♪ The Problem With Men ♪

[Skylar]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

This RP takes place on Sunday 8th March 2015.

Skylar:
I look at my hand and sigh as I grab my phone from off the counter. I ring Dillon and tell him I have to blow off rehearsal cos Ric got knife happy and he losses the plot down the phone at me. Can’t really blame him. I mean I’m not best pleased myself, but what can I do? I’m not really sure what he’s more pissed about though; me not coming to rehearsal or Ric pinning my hand to the wall with a knife. Having made that phone call, I email Ric – as usual – and then go to see if the girls are home. I don’t really need to vent but I had plans for the day and now I couldn’t do jack but stay in and wait for Ricky to get back. **** that.
When I get upstairs, I knock on the door four times using my left hand and wait to see if anyone’s home.

Aliyah:
The microwave beeped in its obnoxious way to signal that her blood was warmed to her liking. With a sigh, Aliyah popped the door open to take the mug, only to take a small sip to test it out. Her nose wrinkled at its rather bland taste compared to fresh, but it would do. Her time alone in the apartment was proving to be rather lonely. Between Dhara moving out to be with Calen and Forsyth being in New York to deal with his family's business, she was alone more than she had been since the week after her turning. So when the knock came, she blinked in surprise, but moved quickly through the apartment to get to the door. She swung it open and found Skylar there, her blue eyes going wide. "Hey, boo. What are you doing here?" she asked, thinking she might have missed a text from the woman.

Skylar:
I hold up my right hand, showing off the fresh knife wound that goes neatly through the palm.
“Trying not to be the sad pathetic waste of space kinda girlfriend that waits for her abusive boyfriend to come back and finish the job.”
I laugh. I’m obviously joking but in a weird kinda way, maybe I’m not. I mean I don’t think Ric would kill me or anything, not for being affectionate with him but at the same time I did wanna get out of the flat for a bit. Okay. Maybe I am the sad pathetic girlfriend that wants to be there when her boyfriend comes to finish the job but I highly doubt he’ll be back in the next half hour. By my reckoning we’ll have to exchange a handful of emails before he shows his face again.

Aliyah:
Her blue hues lift to the wound in Skylar's hand, then straight to the other woman's face. Her own expression was one of pure shock, but in a sense, maybe she shouldn't have been surprised. "What the hell happened?" she asked, stepping back to let the woman inside. There were a few boxes piling up in the corner, but rather than mention them, she just focused on Skylar. The fact it involved Ric already had Aliyah on high alert, her chest constricting in an uncomfortable anxiety.

Skylar:
“My fault really. I think I freaked him out, so he took it out on the hand that offended him,” I laugh as I cross the threshold. “I was just being affectionate. You probably don’t need the details but I wasn’t doing anything I couldn’t do with a room full of people watching, I swear.”
I note the boxes and move into the front room.
“Dhara not about?”
The pair were like a package deal at times so I’m kind of surprised not to see her here.

Aliyah:
The thought of Ric using a knife to deal with his insecurities only made her frown, her eyebrow furrowing. "That's terrible, Sky...you shouldn't put up with that ****..." she muttered, closing the door softly behind her. When the woman noted the boxes, she leaned against the door and chewed on her lower lip, her fangs poking into the flesh dangerously. "Uh...no, she isn't..." she mumbled, moving past Sky quickly to the kitchen. "Do you want any blood to help with the healing process?"

Skylar:
“No thanks.”
I call out in a very chirpy manner as I follow her into the kitchen.
“And I put up with it cos – and don’t go spitting your blood out or anything – I kinda love the guy. I mean we heal. Right? You corner a wild animal, you expect to get bit. I apply the same philosophy to Ricky. Ric. He’s a weirdo, but he’s my weirdo.”
I shrug and look back into the hall at the boxes and wonder if they’re having some kind of Spring cleaning thing where you chuck out the **** you don’t need. I’d say Ric and I should probably do that but then neither of us are all that materialistic so I doubt we’d have anything to get rid of, so it would be kinda pointless.

