Three strikes {M&V}

[DiamondHeart]

~*~Lilliana Marie Carter~*~

The female didn't even have time to really process what was going on. One moment Michael was on top of her, about to rape her again, the next minute, Victor had jumped on Michael's back and pushed her back out of the way. She could only stand at the doorway, stunned. When she heard his voice calling out to her, Lilliana snapped back to reality and nodded, "A-Alright." She said softly and ran downstairs. Her head was filling with fog, she couldn't make sense of anything that was going on. When she opened the door, a group of police stood there. They looked her up and down, seeing the messed up hair and torn shirt. They didn't even have to say anything when Lilliana pointed up the stairs. She heard a few crashes from upstairs, and she moved to run up, but one officer stopped her. "Let me go!" She heard a shot fired upstairs and immediately her mind went blank. She elbowed the officer in the gut and ran upstairs, going straight to her room. When she looked inside, the sight made her fall to her knees. Michael had grabbed the knife away from Victor when the police came in, and had lunged at Victor, so the police shot him. The young female felt herself raised to her feet, and a police officer looked into her eyes. At first, she saw his lips moving, but could only hear muffled words, nothing was clear. When she saw Victor in the room, she simply pushed passed the officer, and ran into the room, hugging him around the waist. "Thank you...I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come...Or if you..." She pressed her head into his chest, tears falling down her cheeks. An officer placed his hand on her shoulder, "Ma'am we need to get a statement from you." Lilliana turned and took a deep breathe. She nodded and followed the officer out and down to the living room.

"Alright ma'am...We're glad you're safe, but next time, you need to call us first...if this hadn't gone so...smoothly, you may have gotten hurt, or your boyfriend you texted...he could have been hurt." Lilliana simply nodded at the officer's words, "I'm fairly certain that this won't happen again...At least I don't think I have anything to worry about now." She said, looking up stairs to see Victor finishing up speaking to an officer upstairs. After they all left, Lilliana went into the kitchen. A few officer's still lingered, they were waiting for a clean up forensics team to come in, and clear out her room. The female knew she wouldn't be able to sleep in the room for a while, even if they cleaned every corner, she wouldn't be able to sleep in that room. Lilliana poured water into the coffee maker, and started the brewing process. As the coffee maker began to click and sizzle, she grabbed a cup out of the cupboard. She was on auto-pilot, trying to work through everything that had just taken place.

Once the alarm buzzed on the coffee maker, Lilliana jumped a little, then sighed and shook her head, "Damn it." She said softly, seeing that she knocked over the sugar container spilling sugar so it was pouring on the floor. The female lifted the sugar container back up, and set it back toward the back of the counter under the cupboard. With a dust pan in hand and a hand broom, Lilliana began to brush the sugar from the floor into the dust pan and poured the sugar into the trash can. "I don't know if this is any conciliation ma'am, but the man in the room, Michael...I'm assuming he is the one who was assaulting you...he took the knife from your friend and lunged at him...so we had to shoot...Although we aim to wound, he was hit in the head and died instantly." Lilliana remembered the officer's words to her as she finished cleaning the sugar off the floor. She pulled the garbage can under the counter, and brushed the sugar with her hand from the counter to the garbage can.

Lilliana poured some coffee into a cup and doctored it the way she liked it then sat at the table. As the female sat at the table, she looked into the coffee cup, and whispered, "I can't believe it's over...I mean...really over?" She closed her eyes and sipped the coffee. She looked up at the entrance the kitchen, seeing Victor standing there, "Is it really over?" Lilliana asked, setting the cup on the table. "I mean...I can't believe it...I never wanted it to end like this...I wanted him to get help, but...I think this was the only way it could really end...The only way I could live free." She felt tears threaten to fall once again. "Can we be happy?" She asked Victor.

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[xxLostChildrenxx]

Trinity Carson McCalester

Say something I’m giving up on you…Trinity continued her stare out the window, lost and forgotten within her own mind until the sound of her brother’s voice pulled her from the depth so of her longing. “Your right…your not.” She buckled under the words, walls of defense flying around her heart with every word. The attacks were almost too much to bear. “Your insane, you nag all the time, your persistent and quite frankly you’re a pain in the ass.” Trinity hated the cold, hard truth, but he was being blunt, and showing her things she didn’t wish to see. And it hurt. “And if a guy cant love you more than I do despite all of it, he doesn’t deserve to be with you.” But you don’t love me… was all she wanted to state, but bit her tongue. If someone couldn’t love her…no one loved her…and that was her problem. “Your passionate, and driven…you may be a brat, but you always tell me what I need to hear, and call me a dick when I deserve it. You’re vibrant…and when you smile…really smile…everything seems to get a little better. Your laugh is contagious…” But you still don’t love me… she finished, her own thought echoing in betrayal of herself.

