Nature's eye candy (Clara) on Labyrinth Gardens

Aubrielle Thornton

April 03, 2012 1:08 AM

Nature's eye candy (Clara) by Aubrielle Thornton

The night before, at the sorting Aubrielle had turned yellow and once she’d gotten a seat by the other yellow first years she turned to the line of normal skin-toned firsties and spotted her cousin Clara. Clara was next and when she drank her potion she turned brown like Amira said she had when she was new to Sonora. Brielle clapped for her cousin and watched happily as she sat down next to Amira.

But now it was the next day and Brielle wasn’t going to sit still and wait for life to happen around her. She had too much balled up energy and anyone who knew her knew that. So, she woke up early, dressed and went up to the owlery to send a letter to Clara. She wanted to see what her cousin thought of Sonora so far so she’d asked her to meet her at the Labyrinth Gardens at noon that very day. She left early, knowing that she’d probably get herself a little bit lost and she sorta wanted to roam a little bit to see what she had to make her stage with.

She got to the Gardens at about 11:30 and looked around at all the bushes around her. “Wow... They weren’t kidding...” she said, speaking of her sisters and what they’d told her about the Gardens. It was so green the eleven year old didn’t know what to do with it. She was completely surprised and had fallen in love with the smell and the eye candy she beheld.

She looked around and breathed in deeply to catch even more of the wonderful scent. She smiled and closed her eyes to breathe in deeply again, letting it slowly out her nose. When she heard a noise behind her, she turned fast and opened her eyes with a snap. “Oh! Hi!” she said as she saw who’d made the noise. She smiled broadly at her cousin and rushed towards her, arms out and ready for the cousinly hug.

0 Aubrielle Thornton Nature's eye candy (Clara) 0 Aubrielle Thornton 1 5

Clara Abernathy

April 03, 2012 1:29 AM

Nature's eye candy by Clara Abernathy

Clara woke up after her first night at Sonora and stretched lazily. What to do today? she thought to herself as she pushed back the blankets on her bed. Well duh! she scolded herself silently. She quickly took a shower, got dressed and was getting ready to explore this wonderful new playground when she heard the flapping of wings heading in her direction. She turned to see her snowy owl that she had been allowed to bring from home come gracefully sail through the open window by her bed. She took the envelope from the bird's beak and after giving her a quick scratch on the head, tore open the envelope. Inside was a note from her cousin Brielle asking her to meet her at the gardens by noon.

Clara smiled to herself as she thought of excitable Brielle. She checked the time and headed off in search of her cousin. She managed to find the Labyrinth Gardens after only getting lost once and found her cousin staring wide eyed at the sight before her. With Brielle's back to her now was the perfect oppertunity to scare the wits out her cousin. Clara figured she could sneak up on her and possibly tickle her. As she tried to sneak up behind Brielle she missed the loose twig that was lying on the ground and the resounding snap caused her otherwise preoccupied cousin to turn around looking for the sourse of the sound. Clara froze and tried to play it as Brielle caught sight of her and called a greeting. Clara smiled crookedly at her cousin and then braced herself for the hug that she knew was coming.

0 Clara Abernathy Nature's eye candy 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Brielle

April 03, 2012 3:11 AM

Memories, all alone in the moonlight... by Brielle

Brielle had been excited to hear what her cousin thought of her first night there at Sonora! Brielle had been sorted into Teppenpaw, the house her oldest two sisters were in. It sorta felt almost like she was home to the eleven year old. She didn’t think that would be an okay thing at first, but over night all the new sounds of the building had kept her from sleeping as well as she normally would. She was used to the sounds at home, but the sounds of the three other girls sleeping in the room with her rather than just Andri seemed weird to the red headed girl from Portland, Oregon.

Clara had been sorted into Pecari, the house Amira was in. Brielle was glad for it, and she knew that Arista and Addison were in agreement with her on that fact. They told her that when they popped into her room briefly to check on her to be sure that she was alright. She’d told them she was fine, but when they left to go to their own rooms she felt sort of alone just looking at her things all around the bed and then glancing to each of her roommates in turn. Suddenly her excitement seemed to disappear and she felt like a little lost puppy dog, but she wouldn’t tell anyone how she felt. She kept her face alight with smiles as she put her things away, but when she was lying in her bed she covered herself with her comforter and silent tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. She felt strange, knowing that she was not usually sad about anything, not to mention about something like missing home. After all, four of her sisters and a cousin was HERE, so she was really confused over how she felt.

