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

by **Twinkletoes** May 22nd 2013, 2:03 am

The Dancer, the Doctor and the Desperado

Shimmering hair trickled down a slender porcelain back like a honeysuckle waterfall, refelcting the light of the late morning sun that crept its shining tendrils through the window. The low hum of city traffic created a monotonous symphony of sounds as the interior air conditioning blew waves of artificial air into a well furnished suite. Confined sound and light intermingled with one another to create an atmosphere of comforting peace, an air of lazy tranquility clinging to the atmosphere. Two bodies lay cuddled up against one another on a large king sized bed, their legs coiled together and their gentle breathing rising and falling in perfect cohesion. Two females, dressed in standard sleepinf gear and whose limbs were tightly wound around each other as if the cold air had forced them to embrace. The smaller and skinnier girl cooed in her sleep, peachy lips pouted open as warm drool built up on the edge of her mouth, her body completely snuggled into the embrace of the older silvery haired woman.

"...No Shayla...shampoo and then...and then conditioner...", mumbled the teenager, an airy half hearted giggle echoing off her tongue as her little dream was quietly narrated. One could only wonder what scenario was playing out in the girl's head. "...you can scrub my...back...now...", she cooed, a subconscious blush blooming forth on her supple cheeks.

Strewn across the carpeted floor was a variety of clothes, shoes and miscellany; suitcases that were wide open leaking with even more dainty clothing items and accessories. The controlled chaos that littered the five star suite was not from a brawl, orgy or even a domestic issue. Two girls had simply been searching for the right outfit for the dinner date the night before and did not have the time to clean up after themselves. Now who were these two sleepy females one might ask? They were Skyler Snowden and her recently adopted daughter Lilia Ivanov, away on some minor mission turned extravagent holiday in Chicago.

The night of blissful revelry ended quite early in the morning and Skyler was forced to sling a sleeping ballerina back to the hotel, up the stairs, into the room to get changed and then finally collapse onto the bed with a satisfied grin. The sunlight which had now began to peak through the curtains had signalled the entry into the tenth hour of the day, much later than when either girls would wake up.

However, Lilia had eventually stirred herself back into the waking world, bright blue eyes blinking away the sleep whilst a dainty hand scraped the drool that had leaked onto her cheek. Wiggling her recently pedicured toes the young agent let out a soft yawn, her petite body gently rolling out of her guardian's grip. A hologram of an equally dainty female hovered into her view, the glowing white and cyan body illuminating the room for a split second before dulling down to a more manageable light. The pretty figure, known as A.I.V.A, hopped onto Lilia's chest and sat down with legs crossed and artificial head in hands, a quizzical look plastered on her immaculate face.

"Good morning sleepyhead", she whispered to the drowsy ballerina, her head cocking to the side when Lilia grumbled back incoherently. The rather quirky ten inch doppelgänger of Lilia was always an entertaining sight in the morning, her funny automatic Russian dialect always managing to illicit a little grin on Lilia's lips. "today is sunny with slight chance of cloudiness and 100% chance of pre-pubescent fangirls crossing the streets!", she chirped, tapping the tips of her translucent toes against Lilia's chin in the attempt to keep the girl from going back to sleep.

Glancing up at Skyler, who was still sound asleep, the porcelain skinned teenager puckered her lips before releasing her fingers from her mother's, they had probably been entwined all night. Realising that her silvery haired protector was in need of a bit more sleep the meek teenager thought it best to not wake her up just yet, preferring to roll out of the bed and onto the soles of her scarred feet. Today was a good day! Not only had she woken up in such an aesthetically appealing room but her inner calender reminded her of a live event that was to start very soon on the T.V. One which A.I.V.A so thoughtfully already turned on for her.

Tyuki Gold was performing with her band and Lilia was going to sit and watch the whole thing, not caring if she stays in her pajamas for the rest of the day, pajamas which consisted of boyfriend undies and a pink crop top, Skyler was probably too tired to put her in anything else the night before. Flopping onto a black leather couch in front of an extremely large television, Lilia propped her feet up on the edge of the chair with a pillow supporting her head, she was going to make sure she was comfortable for this. The young agent had already planned early the night before and strategically placed water and grapes on the table for when she began to watch the live broadcast the next morning. This was simply to great of an event too miss, well for her anyways.

The MTV previews began to roll and an image of the pretty Asian singer flashed onto the screen, forcing a light sigh to escape the slightly infatuated russian's lips.

"She's so pretty...", Lilia said aloud, cooing like a silly schoolgirl with a crush and hugging her pillow tighter when the lights of the stadium had begun their pre-show testing. The young agent was completely engrossed with the event, unaware that a particular doctor had woken up as well...

by **Chellizard** May 22nd 2013, 3:15 am

The night before had been an extravagant adventure. Wonderfully filled with laughter, fun, and just perfect bliss. Skyler and her wonderful daughter, Lilia, had enjoyed a wonderful night on the town of Chicago, Illinois. But, now, Skyler had herself wrapped up with her little Prima Ballerina on the worlds most comfortable bed, in a large private suite. Dreams were waltzing around inside of Skyler's sleeping brain. She dreamnt of Andre Armour, the man that talked too much. She also dreamnt of life without all the chaos...
---
The sun was beaming, it's soft light shining through stained glass. A large, old willow tree was swaying in the warm summer wind, forcing the light to dance with glee. Beautifully iridescent tendrils of light winked and wiggled against the pristine marble floor. It was another day. A wonderful in the life of Skyler Snowden. She lived in a wonderful city. New York City, to be exact. She worked in one of the worlds best hospitals, and there she met the man that would, one day, cure cancer, John Vanko. She had started to date him, and was already a second year resident alongside of him. He had two sisters, a girl named Becca, and for some odd reason, Lilia as well. Skyler had no idea her dream was more real than she knew, but in her subconscious, she thought it was just a fairy tale. She continued to dream, sinking deeper into the beautiful world.

The light still danced across the marble floor, the floor of the kitchen. A pair of strong hands wrapped around of her waist, and she let out a soft giggle. "Oh, John.." she whispered. A soft kiss to her right shoulder sent her into a fit of giggles. The giggles were soon accompanied by another set of giggles, and a groan filled with teenage angst. Lilia and Becca were home from school. They must have made a sneaky entrance to catch the two "love birds" canoodling in the kitchen. Skyler turned around, and gave the girls a playful glare. "Now now, you two, you'll find love one day!" she cooed and nudged her nose into John's. His hands snaked up her back and then he peeled away. He had no words, he just gave her a kiss and grabbed his keys. He had to go in for his shift at the hospital. Skyler had gotten off around two hours prior to the girls coming home from school, so that gave her time to canoodle in John's bedroom.

The kitchen scene was just a cute display of affection.

Skyler turned to look at Lilia and then Becca started to fade away. The whole scene started to fade away, save for Lilia and Skyler. Lilia opened her mouth to speak, but instead a shrill cry of pain passed her lips. Skyler's eyes widened, and she tried her best to get to Lilia. It felt as if she was running in place, or running down a never ending hallway. She began to get tunnel vision, and then Salt appeared, his hands wrapped tightly around of Skyler's wrists. "I'm here to play, you little nympho bitch!" He said, his lips pressing into her's while she protested.

"No!" She refused for this to happen.

"Get on your knees, wench, or she dies." he demanded, his head turning to look over his shoulder at Lilia. She was held by Eric, Skyler's biological son. A wicked looking gun was in his hand, something that didn't even seem real. But, then again, this wasn't real.. Skyler just didn't know that.

Thrashing within his grip, she screamed out for Lilia before a gunshot rang out in the stark white room of her subconscious dream filled mind.

