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Post by JDGreat on Aug 24, 2012 15:08:59 GMT -8
The mechanic blinked.
What just happened? ...ohgodheadwhy?
He sat down on the bead, hands cradling his head as he groaned aloud. His freaking head.
Okay...mental recap. Party at Ace's. Never Have I Ever. Rags turned up and got drugged. Stumbled to...Oh God, I DID stay here last night. I remember...more drinking? Yeah, then....nothing...holy crap, what the hell happened after? Oh dear CHRIST!
Rubbing his eyes, he looked out the window at the sun. Judging by it's height (and the digital clock that Rust took a sneaky look at), it was round about 4:30pm. He still had time to go and meet up with Secernia.
Cerny...
He checked his phone. Nothing. Not even confirmation she'd received his text about Gabrielle agreeing to meet up.
She was probably busy. She did say she couldn't come to the party...and I ended up in another woman's bed... Fuck my life...
The head went back to being buried in the hands.
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 24, 2012 15:59:26 GMT -8
Gabrielle was having a pretty similar reaction to Rust, although a little more productive since hers involved breakfast, though a lot of clattering pans as she pulled on a pair of trousers and fumed at herself.
What the fuck had she been thinking, running around the room with no trousers on and, she realised belatedly her top hanging down like the neckline was trying to make a break for her waist. She pulled up the straps and tied them in place, securely.
Maybe she should just throw herself out the window and have done, if her reaction to waking up with Rust was ‘Oh hey, guy that I really fucking want to hold hands with, ARGHARGHFUCKYOU!’ Eleven years, eleven fucking years and she still godamn screamed at the guy she had a stupid, lovey dovey crush on like he was made of centipedes.
And oh shit she’d just said it. Not out loud, but she’d just said it. The windows looked more and more tempting every minute.
She had left the laptop on the counter, though facing away from her. Artemis would get on soon, and she’d ring as soon as she did, eager to know how things had gone at the party, because that was really a topic Gabrielle wanted to talk about. She’d had it set to auto-answer so she wouldn’t even have to leave the cooker.
She put a glass of orange juice and two aspirin on the counter near her bedroom door. He had to come out of there sometime.
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 24, 2012 16:19:36 GMT -8
I have to come out of here sometime.
Resolute and stony faced, Rust gave a exhalation. This was going to be as awkward as hell. In bed with another woman. He'd get his hide tanned for that.
...by who though? Cause Dad's left and Mom wouldn't...wait, would she care?...huh...weird...
Shaking his head again, he nervously got up, still shirt and shoeless and gingerly walked towards the door. He made sure he wasn't going to embarrass himself, despite Gabrielle's attire and little exercise routine earlier and stepped out, leaning against the door frame.
"Gabrielle? I'm honestly really sorry. If it makes you feel any better...I doubt anything could happen with my jeans still on..."
Yet you STILL feel like shit...
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 24, 2012 16:37:45 GMT -8
“I know, Rust. I’m not an idiot.” Gabrielle said, not facing him. She laid out about half the rashers out of the pack she was holding into a waiting frying pan, the oil just starting to sizzle beautifully and then reached for a second one.
“Do you like your eggs sunny side up?”
There was a beep-boop sound, then a sudden triumphant crow from the laptop. Gabrielle jumped, dropping the hot frying pan onto the tiles, cracking one.
“Oh my God, Gabs! I was going to ask how the party went but it looks like I already know. I swear, I will highfive you so hard when I see you. Hi there, hot guy! Wait wait wait, let me turn on my video.”
The video of a young woman waving opened up on the screen. The woman looked vaguely similar to Gabrielle, but with a petite build and a more conventionally pretty face, and her eyes were a dark purple instead of a light grey.
“Hey there. I’m Artemis.” She gave Rust the once-over and grinned widely. “Nice to see you.”
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 24, 2012 16:44:46 GMT -8
Rust gave a tiny smile. Guess things weren't gonna be so bad after all.
"Yeah...sunny side up would be great than-"
He jumped at the squeal from the laptop, AA materialising over his shoulder, clenched and ready. Rust's eyes darted around the room until Artemis' voice came over the tiny speakers.
"Wait, hot? Who the hell is tha-?"
His mind flashed back to a few weeks ago. Gabrielle sending pictures on the beach. His awkward as hell posing. An extremely excitable...
"You're Gabrielle's twin sister, aren't you?" Rust asked, not liking how she was looking at him like a piece of meat. "Artemis, huh? Nice to meet you too, I guess."
