Ode to a Willow (CA - Willowman)
Quote from Adriana on August 31, 2020, 10:13 amAmelia was sitting cross legged on a wooden chair across from Willowman, reading her own book and sipping a cup of tea. Upon the conclusion of his critique, she rested hers down and chuckled,
"Tell me how you really feel," she laughed, then nodded. "I agree, I was never a fan of those books. Hooking you in with false promises, then bam, hard right hook on the last few pages."
She gestured to her book with a free hand, "It's why I like crime novels. The worst part is usually over within the first ten pages, then you spend the rest of them finding the bad guy, seeing justice being served." she shrugged, rested her tea down and folded both hands over her book.
"Did you ever find a name to make yours, Mr Hermit Crab?"
Amelia was sitting cross legged on a wooden chair across from Willowman, reading her own book and sipping a cup of tea. Upon the conclusion of his critique, she rested hers down and chuckled,
"Tell me how you really feel," she laughed, then nodded. "I agree, I was never a fan of those books. Hooking you in with false promises, then bam, hard right hook on the last few pages."
She gestured to her book with a free hand, "It's why I like crime novels. The worst part is usually over within the first ten pages, then you spend the rest of them finding the bad guy, seeing justice being served." she shrugged, rested her tea down and folded both hands over her book.
"Did you ever find a name to make yours, Mr Hermit Crab?"
Quote from Indy on September 1, 2020, 8:45 am"It was almost a good book," he reflected mournfully, closing the pages tightly shut, "Apparently it's won awards. What do I know?"
"Fair enough," he glanced at the cover of Amelia's book with its intense blues and reds over a gritty cityscape, "Sure sucks to be the victim in the first ten pages, though".
The breezy little fellow considered Amelia's question in a measured sip of his tea, "Nothing yet... but I'll add Mr. Hermit Crab to the list. Or," he noted as he glanced at the author's name on the cover, "Lowry, maybe. I was almost a good book, until the ending came along".
Willowman shifted uncomfortably, leaning back on the chair's back legs. Though he'd regained weight those last few months, he still had the appearance of someone who had been slightly stretched in the wash. With his long legs and arms draped over the chair as he leaned backwards - his arms almost brushing the ground as he did so - the result was dramatic. He loitered at the edge of the chair, evidently unperturbed if he might fall, before he popped up abruptly with a snap of his fingers.
"Amelia... I have a request I'd like to make. You can say no, if you like".
"It was almost a good book," he reflected mournfully, closing the pages tightly shut, "Apparently it's won awards. What do I know?"
"Fair enough," he glanced at the cover of Amelia's book with its intense blues and reds over a gritty cityscape, "Sure sucks to be the victim in the first ten pages, though".
The breezy little fellow considered Amelia's question in a measured sip of his tea, "Nothing yet... but I'll add Mr. Hermit Crab to the list. Or," he noted as he glanced at the author's name on the cover, "Lowry, maybe. I was almost a good book, until the ending came along".
Willowman shifted uncomfortably, leaning back on the chair's back legs. Though he'd regained weight those last few months, he still had the appearance of someone who had been slightly stretched in the wash. With his long legs and arms draped over the chair as he leaned backwards - his arms almost brushing the ground as he did so - the result was dramatic. He loitered at the edge of the chair, evidently unperturbed if he might fall, before he popped up abruptly with a snap of his fingers.
"Amelia... I have a request I'd like to make. You can say no, if you like".
Quote from Adriana on September 1, 2020, 11:05 am"Lowry kind of suits you," Amelia responded, considering. "A little grim, all things considered, but.." she shrugged, standing from her seat.
"What's that?" the woman asked, picking up her cup.
"Lowry kind of suits you," Amelia responded, considering. "A little grim, all things considered, but.." she shrugged, standing from her seat.
"What's that?" the woman asked, picking up her cup.
Quote from Indy on September 1, 2020, 2:01 pm"I'll add it to the list of top contenders, then," Willowman replied cheerfully, adding its script to one of the pages on his notebook. He supposed it might be a more fitting choice than MacBeth, anyways.
"Call me old fashioned," he started, his fingers fiddling nervously with the spoon in his cup. His cheeks flushed a little, and in a burst of courage he looked up, "But I haven't... seen a sunrise in a long time..."
His eyes steeled upwards, stiff, but he managed a short smile, "I think we just might catch it, if we were to leave now".
"I'll add it to the list of top contenders, then," Willowman replied cheerfully, adding its script to one of the pages on his notebook. He supposed it might be a more fitting choice than MacBeth, anyways.
"Call me old fashioned," he started, his fingers fiddling nervously with the spoon in his cup. His cheeks flushed a little, and in a burst of courage he looked up, "But I haven't... seen a sunrise in a long time..."
His eyes steeled upwards, stiff, but he managed a short smile, "I think we just might catch it, if we were to leave now".
Quote from Adriana on September 2, 2020, 12:34 pmAmelia silently drew in a long breath, her eyes breaking to stare at her teacup a moment. There was a solemness in her expression and it took her a while to look at Willowman again.
“This is hard to say....”
She clicked her nails, unpainted but evenly trimmed, against the teacup.
”We can’t go up there.. not until, I guess-they find a good place for us. I’m still waiting.”
She sat the glass down, “I don’t know if it’ll help, but I want to show you something.”
Amelia silently drew in a long breath, her eyes breaking to stare at her teacup a moment. There was a solemness in her expression and it took her a while to look at Willowman again.
“This is hard to say....”
She clicked her nails, unpainted but evenly trimmed, against the teacup.
”We can’t go up there.. not until, I guess-they find a good place for us. I’m still waiting.”