Nightmare filled mind, really.
---
Waking up, she jumped slightly, but noticed Lilia wasn't gone. She sat up, the sound of the Television putting her at ease. Aiva was lazily laying down next to Skyler, a sheepish smile on her face. "You make funny faces while you sleep, mama.." She said, smirking before vanishing and reappearing perched on the back of the couch behind of Lilia's relaxed form. Skyler rubbed her head and sighed.

"What a horrid dream.." she said, shaking her silver hair from her face to look over at Lilia easier.

"Good morning, Princess. I see you did not let sleep prevent you from watching the concert. I'm sorry we cannot go tonight, but it's a good thing they're playing the live, crowdless version for the news." She said, walking over to the couch while she plucked a small wedgie from the crease of her left buttocks. Her shorts had ridden up under the hem of her panties in her sleep. Sliding onto the couch next to Lilia, she made a motion with her hands, indicating the Ballerina's feet be propped in her lap. Once Lilia complied, Skyler started to massage and tickle the dainty appendages.

"It's not fair. I wish I could get a foot rub.." Aiva whined, and Skyler rolled her eyes.

"Sheesh, you'll get a body, one day. I need a proper facility to build you a stable host, Aiva. There's no way I can build you a proper body in the basement. Plus it makes me feel a bit creepy." She scrunched up her nose and giggled before stealing a grape. "So who is this girl again? Tie Yu-uki?" She rose a brow and looked at Lilia, waiting to be scolded by the die-hard fan girl. Skyler didn't mind, though, she loved getting Lilia to speak about anything.

by **Twinkletoes** May 22nd 2013, 12:20 pm

Shimmering cerulean eyes gazed up at the LCD screen, the bright colours and flashing lights that were expelled forth from the television completely hypnotising the slightly obsessed teenager. Truth be told, Lilia did not understand a word of what Tyuki was singing, let alone wonder how all of her prepubescent Caucasian fans would either, but alas, such was life and the porcelain skinned ballerina sat in awe as she continued to watch the 'GIRL ALIVE' show. It was only during the ad break that her artificial accomplice flitted into view, alerting the young Russian to her guardian's awakened state. Skyler stumbled into the lounge, fiercely beautiful as always with silvery hair licked to one side from sleeping on her left for the whole night. Greeting the woman with a quick peck on the cheek, Lilia kept a wary eye on the television to ensure the concert had resumed, it had not yet and she quickly complied to her guardians offer for a footrub. It was a necessary past time, the horrendous physical abuse combined with her life as a dancer saw that her rather slim and dainty feet were granted with as much gentle care as possible, and Skyler seemed to be the only person who could do that.

Twitching and giggling from the light tickling the girl gazed up at her protector and have her a content simper, one which was a silent approval of last night's outing in the city. This giggling contentment was slightly broken when Skyler indirectly tarnished Lilia's idol's good name. Puffing up her lips and furrowing her brow the girl jabbed her adopted parent in the ribs with the tip of her toes, arms crossing in mock disappointment.

"IT'S TYUKI! THAI-YOOH-KEE MAMA!", Lilia excitably announced, shaking her head from side to side as if Skyler's understandable ignorance was the worse thing ever. "Silly mama...A.I.V.A, tell Ma how good Tyuki is!", Lilia chirped, swinging her head towards the rather bemused looking female hologram.

"...She isn't that good Lilia...", A.I.V.A stated in a purposefully flat voice, her facial expressions blank of any hint of sarcasm. Well of course not, her humour was so dry that Lilia, a poor village girl would miss it. Exhaling loudly at the less than satisfactory answer, Lilia allowed her playful dissapointment to simmer for a while, returning her attention to the Japanese girl who rocked on stage. The young agent's slender fingers gently coiled around her sandy brown hair, brushing the tips of her hair against her forearm. Although there was little chance of either woman achieving anything that day Lilia was quite content with life at that exact moment. She had a loving and kind protector tending to her shameful wounds and a sassy AI who was more than likely going to stir more problems than fix them, but Lilia loved her anyways.

Although her gaze was set on the television much of her attention was on the attention her scarred feet were getting. The massage was a welcome pleasure, something she had never experienced prior to moving in with Skyler. Her pedicured toes wiggled against the woman's hand, occasionally jerking if the woman tickled them too hard. It was a strange predicament, the prima ballerina of Russia could barely dance for more than an hour before her feet felt like blistering furnaces of pain, luckily her guardian was a master at making things feel better. Lilia could not help but feel a little envious watching the teen idol dance around on stage, she was such a free spirit, adored by fans and so pretty that it lingered in the girl's mind for a bit longer than usual. Celebrity crushes aside, the young agent was merely sad that she would never get to taste that level of freedom at such a young age...why dancing on a stage would only last twenty minutes for her before her feet collapsed underneath herself. It was only during the next ad break that her mind snapped back to the woman sitting in the other edge of the couch.

"Thank you mama...", she cooed politely, still a bit embarrassed that Skyler willingly chose to her massage her ugly scarred feet. "...uhh...can I ask you something?", she whispered, her windchime voice leaking with tentative caution as she awkwardly shuffled in her place, scrunching her toes as she readied herself for the troubling query."...am I pretty?", the girl asked, her voice barely registering as she looked down in embarrassment, her teeth clamping onto her lower lip from the sheer silliness of asking. She had to know. It want a matter of pride or narcissism, it went much deeper than that. Watching her idol strut on stage stirred many things within the girl, could she ever live up to such confident beauty? Or was she forever relegated as some cheap whore that only the Dominus men would use.

She still felt dirty thinking about all the things they did to her, could they actually blame her 'attractiveness' for the horrors they had committed on her body? She truly felt ugly with all of the visible scars adorning her supple skin, the mix of purple and pink blotches that marred her body constantly reminding her of how tainted she really was, how deformed her abusers had made her. It had grown silent and her moment of painful contemplation sunk deeper, her fingers nervously twirling around her locks of hair..

"Do you think that anyone will love me..? Would my body scare them away and make them feel yucky around me?", her insecurities had finally surfaced and it seemed that Skyler was the only one who could truly and honestly answer..

by **Chellizard** May 31st 2013, 4:30 am

A smirk curled over Skyler's lips while Lilia corrected her. "Okay, okay. You win. It's Thai-you-kee." she said, pronouncing it correctly this time. Skyler's own two feet were sore, but she did not really need a massage. Resting them for just long enough gave the cells in her muscle tissue enough time to replace old, worn out cells. In other words, she would stay flawlessly young looking even at the age of thirty-six. She was often carded at bars, and it's wonderful that the new 20 is forty, and the new 30 is fifty. Marvelous how beauty companies and their products keep youth even in the elderly.

Turning her attention from one daughter to the other had Skyler almost in a fit of giggles. The dry, sarcastic humor of Aiva's literally made Skyler feel like she was talking to a computer. When, in fact, she was. But, she disliked feeling that way about Aiva. She had made the artificial intelligence to become a somewhat pseudo-sister to Lilia, and to fill the empty space where Lilia's teenage years should be. Instead, though, Lilia suffered a voided dark place filled with abuse, sexual harassment, and mental trauma. Skyler made it her job to give Lilia her life back, in every way possible. And here they were, enjoying a lazy morning on the couch, watching a live-audience-less-show of Tyuki Gold and her band mates. It was a bit dry, seeing as there was no crowd to scream and cheer, but it was a good warm-up show for later tonight.

"I need to give you a sense of humor, Aiva. That or at least give you the chance to put more inflection in your tone. We'll work on that later, all right?" she asked, smiling to her holographic child.

"Okay!" Aiva was excited, and her tone did not reflect that at all.

Perhaps Skyler needed to check on her whole speech pattern programming.