Feeling awfully exposed, the mechanic awkwardly made his way into the spare room. He needed a shirt, god damn it.
Cerny will flay me alive if this ever gets out, I just know it. Either that or her friends will.
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 24, 2012 17:05:32 GMT -8
“That’s right, sweetie!” Artemis said, delighted. She tucked some of her black and blue dyed hair behind her ears and readjusted the lilac summer dress she was wearing. “I’m surprised you guessed so fast. Gabs talk about me? Nothing too good, I hope.”
“Only the worst.” Gabrielle called as she picked up the frying pan. She left it on the counter as she tiptoed past the little lake of hot oil to the paper towels.
“Ah, so she really is there! So, tell me everything. I want details. I want size.” Artemis demanded, apparently not caring that Rust was right there, though he was trying to escape her lecherous gaze.
“Nothing happened, Arty.” Gabrielle said, with a long suffering sigh as she started to wipe up. “I have no gossip for there is nothing to gossip about.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
“Would I joke about this, Arty?”
Artemis returned Gabrielle's long suffered sigh. “Do you mean to say that you got a slampiece like that and you didn’t well, slam it? Even for you, that’s just sad.”
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 24, 2012 17:14:39 GMT -8
....Oh
Dear
God.
She wanted SIZE?!
Blushing crimson, the hapless mechanic slammed the spare room door shut behind him, granting him reprieve from Gabrielle's pervert of a sister. He coughed, several times. This was insane.
This situation is actively getting worse. It's like a bad fanfiction or roleplaying site... Sweet Christ, help me out now? Please?!
Pulling on his shirt, crumpled as all hell due to spending the night on the floor, Rust used the UNTIL NOW, UNDISCOVERED en suite bathroom (....you stupid son of a bitch...) to wash his mouth out some and try to get rid of the headache. It was worse than overusing the AA and THAT was saying something.
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 24, 2012 17:32:37 GMT -8
“Artemis, please stop.” Gabrielle snapped, as soon as she was sure the door was shut.
“What? I’m only-“
“You’re not helping anything, please. You’re just making us both uncomfortable and nothing happened aleady, so please shut up and move on.”
“Alright, alright.” Artemis said, then giggled. “I’ll be a good girl.”
Gabrielle just rolled her eyes and continued cleaning in silence, occasionally flipping the rashers over so that they wouldn’t burn. When she was done, a few minutes later, she stood up straight and washed her hands. She looked over to the door.
“I think you’ve scared him off.”
“Oh please,” Artemis scoffed, “No one is that scared of a hot girl.”
“I don’t know. I’d be pretty scared if I saw a girl like you coming for my junk, such as it is.” Gabrielle said pleasantly.
“...Bitch.”
“Love you too. Now shush. I need to go rescue him.”
Gabrielle gave the rashers another quick flip then left the kitchenette area. She knocked on the door.
“Are you alright in there?”
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 25, 2012 1:43:07 GMT -8
Rut, meanwhile, had been halfway out the window. He considered not answering Gabrielle until he thought of how this could possibly get worse.
Seeing the human carnage below as the aftermath of the party? Complete with a guy puking into a traffic cone? Rust wisely made the right choice and got back into the room. He heard Gabrielle knock.
"Yeah, fine...just give me a second..."
Taking off his bandanna, he thoroughly soaked it in the en suite's sink, cold water drenching it until the stench of beer left the garment and it was freezing to the touch. Only then, did he reapply it to his forehead, wincing slightly, but helpful with the headache regardless.
He opened the door, fully clothed this time.
"Alright. We need to talk. Ideally, without your sister butting in every ten seconds to comment on my body."
The mechanic looked over Gabrielle's shoulder at Artemis.
"No offence, Artemis, but REALLY not needed right now. Especially since I may have to explain this to ONE girl already..." He muttered the last bit, looking extremely hard on himself.
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 25, 2012 7:19:02 GMT -8
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow at the sopping bandana. All it was really going to do was get his breakfast soaking wet when he leant over.
“Uh... I left you some aspirin, Rust. You don’t have to go all natural cure on me.” She said, trying to lighten the mood up. Rust was taking this little situation harder than she was.
Artemis laughed at his plea for her to stop and called back “I’ll try to restrain myself, but just so you know, you make it really difficult!” Gabrielle just tilted her head.
Explain this to one girl?
Why would he...?
Oh.
Of course.
Why the fuck did she think otherwise.
Gabrielle turned away and went back into the kitchenette. She put on the second frying pan with fresh oil, tossed the rashers onto a plate which she then put under the grill to keep warm and starting to fry up an entire pack of sausages.