Trinity did not bother glancing his way. Too much in her gave away what she really was. Who she really was…and the burden of reality that she held onto with every fiber of her being. “You’re a disgrace,” her father’s voice echoed through her mind. “You’re a sick, sick, girl.” “I’m only this way because you birthed me.” “Then you never should have been born.” “Funny. I think that every day.” “Well, maybe it’s true. Maybe you should perish like your sister.” “Leave Danica out of this. She can’t protect herself.” “No, not from you.” “She’s dead. Because of you.” “Don’t tell me that of my own daughter.” “Then don’t bring her up.” “You’re a bitch.” “Yeah, but that means you raised a bitch, so the blame falls unto you.” “You’re sick for how you feel about Scott.” “Then tell me why we’re this way.” “He doesn’t care for you. He never will. To him, you aren’t even family.” “Then what am I?” “A pawn.”

The next conversation snapped her out of her conversation with their dad, wrapped in her mind like a psychopath. “I have a daughter…” were the first, and almost the last thing Trinity heard. All her head could tell her was about how she had lost, some other girl had one, there was now a kid…and now what? As he explained the situation with Bethany, he said the two words that Trinity had dreaded, but known all along. “Auntie Trin.” She chuckled at the words, though she could almost see her heart fly out the window of the car. “I’d love to meet her. What’s important to you is important to me.” she responded. “Especially if it’s your job to take care of her. I’d love to meet your daughter,” she stated, sincerely despite her inner debate.

And, despite their conversation, the drive, and all other factors that played into the ride, Scott said the words they both had probably been waiting for. “Well, this is it…This is in the middle of everything pretty much so we can really get anywhere from here. Are you ready?” Trinity scoffed at the thought. “Nope, I Just wanted to see the parking lot. We can go home now,” she informed him, grinning before opening the door and sliding out onto the pavement. She closed the door and waited for Scott to do the same, before taking off towards the sidewalk that would protect her, at least she hoped, from the other cars of the road. “Okay, so now what? What are we doing to do first? Or at all? Where we goin’, Thunda?” she asked, not really giving him time to answer before she took the lead across the street.

This, as per female intuition, was the mall. Although not much of a shopper, Trinity at least enjoyed bounding from store to store looking. And, until dummy behind her told her something ELSE to do, she was going to just walk. And find. It was like a game of Where’s Waldo, but more so Where’s Something Fun To Do? Trinity led the way, weaving in and out of hallways until they landed in front of Things Remembered, a customizable jewelry store. She entered, without exactly waiting for Scott, figuring he would have veered off to his own store anyway. Like a kid in a candy shop, she touched almost everything in the, well, expensive store. Running interested fingers over jewelry boxes, necklaces, bracelets, and even music boxes, Trinity bathed in the made up memories of happy times with both parents. Christmases, Thanksgivings, holidays that would never come. Loving relationships that just didn’t exist…even between Scott and she. As her hand fell on a silver crested box, she looked around to see if Scott was with her. If he wasn’t, that was fine. It was more…curiosity than expectance.

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OOC; Sorry for the late reply. Been very busy with site stuff. Excited to keep this moving, though! Now onto our crazy, neighborhood savior!

In the Darkside of the Gardens,

There is so much you find

The only thing you have to lose,

Is a little of your mind.

Come play in my Garden.

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Victor Matthew Vanquez

 Truth be told, Victor had no idea what the hell had happened. What he had done, who had been shot, why the policemen were there. All Victor knew was the adrenaline, the fight, and the need to survive. The policemen were there, Victor could hear them. All he could hear was the order to stop. Stop fighting. Stop lashing out. Stop attacking.

