(Untitled)

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden hasn't lost track of the specific spot where she first appeared on the island; she never knew where it was. At the time, reeling from her arrival, blood in her hair and, sometimes, eyes, head pounding and heart racing, the exact location was of approximately zero importance to her. She doesn't, for that matter, remember the stretch of beach

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[tearsthrulife]

The beach wasn't somewhere Rahne spent too much time, having figured out in her early days on the island that even with sunscreen, she was too prone to getting burnt. It wasn't like she had any real interest in sunbathing or anything like that, anyway, finding it dull, pointless, boring. However, as destinations went, it wasn't a bad one, by nature of existing. She wasn't running today, as Jamie had put it a week or so earlier, like the devil was chasing her, but rather walking along the shore, barefoot, shoes dangling from one hand

[wishesandsmoke]

"She likes a lot of things," Eden says, glancing up with a small smile. Origami's easier to get on with than Mr. Muggles in that way, and the latter's at home with Claire anyway. He's more Claire's dog than Eden's own, anyway, living in her care until some member of his real family could show up. "Although I think she's more interested in trying to eat them than performing anything." For that matter, Origami seems less than inclined to go far, watching the stranger with some interest without trying to approach. Instead she mews loudly, turning around in a half-circle and standing up on her back paws as if that might afford her a closer look.

[tearsthrulife]

"Somehow, I don't think they'd taste very good," Rahne laughed, shaking her head at the prospect. The cat was a darling thing, really, and she crouched without even stopping to think about it, reaching out to gently run her fingers over the back of its head before looking up again, one corner of her mouth pulled up in a crooked smile. "What's her name?"

[wishesandsmoke]

"Origami," Eden said, smile warming all the more for it as Origami butted her head against the redhead's hand, mewling. "Because of her little ears. She's a Scottish Fold." She laughed, rolled her eyes. "I was never an animal person before she showed up." She was beginning to sound a bit like Mrs. Bennet, but then, that wasn't such a terrible thing.

[notfaking_it]

"I do," Lily said, approaching Eden from down the beach, barefoot and wearing a loose summer dress over a bathing suit. More and more often, she found herself on the beach if she wasn't in the dance studio, finding the smell of the ocean similar enough to that of California that it actually stirred some kind of homesickness in her.

"Or one of the others," she continued, stopping beside Eden to look down at the books that are open around her. "Any of them, really."

[wishesandsmoke]

Origami mewed loudly at Lily, padding over to curl around her legs. "Or all of them," Eden said wryly, glancing up. "I think I have to actually choose one before I begin. What do you think, eeny meeny minie mo?" She patted the sand beside her, smiling a little. It was nice, actually, to have some support. She'd been on her own a lot over the years, but where some people grew accustomed to that, she'd only ever craved company more for it.

[notfaking_it]

Reaching down, Lily stroked the cat's ears, then sat in the sand beside Eden and began to look through the titles. "If you don't already have a favourite, then eeny meeny minie mo seems like your best course of action," she said seriously, then broke into a smile, giving the cat another rub. She'd always liked animals -- the indoor kind, anyway, she didn't have much interest in farm animals. "Or maybe we can each pick one and play rock, paper, scissors for it."

[wishesandsmoke]

Pleased with the attention, Origami butted her head against Lily's hand. Eden had always loved that about her, that she was of an especially affectionate breed. If anything, her cat was far sweeter than her dog. "Well, I know which one Origami picks," she said lightly. "The trouble is trying to decide what we can make work around here. I mean, something like, say, Angels in America would be far too grand a scale." Even if one of the characters didn't live in this place. "But Proof, maybe. Only four characters, a couple sets. Could film it just as easily as put it on stage."

[dr_robchase]

Chase hadn't really intended to stop, but he always had a bit of curiosity when it came to people he knew -- patients, doubly so -- and he had to wonder what all the books were for. "Sounds like it's got a pretty strong opinion if it's enough to wake up for," Chase said, mock-seriously. "I wouldn't ignore the cat."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Doctor Chase, hello," Eden said, looking up. Even if they'd all been in this place forever, it was strange sometimes to see him out and about; even here, she supposed, there was a disconnect between real life and the people in your life in a professional capacity. He'd always been such a help, though, and she offered up a smile. "She has strong opinions on a lot of things. Cats, you know."

