Perdition-Last Chance [Open, but you MUST read the OOC before hopping in]

[Drobabes]

"Of course you can."

At the moment, exhausted and shaky and still so full of nerves, he was actually quite relieved she had asked. Though he felt safe now, he was craving that human connection and warmth of company, not wanting to be alone. He loved Ella, he truly did, but he felt a bond now with Darla and he really wanted her by his side, if only for the night.

He led them to his room, ignoring anyone who happened to stare at them as they made their way through the bar, and once inside he sat Ella down on the couch. He contemplated the bed, but her breathing seemed so laboured that he thought she might do better propped up with some pillows and a warm blanket. It didn't take her long at all to fall asleep.

He found some clothes and changed into a black cotton t-shirt and a new pair of jeans, and offered for Darla to look through them and find herself something. By the time she is done, Toby is laying face down on his bed and just staring out the window.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla smiled and followed him, helping to grab a couple pillows for Ella when they propped her up. Most of his clothes didn’t fit her quite right, but she gratefully accepted them anyway- anything to do away with the smell of that place. She went into his bathroom to take a shower, cleansing herself of the coldness of the catacombs. It felt so good to have warm water running down her skin, caressing her.

When she was done, she put on the white t-shirt, and a pair of sweatpants she tied tighter with the strings. Opening the furnace, she tossed her thong inside, eliciting a whoosh from the flames. She didn’t want to look at it anymore, nor would she put the juice-stained undergarment back on.

Darla glanced over to him on the bed and made her way over to it, laying down on her back and scooting next to him so that their sides were touching. Now that Ella was there, she knew that any chance she had with him was over, but she really needed a friend at the very least. His body was warm and soft, making her close her eyes and sigh in relief. She wondered if he truly loved Ella, or just felt like he was responsible for his best friend, mistaking that possession and protection for devotion. It wasn’t her business, though, so she kept those thoughts to herself.

After about ten minutes of staring at the ceiling in silence she turned her head toward him and asked, “how are you holding up, cowboy?” Just a hint of playfulness had crept back into her tone.

 

[Drobabes]

He was so tired, both mentally and physically, that he had fallen asleep for a short while. When she layed down beside him it stirred him awake, but he didn't much feel like moving until he heard her soft voice.

He roles over and lays his hand on her stomach, just content to enjoy the comfort for a moment more. When he answers, it comes out on tired whispers.

"Trying not to float away."

He gives her a small smile.

"Are you ok? I'm so sorry I let us get separated."

He had a feeling he knew what happened to her, but he was scared to ask for any details.

 

[Poprockz]

Her face fell a little, a look of guilt flashing before she avoided his eyes. She could have left it at that, nodding silently in acknowledgment, but she didn’t want him to bear that weight when it wasn’t his to bear.

“Don’t be sorry. It was my fault. I’m not saying I deserved what happened, but I was stupid to let myself wander out to the waterfall, and even more stupid to let myself sleep there. It’s no one’s fault but my own. I’m just sorry that I made you worry.” Darla pursed her lips and turned on her side, not scooting away from him, but shielding herself from the judgement she was bracing for.

It was so foolish, wandering away to slake her own lust. Perhaps Perdition had a twisted sense of humor, having her land in the hands of a decrepit man who wanted to fuck her senseless.

 

[Drobabes]

He was a bit confused at her reaction until she explained what happened. While it did make him feel slightly better, he still felt like he should have kept his head on his shoulders and made them take turns sleeping.

"Sweety, no, come here."

He puts his arm around her and pulls her to his chest, hugging her close.

"It's over now. Let's just..be here. We don't need to think anymore tonight."

The warmth of her warm body against his felt so good, and her scent was slowly washing away the memories of the past few hours.

 

[Poprockz]

She laid there for a moment or two in surprised silence as he simply accepted her words and moved past them without blame or scorn. Her body was drawn close to him from the pull of his strong arms, and she couldn’t help but relax against him, the comfort of his own warmth making her want nothing more than to lay with him in an endless sleep.

Her body was now clean and perfumed with her own scent and the soap he had in his own bathroom, her hair soft and silky, having been dried in the bathroom.

