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9:53pm Nov 9 2012 (last edited on 9:54pm Nov 9 2012)
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Private RP between Shad and me. ^^
In a nutshell, two homeless teens, Styxe, who grew up in the London ghetto, and Tes, who ran away four months ago to escape her abusive stepfather, cross paths at a run-down, old building on the outskirts of a large, snowy city where scientists are paying hundreds to people who agree to be test subjects for a new serum. When injected with a mutagenic virus and subjected to several experiments, Tes and Styxe are freed. But soon after they acquire interesting new abilities.
Science fiction, fantasy, and adventure role play.
Tessa (Tes) Sixteen. Female. Tomboy. Rebellious. Smart. Blue eyed with amber flecks. Auburn hair. Etc.
Denton (Styxe) Seventeen. Male. Muscular, tough. Street-smart. Coal grey eyes. Hair, dyed black. Innate. Fast. Etc.
Just general bios.
: )
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11:17pm Nov 9 2012 (last edited on 11:04am Nov 10 2012)
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Posts: 337
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The rural area of the city was ominously silent.
The shadows of men in alleyways, poor people treading the broken, dead highways in hopes that someone would help them, the faint smell of smoke -- when that should all be here, it wasn't.
It only attributed to Tes's uneasiness.
She pulled the hood of her hoodie over head, hiding her untamed russet curls, and she walked casually to not draw attention to herself. Tes watched though, through her peripheral vision, for the slightest hint of danger. New York was never so quiet, and the poorer parts were no exception.
Tes glanced over at a small Food Lion, trying to stand proudly among the other run-down buildings. Its walls were old and slowly decaying, and the 'L' in Lion was missing. She was out of money, and for a moment the thought of stealing food entered her mind, but she pushed it away.
Ahead, Tes could make out the vague outline of the Hole. The place where homeless people stayed at. When she got inside, even though she wasn't safe, her lost sense of safety returned. Being inside made her feel safe. Being alone made her feel safe.
But wherever the others were, she wanted them to come back. It felt strange being all alone, when no matter how hard she tried to isolate herself in the past, it never worked. Then suddenly now, she was, and it didn't feel right.
Tes curled up on a pallet of sheets, softly, and was drifting asleep when she heard voices drawing near.
: )
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10:14am Nov 10 2012
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Posts: 3,828
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Styxe's teeth tore open the wrapping of a Milky Way bar. The sweet smell of the chocolate rolled into his nose and a wave of nausea flowed through him as his stomach cramped up. Greedy fingers closed around the bar; with his free hand, he tossed the wrapper onto the ground. Chocolatey goodness spread thickly over Styxe's tongue and the bar disappeared all too fast. The morsel was a tease to his stomach and the hungry thing within him growled for more. Cramps made Styxe bend over and clutch at his waistline, grey eyes slitting as he winced.
He'd been in America almost a week now and he was no better off here than he'd been in London...No, that wasn't true. A fractured memory stung like nettles, sightless green eyes and blood-matted black hair. Styxe breathed out slowly and touched his fingers to his lips. Adrian had told him to run, to get out before they found the evidence. Police sirens had wailed; they were too close, no time to hide the body.
He was thrust back into wakefulness when car tires squealed along the street next to him. Staring open-mouthed at the sky, he realized he'd passed out. Fatigue made his brain sluggish. Food. He needed food. Besides the chocolate he'd managed to pry away from a five-year old's hands, he hadn't had a decent meal in the past week.
It took effort to push himself up from the ground and he swayed on the spot. Steeling himself, his jaw tensed up and he started his way down the street that had become his home. New York was as unforgiving as the city he'd grown up in, where gunshots still rang and dogs still cried their bloodlust at passerby. A sharp stab on loneliness made him feel bitter. Everything that had kept him from going over the edge had been his family, his gang. Right then, they were either rotting in jail or wandering the streets of London again, finding solace in having each other.
When he stumbled out onto a busier street, vendors selling food dotted the road like little pieces of intangible paradises. Desperate, Styxe approached a pizza vendor. The woman behind the bar looked frail at first, easily manipulated, until he saw her eyes. Stone cold, wary. Styxe took one long look at her, cursed under his breath, and wheeled around. Maybe a 'omeless shelte'.
It seemed he had been walking on autopilot, trusting his body where to go. A building that had definitely seen better days looked promising. Warm light spilled out around the broken hinges of a door. People in patched-up clothes, some clad in only short and t-shirts, inappropriate for such a season, were making their way in. They all looked the same; anxious movements, the constant swiveling of a head, gaunt, hollow. Homeless.
Styxe swiped a thumb over his red nose and wrapped his arms around himself to shield some of the cold. It wasn't warm when he stepped into the building, maybe higher up on the thermometer by a degree or so. The bodies that clustered around, some huddled together to keep warm, others, most of them, solitary and in whatever space they could find. A piece of bread snagged Styxe's eyes. A child, maybe twelve or so, sat next to it, asleep. He must have been new, maybe his mother had kicked him out or he'd run away after seeing too much abuse from his father. Either way, it was unfortunate, but Styxe breezed by him all the same.
