Member
Bad Mint
Sadie
Damo021
YoshiSkittlez
Altered Tundra
Alan Woodard and Eliza Brie
Present Day - Lake Tahoe, Earth - Part Two
Leaning forward she tilted her head back slightly, her lips parting as she slid the tube of lipstick over them applying the color before she lightly pressed them together, making sure that the color was going to stay on. Pulling back she replaced the lid of the lipstick, she placed it down on the counter, her light ice blue eyes flicking over her appearance in the mirror making sure that both her hair and her makeup were perfect, the satisfaction of what she had managed to achieve since getting out of the shower causing her lips to turn up in a small smile, the sight of a figure shifting in the mirror catching her attention causing her to turn around to look at Alan as he snoozed once more on the bed.
Moving back out of the bathroom, she crossed the room her leg coming up and under her as she sat on the bed, her hand reaching out to gently rub over his shoulder, her fingers lightly trailing over his skin before she lifted her hand up, gently brushing his hair back off his face so that she could look at him properly, "Alan... Alan, come on, time to wake up. We have to get ready for now. I told you I would wake you up when I was doing my hair and makeup. I've got it done, now we have to get dressed."
Lying flat on his stomach, Alan could feel her hand on his bare shoulder, just as she had done to wake him up from his nap except this time, he wasn't asleep. For some, unexplained reason, restlessness came to the street magician instead, keeping his mind busy with various thoughts that refused to allow him to sleep. But it wasn't until he could feel her hand on his body, rubbing his shoulder, running up his body to brush away his hair gently that he truly felt his body relaxing. His blue eyes flitted open to the sound of her cooing voice, easing him (from what she thought) awake. He was about to make a jest about her needing to dress him herself if she wanted him in a suit, but the words got lodged into his throat the moment his eyes focused and saw the marvel of beauty in front of him.
Eliza had been beautiful before; breathtakingly so. Her beauty had been the initial reason that he was stalking her like some sort of predator waiting for just the right weak moment to pounce it's prey. But her in that exact moment, blocking the main source of light and forcing it to bounce around her figure, illuminating her like some sort of angel...
Her hair was done up, her makeup exotic and enchanting so much that each time he tried to focus on one feature of either of them, his attention was pulled away by the smallest of little details somewhere else. His mouth was gaping slightly, only realizing it now as he tried to swallow the lump of snarky words he had intended on speaking. He could feel his heart flutter against his ribs in the strangest of ways, having never quite experienced that precise feeling before he was sure that it just had to do with the fact that he hadn't been rendered this speechless a single moment in his life.
He pushed himself up slightly, propping himself up with his elbow to keep his torso up as he moved onto his side. Keeping his eyes on her, glancing from feature to feature, his mouth closed back shut and managed a soft smile, finally starting to feel his brain working again.
"You clean up nice."
Her lips turned up in a soft and gentle smile, her eyes catching on his as she watched him open them up, her fingertips gently brushing down the side of his face until she caressed his cheek, a soft pink tinge adding slight color to the makeup that she had put on, "Thank you... It didn't take me as long as I thought, but I'm not done yet. I still have to get dressed, can't go to this event in my underwear and bra, might not go down too well."
"Well rest assured, Princess. Any party of mine I invite you too... your underwear and bra will be overdressed." Alan replied rather cheekily, getting his usual flow back now that he was (more or less) getting used to Eliza being dolled up; at least the initial shock was starting to wear off and able to use that focus towards more of his brain cells.
Leaning down she closed her eyes, her lips pressing softly against his though it wasn't hard enough for her lipstick to smudge onto him, pulling back she stood up from the bed, her hand slipping slowly from his cheek as she moved over to the table, her hands working to peek into the different bags for what she was looking for, "You going to get up? You've spent most of the day in bed already, we've hardly been able to spend any time together..." Reaching into one of the bags she grabbed hold of a pair of heels, pulling them out only to lower them to the table top, her head turning as she looked over at him, "Look, I'm really happy you're coming with me tonight, even if we're not staying very long, it means a lot that you're doing this for me..."
Blinking a bit as Eliza pulled away from him after giving him a kiss, he halfway rested his head back down, wanting to greet the pillow just below him with his head again but was also interested in what it was she was doing to go down completely.
