Post by Layne F. Larkin on Jun 11, 2012 20:08:33 GMT -5
Fuck it. This shit had gone on long enough.
After Layne's cat fightshouting match disagreement with Micha earlier, she had been left with a vial of graphorn powder, more than enough to complete the assignment, actually. She'd taken that vial back to her lab, treated her minor injuries, and divided the powder in half.
She had been pacing the dungeons for the last few hours, the vial growing warm and a little slick in her hand as she gripped it and got her shit together. She'd had to prepare what she wanted to say, and it had taken her all those hours to swallow her goddamned pride so that she was ready to say it.
It wasn't every day that someone got an apology from Layne Fucking Larkin.
"Ruskie, um, I mean Micha, you in here?" For once, Layne's speech was clear of all profanity, although her internal fucking monologue was filled with that shit. If she wasn;t here, then Layne was going to feel like a fucking douchetard. Not that she didn't feel that way already.
Post by Micha Volkov on Jun 11, 2012 20:24:54 GMT -5
Micha Volkov was not fond of many things. She was not fond of people, just in general, and she was not fond of those so-called 'group projects', and she was not fond of public altercations. All those things had somehow combined and then managed to involve her without any sort of real permission on her part, and so she wasn't in the best mood when she finally stomped in through the common room door and threw her bag down on her bed. Luckily, other Slytherins (what other Slytherins) stayed out of her way, and she was left to some sort of peace for a while. She laid down for a while, flat on her back on top of her cushiony comforter, something akin to a blank stare on her pale face. Aleksei lay next to her, purring, and eventually she'd fallen asleep.
Larkin's voice woke her up, and sleepily, she pulled herself together, running fingers through her curly black hair in lieu of a comb. One of the first things she'd done upon returning to the common room was don stockings, and so her grass-stained knees were hidden by black wool when she padded out of her room, arms crossed over her thin chest.
Ruskie. She did not know whether to be offended or pleased. She'd been called it before, but never before in such a friendly manner -- well, if it even was friendly on Larkin's side. Coolly, she assessed the rainbow-haired girl, standing straight like they hadn't been flinging dangerous spells at each other a few hours prior.
"I'm here," she stated, neverminding that it was entirely obvious. She was standing right there, but politeness forced her tongue. "What do you want?" The Russian accent that had so heavily laced her words earlier was gone, once again subdued and replaced by precise, clear tones. The Slytherin stared at her fellow, face expressionless, waiting for... whatever it was Layne planned to pull this time.
Post by Layne F. Larkin on Jun 11, 2012 20:40:07 GMT -5
Coming fully into the room, Layne saw that Micha had been sleeping. Oh fuck, that's just great, I woke her ass up, Layne thought to herself. Layne dropped her eyes to the ground, and held out the vial of powder she'd brought for Micha.
"I'm . . . Shit. Here. There's no reason you should fucking fail because you got into shit with me." God, she couldn't pussy out like this. She heaved a sigh, and said what she'd actually wanted to say. "I'm fucking sorry, okay? I shouldn't have started shit with you. I should have fucking come to you in private before or some shit like that. I was just really fucking mad, and I never think this shit out when I'm angry like that. I let it get out of hand."
Cheeks burning, she looked over at Micha. Would she take the vial? Layne wouldn't in her shoes. She would probably laugh at her and shit. Layne realized that she was a really horrible fucking piece of shit person.
Post by Micha Volkov on Jun 11, 2012 21:46:11 GMT -5
She'd been ready to go for her wand, if needs be, though she realized as soon as Layne opened her mouth that she'd left it on the bed with the rest of her stuff. Luckily, Layne didn't attack, but rather... handed her a vial of powder? Confused, Micha accepted it, sharp gray eyes noting the level of powder inside to be much less than she'd originally given Layne. Ah. She'd cut it in half, so they could both pass. Blankly, she stared at Layne, then down to the vial. She had no idea what to think.
And then Larkin apologized. A flicker of surprise ran over Micha's face, dark gray eyes widening before she got things under control again. How on earth was she supposed to take that? Was Larkin planning something? Had to be... yet, Micha felt her iron will softening. Apologies were so awkward and it was obvious Layne knew that. Best to just get this over and done with quick as possible. "It is fine." That wasn't enough, she didn't think.
