What a surprise!

[Anonymous]

The silence stretched inside her as she nodded quietly, listening to him and knowing it quite well what he meant. In fact - she had thought that very way for a long while. It was a depression time thing and as she listened to him she realized that he was correct. More than half the world suffered from a depression they seemed to have no control over. But they had more control over it then they realized. More control then they saw - they were the creators of that hell.

"It is sad. And lonliness has many affects over people. I knew a person in my village who went insane during the depression we had. She started burning huts down, screaming that this was hell and it should look like it.." She scratched her head lightly.

She remembered that, the woman screaming and running, setting random huts on fire.. Some people had died during that time. And the woman? She had been killed, declared unstable and unsuitable for the village's safety and health. It was a tough time but it taught many a lesson - that whoever subcumbed to the depression would surely die a hideous fate and bring many down with them. It was a lesson that everyone would remember. But it brought everyone to recognize the fact that if no one stuck together and didn't try harder their world would shatter around them. No one was ready for their village to crumble.

"People are so willing to condemn themselves to their own hell..." She sighed and squatted, resting her elbow on a knee and dropping her chin in her hand.

[Anonymous]

He stretched again, and pulled himself up into a sitting positing, laying his head back against the wall. It's so odd, once you think about it. Human nature craves social contact and attention, yet so many people choose to separate themselves. Maybe they think being some kind of martyr is worth it? In reality, though, no one notices them, no one cares. Whatever plan they may have had backfires, and they're left with only their hard, bitter, pride.

Kael shook his head wearily, clearing it. "Too willing. They think being apart from everyone else makes them deserve some special attention or something, that they're better than everyone else. Some kind of self-infliced martyr." He shook his head again, more angrily, then slumped his shoulders against the wall.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to get angry. S'just... sometimes things make no sense, y'know?"

[Anonymous]

"I suppose so," she responded, a smile touching her lips.

"No need to apologize," she said.

Thaylias shifted, feeling a pang in both mind and heart. But not the normal type - more or less for the people that could not seem to see what they did. She sighed softly as she dropped her arms down and wrapped them around her legs. She just didn't know what to do anymore. The world was such a trouble and pained place and yet they powerless. It was so hard to make the world listen.. Because you can't. It wont listen no matter how much you scream and shout. No one hear you. She couldn't change the world and she didn't think she could change anyone in it. Why was the world like that?

"Gosh, I feel so helpless," she said softly and forcefully laughed, trying to dismiss it.

She had spent long days alone and with those uneventful spaces came nothing more than unwelcomed thoughts. The thoughts manifested, more powerful than the last. She hated it, but what could she do? She tried to be more social because she loved it, she really did. But she had to get it to cure one of her problems and that would leave her others for last.

[Anonymous]

Kael turned and smiled at her, but despite his goofy grin, there was a touch of sadness in it, and his eyes were slightly unfocused. he seemed to be somewhere else for a moment. Then, he blinked and shook his head, rather like someone just waking up. All of it was over in an instant, and perhaps.. perhaps it was just imagined?

"I know.. it's horrible, isn't it? I know I feel like one grain of sand against an ocean.." he trailed off, then laughed softly. "Well, that's a bit poetic, but I'm sure you get my meaning." He glanced at her. "I mean, you can do anything you want, and the world doesn't care, as long as you don't get in its way. And if you try to help it, it jsut brushes you aside." He sighed, and blew a bit off hair out of his face. "You know?"

[Anonymous]

Thaylias watched him and took note of that sadness and how unfocused he had seemed. All she did, all she could do, was simply smile, a tender curl to her lips as she remained squatting, arms wrapped around her legs as she glanced around her, taking in the silence and lonliness of the night. So still, so quiet. She looked at the soft light, some extinguishing in the windows. Her emerald eyes danced as they caught a shred of light from a nearby window but they darkened as she turned to look back at Kael.

"Yeah, I know," she said softly, resting her delicate chin on her knees.

She slid the ring on her right, middle finger down and perching it only on the tip as she dragged the two metal spikes into the dirt. She drew random designs and for no reason she started to giggle. She fell over onto her side, laughing and giggling, trying to muffle it by pressing her slim hands to her mouth. Her face turned pink and her eyes squeezed shut as she seemed to be under the control of her laughter.

