Night's Children: Nox Noctis
AN: I was just wondering, for the next installment of Night's Children, would you like an Imy point of view, or an Aria point of view? Also, I've decided to do the background story for Lance, Art, and Trysten.
Aria, Riley, Tessa, and Tymmie are back! Yay!
Sorry this chap jumps around a lot….QQ. The chapters will alternate between Imy, Trysten, Art, Lance, Jimena, and Gordon to Riley, Tymmie, Tessa and Aria.
Disclaimer (Sort of): I understand I own nothing. Nothing, nein, zip, rien. The site even says that blatantly, but I'd like to call attention to the fact that not I only do I not own DOTM, but I also don't own Grease or Suzy Highschool…if that is in fact a real person
This Chap: The two hotheads have a showdown! Oooo…… And Riley discovers something about herself, much to the surprise of Tymmie. And a rather…anti-climatic battle with a group of Followers
Chapter Nine: …But Words Will Never Hurt Me
Tessa scrambled frantically up and down the mall, trying to desperately locate her friend, whom she had promised to protect. "Shit." She muttered, raking her fingers through her blonde hair. "Shitty shitshitshit!" She swore, her eyes peering from faceless person to faceless person. Where the hell was Riley!
Tessa seriously felt the need to run her head into a nearby wall a few times, trying to clear her mind from all the chaotic ramblings in her head. She had nerve-wracking guilt, and hoped Riley hadn't been destroyed or crossed over by Followers. She chewed the inside of her cheek, days like today she craved alcohol or ecstasy. And though she hated to admit it to the other Daughters, she did occasionally pop a few pills on the weekends, as a way to cope. She wasn't exactly clean, but she was trying; yet the frustrations of being a Daughter of Selene only made her want to jump right back into her old bad habits.
She growled in frustration, Riley was nowhere to be found. She stormed off towards the bathrooms, she craved something, and she had a few pills in her purse left over from last night at the RockOut. She sauntered over to the bathroom, and checked to make sure no one was in the area, then fished around in her purse.
She managed to pull out a small Tylenol bottle, and from there she withdrew two pills, decided against it, and put one back in. She looked at herself in the mirror, sighing, "Just to clear my head." She told herself, "That's all." She was beginning to break into a cold sweat, and her hands were shaking. "Just one." She whispered, she turned on the faucet to get some water to swallow it down, and was about to take her drugs when she heard a distinct thud come from one of the stalls. She quickly tossed the pill on the floor, hoping it wasn't someone who knew what she was doing.
"Ugh…" Came a whinnied pang from behind the door, "I'm gonna kill Riley." The voice muttered.
Tessa raised an eyebrow and carefully crossed over to the stall door and gently pushed it open, "Aria?" She asked incredulously, "What are you doing here?"
Aria sent her a look of pure acid from her place on the floor, where she had fallen after Riley's fatigue spell ended, "Just enjoying the scenery, you?"
"Shopping." Tessa quickly bit out, her eyes unwillingly went over to the spot on the floor where the small pink pill was, and her physical aching increased, but she willed her attention back over to Aria.
"Whatever." Groaned Aria, hoisting herself off of the floor, "I know why you're here, so you can cut the crap, where's Riley?"
Tessa bit her lip, "She…lost me in a crowd."
"What!" Snapped Aria.
"I don't know where she is," Responded Tessa.
"Super. Awesome. Life is wonderful," Aria grunted.
Tessa sent her a curious glance, "What happened to you? You look like you have the hangover from hell."
Aria sent her a glare that could have killed puppies, "Riley kindly used her powers to give me a little break in this fabulous mall's bathroom stall."
"Why would she have done that?"
"What's with all the damn questions?" Aria countered, then sighed, "I tried to convince her not to go after Cassandra."
Tessa inclined her head, "So she knocked you out!" She asked, confused, "That doesn't sound like Riley."
She sighed, "Not exactly, she made me feel so tired that I couldn't move."
"That's it," Tessa questioned, awed, "No offense intended, but that sounds like a rather lame attack to fall unconscious to." She knew that a small part of her inner voice was looking for an opportunity to goad Aria, she didn't mean to, but it provided a momentary relief from the pounding ache in the back of her head that she knew only drugs could fill.
