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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:04 pm
Shiloh didn't like going into town. In fact, he hated it, but it was also a necessary evil. Until he forced himself, he would loath it. He wouldn't be able to function. He had to bite his tongue and walk into the streets and ******** deal with it.
Easier said than done, of course. Wasn't this a particular method of therapy for OCD patients? Flooding, throw them into the throe of things, realize that it wont hurt you or effect you. In other words, it seemed like something that could do far more harm than good if not used properly, but what other choice did he have? Force Jamie to go to the store every time he needed something? Live life like a hermit? He looked down at his shoes—his scruffy, beaten up shoes—as they crossed the pavement, lips rough and chapped as he chewed on them with his teeth. They looked rather raw.
It wasn't until he heard the song loftily playing that he stopped, nerves spiking and relaxing and going through every range of emotions. He didn't like strange, out of place things, but he appreciated music because... well, he wasn't entirely sure why, but it placated him. He was starting to learn that about himself again, ever since Jamie had re-gifted his iPod back.
The question was, where was it coming from? It sounded like... strings in nature; far too high to be a cello (why did he know all this terminology too, he wondered? Maybe he had known someone with an expansive knowledge on instrumentation), so maybe a violin? He'd find out soon enough.
word count: 270
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:44 pm
The bow slid over the strings, creating the necessary vibrations to usher forth the warm, golden tone of the violin. The song being played was one from recent pop culture. Loathe as she was to feed to the masses, Juniper was determined to see more greenery sprout within her violin’s case which had been placed strategically in front of her, opened. To anyone passing by it was obvious what she was doing. What she wanted for her talents. With the tune of ‘Fight Song’ being emitted from the instrument, and Juniper doing her best to put on a small show of large movements and over exaggerated gestures, she had been doing a fair job of getting people to stop and listen. And give her money.
God, did she need the money.
She continued on with the song bending and dipping her body to the swells and dips of the music. Eyes were shut as she worked the instrument, she only opened them when the final notes reverberated and the polite applause broke the temporary silence after the final note. A smile broke the serene expression on her face. She gave a little bow while holding the neck of the violin. “Thank you.” She said as a few people stepped forward to throw some change and a bill or two into her case. It didn’t take long for the small crowd to disperse, leaving Juniper alone with her instrument as she contemplated another song.
“Maybe something classical or Irish.” She mused to herself.
total: 252
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 3:27 pm
Just like that, the music had stopped.
Whatever pied piper had been luring him in had apparently tired out, leaving Shiloh to stand in the bustle of downtown Ashdown. Not that there was much to be seen here; the buildings were occupied here and there, and the recent changes in the weather had kept many of the would-be town goers at bay. Speaking of, he wondered if this rain would ever let up... actually, he hadn't even noticed it at first. Maybe his plants like it; maybe they made him like it too. Being a living garden sure was bizarre, but not wholly unpleasant...
Despite this, Juniper honestly wasn't that hard to find. The aforementioned weather kept not only the townsfolk at bay, but any sort of... street performers as well. Actually, Shiloh wasn't sure he'd ever seen someone on the sidewalk preforming, not since his time back home in York, and even then they were very much far and few between. Didn't mean he had a lack of appreciation for them, and especially given the circumstances. Actually, wait a second...
...he recognized that women. Was hard not to really— especially considering the circumstances. The seven of them in that room, back in court... he never caught her name, but she had been one of the guests that removed her mask, right? It was hard to tell, but he knew the face, even if the hair was done up and her clothes were decidedly less fancy.
He approached swiftly, feet splashing in puddles on the ground as he crossed the street. Reaching into his jacket, he produced a corner, tossing it into the open case. He hadn't heard her musings, nor did he really care to.
"So I guess it didn't happen to you or that other women, did it?" Shiloh asked, genuinely curious, but also a little dry.
word count: 579
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 8:32 pm
As she stood there contemplating what to play next she took a moment to glance around. It seemed, with the disperssed crowd, that the rain was doing a damn good job of keeping people away. Maybe it’s best I just wrap it up now. She mused to herself. What had been a very annoying drizzle seemed to have picked up, and anything heavier than what had been coming down ran the risk of causing damage to her violin. Especially if a sudden downpour happened and with the weather that had been going on, Juniper wouldn’t be at all surprised if the skies just decided to open up and let it all out.
