08-21-2018, 03:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-21-2018, 06:22 PM by Natalie Grey.)
The slow cadence of her words layered foundations, funnelling Cayli towards the experience by re-imagining those moments when, for Natalie, notes shivered her thoughts clear and built to crescendo, like a flower leaning towards the sun. The two twinned naturally for her; joy with joy, and if the guilt of that time spent surrounded by the richness of music made it seem more like indulgence than work, she could at least hope for something worthwhile from the outcome.
Though really, she had no idea if it would actually work.
As the time began to trickle inevitably on, the doubt began to set in. Cayli lulled into it, the fear in her gaze unravelling as she became drawn by the colours. An accidental aide, really, but it had the right affect. The tight defence of her body eased, her knees sliding loose until she sat cross-legged.
But still nothing.
Patience was not always natural for Natalie, but it was steadfast when she weathered it. She was aware of Jay in her peripheral; aware too that it must be tortuous to simply have to wait. He simply wasn't built for it.
By now her voice was only a murmur, the soft, rhythmic soothe of waves kissing sand. She had been waiting for a sense of Cayli brushing against the power, not for the gentle tug against her pattern of colours. The prism shifted lazily, blue to green to yellow, then red.
The last pulse of light had been Cayli's.
The girl's eyes were round saucers when they jumped up a moment later.
"I lost it," she breathed, hoarse words little more than the scrape of a whisper. Like perhaps fevered-screams had wracked her voice silent. Frustration already tempered her brow, as impatient as her brother. But a light too, that shone her eyes with vigour. Relief pressed a sigh from Natalie's lips, the only signal she gave of how much a gamble it had been.
"It'll get easier," she promised.
"You're from the Custody?"
Natalie nodded, reading the lines of unease that flooded her young face. She might have been surprised at the question if she'd not heard the name Ascendancy spat coldly from Jay's dad's tongue moment's earlier. Though how that had come up so quickly she didn't know; there was a reason Jay wasn't wearing the uniform of the Nine. Cayli's lips pursed, but it seemed a passing concern.
"And I'm not ill anymore? That's it?"
Natalie's lips lifted a wry smirk for how inconsequential a thing it was through the eyes of a teenager. The knot where her shoulders met panged with the tension just released, other muscles aching dully from the long travelling and fleeting sleep. But for Cayli, disbelief settled quickly to acceptance in the way of the truly innocent. Though Natalie didn't begrudge it. When she tipped her shoulder and nodded, Cayli's face split into a grin. Her hand wrapped the bed sheets to untangle herself, about to fling herself in Jay's direction.
Before he spoke.
Someone's coming was an innocuous enough warning, but Natalie took it with the seriousness she would have had they still been in the warzone of Africa. It could easily be a doctor doing rounds, but she didn't put it past Jay's dad to call security -- or worse. Brandon wouldn't have sent Natalie alongside if he hadn't anticipated the possibility of more political concerns, and so far their entry into the country had gone too smoothly.
She didn't turn, nor strain through the power to discern whatever had alerted his soldier's senses. Sierra Leone built implicit trust, or maybe it was something else; something more intrinsic. Either way she put her hand against Cayli's knee to stop her from moving. Pressed a finger to her lips.
"Just you, Jay, and I know for now, okay?"
Though really, she had no idea if it would actually work.
As the time began to trickle inevitably on, the doubt began to set in. Cayli lulled into it, the fear in her gaze unravelling as she became drawn by the colours. An accidental aide, really, but it had the right affect. The tight defence of her body eased, her knees sliding loose until she sat cross-legged.
But still nothing.
Patience was not always natural for Natalie, but it was steadfast when she weathered it. She was aware of Jay in her peripheral; aware too that it must be tortuous to simply have to wait. He simply wasn't built for it.
By now her voice was only a murmur, the soft, rhythmic soothe of waves kissing sand. She had been waiting for a sense of Cayli brushing against the power, not for the gentle tug against her pattern of colours. The prism shifted lazily, blue to green to yellow, then red.
The last pulse of light had been Cayli's.
The girl's eyes were round saucers when they jumped up a moment later.
"I lost it," she breathed, hoarse words little more than the scrape of a whisper. Like perhaps fevered-screams had wracked her voice silent. Frustration already tempered her brow, as impatient as her brother. But a light too, that shone her eyes with vigour. Relief pressed a sigh from Natalie's lips, the only signal she gave of how much a gamble it had been.
"It'll get easier," she promised.
"You're from the Custody?"
Natalie nodded, reading the lines of unease that flooded her young face. She might have been surprised at the question if she'd not heard the name Ascendancy spat coldly from Jay's dad's tongue moment's earlier. Though how that had come up so quickly she didn't know; there was a reason Jay wasn't wearing the uniform of the Nine. Cayli's lips pursed, but it seemed a passing concern.
"And I'm not ill anymore? That's it?"
Natalie's lips lifted a wry smirk for how inconsequential a thing it was through the eyes of a teenager. The knot where her shoulders met panged with the tension just released, other muscles aching dully from the long travelling and fleeting sleep. But for Cayli, disbelief settled quickly to acceptance in the way of the truly innocent. Though Natalie didn't begrudge it. When she tipped her shoulder and nodded, Cayli's face split into a grin. Her hand wrapped the bed sheets to untangle herself, about to fling herself in Jay's direction.
Before he spoke.
Someone's coming was an innocuous enough warning, but Natalie took it with the seriousness she would have had they still been in the warzone of Africa. It could easily be a doctor doing rounds, but she didn't put it past Jay's dad to call security -- or worse. Brandon wouldn't have sent Natalie alongside if he hadn't anticipated the possibility of more political concerns, and so far their entry into the country had gone too smoothly.
She didn't turn, nor strain through the power to discern whatever had alerted his soldier's senses. Sierra Leone built implicit trust, or maybe it was something else; something more intrinsic. Either way she put her hand against Cayli's knee to stop her from moving. Pressed a finger to her lips.
"Just you, Jay, and I know for now, okay?"