He sat down against a free space on the wall, next to a sleeping girl and devoured the bread. Three teenage boys, probably his age or a year or so younger, laughed raucously as they moved about the room. Styxe's lip curled in distaste. "You can't think about doing it," one of them exclaimed. Styxe put his head down against his drawn up knees.
"I hear they're offering a ton of cash though." This perked Styxe's interest. He didn't move however, only stilled and listened with more intent.
"It's down by the warehouse not far from here--" "Shhh, quiet. We don't want anyone else to hear." "Down by a warehouse, just take one of the shots and walk out with three hundred bucks. Easy peasy. If you keep checking in with them, they give you more money. Say, how about we go down to the..."
Styxe listened to their voices trail away. He didn't know how much three hundred dollars was in comparison to pounds, but three hundred of anything seemed promising.
His gaze flickered to the girl on his right. A pretty face, he realized, that could cause her some trouble down here. It didn't seem like anyone else was with her yet here she was, vulnerable in a place like this, where hungry boys could sate their needs and more than likely get away with it. That loneliness rolled through him again. She achingly reminded him of Meg, Adrian's girl. He chewed his lip. Lord only knows he'd find trouble with her, especially if she couldn't tough out the pain. Styxe had grown up on the streets, he'd no idea if this chick did. But he was lonely, so so lonely, and so lost in America.
"Ey gi'l. You'e gonna get you'self in trouble if you sleep he'e," he said as he shook her shoulder none too gently.
hello my name is elder price
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1:58pm Nov 10 2012 (last edited on 7:54pm Nov 10 2012)
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Posts: 337
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The same nightmare plagued Tessa's dreams every night.
Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting eerie glows over the land. A broken, dead body lay inanimate on the concrete,
coated in blood. It was a boy, maybe a few years younger than her, with
short blonde hair and a ripped jacket. His legs were twisted at an awkward angle, and his
facial ex.pression looked distant rather than pained, as though he was in a trance. Towering above him was a car. The hood had several dents in it, and the entire right side of the car had a long scratch along it, as though a tiger had ran by and swept his claws through it. One of its headlights was cracked, too, and the license plate on the back was missing. Suddenly, the boy's eyes flickered open, revealing sapphires. He turned onto his stomach and seized Tes's gaze, a tear running down his cheek. His skin was pale, streaked with dirt, and ruined by wounds. He stared at her for a moment before gently laying his head down in defeat.
Then the scene changed, and Tes was in her old house. Her eyes immediately caught the portrait of her and her mother from seven years ago. She'd always thought they had a stark resemblance: same curly auburn hair, pale blue eyes enriched with flecks of amber, and delicate cheek bones. But over the years, Tes watched her mom slowly lose those features. Her hair had grayed from stress and drinking, and wrinkles gave her the appearance of a much older person. Her mother's arm was wrapped lovingly around her waist.
Tes looked away quickly before she got sentimental. She glanced around the room and noticed that a flat-screen tv was the only source of illumination. The blinds were shut tight and all the lights were out.
Then she noticed who was there. The man had been slouching in the chair, but slowly he rose and turned around. The man who Tes had left to escape from. Unlike her, everything about his features were sharp. His chin jutted out, the slope of his nose was perfect, and it looked as if he'd been sculpted by a mason. His muscles gripped his clothes tightly. It was all this that petrified Tes. Memories of his abusive acts flooded her mind. She wanted to run, but he raised a finger and moved towards her. "Your mom's gone, Tessa," he almost whispered. "She got arrested for running over a teenage boy."
Tes shook her head and jerked back. Just like last time, she tried to fool herself into thinking he was lying.
"She did. And she won't be out of jail anytime soon." Her stepfather smiled.
It was a nightmare. A replay of the events half a year ago. "N-no, Mark. Please, I want to see Mom." "Why don't you want to stay with me? Why don't you want to see me?" Tes didn't answer.
"You think it'll make a difference if your mom's here or not? Even when she was here, did she believe a word you said about me? Didn't she wave you off?" Mark grinned, then spat. "I gave you more attention than she did, right? Instead of wanting to see her, you should want to see me. I promise you, we'll get to know each other more. You'll actually begin to like me one day, even if I have to beat it into you." Mark leapt forward and grabbed her by the collar, raising his fist to strike.
"Ey gi'l. You'e gonna get you'self in trouble if you sleep he'e." Tes was instantly awake. She took a quick glance at the face of the person shaking her and instinctively leapt back in a defensive position. He was big and tall, but if she had to defend herself in this corner, she would.
"I wake up easily, so you don't have to touch me," Tessa snapped. "Just who are you?" She decided that running would be a wiser choice if he attempted to hurt her. She'd done it plenty of times, and she would be more than happy to do it now. The muscles rippling along his arms and legs definitely weren't lying about his strength, and he could probably snap her in two if he wanted.
Tes glared at the male, waiting for an answer.
