|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 24, 2024 18:54:06 GMT -6
Shannon was in mourning. After finishing Kingdom of Ash, she was of course devastated, it had ripped her heart out, chewed it up, and spit it out. The worst part of I all, was the fact that it was over, and she would never have that first read ever again. She had cried a lot in her room, if a few tears counted as crying, and had left to ride Hades down to the pond to reminisce. This was where she was now, under the cover of trees, lying on her back, eyes closed, and hugging the book to her chest. She was smiling, going through each character’s story in Throne of Glass, following the threads until the end, her way of mourning a fantastic series that stole her heart, and she knew the book hangover was going to be rough.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 24, 2024 20:13:30 GMT -6
Reeds boredom drug him out of his room, determined to do something today even though it was alone. He had tried to convince Jake and Sam to go fishing with him but neither of the guys had wanted to leave the couch, leaving Reed with annoyance and boundless energy that he needed to burn. He had packed up his fishing gear in a backpack and headed out to the stables, got Trigger ready, and took off to the pond. Fishing wasn't that high energy but it was something that could occupy him for the time being. As the pond came into view he was surprised to see another horse-and person there. He was going to ignore them until he recognized the familiar head of blond hair. He couldn't stop himself from grinning as he directed Trigger over to her but the scene that unfolded in front of him was nothing something he had been expected. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her on the ground, "you alive down there?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 24, 2024 20:30:38 GMT -6
Shannon felt her eyes well up once more at the scene of the thirteen giving themselves up, her heart ached for Manon, who was one of her favorites from the second she stepped onto the scene. Reed’s voice ripped through his mind, and she shot up immediately, eyes wide open as she stared at the pond. “Yes. Unfortunately.” She muttered the last word under her breath as she quickly wiped the tears in her eyes, loving books for giving her the ability to actually feel, but hated it at the same time. She kept the book close to her chest, not ready to let go just yet, but she wasn’t happy to have an audience, especially him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 24, 2024 20:58:32 GMT -6
Reed raised an eyebrow, "wow, you need a therapist to talk to? I know a good one." He chuckled, that not being an entire lie. After everything he'd dealt with his parents had taken him to see a therapist, though most of the sessions had been him being silent or trying to crack jokes but there had been moments where he'd been honest with the guy and it hadn't ended up too badly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 24, 2024 21:16:19 GMT -6
Shannon turned to face him, narrowing her eyes at him, “No thanks, I don’t trust therapists.” Even if she did, she wouldn’t take advice from him on anything, including someone who just wanted to dig inside her brain for money. She couldn’t help but look him up and down as he sat in the saddle, feeling attracted to him for a split second before forcing herself to look back at the pond. “You can move along now.” She said, though had a feeling he was headed for the pond itself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 24, 2024 21:53:08 GMT -6
Reed shrugged, "whatever, they aren't for everyone." He said, though wondered if she trusted anybody, he even wondered if she had friends or if it was just her, her horse, and this...book. He looked at the cover then back at her, a lopsided grin crossing his face as if he knew she found him attractive. "and leave you all by yourself in your obvious time of need? I don't know about that."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 24, 2024 22:22:09 GMT -6
At least they could agree on that, Shannon thought as she started running her hands over the grass, just wanting something to do with her hands other than awkwardly laying at her sides. “In my time of need?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she turned to face him, cursing herself for taking a ride instead of mourning in her room. “I’m perfectly fine.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at that herself, knowing she wasn’t, but it wasn’t like Reed was going to fix her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 24, 2024 22:57:57 GMT -6
Reed glanced down at her hands, wondering if she had some built up restless energy like he did. "Yeah, obviously your time of need," he replied as he looked down at her skeptically. "Perfectly fine means laying on the grass holding a book in the middle of a field with tear tracks on your face?" He asked with a tilt of his head.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 24, 2024 23:25:32 GMT -6
Shannon felt her back straighten when he mentioned the tear streaks on her face. She hadn’t thought about how that might look, but had hoped he wouldn’t notice even if her eyes were a little red and puffy. She quickly pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, a stupid reaction in her mind, but her body moved without her telling it to sometimes. “Just… Over some book.” She mumbled, not caring if he couldn’t hear her, because it wasn’t just some book, though she couldn’t explain it to him why it affected her so.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 24, 2024 23:36:42 GMT -6
