The Puzzle of Love (Frogger and Krimson)

I thought I was old enough to take care of myself…After all, I did just graduate high school...

Celine studied the pencil waving back and forth between her fingers, lost in thought. A hand lifted to accept her chin, little curls of golden blonde tumbling forward to caress the young woman’s features. The rest of her hair was pulled into twin ponytails, which fell down her back, and ended right below her hips. While most people her age were out, frolicking with friends and doing who knows what until school starts again...she was stuck indoors, as though on lockdown. Indoors was the place she’d rather be, but she did like having the option of going out...if she so chose. A soft sigh escaping her lips, she rose from the chair, hands resting among numerous papers for a moment or so.

Her eyes were a warm, caramel brown, the sort of color one would not normally see, with little flecks of gold visible around the edges. If her hair was to be free of the braids...golden blonde locks the shade of honey would frame a lovely heart-shaped face. The skin on it was as smooth and creamy as porcelain, unblemished by any acne of the sort. Her lips were full and a delicate pink that was comparable to that of a rose. Every once in a while, the exact same color would be on her cheeks whenever she was blushing, though it did have a habit of going even darker. The red would then be like a cherry, but it never looked unattractive on the blossoming young woman coming into womanhood. Her figure was slender and willowy. Though she had yet to fully develop, she had enough curves in which were right for her petite stature.

I wonder if she’s here yet… Celine thought, before picking up her glasses and sliding them into place. I know that she was to arrive at the airport sometime around noon… Those amber eyes glanced towards the clock, only to find it was almost one. Her skirt flitted about her thighs, revealing quite a bit of long...toned legs, not to mention the curve of her rear.

Their parents had managed to rope Vanessa into babysitting her little sister during the summer break. They were travel-enthusiasts, and, as much as they loved their two daughters, could not resist a chance to go on a tour of Europe. Vanessa wasn't exactly complaining. It wasn't as though she'd had much planned for the summer; she was broke, and free housing was hardly something to complain about. Plus, Celine wasn't too much trouble growing up, surely she wouldn't be too difficult to handle now. It's actually been close to a year now since she's last seen her sister, since she went to study abroad the last semester.

I wonder if she grew any...

A passing thought, even as Vanessa headed out of the airport to hail a cab. Her own golden hair was shorter, the longest strands resting just past her full breasts. Vanessa was blessed with high cheekbones and a tall nose, lending a certain dignified air to her features, an air tempered by the ever present quirk of her lips. Her eyes were perhaps her most startling feature - twin gleaming orbs of red. A most unusual color, one that varied in shades depending on how light struck her eyes. Sometimes, they were not unlike twin ruby gems, but more often, they were a deep wine red, a shade lighter toward the edges, growing darker near the pupils.

Vanessa was tall for a girl, standing at nearly five feet eight. At twenty-one, she had of course stopped growing, but almost any young lady would have been happy with that height. Even without heels, she had a model-esque refinement about her, made more appealing only by her sun-kissed hair and lightly tanned skin. It was easy to tell just by looking at her that this one spent a lot of time outside. Not that she hated indoors, of course, but Vanessa was the type that enjoyed variety in her activities. One moment, she might be curled up like cat on a sofa, reading a light novel, and the next, she would be bouncing about, playing b-ball with the guys. Given her active nature, Vanessa usually dressed simply. Her current attire of choice was just a T-shirt and a pair of tight-fitting jeans. She was already beginning to regret the later - it's bloody hot out in her hometown.

Time passed quickly, and already she had pulled up to the family house. After thanking and paying the driver, she took her two suit cases out (herself, definitely didn't want to pay the driver extra), and headed up to the door. Well, time to see if Celine had changed any. And she rang.

The doorbell rang out, disrupting the silence, echoing throughout the empty hallways in a chaotic mesh of notes. Well, that answers my question...she thought, with a soft laugh. It’s musical notes mixed with the others dancing about from the doorbell, only to create a chord. In comparison to her older sister, Vanessa...she was not a model, or the sort of person who draws attention just by strolling into a room. Celine is quite voluptuous, true...but the rest of her body has yet to catch up. At five foot four inches, she still has a bit of growing up to do where height is concerned. Her features are delicate, almost like a porcelain doll’s...not quite, but almost. A few rogue golden strands of hair fell to caress her cheekbones, giving her a rather...charming look to her.

I wonder if Vanessa has changed during her year overseas…

Celine lifted those caramel brown eyes, the light reflecting off the pair and bringing out the golden flecks hiding along their edges. From one perspective, it looked like her eyes were made of pure gold, yet from another...it was like her eyes were twin pools of molten caramel. It was actually this one feature that more often than not catches other peoples’ attention. There was little things about her here and there...such as the full shape of the girl’s lips… or...the dimple that tends to reveal itself whenever she smiles, that draws people in, but this is beyond her notice. Her hands brushed over her skirt and shirt, unconsciously doing as such while she went on to answer the door. Each step was just a quiet little tap on the wooden floors.

