A/N: I'm back with a vengeance! Get pumped guys. I'm going to try and update Little Games here soon, I've already started the next chapter. There's an explanation of my absence in the A/N of that update if I ever get around to finishing it. In the meantime, this is another collaboration piece with my lovely friend and fellow author who shall not be named at this time.
This fic was actually not planned at all, just a heads up. I'm not sure if we're going to continue it or not. It was mostly just a spur-of-the-moment thing that turned into something we actually liked. It's written in two alternating POV, both OC. Pairings (for now) are implied Tamsin/OC and foreshadow of Kenzi/OC that will be eventual if we decide to keep going. We tried to make it easy to follow but if it's not, please let me know so I can make necessary changes! Okay, go read, I'm done now.
Disclaimer: We do not own Lost Girl or its characters (but we do own the two OC chickadees).
The roads glistened under the dingy streetlamps, coated in a thin sheet of freshly fallen rain water. The air was muggy as I approached the street corner- just two more blocks to go. As I neared the crosswalk, my eyes caught on a pair of flashing blue eyes. Standing in the middle of the street was a ravishing woman like none I had ever seen before.
It was nearing midnight and I needed to get home but doing so would be impossible without, in turn, passing the wild and extravagantly dressed creature. Deciding there was no other option, I cautiously began my small trek across the shimmering pavement. As I passed a streetlight, it blew out as though it were a candle and someone were all too gentle in it's sweet demise. A chill went up my spine and my attention was drawn back to the middle of the street- but the woman had disappeared.
No more than a month later, I was on a bus, making my way through town. The bus was empty other than myself and a woman wearing a dark maroon corset that poked out from her leather jacket. I looked up at the figure across from me- she was staring directly into my eyes. After a moment of contemplation, I realized that it was the woman from the street just a month before.
"Can I help you?" I whispered, trying, and failing, to sound sarcastically intimidating when my voice lost its nerve. She simply smiled mischievously and extended her hand, which I felt I had no choice but to grasp.
I sucked in a quick gulp of air as she pulled me off the bus at the next stop, then down an alley to an old door. I closed my eyes as she dragged me across the threshold, immediately shoving me into what felt like a stool or a chair of some kind.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a dimly lit room- no, a bar. There was a short, bald old man in a vest cleaning glasses behind the counter. On the stool to my right was the captivating brunette with the flashing blue eyes- my captor. Though, I couldn't help but notice that those electric eyes were now as chocolatey brown as her long locks.
To my left, leaning comfortably against the sturdy, aged, wood counter of the bar, was a pale girl with dyed red hair tumbling over her shoulders and down her chest and back in clusters of loose curls. She had light grey eyes accented by long, thick lashes- longer than I had seen without them being plastic. She held out her hand to me, snickering at how obviously flustered and confused I was.
"I'm Netty," the girl explained. "Miss lack-of-manners over there is Bo." She nodded towards the woman who brought me to the bar. The brunette then slid a drink in my direction. I was at a complete loss for words, like I had suddenly lost my voice. So instead of responding to the strange pair or drinking the chilled, frothy beverage before me, I simply stared at the crystal mug. I watched the droplets of sweat as they slid down the sides and pool into a ring of condensation around the base of the drink.
POV Netty
Bo's latest catch was rather quiet, but that wasn't an uncommon trait among her playthings. The succubus always seemed to have that sort of effect on unsuspecting loners, what with her being so irresistible and all. Lately she's developed a habit of bringing home strays. I tried to be polite despite the obvious- well, obvious to someone like myself- circumstances.
"I'm Netty," I told the stranger. "Miss lack-of-manners over there is Bo." I gestured towards the succubus to the right of the girl. "And who, may I say, are you, gracing us with your presence this evening?"
"A-Ari..." the barely audible newcomer muttered awkwardly. "Um...if you don't mind my asking...where am I?"
Before I could explain the dimly lit pub to the girl, a loud, perky, slightly slurred voice sounded from behind me.
"What, this old place? Why, you've found yourself at the one and only Dal Riata, my naïve, little friend!" Kenzi bounced into place beside me, throwing an arm lazily over my shoulders. I hadn't the time nor thought to warn the nervous newcomer about this obnoxious little goth with an unsettling knack for sniffing out unease (seriously, the girl may as well be fae at this point; I swear, she can smell discomfort from a block away). I watched with amusement as the girl, Ari, took in the sight of Kenzi and all of her usual, buzzed glory.
The plucky human was sporting her usual Dal attire: purple corset, fishnets tights, tiny black skirt, and painfully hazardous, knee-high, platform boots. Her eyes were artfully lined in black, lashes glazed with her favorite mascara. Her black hair was slightly disheveled because- well, because she's Kenzi.
Managing to find her voice, "I'm sorry, where? The what now?," Ari asked, though still not able to look away from the distracting blob of Kenzi strewn across my torso.
"The Dal Riata," the succubus replied. "It's just an old pub; nothing too special." Bo's voice was smooth and calming, which was honestly no surprise since she could undoubtedly read the poor girl's anxious aura right now. "Oh, and this mess of alcohol is Kenzi." The brunette nodded warily towards her intoxicated roommate.
