Chapter 35
Note: Please pretend that the scene later (you'll know which one) is dark enough for them to not recognise anyone. I can't make it any darker or you wouldn't be able to see anything too. :)
May 7th - Grythen
Kismette
Kismette went “ooh” the moment she stepped into the diner. In fact, it wasn’t exactly a diner. The Skull was like a club and an eatery with a bar counter mashed together, complete with a dance floor and spinning lights. Everywhere she looked was skinny bodies gyrating to the music.
She originally wanted to have dinner with Evelynn, but Evelynn had already agreed to eat with other dancetresses. Instead, she found herself invited to their little gathering.
“Food’s here,” Evelynn’s friends chirped and clapped in unison. Kismette chuckled, still slightly taken aback by the similarity of their behaviour and clothing. She couldn’t remember who Dollie was and who Janice was, but they proved to be rather easygoing.
“Are you sure that’s enough?” Kismette widened her eyes at the dancetresses’ salads as she picked up her fork, ready to dive into her grilled fish. “Sheesh, they didn’t give me a knife.”
“Uh, you don’t need a knife, Kissy. That’s a knork you’re holding,” Dollie or Janice-the one with very high-pitched voice and long black hair-said.
“A… a what?” Kismette spluttered, vaguely put off by her new nickname.
“It’s like a butter knife and a fork combined. Just turn to the edge to cut,” Evelynn giggled.
“Oh…” A slow grin stretched across Kismette’s face as she got the hang of the funky cutlery. “They have all sorts of crazy things here, huh.”
All three dancetresses stared in disdain while Kismette chomped down her food. They sipped on their iced water and chewed excessively on their leafy meal to make it last longer.
The dancetress with brown hair sighed, “What joy is there in the world if we can’t even enjoy proper meals?”
Evelynn adjusted her sitting position. Her expression was resolute. “Dancing is my top priority now. You girls can go ahead and indulge, but don’t expect me to follow suit.”
Dollie and Janice exchanged looks. Their stomachs suddenly opened up like a black hole, demanding for something more filling, preferably hot and appetizing. “How about… we share a soup?” one of them suggested. The other girl nodded excitedly while Evelynn sighed and shook her head.
Their meal ended shortly and before long, Dollie and Janice decided to hit the dance floor with wild cheering and fluid moves. Evelynn got up too, intending to join her friends.
“You coming?” Evelynn glanced back at Kismette.
“Uh, don’t you guys need to digest the food first?” Kismette made a face.
“There’s nothing much for us to digest. Come on, this is what we came here for, not the food. You can just stand around and tap your feet or something. We can teach you some moves too. It’ll be fun,” Evelynn grinned, pulling Kismette along.
No sooner had Kismette finished a verse of the song did a wave of nausea hit her. She closed her eyes to stop the lights from flashing, but the overpowering smell of oxidised alcohol churned her stomach like a huge cement mixer. Immediately, Evelynn brought her out through the back door for some fresh air.
“Let’s just stand here for a moment, okay?” Evelynn stroked her back worriedly.
“I can’t go back in there,” Kismette gasped and closed her eyes. The booming music left a buzzing sensation in her ears. “I think I should go home, Evie. You go in. I’ll just take a cab-”
“Are you crazy? You don’t even know this place. I’m coming with you.”
“I’m fine, really. I just need to… breathe for a while first. Besides, I can call Iko to fetch me if I want,” Kismette assured, nudging her friend towards the door.
Evelynn sighed. “Be careful. Call me if you got lost,” she said reluctantly as she disappeared into the club.
Kismette took in a huge lungful of air, the cool night breeze bringing a smile to her face. As her queasy stomach settled, she realised for the first time how dark and dirty the corridor was. Pools of light-no, shallow puddles of light-from outside filtered through the few entrances of the alleyway, barely enough to see the path ahead. The only other person there was a man smoking on a cigarette. She decided to ask him for directions.
“Excuse- whoa!” A wrong step on an empty beer can caused her to slip and fall forward. The man grabbed her shoulders to prevent her fall, but at the same time, she felt a hand squeezing her.
“Ooh, careful there, lass. A scratch here could give you a bad infection,” the man chuckled, blowing smoke into her face and putting a hand out. “How about you give me some money as reward for saving your life?” he said, wriggling his fingers.
“What?” Kismette shrieked in disgust. She could still feel his mangy hands on her derriere. “I’m calling the police-”
The man threw his cigarette on the ground. He pushed her to the other side of the alley violently and pressed a fork at her neck, marking four indents on her skin. “Give me your wallet,” he hissed, his foul breath making her writhe.
She knew she shouldn’t be afraid of physical harm, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t even dare to swallow her saliva with the cold metal against her skin. The mere thought of the fork rupturing the walls of her throat made her break out in cold sweat. She stood frozen with fear against the slimy wall, unblinking.
“I said give me your wallet!” the thug growled menacingly and poked the fork deeper, causing her to yelp in pain. “Give me now or-”
“Hey, what’s happening there?” another man shouted from the other end of the alley and walked towards them hurriedly, kicking away junk that obstructed his path.