Darla shook her head in disbelief, chuckling slightly. “What am I going to do with you if you keep being so kind to me, Toby?” A warm smile lit her lips and she closed her eyes, simply enjoying his company.

 

[Drobabes]

He smiled against her back but didn't answer, for sleep was dragging him down into a safe abyss.

___ ___ ___

The sky outside darkened and let loose with a torrential downpour, and night was soon to follow. Safe and warm inside the room, the three weary travelers slept, and through sleep Perdition allowed their wounds to heal. Ella was the first to awaken, or so she thought, and for a few long moments she simply layed still on the couch and observed her surroundings while she let the memories flood her.

She had been in the underground for a few weeks, she was sure. Time worked differently there, depending on why you had come. While she was sure it hadn't been very long at all for Toby, because he came down there with pure intentions, she knew it had been longer for her because she wished to suffer. She wanted to give into the pain and torment because she knew that's what she deserved, and she wanted to become one with the underground...like that demon.

But she hadn't. Toby had saved her. Again. And now he was here with her, really here and not just a figment of her imagination. Why was he here? He shouldn't be here, he should be off in the land of the living and moving on from her and finding another women, settling down and having the family he wanted...

There were tears in her eyes as she turned to stare at the two of them. So comfortable and peaceful. The only thing she felt towards Darla in that moment was a different kind of guilt. A guilt that told her that, she couldn't comfort him like that. He had been there for her her whole life, and throughout all of it, she had never taken care of him like that.

She sat up rather suddenly and looked around the room, wiping the tears from her face. It was still dark but firelight was enough to illuminate the door of the bathroom, and through it she saw the white of the porcelain. She made her way to it but instead of needing to relieve herself, she simply shut the door quietly before turning on the light. She dug through the drawers and cabinets, again remaining silent, until she found a pair of scissors. Then she began to cut her hair off once again.

She knew it wouldn't grow back again, not like before, and with each satisfying snip, it felt as if a weight was being lifted from her shoulders. Once it was done, she gathered it all up and threw it in the trash. She was tempted to burn it, but she didn't believe it deserved even that much.

Her 'pretty' hair, so prized by her 'father'. The first time she had cut was the first time he had whipped her. Now, she wore it like a scar.

She peeled her shirt off and wetted it in the sink, using the warm cloth to wipe away the dried blood that had run all down the back of her legs. When she was done, she threw the shirt in the trash as well and flicked the light off before exiting.

She was going to just grab one of Tobys shirts to throw on, but as she bent down, she noticed a folded package of cloth. Upon investigating it further, she discovered it was a simple summer dress. Form fitting white with beautiful koi fish swimming from the left, just below the knees, in a curved line all the way up to the right shoulder. It had a built in braw and what seemed like white shorts sewn on the inside. A single piece, with no need for other garments. She unbuttoned the back and then slipped into it. It fit her rather well and she preferred it to having wear his scent. She didn't think she would have been able to handle that right now.

She took another look at the two of them and tears sparked her eyes once more. With great care she walked over, brushed a hand through his hair, and them kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you", she whispered.

She stood then, seemed to mull something over, and then she bent down once more. Very lightly she placed a small and gentle kiss on Darlas cheek as well. Then she left.

She didn't go very far. Just down the stairs and to the bar where she got herself a rum and coke, and was given, once more, Tobys hat. She didn't throw it this time, but instead pulled it to her and toyed with it gently as she sipped her drink.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla was too deeply asleep to feel the soft lips on her cheek, ones that had a gentle gratitude, but a deep sadness about them. Her dreams were that of her time in college, the good memories of spending time with her friends and loved ones.She turned over on the bed, facing him and cuddling closer to his chest and resting her face in the soft black cotton of his shirt. His own scent was musky but warm, and it reminded her of what it might be like to stand in a sunny wheat field.

It was some time before she woke up, but when she did, she didn’t dare move. To her, it almost felt like if she left the safety and comfort of his arms, she might be undone. She did reach up to her neck, though, checking for the cuts she had received from her near-hanging. To her relief, they were gone, her soft skin healed with not a scar upon it.

