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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Jan 29, 2011 1:09:58 GMT -8
Ara walked slowly through the trees not really paying attention to anything except not runing into any trees. She was pretty much walking aimlessly until she came to a tree that caught her interest. It was really big but also climbable. Not that she jad any disure to climb a tree at this point in time. If she slid off a branch she ran tje risk of hurting her ankle more than it already was. That was something she didnt want. She she sat on the ground and leaned against the tree. She had her right leg out straight and her left leg bent foot flat on the ground and her arms were aroubd her leg. The hem of the left leg of her jeans rose up enough to show the five masty scabs she had on her ledt ankle from a few days ago when the Strigoi came after her and she kicked it. It hurt really bad at the timw bit now she was pretty much fine.
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Post by Dante Ricci on Jan 29, 2011 1:40:36 GMT -8
Dante was still mad at Ara for sneaking out of the academy. What she did was reckless. It was so unlike her but at the same time it was exactly the type of thing she'd do. She was so sweet and innocent at times, and yet.. she was also a daredevil who had a rebellious streak. To say appearances were deceiving in Ara's case was an understatement. Dante recalled Ara's pretty grey eyes and how hurt they had become when he had yelled at her for what she did. He never really spoke to his sister without affection and kindness in his voice let alone yelled at her. This was anger he felt toward her was new to the both of them. He remembered what he said, and wished he could rewind time and take it back. But he was so mad when he had been told that Ara was in the nurses office. At first he had been worried, and then shocked when he found out what happened, and then scared because she could of been.. killed. And two seconds after that he was furious and yelling at her. What the hell had she been thinking? It doesn't matter now. He told himself as went to find his baby sister. She's safe.
It had been three days and they still hadn't spoken. This was the longest time either of them had, had no contact with one another. Dante couldn't remember them ever not speaking like this. He hated it. They were so close. He didn't want Ara to hate him. He couldn't stand it if she did. Other people sure they could hate him all the liked. And Dante was sure some of them did, he was also pretty sure that it was soon going to become a category in hobbies. But the thought of Ara hating him and never talking to him again killed him. He didn't blame her if she was mad. She had every right to be. But he wanted to make things right between them. He needed to apologize.
Dante found Ara sitting under a large tree. He stopped a few meters away from her and just looked at her before she noticed him.
She was so beautiful. She looked so much like their mom.
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Jan 29, 2011 12:04:48 GMT -8
As Ara sat there against the tree, she thought about right after Natasha got her baxk to school and helped her limp to the nurses' office. As soon as Dante found out she had already been pretty much taken care of. She had been cleaned up and put bandages on. It was maybe two or three minutes after that that her older brother rushed in. He looked worried and scarred when he looked at her but Ara couldn't believe how quickly it changed. He got a look on his face she Ara had seen pleantly of times of her father's face when she did stupid things. Her parents and older sister would yell at her when she did something stupid and got hurt but never Dante. He was always the one to hug her and tell her she would be okay. As Dante had startes to yell at her for what she did, she shrank back like she ussually did when she got yelled at by family, but that time she winced at the end of every sentence because it was Dante yelling not jer father and she knew it was because... Dante was the only family she had left. By the time he had finished she was crying and wishing he would just leave her in peace and eventually he did. And she cried even harder after he left.
She thought she heard someone and she turnes her head and saw Dante. Any other situation she would have smiled and hugged him or something, but she put her leg down and pulled her jeans so that she was hiding her injury. She knew he knew it was there but she figured it might help to not be able to see it. She chewed the right corner of her lower lip lightly and she looked at Dant's feet. It had been three days after she got hurt, and she hadn't spoken a word to him. She was afraid he was gunna start yelling at her all the time now. She didn't want that. She wanted her Dante back. The guy that was always there for her and laughed with her about stupid things no one really understood. Just like when they were little like before the fire.
She stood slowly and looked into her brother's grey eyes with her own grey ones the fear of loosing her brother, not by death, but by him changing into even more of a different person than he had become in the last two years, showing in her big bright eyes that were currently wide with fear. Tears stung her eyes and ran down her face a minute before she ran towards him and plowed into him wrapping her arms around him. "T-tay," she whispered. "Stop changing. I don't wanna loose you. You're the only family I have left and if I loose you to anything at all I don't know what I would do. And... Sorry about running off..." She sniffled and clung to him refusing to let him go. If he wanted her let go he was going to have to pull her off and risk hurting her even more.
