through the rabbit hole [open]

[Lark Perrin]

A chirping bird from just outside the open hotel window woke the sleeping nymph. Stretching as she sat up from the plush cushions Lark let out a yawn. The early morning sun was filtering through the blinds and dancing on the carpeted floor. The room was horribly plain and that sort of bugged Lark she preferred interesting color patterns. Actually she preferred anything to plain, it could have been two different shades of gray at least it would have some dynamic. Slipping from the sheets she padded lightly to the shower. It would be an interesting day, that much was certain. Stepping into the lukewarm shower water she smiled as it covered her, washing away the night. It was refreshing to shower in the morning then she felt as if she was starting the day on the right foot opposed to starting it with the sweat and dinginess of sleep.

Lark had selected to go out on the town today due to the fact she figured everyone would be at the concert. This would eliminate the chance she run into the masses. Not to mention she could do some of the shopping she needed to in peace. Providence was a nice little wizard town. In fact quaint would be a good word to describe the place. After dressing in a simple pair of jeans and white tube top she left her room and slipped silently through the lobby. One thing Lark had learned was how to move with swift silent grace. It made it easier to avoid people as well as sneak away from the houses she stayed at that insisted on a curfew. With a smile she inhaled and laughed as a breeze tickled her skin. “Thank you.” She murmured out loud, to anyone watching it probably gave off the impressions he was talking to herself.

Making her way to the shops she hummed lightly the lack of people in the sidewalk was nice and she didn’t feel like she needed to go back to the hotel and avoid the two or three scattered people walking along the streets. She noticed that people had gathered in front of one of the store windows and she paused to see what they were looking at. A news report was flashing across the screen, an explosion somewhere in England. It looked rather bad and Lark sighed. She had no real stake in what was happening so she kept walking. Finding a bench she took a seat. She would come up with a plan of attack for shopping. This made her smile as she licked the tip of her quill she started her list.

A slight sadness washed over her as she wrote down the first item on her list, Home goods. She figured her mother would be helping buy the things for the cottage she had just purchased. With a heavy sigh she decided to start someplace else. She would be alone in that cottage and she could use some company. A pet seemed like something she could use. Of course she wasn’t sure how long she would be saying so she couldn’t get something too high maintenance. Maybe a cat? A rat or mouse would get lost in her things and not to mention they sort of creep her out. Entering the Pet store Lark smiled at the various animals. She couldn’t bird, though she wanted to, she understood their need to feel the wind in their feathers, she couldn’t get a fish, and she had eliminated the rodents.

Then in the back corner a little box on raised platform caught her eye. Bunnies. Perfect. Making a beeline for them she smiled at a little black and white one in the corner. It was flopped down on the cedar bark litter and when it looked at her she just knew. Reaching in she was amazed at how soft the fur was. Yes this little critter would be her new companion. “Yes little one, you will be coming home with me.” Her finger lazily drew back and forth across the sleek pelt and she looked around for help.

“Excuse me? Can anyone help me over here? I have fallen in love, and will not be satisfied until I take this little thing home!”

[Blithe Carrington]

“Yes mom….yes, I’m fine but do you think you could have dad send me some more money?” there was a pause as she listened to what her mom blabbed on and on over the phone. “Thanks mom! Well tell dad I love him and I’ll call you later….yea ok bye.” Blithe hung up the phone as she walked through Providence, she was starting to like the place and had enjoyed her time at the pool yesterday. When she had woken up earlier that morning she had made the decision that she was going to investigate the town and see how the shopping was.

Blithe noticed that there weren’t very many people out and began to wonder where everyone was. Shrugging it off she began window-shopping as she passed the bookstore and a dance studio; pausing for a while at the bookstore window to see what the latest book craze was here in the U.S. She wasn’t really into reading all that much but she liked to keep up on what is out at least.

After a quick browse she meandered on and came across the pet store and remembered that she needed to pick up a few things for her Ural owl Thayer. As soon as she entered she saw cats, owls, rats, snakes and all sorts of other animals. Seeing them made her smile but she didn’t think another animal would be allowed, though that had never stopped her before, and she wandered around looking for the section for owls.