Taking a breath, she clasped the vial in both hands, staring Layne determinedly in the eye. "It is over and done with. Thank you." The last two words were near impossible to spit out, but she managed it somehow. Storm gray eyes went to the side, and color rose in her own cheeks. "I would not have cared so much were it not Leon you accused me of - of -" She glowered at nothing, then wiped the expression when she remembered exactly what Larkin had said back there, at the lake. "You have feelings for him still?" Her tone was incredulous; Micha couldn't believe anyone would like that trickster Foster. Layne was an odd one, though. Maybe she had a 'thing', as Americans said, for men like that.
Last Edit: Jun 11, 2012 21:47:34 GMT -5 by Micha Volkov
Post by Layne F. Larkin on Jun 11, 2012 22:18:50 GMT -5
It was over? Micha was gracious. Layne was grateful for that much at least. Shit was awkward as hell already without having to deal with Micha fucking gloating and shit. Layne knew she would have gloated. Big fucking time. Maybe she knew a little of what Hero saw in Micha now. Why he'd so clearly chosen Micha over her.
Layne would have made the same damn choice.
"Accused you of what?" Layne said, a smile playing at her lips. "Caring for him? How terrible of me," she teased. Her speech was not as vulgar around Micha. For some reason the reserved nature of her companion was causing Layne herself to consider her words more carefully. Or maybe it was that she knew the Russian wouldn't be scandalized, shocked, or visibly offended by her, so it lost it's meaning.
Then Micha asked her a question that gave her pause. The small smile slipped away as suddenly as it had appeared. "I don't fucking know anymore," she answered, "I thought I did. He rescued me, you know. I was drunk, and he helped me out, no judgement. It's why I call him Hero." She thought of that night in the greenhouses. Well, as much as she could remember anyway, she'd been fucking drunk as shit at the time.
"Anyway, he was the only one I'd met at that point who didn't seem to mind my shit." It was all pointless now, anyway. "Eh, fuck it. Even if he hadn't totally rejected me ages ago, the shit I pulled today definitely didn't endear my ass to him."
Layne had never been friendly with girls before. She was definitely the type to hang mostly around guys, but Micha wasn't like other girls. For one thing, she couldn't imagine Micha giving a flying fuck about what Layne was wearing, and for another, Micha was about as likely to talk behind her back as she was to make out with Whites and Leon at the same time, a probability mathematically indistinguishable from zero.
Maybe that was why she felt okay talking to her about this shit. "I'm sorry for dumping shit on you. I guess you're just a good listener." Not to mention gracious, elegant, and demure. All the things Layne would never be.
Post by Micha Volkov on Jun 11, 2012 23:06:03 GMT -5
Terrible? Micha's eyebrows knitted. She was unsure how to take Layne's tone, so she said nothing. The smile Layne gave her made her equally dubious, and she was left perplexed when her fellow Slytherin's mood dissolved back into one of discontent. Foster, helping people? Personally, she would suspect him to be the one that had gotten Larkin drunk in the first place, but... Well, maybe not.
"You can dump your... shit as much as you please," the Russian said placidly, though her mind still whirled. Leon. Leon? But he had -- "Are you sure," she said, somewhat hesitant. "That it was Leon who did all that? Not Whites?" It wasn't a compliment toward the loud-mouthed Gryffindor boy, or even an attempt at one. She could just not see deceptive Foster pulling a deed like that. Maybe Whites hadn't been the right suggestion, though. "Well, not Whites. That one..." She shrugged, not feeling like she had to finish the sentence. What was she even saying? Thinking of Leon made her think of all that nonsense, and that just made her pissed. She tried not to show, tried to remain stolid and expressionless and altogether Micha, but it was hard not to, with the confession that had basically spewed from Larkin's colorful lips.
She shook those thoughts from her head and once again focused on Layne's brown eyes. "Those Gryffindors are idiots," she said, like it might reassure Larkin. "Were you there when Leon turned himself female? Morons." She flushed as she said it, not in a shy, helpless girl way, but angrily, with real violence flashing in her eyes. "We are better off without them." That included Whites, though she didn't say it out loud. She couldn't exactly remember why she hated Whites, but she knew it was a good reason, and she held to that, clinging to fury like any real addiction. "Leon was wrong to reject you." The words were spoken firmly, and the look on Micha's face (one of real conviction) backed them up. Larkin was loud, and crass, and her hair made Micha's eyes water if she stared at it too long, but she was who she was, and she didn't give a fuck about anyone who didn't like that.