Thinking he was still asleep, she moved her face close to his neck and kissed him softly, a long lingering kiss of affection as her soft lips simply pressed against him.

 

[Drobabes]

He took in a deep breath and stretched slightly, then rolled over and begin lightly snoring. Seems as if nothing short of a marching band can wake him now.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla giggles at his “gracefulness” and carefully slipped out of the bed, tucking him back in gently. She was a bit hungry and wanted to go down for some breakfast, but didn’t want to leave without telling him. Thinking for a moment, she took her discarded white blouse and tied it around the handle, hoping that he knew that she was doing so as a sign that she didn’t simply sleep out, never to return. It was at that moment that she noticed that Ella was gone.

It concerned her a bit, but she hoped that her wounds had also healed, or she had died and had been reborn in her own room. In any case, the bar would be the first place to look. She made her way down and sighed at the sight of the bar and all its patrons, grateful to be back again. A familiar figure caught her eye and she walked over to Ella, a breakfast plate and a cup of coffee appearing.

“How are you feeling? Ella, right?” She asked, pushing her plate over a bit as an invitation.

 

[Drobabes]

"Yea, and you are Darla?"

She offered her warm hand up for a proper greetingb but nodded 'no' to the food. Her breakfast was a steady stream of rum and coke, although she had been nursing the same drink since she woke up. Something she hadn't done in a number of years.

"I'm feeling...well, I can breathe now at least."

She chuckles quietly, then gives Darla a sad little smile. She wanted to thank the women for so much. She knew it must have took quite a bit of spine to travel to the Undergrounds, and whether or not she had done it for Toby didn't matter. She had stayed by his side...and hers.

"Thank you."

She averts her eyes to her drink and takes a small sip.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla reached over and shook her hand warmly, then returned it to a fork so she could spear a sausage. She smiled at Ella's mention of being able to breath, wondering if she was referring to how one felt like one was choking at times down there. It was so rotten and foul that one couldn't help but reject it from one's lungs.

Although, she shakes her head when she is given a word of appreciation. "I should thank you also. You helped me when he..." She swallowed hard and took a drink of her creamy coffee. "Well, you helped me when I was down. I don't think we would have made it out of that place if it weren't for you." Darla sighed slightly and took a bite of her food, chewing and eating for a few minutes as they sat in silence.

At some point, Darla put her silverware down and turned to her with a conflicted look. "Hey... I know it's none of my business, but I care about Toby. I... well I know you two are involved and I know that there are things that he really needs to talk to you about, regrets that he has with you guys." She paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.

"I don't think he can move on if he doesn't make things right with you, so I just wanted to ask you to hear him out. God, I feel like I'm in middle school right now, putting my nose in your business, but I just wanted to ask you to stay for him. He needs you." Darla reached for her coffee again and found that it was now a straight-up shot of vodka. She didn't hesitate in downing it, shuddering and taking a bite of egg.

 

[Drobabes]

He needs you.

The words kept echoing around in her thoughts as she stared at her glass. Did he need her? Hadn't she been nothing more than a burden on him his whole life? And what she had done to him was unforgivable. She didn't have to run away to party that night, she could have gone home. It was true that she hadn't intended to drink, she just wanted a little something to lift her mood. One beer couldn't hurt right? Not when she was so barely far along?

Well one was enough apparently. She shouldn't have trusted him. She should have trusted Toby, trusted that he wasn't just playing some game of jealousy and he could see that bastard for what he actually was. But she hadn't. She hadn't given the one person in the whole world who had loved her, and who deserved it, her trust.

He didn't need her, and she didn't deserve to have him.

"Does he need me Darla? All I've ever done is hurt that boy, and yet he still follows me around like a loyal puppy, blind to it's owners abuse."

Despite her words and the toxic thoughts rolling through her mind, not allowing her to forgive herself and move on, her heart was aching. It's obvious that she's trying very hard to fight back tears as she lifts the remainder of her glass to her lips and downs it, already reaching out for another with her other hand before she sets the first down.

