12-22-2014, 05:16 PM
The trip back was uneventful, for which Lucas was glad. He'd sent a message to Valentin, who ran the shelters in this area. He couldn't stop thinking about Mya and Sonja. Hope fully they would seek out the shelter he'd mentioned after they paid a visit to the vet. Valentin would have a bed held for them. He shook his head at what Sonja had been willing to do to get her friend the help she needed.
It brought back powerful memories for him- his desperation and hunger, his loneliness and despair. It had been years, but in some ways, that kid was still deep inside him. He had come a long way, with help from others.
He looked at Aria, hoping that she was right about that guy, her savior or whatever, and the Butcher. He trusted her. But if she was wrong, he'd have a dead girl on his conscience. He wasn't sure there were enough 'Our Fathers' and 'Hail Marys' to cleanse him of that, not in his heart.
But Aria lived in a world he'd never heard of, a world that had somehow been all around him. She struggled with dark hungers that he could not fathom. He'd had his own hungers, of course. But in the end, his hungers were really all about self-destruction. Aria's went far beyond that.
But he would not walk out on her. He would be there for her. If he failed, then more bad would walk this earth. He couldn't let that happen. Not just the safety of others. He looked at Aria and smiled. For her own sake. For her humanity. For her happiness. Those were things he wanted for her and if it was in his power to help her achieve that, he would do it.
They finally arrived at her apartment and she put some her books away. Strangely she left one out, though. He was curious as to these 'friends' of hers. She didn't seem like one to have friends, not with her abilities. Well, one friend, anyway. Nox. He wondered who this guy was. He didn't think he was jealous, not really. Not like he owned her. Truth was, the two of weren't really defined either.
Aria got him some water and as she did the door opened a three people walked in, all different from each other. A smiling man about his age maybe who walked in as if he owned the place. A young woman who looked curious. And a tall dark man maybe a bit younger than him, long black hair and long black jacket flowing down around him, eyes lined in black. None of which was off putting.
Lots of older, judgmental folk didn't get it, or mocked them as clones. While it wasn't his style, he understood the sentiment of feeling rejected and misunderstood, of rejecting a society that would judge you so unfairly. Life was not a Disney film. The world could not be understood by oversimplifications. God, he knew that now more than ever. It needed to be faced head on, confronted, not hidden from. But those self-righteous people didn't get it. It didn't happen often, but occasionally he had seen the look on people's faces when they found out he ran a tattoo shop.
The cocky one came in and Aria introduced him as Nox, quick to point out they just worked together. Lucas couldn't help but smile at Aria's assurance. Maybe they weren't defined as something specific, but there weren't nothing either. Lucas greeted him. He was an interesting one, that was for sure. Introduced the newcomers, including explaining why Elias had come.
He didn't blame the guy for making sure Ashavari was safe. Nox was friendly enough, but you never knew what people were like. Well, Aria did. And then Nox blurted out about Aria's abilities. What the hell?
"Hey!"
He stepped up to Nox. "Stop talking."
It brought back powerful memories for him- his desperation and hunger, his loneliness and despair. It had been years, but in some ways, that kid was still deep inside him. He had come a long way, with help from others.
He looked at Aria, hoping that she was right about that guy, her savior or whatever, and the Butcher. He trusted her. But if she was wrong, he'd have a dead girl on his conscience. He wasn't sure there were enough 'Our Fathers' and 'Hail Marys' to cleanse him of that, not in his heart.
But Aria lived in a world he'd never heard of, a world that had somehow been all around him. She struggled with dark hungers that he could not fathom. He'd had his own hungers, of course. But in the end, his hungers were really all about self-destruction. Aria's went far beyond that.
But he would not walk out on her. He would be there for her. If he failed, then more bad would walk this earth. He couldn't let that happen. Not just the safety of others. He looked at Aria and smiled. For her own sake. For her humanity. For her happiness. Those were things he wanted for her and if it was in his power to help her achieve that, he would do it.
They finally arrived at her apartment and she put some her books away. Strangely she left one out, though. He was curious as to these 'friends' of hers. She didn't seem like one to have friends, not with her abilities. Well, one friend, anyway. Nox. He wondered who this guy was. He didn't think he was jealous, not really. Not like he owned her. Truth was, the two of weren't really defined either.
Aria got him some water and as she did the door opened a three people walked in, all different from each other. A smiling man about his age maybe who walked in as if he owned the place. A young woman who looked curious. And a tall dark man maybe a bit younger than him, long black hair and long black jacket flowing down around him, eyes lined in black. None of which was off putting.
Lots of older, judgmental folk didn't get it, or mocked them as clones. While it wasn't his style, he understood the sentiment of feeling rejected and misunderstood, of rejecting a society that would judge you so unfairly. Life was not a Disney film. The world could not be understood by oversimplifications. God, he knew that now more than ever. It needed to be faced head on, confronted, not hidden from. But those self-righteous people didn't get it. It didn't happen often, but occasionally he had seen the look on people's faces when they found out he ran a tattoo shop.
The cocky one came in and Aria introduced him as Nox, quick to point out they just worked together. Lucas couldn't help but smile at Aria's assurance. Maybe they weren't defined as something specific, but there weren't nothing either. Lucas greeted him. He was an interesting one, that was for sure. Introduced the newcomers, including explaining why Elias had come.
He didn't blame the guy for making sure Ashavari was safe. Nox was friendly enough, but you never knew what people were like. Well, Aria did. And then Nox blurted out about Aria's abilities. What the hell?
"Hey!"
He stepped up to Nox. "Stop talking."