When Lilia grew quiet, so did Aiva. The holographic daughter vanished. Perhaps to rest. Aiva, even if she was a program, needed sleep too. Skyler also grew quiet, but her hands continued to do their work. Gently massaging and pressing into Lilia's scarred and sore feet. She wanted nothing more than for Lilia to live life in the spotlight. This girl had a gift, and it was ripped away from her because of greedy men. Blinking away a few subconscious tears, she looked to Lilia when she spoke.

'You're welcome, sugar." she gently patted Lilia's feet and let her hands rest on then while she flexed and stretched her own toes. Her form was sinking into the couch, relaxing while a commercial flashed across the LCD. The commercial did not have her attention in the first place, so looking at Lilia when she mumbled nervously was no issue. The girl finally muttered out a question about asking a question. A smile curled over Skyler's puffy lips and she nodded, scooting closer. "Of course you can ask me something! You can ask me anything, babydoll." Grinning, she coiled a hand to hold Lilia's while she got the courage to ask her question.

Three simple words that ever girl wanted to ask all the time. Am I pretty?

Skyler had asked this herself when she was younger. She had silver hair, and silver eyes. She was the oddest child. People and children alike would make fun of her odd hair and eyes. Saying she was a weirdo, and should die because of how weird she was.. but, her mama told her she was pretty. That's right, and it was true, too. If Skyler had just looked in the mirror long enough back then she would have known then what she knew now. She is beautiful in heart and soul, not just her looks. And that is exactly how Lilia is. But, Skyler had to tell her sweetly, kindly, but with a stern bit of confidence backing up her words.

"My sweet, darling Lilia.. you are one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. But not just in looks, honey, but in heart and soul." she said, tapping Lilia on the nose. "And I'm not just saying that to give you a confidence boost, sweetheart. Look at yourself." She said, tipping her index finger under Lilia's chin. There was a mirror hung on the wall behind of the LCD television out of convenience for this moment. Skyler was looking in the mirror at Lilia, while Lilia was told to look at herself by Skyler's gesturing finger. She let her hand shift and cup up under Lilia's chin, having her hold her head up a little higher. "You have porcelain skin, bedroom eyes, and kissable lips sweetie. That sounds a bit crass, but they're the signs of a model made to be.. and you are beautiful in more than your looks." She said softly, smiling.

"Look into your own eyes and dig in deep. You are strong, you are passionate, and you are not just some mindless toy. You are Lilia Ivanov, my dear. You are someone, not just anyone." She gently taps Lilia on the nose and then leans to wrap her arms around of her. "You are one of the most beautiful people I have ever met in my whole life, Lilia..."

And that was true, hard facts.

by **Twinkletoes** May 31st 2013, 9:39 am

The ballerina stayed silent as Skyler gently motioned for her to face the nearby mirror, to face the blue eyed girl who longingly stared back. The girl was broken. She was a pitiful, ugly duckling whose body was now but a canvas for men's lust and torment. Lilia wanted to look away, she didn't want to face the harsh truths that her mother diligently fed her. The girl wanted to believe she was beautiful, she wanted to have the confidence of her silver haired guardian and insight wonder and joy into the people that saw her. But looking at her reflection, the broken doll whose body burnt with sin and filth, she could not help but glance away, feeling her fingers clench together as she attempted to ignore the girl who so desperately wanted to gaze upon her. There were malicious lies that formed who she was, who she thought she was and what her aim in life is. Salt ensured that these lies burnt into her mind, that if she ever forgot his voice would pierce the light and drag her back into her self loathing state.

You are strong, you are passionate, and you are not just some mindless toy...

Her mother's voice gently whispered into her ear, purging the foul lies that Salt forced the girl to scream to herself every night. That she was a worthless whore, a pitiful slut, scum of the earth and every other piece of malicious slander the deranged man could create. He was wrong. Lilia knew it and his toxic words, no matter how deep they penetrated her soul were nothing compared to the purity of the truths Skyler forced her to accept. Lilia was strong whether she believed it or not, she was passionate and she was definitely more than Franklin Salter's toy, she was more than the terrified girl who begged for mercy every night. She was beautiful, no matter how hard she vehemently tried to deny it.

"Mama...", she tried to speak but no words came out, the girl was simply lost for words. How strange a feeling it was to have such a strong and beautiful woman compliment her, to enforce the positives that Lilia had so painfully ignored about her herself for much of her life. She melted into her protector's embrace, nuzzling her face into Skyler's shoulder as she internally combated the foul words that Salt had injected her with.

I am beautiful

I am strong

I am passionate

I am...I am not a mindless toy

Lilia said to herself, her mind echoing with the words as she tugged at the little girl within her, the little girl who had been locked up for all those years, hiding away from the monsters and the self hate that so desperately wanted to possess the young agent. She could have never done so without Skyler, and although this journey to self acceptance would be a long one...the first steps had been taken and she was glad that such a strong woman was by her side, loving her and protecting her like her own.

"I think Mama is the prettiest lady ever, she has all the boys in town wanting her attention", Lilia simpered, lightly giggling as she quickly wiped away some moisture from the corners of her eyes, hoping to lighten up the mood once more. "...and sometimes the girls even want you!", Lilia meekly grinned, blushing a tad as she leaned her head against Skyler's chest, listening to the woman's heartbeat.

There was a pulse. Ba-dum ba-dum. The rhythmic beating of the one woman who made the girl feel like a normal person, someone who was part of the wider world and all of its happenings. Lilia wanted to stay like this forever, to know that her guardian angel was always there, that this warmth would never dissipate like all the other good things the girl once possessed. Gazing up at her mother, Lilia bit her lower lip, briefly glancing to the side as she slowly swallowed the lump that was in her throat. She wanted to tell this woman all of her secrets, all of her struggles and all of her pain but one thing had stood out for a while, something that had itched itself against the girl's conscious ever since she entered puberty. She knew it was rather taboo, that there was a possibility of some shock and even minor horror, she knew for a fact that her beloved parents back in the village would have not known how to react to her next confession. One which at its heart was pure and simple. Something that the girl had been afraid I admit to anyone other than Skyler up until this point.

"Mama...I uhh...", she paused, slightly embarrassed as she gently knocked her head against the woman's shoulder, how hard it was to admit this secret of hers. "...I like girls...just like I like boys and..and I know you might not like this but uhh", she stumbled over her words, her face burning with pink embarrassment as she fiddled with Skyler's shirt to stimulate her concentration into what else she had to say.

"...I like Shayla, a lot...", she whispered, looking down at her body as her confession came forward. Her admittance of pure affection for her ivory skinned friend.

by **Chellizard** June 3rd 2013, 7:28 am

She kept her arms around of Lilia and comforted her for as long as she needed. Skyler's left hand gently stroked and pulled through Lilia's gorgeous wavy hair. The two girl's heart beats had likely synced up, and so did their breathing. Skyler listened to Lilia's soft inhale and exhale. She silently checked Lilia's pulse, and measured her blood pressure with a rough guess. She was always doing this when she was near Lilia, though. Always making sure her daughter was in top health conditions.

"Yes?" she'd ask in reply to Lilia's softly muttered 'Mama.'

But no words followed the girl's beckoning. She seemed to be awestruck, and lost for words. Skyler smiled and kissed Lilia's temple. "Don't speak, I think I understand how you feel.." She said, the truth very dominant in her words. Skyler knew exactly how Lilia felt, especially since she had been there. Not so badly, but she had been in a situation where she found herself the ugly duckling, when in fact she was a beautiful swan. Skyler was proud that she had gotten Lilia this far down the road of acceptance, and was ready to take the full trip.