___ ___

Toby stretched long and hard in his bed, enjoying the sweet scent that still lingered on his clothing. He rolled over to attempt to pull her close to him once more but found the bed empty. At first a mild bit of panic rose up as he lifted his head and looked around, but seeing the shirt tied on the door calmed him. Ella wasn't in the room either and that made him worry.

He made his way to the bathroom and let the hot water calm his mind as he thought about what his next step should be.

He needed to talk to her, there was no getting around that fact. She couldn't keep going on blaming herself like this and he needed to make damn sure she got it through her thick skull that he loved her, that he forgave her and she wasn't the only one at fault. But how? Would she let him speak his peace, or was she going to just shut down on him?

When he reached to turn the water off and grab a towel, he was feeling more than a little awkward. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this, he just knew he had to.

As he walked out of the bathroom and to his clothes, he noticed something sitting by the door. It was a shopping bag for one of those big clothing chain stores. Curiosity got the better of him and he bent down to investigate.

He pulled out a mans semi-formal outfit. A pair of black jeans, dress shoes, a black belt with a gold buckle, and a dark purple button-up collared shirt. It looked like it cost a pretty penny, and as he held it up he wondered.

Sitting the towel aside he went ahead and tried it all on. Once he had the shirt buttoned up, and the belt adjusted properly, he went and stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

"Well now...that ain't bad."

Was Perdition trying to give him a little confidence boost? Because he had to admit, it was working.

He thought about shaving but kind of liked the five-o'clock shadow look, so left it instead. By the time he made it down the stairs and to the bar, he was feeling a little more confident. Until he saw her.

The dress fit her her perfectly, accenting every curve and lending a new beauty to her sun-kissed skin. It covered the horrid scars on her back and shoulders without detracting from the starry white, at times he swore-shimmering, of her hair.

He had to swallow and avert his gaze, trying desperately to hold onto that confidence that he had just moments ago, but it was quickly being overtaken by the awkwardness that time and tainted memories could bring. Seeing something in the far corner, the old jukebox, he makes his way over to it and starts to fiddle with it.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla's eyes softened, "you're wrong. He talked to me a little about what happened, and he told me he talked to the doctor after your passing. He told Toby something about that night that neither of you were aware of."

She put her fork down and her plate disappeared. "All you've ever done is the best you could with what you were given, Ella. You didn't deserve to be punished your entire life." Her lip quivered for a moment. "Please don't say anything to him about this, but I love him too. I don't want to make things weird between us, and I can recognize when I'm not the one he really needs, as much as I wish otherwise."

Her hands went into her lap and she looked like she was fighting her own battle against tears. "It's not your hair that makes you beautiful to him, Ella. It's who you are, even broken as you may be, he wants all of it. I don't know if you'll hurt him in the future, but all I know is that he is hurting far worse without you. It haunts him, not being with you. Just... just hear him out, okay? Please?" She finished her little speech and slipped off the barstool, walking away to leave her with her thoughts.

Darla saw Toby over by the jukebox and made her way over, smiling a bit sadly at him. "You look dashing, cowboy. I wish you the best of luck." She smiled, her blue eyes trying to etch every inch of his honest face into her memory. Her hands reached up and gently caressed his face, a lump in her throat as she went on her toes and kissed each of his cheeks and then his forehead, lingering for a few moments before drawing away and releasing him.

"I'll... well. I'll see you around, Toby." Her hand patted his shoulder and slid down his arm before she turned away, moving toward the steps of the bar.

 

[Drobabes]

Ella sat her drink down as she listened, and though she was unable to meet Darla's gaze, she did nod in acknowledgement as the tears began to leak down her face.

Toby watched her approach and stood up a little straighter, a light fluttering tickling his stomach. He was sure she was going to tell him to man up and go talk to her, so when she commented on his looks it threw him off guard and he couldn't help but give her that boyish grin.

As she kissed his face, he placed his hands on her shoulders and closed his eyes. He didn't know what the future held, all he knew was that it wasn't going to be easy.

"I'll...well. I'll see you around Toby."

He didn't like it. He didn't like that she was saying goodbye...but he let her go anyway. And suddenly, all at once, he knew what he should do.

