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Who: Nill [

mutedfeather] & James Sunderland [

loves_cake]
Where On the beach
When: After James’ most recent post
Rating: That is a good question... James usually warrants an R, and Nill is G city... :C
Summary: Nill gets James out of the room and onto the beach for a picnic
the Story:

Nill has to stop by the kitchen before heading out to the beach, but hopes that she can still make it there before him. She scurries about the kitchen, collecting everything for their picnic. The mansion can be very helpful when it wants to be. In no more than fifteen minutes she has a large picnic basket in her arms, balancing it carefully. It’s clear from the size and the weight that she’s brought far too much for just two people, but it’s better than not having enough. Her head barely comes up over the top of the basket, using her chin to help keep the basket steady. The extra weight slows her down considerably, and it’s a lot of stairs to carefully make her way down.

When she’s out on the beach she feels confident enough to pick up the pace, legs moving in an awkward looking jog. She stumbles at the sudden change of sand beneath her feet, but fortunately (for herself and for the picnic) she regains her balance with little trouble. Nill’s relieved that she got there first, surveying the area for the perfect spot. In the end, it all sort of looks the same to her, so she selects a spot that’s far enough away from the water so they won’t be bothered by it. She spreads out the blanket with the utmost care, sitting cross legged in the middle as she waits for James.

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It isn't long before the blond man comes wandering down onto the warm sand. Dark eyes squint against the sunshine. After such a long time spent in his room, he feels strangely exposed out in the natural light of day.

Especially the ragged scars on his face- he's painfully aware of how he must look. They hadn't gone away, even after he 'died'.

It feels awkward, walking in the sand in his boots. They feel heavier than usual. For a moment, he's almost tempted to turn around and go back inside but he spots Nill. He's almost disappointed not having an excuse to go back.

A hand lifts in a meager greeting.

"Hi, Nill." He hangs his head a little and seats himself awkwardly on the edge of the blanket.

Nill grins up at him as he approaches, scrambling to her feet. There’s something about him about him that just makes her feel sad—the way he carries himself, the look in his eyes. She frowns, she hadn’t noticed it before when he had stayed with her and Sophie for the manhunt game.

The frown quickly disappears from her face, replaced with a shy smile. She crawls across the blanket to get a better look at his face, paying careful attention to the scars. It doesn’t seem to strike her that it’s rude to stare like this, but there’s a certain curiosity in her eyes that if nothing else, makes it a little less creepy.

She pats him on the shoulder before pulling the basket towards them, opening it up to proudly display what she’s bought. It looks as though there’s enough to feed five or six people, and she’s clearly put a good deal of effort into it. Nill watches James carefully, hoping for a sign of approval.

James is painfully aware of eyes on him. On his face. He turns away slightly, trying to put the marred skin out of sight without being too obviously ashamed.

It's odd- the girl says little. She'd never really spoken before, either, come to think of it-

His train of thought is interrupted when she pats him on the shoulder and he flinches, looking over.

That's-

A lot of food. He works his face up into something that might be a smile, he figures.

"S'enough food to feed an army, kiddo." Not that he's complaining, anyway, "Looks good." He's trying. Even if he isn't very hungry. He doesn't eat much these days, and it shows. Unless one counts booze as food.

The look on his face certainly doesn’t look like a smile, but Nill finds it amusing, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. She hopes he doesn’t think her laughter is rude, stopping to reach into the basket.

With his clothes it’s a bit hard to tell, but Nill can see just how skinny he is. She wonders briefly what the reason behind that is, distracting herself by setting out paper plates. Apparently she feels no need to be discreet about her intentions, stacking four sandwiches neatly on James’ plate and only one on hers.

She smiles cheerily at him, raising her sandwich to her lips, wanting to make sure that he’s started eating.

Vaguely he wonders what she's laughing at.

"You sure are quiet, aren't you?" He takes the plate of sandwiches, looking at the generous proportions and lifting a brow. Still, he says nothing. He knows how me must look.

Like shit.

He could find irony in the fact that even a young girl like this could pity him. God knows he doesn't deserve pity. He wonders what Mary is doing. Probably-

The same thing she does every day. He's been watching her. Keeping an eye on her. Popping his head in the door when she's asleep. He can't get close to her. Not now.

The thought makes his stomach churn and the sandwiches look less appetizing than ever but out of what little manners he has he forces himself to nibble at one.