Micha had to respect that. Her own image had been cultivated for so long there was no way she could ever break the mold and one day just show up in a tank top and jeans, or kiss boys drunk, or, well, kiss boys period. Layne was free in a way she never could be. They were more alike than she'd thought; comrades, even. Maybe.
Last Edit: Jun 11, 2012 23:09:12 GMT -5 by Micha Volkov
Post by Layne F. Larkin on Jun 11, 2012 23:31:59 GMT -5
Layne was not going to dwell on that day. The day Leon changed into a girl. The day she'd found him in that dungeon room. The day she'd gotten the fucking balls to tell Leon how she felt, and he'd told her what everyone else always told her.
Layne Larkin was a fucking selfish bitch.
"I'm sure it was Hero. And, you know, don't be too hard on Whites. Sure he's kind of a silly bitch, but he means well. Most of the time." Whites was her bro. Whatever else happened, they had that day between them. a day filled with pancakes and tromping around town in the cold. In any case, Layne felt that she owed it to Whites to at least give him a half-hearted defense.
This was shit. She didn't want to talk about Whites to Micha. "I think, actually, Hero was right to choose you over me. He didn't want to change back." Layne tried her fucking best to recall the moment without feeling like a pile of shit. It didn't work. "He was willing to give up his whole goddamn life, except I kind of cornered him. Told him to tell you the truth."
Sure, she hadn't known at the time that the mysterious girl Leon had found in town was Micha. But she'd still insisted that if he did anything but change back and confess he was a fucking lying scumbag. "Maybe I kind of understand his choice now. Who'd want Layne Fucking Larkin when they could have you."
Even if Hero wanted her now, she'd still feel like a fucking consolation prize.
Post by Micha Volkov on Jun 11, 2012 23:58:37 GMT -5
'Silly bitch' was probably the best description she'd heard of Whites yet. Unable to stop herself, the corner of the girl's mouth twitched into something that was almost the beginning of a smile. You know, almost. "He is exasperating," she muttered, but didn't go any further into it, mostly because she couldn't expound on what she had meant to: Whites was a terror great as Leon Foster. She was quite sure he'd done something terrible to piss her off, but she couldn't remember just what. He'd touched her hair, she recalled, to brush something out of it, completely without her permission, but that alone could not be the source for her seemingly bottomless pit of anger.
She went quiet as Layne kept going, explaining something about 'Hero'. Micha didn't get it, but she listened nonetheless. If Foster had done so much to Layne, why did she still stick up for him? Why did she not lace every sentence containing his name with expletive on top of expletive like she did so much else? A steady ache began in Micha's chest, one that annoyed her even more than thoughts of Leon and Whites did. It was the feeling of injustice, or something. She did not want Leon, not at all, but Larkin did. Leon didn't want Larkin, he wanted her, Micha Volkov, Ice Queen Extraordinaire.
Leon, she decided (and not for the first time), was a moron. "I commend your bravery," she commented calmly, her steady face belying the humiliation that lurked beneath. Leon had seen her shirtless, she'd remembered, and that memory made her face flame, though she chose to ignore it. "I'm sorry he hurt you. I am." Apologies were tough for Micha, especially when it wasn't actually her fault, but she made this one work, almost vicious as she said it. If only Leon had never taken that potion, perhaps things would be different. Perhaps Leon and Layne would be together, and Whites would be there, being Whites, and she, Micha, would be peacefully off by herself, getting her assignments done without them turning into in-House duels. It was not good to think on, no matter how good it might be, and so she turned from that. It was stupid of her, but she didn't want to be alone anymore. Not that she would ever, ever admit that.
"I would date Layne Fucking Larkin before I dated that bitchy Micha Volkov," the Slytherin commented dryly. She remembered something and let out a small laugh, more a scoff at herself than anything else. "Larkin... I thought you and Whites were dating." So Whites wasn't a womanizer, but he was still annoying and a dumbass. "I will... ugh. I will apologize to him. Perhaps I was too harsh." The thought made her cringe, but she had pride to uphold, and the Volkovs were anything but a dishonest bunch.
