PLUCKY GIRL

“Too many to name,” was the vampire’s response. It wasn’t a funny topic nor was it a sore subject. It was just fact. Sometimes that’s how life was anyway. Facts and straight lines. “Is it obvious?”

“Just a smidge.” She said jokingly, raising her hand up with her thumb and index almost touching. She thought to ask what happened but opted against it. “Well, then, hopefully they rot away in the ground in no time.”

Ana had been in her own head sending a few texts when she heard the offer. The shattering of bottles hadn’t escaped her ears, but she hadn’t really bothered to acknowledge it until it suddenly involved her. “You know what? Yeah. I do.” She pocketed her phone and went to grab a bottle for herself. Channeling some pent up frustrations into it she hurled a bottle at the dumpster just to watch it shatter with a little smile on her face.

“Well alright.” Mia smirked after the bottle had been smashed into pieces. The way that she had approached it with no hesitation, she seemed determined but what did Mia know. “Another.” She said giving her the one in her hand to throw as well. She had felt better after the couple she had already thrown herself so she was more than happy to spread that momentary relief around.

The sound of breaking glass startled him, he stopped in his tracks for a moment to find the direction of the sound. Another shattered glass echoed to his right and he turned into that direction, curious yet cautious he peeked in from the side of the wall, Sebastian had the horrible habit of finding himself in places he was not wanted due to his curiosity, so this time he opted to be more careful. A smile appeared in his lips at the sight of someone breaking bottles and an instant urge to do the same started itching at his bones. He had walked closer to the woman without even noticing he had, awed by her actions, so it made him jump a little when she spoke. “Oh, yeah.” He smiled wide after he composed himself. Sebastian took one of the empty bottles from the crate and with a quick glance to the other, he grinned and threw the bottle at full force. The sight of it breaking in tiny little pieces ignited something in him, the feeling was so relieving. “That was awesome.”

Smiling when she saw how wide he did after she had asked, watching as he went and grabbed one for himself. He looked familiar and it took her a second to pinpoint from where, being a bartender and a tattoo artist, she had become good with faces but it wasn’t from that. Then she remembered he was the owner of the other shop in town. Stepping to the side and then back a little so that it was all his moment to have some fun with it. It was just as satisfying watching the glass break, hearing as the pieces went tumbling into the dumpster or hit the ground. “I know. It’s weird how good it feels to break things.” She said just before tossing the one she had in her hand. 

“Tell me I’m not the only one who had Spongebob as an echo in their head just then?” Riley chuckled. “I hear there’s a lot of those girls running around too, but I must have missed out. I guess they’d already grabbed onto their Edward for the night.” He curled his lips into an amused smile. It was good to make light out of horrible situations, so he thought, he’d sooner make jokes than sit and stew over that night. “Well then you’re not doing it right, Mia, simple things in life are supposed to give you a sense of peace and contentment - they’re not supposed to leave you feeling only half full.” Riley chuckled, more so to himself as he opened out his arms and shrugged. “About an hour. You wanna get it done?” Nodding to the sketch, he wondered if she dared. 

“You are the only one that had that in your head.” She chuckled shaking her head, but in truth it rang in her head too. Her nose scrunched up for a second with the mention of the fictional character, not relating to the appeal. He had some point to what he had said because sometimes they did but finding peace was hard. She knew there was this pent of aggression wanting to get some sort of revenge and that somehow always ruined her moments of taking in the little things in life. “Yes and no.” She opened the sketch pad up to a blank page, pushing it over towards him with the pencil laying on it. “Sketch something for me and I'll get whatever you do.” She wanted more pieces on her and it seemed like a fun way to add on. “Just don’t make it your name or a penis.” She added jokingly.

“Isn’t that what you millennials call alprazolam?” he threw out the scientific name out there for clarification. Once she gave him that weak affirmation, that was enough for him to begin to search for that glass, stopping only when she told him that she took care of it after. “Still–it might be a hazard.” His mouth twitched as she took his hand, lips pressing together as she gave him the bottle. He paused, thinking about it for a brief second. It might feel nice, but Machidiel didn’t need that catharsis at the moment. “No, thank you.”

She couldn’t help but let out a snort then only shrugged in response since she didn’t know, she wasn’t exactly clued in on that kind of stuff. “Okay.” Mia moved back from him but only to run and put the bottle back in the crate and get a plastic bag from her backpack then came back with it. “But don’t throw the pieces on the ground out. They’re not hazardous. Just because they look dangerous doesn’t mean they can’t be turned into something beautiful.” She was talking about using them for art projects, which she did, with the pieces that she could actually use. 

