Down by the Sea (Mona)

[Anonymous]

OOC: Sorry that this is rather lame. I suck at starting posts ^.^;;



IC:Jovan moved through the bustling seaside town, relaxed and comfortable. It was a pleasant change of scenery after the dessert. He had missed the sea. And port towns tended to hold all sorts of interesting people and things to see and paint.

It was still bright out, so he kept his glasses on, his pale red eyes sensitive to light. His belly made a small rumbling noise, causing the rabbit anthro to start looking for some food.

His search led him to a fruit cart and after paying for a pair of bright apples, he decided to head away from the crowded market. See if there was a spot he could eat his lunch.

[Anonymous]

The ocean was generally her favorite place to be around. With fresh winds, the steady rthym that never changed, and a fresh storm every day, it had everything she needed to keep her happy. Of course, when smiling was as dangerous as making the air around you heat up to two hundred degrees celcious, or thunderbolts start to come out of your hair, it seems to be a problem.

Small, slight, with hair that was meant to be on an elderly adults head and bright orange eyes, she wasn't excatly a sight that was seen around the town of Cerenis often. No indeed, her silver hair and stern facade, moving as though a million years older than she was, she tended to draw not so happy reactions from the crowds. But at the moment, she was happily on the beach, sitting on a flat broad rock, meditating. Every breath in for the wave, hold it while the wave crashed, and then out as the ocean pulled it out to see.

A multitude of winds tugged at her cloak, more than brushed the rest of the beach, but she ignored it, intent on keeping her calm. Her face was still, eyes closed, so she missed the man that crashed into her, playing with his friends. Immediatly, the winds began to spin out of control, gathering winds and bits of sand, as the male scampered away, leaving her to deal with the small tornado.

"Ggaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

She muttered, yanking out a piece of string from a frayed skirt, tying it into a loose knot, frantically trying to deal with the wind, although her face showed none of her worry. The knot tightened, she tied another, and then snapped between them, breaking the string inhalf. Immediatly, it dropped, the winds escaping and the sand spilling back onto the beach, where she collapsed on the ground in a huff, pale skin red as she tryed to regain her breath.

[Anonymous]

Jovan's ambling had led him down to the beach. He had tossed his shoes over one shoulder, his pants rolled up over his knees revealing painfully pale skin. As he walked through the waves, munching his apple, he noticed a commotion.

And the painter could never resist commotions. They tended to be interesting. And on occasion, have interesting people. So the rabbit made his way over.

He was a bit surprised to find a young girl collapsed on the ground, panting. He wrinkled his nose, slightly puzzled. Then he replaced it with a huge smile, moving closer and squatting down in front of the girl. He dropped his shoes to the sand and held his hand down to the girl, "Looks like ya took a bit of a spill little lady. You alright?"

[Anonymous]

A surprisingly pale face was thrust into her sun, and she scrambled backwards, clearly startled, an emotion.

'Looks like ya took a bit of a spill little lady. You alright?'

Ignoring the hand, she thrust herself upwards, brushing off her skirts, blinking at him with clear orange eyes.

"Yessir, but I'm fine now. It was my own fault I fell."

She eyed him, her face quite empty, but curious.

"I'm Caniley, Cani for short. May I ask who you are?"

Astoundingly polite for a ten year old, serious beyong her age, she waited, hands clasped behind her back, looking at him with a no nonsense air about her.

[Anonymous]

Jovan was quite surprised at how polite and serious such a young girl was. And Jovan felt that no would should have to be that serious for very long. Couldn't be good for the heart.

"I'm Caniley, Cani for short. May I ask who you are?"

The rabbit gave the small girl another smile, though he kept squatted down, so he was closer to her height, "I'm Jovan." He pulled out a small pocket knife and cut off a slice of apple, offering it to the girl, "Cani's a pretty name for a pretty girl." Smile, "Want to share some of this with me?"

[Anonymous]

'I'm Jovan.'

She nodded, acknowledging her.

"Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Jovan."

He didn't leave, and she met his stare with her own orange eyes, tucking a strand of silver hair behind a delicetly pierced ear.

'Cani's a pretty name for a pretty girl.'

Pretty? Herself?

'Want to share some of this with me?'

She stared at the offered fruit, her stomach grumping at her silently that food was always a good thing. But she didn't take it.

"Thank you, sir. But I haven't any money to pay for it, and it would be rude taking your food. I can fend for myself."

Slight, scrawny, tiny in a dress that was at least a size to big, she was nuntheless proud, and charity would never be anything for our little weather witch.

[Anonymous]

"Thank you, sir. But I haven't any money to pay for it, and it would be rude taking your food. I can fend for myself."

At the small girls comment, Jovan's smile got even wider and he gave a short laugh, "Well now little darlin' I wasn't trying to suggest that you couldn't take care of yourself."

He sat down on the warm sand, stretching his legs out, getting more comfortable. And then offered the apple piece again, "But I feel that food tastes better when eating with someone. And nothin' tastes better then food eaten with a pretty girl."

