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Log Title: Only Fair

Log setting: Playground, after school.

Log Cast:
Catherine
Trace

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Trace suddenly appears, crawling out past a thick clutch of bushes.

In an obviously good mood, Cathy comes practically skipping along the path towards the playground, rounding the fruitbearing trees and bushes, and of course she heads straight for the swings, though she does look around to see if someone is waiting for her here.

Indeed, someone is waiting. Trace sits near the sandbox. He's found a stick and draws idle patterns and squiggles in the sand there, and occasionally reaches out a leg to erase it with the toes of his sneakers. There's a cluster of wildflowers in a small bunch beside him, common violets mostly, but the occasional flower that looks suspiciously as though it must have been picked out of some resident's private garden or landscaping. At your approach he looks up and calls, "Cathy! Hi... Over here!" His grin brightens.

Catherine turns slightly as she hears the call, then smiles brightly as she sees you at the sandbox. She runs over to you, stopping just outside the sandbox, to first take a look at you, then at the drawings you've been making. She giggles softly as she settles down on a patch of sand that hasn't been drawn on, close to you, and asks, "What have you been making? Are these like those native american sand paintings?" She leans over somewhat, to study the patterns.

"Native Americans made sand paintings..?" Trace wonders with interest. See, it's reasons like this he sometimes envies you school kids. See how much he has yet to learn? So many fascinating things he has yet to understand. He holds out the little scraggly bouquet of wildflowers and other-peoples-garden flowers proudly. "Here ya go. And I dunno what I was doin with the sand.. I was jest scribblin in it. Nothin special. Hey, I wanted ta talk to you about some things. Some *good* things, I'm pretty sure." He grins. "Ya know a guy named Nelson at all? He's really cool. Well.." Well, no he's not. He's dweebiness personified, and yet, "I really like him, anyway."

Catherine nods quickly to your question, and says with a bright smile, "It's really nice, they use all kinds of colours of sand, and they just let the sand rain down on the ground, and make paterns and figures with it, and then they fill it with other colours of sand, and it's just like painting, only it is.. well, sand, and so it's pretty fragile." Her eyes widen slightly at the bouquet, and she accepts it like they are the most beautiful flowers she has ever seen, which in a way they are. She smiles brightly, and says, "Thank you.. they're very pretty..", then suddenly she giggles softly, and instead of leaving it at a thank you, she decides this definately deserves a peck on the cheek. She leans over and dabs her lips against your cheek. She's still a little giggly as she sits back, looking at you and your reaction, when she finally responds to the question. "Uhmm.. I might have seen him, but it's not like his name rings any bells.. He's a nice guy?"

"Real nice," Trace nods. "He's this really smart chemist guy. He has chemicals what kin eat through glass, or like sink in through yer skin without hurtin but when it reaches yer bones it fries em up!" His eyes widen a little as he says it, clearly impressed with such intriguing substances no matter how unnerving. "Anyway, look." He pulls a folded piece of paper from one of his back pockets and unfolds it very carefully, passing it over to you. It's the table of Chemical Elements. "This is the roadmap to creation," he says with quiet respect. "Nelson gonna teach me all about it. And help me some with math, too."

Catherine ewws and wrinkles her nose, then shakes her head, "Isn't that like, really dangerous to work with that kind of stuff? I mean, we do chemical experiments at school, and there's special glasses you have to wear to protect your eyes and stuff like that. And that's not even the really dangerous things." She accepts the paper you hand her, and stares at it, then giggles and nods, "Well, yeah, I guess everything the world is build of is in here.. But I think it's missing the most important ingredient, at least, for life.." She taps her fingertip lightly against her temple, and smiles.