But, with Michael convinced he had to kill, Victor was powerless to obey the orders of officers who were aimed for the shot. Victor lowered his hands, taking several steps back from the male who was on the ground from yet another punch to the jaw. He rose, as though he was going to surrender at first. “Drop your weapon!” an officer ordered, Victor raising his hands in surrender to the cops, expecting to be taken down…especially if they knew who he was… there wasn’t much more Victor could do as he saw Michael take his final stand against the taller man’s life. Knife raised, murder in eye, Michael lunged with the knife. Forward he came, and Victor could almost feel the knife cutting through him as he realized he would be powerless to stop the male’s blade now that he had listened to the cops. Fuck the police.

Then, the gun shot. And the moments of thinking he was bleeding, dying before his own eyes. Victor padded himself down, in shock, believing he was the one who had been shot. Convinced that he was now dying, and that was the end. Game over. No more to contribute. It wasn’t until reality sank in as Michael’s wide eyed body pitched forward, frozen in place as blood seeped from the wound that held the bullet. Victor could only stand and stare, too much in a state of shock to even process what the hell had happened. He had seen death plenty of times. Seen people knifed, shot, strangled. He had seen cops kill people, his own ‘brothers’, but each time it was a difficult experience. Especially when it occurred in the sanctity of their own home, somewhere that should have been a place of refuge, and not fear. A policeman was speaking with him, then, and whatever haze the boy was in got heavier as the conversation dragged. Victor heard Liliana’s voice, could feel her wrapping herself around his waist, and he wrapped himself about her frail body. His mind was clouded with the events, though he attempted his best to remain strong for the girl who needed him now.

“Thank you…I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come…or if you…” she trailed off, and the male pressed his lips into her hair. “I promised I’d protect you. No matter the danger,” he responded, before an officer decided to break up the moment and pull her away. As Liliana went to give a statement, Victor sat on the edge of the bed. Cradling his face in his hands, he remained in the crouched position until an older officer, apparently the chief of police, approached and sat next to him. “I understand this is hard, son. I won’t pretend to know what emotions or thoughts you’re experiencing, but I understand it’s hard. Seeing someone die like that, no matter if you’ve never seen it before, or seen it a hundred times, is hard. Seeing the girl you love in such danger that you have to give all the strength you’ve got just to protect her…I understand.” Victor looked up, softened by the…caring? Words of the officer. “What do I do now?” he asked, absentminded as the man spoke again. “You live. You pick up the pieces now that this is over and let her show you how wonderful she really is. Or, you two break up and always know you protected her. Whatever path is right for you is the path you must take. There will be no charges pressed on either of you, as it was all an act of self defense and even if his parents, whatever family he has, sues for wrongful death, we have plenty of evidence that suggests he attacked her first. So, even if you’re called into court, there’s very little chance of them winning. My suggestion to you is to keep going. Pick up move on, and live life. There’s no reason to keep hiding.”

The words stung more than the officer realized. The man got up, patted Victor on the shoulder, and left. Victor was led downstairs for final questioning as everything was packed and moved. Even as the body was being wheeled out, Victor still had to process everything. He was now in the kitchen with Liliana, able to be with her now that questioning was over. “I still can’t believe it’s over..i mean…really over?” so she was in shock as well. “Is it really over? I mean…I can’t believe it…I never wanted it to end like this…I wanted him to get help…but I think this was the only way it could really end…the only way I could live free…can we be happy?” Victor wasted no time wrapped his arms around her once more and simply holding her. That’s all he wanted to do right now. all he needed, was her in his arms. “We can be very happy. And you can rest assured that Michael did get help. Even if it’s not the kind you wanted, he was helped in the only way he could be. He was set free. And he’s in a much better place now because of it. Everything will be okay now.” he said softly, holding her close to his chest as though if he let go, everything around them would shatter.

[DiamondHeart]

~Scott McCalester~

“Nope, I Just wanted to see the parking lot. We can go home now,” Scott watched his sister carefully as she stepped out of the truck and laughed a little, then exited himself. "Very cute Trin." He spoke softly. As she walked down the parking garage to the street, he couldn't take his eyes off her. It only took a few seconds of course for his brain to catch up and realize what he was doing. With that understanding in mind, Scott ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, shaking his head. "That's you're little sister Scott...Are you really that sick and disgusting?" He could hear his father's voice in that back of his mind. Scott felt like beating himself up for every thought in his mind. It was wrong, how he felt, she was his sister. No matter what he told himself, he could still feel his heart pounding in his head. “Okay, so now what? What are we doing to do first? Or at all? Where we goin’, Thunda?” Scott was pulled back by the sound of her voice, "Dunno...I saw a couple shows advertised, but they don't start for a while." He mentioned, and picked up his pace in order to catch up to Trinity.

