#kalopsia

a woman made of stars

"My apologies for creating such a disturbance, I was just wondering if you knew where the stream was? Someone down on the beach said there was fresh water up here, and I suppose I just got all turned around."

[ Her voice sounds foreign, her English accent isn't quite right. There is the sound of something else amongst her words, but she speaks so quitely that it's impossible to tell what it may be. The young lady scuffs the toe of her white boot on the dirt floor of the forest, a streak of brown smearing against the pristine plastic-y coat. Her face lights up as if she forgot something, her hands clasping over each other as she brings her gaze up from the ground to his eyes. ]

"My name is Marjorie. Sorry again for bothering you."

-༊

[ His head jerks back to see the young woman standing in the patch behind him, she looks rather timid as she’s making a noticeable effort to make herself look smaller. He noticed the way she looked as if the slightest indicator could send her fleeing, possibly trying to navigate the woods on her own. ]

“Don’t worry Miss, I’d be- I’d be happy to show you the way to the stream. Do you need a hand? The ground is rather unsteady over here.”

[ He pulled his hand out of his pocket, the palm was laying flat an inch shy of the top of his slacks. She looked very hesitantly at his hand, almost confused, like she was suspecting something entirely different, like she was assessing if that was really a safe decision.

She took the boy's hand and followed softly behind him, almost like she was scared to make a sound. Although there was no marked path, it looked as if this route had been traveled quite a bit lately. THe creepers were all broken, pressed into the ground from frequent foot traffic. As they passed particularly low hanging branches, the boy would move them out of her way so she didn’t need to duck below them whilst getting scratched by a few of the higher ones himself. ]

“My name is- you can call me Kitt.”

[ Kitt pushed a bush clear of Marjorie’s path, bringing two feet of dirt and the rocky edge of a winding creek into view, Kitt makes sure both of the young woman’s boots meet the firmly packed soil before he releases her hand. He kneels along the bed of rocks dipping the tips of his finger into the stream. ]

“This is one of- one of the better spots to get water, it takes less filtering. Closest to what you can drink from your hands y’know. If you desire I can show you how to filter it, Marjorie.”

- ☁︎‎‎

"You're Irving Bennett, aren't you? I've heard about you. You know, the priest pipeline is only so large, especially in Southern England." [ As if it had been invisible before, Irving now notices the long black robes that the man adorns. He must be burning up in the heat, but there's hardly a drop of sweat that runs down his face. The man's hand stays where it is, clasped tightly on Irving's shoulder as if he's trying to use the grip to remind himself that this is real. That they really did crash. ]

"Are you hurt anywhere? The plane came down rather fast, and I'm sure that I would never hear the end of it from one of my most beloved friends if you ended up injured beyond repair. Any cuts or bruises at all?" [ He seems to have forgotten to give his name. ]

-✟

[ Initially, Irving seems to be surprised at the feeling of someone's grasp on his shoulder, but the details he observed made any exclamation he might have had fizzle away into confusion leading to questions. ]

“You’re on edge. You’re going to get too much tension between your shoulders and strain a muscle.” Brother Reeves says it so matter of factly, like he’s commenting on the sky being blue, or the weather being warm outside. His knowledge of the human body and how it reacts is almost too much for a religious figure. Like he had another life before the one as a preacher. 

“Are you hungry at all? I found a pack of Biscofruit that survived the crash.” He holds out a package of eight jam filled sandwich biscuits, with strawberries decorated on the sides. The writing is entirely in French, but the snack is probably considered currency on the island. And he was giving it up for free with an outstretched hand and a warm smile that reached his eyes. It was rare anyone’s smile got that far since they landed.

It is curious where he got them from. As if Brother Reeves can read minds, he chuckles the soft laugh he seems to only use when he’s flustered. It may be the heat of the sun or the layers of fabric he has draped on, but his cheeks and the tips of his ears seem to tinge red in embarrassment.

“I have a son. Who quite likes the snacks. That’s where they came from. My Ex-Wife used to insist I carry them to make sure he was always well fed. Greedy little things, children are.” Brother Reeves looks down at the dirt beneath his shoes and smiles at what appears to be nothing at all. “Even the most holy people can be sinners too. Sinners that don’t regret a thing. I embrace the sin, because it gave me something worth the repentance that followed. Doesn’t it make common man’s sins easier to swallow to know that their idols of religion indulge themselves as well?” 

Brother Reeves doesn’t wait for an answer. He presses the package into Asa’s palm, closing their fingers around the unopened pastries, and pats the closed fist twice. 

-🫀

[A branch snapped and out came a short young person. Their eyes narrowed as they approached Louis.]

Are you a cross dresser? Don't lie to me, I can tell you're a man. A woman would've put more effort into her appearance than you do. What really gets me is how no one has seemed to noticed, or at least pretends not to notice.

[They gritted their teeth as their voice grows more desperate.]

What is your secret? Where do you get the- the nerve! I- you think you are so special, don't you? With your- your short dresses and pretty hair! Must be so easy for you to just play around! "Oh look at me! I'm a little cross dresser! I like fooling around in women's clothes like a little fairy!" Must be a real big funny joke to you!

[They scoffed, though not entirely out of disgust. It sounded more like deep rooted jealousy. The kind of pain that came from seeing someone live out a dream you gave up long ago.]

-♦️ ( @the-fools-deck)

The crossdresser isn't too bothered by Asa's sharp tongue. She smiles, not nearly as warmly as the priest or many of the other figures that Asa had met. She has the same bite in her eyes that Asa has. Her bitterness lingers in all too familiar ways. She doesn't even bother hiding her deeper tone of voice when she speaks.

"Very good. You have quite the keen eye, although I'm not really trying to hide it. It was my father's idea, to make him look like a better man to the upper class British society. As soon as one of these disgusting pigs that calls themselves a man offers me clothing, I'll be dropping the façade of Darlene. I don't do it out of sick enjoyment, and I don't like the clothing. Of all the things to be in such an era of time, you really think I'd give up everything to be a woman?"

His bitterness seems to fade as the painted face of Darlene falls. He is someone beyond the woman that he appears to be. He hasn't done the best job, with sloppily painted nails and shaky eyeliner on his lids, but he hasn't done horrible either. The thing that stands out most about his appearance is the fact that he squints at everything, like he can't see a few feet in front of him. He takes a step forward, eyes narrowing at Asa before a grin splits his freckled cheeks.

"You're that guy that Jude was talking to. My apologies, Brother Reeves. What a bunch of fucking bullshit. He used to be a normal dude, I went to school with him. I wouldn't mix up with him if I were you. The guy may seem like he can fix all your problems like some magical bitch when he waves his hands, but he'll only make more for you."

He looks down at Asa, smile flickering from his lips.

"You seem smart. I doubt you'll need that wanker's medical advice. Such a shame that his family... Well y'know."

Asa does not know.

"My name before it was Darlene is Louis. I doubt either of us will live very much longer for you to get back to England and tell everyone I was some weird freak who pretended to be his own cousin to clear his dad's name. I hope I go before you do."

The Shine of the Spotlight Turns to You.

Characters:

-Feathers and Fans: Aurelia Lavender is a 21 year old French burlesque dancer who has found herself thrust into the spotlight. Between her controlling producer and her demanding father, all Aurelia longs for is an escape from her present. 🪷

-Brushes and Bones: Leslie Carter is a 22 year old young lady with a bright future ahead of her as a housewife. Her mother has raised her to be the perfect wife for the perfect husband, but Leslie longs for something embedded into the history of the planet. 🗝️

Other tags:

#aurelia reblogs + #leslie reblogs: reblogged responses from other blogs

Ref Sheet under the cut: