shylarah

Drawing Characters!

@Mae Worth the wait~ *wiggles happily*

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

@Malice So you're aware, I'm still dealing with severe depression and I'm barely writing at all, but I'd be glad to try to keep going. ^.^

𝓣ℎ𝑒 𝓕𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝒻 𝓐𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑎 & 𝓕𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡.

Alyssana accepted Finnegan's extended hand and let him kiss it. She didn't have the heart to deny him that, not after earlier. "You didn't scare me, Finny," she told him. "I was concerned at your condition, and angry about some of the things you said, but hardly frightened." She paused, looking up at him. "For what it's worth, you are also owed an apology for my role in that disaster. I am sorry for the trouble I caused you." Knowing he was likely to just brush her words off, Alyssana then disengaged, glancing after the younger men instead. Upon seeing them deep in conversation, she returned her attention to Finnegan.

"So. Walter mentioned some sort of mystery. A murder, yes? Why don't you tell me what you know."

𝓣ℎ𝑒 𝓕𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝒻 𝓐𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑎 & 𝓕𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡.

Initially Alyssana wasn't sure she wished to join the Oaks for dinner, whether Finnegan was himself again or not. There was something in the younger man's voice, however, that made her think perhaps he would be glad of additional company. "I'll drag Chris away from his work and bring him with me, Walter. If that's alright with you, of course." Walter approved, and it was perhaps forty-five minutes later when the pair alighted from a carriage in front of the Oaks' residence, Christopher hurrying up the path with Alyssana pausing to pay the driver and proceeding at a calmer pace.

Chris had no sooner removed his coat and handed it over to a servant than he made a beeline for Walter, chattering excitedly about his latest experiment in technical terminology. His language was nearly always precise, though he didn't mind the interjection of questions, and was in fact quite used to it. That left Alyssana to regard Finnegan warily.

Although she'd tried to put the entire afternoon behind her, seeing Finny was a reminder of what she'd done -- but she couldn't be the first to bring it up, not after that mess. She had to be sure for herself that Finnegan was back to normal. "Good evening, Finnegan." Though her tone was coolly polite, it hid an edge of concern. She was done being angry, at least.

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

Lee accepted the hand up, though she took a moment to steady herself before letting go. The one with her said she was fine, and so she believed it. It didn't occur to her how odd it was, that they should be sure -- nor how strange that she would trust someone so entirely when they'd only just met. "I should thank you," she said. "For a moment there I was sure--" Lee stopped, not willing to voice just how sure she'd been that she was in serious trouble. Her fingers found one of the rips in her coat and picked at it fitfully. "Anyhow. Thank you."

It wasn't until she was home, dinner cooking and feline fed, that Lee realized she'd never gotten the person's name. Or maybe she had, but it was during the period of time that she couldn't quite pin down. Things didn't quite add up but there was something about it that made her not want to put all the pieces together -- like a frightening secret that she was frankly much happier not knowing.

---

Lee had a nightmare that night, something she only half remembered. In the morning, with the sunlight warm through the window and Freddie a fuzzy lump at her feet, it was easy to put aside, along with her bad experience the night before. The rest was banished by a morning visit to her grandmother, who was delighted to see her as always. The sheer normality of it turned the memories into something harmless, and by the time she arrived at the dance studio Lee had nearly convinced herself that the previous night had been part of that same dream. There was only the matter of her wrecked coat to indicate otherwise.

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

>banging on a window
Lee can't see through windows! Not really. *giggles*

Which only makes this even more amusing tbh

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

Accidental encounter works. There's windows into her dance studio, so maybe they see her there?

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

Half done with my post, and I think we're about done with this scene. The real question is where do things go from here? Like...does [][] get turned human and seek Lee out at home? at work? Do they end up cold and miserable in some alley and Lee stumbles over them? What do you think?

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

The voice wasn't the one she was expecting -- and besides, as Lee gathered her thoughts she realized that her mother couldn't possibly be there. The woman was long dead, though the memories Lee had of her were comforting. "I'm sorry, I...I thought you were someone else. My mistake."

She shuddered in a sudden gust of wind that cut through her coat, hearing the whisper of leaves dancing down the road. The person before her didn't seem affected.

Their next question was a surprise, and perhaps under different circumstances Lee wouldn't have answered. Certainly if she'd been thinking straight she'd be getting her cell phone, calling an ambulance or a friend to take her to the hospital. Instead she considered.

"I've never really tried to put it into words," she said at last. "But I guess it's like having a fresh chance each day, to do just a little more, or make a little change. To keep trying. For me, I feel most alive in the silent moment after finishing a performance, just after the music stops and before the applause starts. It's a rush." Lee paused, common sense asking why she was sharing this with a stranger. But she trusted this person, without quite knowing why. She could spare them a few minutes, surely.

Don't Fear the Reaper (shy and Malice)

The footsteps came closer. It was someone she knew -- the step and smell was familiar -- but Lee couldn't figure out who it was. They knelt, reached for her, and she knew that as bad as things seemed, everything would be alright.

Live.

The word resonated through her, and now instead of just peace Lee felt the pain receding. She could move her fingers, slowly lift her head. A semblance of rational thought returned. Had she not been hit as badly as she thought?

First, get out of the street.

Lee didn't trust her balance just then, so she crawled over to the curb rather than trying to stand. She seemed to be alright, though she could feel parts of her coat that seemed damaged. She was shaking rather badly but beyond that, she didn't feel hurt. She cast around with her senses for the one she thought had just been at her side. There! They were strangely hard to make out, and she still had the nagging sense of familiarity, though she couldn't place it.

"H-hello?" Lee called, her voice shaky and uneven. "Excuse me... do I know you?" They'd helped her somehow, she thought, but just how she wasn't sure. How on earth was she still in one piece? That couldn't be any one person's doing, she was sure of that, so...was she just lucky?