Having grown up in the Big Easy, the young mutant was suddenly fascinated to hear about the stables and the horses that these stables were sure to contain. Afterall, this was something new to little Nadia. However, upon hearing that they probably wouldn't have time right now to explore the stables, the young girl simply pouted. The promise of another time though gave her just enough hope to cheer up (that and the prospect of picking flowers..daisy chains were always so much fun!). That is, until the mention of ghosts and such again.
Nadia had grown up among ghost stories. Afterall, New Orleans was rich with history and that's just where ghost stories tended to come from: history. Add in a little bit of spice and you have some darn good ghost stories! So, having grown up with all this stuff, it never occurred to her that other people may not know what she was talking about when she referred to 'ghosts' and 'boundaries between worlds'. So when Chris asked her about what she was talking about, her eyes got wide with surprise.
"What are ghosts, are they like mutants?"
With a raised eyebrow, Nadia took in what he'd just said. Did he really think that ghosts were like mutants?! A swift shake of her head and she turned to her new friend and said, "Erm..Ghosts are the spirits of those who've died. They're the ones that have unfinished business or somethin'." She scrunched up her face as she looked up to see if she could remember something correctly as they walked towards the graveyard. "An old voodoo queen used ta come by th' circus an' would tell us stories of some of th' ghosts tha'd wander around N'awlins after dark," she said in her most mistically-awed voice,"She said that you could see them most clearly at twilight when the boundaries between our world an' their's was thinnest. All Hallow's Eve was one of those times when th' ghosts would come through th' strongest!" She paused then and looked at her two companions with a puzzled look on her face. "Ain't ya ever heard anythin' about ghosts before?," she asked, her puzzlement evident in her small features.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Although Lily-Rose had very little desire to explore the graveyard her mood was instantly brightened by the prudent observation that there would be more time for horses next time. She also picked up on the implication that Nadia, Chris, and herself would all be able to play again in the future and decided that meant that Chris was a friend.
"And maybe I could ask Connor or Logan to come and we could even go riding then… they have smaller ponies, I’ve seen them!" Chris exclaimed and Lily's spirit soared. Imagine! Actually getting to ride?! While Chris walked towards the graveyard Lily-Rose practically skipped, her thoughts full of horses with shining coats cantering across green meadows. Maybe there would be a bay pony or even a dapple gray like Merrylegs!
If Chris had begun to win her over by mentioning future long visits with horses he had certainly done so when he brought up the flowers. Named for two types of flowers and born to a mother whose mutant ability had been a green thumb Lily was naturally inclined to love flowers, even more than most girls her age. Her eyes glittered as the horses in her thoughts became decorated in garlands of bright flowers as though they had just won the Kentucky Derby.
While Lily's mind was with horses and flowers she realised Chris' was elsewhere as he asked about ghosts. The young blonde preferred fantasy to spooky stories about ghosts but she was well aware of what they were and wondered how the boy could be so unaware. Knowing what something was and being able to define it were often completely different and as Nadia turned to her, Lily wondered if her new best friend was having trouble. However, Nadia was able to succinctly describe the concept of a 'ghost' and Lily was sure Chris would now understand everything.
Just when Lily thought the definition was complete the other girl continued with an anecdote. "An old voodoo queen used ta come by th' circus an' would tell us stories of some of th' ghosts tha'd wander around N'awlins after dark. She said that you could see them most clearly at twilight when the boundaries between our world an' their's was thinnest. All Hallow's Eve was one of those times when th' ghosts would come through th' strongest!"
Lily-Rose felt a chill pass through her that wasn't from the weather. She had always had a certan degree of protection from stories and myths by virtue of her overprotective father and didn't hear the scariest of tales. Suddenly glad that it was not Halloween Lily began to wonder if a trip to the graveyard was perhaps not the best way to pass the time. Maybe they could just smell the flowers nearby. That would be fun right? At least it was the afternoon and decidedly not twilight. Lily's pace slowed a little, indicating her reluctance to explore a site where ghosts wandered.
"Ain't ya ever heard anythin' about ghosts before?," Nadia asked then, looking puzzled at the thought that other people knew nothing about the supernatural creatures.
"Sure I know 'bout ghosts," Lily said defensively. "My father told me that they were.." she tried to think of the word and finally spit out proudly "non-corporeal". It was a big word for a little girl and she knew it. "I just never heard 'bout twilight or boundaries before, that's all." Her blue-grey eyes turned to Chris. He had been the one who hadn't known anything about ghosts right? She wondered if he was rethinking his idea to explore the graveyard having heard Nadia's story.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!"Erm..Ghosts are the spirits of those who've died. They're the ones that have unfinished business or somethin'." Although Chris understood most of the words, he didn't understand the meaning of the sentence though, Spirits and Ghosts, unfinished business and death... To die was something Chris understood, it's what happened a lot on the streets, it happened to everyone, children, mothers, fathers, friends, strangers, people died, animals died, sometimes it was painful, sometimes not, sometimes it happened quietly and other times it was really deafening.
