Why Am I On My Feet Again? [WILLOW]

[NOAH GREY]

Noah Grey


Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?

[/i]


.xXx. [/color] Mornings were generally kind to Noah, and this particular dawn wasn’t any exception. He rolled in his sheets so they tangled around him, keeping the cool morning air from getting at his skin, his eyes flickering open to gaze at the red, blinking numbers on the clock that sat tilted towards the bed, on his nightstand. The man blinked in attempt to clear his tired vision, before lifting a hand to run it over his face, a soft sigh slipping through his parted lips. He’d awoken a few minutes earlier then his usual, but rather than going back to sleep, he figured he could get an early start to the day. Why not, right? After a moment of mental encouraging, the Angelli hauled himself into a sitting position, and after another few seconds of convincing, untangled himself from the grip his blankets around him, before proceeding to get up and stumble towards his washroom.

Needless to say, Noah wasn’t a morning person.

Glancing towards the grey towel he’d set out the night before, the man slipped off his boxers, being that was all he tended to sleep in, and stepped into the shower, pulling the tap so warm water immediately began to trickle down his skin. Noah let out another soft, thankful sigh, closing his eyes in order to enjoy the warmth the shower gave him. He took no longer then ten minutes, and once finished, stepped from the shower hesitantly, only to grasp onto the towel he’d eyed earlier and wrapped it loosely around his hips. He rolled his shoulders, lifting his arms above him to stretch, before walking back into his bedroom, flicking on the lights as he did so. His bright, green eyes flitted from place to place casually, before stopping at his drawers, where Noah had folded and placed his working attire the night before. He walked over to the drawers and tugged one of them open, before pulling out some underwear, jeans, and a simple, white, button-up shirt. After Noah pulled the clothing on and rolled up his sleeves, he reached into the drawer to grab onto his gardening gloves, tossing them onto the unmade bed as he made his way back into the bathroom.


After taking a few minutes to brush his teeth and get his hair looking appropriate, Noah left the bathroom, being sure to turn the light off as he did so, before grabbing his gloves, slipping on a pair of socks and boots, and heading out the door. The Rose Garden was merely walking distance away, and to be honest, Noah would appreciate some fresh morning air. He closed his apartment door behind him, before jogging towards the stairs, and proceeding to jog down those with ease. As Noah walked into the lobby he sent a polite nod towards the receptionist, returning her warm smile with a small one of his own, before pulling the building’s door open and stepping out into the street.


The walk wasn’t a long one, though Noah took his time, letting his mind wander to the on goings around him. An elderly woman passing by dropped her grocery bag, a few apples rolling out of her reach, and the Angelli moved forwards to snatch up the few fallen apples, before holding them out to her, her sudden smile priceless. It wasn’t often a young, but grown man was seen getting down on his knees in order to help an elderly woman. The man nodded in return to her wide smile, before continuing on his way, observing a mother and child walking hand-in-hand down the road, as well as a salesman offering deals to people on the street. On the next block a homeless man huddled against the side of a barber’s shop, his eyes drooping, hands worn. Pity gnawed at the back of Noah’s mind, and as he walked by, he dropped a bill into the man’s cup, before offering a small, encouraging little smile. The man thanked him graciously, all the while petting his little, scruffy dog. Noah nodded silently, before slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and walking into the entrance to the park.


The man walked down the path towards the main building, giving a respectful nod towards the workers ending their shift, before pulling open the door and entering. No one was currently in the building, and so after taking a quick glance around him, Noah shrugged and walked into the back room in order to grab his shovel, a wheelbarrow, and a pair of clippers. Calmly, the man then proceeded to return out the doors, pushing the wheelbarrow which held his items, making his way towards the nearest line of rose-bushes. The garden was named the Rose Garden for a reason; it’s roses were absolutely stunning, and the main reason why Noah so adored his job. A slight smile curved his lips as he took the clippers and kneeled beside the roses, reaching out an experienced hand to fold live leaves aside so he could get at the dying, withering ones. Noah was a good worker; one who never complained and relished in doing a good job. He loved being around the flowers, and although people passed through the garden, it was peaceful. That was how Noah loved to live his life, after all. Peacefully.

Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?

Words: 935
Muse: Alright
Notes: Hope it's okay :3 Didn't proof the whole thing. [/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[WILLOW SERENITY ETERNITI]

Some days, Willow wished that she could sing. She felt like she should be able to, if she could speak. She couldn’t use Ray as an example. Though Ray often sang, it was totally off key. But that could be attributed to the fact that Ray was deaf so she couldn’t hear herself. So that didn’t count. And her oldest sister Vera had never sang so she wasn’t sure if she could sing. And Willow, obviously, couldn’t. But she enjoyed music so much she figured she should be able to. Not that she knew. She just wished that she did.

Willow was an early riser usually. And this morning was no exception. She just found that, unless she was out all night, she couldn’t stay in bed late. She wasn’t a typical college student in that respect. She just found the need some days to be up and about. This morning was one of those too. She just wanted to be moving. And she knew exactly what she wanted to do for moving today.

