Ticky-Tacky [open]

[kitsune]

"This is so totally bogus," The man groaned, shaking water out of his short, dark hair and rubbing at his face to try and generate some warmth. Someone shouted from the other side of the river - Jax, probably - and whatever he'd said caused nervous sniggers to spread through the tiny crowd watching. Bridd waved back to them in a 'carry on' fashion, not quite understanding what had been called out but not particularly caring. That garnered another laugh from the crowd and, reassured, they dispersed, leaving him on the Ugly side of the river soaking wet and freezing.
Definitely not a nice way to finish off the evening.

He and Matas had been at some gathering or another, a smaller one between pleasure gardens. It had been made mostly up of Naturals (Matas was a Natural, but Bridd himself couldn't quite fit into any clique) though there might have been a cluster of Bashers, and some of the Twisters had shown up with their typical grotesquely grinning facades - some even had ugly masks, with massive noses and pudgy cheeks and acne. Ugly masks! What would you want one of those for, anyway?
There'd been plenty of champagne, of course, and someone had thought to bring miniature cool-burning fireworks; they'd been like fallen comets, whizzing through the groves of trees with squeals and blue sparks before exploding in little bursts of color and light. Some had even come in shapes - suns and moons that would spin before dissolving, dancing figures that would eventually crackle into oblivion, words that no one could quite finish reading before they melted away. Those had been a big hit, but eventually Matas, giggling hysterically and tripping over his own two feet, had insisted that they go down to the river for some inane reason or another. Once there, he'd dipped his hands in the water, splashed it onto his face, and then decided to hurl it at Bridd while calling him 'Ghostie-la' and 'Shortie-wa.' Only Matas would even think to call him by his ugly nickames, and Bridd would always respond with 'Crooked-la' and the like.
And apparently cold water really did shrink your fingers, because the next thing Bridd remembered was Matas' surprised shout as his interface ring slid off and was carried deeper and more towards the center by the lazy current. He'd panicked of course, his incessant whines ever-so-slightly grating on the older's nerves: "I'm going to get in so much trouble! What if it stops working?"
Bridd, in a decision brought on by cockiness and probably the copious amounts of alcohol he'd consumed, had dove in after it without a second thought.
Frankly, he wasn't as good a swimmer as he'd used to be. And, not only had he been unable to retrieve it, he was now positively sopping.

He pulled his shirt off and wrung it, then stood with the slightest sway as he glanced about. Looked like he'd washed up at Cleopatra Park, actually; definitely better than finding himself right near Uglyville dorms, but not by much. His own interface ring pulsed a soft cyan in time with a nearby swarm of fireflies; the pretty watched the yellow lights drift and bob like tiny buoys in a grassy sea. The rusty ruins would be to his... left? He glanced in that direction as if expecting an answer to rise up from the darkness, but the presence of the greenbelt answered his question. If they were there, then, Uglyville - and a bridge closer than that, hopefully - would be to the right. Bridd started in that direction, pulling on his still-damp shirt and scowling as the chilly fabric clung to his skin. Nevertheless, it wasn't like he wanted to show his latest surge off to this side of the river: a flash tattoo of a mottled snake slithered its way up his spine, stretching its jaws in a silent hiss and undulating in response to whatever his blood sugar was. He didn't care much for the serpent and would probably have it removed before the week was up, but for now he could almost feel it wriggling just under his skin.
That wasn't a pleasant image.
Bridd stumbled and latched onto a tree's low-hanging branch to keep from falling, laughter ringing out a little too loudly at his own clumsiness. This would make a bubbly story tomorrow, wouldn't it? "Real bubbly," he muttered to himself with a shiver. "just got to get back over..." The man's fingers skidded over an imperfection in the tree and he frowned, squinting to make out the ragged scratches in the bark that hadn't quite been sanded over: BRIDD.
"Ech." Had he left that there, five or six years ago? He'd been such a... Rusty, almost; a bully, a miscreant, and a thief to boot. It had always been Matas to plan the really ingenious tricks, though, and even then only to keep Bridd out of worse trouble. Uglies were all stupid at that age, though; the operation made you grow up, and New Pretty Town, with all of its glitter, was a thousand times better than Uglyville.
Bridd - without his knowledge, of course - was just another success story for the shadowy side of the change. Mankind's imperfections and aggression removed with just a few little lesions in the brain; even the most barbaric could become bubbleheads with a little bit of extra work.
Wait, where'd he been going again? Bridd rubbed at his head a little in muddled frustration, eyes settling on the bridge not too far away. Home, of course, back to the Mansion to dry off, and then to another one of the smaller parties. Then again, it would be a shame to have come all this way and not even get the ring...