It was as she was ready to call it quits and pack up that she saw the coin deposited into her case and she looked up to a familiar face. She had no name for the face, but she knew right away where she had last seen the man. Holding her violin by it’s neck, the bow in her other hand she raised a brow at his remark. “Nope, and I see you’ve made it out alright as well, unless I happen to be talking to your fetch.” She answered back, her voice holding it’s own bit of dryness to it.
She bent down and began gathering up the bills and coins she had collected. It wasn’t a bad haul, all things considering. It didn’t take her long though to clean out the space, drop her violin and bow in, and close the case with a snap of the latches. The money she shoved into her back pocket after gathering it into a neat wade. She’d count it out later.
With a sigh, she stood back up and pushed back a piece of damp hair that had fallen in her eyes. “Juniper.” She said as introduction. “Considering I don’t think we actually formally met at the ball.” She crossed her arms, only to pull a hand away as an annoying drip of water slid down her nose, tickling it. She wiped it away and sniffed softly before returning her arms to their crossed position.
“So how have you been doing since? Keeping yourself busy? Dealing with any aftermaths?” Juniper was genuinely curious but the man’s abrupt ‘greeting’ had rubbed her the wrong way.
total: 387
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:38 pm
"Shiloh," he said, tight lipped. "Beaumont. Dealing with the aftermath is a good way to put it."
He rubbed his nose with the long sleeve of his hoodie, ignoring the rain as it meandered on. "I'm the real thing, though, I guess there isn't much of a way to prove it. We didn't meet before this, did we? Or I guess, you didn't meet him?" He still hadn't been sure of the who or what or when that Beel had wrecked while he was imprisoned in court. Any time he tried to question the fetch, he only received evasive answers, those too-white ivory smiles. Fae were crafty. Shiloh supposed he'd have to one up the creature on wit.
That, or force, which seemed a lot more likely. In the same breath, he didn't want to beat any sort of answers out of Beel, because he knew that was what the fetch wanted. Having to serve under Shiloh, someone he hated so much, there would be no greater satisfaction than turning him into one of the things he hated the most.
Not that he would become Melany, or anything close, but Beel seemed determined to push him down that path.
He sighed.
"And I guess you got back to normalcy pretty well..." there was no venom in his voice, but his eyes still looked sullen. He'd never have that again. Sure, he had been touched by the Otherworld, and sure his life would never be the same, but this? His status as Nobility? He wasn't just touched by the Otherworld. No, he was like Jamie now. The otherworld had dug its claws deep into his ribs and taken root there. He was involved with the politics. What he wouldn't do for a midnight 7/11 icee run to be thrilling again...
...but he was getting carried away. He had no reason to be angry with Juniper, nor did he have any reason to take out his frustrations on her. "It's... not a bad thing. Your music is nice. It, uh... reminds me of someone, I guess."
word count: 924
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 11:48 am
“I’ll take you word for it.” She remarked to his ‘real deal’ comments. “I am not going to doubt ya.” With a nod of her head she flashed him a grin. ““Nice to meet ya, Shiloh and no, I didn’t meet him. I had enough run ins with a few of the others though to understand the kind of crap those things did.” Juniper felt bad for Shiloh, like she did for all of the tithes. So far, she had not met one who didn’t seem to be carrying some sort of emotional or even physical repercussions from the whole event.
She crossed her arms at his next comment, blue eyes settling on him as she tried to decipher what he meant by it. Brows knitted together before she sighed, her face relaxing some. “I wouldn’t say completely normal, no. More normal than what you have probably gone through. I, unfortunately, don’t have much choice but to jump right back into work.” She left it at that, her eyes flickering from his face to the rest of his body language. The guy seemed drained but also wrung tight.
