An Abundance of Voices ~open~

[Lila]

Lana smiled faintly and looked up at Vita. "Thanks," she said softly, pulling her hair out from under the apron. She tucked her cigarettes in her apron and glanced at her watch. She had five minutes left. "So, I'll see you tonight?" She didn't know what to say, but she hoped he would say something else. She didn't like him, but she didn't hate him. And that was a change from her usual attitude towards people. It was an extremely foreign feeling.

[little lost dragon]

Vita nodded "Your welcome. And..... yes I'll be there.... just to let you know though, I did some research on the place, partly to find out where it is and..... I normally avoid those places. They rarely take someone like me in." he admitted wanting to just get the rest of this trip over with. To him today seemed to have gone down the drain. She seemed all about being fully human. Just be a good human her line said in his head. That last part of that was the problem. He did not want to be a human. Too many humans labeled him a freak, too many humans valued money over all else, too many humans everywhere. He did not want to be in the humans group.

He wanted to be something else, not as a person but as a being. And the closest seemed to be one of them hero's. Not the super hero kind, the half dragon kind. Yes he'd get more flack then he already did, but it would be from humans and he would not need to see him self as much part of the human race. Plus, dragons where cool to him and if possible he'd be one. Though that looked impossible right now.

"But I stay to my word, I said I'll show so I'll show." he said with a nod.

[Lila]

Lana smirked. "You ruined the fun," she muttered, shaking her head. "But don't worry. You'll enjoy yourself. Just...wear the least baggy clothes you can find." She waved him goodbye and returned to her register, flicking the number above her on. She opened the register, counted her money, and made sure her aisle was stocked sufficiently with gum, candy, chips, and magazines. Today had been more eventful than she had expected it to be, and although it was emotionally traumatizing to her already fragile psyche, she had learned one thing -- humans were not all she had made them out to be.

 

Ever since Lana was young, she had been tormented for being different. Her foster brothers and sisters would cut her with scissors and butterknives just to watch her skin heal at superhuman speed. They'd throw her off of the balcony of their apartment at night just because she never got hurt from it. When she cried about the abuse, her foster parents told her to shut up. Dammit Lana, no one wants to hear your crying!, or All you ever do is CRY, you stupid piece of crap! No wonder your parents got rid of you! Just the thought of it made her shudder. So she had tried. She tried to bottle it up and cry silently into her pillow at night.

 

But somehow they always heard. They heard her muffled sobs at two in the morning when they were drunk with unexplainable rage. They ripped her out of bed -- the first few times, it sent Lana into shock. Her rabbit heart beat faster than it ever had and her body went stiff and cold. But she quickly learned that being stiff as a board made the beatings hurt worse. Instead of fighting, she relaxed (despite all of her instinct not to) and accepted it. She didn't go to school with black eyes or busted lips -- instead she hid in the public library restrooms. Just sat in a stall for seven hours, then walked home.

 

So yes. Lana had wanted to be human. But she had never considered the fact that humans were the ones who had caused her so much strife.

[little lost dragon]

Vita picked up the stuff he had wanted to get. He had gone back to normal now, with drawn and just getting the stuff he wanted to get done, done. Some of Lana's lines repeated in his head Just be a good human, "So rather than mend what is broken, you run away and try to become something you're not." Humans are so stupid. he dropped jar of cheese, thankfully it did not break. But there was clear damage on the edge of the lid. Sighing he picked it up.

He was not stupid! And what was he trying to mend? What was there to mend? Dragons where dead.... ok but how the heck would he help mend that? Not like he could raise them from the dead or something.

He got to the tills and paused before heading to Lana's. The line was short too so that would serve as an excuse if she asked about it. Why did she want to be concidered human so much? This morning she exploded at the mention of not being human, made zero sense to him. What was so specail being a bipedal being that is among a few mill bipeds of the same race that kills what ever is different or something and makes other things suffer and... the list could go on and on.

Maybe if he could.... run into the source of what first combined human and dragon DNA. Now that he knew for sure they existed and where not just on the news to classify as another group with a term slapped on like many ADD people who really just don't bother with self control and the works....

