Crying Glaciers [vacation topic]

Light flooding in from the hallway filled the room and drove away the gloom as the door creaked open with a nervous squeak. Evelyn stepped in with a breath of relief and flicked on the light switch. We're here, she thought, with equal parts excitement and apprehension, as she slipped her backpack off her shoulders and fell onto the musty smelling bed with an unceremonious flop. We're finally here. She rolled onto her back and ran her hands over the covers, a thin nervous smile spreading across her face. Their modest hotel room might as well have been a presidential suite after the long trip over. Two twin beds in a single room, a dirty window, one bathroom, and a small kitchen area. It was simply wonderful.

We're actually here. In Montana. For so long she had felt trapped in those foreboding brick walls, and now she was free, even if it was only for a little while. Free among towering mountains, dense forests of hemlock and cedar, endless rolling green fields, great blue lakes... Despite the park's popularity you got the feeling that you were some place wild, untouched, uncorrupted. And for once, it felt like someone was smiling down on her, because the skies had been clear and bright, with only puffy white clouds to break up the great cerulean expanse above them. This time of year all kinds of flowers were blooming too; snowy white beargrass, pale purple muskflowers, bright orange lillies, stalks of violet fireweed, tall beautiful sunflowers, and fiery red clumps of Indian paintbrush, all over the park almost everywhere you looked, filling the world with color. It had been years since her last visit, but it had only taken one glance for the park to steal her heart again. In spite of herself she had found herself pointing at everything along the way with childlike enthusiasm. "Look at that lake! Do you see that deer? Look out the window!" Her mind was buzzing just thinking about it all. It all felt like hers. Her park, her rivers, her trees, just some big playground she would get to stomp around in for the next few days.

There was anxiety too; some worry, some unease, like it would all come falling apart at the seams the moment she dared let her guard down. So far so good it seemed to her, but there was still always that chance that something would go horribly wrong. Evelyn didn't even want to think about how awkward their nights would be, with no walls to separate them. It had been bad enough staying in Jace's room overnight... in his bed... wearing his shirt... She found her face heating up and did her best to push her worries to the back of her mind. They were here in Glacier now―really actually there―and she only had so much time to enjoy it all.

But what to do first?

"S-S-So..."

Closing the door after the two of them had stepped inside, he took a glanced around their room for the next few days. It wasn't what he had anticipated, to say the least. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd been expecting. Not as much as a five star hotel, but a little bit more than this. Their rooms at the school were better than this. Perhaps he was being too picky, though. After all, they didn't come here to stay in the room all day, and that bed didn't look totally uninviting. The young man walked up after Evelyn, dropping his bag lazily onto the floor between the bed and falling back onto the other. And just like that, the bedding arrangements were made, it seemed - unless she wanted the bed closest to the window that badly - not that you could see too well out of it anyways.

Jason sighed, laying back on the bed, a small smile on his face as he started thinking aloud. "If that Bigfoot ever lived here, he had nice taste." He mused, glancing out the window at the vast mountains. He noted the pure lake that reflected the bright, blue sky above it. When he thought of Spring, the image of this park was exactly what came to mind, not the soggy, storm-soaked forest back at home. He stretched out unto the bed, reveling in the silence for a few moments to close his eyes and relax. He thought he had heard something, which is realized a few moments later was Evelyn trying to grab at his attention. The autumn threw a glance her way, clearly comfortable where he was. "What do you want do first?" He asked, near finishing her sentence for her.

She turned her head to look at him as he asked, unable to wipe the thousand-watt grin off her face. What did she want to do? One million acres of land to cross, thousands of animals to see, hundreds of hiking trails to walk. Her gaze drifted past Jace and out the window, to the stunning sloping mountains that ringed around them, the verdant tree-covered shore, and the crystal blue lake that glimmered and sparkled under the hot sun. It was a sight you thought you could only see in pictures and paintings, but there it was, just outside, a short walk away. Even from inside a stuffy grimy hotel room out a dirty window, it was absolutely breath-taking, and with every moment she stared, the more and more she was compelled to spring to her feet and dart outside. If only she could see it all in one day.

"L-Let's go to the l-lake f-first," Evelyn said finally, sitting up and looking back down at him. Her smile turned teasing. "Y-Your S-S-Sasq-quatch likes f-fish, right? Y-You'll have t-to h-help me catch one."

