[PRP} Acquaintances [Epoch & Anouk]

[Seiaeka]

"Extra, Extra. Read all about it! Strange disappearances on Siren's Shore!" Epoch's young boyish voice called out over the din of the market's crowd. It was a cool, gray, autumn day that threatened to rain till the sea swalloed Aimes. Epoch wore his dark green and gray plaid newsboy cap, pulled low to his ears to hide his unusual misty mint hair and eyes as he lured the citizens of the town to purchase his papers.

It hadn't even been a week since he had first met with the angelically strange adult Dust by the name of Aren. Poor Epoch had been so terrified that he had barely a moment to reflect on what the other had said to him. The whole event was still buzzing around in his head, day after day. "Maybe I should take a break from work..." he sighed, knowing that if he got too tired, something bad might happen with his powers again.

Another hour passed by slowly and Epoch sold out of his papers. he had just made his way down to the dock, pulling his half-cape about his shoulders and taking a seat under an awning, when it began to finally rain. But that wasn't the half of it; though it was a light spattering, the chill wind gave the day a vicious bite. The little, thin Dust shivered and hunched over as he rummaged through his messenger bag, pulling out the usual bottle of milk, slices of cured meat, and a loaf of bread for his meal.  

[alpha lyrae]

"That was fun." Ciellas glanced in surprise at the small girl at her side as they walked along the docks. Anouk moved with a skip in her step and a small smile on her lips, wearing naught but sandals and her halter dress. The icy wings fluttered in the cold air happily. The guardian rubbed her arms, already soaked by the onslaught of rain. In this weather, of course Anouk would be in a better disposition. But her moods always changed at the drop of a hat. "Your brother Danny is very kind to have given me ice cream." Ciellas mustered a smile and patted her head.

"Only a child made a' snow would eat ice cream while th' rest o' th' world is freezin' cold." Anouk beamed proudly up at her and continued her lead on the older woman. Ciellas was grateful that at least this outing had turned out significantly better than their previous ones, particularly one to her brother's home. Anouk normally didn't care for the whole of Ciellas' family, preferring to keep the woman to herself or deal with her relatives one at a time (rather than en masse, which was normally the reason for visits), but they had lucked out today with the rest of her brothers out while Danny minded the construction and repair shop. Ciellas had no complaints about the day; she would rather hear cheers out of her young charge than groans, as was the norm.

".. Oh."

"What is it?" Her reverie came to a halt just as she did at Anouk's side. The girl's pale arm raised and pointed to a boy seated a short ways from them, shivering over his meal. Ciellas frowned deeply and felt a wave of pity.

"I do not know why he is shivering so. This weather is the best we have had in ages," Anouk replied bluntly, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. The blonde shook her head and took the lead this time. She made sure to approach the boy so that he heard her, but not to frighten him. She surely couldn't let a boy sit here shivering by the docks with naught but a cape and cap to keep him warm; Ciellas O'Malley would not allow that to happen.

"Stay back a little Anouk, that a' girl. Let's not startle him." Anouk pouted but obeyed as she shifted her position to at least obscure her wings from view of the strange boy. But something definitely was strange about him.. she couldn't place it, but she had felt this feeling with others before.. what was it?

"Ye'll catch yer death a' cold out here, young man!" Ciellas leaned forward, the concern clearly written on her face. "What're ye doin' all the way down here eatin' yer lunch? You should be someplace warm." Anouk peeked around Ciellas' side, her tiny fingers clenching the hem of her guardian's overcoat as she watched him through calm, observant eyes. She was waiting for something to happen, anything that would give her indication that her inklings were correct.  

[Seiaeka]

Epoch hadn't noticed the approach of the two, having been too busy with his attempts to stay out of the wind and eat at the same time. When the woman spoke, he let out a little cry of surprise, jumping slightly at their sudden appearance. "I-I uh," he stumbled over his words, still processing the woman's unusual accent, when an acrid odour of spoiled dairy reached his nostrils and made him wrinkle his nose. He gave his bottle of spoiled milk a forlorn look before setting it aside with his dessicated loaf of bread. It looked almost as if he were eating garbage; unfortunatly, Epoch didn't know enough about his own powers to turn the items back to their original state after that little shock.

He hunched up andpulled his cape closer around his shoulders, "My home is pretty far away, so I thought I might wait out the rain," he mumbled, pullling his cap low over his unusual hair and eyes. His leafy green and golden eyes flickered to the child that peered around her guardian. He had meant to look away immediately, but he found himself caputred by her cool coloured eyes, like a deep hued, ancient block of glacier ice.

His lips moved wordlessly, unable to really form the coherent sentence that he hoped for. Was she like him? She gave off the same feeling as Aren had. If so, was this woman her guardian, like Hale had been for him? A pang of regret and guilt struck Epoch like a kick from a mule, and he looked down to his lap where his white-knuckled hands gripped his little green waistcoat as he shivered.

