Oops. I did it again. Submitted a new story without finishing nor updating my other ones.
Ah well.
This fic is a classic "Random girl falls into Middle Earth and Joins the Fellowship" because really, how could I resist? I don't know if there'll be any romance, though I really doubt it. We'll see as the story progresses.
Constructive Criticism is always welcome! Hope you like it :)
Review?
"Refrain from doing too much rough work with your hand. Remember to wash over it lightly, with disinfectant soap and lukewarm water. Come back after a month for a touch up because it might fade and-"Lucianna held up her left hand and rolled her eyes and the male tattoo artist sitting at the desk, inked arms crossed and giving her a stern look.
"This isn't my first tattoo, and this isn't the first tattoo you've done for me either Ethan. I know what to do." She drawled in exasperation. The brunet shrugged unapologetically.
"Yes, but this one is pretty fucking fancy," He said gesturing to her right hand that was now covered in fresh black ink, having done a full lacy pattern from her wrist to the tips of her fingers that made it as if she wore a glove. "It's gonna take a while to heal." He told her, sticking his black painted pinkie nail into his ear to scratch it.
The red-haired girl grimaced, remembering how long the colourful Japanese art that covered her whole back had taken –she hadn't been able to sleep properly for weeks. Her best-friend (crushcrushcrush) had given her a decidedly unimpressed look the first time Lucy had come knocking at four am, begging for ice to rest on her flaming back. The second time she'd done it –two days later- Arsinoë had glared, called her annoying and vowed to refuse entrance into her apartment the next time Lucy came crying. Funnily enough, she'd never made good on her promise. Nor had she ever done so the numerous other times Lucy had showed up at her doorstep in the middle of the night.
Even the Apartment Building Security had given up on her.
Looking down at her right hand, she could only wonder how Noë would react to her newest piece of body art.
Sighing, she hopped off the station where she'd been perched and picked up her backpack from where it had been sitting on the floor next to her guitar case. "How much do I owe you then?" She asked, almost dreading the answer. Her part-time job teaching the little munchkins at the local primary school how to at least play one instrument by the time they got to high school didn't pay nearly enough to fund her tattoo escapades. And it really wasn't her fault that she could never resist the calling of Ethan's Ink Den; Lucy blamed social media. The multiple tattoo accounts she followed always managed to veritably shove her in the direction of her friend's tattoo parlour.
Ethan snorted at her pained expression.
"Four-hundred and fifty, only because you're a valued client." He told her. Drawing in a breath through clenched teeth, she forked out the money from her purse, inwardly crying when she saw what remained, and handed it to him. She'd left home this morning with six-hundred Euros in her pocket, resolutely leaving her Credit Card at home to avoid running it up even more. After passing by the local tech store to buy three portable chargers -because the ones she bought always seemed to give out before they could even give her phone a full battery-, buying a bulk box of Camel Light cigarettes whilst she was there (because her stock had been running low), a jaunt at Burger King to pick up a quick lunch (the one that was now sitting in her backpack just waiting to be eaten) and paying maintenance on her guitar (lovingly dubbed as Sir Cousty), she was left with only a ten bill.
Ahh, she'd have to pay her lovely Noë a visit before she made her way to her first class.
She sighed and slung the instrument case over her shoulder, clipping the strap at her chest, and donning her pack over it. "Valued client my ass." She grumbled, pursing her lips. The brunet male waved her along with an impish grin.
"See you in a month." He said in farewell, just before she exited his 'Den'.
The frigid winds of Dublin in winter immediately hit her as she stepped out of the warmth of the shop behind her, snow immediately settling itself into her hair, and she shuddered once, buttoning her heavy dark brown coat over the heavy woollen jersey her grandmother had lovingly knitted her just last Christmas. Not that it was enough though, she was wearing three more layers just under it, -along with a pair of heavy stockings under her jeans and three pair of socks within her boots. She cursed that she wasn't able to wear gloves, nor even shove her hands in her pockets, lest she irritate her hand.
Irish born and raised, it seemed that not even she was accustomed to her country's icy winters.
Tightening the scarf around her neck, she blew on her hands once in a vain attempt to warm them up. She reached into her pocket where an open back of cigarettes was waiting, a lighter within, lit one and got going, joining the crowds on the snowy sidewalk.