Trace smiles brightly and nods a little. "Yeah... Nothin on there fer a brain, r' a heart, r' a soul. But still, it were real interestin, the stuff he was goin on about. He tole me about Carbon, an' how it can be all friendly with all these elements, an' how whoever it decides to be friends with it changes... Like it can be all slow and lazy if it gets t'gether with two oxygens, but if it's just one oxygen then they get all badass and go 'round killin people and kickin some butt on the ozone layer and stuff..." He shrugs. "Anyway, he won't let me work with the cool dangerous stuff. I tried t'get him ta let me come to his work sometime, but he said he might bring some stuff home to show me sometime. He won't let me do the glass meltin stuff though." A little disappointment there. "Oh well. It'll jest be nice to learn some stuff though.. And he seems real happy to teach me about it. He's a really good teacher. He 'splains it in ways that make it all really interesting."

Catherine nods quickly and smiles when she says, "Yeah, it is pretty amazing, the stuff that they have figured out, and how it makes almost everything sort of.. fit in with everything else. I mean, everything makes sense, it makes you feel that of course, that is the way things should be. But at the same time.. Well, perhaps it makes a little too much sense sometimes.." She grins at you, and says, "Luckely there's still a place where everything works the way you want it to work, not the way some professor predicted, and that's in your mind.." She giggles, "And it's good that he teaches you all kinds of things. Especially math is nice. It's what you need to make physics and chemistry work." She looks a little puzzled at Trace, and asks, "What is this Nelson guy like? He's a teacher?"

Trace places his chin in his hand, tapping gently at his cheek as he considers. Hmmm.. "Well. Nelson's jest... I mean, he's not. Well." This is proving harder than he thought. "He's not a teacher, no.. He's a chemist, like I told you. But bet he COULD be a teacher, if he wanted. He'd be really good at it. And in a way he's gonna be MY teacher, coz he's gonna show me this stuff. When I turn eighteen I'm gonna go to one'a them community colleges that let you earn yer highschool degree, and go on to pick up some college classes. But he's gonna help prepare me fer that so I'm not so far behind. He wanna make sure I gotta future.." He smiles a little. "It made me feel really good, talkin to him. He really believes in me. Don't think I'm gonna stay some lil' leech livin on the street, he know I wanna make somethin of myself, an be somebody someday."

Catherine looks a little thoughtfull, and says softly, "I guess he has some kind of other neat job then.. That lets him teach you and everything. Perhaps he's working in one of them research laboratories, they always have all kinds of weird stuff like those acids.." The slight frown turns into a smile when she continues, "I think it's absolutely great though, that you'll be taking classes, and you'll do just great, I know it. And you know that you only need to come and ask, and I have a couple of schoolbooks, and I could show you some of the stuff I learned that day, if you wouldn't mind dropping by from time to time.." She looks you over, and gives a very self asured nod, "You're going to make a difference later, I'm sure of that."

Your words bring a blush to Trace's cheeks. He glances down and takes one of your hands, bringing it up to press his lips briefly against the back of your hand before lowering it and looking at you. He doesn't release your hand. "Thank you.." he says with a shy smile. "It means a lot to me to hear you say so, that ya... that ya believe in me." His hands squeeze yours once, and he adds, smile broadening to a grin, "And I do plan ta come over to see yer books and things sometime."

Catherine glances down to her hand in yours, and as you kiss her fingers, she smiles warmly. As she looks up into your eyes, she says softly, "Actually, you are already making a big difference for me right now.." Her hand holds yours just a little more firmly for a moment, and then she suddenly giggles softly, "Ohh, perhaps I could get you to read me a bedtime story sometime.."

Trace giggles at that, though points out with a quirked grin, "I would love to. But I think yer dad r' yer housekeeper lady might not like it too well if I was still over atchyer house round bedtime. You got a window that's easy ta sneak out of r'something?" Then he brightens a little and says, "Oh, Cathy! I gotta tell you bout what's goin on... Gotta show you where I'm gonna be staying fer a few days! It's a castle Cathy, a real live castle, with a dungeon and a pool and an arcade..." He chuckles and admits, "Well, I know not many castles got pools and arcades, but this were a castle built fer a boy. Weren't built fer me, but I'm gonna get ta stay there awhile with Jason, while I paint the ceiling. Well, one'a the ceilings. There's too many ceilings, and many way too high up, fer me to paint em all. It'd take years!"

