Re: The Dancer, the Doctor and the Desperado (invite only)

by **Twinkletoes** June 23rd 2013, 11:28 pm

"You know, shoving a franchise into the middle of Chicago may be your dumbest idea yet!", chirped a curiously sarcastic child's voice, the words casually breathing through a pair of intangible lips. "Has it not occurred to you that you may be stealing business from all the other restaurants here?! Angry Asian chefs equals mobs burning this place to the ground!", the girlish voice squealed, accentuating her words to the point of exaggeration.

"Li'ha, that's ridiculous and you know it. I've already told all of our neighbours of our arrival and guess what!? They get free noodles out of it!", an amused voice replied, a deep chuckle licking off the ends of his words as his accent melted into the steamy air.

"You're too positive for your own good...free noodles in China town are like giving away free condoms in the Red Light District!", Li'ha replied in a more ecstatic tone, her pale lips pursed into a thin line as her obviously misconstrued argument gave her middle aged friend another hearty laugh.

"I don't see how that analogy is a bad thing. But keep to it Li'Ha, maybe you can scare off my customers with that face of yours", the man teased, winking as he allowed the sly little remark to bounce right back at his floating little apprentice. She immediately scrunched up her face from his sheer audacity.

"One day someone is going to pee in your noodles and I will enjoy your horror!", she cackled mercilessly, a bit too loud for her own good, but the little joke was more than enough to force a little grin to stretch on the middle aged man's face, she surely was a dramatic little ghost.

"Oh Li'Ha, never leave me", the man grinned, shaking his head as he reached over his head for a large wooden ladle. "But anyways, please refrain from peeing in my noodles today, I have a new recipe and I want to have it ready as soon as possible!", he stated, plunging the ladle into a nearby cauldron full of limp noodles and an assortment of herbs.

Time was of the essence. A mouth watering horde of steamy stews and bubbling broths simmered away, the oh-so tempting scents of herbs, spices and cooked meats wafting from out of the cozy little kitchen into the bustling streets outside. Several apron wearing assistants, all wearing a nice pale blue with their name tags on it, diligently ensured that the impressive array of culinary alchemy was cooking at the right temperature. Whilst many visitors in the China Town district would have only given the beautifully decorated stall brief glances or passing interest it was the mere the sign that was plastered up against a recently polished window that attracted most of the attention; that and the majestic figure who toiled away behind the counter.

Free Noodles! Courtesy of the Hope Organisation.

The sign read in the always trustworthy Helvetica Font, the emblem of a seedling sprouting forth from the ground only giving the statement a bit more weight. The Hope Organisation had finally settled into Los Angeles China Town, their big opening was only several weeks earlier and there was a constant stream of customers, rich and poor, old and young. It was a place to unite people under one front, their love for food and it just so happened that the figurehead of the humanitarian group was in the comforting little store at that moment. Tengri Ultari, the well respected Humanitarian of the Year, twice in a row had managed to escape the drudgery of an accountants meeting for the organisation, finding the scent of his oriental dishes much more fulfilling and enjoyable than the admittedly monotonous and bland board meetings. With his glossy midnight blue hair tightly tied behind his back and his billowing sleaves rolled up, the Shaman King was hard at work ensuring that his wholesome noodles dishes were meeting all health and safety standards all the while having the appearance, taste and texture of culinary masterpieces.

These dishes were meant to be shared with the world, strip away any exclusivity and bring the hearty and highly nutritious meals to those who seek them. Tengri intimately knew the power of food, how a man's stomach could easily influence his actions almost as much as his heart or mind. It was midday and it was expected that the lunch crowd would soon bustle in and make the place a bit more lively. The willowy gentleman was so absorbed in a new recipe hailing from Burma that he did not hear the entrance of two very beautiful young women, one of which had ordered vegetable noodles. It was only after his little ghostly apprentice, whose head was floating around on the floor, poked him in the shin did he snap out of his rather obsessive tinkerings with the noodle soup. Whipping his body around in one graceful movement Tengri was met with the faces of two gorgeous individuals, sisters perhaps by their body language. The elder girl, with a dazzling mane of silver hair, was the one to make the order and she had a particularly feisty aura, one which forced a little smirk to ripple across his lips. The younger and more timid looking girl was latched onto the one whose hair shone like the moon, like a baby monkey clutching onto its mother. First impressions have the well informed Shaman a somewhat clear hypothesis of who these two young ladies were and what their body language reflected, but alas! It was food they ordered and that was what he was going to bless them with.

"Two vegetable noodles coming right up! Now I hope both of you enjoy your bok choy because this recipe is filled with it!", the cheery humanitarian grinned, swivelling in the direction of his vegetable noodles and dipping his ladle into the bubbling soup, preparing the meal for these two curious customers. With two effortless and graceful movements the Asian gentleman had poured the delectable contents into the recyclable bowls and placed them in front of the two beautiful women, providing them with a heap of napkins and chopsticks. With one arm on the bench and the other comfortably rested on his hip the man patiently waited for the two customer's first bites, how they reacted to the dish was more than enough to tell him wether the recipe was good enough. Unfortunately, the younger girl did not appear hungry at all and any constructive criticism was to come from the older girl. Tengri would have asked them how their day was, where they were headed and how they were related but a little voice in the depths of his soul told him that the meek little fawn was clearly not up for a conversation and prying into their activities seemed a bit overly zealous. Not planning to heighten their stress any further he gave them a warm smile before wiping the bench with a nearby sponge.

"Well I do hope both of you enjoy your noodles and your stay in this lovely city. The store is always open for beautiful customers such as yourselves", Tengri smiled before momentarily checking a nearby pot to see that it was cooking. It was only then that he noticed his phone buzzing by the spice cupboard. A message, clear and simple was sent to him, a helpful associate who was always assisting him in saving the world had messaged him during work hours...and that never happened if something was desperate. "The Arena is under attack. Hurry!" Was all it said, but that was more than enough to get the spritely shaman's attention away from his food. Handing the ladle to a nearby chef's hand he rolled down his sleeves and ran his fingers through his hair, furrowing his brow as he gave one last look at the two seated females.

"Please, enjoy your food. I hope our paths cross again", Tengri gently stated, giving the two seated females complimentary loaves of bread before rushing out back and into the narrow street by the Hope store. His body shimmered and a majestic white glow emitted off his billowing robes, sending his body into the sky above like a rising eagle. It was time to protect the innocent.

***

Lilia remained silent even until they reached their cozy little checkpoint. Her dainty hand was still coiled around Skyler's arm and although her anxiety was slowly drying up she still found her teeth clamped onto her lower lip, the metallic taste of fresh blood coating the tip of her tongue. The kind and rather strange looking man who had provided their free meals was certainly someone she would never forget, he possessed a gentle and wise aura and was a welcome change from the fiends who had only recently attacked both her and her guardian. Although she wanted to be polite and eat her stomach simply could not handle the thought of food at that moment and she quietly stirred the contents of her bowl as Skyler happily ate next to her. The day was more than exhausting and the young agent still felt an uneasy sensation trickle down her spine, the very fact that she could not contacts Shayla distressed her even further. Skyler was her only protection at this moment and the paranoid ballerina had no idea how they were going to properly evade any trouble, it was almost like bad situations followed them!

