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 Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:00 am
Solo #4: The Things Girls Dream Of
Mar 01, 2010
Jada Chamberlyn tossed in her bed, staring up at the canopy above her. It was almost 3am and she was wide awake. None of the servants would be, nor would any of her family members; she slid out of her bed. Over her violet silk pajamas she slipped on a white robe. It wouldn't do much to keep her warm, but it would at least provide some sort of protection against the night air. Her Henshin pen she left in the drawer of her night table. She pulled up her hair into a loose ponytail, just to get it out of the way, and on bare feet she padded over to her balcony doors. They were pushed open, and she stepped out onto the balcony. The stone was agonizingly cold on bare feet, but she didn't even notice it. She stepped down the circular staircase that led up to her balcony, heading for the back.
The cobblestone path was rough on tender feet but she didn't notice it. Something in the night was whispering to her. Something in her dreams tortured her.
She dreamed of a lover. Colors spun, her hair tangled with his own. His hands were powerful, firm, gripping her hips and pulling her to him with desire. His lips on hers were warm and firm. Sometimes she woke in silent tears for a lover she had never had. The tears that dripped down her cheeks weren't tears of sorrow. They were tears of shame. Because she was a coward.
When Jada woke, she struggled for breath; lungs seized with the desire to hold to her dream and the feeling within.
He wasn't real. He never had been. And he never would be.
Her own dreams would fade because she couldn't bear the thought of her mother's displeasure. Before she was 19, she'd find herself the unhappy bride of someone who was twice her age (if she were lucky he wouldn't be older.) And what purpose would it serve? Some fantasy of her mother's that she had married in her own class? Was the older woman not happy with the sacrifices and the successes of her husband? Apparently not; all four of the Chamberlyn children knew Szelem was unhappy.
An only daughter, at seventeen Szelem Montgomery had defied her parents and married Michael Chamberlyn. She was given $100,000 and removed from her parents will. Szelem had gotten a fine laugh when ten years later he was a millionaire, starting with that “small” amount of money. At twenty she'd given birth to their first child, Jada Marie. Neither had thought it would happen; nor had Jada's grandparents. The Montgomery patriarch, mellowed by the loss of his wife, relented to leave his money to family. Every penny of his estate was tied up in a trust fund in Jada's name for when she turned eighteen. The old man had died before Zora and Kayley were born or it may have been different. Szelem had never forgiven her parents. And yet as Jada grew, Szelem had found herself more and more like them. Kayley and Zora were able to hold themselves apart; by the time they were born the Chamberlyn family had a nanny. But Jada had grown up in her mother's arms, rocked to sleep by her parents when she had nightmares. Jada had been doted upon, a small miracle after thirteen years of a barren marriage. Lucas was the son, to him fell other expectations aside from a marriage that would bring him comfort. And Szelem had been forty when he was born, an even greater miracle. Being five years younger than Jada, Kayley and Zora had grown up with the nanny; it was to her that they ran, and their mother's increasing demands for her daughters didn't matter to them. They were the lucky ones.
The eldest Chamberlyn child couldn't bring herself to break her mother's heart by being like her. Furiously Jada kicked at a small rock in the path, sending it flying across the lawn as she headed for the walking pond. Hissed in pain at her own blow to the small stone. Her feet were too tender to go around abusing rocks.
She shouldn't feel this way, not with the demands that had been placed on her. But her sisters, and her little brother, had always been close to her. The parents sat above them, they weren't part of them. Jada didn't want to find herself a part of some placed family like she would be if she married one of the men her mother was encouraging her to. She wanted a man who would make a family with her, not to be stepmother to a boy as old as or older than she was.
Someday Jada wanted a family full of laughter and happiness, not the stern silence of her parents marble halls. She wanted a home that felt lived in, with mess and carpet instead of oriental rugs, and she wanted her children to have a room where they could draw on the walls if they wanted to. She wanted pictures on the refrigerator, and she wanted cheerios, and a table small enough to see the faces of her family.
She wanted to wake in the arms of someone she loved.
Could she break her own heart by being what Szelem wanted her to be?
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:02 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:04 am
Solo #5: Waiting
Mar 02, 2010
She was fleeing the scene of combat as fast as her click-clack heels could hit the pavement. Virgo, secure in her arms, was bleeding like the proverbial stuck pig, and it was making Jada nauseated. She'd stopped hearing the rape whistle a few moments before. Hematite and Nealite, if they were following her, would need to be moving fast; Scylla had sprinted, flung herself forward as fast as she could force herself.