 

When it came his turn at the till he nodded to her giving a small smile. Though turmoil was there in how he seemed only half there.

[Lila]

Lana forced a smile, begrudgingly ringing up his items. She furrowed her brow at the dented lid on the jar of cheese. "Eventful shopping trip?" she asked, ringing it up as well. She tucked her red hair behind her ear and finished the rest of his items. "Your total is going to be twenty-three dollars and fifty six cents," she droned monotonously. "Paper or plastic?" She really didn't know how to handle Vita. He made her feel. For so long, she'd shut everyone out and labeled them immediately as stupid. She didn't even hate people. She had no reason to. They didn't drown her in sorrow or lift her up into the stratosphere, or drag her to the fiery pits of hell. The were just there, and she looked down upon them. But Vita, he was so infuriatingly persistent, and she loved it. He made her so indignant and so dejected all at the same time, and it was thrilling. There was nothing about him she liked except for the bittersweet anger she tasted on her tongue when she spat snide remarks at his seemingly innocent statements.

 

But of course, she hid all of this behind a plastered, generic smile.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Lila

[little lost dragon]

Vita shook his head "I slipped is all." he said before grabbing his wallet and handing her a 20 and 5 bill before closing it and putting it back in his pocket "Keep the change, and plastic, I'd like to double up for each bag too." he replied though still not entirely there.

Maybe once he got back home he'll start looking up how the hero's came to be again, this time looking for places that might still be active. Of course that won't be easy though but if tried hard enough.... he found one hero but she seemed to call him stupid over it. After tonight he planned on dropping the relationship then. Besides, he seemed to be good at making her mad, which he did not find fun.

[Lila]

Lana stifled a groan when Vita said double bag. She put away money and handed him his receipt, then proceeded to fill grocery bags with items. She hated when people asked to double-bag. It was so unnecessarily difficult but she had to do it. Unfortunately, she thought with a bit of humor to herself, I didn't survive an attempted murder with plastic bags. So I have no excuse to hate the. She let a small smile take her lips, but continued bagging as drearily as possible. At last the last bag had been bagged, and she placed them out for Vita to take. "Thank you for shopping at Ray's Minimart," she muttered, glancing at her watch.

[little lost dragon]

Vita gave her a small smile in return before picking up his bags "Thanks." he said before starting to leave. With the bags doubled up it met the risk of the stuff breaking the bag and falling out was lowered.

It was largely a uneventful walk thankfully making his way home. When he got home he put the food into the fridge and freezer before going to him room and finding the least baggy clothing he had.... because apparently baggy was bad as normal. "Its not the norm" he muttered as he did so.

[dragonfreak6132]

((Oh, gosh. I'm giggling so hard at what little lost dragon said. ))

 

Roxy gave an small chuckle. She was kind of socially awkward too. She often was thought as rude or sullen just because she wasn't yay woo hoo yippie skippy over everything

 

"I'll try not to remember you as a creepy guy from a deli," she said. Wanting to know more about a stranger was still a wierd thing say, to her anyways. But he had introduced himself, so why not do the same?

 

"My name is Roxy Green. I don't go to a university here, but I do have a job, and I sell my art online."

 

He said his occupations, she said her's. Things work like that, right? she asked herself.

 

((I am so bad at writing long anythings))

Edited July 22, 2013 by dragonfreak6132

[Lila]

((I keep trying to reply to this but I get distracted checking on my dragons and facebook and my work schedule what am I doing lol))

 

Benjamin grinned as the conversation seemed to loosen up. "You're an artist, really? What do you paint?" he asked, suddenly beguiled. "You know, my mother used to hire this artist to come paint for us when I was what, seven, maybe? Anyway, she'd always hire the same Spanish man every week, and he would do our portraits. He'd always paint me in some different costume, then my mother and me, and then he would go in my parents room to paint my mother..." He paused, furrowing his brow. "Come to think of it, I don't think they were painting." His shoulders popped up in a shrug and he laughed. "Sorry. I like telling stories. Even if they end in me discovering my mother's infidelity. Anyway. You're an artist? What do you paint?"

