Stargazing

Jordan liked the snow, the way it whispered a crunch with each step. It was soothing. She tucked her hands deeper into her pockets as she maneuvered around the trees waiting for the lake to reveal itself. As she stepped past the final trees, a whispered "Oh" escaped her when she noticed someone had beaten her there. It took her a moment to realize they weren't actually touching the ground. She looked over her shoulder, wondering if she should just head back. She wasn't much in a sociable mood and she definitely didn't want to disturb them. Her face scrunched slightly in determination as she stepped forward. She stopped just a few feet away. "Bit cold, isn't it?" she asked, her frosty breath appearing like a ghost and disappearing just as quickly. Her face turned a light red when she realized they had headphones on.

Cardamon was not a fan of snow himself.

He didn't particularly like it or hate it--he was ambivalent to it, as he was ambivalent to most things. Under one arm was his sketchbook, and under the other was his small easel upon which he would rest it. The boy made of glass panted somewhat with the exertion of moving through the snow, although no billowing white breath clouds came from his mouth.

As he approached the lake, he noticed someone floating near the lake banks. He could tell they were an adventurous spirit.

He adjusted his hoodie, which was the only barrier between his smooth transparent skin and the cold air and walked towards them, giving him a prod with the eraser end of one of his pencils.

"Hey," he said. "Do you mind if I set up here?"

Her eyes looked up at Laetus' hand. "Uh, yes, fine. Why?" She could feel her hands shaking, mostly from the cold but her nervousness didn't help either. "Sorry if I disturbed you, I..." She trailed off when she noticed the glass human. Her brow furrowed slightly and she looked back at Laetus. "I didn't mean to interrupt your leisure."

At the floating boy's agreement, Cardamon sat down in the snow with his legs crossed, set up his small easel and flipped through his sketchbook until he found a fresh page. Admittedly he wasn't much of a sketcher or an artist when it came to the paper mediums of graphite, ink, charcoal, or paint, but he got a lot of inspiration from nature.

The sight of snowflakes drifting over the slightly frozen lake lit a bit of a fire in him, and he began to draw.

When the phrase "porcelain prince" came up, Cardamon lifted his head instinctively. It had been a long time since he'd even heard the term prince.

Cardamon smiled. "I'd prefer 'glass prince' thank you very much." He said, quirking a smile. "But nah, you're not bothering me. either."

Jordan nodded, glancing quickly at the glass figure again. "Thank you." She stepped towards the lake and saw how still it was. She reached down with her leg and pressed against the ice with the tip of her shoe. Solid. She looked down at her shoes, black against the white snow. She turned to look at Laetus again. "I don't believe I got your name."

"King?" Her eyes widened slightly. "My apologies, your grace. I had no idea. It's an honor to be in your presence, really." She bowed. "My name's Jordan Marsh. I come here often, it's quite serene." She turned to look back at the lake. King? she thought. She could feel her hands shaking more and grabbed the inside of her pockets tight. Her eyes closed. 1...2...3... she counted. Counting her breaths had always calmed her.