A Friend from the Past [Tag: Cale]

It was the most difficult thing to do, but Marina left Damon at home while she had to visit some of the ships that just arrived at the harbor. Damon was in good hands with Jasmine, and John, but she was already missing him terribly.

After what looked like hours, she walked from the last ship, and took all the paper of the goods she was going to sell on the kingdom. However, when she was next at the pier, she stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, feeling the sea breeze waving her hair softly she realized how much she missed the ocean view.

Cale had been out, walking around the town, finding all the places that might keep him entertained for a while. He had found the town tavern, with plenty of drunk women and girls inside to keep him busy for a little while, and a club called The Wonderland Dancers he had made a mental note to check out. Now he was at the harbor, moseying along the docks, hands in his pockets, nonchalantly looking around. He suddenly stopped when he noticed a familiar looking face.

He squinted, clenching his jaw, trying to place the face with the town. He was usually really good at remembering faces, but hers was a mystery, and it bothered him. Casually he started walking again, over towards the familiar young woman, a friendly smile on his face. "Well hello miss," he greeted pleasantly. "What might a lovely young woman like you be doing out here, at this time of day? It's not exactly the safest place for such a beautiful lady," he crooned. Over the years, he had become really excellent at falsely flattering woman and making them feel comfortable with him.

''Hello...'', she said softly to the man by her side, but she didn't diverted her eyes from the sea. His words were pleasant, but she had heard better ones, especially by John's lips. ''I was checking on one of my ships, sir, and I had to stop to watch the sea for a moment, it's just... breath taking, don't you agree?'', she said with a wide smile as she turned her gaze towards him.
This guy looked familiar, there was something in his eyes that Marina swore she had seen before. ''I'm sorry, but I think we've met before...'', she frowned her brows slightly as she tried to remember him.

"I'd say it's the second most lovely view out here this evening," Cale answered, not looking away from the woman in front of him. His smile was friendly as he looked at the young woman's face, although his mind was searching for the place he had last seen her face, and he held his hands behind his back, keeping the forming fists out of view as his memory failed him. "You know, I was just thinking the same thing," he agreed playfully, bringing his arms around holding his chin in a thinking pose, smirking playfully as he did so. So she recognized him too....Where had they met??? He kept his outward appearance calm and friendly, but on the inside he was growing more frustrated each second that passed.

Marina gave him a small smile and rolled her eyes at his flirting, ''Boy, you have no idea of who you're flirting around'', she said with a small smirk. He was cute, that was true, but not her type. She thought it was for the best if she didn't talk about her life to this stranger, so she kept studying him, and tilted her head slightly to look at him from another angle. He looked differently from this view, younger, and her eyes widened, like her smile as she finally remember of him.

''Oh my, that's impossible! Cale? It's me, Marina!'', she said with a joyful voice and pulled him closer to a friendly look, ''It has been so long since we've last met, remember?'', she smiled as she pulled away slightly to kiss him on his cheek.

Cale stiffened as Marina brought him into an embrace, neither fighting her nor returning her hug. He watched her cautiously as she pulled back, and just as he started to relax again, his whole body stiffened again as she leaned in to kiss his cheek, stepping back a bit and putting some distance between himself and Marina. He cleared out the lump that had started to form in his throat as he looked down and away from his old friend, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "It's nice to see you again," he said shyly, looking up at Marina sheepishly as he continued to rub his neck, hiding any hints of the other emotions he was feeling at seeing her again.

Marina clasped her hands over her chest, feeling like the little girl from the time she spent with him. ''You haven't changed so much since then, still a shy one, don't ya? But you've grown up, you're a man now, Cale!'', she exclamed and pulled him into another hug.

Cale pulled away quicker after Marina brought him into a second hug, pushing her away from him, his face growing dark and his stomach tightening nervously. He took a couple steps backwards as he turned his face away from the painfully enthusiastic woman in front of him, turning his body a bit away as well so that his side was to Marina. If she actually knew how much he had changed since they had last seen each other....What would she even say? What would she think of him now? The man he had become?

It wasn't like he cared. Cause he didn't. AT ALL. Or at least, that's what Cale kept telling himself, saying it over and over in his head. He made his choices. He could live with them. And really, he was where he was because of others. The other kids he grew up with, who never included him in anything; barely even noticed him, if they did at all, just like his parents. It was because of them that he had turned out this way. It was their fault.

Cale could feel a large lump growing in his throat, and he attempted to gulp it down. His jaw was tightly clenched, and the more he thought of his past, the tighter his fists became at his side until his knuckles were white. His whole body was rigid, and his face was angry as he glared at the ground. As much as he wanted to rein his emotions in, to keep Marina from asking what was wrong, he couldn't. He had passed that point a while ago. But when she did inevitably ask that dreaded question, he really didn't know what he would say. He definitely couldn't tell her the truth.