Aliyah:
"She's moving," Ali finally said after a moment of silence and following Sky's gaze over to the boxes. The conversation had been hard, but it was a done deal. Dhara wasn't going far, but it was far enough to make it feel like her conjoined twin had just been surgically removed. Either way, she forced a small smile to give off the appearance of being okay, lifting her mug of blood to her lips. "And...I guess the way you deal with Ric isn't so far off. I just won't need it any time in the near future. So, let me know if keeps working out that way. Maybe run an experiment?" she teased, her gaze going blank the more she talked about him. Her feelings just shut down. There was too much of it going on at once time, and her head hurt.

Skylar:
“Huh? Won’t need what now? I feel like I’m missing something here.”
I wonder where Dhara’s moving too and rather selfishly pout cos she was my source of last minute snacks when my cupboard was empty or when I was wanting an excuse to come upstairs and chat.
“And what’s up with you. Don’t take this the wrong way or nothing but you feel… emotionally constipated or something.”
I’m not sure what she’s feeling, it’s like a ball of bad energy or something. Not like what I feel from Ric, he’s like a vortex of nothingness, though I’m starting to wonder if that’s cos of him or me, cos I might just be protecting myself on that one. But Ali, I dunno, there’s stuff there – a lot of stuff actually – I just can’t get a beat on any one particular emotion.

Aliyah:
She couldn't help it...she just started to laugh. Leave it Skylar to describe the way her emotions swirled into one black hole of doom. There was a reason she kept her friend around, after all. "Between Dhara moving out, and Ric telling me that he wants nothing to do with me...I'm surprised I'm not a basket case, really," she admitted, canting her head to appear the picture of pure innocence. "Not to mention my relationship with my childe grows more complicated by the day," Now that it was out, Ali realized that Skylar probably didn't know there was even a childe in the picture. As it were, Pi and Elliot hadn't even met him...they just knew that he existed. Well, there was more explaining to do.

Skylar:
“Woah. Wait. What the ****. Ric said what now? I’m gonna smack him upside the head. No wait. I can do better than that. I’m gonna drown him in affection. He’ll ******* hate that.”
I instinctively reach out for Ali and pull her into a tight hug, though I don’t use my right hand in the hug in case I open the wound and bleed on her, cos that would be the last thing the girl needs.
“And what’s this about a childe. Seriously. Am I the only one not out there making new heroes and whatnot?”
I haven’t let her go. I’ve got her pulled against. The woman’s got a couple of inches on me but I’m wicked strong what with all the metalworking I do.

Aliyah:
Skylar's quick jump on Ric made Ali feel a little better, and a true smile formed on her lips, "Ric was here the other day...I had asked to come up to meet Forsyth, my childe. Everything was going fine, until I told him that Forsyth was also my boyfriend, as if two days before. Ric called me stupid, said it was a bad idea to date my childe...and when I got defensive, we fought...his control over the shadows lashed out at both of us, and he said until I listened to his warnings, he wanted nothing to do with me," she explained, only to bite her lip as soon as the words were out to stop her trembling lip. She would not cry over a brother she hadn't even known she had had. "And Forsyth came into the picture about two months ago. Pi and Elliot haven't even met him..."

Skylar:
I pull back as she explains, my mind’s going a mile a minute as I try to take in everything’s she said. I like to talk but damn if this girl wasn’t gushing like a leak in a dam that was about to explode.
“Okay. Give me a minute here.”
I stand back and without realising it start work on my knuckles. I fiddle with fingers cracking each joint in turn.
“So… You have a kid. You’re dating. Ric got pissed. Gave you a dickish ultimatum and you were attacked by shadows. Shadows Ric supposedly controls? Is that right?”

Aliyah:
She understood that it was probably a lot to take in, and when Sky took a step back and said she needed to think, Ali simply let her and continued to sip at her blood. It slid down her throat in a sickly fashion, and as it cooled down, it got thicker. When Skylar finally worked it all out, all she did was nod her head. It sounded about right, without all the details involved.

Skylar:
“Now I’m definitely gonna kick him in the balls. That ******* thing slashed my leg open. Though… hmm... He did have to carry me part of the way home after that… Hmm...”
I laugh, but it’s more of nervous laughter.
“Not the point.”
I twine my fingers, turn the away from me and stretch my hands forward till everything cracks again.
“Right. So. Ric’s issue is you dating your kid. What did he say was wrong with that? I mean… You can’t exactly control who you fall for can you. I mean look at me. You think I’d choose to date someone whose idea of foreplay is pinning my hand to the wall with a knife before legging it out the door? Nope. I mean I do like a challenge but some days I swear I’ve just lost the plot.”

