12 Jan 2022, 22:02
Some peace and quiet
Owlery
September 16, 2021.
September 16, 2021.
Esther clenched her teeth for what seemed to be the hundredth time this afternoon.
The weather was perfect for outdoor activities and while she had made sure to appear busy to everyone in her vicinity, she had been constantly interrupted in her reading by random students wanting her to join them outside for whatever nonsense they had planned.
Irritated by all the hustle and bustle of the noisy crowd, she had taken refuge in the farthest place from the grounds and found herself in the Owlery hoping for some peace and quiet.
But even there she had been found!
And the boy would not take the hint when she replied dryly to his invitation.
"I'm not interested, I'm busy. " she had snapped feeling a bit guilty for being so rude to the poor lad.
That guilt quickly went away when he didn't leave like she hoped and started to rave about the amazing things that he and his friends intended to do near the lake.
For the love of all broomsticks! She was at her wits' end with this school.
Esther was not in the mood to socialize and was almost starting to miss the tomblike atmosphere of the Reyes manor.
"Listen!" she cut through his rambling. "I think I made clear the first time that I wanted to be left alone. Please go meet your friends and let me read in peace."
Past his initial shock, the boy left the Owlery sputtering something under his breath she couldn't hear but that she guessed was not very friendly.
Great! Now that would make for a fantastic reputation.
Esther sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. She missed the company of her brother dearly. It had been months since she last saw him and she craved the effortlessness of their complicity.
She felt all alone here, even though she was surrounded by people all day. People she had a hard time relating to.
She didn't know how to be a bubbly eleven year-old only concerned by gossip and exams!
The last three years had only been filled with grief and coldness at her house, so how could she connect with the students here. It was a revolving door of happy faces.
And still she wished that she could. So that she would not be alone anymore.
Esther couldn't consiliate her yearning for a true friendship and this strange impulse that made her push everyone away.
She was growing frustrated with herself but could not find a way out of this endless circle of loneliness.
How she wished her mother could be there to confort her!
She had always found a way to appease the young girl with her soft voice and sweet smile.
Esther tried to sooth herself with old memories of afternoons spent in the sun and snowy days in front of the fireplace, her mother's laughter always in the background.
The young girl rested her head against the wall where she sat, waiting for the afternoon to ebb away so she could finally put this day behind her.
@Dealla Prince | Sorry it took so long. I hope you're still up for it.
"When in doubt, go to the library." | Color : #872020
1 Feb 2022, 22:57
Some peace and quiet
Dee didn't usually listen in on other people's conversations. Not regularly, or even intentionally. However, it was hardly her fault if people decided to be talking near her while she was just minding her own business and innocently attempting to convince an owl to hold still long enough that she could tie the letter to her parents to its leg. It was an overdue letter, anyway. She'd been putting it off, and her mother's recent letter had been very clear in reminding her of that.
Either way, no matter how much of an innocent bystander who was definitely not eavesdropping on purpose she was, it had been hard to ignore the girl snapping at the boy who had just asked her to hang out. Judging from the footsteps, the boy finally decided to leave the rather rude girl alone. Dee would have likely stayed around to annoy her a little longer just on principle.
Rolling her eyes, she finally managed to tie the strings together. "Off you go," she told the owl, watching it fly off towards the south. Owls really were impressive animals, flying super long distances quickly and almost always managing to find the right person, no matter how vague the directions they were given. This owl had received a proper address and names, though, so she should be fine.
Absentmindedly wiping her fingers on her robes, Dee turned around to leave, her eyes automatically straying to where she'd heard the voices. The girl was still sitting there, and Dee expected a scowl on her face and a wrinkle between her eyebrows as deep as the Great Lake. Probably wrinkles in general, signs of early aging due to persistent grumpiness. The hair colour fit the theory, too, a blonde so light it looked almost white.
Instead, Dee saw tears. She stopped. Huh. What had seemed boring before now offered a hint of intrigue, a small mystery to solve.
Curiosity called, and Dee's steps changed direction in response. Only hesitating for half a second, she crouched down in front of the girl, propping her chin up on one hand as she regarded her new subject of interest. Her words were direct but not mean, a spark of honest curiosity visible in her eyes. "So, were you grumpy because you are sad, or are you sad because you were grumpy?" she asked bluntly.
@Esther Reyes
"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."