As the two walked through the mall, Scott simply looked up and down some of the store windows. Trinity was still a little bit in front of him and she got even farther when Scott stopped to take a look at a 'mechanics' store. It wasn't much, Scott had made better tools with scrap, but still it was something that had a footing in his past so it was something he stll took an interest in. Stepping into the store, a young salesmen walked up to him with a smile that Scott knew all too well. Scott was dressed nicer then he normally was so this guy probably thought Scott was a 'rich kid' type who just wanted to look good to his friends, and to the ladies. Scott loved messing with guys like this. It was just like those people who saw him in his normal clothes back in the day and assumed he was going to rob them or something. "Well hello sir! You look like a man with good taste in tools." Scott almost burst out laughing, he could tell this guy about every single tool in the store before the guys could tell him what kind of horse power a mustang had. It was sad really. Holding back, Scott nodded and decided to have some fun and play dumb. "Oh yeah. Great taste. I'm looking for something to torque the bolts on the engine of my mustang." Scott nearly cringed feeling like a complete jackass, but this guy had it coming. The salesmen's eyes nearly had the pupils turn into the money sign like you'd sometimes see in cartoons. "Oh yeah...Well then you'd be looking here for this wrench...It's a Goldwrench, best brand you can get!" If Scott had water or something in his mouth he would have spit it out at that moment. Goldwrench, they were certainly the most flashy and expensive brand on the market, but the best? Definitely not, Scott had tried using a Goldwrench tool only once. In his previous line of work, the toold needed to be able to take a beating through many uses, but the Goldwrench tool he tried, snapped the wrench after only a couple twists of a bolt. They definitely weren't quality tools. Actually none of the tools in this store were quality, it was all flash. "Well Goldwrench is a 'pretty' buy I'll give you that, but I go for quality tools. I much prefer the Steter adjustable 10", but then again the Erickson 6" 12-point is also an exellent wrench. Never would I ever choose a Goldwrench or any of the other crap you have in here if I wanted to get some real work done." Scott smiled, seeing the salesmen's jaw drop to the floor it was quite entertaining really to see that look on people's faces. The unexpected shock and awe.

Scott left the salesmen with his jaw on the floor and left the store, shaking his head a little. He knew he'd have to get back to Trinity. It wasn't like that would be a hard task. There would only be acouple stores that she would actually go into. She wasn't too much for 'fashion' at least not like many other girls. Actually he felt like Trinity and Lilliana seemed to have similar tastes in clothing. If they could sit down and talk together, they would probably find that they had a lot in common. As Scott walked down the hall, his cell phone began to ring. He pulled the device out of his pocket and looked at the display. A little bit shocked, Scott answered, "Hey man what's up?" He sounded happy to be speaking to the person on the other end, "Yeah man! I thought you wouldn't be in town till sometime like next week...Oh so early next week...No that's great! I'll make sure you got a room to sleep in...Yeah you got it. It'll be a secret, Trin won't know a thing." Just as he said her name, Scott looked into a jewelry store and saw Trinity looking at a silver jewelry box. He found himself smiling a little, then shook his head realizing he was still on the phone, "Yeah no prob...You got it, see you Monday." With that, Scott hung up the phone and walked into the store.

Scott walked up behind Trinity just before she looked back to see him. "Hey...That's nice." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder and leaned in to look at the box. The saleswoman walked over to the two with a kind smile on her face, "Oh you two make a cute couple." Scott wanted to draw his hand back, but he decided not to for some reason. He didn't comment, just looked at the box, then back to the saleswoman, "Could ring up the silver box and wrap it for us?" He asked with a classy smile. The wmon put her hands together with a smile and did as Scott had asked. Scott looked at Trinity, then stepped back, "Did I do something wrong?" He asked ernestly, then handed the saleswoman his credit card. After a couple minutes the woman returned with the box neatly wrapped, and handed Scott his card to put back in his wallet. After doing so Scott began to walk out of the store, and waited for Trinity to follow. He would let her pick the show she wanted to see or where she wanted to go for lunch, it was up to her what she wanted to do next.

