faerietothe-otherside

[faerietothe-otherside]

"No, no, no," Rangi said, shaking her head. It made her head hurt to do that. She stopped immediately. "I mean that I never said you looked like shit. Cause you don't. Ever. It's kind of crazy how fucking hot you are all the time." She frowned, humming as she leaned on Ronnie. It actually felt kinda nice, her skin was so cool and Rangi felt so warm. "You just want me to hold your hand, it's okay. You can say that," she teased, her words still slurring a little.

Groaning, Rangi let her weight drop as her head rolled back. "You sound like my mom," she grumbled. "That's no fun. I love arguing. You could totally come with me. I bet I could drink you under the table and not just because you're so short."

"Are you trying to get me to say you're not a pretty girl, Rangi?" Ronnie said, rolling her eyes. "Because that'd be a fucking lie. Come on." It'd be stupid if Rangi didn't know she was attractive. Then again, Rangi could, from what Ronnie had seen, especially after tonight, be pretty fucking stupid. "Good, okay. It's still busted. I'll give you more of my blood when we get back to your house."

Because they were going to Rangi's house. Ronnie had no trouble lifting the taller woman up, even if she knew she probably looked ridiculous. "I'm not dropping you off at a bar, dumbass. We're going to your house, you're going to get cleaned up, and I'm going to make sure you rest. No room for argument."

[faerietothe-otherside]

"It's not," Rangi said, a little sharper. Even if it was hard for Rangi to see, Dhruv was his own person. And she was trying, alright? She really was. It was just hard. She hadn't known him before he came to Lunar Cove. He'd never been trying to fill the void Mason left behind, but to her, it was all she could see. She hated herself for it. "It's not true. And I can't lie."

Rangi scoffed with him. "Something like that," she mumbled. "Well, neither am I." She wasn't just failing at everything, she was destroying it. Wrecking her life with little regard to who else it hurt, including herself. Specifically because it hurt herself. She shook her head again. "I don't get how people do it, you know? Just move on." She wasn't any good at that, apparently. She didn't really want to be. "If anything, it should've been me. I was there with him. I shouldn't have kept him waiting." But she had, and then it'd all fallen apart. One stupid decision.

Pulling his knees close, he wrapped his arms around them, shuffling into a spot that felt slightly more comfortable. "I know. But it's the truth." He knew he shouldn’t say it, that it wasn't fair, she was right, Mason would hate even thinking like this let alone speaking it aloud. But when everything screamed that it would be better if he simply didn't exist, when every sign pointed to others being better off without him around, what could he do? Nothing. Nothing to change the course of things, nothing to stop it from hurtling toward an inevitable end.

He scoffed sharply, "Are we supposed to? I'm not." He could barely drag himself through the days without a mood booster, even his efforts at research felt futile with hitting dead end after dead end. "I’m failing at everything." The words echoed with the crushing certainty that he was nothing more than a disappointment.

[faerietothe-otherside]

Rangi really appreciated Linden's enthusiasm and focus on the task at hand-- said task being her. It felt like exactly what she needed and exactly what she wanted, as well as being the best way for her to get her mind off the things that made her want to bury herself alive. This made her feel actually alive, the feeling of his hands on her skin, somehow both soft and firm at the same time. He was giving her his full attention, it was the least she could do to offer him the same. Lips and hands and tongues on skin, tasting and taking. Wanting. She didn't even need to talk for him to know what she wanted. At least like this she didn't have to pretend she was okay. It didn't matter if she was or not. All that mattered was feeling. And feeling good. This always made her feel good, even if it was temporary. It was better than feeling nothing at all.

She wrapped her hands around his back and pulled him closer. She wanted more.

@ignoringevery-omen

She consumed all his attention, her moans and breath filling his ears, her thoughts invading his mind, the touch of her hands, the slight scent of dark coffee on her skin. He took his time, letting his hands roam where they wished. His magic holding her in place as he explored, hands and lips trailing over every inch of her, whenever he was stopped by clothing he would take his time getting rid of the obstacle. He used her breathing and thoughts as a barometer on how to continue, to elicit as much pleasure as he could from her, he himself groaning in turn when she scratched against his scalp.

[faerietothe-otherside]

"No, fuck, I'm sorry, I wasn't really-- uh, as sober as I thought," Rangi apologized, shaking her head. She'd done it again, embarrassed someone who didn't deserve to be caught up in her stupid, messy life. She ran her hand through her hair. "I really, really didn't mean to start anything, I had no idea, I swear. But even so, I shouldn't have just, you know, said all that." It felt like the longer her life went on like this, the messier she got. "I just also would, you know, rather not be caught between two people who are maybe sort of something again." Again. Gods, she really was pathetic, wasn't she?

