Post by Liessel on Dec 31, 2019 12:28:36 GMT -5
Lisa:
The house was small and cramped for so many people. Two bedrooms. A small living space with a couch by a warm fireplace. Aurelia wasn’t sure about the rest of the house… because she hadn’t made it beyond the living room. She only knew about the bedrooms because someone had mentioned it. Ethan, one of their many house guests, was in a room. Aurelia assumed Liessel, was that her name, was in the other.
It was the couch for her. Legs stretched out across the seats. A blanket was tucked tight around her body. She had her wounds to thank for her position on the couch. One arm in a cast. A leg a well. There were nasty cuts and bruises across her face and jawline. Dark circles filled beneath her cream-colored skin making her abnormally green eyes appear hollow and faded. The rest of her was carefully tucked beneath an old blanket that stretched beyond her feet.
Her eyes watched the firelight as it danced across the logs. There was something mesmerizing about the way the flames moved. Each one gliding along the wood to some mystical melody that only the flames could hear. It was soothing to watch until the glow became too much for her eyes and she had to look away.
Bobbi
Seen to, and much drier now than she had been when she arrived, Liessel found an extra layer of comfort and warmth beneath the sheltering wrap and folds of a blanket she'd been given on her arrival with Felix. The cloak she'd been wearing was hanging somewhere to dry, as was the dress and all the layers she'd been wearing beneath it. What she wore now was whatever could be provided by the twins in their currently modest means. That was to say it was far more comfortable than a corset and layers of fancy materials. The blanket, itself, felt like wool. The slightly scratchy material was woven into faded lines of tan, dark blue and red. She should have been sleeping, resting with the rest of the world. But, who could sleep at a time like this? She was awake and moving as quietly as she could, finding herself drawn into the living room by the alluring light and warmth cast from the fire's glow. Liessel came around the sofa, stopping halfway to an old looking arm chair when she realized someone else was in the room with her, and that someone was laying tucked under a blanket on the sofa.
Lisa:
There was a soft intake of breath when Aurelia realized Liessel entered the room. Not the gasping panic of being startled. Not an over dramatized surprisal. Just the awareness of another being in the room with her. She turned her head to look at the dark-haired woman. After their arrival, it had quickly been established that Liessal did not understand English… and that Aurelia did not understand Liessel’s native tongue.
But that didn’t stop the kind and friendly smile from spreading across her face. It didn’t stop her from gesturing with her unbound hand to join her at the fireplace in that old armchair.
“Please.” She said the word with the gesture.
Bobbi:
A look went from Aurelia toward the fire and then the armchair. A second later Liessel was giving a gentle smile Aurelia's way before finishing the short journey to sit in that arm chair. Her blanket was pulled tighter about her shoulders as she sat, but only to prevent the feeling of discomfort from cloth that had bunched up against the back of the chair. "I hope I didn't wake you." She knew Aurelia wouldn't understand the rolling language she spoke, but the promise was there -- the hope -- that this small issue in the least would be resolved come morning when things were seen in the better light of a new day. For now, it was a reliance on tone to carry meaning. She hoped that would be enough.
Lisa:
That smile widened and something about it transformed her face. Hidden beneath the exhaustion and bruises was something exotic about her. Like a beautiful wild bird captured from its homeland buried deep in the jungles of Africa.
She didn’t understand a word Liessel said. The language was very strange to her and the accent was too thick. Aurelia, too, had a heavy accent when she spoke. The tone matched the light and friendly ones of the other woman.
“I couldn’t sleep. It’s nice to have some company.” Her good hand pointed to her chest and said.
“Aurelia.”
Bobbi:
Right hand lifted, Liessel touched her fingertips to a light blue mark on her brow, a little tattoo of sorts hidden by her hair, and then brought her hand away with her palm up, and fingers directed Aurelia's way, "Blessings to you, miss. These," her hand changed direction, her thumb flexing to trace lines across her own face that mirrored the injuries on Aurelia's, "Are not painful, are they?"
Lisa:
Aurelia mimicked those motions from Liessel like a mirror. The only difference was that it came from her left wrist. Her right was the one in the cast. The traced across an invisible mark on her brow and brought her hand away with her palm up, and fingers directed to Liessel.
