PrimeTime Apology (Evony)

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

In hindsight, Lucy realised she might have had the capacity to be a little nicer to the proverbial blue haired wonder she'd grown accustomed to. But ever since barraging her with an onslaught of overly pressurised nerf darts - in tandem with her flippantly inconsiderate remarks - she hadn't see the girl in question anywhere.

Some people just can't take a joke, right?

Normally, she'd be pretty content to just leave it as it was. If someone couldn't get over that shit, that was their fault and it had nothing to do with her. Because really, like she meant any of it! But this was different. It'd be like if she somehow upset Lyra or Dom, she'd have to suck it up and manage some kind of apology, right? Dom would probably laugh at her. But lately he'd been so broody that she didn't even know. And knowing Lyra, if she was really pissed off she'd probably just punch Lucy. But of her circle of friends, Evony was glaringly different. And an apology shouldn't have really been that hard to muster, considering she'd kind of done it a few times already.

She'd just never managed to use words like; 'I'm sorry.' or; 'I apologise.' They didn't fit in her mouth unless they were being sarcastically offered.

At any rate, it was late in the afternoon and Lucy hadn't seen her anywhere around the fortress (read: cabin), so she decided to venture out and actually look for her. The sinking tangerine sun hung low in the sky, and as she neared the water it looked as if it would be swallowed by the small lapping turns of the insignificant waves the mild wind produced. As she stepped out her sights quickly settled on the familiar figure sitting near the lake all on her own. Lucy checked around - good, there wasn't a single soul anywhere near her. Or in sight really, for that matter. So, the Australian stretched her arms over her head and - as nonchalantly as one was able - she slowly closed the distance between them.

But when she got close, she decided to hang back by a few steps, running her hand along her primarily tattooed arm as it to sooth the ill feelings between them. They felt as uncomfortable as she did. In fact, the Siberian tiger was completely moved from its usual place, opting to curl up on her left shoulder blade as if it were a rock underneath the warmth of the sun. The trip itself called for a lack of skinny jeans, so she was decked out in high cut denim shorts and a tucked in white tank top. The dark coloured beanie atop her head had splatters of purple and green - it was her souvenir from her fight with Monroe.

Taking a quick deep breath, the eldest Serrano exhaled on a sigh. "Oi-ahh," She fumbled, because evidently 'Oi you!' was not a decent greeting; "Hey."

[Evony Vasiliev]

Nature almost always seemed to summon people's most base instincts, their raw desires taking over as they drowned in Mother Nature's embrace. The first day had already taken a few victims, some of whom had fallen to trigger happy females in what could only be described as a war bunker rather than a cabin. Evony and Luxanna were the victims of the troublesome trio's surprise attack, something which left the porcelain skinned thief looking more like a speckled assault victim rather than a dainty bruise-free acrobat.

Camping with a ragtag group of puberty stricken teenagers should have been a great chance for serial mass murderers and horror icons to have their just desserts, especially with the rampant sex which was bound to happen sooner or later. Whilst the prospect of sex and revelry did excite Evy's more base urges she had found it more appropriate to escape midway through the day and lick her wounds, not entirely sure how she was going to cover the multitude of purple and red blotches over her skin.

It shouldn't of come as any real surprise to the girl, Lucy was a painter and her ivory skin just happened to be an unsuspecting canvas. Whilst the perks of having a rather delicate body were few and far between the Blue bird could not help but smirk at some of her new battle scars. Sure, there were a few which were going to be a massive pain to cover (note: the hickey lookalikes on her neck) but it had all happened in good fun...even if she did spend much of the time cowering behind a massive lioness or in her sleeping bag.

