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Post by mermaidangel on Oct 15, 2015 14:58:25 GMT -5
you are the only exception Kelly opened her eyes with a smile as she realized that she was back at her grandmother's home and had nothing to do that day but relax and have fun. Why was it so dark in here? There was usually a nightlight on. And why was she feeling that familiar sensation of grief? Soon the sound of pouring rain hit her ears and with a sinking realization she knew that she was not at her grandmother's house; she was on that island. Still. Her eyes burned with tears and she felt more homesick than she had ever felt in her life–even worse than her first year away from home at college. Thankfully she'd been able to commute, but it still stung. She had nobody here, really. Sure she'd rescued people and had conversations with them afterwards, but once someone took over for the rest of the group, she was on her own. Except for Raion. The thought of him caused her anxiety to lessen and she felt like she could breathe more easily. Her eyes instinctively searched the cave for Raion but it was too dark to see anything and the light of the fire was dimming; the lightning happened once in awhile, but that only lit up everything for a split second. She wondered how long the hurricane would last, and then she remembered that the longest it could last was four days? Or was it three? She hadn't been in a hurricane in a long time.
She pulled out her watch from her purse and squinted to see the time. 3:30 AM. Everyone else seemed to either be asleep or too involved in their own world and thoughts to notice her, so she slowly stood up and brought her purse with her. Her legs were feeling restless and she knew she shouldn't go too far into the cave, but what else was there to do? She picked up a significantly sized piece of wood from the fire and made sure it would continue burning before making her way towards the back of the cave. She could turn left or right, and she chose right. It was creepy inside the dark cave, but at least it was pretty dry. As she got further in, however, she began to fear that she would become lost. After a few more minutes of exploring she began making her way back towards the others. The memory of her dog at home wondering where she could be caused a sharp pain to hit Kelly's heart and she fell against the cave wall with a gasp. She clutched her heart with her left hand while her right hand still held the torch, and she began to cry quietly. No sobs. Not yet, anyway. Not until she was certain that she was completely alone. Maybe she could find a place to cry out after the hurricane was over and they weren't packed in like sardines, practically.
As she cried an idea came over her: didn't someone here have a guitar? They should have a party later that night! It wouldn't be much of a party, but someone could play the guitar and people could sing along. Music always helped Kelly feel better. Perhaps it would lift the others' spirits, too, or at least relax them and give them awhile to escape. And maybe she could teach some fun games to the ones who wanted to learn! Okay, she was beginning to feel a bit better and more optimistic, but the tears kept coming.
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla
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Post by Clannibal on Oct 15, 2015 23:19:29 GMT -5
As calm as he often came across, and truthfully, often felt, Raion was still just a down to earth sensitive kind of guy. The encounter with Logan, Zach, Taya and Lori had left him feeling drained of energy. He had tried to step in and act as a mediator of peace and it actually worked. As upset as Zach was at Logan's appearance, the passionate young man had listened to Raion's advice and just walked away. Thank God, because things seemed to get ugly real fast and Raion cared too much to see pointless violence. It would terrify everybody and demolish their already-low spirits. And Logan didn't seem all that bad. He just kept to himself. That was the part that seemed to offend Zach, but whatever had happened between the two, it still didn't make sense to act like that in front of everyone. Raion felt cold in the caves, and lonely. He was kind of the shy type, so long periods of socialization left him tired and wanting to be alone. All he had done for the last several days was help take care of everyone. Well, sort of. He had volunteered for a lot of the food searching in attempts to be alone. All the while, though, he had not stopped thinking about Kelly above everyone else. In the crowd of people, his eyes always searched her out. He felt terrified of something happening to her and was always quietly checking on her location to make sure she was doing alright. Make sure nobody was bothering her. She was such a pretty thing, and the first day of the crash, she had done far too much. Running about, helping the injured and scared, while she herself was the same as they all were. Raion admired her spirit. He was sitting alone, his back against a wall in the right side of the cave. Some people slept, some people just couldn't. He was the latter. He fiddled about with a couple of pebbles, stacking them to see how many could stand on each other before they fell. So far he'd only gotten to four. They were small and mostly round and he made a game out of it, trying to find flat edges on them all in the darkness, so he could reach higher heights. He felt obligated to stay awake. After what had happened earlier, he wanted to make sure Logan and Zach were away from each other. It seemed the only option right now to keep the peace. Also, part of him was biased and trusted some of Zach's misgivings about Logan. It seemed obvious by the way he and the girl avoided their group that he wanted to stay away from everyone. Why? How could anyone prefer to be alone in such a dire situation? Raion thought a lot about it, and tried his best to understand it. But thoughts of Kelly kept distracting him. He pictured her sitting in the seat beside him, quiet and, perhaps, a little nervous to be flying in the first place. He wondered why she was on the plane that day. A boyfriend, probably. Some sort of dark and handsome native american. As he was thinking of her, he stopped his mindless activity to look around the darkness for her. The fire casted shadows on everyone, and he had last spotted her somewhere nearby. When he looked to that spot, his heart skipped a few beats to see that she was gone. Frantically, he searched the faces nearby and did not see her. But, moments later, he spotted what he was sure was her, walking alone towards the backside of the wide cave, alone. She was holding a piece of wood for her own light source. Her body language made him frown; she seemed hunched over in what looked like discomfort. Getting up off his resting place, he abandoned his pebble game and made his way around groups of people, until he was just a few feet behind her. "Kelly?" he said quietly, in the darkness. Her back was to him, and he reached out a hand to place it in between her shoulder blades. "It's Raion. Are you alright? I saw you by yourself over here."
