The Thought That Counts [Katharine]

Andrei Ehrenström
Hunter

74 POSTS
last seen Nov 1, 2014 18:51:05 GMT -5

Artemis

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Jul 30, 2014 22:15:36 GMT -5

Post by Andrei Ehrenström on Jul 30, 2014 22:15:36 GMT -5

As much as Andrei loved his siblings, getting some time to himself was a treat. Mama was home with the twins, Leif was off somewhere with his friends, and Papa was taking his paycheck to pay off some bills. Andrei had 2 weeks' worth of pay in his pocket, and it was his turn to hit the market for necessities. Food, clothes, replacing some tools that had outlived their usefulness, that sort of thing; he'd put in some overtime the past couple of weeks to cover the materials he'd needed for the twins' treehouse. He'd come in under budget, so had a little extra to do with as he pleased. In particular, replacing his mauled jacket; he had come away from that encounter with the wolves a few weeks ago relatively unscathed, but his shirt and jacket had been beyond any hope of repair. They'd been repurposed, but for the time being it left him with one less shirt and no work jacket.

He had his carpenter's belt slung over his shoulder, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to his elbows; it was still cool in the middle of summer, but their district generally didn't get particularly warm. There were a few scrapes on his forearms from work, an irritating reminder as to the absence of his jacket. Under his arm was a crate, making his rounds to some of his neighbors who had requested toys for their children, repairs on small items or in the case of an elderly man, an anniversary gift for his wife of more years than Andrei had been alive. Even the crate itself had been a request from a mother wanting to start a hope chest for her young daughter. By the time Andrei reached the market square, he had a whole bag of new projects and repairs.

And Mama wondered why he never had free time.

He didn't spend much time chatting with the vendors except to haggle; in the middle of summer, produce was plentiful and cheap, and nobody particularly wanted to piss off a very large carpenter whose hatchet was still dangling from his side by trying to pull a fast one. He finished the list Mama had given him in relatively little time, finding some material that could be made into a new jacket, and on a whim picked up a bouquet of wildflowers to put on the dining room table and a basket of cherries knowing they were the twins' favorites. Andrei was about to turn to take the road home when the woman (an old friend of Papa's, her name was Holly but everyone called her Gramma) he'd bought the cherries from stopped him.

"Andrei," She asked in that sweet old-lady voice that she knew he couldn't say no to, "Would you do me a favor? The sign on my stand is coming down," She pointed to it leaned haphazardly against the side of her stand, "Would you be a dear and put it back up? I'll throw in an extra basket of cherries for your sisters."

As if she needed to persuade him.

"Anything for you, Gramma." He replied with a smile, setting down his goods and wares, shrugging the belt off his shoulder and putting it on. Andrei was tall enough that if he stood up on his toes, he could hold the sign in one hand and pound the nail in with the other.

The job took only a few moments --much to the relief of her neighbors, it certainly was a noisy job--, and when Andrei holstered the hammer Holly was coming out of the back with another basket of the cherries she had promised. She pressed them into his hands, patting his cheek as if he were her own grandson.

"Say hello to your lovely family for me, would you?"

Word Count//Theme by Ali

Last Edit: Aug 4, 2014 20:34:35 GMT -5 by Andrei Ehrenström

☼Star Faultz☼
Merchant

185 POSTS

last seen Dec 6, 2017 22:19:42 GMT -5

"Happy endings only happen in fairytales, Dear,"

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Jul 31, 2014 19:54:53 GMT -5

Post by ☼Star Faultz☼ on Jul 31, 2014 19:54:53 GMT -5

"Katherine."

My name is not Katherine, nor does the name seem to stick in my head. It doesn't sound right. Seldom does it ever gain a reply; a distant glance from cloudy eyes.

And she keeps calling for the poor girl; hollering for someone who will never answer. For there is no person in our District with that name. Everyone chooses these eccentric names like Acacia and Dandelion, making my head spin wildly. I just want her to say mine; it's so simplistic and so condensed.

Katherine. Who does she think she is? Katherine. I can't stand that demanding tone laced into her words. Katherine. Katherine. Katherine.