"I should go," he mumbled, rising from his seat, one pale hand picking up his messenger bag before he moved to step around them. Getting close to people was not something that he wanted to do, especially when he was hungry and tired. The prospect of losing control again worried him; and Epoch certainly didn't want to see what would happen to someone if they were caught up in an intense shift like his milk had been. It would be horrific.  

[alpha lyrae]

Both the child and guardian's faces reflected surprise as the boy mumbled an excuse and tried to hurry away. Their expressions then scrunched into ones of displeasure as the smell of molding food reached their noses, and Ciellas craned her neck to see what the boy had been trying to eat. A hand clapped to her mouth.

"Goodness, child, ye'll make yerself sick eatin' that!" She gaped at him in honest surprise - this milk was in no way edible! What was he thinking? She paused in thought; he had said his home was far from here.. or was that an excuse? Did he even have a home? His clothing didn't look threadbare, but the food he was eating told a different story. The possibilities ran through her head.

Most people would have assumed it was a con, she thought. Some would have just walked away and ignored it. But a starving child on the streets, with naught but rotten food to eat? There was no way she could walk away from that. Ciellas O'Malley did not turn her back on the cold, weary, and hungry.

"Come now, lad." She gave the boy a smile and a pat on the back. "Up y'go. We're headin' somewhere where there's fairer food tae eat. And I won' take no fer an answer." Although her smile was playful, the child at her side was solemn and only nodded at Epoch.

"She speaks the truth. It is better to just follow her lead." Anouk spoke as though she had stores of experience with this kind of ultimatum, and indeed she had. No matter how she had protested, Ciellas was the mistress of the house and her rules were law. Now it seemed that this poor boy had fallen into her beloved guardian's sights, so a little extra guidance couldn't hurt. "You would offend her more by declining her offer, and she is not a lovely sight to behold when crossed."

Ciellas rolled her eyes at the remark, but hoped it would have the right effect on the boy she felt such swelling pity for. As for Anouk, she didn't want to walk away just yet. She wanted to observe him further, and perhaps get an answer for why he felt familiar.  

[Seiaeka]

Epoch flinched as he was patted on the back, taking in a sharp breath and holding it as though he had just stuffed himself into a pond of ice water. Regaining control over his fears, he fidgeted, feeling especially trapped by the little girl's comment about offending the woman. "M-ma'am, really it's not a good idea to keep me around," he muttered, shrinking a little under her hand. "A-and I wasn't trying to eat it--it just happens like that unfortunately..." he mumbled something about being surprised and an accident, but the wind carried away the rest of his excuses.

His eyes drifted back to the littled girl, wondering if she too was a Dust like him. He was torn by his curiosity and his fear of damaging others. Wht good did it do to run away all the time though? Hale had stopped running, and even though he was technically dead now, Epoch knew the man would be disappointed with him for running. His green orbs drifted back down to the ground, "O-ok..." he sighed finally. As long as he could get out of this darn cold wind soon. His fingertips were like ice; something he didn't find particularly pleasant.

"But please try and keep your distance--" he said suddenly, looking up at the woman, fear passing over his expression. "I- I don't want you to end up like the milk." A strange way to say things indeed. It was likely a statement that only he really understood; or anyone who might know of his dust.  

[alpha lyrae]

"That's the spirit, lad!" Ciellas disregarded any excuses he was making and instead let her high spirits sing out. "And none o' those excuses now. No matter what ye done or what y'may do, it don't matter none tae us." Taking his hand despite his plea to keep her distance, she tugged him up towards the street, towards the warm storefronts. "It wouldn't sit right with me if I were tae leave ye freezin' out there. Not right at all." She nodded matter of factly, and Anouk rolled her eyes. And to think that Ciellas called her dramatic. "But we should get some introductions out o' th' way. The name is Ciellas. What might we call ye?"

"Anouk," the child offered with a neutral tone, "And I am sure we will be alright." The lingering familiarity still clung to him, and she could not shake the idea that perhaps they had something in common. All this talk about not wanting them to "end up like the milk".. who but one like her would talk that way? Ciellas would probably say something about gypsies, but this boy didn't seem like a fortune teller.

"But.. what do you mean 'like the milk'?" She tilted her head as she watched him, waiting expectantly for his answer. "Can you do things like I can do?"  

[Seiaeka]

He wanted to pull away as soon as his hand was grasped, but he didn't. Humans weren't apt to understanding things, and this woman was like an overbearing brick wall; so insistant that Epoch-- or anyone for that matter-- couldn't say no. Instead, he shrunk into the high collar of his half-cape and mummbled a little, "Epoch..." he spoke.

At Anouk's question, he looked away, pretending that he hadn't heard for the wind that had picked up again; but he looked at her from the corner of his eye as they walked, pondering on what he should say. Things like she could do? He turned his eyes back to the streets, his lips sealed tightly. Was it ok? Was it really ok for him to meet new people after what he had done? Should he even be allowed to be one of the Dust?

He cast his eyes down to the cobblestone streets, hiding his face under his cap so they couldn't see his eyes that held a hundred years of sorrow. "I'm a Dust, yes," he said finally.