Catherine giggles softly, and says, "Well, there are some evenings when I'm home alone, usually in the weekend, when Jenny has a day off.. so.. well, I mean, you could stay around and I could actually try to cook something. Though it's usually TV dinners. Jenny says I shouldn't be eating those, and she always cooks, but it's just too much to do for just one person." She smiles at the thought of the window, then shakes her head, "I'd have to get you a key to the courtyard.. They lock it down in the evening. But that shouldn't be a problem.. Then you could sneak out if you had to.." She's still thinking about what it'd take to get you out safely, when she realizes what you just said. "A real castle? That's awesome! I didn't know they build any here, except for those obviously fake ones.. I'd love to see it, especially once you start painting. You could be like.. Michelangelo. He painted ceilings as well, and I like your drawings a lot better.."

Trace grins as you say his pictures are nicer than Michaelangelo's, and says, "Well I dunno about that. He was pretty cool, I guess. I doan' think I'll be puttin no naked people on her ceiling tho." He giggles and decides, "Not unless I'm drawin fairies." His expression sobers just a little as something occurs to him rather suddenly. "Oh..." He looks at you with more seriousness, his hazel eyes imploring. "You tole me once that you din' like Ligeia. But she's the one who's been so kind ta me, and is doin all this... She's been nothin but sweet and wonderful." He glances down. "Tell me, why was it ya doan' like her? Did she do somethin to ya? Coz I was hopin ya could come ta use the pool sometime, r'maybe see the gardens.. It's all really beautiful. But I din' wanna bring ya to Ligeia's castle if ya was uncomfortable around her."

Catherine giggles with just a slight blush at the mention of fairies, remembering perfectly well just the way you like to draw them. But the seriousness must be contagious, because she gets a slight frown at the mention of Ligeia. She shakes her head slowly, and shrugs slightly, "I.. don't really know what it is.. It's just.. well, some sort of feeling I have around her. As if.. as if something isn't right. You know, the kind of feeling like she's showing us this perfectly nice mask and all, and ohh, she's all friendly, and she's doing all kinds of nice things, but she's really having this hidden agenda and all." She shakes her head slowly, "And there's just this stuff I heard, and it's like.. well, it's just bits and pieces of conversations, and I could be terribly wrong, but I think they had Star with them for a while.. and.. I don't know what they do, but just all those rumours.. It did sound like they would take advantage.." Again she shrugs, "It's nothing I can point my finger at, just.. well.." But then she smiles a little, "But if you're there, I'm sure I'll be safe, and I'm not afraid of her. Just.. cautious around this Ligeia.."

Trace nods a little. "Well.. I dunno. I mean, I had reasons to be suspicious, but..." He shakes his head a little. "I don't get those feelings from her at all. Honestly. And Star, did you know that he's her kid? Like, legally. Ligeia adopted him. When I said that the castle was built fer a boy, I mean, I dunno if it was *originally* built fer him, but it's his now. He's off on some vacation though.. Actually, we won't be livin *in* the castle, coz I guess Star gets jealous if he thinks people's taken his place as Ligeia's boy, but we'll be able to hang out there, in the pool and gardens and stuff. But we'll actually stay in the lil guest house there." He shrugs gently and promises, "I'll be careful. But really, I don't think there's much need. I trust her. She's never been nothin but good t'me. Well... guess it don't matter. If anything goes wrong, I got Jason ta protect me. He can be fierce if he thinks I'm in danger... I doan' got no fear when he's around."