Nill shoots him a quizzical look as he notices how ‘quiet she is’. Doesn’t he know? Nill shakes her head slightly to answer this. He can’t really be that oblivious, but just to make sure there’s no confusion, she leans over to trace ‘M-U-T-E’ slowly in the sand.

For her it’s no big deal, and she wipes the sand from her finger and goes about eating. Unhappy with how little he’s eating, Nill pushes the plate closer to him. After the work she put into it and noticing how skinny she is, she’s not about to let him get away with only a few bites.

She doesn’t want to be rude, but it’s hard for her not to sneak glances at him as she’s eating. He looks as though he’s never been outside before, and Nill knows what one looks like.

"Mute... OH! You're- oh- sorry! Sorry..." The man hangs his head a bit in embarrassment and opts to shove the sandwich in his mouth before he can further humiliate himself.

It'll be a test of his mettle to finish the plate of sandwiches. He used to be able to eat just fine...

He takes the hint though.

"I know, I know. I'll finish them." Albeit he's a bit reluctant.

Nill seems pleased that his embarrassment has caused him to finish one of the sandwiches. She isn’t sure if he’s actually tasting them, but it’s better than nothing. She sets down what’s left of her sandwich to lean forward and pat him lightly on the head, as though praising a child.

Even she understands that her hopes of him finishing the remaining three sandwiches are a bit far fetched, but even just one more would make her happy. Besides, he probably wouldn’t have room for dessert after eating four of them.

Nill offers James a bottle of water before reaching into the basket again, pulling out a carefully wrapped strawberry shortcake, which (by some act of God) managed to not get squished during its trip in the basket. She sets it down between them, reaching to finish her own sandwich for the time being.

It's odd the way she treats him. Though James isn't really surprised. He knows how me must come off, in his current state. He hates himself for it. He's probably taking advantage of kindness again. Just like he did with harry just like he did with-

He attempts a second sandwich, pretending not to notice the cake. He hasn't had cake in a long time...

He does like it. Though he doesn't exactly feel like he should. The sandwiches remind him of how hungry he is, even if it does make him a bit nauseous to eat right now. Not much mixes will with a base of bourbon.

He makes it halfway through the second sandwich before he has to set it back on the plate.

Nill nods as he sets the sandwich back down. One and a half isn’t bad, even if he did sort of inhale the first one. (That can’t have felt good.) It’s not enough to get the meat back on his bones, but it’s a start. She intends to give him the remaining sandwiches so that he’ll hopefully eat them later, though she’s not so sure that he actually will.

For now she decides that it’s a good idea to give his stomach a rest, packing the sandwiches away to avoid them getting sandy. The cake can wait, maybe if he has another sandwich later.

She hops to her feet, reaching down to grab one of his hands and tug insistently. Despite how skinny James in she’s not strong enough to pull him to his feet herself. She grins down at him and points urgently towards the beach, hoping he’ll catch her meaning—or at the very least, stand up.

James seems to be in a daze until he's suddenly being pulled on.

"I ah-" The beach? He doesn't really like water- and his boots...(his precious boots.)

A heavy sigh.

"Alright, alright. Hold on. Give me a sec." He takes a moment to remove his boots and socks and leaves them reluctantly on the blanket, then he rises with a slight groan.

He still looks lost. He's really not used to this...

Who wears boots to the beach anyway? Nill isn't much better herself, dressed in her usual lolita-esque style right down to the mary janes, but at least it's better than boots. Still, she waits patiently until he's standing; noticing the groan and hoping that she didn't make him sick.

Nill reaches for his hand, taking it securely and tugging him along down the beach. For her it feels a little funny to be leading around a grown man like he's nothing more than a child, but she sort of likes it. She stops every few feet, leaving James to retrieve shells from the sand. Each time she passes them off to James, expecting him to be responsible for their well being.

James hasn't the resolve or will to resist the young girl practically dragging him, stumbling along the sand. It does feel good-

The warmth soaking up into his toes and ankles. He fumbles every time Nill shoves more shells into his hands, he finally opts to pass them off into one of the various pockets of his coat.

"Hey- slow down a bit- slow down!" Well at least she's easier to get along with than Laura.

James briefly thought of how easy his life would have been if Laura had been a mute.

The thought brings a slight smile to his face, and a sharp shell gouges into his chest through his pocket.

Nill doesn’t seem to notice his inability to keep up, returning to James to continue to deliver shells. At the rate she’s collecting them, he’s going to run out of pocket space.

