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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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 Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 12:31 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:14 pm
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
It was break and Joyce was at home, at last. ((Doing it early, I know, but Oh well <3 ))
She yawned and stretched. It was still quite early, before sunrise, even. It was Christmas morning. ((Doing this now since I won't be online x-mas early morning)) She had so much to do! She leapt up from the couch and walked out to the lake. She had many responsibilities at home, teenagers and young adults had to help their parents, it was their sole duty. She waded out to the lake which rarely froze over completely with a bar of soap. No one was around, so she grabbed an extra pair of clothes and a towel as well. The icy water felt even colder than usual, but they had such a limited supply of water and light at their house...they still even used candles. Thinking longingly of the bath at Hogwarts, she dove in. She shuddered at the cold water as she came back up, her nightgown flowing around her looking ghostly in the water. She scrubbed herself off with the bar of soap and put her head under, letting the chilling water wash over her.
She waded a bit deeper into the waters, she was quite used to the cold by now. Soon, her long hair was soaked, drenched, and plastered to her back. It looked even blacker in the dark waters and even longer. Her comb, towel, and clothes were on the shore, and thankfully she remembered her bonnet. She could remember that one time she forgot her bonnet and they had a guest...it was mortifying. No matter how many times she apologized, curtsied, they held such a grudge. Hmmm. Then her mind drifted to Bryce. Bryce was the only person she felt like she could actually speak to, tell things to. It was best he wasn't here now, though. Her night gown was a cream color, and stuck to herself in the water, the bottom of it flowing around her. She washed her face twice, once for cleaning and the second time just because it was required to be scrubbed pink. It had only been, what, ten minutes? She let the cold waters bring her lazily back to shore in their rushing arms. her wand was inside...she couldn't use any magic anyways...her mom didn't like magic at home, just for school...darn. She'd have to prepare dinner, do laundry, help her sister and brother...all that by hand? Ugh...it was going to be a long morning...
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you. 
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:40 pm
 í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís.  Although he was only 13 years of age, his father had trusted him to get to where he needed to be on his own. His father was busy, and told him to be back tomorrow morning, so he had the whole day to do as he pleased. It was christmas, after all. His father and he didn't partake in the holiday, although he was always surprised by the end of the day with a gift of sorts. So, he stopped at Diagon Alley, and then he headed to the Heffer house. He was invited to come at any time, and he knew that he would have to come over promptly, since his last encounter with Joyce was rather disturbing. He wanted to make things up to her. So, as he stepped off the wizarding bus that looked strangely out of place near the Heffer house, he watched it zoom away, disappearing in the distance. He turned his head to the house, but his eyes also caught on the rippling of the lake. Looking over his shoulder to be sure his bag was still there, he decided to go walk towards the lake. He wasn't one to enjoy water so much, because his body was already naturally cold after drinking blood so recently. He made sure to drink blood right before he left, to save himself from drinking it in front of the Heffers.
Bryce walked out to the lake, noticing a figure in the freezing water. Not surprisingly, it was Joyce, and she was bathing He couldn't help himself, but he turned his head away when he got close, giving her a bit of privacy. He also announced that he was there. "Joyce, I hate to interrupt you... But, just thought I would tell you I was here." There was a smile on his face, showing how glad he was to be here. He had a bad feeling about the moment he stepped into the Heffer house, though. For some reason, he had the feeling that things weren't going to go well when he was there. "I've brought a gift for you, as well as one for your siblings, and one for your parents. I thought I would ask you first, though, so you can approve of them and tell me whether or not they would come in use." He peeked over his shoulder to see of she had made any progress, but it was no use. He couldn't look at her. It wasn't proper, and he knew better than that.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:50 pm
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
Joyce gave a small scream when she saw Bryce and turned a deep shade of scarlet. Thank god he wasn't looking, oh this was so awkward...
"Oh, uhm, thanks! uh...gimme one sec..." She said, running up the bank, grabbing her clothes, towel, and comb and darting into the shed. She changed and dried quickly, and laced up the corset clumsily. She grabbed her sopping nightgown pulled up petticoat and dress as fast as possible. She crammed the bonnet on and adjusted it as she walked out of the shed, still blushing and letting her hair air-dry in her bonnet. Crap.
