Fortunately Unfortunate

Started by Sinna Mystika, January 07, 2010, 11:57:02 AM

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Sinna Mystika

Kodi was on the way to her sister's when the snow started. Two hours to go, and she could hardly see the road. She grumbled to herself as she pulled into the gas station to fill up her tank.

"Better be careful," the clerk said. "This one's s'posed to be bad. S'posed to be at leas' a foot 'fore mornin'."

Kodi thanked the clerk for the news, paid for her gas, and left. She looked up at the sky before climbing into her car. It didn't look all that bad. Maybe the weather man had it all wrong. Kodi sighed. She could only hope. She climbed back behind the wheel and was about to shut her door when she heard the man at the next pump.

"Interstate's going down," she heard him say into his cellphone. "Snow's been falling thick and fast a few miles up. I'll be a little late getting home."

Kodi got back out of the car and walked up to the man, avoiding the ice on the ground as she went. The last thing she needed was to fall again.

"Did you say the interstate's being shut down??"

"Yeah, there was an accident just up the road. Luckily my road's just right there," he said and pointed behind the station. "You headed east??"

Kodi nodded her head, her brow furrowed. How was she going to get to Amanda's now?? She didn't know the county highways out here. She barely knew the ones back home.

"There's a highway there that bypasses that section," the man said. "If you don't mind backtracking through a little town, you can be back on the interstate in about fifteen minutes."

Kodi heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the man, then rummaged through her car for a pen and paper to write down the name of the highway. She hoped the highway wasn't too snowed over for her car. Kodi wasn't fond of the little Taurus, but it had taken her where she needed to go. She left the gas station and re-entered the highway carefully. The snow had already begun to accumulate quickly, hiding the ice left over from some previous storm.
Kodi watched for the highway and was relieved when she finally saw her exit. She could see the flashing lights just ahead where the accident had been. I hope everyone's okay, she thought. Kodi turned off on the highway, grateful that there was only about an inch of snow. It was even in good repair. Kodi thought maybe, just maybe, this trip would go smoothly. Then she hit the mailbox.

Well, to be more precise, she hit a patch of ice. She tried to steer out of it, but she couldn't seem to get the car to do what she wanted. She saw the mailbox coming at her rather quickly and covered her face. The car came to a crashing halt, and it was much louder than Kodi expected. She climbed out of her car shakily to observe the damage.
The mailbox post had gone through her radiator; there was no driving out of this. Kodi kicked the car and went to turn it off, cursing under her breath. Wait, she thought. Mailbox means house. House means people. People mean telephone. She looked around then, and saw a quaint little house with an attached garage. It was smallish. The kind you live in when you don't have kids. Then the door opened.

ArlenIronison

Arlen flashed on the front lights of his house when just a minute before he heard a loud crash. He was sure someone had had an accident right outside his home and stumbled downstairs in a robe to see what happened. He stopped at the door, and ran to the laundry room for real clothes. As he hobbled back to the door, forcing on a pair of jeans and a sweater -- both black -- he grabbed his leather coat off the coat rack and opened the door to his house. Much to his surprise, a woman was emerging from a battered Taurus to frown at her damaged vehicle, and Arlen's misplaced mailbox inside the radiator. It was only good; he'd meant to get the old thing replaced. He got his boots on and was glad they had Velcro straps instead of lace ties, and carefully made his way through the snow to see what happened. He didn't look at all angry, just surprised, and nearing the woman even more, he was able to make out some of her concealed beauty; he could see only her face through her snow gear.

"Hey, is everything alright here? Are you hurt?" He called out, wading through the knee-high snow towards her.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi watched the man stride across his lawn. A handsome man, if she ever saw one. He was dressed all in black with and looked quite dashing, though rumpled. Had she woken him up?? Oh, I hope not. He called out to ask if she was alright and Kodi began to walk toward him with one last look of dismay at the wrecked car. She met him halfway across the lawn and held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Dakoda. Sorry about your mailbox, the road's icy. I lost control." She shook his hand as she continued, unable to stand the silence as he stared at her. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. I just slid in nice and smooth and I wasn't going very fast anyway. The car isn't driveable though, it's been skewered. I'm not hurt though, just a bit shaken, that's all. Not the first time I've ended up in a ditch."