Brielle wouldn’t, however, let anyone know she felt that way, on purpose anyway. Except maybe Andri or Addi, but that was only if it was to keep happening. Not after solely the first night’s experience.

In any case, Brielle had sent a note to Clara asking her cousin to meet her at the Gardens. With her excitement back after the night before, she waited for her Pecari cousin, breathing in the nature as she waited. The noise of a twig snapping caused Brielle to jump and turn fast to see who’d made the sound. Seeing it was Clara, her breathing returned to normal and with a greeting, rushed towards her, arms up ready to hug the strawberry blonde girl. Brielle knew Clara by now, she knew her cousin was bracing herself for the cousinly hug and so she didn’t stop or pause. Instead she gave the hug her all and before letting go of Clara, pulled her arm up over her cousin’s shoulder to wipe a lone tear from the top of her cheek so Clara wouldn’t see it.

There was something about the hug that day which brought back the memory of her odd feelings the night before. Brielle couldn’t place it, but she was going to have to get it together before someone noticed she wasn’t acting like herself!

“So! Tell me about Pecari!? Are the people nice? Do you like your roommates? Did you have fun at the table last night with Amira?” Brielle shot off question after question at Clara, hoping that with the barrage of questions she wouldn’t ask her about her night right away. She wanted to think of something happy to say in answer to some or any questions Clara may shoot back at her, rather than think of the escapades of her night.

0 Brielle Memories, all alone in the moonlight... 0 Brielle 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 03, 2012 4:38 PM

Memories by Clara Abernathy

Clara fought for a moment to catch her breath after Brielle finally let her go. Brielle had always been known for her incredibly squishy hugs, but this one felt especially squishy even for Brielle. Clara decided instead of asking about it she would leave well enough alone. She was just glad to see her cousins again. This was one of the first times they had seen each other since the summer time.

She thought about her cousin's questions and how best to answer them. Did she lie and say that everything was fine, her first night was great? or does she mention how she didn't really sleep much because she was watching the shadows dance around the room in the darkness? Clara figured it was best to be at least a little honest with her curious cousin. "Last night was alright I guess", she began. "I've never been turned brown before (at least not on purpose) she thought to herself before she continued. "That was new. Amira and I talked to her friend Waverly about a baking club she wants to start and I haven't really talked to my new roommates much so I'm not really sure yet what they're like. Everybody seems really nice." Clara shrugged her slender shoulders.

"To be honest though I really miss my dad," she confessed to her cousin. "It was really weird trying to sleep somewhere where I wasn't hearing him snore from down the hall, ya know?" She glanced up at her cousin. "He's almost like a noise machine people would play when they want to sleep," she smiled at the thought. "It would be called "Snores to sleep by"." Clara laughed out loud at that thought. "This place is unreal!" she mused in awe as she tore her focus from Brielle and took in the sight of the giant maze of bushes before her. "What do you think is at the center?" she asked curiously, turning back to her cousin. "Wanna go find out?" she asked impishly, wiggling her brows at her cousin playfully.

0 Clara Abernathy Memories 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Brielle

April 03, 2012 11:22 PM

Holding tightly to them by Brielle

Aubrielle wasn’t sure she wanted to let go of the hug with her cousin. In her heart, she just wanted to hold tight, hoping that would bring back her happiness. However, she knew she couldn’t stay in the hug forever. Though at that moment she wanted to with all her heart.

Brielle let go once she wiped the tear from her eyes and looked at Clara smiling as she shot the questions at her one after another. Clara didn’t look like she was sure of how to put her first night at school, so Brielle waited patiently for her cousin’s answer. When it came, it started with her talking about turning brown and went on to talk about how she and Mir had spoken to someone named Waverly about some baking club and that everyone seemed nice. These were sort of the things Aubrielle was expecting her cousin to say, but what came next was not. Clara shrugged her shoulders and confessed almost the same thing that Brielle was feeling herself.