It was just like her, though, really. She always chose wrong. That was her curse more so than the death screams.

@ignoringevery-omen

closed starter for @faerietothe-otherside

"So... that was kind of awkward." The witch hummed, not mincing words as he looked down at the fae who had, inadvertently, made him the centre of attention for at least a part of the event. There was always chaos at the basket auctions - people had too much money and not enough sense in this town - but there were still a lot of people who had paid attention to the mess that was his sex life. "I don't know if I should apologise? It's a bit of a weird spot I'm in honestly."

[faerietothe-otherside]

"People were letting themselves in whether my door was locked or not, so--" Rangi gestured limply towards her door. "That, or threatening to cause a scene. I was expediting the process." And she just hadn't cared. Sure, there was a murderer or something on the loose, but who cared? Not Rangi.

"What for? It was just a stupid scuffle," she grumbled. Obviously the answer is no, and Rangi knows Nyra knows that. She hadn't planned on telling anyone, actually. It was just rotten luck on her part that Ronnie had happened by the scene. Rangi laughed, dark and hollow. "My side? I got hit a lot. I mean, you saw the other guy, apparently. Squeaky clean. Just with a tiny, fragile ego." She pinched her forefinger and thumb together, giving a miniscule measurement before laughing and sitting back. "And apparently no honor."

"I was there when it was invented, actually," she said matter of factly. "Another fascinating thing is locking doors. I saw no point in ringing or knocking, especially when last time you seemed to have an open door policy. This works far better for you." She crossed her arms, clearly not in the mood for excuses or games. "I've spoken with the other person," she continued, her tone stern, "He came to me first about it, a courtesy I wish you had extended to me as well." Was it unreasonable to expect transparency? She understood the injury might justify leniency, but she didn't trust the young fae enough to believe she'd come seek her out on her own. A thought she voiced, "Would you have come to me about it?"

More than that, she needed to understand the root of this conflict. It was fortunate the other individual was not only fae but also part of her court, handling this internally was a better outcome than potentially having to involve other groups or the council. "Tell me your side of the story."

[faerietothe-otherside]

Rangi wanted to scrunch her face but it felt like one giant bruise and hurt just to blink. So she just chuckled. "Guess I'm not one of those, am I?" She thought Ronnie was one of the prettiest girls she'd ever seen, really. It was stupid. She felt kinda stupid about it. Lifting a hand, she prodded at her own nose, then winced. "Not broken," she decided. She could still smell, at least, even if the only thing she could smell was her own blood, sweet and thick.

"Yeah, well, not enough, apparently, since I'm still conscious." Rangi sagged. She didn't feel like going home. She didn't want to go home. It felt too haunted. "Or you could just drop me off at the next bar."

"Oh, I love it when pretty girls tell me I look like shit," Ronnie said. "It keeps me, like, fucking humble or whatever." She moved to shoulder Rangi's weight. The worst part of it was just navigating her height and moving to shoulder her to keep her lifted up. "Let's try to make sure your nose doesn't heal broken. Is it broken? Or is it just all gross looking." Ronnie was really doing her best to breathe out of her mouth at this point so she couldn't smell Rangi's blood as strongly. Because, yeah. It'd be a really big problem if she drank fae blood. That was one rabbit hole she wasn't super inclined to fall down.

Sighing, Ronnie said, "I'm not leaving you here. I'll take you home." And made sure she got in her bed or to her couch and actually slept. "But you're gonna be the vampire for the night and drink my blood. You just-- Jesus, Rangi, you just got the fucking shit beat out of you." Ronnie's head was spinning from it.

[faerietothe-otherside]

"Don't," Rangi snapped quietly, "don't say that." She didn't look over at him again, though. It hurt them both when she did. She hated that she made him feel this way, just another thing she did wrong in the world. Another place where things would be better if she wasn't around.

But she couldn't bring herself to leave. Not the cemetery at this moment, and not the town at any other. Mason was here. She wanted to stay. "You know he'd be upset if you said something like that to him." She'd said something like that to him, when he'd been back briefly, when that cruel, resentful woman had torn souls from the afterlife and tried to trick them into doing her bidding, false promises of life everlasting. Rangi scrubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. "We're supposed to, like...live a life that would make him proud." She was doing a horrible job at that.

