`Solana
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾
Because why not post for another character. :D Takes place just before clubbing, during clubbing, and all throughout Emery’s last post AND BEYOND ;3
Sorry for any grammar/spelling/random italics mistakes. I'm tired and I should be in bed right now. :P But please enjoy anyway.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾
Clubbing seemed to be a dreadfully awful idea. I didn’t dance. I only drank once. People weren’t really my specialty.
Still, after just a few minutes of mental negotiating, I decided to go. Perhaps it was because Ace was adamant about going, or perhaps... No, that was probably it.
After a short, informal dinner, I returned to my hotel room to change. I didn’t exactly know what the appropriate club-going wear was, but I figured I could try and dress up.
When I opened the door, I immediately spotted the lengthy white bag draped over my bed. Atop it was a moderately-crumpled sheet of paper. I closed the door, eying the objects suspiciously.
The note read only a few sentences.
Angel,
I want you to be the star of the club tonight. Make everyone jealous—more so than what they already will be. I took the liberty of buying this for you; I hope you love it as much as I love you.
See you tonight.
Ace
I laid the paper down on the nightstand, finding myself irrevocably intrigued. Without any hesitation, I unzipped the garment bag to reveal a flood of shimmering fabric. Trying not to stare, I hurried out of my clothes and into the dress, folding my wings around myself so, to anyone else, they’d look like tattoos—very wonderful tattoos.
The dress cut just above my knees and just below my collarbone, and it fit like a glove. It was far more snug than what I was used to, but I couldn’t help but adore the way it made me seem less like a giant ten-year-old and more like a mildly-curvy woman. The color was a deep cerulean blue that gleamed purple when the light hit it just right.
I pushed aside any thoughts of an ulterior motive and brushed through my hair quickly, proceeding to apply a coat of clear lip gloss—courtesy of Kateri. I slipped on a simple black jacket to protect my arms, and with that, I was ready to go.
I sure hoped Ace would think his purchase on my behalf was worthwhile. I’d hate to disappoint.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾
“You look,” the fennec murmured, placing his hands on my waist, “absolutely lovely.”
I giggled, knowing my cheeks were bright red. “You really think so?”
“I always do.” After pressing his lips gently to my cheek, he took my hand. “Come on. Let’s go inside. I’ve always wanted to dance with a princess.”
“Then you might want to find one.”
He only rolled his eyes, dragging me into the fray of swaying bodies and flashing lights.
No, this was not my type of crowd, but I couldn’t resist Ace. I couldn’t. Yeah, that was a bit of a flaw.
Just a bit.
We immediately made for the dance floor, and I could feel myself begin to sweat ever so slightly. I could dance with animals—because they, quite frankly, didn’t care if I had two left feet because I tended to just float and spin in the air—, but with another person in front of other humans? That was a nightmare.
“I’m just going to... um... warn you,” I whispered directly into his ear, “I’m not the best dancer.”
“Don’t think about it. Just let your body do the talking. Let the music flow through you.”
I smiled, leaning my face against his shoulder. “You’re such a dork.”
“But I’m your dork, right?”
“Yes, you’re my dork.”
With that, we began to dance.
Ace spun me around, twirling me across the floor. I laughed, feeling lightheaded. The music was fast and filled with bass, but we acted as if it were a melodic, jazzy waltz or something. And to be honest, I liked it better that way.
Until I started paying attention to the comments that flitted about. Normally, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. I would have assumed they were about anyone but myself—for who was I to be the topic of any conversation? But I couldn’t ignore the facts.
“Do you see that slut in the blue dress? It’s like she’s acting innocent or something. How pathetic.”
“She’s dancing like a virgin. What an oxymoron.”
“Drop the ‘oxy’ and you’ve got it right. That handsome devil is just leading her on.”
A woman with firetruck-red hair cracked her neck and stepped forward from the throng. “Let’s see how a real woman fares up against her.”
Ace could clearly see my fear. “Solana? What’s wro—” Before he could get the entire word out, the redhead had wrapped her spindly arms around his torso and spun him around, wrenching him from me.
“Hey, sweetie,” she crooned, batting her eyelashes. Then she jerked his face toward hers and crushed her lips against his, shooting me a sly glare all the while. When she pulled back, she said, “How about you ditch the cheap whore and spend time with someone who doesn’t look like she belongs in daycare?”
Tears budded in my eyes, but I said nothing, opting instead to clench my fists as tightly as I could by my sides.
Ace shoved her away, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Excuse you?”
She pouted. “Oh, come on now. You could have such a good time if you were with a real woman.”
