The Wonderful Land Of Insanity-Driven Research

Mariasonia reread the page for the umpteenth time, though whatever she did, she just couldn't absorb the information. Her dyslexia and ADHD were really acting up, and it was near impossible to focus on anything besides the events from last night. Thank the gods she had gotten some sleep, or it would have been even worse. With a sigh, she moved over towards her keyboard, removing it from its stand and placing it on her lap as she crossed her legs and sat on her bunk. She began to play some random tune, drearily forgetting to move to another note as her thoughts drifted off, causing random bits of uninterrupted silence and repeating two notes over and over again. Eventually, she settled on what she'd memorized of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

So, Lou didn't sleep with someone last night. Of course not. He's usually not one to just sleep with someone he could see every day. Except, he did, three nights ago. And he realised he didn't care if she went and told everyone what a terrible person he is. He did her well, and he didn't have any regrets.
Now the problem was, he left his wallet in there. And yeah, yeah, how do you not notice you don't have your wallet for three goddamn days? And how do you have sex with someone in a crowded cabin? What can he say? It's a talent few possess.
There stood by the doorway of the cabin that he barely recognized in the daylight, praying to eros, aphrodite, cupid even, that his little one-night-stand was not in that cabin. He really needed the money that was in there. Quickly he sped into the cabin, walking quickly towards the bunk, until he noticed something. Someone.
The one who is so totally into him.
She was distracted by her keyboard, and few other people were in the cabin, which left him calm to go steal back his wallet. He reached under a bunk and found it. Still had the five dollars, thank the gods.
Then Lou made his way next to Mary, and put his arm on her shoulders. "Watcha doin there, baby?" he said with a smirk.

She didn't look up, didn't stop playing, didn't even do anything to signal that she knew he was there. The only thing that changed in her demeanor was that her music sped from a lousy, tired drawl to a fast-paced waltz against the keys, her fingers flying over the black and white keys.

"I don't believe I ever gave you permission to call me that," she replied, stilt not moving her eyes to meet his own. "Nor did I ever give you permission to constantly be in physical contact, but you have done an excellent job at groping me whenever you feel it necessary."

"So, I assume you were the reason Jenny was crying a few nights ago. She mentioned a wild skeleton attacking her in the middle of the night, though no one heard a thing."

Lou only laughed at her comments and squeezed her shoulders. "Mm," he moaned softly, listening to her play the keyboard. "I take pride in my skeletal self, yknow," he said, smiling. "Of course she was crying. She looked like the type from the get-go." He looked off towards the opposite wall, spacing out. "Shouldn't have done it."
He shook his head slightly, looking back at Mary. "Quit playin'" he said, brushing her face with his nose, like a little puppy would. "You're a good kisser, you know. Let's kiss some more."

She listened to what he said, but didn't stop playing, not until his face softly collided with hers. She lightly stop her song, lifting a hand to stop his face from doing whatever it wanted to do to her own and push it away, before delicately moving to place the keyboard back on its stand, next to her potions table.

"You were lucky last night. I was too tired to realize who you were. I would be happy to do it again, but not with you. At least, not until you learn some proper manners and etiquette," She stated calmly, still not making eye contact with him as she pulled out a small box of tea bags and sugar cubes from under the bed, pouring some of her supply water into her mug before sitting back down, lifting her eyes up to his.

"Would you care for some?" she asked politely, though she had a look in her eyes that was insanely determined.

He frowned a little bit, leaning back on her bed. He shook his head at her offer for the tea, breaking eye contact. "I'm okay." He had no interest in her 'ettiquette' or 'manners.'
"It's fake," he mumbled. "All fake." He looked up and met her eyes. He sat up and willed the fire to return to him. The same fire he had five years ago, when people tried to change him, before giving up. Like they always do. His fire always burns hotter.
"All that, proper crap. None of it is real, and I know you're nothing more than I am." Lou willed his eyes to burn her, to burn that damn idea. Coming here was a bad idea. Kissing her, twice, was a bad idea. Lou is so stupid, an idiot. Like he always is.
But don't get him wrong. He's not feeling anything towards her. He never did. Maybe the idea of something was nice. Maybe the idea of doing her was nice.
"I'm not changing for your ass."