She had just gotten out of the shower, and her thin blonde hair was already dry and in it’s usual straight curtain down past her shoulders. She was still in her towel though, with her headphones in her ear, and she was happily bouncing around her room to the music, mouthing the words that she could never vocalize. ”Lets hear it for the boy, lets give the boy a hand. Lets hear it for my baby, oh you gotta understand” she mouthed along to the woman in the song who was actually doing the song. It was a bouncy happy song, a remake of the original from the musical.

She wasn’t sure what she was wearing though. Hmmm. She decided to forgo one of her usual dresses for once, and instead slipped into a pair of distressed denim jeans that had rips and tears and paint splatters all over them…and that was not how she had bought them. As for the shirt, she slid into an oversized sweatshirt that she had hacked up the neck of so it slid off of one shoulder. It wasn’t one of her dresses, or one of her rainbow usuals, but it would do for today. It wasn’t too hot outside, so she was fine to wear this for today. She wanted to make use of the warmer weather while she could.

She scooped up her bag made of distressed brown leather and slid in one of her usual sketch pads with her usual sayings in it, and then grabbed her professional big sketch pad from next to her bed and tossed it on to the bed, before plopping down on the bed herself. Like she had said earlier, she knew exactly what she wanted to do today. It was clear in her head, and the idea of meeting one of her friends made the idea even better. Not one of her college friends, no, a different friend that she missed “chatting” with.

She slipped into her beat up converse, slid her bag over her shoulder and tucked her sketch pad, the big one, under her arm. She was heading to the Rose Garden in Chiaro, mostly because it was absolutely gorgeous and she wanted to sketch the roses. They were beautiful and made the best sketching subject. Especially when her current art professr was slightly obsessed with nature. It was sure to get her kudo’s or something like that to be drawing nature in her spare time. Always thinking ahead. That was Willow. She shook her head with a silent laugh. Willow was lucky if she managed to think about what she was doing tomorrow.

Let along what she was doing towards the end of the semester.

She took stock, making sure that she had everything that she could possibly need. She nodded, assured she had it all and then tucked her key into her bag along with her cell phone and figured that that was all she needed. Good to go. And then she slapped her palm to her forehead, a literal face palm. She forgot money. She scooped up enough to take the tram over to Chiaro from Pandora and then deemed herself ready. If she forgot anything else, it was an oh well moment by now.

Willow left the college campus and headed down to the corner where the tram to Chiaro stopped in Pandora and waited, bouncing along to the music in her ears as she did. When the tram appeared, she deposited the correct amount of change into the box by the driver and then moved to take an empty seat. It wasn’t that full, but that was probably because it was still pretty early. She shrugged and plopped down, looking out the window and mouthing the words to the music she was listening to, wishing once again that she could sing along.

She signed thank you to the tram driver, the same one who usually drove this line so she could sign your welcome back and Willow giggled silently, amused, as she hopped down the steps and off the tram. From there she wandered the streets of Chiaro until she had entered the rose garden. Now all she had to do was wander a little bit and see if she found a patch of roses that she liked enough to sketch. She knew she would, it was only a matter of time until the correct batch appeared really. Or at least that was how she saw it.

She finally found a bush of roses that seemed perfect to sketch and a person was kneeling at them. A person that she knew. She giggled silently and paused her music before skipping over, being entirely silent. The mute little half breed was good at that. Then she leaned up behind him, like she was looking over his shoulder, and waited for him to notice her there.

[NOAH GREY]

Noah Grey


Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?

[/i]


.xXx. [/color] Noah absolutely adored his job. He adored walking the city streets during the morning hours, when the air seemed clean, and there was barely a car to start any sort of traffic jam. There was no stress whatsoever; no people hustling from workplace to workplace, no rushed honking from people who decided to take out their own faults and lateness on others. It was just... relaxing. Noah smiled at the thought, letting his eyes wander about the city streets around him. He loved this place he had dubbed as home. Sure, there was conflict. But, with the Angelli and Shade populations living near one another, that was only expected. Noah didn’t truly understand the conflict himself, as he was a non-judgemental, open-minded man, though he figured everyone had their own, individual opinion. Sometimes, people can’t help how they see the world, or even the contents within it.


The man ignored the absence of anyone in the main office after a moment of confusion, before continuing into the back of the building, where all of the needed maintenance supplies was housed. He slipped on his gardening gloves; the big, thick, faded gloves he treasured without logical reason, before grabbing a wheel barrow, and piling some clippers and a shovel into it. He took a moment to look around him briefly, brow furrowing with momentary concentration, before Noah continued on his way, picking up the wheelbarrow and pushing it out the back door, towards the nearest cluster of roses. There were hoses stationed neatly around the property, so he figured he wouldn’t need to carry around any sort of container for water. He would cut away the dead roses, as he always did, before planting a few new ones, and then watering.

Noah had a stern routine; one that, unless given legitimate reason, he stuck to.
Let’s just say not many legitimate reasons had come up in a while.