It wasn't enough; even she felt that. She raised her chin, looked Larkin square in the eye. "Do you want me to beat Foster up for you, comrade? I will teach him a lesson in exchange for how he treated you." There was no doubt the Russian meant it, either, not with that look in her eyes.
Post by Layne F. Larkin on Jun 12, 2012 8:12:32 GMT -5
"Me and Whites?" Layne suppressed a giggle. Layne Fucking Larkin had to hold in a goddamn giggle. The thought was just that ridiculous. Still, she supposed she had been hanging around Whites quite a lot lately. Maybe if she were friends with Micha, she wouldn't need to bother him as much.
Micha offered to beat up Leon, and the mood changed again. The Russian was being genuine. "Nah, the little shit's been through enough, I figure." He'd had to walk around as a girl for a whole day, plus Micha had just publicly declared that she didn't love him. That had to suck balls. And there was the whole fact that Layne had no more fucks to give about Hero. It was too exhausting, not to mention a total fucking waste of time.
As the conversation had progressed, Layne had slowly and naturally drawn closer to Micha. Where they had begun an arm-length or two away--just close enough so that Layne could fucking apologize and give Micha the damn powder--they were now standing quite close. She saw the sincerity in Micha's eyes.
Fuck. What was this feeling?
She remembered something Micha said before. Something that she'd let slide past in the ridiculousness of shipping her and Whites. "Micha, you're definitely not a bitch. Believe me, I fucking know." Layne's heart hammered in her chest so that she was sure Micha could hear it. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Layne tried to tell herself not to do anything fucking stupid.
Too fucking late.
Before she knew what she was doing, Layne closed the small remaining distance between them, planting her lips on Micha's cheek. Micha's face was surprisingly soft and warm. And she smelled fucking fantastic too. "What do you say we swear off the fucking bastards, uh, boys I mean. For a while anyway," she said, after pulling away from Micha.
Post by Micha Volkov on Jun 12, 2012 17:35:48 GMT -5
Yes, her and Whites. Micha stiffened a bit, feeling foolish, but still well justified. Could you blame her? Generally, if one saw a teenage boy and teenage girl spending time exclusively with each other, wasn't it right to assume they were together? Then again, back at Durmstrang, her friends had been only male, so maybe she shouldn't have made such assumptions, but still. Hmm. She really had been a bit too mean toward Whites, hadn't she? Perhaps more than he deserved. She meant to keep to her earlier promise to apologize to him, no matter how unappetizing the thought was, but maybe she'd do more. She'd be n... n... nice. Ugh. She'd try, anyway.
Larkin declined her generous offer to take care of Foster, and the shorter Slytherin shrugged. It was Layne's decision -- if the multicolored girl changed her mind later, Micha's offer would still stand. She was not exactly an advocate for violence, but she saw nothing wrong with it if it was deserved.
Layne said something, jerking her out of her inner reverie; Micha raised her gray eyes to meet Layne's lighter brown. The other girl was looking at her oddly. Micha blinked, the indifference on her face momentarily turned into something a bit more curious. Not a bitch? Well, that was kind of Larkin to say, but Micha knew she was a bitch. That was probably one of the best words to describe what she was -- after all, hadn't she been called one time and time again? It didn't even phase her, not after all this time.
She had parted her lips to return some sort of comment, most likely one of wry amusement and acceptance, and then Layne leaned forward and -- Micha's eyes widened, huge and dark, reflecting Layne's face as she pulled away. One slim hand rose to touch her cheek, where Larkin's lips had momentarily lain to rest, and she stared, aghast at her own impoliteness and flabbergasted altogether. Had she missed something? Was this like how they did in in France, just a simple greeting, or - ah. Her fingertips tingled and she quickly put her hand back down. Slowly, her face heated. It took more control than one would think to keep her voice even as she spoke, and even with her full concentration, her pitch was higher than usual.
"I have no problem with that." Wait, what was she even agreeing to? If it had been Leon or Whites that had, ah, kissed her, they would have been dead less than a second after, but this was different, wasn't it? Larkin was a girl, and it had been on the cheek, so... Micha stood still, so lost in it all she forgot herself enough to let it show on her face. No, no, she was definitely thinking too much into it. Layne had just confirmed comrade status, that was all that had been. She allowed a tiny smile to grace her normally terse lips. "I've had enough of those 'fucking bastards' for a lifetime, anyway."
