[color=ec008c][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]A L E I S S A  "M E R C U R Y"  G A V R O N[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/color][INDENT][sup]Interacting with: everyone[/sup][/INDENT]
Despite the lack of change on Aleissa's face, the grip on the drink she had ordered earlier had tightened to the point of the paper cup showing folds. Her eyes flickered to where Helena touched her neck - the abundance of make up was obvious to someone like her. She couldn't help but schooch closer to her friend, every movement seemingly stiff but that's what usually happens when she's showing some form of worry over her friends. They would be familiar with it by now. 

She reached out to touch Helena's shoulder, being extra careful about it. [color=ec008c]"I'm glad you're alright and reovering."[/color] She said with a tight smile. With that, she removed her hand from Helena but still kept herself close to her more physically strong friend. She turned to Casper who relayed his own burglary story. This one didn't end in violence but it was no less horrible. Casper loved his motorcyle like it was his own child. In fact, she was pretty sure that it was by now. He was a racer after all. For someone to take it away was just horrible. People's greed were oftentimes too much. To ever think of harming someone else or simply taking someone else's things...

Then Derek spoke and the burning need to punch [i]something[/i] or rather preferably [i]someone's face[/i] had overcome the gymnast. Derek was a tough person and he seemed fine, but that didn't stop her from worrying about it. And the situation was different from robbery - no, this was a personal attack to someone's person. An attack against someone's sexuality. All the same, she felt uncomfortable. She knew that the group was very accepting of it, in fact, many were in this city. Aleissa had gotten away with both boyfriends and girlfriends alike in the past and her sexuality had always been out in the open. To see people are still harrassed for it, it certainly was frustrating.

As Scott asked if others had stories like those, memories of that horrible day years ago flashed through her mind. The bank's alarm. The shouts of the masked men. Waving the gun. Being forced into a corner next to a man. Sitting down and waiting for help. The men cursing because the police had the bank surrounded. The police's demands. The robbers' demands. Talk about taking her hostage. Being grabbed by the arm. The man tackling the robber. A gunshot. Blood. Blood everywhere. The funeral. His daughter screaming and crying and blaming her. The mother apologizing. 

[color=ec008c]"You already know mine."[/color] It was a story she had to tell. She hadn't contacted any of them for days after that. Loud sounds made her jump but it eventually got better. Thunderstorms were still a terror to live through but she was doing her best. When she had come out of hiding, they had been worried. She had to tell them what happened for the sake of appeasing them. It was a distant memory and yet it felt like it had just happened yesterday. [color=ec008c]"Like it or not Scott, we don't live in a peaceful city."[/color]