She had gotten lost in thought of how strong Lilia was becoming when her daughter finally spoke. Scrunching up her nose, she nudged it into Lilia's hair and sighed. "You know all the boys only look at me when I'm with you, sweetie. They're captivated by your beauty. Plus, I'm too busy to have a boyfriend." She rolled her eyes and then giggled at Lilia's comment about girls. "Hehehe, remember when that one woman approached us and asked for my number? That was.. a bit awkward," she said, laughing a bit more. She then let her laughter die down so she could listen to Lilia's breathing again. Soft, shallow sounds that sounded just like a song.

She had her hand in Lilia's hair, gently twirling and curling bits of the sandy brown hair into ringlets. "Hmm?" she hummed in question to Lilia's stammering. "What is it, sweetheart?" she asked, raising a silvery brow while her fingers rested, the sandy brown tendrils curled betwixt her digits. She listened, a little smile curling her lips while Lilia confessed her sexual orientation to her. Skyler already knew this, though. A mother always knows her daughters feelings. Especially when it comes to relationships. "I know," she said, leaning her chin on Lilia's head. She then pulled her head back and looked Lilia in the eyes. "And that's fine. Why wouldn't I like that? Shayla has a few skewed morals... but she's got some good in her. I know it." Pushing a bit of hair from Lilia's face, Skyler smiled and turned her attention back to the television.

The concert was almost over.

by **Twinkletoes** June 3rd 2013, 8:16 am

A sigh of relief escaped the girl's peachy lips, her flustered skin returning to its usual porcelain as she fell into Skyler's arm, completely satisfied that her beloved protector had accepted her confession. Years of hiding behind fearful masks, being a slave to the nagging sensation that compelled her to keep the secret affection away from anyone she didn't want to hurt slowly perished as her mother gently coddled her. Lilia was elated, she felt a weight removed off of her dainty shoulders and she genuinely felt that Skyler could provide no better answer than what she had. Her supple cheeks were awash with natural pink blush as the mere thought of Shayla crossed her mind, tingling the romantic ballerina's innocent desires. Shayla was a fierce and volatile warrior; a young woman who never compromised herself and was always around to protect the young agent. Whilst Lilia was still unsure if Shayla felt the same, let alone had feelings for girls in the first place, she was content with their friendship. Sleepovers, bubble baths and pedicures were just a few of the essential elements that made up the two misplaced females relationship and it was expected that Skyler have some idea that there was an element of romance involved.

Swivelling her head towards the blaring concert on the television Lilia lightly swayed from side to side as she happily engorged herself on the Asian popstar. This was great! Her favourite singer, loving conversation with her mother and foot massages; Lilia was truly blessed. She rested her cheek against Skyler's shoulder, conte toy smiling as the curtain was drawn and Tyuki sang her ending number.

"I wonder what it's like to be normal...to not have powers and spies following you around..", the young agent thought aloud with her whispery melodic voice, basing such a statement off Tyuki, whom she believed to be a very pretty human girl. "Mama..do you think that...that one day He will leave me alone..?, the ethereal Russian meekly mumbled, looking up at her mother with her glossy cerulean eyes. Of course she was not going to say his name out loud but she knew Skyler knew exactly who she was talking about. Her personal demon and tormenter, the man who stalked her nightmares and ravaged her young body and turned it into battered weapon she is today.

The ballerina silently listened to her mother, her teeth clamped onto her lower lip as the hard truths were made about the vile creature. Lilia knew that Skyler loathed him, not only on a physical level but on a personal level as well. He had ruined her lives, constantly stalking their movements as their painful facade of master and slave came to the forefront whenever he visited. His very presence forced Skyler to abuse Lilia, to spark the hidden memories that scorched her mind back into existence. He was evil, and the girl had to know if she was ever going to escape his clutches.

It was after a moment of silence, the only noise being the classy rock instrumental that blared over the credits for Tyuki's performance. Lilia's still gnawed on her lower lip, her dainty fingers fiddling with her toes as she rested her head against Skyler's bosom. It was only until a very familiar 10 inch figurine popped into existence with a very peculiar look on her shimmering cyan visage.

"Mama, there is something you should see. Actually, someone you should see. Apparently room service now sends keyhole cleaners..", Aiva uttered with a deadpan expression, leaping between the two girls and crossing her arms like a cranky housewife. "And Lilia, stop biting your lip! No albino is going to want to those kiss mangled lips if you keep on chewing on them", she tutted, phasing in front of the dainty ballerina's face whilst shaking her head with exaggerated dissapointment.

"But yes, back to my original point. Please view the security cameras on this floor mama..."

by **Chellizard** June 5th 2013, 10:23 am

Skyler had to admit that this music wasn't that bad. She was a metal head, rock loving girl, but this wasn't terrible. She did have a few critiques to the lead singer, but wasn't going to make Lilia upset after she had just been lifted in spirits. She swayed her toes, wiggling them along with the guitar. She even bobbed her head a bit and muttered along with the lyrics. She understood them, and could tell Lilia what they meant if she wanted to, but really had not thought about it. The set was coming to an end, and the girls all looked exhausted, but they were having a great time.

"I'm Tyuki Gold, thank you for listening!"

The lead singer had chimed, an adorable smile curling her lips. Skyler chuckled and looked back to Lilia who was entranced by the adorable Asian girl and her band walking off stage. "Normal, huh? I use to pray at night to be normal.. but now I know why I'm not. It was so I could meet you." She smiles, her very mushy comment likely bringing some tears to Lilia's eyes. It did to Skyler's, that's for sure. She blinked them away and chuckled. "All right, I won't get too sappy on you." Silence followed before Lilia asked another question. A question Skyler knew the answer to. One that she would make come true, if it killed her. "Yes. He will leave you alone. For now, though, we should enjoy this time together." She kisses the top of her daughters head before yawning and stretching lightly. The shirt she wore had slits cut in the sides, showing off a lot of her... well, side boob. The couch was positioned directly near the door, so it was obvious that any house keeping coming in to clean would see her.

It wasn't but a few moments later that Aiva popped into view, scolded Lilia, and addressed their was an issue on their floor. Be it big or small, Skyler wouldn't risk it. She shifted her wrist and pointed toward the television. It was good the concert was over, because she needed the screen. The flat screen was angled so the peeping Tom couldn't see, but let's get to why there even was one.

----

Last night; Midnight.

There's two girls. Two, beautiful girls. Both of which are giggling, laughing, and walking slowly toward a Taxi. I see them. I've found the two women of my dreams. I swear my heart has skipped a beat. "Dustin.. Dakota.." I mutter, my heart a-flutter. "What, Dylan?" Dakota asks, his voice a low trembling timbre. "Yeah, what is it?" Dustin was, of course, curious as well. We three had been goons that belonged to Franklin Guidaboni. We capture pretty women, enjoy them, then take them to the boss. I had found two pretty women, just for us. For me. I was shaking with excitement. "Look.. at the taxi just under Fifth and Nine," I say, my voice airy and lustful while I stare after them. Our tinted windows hide us, the limousine keeping us concealed from any onlookers. I can't help but feel the crotch of my pants grown tighter, and my blood rush to other places below my waistline. I'm suffering some serious love lust. My cheeks flush and I bite my lip, too excited to hold back. "We capture them.." I said, pointing a slender, bony finger their way. "Now, for the plan.. follow them, find where they're staying, and get them for the boss.. but first? We get to have fun.."

"The smaller one is very, very adorable.." Dustin say's, smiling devilishly. I don't bother to look, though. Dustin keeps speaking, however. "Her feet.. the way she just barely let's her toes touch the ground.. I.." He breaks off and Dakota butts in. "I just want to hear them scream. Let's go. What's the plan, Dylan?" he asks, and Dustin also questions. "Yeah, what's the plan, Dylan?"

I hesitate, but then light up a fresh cigar, blowing out a match before letting the treat rest between my teeth. "We'll start by...."

