Steam swirled around the bathroom, fogging the mirrors, smelling faintly of sandalwood soap. Mimi stood in the shower stall, face upturned to the spray, relishing the feeling of the hot water on her face. The water flowed from her face and hair, running down her neck and breasts, washed over her tummy and down her legs, and pooled at her feet before slipping away down the drain. Mimi turned her head down, feeling the spray massage her scalp. She winced slightly as the water’s course changed, running down her back, stinging slightly. She watched with some disdain as the water at her feet turned pink. The wound on her lower back would take some time to heal.
It had started as a youthful, joyous dare: she had joined Detective, Jade Rooster, and Sapphire Angel on a trip to Bloody Bay to investigate the meteors that plagued the area. It had turned on a dime, becoming unbelievably frightening, when a hazy form had come from nowhere, attacking the four students as they surveyed the crash sites. Armed with a samurai sword and moving with incredible speed, the villain had made short work of them, slicing and hacking as he callously laughed at the blood that flowed. Even Sapphire’s attempts to teleport them to safety had proved futile; the villain had pursued them all the way to the Longbow security helipad, and the attacks continued. Whoever he was, he was relentless and seemingly unstoppable.
Mimi closed her eyes, trying not to cry. It had been a long time since she had felt so powerless. What would Mary Moltar think if she had seen her? The blind panic, the pitiful cries of pain, the hopelessness. Mimi pounded her fist against the tiled wall. Pathetic. Weak and pathetic.
“My god,” said a soft voice from behind her. “What… has happened to you?”
Mimi looked backwards over her shoulder, squinting as the water sprayed into her eyes. A form stood there, partially obscured by the steamy mist. But the short, cropped blond hair was as big a giveaway as the accent. Mimi hadn’t even heard Yulia come in. She had been so distracted, so consumed by shame, that even her hypersensitive hearing had failed her. No wonder the man had beat her so easily. Mimi turned her face back to the water.
“I heard you were back,” Mimi said in an even tone.
“Yes,” Moth said hesitantly. “This afternoon.” Mimi nodded, but the conversation stalled.
Moth bit her lip softly. The long, jagged slash across Mimi’s back was raw, new. Something horrible had happened. But it wasn’t just a physical wound she bore; Moth didn’t need to be an empath to tell that much. Three weeks earlier, Mimi would have smiled, would have been happy to see her. But now, nothing. What had happened? Was it the pain of the wound, or had Pad poisoned her mind to her?
“You are badly hurt,” Moth said, finally. She stepped closer, reached out her hand to evaluate the injury. Mimi nodded vaguely. But when Yulia's fingertips touched Mimi’s back, the older girl tensed and whirled about suddenly.
“What are you doing?” Mimi demanded. She raised her arms to cover her breasts. “What do you want?” Mimi’s eyes flashed with anger and fear, ready to attack. But looking upon Moth’s face through the steam, she felt confusion quickly replace her anger. Standing so close, Mimi could see that Moth’s face and shoulders were spotted with bruises. Thin cuts and abrasions, like shrapnel wounds, were newly clotted. The towel wrapped around her was spotted with a few drops of blood. Suddenly, Mimi felt herself back in Bloody Bay, the fear, the confusion. But something was wrong. Moth wasn’t in Bloody Bay.
“I did not mean…” Moth began. She hated the fact that Mimi felt so threatened by her. Especially now. “I was concerned about your back.”
“I’m not the only one who’s hurt,” Mimi said, struggling to clear her mind. “What happened to you?”
Moth felt her face flush with embarrassment. She shook her head. “It is nothing, really.”
Mimi set her jaw sternly. Moth saw the anger come back into her eyes. “Bell did this to you, didn’t she?” Mimi began to step from the shower stall, a purposeful look upon her face. Moth had seen that look on Mimi’s face only once or twice, and only on patrol. It frightened her.
“No!” cried Moth, and laid a hand upon Mimi’s shoulder. Mimi’s angry eyes met hers. “You mustn’t,” Moth said quietly. “I… I provoked her.”
Mimi sneered slightly. “Unlikely. Your girlfriend’s been a real bitch for the last couple weeks.” Moth was simultaneously elated by the word girlfriend and offended at the word bitch. It made her stomach turn in a knot. Mimi read the conflict on her face, and she shook her head angrily. “What the hell is wrong with you? You want to be a doormat? Fine, be a doormat. But don’t stand here and lie for her.”