---

word count: 987
listening to: Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds

[Spottedshadow]

Smart plastic flexing across her sharp features, Illyana rode the standard Ugly hoverboard. She was technically undercover, searching for any signs of rebellious Uglies searching for the damn Smokies. Today, had been luckless. Illyana sighed. She missed hunting Smokies and bringing in tricky Uglies that were potential run-aways. Illyana's muscles itched for some kind of chase, but she had to restrain herself. She was not allowed to just chase down any Ugly that crossed her path... Illyana longed to rip off the hideous dorm jacket. She'd rather hoverboard naked then in the uncomfortable fabric.

Well, the Dr. wouldn't like that too much... Illyana thought, so she kept on the obnoxious uniform.... It was then that her eyes strayed upon a strange Ugly. He was soaking wet and appeared to have crawled out of the river. Illyana let her skintena search him. Nothing. He's not wearing an interface ring, I should ping the Wardens, but perhaps he's trying to escape via river.... Illyana angled her hoverboard in the general direction of the Ugly.

Resisting the urge to just jump off the hoverboard, Illyana simply slowed the speed to a crawl and let the magnetic work the board down. She stepped off. Illyana didn't look any different then the Ugly in front of her. Both were sporting imperfect skin, asymmetrical features, and some form of deformity rare to them and a few others. The only real difference was, that was Illyana a year ago, now her ugliness was fake, smart plastic. She was special and beautiful and deadly to that all off. The only thing that was noticably special about Illyana now were her ice blue eyes. They even contained hard flints of silver.

"Hello, nice day for a swim?" Illyana asked, a voice modifier making her voice sound like a regular Ugly. Normally, Illyana's cold and special voice would be too cruel and hawk-like for an Ugly to handle. "It seems a bit cold to me...."

Word Count;; 371
Muse;; Eh, so so....
Outfit;; Clicks
Tags;; Bridd

[kitsune]

His attention was suddenly diverted to an ugly that had just skidded to a halt in front of him - an ugly with a hoverboard, no less; Bridd's gold-brown eyes immediately focused on the standard model, vaguely recalling that he'd had one of his own... Black, though, with tiger-stripes, jagged and silver across its knobbly surface that washed out in rain since they had only been ink he'd applied himself. The board had been permanently hacked, of course, to ignore the the safety limitations that they all came with. That was the only way to ever beat Matas in a race - the younger of the pair had always been a superior flyer, able to maneuver around trees and whatnot with the slightest shift, but too afraid to push his board to its limits because he couldn't quite trust the bulky safety bracelets.

But, why was he thinking about that? Hoverboarding was an ugly pasttime, a cheap thrill to keep their minds occupied while they waited for the real fun on the other side of the river.

The man let his gaze flick to her face and was satisfied that he didn't cringe, though it took an effort; he was repulsed by the vast array of imperfections that littered her face like mines planted in the ground. It was like the teenager was some troll that had crawled out from under the bridge. Four years in New Pretty Town conditioned you to expect perfection, and when faced with reality it was nothing short of disturbing. How could uglies live with themselves? It took a minute for him to recall that he'd looked not too different not too long ago - probably worse, in fact, with the sort of acne that left pockmarks and a nose that had been broken a hundred times like a snapped twig. Looking at her - or more specifically, the unfortunate skin she was buried beneath - made him more conscious of the fake skin and Twister-made ugly mask that had molted onto his face; the perverse clique thought they were so clever with their smart plastics and whatever else was used, but it probably did look real. In the half-darkness of a city-lit evening, he could easily pass as an ugly. The thought made him mentally wince; the more traditional Twister masks of gargoyles and fanged clowns and skulls were frightening, but an ugly disguise was the most macabre they could ever hope to make.