Resting her head against Skyler's shoulder Lilia let her slender porcelain fingers to comb through the silvery knots of her guardian's hair, admiring the sheen in an attempt to distract herself from her lingering PTSD. She had to trust Skyler and if that meant hiding away in Chinatown for a few days was what she required than so be it, she wasn't going to question the older agent's judgements.

by **Chellizard** June 24th 2013, 3:32 am

The shop was small, but it was bustling with help, and cute waitresses. They greeted Skyler and Lilia, and directed them to sit anywhere, but Skyler had brushed passed them. She approached the main bar, where the kitchen was nestled just behind the bench. A few stools were perched for comfortable seating right up front, and Skyler helped Lilia into her seat, then scooted her own closer so their chairs touched. Skyler smiled to Lilia, and looked back to the main with whispering long hair. His smile told a story, and so did his kind eyes. Just by his actions, and his cheeriness, Skyler knew this man was kind. He was not doing this to make himself look good. He did this out of pure love and devotion to the people of this world.

"I'm sure it will be as good as it smells," she muttered, her accent clearly making her sound as if she wasn't from here.

She complimented his cooking, and wished him luck on his endeavors when he left. But, she asked for a lid to her recyclable bowl. The noodles were too good to throw out. A waitress gave them an extra freebie and put the sealed bowls in a brown paper bag, then inside of a another one with straw handles. The bag was sturdy, and made from recycled parts. It had the lovely crest of the Hope Organisation on it. Smiling, Skyler slipped the waitress three 100 dollar bills from her duffle bag. The money was from the car, but it was money. Money that the waitress split with the other workers. Skyler gave them a salute, her Marine Corps tattoo noticed by a few of the people in the shop.

"Let's get a place to sleep, huh?" she asked Lilia, her arm swinging around of the girls' petite shoulders.

The shop across the street was owned by a small woman, with many cracks and crevices creeping along her face. She was a sweet woman, and spoke in Mandarin. Good thing Skyler knew enough to get by.

"Good afternoon. I was wondering about the room upstairs?" she asked, offering a bow after she sat her bags down on the floor.

"Ah..." the woman would start, her hands a bit shaky as she pointed to the stairs.

"75 dollars for three days." the woman said, pulling a set of keys from her pocket.

Skyler shuffled through her bag and produced five hundred dollars. She curled the money into the woman's hand and bowed. "Thank you," she said, bowing again to the woman.

"Ayye!" the old woman squealed in delight. "You stay as long as you need," she continued and took the stairs, one at a time, holding onto the railing.

Skyler looked to Lilia and smiled, "C'mon, kiddo."

The walked up the stairs was shallow, but the apartment was nice, clean, and perfect for two girls to share. There was a tiny kitchen along the west wall, a bed in the north east corner. A shallow closet, and a simple two seated table. There was a small, dusty television and there seemed to be cable. The singular light in the middle of the rooms ceiling was perfect for the whole abode. There was also a tiny fridge, and single-eyed stove, and a microwave. There was already a few water bottles in the fridge, and clean linens in the closet. It was perfect.

Before the woman left, she spoke once again.

"I see trouble has chased you here, but it will pass soon enough. I will be making tea if you care to join me down stairs." The woman then gave a shallow bow and turned, shuffling out on old, tired feet.

Skyler dropped the bag and sighed, setting their noodle lunch on the tiny table.

"Think of it like an adventure. I know it's not as fancy as that wonderful hotel, but, it's just you and me. Aiva?" Skyler asked out loud, and then the small holographic girl popped up in the palm of Skyler's hand.

"You raaang?" she asked, smiling cheesily while twirling around.

"I'm going to get you access to that television and then we'll see the news. Perhaps the Hotel has finally seen the room.."

Nodding, Aiva danced from Skyler's hand to Lilia's shoulder. The hologram flickered and wavered, a bit glitchy from her weak battery in Skyler's Aiva glove. Sighing, the silver haired woman grabbed for her laptop and an AV cable. Hooking the television to the computer was simple, and getting access to it was even more simple. With a bit more tinkering, the thirty-two inch screen was now her's to display the news via Internet.

What flashed before them was something she was not expecting. The concert that Tyuki Gold was at had been overrun by what looked like plants. And there were ambulances, police cars, and even fire trucks.

What in the world had happened?

by **Twinkletoes** June 24th 2013, 5:40 am

Lilia's swift lightfooted steps quietly walked in rhythm with Skyler's longer strides, her eyes plastered on the ground as the beautiful duo made their way out of the Hope kitchen. The alluring aroma of the noodle dishes still clung to their senses even when they made it out into the bustling chinatown crowds, the paper bag filled with their preserved lunch swinging too and fro as they headed towards the little building opposite the cozy restaurant. A chubby little Asian lady was seated by a window, fanning her face as she watched the passing crowds with semi-interest, making a low popping noise with her lips as the two agents stepped in front of her. Lilia remained silent as Skyler made the dealings with the rather cheery old lady, speaking in a Chinese dialect as a tightly rolled cylinder of notes was passed onto the hospitable landlady. The Russian could not do anything more than give the woman a weak smile, clutching Skyler's hand even tighter as they made their way up to the second floor and into the gorgeous little room that awaited them.

The ballerina blinked twice, taking in the comfortable interior as she politely removed her shoes at the front door, wiggling her toes against the timber panelled flooring. It held everything in the one room, aside from the small bathroom on the east end, and was a stark downgrade from the hotel suite they had just escaped, not that that was a bad thing. Both girls now had a clear grasp of where the other would be in the cozy little apartment, and the building itself was highly inconspicuous with its humble owner and its raw interior. The single bed that lay underneath an open window looked big enough for both of them to cuddle up together, Chinese silk adorned the mattress with regal reds and golds and embroidered flowers decorated the sheets as if it were made for a long lost princess. Stepping near the kitchen counter the ballerina took a few tentative glances here and there, ensuring that they were properly cleaned and stocked. A selection of random goodies were located in the shelves; cereal, pasta and canned fruit lining the interior of the burgundy kitchen compartment. She liked the apartment, it was modest and simple and the girl was certain Shayla would like it as well, maybe they could come back here one day. When they're both free.

Giving their elderly caretaker a meek wave goodbye, Lilia quietly tip toed over to the bed, crossing her legs as she watched Skyler continue to tinker around with Aiva and the present technology. The woman was exceedingly intelligent and just like patients in an operating room she carefully and precisely tinkered around with the collection of chords and plugs, always ensuring she was deliberate with her movements. The spritely little female hologram that assisted Skyler flickered too and fro across the ground, always giving her elder 'sibling' wary gazes just in case her older sister suffered another anxiety attack.