Another grin, "And if you'll pose for a picture, I'll call it even. How does that sound?"

[Anonymous]

[OhOhSee]Hey, sorry, didn't realize I hadn't posted. XD]

He smiled at her... She found it interesting that he could smile for so long. Did it hurt his cheeks?

'Well now little darlin' I wasn't trying to suggest that you couldn't take care of yourself.'

Her head thrust up, chin out, she eyed him. He was such a weird person... Dropping down into the sand, not even finding a seat.

'But I feel that food tastes better when eating with someone. And nothin' tastes better then food eaten with a pretty girl. And if you'll pose for a picture, I'll call it even. How does that sound?'

She settled herself down in the sands gracefully, taking the offered piece gingerly.

"Thank you, Mr. Jovan."

As she nibbled on it, she paused for a moment, letting the wind calm her down.

"What sort of picture, sir? Do you draw?"

[Anonymous]

(OOC: No worries. I figured either you had forgotten or something had come up or whatnot)

Jovan's face was pretty much constantly smiling. It was it's natural state. Things always seemed to work out better when one smiled. He tilted his head back, letting the sun fall on his painfully pale skin. He would have to be careful he didn't burn.

He turned his attention back to the small girl, "I draw, paint, sketch. I've even done a bit o' sculptin'. I like to capture interesting things." He took another bite of apple, "Don't often meet people with hair same color as mine."

He swallowed his bite and the smile was back in full force, "What do ya say? An apple for a picture?"

[Anonymous]

It had always astounded her, artist's. To be able to do something that amazing, take a piece of charcoal or ink and make something beautiful with their own two hands. She only had control of the weather, goodie her. It made her feel as though she was something evil, the way people looked at her.

She was as pale as him, and looked much alike. Odd.

"Only my granny has hair the color of mine, sir. It seems odd."

And he was smiling again. She was fasinated by this. His mouth had to hurt, didn't it?

"An apple for a picture, sir. But what will you do? What is needed?"

She needed order in her life, you know, and without understanding it, knowing what she needed to do, she still felt as though she was stealing from him.

[Anonymous]

"My whole family has hair this color." He took another bit of apple, taking his time chewing and swallowing it. He was enjoying himself out on the beach. And he liked kids, "It ain't all that odd then. I have a real big family."

That smile game back, though he was looking out over the water rather then at the girl, "Not a lot needed. Just a glimpse into ya. So I can try and capture what makes you special." He shook his head, flipping a few stray strands of pale white hair out of his face, "Just need you to pose for a bit, really. Do something natural, so I can draw it."

He toed the sand with his foot, "Ya ever build a sandcastle? I haven't made one in ages. They're real fun. Make 'um as big as ya can."

[Anonymous]

[[I do apologize for this, you'll get replies quicker next time. ^^]]

    
'My whole family has hair this color.'

Oh my god. His whole family was old. In awed fascination she stared at his hair for a moment, settling herself firmly in the sand. She did love sitting in sand. The tiny rocks, while not part of her magic, had been carved by water, and she could feel their joy in being changed, in being formed to something different. To change into something different like that would be so cool... His words, as a few moments of silence had crept in on them, startled her.

'It ain't all that odd then. I have a real big family.'

She understood that. She had family all over, a merchant family, but they had thought her odd, useless, something dangerous. A thin mouth twisted downwards as she pushed that from her mind, wary of the wind that had begun to pick up, sensing the anger that had stirred in her. Unsmiling, she looked back at him.

He was smiling again!

'Not a lot needed. Just a glimpse into ya. So I can try and capture what makes you special.'

What made her special... Again her mouth twisted, just smaller as she tried to think what was special about her...

'Just need you to pose for a bit, really. Do something natural, so I can draw it.'

That was something she could understand, at least. She had to do something that was natural for her... Her musings were interrupted by him, and burnt orange eyes looked at him curiously. Such a strange person...

'Ya ever build a sandcastle? I haven't made one in ages. They're real fun. Make 'um as big as ya can.'

What was a sandcastle?

She voiced this as a question, her voice timid and yet very curious.

"What is a sandcastle? And how do you build one?"

Something she did naturally... What did she do naturally? Not play, that was for sure... She meditated, she breathed... Something she did naturally... The wind, she played with that a lot, but that didn't count in her mind. Besides, she wouldn't tell this man that she was a weather-witch. He was different, in a good way, and she did not want to scare him away: not yet, at least.

[Anonymous]

(OOC: I was starting to think you had forgotten about me ^.^)

Jovan laughed then, reaching over and ruffling the girls hair, "Don't look so serious." She had seemed to get a little upset at the mention on family. And Jovan hadn't wanted to do that.

He grinned again at her question. He never really seemed to stop, it just got a bit bigger, "A sandcastle is a tiny castle you make out of sand. You pile it up, then shape it with you hands."

The rabbit glanced down at the waves, "The best sand is wet sand though. So you can't mind getting your feet a bit wet."

