Cat's Cradle *Kingston*
#1 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 15 October 2007 - 09:27 PM
She'd been thinking lately, about what happened with Enrique and Kingston back at the West Wall, and the time with Janice and Kingston in that very building. She supposed, in light of everything that had happened, that she had probably been unfair to Kingston in some way. Which was what brought her there, sitting down on the floor beside the Sturt common room's door, her bookbag beside her. She was waiting for someone to come along and call Kingston for her (she doubted she would work up the courage to write him a letter or something like that), so that maybe they'd get the chance to talk.
Maybe, if she was lucky, he would come along himself, and she wouldn't have to worry as much.
#2 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 15 October 2007 - 09:59 PM
Kingston never dare to see Beatrice again, guessing that she probably hated him, or thought he was too emotional for her taste. Kingston liked her, but he didn't think that the relationship was mutual. Which was fine, he could wait, wait and not make any moves because he was tired, too tired of being the person who made all the moves, passing her all those many hints. Didn't she noticed? Was she just being naive?
He looked at the watch on his bedside, it was time for his quiet time at the courtyard. Kingston thought he needed a new hobby, the guitar was good, but if there were only that many songs you could play. He could try sewing, it was something he hasn't done. Yet, but was willing to try. He grabbed his guitar, and headed out of the Sturt common room, only to be met with Beatrice. He froze, and quickly looked away, his mind deriving to a notion that Enrique must have invited her. "hi.." he managed to greet , he didn't want to be rude, and Kingston wasn't hard to miss. "Are you waiting for someone?". 'of course she is you dimwit' he shook his thoughts away.
#3 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 15 October 2007 - 10:11 PM
When Kingston came out of the common room, though, Beatrice had first thought it was someone else and had looked down at her hands, which she had put on her lap. She heard and recognized his voice, however, which made her look up and say, "Oh... hi," as she pushed herself up so that she was facing him.
At his question, she nodded, managing a smile this time. "Um... yeah. I was, actually," she began tentatively, shyly, before adding, "I was... waiting for you."
#4 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 15 October 2007 - 10:57 PM
Suppressing his surprised reaction was hard, much less the floating butterflies in his tummy when Beatrice smiled. Kingston couldn't help but let his eyes grew dumbfounded, he was confused as to what Beatrice meant that she was waiting for him. He thought that their last meet together was their last.
He rubbed his head nervously, letting his feet shift in an anxious manner "Me...?" he stuttered shyly, he could feel the red pigment forming on his cheeks, but this time he did not care to hide it "Why?" he had asked.
#5 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 15 October 2007 - 11:04 PM
"Where were you headed?" she asked. She noticed his guitar, and knew that he was probably going somewhere else. She didn't want to intrude on his alone time or anything, though she knew all classes were over by that time. She decided to ask about it, just in case. "Are you busy? Because I can talk to you some other time..." she said hesitantly.
#6 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 15 October 2007 - 11:58 PM
He quickly shove his guitar to the back, not wanting it to get in between his conversation with Beatrice. His time alone with her, maybe his only time with her was worth every second. "Urm... you know.." lugging the guitar around?' "...Practice" he replied, lowering his head, embarrassed that he couldn't come up with a better excuse. He looked back at Beatrice at her hesitant suggestion. He managed to let a small smile formed on his lips, that she actually wanted to talk to him.
He stopped her, "No, no... there's always tomorrow" he waved it off as his eyes traveled to the string Beatrice was playing with. He couldn't help but smile at her toy, he had never actually seen one play with one string, a band maybe, but never a string. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked not caring to hide the hopeful tone in his voice.
#7 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 16 October 2007 - 12:19 AM
"Ah," was all she managed to say when he assured her he could always put off practice. She saw that he had looked at the cat's cradle she formed, and instinctively looped it around her hand and hid it behind her back - slowly, not quickly, so that he wouldn't suspect how nervous she was. "Well... it's about what happened last time, with Enrique, back at the West Wall. Do you remember?" she asked. She wanted to take this apologizing thing one step at a time.