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Post by mermaidangel on Oct 28, 2015 21:27:53 GMT -5
you are the only exception
She heard his voice and something inside her felt better. She felt... safe, reassured. When she felt her hand on her back, she noted that she didn't jump like she usually did when someone made contact with her and she wasn't expecting it. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, thankful that it was dark so Raion hopefully couldn’t see that she had been crying. Then she turned around to face him. “I’m okay… I couldn’t sleep.” She gave him a weak smile. Despite feeling reassured now that Raion was here, she still felt alone. At least some of the survivors still had family here with them and they could go through this together and not have to pretend to be something that they weren’t. Kelly, on the other hand, felt her social anxiety heightened and the need to do anything in order to help was becoming overwhelming.
Tears formed in her eyes again at the frightening thoughts. “My brain hasn’t shut up since this whole thing started,” she blurted out. “Can you sleep? I don’t know how some of these people can… I just…” She just wanted some peace and quiet in her own mind. There was plenty of silence in the caves when everyone was sleeping or at least trying to sleep, but Kelly’s mind was loud and echoey, and she felt like she was constantly standing over a ledge and trying to balance herself just right so she wouldn’t fall. “I’ve tried going over some favorite songs in my head, but it doesn’t help. It’s not the same. I miss music, Raion. You don’t know how much I miss music…” She laughed slightly and shook her head. Here she was rambling on despite never wanting to show the others that she was also human and had her moments of stumbling. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make it all about me. How are you doing?” She stepped closer to him, arms still hugged closely to her chest. Physical touch was awkward for her because it had always been rejected when she was a child, but how strongly she felt the urge to take his hands in a friendly manner.
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla </p>
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Post by Clannibal on Nov 17, 2015 19:49:00 GMT -5
Raion let her talk, and talk she did. Her voice was the sweetest sound he'd heard and he was just grateful to be alive to hear it. And here he had hoped to be dead just a little while ago. If he had died, though, he wouldn't be here with Kelly, who obviously needed someone in this moment. It was meant to be. Whenever she needed him, he knew he'd be there. It clicked with him them that he was looking for purpose, and maybe he'd just found it. The things she talked about, he related to. Sleep? After tonight? He couldn't. He felt fragile, too, and protective of the group as a whole. He stayed awake because he cared too much, and it always affected his mental state. He remembered that, earlier, he had to leave Kelly to herself while he stepped in to diffuse the tensions. He wondered if it was wrong of him to do that to her. After the fact, they hadn't talked. "I can't sleep, either. It's still all so weird to me, being in a crowd, and I felt that tension from earlier pretty strong. I think I know what you're feeling."
He smiled when she implied she was being selfish. As if. Also, when she talked about missing music desperately, Raion wondered if she was reading his mind somehow. Music helped calm him, and he kept replaying Into the Ocean by Blue October, over and over in his head. It was the song he listened to most in the days before stepping onto the plane. "I'm doing alright. I'm alive, so that's pretty awesome," he said, lifting a hand to scratch absently at his scalp, a habit he had. He pondered whether or not he should mention how much he had been thinking about her while he'd sat there quietly playing his rock game. Nervously, he decided not to, at least not directly. "I noticed you were gone, so I got worried. I'm glad I happened to see you over here. I'll keep you company, if you want."