"Yep, that's me! The infamous Kenz-meister, queen of fabulous; bestie, BFF, roomie; the works, yo." Kenzi took a nice sized gulp of the drink that the pint-sized barkeep placed on the counter next to my arm. He looked as though he were contemplating to stay and welcome the newcomer but, after taking in the current state of the 'queen of fabulous', he settled on shuffling back to clean glasses, muttering something to himself about her liver.
Before anyone could think of a rational response to Kenzi's- well, to Kenzi's existence in general-, a crash sounded through the bar. All heads turned in the direction of the pool table to watch a tall, green-eyed blonde as she hoisted a sleazy looking bar patron from the ground by his shirt collar, her shiny badge gleaming from her belt every time a candle flame hit it at the right angle. Radiating anger was apparent as she glared narrowly at the drunken man in her clutches.
Her sharp voice rang over the hushed bar. "Wanna say something else about her, sweetheart?" I felt the guy's glance flick to my face and my body tensed at the realization that she was referring to me. I saw Ari cringe from the corner of my eye.
"Who is that?" she whispered. I sighed heavily before metaphorically introducing her to the intimidating woman across the room.
"That...would be Tamsin."
POV Ari
"Tamsin!" the red head cried out, scaring me almost as much as the initial crash had.
Upon hearing what I assumed to be her name, the blonde slowly put the man down. Even after he was safely on his feet and scurrying away like a startled cat, I could clearly see the silent threat of destruction gleaming in her emerald eyes.
The tiny, drunk girl- the one they called Kenzi- shuffled her way to the other side of me, closer to the mysterious Bo who had dragged me to this odd place.
The blonde sauntered over to where we sat, a look of pent up frustration plastered on her face, and stood awkwardly behind Netty, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder in a protective manner, all the while refusing to make eye contact with me. The tension of the entire situation was intensely thick- almost painful- to the point where I began to question if I should even breathe for fear of setting something- someone- off.
"New toy, succulet?" She remarked monotonously towards Bo while making a side sweep at Netty- almost begging one of them to reply before the 'toy' had the chance to plea her own- my own case.
"I'm...Ari," I stuttered, shocked at her rudeness. Tamsin smirked at me with what could only be identified as pity. The amount of attitude that she managed to tie up in her perfect ponytail was astounding to me.
"It's alright, Tamsin, calm down. She's a new...friend of Bo's," Netty snickered, winking at Bo. I don't think I've ever been so confused in my life. It was like everyone in the bar knew something about me- something apparently rather significant, at that- except for me.
"Whatever. You freaks have fun." Tamsin left the Dal Riata, distraught and pouty like a child whose school crush just left them on the swing-set to play with a new kid on the monkey bars. I caught her backwards glance at the red head and I could swear I saw a glimpse of longing in her green-eyes, defying her cold demeanor in every way possible.
"What was that about?" I asked once I was sure the blonde was out of earshot. "And will someone please explain to me why the hell you brought me here?" My frustration with the situation intensified henceforth when Netty and Kenzi exploded in fits of giggles that were laced with a bit of 'I know something you don't but you're going to have to figure it out on your own' and stumbled off together, arms sloppily draped across each other's shoulders.
POV Netty
Kenzi and I sank heavily into a booth against the wall of the Dal. We managed to control our laughter enough to take in some much needed oxygen. A second later, I could feel Kenzi's icy eyes boring holes into the side of my face.
"Can I help you with something, oh mighty queen of fabulous?" I mocked with a smirk, turning my gaze in her direction.
"Oh, nothing...I just couldn't help noticing detective bitchy-blonde hulking out on that loser over you. And the way she turned guard dog on you afterwards and stomped out all jealous grumpy-pants." The little goth's impish grin grew with every word until, I swear, she turned into the Cheshire cat.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Kenzi," I lied through my teeth. I had definitely noticed the blonde's actions. I felt my face stain crimson at the thoughts. "Something's going on with Bo's entree over there..." I tried desperately to deflect. Though there really was minor commotion coming from the two at the bar, so I crawled over Kenzi and maneuvered my way to the counter for a better position to eaves drop.
"Why aren't you answering any of my questions!?" Ari's shrill voice sang. "What happened back there and why did you bring me here," she cried out, her voice cracking slightly on the last three words, the evident panic in her tone a clear indicator that Bo had yet to explain jack shit to the poor girl.
"Okay, okay, relax. That was...that was really just Tamsin being Tamsin. She's a bit touchy, to put it lightly. To say she has a bit of a jealous streak would be a serious understatement. She's kind of developed a liking for Netty lately too. So that's what that was about, okay? No big deal, no need to panic," Bo explained calmly.
"As for why I brought you here," she continued, "well, I'm sure you can figure that one out for yourself..." The brunette reached for the girl's hand as she trailed off.
Suddenly I felt Kenzi stumble past me and I watched in incomprehension as she approached the pair. I heard her mutter something about letting this one go as a favor to her and watched as Bo's face morphed into a pout.
"Kenz, are you serious?! After all this?"
"Ah, c'mon BoBo! Just this once," the little goth pleaded as she put on her best puppy dog eyes.