It was almost a strange thing, or it was completely strange really, there wasn't a single time ever that he could recall Evelyn seeming so, well, happy. The only memories he could recall, other than being at the cafe, she'd been annoyed, or pissed, or practically in tears. It was hard to think of anything other than those times on the spot. He wondered if it was the simple change in scenery that had won her over. His grin grew as he watched her stared out the window in total bewilderment. The place was breath-taking, that was for sure. When she sat up to look at him, Jace found himself quickly looking the other way, scoffing and rolling his eyes. "I suppose I do." The Autumn mused, laughing a bit. "Wouldn't that be a great souvenir to take home?" He glanced across the room at the poles and tackle tossed thoughtlessly against the wall - by him, of course, and jumped quickly off the bed.

"You're not squirmish, are you?" He stood up and gave a quick stretch, shooting her a curious look. Not afraid to get wet? Or get her hands dirty? Not being grossed out by touching a worm? He supposed sitting on the edge of a dock was a good of way as any to get some rest after their trip, albeit it'd be a bit colder. Jace picked up the fishing poles, motioning for her to get the small box that'd been next to them and opening the door for them. Luckily, the lake was only a short walk away.

Evelyn slid off the bed and walked after him, bending down to snatch up the worn tackle box resting on the floor. Its contents rattled as she slipped out the door and into the hallway. "S-S-Squirmish?" she asked. She imagined grappling a flopping struggling trout by the neck and blunting its head repeatedly against the dock. Her stomach roiled in protest at the thought of cutting it open, and wondered if now was a good time to mention that she didn't eat meat. Well, maybe, just a little. The girl switched hands as her right grew tired. "Um, well, n-no, not p-p-puh-par... n-not really." She smiled weakly at his back, instead trying to fill her head with images of the placid crystal lake to strengthen her resolve. Fishing was supposed to be peaceful, wasn't it? They'd get to sit around cooling off on a picture-perfect lake after a long trip. How bad could it be? It was her own suggestion, after all, and it was past time she caught a fish for herself. It'd be like a rite of passage. "I-I-I can h-handle it." I think.

It wasn't long before they were walking across a pier that stretched far across the water's calm surface. It was empty, thank God, and it felt like they had a whole section of the lake to themselves. As they neared the end, Evelyn kicked off her shoes and socks and set the tackle box on the ground, bending down to roll up her pant legs. "Y-You said f-f-fishing was a W-Wright trad-tradition, right?" she asked, taking one of the rods for herself. It stood taller than her. How the hell does this thing work, anyway? She ran her hands down the metal until her fingers found a small plastic bar sticking out above a clump of white wire. "S-So... uh... c-could you..."

As they walked, Jason kept glancing aside at the water, noticing how high the tides were reaching up the docks. The snow was melting from the mountains, he guessed, and filling up the lake. The water had to have been freezing then, he thought. He'd learned that the hard way, once, jumping into the lake by Beata around this time during his first year at the school. It was like jumping into a tub full of ice. His golden gaze flickered down at her, thinking she didn't appear any near as certain about it as her words were. "You don't seem like the type to get grossed out by a little 'ol worm." He smiled.

He watched curiously as she started pulling off her shoes and socks, thinking he should probably warn her about the cold water, but figuring there would be no harm in doing the same - though the wood was a little rough on the feet. The blonde paused for a second, blinking. "I did say that, didn't I?" Jace recalled, shrugging. Seeing her giving the rod a clueless look, he chuckled. "It'd be best if you threw your line first. Hold it still." Jason opened the tackle box, pulling out a small, colorful fish-like bait with a hook on the bottom, along with a smaller led weight.

Tying both to Evelyn's line, he pulled out a small, white cup afterwords, with dirt filled inside. Somewhere along the way to the hotel, he'd stop and bought live worms. If they didn't go finish afterwords, they'd have found their way into the fridge in little time. The young man pulled out one of the worms and walked back up to her, "Alright, you want to do the honors?" Jace asked, offering to take the pole for a second and holding the squiggling creature out to her. "You'll only need to put about a half-inch of it on there." The entire worm had to be two or three inches long.