Moth bit her lip again. She wished desperately to be somewhere else. “I am not lying,” she said, but she heard the uncertainty in even her own voice. She shook her head sadly. “There are things,” she said hesitantly, “that you do not know.”
Mimi waved a dismissive hand. “Undoubtedly,” she said gruffly. “But you know what? I don’t care. November can’t treat people this way. First she blows up because you’re gone. Then she blows up because you didn’t come all the way back for the dance. Now she blows up because you’re back? To hell with that. Is this what you want? You want to be bullied around by her?”
Moth didn’t know what to say. Things had happened while she was gone, things she hadn’t even considered. What did it mean? The sound of the shower filled the bathroom, drawing attention to their silence. The steam continued to swirl about, slowly pasting Moth’s hair to her forehead. Water droplets beaded on Mimi’s face and slipped down her throat.
Moth swallowed hard. “I want November to be happy,” she finally said.
“Damn it, Yulia!” Mimi cried, turning to face her. She grabbed Moth by the shoulders. Her fingers dug into the little cuts and bruises, and pain flooded into Moth’s mind. From the pain came a certain mental clarity, and it felt suddenly awkward to be this close to Mimi’s naked body. “Nobody can help November if she doesn’t want to be helped! Don’t you get that? Nobody can make her happy if she doesn’t want to be!”
Moth stayed silent.
Mimi let her hands slip from Yulia's shoulders. She sighed heavily. “I think it’s the bell,” Mimi said quietly.
Moth raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“The bell, you know,” Mimi said, and gestured to her breastbone in a pantomime. The gesture served to remind Mimi of her nakedness, and she crossed her arms again and stared at the floor, blushing slightly. She sighed again and continued. “About a week ago, it started ringing. I don’t even know if anyone besides me can hear it. But it’s definitely ringing, softly, all the time.” Mimi looked up and met Moth’s eyes. “It didn’t use to do that. But now it does. And ever since I started hearing it, November has been… different.”
Moth felt the color drain from her face. She thought back to Ybur Academy, to what had happened there. To the night when November told her about the ringing. To the fire…
Mimi cocked her head. “What?”
Moth shook her head. “I do not know, yet,” she said quietly. Moth felt like she was on the edge of understanding, and that gave her hope. “But I think your clever hearing may have saved her.”
Mimi shrugged. “Uhm, okay,” she began.
Moth broke into an excited smile and took Mimi by the arms. “Oh, thank you!” she sighed, leaving Mimi puzzled as to how many students were going to lose their minds today. But even as she began to wonder, Yulia leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
The shock of it left Mimi dazed. But as soon as it had begun, it was over. Moth didn’t seem to register the look on Mimi’s face as she turned and skipped towards the door.
“There is hope yet,” Moth laughed as she reached the door. “for all of us.” She paused at the door and turned to face Mimi through the thick steam. She was just an outline, her face unreadable. “Thank you, Mimi,” she said, and vanished through the door.
Mimi put her fingers to her lips and touched them. She stumbled back into the hot shower spray, and felt her back ache. Her own nudity embarrassed her suddenly, and she covered her body with her arms. She leaned back against the tiled wall. Her injury strung sharply, and she thought again about the villain who had attacked them on the helipad. But in her mind’s eye, the villain took a new shape, a different form. She slid down the wall, and felt the wound tear open again from the friction. The pain was distant. And as she slipped into a sitting position on the floor of the shower stall, the water around her growing red, she began to cry uncontrollably.
In her mind’s eye, Mikaela held the sword.
Old Wounds, New Wounds
Moderator: Student Council
Old Wounds, New Wounds
Last edited by Mimi on Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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November Bell
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2005 4:06 pm
- Location: Shut up.
- Contact:
The sound of bare feet slapping against varnished hardwood floors bounced off the walls of the dark and empty gymnasium. November, donning a pair of black tights and a black bustier, flicked the light switch and deposited her bag on the first row of bleachers.
She stretched and twisted her body, prepping her ligaments. She turned to her bag and unzipped it, retrieving a small stereo. She plugged it into a unit in the wall and went back to her bag, drawing out a pair of beige satin pointe shoes. She neatly coiled the wide straps around her delicate ankles and bowed down to depress the Play button. The somber and heavy harmony of Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata streamed from the little stereo. She readied herself into first position, her heels firmly set together and knees bent. She closed her eyes. (For a cool effect, listen while reading: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174)
Haven't done this in a while...
