Resurrection

[Baxter Keene]

Baxter pondered her words for a moment. He didn't really consider himself a man of any importance, just trying to do his best at a job he truly enjoyed. "This is a rare event, even my office at home sees more time than it should." It was a time-consuming occupation that he held- if it was done right. It was the type of work that could consume you if you let it and Bax tended to let it.

Frankly her statement had nearly pulled a light scoff from his lips, but truthfully Bax was not the kind of person to do so. "I would not have asked if I wasn't curious." He pointed out kindly. He certainly didn't find himself any better than anyone else, despite his lack of socializing skills, why wouldn't he be curious? They were friends after a fashion. Perhaps he had caught her off guard; was he being too forward? He was always a terrible judge at that kind of thing.

"You don't have to tell me if you'd rather not." Bax offered as a way out, he wouldn't take it personally. It was an odd kind of friendship, things were certainly not... what one could consider normal between them. He had delivered her child here in this very cemetery, that was not something any kind of common. Still, Bax would never quite be able to shake that feeling of magnetism that drew him to her. "Or perhaps I could accompany you home and you could tell me?" That sense of protection was hard to shake.

  

[Odira Potter]

That Mr. Keene could be curious about anything to do with Odira beyond her health was something that she found immeasurably flattering, in a way that any such reassurances from others had failed to do. She wanted very much to take him up on his offer of a walk home and regale him with the plots of the latest books she had (re)read, stories of the things that made young Jane light up like a candle, and her tentative forays into the magical world. She wanted to believe that he was sincere in his interests, that she might find in the strange Mr. Keene a friend, rather than just a calming presence.

But by his own admittance, he was a busy man, and Odira had not completed even half of her errands here—if ‘errands’ was even the right word. To steal time that he did not have would be selfish; to steal her own time back from the souls of the deceased more selfish still. Her childlike desire to make a friend—a proper friend, one who did not risk mourning their previous relationship—was stymied by her acute awareness that it would be immature for her to give into that desire, at least today, and so with a mental sigh she shook her head and returned with a sad smile, “Perhaps another time, Mr. Keene.”

Almost immediately, Odira felt the need to, if not backtrack, then at least explain, reluctant to shut the door on any sort of friendship the two might form—and worried that the quiet Mr. Keene would not extend that branch of friendship again if not offered some sort of reassurance now.

“I’ve a few graves left to visit, you see, and while at any other moment I would welcome your company, I think that—for myself, at least—it is rather a solitary activity.”

  

[Baxter Keene]

Carefully crafting a neutral expression on his features, Baxter put on his best "bad news" face and tried not to let the disappointment show. He had no right to be disappointed really. It was he who had accidentally intruded on her endeavors to begin with and certainly she would continue on with them without him; that was only logical. Really, it was irrational of him to feel that way, they were but only acquaintances with a rather... odd background to their friendship, but he really shouldn't think any further on that.

"Of course, I nearly forgot I interrupted your visit earlier." They'd had a lovely chat and he hoped he hadn't been too terribly awkward during the conversation. "I should probably return home and get back to work, as much as I would have enjoyed delaying a little longer." That last part seemed to be overstepping a line, but there was no way to take it back now. Perhaps he hadn't succeeded in his endeavor not to be awkward.

Passing Odira his best reassuring smile, he added, "Perhaps another time." To show he had no hard feelings on the matter. Which he didn't, shouldn't and was not about to show that he could even have them in the slightest. "I'll leave you to your visit. He bowed out as gracefully as he could, retracing his steps back the way he came after one more smile.

wrap? @'Odira Potter'??