With a small gracious smile she held the rod out as still as she could as he tied on the hook and weight. It was a good thing he was here; she had no idea how to tie a knot. Evelyn stood there, wondering if that was all, when the worm came out. "O-O-Ohhh..." Her usual wavering voice seemed to waver a bit more than usual as she watched it squiggle helplessly around between his fingers, pink and slimy, covered in soil. She kept up her feeble smile, but there was some nauseous, nervous look in her eyes, and something that bordered on fear. Bugs were the worst, but she still took a moment to thank God that the first fisherman hadn't thought to use spiders for bait instead. A wriggly, squirming, oily worm wasn't too bad, as far as bugs went. "T-T-T-The h-h-honors," Evelyn repeated, mindlessly handing the pole out to him and loosing her grip, torn between disgust and a sudden self-consciousness. Can't make myself look squeamish, can I? This is just part of the fishing experience... It had been her idea to go fishing, after all. "R-R-Right..." She reached out a hand and plucked the worm from his fingers, unable to suppress the small shudder of revulsion as it twisted and writhed in her grasp, its greasy coat coating her fingertips.

Evelyn grabbed the hook firmly, maybe a little too firmly, and carefully impaled the struggling worm on the end. She snatched her hands away as soon as the deed was done and wiped them on her jeans, flashing it and Jace a broad grin, as if it had been no problem at all. At the moment, she didn't want to think of what was going on through the worm's mind as it thrashed painfully about on the end, flicking its tail―or was that its head?―about in a manner that made Evelyn think it was silently screaming. Hopefully its pain would end soon with a fish on the other end instead of a wriggling little monstrosity, but with the worm's luck so far, she got the feeling that it would be due for many more trips into the pleasant crystal lake.

"I u-used t-t-to like bugs a-a lot when I was y-younger," Evelyn admitted, rocking back and forth on her soles with a slight pained expression, that feeble smile still plastered on her face. She didn't know why she was talking about this suddenly, but the words kept flowing out of her mouth in disjointed, stuttering bursts. "B-But I g-g-guess I just..." Her mind flashed back to a large spider nesting in a corner, on the day Evelyn realized just how absolutely motherfucking terrifying bugs were. All those long, spindly legs, that hairy body scurrying from place to place, over blank walls and floors, hiding in the shadows, watching with eight beady black eyes glinting with malice, venomous fangs poised to strike. Suddenly sifting around in the grass on a hot summer day didn't seem so appealing anymore. "...l-lost m-my liking."

Evelyn grabbed the pole again, watching the worm carefully as the line at the end swung precariously from side to side. This just isn't your day, is it? That smile seemed to grow warmer now, some genuine happiness on top of that careful enthusiasm she had only moments before while spearing Earthworm Jim through one of his many hearts. Hook, check. Lead, check. Bait, check. Colorful, err, fish thingy, check. "So, n-now what?"

Jason held the pole steadily with both hands, watching her as she speared the entire worm onto the hook. For a moment, he wondered if it would stay on there. The hook was much smaller than the worm itself, and if she cast the line hard enough, it might've went flying off into the water. Maybe she didn't hear him right? The Autumn considered it for a few moments longer before shrugging his shoulders, dismissing the thoughts. It would probably be alright. If not, it wasn't like it was a big deal. He did seem pretty amused, though, watching her jump back as soon the worm had been impaled - his smile almost mirroring hers. "Poor bastard." Jace mused at the squiggly creature, checking the line one more time to be sure it was done right.

For a moment, he imagined Evelyn outside with a little toy net, catching bugs. It was something he liked to do himself when he was younger. "Why's that?" His golden eyes flickered over between her and the lake curiously. He thought of his own family, the only one really who wasn't afraid of bugs. Well, no, that wasn't entirely true. Most bugs could be handled with a shoe, but other than that, he was usually the one to do all the dirty work - especially when it came to spiders. He was the only man in the house who had the guys to face those shits head on. Not even his brother or his dad would mess with those. They'd always call him. The blond started laughing a little at the thought.

Turning his attention back to Evelyn, he handed off the fishing pole. She looked happy, but still clueless. How much did her dad teach her exactly? The young man sighed, wondering just how on earth he'd explain this. "Alright. Keep your finger on the wire until you cast." Jason stepped up aside her, holding the string against the pole with his right hand, motioning for her to do the same once he pulled back. "Then just... Let it go? Oh, and this thing -" He pointing out a silver band across the coil. "- flip it up when you cast and down when your bait hits the water. And..." He wasn't sure if he was making much sense at all. He rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward smile.