Arsinoë's apartment was situated in one of the fancier buildings of the city –a product of her coming from a wealthy family who insisted on "nothing less" for their daughter. Although contrary to what most would immediately assume after hearing that, the girl herself wasn't spoiled at all. Yes, she may have spent her money a little more easily than most, she also gave it away in much the same way. She donated money to the orphanages littered across the city (though never helped out, because she was abysmal with little kids), gave food away to the homeless people that lived in her area, and whenever she went home to her country for the holidays, always managed to stop by the poorer areas to help out the side of her family that wasn't as…successful as the rest of them.
Of course, whenever Lucy brought up her kind actions, all she'd get in response was a nonchalant shrug and a bored "It's not like I need the money anyway."
Secretly, it's what made Lucy adore her even more.
Waving to the two familiar receptionists, she quickly made her way to the elevator, punching in the button that signalled the sixth floor. The ride wasn't long, and soon after she was stepping into a familiar carpeted hallway.
She didn't even bother knocking, immediately pushing the silver handle down and stepping inside, and closing the door behind her. Her friend always kept it unlocked during the day when she came back from her classes for the day, knowing very well that Lucianna would drop by soon after she herself got home.
Arsinoë didn't really know how much the gesture meant to her.
Music filled the apartment, as it always tended to do, and she grinned, taking a deep breath. "Honey, I'm home!" She called out into the large apartment, taking off her bags and dumping them by the door, along with her coat and scarf.
A bushy mane of mauve hair peeked its way into the corridor, unimpressed caramel eyes giving her a bland look. "Hello." The owner said once, before their eyes drifted downwards to her right hand that had been hanging by her thigh as if it were radiating a bright beacon. "I see you got yourself another tattoo." She commented, raising a dark eyebrow.
Lucy let out a nervous laugh, walking forward and joining her friend in the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge. "It's great isn't it?" She prompted, pulling out the bread and the glass bowl of already mixed tuna-mayonnaise she kept covered with Glad Wrap.
Her best-friend shrugged and went back to the counter where ingredients for her dinner (most probably) had been waiting patiently. "It's stunning." She answered honestly, picking up the knife to resume cutting an onion.
Lucy gave her a wry smile, "But you wouldn't get it yourself." She finished, slapping a large spoonful of tuna onto the bread and closing it with the other slice. Noë smirked.
"I get Henna occasionally. I like body art as much as you do, as long as it's not permanent. I'd let you get it too, but that would be Cultural Appropriation wouldn't it?" The curly haired girl asked, amusement clear in her voice, grabbing a tomato.
Lucianna shrugged. "It would." She answered, taking a big bite out of her sandwich.
"Sorry for you then." Was the response she got in return.
Lucy eyed her right hand, skin still flaming red and tender under the ink. "This one will probably be good in about two weeks. It doesn't even hurt that much." She told her in speculation. Arsinoë let out a thoughtful hum, tipping the chopping board over a bowl and scraping off its contents with the knife she was holding.
"This marks your what, fourth, fifth tattoo?" She asked, moving to the sink. Lucy shook her head.
"Seventh, but you were close."
"Ah."
There was a brief silence as the redhead watched her friend fry the veggies in the oiled pan that had been waiting on the hot stove, and she decided that she better hurry it up before she was late for her Grade Four session.
Stuffing the rest of the bread in her mouth, she quickly placed the items she'd used back in the fridge and crabbed two bottles of Pomegranate Vitamin Water, opening the first and chugging half of it down in one go.
"I'm broke dearie." She declared bluntly after letting out a loud breath of air when she was done. Her friend snorted and turned to give her an amused smile that made her tummy doo flip-flops.
"I knew you were going to ask." Arsinoë stated, using the wooden spoon to mix the veggies. Lucy gave an embarrassed smile and rubbed the back of her neck, probably looking decidedly guilty…which she was.
Huffing, she let out a nervous chuckle. "Not much…just maybe, perhaps, a hundred? I'll pay you back -I always do."
Her caramel eyed friend snorted. "And I never want you to." She told her, giving her a look of displeasure. Stepping away from the stove, she wiped her hands on the pair of sweatpants she was wearing. "Add the mince-meat would you please?" It wasn't a request, considering her friend was already out of the threshold.
Lucy pursed her lips –she never liked handling raw meat, despite the fact that she was an avid meat-lover herself. Something about seeing it raw reminded her of the fact that it had once been a live animal…which turned her off. And she always had flashbacks to the Cow Incident. Its livid eyes, heavy breaths and noisy hooves floating around in her mind with excruciating detail…
She was still traumatised.
