Black and Blue
Most of the time, when authors say they're done with a book/series/whatever, they mean it. However, in some cases, (like Stephenie Meyer with Midnight Sun and JK Rowling with The Tales of Beadle the Bard) they just can't let the magic die out. Such is the case with me. I couldn't resist letting Gabe and Avra have their say, seeing as their story is never really explained in Blood and Roses. And since I didn't see and opening for it in RRST, I decided to write this little darlin' here. Enjoy.
Note #2: I've *****ed out all the more intense curses. ^_^
Rated PG-13 for some "strong" language, violence, blood, romance, suggestive themes, and some mild sexual humor.
Note #3: Acknowledgements--My thanks go to the simmers who have not yet abandoned me to go play TS3 and who still comment on and rate B&R, though it's been finished for a little while now, the amazing CC makers who continue to make these characters look their best, Vessie for sticking with me this long, GIMP, for making my pics looks fantastically prettiful, and of course the bands on my playlist for inspiring all the different moods this story offers.
And no, I am no further with RRST2. I have some writers block, though I'm sure once I get past it, the chapter will be released quickly. That is, of course, if the stupid Error 5 gets fixed...
Note #2: I've *****ed out all the more intense curses. ^_^
Rated PG-13 for some "strong" language, violence, blood, romance, suggestive themes, and some mild sexual humor.
Note #3: Acknowledgements--My thanks go to the simmers who have not yet abandoned me to go play TS3 and who still comment on and rate B&R, though it's been finished for a little while now, the amazing CC makers who continue to make these characters look their best, Vessie for sticking with me this long, GIMP, for making my pics looks fantastically prettiful, and of course the bands on my playlist for inspiring all the different moods this story offers.
And no, I am no further with RRST2. I have some writers block, though I'm sure once I get past it, the chapter will be released quickly. That is, of course, if the stupid Error 5 gets fixed...
~Gabriel Evanson~
I first saw Avra Greene after I returned from hunting one stormy Friday night. Thinking back, I realize what luck I'd had, what with not meeting her while I was all but a bloodsucking murderer.
Any other time, I would have passed right by any thin girl sitting on a bench without a second thought, but (1) the bench was questionably placed by a lonely road where no bus drove by and (2) it was pouring rain and (3) she was just sitting there, looking so desolate with her black hair sticking to her face and neck that I couldn't not do something.
"Hey," I said, walking up to her. She flinched and whirled to face me, her green eyes as wide as dinner plates. I nervously wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, worried that some blood might still be sticking resolutely to my face. She stared at me, not moving a muscle, just staring.
I first saw Avra Greene after I returned from hunting one stormy Friday night. Thinking back, I realize what luck I'd had, what with not meeting her while I was all but a bloodsucking murderer.
Any other time, I would have passed right by any thin girl sitting on a bench without a second thought, but (1) the bench was questionably placed by a lonely road where no bus drove by and (2) it was pouring rain and (3) she was just sitting there, looking so desolate with her black hair sticking to her face and neck that I couldn't not do something.
"Hey," I said, walking up to her. She flinched and whirled to face me, her green eyes as wide as dinner plates. I nervously wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, worried that some blood might still be sticking resolutely to my face. She stared at me, not moving a muscle, just staring.
"Uh, hi." I said unsurely, letting my hand drop. "I'm Gabriel."
She looked at me warily for another couple seconds before her lips moved.
"Avra." she said softly, tucking her sopping hair behind her ear with skinny fingers and dropping her gaze shyly. Her voice was slightly musical, pleasing to the ear.
I stood there awkwardly, fidgeting with a small hole in my shirt. Avra bit her lip and looked up at me again.
"Do you need something?" she asked, a slight crease between her eyebrows.
"Well," I began. "I'm kind of curious as to why you're sitting on that bench in the middle of a torrential downpour at eight o' clock at night."
A ghost of a smile flitted across her face, quickly followed by that same depressed look she'd had just a minute ago.
She looked at me warily for another couple seconds before her lips moved.
"Avra." she said softly, tucking her sopping hair behind her ear with skinny fingers and dropping her gaze shyly. Her voice was slightly musical, pleasing to the ear.
I stood there awkwardly, fidgeting with a small hole in my shirt. Avra bit her lip and looked up at me again.
"Do you need something?" she asked, a slight crease between her eyebrows.
"Well," I began. "I'm kind of curious as to why you're sitting on that bench in the middle of a torrential downpour at eight o' clock at night."
