Lara felt the rush of the beer rush through her lips in an addictive touch before the world around her turned entirely inviting. She felt the rush of music in her bones and every beat on the drums had her feet tapping against the wooden floor. She wiped her hair from her face with a quick wave watching the crowd bustle in the bar, the smoky air left her feeling lightheaded and although she didn’t smoke herself she found the idea intoxicating. Sometimes, when the voices of the dead grew too loud she dived into the bottom of a bottle to ground herself. The snug tank top felt constricting in the growing heat of the rowdy bar and she almost groaned waving the bartender down for another drink. The busy bartender spared her an amused grin before she grasped the beer in her cold palms and set the cash down on the countertop.
Lara felt the familiar tug of the music as she slowly inched her way to meet the bustling atmosphere with the sway of her hips. The song echoing aesthetically to her ears was enough to dull out the world around her. She didn’t mind the tall fella moving closer until the energetic step in her dance left her slightly breathless. A quick swig of the beer and a step later she found herself reseated at the bar with a curious glance at the patrons. So many people were engulfed in the addicting atmosphere around them and she was fully aware that she looked about as immersed as they did.
Lara loved the thrill of doing something with the potential of regret, it was the only thing fueling her. her pocket was lined with fresh cash from a job well done. While she enjoyed the taste of life, she was no angel. For the right amount of money she'd do just about anything from petty theft to assault. If it hadn't been for an old friend blabbering about her lust for thrills the deranged woman wouldn't have paid her double her normal rate to scare the living hell out of her cheating husband. Still, it was one of the loonier jobs she did.
For a second she spotted the dull corpse staring at her with it’s dead eyes, she held the beer bottle in a mocking cheers before ignoring the apparition and waving thankfully at the older gentleman at the end of the bar for the dark shot in front of her. Nevertheless, she was curious what the night had to offer. Lara was just another mutant craving something more than her dull existence.
Post by Silver Shadow on Apr 29, 2018 21:11:16 GMT
It wasn't like Sean was entirely used to being alone. Sometimes he felt the need for social interaction. Maybe he should buy a puppy. The thought of being free and open with anyone filled him with dread. Instead he chose to be a cold hearted cynic with sarcasm as his shield and asshole tendencies as his sword that he slayed with. What was he slaying? A social life. Sean was a member of the fool's dice club. The patch on his jacket read 'enforcer'. Sean was the sledgehammer in the tool kit. He was brought in when things had to be done and messages had to be sent. Did he like his work? Not really. Sean was an asshole, but it didn't mean he wanted to be a leg breaker.
For all his gifts and all his talents, Sean could have found a better way to use them. It wasn't all bad. The money was pretty decent. He was just the type of guy to prosper in this environment. He lacked morals, and empathy, and mostly just cared about himself. There was his club family, of course he cared about those guys, but anyone else were on their own. Sean was overall just conflicted. He had been to prison more times than you could count. He had escaped prison more times than you could count too. One of these days they were going to realize the only way to keep Sean locked up was to toss him in a dark cell with no windows.
With no shadows to bleed into, escape was impossible. Sean sighed. He was staring at his reflection in a dingy bathroom mirror. He stood there reflecting on the choices he had made. Behind him in his reflection he could see graffitti on the walls. For a good time call amy shoemaucker! 483-573-3856 the wall said. It was just one among many other scribblings. He had pulled a job with another Fool's Dice member tonight. Lara.
She was part of the club family he cared so deeply about. Sean looked back at his reflection and stared hard. His hands gripped the sides of the sink. He could feel the wetness underneath his fingertips. The edges of the mirror began to shake and blur. Sean continued to stare. The wall behind him started to rip open and bleed black ooze. Thick heavy gloopos of black puss bled over the phone number that disgraced poor Amy Shoemaucker. Sean never moved. His silver hair blew lightly around as if there was a breeze in the room. He sighed and cold breath spilled out of his lips. Frost ran up the edges of the mirror as the room was suddenly freezing. The crack in the wall behind him got larger and more of that black thick liquid came pouring out of the growing cracks. It was the dark dimension. It was the place of unspeakable evil.
The bathroom door swung open and a half drunk man stumbled in. It broke Sean's concentraition. The mirror stopped shaking. The room stopped freezing and the cracks in the wall were all sealed and fixed. Sean was bleeding dark energy into the real world. He looked at the man who stumbled in. The man gave him a curious look. "You okay pal?" The man asked. Sean looked back to the mirror to realize that his nose was bleeding. His eyes were wide and frightened as he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Smears of red stained his hands as he hurried outside the bathroom.
He spotted Lara at the bar. He walked up beside her without regarding her at all. "Give me a beer!" He shouted. He didn't turn to face Lara. Sean was able to pull himself and others to the shadow dimension. It was a place of great and death. It was a place where no sound existed at all. Everything was monotone and looked like it was burned to ash and rebuilt with the cinders. It was a place where the air was hard to breath and joy was hard to find. It was a awful depressing place, where ash rained from the sky 24/7 like falling snow.
It was a place where he could go to be alone with the shadows and find an escape from the waking world. But more recently he had disocvered the dark dimension. Another place, where cretures lived. Things that scared the hell out of him. A place of crushing dark and evil energies. A place that he was desperate trying to control, but was failing. His nose started to bleed again. The bar tender put his beer down and gave him a weird look before leaving. His nose dripped crimson. "Having a good time?" He asked sipping his beer still not bothering to look at Lara. He hoped she couldn't dected in his voice that he was a little freaked out.
Last Edit: Apr 29, 2018 21:12:32 GMT by Silver Shadow
Lara rolled her eyes and followed with a stern glare, while she regarded him as family she didn’t entirely appreciate the disregard for her presence. Hell, she would have knocked him upside the head if she couldn’t feel a strange feeling of worry in the pit of her stomach. Her lips eagerly tasted after another sip of beer before she pulled herself onto the hard wood of the stool to her left. The tall fella she danced with earlier called her with a simple wave but she declined with a charming fella and looked at Sean. He was fine before he went to the bathroom, she wasn’t sure what could go wrong between here and there but the dripping blood was an obvious sign that something wasn’t entirely right. Even then she could see the slight tenseness in his posture and worry crept into her mind.