But nonetheless, she took the defrosted mince out from the microwave and ripped open the brown bag, dumping the contents in the pan and throwing the paper away.
Honestly, she wasn't much of a cook. Sure she could make basic things like Spaghetti Bolognese or if she was lucky, rice and curry, but the fancy things her friend cooked were far beyond her…hence she was a little hesitant to add any spices to the mince lest she utterly destroy the flavour or something.
She was grateful when she heard the footsteps, and gave the pan one last shake (not even she knew why she did it), before lowering the fire and turning back to face her friend with a sheepish smile on her face. "Remember last time you asked me to mind the chicken?" She asked, pointedly. Now that had been a story for the grandkids.
Arsinoë rolled her eyes, and handed her the money. "There's four-hundred. Make sure not to finish it in one go like you tend to do." She teased, making Lucy laugh nervously.
"I'll try not to." She answered, before giving Arsinoë a tight hug. The bushy haired girl didn't return it, though she didn't push her away either. Lucy didn't mind, her best-friend wasn't one for physical contact unless she herself initiated it.
Taking a deep breath of the familiar scent of aromatic spices and summer flowers, she stepped back and gave her a bright smile. "I've got to go now, but don't forget to keep my dinner warm please." She ordered, wagging a finger. Her friend rolled her eyes.
"I'd force you to pay rent for the amount of time you spend here, but you're already too broke to pay for your own." Noë drawled in amusement, handing her the forgotten bottle of Vitamin Water. The redhead girl shrugged.
"Perhaps I should just move in. We'll be roommates and I'd get to bug you every day." She joked, as they walked to the door. There was laughter.
"You already do that." Arsinoë retorted, shoving her shoulder with her own slightly.
Lucianna grinned, pulling on her coat once more. "Yes, but then I'd get to do it twenty-four hours, and I'd get to see you naked on a regular basis too." She added a shameless wink at the end. Arsinoë huffed and waved a hand.
"Not in this weather." She stated pointedly, her eyes drifting outside where the snow had begun to pick up. "It looks terrible out there."
Lucianna shrugged, picking up Sir Cousty and clipping him on, before shoving the drink in the bottle-holder on the side of her backpack and hauling it over the case. "It is terrible, though at least it stops the stinging on my hand. Works better than even an ice-pack." She joked, wrapping her scarf around her neck.
Her friend snorted. "Sure." She drawled, opening the door. "Have fun then."
Lucy gave a grin and waved. "Teaching little kiddies how to strum a guitar is always fun."
Arsinoë smiled. "Of course."
Her class was fun, as always, and all the kids had been extremely impressed with her new tattoo, many of them declaring that they wanted one as well, much to her amusement. In the end she'd promised to bring them all a pack of flash ones for the next class, only if they promised to put them somewhere none of the teachers' could see. It was against school rules after all.
After that, it was basically smooth sailing. They'd played a fun game of Copy-Cat (a game of her own invention where she played a short tune and the person who'd managed to best replicate it won a biscuit), she taught them a new song, assigned them homework of mastering it by the next class, and closed the class by singing a song of their choosing, as was tradition.
All in all, it was very satisfying, and she'd left the place with a cheery smile.
One that immediately disappeared upon seeing the weather that awaited her outside.
"Bloody fucking hell," She muttered, though with the wind, she couldn't even hear her own voice. It wasn't even five o'clock but it may as well have been three am for all she could see. The snow had picked up to a veritable blizzard, and people were fighting their way through, squinting in order to see just five steps in front of them. Most had taken refuge in shops on the side of the street, but a resolute few remained marching, intent on arriving to their destinations before the storm got any worse. Lucianna was one of those few, though at the moment, she was seriously contemplating ducking into the coffee shop coming up and just waiting it out there.
An ominous streak of lightening in the grey clouds above had her quickly changing her mind. She'd rather just be at Arsinoë's place. She had almost arrived anyway only a few more turns and she'd soon see the familiar building. She heaved a sigh and placed a hand in front of her eyes, trying in vain to see better, though it didn't help one bit.
Suddenly, she tripped over something she couldn't see. She let out a cry and waved her arms wildly, stumbling forward in an attempt to regain her balance. It didn't work, but instead, her hip hit something sharp and her foot twisted, making her slip on the snowy ground and fall forward entirely.
Letting out a shriek, she held out her hands to catch herself quickly…only, her hands never hit the ground and instead she just kept on falling.
And falling….
And falling.
And she screamed.