Lilia did feel somewhat useless whenever her guardian toyed around with technology, growing up in a village and suffering torturous captivity for much of her teenage life excluded her from the wonders of new age gizmos and she was often left lost in the ever shifting made that was modern life. With her arms crossed over her waist and her legs folded underneath her the younger agent stayed still as the two beloved protectors toyed around with the television, subconsciously sucking on the bloody scar that her teeth imprinted on her peachy lower lip. She felt nauseous, an uncomfortable weight tugging at the pits of her stomach and mind as she lightly swayed back and forth, attempting to distract herself from the lingering anxiety.

Things only got worse when the television was finally switched on.

The news headline absolutely horrified the paranoid agent, the images that blared out off the small box sending pulses of absolute distress throughout her core. The trauma of the day seemed to double over instantly, the sheer terror that racked her mind coming forth as the images of the stadium where her idol was singing was being attacked. Had fate decided this was the day to bruise the ballerina even further? Poor Tyuki was just another teenage girl; someone that Lilia believed to have the most privileged life and knowing that even she was suffering ruined the girl even more. Her breathing began to quicken, shallow breaths escaping her chest as her limbs began to grow cold, become numb as the news reporter covered the 'terrorist attack' on the stadium. Why was this happening? Lilia internally screamed at herself, gripping the bed sheets as she allowed the disturbing imagery to burn deeper holes into her already damaged psyche. Whenever stress began to dig its ruthless talons into her she could feel every dirty scar on her body begin to swell and simmer with what could only be described as a burning self-loathing, her mind wanted to retreat back into its protective shell and yet...she couldn't bring herself to cry in front of Skyler, the woman who had told her how important and beautiful she was that morning.

"...m-may I be excused...?", Lilia whispered, her dazed eyes only briefly looking at Skyler before her shaky legs took her off the small bed and into the adjacent bathroom. Her movements were slow, anything faster and she feared that she would double over in tears and it was only until she closed the bathroom door behind her did she feel the lump in her throat grow.

With weak trembling arms the traumatised young agent stripped off all of her clothing, leaving them in a pile near the sink, all the while avoiding looking at her disgusting bare skin in the mirror. The sobs and the pained whimpers silently began to leak out, her quivering body stumbling into the shower space as she fumbled for the water, making it as hot as possible so that it would 'cleanse' her scars. Her body was naturally resilient to heat even without being diamond and as the billowing steam began to cloud the tiny bathroom she sank to her knees, letting the water wash away her painful tears and hide her wretched misery. The gushing torrent of water belted into her naked porcelain skin, stinging the scars as her skinny form crumpled against the corner, her arms coiled around the bruised knees that rested against her chest. Bitter tears streamed down her cheeks, soft sobs breaking her last line of defense as she allowed the emotional trauma to finally take over.

Lilia rarely cried alone, often wanting the comfort of Skyler but now it seemed that weeping in front of her guardian was just another problem the silvery haired doctor would have to deal with. Why did such thoughts wrestle in her mind? Quite simple, if Lilia had never met Skyler the woman would have never been threatened, both today and the countless times Dominus had terrorised them. It was almost as if the ballerina was a bad omen, hurting her loved ones and suffering as a consequence. She hated this situation and she hated herself even more, and ten minutes into the burning shower and her fingers scratched away at the scars on her body, opening up old wounds as blood began to flow out of her skin. She wanted to get rid of these things, she wanted to tear her skin off and throw it away, just so she knew that never again would she have to live with the constant reminder that she was such a disgusting little girl. She weeped profusely, her eyes red with shame and pain as her dainty fingers desperately clawed away at her skin, ruining the supple porcelain with her overwhelming anxiety and mental instability. She couldn't trust herself to protect Skyler, not when she was so pitifully weak and damaged and the painful frustration of tearing at her skin only resulted with more anguish and hopelessness. Her life needed Skyler and yet involving the woman in all of it seemed like a sin, as if she were forcing the woman to suffer with her.

No! I don't want this.. she internally told herself, scratching at scar that lined her inner thigh, opening the wound in a morbid display of horrifying self loathing.

Every scar she tore at was another failure, another sin and another dead body she was responsible for and before she could stop it a pained cry escaped her lips, the cry of defeat. The young agent collapsed into the shower floor, sobbing amidst the bloodstained water as she fervently apologised to the woman who was only several feet away, she loved Skyler and yet she felt so guilty of even opening the chance of having the young doctor hurt. It burned the confines of her heart. This horrified and anxiety ridden guilt was so overwhelming that she did not even hear the door to the bathroom open..she was simply lost in her sorrow.

by **Chellizard** June 24th 2013, 6:40 am

The screen was flashing many different views of the stadium. Terrorists Strike Chicago! was the headlines. News reporters were terrified, but stood brave to get the story as fast as possible. Actual footage from the inside was being broadcast as well. Skyler sat back, one leg stretched out, the other bent at the knee and tucked to her chest. If only she were able to play the hero card and save the people inside. If only she were able to do something about it. If only... Wait a second.

Andre Armour. Could that be him? With more focus on the screen, she finally noticed. It was him! That bastard! Attacking that poor girl. She was definitely upset now. Seething with anger that curled around of her heart and spread throughout her core, she was too engrossed in the news to put attention on Lilia. She nodded to her when she asked to be excused. Skyler could not blame her. The news was horrid, down right terrible. Frowning she glanced up to Lilia while she walked to the small bathroom. Her gait was a bit slow, but having been bustling around all day likely made her feet hurt. Skyler turned back to the television and used her toe to turn it up. With brows stitched together, she angrily watched the news and flipped through the other stations. One was on the scene of the hotel. Nothing could be said about it, except that there was blood everywhere, but no bodies to be found. A mystery case. One that would drive customers away from that poor hotel.

Skyler felt a bit bad for the hotel team, but she had to protect Lilia that way. Ten minutes into watching the news, and letting her anger fester, she finally looked away and cut the news off. With the television silenced, she could hear the sound of rushing water. It reminded her of how dirty she was. Looking down at herself, she sighed and pushed her hair back out of her face. She had been considering cutting it, but she did not want to yet. With her right hand holding a bit of her hair, she listened for a few more moments. She caught the end of what sounded like a sob. The small sound sent pain through her chest and she stood, took the short four to five strides to the bathroom door, and slid it open.

"Lilia?" she called, her void swallowed by the hot torrent of water.

Looking to the shower, the thin glass door that was shut was steamy, but Skyler could see Lilia laying on the floor of the shower. Opening the door, the water speckled her dress, but she did not care. Looking down at her daughter, her sister; her best friend, she saw blood, and the scars and wounds on Lilia's legs reopened. Frowning, but not from disappointment, no, from pure sadness, Skyler stepped into the smaller shower and sat down, pulling Lilia into her arms. She spoke no words. She did not even utter a sound. She held onto the frail, frightened girl and smoothed her hand over her hair. The water soaked Skyler quickly, and the open shower door let water onto the small shaggy rug, and marble floor.

That was the least of Skyler's worries.