She shrugged at the brief questioning glance from the bartender before reaching out to grasp a bottle of something off the other side of the bar along with two glasses. If no one knew no one would care, she tossed some of the dark liquid into both not caring whether he accepted it or not. The taste left her throat raw but welcoming and she couldn’t help but invite another sip to her ruby lips.
“Looks like I’m having a much better time than you are. How drunk do I have to get you before you’ll tell me what’s got you dripping all over the place?”, Lara wasn’t exactly the type of person to hint at anything. She spoke her mind, whether the recipient liked it or not wasn’t any of her concern. By now the fools were familiar with her blunt approach and she wouldn’t blame anyone if they called her out on it.
There were few people she got along with quite as well as the fools, her desire to drown out the dead with anything worth getting addicted to wasn’t a mindset reproached by them. She’d do just about anything for them, her old family was nothing but torn photos and shattered memories but the fools were the family she’d lay down her life for.
She leaned forward curious if he’d take her offer to talk, she much preferred his company to the dead guy watching from the dark corner behind an empty table. She could practically smell the stench of death but the thick cigarette smoke quickly drowned out the awful smell. Lara glared at the apparition for a second before focusing on Sean again. She wondered for a second if the bloody nose could be attributed to his unique and fascinating powers or a good old fashioned punch?
“I’m not an idiot, I can see something’s wrong”, her violet eyes watched him closely waiting for any reaction. Then again, if he wanted to drown his sorrows in beer and ignore the worry she wouldn’t blame him. Everyone dealt with their own shit in their own way.
Post by Silver Shadow on Apr 29, 2018 22:35:51 GMT
Sean didn't realize his nose was bleeding at first. As she asked him why he was dripping his fingers reached up to his nose. They came away wet, but not red. No, it wasn't blood after all but more of that black ooze. The stuff from the walls. His nose was dripping dark energy. It was in his brain. It trickled out heavy and thick. But i had seen red in the bathroom hadn't i? Sean could have swore he had. His mind playing tricks on him? A trick of the light? The flurescent shithole hadn't been the best lit room in the house, but still. He knew the difference between red and this black shit. Sean reguarded his fingertips in quiet horror.
"Nothing. It's nothing." He quickly snapped. Sean Silverman was not the type to "share." Even if he cared for Lara more than he cared to admit. He always had a bit of a thing for her. She was beautiful, smart, insightful, damn good at her job and she had a gift. A wondeful beautiful gift. She didn't exactly see it as a gift, but he thought so. Sean watched her fill up his glass and he downed it the second she stopped pouring. It went down hard and with a harsh burn. That sting in the back of his throat took his focus away from the burning in his nose. He looked over at Lara, for the first time since he went to the bathroom. He saw her looking off in an empty corner. "Someone's here aren't they?" He asked picking back up his beer bottle and following up the hard liquid with some low carb suds.
She assured him she wasn't an idiot and declared she knew something was wrong. "Just..." Sean raised the beer to his lips again. Once again he was staring forward. Refusing to make eye contact, trying to keep her at arm's length because the thought of letting her in emotionally was just as scary as what was leaking out of his nose to him. "Just playing with things I really shouldn't be." He informed her. Sean stepped off the stool. With a nod he motioned towards the door. "Come on." He said pulling her hand lightly. Sean grabbed a twenty from his wallet and left it on the counter.
He pulled her through the sea of people. Just ordianry people with no idea that among them walked monsters. Among them were mutants, powerful mutants that could converse with the dead and bleed through realities. Sean was what was considered an Alpha mutant. He was nearly one of the strongest types of mutants in existance. Still he didn't have a full handle on his powers. He had mastered traversal in the shadow dimension, but this new place... This new place scared him. Sean had never taken one of the fools to the shadow dimesion. It was a place that opposited this world in every way. In the shadow dimension, everything was upside down. You felt as if you were walking on the ceiling.
The world looked run through a color filter. Like a black and white movie. It was so cold there, you could see your own breath, but you could not hear it. You couldn't hear the song of a bluebird, nore the roar of a hemme engine. All that lived there were shadows. Shadows of the birds in the trees. Shadows of the deer running through the forest. They seemed alive, sentient, but they were just reflections of those that existed in the real world. Moving through the city in the shadow dimension you coul see everyone's shadow walking around. Shapes and silohuettes moving about their lives. None of them even aware that someone lingered in the shadows in a realm just beyond their veil.
Sean stumbled outside. He was feeling a bit of a buzz. Those weren't the first drinks he had had tonight. The moon was high in the sky. A neon sigh for the bar cast a light shadow just in front of the bar. Sean turned to her. His eyes serious. His smile was gone. Usually sean was smiling to mask what he really felt. He liked to show the world that nothing ever got to him. That his shoulders weren't heavy with the weight of being alone. He wasn't smiling now. He looked her in the eyes and spoke quietly. "You want to see...? With your own two eyes?" Sean grabbed her hand lightly and slowly bled into the floor. They sank into the cement and changed dimensions from our wold to the shadow dimension.
There they stood outside the same bar only the world was canceled with a mute button. No sound rang out. Sound did not exist here. Cars drove by in silence. Or more so they shadowy shapes of cars. Lights lit up the floor and the walls in random spots. They were like piercing white lights of fire. Those were the shadows. The pools with which Sean could bleed back into the real world. Sean looked at her. He raised a finger to her lips. Her ghosts could not follow her hear. They did not exist here either. Sean rubbed his thumb againstg her lip and looked at her thoughtfully. He had so much he wanted to tell her, but he didn't understand himself why he kept her at arm's lenght. Turning away from her he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk down the sidewalk.
Last Edit: Apr 29, 2018 23:01:37 GMT by Silver Shadow
she rolled her eyes at his quick disregard for an obvious problem. It wasn’t nothing, still, she didn’t push the matter. If he didn’t want to tell her she wouldn’t force him, not matter how truly worried she was. Perhaps he didn’t realize how easy it was to care about someone extraordinary, like she did for him. Few people really understood her curse, she didn’t even understand it fully but Sean was one of the few who didn’t mind. It was almost refreshing. She nodded grimly ignoring the tug of the apparition’s voice whispering in the air, they always whispered and she always heard them. It was exhausting and eventually she believed she’d lose her mind but for the time being loud music and a good drink drowned them out.