She could run a mile in under 4 minutes as a senshi. Now she was sprinting. Please let Merope have gotten away. She'd feel bad about that if he hadn't.
She looked down at the girl in her arms. It wasn't Virgo held there any longer, it was someone even smaller, in her eyes. She looked familiar, but the girl was dressed in a pair of blue buttoned pajamas and a coat. There were no holes in the clothes, how could she explain this? She didn't have time to stop and get a pair of scissors to try and cut the coat and pajamas.
The hospital was in her sights. She sprang forward faster now, skidding to a halt as she almost crashed into the ER doors.
No time to de-henshin. She pushed through, straight to the counter, shoving someone on crutches off balance with Elke's legs. “She's dying.” she managed to get out. The two of them were covered in blood that was too bright to be good. Something inside the wounded girl was ruptured, badly broken. A stranger, not a doctor the clothes weren't right not a doctor where is a doctor!, tried to take Virgo out of Scylla's arms and she snarled; Someone in green scrubs with a mask on and gloves managed to pull her. “She was... She was stabbed.”
“What is her name? How old is she? Who did it, did you see? Call the police? Is she a senshi, mama? Oh god, this is the girl from a few weeks ago. Sit down. She's in shock.” Voices whirled around Jada and she didn't listen to any of them. She focused on one thing. Staying henshined, and staying with Virgo. “We need a name. An age. Insurance?”
“Save her.” Scylla repeated, eyes focusing on the woman who had mentioned insurance with an unnatural fixation. “Don't worry about your money, you'll get it.” No worries there. “I don't know her name. Age, umm... 16?” It was obviously a guess.
“How did you fin-”
“STOP ASKING ME QUESTIONS!” it came out a shriek.
“Shut her up or get her out of here!” a doctor snarled, and they were doing things to Virgo, hooking her to machines. IV's and a breathing tube (oh god, a breathing tube, was she too late? Had she moved too slow? No!) Another doctor grabbed Scylla by the arms, pulling her to face away from Virgo on the table. “We need to know what happened, or we can't save her.”
“Hematite.” she whispered dully. How could she explain? Doctors looked at each other. “She was stabbed." she said again, as though it explained everything. "I... I have blood. I need it off.” she said finally. She was taken to a bathroom. It took towels and lots of water to clean her arms, legs, even her face. By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, there were police officers.
They recognized her, from the night with Lisa and Vivian, the weird girl who cosplayed. Where had she found this one? Why was she so frantic, did she know her? What was her name? God, the rundown was something insane. “I don't know!” she cried. She would have to go down to the station, they needed questions, and they needed a record. “Do it here!”
The doctors wanted to sedate her, she begged them not to. Don't knock her out, she'd be quiet, she'd be good, but she needed to stay. She paced the ER for almost three hours, until a doctor came out. They'd saved the girl, and since no one knew her family yet, Scylla was allowed to be at her side. That decision had been gained by threat and tears and attempted bribery.
No one wanted her in there. But once she'd put on a hospital gown over her blood-covered fuku, they couldn't complain.
She was exhausted, using sugar and coffee to keep herself as Scylla. She couldn't leave until... Couldn't... leave...
The world spun, and Jada was exhausted. She couldn't keep it up. It was 4am. The doctors were told she would be back the next day; she got a pass. She made it onto Crystal grounds, made it into her bed and passed out in her bloody clothing, her window still open to the night air. It was 4:30am.
At 8am, Scylla was back in the hospital, waiting for the girl to wake up. Virgo was out of ICU for now, had her own white room with annoyingly yellow curtains that were so faded they looked to be only a dirty, stained white. The couch was hard, the chairs were worse. The breathing machine was gone, but the sound of beeping was a rhythm that annoyed the hell out of her.
Still, she waited.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:06 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:08 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:10 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:13 am
Solo #6: Three Wishes
Mar 01, 2010
One of the maids was on the floor of the den, crawling around on her hands and knees looking for an earring that Mother had dropped. Redheaded Zora and blonde Kayley were watching Bonanza reruns, arguing over Little Joe Cartwright or Adam Cartwright (Who was hotter? Jusging by the fact that Kayley's face was as red as Zora's hair, Adam was winning!), and Lucas was playing some fighting game that was causing him to curse like a sailor. Jada was curled up on one of the leather couches, a book in her hand, and watching her siblings enjoy themselves.
