Post by HouseOfRay on Jun 10, 2020 21:38:50 GMT -5
The streets of Miami are empty. Hollow, as the night rings on, few people moving from place to place as we overlook them. Neon lights slowly begin to flicker out as the night ticks on, the clock moving faster and faster, before we reach a lone street. A single neon open sign remains in the window, and as we enter, we can see the night life continuing. At a back table, a woman in a short white dress downs a drink as other men and women at her table do the same, all five of them clinking glasses together before she signals for more. One of the women grabs her arm.
"Aurora, don't you think-"
"Think what?" The woman in the white dress cracks a wild smile as a walking bartender brings over five more glasses. She pulls a bill out of her wallet and slips it onto the man's tray. "That it's time to slow down? What are ya', a lightweight? The night's just starting!" She takes a sip from her drink as the woman next to her takes a cautious sip of hers, the others at the table caught up in the moment and drinking from them. The woman in white watches the other woman take a longer, less labored sip from her glass, and claps her on the back. "There ya go! Gettin' back into the fun of it, Rachel?"
"I-I guess." She avoids the woman in white's glance. "D-do you think we'll be done soon-"
"Home soon? Honey, the bar doesn't close for another two hours." The woman in white cracks a toothy grin as she holds her glass up. "Come on guys, if we go fast enough we can hammer down another round before Happy Hour ends!" The group agrees, and they all slam another drink down as the woman in white leads them on. After a few moments, one of the men at the table stands up, hooking a girl there around the arm. They make a comment about wanting to go to the bathroom, and the woman in white nods, telling the girl 'I'll come along with ya'. The three leave the table, giggling for a moment as the woman in white puts her arms around the couples' shoulders as they walk off. Back at the table, the apprehensive woman looks to the other three individuals siting there, and clears her throat.
"So, where did she come from, exactly?" The other three can't seem to find an answer, and the girl looks around uncomfortably. She sees a few other out of place individuals at other tables, but such an occurrance, especially in Miami, of all places, isn't common. She sighs. "Well, maybe...y'know, maybe she's just lonely or something. I dunno. Coming to a random table and buying everyone drinks? At this bar? It's just-"
"Hey, y'all!" The woman in white is back before the girl can even complete her thought, and she's got another tray of drink specials with her. She places the glasses around the table. "Figured I'd treat, y'know, seein' as y'all have been so kind to let me make your acquaintance this whole night." She smiles as she takes a sip of her drink, sitting next to the woman from before and leaning in closer to her. "So where're we thinkin' of headin' next? Bar's closing in two, night's still young, maybe we can-"
"Probably home, actually, for most of us." The apprehensive woman nods. "I think, honestly, I've had enough for the night. I might just head on out-"
"Alone?" The woman in white looks aghast. "No, hold on, honey. How about you stay here for a little longer, and I'll walk you home. You said you're staying at 5th and Broad, right? My apartment's right near there-and trust me, you don't want to be out here alone at night." The woman in white smiles, and for a moment, the more apprehensive woman feels...calmer? She finishes her drink, and the two laugh and joke with the remaining three people at the table, before heading their separate ways. They head out into the cool Miami night, and the two walk side by side for a few moments as they head into the darkness, a gentle laughter and conversation between the two of them. However, as they get closer to the apartment, the woman in white motions down an alleyway.
"Come on, it's quicker!" She muses, and the other woman, still apprehensive but also fairly drunk, follows after her. The two get a bit deep into it, and the woman in white turns around, grabbing the apprehensive woman's hands.
"You know, you really were so nice. I wish I could think of a way to show my appreciation for what you did for me tonight, letting me sit with you guys." She smiles. "I do hope we can do this again."
"Yeah, of course." The formerly-apprehensive woman lies. "Anytime, Aurora."
The woman in white nods, and turns on her heels as an immense figure grabs the apprehensive woman from behind, she struggles against it but it's quick to place a mask over her face. She goes limp as it does so, and the woman in white doesn't bother to look back as she continues down the alleyway, seemingly oblivious to what's just happened.
-
"Aurora, don't you think-"
"Think what?" The woman in the white dress cracks a wild smile as a walking bartender brings over five more glasses. She pulls a bill out of her wallet and slips it onto the man's tray. "That it's time to slow down? What are ya', a lightweight? The night's just starting!" She takes a sip from her drink as the woman next to her takes a cautious sip of hers, the others at the table caught up in the moment and drinking from them. The woman in white watches the other woman take a longer, less labored sip from her glass, and claps her on the back. "There ya go! Gettin' back into the fun of it, Rachel?"
"I-I guess." She avoids the woman in white's glance. "D-do you think we'll be done soon-"
"Home soon? Honey, the bar doesn't close for another two hours." The woman in white cracks a toothy grin as she holds her glass up. "Come on guys, if we go fast enough we can hammer down another round before Happy Hour ends!" The group agrees, and they all slam another drink down as the woman in white leads them on. After a few moments, one of the men at the table stands up, hooking a girl there around the arm. They make a comment about wanting to go to the bathroom, and the woman in white nods, telling the girl 'I'll come along with ya'. The three leave the table, giggling for a moment as the woman in white puts her arms around the couples' shoulders as they walk off. Back at the table, the apprehensive woman looks to the other three individuals siting there, and clears her throat.