“Yeah, looks like he drowned”, some spirits visited her as the vibrant people they used to be but those bordering on vengeful tended to be stuck in the moment of their demise. They were the things nightmares were made of, thankfully she didn’t scare easy. Darkness didn’t bother her, dying did. Seeing the aftermath of death left her hungry for life, albeit a life without dozens of ghosts shouting for her attention.
She could see the forceful avoidance of her gaze and she wondered what was so bad he couldn’t look at her. Finally, the truth seeped through his lips and she couldn’t help but understand. She would have dug deeper into what he meant if he didn’t urge her away from the uncomfortable stool hugging her legs. Lara didn’t hesitate for a second to follow, she didn’t mind putting some distance between her and the apparition anyway.
Lara watched him curiously, her eyes flickering to his nose worried to see another spec of crimson suggesting his participation in something that sounded dangerous. She understood thee raw basis of his abilties but the true depth of his power was a mystery to him. Sean’s reluctance to divulge his inntermost thoughts in anyone didn’t exacltly help her understand his predicament. She saw the flicker of the apparition moving closer, she hated it. Some were more aager than others, a few didn’t even realize she saw their pale visage. She forced her focus on him instead of the dripping corpse staggering slowly towards her.
She felt almost stunned by the lack of a cocky grin, this wasn’t normal for him. Even then she felt the touch of a grin on her lips dissipate at his shocking question. She was cautious and somewhat worried what she’d discover but there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation as she nodded.
“Yes”, she spared the apparition a single glance before embracing the odd feeling. It was about as unnerving as tiptoing on the edge of a skyscraper. Her stomach churned and her vision struggled to adapt, her hands reached out to steady her numb legs by holding onto Sean. She wondered if it was easier for him to move between the dimensions.
She couldn’t help but grin at the sight of the bar lacking a drowning victim or his anguished cries. It was bliss, she felt the weight of the dead slowly inch away from her and for a moment she wished that her entire existence felt this free. She met his gaze wondering if her gratitude was as obvious as it felt. She reached up to touch his hand for a moment curious where the moment would lead. She didn’t mind the solitude, it was the first time she could look at him without hearing a dozen different voices in her head. It was serene and addicting, she reveled in every single moment.
She wasn’t sure how the new world around them worked, when he walked away from her she was stunned for a moment before catching up. She set a palm to his chest and spared him a pointed look, “you’re not ditching me in some other dimension, are you? This isn’t the reason you were spooked back there, what’s really going on?”, she wasn’t even sure if her voice carried but she voiced the thoughts without a single care. Her entire mind felt foggy in the freedom of silence and she craved to know what was ruining his normally carefree grin.
Sean watchecd as Lara tried to say something. She was talking, but unfortunately it was a silent film. She talked loudly and expressively with her hands, but no sound came out. Not even the gust of wind ripping through the city had sound. Right before they bled through it sounded like a screaming howl of wind. Now trash blew along the street in absolute silence. Sean wanted to show her something. He was able to read her lips. She wanted to know if he was just leaving her here. Sean shook his head adimently.
With one hand he motioned for her to follow him. He could have just as easily teleported here. In the shadow realm he was king. He was imbuned with the powers of a god here. But instead he walked. He was giving her a guided tour of his inner most thoughts. This wasn't just another dimension. This was where he went when he was on the run form the cops. This was where he went to think. This bleak and depressing place where life felt suffocated.
As they walked their shadows moved in the real world. On the sidewalk, just outside the bar door their shadows walked across the ground. The same way shadows would normally behave only there were no bodies attached to them. Sean breathed deeply and exhaled. A icy breath escaped his chilled lips. He was heading back to the fool's dice club. Or at least it seemed he was. When he got to it's street he turned left instead of right and started heading the wrong way. All the while he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled he ralong gently behind him.
Across the street was a field. The field was covered in tall grass. The tall grass was a dark monochrome grey. The sky, though night in the real world was a bright vibrant grey. The moon a bright piering ball of white light. It hung in the sky and glowed like the center of the universe.
And it was. Here, it really was. Sean moved moved through the tall grass. Usually you would hear the swish swish swish of his legs pushing the grass out of the way. Not here. He was used to the nothingness. He was used to walking on the ceiling. It might have been disorienting for some but for him it was mirrored with his own inner thoughts. His mind was inverted now and he could walk this in his sleep.
Sean said nothing. He looked at Lara quietly and stared at her. As if he was a guide, guiding her through some weird dream where she was supposed to figure out the answer for herself. This was no dream. This was really happening. Sean looked at her with eyes that wished they could tell her more. No smile pulled at his lips. His eyes seemed to dance around her face. Wonder flickering around in the iris of his eye.
He turned his head to a long twisted tree sitting in the grass. This was where he went when something was after him. It was where he always went. Across the street from the clubhouse to this long narrow twisted tree. A tree she had probably seen a thousand times without ever realizing. Sean raised an arm and pointed at the tree.
Lowering his arm he walked over to it through the tall grass. The tree was very old. It's form cut across the light of the moon and made more shadows on the grass. Shadows within shadows. It was shadow inception. Sean pressed a hand flat against the rough bark of the tree. It was cold to the touch. He breathed out again. A cloud of breath greeted the cold air. Sean turned to look at Lara and moved his hand way from that spot on the tree. Her name was carved in the bark.
Sean pulled out a knife and flicked it open with the point he started to chip away atthe bark to carve back a rough edge he had neglected to properly wittle the first time. He smiled. He was glad this was the land of silence. She could say nothing. He didn't need to hear those heartbreaking words if she did turn him down. He was a loner and mostly an asshole, but he was really going out on a limb here. Sean looked down afraid of what he would see on her face. The point of the night digging into his leg a little. The pain readying him for what his heart might feel. She was always so in her head... Combating the voices. So was he. Her voices werre ghosts. His was self doubt.
