Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I need more cowbell!"

Username: 
Password:    
Remember Me
  • Create Account
  • IJ Login
  • OpenID Login
Search by : 
  • View
    • Create Account
    • IJ Login
    • OpenID Login
  • Journal
    • Post
    • Edit Entries
    • Customize Journal
    • Comment Settings
    • Recent Comments
    • Manage Tags
  • Account
    • Manage Account
    • Viewing Options
    • Manage Profile
    • Manage Notifications
    • Manage Pictures
    • Manage Schools
    • Account Status
  • Friends
    • Edit Friends
    • Edit Custom Groups
    • Friends Filter
    • Nudge Friends
    • Invite
    • Create RSS Feed
  • Asylums
    • Post
    • Asylum Invitations
    • Manage Asylums
    • Create Asylum
  • Site
    • Support
    • Upgrade Account
    • FAQs
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Interest
    • Search Randomly

Hesper Alekos ([info]shadows_prism) wrote in [info]haunted_roads,
@ 2008-03-04 18:42:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:chris, hesper

Week Three: Monday Night
Who: Hesper and Chris
Where: Nino Stella's residence and probably leading back to the Towers
When: Monday Night
Rating: tba

Her little vacation seemed to be over at the moment. Sure having nothing to do but drink and play cards was good fun for a week or so but Hesper was feeling more than ready to take on another job. The last one had hardly been satisfying at all. As luck would have it Nino had called her up earlier in the day. Hesper liked the gangster boss and he payed better than most. Plus who could deny making a deal over dinner so well prepared? Certainly not her, considering she always got challenging jobs from her old friend.

Still, meeting Nino meant that she had to have looked nice. So she did dress up a bit. It was not that she minded too much, but really these clothes were not what she would normally be wearing. The deal had been worked out and she would have a nice assignment right outside of town to get done next week. He had offered to have her taken home after their meeting, but while Hesper loved to be spoiled she felt the urge to stop in at a few places before heading back home just yet. Sure it was pretty late for most people to be out, but there were always some nice places lit up in neon that welcomed her face eagerly.

She was heading out of the building when she heard a commotion among the guards. The only time Nino's men seemed to get in a funk was when there was a trespasser. More often then not that was just a joy to watch, especially if they put up a fight. Ignoring her escort she headed out of the building to the corner of the property where it looked like three of Nino's men had cornered a fairly young looking man. He was certainly an attractive young looking man. More than anything he looked like a frightened little mouse that had gotten caught by the cat. She was not sure why but she felt the urge to have this boy indebted to her. One never knew when it would come in handy.

Continuing to ignore her escorts pleads that 'Miss Alekos please not bother herself with this matter', Hesper walked up behind the men and tapped her foot impatiently. "Boys, boys." she said calmly, but with a hint of annoyance. "You wouldn't be messing with my friend here, now would you?" Tutting as they stopped and looked at her she walked past them and over to the boy. "Nino would not be happy with you at all if you were interfering with my method of exit, yeah? So why don't you get your asses back to your posts then?"

Narrowing her eyes at their apologies she watched them walk off before she looked back over at the kid. "You coming then?" she said impatiently before she just started to walk again. But really she was in an even better mood now. She knew he was going to follow, he really did not have a choice in this place.

(Post a new comment)


[info]sensing
2008-03-05 06:51 pm UTC (link)
If Chris hadn't been so frightened, he would've been incredibly frustrated with himself for letting this happen again. Losing track of time, losing track of where exactly he was in the city. He didn't have a car, so walking was one of his main methods of getting around. If he was going very far, he'd take the bus, but he'd just intended to kill some time on this unexpected night off. His supervisor had changed the schedule yet again, so he didn't work tonight even though he'd just been off the previous Thursday.

He certainly hadn't meant to wander onto someone's private property. Someone who, apparently, really took umbrage to trespassers, whether intentional or not. It seemed to him that there was something slightly off about the three men who were surrounding him, though Chris could not have said what it was. One reason for that might've been that he could only look at them from the corners of his eyes, his chest tight and burning from lack of air; the deep breaths he tried to take stalled out somewhere in the neighborhood of his throat. If he could just explain that he wasn't doing anything, that he didn't mean any harm and that he'd be happy to leave if they'd let him... But he couldn't. His voice was trapped inside him as surely as he was trapped here.