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{{OOC:Yeah that took a little bit, starting a new quarter at school. This time last year was terrible! I'm hoping this year goes better...And onto the kick butt damsel in distress...who is not in distress anymore....}}

[DiamondHeart]

~*~Lilliana Marie Carter~*~

Lilliana rested her head on Victor's chest and closed her eyes. The stress was beginning to ease out of her body, but she was still trembling from the adrenaline. "Thank you...Victor I don't know what I'd do without you." She pressed her face against his chest, and took a deep breathe. "You actually saved me...I've never had anyone who actually came to help me." She stood straight, still holding her arms around his waist and looked into his eyes. A small weak smile appeared on her lips. At the time it was harder to give more then that. In reality she wished the whole thing was a dream, or that she could be in a dream. It would be the only place things could go right. "Can we go for a walk or something? I don't know if I can stay here right now." She pleaded. It was too hard to be in the house right now. Even though everything with Michael chasing her was over, she still couldn't be in the house. Hopefully the shock would were off if they walked it off.

Lilliana looked down at her clothes and sighed. "Maybe not." She closed her eyes, and gently let go of Victor. "I'm going to go change." She said, pulling away and slowly went up stairs. The forensics team was still cleaning her room, and she stopped in the doorway. "I'm sorry...I need to change...is there anyway I can get some different clothes?" One of the officers looked at the other and they shrugged. The one lifted the caution tape for Lilliana to get in. She had been packing so there were clothes already out. She didn't need more then a minute to grab a new pair of jeans, the deep purple t-shirt, and dark purple sandals that were in the suitcase. After she grabbed the clothes, Lilliana walked out of the room and went into the bathroom and changed her clothes. She wanted to shower, but she wanted to get out of the house even more. It only took a couple minutes to get on the new clothes then Lilliana emerged from the bathroom. As she passed by her room, the officer inside stopped her. "Sorry to stop you here...The forensic team is going to be cleaning and using amonia to do so. We don't want you getting sick so if you could get out of the house for a couple h-." Lilliana raised her hand, still holding the ripped shirt and pants in her arms, "Of course...I think I need to go for a walk anyways." The officer nodded to Lilli in understanding and walked back into her room. Lilli sighed softly and walked downstairs. She immediately walked to the garbage and through the clothes away then looked at Victor, "Ok...they need a couple hours to clean the room, so lets go for a walk or something." She gently took Victor's hand in her own and walked to the front door.

The two had been walking for a good 45 minutes at least when they came upon a small shop. Lilliana looked in through the window and saw it was a small cafe. The smells coming from inside were amazing. Gently tugging Victor's hand, Lilli walked into the cafe. The waitress behind the counter smiled cheerfully, "Well hello there! You two out for lunch?" She asked. Lilliana nodded and smiled. "Yeah, needed some fresh air, and just happened by. The place just smells absolutely devine." The waitress smiled, "Oh glad to hear that. Pick anywhere you'd like to sit. You just missed the lunch rush so it's looking a little empty, but you won't have to worry about crowding." Lilliana nodded apreciatively and walked over to a booth and sat down, letting Victor's hand go as she do so so he could move freely on his own. After the waitress brought over a couple menues, Lilliana looked at Victor and smiled, this time much more relaxed. "I don't think I can save you enough. You're a real knight in shining armor." She shook her head a little, "I'm sorry, that sounds like I was teasing...I didn't mean it like that. I mean you're perfect...Oh shit I mean..." She began to blush, and held the menu up in front of her face. "I'm just gonna look at the menu and forget about how totally not smooth I am when I talk to you." It was so hard for Lilliana to get past the fact that she didn't seem to be able to act with Victor like she had when they first met.