"Yeah, I'm up. I'm up." Alan sighed, confirming his words while he used his arm that was underneath him to push him off of the bed into a sitting position. He used his hand to wave away her thanks for going with her to the party, then turned his hand to run his fingers through his hair, wincing as his pinky grazed against his black eye. Pulling his hand from his hair, ever so gently he pressed the tips of his fingers against his eye, feeling for any swelling but it seemed to have all gone down by now.
"Alright so what kinda monkey suit you puttin me in for tonight?" He asked, moving to stand up from the bed and walked over to her.
"I give you my word, it is a decent outfit, and I know that you're going to look great in it. I tried to make it as casual a suit as I could." Leaning over she glanced into the other bags, gathering up the ones that had his clothes in them before she turned to face him, her eyes connecting with his as her smile grew slightly, pausing for a moment she held the bags out, handing them over to him before she gathered up the others, "Everything you need is in those bags... I'll help you with your tie once I've gotten dressed myself."
Pausing she tilted her head slightly, keeping her eyes on him for as long as she could before she scrunched up her face, her hands slipping from the bags as she moved around him, her hands planting themselves firmly on the small of his back as she leant up, her lips close to though not touching his ear, "Someone has been cooped up in this room for far too long... You need a shower... Come on, off you go." Chuckling softly she gave him a small wink, her arm muscles tensing as she pushed him forwards towards the bathroom so that he could go have a shower, "Don't take too long though, okay..?"
Taking the bags from Eliza, Alan held up one of the bags to the light to see if he might see through it at what was inside, halfly paying attention to Eliza until he was suddenly being pushed into the bathroom.
"Can you believe that the prison didn't offer me a jacuzzi tub so I could have a bath while I was there? I'll have to write them an angry letter one of these days, maybe even sue." Alan remarked towards Eliza's comment on the way he smelled. He knew that he couldn't have smelled great but considering... he thought he was alright. However, as he raised his arm for a quick sniff check... perhaps Eliza was right after all. "Are you my girlfriend, or my mother, I wonder...?" He teased before nodding with his head in a gesture that he could handle it from here. "Won't be more than ten minutes. Promise."
Unable to help herself from rolling her eyes at his comparison of her and his mother, she slid her hands from his back to his side, her body pressing flat against his back as she chuckled softly, her warm breath flowing over his ear as she gently scratched lightly at his both of his sides, "Heh... I'd say I'm your girlfriend, because your mother wouldn't dare kiss you in the way that I do babe..."
Hovering dangerously close to his lips, her own turned up in a small smirk as she gave him a wink, pulling away from him once he gave her the nod she turned watching him from over her shoulder before she quickly moved back to the table, "Ten minutes, hm..? Last time you promised me something, they falsely accused and arrested you, but I'll hold you to that."
"Well hey, if the S.W.A.T. team comes barging in through those doors-" Alan said, using one of his hands holding onto the smaller bag in which he assumed the shoes and socks were in to gesture towards where he knew the front door was, "-all because I'm going a little rough with the luffa, then I'm throwing you over my shoulder, we're going out that window-" He moved his hand then to gesture towards the one just outside the bathroom that led out to the small patio, "-and we're gettin the hell out of Nevada cuz this place sucks."
Turning her torso around so that she could look at him, she took a moment before turning and leaning back against the table, her head shaking softly from side to side, a mixture of both disbelief and pure amusement written all over her features, "Alright, I'll agree to that plan... But only on the condition that we don't go anywhere that's like majorly hot. I don't mind heat, but I'm a fan of the cold remember."
At this, Alan couldn't help the sly grin that came over his features and nodded his head once, more of a bow than a nod in hindsight.
"If you don't mind the rain, then Manhattan it is." He said with a very small glint in his eye, as though he were proud of that slumdog city he called home for the last handful of years of his life. "Now leave me alone, you're cutting into my luffa assaulting time." Using his foot, Alan caught the edge of the door and pushed it closed, not bothering to make sure it latched before setting down his bags of... whatever it was Eliza had gotten him. He'd have to settle for whatever complimentary soap and shampoo the hotel provided, but he had to remind himself that Eliza had to do the very same thing.
So we'll look and smell the same. Wonderful. Can't wait for those reactions...
Shaking his head a bit at his own expense, Alan stripped down and started up the shower.