Dhruv watched her hunched over on the cold earth with a raw ache in his chest and felt the weight of her grief. It was something they shared even if it manifested in different ways. He hadn’t expected to find her here but perhaps he should have. If he had, maybe he wouldn’t have seen that look in her eyes. One that caught him off guard and made his stomach tighten with regret. His gaze instinctively averted after their eyes met, because what he saw there was a something he'd seen before. Recognition. But of someone else. And then, disappointment— a small flicker, yet undeniable. Her turning away confirmed it and cut deeper than any blade, and caused unshakable guilt to spiked through him with brutal clarity. His lips pressing into a strained smile was a weak effort to hold himself together and to keep the sadness from breaking through.

"Thanks." Slowly moving, he sat a distance from her. He chewed on his words, confronting that earlier pain would feel like tearing open a wound, yet, something stubborn compelled him to do so. "I'm sorry that I'm not Mason," he said quietly, "I'd trade places in less than heartbeat if it meant he'd be here."

[faerietothe-otherside]

Rangi groaned. She recognized Ronnie's voice. It was kind of unfortunate, actually, she was the last person Rangi wanted to see right now. And not because she didn't want to see her but because she was kind of a mess. She was actually a huge mess. "That's disappointing," she mumbled. She didn't move for a moment, the world spinning above her. She'd hit her head pretty hard. Or, well, the guy had hit her head pretty hard. A few times. Instead, she ran her tongue across her top lip and tasted the sickly sweet tack of her own blood.

"That's just what a girl wants to hear," she slurred, wiping her bloody nose on her sleeve. "Aren't you the vampire?" Rolling over, she sat herself up finally, head pounding. She was still way too drunk for this and even if her body was already beginning to ache, taking vampire blood meant sobering up, and that's the last thing she wanted to do right now. "You can't have my blood, though. That'd be bad for everyone involved. Mostly you. So you should probably just-- leave. I'm gonna...wait here until my head stops spinning."

Ronnie was starting to really hate worrying about people. Mostly because she never seemed to do it right, and she almost always did something to mess it up. Case in point: her entire fucking life. She felt like shit most days, and she didn't really want to do anything. She certainly didn't want to do whatever weird rodeo thing was happening soon. But she was trying to care about people.

Mostly from a distance! Distance was supposed to be good. Helpful. Whatever. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it wasn't. Ronnie wasn't particularly sure. She also didn't know what brought her downtown, walking around at night because she didn't want to be alone at the house. She heard the noise, though, dread pooling in her stomach as she walked and then jogged towards the alley. She broke into a sprint at the sound of Rangi's voice, barreling into the guy on top of her. "Hey! What the fuck!"

It didn't take much more than a baring of sharp fangs and a dark glare to get the strangers to scatter, leaving just Ronnie and Rangi in the alleyway. Rangi smelled like blood, cloyingly sweet and thick in the air, rich. It made Ronnie's throat burn, and it was tempting, so fucking tempting. And it'd also probably end both their lives.

"I'm not going to kill you," Ronnie muttered, digging her fangs into her wrist and holding it close to Rangi's mouth. "Drink. You look like shit."

[faerietothe-otherside]

There was no warning and Rangi, who was laying on her couch with a bag of peas on her face to help with the swelling, let out a high-pitched yelp when Nyra suddenly appeared in her living room. She sat up so fast her head spun and she nearly fell off the couch, catching herself on the coffee table and grabbing the bag of peas. "Jesus," she cursed, shaking her head before putting it in her hands. It was already pounding in pain, this was the last thing she needed or wanted.

"You know they made this really cool invention called a doorbell, right?" she grumbled, tossing the frozen bag onto her coffee table. She prods the bruise on her cheek, before finally looking up at Nyra. "It was just a stupid bar fight." One she absolutely instigated and one she'd wanted. "You should see the other guy."

for: @faerietothe-otherside location: rangi's house

Nyra was truly starting to believe that controlling her fae was lot like heading cats, perhaps even worse. They seemed to do what they want and when they want with little regard for anything, not even life.

She wouldn't care much for a bar fight, common enough that she didn't need to involve herself with but when Rangi's name floated in the mix, a deep sigh rolled through her body. It was a tough time, she understood that, with everything the young fae faced and Mason's anniversary just a few days ago, something that also personally affected her colouring her mood with sombre shades, cutting some slack was given some thought before she swept that aside when annoyance and concern rose.