He turned to the jukebox and picked a song.

https://youtu.be/K8Pmv6O8DHA

___ ___

He made his way to Ella as the song began to play, it's beat and tone reaching throughout the whole bar. He knew she would recognize it, and by the time he reached her, she was shaking with the sobs that were coursing through her.

Slowly, he reached out and took his hat, put it on, and then took her hand. He led them both to the middle of the bar where there was a large dancefloor, and he pulled her close.


... something in your eyes
Call's to mind a silver screen,
And all those sad goodbyes

He moves one of her hands to his hip, and the other to his shoulder, and with years of practice between the two of them, he leads her in the dance.

...though it's easy to pretend,
I know you're not a fool.

He leads her into a small twirl and let's her finish, coming back to his chest where he takes a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes before leading them on.

There's no comfort in the truth,
Pain, is all you'll find..

She couldn't control herself as she sobbed against his chest, but he wouldn't let her hide her face. He led them out into a long, circling waltz and she was forced to keep up with his feet, using moves that she had nearly forgotten. Soon enough, breathing became easier and she was forced to focus on the dance. As the music washed away their combined guilt, singing words that they could never bring themselves to say, Ella began to feel a little lighter.

But now who's gonna dance with me?

Toby gently pushed her away from his body and into another twirl, and under the soft light of the bar her dress seemed to glow.

Please stay!

She came back to him and at last met his eyes as he took her hands. Through her tears, she managed to smile.

I should have known better than to cheat a friend,
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you...

They made their way around the floor one final time, and as the music came to it's conclusion, they were in each other's arms. Slowly, Toby bent down and met her lips in a tender kiss.

The lights in Perdition began to change, dimming in the corners of the bar and, directly over the two lovers, it began to brighten until it was something more than the soft glow of lamps.

It was warm and real and brought a smell into the bar that many had probably long since forgotten-the smell of nature. Of summer, for it was real sunlight.

The two bodies, entertwined and lost in their own world, began to fade away, slowly losing their solid worldly appearance as their clothes and skin began to shimmer and become translucent.

Just before they were fully gone, Darla heard two distinct voices in her mind.

You're going to leave this place darlin'...

And when you do, it will be beautiful.

___ ___


Jeremy was four years old when a car crash changed the course that his life was destined to take.

He was in the backseat, staring out the window as the trees and hills rolled by. In the front seat, his parents were fighting. That was nothing new though, they were always fighting. There wasn't a day of his short life that didn't involve them fighting at least half a dozen times, and sometimes escalating so badly that if he didn't get the hell out of the way, he was guaranteed to wake up with some bruises painted on his face.

Now they were fighting about clothes. Usually it was about money, but today they had plenty of money so they had to find something else to focus on.

"I just don't understand why you picked purple," he heard his mom say.

"Are you trying to look like a highschool teacher? Do you think that's going to impress him and land you that promotion?"

"Oh shut the fuck up. What, you think you're so much better with those fucking fish swimming up your saggy tits? Is that why you chose that dress? To get that horny son of his to give you a quick fuck while you think I'm distracted? Don't fucking lie, I know that's the only reason you're coming with me."

The slap made Jeremy jump. He didn't dare look, though, even as he heard his father curse and his mother cry out as he grabbed a fist full of her hair, so he was blind to the oncoming truck that hit them so hard their whole vehicle spun around multiple times-only coming to a stop after landing in the ditch.

It took him a few moments for his head to stop spinning and his vision to make sense again. He looked around, saw the red Toyota that had hit them, and he saw his parents in the front seat-both dead.

He knew they were dead. Even at only four years old, he knew-because living bodies just don't sit like that.

A few heartbeats passed, and then suddenly both of them took a deep, gasping breathe.

...for the rest of his life, people would argue with Jeremy. Trying to rationalize his memories, or just flat out deny that they ever happened in the first place. Even his own parents remained skeptical, not remembering what happened after the crash, but Jeremy knew. He knew what he saw and he knew what it meant.

He had watched the two of them look into each other's eyes, and then heard them whisper the words that he had always wanted to hear them speak to one another.

"I love you".

