Dark Alleys Are Never a Good Idea (GreenBeads)

[Deleted]

This was not a good idea. This had never been a good idea. River was fairly certain that selling her tesserae oil was illegal, but what could she say, it was a decent source of income and a way to get rid of her dad's empty rum bottles. The redhead sold the bottled oil for considerably less than the town shops charged lantern fuel, and she had a good rapport with quite a few of the sailors who needed light for their night shifts. Her business was run out of a tiny alley between two warehouses near the docks, bottles of yellow liquid propped up on a huge, overturned wooden spool that had once held miles of rope.

She'd been running this business on the side of her normal fishing job for a few years now. Most of her income that she brought home from the docks went to her father's booze habit, so only River's oil sale money was left to pay for the upkeep on their sad shack of a house and a meager amount of food. The girl almost didn't remember what it was like to have a normal life, a father who wasn't trapped in a permanent drunken stupor, a mother who hadn't drowned in a boating accident and left them alone. It had been this way for almost ten years. It would probably be this way forever. Blowing a stray rust-colored curl away from her freckled, heart-shaped face, River padded quietly down the alleyway to her normal place of business.

Winter had brought with it shorter days and longer nights, which was lucrative for the sixteen-year-old's little black market operation seeing as more lantern light would have to be used now that it was getting darker sooner. River ducked into her alley around seven-thirty, bottles clinking together with high soprano chimes within her backpack. Shrugging the canvas bag off her shoulders, the willowy girl began pulling the glass vessels out and lining them up neatly on the spool that sufficed well enough as a table. The sky was already inky black overhead, only the slightest bit of moonlight filtering down to cast eerie shadows along the alleyway. Chocolate eyes flicking around nervously, River finished stocking up her table and stashed the backpack safely in an abandoned crate. The former ballerina pulled her thin jacket tightly around bony shoulders, the damp chill from the crevice between the buildings cutting through her freckled skin and right to the bone. Even through the effects of poverty and malnutrition, River's body had managed to retain its dancer's shape, all lean muscle and graceful curve. She hadn't had a lesson since she was about nine, but she made practicing the skills she knew a habit when she had free time. Even now, in the empty alley, she found herself running through a few quick plies, one perfectly executed pirouette.

Stopping herself, River shook her head sharply, auburn curls flying as she reprimanded herself. You wanna look stupid? You'll have buyers showing up soon. She leaned her tall frame passively against the outside wall of one of the warehouses, ignoring the cold from the corrugated metal that cut through the back of her jacket. It was odd that no one had showed up yet, actually. Usually the red-haired teen had sailors lined up to buy fuel by the time she arrived in the alley toting her backpack, but tonight she was alone save for a stray cat that pawed through a dumpster a little ways down the dank passage. Puzzled, River began to pace, sneakers making wet crunching sounds against the damp pavement. There was no reason for her not to have customers tonight. The night shift hadn't been cancelled for any reasons, and she always had a few clients that would walk the extra quarter mile away from the docks to get a better price on fuel than they could in town.

The absence of humans in the usually-crowded makeshift marketplace made the girl uneasy, a weird feeling creeping up the back of her neck. There had to be something going on here that she didn't know about. Something other than the cold was making River shiver, apprehension running through her veins like a surge of adrenaline. She was on the verge of packing up her stuff and leaving, but she had to pay the water bill tomorrow and they were running low on food again. She needed tonight's income, badly. Biting her lip nervously, River went back the her spot against the wall, lean muscles tensed to make a break for it for some reason she couldn't explain.

[sbeeg]

Clayburn, Cassius

Winter cut through Cassius's clean, white jacket like a knife. His teeth were on edge as he walked the path by the docks where looming warehouse buildings casted giant shadows. Clayburn cursed the force for sending him out like this, he was the Head Peacekeeper! Head Peacekeepers are not sent out to make the rounds by the dock in the dead of winter. The sun was just dipping under the horizon when Cassius noticed a group of men, mostly young- all dressed in rags, huddled in a group. Now, Cassius may not be sent out a lot these days, but you're not promoted without knowing a few things about District citizens.

"Come on now, fellas," he may have called them "fellas" but Cassius' tone was not friendly, it rarely was. "No loitering, get a move on."