The bruises would eventually fade away and they weren't her primary concern, even if they did hurt like hell. What had struck the battered pixie was Lucy's complete disregard for the verbal vomit that spewed from her lips. Yes, Lucy was in the trigger happy mindset and Evy intimately understood such a thing considering all the nights she fell asleep to the sounds of the tattooed beauty swearing at her computer during some online video game. But, repeatedly being told she was worthless and unecessary may have come a little bit too close to home. Once was fine, twice was unnoticeable, ten or even twenty times served no issue...it was the constant verbal barrage that never seemed to stop, it was like a gushing river of insults that was equally impressive as it was concerning. Who knows? Maybe it was an Australian thing.

Having fled the war zone the Blue bird sought out solace on the pier of the lake, letting her recently pedicured toes dangle just above the rippling waters. Even though the isolation was a bit jarring it gave her some time to reflect on the good and the bad, allowing the sweet melodies from the natural bird life keep her sane. The girl's hair was tied up, messy cerulean dangling down the slender back whilst her dainty figure was clothed in nothing more than a summery floral dress. Surprisingly, Evy had foregone any jewellery except for the simple threaded band Lucy had given her all those weeks ago.

The thief had reverted into a state of quiet calm, her eyes wistfully watching the reflection of the clouds on the water, completely enraptured with their fluffy beauty. She was so focused on the pretty spectacle that she had not heard the arrival of Lucy, to the point that she jumped when the Australian made her greeting.

"Oh...hey you." The girl replied with a thin smile, attempting to catch her breath from the minor heart attack. Biting her lip the girl sat motionless for a moment, blinking at the Australian before slowly patting the space next to her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to get you back." She offered, brushing a strand of hair from her face before stifling a grin. "Yet." Because threatening Lucy always seemed to have some little escapist fun. "So...proud of all the bruises you gave me? Because it looks like I've just been toyed with by a professional dominatrix." Evy sniffed, brushing her skinny fingers against an impressive crimson mark on her thigh. "Some of these even look like hickeys..." She sighed, gazing back at her reflection in the water, keeping her hand pressed against her neck.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

'Given her' was a loose term to describe what had transpired weeks ago. Lucy instinctively remembered the simple threaded band being stolen from her person in tandem with a necklace. Two things that held little meaning to her, and so she didn't really seem to mind that they were no longer hers. But in a sense, Lucy supposed one could call it eccentric gift-giving. She felt like she'd be better off just leaving things out for her to steal if she ever did want to give the blue one anything.

Lucy held back a laugh when her greeting had made Evony jump. She really shouldn't laugh at her. At least, not yet.

"Yeah, hey." She repeated, and then realised that she'd already said that. Whoops. She raised her eyebrows curiously when she pressed her hand against the space beside her. Hn. She wasn't sure if she should really take the concept of no revenge to heart. "Yet." Lucy repeated the word. It was difficult to think of what else to say considering the fact that she couldn't remember half the things she had said. Finally she opted to settle into the space beside her, leaving a decent amount of distance between them. That within itself was jarring, and the Australian wasn't sure why she chose to do that. "I wouldn't say proud," She started, "You bruise like a..."

Nope, she couldn't finish that properly.

Resting her hands on either side, Lucy shrugged her shoulders and let her bare feel fall into the water as far as they would. "So..." Her voice trailed, and she looked to the other side. "I've never uhh," Nope, that wasn't the right way to start this, "I didn't mean to... Y'know."

[Evony Vasiliev]

A slight shadow of grin rippled across the little swindler's lips as the Australian reaffirmed the hint of retribution, because really, Evy couldn't do much more than do some freaky mirror magic with her. Revenge in itself wasn't something Evony chased but a malicious whisper in the farthest reaches of her mind reminded her of an accident she was guilty of. Several weeks of hiding it in her mind and she still could not bring herself to think of it with Lucy around. That wasn't revenge, that was sheer stupidity and it had no place ruining the rather comfortable connection she had created with the Australian. Shaking her head and keeping her eyes on her feet Evy allowed the Lucy to settle next to her, quietly noting the strange little distance between them. It felt weird, but she was not going to bring it up. That would be petty.

"Like a banana. I bruise like a banana." She quickly injected, finishing off Lucy's sentence before offering the girl a brief simper. Evony did not want any awkwardness, especially when the current mood was so zen like and comforting.