 

((I DIDN'T MEAN FOR THIS CHARACTER TO BE SO WHATEVER BUT I LIKE IT))

[Lila]

dragonfreak

"I don't know what I usually draw. It just depends on what I feel like drawing I guess. But one thing I keep on drawing are dragons. I don't know why, I just feel like dragons are really cool," she said.

 

Roxy pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. "Do you mind if I draw one really quick?"

 

Without waiting for an answer, she began to draw anyways. The pen's ink fell smoothly onto the paper. She connected the lines to form a wyvern flying.

 

"I always feel this odd connection to... well, something. I don't know what it is, but, it's nice," Roxy paused. "Do you want to keep this? It was just a quick sketch."

Edited July 24, 2013 by Lila

[Lila]

((timeskip yoyo~))

 

Lana turned off the shower, opened the curtain, and wrapped herself in a towel. Goosebumps rose along her skin as a draft quickly swept away the warm water from her skin, or so it seemed. The mirror hadn't fogged, so she couldn't help but turn and observe the rough, prominent ridges between her shoulder blades. She ran her thin fingers over them, wondering if they would ever go away. Sighing, Lana removed her towel and garbed herself in underwear before drying her hair with the towel and putting on lotion.

 

"I don't know what to wear!" Lana voiced, exasperated. Why do I even care? she thought. I don't like Vita. She sighed again and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling chilly. A sweater caught her eye, so she threw it on while she looked for clothes. At last, she resorted to a form fitting black dress. If she was going out with a guy, she might as well go for the classic.

 

She peeled off her sweater and slipped into the dress, which, even for her size, was quite a struggle. After two or three minutes of wiggling, she at last had gotten it on completely. It was worth it, too. It hugged her in all the right places, and was definitely not a dress that would be allowed at her senior prom. Relieved that her dress was no longer a concern, she went back into the bathroom to do her makeup.

 

After Lana had put on all of her foundation and was beginning to put on eyeshadow, a sudden feeling of hesitation came over her. Why am I taking Vita to a nightclub? She set her makeup brush down. "I don't want to get drunk with him." She gave herself an evil look in the mirror, then grabbed a baby wipe and quickly took off all of her makeup. She struggled out of her dress, and into a blue and white flannel dress belted at the waist, with a sweetheart neckline and a skirt that came down to her knees. She strapped on a pair of gladiator sandals, threw her hair into a messy side braid, and put on the slightest bit of mascara and a dab of perfume.

 

Her watch said 7:50. Damn, she thought. I'm going to be late. I wish I had his number. She scoffed. No. I don't want his number! What has gotten into me? As hurriedly as she could manage, Lana grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Lila

[little lost dragon]

Vita came out of his bathroom after showering him self before he checked his cloths wondering what the heck to wear. "Nothing baggy.... no one likes baggy.... its 80's or so I'm told....." he muttered as he looked through them. He found a light blue T-shirt that had not worn in months. "Guess its a good thing I kept you. Maybe the least baggy top I got." he muttered getting it on. It was a little baggy but more form fitting though he disliked that. He found a pair of pants that where form fitting though little darker then the shirt and sighed. "Maybe should have called off the meet up at Minimart..... I said I'd be there though..... what did I get my self into?" he asked him self walking to his bathroom mirror "Vita.... what where you thinking? You've gone and made a fool of your self to a girl, now she's set you up to look stupid in-front of a pub crowd." he said to him self before sighing and got ready to head out. "7:45..... I got some time to get there." he muttered before making sure he only had some cash on him and not everything. In case his wallet was stolen he removed everything besides some money. Not that much money either.

He left his place and started to make his way before pausing at the street he had ran into Lana. He sighed "Just stay quiet, only talk when need to.... and I'll get through this alive yet." he muttered before heading down it wondering if he'd run into Lana on the way.

[Lila]

Before she'd even reached the bar, Lana noticed Vita in the distance. She almost waved to him, then stopped. Should I? she wondered. Or should I wait for him to notice me? She shook her head. "I hate this," she muttered, squeezing the bridge of her nose. "This means nothing to me," she tried to tell herself. "I don't like him. I just did this to mess with him." A groan escaped her. Then why did I change out of my other dress?! She slapped her forehead in frustration, then turned and jogged over to Vita. Apparently, she couldn't stop as quickly as she thought, and bumped into him. "Sorry," she said quietly, gently pushing herself away, then managed her most innocent smile ever. "Um, hi."

