The Woman Without a Name ((Aderyn!))

[CastlesInTheSky]

She nodded. Naomi was her new name, to him at least. She followed him as he indicated. She sat down on a sofa in the room. She scanned the room. It was somehow amusing to her, a fire in the palace of ice. Almost contradictory. She thought about how this place would be to her if she was not a ghost. She would be able to feel the coldness of the icy walls and the wamth of the fire. She was taken  out of her thoughts by his inquiring about her curse.

"I do believe there is a way." She said this almost reluctantly. "It's not exactly a walk in the park, though."

[Anonymous]

Gabriel shook his head lightly. People always seemed to expect things to be easy, to work towards them, but that was anything but true. Everyone always wanted so much, but they were too damn lazy to do anything about it.

"I don't think it was supposed to be easy, darling," he said with mild sarcasm in his voice. "Have you tried it before? And what exactly is it that you must do?"

He wondered for a moment if she even wanted to be a human now. She would be mortal, she would be vulnerable, and she would have to try and fit in somewhere. That wouldn't appeal to him, either.

[CastlesInTheSky]

She seemed reluctant to reply, again. "Hm. I don't believe I've tried it before as a ghost, and what I must do.....um..." For once, she seemed to just be gripping at air for words. She was silent, but it didn't seem like she lost what she wanted to say often. She shook her head. "It's nothing. Don't bother yourself with it." She shifted in her chair, looking wherever he wasn't. She brushed a little strand of hair out of her face with a slightly annoyed expression at it.

[Anonymous]

He studied her for a while. She seemed uncomfortable talking about this, while it was the very thing that could set her free. Gabriel sighed and held up his hands defensively.

"Hey, no need to talk to me like that. I wasn't bothering myself with it, I was merely trying to make conversation. But if you'd rather I be quiet, just say the word."

He turned around obstinately and made a spark with a set of stones, setting the smaller twigs alight in a matter of seconds. Gabriel had a feeling she'd come round soon enough. She might be uneasy speaking of this, but no doubt she too, knew very well that if she ever wanted to be human again she was going to have to do something for it at one point.

[CastlesInTheSky]

She looked back at him, about to say something, but then stayed silent instead. She said, after a little pause, "Well, no....it's alright if we have conversation. It's just...I don't know. If you really do want to know, I suppose I could tell you." She looked away from him, staring into space. She shook off the memories clinging to her mind and glanced at him. "Well." She sighed a little. "It sounds like a stupid something from a fairy tale, but here it is; I have to..." She paused, then continued. "...fall....in love with someone. In the next 10 years."

[Anonymous]

A loud "HAHA" escaped Gabriel before he could stop himself. Still snickering uncontrollably, he turned around to 'Naomi'.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. Your aunt wasn't very creative, was she?" he grinned, chuckling as he turned back to the fire and poked at it. He took a couple of deep breaths, forcing himself to stop finding it funny. "Well, I don't know if you've ever tried sticking around someone for a longer period of time... but falling in love is probably the easiest thing you could do. Trying to get to know someone is all that's needed, and the falling in love will follow if it's the person that's meant for you."

He was really not amused anymore now, because he knew what she meant. He himself was approaching thirty, but he wasn't even anywhere near companionship with a woman. But that was just because he didn't like people, he didn't trust people. And women could be even less trustworthy than men. They had sneaky ways of doing things, whereas men usually just picked a fight.

[CastlesInTheSky]

She looked away, turning the slightest red in the face. She wondered to herself how in the world a ghost could blush, but ignored that thought. She just seemed a bit annoyed when he mentioned her aunt being uncreative. 'tell me about it...', she thought. She looked at him and mumbled, "Easy? Hm." She said, "It would be nice if it all was so simple. Most people are rather reluctant to talk to ghosts, let alone fall in love with one. Plus, I'm not exactly the most charming person in the world." She glanced at him. "I suppose I don't bother you, but I can't find any ideas as to why I don't." She unpinned her hair, wearing it down now.

