Oklahoma! on Labyrinth Gardens

Paul Tarwater

May 17, 2009 7:40 PM

Anything goes by Paul Tarwater

How long had he been here for? Not just few days since he'd arrived, but by all the years. That could be expressed easily, six years. Paul was a sixth year who had been at this school for six years. And as a boy who had been here for six years in a small magical school, he knew his reputations. He knew his mistakes and his not-so-much-mistakes. Paul also knew how he was, the quiet paranoid boy who didn't like to talk to anyone unless it was to snap at them. What else did he have to show for school?

Scars. But he got those at home, they were nothing too special when you looked at his life, his sister. One person that he could consider his friend. It wasn't that one was too little, he liked Danae, she was enough... almost too much seeing as Paul made for a horrible and awkward friend. A dusty Prefect badge, which his mother had expressed great joy in seeing, kissing his forehead and talking of how proud she had been of him (not realizing that he was the only candidate to get the badge). Anyway, that wasn't something to show for, "oh look, they trusted me with the student body, thats shocking" in a very serious way, and he still considered these things signs of a coming ragnorak.

No, deep down Paul really did not believe the end-of-the-world was near. He was a paranoid child, looking around the corners every second for nonexistant ghosts and existant little girls, shaking whenever he felt like someone was staring at him, finding himself unable to sleep. But he wasn't so paranoid that he would stand on the street corner with a banner over his chest like some nuts may. It was just that... saying it was the end-coming was so much easier than having no answer for the crazy changes. He didn't like just thinking that "change just happened", not specific enough for him. So, he played pretend, knowing he was playing only pretend. Overdramatic. Doublethinking himself.

When he looked up at the sky and thought, well, it isn't opening up yet, he knew it wasn't opening up, that it wouldn't open up. He was just playing his games. Paul even smiled a little thinking the words, the puff of air able to be considered a laugh (or just the puff of gingerly laying oneself across one's bench in a spot that half belonged to that one). Who said Paul didn't have a sense of humor? It was just hidden by the way he presented himself, but he could find something funny. The idea of the sky randomly opening up was funny... in an ironic and morbid sort of way. He supposed if he ever said that he found the idea of the world ending funny to anyone he would be dubbed "crazy" (as if he wasn't already) and thrown back into therapy.

He refused to see another counselor.

They were all horrible creatures who didn't know what you needed, why you were the way you were, and only looked for the time to be over so they could steal what little paycheck your parents recieved and then smile and say "he's improving, but still needs a little help Mrs. Tarwater, now lets talk about next week...". They eased nothing. The people eased nothing in him, only succeeded in making him even more afraid of human contact. Really, he felt so much more at ease alone. Look. He was smiling now. He was looking at the clouds like a carefree young boy of sixteen. Look. He wasn't thinking about scary things, like pain and magic and curses and fifteen-year-old girls. He was thinking how that cloud looked like a kitten, he was thinking how he should get a kitten, so Lussni could have a friend and Paul could have a kitten when the creature died.

Course, people liked to wander, and he could hear voices for so long, enjoying their days back at school. Paul could tune those out, thinking of why that cloud looked like a tree and what it would feel like to see a tree growing from the sky. It was only when he heard the approaching sound. People. It wouldn't do any good for you to look at him now, he was cold again. His smile dropped and he sat up on the bench, wondering who was looking to walk past him. Or join him (oh the horror!).

Subthreads:

That's a dangerous statement. by Lucie Dupree with Paul, Saul, Lucie

Oklahoma! by Saul Pierce with

0 Paul Tarwater Anything goes 0 Paul Tarwater 1 5

Lucie Dupree

May 20, 2009 6:03 PM

That's a dangerous statement. by Lucie Dupree

Summer had given Lucie a lot to think about. There had been the entire coming out party. She had hated every single minute of it. She was forced into wearing a seriously puffed out dress, but then what could one expect from layers upon layers of taffeta? She had been worried the entire time of getting too close to a candle and catching on fire. Worse than the fact that it had been an enormous monstrosity was the fact that it had been an enormous pink monstrosity. She really had no idea what her mother had been thinking. She had looked like a pink marshmallow about to blow.