She let Lilia's cries become softer before she washed Lilia's hair and turned the water to a gentle flow. Using a soft wash cloth, Skyler gently soaped over Lilia's body, cleaning her open scars. Tears had finally made their way passed the Doctor's eyes. They ran down her cheeks silently, and mixed with the warm water while she bathed her best friend. She washed her own hair and peeled from her sundress to clean herself up the rest of the way before cutting off the water and snatching a towel to wrap Lilia up. Carrying her bridal style, the Doctor held the Dancer carefully. Placing Lilia on the bed, Skyler walked back to the small bathroom and used another towel to mop up the floor, and then wrapped one around of herself. She finally came back to Lilia, still no words for her.

After a few moments of sitting in silence, she spoke.

"It's not your fault, you know," she started, without even knowing how Lilia felt. Without knowing that Lilia blamed herself for this mess, and for all past events. "I know you feel like a Phoenix underwater sometimes, but you're not. You're strong, and sweet, and caring. You're very intelligent, and you have people that love you. You have Shayla, that's for sure. And, you have me. I know I could be your mother, but I find us being more like sisters, best friends. We know each others pasts. We know each others faults. You need to stop hating yourself, Lilia. You are beautiful, and you have time to heal. It make take some elbow grease and hard work, but, I know you got it in you." She paused, sighing.

"I love you," she said, standing to find a first aid kit. When she failed to find one, she stepped out of the room and dashed down the stairs, towel and wet hair.

"I need a first aid kit," she said, dripping with chest heaving. She had ran down the stairs, and she was outwardly panicking in front of the elderly woman.

"What.. what happened?" she asked, removing a long pipe from between her teeth.

"My sister fell in the tub and hurt her knee." a white lie to hide their troubled past.

"Here," the woman said, grabbing a metal box with gauze, and all the other things needed.

Accepted the box, Skyler bowed and dashed back upstairs. The old woman just laughed, and said something along the lines of, "kids these days."

Returning back to Lilia, Skyler closed their little door and locked it, then came to sit on the floor, her towel shifting around of her thighs. She started with a cotton ball and a bit of alcohol to clean the wounds before she gently dabbed them dry. Using a new age medicine that stopped bleeding, Skyler applied it with a q-tip, her touch gentle, and very hesitant for Lilia's sake. Once she was finished, she applied a thin layer of breathing gauze to keep the wounds from bleeding too much, but being able to breathe. Sitting on the floor, cross-legged, Skyler looked up to Lilia and sighed softly.

"Please never scare me like that again... I could never live with myself if I lost you."

by **Twinkletoes** June 25th 2013, 9:36 am

The violent sobs that wracked throughout Lilia's core shuddered against the boiling waterfall that crashed into her naked bleeding skin, intensifying the horrid self mutilation till the pained lump in her throat distilled any further sound. Her tormented cries were silenced as her exhausted body continued to writhe against the torrent of water that invaded the freshly torn scars, the bitter tears now lost in the steamy red puddle she lay in. The young agent was so lost in her misery that she did not even acknowledge Skyler's entry only until the doctor joined her, embracing her ever so lovingly. Lilia's emotional and physical vulnerability were melding together into a pitiful show of a bruised and battered angel, a girl who was simply too weak to do nothing more than cry into her gaurdian's chest.

By now their relationship exceeded any notion of shame or embarrassment, they were two girls who fate had dragged together and even though she was so exposed Lilia truly deal feel safe in Skyler's arms, even if she would not admit it during the moment. The loud barrage of the shower soon turned into a gentle drizzle, the blinding steam that enveloped the small space eventually dissipating out of a small window, leaving behind the two girls embracing one another in the shower. Lilia could not care less that she was naked, her fear and shame already breaking past the point of no return, nor was she particularly embarrassed that her beautiful protector was also similarly exposed, the nudity between the two something they had gotten over a long time ago. Even then, the frail and fragile girl hated for Skyler of all people to see her like this, was she not exhausted from carrying the brittle ballerina around everywhere? Such a question could not be asked at that point due to the girl's inability to speak, her shallow breaths still catching up to the quiet whimpers that dripped off her lips.

The porcelain skinned ballerina did not squirm or struggle against Skyler's gentle grip, she allowed the strong willed saviour to pat her dry and take her outside into the cool air of the little apartment. There Lilia waited, slumping against the headboard as she weakly clutched onto the towel, not wanting to look at the collection of gashes she had just reopened. Speckles of crimson already stained the beige towel and the girl internally berated herself for once more forcing Skyler to panic over her, she did not deserve such love and affection. Simply having the young doctor by her side was a clear indicator that the light in her life had not yet disappeared entirely, that Skyler truly was one of the only good things Lilia had left to hold onto. The sniffling girl listened to her beautiful friend whisper more gentle words of love, words that penetrated the very foundations of Lilia's damaged soul. She could not bring herself to look at Skyler, her current state of being disallowing any notions of bravery from her. With skin still red and raw from the boiling shower and eyes bubbling forth with tormented tears the girl weakly nodded her head as Skyler spoke, not entirely sure if she believed the kind words or was simply attempted to not worry the woman even further.

"...I love you too..", Lilia's strained voice croaked, a few seconds after Skyler had rushed out of the room for the first aid kit.

On her return the bruised and battered ballerina let the towel fall to her sides, exposing the multitude of cute and gashes that adorned her supple naked skin. The amount of blood loss was not severe but it was enough to force a wash of paleness to cross her visage, a look of pure humiliation etched onto her angelic face as she watched her best friend clean up the wounds. The blistering sting of the ointment burned into her skin, forcing her to bite her lower lip which was also fairly damaged from her previous hit of anxiety. Salty tears sprung forth out of her eyes as each individual wound was tended to, her massacred body completely visible in the soft daylight for Skyler to see.

Didn't this horrify Skyler? Such a disgusting display of human depravity that signed its way from the edges of Lilia's collarbones all the way down to the soles of her feet. Lilia certainly could not stand the sight of having someone so close to her scarred body, let alone someone who thought her beautiful and good. All Lilia felt like was a piece of meat, the second-hand pleasure toy who suffered the brunt of her captors lust.

Once the careful treatment ended and the stinging wounds were covered Lilia's glossy eyes tentatively looked down at the woman in front of her, her little nose red from all the weeping. Here they were, two inseparable best friends, girls who could even pass as sisters, huddled together in a house that was not theirs, as naked as the day they were born. Lilia was too exhausted to cover up, only choosing to place her hands over the scarred womanhood that still made her cringe every time she looked at it. Skyler was her beacon of hope and strength, the epitome of what Lilia wanted to be and here she was, as raw and exposed as her frightened little friend, sharing the silence together.

"...S-sometimes I ask myself what would have happened if you never took me in that day", Lilia whispered, wiping some moisture from the corner of her eye as her mind flashed back to the moment the fearless woman claimed the girl as her property. "I never wanted to hurt or worry you...but I was so afraid...so afraid that if I open my heart and soul to you that some monster would come by and snatch that away from me..", the girl sniffled, her whispery voice wavering as the glistening tears trickled down her tormented face. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry for dragging you down with me, if it wasn't for me then...then...He wouldn't have hurt you and...and...m-maybe you would have Eric back...a-and all those p-people that died would still...and...and Nayorah..", by now Lilia could not help but let the tears flow, the last name little more than a pained whisper. Her emotions poured out as she thought back to every mistake that put her guardian and the people she loved in despair.

