Post by katherine sienna dupuis on Jun 20, 2012 21:27:53 GMT -6
[/size]VALKYRIE, CALIFORNIA WAS hot. way too hot. and this was coming from a person who had spent the better part of her life here. then the last several in las vegas, nevada. a.k.a. a fucking volcano. the thick california air made her feel dirty. the moment she stepped off of that god damn bus, katherine dupuis wanted to take a shower. the gummy air, darkened by pollution, caused sticky little bugs to crawl up her legs and make a home there. she felt unwashed. the people strolling the streets of this stupid town looked the same. like there was an unpleasant smell under their nose, or there was something stuck in their teeth that they couldn't get out. subtle, but definitely noticeable. maybe that's why all of the people here really needed deodorant and some floss. greasy hair, messy cuticles, yellowed teeth and smokey breath; ugly snarls, tacky eyeliner and the air that they owned the fucking world. that's what this city had. half-people, convinced they were whole enough to make a dent. but they weren't. they were…there. with wrinkled noses and cheap cigarettes. they all needed to shower and get manicures and haircuts and maybe even seaweed wrap. it was hot in valkyrie. she felt dirty. the people were worse. they made her feel unwashed.,
as katherine dupuis' eyes stared from the smutty window of the groaning city bus, her mind continued to race. one hundred and eleven reasons as to why valkyrie, california, for lack of a better term, sucked. from the weather to the hygiene of the people sharing this very bus, there were always more. she should write a book, get paid by the word. her financial balance would skyrocket. but none of them were true. she knew that. it simply made her feel better to find comprehension in her disdain for her hometown. on a rather balmy day, the fellow sitting next to her was wearing a clean-scented cologne. farther proof to how wrong she probably was. not that it mattered. she blinked. once, twice. the ugly words faded, her face softened into neutral. she had been constructing elaborate essays, thick with arguments and statistics, to how vile valkyrie was for a long time. probably too long. but it was easier, to hate it. valkyrie, california had done absolutely nothing for her, other than drive her away. it flipped her stomach to see people here, with full-bellied laughs and happy nostalgic bullshit. it was a long ago feeling, though. she had not given valkyrie a thought since she moved to las vegas. and now, here she was, ripe with acidic words sliding off a vinegary tongue. she had to pace herself. there would be plenty of time to wallow in filth when she saw valkyrie without this gummy window making it look prettier.
it was easier to hate it.
the tug on the rope, signalling the huffing bus driver to stop the stupid vehicle, was impatient. she slid past the fellow next to her without apologizing. she pitter-pattered down the aisle of the bus, offering no gratitude to the driving wage slave. not like it was on her not to make city workers feel better. it was their own fault they were fixing traffic signs and cleaning sewers. let them do what they want, but don't go looking for compliments. she didn't. slipping her sunglasses over her eyes, katherine eyed her surroundings. the fogged window definitely made valkyrie more attractive. seeing it now, through clean lenses, made her nauseous. chance hadn't shut up on how much he loved it here. sitting next to a chatty brother for six hours was enough motive to behead him. it happened on busses all the time, remember? as she wandered down the lumpy sidewalk, her mind raced again. it was easier to hate valkyrie than just be happy to…well, no. there was no reason to be happy to be walking here again. chance said it took much energy. perhaps. but there was none of that happy nostalgic bullshit reserved for her. this town had done nothing but ruin her. the people grinned sardonically, the trains whistled mockingly, black cats ran in front of her, she walked under ladders. she had nothing to do here but hate it. hysterical at how demeaning her chosen profession was, yet this innocent little costal gem made her feel far dirtier than vegas ever did. the look the liquor store clerk gave her was the same. she smiled impolitely, slammed the bottle of vodka on the counter loudly and didn't thank him when he gave her too much change. not like they deserved it.
so much for the ugly words fading. it was an easy muscle to exercise, her distaste for california. keeping her smirnoff bottle in its little brown bag, she gripped the neck of the bottle tightly. strolling down one sidewalk, cutting through an alley, following the sound of the waves, the smell of salt. all of the water in las vegas was fake. there was even a mock beach somewhere just off the strip. as she wandered down the beach, right into the water, katherine stayed quiet. the cold water lapped over her boots, soaking through to her chilled feet. the little children ran passed her. the sighing mothers in their ugly bathing suits eyed her as they rumbled after. she walked through sandcastles. stamped through the water, spraying the suntanning teenagers. they shrieked and swore at her. at one point, she paused and kicked up damp sand on a group of three sixteen year-olds. their screams were the loudest, trying to make her feel bad. two of them sat up, stood and pointed at her. guess they forgot they untied the tops of their cheap bikinis. the twelve year-old boys behind her grinned excitedly. you're welcome. the card counter continued her strife down the valkyrie coastline, sucking down vodka and smiling as she disturbed people's relaxing afternoons. sin city buffed people, callused them and made them tough. damp sand and crying children were white noise to her. let their diamond bubble, dipped in gold, feel the raw desert heat. her service, no charge. her own grin turned sardonic the more people ranted profanities at her.
finally wandering down to a quieter part of the beach, not far off the main crowd, she stopped. her gait had staggered, almost a third of the bottle gone. and the water was getting cold. lifting her sunglasses into her blonde hair, katherine stumbled up the hot sand, finally falling. giggling softly, she flipped onto her back. supporting herself on her elbows, one knee crossed over the other, she kept the bagged bottle in close range. breathing in the salty air, she almost felt like she was back at that fake beach. that place felt more like home than here. but chance wasn't here. her parents didn't dare. it was a nice escape. watching her surroundings, singing a little tune to herself, katherine merrily switched between drinking and humming. raising her voice, a little off-key, putting the most irritating songs to absent music, she giggled again. it was hot here. the people needed to shower. and it was really fucking ugly. but this was kind of nice. half the people on this beach felt as shitty as she did. [/blockquote][/blockquote]
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[/blockquote]TAGGED, ooooopen.
LENGTH, 1218 words.
ATTIRE, hurr.
NOTES, you should join. :]
CREDITS, format and graphics to me.
lyrics to nickelback - "midnight queen"