So, dressed as this, she had to meet the boy that she was to one day wed. Could it have gotten any worse? Oh, yes, it did, because said boy was two years older, making him sixteen. He wasn’t even really a boy and he certainly hadn’t been the slightest bit interested in her, who had ended up looking younger than her fourteen years, because of the hideous dress. The plus of not getting to know him personally was that she had gotten to see the way he truly was. When he wasn’t pretending, and it was indeed pretending, to hold a conversation with her for appearances sake, he was making eyes (and more) at her sister and just about every other girl.

She really had no idea what her parents had been thinking setting her up with such a person. No, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly what they were thinking. The connections were all that mattered. Now, she truly understood how Danae felt about the entire matter, but unlike, her sister, she had every intention of getting out of it. Before she had thought about it, but now, it had become a full-blown mission. One that she had come out into the Gardens to give consideration to and surprise, surprise, who should she happen upon, but Paul Tarwater. Perfect. The best part of someone different from one’s self is that they think differently.

Though, he wasn’t smiling, Lucie placed on her best and brightest smile, a better feat when she was actually wearing something that didn’t have balloon sleeves. She made her way over to where he was and promptly sat on the bench beside him. “Hi, Paul,” she greeted. “How was your summer? Miss me?” She gave a cheeky grin. She really didn’t expect him to answer the latter question and if he did, she would be shocked if he answered that he had. He had seemed rather uncomfortable when they had worked in Potions together, but that could have been from her lack of practice at flirting. This year she was better prepared.

0 Lucie Dupree That's a dangerous statement. 114 Lucie Dupree 0 5

Saul Pierce

May 20, 2009 7:19 PM

Oklahoma! by Saul Pierce

Saul moved through the Garden paths with too many random side steps and twists and leaps to be called walking, but not quite often or regularly enough to be called skipping or dancing. Though he was, for the time being, alone, this did not stop him from talking. He was composing his homework essay for history as he walked, trying several different narrative voices to find the one that made constitutions actually sound like something worth reading about. (It was a dull enough subject that Saul was fairly well convinced that there was only one voice that could manage this feat - but he was determined to find it.)

"So not only do governments have constitutions, but so do organizations like clubs and schools and organizations like businesses or - no, that's boring. Okay." Saul leapt over a bench and started walking backwards as he stared up at the sky, searching the clouds for inspiration.

He rounded a corner when his back hit hedges and kept walking backwards, muttering under his breath as he tried to figure out what was missing, what he needed to put into the essay that would give it that Saul touch that both Flatts must expect from him by now. "It's got to have more power, more umphf, more me. Something . . . okay, try this." He took a deep breath and gave it another try.

"In the beginning, there was chaos." That was better. It was a lot better. But not quite there. He deepened his voice, giving the words more dramatic weight. "In the beginning, there was chaos." He twisted his body to face forward again as he threw a hand up into the air, and stopped short.

Paul Tarwater was sitting on a bench about five feet in front of him.

Saul had not expected an audience.

"Uh," he said. "Hi." He lowered his arm. It wasn't so much that he was embarrassed. If it had been Elly or Irene, he would have kept going, regaling them with the chaos taming power of constitutions. If it had been Briony (or even Pepper), he would have given her a grin and improvised something a little more impressive than his homework assignment. If it had been someone in the lower years that he didn't know very well, he would have . . . well, he wasn't quite sure what he would have done. Acted like he'd known they were there and he was purposely giving them a dramatic story, probably.

But Paul wasn't Elly, or Briony, or some random second year.

Paul was one of two people in the school that Saul knew, very definitely, didn't care for him very much.

It was weird being awkwardly unsure what to say. It wasn't a sensation Saul experienced very often. So he just said something he'd meant to say almost a year ago, but somehow never did.