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Post by Dante Ricci on Jan 30, 2011 4:14:22 GMT -8
Dante didn't know what to say when Ara looked at him. He had this whole speech of an apology laid out in his head. He had practiced it over and over through out his last classes this afternoon and the afternoon before. He thought about it in between classes too. And at dinner, lunch and breakfast. The only times he didn't think about it was during his Dhampir classes in the mornings, and after he left the nurses office where Ara had been crying. He didn't think about saying sorry to her then at all because he went straight to a training room, put his head phones on and proceeded to kick the shit out of a strigoi practice dummy. He felt bad for the next novice who would have to use it after him, it was in pretty bad shape by the time he was done. But the moment she looked into his grey eyes the all words he wanted to say to her disappeared and he stood where he was just watching her, completely at a loss for words. He was scared. For the first time in a long time Dante Ricci was scared. And not because he felt threatened. No. Not because he was in danger, not because he was worried about being attacked He was worried that Ara was standing up to leave. He thought she wanted to get away from him. And that was heart breaking. Dante hung his head. He actually felt like crying. He never cried. Well he never cried in front of anyone. He didn't even cry at his parents & Lia's funeral. He waited till he knew Ara was ok, left her with their aunt who was comforting her in the foyer where the service had been held, then went to the bathroom and cried by himself in silence.
This was different, it was worse. This was his fault. Something that he had caused with his stupid temper. A situation that he could of reacted differently to. He should of controlled his feelings. He ****ed up. He hurt the one person he would kill and die for. The one person who never judged him or expected him to be anything more or less than he was. The one person he trusted and who trusted him to love and protect her. Ara jumped on Dante. She wrapped her arms so tight around his ribcage that he could feel the pressure of her muscles pushing into his bones. He was surprised. He had been expecting her to tell him to leave her alone and walk away. He rested his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her small frame. She seemed so little as he held her.
Ara whispered the nickname only she was allowed to call him. The familiarity of the word made him smile a little. "Stop changing. I don't wanna loose you. You're the only family I have left and if I loose you to anything at all I don't know what I would do. And... Sorry about running off..." The small smile vanished from his face as Ara squeezed him even tighter. How could she think that? He lifted his chin off her head and moved his face so that he could look down at her. "How could you think that? How could you think that even for a second?" Dante shook his head. He didn't want to admit it. But it was true. He had changed. He still was changing. "Even if.." He shook his head again. "Even if I am changing", he said that last word slowly, "Ara, you will never loose me. Why didn't she know this? "No matter what I'll always be your brother. I'll always protect you and love you. Even when I'm being a.." He didn't need to say what he thought of himself. Ara didn't need to here those type of words. He let go of where he had been holding her and moved his hands to her shoulders. "I didn't mean it. Any of it. But what you did.." He paused to push away the anger he felt at the thought of having his sister killed. "What you did was stupid Ara. It was completely reckless. You're so lucky Guardian Contrarez was there, if she hadn't been.. I- I don't even what to think about what could of happened to you, if she wasn't there. This", Dante said referring to their world, "this isn't a game. It's not like when we were little when we used to play slay the strigoi with the couch cushions. This is for real. If you get hurt.." Again he tried not to think about the thing that was worse than his sister being hurt. "There are no do overs. No take backs. And you are irreplaceable. If something happens to you.. I can't even think about it. It makes me sick. Why do you think I was so mad? I never meant to yell at you but the thought of loosing you kills me. You are everything Ara. Everything."
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Jan 30, 2011 14:51:31 GMT -8
'How could you think that? How could you think that even for a second? Even if... Even if I am changing. Ara, you will never loose me. No matter what I'll always be your brother. I'll always protect you and love you. Even when I'm being a...' he paused at this point before continuing. 'I didn't mean it. Any of it. But what you did... What you did was stupid Ara. It was completely reckless. You're so lucky Guardian Contrarez was there, if she hadn't been... I- I don't even what to think about what could of happened to you, if she wasn't there. This... this isn't a game. It's not like when we were little when we used to play slay the strigoi with the couch cushions. This is for real. If you get hurt... There are no do overs. No take backs. And you are irreplaceable. If something happens to you.. I can't even think about it. It makes me sick. Why do you think I was so mad? I never meant to yell at you but the thought of loosing you kills me. You are everything Ara. Everything.'