-----

Current Time: 10:15 AM. Back to Skyler and Lilia

Sighing, Skyler watched the television, Aiva's complex computer program easily projecting on the Plasma television. "I'm sorry I failed to notice them trailing us. It seems they checked in shortly after we arrived, and made sure to get the room directly next to us." she said, calmly standing on Lilia's thigh. Her holographic form flickered a bit while Skyler stood up, gently patting Lilia's head. "Stay put, honey. You too, Aiva. And it's fine. You noticed them before they stormed the door, that's all that matters." Skyler then, upon whispering foot steps, made it to the bed and pulled a case from under the bed. Her Higpoly Hand Rifle. She assembled the weapon quickly, and then slid it carefully into the hem of her pants. She had pulled them on to better dress herself. "Kill the lights," she ordered. The lights to the whole floor then shut off, and Aiva's hologram dimmed to a low, barely visible flicker. The electronic curtains slid closed over the windows, as well. She was hidden beside of Lilia, anywho. Skyler then stepped toward the door and waited. She heard three voices. One was rushed, panicked. The other two were just questioning the first.

"We go in now. Now! Finish the fuse, Dakota," a slap is heard, and then came a groan of pain.

"You've got it? Good. Pass me the detonator." He said. With a few seconds of counting, there was a soft little puff of smoke clouding through the keyhole, and the smell of burning plastic. They had blown up the electronic lock, forcing the deadbolt to give way. Skyler was now a bit pissed off. But, she wasn't going to let Lilia get hurt. Not yet. Calmly shifting her weight, she crouched down to the floor and slid her gun under the cabinet near the door. She then walked to Lilia, and spoke loudly. "Oh my gosh, what happened to the lights?" this was in English. She wanted to play the innocent girl, and let the men think they had an upper hand. "It will be all right, Lilly." She said, in Russian this time. The door then came opened, and the lights flickered back on, and Aiva vanished.

It was time to play a game.

by **Twinkletoes** June 7th 2013, 12:06 pm

A strained gasp escaped Lilia's peachy lips as she stared up in mute horror at the tampered television screen, she was now seeing through the eyes of her little sister and the scenario before her actually frightened her. Three men, all dressed in black with weapons at their sides were silently crowded around the two girl's suite door, the eerie scratching and scraping sound against their lock setting forth an admittedly chilling atmosphere. It was like they were simply waiting for the inevitable, cowering within the darkened space as they prepared for whatever it was that barged through the doorframe. The ballerina cowered behind the sofa, her petite form enveloped by the shadows of the dimmed curtains behind her, the little glowing blue sibling frantically zoning in front of her face to ensure the girl did not have an anxiety attack. Aiva delicately attempted to regain Lilia's attention, pointing towards a now armed Skyler who had almost immediately reacted to this abrupt intrusion. The young agent was still dressed in nothing but her sleeping clothes, an outfit that was far more revealing than her usually modest attire and the worst of thoughts began to spill into her mind as she clutched onto a plush pillow for protection, her teeth clamped on to her lower lip to prevent any whimpering or screaming.

"Mama...please be safe...", the girl whispered, pinching her thumbs as she warily watched her mother hide her weapon.

The girl knew she was much more safe because of Skyler's presence and although she had complete faith in her guardian's skills she still worried about the woman. Who were these men? Apparently they had tailed the mother and daughter duo, something that set more paranoid thoughts into the ballerina's scarred conscious. What did they want? The internal question was a rather silly one, the girl intimately knew what all men craved and the threat of seeing her beautiful mother even get touched by these men knocked all rationale thinking out of her.

"Lilia! Please trust mama, do as she does and don't panic...you'll be safe", Aiva confidently whispered, waiting for Lilia to nod as a reply before vanishing into thin air. The girl cowered with her legs clenched together, shooting Skyler a worried look right before the door swung off its hinges.

Light once more enveloped the room as the three unwelcome thugs stormed in at once, their burly black clad bodies tainting the cream suite. Lilia had to force her hands over her mouth to prevent a scream, ducking down low behind the couch as she prayed that her mother kept her cool. If things turned out violent then there was the risk of everyone getting hurt, and the teenager could not bare the thought of Skyler getting damaged. She heard sniggering and heavy footsteps, men screaming in English as she heard a loud slam against the wall. Lilia flinched at the sound, her trembling hands creeping to the edge of the couch as she looked just over the corner, horrified at what she might see.

Two men stood either side of Skyler, the woman who had her normal civilian face plastered on had a look of artificial fear and shock. Lilia shuddered at the thought of what would happen if her silver haired guardian was just a normal woman, but that image was dashed when an immediate panic settled into her bones. Where was the third man? The girl did not have the time nor the opportunity to frantically look around, the tingling sensation on the back of her neck telling her there was someone above her, staring at her. Eliciting a terrified squeal Lilia was clutched from behind and yanked upwards, a amused cackle following her frightened reveal as the two other men momentarily swivelled around to look at their new pretty little prize.

"Look what I found boys! A pretty little bird hiding in her nest", the hoarse voice behind her stated with morbid glee, his muscular arms wrapped around her slender waist. "The Boss would absolutely love this one, so young and fresh. I guess I should check out your feet before I send you to the Boss' whorehouse..", the gleaming thug grinned, smacking his lips as he tossed the girl onto the couch, his iron grip firmly placed against her neck. Lilia froze instantly. Every time a man had thrown her down she knew what was going to come next, her muscles instantly tensing up in an attempt to protect herself. Whilst the girl still did not understand the man's comment she still assumed her was going to do what men always did to her. Giving her mother a frantic, silently pleading gaze the girl clenched her exposed legs in panic, whimpering as the man slowly traced his fingers from the tips of her quivering lips all the way down to her ankles. It was then that her locked her legs together, bringing the soles of her feet into the air as if he wanted to inspect them. Lilia knew some men had a strange fascination with feet but this horrifically handsome male seemed to live off this fetish...that was until her threw her legs back down onto the couch with a frustrated growl.

"What the fuck sort of feet are these?! Scars and bruises?! What the fuck are you? Homeless?", the man yelled, his grip on her toes tightening till the point that she thought they would burst. The ballerina let out a strained cry, attempting to jerk backwards and away from this freaky individual who was screaming at her feet. "What a fucking waste! Dakota, she's all yours. I'll just fuck her sister instead..", the furious fetishist growled, tossing Lilia's body onto the ground before storming off towards Skyler with his pistol raised.

"Your baby sister is a fucking tease you know that! Just because of that, you're going to watch big boy Dakota over here make her squeal like a trained whore!", Dustin snapped, waving his weapon in front of Skyler's face. After nodding for the larger male to tend to the stunned ballerina, Dustin knelt down to inspect Skyler's own feet, a sick grin plastered on his handsome face as he looked back up at her.

"My my my...might as well play with your feet whilst you enjoy the show!" , he gleamed, running his hands down Skyler's bare legs and nodding his head for Dakota to make the little ballerina scream...

by **Chellizard** June 7th 2013, 3:24 pm

They came in quickly, and ruthlessly. All three men, shrouded in black from head to toe. Save for their faces. They were already ghosts in the database, so their faces meant nothing. Skyler, however, was compiling profiles for them as the seconds passed. The bigger man was a man that disliked eye contact. Especially people who stared at him. It could be because of the ugly scar crawling up his forehead into his hair line. Or it was the fact it looked as if he was beaten with an ugly stick. His hammy face, and scowling features were most unattractive, not to mention is monstrous size and bulging gut. His undershirt was struggling at waist buttons four and five to hold back his glutinous frame. His square forehead and jaw was very boxy, and made Skyler think of a present. A present to get Lilia to make up for this horrible fiasco.