When the tattooed beauty began to mumble Evy furrowed her brow, rather taken aback by the peculiar show of verbal modesty. With lips pursed and blue eyes flickering from the water to Lucy's face the girl wasn't entirely sure how to respond. What was Lucy trying to get at?

Taking in a deep breath and letting her hair tickle the length of her spine the Blue bird deeply inhaled before returning her gaze to Lucy. "It's fine Lucy..." She whispered, offering a gentle smile before lightly pressing her finger against a bruise on her knee. Watching Lucy mumble was strange, especially when Evy was so accustomed to the girl being so brash and confident with her words. "You were having fun, nothing wrong with that." The Blue bird said quietly, shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to quell Lucy's awkwardness.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy finally glanced over at her, making note of the small bruises she had showing. Jesus, anyone'd think someone either really hated or really liked her. The Australian knew those little darts could hurt like a bitch, but she was rarely in the business of getting shot by them. She was a little glad she hadn't taken any shots to the face, tempting as it had been when they first walked into the room. Right between the eyes would have been an awesome show of marksmanship and-

Ah, not the right time for thoughts like that.

It was overwhelmingly tempting to just leave it as it was; to just accept Evony's acceptance. Yeah, she knew it'd be a million times easier if she just left it the way Evony wanted to, but it didn't sit right on her shoulders. And she wanted to shake the uncomfortable feeling before it burrowed into her system for good. Lucy chose to glance forward, as if lost in the lights on the water before them. Her toes shifted underneath the water. Sitting still never worked well for her. She had to be doing something. Or at least moving in some way. So she waved her hand and shook her head; "Shut up, I gotta say this."

Bracing her hands against the decking again, the overtly tattooed one inhaled slowly and exhaled a deep sigh. "Sorry if I hurt you." Her eyes closed briefly, opening again to glance down at the water. "No, sorry I did hurt you." The words tasted as bitter leaving her lips as she suspected they would. It would have been a lot easier to have compiled the appropriate sentence before she actually got there. She was annoyed at herself for not thinking of that. Still, Lucy glanced across towards her, offering eye contact as a show of integrity; "And not just with the bullets, okay?"

[Evony Vasiliev]

Evony kept her eyes trained on her toes as she felt Lucy's gaze fall on her, keeping her lips pursed as she attempted to remain poised even with the multitude of bruises littering her skin. The light breeze danced across her body like a soothing trickle, a therapeutic reminder that there was still some small comfort nature could offer. Her bruises were still fresh, throbbing from the mere attention their creator was giving them. Taking in a deep breath and brushing a sliver of cerulean behind her ear Evy offered the Australian a little smile, attempting to quell any of the tattooed beauty's uncertainty.

But then the words finally slipped forth from Lucy's lips, words that the Blue bird would have never thought possible.

The mere utterance ushered in several sensations, the two most prominent ones being the blooming joy and a sharp cold jab of guilt in the back of her chest. Evy could not break away from Lucy's gaze, falling into those warm chocolately eyes as she lightly shuddered from the wind. What could she say? How would her words ever match up with such an honest and sincere apology? The porcelain skinned girl could do nothing more but allow a simper to pass over her lips, her cheeks touched with a soft pink as she slowly lowered her gaze. Lucy was continually keeping the acrobat on guard and now Evony felt the sharp pangs of regret coursing through her veins, threatening to overwhelm the joy at having the tattooed beauty open up that slight bit more.

"I forgive you." She whispered, nodding her head once as if to confirm her thoughts all the while returning her gaze to the glowing crimson horizon. The girl needed some solace, needed some sign to keep her throbbing heart at bay. Half of her demanded she confess but the other half chased the fleeting light of a moment rarely shared with Lucy.

What could she do?