[Anonymous]

He turned to say something, but it was immediately forgotton with her display of laughter. He simply sat there and stared for a minute as she lay on the ground and laughed. After a minute, when it seemed she wasn't recovering, he asked, "Are you okay?" Suddenly, he had the inexplicable urge to laugh himself. He did, once, then asked again, "Hey-- you alright?" He had donned his crooked grin as he extended his hand to help Thaylias, should she need it.

It was rather odd, but not un-funny. Certainly, it seemed to be contagious, and Kael had to struggle a bit to not start laughing himself. It seemed a bit uncharacteristic of her to just collapse onto the gorund in a fit of giggles, but he had known her for only a very little while, so.. maybe she did that sometimes. It really wasn't his place to judge.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, trying to sound grumpy but not succeeding. "Are you laughing at me?"

[Anonymous]

Thaylias continued giggling, soon rolling and pushing herself into a sitting position. Her hand still covered her mouth as her knees were bent as the soles of her shoes pressed together. Her other hand rested on the ground between her knees. Soon her hand fell away from her lips as a grin was still painted on them as she tilted her head. She looked so childish, despite her nineteen years. She giggled softly as she waited so she was capable of talking.

"Of course not, Kael! Why would I do that?" She said pleasantly, smiling with a soft giggle.

She smiled, head tilted as she watched him, holding back any more laughter as she stretched slightly, still looking rather childish sitting there.

[Anonymous]

He shook his head slowly, almost in amazement. The grin reappeared on his face. She was an odd one, all right. But then again, people in general were a mystery to him, so he shouldn't be all that suprised. He kept himself from laughing as he answered.

"I... I dunno. Then what were you laughing at?" again, he tried to put a note of irritation in his voice, and again, he failed.

Still, waiting for the answer he had 'demanded', he tiled his head to the side and put his hands on his hips in a decidedly feminine gesture which he really could not afford. His frame was a slight one, and his facial features were fairly delicate for a man. If you put him in drag, he would probably make a fairly convincing girl. Kael was painfully aware of this (of course, he had never thought of the last part) throughout his childhood especially, so he usually tried to exaggerate things such as a swagger in his walk or crude mannerisms in his speech (unless he was around a lady). But, by chance, when some girly mannerism entered his actions, it made a rather.. interesting picture. This irritated him exceedingly, and he blamed it on his two sisters.

[Anonymous]

Thaylias was just about to answer when those girlish mannerisms of him made her clap her hands to her face as she surpressed another fit of laughter. She noticed, right off that bat, he could make a very convincing girl. She too had delicate, feminine features but she was a girl. On Kael.. Dear Lord!

"Kael-dear. Don't do that.. please?" She bit her lower lip as she broke into another soft fit.

'Dear' was a term she often added after peoples names for, more or less, the hell of it. She, after awhile dropped her hands, eyes sparkling immensly. She shook her head and tilted her head at Kael, a grin painted on her face.

"Sometimes I just need a good laugh - no matter the reason, if there is one. A day or so ago was the first time I had social contact in a month or more. And finally, finally, I'm meeting people and well.. I just couldn't help but cracking for a few minutes.." she lifted her shoulders in a shrug, still grinning.

Poor Kael was the only thing she could think of as she watched him, soon returning to biting her lower lip.

[Anonymous]

Keal looked utterly confused for a moment, and didn't move. Do what? What was Thaylias talking about?

"Do wh--" he began to echo his thoughts, then realized what he was doing, and being asked to stop.

Promptly he dropped his arms, then crossed them across his chest, and righted his head. "Well.. curses." He really did hate his tendency to look girlish, and was going to be absolutely self-conscious self conscious now. Almost without thinking, he began to pout, then realized that would REALLY make him look girlish, and stopped that also.

he grinned back, sheepisly, and with the slighted blush over the top of his cheekbones. "Understandable. Still, could've warned me. You kinda scared me." He pause for a moment, considered this. "Well, actually, it was funny, but you could have been having a hysterical seizure. Then where would we be?"

