Writing: Nuada and Argyros

    Would you look at that? I actually have something else to post for Nuada. Actually, technically speaking, I have had more to post, but until now, it hasn't been very much.

    I sat down this afternoon to work on the bit that follows directly after the section I posted earlier this month. Be warned that it's a bit choppy; my groove is off when it comes to writing anything of length or quality.


     The diner they’d been instructed to meet Mr. Stafford in was run-down and not a name brand chain restaurant, meaning it was likely a family owned business. Nuada had seen worse in the past several weeks of her life though, and parked the car alongside an old pickup that seemed familiar to her.
    The silence in their vehicle was deafening once the radio was turned off along with the engine, and Argyros was the first to break it, as he had so often in the past few days.
    “Stafford said to meet him here?”
    Nuada didn’t afford him a glance as she twisted around to grab her messenger back from the back seat. It held most of her dad’s information along with her own findings over the years. “Yes. Gram’s Burgers, Alcair, Indiana.”
    He shrugged in her peripherals and got out of the car, stretching to try and remove the kinks from his tall frame.
    Getting out herself, Nuada could feel the ever present aches making themselves known as she stood up, but she resisted the urge to stretch as well. Instead, she locked the car and slid the keys into her pocket.
    Taking in the red Ford pickup once again, she identified it as Mr. Stafford’s 1989 F150 Ford. Also known as his pride and joy. Nuada held memories of that green truck from when she was just a child.
    Turning her attention to the diner, she led the way up the steps and in the front door. Argyros came behind and frowned at the smell that greeted them once inside.
    “It smells like grease...” He said under his breath, and this time Nuada’s gaze flicked his direction for a moment.
    After she pressed down the comeback that came to mind, she quickly located Mr. Stafford at a table with several other people, most of which she had no memories of.
    One was Harold Johnson, who she knew to be a good friend of Mr. Stafford, but Nuada’s gut twisted when she realized who it was sitting with her back to the room.
    Stafford noticed them in the relative emptiness of the restaurant and rose.
    “Nuada, it’s great to see you.” He said by way of greeting, and she shook his hand, almost numb with shock.
    Maggie. What’s going on here?
    “It’s been a while, Argyros,” the older man continued, sincere but it was clear he was relieved to see the two of them. “We were beginning to wonder if you guys had gotten the wrong diner.”
    Nuada forced her mind back to the present, straightening her shoulders, and her chin rose from its lowered position. Ten people at the table, a mixture of men and women, Maggie and Mr. Stafford not included. Maggie still hadn’t turned around to face them and somehow, Nuada wasn’t surprised.
    I wouldn’t be feeling too chatty at this point either.
    She wasn’t an idiot though. Nuada had a good understanding of her feelings and knew that anger was kindling inside of her along with the sharp sting of betrayal.
    “I’d love an explanation,” the young woman said after a moment, not bothering to even attempt at pleasantries. “First of all, to the purpose of this meeting, and second, Maggie Titus, what in the world are you doing here?”
    Argyros touched her shoulder and she could see that he was winding up for a calming speech already. She wasn’t wrong.
    “Nuada, there’s a lot to talk about that you don’t know, alright? We need to talk about Dad, what killed him, why it killed him, and—how Maggie is involved in all of this.”
    She tightened her jaw and addressed her friend. “Are you going to stand up and look at me, Maggie? Because sitting there is not going to change the fact that you lied to me.”