Kodi frowned, mentally kicking herself. Why didn't she just shut up?? Why did she tell him she had wrecked before?? That was a stupid thing to say. Kodi realized she was still holding the man's hand and let go with a nervous giggle. She smoothed her coat and readjusted her scarf, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

ArlenIronison

Arlen couldn't help but smile at the girl. "Hey, let's get you inside before you freeze. You can use my phone to call someone if you need to, but I don't think you'll be able to leave. This weather's supposed to keep up for a few days." He nodded his head towards his house, waiting for her to walk on ahead of him before following after her. As they got up to his door, he rushed ahead of her and opened it for her, holding it open until she entered first, and then him. He couldn't help that his mom taught him well to be nice. Closing the door, he walked into his living room that connected to the front door and knelt by the empty fireplace. He tossed a few logs in and lit the fire easily enough, walking back over and hanging up his coat, even offering to take Kodi's. "Oh, I'm Arlen by the way. Pleasure to meet you Dakoda. And sorry about your car."

Sinna Mystika

As Kodi was walking through the door, she couldn't help noticing that he was a gentleman. She watched as he lit the fire, impressed with his efficiency. She would have managed to catch something on fire, but it wouldn't have been the log. She shoved her mittens into a pocket of her coat and unwound her scarf. The man hung his coat, then offered to take hers. Kodi suddenly noticed just how tall he was as she looked up at him. She handed him her coat and walked over to stand by the fire. A gentleman indeed, she thought as she smoothed her sweater over her short, slender frame. The man introduced himself and apologized about her car. Kodi smiled.

"It's just a car. There are more to be had." She beamed at him, her face lighting up as she pushed her shoulder-length auburn hair behind her ears. "Call me Kodi." Suddenly what he had said as they walked inside registered, and her face fell.

"Wait. A few days?? I was supposed to be at my sister's for my neice's birthday today. Oh, what am I going to do now?? It's still a two hour drive. Even if I could drive, I could never make it in this storm. What was I thinking, driving today, and without checking the weather no less," she chastised her self, then looked at him with a worried expression. "Are you sure you don't mind me using your phone?? I hate to be a bother." She was blabbering again and she frowned inwardly at herself, looking close to tears.

ArlenIronison

Arlen took Kodi's coat and carefully hung it up, watching her take a seat by the fire. Part of him couldn't help but notice how the firelight lit off her skin, and her hair. It wasn't so different a color than his, granted much longer however. He walked over, picking up the phone on his way.

"Kodi? A nice nickname, it suits you nicely." He tried to smile reassuringly as she spoke of where she was headed, and patted her shoulder, holding the phone out. He also dug in his pocket for a tissue; he knew they'd pay off eventually. He handed one to her, smiling warmly. "Here, it's alright. You can use the phone, but I'm not sure you'll be able to get a call out. If the storm keeps up, the power might go out and I don't have any cell service here as it is. Dropped about an hour and a half ago."

He watched her take both the tissue and the phone timidly and got up, walking towards the kitchen. "I'll make something to drink, hang tight." And so he started on a pot of water, pulling out some teabags.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi managed to dial out, but she could hardly make out her sister's words. She had just enough time to explain that she wouldn't make it and hear her sister ask again if she okay before the phone went dead. She set it on a table and looked around. It was a nice little place. Kodi could smell tea from the kitchen, and decided to look around until he came back. She peered out of the window at the storm, and realized she couldn't even see her car. They should probably move it somehow. Oh well, it's not like anyone else is foolish enough to go out in this storm. She noticed the distinct lack of a feminine touch in the house. Did he not have a girlfriend??  The shock of the accident finally hit her, and she started shaking. Kodi walked over to the fireplace to warm herself, looking at the pictures on the mantle. There was one of young boy, presumably Arlen, sitting on a brick wall and smiling at the camera. Kodi smiled and chuckled. He looked like such a happy kid. She looked at the other pictures. Arlen with two girls that had his features, only softer. His sisters?? One that was obviously a family photo. He had his mother's eyes. She looked down into the fire and hoped that her sister wouldn't worry too much. She frowned a little, wondering how she could get the car off the road. Certainly they couldn't lift it. Arlen looked strong, but she would be of no help. She was five foot five and slender. She could barely scoot her furniture around the room. She sighed as she stared into the fire.

ArlenIronison

Arlen eventually came back into the living room with two cups of some herbal tea, holding one out to Kodi. "Careful, it's hot. It'll help calm you down a bit, you still look shaken. Are you sure you're alright?" He eyed her respectfully at his question, hoping she was indeed alright. He grabbed a seat on the floor next to her, but let her have some distance. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know, but I can't do much about the car, or about helping you out to your sister's house. We'll have to wait the storm ou--" Before he could even finish, the storm had gotten worse.

The power went out in Arlen's house.