When the sausages were all in the pan, she held down the power button on the laptop until it just shut off, without even a goodbye Arty.
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 25, 2012 7:30:25 GMT -8
"Thanks..." Rust muttered taking a couple of the pills and washing it down with some water. Shuddering a little at the taste (he NEVER got used to that), he gently massaged his temples until the throbbing just became a dull ache.
"Whew...bit better. Seriously, thanks Gabrielle." the mechanic finally said properly, before seeing her wander over to the kitchen without a word. He was about to respond to Artemis before her twin abruptly shut the computer off. Rust blinked.
"Hey, what gives? Sure, she wasn't the ideal person to have around, but you could have at least said goodbye to her..." He protested, before seeing that Gabrielle had gone right back to cooking.
An awkward silence fell over the apartment.
"...so... Any plans today?"
You fucking idiot. Nicely done.
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 25, 2012 8:08:02 GMT -8
“She’ll call back when I turn it back on.” Gabrielle said as she pushed the sausages around the pan. “And she’ll understand. Artemis doesn’t stop joking, not even when she” -Gabrielle jabbed the sausages with the fork as she spoke-”Should. Know. Better.”
She dropped the fork beside her with a clatter and went to the fridge.
“The bread is in the breadbox. Put on some toast. The toaster can take four slices at a time. How many eggs do you want?“
She started cracking open the eggs into the second pan, only putting on two since she didn’t know how many he wanted.
“No, I don’t have plans. Why are you asking me?” she said, finding it very hard to leave off the emphasis on me. Didn’t he have a girlfriend to ask that stuff too? Or, she remembered vaguely a conversation from last night, was this to do with that what was her name, Sesaria?
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 25, 2012 8:29:56 GMT -8
Rust just winced every time she jabbed the sausages. Gabrielle was looking pretty goddamn vicious right now. Perhaps keeping his mouth shut was the best idea...
Slotting the toast into the toaster, Rust politely asked for just the one egg. He suddenly didn't feel that hungry any more. Something had pissed Gabrielle off ROYALLY and to be honest? He wasn't sure what it was.
It couldn't have been the situation when they woke up, she was beginning to joke with him about it and even bantering with Artemis slightly. You don't just revert to sheer coldness like that out of the blue.
I just saw you twitch Twitching like a mouse. Pretending to play dead In this kitty's house So, I'll toy with you!
Rust's phone exited his pocket as he checked it. A text from Secernia. Cause that's what he needed right now. He considered opening it...but it didn't seem right just now. He left it and put his phone away.
"Just wondered is all..." he answered quietly, before reseating himself at the table.
Oh crap...what do?
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Post by SarahSyna on Aug 25, 2012 10:24:30 GMT -8
“How nice of you.” Gabrielle responded with a mutter, feeling a sting of jealousy as the phone went off. Probably his stupid fucking girlfriend who was probably completely gorgeous, with normal teeth and no scars and some suitably elegant power.
She sighed. Maybe she should just tell him to leave. Just give him some of the food, kick him out and just act like nothing happened, like they’ never even met before. Had to be easier tha-
There was the sound of the Windows start-up melody from the laptop, the deep breath of Skype starting and then the quick BLEEEEEPBLOOOOP of a call being auto-answered. Gabrielle stared at her laptop in disbelief as Artemis’s triumphant crow greeted them from the second time that day.
“HA! I knew it, I knew it!”
“Wh-what?”
“ I knew you’d do some emo moment and try flounce on me, only this time I wouldn’t be able to run after you! So I took precautions! It was easy.” Artemis paused, “Well, a friend did it for me, but it sounded easy.
“W-wait... is this why my p-power button is jammy and I have to hold it down?
“Not important, Gabs.”
The video start up and Artemis beamed at them.
“So. No sexy talk, my friends, I promise you that, but let’s lighten up the fucking mood, yes?”
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Post by JDGreat on Aug 25, 2012 10:42:36 GMT -8
Ouch. Okay, she wants me out of here.
Rust made a move to exit the dorm when all of a sudden... Artemis Ex Machina kicked in. He could only flick his gaze back and forth from Artemis and Gabrielle as the two twins had their mini argument.
...their language is pretty similar, I'll grant them that. he thought as Artemis swore the roof down.
He just kept silent though. This was already awkward enough as it was.
...okay...we're not going to think of Gabrielle in her room a few moments ago. We're not going to think of what happened last night, even the tick...oh my god, we had a ticklefight on the couch.