"Well, then, leave. You have whatever you came for, unless you just came to annoy the hell out of me. I, however, find it a very useful tool. Before my window was nailed shut, I could get whatever I wanted out of most people just by distracting them with a generous smile. I hated all the poshness and control towards the beginning, but I learned to tolerate it after a while." She replied simply, placing her tea down on her desk.

"Then again, what do I know. I'm just a fake, after all," She mused, before standing up and taking a seat at the same desk, beginning to the read article again, and signaling that he was dismissed, if he wish to go. Which, from what she could tell, he almost certainly would.

Lou stood up off her bed and strode towards her desk. He jerked her up and stared her down. "You're a fake because you can't tell me you don't feel anything when I do this." He kissed her for the third time, only this time it was softer. He took great care to cradle her body against his with only enough force to keep her there. His lips were not as harsh as the previous kiss, instead he attempted to transmit love through. His hand slowly caressed her brown hair, with the softest touch.
Then he pulled back, and Lou kept their waists together. He smiled down at her and whispered. "You got your window nailed shut? Do tell, little Mary."

Mariasonia couldn't say she didn't enjoy the kiss. She just didn't enjoy the fact that it was to prove something. She knew that it didn't matter, whether or not she felt something, but she hated that it still left some string of hope buzzing in her, every time it happened. And this time seemed so genuine.

"It was a long time ago. And I didn't do anything on purpose, my sister forced me. But... well, I snuck out with her almost every night from my second story window. I was so tired of being trapped in the same place, without any way of knowing what was around me. I got drunk a lot, yeah, and I stole a lot, Actually, I distracted people while my sister stole from them, but its just as bad in my books. Eventually, they had to nail my window shut to avoid getting sued by this one lady from whom we stole a whole box of cigars. But hat was a long time ago, like I said. After all, when your partner ends up burning your house down, you tend to learn some things," She explained slowly, very reluctant to tell him. It wasn't something she liked to talk about, as her sister was a bit of a touchy subject.

Lou looked at her and nodded as she told her tragic story. "Uh-huh.." he said, placing concern into his voice. He kissed her cheek softly. He whispered softly in her ear. "Oh, that's terrible."
Slowly running his fingers up and down her back, he led her back to the bed, and sat down. "So.. Some bad stuff happened. Why don't you tell me some more? I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I don't know if I can trust you on that," she commented airily, closing her eyes and brushing her hair to the other side of her face, over her shoulder. She really didn't care, though. She'd fallen for his plot, whatever it was, and she was hopelessly lost and trapped.

"I tried to runaway one night. I was just about to leave when everything went up in flames. The person ran right past me, and I didn't even recognize her. I was in such a hurry to leave. Everyone died in the fire, and I escaped with only one or two serious burns. I snuck onto a ship, ran into my sister, then later realized that she was wearing exactly what the killer had been wearing earlier. She disappeared over night. I spent hears looking for her, and I still have no idea where she went. She's dead by now, it was more than ninety years ago," she took a tiny breath of air at the last sentence, tilting her head down as she attempted to conceal a single tear.

"Everyone's dead. Everyone's dead, except me."

"Awwwww," Lou cooed, pulling her closer to his chest. He held her shoulders and brushed her hair away from her face.
He kissed her head about six times, then rested his head upon her head. "That all sounds so sad!" he said, suppressing a smile.
"Your sister sounds like a real d!ck, babe."
Waitwaitwait. "Did you say ninety years?" There was no way Mary was that old. She looked no more than eighteen. There was no way that ass was ninety years old.

"Lotus Casino. I got a tip that she was there, and I ended up trapped. A Victorian mistress stuck in a world of flashing lights. And remember, however freaked out you are, I was ten times more so," She commented, somewhat defensively, though still not wanting him to leave. Gods, what had he done to her?