The only light was that of the fire, and even then Arlen was on his feet. "Dammit, I knew it'd happen eventually..." He sighed. "Stay here by the fire, I'm going to grab some candles and blankets." He walked off to the nearby staircase, making his way upstairs. He stopped part of the way, he knew she'd say something. "Don't be afraid, I won't be long. Just keep yourself warm, I'll be right back." He threw her a reassuring smile through the dark, hoping it'd reach her.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi accepted the tea, briefly wondering what kind it was. She hoped it was loose leaf, it tasted fresher. She frowned at herself. Stop criticizing and be grateful! He didn't have to offer you anything. She took a sip of the tea and felt the warmth spread to her toes as she watched Arlen sit down on the floor. He looked so much smaller that way. Less menacing. Though, if truth be told, she didn't find him that intimidating at all. She found him to be quite charming, in fact. The lights went out, cutting off what Arlen had been saying to her, and Kodi jumped. She didn't like the dark. She wasn't afraid of it, she just didn't like it. She scooted as close to the fire as she could while Arlen stood to go find candles. He stopped on his way to the stairs and smiled at her, and she returned. Something about his smile made her feel safe.

Kodi absent-mindedly swirled her tea in its cup, wondering what she could have possibly done to deserve all this bad luck. First the car, now the storm was forcing her to stay. Not that she minded Arlen's company. No, she thought as she smiled. I don't mind at all. Suddenly tea sloshed over the side of the glass and onto the carpet, and Kodi sat the tea aside and jumped up.

"Oh no!!" she cried in dismay. Not only had she torn down this man's mailbox, she had now spilled tea on the rug. She looked around frantically for something to wipe it up with and settled for pulling her scarf down to mop it up before it soaked in. She sat back and looked at the wet spot on the floor. It wasn't so bad. It wouldn't stain, in any case. Kodi tossed her scarf back over her coat and picked up her tea, this time sitting on the couch and holding it firmly in both hands, waiting for Arlen to return. Why did she have to be so clumsy??

ArlenIronison

Arlen returned soon enough with a box of candles and a bundle of blankets under one arm. He set the blankets on the couch, and started placing and lighting candles around the room, bringing some natural light to it. At the time, he had only bought scented candles. He couldn't find normal ones. As the scent in the room changed to something more homely, Arlen had noticed a small wet mark on his carpet, but didn't mind it. He smiled at Kodi and beckoned her to join him at the fire as he grabbed the blankets.

"My house doesn't take that long to get cold in a storm like this, so you should relax and come rest by the fire." He held a rather generous blanket out to her, thick and large to be able to keep her warm twice over. "Take this, you'll need it." He had another blanket for himself, not as thick but just as large. He seemed content with it as it was, and didn't mind at all in giving the larger more comfortable blanket to a complete stranger. Or well, not so complete a stranger. He knew her name at least. He settled down by the fire, waiting for Kodi to join him.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi took the blanket and sat beside him, grateful for the fire. She sighed contentedly and looked at Arlen, then pointed to the wet spot on the floor.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I spilled tea on the rug. I managed to mop it up with my scarf. There was nothing else readily available." A dazzling smile lit up her face. "Thank you again for welcoming me into your home. I really hope I'm not putting you to any troub--" Kodi gasped and stood up, hitting her head on the mantle. "Ow," she said, rubbing her head. "Um, I have to get my bag from my car before the doors freeze shut. Do you have a flashlight??"

ArlenIronison

Arlen stood as well, his smile fading as Kodi hit her head. He rushed over, grabbing her shoulder lightly in case she hit herself hard enough to become light-headed, and he shook his head. "No, let me get it for you. If the doors froze, I can get the open more easily, and I don't want you running out there alone in the storm. No offense, but, the wind might knock you down and you could get buried." He grinned playfully at his small joke, pointing out he did in fact know just how slim she was. He admitted to himself her figure was amazing for a woman of her size, but didn't speak it out loud.

He smiled again, letting go of her shoulder. He held a hand out for her keys. "May I? It's not that you have to worry, I can't steal a frozen, broken down car anyways." What he didn't say was that he could fix it, if he got it into his garrage.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi laughed and handed him her keys. He was right, with her luck she would turn to go back to the house and lose her way in all that snow. She'd had enough trouble crossing his lawn, and the wind hadn't been blowing as hard then. She noticed Arlen was watching her rub her head, so she dropped her hand and smiled.

