Welcome to Gaia! ::

__Part 24


"You're in a good mood."

"Who wouldn't be? I made an actual friend. And I got to release pent-up aggression."

"You maced a teenager in the face and then kicked him in the weenie when he was down."

Evie smiled.

"Yes. Yes I did. And we won't be mentioning it to Samuel, will we."

Ana snorted with a shake of her head.

"No, I won't. Just glad you're in a better mood."

The pair walked over to Samuel's house in amiable silence. Evie, whose mood had been exceptionally poor for weeks, was taking photos left and right, admiring how lovely the world seemed that day.


Currently, Samuel and Polly were in the back yard, playing a bizarre form of tag with Mint. Oh, sure! That was safe!

"AAAAAGH, SHE GOT ME!" Polly giggled, tugging against the bear that had the back of his shirt, "GONNA GETCHOO!"

Mint gave a little half-roar and bounded off, Samuel crossing her path as they ran from the child at a...fairly pitiful speed.


"Holy crap, that's a bear."

"What? No it's not, it's...yeah. It's a bear."

Ana and Evie just stood and stared for a moment, then Evie took a picture and wandered over to the house.

"Why was I not informed that you have a bear? Because, really, that's freaking awesome."

"...big bear..."


Samuel stopped to look at them and Polly, ever the opportunist, tackled him down and began to tickle him.

Aaaah, Samuel wasn't always so rigid and proper!

"Nokose, not a bear!" Samuel laughed, trying to push Polly away, "How can I help you ladiesPOLLY STOP."

"BAHAHAHA GOTCHOO!"


"Tomato, tohmahto," Evie said with a grin, sitting down beside the fallen Samuel. "Jus' thought we'd drop by and visit."

Feeling left out, Ana sneaked next to Polly and picked him up.

"Hiya!"


Polly just giggled.

"Yah, but my Daddy's amazin'."

Samuel snorted.

"Of course. How can something so adorable possibly be bad?" He smiled fondly at the kids, shook his head, and then turned back to Evie. Ah, it was nice to see her happy again.


"You ask a loaded question there," Evie said with a laugh. After a moment's consideration, she hefted her camera and gave Samuel a shy look. "May I?"

"Yeah," Ana said, dipping Polly upside-down. "I mean, you guys got a bear. Or, y'know. That word that I already can't remember."


Samuel just grinned and shrugged.

"Of course you may."

"No-clothes or sum'm," Polly reasoned, "S'okay. She looks like'a bear."


Taking a picture, Evie looked at the result and whistled.

"Not bad. In fact..."

She scooted back a foot or two, and angled the camera from the ground up.

"Yeah, much better lighting."

She snapped two in quick succession, looking at the screen again.

"Boy, if there was backlighting available on a darker background..."


"What if there was?" Samuel asked, leaning over her shoulder to look at the pictures. What difference, exactly, would a background make?


Evie shrugged.

"Could do things a bit more artistically, at least," she said thoughtfully. "Natural light's okay for some model shots, but if you really want the work to come out good you do it in a controlled environment. It's just...cleaner."


Samuel sighed and tipped over, head landing in Evie's lap.

"Are you trying to tell me something?"


Actually, she hadn't been. But now that that avenue had been brought up...

"Maaaybe," she said mildly, regarding him. "Especially since I'm very poor, and can't afford professional models. And the art students hog the school ones to draw with fruit and inexplicable taxidermied animals."


Samuel just gave a single chuckle, reaching up to poke a finger to the underside of Evie's jaw.

"Then I accept. Would Ana mind babysitting?"


Evie grinned again.

"Lemme check. Hey, ANA!"

"What?"

"Babysitting. You wanna?"

"Okay!

Evie turned back to Samuel, satisfied.

"Nope, she's good. Shall we?"


Samuel blinked.

"Right now? You have somewhere to go right now?" My, my!

"Yay!" Polly squealed. Babysitting! He'd heard it was fun!


"Well, sure!" Evie said, looking surprised. "School studios're always open, and half the time they're empty since half the student body's too busy slackin' off or smoking pot. We could be in there ages and we'd be totally undisturbed."