"So, where did she come from, exactly?" The other three can't seem to find an answer, and the girl looks around uncomfortably. She sees a few other out of place individuals at other tables, but such an occurrance, especially in Miami, of all places, isn't common. She sighs. "Well, maybe...y'know, maybe she's just lonely or something. I dunno. Coming to a random table and buying everyone drinks? At this bar? It's just-"
"Hey, y'all!" The woman in white is back before the girl can even complete her thought, and she's got another tray of drink specials with her. She places the glasses around the table. "Figured I'd treat, y'know, seein' as y'all have been so kind to let me make your acquaintance this whole night." She smiles as she takes a sip of her drink, sitting next to the woman from before and leaning in closer to her. "So where're we thinkin' of headin' next? Bar's closing in two, night's still young, maybe we can-"
"Probably home, actually, for most of us." The apprehensive woman nods. "I think, honestly, I've had enough for the night. I might just head on out-"
"Alone?" The woman in white looks aghast. "No, hold on, honey. How about you stay here for a little longer, and I'll walk you home. You said you're staying at 5th and Broad, right? My apartment's right near there-and trust me, you don't want to be out here alone at night." The woman in white smiles, and for a moment, the more apprehensive woman feels...calmer? She finishes her drink, and the two laugh and joke with the remaining three people at the table, before heading their separate ways. They head out into the cool Miami night, and the two walk side by side for a few moments as they head into the darkness, a gentle laughter and conversation between the two of them. However, as they get closer to the apartment, the woman in white motions down an alleyway.
"Come on, it's quicker!" She muses, and the other woman, still apprehensive but also fairly drunk, follows after her. The two get a bit deep into it, and the woman in white turns around, grabbing the apprehensive woman's hands.
"You know, you really were so nice. I wish I could think of a way to show my appreciation for what you did for me tonight, letting me sit with you guys." She smiles. "I do hope we can do this again."
"Yeah, of course." The formerly-apprehensive woman lies. "Anytime, Aurora."
The woman in white nods, and turns on her heels as an immense figure grabs the apprehensive woman from behind, she struggles against it but it's quick to place a mask over her face. She goes limp as it does so, and the woman in white doesn't bother to look back as she continues down the alleyway, seemingly oblivious to what's just happened.
-
"People never truly consider the face behind the mask? The Visage, that face we put together while we go out in public, the persona that we like to adopt and pretend we truly are. It's easy enough, isn't it? To act like you're just like everyone else, to go out and blow kisses, hold hands and talk like you're made of the same chemistry of those girls who frequent the bars[ i]just for fun?[/i] I'd know. I've done it plenty of times."
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She begins applying eyeshadow, a smile on her face.
"It's just as easy as any other makeup treatment. You do your eyes up, blush your cheeks, paint your lips, and people can't even see the emptiness in your eyes when they look you in the face. It's kinda like...what's the term?" Aurora thinks for a moment. "Oh, right. Slight of hand. You play distractions long enough, and people take their eyes off the prize. People become so focused on my makeup, my clothes, my...more seductive parts that they don't realize I've got daggers for teeth 'til they're sunk six inches into their throat. Pretty cool, right?"
Aurora places her brush down, and pulls out a lipstick tube as she begins spreading it across her lips. She purses them, and gives a 'kiss' to the mirror. She continues working.
"It's because people-they're so innately focused on the innocence you contain as well. We've all got a time where we've given someone the benefit of the doubt, especially people who didn't really deserve it. You see a girl like me-not even five and a half feet tall-and you think I couldn't possibly hurt someone. Hell, ya probably feel a little inclined to protect me. But really, you shouldn't be doing that."
She steps back, and looks at herself. A smile on her face as she runs a hand through the curled mass of whitish-blonde hair on her head.
"Really, you should be protecting yourself from me. If you let me in, well..."
She smiles, a toothy grin.
"It's game over. Not just for you, but for everyone around you."
She grabs her purse from the toilet next to her, and adjusts it. In it, we can see a few things-a decent bit of money, a mask like the one put upon the apprehensive girl, and a makeup kit. She adjusts the things contained therein.
"For now, though? I'll lay in wait. I'll wait for you to see me for what I am. I'll wait for everyone in WWR to give me all those chances they give all the girls who look like me-and I'll show them, one by one, what it's like to lose all that you are. That's no threat, no possibility-that's a promise of certainty. Inevitable, as the wheels of fate roll on."
She lets out a giggle, and tilts her head to the side.
"I'll see you all soon, ladies. Looking forward to all the friendships we'll forge together."
She leaves the bathroom, and as she walks through her apartment to the door, we can see the girl from the night before splayed out on a couch. Aurora gently crosses the room to her, and looks her over, before planting a brief, motherly kiss on her forehead. She leaves the room, closing the door and locking it before heading out of the apartment and back into the night as we see the neon signs beginning to flicker off once again...