[Anonymous]

Gabriel chuckled. He could see the objection against falling in love with ghosts. If he was a ghost, he probably wouldn't even bother trying to fall in love. He'd become a wraith of sorts, just haunting people for fun. Or at least haunt the people who did this to him. Scaring people was always fun.

"Well, I measure other people's charm by my own, and honestly, you're not half as bad as I am. And falling in love with a ghost would be a lot less scary when you know that by doing that, the curse will be broken. It's the same thing with the frog prince -- you would never kiss a frog, unless you knew that by doing so he would become a handsome prince."

He placed the poke back in the holder and sat on a sofa opposite his ghostly visitor, stretching his arms out over the back. "And you're right. You do not bother me. I don't have many visitors for one, and other then that I've never met a ghost before. You didn't strike me as dangerous, so there was no reason to leave you out in the... well, to leave you outside."

Gabriel swallowed the words he wanted to say, realising that she probably didn't feel the cold anyway.

[CastlesInTheSky]

She smiled a little at what he said about falling in love with a ghost. He did have a point there. Still, all this seemed like some strange fairy tale. In a palace of ice, a ghost that needed to lift a curse by falling in love within a certain time. She didn't say anything in reply. She tucked her hair behind her ears to keep it out of her face while it was down.

She didn't seem bothered by what he almost said. She, in fact, seemed a bit amused. She said, "Well, whether I can feel cold or not doesn't matter. It was nice of you to bring me inside. Thank you." She smilied a bit again at him, and continued. "You're only the second person in 50 years to invite me to their home."

[Anonymous]

Gabriel hesitated a moment. Only the second person?? He rubbed his chin, not wanting to give her the wrong impression. Eventually, he leaned his elbows on his upper legs and grinned.

"Well, I wasn't going to pass at the first opportunity in two years to show off my pretty home, was I?" he replied, evading a serious comment from his side. He stood up and brushed off his pants. "I'll be right back," he muttered. He left the living room, and when he came back he was carrying a sort of metal rack on legs and a few slices of seasoned seal meat on an ice plate, which was floating in behind him. Gabriel placed the rack over the fire and took the meat off the plate, holding it between thumb and index finger before placing it on the raster. The fire crackled cosily.

When all was off the plate, Gabriel literally waved it away, and it flew to the floor as liquid, stretching out over the ice that was already there and melting instantly to incorporate in the ribbed surface.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Her mouth twitched into a smile for a moment. Then, she seemed not to hear him as he walked off. She stared into space, lost in her thoughts. She thought about why it was that she hadn't talked to many people. Why were emotions and motives so complicated? Why couldn't things be simple? That would make things lovely and clean-cut. Whoever created the world they live in apparently didn't want it that way. She had no idea why that was, but she supposed it didn't matter anyway. She looked up at the high, icy ceiling. She wondered if it was lonely here by oneself. However, she wouldn't ask him that. After all, people lied about those things for one reason or another.

She didn't seem to notice as he entered again, either. There was silence for quite a bit. She said something quietly to herself, then seemed to snap out of it. She looked at him for a moment, studying. "Is it really not so bad living out here? Well, then again, why do I bother asking. You have an ice palace to yourself." She sighed. "I kind of wish I could tell if it was warm or cold in here."

[Anonymous]

Gabriel wasn't at all willing to admit it did get lonely here sometimes, so he didn't answer her when she corrected herself. "It is relatively warm in here," he answered instead. "The ice works as an insulator. It keeps out the cold and the wind. As long as you... or anyone, for that matter, don't make a habit out of walking through the place naked you won't be cold."

He took a seat next to her on the couch and stretched out leisurely with a loud sigh. While he observed her, he wondered what it would be like being a ghost. Perhaps it was easier than the way he lived. He deliberately avoided people, which was a lot harder if you hadn't some sort of horrifying aspect to yourself. For him it would probably be easier to be a ghost. People wouldn't talk to him, he wouldn't even have to keep them away. Then again, he didn't think he would want to live this way forever. But Gabriel wasn't quite ready to bring that to his own attention.