Reed figured asking about the tears was risky but it seemed like no matter what his intentions were she'd snap at him or something. "Oh...must be a good book if it's got you like this." He said, not having a picked up a book for fun in well...he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually read something that wasn't for school, that was more for Jake who sometimes hid in the hay loft to get some peace for reading.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 25, 2024 9:06:29 GMT -6
Shannon felt her body relax when he said it was good book, a small smile growing on her face, “It wasn’t a good book,” She whispered, staring off into the water of the pond, her mind going back over the stories once more as if she had lived through them herself. “It was a great book.” She added, letting the silence fall between them before she broke it again. “Either get off the damn horse or ride off.” It was slightly bugging her that he was still sitting in the saddle, making her feel like he was above her more than just physically, and she wasn’t a fan of that feeling.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 25, 2024 20:18:41 GMT -6
Reed froze up when he saw that smile on her face and the need to see more of it, to cause the smile rising up inside of him. He opened his mouth to speak but no words seem to come out but then she was snapping at him. "Okay." He slipped out of his saddle, settling cross legged on the ground next to Shannon, Trigger looking between them before taking a few steps back. "Tell me more about the book." Reed said, peering at it again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 25, 2024 21:17:31 GMT -6
Shannon stared in disbelief at how quickly he slid from the saddle and was now leaning away from him. When he asked her to talk about the book, she stared at him through narrowed eyes, debating if she thought it was worth it or not. “To be fair, this is the last book in a series, I can’t just talk about this one.” Though there were so many parts to it that she was sure if she reread it, she’d find new things amongst the words, but her ‘To Be Read’ pile was a little too large to allow a reread.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 25, 2024 22:05:37 GMT -6
Reed looked back at Shannon, his eyes wide and open as hers were narrowed at him. "Okay," he shrugged, "tell me about all of them then. I have time." He told her, he might miss out on time to fish but there would be other days that he could catch up on.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 25, 2024 22:28:42 GMT -6
Shannon shook her head, wondering what his endgame was, thinking he’d probably grow bored eventually and leave. “I can’t just tell you about the series, there’s a whole other series that goes along with it too.” Finding any excuse, she could get other than telling him to leave, though she could leave herself, but found no reason to, yet. “Don’t tell me, ‘I got all the time in the world.’ Because that’s bullshit.” She informed him, feeling a hollowness in her chest, a deep dull feeling that made her rub her chest slightly in an attempt to ease the suffering.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 25, 2024 22:51:17 GMT -6
Ever stubborn, Reed just looked back at Shannon and shrugged, "well no one has all the time in the world, but I still have time." He told her, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin on his hand as he looked at her. "They have to be good books so I want to hear about them."
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 26, 2024 21:02:33 GMT -6
Shannon wasn’t sure if she was shocked, he was still sitting there, or annoying, but she felt like both swirled in her head, “I haven’t read the other three books either,” She felt rushed, though she told herself not to feel that way since it wasn’t a race, she just had to avoid spoilers. When she turned to him again and saw the way he was sitting, she grimaced, but her lips twitched as if trying to smile. “You look stupid.” She insulted, though it wasn’t much of an insult at all, as she sighed and laid back down. “Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom.” It only seemed fitting to start with these words before diving back into that world again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 26, 2024 22:06:56 GMT -6
Reed frowned a little, not understanding what she meant about the three other books but didn't say anything as she continued on, even after her insult. He rolled his eyes, "if you're going to insult me, at least be original." He joked but went quiet as she started to talk, surprised that she was feeding into this.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 27, 2024 21:29:42 GMT -6
Shannon ignored Reed, continuing to explain the books just enough to be interesting, but not enough to give away spoilers. It took her about fifteen minutes, and she was shocked to find he was still there. “Wow, still here?” she asked with a smirk as she sat up and pulled out her phone, updating her Goodreads, knowing she’d have to find another book from her to be read pile soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 28, 2024 22:44:22 GMT -6
Reed stayed quiet as he listened to her, watching as she seemed to fade away and fall into this world she was telling him about. His eyebrows rose and he was surprised to find himself thinking of different questions to ask but he didn't dare interrupt her. When she was done and smirking at him he lifted his head off his hand, "well yeah, I'm pretty sure I can't ride Trigger up to the bookstore to grab the first book." He replied, wondering if the books were really as good as she made them seem.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 29, 2024 19:48:23 GMT -6
