by A Uscila
Rain poured down heavily beyond the stone coffin we call apartments. Separated by a thin layer of glass - a centimeter away from the pure horror that nature was.
With a cup of tea, Luke sat on a chair, cozily snuggled under a warm blanket, staring straight through the said window, clearly with nothing better to occupy himself with. Completely captivated by the fury of whatever forces governed such a spectacle.
Quite the weirdo, without a doubt. Yet he did enjoy entertainment of this kind. He couldn’t help but enjoy it - all with the help of his own twisted psychology and imagination.
Why? How you ask? Quite simply, Luke imagined this to be the end of the world. For everyone else, except him. That everyone outside had to go through that - while he sat comfortably at home. Safe. With warm tea. Amused.
As if to accompany the distorted notion - thunder roared, banging against Luke’s eardrums as if someone was pounding upon his door. Relentlessly, as if striking with the force of nature itself.
Suddenly, Luke extended his neck and turned an ear towards the front door. What a surprise, there actually was someone banging on it. Way to go and ruin a perfectly good metaphor.
“God damn it… - Were the words that slipped through clenched teeth. With eyes narrowed down in dissatisfaction, lips twisted into an ugly frown - Luke tossed the blanked to the side and carefully placed the tea cup on the floor.
Once that was done and over with - without a hint of change in his expression and a somewhat energetic gait in his steps - he approached the gateway to this safe-haven he called home.
Since Luke was visibly irked over the uninvited interloper, certain mistakes were made. He forgot to check who was it behind the gateway, before opening the door. What a blunder. One that could not be unmade.
Expectantly - Willow was the one responsible for all the racked, her visage a fearsome portrayal of the fury of a woman. Quite literally, upon closer inspection, for in fact – the ever-grouchy vixen seemed just as irked as Luke was. How peculiar. How alike the two were, in a sense. A scary thought.
“Fantastic, you’re not online!” - Out of breath, she barely managed to let loose those few words - even though they were said quite loudly. A little too loudly for Luke’s tastes. Even the bombarding rain could not drown it out, it seems.
Willow took a pause - breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath, while gently rubbing her right hand. Seems like that was the tool responsible for all that noise.
She wore her usual colors - black. And that basically concludes the color pallet in use – with not enough of different tones to even speak off. Even her nails were painted in black. Someone was going overboard on the morbid train.
Her hair was let loose - swaying in a lovely fashion right up to her shoulders. A leather jacket covered her slender figure. Beautifully curving legs were tightly wrapped in dark blue jeans. Wail had no idea what kind of footwear she wore though - some sort of medium height heel monstrosity.
“What do you want?” - A mean glare, following after a brief look of surprise - was directed at the guest. For some reason Luke seemed quite hostile - which was a ridiculous notion if considering the current circumstance. An out of breath, vulnerable and even a barely hostile rare beauty - at the very doorstep of a lonely man. A man with way below average looks and a character of an even worse standing.
An opportunity many would frown upon on skipping. Some would hang themselves for doing so - out of soul rending regret. After all, there’s a saying - if you’re gifted a horse, don’t inspect its teeth.
Yet, this was Luke we’re talking about. Such expectations were way above him, flying overhead without the poor bastard even noticing.
Luckily for his thickheaded nature - Willow did not seem wounded by the suddenly hostile reception.
“We have to talk. Get dressed - we’re going out” - She finally said, after taking in enough deep breaths and managing to slow down her beating heart. All the vulnerability unnoticeably gone.
“Huh? In this weather? With you? I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’m not falling for it” - Sure, the glare lessened, but somehow - Luke’s voice seemed even more hostile. Defensive, self-preservation mechanisms kicking-in in full throttle. Fearful of actually falling for this beauty - which was surprisingly quite easily done. Humans are suckers for beautiful things. And men are suckers for beautiful women.