Cassius stayed at that corner until all the men were ushered away from the opening to a narrow alleyway. What were they waiting around for? They seemed awfully reluctant to leave. The young Peacekeeper came out in him and Cassius glanced down the alleyway, nothing. Rather than leaving right away, Cassius ducked behind a warehouse, concealed by the now heavy night sky. Clayburn's breath came out in little white puffs as he waited for anything to come by. Just when he decided it was nothing, he heard it. Soft footsteps, trotting towards him. pressing his lean body against the wall, Cassius watched a graceful, young figure walk by him. A feeling flipped over in his gut as he watched the young women walk by, a faint jingle coming from her bag. H couldn't help himself, once she had passed Cassius peeked around the corner keeping his eyes trained on her figure as she stepped into the alleyway.

Now, if it had been any other Peacekeeper on the force in District Four they would have put two and two together and reprimanded the young girl but Cassius never cared much for math and he blew off the previous occupants of the alleyway and pursued the girl. Waiting a few minutes as to not give away the fact that he had been waiting and watching her, Cassius took a step into the alleyway. She was further down, her skinny frame moving elegantly in the dim lighting. Just a figure from where he stood, but one that moved with practice. That feeling rolled over in his stomach again and warmed his middle, making his toes tingle and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Licking his lips, Cassius already knew what he wanted, however getting it was something that would take a little more work.

Er fail post

[Deleted]

River Destin

Fists clenched, River decided that she was going to give her customers fifteen minutes to show up. After that, she was packing up and going home. She'd fine some other way to pay the water bill tomorrow, it was too damn cold tonight to sit around and wait for people who weren't coming. Tightening her jacket around her, the redhead huddled against the wall, eyes on her watch. One minute passed, then two. What were those idiots thinking? Didn't they know that she depended on this business to put food on the table, to keep her broken little family afloat?

Five minutes.

She picked up a rock from the spot next to her on the ground, flinging it angrily at the corrugated metal wall across the alley. The stone hit with a loud clang that caused River to freeze, chocolate eyes glancing frantically around to spot any activity other than the surprised yowl of the cat a little further down the stretch of pavement. Relaxing when she saw nothing, the auburn-haired dancer leaned back against the wall, eyes fixated on the cold, clear sky.

Ten minutes.

Growling irritably, River flung herself to her feet, ripping her backpack out of its crate. Forget this. The willowy girl began stuffing bottles back within the depths of the canvas satchel, finally starting to shiver with cold. She was going to have some words with her customers the next time she saw them. Yanking the zipper of the backpack shut with a high metallic squeal, she lifted the bag onto one shoulder and turned around, taking a few steps forward to head towards home. a rust-colored eyebrow quirked up when she saw the human figure poised at the entrance of the alleyway. So someone had finally decided to show up? Taking a few more steps in the direction of the figure, she was just barely able to discern the white uniform.

"Shit!" she whispered in a panicked voice to herself, eyes widening. First no customers, and now Peacekeepers? This just wasn't her night. The though finally struck her that this could've been a setup, something for them to catch her. It made sense, no buyers showing up even though night shift was about to sail out of the docks, random Peacekeepers showing up in a usually overlooked alley. River wanted to kick herself for being so stupid. She should have left half an hour ago, when she realized that no one was there.

Taking a deep breath, the girl tried to collect her thoughts. If she acted panicked, it would mean a one way trip to the detention center for sure. Those who had done nothing wrong had nothing to fear, she decided, and if she just waltzed right past the imposing figure with her backpack full of oil and her pathetically empty money bag in its canvas depths, she could go home scott free. She just had to act natural, and them move her little operation to a different spot in the future. She set off up the alley, trying to make her stride nonchalant and girlish instead of her usual graceful tread. Maybe if she played dumb, she'd get a little leeway as well.

The closer she got to the end of the alleyway, the more difficult it was to calm down her breathing. She stopped for a moment, pretending to check for something in her packet in an attempt to still look guiltless. But the visions of punishment she could face, a week in the stocks, public whipping, a trip to the detention center, maybe even loss of her tongue and a life of servitude flashed before her, making a panicked little whimper rip itself from her throat.

This just wasn't her night at all.

[sbeeg]

Clayburn, Cassius

She was walking towards him, right into him. Cassius kept his stance firm and didn't move form the middle of the opening to the alleyway. She was slow, this girl, and no longer walked on air. Cassius frowned a bit, wishing she would stride forward on her toes show off her girlish figure. Her chest was visibly raising and lowering with large, nervous breaths. Naturally, people become anxious around Peacekeepers.