"This is nothing. I do it all the time. I'm just a bit clumsy," she said with a chuckle, then her brow furrowed. "I need to try to move the car though. It's still sitting on the road. Even with a punctured radiator, I can move it into the driveway. If I can get it out of the ditch, I'm sure it can just go forward. If you don't mind me driving in your yard, I think I can get it into the garage." Kodi grinned. "I do know a little about cars. You pick up a few basic things when you have my kind of luck. I'll have to find a tow truck when the storm stops, though. I know how to order parts, but I can't tell them apart. Are you sure you don't mind going out in the cold??"

ArlenIronison

Arlen was already headed back to the front door and getting into his snow gear, extra pants included. He smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about getting the car into the garrage, I can do that on my own. There's room in there, so don't worry about that either. Just have a seat by the fire and relax, I'll be back soon, okay?" He smiled again, getting a winter hat on before walking out the front door and into the cold blizzard beyond. Closing the door firmly, he trudged towards Kodi's car.

The doors were indeed frozen and he had to kick the handle to unfreeze it before forcing it open without much effort. He turned the car on short enough to at least change gears, then killed the engine that barely turned over. Getting back out and using a shovel he had left out, he started digging the car out.

After some thirty minutes he managed to free the car from the snow and pushed it into the driveway slowly. After running over to open the garrage door he rushed back to the car to push it into the dark portion of the house. He went into the car to retrieve the keys and managed to fish out Kodi's bag. He walked back into his house, having to shove the door open with his shoulder. The garrage door was closed before, obviously, and inside his house he stripped out of his snow gear. After everything was off, he walked back over to the fire, enjoying the warmth as he set Kodi's bag down next to her. Overall, it had taken him a span of an hour and a half to do all the work.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting Kodi. Car's in the garrage, and I'll get to work on it in the morning." He smiles generously.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi wandered around the house, periodically returning to the window to watch him for several minutes, wishing there was some way she could help. She heaved a sigh, at least it was a small car. She wandered through the few rooms of the house, avoiding the one closed door. She assumed it was his bedroom. Kodi heard the garage door open and went to look out the window. How had he managed to get the car that far all by himself?? The garage door shut with a bang, and Kodi heard Arlen tromp onto the porch and open the door. She had reclaimed her seat by the fire, and had folded his blanket and sat it as close to the fireplace as she dared so it would be warm when he returned.

When Arlen handed her bag to her, she opened it to make sure nothing had been damaged in the wreck. Before she thought about it, Kodi had pulled out her coloring books and crayons and set them on the coffee table. She checked her neice's birthday present, a small picture frame with daisies on it, and replaced it into the bag, along with one of the coloring books. She opened the other book, one about fairies, to a half-finished page and opened her crayons. She colored when she was frustrated or excited, but she did it in a way that no child could possibly manage. She had taken an art class in high school, and was now quite good at blending the colors to get exactly what she was looking for. She had just pulled out the dark blue crayon, the one that matched her eyes, when she suddenly remembered Arlen.

Kodi dropped her crayon and blushed to the roots of her hair, stammering over an apology. "I-I-I w-wasn't trying t-to ignore you. I p-promise. I just c-color sometimes to r-relieve tension." She leaned over to grab the crayon, hitting her head again on the table. She picked up the crayon and sat it neatly in the center of the coloring book before she dared look up. What would he think of her now?? She knew that her coloring tended to make people quirk an eyebrow at the very least. Her mother would lecture her on it often. How would she ever find adult friends if she colored in children's books and watched children's shows?? It wasn't that she was childish, she just liked cartoons, and coloring helped her to give her mind a break. She looked now at Arlen and wished for the hundredth time that day that she was a normal person.

ArlenIronison

Arlen watched with interest as Kodi pulled out a coloring book for herself and began to draw in it. At first he thought it was going to be something, well, childishly made, but as he watched he could see her true talent, and with a crayola no less. When she looked up and blushed, he simply smiled to her. He patted her shoulder at her stammered apology, chuckling lightly.

"Don't worry Kodi, it's alright. It's just your way of getting over stress, I understand that." He tugged the blanket around Kodi's shoulders a bit closer around her to keep her warm. "Don't worry about it, at least it's not like chewing your nails and leaving them lying about like some people." He returned his attention to the fire which reflected off his features in a rather remarkable way. For a man like him, it seemed to outline his features more and give them more character, as if his skin was actually made by fire, due to the skin tone. The fire reflecting in his eyes made it seem as though there was a fire IN his eyes, which was of course impossible.