A puddle in the sand brings her to a complete halt, the girl stooping to her hands and knees to peer curiously into it. She dips her fingers into the water once, as though testing the water, before plunging both hands in to pick something up.

She’s back on her feet and to James within moments, proudly displaying what she’s found. It’s something she’s never seen before, star shaped and bumpy, pale orange and still wet from the puddle.

The starfish rests on her palm, Nill lifting it to eye level, waiting for James to tell her what the mysterious object is.

For a moment, James is trying to delegate which shells go into which pockets, sorting them carefully. It looks ridiculous, piles of the chalky-colored things practically falling out of all four of the pockets on his jacket.

Just as he looks up he's having the still-wet sea creature shoved in his face.

A starfish, still moving ever-so-slowly.

James barely smiles, looking slightly tired, he slowly lifts his hands under hers and takes the animal, examining it closely.

"It's a starfish. Here, come on- over here." He spots a cluster of rocks forming pools not far away. Making his way over, he carefully submerges the starfish back into a small puddle, and takes a moment to examine the rest of the anemones, clams, muscles and barnacles clinging to the rocks. Even a few minnows darting about in the deeper ones.

Nill nods slowly as he tells her what the mysterious treasure is. She’s not so happy that he’s taken it from her, but she’s realized that it’s a living creature—and probably needs to stay in the water to stay alive.

Starfish, she was going to remember that.

Like a puppy, she follows right behind him, tugging lightly at his jacket. Her eyes widened at the site of the pool, something she hadn’t seen during her earlier visit to the beach. Nill leans over him, using his shoulders to support herself, watching the pool curiously. Still leaning against him with one arm, Nill points hurriedly at the different sea creatures, wanting names for all of them.

Since when did this because a science field trip? Oh well. James relents, sighing slightly before peering into the water.

"This is a muscle," he explains bluntly, "An anemone- if you touch them they close up," he demonstrates by reaching down and brushing a finger along the green tendrils, watching the smallish creature instantly recoil from his touch.

"There's sea snails, minnows and uhm," He jabs a finger at a white shellfish, "That's a clam." A little too closely, and the clam retaliates by letting loose a small stream of water, a lucky shot too, (right in the eyes). The blond lets out a small noise of surprise and sputters, backing up to wipe his face on his sleeve.

Nill listens closely, always excited to learn more about the world. She’s impressed by James’ knowledge, seeming especially interested in the anemone. She wiggles the fingers of her free hand as James touches it, mimicking its movements.

The unfortunate incident with the clam draws a silent giggle from Nill, the girl no longer leaning against him to instead crouch over the pool and get a closer look at things. She spots something he hasn’t identified yet, not entirely sure if it’s an animal at all. It looks more like a spikey rock than an animal. But then again, the starfish didn’t look much like an animal either. She reaches into the pool, fingers prodding the spiney sea urchin testingly.

The spikes are sharper than they look, and Nill jerks back her hand, wrinkling her nose in her displeasure.

"Hey, watch it! Don't touch that-" James is too late. Briefly, he frowns faintly, taking Nill's hand and examining it.

"Well you're not bleeding," He sighs, "Just don't grab any more sea urchins, alright?" He feels like he's babysitting here, though she's much more agreeable than most children (even though she's hardly a child).

For once, the first time in months, his mind isn't entirely preoccupied with Mary, at the least.

"Come on," He turns, beginning the walk back to the blanket. He could stand to have some of that cake now.

His concern puts a small smile on her face. It should have been fairly obvious that she was alright (she had pricked her fingers on needles enough times to be used to it), but she appreciates it more than she’s able to express.

Instead, she just keeps right on smiling, tagging along beside him as they make their way across the beach. Nill looks up at him curiously, before slipping her hand into his, looking as innocent as can be.

Starfish, Sea Urchin, Muscle, Minnow, Clam, Anemone. She was going to remember them all, and she was going to remember James.

When they reach the blanket Nill releases his hand, hunching over the cake and unwrapping it with the utmost care. She makes herself into a human shield against the sand, despite its safe location at the center of the blanket. Still protective of the cake, she reaches into the basket to withdraw plates again, plastic forks and knives.

With an unsteady hand—using the other to keep herself up—Nill cuts James an extra big piece, pushing the plate carefully across the blanket. What she cuts for herself is considerably smaller, but she’s happy with it all the same, sitting back with the plate in her lap to eat.

The widower pretends not to notice or care as Nill takes his hand, though eventually, his fingers do close around her considerably smaller ones.