The other two men were not as repulsive as the first, but as the lights flickered back on, she noticed that one looked a bit too thin for his own good with sharp, evil looking features. A pointed nose, and the smell of cigar on his breath. The third was most handsome, his hair slicked back, and his clothes seemed more clean, and pressed perfectly. He looked like he had obsessive compulsive disorder. Skyler could not see Lilia by the couch, so she must have hidden behind of it. With a fleeting moment to react, Skyler let out a faux scream of terror and waited for the impact. Fatty and Skinny had rushed her against the wall, slamming her back. A picture to her left came off of it's hook and fell with a heavy thud. The walls were sound proof, and no maid service would be on this floor because of a sign left in the elevator by the goons. Lovely.

She whimpered and struggled against their grip, already knowing over ten different ways to get out of their mediocre hold. Her legs were completely free, but she kept her knees bent, and thighs pressed together. The pain they pressed into her wrists and neck was not ignored, but it was suppressed by years of training in the military. Her exposed tattoos would likely catch their attention eventually, but she heard no comment yet. "That's right, bitch. You're mine." lusted Skinny, who's name was Dylan, but Skyler did not know that. Not yet, at least.

She wrenched in his grasp, and called to Lilia. "It's all right! I'll get you out of this! I- ugh!" she resisted, but did not let herself fight too much. She wanted these men to go easy on her and Lilia, and the best way to do that was play innocent. Innocent long enough for Skyler to get the upper hand on them. She had to pick the brains of the bunch out and end him quickly. Her thoughts were broken with more talking from Skinny.

"Didn't I tell ya, boys? I told you they were perfect!" He had spoken too soon. Handsome, Dustin, had been mislead by Lilia's light foot steps the night before. Her feet were scarred and ugly to him. He even went so far as to harm them more.

"Hell yeah.. Got her, Dylan?" Dakota asked, letting his grip swap with Handsome's. Skinny held onto Skyler tighter, pinning her against the wall more, if possible. She wrenched in their grip and watched Dakota's gait as he walked toward Lilia's cowering form. He had a slight limp. His left leg was damaged before, or perhaps had a bad growth plate making his left leg shorter than the other. Another advantage on Skyler's part.

"I.. I.. I'll call the cops!" she cried out, and arched forward, her toes curling while Handsome bent down to touch her feet. If only these boys were just really into giving foot massages, this would be such a better day. Skyler started to count. It would only take five seconds to kill them all. She had it planned, perfectly. She had to do it now, but then she would have to flee the suite before room service found the bodies.

She counted to five, and then took a deep breath, just as Dylan noticed her USMC tattoo.

"Hey.. wait a minute.. USMC.. " before he could finish his sentence, Skyler kicked her foot forward and to the right, arching it into Dustin's jaw. The force of the kick twisted his neck, snapping it cleanly. She then grabbed Dylan's wrist and wrenched it, forcing him to crumple to his knees. She grabbed his gun and shoved it into his mouth, squeezing the trigger. The muffled shot sent a spray of blood across the floor and white, creamy walls. Crimson stained the suite. Before Dakota could even get his gun from his holster, Skyler had wrenched up Dylan and used his body as a silencer, squeezing two rounds into Dakota's bad leg. She made sure not to hit a major artery. The big guy fell down, almost on top of Lilia.

Rubbing her wrists, she dropped the gun and rushed to Lilia, plucking her up. "Grab everything that's ours. Everything. I am going to find out who this man works for, and then we're leaving."

She kissed Lilia's forehead.

The Russian accent confused Dakota, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Consciousness was slipping. She stepped to him and put pressure on his knee, and then slapped him across the face. "Who do you work for?!" She asked, waiting for his reply.

He coughed, and shook his head.

She slapped him again, repeating the question. "WHO?" she asked.

"Fr-Frank-... Franklin.." He started.

"Salters?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Guidaboni!" he said after Skyler squeezed his hurt leg.

So not only was Franklin Salters a menace in their lives, but now a Franklin Guidaboni. She added the name to her mental list and then looked to Lilia. "We have to go."

by **Twinkletoes** June 7th 2013, 7:42 pm

The girl cowered by the couch, her rosy tinted skin now awash with a frightened sheet of paleness as she struggled to recover from what had just happened. Why was the man angry at her feet? The young agent did not know and honestly did not want to, she simply watched on helplessly as the handsome thug staunched over to her mother, a devious twinkle in his eyes. Lilia wanted to charge into the two thugs who had pinned Skyler against the wall, she wanted to beat them up for even touching her mother. Unfortunately for her, such bravery was spoilt by her anxiety and overwhelming paralysing fear of men. She watched on helplessly as her silver haired guardian was toyed around with. Brief flashes from her life in captivity bloomed in the murky areas of her scarred consciousness, threatening to send the poor girl into a fit of shallow breaths if she focused on the mental scarring too long. She had her own problems in the present, her problems taking the form of a lumbering testosterone filled meat sack with a sick little grin on his face. This was the one the angry fetishist had ordered to take over, maybe Lilia was not good enough for the handsome young man and she was left to a plaything for his gorilla sized associate.

"Dustin, you should stop obsessing over feet and take a look at the whole picture!", the oafish brute tutted, shaking his head a bit as he hoisted Lilia back on to the couch in one swift movement, "I mean look at this face...so delicate and pretty..", Dakota groaned, locking his meaty fingers around the ballerina's jaw as he pulled her in closer to take in her subtle sugary scent. She smelt beautiful, she smelt like fear itself.

Dakota's deep inhalation of the girl's scent had caught him off guard, the ringing sound of gunshots shattering his lewd focus like an anvil through glass. The lumbering mass of muscles and protein shakes did not even have the time to properly react, rather, he was stuck in the awkward position of removing his weapon when he set upon. A dash of silver and motherly rage caught Dakota off guard, releasing two shells into his shattered kneecaps and pushing him off her terrified daughter. The man bellowed in pain, his arms thrashing about as he crumpled to the ground on splintered legs. Specks of red littered the side of the couch, tarnishing the white leather like a disease, although much of lounge room was now tainted with gangsters blood and the girl could not help but lose some breath from witnessing the free-flowing crimson.

Her mother had successfully incapacitated all three men in the space of five seconds, an impressive feat that would have excited the ballerina if it were not for its context. Lilia sat frozen with her skinny legs pressed together, dainty arms coiled around her chest as she listened to her fearless guardian interrogate Dakota, the scent of his blood burning into the ballerina's sinuses. It was only until Skyler pressed her into a tight embrace and ordered her to return to reality did the young agent tentatively nod her head, her hands still shaking from what just occurred.

Picking herself up from the couch and stabilising her shaky legs the girl hurried off to grab everything that was theirs, her bare feet scampering against the tiled flooring as she piled all their belongings into one of two suitcases. Now was not the time to be neat, now was the time to escape. No sooner had the young agent removed any trace of them being there they were already out the door, two gorgeous underdressed girls rushing for the elevator.

"...I...Mama I'm s-sorry, I should have defended myself...", Lilia stammered between frantic breaths, clutching onto her protector as they hurtled into the small glass and steel coffin. They were aiming for the basement, exit from the car park and not bring attention to themselves, it was only then that the frightened girl realised what she was wearing, a truly strange thought in such a predicament. Getting on her knees the ballerina unzipped her suitcase and procured a large grey sweater and some proper leggings, glancing up at her mother for just a moment as she quickly, hauled the jumper onto her skinny upper frame. Using Skyler for balance the ballerina slipped on the leggings, expertly stretching her dainty limb outwards as her plush scarred feet popped out from the ends of the black clothing items. It was too late to look for proper footwear and the teenager was left with the humiliating task of going about barefoot, hopefully no one else saw other than Skyler.