Portal was the easiest even if she had a feeling the door would be unlocked, much like how it had been the last time she made a home visit. Popping up right next to the girl sprawled across the couch was rather convenient she felt, made looking around and calling for her redundant. "Care to explain what happened?" she asked with a stern tone getting right to the point, formalities and niceties could be had later.

[faerietothe-otherside]

Really, she hadn't meant to fall asleep in the cemetery, but Rangi had been unable to pull herself away from it last night and before she knew it, she was opening her eyes to the cool sting of wet grass beneath her. She was just rubbing the weariness from her eyes when a voice cut through her mind and she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. She did anyway and for a moment-- a brief, fleeting moment-- it wasn't Dhruv, it was Mason.

But that was just a dream, or a hallucination. A nightmare, really. She turned away, looking back at the headstone. Son, friend, a good man. Mason was more than just a few words carved into granite. She pulled her knees up to her chest and shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you to leave," she said, resting her chin on her knees. It wasn't her place to, even if she wanted to. She didn't, though. He had just as much of a right to be there as her. Maybe even more.

for: @faerietothe-otherside time & location: june 13th, cemetery

His ex had left a long time go. Mason left in a different sense a year ago. Kitty too a few months ago. And now, with Elif's goodbye there goes another person he had begun to care for. He couldn't help but let the thought fester; was it him? But it couldn't be, could it? No one cared about him that much. Mason did, but he was family, Kitty did, but she too was family. Both their deaths rocked him to the core of his being and he still felt weighed down by the grief of it all. To function was a requirement but to move on an impossible feat. Dhruv remembered just being silent throughout the remembrance, not a glance, not a word, afraid if he looked at anyone he'd break, afraid if he spoke he'd cry.

it sat with him though, long after people left, him alone in Mason's room, untouched. A shrine almost, of a life lived, of a life lost. And he stayed the night. Sleeping on the floor, staring up at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling pretending that Mason was right there next to him. He missed on so many memories living away but he could never think there wouldn't be more. How could he think that? Mason deserve a full life.

He drifted off at some point, sun's ray cutting into him far too quickly but it had him get up, move about, because he had to. Days moved too except he could hardly recollect what happened. It was as if everything had been blanketed by a thick haze, he couldn't see, couldn't even take a deep breath without it feeling like something was choking him. It's okay to cry they said. But Dhruv couldn't even do that. Tears wouldn't change a thing.

He saw Elif at some point too, one final farewell. Expression stoic by his eyes held everything. She wasn't even a proper friend but it hurt like a proper goodbye. He didn't even the walkman and music she had given him to make himself calm. Shaky hands curled into fists as he shoved them into his pockets as he walked away. Head pounding with every memory and every heartbreak, Dhruv didn't know where to go anymore. Everywhere felt wrong, even being his own skin began to feel wrong.

Feet picked a path and he simply wandered. And wandered. And—oh.

Not here, he thought, no no, but yes. This was where he needed to be. Pulled by an invisible string, Dhruv headed into the cemetery.

But then he saw her hunched over Mason's headstone and breath hitched his throat for a second. Something threatened to break but nails dug into palms deeper till he felt a stinging pain. A thought to leave came and went in a flash, as much as he didn't want to disturb her, he couldn't walk away right now.

"I know you probably don't want to see me," he spoke softly, not trying to startle her, gaze darting to the headstone, "But please don't ask me to leave. I—" he swallowed a lump, "Unless you really don't want me here right now..."

[faerietothe-otherside]

"Oh, no, it-- it's fine! I was sort of, um, not entirely sober." Rangi waved Safiye off, rubbing the back of her head. "I really didn't mean to start anything or upset anyone. I just get a little talkative when I've had a little too much to drink." Which, these days, was more often than not. It was probably a problem, but she wasn't thinking about that. She was trying very hard to not think about that because it was one of the only things that made her feel even remotely okay enough to appear in public. "But, I mean, hey-- if you're offering, I'm not gonna stop you. As long as you let me make it to you, too." Because at the end of the day, whatever had happened at the auction was mostly her fault.

Who: @faerietothe-otherside Where: Mini Golf Date

"Sorry about everything yesterday." Safiye apologized as they got to the first hole. She adjusted her matching shirt with a deep breath. "I was way out of line." She wished she could blame it on alcohol, but when everything went down but she had been stone cold sober. "Can you forgive me?" While she still hadn't talked to the problem of it all, she did owe Rangi an apology too. Giving Rangi the puppy dog face while her brown eyes pleaded with the other woman. "I promise we will have a fun date today. Just let me make it up to you." Offering her hand with a smile creeping up on her features.

