Saffron Irving (firagad) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-01-22 17:21:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, !log, ridley irving, saffron irving |
I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
Who: Ridley & Saffron Irving
What: An arrival. A re-encounter
Where: By the gates of the city
When: Capricorn 22 late morning
Rating: Safe
Status: Complete
It was a lovely, if perhaps particularly cold morning in Emillion. The air was crisp, the people were awake and everyone that passed near the doors seemed to be infused in new, healthy energy provided by the chill and the expectations of a new day. Seriously, some even looked about to break into song and choreography.
Saffron was tapping her foot.
She had told her, she had sent a letter weeks ago, not because she was trying to be ominous, but simply because Saffron didn’t like to improvise, especially not in such things like moving from one country to another with a sizable amount of things and nowhere to stay. Ridley hadn’t answered, but in Saffron’s mind it only meant she had been exactly as clear as she had intended to, and therefore nothing had been left to discuss. Wasn’t that called a silent agreement? Or perhaps it had been silent defiance, perhaps this was how Ridley would finally decide to judge her for the way she treated her, or didn’t treat her. Or maybe she was leaving her at her own devices, that would be poetic justice.
But Ridley wasn’t a bad person, even when Saffron would’ve probably felt a bit better if she was. She knew her sister wouldn’t just abandon her, or that she would at least send a letter. In the end there was nothing she could do save check her belongings, stand around with the staff safely strapped on her shoulder and tap her foot.
And wait for Ridley, all the while ignoring the nagging little voice in her head telling her she deserved being left alone.
It was with heavy, hesitant steps that the younger Irving approached from down the way, fingers wrapped tight around the strap of her shoulder bag. What was there to say? Too much, frankly, and not enough strength in the world to admit it to Saffron’s face.
One day, she’d be brave enough to confess how betrayed and lonely she felt upon her only family left abandoning her all those years ago. But this was not that day.
Observant eyes picked out the familiar form ahead, and even the silhouette was enough to get Ridley nearly tripping over her own feet. From this distance, she could feel the blue of her sister’s eyes, remembering them to always be filled with resentment. That was what she knew to expect: hatred and irritation and maybe, like the cherry topping to a sundae, blame.
Her fingers tightened on the bag as she drew closer, heart beating so fast, it was a wonder it hadn’t leapt up her throat already.
She stopped ten feet away and said nothing.
Saffron had been looking around when she spotted Ridley coming towards her general direction. She honestly didn’t know what she was expecting as she saw her sister draw closer, an uncomfortable pressure growing on her chest as she followed her. Was she mad at Ridley? She should’ve answered the damn letter, after all. Maybe she needed to be reminded of what manners meant-
Ridley stopped before she got too close, but Saffron could already see her pretty clearly, see her face, her expression as she stared back. Yes, she was annoyed, but she was always annoyed at Ridley, and hadn’t she decided to change that? She had made a promise, but besides that she had thought it over and over since she had left. Things had to change between them, but Saffron didn’t know if that was even possible, or even a good idea at all.
Seeing how her sister was just going to stay there, Saffron marched towards her, stopping a mere foot in front of her, a soft frown in her face. “You…” she started, the frown deepening as she looked up. “You’ve gotten very tall, Ridley.” Great, another thing that bothered about her. She forced herself to ignore it though, closing her eyes for a moment and sighing softly as she tried to put her thoughts in order.
“It has been a while, sister,” she finally managed, her tone lighter than before.
The words were like icicles in Ridley’s heart. After all that had happened, all the time spent apart and years wondering if her sister had ever really loved her, these were the first words to be exchanged between them. Certainly it was an improvement from her expectations, none of which had been kind, so she mustered up a nod in the place of speech that came only moments later.
“Quite some time.” Like Saffron’s own, her own tone was soft. “Are… Are you well?”
It could have gone worse, Saffron decided. She could have sounded angrier, Ridley might have started crying (although she wanted to believe her sister wasn’t the kind that cried because of...whatever that was going on there), but in turn they were defaulting to shallow politeness. And right then? It was more than she could ask. Even worse, Ridley could have been mad and yelling at her, but the reality of the situation was that both sisters were not saying all that they wanted to say. Saffron too had decided it was too early to do whatever she thought was the right thing to do. Go for a hug, ask for forgiveness, just talk to her sister and make her smile, those things were all something she was vanished from doing.
Saffron nodded softly. “I’m okay. You seem well, too. I got news about the...things that have been happening here; fortunately you’re not hurt, right?” She gave her a once over, but Ridley was obviously okay, she had known this since the moment she had seen her. Feeling slightly stupid, Saffron went silent.
The younger girl gave a nod of her own head. “I’m alright. I’ve… been fortunate to have escaped the worst of it.” Her words felt forced, despite being genuine. There was so much to say, but how to say it? When was the right time? Surely standing here at the gates was not that time, and so Ridley curled her fingers up inside her mittens.
“Are you here to stay?” They were softer than intended.
Saffron was silent for a moment. “That was the idea,” she said, her voice softer than intended as well. She had read the letter right? So she knew she was staying. Still, the question stung, because that was probably the most honest display of what she was thinking so far.
“If you would have me, that is.”
In turn, Ridley fell quiet, taking in her sister’s face, her clothing. She was familiar, but not. Having been alienated from her family meant having to seek refuge in others, to dull the pain of abandonment in love and friendship from those would would come to mean the world to her, and now for Saffron to be back, to stay in the city for good? It unnerved her.
But she was also happier than she let on.
Her smile felt weak, but it was still a smile. “Of course. Have you a place to stay?”
Saffron sighed heavily, a thumb going up to the things on the cart. “That’s all I have, and I will sell most of it, since I have nowhere big enough to put it, or any real use for it.” And there was the main issue, the one subject she would have loved to talk through by letter, not face to face.
“I can pay you the rent, even if it is just a sofa.”
The offer stunned Ridley, who merely blinked in surprise. Pay her rent? Why? Regardless of their past, they were sisters; why would family ever have to pay her for lodging? She looked to the cart for a moment, before saying, “Ah, I live in the Mages’ Tower, but if you’d like to stay with me while you reinstate yourself, you can. You needn’t pay me for anything.”
Rubbing a hand over her forearm, Saffron huffed a bit. “Still, I will make sure to find a way to make it up to you. It’s the least I can do.” And while she was talking about that moment, on some level Saffron knew she meant making it up for everything, somehow. She just couldn’t say that out loud.
“At any rate,” she said energetically as she turned around. “I need to contact the merchants and get rid of all this stuff. I have taken the liberty to separate a few of father’s items, and I do believe he kept a couple of mother’s dresses stored somewhere. I’ll be sure to hold onto them as well.” She kept her back to Ridley, eyes going through the things she had carried. “You don’t need to trouble yourself with this, sister. How about we meet later today? I’m sure you have things to do as well.” She didn’t turn back, but at least Saffron turned her face to her partially.
“If that’s alright with you, of course. I don’t want to get in your way any more than I’m already doing it.”
“You are not—” Ridley caught herself before the rest of the words tumbled out of her mouth. Recovering, she said, “You are not getting in my way. I will contact Cormac and let him know I will be late.” Without waiting for an answer, she was moving toward her sister, looking for something she could help with.
“Hey—” She didn’t even let her speak, Ridley quickly passing by her. Saffron grunted, but suddenly realized she was grinning. Her little sister was growing up. It was a good thing she couldn’t see her. “Okay then, let’s get to it.”