The succubus groaned but forced out a muffled 'fine' before sliding away from the bar and stomping off to Dal's exit, Kenzi following suit, knowing there was no way she would make it home alive if she didn't. Realizing that poor Ari was left alone and undoubtedly confused at the bar, I made my way over to her, hopping onto the seat previously occupied by Bo.
"This has officially been the weirdest night of my human existence, hands down." The petite brunette huffed out.
I chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, well, that's a norm around here. Come on, I'll walk you out...unless you want a drink to chase that whole experience down?" I raised my brow in question.
"No. Leaving sounds like a good plan right about now." She dismounted the barstool and I led the way to the door. "So, who is this Tamsin girl? What's her deal?" the question caught me off guard, especially since that was the precise person circulating my thoughts at the moment. After a second of contemplating my response, I felt the corners of my lips curl up and began my explanation.
"I mean...she's just Tamsin, y'know? She's a cop with a permanent smirk, balls of steel, and a whole lot of attitude. Don't get me wrong, she's like a little kitten if you know how to deal with her," I paused, lost in my thoughts of the ballsy blonde. When I realized I had stopped, I cleared my throat and carried on, "Let me put it this way. If I had to choose between having her at my side in a fight or a champion MMA fighter...I'd choose Tamsin, no contest. I would then watch her win the fight for me, buy her a celebratory drink before she kicks the MMA fighter's ass for looking at her wrong, and still have time to buy her a double scotch for keeping me entertained."
We crossed the threshold of the Dal but stopped short when we came face to face with the Valkyrie herself, perched casually against the brick wall opposite the Dal's creaky old door. Her energy demanded respect, intimidation was dripping from her every cell. Her blonde hair had been pulled from its ponytail and now cascaded over her leather-clad shoulders. Her dark jeans were tucked tightly into a pair of fearsome black boots, her badge flashing from the waist of the denim. Her knife was sheathed at the top of her thigh, looking rather similar to Bo in that aspect, and her gun peaked out from its holster at her hip. With her 'you're screwed and there's literally nothing you can do about it' smirk plastered across her face, she looked positively deadly.
"Well, well, well," she stated flatly, her green eyes narrowing in Ari's direction.
POV Ari
"Tamsin," was all that Netty said. How in the blazes is she so comfortable when there's a psycho with a blade and firearm right in front of us!? Who are these people?
I was so taken aback by the crazy woman's sudden appearance that I had to take several steps back, running square into the alley wall. Tamsin is like a dog- she can smell fear. I was so focused on the weapons visible on the girl's body and the ones that she more than likely had stashed somewhere unknown, that I barely noticed Netty's voice beside me, aimed at the blonde.
"I don't trust her, Nay," the woman growled through clenched teeth. I nearly burst into tears when Tamsin suddenly withdrew the knife from its protective covering and lunged forward in my direction. While I nearly shit myself, Netty seemed not at all concerned with the dagger currently being held at my throat. Instead, she seemed exasperated and rather annoyed.
"Are you kidding me right now, Tamsin? I can't even walk the poor girl home without you threatening her life? You've been acting so quirky lately, what is it with you?" She exclaimed, slamming her well-loved combats on the pavement like a child demanding extra dessert or an extended bedtime. Tamsin reluctantly tucked her blade back into its sheath and bowed her head in what I decided to take as an apology.
"See, that wasn't so bad, was it? That's my good little Va-...detective..." Netty said sarcastically, poking fun at the scowling girl.
"Whatever. I only stuck around to make sure you didn't do something stupid to off yourself." Tamsin spat out, clearly hurt. She turned and began her way out of the alley when Netty spoke up.
"Tamsin, wait," she called after the tall woman. The blonde stopped, but didn't turn around. The red head continued, "I- I have to walk her home which means I'll have to walk home alone once I drop her off...it's not exactly safe out here this late. I guess it'd be better for me if you came along? For protection, I mean..." Netty was such a shit liar in this sort of situation. She didn't really strike me as the type to be a bad fibber but obviously her mind was elsewhere when talking to this frightening blonde. Tamsin sighed and, after a moment of hesitation, nodded silently in agreement.
Netty and I caught up to the other woman and began our way out of the alley. We walked in silence, except for my occasional muttering of 'right here' or 'we take a left up there'. By the time we got back to my apartment, I didn't even know what to say to the strange pair. Netty and I bid a semi-awkward goodbye as psycho-bitch looked on disapprovingly.
After I closed the door of my apartment, I leaned against it and slid myself down to the floor. I had so many questions flooding my brain, I could barely separate them from each other. Who were these people? What had even just happened? Why did Bo drag me to the Dal Riata? Where did the cute little drunk girl drag her off to? Who was this Netty character and why was blondie so weird about her? Will I even see any of them again? I was trying to recall the route back to the back-alley bar when I fell into a very light sleep that consisted of dreams that will never be as crazy as the day I'd just had, much less the days I never expected to come.
A/N: Welp. Lemme know your thoughts, dears. Literally this was all written in a stream of Facebook comments so I wasn't kidding when I said 'spur-of-the-moment'.
Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed it. That's all folks! :)(unless you want us to continue...)
xRiver