[xelios] little red riding coat

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Fear of a penalty was something Joan of Arc did not possess. Not often. She had donned the clothes that brought her doom, after all. And she highly doubted the principal would do something as excessive as burn her alive for skipping out of some stupid "date", anyways. So she'd slipped away, in her bright red coat, to a thick forested area in the Riverdale park, nicknamed "The Dog Woods". A perfect place to hide. So far from lights that it seemed like home, like France.

Her slip of paper was in one of the many pockets the coat had. It had read "2 - 13 - 5:30". It looked almost like a locker combination; but boarding students didn't have lockers. She had no use for the paper. Isabella did not just do this sort of thing. No punishment would change her mind. She knew people would want her there just for the sake of it, and that brought chills down her spine. Just because they could, because it was the logical thing, because she was a prize. It reminded her of much darker times. Of far more scarring incidents. Things she didn't want to remember...but did. She shook her head, bobbed brown hair just long enough to touch her face as she did so. Enough of that!

Isabella walked on and off the beaten pathways in the twilight, up and over a log, along a log, quite content to imagine that she was back in her true time and place. Not that she minded the 21st century, not that she minded a life in which she might live past nineteen, and her chastity was not all. That didn't mean she still had issues with that, since she was, after all, a sixteen year old girl who did find boys cute. But she was also a virgin saint, so what was all that supposed to mean? Did a new body change the rules? What did God want with her? It was all...all very hard to handle sometimes, no matter how much she prayed.

The tiny tomboy scurried up a tree at one point, watching the ground below, swinging her legs. Like the Fairy Tree back home...oh, how she missed climbing up there! She looked up at the moon through the trees. It looked the same. Just the same as ever, smiling down. Joan of Arc began to hum a tune almost unheard since the Hundred Years War, a tune her mother and sister used to hum at night, around the fire. Then she heard the footsteps, and she looked around, tune stopped. There was a boy walking down the path, towards her. She climbed back down from her lofty perch, and tilted her head slightly. "Xelios? What're you doing here?"

---------
words| more than 150
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| Like the title? XD

[xelios]

WHERE YOU WERE OR WHEN YOU
reached the frontier, i didn’t understand

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • ISABELLA AVADORE ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

Honestly, Xelios wasn’t at all surprised that he had been stood up for a date that he didn’t even consider a liable “date”. So far the events that the school put on had been interesting, even the dances that he had been forced to attend, but this one seemed lame in comparison. He didn’t see the attraction nor how the staff saw it as a “good idea” to do. Obviously Xelios wasn’t a big fan of Valentine’s Day. Sure, the main reason for disliking Valentine’s Day was the fact that he was named for the holiday and that his birthday was two days prior to the holiday. Xelios hadn’t celebrated his birthday in so long that he often forgot about it. When people asked he had to hesitate and think about the answer, but this year had been different. Robin, despite the protests that he had made for Christmas, had surprised Xelios with birthday gifts. It was nothing too expensive, mostly clothes that actually fit and weren’t from a thrift store or shelter. A new pair of shoes, suitable for winter unlike the hole filled Converse he had had before, some jeans that fit his lanky legs and some shirts that weren’t either too big or too small. He hated that she had spent money on him but he accepted the gifts anyways, even if it had taken him a while to realize what the occasion for them was. He hadn’t told any of his newly acquired friends that his birthday has passed though. He planned on admitting to that when it was far too late.

Xelios wasn’t surprised that he had been stood up, nor was he very hurt by it. He was almost relieved actually, because it meant no awkward conversation. While Xelios had gotten used to a lot of the changes his life had had recently, socializing wasn’t one of them. He was still rather horrible at it, so at least he didn’t have to go through with attempting to seem more vivacious than he actually was. So Xelios put the grey hoodie back on over top of the striped tee shirt, and then the tan spring jacket over the hoodie. He stood from the table in his new and very comfortable jeans and boots and walked out without a word, merely giving the teacher who had been watching a scornful glance. Yeah, bright idea this event was. He was only bitter about it being Valentine’s Day though, not because his date hadn’t shown. With no real desire to socialize with his two room mates he opted for cutting through the forest to head to Robin’s. She would probably lecture him for taking this shot cut this late but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. He had been through worse, much worse, and she knew that. As he walked, hands dug in the pockets of the jacket, he couldn’t help but hear humming. Why would someone be out in the forest? Wait, he was out there. Why the hell was Isa in the forest? Climbing out of a tree no less. His eyes moved from the spot she had been occupying back down to her in mild surprise. “Taking a shortcut to Robin’s,”

