The Scarlet Letter Isn't A{{Maya}}

[Deon]

Sophie Devereaux could not be described as human when she was away from Arkady.

She didn’t even look the part. The sharp, angular planes of her face were only minimally softened by a thin layer of skin; her cheeks were gaunt, and the stark red of her lips looked frighteningly unnatural against her pale skin—like blood against snow. But there was something strangely beautiful about her, about the exaggerated, long, thin proportions of her body, the face that looked as if it were carved out of stone, the eyes hidden behind irises that were sheets of metal blocking any inner emotion that could be conveyed through them. She was as cold and a statue and looked just as inanimate. A statue with red lips and a helmet of silvery blonde hair.

There was an envelope loosely held between her fingertips with a façade of nonexistent calmness that was ready to shatter. The tendons on both of her hands were raised in tension to show clearly underneath her skin, forming broken lines that went through her slightly shaking fingers. She walked carefully, making sure that her feet never stepped over the cracks in the tiles. Her strides were smaller than usual, and the clicking of her heels on the linoleum of the post office was a series of short taps. She transferred the letter to her other hand, and then back again. She tapped on it lightly, protectively, with the tips of her fingers. A quick glance over her shoulder, out the window of the large post office, revealed nothing that she needed to be worried about. Sophie did it again anyways.

The counter was manned by a middle-aged woman who looked as though she desperately needed a break from this job. She was jittery with stress, and tiny capillaries streaked across her eyes, giving them a tired, reddened look. Sophie gave the woman her letter to be dispatched to the address in Poland written on the top of the envelope in her small, ornate script. She didn’t expect a reply back. She had never gotten letters back from her grandmother, except once. The only response was an angry rant ending with a cold demand not to contact her anymore. But the information contained in the letter was something she couldn’t withhold from her grandmother; it was like the need that she felt for her to meet Arkady after their relationship became extremely intimate. She was like a mother figure, no matter how much hatred she harbored for that woman. There was still some kind of connection, some kind of strange attachment that she couldn’t get over. She watched carefully as the letter passed through the woman’s hands, cringing on the inside that she should touch so carelessly the envelope that contained something so personal. She paid the small fee to ship it out of the country, tugging uncomfortably with her left hand on her too-small bra. It was annoying—she had just bought it. Looks like she’d have to go shopping… at least in a few months.

While she was at the post, she emptied the contents of her box. The worker woman handed her the few letters that she had gotten since the last time she checked. Sophie took them without much eagerness and flipped through them quickly as she walked away, her eyes scanning the addresses. Donia had written her again. She frowned slightly in annoyance, though noticed dimly that she wasn’t as irritated by his correspondence as she used to be. Learn patience, Sophie. Learn patience. You don’t want to be someone like Dementia again. The thought sent invisible shivers running down her spine. She ignored it as best she could. There was another letter from the board of education about something or other, which she probably wouldn’t bother to open until past the point that it mattered. No, change of pace. On that moment she suddenly decided she would deal with it promptly, as soon as she got home, as long as Arkady didn’t distract her…

She saw her when she looked up from the back of the envelopes in her hand. She was easily recognizable, even if Sophie hadn’t seen her for ten years. The face was impossible to forget, especially because she so nearly kept from her everything Sophie considered dear, everything she couldn’t live without. She struggled with the words, stricken by the fact that she would come across her here, though it shouldn’t surprise Sophie that she’d never moved out of the town. Her words were feeble and forced; her eyes—unchanging.

“Hello, Maya.”

((Hope you don’t mind I put her here… Since this IS for them. XD))

[krispey]

((Forgive my post if it sucks, because I haven't been on for a week. 'Kay,they're in a post office checking their mail, right? Oh, and no, I dont midle, obviously holding something withinnd at all =D))

Maya's lavender eyes ran over the brown envelope that sat on the desk in front of her. This had been the only thing that had arrived for her in a while. By the somewhat hardened expression that graced Maya's features, no one could tell that she was estatic. Her long digits ran over the smooth textured folder, then over the center, which in well-written script, stated that it was sent from Nashino Saloon. Maya felt tears sting the back of her eyes. Tears of joy? Perhaps so. The envelope held a well-rounded lump to it's center, obviously containg something of some sort. It had been so long.