[little lost dragon]

Vita was thinking about the kinds of situations he could find him self in at the pub place when suddenly someone had bumped into him. He stumbled a little before regaining his balance to turn and see Lana in a nice dress before she gave him a innocent smile. Based on what he had seen before.... why would she care? "Humans are so stupid" she had said. He stopped him self mid thought and forced a small smile and gave a nod. "Hey." he responded before looking her over. "You look like your out for an occasion." he commented frankly suprized. The only time she really showed any.... anything more then spite or anger was after she called him stupid and processed to tell him to be a good human. Like he some how knew how to fix problems with the dragons being killed off. Her words had stung him back at the mart though he tried to hide it.

Though it was hard to hide the fact he was not really looking forward to heading to the pub. Then again, knowing a little on how girls behaved, the look she had given him back when she first met him, her comment on him looking up the place wrecking the fun, this would not be a fun night for him.

He indacated to him self "Hows this?" he asked "Least baggy things I could find." he admitted.

 

 

[Lila]

"You look nice," Lana said, crossing her arms self-consciously. "And yea...I was wondering if you maybe just wanted to get some sushi or something. I can pay for mine, if you need me to, or...I don't know." She gulped, looking up at him. Her eyes were a dead giveaway to what she was feeling, all of the time. She could never hide it. And right now, her eyes were more nervous and girly than they had ever been, even when she was a child watching a TV show with a cute actor in it. Lana didn't know what it meant to like someone, anyway. She just wanted some sushi and a dinner conversation and maybe a glass of champagne. Never in her life had she actually felt like being anywhere near that conservative on a night out.

[little lost dragon]

Vita blinked in suprize. It took him a few moments to switch gears in his head as he saw her eye's. What was with her? First she wanted to make him suffer or something now she was asking to go somewhere.... quieter, from a pub setting to a normal date like setting? This through him for a loop. He pulled out his wallet to count the money he had in it "I... did not bring much cause I thought.... if we stop by my place I can pick up some more cash though... sure, I know of a place that has sushi... I'm up for that..... sure." he got out. Why did she seem to suddenly switch gears though? He went from the guy to get mad at and the works to.... wanting to have a quiet diner with for the outing instead of the pub place. Not that he minded the location change....

 

[Lila]

"I'll just pay for you," Lana told him. "Look, I'm sorry I don't make sense. I know no one understands me because I don't even understand myself. I wanted to mess with you by taking you out to the club, but then I didn't want to get drunk in front of you because then I would be vulnerable and would make some pretty stupid choices...like I usually do...but regardless! I just...I know that I'm really confusing you right now and trust me I sure as hell am confusing myself as well, and now I just want to go on a date because I'm already dressed for the occasion and I'll pay for your roll if you'll just come with me and make me not feel like a total nutcase." She sighed, obviously upset that she hadn't gone through with her own plan. She did her best to avoid eye contact with Vita, keeping her emerald eyes mostly on the ground.

[little lost dragon]

Vita put his wallet away and listened. So he had been right, she had wanted to mess with him. Now she did not want to make her self look stupid and was willing to pay for his end as well. Just to avoid her own trap. He closed his eye's and then opened them a few moments later. "Alright, I know a place near by here that's quiet, its got sushi too," he said and after a moment of deciding he extended his hand to her. At least she admitted what she had wanted to do and seemed to be making up for it. "As for nut cases, this is my first date so.... I'll most likely be the nut case if you catch me off guard too many times." he admitted giving her a small smile trying to cheer her up. Why was she.... so insecure though? This was another thing she let out with out him saying a word. Confusing? He had not mentioned that.