Gritting his teeth, he draped an arm over my shoulders. “She’s a better woman than you can ever hope to be. You’re wasting your time. Go slut it up somewhere else.”
Narrowing her eyes, she raised her eyebrows. “Whatever. Your loss.” With a flip of her hair, she sashayed away.
Ace turned to me, peering into my eyes. “Are you alright, angel? Look, she didn’t—”
“I need a drink,” I said, surprising both of us. I went with it, wading through the mass to get to the bar and immediately ordering a martini. He followed behind, taking the seat next to me and never taking his eyes off of me.
After I took a few sips of my beverage, he finally spoke. “Solana, I hope you didn’t take anything she—or her cronies—said to heart.”
“And why shouldn’t I? She’s right.”
He blinked. “What?”
I sighed, running a finger along the salt-coated rim of the glass. “Why did you buy me this dress, Ace?”
Though he seemed puzzled, he didn’t question the sudden inquiry. “I thought it would suit you. Don’t you like it?”
“Of course I like it. But why this? Why now? Why for a place like this?”
His hand found mine, fingers caressing my knuckles. “I wanted you to know how beautiful I find you, so I tried to find something to show the world the same.”
“You wanted to make me look sexy.”
He sputtered. “Solana.”
“Knock it off, Ace. I know it’s true. You think I dress like a child. And maybe I do. Maybe I act like a child. You want me to grow up.” I could feel my gaze darken. “Is there something you want, Ace? Hmm?”
“What’s gotten into you?” he demanded, eyes wide.
I turned away. “I just want the truth. For once, I just want the truth.”
Sighing, he removed his hand from mine. “So I wanted you to look old enough to get into the club. Is that a crime?”
Leaning toward him, I furrowed my brows. “When it makes me an object—something that doesn’t match who I am, something that makes me no better than those sluts—then yes, Ace, it is a crime.” He closed his eyes. I faced the bar. “Go dance with them, Ace. Go ahead. I know you want to. You’d prefer someone with experience, wouldn’t you?”
In my peripheral vision, I saw his mouth open, but no words escaped. Snapping his mouth shut, he rose. He turned away, but before walking away, he said only one thing. “I’m only human, Solana. Don’t make me the enemy.”
When he was gone, I bowed my head. “You aren’t human, Ace. Don’t bother lying to yourself.” I downed my drink and waved to the bartender. “Keep ‘em coming, please.”
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾
So I only managed to consume two and a half drinks before nearly falling out of my chair. Sue me; I couldn’t handle that much alcohol.
In the time it had taken me to indulge in my sinful pleasures, I’d chatted up a striking man with a buzzed head and a nose ring. He had predatory eyes. I felt like prey. But hey, I could talk to strangers. Woo...
He asked me to go with him somewhere. I almost obliged, but someone grabbed a hold of my arm and yanked me away.
“Have you gone mental?” a poofy skirt-wearing female hissed. She wobbled before me. Or was I wobbling? “Didn’t you see his face? He’s like a walking treasure chest.”
I raised a hand in the air. “Then I am,” I hiccuped, “the pirate.” Laughing at my own joke, I doubled over. “Oh ho ho, I’m a riot, ain’t that right, foxy lady?”
The lady—Riley was her name—stared at me. “How many drinks have you had, Solana?”
“Two and... and a half.”
“You’re such a lightweight.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I know you are,” my mind went blank for a second, “but blue is the sky.”
Shaking her head, Riley began to tow me farther away from metalhead. “Right. Um. Let’s go sit down, okay?”
I began to half-wail, half-sob. “But my soulmate is waiting for me!”
“I’m sure he is.”
There was a fluffy couch on one of the, like, twenty walls of the building, so we decided to make our pit stop there. “This is like a cloud. I didn’t know they could make furniture out of cloud. Shouldn’t I be wet?”
“Just hush up, Solana.”
I pouted. “But where’s the fun in that?”
“Y’know, any other time you’re practically silent. This is weird.”
“MAYBE I JUST WANT TO BE DIFFERENT.”
Riley covered my mouth with a hand. “Solana, shut up. You’re being obnoxious.” I licked her hand; she shuddered and drew it away. “Okay... Look, I’m going to go scrub my hand off. Stay put.”
“Ay, ay, captain!” I said with a salute. Riley rolled her eyes and shook her head as she galloped away.
Hah. Like a horse. Riley was a pony.
Wait, what had she told me to do? I couldn’t remember. If I recalled corrected, I believed she told me to mingle.
Though my legs were comparable to jelly, I managed to stand. On the dance floor, I could make out a tall frame with sandy hair who was surrounded by a gaggle of women. I didn’t think too much of it.