Aria fumed, "Well it's not like I was expecting it!"
Tessa shrugged, "Whatever you tell yourself."
"It's the truth!" She defended.
"I'm sure it is," Tessa said nonchalantly, "I believe you." She stated in a tone that clearly implied that she didn't. Aria was getting more and more irritated by Tessa, she didn't like her, she really didn't like any of the other Daughters, so the last thing she wanted to do was to loose control in front of her, but she just…got on her goddamn nerves.
"Arg! Enough of this, I've got to make a call," Aria muttered darkly, digging around her handbag until she found her beloved cell phone.
"Who're you calling at a time like this?" Tessa demanded, "A social call isn't exactly important." She snarled, belittling her.
Aria gnawed her lower lip in irritation, refusing to give Imy an answer as she dialed the number and held the phone up to her ear, plugging her other ear with a finger, effectively blocking out Tessa's interrogation.
Tessa's eyes widened, "Excuse me!" she snapped, angered at her rudeness.
Aria cut her off with a hand, "Hello Mrs. Ormond, is Imy there?" She asked politely as Tessa let out a snort of air, sounding vaguely like a bull about to charge. There was a pause, "I see…No, I'm really sorry I haven't seen her today. Yes, I'll be sure to give you a call if I see her…I understand…No, she didn't seem upset the last time we talked…I'm really sorry again, good luck." She snapped her phone shut. "Son of a –" she seethed, kicking the toilet. She let out a frustrated sounded yelp and pulled on piece of her hair.
Tessa said nothing, her anger dissipating for a moment. She slumped slightly against the bathroom counter, "First Riley, now Imy." She shook her head, "We're screwed."
"Thank you, Ms. Optimist," Aria snarked, "Your enthusiasm rivets me." She deadpanned.
The brief moment where Tessa was calm quickly disappeared, for Aria irritated her unlike anyone she had ever met, "Well what the hell are we supposed to do? Riley and Imy are both missing in action!"
"You don't know the half of it," Aria mumbled, "Imy shouldn't be anywhere right now other than at home in bed. Her shoulder was dislocated and she had I believe three bruised ribs." She snorted and rolled her eyes, "No wonder her and Riley get along so well, they're both idiots. Stupid, reckless, moronic-"
Tessa's temper flared up like wild fire, her patience finally snapping, after all, she had a migraine from hell and Aria was pushing all the right buttons, "How the hell would you know? You're never around!" she accused.
Aria grit her teeth, knowing it was true but refusing to admit it. Couldn't Tessa see she was taking precious time out of her Saturday night to ensure Riley didn't go kamikaze on the Daughters? "I'm here now, aren't I?" She defended.
"So what? One night every two months? That's complete bullshit." Tessa spat, she had never really talked to Aria other than the few odd meetings at Jimena's apartment, but from what she had heard, Aria wasn't exactly one to commit.
Aria snorted, "Where do you come off bossing me around? I'm the one who saved your ass two months back!"
Tessa's eyebrows shot up, "It wasn't you! It was those three guys!"
She rolled her eyes, "Fine. But the point still stands that you were the first one almost crossed over. Not me." She muttered something under her breath that Tessa barely caught.
When she heard the statement she froze, rigid anger coursing through her. The fact that her body was desperately craving the drugs it had been denied didn't help to improve her temperament, and something within her finally snapped.
Tessa walked over to her, her footsteps making a heavy, echoing sound. "Say that again." She spoke coldly.
Aria glared at her, her light brown eyes blazing like liquid amber, "I said that you're the druggie who almost got Imy, Riley, and myself killed that night."
Tessa made a fist and was about to pummel her, but she used the tiny store of control that she still had left and placed her hand in her pocket, she grunted, "Y'know, I may be an addicted screw-up, but at least I'm not some stuck-up bitch who's too good for her sisters." She grabbed the Tylenol bottle once again and dumped out a pill, which she swallowed dry, "You're not even worth my fist." She growled, throwing the empty bottle in the bathroom's trashcan and leaving.
Aria stared at the door, bewildered as she watched her go, for once out of words to say.
