Chapter Two: Vivian

In which Vivian takes Rozley out to forget his troubles

Chapter Two: Vivian

Rozley sniffed -- bottom lip slipping between his teeth -- and began worrying at the edge of his wine colored shirt -- bottom crinkling as his hands wrapped and warped around it. His head remained down; eyes darting between cracks in the planked sidewalk where small weeds the color of dried dirt poked through, his shoulders hunched -- stance defensive -- always ready to cower against the masses. Brown. Everything was brown. Even in the dark of night, the color of bark and mud and dirt permeated everything. "Vivi... are you sure we're going the right way... " he murmured -- voice soft and timid -- though still it seemed loud in the dark empty streets; the steady click click click of his sister's heels making him wince.

"Mmmm -- relatively," She turned to look at him, hands on her hips -- the black strapless semi sheer dress doing little to hide her curves, her Marks almost glowing against her ivory skin -- and pursed her lips -- eyes darting down to where Rozley's hands were wrinkling his shirt. "And Ross stop doing that -- it's unbecoming."

Rozley's hands stilled for a moment before they flitted up to mess with the top buttons of his shirt -- sporadically un and re-doing them as he tried to calm the anxiety coursing through him. Vivian just sighed. "Come on, I think we're close."

He paused, fingers freezing over the second button -- eyes going wide. "You think?"

She spared him a glance out the corner of her eye. "Yes -- I think so -- now stop being so skittish and move -- you're wasting moonlight."

Rozley made a face -- emerald eyes flashing in irritation as his lips thinned and jaw set with indignant bravado -- and huffed after her, his voice light and barely above a whisper, "well yes I think so too Vivian." 

"I heard that," Vivian called back -- not bothering to slow down, the click click click of her heels incessant and brutal.

Rozley smirked. "You were supposed to."

"You're an a*s."

The blonde just smiled -- small and innocent. "Love you too."

"Shut up."

Rozley laughed; shadows danced from corner to corner -- jumping from building to building -- the only light coming from the large full moon above them, a soft breeze ruffling their hair and carrying with it the scent of freshly turned dirt and rain -- tell-tale signs of the passing storm. He smiled. Beautiful.

The two Barayell's -- light and dark, yin and yang -- walked steadily through the town, turning corners, jumping over puddles, avoiding the General Store where they knew the O'Reileys lived, knowing from past experience how light of sleepers they were -- especially their daughter Annabelle.

Especially her.

It was nice out and -- despite the fear -- the worry of being caught, Rozley was glad his sister made him come with her, he'd needed it... though -- he frowned -- he still had no idea where they were going. If this was one of their usual walks they would've turned back around by Angel's Creek, but they'd already passed it close to three streets ago.

He bit his lip -- the tremble in his right hand starting up again and he shoved it into his jean pocket, closing it into a fist -- trying as much as possible to keep steady, to not let his body win against his mind, impulsively reaching out with his other hand; wrapping his fingers around his sisters arm.

She stopped. "What?"

Rozley averted his eyes, the small bout of courage he'd had dying instantly under the gaze of his sister. "I... well -- we were -- where are -- "

Vivian rolled her eyes and placed her hands heavily on her brother's shoulders -- grounding him. "Look at me," Ross stopped talking, and forced his head up, his adam's apple bobbing up and down nervously as he made eye contact. "Good -- now -- breath Ross. In. Out. Yeah, just like that. Now, start again."

The trembling stopped and he nodded -- taking a shaky breath before starting again -- voice lowering back to that calm, collected, yet shy and soft spoken lilt he had -- eyes falling back down to focus on spot a little behind and below his sister. "I wanted to know... where're we going?"

Vivian hummed noncommittally in the back of her throat and released her hold on her brother. "You'll see," she said before spinning around and veering off onto a nondescript dirt road, leaving Rozley open mouthed and stunned -- sputtering -- reluctantly forced to follow behind her. It wasn't like he could turn around now. No. He couldn't leave her alone no matter how much he wanted to -- they weren't even supposed to be out this late to start with, he knew the rules of the Revelation just as Vivian did -- and being out after the worldwide "Lights Out" -- that was definitely illegal.

