That stolen afternoon at the portside market had taken up a good deal more of her thoughts than Lily would have admitted to anyone but Marlene - though she was rather glad her friend hadn’t asked. Naturally, she would have been honest if pressed, but Lily wasn’t certain she was quite ready to confess how many hours she had spent dwelling on the day they had shared.
It wasn’t just getting to see what life was like outside of the temples and away from their holy routines - though that had certainly been a part of it. For years now she had been captivated by the thought of life beyond the temple, and getting to see it firsthand - people living their lives, bustling around without being burdened by the divine - it had changed things The world just wasn’t the same size anymore, and instead of an unapproachable mystery beyond the temple gates all Lily had begun to see was potential.
Above it all, there was Marlene - with her pale hair in the bright afternoon sun, silhouetted against the rich blue sky, watching the ships pull into the harbor with as much enjoyment on her face as Lily had felt in that moment. Marlene was without a doubt the only part of the life she had here that she would want to bring with her anywhere.
Whenever she thought about life beyond the temple, Marlene tied so heavily into those daydreams that it was impossible to untangle one concept from the other. There were complications, namely that they would be living without a means, and these were problems that had unclear solutions.
Dreaming was free even though living was far from it, and when Marlene presented the chance to get away again it did not take much more than a moment to process the invitation for Lily to agree. While leaving the temple forever was a complicated issue, a day away with Marlene sounded like something close to paradise.
The theater was something Lily had theoretical knowledge of, but within a minute of the first play that begun the retinue, she was captivated by it. The pageantry and the drama were so far removed from the way things were it was difficult to not be enthralled, and she remained still in her seat until Marlene spoke.
Lily turned in the direction her friend had gestured, her arm unconsciously reaching across Marlene’s lap almost protectively as she studied the pair that her friend had pointed out.
“Goodness, I hope so. Wouldn’t that be dramatic?” Lily looked back to Marlene with wide eyes and grinned before realizing herself and sheepishly pulling her arm back.
crawls to this a thousand years later, my head hung in shame
It wasn’t just getting to see what life was like outside of the temples and away from their holy routines - though that had certainly been a part of it. For years now she had been captivated by the thought of life beyond the temple, and getting to see it firsthand - people living their lives, bustling around without being burdened by the divine - it had changed things The world just wasn’t the same size anymore, and instead of an unapproachable mystery beyond the temple gates all Lily had begun to see was potential.
Above it all, there was Marlene - with her pale hair in the bright afternoon sun, silhouetted against the rich blue sky, watching the ships pull into the harbor with as much enjoyment on her face as Lily had felt in that moment. Marlene was without a doubt the only part of the life she had here that she would want to bring with her anywhere.
Whenever she thought about life beyond the temple, Marlene tied so heavily into those daydreams that it was impossible to untangle one concept from the other. There were complications, namely that they would be living without a means, and these were problems that had unclear solutions.
Dreaming was free even though living was far from it, and when Marlene presented the chance to get away again it did not take much more than a moment to process the invitation for Lily to agree. While leaving the temple forever was a complicated issue, a day away with Marlene sounded like something close to paradise.
The theater was something Lily had theoretical knowledge of, but within a minute of the first play that begun the retinue, she was captivated by it. The pageantry and the drama were so far removed from the way things were it was difficult to not be enthralled, and she remained still in her seat until Marlene spoke.
Lily turned in the direction her friend had gestured, her arm unconsciously reaching across Marlene’s lap almost protectively as she studied the pair that her friend had pointed out.
“Goodness, I hope so. Wouldn’t that be dramatic?” Lily looked back to Marlene with wide eyes and grinned before realizing herself and sheepishly pulling her arm back.