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Riley tried desperately not to heave the moment her feet touched solid ground. She clutched her stomach and sank to her knees, her eyes watering and her head spinning. She felt like she had just gone a million times on a Tilt-a-Whirl ride. "We are never doing that again." She spoke in labored breaths.
Although Tymmie was to her back, she could practically hear the smirk in his voice, "Aw, little Goddess can't handle transforming into shadow?" He placed a firm hand on the back of her shirt, picking her up and forcing her to stand. He didn't do it roughly, but the amount of force implied that he was not messing around. "I thought you were tougher than that."
Riley ground her teeth together, and applied her empathy powers on him, making him feel her nausea. Her mouth gave a grim smile of satisfaction when he gripped his head and clenched his stomach. She looked at him, and sent him a look, one that clearly said he should shut up unless he wanted to feel that way the rest of the night. With a brief wave of her hand, the pain left him quickly, and Tymmie for once, held his tongue.
"You're a lot harsher than I gave you credit for," He stated, "I was under the impression you were the nice one of the new group."
Riley gave a small defeated sigh, for a moment feeling ashamed of her actions. Sending the pain to Tymmie had been a low blow, "Sorry," She mumbled, "But when one is functioning on less than three hours of sleep at night, they tend to get cranky."
She felt his long fingers reach across her back and squeeze her opposite shoulder. Riley froze, terrified of the physical contact, "Little Riley having night terrors again?" He pouted, oozing fake sincerity, "But then again, that's why you're here, isn't it?" He purred.
Riley jerked away from him quickly, hating physical contact with anyone, never mind a perverted Follower of evil incarnate, "Where are we?" She asked, looking around and taking in her surroundings.
They appeared to be in some kind of loft. The air was dirty and dusty, the floors and walls were bare, and cobwebs had clustered in the corners. There appeared to be no furniture other than an ancient coffee table, a second-hand couch, and a mattress on the floor with a plaid comforter and yellowed pillow. Oddly enough, there was a stuffed teddy bear on it that was missing its right eye and was wearing a shockingly pink colored bow tie.
Tymmie gave a wolfish grin, "My place."
Her eyes widened and she took a step away from him, her jaw clenched and she felt herself go rigid with anger, "What are you trying to pull?" She demanded, trying eagerly to keep an open mind and remain patient.
Tymmie snorted and sat down on the sofa, "Relax dea, believe it or not, I'm not trying to pull anything." He rose both his hands in a signal of surrender. Riley quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. "This is just a place for you to hang while I go talk to the big man." He stated.
Riley's eyes narrowed, "Why is there a need to go talk to the 'big man?' I came here to talk to my mother." She crossed her arms, trying to look defiant despite the fact that her heart was thudding in her ribcage, and she felt like she was going to jump out of the window in severe desperation, "Only her." Her voice, which she had attempted to sound courageous, came out no more than a meek whisper.
He spoke slowly, seemingly patronizing her, "Believe it or not, little Riley, having a Daughter of Selene, our most hated enemy, willingly come over to our side is a pretty big deal."
"I'm not coming over to your side," She said rationally, "I have no intentions of ever coming over to your side."
His mouth twisted, "Then why aren't you wearing your trinket?"
Her hand absently went to her neck and she felt heat rise to her face, "I, um, lost it."
Tymmie chuckled, "Daughters can't loose their necklaces, Riley, they must be taken off."
"The fact that I'm not wearing my amulet doesn't mean that I'm weak enough to join you." She said coldly.
Perhaps it was what she said, or how she said it, but he suddenly leaned forward, close enough to Riley that she could smell his breath, and his steely eyes were locked onto hers, "You think you know yourself so well, don't you Riley?" He demanded, his voice tight and controlled, a dark aura omitting around him.
Riley became rooted to the spot. This wasn't a side to Tymmie she had ever seen, the emotions that normally floated around him were cut off; he was actually using his power to conceal them. Normal Tymmie was lecherous, manipulative, and a pain in the ass. This was different; this was lethal, deadly, and sinister. His mouth was set in a grim line, and his eyes drilled into hers.