When Bonanza was over, another argument started between the girls. Jada put the televisions on mute, dragging Lucas away from his video game. “Zora, Kayley, what are the two of you going on about?”
“Wishes.” Kayley said promptly. “Zora's tutor says she has to write a paper on what she'd do with three wishes!”
“That's easy.” Lucas glanced back at his television, feet bouncing in his shoes. “She'd wish to be grown up.”
“I am grown up, LUCAS.” Zora sneered at her younger brother.
“Are not.”
“Am too.”
“Are not!”
“Am too!”
“Shhh!” Jada waved her hand impatiently, making Kayley giggle. “So tell us, Lucas, since you are so certain of everyone else's wishes, what are yours?”
“I wish I could be playing my game instead of listening to my stupid older sister.” he said promptly. The twins hid giggles behind their hands. Lucas grinned, pleased by their quiet praise until he saw Jada's raised eyebrow and quailed.
“Well, once we've all shared some wishes, you can have yours.” she said easily. The maid had found the earring, and was starting to leave. “Vanessa,” Jada caught her before she left, “Could you have someone bring up four cups of ice cream?”A curtsy and the young woman was gone without so much as a word of response to the young woman's request.
“I want to be a grown up.” Lucas said importantly, pleased his big sister had ordered them all a treat. “And I want Santa to get me everything on my Christmas list next year.” he screwed up his small face thoughtfully. He giggled as Jada reached over, tickling his belly. “Nooo!” he protested, flailing.
“Last wish!”
“I wish you'd stop tickling me.” he wailed it. Zora and Kayley broke down in giggles and Jada hauled the younger child into her lap. “Jayjay, I'm too big for that! Not a baby anymore!”
“Pffffft. You'll always be my baby brother.” And he would. Though if he got much bigger she wouldn't be able to do this to him; wouldn't be able to hug him close to her. She wouldn't be bigger than he for much longer.
“I'm a young man!” he protested again, giggling and wriggling as her fingers easily found his ticklish spots again. “Papa said so. He said I need to turn my mind to manly pu- I'll be good! Just stop! Stop!” Jada did so, and he eventually settled down into her arms. “Do I still get my third wish?”
“I suppose.” she agreed. “Kayley, Zora, do you mind?” The twins shrugged.
“I wish that...” his small face scrunched up. “That I could fly.” he decided.
Why did he want to fly? Well, the mind of a ten-year-old boy was not something Jada had ever had the privilege of understanding. “I wish that I had a motorcycle.” Zora piped up. A motorcycle?! “And that I had that new lipstick I saw on TV. Oh, and that I had a-” she looked at Kayley, and the two giggled. “A boyfriend.”
Oh dear lord. Little girls were growing up far too fast these days. “I wish Lucas would stop leaving his underwear in the bathroom on the maid's night off.” Kayley spoke up next. “And that I wasn't still in a-” she stopped, gave Lucas the eye, then gave Jada the look. “That I wasn't still tiny.” Oh. “And I wish I was dating Zora's boyfriend's twin brother.” The two girls started giggling again, impish.
There was a gentle knock on the door to the den and Vanessa walked back in with a tray holding their bowls of ice cream. Zora had cookie pieces in hers, Kayley had cookie dough; Lucas' was chocolate, his favorite flavor and they'd brought Jada plain vanilla, a few fresh strawberries to the side. After ten years or more of serving the Chamberlyn family, the help knew 'their' children quite well.
“What are your wishes, Jay?” Zora slid onto one arm of the plush chair, and Kayley onto the other.
Tough question. Jada bit her lip, dipping one of the strawberries into the ice cream. “Well, I think you can go back to your game, Lucas.” The best thing to do when you were faced with a question that you didn't want to answer was to ignore it.
Apparently, however, Lucas was wise to that trick. He shook his dark head, taking a big bite of his chocolate ice cream. The small nose scrunched up; brain freeze! “You gotta tell too.” he insisted.
Wishes. Wishes were nice, but that was all they were. When a wish became reality it wasn't there anymore. It was human nature to yearn and wish for the things one didn't possess. Jada had lots of wishes, but none of them were as solid in her mind as those of her younger siblings. Kayley and Zora, thirteen in a few days, were dreaming of romance. That was a luxury.