[Anonymous]

[Alright, so my interview is almost done, which means I have time again. Again, I sincerely apologize.]

He had touched her. What bothered her about this, however, was not that he had touched her, but the fact that his words were so blatant. Adults rarely talked like that to her, and to tell her that she too serious...

"I'm always serious."

She told him frankly, eyes wide. He was something very different than what she had ever experienced before, and it was so captivating that she couldn't help but follow along eagerly.

'A sandcastle is a tiny castle you make out of sand. You pile it up, then shape it with your hands.'

...Play in the sand? And it was true, the smile never seemed to stop. He probably kept them clean just for that reason, so he could smile and be happy. All. The. Time.

'The best sand is wet sand though. So you can't mind getting your feet a bit wet.'

She was quick to reassure him, not willing to loose this person quite yet. Of course he would leave sooner or later, but she had never made a sandcastle, and while she had yet to smile, this person captivated her.

"Oh no sir, I don't mind getting wet at all."

If only he knew the half of it. She loved the sea, the eternal pull of the waves. It shaped who she was, and she loved water.

"I've never played in the sand."

She told him shyly, something odd for Cani, who was generally so frank.

"Is it hard?"

Small fingers pleated the edge of her long skirt as she watched the person. She swore, that had to be a moment when he stopped smiling!

[Anonymous]

Jovan chuckled at the sight of the tiny girl looking so nervous at the idea of making a sandcastle. The rabbit stood up, brushing the sand off his brightly colored pants before he held his hand out to her, "It's not hard at all. It's super easy. I'll teach you all the tricks I know."

Jovan was a painter by trade but he was pretty good with his hands and had an artists eye. So his sandcastles tended to be on the elaborate side of things.

"We want to make sure it's far enough from the waves that it wont get washed away, but close enough we can use the wet sand."

[Anonymous]

Cani hated being laughed at, and when he began to snicker, she stiffened and let her face, which was avidly curious, close off. That was rude of him to do, don't you think so? Gods, the least he could do was be nice to a poor deprived child... As she rose, all she could think of was that so she didn't have the best family. Yesh, don't be such a downer. But as his large hand was suddenly waved in her face, she forgot her momentary grumpiness, and slipped her smaller one into his.

'It's not hard at all. It's super easy. I'll teach you all the tricks I know.'

"Really?"

Stupid, saying that out loud! Why would she sound so eager? Because you like new things, the tiny traitor voice whispered in her ear, and with an internal sigh, she faced rose, dusting the sand off of her long proper skirt.

'We want to make sure it's far enough from the waves that it wont get washed away, but close enough we can use the wet sand.'

Waves... She had once tried to absorb the power that the waves possessed... This was back when her mentor had been able to stop her in time and warn her about the repercussions, and she had been in bed for at least a month afterward. Now she had a wary respect for the waves, and she knew that they would crush anything in an instant.

"I understand that... Alright, where would we go?"

She walked forward, formally, as though walking down a great staircase in a ballroom, although she meant nothing of it.

"Here?"

She paused on sand that was damp, easy to shove together so that it would stick; she could feel the water that had soaked in singing joy, the bitter melody that marked them as salt water ringing in her ears.

[Anonymous]

"This looks perfect." Jovan squatted down, wiggling his toes in the sand, 'You probably want to tie those pretty skirts up or they'll get all wet and salty." Jovan grinned at her again, starting to dig into the sand, "Alright. First, we need our base. They we can shape that how we want it."

He looked down at his small pile, "I guess first you should decide how big you want your castle to be."

[Anonymous]

'That looks perfect.'

She paused from looking down, a tiny hand coming up to brush silver hair from her odd eyes. Did he tell her she did something right? She made something good? Wow, that made her feel really good inside... A glimmer of a smile hinting around her lips, she looked down at the sand, burying her own tiny bare feet in the cool sand.

'You probably want to tie those pretty skirts up or they'll get all wet and salty.'

Her head flew up to look at him again, confusion glittering in still eyes. Why would the water and salt bother her? Her skirts were frayed and slightly ragged, neat as she could keep them though. But she obeyed people, and obediently slipped them up to her knees, knotting them with nimble fingers.

'Alright. First, we need our base. Then we can shape how we want it. I guess first you should decide how big you want your castle to be.'

At first, she was going to argue, saying that it was his castle. But from past views, it looked as though he we not going to give in, and so she nodded, kneeling down and hesitantly make a small pile, bigger than his, but not by much.

"Is this good? I don't know how much you want..."

[Anonymous]

Jovan's smile got even larger when the girl smiled at him. He was glad he had finally gotten to see it. She was such a cute kid, it didn't do for her to look so serious all the time.

He looked over the pile she made carefully, "Well, that's not bad for a start. But I can make the castle much bigger then that if you want. Why don't you draw a circle in the sand, to show how big the base will be."

When it came to art, Jovan never did anything by halves. There would be walls and towers and a separate kitchen and maybe a smoke house. And a moat. There should always be a moat.