 

[Poprockz]

Darla watched them dance, not even truly needing words to reconcile. She couldn't help it, even as the light started to shine, all she could do was sink to a sitting position and sob on the stairs. The light made her tears shine, and she wept for the sadness of her loss as much as she wept for the joy of the couple's salvation. It gave her hope for a brighter future while filling her with loneliness.

Their final words to her made her heart ache. She didn't care about the eyes upon her, watching her shake and bawl- it didn't matter to her at that moment. All that mattered was that she couldn't stop the tears from coming.

-----------------------------------------

About a month later, Darla wandered down from her room to the bar. It was just another day in Perdition and she sighed, letting her red-nailed finger trace along the edge of her martini glass. She was still a bit sullen, but she had moved on for the most part. There would always be a special place in her heart for Toby, but she had resolved to either move on from Perdition, or find her own happiness where she could.

 

[Drobabes]

Her lithe, chocolate dark body walked the halls of the Dogskin bar with utter confidence, each step causing the many small blue stone beads of her black loincloth to clatter together. Her body is adorned with midnight blue paint, swirling patterns all down her bare back, her long legs, and back up to her naked torso where the swirls draw special attention to her small breasts and dark nipples.

Covering half her face was the skull of a bovine-sacrificed to provide her with her sparse amount of clothing, a stained bone knife attached to her left leg with strips of leather, and the large carrying sack hanging loosely from right hip, stretched from the stomach of the beast. Her deep chestnut colored eyes stared down through the sockets at the lost souls who moved quickly to get out of her path.

Pitiful.

As her bare feet touched the smooth, cool floor at the bottom of the stairs, she took a moment to look down on the crowd. She recognized none of the faces, although she hadn't expected to. The last time she had visited the bar had been nearly a hundred years ago.

Pushing her long braid of thick, smooth, Raven colored hair behind her shoulder, she makes her way to the bar and sits her sack upon the counter, beginning to fill it with various strange supplies, mostly consisting of dried herbs and small bowls of stained animal fat.

Her eyes glance down momentarily at one of the men, her height forcing her to crane her neck down slightly to see him. Something in the look of him, or perhaps it was his smell, makes her scoff.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla glanced up as she heard the clicking of bones, her curious eyes following the woman as she went to the counter. She looked strong, confident, as though she knew what she wanted and was assured that Perdition would give it to her. She thoughtfully took a sip of her drink and felt a hand on the back of her neck, squeezing her.

The surprise of the sudden touch made her flinch and knock over her drink, the martini glass breaking and caving in on itself when it fell to the floor. Darla coughed, the alcohol burning in her throat as she tried to turn her head, but the hand forced her to continue to look forward as she felt him lean over her shoulder and near her ear.

“Hey there, slut. Looks like your boyfriend is gone. I can’t say I’m disappointed, seeing as how he worked a number on me last time, but you and I have some unfinished business. Come on.. you don’t want to make a scene, do you? It’s not like it’ll do you any good anyway.”

That voice she recognized. It was the man Toby had bashed against the concrete last time. She cringed and wished she still had her knife on her, but for now she was just a woman at the bar with no defense to speak of. Having been holed up in her room for a month, she hadn’t had the privilege of bumping into him, but it would seem that he had been watching for the scarlet woman.

She swallowed and slowly stood up, moving toward the staircase under the firm guidance of his hand. Darla knew what was going to happen, and she certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. He seemed like a rough man in all the wrong ways. He seemed a cruel man with bitterness and rage to spare; she could only hope that once he was done, he would let her go.

 

[Drobabes]

A few droplets of the martini splashed atop her foot. Just a few. Perhaps, a few too much.

She sticks her hand into her bag and pulls out a small piece of some type of root, pops it into her mouth, and chews vigorously as she watches the man lean down and whisper something into the women's ear. With a small smile on her lips, she lifts the skull of the bovine up and off of her head, placing it gently on the counter. Then she turns on him.

Delicately, but with likely as much pressure as he was putting on Darlas neck, she reaches out and grabs the mans neck and forces him to turn to her.