She curtsied low to Bryce and said, "S-sorry about that. Uhm...they aren't awake yet, but you can come inside if you wish." She was talking a lot more casually than normal, just because it was Bryce. He could understand and he didn't mind. She led him into the kitchen where the heater was. She put the nightgown on top of the wood stove and made some tea. She curtsied a bit as she gave him a cup and smiled. She said "Be right back" and rushed from the room to get her sister, brother, mother, and father's clothes. She put them all in the washbin, just a huge metal bucket of warm, bubbly water, to soak. She'd scrub them off later. For now, she pulled spice after spice out of the cubbard to prepare for the dinner. Still, her father would have to get the meat later, that wasn't a woman's job. When her sister and brother woke, she'd lace their shoes, put on her sister's little corset, do her mother's hair...but the sun had barely started to rise. She had an hour or so. So she sat down across from Bryce with her tea and grinned.
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:52 pm
í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís. Bryce was led into the Heffer house, and noticed that there seemed to be nobody up and around. That was a good start for the half vampire. It was also a good thing that Joyce had caused color to come to his cheeks, since he was so pale that they were bound to be suspicious. But with the color, he looked half-way normal. He took a seat at their table, pulling the bag off of his shoulder and setting it on the floor next to him. He watched as she made him some tea, and the scrambled around the house to get things around. He stood up, feeling as if he should be helping. "Joyce... Would you like some help?" She didn't seem to answer, which was probably her way of saying no, since she wouldn't want to cause him any... he didn't even know why she wouldn't want help. He just sighed, smiling, watching with a little bit of a laugh about him. He couldn't figure her out still, and he was finding himself getting wrapped up in her world.
She pulled spice after spice out of the cupboard, filling the counter, and laying them out. He wasn't exactly sure what that was for, but he figured it was for a meal later on in the day. Bryce had eaten human food last night, which was the normal time for him to do so, but he wasn't so sure if he was upto eating tonight. Bryce didn't say anything, though, since he didn't want to make matters worse for Joyce. She came back over to the table, and she sat down with tea, and had a grin on her face. He was shaking his head, laughing a little at this. "Would you have to do this every morning if you were here every day?" He asked, hoping that the answer was 'no.' But, it was probably a yes. She didn't stumble through any of it, and she seemed very quick at her work, meaning she probably had done the same thing hundreds of times. Well, if she could do it all so quickly, it wasn't his place to question it, was it? He leaned back a little in the chair, and took a sip of the tea. He wasn't one to enjoy warm drinks, usually, but he could hide that fact very well. Bryce took a sip of the hot liquid again, letting it run down his throat.
After setting the cup down, he remembered the gifts he had brought the family, to make their holiday celebrations a little bit more enjoyable. He wasn't even sure if they celebrated Christmas. He had stopped by the strange muggle supplies shop in Diagon Alley, and they had everything he thought he would need. He also stopped somewhere special for Joyce, although he wasn't sure if she would be able to wear what he had bought her anyway. He pulled out the gifts he had gotten for her sister first, wondering if it would come to any use. It was a new hair brush set, with ribbons and clips and hair ties. There was a bottle of detangler in there as well, and some decorative hairclips for appearance, although they may not have been allowed to use them. He also brought the girl a doll, one that he thought she may have been allowed to have. He was so clueless on what to get anyone in the family, so he wanted to ask before he gave. "So, are these appropraite? I mean... is your sister allowed to have this?" he asked, letting Joyce see them to examine them. The brush was a bristle brush, and the ties and ribbons were all uncommon to find, older if you will, and the spray, well, that was still a new product. He wasn't sure about the spray.
Bryce continued to pull something out of his bag for her little brother, and he pulled out a hat that was suitable for the time period. He wouldn't tell Joyce this, but it belonged to his own family many years ago. But, it looked rather new. He slid that across the table to Joyce, and then pulled out something he thought was a toy when he bought it. He had never seen one, but he figured that it was cool. It was a colorful stick with a cup on the top of it, with a rope tied to the base. He guessed the objective was to get the wooden ball into the cup, and he figured it was just a game of sorts. He slid that across the table as well, since he had to be fair in giving the same amount of gifts to her siblings. His father wasn't rich, and wouldn't have normally given him the money to do these things, but his mother had saved up and given it to him as a present. It was at his home when he arrived, on his bed in a box. The wizarding money came in handy, it seemed. "Do these all look appropriate for your siblings?" He asked before pulling them back into the bag. They were all in separate gift bags in his own large bag, containing the gift he had bought for Joyce.