So long since Maya had seen her brother. Ten years. Ten years since she ran her fingers through her brother's hair, and saw his gracious smile. There wasn't ever a night that went by that Maya didn't cry and pray for him. But Maya began to feel slightly bitter. She didn't want just a letter, or whatever the envelope held-she wanted him. But no Maya, don't be selfish, be thankful. Thankful that you know he's still alive. A letter still wasn't the same as the real deal.

"Hello, Maya"

Maya's skin shivered as the all-too familiar voice entered her ears. She shuttered, shuttered at the thought that she could still be there.
Maya's lavender hues sauntered over to the owner of the voice that Maya could have cared less to ever hear again. The last time she'd seen Dementia...Wow, Maya thought, that was a long time ago.... The last inccident left a bitter taste in her mouth, just as the last one with Arkady had.
At first, a hint of jealousy was stirred in the pit of Maya's stomach, but just as soon as it had begun, it seased. There was no need to be mad at the woman for now being with what once Maya 'had'. If anything, Maya thought, she'd be mad at her for being the B**** she was. And if Dementia was at all the same as she had once been, she'd probably ask Maya "holding a grudge, even after ten years?" And then follow up with some insulting comment. Mayaaa, lets not juuudge, some people change. Exactly, some people do.

"Hello Dementia... Sophie, I meant.

Maya didn't know, nor did she care how this long lost rival would react to her calling her by a name that she hadn't told Maya about. No, it wasn't a fight Maya was looking for, but it was a treaty either. But maybe it was, and with Maya, there was just not sure way to ever know.

[Deon]

Sophie was only slightly taken aback by Maya's addressing her with her chosen name, but the surprise didn't show in her face. The look was unchanging, controlled; she was not going to let Maya have any pleasure from breaking her down or setting her off.

She stared at Maya, scrutinizing her face, the letter that she held protectively in her hand, her current appearance. No. No. She shouldn't feel anger. She shouldn't feel anger. Sophie had to repeat that sentence to herself many times. She had gotten what she wanted. She had taken away something that Maya had wanted. She had won. She should feel pity. Pity. Hadn't she learned that yet? To pity? To be compassionate? Wasn't that the most noble form of emotion, to empathize with another person's pain? Maybe Sophie thought that if she stared at Maya enough, the pity would come and hit her. All she saw in Maya's face was a distant hurt, though it didn't penetrate down to Sophie's heart.

"You're making me out to be more evil than I am, Maya. I can see it in your face. A lot can happen in a decade." Sophie spoke flatly, as if reciting a memorized prayer that she had said one too many times. "Besides, you know I don't like being predictable." She paused for a moment, tucking the letters that she had received into the back pocket of her pants. They stuck out halfway up into her shirt, forming a square imprint on the small of her back. At the same time, she unconsciously hid her left hand from view, and its tellingly empty third finger.

"I'm not good at small talk. At least... I'm not when I'm about to get to something that I want to say. I don't want to just spout out mindless drivel to get one sentence across." She shut her eyes for an instant, as if readying herself for the strain that she would go through to force out these next few words, the words that she was intent on saying. Maybe if she said them to her, maybe if she said them enough times, it would no longer be a lie.

"Listen, Maya. I'm... I'm sorry for what I did to you. For taking him away." Her right hand fluttered to her forehead for a second, rubbing her temple on that side. "At least, I'm trying to be. I've destroyed so many people... hurt so many people. And... I want to try to make amends. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm..." she hesitated, trying to find the words. It was almost as if her tongue had become suddenly swollen, a weight in her mouth. "I'm trying to become something better. I was always envious of you, you know. Of your happiness, of your innocence, of your goodness. I felt like it wasn't fair for me to suffer so much, and you so little. You know, you almost got Arkady. You almost kept my life from me. But I want you to know that... there are some things that I regret doing, especially because I've caused you so much pain. I know what it is to experience. But he is not one of my regrets. I don't think you realize how... necessary, how painfully necessary he is to my life."

This apology had been a long time coming. Maybe Maya couldn't see it... then again, Sophie couldn't either, for a long time. The thought was absurd while it was formulating in her brain, but she was trying so hard to gain a sense of righteousness, of morality, of goodness, which Maya was so naturally endowed with and Sophie had been skipped out upon. The only thing wrong was her tone. Her speech still lacked any sound of sincerity; it was as if she was spouting empty words, like a robot incapable of emotion programmed to speak sentences that it didn't understand and couldn't even contemplate feeling.