"I...I umm...just try not to aim for my goods next time okay..." She smiled weakly, her dainty fingers tugging at the end of her ponytail as she made circles with her shaky feet in the water, making ripples that would go on as far as her eye could see.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The more Lucy looked at Evony the more she noticed the little spots that seemingly littered her skin. It really looked like she'd been through the wars. If she bruised this easily, imagine how she'd go in other situations. Not that Lucy would ever hit her. She definitely wouldn't want to cause the girl any harm on purpose. Wait - what?

When the words were out there, Lucy felt herself ripe with uncertainty. Was this how it usually felt to apologise? It was really uncomfortable. No wonder Evony was so weird when she'd told her she had to apologise to Dom. Oh, that was a thought to ponder on a little later. If he were talking to her properly she might even ask him. Ugh, the silence might have deafened the mood, but it did nothing to quell the erratic, sporadic thought pattern her mind was motioning through. It was so distracting. She just wish she'd say something productive.

The eye contact alone was just so... Intense. Lucy found herself staring into the abyss of blue and searching for an answer. She'd done the right thing, right? Apologising, and all that. That was what people did when they felt something for someone.

When she realised the other girl was blushing, she felt the corner of her mouth tug into the uncontrollable hint of a smile.

Forgiveness. It was a concept that had weighed heavily on her shoulders. And now that it was acquired, she felt like she could breathe a little easier. She stifled a laugh at the other girl's comment - though, they were words that would usually have her in a type of fit.

"I'd never hit your face," She said lightly, her tone settling again, "I like it too much."

As she lingered in the silence of her own admittance, coupled by the intensity that came from looking in her eyes in such a way, Lucy slowly took to a small realisation. Her instincts were telling her to proverbially seal the moment and everything it stood for. That leaning forward and just kissing her was so worth the possible repercussions of her actions. Her dark eyes flicked their gaze down to her mouth in the instant, and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip.

And in the next, she was shifting again to pull her feet out of the water and stand up. "Hey, c'mon." She said, tapping her toes instinctively against the decking, "Let's go for a walk, or something."

[Evony Vasiliev]

Fate was a curious fellow indeed, toiling away at his intricate web, always the one who saw it fit to thrust his unsuspecting victims into situations like none other. The little Blue Bird just so happened to be the target of his cruel mind games that day. Evony was completely in awe at how normal this all felt, simply sitting by Lucy and basking in the rawness of the moment. Whilst the bruised thief could not help but quietly marvel at this fascinating new development a sliver of her soul ached for the hidden truths that had plagued her consciousness ever since she committed the shameful act several weeks ago. Evy did not even know why her guilt was justified. As far as she knew Lucy and her were not an actual couple, but it still weighed heavily on her dainty figure. Words unspoken ruled this coupling of theirs and Evy's heart ached at the thought of betraying the fragile trust she had scraped up with the Australian. She couldn't tell her now. Not when Lucy herself was so obviously content with the current mood.

Why was the tattooed beauty such a mystery? Why was Evy so swept up in her affection that the merest sight of the girl made her heart flutter and conscious ache? There probably wasn't any concrete definition but she knew with utmost certainty that she liked Lucy...it just seemed so cruel that a secret mistake had occurred so close to this new revelation.

Lucy's completely sincere comment about the face was more than enough to toss Evy's confidence into shadowy pit of affection and horror. Why now for God's sake? Evy's cheeks naturally found their colour at the Australian's gruff sweetness and she hid her face with her hands, staring intensely at her reflection. "Well...shit." Evy muffled, leaving her voice positively ambiguous as she blushed from the remark whilst receding further into her hidden shame.

With a brief flicker of her eyes Evy was once more swept into Lucy's gaze, lightly trembling from the girl's sheer intensity. Oh, Evy knew that look, it was rare but there was no mistaking the quick glance downwards and the subtle hint of a grin. Either Lucy was becoming more sloppy with her hidden affection or she was simply becoming comfortable...which horrified the Blue bird even more. There was no doubt in her mind that she would have resounded to the simple gaze, just lean in and let their lips do all the talking. But...she held back, not without a coy smile, but she remained frozen in place for that moment, shivering from her own conflicted emotions. Evony wanted this more than anything, to have Lucy reciprocate those unspoken feelings and just let loose...but where would that leave her? Forcing the secret deeper into her soul until it poisoned every single moment with the unassuming beauty.