"Oh, I d-dunno..." Suddenly it felt like there were spiders crawling all over her, down her arms, up her legs, under her shirt, over her back, through her hair... "J-Just... g-grew out of it, I-I guess." Her attention snapped back to the fishing pole as Jace began rattling off vague instructions. She instantly began to feel lost, but nodded like she understood all the same, still carrying that dazed, helpless smile. Right, so I just... hold this down? Evelyn moved her finger over the wire and pressed it to the base of the pole. And then... Flip up the band... bar... metal thing... She flicked it up with her free hand and took a timid glance up across the shimmering water. Had she heard all that right? Her stomach did a somersault, and she let a quiet breathy laugh escape her lips, one that failed to mask her rising nervousness. This was all just some stupid fishing lesson. There wasn't any need to get all anxious... That's what she told herself anyways. Don't mess this up, for the love of God, a different voice was saying in her head. It wasn't hard imagining herself accidentally throwing the rod out into the water, or somehow managing to snag him by the lip. Don't make a big deal out of nothing, she thought to herself, while also thinking, This is going to end horribly.

With one last look at Jace, wearing an expression that looked something like helplessness, she brought the rod over her shoulder. Now I just let it fly. Evelyn swallowed the anxious feeling rising up her throat, bright blue eyes staring out across the lake, and cast, releasing her finger. The line zipped out through the air, and her pent up anxiety bubbled over and broke into a relieved laugh as it landed with a plop some distance away. She flipped the bar back up and watched rings ripple out from where the hook and worm had landed, her grin widening. "I d-d-did it!"

Jason caught her gaze as she glanced at him, looking uncertain in her rod casting abilities. He simply smiled and nodded back in approval, encouraging her on. Honestly, what was the worst she could do? He thought about it for a moment before rubbing his lip half-consciously, his train of thought not all to pleasant before the ideas were shaken away. Jace watched carefully as she threw line, thankfully straight enough and away from him, "Great!" Jace laughed, going to ready his own pole. "Now reel it in slowly and give it a good tug every now and then."

She beamed at him again and slowly―ever so slowly―began to reel it back, watching as the line dragged nearer and nearer through the water, occasionally giving the pole a sharp jerk so that the colorful fish at the end would come skidding across the surface. After a few of these tugs she couldn't see the worm anymore, but she didn't let it dampen her smile. Maybe I didn't put it on right. Evelyn found that she didn't care much, feeling too high on her small victory over the fishing pole. Jace didn't have to get dragged to the hospital with the hook through his nose, and that was good enough for her. After awhile, though, she became painfully aware of the rough-hewn wood chafing against her feet, and the hot sun beating down on the two of them. She carefully eased herself down, positioning to hang her legs off the edge of the dock, and plunged her feet into the lake.

Icy cold stabbed up her legs and a surprised, betrayed gasp escaped her lips. "Cuh-C-C-Cold!" A pained shudder racked her body and Evelyn was forced to kick her legs out with a splash, spraying water droplets everywhere. Numbness had paralyzed her feet and was creeping up past her ankle. The fishing rod wavered precariously in her hand as she scooted backwards, giving another cry, something between "shit" and "aughaghfuck." Her face was still screwed up from the shock it delivered. With her free hand, she bent down to massage some feeling back into her toes, still uttering curses under her breath.

Jason smiled at her once again before throwing his attention to his own rod, carefully tying his hook and weight to his line, seeming to get a bit distracted by it and momentarily forgetting about Evelyn. He didn't think about much, just hoping that he'd be able to take something back up to the hotel. It'd be a rather shame if he would let down the oh-so old fishing tradition of the Wright family. Even more-so, he worried about if he would be able to cook the damn thing - he wasn't a terrible chef, per se, but he didn't exactly trust himself in the kitchen either. As he finished up setting up his pole, torn worm and all, he stopped to rub his head with a sigh. The entire time, a small, but persistent headache had been bothering him. Jace reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pouch of ibuprofen and taking them there. He had a feeling he'd be needing them and had prepared accordingly, by which of course meaning he forgot he'd probably need them until the last minute and took a handful of little packets alike from the infirmary before rushing back to his dorm to finish packing - also at the last minute.