A ghost of a smile flitted across her face, quickly followed by that same depressed look she'd had just a minute ago.
"My dad was supposed to pick me up at six," she admitted, looking down at her lap. "I guess he forgot."
"He forgot?" I demanded, unexplainable anger crackling to life inside me. "For two hours? When it's pouring rain and anybody could drive by and take a liking to you?"
I couldn't believe it. How could somebody forget about his daughter? His exceedlingly fragile looking daughter? Jesus Christ, any asshole could have driven by and snapped her in half by now!
Avra's head snapped up at my outburst and she stared at me once again, her cheeks darkening to red.
"He forgot?" I demanded, unexplainable anger crackling to life inside me. "For two hours? When it's pouring rain and anybody could drive by and take a liking to you?"
I couldn't believe it. How could somebody forget about his daughter? His exceedlingly fragile looking daughter? Jesus Christ, any asshole could have driven by and snapped her in half by now!
Avra's head snapped up at my outburst and she stared at me once again, her cheeks darkening to red.
"Sorry," I muttered, instantly abashed by my temper. "There's just some bad people out there."
"I've heard that before." Avra sighed, her fingers clenching and un-clenching against the wood of the bench. Her profile was hard.
"Do you want a ride home?" I asked suddenly, my voice a little sharper than I intended.
Her response was surprising. She broke down into tears, burying her face in her hands and hunching in on herself. I froze, completely shocked, before leaning forward and tentatively placing my hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry," she sniffed, rubbing her face with her hands and shaking her head. "I'm just a little..." Her voice trailed off.
"I've heard that before." Avra sighed, her fingers clenching and un-clenching against the wood of the bench. Her profile was hard.
"Do you want a ride home?" I asked suddenly, my voice a little sharper than I intended.
Her response was surprising. She broke down into tears, burying her face in her hands and hunching in on herself. I froze, completely shocked, before leaning forward and tentatively placing my hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry," she sniffed, rubbing her face with her hands and shaking her head. "I'm just a little..." Her voice trailed off.
In that moment, I wanted so badly to probe into her thoughts, to see what had messed up this poor girl. Because something was wrong, I could see it in how skittish she had been when I'd come up to her, in the frailty of her limbs, and how she seemed to be a little emotionally unstable. But I resisted the urge, knowing how rude it would be to barge into her head and roll around in her thoughts.
"So..." I dropped my hand from her shoulder and shifted my weight. "You want that ride?"
"Yes." she said fervently, jumping to her feet.
"So..." I dropped my hand from her shoulder and shifted my weight. "You want that ride?"
"Yes." she said fervently, jumping to her feet.
She looked as if she had been stretched like Mike Teevea from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, though myabe not quite to that extent. She was rail thin, almost as tall as I was, and looked as if I could snap her in half witht he lightest touch. Which I probably could. I had one of my strange bipolar moments where I pondered testing it.
What the hell, no!
"My car's just around here," I said, gesturing around the corner. She scurried after me as I began walking, her face still flushed.
"If I had know that, I might have stolen it." she said breathlessly, letting out a sort of panicked laugh. I could feel the scarce heat her body radiated, caused by her rapidly thumping heart, against my side.
I snorted. I hadn't expected her to have a sense of humor.
What the hell, no!
"My car's just around here," I said, gesturing around the corner. She scurried after me as I began walking, her face still flushed.
"If I had know that, I might have stolen it." she said breathlessly, letting out a sort of panicked laugh. I could feel the scarce heat her body radiated, caused by her rapidly thumping heart, against my side.
I snorted. I hadn't expected her to have a sense of humor.
"Here we go," I announced, digging my keys out of my water-logged pocked and mashing the unlock btton. My blue minivan beeped nasally at me from just ahead, looming out of the darkness like some sort of honest-to-God horror movie monster.
Avra sighed almost silently with relief as I opened the door for her, and I smiled sadly. Poor thing. I could imagine what a relief it must be to for her to get out of the rain.
"I'm going to ruin your seat," she commented, clambering into the van and glancing down at the water spot already soaking through the fabric.
"Don't worry about it," I said dismissively, waving off her apology.
Avra sighed almost silently with relief as I opened the door for her, and I smiled sadly. Poor thing. I could imagine what a relief it must be to for her to get out of the rain.
"I'm going to ruin your seat," she commented, clambering into the van and glancing down at the water spot already soaking through the fabric.
"Don't worry about it," I said dismissively, waving off her apology.
