"Birches" [Solo/Complete]
Character(s): Ashe
Content: Ashe discovering Frost
Setting: Os Dias Sao A Noite
Time: Friday noon
Warnings: none except for bad interpretation of poetry x)
It is obvious that her clothing does not suit the snow falling all around her. Hugging herself, she runs to the nearest building she can enter. In the distance she can see an elaborately ornamented building looming over the houses of the common residents. Stepping up the marble stairs, she peeks through the stained-glass windows to check what building it is before deciding that it would be safe to enter.
She pushes the solid wooden door open by leaning against it, the door creaks before opening slowly. She slips through the space and immediately the door closes back. Rubbing herself for warmth, she looks around her new surrounding; it is a library. "Hello, may I help you?" A pale lady sitting behind a huge oak desk greets her. Shocked, Ashe turns around quickly, noticing the very sublte smile on the woman's lips.
"Uhm well, I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to take shelter here for awhile," Ashe explains. "It's rather cold outside, you see?"
The lady nods, "It would be cold with that kind of attire, surely." Ashe could feel the slight tinge of cynicism in her tone, but for the moment she could care less as long as the lady lets her stay in the library. She surely does not want to be stuck outside in the cold again. The lady stands up from behind the table and walks over to a tiny bookshelf on the right of her desk. "I can let you stay here as long as you are quietly reading," she says while searching for a particular book from the shelf. "so you better read something."
Ashe is relieved that the lady would let her stay. Reading is one of her favorite pastimes anyway, she loved the feeling of leather against her fingers, the peaceful swishing of pages and of course the wonderful worlds that books can carry her off to. "I'm sure I can find something to read, and I can keep quiet," she reassures the librarian, starting to walk off to find something to read.
"No wait," the lady stops Ashe in her tracks. "I can tell from your complexion that you are not from this world, just like all those people asking me what world this is," she explains, "perhaps you can read this for me? A strange person brought it here for me to read but it is in a language I cannot understand," she hands a tiny leathered book into Ashe's hands, Ashe takes it gently, afraid of ruining the seemingly old book. Ashe blows the dust off the book and opens the book softly.
The title on top of the page reads "Birches" but the writing below it seems to be faded with age. "The title is 'Birches' and I think it is a poem," Ashe tells the lady. The librarian nods slowly in apprehension. "The poem reads: when I see birches bend to left and right across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy's been swinging them. But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay. Ice-storms do that."
"Stop," the lady accents her word with a gesture of her fingers. "Tell me what it means." Ashe looks down on the book again, trying to solve the meaning of the words she has just read by reading it a few more times. She was never much of a critic, she usually reads poetry for the sake of the beautiful-sounding words.
"Err... the author knows that birches are bent because of ice-storms but he refuses to believe it, opting to think that they are bent because of swinging boys instead," she explains the best she could. "Because...the branches are bent already anyway, whether it was by swinging boy or ice-storm and if I could choose, I would have chosen to think that they are bent because of swinging boys instead of ice-storms," she elaborates, hoping that the librarian finds the explanation acceptable.
The librarian nods slowly once more, but now with a subtle smile gracing her pale features. "Beautiful, utterly beautiful," she mumbles under her breath. "Do you suppose you can relate to the poem in any way?" she looks up and gazes into Ashe's eyes with an intensity that such pale irises should not be able to muster. Ashe was taken aback by her piercing gaze.
"I... I am not sure," she stutters, then dropping her gaze in thought. "Yes, in a way," Ashe starts after pondering for awhile. "I came in here because of the unbearable chill outside, but I could also be here because I wanted to read. I am here either ways, and it would be better if I think that I am here because I wanted to read, not because of the cold outside."
"Excellent," she smiles and lowering her gaze to the book that Ashe holds in her hands with quiet affection, she sighs, "that book is yours, you can keep it."
"But, I--"
"No buts, my dear, it's not like I can read it if I keep it. It's better off in your hands," her eyes are still upon the book with subtle longing. "Now hurry yourself to the back of the library where there is a fireplace and keep yourself warm. Ask Lana, my assistant to make you some tea," she lifts her eyes from the book and onto Ashe's face, ending her words with a smile. Ashe hesitates for a moment, but muttering a 'thank you' she walks slowly through the aisle of tall bookshelves and toward the inviting fireplace, crackling with warmth and comfort.