“I wish I hadn't lost my cell phone,” she said finally, looking pointedly at her little brother. Lucas had snitched it, she knew, to look through the pictures she had on it. He always did so on the weekends she came home, and he would sit with the twins and pore over the pictures she had on there.“And I also wish someone would stop snitching my favorite eyeshadow.” Zora got the eye this time. “Not that I know who would do such a dastardly thing. And I guess with my third wish...” she looked thoughtfully over her three siblings. “I think I'd set the genie free.”
“But that's a wasted wish!” Zora protested. “What can the genie do for you when it is gone? And why should it help you?”
Jada smiled. “It isn't always going to be about what the genie can do for you, is it?”
“Duh.” came the chorus of younger voices.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:14 am
Solo #7: Ready, Set, Go
Mar 02, 2010
It was 7:00 Friday night. Jada finished putting the last finishing touches to her makeup, shifted one of her perfectly sculpted curls back into place. Her mother had provided her a bottle of perfume that the older woman had said was Mr. Carson's favorite scent on a woman. It didn't matter that Jada wasn't a woman yet at all, but a girl of 17. Her legal guardians (more specifically her mother) had set this date up, and it wasn't the first time that Szelem Montgomery-Chamberlyn had done so. It wouldn't be the last time either. The dress that Jada put on over her slip was a knee-length gold ruched dress with a deep V-neck. Her hose were as high as she could make them. Her mother had personally picked out the dress and shoes to suit her 'friend's' taste. Mr. Douglas Carson was a 48 year old widower with a 25 year old son by the same name. Whether Jada's mother was trying to sell Jada to the father or the son was yet to be determined. The date that she had tonight (and Szelem had used the word date) was with the elder Carson. The older men always kept their hands to themselves. She might be dating them, but the rules were clear. This wasn't prostitution in the technical sense. Her body wasn't being promised to them, not tonight. Only if they decided they wanted to marry her. The younger ones didn't always, but she'd worked out a way to handle things if it looked like it was going to get out of hand. So what would be her quirk tonight? She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. She had used the stutter last time. The time before that she'd pretended to have a twitch in her hand. There had been the head jerk, and the limp. She was running out of classy excuses. She picked up her purse, compared it to the outfit she was wearing critically; it matched well enough. A quiet knock came on her door, and one of the maids poked her head in. “Miss Jada, your guest has arrived. He awaits you in the sitting room with your mother.” “Older or younger?” she ran one quick, final checkup, and slid her mascara into her purse. “The elder, miss.” Jada scowled into the mirror, checked her teeth. White and straight, no lipstick on them. “He's quite impatient, as well, miss. You may like to hurry.” May shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other. Jada nodded, checked her hose for runs one final time before leaving her room. She scurried for the stairs; she could hear a loud, unfamiliar masculine voice down below. He sounded pompous and self-important. This was going to be hell. She moved down the stairs; halfway down an older, distinguished-looking man in a black suit, with a black shirt and a black tie. “Your daughter looks the part of a strumpet, Szelem.” his voice was as cold as his eyes. Jada kept her head straight, never met his eyes, only settling them on his cheekbones. “She's a bit forward too. Look at her, brazen as can be. Go put on clothing, girl, and make it snappy. I don't have time for this.” Jada gave a short curtsy, turned back around and headed up the stairs in silence. Strumpet? Most of the men her mother hooked her up with didn't complain about a young woman looking attractive. Szelem bustled into Jada's bedroom on her daughter's heels, almost diving for the closet. “And what happened to your impeccable taste this time, mother?” “Don't get smart.” Szelem threw a demure black dress onto the bed, a gold belt following it. “You don't have time to change your makeup, keep the color.” “Mother, I have gone on dates before.” Jada snapped at the older woman. “I know how to accessorize a black dress as well.” “Don't get smart with me.” Szelem leaned over, yanked at the gold dress. “Get it off and get the other one on!” “Mother!” “Hurry up!” Jada peeled off the gold dress, pulled on the black one. As she was sliding it up her body, her mother was already buckling the belt around her slim waist. “Don't you mess this one up, Jada Chamberlyn.” Szelem grabbed her wrist. “Don't you dare.” “Mother, I always do my utmost to please you.” Jada's violet eyes were tight. “I'm not the one you have to please tonight. Mr. Carson is a very wealthy man, and very lonely.” Even with her very limited relationship with the older man, Jada couldn't imagine why.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:15 am
Solo #8: Le Fantôme
Mar 02, 2010
Douglas Carson was a quiet old man, who had demanded nothing of her but silence. At dinner she had been expected to remain silent as he spoke over business with another man his age. The woman on his arm was older, but she'd had kind eyes that spoke volumes. Get away. Don't let this life eat you alive.
