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[apinkrose]

She had not been very active around the island. She had created many plans of what to do with her time there, of which plans, none came into fruition. She had wanted, once, to create a support group for those who found out that they were from books or films, but once the shock had passed over her own discovery, her plan seemed to fade into the

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[never_atone]

Briony's own peaceful sojourn along the shore was interrupted by the cry of frustration, an intimately familiar sound to her own ears. Not the voice, no, that was not the aspect of the noise she knew, but the tone. Yes, the tone Briony knew, a knowledge which informed her that the discarded object in the sand would be some writing utensil before she'd wandered close enough to see for certain.

"Are you alright?" she asked the other girl, not wishing to intrude but unable to help her curiosity and concern.

[never_atone]

Briony tried to smile, the expression both grateful and wry. "The editors of magazines back home would disagree, but I've simply held the hobby for a long time," she explained. "When I was ten, I wrote my first story, and I haven't really stopped."

[apinkrose]

Cecily was intrigued by her explanation, and considered that it would not be too rude to ask her to explicate just the smallest bit so that they may become better friends.

"Whatever was the first story on?" She asked as politely as she could, her attention now fully on Briony, paying no mind to her own writing.

[never_atone]

"Oh." A slight laugh at her own expense escaped her as she shook her head, gaze modestly downcast. "Some silly mix of a dozen fairy tales I'd heard as a child. You know the type-- a princess of pure heart, some terrible curse that keeps her unhappy, until true love comes in the form of a prince to right all wrongs for the good and punish those who were bad."

[apinkrose]

"It sounds quite like my diary," Cecily noted with a nod, remembering back on all the things she had said were part of her real life. All of which was sheer imagination. "I was a silly child."

[never_atone]

"As was I," Briony concurred, though without much fondness. "Which took me a great deal of time to grow out of."

[apinkrose]

Cecily smiled and looked around the island, "It took me coming here for me to learn," she noted. She had not realized just how silly her whole life had been until all her riches and silly tutoring lessons had been taken away at once. She could not be happier without them.

[never_atone]

"I'm still not entirely certain I have come out of it," Briony admitted. Too often, with all the warmth and shimmering, golden joy of their situation, she found herself floating away on fantasy and not considering all required of her in the here and now. "But time can only help."

[apinkrose]

"How long have you been here?" She inquired, a friendly smile now stuck on her face seemingly permanently. This girl was very pleasant and Cecily could not help but think that they were going to be good friends, if not the best of. As long as she did not disappear as quickly as all her other best friends seemed to.

[never_atone]

"A little over a year now," she replied, showing a smile not at all strained but not overly enthusiastic. Life, Briony thought, was better here, but never would it be near perfect. "From London, England, 1940. Have you been here long?"

[apinkrose]

Cecily had not thought about the length of her stay often, but when she did, she was always quite surprised. "Almost two years," she replied. "I was from the countryside of London, 1890."

[never_atone]

"Oh, not that far from my time then," Briony observed with a smile. "Fifty years is still a great deal of time, but I feel as though those from the future are so much more different."

[apinkrose]

Cecily had learned quite a bit of history, or rather, future, having lived on the island for nearly ten years. She knew of the Great Wars, and could tell what war had done to many of the people. Yet, those from just fifty years ahead still had many of the same morals one could find in her countryside estate. Although wards were a bit out of date, and many still found it odd that she could not marry whomever she pleased, she knew that little else had changed.

"Yes, quite. In fact, I rather wish to tell them to have a sit and a cup of tea. Relax and enjoy the absolute beauty of the island. Everyone seems so worried. Either that or quite bored. Indeed, I do not think I shall ever find myself so absolutely bored as many of those from the future do on this island."

[never_atone]

Briony had to laugh at the idea, even though she agreed. "Nor could I," she said, shaking her head. "They call things... simple pleasures. Pleasures are pleasures, there's no reason to belittle one or the other."

[apinkrose]

"Nor is it any of their right to judge my pleasures!" Cecily said as though she had been offended, although truly she did not care one wit what others had to say about her life. "Perhaps if they stop trying to seek such complicated pleasures, they would be much happier."

[never_atone]

She could not, perhaps, agree that anyone's pleasures should be free from judgment. Little or great mattered little; good or evil, the quality implied when subject to judgment, mattered more. But it would only be quarrelsome to mention such a thing now. "Perhaps," Briony agreed. "Something's been lost, for all we've gained in technology and achievements."