It wasn't exactly ten minutes later, perhaps one or two past that, but Alan eventually emerged from the bathroom half-dressed in the plethora of clothing he had found in the bags that Eliza had got for him. His long brown hair was still a little damp; towel dried, making the back of his hair touch down to the powder blue collar of the button-up dress shirt. The dress shirt itself remained untucked from the ivory-cream-colored wool dress pants with a majority of the buttons left undone; the matching jacket, tie and pocket-square mysteriously absent from his outfit save for the small plastic bag he carried out with him and set on the bed where there was more room to work and less danger of staining anything from the table of food.
Furrowing her brows slightly, she leant into the table, her hand resting on the top keeping her steady as she leant over at a strange angle, her free hand reaching down and underneath her dress as she slipped her foot into the last of her shoes (the color matching that of her eyes), her figure now a lot taller than it had been earlier. Flicking her eyes up as she heard the bathroom door opening, she stood up straight as she shifted her foot slightly making sure that it was in the shoe properly, turning around to look him over she lifted up her arms, her fingers quickly fumbling with each ear making sure that her earrings were still both hanging from her earlobes.
"And you say that I clean up nicely. I knew you were sexy, I just didn't realize that you could look so handsome." Smiling softly she dropped her arms, her hands gently picking up the front of her long floor length dress as she moved over to where he stood, glancing down at the bag she reached in pulling out the tie, reaching up she flicked up his collar before slipping it around his neck, watching every move she made as she tied it, careful not to make it too short or long, "Let me know if I make too tight okay?"
"Believe me. This just gets better with less clothes." Alan smirked as he allowed her to tie the tie, gesturing towards his body while he spoke. To keep himself busy, he pulled a bit at his shirt sleeves, finding the article of clothing already beyond uncomfortable and restricting. Eventually he found the buttons on each cuff and unfastened them, giving him just a little bit more room. "You're doing fine. It's just for a few hours anyway." He reassured her, though it sounded more like he were trying to reassure himself instead. When she was done, Alan turned his body a bit to pull out the ivory-cream-colored wool suit jacked and slipped it on, shrugging his shoulders a number of times feeling the constricting fabric hugging at his back and between his shoulder blades, forcing Alan to make a face. "How the hell do business guys do this every day?"
Determined to make himself at least somewhat comfortable, Alan pulled down the unbuttoned dress shirt sleeves and then rolled them over the top of the suit jacket sleeves, scrunching them both up his arms making it more of a three-quarter length sleeve than full. It probably ruined the jacket, but Alan was beyond caring at that point.
Shaking her head from side to side she chuckled softly, her eyes staying locked on the tie as she straightened it up, her fingers brushing lightly over his neck as she lowered the collar once more, her hands then sliding down his body and to his waist where she began to tuck in his shirt, "Business men do this everyday, because it's something that they grow used to over time. My father, when he has meetings in the city and with the board, he has to wear them; not that he likes it very much. But don't worry, I told you, I'll make you look good."
Sliding her arms around his body she finished tucking in the shirt, her hands lingering on him for longer than she really needed them to before she reluctantly pulled away, her hands next making quick work of the buttons that he had so conveniently forgotten to do up when he had been getting dressed. Glancing down at the bag again she held it open with one hand, her other fishing around inside until she pulled out the small bit of already folded material, reaching back up she neatly slipped it into his pocket, taking her time before she glanced back up into his eyes, her hands expertly moving to his sleeves where she moved to keep them how he wanted though making them a little more neater, "See..? Handsome enough to make any woman look and any guy jealous..."
Fiddling with his now completed outfit here and there as she did the same, Alan openly smirked at her latter comment, taking the initiative to finally slide his hand around her waist, holding her close to him and with his opposite hand, used his pointer finger to ever-so-gently tap the tip of her nose.
"I can do that in jeans and a t-shirt too, Princess." He pointed out before reaching his neck forward a bit and kissed her lips softly, minding the lipstick and keeping it where it was (on her lips) before pulling away despite his inner desire of kissing her the way he wanted to; similar to the kisses they shared in the hot tub the night before. Was that just the night before? It felt like so much longer than that. He felt like he knew her longer than that; maybe just a few days longer, but still. It was hard to believe that he had just met her yesterday.
"Let me just go grab my stuff from my jeans and we can be on our way." Alan said releasing his hold on her so that he could head back to the bathroom where he had left his clothes.
"I know you can, I've seen you work that magic of yours; your charms and the way you work a pair of jeans is how you hooked me in the first place remember?" Her voice held a hint of sarcasm as she spoke, her hand lifting up to rest softly against his chest, her body pressing in against his as he pulled her close against his own. Closing her eyes she smiled against his lips, her own pressing lightly into the kiss causing her heart to flutter at both the action and how he made her feel; she felt safe in his arms... Why she wasn't sure, though she didn't care, it was something she wanted to explore more with him.
