09-10-2017, 11:55 PM
"Karate classes?" Belle repeats. "Well..."
~+~+~+~
The alleyway loomed, dark in shadows, reminding Belle of the side entrance to the Midnight Rose. Shadowed on either side by twin two-story buildings, the ground was puddled here and there by standing water, damp cold radiating off the stone walls.
The elf leaned against a wall nearby, foot placed on a brick, propped up. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. "Tell me," he murmured, eyes closed as she approached. "Where did you learn?"
Belle paused. Her eyes narrowed. "Learn what?" she demanded. Did he know? She hadn't shown her power yet - at least in the city. If he knew, he would have had to have been shadowing them since they arrived in the Green.
"What else?" he asked, and finally turned to look at her, cocking his head with a smile. "Your technique: the Hana no Michi."
Belle blinked at the name. "Hana no-...?" she asked. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Michi." The elf shrugged off the wall and faced her. An eyebrow raised. "You know-."
Abrupty, the world slowed. Something hard thudded against her chest, and Belle realized a moment later that it was just her heart. The sounds of the streets beyond, the chaotic shouts of the market and performers, turned fuzzy in her ears, indistinct, as if heard from underwater.
The elf moved, shifted, zooming towards her, passing over the puddles without disturbing the surface. With a whisper of movement he sprang, spun, flipping over Belle's head. She turned to follow, and as she did, she summoned a surge of energy to flow through her muscles. She whipped around, quick as thought - only to find the elf's face inches from her own, his eyes locked with her's.
"That," he said.
Sound flooded back to her, returning to normal. Her heightened perception receded. Jaw clenched, Belle swallowed. "How," she managed, "did you do that?"
"The same way you did," he answered, his face still uncomfortably close. He looked her over, as if beholding a curious specimen. "How did you come by it?" he mused aloud. "I think I would remember if I taught you, and the only other practitioners of the Way couldn't." His eyes narrowed. "Or wouldn't."
"If you're just going to ramble like a crazy person," Belle grumbled, recovering. "I'm heading back. Good luck with your lollipop."
Belle made to push past him. The elf sidestepped out of the way, giving a minute shrug. "Very well," he said. Then, as Belle passed, he spoke again: "It's because you're weak."
She wavered, pausing. "What?"
"You're still an apprentice, yes? You lack control," the elf continued. "When I approached you, you sensed my energy, and your body reacted on its own. You tried to bring it out, but by then, I had already taken your back." He smiled. "I sensed you the second you entered the city. You're very new, aren't you?
"But that's not a crime," he continued, turning from her. From the end of the alleyway came a familiar squeaking shout. "It sounds like your friend is getting herself into some trouble. If you want to continue this conversation, the dojo is on Sakura street."
Fingers flicked, a piece of paper sent drifting towards Belle. She caught it - an address hastily scrawled across it.
"Tomorrow," he said. "Until then, enjoy the city." He crooned, then vanished in a blur.
~+~+~+~
"Not really," Belle muttered. "But I did find a lead on... something."
"Yay!" Heidi bounced. Belle could see what the Force-users had meant. "Investigation time?"
Belle folded the paper and tucked it into a gap of her gi. "Nah," she shook her head. "He said I should check in tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Heidi huffed. "But thats, like... Tomorrow!"
"That is how it usually works, yeah." Belle snorted.
"Fiiine," Heidi huffed. "Well. I got a sword! And you got a note! So I think we should celebrate our success!"
Belle eyed her. "What kind of celebration?" she asked, cautious.
Heidi grinned, her amber eyes sparkling.
~+~+~+~
The air was saturated, drenched in the scent of an exotic incense, vaguely fruity overtones masking the smell of sweat and alcohol. Lights dark, corners faintly lit by a blue hue, lit occasionally by the flash of overhead truss lights.
A tangle of denizens of the Omniverse gyrated together to the beat of thumping music in the middle of the space, heavy notes shaking through the floor. Belle's drink vibrated toward the table edge before she reached out to stop its sideways motion.
Heidi's legs were crossed, her foot bouncing to the beat, her arms folded under her chest. The acid girl was dressed in a shoulderless pink dress, looking almost like latex the way it hugged her body, ending just below her bottom. A wordless look sent Belle's way.