The girl looked through her bag and faint clinking noise came from it. Cassius raised an eyebrow, this girl didn't seem like a heavy drinker. She came closer and the rise of her breast was even more noticeable and then it happened, a little whine slipped from between her lips. A shiver ran down Clayburn's spine, his mind foggy and his fingers flexing. The girl came closer and Cassius thought it best to talk now to stop her while she was still in the shadow of the building, although he wasn't sure it would come out completely steady.

"Little late for a young woman like yourself, isn't it?" the words might sound friendly if it came from another person's mouth, when Cassius said them every bad interpretation came to mind.

Now that the girl was closer and somewhat in the light radiating from a nearby street lamp, Cassius studied her. Red hair framed tan cheeks that were dotted with freckles. The feeling in his gut came back again and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from whimpering himself. Cassius had a certain weakness for girls like this one, young, fit, girlish, pretty, but mostly the fact that she was alone at night in a dark alleyway.

The Peacekeeper took a step forward, sweat beading on his forehead and his eyes still glued to her frame. No need to be discrete, it wasn't like she could get away from him. Cassius was bigger, stronger and intent on completely his goals. Besides, he was the Head Peacekeeper, no one dares accuse him.

[Deleted]

River Destin

"Little late for a young woman like yourself, isn't it?"

[/b]

Despite the adrenaline pounding through her veins, River felt herself quirk an auburn brow. There was something creepy in this Peacekeeper's voice, something she definitely didn't like. A cold shiver ran down her spine, delicate pianist's fingers tightening around the straps of her backpack. So, what now? River would obviously have to talk to him now. She had to pick some sort of approach besides guilty. Wide-eyed and innocent? Flirty? Hostile? The innocent approach seemed practical. She'd go with that.

"Oh, not really. It's only a little past eight, isn't it? I was just heading home from my boyfriend's house."[/color]

The typical rich alto timbre of her voice was thin, breathy, and high-pitched in panic. That had been a very stupid response. Of course, River didn't need to mention that her boyfriend lived with her and was probably starting to worry by this point. Knowing Fledger, he'd come looking for her soon. But still, if she was on her way home, what had she been doing in a dead-end alley? Exploring? She needed to pull herself together. Now.

The willowy dancer found herself tugging at her hair, wrapping a single rust-colored curl tightly around her finger, an age-old nervous habit of hers. Her breathing was still kind of funny, and she could feel the color draining from her face. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't force her brown eyes to make contact with those of the imposing figure in front of her, instead letting the chocolate orbs fixate on the stretch of space just over his head. At least that would look like eye contact, maybe give her a touch of innocence. Who was she kidding? She wasn't fooling anyone. "What I meant to say was that I was on my way home when I heard something down the alley. My cat ran away last week and I thought it might have been her. It wasn't though, just a street cat rooting through a dumpster."[/color]

The word vomit that spewed past her cupid-bow lips formed such a ridiculous story that she was surprised he wasn't laughing at her. Maybe now would be a good time to run like hell, stash the backpack somewhere to hide the evidence, and get home. Even as she thought of it, River knew she didn't stand a chance. Giving the man in front of her a quick glance, she could tell that running wasn't an option. He wasn't all that large in the muscular sense, but he was bigger than her and had longer legs, which meant running with the extra burden of the heavy backpack would only result in disaster.

All River knew was that she didn't like the looks of this guy. There was something about him, the weird hawk-like gaze that was fixed on her, that deeply and truly frightened the young dancer.She wanted out of this alley, and she wanted out as fast as possible. "I... I probably need to be heading home, my dad's going to get worried."[/color]

Her father was most likely passed out on the couch clutching a half-empty rum bottle, but River wasn't going to divulge that. She took a few more tentative steps further, her heart freezing in her chest when she hears the bottles clinking noticeably within the depths of her backpack.

Damn it all.[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[sbeeg]

Clayburn, Cassius

The girl is babbling on about this and that and it's obviously fabricated. Cassius had enough common sense to know that, but he was concerned with whatever petty crime the girl had committed. Slowly, as not to frighten the child, Cassius switched his weight onto one foot and placed his hand on one side of the alleyway, leaning onto the wall, blocking off the girl's path.

