[PRP] Tiptoe through the tulips...

[Anasazi]

It was a cold, windy Autumn day, but the sun was high over head, filling the world with a strident, buttery yellow that melted over people with a gentle heat, reminding them that the sun would stick it out with them through the Fall.

Many people were spending their time inside these days, which may be precisely the reason that one of them wasn't. William, his skinny frame weighed down just enough by a sailor's coat not to blow away in the more stiff winds, was walking through the tall, nigh floating grasses that bordered the forest. His hair was tousled viciously by the wind, but his glasses remained pressed up on the bridge of his nose and one hand kept his book open at all times. Every so often, he would slide a hand into his pocket, running his long, fine fingers absentmindedly over the smooth surface of the bottle in his pocket. It didn't feel right to leave it at home and it almost seemed to improve what he was reading in sheer drama.

He ran his tongue over his lips and, not for the first time, wished that he had thought to bring something to drink. William was a reader, a thinker, a dreamer - the physical often escaped his notice. He was thirsty a lot.

 

[tepidtea]

The cool autumn air and the rustle of the leaves in the trees set a very tranquil setting. A calming serenade of the wind whistling through the trees was soothing, relaxing anyone despite the cold. Sitting with his back against the thick oak of a tree, a raven-haired male relaxed as he let his hair be tossed by the wind. A wool green toque was quickly pulled over the male’s head, blocking out some of the cold air. Cradled in his drawn up knees was a notebook, a pen clipped to the lip of the pad, preventing the pages from flying around. Slender hands were folded just below the notebook; stormy blue hues were closed in the relaxation. He was listening to the wind whirl around him, enjoying his time outdoors.

Above him in the branches of the tree was a younger man with wild yellow and black hair, which was being swept around his face in the wind. He was watching the musician, his guardian relaxed, glad to have suggested the outing with him. Though despite it being quiet at the moment between them, they had previously been talking about things they never liked to talk about. Or at least what Ashton didn’t like to talk about.

The dust and his guardian were still sorting out things after their fight and other things the teenaged dust was experiencing that he didn’t understand. However, he wasn’t sure if asking Ashton was t he best as he wasn’t one that was good with emotions to begin with. Sighing softly, Ziya watched the puff that was his breath be whisked away by the wind. Relaxing himself, he too closed his eyes but then froze for a moment when he felt a sudden twinge in the back of his head. Sitting up more, he looked around to see what could have caused the sensation. He only got that when another dust was around.  

[Anasazi]

William is stealth, silence, and savvy secrecy, all wrapped up in an oversized coat. These devious skills are the reason he glides across the grass, his eyes intense on the knife thin pages of his book, narrowed behind the flashing frames of his glasses. It's all very dramatic, very stylish - and then he walks smack into a tree.

Though generally capable of walking while reading and managing to weave between people and bikes in the main city, trees are craftier than people give them credit for, especially in a place like this. These are the thoughts that William comforts himself with as he sits up from his new spot amidst the knotted, twisting roots of the large oak he smacked his silly self into and lifts a hand to hunt down his glasses, now lost somewhere in the soft moss around him. He never let go of his book, but a man has to have priorities.

In his pocket, the bottle flashes with what may or may not be a hint of amusement, but it's not something William picks up on precisely. It's more like someone who can feel a person staring at the back of his neck and, because of it, William's cheeks start to burn with embarrassment, despite the fact that he has no idea anyone's even around yet.

 

[tepidtea]

The serene moment was broken when there was a sudden commotion to Ashton’s left. He’s been so out of sorts that he hadn’t even heard the other approach; only the vibration from the collision to the trunk did. Snapping his eyes open, Ashton looked over to see a man sprawled out on the ground. Looking down to his searching hand, he spotted near his foot what he was looking for. Leaning forward, he gingerly picked up the eyewear and smiled a little.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked in a soft voice, it almost getting swept away in the wind around them. Holding his arm out, he hoped the other could see his hand stretched out in front of him.

Ziya started a little and looked down at the commotion, wondering if everything was okay down there. Seeing Ashton helping out the man on the ground, he could still feel the pulse of a dust around. There was no way this guy was a dust, every dust had a trait that most humans didn’t, but this guy looked well, normal. Perhaps he had a bottle?  

[Anasazi]

Do what with your who now? William stares blearily at the waggling peachy sort of thing in front of him, narrowing his eyes intently. Frankly, it looks almost as if he's simply staring at Ashton for a few seconds, albeit a touch blankly. Eventually, however, his hand extends and gently clasps the other's wrist as a means to hold his hand still and anchor himself to it long enough that his other hand can carefully take the glasses. Notably, he has yet to actually get off the ground, thus stifling an odd, angry sort of whispering coming from his coat pocket. Amleth would love not to be ground into the dirt, please (read please as: idiot). It's not too dissimilar to the rustling of book pages, however, so it may be easy enough to assume that it is from the wind blowing his book's pages out of sorts.