Evony had never found herself in such a dreadful mess like this, but there was nothing more she could do but smile.

Lucy's movement brought the girl back to the present and her eyes followed the eldest Serrano as she recoiled from the lake, standing above her with the most genuine smile on her face. This was actually happening. Taking in a deep breath Evy briefly smiled before pulling her skinny legs out of the water and onto the wooden decking. "Ah...sure thing" She quietly chirped, patting down the dress and wiping her water kissed toes against the timber. There was nothing more to do but follow Lucy, let her take the lead into the generous green forest.

Giving the lake one last hopeful look Evy turned her back and set off with the Australian, bare feet in rhythm with Lucy's. Hopefully she could handle whatever was to come next.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy rarely allowed herself moments of such contentment. Ones where she felt so at ease with the situation that her logical mentality threatened to unravel long enough for an emotional response to flow. For instinctive responses to unveil and enrapture her completely. She held onto it tightly for fear of the repercussions of her reactions - she was a passionate individual, and thus far the only response to break the hold was one of negativity and aggression. She would have given anything to just let go and give in to the moment as it were.

But, at least at that time, it was not meant to be. She just struggled to contain herself in these small moments in time with this particular person. What she was slowly growing to realise was that Evony herself coaxed these things out of her. Whatever she was doing, it forced the Australian to check herself, else she might fall.

Unknown to her, her affection had poured itself into the depth of her dark eyes, indicating what she might have thought or felt in that moment. Even after she stood and ran her hands over her face. She knew it was still there. She knew she wanted to turn around and watch the blue haired wonder in every move she made. Even as she briefly stared at the prints her feet made against the ground, she found herself looking back anyway.

Lucy remained silent as they walked, which was strange for her. Never before had she really been so content with a moment that she felt no need to speak. To fill the air with clever quips and generous sarcasm. She linked her fingers together, stretching her arms up over her head with a small yawn. It was the only sound that dared pass through her lips in that time. And instead, she just walked. She had no idea where she was going, aside from evidently leading them along one of the trails. But even they were devoid of student life. It was quiet. The sunlight was filtering through the trees and darkening with every passing minute. It wouldn't surprise her if most had rushed off to catch something to eat, or something.

If nothing else, Lucy felt like they were alone. Well, they were alone. She allowed her fingers to brush against the other girl's lightly. It was small, and it might have seemed insignificant, but she reveled in the contact regardless.

[Evony Vasiliev]

The quiet pitter patter of Evony's footsteps created a eclectic melody alongside the whispering winds and the songs of the native wildlife, ushering in a soundtrack to both girl's quiet descent into the forest. The thickening green foliage swallowed them whole, engulfing them in a labyrinth of ancient trees and blooming wild flowers. It was almost a sublime backdrop, one which was so overwhelmingly majestic that the Blue bird had to momentarily stop and take it all in.

Here she was, alone amongst the mildew and the shimmering beams of sunlight with the one person who singlehandedly thrusted her mind, body and soul into a throbbing cocoon of affection and joy. Evony was possessed with the startling beauty, completely enraptured with the alluring gruffness which continually forced her heart into spasms of fluttering infatuation. But she still ached underneath it all. The thief's heart throbbed with overwhelming attraction and toxic guilt, two conflicting sensations which shuddered through her skinny form.

Her porcelain feet brushed against the blushing azaleas, tickling her soles and momentarily distracting her from the stubborn pangs of paranoia that coursed through her veins. Evy stayed close to Lucy, close enough that the sweet scent of the Australian's shampoo kissed her senses and forced her attention to the nostalgic bliss her mind flashed back to. Fleeting memories of those nights together with Lucy demanded the Blue bird's attention, throwing her back to the moments of entangled limbs and whispery good nights. The thoughts alone forcing a tentative simper to cross her lips.

