Hayley Nichole Mershon was, in a word, exhausted. The day's bizarre events had depleted her energy, and she was beginning to feel the aftermath. With each blink her eyelids grew heavier, sinking lower over time, and it soon became a struggle to even keep them open. Every bone in her body, it seemed, ached with a dull, throbbing pain and she was vaguely aware of her trembling legs. But she couldn't deny that it was to be expected. Hayley, along with the others, had suffered a day like no other- a day that she still couldn't believe had passed, but that had been too real for her to dismiss as some sort of a dream. Dreams were supposed to be peaceful and serene, but the previous few hours had been quite the opposite, which ruled out any chances that she'd only been sleeping. Another factor that further ruled out the likelihood that she'd been asleep was the physical pain. Though Hayley and the women had not been involved in the fighting that had come about, they had all been strained- some to a greater extent than others.
As Hayley continued to gaze at Ashton apprehensively, she mentally compared his condition with Darren's. Though she had to admit that she favored Ashton more, she couldn't suppress sympathy for the other man. Not only had he been, more or less, manhandled by Aramis, whose previous actions had already indicated at deranged level of desired intimacy, but he had taken a far worse beating than the others. His face, like Ashton's, was swollen, but to a degree that had to be dangerous, and a large incision in his brow was just beginning to scab over. Soapy water dripped from his bloody clothing, soiling the floor beneath him, and Hayley grimaced, as she was sure that was a thing Priya would not appreciate. Then again, it wasn't as if it was something Darren could control. He could hardly keep himself upright, and his limp form would have appeared lifeless, were it not for his mumbled rebuttals to the shape-shifters exploits and the rough exchange of oxygen as it filtered into and out of his lungs.
Ashton spoke again, then, and Hayley couldn't help but frown at his words. "I'd rather not see myself right now...erm... Hayley. I'm sure you probably don't want to either." While she managed to find a sliver of humor in his struggle to remember her name, his words held no truth, for Hayley doubted that there would ever be a time that she wouldn't want to see Ashton. Even now, drenched in a disgusting compound of sweat and alcohol, she didn't mind being in such close quarters. Granted, he did smell awful, and his lack of concern was disappointing, but Hayley still managed to admire him. It was all rather pathetic, and would have been embarrassing to admit- luckily, this was something she could keep to herself. If the others ever managed to discover her attraction towards him, he would no doubt have figured it out as well, and that was something she refused to allow. Not only was it embarrassing, but the last thing any of them needed in this strange place was drama. It was important that the bond that had managed to form over only a few hours stay intact- awkward tension between any of them would only prove to make survival more difficult.
Hayley smiled, dismissing his words as to avoid any confrontation. "Its not as bad as you're thinking," she started, choosing her words carefully. "It could have been wor-" But she was cut off, for it was then that a tall, dark, curly-haired woman materialized out of thin air and landed directly in Ashton's lap. It took Hayley longer than it should have for her to remember the woman's name, and she figured that it must have been sleep deprivation taking its toll on her weary mind that caused her momentary lapse of memory. It also could have been the shock- there was plenty of it. Hayley, like the others, was well aware that Priya was a wizard. The woman proven that fact a few times throughout the afternoon, and Hayley had read enough books in her lifetime to know that they were capable of many things. But seeing them occur first-hand was much different than simply reading them from pages, and in all honesty, she preferred the latter. Some things just were better off left to the imagination.
The woman scrambled for her footing, quite obviously embarrassed, and offered a hasty apology before un-weaving the ends of Ashton's sleeves. It relieved Hayley to see that he was freed, for she hadn't thought the punishment was at all due. It had been an accident, and nothing more. She figured that if anyone was guilty, it was Aramis. He'd led the men to the pub and allowed them to drink as much as they had. But he'd escaped unscathed, free from the wizard's scorn- for the time being. His interest in the group would no doubt draw him back; maybe then Priya would have her vengeance... or at the very least scold him. It would be nice to see him put in his place- then again, it would also be nice if they never ran into him again. Ever. Admittedly, he was an attractive guy, and for someone of the right taste, great company. But there were matters at hand that required Hayley's full attention, and she couldn't very well concentrate on them with a shirtless, rambunctious man hovering about. Yes, his departure would definitely prove to be in their favor.
Priya rambled on about how much of a disgrace the shape-shifter was as she assembled the "beds," and Hayley took a mental note of the woman referring to them as children. Though she, of all the group, had little room to argue with age, it was almost offensive that Priya thought of them as children. She had to remind herself that this was a different time, and that the woman could have been older than she appeared, and used the awkward moment to glance around the room. Neither Andrew nor Darren had progressed from their original locations- only Krystal seemed to have moved. In the short time that Hayley had been speaking with Ashton, the small, blond woman had changed into a nightgown and was now slumped against the wall. Hayley frowned, jealousy evident in her features. The gown looked all too comfortable compared to the dress she was adorned in now, and Hayley wanted one. Never in her life had she seen the appeal in wearing a flimsy dress to bed, but now, after having struggled through most of the evening in the attire that she had, she wanted nothing more.
It felt like an eternity before Priya finally finished preparing the sheets. Materials were scanty, so it appeared that Krystal, Hayley, and the wizard would share a blanket, while Andrew, Ashton, and Darren fought for the other. The sleeping arrangements would be uncomfortable, to say the least, and pillows were short in supply, but they'd manage- not enough was better than none at all. Priya ordered the men outside to clean themselves up before they dared touch the sheets, and Hayley used the short time to her advantage. Rather than burden the woman with requests for bed-wear, she simply removed her corset, skirt, and chemise, content to sleep in a petticoat. She folded the articles of clothing neatly, and stacked them next to her pillow for easy access the following morning, should she wake and still be in Eldian. It seemed likely at this point, and Hayley found herself forcing back tears as she buried her face in the soft blanket. She wanted more than anything to be in her own bed, wearing her own pajamas, in her own home... but home was gone. The thought prevailed all others and remained long after she'd fallen asleep.
Morning arrived all too soon. Hayley had slept dreamlessly, and despite the unpleasant circumstances, she hadn't woken up once. In fact, if it hadn't been for an incessant prodding to her stomach, she probably could have slept hours longer. A distant voice, high-pitched and rather annoying, brought Hayley back to consciousness, and her eyes fluttered open. Bright sunlight blazed through the windows and she sheltered her eyes with her fingers, grumbling incoherently. If there was a thing Hayley was not, it was a morning person; however, once she reminded herself to be wary of the others and their opinions of her, the muttering ceased. It wasn't long before Hayley realized that returning to sleep would be impossible, so she sat up slowly, supporting her upper body with trembling arms. All was still, and she closed her eyes, reveling in the silence and savoring the tranquility. Mornings in the city back home in Houston were always noisy and stiff. Here, though, they were much the opposite, and she found it quite enchanting.
Hayley opened her eyes, then inhaled deeply through her nose, glancing around the room for the first time. Until then, she hadn't noticed Ashton. He was perched on the edge of a table across the room, a groggy expression evident even at a small distance. It was then that her cheery attitude dissipated. Hayley didn't require the use of a mirror to know just how dreadful she probably looked. Her hair stuck up in all directions -she could feel how out of place it seemed- and the curls had fallen apart, making for a sloppy, frizzy, mop. The eyeliner she'd applied the previous morning had, no doubt, smudged, and the form-fitting petticoat made her appear sickly thin. She sighed, raking her fingers through her hair subconsciously. Hayley may have looked bad, but she could have guessed that Ashton felt worse. She offered him a warm smile.
"How're you feeling?"
featherbee Community Member 
|
|