The splash is what caught his attention again, thinking maybe she might've caught something, but instead all she was doing was cursing and rubbing her legs. Jason couldn't help but laugh. "You okay there, Snowflake?" He smiled, realizing he forgot to warn her about the freezing water. Thinking maybe he should help her out, he shrugged off his jacket and set it down by her feet. He could use it as a towel or a blanket. The Autumn honestly didn't care. It wasn't his favorite wear anyways. "I thought you might've known about how cold it was already. With this place bein' your home and all." Jason shrugged, casting his own line into the water.

No, I'm not okay, she thought, rubbing an ankle. None of this feels okay. Evelyn opened her mouth to tell him just how not okay it was when the jacket crumpled to the deck beside her. "Oh, err..." She blinked and gingerly dragged it over her legs. "T-Thanks," Evelyn said finally with a tinge of uncertainty, her smile returning. Her eyes followed the line as it flew through the air and landed with a distant plop past where her own had landed. The Winter let out a small snort of laughter at his remark but didn't reply, her gaze dropping to wander over the coat draped over her knees. He certainly was generous with sharing his clothes, wasn't he? Finally, she tore her eyes away and stared ahead, focusing on reeling back her baitless hook. Poor bastard, Evelyn thought with an inward sigh. What was worse, drowning after being impaled and hurtled through the air, or getting eaten? Maybe he got a taste of both. I'll have to stick the next one more carefully.

She realized the conversation was drifting back to home, but for whatever reason, the thought sent sharp melancholic pangs through her heart. I am home, aren't I? Evelyn's smile died slightly. Then what's wrong?

"Hey..." She didn't know why, but she found herself veering the subject away. "D-... W-What ex-exactly a-are we d-doing w-with the fish? Heh..." Evelyn looked around at the empty pier and cast a nervous glance behind her at the lodge looming on the shoreline. What if he wants to eat it? Her stomach flipped and the sudden dread slowed her reeling. The thought had skirted across her mind throughout the whole trip, of course, ever since fishing had come up back in the Rosebury cafe. She didn't eat meat. In fact, she probably wouldn't touch a steak with a ten foot pole. But if Jace wanted to cook it, to eat it... I can't ruin that for him, Evelyn resolved, but that didn't make the prospect any easier to face. What would be harder, telling him she was a vegetarian, or sitting down and pretending to enjoy their trout or pike or whatever it was? I'll eat it and I'll like it.

But, y'know, if Jace wanted to suddenly become an animal lover, that would be perfectly fine too. Cough.

Jace said nothing, simply glancing aside at her out of the corner of his eye and shooting her a small smile. He began to real the bait back in when he realized it was too uncomfortable to stay on his feet for too long. Taking a seat down next to her pretzel-style, he let his gaze trail over the lake again, taking in the scenery and letting his mind wander. The only word he could think of to describe it entirely was 'tranquil'. "With the fish?" He repeated, giving Evelyn a curious look. A small grin grew on his face again. "I'm no master chef, but I think we can fry up whatever we catch. Hopefully, it'd be edible." He laughed a little and shrugged, not picking up on her sudden discomfort. "The one you catch, we'll keep to ourselves, how about that?" Jason suggested lightly, thinking it was a rather good idea - her reward for catching her very first fish?

Her already weak smile faltered as her worst fears were confirmed. "Hopefully edible" didn't sound good enough to her, but what was life without a little risk of food poisoning? It'd make dinner exciting, dangerous!

...Evelyn's stomach gave another churn, feeling like it was trying to jump out of her throat rather than face the prospect of eating meat. No matter how she sold it to herself, trying to get enthusiastic for their fish that night was an impossible task. She might as well have been trying to convince herself to go streaking through a bramble patch.

She forced the smile back at his suggestion and did her best to imitate delight. "Y... Y-Yeah!" If I catch one. Evelyn still wanted to catch something more than anything, but even now she was considering how discretely she could set their fish free before it flopped onto the deck. As the line approached, she stood and reeled a little faster until the hook was raised from the water. "S-So... y-y-you know ho-how to cut it and e-everything?" Carefully, she went through all the steps to cast again. Hold this... and... wait, shit, no, I don't do that yet... And I need another worm. Her face screwed up in disgust as she bent down for the paper cup, the dripping hook swinging dangerously from off the tip of her rod. "And c-clean it?"