Catherine smiles a little, and says softly, "Well, yeah, I guess if you feel safe it should be safe.. It's just.. well, somehow.. I don't know.. She just feels creepy to me. I could be terribly wrong though." She lets out a soft sigh, and shakes her head, "I hate it when I have to be like.. all suspicious about everyone and everything, I hate it.. But.. well, sometimes.." Finally she shakes her head again, and just smiles, then gives your hand a soft squeeze, "If you feel safe, and you're there, I feel safe as well, and I'd love to come visit you when you live there.. And if Star is happy there, then I'm happy for him for that as well. Not that many people get the chance to be happy, so if he can, he should take it. Just has to make sure he doesn't pay too high a price.." She giggles and sticks out her tongue, "Bleh, there I go again. Never mind.."

Trace grins as you go off again about the price of Ligeia's benevolence. "I'm sure it'll be alright. Star ain't there right now though. He's off with that Gideon guy. They went to the mountains r'somethin ta do some male bonding." His nose wrinkles, lips pursed with distaste. "Now *there's* a guy who's creepy. God. I don't get why Star likes that awful man. He *didn't* fer awhile, but now I guess they're all close again." His free hand picks up the stick. He draws a face quickly, a cartoon face sort of resembling Gideon with that strange hat on, and pointedly jabs him through the forehead once. Thuk. The stick is left to stand up from the stand, extending from the Gideon picture, and he smiles at it with satisfaction. That'll show him. Well, no it won't, this is no voodoo sandbox, but it gives him some small amount of satisfaction anyway.

Catherine can definately relate to not understanding why Star hangs out with some people, and nodding, she says, "Well, yeah, or that other guy that's sometimes around at the Raven, that Flagg person. Eww, just looking at him sends shivers down my spine. Don't know what it is, but it's like looking at him is static electricity, makes your neckhair rise." She giggles as she watches the cartoon get jabbed, then gets a curious look in her eyes, when she asks, "Uhmm, isn't that Gideon guy sort of related to Ligeia in some way or the other? And just how quickly did Star change his opinion all of a sudden?" There it is again, suspicion. To take her mind of things, she instead turns a little away to sniff the flowers you picked for her. Here is something she is really happy with, and again she says, "They are lovely.. thanks.."

"They aren't related," Trace shakes his head a little. "Actually, Ligeia kinda spoke of Gideon with some distaste. And she din' seem happy at all that Star had went off with him." He shrugs. "And Flagg... God, I hate him. He's just such a jerk. Ain't never been nothin but awful ta me.." He smiles as you mention the bouquet and shrugs a little, "Weren't nothin... M'glad ya like em."

Catherine turns back to look at you, over the flowers, still holding them so she can smell them. She seems content with just watching you, and the flowers barely hide the warm smile she has, but after a moment, she can't keep from giggling, and she whispers, "This still feels so weird and so great.. I mean.. sure, I was kinda hoping.. But that you actually asked me.." She lowers the flowers just a little, and says, "If I am your girl, then you're my boy.."

"Well, course I'm yer boy," Trace grins, leaning back a little, proudly, shifting his weight to one hand while the other reaches out to touch your cheek. "Wouldn't be fair otherwise, would it?" He smiles at that. Then the hand that had touched your cheek now reaches forward to snatch one of the flowers from the bouquet, gentle tugs that free it from the grasp of your fingers and the green tangle of stems. It's a light pink blossom with little white stalks inside, the very tips dusted in yellow pollen. Hope Cathy doesn't have bad allergies, because he uses the end of it to tickle at her nose playfully.

Catherine nods with a warm smile, and giggles, "Yeah, it wouldn't be fair.." Then as pluck out the flower, she tilts her head slightly, curious to see what you're doing, and then soft giggling as you tickle her nose. She doesn't have any allergies, so she doesn't start sneezing, but she wrinkles her nose just a little from the ticklish sensations. Still, she doesn't pull away, instead just looks straight into your eyes while she softly laughs.

