17 Dec 2023, 02:38
On the Third Day of Christmas
☽⦙ Date | 16 December, 2023 ⦙☾
☽⦙ Interacting | @Elsian Cox ⦙☾
☽⦙ Hex Code | #810B2D ⦙☾
Frosty breath painted the air around Dori as they waited for Elsi in the Scotland cold. They were sitting against the courtyard wall, body curled up under their winter wizard cloak to try and stay warm until he arrived. He never took too long but Dori was also ridiculously nervous about this so they got here earlier than needed. The tip of their nose and their cheeks were shaded light pink from the cold. Luckily their ears and hands were protected by winter gear that they had received from their parents before school started this year. A brilliant ombre of pale pink and yellow crocheted by their father and finished with fur lining sewn in by their mom. A family effort that made Dori always cherish their winter gear ever more. It was part of the inspiration for Elsi's gift the day prior.⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛
Today a wrapped box sat next to them, not needing winter gear as it was an inanimate object. It was once again wrapped in brown paper, wrapped with twine and doodled on with pictures of lions, badgers, cats, spiders, trees, and everything in-between. Anything that Dori and Elsi had ever done together was depicted. There was even a burning s'more hidden on the bottom.
Once he arrived, Dori's face lit up a sigh of relief that he still hadn't ran obvious from the frozen temperature clinging onto it. "Nice hat." They winked at him, the lion hat proudly on his head. Thank the Goddess because the boy needed to wear his winter gear for once. They gestured for Elsi to sit in front of them in the exact spot they had been nearly five years ago and slid the gift over to him. "Anyway, I'll see you later!" And they bolted. This gift being too heart achingly sweet to stay and watch his reaction. Too much on the line. Too vulnerable. The idea of staying made them queasy. So instead they left, and found somewhere to watch from a window or a pillar where Elsi could not see them.
Inside the delicate wrapping was three 10x10in I'm American leave me alone. canvas frames painted with different scenes with Dori's signature in the bottom right. The one on the top was a portrait of Buttons and Spider walking off into the ball together, Kitty riding Buttons into the battle of socialization. The background was detailed with all of the lights and florals, the warm moonlight streaming in. The second one was an image of Elsi and Dori in the courtyard under their tree, Elsi's head in Dori's lap. Dori's hand pushing his hair back, looking fondly on the boy. A place they had found themselves naturally falling into. A book sat to the side of Dori. Elsi's eyes were closed, peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the leaves to highlight his features. Long eyelashes brushing his cheeks. The affection that Dori had in their eyes only hidden by the perspective that Dori had chosen, a 3/4 view of the scene.
The third one was perhaps the most personal, the fire. Where Dori went back to their dorm and realized this was so much more than friendship. When burning marshmallow was the only thing keeping Dori from sweeping him up and kissing him. The scene was from behind them, silhouetted by the light of the fire. A marshmallow stick held into the fire (which was pointedly not on fire), Elsi's head on Dori's shoulder. Warm, comforting, the night where everything had changed for them. The night that sparked the idea. From their watching place, they couldn't help but rub the spot on their hand where the marshmallow had burned them. Once Elsi turned to leave, they ran off to their dorm, feeling like their heart was bursting at the seams.
The note that would be found inside:
'On the third day of Christmas my best friend gave to me: three hand-painted sceneries. Meet me in a much warmer place tomorrow, perhaps the small hall?'⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛ ⁛
Last edited by Dorion Anderson on 15 Jan 2024, 17:10, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know whether to cry or scream or do both. It feels like I've done more than enough of both. And it feels like I haven't done enough." - Mason Deaver
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
Stamina 12 ∴ Evasion 12 ∴ Strength 5 ∴ Wisdom 12 ∵ ArcPower 10 ∵ Accuracy 15
27 Dec 2023, 12:19
On the Third Day of Christmas
@Dorion Anderson
Today had been a good one so far.
He’d had no homework to do, no studying needed for the moment and amazingly no projects to suffer through with people he had zero interest in working with. He’d even gotten a decent night's sleep for once, which had meant, for once, he wasn’t quite dragging his feet or slipping in between cat naps yet.
He was actually awake. And aware.
It’d made him excited at the prospect of maybe getting up to some creative pran-
…adventures. Adventures was the word!
Spending time with Dorion would be a highlight to the snowy, possibly shenanigan filled, day if he could only get them to stop, stay still and actually hang out for a few hours without making an escape the moment he opened his mouth for, what he thought, was fair enough questions.
It was an amazing feeling being more than 60% awake.
The moment he saw Dorion an excited grin spread across his lips, ears on the hat flopping about with a burst of wind. Elsian didn’t resist the dramatic urge to give a slow, lazy spin showing off the matching outfit and hat combo, black pants paired with a, quite frankly ridiculously oversized Gryffindor inspired sweater he’d been sent by his aunt. “Thanks I got it from this weird Hufflepuff.” He joked with a dramatic look as he slid into his spot, doing as Dorion bid.