[dr_robchase]

"I have heard about the power of cats," he joked in a very dry tone. Considering Cameron had one, he hadn't been able to avoid cat stories the whole time. He wandered closer and offered as warm a smile as he got. "So, I'm hoping this is good cat help? Not 'maim everything' crazy cat help?"

[wishesandsmoke]

"Oh, god, Origami wouldn't," Eden said, shaking her head. She smiled, wry. "I hope you realize I'm not taking the whims of a cat into account in life decisions. But she is decent company. How are you doing?" He wasn't bad company himself.

[waltsnothereman]

"And by do, you mean... what, exactly?" Wanda asked before she was close enough to see for herself what the various books spread along the beach were. Indulging curiosity wherever it manifested itself was just another way of keeping engaged, really, of not losing herself to the endless drone of empty island living. "Ah, I see. Planning on bringing a little more traffic to my neck of the words, are we?"

[wishesandsmoke]

"Possibly," Eden answered, looking up. Origami took the opportunity to roll over again, meowing for attention she was too lazy to actively seek. "I haven't actually decided on the precise medium of my directorial debut." There was always the radio, too, although she didn't think she had Daisy's particular knack for that. But then, she wasn't as good for the stage as Jamie or Geoffrey and she'd never been behind the camera like Gideon, so anything she did, she was likely to do poorly, but at least she'd be doing something.

[waltsnothereman]

"Ah," Wanda said, nodding her understanding. "Still weighing your options, yeah? Personally, I'd be in love with anything on a screen that isn't provided by the fictitious-or-not powers that be, but that's just my two cents. Pretty much any mode of expression is going to be a worthwhile pursuit in this place."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Well, I certainly hope so," Eden said. "It might be terrible, you know. We did a movie, actually, a couple years ago. The cameras and editing equipment all belonged to a friend of mine; I don't know if I'd be as good at it as he was." It felt, though, as if it were a waste not to use them, to let all of Gideon's old things gather dust.

[lucked]

It's still hard to face everything that she's done

[wishesandsmoke]

"Well, she's always been a little less destructive," Eden says, "as cats go." Not that Eden's ever had cats before, in spite of wanting them. It's just been the way of things, that she didn't have pets for whatever reason - her stepmother or her life in L.A. or being nomadic for the company. They never quite fit in. Caring for the two she has now (well, really one now) has been something of an adventure.

As for Claire, that's an entirely different adventure, and something she's currently grateful for. Having someone she has to hold it together for makes it easier not to fall apart. It's what happens when she's alone again she's scared of.

[lucked]

"She's as graceful as her owner," Claire concludes with a wider smile, raising her chin, proud of Eden in her own way. There have been times when the teen's had reservations about Eden, times when the lies just struck too deep, too quick. It isn't easy to learn that so much of one's life has been a farce in some way or another, but the thing about the island is that there's really no need to hide, and perhaps that's what's helped Claire settle down so quickly. A freedom she never enjoyed back in Odessa. "Whereas Mr. Muggles leaves me thinking, if he's like my mom at all, that she must have been one scatterbrained and overeager teenager. Which I could actually imagine."

Tilting her head, Claire reaches out to pet Origami, fingers scratching lightly behind the ear.

"Penny for your thoughts? Or, I don't know, a slice of coconut, if that's what we're bartering with."

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden laughs softly at the image of Mrs. Bennet as an enthusiastic teen. It's so easy to picture, even endearing. She'd liked the woman on those occasions upon which they ran into each other for much that reason, that warmth of spirit that made things so comfortable. When it comes to her own thoughts, though, they're somewhat more solemn. Maybe it isn't fair not to confide, but she doesn't want Claire to think things are so bleak for her or to then believe it's somehow her own fault, as if Eden hasn't been floundering for a long time now. Claire's presence is, on the contrary, one of the few things that keeps her on track.

"Just trying to make a decision," she says, gesturing to the array of scripts in varying formats scattered around her. Four years in one place, I think it's time for a bit of a change. So. Today I pick."