Before she could say anything, he decided to speak up himself. "Uhm... I did this because I wanted people to accept me here. I have never visited a family like yours on a holiday, and I figured it was acceptable to come with gifts. If it's not... I can take the back, but I figured your siblings would enjoy the presents, would they not? Please don't tell me it's unacceptable if it really is, because I don't exactly want these things back... They can keep them..." He was being truthful. He wasn't going to be back in Diagon Alley for a while, and there was not a return policy on most of it. The hat he could take back, but that was about it. He had his fingers crossed on his lap, hoping that they were acceptable, that they could be of some use to the family. He had brought other gifts as well, and those were for her parents. He didn't want to get those out, though, before he could see the house. It was quite possible that the family was in need of what he brought them, but he didn't want to offend them in any way with his gifts. That wasn't his intentions at all.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 8:11 pm
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
Joyce nodded, taking a sip of tea. She did this every day, day in and day out. She thought she heard shuffling upstairs, but Bryce had started to talk again and she listened intently. Joyce looked with wonder at the hairbrush and ribbons and doll and cup, they all looked new and lovely. They rarely ever had this many things, she doubted even her parents had gotten her siblings this much for Christmas. Bryce was speaking again, asking if it was unacceptable. Joyce was struck silent for a moment or two. Really? Of course it was fine...she was amazed he cared so much. She'd never known Bryce to really care this much, and yet he seemed so kind, somehow.
Joyce looked at him with a bright smile.
"Oh Bryce, it's wonderful. Thank you. I'm sure they'll love the gifts, Terry's going to love you forever, Billy, too. This was really sweet of you." She glanced at the door, no one was there, and gave him a hug. Then she definitely heard noises upstairs and started. She poured a few more cups of tea, put them on a tray, and nodded to Bryce.
"I think they're waking up. C'mon." She said a bit quieter, in case her siblings were still sleeping. They weren't. She heard Terry whining from her room, "Sissyyyyyy, where's the corseeet?" Joyce rolled her eyes and winked at Bryce. She put the tea down in the dining room and went off into her sister and brother's room, her own corset quite tight today, now that she was back at home. Bryce was pale, but so was she. So he wouldn't look too out of place, after all. She helped little Terry with her corset, she was so young, after all, not even 7 yet. Billy, who was 7, had already changed and was waiting patiently outside the door. He spotted Bryce, his eyes widened a bit, and started whispering furiously to Joyce, "Whozatt, Sissy? You can't bring guys in the house, can you? Whozatt? Cmon, sissy, tell meeee..." But Joyce shushed him with a finger to her lips and helped Terry.
She was wearing a large corset, like a training one. You only had to wear the real thing around 13. Then, when Terry and Billy were all dressed up as if they were going to church, Joyce knocked on her parent's room. A "Come in" Answered, and Joyce scooped up the tea, went in, and exited with more laundry, which she promptly put in the washbin in the kitchen. Joyce entered the room again just as her mother and father were leaving theirs, and Joyce curtsied at her parents.
"Mother, Father, this is Mister Bryce. He is a friend of mine from school and I do hope you'll allow him to spend Christmas with us." She said.
But she was her old self, somehow. She was monotone again. She'd left all of 'herself' back in the kitchen with the laundry. She didn't speak with the slightest trace of emotion, she said it like she could only use one note. She was back to what she'd been before she even met Bryce, and deep down, she knew the only person she could be herself around was him. Here, she was Joyce Heffer. Here, she was old-fashioned again. Her mother curtsied to Bryce and the father gave a small nod of the head, but he was grinning.
"Well of course, he's welcome!" Mr. Heffer boomed.
"I'm glad you've made some friends, Joyce. Now then, I imagine Terry and Billy are getting impatient to open gifts? Go on then, you know where they are." Mrs. Heffer cooed. She had never imagined Joyce would make friends. After all, Joyce was so...melancholy. So dull. Being old-fashioned didn't mean being boring.
Billy and Terry shrieked with glee, waved to Bryce and darted into the dining room where the pitiful tree stood, a few gifts underneath, two for Joyce. There was a large one that said To Bryce on it and Joyce almost smiled as she handed it to him, not looking him in the eyes once more. She curtsied as she held it out to him and said, "I had hoped you'd visit, Mister Bryce."
It was large and a bit lumpy. Since Joyce couldn't afford much, she'd cooked a dozen cookies from scratch. They were a bit unique though...she didn't make them too sugary sweet. After all, she didn't think vampires liked sugary sweet. She also knitted him a Hufflepuff scarf, she noticed he didn't have one.