He says nothing of it, really. Just keeps on walking.

Eventually they do reach the blanket and he sets down with a soft grunt, accepting a slice of cake with a nod and a soft 'thank you'.

The mansion, seems to make excellent cake indeed. After the first bite James is hooked, though he tries to eat slowly for manner's sake. This is his kind of food.

After all,

James

Loves cake.

Much like before, Nill is more concerned with watching him eat than actually eating herself. He seems to be having a much easier time with this than the sandwiches.

Pleased, she finishes off her smaller piece, trying to differentiate the ‘flavors’ that Ryuuzaki had been talking about.

When she finishes, Nill stands, nudging the remaining cake towards James in case wants more. Sure it’s not the most healthy thing to be eating, but it’s better than nothing.

She wanders away from the blanket, towards the water. Nill stops short of where the waves are reaching at the moment, lifting her dress delicately before settling down on the damp area of sand. She plunges her hands into the wet sand, wiggling her fingers about before beginning to pack it together.

It’s impossible to tell what she’s trying to make, at the moment it looks like nothing more than a lump in the sand.

One slice of cake is enough, and James sets down his plate when he finishes, lifting a hand as she pushes the rest of it towards him.

"Thanks but I think I'd die if I ate anymore." He offers a slight smile.

Watching Nill play in the sand, James stays put for a few seconds before curiosity gets the better of him and he joins her at the water's edge.

Peering down, it appears to be a poor excuse for a sandcastle- though he couldn't really do much better if he tried.

Nill has no idea what a sandcastle is—she doesn’t even know what a sandcastle looks like. She’s making her best effort to recreate her home, the church.

When James joins her she smiles up at him before returning to her work, trying to make her lump more vertical. It still doesn’t look like much of anything, but she’s satisfied with the progress that she’s making.

She pats her makeshift church, using her fingers to dig windows in the sides. If nothing else it looks like a lopsided house with holes poked into it, but she’s proud nonetheless. To finish, she carefully writes H-O-M-E in the sand beside it.

"Home, huh?" James says nothing more, he just looks down at the little pile of sand for a while, then back out at the water.

Honestly, James really doesn't have a home he wants to go back to. Everything he had to miss followed him here, and it was only a sour reminder of just what an awful person he is. He'd told Harry when they met that he'd made his peace with it, but obviously it was an awful lie.

The air is so fresh, he's sort of forgotten what it felt like to go outside.

Turning, he finally heads back to the blanket, sitting down and carefully placing the foodstuffs back into the basket. With a rueful sigh, he flops back, hands behind his head, and closes his eyes.

Really, it's no time for a nap, but maybe it's the warm weather and light breeze that make him a bit drowsy.

Nill tends to her sand church even as James returns to the blanket. She adds a mini-Nill and Haine, Badou and Bishop. They’re all nothing more than smaller lumps of sand beside the bigger lump.

Eventually the waves draw closer and closer, flooding the sand church and drowning the sand people. She lifts her dress slightly before standing to avoid the incoming water. The girl stands over the sand church, watching it until it’s completely gone.

After glancing back to make sure James is alright, Nill heads out into the water, smiling to herself as her feet sink slightly into the sand, and the water comes up higher. Something in the water catches her eye, Nill leaning over to inspect. A long fish swims through her legs and back around again. Her hands hover just above the water, following its movements.

Several futile attempts later, Nill’s attempts to catch the fish end with her tumbling head first into the water. She seems more upset about not being able to catch the fish than anything else, Nill trudging out of the water soaking wet. She rejoins James at the blanket, assuming that he’s fallen asleep as she removes her dress.

The dress is laid out carefully on the sand in hopes of drying it, Nill left in an only slightly less soaked cream colored slip. She flops down next to him on the blanket, stretching out happily in the sun.

Watching Nill play in the water, James is slowly slipping into a state of only being half-aware. Even when she eventually flops down beside him.

The sun is doing it's number on him, for sure, and he's beginning to slip away and give in to sleep. In combination, the breeze, the warmth, the sound of waves lapping on sand...

It's a losing battle, that James isn't entirely opposed to losing.

Rolling over on his side, he finally falls under a thin veil of sleep.

It's nice for once, to sleep without the aid of some hard alcohol in his blood. Even if it's not very deep, it feels far more restful, and he's not plagued by any dreams.

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http://www.acamoth.net/mp3/118_-_home_sweet_home.mp3

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