: )
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8:23pm Nov 10 2012
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"I wake up easily, so you don't have to touch me. Just who are you?"
Styxe recoiled once she'd drawn back so quickly. A tinge of approval flickered in his eyes. He raised his arms in a stretch and yawned, then clasped his fingers together and propped his head up in the palm of his hands, slouching back against the wall. His long legs lengthened out as if to make himself comfortable, but his goal was only to relax her. So she got a feral side to he'. Good. His thoughts continued as he sized her up, but kept his gaze at a calculating stare and not a violating sweep of her body. The stance she'd put herself in lacked coordination from what Styxe could make out, not much of a trained fighter, he guessed. Then again, the light was hard in here so he couldn't be sure.
Her spite was definitely another thing entirely. She didn't trust anyone, that was good. Styxe figured she'd be pretty and lethal with just a bit of training and maybe, just maybe he could start up another--no. The remorse that tugged at his heart was sharp and painful. He couldn't just forget about them back home. They were everything to him and America was just temporary, that's it. No attachments, no nothings. He just had to get by. It was a lie, he knew that much, but Styxe wasn't one to let go of things he loved, which were far and few (as much as plenty of girls would have liked to think).
He chuckled. "A pret'y face like you's gonna get ya in trouble, 'specially in he'e. You got no reason a trust me, but I ain't got a reason a tell ya this, so it's even. Couple a guys talkin' about some type a experiment or some'in, givin' out three hundred of you' American money." He paused and his brows furrowed. "Dunno if it's much, but I'm assumin' it is." He looked at her expectantly and stood up. "You wan' a come or not? 'Cause I'll leave without you."
hello my name is elder price
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8:58pm Nov 10 2012 (last edited on 8:46am Nov 11 2012)
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Posts: 337
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Tes narrowed her eyes at the stranger and remained in her defensive stance. His cockney accent told her straight away that he wasn't from New York, and probably not even from the United States. She'd always thought it'd be hard to understand someone who spoke that way, but surprisingly, she understood him perfectly. She noted that his black hair fell naturally over his eyes and ears, framing his face neatly. She was a little jealous; her hair took forever to straighten and comb, and that was part of the reason she settled with pulling it into a messy ponytail or a loose bun. She was thankful that she'd left it tied earlier, otherwise it'd be a frizz.
As Tes looked him over, she realized what most intrigued her were his eyes. They were a grayish color, and they were more prominent than any of his other features. His loose, playful attitude irritated her a little, and as much as she wanted to verbally bash him, she didn't want to antagonize someone like him. He vaguely reminded Tessa of an old friend of hers. Both cocky, both charismatic, and both annoying. And what was up with his friendly demeanor? People on the streets never befriended one another, and if they did, someone would get bamboozled in the end. She guessed that was his plan -- to take her to this place, and the moment she turned her back, beat her and rob her.
Trust no one. The words echoed in Tes's ears.
She watched his inconspicuous examination of her and glared.
She took a slight step forward, dispelling any trace of hesitation. "Don't play with me, tough guy. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm gullible. You come here, randomly wake me up, and tell me of some warehouse where people are conducting some experiment? Could that get any more ridiculous? I don't trust you one bit. So I'll ask again, because I didn't get an answer, who are you, and maybe I'll tell you my name."
: )
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10:49pm Nov 10 2012
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Feisty lit'le bugge', Styxe thought as the chick ranted at him. When she called him a 'tough guy,' he threw his hands up in mock defense, ex
pression sullen. Something about her rebellious attitude made his lips quirk momentarily, but the severity of the situation, the fact that she could cause some ruckus and get them both in trouble, made him withdraw from making some stinging comments right back at her. Instead he waited her out and when she finally stopped talking, he crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow.
"Touchy, touchy. Look, I honestly don't ca'e about you' name or wha'ever you think of me. I'm not from around he'e and I know for a fact it's easie' to survive when ya got someone on you' back. I'm a leave he'e with or withou' ya. Dun't really mat'er a me," he said with a shrug.
Styxe's brow went up further. He pulled his sweatshirt sleeves over his white-cold hands and turned his back to her. Stepping over sleeping bodies and trudging through the building was almost a challenge. He passed the younger boy from earlier, saw the kid's dismayed ex
pression, and then lowered his eyes to the ground. Something that resembled guilt was short-lived in his chest. Survival of the fittest, as it was, and Styxe wasn't here today by being soft. His body had been through too much and his eyes had seen their fair share.
"Damn Americans," Styxe muttered underneath his breath.
hello my name is elder price
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8:06am Nov 11 2012 (last edited on 10:52am Nov 11 2012)
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Names held power.
Tes remembered her last year at school before she ran away, when the teacher would call on her and ask, "Tessa, do you know this answer?" and she would answer. But the other kids would look around, confused. One of her memories still lingered, when her Calculus teacher had called on her, and a student had looked at her and blurted out, "I didn't even know she was in this class." No one could ever really put a name with her face, because she was so quiet. But she had her stepfather to blame for that. Tes would go home, see the smirking face of her stepfather, and be cursed at for what seemed like forever. Every now and then he'd hit her, just to make his words sink in, but it wasn't as bad as the things he said.
