Garden Paths and Other Escapes [Kendra/Nadia]

Kendra had no real interest in plants. Planting seemed to just be a time-consuming bore that certain people enjoyed. But while Kendra may not have enjoyed the idea of gardening, she could appreciate the serenity of it all.

Kendra worried about things, thought about things, and got upset about things. She got upset and irritated quickly and she wasn't good at hiding it. Flowers and trees, however, were peaceful. Vegetables and fruits could be planted knowing that once they grew up they'd be useful to other people.

If plants were people, Kendra could only imagine them as calm, gentle beings. The thought, for some strange, alien reason, soothed her slightly when she felt like she needed to escape.

Her parents had been especially determined to try to teach her about the economy lately. She honestly didn't care about it. Kendra made it obvious she didn't want to be a businesswoman, and that she could be successful otherwise. But all she really was was a ticket to her parent's future. In the garden, however, she was free. At least, that's how it felt.

Sitting down on a bench, Kendra stared at the surrounding area. Truly, this was what relaxation was; watching a garden sway in the light breezes that carried all your worries away. A tired smile graced her face, the dark circles under her eyes a little more obvious.

Nadia was going on a date. But it wasn't happening today either. It made her restless, trying to figure out when Cecil was going to contact her for the date. He wasn't going to back out was he? The idea made her a little nervous. So, instead of focusing on it, she went out into the world to find something more important to focus on. like life. Flowers. Maybe dead ones.

Nadia was already walking past the flowers as she was thinking about them, mind still not in the game. Her messenger bag bounce at her hip, full of far more art utensils than she needed. As she walked along, she began taking in the scenery. Her need to draw something kicked in, and she began looking for a subject.

That's when she saw the girl sitting on the bench, looking tired, but happy. It was an interesting expression, full of hidden things that Nadia was interested in finding out. Nadia stopped on the other side of the path from the bench. Not particularly close enough for conversation. Turning, she sat cross-legged on the ground facing the girl and the flowers rising up around the bench, and began to sketch. She focused on the basic shapes first, the girl's frame, the shape of the flowers around her, glancing up at intervals to observe her subject. Hopefully she would have a couple of moments before the girl noticed she was the subject and moved.

In her relaxed state, Kendra's observational skills were quite lacking. A few flowers had caught her attention in particular. Bright, sunny daffodil, swaying just a little bit like they're performing some kind of strange dance, are in front of her. From her position on the bench, the petals stand out the most, but she's sure she'd see more if she was closer. And the girl sitting near them, sketching, added more life to them.

It was at that moment the cogs in Kendra's head turned, and she realized that the girl was drawing something. She was sitting in front of her, so did that mean she was drawing Kendra? Without any form of permission? Kendra felt anger bubble up inside of her.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Are you seriously drawing me? You didn't even ask if you could!" Kendra had jumped off the bench, a 5'0 ft ball of fury. She marched over to where the artist was, glaring. She glared, trying to be intimidating. She sort of had a height advantage too, a little bit of giddiness added to her anger-fueled adrenaline.

Shoot, she was moving now. But she'd stayed still longer than Nadia had expected, and Nadia had gotten a pretty good representation of the tired, wistful look on the girl's face before it contorted in rage. What a lively young girl, Nadia thought, staring blank-faced into the furnace of the girl's heavy stare.

Blinking up at the girl, Nadia set her pencil down to explain. "I didn't want to disturb you. And a model who knows they are being observed is posing, and there is only truth in candid expressions." She replied flatly, examining the girl's obvious display of dominance. There was a lot to read into about that. But at the moment, Nadia was curious about something else.

"You seem tired. Have you not been sleeping well? The dichotomy between your serene expression and the tiredness of your eyes made for a very interesting subject." She stated, "Though, I apologize if I offended you by doing so." She'd apologized for this several times now. When it came to drawing candid models - it was not only easier, but more fruitful, to ask for forgiveness in lieu of permission.

Kendra's rage, though not completely gone, was overtaken by confusion. Why was the girl speaking like she was from some history book? She was complimenting Kendra, sure, but she seemed so calm and formal. It reminded her of elders from days gone by where being proper was more important than comfort.

"I... Thanks? I think. But you really shouldn't do that to a stranger. Maybe a close friend or something. Maybe even just a friend." It was the best response the confused girl could come up with. She didn't change her posture, continuing her best to make it seem like she was towering over the girl. It was pure instinct, a desire to seem better than the blank-faced girl.