Belle ignored it, taking a slow sip, then looked down at herself. She had lost count of the number of dresses Heidi had made her run through before finding something that the girl was satisfied by, and Belle had finally assented. Pale blue, soft fabric tight to her skin, plunging back ending just above the curve of her rear, crisscrossed straps across her back. The skirt ended about the same place as Heidi's, uncomfortably high, and her feet were slipped into a pair of strappy heels.
"You've been drinking that for twenty minutes," Heidi finally said, her tone accusatory. Pigtails hung limp.
"No one said you had to wait for me," Belle countered, brushing her hair back, fingertips brushing a simple earring.
"You're supposed to have fun!"
"I came, didn't I?" Belle grumbled, taking another nursing sip.
Heidi uncrossed her legs, standing. "Well. Okay. Be a sourpuss! I'm going to dance."
Belle watched her go, not really seeing. Heidi disappeared into the throng of swaying patrons, squealing and giggling.
She clenched her fist. Who had that elf been? He hadn’t even introduced himself. Was it possible that he knew Yuki? He talked about the Hana no Michi … The ‘Way’? The Way of what?
The ache in her elbow gave a dull throb. A bruise still resided there, a minor discomfort when she bent it.
He had called her weak.
Glass lifted, she took a heavier gulp of the concoction inside. The bartender claimed it had alcohol inside, but was so masked by fruit that it tasted like sipping iced Kool Aid.
Bullshit. She wasn’t weak. Hadn’t she survived the Graveyard?
By relying on others, came a small voice inside.
Hadn’t she escaped the island?
By the kindness of strangers.
Hadn’t she fought back against the gangs?
And hurt Lily.
There was a sound like a dry chip crunching underfoot. Belle looked down. Her image, reflected in her glass’ surface, was bisected vertically by a lightning bolt-like crack.
No; she didn’t hurt Lily. That wasn’t her fault. What was she supposed to do? Nothing? Just let it happen?
It wasn’t her fault.
It wasn’t.
A hand touched her shoulder. Belle started, sitting up straight, and turned. “What-?”
She had been expecting someone trying to chat her up, someone trying to be a little too fresh. They had gotten those offers, earlier, but had turned them down. Instead, it was Heidi, and her eyes were wide, her brows raised in concern.
“Didn’t you just-?” Belle started to ask, then stopped. Her eye caught the neon-illuminated clock on the wall nearby.
Fifteen minutes? When did she lose fifteen minutes…?
“Are you okay?” Heidi asked.
“I’m fine,” Belle assured her, wishing she sounded more convincing. She set the glass down - the empty glass, she now realized.
She could feel Heidi’s stare. Belle looked up, then away. The acid girl squinted, suspicious, before her expression slowly relaxed. Reaching out, both hands placed themselves on Belle’s cheeks, and she gently turned Belle’s face towards her’s.
Belle felt her cheeks heating as she stared upward, brooding thoughts abruptly halted, replaced with sudden nervousness. She wasn’t going to do what she thought she was going to do - was she?
“Heidi-”
Heidi leaned in, slow, pressing herself near, to that Belle could smell the faint perfume on her skin, fruity like the gum she chewed. Roll of tongue to place that chewy treat in one cheek, before lips puckered.
“I’m fine-...!”
Lips pressed … to Belle’s forehead. And then Heidi blew, making a rude noise, jiggling and giggling as she pulled back, leaving Belle momentarily stunned. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, Miss Broodybrood,” Heidi said, smiling and still holding her cheeks. “But if you’re going to do that, you should at least have a little fun once in awhile.” Hands dropped, moving to take one of Belle’s own and pull her out of her chair. “Up you get, GrumpyBritches!”
Belle put up a little resistance, but relented, standing. Taking Heidi’s hand, she made her way to the floor. As loathe as she was to admit it, Heidi had a point. And Belle was more than willing to drown out the doubts swirling inside her, to deafen herself to her own thoughts - for at least a little while, to be just…
Free.
She lost track of time - lost track of drinks. Dancing. Sweaty and wild, colors colliding and cascading across their swaying bodies. Moving close, away, pairing off, before returning together. Moving from one club to the next, and the next after that. More drinks, more dancing. Closer - grinding, holding hips. Somewhere in that chaotic mess, she forgets to not smile.