Aliyah:
Aliyah wrinkled her nose at the cracking sounds coming Skylar's knuckles. She had always hated when anyone did that, as it was just an unnatural sound. Rather than point that out to the other woman, she sighed and shrugged up her shoulders as her original response to the question asked, "He said it was stupid because if the relationship goes bad, Forsyth and I still have to deal each other. He will always be my childe, rather we like it or not," she replied after a second to think about Ric's argument on the matter. "And, yes, you are a prime example of falling for the wrong guy. What were you thinking, woman?" Her tone was playful, even if her emotions were far from. After spending a bit more time with Ric, it was hard to think anyone could handle him for more than a couple of hours.

Skylar:
“What can I say… I have a thing for bad boys. They’re like catnip to me.”
I grab a hold of both of Ali’s hand, ignoring the twinge in my own from having stretched and now clenched the injured appendage.
“And I like a challenge and Ric’s definitely that. So all told… Oddly… He’s my Mr ******* Perfect.”
I’m laughing again cos even I know that sounds insane but whatever Ric and I have can wait. Mr Perfect or not, he’s one hell of an arse.
“As for what he said. I mean - and don’t get angry - he might kinda have a point. But believe me when I say you don’t have to listen to him. Point or not. It’s just his opinion and he’s the kinda guy that weighs things up and only goes forward if the odds are in his favour. And that’s no way to live now is it. You can’t say, ‘I’m not gonna date in case things don’t work out’ cos that’s ******* retarded. That’s him. Not us.”
I shake my head. This is sounding like his marriage conversation but truth be told I’m a little on the fence on this one, as I kinda see both sides.
“I mean there’s not some rule book that says ‘Love your sire’ or some ****. Not everyone gets as lucky as me. I mean your sire’s a complete waste of space right? I don’t even know who they are. So if your kid slash boyfriend has a sire that cares about him, he’s already ahead in the game. Right?”

Aliyah:
And the woman was off again, being her usual self that talks through her thought process. So, Ali sat back and listened, raising an eyebrow up as Sky agreed with Ric's assessment of the situation. Rather than cut her off with a defence, she sighed and let the woman continue, her eyes dropping to the counter. "I guess?" she finally replied when Skylar came to the end of her small speech, "I've kept Forsyth safe. He hasn't been getting bounties, attacking people or things he shouldn't...and Ric complimented me. For apparently being a good sire isn't enough for him to trust my ability to keep my roles separate..." she replied with a scowl, looking to Skylar to either confirm or deny it. Though Skylar didn't know her all that well yet, it was possible she would be able to agree or disagree.

Skylar:
“**** Ric. Tell him to go jump off a cliff. It’s none of his business who you date.”
I fold my arms over my chest and think for a minute.
“Look, just because it may not be a good idea, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I mean Pi and Ellie make it work. Right?”
I shrug. Incest is kind of the norm in my immediate vampire family. I don’t much think I could go there myself as the idea of sleeping with Ellie is, well… wrong, but each to their own. Who’s to say what’s wrong or right, there are people – like Elliot – who don’t think I should be dating Ric but I’m not letting that stop me.
“If you and your... Forsyth,” I almost say kid, “like one another, then go for it. I mean what’s the worst that can happen? You fall out? Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have other family about to help him out. It’s one of those catch 22 situations, damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Cos ‘what ifs’ suck arse.”

Aliyah:
"Pi and Elliot are the reason I ended up giving it a shot in the first place...I mean, if they can handle it, I should be able to, right?" she asked, even though Skylar had basically said the same thing. They didn't seem to use familial ties so heavily, and part of her wondered if Skylar did. And if she did, if the whole thing actually weirded her out, and she didn't want to say so. "And other family can't help him if he never bothers to meet you guys! Which is driving me CRAZY!" she sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair. He had barely stepped out of his comfort zone with her, and it was going to take a level of begging and pleading before he bothered to meet Pi and Elliot, let alone someone like Skylar. "What should I do about Ric? Him...basically writing me off as his sister?"