He picked up the gift, curious but eager as he looked at Dorion. “So I wa-” The words were cut off with a surprised click of his jaw as Dorions rushed words washed over him, surprised green blinking slowly as they all but bolted. “But I…”
Elsian watched them go, shoulders slumping unseen by Dori as they ran off. His hand flopped back into his lap from where he’d lifted it up to try and stop the other. “...thought we could hang out…”
He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to curve the flood of disappointment.
They were busy. Or maybe, were afraid he’d ask questions? He wasn’t quite sure. It was all a bit weird, a bit sudden.
He sighed, shaking away the thought as Dorion turned a corner and out of sight, instead choosing to eye the present with a familiar feeling of fondness. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to be earning so many gifts from Dorion, but he couldn’t say it was a hardship to be receiving such nice things from his favorite person.
At first, he hadn’t noticed.
Too busy focusing on Dori themselves.
But now that he looked again, the paper had little drawings! Spiders and trees and badgers-
Well, it felt like there was a little doodle of everything! Like a little doodled collection of their little moments and simple adventures. Amusement curled in his stomach, a small snicker when he turned the box around to follow the little doodles only to find what could only be a nod to his wonderful taste in burnt s’mores.
It wasn’t until he’d turned the box around this way and that, satisfying the little need to find and look and burn the image of the simple but fun nod to their shenanigans into his memory that he pulled at the twine. Carefully peeling back the paper with a single minded focus he could never quite help when faced with things he liked.
Up to this point the gifts had been wonderful and fun and well…in a manner of speaking light hearted things.
This one was perhaps the turning point, in what he’d come to expect.
Peeling back paper, Elsian was helpless to the small, surprised bubble of laughter the first painting inspired. A hand immediately going to cover the sound and a small smile tugging at his lips as he stared down at the image of Kitty riding atop Buttons like some still image of them riding gloriously into a battle rather than the dance he was sure this was supposed to take place in. “I can’t believe this, it's bloody perfect.” He snickered, lowering his hand to shift between this one and the next.
On Elsians walls rarely were there any decorations save, perhaps, the temporary designs of his work and different photos of friends and family he wanted to put up. He didn’t paint. Didn’t draw besides for work and the odd silly doodle on the corners of his notes. So this? This was a welcome surprise, something he looked forward to having up in the dorms and then, up in his room. Heck, maybe he could convince his mum to have it over the living room fireplace part of the year, it’d be hilarious! And in his wonderful opinion, deserved to be shown off in such a way.
He wasn’t laughing by the time he set eyes on the 2nd one.
It felt…
He didn’t quite know how it felt in all honesty…
He stared at the painting, thumb brushing the corner of the canvas in a slow, thoughtful manner.
Elsian…there was something there. Faint, and maybe…shy? He was surprised, he realized, looking at the painting. Surprised by the thoughtfulness. The serious time and effort he’d slowly begun to realize that must have gone into something like this.
He couldn’t remember ever getting a gift like this.
It felt almost wrong to accept. Like he hadn’t earned it. But another part of him, something selfish, knew he’d never admit that aloud even if it’d been true.
Gently he put both the 1st and 2nd back down on his lap, unwilling, even for a minute, to put them anywhere near the frost and snow for risk of ruining the paintings even the smallest bit. He liked them too much to risk it. He’d be devastated if they got ruined even a little bit during the first 5 minutes he’d gotten them.
The silly amusement, then surprise, and finally…maybe, faint shock over the paintings didn’t last long as he shifted to the final one.
It was startling in a way, seeing it. The cold night, the s’mores by the fire. From the way they’d leaned in close, fingers cold then warm when they brushed together coming flooding back as he stared at the shadowed paints framing the moment and for a slow, heart wrenching moment his eyes felt watery with the threat of tears at the flood of feelings that rushed through him, making his chest shutter with a shaky breathe and his throat tighten.
It quickly twisted into something shy. Flustered even. Ears hot with the beginning of a blush, thankfully hidden under his hat and hair as he looked at a scene that felt like a million years away. Too…
Just thinking about the word made him feel like a hopeful fool.
Carefully, re-wrapped in the paper he stood. Fighting down the fond, silly embarrassed blush trying to make itself known as he ducked his head down against a cold rush of wind. Gifts tucked against his chest. Heart thumping painful and loud enough he wondered if he was imagining the sound as he walked away.
Stamina: 10┈┈ Evasion:17 ┈┈Strength: 1 ┈┈Wisdom: 9 ┈┈Arcane Power: 8┈┈ Accuracy: 10
I'd much rather be sleeping...