Whatever the cause, William slips his glasses on and gingerly climbs to his feet, his cheeks still bright and his thick brown hair more tousled than ever, "Ah, yes, thank you very much. Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I wasn't watching where I was going." He smiles at Ashton, knocking his knuckles lightly against his own forehead to indicate how idiotic he was. In his pocket, Amleth gives the (totally unseen because William is dumb and keeps him in a coat pocket, for crying out loud) impression of giving Ziya a wary look, the soft, erratic whispering dying down to something barely there at all, a flutter of leaves under the wind.

 

[tepidtea]

“No problem…”Ashton said gently, taking his hand back and closed his notebook. His hand ran across the cover then looked at the other, remaining sitting on the cold ground. His black high collared coat hung down to mid thigh, so he wasn’t too cold yet.

”Are you alright though? That was quite the well… smack” he grinned a little at the other then looked up when some leaves fell from the tree. He spotted Ziya, who was slowly making his way down to the ground.

Ziya hopped out of the tree next to them, fixing his coat and scarf a little. “Is everyone okay?” he asked, a brilliant smile on his face. The teen was always chipper, but he was curious as to what he was feeling. He could hear the angry whispers just faintly and could feel that there was something there. Tilting his head to the side, he looked down to see Ashton looking at him oddly for his sudden appearance. Looking to the guy who had just arrived, he smiled slightly and itched his neck.

“So Uh…. Nothing broken?”  

[Anasazi]

The man on the ground just shakes his head with an easygoing smile, patting himself on the chest and then looking to his book, "Oh, I'm fine. So is this. Thank you for asking..." His quick eyes dart to the page number before he gently closes it and tucks it into the breast pocket of his coat. He is startled by Ziya's sudden appearance, enough so that he nearly falls over a second time. This time, he is tinged a deeper red, and he coughs delicately into his fist, shaking his head at his own incompetence. Sigh.

What Ziya says about something broken, however, causes the man's eyes to snap wide and he is immediately on his feet, likely faster than one might expect considering his height and, well, the fact that he ran into a tree. His hand drops into his coat pocket and he comes out with that single glowing bottle, fingers sliding through the strange gem-like red that crowns it. He lifts it to his face and stares at it intently, looking for cracks of any kind. The soft whispering becomes gentler, Amleth in the bottle embarrassed over the concern, perhaps.

Only when he is thoroughly satisfied that nothing is, indeed, broken, William will let out a sigh of relief and slip it back into his pocket, patting it lightly and sparing Ashton and Ziya a bright, warm smile, "Looks like everything's good. Thanks for asking, too. Ah, I'm William, by the way..." He offers a hand to both of them in a general sort of fashion, expression curious and expectant.

 

[tepidtea]

Ziya paused when Ashton gave him a look for startling the poor man, but just smiled sheepishly at him. He hadn’t purposely tired to frighten him, honestly. Having sensed the bottle made him feel the need to come down right away and greet this new guardian of sorts.

”Nice to meet you William, I’m Ashton and this is Ziya” Ashton gestured to the teen, sitting up a bit more and crossed his legs Indian style. His eye caught the bottle and he froze for a second. Maybe that’s why Ziya decided to come down. The lightening teen had always known when people were dusts or had a dust bottle on their person. Maybe it was a whole radar sort of thing between dusts?

”Nice to meet you…” Ziya said softly, his eyes looking at the bottle then back to the guardian. “Nice Dust bottle by the way… good thing it didn’t get damaged! I don’t think whoever is inside of the bottle would be too happy” He smiled brightly at the other male. If it were him in the bottle he would be a little upset about being tossed around, though Ashton had been extremely careful with him.  

[Anasazi]

Now that he wasn't turned tail over teakettle, the lanky young man sat neatly across from Ashton, shifting his coat so that Amleth was resting more or less in his lap rather than threatened with being tumbled to the ground. When Ziya mentions the bottle, however, and that there's someone inside, William's eyebrows shoot up and he tilts his head, "Eh? ...oh. I don't think he's ever too happy, honestly." He lifts the bottle free now, holding it up and peering at it while it rustles softly, indignantly, like someone muttering over having dirt kicked on their shoes. It goes quiet, then, pulsating a soft red-gold in Ziya and Ashton's directions. Strangers. Thhbbt.

William eyeballs the bottle for a few seconds before he sighs and sets it into his lap properly, resting his arms on either of his knees and shaking his head, "I guess I didn't really think about someone actually being in there. I figured there must be, from the way it acts, but it makes sense now. I don't think he likes other people, though... Sorry." It never occurs to William that he is referring to the bottle as 'he', despite the fact that it is genderless at the moment.

 

[tepidtea]

“We all start out like that… well dusts at least…” Ziya smiled at the other as he settled. It was always neat to meet someone who had just a wee little bottle. Now being a teenager he some what knew and understood how it all worked a little better. Yet he still wasn’t too sure on their real purpose on being here. Though according to Ashton humans didn’t know why they were here either so Ziya figured they were on an even playing field. Sitting down on the ground now, creating a triangle of sorts so he could see everyone easily.