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 9:49 am
í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís. He really had been concerned. Bryce wasn't sure whether or not the family would take his gifts or not, but with the okay and the more than welcome and lovely hug from Joyce, he was happy to know that they would accept the gifts. As Joyce sat back down, Bryce heard a few shuffling feet from above, and he looked around, wondering what it was. It was most likely her siblings. He was set a little bit more on edge, thinking that it might not have been acceptable for him to have been in the house after all. But, he followed Joyce to where she was going, and stayed back a little ways in the hall way, listening as she worked and such. It was when a boy, of whom had been waiting outside the room, spotted him, that he began to worry a little bit. This must have been Billy. Bryce waved once, smiling half-heartedly. Billy's eyes were scrutinizing, and Bryce turned his head a little, his eyes still locked on Billy's figure. He started to speak to Joyce, the little boy. But, Joyce stopped it, and silently, Bryce sighed in relief.
Joyce continued with what she was doing, and he watched carefully as she weaved her way in and out of another room, once with tea, and then back out with more laundry. She seemed really busy, and Bryce thought it was wise to just go back to the dining room, where he was to begin with. Bryce was caught off guard when her parents entered the room, and he automatically stood up to them, took his hat off, since he really shouldn't have had it on in the first place. Joyce introduced him, and he nodded his head to both of them, unsure of the proper greeting. Her father seemed to do the same thing, and then announced that Bryce was welcome here. That was an instant relief to him. It was then that the kids had scurried to the tree, and they seemed more than excited to go open their few gifts under the tree. He looked over to his bag, wondering if it was appropriate for him to get his gifts out for everyone yet. He still hadn't asked Joyce about the gifts for her parents, but he figured they were appropriate enough.
He walked closer to the tree with Joyce, who had been putting on quite an act right then and there. She was very stiff, more so than she was at the school, and she seemed very gloomy right then and there. But, she had handed him a gift as well, and curtsied to him when she handed it to him. He was surprised, really, and, she shouldn't have spent the time to get him or make him any kind of gift. He really did appreciate it though. He was feeling more... cherrful today, and he smiled brightly to her, hoping that her parents wouldn't say anything. He set it back down under the tree for a moment, watching the two children opening their gifts. Bryce, excited to pass out his own gifts for something, walked briskly to his bag, and pulled out the individual gift bags for each person in the family. "I really appreciate you all letting me come here, and so I thought it was appropriate to bring gifts for everyone." He handed the gifts to each person, watching the children's faces light up. He gave Mrs. Heffer a very soft, carefully stitched blanket. It was made out of some very soft fur, such as alpaca wool, or something of the like. He wasn't positive, though. He also bought her a pair of gloves, figuring with everyone getting older, and the time of year being the way it was, anyone could use a pair of gloves.
The gift for Mr. Heffer was more tricky. He picked up a blade sharpener for the man, hoping it would work. He had also purchased a hat for the fellow, hoping it would fit him alright. He thought it would, since he based if off of his fathers large head. Then, he pulled out the gift he had gotten for Joyce. But, before anyone could see it, he slipped it back into his bag. He would keep his fingers crossed that he could give Joyce her gift when they had a little more privacy. He knew that he had been tampering with her emotions and body language lately, and he wouldn't want to set a bad example for the children, nor get her in trouble with her parents. If he could give it to her while they had alone time, that would make the experience for him all the much better. The gift he bought cost one Galleon and twelve sickles. He wasn't sure if it were appropriate to spend that much on her, but something... strange came over him. He was feeling giving, and because of that, he got sick this morning coming on the bus. He had never felt so many happy emotions in his life, and he wasn't sure if he could take it much longer. Something about it made him feel sick to his stomach.
Joyce picked up his gift and took a seat on the ground with Joyce's siblings, ruffling her brothers hair a little, and he poked Terry playfully, getting a laugh out of her. Bryce looked up to Joyce, who hadn't been looking in his eyes, but he knew there was a reason for that. He pulled open his gift, and saw the cookies and the scarf before his eyes. He smiled, and he put the scarf on, and he looekd at the cookies. They looked a little... strange, but they didn't smell as sweet either, which he figured was due to Joyce's intelligence. He looked up to her, and stood up. "Thank you, Joyce. I love the gifts very much."{/b]
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:08 am
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
Joyce's brother and sister were delighted, her mother smiled and thanked Bryce for the lovely blanket, Mr. Heffer boomed out his thanks, too, and insisted that Bryce stay for dinner. Terry giggled and opened her gifts from her parents to find a nice bracelet and new mary-jane shoes with socks to go with it. Another one for little Terry was a soft pillow. She thanked her parents and when she opened Bryce's, she squealed her delight and gave Bryce a tight hug around the middle, practically jumping up and down. No stranger had given her gifts before. Mr. Heffer had given Mrs. Heffer a new tea set, Mrs. Heffer gave Mr. Heffer a new armchair, just for him. Billy got a wooden train set with a few miniature figures to go along with it. Joyce got elegant perfume in one box, and new gloves in another. When all the gifts had been given, Mr. Heffer clapped Bryce on the back with another thanks and told his wife he'd be going out to get the turkey. Mrs. Heffer would be taking care of the children, odd as it seemed. After all, normally it should be Joyce who watched the kids and her mother who did the chores. But Joyce was...well, dull. So she only babysat when the chores were finished, in which time her mother would socialize.