He was probably as surprised as the lady's escorts were when the attractive, almost regal-looking blonde intervened on his behalf. She was older than he was, though he couldn't have said by how much. He was terrible at figuring out people's ages. He, himself, was often mistaken for much younger than he was due to his demeanor: most people would not have guessed that he was twenty-five. The men dispersed and Chris stood in shock, still trying to get a decent breath. Panic attack wasn't a familiar term to him, but it was pretty much what was wrong with him at the moment.

He had no idea why the woman had decided to step in, but he was grateful she had, even if he couldn't tell her at the moment. He hastily caught up with her, walking a couple of steps behind her with his hands crammed into his pockets and his dark hair falling over wary blue eyes. The back of his neck prickled with the sensation of being watched from the grounds they were leaving, and he shuddered, biting into his lip, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder. His heart thudded in his chest like a live thing, and as he walked he concentrated on trying to regulate his breathing and, possibly, get his voice to work again.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-05 07:25 pm UTC (link)
Pulling out a cigarette she lit it, taking a drag as she continued to walk quickly. The kid looked like he was about to faint from fear at the moment. She really only needed him to stay on his feet until they were off Nino's property. After that he really could collapse and she would not really have to do anything about it. Though even now she was going to have to explain to Nino next time she saw him why someone she knew would be dumb enough wander where he was not supposed to.

That was all to be thought over later though. Plenty of time to come up with a reasonable excuse. Or not even one at all, Nino was fairly forgiving of her behavior for the most part. Nice man, nicer than she usually liked but oh well. Looking over her shoulder at the boy following her she raised an eyebrow. The kid looked about to just keel over. She did suppose most people were not used to being surrounded by body guards, but really he should have been more careful.

Still, she was nice enough to slow her pace some to t least give him a bit of a break. It would be a pity if he did collapse though. He was definitely attractive. Sure he was dumb enough to stray onto mafia property, but pretty did not always mean smart. If this turned out to be him having gone through with some dumb bet and she had saved him, she might have to kill him on principle. "You're lucky, kid. I don't often play mommy to stray puppy dogs over that way. Could have gotten me in trouble."

He better start being able to talk soon, because if she was going to have to walk with someone they might as well be able to talk. Mutes were never any real fun anyway. Pulling out her pack again she offered it up to him. "Cigarette before your heart explodes?" she said, looking back at him.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-06 04:59 am UTC (link)
Unless he was alone, Chris tended to look nervous; it was unusual that he felt secure enough in most people's company to really relax. He wasn't in danger of collapsing, though, particularly now that they were moving away from the heavily guarded building (and it had not even occurred to him to wonder why the guard was so heavy. At this point he just wanted to get away).

Being careful hadn't occurred to him, either. His mind had been a million miles away, and he hadn't been aware of his danger until he'd been surrounded by huge, gruff men asking questions of him in a demanding way-- something that was guaranteed to lock up his vocal cords without fail. He had to come up with some other ways to pass time, he thought ruefully. This walking around thing was seeming to get him into trouble pretty often lately.

Chris tried to be quiet about regulating his breathing; he was finally able to pull a reasonable amount of air into his lungs, and he was keeping pace with the blonde lady without difficulty now. He was in good shape, but he just wasn't at his best when scared out of countenance. His eyebrows lifted a little when she called him kid, but he didn't comment. No way was he going to crack wise to someone who'd likely saved him from trouble, even if he had been the type to do it. Which really, except on the rare occasions when he got angry and lost his temper, he wasn't.

When she held out the pack of cigarettes to him, Chris found his voice again: low, husky and laced with the South though it was. "I, uh--. D-don't smoke," he said, his expression solemn. He hadn't removed his hands from his pockets, and he didn't now.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-07 12:16 am UTC (link)
Didn't smoke? Well that was getting to be more and more common lately. Then again humans did have to worry about that whole cancer thing. Definitely a perk of being a demon, she loved cigarettes. Shrugging she tucked her back back away and kept walking. Still that was hardly any conversation, and Hesper was feeling awfully chatty at the moment. Considering the trouble he had gotten into back there he probably was not to type to lead around to her places of visitation either.