"Why can't you just stop? You're killing me, and you just get satisfaction from it. I've been beaten and dragged around so much already, and then you show up, and everything seems to get worse. Gods, I just want you to leave, to fall over and die, but I don't know what I'd do if you did. But the worst part is that I know you're playing me, that you'll just throw me aside like a broken glass, and feel nothing come from it," she stated softly, but it was like she couldn't control it. Everything was telling her to stop, but she couldn't. She just couldn't.

"Oh." Lou nodded slowly. He had heard stories of the Lotus Casino, how time passes differently, kids getting trapped and getting out decades into the future. But it wasn't exactly the worst way she could have been old. She could have been a vampire, or be a monster, or just be weirdly old with an alarming amount of botox.
Lou tucked her hair behind her ear and looked in her eyes. "Last time I checked, comforting was the opposite of killing you." Sighing slightly, he shrugged and moved his arms away.
"You can think of me that way. I'd rather you not, really." His shoulders slumped, but his eyes eyes were dead. "But," he said, looking at her again. He smirked a little and grabbed her wrist. "You're not wrong."

She looked down at wear his hand lay, shivering slightly at the touch but quickly stopping herself as she used the fingers of her hand to finger the scar left by the burn to her palm. She was pretty surprised that it hadn't disappeared after so long, but some things just don't go away.

"And how would you like me to think of you?" she asked, not moving her eyes from her wrist where his own hand lay. She felt numb and cold inside, but his hand certainly was felt against her skin. It was like if was the only thing there, the only thing she could feel, and she didn't know if she liked that or not.

Lou noticed her expression and grinned maliciously, certain that all the caring and kindness had faded away from his face. Oh, well. "I'd prefer, hmm..." He placed a finger on his chin, as if he were thinking deeply. "I dunno. Maybe, sexy, or considerate, a pleasure, a wonderful man." He smiled and her and let out a big laugh. "But you know, you can think of me however you want."
With his hand still on her wrist, his other hand touched her cheek, and Lou once again leaned into to kiss her. It was beginning to be less angry and more natural, and he wasn't sure if he wanted it to become natural. One step at a time, Lou. Getting in their pants is a process.

Oh, gods, this again. Something fluttered inside, but she pushed it down. She didn't fight against him, just kind of went limp. Honestly, she was tired of fighting, and just wanted to have a moment where her doubts were gone. She hadn't even looked at him before the kiss, just sat there and tried to enjoy it. She just wanted one happy moment, one moment where everything was fine.

But it was over too soon, and she was left stuck back in a torturous world with a boy who would hurt her over and over again. "You know I can't do that. I've already let my guard down enough, I'm not going to risk it anymore. I can wish, but that does nothing. You'll never change."

She took three seconds to try to hang on to the last tendrils of joy the kiss had brought her, but found herself empty handed. "You aren't going to stop doing that, are you? No matter how many times I ask you to?"

Sometimes, this girl really could be hilarious to listen to.
Some sort of doubt stemmed inside him in some deep depth of his body. Maybe his kidney or something. Maybe he didn't hate this girl as much as he thought, but he knew he didn't have anything near to love at all. Maybe it was just her kisses that he liked. He kinda wanted to make her happy and comfortable around him, but they were so different. How could that ever happen with Lou the way he is?
"It's no fun, Mary." He looked off towards the opposite wall again. "When you've lost everything, taking things from others is just, better. But you're a good girl." He smiled towards her. "You're not like me."