Trace's flower-tickles don't last too long, as he pulls the flower away and grins. But your gaze snags his, and he swallows once. Green eyes... they're so much more, up close. There's all those threads of blue and orange and gold. It's terribly easy to get lost in green eyes. He swallows, but doesn't glance away, just reaches forward slowly to tuck the flower in place behind your ear. "There y'go..." he whispers shyly. "Ya so pretty, Cathy. Doan unnerstand why ya wanted ta be my girl, but I.. I'm really glad."

Almost without noticing it, Cathy leans just a little closer all the time, eyes barely moving as she is looking in yours, as if she's reading or seeing something, but whatever she sees, she seems more than happy with it, smiling broadly. The touch to her hair and ear as you place the flower in her hair makes her blink once, but even as your whispers bring that faint red colour to her cheeks once more, she doesn't look away, and softly replies. "I don't really know either, I just know I do... And I'm happy for that, it's one of those rare things I don't want to know everything about, but that just makes me feel so good.." She blinks again, as now her nosetip lightly bumps against yours, and she pulls just a fraction of an inch back, watching you, never getting enough it seems.

Trace grins a little as his nose brushes yours, and he leans forward a little to rub noses again before pulling back and saying, words still hushed and heady with feeling, "Ya make me feel good too... Real good. I dunno, it jest seems sometimes like nothin's pure. But you do... I love how ya seem innocent, but also wise, and fun, and brave. And I think I'm innocent too. I doan' seem it sometimes, but I am, I think. So maybe I need that." He's blushing, but smiling now too, leans forward to nuzzle at your cheek shyly, with his nose, then his lips, the touch ending in a gentle kiss against your own blush.

Catherine blinks again, the touch to her nosetip having that effect on her, and she doesn't really know what to say. Perhaps just a slight darkening of the blush on her cheeks, at your whispers, and when you touch a kiss to her cheek, she closes her eyes finally, and leans her head lightly against yours. She lets out a soft sigh, then turns her head just enough to brush her lips over your cheek. Finally she manages to murmur into your ear, "Sometimes I almost feel old.. having to know all those things.. But with you.. it's.. it doesn't matter.."

Trace nods a little. "Sometimes me too. When I gotta think about... about how fast it seems my friends is growin' up around me, all tryin to act so tough and untouched by alla life's hardest edges. Let's never feel old. I always wanna be able ta stomp puddles and eat marshmallow cream right outta the container with m'fingers, an' pick you wildflowers. I wanna... have kids someday too, and a family, and all that. But I still never wanna feel old!" He touches your cheek again, eyes bright and smiling. "So let's never, okay? All the hard stuff, we'll never let it take that."

Catherine smiles warmly and as she slowly nods, her cheek brushes along your hand touching her there. She says softly, "I don't ever want to get old, and I want to climb trees with you and pull pranks on people, though not pranks that hurt people... And.. and.. yeah, have kids someday, and make the world a better place for them, but still be like them and show them that being a parent doesn't mean you have to be boring or away all the time.." She looks into your eyes once more, and says softly, "I promise I'll never grow up, at least, not in a bad way.."

"Good," Trace smiles. "M'gonna hold you to that promise, ya know." His hand at your cheek draws your lips closer, and he catches them up in a hesitant kiss. Eyes close, hazel cloaked to hide him from too much imput, only able to concentrate on the beautiful almost frightening rush that sometimes comes to those early kisses, something unknown and this boy so unexplored. It all leaves him lightheaded. Lips part, gently, a the hand at your cheek so light, as though afraid to hold you securely to the kiss, ready to release you should he sense the slightest resistance.

Cathy's eyes try to stay open, looking at you as you come closer, but as your lips touch hers, she has to close her eyes, and she feels the warmth and the gentle motion of your soft lips against hers, letting the touch just linger there. It's a seal to the promise, but there's more and as the kiss lasts, her hands finally reach up, blindly finding your neck, and slipping around it, ever so lightly holding herself close with her arms around your neck. There is no hurry in either motion or kiss, as far as Cathy is concerned this moment should last forever.

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