As Blithe wandered through the store a soft female voice called out for assistance, and she chuckled a bit. Animals always seemed to have that effect on people. Blithe turned back around and grabbed some owl treats she could give Thayer, before her curiosity as to what little thing exactly had cause this girl to fall so deeply in love with it. So she marched over to the back corner, and found that it was a blonde girl with her arm in the rabbit cage. “awww they are adorable!”

[Lark Perrin]

The pattern reminded her of a cow and she smiled at it. It was an odd choice to be honest, she had always had birds, but those now seemed like the obvious choice and the birds tended to be uppity. Rabbits weren’t uppity, they were adorable and they hade cute little noses. Mimicking the rabbit’s nose movements she giggled at herself. As an adult she was sitting around wrinkling her nose and making cooing noises at baby animals. Then again as a woman she was allowed to do those sorts of things. Someone had approached her and she turned to face them her nose still scrunched and twitching and she smiled laughing at herself.

“Aren’t they?” Standing she looked at the girl, she looked young and Lark held out her hand. “Hi, my name is Lark, and that little cow bunny is mine but you can take your pick of the rest.” Lark was slowly but surely becoming more and more outgoing, it had to be the fact she knew that these people here in this town were magical beings like her, and they wouldn’t chase her out with pitchforks, or well anything. “Do you go to the school? You look so young, I mean. Is that rude? I’m sorry I am not really use to interacting with people.” Rambling Lark sighed and shut her mouth. And flushed a light rose color. “Sorry.”

[Blithe Carrington]

Smiling Blithe took a step forward, shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Blithe.” Letting go of Lark’s hand she looked over at the other bunnies, “I think I’m going to have to pass. But they are super cute. I was just wondering around the town trying to get a feel for the place when I found the pet shop and remembered that I needed to pick up a few things for my owl.” She moved over to have a better look at the other rabbits and stroked the back of a white one with tan speckles all over it.

“Yea, though this will be my first year here. I just transferred over and will be starting my senior year in the fall,” she replied and laughed softly. “No, that’s not rude at all. And there is really no need to be sorry,” she told her with a friendly smile. She thought it was somewhat strange that the girl was apologizing but shrugged it off. “Are you a student here as well? or a teacher?” She thought that Lark looked a little old to still be in school, and was definitely too pretty to be dumb enough to fail her classes as she had so that she had been held back, but she thought she would ask anyway.

[Lark Perrin]

Lark smiled, she hadn’t planned on bunnies of people for that matter, it seemed the girl had been doing exactly what Lark had been doing, exploring and shopping. “So taking advantage of the fact everyone else would be at the concert? I don’t like to shop when there is a whole bunch of fuss and well people around, I get nervous and I do things like ramble like I am now.” She shrugged and looked back at the rabbits, they were more than adorable and she smiled at them. “I was doing the same thing and then I found this little treasure,” she motioned towards the bunny “well, I wasn’t shopping for my owl, but I was getting a feel for the town and found the pet shop.”

The girl was also new, it seemed she was meeting a lot of new people, like Aaron the other day, well that wasn’t fair, she had met two people and both of them were new. Lark felt jumbled. It was something being in public did to her, she got all weird feeling. Out of habit she looked around to make sure she wasn’t being watched. “A student? No.” Lark all but laughed at the idea of her being a teacher, the fact someone considered her interesting enough, or well smart enough to teach was funny. “Oh no, not a teacher.” Again the idea striking her as funny she started to laugh. “I don’t mean to, its just me, a teacher I can’t teach myself anything let alone others. No I own the kite shop down the street.” Pointing towards the direction her shop would be in. “I know kites, and wind chimes. You should stop by sometime, get a kite, the mountains are windy enough its perfect for them.”

[Blithe Carrington]

She continued to run her finger across the velvety soft back of the rabbit but looked over at Lark with a look of surprise and longing. “Concert? I had no idea there was a concert going on. Who all is performing?” She removed her hand from the cage turning to face her. She loved concerts and probably would have gone if she had known that there was one taking place.

