Think Better of Me

Takes place today. For a bit of RP context... Vale kissed Ledgic the other day amidst a conversation in which a good deal of the fondness they had for each other when they were young resurfaced. Vale is upset, knowing that nothing will come of it since Ledgic loves Annie, and is annoyed with herself for having any feelings or emotions at all.

Not my best writing in the world, but this has been one of those RP situations that's seemed to need some filling in with stories. Hope it's of some interest! It, ah, seems a little choppy to me in places but I'm not certain, so if you have suggestions or just can point out any awkward places, please do <3

==

'Think Better of Me'

'Ye migh' want t' stop walkin' a momen'.'

Vale paused, a tongue of apprehension rippling across her skin, as the words drifted from the shadows behind her. She knew that voice. She should have known it would be only a matter of time.

-

One night in Alterac, under the intense gaze of a ring of smoky blue mountains, Ledgic Caan had taken a step back, holding a hand gingerly to his jaw.

'Ow, feck, lass. Tha's some punch ye've got.'

'Eck, m'sorry. I though' ye'd catch it, know ye could 'ave.' Annie reached up and rubbed the back of her neck, her muscles relaxing awkwardly as the concentration of the sparring match ebbed away.

Ledgic chuckled, shaking his head. 'I wanted t'see 'ow 'ard ye could 'it. Now I know.'

-

Annie Fox was the sort of woman who saw the world in black and white. Sure, there was a little grey, but most of the time someone had the right idea and someone had it wrong. She had had it wrong herself plenty of times, and so she had a good ear for listening to an argument. But tonight, it was clear enough who had it wrong: Valerias bloody fucking Caan.

Annie moved from the doorway of one of the dingy shop-fronts, curling her gloved fingers into comfortable fists. Her quarry turned slowly, the grey moonlight flushing her face ghostly pale. Vale's hand moved to her hip, and Annie shook her head, sweeping a hand through the air in front of her.

'Na na, clamp a lid on it lass. I ain' 'ere t' knife ye or I'd 'ave a'ready done it. I got a few words though, I'll tell ye tha'.'

Even in the half-light, Annie caught the twisting of Vale's perfect mouth.

'You can save your words, Annie. I know what they are.'

'Oh take th' fuckin' pole out o' yer arse an' shut up fer once, ye bleedin' tart.' Annie stepped forward, the muscles in her forearms tensing as her hands closed in on themselves again. 'It don' matter t' me whose lives ye're twistin' aroun' yer little finger, don' matter t' me who yer fuckin' t' get wha' ye want, but soddin' leave Led out of it.'

She paused and took a heavy breath, punctuating the silence with a jerk of her hand, plunging into speech again before Vale could open her mouth to reply. 'T' think ye're th' lass who said 'alf a year ago tha' I didn' deserve t' be with Led 'cause ye though' I were jus' tryin' t' get somethin' from 'im. Look a' ye, claimin' t' 'ave... some sorta... connection, an' then tryin' t' fuck 'im over?'

Vale lifted her head and attempted to cut in, but her words were drowned as Annie's voice rose, her guttural speech growing even thicker and heavier. 'I almos' though' ye cared what 'appened to 'im. I almos' believed ye. Well, well done, Miss Caan, ye're a fuckin' actress. But ye've played yer cards wrong if ye bloody well think tha'–'

'That's enough.' Vale's shout sliced knifelike through the midst of Annie's anger, and Annie broke off, her chest heaving, and took a few steps forward.

'You're wrong, about all of this,' said Vale, her voice sliding into an icy quiet. 'And I have a hangover as wide as the damn city walls, so you can keep your self-righteous opinions to yoursel–'

The fist cracked into Vale's jaw before she even registered the need to defend herself and she stumbled back with a short gasp.

'Do ye think I give a bloody fuck abou' yer 'angover?' Annie shouted, catapulting forward and swinging another punch.

With a deft and noiseless movement, Vale caught one of Annie's wrists, taking the blow to her side but using the other woman's momentum to swing her sharply sideways and to kick her legs out from underneath her.

Annie landed on her arse in the packed dirt of the alley, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

Vale darted back a few paces, and after a moment, she lifted a hand shakily to her jaw. 'You hit harder than I thought, Miss Fox.' She prodded the skin beside her mouth cautiously. 'I think.. you may have hampered my kissing abilities for a few days.'

Hauling herself to her feet, Annie began to dust herself off. It was a few moments before she looked up at Vale, the tautened muscles in her face easing slightly. 'Good, ye need some bleedin' 'umble pie.' She lifted a hand rubbed her eyes with a thumb and finger. 'S'pose I got mine. I shoul' get Led t' teach me tha' lil' trick.'

And then, dropping her hand to look hard at Vale across the few feet of watery darkness, she added, 'I sure 'ope ye were listenin' though. Cause I were fuckin' meanin' everythin' I said.'

Vale breathed in quietly, and as she moved forward into a thin pool of moonlight, Annie thought that the twisting of her mouth was less arrogant this time, if no less proud. Vale lifted her hands in a brief gesture of interlude, as if looking for the right words.

'I heard you,' she said at last, and her voice came out weary, as if it had been stretched thin to its breaking point. 'I'm not... aiming to fuck with Led. He's yours, he made that clear.' She laughed, a small, bitter laugh so quiet that it was almost the shadow of one.

Annie looked at Vale, rubbed a hand across her eyes, glanced up again. 'Ye...' she began in a low mutter, and then cleared her throat. 'Ye care for th' bloke?'

Vale's shoulders rose in the idle ghost of a shrug, though her words themselves were as careful as if she had handpicked each one. 'I don't... care for anyone. But Led is everything I...' She gave a small, pained smile, one which flickered away almost instantly. 'He's happy with you, and so I'm not going to try to change that. If you're capable of believing me, please... do.'

After a moment Annie heaved a sigh, running a hand back through her hair. 'I don' know wha' t' believe, lass. Everythin' I know 'bout ye says ye're a two-copper whore with a fondness for rippin' folks' lives t' shreds while smilin'.'

She looked up at Vale again and searched her face in the dim light. 'But 'eck, I know ye ain' afraid o' me. Sa' apart from thinkin' it were funny, I don' got a clue why ye'd lie t' me, an'... 'eck I ain' got th' mind t' keep runnin' round in circles an' wonderin'.' Annie begin to laugh, a belaboured laugh somewhere between humour and pain.

'I'm not enjoying this,' said Vale, very quietly, rubbing her fingers lightly across her opposite forearm.

And slowly, Annie nodded. 'Well, lass, I... don' got a clue 'ere. Sa I'll leave off tryin' t' deck ye an' wha'not, but I'll be watchin' ye. An' tha's somethin' I can do, sa' step proper careful. Cause, eh.' She cleared her throat lightly. 'Yeh, I love Led. Sa' sod off.'

Annie glanced down and suddenly became involved in adjusting her gloves.

When she looked up again, she found Vale watching her with that intent expression of hers. Annie tossed her head, and as she met her eyes, Vale turned.

'Think better of me, Miss Fox,' she murmured, and then slipped away into the shadows.

Annie took a deep breath, watching her go, and an unusual, reticent sorrow settled over the tumbledown street.

Wait. Wait. I thought Vale was Ledgic's sister or something?

...

*rubs eyes with harsh soap*

Ah, no. They're cousins xD Which I can't really see being an issue in a world setting like WoW's.

Nice to know you're reading, thank you for it, even if your eyes were inadvertently injured.