Ana, who's experience with babysitting was in the negative, looked at Polly thoughtfully. Well, as long as she kept him from sticking his tongue in an electrical socket it would be pretty easy, wouldn't it?


Samuel nodded and stood up.

"Is there anything I should wear or bring? The skull is out of the question." What a party-pooper!

Polly just looked up to Ana, all the trust in the world in his eyes.

"Can I do your hair?"


Evie bit back a sigh. Drat, the skull would've been a good background piece...

"Nah, whatcha got on is good," she said. "And there's sheets'n crap 'vailable for drapery and stuff, so modesty shall be preserved."

Ana blinked, then grinned.

"Absolutely."


Samuel smiled and nodded, offering a hand to Evie.

"You act as if artistic nudity requires forced modesty. You are an art student, are you not?"

"Okay!" Polly giggled, "Let's go inside! I have a new brush."


The school was highly unimpressive. It was a squat redbrick creation straight from a 1970's nightmare, ugly and only marginally useful. Evie escorted Samuel through the cramped halls, ignoring the milling students who either ignored her in return or sneaked dirty looks. Clearly, Evie did not make an effort to get along with her peers.

"Here we go," she said, stopping in front of door 105. She kicked it open when it stuck halfway through, and poked her head in. "Anybody smoking, sleeping or screwing, get out, I need th' space."

It was, thankfully, empty. Evie smiled.

"Good. I'll get ready, getcherself comfortable."

There was a metal chair sitting in one corner, some distance from the raised model's platform. That was about it.

---

"I've been thinking of doing something different with it lately," Ana said, tugging at a corkscrew curl. "I mean, the streaks are kinda new, but I mean new-new, y'know?"


Samuel had no idea what Evie meant or how, exactly, to get comfortable, and so just perched atop the model's platform and lay on his belly, eyes closed. Comfy.

---

"...no?" Polly said with a tilt of the head. He was currently sitting behind her on his futon-bed, surrounded by all kinds of hair-torture implements.


Evie traipsed in and out of the room, getting a tripod, sheets, and lights. She shooed away the curious few who gathered around the still half-stuck door, wanting to peep.

"Don't you all have bongs to be sucking on?" she said to them. "Scat!"

Finally, Evie shut the door, and locked it for good measure.

"Damn kids," she said, shaking her head and setting up the lights. She stepped onto the platform and over Samuel, hanging black sheets. Hopping off again she turned on the lights, and nodded.

"Much, much better. Give me a controlled environment any day."

She dug inside her bag and removed her best camera, a heavy contraption that looked particularly dated.

"Ready?"

---

Ana sighed.

"Yeah, that's what Ma said, too." What she would give for a little femininity that understood. There were only so many things you could even DO with insanely curly hair.


Samuel opened his eyes and sat up slowly.

"What would you like me to do?" Frankly, this was a nice, intimate place to make art...platonically, of course.

---

Polly nibbled a hair pin and grabbed a good inch of the front of Ana's hair, pulling it so taught with his foot upon her back that it went straight, slathering it in gel, and typing it into a ponytail.

"New like that?"


Evie tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Well, we can start with some stock kinda stuff, just to get warmed up. No having to shed clothes for me just yet."

--

Wincing a bit as her scalp stung and she felt a few hairs pull loose, she blinked and felt at her hair.

"Yeah, I think that'd work," she said obligingly.


Samuel shrugged and grinned broadly.

"Whatever you wish. For as long as we are in this room, I am but an object."

---

Polly blinked and smeared some glitter in the straight bits of hair, soon followed by the display of two hair clips. Pink butterflies or a heart, Ana? Up to you!


Evie looked delighted.

"Great! Alright then, if you'd be so kind, action poses. Like...um...heh. Flex! Stock's always fun, you can screw around with elements and still take good stuff at the same time."

---

Feeling that her usual green and black could use a splash more color, Ana pointed decisively at the pink butterflies.


Samuel laughed and stood, striking a series of rather body-builder-esque poses before standing with is chest puffed out in full Superman mode.

Hey, even houngans let their kids watch the classics.

---

Polly smiled and clipped the butterflies in before prodding Ana in the back.

"Do mine!"


Evie unsuccessfully tried not to laugh.

"You're a natural," she said, snapping photos in quick succession.