Ara looked at him and hid a sob behind a hiccup. "Dante... I thought I did loose you. You were so angry... and you never are angry at me and... and... I was scared... I love you so much and I don't know... I was being stupid. I was just tired of being here.... Two years. I have been here for two years with no family vacation or something over brakes to look forward to. I have only left this place a few times in two years and... I wanted out. I was extreamly lucky Natasha showed up before the Strigoi. Because... one of two things would have happened if she hadn't. I know I'm not in a game. I did get hurt and I wish I could go back and not have left. I'm sorry. I really am." Ara let her tears come faster and she looked at her brother and then closed her eyes and leaned into him not sure what else to do.
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Post by Dante Ricci on Jan 31, 2011 17:29:43 GMT -8
It hurt Dante so much to hear his baby sister cry like this He knew she was in just as much pain as he was. He knew that she was just as scared about what had happened to their parents and Lia. He knew that he could never remove those horrible memories from her mind. And he knew that no matter what he did he could never give her back that simple innocence you have before you realize that the world is not a perfect place, and that you are never really truly safe from anything or anyone. Not even you're older brother who's supposed to protect you not act like a super jerk after you've just survived one of the most dangerous situations of your life. Dante looked up at the sky. He was so mad at himself that he wanted to punch himself. But then he felt Ara press into him again. He wrapped his arms around her as her had done so many times before.
Still looking up at the sky he fought the urge to cry as he began to speak. "I know." He bit his lip. "I know that things have been hard for you. I know that you need to have more than this, and I know that one day you will. But you can't just do things like that. Ever. I know that you're strong. But nothing is safe Ara. Especially not for us. We live in a world where danger is in every breath we take. Every minute, every second. You need to be more careful, not only for your safety, but for mine too. If I loose you I'll have nothing." He rested his chin on his sisters head again. "I don't want us to do this. I don't want us to fight, or not talk. I hate not talking to you. I hate being away from you. I hate what I said to you. And I'm so sorry."Tears drops started forming in his grey eyes. He couldn't help it. He tried not to, but before he knew it he was crying. Quietly crying into Ara's brown hair and holding her as close as he possibly could.
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Feb 6, 2011 2:31:12 GMT -8
Ara clung to her brother as he spoke and couldn't keep herself from sobbing. She loved him so much and she knew he was just terrified of the thought if loosing her. She knew that fear at well. She just held tightly to him though her tiny body shaking with her sobs in his arms. She listened to him and opened her mouth to speak but more sobs just came out si she burried her heas into his chest as he started to cry. Ara's eyes opened and she blinked. Was he really crying? He was. She could hear it. She couldn't stop her tears and she gripped him tighter.
A moment later Ara let her legs give way and she tried to pull Dante down with her so she could curl up in his lap. She hiccup sobbed some more and refused to let go of her brother. He was her ancore. The one thin that kept her as happy as she could ve most of the time. Her comfort. Like when you are really upset and your mother makes your favorite food. Thay was ehat Dante was to her. The thing that made everythink okay. Made her feel safe. Like nothing could ever harm her. She let out a shakey sigh as she cried in her brother's arms and her cried into her hair.
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Post by Dante Ricci on Feb 8, 2011 2:36:19 GMT -8
Dante sat on the forest floor, his baby sister in his lap, and his heart completely exposed for the world to see. He was still crying lightly into Ara's hair as she clung to him. His salty tears seemed like they would never stop coming. He wished that he could just snap the hell out of it, but all he could do was cry in silence like he had many times before. He didn't like that Ara was crying too. She probably couldn't help it either though. Poor kid. Gets attacked by Strigoi, and attacked by her brother all in the same day.
"I heard you were pretty bad ass though." Dante joked. His voice sounded strange like he had been coughing or something. "With that Strigoi."Everyones talking about it. He laughed now. That same relaxed laugh that he was famous for. He demanded his body to stop crying and it did. He needed to make this better for Ara. This would never happen again. He wouldn't let it. He would be better to her, he swore it. "You should hear some of the things I've heard. Obviously they're not true but they are pretty amusing." He laughed again hoping that him returning to normal would help her relax and do the same."You're going to have quite a reputation from now on. I might have to line up just to see you." He joked referring to the kids who thought his sister was cool for singly handedly jumping three Strigoi's. That of course was a rumor. What really happened was being kept secret from the rest of the school. Dante knew the truth, faculty had to tell him. But they didn't like things that were meant to be 'better left unknown' as they would say, getting around. They knew the damage rumors could cause and most of the time they were smart enough to keep unnecessary information away from people who would love to twist it.