"...I know for a fact that I would not have lasted another month in...in that place, and you saved me...you and Aiva saved me...and...and all I've done is make y-your life harder...I mean, if I wasn't here you wouldn't be listening to some n-naked girl sob about her stupid life and her stupid mistakes...", Lilia choked, attempting to smile as she curled the back of her hand underneath her teary eyes, not wanting to break down any further.

Skyler deserved better than this. Skyler deserved a normal life back with her true child, not pander around with an anxiety ridden rape victim who could not sleep alone at night. No, to Lilia her silver haired doctor had not only saved her life but enriched as well...even if it cost her any chance at living the American Dream...

And that's what broke Lilia's heart

by **Chellizard** June 29th 2013, 9:27 pm

The Doctor was gentle with every touch. Every precise movement was calculated and determined three steps before the move was made. Her lithe, yet robust body clung by the soft cotton towel. Her chest heaved a sigh while she popped the lid back onto the plastic box and sat on the floor, looking up to Lilia while she sniffled, sobbed, and wiped away tears. Skyler stood and walked to the linen closet and pulled a soft throw blanket from it and wrapped it around of Lilia. It draped delicately over the frail, shaking shoulders. The smooth fabric concealed all of Lilia's battle wounds, keeping her body concealed to help the girl feel less ashamed at this moment in time.

Skyler wanted nothing more than to make sure Lilia's life could be more than what it was. And that was why she had claimed the girl. That was why she had put on that wonderfully twisted facade to play the role of a lesbian nymphomaniac that enjoyed 'little girls' as her main play. This girl was the reason Skyler was living right now. Protecting Lilia has given Skyler more purpose than she has ever had in her whole life. The doctor sat back down on the floor and looked up to the dancer.

The silence that was filling the, oddly relaxing, void between the two girls was interrupted by Lilia's soft whimpers. The whimpers, however, were cut off by the girl's gentle voice croaking into proper volume levels so that Skyler could hear her. Listening silently, The Doctor moved her hand to hold Lilia's, her other hand cupping over the girl's shaking appendages. She still had no words. She just listened to her, made sure she paid attention to ever syllable that shook it's way passed Lilia's trembling lips. Every word that passed Lilia's lips made Skyler angry. Not angry at her, no. Angry that she hadn't gotten to the girl sooner. Angry that she couldn't show Lilia exactly how she made her feel.

Standing up from her spot on the floor, Skyler sat herself next to Lila and pulled the petite ballerina into a tight, loving embrace. The doctor let the dancer finish speaking before finally letting her voice creep into the silence.

"Are you certain?" she would start, and look down at Lilia with soft, but sad eyes.

"Are you certain that my destiny would have been any different if we had not met? Lilia. It was my fate to meet you. My life would not have been complete if I had never met you. If ... he hadn't knocked on my door. If I hadn't been raped when I was fourteen. If I hadn't been beaten when I was six. If I hadn't have graduated high school at fifteen, and medical school at eighteen. If I hadn't joined that special operations team and did spy work in Russia. My fate was to meet you. To love you. To care for you, and to be more than your savior. I am here to be your best friend, and to love you no matter what. To fight for you, and to strike down the people that are after you. You never have to worry about anything again. Your life was rough, baby, but it was your fate as well. Despite how cruel it was in the beginning, it can only get better if you let it. You are in control now. Make your choice to rise up above your fears, or let them control you." She spoke confidently, and held onto Lilia gently, but with an assurance of love and affection.

A kiss was pressed into Lilia's temple, then Skyler gently let her go to find something decent to wear. Boy shorts and a sports bra. She also found ankle length leggings, a soft, delicate bra for Lilia, matching undies, and a long sleeve, thin shirt to keep the girl from feeling self conscious.

"Now, how about we eat something, watch some Gossip Girl and head to bed?" she asked, smiling while she laid the clothes next to Lilia.

by **Twinkletoes** July 3rd 2013, 11:31 am

Lilia remained silent, pressed against Skyler's side as she quietly sobbed away the bitterness and self-loathing. Skyler's gentle words of comfort were unquestionably honest as they were direct and the diminutive ballerina could not avoid the simple truths that were being spoken to her. Skyler was continually proving that the light of life still existed within Lilia, that the darkness of man's sins had not completely swamped her body, mind and soul. The girl clung to the blanket cocooned around her shivering body, biting her tongue in an attempt to hush the sniffles and whimpers that threatened to send her emotions overboard once more. Skyler was speaking the truth, there was no denying that at all and the young agent had to swallow the blessing that was thrust upon her. She had finally found her place as Skyler's little friend, sister and surrogate daughter.

"...You're too good to me mama...", Lilia whispered, attempting to smile as she shuffled in her place, clutching her naked skin whilst her loving protector found her some clothing. The ointment on her skin still stung quite a bit, blotches of pink building up underneath the fresh bandages as she patiently and quietly waited to cover them. Lilia knew what she had done and how such a thing would have frightened Skyler upon seeing it, internally the guilt of performing such an action weighed deep in her mind and she feebly stumbled over her words to utter a proper apology.

"I'm sorry for scaring you...it must be stressful...", Lilia mumbled in a barely audible voice, carefully slipping on the comfortable cotton underwear as she looked up at her beautiful protector. Skyler was so fierce and strong and yet seeing Lilia as broken as she was in the shower would have hurt her, seeing ones friend suffer is never a comforting sight and Skyler was often subjected to such scenarios.

Once the porcelain skinned girl had finished putting on her clothing and tying her hair up into a messy braid she slowly tip toed over to Skyler, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she came closer. They were going to have the noodles leftover from lunch and whilst it was a known fact that the ballerina rarely, if ever, ate large meals she was quite hungry then and there. She was emotionally and physically drained, her legs were still shaky and her lower lip still bled a bit from the excessive gnawing. Lilia watched on as Skyler prepared the quick dinner, marvelling at the fact that her silver haired guardian was so comfortable and confident in just her underwear. Grabbing the cutlery and neatly placing it on a little table besides their single bed Lilia patiently waited for the doctor to join her by the bed, in front of the little television.

The meal was quiet, but a comfortable quiet, neither girl was really paying attention to the show other than when a certain Mr. Chuck Bass came onto the screen. Swooning commenced and by the time the episode was finished both were lazily cuddled up on the single bed. Lilia, having given much of her meal to Skyler to finish, wriggled her toes in an attempt to get rid of the lingering cold. Her mind had settled into a controlled and somewhat peaceful setting, a calm wash of timid serenity filling her being as she lay with her protector, thinking of something to do to pass the time before her inevitable sleepiness hit her.