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Post by mermaidangel on Nov 25, 2015 19:49:16 GMT -5
you are the only exception
If Kelly had known that Raion felt bad for not being there with her after stepping in to end the argument earlier between Zach and Logan, she would have reassured him that she understood. In all honesty she was in such shock still that she had just checked out during the argument, so she wouldn't have been much company, anyway. She nodded in agreement with his first statement, glad that she wasn't alone in what she was feeling. "I'm sorry that you have to be going through the same thing to understand, but I'm glad you understand." She smiled softly. Then she chuckled. "I'm glad you're alive! I'm glad we are all alive."
Kelly was pretty good at reading people, and she got the impression that Raion was thinking about something intensely or at least wanted to say something, but she had no idea what. When he spoke, Kelly's eyes sparkled and she grinned lightly. That was one of the first times in a long time someone had noticed her absence, and being kept company right now was just what she needed. "I'd like that. Thanks." She looked around the cave. "Hey, you know what? With the faint sound of the wind and rain but us being safe in here... It's kind of cozy, like camping. I just hope we don't find any bugs." She shivered. Bugs freaked her out.
Were things getting awkward? She had no idea what to say or do next and she didn't want to bore Raion or be weird. She wanted him to stay with her, but what should she do in order to keep him interested enough to not want to go back to sleep?
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla <p></p>
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Post by Clannibal on Nov 28, 2015 14:25:57 GMT -5
Raion didn't feel the awkwardness in the air like Kelly did. He felt more comfortable with her, and perhaps it helped that he had always been a people person anyway. He enjoyed letting his eyes rove about the softness of her face, which was magnified by the twinkling of the fire reflecting off of her. He watched her lips move as she had spoke to him, her voice sing-song to him in a manner that seemed laced with childish enthusiasm. She was pointing out the positives of their adventure and he liked her comparison. He had gone camping once a long time ago and he could still remember every moment, he had loved it that much Oh, he understood her, alright. He understood her the moment he'd met her after the crash. She almost seemed like an open book, but perhaps he was being presumptuous. He still didn't know her. Certainly not in the ways he really wanted to. "I lived in Florida my whole life. Bugs and rain were an everyday occurance. I'll protect you from them!"[/b] he said with a smile in his voice, catching her positive attitude. Ok, maybe things were slightly awkward as he also lost a train of thought, momentarily. He wanted to get to know her without having to bring up memories of home that might depress them both. But there really wasn't any getting around that, was there? "Thanks for helping me last week," he told her suddenly, leaning one shoulder against the rock walls of the cavern. "I was completely out of it. You were amazing out there, though. You were stabilizing. I feel calm around you."
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Post by mermaidangel on Nov 28, 2015 15:43:56 GMT -5
you are the only exception
"Are you serious?!" She asked in surprise, but she was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm from Florida, too! South Florida, specifically." She laughed, ecstatic that this young man she wanted to become good friends with was from the same state as her. "So yeah, that hurricane didn't phase me." She pretended to be all brave as she put her hands on her hips and turned her nose up, but it wasn't long before the funny ruse broke and she chuckled. "But I have to say it was easier to face a hurricane while in a strong building and not a cave." Although there had been times that she had felt cozy, especially when she saw the younger kids snuggled under their blankets with their stuffed animals or dolls. Whenever she was in doubt or afraid, Kelly just had to look at the innocence of children and remember that she was once like that. And Raion helped her feel like a kid again, too, and whenever he was around she actually felt her optimism grow and say to her "See?! Pessimism can't get rid of me that easily!"<p> Talking about Florida had also brought more of her hope back that they would be rescued. She thought of her dog and her few close work friends, and she thought about all of her dreams; she had things to fight for, and she wouldn't give up. Kelly listened intently now as Raion spoke again and she looked into his eyes, searching to make sure he was honest. He was honest. Kelly could feel that she could trust Raion, and usually it took her a long time to trust someone, but being on this island and living through the crash reminded Kelly that she couldn't always take forever to trust someone who was proving to be trustworthy.<p> Kelly smiled gently. Raion's words were touching and Kelly was glad that he could feel calm around her. "I feel calm around you, too," she said softly, almost shyly. She was always giving advice to people, especially when telling them that they shouldn't hide their feelings, but it was hard for her to practice that when she felt really close to someone. There was always that fear that her feelings would be rejected or scoffed at. "I'm glad I could help you. I honestly don't know how I came out of there with only minor injuries, but I'm glad I was able to help you and others."<p> Talking about her home state seemed to distract Kelly instead of making her depressed or hopeless; it actually felt like she was talking to someone while taking a walk on a tropical island while on vacation. "So... What did you do back in Florida?"
