A Walk at Sunset (Noah)

[Noah Washington]

"He was kinda annoyed that he wasn't allowed to come to the retreat, but I guess that's what happens when you cause trouble." Noah remembered reading somewhere that badly behaved students weren't allowed to go. "He tries to, but I don't really want to get involved with that kinda thing. Though if I ever sleep through the first class, he never wakes me." So he supposed in a way he did encourage it.

Noah closed his eyes when the shooting star went by, thinking of what wish to make. He wished his mother would become herself again, knowing how childish it was and not really caring. It couldn't hurt, right? Rather than opening his eyes, he smirked. It reminded him of another song. "The sky's a blackboard high above you. If a shooting star goes by, I'll use that star to write I love you-" He raised his hand, running it along the line the shooting star had taken. "A thousand times across the sky."

Hopefully she was used to him singing small parts of songs when the inspiration and remembrance struck him.

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"I can see why he would be upset, this retreat is amazing," she replied, keeping her eyes up at the sky. The sky had darkened considerably, so that the stars were shining even brighter. "But I suppose that's what you get for slacking off and goofing around." She glanced up at him. "You sleep during class too?" she asked, grinning a little. She didn't do it often, but well.... Sometimes she needed more sleep!

What to wish for? Ravyn thought about it briefly before deciding to wish that she would find someone who wouldn't cause more drama in her life. It was a selfish wish, but it was what was on her mind. If another shooting star passed, she would wish something for someone else. Even if it was a silly thing to do. Her eyes opened as Noah began to sing, and she smiled faintly as his hand brushed against the sky. "I love it when you sing," she murmured, scooting just a little closer so she could rest her cheek on the side of his chest. She didn't really care if it was an intimate move or not, she just wanted to be close to him. "Can you name any of the constellations?" she asked, as though she didn't know. Of course he could.

[Noah Washington]

"I like sleeping in in the mornings." Noah said, almost tentatively. He spoke about it as if he almost deserved to be able to; like classes shouldn't start so early in the morning, "Sometimes I sleep right through my alarm."

He couldn't help but chuckle when she mentioned his singing. "When the inspiration strikes, you just have to go with it. Y'know?" She might not, but he was sure it would make sense in some way. Noah lifted his arm when she drew herself inward to lean against him, resting it against her shoulder and idly running his hand along the line of her arm.

"Well, there's Ophiuchus. He's the serpent bearer. It's easy to spot because it kinda looks like a teapot." Noah explained, raising his hand and pointing in its direction. "And below that is Scorpius. It's like Ophiuchus is such a powerful guy that he holds snakes and walks on scorpions. Actually, Scorpius has to do with the story of Orion. Most people know that constellation, but it's more visible in Winter." He paused, taking a moment to think back to the story and figure out the best way to explain it.

It was a little sad, actually. "Orion was a powerful human and a strong hunter. His hunting companion was Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon. She fell in love with the mortal guy and wanted to marry him. But her brother, Apollo the god of the sun, didn't want her to. He sent the scorpion to kill Orion. So she had him hung in the sky to keep him with her, and banished the scorpion to the other end of the world. That's why Scorpius is never in the sky alongside Orion." He knew there were a fair few variants in the story, but if he tried to go through them all they might be there all night.

"Okay, so there's like ten different versions of that story." Noah admitted, laughing about it slightly. "I think that one's just my favourite."

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"The inspiration really only strikes me when I'm in the shower," she chuckled. "That way, no one else can hear me." She wasn't a terrible singer, but she wasn't fantastic either. Goosebumps popped up on her arm again as Noah ran his hand down it, and she resisted the temptation to lace their hands together again. Barely. What had happened to this just being a walk with a friend...?

She squinted in the direction he pointed, trying to make out any teacup-shapes amongst the sea of stars. "I think I see it," she murmured, catching sight of a handful of stars that seemed to fit the description. When he mentioned the scorpion, she brightened. "Scorpio! That's my star sign," she blurted, quieting when he continued his story with an embarrassed grin.

Listening to his story, she couldn't help but feel bad for this mythical Orion. Even if it was just a story, it really was very sad. "Poor Orion," she murmured. "Why is Apollo such a jerk?" She thought of her own brother, and how he might react to her falling in love with someone. He probably wouldn't give a damn. Hell, he might not even come to her wedding. The thought made her sigh.