"Say, do you stay... this way when the curse is broken, or will you catch up to the age you are supposed to be?" he asked, a half grin on his face while he gestured to her slim, young figure. "Kind of a bummer to the person who's fallen in love with you by then if you suddenly turn into an old woman, don't you think?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

Her mouth twitched into a smile as he explained the temperature of the place. It was an interesting idea, a warm palace of ice. It seemed like it would be cold inside, but it was actually nice. From outside, the place seemed welcoming, but also somehow forbidding. It matched Gabriel; welcoming somehow yet pushing people away. What a paradox.

She absentmindedly watched the fire crackle cozily as he sat next to her on the couch. She thought of the fire, then thought of how she didn't particularly remember what the feeling of getting a burn felt like. If she was to touch a fire as a ghost, she would only feel warmness.

For a moment, she just stared at him when he asked that question. She wasn't sure what to think of it at first, then shrugged and replied. "I will return to the age I was when the curse was set upon me. Which would be how I look now." She let out a light chuckle. "Indeed, wouldn't that be a bit of bad luck? It wouldn't be a very joyful thing for me, either. But, no worries to anyone."

[Anonymous]

Gabriel's grin gradually faded, and turned into a light frown while he crossed his arms over his chest and stared into the fire. You'd think she'd loosen up a bit after being a ghost for fifty years, he thought in wonder. The girl's -- or Naomi's -- use of language was still rather formal even while Gabriel had given no cause to believe that was needed in his presence. Thoughtfully, he took another sip of his whiskey and then stood up to turn the pieces of meat on the fire.

"Well," he started, "since you are here now, I suppose you'd be free to explore the castle if you'd like. This will be cooking for a while, so I am going to take a bath. Just stay out of my private chambers."

He stood up and marched out of the room without another word. He had stuff to think about and a body to wash, and he liked to pretend he didn't want to be in her presence if he wasn't forced to. Gabriel walked up the wide circular staircase that wound around the walls of the cavernous entrance hall, and took a left into a long broad corridor at the end of which he would find the wing that usually stayed the same and contained his rooms.

[CastlesInTheSky]

She nodded as he walked off. Then, she looked around herself, a bit of a smile coming to her face once he was out of view. A whole castle to explore, by herself. This would almost seem a daunting task...if she was human. She suddenly disappeared, then appeared in the room next to it. One of the things she'd found out she could do as a ghost was disappearing and appearing. She moved through hallways, appearing in rooms only to disappear as quickly as she had come. She eventually came back to the room where she was before, but this time went into a different direction than before. She found herself in a large room with much open space. She smiled to herself. She quietly started humming to herself. Soon enough, she was dancing by herself. The song was old that she hummed. Then, still smiling to herself, almost carefree, she disappeared from there and came into the room where she was to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Gabriel amused himself with super heating and freezing the water in his tub for a while, but eventually he made it a decent temperature and stepped in naked. Mmmm... This was the life. Gabriel leaned back in the great marble bath tub, closing his eyes.

So he had a ghost in his house. Interesting, to say the least. Though he wasn't sure where this would lead. If the girl would think he'd be likely to fall in love with her, she was wrong. He wasn't likely to fall in love with anyone. Not for as long he had himself confined to this no man's land, away from everything and everyone. This was his safe place. No one could touch him here, either physically or emotionally. He wouldn't allow it. There would come a time when he'd be sick of the loneliness, and possibly then he'd be a little more open for something in terms of a relationship. But the ghost shouldn't be getting the wrong impression.

Gabriel grinned to himself. At least he would never have to rescue her. This was a good thing, because people had a way of getting in trouble, convincing even the most unsympathetic brute to care and try to save their skin. Which created some sort of bond, connection if you will, and like in all the great stories, they'd fall in luvv. Gabriel rubbed his temples, wishing he'd brought his whiskey up here. Then again, he did have meat cooking downstairs, and with a whiskey in his hand he'd be away from it much longer than was good for it.