[/color] he replied calmly. “What were you doing in the tree? Other than humming,”[/color] he inquired. [/justify] [/blockquote]words: 551
outfit: here
lyrics: fleet foxes, he doesn’t know why
notes: yes xD[/blockquote]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

If Isabella knew fully what the idea of "being stood up" was in English beyond being forced to stand, and if she knew who she was doing this too, her decision to not go would have been harder to make. The saint's morals were not black and white, contrary to what her speech would sometimes would show. She could be thoroughly settled on a shade of grey, rather than just one or the other, or hovering back and forth.

Days like Valentines, or romance-y things caused her to see more shades of grey than ever she wanted to. The idea that Oliver had so awkwardly (for her) insinuated, that Xelios might like her was just one of those things. She just...it. No.

No.
Do.
Not.
Want.

That was the first - and usually the only - thought that sprang to mind. There were just so many reasons for it. And yet some part of her said "Yes, do want". Some part that didn't agree with her head or even all of her heart. It was frustrating. So, so frustrating. See, Isabella wouldn't mind devoting her life to God all over again, even if it meant she died the next hour. She didn't. If that was what He wanted, she would do it. But he'd been too vague this time. She'd done better with instructions to save France than this, which was kind of sad...but times changed. Things change, and people changed. She'd never questioned it in her past life, not once, not ever - never had she questioned something so many people did, because she content with the answer, and answer she knew:

What is the purpose to my life?

But in this life, the question plagued her endlessly, in so, so, many ways. Why couldn't she have died and stayed dead? As far as she knew, she was the only saint reincarnate out there. Just the one...why hadn't she gone to Heaven too? Why as she the only one? What made her different? She was certainly no greater. Now, Joan of Arc was an odd combinations: a saint, a warrior, a female, and a female with a banner at that. But yet...why did he send her back, when He knew she accepted her death?

So, in this walk, she was not just killing time, but trying to stave off questions for a moment, falling back into the world where there were no questions, only reasons, suggestions and understanding of what awaited her. Sure, she'd had her moments, but nothing like this. This was a whole 'nother lifetime.

But in the shadows of the dog park, it didn't seem quite that way. It was as though she were in the trees around Dormey again, just a child, in a place that was as safe as safe could be (while under constant threat of Englishmen just storming through to rape, pillage and plunder) where she could hum a long lost tune, in privacy and peace...

Or not. She climbed down the tree in quite a hurry when Xelios showed up, well aware of his glance from her former perch to her. Well, at least he wasn't going red again, and no old lady would be out here at this hour. He explained what he was doing, and she supposed now she had to do the same. "I'm hiding from life, that stupid Valentines thing, and getting lost in the woods nearby Doremy." She said rather bluntly, with a trace of a smile. "Mother and Catherine used to hum that song. There's nothing today like it...I guess in these woods... Isabella trailed off and shrugged, taking a few steps towards him. "I take it your date didn't show?" She dearly hoped he was not meant to be her date. Though Hanston would probably find that a funny combo, Isa didn't mind it funny at all. In fact, if he was her date, which she was going to hope he was not, she'd feel kinda bad about ditching.

---------------
words| 704
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| That was getting real deep at points. I rambled so much. So much for smaller posts...I'll keep it down next time.

[xelios]

WHERE YOU WERE OR WHEN YOU
reached the frontier, i didn’t understand

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • ISABELLA AVADORE ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

Dating wasn’t something that Xelios really thought about, not because he thought that it was pointless but because it simply didn’t cross his mind very often. He was so used to being alone that it was difficult enough to think about the fact that he had friends and companions who wouldn’t stab him in the back, literally and figuratively, let alone think about dating. Valentine’s Day, to him, was irritating and corporate. A beautiful pagan holiday had been turned into a greeting card companies Christmas, not to mention the fact that it meant his birthday and the reason for having such a ridiculous middle name. Valentine was not the kind of name that you gave your son, not when you gave him such a badass first name such as Xelios. Seriously, what had his parents been thinking? Valentine’s Day was just another day for him, a day filled with watching couples be more all over each other than usual. Guys would attempt to appear charming and girls would attempt to be impressed when they were disappointed in their gifts. Really, if you loved someone that deeply shouldn’t every day be like Valentine’s Day? If you loved someone did you really need a reason to shower them with gifts and candies and compliments? The concept of having only one day to show someone that you cared seemed preposterous if you asked him, though it wasn’t like he had had anyone to express any sort of love to on any given day. Except perhaps Robin, but that wasn’t the sort of love that Valentine’s Day was promoting.