A breeze picked up again, and she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's definitely an interesting story," she replied. "Thank you for sharing it. I wish I knew something to share with you, but I'm not really a good storyteller." She glanced up, smiling apologetically.

[Noah Washington]

"Who knows?" Noah wondered as he chose to speak gently towards her, "Maybe he was jealous. Or maybe he cared about his sister. I'm not really sure." He could tell that in some way it had struck a nerve with her, so it wasn't something he wanted to press on with.

"You could talk about anything if you had a story." Noah replied. He had been drawn in by the fact that she mentioned what star sign she was. He knew a little bit about that too, but they were all just theories. "Like... Mars moved into the sign of Scorpio at the end of August. It's supposed to affect a person's nature cause of what Mars is about. I think it has to do with aggression since Mars is supposed to be passionate. It's better to let go of grudges and all that."

He raised his hand again, resting his head in his hands as he looked up. "It also has to do with intimacy in relationships. They don't sound similar, but it all stems from passion." He wasn't sure if the information meant anything to her, but he liked to talk about it a lot more than he realised sometimes.

"I like hearing you talk about stuff though. Even if it's just you telling me about your day, or what's going on in your life at the time." Noah explained. Even if it meant he had to hear about her relationships with guys or anything like that. So long as she was talking, he was content to listen and help wherever he could. He wasn't sure if he really was any helpful, but people always needed someone to just listen.

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"Whatever the case, it's sad," she concluded, actually wishing Dominic might be jealous towards someone. Like Lucah, or even Noah, really. At least it would make it seem like he cared. But that wasn't a topic she wanted to dive into with Noah, and so she kept her thoughts to herself.

Astrology had always fascinated her. She didn't know whether to believe in it or not, but sometimes it was just fun or even relieving to blame her actions on the stars. "Huh. Well, I definitely have a grudge or two I should let go of," she told him, knowing he probably knew what she was talking about. "Maybe this would be a good time to let them go."

She bit her lip as he talked about relationships. "Passion fuels a lot of things," she replied. She glanced up again. "So what does Mars in Scorpio mean? That I should stay away from intimacy, or chase after it?" If that was what he meant. She wasn't quite sure, but it was something that was on her mind a lot lately, more than she would like to admit. Maybe he could help her straighten things out.

She smiled lightly and tilted her head so her chin rested on his chest so she could look up at him. "You're such a great listener," she told him. "Most guys seem to just blow off or ignore whatever I have to say." Well, except Lucah, but she wasn't going to say that. She thought about something interesting to share, something light and friendly rather than deep and emotional. "Um. I've been thinking about getting a tattoo," she offered; it was the first thing that popped into her head. "I was thinking maybe a feather, on my shoulder," she added, touching the spot where she wanted it. "I just need to find someone to design it, maybe, and a tattoo artist that won't do a horrible job." She laughed quietly. "Have you ever thought about getting one?"

[Noah Washington]

"At least, it might be a good time to really try. You can never let go of those things too quickly. And if you try to force it, they never go away." That was at least what he thought, but he wasn't really sure. Noah struggled with finding grudges that he needed to keep. But then again, he'd never been involved in drama like she had. Not yet, anyway.

"When it comes to relationships?" Noah took the moment to remember what he had read about it. Mars really did drive a lot of things through passion. "I think it had to do with giving in to am almost gentler side of intimacy. Maybe it means looking at what relationships have that to offer?"

Noah looked over to her as she moved. Were it not for the moon he might not have been able to see her at all. Instead it coloured her features, accentuating the green in her eyes. "Do you have any friends who can draw well?" He asked, thinking back briefly to a conversation he had with Mia.

"I thought about it. I wish I could think of something that would make a good tattoo. Normally they're like, symbols of a part of you, right?" He asked. He knew people who had tattoos, and they always said it was better to be absolutely sure about what design before getting anything done. He laughed lightly when he thought of a question; "What do you think would suit someone like me?"

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"That's true," she replied, frowning slightly. "Well, like you said, it would be a good time to try at least." If nothing else, just to help her get the weight off of her chest that had been pulling at her for the past few months. She really did attract drama. It just couldn't be helped when she fell for people so quickly.