How could she of betrayed Lucy?

The poisonous contemplation threatened to drown the speckled swindler even further if it weren't for the electric jolt of contact that coursed through her skin. Evony flashed her gaze over to girl, scrutinising whether it was an accident or not. But was anything with Lucy an accident? The porcelain skinned girl considered it for a moment, her teeth clamped on her lower lip as she lightly hopped over a moss kissed boulder. Taking in a deep breath the girl tentatively nudged her dainty hand around Lucy's wrist, lightly gripping into the warm skin like it was her only safeguard against the gradually darkening environment.

She was slow with her movement, measured footsteps keeping her in line with the girl next to her. The sky was now a cool violet, the shadows of dying stars beginning to litter the heavens above. It was a truly wonderful moment. But Evy's mind pleaded with her to stop, to go no further for fear of making the eventual confession even worse. But her heart did not care, it throbbed in her ear and sung it's most grandest melody at having the opportunity to share the quiet moment with brown eyes beauty. How could she waste such a rare moment as this? She would have been foolish not to.

Soon enough, when the girl's had entered a small emerald and rose clearing, the Blue bird had finally ushered in the last ounce of courage she had left. With little more than a brief smile Evy slid her skinny manicured fingers in between Lucy's own. Her grip was strong, stubborn and praying it would not be forsaken. There were no witnesses, nothing but the open sky and the sleeping flowers to keep them company. With a slight tug of her hand Evy motioned to lightest area of the clearing, naturally finding herself blush at the sight of the beautiful Australian. It was their own personal kingdom, a place where all their worries and doubt could slip away into the gentle winds.

Evony just hoped she could fully enjoy the moment as much as Lucy...

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy kept her eyes forward, feeling a knowing gaze against her form and questioning her - did she do anything by accident? She never seemed to. At least, not when it came to Evony. But truthfully, every encounter with Evony was derived from an accident. From chance. She never knew how things were going to start, or how they were going to end. She usually avoided the uncertain - because to the logical mind, everything should have been certain - but this... It was just different. She wondered if this was what normal people did; throw themselves into the terrifyingly unnerving fray?

It wasn't for her. Or rather, it wasn't supposed to be.

She felt fingers curl daintily around her own, but she didn't look. She didn't feel the need to. At one point, the Australian squeezed her hand reassuringly. It was alright, right? Lucy rarely found herself engulfed in nature so green; dry dust and burnt out surroundings were her usual forte. She looked at Evony. Pockets of sunlight coloured the blue follicles of hair in a way she couldn't remember noticing before. It was bright, carrying through and lifting the azure undertones from the darker mix. But it could have been short lived, as the eldest Serrano allowed her fingers to slowly slip through her companions. She turned her back to the girl with a simple half turn, as if her attention was dragged else where.

Her fingers interlaced behind her back. She made a point of not looking at her now as she turned her gaze up towards the trees. The fading light almost seemed to burn right through.

"...Are you afraid of me?"

[Evony Vasiliev]

Evony actually felt some stress relived from her shoulders when Lucy gave her the reassuring squeeze, knowing that somewhere behind that aloof mask the Australian was always capable of reciprocating the unspoken feelings. It seemed to a be a gradual evolution in hindsight, subtle changes that Evy was too lazy to notice except for now. Uncertainty had seemingly disappeared in the private moment in the forest clearing, like the twinkling stars added anther layer of clarity to the Blue Bird's understanding of what this 'thing' was. Bed buddies just slept together, this seemed...more intense.

Letting the wind direct her navigation Evy propped herself atop a smooth stone slab, keeping her hands around her waist once Lucy had gently relinquished them. The boulder's elevation off the ground actually levelled Evony's gaze with Lucy, she was finally granted equal sight with the tattooed beauty. With feet dangling off the side of the rock and hair occasionally flitting too and fro the bruised Blue Bird found herself rather comfortable in the small meadow, happy to give the eldest Serrano some space to contemplate.