[Aliyah]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Skylar:
I nod when she asks if I think she can handle it. She probably can. I mean we all can until we can’t, right?
“One, ambush him. Forsyth that is. If you want him to meet family, don’t give him the choice. Tell him you’re having a quite night in and let people “drop round”.”
I do the air quotes thing with my fingers. My idea’s not exactly original but it’d work.
“As for Ricky. I dunno. He doesn’t strike me as the sort of person to write someone off. Even if he has threatened it. I mean you’re family. There’s no getting away from that, even if you try. When Ric and I have issues, he usually runs off; it’s his go to move, but with a bit of time and usually a few emails, he always comes back. Though that might only work for me cos I live in his apartment.”
I wink at her. It’s the best advice I have, and it’s tried and tested as far as I’m concerned. Which reminds me. I pull out my phone and check my email. Yep definitely our thing.
“One sec. Speak of the devil and all that.”
I tap out a quick reply and hit send. I hadn’t been expecting an explanation and an apology in the first reply; that was new but kinda shows how good we’re getting at this communication thing. I look up at Aliyah and grin, as I put my phone away.
“If it makes you feel better, Ric told me repeatedly he didn’t date and look at us now. Never say never, that’s what I say. Just give him some time to cool off and get his head round what’s what.”

Aliyah:
Aliyah’s eyebrows rose up at Skylar’s description. It would make for an easy enough night, keeping him inside, but repeated visits would make him suspicious, there was no doubt about that. But, if was the only way she could get him to meet the bloodline, then so be it. She would see that it gets done. “I suppose I could do that. Hell, it’s a wonder he hasn’t run into you, yet!” she said with a gesture toward the woman, as she was in a constant state of coming and going when the urge struck her.
When the topic shifted to Ric again, she frowned. Her eyes grew a bit guarded, but she did her best to stop the walls from coming up. If she was constantly trying to keep Ric out for what he had said, they would never move past it. The blonde waited patiently while Skylar replied to him, simply because it would be rude to do otherwise. When the woman was done, she sighed. “Your advice is to give Ric time?”
For the second time in a few minutes, her eyebrows rose up in question, “When I gave Ric time before, I found him going through my bedroom…”

Skylar:
“Babe I am the world’s shittiest vampire. I could have run into your boy ten times over and have no idea who is, only what he is. Hmm, so maybe I’m not all that bad. I can spot our kind on sight, I just have no ******* clue who they are.”
I think for a moment as she says Ric broke into her place. Oddly, that doesn’t surprise me in the least. He has that shadow power and I’d be stupid to think he didn’t – more often than not - use it for nefarious reasons.
“Yeah actually. I think time might be best. I mean I won’t let him forget about you or anything but Ric seems to be the sort that analyses everything before he does it. If he can. He’s a prepper, through and through. And I’m betting he wasn’t prepared for having you date anyone, especially not your own kid. And don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you’re undateable. I mean you’re ******* gorgeous. What I mean is that Ricky… well he doesn’t spend much time thinking about dating or couples and stuff. And from what I’ve seen, he doesn’t do well with change either. So… Give him a bit of time to let it sink in. He probably just needs to get his head round it. I’m not sure I’d expect him to come to you though… You may have to be the one offering the olive branch.”
I don’t have extensive experience in managing Ric, but I have enough and that would pretty much be my plan. Might have to throw in a few drunken texts and emails but yeah. Actually the distance thing works.
“It’s that or a well written email. The thing is… He doesn’t really like conversations about feelings and stuff. So if you can, stick to logical arguments he might be able to understand. Unfortunately mine and Ric’s logic don’t always match but I think you get the idea.”