The comment about her music caused a small smile to light up her face. “Thank you. It’s one of the things that help soothe me and makes me happy.I hope, whoever it reminds you of, is a person you think fondly of. I’d hate to dredge up nasty memories.” She tilted her head, the rain coming down on their continued it’s steady pace under the oddly blue skies.
“If you want I could play you something else? I think at this point though, I’d prefer to find a nice dry spot to hang out though.” She laughed. “As much as I enjoy the rain I really should dry off my violin some. It wasn’t the best idea to bring it out in the rain but, well, desperate times.” She shrugged and leaned over to pick up the case by it’s handle. “There’s a little coffee shop not far from here. We can get dry and chat if you’d like? Maybe I’ll even serenade you.” With a chuckle she winked at him.
wc: 360
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 5:31 pm
Shiloh seemed relieved that she hadn't had a run in with Beel, and further relieved that he hadn't known her from before this whole ordeal. The entire fiasco with Melany left notable holes in his memory and he hated knowing that there were important people he had forgotten. People like Jamie. Granted, he hadn't forgot his friend completely, but it still took a confrontation to jog the recognition of his face.
"I don't think it reminds me of anyone bad." people like this; ghosts in his memory, important figures without a face. Who did the music remind him of? He didn't know, but it reminded him of a harsh warmth, and somehow he found the sensation soothing. He offered Juniper a small smile, the corners of his mouth tugged almost unnaturally from the exhaustion so obviously etched into his eyes. "Which makes it good, I think. But let's get out of the rain."
The serenade comment earned an eye roll; anyone who knew Shiloh would see it as a sign of amusement. Strangers might take it differently. Shiloh was half sarcasm when it came to how he expressed himself, and he was too tired to laugh. Granted, the smile was still there. "Coffee might wake me up some." he scrunched his brow up in thought, "I don't know what kind I like though."
He fished into his pocket, producing a damp wallet, though the contents remained thankfully dry. He had a job too, apparently, but his time spent recuperating with Jamie allowed him a no-bills no-responsibility respite from being an adult. As a result, his contents were naturally lacking in volume, but he had enough on him for coffee at least. He'd thank Jamie later.
"You said it's not far from here?" He wasn't exactly sure where it was, but he hadn't been getting out much either. He watched her dry the violin off, memorized by the smooth curves of the instrument. "Lead the way."
word count: 1,249
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Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2016 1:18 pm
Juniper flashed Shiloh a grin. “Welp, I can’t be upset with that then.” She began leading him in the direction of the shop. “And no, it’s not far at all. We’ll be out of the rain in less than five minutes.” Which was a good thing, because Juniper was beginning to feel a chill coming on. Though the temperature wasn’t too terrible outside, it felt much cooler with wet clothes on.
“Never had coffee before then?” She questioned as she walked beside him. The case of her violin bumped gently against her leg with each step. She didn’t even notice the swaying case considering it was a normal sensation along her side. “I don’t branch out too far from the basic cup of coffee. This time of year, I do like to get that extra bit of pumpkin spice flavoring. So, if you like that sort of flavor I’d say give it a shot.”
True to her word, the coffee shop was just around the next corner, and Juniper walked up to the place. The smell of coffee wafted out of the building when she opened the door, letting Shiloh in before following after him. She inhaled the smell and sighed happily. The warmth of the shop was exactly what she needed as it slowly began to override the cold, damp clothes she had on.
“So, they do some teas as well here if you’re more familiar with them.” She pointed towards the board that had a small list of tea flavors that were available.
Juniper walked up to the counter to make her order, and like she had stated when walking over, she ordered herself a pumpkin spice coffee with cream and sugar. “This is going to be great. They make good coffee here.” She said to Shiloh as she stepped away from the counter. “Looks like there are a lot of seats open too.” She noted as she looked around. “Oh, even some of the comfy high back chairs are open.” She said excitedly. Those chairs were extremely soft, comfortable, and perfect to snuggle into. They sat in groups of 3 or four around a small coffee table in the middle of them. “Want to sit there?”
wc: 369
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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:51 pm
"Not... exactly?" Shiloh sounded unsure, confused. Maybe he had tried coffee before, maybe not, but it was hard to remember all the little details of his life before Court. Then again, saying those sorts of things and questioning himself probably came across as a little strange, and the last thing he wanted was Juniper asking invasive questions. "Pumpkin spice sounds nice though."