---

Ana looked thrilled.

"Okay!"

Switching places, Ana took up a brush and some of the glitter gel. Ooooh, so fun! Evie never did anything with her hair, and she refused to let Ana do it. A willing subject was a gift from heaven.

"Hmm, French braids or buns..."


Samuel just laughed with her. He knew he looked ridiculous and, oddly enough, he couldn't have cared less!

"Oh, indeed," he snorted and, in a moment of what his father would surely consider temporary insanity, riped his shirt from the collar down. Yaaay, The Hulk!

---

Polly gasped. Yay, someone to do his hair! Samuel certainly never had learned to do hair.

"Both!" he grinned and bounced a bit. Ooh, so exciting!


Evie couldn't help but give an appreciative whistle.

"You should consider modeling full time," she said, adjusting a standing light and nodding her approval. "You'd make at least a grand a day. Probably more."

---

Ana's joy doubled, and she set to work at once braiding and combing.

"Oh, you're gonna look so cute when this is done," she said through a mouthful of bobby pins, her hands glowing like beacons as she worked.


"I do not need any more money than I have now," Samuel smiled and again resumed posing, "and anyway, I am not sure I would be so comfortable with strangers."

---

Polly giggled, kicking his feet in the way children did when they couldn't see what was being done to them.


"Ah, yeah, the shop does a good business, doesn't it?" Evie said, kneeling down and then laying down on the floor, taking photos upside down. It was clear her techniques were a little...offbeat. "But I getcher point. Modeling can be kinda leery with students."

---

Ana hummed merrily as she tied ribbons into the little Princess Leia-like buns she'd fashioned over Polly's ears, and then set to finishing the braid. Oh god, so adorable.


Samuel laughed.

"Are we going to get to something more serious, or shall I prance around half-naked all day?"

---

Polly reached up and felt a bun.

"How's it look, how's it look?!"


"Well, if you insist," Evie said easily. "Here."

She set down the camera and threw him a drapery sheet, modestly turning the other way.

"Surprise me with the pose, and you can keep the underoos on as long as you keep 'em covered with the sheet. I need to do some mood lighting stuff anyway, that projects about a week late."

---

"You look lovely," Ana said, beaming. "Just one more barette aaand...done!"

She held up a little mirror for Polly to see her handiwork. The braid was neatly done and very glitters, and ribbons sprouted from the buns in colorful sprays. It was extremely, painfully girly.


Samuel caught the sheet, looked down at it, and tossed it aside. Whatever. There was then a little snap and a zipping noise as he undid his pants and tossed them to the floor. He eyed his boxers a moment, tilted his head, and tossed them aside. Only ow did he pick the drapery back up, slinging it over a shoulder.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you want me to do..." And he honestly didn't. Mood lighting? Project?

---

Polly laughed loudly and turned to throw his arms around Ana. Yaaay, pretty!

"I like it, I like it!" he squealed and hugged her hard around the shoulders. Friends were awesome!


Evie looked over her shoulder and noted both pants and boxers on the floor. Well then. Focusing every cell in her body into Photography is Serious Business mode, she fiddled with the lights and dimmed or brightened accordingly.

"Well, all the other kids in class usually go for softcore porno, so we'll be avoiding that route," she said glibly. "I want portfolio work that has meaning and inspires feelings other than a table-lifting- um. Y'know."

Trying not to talk like she usually did and risk another offense was tricky. But Evie'd caught herself in time, at least for now.

"Okay then. If you'd be so kind..."

Stepping up onto the platform, Evie adjusted the sheet a bit and then angled Samuel's arm a little to the left.

"Just look serious."


---


Ana beamed. Evie was wrong - she COULD do hair worth a damn and not make it look like on of Oscar's regurgitated mouse snacks!


Samuel grinned a moment more.

"No problem," he nodded, holding the pose, and his smile disappeared. Oh my, Evie...was the normal Samuel back?!

---

Ew. Mouse snacks.

"Can we watch a movie?" Polly asked suddenly, nuzzling Ana's neck, "We have popcorn!"


