valiant . elegant

[cass]

A R T U R A

She's stopped telling her father when she leaves the house, pushing a door closed so softly, that she fears that even the ghosts that haunt their mansion might tell them. They never do, and she and Merlyn disappear into the haze of the morning light before he's even awake. They return when he's asleep, the days long and tiresome, but worth the freedom. She knows that one day the door in her room will be locked, her insistent pushing against her father's patience finally having broken.

She doesn't want that day to come, she fears the day that her voice will finally be silenced the same way the world silenced Merlyn. It's unfair of her to compare her own prison to the chains that weigh her best friends, but when your life is built from golden bars, your perception of the worst is a little different. They are words she would never speak out loud, knowing in her heart that it was cruel of her to say so, so she keeps them buried in her chest. Tucked away for the tears she'll save for the moonlight.

"Merlyn, we're going to go here," she says, tugging on her friends hand. They're in one of the most expensive stores in the Capitol. The dresses were long, floor length and some of them were hideous. But, if you knew where to look there were hidden gems of elegance and beauty that would bring a glow to Merlyn's stunning figure. She was already perfect in Artura's opinion, but there was nothing more fun then accentuating beauty to make the world fall at her feet. It was what she deserved.

Her hand runs along a silk gown, the ruffles astonishingly large and abhorrent. Her nose screws up in disgust and she pushes the dress aside, searching throw the stop with trained eyes. After a few more seconds she lets out a gasp of delight, her hand tightening on Merlyn's as she drags her behind her. "This one," she says, a hand reaching for the crimson red dress as she eyed it with absolute delight.

Turning, she faced her friend, eyes sparkling, "you'll look incredible in this one. What do you think?" She asks the question, fingers moving of their own accord as she signs it out. It wasn't necessary, but she had developed a habit of letting her hands echo her words. It made her feel a little closer to Merlyn, and at times, when even she could not use her own voice, her friend could still hear her.

P E N D R A G O N

kaitlin

[gamemaker kelsier]

m e r l y n .

"Fallin and callin fallin callin forever
We're like a song that ends in major key
I know we've said the words inside our minds but
When does it become reality?"

Someone was baking. Merlyn turned her head slightly, nose searching for the source of the scent of almond and butter. They'd only eaten breakfast an hour or so ago but the pastry smelled damn good and she was always for a distraction during one of Artura's shopping trips.

It wasn't that Merlyn didn't like shopping, per se, it was more that she found hours under fluorescent lighting exhausting. Buying new things was something she didn't have a problem with. Maybe she should have been more bothered about Artura spending money on her but in the end, it wasn't as if she had money of her own. It made Art happy anyway, dressing her up. Art didn't treat her like a dress-up doll either, her friend had always treated her with respect, had valued her opinion on her own clothing as well.

"Merlyn, we're going to go here."

She found herself being tugged away into a store, the scent of pastry fading as they were met with the sight of rows of racks of dresses. Oppulance teased from every nook and cranny of the store and Merlyn grinned at Art. --Got enough silk to house every spider in Panem-- she signed at her friend.

Artura was already in amongst the racks so Merlyn followed suit. She ran her hands along the various fabrics and glanced at the shopkeepers. They'd been here before of course, a few times actually. It wasn't uncommon for other people to keep their Avox close like Art did but Merlyn was a special case, rare even amongst the others. She walked free, adorned in jewellery and wearing beautiful clothes crafted from light cotton. There were no Avox whites, no shuffling behind Art with her head hung to show her status.

Merlyn tended to make people uncomfortable. She stopped, having locked eyes with one of the shop attendants. Artura was lost in her own world, comprised mainly of tulle and too many frills. Merlyn smiled slow and wide, the jewel embedded in her tooth glinting a little in the bright lighting. The attendant broke eye-contact first, a blush blooming across her cheeks.

That'd teach her to stare.

"This one."

Merlyn turned back towards Art, her smile fading into something more pleasant, a warmth that had been lacking for a short moment rising again. The dress she held out was simple in its cut, rather elegant really. Merlyn reached out to feel the fabric. It was kind of slippery but firm, no give to it. She wouldn't be able to eat in it.

She made a face at her friend and signed, --Will I even be able to breathe in it?-- But she didn't let go of the dress. There was something beautiful about it, maybe it felt too beautiful somehow. --I'll try it.-- she signed and draped it over an arm, --Now one for you?--

[cass]

A R T U R A

The response had Artura rolling her eyes, the movement filled with light as she smiled at Mer. Even though her response was at odds with her actions Artura knew she had hit something good. The way that Mer didn’t let go of the fabric was the biggest clue that she needed. She liked it, it just wasn’t in her to immediately accept it and move on. Mer liked to pull and tease and push Artura’s buttons like she was a radio station. There was nothing more fun than riling her up in Merlyn’s eyes, and more times than Artura would like to admit, she met that rise with quick words and bottled emotions.

She loved the way Mer smiled, and it often caught itself in her chest, meeting her lips in that same delicate warmth as she watched Mer drape the dress over her arm.

“I want something tight as well,” Artura’s gaze flickered over the hundreds of dresses. Teeth sinking into her lip as she tried to find one that would just catch her attention. She wanted it to show her figure, highlight the hard work she put into her body and mind. She let her lip go, sigh slipping past her lips as she trailed a hand over the material. It couldn’t be too much, her father wouldn’t stand for it. He’d force her to cover up or change her dress or he’d simply lock her in the house so she couldn’t leave.

As much as she desired her own freedom to pick something that made her feel proud of who she was, she couldn’t. Rope bound her ankles and demanded her submission, and after her last attempt to stand before her father, she didn’t yet have the strength to try again. The wounds that had littered her skin had taken time to repair- her ego the most bruised of all.

“It has to be something father will approve of,” she said, turning to face Mer, that warmth in her gaze fading. She tried to cover it up, stretching her lips wider, but she knew Mer would see through it in an instant. Hiding her feelings when she was around her best friend was impossible. “It needs to be me, but I’m not ready to fight him again. Not yet, Mer.”

She moved away from the dresses, an eyebrow raised as she ran her hand down the sleeve of a suit. “Perhaps a suit?” She dropped her hand, moving to the next outfit. “No, you’re right, it has to be feminine,” Artura screwed up her face, raising a hand to scold the air as if she were her father. “No daughter of mine will disgrace the family name. A suit? That is a mens outfit and you are not a man.”

Turning to look at Merlyn again she let go of the scowl, “am I right? It’s exactly what he would say.”

P E N D R A G O N

kaitlin