"I wanted to thank you." Figuring Paul had no idea what he was talking about, he clarified, "Last year, at the poll. I appreciated your honesty. It helped a lot, even if I didn't win. And I sort of wanted to talk to you, after what you said, but didn't think I should, because you'd just think I was doing it to get your vote, but that's over now, so I was wondering . . . was there something I did that made you think I was irresponsible and immature and unable or unwilling to help anyone? Because I'm really sorry, whatever it was, and I'll try really hard not to do it again."

1 Saul Pierce Oklahoma! 82 Saul Pierce 0 5

Saul

May 20, 2009 7:24 PM

OOC: Dangit, took too long by Saul

Knew there was a reason I shouldn't re-read the whole poll thread before finishing the post I started . . . Feel free to either ignore my post, or treat it as a separate incident from Lucie's.\r\n\r\n

1 Saul OOC: Dangit, took too long 82 Saul 0 5

Paul

May 20, 2009 10:20 PM

Maybe I'll stick to Another Day, then by Paul

Lucie Dupree. Well, the world had a funny way of messing with him. If he could stand anyone at this school, it was a Dupree, but only one. And certainly not this little crazy blonde one that had suggested they go on some sort of adventure while they worked on a potion. She was a Teppenpaw, but a frightening one to witness, she smiled so oddly, liked to get too close, almost touched, sometimes she did that too. His personal bubble being prodded at like it was a toy. She barely knew him enough to bound over like that, she couldn’t just sit so close and ask him… oh Merlin, if he missed her. Was she crazy or something? She may be. It made sense.

After all, the world was ending. Heh. The humor was more lost on this one though. He grimaced at her, and tried to scoot a little farther away on the bench. “Lucie,” he acknowledged, his voice that low awkward tone he always adopted. Still sounding as if the voice hadn’t been used in ages. He watched her smile for a second, looking for the threat hidden behind it (it had to be there, it absolutely had to be there) before turning his eyes away from her. Instead, he looked past her, wondering what made the girl approach him so spontaneously. She could have just walked away like everyone else. She should have, he would have preferred it if she did. “It was normal.” He answered the summer bit coolly as well, letting it be known that she didn’t need to know about his summers.

They were rarely good anyway. No. Scratch that. Never, they were never good.

“Do you need anything, Lucie?” he asked, respectful but not nice. It was firm in his mind that no one would approach him unless they absolutely needed him and could not go to anyone or anything else, the rocks wouldn’t even help better. Anyone coming to him for help was another sign. He was still looking away, his calm already lost under everything else and he… he was starting to hear voices. No. Voice. Familiar voice. He realized that he had jumped, stiffened like he was being followed, when he first heard the story-telling voice. His eyes had taken in everything so quickly, and he glanced to Lucie, gauging her reaction to his paranoid head. The voice registered better with the face, and Paul grimaced again when he saw it, wondering how in the world he mistaken that voice for that of Michael or Odin.

No, it was just Saul. Not a harbinger of his paranoid fantasies, simply the annoying and silly older Pecari.

If anything, Paul could say the world did hate him today. Lucie and Saul. Talkative people, who he guessed would also enjoy prying at his mind. If he had half of that, he would have stood and walked away, not a word, let the two enjoy each other. They were similar… in a way, right? They could get on better without him trapped in the middle. He glared up at the sky, hoping it could see how his day had just been shot, “I hate you,” he mouthed up to it before looking back to the boy. Saul, looking more out of place than him… maybe. Saul could have easily walked on, pretend they didn’t see each other. So why, why wasn’t he? Did Paul have to chase him away, ah he wouldn’t be able to help it anyway. It was what he always did.

“Isn’t this a lovely morning for a powwow?” his voice dry, hoarse, a hint of sarcasm touching the monotone. His eyes kept dancing around the rest of the clearing, was anyone else going to join? Elly could be trailing behind Saul. Cissy could just appear because he was lucky. Why did this whole situation just scare him? He was on an edge. “Hello. Seems like all of us are enjoying the last of the summer air.”