Content: Ashe discovering Frost
Setting: Os Dias Sao A Noite
Time: Friday noon
Warnings: none except for bad interpretation of poetry x)
It is obvious that her clothing does not suit the snow falling all around her. Hugging herself, she runs to the nearest building she can enter. In the distance she can see an elaborately ornamented building looming over the houses of the common residents. Stepping up the marble stairs, she peeks through the stained-glass windows to check what building it is before deciding that it would be safe to enter.
She pushes the solid wooden door open by leaning against it, the door creaks before opening slowly. She slips through the space and immediately the door closes back. Rubbing herself for warmth, she looks around her new surrounding; it is a library. "Hello, may I help you?" A pale lady sitting behind a huge oak desk greets her. Shocked, Ashe turns around quickly, noticing the very sublte smile on the woman's lips.
"Uhm well, I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to take shelter here for awhile," Ashe explains. "It's rather cold outside, you see?"
The lady nods, "It would be cold with that kind of attire, surely." Ashe could feel the slight tinge of cynicism in her tone, but for the moment she could care less as long as the lady lets her stay in the library. She surely does not want to be stuck outside in the cold again. The lady stands up from behind the table and walks over to a tiny bookshelf on the right of her desk. "I can let you stay here as long as you are quietly reading," she says while searching for a particular book from the shelf. "so you better read something."
Ashe is relieved that the lady would let her stay. Reading is one of her favorite pastimes anyway, she loved the feeling of leather against her fingers, the peaceful swishing of pages and of course the wonderful worlds that books can carry her off to. "I'm sure I can find something to read, and I can keep quiet," she reassures the librarian, starting to walk off to find something to read.
"No wait," the lady stops Ashe in her tracks. "I can tell from your complexion that you are not from this world, just like all those people asking me what world this is," she explains, "perhaps you can read this for me? A strange person brought it here for me to read but it is in a language I cannot understand," she hands a tiny leathered book into Ashe's hands, Ashe takes it gently, afraid of ruining the seemingly old book. Ashe blows the dust off the book and opens the book softly.
The title on top of the page reads "Birches" but the writing below it seems to be faded with age. "The title is 'Birches' and I think it is a poem," Ashe tells the lady. The librarian nods slowly in apprehension. "The poem reads: when I see birches bend to left and right across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy's been swinging them. But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay. Ice-storms do that."
"Stop," the lady accents her word with a gesture of her fingers. "Tell me what it means." Ashe looks down on the book again, trying to solve the meaning of the words she has just read by reading it a few more times. She was never much of a critic, she usually reads poetry for the sake of the beautiful-sounding words.
"Err... the author knows that birches are bent because of ice-storms but he refuses to believe it, opting to think that they are bent because of swinging boys instead," she explains the best she could. "Because...the branches are bent already anyway, whether it was by swinging boy or ice-storm and if I could choose, I would have chosen to think that they are bent because of swinging boys instead of ice-storms," she elaborates, hoping that the librarian finds the explanation acceptable.
The librarian nods slowly once more, but now with a subtle smile gracing her pale features. "Beautiful, utterly beautiful," she mumbles under her breath. "Do you suppose you can relate to the poem in any way?" she looks up and gazes into Ashe's eyes with an intensity that such pale irises should not be able to muster. Ashe was taken aback by her piercing gaze.
"I... I am not sure," she stutters, then dropping her gaze in thought. "Yes, in a way," Ashe starts after pondering for awhile. "I came in here because of the unbearable chill outside, but I could also be here because I wanted to read. I am here either ways, and it would be better if I think that I am here because I wanted to read, not because of the cold outside."
"Excellent," she smiles and lowering her gaze to the book that Ashe holds in her hands with quiet affection, she sighs, "that book is yours, you can keep it."
"But, I--"
"No buts, my dear, it's not like I can read it if I keep it. It's better off in your hands," her eyes are still upon the book with subtle longing. "Now hurry yourself to the back of the library where there is a fireplace and keep yourself warm. Ask Lana, my assistant to make you some tea," she lifts her eyes from the book and onto Ashe's face, ending her words with a smile. Ashe hesitates for a moment, but muttering a 'thank you' she walks slowly through the aisle of tall bookshelves and toward the inviting fireplace, crackling with warmth and comfort.