Whistling a quick, happy tune in which Noah couldn’t place, the man wheeled his equipment towards the roses, before setting it a good, working distance away. He eyed the bush for a moment, catching a few visible imperfections, before grasping onto the clippers and moving to kneel beside the bush. He leaned in to look over the plants, reaching a hand in to brush away the clean, lush leaves and or roses that posed as obstacles. With his other hand he lifted the clippers, extending his arm forwards to position it over the offending, dead limbs, before bringing his other hand to grasp onto the clippers and cut the dead part off. He did this, of course, in a matter of seconds, before moving on to the next few roses, trimming them all without hesitation. He did this almost every day for a living, and it showed. Noah knew exactly what he was doing. After the man had finished this particular group of roses he grabbed onto all of the dead, chopped trimming, before standing, turning around, and almost walking into a young, rather familiar woman.

Willow.

Immediately Noah took a step back, seeing as he’d just about walked into her and was therefore very, very close, before offering her a small, apologetic little smile. A breathless laugh left him, before he raised a brow at her, though it was anything but accusative.

“Sneaking up on me, are you?"

He asked, his smile growing into one of slight, easy amusement. He wasn’t one to grin and laugh loudly, but keep things quiet, calm, and under control. He was happy to see her, though, and he was sure it was clear on his expression. Noah didn’t have many friends around here, yet, and so it was extremely nice to see her. No matter how unexpected it was. The man took a step around her to toss the clippings into the wheel barrow, before clapping his hands together, freeing them up of any gathered dirt.

“Not to say it’s not nice to see you, though.”

He added with another small smile, resting the clippers over his shoulder leisurely as he watched her. He appreciated her company in a bigger way they she could imagine, and like any person would, hope she’d stay for a little bit of a conversation. The man’s eyes flickered towards the sketch book tucked beneath her arm, before soon meeting her own eyes once again, thinking; was it chance that the two had met up?

“Mind me asking why you’re in my neck of the woods? Sketching, I’m assuming?”

He asked, his smile unfaltering. He liked Willow; sure, she was younger, but there was something about her that he enjoyed. She didn’t seem to be the average, party-loving, rebellious teenager that tended to run around these days, and Noah respected that about her. She was artistic, talented, and respectable. Noah knew she’d go places in life; he was sure of it. He’d missed his chance, he was sure of it, but she hadn’t.

Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?

Words: 874
Muse: Meh
Notes: Hope it's okay, sorry if there's some fails. :3 He's excited to see herr![/size][/blockquote]

[WILLOW SERENITY ETERNITI]

Willow was glad that she had picked today as her day to head over to the Rose Gardens in Chiaro to sketch. She had gotten up early, as was usual for her when she hadn’t been partying. And she hadn’t partied the night before, mainly because she had had a class later in the day. So that meant she was up and about, and knew exactly where she was going. She had been dancing around her room happily to her music as she had gotten ready, in a seriously good mood. But when wasn’t Willow in a good mood? She was a bouncy little child.

She wished she could sing. She could handle not being able to speak, she hadn’t been able to speak ever since she was seven years old, so she didn’t mind that. But she wished she could sing. Not for any reason such as wanting to be famous, but because she wanted to know whether or not she could. Most people could belt out a note and they’d know whether or not they could sing. The curiousity of not knowing whether or not she could was driving her nuts.

She wasn’t sure why that was her train of thought.

But she thought about it as she got all of the things that she needed, slipped most of it into her bag, and headed out the door with her music in her ears. She had caught the bus over to Chiaro mostly because she wanted to be there earlier and catch the light on the roses a certain way. Also, it was less crowded earlier in the day and that made it easier for her to sketch without being interrupted by some nosey person who liked to peer over her shoulder or something like that, which would break her concentration.

She had then made her way into the Rose Garden and wandered around until she found what she wanted, the perfect rose bush to sketch with the most plump roses, not yet caught up in the coming fall. The only thing that was the issue with this was that there was someone kneeling there working on this particular bush. But then she saw who it was who was kneeling there and it was someone she knew, o this no longer became an issue, instead it became an adventure of sorts, meeting someone that she knew and all.

She got really close and turned off her music, waiting to see how long it would take him to notice her prescence there. Willow was surprised when he nearly walked into her and she laughed silently, amused by this. Most people didn’t notice her because she was so quiet, she didn’t speak after all but there was something more to it than that, she figured it was a touch of Shade in her or something. She didn’t have enough of anything to really be considered an ability, but who knew…it might just be something latent in her.

He asked if she was sneaking up on him, after taking a step back and shooting her an apologetic smile that she waved off of course. And in answer, because Noah didn’t speak Sign Language though she was probably going to attempt to teach him at some point, she just grinned mischievously at him. Yes, yes she had been sneaking up on him. And here she had thought it had been obvious. She lost the smile when she fell into a peal of soundless giggles. She wondered if it was weird, like someone had hit the mute button on her, to see her laugh. She had never asked though.

He smiled at her and she bounced on her toes a little, happy to see him. She liked that he always asked questions she could answer easily, and he always seemed so nice to her, it was fun to come here and just “chat” with him sometimes. She had forgotten he worked here though, her original aim had been to come here to sketch, but seeing a friend was always an added bonus.

