get off of my back [Natalia]

[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Dorm number five hundred ten. Fifth floor, tenth room. Top of the tower, last in the hallway. And in the top bunk, still only half-unpacked, lay the scattered possessions of a sophomore. Two bibles, a prayer book, a rosary and a crucifix contrasted with an Angelspit album, which stood out compared to one by Paramore, a windows laptop, and assorted handheld game consoles. A short-haired, brown-eyed girl sat among them, looking out the window at the sunset. She flicked her ipod off, and put that on the just-made bed, too. She still had to work out how to make a bed from the top bunk. Last year she'd been in the middle, which had been great in the way that if she stood on a chair she could make her bed from the ground. No, tall Joan - Isabella - was not, but she was a full three inches taller than she had been in her past life. For some reason the French had a thing for short heroes.

Life would be great. She liked both her roommates, and she had the middle-sized top bunk. She'd left the small and big ones for the others.

If it wasn't for the smoke. Smoke brought back very, very painful memories. They'd kept her from asphyxiating on the smoke, because they wanted to see her burn. Not just die, but burn. Such was the death of Joan of Arc, who now shared a dorm with a smoker - who just so happened to be Bonnie Parker. They were one of the stranger friendships in the school. Saint and sinner. "There's no way you could smoke outside, could you? Maybe even in the hall?" She couldn't help the shudder. "Pleaseeeee?" She glanced down at Natalia, then swung her leg over the bed and jumped down, landing well, rosary in hand.

She skirted the sofa, and possession of both the girls (the third had yet to arrive) and instead went to the seat by the window, popping it open. She sat down, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. "Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce. Le Seigneur est avec vous, vous êtes bénie entre toutes les -" Isabella began to whisper, so as not to disturb anyone, when she saw the flash of fire. She winced, as though the flame had been onto her own skin. "Femmes, et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni. Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu, priez pour nous, pécheurs, maintenant et à l'heure de notre mort. A-" The "amen" became a squeak as the fire came closer this time. She made the sign of the cross, and glared at Natalia.

"For the love of-" She raised an eyebrow, and got off the window seat, climbing a couple rungs of the ladder and putting her rosary in the hood she'd devised for it. She wasn't even sure if Natalia knew why she hated fire so much. She did her best to be mature about it, knowing full well it was just a lighter and that she was overreacting, but she couldn't help herself. It just happened. She bent down by a suitcase, opening it and going to the dresser. "Drawers. Who gets which ones? There's nine, so three each. And the bathroom...where are we keeping toiletries and toothbrushes, Bonnie?" It was just them, after all. She could call her Bonnie, until roommate three came around. Unless roomie three was a reincarnate as well. She stifled a yawn, and turned around, jumping visibly when the lighter came on again. "Seriously?"

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words| 663
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| Bwaha.

[Natalia Anne Kruske]

i fell in to a burning ring of fire
i went down and the flames got higher

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Natalia was bored.
Very bored.

She stared off at nothing as she sat on the couch, a thin, white cigarette between her lips. She watched the blue-gray smoke rise from the tip of her cigarette and into the air of the her dorm, dorm number five hundred and ten. Five. One. Double O. Ten.

Oh my god she was bored.

She really wanted to have a dorm party. That'd be fucking awesome. A dorm party. With lots of drinking. And dancing. And grinding. And sex. Yes. That's be just awesome. Unfortunately, her roommate was a saint. No, literally, her roommate was a saint.

Saint Joan of Arc. God must have hated Natalia or something. Pairing Bonnie Parker up with Joan of Arc?? This had to have been a bad joke. Talia wanted to bring guys up to their dorm, but ALAS! Miss Purity probably would tattle to the nearest authority figure that testosterone was in their room after 6 pm. ...Fruit cake.

Still, Talia did have to respect her a little bit. Joanie hadn't murdered her in annoyance yet...and Joan of Arc was kind of a bad ass at times.

But more like a pain in the ass most of the time.

And because of this unremovable pain, she was bored out of her mind, smoking on the couch and playing with her lighter. Flicking it on and off. One second the flame would be there, the next, gone. Orignally, she was doing it purely out of boredom, but when she noticed how twitchy Isa got when the fire was on, she found cruel amusement and began a new game called "Make Isa Twitch".

"There's no way you could smoke outside, could you? Maybe even in the hall?"

Talia looked at her lazily, taking a deep inhale of her cigarette. Then she tilted her head back and let her mouth just hang open, smoke slowly coming out like it was leaking out of a chimney.

"Pleaseeeee?"

"No," She answered calmly, the rest of the smoke coming out in a big cloud and she exhaled it. This was fun. Why would she stop. She watched her pint-sized roommate walk over to the window and open it. And then...what was she do-...are you serious? The saint was praying! Bonnie chuckled, listening to the French prayer. As she prayed, Talia got up quietly and crept over to her and held her lighter by Isa's face. Right at 'amen', she flicked the lighter on, a cruel smile on her face as Isa squeaked.

Maybe rooming with a Saint who was afraid of all aspects of fire wouldn't be so bad.

"For the love of-"

"FOR THE LOVE OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY!" Natalia mocked her before sitting back down on the couch, playing with her lighter again and blowing smoke out of her nose.

She watched Isabella go over to the dresser and start talking about business again as she opened the drawers and bent over suitcases. "Drawers. Who gets which ones? There's nine, so three each. And the bathroom...where are we keeping toiletries and toothbrushes, Bonnie?"
Now Talia knew why saints were made of stone and never painted with a smile. They were always so damn serious and didn't know how to lighten up. Everything was religion...or work...or...praying...

Talia wasn't listening to what Isa was saying. She was budy playing her own games with her. Again she crept up behind her, cigarette and lighter in hand. This time, she held the cigarette under Isa's nose so she'd smell the smoke and flicked the lighter on before her eyes. Talia burst out laughing as Isa jumped.

"Seriously?"

Talia put her cigarette back in her mouth. "You know what I want for dinner tonight, Joanie?" She took a drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out to the side...though she was tempted to blow it in Isa's face. But that might be a tad too rude.

"Steak. I really want a steak. You like steaks, don't you?" She smirked and walked back to the bunk she claimed...the big one of course.