"Look, I know I overreacted. Sorry." It came out as robotically as it always did, though Kendra's tone became less robotic as she moved away from the apology. "I understood 59% of that. Seriously, do you always speak like that? Anyways, I guess I really haven't. My parents have been pressuring me. Pretty standard stuff, right?" She doubted being forced to look at the most powerful businesses currently in existence was normal. She figured being nagged about math homework was more in the vein of normal.

Nadia smiled a little as the girl's anger was replaced by confusion. The girl was chastising her still, lightly. And explained that her parents had been pressuring her. Nadia wondered what that felt like, being pressured by adults. All she had ever really known was stand-offish and uninvolved parentage. And...the way she spoke? She did have a tendency to use complex words, especially lately with how much literature she'd been reading. Had it really effected the way she spoke?

"I'm sorry." She apologized again, flipping closed the sketchbook, but not making any move to leave her seated position. Instead, she leaned forward, balancing her chin on one hand and considered the girl. Her small smile returned as she replied, "Everyone's experiences are unique, even when they are similar in some ways. Saying 'pretty standard stuff' belittles the value of your own experiences." Her voice was soft, light, "What have you been pressured about doing? or being?" Nadia followed with another discovery question. She hadn't met anyone quite so willing to share their sorrows. She'd be very interested to see how much of this girl's story she could glean.

The girl in front of her was definitely weird. She was smiling at Kendra rather than looking intimidated or upset by her angry outburst. Everybody Kendra had ever met had reacted poorly to her angrier outbursts. Even her own parents would snap back, talking about how they were just trying to make sure she was successful in the future. Kendra briefly entertained the idea this girl came from some kind of story. She looked pale and looked kind of slim, but she was still pretty, and with that dark hair she could've come from some weird, gothic love story. The formal way she talked, complex words peppered in, also fit.

"Seriously? You want me to just spill my personal story?" What if this girl was actually just working for a tabloid? She was sure those kinds of people set up these scenarios. Still, she didn't think anybody had asked her about what she was being pressured to do. And this girl was a total stranger she'd probably never see again. What harm was there in talking? "Prim, proper, cold businesswoman. The kind you see and respect, the kind who runs a worldwide company. Supposed to take long lessons on economy and rival business companies rather than useful stuff." It felt good to talk. "I'm just a ticket to their future. The future they failed to get. I want to go into law or get a position in government. But I'm not going to be allowed to. They can't control me forever though, so one day I'll be free. Sometimes, though, I just feel like that day won't come." Kendra seemed to slump slightly, though not fully, as she described her situation. She smiled slightly, relieved to finally just tell somebody.

It occurred to her it wouldn't be fair to just dump all her troubles on somebody. That wasn't what any kind of leader did. A leader listened to the people.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you listened to me. Do you have anything you need to get off your chest? I'll listen no matter what."

It was amusing how the girl resisted at first, and then unloaded her story honestly anyway. It was easier to talk to a stranger than someone you know, she supposed, someone who may use the information against you or judge you. A stranger could be impartial.

Nadia listened intently as the girl spoke of her plans, and of what was being planned for her. Nadia knew that kind of cage, though it seemed opposite of what she herself had experienced. She wondered if she could say something that would help her face that situation...

But what Nadia did not expect, was for the situation to turn around to her. It was usually Nadia who asked the off-the-wall questions, getting splendidly spontaneous answers. But now She was being asked if there was anything she wanted to talk about. Her eyes unfocused, widening in obvious surprise. "Me...?" What should she say? Should she talk about Cecil? The fact that she couldn't decipher the meaning of her own feelings concerning him? Would this girl be able to help? Perhaps. While she considered it, she preferred to finish their original topic. That would keep her in control of the conversation and...give her some time to sort out her response. "I might have something... But first, concerning your issue, you're already free. The fact that you're out here unsupervised...who says you have to go back? I didn't." Nadia leaned back and spread her hands on her knees. They had gotten a little clammy from holding her pencil and sketch pad in the same position for too long. "Every day that passes is another day you'll never see again. Don't miss out on things you could be doing because someone tells you you can't."

Kendra was startled by the poetic bluntness of the strange girl. Did she really think Kendra could just run away from home? Despite the appeal of that idea, because there was a massive appeal and Kendra wished she could run, there were a few issues. Where would she go? She'd been in that house her whole life and she didn't really have any friends she could ask to let her stay over. And she didn't have a job, so buying a room somewhere was out of the question.