Either way, he wasn’t that upset over being stood up. He actually preferred it, considering it meant no awkward socializing for him. He was still rather awkward when around Oliver, who Xelios lived with, let alone around someone that he didn’t know. Perhaps it was for the better that she didn’t show in that case, since he most likely wouldn’t have said anything to her anyways. It would have been even more awkward if the girl wasn’t a reincarnate. Not only would he have had to try and be social, he would have to watch what he said. It hadn’t really occurred to him, consciously at least, that he had wanted to be partnered off with Isabella. It seemed unlikely, but likely at the same time given their luck. Xelios was well aware of his feelings for the saint but he wasn’t sure if he should act on them, mostly because he didn’t want to make their friendship pressured by having the burden of rejection hanging over them. Did that even make sense? It did to him. He wasn’t afraid of rejection, he just didn’t want to make things more awkward than they could already get. He respected Isa far too much to ruin their friendship, at least that’s what he considered it. That meant a lot given his past, since Xelios had trust issues and for a damn good reason. Mind you, they had gotten a little better since having his old…companions, for lack of a better word, apologize to him.

He was still quite baffled by that, the questions as to why their sudden change of heart plaguing his mind since the event had happened. These questions were more prominent than questions about why he had been brought back to live a second life if it was going to be so rough. Lately he had been leaning toward the fact that whatever higher power existed, since he didn’t want to give it a name for now, wanted him to see the flaws in his highly developed theories. Alright, so he was wrong about woman having no purpose after they hit menopause, what more did you want from him? Why he had been given a second life was something that Xelios thought about very often since figuring out who he was, which actually hadn’t been that long. He had been a rather late bloomer, but given his circumstances it made sense for him to have caught on rather late. It wasn’t something he was too fond of telling the members of RSOR though. He actually wasn’t fond of telling them most things.

Smokey blue eyes wandered from her perch back down to her, studying her with that careful and distant expression that he always held. Xelios’s expression was most commonly rather blank of general emotion, but with traces of wisdom beyond his physical years and carefully kept secrets. He had the kinds of eyes that couldn’t help but reflect all that he had been through, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Right now they were watching her, a juxtaposed combination of distant but intent. He only just now realized how much taller than her he was, but that thought was no where near the surface of his mind. “I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day,”

[/color] he admitted, though he wasn’t ready to admit that his middle name was the main reason as to why. “It was…charming,”[/color] he spoke in reference to the song that she had been humming. He couldn’t think of a more appropriate word at the moment; he hadn’t heard enough to enjoy it but that he had caught wasn’t un-enjoyable. “No, but I didn’t stay and wait around for too long,”[/color] he also admitted with a small shrug.[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 892
outfit: here
lyrics: fleet foxes, he doesn’t know why
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Despite the world being a far cry from what it used to be, Isabella did not always feel out of place. She still regarded herself as Joan - Joan that lived under an alias, a new body, yes, but still Joan. She was her soul. If you looked Isabella Avadore in the eyes - which were an eerie match to those of her first body - you looked right into the eyes of Joan of Arc. She was one and the same. Educated, now. In a different family now. Yet still the same. Like Oliver; he was veyr much Orville Wright. Or Chaz...oh yes, that kid was still Bonaparte. She knew not all reincarnations were - a glaring example being Darwin, or Cleopatra, and she'd even venture out and say Saladin had changed quite a bit too. Some walked a line between. And that was their choice. That was not so much a loss of who they were, but an evolution of sorts. Who they'd be now. Who they had become, who they were going to be. A fate both independent and predetermined from what they had done.

Funny how a hallmark holiday turned her thoughts so deep, in a little copse of trees in a little village, across the world from where it had all begun for her. The snow crunched a little under her boots, leaving a solitary set behind her as she walked. Tiny little footprints in the snow, but not lost, not lonely, not small in that sense. They knew where they went, even if they had no destination in sight. And wasn't that life(s?)? It might have been overused, but it was true of those footprints in the park.

Footprints that showed her journey, as her mind escaped to another time, albeit just for a little bit. Just for a little while, before she was abruptly pulled back to it all, in the arrival of Xelios Savas. "I'm not a fan of it either." Isabella agreed, on the mention of the holiday. The disliked it, most probably for wholly different reasons. At his next words, though, an almost shy smile graced her features. "Thank you." She said, looking up at him. She was used to being dwarfed in both lives. His height didn't really bother her. La Hire had been huge, far bigger than Xelios.