When Lucy finally did speak it came as clear as crystal water, prodding a fragile part of Evony that she wouldn't have expected possible. Shuffling in her place and tracing the final movements of a falling leaf with bright blue orbs Evony allowed herself a moment to think.

Evy's fear of Lucy had always been an essential fragment of the overall feelings she had for the tattooed beauty. Never before had she ever felt so vulnerable and terrified of her own emotions and shortcomings, knowing full well that the deeper she got the more power she was granting to Lucy to break her. But was it justified? As a trained escapist the Blue bird actually thought so, her survivalist instinct often berating her for allowing her affection to sway her actions. Every action would result in a chain of events which could ultimately build the girl up or shatter her confidence.

Lucy possessed this power even if she didn't acknowledge it.

"You did..." She replied quietly, glancing back at Lucy and pursing her lips, allowing a slow exhale pass through her nose. "But... not anymore." Evony slowly nodded, simpering ever so slightly as she wiggled her toes atop the emerald blades of grass.

It was a peculiar confession, one which forced the acrobat deeper into her quietly frantic contemplation of the secrets unspoken. Would she fear Lucy when she finally uttered her guilt? Would she fear the consequences? The burning rhetoric stung her mind and Evy shuddered against the cool air, glancing back at the tattooed wonder just in case she may have offended her.

"Do...do I really annoy you?" She whispered with furrowed brows and pursed lips, not entirely sure why she asked other than the churning curiosity that begged such a thing be answered.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy wasn't sure how she felt about any kind of answer to her question. She felt she already knew the answer; it was yes. The way Evony's demeanour shifted wasn't lost on the Australian. The way she'd cried at the show of her anger and frustration hadn't left her memories. She was abrasive, brash, harsh and so cleanly rational in her thoughts that she knew she was difficult. And she was angry. Bluntly, blindly angry.

So when Evony admitted that she had been afraid of her, she wasn't surprised. And she also wasn't worried.

But now she wasn't, and Lucy felt an instinctive shiver up her spine. Was it that she'd gone soft? Had she divulged too much? Was this really what everyone else went through, and did it change them?

Had she changed?

She didn't want to change.

Having such a question posed back at her prompted a thoughtful expression on her face. She could think on it forever, but she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, you do." Lucy admitted without fault. She wasn't the type to lie. Well, she was - and it was difficult to tell when she wasn't - but her flat response deserved some points. It would have been much more intricate and even romantic for her to lie. "But then, everyone does."

Sawyer, Dom, Lyra. They were all guilty of it. Chester and Carter, too. Even Monroe. No one was exempt. Not even Nica. Why, she didn't know. But she always managed to find something about someone that irked her. Lucy lifted her hands from her sides and stared down at them curiously. She wanted to explain herself, but she wasn't sure how to. Her jaw dropped slightly, leaving her lips parted as if that would be enough to will the words of choice to flow.

"Sometimes you-" You, what? She shook her head.

"And I just. I want to..." What, choke her? Kiss her?

Lucy shook her head and glanced over at Evony. She turned towards her and took a few steps to breach the distance. She knew she wasn't making any sense. It was as if something in her mechanical mentality had short circuited, and everything that followed was simply disjointed and broken. And so she looked back at her, exhaling a very frustrated sigh.

It just didn't make sense to her.

Why would someone like Evony still bother.

"Why're you with me?"

[Evony Vasiliev]

In all honesty Evony foresaw the answer to her question before Lucy shamelessly blurted it out. It was a given really, she knew she possessed the kooky free-spiritedness that could easily overwhelm and hassle those unfamiliar with such sporadic flickers of energy. So the girl naturally found herself offering Lucy a thin grin, a silent agreement to the rather obvious answer. But there was a part of the battered acrobat that worried about how far the extent of her invasiveness actually cost, was it too much? The answer to the internal questioning remained distilled in her mind, only dissipating once the Australian reassured the girl in her own weird way. So she wasn't the only one. A confession that actually didn't surprise the thief as much as she thought it would, Lucy always seemed to be the type to bit back at things she wasn't comfortable with. Maybe she wasn't as bad as she thought.