Aliyah:
The fact that Skylar thinks she is a terrible vampire only makes Aliyah laugh with a shake of her head. There were plenty of things that could classify one as a bad vampire, and Sky didn’t really hit any of them. Not in her opinion, at least, and the lack of fangs was unimportant. “Darlin, the guy walks around with his head down. It’s no fault of yours that he is a damn ghost to the family. I think he is just antisocial, or some ****…” she muttered, leaning back against the counter with a hand on both sides.
“I also fail to see why I need to make the peace offering when he is the dickhead,” she groaned, her head tilting backwards. There would be no olive branch given on her behalf. It was possible that she was merely being stubborn, but that wasn’t the point. “Plus, my logic does not match his, at all, clearly. Otherwise, we wouldn’t fight like cats and dogs on a rainy day,” she pointed out to the woman as she looked back over to her.
In that moment, she felt the need to kick Ric in the shin, just for putting her through the emotional stress. When she had enough going on in her vampiric life, he was just there to make it all worse. “I don’t get you two as a couple, Sky…” she admitted with a small grin.

Skylar:
I grin at her when she called her guy anti-social, that means he’s a challenge and I do love myself one of those.
“I’ll look out for your boy then. I do like the shy ones. Not in that way of course, kinda got my hands full with that brother of yours.”
I giggle, I don’t usually do that in conversation but it happens once in a while. Oddly I giggle more out of conversation, like usually when someone touches my neck, or feeds from me, but probably best I don’t think about that right now.
“Then don’t apologise. Just make contact and explain your side. Ric’s pretty good with emails. At least he is with me. And whatcha mean you don’t get us as a couple? What’s not to get?”
I wait for her reply to see if I should be offended or not.

Aliyah:
Ali smirked at the woman opposite her as she talked about having her hands full with Ric, especially when he was one of the most antisocial beings she had ever met. The fact she had happened across him, at all, was a wonder on its own. And they never talked, not really. They just sucked at being siblings. It didn’t matter they had just found out, either. Maybe that was just the way their cookie was going to crumble. **** happened.
At Skylar’s question, the blonde tilted her head to the side and shrugged up a shoulder, “Well…you two are just so different. Ric is an asshole, and you aren’t. You are bubbly and energetic, and Ric needs some damn good motivation to do things…” That was her line of thinking, anyway.
For all she knew, he could be the total opposite and only came off that way with her.

Skylar:
I could keel over with laughter but that wouldn’t be all that polite, so I try and stop myself from being overly amused by what Ali says.
“Yeah well they do say opposites attract and all that. So…”
I shrug.
“We’re pretty different but that’s not so bad. Makes things interesting. We have similar tastes inn music. And we occasionally think alike. I work for him now too, so we have that in common. But yeah I guess we kinda balance each other out since we’re on two different ends of the spectrum most of the time. He gets me to sit still and I force him to move. I mean I hate to fight. I have no skill in it. I’m not all that keen on violence, but when I watch Ricky in action…”
I fan myself, my cheeks even flush a little at the thought.
“Wow. Just wow. He’s like super ******* hot.”
I realise what I’ve said and scratch at the back of my head, tilting it slightly as I look to Aliyah apologetically.
“Sorry. That’s probably a little TMI. Right?”

Aliyah:
Aliyah groaned, covering her ears to shut out any further fan girling on Skylar’s part. There was zero desire to hear about how hot she felt Ric was, especially when all Ali could think about was how much of an asshole he was. There was no attraction, just irritation. “Can we keep the mush on the down low, woman?!” she pleaded, dropping her hands to look at her friend in mock frustration. The woman had done enough of that already, especially when it came to their sex life.
“One of these days, I am going to come up with this elaborate fantasy involving one of your guy friends and see if it creeps you out,” she said with a finger pointed at the blonde’s face. It would more than likely backfire in some way, with Sky adding details to the story. At least it would make for a good time…

Skylar:
“Feel free and try.”
I offer the challenge. I’m not easily embarrassed by that kinda thing. The guys talk about sex all the time. In fact the only time I ever really shy away from the conversation is if it involves talking about Dillon and I, cos there’s all kinds of remorse and **** wrapped up in those scenarios.
“I kinda can’t help myself at times. You know me. There’s just something about your brother that drives me nuts in a good way. Don’t you have the same thing with your guy? Feel free to overshare on that front if you like.”
I smile at her. I could stand to hear about her sex life if she has one. I’d certainly like to know a bit more about her guy than just his name, parentage and the fact that he’s my kind of challenge.