Last Edit: Apr 30, 2018 0:13:38 GMT by Silver Shadow
Lara sighed briefly wiping at the hair blowing into her face soundlessly. She felt a tug in her scalp and she knew the dark tint to her locks would soon shit back into their natural pale blonde. There was never telling how long her abrupt hair dye endeavors held. When her powers manifested at a younger age the golden tint to her hair shifted into a pale white and the dead called out to her. She attributed it to a physical manifestation of her abilities. She left the thought aside and followed behind him with a curious glance.
She watched the grey world shift around her and pure awe filled her mind, the complicated world around them made her admire his unique skills even more. It was absolutely amazing and every silent second she felt the touch of a quick gust of wind against her shoulders she wanted to get lost in his world. It was quiet and peaceful and she loved every single second of it.
Lara contemplated reaching out to touch him in fear she might wander off and lose herself in this new world. The route the walked seemed nostalgically familiar and she wondered if he was about to take her back to the club, a gnawing thought in the back of her mind insisted he’d spend the time here doing something carrying more worth than a trip back home.
She looked up to the moon for a second but her gaze into the white light didn’t last as long as she would have liked. Instead she looked back to Sean at the addictive touch of his hand against her wrist. The glanced over her shoulder to the road they’d normally take to the club, she’d seen the tall grass countless times but she never ventured into the field. she reached her hand down to feel the touch of the grass gently caressing her skin, it was almost intoxicating.
Lara supposed she’d seen the twisted tree more times than she could count but curiosity never lead her into the confines of the tall grass. She was glad though, it made this moment terrifyingly more special and she’d much rather explore his innermost thoughts without the ghostly shouts in her mind. She followed closer to the tree with curiosity prying inside her complex mind. Her feet felt heavy as she looked down at his palm. When he moved his hand she felt her head roll in a new ultimate high. Lara kept her gaze focused on the letter of her name, scared if she looked at him he’d change his mind and rip her from the world she learned the true meaning of silence.
Her fingers rubbed softly over the rough bark before she reached out without a glance and took the knife from him. Lara tugged a strand of hair behind her ear and for a second she could see the lighter tint to her otherwise dark hair. While she couldn’t see the blonde or the brown strands, she knew the pale touch of her curse was taking hold again.
Nevertheless, she rubbed her fingers over the bark for a single second before carving the letters of his name below hers. Perhaps this way she didn’t have to face her fears of opening up, the sentiment of her passionate feelings would be executed in a simple carving. Lara turned slowly before easing the knife back into his palm and bravely lifting her chin to look at him. She knew it was hard opening up and Lara couldn’t imagine how much it took for him to bring her into this world. For that quiet second in time she ignored the turmoil in her mind begging for caution and reached up to embrace him. Lara needed to fuel her passion, her addiction.
A smile touched his lips briefly. He allowed it to live there but a fraction of a second before it faded away. Sean wasn't one to show his feelings. Even showing her this spot was a stretch. He blushed slightly and kicked absentmindedly at a rock with his foot. It rolled silently along the ground and disappeared in the brush. Sean felt the knife in his hand and he clutched it tightly. His fingers ran over the carving in the wood. Their names together. It seemed right.
Grabbing her shoulder he brought her back. They bled into the real world. Beside them cars whizzed past and honking horns blarred. All the usual sounds of the city filled their ears. The world was once more alive with color and life. Sean took a step back. He was holding her hand. Grasping it lightly. He allowed his grasp to loose and let go as he took another step back. The tree beside them was there still. It existed in that world as much as it did this one. Sean's shadow dimension was the mirror image of this world only with muted colors and sound. And spun around upside down.
Who was to say that world wasn't real. Sean had always refered to that place as not the shadow dimension, but as the traveling lands. When he slipped into that world of grey, he said he was traveling. It sounded easier on the tongue than 'crossing to another plain of interdimensional existance.' Sean had always traveled alone. Now she was here to witness the loneliness that he felt everytime he came here. It was nice in a way to open up to her, but at the same time... He was terrified.
Sean folded the knife and slipped it back in his pocket. The wind rushed against his back. His hair blew slightly in the breeze and he stepped closer to Lara. Daring to challenge his loneliness. His eyes were on hers, serious, curious. His heart was beating out of her chest. Sean was holding his breathe. His heart was hammering in his ears.
Behind him a ghost from before jumped from the tree. The very same tree that had their names carved on it. There in that little rough patch of bark it said "Lara, Sean" The ghost had a nuece around it's neck and the rope snapped tight as it hung itself. It swung from the tree. It's feet almost kicking Sean in the back. Sean didn't even realize it was there.
Sean reached up and cupped Lara's face. His hand was warm against her cool skin. She felt so cold. Exhaling he could see his own breath, but he was shaking. He was nervous. He didn't know why he decided to show her this, tonight of all nights but he had. He was tired of hiding in the shadows. He was tired of exisisting on a plain where he felt like no one knew him. Sean was throwing it all out there for a moment.
Last Edit: May 1, 2018 23:50:47 GMT by Silver Shadow
The world engulfed her like a flood, she could feel her head grow heavy under the weight of ghostly whispers and her gaze searched the horizon for spectators others couldn’t see. The weight that left her shoulders was instantly tossed back onto her and felt like it doubled in size. She heard the pleads of the dead like sirens in the distance, they howled and echoed inside the confines of her mind and nothing she did could drown out their haunting voices. For a second Lara thought she might vomit right there but the feeling passed and she found her feet anchored to the ground.
Lara found herself glancing up at Sean with a soft smile, he was truly extraordinary and his capabilities were astounding. Besides, he spared her a moment’s silence in years and it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. There were no words to express her gratitude, she hoped the livelier glint in her gaze was proof enough.
She was almost cautious to talk, it was the real world but she half imagined her words to come out muted. Lara saw the sudden movement behind him and she closed her eyes with a grimace in hopes the ghost would venture back where it came from without pestering her. When she was younger she used to run away in fear they might kill her and while some of the entities were more dangerous than most the mundane victims to death weren’t much to fear. Not in the sense that they could hurt her. She opened her eyes slowly and peeked over his shoulder to see the ghost still swinging back and forth, it’s voice grew loud and remorseful in her mind.