She sat the glass down, “I don’t know if it’ll help, but I want to show you something.”
Quote from Indy on September 2, 2020, 1:09 pmWillowman had gone pale, starring forlornly at his cup as his fingers still twiddled with the spoon. It thrummed the side of the cup in a small clack. For a moment it seemed he would not speak at all, like the thing he'd been those months ago where even a single word had taken impossible energy. But then he lifted his eyes and offered Amelia a curt nod.
Just at the cusp of his tongue a question haunted him... but he turned it aside, instead summoning a smile. Only his eyes suggested otherwise, and he hummed cheerfully under his breath.
"Right then. Let's go".
Willowman had gone pale, starring forlornly at his cup as his fingers still twiddled with the spoon. It thrummed the side of the cup in a small clack. For a moment it seemed he would not speak at all, like the thing he'd been those months ago where even a single word had taken impossible energy. But then he lifted his eyes and offered Amelia a curt nod.
Just at the cusp of his tongue a question haunted him... but he turned it aside, instead summoning a smile. Only his eyes suggested otherwise, and he hummed cheerfully under his breath.
"Right then. Let's go".
Quote from Adriana on September 2, 2020, 1:23 pmAmelia returned the smile, the ghost of solemnity still lingering in her eyes.
She led Willowman upstairs and to the wing of the strange home opposite of his. Down the hall and to a room, which she unlocked with a key that was in her pocket.
Inside the room didn’t appear much different than Willowman’s, each room designed not unlike a hotel. Except this one was different in a few ways. The first most noticable way was a canvas drop cloth lay spread on the floor, an easel in a corner, and canvas’ of every size leaning against the walls almost all the way around.
Some of the paintings were still life or scenery, others more conceptual. The nightstand and dresser were covered in framed photos, some with a family, some with an older couple, wedding photos. Some of the faces were replicated in art. The bed had a quilted blanket that looked handmade.
Amelia went to the far wall and picked one painting out from behind the rest. It was a sunrise over a field and mountains; the shadows painted in contrasting blues and everything touched by the suns rays bright golds and whites. She carried it over to Willowman and held it out.
“I miss it, too. Maybe this will help you.”
Amelia returned the smile, the ghost of solemnity still lingering in her eyes.
She led Willowman upstairs and to the wing of the strange home opposite of his. Down the hall and to a room, which she unlocked with a key that was in her pocket.
Inside the room didn’t appear much different than Willowman’s, each room designed not unlike a hotel. Except this one was different in a few ways. The first most noticable way was a canvas drop cloth lay spread on the floor, an easel in a corner, and canvas’ of every size leaning against the walls almost all the way around.
Some of the paintings were still life or scenery, others more conceptual. The nightstand and dresser were covered in framed photos, some with a family, some with an older couple, wedding photos. Some of the faces were replicated in art. The bed had a quilted blanket that looked handmade.
Amelia went to the far wall and picked one painting out from behind the rest. It was a sunrise over a field and mountains; the shadows painted in contrasting blues and everything touched by the suns rays bright golds and whites. She carried it over to Willowman and held it out.
“I miss it, too. Maybe this will help you.”
Quote from Indy on September 2, 2020, 1:37 pmWillowman glanced over the contents of the room, entirely silent. His eyes went to every corner, skirting over the more pedestrian elements of the room such as the quilt top, and then to every photograph in turn. He approached the photos with children, his fingers lingering just beyond touch.
He flinched as Amelia came from behind. He looked at her painting, studying the rich, saturated colors. He tried to remember if sunrises had ever looked like this, but all his memories of them were dusty and faded like an old photograph. He suspected the painting must look better than it ever had in reality, yet he found it to little comfort. He let out a jilted breath, shaking his head and running his fingers along his temple.
"Amelia... why are we prisoners here?" he said in a pained, small voice, "What is this place?".
Willowman glanced over the contents of the room, entirely silent. His eyes went to every corner, skirting over the more pedestrian elements of the room such as the quilt top, and then to every photograph in turn. He approached the photos with children, his fingers lingering just beyond touch.
He flinched as Amelia came from behind. He looked at her painting, studying the rich, saturated colors. He tried to remember if sunrises had ever looked like this, but all his memories of them were dusty and faded like an old photograph. He suspected the painting must look better than it ever had in reality, yet he found it to little comfort. He let out a jilted breath, shaking his head and running his fingers along his temple.
"Amelia... why are we prisoners here?" he said in a pained, small voice, "What is this place?".
Quote from Adriana on September 2, 2020, 1:54 pm“I choose not to leave. It’s to protect them,” she sat the painting on the bed and gestured at the photos.
”You might leave before me..” she thought out loud, sitting on the bed.
“It’s a safe house. Think of it like, witness protection. Everyone here is here because someone doesn’t want them out there.”
“I choose not to leave. It’s to protect them,” she sat the painting on the bed and gestured at the photos.
”You might leave before me..” she thought out loud, sitting on the bed.
“It’s a safe house. Think of it like, witness protection. Everyone here is here because someone doesn’t want them out there.”
Quote from Indy on September 2, 2020, 6:20 pmWillowman found a chair at the corner of the room and crumpled into it, drawing his long legs into his chest like a spider. The man settled into the overstuffed armchair, taking a few steadying breaths, before lifting his dark eyes just above the top of his knees.
"How long have you been here?" he asked quietly, "What... what even comes next?"
Willowman found a chair at the corner of the room and crumpled into it, drawing his long legs into his chest like a spider. The man settled into the overstuffed armchair, taking a few steadying breaths, before lifting his dark eyes just above the top of his knees.
"How long have you been here?" he asked quietly, "What... what even comes next?"