[Anonymous]

Thaylias giggled a few more times at him, tilting her head when he asked what would have happened if she had been having a hysterical seizure. Well, who knows? She didn't ponder it long as she pushed herself up into a slow stand and walked up to Kael, looking up at him, considering she was only 5 foot 6. She took his arms pulled them apart and pulled him along, twirling around. Yes, she was random. She was randomly trying to pull him into a 'dance'. She laughed.

"Loosen up! It's such a lovely night.." she laughed.

The moon and the stars were the only witnesses. But the whole village could watch for all she cared. She was determined to dance, to dance away her worries. Just for a little while.. just for a second. And it would be nice if she could get Kael to act - even slightly -crazy. But she knew her temporary insanity would not last long.

[Anonymous]

Keal looked extremely startled for a moment, and froze, looking a bit like a deer in headlights. Then he realized what was going on, and laughed heartily, indeed, loosening up a little.

"You are _very_ odd, did you know that?" he said, laughing again.

Then he loosened up a lot more. He raised his hand above his head, taking hers with it, and spun her around a few times. For good measure, he threw in a couple steps of complicated-looking footwork.

"Didn't know you were looking at the champion of village dancing, did you?" he said, his eyes glinting mischeviously. "Actually, there is no such thing. But if there was, it would be me!"

He twirled her around again a few times, deftly twisting and untwisting his arm. Then, suddenly, he pulled her in, pressed up against him, arm wrapped around her. He kept them that way for a heartbeat, but Time had slowed to a syrupy crawl.  Then he spun her out again, bowing with exaggerated elegance.

[Anonymous]

Thaylias couldn't help the musical laughter that had rose in her throat as they danced and watched his fancy footwork with her brillant forest emerald eyes. She couldn't help but laugh, nodding her head in confirmation of what he said. She grinned as she watched them and could only bet if anyone saw them now they'd shoot them for fear of loosing two people to insanity. Hah! This insanity is the best of all - it's sanity in it's many, many forms of lunacy.

"Oh, of course, I do agree!" She responded to him for both comments he had made, the one of her being 'very odd' and him being a village dancing champion.

As he twirled her around a few more times she swiftly kept up, the world outside of their own nothing but a blur. They twisted around like idiots but as she felt him pull in and he held her against him she could feel her heart stop. She was all too aware of the risen heat and it seemed that time stretched out for an eternity. She forced her mind blank as he whirled her outwards and he bowed, making her giggle and clap.

"Bravo!" She laughed, slightly out of breath as her eyes twinkled.

[Anonymous]

He grinned, and bowed again, most definately flushed.

"I never realized just *quite* how fun dancing was, or how much I missed it. Haven't done that in years," he said, laughing. Of course, it helps if you have the right partner, said a small voice in his head. Shut up! He told it, hoping he didn't speak out loud. He was still grinning as he shrugged his shoulders and stretched.

"You're not too bad a dancer yourself, mi-lady," he said. "Or perhaps that's another one of your many quirks. Not that dancing is a bad thing," he admonished himself. His grin widened, and he twirled once more, just for the heck of it. He had a bit of a randosity streak too, though it wasn't quite as obvious as Thaylias's.

[Anonymous]

She couldn't help the absolutely devious grin that that touched her lips. She rubbed the back of her neck, finding most of her hair had come undone from it's braid she hooked her fingers in the tie and pulled it off. She let a smile quirk her lips as she combed her fingers through her long, raven hair.

"I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one here whose insane," she laughed as she leaned back slightly, back arching inwards as she gathered her hair and tied it back.

She wondered why he hadn't done that in years, ignoring the praise simply because if she pondered it she would blush profusely. Why? Because she wasn't used to praise and well, it embarressed her. Thaylias could already feel the reels in her mind turning and working as she jutted out a hip and rested her hands on her hips. She quieted her thoughts and just stood there, grinning like a fool. And she had been told by many that she was. She never once denied it and let herself be called a fool. Why not? It sounded like a fun title. Might as well use it as best she could.

"Now, wasn't that just great?" She laughed, tilting her head slightly.

[Anonymous]

"Oh, everyone's insane. Some people just... accept it more than others." He grinned again, even more lopsided, and his eyes glinted a dark sapphire. "But it's always there, right beneath the surface. It's wonderful. S'why dancing's so fun, if you can break that surface." He laughed a little. "And you haven't even seen my real moves!"