Evie slipped back into work-mode, taking photos in quick succession. She fiddled with the lights, and then with the sheet. She tried not to notice that Samuel had freckles on his belly, and paid no attention to the hot creeping blush that broke through her professional mode.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Evie finally paused, putting fresh film into her camera and looking up.

"Y'know, I think that'll do it."

---

Ana nodded eagerly.

"Sure! Just nothin' scary, I'm kind of a chicken."

That was a lie, she was a total chicken. But Polly didn't need to know that.


Samuel stood then and stretched, arms going up over his head, the drapery sliding down his back to the floor. It wasn't that he had no modesty. It was that his religion entailed a lot of nudity and half-nudity.

"If you say so," he smiled. He bent down for his boxers and nodded to Evie.

"Could you grab my pants for me?"

---

"Ooh, me neither..." Plly said, giving a sad little shudder, "Pick from th'ones under th'teev. D'you want marsh-mallow or caramel popcorn?"


"Hm? Oh, su-"

Evie hadn't minded photographing Samuel when there was a sheet to cover him. And suddenly the sheet was gone, and Evie got to look at Samuel from head to toe.

"...ure. Sure. Yes. Pants."

She mentally berated herself for her lapse in professionalism, blushing and blindly grabbing at Samuel's pants, holding them at arm's length. She seemed physically incapable of looking up from the floor. Dammit, what the hell had just happened?!

---

"Marshmallow, please~"

Ana rooted through the movies, making thoughtful 'hmm' sorts of noises. Evil aliens destroying the world? Mm, no. Involved political drama? Ha, no thank you.

"OOOH."

Puppy and kitten with celebrity voice-overs, saving the world one cute antic at a time. God yes.


Samuel tilted his head at her, admiring for a moment the way her hair fell and the unique fairness of her flesh. Hm. With all of her bizarre, unladylike traits, she was actually quite feminine.

"What?" he asked with a little chuckle, stepping around Evie's arm and lifting her chin with a finger.

---

Polly shuffled back in a minute or so later holding a bowl that was filled with carnival-style popcorn slathered with half-congealing actual marshmallow.

"Ooh!" Polly squealed, "I like that one!"


"Nothin'," Evie said, arm lowering and eyes still trying to look stubbornly at the floor. "Just thought I'd. Uh. Y'know."

Dammit, she was so flustered she couldn't even muster up a good fib. Drat and blast!

---

Ana's usual movie experience meant hogging Evie's laptop and watching shaky bootlegs online, since they lacked both DVD player and a TV. She sat down next to Polly and nabbed a sticky handful of popcorn, munching happily. God, who said babysitting was hard?


Samuel's eyes closed halfway and grew soft. He half-smiled and sighed.

"There is no need to be embarrassed," he reassured her, "It's just...me." He closed his eyes a moment and briefly kissed Evie's lips.

...oh. Oh, Hell. Why had he done that?!

---

Polly moved to sit in her lap and watched the movie. He liked the puppy the best. It sounded kinda like him.

"Mmm. I like marshmallow."


Evie didn't say anything. She touched her lips in astonishment, then looked up at Samuel again. Well, then. She wasn't quite sure how to react to that.

---

Ana smiled, cuddling Polly - albeit carefully, since her fingers were already coated with molten marshmallow. So this must be what it was like to have a little sister.


Samuel just watched. Hm...he felt that same strange fascination he'd felt with May arising again. He didn't take much time to think before kissing Evie again...differently this time. Harder. Strangely...

---

Polly just nuzzled and watched. Oh, it was indeed, as long as the little sister wasn't a little p***k. She'd always have a sister in Polly anyway. A sister with a p***s, but a sister.


Stunned, Evie reacted to gut instinct and kissed back. Common sense screamed at her to cut the s**t, that it wasn't going to go anywhere and she was probably risking the only other friendship she'd had in more than a year.

She ignored it.

---

The movie was G rated, and thus was sugary, syrupy sweet and featured normally dignified people acting like imbeciles. But hey, baby animals. And a cute pop song soundtrack! Suffice to say, Ana was enjoying it enormously.

"I should babysit more often."


One of Samuel's hands slid down to rest on Evie's lower back. HE had already seen her naked, after all. It wasn't like some line was being crossed in touching, right?

He still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he liked it.