"I really like steaks..." She muttered with a smirk.

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WORD COUNT: 702
LYRICS: Ring of Fire
LISTENING TO: Sugar We're Going Down
COMMENTS: ... *team isa*

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[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Isabella's parents had once suggested she speak to someone about her fire fears, but she'd refused. Frankly, there wasn't a lot to say when your fear of fire stemmed from the fact that you died from it - which wouldn't make any sense and she'd have been locked up. Trouble was, the other guy really wasn't offering much in the way of apology. Unless you counted a second life. Maybe?

Maybe not. She finished the Hail Mary, and intended to get started on a second, when she found that Natalia had snuck up and lit the lighter again. Isabella was about to curse, stopped herself and then, well, Bonnie Parker finished the job.

Fire underneath her nose was really, really not nice. She managed to keep her composure somewhat, but she bit down on her lip. Fire nearby was one thing. Fire that close was another. "Pretty much." She agreed, though she had to wonder if agreeing was a sin. Hm. Questionable. But really not as big a deal as people made it out to be. Not nowadays, anyhow.

Knowing full well she wouldn't be able to sit there right now and continue, Isabella ditched the rosary. She'd try again in an hour or so. It wasn't like she was being overly religious, anyways. Twice a week to church, morning and evening prayers? Not that intensive. For a saint, anyhow. It brought up more questions than the title was worth. Sure, it meant she could hold some way over the more religious (Christian) reincarnates, but how, exactly, was she supposed to act? No effing clue. At all. Chastity? Maybe, she didn't know. Was she supposed to be a nun or could she pursue a career in law? Then there were all sorts of other questions, too. She asked what drawers Natalia would like, and got no answer. Instead she spun around and came way to close to an open flame.

Fuck. That warranted revenge. If Bonnie Parker was going to play on deaths, so would Joan. She'd trade her death for Bonnie's any day, but she also knew it happened to be very violent...an idea popped int her strategist's mind and she smiled. Still looked pissed, but smiling.

Instead she learned that Natalia would like a steak for dinner. Isabella rolled her eyes. Words weren't a bother for her. "I like steak, too. Provided I'm not tied to a 'stake'. Unfortunately, I don't know how to cook it properly, or I would. I really don't have problems with cooked meat, if that's what you're after. Or the smell of it, since I really couldn't smell myself after the first, oh, fifteen ish minutes I was on fire. But I do have hotdogs in the fridge, if you'd like some." She'd been tied up for about twenty more before the flames even got to her. Freakin' massive pyre. The subject may have been touchy, but her words were nonchalant.

Isabella opened up her suitcase as Natalia went to sit down, and opened one of the drawers. "We can each have a column, then. One top drawer, one middle and one bottom. I call the left side." She stated, and opened her suitcase. Now, where would everything go? Underwear in the bottom drawer, bottoms in the middle and tops in the top? Board games and such could go elsewhere.

"I don't suppose you play Risk or che-" Isabella tried to make peace, but as she looked back she found the lighter on again, and took a deep breath, only to inhale the smell of smoke. "Or chess. Call of Duty, perhaps? Lots of guns and shooting." She fished out her pajamas, and threw them onto the top bunk. Sometimes she had to wonder what God has in store for her; but then, the Voices had often enough told her. No, this was just coincidence, not a divine challenge.

---------------
words| 745
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| I side with her, too. xD

[Natalia Anne Kruske]

i fell in to a burning ring of fire
i went down and the flames got higher

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"Pretty much."

Talia paused and looked at her room mate. She arched one dark eyebrow and questioned slowly, "Are you allowed to agree with me? ...Since you're a saint and all? Or is that, like...a sin?" She paused and her dark, eyelined eyes widened. "What would happen if a saint sinned?" She asked, a small smile crawling on her face as she thought about what might happen to a saint if they sinned. "Do they go to hell and bur-..."

She paused. Maybe bringing up burning around be a bit too cruel. Natalia may have never been on fire and died at steak, but she had burned herself a lot on her flat iron. And that hurt like a mother fucker!

Talia paused again. God heard people's thoughts, right? Could she go to hell for swearing in her head? ...Probably. She probably could go to hell for a lot of things she did. But, why did God have to go all Edward Cullen and read her thoughts? Why would it be so bad if she thought profane words and didn't say them? ...She didn't get all this God stuff. She didn't get it when she was Bonnie either. And her roommate just had to be a saint. Well, at least she wasn't a Bible-thumping saint...

...Talia's aunt was a Bible-thumping woman. She kind of reminded Natalia of the mom in Carrie. When Natalia was little, she used to hide from her aunt...

But neither here nor there...

She smirked at Isa as she rolled her eyes and listened to her retort...
"I like steak, too. Provided I'm not tied to a 'stake'. Unfortunately, I don't know how to cook it properly, or I would. I really don't have problems with cooked meat, if that's what you're after. Or the smell of it, since I really couldn't smell myself after the first, oh, fifteen ish minutes I was on fire. But I do have hotdogs in the fridge, if you'd like some."

"Ehhh..." She wrinkled her nose a bit and fell back on her bed. She hugged her pillow to her chest with one arm while her free hand took her cigarette out of her mouth and she exhaled smoke, "Not really in the mood for hot dogs..." She rolled over and laid on her stomach. Putting the white cancer stick back between her teeth she said, "By the way, you need to lighten up. ...You know, I think I have some wine that can help you loosen up. Isn't wine holy or something?"

She could have sworn wine is taken in church...so that makes it holier than vodka!

Talia arched an eyebrow as Isa went back to trying to unpack. "What do you do to unwind?" She asked abuptly. Seriously. All Isa ever did was work. And work. And pray. And be serious.

"We can each have a column, then. One top drawer, one middle and one bottom. I call the left side."

Talia mocked her room mate under her breath and went back to playing with her lighter. Her dark eyes reflected the golden flame as her thumb pressed down on the flicker-thingy and then let it go. On and off. Fire and nothing. It was really a mundance action for Bonnie, but it bugged Joan and that's why it was fun. And Joanie couldn't take it from her. She'd be scared to touch it. Ohhhh sadistic pleasures...