So, for now, Mrs. Heffer would allow Bryce and Joyce to hang out together. This wouldn't be allowed, usually, for just a boy and a girl their age to go off alone. But her mother was rather trusting of Joyce because never, not once in so many years had Joyce really shown much desire for anything. Joyce gave the tiniest shadow of a wink to Bryce and nod as she walked out to the other side of the house, the small kitchen. The kitchen was sticking out from the house, so it was practically outside. It was easy to do the laundry and then hang it up like this. Joyce would also need to cook the dinner and perhaps some snacks for mother and her friends and more tea. Joyce walked out with Bryce and put an apron on, she could vaguely hear her mom and sister and brother playing with their new toys. Joyce set down her new gloves without a word and got to work, scrubbing the clothes against a washboard.
"That was very kind of you, Bryce." She said quietly with a small smile on her face, scrubbing her sister's muddy dress, Terry loved getting dirty, and shining her father's boots.
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 3:26 pm
í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís. The gift giving had finished, and never had Bryce felt like such an idiot in his life, besides the day he realized that changing Joyce was always a bad idea. Just because the family followed some of the Victorian traditions did not mean that they were all that completely old fashioned. It seemed to Bryce that some of his gifts were just too simple, and he figured that next time, if there were one, he would take that into consideration. Anyway, it seemed that the family was all excited about their gifts, and Joyce had been allowed to spend a little bit of time with Bryce alone. That was quite a relief. Bryce followed Joyce to the lake, and watched as she started to scrub the wash board and the clothing. It was quite the scene, and he was interested in learning how to do so. He came over to the lake next to her, and copied her motions, not mocking her in anyway. "Is this another every day thing?" He was rather intrigued by this one. His mother had always washed his clothing with magic, so it wasn't as if he knew how muggles washed their clothing or anything. This must have been how they did it. "Can I give it a go?" he asked. He took the washboard and the dress of her sisters, which really was very filthy. He scrubbed the way he thought Joyce was doing so, but something just didn't seem right about his motions. He sighed, and ended up giving it back to Joyce, feeling defeated by the Victorian ways.
Bryce, while Joyce was working, looked over his shoulder to the house windows and door, to make sure no one was coming out. He then opened up his bag, and produced a box. Two boxes, actually, and they were both addressed to Joyce. One was a small one, but he held onto that one, and handed the other one over to Joyce. He hoped that she would like the gifts he brought her. The first one he was having her open was along the same lines as what she got him, and it was hufflepuff attaire. He smiled thinking of the c[/url[ream-colored cardigan with the hufflepuff emblem on the top. He thought that this one wasn't as tacky as some of the other things that they wore in their house. Yellow was such a bland color, but he thought that this one wasn't half bad. It was simple, and it was classy in his opinion. Besides, the school could probably get chilly somedays, and since she was constantly wearing strange dresses at strange times, he thought it might come in handy.. Since Joyce tended to wear her dresses, he thought she might like some hufflepuff color, and he thought that this one might do the trick.
Bryce decided to wait until she opened this one to give her the other one, since the second one was more expensive and worth more to him anyway. Not that it belonged to any of his actual family, but it was a vampiric heir loom that fell into the hands of his family, and his father told him to use it well. He didn't know what that meant, but he figured that meant, when he was a year or so younger, sell it for all it was worth. Well, he did, last year. Thank god when he went back to the store, it was still available. They sold it back to him, and he found that the colors of the earrings were perfect for Hufflepuff. So, he decided that they were good for Joyce. But, he wanted to see her reaction on the cardigan first. It was soft, and it was delicate, and to Bryce, it was something he would like to see a girl wearing. The lady that gave it to him told him it was warm, so it would do good in this type of weather. He wasn't exactly sure how woman's clothing worked. "I wasn't sure if you could wear this around your family, which was why I brought it out here. I don't even know if this is something you would consider wearing. I just thought in case you felt cold in the castle when we go back, you could have something easy to slip on. I won't be offended if you don't like it." That was more like the real Bryce. He didn't care what other people thought of him, nor did he care what other people thought of his tastes. If Joyce didn't like it, she could give it back or give it away. That didn't bother him. It did bother him, though, that he knew he wouldn't be getting any money back for that one if she did give it back. He wiped that greedy thought out of his mind, feeling dirty with it there. Well, that was new. Since when did Bryce care about his greed?