---

"Mmhm," Polly agreed, "You should. We just gotta get Daddy outta th'house more."


Evie hesitated, then kept on. Well then. If things were moving forward, she certainly wasn't going to halt progress.

---

"Your Daddy is the only reason my Ma bothers to go this far away from the house," Ana said with a smile. "We need to shoo them both out of the house, then you'n me can play whenever we want."


Samuel grimaced a moment at the sudden crick in his neck and, as he stumbled toward the wall, he lifted Evie, hoping t prompt her to latch on somehow. She was still clothed, he saw no harm, and if things were to continue as such, there was no use to cause undue pain.

---

"Okay," Polly agreed, licking his fingers, "We should do it lots. I like havin' th'house all to our-selfs.""


Evie gave a small yelp as she was lifted off the ground - she was rather on the shrimpy side - but caught on quick enough. She wrapped her arms around Samuel and clung like a koala.

---

"And I like the company," Ana said with a nod. "I love Ma and all, but I'm usually the only one she's got. I need some social time..."


Samuel felt a very bizarre stirring deep down low and he suddenly pushed Evie against the wall, rising slightly.

...oh, Jesus.

...oh, God Almighty.

What was he doing?!

Samuel pulled away from the kiss suddenly, panting, his brow knotted.

It was strange, how often you could forget yourself and submit to primal urge.

"I...I'm so...I'm so sorry..."

---

"Well, she has Daddy now. They can be grown-up friends and we can be real friends."

Oh, Polly, if only you realized the depth of your words.


Evie leaned against the wall trying to regain her composure. Her glasses had been knocked askew, and she fixed them awkwardly.

"S'okay," she said. "S'okay."

---

"That would be nice...at least Ma would get out of the house more often."


Samuel let Evie return to her feet and struggled into his jeans. Oh, God, what had he done...or almost done. He would need to visit father tonight, and his shrines.

"No, it is not. I apologize." And the usual Samuel was back.

---

"Mmhm," Polly nodded and stole the last few popcorn kernels from the bowl as the movie came close to ending.


Noting the formal tone, Evie held back a sigh. She should've told him no. Now what would happen? She'd liked having a friend. Now things would be awkward.

"Thanks for helping with my work," she said, fixing her hair and focusing on cleaning up the studio. She folded the sheets and hurried around, trying to find something to occupy herself with.


Samuel sighed and picked his destroyed shirt up, balling it up and shoving it half into his pocket.

"You did not tell me to stop," he said suddenly, softly. Hmmm.

"Why?"


Well, things were already shot to hell, so Evie couldn't see the harm in telling.

"Because I like you," she said absently, folding the last of the sheets. "I mean...'cause...ah, hell. I don't know. You're sweet, you're charming, you ********' talk to me, I just kinda wanted it and it felt right enough that I wanted it to go on."


Samuel's hear melted a bit. Big, self-efficient, masculine Evie had a crush on him? A crush...or more? He never would have guessed.

...well, he always kind of knew that was a fault of his.

"I had no idea," Samuel said, sounding for all the world like he was apologizing again, "Frankly, I've never had a friend develop such...feelings." It was always random people off the street...well, perhaps not that random, but certainly not friends.

He neither affirmed nor denied any like feelings, though.


Evie was horrified to feel hot tears start stinging her eyes.

"Yeah well, that's what I get for going it alone so long," she said, voice constricted. "I didn't mean to. It just happened."

She tried to keep her face straight but knew it would look mashed up like a bad prune. God dammit, she wasn't a crier. What the ********. Of course she'd fall for the first guy who gave her the time of day, after three failed attempts years before. She just didn't want to admit it to herself.


Samuel held his arms open, face sad.

"Come here."


Evie ignored the invitation for about five seconds, then relented with a sigh.

"Why the hell d'you put up with me. I'm a nutcase."


Samuel chuckled.

"I never give up on a friend," he reasoned, arms wrapping around her.

"I will be here for you through this...difficult time and, after itis all over, you still fancy me, perhaps more can come of it."


Evie's heart gave a leap. She still had a friend. Good. Okay, that was good.

"I'm tryin' to get over myself," she said, smothering a laugh and glad she didn't sound bitter. "It's...I'm workin' on it."