She turned to watch him as he deposited things into his wheelbarrow and clapped off his hands, she was interested. Willow was always interested. She loved to explore, loved to know, loved a lot of things to be totally honest, so she watched. He said it was nice to see her and her smile widened with that, and she nodded, agreeing but then pointed to him, and held up two fingers. As in it was nice to see him too. Willow was damn good as Charades. She was usually picked first for teams. Her whole life was charades, of course she was good at it! And she never cheated and spoke. She laughed a little at her own joke, and shook her head.

He asked why she was in his neck of the woods and said sketching he assumed. She grinned. Like she said, she liked talking to Noah, he always seemed to phrase the question so that she could answer it easily. She nodded. Yep, that was why she was here. She ran her hands over her sketchpad softly, her biggest, and then pointed to the roses, indicating she had come here to sketch the roses. And then she pointed to him, with a questioning look on her face. Her hands, in rapid motion, signed out: “Working on the roses?” And then she groaned, silently, with frustration. She really needed to teach the world how to sign. It would make this easier. She pulled her notepad from her bag and scrawled it out in writing before showing it to him, a curious little tilt to her head.

And then she turned it back towards herself and wrote more, turning it back towards him with a grin to show her addition. ”And you really need to learn how to sign, dude” she had added, a mischievous little grin on her face. She was only teasing. Most people didn’t know, she was used to it. Hence the charades.

Words: 1024
Muse: Good
Comments: I'm all excited lol

[NOAH GREY]

Noah Grey


Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?

.xXx.

[/color] Noah was so happy just doing his job. It kept him away from being bored with his lack of a social life, and kept his mind busy and focused. Noah had always loved to work, though. Like most people who remotely enjoyed their jobs, he enjoyed it because it gave him a purpose; something to feel good about. Not only did it give him a purpose, Noah was quite pleased with the calm, relaxing nature of his job, as well as the beauty in it. Not many people go to tend to roses all day long, and get paid for it. And yet, it wasn’t a job that people were chomping at the bit to have, either. Noah didn’t understand why, exactly, though figured it was due to the upbeat, hyper attitudes of people these days. Not many appreciated simple, small things like roses any longer, did they? The thought caused the Angelli’s brow to furrow, a slight frown captivating his expression. It was reasons like that he preferred to keep firmly out of crowds. The man shook his head lightly, before grasping onto the clippings of the batch, standing, and turning around.

And nearly walking into Willow.

Immediately the man took a step back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, before offering a small, apologetic smile, accompanied with a tiny breathless laugh. Her own laughter was silent, however the fact didn’t bother Noah; it never had. He just smiled at her, watching her with intent, careful eyes. It was an odd sight to most, a woman laughing without sound. Noah didn’t take much thought to it, however. It was how Willow was, and she didn’t have much of a choice. It wasn’t as if she could change it. Noah felt pity tug at his mind discreetly, feeling bad for her loss of a voice. She seemed happy though, didn’t she? She was always smiling, giggling. Perhaps she was, even without her voice. Maybe that was one reason Noah took such a liking to her.

They’d both lost something very, very dear to them.

At the thought the man brushed it off, eagerly grasping at anything else available to think about. He didn’t want to depress himself, when in the company of someone else. Especially someone else so... happy. Noah’s smile was soft, calm, as he observed her mischievous little smirk in response to his question, amusement clear in his eyes. And then, as expected, the woman started to laugh once again, causing Noah’s smile to grow. He had to fight against laughter when he was around her, all the time. Even if there was no sound to it, her laugh was absolutely contagious. Why did Noah fight laughter? Well, he wasn’t entirely sure. Sure, he could chuckle, and laugh silently. But he refused to let himself loose any longer. Perhaps it was out of fear. Maybe, just maybe, it was because of the fact that, before everything happened, he used to laugh like that. He used to be outgoing and friendly, until the accident. And, he’d wanted a change. It was just hard, at times, keeping changed.


He was aware of the excited, happy bouncing that Willow did as he smiled at her, as well as the fact she watched him, when he tossed all the clippings into the wheelbarrow. It was yet another thing he’d come to notice about Willow; she was always paying close attention, always interested in the ongoings around her. Noah appreciated that fact. He commented on the fact he was happy to see her, and chuckled silently at her pointing to him, before holding up her two fingers. There was something somewhat... cute, about the action, possibly due to the fact many children did the same thing, when talking to their parents. Endearing, really.


Noah rested his clippers on his shoulders in a rather leisurely manner, before asking what she was doing here, in the garden. It was in no way hinting for her to leave, because in all truthfulness, Noah loved the fact she was here. She nodded, and Noah smiled, though it faltered as she brought up her hands, using them to sign out something Noah felt badly about not understanding. He watched her, confused for a moment, all before the woman seemed to remember he hadn’t learned sign language yet, and reached for her sketchpad, after what looked to be a silent groan.

“Sorry.”

He offered with another small smile, before she turned her notepad towards him, and Noah smiled with an approving, confirming nod.

“Yeah. What else is new, right?”

He added with another little smile, teasing, before she started writing once again, causing both of his brows to rise by a fraction. He waited, patiently in silence, before the woman turned the sketchpad towards him and he chuckled, nodding yet again, before answering.

“Yes, yes I do.”