My mother. She believes that she is my mother. Anger ignites me like a flame in the night. It licks at my toes, causing me to acknowledge her presence. I don't think she deserves any time of the day, but my lips practically ache at the thought of letting her scold me like one of her many, two-legged mistakes.

"It's Katharine," I mutter against my sheets, the venom in my fleeting breath stinging my eyes when it finds that it cannot escape the confines of my bed. It was meant for her, anyway. Not me. "What do you want?"

June rips my only line of defense away from my grasp, letting the cloth hit the floor with a clean 'SCHWIP'. My stomach churns. "I don't care what your name is! You treat me with respect, you hear?" She barks, placing her face close to mine.

My name is Katharine. My name is Katharine. My name is Katherine-

I shoot up, spitfire coursing through my veins. Words have not had any meaning since my father died, just tasteless garbage strewn upon the tongue. I can't let her do this to me. She had eighteen years to learn my name. I could never give a woman like her respect.

Teeth gritted and hues glued to the door, I rise up from my bed. Words don't mean anything to me anymore. They just can't.

My jelly legs find their way past June, and I expect to fight my way out of this house like I always do. My body tenses up at the thought of her grabbing me and trying to drag me back where I started. But she doesn't.

I stomp into the living room. And she isn't following me. I can't help but feel a swell of pride about being able to be my own person for a change.

So much that I take advantage of her lethargy.

I leave.

Strapping on my mud-caked boots and throwing on an old, faded grey t-shirt and oil-stained jeans, I paused on the porch. I want her to stop me. I want her to make up for lost time.

But she doesn't.

I start into town, my fists balled tightly. Right now, the only thing I needed to do was roam. Around the stalls; the shops- hoping my blood would stop simmering.

My lips pursed in thought as I thought about any certain destinations. Holly was a woman I hadn't seen in a while. Perhaps she needed company. Guilt bites through pale flesh like a knife as I think about how I completely stopped all my unexpected visits to her shop.

I wish she stopped me.
.

Last Edit: Jul 31, 2014 23:04:58 GMT -5 by ☼Star Faultz☼

Bitches Be Actin All Innocent

Andrei Ehrenström
Hunter

74 POSTS
last seen Nov 1, 2014 18:51:05 GMT -5

Artemis

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 1, 2014 11:28:49 GMT -5

Post by Andrei Ehrenström on Aug 1, 2014 11:28:49 GMT -5

True to form, Holly chatted with Andrei the entire time he was working, asking how his sisters were doing and what they'd done for their recent 12th birthday; she'd been the one Andrei had gotten the wildflowers from to plant in the flowerbox that now hung from the window of their treehouse. She asked how his parents were, of course, and asked him to thank Leif for her for bringing the girl next door her study materials while she was sick. As much as he knew he had other things to get done, Andrei couldn't turn down the old woman for a conversation; she didn't have any family to speak of, so her neighbors and customers were all the interaction she got. In particular, Andrei knew that the neighbor girl in question was usually the one who chopped wood for Holly's stove; she had been sick for over a week now, and her woodpile was nowhere to be found.

"Gramma, has anyone been chopping wood for you?"

Holly sighed, resting her cheek in her hand fretfully.

"Not since Brynja took ill..." He said as if thinking aloud, "It's summer, though, don't worry yourself about it, dear."

Andrei paused, looking around the side of the stand; the woodshed was almost barren. He couldn't just leave knowing she had nothing to keep the house warm at night, he'd just as soon subject his family to the same. He turned back to Holly, taking the hatchet from his belt.

"I'll be back."

He didn't stand around to wait for Holly to insist otherwise; she wasn't his grandmother, but she might as well have been. Holly had been around for as long as many of the District 7 civilians could remember giving berries to the children and acting as the occasional nanny. Especially after the loss of her husband some years back it would be a thing of absolute monstrosity to look the other way when she needed something. Andrei himself remembered being only a few years old, bawling his eyes out being left alone for the first time while his parents went off for some reason he couldn't remember, and then being reluctant to leave when they did finally come back.