Another thing was the closeness between the two. Of all the things Riley hated in the world, it was physical contact she deterred the most. His towering over her made her feel weak and helpless, he was in control of the situation, not her, and that was terrifying.
Closeness had always made her uncomfortable, even with Imy. Perhaps it was a side effect of her powers, as she felt everything the people around her felt, or perhaps it was just a psychological fear, but whatever it was, she hated being near anyone. Tymmie had to have known that, he was a mind-reader- the constant hugs, squeezes, and leering had been his way of getting through to her, of cracking her stony defenses, she realized that now.
Her eyes widened, and she attempted to back away, but Tymmie gripped her bicep, "Get away from me." She spoke softly, not wanting to upset this now dangerous side.
He ignored her, continuing his previous statement, "I thought I knew myself well too. I thought I was a good person. I thought I knew right from wrong." He sneered, "The Atrox changed all that, I discovered what a truly horrible person I am. I witnessed myself and others degrade themselves for power, I've seen people kill. I've killed. I've killed to feed this awful, aching hole inside of me that we all have. I've wanted to die; I've even pulled the trigger of a gun that was pointed at me. But that's the curse of Immortality, I came back." He paused, "I've watched people who claimed to be loyal to each other until their deaths betray the other because the Atrox willed them to. I've listened to blood-curling screams at night then realized they belonged to me."
He ran an ice cold finger down the side of her face, and she had to resist the urge to flinch as though it were a slap, "Don't even act like you know what I am Riley, don't even pretend you have any idea what you're dealing with," His grip on her arm tightened and Riley bit her lip, "You're the weak one here. You hide from your darkness, pretend it doesn't exist when we both know it does. You don't even know what side you're playing for." His grip loosened, "I know what I am Riley, do you?" His tone held a dark finality to it.
Riley looked at him, still gnawing on her lower lip. Tymmie lost control over his emotions when he spoke to her, broadcasted them even, and now Riley was bombarded with the feelings of malice, depression, anger, and overall, hurt. She blinked, the closeness between them still unsettling. She could feel his every pain, every frustration. But more importantly, she began to realize that his emotions matched hers exactly after she had seen her mother. She recognized that stabbing pain of betrayal that echoed through her chest, she had felt hatred even…she had been willing to kill her mother before she let her even try to hurt her friends ever again. She recalled that inner darkness inside of her when she had ripped Selene's amulet from her neck and threw it on the floor of the hospital's waiting room. She remembered the hatred she had felt towards herself. She had been powerless to protect what meant most to her. She had been weak, pathetic. She had always been weak and pathetic.
She exhaled, thinking carefully over her words. She wanted to be the ideal Daughter of the Moon, she wanted to be good, and she wanted to help people in a way that she could never help herself. But the question was more concentrated on whether or not she could.
"I know that I don't know." She finally admitted, gently prying his fingers off of her arm and releasing his grip, then slowly backed away from him.
Tymmie gaped at her in bewilderment as she stood there, cradling her arm that he had gripped like a wounded animal, and he momentarily felt regret for holding her so hard. Her eyes weren't staring at her feet like they usually were, but meeting his. The pale gray of them reflected in the moonlight, and they shined like stars. For the first time Tymmie had ever seen her, she truly looked like a goddess, her pale skin ethereal; her stance calm and ready for whatever he had to give. She looked deadly, she looked beautiful, and all she did was stand there in stony anticipation, patiently awaiting his response.
This time, it was Tymmie's turn to shirk away. He lowered his eyes to the ground, his black hair creating a curtain around his face. She was different than he had originally thought. She had proven that when she admitted to her faults, her uncertainties. Most Daughters he had talked with were so self-righteous it was sickening, for they were so convinced that they were pure good, incapable of doing any harm. Even Serena, the Witch Goddess, had that same air about her. But not Riley, not the daughter of Cassandra, Cassandra who had also carried that sickening conceited opinion of herself, except she thought she was strong and cruel, whereas the Daughters thought they were always kind and honest.
Well, they certainly hadn't been kind to the Followers, he thought bitterly.
He wanted to say a lot of things at that moment, he wanted to ask a lot of questions, and to hear a lot of answers, but in the end all he did was slowly shake his head and let out a humorless chuckle, "That's a start dea, that's a start."