"I can't blame you for not hanging around." She added, taking a couple steps forward,s then some more, so she ended up a little ways past Xelios, slightly to his left. A question came to mind, but one she was not wholly sure she should even ask. Joan liked being alone sometimes. She could find a snowy hollow, and in a coat as arm as this, could easily sit down and pray. She liked to do such things. The atmosphere was right. She could escape. Or, she could face things. That was what she had always done when she prayed alone, on the campaign trail. Prayed for the power to face what she must. Not that she had to face any of this. But perhaps, company this once, it would be nice. "Would you like to come walk with me?"

----------
words| 563
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| Nupe.

[xelios]

WHERE YOU WERE OR WHEN YOU
reached the frontier, i didn’t understand

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • ISABELLA AVADORE ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

Xelios could certainly be considered a late bloomer when it came to having that epiphany that clarified that he was, for certain, a reincarnation. It wasn’t something that he had really paid any mind to, to be honest. He had never really thought that he was in the wrong body or that he didn’t belong in this lifetime or anything that some of the other people he had talked to described. He hadn’t been completely certain of who he was at a young age, he had instead been confused about what he was being taught by the people around him and his family versus what he already knew from his first lifetime. He hadn’t really had any vivid dream memories of his first lifetime, not that he could recall anyways. He felt almost cheated in that sense, that it had taken someone else in order for him to figure out who he was. In a sense Xelios had known all along that he was, in fact, Charles Darwin, he had simply shoved those thoughts deep down since he had had better things to worry about at the time. Now that he had much less stressful and life threatening living conditions he had much more time to sit and ponder about his lives and his theories and everything else in between.

There was always a lot going on in that mind of his, though he spoke of only a fraction of that. As Xelios got distracted by the snow falling off of the trees he couldn’t help but think of himself as a ghost of Charles Darwin. Yes, that felt much more accurate. He wasn’t the same person by any means, but there was still a faint imprint of who he used to be left behind in him. He still felt like pulling a silly prank when he saw Oliver tinkering with something, and he still enjoyed solitary walks in the park. “I barely celebrate the big holidays, let alone small ones like this,”

[/color] he remarked to make small talk, hands dug deep in his pockets. He leaned back on his heels as he looked down at her, more relaxed than he usually was. “You’re welcome,”[/color] came his obligatory response. Most of the people who were unfamiliar with Xelios only ever heard him say small phrases like the former, since he wasn’t a particularly chatty person. He had once been accused of believing himself as superior to everyone else, which was far from the truth.

“Not really my thing anyways,”[/color] he couldn’t help but admit, watching her walk forward but doing just that. “Besides, it would have been so awkward that it would form into organic matter; it’s safer that I left,”[/color] he joked. Xelios was making a joke, this was an event for the record books! He couldn’t help it, walking through parks and forests left him feeling so tranquil. Isa’s presence certainly helped to that but that little fact can be kept quiet. “Uh...Sure,”[/color] he answered in surprise to her question, brushing hair out of his lashes and proceeding to return that hand to his pocket.[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 518
outfit: here
lyrics: fleet foxes, he doesn’t know why
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

If looked at superficially, life and death could be called black and white. You lived. Then you died. But biologically, it wasn;t so clear cut. If, for example, being able to reproduce was a criteria for life, then plenty of people - by choice or otherwise, weren't alive. Psychologically, was death a stage of mental torment? Was it then, possible to be alive while dead? And then, quite literally, the reincarnations were. Zombies were alive in body but not soul and reincarnates the exact opposite; even though Isabella and several others looked pretty similar. So....where did this put the theological world that Joan was part of? It was a question that plagued her as soon as she learned she was reincarnated - what in God's name (literally) was she supposed to do? Someone once offered the idea that is was, in her case, retribution for a very short and brutal life, but saint Joan didn't get that either as she walked, fading into Domremy. She had no regrets about her past not the one. Every single pain was worth it. For God. For France. Perhaps she'd have gone on like this, if not for a boy that was American in this life - and English in the last, also walking through the woods.