"An old voodoo queen used ta come by th' circus an' would tell us stories of some of th' ghosts tha'd wander around N'awlins after dark," A queen was an important woman, that's all Chris really knew, and even that took time to understand, the small snippets of information he was able to assimilate from conversations, brief and far between. Her accent made it a little difficult at times. "She said that you could see them most clearly at twilight when the boundaries between our world an' their's was thinnest. All Hallow's Eve was one of those times when th' ghosts would come through th' strongest!" Twilight was an unfamiliar word, not that he wanted them to realize this, so Chris continued to stare with a friendly and polite expression. "Ain't ya ever heard anythin' about ghosts before?," How should one answer that, to say no might mean that it was made obvious that he wasn't like them, or say yes and pretend he knew everything like so often was the case.
"Sure I know 'bout ghosts," That was it, the tone of voice told Chris that not knowing must cause you to stick out, and as always that was something that Chris never wanted. "My father told me that they were.." She started slowly, thinking and trying to find the right word. "non-corporeal" That word was almost as alien to Chris as half the things he saw around the school. "I just never heard 'bout twilight or boundaries before, that's all." Suddenly Lily was looking at Chris, and the boy felt strangely bear before them both, was she wanting something specific, fundamental... there was nothing that came to Chris.
"I know this school is full of good people.. and good people got hurt.. and sometimes when they got hurt they didn't get better and died.. They might have died, but they're still good people," Dead people didn't really get up and walk around, did they? Chris hadn't even seen any of the people who had died magically return and wander the streets, and Chris has walked the streets at all hours of the day and night. "I'm not afraid, Connor protects me, and Connor's mother is in that graveyard, she'll protect me too," She loved Connor, Connor loved her, and Connor loved Chris too, and Logan and Connor were always saying they were like family no matter what. Family protected each other... so in a way, Chris and Michelle were family too. "Her name's Michelle.. maybe if we find her first we'll be safer?" While completely avoiding all questions over if he knew anything or not regarding ghosts and boundaries, at least Chris could offer some sense of safety, and he really believed it was just as good as any offer Logan himself could make.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Lily's defensive answer to Nadia's question made her grin a bit at her new friend. She could tell that they'd be good friends if not best! As the other girl struggled to think of a particular word that her father seemed to have used to describe ghosts. Had she been a grown-up, she probably would have thought that Lily's struggle to think of the word 'non-corporeal' (a very big word for anyone) to be totally cute. Of course, whenever she actually was finding it hard to think of a word herself and a grown-up semi-giggles and coos the 'Awww! How cute!', she would always get a bit angry and send the offending grown-up the glare that every kid knows to do so well. All that aside...
"I just never heard 'bout twilight or boundaries before, that's all."
Nadia simply raised her eyebrows then, but she said nothing. She could explain all about boundaries and twilight later, if need be. It was now Chris's turn, it seemed. Both sets of the girls' eyes rested on him and he seemed to be more than a little uncomfortable about that. It wasn't like they were going to shun him or run him off if he didn't know what ghosts were though. There were tons of things that Nadia didn't know!
"I know this school is full of good people.. and good people got hurt.. and sometimes when they got hurt they didn't get better and died.. They might have died, but they're still good people,"
The red-eyed Cajun scrunched up her face as she thought about what Chris had just said. If the ghosts were good people...But wait, he wasn't through!
"I'm not afraid, Connor protects me, and Connor's mother is in that graveyard, she'll protect me too...Her name's Michelle.. maybe if we find her first we'll be safer?"
It made sense that if they were to find this Connor's Mom, then they'd probably be safe in the graveyard. She wasn't entirely sure who Connor was, but since Chris had mentioned him a lot in tangent with Logan (his apparent guardian), she felt it was safe to assume that he was perhaps a sibling? Or maybe an adopted sibling? Probably the latter. Anywho, back to reality.
"You know, I think you might be right!," she said with an encouraging smile, "Though..except for my Mama's funeral, I really haven't been in a graveyard before.."
She looked between her two new friends, squared her shoulders to stand up straighter and lifted her chin up into the air before saying, "Well then, let's get scootin'!" And with that said, she marched a few steps forward before stopping suddenly and looking a bit sheepishly at Chris and Lily. "Umm..Which way is the graveyard again?," she asked with a sheepish grin...
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
Ryan Warner was not, by anyone's standards, a particularly religious man, but when his wife passed away he found a certain amount of comfort in the idea that she was waiting for him and watching over her young daughter. He believed more strongly than he ever had before in the prescence of an afterlife and he told Lily-Rose, whenever she asked, the story of how her mother was a beautiful angel and how she watched over both of them. The story comforted him as much as it did her.
