Painting by Moonlight

Caleb just needed to focus, to breathe. In. and out. He wasn’t panicking or freaking out, it’s just that if he forgot, his body wouldn’t do it on its own. What demanded more of his attention however were his current whereabouts. Beautiful scenery, a clear moonlit night. The only problem was that after he left the assigned lodgings he had ended up wondering around for like an hour and had no idea which way was back to his bedroom. Which really wasn’t a problem because traveling always made him rather restless. Besides, setting up his ventilator was such a pain.

There had been a couple of people he passed by with a smile and a polite greeting. But upon reflection he perhaps could have asked how to get back to the temporary residence he had been assigned. He stepped through an archway and the scene almost took his breath away, conversely reminding him to inhale. in. What type of school had an actual lake on the property? Did they do boating lessons during the summer? Was swimming in it allowed? If this was a magic island… was there a sea monster inside? Perhaps it was a better idea not to visit the maybe magical lake.

He slipped along one of the many paths that seemed to so casually navigate the grounds, catching occasional glimpses of the vast expanse of water as he wandered back towards the building he thought he was supposed to be staying in. out. He watched his breath linger in the air for a moment before tightening his scarf. He wasn’t in a particular rush and didn’t really know where he was going, so why not take his time and enjoy the new scenery? Apparently he wasn’t the only one. As he rounded a copse frost tipped evergreens he spotted a girl seated at an easel, she was a picturesque image herself. But Caleb kind of wanted to know what she thought was worth rendering in paint.

He traipsed up to her, leaving a path of broken grass that had previously been untouched and frosted over. Each step leaving a clear footprint. He and smiled as he pulled his scarf away from his mouth. in.“Hello! A beautiful night for painting isn’t it?”

Caleb got a glimpse of her canvas and was pretty impressed, not that it took much to impress him. On one hand, he wasn’t even certain that she was painting a landscape, on the other hand, it was nice to look at. Quite besides the point of the painting itself, this girl just seemed to exude an aura of artistry. From her carefully composed stature, to the crisp sound of her voice. It was so different from his own rushed pace, he liked it. in“Even your greeting is poetry! I mean, I don’t know what you meant, but it definitely sounded poetic.” in. “Personally I don’t know much about poetry, just you know… what they taught in class and all that, though I wasn’t a particularly good student at that, trouble concentrating.”

in. As he took another breath, he tried to get a better feel for what was on the canvas… but really lacked the depth to do more than appreciate the colors. “I had a friend that used to paint, he loved doing portraits, totally different than landscapes I guess… and he focused mostly on realism, which again isn’t what you’re doing here.” in. “But I totally think he would have been able to appreciate this.” out. He paused for a moment, thinking about the past, forgetting the present for a moment. It wasn’t for long, but enough for it to have the beginnings of an awkward silence.

Caleb didn’t like silence, and when he finally realized he had left that gap there, he rushed to fill it. “Not that I can’t appreciate your picture, it really is rather ni-“ His flattery was cut off for a moment by a fit of coughing. Followed by a few deep breaths. By the time he had recovered his cheeks were tinged red by more than just the cold, all he could offer was a sheepish grin and an apology “Sorry about that… forgot to breathe, it happens to me surprisingly often. Me being Caleb by the way. Pleasure to make your acquaintance on this fine winters eve!”

@Kaya

Caleb almost seemed to brighten more when he realized he was the false sunlight she mentioned. in. “Thank you... Cerra, that’s sweet, it’s almost like you’re saying I bring light even when the sun isn’t shining.” out. It was terribly kind of her to make such a comparison when they had only just met, and he was sure it was merely a gesture of kindness, but that didn’t make it any less impactful. Or… at least not in any relevant way.

in. “I haven’t done anything to deserve such a title, but I shall endeavor to brighten the day of anyone I encounter.” He shifted his posture a bit, straightening out his back. His tone had a hint of self-reflection, and maybe some embarrassment. Her expression didn’t phase him, and that bit about seeing creation didn’t really register. He was the type who tried to see the positive in everything, even if sometimes that meant forcing things to fit his view. Never imposing, but often misinterpreting.

in. As he went to take a breath, he realized he had left his sentence hanging, his thoughts unverbalized. Of course he took the time to remedy that fact. “Of course it is also my pleasure to brighten the night, as it might be in this case. To be honest I’ve only just arrived, but it’s a pleasure to see that the first person I’ve taken a moment to interact with” He had to pause to take a breath. in “is someone like you. Perfectly pleasant to perorate with, post… daylight. Alas, alliteration has alienated me.” He glanced up at the sky, appearing morosely apologetic. in.“Your own mellifluous words inspired my own failed attempt at poetry. I don’t think I quite match up though.” With a half grin, Caleb was both at once incredibly genuine, and also slightly condescending.

Caleb took great efforts to remain positive, whether that required intentionally deluding himself, or just taking advantage of his own naiveté was up for debate. Being called sunlight however sounded pretty nice. In. “Well, regardless of the lack of poetry you do have a beautiful way of speaking, even if I am un-“ He paused as his mind caught up with his ears. “Vampire?!”

He stared at her for a second, shocked. in “You mean that…” He continued to stare. “Ok like, super powers and magic I guess, I figured that out. Actual vampire? Like, drink blood, eternal youth? Oh my god can you eat garlic?” Clearly he had his priorities, and apparently self-preservation was not in the top ten. Less concerned with the predatory nature of a vampire, he was more surprised to learn that they were real. Not that he questioned her, or rather not that he questioned whether she was telling the truth. In.”Does that mean that like everything is real? Werewolves, Kelpies, Banshees? What about the boogey man, or the personification of death? Swamp thing?”

Despite his general lack of awareness, Caleb did manage to hold back his curiosity. It was only polite to answer some of her questions in return. He didn’t want her to feel insecure. In. “I wouldn’t want to run from you, after all you’ve been perfectly cordial. If you feel comfortable sharing that you’re a vampire, why should I feel scared. I ‘m just glad you felt that you could speak honestly with me.” It was probably for the best that he hadn’t asked the next question he had in mind. He really wanted to know if she sparkled. It was a good thing his sense of decorum overpowered that of curiosity.

In. “If you can eat garlic I’m sure there’s other things that pop culture has gotten wrong, such as the depiction of vampires as merciless killers. So no I don’t feel particularly scared, you have done nothing to merit it. I’d be more bothered if you were a vegan” That last comment though it was clearly a joke, held some merit. One of his roommates had been a vegan, they had never stopped talking about it.