"I don't suppose you play Risk or che-" flick. Natalia smirked and let the lighter burn for a little longer than usual this time before she let go of the switch. She took her time exhaling the smoke in Isa's general direction as well.

"Or chess. Call of Duty, perhaps? Lots of guns and shooting."

"Oh yeah. Chess. Love it." She snorted. She chuckled as she got off her bed and got out her pajamas, too. She tapped her cigarette's ashes into the (stolen) ashtray she had put on the top of the dresser. She carefully set the cigarette in the ash tray and took off her shirt to put on her cami for bed.

"I don't know what you like to do for fun...if you ever have fun at all..." She muttered the second part under her breath and sighed, "But, I like to steal, party, play Mortal Kombat and watch movies...while eating ice cream." She smirked, "Oh, and play with my lighter." She hesitated, "I don't really like...shooting games."

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WORD COUNT: 745
LYRICS: Ring of Fire
LISTENING TO: the radio
COMMENTS: mortal kombat ftw

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[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

The look on Natalia's face when Isabella's face when she agreed to the curse was one Isa was used to. Reincarnates who knew who she was seemed to be offput when they found Isabella playing violent video games, cursing or doing anything that made her human and not...saintly. "I don't see what your hang up about my sainthood is. I'm still human and. And it IS a sin, but frankly, it's not half as major as the Commandments make- Then she spoke about burning. Not just opened a flame, but had a sadistic grin and mentioned burning. Hurt crossed Isabella's face. That was mean. And judging by how she trailed off, even Bonnie Parker knew it. She didn't bother finishing what she had to say, just turned back to unpacking.

She wanted to get it over with, so she could just relax and do what she wanted. But mothering after two brothers the whole summer had taught her it was always better to be somewhat organized, or you'd end up having to call your mom to tell her that Felipe had stepped in a wasps nest and you had called a cab to the hospital, and Rico was crying because he'd gotten jam in his hair, which was also in yours but you weren't allowed to complain because you were the oldest. Yarsh. It carried over, and combined with her "get it done" personality that had ended a war...well, a dorm room was not safe until she'd organized her things a bit. She had to chuckle slightly when Natalia mentioned wine, though, looking up again. Lighter on. Flinch. "That's a different context, Bonnie. Wine is used in church but I doubt you want me explaining how or why." So she didn't. Just looked away from the flame again, rubbing one of her wrists. God, the metal restraints! They'd burned red-hot long before the flames had gotten to them.

She looked up from where she was putting underwear away when Bonnie asked the question. She shrugged. What kind of question was that? Joan of Arc was getting the feeling that her roommate was classifying her solely as a saint and not as a human being. That was unfair.

Unfair was also the fire-taunts. Fire, fire, fire. Oh, she'd work out revenge. Yes, yes she would. She would no matter what, she deicded as she threw her pajamas up onto the bunk. She ignored the snort, couldn't help but flinch at the fire...but then...

Bonnie mentioned she didn't like shooting games. Made some sense, if deaths were a factor here. And Joan knew her laptop could be loud. So loud, she could make this room sound like world war three. In the middle of the night, too. Hm...

"Mortal combat's good. So are movies and ice cream." Isabella agreed. "I like soccer. I'm on the school team. Do you play? I like basketball, too, but I'm not tall enough." Five three was not adequate for 'the game of giants', after all. "I do quite a lot of things. The fact I'm a saint doesn't change a thing. I don't like being called a saint." Confusion crossed her face. She looked up to see Bonnie halfway through changing. If she was turning in, it was only a matter of time before she could show Bonnie Parker that this saint wasn't afraid of sinning. "It's really awkward, you know that?" The slightest of a blush spread to her cheeks as she climbed to her bunk and put what was laying on it onto a shelf by her head. She pulled off her own shirt and changed into her bringht pink pajama top. It was adored with a skull-and-crossbones pattern.

"Like when I say that I am a believer in evolution, it gets weird."She admitted. Any value that wasn't conservative that she held, reincarnates quite often got confused. Joan of Arc felt gay marriage was okay? But the Vatican said something else! Her next words had a bite to them.

"People always find it funny I like to play violent first person shooters. That sort of thing they'd think would be up your alley, what with guns and killing and sometimes they're really graphic. You can see the blood and sometimes bullet wounds, if you hit them but don't kill them, you can see them shouting and screaming, and trying to get away. You can just walk over and...pop in the head. And you see them twitch for a bit, even. But you could always open fire and just riddle the person until it's overkill y'know, Bonnie?" Mean? Yes. Warranted? Yes. If Joan didn't prove herself, she was always going to be the beta around here. She would not take anything less than an equal to Bonnie Parker!

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words| 881
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| Kitten has claws...

[Natalia Anne Kruske]

i fell in to a burning ring of fire
i went down and the flames got higher

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Bonnie Parker-slash-Natalia Kruske may be a terrible person 99.9% of the time. But there still is that .1% That isn't a bitch. And when Isa looked hurt, that .1% revealed itself. Talia's face fell instantly and she put out her lighter for the time being. "I-...I'm sorry. I didn't mean that," She apologized hastily. She knew how much she hated things pertaining to being shot. She didn't watch a lot of gang movies or mafia films. Certain violent moves were okay but anything was excess use of guns...Bonnie could almost feel the burning of bullets ripping through her all over again.

She hated that feeling...

She felt horrible when Isa went back to her packing in silence. Bonnie wanted to say more in apology, but what should she say? She sighed and just watched for a bit, smoking in silence. Maybe she should put out her cigarette after her remark?

...Ugh. No. She was sorry, but not that sorry. She would not be ditching the cigarette anytime soon. She was addicted to it and cancer was coming for her, so why run for it?

"That's a different context, Bonnie. Wine is used in church but I doubt you want me explaining how or why."

"Ehhh...if it's a really long explanation, then you're right. I really don't wanna know...no offense." She raised one, thin eyebrow when Isa rubbed her wrists. Talia put her cigarette back in her mouth and took a deep inhale, the tip of it glowing a golden-orange. The smoke came out of her mouth in a cloud as she asked, "What's up with your wrists, Joanie?" Did they cramp up from so much damn unpacking?
When she called her Joanie, Talia couldn't help but recall the "Joanie on the Pony" in her beloved Philadelphia. She looked at Joan and said, "Hey. Did you know they have a golden statue of you on a horse in Philly?" Yeah, that was random...but it was an ice breaker, wasn't it? And at least she didn't flick her lighter on when she said that.

