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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:46 pm    Post subject: Five Reply with quote

Character studies for what might be an upcoming SG. Otherwise just enjoy them in short story form.
-------------------------

One: Freedom

The sun was dazzlingly bright, scattering green gold light through the leaves of the alder trees that lined his street. He locked his front door, keys jingling as he flipped the ring on his finger and switched from holding his house key to his car key. A natural blond, the tresses hit the shoulders of his black leather jacket with their waves, blue eyes hidden behind mirrored aviator shades.

Heavy boots stomped down the cement stairs that separated his porch from the paved walkway that bisected his front yard and connected to the sidewalk where his car gleamed, waiting. Opening the door he slid into the leather seat, hissing at the slightly heated leather against the body temperature leather pants he wore. After a moment of wiggling he adjusted and rolled the windows down to get some air in the enclosed space.

Putting in the key and turning the engine over he was greeted by a roar from the classic Charger's engine. His baby, lovingly restored, that had just become the most precious thing in his life now that the bitch was gone. How had he been so damn deluded...

He eased away from the sidewalk and down the street, punching a few buttons on the radio with slender, calloused fingers. He gave up trying to find something good, or well something that fit his mood, and plugged in the mp3 adapter. The custom sound system he'd installed had taken the car away from true classic but in his eyes music was far more important than making sure that every detail was original. He spun the dial for random and tossed the device in the seat next to him. A few minutes later a familiar spanish sounding guitar riff echoed out of his speakers.

Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he pressed his foot down on the gas, picking up speed as he headed for the freeway. By the time the chorus hit he was feeling damn good, lifting his voice in tune with the lyrics he knew by heart.

"That's cool, but if my friends ask where you are I'm gonna say

She went down in an airplane,
Fried getting suntanned,
Fell in a cement mixer full of quicksand,
Help me! Help me! I'm not good at goodbyes!
She met a shark under water,
Fell in no one caught her,
I returned everything I ever bought her,
Help me! Help me! I'm all out of lies.
And ways to say you died..."


Honestly as much as being the one dumped hurt, the overwhelming sense of happiness that suddenly enveloped him told Rafe that the 'spark' in his relationship had been dead for a while. Bitch. Heartless bitch. Well, she was some new man's expensive problem. He was free. Finally free. He had places to go, people to see, and she wasn't one of them.

Perhaps he should have told Allan he was coming?
------------------------------------

More to come.
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"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."

"Music makes you braver."
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Kalanna Rai
Assassin for Hire



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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two: Strength

The cheery brilliance of the day was in sharp contrast to his somber mood, the golden sunlight seeming muted as he dropped the last box in the trunk of his car. Shutting it, he was slightly surprised to see his sister standing on the other side. She shoved an envelope toward him it's white flanks bulging with whatever contents it held. "Here, take it before Mom and Dad see. Take care of yourself big brother...I'll call when I can, okay?"

She didn't wait for his answer, just bolted back to what had been his home until a few hours ago. Honestly he hadn't expected it to go this badly but he was unsurprised that it had. His father had planned his entire future long before he was born. The perfect son would be good at school, good at sports, get a good job in a stable career field, find a good wife, produce good talented grandchildren.

He shook his head, sliding into his small Honda and starting the engine, buckling in and adjusting his mirror so that he could see around the small pile of stuff in his backseat. He was surprised at how hard his brown eyes were, at the almost hateful glitter in them. Was he that angry at them? Yes. Yes he was.

Carefully he eased the car forward, checking for traffic even though the neighborhood was relatively quiet. He got the hell off the block, away from the house, before his father did something hatefully drastic. His left eye was still swelling from where the man had punched him a few minutes before.

He glanced over at the envelope in his passenger seat, laying where he'd tossed it moments before. Idling at a stop, he reached over and opened it. Pictures spilled out onto his lap. Happy snapshots of the life he'd led until now. His mother and father, his sister. Birthdays, vacations, random occasions. They still love you. Her curvy handwriting plain against the white slip of paper tucked amid them.

He dropped it as a horn honked behind him, moving along as he headed for the freeway, reaching for the radio. The soft sounds of a high female voice floated out and he tapped a finger in time to the beat, humming along and resisting the urge to try and pitch his voice that high. Gay he might be but he was still a guy. Still, a few lyrics managed to trickle out.

"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone.
You shine it when I'm alone.
And so I tell myself that I'll be strong.
And dreaming when they're gone."


At least his friends still accepted him, that was the bright spot in Trey's life right now. The guys had known for a while and despite the obligatory teasing they got along with it...except for being weirded out every now and again.

As he bopped along in his car, he hoped idly that Allan wouldn't mind the imposition.
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"Music makes you braver."
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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Three: Laughter

The huge smile on his face was a blazing curve of ivory in his bronzed face, legs pumping as he booked it to where his convertible waited. Yeah so maybe stealing their wallets had been a bad idea but shit, the look on their faces made it almost worthwhile. Planting both hands on the trunk, he vaulted over the back seat and managed, through some miracle of flexible contortions, to land in the driver's seat. He lost precious seconds fishing his key out and jamming it in the ignition and cranking the engine to life. His Converse covered foot stomped on the peddle and there was the sound of squealing as he peeled out.

A few of the chasing mob launched themselves at his swiftly departing vehicle, their fingertips sliding harmlessly off the smooth wax of his cherry-bomb red pain. He twisted in his seat, twiddling long fingers with their black polished nails at them. Winking one green eye rimmed in guy-liner at them as he sped away before returning his gaze to the road.

