Contemplating....and a Picnic (Jake/Aurie)

Aurelie rolled her eyes. "Stop being so pessimistic," she told him, holding out a hand and letting the sun play on it. "Think of it."

Jake stared dumbly at her. "Uh...what exactly am I supposed to think about?" he asked.

Aurelie gave a noise that sounded remarkably like a growl. "Think about life! How life is breathed into us, and a flower! A flower, in warm, moist dirt...." she sighed.

"That sounds more gross than lovely," Jake objected.

Aurelie glared at Jake. "You've got to be joking me!" she cried. "Life IS lovely!" She plucked a small daisy and pressed it into his hands. "What do you see?"

Don't act stupid, don't act stupid Jake had to remind himself when Aurelie's hands touched his. He looked stupidly down at the white flower. "A...flower?" he asked. As Aurelie raised an eyebrow at him, he added hastily, "A white flower with a green stem?"

Aurelie smacked her face. "You've. Got. To. Be. Joking. Me!" She kicked him playfully. "A white flower with a green stem? That's what BORING people say, and you aren't boring, Jake Ornery! No sir!"

"Thanks...I think..." Jake said. "After all, I just said something that you said that only boring people say, but I'm not boring, but yet I said that." He scowled. "That's confusing."

"Well, when you say it like THAT it sounds boring," Aurelie defended herself, a smile twitching at the sides of her mouth. "And confusing." She closed her eyes and enfolded her hands around his. "What do you feel?"

Jake's stomach flip-flopped when she put her hands on his. "I...feel...your hand?"

Aurelie cracked open one eye and glared at him. "Really, Jake? I meant, what do you feel? Energy from the earth?"

"Energy from the earth? Okay, that's just kind of crazy," Jake said, snorting with disbelief.

"CRAZY?" Aurelie cried. "You, sir, do not know how to feel the energy of the earth." Then she tried a different approach. "Come on, Jake. Try at least. For me?" She looked up at him with big, pleading eyes.

Jake blushed. What big, gray-blue eyes, pleading at him. Finally, he relented. "FINE!" he said. "I'll do it....umm....what exactly did you want me to do?"

"Yay!" Aurelie said excitedly, clapping her hands. "Okay, um, close your eyes." He did so. "Now, listen. Listen very carefully." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Listen to what, LeeLee?" he asked innocently.

Aurelie glared at him. "Idiot," she muttered. "Close your eyes and listen to nature."

"Listen to nature?" Jake yelped. "How the heck am I supposed to do that?"

"Listen!" Aurelie insisted. "Or I'll kick you in the place where the sun does not shine."

"Big threats, LeeLee, big threats," Jake said, but finally complied. He closed his eyes and listened.

And still, he did not hear anything.

Aurelie closed her eyes and listened. There was the faint sound of wind whispering around the trees, and the sensation of her hands on Jake's. Her long hair brushed her cheeks and the grass poked her feet.

Listen, she thought to herself. What do you hear.

I hear life.

(OOC: WHY, oh WHY is it so HARD to get it through your brain Jaffle?)

(OOC: because my skull is naturally thickheaded)

Jake opened his eyes and saw that Aurelie was looking peaceful. The wind picked up, blowing her hair around her face as if she was in a tornado of her own. He reached out as if to touch her cheek, and then hesitated, putting it back into his lap and closing his eyes again.

He'd try again. Just for her.

(OOC: yesh, yesh you are)

Aurelie was still closing her eyes when Jake shifted in his seat.

"What's wrong?" she asked, not opening her eyes.

"Nothing," Jake said, feeling himself turn red. "I still don't hear anything."

Aurelie sighed. "Let's just forget it," she said wearily. "You're a hopeless case." She took a bite of her sandwich and grinned. "Yum."

(OOC: HAPPYY? JEEZ)