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” She said in her own language.
Watching as the woman’s fingers changed direction to trace where Aurelia’s wounds were, her brows furrowed. “These?” She pointed to one of the purplish cut marks on her cheek. “No. I’m okay.” Her head shook with the words - knowing it was that motion that would truly answer the question.
Bobbi:
Her hand fell as she watched Aurelia's reaction, disappearing back under the blanket she had wrapped around her while Aurelia spoke. That head shake did not tell all, but it told enough while Aurelia's tone took care of most of the rest. "I hope they heal quickly for you," this included the cast covered arm which she indicated by by bringing her left hand from beneath the blanket to clutch at her right arm at about where the cast covered Aurelia's own right arm.
Lisa:
The cast covered arm lifted from beneath the blanket, her finger running along the length of it. “This?” She asked, her head tilting in question.
Aurelia shook her head and smiled. That good hand waved lightly in a ‘it’s nothing’ gesture. “I’m okay.” She spoke. “It will be healed in a few days.”
Pausing, the redheaded woman pointed to Liessel. “Are you okay?” The words were gestured in a sign language manner. First being a finger pointing to Liessel. The second being a thumbs up. It was a universal gesture in her world but… maybe it wouldn’t be on in Liessel’s.
Bobbi:
Her brow furrowed even as she slipped her left hand back under her own blanket. There was a question, and a point her way -- but that thumbs up. What did it mean? Aurelia might have been able to read the confusion in Liessel's hesitant shake of her head, or the creased brow and the look on her face as she sought understanding.
Lisa:
A thumbs up was about as universal as it got for a signal of ‘good’. But just because it was universal in her world apparently meant that it wasn’t the same for Liessel’s. However, Aurelia wasn’t sure what to use to convey the question after trying the most basic method she knew.
The Liessel’s confused look was met with one of her own. A frown marred her beautiful features. The Brothers said she knew very little English… maybe she’d know this word.
Another point to Lissel that followed by the question “Good?”
Bobbi:
That one word brought the light of understanding to her eyes, but her answer was less than quickly forthcoming. Was she good? Physically she was alright. Otherwise, perhaps not so much. What she settled on was drawing the blanket further about herself, making a show of shivering beneath the blanket as if she were still bone-deep cold.
Lisa:
Ah! Progress! The excitement of that didn’t last long as she watched Liessel recluse into her blanket.
Again, that face frowned. But this time it wasn’t from a misunderstanding in communication. Unnaturally green eyes filled with worry and concern that was directed to Liessel. It would do no good to talk about it. They barely understood one another as it was. But…
The armchair wasn’t far from the couch. It had been moved closer to the fire hours before and was close to the couch. Her good hand unfolded out from the blanket and reached across the distance for Liessel to grab if she wanted.
A wordless gesture of comfort.
Bobbi:
She watched Aurelia out-stretch her hand and Liessel responded in kind. She peeled the blanket away just wide enough to slip her hand out to take Aurelia's, "I am Isabell," she said roughly, working through a language that wasn't her own, and that was followed by some rambling of unintelligible words for Aurelia, but her tone was kind and gentle as she finished with the word, "Okay." Her hand was not heavily calloused, but it wasn't smooth either. She was used to a not-so-soft way of life.
Lisa:
Aurelia's hand was soft and warm like velvet flower petals basking in the afternoon sunlight. Her nails were evenly trimmed with no hints of dirt beneath their bed. She grasped Isabell's hand with a gentle firmness.
A quiet gesture of kindness admits a massive storm that washed over them all.
Though her other hand was still encased in plaster, it too reached out from the folds of her blanket. It mimicked the trail across her forehead, the exact same way she had done before, ending with her hand stretched out with palms up towards the other woman.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
She had no clue what Isabel said when she spoke. It was an impossible string of rolling sounds and words that made no sense to her. The only thing she caught, and even that Aurelia was unsure of, was 'Okay'.
"Okay." She said.
She sat like that for a while. Her hand held out to Isabel's, watching the fire dance upon the log, for however long it was needed to calm the woman’s rattled fears. She didn't say much but found a temporary peace in the quiet comfort of the room with just the two of them.