The robber glanced at the other man nervously. “Stop there! I am armed! Try anything funny and- Aaargh!”
Before the robber could finish his sentence, the other man had picked up a long mop and swung it at his head. The brave man then twisted the robber’s wrist to disarm him and fought him on the grimy floor. The robber was pinned to the ground, but managed to push the man off after a struggle.
Her saviour made to give chase, but stopped after only a step forward. “Dammit!” he cursed under his breath as he allowed the robber get away, choosing instead to check on her. “Lady, are you alright?”
Kismette could only gape. Her heart was still pounding from the frenzy just now and in the silence, both of them could hear her panting. It was too dark to see, but she could feel his eyes on her, waiting patiently for her answer. “I’m… just… traumatised?” she finally replied in a shaky voice. She forced herself to breath normally. “Thank you so much for saving me. Are you hurt?”
“Nah, I’m trained in close combat. It’s not the first time I’ve fought a robber anyway,” he chuckled. “Just find me if you need a witness or something. Name’s Chairon of Viken, works at-”
“Oh. My. Gosh. You’re Chairon?” Kismette cried in amazement. “It’s me, Kismette!”
“What? It’s you?” Chairon exclaimed. He’s smile soured into a frown and his forehead creased. “Are you sure you’re perfectly fine now?”
“I-” she sighed, “-I guess.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” He leaned closer to examine her, his hands feeling her head for bumps. “Did you knock your head? I’ll send you to the hospital for a check-up, just in case.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay. It’s just that he- he touched me,” Kismette swallowed, averting his eyes. The thug’s grope seemed to be imprinted on her flesh. She still felt it no matter how hard she rubbed, trying to erase it.
“He what?” Chairon shouted. His head turned sharply to the end of the alley, where the robber was last seen. “That bastard! Scum! I should never have let him get away. He should be… He should be jailed for life!”
Kismette blinked. Her eyes travelled to his clenched fists. In the shadows, she could see how white his knuckles were and it frightened her. “H- H- Hey,” she stuttered, not knowing what else to say. “Uh, forget it. We can’t even describe how he looks like. Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”
Chairon glared at her. “Forget it? How could-” He smacked his forehead and pressed his lips together, forcing himself to calm down. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you,” he mumbled and exhaled loudly. “I will respect your decision on this. So,” he smiled grimly, “any split ends or chipped nail polish? Do you want to go to the hospital, hmm?”
Kismette’s face cracked into a smile. She shook her head.
“Come on, I’ll send you home,” he said gently, leading her out of the murky passage.
May 8th
Kismette
Kismette was up early, getting ready for her session with Jeremy when her doorbell rang. “Delivery!” someone shouted from the other side of her front door.
“Coming,” she shouted back while rushing for the door and yanking it open. “Yes?”
“Flowers for Mistress Larazest. Can you sign here to confirm that you have received it?” the delivery man held out a piece of paper and pointed to an empty space, where she quickly signed. “Thank you,” he sang and handed her the bouquet in his arms.
Kismette made a soundless "ooh", holding the blooming sphere like a sleeping baby, careful not to squash it in any way. “Who is it from?”
“I have no idea, but the lady who placed the order came with a sealed envelope, which is attached to the bouquet. Have a nice day, Miss!” the man waved cheerily and headed for the elevator.
Kismette ambled back to her apartment, laid the bouquet on her coffee table, picked up the envelope and tore its seal open.
I hope the flowers brought a smile to your face.
-Chairon
Kismette’s stared at the card. She thought about how courageous he was at the alley even when he thought she was just a stranger and her heart thumped. She thought about how worried he was, how angry he became and how he cut his night short just to send her home and her cheeks flushed. And she suddenly realised that Evelynn hadn’t talked about him since… she couldn’t even recall when.
Unease pricked at her skin. She wanted to fall in love too, but this sort of good fortune only happened to other girls, never her. Ever since she came to Grythen, everything was looking up for her: money, comfort, status and now, this. She almost didn’t dare to question it for fear of jinxing it, but she couldn’t help the thought crossing her mind. Should I take a chance?
Ning: This is the first time I feel so well-prepared to post a chapter! :D I've been preparing this chapter since Sunday and, yea, I took a super long time (like I always do ._.), but for once, I do feel accomplished. ^^
potassiumer, lovely as ever, did a fanart for CS again. AaaaAAAaaaHHhhhh!!! I wanna jump on my couch a million times!!!*cough* It's Kismette! ♥
I think I should add (before anyone questions, since a lot of you seem to hate him now *sob*) that Chairon didn't plan that robbery.
It was a huge dilemma on how dark the alley scene should be. I kept thinking, "omg, darker!!" but the background has already gone all black. I hope nobody turned blind trying to figure out what's happening in those pictures, lol. Kismette's outfit was another thing that gave me a headache. Nothing was okay for a nightclub and for her. (Omg, I feel like her mother.)
Also, it was really fun to shot this chapter. Hence, spam time! :D
P.S.: Evelynn has been tagged for a 10 facts meme by simtopi while Jeremy has been tagged by jerzibot, so visit me again in a week's time if you wanna see it! ^^
Previous: Chapter 34
Next: Chapter 36