He said, his smile sobering, before the man dropped the clippers from his shoulder, and leaned them against the wheelbarrow. He needed to water the flowers, but didn’t want to be ruse and interrupt. His job could wait a few minutes.

“Teach me sometime?”

He asked with a curious tilt of his head, his smile polite. He was in no way demanding her to help him, and desperately hoped it didn’t sound that way.

Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?

Words: 932
Muse: Died D:
Notes: Sorry if it fails. D;[/size][/blockquote]

[WILLOW SERENITY ETERNITI]

Willow was so happy that she had decided to come to the Rose Garden today! It had given her a chance to, quite literally almost, bump into Noah. She liked “talking” to Noah, because he understood where she was coming from, and was always good about asking questions in a way that she could answer. Also, he was usually so calm and happy, it was fun to be around. It was different then being with her friends from the college who were usually so high energy like she was. This was more relaxed and she enjoyed it to be honest.

He almost walked into her when he turned and was all apologetic, but in Willow’s opinion, it was just amusing. She found it very funny, for some reason, funny enough to laugh. His face was all soft and calm, while she was mischievous and playful, but all the same they usually had a lot of fun together when they spoke. It was amusing to Willow, always amusing, when she could have a conversation with someone and the other person didn’t have to ask what she was trying to say a million times. Noah got her. And that was something she treasured.

Some people asked her if her happy was fake. If it was something she just did so no one would think she was sad about losing a voice. Or to make herself feel happy even though she was sad. And she always told them that wasn’t true. Why shouldn’t she be happy? She still had her health, she could still hear and see, she still had her sister and her adoptive father, she had a good education and she could still have fun even without her voice. Why be sad just because she was missing one piece? She didn’t think she was missing out on too much, not when she could still get her point across to people.

She was bouncing excitedly, glad she had bumped into him today. She hadn’t planned on it after all. She had come just to sketch, not remembering that Noah worked today. It made it that much better! It made today so much better to know that she could spend at least a little bit of it with Noah. He chuckled a little at her response, but she didn’t feel like he was making fun of her. She didn’t think he was capable of that. Instead it just made her smile to have made him laugh, even if it was a little chuckle. Noah didn’t laugh enough in her opinion and she intended to fix that.

She attempted to sign to answer him, because her answer was too complicated for pointing, but only after signing she remembered that he didn’t know how to sign. She groaned silently but waved off his sorry. Most people didn’t. It was a shame and it made her life a tad bit harder, but she had survived for a while without learning sign language so she did know how to get around it and still talk to people who didn’t know it. She dug her note pad out of her bad and began to write slightly furiously and then turned it around to face him, waiting for his response.

She grinned at his teasing and nodded in the affirmative. Willow was almost always sketching. It had been her way to speak once upon a time and she had developed a passion for it. And it helped that she was actually really good at it too. It had become her major in college, and it was what she was usually doing if she wasn’t out exploring and partying.

And then she turned the sketchpad back around to face herself and began to happily write away again, oblivious to his slight brow raise because she was focused on her writing instead. Sadly, this wasn’t like talking or signing, she had to focuse her attention on her writing and couldn’t watch the other person’s face as she did it so she often missed reactions. It was one of the many perks of sign language, it allowed her to almost be like she was normally talking, as long as the other person could keep up with how quick she was signing, and she usually slowed it down when others needed her to.

He agreed, and she laughed silently, nodding enthusiastically when he asked if she would teach him sometime. She would be happy to teach him! She would be more than happy to! It would take a while, but she would happily do it. It would make it easier to talk to him, and she would love to teach him, teaching people signing was always fun to her. She loved to do it and she wanted to! Being able to talk to Noah easier without tall this miming and writing things would be amazing and excellent.

And then she paused and rethought that. She smirked a little and wrote something down before turning it around to show him. Only if you teach me how to take care of the roses was her condition. She was curious, Willow liked to know things honestly. And so this made sense to her, to ask for this sort of trade. It was worth it for her. But honestly, even if he said no, she would still teach him how to sign so he could talk to her with that.

Woirds: 923
Muse: Fail
Comments: Fail sorry

[NOAH GREY]

Noah Grey

Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?

.xXx.

[/color] Noah was a man that was very content with being in his lonesome, unlike most of the young population these days. Everyone longed to have people close to them, to be at the top of their social latter, and have their entire week planned beforehand full with places to go and people to see. They strived to meet more acquaintances and flourished in crowds, all the while constantly greedily chasing after more, better, and newer. In Noah’s mind, it was all madness; this frenzied motion for more. People didn’t seem as if they could sit still any longer, and just appreciated what the world already to offer them. They were always trying to improve something, be it their love lives, or the products for sale that the Angelli paid little attention to. He respected everyone for their enthusiasm, and in fact, somewhat envied this longing for more. He wanted to crave things as passionately as everyone else seemed to; things like love. He missed having a hunger for it, and chasing after it like some reckless child. But, times had changed, and with it, Noah had as well.


So, Noah had become accustomed to enjoying his time alone. He didn’t mind the quiet, and was well at ease with his current lifestyle. That didn’t mean he wasn’t undeniably pleased when he laid eyes on Willow; one of the few people he could actually label as a friend. The man nearly walked into her but recovered quickly, offering her an apologetic smile in which she waved off with ease. That was one thing he appreciated within the younger woman; she didn’t seem to mind his little mess-ups, unlike others would. Most would become offended, should he walk into them. But Willow, she just waved it off, as if nothing had happened. The two exchanged their odd little greetings, before Noah asked why she was in the Gardens, trying to word things as carefully as he could, in attempt to make it easier on her. She nodded, confirming Noah’s thoughts that she’d come to sketch, before attempting to sign something, causing the man’s lips to press into a barely noticeable line, obviously feeling guilty. He apologized for not understanding, before she whipped out her notebook, and showed him her written message. His warm, small smile soon returned to his lips, before the man answered, before Willow began writing again, fully catching his attention. It wasn’t but a moment later that she “told” him he needed to learn sign language, in which Noah agreed to indefinitely, and proceeded to ask if she would teach him. Willow nodded, causing Noah’s smile to grow into a sober grin, obviously approving of her reaction. He needed things to look forwards to, aside from his next work day and what he was going to have for dinner the next night.

“Sounds good. Let me know when you’re free sometime?”

He asked in response to her nod with a smile, before the woman began writing once again, causing Noah to pause, tilting his head, brow rising in slight question. He could barely ever guess what she was going to say, and although most would call that unpredictable, it was a quality Noah found rather exciting. He waited patiently, before she turned around the pad of paper, a small, soft chuckle slipping through Noah’s parted lips. So, she wanted to learn how to look after the roses, hmn? That was something Noah could certainly help with. He nodded slowly, his light eyes brimming with amusement, before speaking.

“Of course.”

The man spoke easily, reaching down to rest a hand on the end of the wheelbarrow.

“Would you be up for starting today? I could certainly use a little help.”

He inquired with another light, soft smile, his gaze flickering momentarily towards the rosebush, before glancing towards the side building, where the hose rested. He better get started, but didn’t want to be rude. Noah sighed silently, before putting one finger up, and taking a few steps back.

“Give me one moment? I need to grab the hose.”

He asked, both eyebrows rising in question, before the Angelli jogged out off towards the main building, in order to grab the hose. He grasped onto the end and jogged back, glancing over his shoulder as it unwound from around its holder. He slowed to a walk as he got a few feet away from Willow once again to offer her a small smile, all the while beginning to fiddle with the settings on the end of the hose. He frowned slightly, his brows furrowing, as it proved to be more difficult than usual, before water shot from the end of the hose, in Willow’s general direction. Noah immediately tried to turn off the hose, his expression changed completely to shock, before he dropped the item and stared at Willow, one hand fisting to rest against his lips, his other shooting behind his head, to run through his hair in slight frustration and worry. He’d just sprayed her entirely. Dear lord. The man pulled his fist away from his mouth in order to speak, his eyes somewhat wide, as he took a step closer.

“I’m so sorry-I didn’t mean to.”

He said quietly, anticipation for her reaction growing rapidly. He expected she’d either get really, really mad, or plot for revenge. Noah wasn’t entirely sure which one he’d prefer, at the moment.

Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?

Words: 955
Muse: Fail
Notes: So sorry it fails so bad. D;[/size][/blockquote]

[WILLOW SERENITY ETERNITI]

Willow happily let Noah know that she was here to sketch, it was easy when he phrased his question like that. It was basically a nod, more than anything else which was a relief, and she got her answer across nicely. Sometimes she had to go through this whole charades ordeal and that could be fun sometimes, but all the time just got tiresome. She wondered if he worked at phrasing his questions like that or if it was just how he spoke? Maybe she would ask one day if she felt like it and if she wasn’t focused on having an actual conversation with him. Or as close as Willow got to a conversation with people that didn’t sign.

She was reminded of his lack of signing knowledge when she went to sign and, from the confused look on his face as well as her own memory, she realized he still didn’t know how to sign. Well, it was more of a guilty look than a confused one of she was going to be truthful. He apologized but she just waved him off, there was no need for sorries when most people couldn't do it anyway, and pulled out her notepad, to write down her answer for him. She was used to having to do this. She tried to put it off as long as possible, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t used to it all the same. He said it sounded good and to let him know when she was free sometime.

She grinned widely when he asked that, glad he had agreed to being taught sign language, and spread her arms, as if to indicate that she was always free, and then arched a brow, returning his question back at him, the questioning look asking when he was free. She was usually free, or could make herself free easily. As long as she didn’t have a big test or something coming up that is. So she was usually pretty free most of the time. It was up to him. He was the one with a job and a life and all that, she often forgot that he was older than her. She would rather he chose anyway.

And then she thought of a condition and scribbled down that she would teach him if he taught her how to take care of the roses. He chuckled and she grinned wider, happy to have gotten a rare chuckle from him. He didn’t laugh all that often, so it was a big accomplishment to her to have gotten him to do so. She was amused. And then he said of course, and she started bouncing on her toes, so happy he said yes! She wanted to learn how to take care of the roses, it seemed like fun to her! And if she knew she could take care of her own roses!