    “Have a seat, both of you,” Mr. Stafford said, warning in his tone that Nuada ignored along with his request.
    She was tired. She was sore. She hadn’t eaten much since the day prior, and she had no idea what was going on. Why was Maggie here? What was her purpose? Had she known all along—
    “You knew where he was, didn’t you?” Nuada said, even as her best friend for a decade turned in her seat to meet her gaze. “All that time. And you were keeping in touch, weren’t you?” She looked to her brother. “Which means that you knew as well.”
    The answer was in both of their eyes and it was a blow that Nuada had wished wouldn’t come.
    Her laugh was bitter as she rubbed her forehead before she face Maggie again, her throat tight.
    “You know what, Maggie? I actually thought for a long while that maybe, just maybe, I had one person on my side. One person, and you were it, Maggie. Mom died, Argyros left, and Dad hardly noticed I was alive, but you were there,” Nuada took in a breath, determined to speak her mind. “You were there, Mags, and yet you were lying to me the entire time.”
    “Nuada, let me explain—“ the other female tried to explain, rising carefully from her seat at the full table.
    “No.” She bit out, voice hard and uncompromising even in a moment of brief unsteadiness. “No. I’m done with explanations from you. I’m done with all these lies. My life has been nothing but lies and I am done.”
    Silence reigned around the diner table’s occupants. Mr. Stafford appeared ready to intervene and Nuada forced herself to ignore the pain on Maggie’s face at her harsh words.
    Forcing her eyes away, she looked to Stafford. “I would like to get some answers, Mr. Stafford, but I want them to come from you.”
    The man nodded, his features grim and she could only imagine what he might be thinking.
    “And I want him,” the young woman jerked a thumb at her brother where he stood only a few paces away. “Out of my car. If there isn’t extra space, he can buy himself a new ride.”
    “Nuada, come on, we need to talk about this,” Agryos protested, stepping forward and she rounded on him.
    “No, you are done talking. You and her. Both of you have done your utmost best at stabbing me in the back and I refuse to spend my time second guessing everything that comes out of your mouth.” An angry fire kindled in her silvery eyes that caused him to close his mouth.
    Her hand tightened on the strap of her messenger. “What motel are you all at, Mr. Stafford?”
    “Roadside Inn, just down the street, back towards the center of town.”
    She nodded once, a sharp movement. “I’ll meet you here in the morning and we’ll talk.”
    “Alright. I’ll be here.”
    Nuada turned on her heel and began walking back towards the door. “Get your stuff out of my car, Argyros, or you won’t be seeing it again until tomorrow.”
    “Nuada—“ she heard Maggie call and she couldn’t help herself. She paused and looked back at the other woman, taking in the tears in her eyes.
    “Please come back?” Her friend asked, voice shaky. “Please? I didn’t want to hurt you, but it was better for you this way.”
    “My father is dead, Maggie. My mother is dead. My brother left. And you lied to me for years. How can you know what is good for me?” Nuada’s voice was flat and unaffected as she worked to wall up her heart against the one person she loved most in the world.
    She left to the sound of Maggie’s first sob. Argyros was silent and angry as he retrieved his gear from the front seat and trunk. Nuada refused to flinch as he slammed the door and stalked back inside.
    As she slid into the driver’s seat, the girl felt moisture fill her eyes and knew that what she usually did when she was this upset was call Maggie.
    Her head ached as she started the old Mustang and backed out of the diner’s parking lot to find the motel even though she just wanted to drive. Drive far, far away and hope that the pain would stay behind.