Though it would be funny to see the thing shake like a leaf again.

Kicking a bit of trash on the sidewalk out of her way, she blew a trail of smoke out before looking over at him again. "So do you even know where you were back there?" she asked, rather curious really. The kid was not a scout of any kind, no one would send one stupid enough to get caught. And if they had, well that certainly was a fine old move of theirs.

It was an attempt at conversation at the very least. Still, it was not a very good one when she thought about it. Shrugging it off she took another puff. She could really use a drink right now, come to think of it. "Though really, you're probably better off not knowing. Might get really killed then." she added in an amused sort of voice, talking mostly to herself.

Last she checked though there was a give and take to saving someone's life. That definitely put this kid in her debt, and she liked having debts to be repaid to her. They often proved pretty useful. No one ever knew how useful someone could prove to be really, especially in her business. "So what's your name, anyway?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-07 05:11 am UTC (link)
At the moment, Chris was less concerned with cancer than he was making (more of) an idiot out of himself in front of this woman. He could see himself getting into a coughing fit, smoke streaming from his ears, nose and mouth if he tried to smoke a cigarette, something he'd never actually done before. It seemed prudent to turn her offer down.

Hey, he could be intelligent sometimes instead of simply shy and inarticulate.

He darted a glance in her direction when she asked him if he'd known where he was. "N-no, I just--. I got lost. Kinda." What he didn't want to say was that it hadn't been entirely just getting lost, but losing track of where he was because he'd been thinking about something else. Someone else. He'd sound like some stupid moony teenager, or maybe somebody who wasn't quite right in the head. He'd already likely made a negative first impression on this lady.

Chris watched her exhale smoke, his artist's eye captured by the way it haloed around her blonde head in the dimness. He could imagine drawing her like that, the effect of the smoke surreal and dreamlike. Was this a dream, maybe? he wondered. Discreetly, with one of his hands that was still in his pocket, he pinched his thumb against his forefinger, digging the nail in. Nope. Not a dream.

He jerked his eyes away when he realized he was staring, trying to process her next words. Might really get killed then. He wasn't sure if she was still talking to him when she said that, but the words set up a prickle of uneasiness along his spine, and he couldn't resist glancing back over his shoulder. As far as he could tell, nobody from the building where they'd been was following them.

His gaze skittered back to her when she asked for his name. "I'm Chris," he said, still keeping pace with her and inhaling the redolent odor of her tobacco. "It's um, nice to meet you." In a scary kind of way; there was something intimidating about the woman. He'd just noticed that her fingernails were painted black, but he was making a valiant effort not to start staring again.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-08 06:46 pm UTC (link)
If he had taken the cigarette just because she had offered, she would have been highly amused by the reaction of someone who had never had one. Though since he didn't did at least mean he had at least some of his own mind. Which was a good thing sometimes, a bad thing other times, it all depended on what was going on at the time. Sometimes she preferred the mindless, then it was so much less work to get what she wanted.

"Lost, eh?" she asked, smirking. "Well, you certainly picked an interesting place to get lost in." It was all good for him that he had not mentioned something like that. When it came to moody anyone Hesper was more then likely to ditch them as soon as possible. Emotions were not her cup of tea and they never would be. She did a good job avoiding those fickle and annothing things.

She felt him watching her and could not help but smirk. If anything that was one thing she was used to. Attention was something she drew to herself, she lived off of it. Except when she was working, there would be no point in drawing attention then. But who didn't enjoy an appreciative look now and again? No one that she knew was terribly against it. Except perhaps Nox... or Hale. But they were the odd men out, now weren't they?

Chuckling slightly she shook her head and looked to see him checking if anyone was coming. "No one would be following us. Nino's men know that I can take well enough care of myself for him to have sent someone to follow me." she said with amusement. Plus she would have known if someone was following, unless they were more talented than her. For that to happen it would take a supernatural of high power and she avoided that realm.

