The Straw That Stirs the Drink [LJ Idol Week 21]
"Can you believe that girl has the nerve to show her face here? I heard she was practically getting naked on the dance floor last weekend with Micah. I mean, Micah of all people - her best friend's ex! Girl's suicidal or something." Elisa sidled up to a group of girls she'd seen twittering and posing for the guys - appearance-conscious social climbers. Exactly the kind of audience who would appreciate the bits of carefully-garnered information she was dedicated to passing along. Their eyes all turned dutifully toward the object of discussion, then quickly away again as they began whispering among themselves.
Moving on, Elisa circled the party with a calculatedly casual air. Perching on the arm of the sofa, she leaned conspiratorially toward the petite blonde beside her and said warmly, "I just want you to know I don't believe a word of it. People just love to talk. Bitches, all of them. You just keep your head up high and never mind what anyone's saying." With that, she rose and glided away, nearly shaking with laughter at her own joke. That poor little girl had turned pale imagining what people might be saying about her.
As she poured tonic into a glass of ice and Tanqueray gin, her eyes scanned the room, taking stock of possible targets. "One of these things is not like the others..." she sang under her breath. In a dark corner of the dining room, she'd caught sight of someone who appeared as out of place here as she was. Behind the dark glasses and scruffy beard he was almost certainly north of thirty, well into the "creepy old guy" zone for a college party. By all rights he should have been eyeing the blonde on the couch, or one of her many clones, but he seemed to be looking at her. At least he had good taste. She swirled the glass in her hand, then set her hips to a similarly hypnotic motion as she approached him.
"I'm Elisa." Looking past the dark shades, she concentrated on giving him her sultriest stare.
"Nice name." His face was impassive, but he responded without hesitation.
"Nice everything. I get the feeling you've already noticed that, though."
"Might have. Buy you a drink?"
"Drinks are free. And I've got one." She swirled the glass in her hand again and the ice made a tinkling sound.
"Well, what comes after that? I'm a little rusty at this ... party... thing."
Elisa smirked, cocking one hip. He didn't look rusty in the least. She stirred her drink with her long manicured index finger, then slid the finger into her mouth and slowly out again. She licked her lips. Throughout, she held eye contact with the mysterious stranger. Just another guy, she thought. Sexy, and confident, but just as easily manipulated as any other.
She winked, pivoted on her heel and took a few slow steps toward the back door before looking over her shoulder to make sure he was following. He was. Smiling, she let her long legs carry her out the door and down the path. She cut across campus, almost deserted at this hour, and wove her way into the arboretum. Parties were fun for spinning silly girls into a fuss and flutter of gossip and hurt feelings, but to finish this evening properly she'd need somewhere dark and a little remote, away from prying eyes and the school gossip machine.
Elisa leaned back into the low boughs of a decorative Japanese Maple, twisting her body, artfully posing for her prey. Hardly a moment later he stepped out of the shadows, dark glasses gone, long black coat swirling around his knees. "So, mystery man," she said, "you followed me all this way... do I have something you... need?"
"Oh, you do indeed." His eyes ran over her body without any attempt at subtlety, and stepped close to whisper in her ear. He smelled like leather and tobacco and motor oil, with a hint of something else underneath, something sour. "I have something you need, too. I've been watching you. I know everything you do - to girls, to boys, to people you hardly know. You're garbage. You're evil, and I'm here to free you from this filthy, despicable excuse for a life...and you know what I think? I think you should get on your knees right now and thank me for doing what you're too cowardly to do for yourself...."
Elisa cursed silently, tensing, getting ready to run. Would he expect it? Had to try. She met his eyes for a moment, drawing him in, feigning more fear than she felt, then slipped sideways and fled. She ran deep into the woods, toward Kissing Bridge that linked to Old Campus. She had to give the crazy old guy credit for one thing- he could keep up with her. Should have kneed him in the groin before she took off. Her high heels were slowing her down, but more than that, emotion was getting the better of her. She wasn't going to last much longer like this. Might as well choose where to take a stand, rather than let him choose for her. Just past the treeline she stopped running - dragging this mess over to campus was just asking for trouble. She'd deal with him here.
First she took off the shoes - fighting in them would be an exercise in absurdity. She shook her body, her limbs, loosening muscles that had been tense for hours, maybe days. The restrictions of propriety... letting them go she felt bigger, stronger, feral, and she could tell by the look on his face when her eyes returned to their natural glowing red - about the same time her teeth seemed to double in size and number in her mouth. Lovely jagged razors... much more useful than the silly spiny prehensile tail that peeked into the edges of her peripheral vision now and then.