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Tessa stormed out of the bathroom in a rage she hadn't felt in ages. She rudely shoved passed all the mothers and their children, passed all the snotty kids with their daddy's cell phones, passed all of her problems.
She hoped the ecstasy would kick into effect soon- she wanted to forget that rather unfortunate brawl with Aria. It wasn't so much that what she said was demeaning, but more that Tessa had lost control of her emotions, flying off of the handle as soon as her issues were brought up. She had almost hit her, that's what worried her the most. Tessa may be a bitch when it came down to battles with words, but she would never hit anyone. She had always felt that physical blows were the worst way to win an argument.
She walked into a side hall of the mall, deserted as it was in the middle of reconstruction. She leaned her head back against the wall, sighing as she let her thoughts consume her.
Suddenly, she felt a hand grip her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie, "Lookie here, it's a dea," Came a rather oily sounding voice from behind her.
She ground her teeth, and slowly turned around, "Look asshole, I'm really not in the greatest of moods right now-" Her voice trailed off as she saw whom it was that held her. He seemed painfully familiar; his blonde hair was greased and combed back into a ducktail. He had on mirrored aviator glasses despite being indoors, and the cuffs of his jeans were folded up revealing beaten hightops. "Do I know you?" She asked, glaring.
A girlish giggle came from Tessa's side, "That's Murray, how could you forget such awful hair?"
Tessa turned towards the sound of the voice to see a girl with platinum blonde hair done up in pigtails. She had on a mini-skirt that fluffed out, reminding Tessa of a cheerleader's skirt, with a letterman's jacket over a white tube top. In her right hand was a lollipop. Her smile was innocent, but the phosphorous glint in her eyes signaled her as a Follower.
Tessa snorted, "What the hell possessed you to dress like the poster girl for teenyboppers?"
The girl let out another high-pitched giggle, "Oooh, I like this one Murray, she's feisty." She pouted, "The other new Daughters are so boring."
Murray clenched his jaw, "Shut it Kelly, no one cares." He snarled at her, "You know destroying one of the Daughters would definitely raise my ranking," He snorted, "Anything's better than having to listen to what that one jackass says."
Tessa's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered where she had seen him. He had been with the Followers two months ago when she was almost crossed over. "Oh, I remember you now, you're one of Tymmie's little minions."
Murray's eyes widened in anger and he shoved her away from him, where Kelly grabbed her arms with an unnatural strength and pinned her. She glared daggers at Murray, and he returned them, "Shut the hell up. You're outnumbered." He walked over and gripped her chin with one of his hands, and he forced her to make eye contact, "This'll only take a second."
Tessa began to stare into his eyes unwittingly, feeling herself drowned in the false promises it offered. She could see her father staying with her and her brother, not running off with his secretary, she could see her mother happy, not depressed and an alcoholic, alive. She saw her brother, not the uptight worrywart he had been forced to become, but a rambunctious, laid back guy he should've been, she saw herself-
Tessa blinked, hazy for a moment, but she turned and shifted her attention back to Murray, "You know, I'm getting really tired of Followers thinking they can cross me over all the goddamn time." She muttered, quickly wrenching herself from Kelly's grip, who had suddenly appeared immobile, and focusing on her powers.
To the unseen eye, all they saw was a teenage girl standing weird with dilated eyes, but to herself and the pair of Followers, her power crackled in a shower of gold around her as she harnessed it, "O Mater Luna," She mumbled, "Help me out."
Murray looked at her in amazement, "But how, how did you see passed the illusion?"
Tessa gave a half smile, "No one tells me who I am other than myself." She pressed her hands together, trying to focus on an illusion, "Besides, illusions are my gift."
Kelly laughed, and kicked Tessa's knees from behind, causing her to loose her footing and fall to the ground, "You've got spunk, I'll give you that," She said, still irritatingly happy, "But we've got decades of experience on you."
Tessa mentally cursed herself as she lost her focus on the summoning, her illusion shattering and the golden lights dimming. Then she suddenly groaned as Kelly sent another sharp kick, this time to her ribs, which knocked the air out of her, "Blow." She gritted, panting for breath. "You still don't like anything other than wannabes to me." She chided.