Lilliana walked into the house, dropping her duffle bag on the entry way floor. "Ah!" She stretched her arms over her head and sighed as she felt the tension leave her body. "Five hour car ride with bad blue-grass-country music...What a nightmare." A man walked in and set a box on the floor behind her, "Well, you know what they say, 'Don't do the crime if you can't do the time'." Lilliana laughed and turned to look at the man, "Isn't cruel and unusual punishment against the law though?" She asked him with a teasing smile. The man rolled his eyes, "Not when it comes to you miss delinquant...I'm your parole officer, not one of your targets...Can't mess with my head." He walked back out of the house and back to his car to grab more of Lilliana's stuff. "Well thats no fun." While he was out of the house, Lilliana began to walk up the stairs, exploring a bit. It seemed so empty, kind of a nice change from the party houses she was used to. There was definitely a bit of peace to this place that was calming. A new start. The young woman walked down the hall looking into the bedrooms, the first two were empty with only the standard furniture, but the third had a bed all set and a few things set out. "Hmmmm seems someone is already here." She looked inside, but no one was there. "Awww." She pouted a little, and backed out again, "Too bad." She turned around and sure enough there he was. A tall young man, probably a couple years older then herself, very good looking. "Well hello." She smiled, and looked him up and down. "I think I could get used to you being around." She bit the inside of her bottom lip softly, then smiled, "Lilliana Carter...You can call me Lilli or Lil, but if you call me Lia or Ana, I'll have to kill ya." She said with a sly wink, then looked down at the last open room. "Maybe I'll take the room next to you...makes the commute shorter." She laughed, and walked past to look inside the last room. All the rooms were the same size and color and everything, but this one had a bit of a nicer view looking out to a park a couple blocks down the road. "Ooh fantastic...two good views." She walked into the room to get an even better view, then walked out again and went down the stairs and grabbed her bag.

It was an interesting memory to say the least. At this point she didn't exactly feel proud of that behavior, but they had been living together now as room mates for a few months, and she acted that same way up until a couple days ago when he said 'no games'. That moment started to change everything. Now her very reason for having done everything thing she had done, running from Michael, it was over. Could she be herself? Did she know what that meant? Did she even know who she was? Or would she have to start from scratch? Lilliana peaked over her menu at Victor and felt a soft smile come to her face. Maybe with him...I can figure it out. She thought to herself and slowly lowered the menu, "So what looks good to you?"

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[xxLostChildrenxx]

*response coming tonight if you're still interested*

[DiamondHeart]

{{Sure am!}}

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Trinity Carson McCalester

“Let. Him. Go.” Their mother’s voice rang in the female’s head as they walked through the mall. The voices chuckling in her head, driving her insane. Causing her to want to go running off the upper floor deck. The same voices that made her want to rip her hair out, and curl up against Scott all at the same time. She turned around to speak to her brother, her eyes adjusting to the spot he should have been. Confused at his disappearance, she turned herself to face the store she knew he was probably beating someone’s head in at. Yeah, any car part store, or anything that had to do with appliances, he’d be in and telling the salespeople off. “Typical dummy,” she muttered under her breath, deciding her best course of action was to go shop on her own and ignore him. Trinity, against her better judgment and character, wandered her way into a Kay jeweler’s store. No one paid her any mind, considering her attire, but still….the girl wandered aimlessly through the cases of rings, her left hand held tightly to her chest, as though she were guarding her own thoughts of wants and desires. A saleswoman soon approached her, shoulders back and hair tightly wrapped into a bun. The typical upper class elite. Trinity had to bite her bottom lip and jet back her own shoulders in the fake confidence she now had to elude.


“Good day to you. Are you seeking out an engagement ring?” the woman was asking. Trinity had to keep herself calm enough not to lash out as her mind bade her to do. “I’m just browsing,” she responded, turning herself from the woman who was now in hunting mode at the possibility of a sale. “Let me show you a few rings,” “Thank you. Just browsing,” Trinity repeated, moving away and to a further case from where they stood. The woman followed, obviously a ding bat. “Here we have a stellar 24 k-” Trinity cut her off, her voice low and poisonous as the warnings from earlier seeped back out in a not so friendly tone. “ I said. I was. Just. Browsing.” Taken aback, the saleswoman froze at the tone in younger female’s voice, and watched only as she turned and hastily walked out of the store, her left hand still clinging to herself, as if it guarded her once more. It was only then that she stormed to another store, and of course it was Things Remembered. Here she ventured, adorning all items with the wants and needs of an unloved child. Precious gifts she would never receive from loving parents, or even memories of happier times that just would never come.


It was here that Scott found her some time later, after his debut with the salesman in the opposite store. He walked in on her, catching the female off guard, and almost making her jump out of her skin. She jumped at his touch and voice, but calmed at the tone of a smooth and collected brother. Much better than what she was experiencing earlier. As his hand moved over her shoulder, it was all she could do to resist leaning against it and pulling him in closer to look at the box. A saleswoman made a comment….an awful comment….one that….gained no response from either of them. Trinity looked to Scott, Scott to Trinity, and neither of them denied the woman of “You two make such a cute couple.” Trinity almost hissed and struck her with retracted claws, but stood in place looking dazed like a deer in headlights. “Could you ring up the silver box and wrap it up for us?” he was asking. Trinity just remained in place, her mind not processing his request, even as the box was taken from her cupped hands and whisked away. When it was returned, neatly wrapped and presented to her, she just stood there looking down at the bag. Gifts were a rarity, and even more strange was the cost and the consideration of what Scott had just done.


