Why won't Christmas fade? on Pecari Commons

Sorrel Craven

January 01, 2006 11:10 AM

Why won't Christmas fade? by Sorrel Craven

Sorrel stood at the window of the Pecari Common Room, staring out at the bleak landscape. There were gaps in the snow, where the elves had succeeded, but however many battles they won, they were certainly losing the war against the thick blanket of snow at the moment. It shouldn't still be here. A person more given to dramatic and Romantic ideas might have thought it was a personal taunt; the snow refusing to fade away, like the memories of their Christmas. A novelist given to pathetic fallacy would have been very likely to use it as a leit motif.

Sorrel, however, was just grumpy that going out didn't seem to be on the cards. She wanted to walk, and to practice out on the pitch, to try and exercise out her frustration, or whatever negative thing it was she was feeling. But that the snow wasn't shifting indicated that things hadn't gone back to normal. It didn't seem safe, and since the duststorm, she'd learnt that Sonora's inclement weather was not something to take chances with.

Until she could get out and do something, she didn't think she'd stop dwelling on the miserable Christmas they'd all spent at Gramma's. There had been cheery moments... An air of gloom hadn't entirely pervaded but it did seem to be Alfie's default setting. It was rare to see him laugh, and that gloom was infectious. You took to talking to him like he was an ivalid, if you weren't careful. She'd be kidding herself if she said he should be out pulling up worms, because that had never been what he was like. But it wasn't right for a kid his age to be so serious. Making him smile at Christmas shouldn't have been a challenge, but it was. Sorrel wasn't sentimental, but it got to even her to see a kid like that. It was unnatural, and it was upsetting.

Her finger tips scraped lightly at the glass of the window. She wanted to get out...\n\n

13 Sorrel Craven Why won't Christmas fade? 51 Sorrel Craven 1 5

Stephen

January 02, 2006 4:46 AM

perhaps it needs to be given a hint? by Stephen

OOC: You've left this a little open, so I'm assuming it's the first day back. BIC:

Moping wasn't much fun. Still, Stephen moped all the way from Professor Kijewski's office. Without a cruppy bounding along beside him, or jumping to lick his nose, everything just seemed dull, boring and sad. Considering the last time he'd tried the Pecari entrance it had been frozen shut, he took the longer indoor route, ending at Professor Connell's door and without bothering to knock, pushed it open and crossed through the room to the door into the commons.

"Hey Professor," he said, a little apathetically before opening and going through the second door.

No Rover. No Rover to play with anymore, no secret pet up in his room. Stephen moped towards the nearest sofa, but midway in the process of sitting he noticed Sorrel over the other side of the room. Because there really wasn't anything else to be done, he sat down, then bounded back to his feet and crossed the room. She was at the window, and he glanced out of it too to see if there was anything interesting. It was a fairly uniform white. The snow seemed to be having a dulling effect on the interestingness of the view outside.

"Hey Sorrel," he said, already feeling a bit better and flashing her his cheeky grin. "When do you reckon the weather's gonna clear up? I think Fido's gonna be wanting a workout one of these days. Didn't really get a chance during the holidays."

Moping wasn't much fun, and besides, Rover wouldn't have liked him moping.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

39 Stephen perhaps it needs to be given a hint? 0 Stephen 0 5

Sorrel

January 02, 2006 2:47 PM

Snow, snow, go away... by Sorrel

"Hi," she said, giving Stephen a smile, but not a grin, as she usually did. She tried to act upbeat, like her usual self, like nothing was bothering her. She could sort of manage, correcting the things she noticed she was doing, but there were little things that she couldn't perceive, and so couldn't correct; smiling rather than grinning, the lack of enthusiasm in her eyes (which couldn't have been faked anyway), small fidgetty gestures.

Stephen should have been, according to the theory of normal social functions, someone she could have confided in about what was bothering her. Besides Ash, he was her closest friend. But that was why it was up to Ash to tell him. Sorrel couldn't open up and seem weak to him. Ash knew him less well, so if Stephen wanted to know what was wrong with them both, it was less uncomfortable for Ash to tell him.

"So yours weren't good either?" she asked, biting her tongue for the last word. "I hope it's soon," she pressed on, "I want to go out..."\n\n

0 Sorrel Snow, snow, go away... 0 Sorrel 0 5

Stephen

January 03, 2006 6:45 AM

come again next year! by Stephen

Sorrel didn't look like she normally did. She looked kind of sad, despite the smile. Stephens grin faded again, and he turned to the window she'd been looking out before, looking for something, but not sure what it was.

"My holidays?" he answered a little absently, still looking out the window. "Eh... they just.. it doesn't matter really. Next holidays will be better."

Was it wrong to be looking forward to holidays without Rover? Alan had said something, right before Stephen left. Something about things being right when he came back again. While it had been vague, the fact that it was Alan who had said it made Stephen believe him. Alan, after all, was the best brother a guy could have. Stephen shook himself, put the grin back on and gave the outside a last considering look.

"You know, if we rugged up really warm... we should be able to go out," he said slowly. "Practice for arctic conditions game. I bet no other team would have had practice like that, Captain."