Well, Brielle wasn’t missing her father so much, it was moreso her mother and siblings, but it was the same idea. When Clara went on about it being weird to sleep somewhere without her father, Brielle nodded, knowing exactly what she’d meant by that. Brielle looked down at her shoes and she felt another tear creep down her cheek. She caught it as fast as she could but she didn’t know if Clara had seen it.

She’d hoped not, but it was almost assuredly seen by her cousin. Brielle nodded when Clara called her father a noise machine that would be called ‘snores to sleep by’ and actually managed to fake a giggle herself from the phrasing. She could see and hear Uncle Bryan snoring in her minds’ eye and she kept forcing herself to see that instead of the dark lonely room from the night before. Even though she was in a room with three other girls, that didn’t mean she didn’t feel alone, she knew that. Clara’s laugh and comment about how the place was unreal pulled Aubrielle out of her memory and she looked back at her cousin as she asked what Brielle thought was in the center of the maze.

“I have no idea what’s in there…” Brielle said softly as Clara’s impish grin, playfully asked,

"Wanna go find out?"

“Uhm, sure…” Brielle said, contemplating in her mind if she really did want to tell Clara how she felt or if it was just because of the moment that she felt like she could. She smiled towards Clara, faking happiness as best as she could.

0 Brielle Holding tightly to them 0 Brielle 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 06, 2012 7:16 PM

Here we go cuz by Clara Abernathy

Clara saw Brielle glance down at her shoes and watched her briefly wipe her face with her hand. She wasn't sure if her cousin was wiping some dirt off her face or if she was crying. Either way she ignored it and smiled wider when she heard her cousin say "Umm...sure," to her inquiry of wanting to explore the maze. She excitedly grabbed her cousin's hand and began searching for the opening to the maze. She found one a few minutes later between two hedges and approached it nervously. She turned to glance at her cousin briefly before she grinned and pulled Brielle into the maze with her. She followed the twists and turns, completely amazed at how much taller than herself the bushes stood. After a few minutes in, she and Brielle reached a dead end.

Clara pouted slightly at the wall of hedge that stood before them and glanced around. She turned back the way they had come in and holding Bri's hand led them back that way. She pulled her cousin by the hand leading them this way and that, both of them chatting about the maze as they walked. After about 15 minutes of walking they found one of the courtyards. Clara led the way to one of the benches and sat down, her feet feeling slightly tired. She glanced at Brielle and frowned slightly. "You don't suppose we'll get in trouble for coming in here, do you?" she asked her fellow explorer.

0 Clara Abernathy Here we go cuz 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Brielle

April 09, 2012 11:30 PM

Here it comes... by Brielle

Brielle had wiped at her face hard and fast as she faked looking down at her shoes. It looked as if Clara hadn’t noticed what she’d done, though if she did, she didn’t say anything about it. That left a silent sigh of relief inside Brielle’s mind as she answered her cousin’s question of wanting to explore the maze. Clara grabbed her hand and the pair searched for the opening of the maze.

Aubrielle didn’t feel as excited about this excursion as she thought she would and it felt strange to her. Why am I just suddenly not happy? she thought to herself as her mouth opened into a wide yawn. Clara pulled Brielle along once she found the entrance and then around the twists and turns until they came to a dead end. B saw that Clara was pouting a bit at the hedge in their way and watched as Clara turned back to the direction they had come in.

Clara still held Brielle’s hand as she led them back, pulling her around once more chatting about the maze. Once the pair found a courtyard, Clara led the way to a bench and sat down with a frown upon her face.

"You don't suppose we'll get in trouble for coming in here, do you?"

“I don’t think so. Andri and the others talked about the maze in the gardens a lot over summers, I don’t think they’d be talking about somewhere they weren’t allowed to go.” she said, as she turned away from Clara. B had firmly decided to tell Clara how she’d really felt the night before and even now.