There were, at least, some uncut cords of wood behind the shed; rolling his sleeves up a bit further and putting on his work gloves, Andrei got to work splitting the wood with his hatchet. For most people, this was a two-handed job, but for Andrei with his hatchet of many years it took only one; it didn't have to be pretty, just effective. Thankfully the sun stayed out late in their metaphorical neck of the woods, but the bugs wouldn't wait that long to stay at bay.

Andrei wasn't entirely sure how long he was at it, but when the woodshed was sufficiently filled, he came back around the side with a load of cut wood under his arm to find that Holly had some new company. A couple of kids with their handful of allowance very selectively choosing berries from the stand, and an aggravated-looking young woman with long, dark hair talking to Holly. She looked up when Andrei came back around, making an appreciative 'oh' sound when she saw the fruits of his labor.

"You didn't need to do that, Andrei." She said, turning to the dark-haired woman next to her, "Come over here and meet my friend. Andrei, this is Katharine, she lives just up the road."

Word Count//Theme by Ali

Last Edit: Aug 1, 2014 11:31:40 GMT -5 by Andrei Ehrenström

☼Star Faultz☼
Merchant

185 POSTS

last seen Dec 6, 2017 22:19:42 GMT -5

"Happy endings only happen in fairytales, Dear,"

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 1, 2014 16:43:20 GMT -5

Post by ☼Star Faultz☼ on Aug 1, 2014 16:43:20 GMT -5

We were just chatting and making light of the little things before I left. No one in this world knew how to cheer me up but this old woman anymore. Many would never see that as something positive, but I did- in so many ways. Pa felt the same way.

"You know, I don't even know how your cherries taste so wonderful-" I smile, but I shove the rest of my sentence down my throat in order to let Holly talk. But, it's not to me.

"You didn't need to do that, Andrei." She said, turning to me. "Come over here and meet my friend. Andrei, this is Katharine, she lives just up the road."

My body stiffens at the thought of someone going unnoticed by me. I quickly spin around to prepare myself for the approaching fresh face. Probably just another kid.

But it isn't.

"Holly, I'd rather not-"

Throat dry and tongue heavy, I panic silently as I turn back to the old woman. I wanted to say no; tell her I had to leave and make some kind of excuse to not be bothered with anyone. My mouth simply could never form the words of rejection.

As my gaze falls on him, the only thing I can force myself to focus on is his intimidating stature- simply because I don't plan on seeing him again, of course. ~~I don't focus on his face~~. I don't even want to look at him; never mind speak to him. Probably some boy from school.

My toes curl inside of my boots as I near the two, my hands laced behind my back; eyes anywhere but on them. "Nice to meet you, Andrei." But I don't mean it. I don't mean a single thing that I'm saying.

I inhale sharply as I extend my hand out for him to shake, taking in the scent of sweat and pine from him. It's nice. "How sweet of you for helping Holly. Really, I wish I can lend a hand around here like I used to." I shift slightly. "Seems like you took my place around here," I joked. I tried to, at least.

"

Last Edit: Aug 1, 2014 17:02:55 GMT -5 by ☼Star Faultz☼

Bitches Be Actin All Innocent

Andrei Ehrenström
Hunter

74 POSTS
last seen Nov 1, 2014 18:51:05 GMT -5

Artemis

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 2, 2014 20:25:41 GMT -5

Post by Andrei Ehrenström on Aug 2, 2014 20:25:41 GMT -5

Holly had many friends, thankfully, though Andrei knew that many of them were usually children whom she'd nannied at some point in the past; he wasn't expecting her to be referring to the young lady standing next to her on the porch. She didn't seem particularly happy to see him, at that; the quick turn on her heel to face him looked more like a wild dog ready to take flight. Which might sound insulting as a comparison, but her eyes weren't frightened like a deer; they more wary, like a predator. First and foremost she seemed to be sizing him up-- quite literally. Andrei was used to intimidation being a first impression, with his stature, but Holly was either oblivious to Katharine's discomfort or was choosing to ignore it.

"Holly, I'd rather not-" She started, trailing off as if she was just as incapable as Andrei of telling the sweet old woman 'no'.