And as if it was second nature, November finished the remaining positions of demi-plié before sweeping into more complicated and aerial movements. She started slow, keeping in sync with the initial melody. In slow motion she lifted a leg, the fine muscles in that appendage straining and bulging to keep itself steady. Just as slowly, she swept the leg back down before curling herself into an abrupt spin. She lunged through the air in short bursts, her legs stretching out firmly and her toes ending in swift, rigid points. She winced as she landed.
Pain? Bend at the knees when you land! Remember?
She fluttered in tune with the solemn music, swinging her wrists and back around, slicing the air with her right leg. She snapped the leg back down and galloped across the floor, spinning faster and faster. She grimaced in agony as her pointed feet soundlessly prodded the floor.
Fight it, fight the hurt. You deserve this anyway, don't you? You've been a real bitch lately. A real pain in the ass. Now you know how it feels. Now you know how everyone's been feeling around you.
She pivoted her waist and leaped up into the air with her arms bent over her head only to slam back down onto the floor with a yelp. November, sobbing, resumed dancing, twirling her skeletal arms and keeping her foot in the air rigid.
You baby. Suck it up. If you can deal it, you can take it. Enjoying alienating yourself, Novembre? People are noticing. People are talking. And this whole rape thing, are you serious? Can you even imagine the shit you’re going to have to deal with when people find out it never happened? Stupid! Stupid!
The corners of her mouth tucked into a lopsided smirk as she kicked up her reedy limbs, slowly and sensually gliding her arms and legs across the floor.
I....I don't care.
She tip-toed across the floorboards, heaving, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes finally flew open to see the vision of Moth silently watching her from the gymnasium doors. She was wearing a pair of green shorts that ended high up on her long thighs and a white-tee with "Go Flyers!" and the school emblem printed neatly over her heart. November nearly fell over, struck by Moth's sudden appearance in mid frappé. She settled her feet flatly to the floor and quickly shut off the stereo.
November boomed, "And what are you doing up at 5 in the morning?" The words echoed in the silent ambience of the gymnasium. Moth nipped at her bottom lip before responding softly, "I haven't been able to sleep since I get here..."
November swiped at the beads of sweat that pooled on her forehead with the back of her hand as she gave a snort, "Oh, is that so? I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from me, Yulia." She bent over to grab a towel out of her gym bag and dabbed it across her face and chest. She sat down on the bleachers and undid her pointes. She hissed as she peeled off the snug shoe, revealing fresh blisters and splintered nails. Moth coolly eyed November's toes, "Let me fix."
-"No, don’t. Just...just get the hell out of here, will you?”
Moth walked over to her and kneeled, forcing November to look at her as she stared up, meeting November's harsh gaze, "You want to walk around like that, ah?"
- "Yea, I actually fucking do. Dammit Yulia, just leave me alone."
November curiously surveyed Moth, mindful of her damp strands.
Just took a shower, amour?
The bell in her chest began to murmur. Moth's eyes darted to it and back to November, "Schválit , Pad. I let you be,”Moth said quickly. She gave her a tender smile before rising to her feet, lurching over November who was holding onto a bleeding foot. "...I will give you all time in the world." She nodded and began to walk out of the gymnasium, "But do not worry, Pad, do not punish yourself. It is not yourself to blame," and disappeared into the shadows of the halls.
November, squeezing her throbbing toes, thought about the secret meetings with Azuria, her MAGI guide, she’d been occupying herself with lately. Azuria happily agreed to do some extensive research on olden bells but she hadn’t chimed in with any sufficient information yet. She dipped her head to the side and eyed the emptiness before her, "Amour,” she whispered, “…Don’t be so sure.”
She stretched and twisted her body, prepping her ligaments. She turned to her bag and unzipped it, retrieving a small stereo. She plugged it into a unit in the wall and went back to her bag, drawing out a pair of beige satin pointe shoes. She neatly coiled the wide straps around her delicate ankles and bowed down to depress the Play button. The somber and heavy harmony of Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata streamed from the little stereo. She readied herself into first position, her heels firmly set together and knees bent. She closed her eyes. (For a cool effect, listen while reading: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174)
Haven't done this in a while...
And as if it was second nature, November finished the remaining positions of demi-plié before sweeping into more complicated and aerial movements. She started slow, keeping in sync with the initial melody. In slow motion she lifted a leg, the fine muscles in that appendage straining and bulging to keep itself steady. Just as slowly, she swept the leg back down before curling herself into an abrupt spin. She lunged through the air in short bursts, her legs stretching out firmly and her toes ending in swift, rigid points. She winced as she landed.