Lara took a deep breath and in a desperate effort to drown out the apparition she chose to look nowhere except Sean’s gaze. She needed something more than pure will power to ground her, to draw her away from the spirit world and root her to reality. The voices were getting louder in her head, she could discern some and others were a jumbled mess. Some called out to their loved ones, others whispered incoherent thoughts and in rare cases few apologized for bothering.
Lara didn’t hesitate to smile into the warm touch of his hand. She was always a little more cold than the average person, another physical manifestation of her closeness to the dead. Lara never imagined the night turning into this. She could still hear the taught swing of the noose but she chose to ignore it, there were more pressing thoughts on her mind.
“Sean, I’m- I’m not very good at this. I grew up talking to dead people, my socials skills are a little rusty”, she chuckled lightly unsure of why she even said the words. Perhaps it was the only way to dissipate some of her nervousness. Lara shoved her irrational fear for the future to a pit they couldn’t bother her, reached up to lace her arms behind his neck and flipped off the ghost in the process.
It’s dead, glazed over eyes seemed unmoving but she didn’t care. Lara acted on the impulse forcing her heart to beat rapidly in her chest and her mind to fog over with his name lingering on the edge of her conscious mind. Lara pressed her ruby tinted lips to his in a passionate embrace, the closeness soothed the aching thud in her head and the voices drowned out slowly. It was almost as peaceful as the world his powers allowed him to visit. When she pulled back breathlessly a question lingered on her mind and she knew if she didn’t ask she’d forget.
“Back at the bar you said you’re playing with things you don’t understand? Obviously that’s not what you showed me, what more is there?”, Lara glared up at the swinging ghost with disdain. “Fucking leave already!”, in rare moments the spirits complied only to haunt her later. This time was about as rare as it got and she couldn’t be more thankful to see the apparition dissipate into nothing but empty air.
Sean dared to smile. It seemed unfitting and unnatural to his face. He was always seen as the tough guy. The one who stood in the corner of the club and happily wore a scowl while the rest celebrated some victory. Sean just wans't very plesant most of the time. But, where Lara dealt with voices, he dealt with silence. It was both his favorite and least favorite place to be, the traveling lands. He both loved and hated it there. Sean stepped closer. It began to rain.
Soft drops dancing all around them, a light sprinkle. He hardly noticed. His thoughts were trained on the words spilling out of her lips. They were soft and delicate and everything he wanted to hear. He watched the slight hesitation and his brow furrowed for a second. "You grew up talking to dead people. I grew up feeling dead, wandering a vast wastland of silence." There was a ying/yang poetic justice to it. She just wanted the voices to stop. He fled to a place where sound could not penetrate and yet all he wanted was to hear the words daring to fall from her tongue.
It was louder than the silence. It was all he could here. Not the sound of th rain pounding all around them, nor the sound of th cars rushing by. They were close to the traffic. Something else he failed to notice. The wind of the cars rushing by blew Lara's hair around to the other side of her shoulder. He didn't peel his eyes away from here. This moment was tense, palpable. She stared at him expecting him to take the next step. He didn't know what to say. His voice caught in his throat. His mouth opened but nothing came out. His throat felt dry and scratchy all of a sudden. Then she caught him off gaurd asking him about what he said in the bar.
"I...." He started. He closed his mouth. There was a small modest smile pushing outwars from the corners of his cheeks. "That's not all i can do." He said. He took her hand and lead her deeper into the field. Further away from the side of the road. As they ran through the tall grass he could begin to feel the rain hitting his skin. It was cool and inviting. He was flushed and hot. The panic in the moment had his heart hammering in his chest. He could do all this dangerous shit and not be phased by it. But this? This was terrfying.
Standing in the clearing he let go of Lara's hand. Sean stood with his back to her. The logo on the back of his Fool's Dice jacket smiling at her. That twisted grim reaper holding the pair of dice. As if everyone's death was just a roll of the dice. He often had wondered if the logo had ever bothered her. Being a grim reaper and she could talk to dead people. It was just dripping with irony. Sean lowered his hands to his sides. He focusecd on a fixed point in front of him. Across the field was some trees in a wooded area. Nothing resided back there except treeland creatures and darkness.
Suddenly his hands started shaking. His fingers were tensed as if he gripped something invisible. He stretched his arms out in front of him. He dug into the open air with his clinched fingers and focused on opening a hole. Pulling, tearing, ripping at the fabrics of this reality he screamed from his effort. He let out a low, harsh gutteral roar as he pulled a hole into the open space. His hands were grasping at the edges of this reality and he pulled open a tear into the darkness.
Into that hellscape where he was afraid to visit. He only allowed a peek behind the curtain before he closed it again. Sean collapsed to the ground tired, heaving and out of breathe. His nose was bleeding again. Out of both nostrils this time. Thick oozing black char. Dark energy bled from his nose and it was more painful than the last time. Sean didn't fully understand what this was, but he could visit more than just the traveling lands. He could enter the dark dimension and that was a nightmarish hellscape that took much more concintration to control. It took much more energy to withstand and it took alot more courage than he posessed to enter.
She liked the touch of rain to her skin, it was a relief to the hazy heat flushing over her in anger at the apparitions voice pestering her mind. At least she couldn’t see it’s dull eyes anymore, instead she grounded herself in Sean’s gaze. It was far more comforting and inviting. A slight shiver ran down her spine as the icy cold of the dead washed over her again. It was a normal sensation that she’d grown rather comfortable with. It was rare that she had enough control to keep their visages at bay, perhaps it was the combined passion and fear from her closeness with Sean.
Her eyes lit up and a happy grin made an appearance on her ruby tinted lips, it was almost unique contrast in their personalities left. “You don’t have to wander alone”, she hardly even realized that the pounding she heard was her heart thudding in her chest. She never opened up to anyone quite like she did then and while it was terrifying in the best of ways she loved every second of it. Her only hope was that it didn’t burn to ashes before it even truly began.