Then why do you do it?

Because it made him feel alive.

Because it made him feel free.

Because it made him feel normal.

Because it's his own special way of telling the Relevators back at the Capital to f**k off, that they still couldn't control everything he did -- couldn't dictate every move of his life -- no matter how much they tried and wanted to.

So he followed. He followed just as much to watch out for Vivian as he did to prove to himself that he wasn't just another mindless pawn in the game that said he was above everyone else -- that he still had a will of his own.

Light grew thinner as the trees grew closer together, the moon illuminating random objects in the night -- changing a space that once may have been welcoming -- to one now sinister. Vivian tripped and stumbled in the dark -- her walk now unsteady -- her heels catching on rocks and sinking in mud, but she refused her brother's help when he offered. For she was strong and she was Noble.

"This is why I wore boots," She couldn't see her brother's face but she could've sworn he was smirking.

"The price of vanity," she grunted -- yanking her left heel out of a particularly muddy spot, "is a price I will gladly pay."

Rozley scoffed; muttering. "No -- the price you pay is one of  utter stupidity."

"Oh how I loathe you right now."

He shrugged. "This was you're idea."

"... Shut up -- I think I hear it."

Rozley's brow scrunched in confusion, lips twisting down in a frown -- head cocking to the side -- eyes questioning. "Hear what?"

Vivian stopped, moonlight shining on her back making her look almost ghostly in appearance, and let out a quick breath -- taking out the pins in her hair and letting it fall down past her shoulders, too lazy to try and fix it now. She pointed to a small light in the distance. 

"Hear that."

Void was like nothing Rozley had ever seen before. A blank zone -- a hole in the wall -- a place where the rules of the outside didn't apply. A place of the night and shadows. A place that didn't exist in the eyes of the public.

A place that came to life as the Revelators slept.

The moment they'd entered Void, Rozley knew they shouldn't be there. Knew that even thinking -- let alone being there -- was beyond illegal. But no matter how much he wanted to say no -- wanted to grab his sister and run -- turn around and race back to his room where he could stay afraid and alone -- he couldn't. He was compelled to go deeper, to push the envelope harder and see just how far he could go.

So when the mask was handed to him -- he took it. When the gloves went on his fingers -- he didn't fight it. When a man he didn't know handed his sister a shawl and kissed her on the cheek -- he didn't call out -- didn't stop her from drapping it over her shoulders, covering up her Marks -- the very thing that gave her all her power -- from the world.

No. Instead he just grit his jaw, took a deep breath, and put on the mask. Because that's what Void was all about. It's motto:

No Class

No Feed

No Marks

All Free

He supposed he probably needed this. Needed the mask so he could hide behind it -- knowing no one would know who he was unless he told them. 

That still didn't stop the trepidation from crawling up his spine though.

The "what ifs?' running through his mind.

What if they knew anyway.

What if they were caught.

What if.

What if.

What if.

Rozley couldn't handle "what ifs" well.

Vivian poked him in the side and he jumped. Music pounded in the background -- a steady bass beat thrumming through his feet, up his spine, matching the beat of his heart. "You need to lighten up, nothing bad's gonna happen, I wouldn't bring you if I didn't think so -- so have fun okay? Stop moping."

She smiled and he lost her to the crowds.

What will you do?

Will you follow her into blasphemy?

Will you turn your eyes away and pretend it was all a dream?

The mask felt heavy on his face. A weight that said he didn't have to be Rozley Barayell at this moment. A weight that said he could be anything he wanted to be.

What if?

He followed.

 

Author's Note

.... Do you feel like the chapters are too short? Or rushed? Or the right length? What do you think of Rozley and Vivian's character :o Would you want more description? Did the memo I added as a kinda pre-chapter help? Any more questions? And i suppose most importantly are you enjoying the story? I think I'll add another like "Memo" next. So that'll probably be posted soon.
Next chapter we introduce the place from the Prologue~ Excited to introduce those chars and really get this plot going >;3