“Ziya had been good for a night light, he was always so bright…” Ashton murmured softly, a little thrown by this bottle. He’d never come across someone else with a bottle so he wasn’t sure if they all acted like Ziya had. “Maybe find something he reacts well too? Like Ziya liked it when I played my guitar and such… but I couldn’t put him near water or else I’d get a nasty shock…” He murmured and looked to the lightening teen.

“Ashton normally doesn’t like people either so its all good” Ziya teased, laughing a little when his shoulder was shoved. “Hah… maybe he just has to get used to meeting people? There’s no way he can avoid it once he come out of the bottle!”  

[Anasazi]

Again, William lifts his eyebrows, shaking his head and running his thumb over the edge of the bottle, the strange jeweled crowning around it shifting slightly in the process, "Well, I know some of the things he likes. He just doesn't like people. He really seems to enjoy fighting games and graveyards, though. I'm guessing he's a little spooky. He likes books all right, but not anywhere near as much as I do." William shrugs haplessly, smiling at Ziya and Ashton while he fits Amleth into the palm of his hand, the bottle still radiating a general antisocial, mistrustful vibe.

The tousled brown-haired young man looks curiously from Ziya to Ashton before he picks Amleth up again, the bottle rustling irritatedly, and frowns at it calmly,"Hey, calm down... and how long does it usually take for him to come out? He's been a bottle for a while. Is he trapped, do you think...?"

 

[tepidtea]

“He’ll be an interesting kid the...” Ashton murmured softly, looking at Ziya, who seemed to nod in agreement. It felt weird explaining to someone that out of that wee little bottle would come some sort of child. Sure Ashton had explained it to his friends, but he still wasn’t sure if they thought he was just crazy. Which, in turn he would have thought himself crazy if it weren’t for the other guardians he’d met over time.

”Trapped? Uh… I’m not sure…” Ziya said softly as he intently looked at the bottle. “Perhaps he’s shy and isn’t quite ready to come out?” He suggested with a slight shrug of his shoulders. The lightening dust wasn’t quite sure, there were only some things he remembered back w hen eh was in the bottle. It was a strange time, but he mostly remembered Ashton’s voice then anything.  

[Anasazi]

Hm. Shy? William again lifts the bottle, tilting it to one side slightly and then the other before he lifts it close and proceeds to tap against the odd, gold-sheened glass. Almost immediately, the trees around them start up with a hissing, rustling whisper, broken by a hint of running water. It is a regal affrontage, insult taken to one's dignity, and something dark and shadowy flickers on the bare edge of vision. It's a little creepy.

William, of course, completely fails to notice and continues to tap for a second or two before he gets the hint and lowers his hand. Clearing his throat in an effort to Pretend That Never Happened, he smiles sunnily up at Ashton and Ziya as the whispering cools to something lower, angry but more on the level of a grumble than a yell, "So, uh, what brings you two out to the woods?" Please join me in pretending nothing out of sorts just occurred, William's glasses catching the light so that they reflect, hiding his eyes. He's not trying to be creepy, but it does fit the current situation.

 

[tepidtea]

Ziya seemed to freeze, head lifting a little as the whole atmosphere around them changed. A shiver ran down his spine as a creepy sort of feeling settled into him, as something felt quite angry and irritated. His gray hues flickered towards the bottle, wondering if it had something to do with the bottle there. He figured it had to be, or otherwise it wouldn’t affect him as much. The lightening dust wasn’t sure if his guardian had felt anything but he sure did.

Ashton had heard the whispers and such, but he knew if it were something bad Ziya would say something. Looking back to William, he smiled a little and looked down at his book. “I had come out here to write a few songs since I was finally in the mood to do so and Ziya just came along to help bounce idea’s off of” Ashton just shrugged a little and looked at the old book. Since he was still to injured to do the musical parts, so he was just working on lyrics. It annoyed the dark haired male all to hell that his guitar back at home was starting to collect dust. “What about you? You seemed quite… uh distracted...”  

[Anasazi]

The book is whipped up neatly, William's seemingly clumsy hands managing to bobble the bottle into one hand so that the other can fetch the volume up. He leaves Amleth to sit in his lap, where the bottle gets distinctly less grouchy, and points at the book, "I was reading this. I tend to get a little distracted when I'm reading..." He shrugs slightly, finding a loss of geographical location acceptable in the light of literary pursuits. With a clinical curiosity, he watches Ziya's reactions and Ziya in general, undoubtedly finding him a point of interest since he was the one in the bottle before.

All the same, he turns his attention back to Ashton and inquires, head cocked, "Write songs? Are you a musician, then? What were you writing? Have you performed in town before?" Behind his glasses, William's eyes shine with fascination now, the mixture of music and writing a great point of easy focus for him.