by Lucy Thu Mar 17, 2016 5:55 amWhenever possible, Lucy wore her pastel hair and her striking crystalline eyes with pride: something she hadn't been able to do for countless decades. When her travels with Kelly brought them to a home filled with various cultures and subcultures – some quirky – she was enamored. Her joy was tenfold when she found people who colored their hair and wore contacts to make themselves appear the way she did naturally. This was the subculture she adopted; this was where she willed herself to fit in. She was finally happy in a general sense, often able to flit about through the crowds with little more than curiosity and mystified stares, rather than fear.
And it was in this same manner that she did so today, a spring in her step and a bright smile on her face, having only opted to wear those blue contacts that barely made her eyes appear “normal.” She wasn't exactly fond of the look, but she at least was able to remain convincing.
There was a chill in the air that wrapped around everyone else. Lucy embraced the cool air, welcoming it with a relieved sigh. As she continued along, her hair bounced and flowed around her shoulders, heels clicking along the pavement in rapid-fire steps. Her approach to that familiar block brought her name from the lips of a couple of faces she'd come to call friends. She greeted them with a simple wave of her hand and a bright smile before disappearing into the coffee shop she insisted on visiting almost daily.
Sitting at a corner table, she plucked her phone from her pocket and flipped quickly through the various notifications and messages with a wrinkle of her nose. She was halfway through one of several tech articles when the voices of two small children reached her ears. Not looking up right away, her eyebrows raised; they were giggling quietly amongst themselves, whispering about the strange woman in the corner with the colorful hair.
Their mother quietly chastised them at about the same time that Lucy looked up and toward them. Her head tilted curiously, and she barely picked up the hints of muttering from the mother to her daughter and son.
“She heard you. Go apologize to her for being rude,” she said with a small nudge. Lucy gave the woman a wry smile as they made eye contact; she noticed how the mother refused to entirely take her gaze off her children. Lucy didn't blame her in the slightest, really.
“We're sorry,” mumbled the boy, his stare down at his feet.
She slowly tucked her phone back into her pocket while doing her best to keep a straight face. The dynamic between the two siblings caught her off guard: in the small girl, she saw herself and Fo'uh, looking upon a new stranger with wide-eyed curiosity. In the girl's brother, she saw Serelath, begrudgingly obedient and not entirely honest in his apology. It caused a bittersweet twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach; she often missed her siblings terribly.
“Were you making fun of my hair?” she finally asked after passing a glance toward the wide-eyed, blonde-haired girl just outside of arm's reach. Her focus rested mostly on the brother, blue eyes locking inquiringly on his young features. She could feel their mother's wary gaze locked on them by then, but she didn't look at her; not yet.
“Yes...”
It was then that the boy's sister spoke up with the slightest hint of desperation. “But it's so colorful! It's all my favorite colors!”
Another voice finally chimed in behind them, having taken several steps toward them after placing her order. “I'm sorry. They don't see someone that dyes their hair that often, so it's still new to them.” The mother offered an apologetic smile, to which Lucy responded with a knowing expression. Her attention returned to the girl.
“Your favorite colors, you said?” She waited for the girl to nod before she looked meaningfully toward the boy. Finally, she smiled, unable to conceal it any longer. “And you...” He looked up to her; his sulking turned to confusion at the look on the strange woman's face. “... You remind me a lot of my brother. Can you promise me something?”
He nodded to her.
“When you both grow up, if your sister wants to color her hair, don't make fun of her for it. Let her do whatever color she wants and let her know how good it looks on her. Because it will look good. Can you do that?”
After he nodded again, she beamed and drummed excitedly on her knees.
“Good! Be good to your sister and your mother.” Her head tilted and her body pivoted just enough for her to try to get the young girl to look at her again. “And you too, okay? Be good to your mother and your brother.” Much to the mother's worry, Lucy leaned in to whisper to the child. “And I think when you get old enough, you'd look great with pink hair.” The brightness of her smile matched the excitement on the child's. If she noticed the odd look their mother gave her, she didn't make it apparent. She only waved to them as they went to find a table of their own. Her features sobered with a tiny frown that she hid by bowing her head and pretending to toy with her bracelets.
Another few minutes and her name was called, two warm cups ready to take, as well as a few warm treats to bring home. “Lucy?”
She hopped up from her seat and quickly paid for the cups, offering the barista a warm smile while dropping money into the tip jar and quickly making her way back out into the city. With her quick pace and seemingly endless energy, it didn't take her long to make it home again with her arms and hands full.
As she returned, she was greeted by Kelly's smiling face, and it caused her to once again light up. As soon as the cups were set aside, she found herself enveloped safely in his arms. As their lips met, her heart skipped a beat as it often did, a light shiver coursing throughout her being. It didn't seem to matter how long they'd been together; he still made her feel the same way he did all those years ago.
One additional roll in bed later, they just barely made their flight, en route to visit her mother. As Kelly slept in the seat next to her, she looked toward him with an admiring smile. Her body pivoted, one of her hands stroking lovingly over his hair while he slept. While her body bubbled with energy, she was often convinced that he could fall asleep anywhere he wanted. It drew a tiny grin to her face. Her gaze drifted admiringly along his form before she settled back into her seat with a sigh.
It felt like only a few short moments had passed before Kelly woke abruptly from his sleep, his sudden movement and words enough to startle her. “No, never!”