Sometimes words were not needed.
The house was small and cramped for so many people. Two bedrooms. A small living space with a couch by a warm fireplace. Aurelia wasn’t sure about the rest of the house… because she hadn’t made it beyond the living room. She only knew about the bedrooms because someone had mentioned it. Ethan, one of their many house guests, was in a room. Aurelia assumed Liessel, was that her name, was in the other.
It was the couch for her. Legs stretched out across the seats. A blanket was tucked tight around her body. She had her wounds to thank for her position on the couch. One arm in a cast. A leg a well. There were nasty cuts and bruises across her face and jawline. Dark circles filled beneath her cream-colored skin making her abnormally green eyes appear hollow and faded. The rest of her was carefully tucked beneath an old blanket that stretched beyond her feet.
Her eyes watched the firelight as it danced across the logs. There was something mesmerizing about the way the flames moved. Each one gliding along the wood to some mystical melody that only the flames could hear. It was soothing to watch until the glow became too much for her eyes and she had to look away.
Bobbi
Seen to, and much drier now than she had been when she arrived, Liessel found an extra layer of comfort and warmth beneath the sheltering wrap and folds of a blanket she'd been given on her arrival with Felix. The cloak she'd been wearing was hanging somewhere to dry, as was the dress and all the layers she'd been wearing beneath it. What she wore now was whatever could be provided by the twins in their currently modest means. That was to say it was far more comfortable than a corset and layers of fancy materials. The blanket, itself, felt like wool. The slightly scratchy material was woven into faded lines of tan, dark blue and red. She should have been sleeping, resting with the rest of the world. But, who could sleep at a time like this? She was awake and moving as quietly as she could, finding herself drawn into the living room by the alluring light and warmth cast from the fire's glow. Liessel came around the sofa, stopping halfway to an old looking arm chair when she realized someone else was in the room with her, and that someone was laying tucked under a blanket on the sofa.
Lisa:
There was a soft intake of breath when Aurelia realized Liessel entered the room. Not the gasping panic of being startled. Not an over dramatized surprisal. Just the awareness of another being in the room with her. She turned her head to look at the dark-haired woman. After their arrival, it had quickly been established that Liessal did not understand English… and that Aurelia did not understand Liessel’s native tongue.
But that didn’t stop the kind and friendly smile from spreading across her face. It didn’t stop her from gesturing with her unbound hand to join her at the fireplace in that old armchair.
“Please.” She said the word with the gesture.
Bobbi:
A look went from Aurelia toward the fire and then the armchair. A second later Liessel was giving a gentle smile Aurelia's way before finishing the short journey to sit in that arm chair. Her blanket was pulled tighter about her shoulders as she sat, but only to prevent the feeling of discomfort from cloth that had bunched up against the back of the chair. "I hope I didn't wake you." She knew Aurelia wouldn't understand the rolling language she spoke, but the promise was there -- the hope -- that this small issue in the least would be resolved come morning when things were seen in the better light of a new day. For now, it was a reliance on tone to carry meaning. She hoped that would be enough.
Lisa:
That smile widened and something about it transformed her face. Hidden beneath the exhaustion and bruises was something exotic about her. Like a beautiful wild bird captured from its homeland buried deep in the jungles of Africa.
She didn’t understand a word Liessel said. The language was very strange to her and the accent was too thick. Aurelia, too, had a heavy accent when she spoke. The tone matched the light and friendly ones of the other woman.
“I couldn’t sleep. It’s nice to have some company.” Her good hand pointed to her chest and said.
“Aurelia.”
Bobbi:
Right hand lifted, Liessel touched her fingertips to a light blue mark on her brow, a little tattoo of sorts hidden by her hair, and then brought her hand away with her palm up, and fingers directed Aurelia's way, "Blessings to you, miss. These," her hand changed direction, her thumb flexing to trace lines across her own face that mirrored the injuries on Aurelia's, "Are not painful, are they?"
Lisa:
Aurelia mimicked those motions from Liessel like a mirror. The only difference was that it came from her left wrist. Her right was the one in the cast. The traced across an invisible mark on her brow and brought her hand away with her palm up, and fingers directed to Liessel.
