Great. Here she was, in a f*cking bikini. And, what made matters worse, people were staring. At her back. The stupid swimsuit revealing the scars she'd been hiding since she was eighteen. She took a deep breath, and tried to block out the whispers and the pointing. A parent had come up and asked her why she'd had such a nasty word tattooed onto her back, and when Kanu had explained that it wasn't a tattoo, the woman had just walked away with a shocked look. Kanu sighed, and walked to the least crowded part of the "shore" and set her beach back down. She pulled out a beach towel, one of those huge double-wides, and sat on it, then lay down onto her back. She sighed, and thought about earlier that day. C'mon... Her friend had said. It's been forever since you've been to the lake. I dare you to wear a bikini, also. Kanu, of course, couldn't refuse a dare, but she regretted agreeing to it the moment she'd set foot in the sand. she sighed, and pulled a book out of her bag, then leaning against the bag. She opened the book to the memorized page number, and began to read.

Vayden waded through the crowd, laughing as his sister danced to avoid crushing peoples hair. The black hair that they shared hung over his bright green eyes, her sharp blue eyes. The bikini she wore was a little too revealing; his trunks a little to big. On purpose? Maybe. The pair weren't ones to share secrets. They're bodies were riddled with scars, but the "emos" weren't afraid of what other people thouht. Vayden's eyes glanced toward a girl who's back had an audience, and felt immediatley offended. No one wanted to have they're body riddled with scars, especially if they received them while they were helpless. Without Vayden, poor Ania would have been dead long ago, frozen in the winter snow. Stupid abusive parents; never very comforting, either. Vayden led his little sister toward the girl. The nerve of some people in this town. I'm sorry; I gte offended easily.

[This is the revised version of blade and bullet, basicly. XD a lot more developed now, no longer demigods, and realistic. xD]

Kanu, startled, dropped her book. What the Hell..? She looked up, and noticed two others, probably around the same age as she. She picked her book out of the sand, and shook the little grains from the pages. She sat up and turned, looking at the two. The male had spoken to her, and she was wondering who they were, and why they'd come over here. Yeah, she wasn't in the greatest of moods. She stood, and looked at them with a raised brow. They too, had scars, and she felt a bit less upset toward them. At least they must know how it felt. Makes me want to disembowel them, or skin them alive. She said. And, yes. She was a bit on the violent side...or...a lot on the violent side. Whatever. She was sure they'd understand. She folded her arms across her chest, and gave the smallest of smiles. (Bleh. Much shorter than I wanted.)

[It's kay.]

Meh. You're nicer than me, Ania said, I'd make them watch their children burn then pull they're eys out... She trailed off, a joking smile on her face. Vayden looked at her, eyebrows raised. Um, thats a little scary. She laughed, a cute little snort that ended with a pearly-white grin. Vayden turned away, shaking his head. I'm not related to her, he mumbled. But they were, even if they only had the same father. Sibling bonds were closer than anything else; especially when emerging from a bad past. This pair seemed to be closer than most were and maybe it was because of all their difrences.

Kanu smiled. She liked this pair. She gave a chuckle and pulled her sunglasses over her eyes, as the sun had decided just then to shine in her eyes. She scowled a bit, then put the rare smile back on her face. I'm Lillian. But you can call me Kanada, or Kanu. She said. Indeed, her former friends had chosen an odd nickname for her, but hey, she'd moved her from Canada. Her friends. Ever since the 'accient' She'd changed a lot, and her friends and herself had drifted apart to the point where they barely ever spoke. Grr! Why had she thought about that night? The night that had given her nightmare for almost three years. The night that the ugly word had been carved into her back. She didn't even know why it was her that had been attacked. She'd been in the club with the one friend that'd actually helped her through what had happened, and had been her closest friend ever since. She sighed, and pain flashed in her eyes. Every time she thought about it, she could feel the cold steel of the knife slicing into her back. she shivered, and looked back at the two, and apologized, for she had zoned out a bit.