Deep, chestnut eyes stare down into his own and she holds it for some time, her smile deceivingly soft. Suddenly she stops her chewing and takes her hand off of his neck to trail a long finger along his jawline. With a torturing slow pace, she tilts her head down and presses her lips to his, her eyes never breaking contact. Both her hands come up then, to cup his face...and hold it in place as she forces the juice and the root into his mouth.

Just as she feels him tense and before he has time to break away, she shoves her tongue into his mouth with some force, and pushes the liquid and the stringy, pulpy root to the back of his throat, where he is forced to swallow it. Then she releases his face and steps back with a laugh.

"Perhaps next time," her thick, foreign accent coats each of her words.

"You will be more aware of your surroundings, little man."

 

[Poprockz]

He looked up at her in surprise as she grabbed him in a similar manner, ready to punch whoever was getting in the way of his afternoon delight. When he saw her beautiful, powerful eyes, though, he was entranced and an almost dopey grin comes onto his face, loving the feeling of her hand caressing him.

Her lips were welcome, and he put his hands on her hips, sliding them to her ass as she kissed him and put her hands on his face. It was a little odd that she kissed with her eyes open, but he wasn't complaining. However, when he tasted the root in his mouth, he frowned and immediately tried to pull away, her tongue following him and making sure that he swallowed whatever she had slipped him.

With a look of bewilderment, he staggered back and coughed, looking up with fear and anger. "What the fuck did you do to me, you freaky bitch?!" He straightened up for a moment and came at her, ready to give her a taste of her own medicine. But when he moved, he ended up lurching, his legs becoming oddly numb and unresponsive. He staggered, falling to the floor and breathing heavily, beads of sweat now dripping from his brow. "What... What the... the.. f-fu... wh.." With that, he collapsed to the floor, still breathing heavily, but his breaths were becoming more shallow.

Darla watched all of this with a mixture of relief, fascination, and slight fear. Her eyes landed on the big man as he lay in a puddle of his own piss. She shook her head in amazement and looked back up at the tall woman.

"I'm not sure whether you did that for me or because of the drink, but either way, thank you for preventing a night or longer of misery on my part. My name is Darla." Another martini appeared on the counter and Darla picked it up, holding it up and nodding respectfully before taking a drink. With the other woman's demeanor, she wasn't sure whether she would care to engage Darla, or even if she would acknowledge the thanks, but regardless of the response Darla at least wanted to make her gratitude known.

She had never seen this woman before, and she knew she would remember someone so strikingly confident and tall. The woman didn't look new to this place, though, so she imagined she had been here much longer than Darla.

 

[Drobabes]

"I'm not sure whether you did that for me or because of the drink..."

She had been leaning over during her taunting of the man, a cruel grin revealing striking white teeth against her darkly painted lips. As Darla speaks, she stands back up to her full height, her naked breasts resting in a more natural position. Her eyes then travel down to the young beauty.

"but either way, thank you for preventing a night or longer of misery on my part. My name is Darla."

"I am Zhaan."

She turns back to the bar then and continues to collect various objects. More bowls of unknown contents, which she places carefully at the bottom of her bag, and then some stones of various shapes and colors. A particularly large, easily bigger than her head, pale leaf appears on the counter, followed by a hollowed out gourd. She brings the leaf up to her face to sniff it delicately.

"You did not protect yourself. You stood and allowed him to take you. Why?"

She rolls the leaf from it's tip down to it's stem, forming a tight straw-like shape. Using a small piece of leather, she ties it so that it does not come undone, then drops it into the gourd. Her eyes find Darlas as she offers the drink.

Inside, the gourd is stained red from the dark liquid. The leaf smells fruity and tropical, perhaps reminding her of guava.

Zhaan smiles at the look that she gets in return for the drink.

"Do not worry, it is merely a beverage. What is the word you use? Uhm, wine?"

The liquid is both sweet and tart and hinting at a mild amount of alcohol for a wine, and is surprisingly refreshing.

 

[Poprockz]

Darla's eyes were drawn to the woman's beautiful breasts, but she quickly looked away; she didn't want to offend her by acting lewdly. Usually, Darla might be a bit more flirty with other women in general, but Zhaan was a bit intimidating to say the least.

