Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

WARNING! Entry was Honorable Mention winner by i cannot see in the Just Too Persistent contest! I did not write this, and I take no credit except for the characters!

Broken dolls and their cracked porcelain cheeks- he saw something of them in her, though Eris had unmarred skin, smoother than a small child’s. Luke could spend forever comparing her to inanimate objects: a rose plucked and left on a table that can only hope for a beautiful place to die, the chilly wind in fall that made your bones spring up in alert, and placid, iced lakes in the winter that one could see reflections in.

She was colder than those pools of water to him, though he knew her skin was warm from the one time he took hold of her hand in a friendly shake. Ice queen, that was what she was- most people on earth had heard of her, the popular story being that Eris was an empress from a cold planet circling a binary star. She gave the earth technology from her world, from renewable fuel to efficient ships, and in return, they attempted to show her human customs.

They still flocked, those crazy alien fanatics, to see her in the school the government assigned her to, after she was given a tour of the major countries of earth. For the most part, however, the town she now resided in was viciously watched, lest something came to harm her, which was rarely the problem, because they knew the repercussions.

“Eris, want me to take you to a new movie today?” he told her with a smile, on the front steps of the school, where she sat perfectly straight by the balcony. Most of the students kept a polite distance from them, and when they walked together the masses would part like the biblical Exodus Sea.

“If you are taking me to a genre of movie that I have yet to watch and analyze, then certainly.” Monotone voice, as usual. Luke met her green eyes with silence, her carnation hair ruffled by the wind ever so slightly. Eris chose him out of a million others to be the guide for the town, and he had yet to ask why.

“Ah, it’s a Tim Burton movie,” he replied with a laugh. “You might like it.”

No, she won’t like it, he already knew this. She didn’t like anything.

“That will suffice. Shall we take your friends along?”

He stopped for a moment. “We can’t actually. You know, the rest of the gang is kind of busy with stuff, I called them all earlier and they didn’t want to come.”

“Very well, then. Perhaps I should pick attire that’s a bit more fitting.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve experienced most things in your world, though from my understanding a date consists of two people.”

Luke blinked, taken aback. “Um- um- you want to go on a date with me?”

“It’s purely for research purposes.”

He had never been on a date before, though he knew that this wouldn’t be much of a date at all, and would Eris sitting back on her chair, unmoving as she collected data of the movie and surroundings, occasionally asking for food. That was all she really asked for, food and data.

But for one reason or another, he was entranced by her. It became a game for him that he could not win any points in, to see any bits of humanity in her, though she never raged nor smiled, her only portrayed feelings consisting of mild surprise, and even then it was far too subtle to see normally.

“Um, you don’t have to dress up. We can go now if you want.”

“Okay.”

She took hold of his hand, a gesture that sent little shakes in his fingers. They walked to the bus stop and took the short way to the movies, her hands folding in her lap as she stared straight ahead, windows buzzing with the images of flying leaves. Luke turned to the side, facing the glass, and felt something breaking in him.

“I feel bad for you,” he said, thinking with his mouth and immediately regretting it.

“I beg your pardon?”

It was too late to take it back. “How can you live like this? Your only desires are food, sleep, and research. It’s insane! What about laughing! What about singing? What about crying your eyes out and finding comfort in someone telling you they love you?”

She looked at him, and he could see something in her eyes that was painfully difficult to read.

“Lucifer, you live up to your name. You know, the Sufi rendition of the tempter was that he was cast out of heaven for being unable to bow to Adam, for he loved God far more anything else.”

“D-don’t call me that.”

“You humans and your love. It’s understandable as herd animals that a knitting affection and solidarity is required to keep yourselves together; otherwise your species would die sooner than expected.”

“You know what, forget it.”

There was a silence, as though they were the only ones riding the bus, nothing but the hum of road bumps and breathing.

“I’m glad you pity me. But that’s not something I need.”

“You don’t need anything. Why the hell are you even here, then?”

He could see a difficult attempt at a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

“I’m looking to acquire a soul for myself. And you shall help me, star of morning.”