Pieces of Lucia
Jan. 20th, 2012 02:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
archiveofarethusa1. Holly Asher
Holly used to go out into the forest; sometimes, on misty mornings, she would go out early and walk to the ruins and pretend she was the last girl alive in all the world. Other times, she would enter the ruins and pretend she was searching for survivors.
One day, she found Lucia.
"Odd place to play hide and seek," Lucia said.
"Just hide," Holly said. "No seek."
"Ah," Lucia said, taking in their surroundings. "Have you seen the ghosts yet?"
"Ghosts?" Holly said, delighted, and Lucia began her tale.
After that, sometimes Holly would invite Lucia to the ruins.
2. Sofia Richardson
Sofia was not best pleased with anyone, especially Lucia.
"She put Chaucer in the reference aisle," Sofia would complain. "Next to a book on waste disposal."
"She's too lenient with the children," Sofia would complain the next.
"She's careless," Sofia might be heard uttering, though that might have applied to many of the sisters, in training or not.
But whenever Sofia was worried or needed someone to talk to, she would go to Lucia knowing she would leave with the woman's words, feeling lighter. Sofia was not easily pleased, but Lucia had a way about her that could please anyone.
3. Arnadia Threedson
Arnadia was the first to greet Lucia, and the first to befriend her.
All it took was a smile and the words, "You'll love it here - you've never read Mark Swiftain like you'll read it here. Do you want to meet Mark?"
And Lucia smiled back and said, "I'd love to."
Lucia would usually do anything twice, but meeting Mark was a one-time event, Arnadia recalled. It usually was, but Lucia appreciated the simple gesture even after Mark's assessment of her.
It was still her favorite book. As long as Mark stayed in the ink, of course.
4. Inlarie Hadrian
Inlarie seldom spoke with Lucia about anything but opera and select novels, and even then she didn't recall much. But she wasn't oblivious to Lucia's kindness, or the respect she garnered.
Everyone from Arethusa gathered at the funeral. Even Joanna, busy with her manifold duties, came back to be part of the procession. Everyone sad, a few crying - Joanna held Holly as the girl wept and tried to escape to be by the side of the shell in the casket.
"She's gone, Holly," Joanna said.
You could see Holly fracture.
Holly clung tightly to Joanna, and Inlarie's heart broke.
5. Joanna Asher
After the funeral, Joanna returned to Arethusa and entered the basement. She sat at the feet of a stone gargoyle and returned its gaze, remembering.
She remembered the woman who encouraged her endeavor to become a Librarian sister, who offered her no scorn for being illegitimately pregnant. The woman who told her it was never too late to broaden one's horizons. She remembered Lucia. And Joanna remembered herself, the woman who was. She owed that woman's evolution to Lucia.
Joanna offered prayer for Lucia, and sat there remembering until morning sunlight broke the night, hiding the darkness from the world.
Holly used to go out into the forest; sometimes, on misty mornings, she would go out early and walk to the ruins and pretend she was the last girl alive in all the world. Other times, she would enter the ruins and pretend she was searching for survivors.
One day, she found Lucia.
"Odd place to play hide and seek," Lucia said.
"Just hide," Holly said. "No seek."
"Ah," Lucia said, taking in their surroundings. "Have you seen the ghosts yet?"
"Ghosts?" Holly said, delighted, and Lucia began her tale.
After that, sometimes Holly would invite Lucia to the ruins.
2. Sofia Richardson
Sofia was not best pleased with anyone, especially Lucia.
"She put Chaucer in the reference aisle," Sofia would complain. "Next to a book on waste disposal."
"She's too lenient with the children," Sofia would complain the next.
"She's careless," Sofia might be heard uttering, though that might have applied to many of the sisters, in training or not.
But whenever Sofia was worried or needed someone to talk to, she would go to Lucia knowing she would leave with the woman's words, feeling lighter. Sofia was not easily pleased, but Lucia had a way about her that could please anyone.
3. Arnadia Threedson
Arnadia was the first to greet Lucia, and the first to befriend her.
All it took was a smile and the words, "You'll love it here - you've never read Mark Swiftain like you'll read it here. Do you want to meet Mark?"
And Lucia smiled back and said, "I'd love to."
Lucia would usually do anything twice, but meeting Mark was a one-time event, Arnadia recalled. It usually was, but Lucia appreciated the simple gesture even after Mark's assessment of her.
It was still her favorite book. As long as Mark stayed in the ink, of course.
4. Inlarie Hadrian
Inlarie seldom spoke with Lucia about anything but opera and select novels, and even then she didn't recall much. But she wasn't oblivious to Lucia's kindness, or the respect she garnered.
Everyone from Arethusa gathered at the funeral. Even Joanna, busy with her manifold duties, came back to be part of the procession. Everyone sad, a few crying - Joanna held Holly as the girl wept and tried to escape to be by the side of the shell in the casket.
"She's gone, Holly," Joanna said.
You could see Holly fracture.
Holly clung tightly to Joanna, and Inlarie's heart broke.
5. Joanna Asher
After the funeral, Joanna returned to Arethusa and entered the basement. She sat at the feet of a stone gargoyle and returned its gaze, remembering.
She remembered the woman who encouraged her endeavor to become a Librarian sister, who offered her no scorn for being illegitimately pregnant. The woman who told her it was never too late to broaden one's horizons. She remembered Lucia. And Joanna remembered herself, the woman who was. She owed that woman's evolution to Lucia.
Joanna offered prayer for Lucia, and sat there remembering until morning sunlight broke the night, hiding the darkness from the world.