Yet, before he could close the door - Willow managed to slip close to Luke. Way too close - especially when she was grabbing him by his manly parts. To his own surprise - he did not find that arousing. On the contrary - the situation seemed quite terrifying. Which had its ups and downs. On one side – Luke finally had proof he’s not a masochist. On the other? She was putting a little too much force in her hand for comfort. He may be a virgin but losing what little hope was left seemed somehow horrific.
“If you don’t get dressed and ready to go, I’ll keep squeezing until you turn infertile” - With a sudden chill entering the surrounding air - Willow whispered the threat right into Luke’s left ear. Her breath gently tickling his senses - or should have. Not much could be felt by this thick individual. He had other things to worry about, apparently.
“I’m having a hard time figuring out if the process or the ending scares me more” - Like always, Luke decided to completely ruin the mood and go off-script with his self-analysis nonsense. Normally, this would be the moment where his manhood should say goodbye to life.
Yet, Willow had a moment of mercy - as she stepped back, letting Luke’s vitals go.
“Good. Now go get a change of clothes” - Like the impulsive girl that she was - Willow was now smiling ever so slightly. Seemingly satisfied in the success of her bold move. All the threatening atmosphere completely gone. Luke secretly wondered if she just wanted to wash that hand of hers while he wasn’t looking.
Without adding another phrase, comeback or anything of the sort - Luke slunk away like a domesticated animal. Seemingly preoccupied with the thoughts of what to wear - all to make himself look less ugly. Two main choices were battling it out with each other - one being to pick out the best clothes he had. All to make himself look better.
Another one being - the opposite. That is - to pick out the worst clothes he had. There was a widely known tactic - where a person needed to find people uglier than himself as company, to look better. Thus the second choice seemed like a viable solution regarding his own predicament. Seeing as he had no friends, let alone uglier.
Then again - clothes might not work in the same manner. Seeing as people won’t look at them as another person to compare to Luke himself. Quite the dilemma.
Either way - at least ten minutes were spent on the whole matter. Enough time for Willow to get impatient.
“You better not be jacking off over there!” - She shouted. Half-jokingly, half not. Willow might actually consider herself a beauty of a caliber that made men fantasize about her. During a timely alone-time session, of course. Quite awkward.
Ten minutes was indeed enough time for a man to pleasure himself - using recent events. For a normal man at least. Luke, yet again, was an exception in this case - since the sudden acts of violence seemed to knock him off his mental high-horse. Breaking through all of his psychological barriers with a single squeeze. Remarkably - beating whatever carnal needs he might have had, out.
Thus, unexpectedly - Luke was actually looking for suitable clothes.
In the end - he ended up with quite the average get up, due to not being able to pick between two extremes. Grey jeans, a short-sleeved t-shirt - with a shirt on top - the very top left unbuttoned. He was always bad at decision making.
After passing the judgement phase - feeling awkward under the piercing female stare that Willow gave him - the two left for a little adventure. No small talk, or any talk at all present during their journey. Since Luke did not know how to interact with women or people to begin with - by now he had dropped the attempt all together. What was the point in failure, when it never built-up to
success? Luke liked success quite a bit after all. Heck, from a different perspective - he was succeeding at not making the atmosphere even worse than it already was. So that was a good-enough result.
Nature blessed this sudden burst of outdoorsmanship in the two - abruptly ending its chaotic and exceedingly wet dance.
As the last drops of rain dropped, the two eventually came across a restaurant - a bare block away. Quite the hiking spirit.
This choice establishment was, regrettably - a little too close for Luke’s standards. Though luckily - he did not cause any scenes in this particular location. Yet. Thus - no objections were voiced. Nor any were kept in. Except the one about going outside to begin with.
A neat little restaurant - decorated in an old-fashioned village kind of feel. Old wagon wheels, wooden hoes’ and pitchforks littering every corner. Tables - crudely cut out pieces of wood, with a surprisingly smooth surface. Felt pleasant to the touch as well. Luke liked wood to begin with. Not actual living trees or such - oh no. He enjoyed the processed form - a twisted sense of love for nature. Human beings did enjoy reshaping the world in their image after all. Seeing as they felt like the true owners once they inserted a part of themselves into it.
