Skittles Audition

[Miss Jack]

Hello, Skittles! We're glad to have you. ^.~

Your prompt is:

For whatever reason, a person has grown up their entire lives never meeting someone of the opposite gender... until now.

[skittles]

Burning. Lungs, heart, legs, all screamed with the fire. The blaze consumed him, followed him even after he burst through the flaming wooden door of the asylum and onto the cold cobblestones below. The shadowed corners of the alleyways flickered on the edge of his reality as his long-caged eyes were filled with unintelligible distances.

He stumbled, trying to focus on a lamppost and rest against it for a moment, but misjudged the length of his arms and the depth of the gutter in front of it. He gulped great breaths as he fell to his knees to rest his shoulder against the cold iron monolith. As his cheek touched the painted metal, he recoiled, shuddering as memories flooded his vision and threatened blackout.

Shaking, he pushed away from the lamp and stumbled into an alleyway, trying desperately to keep from vocalizing his pain and confusion. Low whimpers escaped nonetheless as he tripped once more, this time over a small animal, something black and nearly as mangy looking as he, which fled his path, merging into the unreal darkness where the lamplight didn't reach.

A noise ahead of him in an adjoining street stopped the mewling in his throat instantly and it closed in blind, animal terror. A figure approached as he tried to hide his bulk without falling into the darkness. Slender, with wide hips that flared into a bell instead of legs, the figure floated towards him. Long hair, longer than he had known hair could grow, was piled on top of the figure's head. He watched with horrified interest as the figure, which had been floating at a steady pace stopped, struck a pose and seemed to study something in front of it, tugging the front of its top down to further reveal its oddly mounded chest.

He peeked around the corner to see if he could make out what it was focusing on, but when he looked, he only saw storefronts across from it along the street. He thought he had been quiet, but the figure stopped looking in the window and started towards him. He scrambled away from the street, as the figure floated inexorably in his direction. . He froze as it reached a slender hand down to him. He trembled as the hand stopped, open, palm up, as the figure stooped and spoke.

"Well, now, innit a scared creature? Coo, now, don’ be that way. Its not worth it bein’ scared of a streetwalker, afterall.” Its voice was light, air escaping lips with tones he could only liken to birdsong he had heard on occasion. The words were almost unintelligible to him, the kind tone taking the statement almost out of his range of understanding.
“You need somewhere to go, luv?” The outstretched hand brushed his forehead, pushing aside roughly chopped black locks. After he gave no response, it continued.
“I know someplace, s’not too far, got a warm bed and evryfing.” As the voice continued, he pulled away from the hand, scrabbling to get away from the confusion, the terror of being followed and dragged back still pumping fire through his body.

His bare shoulder turned to the creature and its small hands fell across corded scars that veined the surface of his whole back. A gasp escaped, then the creature floated swiftly to block his flight, putting small hands on his chest to stop and reassure him. His wild retreat stopped, he stared into the eyes of the creature in front of him, so different from his hulking, misshapen figure, and started. Her. She. That’s what it was, a female. The understanding lit up his face and lifted his heavy brow, and they were transfixed. She saw the abuse scarred across the brutish features, and he saw that he was not alone.

Wordlessly, she reached up and touched his face, and he did not shy away. Instead, he moved closer, closing his eyes at the featherlight touch on his pitted cheek. Moved by the plight of the man, she enveloped him in her arms, and his in turn wrapped around her. His head was guided to rest on her breast, warmth from the smaller figure shrouding him. He clung to her, pulling at the comfort being offered, grabbing at it. His grip tightened as his feeble mind tried to understand the desire this female awoke in him.

They stood for an eternity, until he noticed that the arms of the woman were no longer clasping at his shoulders, that they had dropped to her sides. Slowly, almost gently, he let her pull away, falling to the ground, crumpling the bell of her skirt into a circle as he propped her head and shoulder up against the alley wall. He turned, and without looking back, shrank into the darkness as the fire within him carried him away.

[Miss Jack]

Brava, brave.

Now, the second prompt should be in first person.

The challenge is to a) add in weather as an element of your story, and b) include the quote, "Please don't disillusion me. I haven't had breakfast yet."

[skittles]

Take me back. They’re coming. Take me away again. Beat me, starve me, take me down, down, deep where the sun can’t see and the birds can’t fly. Need to get away. Won’t let them, won’t let them find me. Why is the ground so soft? Grass, when was the last time I saw that? Fuck it! Fuck this slick ground and the grass I’ve imagined seeing for so long. Can’t waste time tripping, slipping. The water—rain, I know that sound anywhere, it’s the only music I’ve heard for… Who are you? What do you want? Not—no, she’s gone, she’s—on the ground. You, man, older, drunk. Get away…

“GET AWAY!”

“Now, wassall that about? I haven’t been harming noone.”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

“Here, now, I’m part of the morning ballet brigade! You don’t believe me? Ask the monkeys. Le singe est sur la branche!”

“GET—”

“No! Please! Please don't disillusion me. I haven't had breakfast yet."

Nuisance, like the others at the asylum, with their constant screaming and begging. I take him, take him to me and end the noise, break the neck that has been waving its drunken head in my face. Take the body, walk to the river, jump in. They can’t find me. They won’t find him.

[Miss Jack]

Niiiice.

You're approved!

Get started on a character sheet. ^.~

[skittles]

I'm waayy ahead of you, girlfriend!