She looked up at him with her usual wry grin.

"Hey. Perhaps."


"C'mon, you," Samuel said then, smiling and releasing one arm, leaving the other around Evie's shoulders as he began to lead her out.

"Get your camera. I imagine our poor Miss Ana is covered in glitter by now."

Dear Diary!!

Hi, it's me again heart I'm sorry I haven't written, I've been busy busy busy. Lots of new bugs to take care of!! I love spring. SOOOO much stuff has happened over the past year! Not all of it good, either. Ma's friend that I never met passed away. Ma's sad or angry all the time. Not at me, thank goodness! SHE PEPPER SPRAYED ADRIAN IN THE FACE!! I tried not to laugh but I kind of did anyway, does that make me a bad person?

ANYWAY!! Me and Mom made friends with his guardian/mom Amricks (am I spelling that right??), she's SUPER nice and I like her. AND, I met Pollux!! He's SOOOO cute. He's Mom's friend's son, but now Polly lives with this guy Mister Samuel (who is SO SUPER CUTE AND NICE, OMG). We visit them a lot, which is good since it gets Ma out of the house.

Okay, that's all for now! XOXOXOXOXO - Ana~

__part 26

Ana was all packed and ready to go. Oscar was mewling balefully from a cardboard box the teenager had unceremoniously stuffed him into, which sat lopsided on Ana's suitcase.

She had been half-intending to leave before Evie came home.

"So that's it."

Evie sat on the couch, legs crossed, looking distant. Ana sat at the kitchenette's wobble-legged table, drumming her glowing fingers on the burnt and peeling surface.

"This hasn't been home for a long time. I've done everything I can. You won't let me help you."

"Who says I need help."

Ana looked up, and just shook her head.

"You're not my mother," she said flatly. "You're not anyone I recognize. You're hard, and you're cruel. You scare me."

Evie showed no reaction other than a slight tensing of her jaw.

"Spare me the melodramatics, Anastasia."

Ana's nostrils flared and her mouth thinned, and she got up from the table abruptly.

"See ya."

She picked up the box with Oscar in it, hoisted up her suitcase, and opened the door. She closed it abruptly behind her, and her footsteps echoed quietly down the hall.

Evie looked at the door passively, then turned on the TV, settling deeper into the couch.

___part 28

Revenge is Sweeter

__part 30

"I'll see you again next week."

"I know that. You don't have to tell me every time, honey."

"Yes I do."

Evie snickered, sitting Indian-style on her bed and regarding Anastasia with fond patience. The past years had been hard on Evie and Ana both, but they had had beautiful bright spots scattered throughout. Evie had been in the hospital for a year and a half, coming to terms with the things that had sent her over the edge into mental breakdown. Ana had been working by night and learning to play music by day, often with Oscar contemptuously watching. It wasn't a perfect life, but it was the ones they had - it was enough.

"I listened to that CD you made me, by the way. I loved the fifth track."

"I thought you would," Ana said, smiling brightly. "I know how much you love violins, and it was such a good sampling..."

"Yeah, definitely. You should incorporate the classical stuff in more often," Evie said. She slid off the bed and went up on tip-toe, kissing Ana on the cheek. "I'll talk to you online tonight, 'kay? Don't be late to work 'cause of me."

Ana snorted, hugging Evie close.

"They love me, you know that. They'd let me get away with mur-....anything. Anything."

Evie had started to flinch at the word 'murder', but Ana's quick save spared her. She hugged Ana back, then shooed her away.

"Go out and have adventures, honey," she said. "One of us has to live in the real world."

Ana smiled a little sadly.

"You'll join the human race again at some point, you know. There's no avoiding it. We'll all be here waiting for you to snark at us again."

"Wait a little longer, Ana," Evie said softly. "Just...wait for me."

As Ana left, Evie sat back down on her bed. The house wasn't an asylum, not really, but it was the place where she needed to be. Maybe where she'd always be. But she wasn't the grief-sick girl from two years ago, and that was progress she could be proud of. The world was out there waiting for her, and one day maybe she'd go back.

For now, she sat on her bed, watching the swaying trees in the garden outside, and Ana as she disappeared out the wrought iron gates.