Her eyebrows raised as Isa shugged in answer to her question? What did she mean by...shrug? "You don't know?" She asked, tapping ashes into the ash tray, "How can you not know what you do for fun?" C'mon now. She wanted a real answer. Though she could probably guess what Joan liked to do for fun, Talia could still pretend to care, at least.

"Mortal combat's good. So are movies and ice cream." Isabella agreed. "I like soccer. I'm on the school team. Do you play? I like basketball, too, but I'm not tall enough."

Talia smirked and shook her head. "I'm 5'3"." She said, bluntly. "So...no." Talia passed on every sport. Unless you counted yoga a sport.

"I do quite a lot of things. The fact I'm a saint doesn't change a thing. I don't like being called a saint."

Bonnie stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Really?" She asked, genuinely shocked. "But isn't that some huge honor for Catholics...or whatever you are?"

"It's really awkward, you know that?"

Natalia smirked and threw her shirt and turned around and looked at Isabella. She put her hands on her hips, her lips in a smirk and her hip cocked to the right side. "Don't worry, Joan," She said, undoing the button of her jeans, just to make it more awkward for her unfortunate room mate, "You're not my type."

She pulled her jeans down and left them in a bunch on the floor before putting on her black booty shorts and pale pink cami for bed. She climbed back onto her bed and leaned over to the dresser. With two careful fingers, she picked her cigarette back up again and resumed smoking.

"Like when I say that I am a believer in evolution, it gets weird."

She raised her head a bit from her pillow. She could not believe what she just heard. "You believe in evolution!?"

Remember that game earlier? "Make Isa twitch"? Well, there's apparently a sequel to it and it's called "Make Talia wince". And it goes like this:

"People always find it funny I like to play violent first person shooters." That earned a disapproving look...and now the game begins. "That sort of thing they'd think would be up your alley, what with guns and killing and sometimes they're really graphic." Wince "You can see the blood and sometimes bullet wounds," wince "if you hit them but don't kill them, you can see them shouting and screaming," Wince again with a quiet whimper. "and trying to get away." A really sad look and a wince. "You can just walk over and...pop in the head." Wince. Eyes close. "And you see them twitch for a bit, even. But you could always open fire and just riddle the person until it's overkill y'know, Bonnie?"

Natalia wouldn't even look Isabella in the eye. Bonnie could dish it, but she couldn't take it. She put out her cigarette, fighting to keep a straight face...which was hard thanks to Isabella bringing back her last memory as Bonnie and her last moment with Clyde. "Yeah," Was all she said as the pushed her cigarette butt down into the ashes and left it there. Then she pulled back the sheets of her bed...she really didn't want to talk to Joan anymore.

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WORD COUNT: 901
LYRICS: Ring of Fire
LISTENING TO: dance, dance
COMMENTS: it's hot

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[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Even though Natalia apologised, Isabella only gave a nod of acknowledgement. Funny to her hear apologise. She was attack unprovoked then apologizing for it...kinda odd.

She only smiled and shook her head as Natalia brought up the wine. "My wrists are fine. And it's not that long; they typically teach it to seven-year-olds, but I'll spare you. Suffice to say it doesn't make all wine holy all the time." Briefly, she wondered if she could hold a mass. Sainthood possibly made her eligible, but she had really no idea why she'd want to hold a mass to start with. Or give someone the last rites. She'd done that before, minus the anointing, but a fourteenth century battleground was a different situation than any one she might ever encounter here. The tapestries with gory pictures on them? Nothing compared to real life. Not even close.

When Natalia next spoke, she looked up and blinked. A statue of herself in Philadelphia? "I didn't know. I'm honored, though. Reminded of that...I miss my horse. He was fair tempered as far as stallions went. Nicest man you'd find in a military camp, let me tell you." She reminisced. She still didn't know what had happened to Jacques, after her capture. Sold, probably. Sold...or killed due to having belonged to a 'witch'. That's probably what happened to her armour, and sword. Sold or destroyed. It certainly wasn't in a museum somewhere, she'd used the lovely Internet to check on a curio one day.

The conversation changed gears into pastimes and hobbies. Besides Isabella not about to list all the things she did for fun outright, she had already said quite a few. Natalia clearly didn't care about them. Or if she did, not a whole ton. Which was fair. Isabella could probably guess what Natalia did in her free time and she didn't like the ideas at all. "So am I. But I'll play with my friends. If you meant soccer, well, height doesn't matter unless you're a boy. They seem to have this complex about being tall." It was just silly, how big some basketball players were. Human bodies were not made to be THAT tall. Not much over seven feet, that she was sure. "Tall genes" was one thing, but it probably only made the situation worse for average-height dudes.

The conversation lacking any saintly references was short lived, as she surprised Natalia about her comment. "In any Christian denomination, it's an honor. And I am honored. But it's really kinda strange when I say, "Hi, I'm Joan D'Arc." If they know I'm a saint, often enough, all of a sudden, people act a little weird. I'm happy to be a saint, but I don't like being addressed like all of a sudden, I'm...I dunno, just it's weird. It's a postmortem title that I have while alive." She admitted, as Natalia started to change and misinterpreted her next comment. Isabella only giggled.

"I meant sainthood sometimes, not you changing!" She said with a smile, still averting her eyes for decency's sake.