A small part of her wondered if she could just forget all that and trust this stranger.
Deep down, Tessa wanted a companion. She wanted someone who would stay with her and watch her back -- she was sick of being alone. Most of all, she wished she could run back home to find her mom standing there in the door with open arms, as though she'd been expecting her. She wished her mom would come back and say, "Tes, honey, it's okay. I'm back, Mark's gone, and this whole nightmare is over."
'Mark's gone'. Would that really make a difference for me? Would that restitute for the unseen scars he left on me?
Tes watched the muscular man walk out of the Hole, stepping carefully over sleeping bodies. Her eyes trailed him until he vanished.
It may be easier to survive together, Tes thought. But I don't trust you, and I can fend for myself.
: )
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7:20pm Nov 11 2012
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Saliva gathered up in Styxe's mouth when the smell of ground coffee beans spilled out from a coffee shop as a stranger in front of him hastened in. A cloud of warm air was short-lived bliss as he walked by. The cold dug its icy fingers through his thin sweatshirt and tattered jeans again and forced him to shudder. His lips shivered, teeth clicking. A wa'e'ouse, got a find a wa'e'ouse. His arms pressed against bony ribs and his breath came out in curls. He was damn near freezing.
It was a fool's mission to go out and try to find this so-called warehouse. He had no lay of the land at all, didn't know where they kept big storage units here. Styxe miserably trudge along, his sneakers sodden with melted snow. It was miraculous then, that he heard the male voices from earlier cackling across the street. His head snapped up and swiveled toward the source of the noise. Styxe didn't bother looking both ways before crossing the street and almost got hit by a taxi on his way there.
He licked at his chapped lips and followed at a safe distance from the boys. The walk there was as mind numbing as his feet were; he could have been asleep for all he knew. When Styxe smacked into someone from behind, he blinked and found himself waiting in a line. The boys from earlier were up at the front, talking about what they'd be doing with the cash. Styxe rounded his gaze to the rest of the area, marking escape routes if the police showed up or if trouble started. The last thing he needed was to get thrown in jail and get realized as an illegal immigrant.
Shrugging that aside, he shivered again and waited for the line to shrink.
hello my name is elder price
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8:58pm Nov 11 2012 (last edited on 10:21am Nov 12 2012)
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Tessa liked the cold.
But as she trudged through the snow, the frigid wind blasting her face and nipping at her cheeks, she wasn't so sure anymore. Walking out of that shelter was like walking into a freezer. She was relatively used to chilly weather, as she lived up North, but today's conditions were almost unbearable. Rain and ice had glazed the roads and buildings, giving the city the appearance of a frozen wasteland. And when Tes glanced at the roads, she almost forgot they were paved with cement, not snow. It was too cold. She longed for warmth, and even though she always thought she hated hot weather, she wished Summer would come.
Tes looked around at other people passing by with their backs hunched and shoulders sagged. One pair in particular, a young boy, probably no older than ten, and a man who she assumed was the kid's father, looked so hopeless. They stopped for a moment and the father knelt down and brought the child's face close to his, ignoring the streaks of dirt and tears on his cheeks. After comforting him, the father picked him up and set him atop his shoulders, then they went back on their way. Staring at them, Tes felt a stab of empathy. She knew, though, that if everything else went bad, those two would still have each other.
As Tessa pressed onwards, the road gradually widened. A small breeze kicked up, swaying frost-tipped grass and carrying a delicious scent into her nose. Her hands innately reached into her pocket and fingered the few dollars she had. Finally, the road opened up into a large circle bordered by trees. There were a few people drifting lazily around, but not many. There was a hot dog vendor stationed by a tall building with missing windows among others, and Tes realized this was where the smell had come from. She made her way for the it.
"One hot dog, please," Tes said to the lady behind the cart.
She was a short, stocky lady, with an unappealing build. Her hair was tied back into a messy bun. She quickly placed a hot dog into a bun and said, "Ketchup or mustard?"
"I like mine plain."
Tes dropped a dollar and took the hot dog. She had four dollars left, and as much as she wanted a drink, she needed to save her money. Beverages were just too costly at vendors. She took a bite of the wiener, savoring it and giving her taste buds time to enjoy it. Living the way she'd been living the past few months had forced her stomach to adapt to new eating habits. So when she did eat, she tried to make it last.
When Tessa finally finished, she looked up and realized she hadn't even had a destination in mind. She'd been walking down a long, winding, decrepit road. She spun around quickly to leave, lest she be robbed of what little she had, but crystallized when she heard yelling. It was a little muffled, but it sounded like it was coming from beyond the clusters of pine trees. Who in the world could be here in the middle of nowhere, especially in this weather? Her mind urged her to turn and leave, but her curiosity was too much.
I'll just take a peek. If there's any sign of danger, I'll run.
