REXANNA
I have late night conversations
with the moon.
She snorted in response to his suggestion. It had all been coincidence, and none of the other creatures she had passed by in the day to day ever had any kind of connection to her like the white raven and fox had. She imagined after talking to Jigano, that it was probably a shy person – afraid to reveal that they were in fact human and not just a unique creature that happened to understand. But she didn’t say anything towards it, instead letting Bastien imagine her as a princess with flitting birds picking up her hair as she twirled in a meadow.
She knew none of it was true, but the thought made her smile regardless.
But he spoke of what was outside of the barrier, and she grew intrigued. He spoke of colors, vibrant and swathing, small dancing lights, and she imagined it in the best of her ability. And he spoke of them going and seeing it together, speaking soft gentle words in his own language that Rexanna still had yet to understand. Perhaps he would teach her one day. But she leaned into him, smiling at the thought with him by her side, braving the unknown just to say they did. Perhaps there would be incredible things out there to explore and witness. She wanted to be one of them, a pioneer of sorts. To get her hands dirty (though they wouldn’t appear dirty at all) with all the opportunity she could find.
Turning sharply, she followed him along the path with her hand in his toward a large tree in the hill, swaying flowers and beautiful albeit shorter grass than before. “Oh?” She quipped to him, eyeing him briefly with a small suspicious look. He opened the gate for her, however, and she slipped through on quiet feet toward the tree. Once there, he began to unwrap everything he had brought. First, the sapphire blanket that reminded her of her eyes before it would remind her of Safrin, and he began to make a place for them to sit.
When he spoke, her attention turned to the horizon, to see the pinks and purples, small goldish hues of the rest of the dying sun that created a halo effect from below the horizon line. And she couldn’t help the brilliant gleam to her eyes, the wide grateful smile that crossed along her face. She turned toward where the sun had gone down, before turning more in a spinning motion – the movement graceful and soft, like ink through water as she moved around the tree to get better vantage points of the beauty of the land. “It’s so beautiful, Bastien.” She said partially breathlessly, staring off into the distance, as if it were the first time she had truly been able to see the beauty in the world.
And when she turned to Bastien, she noticed him sitting and hurried back over to sit as well. She watched silently as he pulled out two canvases, some water, and some paints. For a moment, she simply stared, letting her breath catch up to her. Her eyes flickering from the canvas he offered to his face as he spoke. He wanted to see her visions, her art, her side of the story that could be so different from his own. And for her, that was enough. She could have tackled him there and planted a kiss to his stubbled cheeks – it wouldn’t have been the first time she’d done something like this in the Fields, but the first time she ever felt like this too.
“I haven’t really, no. Aside from fixing some paint inside rooms for the nobles. That’s all the painting I’ve done.” She offered, eyes flitting back toward the pallet of paints as she grabbed onto the canvas and looked back to him with a hint of tears in her eyes at the thoughtfulness of it. “This is so wonderful. Thank you.” She said to him, ducking her head slightly and looking down to the canvas she arranged on her lap in case he might not think she was happy about it because of the tears that brimmed in her eyes. But she loved it, and the smile on her face was perhaps the most brilliant, genuine thing she’d ever done. "So where do we start?"
She knew none of it was true, but the thought made her smile regardless.
But he spoke of what was outside of the barrier, and she grew intrigued. He spoke of colors, vibrant and swathing, small dancing lights, and she imagined it in the best of her ability. And he spoke of them going and seeing it together, speaking soft gentle words in his own language that Rexanna still had yet to understand. Perhaps he would teach her one day. But she leaned into him, smiling at the thought with him by her side, braving the unknown just to say they did. Perhaps there would be incredible things out there to explore and witness. She wanted to be one of them, a pioneer of sorts. To get her hands dirty (though they wouldn’t appear dirty at all) with all the opportunity she could find.
Turning sharply, she followed him along the path with her hand in his toward a large tree in the hill, swaying flowers and beautiful albeit shorter grass than before. “Oh?” She quipped to him, eyeing him briefly with a small suspicious look. He opened the gate for her, however, and she slipped through on quiet feet toward the tree. Once there, he began to unwrap everything he had brought. First, the sapphire blanket that reminded her of her eyes before it would remind her of Safrin, and he began to make a place for them to sit.
When he spoke, her attention turned to the horizon, to see the pinks and purples, small goldish hues of the rest of the dying sun that created a halo effect from below the horizon line. And she couldn’t help the brilliant gleam to her eyes, the wide grateful smile that crossed along her face. She turned toward where the sun had gone down, before turning more in a spinning motion – the movement graceful and soft, like ink through water as she moved around the tree to get better vantage points of the beauty of the land. “It’s so beautiful, Bastien.” She said partially breathlessly, staring off into the distance, as if it were the first time she had truly been able to see the beauty in the world.
And when she turned to Bastien, she noticed him sitting and hurried back over to sit as well. She watched silently as he pulled out two canvases, some water, and some paints. For a moment, she simply stared, letting her breath catch up to her. Her eyes flickering from the canvas he offered to his face as he spoke. He wanted to see her visions, her art, her side of the story that could be so different from his own. And for her, that was enough. She could have tackled him there and planted a kiss to his stubbled cheeks – it wouldn’t have been the first time she’d done something like this in the Fields, but the first time she ever felt like this too.
“I haven’t really, no. Aside from fixing some paint inside rooms for the nobles. That’s all the painting I’ve done.” She offered, eyes flitting back toward the pallet of paints as she grabbed onto the canvas and looked back to him with a hint of tears in her eyes at the thoughtfulness of it. “This is so wonderful. Thank you.” She said to him, ducking her head slightly and looking down to the canvas she arranged on her lap in case he might not think she was happy about it because of the tears that brimmed in her eyes. But she loved it, and the smile on her face was perhaps the most brilliant, genuine thing she’d ever done. "So where do we start?"
he tells me about the sun,
and i tell him about you.
BASTIEN