"Mama! Roll onto your tummy please..", Lilia grinned, lightly jabbing Skyler in the side as she hopped up onto her knees. "I think...I think you deserve a massage. I saw some ladies doing this the other day...and my feet are cold so everyone's a winner!", the dainty ballerina explained, stretching her legs before gently hopping onto Skyler's back and straddling the doctor's buttocks. Carefully brushing the silvery mane of hair off the warm skin Lilia ever so gracefully placed both of her petite feet in the fleshy space between both of Skyler's shoulder blades, only wobbling a bit before she found her impeccable balance. "You always spoil me and I think you really deserve this...please tell me if I'm squashing you...", Lilia smiled, knowing full well that someone of her weight would barely crush anything.

The ballerina wiggled her cold toes against the base of Skyler's neck, light giggles escaping her lips as she began to slowly knead the heels of her dainty feet into her gaurdian's back. This was her charity to the woman who so fiercely loved and protected her and for that moment everything seemed normal. Lilia was just an average girl giving her elder sister a massage, the fine threads of her psyche returning once more to a content state of mind.

by **Chellizard** July 3rd 2013, 8:04 pm

"Don't you worry about me. You taking care of yourself a bit more will put my mind at ease, all right?" a stern, but soft suggestion. More than that, though. It was a mother's order. Lilia would, soon, learn to take care of herself more than anything. She then smiled and stepped over to prepare the noodles.

"But, I accept your apology." it probably meant much more to Lilia to have the apology be accepted than to be brushed off. Skyler knew that, though. Having an apology, even if it wasn't needed, accepted made the apologetic person feel that much better. Even the Doctor felt better knowing that Lilia was feeling better. And to see her actually long for the noodles made Skyler a bit happy, too. Despite the petite girl not being able to eat all of her noodles, it was still nice for her to sip the broth and munch on the delicious veggies.

Skyler finished her portion, and Lilia's before sinking into the bed, her head hitting the pillow. It had been a long, long day and finally relaxing after all the stress, and the drama, it felt wonderful. Jerking a bit, the jab tickling her down to her toes, she giggled and looked to Lilia with a little smile.

"Yeah?" she turned over, tucking one of the fluffy pillows between her arms while she adjusted her position. The bed may be small, but it was plenty of room for the two girls. Skyler almost didn't feel Lilia when she sat herself down, and just the smallest bit of pressure actually felt wonderful on her lower lumbar.

"Ah, wonderful... Thank you, sweetheart. This is the best gift I've ever gotten; and there's no way you could squish-ahh-me." sighs of relaxation passed her lips while Lilia worked her dainty, cold feet into Skyler's back. Minutes passed, maybe an hour, and then Skyler suggested they sleep. Aiva had been sleeping, or recharging, for a while now and would keep watch during the night and sound the alarm if anything dangerous happened. Even if the land lady came up to check on them, Aiva would alarm Skyler with a shock to her wrist.

Skyler scooted over, giving room to Lilia, before peeling the covers up and over them. They were wrapped up like a package of sardines, Skyler's arm draped over Lilia's middle, protectively. As always, The Doctor was the big spoon, and the Dancer was the little. Sleep came quickly for them, and the night's soft sounds of China Town life told stories while Mr. Sandman gave them pleasant dreams of noodles, oriental gardens, and a perfect life outside of their own.

---

It had been 36 hours since Dustin, Dylan, and Dakota had been killed and revived by the Mafia Princess; Miss Guidaboni. She was her father's daughter, her strict orders sending the three boys on a scavenger hunt. It did not take long, but the group found themselves in China Town.

It was High afternoon, and the Free Noodles sign had them all in for a bite to eat. They discussed finding them, and a waitress, the one Skyler had given money to, happen to over hear them.

"Oh, two girls? Beautiful girls? They were here yesterday," she said, unbeknownst to their true intentions.

"Oh, really? Weeell, they're our... sisters." a lie passed Dylan's lips, a devilish grin upon his face that was quickly turned into a false genuine.

"Oh, hehe. They went across the street. I have no idea where they went after that, though." She waved them off and stepped back to her work station; prepping bowls.

The trio rose from their booth and left their bowls half empty, save for Dakota that drank the rest of his scalding noodles and followed out of the noodle stand.

"We found them." he said, a radio up to his mouth to relay his message to Miss Guidaboni.

"Good," her voice was doubled, but she walked up to the boys as she spoke in her radio.

She shoved the radio into Dakota's hands and stepped toward the shop across the street. It was the first place that struck their interest.

They walked in, and the bell rang to indicate their presence.
Ring.

by **Twinkletoes** July 10th 2013, 11:34 am

Lilia's deft balancing act atop Skyler's slender back brought forth melodic bursts of laughter from both girls, the two enjoying the private moment together after the long tiresome day. The dainty ballerina gracefully pranced against the tired muscles, kneading her supple heels into the strained flesh of her guardian. The warmth of Skyler's skin surged through Lilia's cold feet, a tingling sensation crawling up her leg as she wistfully looked out the window beside their bed. Why could it not be like this always? Here she was safe with the beloved doctor and genuinely enjoying the carefree environment, why if it was up to her she would willingly serve Skyler as long as the silver haired woman needed her. Whilst the half gymnastic routine half massage was fun, sleepiness took hold of Lilia after an hour of treading the surface of her protector's spine. Almost on instinct the young agent found herself curled up against Skyler's warm body, her head nestled in the comfortable nook of Skyler's neck and bust.

Her skinny form curled up against the loving embrace of her beautiful protector, chilled toes toasting under the heat of Skyler's legs. With a final kiss goodnight Lilia let her fluttery eyelids close for the night, the stress of the day little more than a forgotten memory. The soft murmur of night sent Lilia into a deep slumber, whispery coos escaping her mouth as her mind ascended into a dream world.

***

Morning came slowly, the gentle rays of golden light shimmering through the open window as the monotonous hum of Chinatown roused the two beauties from their sleep. Lilia woke up with a pool of warm drool underneath her cheek, her moist face nestled against Skyler's cleavage. Such a thing was normal and bothered neither girl, it simply dampened the doctor's bra and was nothing of concern. The major victory for the night was that the young agent had no nightmares, none at all. Sleep had introduced her to a vivid fantasy of wondrous colours and beautiful sights and upon waking up she already felt the silly little grin creep into one of contentment. She was comfortable, almost too comfortable. Her skinny legs were in a tangled mess with Skyler's, her dainty porcelain arm bristling with pins and needles as she slowly pulled it out from underneath her guardian's waist. The bandaged wounds on her legs still brunt with a dull sting but it was not much to distract her from the beauty of the morning.

"Good morning Mama, sleep well?", Lilia sleepily whispered, wiping the drool off her cheek with the back of her hand before giving the woman a very quick good morning peck on the chin. Lightly giggling underneath a dry lips the girl stretched her limbs, wiggling her toes before rolling over on top of Skyler, her petite figure on top of Skyler's. With her neck supported by the womanly bust the ballerina's face was staring right into the doctor's, a cheery smile plastered on her peachy lips. "Maybe we can look for a handsome prince for you today, I can tell him you snore", Lilia giggled, coiling her arms around Skyler's neck as she allowed the crisp morning breeze to wash over her.

"Or maybe you should just show mama your bandages and let her change them", a certain hologram nonchalantly quipped, appearing out of nowhere and snuggling up against the curve of Skyler's collarbone. "Isn't mama lucky, two beautiful girls snuggling up to her", Aiva smirked, her soft blue glow washing over the clean white blankets.