“It is a pleasure to meet you.” She said in her own language.
Watching as the woman’s fingers changed direction to trace where Aurelia’s wounds were, her brows furrowed. “These?” She pointed to one of the purplish cut marks on her cheek. “No. I’m okay.” Her head shook with the words - knowing it was that motion that would truly answer the question.
Bobbi:
Her hand fell as she watched Aurelia's reaction, disappearing back under the blanket she had wrapped around her while Aurelia spoke. That head shake did not tell all, but it told enough while Aurelia's tone took care of most of the rest. "I hope they heal quickly for you," this included the cast covered arm which she indicated by by bringing her left hand from beneath the blanket to clutch at her right arm at about where the cast covered Aurelia's own right arm.
Lisa:
The cast covered arm lifted from beneath the blanket, her finger running along the length of it. “This?” She asked, her head tilting in question.
Aurelia shook her head and smiled. That good hand waved lightly in a ‘it’s nothing’ gesture. “I’m okay.” She spoke. “It will be healed in a few days.”
Pausing, the redheaded woman pointed to Liessel. “Are you okay?” The words were gestured in a sign language manner. First being a finger pointing to Liessel. The second being a thumbs up. It was a universal gesture in her world but… maybe it wouldn’t be on in Liessel’s.
Bobbi:
Her brow furrowed even as she slipped her left hand back under her own blanket. There was a question, and a point her way -- but that thumbs up. What did it mean? Aurelia might have been able to read the confusion in Liessel's hesitant shake of her head, or the creased brow and the look on her face as she sought understanding.
Lisa:
A thumbs up was about as universal as it got for a signal of ‘good’. But just because it was universal in her world apparently meant that it wasn’t the same for Liessel’s. However, Aurelia wasn’t sure what to use to convey the question after trying the most basic method she knew.
The Liessel’s confused look was met with one of her own. A frown marred her beautiful features. The Brothers said she knew very little English… maybe she’d know this word.
Another point to Lissel that followed by the question “Good?”
Bobbi:
That one word brought the light of understanding to her eyes, but her answer was less than quickly forthcoming. Was she good? Physically she was alright. Otherwise, perhaps not so much. What she settled on was drawing the blanket further about herself, making a show of shivering beneath the blanket as if she were still bone-deep cold.
Lisa:
Ah! Progress! The excitement of that didn’t last long as she watched Liessel recluse into her blanket.
Again, that face frowned. But this time it wasn’t from a misunderstanding in communication. Unnaturally green eyes filled with worry and concern that was directed to Liessel. It would do no good to talk about it. They barely understood one another as it was. But…
The armchair wasn’t far from the couch. It had been moved closer to the fire hours before and was close to the couch. Her good hand unfolded out from the blanket and reached across the distance for Liessel to grab if she wanted.
A wordless gesture of comfort.
Bobbi:
She watched Aurelia out-stretch her hand and Liessel responded in kind. She peeled the blanket away just wide enough to slip her hand out to take Aurelia's, "I am Isabell," she said roughly, working through a language that wasn't her own, and that was followed by some rambling of unintelligible words for Aurelia, but her tone was kind and gentle as she finished with the word, "Okay." Her hand was not heavily calloused, but it wasn't smooth either. She was used to a not-so-soft way of life.
Lisa:
Aurelia's hand was soft and warm like velvet flower petals basking in the afternoon sunlight. Her nails were evenly trimmed with no hints of dirt beneath their bed. She grasped Isabell's hand with a gentle firmness.
A quiet gesture of kindness admits a massive storm that washed over them all.
Though her other hand was still encased in plaster, it too reached out from the folds of her blanket. It mimicked the trail across her forehead, the exact same way she had done before, ending with her hand stretched out with palms up towards the other woman.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
She had no clue what Isabel said when she spoke. It was an impossible string of rolling sounds and words that made no sense to her. The only thing she caught, and even that Aurelia was unsure of, was 'Okay'.
"Okay." She said.
She sat like that for a while. Her hand held out to Isabel's, watching the fire dance upon the log, for however long it was needed to calm the woman’s rattled fears. She didn't say much but found a temporary peace in the quiet comfort of the room with just the two of them.
Sometimes words were not needed.