Not that she wholly minded. "I don't mind things to celebrate. But when it comes to this," She muttered, reference of course to the blind dates fiasco, "That's just...no." Isabella's eye wandered from the woods around them and back up to Xelios, her eyes meeting his briefly and hen back away for the woods. He seemed very contemplate. Maybe she ought not disturb him, but she wouldn't mind the company. Was that wrong of her? The unsureness she felt stayed well off her face. She had been good at that, in either life. When she needed, or wanted, to bottle herself up, she typically could, so she looked calm, collected and at ease. Sort of like Xelios did, which was odd for him, she had to admit. He normally wasn't overly at ease...

Nor did he often make jokes, for that matter! Maybe it was because the first time they met they got into quite a row over religion, but she'd never beheld him as the joking sort. Strange? Yes. Joking? No. An eyebrow shot up, then she smiled, laughing lightly. The joke wasn't the funniest that came around, but half of it was the fact that he'd actually opened up and made a joke.

"Fair enough." She said brightly, then titled her head a little to one side as she waited for the response to her offer, smiling a little more when he agreed. "Great." Isabella's tone was still just as cheerful, she still looked just as happy but internally, she was wondering what to do or say or if she was even doing the right thing by this. "A little company would be nice." She started, as she walked along. Her hands slipped into the deep pockets of her red coat, moving through the woods with relative ease. "This place reminds me of...before. Of home. It'd be so easy to slip away in these woods, y'know?" She asked quietly after a moment, turning to look up at him.

----------
words| 608
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| None

[xelios]

WHERE YOU WERE OR WHEN YOU
reached the frontier, i didn’t understand

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • ISABELLA AVADORE ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

It was weird, the way he felt it so easy to open up to Isabella. Talking to Oliver and admitting to things seemed obligatory given that they were roommates. He didn’t mind Oliver, don’t get him wrong, it just felt like he had to talk to him about his life. With Isa, and Robin too for that matter, it wasn’t really like that. He felt comfortable around them both and admitting to things that he otherwise wasn’t sure about was so simple. “The real reason I hate it,”

[/color] he started to admit before even realizing it. “Is that I was named after the holiday. My middle name is Valentine,”[/color] he finished with lightly flushed cheeks that came from admitting to something embarrassing. “And my birthday is two days before, something I also don’t really care for,”[/color] he added with a shrug. He figured that out of everyone Isa was least likely to make a big deal out of celebrating his birthday. She seemed like the type to understand why he didn’t care for it. He hated Valentine’s Day simply for it being his middle name, the fact that it was all about love and romance and all of that sappy stuff was just a plus to hating it.

Why did Isabella make him feel so odd? Why was he so comfortable and at ease when she was around? His mind was a mess of thoughts and feelings that he found impossible to express. The only one he could make sense of was the one that told him that Isabella was off limits, but that didn’t mean he would stay completely clear of her. That sounded wrong. Alright, enough of those thoughts. A hand rose to brush hair from his eyes, digging back into his pockets and smiling ever so slightly. Full fledged smiles weren’t common with him, neither was most others exaggerated form of expression. He started walking along with her, making note to take shorter strides than he usually did. He didn’t want to make her scurry and scamper to keep up, especially since she was inviting him along to her walk. “Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the forest I used to walk through too,”[/color] he nodded. “I only went through a little bit of the forest back then though, I was too old and feeble to walk through the entire thing,”[/color] he admitted as he looked down at her. That was when he neglected to notice the root that stuck out from the ground, his shoe catching on it and ending in Xelios falling into the dirt. Just great. Perfect really. At least he caught himself with his arms before he could get a face full of forest floor. “I’m so graceful,”[/color] he joked light heartedly.[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 500
outfit: here
lyrics: fleet foxes, he doesn’t know why
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

For Isabella, hiding away stuff about herself was not too common. Yes, she had things to hide. Obviously, she had to hide she was a reincarnation to most. But putting that aside, there weren't a lot of other things she hide. It didn't matter to her of someone knew the origins of her name, or if she liked or disliked a holiday, or anything. But she could tell Xelios was not like that. Darwin was a changed man - a new lease on life could do that to people, and while her past life had been traumatic, his present one had been that, in it's way. So the fact he just started to talk about why he really hated the holiday was an interesting one to her. If it had been someone like Chelsea, she'd not have thought twice. But Xelios?

"I can understand that." She said with a small nod. Personally, she kinda liked the name Valentine. But she could understand why he'd dislike being named after such a holiday, on the same token; even moreso with his birthday being so near to it. "Happy late birthday." She added with a smile at him, but nothing more. She didn't figure he'd like the jump-on-and-hug thing, or the big ado about it given all he just said. Besides, she didn't want to scare him to shreds. Joan may have been a military mastermind, but she had also always been an emotional sort. Not many other general cried for the dead after great victories due to carnage. She had. She wasn't sure to be proud of that or not.