~+~+~+~
The alleyway loomed, dark in shadows, reminding Belle of the side entrance to the Midnight Rose. Shadowed on either side by twin two-story buildings, the ground was puddled here and there by standing water, damp cold radiating off the stone walls.
The elf leaned against a wall nearby, foot placed on a brick, propped up. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. "Tell me," he murmured, eyes closed as she approached. "Where did you learn?"
Belle paused. Her eyes narrowed. "Learn what?" she demanded. Did he know? She hadn't shown her power yet - at least in the city. If he knew, he would have had to have been shadowing them since they arrived in the Green.
"What else?" he asked, and finally turned to look at her, cocking his head with a smile. "Your technique: the Hana no Michi."
Belle blinked at the name. "Hana no-...?" she asked. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Michi." The elf shrugged off the wall and faced her. An eyebrow raised. "You know-."
Abrupty, the world slowed. Something hard thudded against her chest, and Belle realized a moment later that it was just her heart. The sounds of the streets beyond, the chaotic shouts of the market and performers, turned fuzzy in her ears, indistinct, as if heard from underwater.
The elf moved, shifted, zooming towards her, passing over the puddles without disturbing the surface. With a whisper of movement he sprang, spun, flipping over Belle's head. She turned to follow, and as she did, she summoned a surge of energy to flow through her muscles. She whipped around, quick as thought - only to find the elf's face inches from her own, his eyes locked with her's.
"That," he said.
Sound flooded back to her, returning to normal. Her heightened perception receded. Jaw clenched, Belle swallowed. "How," she managed, "did you do that?"
"The same way you did," he answered, his face still uncomfortably close. He looked her over, as if beholding a curious specimen. "How did you come by it?" he mused aloud. "I think I would remember if I taught you, and the only other practitioners of the Way couldn't." His eyes narrowed. "Or wouldn't."
"If you're just going to ramble like a crazy person," Belle grumbled, recovering. "I'm heading back. Good luck with your lollipop."
Belle made to push past him. The elf sidestepped out of the way, giving a minute shrug. "Very well," he said. Then, as Belle passed, he spoke again: "It's because you're weak."
She wavered, pausing. "What?"
"You're still an apprentice, yes? You lack control," the elf continued. "When I approached you, you sensed my energy, and your body reacted on its own. You tried to bring it out, but by then, I had already taken your back." He smiled. "I sensed you the second you entered the city. You're very new, aren't you?
"But that's not a crime," he continued, turning from her. From the end of the alleyway came a familiar squeaking shout. "It sounds like your friend is getting herself into some trouble. If you want to continue this conversation, the dojo is on Sakura street."
Fingers flicked, a piece of paper sent drifting towards Belle. She caught it - an address hastily scrawled across it.
"Tomorrow," he said. "Until then, enjoy the city." He crooned, then vanished in a blur.
~+~+~+~
"Not really," Belle muttered. "But I did find a lead on... something."
"Yay!" Heidi bounced. Belle could see what the Force-users had meant. "Investigation time?"
Belle folded the paper and tucked it into a gap of her gi. "Nah," she shook her head. "He said I should check in tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Heidi huffed. "But thats, like... Tomorrow!"
"That is how it usually works, yeah." Belle snorted.
"Fiiine," Heidi huffed. "Well. I got a sword! And you got a note! So I think we should celebrate our success!"
Belle eyed her. "What kind of celebration?" she asked, cautious.
Heidi grinned, her amber eyes sparkling.
~+~+~+~
The air was saturated, drenched in the scent of an exotic incense, vaguely fruity overtones masking the smell of sweat and alcohol. Lights dark, corners faintly lit by a blue hue, lit occasionally by the flash of overhead truss lights.
A tangle of denizens of the Omniverse gyrated together to the beat of thumping music in the middle of the space, heavy notes shaking through the floor. Belle's drink vibrated toward the table edge before she reached out to stop its sideways motion.
Heidi's legs were crossed, her foot bouncing to the beat, her arms folded under her chest. The acid girl was dressed in a shoulderless pink dress, looking almost like latex the way it hugged her body, ending just below her bottom. A wordless look sent Belle's way.
Belle ignored it, taking a slow sip, then looked down at herself. She had lost count of the number of dresses Heidi had made her run through before finding something that the girl was satisfied by, and Belle had finally assented. Pale blue, soft fabric tight to her skin, plunging back ending just above the curve of her rear, crisscrossed straps across her back. The skirt ended about the same place as Heidi's, uncomfortably high, and her feet were slipped into a pair of strappy heels.