He asked if she would be up to starting today and she nodded, grinning. She was always up to starting. She was so happy! She was always up to starting something new, no matter what and no matter when. She set down her sketchpad and her bag on a bench a little bit away, just so it wouldn’t get dirty or anything when he taught her things. She treasured those things too much to let them get dirty or anything else like that. Then she went back over to him.

He said he needed to get the hose and she nodded, bouncing where she was happily, waiting easily. She waited while he got the hose, her hand dipping to lightly brush against a velvety petal of a red, red rose as she waited for him to come back. He came back over, hose in hand, and smiled a bit at her. She smiled back at him, giggling silently when he seemed to be having trouble with the hose, watching him fiddle with it as she waited to see what he was going to do, or what she could do to help.

And then she got soaked.

Willow shrieked, one of the few noises she could make, when she was suddenly soaked, entirely surprised. She blinked and shook herself off like a dog. She was suddenly very glad that she had put down her bag and her sketchpad before this could happen to her. At least they were still dry. She, on the other hand, was totally soaked. At least it was a warmish day? But still! She shivered a little when the wind hit her.

Noah spoke, obviously feeling horrible for what had happened, saying that he didn’t mean to. Oh she knew that. Noah wasn’t like her in that respect, Willow would have done it because she was mischievous and playful. He had done it on total accident. All the same she shook her head, mischief sparking in her eyes, and walked over, carefully taking the hose from his hand like she was going to examine it.

And then sprayed him in the face.

And collapsed into silent giggles.

Payback amused the heck out of her. Hey, he had soaked her, she had just gotten his face. And then she sprayed him again and darted away a bit with the hose, a playful look in her eyes, daring him to pay her back for that one.

[NOAH GREY]

Noah Grey


[color=Navy]Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
Where did you read my story?

[/i]

.xXx. [/color]As careful and timid as Noah went about, it was always nice to have a little excitement, and to see a friend or two every so often. Life didn’t just need to be work and sleep, did it? The man didn’t think so. He used to be such a social, loud person, and now, well... Noah had changed. The man watched Willow’s reaction as he easily agreed to learning sign language, and was rather satisfied, to say the least. She was always so happy all the time, and Noah found it was starting to wear off on him. Was happiness really contagious? Noah almost smiled, at the thought. If so, he wouldn’t mind a little sickness every once and a while. As he thought about such things Willow spread her arms, something that, should Noah be onto the right idea, he figured would mean she was free a lot. He’d have to make sure, though. He offered her another sober smile as she arched a brow, obviously returning the question.

"Assuming that means you’re free a lot,”

He said with a quizzical smile, pausing in order for her to object in case he was wrong before continuing.


“I work during the day, so my nights are pretty relaxed? I’d love some company, if you’re free then.”


He said in a very calm, relaxed manner, his tone unwavering and smile unfaltering. He was comfortable around Willow; he didn’t need to protect himself, didn’t need to be wary. There was something about her youthfulness and playful side that intrigued him and, in a way, reminded him of the girl he’d lost those few fateful years ago. Was that dangerous? Perhaps. Did Noah give it much thought? No, never. He didn’t let himself go there any more, especially around others. If he did, he’d surely loose what could have been an amazing afternoon. He didn’t want to be plagued with sadness; didn’t want to hold onto the past like it was all he had left. He wasn’t his past, not any longer.

The only problem was, Noah was having difficulty believing it.

The conversation took a rather appreciated, positive turn, and before Noah knew it, he had agreed to teach his friend how to tend to the roses. It was an easy but persistent task, and he had a feeling that should Willow be intent on learning, she’d have no problem. In fact, Noah bet that she could do a better job than he did, if she tried. He had experience with the roses of course, but she seemed to be just as passionate about things as he. That quality always inspired Noah, about others. Passion was a beautiful thing. The man cleared his head as she answered his question about starting today in the affirmative, and offered her a small grin, in hopes shed understand he was very pleased with her answer. His eyes stayed trained on her as she scampered off to set her sketchbook and bag down, probably a smart idea considering Noah’s line of work, before heading back towards him. He wasn’t watching her in a lustful, predatory manner like most men did, but rather a very soft, calm, and thankful manner. He didn’t chase after women any longer; didn’t feel the hunger and need to be closer with them. Surely, if he found someone to love, he would. But until then, Noah was very happy.


The man waited a moment to make sure it was alright with her before walking over to grab the hose, and pulling it behind him towards their section of roses. He fiddled with the item for a moment, after sending another one of his small, sweet, signature little smiles to Willow, all before the hose decided to work at that exact moment, sending a large amount of water right at Willow. Noah’s eyes went wide, mostly out of shock then anything, before the man forced the hose to turn off, and dropped the item to the ground, guilt obvious in the lines of his face. He apologized immensely, feeling absolutely terrible for soaking her. Her shiver when the cool morning air hit her skin was no encouragement, and Noah immediately felt somewhat responsible for her; he’d need to look after her, and make sure she was warm. At least, that was if she forgave him. The man watched as Willow came closer, somewhat unsure of what to do, before she took the hose, and before Noah could react, successfully sprayed him in the face. Noah moved back instinctively, hands shooting up to try and shield his face, as a round of laughter claimed him. He continued to laugh even after she’d stopped, before shaking his hair out of his eyes, and grinning at her. He hadn’t laughed like that in a long, long time.

