[Alyss has never really been sure how long she's been in this new world, this dead world. Time doesn't seem to exist much anymore. Time doesn't actually matter anymore, she's come to accept. And the further she is away from home, the more she sees, she can feel her connection with the Heart Crystal ebbing, sometimes into a faint whisper. It comes back sporadically, but she has come to not rely so much on her imagination as she would have. Instead, gears have switched. She relies on her other skills, the ability to fight, to plan, to keep alive. She relies on Jake.
Alyss sucks in air raggedly as they run, her hand gripping his back tightly. It reminds her of holding Hatter's hand as they ran, and when they run like this, she sometimes fear being lost, of being let go for any reason. And there are many worse things in this place than rude orphans and starvation. She barely has time to react to not running when the sound of the gun has her jumping, and there's a kid across from them slumping to the ground. She wants to scream, wants to hate everything that this world is. But Alyss is still a queen, no matter where she is, and when she looks at Jake, she can't blame him. The gun is heavy in her hand when she takes it from him, face grim but understanding.
There are very few choices in this world.
She can't get that kid's face out of her head, though. The hole in his head, the mild look of surprise - but she can't tell if it was because of them popping up out of nowhere or because he knew he was going to die. And she can't get Jake's shaking hands out either.
Alyss doesn't even think about what she's doing when she crawls up next to Jake's side, feeling the warmth of his body. She acts on some sort of instinct, on some sort of need to be close with another human, doing something that isn't about violence or death. She kisses him like he's the last man in the world, and for her, he might as well be. She can't afford to trust anyone else in this place. It's more than that, though. She can't help but want him, too. Need him. There's an attachment between them that she doesn't want to explain.
When she pulls back, she just stares at him, unsure of what to say. How to explain. She licks her lips nervously, brushing strands of her dark hair behind her ear again.] I'm sorry. I didn't - didn't want to wait.
i didn't even realize you had a warning until long after i read the tag
Alyss sucks in air raggedly as they run, her hand gripping his back tightly. It reminds her of holding Hatter's hand as they ran, and when they run like this, she sometimes fear being lost, of being let go for any reason. And there are many worse things in this place than rude orphans and starvation. She barely has time to react to not running when the sound of the gun has her jumping, and there's a kid across from them slumping to the ground. She wants to scream, wants to hate everything that this world is. But Alyss is still a queen, no matter where she is, and when she looks at Jake, she can't blame him. The gun is heavy in her hand when she takes it from him, face grim but understanding.
There are very few choices in this world.
She can't get that kid's face out of her head, though. The hole in his head, the mild look of surprise - but she can't tell if it was because of them popping up out of nowhere or because he knew he was going to die. And she can't get Jake's shaking hands out either.
Alyss doesn't even think about what she's doing when she crawls up next to Jake's side, feeling the warmth of his body. She acts on some sort of instinct, on some sort of need to be close with another human, doing something that isn't about violence or death. She kisses him like he's the last man in the world, and for her, he might as well be. She can't afford to trust anyone else in this place. It's more than that, though. She can't help but want him, too. Need him. There's an attachment between them that she doesn't want to explain.
When she pulls back, she just stares at him, unsure of what to say. How to explain. She licks her lips nervously, brushing strands of her dark hair behind her ear again.] I'm sorry. I didn't - didn't want to wait.