"Shush Aiva! You're ruining the moment! Even you know she snores!", Lilia playfully frowned, girlish lips pouting as she nudged her nose against the base of Skyler's neck. She was still a bit sleepy.

"Yeah and you drool, so what if you would just - oh no..."

BANG!

Aiva's artificial sassiness came to an abrupt halt, the colour in her body literally draining away as Lilia shrieked from the sudden noise. Gone was the playful vibes and the lighthearted atmosphere, replaced now by the all too familiar sense of paranoia that seemed to break every good moment the little family had. "Mama, the owner of this household has been murdered. Six men and one woman have entered through the front, initiating lockdown procedures.", Aiva stated in a frighteningly cold robotic voice, her little eyes flashing white as she watched the intruders through the cameras just above the staircase.

A horde of footsteps began to echo into the upper floor. The color in Lilia's face draining as she felt a cold tug against her heart.

"...Mama...", her voice cracked, barely uttering a sound as she felt every muscle in her body tense up. Skyler was sure to feel the girl's immediate fear as well. There was not enough time, almost on instinct Skyler had scrambled to her feet doing what she did best, leaving her frightened baby sister to stumble and crawl underneath the bed. The anxiety ridden ballerina felt a dark shadow begin to suffocate her, the heavy beating of her heart hammering into her ears. Why now? Had fate thought it funny to torture them even more? She literally had to force her hand over her mouth as she heard muffled shots rattle outside their door.

And then there was a voice. A female voice, one which oozed a horrid evil the likes of Salters could appreciate.

"Subdue the older one first. I want to see just how pretty the little flower is..., and that was when the door was kicked open.

by **Chellizard** July 17th 2013, 10:55 am

Soft coos of happiness made their way passed Skyler's pump lips while the side of her face was smashed into the soft, feather stuffed pillow. Her chest rose and fell, forcing her shoulders to shrug against Lilia's soft, cold feet. Despite the scars adorning the Dancer's dainty appendages, they were still wonderful against her spine. Sighing, finally sleep was knocking on their door. After a few more soft giggles, cute chatter, and a kiss good night, the two beauties were wrapped into one another for a snug sleep in the small, yet comfortable bed.

---

Morning came a, and Skyler rose early. But, she did not peel herself from the bed. She felt the dampness on her chest, but just smiled and brushed bits of hair from Lilia's face while she lay there. It was not long after Skyler woke that Lilia's form started making faster breath sounds; average ones in comparison to the slow, soft sleeping breaths. A yawn was stifled, but then sent the Doctor into another yawn and she just let this one go. Her breath was not so bad this morning, which was wonderful. It had the smallest hint of her mint tooth paste from the night before.

"Good morning~," another yawn tried to fight it's way passed her lips, but she fought it back.

Stretching, she rolled on to her back to only be greeted by Lilia rolling on top of her. Chuckling, Skyler looked at Lilia with half-lidded eyes and blinked away the sleepiness she had been fighting for a while now. Mid-yawn, a set of chuckles and giggles passed her lips while she rolled her eyes. A playful smirk coiled her expression, and she had to hold off on shooting down the idea.

"I guess we can fit it into our routine for the day," a few giggles were still laced into her words.

Aiva appearing meant that the artificial intelligence had slept soundly and recharged her battery, and that meant more sassy comments were to come.

"Now now, girls. That's no way to start your morning. I may snore, and Lilly may drool, but I'll program a flaw for you to have Aiva. And it'll be a surprise." sticking out her tongue playfully, she chuckled and continued. "I only kid. Your personality is self learning. So, if you gain a flaw, you made it yourself."

Shifting to sit up, she hugged her arms around of Lilia to move her. In mid motion, Skyler stopped when Aiva sounded startled. The 'oh no' that spoke passed the small holographic girl sent a sharp shiver of panic down Skyler's spine. Holding onto Lilia, she listened and waited, holding her breath.

Letting her breath out through her nose, she cursed and instructed Lilia to get under the bed.

"Don't make a sound. I want you to make your skin diamond the moment the bed feels like it's being lifted. If you don't think you can, the fire escape is the fastest way out, and I can hold them off long enough for you to make it." a quick kiss to Lilia's temple, and hug followed the words.

It had only been a little over thirty-six to forty-two hours. These men were good, or had the right equipment to cheat their way to be good. Skyler had no reason to waste time on thinking about how they found them. She had to think of how to stop them. With the owner dead, things could come back to them; but no one really questioned each other in China Town, and the local police did not really care. It was rude, but it was life.

Swallowing, she took one moment to panic, and then she had her hand around of her knife. Sliding the instrument into the waistline of her boyshorts, her tanktop was slid over it to somewhat conceal the sheathed weapon. Standing in the center of the room, Skyler prepared herself for the worst, and was met with the door being kicked in.

"Where's the little one?" was the first thing asked.

"Gone." a lie, but a convincing one.

Almost on queue, a stray cat jumped on the dumpster down in the alley, making it sound as if Lilia had gone out the window.

One of the men pushed passed Skyler, knocking her over toward the bed. Catching herself, she stood her ground, her calves pressed against the side of the bed, her bare feet standing firm just near Lilia's view.

"You three bumbling idiots better catch that one!" instructing three of the men to leave, the woman stayed with the other three.

And the other three were the men that Skyler had killed no more than two days ago.

With wide eyes, she looked over them and furrowed her brows.

"I killed you once; don't make me do it again." with hands clenching to fists, she narrowed her eyes and took a step forward.

The woman pulled up a short barreled shot gun and held it right in Skyler's face.

"You can't threaten me like that. I've dealt with bitches like you."

No more words were for this woman. Skyler, with her very fast reflexes, ripped the gun from the woman's hands, dismembered it, and tossed it from the window before the woman could even register what had happened.

It would have been tougher if Skyler hadn't already used a weapon like that before. Her military background gave her fun with all the guns and toys.

"You BITCH! Idiots! Grab her and cuff her."

Skyler was not going down without a fight.

by **Twinkletoes** August 14th 2013, 12:55 am

Almost on instinct Skyler had hurried the terrified ballerina under the safety of the rickety single bed, a small space that only the daintiest figures could slide under. Lilia had to force herself to move into action, her limbs were quivering with dread and her stomach churned from the sheer stress of it all. Every passing second forced her breathing to intensify, straining her chest as the girl desperately attempted to remain calm. She was still weak from her slumber, blurry vision pulling a fog over her glassy cerulean eyes. Lilia did not want to watch but she had curled up underneath the bed with a clear view of everyone's feet, Skyler's being the only bare pair. The angry voices reverbarated into the little room, the snarling female's venomous tone sending jolts of terror down the young agent's spine.

Stay where you are...Skyler will protect you...

Her consciousness reminded, reducing the panic only so far until her guardian was seemingly pushed back. It took a lot of strength for the girl not to scream, to not cry out for her beloved protector and rush to her aid. Two shivering hands were tightly pressed against her shuddering lips. She mustn't make a sound, no matter how deep the scream in her throat burned.