Eventually, he grabbed a bar of soap and washed himself thoroughly. After rinsing it off, he hoisted himself out of the tub, and with a touch of his hand, all the water in his hair and on his body evaporated, leaving his skin sizzling. Lucky for him, he heated the water instantly to a temperature where it evaporated almost immediately, so they never left much of a burn mark.

Freshly washed and dressed in some more comfortable clothes, Gabriel descended the stairs again, finding Naomi where he'd left her. He lingered in the doorway for a moment, eyeing her with his head slightly tilted. "You've been here all the time?" he asked then, while moving towards the fireplace.

[CastlesInTheSky]

Naomi, as she was now called, looked in his direction as he spoke. The carefree smile on her face evaporated and she said, "Well, no. I explored the castle a little." He wasn't the only one hiding sides of himself he didn't want others to see. The only thing was that she was rather bad at that sometimes. She observed him for a moment, then looked back to the fire. The side of her mouth tilted up into a smile. "Well, I do have my ways of getting around. As far as I know, I saw most of it." She looked back to him, a bit of amusement in her eyes. She wondered what he'd do if he saw her appear in front of him. That sounded like it would be amusing. In fact, she did disappear right then, appearing next to him as if that was where she had been the whole time.

[Anonymous]

Gabriel just kind of stared at the woman as she popped up right next to him, knowing he should be flinching and that his heart rate should be doubled by now. He figured that it was now a bit late for that, and instead blinked and continued towards the fireplace. "Talk about ways of getting around," he mused.

"Please don't do that when I'm sleeping," Gabriel demanded, looking back over his shoulder after he'd turned the first slice of seal meat round on the rack. "It could kill me," he added, mumbling to himself after he turned back to the fire.

He walked out of the room toward the kitchen where he retrieved a big wooden cutting board from an icy cupboard (since it was rather counter-productive to eat one's warm meat from a deep-frozen plate) and then returned to the living room, accompanied by a sharp knife and fork, a clean glass and the bottle of whiskey. After placing the seal meat on the plate and sitting down, Gabriel thought of something.

"So you're a ghost, and you can touch things." He gestured at the couch, and remembered the large boulder she'd been sitting on when he first saw her. "So could I touch you too? Or did your aunt see fit to curse you into physical isolation as well?"

[CastlesInTheSky]

She just smirked a little at his statement when his back was turned. Indeed. Teleportation was definitely a handy way of getting places. She forgot sometimes that people were usually not able to do it. The second thing he said about her appearing made her chuckle slightly.

When he left the room for a moment, she had sat down on the couch. She watched the fire flicker. She thought about how long it had been since she was invited into a house with a nice fire going. It brought memories back. She remembered cold nights with tea in hand and the warmth of a fire.

She watched him come in with his food and drink. She nodded when he said she could touch things. When she was first turned into a ghost, it took her a while to get used to the way of feeling. She didn't really expect his question, but answered. "Yes, but only if I want it to be that way. If I wanted it to happen, you would just go through me." She appeared next to him, brushing a hand against his hand. "You see? It probably feels cold, though."

[Anonymous]

Gabriel resisted the urge to immediately pull back his hand, and nodded quickly. "I see. Then you're not completely ghostly after all. I'm surprised people have been so ... unsympathetic towards you."

He swallowed a big bite of seal meat with a gulp of whiskey, immediately feeling the alcohol settle in his legs. Oh yes, of course, he thought, feeling a little light-headed. This is not my first glass. Damn this woman! She was making him forget all those essential little things that were part of his daily routine. Sadly, Gabriel gazed at his glass, wondering if he should leave it be. But the liquid sloshed around happily, inviting him to drink it all, and he shrugged. Why ever wouldn't he. He doubted it would insult the ghost anyway.