And then she scrambled up into her bunk, to change herself. Getting her pajama shirt on in-bunk was easy enough, but getting the accompanying pink shorts on was practically impossible. After some thumping around and flailing, she flung herself back over the edge and smiled sheepishly. "Pants in bunk just don't work." She scooted off to the side, and undid her own jeans as she mentioned evolution. Just as she expected, there was surprised in Natalia's voice. "Believing in evolution does not go contrary to God. I believe quite firmly that Adam and Eve is a parable. Sort of like the story of the tortoise and the hare. You could just say it's a story about two animals, but it's really more than that. Man named animals and humankind sinned. Eden is a reference to heaven, and so humans have to make do what what they have on earth, and be Good and know what it is to work, because intelligence has a trade off, and that is knowledge of what the world is. Isn't that 'evolving'? Becoming thinking beings? I know you probably are tuning me out by now, but...it makes utterly no sense for humanity to be descended from two people. Evolution also explains them dinos." She could go on for ages, that much was clear in the vindication in her tone, the light in her eyes. "Don't even get me started on why I support gay mar-" Flame. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, got startled and almost fell over, hopping around with one leg in the shorts. She got her balance back and hopped back up in the bunk.

And she created the little sequel to the sadistic fire game, which she was sure would help her vy for equality around here. In fact, it seemed she'd scored a winning blow, but she wasn't done yet.

-------- Later that night ---------

She'd finished her rosary, and Bonnie Parker was asleep. She'd gotten a lovely, loud clip of gunshots, shooting and even a scream onto her laptop. Time to deal a finishing blow. Hopefully. She knew war, and the last blow always had to be a one-up from what you thought could finish it, and if you had enough momentum, nothing (ie, incinerating her to kill the French morale) would work. One click and the thirty-second clip would play. One click at three in the morning exactly.

Should she really? Lit up by the glow of the screen, she paused. Then clicked.

World war three commenced. With a grin, she flung herself over the edge of the bunk, and stood out of arms reach of Bonnie Parker as she clutched a rosary, saintly look in her eyes, devilish grin on her lips.

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words| 1070
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| I went on a roll.

[Natalia Anne Kruske]

i fell in to a burning ring of fire
i went down and the flames got higher

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She could tell she had just caused herself to get Joan to say a big speech. She sighed. She was tired. She didn't want to hear a goddamn speech. But here it came, regardless. Bonnie sighed and laid down.

"Believing in evolution does not go contrary to God. I believe quite firmly that Adam and Eve is a parable. Sort of like the story of the tortoise and the hare. You could just say it's a story about two animals, but it's really more than that."

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. She felt her eyelids getting heavier. Knowing she was going to pass out soon, Natalia took her lighter and lit a candle and set it on the side of the dresser closest to Isa. Since she couldn't flick her lighter in her sleep, the candle would do her job for her. Talia smiles and closed her eyes, barely listening to the rest.

"Man named animals and humankind sinned. Eden is a reference to heaven, and so humans have to make do what what they have on earth, and be Good and know what it is to work, because intelligence has a trade off, and that is knowledge of what the world is. Isn't that 'evolving'? Becoming thinking beings? I know you probably are tuning me out by now, but...it makes utterly no sense for humanity to be descended from two people. Evolution also explains them dinos."

She was gone at this point. Her breathing was deep and her sleeping was heavy. She was lost in her dreams, whatever they may be. Bonnie usually dreamed of Clyde and finding him once more. It was the best dream she had and if she dreamed of him, she'd usually wake up cheerful.

But there was one thing that would make her pissy in the morning. There was one nightmare that still haunted her...

----------------------------

She was dreaming her typical dream. She and Clyde in a car together, talking and laughing and just being happy together. He was driving, as usual. The sun was shining and Bonnie had her window down. It was a beautiful day and she was with her favorite person in the world. Things couldn't get better than this...

So they got worse. Gunshots tore apart the peace she basked in. She screamed and looked over at Clyde. In the center of his forehead was a large, red hole and out of it poured his blood as his eyes closed. Bonnie felt her blood run close before she left out a loud scream as the gunshots continued. She wasn't really screaming in fear, but rather in mourning at her dead lover beside her. She could feel his warm blood on here face.

Gunshots ripped through the car. She felt her legs burning as the gunshots dove into her flesh and began to destroy her. She tried to scream for mercy. She wanted the gunfire to stop. But it didn't. Her body involuntarily twitched and moved as the bullets riddled her.

Natalia woke up with a scream, sweat rolling down her neck and tears down her cheeks. Still the gunfire continued. She covered her ears and whimpered like a scared child. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure. She looked...and then froze. Saint? More like a bitch. Talia's eyes narrowed and her hands lowered from her ears when she realized the gunshots were not real. Her fear was not valid. She'd made a fool of herself.

Bonnie Parker was not a fan of waking up at three in the morning. She disliked waking up to gunshots at three in the morning evern more. Her dark eyes were filled with hate as her jaw tightened. "You little fucker," She growled before lunging for her lighter and jumping off her bed. She was beyond angry. She was LIVID.

She dashed at her room mate, holding the lighter out towards her. She flicked it on with a bit of pressure from her thumb. The little golden flame jumped to life...but then the fire spread. Natalia's eyes widened as she watched her act of revenge go way out of hand. She dropped her lighter in shock and horror.

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WORD COUNT: 704
LYRICS: Ring of Fire
LISTENING TO: flogging molly.
COMMENTS: FIRE HAIR

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[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

In the glow of her computer screen, Isabella had to wonder how this would go over. Not well. But she wanted top prove that she could play that game just as well as Bonnie Parker, and not just in words, but actions. Actions spoke much more than words did. She could have ranted that if she were a boy, she could have saved France. Or she could get up, do as God said and do it, regardless. But this was a little different. This was a vengeful, mean act.

Then again, she'd beaten people with her sword. Prostitutes, yes. But the fact remained she had broken her sword over the back of one...that had been a bad day. The attack on Paris had gone to hell, and she had banned prostitution in camps. AND THEN THERE WAS A HOOKER IN CAMP. Sheesh! Not that Natalia was a hooker. She had respect for Bonnie Parker, even if the woman was a criminal. Admiration, even.

Not that that would stop her.
Joan of Arc clicked the button, and all hell broke loose as she hopped down. She expected Natalia to react by screaming or flailing, but not by crying. An apologetic look crossed Isabella's features. She wanted to incite a reaction, but she didn't want to make her cry. But then the gunshots stopped, the clip ended and the computer screen shut into her screen saver, which was a starfield, making the room darker, illuminated only by the moon. Isabella hoped this would leave some point. Every time Natalia bothered her with the lighter, it was all very similar to this. This being extreme, but it wasn't like Isabella had a gun to play with...and why the hell - pardonne - would she want to play with a gun?