But Jada had remained silent, manners impeccable. She didn't allow herself to shake, didn't allow her feet to tap, her legs to cross. Impeccable manners, elbows off the table, always the correct silverware, and no clinking of the china. Her back was ramrod straight, and dinner was almost excruciating.
But finally it had all gotten over, and the dinner group had split up. The man and his nameless, not introduced wife had gone one way, Jada and Douglas had quietly gone the other. Gotten into the car and driven along in further silence until they had hit lights that made Jada's heart light. Douglas had taken Jada's small hand on his arm, and guided her through the crowds; he took her straight to some of the best seats in the theater, box seats, and they were now watching the Phantom of the Opera.
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra had been written in the early 1900's, and had always enchanted Jada. When she was still a child, her father had taken her to see a performance. Christine Daae inspired Jada; when she was younger she'd told herself someday she would be on stage, and she would sing the part of Christine. Someday she would be in the theater and find a Phantom of her own, a man passionate and powerful to steal her away and love her forever. She'd grown older, and realized neither Raoul nor le Fantôme were very wise decisions for any kind of woman; that hadn't stopped the magic of the play or the novel from affecting her.
Erik loved a woman so deeply he was willing to kill for her, was willing to die for her; what had stirred such passion in his heart? Was it truly only the kindness she had shown? That she could not see his face and therefore never came to fear the appearance of things? Raoul as well, enchanted with the woman his childhood friend had become. She was on the edge of her seat, mentally, straining along with the actors as they played out the tribulations of their characters.
The older man was tapping his fingers on his chair, a distracting habit, and she had to fight to keep her face straight. It was proof of her youth, apparently, that she was so entranced by the dream that came with the music.
But it was the ending, and Jada's body was starting to shake with silent sobs. She always did, and the Phantom's voice was so rich. So mournful. This Phantom was fantastic.
Masquerade… Paper faces on parade
Masquerade… Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Christine, I love you...
No tears. She knew better than to cry. It would puff her eyes, or make her mascara run. And this was not the time nor the place for such a thing. She couldn't hide her sniff, the odd look she got from her stoic dinner partner. Still, her gloved hand clenched in on itself as she stood, the other resting lightly on the right arm of her 'date.'
He walked her out in the same silence that he'd escorted her about in the rest of the evening. She glanced at him sidelong for her place in the limousine as he pulled out his laptop; she opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. “I am not interested in you for your chatter, child. Nor will I ever be interested in anything you have to say when we are married.”
“You take many things for granted.”
“Your mother seems certain you will not disobey her wishes.”
Jada's lips thinned, and the old man shrugged. “It matters not. Nor do I care for a childish rant on the unfairness of life. Now shut your mouth, I've work to be done.” Like hell she would submit herself to marrying someone with so little respect for her. She still remained silent, staring out the window until the limousine pulled up in front of her home.
“Will you see me in, Mr. Carson?”
“No.”
“Have a pleasant evening?”
He replied with a grunt. She stepped out of the car, moving for the front door. At least the driver waited until the door was open and she was welcomed into the bosom of the house before he drove away.
Her mother was in the parlor. “And?”
“The play was amaxing.”
“Douglas?”
“Was pleased enough.”
“And?”
“I'll never marry him, and if you have it in your head, you'd best rid yourself of it.” Jada met her mother's gaze. “I am tired of your old men. If you wish me to wed, find me a man my own age. I'll not wed to be a widow. And I won't marry anyone just to make you happy. You can stop pimping me out to old men over twice my age.” She turned on her heel, her footsteps measured as she went up the stairs for her bedroom.
She could hear the crash of china, a curse.
She didn't stop until her door was closed and locked behind her.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:20 am
Solo #9: Decisions
Mar 03, 2010
She was seated in her father's office, the brochures her mother had given her for a finishing school clenched in her fist. He'd already heard about this from his wife; he was, frankly, surprised it had taken his daughter so long to approach him in regards to the situation at hand. It was lunchtime, the day after. He'd been expecting, when his wife woke him up the night previous to complain about her daughter's tie-breaking, for Jada to have been knocking at his office at exactly 9am.
