… its okay. Im okay.”
Slowly Scott took a deep breath, let himself release the tension built up in his muscles, and smiled at his little sis, green eyes clear for the first time that day.
“Thanks.”
She only nodded, a small smile gracing her face before she huddled under the shawl again.
“So, what about your day? How is medic training?”
Dawn seemed to shrink under his gaze, looking away.
“It was okay, Im learning a lot. Now at least I can sew stitches without my hands shaking.”
Her voice was muffled by her arms. Scott didn’t even need these obvious signs to see she was in distress. He pulled his legs back up over the cliff edge and scooted over to his sister.
“But…..?”
She was quiet, and Scott felt a smile growing on his face, he reached over and poked her in the side. She squeaked, and brought her face up to glare at her brother, he only grinned. Finally she huffed, and relaxed slightly.
“Its just…. Solare is being really hard on me. I think its cause she thinks Im weak, and she doesn’t like it that someone would assume that if Im weak I should be sent to work with her as a medic. She sees it as an insult to herself.”
“Dawn you shouldn’t let her get to you, Solare is just an old lady who doesn’t want to admit when she’s beat.”
“Scott shes like 45.”
“Exactly.”
Scott felt triumphant as he saw her try to fight a smile, but then she shook her head.
“But… what if I am weak? You know that I-I cant really do what other apprentices do. I cant swim as far, or climb as high, or lift as much—“
“That’s because you’re small for your age, you’ll grow into it.”
“What if I don’t? What if…. What if I am just as people say? A weakling?”
She was shaking now, and he could see the tears gathering in her eyes. He hated seeing her like this, hated seeing how the words that people used affected his beautiful little sister. She may be smaller, not as strong or athletic as others, but that didn’t mean she was weak. Her strengths just lay elsewhere… but people just didn’t really see that. Dawn’s already sensitive insecurities were only confirmed to her, and he couldn’t really do that much. Before she could say anything, Scott engulfed Dawn in a tight hug. For a second she seemed frozen, before she slowly started to break down into little hiccupping sobs. Her tiny frame rattled in his arms as he held her close.
“You’re not weak, you’re so strong, stronger than anyone I know.”
He whispered the words to her over and over again as she cried.
It was nearly pitch black by the time he had calmed her down, the last tinges of color fading from the now dull slate sea. After a few more minutes of quiet, but lighter conversation, they began to pick their way back over the rocky path to the flickering lights of the lighthouse windows, home and rest.
Just Out of Reach
Scott always wondered what the Lighthouse would look like if it still worked. He fancied that it would be like the sun as it hung just so on the horizon, half obscured with darkness leeching ever closer over the water and the sky, a beacon of light shining as a guide. But of course the light house had been dead for years.
It was quiet this evening, the normal sounds of the sea seemed hushed and the waves still. The stones were coarse beneath his hands as he leaned back against them, his feet dangling from the cliffs over the gently lulling sea. After the raid today, this quiet was exactly what Scott needed, to drain away the tension, the taste of disgust from his mouth. He was almost a full pirate, he would soon be given his next shell earring… but he still could not find enjoyment in what his comrades did. Hijacking boats, terrorizing people…. The little girl’s blue eyes haunted him still, her terror and fear only made the situation worse. Catching a personal ship was a rare occurrence, most of the wealthy knew to stay away from Pirate territory… but the idiot man must have been a newcomer, he seemed not at all phased at first, laughing at the pirates’ demands. Had it not been for the threatening of the girl, the situation could have turned bloody. But the fear, it burned at Scott.
“Hey….”
Scott didn’t exactly start, but he turned around quickly, his hand flicking a dagger into defensive posture. When he saw his sister, he immediately dropped the knife onto the stones beside him. Guilt, and memory of the blue eyes from earlier today, made him look away. He felt her hesitate before she sat beside him, her form almost tiny compared to his, pulling a tattered shawl around her shoulders and settling cross-legged a few steps from the edge.
“Rough day?”
Her voice was so light, hesitant, almost feathery. It was different than about anyone else he knew, and very different from either of her parents, certainly not their mother’s voice.
“Not that great, but at least nobody got hurt today.”
“Im happy I didn’t have to see you in the infirmary.”
“You almost did.”
Dawn quirked her head sideways, her bobbed blond hair escaping from behind her ear to fall in front of her eyes. Scott smiled and reached over to tuck the strands back behind her ear, the way she liked them.
“Some idiot thought he could challenge us, but after we threatened his—his daughter, he gave in. But then one of the guys thought it would be funny to try and hurt the girl. I was about to stop him, but the raid leader shut him down. Some of the other pirates would have let him. Im just grateful that as harsh life as a pirate can be, there are still good people here.”
Dawn nodded, understanding.
“Did she look like me?”
Scott winced visibly. So perceptive, but then again they were very close, even for siblings. Especially for half-siblings.
“She had blue eyes a lot like yours. I don’t want to ever see you that scared.”
The words were nearly spit out, his posture stiff and hard. It was quiet for a moment, before he felt a small hand flutter lightly on his shoulder.
“Scott, its… its okay. Im okay.”
Slowly Scott took a deep breath, let himself release the tension built up in his muscles, and smiled at his little sis, green eyes clear for the first time that day.
“Thanks.”
She only nodded, a small smile gracing her face before she huddled under the shawl again.
“So, what about your day? How is medic training?”
Dawn seemed to shrink under his gaze, looking away.
“It was okay, Im learning a lot. Now at least I can sew stitches without my hands shaking.”
Her voice was muffled by her arms. Scott didn’t even need these obvious signs to see she was in distress. He pulled his legs back up over the cliff edge and scooted over to his sister.
“But…..?”
She was quiet, and Scott felt a smile growing on his face, he reached over and poked her in the side. She squeaked, and brought her face up to glare at her brother, he only grinned. Finally she huffed, and relaxed slightly.
“Its just…. Solare is being really hard on me. I think its cause she thinks Im weak, and she doesn’t like it that someone would assume that if Im weak I should be sent to work with her as a medic. She sees it as an insult to herself.”
“Dawn you shouldn’t let her get to you, Solare is just an old lady who doesn’t want to admit when she’s beat.”
“Scott shes like 45.”
“Exactly.”
Scott felt triumphant as he saw her try to fight a smile, but then she shook her head.
“But… what if I am weak? You know that I-I cant really do what other apprentices do. I cant swim as far, or climb as high, or lift as much—“
“That’s because you’re small for your age, you’ll grow into it.”
“What if I don’t? What if…. What if I am just as people say? A weakling?”
She was shaking now, and he could see the tears gathering in her eyes. He hated seeing her like this, hated seeing how the words that people used affected his beautiful little sister. She may be smaller, not as strong or athletic as others, but that didn’t mean she was weak. Her strengths just lay elsewhere… but people just didn’t really see that. Dawn’s already sensitive insecurities were only confirmed to her, and he couldn’t really do that much. Before she could say anything, Scott engulfed Dawn in a tight hug. For a second she seemed frozen, before she slowly started to break down into little hiccupping sobs. Her tiny frame rattled in his arms as he held her close.
“You’re not weak, you’re so strong, stronger than anyone I know.”
He whispered the words to her over and over again as she cried.
It was nearly pitch black by the time he had calmed her down, the last tinges of color fading from the now dull slate sea. After a few more minutes of quiet, but lighter conversation, they began to pick their way back over the rocky path to the flickering lights of the lighthouse windows, home and rest.