She didn’t speak as the bag was placed in her hands a bit roughly, after staring at it blankly for several moments. She didn’t know how to react, even as she followed her brother out of the store. She had ignored his “Did I do something wrong,” in fear of her own thoughts being betrayed as she answered a question she had yet to find the answer to. It wasn’t until they were both walking away from the mall, and towards the theater, that it began to sink in. Trinity, without warning, wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist and clung. The bag was dangling in front of him, as she curled against the curve of his back and squeezed. She didn’t say anything, except the mumbling against his shirt about how happy she was, the excitement building, despite her usually grim demeanor. Those who passed by smiled at the couple who were acting all lovey and cute, not aware at all of their actual relation. Once Trinity released the boy, she stood staring at him for several moments, the joy written on her face despite her attempts to remain cool and collected. “You’re a punk, and you know it,” she stated, her own way of saying thank you.

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

OOC; 

In the Darkside of the Gardens,

There is so much you find

The only thing you have to lose,

Is a little of your mind.

Come play in my Garden.

[xxLostChildrenxx]

Victor Matthew Vanquez

 “I’m going to go change,” Liliana retorted, leaving the room in order to take care of the discomfort she was probably feeling about the entirety of the events. Oh, God, it was going to be a story to tell the twins a bit later. And then the accusations that would have to follow about Scott. Yeah, that had to come, too. It was going to just be a mess of stories later, an event Victor wasn’t too sure he was excited to deal with.

As Lilliana changed in the other room, Victor remained where he was, leaning back against the wall for more of support than anything else. He was done with the day, the adventures, and now that the adrenaline was stabilizing, he realized just how exhausted he really felt. He jumped to attention as the female reappeared, watching as she threw away the old clothes. He didn’t blame her. “Okay, they need a couple hours to clean the room, so let’s go for a walk or something,” she told him. He would have suggested going out to eat or something a bit more entertaining, but he understood her need to process the whole thing and the desire to be away from people. Taking her arm, Victor led her outside and off down the sidewalk for their stroll.


Forty-five minutes in, they approached a shop that Lilliana was bound and determined to enter. Victor chuckled, and held her back only long enough to wrap his arm around her waist and lead her into the doorway. The waitress was friendly enough, asking if they were out to lunch. As Lili answered for the two of them, and they were offered to sit down, they made their way to a booth and sat down in it. It wasn’t until they were looking at menus that she began to speak again. “I don’t think I can say it enough, you’re a real knight in shining armor.” Victor chuckled at the comment, and rolled his eyes, though playful. “I’m sorry. That sounds like I was teasing. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean you’re perfect. Oh, shit…I mean…” Hiding herself in the menu, Victor chuckled again, and reached across the table. He pulled the menu down from her face, and used it to bop her on the nose. “I’m only a knight because I have a princess to rescue. I have an adventure to live, a battle to fight now and a beauty to rescue. You make my adventure worth living, the battle of day to day life worth fighting, and rescuing you becomes worth it when you act all cute like this. I would do what I did today a thousand times over, if it would just keep that beautiful smile on your face.”


He paused, before taking her hand in his. “I’m really starting to fall for you, Liliana. Hard. And although I want to move slow for your sake I just want you to know every moment how much you really mean to me. How attached I’ve become, how much I truly care and never, never doubt that. You don’t need to be shy around me. say and do whatever you want and I will not judge you for it. Be stupid, be crazy, be nasty, I don’t care. Nothing will change the way I look at you. I….I’m starting to fall in love with you,” he admitted, freezing at his own words for a moment before she saved him with “What looks good to you?” He laughed again, relaxing and trying not to hold a serious tone to himself. “Food sounds good. You order whatever you want on the menu, and I will follow suit. And we’ll pig out and get fat together. Sound good?” he smiled at her, flashing his teeth her way as the waitress came back. He didn’t hesitate putting in a large order, allowing her to order what she wanted, but also adding a few extra items to her meal as well. Spoiling her was his goal in everything they did together.