Holding out her free hand to him, she gave him a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Chris. I'm Hesper." she replied kindly. She did try to tune down just how intimidating she was, but it was something she was just so used to. She was a powerful woman and in the circles she moved in that gave her the respect she wanted. "So where do you live, Chris?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-10 04:02 am UTC (link)
An interesting place to get lost in... yeah, that was pretty apparent. Again Chris wondered what had been up with that, but it was seeming as if it'd be better not to ask. Anywhere that had that many armed guards to bust on you the second you accidentally wandered into their yard had to have something really odd going on. Meth lab? Money laundering? He didn't know, and he figured he was better off like that.

No telling what might have happened if this lady hadn't been on her way out right at that moment.

"I get lost sometimes still," Chris told her, his voice low and faintly accented. "I've only lived here six months." And really, he didn't go anywhere except work and the grocery store, and occasionally to visit his aunt at her condo. Made sense that he might not know where a lot of places were.

He opened his mouth to ask why it was that it would be assumed she could take care of herself but promptly closed it again. He had the feeling that he'd stumbled onto a situation that wasn't easily explained, and while he was a reasonably curious person, he also knew when it might be better not to push it. There was definitely something unusual about her, though of course he had no idea what.

Chris was temporarily flummoxed when she extended her hand; the light here on the street was such that he couldn't tell if she was wearing jewelry, like a ring or even a bracelet that might slide down and touch his skin while he was shaking hands with her. He knew that he had to look horribly unsure, but he also knew it would be very peculiar if he refused to shake with her. He'd just have to take his chances and hope for the best.

"Old Town Towers," he replied as he reached out to meet her extended hand, setting his shoulders back without realizing he was doing so.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-10 09:52 pm UTC (link)
Meth labs never had security as tight as Nino's. Plus Hesper knew for a fact he would never let that stuff in his home. Meth did nothing for loyalties in people, and Nino was all about loyalty. Though Hesper would admit a fondness for the drug. Not from partaking in it, of course, but it did such wonderful damage to the human body. People willingly made themselves into skeletons of addiction without a helping hand. It could render even the sweetest of them into a dying brute without much effort at all. Really it was a wonderful thing in her eyes.

Though if she had not been on her way out, she knew what would have likely happened to him. If Nino had come out he might have been spared. But left up to the guards he would have likely be beaten to near death. They did get a little out of hand, but they liked their positions so it was understandable.

Hesper smiled at him kindly when he said that. "I've lived here for a few years now, so let's try to keep you from getting lost again tonight then." Build up a connection, that would make it easier to find out if this kid had anything she needed. People were not really all that chatty, but she had done him a favor, even if he did not realize it. And he seemed like one of the types who would never deny returning a favor.

It was smart of him not to press much further. Being curious killed the cat, and a fair number of other spieces as well. One had to keep it as much in check as possible or bad things were going to happen. Unless this kid was packing serious power, which she did not sense, he would best be off keeping it in check. Though she did sense something off about him. Something abnormal.

She looked at him curiously at the slight pause before he extended his hand. It was an odd thing really, there was no reason for him to suspect her being armed at all. Still she shook it firmly before letting go, looking at him a bit oddly.

"Oh really?" she asked, surprised slightly. Then again she had not been home all that often in the past six months. Still, she would have thought she would remember a cute face like this. "Small world, happens to be where I live too." And it would confirm a bit that there was something odd about him. The Towers was not really the place for ones standard rank and file human.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-13 04:28 am UTC (link)
Chris had already decided that he wasn't going to ask any questions about what was going on there or just what the hell he'd stumbled into. He truly didn't want to know, and it had already been established that it was nothing good. He was probably less curious than he should be about things as a general rule, most likely for the same reasons he'd learned not to touch things unless he absolutely had to.

Curiosity could lead to pain and danger. It was a lesson he'd learned very early in life.

He felt mildly reassured when Hesper smiled; she didn't look nearly as intimidating wearing that expression. He was becoming a little more comfortable now that they were well away from the building and property that had been an issue and walking in the direction of the Towers. Well... until she'd introduced herself and held out her hand to him.

Chris never knew when he could expect to see things, and had she not been wearing a bracelet beneath the wrist cuff of her jacket, shaking hands with her would have been as uneventful as it had been when he'd shaken hands with Roxy. But she was, and it was not. The second the cool metal slid out of her jacket sleeve and brushed against his skin, his field of vision went dark. He literally could not see anything, though he blinked rapidly to try and clear it.