Andrei shifted the load of split wood in his hands, not entirely sure whether she'd unclasp her hands from behind her back; Holly seemed awfully determined get Katharine to interact with him somehow. But she did offer her hand to shake, at long last. He took it, minding himself not to squeeze it too tightly; she was tall, and she certainly didn't look weak, but his hand practically engulfed hers.

"Nice to meet you, Andrei." She said, though she didn't sound very much like she wanted to meet him.

"Likewise, Miss Katharine." He replied, immediately falling back on his father's advice; better to be too polite than not polite enough to the fairer sex. ("Your mother found it charming enough when I called her 'Miss'." To which Mama would laugh and kiss him on the cheek.)

"How sweet of you for helping Holly. Really, I wish I can lend a hand around here like I used to. Seems like you took my place around here." Katharine continued.

"She said you took sick for a while," Andrei replied, "Are you feeling better then?"

Holly smiled at their exchange, clasping her hands together like she was up to something; and as of recently, she frequently was.

"Perhaps you could walk her home, Andrei," She said a little too innocently, seeming very deliberate about her tone, "Since your sisters tell me you don't yet have a lady to upset by doing so."

Andrei couldn't help it; his face flushed slightly, still not fully used to having his sisters (and now his parents) teasing him for not having a girlfriend. What did they expect, he had almost no free time between work and looking after his siblings.

"Only if I wouldn't be imposing..."

Word Count//Theme by Ali

☼Star Faultz☼
Merchant

185 POSTS

last seen Dec 6, 2017 22:19:42 GMT -5

"Happy endings only happen in fairytales, Dear,"

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 2, 2014 22:34:54 GMT -5

Post by ☼Star Faultz☼ on Aug 2, 2014 22:34:54 GMT -5

As his bruised hand swallowed my own, I slowly looked up to take in his face. The tingle that shoots through my hand at his touch is too overwhelming. Curiosity, I guess.

~~Andrei is not what I was expecting at all.~~

Andrei is just what I was expecting.

He is a decent man with decent features. I suck in my breath and look back down to our shake, loosening my grip. Liar. Liar. Lair. You filthy liar.

"She said you took sick for a while-" I wanted to stop him there, but I knew that it wasn't worth it. The only thing I suffered from was oppression. June never liked it when I left the house. To her, helping out an old woman translated into opening my legs for District boys. "Are you feeling better then?"

"I am," I speak sheepishly. My tongue grows heavy once again, and I struggle to find any words to add on in order to keep a conversation going. Was it really this hard to speak?- to get something out that could drag on a dying introduction?

I squeeze my eyes shut at the thought of just saying my goodbyes and parting ways; going on with my day and never seeing him again. The perfect stranger; the boy the girl never sees again- some distant memory. It would be so perfect.

But nothing is ever perfect. I shake myself away from my hostile thinking and simply look away. If I let the silence linger, he could simply excuse himself, do the rest of his work, and we'd never have to meet again. I don't feel bad about it. I can't feel bad about it. I was giving him a chance to escape.

But Holly had other plans.

"Perhaps you could walk her home, Andrei." I sigh, looking at the old woman softly. But she continues, nevertheless. "Since your sisters tell me you don't yet have a lady to upset by doing so."

I was set up; caught up in a web that I had no intention of weaving. I wasn't interested. I couldn't be. A perfect stranger couldn't be perfect if he was walking me home, and I knew his name and about the fact that he had siblings.

"Only if I wouldn't be imposing..." I chew on my fleshy bottom lip. He was trapped in this web, too.

"You wouldn't be imposing."

But it is. My face heats up far faster than I ever thought it could, leaving me looking more like a schoolgirl than I ever have. I can't bear to look at his, either; it couldn't be any different from mine.

You wouldn't be imposing.