0 Paul Maybe I'll stick to Another Day, then 0 Paul 0 5

Saul

May 21, 2009 12:15 AM

Les Miserables? by Saul

"Uh, hi," Saul had said, brilliantly upon finding himself face two face with Paul Tarwater and a girl who may or may not have been a Dupree.

He lowered his arm from its dramatic pose while Paul . . . rambled, Saul suppossed was the best word for the almost inane and nearly rhetorical questions that Saul was almost sixty percent sure Paul didn't actually want to have answers to. Saul didn't know Paul that well - not at all, really, which was sort of the whole problem that had come up during his poll last year - but he'd never taken Paul for a rambler.

His first thought, the one that had made him freeze so completely in both words and motion, had been that he'd accidently stumbled upon a romantic interlude. When he'd recognized them, he'd dismissed the thought, but it returned now. Paul and . . . whatshername? Was that why Paul was so nervous? He didn't want anyone to know?

The sarcasm was of course lost on Saul. He'd never been adept at picking up on subtleties, and today was not the day he was going to start. He grinned, a little tentatively, because he was forty percent sure that it would be rude to ignore the remarks entirely, and Paul already obviously didn't like him.

"It's a really nice day," he agreed. But that sounded not only trite and forced, but boring as well, and Saul was allergic to boring, so he found it neccessary to add, with a bit more enthusiasm to the conversation, "I was writing my history essay. Well, composing it, really, because, well," he spread his hands demonstratively, "no pen or paper. It's a good day for a walk. Or, um," he looked at them again and wondered if he was supposed to pretend that he hadn't noticed they were on a date, "sitting on a bench. Outside. Because it's nice out."

Saul wasn't really all that great at pretending not to notice things. Normally, he actually didn't notice things, and he was finding it kind of disconcerting that he did this time. It left him feeling kind of flustered and he wasn't sure if he should flee and let them have their privacy or stick around to prove how much he wasn't noticing anything.

1 Saul Les Miserables? 82 Saul 0 5

Lucie

May 21, 2009 1:13 AM

Not this one by Lucie

If Lucie had been anyone other than who she was, she would have frowned at Paul’s tone, but as it stood, being who she was and knowing who Paul was, she completely ignored it in favor of being able to tell him all about her summer and exactly what she needed. Sort of. Or at least she had been before Paul had taken to starring off in the distance. Staying still, it only took a minute to figure out exactly what it was that had caught his attention. And then the source came into view. Saul Pierce. Very few people didn’t know who he was and it was truly amazing if one didn’t. Now, what one’s opinion on said person was a completely other matter.

Hers before had waivered between a neutral deposition and a positive one. Right now, however, she wasn’t quite sure if it was leaning towards a negative one or not. It was quite possible that it was drifting towards an even more positive outlook. Of course, it would all be based upon Paul’s reactions. It would be positive, if he preferred Saul to leave over a choice between her and him. It would be negative, if he preferred her to leave. Though, either way would be worthwhile, because she would be able to judge exactly where she stood and how to proceed or at least that’s how her mind perceived it.

And if Saul stayed, it wasn’t a complete loss for he made for interesting territory. He was a known flirt, but at the same time, he was safe. He had a girlfriend. And the bonus score? There was the possibility of bringing out interesting reactions in Paul. Was that bad of her? Should she not have wanted to be able to see the potential influence she had? No, that was silly to think. Every girl wanted to know where she stood when it came to the hunt. It was just the nature of these matters. So, she waited patiently as Paul and Saul (and currently amused by the rhyming names) exchanged pleasantries of a sort.

Jumping up from the bench, her blond hair bouncing around everywhere, she flocked over to where Saul was standing. The advantage of being short was that she got to look up every male and this was no exception as she gazed up at him with what she hoped was a warm, welcoming smile. “It is very nice out and it is a wonderful day for a walk, for sitting on a bench, or…” she paused here to touch his arm ever so briefly “hearing history essays. Well, the beginning of one at any rate. Paul,” she threw a grin his way, “and I were just remarking on it.” This was completely untrue, but flattery was generally everything.