Of course Lily-Rose Warner was well aware of ghosts. She'd read a couple of mysteries where they'd figured prominently in the plot and had even watched A Christmas Carol with her father last December but she didn't really connect ghosts with real people. As far as she was concerned ghosts existed in stories but the idea that ghosts were good people who had once been real and who had once been important to someone? Well, it was a connection she had never really dwelled on before. The only experience the seven year old had with death was her mother's and her mother was an angel. That was what dad had told her and her father would never lie to her. Right?
"I'm not afraid, Connor protects me, and Connor's mother is in that graveyard, she'll protect me too," Chris told them and Lily found herself shivering a little. She knew of Connor rather than actually knew him. But the idea of someone in the graveyard unnerved the girl rather than helping sooth her fears. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her floral jumper considering. Maybe this Michelle could protect them but Lily liked to think that her mother would protect her anywhere. Wouldn't Michelle do the same? Surely they didn't have to be in that specific graveyard for it to work right?
The little blonde glanced hesitantly at Nadia and Chris. Although Chris had been nervous at first he seemed more confident having offered safety to the trio and Nadia was already smiling encouragingly at him. Lily-Rose didn't really want to go along but she also didn't want to disappoint her new friends. For a moment she considered, her mind weighing the options and briefly considering making up an excuse before resolving itself to the exploration of the graveyard.
"That way," she said pointing to their left. Although Lily-Rose had never actually ventured into the graveyard she had been at the school long enough to explore the rest of the grounds, when able to slip away from her father or fairy guardians, and she had an uncanny sense of direction. Putting one foot in front of the other she strode forward with false bravado, looking back only to make sure Nadia and Chris weren't falling behind.
Re: Adventuring in the Backyard!
"You know, I think you might be right!," If he was or not, Chris wasn’t sure, but he liked that someone at least agreed with what he said, it wasn’t often that Chris spoke with kids outside the small circle he knew and usually that consisted of ‘which place today’ followed by a name or suggestion of somewhere to scout for food. They didn’t beg, but raiding a café or restaurants bin usually offered something relatively fresh, sometime the food was even able to be snagged off the tables themselves and that was usually a prize worth risking! These girls however didn’t look bothered about food, nor did they have any eagerness to plot raids or search for fresh clothes or something, anything, that Chris considered normal. "Though..except for my Mama's funeral, I really haven't been in a graveyard before.." Neither had Chris, it wasn’t like he ever had to be inside one before, there was no need, though lately Chris wondered if his father had died and that was why he was never around. It seemed now Connor was not the only one who had only one parent because his other had passed away! So, the boy thought for a moment, maybe the same thing happened, maybe there was a grave somewhere with his father’s spirit in it, but those thoughts were put aside for now as Nadia announced out "Well then, let's get scootin'!" The girl instantly began to move forward, Chris offered a smile, though he hardly cared where they headed, it was kinda nice being out with kids closer to his age. "Umm..Which way is the graveyard again?," While chris thought and glanced towards the gardens, Lily pointed her hand out "That way," and with that she moved ahead, quick steps drawing her further from the other two who started behind her.
The girls seemed to have liked flowers, it wasn’t really something Chris saw a lot on the streets, even the parks were more green then floral, and Chris wondered why they liked them… was it the colours? He liked the smell, but he’d not go picking the flowers for their pretty colours, he’d rather they stay in the ground or on the trees where they belonged so they could make the area pretty. Maybe there was a reason the girls like picking them though, a reason he couldn’t understand because he wasn’t a girl, like some of the things his mother did and then said ‘it’s a girl thing’ as if to explain why Chris couldn’t figure it out. The garden that surrounded the graveyard was beautiful, and his smelled lovely, especially as the recent rains had helped nourish them all the more!
"Wait up," Chris asked as he took to a brisk short jog to catch up, throwing Lily a bright grin as he arrived beside her, "Where I’m from we always walk together, that way we’re safer, and no one can take any of us without a fight," Obviously a lot of kids were told to be care of strangers and stay where you can be seen, so it probably wasn’t something that would sound completely off to most kids, but unlike most, Chris seemed to actually follow the rule of ‘sticking to groups’ it seemed if the option was there. Of course, Chris had been forced to witness and experienced the dangers most children were spared, and for that reason he grew wise a lot quicker then most. "Nadia," The boy looked over towards the other girl, "We can’t actually see the dead bodies, right?" He glanced at Lily briefly as he added "I’ve seen them before, I didn’t like it…" The young boys voice had dropped slightly, to show the moments he had seen them had disturbed him. It wasn’t uncommon for street kids to have seen a dead body, mainly because there were people who overdosed or starved or froze during the nights or even overheated on the really hot days. Not to mention the really sick, sure they could go to hospital but sometimes even that didn’t help!
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