Reluctantly letting him pull away from both her lips and her body, she nodded softly watching as he turned heading back into the bathroom to grab his things, her own feet moving her across the room to the table where she picked up her small bag, slipping her phone, purse and their key-card into it, "Okay, sounds good. Besides, the sooner we get this done... the sooner we can sneak out early."
Returning to the bathroom, Alan found his jeans and tossed them up onto the counter, going pocket by pocket as he emptied them of their contents, most of which he hadn't been able to organize into their designated pockets since he had been given all of his possessions at once after leaving the Sheriff's department (save for the heroin, but he was smart enough to know he'd never see that again). Finding immediately that the pockets on his wool dress pants weren't at all as wide or deep as his jeans, he knew he would have to leave some stuff behind. He grabbed for his cell phone and wallet, putting those into his pants before grabbing for a single deck of cards and a few trick coins. Perhaps it was silly, feeling the need to bring such items along with him, but just like his cell phone and wallet, Alan felt completely lost without at least some of his magic tricks.
He stuffed the rest of his playing cards, trick threads, markers and marbles back into his jeans pockets, followed by the pair of Daria's underwear which he made sure to stuff down deep into the rear pocket, out of sight and out of mind though that didn't help to keep his mind away from the wonderful handful of hours they spent together.
Finally, there were only two things left out on the counter. Reaching forward, Alan picked up the necklace he had been given by The Blue Fairy before he had been sent to this land. Even moreso than his wallet, phone and magic tricks, this necklace truly was a part of him; the only thing he had to show from where he truly came from, and though he hated and despised it now, there was something keeping him attached to it. He had a job to do, and sure he would get around to it, but the longer he put it off, the more Alan began to start seeing himself as a coward.
Putting the necklace around his neck and tucking it into the dress shirt so that it was hidden entirely, Alan got a good look at himself in the mirror. It had been nearly a week since he had shaved last, a thick amount of stubble forming around his jawline and around his lips but nothing unmanageable. The swelling in his black eye was gone entirely, but the coloring remained; thick and purple with greens and yellows on the edges; but at least he was able to keep his eye open to hide most of it now.
He ran a hand over his face, staring down his reflection in the mirror. His opposite hand balled up into a fist for a few moments as anger started to rise up in him for the outright mess he had made of his life, the weight of the enchanted necklace on his chest a forever reminder of just that. However, as his hand tightened, his knuckles brushed up against the final item on the counter, causing it to shift and fall down into the sink basin, clinking against the sink and forcing Alan's attention downwards. Reaching his hand into the sink, he pulled out the golden-chained, wooden-surfaced snowflake necklace he had lifted from the pawn shop the night before. Holding it by the chain, the let the emblem hang down, spinning somewhat as it hung in the air while Alan continued to examine it. He had taken this necklace for a reason; he had taken it because it reminded him of Eliza. He had taken it for her.
The dominant part of Alan in which he spent most of his time as had told him that it was like a silent joke that lead back to the snowflake birthmark he had caught sight of on the back of her right thigh the night before, but there was something within him, something deeper in a place he had yet to explore that told him there might be another reason. Issuing out a quick sigh, Alan stuffed the necklace into his pants pocket and exited back out of the bathroom, heading towards Eliza to tell her that he was ready to go, however once again, she took his words away.
Even just standing there with a face of normalcy and doing nothing to occupy her time, she stood out like a radiating beacon of light, drawing him in like a common house fly. How had he missed the dress she was wearing? It complimented her in all the right areas and all the right ways, her shoes, hair and makeup tying up the entire thing as only one word Alan could think of to describe...
"Incredible..." The word left his lips as a mere whisper, Alan hadn't even realized it had left the safety of his mind until after it had passed. Shaking is head, he continued forward from his halted walk and met Eliza once more. "I um..." Alan stuffed his hand into his pocket, using his other hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly as his eyes shifted to a spot on the wall behind Eliza. "I got something for you..." Pulling out his hand from his pocket, the gold and wooden necklace was clasped between his fingers, holding it by the chain so that she could examine the pendant herself as he handed it over to her.
Lifting her head up as she heard his voice from across the room, she watched him move closer towards her, her soft light pink-cream colored lips parting slightly as she turned her body to face his once he got close enough to her, her gaze flicking up to meet with his as he continued to try and get out just what it was he was trying to say to her, "Really..? You-... you got me something..?"