((Back story!!!!XD Sorry for all that. I got too into it.))

[That's no problem, hun! ^^]

Marina furrowed her brows as he turned away, his face assuming a familiar darkness. She studied his body language for a moment, and decided it was for the best if she didn't touch him again. She noticed him clenching his fists, and she could see his emotions through his face, she wasn't sure if she saw right, but he seemed hurt, and sadly, Marina had a feeling he was alone. She remembered slightly when he told her when they were kids, that his parents didn't care much about him. She only wished things had changed for better, but something inside her head told her that maybe things changed for worse.

''Cale, are you feeling alright? Was anything I say or did that made you feel like this?'', she asked softly, caring. Since she had Damon, she grew up this motherly caring towards the people she cared. She cared about Cale long ago, bit it didn't mean that she couldn't care about him again.

Cale turned his head and looked up at Marina, not turning the rest of his body though, his face a bit less angry looking, and unsure, his brow furrowed. He let out a deep sigh as he looked down, collecting his thoughts, releasing his fists and resting his hands on his hips. "You just, have no idea how much I've changed," he said simply, shaking his head, his face still towards the ground. He reached up to pinch his temple at the bridge of his nose, his eyes tightly shut, and then with another sigh, he dropped his hand and looked up at Marina. "I'm not the pathetic little kid who put up with being ignored and laughed at anymore," he explained, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest, his face serious. "I make people notice to me, listen to me." He clenched slightly at his arms as he spoke.

Marina chewed her bottom lip as she studied him closely. It was just the heat of the moment that made her think that he didn't change. He has changed, he looked tougher, more mature, and Marina thought she had seen a sight of sadness into his eyes. She took his hand gently and looked at him, led them to seat on a fallen log closer to the beach. ''You remember you never had to make me listen to you, don't you?'', she asked softly, looking at him. ''People change, Cale. Is part of the natural flow of growing up. I've changed too, I'm a mother now!'', she grinned softly, ''So tell me, how was your life during these years we haven't seen each other?'', she asked with a caring smile.

((WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT GIF??? It's so perfect for the moment!!!!!))

Cale's expression changed to one of shock as Marina took his hand, and he hesitantly followed her to the log, eying her suspiciously, his brow deeply furrowed, and keeping an arms length of space between them as he slowly took a seat beside her, but not tearing his hand away from her as part of him wanted to do.((Now that's a run-on sentence.)) He turned his face down away from her as she spoke, his face growing softer, but still serious, as he listened to her.

"No...I didn't..." Cale whispered his answer to Marina, not sure nor caring if she heard it, in slight awe remembering how strange it had been that she did notice him. He had his free hand clenched into a fist on his knee, and his jaw was constantly clenching and relaxing as he listened to Marina, looking up briefly as she mentioned being a mother, his eyes momentarily vulnerable, but quickly dropped his gaze again. He didn't have the best trust in mothers, remembering his own. His jaw then clenched tightly and the fist on his leg tightened more than it had been upon hearing Marina's question. "Shitty," he answered brashly, finally pulling his other hand back from Marina roughly. He leaned forward on the log, his arms resting on his knees, and holding both his hands together between his legs, and stared blankly down at the ground. There's no way she'd understand, in fact she'd probably just have him arrested, so it didn't make any kind of sense to tell her.

Marina found strange he keeping that distance between them. It was almos he had forgoten about her. He was one of the few friends he had in youth, him and Jane, she hadn't heard of her for a long time, and she hoped things went good for her. She didn't know why, but it seemed like he didn't wanted to be touched, though he was still holding her hand Marina felt like he was only doing that to keep the appearances.

She gasped quietly when he broke the contact so roughly, she was expecting that, but not so rudely. She rested her hands upon her lap and looked away from him, to the sea, as if it would help her to keep calm, and to think clearly about what just happened. She gazed him with the corner of her eye. He looked tensed, sad, really sad, and frustrated... What happened to the sweet and shy boy she rememebered?

She cleaned her throat and looked at him with gentle eyes, ''My father... He's dead. He was killed a couple years after we lost contact.'', she laughed as a memory hit her. ''I remember the first time you went sailing with us... How old we were? 11, 12... I can't remember clearly. Daddy got suspicious about you, but he didn't tell you. I had only bring Jane on board before, and you were the first and only boy I introduced to him. That trip was shot, but I remember one night, when he taugh us some of the stars constelations, I still can name them if I wanted'', she laughed softly and looked at the sea again. There were times were she missed Cassim so much that her heart ached.

