milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

She doesn't look innocent when she sleeps. Far from in fact, she's curled far more akin to a hound than a human, cheek cradled on her towel. Her wet hair is spread in the grass like blood, her scarred back turned towards a small fire that leaps and jumps tiredly in the growing night.

There's a plate with lunch on it as well, a sandwich with a few bites taken, a bit of fruit...it seems that the call to sleep was too great after her swim though...so, Rachel is asleep by the lake, there's room enough at the fire for more though.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, she's having a nightmare, and at the touch, the air fills with the scent and taste of blood, cloying to the tongue and slipping down the skin like rain...

The sudden multi-presence though causes her eyes to snap open, emerald drowning in flame as she simply stares upward.

Emerald is relfected back, almost glowing.

"Rachel? Are you okay?"

It takes a moment for the question to sink in, for the worlds and the knowledge of who is asking to assemble itself...but she blinks slowly, tamping down the flame "Yep, close as I get anyway"

He nods and extends a hand to help her to a sitting position.

"You seemed to be distressed."

She sighed and accepted the hand, not because it was needed, but because it was offered. Then she chucked mirthlessly "Usaully" she agreed. "Didn't bother you did I?"

"Only in as far as I wasnt sure if you were okay."

He watches her, but surpresses thoguths deep within him.

"You made the fire do odd things. I thought it best to wake you. I am sorry if I was wrong..."

"As long as I'm breathing, okay is usaully a good bet" she chuckled mirthlessly, eyes trailing to the fire.

"I did, did I? Hmm..."

He nods.

"They seemd to reflect a not exactly happy feeling... so I decided to act."

Or they did.

"Nightmares do that" she admitted, reaching out to trail her fingers through the flames, and looking just a little suprised as the tongues dance and curl about like affectionate kittens.

"Thank you"

"You're welcome. Always."

He smiles.

"I am fond of you. And I think no one should have to face nightmares alone."

"Nightmares are one of the few things every faces alone, well, except perhaps you" she chuckled "We beat them, or we do not, but we do so alone" she's had a long, long time to learn this.

"Maybe so, but sometimes one can be woken, and not have to deal with that particular nightmare for awhile."

He smiles a gentle smile.

"All things have their time."

"MIss things now, they come back later" she admitted. "Or they play on repeat until you tun ein again, but the thought is appreciated, and yeah, It's nice to be awake"

He watches her for a few minutes, smiling.

And she notes the watching, arching an eyebrow and lifting a hand to offer a purring puddle of flame.

He blinks at that and reaches out, trusting her.

And she tips the handful blithely into his palms, the flame teasing and ticklingwarmly but not burning.

Nope, physics can't explain it.

He eyes the flame and grins, ever so slightly.

"Beautiful."

"They can be" she admitted, gathering another handful to play with, as it seemed quiet happy with her.

"It's just a new thing.didn't realize the flames were paying attention to me" she chuckled.

He grins.

"Sometimes we learn brand new things about ourselves..."

He holds his handful carefully, awkward.

One things Bruce shoudl perhaps learn early? Is that Phoenix is a creature of creation and chaos, of life and death...and that not all things need hearts to live.

So with this flame, any flame it seems now, it seems almost sentient as it curls and lounges in his hands.

"Honestly don't think it's me, just me being closer to a less earth bound form" she grinned, cooing at her handful.

Perhaps. All things have their own rules.

He chuckles, watching.

"Could be."

He looks down at the flame in his hands, smiling at it too, his eyes almost green in the light.

"Or maybe the fact that I feed them sticks" she noted after a moment, chuckling as she did so.

Rules? Yes, all things do, but with what she is...they have the tendency to change.

Nothing worth achieving is easy. Bruce has never had, or wanted easy. Hard is what his life is. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with changes either. Bruce adapts.

He smiles at that.

"They seem to like you. And perhaps it is the light within you. Or perhaps they understand."

Ah, but most grow weary of such mutability. And quickly, with no constant to compare to, no anchor to throw...

"Glad they're happy" she admitted. with their lifespans...it'd be cruel to wish them otherwise.