She came bearing a sandwich for him and his coffee. Jada must have been really infuriated if she came bearing a sacrifice to his stomach.
“Daddy.” Jada sat down, chewed on her lip, then looked at him. “I need to talk to you.”
“I heard the date last night was less than stellar.”
“I don't want to do this anymore. I feel like I am being...” she cut herself off. “I'm not going to do this anymore, it isn't a question of wanting.” how firm she sounded. “It's a question of what I want.” His daughter was quivering. She looked so frightened, setting her foot down in front of him. He hadn't raised her to quiver and shake so. Was what she had to say so bad? “I'm not a prostitute. I'm not going to sell myself to the highest bidder as soon as I am legal. I deserve the chance to go on a proper date.”
“I agree.” he assured her.
She looked startled. “I'm not going to finishing school. I am going to DCU. I'm not going to skip through Sovereign Heights.”
“That's fine.” her confidence pleased him. Did she realize this? He was actually proud of her. Not angry.
“I don't want to live here, daddy.”
Ah. That was the killing blow. “Where will you live?”
“I'll stay in the house until I am 18, if I have to, but I want my own home for my 18th birthday. An apartment, or a house, or something. Just as long as it is my own.” she shook her head. “I'm used to having my own room from Crystal, and living under the same roof as Mama after I graduate Crystal will make things too tense. You know it will.” She didn't have to cajole him.
Her eyes did it anyway. He'd never been able to resist her when she looked at him like that. “Jada, you know if you want someplace I'll get it for you.” he assured her. “Did you have something in mind yet?”
She shook her head. “I didn't want to start looking until I knew I'd be allowed to have a place of my own.”
“Once you are 18 you have access to your trust fund. I couldn't stop you from buying it then, and the least I can do is give you a head start in something comfortable. Here is the deal.”
He looked her over. She sat up straight, preparing for business. “I will give you a loan. An advance on your trust fund. Think of it as a mortgage. When you are 18, you'll be expected to pay it in full, plus an additional 5 percent of the loaned amount.” he raised a brow, looking at her. “This loan will pay for the home, any furniture you need, anything you need to get started. Until you are 18, your mother and I will have a key to this apartment. Just like if you lived here, your rooms will be subject to inspection.”
She scowled, nose wrinkling. “Daddy-”
“Don't 'Daddy' me. Not in regards to that. Until you are 18, we have responsibilities to you.” She scowled again. Her father gave her a warning look. She stopped scowling. “And one last thing.”
“Yes sir?”
“I love you, Jada. I've never regretted a decision I have made in your favor.” he stood, moved around the table and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don't make me regret this one.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:21 am
Solo #10: Baby's First Bruises
Mar 04, 2010
Jada woke in the morning with a throbbing headache, unable to feel her face. She also couldn't feel part of her ribs. The sunlight piercing in through her lacy, gauzy white curtains stabbed past her eyelids, made her cry out with the agony, curling into a fetal position. Why did she hurt so badly? For the life of her, she couldn't remember... she pushed off of her bed, crying out; she had to have a bruised rib.
She moved for the curtains first. Her bare feet made dull noises against the carpet as she dragged them tiredly. It was too hard to pick them up. She drew the heavier drapes across her window, sighing in relief when the sunlight was blocked. Drawing the silk robe closed, she resumed her stumbling gait to head for the bathroom.
A noise was made, low in her throat, when the light was flipped on. It hurt almost as badly as the sunlight from outside had. As the woman opened her eyes to peer critically into the mirror, she gave a startled shriek.
s**t, s**t, s**t! Jada's hand raised in panic, rubbing at the mirror for a second before she realized the mirror wasn't dying her face that color.
The mirror wasn't the cause of that busted cheek.
The mirror wasn't the cause of her black eye.
With a curse, she remembered what was. Garden Gnomes. Youma. Europa. Ice Cream.
At least one good thing had come from the night before. She gave a sniff, reaching up to her own face and gingerly placing her hand against the puffed flesh. The touch of her fingers on her numb face made her frown. She probed the lump visible under the hair; the lump was tender under slim fingers and she pulled her hands away from her hair.