“Clara?” she asked, turning back to her cousin. “I wasn’t telling you the full truth earlier when you asked about my night. I was really sad and I wanted Mommy…” she paused and her chin and lips quivered a bit as she looked into Clara’s blue eyes. “I don’t know why, but when Ris and Addi came in to check on me I think it hit that I really wasn’t home…” she added as she looked deeper into Clara’s eyes and waited for her cousin’s response to that.

0 Brielle Here it comes... 0 Brielle 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 11, 2012 4:48 PM

Garden Confessions by Clara Abernathy

Clara watched curiously as Brielle's lip quivered slightly as she made what Clara believed to be a very difficult confession for her cousin. Clara was surprised that Brielle of all people could be sad; She always appeared to be soo happy to Clara. I guess things aren't always as they appear, she thought to herself as she studied her cousin's waiting expression. She contimplated silently how best to answer Brielle.

Clara had always been secretly a little jealous of her cousins due to Aunt Alora. Alora had always been kind and loving to Clara, treating her like she was one of her own, but Clara couldn't help but wonder sometimes what things might have been like had her own mother not passed away when Clara was very young. Clara mentally shrugged the thought away and tried to hide the fact that thinking of her mother mad her a little bit sad. In her own way she completely understood how Brielle felt when it came to missing her mom and being home. She missed her dad terribly and she had only been away for a few days now. Despite missing him she wasn't going to let that stop her from having the best adventure ever with her cousins in this great new place.

She took Brielle by the hands and sighed a little. "I understand completely how you feel," she told Brielle quietly. "There have been a few times when I have found myself missing home too," she confessed, smiling awkwardly. "But as homesick as I might momentarily feel," she continued. "It makes me feel 100 times better knowing that you, Ris, Addi and Amira were all here with me." She grinned playfully. "Besides, a new adventure is absolutely NO fun if you have no one to share it with." She squeezed Brielle's hands lovingly and tugged slightly. "Now what do you say we find a way out of here and grab some food. I am STARVING!!" she complained comically, standing up from the bench. She glanced around curiously and frowned. "Umm...do you remember how we got in here?" she asked Brielle, scratching her head.

0 Clara Abernathy Garden Confessions 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Brielle

April 16, 2012 10:03 PM

Wait... Confessionals? by Brielle

Aubrielle had done it now. She’d told her cousin her true feelings, even let it slip that she wasn’t always truly happy by doing that. Brielle knew that she’d told the right person when it came to missing her Mother and the younger siblings. Clara didn’t even have a mother anymore, so she sorta knew how it felt. B missed Aunt Sophia too. It was a sad thing that had happened and it had torn their whole family apart for a long while. Brielle’s mother took it as more of a reason to have a lot of children. She wanted (no, needed) the love around her that her well over a dozen children allowed for. Alora had lost her sister-in-law, to be sure she wasn’t a blood sister, but the love that Alora held in her heart for all of her family and mankind as a whole was something that aught not be reckoned with.

B knew that Clara loved coming over to her house and getting some of that love for herself. It wasn’t that Uncle Bryan wasn’t loving, because anyone who knew him knew that he was one of the most loving fathers a girl could ask for. For this reason B and her sisters (Alexander too, sorta) loved going to Clara’s house too. The Thornton girls rarely (if ever) got any love from their father. That was reserved for Alexander. His pride and joy, his only son.

Clara took Brielle’s hands in hers and sighed. B looked at her cousin as she spoke quietly.

"I understand completely how you feel. There have been a few times when I have found myself missing home too, but as homesick as I might momentarily feel, it makes me feel 100 times better knowing that you, Ris, Addi and Amira were all here with me."

As Clara spoke, Brielle let the tears flow down her cheeks without wiping them away. She just knew that her cousin would understand and wouldn’t poke fun of her like Amira would, or baby her like Addi would. “And Andri too…” she added, looking back up into Clara’s sapphire eyes once more as Clara went on, a grin on her face.

“And I know what you mean…” Brielle said, actually starting to smile. With a short sniffle, she nodded. “I’m glad that Ris, Addi, Mir, Andri and YOU are here with me too. I think you’re right. That’s what makes all the difference.” she added before Clara went on about new adventures being no fun without people to share them with.