She settled in next to him once she was certain he was alright. With her head to his shoulder and her hand resting atop his, she found enough calm to be able to sit still through the flight. Were it not for Kelly, she likely wouldn't have been able to do it.
But Kelly was the calm that her chaos desperately needed, and his was the heart that kept her smile on her face.
And it was in this same manner that she did so today, a spring in her step and a bright smile on her face, having only opted to wear those blue contacts that barely made her eyes appear “normal.” She wasn't exactly fond of the look, but she at least was able to remain convincing.
There was a chill in the air that wrapped around everyone else. Lucy embraced the cool air, welcoming it with a relieved sigh. As she continued along, her hair bounced and flowed around her shoulders, heels clicking along the pavement in rapid-fire steps. Her approach to that familiar block brought her name from the lips of a couple of faces she'd come to call friends. She greeted them with a simple wave of her hand and a bright smile before disappearing into the coffee shop she insisted on visiting almost daily.
Sitting at a corner table, she plucked her phone from her pocket and flipped quickly through the various notifications and messages with a wrinkle of her nose. She was halfway through one of several tech articles when the voices of two small children reached her ears. Not looking up right away, her eyebrows raised; they were giggling quietly amongst themselves, whispering about the strange woman in the corner with the colorful hair.
Their mother quietly chastised them at about the same time that Lucy looked up and toward them. Her head tilted curiously, and she barely picked up the hints of muttering from the mother to her daughter and son.
“She heard you. Go apologize to her for being rude,” she said with a small nudge. Lucy gave the woman a wry smile as they made eye contact; she noticed how the mother refused to entirely take her gaze off her children. Lucy didn't blame her in the slightest, really.
“We're sorry,” mumbled the boy, his stare down at his feet.
She slowly tucked her phone back into her pocket while doing her best to keep a straight face. The dynamic between the two siblings caught her off guard: in the small girl, she saw herself and Fo'uh, looking upon a new stranger with wide-eyed curiosity. In the girl's brother, she saw Serelath, begrudgingly obedient and not entirely honest in his apology. It caused a bittersweet twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach; she often missed her siblings terribly.
“Were you making fun of my hair?” she finally asked after passing a glance toward the wide-eyed, blonde-haired girl just outside of arm's reach. Her focus rested mostly on the brother, blue eyes locking inquiringly on his young features. She could feel their mother's wary gaze locked on them by then, but she didn't look at her; not yet.
“Yes...”
It was then that the boy's sister spoke up with the slightest hint of desperation. “But it's so colorful! It's all my favorite colors!”
Another voice finally chimed in behind them, having taken several steps toward them after placing her order. “I'm sorry. They don't see someone that dyes their hair that often, so it's still new to them.” The mother offered an apologetic smile, to which Lucy responded with a knowing expression. Her attention returned to the girl.
“Your favorite colors, you said?” She waited for the girl to nod before she looked meaningfully toward the boy. Finally, she smiled, unable to conceal it any longer. “And you...” He looked up to her; his sulking turned to confusion at the look on the strange woman's face. “... You remind me a lot of my brother. Can you promise me something?”
He nodded to her.
“When you both grow up, if your sister wants to color her hair, don't make fun of her for it. Let her do whatever color she wants and let her know how good it looks on her. Because it will look good. Can you do that?”
After he nodded again, she beamed and drummed excitedly on her knees.
“Good! Be good to your sister and your mother.” Her head tilted and her body pivoted just enough for her to try to get the young girl to look at her again. “And you too, okay? Be good to your mother and your brother.” Much to the mother's worry, Lucy leaned in to whisper to the child. “And I think when you get old enough, you'd look great with pink hair.” The brightness of her smile matched the excitement on the child's. If she noticed the odd look their mother gave her, she didn't make it apparent. She only waved to them as they went to find a table of their own. Her features sobered with a tiny frown that she hid by bowing her head and pretending to toy with her bracelets.
Another few minutes and her name was called, two warm cups ready to take, as well as a few warm treats to bring home. “Lucy?”
She hopped up from her seat and quickly paid for the cups, offering the barista a warm smile while dropping money into the tip jar and quickly making her way back out into the city. With her quick pace and seemingly endless energy, it didn't take her long to make it home again with her arms and hands full.
As she returned, she was greeted by Kelly's smiling face, and it caused her to once again light up. As soon as the cups were set aside, she found herself enveloped safely in his arms. As their lips met, her heart skipped a beat as it often did, a light shiver coursing throughout her being. It didn't seem to matter how long they'd been together; he still made her feel the same way he did all those years ago.
One additional roll in bed later, they just barely made their flight, en route to visit her mother. As Kelly slept in the seat next to her, she looked toward him with an admiring smile. Her body pivoted, one of her hands stroking lovingly over his hair while he slept. While her body bubbled with energy, she was often convinced that he could fall asleep anywhere he wanted. It drew a tiny grin to her face. Her gaze drifted admiringly along his form before she settled back into her seat with a sigh.
It felt like only a few short moments had passed before Kelly woke abruptly from his sleep, his sudden movement and words enough to startle her. “No, never!”
She settled in next to him once she was certain he was alright. With her head to his shoulder and her hand resting atop his, she found enough calm to be able to sit still through the flight. Were it not for Kelly, she likely wouldn't have been able to do it.
But Kelly was the calm that her chaos desperately needed, and his was the heart that kept her smile on her face.