Unfortunately, the distractions had added up; Bridd had been staring at her a little too long without a word, probably making himself look totally brain-missing. What'd she say...? The pretty scrambled for an appropriate response, meeting her eyes; they, at least, looked 'normal' to a mind looking for brilliance and beauty, if a little chilly, like the intricate slow-melt ice sculptures that were a cornerstone of winter parties. "Yeah, it's bogus. Just barely above freezing." Bridd responded lightly with a shrug, not quite sure how to respond to a statement like that; talking to uglies, especially when you looked like one, was bizarre. It was kind of difficult to focus on anything, really, with the buzzing in his brain and the ice in his bones and the stupid flash-tattoo on his back making his skin itch.

"But, hey, do me a favor, Splotchyface. My friend... lost his ring in the water. You get it out, I'll get you something bubbly." Anything would be 'bubbly' to a little ugly, when all they had was what the wall spat out; at the same time, it was weird asking someone to do something. He'd gotten accustomed to others meeting his demands without question, and there was no guarantee that this hideous gremlin would do anything when he looked like one of them. He could take off the mask, of course, and risk someone hearing that Bridd had been fraternizing with uglies. That'd be the easiest way to lose the tenuous invitations Matas had secured for the both of them; sometimes he felt like a clumsy penguin sliding around on ice, and all before his friend had gone pretty he hadn't been able to stand on the snow. Matas had adjusted almost immediately, before the killer sunburn-feeling of new skin had even worn off, whereas he was still making idiotic mistakes...
Like this one.

---

word count: 741
listening to: Tripped and Fell Into Portland by Breathe Carolina

[Spottedshadow]

Illyana practically kicked herself. The smart plastic was clouding her vision. This Ugly was actually a Pretty. But no interface ring? That was interesting. Better report this to the Doctor... she thought, and flexed a finger. Illyana sent the video feed from her eyes to Special Circumstances. A Pretty without an interface ring, especially during the day, was a Special Circumstance.

Illyana knew of Pretties that removed their interface rings at night, Ugly habits dying hard. But eventually they gave in. But the last time a Pretty wasn't wearing a ring during the day, they were planning an escape. Illyana's job was to stop it.

"But, hey.....bubbly."

The Pretty was speaking, telling her to do something. Better do it this bubblehead thinks I'm an Ugly... Illyana thought. She felt herself wanted to bash his head in. "Sure thing," she said, trying to mimic the awed voice of an Ugly. Illyana jumped in the icy waters and retrieved the interface ring. Bridd's. The Pretty merely lost his ring.... "Here you go," she said jumping out of the waters.

Word Count;; 211
Muse;; Aweful...
Tags;; Bridd

[kitsune]

Bridd couldn't swallow the smug, superior smile that drifted onto his lips at her tone; that was the nice thing about Uglies, really. They'd probably jump off of a building without a bungee jacket on if you asked them - which would be hilarious until they hit the bottom. Then again, some random teenager's pulverised remains splattered across the street was pretty bogus, when you got to thinking about it - dissections in biology had made it very clear that insides weren't exactly picturesque landscapes.
The pretty started to tear off the cheap, waterlogged plastic on his face in soppy globs as he waited for her to surface, tossing it onto the grass without a second thought; it should have dissolved upon removal, but instead sat where it fell like afterbirth. He frowned at the discarded mess a moment before realizing that the liquid trapped in it would have to evaporate before the rest followed. Felt better without that crap on, though... "Good job, Zits," he enthused, snatching it without another look at the one that had reclaimed it and sliding the ring onto his right index finger. Almost immediately his bronze-grey eyes became unfocused as he listened closely to the interface had to report, fingers twitching spasmodically and murmuring softly as he listened to and sent out half a dozen pings. It was lucky that the rings were mostly waterproof; salt water would still eat away at them, but otherwise they were pretty durable nowadays.
Within the minute, though, Bridd's gaze returned to earth; he looked vaguely annoyed with whatever had transpired in the invisible conversations, eyebrows nearly meeting as he chewed at the tip of his finger. Couldn't bite nails down to the quick anymore, not when they were practically impossible to break.
The pretty started towards the nearby bridge, reassured by the ring's return. Without it, you were invisible in the city - bridges would tattle to the wardens like you were a tricking ugly, the hole in the wall wouldn't give you anything, and doors wouldn't even open half of the time. "You're... what, fifteen?" Bridd inquired, glancing over his shoulder and giving a slight gesture that she should follow. Reputation could go bite itself; first of all, who was going to know that he'd even talked to the unsightly ogre? And secondly, she wasn't quite as deformed as some of the others; her teeth were decent, at least. And... the world was a little wobbly at the moment. Focusing on someone - anyone - helped out enough for him to walk in a straight line. "Got to be getting the operation soon, huh?"

