Prelogue
There she was, a ghost of a girl lying on the ground. She made no attempt to move, as if the rain had defeated her. It was like the life had been beaten out of her and had left her for dead in the middle of a darkened road, with no hope for tomorrow left on tact.
She was pretty too, with her long dark hair and big red lips.
Sollux Captor, who had been passing by on his way home from work, couldn't help but lean down to shield her from the pouring rain and ask softly,
"are you all right?"
When she didn't respond, he extended his index finger to tap her shoulder. After a moment or two, she finally turned her vacant gaze to him and he froze on the spot. There was something there that he hadn't been able to identify before. This mysterious girl had been brutally beaten, and with an obvious black eye, there were cuts and bruises on her cheeks and a split lip to match.
Through all of the injuries she was gorgeous. But something about her expression caused her to look dead. As if the vacancy in her expression was reflected from how hollow she felt on the inside.
"What are you doing out here?" He fought to keep his voice calm and kind as he blocked the weather from battering her incessantly.
She remained quiet, but now her large brown eyes seemed to be fixated on his heterochromic ones. Sollux sighed, offering a hand. He was taken by surprise as her cold hand grasped his, and he gently helped her up.
"C'mon. I'll take you back to my plathe to dry up," he murmured reassuringly, "you'll feel better soon." She nodded her head in weak affirmation, and Sollux lead her out of the middle of the road.
Shouldering her along, he was making about a snail's pace now. His honey-blonde hair was slicked down to his head and his already-baggy jeans were beginning to sag, but the sound of her panting from such little effort drove him on.
After finding his keys and unlocking the apartment door, Sollux set the stranger on his couch and disappeared into the kitchen to make some sort of dinner.
"Call me if you need anything," he had peeked his head through the doorway. She nodded her agreement and left to find the bathroom.
Around 20 minutes later she returned, looking more stunning than before. Her long, dark, reddish hair extended in luscious waves down to her waist, her naturally red lips formed a nice smile that, with her rounded button-nose, was framed well by her heart-shaped face, and she was rather well-endowed, too. Sollux entered the main room with a bowl of instant ramen, setting it on the coffee table before her.
"Hungry?"
Her eyes grew and she stared almost voraciously at the bowl. Sollux smiled and stifled a laugh, pushing it towards her.
"Tho. I'm Thollucth. What'th your name?" She perked up and paused her attack on the noodles.
"My name's Aradia. Aradia Megido."