And besides, Fido would love the exercise, it would help keep his mind off Rover and Sorrel might look more like Sorrel if she got to get out again. Well, no, Sorrel would probably look like some kind of rugged up beach ball in order to keep warm out there... if only there was time to find Ty. A photo of Sorrel - and himself - in literally piles of warm clothes would be good for a laugh.\n\n

39 Stephen come again next year! 0 Stephen 0 5

Sorrel (and Ash)

January 04, 2006 6:30 AM

Splitting off by Sorrel (and Ash)

Although she was curious as to what had happened over Stephen's holidays, she granted him the favour she wanted, and didn't pry.

Her fists clenched slightly at Stephen's suggestion. It was such a good idea, in theory. Her competitiveness wanted it, the practice no one else would get in. The fact she knew she shouldn't made her want to all the more. Except, for once, good sense was prevailing. Christmas stuck too firmly in her mind, bringing with it the howler she and Ash had got after the duststorm. She couldn't risk it. She imagined winds like there'd been in the duststorm, but combined with flying... They'd been bad enough on the ground.

"I would, but I don't feel well," she lied, feeling bad both for lying and for not being able to think of anything that would put Stephen off. She didn't want him risking it either, especially as he was far less competant at flying than she was. "I think I'll sleep. Timezone difference... Kind of like jet lag, y'know?" she adlibbed, "I'll see you later."

She turned and clambered up the stairs to her dorm, flopping down onto the bed once she got there. Great. Now she felt even worse.

In the mirror image of her dorm, Ash lay (shoes on the covers) looking agitated and bouncing a ball off the wall. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

0 Sorrel (and Ash) Splitting off 0 Sorrel (and Ash) 0 5

Stephen

January 04, 2006 9:18 AM

I suppose it's better than spitting off by Stephen

Stephen was left even more surprised by Sorrel's lack of enthusiasm about the idea than the saddness he had noticed before. It left him unsure, even uncharacteristically hesitant to act, until it was too late. She had gone up the stairs and disappeared down the girl's corridor. Just what had happened to his best friend over the break?

He dashed up the stairs, taking them two at a time and without really thinking about it for perhaps the first time since his first day at Sonora tried to enter the girl's corridor.

For the first time ever, his landing - with the usual 'oomph' - was accompanied by a faint feeling of frustration and annoyance. He lay there a moment, then stood and made his way back up the stairs. He stared down the girls corridor for a moment, then turned and made his way down the other corridor to his own dormitory.

Thump, bump.

He crossed the room without taking notice of Ash at first.

Thump, bump.

He glanced at his wardrobe, where the nest of old and ragged clothes that Rover had slept in when he wasn't on Stephen's bed was just visible through the partly opened door.

Thump-

He passed between Ash and the wall, grabbing the ball in midair without even bothering to pay attention to what he was doing. Patting Fido on his way past, then jumping onto his own bed, Stephen looked at the ball for a moment, then tossed it back at his roommate.

"What is it with Sorrel today?" he asked abruptly, not having even taken notice of Ash's agitation.\n\n

39 Stephen I suppose it's better than spitting off 0 Stephen 0 5

Ash

January 04, 2006 9:53 AM

Pitouee! by Ash

Ash noticed Stephen walking in, and made a vague grunt of greeting. He didn't bother to address him properly until Stephen snatched the ball out of the air.

"Hey," he protested, sitting up and turning to face his room mate just before Stephen threw the ball back to him.

He didn't throw the ball back immediately, just as he didn't reply immediately. He rolled it from hand to hand, watching it in a slightly hypnotised way whilst he thought. He had to explain, to an extent. The mechanics would just grind to a halt if Stephen couldn't know what was wrong. It was finding words to explain it that didn't tamper with his and Sorrel's image that was hard. Not that he wanted to seem cold and hard about what had happened within their family, because they both cared, and knew it wasn't shameful to. But too much sympathetic pandering to their hurt little feelings would just make everything worse. Still, he was glad Stephen had noticed Sorrel's mood.

"We didn't have a great Christmas," he began, bouncing the ball on the floor once. "We were at our Gramma's," bounce, "Us, Mariella, parents, Gramma and our cousin," bounce, "It's the first time we've all been together since our aunt and uncle's funeral," bounce. "It sucked." He threw the ball to Stephen. \n\n

0 Ash Pitouee! 0 Ash 0 5

Stephen

January 12, 2006 4:09 AM

Now that's a subjectline that reflects the content! by Stephen

Stephen caught the ball automatically and sent it flying back without having to think about it. It was just as well, as his thoughts were occupied with other things.

"Your Aunt and Uncle?" he said slowly, realising that this was probably a touchy subject, and finally paying enough attention to his room mate to realise that he was about as happy as his sister had been. "And they're- and you- wow man. That does suck." Perhaps it wasn't quite the sympathy card type message that his mother would have preferred him to use, but it did the job. And he had known the twins long enough to know that taking the info on and moving on was probably the best approach.

"I had to give up Rover," he said after lying on his bed silently for a couple of minutes. "Turns out he wasn't a fan of my family." He sighed, picked up a well-chewed stick that was lying on his bedside table next to Fido and waved it around under the broom handle in a way which implied that he was waving it under Fido's nose before giving up and snapping the stick in half. "Cruddy Christmas' all around. Hope this term goes better - dunno how a snow day works when you live at school"\n\n

39 Stephen Now that's a subjectline that reflects the content! 0 Stephen 0 5