She smiled, the name being a simple but powerful name. There hadn't been high expectations when she had spoken to this new woman, thinking that she might ignore Darla and be on her way, but it seemed that the woman was willing to trade a few words with her, perhaps even stay for conversation. It had been a while since Darla had spent time with anyone, so this would definitely be a refreshing treat.

When the question was asked, she blinked, thinking for a moment as she watched the woman create what almost seemed to be like a potion. She had a hesitant look when it was offered, and noticed that the woman smiled knowingly, almost as though she was expecting the look. Darla set down her martini and slid it closer to the woman on the bar, in case she wanted to try Darla's drink as well. It was a caramel apple martini, one of her favorites.

The new beverage was brought to her lips and she took a sip, surprised at the taste of it. It wasn't something she could recognize, but it was delicious nonetheless.

"Thank you, that is very tasty. Well... as for your question, I didn't see another choice that would have a better outcome. I'm not a strong woman and I don't know how to fight. I've encountered that man before, and the last time he lifted me by neck against a wall with one hand. I didn't have a weapon to defend myself with, not even broken glass from the martini glass since it's on the floor. I could scream for help, but who would help? I've seen women raped on the bar before, and most everyone just averts their eyes as though they've seen it time and time again."

Darla was quiet for a moment, taking a sip of her wine. "I could have struggled for the hell of it, but that would likely have simply ended up in myself being beaten or punished. Why waste my energy when there could be a more opportune time to strike later? If he had something in his room I could have used, or if my knife decided to show itself, then maybe things would be different now or later."

She never thought that she would actually talk about wanting to see the knife again, and yet it seemed like the knife might be losing a bit of its power over her.

 

[Drobabes]

Instead of bringing the martini to her lips, she simply dips her pinkie finger in then pops it in her mouth. The look on her face is very neutral as she passes the drink back to Darla, but she thinks to herself that she wouldn't be getting any of those for herself anytime soon. It was sickly sweet to her tongue and the aftertaste was something akin to a poison. If she had had the right vocabulary, she might have said it tasted of chemicals.

She listened intently as she finished packing her sack and repositioning it on her waist, then grabbed the skull and held it in one arm. Her eyes meet Darla's as she stares at the women, her gaze again neutral.

"You are weak in the mind. It is not the body that stops you, it is the thoughts. You do not believe that you can protect yourself so you see no other path."

She places the skull back atop her head and through the shaded sockets her eyes look almost red. Her pupils were slightly dilated from the small amount of the root juice that entered through her gums and inner cheeks. Her posture shifts as she leans down towards Darla, a devilish grin pulling her lips up.

"Shall I show you? Shall I share secrets with you that your people have likely never seen?"

 

[Poprockz]

The woman's expression was unreadable as she tasted the martini, so Darla was unsure whether she liked it or not. In any case, the woman didn't take a drink, so either she didn't care to, or the drink wasn't her cup of tea.

Darla looked at her thoughtfully, processing her words. Her first instinct was to be offended for being called weak, but she worked past that knee-jerk reaction and actually thought about what she meant. She had always been told, "you can do whatever you set your mind to," but she had never truly believed a line like that. She thought to herself that it was easy to say for a woman who was super tall and seemingly strong, and wasn't confined to high heels by Perdition.

It was true that she didn't believe in her own ability to protect herself, though. The woman hit the nail on the head in that regard.

She watched the woman don her skull once more, wanting to shrink down as she leaned closer. Darla stood her ground, though, smelling the sweet scent of the woman's breath as she grinned at her. It was an offer that Darla simply couldn't refuse.

A smile lit her own lips and she nodded. "I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So yes, I would like that. Do you have a price on that knowledge, or are you giving it to me without cost?"

 

[Drobabes]

Zhaan laughed as she regained her full height, finding something very amusing in what Darla had said.

"A price? My price will be entertainment. It has been nearly a hundred years with no one to talk to but the spirits of the forest. I would like very much, to see a burning little torch engulf a few fools who dare to touch her flame.

Come, Dar-la; let me show you my world."

She turns and begins to make her way to the stairs.