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 3:46 pm
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
Joyce kept scrubbing the clothes and though she was tempted to take Bryce up on his offer, she knew she needed to do this on her own.
"It's alright. It's a woman's work." She said calmly, with a bit of a sigh. It was taking her ages to get all the mud out of her sister's dress, her sister loved just playing around. After a little while though, she decided it was time to move on and try to clean her mother's dress. Also filthy. Her sister had splattered mud on that, too. It was frustrating at times, but she'd learned to shrug it off.
Bryce handed her a box though, and she stopped. She looked at him questioningly, but took it all the same. She dried off her hands and when she opened it, her face lit up and she smiled. She couldn't put into words how grateful she was. It was a lovely cardigan that she could wear over one of her simpler, classier dresses. She wasn't about to put it on now when she was working, but she put it to her cheek and smiled.
"It's so soft..." She grinned and hugged Bryce.
"Thank you. So, so much." She said, hugging him tightly. She felt a lot brighter, happier now. Deep down she knew the second a member of her family walked in, all would change, but Bryce liked her happier anyways. And Bryce was so nice...she wasn't about to stop being herself. Not with him.
She released him, her face beaming.
"Here, let me teach you." She said, putting the wash bucket in between them and taking her sister's dirty dress again.
"See, it's the wrist movements that matter, and you need to get the dirt out of the lace. Terry loves mud, she does."
Joyce showed Bryce with a small smile on her face. She was honestly amazed he was still her friend. After hearing that whole thing with Rosebud, she was sure most would think her too morbid and be a bit creeped out. But Bryce was different. So was she, so it worked out.
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 4:06 pm
í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís. Bryce was very glad that she liked the gift, but again, it was that hug that caught him off guard. He took it, hugging her back as well, rather enjoying the embrace. He usually couldn't stand human contact whatsoever, but for some reason, it was just different with Joyce. Everything was different with Joyce. But, he would honestly not trade it for anything in the world. He wouldn't stand being without their friendship anymore, not after all they had been through. When he looked at her, deep into her eyes, she could see the Joyce he knew coming out of him, and he could see her wiggling herself free. He knew just she second the family came out, she wiggled right back into being the regular Joyce, but around him, she had a little bit of something he would have referred to as freedom, or at least in her case he would call it that. "I'm glad you like it." That was all he could make himself say, since she had been rather speechless herself. That was alright though. Being speechless wasn't always a bad thing. It had it's moments.
Joyce had turned back to the washboard and bin, and started to show him how to do the washing. It was kind of interesting to watch her wrist, but he knew very well that after studying the movement directly for a few swipes, he would be all set. He could memorize human motion, features, all of that stuff. But sometimes, with not as common or natural things like this, he had to study it straight on before actually giving it a try. When Joyce had handed it back to him, though, he purposely looked like the first few strokes were a problem, when in reality, they really weren't. Then, he 'slowly' got the idea, and started washing the articles of clothing. "Like this?" he asked, just to get her opinion on the whole thing. She was, afterall, his experct on living like a victorian human being. If this was part of it, than this must have been in her experties for a long time, probably longer than she could even remember herself. The two of them seemed to get through washing pretty well, laughing and picking on each other the whole way, and everything seemed to get done. He layed back in the cold, hard grass, and looked up at the sky. It was still very light out, and it was freezing. That was when something occured to him. "How do do bathe in there?" he asked, trying to determine the answer by himself. It was freezing his hand, let alone his whole body. The question wasn't very relevant, but he thought it was a good and legit question to ask. Someone would have to be crazy to get into that lake day after day. At least at hogwarts, the wanter was warm and soothing. Inside Bryce's bag sat the earrings he wanted to give to Joyce, but he wanted to wait for the perfect moment to do so. This was very nerve wrecking, although he wasn't clear on the answer why. It was probably because he felt like something was going to go wrong, like their last encounter. Their encounter amost ended the friendship for good, and Bryce would have just left Hogwarts right then and there. That would not have beeen his father's wish, but that would have been how it would have been.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 4:22 pm
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
"Yep!" Joyce said. "It's really easy at first. It's when your hands get wrinkly and calloused from the hot water and cut on the rusty washboard that it's not so simple." She said with a bit of a laugh. It was no big deal to her, after all. She'd been doing this for years and years. They laughed and joked and eventually Bryce lay down. Joyce had at last finished her sister's dress and sure enough, her hands were wrinkled from the sudsy water. Her dad's shoes were polished...her mother and brother's things she'd start on soon. She wanted to wait until her hands had recovered for a bit. After all, once when she kept at it for a while, her hand got a deep cut on the rusty board and blood got on her mother's white dress and with the water, it was a pale pink within moments, and only on the sleeves. She'd gotten quite a punishment for that, and Victorian punishments weren't you get grounded, no. It was usually you get caned, a harsh cane across the bottom, legs, or hands.