Then I began to recognize a few familiar shapes. I couldn’t place a name with their blurred forms, but that didn’t matter. I found my way to the nearest familiar person and nudged their partner out of the way, earning a fiery stream of random foreign words.
An old song echoed in my head painfully, something about “everybody getting crunk” or whatever, and I began to laugh.
“Solana?” a heavily-Italian-influenced voice asked, the sound warped as if in water. That made me grin.
There was something in the music that was actually playing—not my internal playlist—that made me begin to move to the beat. I took note of what the other women in the club were doing and took the man’s hands to place them on my waist. I held them there firmly, half for support and half for dancing. I couldn’t make out his expression, but I was having fun.
But then a sharp shove met my left shoulder, and I stumbled over my own feet until I somehow was lying on the floor.
“Vous petite putain, qu'est-ce que vous pensez que vous faites?” came a very angry, very sharp voice. I met the furious stare of a certain white-haired woman.
“No habla espanol,” I giggled, groaning as I struggled to right myself.
Then there were two hands around my waist, hoisting me up and supporting me. “Solana, what are you doing?”
I tilted my head to meet Ace’s concerned—well, at least I thought it was concerned—expression. “I... am having fun.”
“You’re drunk,” he breathed, tightening his hold on me. “God, I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”
He was giving me a headache. To shut him up, I pressed my lips hard against his, burrowing my fingers in the hair at the base of his neck. He didn’t fight back, but his surprise was evident. When I grew too tired to keep it up, I licked my lips and backed off, taking a deep, much-needed breath.
“Solana...”
“Shhhhhhh...” I murmured, pressing a finger to his lips. I only missed twice.
He bit his bottom lip. “Okay, we need to get you back to your hotel room.”
A surge of anger welled up inside of me all of a sudden. “Why? Because I’m having fun without you? Are you jelly-welly?”
“... What?”
Flailing, I managed to free myself from his arms, nearly falling in the process. “Just because I have a few drinks and talk to other people doesn’t give you the right to act like you’re in charge of me.”
“Solana, I wasn’t—”
I held up a hand. “I don’t wanna hear it.” Now that I had everyone’s attention—or, at least, everyone in our group—I held in a yawn to make an announcement. “I believe it’s time we take our party elsewhere. Like back to our hotel.” Ace threw up his hands in exasperation. “Onwards, friends!” With an arm raised above my head, I began my stumbling journey toward our hotel.
Vevila was the one to tap me on the shoulder. “Darling, the exit is that-a-way.”
I spun around. “Onwards again!” Ace only shook his head, opting to stay behind. Whatever. I didn’t care. He was free to live his own life. Because animals didn’t deserve to live in captivity.
Oh, lord, I was bringing myself to tears. I quickly wiped them away. There, no problem. Pfft. I was cool.
On the street, it was totally silent. I could hear each labored breath of my companions, but they were practically panting. I guessed we were all drunk. Heh. It was a drunk party. Heh heh.
But then I heard a different sound, something like snuffling or scuttling or something else inhuman. Like an animal. like a widdle fluffy animal I could befriend.
I spotted him almost instantly: an adorable black puppy whose eyes were wide and full of unimaginable cuteness. I scratched him for a few moments—which he apparently enjoyed—and after enduring some of his pitiful whines, I couldn’t help but decide to sneak him in to the hotel. He was weak and alone and I needed something to snuggle.
My jacket was a perfect hiding place, even though he was much too big to fit entirely under it. No one noticed anyway.
His nose was cold, and it tickled terribly every time he shifted, but I kept a firm hold on him until I got to my room.
A shower was desperately needed, so after taking one and... forgetting a shirt because I stopped caring, I climbed into bed, stroking the cutie pie’s fur until I rolled around and eventually fell into an LSD-like sleep.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾
The next morning
My head was aching, pounding against the soft down in my pillow. I’d never felt such a nagging pain before, except that forbidden time when I tried to down that liquor.
Oh. Oh, that was why it felt familiar.
I rolled onto my back, delicately—at least, I thought it was delicate—covering a yawn. I didn’t dare open my eyes yet, simply in fear that I’d only worsen my hangover.
Beside me, the sheets shifted, accompanied by a soft sigh, dragging across my bared skin and evoking goosebumps in their place. The fan above the bed continued churning through the air, sending a frigid current over me. I shivered. Why do they have fans in Germany? Isn’t it always like 25 degrees fahrenheit here?