She noted he was a bit flushed as they began to walk, but figured it was from the aforementioned conversation and didn't bring it up. There was no need to. He reached up to brush hair from his eyes and smiled, and Isabella couldn't help her own smile, before she looked back down again quickly, though she was sure footed enough not to have to focus intently on where her feet where going, as he mentioned growing old. Old. A quizzical look crossed her features. "If...If I can ask..." She began, "What's it like to be old?" She'd always wondered a bit, in both lives, especially when the realization in her first life that she would be lucky to hit twenty-five. She'd not been that lucky, she'd didn't even make it out of her teens. "If it's all right to ask, I mean, I can't imagine it was the nicest of thin-." She stopped abruptly when Xelios tripped, and without really thinking, took a hand out of her pocket to help him up.

"Very graceful indeed." She mused with the slightest of laughs.

----------
words| 507
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| BANANA PHONE.

[xelios]

WHERE YOU WERE OR WHEN YOU
reached the frontier, i didn’t understand

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • ISABELLA AVADORE ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

Xelios was used to hiding, which probably wasn’t a good thing. Hiding his emotions had become as easy as breathing, and it still was. While this often caused a bit of trouble among Xelios and his new companions, it also wasn’t a trait that he wanted to easily get rid of. He didn’t like to have people be concerned over him when it was something that he knew was trivial. He didn’t like the outside world to see that there was more than a scowl to him. Xelios was not a social creature, so his ability to hide himself came in handy when he didn’t want people to approach him. He had also had to hide from authorities, who didn’t take too kindly to street kids hanging around. Throw in the fact that Xelios hadn’t had any sort of identification on his person until the hospital and hiding had become incredibly easy. It was second nature by now, though admitting his secrets to Isa was much easier than admitting them to Oliver. Oliver felt so much younger than him, not just because of the physical age difference but because Xelios had matured in a much different way in both lifetimes. “Thanks,”

[/color] he replied in an almost automatic voice. It didn’t so much bother him being that this was Isa. She was someone who could easily be trusted with your deepest secrets.

Now, that was an odd question for Xelios. He had never been asked something of this nature before, so he was admittedly a little thrown off by it. It made him realize how easy it was to forget that Joan had died so young. She had never known the perks and quirks of being elderly, so he couldn’t blame her for being curious. He looked up at the tangled tree branches as he thought back. “What’s it like to be old?”[/color] he echoed as he brought himself back to his first lifetime. It felt so distant and far away. It was the fact that he was looking up rather than down at his feet, mixed with how lanky and awkward he was, that sent him tumbling to the ground. Xelios rolled so that he was sitting on the forest ground, dusting his hands off on his hands and jacket before taking the hand that Isabella offered. He didn’t really need her help getting up but he took the offer up anyways, pulling himself up with her help. “I haven’t broken in my new legs yet,”[/color] he joked with a small chuckle. Well, at least he was light hearted about tripping.

Without even noticing Xelios neglected to let go of Isa’s hand and continued to walk. “To answer your question, being old was not something I enjoyed. I was constantly in pain, my muscles and joints didn’t want to cooperate, and sleeping was impossible. I was constantly tired and cold and taking a step felt like trying to walk in ten layers of armour,”[/color] he started to explain. “Keep in mind that I was sick the last years of my life,”[/color] he reminded her. He didn’t want to scare her, but he knew that she would rather the brutal truth than buttered up lies. He hadn’t enjoyed being old, that much had been made obvious on the England trip. Being young again was definitely something that Xelios cherished. Note that he has yet to let go of her hand.
[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 569
outfit: here
lyrics: fleet foxes, he doesn’t know why
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Valentines Day. Last Valentines day, she went to church to pray. Now, she was walking in the forest with someone that many in the church still opposed with tooth and claw. Maybe Joan had always been a bit of an unconventional sort but she didn't see their problem. True, she'd been wary of him when they first met, but that was because he'd been skeptical of religion quite blatant and argumentatively. What was she supposed to do? Not be offended? True, it was prior either of them knew the motivations for their position, but for Heaven's sake! She couldn't imagine life without religion. She couldn't. And she wasn't even nearly as religious as she used to be, thanks to literacy and science. She prayed daily, she went to church often, but she still did not consider herself as religious as before.