She couldn't go to class like this. She looked like an abused woman. And she might be concussed. She groaned, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and allowing it to run. Her favorite bath salts, a green tea mix, were dumped into the water liberally. She pushed off the side of the porcelain tub, let the robe fall from her shoulders and pulled off her nightgown. Stared at her bare body in the mirror, eyes growing darker with every bruise spotting her midriff. Her ribs were a sickly green, and she was spotted and scraped down the entire right side of her body.
Jada drew her fingers over the pattern, pressing to see if she could feel anything broken. Thank goodness, none of the strokes made her shriek in pain; she was most likely only badly bruised. She pulled open the medicine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of acetaminophen; aspirin would make her blood thin, and with the bruises she had she wasn't sure she wanted that. She popped them into her mouth and swallowed without water, wincing slightly at the bitter taste as the pills slid down her throat.
Ugh.
Slowly she slid into the steaming water, hissing in pain as it scorched over the scrapes. She let her body relax, melting into the hot water. This was miserable.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:22 am
Solo #11: The Doctor is in
Mar 04, 2010
She woke to a knock on her door. She was wet? Oh, she was in the bathtub. But if she was in the bathtub then why was there knocking on the door? She pushed out of the now-cold water, stumbled to her robe. “I'm coming.” she mumbled; it probably sounded to the person outside something more like 'mumming'. Her lips were still swollen; her ribs were lower. She didn't know how long it had been since she'd last taken Acetaminophen but she popped two more of the small white pills. She couldn't bend over to pick her robe up off the floor.
She stumbled to the closet, still nude, and jerked out a baby blue satin nightgown; slid it over her naked body with a hiss. Her hair dripped over the back of the gown. The air was cold on the skin of her arms as she pulled herself over to the door to her bedroom, pulling it open.
Oh. “What're you doing here?” she asked stupidly, staring at the woman in front of her.
Her doctor bustled in past her, closing and locking the door. “Jada Chamberlyn, what have you done to your face?” the elderly woman reached out, drew wrinkled fingers over the bruises.
“I don't know.” she lied. “I think I fell down some stairs last night.” she patted her ribs.
“Off.” Dr. Amberlin said, giving her a bright-eyed look. Jada scowled lightly, crossing her arms defensively over her breasts. “I told you to take it off.”
“I just put it on.”
“Do you want me to look at you, or not?”
“How'd you even know I got hurt?”
“...” there was a moment of silence, and Dr. Amberlin looked a bit worried. “You called me, Jada.” she pulled out her cell phone, showing Jada her received calls list. Yep, there her name was, at the top of the list. “Do you remember?”
“Not really.” Jada admitted. The older woman scowled more deeply, fingers probing at Jada's head.
Jada was inundated with questions and probing. Half the questions she couldn't really answer for one reason or another. Every question she evaded had her doctor's face darken more. “Alright,” she said finally, and pulled a few bottles out of her bag. “This will help with the pain. This with the swelling. The bruising you'll have to find some way to deal with.”
“I need a week off classes.”
“Let me see your ribs and we'll talk.”
Jada wrinkled her nose, pulled up her gown. The doctor made a small noise low in her throat and probed at her ribs. “Nothing broken.” she decided finally. Jada was glad the doctor agreed. “I want x-rays.”
“No.” Jada shook her head. “I would have gone to the hospital if I wanted that.”
“You should have come to the hospital rather than calling me. And Jada...” Dr. Amberlin looked concerned, “Is your boyfriend beating you?”
Later, Jada's diary would read FML. Now she gave a bitter laugh. “No, Doc. I'm still single. And I fell down the stairs.”
She ushered the doctor from her room after acquiring the rest of the day and the next off of attending classes to allow the soreness to fade; she'd have to see the teachers for her classwork later. The doctor left and Jada tumbled into her bed, exhausted.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:23 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:25 am
Solo #12: Bridal Dresses
Mar 06, 2010
Scylla had left Elke behind at the hospital, tucked into the bed with her warm-looking Sleeping Beauty blanket. The yellow rose that Elke had so carefully twisted into her hair was untangled and the hair carefully smoothed. She slid the yellow rose into the teddy bear, sticking the cut end into a half-empty spit-cup of water.
Heh. Hopefully a nurse would come in and catch it soon.