Joyce smiled at his question and stood up, hands on hips, a grin on her face, looking down at him.
"Well now, can't take a little cold water?" She laughed. "You get used to it. We only have so much water for plumbing, you make do." She looked over at the water's edge and waded out so she was ankle-deep. The water was almost at freezing point, it had started to ice over slightly. Just a bit of frost. The edge of her dress got wet, but she'd need to change for dinner later anyways. Speaking of which, father would be home with the turkey soon, so she should hurry up with fooling around. Funny. She never had time for this before, but when Bryce came, it was like she dropped everything. She hoped he could sleep over and be here tomorrow as well, she didn't mind the lumpy matress in the basement as long as it was him taking the couch.
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 6:00 pm
í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís. Bryce was glad that he got the hang of the washing, but he was a little disappointed in the fact that he let Joyce finish it. She was still faster at the motions than he was, so he guessed it wasn't really a waist of her time. He couldn't help but notice that Joyce's hands looked rather raw from so much use. He couldn't imagine what they would look like after the break. He stared at them for a moment, but he decided it wasn't worth it to say anything. Maybe he would just use his vampire magic and fix her up at the school. He would do it without saying anything, and then poof, her hands would be fixed. He was caught off guard when she started to speak about the water, and being able to bare it. He watched her walk out to the waters edge and plunge ankle deep, not so much as flinching the tiniest bit. He hated the cold, but he also hated the warm. It was the thing about being half-vampire. His father preferred the cold whether, where his mother, being muggle born and a witch, preferred the warmer weather. He got it from both parents. "I think you've gone a little mad, Miss. Joyce." he said, laughing a little bit to his own comment. It was true, though. He couldn't imagine being in water that cold. It would kill him, or at least, he thought it would.
Bryce stood up to stretch out, and he decided it was now or never with that christmas gift. He pulled it out of his bag, and he presented it to Joyce, smiling, and placing it in her hands. The box was a silvery color with gold tinges around the edges. It was such an elegant box, but it was very cheap too, or at least his father told him that. It were the earrings that were the important part, anyway. He didn't know enough about jewelry to know the make, or where it came from, or even the time era. All he knew was it was crafted well over two hundred years ago, of course, by the hands of powerful vampires filled with gluttney and lust, that only wanted beauty and love, along with power. He only knew bits and pieces behind the earrings, so he wasn't aware that they were crafted by vampires until just earlier that day when the jewelry seller went on about it.
"I hope you like it. I thought the colors would work nicely." Bryce was just making things up now to impress Joyce. This was so unlike him, because he didn't generally care about impressing people. Just a moment ago, he didn't care about the things Joyce thought about the Cardigan, and he told himself he wouldn't care about this either. But, that had obviously changed. He just wasn't the same Bryce he was at the beginning of the year. He wasn't the same Bryce that he was since he was about eight years old anymore.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 6:15 pm
Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you.
Joyce smiled as Bryce came closer and was debating whether to splash him or not when he held out the box. She looked surprised, opened the box and gasped. They were gorgeous.
Her eyes welled up happy tears and she hugged him again, released him and put the earrings on. She normally wouldn't wear something too luxurious, she was so plain, but how could she resist these?
"This is the nicest gift anyone's ever given me." She said, twirling a bit in her dress, the earrings sparkling. She admired her reflection in the cold water for a second, they glittered and she turned back to Bryce. Words failed her, but she was sure he could see the thank you in her eyes.