She watched at the girl motioned towards the adorable black and white bunny she had chosen as her new pet, mentioning that she too was just out and about exploring. “So your pretty new around here too? How long have you been in Providence?” Blithe inquired. Lark was the first person she had met here in this town and she looked as though she was muddled or worried that someone was watching her. The brunette wondered if it was something she had said that caused this or of this was just how the blond was so she asked, “Is something wrong?”

Quickly the girl’s mood changed and she began to laugh as she explained to her that she wasn’t a teacher. Blithe couldn’t help but smile and began to laugh with her no matter how hard she tried not too. It was one of those things where the laughter was just contagious. “Wow you have your own shop? That’s so cool!” thinking about it maybe going out to fly a kite would be a good way to meet more people, “Well I might just take you up on that. I haven’t ever really flown a kite before though..” It hadn’t really been one of the pastimes that she and her brothers or other friends had really gotten into because it was a muggle activity and her parents wouldn’t allow such a thing. The only reason she knew about them was because of her muggle studies class at her previous school.

[Lark Perrin]

“Oh, I don’t really know. I don’t care about those sorts of things.” Lark had taken a breathy tone and waved her hand dismissively and smiled. Concerts were a trap; at least they provided ample opportunity to get her trapped. Someone she once knew was so afraid of wide open spaces and people she never left her home and at times, Lark wondered if that wasn’t the way to go. People were pushy and annoying they judged you and they tended to destroy what they couldn’t understand. At least the muggle people did. They had after all been responsible for the most reckless genocide of witches, or supposed witched. Maybe a fourth of them had actually been witches. Not that any of it really affected her, she spent most of her time thinking she was a muggle only to find out she wasn’t. “I’ve been here about a week.”

Lark Smiled and ran her finger across the top of the rabbit cage. She had settled down some and sighed, the girl had noticed. “No nothing’s wrong, I guess I am still getting use to the area. There are more people here than the last place I lived.” Then again she lived in the woods completely closed off from the real world. It had been easier to hide what she was that way. “I’ve only met one or two people since I’ve been here other than my landlord. I suppose once I get use to the place I’ll settle down enough to meet people.” Catching herself again she sighed. All she did was ramble. With a small embarrassed smile she nodded and shrugged.

Never flown a kite? That seemed a little more than insane. Shaking her head in disbelief she looked at Blithe and opened her mouth for a moment before talking. “Never? As in never ever?” Lark still couldn’t grasp the idea that this girl had never flown a kite. “Well I can assure you it’s easy, it’s not like it’s brain surgery. I don’t think I have met someone who has never flown a kite, it’s so much fun. Really freeing.” Lark smiled, god how much she loved to fly kites. “They become like an extension of you, you can feel the wind take them and if you are patient and wait for a moment you can almost feel yourself fly with it.” Lark had closed her eyes and spread her arms out to the side a smile graced her delicate features. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

[Blithe Carrington]

Blithe stared at her in wide-eyed confusion. She didn’t understand how someone could not like concerts, they were great places to meet new people and have tons of fun. Concerts had been her favorite activity, other than shopping, that she and her friends back home did. She continued to stare, her face turning to awe when she heard that Lark had only been there for a week. How had she managed to have her own store already? That was truly impressive. “Just a week? Wow, you seem to be doing so well for just getting here,” she commented.

Shifting her weight she leaned against the rabbit cage, she was having trouble imagining a town with a smaller population than the one they were currently in. Having come from a fairly largely populated wizarding city in England herself. She shook off the confusing and focused back on what the girl had to say. “Yes that’s right…never ever in my entire life have I actually flown one of those muggle contraptions. Maybe you can show me sometime? I feel like if I try on my own I will crash and burn terribly hard.” She laughed at herself and the thought of a kite not ever getting off the ground and just scooting along the grass. She held back a giggle as she watched Lark spreading her arms out like an airplane while smiling. “You are one of those people who wish they were born with wings aren’t you,” Blithe asked smiling and sincerely. “I’ve always just gone on adventures as my way of escaping and being free.”

[Lark Perrin]

Lark smiled. “When things are right they are right.” It was how she felt when she came across the little place and she was more than happy to make it her shop. It was a dream come true really, she had put in a lot of work and the fact she didn’t like to go out much helped. Smiling at the blue interior she was pleased with the way everything had turned out in her shop. Lark laughed at her. “No, I’m sure you would do fine, it’s not very hard you just have to be able to put the patience in. Here its not too bad, the wind picks up quickly.” She smiled and sort of floated around the cage.