Murray looked at her with barely disguised loathing, "All of you newbies are pathetic. The past twenty odd years have presented no competition at all. All Selene's doing is only lining you up to the slaughter. But I'm not complaining, makes my job easier," He leaned down, his eyes unfocusing, "I'm going to enjoy this."
Tessa spat in his face, but tensed, waiting for the inevitable. She allowed herself a smug snort as he wiped away the saliva from his cheek in disgust. He stared at her, a fiery hatred burning through him, and she grimaced, waiting for another physical hit, or a mental one.
He looked to be harnessing his powers, and ready to strike-
"Hey!" A loud, commanding voice echoed through the halls. Murray and Kelly both looked up to see Aria, striding down the mall as if she owned the place, her amulet displayed proudly, flashing its warning colors. "The only one who gets to call Tessa pathetic is me."
Murray rolled his eyes, "Feh, hardly. I remember you; you're easily the weakest of the four. What was your so-called power? Healing, am I right?"
Her eyes narrowed into slits and Tessa watched in annoyance as she refused to back down, "What the hell are you doing?" She asked, incredulous. Who was she kidding? She was going to crush a pair of obviously more experienced Followers with healing powers!
"Saving your ass again," Aria responded matter-of-factly. "Now shut up and let me do it."
Tessa glared, "Who do you think you are? Coming in last second to act like some stupid vigilante. Give me a break, you're useless."
Murray and Kelly watched the scene with interest, neither attacking, just letting the two of them fight it out. Confusion settled over the pair as they looked at each other, each wondering if this was some sort of ill-conceived plan.
"Like you're doing a great job! Ms. Illusionist my ass!"
"I was doing just fine!" Tessa spat.
"You were on the ground about to be crossed over! Again!" Aria huffed.
"Oh go screw yourself." Tessa growled.
Kelly's look of puzzlement ended as she started to giggle extremely hard, but Murray simply stood there, absently scratching his head, his jaw hanging open slightly as he tried to comprehend what exactly was going on.
Both Tessa and Aria turned at the pair when they heard Kelly's trademark high-pitched giggling, "What!" They both snapped at the same time.
Kelly paused for a second to look at their scowling faces and rigid postures, after she got a good evaluation, she began to laugh even harder, her face turning pink from lack of oxygen. She doubled over, clutching her stomach.
"You guys…don't get along?" Murray questioned cautiously, still believing their bizarre behavior to be some sort of plan.
"No!" They both yelled at once, obviously revolted at the premise.
"She's a stoner who doesn't know where she is half of the time!" Cried Aria.
"And she's the hugest snob I've ever met!" Tessa continued, standing up from her position on the ground and pointing at her.
Murray scratched his head yet again, unsure of how to react to this situation, while Kelly's laughs had transgressed into violent hee-haws, her breathing labored and she began to snort occasionally.
"What's so funny?" Aria demanded, one hand on her hip, her irritation growing.
"It's just," Murray paused, "Normally, the Daughters are best friends. Sisters, elite teams that would do anything for each other." He shook his head. "You two look as if you're about to throttle each other in a split second." He sent them a condescending glare as a thought occurred to him, "Now that's truly pathetic. You pose absolutely zero threat if the four of you can't even work together." He shook his head, "It's not even worth the energy to convert you two."
Kelly nodded feverishly, "Like yeah. I mean, you're going to destroy each other all on your own. You don't need our help."
Tessa narrowed her eyes, "I may hate Aria, but I hate lowly Follower scum like you more." She seethed. "At least Aria's bitchyness-"
"Hey!" She protested.
Tessa cleared her throat and continued, regardless, "- is some proof of humanity. You two however are walking clichés. I mean, it's Grease and Susy Highschool," She hissed, grinding the toe of her stiletto boot into the marble floor, "You want a fight? You have one."
Both Murray and Kelly began fuming, obvious offended by a lowly Daughter of the Moon who not only hadn't mastered her powers, but was also a good few decades younger than the two of them.
Aria huffed, tensing slightly as her eyes dilated and a sky blue haze began to cloud around her, "I'm not backing down." She whispered, "I'm never going to back down again from losers like you, you can count on that."