Last Edit: Aug 2, 2014 23:37:05 GMT -5 by ☼Star Faultz☼

Bitches Be Actin All Innocent

Andrei Ehrenström
Hunter

74 POSTS
last seen Nov 1, 2014 18:51:05 GMT -5

Artemis

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 3, 2014 21:34:44 GMT -5

Post by Andrei Ehrenström on Aug 3, 2014 21:34:44 GMT -5

Katharine didn't look any more thrilled than he did at Holly's attempt at setting them up; it wouldn't be the first time, either. Holly had been pointing him at girls since he was 16, but she seemed to be undaunted by the fact that none of them had really worked out so far. Not that he was really in a position to say no; not only so as not to hurt Holly's feelings, but he couldn't think of a way to say so without insulting Katharine.

Holly did tend to have good taste, at least. Though Andrei couldn't really tell whether Katharine's standoffishness was because she didn't like him or because she was shy, he could admit that she was pretty. Long --very long-- reddish-brown hair, intense gray eyes, and her slender, pale face was dotted with freckles. It was odd to try and imagine taking her home to meet his family though... Katharine already didn't seem to like talking to him much, the twins would probably bombard her with embarrassing questions to get a rise out of her (or, more likely, out of him). Mama and Papa wouldn't care; they'd just be happy he brought someone home (for a while, Mama had gotten it into her head that because Andrei hadn't had a girlfriend in a while that perhaps he fancied men... that conversation had been somehow even more awkward than this setup Holly had them in right now.)

"You wouldn't be imposing."

That was genuinely surprising.

"Don't let me keep you, then." Holly interjected, looking awfully pleased at her handiwork, "Go put that down, Andrei, I'm not so old and frail that I can't build my own fire."

He realized he was still carrying the armload of firewood. Granted they had only been standing there for a few minutes, but already it felt like an eternity. Andrei ducked his head, a little embarrassed at how blatantly Holly was pushing him at this poor girl.

"Scuse me."

Andrei disappeared into the back, hurriedly piling up the firewood; probably better to walk Katharine home now before Holly started in on mortifying stories when he was a child (disguised by that innocuous "You were so cute Andrei, that one time--"), or something equally appalling. When he came back out, Holly was tucking a basket of cherries into Katharine's hands, insisting she didn't need payment beyond "getting that boy out of the house for more than five minutes". Andrei was positive his face was red when he reappeared, gear slung over his shoulder.

"Shall we?"

He was ready to walk as quickly away as possible, and hopefully not catch too much flak from his obviously less-than-pleased new companion for putting his nose --albeit unwillingly-- into her business, whatever it was with Holly. No such luck.

"Where are your manners, young man? Aren't you going to offer her your arm?"

She was doing it on purpose now, she was completely and utterly trying to get a rise out of him. Sadly, it was working; there wasn't a fiber of Andrei's being that could snap at an old woman's delight, even if it was at his own expense... That was also choosing to ignore how much shit he'd catch from his parents for daring to be that rude (even being a grown man didn't make him immune to scolding). Red-faced and looking anywhere but at Holly or Katharine, he offered his arm.

"I'm really sorry about this." He murmured, quiet enough that Holly wouldn't catch it, but hopefully Katharine would.

Word Count//Theme by Ali

_{IDK who Kat's FC is, so I took a guess at some of the details of how she looks.}

Last Edit: Aug 5, 2014 10:21:41 GMT -5 by Andrei Ehrenström

☼Star Faultz☼
Merchant

185 POSTS

last seen Dec 6, 2017 22:19:42 GMT -5

"Happy endings only happen in fairytales, Dear,"

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 4, 2014 10:51:10 GMT -5

Post by ☼Star Faultz☼ on Aug 4, 2014 10:51:10 GMT -5

I hesitantly take the cherries, trying to battle with the lady- give them back to her. I didn't need to be bribed like this. Not only that- it was embarrassing to be given a fruit incentive to walk with someone stranger.

But she wasn't having it. Biting my lip once again, I turn away from her in frustration. Though only I would show it, I knew Andrei felt the same way- a forced meeting turned sour. These weren't for free- I was practically being bought. So was he.

As he returns, the only thing in my mind is home. I don't want to go back. Not even Holly knew about my volatile relationship with my mother. Going back to it hurt more than anything.

My eyes land on my dirty boots as I see Andrei near me. I will walk with him. I will walk with him. I will walk with him. And then I will never see him again. Obviously, we had no love-lives, and I saw no chance of compatibility. I didn't want to see it. Talking to him now was such a stretch with me that I felt like escorting myself home.