A hand reached out, and with a groan, light poured in through the opened doorway. Celine blinked against the sudden assault, yet it didn’t take long for her eyes to adjust. “Vanessa…” she spoke, not sure how to react. Most of the time, she was rather...distant from others, but when it comes to Vanessa...that wasn’t the case. However, it has been a while since they used to be that way. “Hello… It’s nice...to see you again. Come on in, you must be tired from the long trip here. Why don’t you come in, and...take a shower? I’m sure that would be nice...after everything…” A smile working its way across her lips, she tilted her head, a long, golden braid falling against her cheek. That said, she moved back from the open space, so Vanessa can, indeed, come inside. Her eyes glanced down towards the suitcases, yet she didn’t say a word. The light glinted off her glasses, making it to where no one could see her eyes, for just a moment.

And Celine had indeed changed. A year wasn't an awfully long time, but for a growing teenager, it meant the difference between night and day. There was still that girlish innocence about Celine, and in Vanessa's eyes, that might never change. But doubtlessly, Celine had grown, perhaps an inch taller? And...much more filled out. Like..dang. Celine certainly didn't have the same womanly charm as Vanessa did, but compared to the last time Vanessa saw her, the difference was monumental. Her little sister grew up alright.

But had they grown apart? The smile on the younger's face was genuine enough, but paled in comparison to the big grin on Vanessa's face. Was Celine mad that she had missed her 18th birthday? Or perhaps, she was entering that teenage phase where she was standoffish to everybody? Well, big sister was certainly going to fix that. Vanessa walked in through the opened door, dropping her suitcases inside. She'll get to them later. Unpacking would take a while anyway, but first...

"Come 'ere you! That's not how you greet your big sister!" Not that she gave Celine a choice. Putting her advantages in height and build to use, Vanessa easily pulled the shorter girl into a big bear hug. And she didn't stop there either; strong arms wrapped around Celine's waist, and without so much as a huff of exertion, she picked her sister up off the ground, holding her up much as she often did when Celine was younger. At this proximity, they shared not only each other's warmth, but also each other's scent. Celine smelled as she always did, a fresh, clean fragrance with just a touch of sweet. Not saccharine, perhaps akin to a field of wild flowers, serene and pleasing in an unobtrusive sort of way. Vanessa herself always wore perfume. Nothing overwhelming, just a dab of the latest scents that she found herself fascinated with, which happened to be Calvin Klein's One Summer. It had an airy, refreshing scent, one evoking memories of sea-breeze and white sand. Compounded with top notes of tangerine and lemon, the perfume perfectly complemented Vanessa's feminine but athletic appeal.

She kept the embrace for a few seconds, long enough to affirm the notion that she definitely missed Celine, before letting the younger back on her feet. "But yes, shower it is. It's wicked hot outside," Vanessa grumbled, running a hand through her wind-tousled hair. "You better have not taken over my room while I was gone!" A light-hearted threat, before she picked up her suitcases again to make way to her room. Celine and her had separate rooms, but they shared a bathroom. Anyhow, a shower, and then perhaps a light meal. They had a lot of catching up to do.

Celine didn’t expect such an exuberant greeting, that much was certain. One moment, Vanessa was dropping her suitcases, with the intention of unpacking later...and the next, she had pulled her into a big bear hug. It was somewhat familiar, seeing as how such hugs used to be given often...yet somehow...it felt different as well. Putting their differences in height and build to use, Vanessa didn’t stop there, and picked her up off the ground… much like she did when she was younger. The embrace lasted for a few seconds, long enough to affirm the notion that she was, indeed, missed...before the younger sibling was set back onto her feet.
At their proximity, the two sisters had not only each other’s warmth, but also each other’s scent. Celine noticed a hint of tangerine and lemon...along with a rather refreshing twist that reminded the girl of summers spent at the beach. Brown eyes blinking, she noticed rogue threads of gold having fallen against her cheek, and began to unravel the braids she worked hard on making earlier that day. “It is hot outside…” she agreed, giving a vague nod. “If I’m not mistaken… it’s close to ninety-five degrees...not to mention it is supposed to warm up later…”

Of course, meteorology was an unpredictable science… Celine ran her fingers through the long, wavy gold locks now free from the braid, the strands catching the light for a fraction of a second before falling down to lay on her back and against her hips. It also reflected off the girl’s eyes...making the caramel depths shimmer, almost as though the orbs are truly molten pools. “I don’t know if you are interested in eating yet...so I thought I’d wait on that until you arrived. I’m not particularly hungry, myself...but if you are, I can make you a little something, to satisfy you until it is time for dinner…” Her mind wandering with its thoughts, two fingers started twisting locks of gold between them, just playing with the strands in general. The other hand fiddled with the edge of her skirt. When she realized what she was doing, she quickly fixed it, before lifting her gaze. By that time, her older sister had already began making her way towards her room. “Ah… I’ll just leave her alone…” Celine murmured, now shrugging. After such a long trip, of course Vanessa would want to relax, take a shower, maybe have a little time to herself… It was perfectly understandable, and she wasn’t going to try and interfere.