    I shall now be abnormal and put a note between bits. Between this blurb and the next, there is either a handful of weeks or months that occur, and during that time, something happened that caused Nuada to allow an uneasy alliance between herself and Argyros and Maggie. Granted, Maggie is not in this scribble, nor the one I'll put in after it, but just be aware that she is part of the vague acceptance that is seen between Nuada and Argyros.


       Nuada hung her coat on the back of the bathroom door, wincing as she moved her shoulder. Her boots scuffed the floor as she moved back to look in the mirror, taking in her ragged appearance... and the blackness spreading beneath her skin. It was in her veins, working its way up her neck now.
    Gritting her teeth, Nuada pulled her shirt off to check the damage near the actual wound; a sliver of a cut on the outside of her arm from the attack they’d fended off two days ago. She’d been able to stave off the effect it had on her until tonight with painkillers and caffeine, but now it was starting to hurt to move it at all, which meant driving was fast becoming an impossibility.
    It was actually kind of disturbing, the way it looked. It was dark as it crept through her blood-vessels, as if it were some twisted ivy crawling through her body. Running a hand through her hair to remove it from her eyes, Nuada contemplated what she was going to do about it.
    Then, her brother jimmied open the bathroom door.
    Nuada froze, gaze on Argyros in the mirror, and a moment later her reaction was to snatch up her shirt from the sink and hold it to her chest.
    “Get out!” She said in a contained shout, aware of both the motel’s thin walls and the determination in his gaze.
    “No. Nuada, that is Fae poisoning and if you leave it unchecked it’s going to kill you.” Argyros seemed to by trying to rein in his emotions, but she could see the anger and pain on his face.


    I think that scribble is a bit revealing as to their occupation, seeing as I haven't written anything to really explain it yet. Although the way their father died is a bit explanatory, in its own way. Basically, fantastical beings that are in our day and age. Nothing magicky, but a lot of supernatural in the way of fantasy. Dragons, Fae, shape-shifters (although only humanoid, to my knowledge) and so on and so forth.

   The next bit is a roundabout introduction of someone who becomes very important to Nuada for reasons that I have yet to nail down for certain. It's also one that I plan to continue, perhaps today if I'm in the mood. Again, this is anywhere from a few days to a month or two since Nuada had Fae poisoning. I'm really fluid when it comes to the passage of time, as I'm sure you've found out by now.


    Nuada lifted her head painfully when she heard the scuff of feet on the floor, sure that her captors had returned to continue their interrogation. She had no idea as to how much time had passed since they’d grabbed her from the front of the motel.
    The overhead light fizzled on, momentarily blinding her. Even when she did recover, the world was viewed through the slits her bruised eyes left.
    Her shoulders ached and her wrists had long since gone numb from the weight of her body straining upon them.
    “Well, you look awful,” an unfamiliar voice said, loud in the silence.
    Nuada squinted through her limited vision, trying to see the face to the voice so she could know whether help had come.
    “I’m going to get you down. Here, hook your toes in my pant pockets and push yourself upwards to get your weight off your arms, okay?”
    She let her head fall backwards, letting out a shuddering breath as the pressure of hands appeared on her waist.
    “Come on, work with me,” he coaxed and Nuada roused herself enough to do as he’d requested.
    The material of his jeans was strange against her bare feet, but Nuada was too far gone to care much about it. Her legs protested as she tightened her muscles and eased herself upwards. The result wasn’t too stable, but the relief that came to her arms and wrists made tears well in the girl’s eyes.
    “Take it easy,” the voice said, quiet and almost soothing in its gentleness. “I’ve got you.”
    She felt a hand against her skin, brushing against the palm of her hand, and then her right side was loosed from the manacles. The male grabbed her forearm and pulled it forward until it rested on his shoulder.
    “Lean on me. Keep your weight off your left wrist until I pick the lock.”
    Still unable to speak, Nuada just obeyed, straining to keep herself from going limp and dislocated her arm further.
    The click came again and she dropped, but her fall was stopped by a tight embrace around her torso, holding her upright.
    “Easy, easy,” the man said in her ear and Nuada felt her toes dragging against the ground before she was eased to the floor, the back against her wall.
    Her head was carefully leaned against the concrete and the coolness of it caused her skin to prickle. Nuada sat, boneless and limp, with no compulsion to find out who had ended her pain.
    “We’re going to have to go soon, before your jailors get back.”


    And that's the extent of my Nuada scrawls for the moment. Her story is one I keep coming back to, though, so expect to see more of it in the future, as I get the motivation to write down more. I want to attempt to put more explanations in, such as the mysterious rescuer, so I have to work out how I want those blurbs to go before I can write/post any of the stuff that I have swimming in my head.

    As usual, I truly hope that you've enjoyed this and please leave feedback should you have any to give. (Finding I have comments to moderate tends to make my day, I've found.)
    As astra per aspera.
    To the stars, through difficulties.