I hurried around to the driver's side, hopping into the welcome dryness. I'd forgotten how much I hated getting soaked. Like a cat, as my best friend Ian would say.
I twisted the keys in the ignition and quickly turned the heat on full after noticing Avra's slight shivering.
"Thanks," she said contentedly, stretching her hands out towards the air vents. I could count the bones in her fingers, that's how skinny they were.
"So where do you live?" I asked, pulling off the shoulder of the road. She rattled off her address, pointing me in the right direction.
I twisted the keys in the ignition and quickly turned the heat on full after noticing Avra's slight shivering.
"Thanks," she said contentedly, stretching her hands out towards the air vents. I could count the bones in her fingers, that's how skinny they were.
"So where do you live?" I asked, pulling off the shoulder of the road. She rattled off her address, pointing me in the right direction.
I drove carefully through the downpour, more for her sake than mine. I could become quite a daredevil on the roads when I felt like it. I'd totaled my old car a few months ago while driving home with my sister Lyra. It had been hard to clear up why we weren't hurt when the car had been twisted around a tree trunk.
It was quiet in the van for a little while as I drove closer to our destination. I glanced furtively over at Avra. Her fingers wound nervously into her hair and she seemed worried about something.
"You okay?" I asked hesitantly. She jumped.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." her mouth stayed openen slightly after she finished talking, as if she was going to say something more. But then she literally--literally--bit her tongue and dropped her gaze again.
I returned my gaze to the rain-slicked road, again pondering her behavior.
It was quiet in the van for a little while as I drove closer to our destination. I glanced furtively over at Avra. Her fingers wound nervously into her hair and she seemed worried about something.
"You okay?" I asked hesitantly. She jumped.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." her mouth stayed openen slightly after she finished talking, as if she was going to say something more. But then she literally--literally--bit her tongue and dropped her gaze again.
I returned my gaze to the rain-slicked road, again pondering her behavior.
"There's the turn," Avra said softly after a few minutes, pointing a skinny finger. I complied.
"Third house on the left," she continued. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her shoulders slump ever-so-slightly. Oh my God, I wanted so bad to know what was going on inside her head. But instead of satisfying that craving, I pulled up in front of her house.
The van idled noisily for almost a minute before I broke the silence.
"Looks like your dad's home." I commented, irritation at whoever this dude was lacing my tone. Avra winced almost imperceptibly.
"Yeah." she sighed. She opened her mouth, bit her lip, then a torrent of words tumbled from her mouth. "Thank you so much fro the ride," she said in a rush. "That was the nicest thing any stranger's ever done for me, and you don't know how much that means. If you hadn't come, I would probably still be sitting there. My dad isn't really one to remember things."
"Third house on the left," she continued. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her shoulders slump ever-so-slightly. Oh my God, I wanted so bad to know what was going on inside her head. But instead of satisfying that craving, I pulled up in front of her house.
The van idled noisily for almost a minute before I broke the silence.
"Looks like your dad's home." I commented, irritation at whoever this dude was lacing my tone. Avra winced almost imperceptibly.
"Yeah." she sighed. She opened her mouth, bit her lip, then a torrent of words tumbled from her mouth. "Thank you so much fro the ride," she said in a rush. "That was the nicest thing any stranger's ever done for me, and you don't know how much that means. If you hadn't come, I would probably still be sitting there. My dad isn't really one to remember things."
"No problem," I said after a second of surprised silence. "It was really no problm at all."
What a most intelligent response to her soul-spilling. The chagrin must have shown a bit on my face for she cocked her head to the side and asked, "What?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, grinning. "Just feeling a lot less intelligent than usual with that unique response."
She laughed. "Don't worry about it. Hey, do you have a cell phone?"
Wow, she changed gears quick. "Yep," I answered, pulling mine out of my still-wet pocket. "Well, if it still works of course."
"Oh, crap, I hope mine didn't ingest too much water," she snickered. Both phones seemed to have survived, so we quickly exchanged numbers.
What a most intelligent response to her soul-spilling. The chagrin must have shown a bit on my face for she cocked her head to the side and asked, "What?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, grinning. "Just feeling a lot less intelligent than usual with that unique response."
She laughed. "Don't worry about it. Hey, do you have a cell phone?"
Wow, she changed gears quick. "Yep," I answered, pulling mine out of my still-wet pocket. "Well, if it still works of course."
"Oh, crap, I hope mine didn't ingest too much water," she snickered. Both phones seemed to have survived, so we quickly exchanged numbers.