She reached up to keep her hair from flailing around in the wind but the elements were stubborn and resilient. Before long she gave up the futile effort to keep her locks at bay. Lara’s mind drifted afloat in a fury of passion, everything about the moment was as addictive as it got and for a while she was on an all time high.
Lara found warmth in his touch and followed curiously into the heart of the field. What more could there be outside the quiet world he shared with her? Her imagination was short sighted in the thought of deeper meanings to his enticing abilities. Even if they weren’t here for a grand show of his capabilities she’d be glued to the perfection of the open field and pouring rain. Having an extraordinary man share a piece of himself with her was the ultimate bonus.
Her feet took slow, measured steps forward and while she couldn’t see his handsome features she assumed they were contorted in a fit of concentration. Reality tore open at his touch, at his request and she had to keep herself from reaching out to stop him when a scream tore from his lips. The world in front of her shifted and for a moment she felt as if it was all a deep illusion. How could this possibly be true? The curtain pulled apart to show nothing past it but a deep darkness.
Her chest grew heavy and her shoulders slumped slightly, when spirits visited her she always felt some measure of pain and despair from their passing. This place was worse, it’s almost ominous touch drifted through the tear in reality and covered her with the feeling of a hundred dead spirits all begging for attention. She wasn’t sure what the place was but it was infinitely different than the silent haven Sean showed her. His world was quiet and serene but this place was not only dark by the pure definition of it’s sight but something sinister contorted in it’s impossibly murky horizon.
She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when he closed it, her eyes only stayed glued to the spot for a second longer before she noticed Sean collapsing to the ground. She didn’t hesitate to fall to her knees in the muddy field in front of him. Lara reached out to cup his face with he cold palms and worry clouded her mind at the sight of black char dripping from his nose. Lara didn’t hesitate to reach out and wiped the dark oozing blood from his skin and wiped it on the fabric of her jeans.
“What the hell was that Sean?”, she felt the rain shroud her clothes in a wet mess and by then her hair clung to her shoulders. Much like the shadow realm he shared with her the dark tone of her hair was slowly replaced by pale blonde locks. The natural manifestation of her power, she suspected it was because of the dread expelled through that partial open curtain.
“Can it kill you?”, it was obviously taking a toll on him but she wondered just how far those effects stretched. Was it enough to pull his life force from him. Dead people bothered her but she never wanted to see him as a remnant of who he was. Lara wasn’t sure how to deal with that. But at the same time morbid curiosity drifted afloat in her mind and she wondered just what hid in that deep darkness.
Sean was vaugly aware that she had dropped to her knees beside him. He was trying to catch his breath. It felt awful. It wasn't just his nose, it felt as if his lungs were filled with that black oozing tar. He felt the warmth of her hands on his face and suddenly she was wiping his nose. Sean thought bitterly about this. Great! Soon she'll be wiping your ass! He thought.
It was a harsh voice inside his mind. He didn't like being coddled or taken care of. Mostly because he hated feeling helpless, and he was used to taking care of himself. He could barely breathe at the moment. His mind was all jumbled. Dizzy and heavy with more worry than common sense. "Leave that fucking door closed!" He told himself quietly, through fits of coughing. His voice was in his mind. Although, there was a quieter voice. A stupid voice that whispered in his ear like a dark passenger grasping for control.
That nipping tinging urge inside him that needed to know what lied behind the veil of darkness. Sean looked over to Lara and noticed the black char that had dripped from his nose was stuck to her hand. It was hard to get off your skin. He still had smudges of it under his nose. Like they were branded by ink. The darkness owns us now. Somewhere in his head he heard a whisper. It wasn't his imagination this time. It was a sickening gutterl nasty voice and it sounded angry.
It sounded pure evil. It's whispering demands came tumbling through his mind like a freight train. It felt like rusty nails scratching at the inside of his skull. Sean grabbed his head and doubled over in the mud. He let out a cry. Lara was talking. She might as well have been a million miles away. Sean couldn't sense her. He could barely hear her. She was drown out by the demonic things that called to him from within. Things that he felt owned him in a way that made his hands shake. He belonged to these things. These things of darkness. These creatures that dwelled in a dark place where no light could find.
"Do not shut us out!" A voice cried inside his mind. Suddenly Sean was scared. He had never heard voices before. This one was clear as day. It sounded like a man; trying to growl out his words in the deepest, most disturbing voice. "WE WILL NOT STAY LOCKED AWAY!" Another, more shrill monsterous voice called out. Sean scrambled to his feet. The echos pulsing in his skull were gone. It was like someone ripped a sheet off the sun. Whatever darkness lied there was gone, it was only him and Lara, and the field in the rain.
Sean finally caught his breathe. He took a huge gasp. The rain was coming harder now. HIs silver hair was matted to his head. His eyes wide as he stared at Lara. Her hair was... Blond now? He couldn't make sense of it. His hair turned silver the first time he stepped into the shadow realm. He had visted the traveling lands and came back with locks of silver. The world bleched out what life and color his hair had. Before that it was black as raven feathers.
Now he stared at her. Wet strands of silver hair slightly covered his eyes. She asked him what the hell that was he didn't know. The voices were gone. His lungs expanded and he felt he could breathe. The rain washed way the smudges under his nose and the sticky resedue on Lara's hands. Suddnely it was just the two of them in a noisy world where the dead wouldn't quiet. "I don't know what that was." He admitted.
Creatures from the dark dimension called out to him. They were inside him now. The black ooze running down his noses were their footprints leading into his mind. He just didn't know it yet. Her next question rocked him. She asked if it could kill him. He didn't know. For a moment he felt like he was dying. Drowing in black tar to be more specific. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. Sean thought about dying that way and how horrible that would be.
He thought about coming to Lara and only being able to see her as one of her dead people that follow her. He pictured black tar dripping out of his ears nose and eyes and not being able to speak to her, despite her gifts. Fore, he was trapped in the shadow realm, even after death. He resided in a silent place. Cursed to see the girl he cared about and never able to speak a word to her. Only she was cursed to see him and never outrun his haunting. Sean blinked a few times. Without thinking he pulled her close and kissed her. It was the only thing he wanted in that moment. The taste of life. Sean never did answer her question about weather the dark energy could kill him. Instead he pulled her close and hugged her.