#8 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 16 October 2007 - 11:55 PM
He merely nodded when Beatrice had asked him a question, somehow he felt too diffident sound out a word. He was still in shock that the blonde girl had taken her time to just talk with him, and it's wasn't even about school matters. Kingston recalled the time at the west wall, managing to not grimace at the memory. Things didn't ended to well then, though it still did not answered the question, why was she here? "Yeah, you were playing your flute... " he stopped hoping Beatrice would not think he had stalking potentials.
#9 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 17 October 2007 - 12:26 AM
She paused a little. "I guess I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for... overreacting, back at the Wall. I think I just wanted to be by myself for a while, and when you guys came along, I might have just been reacting to you two hearing me play. I'm just... really insecure, I think. I probably wasn't ready to let anyone else hear me."
She looked up. Would he know how she felt? She hadn't yet heard him play, and for all she knew he was a virtuoso of sorts. She felt an embarrassed blush creep onto her face. She hoped she hadn't sounded like an idiot just then.
#10 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 17 October 2007 - 01:42 AM
A smile formed on Kingston's lips at the apology, it wasn't expected, but it was a nice to hear. But he was sure he did not deserve it, so he shook his hand, "No, it was my fault..." no way was he going to apologize on behalf of Enrique, that was suicide! "I shouldn't have let Enrique get to me like that, he..." he paused replaying Beatrice's apology in his head, in a sudden realization - the apology wasn't about them at all, but rather her playing.
Kingston shifted his eyes in embarrassment, but continued anyway "You should never think that way - music is about expressions" he began, and paused lowering his head shyly "...and the way you played was beautiful", it was his first time complimenting someone, so to him it felt a little strange. But he didn't care, because if it made Beatrice felt more confident about her flute playing, then it was worth it. "How long have you been playing?", he asked cautiously, not knowing if Beatrice wanted to answer such a question.
#11 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 18 October 2007 - 09:58 PM
"A few years," she replied grudgingly, "I'm sure you've been playing your guitar longer."
She lifted the cat's cradle up again and looked back at Kingston, wondering what she should say. Finally she found it in her to say, "Anyway, I'm really sorry. I understand that you said what you did - back at the Chocolate Rose - because you felt like you had to. It's all right. And your reaction to Enrique's mocking was pretty understandable, as well."
Where was she getting at? She hoped that she hadn't been babbling too much. But then maybe that was too much to hope for.
#12 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 18 October 2007 - 10:46 PM
"No, just a few months ago..." he replied vapidly. He wondered why Beatrice would think he had played longer, he wasn't that good. Only able to play a few verses and get stumped in between. Compared to Beatrice, she was much better, but then again, their genre of songs were different. She seemed to lean more into the classicals, while Kingston was more to the indie rock, but recently, he had taken a keen interest in jazz.
Kingston looked at the Cat's cradle that was around Beatrice's hand, and managed to grimaced. He remembered all the girl's in his hometown playing it, and found it very girlish. Though he was very intrigued how they maneuvered the band with their fingers to form another shape - from observing that is. He looked back up when the blonde apologized yet again, Kingston somewhat kept feeling guilty. "Stop apologizing..." he protested gently, he relieved his shoulders thinking how he was going to put it to Beatrice. He began after a sigh "I shouldn't have said that - I didn't mean to make you feel like a prize or anything..." he trailed, the red pigment on his cheeks darkening "You are not an object, never have been" he told her in a soft, shaky tone.
#13 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 22 October 2007 - 11:28 PM
Her fists clenched. At least this change, she could stop.
"I think it'd be for the best that we'd just stay friends," she blurted out, hinting somehow at how she thought she felt. She didn't want to jump to conclusions at how Kingston possibly felt about her. All she wanted was that she made it clear to him, and also to herself, that she didn't want anything more.
#14 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 23 October 2007 - 09:47 PM
"That sounds good" he told her, then shifting his feet again. This time because he was tired, so he pointed at the seat beside Beatrice, "Mind if I sit?" he asked, trying his best to show his polite side. Then he turned to look the cat's cradle again, "Why do you girls like playing that?" he asked grimacing... so what if he played it before, it was still girly.