Tessa said nothing, but gave a slight nod at her words. She noticed how her vision was starting to get hazy, and her mouth was dry. She inwardly swore, right now wasn't exactly the best time for the drug she had taken earlier to start going into effect. Her head began to feel cloudy, but she shook it off, no way was she going to loose to these two. She began to waver slightly. Shit.
Aria placed a hand on Tessa's head, a sky blue light forming under her fingertips, "Stupid druggie." She muttered as she closed her eyes in concentration.
Tessa looked at her, confused, "What are you doing to me?" She demanded.
Aria sighed, "I'm purging the drug from your system, the last thing we need is an ecstatically happy Tessa before a battle. Not to mention the dehydration." She shook her head, "There. Done."
Tessa blinked, and she instantly felt better, her mind clearer, "Hm." She said, dispassionately. She grabbed Aria's arm, "I've tried this a few times with Riley and Imy," She spoke, "Focus your powers into mine."
Aria bit her tongue, not having it in her at the moment to argue with her over the fact that she hadn't said 'thank you.' "Fine."
She closed her eyes and let her energy flow into Tessa's. She gasped slightly as she could feel the powers building around them, their powers had been increased tenfold, and she could feel the excess strength.
Tessa slowly opened her eyes and stared at a suddenly very nervous pair of Followers, she chuckled darkly, "You guys wanted a fight? You've got a fight."
And with that, she unleashed the powers of Selene against them.
Kelly and Murray both concentrated on building a barrier against the magic, but when they realized that they had underestimated the combined strength of the pair, they settled for ducking.
Unfortunately, they had also seemed to forget that Tessa was an illusionist, and they, rather anti-climatically, dove right into the oncoming attack.
After seeing the pair collapse on the ground, Tessa quickly released Aria's arm as if she had the plague, and Aria immediately backed three feet away from her.
Both of them stood there silently, staring at the two, neither of them wanting to apologize for the unpleasantries they had shared in the bathroom. Tessa settled on absently nudging Murray's leg with her boot. "He's out cold."
"So's she." Aria agreed, also kicking at the rather limp form on the ground.
They were both silent, trying to comprehend what had just happened and whether or not they were still mad at each other.
Aria was the one who finally broke the quiet, "Listen, what you said in the bathroom…" She trailed off, looking to see if Tessa was about to jump down her throat, when she didn't, she continued, "About us being sisters?" She stared at her feet, "Well, sisters don't necessarily have to like each other, right?"
Tessa nodded, "No they don't. In fact, its ok if they hate each other a little." She attempted a smile, failed, and replaced it with a wry grin, "They just need to be there for each other."
Aria gave a genuine smile, "I could do that." She spoke softly.
"Good," Tessa inclined her head, "Because right now, we need to be there for Riley and Imy." She walked over to the sprawled-eagled Murray and hunched over him slapping him, "Hey!" She yelled, "Wake the hell up!"
He stirred slightly, his gaze disoriented. When he finally realized who it was hitting him awake he backed away slightly, but Tessa grabbed the collar of his shirt.
"We're looking for a Follower named Tymmie." She inquired coldly.
Aria crossed her arms and stood behind her, "And I believe you can find him for us."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
W00t. another chap down :D in less than a month, lol, not bad ne?
Next Up: Imy and the Boys to the rescue! Plus, Jimena decides to help in her own way, that is, until a certain cop screws it up.
Reviews:
(only one this time:cries: no one loves me. !angst!)
Shadow Goddess Akhet:Lol,I'm glad you stuck with me! You are akin to the loyal first mate who goes down with the Capn' and says something horribly cliched before they are swallowed into the abyss... Did that make sense?Oh well. Anyways, FOUR NEW CHAPS IN LESS THAN A WEEK! WOOT! I'm veryproud of myself. Dare I...Yes, I do! Woo! You have returned! With new chapters! I'm glad you liked the Catty/Imy scene, I wasn't sure how people would react to that. Yep, I'm writing the Lance, Art, and Trysten background story right now :-) Thank you for reviewing!
Till next time!
!nym!