"You've been drinking that for twenty minutes," Heidi finally said, her tone accusatory. Pigtails hung limp.
"No one said you had to wait for me," Belle countered, brushing her hair back, fingertips brushing a simple earring.
"You're supposed to have fun!"
"I came, didn't I?" Belle grumbled, taking another nursing sip.
Heidi uncrossed her legs, standing. "Well. Okay. Be a sourpuss! I'm going to dance."
Belle watched her go, not really seeing. Heidi disappeared into the throng of swaying patrons, squealing and giggling.
She clenched her fist. Who had that elf been? He hadn’t even introduced himself. Was it possible that he knew Yuki? He talked about the Hana no Michi … The ‘Way’? The Way of what?
The ache in her elbow gave a dull throb. A bruise still resided there, a minor discomfort when she bent it.
He had called her weak.
Glass lifted, she took a heavier gulp of the concoction inside. The bartender claimed it had alcohol inside, but was so masked by fruit that it tasted like sipping iced Kool Aid.
Bullshit. She wasn’t weak. Hadn’t she survived the Graveyard?
By relying on others, came a small voice inside.
Hadn’t she escaped the island?
By the kindness of strangers.
Hadn’t she fought back against the gangs?
And hurt Lily.
There was a sound like a dry chip crunching underfoot. Belle looked down. Her image, reflected in her glass’ surface, was bisected vertically by a lightning bolt-like crack.
No; she didn’t hurt Lily. That wasn’t her fault. What was she supposed to do? Nothing? Just let it happen?
It wasn’t her fault.
It wasn’t.
A hand touched her shoulder. Belle started, sitting up straight, and turned. “What-?”
She had been expecting someone trying to chat her up, someone trying to be a little too fresh. They had gotten those offers, earlier, but had turned them down. Instead, it was Heidi, and her eyes were wide, her brows raised in concern.
“Didn’t you just-?” Belle started to ask, then stopped. Her eye caught the neon-illuminated clock on the wall nearby.
Fifteen minutes? When did she lose fifteen minutes…?
“Are you okay?” Heidi asked.
“I’m fine,” Belle assured her, wishing she sounded more convincing. She set the glass down - the empty glass, she now realized.
She could feel Heidi’s stare. Belle looked up, then away. The acid girl squinted, suspicious, before her expression slowly relaxed. Reaching out, both hands placed themselves on Belle’s cheeks, and she gently turned Belle’s face towards her’s.
Belle felt her cheeks heating as she stared upward, brooding thoughts abruptly halted, replaced with sudden nervousness. She wasn’t going to do what she thought she was going to do - was she?
“Heidi-”
Heidi leaned in, slow, pressing herself near, to that Belle could smell the faint perfume on her skin, fruity like the gum she chewed. Roll of tongue to place that chewy treat in one cheek, before lips puckered.
“I’m fine-...!”
Lips pressed … to Belle’s forehead. And then Heidi blew, making a rude noise, jiggling and giggling as she pulled back, leaving Belle momentarily stunned. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, Miss Broodybrood,” Heidi said, smiling and still holding her cheeks. “But if you’re going to do that, you should at least have a little fun once in awhile.” Hands dropped, moving to take one of Belle’s own and pull her out of her chair. “Up you get, GrumpyBritches!”
Belle put up a little resistance, but relented, standing. Taking Heidi’s hand, she made her way to the floor. As loathe as she was to admit it, Heidi had a point. And Belle was more than willing to drown out the doubts swirling inside her, to deafen herself to her own thoughts - for at least a little while, to be just…
Free.
She lost track of time - lost track of drinks. Dancing. Sweaty and wild, colors colliding and cascading across their swaying bodies. Moving close, away, pairing off, before returning together. Moving from one club to the next, and the next after that. More drinks, more dancing. Closer - grinding, holding hips. Somewhere in that chaotic mess, she forgets to not smile.
Uh oh. Those boys got me all tingly...
![[Image: ezgif-1-a370e630e1.gif]](https://s7.postimg.cc/elmiaogd7/ezgif-1-a370e630e1.gif)
I must calm it.
I must calm it.