Working up the nerve (Tag Willow) on Cascade Hall

Keme RunningBear

October 26, 2014 3:43 PM

Working up the nerve (Tag Willow) by Keme RunningBear

Keme’s winter break had been a nice retreat from the daily demands that his fifth year at Sonora had placed onto him. Being in his CATS year, things were really on edge with projects, essays, exams, etc. It was nice to get away from all that stress and spend some time with his family. KoKo was doing well in college, the family was proud of her and even though Keme did not bring home the badge, they were still happy about his grades and the fact that he had started the Archery club. Even though he wasn’t as social as he probably still could be, he was doing much better on that front, so that was all that his family could really ask of him.

He also spent some of his holiday making a gift for Willow. It was a traditional dreamcatcher that his tribe made for their shops. Most people hung them up in the windows or on their porches. Those who understood the significance of them though, usually hung them above their beds. He wasn’t sure what her favorite color was, so he chose a color he thought would look nice in contrast to the black of the base and leather straps and white of the beads. Everyone in his tribe knew how to make them, it was fun and you could make them however you felt best represented you. He hoped Willow didn’t mind a part of his tradition as a gift. His sister said that the gift itself wouldn’t really matter to a girl, it was just getting a gift at all was what really made them happy. He supposed that might be the truth, but Purebloods of Wllow’s stature had certain expectations.

Oh well, there was no real turning back. He would give it to her and hope for the best. He had taken the time before midterm to really think about things regarding the ball and his thoughts always returned to Willow. She was quiet and he thought a little sad sometimes even if she tried to hide it. He never pushed for her to talk about anything because Keme understood the need to be private, but he did like it when she smiled and he hoped that she did more of it. This was partly why he decided to create the dream catcher for her. He hoped only the positive filtered into her and the negative was caught in the web.

Keme waited outside of Cascade for Willow, the wrapped gift in his hands. It had been a few days after the return of school as he had been a little embarrassed at the prospect of giving it to her, but now it could no longer keep hold of it without it seeming a little strange. Dinner would start soon, so he hoped that Willow would come before the crowd. Thankfully, he spotted her rather easily and smiled in her direction. When he was near her, he held out the gift to her. “I made it myself; I hope you don’t mind it.” Keme said as he handed it over. “I was hoping to talk to you for a moment.” Keme added. He was nervous but he wasn’t really sure why. He and Willow got along just fine. “I was wondering, if you weren’t already going with someone, if you would go to the ball with me?”

6 Keme RunningBear Working up the nerve (Tag Willow) 249 Keme RunningBear 1 5

Willow Collins

November 10, 2014 7:37 PM

Glad you did! by Willow Collins

Midterm hadn’t gone quite as badly as the previous years. There was still all the false cheer to contend with-maybe some of her relatives felt it but she just couldn’t-but the thing was, Autumn was doing better. She was eating and gaining weight, set for release in the spring. Unless there were complications-and there always were, so really Willow wasn’t holding her breath. Still, she kept her opinions to herself and hoped that Autumn could at least come home for a little while.

Hopefully, if she came home, she wouldn’t end up back in the hospital before summer. Willow quite honestly had not seen her sister in a few years and it would be...really great to see her again. Especially if Autumn wasn’t completely emaciated. The Teppenpaw could still, when she closed her eyes sometimes, what she’d seen the day she’d gotten her letter for Sonora over four years ago. Sometimes she woke up with nightmares, her sister little more than the skeleton she had been. Nightmares that Willow did her best to hide from her roommates.

She wouldn’t be like that if she came home though, not right away. They wouldn’t let her out if that was the case. The fifth year knew it would inevitably go back that way though-and though it sounded selfish, Willow hoped she’d be at school then. She just couldn’t see it again, she just couldn’t.

At least, though, with Autumn being-potentially-let out of the hospital, the Teppenpaw felt it was all right for her to think about more trivial things, things she’d long envied her roommates and Portia the luxury of thinking about. Not that Willow never thought about them, but she always felt guilty. She wanted to be able to think about the ball and what she’d wear. She’d picked out a dress that was a color called “seafoam” that was a sort of greenish shade.

Willow made her way down for supper. She had a taste for some chili tonight. It just seemed like that kind of evening. It was something that had often been served this time of the year at home before she came to Sonora. It was a meal the fifth year tended to enjoy, and get a bit creative with. Of course, she always made sure it had some kind of cheese in it, sometimes multiple kinds.There was a Mexican cheese she was quite fond of. She had the house elves always add in chips and black olives. If Willow was in the right mood she’d have them include jalapeno peppers.

Before she could enter the Hall, Keme approached her and she smiled, always happy to see the closest thing she had to a friend-and he was carrying a present. “I don’t mind at all.” Willow replied. Homemade gifts tended to be more from the heart. She quickly unwrapped it. “Oh I love it!” She gave her friend a hug. “And of course I’d love to go to the ball with you!” She looked down shyly. “I was hoping you’d ask.” Willow would probably not have gotten too mad had he not asked her but she would have been rather disappointed, especially if he asked someone else instead.

OOC-The seafoam color she talks about is the exact shade from chatzy.

11 Willow Collins Glad you did! 253 Willow Collins 0 5

Keme

November 25, 2014 9:20 PM

Well, that's settled. by Keme

Keme wasn’t sure why, but he hadn’t actually expected her to open the gift right then. There was no reason for this process other than her being polite and not wanting to show disappointment in front of him, but that was the more self-conscious side of him coming out. Keme wasn’t used to giving gifts to people outside of his family, but Willow had seemed to like the scarf his sister made last year. The hug she gave to him afterword , however, was definitely not something he expected at all and so he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her in return. He wasn’t against the hug or anything, it just wasn’t something they normally did together.

Relief washed over him when she agreed to go to the ball with him. He didn’t know what he would have done if she had said no. It was her right to, of course, and he would have accepted it as graciously as he could, but it would have been humiliating all the same. Rejection was partly the reason why Keme didn’t branch out more to befriend more people. At this stage in their Sonora life, it just seemed more likely that people would exclude him rather than include him.

His ears burned when Willow mentioned that she had been hopeful he would have asked her. He didn’t know what exactly that meant or if he should read too much into it or not. “Oh, great. I’m glad you want to go with me.” Keme commented, smiling at her.

OOC: I apologize for the short post, but I wanted to make sure there was a response.

6 Keme Well, that's settled. 0 Keme 0 5