There was only fifteen floors to go till they hit the basement level, a growing sense of dread filling the girl's core as she wrapped her arms around Skyler's waist, trembling from the what had just occurred.

"Mama...w-where are we going?", she meekly whispered, scrunching her toes as the shrill 'dings' of the elevator blared in the background. They had to get back home!

by **Chellizard** June 17th 2013, 2:48 am

The men were down for the count, but Dakota had a cell phone plastered to his ear, making the call. The call to get himself a free ticket out of jail. Jail being Death's house.

"We found two girls-- and urg..--" he cut off. The voice on the other end was frustrated, very annoyed.

"What do you mean 'urg?' Stop groaning and spit it out!" snapped the voice.

"Miss Guidaboni.. I--.. Our targets.. we underestimated them..." Dakota said, his breath shallow. He was down for the count.

"Don't you dare live a second longer. Let go of life's embrace or I won't be able to help you. I assume Dustin and Dylan are down as well?" she snapped, the phone making a crackling sound while it was moved from right ear to left ear.

"Urg... yes..." And his voice fell silent, the phone slipping from his grasp.

"Jesus fucking Christ. Trace this number!" she demanded, pointing toward one of the smarter henchmen. Good thing the Guidaboni family had moved to Chicago.

---

By the time Dakota had kicked the bucket, Skyler and Lilia were on the basement level, and Skyler was already hacking into an electric start car. No keys required; just a simple push to start button. Aiva had easily gotten the locks to give way, but getting the car to start was another issue. It was going to take five minutes. Five excruciating minutes. These minutes were not time Skyler was going to spend wasted, either. Making sure no one was looking, she carefully peeled out of her dirty, bloody clothes and dropped them into a pile on the concrete. As she stripped, she heard the low roar of a van.

It's engine creaked as it pulled into the basement garage of the hotel. The lights were on low, and that seemed shady. Grabbing Lilia, Skyler ordered Aiva to dim herself as she worked. Skyler, just in her bra and sleeping shorts, held onto Lilia, clutching the girl to her as she slowly crouched against the edge of the car. "Shh..." she calmly hushed her daughter, and knots started to form in her stomach. The van's brakes squealed before the lights cut off and the doors opened.

She heard the shuffle of one... two, three... four... five bodies stepping out of the vehicle. The slam of two doors closing soon followed. Listening, she determined how many men there were. Four. One was a woman. The clicking of heels, and the lighter foot steps suggested it. She grabbed her knife and carefully held it to use it as a mirror to see their faces. She wanted to remember them for later. Remember them so she could pick them out of a crowd. The faces were easily distinguishable, very simple markers. A mole on the side of one mans neck, a scar along the knuckles of another. The woman was the easiest to remember.

---

"Get the elevator for me!" screeched a higher pitched, nasally voice.

The woman, roughly 5'8" with her heels, click-clacked to the elevator. She huffed an annoyed sigh, and stepped inside, hands on hips the whole ride up. The cell signal was pinging from the tenth floor, so that's where they would go. When the elevator stopped, the woman stepped out.

"Out of my wayuh," she said, huffing while she shoved one of her goons aside. That nasally voice sure was annoying.

She walked to the room that had no lock on the door anymore. This had to be it. She used the toe of her stiletto to kick the door open lightly. It creaked, but opened with ease. The smell of copper, blood, filled the room. It's once white walls speckled with crimson.

"Holy shit... Damn. And this was done by two potential girls?" she asked rhetorically.

One of the goons near her almost spoke up, but didn't say a word. He stood back, grumbling from the smell.

"Well, let's get these fucking assholes back in the land of the living..." She said and rolled her eyes. She handed off her purse, which was over her shoulder, to one of the goons.

Stepping away, she crouched down by the first victim. Dylan. Her hand outstretched and she laid her palms down across his body. One over his wound, the other over his heart on his chest. She did not speak, there was no fancy flash of light. There was just warmth spreading from her hands while she held onto the dead body, ghostly pale body. As the seconds ticked by, color started to leech back into the corpse, and soon chest falls followed. Once she felt the beating of his heart, she let go and patted him on the cheek. When he started to come to, she slapped him across the face. Hard.

"You are an IMBECILE!" she barked, and then moved to Dustin, and finally Dakota.

The three men were now back in full health. Full, living, health.

"I am going to murder that cunt.." Dakota grumbled, rubbing his knee while he propped himself up on the couch better.

"Start explaining what happened here..." she said, her hands on her hips.

"Well, you see.. what had happened was," started Dustin, and then Dylan picked up.

"We underestimated them," he continued on, explaining exactly what had happened.

---

Skyler, as soon as the group was in the elevator, turned her attention back to the task. The delay kept Aiva from hacking into the smart car, so the original five minutes was stretched to eight long ones. Skyler dug into her bag and pulled on a shirt-dress. She buttoned it and fluffed the flower-patterned fabric before grabbing shoes for Lilia. Gingerly taking Lilia's slipper-clothed feet, Skyler slipped on thin socks and laid out a pair of ballet flats. She then snatched Lilia's dirty clothes and stood up. Skyler's shirt-dress hung down to just above her knee, and her shorts were fine. Blood free. She placed Lilia's muffed up clothes into the pile. They were then lit aflame by the car lighter and a small air-plane bottle of vodka that was in the glove box.

The clothes burned slow, but the fire ate away at the DNA, quickly ridding it to ash. Skyler's attention was grabbed when she heard a cough, and then a, "what the hell?"

The two girls had company. Company that would soon meet with death. Skyler silently opened the car door and shoved their bag into the back seat, and then instructed Lilia to climb into the passenger side. Aiva was perched on the steering wheel, silently sitting as she glitched in and out of her spot. She was struggling with getting the car to respond to her program. It was tougher than she realized.

"Wait here," she said, carefully tip toeing around of the vehicle.

The voice came from the driver of the van. Of course they had stayed behind, the motor was still running. Skyler had gotten carried away with getting out of here that she had let that small detail slip. She scolded herself, but it would be a waste of time and concentration. She gripped her knife, her thumb rubbing over the ballistic button to propel her blade. She just needed one quick moment to kill him. One simple hiccup in his step and he was dead. And there it was.

The man stepped from around the van, and seeing a woman with long silvery hair in a flower patterned dress would make any man hesitate. With an emotionless face, she brought up her knife and her thumb pressed against the button. The blade flew quickly, digging into the man's chest. Instant kill. She dashed to him quickly, her form a blur while she retrieved her blade. She cleaned it off on his shirt, and then walked back to the car. The man had made almost no sound in his death, so Lilia should not be too worried. Skyler returned in nearly less than a minute. She slipped into the driver's seat, the flames of their old clothes burning down and dying on the cold, hard concrete.

"All right, are we ready to go, Aiva?" Skyler asked, in Russian of course.

"Let's see you hijack a car AND keep the security footage clean of our presence!" Aiva snapped, literally, her hand waving in a Z-formation.

Skyler had to let a chuckle pass her lips just as the car started. Aiva flickered out of view and Skyler was free to drive out of the garage. The two women were safe, for now.

by **Twinkletoes** June 18th 2013, 11:09 am

Pale slender fingers tightly embraced, the supple milky skin become ivory white as the knuckles clenched tighter, trembling ever so slightly whilst the eerie silence began to seep in. The dainty ballerina sat motionless, gripping her knees against her chest, attempting to control her breathing whilst her younger 'sibling' attempted to Hotwire the vehicle. All of this was so disturbing, so utterly guy wrenching that the young agent was almost certain that Franklin Salters had come for her. Whilst such paranoia was understandable Lilia knew for a fact that her and her guardian were dealing with a very different mob of villains. She too heard the clicking heels and the accented rumblings of an angry female, the girl could practically smell the danger in the air and for the whole duration of clinging to a half naked Skyler the frightened Russian wasn't so sure about whether they would survive yet another assault from these strangers. Why did they want them? Was it a case of mistaken identity or were they simply at the wrong place at the wrong time? The trio of invaders certainly knew what they were doing and they obviously came into the girl's suite having formulated some despicable plan to torture and abuse the females. Lilia's fractured mind desperately attempted to fit the pieces together and it was only until Skyler had rushed her into the vehicle did she finally attempt to make sense of everything. After getting more properly clothed by her adoptive protector the delicate teenager tentatively waited for her gaurdian's return, knowing full well that the young doctor was outside 'dealing' with whoever was left.