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Feb 10, 2011 0:51:44 GMT -8
Ara sat curled up in her brother's lap crying into his chest for who knew how long. And the whole time he was crying into her hair. 'I heard you were pretty bad ass though. With that Strigoi. Everyones talking about it.' He sounded a bit wierd but he had been crying. He quickly sounded like himseld though. Obviously an effort to calm her down and cheer her up. 'You should hear some of the things I've heard. Obviously they're not true but they are pretty amusing. You're going to have quite a reputation from now on. I might have to line up just to see you.' Ara tried laughing but it caught in her throat and she coughed out a few more sobbs but her rubbes her eyes and looked up at Dante.
"Tay? What kinds of things do they say? What do they say I did?" She asked starting to stop crying. She wantes to know what other's thought about her. If they knew she couldn't even take on one Strigoi who knew what they would say. Bust she was only a Freshman and she kicked a Strigoi out of a tree and attempted to stake it. Not bad really. Even if she did get hurt. She hiccupped and wiped her eyes more making sure her face was drying.
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Post by Dante Ricci on Feb 11, 2011 19:29:42 GMT -8
"Tay? What kinds of things do they say? What do they say I did?" A smile spread across Dante's face as he thought about the ridiculous things people were saying about Ara. It was funny to him that other students, and people they had known for most of their lives, but had never spoken to, knew so much about the two of them. Dante was used to it, but it was kinda amusing to him that Ara his little sister was such a hot topic. It didn't even make him mad, like it otherwise usually would of, that people were talking about her. Partly because he knew the truth about what really happened, and partly because he didn't care about what they were saying, though he would beat anyone talking shit about Ara till they couldn't remember their own last name, fortunately most of the rumors he had heard weren't bad though, so he hadn't yet had to do any damage.
Dante laughed trying while trying to repeat one of the most common things being said about what happened. "They think you like, took on three Strigoi. Their saying you planned it out, that you were going to camp out at the park, do a sort of stake out type thing. Pretend to be innocent and defenseless.. when really you planned the whole thing. You planned to be the bait and lure them out so you and Guardian Conterarez could take them down." He laughed harder now. "Sorry." He smiled at his sister. "I mean I'm not doubting your ass kicking abilities or anything, but I know you and being bait is a little over board, even for you." He patted Ara's shoulder after he said the last sentence, he didn't want her to get upset with him again, but he couldn't help joking. "Plus you're too smart to do something like that."He said trying to compensate for the over board comment. "And Guardian Contrarez would never do anything like that." Dante had a lot of respect for her, and he had a hell of a lot more of it now. She did save his sisters life.
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Feb 11, 2011 23:15:24 GMT -8
'They think you like, took on three Strigoi. Their saying you planned it out, that you were going to camp out at the park, do a sort of stake out type thing. Pretend to be innocent and defenseless.. when really you planned the whole thing. You planned to be the bait and lure them out so you and Guardian Conterarez could take them down. Sorry. I mean I'm not doubting your ass kicking abilities or anything, but I know you and being bait is a little over board, even for you. Plus you're too smart to do something like that. And Guardian Contrarez would never do anything like that.'
Ara smiled and laughed. Really? "You are kidding right? They actually think a Freshman girl took on three Strigoi? I barely just learned how to stake something yesterday! And I only scratched the little fake heart thing. Besides, as you said, Natsha and I wouldn't do a thing like that unless it was absolutly nessisarry. But you know that." She sniggled closer to him still just wanting to feel the safe feeling that only Dante could bring her.
((blah kinda fail srry))
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Post by Dante Ricci on Feb 12, 2011 12:38:09 GMT -8
"You're kidding right." Dante grinned at his sister who seemed to think the rumors were just as outrageously funny as he did. "Wish I was." "They actually think a Freshman girl took on three Strigoi? I barely just learned how to stake something yesterday!" Dante laughed light heartedly. "And I only scratched the little fake heart thing. Besides, as you said, Natasha and I wouldn't do a thing like that unless it was absolutely necessary. But you know that." "Yeah I know. But people will always believe what they want to believe."The grin on his face softened into a warm smile. He felt a little bad for Ara, she wasn't used to people talking about her. As she snuggled into him he realized that he needed to reassure her that everything would be ok again, because even though the two of them were talking again, and right now things seemed to be getting back to normal, he knew that what happened to Ara at the park would change her. Maybe not in a bad way, hopefully, but it would change her. Things like that always do. "Even if people talk about you, and they will especially now Ara, you can't let it get to you."