Ania ran off to the lake to meet with her friend and left Vayden to remain respectfully quiet while their newfound friend Kanu stared off into space, probrally having a daymare about the scar on her back. He stared at his feet, wiggling in the sand. When she apologised, he looked up and smiled weakly. Hey, its okay. I still have nightmares. He gestured to the scar that ran down from the back of his neck to his wrist, winding slowly around his arm. It looked like a vine that wound around a tree, hugging its lifesource. Trees didn't feel pain though. Did they? Ah, what did it matter? Trees were nothing like Vayden. Ah, but where are my manners? I'm Vayden, and that creature was Ania, my Russian-pain-in-the-a$$-little-sister.

Kanu looked up at him, as she'd been staring at the sand. Really? My mom keeps telling me to get over it. I just want to..I don't know...stab someone on the throat and throw them in a pond and watch them drown and bleed to death at the same time. She said, with an angry edge to her voice. Sorry. Oh, and, it's nice to meet you. She said. She watched as Ania ran off to see other people. Got bored, did she? She said with a smile. She didn't know why, but they put her in a good mood. A mood she hadn't been in for almost six years. It felt...refreshing to happy for once. She looked around, and noticed the beach had gotten a little more crowded, and was amazed at herself for not noticing. She grabbed a Twisted Tea from her back, and looked up at Vayden. Want one? She asked. She wouldn't miss a few. She'd brought at least fie of them, and had tons more at home. Home...where her mom lived with her. Ugh.

[you might like to know they are in a screamo band, btw XD]

Really. Have you tried learning an instrument? I play drums and it feels good just to pound on the heads. Ania plays guitar and sings- sorry, screams. He glanced at his sister, talking with the neighbors six-year-old with a wide grin. She has a... Short attention span. She's always bored. Oh, no thank you. Vayden didn't like tea. He prefered the manly drink of Mikes Hard Lemonade. The cooler in the bed of the white truck was full of them, with the single vodka bottle shoved down in the bottom. Okay, so maybe Vayden liked alchohaul a little bit, and maybe Ania used to like drugs. But they were still normal humans. Or freaks, the really didn't care.

(Lol. Twisted tea had alcohol in in XD)

Kanu shrugged, and straightened, popping the cap off of her drink. She took a sip...no...a swig, and smiled as she looked over at Ania. She seems to like kids. She said, returning her focus to Vayden. No. It sound fun, though. I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. She said. She took another sip of the tea, and looked around again. She caught sight of a few people staring and she frowned, and was about to throw the bottle at them, but refrained from doing so. Instead, she flipped them off and turned her attention to Vayden. I'm so nice, aren't I? She joked. (Nuuuuuu. My muse died T-T)

[....Well. He didn't know that. XD]

Yeah. She is a natural with children. And I could get her to teach you if you want...? His eyebrows drew clser together, a V on top of his head. Anger flared in his eyes; no one had a right to stare at anyone for anything they couldn't help, scars in the least. Scars took a toll; pain is what made them, blood is what spilled from them. Scars lasted nearly forever; not much else did. Ugly people could grow into beauty. Fat people could diet. They deserve it, he mumbled. He felt like punching the next person to look at anybody funny. The local population had soured his once-sweet mood, but he managed to keep his voice even.

(How do you think you did on the test(s)?)

Kanu couldn't help but smile. Again. She could see his anger, and the air around them seemed stressed. It..It's okay..I'm used to it...mostly. She said. She was violent, yes, but she didn't like fighting. She quickly turned to the only thing could could think of.. guitar. Yeah...Sounds fun, if it's okay with her. She said, rather quickly. She glanced around, and noticed that those who were staring had walked off in a hurry. She sighed, and dropped onto her towel. She patted a spot next to her. Care to sit?
(Muse died. I shall revive it )

[Confident I did pretty good.]

