Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Written: 2010. Found: 2018.- Licia
What do you think Manek's connection the Vinkus is?
Who does Manek remind you of, if anyone?
Her gaze moved up from the hand, to the owner's face.
He was tall- well, a little taller than her- with sandy hair and the most striking blue eyes; well-built but slender, and not much older than her, maybe about a year or two. His skin was the color of fresh-baked bread, and he smiled softly at her, something lighting in his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, mind grinding to a halt.
All she could do was reach out and take his hand-
Soft kisses, hands running over feverish skin. Whispered promises of a life that would never be lived, while the stars sparkled over the forest's canopy, hiding them from view.
She started, gasping softly, glancing up at him. A wary chuckle escaped him, and he grinned, though he never released her hand.
"I see you finally met Manek."
The pair finally broke apart as Rain came into the living room, mug in hand. "Hey, Rain. So, where'd you find this one?"
"Wandering the streets, like the other street urchins I come across." She joked, taking a seat on the tattered sofa. Elle made a face, and Rain grinned. Manek chuckled.
"Don't mind Rain. She calls you an 'urchin' it means she likes you. Count yourself lucky. I've never gotten that from her."
She turned to him before turning back to her roommate as Rain spoke up. Her tone was joking, and she grinned. "I don't care for you much, Tiggelar."
"Hey! I'm not a Tiggelar!" Her head swiveled back like a coin on the edge of a sink as he spoke up. A moment passed, before he blushed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "Not... not anymore. I... gave up that life."
She furrowed a brow, now intrigued by their visitor. "Sorry... Tiggelar?" The boy blushed. "I... I met a Tiggelar yesterday... um... Fi... Fiyero, if I remember right? It was... was interesting, he... he confused me for someone else. Called me... um..." She stopped, unable to remember the name and unsure if she wanted to reveal that small tidbit of information. The other two watched her, and after a moment, she sighed. "I think her name was... Elph... Elphaba?"
The others shrugged, never having heard the name before. "Never heard of her." Manek replied, as she turned back to him.
"Though there are those posters up around the City, on the hunt for a 'Wicked Witch.'" Rain spoke up, and they turned to her.
"I saw those. They're like... wanted posters. I thought it was funny. Not that it is, but... I mean... 'Wicked Witch of the West?' Come on, sounds like some-"
"Villain from a fairytale?"
"I know, right?" She nodded at Rain's suggestion. "Totally weird."
"In the Vinkus, they believe she existed." Both women turned back to Manek, who shrugged, slipping his hands in his pockets.
"The Vinkus?" One slender black eyebrow rose, and he nodded. "Never heard of it."
The young man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Count yourself lucky.
"So what brought you to the City?"
He met her gaze; Rain had suggested the two go out and get lunch, seeing as she hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning, and Manek knew a small, hole-in-the-wall cafe at the other end of Alphabet City that catered mainly to the artists that lived in the area. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought that Rain had been trying to set them up, and when she brought it up, Rain had simply shook her head, saying that she needed to get to know the others in the AC, as they called it, if she wanted to do well here.
Your neighbors are are your greatest allies. Unlike most artists, we don't tear each other down; there's a camaraderie about the AC. We live in the same section of the Emerald City, we're all striving for a common, if individual goal, and we all recognize that regardless of how famous we become, we're still a family. If you're going to be a part of this family, you'd best get to know the other members- and best to start with Manek, since he's been here the longest out of the younger generation, despite his young age, and is the most approachable; he did approach you first when he knocked on the door.
She had to admit, that Rain was right. So far, the girl had been a fairly good ally- giving her a roof over her head and helping her get in touch with Partra and the company. And Rain seemed to know more about the City than anyone else. She glanced at Manek.
"I'm a performer. What better place to make it big than the Emerald City?"
He chuckled, raising his mug in a toast. "You're from Munchkinland?" She nodded.
"And you're from the Vinkus? Like Rain?"
He sighed. "The thing you need to understand about Rain, is that she's from the far west of the Vinkus- the outer recesses, if you will. Close to the Impassable Desert. There aren't many prospects for children in that region. She made the right choice coming to the City. I'm from the eastern half of the Vinkus, closer to the major cities, but even so, the prospects aren't much better for a kid. A little, but not by much."
"And when did you get here?"
"When I was thirteen. Couldn't stay at home any longer. Decided to strike out on my own, so I left, making for the City. Lived on the streets for a couple months, until Nanny took me in."
She raised an eyebrow. "Nanny?"
He chuckled. "Her real name's Jinjuria, but everyone calls her Nanny, because she takes care of all the artists in the AC." He nodded to the woman working the counter, and she turned to follow his gaze. "Calls each one of us her 'kids', cause she could never have any of her own. Former Madame of a brothel that was later shut down by the Wizard. Rumor has it, one of his guards visited before it was shut down and cornered her; possibly gave her some disease that made it so she couldn't have kids. When the women who worked for her were either jailed or fled the City, she moved to the AC, opened this cafe with the money she'd put away. She looks after all of us, whether we want her too or not."
The woman looked up, meeting her gaze with a soft smile.