---

word count: 451
listening to: Blood by My Chemical Romance

[Spottedshadow]

Illyana just smiled. Her grin wasn't toothy. It was best that she didn't reveal the Special sharp teeth hidden behind her lips. Illyana longed to tear of the now wet dorm uniform. They were uncomfortable at best dry, but wet they were downright miserable. How on earth did I survive when I was Ugly? she asked herself. Illyana was never really designed to be a regular pretty. She was too clever, too smart, too tricky to be the dull random with their "bubbly" and their "bogus".

Zits? Illyana thought, a surge of aggression pulsing through her veins. She want to burst out of the smart plastic, pin the pretty down, and give him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. Yet, the Dr. would have my Special-ness. It would be gone. I'd have my face changed and my muscles removed. They'd make me a random pretty.... Illyana's thoughts repulsed her. Being foggy like a pretty would never satisfy her. "Yea, 15," Illyana said, her voice changer making her voice rough like an Ugly's. Wait, why is a pretty talking to an Ugly, or what they think is an Ugly? Unique. Illyana needed to make sure to report this, the random may cause trouble in the way that only randoms do.

"Yep, can't wait!" Illyana's rough voice said with excitement. She needed to seem like the giddy 15-year-old about to be getting the operation. Illyana followed after the Pretty, in a very Ugly way. Her special gait was not as it usually was. Illyana wasn't walking about like true special, with the predatory grace. However, she wasn't walking like a clumsy Ugly or Pretty. She looked like a very graceful Ugly. The edges of Illyana's vision started to cloud. Icy, girl. Stay icy, she thought to herself, and shook her head. If she lost her icyness, she would definitely be unable to restrain from harming/scaring the Pretty.

Word Count;; 364
Muse;; Horrid, and school hates me....
Tags;; Bridd

[kitsune]

Bridd's pace slowed as they continued; he was ignoring the pings that started to build up, a slight frown marring his carefully-designed face as they buzzed like a swarm of irate bees. Ugh. Normally he would have positively glowed to have such attention focused on him - Matas was the socializer, always armed with the best compliments and comments and suggestions, whereas the older of the pair tended to stumble clumsily through the daedal intricacies of small talk - but its sudden, uncharacteristic presence irked him. With another twitch of his index finger the building pings suddenly vanished, and he caught her last few words. She certainly wasn't talkative, was she? Then again, uglies never seemed to have many riveting thoughts... their dull surroundings probably sapped everything compelling out of them, and it wasn't until they reached the sparkling spirals of New Pretty Town was that interest replenished.
Speaking of New Pretty Town... what was left on the schedule? There'd certainly be some sort of party to join, but after the embarrassing dip in the river he wanted nothing more than to drag himself home and sleep. He shivered as a slight breeze darted past him and chilled his sopping clothing.
"Awesome," he replied absentmindedly, trying to redirect his straying attention back to the girl. He could barely remember the year leading up to his own operation, but through the haze he could recall the flurry of measurements and a bizarre, gnawing anxiety that had always chewed at the edges of his consciousness. What had he been worried about, anyway? No big deal at all, just close your eyes and then open them with a brand new face... "Have you submitted mansion requests yet?" He questioned, a blankly polite smile reappearing on his face. "If you aren't careful you'll get some newbie room... I'd recommend the Andromeda Mansion. It might not be a big name, but it's really bubbly --" Bridd abruptly stopped both vocally and physically, tongue pressed against his teeth as he considered: the young man's already wide eyes flared even wider, and he slowly said, "Nice eyes, Ugly." They weren't as muddy as they should have been, he'd just noticed; he recalled his earlier thoughts of how they were her one redeeming feature. Idiot. Uglies didn't have redeeming features... maybe she'd had some problem as a little and had gotten early surge, right? Or had just won the genetic lottery.
There was another awkward pause and Bridd was stumbling over his words when he resumed; the pretty nodded at the hoverboard that had been dutifully following its owner. "You think I could take it for a quick spin?"