He unfolded his blanket, feeling the chill starting to creap into his small house. Wrapping it about himself, he leaned back on his shoulders to gaze into the fire, thinking. He had a feeling this night would change his life a lot.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi smiled as he tucked the blanket closer, and watched for a moment as he sat staring at the fire. She finished her picture and put away her things, then scooted to sit beside him. The temperature was dropping in the house, and Kodi used it as an excuse to sit closer. She sat and watched the fire with him, occassionally stealing glances at his face. He was handsome in the firelight. His angular features made more prominent by the playing of the shadows across his face. His green eyes reflected the fire as though it came from withing. It was getting late, and Kodi yawned before leaning against him, nearly dozing off as she watched the fire. She started thinking about the fire, and spoke aloud without realizing.

"What is it about fires, that mesmerize a person so that they feel safe??" she asked with a small sigh. "Is it the way the flames dance?? Or maybe it's the colors." Kodi blushed and looked at the floor, leaning away from him. "Maybe it's just me. I like fires. Even campfires make me feel.....content with the world. I can sit and watch a fire for hours and not have a care in the world. Sometimes I light a fire in the summertime just to watch it dance." She continued to stare at the floor, obviously embarrassed, and fiddled with the hem of her sweater.

ArlenIronison

Arlen had smiled when she leaned against him, and had resisted the urge to wrap an arm around her shoulders. When she wasn't paying much attention, almost falling asleep, he'd stolen a few glances himself, unable to get over how such a beautiful woman head ended up in his house.

He was about to give in and hold her gently against him when she pulled away, and instead found his hand resting against her own as she spoke. "Perhaps it is the promise of warmth, which brings two together making both feel safe with one another." He smiled, watching her expression closely.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi looked down at her hand, pressed against his, and waited for him to speak. When he answered her, she raised her eyes to his quickly, with a somewhat shocked expression on her face. She had spoken without meaning to and received a serious answer instead of a half-hearted joke?? Realizing her mouth was gaping open, she shut it and giggled nervously, nodding enthusiastically.

"Y-yes. That's exactly what I always thought." Kodi tilted her head to the side and looked at Arlen. There is much more to him than what's on the surface, she thought. She settled back against his shoulder and wiggled to get comfortable, grinning to herself and saying so softly he almost missed what she said. "You know what I think?? I think I just might be lucky after all."

ArlenIronison

Arlen didn't hesitate this time to wrap an arm around Kodi's shoulder, opening his blanket to keep her ever warmer and safe in his embrace. He smiled, glad his blush didn't show on his face before replying.

"And here I though I was the lucky one..." He looked down, trying to catch her gaze with his own.

Sinna Mystika

Kodi snuggled against his side, grateful to have more than her own meager body heat. She felt his eyes on her and looked up at him. He looks so.....happy, she thought. Like he hasn't a doubt in his mind about having a strange woman waltz, well crash, into his life. She hadn't done anything as graceful as waltzing. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, then blushed and looked away, returning her attention to the fire. She didn't remember falling asleep. She jolted awake after only a few minutes when the log in the fire popped loudly. She hoped he hadn't noticed her sleeping and thought it was because she found him boring. She just felt so warm and comfortable there in his arms that she had dozed off. She just sat there with her eyes closed, feeling the heat in her face.

ArlenIronison

Arlen returned her gaze when she finally looked up, seeing the smile of her face reaching those soft, beautiful eyes. He smiled to her and watched her blush and turn away, slowly dozing off and falling asleep. She awoke again and he was holding her still, and decided that she needed some rest. Watching her slowly slip off again, Arlen carefully shift to help lay her down on her side. It was good he was stealthy and strong to be able to do that without jarring her body any. Very silently, making sure her blanket was around her enough, he slipped down to lay behind her, resting an arm across her body to keep her close and help make her feel safe, and wrapped his blanket about them both, laying his head down behind hers.

The first thing he noticed was the smell of her hair. It was also the last thing as he, too, began to drift off to sleep slowly, glad she had entered his life...

Sinna Mystika

Kodi only faintly noticed as he slipped his arm around her. She scooted to lay as close to him as possible, fitting her body to his, and drifted into a deep, untroubled sleep. She dreamed of the fire. She dreamed of looking into the fire and finding the answers to her troubles, but the dream faded away and Kodi slept soundly.

ArlenIronison

((How adorable. Wanna pick it up again tomorrow? You did wonderful by the way))

Sinna Mystika

((*blushes* Thank you. That means a lot to me, as this is indeed my very first roleplay. I can pick it up tomorrow if you wish to stop for the night. If, however, you wish to continue tonight, I just need a wee bit to eat. I forget sometimes. ^_^ Would it be easier to use the request thread for OOC?? It's already there and all. Just figured I'd ask.))