#15 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 23 October 2007 - 10:42 PM
She looked up again when Kingston asked about the cat's cradle. "Oh... this?" she asked, lifting the piece of string, which she had manipulated into forming a double star shape. She added, "I don't know. It helps ease my nerves, I guess. I've been playing it as far back as I could remember."
"Do you want to play?" she offered him the string, letting go of the pattern she had made.
#16 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 23 October 2007 - 11:07 PM
He looked at Beatrice's offer, was she kidding asking him to play with a cat's cradle? Was she out of her mind? he was boy, a boy do not play or touch a cat's cradle, it was highly inappropriate, humiliating and a shame to the masculine race! "Sure" he simply agreed. He pinched the lines and fumbled through strings, finally managing to twist it around... not without grazing his palm across the blond, which made Kingston blush. Now, the cradle was in his arm 'how mortifying'
#17 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 23 October 2007 - 11:19 PM
#18 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 30 October 2007 - 09:19 PM
He lifted the cradle wrapped around his hand just when he felt a itch on his nose - no matter how much he tried to withstand it by biting his lips, curling his toes, and cringing, but the itch stayed, and he swore it was getting irritating by the minute. Kingston finally, held the cradle in place, as if it was going to drop or break if he moved, and used his arm to scratch his nose. He helped, for a second, when the itch came back. Kingston silently groaned, he just had to wait until Beatrice takes it off his hand... or... or 'Sneeze', though it came out more of a rather, soft squirt sound.
#19 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 30 October 2007 - 09:34 PM
When he sneezed, she couldn't suppress her laughter, but was able to cut it short. "Here," she said as she took the piece of string from him. Expertly she looped the string around her hands, took the other side of the string, and looped it again. She then took the string that ran on the inside of her left arm and caught it with her right index finger, and the opposite with the one on her right arm. She then looked up at Kingston and said, "Um... hold the parts where the string overlaps, and pull them outward."
#20 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:06 PM
Even though she had suppressed her laugh, he could still hear it. And was rather embarrassed about it, so he blushed. But it didn't matter, because it blended in with the blush he'd collected ever since the two of them started conversing. Kingston was relieved that he had been finally release of his 'itchy nose' misery, but he couldn't help but notice how smoothly, unlike him, Beatrice had overturned the cradle. He has never actually past this level, and an expression of confusion had struck him, he was glad that Beatrice helped him along - or he would've messed up. Taking the overlapping strings, he pull them inward... no, wait.. outwards, and it was on his hand now.
"Do you play this alone?" he wondered, since it was highly impossible, or so he thought. No...'scratch that' it really was highly impossible.
#21 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:18 PM
"No," she replied to his question about whether she played it alone. "I played with my elder sister mostly, but I don't see her often just to play cat's cradles because of school and such."
#22 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 02 November 2007 - 06:24 PM
was him that is making her nervous, in an uncomfortable way. Did she knew of his puppy love? Well, girls aren't stupid... he was sure she might have noted so of his tendencies and fumbling actions whenever he's around her. If she did, then it would explain why Beatrice was so -- no, wait -- too clear as to them being 'just friends', and also it would explain why she was nervous, around him.
He nodded at her statement, and advanced himself to the next response. Tilting his head slightly at the new found information... so afterall, this girl was not an only child. Kingston now knew he didn't know much about Beatrice. Where she was from? How'd she get to Tally? How many brothers and sisters she has? "You have sisters?!" he asked rather surprised. "so you're not an only child?" he questioned, creasing his eyebrows in a part surprised, part curious manner.
#23 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 08 November 2007 - 10:10 PM
"So... do you have any siblings? Ones that study here, maybe?" she asked. She only just realized that besides his name, year, and house, she barely knew anything about Kingston. It felt rather stupid to have spent some time with him and not even learned all that much.
#24 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 09 November 2007 - 12:09 AM
He smiled at the question of his sibling, "Yeah... I have a little sister" he told Beatrice lightly. A sister that he was very overprotective of, especailly living with a father like his, why shouldn't he be. "Quinn, she's only 7". But sharing her to Beatrice was safe, as far as he knew. "Not yet, but I'm sure Lady... my aunt, will sent her off here once she comes of age" he stuttered through saying Lady Goliath's name, as he had been accustomed to. "What about your sisters? Do they go here as well?" he asked.