---

word count: 452
listening to: Scream by Avenged Sevenfold

[Spottedshadow]

Illyana snorted slightly. She hated being looked down upon. She felt like something pinged within her own head. Anger washed over her. This dull Pretty honestly thought that she was Ugly. On top of that, he was telling her where to live. Ridiculous... she thought. Illyana wasn't going to be able to remain in the smartplastic mask forever....

"Um, no, I haven't..." she said. "Thanks for the tip." Eyes? Illyana blinked. The random wasn't all that random... He noticed the minor detailing of her eyes... I really, really have to report him. He could be a potential recruit... she thought. Illyana knew that it was no use to stay hidden anymore, so she handed the Pretty her hoverboard and crash bracelets. Illyana unclipped her belly censor, under her shirt, and slipped it to the random. Weird, and she knew it. "Sure, and thanks." If smartplastic could flush, Illyana would have forced it to...

The moment the random wobbled away on the hoverboard. Pretties... He probably hadn't ridden a hoverboard since getting the operation. Most Pretties thought "hoverboards were too childish".... It was odd enough that this Pretty had any desire... Illyana peeled the damp plastic from her face, and crumpled it and tossed it next the other. Her cruel pretty features sharp in the rain. Damp blonde hair clung to her face. Illyana wanted to leave, but she needed her Ugly hoverboard...

Word Count;; 260
Muse;; Eh, pretty bad...
Tags;; Bridd

[kitsune]

Bridd grinned in anticipation as she passed over the equipment, sliding on the crash bracelets and clipping on the belly sensor without another glance at their owner. "Thank you," He enthused, still not even looking to the girl as he carefully stepped onto the board. He wasn't wearing the proper sort of shoes - the hilly surface of the hoverboard felt slippery under his feet - but he could be careful...
"Hike," the pretty murmured softly under his breath, gesturing at the same time so that it would actually rise; it wasn't set to his vocal commands, of course, but they had strayed onto his lips anyway, completing the eerie sense of nostalgia that was coiling around him. The first few yards were shaky and he almost fell off twice, but it was like being on a boat: once you had your 'sea-legs,' standing on the rolling surface felt nothing less than natural.
The pretty clicked his tongue against his teeth and leaned forward as he did so, smiling uncertainly as it accelerated. "Gee," he murmured - another outdated vocal command - before readjusting his position so that it would make a graceful curve right. "Haw." Left. The board was already adjusting to his subtle body signals - it felt new beneath his feet, stiff and unused... the ugly was fifteen, but her board still felt like it was on default settings, or at the least had just recently been adjusted. But, never mind that! Thirteen, fourteen feet in the air and going a good forty miles an hour was hardly the place to pollute his thoughts with something like her, even with the unmmuddied surge eyes and the sycophancy.
He clicked his tongue again and leaned, closed-lip grin only widening as it sped up: fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty-five... it wouldn't go any higher - unhacked, or at least unused to how hard he was pressing it; still, Bridd was breathless, giddy and littlie-like with excitement. The raindrops felt like bullets of ice against his face; the pretty winced and half-lidded his eyes, wishing for a pair of goggles or the like but certainly not slowing down. This was exhilarating --
And he'd left the ugly without a board. She'd probably need to scuttle back to her dorm soon, what with the weather worsening.
"Haw--awwcrap!" Bridd was suddenly hurtling through the air only to have his deadly momentum halted by the blessed crash bracelets... still, being jerked to a stop by your wrists wasn't exactly painless; it nearly wrenched his arms out of their sockets. He was lowered to the earth, sitting dazedly in the wet grass, the hoverboard making a lazy loop before returning to its fallen rider. Beginner's mistake - he'd tried to take too sharp a turn without slowing down at all. He could feel the flash tattoo practically going into a spasm on his spine.
He burst out laughing, full-blown and half-hysterical guffaws making his sore body ache; Bridd stood, swiping at the grass that clung to his damp clothes. "That's a rush," the pretty managed between laughs, though he doubted that the ugly would be able to hear him. "That's a rush, definitely, beyond belief!" Hoverboards were so... infantile, though - how could he find it entertaining to practically dislocate his shoulder? "'Think I'll stick to bungee jackets, but man..." Bridd rubbed the rain out of his eyes and started back towards the younger --
and then paused, tilting his head to the side and staring. She looked a little... different, didn't she? Her lopsided features were suddenly more clear, as if the rain had purged away her hideousness. It wasn't a good clear, though, from what he could see at a distance; there was just something wrong...
"Don't be an idiot," Bridd muttered to himself; still, he unclipped the borrowed belly sensor and slid the cuffs off of his jarred wrists, depositing them on the board that bobbed behind him. "Well, thanks," he called. "See you on the other side of the river!" He tried to shrug off the foolish anxiety as he started back towards the bridge.