[faerietothe-otherside]

Rangi gave Elif a sad, tired smile. "I'll try," she said. It was the best she could do right now. She couldn't lie and it was all she could muster. She would try. It only seemed to be getting harder and harder, though. Staying felt impossible, but so did leaving. She hated it. Maybe Elif had the right idea, getting out before this town took away everything. She didn't say that.

"If you ever do come back, don't be a strange, okay?"

"Okay. You too," She whispered back, quietly after a prolonged beat. Giving Rangi one last squeeze before she dropped her arms to the side and took a small step back. "I mean it. Take care yourself. I, out of anyone, can know how dark things can get around here, so just do yourself a favor and find the thing or the person or the people who gives you purpose okay?" Find a reason to stay. She might not have been able to, but Rangi was different and she had hope that Rangi find the light at the end of the tunnel even when all hope seemed lost.

[faerietothe-otherside]

Sometimes Rangi thought the same thing. What was keeping her here, now? Well, a headstone in a graveyard. She couldn't leave it behind. Her heart was buried there, even if there wasn't a body. "Please be safe," she eventually said, her voice quiet. Even she knew Ronnie did like Elif like that, but things had gotten so complicated, between all of them.

It wasn't her place to say anything, though, so she just reached out and pulled Elif into a hug. "I'll miss you."

"What about Ronnie?" She blinked back at Rangi. "Rangi, I don't have anything keeping me here, okay? I never did. Nico was the closest, and he didn't want to be the reason I stayed. And as for Ronnie, she's not into me like that, okay? So, you really don't need to apologize for hooking up with each other. You're both single. You can be with and sleep with whoever you want. This is about how I don't fit. I never did. The auction just made that little fact a whole lot more apparent. So, I'm leaving and, no, I don't know where I'm going. But, I'll figure it out." Or get shot down by hunters in the process, but that was a very likely scenario she had come to terms with too. "You don't need me, and you're going to be fine after I'm gone. I can promise you that."

[faerietothe-otherside]

"You're leaving?" Rangi blinked. "But what about-- Ronnie?" What about her life there? What about-- well, Rangi didn't have a lot of room to talk, did she? "If this is about what happened-- I-I'm sorry, I never meant to-- if I'd known she was with you I never would have--" but even Rangi knew it wasn't just about that. She was just grasping at straws, really. Just another person walking out of her life. She probably deserved that. Elif deserved better, though. "I'm just sorry. About all of it."

"Hey," Elif offered up a semblance of a smile that fell as soon as it was there, moving instead to adjust the strap of her dufflebag. "I know, and I'll be quick. I... I'm leaving. I've been debating it for a while, but the basket auction kinda solidified everything for me, and so, I was just swinging by to say goodbye, I guess? And thanks for being there for me after... with Kitty and all. But, um, that's it. I'd say I'll be seeing you, but I probably won't so, take yourself, okay?"

[faerietothe-otherside]

These days, though Rangi still preferred if people just left her to her own misery, she didn't ignore it when there was a knock on her door. Mostly because people either came in anyway or threatened to yell until she did. She didn't have any expectations of who might be behind her door when she opened it, but when she did and saw who was standing there, her mind drew a blank. Elif was actually the last person she'd ever expected to be at her door.

It took her a moment to register what was happening and she could find her words. "I-- hi." She couldn't stop staring. "What-- I-- why are you here?" She shook her head. "I mean, I just-- I didn't expect..." She didn't know what to say, actually, so she stopped talking.

@faerietothe-otherside

Elif raised her fist to knock on the door, but froze halfway through, her knuckles hovering just inches from the wood. That’s not funny. Rangi’s words echoed sharply in her mind, cutting through the quiet. She hadn’t meant to be funny. Rangi had been one of the only people who stood by Elif when things were at their worst, and Elif never blamed her for sleeping with Ronnie. If anything, she understood better than most. But still, something had shifted between all three of them since that night and, now, standing outside this door with a packed bag and a bus ticket, Elif wasn’t sure Rangi would even want to see her. But it didn’t hurt to try, especially since this might be her last chance to say goodbye. "Hi?"

[faerietothe-otherside]

With: @itsronniebish Where: Downtown, at a dive bar

"Hey, watch yourself, bitch."