"Now then, whatever little peddling you've done can all be dismissed," unsatisfied with his position yet again, Cassius pushed off the wall and started a steady stride to the girl. Small steps. Even steps. She was a small animal and he was the hunter, mustn't scare the game off or you'll go to bed hungry.

He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through that magnificent mane of red hair, to take her cheek in his hand, maybe even steal a kiss away. However he controlled himself, Cassius knew the game and going off of hormones and instinct was not the way to win.

"Of course you can't get everything for free. You'll have to do something for me first," Cassius tried to keep the bite out of his words but it seeped through, his intentions close to the surface. "First of all, what's your name?"

fail post Dx

[Deleted]

River Destin

"Of course you can't get everything for free. You'll have to do something for me first. First of all, what's your name?"

[/b]

”Excuse me? I don’t know what you think you’re– “ River began indignantly, cheeks reddening, but cut herself off once her better judgment gained power over her infamously volatile temper. This was one situation where mouthing off wasn’t going to help her. In fact, the only thing that being her typical smartass self would do would be earn a trip to the detention center. Still, something wasn’t right here. Peacekeepers were generally known for being unsettling, but this one was downright creepy. She sidestepped a few feet, countering him, placing herself infinitesimally closer to the street. If she could keep edging away, she’d get to the sidewalk and make a run for it, no matter what the consequences. All she had to do was keep him distracted until then, which judging by the way he was leering at her would be easy.

Fake name. Give him a fake name.

The dancer’s mind hissed urgently at her, the voice of her reason terse and precise. A fake name could go one of two ways, making her untraceable if she disappeared into the night but adding lying to an executive of the law to her rap sheet if she were to get caught. Still, given the two options, the redhead definitely preferred anonymity. She’d always been a good liar, and he appeared to be too busy ogling her to check for signs of dishonesty. The dancer forced herself to smile, forced her lips to curl around syllables that shot into the cold night air on the white cloud of that weird, panicked, high-pitched half-version of her normal voice. ”I’m Illaria. Illaria Knowles.”

River had no idea what had made her think of Illaria. She hadn’t spoken to the girl in years, not since they took dance classes together in elementary school. Illaria Knowles was a pretty girl, tall and willowy like River was, but with straight mahogany hair, green-gray eyes, and an effortless tan that the redhead would have killed for. They had been best friends as children, but then River’s mother had died and everything had gone to hell in a handbasket and she hadn’t had time for silly trivialities like friends anymore, and so the two dancers had drifted apart with time and separation. But for whatever reason, her former friend’s name had come blurting out of her mouth. River felt a twinge of guilt for what might happen if the Knowles family received a police inquiry here in the next couple days, Peacekeepers poking around and looking for their daughter, who hadn’t done anything wrong.

She tried to sidestep again, skirting gracefully across the damp pavement, continuing to talk as the lies bloomed smoothly from her mouth. ”I’m Illaria Knowles, I’m seventeen, and I’m a senior in high school. I was on my way home from dance class, took a little detour to my boyfriend’s house, and now I’m here. I live on the north side of town, my parents are waiting for me, and they’re going to be extremely pissed that I’m late for dinner. I enjoy ballet, poetry, and long walks on the beach. There, you’ve gotten all the information you could possibly need. Can I go now?”

The response was a little more sarcastic and snappish than she wanted it to be, but River was under stress and didn’t really have the time or patience to fabricate Illaria’s personality. Five more feet to her left and she’d have a clear shot to the street. If she dropped her backpack she’d be fast enough. She’d lose a month’s worth of tesserae, though.

But it had to be better than anything that could possibly happen if she stayed.[/color][/size][/blockquote]

[sbeeg]

Clayburn, Cassius

Illaria

Such a pretty and delicate name for a fragile, beautiful girl. Cassius took a step forward, listening to the girl's word wave she threw up into the alley's quiet air. After she had finished Cassius paused then spoke.

"You like poetry?" taking a step closer, Cassius began to recite the poems he knew by heart. "From fairest creatures we desire increase."
His eyes set on his target and he knew what he was going to do.
"That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,"
Cassius took a large step forward, grabbing Illaria on the upper arm tightly in his hand.
"His tender heir might bear his memory:
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,"
He took her other arm in his palm, chaining himself to her.
"Feed'st thy light'st flame with self-substantial fuel,Making a famine where abundance lies,"
Cassius pulled the girl tightly against him, digging his fingers roughly into her chilled skin.
"Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content"
He paused in his train of poetry to lay a kiss on the top of the girl's head.
"And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee."