---

word count: 697
listening to: Jurassic Park Theme

[Spottedshadow]

Illyana snapped her head away from the Pretty, pulling her hood over her special face. How could she have been so stupid? This Pretty could have easily spotted her, and pinged everyone he knew in a matter of seconds. Within the minute, Illyana would have been discovered by every random this city had to offer, even the wardens... The fools they are... Illyana accepted her board and gear. This Pretty needed to be reported. He desired and was able to stay on a hoverboard. Something may be terribly wrong with his Pretty lesions...

I'll do that the moment I leave, Illyana decided. The pull down across her eye read his name as Bridd Irtex. She slipped on her crash bracelets, and re-clipped her belly sensor. Illyana hopped fluidly onto her hoverboard and road off towards the dorms, finger twitching spastically.

Sitting in the comfortable hovercar seat, Liah was excited. She was finally going to be Pretty! She was finally going to grow up! The moment has finally arrived! She was seated and zooming over the dorms, on her way the operation. Suddenly, the hovercar changed directions. Oh no! Liah thought in a panic. Am I an Ugly for life? Are they taking me to the special facility so that nobody has to deal with my ugly and ageing face? Liah had heard the horrors about the Uglies for Life. She'd never assumed that she was one, but then again, nobody knew who was...

However, all her fears and anxiousness were in vain. The hovercar settled itself on the ground just outside Uglyville. Through the rain, Liah could see the face of a Pretty walking toward the bridge... The middle pretty settled in the car quickly told her to retrieve the Pretty. Why would a Pretty listen to an Ugly? Liah wondered, but leapt from the comfort of the car into the pouring rain.

"Hey!" she called, dull gray eyes appearing even grayer in the dull rain. "They want you to get in that car there..." Liah walked briskly over to the Pretty. She found herself gaping in awe at his beauty. Get used to it, that's the kind of face you'll be seeing in the mirror for the rest of your life...

Word Count;; 415
Muse;; Eh, ish, took forever...
Notes;; Sorry for the wait..... TT_TT
Tags;; Bridd

[kitsune]