"A gentler side. That sounds wonderful. Although, with Lucah, I don't know if that's possible. He can be so... Um. Well, never mind," she mumbled, embarrassed for bringing it up. He didn't need to know about the details of their newly budding relationship. "So I guess I'll just try to keep that in mind." She felt her cheeks burn a little, and bent her head back down again, shifting a little to ease the weight on her wings until she was on her side, resting her head on one arm with the other in front of her.

"Hmm. The only person that comes to mind is Juniper, and we're not extremely close. She's a little, ah.... Eccentric," she said, but not unkindly. "She does draw pretty well though, so I might have to ask her." She made a mental note to seek out the girl, whom she had seen around at the retreat in passing. It really would be cool to have someone she knew design it.

She nodded, understanding what he was talking about. For her, getting a feather tattoo just seemed to make sense - her wings were a huge part of who she was, and plus, feathers were just pretty. She didn't see how she could go wrong with one. "What would suit you?" she repeated, musing. "Hmm. The first thing that comes to mind is water, of course. Maybe some sort of water droplets, or a wave?" She tried to think about what else made her think of him. "Or stars," she added. "Like, maybe a constellation for your star sign, or something. That would be simple, and unique. I'm not sure. It would be cool if we could get them together, if it's something your seriously thinking about, though."

[Noah Washington]

Noah was a little surprised when she started talking about Lucah, but stopped. Normally she would talk about the guys she was dating with him. "-Cold?" He interjected. He remembered her saying something about him being cold.

"Mia draws too, I think," He offered, "Though I've never actually seen what she draws. But I bet she's really good at it." That was, if the two of them were talking at the moment.

He thought about her suggestions. Both ideas sounded like they suited him pretty well. "See, I think I should have been born as a Cancer." Noah laughed a little at the thought. That would have been just perfect. "But then, Virgo's and Scorpio's are pretty compatible signs. If you go by that kind of thing, that is." He looked over at her with a clear grin on her face, because it was way too easy to tease her with that fact.

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"Um, yeah, he can be cold," she mumbled. "I mean, you know, emotionally and physically. But he's also really uh... Physical? So, uh, he can be... Hot too." She wasn't really making sense now, and she was stumbling over her words, not sure why she was so embarrassed to talk about it. "Let's just say, gentleness isn't really his thing," she finished, running a hand through her hair as she laughed at her own awkwardness.

"Does she? I don't think I knew that." She paused, thinking. "No, I didn't. I guess I don't know her all that well. I haven't talked to her a lot since..." She waved a hand in the air vaguely. "I'm sure she's good though, yeah. Maybe I'll ask her." She probably wouldn't, but he had offered her another person to go to if she needed to.

"Cancer's a water sign too, right? Like Scorpio and um... Pisces?" Hey, she did know something about astrology! "A water sign would definitely suit you. Maybe I should have been air, considering how much I like flying. Although I can be kind of stingy," she added with a giggle, poking him a couple times with her finger. "So maybe Scorpio is good." Her eyebrows rose at his comment, and her grin widened. "Is that so? Well then, since I'm sort of going along with how to act depending on the stars, I'll keep that in mind." Using the hand she had been poking him with, she reached over and gave him a side hug before pulling back again. Flirting came so naturally between them. She wondered what Lucah's sign was, and whether or not they were 'compatible'.

[Noah Washington]

Noah really couldn't help but laugh at how awkward she was acting. He knew what she meant, but listening to her try to explain it was way too entertaining to pass up at the time. "Passions of Mars." He teased, turning his eyes up to the stars again.

"I gotta admit, I was surprised when you said she might have been into that guy." That guy. It was the only way he could refer to Cam, really. "She didn't seem like the... Type, I guess." Noah wondered if what he meant by that would come across. He wasn't really sure if he knew what he meant by his own words though, but he could never understand why girls got caught up with such an obvious player. "You should try talking to her about it. Bury that grudge. Mars commands it of you, Scorpio!"

He thought back to the things he had read about their star signs. "Oh yeah," Noah began, "They compliment each other. I'm compassionate and caring, you're resilient and passionate." He laughed about that too, looking away from her again and back at the stars. It only took staring out for a little while longer to catch another shooting star from the corner of his eye.

"Talk about lucky..." His hand shot up and pointed in it's direction. "Make your second wish!"

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"Damn you, Mars," she laughed along with him. That's right, blame it on the planets. It wasn't like she wasn't like this ALL the time...

She shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Cameron. Well, he didn't specifically say his name, but she knew who 'that guy' was. "Yeah well," she mumbled,"I was into him at some point too. Don't ask me why. I guess maybe I am that 'type'." She didn't mean to sound bitter, but it wasn't a subject she liked talking about. She was just glad she hadn't gone any farther than heavy making out with 'that guy'. "She told me she wasn't into him, but well..." She shrugged. "I see them together a lot." She glanced up at his suggestion, managing a weak smile. "You're probably right. I really do like her. It's just..." She waved her hand vaguely again. She was full of useful things to say tonight. "I'll talk to her," she promised. "Especially if Mars says so."

She thought about the traits he named off. "That sounds like us," she agreed. "Kinda. Well, I'm glad the stars smile upon our friendship." Following his gaze back to the sky, she caught sight of the shooting star too. "Another one?" she gasped, immediately closing her eyes and thinking of a wish. The first person that popped into her head was Noah, and she found herself just wishing he would continue to be happy. He was such a spark of optimism in her life. Suddenly, she found a jolt of inspiration run through her. "When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are," She opened her eyes and smiled, continuing to look upward. "Anything your heart desires, will come to you." Apparently, that's what he had meant by getting inspired.

[Noah Washington]

"Mars is all about your business tonight." Noah commented, unable to stop himself from smirking about it. "No use losing friends over some guy." Yeah, he was perfectly capable of talking the guy down. He wasn't really all he made himself out to be anyway. Noah had his rights to this opinion; he was the one who was there when he and Ravyn broke up.

Noah didn't have the nerve to tell her that the compatibility went beyond friendship. In the moment, she had made that call and he would sit content with it. She didn't need more guy drama.

He closed his eyes and thought of what wish to make. But before he got very far in his thoughts, he heard her start to sing. It was a nice, refreshing sound; the sweet qualities of her voice trailed through the night air and really added to the moment. He was interested in the choice she'd made. Noah sat up slowly, reaching over and picking up his Ukulele again. He fiddled with the tuning pegs while he spoke; "What is your heart's desire?" He asked, not realising at the time that he was asking what she wished for.

[Ravyn Rozanova]

"He certainly is," she replied, as though Mars was like a parental figure, frowning down on her. "I know, I know," she sighed. "He's totally not worth it either. He's an ass." This made her laugh a little, mostly at herself for dating someone like him. "Maybe I should try to convince Mia he's not worth chasing after," she mused. "That might be kind of mean though. I mean, the heart wants what the heart wants." She often regretted the day she had gone to Noah for comfort, not because she hadn't enjoyed it (she had more than she liked to admit), but because it wasn't fair to him. She was just glad they could still be friends. Even if the temptation still appeared every now and then.

Ravyn hardly ever sang when people were around, but it felt right in the moment. And she knew Noah wouldn't make fun of her, even if she sounded horrible. She propped herself up on her elbows as he sat up, giddy to see he had picked up his Ukulele. She wasn't quite sure why she had picked that song. She loved Disney though, and it really was appropriate for the moment. "I wished for you to be happy," she told him simply. "My first wish was a little more selfish, so," she shrugged. "Hopefully the star will hear my prayer." She shot a glance at him. "What is your heart's desire?" she asked, smiling.

[Noah Washington]

Noah peered up from his hands to look over at her. "Do you think he's going to hurt her or something?" He asked, a little seriously this time. Normally he took things in stride, but he hardly wanted to see that guy be the cause of another girl's heartache. "Cause if that's why, maybe you should scope it out. As a friend. Only if you think it's a good idea though." He wasn't sure how that might end.

Noah frowned when she said her first wish was selfish; "It's not selfish if it's what you feel you need." He offered, looking up again and smiling. He didn't like her talking that way about herself. He played each string in their time, tuning the thing by ear and making sure it was good enough. Sometimes cool air messed with it, so he wanted to be sure. When she asked what his heart's desire was he chuckled to himself, shaking his head and looking back down again. He used the first song that came to mind.

"My heart's a stereo. It beats for you, so listen close. Hear my thoughts in every note-" He smiled again, looking up at her through his fringe. "O-oh." Noah craned his neck up slightly, as if singing in part towards the stars. "Make me your radio. Turn me up when you feel low," Noah laughed in the small break he had, unable to contain himself; "This melody was meant for you, so sing along to my stereo."