"Lilia...Ma loves you, she is doing this to protect you", Aiva whispered with a robotic hint of concern in her girlish voice. Even though the flickering image attempted to calm down her much more anxious sibling her words were like dead leaves drifting in the winds. Lilia's head was tightly held between her arms, her opal shaped ears crushed by her elbows in an attempt to drown out any possible scream of terror or likewise. It was no lie that Skyler was a very ruthless and efficient killer, so much so that Lilia was more scared for her gaurdian's victim rather than the ex-marine herself.

Her lower lip was firmly clamped in between her teeth, the stinging warmth of blood trickling onto her tongue as she nervously waited for her gaurdian's return. The painful focus on her lower lip was enough to pass the dreadful seconds and no sooner had she closed her eyes and entered a relatively safe trance did Skyler return, already buckled up and ready to escape. The young agent attempted to smile but the sheer trepidation of the situation and the fresh blood that coated her bottom lip was enough to deter such an action. Instead she simply coiled her wrist around the crease of Skyler's elbow and quietly sat by as they made their speedy escape out of the hotel parking lot. Her eyes glazed over the grey concrete pillars of the basement level, the sweeping coldness of the earlier events sending a disturbing chill down her spine. She had to set her mind at ease for fear of suffering an anxiety attack.

One deep breath. You're safe now..

And another. Mama loves you and she will protect you always

This intimate attempt at calming down her simmering panic was enough to sidetrack the shortness of breath and incoming anxiety; but her slender hands still shook and teeth still firmly gnawed on her battered lower lip, to the point that Aiva shot her a frown. Lilia knew it was a bad habit, chomping on her lip when nervous...but it seemed like the only viable option to drag her panicked conscious back to reality. Skyler often told her off for doing so and the ballerina attempted to subvert the subconscious urge but in times like these the simple tick made her feel sane. No man would want to kiss ugly bleeding lips, her mind would tell her over and over whenever the threat of unwanted attention bloomed in her mind; a fairly understandable defence considering her history. But alas, Lilia relinquished her lip from her iron bite and simply sucked on the blood that trickled into her mouth, it was a distraction, plain and simple.

The blaring sounds of traffic erupted in a drowning cacophony of sound and light, the distant squeals of Tyuki fangirls providing an eerily ebullient background noise. The stadium was going to be opening it's doors to the masses of Tweens and soon enough, the young agent's pop idol would perform to the world, completely naive to the sufferings of one her biggest fans. Lilia's gaze stared off into the distance where the traffic lay, the flood of yellow tacos and monolithic buses joining the swarm of traffic that travelled into and through the city. Skyler was clearly not heading in the direction of the stadium, their aim was to get enough ground away from the thugs and it just so happened that in the minutes after their departure they had arrived in China Town.

Ripples of vibrant red and gold streaked across the streets of the oriental market places, motorbikes of all variants parked in front of the local restaurants as masses of locals and tourists alike travelled on foot through the colourfully embellished town. For a moment the intoxicating smells and wondrous colours were enough to distract the shaken teenager and her battered lips curled into a little grin, relieved that they had finally found a safe haven.

"Mama...where are we going to stay? And can't we just call someone?...maybe Shayla?", the young agent meekly asked, flashing her gaze across the scenery before her in an attempt to find a hotel of sorts. A mobile phone was clutched in her dainty hands, Shayla's caller ID a few seconds away from being dialled in. The young agent needed assurance that both her guardian and her little artificial sister were safe from harm, calling her friend and fellow agent simply seemed like the right thing to do...although she was sure Skyler would have something to say about that.

by **Chellizard** June 21st 2013, 4:27 am

They had ditched the men chasing them, and the car they had borrowed had a full tank of gas, along with a bit of loose cash stashed in a locked glove compartment. The digital lock was a piece of cake with Aiva's help.

"Ding! Unlocked," Aiva announced, perkily bouncing on Lilia's knee.

Skyler's hands shifted on the steering wheel to take an exit down to China Town. It was almost mandatory for every major city to have one nowadays. She had to ditch the car, so, she grabbed the money from the glove compartment and looked at Lilia, reaching back to grab their bag. She stuffed the cash inside and sat for a moment. They had parked underneath of a set of train tracks that ran through this part of the city. Sighing, Lilia took a moment to breathe. The two girls were so close to death today, so close. Skyler had let her guard down, and she was upset with herself because of that.

Gritting her teeth, she punched the steering wheel and shook her head.

"I need to be more careful.." she said, in Lilia's mother tongue, of course.

There was anguish, and stress behind of her words, despite sounding angry.

"We need to be more careful." she repeated her words, choosing to say them differently. She was right. Lilia needed to learn to be more careful. But, Skyler did not need to let her guard down like that ever again. She would never do that, never again. She could not let Lilia suffer anymore.

Skyler looked to Lilia and shook her head, grabbing the phone and snapping it in half. "We have to stay off the grid for a few days. We cannot let anyone know where we are, even Shayla. I'm sorry, sweet heart, but it's just how it's gotta be."

To further prove her point, she snapped her own phone in half. Aiva had all of Lilia and Skyler's phone contacts, so contacting Shayla through a disposable phone later could be a possibility. They were cheap nowadays, too.

Feeling a bit bad for that display, Skyler sighed and looked to Lilia again. She then rubbed Lilia's shoulder and shifted in her seat.

"C'mon kiddo," she said, slinging the bag around of her shoulder while she got out of the car.

The red and golds of the flags were all fluttering in the wind, and lots of asian folk were bustling about. The market was alive, and food was being prepped live and being offered. Skyler was hungry, but she had a bit of doubt that Lilia could bother eating. Perhaps some simple noodle dish with a savory broth. It would put something in their stomachs. As if on queue, though, there was a small stand selling noodles.

Skyler approached, making sure Lilia was in tow. "Am I going to fast, honey?" she asked, her ballerina flats wearing feet padding softly. She felt weird not wearing a pair of heavy toed combat boots for once. The dress she had on billowed and flowed around of her long legs.

The only thing about the noodles stand was the 'FREE' sign hanging near the shop. Across the shallow street was a sign on an old antique shop that said: 'Room for Rent.'

The room must have been upstairs, because the building had a lower, and then upper floor. Skyler made a note to check it out after she got some food.

"Let's get some free noodles, all right? Wouldn't you like to?" she asked, smiling down to Lilia with her arm circling around of her shoulders. "Hey... stop biting your lips so much. There's no need for that," she said, noticing a few speckles of blood against the peachy lips. Lilia had a few bad habits, but they were all habits to help her get through her PTSD.

Skyler pulled Lilia to her side and stepped up to the free noodles shop. It was small, and had an open seating area. There were not that many people, but the shop looked a bit new, so perhaps that's why.

"Excuse me?" she started, looking at the back of what looked to be the cook.

"I'd like two cups of your vegetable noodles." she said, rubbing Lilia's back gently. Things would get better. For now, the two girls had dropped off the radar, and they were actually able to breathe for a while. The events that had been occurring lately were overwhelming, and it was just nice to get some time off the grid. One thing that Skyler missed the most.

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.

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