He stood, frozen as she threw the bottles against the dumpster. He was more confused, than anything. Shouldn’t she be recycling the bottles, like a good person? He could sense the other was a werewolf, but he did not sense that she knew he was there. His lips pressed together, turning to lean down next to the dumpster and pick up the shattered glass. “No thank you, I will clean this instead. This is a safety hazard, but I perhaps it is better than doing the Xans.”

“Xans?” She looked at him slightly confused but then her lips tugged up smiling just barely, natural instinct when she didn’t know how to take something. “I guess?” She commented dropping her hand to the side still holding onto the bottle. “But please don't.” Mia said, stepping forward only to hold her free hand up a bit, fingers spread in a stopping gesture. “Most of it falls in the dumpster, I pick up the rest of it.” She told him letting out a small sigh before making her way to him fully. “Just do one.” She looked up at him, taking his hand only to place the bottle in it. 

“Good job, that would have just been embarrassing for you.” He lifted his brows along with his lips, chuckling at the pair of narrowed hues eyeballing him. “Why would I need to be territorial? I’m the boss here, I’m not in doubt.” Riley opened out his arms before giving off a mocking tug at the front of his jacket. He hadn’t noticed her being territorial, as she put it, but thinking about it, he didn’t really know her that well yet. “Yeah? … It was- an experience.” Perhaps not the right word for it but what else could he say? He didn’t enjoy being at a loss of control with himself, so he certainly didn’t revel in the change. “I never said I wouldn’t have any fun, I’d just like to do it without growing fangs.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “From what I hear, it’s not a common thing so, I’m not worried. Maybe I’ll consider attending the next event. Or maybe I’ll just kick it with a beer and the TV. Simple things, eh?” 

“Of course, aye aye captain.” She flicked two fingers after bringing her hand up touching two fingers to her forehead. Shoving aside any other talk of territory she sighed, nodding her head at the fact that it had been an experience. “I don’t know, did any girls ask you to bite them? I hear a lot of them have fantasies, I personally blame twilight.” She was joking and it probably was a poor time to do so but that was how she handled most things, with jokes, useless facts, or simply laughing. It use to get her in a lot of trouble, wolfsbane shoved into her mouth because of it. “I guess.” She shrugged. “I mean, the simple things...yeah that can be good but it’s not enough.” Some days she could just sit outside, drawing, under the sun and appreciate the way it beamed down after having years of only looking up to see the ceiling of a basement but that was also why simple wasn’t what she aimed for. Looking him over she tilted her head in thought. “How much time do you have till your next client?”

“Coping is weak. You should remember. All of it.” Christian still did. Every ounce of guilt, fear, worry, and naturally anger. Some fierce need to use it and channel it into his current path was at his core. 

Mia found herself simply staring at him for several seconds in silence debating on how to respond. To a certain extent she agreed, remembering was important. She, personally, couldn’t pretend like something so apart of her didn’t happen. “So...who burned you?”

“What a friend,” Tomas chuckled as he followed her. “I swear I didn’t expect the whole Halloween thing to rattle me that much. Temporary is supposed to be temporary. Yet I can’t get it out of my head.”

“Well considering everyone was just expecting to get drunk and have some candy, I’m sure a lot of people are still dealing with it.” She knew of a couple too, she had to wonder what else may happen in different gatherings. “What happened?” She asked as she walked into the small store, heading straight for where she knew to look for something good. “And don’t beat yourself up over the fact that it got to you. It’s natural after something like that.”

“Leech? Well aren’t you bold.” Tristan replied, his eyes still dark and his veins still protruding. 

As quickly as her anger had gotten the best of her, she took a step back allowing it to fall away. One hand bringing her bag around to her front so she could slip Sonic away and adjust the bag to how it should be worn. Her eyes cautiously never left him but eventually they traveled to the other person he had been snacking away on. “You’re a vampire,” clearly. “But if you were here on halloween then you weren’t. You were something else and that probably had you feeling -- scared, maybe?” She couldn’t be sure, since she hadn’t felt fear that night but most people did so she was just hoping he did as well. “That’s what you’re making this person feel right now. So..maybe, you can find it within yourself to let them go.”

Tristan lifted his head and looked towards the girl, raising the eyebrow at the sudden intrusion. “Care to take yourself and your rodent elsewhere?” He practically spat. 

Mia was all set and ready to back away and leave him to it but she stopped mid turn, brows furrowed. Knowing better than to bite back but also fighting a temper easily triggered. “First of all,” she held up her hands a bit to show him Sonic. “He’s not a rodent, you leech.”

“Then I don’t see why anyone glorifies it,” Christian reiterated. Everything died eventually unless you were immortal like a handful of people he did associate himself with. “Most things are too fragile for the world.”

“You’re thinking of it all wrong. People don’t glorify it.” What a strange topic to get into, but not surprising anymore. “Its just one big selfish act for the living to feel they have a place to go to, to visit them or whatever. Just a way to cope.”