“That was really, quite lovely.”

He said with a grin, his own eyes taking a very uncharacteristic, mischievous look as well. His words were playful, and although subdued, were also somewhat daring. He walked towards her, tilting his head, in a way that told her he most definitely wanted revenge. And then, she sprayed him again. Noah bit back another round of laughter, before he ran up towards her, trying to block the hose as best as he could. He stood in front of her, very close, but only so he could place his hands in front of the end of the hose, blocking it. He grinned at her, his chest heaving, before speaking.

“Listen, I’m really sorry...”

He said, before discreetly shifting the tip of the hose towards her, and taking off his hands from around the tip, sending the water in her direction.

“...for not warning you about that one. That was just cruel of me.”

He said with a grin, partnered with another chuckle. Who knew being immature could be so fun?

Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?

Words: 1, 034
Muse: Terrible
Notes: Omfg, finally done. Didn't proof it and it fails, so sorry. But she's actually making him laugh, amg. BE PROUD. [/size][/blockquote]

[WILLOW SERENITY ETERNITI]

Willow nodded happily, happy that Noah understood, when he clarified to assume that what she had motioned for moments ago was that she was free a lot. She was glad he had caught that. She had been unsure if that one would have been clear. This was another reason for him to learn sign language! That meant she could talk to him and be sure that he understood what she wanted to say. He usually could understand very well, better than most people, but not always. It was that not always that worried Willow. She would rather have a sure thing.

He answered saying that he worked during the day, so his nights were free, and she had to pause to think about that. She usually had parties at night, being that Willow was one of those people that loved to frequent the latest club or rave as often as possible. She didn’t let her lack of a voice hold her back when it came to that. She liked to have her fun, and she refused to let anything hold her back! She couldn’t understand why it should. She nodded a bit, to finally answer Noah. She could do that.

She would just have ot make sure that whatever night that they chose, she didn’t have a party already planned out to go to. Which meant it would most likely have to be during the week because Willow had parties all weekend usually. The thought of that made her grin a little bit. She lived for her parties most of the time. And it didn’t bother her that she basically turned nocturnal every weekend and then had to struggle to wake up for her Monday classes, that was all part of the fun, and part of why she didn’t schedule for any early Monday classes. She knew herself well enough to know how to plan for herself.

And then she had asked if he would teach her about the roses in return, she had done it more playfully of course, making it into an exchange because she was very curious about how this worked, and she was delighted, entirely and absolutely delighted, when he agreed to show her how to do it. Being that she figured that it could probably be dirty work, she happily skipped off towards a bench to plop down her sketch book and her bag. Those two things were very important to her after all, she had to make sure that they would not be harmed by whatever was about to happen.

And she was about to be very glad that she had decided to do that.

Because he went to get the hose, and came back and sprayed her all down the front. She was shocked at first, because it was a cold blast of water that she hadn’t been expecting obviously, but then she just smirked mischievously. He was apologizing like crazy and she waved off his apologies, she was perfectly fine, just a little chilly and wet now that he had sprayed her like that.

But she happily took the hose from him and sprayed him right back with no mercy, soundless laughs coming from her mouth as she did. She was a playful little child, and had aways been that way. It amused her to do things like that. Besides, it was fair payback in her game. He hadn’t been expecting it and neither had she when he did it. All was fair in love and war, wasn’t that how the saying went. She grinned triumphantly as she sprayed him.

His laugh only made her grin wider because she was pretty sure that she had never really heard Noah laugh like that before and it only made her happier to be able to be the one to make him. He said that that really was quite lvely and she grinned happily at him still, amusement showing in her eyes and face as she nodded to agree with him. It had been lovely, hadn’t it? She was very proud of herself for that one and she would continue to be, she loved stuff like this. She really was a child at heart in so many ways.

Which showed when she sprayed him again.

She darted back with the hose, her eyes daring him to try and pay her back for that one, now that she had managed to tip the odds in her own favor. He was looking at her with mischief that she didn’t see often from this man and it made her so very happy to see it from him, to be fully honest. She wished that she could see it more often and made a vow to try and do her best to make him laugh as often as possible. That was her new plea even as she collapsed into silent giggles after spraying him.

He came really close to her and blocked the hose, making it spray back at her a bit and she turned her head away, still silently laughing. He said sorry again and she nearly pouted playfully to try and tell him that he really should stop with the sorry because she really didn’t mind. Being childish and immature was her thing, and this allowed her to be those things around him. She shrieked silently though when he continued his statement and sprayed her again, dropping the hose.

She should have known better when he was giving her a look like that.

The only thing was, the dropping and the twisting had allowed for the tip to come off of the hose, the spray nozzle falling on the wayside and now the hose was just spraying…at full blast and going wild all over the place, spraying everything in it’s path. Willow laughed silently and held up her hands to try and sheidl herself, dancing around to duck behind Noah and use him as a shield from the cold and wildly spraying water.