He struck an absolutely absurd pose, with an exaggeratedly dramatic look on his face. After a moment, he slid his eyes to the side to look at Thaylias, and waggled his eyebrows. Then, he couldn;t stand it anymore; he broke the pose and fell against the wall, laughing.

"Wow. This is more than I've laughed in... months. Or more." He was laughing still as he said this, but less strongly. "It's great. If laughing cures sickness, you'd make one helluva a doctor." His grin turned into a genuine smile, directed her way. "Thanks for that."

[Anonymous]

Thaylias some of the many forms of lunacy, knowing she filed under many of those types. She laughed as he mentioned how she had not even seen his real dance moves. ANd then he struck an overly-dramatic pose and he looked at her and waggled his brows... She burst into laughter, unable to help herself against the force that rose inside her. He was such a monkey.. Wait, a monkey? Okay, yeah, those random things often popped into Thaylias's head. Maybe another sign of some other kind of insanity that lurked beneath the surface.

Their laughter chorused together as some people poked from their homes and slammed the doors on their raucaus. Thaylias was tempted to make a face at them but only turned away and hunched her shoulders slightly, just to be somewhat apologetic in their gaze.

Slowly it toned down and she grinned, listening to him say how it was the best he laughed in awhile. Even though she had been away for a month wihtout any human contact, she often burst into fits of laughter. It made her feel better and the world always seemed lighter.

"Any time at all!" she said, moving back onto the 'sidewalk' and out of the road.

Her luck she'd get run over by some mysterious carriage from the darkness... Wouldn't that be just great? Fine and dandy..

[Anonymous]

He raised an eyebrow at the heads poking out the window until they retracted. One particular child of about eight was hanging halfway out his bedroom window, trying to see what his mother had been looking at a moment earlier. Kael saw him, and crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. The child seemed to be the obstinate type, as he did the same. Retaliating, Kael stuck his thumbs in his ears and waved them around in a familiar gesture to most children. The boy started laughing, and his mother pulled him in by the tail of his nightshirt, and shot a scathing glare at Kael, slamming the shutters shut. Hard.

Keal smiled a bit smugly, and laughed in the general direction of the closed, and now dark, window. He turned abck to Thaylias just as she was stepping back off the road.

"Good idea," he commented, musingly. "Wouldn't want you getting run over. Then I'd have to preform some kind of medical procedure. Trust me, no one wants that." He imitated himself giving medical care, snipping soemthing and wrapping it, then looking extremely confused and waving his arms about in the air.

"See?" he said, grinning. "You'd end up with a few less limbs and, somehow, an extra nose, most likely."

[Anonymous]

Thaylias suppressed some giggles as she watched Kael and the little boy's actions. She grinned as she watched them and glanced away from the scalding gaze of the boy's mother. Not a very pleasant woman from what she saw. But then again, with Kael and her making such a racket and then Kael proving himself a nuisance, the woman had a very good reason too look so annoyed. As the shutters slammed, vibrating she burst into soft giggles, pressing a hand to her mouth to hold back the laughter.

Her eyes widened in mock-horror as she watched Kael execute his display of how his doctering skills would appear like. She burst out laughing, grinning from ear-to-ear as she looked at him. Thaylias hooked her hands behind her head and stretched.

"Well, I know what to count on you for, very definitly," she smirked.

She felt her muscles stretch as she shifted, slowly leaning against the wall and tilting her head up, gazing at the sky with bright green eyes. She then slowly turned her head to look at Kael.

"How're you?" She asked him, quirking an eyebrow.

[Anonymous]

"Wait, what now? What are we counting on me for?" He looked, and sounded, very confused, like he had missed something. He usually did. It was his blessing, and his curse. However, he shrugged. His brain deflected such things like a stubborn shield. Ah, well.

He, too, stretched, reaching for the sky. Looking up, he noticed there were more stars, too, than there were earlier. They were still beautiful. After a moment, he rolled his shoulders and put his arms back down.

"I'm.. I'm good, I guess." He nodded, reaffirming his statement. Then he turned his head to meet Thaylias's eyes, a bright green to a sparking blue. He held them, saying nothing.