Maybe he mind would have been changed if she knew more about the life and times of Charles Darwin, but now that he was recruited into RSOR, it would feel weird to google him up, now that there was a face to the name, blue grey eyes rather than just ones in a photograph of an old man with a fluffy, Santa-beard. Not that he was much of a talker, if his automatic tone said anything at all. She was going to hope that he was to talk more, or this would be a boring walk indeed. Hopefully it just meant that birthdays meant little to him, rather than he didn't want to be here.

Xelios echoed her question about old age as they walked along, and Isabella wondered if she'd made a misstep. Some people didn't like discussing these things. Isa herself didn't mind much. She didn't mind discussing her death - it was long and gruesome and sometimes people asked, but as long as it didn't get mean, she was good with it. Maybe he was a little less okay with things pertaining to old age and death, -

Or he was preoccupied with the forest floor. He had been really into biology, after all. Maybe there was something worth investigating down there. Somehow she doubted it, but it was an amusing thought nonetheless to her. "You may need to break in your legs, but don't break them while you're at it." Isa said brightly. "I'm pretty sure that would make you grumpy, old or not."

He go up and they walked onwards, with one major alteration. Xelios had not let go of her hand. He. Had. Not. Let. Go. We was holding her hand. To most teenage girls, unless said male was incredibly attractive, this would be no big deal on Valentines, really, moreso given the situation between the two teens. But when you factored in that Isabella and this sort of thing did not mix, or mixed in such an odd and convoluted way it would take hours to explain, and Isa would probably break down at some point. She tensed a bit, expecting him to let go, but he did not, as he spoke on. Her heart was racing, and she knew it was absurd. He wasn't going to hurt her.

He won't hurt me. He's talking to me. Pay attention! Forget the hand. Forget the hand. You don't mind. She forced herself to focus on the answer to her question rather than the hand-holding, thus keeping her hand in his, though she was sharply aware of it. "That doesn't sound very nice. I suppose it makes sense, though. Maybe you'll age better this time, with modern medicine and all." Isabella hoped he'd live a long life again. That would be nice. She was placing no bets on herself. All she wanted was a 20th birthday, but if God decided it was not to be, she supposed she wouldn't complain. This life was better than the past one in many regards, even a little extra would be okay, (though she'd be a very restless angel if she died young twice. Actually, Isa would likely be restless regardless) as extra was just that. Extra. There was a moment of silence that ensued. Isa had no idea what else to say on it. She died young - he'd gone through her entire life once and almost twice, given she died only a year older than he currently was at. In terms of years, she was one of the youngest out there, and couldn't help but feel naive sometimes as a result.

Just as naive as she felt now. Did she let him hold on or did she ask him to let go? In the end, she decided that she'd take a gamble. "You may let go of my hand now." May. Not asking him to let go and not saying anything about the fact he kept it. Only that he may let go, or he may keep it, and between awkwardness, theological battles and being a teen, she wanted him to not let go.

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words| 884
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| All that for holding hands. Dear Isa, you are a mess. Xelios, I am sorry.

[xelios]

WHERE YOU WERE OR WHEN YOU
reached the frontier, i didn’t understand

[/font]
• • • • • • • • • • • ISABELLA AVADORE ![/font][/color][/font][/size][/center]

Last Valentine’s Day, his last birthday, had been spent being newly released from the hospital and lying on Robin’s couch stubbornly refusing to use the spare bed while she blew off a date to change the bandages. It hadn’t been much of a holiday or a birthday, but at least it had been spent in a house rather than a shelter or park bench. Part of Xelios desperately wanted to be able to get used to having people care for him, dressing his wounds and giving him a place to stay and celebrating his birthday like a normal human being, but he highly doubted that that was something he would get comfortable with. Part of Xelios didn’t want to get used to this. Part of him was afraid to get too attached to this wonderful new life of his, afraid that it would all be ripped away from him. He had such strong mixed feelings about this new life of his, but that was to be expected.

It was funny how much something and someone could change in such a short period of time. Not months ago he was dead set on not revealing anything about himself to Isabella, better known as Joan of Arc. To him she was a chemically imbalanced nut who desperately needed schizophrenia medication. He had been so sure that she was just crazy, never once hearing the God that she was so devoted to. Religion was just man made and gods didn’t exist. Oh how drastically his mind had changed since first attending high school. Everything that he had been so dead set on, opinions he had taken two lifetimes to perfect, was being questioned and it was all Isa’s fault. Isa with her tiny stature big giant personality. Isa with her flawless skin and warm atmosphere. Despite their arguments that they had gotten into upon first meeting she had still managed to diminish those feelings of being completely invisible.