Or at least, it sounded nice because he didn't know what else to get. The coffee shop smelled absolutely invigorating though, and the warmth settled right into his bones. On the flip side, Shiloh didn't really find himself bothered by the rain anymore. Maybe it was a side effect to the flowers? He was tired, but rejuvenated from the soak too. Taking his hood down, he shook his hair out like a saturated dog, water flinging around the opening of the door. Shiloh didn't seem to care that much though.
"Nah, I think I'm good." he drank tea, but wasn't a very big fan of it. It just helped soothe him to sleep at night.
So he ordered the same thing, only minus the cream and the sugar. Whether the coffee here was good or not remained to be seen, but if the smell was any indication... he took a deep breath, placated. "Sure, that sounds... okay I guess, whatever really." He greedily took his cup of coffee when it was prepared, savoring the warmth in his hands as he bounded away to the plush chairs. A few people glanced over at the commotion, but Shiloh didn't notice; he was too rambunctious for his own good sometimes.
He immediately took the comfiest chair, even though they were all arguably the same levels of comfort, and took a sip of the scalding hot coffee. Needless to say, he didn't get much of a taste, only a humorous reaction as he pulled away hissing at his newly burnt tongue. So much for that.
word count: 1,572
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 4:30 pm
Like Shiloh, Juniper made her order. She happily requested a small coffee with the pumpkin flavoring. It was the only time of year she could indulge in such things. Well….it wasn’t like she could really afford to indulge but sometimes a girl had to do what a girl had to do to make herself happy. And if it was paying an extra dollar for pumpkin flavoring she was going to do it today. Especially considering she was soaked through and could use a good warming. Plus, she had company and...well...alright she was making excuses for spending the extra dollar. Whatever. She’d make due.
Blue eyes watched as Shiloh’s drink came up first. She eyes the cup greedily but knew hers was about to...yep! There it was! She practically bounded to the pick up counter and wrapped her hands around the warm cup with a sigh. It was a blessed feeling. Being warm when one was cold and wet. All it took was a thank you to the barista and she was following after Shiloh to the table of his choosing. Thankfully, he opted for the large comfy chairs. It took little time for her to plop down into one, deposit her violin on the floor beside her and relax into the cushioned furniture.
“Good choice in seats.” She praised him with a smile before daring to carefully sip at the molten lava coffee. Of course she had just witnessed Shiloh’s reaction but she learned better from her own mistakes than watching those of others. No sooner had the hot liquid touch her tongue that she pulled back just as harshly as her new friend had. Her own tongue now throbbing softly from the abuse. “I think...I’ll let that cool a bit.” She remarked, but certainly didn’t put the cup down. Instead she interlaced her fingers around it and melted more into the brown chair with an appeased expression that resembled that of a cat with milk.
Blue eyes settled on Shiloh, whom she sat across from. Juniper was growing more curious with Shiloh. He was...distant. Yes, that was the perfect explanation for his body language and speech. It was like he was unwilling to open up and converse with her. She knew very well that the months leading to the fairy ball had been...well...anything but nice. She didn’t know the exact details about it, and she wasn’t going to ask about it. Not now anyway. She wasn’t about to make the poor guy relive those memories more than he needed to. Still, she was curious about...the whole thing.
Well, curiosity could wait.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to enjoy our coffees sometime soon.” She said with a grin. “It really is good, once it’s not burning your tongue out of your mouth.” She glanced down at the offending drink in her own hand.
“Anyway, are you big into music? Play any instruments yourself?” She asked with genuine interest. She very much enjoyed teaming up with others and playing pieces, even if just for fun and amusement. “The violin is all I am really proficient with. I don’t even sing very much.”
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