"That's a pretty good point. But I don't exactly have anywhere to go. If I had a place I could stay, I would happily run away. And I don't have a job. So I can't pay for a place to stay. It was like admitting defeat, which bothered Kendra greatly. She was never one to lose, and if she did ever lose that didn't matter or count, so having a loss like this sucked. Really, she admired this girl for being able to just leave like that and seem so well-adjusted and normal.

"You said you ran away, right? How? What did you do that let you just leave like it was nothing? How did you avoid police trying to find you?" She needed to know. It was just one more year with her family, but if she could escape before then it would be better. If she ever went to college, she'd be stuck doing what her family wanted. Sure, she could change what was going on, but she'd have a year of that. She had always thought having more freedom would make it better, and she knew it would, but being able to flee like that would be amazing. She'd be in total control of her life then.

"You really should talk about any issues you have though. Kind of selfish of me to burden you." She didn't want to completely bother this girl and just use her to unload her own burden. That was wrong. Kendra was not thinking of what a leader would do anymore, more focused on trying to be friendly. Was it wrong to actually want to come off as nice to a person you just met and didn't want to meet again? Probably. But Kendra had the social skills of a wolverine on cocaine, and she wanted to be useful. She finally stopped standing, moving to sit next to the girl.

Nadia shook her head at the girl's concern for her. "No, I enjoy learning about people. It's not a burden for me." Nadia countered, with a pleasant smile. "I was able to find work and lodging at the Vagabond Inn. I work there when they need me, and in exchange I have a room there to stay at, and at least one meal a day, though often times it is two." It gave Nadia a thought, actually, as she examined the longing that had passed over the girl's face. Nadia couldn't help but have sympathy for someone who wanted to leave the past behind them. It was hard to change your life. It really was. But it was also worth it.

"They may be able to work out something similar with you, as well. If not, then perhaps another similar establishment." Nadia offered helpfully. "At the very least, I could allow you to share my room, though I can't offer much support beyond that." Nadia had been looking at other avenues for lodging and employment. And it could be that an opening would present itself when she did. The Inn may even be happy to have a replacement in the wings that Nadia could train... Nadia looked to be deeply considering the concept as she tapped her chin in thought.

"As for police, you can legally live on your own at 16 or 17, I believe. My parents didn't care enough to come after me, but if yours will, then you may take this into consideration. How old are you?" Nadia answered the final question, and leaned back a little bit, resting on her hands. It was becoming a trifle uncomfortable to look up at the girl.

Yeah, this girl was definitely a strange one. Still, the girl, for all her weirdness, was helpful, and Kendra could appreciate that. "Are you serious? You actually managed to set up an arrangement like that? That's pretty cool." She didn't realize any kind of establishment would be willing to let people do that. She should've tried looking into that sooner.

She felt her jaw drop when she actually heard the girl's offer. She was willing to just let her stay with her? Kendra was a total stranger! But this girl was admittedly strange, and admittedly very helpful, so how far-fetched was it actually? "You're actually willing to let me stay with you? Wouldn't that kind of be me free-loading? I don't have any sort of job and I really don't want to make things more difficult for you." Kendra did want to stay yes, but the thought of just hurting this girl nagged at her mind. And she didn't know how long it would take for her to find a job, especially with her temper. She'd probably end up scaring away customers and getting fired.

"17. I think I could, but my parents probably wouldn't be okay with it. I think I'd need their consent in some form, and even if I didn't they'd probably hold my stuff hostage, finding loopholes so they couldn't get in trouble for it. Of course, if I managed to smuggle my stuff out slowly it could work. And really, I've been good at avoiding them. Just need some hair dye." A small smile had wormed its way onto Kendra's face.

"You still need to tell me some issue I can help with."

Nadia was so taken with solving this girl's metamorphosis that she had nearly forgotten that she was supposed to be sharing herself. "Right...well, yes, I wouldn't mind it. Though you'd have to work at the Inn a little. It'd be a good experience for you anyway, if you haven't worked before. The details of your moving your possessions is something we can discuss more in detail later if you decide to try." Nadia hadn't had any possessions when she'd left home, but it sounded like this move would be a bit more complicated.

"As for myself..." Nadia looked away, thinking. It was strange to tell her own story to a stranger. It made her part of the picture instead of the observer she normally chose to be. Coming up with the words was hard than she ever thought. "The only thing I can think of is...Cecil. We're going on a date, you see...and while I certainly wanted to...I find myself asking why. I have been told It's because of my 'feelings' for him, but I'm not really certain what exactly those feelings are. It's probably a problem only a strange person like me has."