With a sigh, Celine went back to her own room, and closed the door behind her. It was painted in a soft, soothing shade of blue, with swirls of purple and darker blue here and there. There were two massive bookcases against two of the four walls, both full of thick volumes and casual reading. A large chair awaited her, welcoming her into its comfortable embrace. The adolescent collapsed into it, eyes unfocused and lost in thought yet again.

Vanessa showered pretty quickly. It was nice, having the hot water wash the day's fatigue away. There was familiarity in it, in the shower, in this house, in Celine. And there were also differences. Celine had most definitely grown. She couldn't deny that, for just a moment, she had been rather star-struck by Celine's casual grace. The younger girl definitely did not have the almost flamboyant charm Vanessa had, but there was something so adorable about the younger's quiet, almost bookish charm, but brought more than a smile to her face. And she definitely noticed Celine's body more than she should have. Vanessa brushed that thought aside, dismissing it as simply not having seen Celine for a very long time. Checking out her own sister, after all, seemed like an utterly rotten idea.

Satisfied that she had refreshed herself, Vanessa loosely towel-dried her hair, not bothering with the blow dryer in this hot weather. Given that this was also her house, she dressed with utter casualness. An overlarge T-shirt went over her head - the shirt was so loose it was practically hanging off of her arms, leaving the tanned stretches of her throat and shoulders bare. She almost skimmed on shorts, but decided for modesty's sake, to throw on just a flimsy short shorts. It was way too bloody hot for anything else anyway. Tying her wet hair in a loose bun, she went to see what Celine was up to.

It was a curious assignment really - what exactly what she supposed to do? Vanessa assumed she was just here to watch the house, make sure nobody broke in and such. Her parents had left the car behind, she supposed that if Celine was ever in the mood to go out, she would act as her chauffeur as well. That's a pretty big if - her younger sister was very much like a domesticated cat, lounging about here and there, gazing into space or flipping through her many books. Outside seemed almost like a foreign concept for Celine, if one were to judge by that porcelain skin of hers. That isn't healthy, Vanessa decided. Maybe I'll get to pick up a sport this summer...

Figuring that Celine was in her room, Vanessa went and knocked, but didn't wait for Celine to open before pushing her way in. It wasn't that she was necessarily a rude person, but simply a carry-over from their younger days. Seeing the younger curled up on a plushy-looking chair was no surprise at all. Vanessa strode over to Celine's bed, and propped down, making herself comfortable. "So, Lin," a childhood nickname, "What have you been up to in the last year hmm? Tell your big sister all about it."

A caramel eye opened, focusing on Vanessa, though its partner seemed reluctant to do the same. "Not much..." Celine murmured in answer to her sister's question. Truthfully, nothing much has happened in the last year. At least, nothing exciting or worth mentioning. Aside from classes, homework, literature club and college applications, she found herself with very little free time. "I'm sorry to disappoint." With a soft yawn, the young girl -or rather, young woman- raised her arms high above her head in a languid stretch, causing her sweater to tighten across her small frame, not to mention expose a few inches of flat belly. Once that was done, she relaxed back into the chair, eyes glancing about her room. Finally, she looked back to her older sister, her fingers playing with several strands of her golden hair. "What about you, though?" she asked, the question touched by curiosity.

Vanessa hasn't changed much...at least, not from Celine's point of view. True, there was little changes... but not enough to where she couldn't recognize her older sister. While the tan was a bit darker, her hair a few inches longer...her spontaneous outlook on life did not change at all. In some ways...Celine was a little jealous of her. "Tell me how school was overseas," she asked...a quiet demand in the words. "What was it like in Europe...? Did you ever get a chance to visit any of the sights?" And...I am making a fool of myself, she realized, a rather pretty pink blush making its way across the girl's delicate features. If it was at all possible, her glasses would fog up from the heat...but of course, it isn't.

“You...You don’t have to answer my questions, if you don’t want to…” Celine murmured, finding herself rubbing at the heated flesh with the back of her hand. Long strands of golden blonde cascaded over her shoulders when she leaned forward briefly...unknowingly revealing quite a bit of cleavage. “I’m sure you’d like to relax, after the plane ride and all…” That said, she got onto her feet, stretching her arms high yet again. With a glance thrown in Vanessa’s direction, she began playing with the hem of her sweater nervously. “I...I hope you don’t mind, but...I find myself feeling hot in this, so...I am going to go ahead and change out of it…” Her fingers tightening, she pulled said sweater up over her head...which, in turn, exposed the light green tank top she was wearing under it.

Feeling better already, Celine joined her older sister on the bed, stretching out on the comforter much like a cat would. Her glasses askew, waves upon waves of gold framing her delicate features...she could have passed as a model, despite the glasses. There was just a natural grace about the girl that told of how she felt in her own skin...how comfortable she was with the person she is. While others don't like one feature or another...she didn't mind what she looked like in the slightest. "Hm...I'm trying to think of what we should have for dinner..." she murmured, fixing her glasses and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “Chinese food...or pizza…?”