"Where are your manners, young man? Aren't you going to offer her your arm?"

I was going crazy.

"I'm really sorry about this." I sighed deeply, looking up at his face and meeting his gaze for what felt like the first time. He should be sorry.

But I don't say it. "Don't sweat it. The old woman looks happy so I'll go along with it," I reply lowly as I intertwine our arms. "If anything, you should be apologizing to your sisters for never bringing anyone home."

I don't want my teeth to show when I smile- I don't feel up to one, but this time I can't help my grin- possibly the only one he will ever get see. Holly knows my history with boys.

But I suppose men could be different.

"I'll see you soon, Holly."

Pffft. I don't even know myself. I've been trying to find it.

Last Edit: Aug 4, 2014 10:57:36 GMT -5 by ☼Star Faultz☼

Bitches Be Actin All Innocent

Andrei Ehrenström
Hunter

74 POSTS
last seen Nov 1, 2014 18:51:05 GMT -5

Artemis

The Thought That Counts [Katharine] Aug 5, 2014 11:11:47 GMT -5

Post by Andrei Ehrenström on Aug 5, 2014 11:11:47 GMT -5

It really wasn't until Katharine took his offered arm that they really locked eyes; he'd been too embarrassed by Holly's pushing them together to look in any detail at them. They weren't gray, as he'd originally noted, but a pale, steely shade of blue; she was also much taller than he realized now that she was standing next to him. Andrei was a formidable 6-foot-5, but Katharine came all the way up to his chin. Of course, at that proximity, it was also easier to see exactly what she thought of this scenario; they'd walk arm-in-arm until they were out of Holly's sight, and he wouldn't be insulted if she decided to let go. When Holly tried to set him up with some of her young lady friends, it usually went one of two ways; either they were thrilled to have an avenue to talk to the otherwise quiet carpenter, or they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

He was positive Katharine would lean the latter way.

But, even Andrei had the capacity to be surprised when he was embarrassed by this predicament they found themselves in; Katharine intertwined their arms, telling him not to worry about it. This was a small price to pay for a little happiness on Holly's part, even if he didn't expect this to last more than a few minutes.

"Don't sweat it. The old woman looks happy so I'll go along with it," She said quietly, "If anything, you should be apologizing to your sisters for never bringing anyone home."

Andrei sighed. She was teasing him too, now.

"Yeah, probably." He admitted, "Though they know I probably would if I had enough free time to socialize."

And really, his day was packed from sunrise to sundown... Mama's shift started the earliest, which meant when it was time for the twins and Leif to get ready for school, it was up to him to braid the twins' long hair and take them to the schoolhouse. He and Papa worked through the day in construction, stopping by the schoolhouse on their way home to pick the younger siblings up; Mama got home first and was usually in the process of making dinner, leaving Papa and Andrei to help Freja, Aniike and Leif with their schoolwork. It wasn't until after dinner that Andrei had any time to himself, usually spent working on the various projects he picked up through the week to earn extra money. If not for weekends, and the fact that most of his friends were also his coworkers, Andrei probably wouldn't have any social life to speak of. But he loved his siblings, and he gladly gave them his time.

"I'll see you soon, Holly."

The smile was a welcome development, at least. For just a moment, that reclusive, closed-off demeanor opened up and a little bit of light shone through. Her features, which had been hard-set since they'd be introduced (and seemed to be unaccustomed to smiling), soften enough to smile at Holly and give a 'see you later'. Idly he wondered what he'd have to do to get the same reaction.

Thankfully, the other vendors along the street, if they cared at all to see Andrei and Katharine walking arm-in-arm, were more discreet about their opinions than Holly; Andrei didn't think he could handle much more attention without snapping at someone.

"So... do you have any siblings I should worry about?" He asked, hoping some semblance of conversation would make this walk marginally less forced.

Word Count//Theme by Ali

003511- Katharine
3a3a3a- Andrei

Last Edit: Aug 5, 2014 11:13:16 GMT -5 by Andrei Ehrenström