Either way - once the two entered, a waiter quickly approached the two. A wide, professional smile plastered on that stern face of his.
This was the moment where Luke would get evaluated and looked down upon.
Which did happen for a brief moment - as the employee quickly glanced over both Willow and Luke, his smile almost twisting into a mocking one. He did manage to hold back though - points for effort.
Seems like Luke could give the establishment a positive mark. What? It’s not like he planned on wasting his free time outside virtual reality without using it to at least gain double.
After all - if he didn’t get at least two for one with the made effort, then it was just not worth doing.
“I am sorry, but there are currently no free tables present. Nor will there be any free ones anytime soon. With regret, may I offer you a visit to another establishment?” - How did the fellow manage to maintain that unchanging smile of his, was beyond Luke’s capabilities of comprehension. Seeing as no such feat seemed possible in his own case.
Heck, at this point - he would be forced to rate the establishment very positively. What a refined way to kick somebody out. Art.
“Huh? What do you mean “there are no free tables present”?” - Willow asked irritably, mimicking the poor member of the working class in a mocking manner - “I can see at least five free tables from this position already”
“Apologies, but those are reserved. Please, do not make a scene and try a different establishment” - Another perfectly executed line for kicking someone out. Luke could barely keep his jaw from dropping. For some reason, due to him being able to relate to the fellow - he couldn’t help but admire the receptionist. Most likely since the two were of the same sex. Who said only women had a solidarity movement?
“Oh give me a break! I’m not part of any political movement, for fuck’s sake!” - By the looks of it - the current predicament brought quite a bit of frustration for Luke’s companion. Which was apparent from the hastened hand movements, slightly furrowed brows and the unsteady, yet clear agitation in her voice.
Luke did love to observe, thus he seemed to enjoy the situation quite a bit. Luckily for his own wellbeing - it did not show on the face. At least there was no amused smile or anything of the sort. One that might request a quick kick to the teeth from outside sources. What did show - was a creepy stare, accompanied by a blank expression. Hands dangling at the sides lifelessly. Back hunched ever so slightly. Creep was putting it mildly.
“I apologize again. Your political views have nothing to do with the current situation. Please - do not cause a scene and try a different establishment” - Seems like the waiter continued the same old litany - for Willow at least. As he suddenly, yet in a truly refined manner - turned to Luke - “Though it seems one seat just opened up, please sir - you may enter - seeing as you’re alone” - An unexpected offer. Most likely - due to Luke’s weirdness and lack of action regarding Willow, the waiter concluded he was actually alone. Heck, most of the convincing he needed - was to simply compare looks. One did not need to be a genius to figure that much out.
Luke clicked his tongue irritably as a reply. It was certainly not because Willow was being messed with to this extent. Nor was it because he felt sorry for her - seeing as she stared off with an open mouth, completely dumbfounded.
Truth be told - Luke just felt dissatisfied with the mistake made by the male waiter. Right up until the last moment - he was doing such a good job, dodging the main issue and kicking out Willow in quite the civil manner. Now though? He let out the cat out of the bag - by inviting a person that stood a few feet away, while continuously denying Willow herself. Indicating that it was only she - who was not welcome.
Disappointing. Luke did want to give a very high mark for this establishment. Now? It simply could not be. Minus one point. Seems like a nine out of ten was in order. Luke hoped he wouldn’t forget to write down the score later.
As the restaurant employee still stood with a look of anticipation - waiting for a continuation from Luke, something happened that drenched that head of his in ice cold water.
Most likely insecure and uncertain regarding the drifting silence - as if afraid that Luke would actually accept the invitation, Willow quickly intertwined her hands around Luke’s - practically gluing herself to his side. Both present males ended up with eyes ready to pop out of their sockets, accompanied by jaws that were close to falling off.