She let go almost instantly, but the damage was done. For the space of nearly a minute, Chris stood with his hand still halfway extended, the color draining from his face. It was as cold as he imagined the face of the moon might be, and there were creatures with wings close by, the sounds they made slick and leathery as they fanned in the wake of... fallen angels black with sin? Demons? The images flashed by so quickly there was no way to be sure. Water, frigidly cold as it dripped down rocks. A pile of torn clothing, stiff and rancid with dried blood. Then screams that echoed, first loud and becoming gradually softer, as if he was fading. Receding.

Before he had time to panic because he was essentially stone-blind, his eyesight returned to him, and he stumbled back a few steps. Chris didn't know what to do, or did he know what to make of what he'd seen. Vague and yet still horrible somehow, resonating with fear and a cold alien oddness. He stuffed his hands back into his pockets, trying to process the fact that this woman-- whatever she was-- lived in his apartment building.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-13 05:52 am UTC (link)
All of the cheerfulness left her when he suddenly went as white as a sheet. Last time she checked it was never a good thing when someone did that. While she was all for people dying she would rather it not be on her watch where she could possibly be linked to foul play. Plus it was as soon as he had touched her hand it seemed. It was something freaky enough that it caused a strange feeling of worry to rise in her chest. For the most part she thought she had starved that feeling off decades ago.

He was jsut frozen there, as if somehow time had stopped just on him. Hesper was not sure how to react and there was a brief feeling of panic that began to mix and mingle with the worry in her chest. There was always that man to consider from a few nights ago, if this kid was related to that then she had every reason to start worrying. Even in the underground weird things did not happen this often. There was a very real possiblity that these were related.

When he stumbled back she reached out to try and catch him in case he fell. Grabbing his upper arm she tried to keep him steady and looked over his face. That was certainly not anything normal. Not that acting like this would be normal but there were plenty of those medical things that did such and such and she was almost certain it was not one of those.

"Hey, hey, are you feeling all right there?" she asked, looking him over when he seemed to regain conciousness. This was certainly a stranger turn of events. This sort of thing only happened on those cheesy television programs that she would occasionally catch when she was bored. "Look like you just saw death."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]sensing
2008-03-14 01:35 pm UTC (link)
Chris could feel his heart triphammering in his throat, and he wasn't sure if he was going to collapse or throw up. Both were viable possibilities. Almost nobody beyond his family knew what he could do, and he didn't want that knowledge to get out. It seemed like a dangerous thing for others to know about him, and what had just happened was exactly why he did not like to touch people, or for people to touch him.

Hesper looked rattled, and that made him more nervous than anything. He'd just met the woman, but she didn't seem the sort who lost her cool very easily. It was a very mild state of alarm, at least what he could see of it, but nonetheless it was worrying. He tried to concentrate on pulling air into his lungs and letting it out again, something that wasn't as easy right now as it should be.

Chris froze again when she took hold of his arm, his entire body stiffening. Don't. Don't touch me. He wouldn't say the words, literally couldn't right now, and he knew that she was more than likely just making sure he didn't fall down. Still. His blue eyes held hers and he felt like a dissection specimen pinned to a board, waiting to be cut open. Captive.

Look like you just saw death. He rather thought that he had, though he did not know whose, nor did he know if this lady was responsible for what he'd seen. She could have just been around, it could have been imagery... even after all these years he could not always tell if he'd seen a literal or a metaphorical event. Finally he forced something besides strangled breaths past his throat. "S-sorry," he said, his voice a husky whisper. "I don't--. I'm uh... n-not feeling very well."

Hello, obvious.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-18 04:21 am UTC (link)
Hesper did a great many things. At the drop of a pin she could kill a man before the pin would hit the ground. When in the mood she could drink any man under the table. She was a master of disaster when it came to gambling, bringing ruin to everyone around her in sheer delight if they were not quick about it. But if there was one thing that Hesper did not do it was act like a caring and concerned human. Demons just did not do that. Sure an act could be useful, but really the actual emotions were completely useless.