"I was taught to be good. The only reason I'm not cold and bitter is that I distract myself to the point of insanity. All those papers on that desk are just what I'm focusing on this week. I go days without sleep because I don't know what I'll do if I close my eyes. I busy myself with pointless questions so that I don't have to be with anyone. I don't like getting attached to people, so I try to ruin every opportunity. I make my life a living hell so that I don't have to go through one." She stated in a few short breaths, and it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"I don't want to be the way I am. I don't want to be good. I want to punch something when I feel like it instead of just forgetting about it. I want to be someone. I want to leave everything behind and just start everything over, but I can't. And then you come along, all annoying and against everything I was taught, and I don't know what to think. You're what I was taught to not be, but what I craze myself, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate myself, and, more than anything, I hate you. But I'm drawn to all of the things at the same time. You've got me trapped, and I honestly don't know if I want out."

Lou gave her a big, cheeky grin. It worked, and he was right. He leaned back the bed post and looked at her through slightly squinted eyes. "That's right." He held his arms out to his sides, as if to say 'come here.' "That's why I'm here." He laughed, his eyes squinting up and his cheeks were red.
"That was stupid," he concluded.
"I hate you too, babe," he said. Lou moved closer to her, because try as he might he was still attracted to her like she was the earth and he was the sun. He could just destroy her at any minute.
With a kiss on her cheek, he simply smiled. "And I know I have you trapped."

Ooc: you'll kill me one of these days

Bic:

The sad part was, she couldn't resist the gesture. As soon as he opened his arms to her, she scooted closer to him and lay her head against his chest. For someone so cold, he has insanely warm. It was like he radiated heat. And not the uncomfortable kind, more like a warm summer day.

She sat there for a few minutes, once again trying to suck every bit of happiness out of the moment. She breathed in and out slowly, closing her eyes so she could imagine that she was somewhere else, anywhere else.

"I'm not any different, am I?" She asked suddenly, not bothering to open her eyes.

Lou only wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer. His other hand ran through her hair with surprising gentleness, attempting to comfort her. It might have been the only genuine act towards her he had done in the few days they had known eachother. He shook his head, smiling softly. "No, not really," he state, voice as soft as his touch.
He placed yet another kiss on her head. "It's okay, baby. Think about it this way. You could be just like me, but you're not me. You might an actual good person." He went quiet for a moment. He wasn't sure how to keep going. They were still different, even with that significant similarity. Mary was genuine; he wasn't.

"I'm not a good person. I'm Mariasonia Rosette James. I am far from a good person. I'm a fake. I walk around acting like I'm better than everyone else when I'm worse. I correct other's lives when mine is screwed up enough already. My sister was a good person in comparison to me. If anyone deserved to get out of that fire, it certainly wasn't me, and I have to live with that every day," she responded, looking at the top of her bunk, which was covered in sheet music and newspaper clippings. She fingered an old lullaby lightly against her stomach, imagining the tune in her head as she did so.

"We're all just as bad as everyone else. Some of us just are more open and obvious with their wrongdoings."

Lou nodded shortly. He looking off into space for a while before responding. He didn't believe that Mary (Mariasonia) was as bad as she said she is. After off, she didn't steal anything, her sister did. Her sister burned their house down, not Mary.
Lou, on the other hand.. He was something else altogether. Mary wasn't bad just for the hell of it. She had reasons, she had influence, actual issues. Lou was just a bad person, who didn't even feel remorse.
He wanted to make her feel better and realise how wrong she was.
"Listen, Mary," he said, moving so her head was on his bicep instead. "We're not all the same amount of terrible." He let out a small sigh, not sure how to get the next few sentences out. "You're Maria.. blah blah whatever, and I'm Lou Hiatt. Already that much is different, right?
"None of what you did was your fault. I mean, look at yourself. You don't sleep for days because you don't want to come to terms with it. You want to distract yourself. And I? What do I do? I keep doing whatever sh!t I did." He turned his head towards the opposite wall. He didn't want to look at her. "And I have done so much sh!t, Mary.
"I've been stealing since I was ten years old. And not because my dad is Hermes. There are siblings of mine who don't steal, because they know it's wrong. Some of us steal to impress my dad. I do it because I just want to. It's fun for me. Annoying you is fun. Do you get that? I'm a genuinely bad person."