The bed groaned as if weight were shifting on the other side. Still half-asleep, my head fell sideways onto the pillow. There came a soft chuckle.
“Morning, princess.” The voice was deep and rich, and a sleepy smile wormed its way across my lips.
Then I frowned. I was regaining a clear train of thought.
My eyes shot open, locking onto the ombre-haired charmer. His eyes, a deep grey, were locked on mine, but they did drift a bit south after a moment. I followed his stare.
With a shriek, I managed to snag the comforter as I flailed enough to tumble off the bed, landing hard on my elbows and back. “Who are... What are... How did...”
He crawled over to the edge of the mattress, eyes wide and bared chest gleaming in the morning sun. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you, doll.”
“Why... are you in... my bed?” I managed to ask, trying desperately to cover myself up. “Why am I topless? Why are you shirtless? Who are you?”
He blinked. Then sliding off the bed, he leaned down, offering a hand. Apparently still too drunk to think properly, I took it, trembling as I stood.
“Don’t you remember last night at all?” he asked softly, his lips parted as he awaited a response. I could barely manage to shake my head. He laughed, kissing my hair. “Oh, honey, I hope you get your memory back soon. We had a blast.”
The edges of my vision began to grow grey out of fear and perhaps dread. “W-what happened?”
His hand wrapped around my waist, and I was too stunned to jerk away. Pressing his lips to my temple, he whispered, “We did the sex.”
My knees buckled. Eyes wide, the man managed to catch me, settling me on the bed before sitting beside me himself.
“No. No, you’re lying.” He didn’t speak. “Oh, God. Oh, God, no. I can’t have... I wouldn’t...” I was wasted. And they say anything can happen. “But I don’t even know you. Oh, my God, I-I... I’m a whore. I’m no better than Vevila. I just...”
The man laid a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, listen—”
I turned to him. “You’ve seen my wings. Oh, God, you’ve seen them, and God-knows what else you’ve done to them. You know what I am. You’ll turn me into the authorities or into the scientists and I’ll be dissected and experimented on, and that’s just what I deserve,” I wailed, my words broken by pathetic sobs..
“No, wait, just please—”
Tears streamed from my eyes, and I bowed my head instinctively to hide them. “What will Ace think? Oh, God, I can’t tell him. But he’ll find out. Oh, my God, what have I done?”
His hand slid to cup my chin. “Princess, hey—”
“H-h-hee-he-e-he's going t-to hate m-me. I h-hate m-m-me-e. They're g-going to hang me," I whispered, beginning to hyperventilate,"or-or b-burn me at the st-stake and then hang me.” My hands were shaking, and the fingers on my left hand were growing numb.
“Hey,” the man snapped, and I shut my lips as tightly as I could, holding in my rambling. His eyes were wide. “It's okay; you're okay. It was a joke. A cruel joke, and I am sincerely sorry for it. We did not do anything funky. All we did was sleep. That's all. There wasn't even any kissing or anything. And honestly, I didn't even look like this when we met, so it's not like you had any drunk intentions to boff me, cross my heart and swear to die.”
Frozen, I found myself unable to speak for a few seconds. “W-wait. Didn’t look like what?”
He grinned. “Woof, woof.”
The memories came flooding back. I stammered a bit before spitting out, “You were a dog.”
“Nope, a cross-dressing prostitute. I know you'd have a hard time believing that because of my incredibly masculine and sexual appearance," he said, showing off his tattooed body. I couldn’t help but blush. “Nah, yeah. Wolf. Not a dog, but... yeah. Honestly, I really though you had, like, a fetish or something rank, though." He waggled his brows; I felt sick. “...Y'know, bestiality, sh*t like that.” Blushing furiously, I promptly smacked him, hurrying to catch the comforter as it fell. “D--Di.. you... you hit me...”
“How dare you!”
He rolled onto his back in submission. “Whoa, sorry. No need to get physical.” Another grin appeared. “Unless you wanna boff for real.”
Flaming, I reeled my hand back for another slap, but he cowered a bit. It was noble; I knew it hadn’t hurt the first time.
“I’m sorry. I just...” I shook my head. “Nevermind.” Forcing a smile onto my face, I turned to him. “So who are you, mysterious wolf man?”
He blinked, pursing his lips. “Wouldn’t you like to get dressed before chatting it up, little girl?”
I blushed. “Oh. Yeah. I... I’ll be right back.”
After getting dressed and forcing Emery—for I soon discovered that was his name—to at least put a shirt on, I took him down to meet the rest of the club for breakfast. My headache hadn’t yet subsided—if possible, I believed it’d gotten worse—but Emery didn’t seem to notice.