It was not concern that she was feeling right now. It gnawed at her in much of the same way, but it was something completely different. There was curiosity now. Normally when someone panics and is touched, they did not freeze and stare at you. In fact if they did freeze they would normally push you away right after. However she knew the look in that boy's eyes so well that it was a welcome bedfellow in her heart. There was fear there, fear that had no reason to be there. The boy had no reason to know who she was, so why was it there so palpable in the air?

"No feeling well." she said, removing her hand and holding it up in a peaceful manner. "Would have thought if you were going to get sick it would be back there. Suppose I'll have to get you home then before you pass out on the street." Though once he was home there would be little way for her to find out just what had happened. There were times that she wished that she had something useful like mind reading. But she had heard from actual mind readers all it was really good for was a headache.

Looking towards their path before back at him, she looked him over. The kid was shaken up, that was for sure. It was definitely from something. If it had had anything to do with Nino's place he would have panicked back there instead of here. But now she needed to know why. "Why don't we get a drink into you? Best thing to warm you up on a chilly night. Chase all the ills right out of you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-24 05:16 am UTC (link)
There was something about Hesper that put him off, and Chris wasn't sure if it was what he'd seen when her bracelet had touched his hand or simply her demeanor. He wasn't a world-class expert at reading people; actually he tended to be naive and to miss things that were reasonably obvious. Simple to do when you were awkward and had trouble looking them in the eye a lot of the time. It would've been hard for him to explain precisely what the problem was. Just... Somehow, she made him feel cold and nervous.

He now had another problem, though, and that was that he was feeling weak and shaky in the aftermath of his psychometric reading. He'd found that he usually experienced a drop in blood sugar after a vision, and it could range from very mild to the verge of passing out. He'd broken out in a sweat, and he was having trouble focusing on her words. He swallowed and dug his fingers into his palms, trying to rouse himself to the point of having some sort of sense.

What Chris really wanted to do was deny her offer of a drink and head for home as fast as his feet would carry him. A fast walk that was almost a sprint sounded just perfect to him. He didn't think he could, though. "Drink?" he repeated helplessly, planting his feet firmly on the sidewalk to keep himself from stumbling. His gaze skittered to hers and then away, and he wadded his fists even more tightly in his pockets.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-24 08:36 pm UTC (link)
Hesper's brows knitted together as she watched him seem to be getting ill right in front of her. If she thought that it was something natural she would be calling a favor in to get him to a hospital, but something was completely off about this. Off in a way that she was not sure a hospital would be the best bet. One did not spend a childhood in hell and not be able to pick up when things were not altogether natural.

"Forget the drink, you've gone fucking white!" she said a bit louder than was needed, but it was still true. The kid looked barely able to stand up. She stopped completely and then stood in front of him, standing there looking at him. She grabbed his chin for a moment then felt his forehead with her other palm before pulling it away and shaking the sweat off it. "Fuck, you're melting. Too fucking cold out to be sweating like that."

Frowning deeply she let go of him. "Either you lean on me or I'll just have to carry you, which will probably put even more of a dent in your manhood. Can get you to the Towers that way, all right sickie?" She was going to barely give him a moment to answer. If he put up a fight she knew she could just knock him out. If someone asked questions when she walked in she could just say she found him drunk. Though she probably should not rely on that excuse too many times.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-25 12:24 am UTC (link)
When Hesper snapped at him, Chris cringed. It was a completely involuntary response, one he couldn't have stopped if he'd tried. He wasn't doing any of it on purpose, but he knew how he must be coming across, and he wondered why she didn't just leave him if she was that impatient. They were well away from the building where he'd been unpleasantly surprised by security guards.

When she grabbed his sweaty face, he froze, emotion flickering in his glazed eyes for mere seconds before vanishing as if it had never been. He wanted to pull away from her, but he couldn't seem to move. He hated being touched by a near-stranger, roughly and abruptly, more than he hated just about anything else. When the blonde let go of him after what felt like half an hour, he took his hands out of his pockets and pulled the material of his jacket up to wipe his cheeks and forehead, grateful for the opportunity to hide for even a few seconds. If only he could stay there and not have to face her again, he thought longingly.