And then he just had to go and trip. He just had to let his awkward teenage body be awkward. This was just cruel and uncalled for, though the opportunity it opened up for him was exponential. He just had to realize that opportunity first. “No promises but I’ll try my best,”

[/color] he continued with the joke, not really minding her playful teasing. He was used to this by now with her, and Isa usually made sure to not tease him where it hurt. Usually, but even saints weren’t perfect. “Thanks,”[/color] he said as he pulled himself up, walking without realizing he had yet to free Isa’s hand. It was just so natural. So easy. It wasn’t until he had felt her tense when he noticed just what he was doing. He should have known better given the damage she had caused shirts in the past. She hadn’t said anything about it though, so he was going to continue on. “Yeah, old age doesn’t really bother me much,”[/color] he shrugged. “Modern medicine has come far. Getting old wasn’t enjoyable but it’s a part of life. For now I’ll enjoy my youth; I’m quite fond of this body even if it’s a bit on the awkward side,”[/color] his tone less automatic now. If anyone could hear them they would be very confused.

And then she pointed out his hand, to which he looked down at with those always distant eyes of his. “May I?”[/color] he simply said in response, reading into the careful wording she had chosen. She hadn’t demanded that he let go, she hadn’t asked him to either. She was insinuating that he had a choice, and his choice was to continue on as he was. Next time he tripped he would be bringing him down with her though, so let’s hope he remained in the upright position. That was a whole lot of awkward these two just weren’t ready for yet.
[/justify] [/blockquote]words: 648
outfit: here
lyrics: fleet foxes, he doesn’t know why
notes: - - -[/blockquote]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

The night had gone from akin to wandering around Domremy in a way, to meeting up with Xelios, to walking with him. This was Riverdale. The only place in the world; or more truthfully, the only place in time itself, where things like this could happen. The town of Riverdale was an anarchisim, plain and simple. It wasn't meant to be, but it was right. Everything here was right in it's unique way. Riverdale was itself. It took ahold of history's finest and put them together. And that, quite simply, was what was going on here. Two people who the world would assume would loathe each other. Scientific Darwin, and Joan of Arc, a saint that couldn't even begin to grasp science in her past life, only religion. And they sure had argued. They'd fought quite severely. Xelios had thought her insane, and Isabella had thought him just as insane for ignoring God. There was a God, and he was spruning him! But that was before either one really knew the other. Darwin wasn't as...Darwinish as before, and Joan of Arc was educated. Still hearing Voices. But educated. Even so, they had initially fought.

But slowly...they warmed up to each other. Isabella found him a curious sort, and wanted to know more. There was something in his eyes and she wanted to know, and slowly, she came to trust him. He understood things (God knew, his shirts were abused because he did), and he was gentle. He wasn't loud or obnoxious like a lot of boys his age, he didn't care about the next party or dancing with her to just say he did. None of that. And that had endeared him to her. But still, she was hesitant. There was a theological and other battles going on. She was scared on more than one level. But tonight, in the dog woods, she was a little bit braver, even if she didn't know it right away.

Isabella giggled a bit as he continued on with the joke, though thankfully she didn't gigglefit. "You best try, I'm not sure how I'd get you out of here if you did break a leg." She added. After all, it wasn't like she could carry him. She could probably hold his weight, yes, but the size difference would probably get in the way. Then he pulled himself up, and the walking continued on. A person could say "as normal", but it was anything but. He was holding her hand. Isabella didn't freak out right away and run, either. That was a good sign. She even tried for normal conversation, and Xelios responded, proving she had somewhat succeeded, even if she was still painfully aware of the hand-holding. "Youth is nice. Dying in it is a bit of a damper on long terms plans, though. It might have set back your theories a bit." She said brightly, rather jokingly, but there was an uncomfortable undertone in her words. Not from the subject but from what was going on during the discussion.

She had to deal with the hand holding, and in a sudden streak of bravery, she did, leaving the choice to Xelios. He could let go, or he could hold on. "You may." She said in response to his inquiry, and offered him a tiny smile upwards as they lapsed into silence, and continued to walk along.

Strange things happen on Valentine's day - random pairing by Hanston and staff were the least of it.

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words| 617
tagged| Xelios / Dee
notes| Thread done.