Room 326 - Late Evening
Everything was packed up, books taken back to the library, and all final good-bye's had been said. Alanna's eyes were as dry as they were going to get today. She sat on her bed, Faithful on her lap, glancing around her room for the last time. The door was open for any last minute stragglers. Specifically, one straggler.
A moment later, there Charlie was, leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. He looked around the room. "Time to go?"
Alanna nodded, mutely.
Charlie let his hands drop to his side as he walked across to her and got down on his knees in front of her. "Hey Faithful," he said, scratching him between the ears. "Can you give us a minute?"
"I'm feeling generous, take two." Faithful informed him and trotted out, closing the door behind him. Alanna was doing her best not to start crying again.
Charlie sucked in a deep breath and let it out, mustering a smile. "S'okay," he reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. "This is what you wanted. You're gonna travel and go on adventures and be a full-time knight. No more classes. The real thing." Words he could manage, although he wasn't sure for how long. His stomach and chest were tight, but he had to keep cool. "It's gonna be great."
Alanna nodded. "Get to see the world and ... have dashing rescues and I don't remember what else I dreamed up when I was ten, but yes. Great." The tears were threatening to start again.
Knowing he wasn't going to be able to say anything in response to that without losing it, he leaned in and kissed Alanna softly first. "Gonna miss you."
Alanna wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck. "You too. A lot."
She had to go and he had to let her go. He couldn't go with her. They'd already had this discussion. They had nearly screwed things up for good a few weeks ago but managed to work through it so they could spend what little time they had left together. All that remained was to say goodbye.
Despite knowing about Aly and that she was a part of their joint future, saying goodbye was a hell of a lot harder than he had imagined.
Charlie wrapped his arms around Alanna and held her tightly. "You gotta go now. Don't have too much fun without me, okay?" His short, choked laugh was muffled against her shoulder.
Alanna hugged him back tightly, not fully believing the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "One year, you promised." Beside her, a purple portal began to form.
Reluctantly pulling back, Charlie mustered a lopsided smile. "One year," he repeated. He stroked her cheek, then stood up and cleared his throat. "Faithful," he realized and went to open the door for the cat before returning and glancing at the portal. "Make it a good one. I want stories."
Alanna smiled weakly through her tears. "They won't include me falling off of my horse. You too, have a great ti-year. I shouldn't be the only story teller." Faithful jumped into Alanna's arms as the portal finished forming. "Meow." Alanna grabbed her bag with a free hand. "See you."
Charlie couldn't help but smile genuinely at that. They never had been all that good at words, so it made sense to keep it simple. He took a few paces back, raised a hand and repeated her words back at her. "See you."
Alanna swallowed and raised her own hand in a tiny wave before turning around and stepping through the portal. With a pop, it closed behind her.
She was gone.
The smile had faded off Charlie's face. After a few moments, he allowed himself to breathe again. A few moments after that, he finally looked away from where the portal had been.
Charlie picked up the dorm room key Alanna had left behind on the bare desk and walked the few paces to the door. He turned, looking around at the empty room, then stepped out into the hallway and locked the door behind him.
A couple days and a few dozen worlds over, a young redhead swung up on to horse, laughing for the first time in days. She let out a whoop of sheer exuberance and kicked Moonlight into a gallop. "C'mon Coram!" she cried, galloping past him. "Let's go find an adventure!"
[OOC: Pre-played with kawalsky. No IC interaction, but OOC comments welcome. And with that, Alanna's and Faithful's adventures in Fandom end and their adventures in Tortall begin. It's been a ride!]
A moment later, there Charlie was, leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. He looked around the room. "Time to go?"
Alanna nodded, mutely.
Charlie let his hands drop to his side as he walked across to her and got down on his knees in front of her. "Hey Faithful," he said, scratching him between the ears. "Can you give us a minute?"
"I'm feeling generous, take two." Faithful informed him and trotted out, closing the door behind him. Alanna was doing her best not to start crying again.
Charlie sucked in a deep breath and let it out, mustering a smile. "S'okay," he reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. "This is what you wanted. You're gonna travel and go on adventures and be a full-time knight. No more classes. The real thing." Words he could manage, although he wasn't sure for how long. His stomach and chest were tight, but he had to keep cool. "It's gonna be great."
Alanna nodded. "Get to see the world and ... have dashing rescues and I don't remember what else I dreamed up when I was ten, but yes. Great." The tears were threatening to start again.
Knowing he wasn't going to be able to say anything in response to that without losing it, he leaned in and kissed Alanna softly first. "Gonna miss you."
Alanna wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck. "You too. A lot."
She had to go and he had to let her go. He couldn't go with her. They'd already had this discussion. They had nearly screwed things up for good a few weeks ago but managed to work through it so they could spend what little time they had left together. All that remained was to say goodbye.
Despite knowing about Aly and that she was a part of their joint future, saying goodbye was a hell of a lot harder than he had imagined.
Charlie wrapped his arms around Alanna and held her tightly. "You gotta go now. Don't have too much fun without me, okay?" His short, choked laugh was muffled against her shoulder.
Alanna hugged him back tightly, not fully believing the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "One year, you promised." Beside her, a purple portal began to form.
Reluctantly pulling back, Charlie mustered a lopsided smile. "One year," he repeated. He stroked her cheek, then stood up and cleared his throat. "Faithful," he realized and went to open the door for the cat before returning and glancing at the portal. "Make it a good one. I want stories."
Alanna smiled weakly through her tears. "They won't include me falling off of my horse. You too, have a great ti-year. I shouldn't be the only story teller." Faithful jumped into Alanna's arms as the portal finished forming. "Meow." Alanna grabbed her bag with a free hand. "See you."
Charlie couldn't help but smile genuinely at that. They never had been all that good at words, so it made sense to keep it simple. He took a few paces back, raised a hand and repeated her words back at her. "See you."
Alanna swallowed and raised her own hand in a tiny wave before turning around and stepping through the portal. With a pop, it closed behind her.
She was gone.
The smile had faded off Charlie's face. After a few moments, he allowed himself to breathe again. A few moments after that, he finally looked away from where the portal had been.
Charlie picked up the dorm room key Alanna had left behind on the bare desk and walked the few paces to the door. He turned, looking around at the empty room, then stepped out into the hallway and locked the door behind him.
A couple days and a few dozen worlds over, a young redhead swung up on to horse, laughing for the first time in days. She let out a whoop of sheer exuberance and kicked Moonlight into a gallop. "C'mon Coram!" she cried, galloping past him. "Let's go find an adventure!"
[OOC: Pre-played with kawalsky. No IC interaction, but OOC comments welcome. And with that, Alanna's and Faithful's adventures in Fandom end and their adventures in Tortall begin. It's been a ride!]