“No, I just have a relationship with the wind many wouldn’t understand.” She smiled “It like the kites so really you are doing it a favor.” She nodded. “Same with the wind chimes, it gets bored just blowing through the same streets everyday it like to have things to do, even colorful wind socks make it happy.” Lark had continued and realized she had said more than she had really wanted to and smiled at the girl. “But I digress.”

[Blithe Carrington]

"Patients huh? Thats a hit and miss for me right there. But it sounds like its worth a shot." Blithe had patients but it really depend on whether or not she was actually having fun as to how long that patients lasted. Sometimes she wondered if she had ADD or something. She really did want to give it a try though, despite the anger of her parents if they ever found out would probably cut her off completely; but that never stopped her before.

She watched lark with interest as she described how the wind actually had feelings. Blithe thought it strange that wind could get bored, she had never heard of elements of the earth truly having feelings like a human being except when a person was personifying them to make a point. "The wind gets bored? does the rain feel happy when it falls then?" she asked with genuine curiosity. This girl was interesting and she wanted to know more.

[Lark Perrin]

“Patience can be learned.” Lark smiled and took in the girl’s second question. It was one that had she been elsewhere she would have taken as sarcasm, and left as quickly as possible but the question was asked innocently and Lark decided it would be okay to explain a little further. “Oh, I wouldn’t know about the rain, I suppose I could ask next time. The rain is a bit touchier about things than the wind, at least that’s what I have heard. The north wind however can be such a gossip.” Lark was aware of how absolutely crazy she sounded talking to the girl. It was hard to say things about herself without feeling loony. That and she had hidden what she was for so long it sounded weird to say these things out loud instead of just simply think them.

Looking at Blithe she made a face of frustration and confusion and sighed. “I know I sound perfectly insane. I’m not, but then again I suppose crazy people assure other’s they aren’t crazy all the time.” Lark was bothered by this, she wasn’t crazy. At least she hoped she wasn’t it was possible she was insane and the muggle doctors had been right about her being a schizophrenic. Trying to smile she shrugged. “I don’t know ho to explain it without sounding like I’m off my rocker.”

[Blithe Carrington]

"whoa, whoa, whoa," she put her hands up as the girl began talking about the North Wind and all of the gossip she heard from it. "You can actually speak to the elements? Like for real?! Cause that would be freakin amazing!" She was beginning to like the blonde more and more. Blithe smiled at Lark with what she felt like was one of her goofiest grins that made her feel as if she were 8 again instead of 18. This happened a lot when she got excited about some of the most random things such as an antique wand case she found once or a ring she had received from her grandmother.

Lark began to ramble on again but this time about how she wasn't insane. Blithe didn't think she was terribly insane though it was somewhat odd that she could talk to the wind and rain. "Well I can't really judge people. I've met some rather...well lets just say..interesting people through out my life," she chuckled. And she had, she still had no idea exactly what her father did for a living but there were a few places she had gone with him on his business trips when she was younger and had met witches and wizards who probably really were insane. Who knew the kinds of things they had been through when Voldemort had been in power and now they were crazy eyed and mumbled things that she couldn't even understand. "I'm curious to know more though.." her smile still plastered across her lips.

[Lark Perrin]

“Well no, not all the elements.” Lark pursed her lips. “And it’s not really talking, not like you and I are talking.” She smiled looking for a way to explain just what she meant. “It’s more subtle than that, I just know the wind. Well that and what I learn from the wind, other things like the rain are more or less a mystery to me, and you can only take what the wind says about the rain at face value, there is great discourse between them.” Lark sighed, it had been a constant fight with those two, the rain was un happy the way blew her around telling her where and how to fall and the wind was upset with the fact it made the breeze cooler and wetter. It was an argument Lark was more or less tired of hearing and yet she heard the wind’s side of the story after every storm. She had hoped at one point they would realize neither of them was going to change and accepted it.