Aliyah:
The fact that Skylar was so willing to listen to her fantasies only managed to make her shudder. The woman was so open to everything, it was almost too much. “Do you have a concept of privacy, baby girl?” The question was asked playfully, since she really didn’t mind her friend’s oversharing most of the time. It was only when their sex life came into play that things got a little weird. Picturing her brother naked was just more than she could handle.
“I do feel the same way about Forsyth, but the difference is that I think my sex life should be kept private,” she replied at the mention of her relationship. If there was one thing that he was good at, it was getting her riled up. In the end, the makeup sex was fantastic. “But, if you are curious…Forsyth likes to have control. A lot of it…”

Skylar: “Ric too.”
I blurt the words out before I can stop myself.
“You know your guy is beginning to sound a lot like mine. Only I really can’t imagine there being two Ric’s in the world. Man what a scary thought. Right?”
I hope she’s not too grossed out by the idea of her dating her own brother, because if the guys are that alike, that’s pretty much what she’s doing.
“And I understand privacy just fine thank you very much. I can keep a secret if I have to. I just don’t really care who knows what most of the time. I am who I am, after all.”

Aliyah:
Skylar’s comparison between her brother and boyfriend made her mouth open up in shock, staring at the woman as if she had grown two more heads. There was no way that the two of them were anything alike, and the idea of dating someone identical to her brother made her want to vomit. It wouldn’t be possible, but the knot still formed in her stomach with a lump in her throat that she couldn’t get rid of no matter how many times she swallowed.
“Ew, Sky…” she moaned, rubbing at her throat. “One Ric is bad enough, I don’t need to be sleeping with another one…” She shuddered and shook her head, shifting on her feet to better accommodate her long time standing. “And I have a feeling that you don’t keep many…but I adore you, regardless. And even with your sex talk, I still manage to like having you around.
The blonde grinned and walked around the counter, hugging Skylar tightly. “Thank you for talking to me about all this…”

Skylar:
I hug her back, squeezing her tightly.
“No problem babe. It’s what I’m here for. And I have loads of secrets. None of my own… but I can be trusted to keep them. I mean I might be an open book but that doesn’t mean that everyone else is or wants to be.”
I give a quick shrug and smile at her. I can understand why she might think I don’t keep many but she’s wrong. Don’t go talking about **** I’m not supposed to, if I did, I’d be a pretty shitty friend.
“You know I kinda love your brother right? So when you say ew… you’re kinda knocking my man.”
I elbow her playfully. I get why she says it but still, there ain’t nothing eww worthy about him.

Aliyah:
With a bright smile as Skylar pulled away, she stuck her tongue out. “I happen to be a pro at knocking Ric, Sky. You should know that better than anyone from the way you watch us bicker,” she replied with a laugh. Though they had only known each other a few months, there was no doubt that she and Ric had made up for some of the time lost between the fighting they had done. As any siblings should.
“Think you head back now, without Ric trying to take off your head?” she teased, prodding at her friend’s side. “Get the hell out of my house!” She didn’t mean the words, of course, but she did give Skylar a little shove toward the door. “I do believe you have emails to send back and forth to lover boy.”

Skylar:
I’m laughing all the way to the door.
“Call him an arsehole all you like but he ain’t “eww” ‘kay. That’s my guy you’re talking about and I don’t want to have to learn to fight in case I need to kick your arse to remind you of that.”
I turn and wink as I open the door.
“And for your information I don’t need to send any more emails. He’ll be home soon. We’ve gotten good at what we do. Good luck with your guy babe. I think right now you need more luck than I do. As for Ricky… don’t you worry about him. He’ll come around.”
I leave the door open as I head or the elevator as she might want to try and get in one more pop at her brother/my boyfriend before I head downstairs.

Aliyah:
"Each time you come around, I like you more and more, baby girl..." she grinned, giving her the final shove out the door before she makes her way into the elevator. She felt better than she had in a couple of days, and it was all thanks to her brother's girlfriend. "My brother is still a dick!" she called out, just as the doors to the elevator shut and blocked Sky from view. With a laugh, she turned and shut the door.

Skylar:
I take out my phone and text Ali two words; ‘true dat.’ With a giggle I slip my phone back in my pocket and head back to my apartment. I’m pretty confident Ricky’ll be home soon and like the sad pathetic cow that I am, I’ll be waiting.