She hadn't been wrong after all. This evening's grand finale was going to be great fun. A shiver went through her, and Elisa smiled a broad toothy smile of real joy before she leapt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This has been my entry for Week 21 of LJ Idol, and I chose the topic, "The Straw That Stirs the Drink". More importantly, my wonderful partner dizzydog wrote on "Bridge" in the continuation of this tale. Click here to read his entry!
Moving on, Elisa circled the party with a calculatedly casual air. Perching on the arm of the sofa, she leaned conspiratorially toward the petite blonde beside her and said warmly, "I just want you to know I don't believe a word of it. People just love to talk. Bitches, all of them. You just keep your head up high and never mind what anyone's saying." With that, she rose and glided away, nearly shaking with laughter at her own joke. That poor little girl had turned pale imagining what people might be saying about her.
As she poured tonic into a glass of ice and Tanqueray gin, her eyes scanned the room, taking stock of possible targets. "One of these things is not like the others..." she sang under her breath. In a dark corner of the dining room, she'd caught sight of someone who appeared as out of place here as she was. Behind the dark glasses and scruffy beard he was almost certainly north of thirty, well into the "creepy old guy" zone for a college party. By all rights he should have been eyeing the blonde on the couch, or one of her many clones, but he seemed to be looking at her. At least he had good taste. She swirled the glass in her hand, then set her hips to a similarly hypnotic motion as she approached him.
"I'm Elisa." Looking past the dark shades, she concentrated on giving him her sultriest stare.
"Nice name." His face was impassive, but he responded without hesitation.
"Nice everything. I get the feeling you've already noticed that, though."
"Might have. Buy you a drink?"
"Drinks are free. And I've got one." She swirled the glass in her hand again and the ice made a tinkling sound.
"Well, what comes after that? I'm a little rusty at this ... party... thing."
Elisa smirked, cocking one hip. He didn't look rusty in the least. She stirred her drink with her long manicured index finger, then slid the finger into her mouth and slowly out again. She licked her lips. Throughout, she held eye contact with the mysterious stranger. Just another guy, she thought. Sexy, and confident, but just as easily manipulated as any other.
She winked, pivoted on her heel and took a few slow steps toward the back door before looking over her shoulder to make sure he was following. He was. Smiling, she let her long legs carry her out the door and down the path. She cut across campus, almost deserted at this hour, and wove her way into the arboretum. Parties were fun for spinning silly girls into a fuss and flutter of gossip and hurt feelings, but to finish this evening properly she'd need somewhere dark and a little remote, away from prying eyes and the school gossip machine.
Elisa leaned back into the low boughs of a decorative Japanese Maple, twisting her body, artfully posing for her prey. Hardly a moment later he stepped out of the shadows, dark glasses gone, long black coat swirling around his knees. "So, mystery man," she said, "you followed me all this way... do I have something you... need?"
"Oh, you do indeed." His eyes ran over her body without any attempt at subtlety, and stepped close to whisper in her ear. He smelled like leather and tobacco and motor oil, with a hint of something else underneath, something sour. "I have something you need, too. I've been watching you. I know everything you do - to girls, to boys, to people you hardly know. You're garbage. You're evil, and I'm here to free you from this filthy, despicable excuse for a life...and you know what I think? I think you should get on your knees right now and thank me for doing what you're too cowardly to do for yourself...."
Elisa cursed silently, tensing, getting ready to run. Would he expect it? Had to try. She met his eyes for a moment, drawing him in, feigning more fear than she felt, then slipped sideways and fled. She ran deep into the woods, toward Kissing Bridge that linked to Old Campus. She had to give the crazy old guy credit for one thing- he could keep up with her. Should have kneed him in the groin before she took off. Her high heels were slowing her down, but more than that, emotion was getting the better of her. She wasn't going to last much longer like this. Might as well choose where to take a stand, rather than let him choose for her. Just past the treeline she stopped running - dragging this mess over to campus was just asking for trouble. She'd deal with him here.
First she took off the shoes - fighting in them would be an exercise in absurdity. She shook her body, her limbs, loosening muscles that had been tense for hours, maybe days. The restrictions of propriety... letting them go she felt bigger, stronger, feral, and she could tell by the look on his face when her eyes returned to their natural glowing red - about the same time her teeth seemed to double in size and number in her mouth. Lovely jagged razors... much more useful than the silly spiny prehensile tail that peeked into the edges of her peripheral vision now and then.
She hadn't been wrong after all. This evening's grand finale was going to be great fun. A shiver went through her, and Elisa smiled a broad toothy smile of real joy before she leapt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This has been my entry for Week 21 of LJ Idol, and I chose the topic, "The Straw That Stirs the Drink". More importantly, my wonderful partner dizzydog wrote on "Bridge" in the continuation of this tale. Click here to read his entry!