Then, when everything seemed like it was going to be totally fine, that the previous night would be erased from history, Emery had to open his stupid mouth and whisper loud enough for Ace to hear: “Doesn’t matter; had sex.”
Ela heard, too, I was sure; she nearly choked on her french toast with laughter. Ace didn’t have the same response.
It didn’t matter that I threw a roll at him to shut him up, nor did it matter that the conversation didn’t continue. Ace’s eyes locked on mine, and they darkened with something I couldn’t place, something that honestly made me fear him. I couldn’t make the right words form in my mouth.
I was forced to excuse myself before I even tasted a single item.
I settled myself on a couch in the main lobby, covering my face with my hands.
“Coffee, ma’am?” a concierge offered, but I waved him away with a soft, “No, thank you.” I didn’t want to be disturbed. I didn’t want to try to explain to Ace that he was wrong. I didn’t—I couldn’t—
A weight made itself known on the other end of the couch, and I peeked through a crack in my hands at the newcomer.
“You really should eat breakfast,” Ace chided, refusing to look at me. I didn’t answer. His eyes flickered to me briefly. “So, how’d you meet that Emery guy?”
“Why do you need to know?” I snapped. I instantly regretted my crass answer; I could have avoided any conflict.
Ace leaned over to me, a pained expression on his features. “Solana... did you... and he...”
If possible, I could have sworn I paled a shade or two. “No. He... It’s a long story. But see, he was a dog—er a wolf—and I couldn’t leave him in the cold. And I was drunk.” Ace’s face had morphed into an expression of horror. “Oh, God, it’s not like that. He just... he played a joke on me. I just slept next to him, not with him. I mean, sure, we were kind of half-naked, but—”
“What?” he hissed, gripping the top of the couch with one hand.
“Ace, wait, no. It honestly isn’t what you think. Nothing happened. He’s just... Odd. I don’t know.”
He rose, shaking his head. “Well, how about you tell me when you do know, Solana? Because I’d love to hear the truth.”
“That is the truth,” I argued, and much to my despair, I could feel my eyes beginning to water.
Quick as a snake, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me to my feet. “I am done with the bullsh*t, the lies, and your inability to trust me, alright? I can’t take this anymore.”
“I’m not lying. And I do trust you, Ace,” I whispered hoarsely.
“I wish you’d act like it.”
A hollow pang rang through my chest, and I wrenched my hand away from Ace, biting back tears all the while.
“If that’s how you feel, fine. I’m done. I...” I choked. “I... I guess.... I can’t do it either.”
For a moment, his stony facade melted, and his lips parted as if in disbelief. Then he recovered, turning away sharply. “Fine. Have a good day, Miss Mitis.” With that final remark, he stormed away.
I collapsed back onto the couch, snatching a pillow to squeeze against my chest. I couldn’t breathe.
Soft footsteps sounded from where I’d originally come. “Solana?” It was Karin. “Solana, are you alright? I was on my way to the restroom when I heard shouting.” I peered up at her through damp eyelashes, and she immediately sat beside me, wrapping an arm around me and letting me lay my head against her shoulder. “What happened?”
“I screwed things up, Karin,” I confessed, surprised by how frank I was. “I really, really messed up.”
She stroked my hair—and it was only a bit awkward. “Shhh, it’ll be alright. Come on. Let’s get you back to your room. We can watch t.v. or something, alright?” I nodded weakly, too drained to refuse.
But she was wrong. It wouldn’t be alright. Because what I’d done wasn’t a sudden mistake. It had been a snowball, rolling down a mountainside, and only now had it finally reached the bottom.
★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾★☽★☾
Okay so yay dumb metaphor xD
What even just happened.
You got drunk Solana.
You got trying-to-dance-with-another-woman's-man Solana.
You got hungover Solana and Emery.
And then you got that random angsty sh*t that I honestly didn't plan on writing. Like seriously, it just kind of poured out, and I didn't want to stop it because I love angst/drama and I'M SORRY.
Anywho. Wow it's been way too long for her. BUT I WROTE THIS ENTIRE THING LIKE TODAY SO ARE YOU PROUD OF ME YAY? NO? YEAH I DON'T BLAME YOU.
I hope to see more posts coming this way. Unfortunately, I will be unable to post and comment in the next six days, but I can PM (only phone...). So if you have questions or the like, feel free to shoot me a message. (Imma be in the mountains for a... weird... Christian... woodstock thing... Don't... don't ask...)
ANYWHO. I hope you enjoyed this. Love you all. LET'S ENJOY GERMANY WOOO. <3