Last Edit: Jun 12, 2012 17:38:01 GMT -5 by Micha Volkov
Post by Layne F. Larkin on Jun 12, 2012 18:27:45 GMT -5
"Good to hear," Layne said as Micha agreed to swear off the menfolk. "You're also fucking adorable when you blush." Layne almost never blushed. It came with the pretending not to give a shit territory. That and being pretty damn good at the sarcastic combination of eye-roll and heaving sigh.
Why was Micha so ready to give up on the dudes, though, wondered Layne. Ugh. This was getting kind of confusing. Did she like Micha now? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that maybe she wasn't as straight as she'd always assumed she was. Micha was a special fucking girl. She looked like those creepy porcelain dolls her father's mother kept in her house. Except on Micha the effect was charming, instead of fucking weird and vaguely terrifying.
An idea formed in Layne's head. It was probably a shitty idea, but that had never stopped Layne in the past. "What if we like, pretended to go out? It would stop the douchebag guys from bothering us, and it would probably just about fucking kill Hero. I don't want to beat the guy up, but a little bit of torture would be okay with me." Dude did stomp the shit out of her heart after all.
Post by Micha Volkov on Jun 12, 2012 18:55:36 GMT -5
Fucking adorable -- no, no she was not. Larkin was very good at reducing Micha to wide-eyed stares and forgotten words, and though that irked her a little bit, it was also decently interesting. There was just honestly nothing to say to that. She did not want to be one of those girls that fished for compliments, denying praise with batted eyes in order to earn more. No, Micha did not like praise, thought it mostly empty, but here she was hearing it from Layne Larkin and losing her grip over it. It was all in how it was said; any boy might lather her with attention to receive something in turn, but from Layne it was always said with such brutal honesty she couldn't not mean it.
That was just the first part, though -- Micha Volkov did not blush. Yes, sometimes her cheeks might redden a bit as she temporarily lost control of emotions, but she was no swooning maiden, capable of turning pink at a moment's notice. She had been raised in Russia, goddammit. Russian girls did not blush and were definitely never adorable. Unless you counted the pin-ups that were on her Uncle Yuri's calendar; those girls, however, were an entirely different story.
But back on topic: she could hardly believe her pale little ears. Micha was dead silent, never one to waste a breath with hemming or hawing. She collected her thoughts with a professional brand of aloofness, refusing to get carried away until she fully understood everything. Pretend going out... with a girl. With Layne Larkin. Micha would never go out with anyone in the first place, much less for pretend, even more less with someone of her own gender, but here she was actually considering it. Well, it was the newly-nominated comrade Larkin, someone of her own House and apparently same interests (those being discard males, acquire currency -- or, you know, whatever).
The thought of it stopping those boys from eternally bothering them is what caught her interest (mainly). "I'm not good at this sort of thing," she said, and was that a trace of nervousness in her voice? No. Surely not. Micha Volkov was never nervous, not ever. "But it does sound amusing. So, yes. I accept." Should she be less formal, when accepting the position of fake girlfriend? Honestly, she had no idea how to act. "I will, ah, follow your lead, I suppose." There. Not her fault if she messed up Larkin's plan the second they stepped out.
Teagan Offline: This board is full of nostalgia.
Aug 22, 2020 8:39:09 GMT -5
Missing the old MH: gotta say missing when MH and all that was around.
Nov 6, 2019 0:02:30 GMT -5
Willow_lazy: why tf are there 400 posts about adidas
Sept 6, 2018 17:35:57 GMT -5
Azrael: I'm not hard to find, since I'm the only one there who goes by "Azzy", I'm pretty sure. XD
Feb 10, 2018 16:44:41 GMT -5
Azrael: Dunno if anyone still pops by here from time to time, but if any of you mofos do and still feel like gettin' yo nerd on, I've been hanging around this here place a bunch recently: www.roleplayerguild.com/
Feb 10, 2018 16:44:10 GMT -5
Azrael: hold onto your pantaloons
Jul 25, 2016 5:16:43 GMT -5