Tes started a jog, pushing branches out of her way and weaving around the ones with drapes of snow hanging from them. As she closed in, she realized it wasn't really yelling, but a body of people chatting noisily. She looked at the long line of people, standing in front of a warehouse, and a cynical ex[injection]pression darkened her face. A sign hanging off the top of the doorfr[injection]ame read in big letters, 'THREE HUNDRED BUCKS PER SHOT!'.
And when Tes saw who was standing at the back of the line, her face twisted in exasperation.
Tough guy.
: )
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11:09am Nov 12 2012
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Styxe looked enviously at the few people that were closest to the door. He was still quite a way's back, still a long way from getting into what he hoped was some more warmth. With nothing else to do but be perceptive, Styxe looked over the others that were as desperate as he. What 'ould Adrian say if 'e could see me now. Pro'lly cu'se it on my mouf. The thought hit him the wrong way and that solemn line of his mouth tilted up into a grin, a few short guffaws escaping his lips. The person in front of him looked at him over his shoulder, did nothing, but looked past Styxe. A certain sort of hunger was there in the man's eyes, one that had nothing to do with food.
Styxe twisted around to look behind him and low and behold, it was the witchy chick from earlier. His nose twitched. "Tu'n aroun' o' you'll regre' it, mate." His voice was a low warning. The man snickered and turned to face Styxe. The confidence he saw in the man's eyes flickered and dulled when he met Styxe's gaze full on. "I'm not abou' a ask again. Tu'n. Aroun'." Styxe withdrew his hands from his pockets and cracked his knuckles.
"I don't ansa' to kids," he said in a heavy New Yorker accent. Styxe's grey eyes spotted the fist before it could connect with his cheek. He ducked down and sent an uppercut right to the man's gullet. With an oof, the man doubled over and Styxe grunted, straightening up and smashing his knee into the man's oncoming nose. He fell to the ground with a groan, holding his bleeding nose in cupped hands. "Alright, alright," he said in a nasally voice. "Just leave me alone." Styxe tensed and raised a fist to knock him out. You don't turn your back onto an enemy. You never, ever give your enemy a chance to hurt you. He froze though, and looked up at watching eyes. The blood fever disappeared and Styxe lowered a hand. Once he grasped it and hauled himself up, he turned around and mumbled something about his nose.
Styxe wheeled around and stalked up to the girl. When he reached her, he bent to scoop up some snow from the ground. The white powder turned red as he washed his hand. He was left with red fingers, though clean of blood, and he shoved them in his pocket. "You' pret'y good at attra'in trouble, in't ya?" He cocked his head to the side. "Change you' mind?"
hello my name is elder price
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12:30pm Nov 12 2012 (last edited on 12:40pm Nov 12 2012)
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The man that Tough Guy had hit didn't dare look back at Tes.
But other people in line who'd seen the spectacle stared at them. Some had awe in their eyes, others had fear, and then there were a few who looked as though they hadn't even seen that little episode. Tes felt like some animal at a circus, like they were waiting for her to do something. When she didn't, slowly, one-by-one, the people turned back around and started moving forward again, like items on a conveyor belt.
Why did he do that for her?
It just didn't feel right, and it made Tes feel a little guilty. She'd yelled at him at the shelter and hadn't believed him about this warehouse, and really, he was telling the truth. Was he genuinely trying to help her out? This wasn't the first time someone had helped her, despite her unattachment to him. Another boy, Will . . .
Stop. Now's the wrong time to be thinking about some petty boy.
Tessa's eyes lingered on the red dyed spot in the snow where Tough Guy had cleaned his hands, then they snapped to his face. A slight breeze whipped her auburn hair into her face. She regained composure.
"Actually, I . . . yeah, I changed my mind. Thanks for helping me."
Then she rushed in line and motioned for him to follow.
: )
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4:56pm Nov 12 2012
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"Actually, I...yeah, I changed my mind. Thanks for helping me."
Styxe watched her walk past him, eyes dropping just a bit lower than necessary. Hey, the other guy hadn't been looking for no reason and it's not like Styxe planned on doing anything. "You do mo'e 'an enjoy the view. 'Ow many gi'ls you been wif this week, Styxe?" He could almost imagine Meg's teasing, the way the corners of her eyes would crinkle as she smiled. She'd called him out on plenty of times with the way he'd mess around with the opposite sex, and liked to make a show of how much his mouth usually got him into trouble.
That night was crystal clear to him, as if it were yesterday. It had been a chilly night, the city of London going about its ways below them. Styxe's feet had dangled off the edge of the rooftop, Meg sitting next to him while they waited for the others to show. She'd told him why she couldn't love him that night, up there above everyone else and under the stars. It wasn't crushing, not really, not when Styxe had expected as much. Besides, Rhodes deserved her much, much more....