[Lila]

Lana laughed nervously. "Um, alright," she managed. She took his hand and breathed in deeply. "Take me there." She didn't tell him it was her first date too. She didn't tell him she'd never hugged anyone in her life, let alone held hands with someone. Instead Lana stayed quiet, tried not to be so mean, so rude, for once. It had gotten her nowhere, and despite every urge she had to turn and run from the situation, she let herself stay and enjoy the simple, innocent pleasure of holding someone's hand.

[little lost dragon]

Vita nodded and started to walk, hand in hand with Lana to the place he had spoke about. He did wonder though what was going on in her head. But he did not ask about it right now.

It did not take long before they where there. It looked to be a small place, Some out side tables with the seats facing where the sun was setting "I like to eat out here at times, its a bit of a home run restaurant, But for home run, they make a lot of good food." he explained leading her up to the front counter. "Finally took my advice huh kid?" a old man said coming up to them "Picked up a nice lookin girl too. Nice to meet ya mam." he said before looking at them "Well I don't have all day what would you 2 like?" he asked

Vita looked at the menu "I'll have my normal and..." he paused and looked at Lana in case she wanted to say her own order. IF she did not he would say it, if she did then he let her.

[Lila]

Lana smiled bashfully. "Thank you sir," she laughed. "Um, I'll have a roll of shrimp tempura." She looked to Vita. "How often do you come here?" she asked. "It's nice though. I mean, family-owned places are usually better, anyway. Chain restaurants just really aren't my thing." She paused, a bemused look crossing her face. "I can't believe I just said I had a thing," she laughed, putting her face in her palms. "Forgive me. I'm an awful conversationist if I'm not yelling at people." Interestingly enough, there was no trace of anger in Lana right now. Which was surprising, considering she was on a date with someone she had nothing fundamentally in common with, nor did this person strike her as particularly charming or witty or attractive. But she was relaxed, and happy, and sober. That wasn't a frequent combination of traits in her life.

[little lost dragon]

The old man nodded "Right away, Expect the bill after you've both enjoyed your meal. Take this tag so we know which table to bring the food." he said before he seemed to head off into the back.

 

Vita smiled and nodded "No problem. I'm not that great at making conversation my self. And your right, The Chain ones seem to... lose there quality, start tying to make more money and the food suffers, I've shown up here many times before. The owners know me I know them, would you beleive this is where I work?" he asked "Just got a few days leave." he said before pulling a chair out for her waiting for her to sit down before taking a seat beside her "Just a little wait and you'll have, I swear a home cooked version of what you ordered." he said before he suddenly got whacked over the head. A old lady, hair fully grey though still in good shape was there "Stop that young man! Your going to make her hungry." she said in a pretend scolding tone "We pay you don't forget, now, what would you 2love birds like to drink?" she asked bringing out a note book and a pen and looking at them

Vita rolled his eye's though was smiling a bit "I'll have my normal root beer." he said before she gave him that look only granny's can give before she looked at Lana "And what would the future bride like?" she asked trying to make it look like it was offical, though the corners of her mouth where having a hard time keeping straight.

Vita blushed a bit looking away to try and hide his face.

 

((Good old natured folk, gotta love em lol.))

[Lila]

Lana maintained perfect composure. "I'll have water with lemon," she replied coolly. "But just between you and me -- he didn't even get me a ring!" She feigned a scoff, shaking her head, then gave Vita a mischievous smile. "I can't believe you like root beer," she chuckled. "It's absolutely disgusting. Once when I was eight, my brothers and sisters held me down and poured root beer in my nose and mouth." She shrugged. "So maybe I have a biased view of the drink. But, it's still gross."

[little lost dragon]

The old woman looked at Vita "I should lower your pay for that." she said before smiling at Lana before leaving.

Vita looked at Lana face most of the way back to normal "Poured it in your nose? That would do it..... stuff hurts if it gets in there." he admitted "Never saw the taste in water with lemon though.... always too watery for me. Bad taste to me." he said before smiling at Lana "How does Minimart treat you?" he asked leaning back in his chair, It was kind of in the open how he was treated here.

 

((Recommend a time skip, tis running out of things to spice the date thing up for us to post lol. Maybe till she wants to jump a indepth question or when there getting up to leave, I imagin they'd banter about about the shallow things in there lifes, we could sum it all up and stuff))