0 Lucie Not this one 0 Lucie 0 5

Paul

May 21, 2009 5:36 PM

It doesn't suit you anyhow. by Paul

Paul watched the other boy, wanting to sigh allowed. He didn’t seem to have caught on to what Paul wanted, which was to scare both of his “companions” far away. Though, judging by Saul’s initial stiffness in tone, especially when he was usually so colorful, he thought for a second that he was close. Nope, the boy seemed to persist a little with the small talk, about his history essay and, oh he just talked the smallest talk that was capable. Seriously commenting on the weather that he had pointed out as more of a… cold joke. Paul rolled his eyes, then looked to where the blonde had bounced up and went to Saul.

He almost breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Saul was good luck for him today, he could distract Lucie away while Paul made a break for it. Or… better yet, the two of them could go off and chatter on about mystery islands and kings from faraway lands, leaving Paul to the clouds. He checked his pockets, thinking that maybe if he found a shiny nickel, er never mind, he‘d like to keep that money… maybe just a nice bright piece of tin would do, if threw it between them, they’d be immediately distracted and go off hunting for some buried treasure too. Someone said that good things came wrapped in ugly paper, or something of the sort, and while that hadn’t worked for him so far, the end of the world could be pushing to his advantage.

But no, no piece of tin. And he heard his name thrown back to him, at which he looked up at the two bright people standing near him. They hadn’t been, “What…?” he shook his head. Whatever, she probably wanted to impress the silly Pecari boy, no idea why, since he didn’t care to make assumptions. “Yes,” he deadpanned. “Lucie was trying to get me to see how poetic you really are, Saul.” He almost rolled his eyes, instead sticking with leaning back and to the side with the start of the roll. Yes, what a lovely day.

“Unfortunately, I must be too ignorant to see it,” he allowed Lucie’s lie to work for him. There was a little chance that offering them to go would make them go. “But maybe you two can have a nice walk and chat, since it is a nice day.” And he just wasn’t in the mood to work to ruin it for them.

0 Paul It doesn't suit you anyhow. 0 Paul 0 5

Saul

May 22, 2009 12:02 AM

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum by Saul

Okay. Not dating then. With the younger girl flirting with him, and Paul trying to send them both off together . . . definitely not dating. Whew. That was a relief. He grinned, wider and more genuinely than before, because now he knew he wasn't interrupting something that wasn't any of his business.

He let the grin land on the girl first - he really wished he knew her name - if only because she was closer, but then turned it on Paul, who was, if not happy to have them around, at least wasn't being blatantly rude, which was a step up from the last time Saul had encountered him. He took this as encouragement.

"Well, I don't see it either," he agreed with Paul on his poetry skills. "I was trying to be over the top. If I turned in a boring essay with something as pointless as real historical facts in it, Professor Flatt would think I was cheating." He spread his hands and shrugged, giving a what-can-you-do? expression. "History's my creative class. I think I'm the only person in the school who thinks it's fun."

He pointed a finger between Paul and the Teppenpaw, "So if you guys weren't on a date, what were you up to on this very fine day? I wouldn't want to cut in and steal her away from you, Paul. I mean, she is cute, right?" He grinned at the girl with a wink. "Briony might get jealous." He doubted Briony would do any such thing, the girl being as much younger as she was. She couldn't be more than a fifth year, and he doubted she was that. But a little harmless flirting never hurt anyone one, as long as everyone understood that's all it was, and he'd already mentioned Briony, so that was all good.

1 Saul A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum 82 Saul 0 5

Lucie

May 23, 2009 3:24 PM

I can only imagine by Lucie

Paul going along with her lie was the last thing that Lucie had expected him to do. For the most part, she had been anticipating that he would ignore what she had said. However, brilliant twists did occur and he had not only agreed, but had added in a bit. Though, she could have done without the idea that she thought Saul had been being poetic for she really didn’t, but it didn’t matter enough to correct when she could go off of something better. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that you’re the only person. I happen to like history. It’s a never-ending mystery, horror, romance, tragedy, and so on that we’re all a part of that no book would ever be able to truly replicate.”