But when Lucy continued, stumbling over her words and not utilising her usual sharp tongue Evy could not help but cock her head to the side, perplexed.

She hung on every broken sentence, leaning forward as if Lucy was revealing a hidden secret. But the more Lucy struggled the more of challenge it looked for her to continue. Had this tattooed enigma never opened up before? The thought in itself struck the porcelain skinned girl and she gently coaxed the Australian onwards with slow nods of her head, hoping to help in whatever way she could. Although such a thing was rather futile and before she knew it Lucy quickly closed the gap between them, with intense brown eyes gazing into Evy's own shimmery blue.

The frustrated question took Evony off guard, derailing her thought process and forcing nervous teeth to clamp over a plush upper lip.

A barrage of stilted memories and painful imagery wracked the foundations of the thief's mind as she slowly chewed on the thought. Gripping the hem of her dress she released a slow sigh, glimpsing back at the girl in front of her. There was so much Evony wanted to say, every little gem that Lucy possessed which only heightened her magnetic appeal...but her tongue was frozen. Images of faceless men stalked the chapters of her consciousness, the cold chill of those nights alone forcing her mind into a frenzied state of paranoia. Every fear and failure that tore into her fragile soul all came to the forefront of her mind as she attempted to come up with the most concise answer possible.

Why wasn't she with Lucy?

"Because...because when I'm with you everything feels more worthwhile, like I don't need to run away anymore." She whispered, taking in a deep breath of the fresh afternoon air before finding the zeal to continue. "Lucy, you're beautiful and kind even if you don't know it and...and just being around you takes away my nightmares. I can actually sleep now...and it may sound stupid but I...I don't need to steal anymore because I have you." She smiled briefly, thinking back to those quiet nights wrapped in the girl's fierce embrace, drowning in the warmth of Lucy's body. Even if the Australian disagreed, she did have something that made Evy's heart go manic by just being around her. Simply putting her feelings into words felt awkward and not in anyway as smooth as she would have liked it but Evony felt it necessary, she might not receive an opportunity like this in a while. So she gazed back into Lucy's eyes, offering a smile that could outshine anything she had offered before.

"I just...want you to know that whatever this is, whatever we are... I am yours for as long you'll have me."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy stared at her with an almost perplexed, defeated expression. She didn't understand her own downfall with words, and it frustrated her. And that frustration was so exhausting and exasperating that it was borderline exhausting. She preferred the days where she didn't have to think so much on things she didn't understand. Lucy was smart. In study and in human behaviour. But in feelings? She may as well have been nine years younger with a strange penchant for chasing boys and girl on the playground.

She was confusing herself. She realised that. But she didn't know the means to turn around and find her way back. And truth be told, she wasn't, sure that she wanted to.

Because she was too close to realising... Something.

There was no way to expect the answer to her question. Even if Evony didn't carry the complexity of a mangled rubik's cube, Lucy would still struggle to pinpoint a response before it was given. She'd never asked that before. She forced the instinct to scoff or laugh back down her throat when Evony was speaking. Because it was all an exaggeration; it had to be. She wanted to argue that. But even if Lucy lacked the belief, there was weight behind those words. She didn't believe it. But Evony seemed to.

"Did you forget, I-" She faltered, her lips twisting into a frown at her own stint of failure. How could someone be so oblivious to the way in which they'd been treated? Lucy wanted to question it further, but it fell from her mind in favour of other things.

This was way too crazy.

Lucy looked back at her finally. She didn't like the lack of control she was faced with. It was like being backed into a corner with no where to turn. Nothing to do but face what was in front of her. "I don't expect you to be anything different." She said quietly, the life in her tone slowly fading as it had been. "I just don't know what you want from me."