Cassius forced Illaria back, turning her so her backpack hit the wall of the alleyway, making a jingling noise as its contents made contact.

"Don't worry citizen," Cassius said, leaning to whisper in her ear. "I'm here to keep the peace.

CRAP POST

[Deleted]

River Destin

Paralysis.

It was the only way that River could summarize the icy wave of terror that seized her body, making her unable to move. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything other than listen to the frantic thumping of her own heart, an involuntary squeak of protest ripping itself from her throat as several of the glass bottles in her backpack ruptured on contact with the chilly metal wall, oil gradually seeping through the canvas and onto her back.

She was numb to everything other than her terror, too numb to even feel revulsion or indignation, too numb to struggle. River was able to talk big, she mused, able to give a verbal beat-down to anyone that crossed her, but when it came to physical confrontation, she had never been much of a fighter. She had never been overly strong, lean dancer’s muscle not really any good for punching someone, and so light that using her own weight against an opponent wasn’t a viable option. The redhead had always been more cerebral that most of her Career classmates, preferring to revert into her own mind when things got ugly instead of hashing things out in a brutal fight.

Mental shutdown was the only coping mechanism she could find to deal with the situation at hand. The dancer squeezed her eyes shut, frantically talking herself into oblivion. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. You’re at home, getting ready to eat dinner… But it’s warmer at home, isn’t it? No, no, the heater’s gone out again. You’re getting ready to eat dinner… But then why am I standing up? Shouldn’t I be sitting down? No. You’re standing in the living room with Fledger. You just got in… Fledger’s gripping my arms a little too hard. That’s weird, he’s usually so gentle. No. It’s Fledger, you’re standing in the living room with Fledger…

Mental shutdown was failing spectacularly. Brown eyes opened wide again, lithe body heaving with rapid breaths of confusion and fright. There had to be some way out of this. Physical struggle wasn’t an option, River knew that well enough, she wasn’t strong enough and was in too disadvantageous of a position. Perhaps reasoning with him?

”Um… you really don’t want to do this.” Her voice was much higher pitched and far more breathy than it had been; she hardly sounded like herself. ”There are a million different reasons why you don’t want to do this. I mean, I could have all sorts of horrible nasty diseases you don’t even know about. Think about that.”

The inane babble wasn’t having much of the desired affect, only serving to sound like panicked last-ditch efforts than true logical reasoning. Drowning in despair, River dug her teeth into her lip, a default expression of frustration, hard enough that she tasted the coppery flavor of her own blood. Blood…

Lightbulb.

”Um…” she said again in the same panicked squeak. ”Okay, I accept that this situation is inevitable. But the bottles in my backpack shattered. I’m kind of getting stabbed in the back with glass shards, and it really hurts. Can I just have two seconds to take my backpack off?”

He would let go, she’d lose the backpack, and run like hell. The margin for success was rather low, River thought, but what other choice did she have?

[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[sbeeg]

Clayburn, Cassius

The Peacekeeper hadn't felt like this in years. He had one hand on the wall behind Illaria and the other on the girl's waist. So tiny, it fit perfectly in his hand. She was going on and on about how "he didn't want to do this."

Oh but he did. Cassius Clayburn wanted this more than anything right now. His mind was focused on nothing other than the girl in front of him. As she was babbling, Cassius swooped forward like one of the gulls in the harbor, setting his lips on the girl's neck. It was a taste he had experienced before, one he missed desperately. The sweetness of the skin, mixed with a nervous sweat. He was savoring it when that girl's blasted mouth went off again.

Can I just have two seconds to take my backpack off?”

Grunting his displeasure, Cassius straightened up but still held Illaria to the wall. Two seconds? Cassius couldn't wait that long.

Grabbing her roughly by the shoulder, Cassius spun the girl around, pushing her cheek against the wall so that her back was to him.

"Allow me," he hissed in her ear, ripping the bag off her shoulders and tossing it to the side, where the sounds of shattered glass echoed through the alley. Wrapping an arm around her, Cassius spread his palm over her stomach, using the other one to draw back her hair so that he could get his mouth right next to her ear. "My pretty little bird."