She remembered back in her first year when they had learned of a battle between muggles and wizards. In the end, the wizarding survivors had ended up leaving it all behind. She had always wondered what had happened to them. It was an absolute cliffhanger. History was full of those too. Thankfully, her personal story wouldn’t be one. At least, it wouldn’t be for her. It was a pretty safe bet that one would always know their story up to the ending and everyone knew the general ending even if they didn’t know how it would happen. Oh, that was a bit of a depressing thought.

Thankfully, Saul interrupted her thoughts by questioning what had been going on. And his words couldn’t have been better. He was politely declining, which was great cause she didn’t want to go on a private walk with him either. Not to mention, she was well aware that he had a girlfriend since the girl was in her House and Head Girl and to actually try to seriously take away someone else’s boyfriend was just wrong. It was against all girl code, but her goal wasn’t someone else’s boyfriend. She pranced over to where Paul was still sitting, just a bit closer than before, and crossed her legs. “See, Paul, he thinks I’m cute. What about you? Wouldn’t it have been great to be able to say that we were on a date?”

Her blue eyes turned themselves on to Saul to answer the actual question, “But unfortunately, as luck would have it, we weren’t on a date. I just happened across Paul in the Gardens and wanted to know how his summer was since things can change so much in such a short time.” Wasn’t that the truth? Her entire life was set in stone by the course of one agreement. It was a stone that she wanted to break, but it was no good trying to make it shatter all at once. It would only serve to break her. No, it had to be chipped at piece by piece until a breakthrough occurred. She looked over to Paul. Just like him.

0 Lucie I can only imagine 0 Lucie 0 5

Paul

May 26, 2009 7:58 PM

I don't <i>want</i> to imagine by Paul

Listening to Saul respond to Paul’s own humor, the black haired boy had something new to wonder about the older boy. Was he really that clueless? That unperceptive? That… that stupid? Or was he just kidding around, pretending to not hear Paul’s tone just to run him around? If the former, well, he’d already proved his denseness before. If the latter, Paul gave him credit, and a little bit of his fear, it took a cruel person to continue playing around like that. Though, Paul only showed his feelings to the former, complete frustration, sighing almost inaudibly and huffing back against the bench. That cloud looks like a fish, and that one looks like… a couple… of annoying… stupid…

Urgh, the sky wouldn’t even let him ignore them, seeing the two person shaped clouds (did one have pigtails, or was that just his imagination?) holding hands and gliding across the sky. “You can’t ignore us, Mister Tarwater!” they seemed to say. And they were right, he really couldn’t. They both agreed on History being a creative, fun class, “And I thought I was supposed to be the crazy one, really…” he added to their chirping. “Its already ended the second after it starts, each a different solid point you can’t change. Old news,” his hand whooshed history away with the clouds. Done. He was not a fan of remembering the past, it didn’t cause much pleasure to remember his past.

A date? He practically glared at Saul, his mind making him very aware just how close he and his sister really were. Snapping away quickly, the cold eyes turned to Lucie, beaming beside him. Teeth clenched. “No,” he answered her, not a date, not at all. His face started to heat up at the question and he turned away from them both. “It doesn’t matter if things are cute. Briony won’t mind, take her, she’s a bother, you both are,” he said quickly. Unfortunately? No, quite fortunate that they weren’t on a date, that really would be the end of the world. The day Paul actually dated would mark the beginning.

“Change is troublesome,” he snapped, “I don’t change.” And then his eyes searched the area for the one person who would laugh at that and tell them exactly how quickly his face could change, and his mind, and his summers. But she was nowhere around. “I don’t date either,” he added, trying to offset the paranoia he might have shown in the process of his looking.

0 Paul I don't <i>want</i> to imagine 0 Paul 0 5