Cale looked back up at Marina as she spoke again, His face sad and apologetic as she started. He remembered her father, he was a nice man, a good father, and he was sorry that she had to lose him. She watched her curiously as she started to laugh, then smirked softly as she started to bring back some pleasant memories, looking down and then out at the ocean, smiling fondly as he remembered, chuckling softly as she mentioned her father's first thoughts of him.

His face then turned dark though, and he clenched his jaw as Marina mentioned her. Why did she have to bring Jane up? It was like he couldn't escape her, no matter how hard he tried. He kept his eyes glued on the water, his face emotionless, and his hands in tight balls. He smiled slightly when Marina moved back to the good memories, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I am sorry about your father," he said softly, still looking out at the horizon, his expression still blank. "That is....Truly terrible," he said as he turned his head to give Marina a comforting smile, his eyes warmer than before, but still distant. "He was a good man. It's a shame he is gone," he said matter of factly, looking back at the ocean.

As he turned his warm eyes towards her, Marina could see the gentle boy she had met first, and discretly and moved closer to him on the log.
''That's sweet of you, Cale. And thankfully I got over the grief from his death... How about you, do you want to share anything with me?'', she encouraged him and moved a little closer again.

Cale's face fell as Marina tried to ask about his life again, and he sat up straight as he continued to gaze out at the water in front of him. "No," he answered coldly, his hands in tight balls on his legs. He then pushed himself up off the log taking a step forward and turning his back to Marina, his gaze falling to the ground. "I should go," he said simply, his voice distant. As nice as it was talking to her, someone who didn't know about his life now, he had to go, so as not to ruin or impression of him. Let her remember him from the past. It was better that way. With an almost silent sigh, and a slight drop of his shoulders, Cale started to walk away, sliding his hands into his pockets and not looking back to Marina.

((Feel free to stop him.))

Marina's smiled faded slowly as he turned to leave. He looked so tensed, Marina didn't want to make him upset, or to lose him again. He was the one of the living people left that she met before her life changed along with Fa. She couldn't deny she was happy with John and Damon, and all her other friends, but deep down she missed Cale.

''Wait!'', she reached him and touched him briefly on his arm, just to call his attention, she already knew he wasn't a fan of touching nowadays. ''Just don't go yet! I've just met you, I wouldn't like to lose contact with you again'', she said with a softly smile and crossed her arms onto her back as she stood in front of him, ''So, as talking about past is out of questions, how about the present? Are you going to stay in Nirethia? Is pretty far from our home town, don't you agree?'', she pointed with a small giggle.

Cale turned back in surprise hearing Marina call after him and touch his arm, looking down at her hand and then at her face. His eyes wide from the surprise of her stopping him, there was clear sadness and vulnerability in them, as well as uncertainty. He had no idea how much he could, or wanted to trust Marina. Those childhood days were along time ago, so much had changed. "It might be better if you did let me go," he said quietly as looked at her face and then gazed intently into her eyes before he bit his bottom lip nervously ad looked down at the ground, clenching his fists at his sides.

Cale's stomach tightened as Marina mentioned the present, wondering when she meant by that, and his body relaxed a bit at where she had gone. "Perhaps for a little while," he said with a small shrug, then looking up at Marina apprehensively. "Yeah, it's a good long distance," he agreed lightly, looking at the ground again with a small smile, thinking about his journey from there to here. Sure he hadn't come straight here from his hometown, but he could still tell it was a long distance between places. "Pretty different place with different people too," he added with a little laugh.

Her heart squeezed slightly as she met his eyes. Marina could see the sadness and the vulnerability on them, and something deep inside her wanted to help him. She could let him go without being sure he would be okay, and she didn’t have doubt he needed someone, like always. She pouted slightly when he said her to let him go. It was like he was reading her mind, asking something she was willingly to do the contrary. Her pout faded slightly, and she bit her lip as she faced his intent gaze, he wasn’t intent before, was he?

“Sorry to disappoint you, but there are something that I haven’t change, like this urging of caring about people I like. I’m still the same, like you remember me at that aspect”, she said with a small smile and looked down to the ground. “Where are you staying? I’ve been here for a long while, I can tell or show you the best places into the kingdom… I’m sure John wouldn’t mind”, she said with a small chuckle.

"I see you're still as stubborn as always as well," Cale teased lightly with a small half-small, looking up at her, his head tiled to the side, and a bit of a hopeful gleam in his eyes. Never before had there been someone who wanted to know him and help him so much, or at all. It warmed his heart in a way that it had never been warmed, except when they had first met and spent time together. He chuckled quietly to himself as he looked down at the ground briefly, and then up at Marina again through his eye lashes, smiling fondly with his thumbs hanging on his belt and shifting his weight to one leg.