A clear facial view was not necessary; Isabella knew her roommate was angry. She fully expected the lighter to come out, or to be leaped at. Natalia's voice exposed how angry she was, as well."That's what happens when you play with fire...but I'm sorry for making you cry." The words were honest, and clearly so, but that was not enough to stop Natalia. Fair enough. Isabella ducked with a warrior's reflexes. It might have made Natalia trip up, but it also brought her long hair flying...right as Natalia flicked the lighter on.

The whoosh of fire taking was familiar, and Isabella's heart stopped for a second. Then it came back, three times faster with a boost of adrenaline to boot. The dorm lit up, from Isabella's hair.

Joan of Arc was on fire. Again. Except this time, she wasn't chained up, and didn't have to retain her composure (she had to last time, to go with dignity) and had no intentions to die. She felt the burn at her neck and shoulders, remembering the feeling all to well, as a blood curdling scream escaped her. Her eyes became huge, and she spun around. The rosary went flying from her fingers with quite some force, hit the door, and broke, sending beads everywhere. "Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce. Le Seigneur est avec vous, vous êtes bénie-" The Hail Mary came out as a hysterical scream; she wasn't thinking, the words just came. She was on fire. FIRE. Her head and shoulders, too; the highest she remembered the fire going.

Stop, drop and roll? Not with a wooden floor, she'd burn the dorm down! Tears were already falling, breath coming fast. In a second, her top would take, and she expected no help from Natalia, who may well have done that on purpose for all she knew; an executioner. God, she was half between now and May 30th, 1431...water, she needed water! NOW.

Bathroom! Still on fire, and still screaming (though this didn't register to her) Isabella ran for the door, flung it open, and disregarded the sink, she went for the tub as her shirt took. Having been on fire once before, she managed to think sanely enough to remove the shirt; her camisole hadn't taken, throw it in the tub, which wouldn't burn, and turn on the water. Sticking her head under. Unfortunately for her, the water that came out was scalding hot, the result of a shower taken by one of the two earlier in that day, adding to the pain and she screamed again, something between the a breathless bit of the Hail Mary and a plea for help to Natalia.

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words| 821
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| Is it a bad thing I grinned the entire time I typed this? I'm not that sadistic....I think.

[Natalia Anne Kruske]

i fell in to a burning ring of fire
i went down and the flames got higher

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"That's what happens when you play with fire...but I'm sorry for making you cry."

"Bullshit!" She screamed, gripping her lighter and quickly wiping away her own tears, trying to hide exactly how much this had effected her. She didn't like showing that the day in May 1934 still effected her greatly.

What Isabella had done was mean. What she had done was pretty much the closest she could get to shooting Natalia. Talia had used hurtful words and taunts to get under Isa's skin for fun. But Natalia wouldn't go as far as to light her room mate on fire. That'd be just sadistic. Use, she'd flick her lighter. And when she lunged for it, her intention was to pin Isa down and hold the flame close to her eyes and instill fer in her. Not ignite her.

So when Isa's hair burst into flames, Talia dropped the lighter right away and her eyes widened. She watched in terror as The flames began to take on Isa's clothes. She heard the hail Mary come out as a scream and she watched the rosary break. Isa wasn't thinking and Natalia couldn't bring herself to move. She was watching Joan of Arc burn a second time. And it was horrible. Talia's hands covered her mouth in horror as she watched Joan, who didn't seem to be all there. Finally, Talia cried out, "Joan! Run to the bathroom! You need water! Water!"

She tried to run towards her to help the distressed girl on fire, but she stepped on the rosary beads and her feet flew out from under her. Her head slammed against the wood floor and for a moment, Talia forgot what she was doing entirely. She laid on her back as Isa ran to the bathroom to extinguish the flames before they took her entirely. Her screams didn't register to Natalia at first, but when it finally did hit her, it hit her like a brick wall. She rolled over and watched Joan in the bathroom as she turned the water on and winced as the hot water touched Joan's burned skin.

Natalia was on her feet by the time Isa screamed again and attempted to say another Hail Mary. When Joan called her name, Bonnie's brain jumped to life. The first thing she did was dash into the bathroom. She slipped a little bit on the water laying on the floor before leaning over and turning the knobs on the shower so cold water would spill out rather than hot water. "Shhhh," She said, trying to get Joan to calm down, "Shhhh. Shh, calm down. Calm down, Joan. Calm down! You're okay. You're going to be okay. I swear. I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you."

She looked at Isa's hair as the fire went out. It was ruined. Natalia winced a little before givin Isa a gentle pat on the back. "Keep yourself unde the water. I'll be right back, okay?"

She left the bathroom and went to their bedroom. She threw things around and tore up any bit of order Joan may have once had in their room. She was trying to find something to help fix Joan of Arc's burned hair. She gagged a little frm the smell of burnt hair and she couldn't help but feel that all of this was her fault. Finally, she found what would help her fix Joan's singed hair. A pair of scissors. Bonnie bit her lip as she looked at the scissors. She kind of wished she had hair products to help her room mate but, then again, beggars can't really be choosers, can they? She sighed and turned back to the bathroom, opening and closng the scissors a few times to get used to the feel of them. "Okay," She muttered before going back over to her room mate. She kept her bent over the bath tub and she kept the water on as she picked up a chunk of Isa's burnt hair. "I really am sorry," She said before snipping the chunk of hair.

She didn't want to cut off Isa's hair...but...it would grow back...

Again and again, she picked up chunks of burned and wet brown hair and chopped them off. Wet chunks of dark hair lined the bath tub. Talia kept an apologetic look on her face as she cut her room mate's hair short. Finally, she was done cutting Joan's hair and Bonnie stepped back. She wiped her scissors and frowned a bit, looking at her room mate sadly, waiting for a violent reaction of some sort. She deserved it.

