Did this world now truly never sleep?
The soft vibrations left me curious as to the forms of entertainment these days. The night held life here, whereas not so long ago, the darkness was where others mainly found fear. Not much was dark now, though. Artificial lighting was hung and posted everywhere. The lamps towered above, hanging solemnly. Sad to be watching over the much less than reputable etchings of human existence. Every street and almost every sign was aglow with this light source.
Lark couldn't get a room directly next to ours, placing him much further from us, so it was a bit of a walk to the vehicle. He had stationed it an equal distance between us so the walk would be "fair," he said. Women have many more rights now, which I appreciate, but at this moment, I find myself longing for the overly chivalrous gentleman. Normally, I wouldn't complain, but my pores were open from my showering, and the air felt colder than before. It held a clean crispness only found in mid to late Autumn. One couldn't help but stop and soak it in, except at this moment when my nipples could chop wood.
The fresh, tender flesh on the bottom of my bare feet burned in protest as I made the trek over to the Jeep. Each little pebble felt like a razor underfoot. It would take some time for the skin to get thicker. The tenderness of a new physical form was one of my least favorite parts of becoming alive. It explains part of the reason infants scream incessantly when they are newborns. As I reached the Jeep, an uneasiness grew within me. It felt as if I was being watched closely by someone. Nonchalantly, I looked around as I opened the back of the Jeep to grab the bag I needed. Nothing. I couldn't see a sign of anything out of order. The night around me remained quiet. No eyes were visible. Only the drumming deeper within the town. Deliberately, I took my time going through the bags to avoid any suspicion from my new admirer. Glancing about, I still could see nothing. Though the scent of the air around me was no different than before, the uneasiness in the pit of me remained.
Quietly, I ruffled through the shopping bags and found what I wanted. Undergarments that were little more than straps of cloth. Odd that someone would spend money on such a thing. So little material, you could probably craft it on your own right at home. Guaranteed much more protection than this thing would provide. I shouldn't complain. I didn't have any clothing at all last life and wasn't allotted much of anything. Yes, I lied to my companions. I've been here a few times more recently than I shared. These lives were inconsequential to bring up as I wasn't here very long. Not much was gained or learned. The fact that Lark mentioned the shortness of my previous time made me nauseous. It was probably happenstance, so I pushed away that pointless circular contemplation. Sifting through the bags, I found everything else I was looking for. Slick-looking black pants, a top, and a sweatshirt that had a hood and conjoining front pocket. 'Hoodie' is what Lark called it. He was right, and I'm glad now that he was so insistent that I got one. It was relatively comfortable.
I grabbed the pile and put everything back in the other bags. A smile crept upon my face at some of the other contents within. Looking at the throw blanket in the back, I decided to hide the bags beneath it. Slipping the sweater on, that feeling returned to me, crawling over my skin like ants as the fabric passed my face. Someone was watching me. I closed my eyes and tried again to reach out and feel for them. Any bit of their vibration would tell me. My voyeur. Except there was nothing. I couldn't feel anything unusual, so I brushed it off and headed back to the room. If I were in immediate danger, I would've sensed it. Besides, I was getting weaker by the minute. It was not a time to become compromised. If I was being monitored, I needed to be at full capacity.
Being careful this time, the door obliged more quietly when I opened it and snuck inside. Ryn lay perfectly in the position I left her in, looking undeniably peaceful. Angelic in the way you'd imagine a Fae to be. They truly were hard not to admire aesthetically. Personally, I've never met one that wasn't at least the slightest bit attractive in one way or another. Whatever was lacking physically seemed to always be balanced in their character as well. I smiled in satisfaction at her contentment and began to get dressed. It took me a moment, but I got the pants on. The type of material led me into a false sense of security. It seemed it would be easy to slide them on, however the task was greatly hindered by my posterior. Wiggling, undulating, and jumping is what it took to get them on, but once they were, it was very easy to secure them. You would think it would be incredibly tight and difficult for motion, but it was soft inside, and the fabric stretched readily with my body as I moved.
Earlier, while we were out shopping, Alaric flashed me a disapproving look when I picked up this beautiful top, which encouraged me to get it. Naturally. It was a brilliant shade of purple. This color was highly sought after and expensive the last time I was here of length. Only fit and deserving of the most well-off families. Now, it was everywhere. The range of colors available today was truly lovely. Colors you would only see on rolling hills in spring or the sky at dusk and dawn. Bottoms that were so brightly colored pink that you could most certainly see whoever was wearing them from a few miles away.
Small silver bits with purple hues on the front reflected light gently on the wall as I pulled the article over my head. It had a lace collar that snapped in the front, cut low, with much of the tops of my breasts on display nicely. The quarter sleeves and entire back were made of matching lace and were connected to the collar. Black lace extended across my torso, and the bodice was covered with those small silver-purple bits and had silk inside. It was not truly silk, but very close to it in texture. It felt fantastic on my skin. Looking in the mirror, there was no denying that it looked amazing on my body, and if I didn't know I was me, I would ravage myself. I might do that later, anyway.
Sounds of Ryn moaning as she was reaching her peak echoed through my psyche. My chest suddenly felt hot. Her scent was still present and invading my nose. Soon, it was the only thing I could smell, and it was delicious.
Salted caramels. So delectable
. I hadn't realized that I'd closed my eyes, but when I opened them and stood in front of the mirror, I noticed the flesh under them was slightly sunk in. The whites of them were already beginning to display trace amounts of red. I needed to leave before Ryn became my victim. I couldn't do that to her. All our destinies were intertwined in a way that was beyond our control. With the social atmosphere at this time thus far, mutual respect is what is needed most if I am to traverse this smoothly.