No, its my fault. I'm a bit defensive, especially towards pretty young girls. His voice wasn't meant to hold a flirty tone, but it did. I'm sure that Ania wouldn't mind teaching you, and she has extras. You could borrow hers, if you want... He zoned off, staring at his sister as she raced after a little girl whose young mother was busy grinding with two men who didn't seem to care for children. Ania had been through so much, yet she had survived through it. Seventeen years of pure hell after being abandoned by her mother, all leading up to drugs and eventually prison. Parole came a few years later, and the scars were only reminders. He sighed, but was brought back to earth when Kanu asked him if he wanted to sit.
What? Oh, sure. His voice had a distant edge, wandering somewhere off in Dreamland. He let himself fall down, landing on his back. The wind played with his trunks, black and green in the sea of rainbows and ponies. The only realities in a world of fantasy. AN anchor in a storm.

Kanu 's eyes widened a bit. Pretty? Hell no. But, she couldn't help but let a small giggle slip. She scooted over a bit to give him some space. She got a bit excited at the possibility of guitar teachings. Really? She must've sounded like a little seven year old told that her family would be going to Disney World for vacation, but did she care? No. She smiled brightly, and made herself more comfortable. She noticed that Vayden seemed kinda zoned. She didn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt his daydreaming. (Bleh T-T)

His eyes remained locked on a cloud in the sky, fluttering by ever-so-slowly, crawling across the vast blue playground it lived in. Really, he said after a few moments, eyes skipping from cloud to cloud. He forced his mind to remain on the girl he was talking too, not the few people who were still staring and mumbling in the background. He didn't want to get in a fight; he didn't want to bash someones skull in on accident. Prison was the last thing he needed.

Kanu smiled as she watched him stare at the clouds. She could tell he was trying to keep his mind off of the people. She sighed, and her mind wondered back to that night. She mentally slapped herself, and looked over at Vayden. Cool. She mumbled. She sett;ed back against her beach bag, and absent mindedly pulled the suntan lotion from her bag, squirting a bit in her hand. She began rubbing the cream into her arms, all the while not full realizing she was doing it. She set the bottle down, and looked over next to the towel. Her tea had spilled. Oops. She picked up the glass bottle, and shoved it into her bag, then made herself comfortable. (Bleh. I'm so disappointed in myself. Maybe it's because I've had a test three days in a row v-v)

(Woman! POST!)

[Oh, god. I was grouded and locked in my room for a while for breaking the TV... I'm sorry... after that I completely forgot the thread. Sorry! I'll post, but if u dont have any more muse for this thread I understand.]

The man kept his mouth shut, and not because he was afraid of yelling rofanity across the yard, but because he wanted to relax. To forget about everything for a few moments. To... be a bum. He never had that opritunity; he was to busy caring for her. It was like raising a child. Now, though, he had a bit of free time with a girl, and a cute one at that. He was finally back in the game... maybe... Ugh. he didn't know. Life was such a mess.

(*sniffle* My muse for this could never die. *sniff sniff* It's too amazing T-T. Oh, and, It's kay x3 I understand.)

Kanu sighed. She stared at him for a moment, wondering what his thoughts were. She pulled out another drink, and popped the cap. She took a sip, and set it in a small pocket in her bag, that worked similarly to a cup holder. She had mixed feelings. She was happy she could have an actual conversation with someone, and even better, he understood. But she was confused. How could he call her pretty when she wasn't. He seemed to like her well enough, though why, she couldn't understand. She looked at him again, and finally spoke. So. What's your story? She asked. If he didn't want to tell, it was fine. Her curiosity was killing her. Well, not exactly. She wasn't a cat. (Some one has low self esteem. *points at Kanu*)

[Noticed that. lol. She is really hot, though... my ex gf even said so! LOL but shes prego so the hormones might have taken over... oh im so mean]

He remained silent for a few minutes. did he really want to shere his "story" with this stranger? His sad story, at that? Eventually. he made up his mind. If you must insist. Well. My mom was a fifteen-year old, knocked up by a twenty-five-year old. My grandparents disowned her, and she went to live with my dad. She dropped out of school to get a job to support me, the bills, and my dads alchohaulism. She put up with his abuse until she was seventeen and I was two, skipped out and left me with the bastard. He immediatley brought in his new Russian girlfriend and newborn daughter, Ania. He abused her mom to death, continued on us. I skipped out as soon as I was old enough, left her behind.
He cursed himself, but continued.
[b]A few years ago, or lovely father drove her out to a feild- in the middle of winter- kicked her out and sped off. I was following him in a distance and found her. She's lived with me ever since."