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WORD COUNT: 773
LYRICS: Ring of Fire
LISTENING TO: the TV
COMMENTS: ...yes. but i wouldn't be worried about it xP

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[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

When it came to the subjects of deaths, it was probably the normal people who had it better. It wasn't like the reincarnates remembered anything more. She could remember the last millisecond of her life, and yeah, sure, she could tell you what death felt like, but frankly? She "blanked" for the some six hundred years her soul had no body. If she had been in heaven, she couldn't recall. If there was anything else beyond reincarnation, she had no idea. Of course, that didn't stop either Joan or Bonnie from attacking each other over deaths.

Unfortunately, this took a bad turn. Whatever Natalia had meant to do, it was put to a halt as Joan of Arc caught fire and began to scream and scream like mad. The at first it was the heat radiation off her hair, then she could feel it burning her. God, no, not again! Please, please please...but it had just happened. She saw Bonnie with her hands at her mouth but it didn't really register to her - even the screaming was distant as the rosary flew from her hands.

""Joan! Run to the bathroom! You need water! Water!" It was distant, but she understood Bonnie. She spun around and headed for it, feeling more intense burning now. God, no, no...she'd seen her body go black and leathery once before, no no, no, no! Bonnie fell on the beads of a rosary, and strangely enough, Joan reached back as she ran, as though she were going to pause and help her roommate up. Self preservation got in the way, though, and she was soon kneeling on the bathroom floor, screaming still as water fell onto her head and neck. It dripped down her, soaking her somewhat singed camisole, back down the floor, and down her face as she shouted a strange mix between Bonnie and the hail Mary. The water scalded burns while it put out the fire - and made the pain more intense.

Water came down her face, and it also gave her the feel of half-drowning, mostly since she was still shouting. The water abruptly changed temperate, which hurt in itself, hot to cold like that. She let out a yelp, but quieted some. Natalia was helping her. She'd be okay. Hopefully. Second degree burns she could live with. It'd be better if they were first-degree, but that was unlikely, considering direct contact with flaming hair. She'd go see a nurse in the morning. She quited a little as Bonnie tried to hush her, but she was still crying and trying to catch her breath at the same time. She felt Bonnie tap her back and she began to shake a little.

In the other side of the bathtub, her pink-pajama shirt was burning, adding to the smoke and smell of hair. If Isabella hadn't opened the bathroom window, and the windows in the living area that served as a kitchen, living and bedroom for the girls, they'd surely have tipped all the smoke alarms in the dorm, and that would be very hard to explain to everyone. She didn't dare move from under the tap, but she did reach out and splash water on what was left of the thing. She hated the garish shadows it caused and was relived when it went out.

At about that time, Bonnie returned. Hearing footsteps and thinking a little more rationally, she twisted her neck slightly, and a squeak escaped her. Her shoulders and nape of the neck were red and hurt like hell. She could see the scissors in Bonnie's hand, and managed to nod. "Allez aussi courts que vous avez..." Realizing she defaulted to French, she took a shaky breath, coughing as she inhaled a little bit of water, and corrected herself. "Go as short as you have to." Still looking into the bottom of the tub, keeping herself under water, Isabella watched chucks of half-burned hair collect near the drain. Haircuts and smell she could stand, but she as still shaking. She felt like a baby, but she was still crying.

"I-It's okay." She said as Bonnie apologised. This was karma, anyhow. She clearly hadn't meant to ignite her. "'Sides. I needed a haircut." The excessive pain, blistering and trip to the doctors that would result she could do without. But her hair had been getting longer than she liked it. Finally, the other girl finished, and Isabella cautiously, slowly got up. She was shivering now, freezing from the cold water, but still feeling the burn.

The bathroom was a mess. She was a mess, and she would not be sleeping tonight. A glance out the bathroom door told her the room was a mess. Torn apart in the scissor search, with rosary beads everywhere. She looked back at Natalia, over her shoulder at the mirror. Hah. Just like her past life a boys cut...well, a lot shorter. Guys had longer hair back then. "Please forgive me." She mumbled. "I shouldn't have scared you like that...I was stupid. Please forgive me. Please."

She wiped her face off with an equally-soaked arm, hesitated, and hugged Bonnie suddenly, almost crying all over again. "Thank you." She said to the older girl. "Thank you for helping me." Joan stepped back, knowing Bonnie Parker probably had not wanted to be hugged by a burnt, soaking wet and shaking Joan of Arc.

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words| 970
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| What a mess.

[Natalia Anne Kruske]

i fell in to a burning ring of fire
i went down and the flames got higher

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Natalia slapped her room mate's hand away as she reached out to her. "Don't be a moron!" She cried, "Take care of yourself."
That Joan of Arc. Her head was on fire, yet she still reached back to help Talia, who really didn't deserve it. This girl was someone to be admired. Her fucking hair was a-flame yet here she was, reaching back to help up the girl who ignited her. Talia definitely wouldn't have done that.

Perhaps that's the difference between and sinner and a saint. Though after what Isabella did to her with the gunshots and stuff, Natalia was finally beginning to believe that saints were normal people too. They were completely normal...except that they had the word 'Saint' in their name. And they prayed. ...A lot. Like, too much, a lot. Like, fruit cake level a lot. Like....well....you get the point.

She felt awful for every time Isa yelped, but there was really nothing she could do to make the burns stop hurting. She frowned, hoping the cold water was at least doing some good.

"Allez aussi courts que vous avez..."

Natalia raised an eyebrow. ...Bless you? What the hell did she just say. "Joan. It's September, 2010. In North Carolina. English please," She said simply.

"Go as short as you have to."

Bonnie nodded and bit her lip, starting to put shorter. Joan's hair was singed badly...she was going to end up with a boy's hair cut. Maybe even Justin Bieber hair. Okay, not going to lie, that thought almost amused Natalia. And now was the worst time to smile ever, but the mental image of Isa with Beiber hair was funny. She bit down on her lip hard so she wouldn't grin.

"I-It's okay." She said as Bonnie apologised. Bonnie shook her head in disagreement. This was not okay. This was far from okay. Very, very far from okay. If Natalia's hair had ignited, it wouldn't be o-freaking-kay.
"'Sides. I needed a haircut."

"well, I'm glad you're so positive about this." Had the roles been reversed, there would be a lot of cussing and screaming and crying going on as well as vendetta's being plotted while her head hung over the bathtub. Again, that's the difference between a saint and a sinner. When she was done and the water was off, Bonnie got Joan a towel and wrapped it around her small, burnt shoulders so she wouldn't be to cold as water dripped from her. She watched as Isa checked out her new 'do in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. Natalia felt awful as she watched Joan check herself.