“Actually, he’s with me. So it’s either you invite us both, or kick us out” - With a happy look, as if the match has been already won - she stared off at the waiter. Lips twisting into a conceited smirk.
“Then I’ll have to repeatedly apologize in the restaurant’s name - for we do not have two empty seats ready. Again, I ask you to try a different establishment. Good day” - A sudden chill entered his voice, as the employee quickly rejected Willow’s change of strategy and walked away without giving room for a reply.
All of which happened too quick for Luke to intervene, since he was quite stunned due to the sudden physical contact. Sure, he’s had his teeth knocked out a couple of times. His ribs rattled, jaw dislodged - and various other bruises carried out by physical contact. Never like this though. From a female to boot. No one could blame him for being quite slow to jump ship.
“You just had to dress in all-black, didn’t you?” - Was all the comments Luke had on him - at that precise moment at least. As the two stared silently - watching the cold-operator walk away without a care in the world. Judging by the troubled look Willow carried - not even biting back after receiving a sting from Luke’s sharp words, things did not go as expected for lovely little Willow. She did seem quite distraught.
Which did force Luke’s eyes to look gently upon the fragile creature.
Life wasn’t only harsh on Luke after all.
Chapter 33
“Get out! Get out! We don’t want any trouble from the likes of you!” - A loud shout echoed through the street as a middle-aged man practically pushed out two youths out of a building. Fuming, the man stood with hands against his waste, eyes shooting fire at the presumed miscreants, while a sign’ Food and drinks” shone in bright red behind him and above the entrance to the building. He shooed a few more times with both hands, before disappearing within the structure. Both youths left outside - downcast and discouraged.
Or that would be their reaction if they were a normal couple of individuals. Willow and Luke were no such thing, though.
“What the fuck are you writing down there? You’ve been filling that page of yours every time we get kicked out from somewhere” - Willow commented bitterly, glaring away at poor Luke - ready to vent her frustration at her comrade in distress.
“Oh nothing, just marking some things down” - Luke replied innocen
tly, refusing to give into provocations -“You know…I never knew I’d get to experience situations identical to what I experience in Alternative Reality. You’d think that one would change tactics after getting treated this way repeatedly. Or at least the clothing” - A sarcastic smirk appeared on Luke’s less than attractive features. Eyes casting a quick glance at Willow’s attire.
“Go to hell” - A simple, yet surprisingly hostile reply, as Willow turned to Luke with a new level of anger. A genuine and not an impulsive one. An anger that Luke knew quite well. One that came from plenty of negative experiences. An anger that seared and boiled, threatening to break out and lash out indistinguishably. Luke knew the feeling quite well - since he himself felt it swirl within his heart often. A feeling of empathy appeared within his chest unexpectedly - forcing Luke’s stare to somewhat soften.
“Why the fuck am I supposed to change, when I’m not in the wrong? It’s not my fault some retarded political movement decided that their representing color will be black. They have no right to monopolize it! Why do I have to abandon something I like, just because the world generalizes its disapproval?” - Quite the rant. Willows cheeks gave off a barely visible red flush, as she heatedly explained her position. Venting the frustration that came from unreasonable circumstance.
Luke could relate quite a bit. Similar circumstances assaulted his own outer and inner mind on a daily basis. Though most of which came from slightly less unreasonable accusations or disapprovals. Why should Luke stop going outside, just because people disliked his very presence? Or, why should Luke die, just because some girl wanted him to - since he accidentally touched her? Why should Luke keep his well-though out jokes to himself, just because many found them inappropriate or offensive? Unreasonable, without a doubt.
Either way - searching for another place to eat at, was no longer something the two wanted to try their luck at. Willow - because her self-confidence in success could no longer hold together. Luke - because he just satisfied a two-week quota for his job. Thus there was no need to exert himself anymore.