Clara squeezed Brielle's hands lovingly and tugged at them a little bit, asking about finding a way out of there to go grab some food. Aubrielle couldn’t help but to laugh at her cousin being so comical about it. Then as she scratched her head almost like a monkey did like at the zoo when she was younger she laughed so hard she clutched at a stitch in her side before she calmed down enough to say, “You don’t say, Curious George? Where’s your friend? The man with the Yellow Hat?” she laughed again and hugged Clara tightly.

“I don‘t know, you were kinda pulling me around and I wasn‘t really thinking of anything but whether I really wanted to tell you what I really thought about last night.” B answered her, but then squeezed Clara‘s hands and went on. “You know what though?” she added. “I love you more than you can know, my dear cousin! You always know how to make me feel better whether you know it or not!”

0 Brielle Wait... Confessionals? 0 Brielle 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 17, 2012 3:43 PM

Getting out of Paradise by Clara Abernathy

Now THAT is the Aubrielle I know and love, Clara smiled to herself as she hugged her cousin back. It had been a while since she had REALLY heard B laugh and she was glad to be the cause of it now. As she replayed Brielle's words in her head a strange thought crossed her mind. Curious George?... Man with the yellow hat?... Did..did she just call me a monkey? she wondered to herself. She pulled back from Brielle, raised a brow playfully at her cousin and then shrugged deciding she would make her pay for it later. Now was not the time for pranks, now was the time for escape. Okay, maybe not escape per say she thought to herself, but definately a way out of here.

Clara simply stuck her tongue out at her cousin and proceeded to square her slender shoulders. Brielle was right. She had led them into the maze and by golly Clara would get them out. She just had to remember which way they had come in. Shouldn't be too hard, she thought looking around. I'm usually pretty good at this Clara started looking around again, but this time she started really looking. Where the bushes looked like they might all be the same Clara spotted subtle differences. She grabbed B by the hand and tugged lightly. "This way," she instructed, heading to the opening to their left. She led the way down the paths stopping occasionally to check the bushes. Once Clara found what she was looking for they continued on their way.

She frowned for a split second when they reached a dead end, but then smiled when she realized she knew exactly where they were. Her dad had always joked she must be part homing pidgeon. She turned to the path leading to their right and in no time flat had them standing back out in front of the maze entrance they had entered in the first place. "Homing Pidgeon strikes again!" she declared trumphantly, doing a little victory dance. She then turned to Brielle. "Shall we go get some dinner now?" she asked her cousin, very pleased with her 11 year old self. She started half skipping towards the main hall.

0 Clara Abernathy Getting out of Paradise 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Aubrielle

April 22, 2012 11:34 PM

We're knocking on Cascade's door by Aubrielle

Aubrielle watched the smile on Clara's face during the hug and her comment about Curious George. The raised brow and shrug made Brielle wonder what Clara was planning next. When she saw Clara stick her tongue out at her and square her shoulders B knew she was in trouble. Aubrielle began to worry slightly that they may never get out of the maze and lyrics to a song from the Children of Eden began flying through her mind like Elphaba flew through the air. Lost in the wilderness, lost crying in the wilderness.

But we're not Cain and Abel! We are Clara and Aubrielle! she thought as she frowned slightly. She tried to follow her cousin's gaze, but all Brielle could see was bush after same old bush. She began to ask Clara what she was doing, but stopped when she saw the smile on Clara's freckled little face. She felt her hand being tugged on and followed Clara's lead to the opening on the left. She followed behind Clara as she led them down the paths through the maze, stopping occasionally to look at some more bushes. She began to frown when they hit a dead end, but smiled when she saw Clara's grin. She followed Clara on the path to their right. Within minutes the pair emerged from the Labyrinth at the point where they had entered from in the first place.

"Homing Pidgeon strikes again!" she heard Clara triumphantly exclaim. She laughed opening at Clara as she watched her cousin do her little victory dance. "Shall we go get some dinner now?" Clara asked.

Brielle nodded and the pair half skipped towards the main hall like the four from the Wizard of Oz minus Toto.

0 Aubrielle We're knocking on Cascade's door 0 Aubrielle 0 5