"Please forgive me." She mumbled. "I shouldn't have scared you like that...I was stupid. Please forgive me. Please."

She was APOLOGIZING? After all of that? "It's okay," Bonnie replied, also mumbling, "Sorry I gave you a boy's hair cut..." She really was sorry for that, "But...y'know...hair grows back...and it you wanna wear a wig, I'll buy you one..."

And then she got hugged. A nice, wet hug from the younger girl. Natalia stiffened at first, which was just a natural reaction when she got hugged from someone other than Clyde. She raised an eyebrow and looked down at Joan. "okay..." She said slowly, "That's enough now...you can let go." She pat the girl on the head...that didn't work.

So reluctantly, Bonnie hugged her back. "Don't get used to this," She muttered.

"Thank you." She said to the older girl. "Thank you for helping me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." She said, a small smile on her face, "I couldn't just stand there and watch. Just...let's stop this fighting so something like this won't happen again?"

Natalia liked to sleep at night. Not light her room mates on fire.

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WORD COUNT: 631
LYRICS: Ring of Fire
LISTENING TO: nothing
COMMENTS: that was disappointingly short ._________.

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[Isabella Jillian Avadore]

Isabella didn't know why, but her simple action of reaching to help someone while in dire need of help herself was just...instinctive, practically. Joan had been born with it. It didn't really occur to her as different, she didn't think about it, and maybe that was why God had chosen her. So it was a very good thing Natalia whacked her hand, making her self-preservation kick in.

The cold water hurt on her skin just as much as the hot, but probably was doing better. Hot water would have caused more burning in its own right. The pain was intense, but the burn itself prevented the situation from getting blood, cauterizing the wounds it created. She hadn't been shaking this badly when she ended up with an arrow in her shoulder...but then again, she hadn't been floating in her mind somewhere between the date of her execution on a night in 2010, hence her first words coming out in her native tongue. "S...sorry." She murmured, the single word heavily accented as Natalia informed her of this fact.

Funny, a 1930's villain helping a Saint - who was in fact made a Saint in Bonnie's lifetime; 1920, more exactly. It seemed sort of impossible. But here it was, happening. Isabella shivered and shook as Bonnie Parker cut her hair, unable to wipe a single line from a song she once heard "Gonna cut your hair like Joan of Arc". It was almost funny. If she wasn't shaking so badly, and probably making things more difficult. She tried to focus her mind and pray or something, but that wasn't working right now. "Sorry for shaking so damn much." She added, coughing on the water.

It was her fault, after all. Her fault for scaring Bonnie and causing this mess; and because she was looking down, she didn't see Bonnie shaking her head. Isabella felt fulled responsible for this, but the results were a bit extreme. She didn't even want to think about how it would feel when she tried to remove her camisole...hopefully it wasn't sautered to her or something awful like that. Hopefully she wasn't going into shock, either...the last thing she needed was to faint on Bonnie, into a bathtub and run risk of drowning in an inch or so of water and hair. Sure, Florence Nightingale was one of the students right now, and sure, Natalia wouldn't let her expire, but she didn't want her brothers to hear of her in this state, or her family...God, how would she explain this?

She tried to be positive when she mentioned she needed a haircut, but her words were weak. Isabella wasn't exactly in her bounce-back mode at the moment. "I try." She said, turning slowly and wincing to look up at Bonnie, gratitude in her eyes. She really was a good. Sure, Bonnie herself might not admit it, but she really was. Isabella saw it, and a situation like this proved it. If it been someone truly bad, they would have let Joan burn, or let the hot water run. She looked back down, and let the job be finished.

She got up and stood where she was, the shower still running behind her. Hopefully the drain wouldn't be clogged with hair, or too terrible a scorch mark from where her now ashes PJ shirt was. She let out a hoarse scream when the towel touched her shoulders. That hurt something terrible! "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." She gasped, unconsciously repeating the last words she'd ever said in her first body. No matter how kind the gesture, the towel had to change position. With shaky hands, she took it and wrapped it around her chest, below her shoulders and neck. Hopefully that would warm her up even a little.

Hopefully Bonnie Parker could forgive her for all this. Hopefully. And so she apologised...and got an "it's okay". If she hadn't, it might have killed her a little. "Thank you, thank you. I'm sorry." She said again, offering the smallest of smiles when she mentioned the haircut. "You have n-nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. Besides...I've swung boy's cuts before." She stated, before hugging her.

Which was a little terrifying, all said and done. She could feel Natalia tense, and her eyes screwed tightly shut, expected to be shoved away, not given a pat on the head. It emboldened her, just a little...and this way she was less cold, too, even though she was still shivering, and feeling a little lightheaded. So she clung on, and got hugged back. She smiled, and it tipped her over again, sending tears falling in earnest, even as Natalia said not to get used to it. She let go slowly. "I won't. You have a reputation, a-after all. But thank you, thank you."

She nodded - nodding hurt, she quickly learned, and winced - at Natalia's next words. "No...no more fighting. Ever...I won't do that to you again." She said, knowing full well Bonnie wouldn't stop it for good. Case and point, this was the last thing either of them wanted to happen again. A lighter right in her face would bring back this and more. She knew Bonnie wouldn't stop flicking it, I'd be like asking Isabella not to pray. But Isabella was quite likely going to have some nightmares about that lighter. If she woke up screaming for the next couple nights, it was going to be because of that lighter.

"G-guess I should clean this up." She muttered, pale and drawn. "I can't sleep now...I'd hurt to lay down. You can go to sleep, if you want." She turned to the tub...and slipped, ending up under the water again, and she cursed something that sounded more more trucker-turned-sailor-than a teenage saint as blisters on her shoulders and back opened and skin broke. The things you learned at Riverdale...she barely bothered moving this time, able to reach and swipe away the hair clogging the drain.

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words| 1111 o.O
tagged| Natalia / Tina
notes| Your post was fine! And I love torturing Isa. I really do. Because she keeps trying to get up again. XD