Kendra looked like somebody had just taken her away to a tropical resort and told her she could live there for the rest of her life for free. Really, to her this was the kind of miracle she had wanted for a long time. "If we're being serious, I'm in! I don't want to live with my parents for a second longer. Can I move in with you right now? My parents will probably be out later so I can go in and steal my school supplies. Maybe you could help me carry some things out!" It hadn't even hit Kendra that she didn't know the girl's name. She was just too excited to focus.

It was like one of those moments in movies where something triggers a flashback for the main character. Kendra froze up, eyes widening slightly. Was that the same Cecil she had dragged into a side ally and then pestered with personal questions that made her sound like a stalker? She didn't know a lot of Cecil's, so she was gonna assume so. "Well, if you're going on a date, you probably love him. Or have a crush on him. And good for him because you're a total catch and I can understand why he'd want to go on a date with you. But if you're unsure whether or not you wanna go on this date, ask yourself some questions. Do I wanna hold his hand? Do I feel butterflies in my stomach when I talk to him? Does he make me laugh and feel happy like nobody else can? Could I talk to him about a lot of things have have him actually listen? Do I want to kiss him and spend all my time with him? How often do I think about him?" Kendra actually had no clue what to say, but she figured she could make up some good advice by remembering various romance movies. The next time she say Cecil, she'd have to congratulate him for finding somebody like this girl.

It was Nadia's turn to get excited. Here this girl was, confidently relaying all of the things that she should consider about the Date. Whether or not she wanted to go on the date was a mute point. Of course she did. But her feelings concerning Cecil...Love? That seemed a little extreme. Nadia wasn't even sure what something as abstract as love looked like. What did it feel like to be in love?

"Do I wanna hold his hand?"
Well...yes, sometimes.

"Do I feel butterflies in my stomach when I talk to him?"
Butterflies? it...could probably be described that way. Maybe.

"Does he make me laugh and feel happy like nobody else can?"
Well...He was one of the few people who made her feel like she was a part of something instead of just an onlooker. Did that count?

"Could I talk to him about a lot of things and have him actually listen?"
Cecil always listened when she talked, even when he didn't like what she had to say, or when he was laughing himself stupid in self-depricating mockery...

"Do I want to kiss him and spend all my time with him?"
Well, yes and yes, but those were just simple impulses, weren't they?

"How often do I think about him?'
A rather unfair question, considering Nadia had a proclivity for momentary fascinations and brief obsessions. But she had to admit, Cecil had become something a fulcum of her thoughts lately. She couldn't deny that. "I hadn't really considered all of those things together at once before." She blinked, lost in her mind as her eyes unfocussed. Did she really "love" Cecil? They hadn't known each other that long. Wasn't that wierd? Did it matter if it was wierd? It warranted more exploration to be sure. But one thing she was sure of. Even more sure than she was before. She wasn't going to let Cecil awkwardly back out of this. They were going on a date. And she was going to figure out what these feelings really meant, together with him.

Nadia pulled herself back to the conversation at hand, looking up at the girl and smiling faintly. "You can spend the night with me at least. We'll figure the rest out as we go." She flipped to the previous conversation, seeking refuge in familiar waters. Thoughts of her emotional state were threatening to drown her in contemplation.

Kendra felt her heart beat a little faster from nerves. She seemed to have been thinking about something for a few moments, and Kendra had been unsure whether or not she had broken her. Her advice was totally correct, even if she had no clue what she was talking about, so her advice couldn't have been the route of the issue. She was probably just distracted planning the date or something. At least, that's what Kendra told herself.

When Kendra heard Nadia speak again, she felt relieved. She had actually managed to be useful and not get her help rejected by yet another person. "See? My advice always helps out those in need! They just have to listen to me and things will work out."
She gave the girl the biggest smile she could muster, continuing to try to seem friendly. She ignored the small, tiny bit of anxiety still in her body screaming at her to just say something because she was failing.

Without thinking, as soon as she heard the girl's offer to let her spend the night, Kendra pulled her into a hug. It wasn't as bad as it could be, considering Kendra didn't pull as hard as she could. "Thank you so much. I can't thank you enough even if I tried. You are literally the best person I've ever met!" It took her a few moments to realize she had pulled this stranger into a hug. She let go, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck, her face having turned red. "I'm Kendra, by the way. I don't think I introduced myself. Sorry about the random hug. Just excited."