(*gasp* Chu really think so? . And, congratz to her.)

Kanu listened quietly, his words not quite registering for a minute. When they finally did, her hand raised to her mouth. She was speechless. She desperately wanted to tell him she was sorry, that it was in the past, but she knew from experience that those simple statements wouldn't do much of anything. I...I didn't... She wasn't sure what she should say. Even she hadn't had it that bad. The attack had taken a toll on her, but Vayden, he had it much worse. And so did his younger sister. Not knowing what do do, she just stared at him. She felt horrible that she couldn't say anything, but she just...couldn't.

[Eh. In labor now. gonna have a baby boy anmed Maxwell! so excited. whole bands going over after school tomorrow.]

"Its fine," he said after a moment of quiet. "Most people don't know how to react. But I... I would prefer if you didn't apologize." He didn't explain his reasaven't been there, you don't lnowoning. You're not sorry, he wanted to say, you can't be. You don't know what we've been through. You can't know how we felt. But he remained quiet, soliditary, staring up at the sky. Up at freedom.

[eeeeeehhhhh no muse >.< ]

(*slaps muse* LIVE! WE NEED CHU!!!!)

Kanu frowned. Wasn't planning on it. She mumbled. She could tell he felt a bit uncomfortable, maybe even a little angry. She stared at her feet, at the boring, black flip-flops that adorned her feet, her toenails decorated with black nail polish. She groaned. She'd certainly made a mess of things. She suddenly felt like telling him everything, just as he had. He was the one person she could trust. She could tell he knew how she felt. But, if he wanted to know, she'd tell him. If he didn't, she'd remain silent, until there was another source of interesting conversation. She noticed that people had finally stopped staring and pointing. Well, almost. She glared at them, and was tempted to stand up, walk over there, and dismembered them with a toothbrush, or, perhaps, strangle them with their own her while simultaneously skinning them alive. But, she restrained herself. She didn't want to have to clean up the mess. She wouldn't mind jail, she'd been there before. She looked back over at Vayden, and noticed his gaze was fixed on the clouds. She looked up, and let herself give-in to her thoughts.

[Baby boy! Maxwell is so freaking cute! he peed on his dad and the lead singer of the band xD]

He heard her mumble, but ignored it. Why was he so sour? He came from a broken home, yeah. He had a sister who acted like a child, sure. But that was no excuse to act like a complete a$$hole. "I'm... sorry, for being a d*ck," he mumbled before propping himself up on his elbows. "Want some music to go along with this beautiful day? I have mostly rock and metal, and if you don't like any of that... He gestured to the truck in the parking lot, black with painted white skulls and piled in the back with coolers. A guitar was tucked behind the cooler closest to the back, and a radio was on top of that.

[Muse has still not fully revived.]

(Awwwwwwww. I'mma kidnap him ;3)

Kanu smiled lightly. Why not? And, it doesn't matter what kind of music it is, I'm pretty diversed, so, it doesn't really matter what you put on. She said. She looked at the truck, and almost jumped up to look at it. It was, she had to admit, pretty cool. Nice truck. She said. She sat up a bit, and scooted back, so she was still leaning against her bag. She suddenly noticed the guitar. It reminded her about the possible future lessons from Vayden's sister, and grabbed a sharpie from a pocket. She wrote a quick note on her hand, before shoving the marker back into her tote. (Your dead muse is killing mine T-T)

[I'm sorry. V.V It is back... most of it... xD]

Good, he mumbled with a small smile. He bounded over to the Hulk he called his truck and stole the radio, lifted up to cooler, and grabbed a Mikes Hard Lemonade. He walked back over to where Kanu rested and dropped it gently. "Lets see... Oh, this is good." He pushed play, and a song began pounding through the speakers. His smile grew. "Crown the f*cking Empire, b*tches. I have that shirt," he said, the last part added quitley, like a three year old. "We're limitless tonight!"

[Kinda small... xD and i bought that CD the day it came out lol]