Chris dropped the jacket and met her eyes for fleeting seconds before dropping his gaze again. "Fine," he said quietly. "I'll lean." One hand went back into his pocket and he steeled himself as he lifted the other one, putting it gingerly around her shoulders as if maybe they were out on a date or good friends out for an evening stroll. Neither was the case.

When his fingers touched the shoulder of her jacket, his vision fogged again, though luckily it didn't go totally black as it had while ago. Dark. Why was it so dark? Where was this place? There were noises he couldn't identify, brittle snaps and meaty thuds. Also there were nearly inarticulate cries of pain, terror... both? A flash of light, a rumble like the earth rending itself in two... then a slim hooded figure, its face illuminated for a few seconds. Its eyes looked like hers.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-25 10:03 pm UTC (link)
All she really wanted to do was get the idiot home. This was why she was not nice to people normally, she reminded herself. They always turned out to be something weird. But while she could very well just leave him she did not want to. Hesper was too curious for her own good most of the time, and she wanted to know what the hell was going on with this kid. Hell last time she had seen someone deteriorate so fast they had just been poisoned, and she had not even been the one doing the poisoning so it came as quite the shock.

When he agreed to lean she relaxed a bit. Would be able to at least drop the kid off in the Towers for someone that knew him to pick him up if he could not make it up to whatever floor he was on. Considering how many weird types she ran into in these parts he was by far one of the weirdest that she had seen in a while with all this. Again she reminded herself that she better milk this to Nox as to get him off her back next time she pissed him of.

But then once he had touched her she felt his body go all weird again and she looked at him in confusion. His eyes were not there. Well they were physically there but they were definitely not looking at the world she was looking at. Looked almost like how a seer or something looked, all distant and out at nothing but still very much seeing something. It looked almost like he had a few moments ago. She pulled away quickly and looked at his face. "What the fuck are you seeing, kid? No one looks like that if they're not seeing something." she asked quietly, but insistently.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-26 05:24 am UTC (link)
Chris' skin was crawling. What was she? There was no real way for him to know; it wasn't as if his visions came with neat little labels to explain the things that made no sense. That would be incredibly handy, wouldn't it? He felt sicker than he'd felt before, and when she pulled away from him, he stumbled back a couple of steps and wrapped his arms around himself.

"Wh-wh-wh--?" He had to stop talking because the words simply wouldn't come out. What do you mean? he'd been trying to ask. Desperate to divert her, wanting to get the feeling of being coated with invisible slime out of his head. The things he saw both times he'd touched her made him feel frightened, apprehensive and mildly dirty... not that he had any clear conception of why.

Chris could barely see, but he continued to back away from her before turning and starting down the sidewalk in what he hoped was the direction of the Towers. He was shaking, sweating, his skin all over goosebumps and feeling lightheaded from the inevitable drop in blood sugar. If this kept up, he wouldn't have to worry about answering her questions, because he'd be unconscious.

He wasn't moving very fast, and he knew she'd have no problem catching up to him, but he had to get away, or at least try to. There was danger in the air all around, nearly as much as he'd felt when those bodyguards had been doing a number on him. She was dangerous; Chris now felt certain of this, even though again he could not have put it into coherent words. It was an aura that emanated from her now that he'd had the experience of touching things that belonged to her: a bracelet and a jacket. Both covered with her essence, both clear if confusing to read.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-29 01:29 am UTC (link)
Someone who was clueless on what she was talking about would not have tried to run. Oh no, this boy was seeing something when he touched her and it was enough to scare him away from her. Sure he was not going to get anywhere fast, but he was still trying to get away from her and probably not just because of her question. She had no idea what kind of things he might be seeing, but they were definitely not god for other people to know.

Following after him, she grabbed his shoulder to keep him close by. Her grip was tight on him but not enough to cause pain to much of a degree. But he would know that she was not about to let him go. No, now she had to know what he now seemed to know. It was very important, she did not just let out information about herself. "You're going to have to tell me what your saw, I've got too many secrets to just let some kid run off with them." she said quickly, keeping pace with him but keeping him moving as well.