Shannon rolled her eyes, never thinking he’d actually read the books, hell would be frozen over the day he did, at least she assumed it would. She stared down at her review of the book, feeling the sadness seep into her that the adventure was over. Her friends were once again gone, the feeling of being high without drugs was fading and she knew if she didn’t start another book, she’d wallow in that feeling for days, maybe even weeks. She grabbed her Slytherin backpack and pulled out her next read, another series since she wasn’t ready to move on just yet in that universe. “Why did you decide to come out here.” He had a reason, she was just curious about what wasn’t as interesting as her, seeing as he looked like he wasn’t moving anytime soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 29, 2024 21:02:12 GMT -6
Her eye roll only cemented Reeds determination to get his hands on these books and read them. It might take him all year to get through one of them because of his inability to focus and sit still but damn he was going to try. Even if it didn't win her over it would at least show her that he didn't just talk out of his ass all the time. He glanced down at the book she took out before looking back to her face, "I was gonna go fishing." He said, gesturing behind him with his thumb towards the pond.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 29, 2024 21:50:56 GMT -6
Shannon looked from him to the pond, having seen a few fish splash about but didn’t think anyone actually fished from it, “Alright,” She said, reading a few sentences, feeling his eyes on her, “You can fish or whatever.” She told him, not caring, that was here as long as he wasn’t annoying, which she knew might be impossible, but she realized she didn’t mind his presence, for now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Mar 29, 2024 22:35:56 GMT -6
Reed looked at her with a slight frown, part of him ruffling at how it sounded like she was giving him permission. "Good, I was going to no matter what you said." He replied with a crooked smirk before pushing himself up, hiding his wince by dipping his head and grabbed his backpack of gear. He didn't look back as he crossed over to the pond, praying for his limp to stay hidden-which it thankfully did-and set up on the bank, soon casting his line out into the water.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Mar 31, 2024 13:32:38 GMT -6
Of course, he was planning to stick around with or without her permission, granted she didn’t own the space around the pond or the pond, but how inconsiderate of him to just invade her space. “Insufferable.” Shannon muttered under her breath as he disappeared, grabbing his fishing gear she assumed. She’d never been fishing, except for the one insufferable weekend she went deep sea fishing in Florida with a date, she was thankful that she could read the entire time instead of fish something. She forced herself back into the book, knowing it was already going to be difficult to get into it with the book hangover, but having him sit back down next to her was an easy distraction, as she eyed him from the side as he set up, go comfortable, her eyes followed his line as he cast it over the water.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Apr 1, 2024 20:40:52 GMT -6
Reed shifted a little to get more comfortable as he held his fishing pole, staring across the water where his line disappeared though he swore he could feel eyes on him. He dared to slide his gaze towards Shannon, eyebrow raising slightly when it seemed like she was looking at the water too. For once he bit his tongue, his attention caught when there was a sudden tug on the line. He popped up to his feet, clenching his jaw from the pain and yanked up on the rod as he started to reel in. "C'mon now." He muttered, letting the fish fight a but in an attempt to tire it out until finally it broke the surface and he was able to get the bass to shore. Carefully he grabbed it by the mouth with one hand and with the other removed the hook with a pair of pliers. He held up the fish and looked at it with a slight frown before bending down and releasing it back into the water, washing his hands off after it was gone.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Apr 1, 2024 21:10:47 GMT -6
Shannon stared out at the water for far too long, her brain an empty feeling as she watched the bobber bobbing on the surface of the water. The spell was broken when the bobber disappeared and Reed jumped to his feet. Her attention now was on him as he fought the fish, though it didn’t feel like it was that long at all before he was pulling the fish onto shore. She covered her face with her book, pretending to read so she wasn’t coming across as ogling him, which she was, but she wouldn’t admit that out loud.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Apr 1, 2024 21:50:36 GMT -6
Reed was oblivious to any staring she may have done while he was dealing with the fish. He dried his hands off on his pants, watching the water for any signs of movement before sitting down and rebaiting his hook with a worm. Once it was secure he washed his hands in the water again then cast out the line before sitting down. "Hopefully the next one's bigger." He said, mostly to himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kiersten on Apr 1, 2024 22:25:26 GMT -6
Shannon tried once more to get into her book, but the second he spoke, she lost all concentration. She sighed, the tone sounding annoyed, and she rolled her eyes dramatically, planning to blame him for the reason she couldn’t read because he was talking. “Aren’t you supposed to be quiet while fishing?” she asked, putting her book to the side, and leaning towards him slightly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bri on Apr 1, 2024 23:12:59 GMT -6
"Aren't you supposed to be reading?" Reed asked her back, not even looking at her as he focused on the water, starting to feel a little inpatient and started to debate on whether he should reel back in and cast again. He held back on the thought, his gut telling him to hold of so he was going to listen and stay put. When nothing happened he spared a glance at Shannon, surprised to see her leaning towards him.
|
|
|