She sat with him for how long she wasn't sure on that bank, and she was sure she'd disobeyed some rule about boys and girls being close and talking so happily and whatnot. But as of now, she found she didn't care. She dismissed the laundry, she'd do that later tonight in the basement. It was hard to sleep in the basement, anyways. After a time, of course, father returned with, instead of turkey, a very nice slice of prime rib. Problem was that it would take at least an hour to cook, but of course, that was left to Joyce. She hurried into the kitchen with it, the washboard under one of her arms, the soggy laundry still in the large water bucket. She winked at Bryce as she stowed the Hufflepuff cardigan away, planning to put it in her bag for later. She heard her mother inside, getting the table ready, and she was in charge of the meal. She gave her father his polished shoes, her sister her nice dress, and her brother wore something thankfully already clean. Her apron was getting rather dirty, but she wasn't about to bother with it. It always looked like this. There was a large burn in the pocket, soup stains on the outer edges, and now gravy on the sleeve of it. As she darted around the kitchen preparing the meat, her mother invited Bryce in for tea. Without looking around, she said to Bryce
"Go on, then. She wants to hear all about you. Sorry I can't, a bit busy here." She turned to grab the rosemary and gave him a small smile to indicate she'd be perfectly fine out here. It had already been fifteen minutes, just another forty-five to go...
Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you.
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singlikenoonecanhearyou Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 6:53 pm
í αm thє sσn
αnd thє hєír
σf shчnєss thαt ís crímínαllч vulgαr
í αm thє sσn αnd hєír
σf nσthíng ín pαrtículαr
чσu shut чσur mσuth
hσw cαn чσu sαч
í gσ αвσut thíngs thє wrσng wαч?
í αm humαn, αnd í nєєd tσ вє lσvєd
just líkє єvєrчвσdч єlsє ís. How many more times would he get hugged by this girl? I mean, he knew very well that it went against her typical morals, but had something changed inside of her? Bryce wasn't complaining at all, but for some reason, he felt as if both of the hufflepuffs were slowly changing around each other. Bryce was gaining more of an appreciation of the things that Joyce did and believed in, and it seemed to Bryce that Joyce was loosening up just enough to let someone into her innershell. When she let go, Joyce had put the earrings on, and Bryce couldn't help but stare. He watched them gleam in the light, looking beautiful on her ears and around her face. He was drawn to them for some reason. Even the yellow didn't seem bland to him. It was the perfect match, or so it seemed. "They look phenominal on you. I'm very happy that you like them." His own voice seemed lost for words, but he had to force something to come out eventually, right? He couldn't just leave her there to hng on her own words. That wouldn't have been right.
The two of them found the words to say to eachother finally, and they talked and enjoyed each others company for who-knows how long. But, it was cut short when Mr. Heffer came back to the house. They two of them came back to the house, entering and walking briskly for some reason. When Bryce entered, Joyce's siblings greeted him happily, and then Mrs. Heffer asked Bryce to tea. He was definitely caught off guard by this, but he knew it was only polite to accept the offer. He nodded to Joyce, and let her be with her cooking and such. He hoped everything would go alright. As he entered the dining room, he removed his hat once again, and stuffed it in his bag, of which he set against the wall. Mrs. Heffer seemed very nice, and Bryce sat down with her, unsure of the words to speak. "Thank you for having me over for the holiday. I'm sure you have questions, and I am more than willing to answer them." Bryce smiled to indicate his sincerity, hoping that she would buy it. He wasn't sure if she was like Joyce or not, meaning, he wasn't sure if she would allow herself to ask questions. She was a parent, so she did have that responsibility of knowing her children's friends, right? He wasn't sure, but he kept a smile on his face, no matter how awkward the conversation felt.
As the two of them spoke, he couldn't help but daze off a bit, smelling all the wonderful smells in the kitchen, one of which was catching him in a complete trance. The prime rib was raw, so the smell of raw meat reminded Bryce of the iron smell in blood, and he really loved that smell, that taste, that lovely drizzle down his throat and the way he felt- No. No, Bryce knew better. He shook his head just slightly, bringing himself back to reality. He was glad that could do it without too much motion, since twitches could get strange looks and reactions. He watched Billy and Terry play with their toys happily. He couldn't remember a time being so happy when he was little. His toys were non-existant, his mother coward away from him when he turned eight and attacked her, so she refrained from doing anything with him until he was about eleven years old, where she finally grew her backbone back. But, before that, she took away all of his toys that could be used in an assault, although it was no help to anyone because of his fangs that were growing in and driving him crazy. That was the only reason he attacked people, and that was not a good enough reason for his mother. Anyone watching Bryce's face would see the state of emotions these memories put him in, and they weren't happy ones like they should have been. He almost, for just a second, regretted not having a better relationship with his mother. And in that second, he also regretted not killing her when he had the chance. When he pulled himself out of deep thought, he wasn't sure what was going on anymore. Things seemed so unsual now, that he just couldn't figure anything out. He would get over it eventually, when he went to bed and got some sleep most likely.
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