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla <p></p>
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Post by Clannibal on Dec 4, 2015 19:04:56 GMT -5
Actually, Raion wasn't at all scared of the hurricane, at least now that they had found the cave. Without it, he wasn't sure what would've happened. No doubt there would have been many injuries from debris, perhaps some deaths and drownings too. Out in the open in a hurricane; talk about a third world experience! Kelly was so cute. She had a quick turnaround from her previous melancholy mood. Now the air between them had really lightened, and Raion felt himself finally relaxing after a stressful evening. Amazement at learning she grew up around the same area as him gave him a lighthearted feeling, much like she expressed. "Ha! Yeah, we know all about hurricanes," he agreed, his smile wide as he admired her button nose. "That's so cool!"A moment passed between the two of them - a silence settled after she shyly admitted she felt as he did when they were together. Calmer, happier. He felt more focused than ever before as he drank in the sight of her glowing body, suddenly unaware of the cold dank surroundings. He was a few moments behind when she talked again. Now they were on the subject of what had happened on day one. He remembered it better than could be expected. His head had already healed, mostly. What a miracle and a relief, though, that Kelly had turned out okay, too. Like she said, she came out pretty much unmarked. "Believe me...I'm glad too."He thought of his life before the crash and wondered where to start. Just the basics was probably best. "I worked for my uncle doing tile work. My family wasn't well off so honestly, I spent most my days working. But sometimes I liked to go fishing or chill at a mall. I loved to go out with friends for beer and wings."He was still leaning on the cave wall, and now he crossed his arms for comfort, letting his brown eyes keep contact with hers. "And what about you? I want to hear your story."
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Post by mermaidangel on Dec 5, 2015 16:43:46 GMT -5
you are the only exception
The silence was comfortable; not awkward like silence sometimes was with Kelly. It had been a long time since she'd found someone to share a comfortable silence with, and she felt her bond with Raion growing stronger because of it. She didn't even worry if she was being weird as she looked into his eyes and then looked away. But she made sure to watch him out of the corner of her eye because she found that it was hard to look completely away from this solid human being; someone who grounded her.
She was glad to see that Raion's head wound hadn't been anything deadly and that it had healed nicely. She looked Raion in the eye again and listened as he talked about his life back home. A chuckle escaped her as she pictured Raion having fun with friends and doing normal guy things. It suited him. When it was time for her to share, she was happy to. His eyes and his expression were welcoming, and she knew that Raion was genuinely interested. "I went to college and couldn't pick a major, so I chose General Studies. Then I got hired as a nail technician in Palm Beach and decided that was a great job until I decided on another career. I like to do too many different things, so I don't know what to settle on yet."
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla </p><p></p>
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Post by Clannibal on Dec 14, 2015 20:41:21 GMT -5
A cold draft made its way through the cave and ruffled everyone's hair and clothes. The hurricane didn't seem any less brutal out there, but Raion and Kelly were unafraid. Some still seemed on edge, shifting restlessly and staring out at the pouring darkness. Most likely, they just weren't used to what was a common scene in the lives of a Floridian. Raion still wished that they'd landed somewhere besides the tropics. He imagined her in her setting as she described it. A nail technician? Not what he expected to hear, and yet he had no trouble picturing her servicing people in such an artsy way. Of course, she apparently didn't stick to it, and Raion then tried to nitpick for what she really belonged in. Perhaps a veterinarian, or some kind of do-gooder. Perhaps she should be an EMT like he'd already pictured her being. She was so...so... A flash of lightning sent shivers down his spine- or was it from that? Great timing. His racing heart and blushing cheeks could be masked in the action, from the gasps of some kids and startled adults. He chuckled to lighten up again, and shake of his sudden jitters. He really liked Kelly. How was it even possible to think about something like that, under these circumstances? It almost made him feel guilty, like he was giving in to selfish desires when life had become so much more than romance. He realized he was frowning, and he quickly put the smile back on as he looked back towards Kelly's pretty face. "I normally like the rain," he said absently, a hand reaching to slick back his hair in a nervous fashion. "Where were we? Oh yeah. Jobs. So you're a run-around, huh? I wanted to be more like you, jumping from one adventure to the next, but nah...I've been doing the same job for years on end. Maybe someday I'll be in a suit and tie..."