"You know, it isn't often that we find someone capable of fighting back." The mysterious woman uttered, the sound of clicking metal alerting Lilia to the imminent dangers present. Skyler was strong, strong enough to take out these gangsters and escape. But still, the ballerina could not shake off the dread that lingered deep in her heart. "If you resist any further I'll make sure your little sister gets the worst of it. First we'll tag her, oh that involves a nasty hot iron cattle brand on the back of the thigh. Then we'll wax her, don't want any hair for the clients. After that we -"

Her morbid monologue was cut short when heavy footsteps entered the room, the stench of sweat and stress swelling up in the room. "She's not there ma'am...must've been a fuckin cat or somethin", the heavy Boston accent garbled. Lilia shrunk even further into the darkness under the bed, shivering from the sheer stress of it all. She didn't know what was being said but the amount of bad words being used was more than enough to tell her two things. That these bad guys were not happy and weren't that educated. Lilia could only discern the voices that swamped the space, watch the various pairs of shoes shuffle atop the timber flooring closer to the bare feet of her silvery haired protector.

"So the bitch lied to us aye?", the dark haired woman snarled, the click of her heels resounding across the floor like rhythmic steps of death itself. "Okay boys! Serious now! Cuff the bitch and strip her, I think it's time she learnt some respect!"The voice growled, stamping a foot as the lumbering steps of the men present began to move in tentative synchronisation. Three of them had only been killed several days earlier so it made sense they would be more cautious. Lilia could do nothing more but watch in horror at the concealed sight, her teeth clamped firmly on her lower lip to prevent any scream or whimper. What could she do? Exposing herself would only make things worse.

"Every passing minute you resist will be another pretty finger or toe she loses once we find her...", a raspy voice giggled, the snipping sounds of scissors slicing just near where Skyler was standing. Lilia remained frozen, ignoring the tears that tricked down her cheeks.

"If you tell us where she is we'll allow you to share a cell once we're back home...and done fuckin the both of ya!" the man's voice cried, his legs lunging off the ground in the direction of Skyler. They were striking first.

[/color]

by **Chellizard** August 14th 2013, 2:55 am

"It must be your lucky day, then. I'm full of fight," she said, fists clenched at her sides. She carefully let her hands relax, fingers wiggling and toes curling against the wooden floor. All Skyler had to do was keep them off of Lilia's scent. What was so heart racing was the fact that Lilia was tucked underneath the bed. Skyler did nothing to make attention stir toward the bed, but she also did nothing to keep attention off of it. Too much to it would give them an idea of Lilia being underneath of it. Too much away would also give them the same idea.

Skyler just had to play it safe.

While her mind raced, she kept her attention on the woman in front of her. It took every ounce of willpower for her not to jump and destroy this woman. There was no doubting she could, but she had to do it in such a way.. such a way that would keep Lilia safe. Four bodies, plus the three that had rushed down to the alley. Seven people would die tonight, but they would stay dead this time. As if on queue, the other three returned to the room. Sweating, and out of breath. One spoke up, informing the mysterious mafia mistress of Skyler's lie.

Skyler's silver irises followed the woman as she paced, her high heeled designer shoes leaving mild scuff marks on the wooden floor. Annoyed by this, Skyler attempted to keep her cool. Keep from killing all of them right here. The guns would prove the biggest problem. If they shot in a startled manner, there was a chance of Lilia getting hurt. A chance Skyler was not willing to take.

Two of the men made sure to grab her by the wrists, and wrenched her arms behind of her back. Holding her in place, she grunted and shifted her feet to keep from falling over from the force exerted on her wrists. It was a tad painful, but nothing she hadn't experienced before. With wrists now locked into a standard pair of cuffs, she saw the scissors and closed her eyes.

"I have a great body. There's no need to hide it." A smug grin was attempting to curl over Skyler's lips.

This only pissed off the Mafia Mistress more.

"Shut your fuckin mouth, bitch."

"Wait! I have an idea for those scissors!" another man had caught the one lunging after Skyler's now exposed form.

The scissors found their way along Skyler's back. Tracing up through her long, silver hair. "I think we should get rid of this mess. It's in the way," he said, using the scissors to hack away at the long, gorgeous mane of well kept hair. Skyler would have cried, had she not been thinking of other things. Other things such as Lilia. With each snip, the hair became a pile on the floor. It was now just an inch or so passed her shoulders, and messily cut at that. Swallowing, she stared at the wall ahead of her, her jaw tight and muscles tensed. She was ready for an attack now. The man who insisted to cut off her hair did her a favor; he gave her a chance to plan.

"Now it's my turn!" shouted the man so eager just moments ago.

Skyler ducked, and swept around, using her elbow to smash the lunging man in the jaw. There was a sickening crack, and he lay dead. But, no one could tell. Another man lunged in, and Skyler caught him by jumping and locking her legs around of his waist. Arching backward, she fell onto her cuffed hands, and slung him back, sending his head into the wall. Unconscious. A third, one of the men who got a second chance, came this time. But with a gun.

"Don't kill her, you idiot! I want her!"

The gun fell to the floor, and Skyler got her chance to slip her wrist from the cuff. She had cut her wrist on the metal, using her blood as a lubricant. The wound sealed moments after. With her hands free, she caught the attacker by the face and broke his neck with a snap. She then picked up the gun that was dropped and popped off bullets to kill the other two remaining men.

Six down, one to go.

"Bravo. I didn't like them anyway," said the Mafia Princess, a smirk on her lips. Fear was in her eyes, and her tone.

"I need you, though. You are... so.. beautiful."

Stepping forward, the Mafia Princess pressed her hands on either side of Skyler's face and locked eyes with her. Skyler started to lose grip on the gun. It fell to the floor in a clamor. Skyler's knees felt weak, and she crumpled to them. Her skin started to pale, the blush of life leaving her cheeks. The Princess was draining Skyler of her youth. Of her beauty. Little did the Princess know; Skyler was able to regenerate.

--

Minutes passed, and the Mafia Princess let go of Skyler's face and stepped back, looking down and her now perkier bosom, and perfectly in shape physique. Skyler was seemingly feeble, her muscles lacking definition, and breathing staggering. It was as if she had stage four lung cancer. The seconds ticked by, and Skyler's muscles began to reform. Her skin regained color, her breathing became better. She blinked away the dry feeling she had in her eyes, and then she looked up. The Princess had turned and stepped into the bathroom as Skyler began to regenerate. Examining herself, the Mafia Princess almost did not notice Skyler standing in the mirror behind of her.

Snapping back the hammer on her Higpoly, she pulled the trigger. Two bullets went soaring. One through the Princess's head, the other through her heart.

Still regaining her strength, she knelt down and shot off another round in the unconscious men. She was not going to let them come back to life.

Her grip loosened on the gun, and she sighed, turning over to crawl to the bed. She laid down on her stomach and looked at Lilia, a weak smile on her face.

"Everything is okay, now," she whispered, her Russian accent weak.

by Sponsored content