Dropping her gaze to follow his hand as he fumbled around in his pocket, she couldn't help the gentle blush that lit up her cheeks as she caught sight of the necklace he lifted up, the wooden pendant hanging from the golden chain delicately clasped in his fingers. Bringing her hand up she let it rest against her fingers, her lips turning up in a small smile before she flicked her eyes back up to meet once more with his, "Alan, it's beautiful. Thank you so much... Could you..?"
Handing it back to him she slowly turned around so that her back was facing him, her head turning and dropping only slightly as she flicked her gaze back towards him, her neck exposed enough for him to put the necklace on her, her hands coming up in front of her body, playing with her fingers as she waited.
Taking the necklace back from her, Alan waited until she had her back to him, ignoring the look she was giving him over her shoulder and he undid the clasp that kept the golden chain together. Using both hands on each end of the clasp, he draped it over her head, careful not to touch any part of her hair, afraid that it might all just spring out if he even so much as looked at it. Once the pendant was resting flat on her chest, he brought the clasps together and hooked it, letting the necklace then hang from her neck as it was intended. His hands then moved down to her shoulders, continuing down her arms until eventually it reached her waist where he held her there, moving his own body to press his chest flush with her back, letting his lips teasingly graze against the skin of her neck just above where the golden chain rested.
"Had to get you something to match that cute little birthmark of yours that you don't know I know about." He smirked after lifting his lips up to the shell of her ear and then planted a kiss directly behind it.
Lifting her hand up she pressed her fingers gently against the pendant, her eyes closing and her smile growing as she felt his warm breath over her ear, his words hitting her causing her once gentle blush to grow a little brighter, leaning back so that they were as close against each other as they could be, she turned her head looking back at him, "I never tried to hide it, but I didn't think you would take too much notice of it either. I'm glad you did though..."
Turning around in his arms, she slid her own arms up and around his neck, holding him close as she let her gaze catch on his, showing him the honesty behind her words as she spoke, her body leaning up and her lips only inches away from his own, "Because I'm never going to take this off... You mean a lot to me, now this does too."
Closing the gap between the two of them, she let her lips linger on his for what felt like a lifetime before she pulled away putting some space between them, reaching out she picked up her purse shooting him an apologetic look, showing him the reluctance in her actions, "Okay... If we don't get moving now, we're never going to get there. And I'm the one opening this event, so I can't not show up."
Smiling brightly she slipped her hand into his, tugging on it gently as she pulled him towards the door, awkwardly opening it up with the same hand she was using to hold her things, her dress dragging lightly on the ground behind her.
Going along with her actions up until the point they reached the door, Alan halted himself, forcing a tug on his hand a bit as Eliza had kept going for a few seconds.
"Hey uh... why don't you go on ahead? You said you had some like, setting up and stuff to do before the thing actually starts." Alan said retracting his hand from hers to run his hand over the back of his neck again. He wasn't quite sure why he was stalling, what difference did an hour or so make? But ever since he got back to the Lodge Hotel with Eliza, his mind was a million miles away from his own, and it was starting to concern him. "I uh, I gotta call my parole officer anyway, make sure everything is squared away and I'm really in the clear. Wouldn't want any mishaps during your party right?"
Glancing back over her shoulder at him as she felt resistance against her hand, she stopped keeping the door held open as she listened to what he had to say, smiling once again she nodded, her grip relaxing on his hand before she dropped it to the front of her dress, holding it up off the ground slightly, "Of course, just don't be too long okay? What fun would be sneaking off, if you're not there to sneak off with right?"
Turning back to the hallway she slipped out the door, letting it close behind her so that she could give him the space and privacy he would need to call his parole officer, her pace picking up slightly as she headed down one of the many familiar paths that led to the large banquet hall that was being used for the nights function.
Nodding to let her know that he understood, Alan watched from the doorway as she disappeared down the hall, the heavy door eventually closing by itself leaving Alan completely alone to the hotel room. Standing there for a few moments, Alan eventually eased himself over to the bed where he plopped down, sitting on the edge. He stared the wall down in front of him blankly until he was forced to blink, pulling him out of his slight stupor enough for him to rest his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Sighing, he carded his fingers through his hair, tugging at the roots a bit and stopping when his palms reached his hairline.
What the hell was happening to me?