The urge to say something more was there, but he was tongue-tied by his own racing thoughts. Meanwhile his eyes stayed drawn to Kelly and he hoped very much that she wasn't going to grow bored of him and leave soon. He'd be stuck awake, left alone with thoughts of the nail technician who had lived near him all along. "Hey Kelly, umm. TOmorrow. When the hurricane clears. D'you wanna - I mean, is it okay if we work together? I'm sure Zach will have us all organized for stuff to do."Alright, it was done. Was he asking her on a date? What was dating anymore, anyway? He had not a clue - he just rolled with it. Maybe she wouldn't even take it that way, and that was fine, too....
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Post by mermaidangel on Dec 15, 2015 0:53:09 GMT -5
you are the only exception
Kelly wondered what Raion was thinking of her in the silence that followed her saying that she was a nail tech. But the blinding flash of lighting caused her to gasp quietly and she had to blink a few times before adding a chuckle that was perfectly timed with Raion's. "Same here. It's cozy to read a book during a thunderstorm, but not when the lightning blinds you like a camera flash. 'Please, no pictures.'" The tone of her voice was light, and she imitated a diva during the last sentence; she'd even placed the back of her hand on her forehead in a dramatic gesture. She heard a few other gasps from the group and smiled, wondering how many of them were used to such storms, or hurricanes, rather.
An odd sort of nervousness came over Kelly when she noticed that Raion was frowning, and she wondered why. Why was she nervous? And why was he frowning? Was she boring him? Then she suddenly remembered having a similar feeling while studying with a guy she liked in college. That hadn't worked out because the guy had ended up being a jerk and telling her how much he liked one of her college friends (while knowing that Kelly liked him), but Kelly remembered feeling giddy and having butterflies. Was this... Was this a crush? Was she crushing on Raion? No, it seemed more than that... Not love. Not yet, anyway. But it was definitely a strong bond towards Raion that Kelly had never before with anyone else, and she liked it. She liked him, a lot, and that made her even more nervous and a bit self-conscious. He probably wasn't even thinking of her in the same way, and she couldn't blame him. After all, look at the situation they were in! How could anyone be thinking of such things when survival was the top priority, with rescue being a close second.
But her heart didn't seem to worry about that, because it fluttered at the way Raion's dark shiny hair fell after he brushed it back. No, that was probably just her heart acting up from exhaustion... And yet she felt more awake than she had in months! Her mind always felt clearer around Raion, and she found herself being able to focus better. Raion was speaking again and Kelly perked up instantly, giving him a smile. "Believe it or not, I used to be a homebody and never think that I would have adventures. And I'm glad someone sees them as adventures." She hadn't thought of them like that, only as chores, but yet again Raion helped her see things in a new light. "I would have never believed that I'd be on a plane by myself if you'd told me that two years ago––or even four! I never thought that I'd be living by myself before-" Emotion broke the sentence off before Kelly could do it herself. It wasn't great emotion, but it was there, and Kelly instantly shoved it down. She did not want to talk about her past. Not now. She smiled again and nodded with a pondering expression. "I can see you in a suit and tie. You'd look good in a suit!" Oops. She'd said that out loud. She hoped it was dark enough to hide her blush, but just in case she looked behind her as if she'd heard something.
Now Raion sounded hesitant? Nervous, maybe? Kelly held her breath in anticipation and couldn't stop a smile from appearing on her face. No, he wasn't asking her out––or whatever "Asking out" meant in a situation like this. But he was asking her if she wanted to work with him tomorrow, and that entailed spending a lot of time together, possibly just the two of them. "Yeah!" Was that too enthusiastic? She cleared her throat and chuckled nervously. "I mean, sure! Thanks for... y'know- asking." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ignore me. I can be socially awkward at times." Especially when someone took notice of her and had said in so many words that her company was desired.
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla
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