She pressed a kiss to the Zodiac’s forehead, gentle, and tucked the Cosmo back under the mattress. For almost an hour she sat next to the sleeping girl, poring over the pictures of white wedding dresses and beautiful women who were almost glowing. Was this what a wedding day was supposed to be? She’d never thought of her own wedding as being an occasion that would make her glow so naturally.
So obviously in love.
Her mother had been. When she was younger she’d used the phrase “It isn’t fair’ to try and make her mother see that what she wanted for her daughter wasn’t something fair. Well, she’d been informed, life isn’t fair. Her mother had lived a life of insecurity at first. She’d sacrificed comfort for love. And Jada would not ever be as uncomfortable as Szelem had been.
Jada snorted. She’d never be a poor woman. She would never be uncomfortable. But her mother didn’t see it that way. For Szelem’s odd way of showing it, she loved Jada and just wanted something good for her. It was just that Jada didn’t appreciate that particular style of love. It made her feel dirty.
What kind of wedding dress would Jada want, if the choice was up to her? She flipped through slowly. And then she saw a picture; it was a sleek strapless gown, mermaid style, curving with the body. It flowed out from the knee, and had a train that trailed out about three feet behind. There was a gauzy veil and a pearl trim, and…
It was beautiful.
She pulled out the picture carefully, and wrote next to it with Elke’s pen. I guess it is okay to dream every so often. What do you think? Will I be ravishing? Love, Scy.
She found a place to put the image, tucked in the arms of the bear, near the rose. Elke should be able to reach it if she noticed the paper. If the Zodiac didn’t notice it, someone else surely would, right? And with luck no one else would bother to ask too many questions about the person who had left this note. She moved back over to the window, glad that it had been open when she got here. The night air was cold though. She’d have to make mention of the bad things that could creep in the window if the nurses left it open at night. Like colds. Or crazy people. She took a peek out the window, to see if nyone was watching.
Nothing she could see. She slipped out the window, balancing carefully on the ledge. With the heel of her shoe, she pushed the window shut, and leapt off the ledge. It would take some time to get home, and her ribs hurt from the jump. Damn gnomes. Tomorrow night she should bring a ladder or something.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:26 am
Solo #13: Robbery
Sat Mar 06, 2010
At some point between leaving Elke in the hospital and reaching the gates of Crystal, Scylla had slipped into a secluded area and turned back into Jada.
It was a good thing. When she got back to the dorms, she could see people outside of her bedroom window. What? She slipped up the sidewalk, brushing past someone who seemed pretty familiar to her. She apologized, got a nervous giggle in response. What? She turned to watch the figure slip down the sidewalk, frowning as he dropped something. Picked it back up. Broke into a run. Who was leaving Crystal at almost 12:00 midnight?
She moved up the sidewalk, sliding open her window and pushing aside the curtains. (Had they been open like they were, just a little cracked?)
The inside was a shock. Both closets had their contents removed, the majority of which were on a pile on the floor. School uniforms had been slashed, pants torn in half; shirts had been ripped apart and all of her intimates were destroyed. Books were missing pages and her mattress had been ripped to shreds. The thing about it all that frightened her most about it, she decided, was that one of her uniforms was pinned to the wall by a knife stuck through the chest.
She found her way to the bathroom, blindly stumbling. Opened the door to the floor covered in water, all of her shampoos and bathing soaps open in the tub; even her toothpaste had been emptied.
Ha Ha Ha, the freak who had done this to her room had written on the mirror in toothpaste.
She shuddered. Shook, bent over the toilet a moment before she vomited. Even her toothbrush had been deprived of bristles. Clothing could, and would, be replaced. All the little things, including her brand new books. The Kama Sutra was missing. A book she wouldn’t mention, shuddering in revulsion at what had happened. The questions her father would ask her about her choice in books would be far too much for her to bear. She peeked in each closet; no one was there anymore.
Had it been that giggling… oh. Oh, god. She moved back to the bedroom, closing the window. Locking it. Drawing the curtains. She looked under the beds, paranoid. Hands shook as she picked up her cell phone, called her father. It was almost 12:30 in the morning. This would require a lot of answers. Not to mention patching a hole in the wall.
She’d have to take responsibility. She’d left the window open.
Nausea rose in her throat again and she barely made it to a trash can. The bathroom would be too far away.
“Daddy?” she whispered softly into the cellular phone when her father’s exhausted voice picked up his personal cell phone line. “It is Jada. Yes, daddy, I… Something happened. I need your help.”
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