Noe
As her dragon began to take shape, Noe felt her pride surge with each fine line and stroke of the brush. In another life, perhaps she would have chosen to become an artist; indeed, she had an artistic side when she wanted to, and when she didn't? Well, precision and steady hands were always welcome as an engineer. She frowned in concentration as she placed a particularly long, straight line on the lantern. "She died in the war," Noe said softly, sitting back as she finished the stroke she'd been so focused on. She turned soft eyes up to Everest. "It's still strange, sometimes, to think that she won't be coming home."
But that was enough of that; there was no point in getting misty-eyed here, in public, with some man who was basically a stranger. So Noe bit the inside of her cheek to sharpen her focus and stave off any tears that might otherwise have threatened.
"I'm sorry that you never got to meet him," Noe said, turning her attention to Everest's lantern. It was lovely, even if not covered in intricate paint strokes. Noe suddenly wondered if her mother would have liked something more like that - simple, no-nonsense. Something more like her. And suddenly her own lantern felt silly and overdone.
"Thank you," said Noe. "I hope yours is chosen. It looks lovely, by the way." And with that, the pair finished their lanterns in relative silence, comfortable, at least, in their shared task.
-FIN-
But that was enough of that; there was no point in getting misty-eyed here, in public, with some man who was basically a stranger. So Noe bit the inside of her cheek to sharpen her focus and stave off any tears that might otherwise have threatened.
"I'm sorry that you never got to meet him," Noe said, turning her attention to Everest's lantern. It was lovely, even if not covered in intricate paint strokes. Noe suddenly wondered if her mother would have liked something more like that - simple, no-nonsense. Something more like her. And suddenly her own lantern felt silly and overdone.
"Thank you," said Noe. "I hope yours is chosen. It looks lovely, by the way." And with that, the pair finished their lanterns in relative silence, comfortable, at least, in their shared task.
-FIN-