"I honestly don't have the slightest idea of where I'll be staying," Cale told her, bringing his arms behind his back and walking a little towards Marina, a light smile on his lips. He figured, as he came into town, he would spend the night with some girl and then just leave the next morning. "But if you know of any places...?"he prompted her playfully, raising an eyebrow as he leaned his neck towards her, but not his body. "Heh. I would appreciate it," he laughed softly as he stood back up, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling nervously.

Marina laughed softly and shoved her shoulder playfully at his. She was relieved he looked less tensed, looking almost like the boy she remembered him to be. She smiled softly at him, fiding him quite cute with his 'shy stance' towards her.

''It's getting late, and as you said before, it's dangerous for a girl like me to be out, alone, in a place like this... I just don't want more bad memories'', she said quietly, looking down at the sea. The times she was attacked were exactly by this hour, and if she met one of the Korsos while walking home, she was pretty sure she wouldn't survive if she was alone. ''Could you follow me at home?'', she asked quietly, ''If you want you could sleep tonight at my home, and tomorrow I could show you the town'', she said with a small smile as she held her sides.

Cale couldn't remember the last time he laughed like this. It had been a very long while though. His stomach actually started to ache, not used to his muscles working in this way, and he held it casually, his other hand on his hip. Cale looked up through his eye lashes at Marina as she spoke, a small, pleasant grin on his face as he listened to her, his smile falling some the more she spoke. He furrowed his brows and looked down as she mentioned 'bad memories,' guessing what they may of been from context, and he chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously. He looked at her in slight surprise when she offered him a place to stay, not exactly sure what to say to her after that. "I-" he attempted to start, having to stop to clear his throat. "I would be glad to escort you home, but I wouldn't want to be an imposition," he explained gently. Cale had never been someone particularly good at accepting others help, always saw it as them pitying him, and he was only a slightly better at giving help to others, but still not good.

[He laughed until his stomach ached... Yep, Marina is that adorable! ]

Marina let a small sigh out before she smilled softly at him, ''You're my friend, Cal. You're not an imposition, and never you will.'', she said with a small giggled and bit her lip, ''I hope you don't mind if I hold your arm while we walk'', she said shyly and wrapped her arm around his, though she kept a small distance between them. She smirked softly to herself, she was feeling safer now, with him by her side. This town was very dangerous, and she wished she could be stronger to defend herself, but she knew that there were some situations she couldn't handle for herself.

''So, do you have any job?'', she said lightly as she led them back to her home. ''I remember you wanted to be a knight, or a hero, maybe?'', she said with a small smile as she made a face trying to remember those talks they had when they were younger.

Cale bit his bottom lip and looked down shyly as Marina smiled at him, the corner of his mouth pulling up just a bit in a gleeful smile. He was caught a bit off guard as Marina took his arm, but didn't react in any way with his body. "Oh, no of course not. I mean, of course I don't mind. If you take my arm," he scrambled for the words, inwardly slapping himself, and making a face on the outside at how stupid he sounded. He made another kind of face as she reminded him of his silly boyish dreams, his face growing sadder as he thought about it. His silly notion that people would like him, love him, notice him, if he did something big with his life. Well...He had one of those now...."I haven't done a lot of work," he said sheepishly, looking at the ground in front of them, shrugging lightly and rubbing the back of his neck. "I do some odd jobs, for food and a place to sleep, but I've just-been doing a lot of traveling," he explained evasively, sounding more nervous then he usually did when he spoke to women about his life. Was it because Marina had known him before his life changed? Back when he was a shy, nervous nobody?

((Aw!!! He's naturally awkward around girls!!!!((My characters...They write for themselves. I learn about them when you all do.)XD Now we know what Jane will be bringing out of him. Nice little addition about wanting to be a knight.))

Marina smiled brightly as he had some difficult to formulate his sentences. She couldn't help but giggle softly as he slapped himself, he looked quite cute, like he was the older brother she had never had. She giggled a little more as she thought about it, gosh, she needed to stop adopting brothers and sister, because someone she would be sibling of every citizen of Nirethia. However she frowned slightly when he talked about odd jobs.

''What kind of odd jobs have you done, Cal?'', she asked slightly seriously, but then she grinned softly. ''Some of my ships need some good strong arms like yours...'', she said softly, ''I mean, it was my dream job. Sailing away across the seven seas, having a lot of adventures and knowing several places across the land'', she said dreamily, with a childish grin.

[Haha, I'm glad you liked about the knight stuff. I know what you mean, sometimes my characters do the same with me, especially Eric XPP]