He snapped out of the memory with a shake of his head and rejoined Miss Fiesty. At least she was being considerably nicer to him now. Hell, he'd probably scared her with how brutish he'd acted. He swiped the snot away from under his nose and shivered again. This damn sweatshirt of his was doing nothing against the cold. "I kin'a wan' a know how you made it ou' he'e this long," he said and looked down at her. "'Ow long you been ou' on you' own?" He paused. "'An the name's Styxe."
hello my name is elder price
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7:55pm Nov 12 2012 (last edited on 8:14pm Nov 12 2012)
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"I kin'a wan' a know how you made it ou' he'e this long," he said. "'Ow long you been ou' on you' own? 'An the name's Styxe."
Philip, a very profound man, had taken Tes in.
"Why did you leave your home, child?" Philip had asked when she'd approached him for help, empathy written all over his face. He was an old man.
Tes had explained everything, from her Mom's accident to her stepfather's abusive acts. In the middle of it she wanted to just cry and let all her emotions out, but that would've made her look weak. And she didn't want to show weakness to someone she had just met. Philip simply listened with intent and care the entire time, not once criticizing her, good or bad. At the end he'd merely sighed and pulled her close, and said, "I understand." Normally she didn't like physical signs of affection, but there was something about him that assured her she could trust him.
Because Philip was homeless as well, he'd learned many survival techniques along with the sort of unofficial laws that people like them abided by.
"Number one," said Philip, "never trust anyone. Out here, the minute you turn your back to someone is the minute you're stripped of everything you own."
Among other things, Tes had learned her way around New York, how to get food, and how to pick locks. She grew accustomed to the old man's company, his companionship, and for a brief time she felt almost happy again. She didn't care that she no longer had a nice house and clothes or anything materialistic like that, but someone to stay with. But then, that day when they came . . .
Tessa looked at Styxe. "My name's Tessa, but I want you to call me Tes. My mom gave me a girly name like that and it doesn't fit me well." She paused and hesitated for a moment, but then answered his second question. "I kind of adjusted along the way to this place, with a little help."
The lined moved forward.
"Where'd you come from?" asked Tes, her brow raised curiously. "You don't sound like anyone from around here."
: )
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8:54pm Nov 12 2012
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He was quiet as she explained, for once. Back home, Styxe was known for running his mouth from sunrise to sunset, and well after that into the night. Jokes had emerged from it, endless teasing, but Styxe wasn't hurt by any of it. If he wanted to speak his mind, he would, even if, most of the time, people didn't want to hear what needed to be said. That was the thing about Styxe too. He was brutally honest with people and only one could know how much trouble that could cause. People liked to live under the security of extremely fragile shells and when those shells were broken down, they certainly didn't seem to like it.
"I'm su'prised you 'aven't guessed," he said when she asked where he was from. "And he'e I thought all you American gi'ls squealed ove' Bri'ish accents," he said and winked at her. A light dust of snow had started up again and Styxe muttered a very British, "Bloody 'ell," under his breath and shook out his hair. The snow made his scalp numb from the cold and his black hair plastered to his forehead. He swiped a hand through it and ended up making it stick up in all different directions. As long as it was out of his eyes though, he didn't care.
The line that had snaked well out the door had shrunk a considerable amount. Styxe noticed this when they reached the double doors of the warehouse. A sigh escaped him as he stepped into the building. Fans blew hot air against him and he pulled his hands out of his pockets to warm them. His crisp sweatshirt melted and although Styxe was left a little soggy, his skin started to warm back up. Shaking out his damp hair and probably splattering water all over Tes, he finally took a look around.
It was eerie, to say the least, like something out of a Sci-fi novel. Medical beds were scattered along the room, two doctors (though maybe one was a nurse?) stood by each. All of them were busy with the people that were seated on the beds. Long syringes filled with different colored liquids were being injected into the people. Styxe looked at Tes and then down at his own hands. A'e you really goin' through wif this, mate? You dunno wha' this'll do to you...But you'll die anyway, wifou' any money.
They were next in line. Styxe squeezed Tes's shoulder and leaned in to whisper, "G'luck, doll. See you on the othe' side." With that, he stripped his rolled the sleeves of his sweatshirt off and approached a table that a doctor had waved him over to.