Lara never felt so helpless in her life, he was in front of her crumbling under the weight of his impressive abilities bordering on a dangerous edge and she had no power to help him. It felt uniquely strange for her to be this close to someone, it wasn’t the physical closeness but the intense mental closeness that left her legs feeling numb and her chest heavy under the weight of her thudding heart. Lara couldn’t help but wonder just what lurked in that darkness, whatever it was had her blood running cold in both wonder and fear. Looking through that window she half appreciated the voice of the ghost instead of the leaking cold into that dark, murky dimension.
She as worried for him, he felt millions of miles away as if she couldn’t reach him in an abyss of darkness and it frustrated her. Lara had half a mind to tie a rope around him in fear he’d float away through another murky window. Still, the most she could do was reach out to touch him, even if it did nothing for him it helped her stay rooted to the reality that he was still there. She jumped back slightly at his sudden rise to his feet but she didn’t take too long to follow. Mud clung to her jeans but it didn’t bother her, she wasn’t ever fussy about her appearance and there wasn’t much she could to but embrace the full onslaught of the rainy elements.
She wasn’t certain what she wanted him to tell her but having him as in the dark about the dark place he showed her as she was, was as disconcerting as it got. Lara watched the dark stains on his skin wash away at the touch of the rain and she looked down to see her own pale palms clean of the sticky substance. The mud on her jeans though, it spread more than it washed away, it still wasn’t a problem to her.
“Well then we’ll figure it out”, she spoke almost softly knowing that curiosity was as powerful as fear and a place full of shadows and mystery was as intriguing as it got. If it shook him this bad she’d happily delve into a dangerous dimension to watch his back. She definitely needed a drink after this whole trip and maybe some dry clothes. She was almost naturally cold because of her close relationship with the dead but even then, an icy wind tugged at her skin and she shivered in response.
She didn’t hesitate to delve into the passion of their kiss, it was as close as she got to the vibrant ideal of living as she ever imagined. Every second was an eternity in bliss and she reached up to close her arms around his neck. For a moment in time there was nothing cold or dead that weighed on her shoulders and she felt normal, unbothered by the ghostly whispers of dead people. All because of him. He was truly extraordinary and she doubted that her words would ever compare to the intimate perfection of the moment.
Pulling buck from the hug, even though it was more than absolutely addictive to her she tugged at the wet strands of her blonde hair. “Just fucking great. I just colored my hair last week”, she chuckled lightly reaching up and tying her hair into a loose bun behind her head feeling no need to have them cling to her face the entire time.
“As great as this is”, a charming smirk set on her lips as she watched him, “maybe we can move somewhere a little more comfortable, and warm”. Lara couldn’t help the smile spreading over her features, it felt so genuinely foreign and she couldn’t help but admire the freedom of their honesty. This was everything she never knew she longed for.
Sean said nothing. His legs still felt wobbly beneath him. Not only from the dark energy that crashed through his body like a freight train, but from the kiss. That single moment suspended in his memory. His lips tingled a bit. As if the last of her lived and died on the skin of them. The rain was really pouring. It could have been hailing for all he knew. He stared at her dumbly for a moment. Drips and drops of rain clinging to the skin of his face and rolling down sad cheeks. His expression frozen in disbelief and terror, and honestly.... Joy.
The things in his head were scary. They quieted now, they dulled down until their faint whispers were drowned out by the pattering rain. He could still hear them. He could still feel them clawing around in there. They were quiet, they were not gone. His eyes were blank and expressionless. He wanted more than anything to taste her lips again. A kiss in the rain. Sean was not the romantic type. He didn't go out of his way to show his affections. It just wasn't his style, but that moment was powerful. Sean's shoulders heaved, he didn't realize he was breathing hard.
"Yeah let's go." He said softly. Trying to put those horrible voices out of his mind. His voice carried like he was on shouting it down a long hallway. It sounded distant. He was distant. Sean's feet only moved because he felt his hand being pulled. He quickly took control. He grabbed her by the hand and headed towards the clubhouse. The Fool's Dice club was a rowdy place most of the time. It wasn't the place you thought of when you thought of quiet intimacy. Instead it was the place you thought of when you thought of wild, loud parties.
Sean had a room there. All of the Fool's did. Not Lara. She didn't have her own room at the clubhouse because she was just a prospect. She hadn't earned her right to be called a true fool. Usually it was the prospects that did all the grunt work. Sean was out with her tonight to make sure she didn't fuck up. He really could be a cynical asshole when he wanted to be. In fact, most of the fools found Sean a little too serious for their tastes. He didn't indulge in the endless line of drugs and booze. He didn't bury himself in cheap woman who only wanted the honor of saying they were with a fool, or they were a fool's girl for a night. Sean never cared about any of that shit.
What he cared about was respect, power. He cared about earning a decent living and sticking the screws to assholes who thought they were better than him because they were 'born pure'. He was a mutant. So fucking what. Sean was one of those mutants who took it as a point of pride. He was always a cocky guy, but he loved having the ability to do things that nobody else could. To see places that no one else would ever see. Now all he wanted to do was share that with one woman. What the fuck is happening. He wondered as he saw the clubhouse coming into view. He was the very definition of loner until tonight, so what changed?
That nagging gnawing question kept tugging at him. He glanced back over his shoulder at her pale face. He wondered if he was doing this because he honestly liked her, or if he was swept up into a moment of weakness. He couldn't tell. Honestly he didn't care. They moved quickly up the steps to the clubhouse and Sean pushed the door open. They were greeted to the sound of loud music. On the stripper stage was one of Queenie's girls. Sean cast a sharp glance to Mouse as he moved through the bar. Mouse took note of them, but Sean had let go of Lara's hand before they entered. Sean merely nodded to mouse and kept going. "Come on." He urged, making his way to the back of the clubhouse.
