Fragility of the Mind

Raine smiled at Emir and Nicole's entrance.

"Nah, wrong girl."

Ariel sat up from her bed and rubbed the back of her neck. Her headache hadn't gone away but she had been called to go. She smiled slightly, knowing what was to come. She went to the bathroom and quickly freshened up, making herself look presentable. Then she had a quick mental conversation with Leana.

'You know why we're going, so I expect you to stay quiet.'

'Yes Mother, of course.'

'I don't need your sarcasm.'

'Then you know that if something happens I'm coming out.'

'No. You're not.'

Ariel ran outside and saw the limo, surprised that they were going to the restaurant in such a fancy vehicle. She shrugged and walked to the car, opening the door and went to sit beside Alevon. She raised an eyebrow.

"Sloppy seconds?" she asked. "What are you talking about now, Raine?"

Emir shrugged.

"Eh whatever, I'm just waiting for some steaks. The only thing that'll ruined my appetite is a bear ripping your ribcage Raine." He said, going into the limo.

"Uh-huh..." Nicole said, going in next.

Raine smirked at Ariel's arrival. Her timing could have been better but the young woman didn't complain. Usually Raine would have gotten to the more physical aspect of fighting by now but she didn't feel it was worth it. She had more important things to worry about, like getting Jon back. If he wad retrievable.

"I can be faster than a bear, dear," Raine laughed.

As soon as Emir says 'the little slut is a cannibal' Alevon's head whips to face him, his mouth partially open, fangs bared slightly, eyes locked, unmoving, on Emir.

Alevon feels a surge of adrenaline, a rush of anger hits him.

Gabrielle couldn't believe herself. She gave Raine the coldest glare she could manage, putting her chin down and her eyes, slanted, towards the younger girl. "My promiscuity has been greatly overestimated." She gave her a sweet smile. "I say do your research before you file your hypothesis."

In fact, she was talking about Udo Weber. Gabrielle lavished in the priviledge of having known more about him than any other person in America, most likely. She resided in the idea that seducing a German criminal was only her right.

A right.

"So stop flapping around where your mind doesn't belong," she said coldly. "It's distasteful."

"Fine a mutated honey badger size of a bear." Emir laughed also, Nicole rolled her eyes.

"You and your metaphors."

"YES...ME and my metaphors." He laughed manically. "Soon, my sarcasm will spread like wildfire, and everybody will become....ME, or somewhat like...ME."

Ariel frowned slightly but said nothing. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat quietly, eyeing Gabrielle.

'Well? You gonna say something? Or shall I?'

'No. You know damn well I'm not going to say anything.'

'So let me do the talking!'

'I'm not letting you out.'

'Damn you.'

Alevon shakes his head, closing his eyes. He wipes his face and the feeling fades. He looks Emir in the eyes
"You shouldn't say such things."
He says flatly, about 'cannibalistic sluts', holding Maya's hand tighter before he looks to the rest of the group

"Hey, I think everyone should calm down...we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves here, we've never done this before you know. It'd be nice for us to get along for one evening, just have some fun and enjoy each others company"

He then turns to Ariel and smiles
"I'm glad you could make it"

Raine snapped her head to Gabrielle now, quite annoyed.

"Oh dear, upset you now haven't I? Well, honey, my mind is in the gutter all the time and wherever my mind was to talk to you now, was much lower than that."

She turned away now, ending the conversation. She wasn't going to take things further.

When any of Raine's friends are hurt in some way shape or form she acts fast like a cobra ready to strike. She's not rude or ghastly with her words, only classy and blunt, to the point.

Ariel turned her head to face Alevon and smiled slightly.

"Yeah," she replied, "Wouldn't miss it." Her gaze shifted to Raine and she frowned. She said in a quiet voice, "You don't have to be so nasty to her, Raine."

Gabrielle expressed her annoyance by crossing her thin legs and looking the side opposite of Raine. She acted as if she were completely ignoring Udo, however, instead concentrating on the window.

Okay, fine, whatever.

Gabrielle didn't have the energy to fight. She had more important things to deal with.

Alevon watches Udo out of the corner of his eye, wondering if he knew about Gabrielle and Ariel/leana's position.

"Ariel, glad to see you come to eat steaks and hopefully get wasted with me so I don't have to be a lonely drunk in the party." Emir grinned.

"You're honestly that desperate...Wow." Nicole grinned also, looking at her big brother.

"Gotta shot me down like that.....Not cool." Emir said, wiping a imaginary tear.

Ariel chuckled at Emir's comment.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind grabbing a beer with you," she said.

'Need to let loose somehow...'

"Well good, so long this limo doesn't crash into a random flashlight, let us drink till we puke, lets us drink to freedom...or a near liquor store." Emir said, raising his hand slowly to the air as he said it.

"I never saw my brother like this, he was kinda....How to say...Shy?" Nicole said to Ariel, laughing at Emir. "Course, never seen him for 10 years and all.."

Ariel smiled at Nicole, glad for some normal conversation.

"To be honest I haven't seen him in ten years either," she answered with a slight laugh. "Though it's nice to see him again. And to meet you as well."

At Ariel's words Raine looked at her seriously, no charm, sarcasm or humor in her tone.

"Where I'm from, you stand up for yourself, Ariel." She turned her attention to her cellphone which she pulled out of her skirt pocket. She scrolled through the contacts and paused when it got to Jon's number.

***

The rain pelted the young woman, the blood was running from her skin down to the pavement eerily and she could taste the tang of blood with the salt of her tears and the grit of the rain. Raine saw the cellphone lying a few feet away from the bleeding body and she picked it up. The picture of her and Jon on his phone was the background, she never knew he selected it.

More tears, more rain, more blood. She then noticed the crack in the screen, splitting their image apart. It seemed the whole world cried with Raine that night.

***

She jolted out of the brief flash-back and she could feel the tears making their way to the rims of her lids. She lay her head back after taking a bottle of water from the mini bar-fridge under the seat, trying to smother them.

Alevon hums to himself before his eyes widen for a split second. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a blu-tooth earbud and puts it in, pushing the button.

"I'll be out for awhile, maybe about an hour, no regular check-up required, I'll notify you when things are finished."

He pauses for a moment before a puzzled look befalls his face.
"...alright then, inform me later then"

He says before taking it back out and placing it in his pocket.

He sits and smiles for a moment before grabbing a bottle of champagne and turing to Maya
"Would you like some?"

"You too, this is quite a motley crew here: My drunk brother, a German, 2 hardcore bitches, an overprotective 'sister', Videor, a cannibal and uh....Alevon I suppose." Nicole laughed.

Ariel chuckled to herself.

"I bet I can guess who one of those "hardcore bitches" is," she said. She looked at Raine then back at Nicole and winked.

"Uh-huh." Nicole winked back, smiling.

Emir reached for a champagne bottle from the cooler, he asked everyone.

"Does anyone want some sparkling champagne?"