hello my name is elder price
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8:22pm Nov 13 2012 (last edited on 8:29pm Nov 13 2012)
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Normal User
Posts: 337
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When Tes saw the syringes people were being injected with, she wanted to vomit. What could possibly require needles as large and long as that? What was most peculiar, though, was that the patients getting shots weren't even flinching. Matter of fact, they watched the needle pierce their skin like it was nothing. And afterwards, a scientist would rub a chemical onto the patient's arm, hand them their money, and they were on their way.It was too simple. Tessa was skeptical.Rows upon rows of tables were lined up in neat rows, accompanied by trays of syringes and colorful liquids. There were doors on the sides, and one she knew was an exit, but the others teased her curiosity. As she watched Tough Guy (she liked calling him that) head over to the doctor that had called him, a nurse called her over. She was a tall woman with startling green eyes."How old are you, miss?" she asked Tes."Sixteen."The nurse frowned and grabbed some papers from her table. Her eyes scanned them quickly, then she nodded. "You're going to need a treatment before you get a shot."Tes's scalp jumped. "What kind of treatment?""Nothing painful, I can assure you, dear. We give you a treatment --" she pointed behind a curtain "in the pod." That still didn't answer 'what kind of treatment'. The nurse guided her behind the curtain where a strange machine stood. It looked shockingly similar to a cocoon, but it was transparent, see-through, with a device similar to a shower-head mounted at the roof of it. The nurse promptly stepped forward and began typing complex commands into the pod. Then it slid open."Step in, miss. Don't be afraid."Hesitantly, Tessa slipped inside. The door closed and the pod began a series of shaky vibrations, then the sound of air blowing filled her ears. Tes realized it was indeed air. A gas. She put her hands on the screen of the machine and locked eyes with the nurse, who gave her a reassuring nod. Honestly, Tes felt fine. It was like breathing regular air.The treatment lasted roughly three minutes before she was released. She stepped out a little shakily, her nose slightly runny from the gas. "Do you feel fine, aside from a mild dizziness?" inquired the nurse.Tes nodded."Good. Follow me."As she trailed the nurse, she asked, "What was that for?""The experiment we're doing is primarily aimed at older people, but if we do it on younger people we give them a treatment firsthand to prevent any bad side effects, like vomiting, fatigue, the common. Antibodies were in that gas, miss.""Will the shot hurt?"The nurse stopped at her table and poured a clear liquid on a napkin. She rubbed it on Tes's arm in smooth circular motions. "What I'm doing now keeps you from feeling a thing."Then, she grabbed the syringe and stuck it into her arm. Tessa was surprised at first and nearly jerked back, but simply kept her mind steady and took a deep breath. The nurse removed the needle. She began writing down information onto a sheet.
"First and last name?"
"Tessa Hoff."
The nurse exhaled deeply. "O-kay. Now, I'll need you to come back in exactly a week, just for a minor check-up. We monitor all our patients who we inject regularly -- part of the experiment -- and since the treatment I gave you is new, I'll definitely want to monitor you. Thanks for coming, and your money's waiting on your way out."
Tes murmured a small, "thank you," and half walked, half jogged towards the exit. Three hundred dollars met her hands and she stepped into the bitter, cold air.
: )
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8:41pm Nov 13 2012
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Posts: 3,828
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"You're going to have to cooperate if you want the shot and better yet, your money," the doctor said.
After about thirty seconds in Styxe's proximity, the doctor had, apparently, taken a dislike to Styxe. Part of that might have had something to do with Styxe commenting about the shadiness of the place, and asking where the doctor got his license to do all this, and possibly somewhere along the lines of 'ow low you got a be a be givin' shots a young kids. Yeah, Dr Smarmy, as Styxe dubbed him, certainly hadn't liked that at all. But Styxe needed the money, so he figured he might as well knock it off and shut his trap.
If only it were that easy.
He eyed Tes at another station. "'Ey, mate. Wha' tha' nu'se jus' do wif he'?" he asked and pointed to where Tes was just walking out of a really strange-looking machine. When he rounded his gaze back on the doctor again, he thought he saw a flash of glee, but the look was shortlived and Styxe might have imagined it. The doctor regained composure and waved it off.
"Just a shower, nothing you need," he said and paused as he went to start writing things down. "And where did you say you were from again?"
Styxe scratched his cheek and feigned innocence. "Dun't recall eve' sayin' whe'e I was from." He saw a muscle flick in the doctor's clenched jaw. Styxe stifled a smile.
The doctor wrote a few more things down on his paper. Styxe didn't even try to look at it. His reading skills were sort of lacking and he probably wouldn't be able to understand whatever doctorly jargon the older man was writing down anyway. He really just wanted to get this over with and was happy when the doctor looked out at the three syringes resting on a steel folding table.
"Because I like you so much, I'll let you pick the color," he said.
Styxe's nose scrunched up. "Tha's a very doctaly thing to do," he said. The doctor's smile didn't face. Styxe could choose between a disgusting-looking brown one, a clear one, or a watered down yellowed one that looked kinda like piss. "Clea'," he said and pointed to the middle one. The doctor made a hmph sound, as if he were disappointed, and snatched the needle up.
Styxe didn't feel a thing, even though he noticed he hadn't gotten some type of lotion that the other patients were getting. Maybe that was why Mr Smarmy looked disappointed that Styxe didn't even flinch at the needle going in. When it was done, Styxe snatched up his money and hopped off of the table. He tucked the bills into the waistband of his jeans, knowing better than to stuff them in his pockets where they could easily get stolen. The six bills (all fifties) fit neatly against his skin and were a welcoming feel again. Now he could eat and possibly find some place to rest, to clear his head and start skulking around the city to find some bars or pool tables.
When he reached the end of the warehouse, he waited there for Tes.
Ooc; Styxe gonna get sickkkk. 8I
hello my name is elder price
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9:11pm Nov 14 2012 (last edited on 9:15pm Nov 14 2012)
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Normal User
Posts: 337
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The past.