Pain? Bend at the knees when you land! Remember?
She fluttered in tune with the solemn music, swinging her wrists and back around, slicing the air with her right leg. She snapped the leg back down and galloped across the floor, spinning faster and faster. She grimaced in agony as her pointed feet soundlessly prodded the floor.
Fight it, fight the hurt. You deserve this anyway, don't you? You've been a real bitch lately. A real pain in the ass. Now you know how it feels. Now you know how everyone's been feeling around you.
She pivoted her waist and leaped up into the air with her arms bent over her head only to slam back down onto the floor with a yelp. November, sobbing, resumed dancing, twirling her skeletal arms and keeping her foot in the air rigid.
You baby. Suck it up. If you can deal it, you can take it. Enjoying alienating yourself, Novembre? People are noticing. People are talking. And this whole rape thing, are you serious? Can you even imagine the shit you’re going to have to deal with when people find out it never happened? Stupid! Stupid!
The corners of her mouth tucked into a lopsided smirk as she kicked up her reedy limbs, slowly and sensually gliding her arms and legs across the floor.
I....I don't care.
She tip-toed across the floorboards, heaving, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes finally flew open to see the vision of Moth silently watching her from the gymnasium doors. She was wearing a pair of green shorts that ended high up on her long thighs and a white-tee with "Go Flyers!" and the school emblem printed neatly over her heart. November nearly fell over, struck by Moth's sudden appearance in mid frappé. She settled her feet flatly to the floor and quickly shut off the stereo.
November boomed, "And what are you doing up at 5 in the morning?" The words echoed in the silent ambience of the gymnasium. Moth nipped at her bottom lip before responding softly, "I haven't been able to sleep since I get here..."
November swiped at the beads of sweat that pooled on her forehead with the back of her hand as she gave a snort, "Oh, is that so? I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from me, Yulia." She bent over to grab a towel out of her gym bag and dabbed it across her face and chest. She sat down on the bleachers and undid her pointes. She hissed as she peeled off the snug shoe, revealing fresh blisters and splintered nails. Moth coolly eyed November's toes, "Let me fix."
-"No, don’t. Just...just get the hell out of here, will you?”
Moth walked over to her and kneeled, forcing November to look at her as she stared up, meeting November's harsh gaze, "You want to walk around like that, ah?"
- "Yea, I actually fucking do. Dammit Yulia, just leave me alone."
November curiously surveyed Moth, mindful of her damp strands.
Just took a shower, amour?
The bell in her chest began to murmur. Moth's eyes darted to it and back to November, "Schválit , Pad. I let you be,”Moth said quickly. She gave her a tender smile before rising to her feet, lurching over November who was holding onto a bleeding foot. "...I will give you all time in the world." She nodded and began to walk out of the gymnasium, "But do not worry, Pad, do not punish yourself. It is not yourself to blame," and disappeared into the shadows of the halls.
November, squeezing her throbbing toes, thought about the secret meetings with Azuria, her MAGI guide, she’d been occupying herself with lately. Azuria happily agreed to do some extensive research on olden bells but she hadn’t chimed in with any sufficient information yet. She dipped her head to the side and eyed the emptiness before her, "Amour,” she whispered, “…Don’t be so sure.”
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November Bell
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2005 4:06 pm
- Location: Shut up.
- Contact:
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Jaygo Jones
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FrancisCross
- Posts: 1224
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:18 am
- Location: Quad 1 Room 2
))
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November Bell
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2005 4:06 pm
- Location: Shut up.
- Contact:
Well, I am dead sexy.
I liked Franky's response in-game the best...
(and I may not have this exactly right)
Franky: You did a naked lesbian scene?
Me: What? I did not!
Franky: Well, you were naked, and she's a lesbian.
Me: Oh. I guess I did.
I liked Franky's response in-game the best...
(and I may not have this exactly right)
Franky: You did a naked lesbian scene?
Me: What? I did not!
Franky: Well, you were naked, and she's a lesbian.
Me: Oh. I guess I did.
Last edited by Mimi on Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
)-
Jaygo Jones
Now who's fishing?Jaygo Jones wrote:hey, you got mad you didn't get sompliments.. and I had given you one. don't blame me because you just happen to forget all about me.
Oh Jaygo, I didn't forget your compliment. It was the best one, because you gave it to me about 10 minutes after I posted, and you found me in Pocket D's and told me you liked it...
See? I remember these things.