Dante looked out over the forest. He took in the beautiful dark sky and breathed in the cool fresh air, hoping Ara would also breath in what he was about to say to her. "You always have to be better even when it's hard. Even when you want to kick someones head in or just cry. You cannot let your emotions get the better of you." Being a guardian is hard. Being a novice is just as hard because you aren't actually responsible for protecting the life of another, so you're partly free to be a bit reckless.
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Feb 12, 2011 22:24:26 GMT -8
Ara nodded at her brother's words. Yea she couldn't let what people said bug her. She just couldn't she relaxed compleatly and let her grey eyes close. She made a soft 'Mmm' of contentness and almost fell asleep. She was really close and was comfortable too. After all she was curled up in the one place where she felt one hundred percent safe: Her brother's arms. So she would have no qualms if she did end up asleep on his lap with his arms around her. But her eyes snapped open as he spoke again. 'You always have to be better even when it's hard. Even when you want to kick someones head in or just cry. You cannot let your emotions get the better of you.'
Ara nodded again and let her eyes close. "I can do that.... mostly.... if fire gets involved it's gunna be really hard to not freak out. You know that. But I doubt Strigoi are going to be carrying around torches." She shuddered dispite her small joke and she frowned. "NO NO NO!! Don't think about it!!!!' she cried mentally. She couldn't think about the house fire that killed most her family. She wouldn't start crying again. She held tightly to Dante hoping he would find something to keep her mind away from flashing images from that night before her eyes. Or worse... making her have a fullblown flashback. That was unacceptable! She bit her lower lip lightly fought the memories back into the dark receses of her brain. She wasn't making very good progress but it helped a bit. If dante didn't do something quick she was gunna loose it. "I miss them Dante..." she whispered very softly still trying not to think too much about it.
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Post by Dante Ricci on Feb 14, 2011 14:39:26 GMT -8
Just the mention of the word fire made Dantes skin crawl. His body stiffened and he felt that invisible harddness that liked to follow him around sometimes. It was like it had just decided to come and chill under one of the tall trees that surrounded them, and make his day as bad as it possibly could. It loved to damage what was left of his sanity by messing with his emotions. It played him like a game. Imediantly he felt sick, and Ara trying to make a joke about Strigoi didn't help at all. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know how torn up he felt when he thought about that night, or about their family at all. It wasn't her fault that he kept it all inside and never talked about it with anyone. And it certainly wasn't her fault that every time her looked at her it reminded him of what they lost.. everything they should have.
Dante took a deep breath. He didn't want to say anything to upset his sister and was trying hard to hold back from saying what was on his mind. They had only stopped fighting, and Ara didn't need to hear him say anything that would cause her more pain. Even if it was the truth. "Ara that's not what I meant. I didn't mean." He said trying to think of a way not to sound so hard towards her. "I mean." He paused to take another deep breath. "I mean." He couldn't say what he meant right now, it would only hurt her further. So for once instead of saying what he thought he should say, he said what he felt. "I miss them too." That was all that was it.. there wasn't anything else.
Dante squeezed his little sister. "Come on." Enough crying for today. He knew that Ara was at break point, where he himself had been so many times before. He could tell by her tone and the dark look in her pretty grey eyes. They both needed an escape. He blocked out his emotions, and told the invisible hardness to go screw itself. His sister needed him to be her brother and so that's exactly what he would do. "Let's go I want to show you something." He held Ara's arm helping her up as he stood.
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Post by Araceli Mariela Ricci on Feb 14, 2011 23:04:58 GMT -8
Ara felt Dante stiffen as soon as she said the word fire. That hadn't been a good sign. It hadn't made her attempt to not freak out any easier. It actually made it worse. Her lower lip trembled as he tried to say he hadn't meant it that way and fails at explaining what he did mean. She knew he didn't mean that but it had just come out of her mouth. She was only a moment away from haveing a flashback she could already see her vision shrt to darken lime it always did. But then Dante said he missed them as well and she was pulles out of it before it startes but Ara was no where neae safe from the memories. Dante squeezed her and helped her up saying he had something to show her.
She leaned against him and held back tears and the memories of the worst night of her life. She could make it. Happy thoughts.. She really didn't have any that didn't involve her family. And that meant nothing was going to help her at the moment she she just held on and hoped that Dante would get th there soon.
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