Rangi had stumbled off her bar stool and straight into someone passing by, drinks in hand. He'd spilled some of the beer onto his shirt and shoes and was glowering at Rangi as she grappled onto the counter to stay standing, a loopy grin plastered on her face.

"Ask nicely," she slurred.

"Fuck off," he growled.

"That's not what your girlfriend said last night." She laughed, loud, obviously much too drunk for manners.

The guy's friends had come over to help him, taking the beers out of his hands while he wiped himself off, but this caused him to pause, glowering over at her.

"The fuck you just say?"

One of his friends tried to calm him down, but the smug grin on Rangi's face was too tempting. "I said," she leaned forward, pitching her voice lower, "that's not what your girl said last night." The guy looked like he really, really wanted to hit her, but he had barely restrained himself. "C'mon," she goaded, leaning back and waving him on, "you know you wanna hit me."

"I don't fuckin' hit girls."

"Why?" She laughed again. "Cause you're a coward who probably can't make his girlfriend come--"

The punch came hard and fast and knocked her back into the bar. She could taste blood on her lips as she sank to the floor and she figured the guy probably expected her to be upset or look shocked. Instead, she just started laughing again. "My grandma could probably hit harder than that," she chided, standing herself back up.

He lunged for her, grabbing the front of her shirt and slamming her back into the bar top. Glasses rattled.

"Alright!" came the loud, booming voice of the bartender. He'd thrown his rag over his shoulder and was coming around the counter. He shoved the man away from her and pointed towards the exit. "No fighting in my bar. Get the fuck out. All of you." He put a stop to the protests from the other men quickly with just a glare.

Rangi didn't care, she was done anyway. Instead, she grabbed a napkin and wiped at her nose as she was pointed towards the back door, stumbling out into the alley, cool, night air hitting her face. She felt dizzy and nauseous as she inhaled the fumes in the ally, coughing as she bent over and tried not to vomit.

The sound of a door slamming shut rang out behind her. Footsteps approached. She glanced back over her shoulder, one hand pressed to the brick wall. She gave the men a bloody smile. "Oh, look, it's the Powerpuff Girls."

The man who had punched her in the bar wasted no time. He kicked out the back of her knee and she fell to the ground, palms scraping against the dirty pavement.

"The fuck is your problem?" he growled.

Rangi simply rolled over, sitting against the wall. "We don't have time for me to list them all," she drawled, tipping her head to the side. "How long do you have? Probably a lot, since you only need like two minutes to finish."

She'd been trying to pick a fight all night, really. Some people didn't even need a reason, but she was more than happy to give them one. This seemed like a good enough reason for this angry, rude looking guy.

She'd been right. He grabbed the front of her shirt again and lifted her from the ground before hitting her again, right across the jaw. She could already feel the bruise beginning to form and it made her smile. She wanted this, she wanted to feel this pain. It felt like all of the pain inside of her was just bursting to come out and nothing ever helped it. So maybe this would. Maybe she even deserved it. She was a shitty person and a shittier friend. She definitely deserved this.

She hit the ground hard. It rattled her brain in her skull and made her vision go blurry. A shoe connected with her stomach. One with her back. Again and again. Did it matter if she died now? If someone else killed her?

She rolled onto her back when it seemingly stopped. The guy straddled her, one hand curled into her shirt. Her vision was dotted with black. She grinned up at him, tasted blood.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" he growled. Lifted his fist again. He wanted to hit her again, she could tell. Her face burned and throbbed. There was blood covering one of her eyes.

"Maybe if I die, I'll get to see him again."

"Who the hell are you--"

The guy never got to finish his sentence. Someone else was approaching, yelling at them. The guy on top of her was yanked off. His friends scattered. So did he.

Rangi blinked up at the figure now kneeling beside her. She couldn't tell who it was. Still, she smiled. "If you're gonna kill me, at least make it quick."

[faerietothe-otherside]

So it was just how they were, then, Rangi was realizing. Lonely creatures. It was hard to live a life around people when death sat next to them. Maybe they just weren't meant to live the same way others did. Maybe it was for the better. Her hands fiddled in her lap.

"Right, sorry, um, left up here," she pointed, "then it's the third house on the right."

Her house was humble, small. A ranch style home with a single car garage and a little front porch that she pretended she used sometimes. "This is me," she said when Lara stopped the car beside the driveway. "Um, thanks, again, for the ride. It-- It was nice to meet you."