His room was at the end of the hallway. He looked down the hall and saw Marco disappearing into his room with some woman. Cheap women and all the beer you could drink.... Sean rolled his eyes. Sean found his room and pushed open the door. Prospects were expected to do whatever the members asked them to do. Even if they disagreed with it. That was just how you earned your full jacket. You earned your patch through loyalty and never questioning the fools. Sean's room was dirty. It had no pictures on the wall. No memories of friends or family. Just some dirty clothes lying on the floor and a light that seemed determined to flicker it's fluorescent lighting.
What was he going to do? His heart was pounding in his ears. He brought her here for a reason. He wanted..... Fuck! He didn't know what he wanted. He was soaked to the skin. Sean peeled his fools dice jacket off and tossed it on the dresser. He peeled his shirt off his wet skin. The white, now see through shirt came off revealing his cut abs and hard muscle. His skin was cut, bruised.... There were marks that looked like burns and black smudges pouring out of the cuts... Staining the skin and smelling of burnt rubber. Dark energy was inside him. He didn't know that. He didn't know shit in this moment as he moved into the bathroom. Leaving the prospect standing in his doorway. "Close the door." He told her as he looked into the mirror.
Sean looked at the now faint smudges under his nose and glared at himself in the mirror. He wasn't sure if he liked what he saw looking back at him. He was a loner, an asshole and overall a piece of work, but he had felt something, something he didn't know he was allowed to feel. A brief glimmer of something more than the dead silence that thudded in his ears and filled his every waking moment. He glanced at Lara's reflection in the bathroom mirror. He could see her over his shoulder in the other room. She was just a prospect. It was crazy. What started out as just babysitting a prospect while she did a little light job turned into.... Whatever this was.
Sean opened the mirror with a sigh and grabbed a bottle of asprin. He unscrewed the cap and palmed a couple of pills before slamming them back and swallowing them dry. He leaned on the edge of the sink. Reaching up he slowly closed the mirror until she came back into the reflection. Still standing in the doorway. She looked unsure of what was happening. That made two of them. He glared at her in the reflection with an expression that was unreadable. He didn't even know what he was doing right now himself.
Last Edit: May 6, 2018 21:53:36 GMT by Silver Shadow
Lara wasn’t surprised when the gentle tug from Sean carried them to the clubhouse, at least it was dry of heavy rain and howling winds. The cold was slowly starting to tear through her skin but there was a warmth radiating through her blood and she could only thank Sean for that brief glimmer of heat in the cold touch of the elements. She was somewhat surprised for the intimacy that flooded their encounter, for the most part she’d seen him as this awfully serious stranger and there was infinitely more beneath the surface, she just had to dig. But in all honesty, she only did what she was told and the last thing she expected to happen was an almost theatrical romance in the middle of aa pouring storm. It was unexpected and absolutely enticing all at the same time and all she wanted was to capture the passion that radiated off that singular moment in time and bottle it up for an eternity where the dead could go fuck themselves and the living could fuel her motives.
Her feet felt heavy and light at the same time as she followed him up the steps to the clubhouse, her hand felt vacant without his touch but she didn’t mind following behind him without a physical leash to lead her forward. Honestly, Lara didn’t even know why she still indulged the moment when she never even predicted anything of the sort but something deeper than simple curiosity drove her every step and urged her mind to delve into the mystery.
Andi didn’t pay much attention at anything besides the burning will to follow behind Sean, she was glad for the peace and quiet of his room. She didn’t even mind the messy décor or nagging thoughts burning through her head. Her eyes almost instinctively searched the corners of the room for another dead soul looking for a lifeline to the living world. Thankfully she found his room void of spirits and the only reminder of her gifts were faint whispers echoing in her mind.
“No ghosts, that’s a plus”, her voice was quiet and almost inaudible as she looked over the walls of the room uncertain of what she was supposed to do. Lara wasn’t sure where this was going or what they were even doing but she knew she needed to be there in that moment in time whether it was fate or whatever the fuck people called it. Lara found herself staring at Sean in an almost surreal trance as he rid himself of the drenched clothes, when she realized her gaze was steadfast she looked to the pile of dirty clothes with slight blush instead.
For a long time she just stood there tapping her fingers against her hips trying to decipher the turmoil raging inside her complex mind. She wasn’t sur what she wanted to come of this but she sure as hell didn’t want to freeze to death in the confines of her wet clothes. “Hope you don’t mind but I’m taking a shirt!”, Lara didn’t bother glancing at him in the bathroom as she grasped one of her shirts in her slender fingers and pulled her own wet clothes over her head. The dry shirt was a welcoming touch to her cold skin and she tossed her wet clothes to the corner with a happy sigh.
Lara’s fingers combed through her wet hair for a moment and she had to remind herself that it needed another color, she loved her abilities but she hated the manifestations in her pale hair and icy skin. Lara sat down on the edge of his bed with legs crossed over one another as she counted the wrinkled lines of her palms. The last time she was close with anyone in the way she’d been with Sean ended up biting her in the ass, albeit he wasn’t a mutant and a girl seeing dead people wasn’t acceptable in his eyes. He was dead, his ghost haunted her for about a week after his accident but she’d managed to shut the dick out.
Her mind kept drifting to the black tar brandishing Sean’s peek into the darkness he shared with her, Lara didn’t know much more about it except that made an ominous feeling cloud over her mind. Whether she was worried about him because she cared for him or because she felt the heavy weight of death and despair through the brief window into that dark dimension was still questionable.
“This was a lot easier out there in the rain”, she didn’t look up as she spoke but she meant every word she said. Out there every action was fueled by pure passion and she didn’t think twice before kissing him and suddenly when they were out of the elements she barely even knew how to stand or how to talk. For a second she wondered if this was purely fueled by her desire to drown out the voices in her head but tonight was the first time in the entirety of her life that an intimate embrace was enough to drown out the dull calls of the dead. It wasn’t just the passion or the howling wind bringing the cold touch of the rain, it was Sean. She knew it and she couldn’t deny it, maybe that was why she was sitting there unsure where the road would lead but desperate to feel that peaceful touch of passion in her mind even if it was only for a moment.