“It’s complicated.” Lark netter her brow as proof of the complications. “I don’t really know how to voice it, aside from a strange relationship.” She shrugged and looked at her feet. This was usually the moment in this conversation where she was accused of being crazy, and then she would be chased off. Or the faked interest would spark and she would be conned into a mental health facility. She had never really made it past this point of conversation so the explanation escaped her. She had once shown someone her ability to manipulated the wind but she had never really liked doing so, it made the wind cranky and the strain from the recent rainfall would make it difficult.

[Blithe Carrington]

Blithe listened quietly as Lark tried to explain things to her but seemed to fumble for it. She realized that she must have been making the girl feel awkward. "So from my understanding its kind of like empathy or something? Where you can feel what they are feeling?" Blithe thought she understood what the girl had been trying to say. Shifting her weight slightly she decided it would be best to just change the subject.

“So would you be willing to teach me how to fly a kite sometime?” She kind of liked the girl and thought that she would be an interesting friend to have indeed. So far Blithe found Providence to be a homey town that definitely was a tourist area, but she wondered what little secrets the town held that many of the visitors didn’t know about. These were the places and things that interested Blithe the most about being in a new place. Trying to find them was an adventure in itself and allowed her to meet people one wouldn’t normally meet when traveling, although she was going to be starting school there in the fall.

“Do know of any neat places around here that a lot of people don’t know about?” She got the feeling that Lark was the type of person who might know of a few hidden places, especially seeing as she has some connection with the wind.

[Lark Perrin]

“Um, kind of.”

Blithe seemed to want to drop the subject and Lark was grateful. She wasn’t sure what she could or couldn’t tell people. There were rules and growing up far from her own kind hadn’t allowed her to learn them, sure the wind helped but it usually corrected the mistake after the fact, making the trial and error process embarrassing and daunting. If another wind nymph came across her they probably would have been appalled at her lack of knowledge. Even now she could feel her face flush at the imagined embarrassment. Petting the rabbit she had selected she nodded. “Of course I will, just come by anytime, I am thinking of doing a workshop for the students, something fun to introduce the store. It would be fun, at least I think it would be fun.”

The next question she had to think about, she had only been in town for a while and she knew of a few places. “There is the waterfall and the forest is always nice. I’ve only been here for a little while, I haven’t really had time to explore the town completely. The store kept me busy.” With a shrug she looked at Blithe. “What about you?”

[Blithe Carrington]

She smiled when Lark said that she would teach her how to fly a kite. "I think something like that would be great! You'll have to let me know when your planning on having it. I would love to come." It really was a neat idea and a good way to possibly meet some more of her school mates before the year started. She did still miss her old friends back home but they kept in touch and wrote owls to each other all the time.

Blithe watched her quietly as she thought over her other question. "Ooooo, a waterfall sounds wonderful. I must be beautiful out there, especially this time of the year. Me? I have no idea" she laughed softly, "Like you I just arrived here recently and I haven't gone out exploring much. I need to get out and do that though. I like finding new places that people don't really know about." She moved the owl feed over to her other hand as she shifted her weight once again without thinking. "I saw that there was a resort here that I might check out soon though."

[Lark Perrin]

The enthusiasm of her new friend caused Lark to beam. It was unusual for herto make friends so easily, it helped that this girl understood the magic community and as far-fetched as the ability seemed there already that base of understanding that would allow her to keep the open mind. Lark reigned in her smile and did her best to conceal the excitement. “I will, don’t worry! It’s fun, you all will love it. I know many find it pointless but sometimes you need pointless.” With a rather enthusiastic nod Lark’s smile once again returned to high beam and she turned to face the rabbits, a tad embarrassed by her candor. “Sorry, no one has really shown an interest before. It’s a new feeling to have someone want to know about kites.” With a shrug she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at Blithe.

“Um, yeah the resort is where the concert was, or is I should say, I have not checked it out but it’s supposed to be really nice. The hotel is nice, I stayed there a few days until I could move into my house. The casino is a bit of fun but I hate losing money so easily, and I don’t know if you are old enough but it is fun, lots of tables.” With a resigned sigh she stepped off the step stool “I’m not keeping you from something am I? I would hate to do so.”