God they'd all been piss heads. No talent. No sense of humor. Nothing. He popped a piece of gum into his mouth and leaned over, fishing through the CDs he kept in in a zip case, spreading them out all over the opposite seat. Plucking a random burned CD out, he shoved it into his stereo, grinning wider as the first breathy words crawled out of his speakers.

Cranking it up, he whipped through the nearby neighborhoods, removing the money from the wallets and pitching the rest crazily behind him, leaving a scattered trail of debit cards, credit cards, library cards, medical cards, useless pieces of paper with scribbled words, take-out receipts, and drivers licenses on the pavement behind him.

Drumming hard on the steering wheel, head waving from side to side, the wind on the freeway whipped his maroon hair back behind him. Turning the stereo up even louder, he raised his voice with it, knowing full well the song was drowning out his shitty vocals.

"I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans,
Be your teenage dream tonight.
Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans,
Be your teenage dream tonight!"


The woman might be a whore but hey, so was he sometimes. He was going to enjoy his youth while he had it, every instant of it. He'd grow up later when his body wasn't in shape and his face wasn't cute anymore.

As Keith motored along at seventy miles an hour he tried to picture the look on Allan's face when he pulled up...Allan had no sense of humor.
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"Music makes you braver."
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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Four: Calm

He blinked in the bright sunlight, unused to the natural light of the sun after spending so many hours in smokey clubs and dimly lit bars. The light feeling of his wallet told him he hadn't accomplished much either, certainly not worth the hours he'd put in. Smoothing the rumples in his suit jacket he then ran a hand through his jet black hair trying to get it to lay flat or...well just behave in any way. When that didn't work on the first or second attempts he gave up.

The clean air was a welcome flavor in his mouth after the stale sweat and cigarette smoke that had permeated his previous environments. God this was probably the worst job he'd ever agreed to...had he really sunk this low? He wandered over to his car, fumbling for his keys before opening the door. All his shit was still in the back from where he'd had to vacate his former apartment the previous day. Fucking roommate had been pocketing the money Vick had given him for rent and bills and blowing it at poker, gotten them both kicked out.

Hence the emergency gig. It hadn't helped, he had maybe five hundred bucks to his name. Too low to do shit, unless he wanted a motel room. He shook his head in disgust as he pulled out of the parking lot, arm dangling out the window. Things had been better in the past, back when he'd just hung with the guys. They'd all been so convinced they were going somewhere...what happened to that?

He smiled, aimlessly driving, listening to the radio, tapping his fingers on the door of his car in time to some tunes. Then on came a slow and mellow rhythm he was rather familiar with. He hummed along with it for a while, he didn't know all the words, just the tune. He kept hearing bits and pieces of it everywhere. The chorus, that he did know, and sang along with as he made his way unconsciously toward the freeway.

"But you didn't have to cut me off!
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing.
And I don't even need your love,
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough.
No you didn't have to stoop so low!
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number.
I guess that I don't need that though,
Now you're just somebody that I used to know."


How had they all lost touch just like that? They'd been really close back in the day. As he continued driving, Vick became certain of one thing.

Allan would know how to get in contact with them.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."

"Music makes you braver."
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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Five: Unity

The motes of dust sparkled brilliantly in the shafts of pure sunlight that streamed through all the holes and cracks, vanishing into the greater gloom of the dilapidated building's interior. He searched in vain for a light switch in the murk, swearing and stumbling as he did so. Eventually he was forced to open both broad doors, letting the light pour in fully. Why had he ever in his right mind assumed he'd be able to do this?

Maybe because he'd thought he could get a little help. He pulled the ball cap on his head down a little lower, providing a little more shade for his hazel eyes as he stared at the massive project ahead of him. The old barn would be a great place of operations if he could ever get it fixed up. He could showcase local talent from all over, plenty of parking in all the nearby fields. Serve drinks and maybe a grill of the week type deal. He could net a tidy profit. If he could get the place fixed up.

The sound of a car engine rumbled in the distance, growing ever louder. It took Allan a few minutes to realize it wasn't one car, but several, and he turned as they approached. One by one they pulled to a stop, a semi-circle as the occupants slowly got out.

Rafe looking rock-star perfect, staring from Allan to the building with an amused look over the top of his shades.

Trey, sporting a black eye and a polo shirt, long arms crossing over his over muscled chest as he stared quizzically at the old barn.

Keith with his usual maniac smile and over use of make-up, hands on hips as he burst out laughing at what could only be the look on Allan's face.

Vick in what must have been his only good suit jacket and the expression of a man running on nothing but coffee and hope.

"I'm sensing the reason you're hear has less to do with my needing help than individual circumstances never the less I-"

Rafe pushed past him, his leather jacket tossed on the Chargers hood. "Shut up and hand me a hammer. We all know better than to trust you with manual labor."

Allan smiled, handing Rafe a hammer and turning on the stereo in his truck, cranking it up and listening to them all groan about his choice of music. Ignoring them all he lifted his voice, chuckling as slowly they all joined in, whether they liked it or not.

"Hey, yeah, yeah, hey, yeah…
We must stand together.
Hey, yeah, yeah, hey, yeah…
There's no giving in.
Hey, yeah, yeah, hey, yeah…
Hand in hand forever.
Hey, yeah, yeah, hey, yeah…
That's when we all win."

_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."

"Music makes you braver."
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Allen seems to have interesting friends
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"He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question is a fool forever" - Chinese Proverb

Check out Legacy, my primary story in progress, or Prevention, an inverted mystery.

Also, if you feel like helping me out, Sunlight in Winter could use critics.
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