Bridd saw the hoverboard and its rightful owner zip towards the squat dormitories out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't turn towards her. He was unnerved by the split second glimpse he'd gotten of the ugly-turned... what? A lithe, felinic predator straight out of an Uglyville story?
"Don't be an idiot." He repeated under his breath, rubbing his certainly-bruised wrists and doing his best to banish the inexplicable disquiet. The plan for the rest of the day consisted of getting home, drying off, crashing, and then maybe drinking some meds. Pretties didn't get sick often, but there was no point in tempting misfortune.
"Hey! They want you to get in that car there..."
Bridd glanced over at the blonde girl, not even bothering to hide his faint repulsion this time. Was he an ugly magnet or something? It seemed like every lopsided and grotesque face within a mile was gravitating to him. "Huh?" Was the first ignorant utterance that escaped him, and then he took a few scattered seconds to process whatever she'd said.
"Why?" He said blankly, blinking rapidly to try and clear his vision. "Am I in trouble?" As far as he knew, there were no rules against hoverboarding or swimming. "I mean... did I trigger something when my ring went in the water?" Not that she would have even the slightest inkling of what he was talking about, but now that he had found an acceptable explanation he wasn't about to let it go. His ramblings continued, reassuring him that, no, there weren't any psycho not-uglies walking about wearing the guise of something else. "I mean, if it's that, great to know that they watch out and all, but I'm totally fine... just sorta wet... Walking home would probably do me some good..." Bridd grimaced when he realized his maundering words probably made no sense. I sound like a drunk.
"Fine, whatever." He finally muttered, pushing past Liah and starting towards the car. "This entire day has 'bogus' written on it... Where's it taking you?" It would be just his luck to have to share the backseat of a hovercar with some delinquent. The dark-haired man had a throbbing headache, he was freezing his ass off, and the stupid flash tattoo felt like it was trying to escape from under his skin. Why did he ever get that stupid thing in the first place? He wanted to rend his flesh open and bleed the ink out.
The Andromeda Mansion couldn't be close enough...

---

word count: 434
listening to: Tripped and Fell Into Portland by Breathe Carolina

[Spottedshadow]

Liah smiled broadly, her croaked grin clear as day next to the perfect pretty. "I'm growing up today! It's my sixteenth birthday, and they are taking me to the doctors!" Liah explained ecstatically. She was down right giddy for the day of her operation. She had even saved her grade and chore credit for a new outfit to wear. It didn't fit her now, but it would when she was finished with the operation. Her whole outfit was Pretty-approved. Her older friend came back to visit and help her pick out her Pretty outfit.

The stylish beige jacket offered little warmth in the cold, but that didn't matter so much... Liah shivered lightly. How could this dripping wet Pretty not be chattering with cold? "I assume that they just want to take you home, but I can't be sure... What is that?" Liah asked the Pretty, pointing at the moving...picture...on his skin. It took a moment to realize that he was already headed for the hovercar. "Oh, wait for me!" she called and hurried after, her beige heels causing her brief stutter. Liah jumped into the hovercar after the Pretty. At least she was getting the operation, she was still acting like a little kid...

Word Count;; 233
Muse;; Eh, so so...
Tags;; Bridd

[kitsune]

"Happy Birthday, Blondie-wa," Bridd deadpanned, glancing back at her as he climbed into the hovercar. The pretty greeted the driver with a strained smile before his head lolled back to stare at the ceiling as opposed to the overeager ugly. Wait, she'd asked something... Show a bit of respect, he reminded himself half-heartedly. She is about to become a pretty, after all. For all you know, she could be in the room next to yours. "It's a flash tattoo," he explained with a measure of tired patience, twisting and pulling his shirt back to display most of the serpent on his spine. "Real popular right now. The snake moves with my... heart rate, I think, and the markings with my blood sugar." His voice was muffled by the fabric of his shirt, and then he dropped the hem and straightened, glancing back over at her with a plastic grin. "It's bubbly, but kind of annoying when it starts going fast." Though the snake's frenetic pace was already starting to slow back to its typical sluggishness, it hadn't quite made the transition yet.
"So..." Bridd's currently-wandering attention returned to the driver as the sleek vehicle crossed the river and started back towards New Pretty Town. "Thanks for picking me up, I guess. Not much of a walk, but pretty bogus in the rain... I live pretty close to the hospital, so after we drop her off it's barely a minute away." His hazel gaze flicked to the window; the typically vibrant colors of New Pretty Town were drab and muted in the stream of rain, and there was definitely no activity in the fringe of pleasure gardens. It seemed strange that something as simple as a small rain shower could virtually halt almost all activity...
"What's your name, by the way?" Bridd put his back to the window and turned a bit to face the younger girl, expression slightly apologetic but lacking genuity. "I'm Bridd Irtex. Sorry if I've been a bit short, it hasn't been one of my better days..." The name wouldn't mean anything to her, but he was starting to regret his prior rudeness: for all he knew, she could be one of Matas' little friends.

---

word count: 387
listening to: Sweet Sacrifice by Evanescence