The moment she leaned against the tree ornamented by curtains of snow, the words appeared in Tes's mind. Whenever she was idle she noticed herself reminiscing on the past, something she never did when Mom was still here. The past used to be just the past. But now, it was something Tessa found herself fighting with on a daily basis, struggling to keep out of her mind and keep from pulling her down. Some days she wished she had never made that decision to run away. Maybe she wouldn't be in this predicament. Sometimes she wondered if running away was the right choice -- if it solved her problems or simply made them worse.
Will.
And then there was him. She never cared that her friends teased her for liking him when he was a tad shorter than her. She liked him. He picked on her and play fought with her sometimes but in all honesty, she enjoyed it when he did that. She loved his deep blue eyes and his personality. Even the cheesy jokes he told her.
Sometimes they would study together after school, or talk on the phone all night about as much stuff as they could until one person fell asleep. And that day he told her he loved her gave her butterflies. Tes loved all those memories, but every time she started back thinking about them, it made her heart ache. That was the only boy she ever actually fell in love with.
When she ran away from her stepfather, she didn't even think of her friends and family. But she could never go back now, could she? She wanted to, so badly, but it wasn't possible. She made her choice, and she was stuck with it. Hoping that Will or no one else cared that she'd vanished made her feel like she made the right choice.
When Tessa saw Styxe approaching, reality dawned on her. She dusted flecks of snow from her jacket and rushed over to him.
Ooc: It feels so strange writing romance, especially since I'm a guy. But part of me likes it. And yeah, it's getting good now. Tes'll be sick with him. xD
: )
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2:59pm Nov 17 2012
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Posts: 3,828
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Ooc; D'awww. It was awkward writing romance with guys for me at first, but it can get pretty fun. Given that my first guy character was totally a girl with a penis, that might say something though. LOL
Styxe started walking once Tes joined him. He was quiet, which was extremely out of character for him, especially in the company of others, but he was too busy rubbing the side of his arm, wondering if this had all been a mistake. To take his mind off of things, he withdrew one of the bills from his pants, making a big show of stuffing his hand down his front for Tes's sake. You' such a freak, Styxe, Meg would have said and rolled her eyes. Maybe he would have earned a wink, maybe Rhodes would snort and tell him to knock it off.
"'Ow much is this?" he asked as he held the bill out. His brows furrowed. "I mean, fif'y's a lot, I'm guessin'." He swiped at his nose again. The thing had turned red again from the chill and dark blotches had sprung up on his cheeks, looking really out of place against gaunt, pale skin. Dirt and grime caked his skin and he probably smelled really bad, seeing as it was too damn cold to bathe outside and he'd been sleeping in alleyways since getting here.
"Awrigh', we got a get a 'otel an' grab some food on the way. An' late' I'm a find a pool ba', get us some mo'e cash." He didn't think for a second that the chick would leave him. After all, she'd followed him like a lost puppy before. Not that he minded her company, not at all. Styxe was just simple-minded and since she was here, he was content with thinking she'd stay.
hello my name is elder price
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8:33pm Nov 19 2012 (last edited on 5:07am Nov 20 2012)
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Posts: 337
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Ooc: I am so sorry for the late response. Like, it slipped my mind yesterday. After tomorrow I'm off school the rest of the week so I'll be more active here. ^^ And wow. xD
Tes's hand almost developed its own brain and rushed to meet Styxe's face in a matter of seconds, but luckily, it didn't. Somehow -- she didn't know how -- she managed to contain her anger. Just being around him made her skin prickle and her gut dance and her anger swirl. It was his cocky attitude that irked her, she thought. Or maybe it was his laid-back, chill behavior that bothered her. She still wasn't sure. But did he really think she was going to get a room with him, much less stay in the same hotel as him? Tessa hadn't even meant to encounter him or find the warehouse. It just happened. Although she was appreciative of the cash, she didn't trust Styxe.
And she had her own plan. Rent a hotel room for one or two nights only to give herself a break and enjoy some class (well, class compared to the streets), and then save the last two hundreds for food. If she just stayed at the Hole and used her money only for food, she could get by for weeks. Tough Guy was talking about gambling for more money, which was a risk Tes wasn't going to take. She did catch it when he said for us though, and she hesitated for a moment.
Her mind raced a mile a minute trying to calculate the advantages and disadvantages of their companionship. Then, she smiled and took out a fifty. "Yeah, Tough Guy, fifty's a lot to us." Her eyes hovered over President Grant on the dollar's cover. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to be friendly with someone she didn't know, much less someone who could overpower her at any minute, but he seemed genuine. There was something about him.
She ignored his hands down his front and gave herself a mental slap, to calm herself. She knew if she chose to hang with him, she'd be yelling, complaining, and releasing a lot of anger. But she could also tell he was a sage at survival, and she wanted a person to back her up and who was street-smart like that.
"Alright, that's fine, but we're getting separate rooms. I don't really know you like that." Tes laughed teasingly, and set her gaze on him. She tried to relax a little. "Oh, and if you lose all your money gambling, you aren't getting a penny from me."
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