#25 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 09 November 2007 - 07:32 PM
She shook her head. "Colette attends the other school nearby, and Estelle's too young," she replied. She didn't exactly know why her mother had counted on sending them to different schools, but she supposed it wasn't really for her to understand. There was talk of having her older sister attend Tally for the girl's sixth year, and that thought comforted her.
#26 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 09 November 2007 - 10:50 PM
However, Beatrice did not have the Australian accent either. "Are you from here?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in curiosity.
He nodded when Beatrice finished, her response would explain why he has never seen anyone resembling the girl around. "Do you miss them while you're here?". Well, that wasn't exactly the most suited of questions. But it was worth a try to hopefully prolong his first, and only one-on-one conversation with Beatrice... without any interruptions of course.
#27 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 09 November 2007 - 11:01 PM
At his question whether she missed her sisters while she was studying, she looked back down at her hands, empty now, and sighed. "Well... yes. And you? Do you miss Quinn and... your aunt, as much?"
#28 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 09 November 2007 - 11:30 PM
'France' Kingston gaped slightly, but not so much that would make him off as some obssesed nerd. Being raised in a impoverishment country, and with a mistreating father, Kingston never had the chance to ever travel around the world. The flight to Australia was actually his first time, and truthfully, it scared the hell out of his little self. But France - the boy's never actually seen the place up close, but he's heard of it. "What is it like, France?".
Kingston made a sideway smile at Beatrice and wondered what it was like living in a house full of girls, everyone must be very tight. Talking about mushy girls stuff like boys, and the sort. Of course, sibling rivalry hasn't happened for Kingston and Quinn yet, since they didn't exactly went through the normal family system "Quinn yes, not my aunt though..." he trailed, grimacing at the thought of his demanding, and overpowering aunt "...She's really harsh sometimes, my uncle is okay abit. He taught me the guitar actually" he explained. At least the blond did not ask him about his parents yet, he didn't know how he would reply her.
Brushing the thoughts of his parents off, Kingston snapped back into the conversation and decided to moved the topic on. "So do you and your sisters fight much?"
#29 Guesty Beatrice Celestin
Posted 10 November 2007 - 05:13 PM
"France..." she smiled at the thought. Though the country held rather bad memories for her, she loved it all the same. She constantly asked her mother if they could go visit every break in school, so that they could spend time with their father and see the sights. Eleanor wasn't too keen on putting them in their father's care but she consented for that December, and she was excited for it. "Everything's just really pretty, you know? The sights, the sounds, the language, the people."
She bit her lip nervously when he mentioned that he didn't really like his aunt. "Okay. That's nice, then," she replied when he talked about his uncle instead. "What about your parents?" she asked, the thought only suddenly occurring to her.
"No, no, not at all. We're all just best friends," she replied to his last question. "And what about you and Quinn?"
#30 Guesty Kingston Hatchet
Posted 11 November 2007 - 06:54 PM
When Beatrice explained the country by it's most common attributes, Kingston managed to get a sketchy visualizations from bits of pieces he's seen from magazines and TV. But even in words, the place really did sound lovely. "I'm sure it must be lovely" he told her in awe.
clam Kingston for bringing up the subject in his head, when he know fully well that this was a magical school and people are bound to read whatever was in that head of his. He really did not want to talk about his parents, especially to Beatrice. Not only would she start pitying him (one of the things that Kingston did not want from Beatrice), but she may even start avoiding him thinking he would pass his depression onto her.
Kingston pretend to look at his watch, (as much as he did not want to do this, he had no other choice did he?) "Urm, I'm late for class" He lied through his teeth, biting his bottom lip guiltily. "It's was nice to talk to you Beatrice" he got up, backing away slowly. "But we'll talk to each other again right?" he asked almost pleadingly. Percy! did he sound like a hopeful school girl'. With that, he disappeared into the Sturt common room.

Help
This topic is locked
MultiQuote