Rust went red.
AND SHE LANDED FACE FIRST IN MY-
Rust went crimson.
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Post by SarahSyna on Sept 1, 2012 15:00:34 GMT -8
Gabrielle sighed in defeat.
“Fine.” She said, flipping an egg over. She didn’t do sunny sides apparently, at least for her own eggs. “Lighten the mood up, Arty.”
Artemis beamed at the two of them. She leant out of view for a moment or two and there was the sound of rustling paper and stiff card being moved around. She came back up bearing a photo album with a tattered, laminated card cover on it.
“I found old pictures!”
“Uh, hurray?”
“Fuck yeah hurray! It’s mom!” Artemis said excitedly, “Like, mom but our age. Well, older, I think, but still!”
She started to flip through the little plastic sheets that held the photos in place.
“Why is this so exciting, Arty?”
“Because, you div, it’s from when she was our age and not long before we were, y’know, ‘started’.” The airquotes were audible. “Rust, that’s your name, right? Isn’t that cool?”
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Post by JDGreat on Sept 2, 2012 2:38:34 GMT -8
Finally managing to calm himself down and return his face to it's normal colour, Rust couldn't help but give a small smile at the pictures.
"She looks like she's one hell of a woman." he answered honestly. "Musta been nice, that kind of a mom."
He had another look at his phone. Sure, there was the one message from Cerny, but also quite a few from his 'dear old mother'. Still wondering whether or not she can cash in the life insurance, probably. Blinking when he realised what he was doing, he slotted it back into his pocket.
Walking over, he sat down at the desk that held the laptop, taking a closer look at the pictures.
"Hey, I can see the resemblance!" he noticed, with a grin, feeling slightly better about the entire thing. "Less we know about your mom getting jiggy with it though, the better I think. For Gabrielle's sake more than anyone's."
He gave Arty a conspiratorial wink, laughing a little as he did so.
This was gonna go alllllllllright.
Still, I need to have a word with Cerny. And soon.
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Post by SarahSyna on Sept 22, 2012 8:46:09 GMT -8
The woman in the pictures looked a hell of a lot like Gabrielle, certainly more than she did Artemis. She had the same sharp features and eyeshape (though the colour was the same deep violet as Artemis’), accentuated by well-applied blush, eyeliner and lipstick.
In one of the pictures she was standing with a very tall man with long black hair falling around his shoulders and startlingly pale eyes. While Maria was looking straight at the camera with a confident, almost defiant expression, her hand resting on a sword hanging at her side, he was looking away at the ground, hands fiddling with his loosely knotted tie.
Gabrielle stuck out her tongue at Rust and his little remark.
“Hey, I’m not afraid of my mother getting jiggy with it or anything else.” She said, then stopped. She made a face. “Well, I’m not afraid but,” and she laughed a little, “Not exactly raring to see it either.”
She leant back to see the screen properly, the eggs in the frying pan she was holding sliding precariously close to the edge, and tilted her head.
“Who’s that guy?”
Artemis pulled the photo out of the plastic slip and flipped it over.
“’Constantine and Maria V. Jan, 94’” she read off the back. “Huh. That’s... Interesting.”
“What is?” Gabrielle asked. A little bit of hot oil dripped from the pan, landing unnoticed by her little toe.
“Tell you later.” Artemis said, then grinned. “So, speaking of jigginess, what’s the gossip over there? Any big scandals? Besides you two, that is.” She added, with a hearty laugh. “No, but really, any news? You tell me, Rust. I already get letters from Seraph.”
“Back to that name, are we?”
“Well, if the tattoo fits. Ooh, reminds me. Have you seen any of her tattoos, Rust? Pretty, aren’t they?Artemis said. She pushed back her chair to indicate the wall behind her, which was almost completely covered with sketches and print-outs. One of the more visible sketches looked like the tattoo Gabrielle had on her leg. “I did them myself, designed from scratch and everything. The one on her back is the best, but she never wears her hair up with anything backless, so I doubt you’ve actually had a good look.”
She sighed as she pulled the chair back into place. “It’s a shame, because she’d be a wonderful portfolio if she’d just show off a little skin.”
“Nice to know that what I am to you. A prudish portfolio.” Gabrielle said dryly. She straightened up, finally tilting the pan 45 degrees away from a disaster and went back to cooking.
“Love you too!” Artemis called, then turned her attentions back to Rust, the picture of her mother and a man forgotten beside her, and rested her chin on her steepled fingers. “So, tell me about yourself and all the news.”
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