The kid was barely staying on his feet. It was obvious she did not have much time left with him conscious, but she had to know that she was safe. It would be a pity to have to kill such an attractive boy but sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Unless she could control him. Depending on what this was that might be more useful. "I'm not going to hurt you." she said in an attempt to reassure him, and it was only a small lie. "Not unless you give me a very good reason to."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]sensing
2008-03-30 04:44 am UTC (link)
She was strong. Somehow, Chris hadn't expected that. Even if he hadn't just experienced a dizzying drop in blood sugar, he didn't think he'd have been able to get away from her easily. He didn't want her to touch him, and he lifted his shoulder a couple of times in silent protest, but it wasn't enough to dislodge her.

At least he couldn't receive impressions that way. Her hand was on him, but he'd tucked his hands up into the sleeves of his jacket, the material bunched in his fists, and no matter how weak he felt, he was going to keep it that way. None of his bare skin was going to touch her again. "Lemme go," he whispered, trying to speak over the roaring in his ears. "I c-can't... didn't see anything." I don't know anything about you except that you're freaking scary. It wasn't clear enough.

Now if only he could explain that to her and make her let him go.

They were still walking, and he stumbled over what was probably his own feet in his weakness and listed sharply into the brick wall of a business about a half block from the Towers. He could see them up ahead, and he wondered if it was just a mirage that would disappear when they got closer. He leaned heavily against the wall, unable to keep half-walking, half-being pushed along. His blue eyes were dazed as he looked at her through half-closed lids, and he mumbled, "I dunno anything about you. I just s-saw flashes. Darkness, water. Wings." Slowly his arms lifted to curl over his stomach, sleeves still clutched in his hands, obscuring any bare flesh. "S-somebody was screamin'. That's it."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]shadows_prism
2008-03-30 05:05 am UTC (link)
He was going to collapse, it was only a matter of time. She was hoping that maybe he would last out to the Towers, because at the very least then something could be done about him. Out on the street there was nothing she could do outside of pushing him along. Why she was even bothering at this point would be a mystery to most. But he had seen something, damnit. She was normally so careful too.

But when was the last time she had run into someone who saw things? Been a fucking long time, that was for sure. Not many of them really existed in the first place. And most of them were a lot more responsible. Shaking her head, she looked down at him and tried to keep her voice pleasant. "Lying isn't going to help you at all here, might as well stop it right now."

They were almost at the Towers. The home stretch really, but then he stumbled and fell back against the wall. She let go of him so she would not end up hurting his shoulder more than she needed to. But she was not about to let him get away from her.

He started talking right after he hit the wall. Folding her warms she watched him. It was like watching a druggie who had forgotten to eat for days. The sight sure did a number on him. "You're coming with me." she said simply. "You need something to eat before you pass out. I'm not going to take no for an answer though, kid, so if you need me to carry you somehow or whatever, you're going to have to tell me so you won't land yourself in a fucking coma."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]sensing
2008-04-01 12:52 am UTC (link)
It was probably fortunate for him that Chris felt too sick to be truly afraid anymore. He knew that he should be, that there was something very much off about both this lady and the situation... but now he was queasy and trying not to pass out, so that effectively diverted his attention. He almost didn't care if she did something to harm him, just as long as he could get something in his stomach to bring his blood sugar back up to normal.

He wasn't sure what she thought he was, but it was clear that she hadn't been fooled by his trying to pass it off as simply not feeling well and by saying that he hadn't seen anything. Well, he hadn't seen anything that would give him damning information about her. He knew her first name and that she lived at the Towers, and that was it. He just wanted to be left alone; no way in Hell was he going to run around and tell anybody that she wasn't what she appeared to be. Of course, she didn't know that.

Again, Chris didn't particularly want to go with her, no more than he wanted her to touch him, but he realized he had no choice. "No," he mumbled, aware that she wouldn't realize what he was saying no to but unable to elaborate. He was telling her he wouldn't need to be carried, though he didn't know that for sure. Half-turning, he braced himself against the brick building with one hand and started to walk. His vision was blurry and his legs shook, but he put one foot in front of the other.

Once he had to stop to retch, though he couldn't bring anything up. Normally he would have been mortified to do that in front of someone else, but he felt too terrible to care at the moment. Finally he spit on the sidewalk and continued walking, incredibly grateful when they reached the front doors of the Towers.

(Reply to this)

Home | Site Map | Manage Account | TOS | Privacy | Support | FAQs