"But may I ask you one thing, Maya?" She bit her lip on the inside. "I know that you met with him. What... what did he say to you, when he first saw you?"

[krispey]

Maya's head tilted to the side, taking hold of that position, her eyes squinted as Sophie made a comment on how Maya was "making her out to be more evil that she was". Wait, what? Maya's facial expression had nothing to do with this woman. Her face was pained, hardened, whatever, because so many thoughts of her brother ran through her mind. But of course, Sophie didn't know about that part of her life, and Maya wasn't sure if it was nessasary that she did or not. Maya just nodded,
"Indeed, alot can happen in a decade..."

Her voice trailed off, as well as her vision. Her elbow now rested on the desk beside her, her head slightly turned away. Maya's vision was becoming blury, and she refused to let her weak points show infront of this person who used to be her numero uno enemy in the past....In the past. Maya listened to Sophie's apology. It still lacked so much sincerity. Maya really picked up on the points in which she stated how she didn't mean to cause Maya so much pain. Instinctively, Maya wanted to deny her the victory of stabbing her through the heart, but it had happened.

Denial wasn't anyway to get through life. If Maya wasn't mistaken, Dementia had once stated something along those lines. Maya no longer being nieve, realized that, and how it wasn't. But that apology...Although it was so insincere sounding, it actually in all the fourty five seconds it took Sophie to say, impacted Maya. That apology was coming from someone who once didn't know who she was. Someone who hid behind cruelty. Someone that would never in a million years think of apologizing. So it wasn't so much what she said, but more so the fact that she even made the effort to do so.

Then, it seemed as though Maya's limbs and ligaments took control of theirselves. Her legs moved forward, her arms subconciously enough, wrapping around Sophie's torso. Maya's chin rested delicately on Sophie's shoulder. Maya's eyes filled with tears once more. Of what, though? Tears of everything. Tears of anger that she had allowed herself to get worked up over someone who was not destined for her. Or perhaps that her brother was still no where in sight? Tears of joy. Joy that she wasn't scrapping right about now with her old enemy? Or joy that she had just apoligized?

Last but not least, tears of thanfulness. Thankful that this had just happened. Now that Sophie had admited her wrong, and apologized for them, Maya felt even more free. The missing of her brtoher hadn't been the only weight that was holding her down all of these years. Dementia had been the second, but Sophie had come along and released it.
After an awkward moment had passed, Maya stepped back, a slight smile playing on her features. Her index fingers came up to her eyes, wiping away tears before they had come, a slight chuckle admiting into the air.
"I'm sorry too, Sophie...For keeping him away from you...I now realize that you needed him more than I did."

She slid the large envelope off of the desk that had yet to be opened, grasping it with her free hand. "Oh, and he said that he was with someone who he knew he was in love with." She paused, her hand reaching out, fingertips delicately placed on Sophie's shoulder.

"Thanks, Sophie... Thanks alot," maya said with all sincerity. Maya then manuvered past her, casting a backwards glance. Maya smiled and laughed on the inside abit.

I bet she never knew that one forced apology could go such a long way...Niether did I

[Deon]

Sophie stiffened considerably as Maya closed her arms around Sophie's stick-thin frame; the contact was unexpected. Her arms were at her sides, her palms spread out with tensed fingers. She didn't respond to Maya, only stood, dumbstruck, in the sudden embrace. The post office woman was staring at the scene as if it were the most interesting thing that happened in her job -- like something out of a soap opera. She didn't move even after Maya let go, but her eyes followed the younger woman's hands to her eyes, to the envelope on the table, to her laughing lips that were apologizing. Sophie hadn't expected that. What more, she didn't expect to be forgiven. It was so evident in her eyes...

When Maya placed her hand on Sophie's shoulder, when she relayed what Arkady had told her time and time again, a wave of relaxation seemed to flow over Sophie's body, stemming from the point of contact. Her slightly shaking, tensed fingers curled loosely into her palms, and her arms dropped limply to her sides. The sight of Maya's face, her tears, it almost brought a little moisture to Sophie's metallic blue-gray eyes -- almost. They were still wide with shock, staring after Maya as she started to leave.

Sophie turned and grabbed her gently by the shoulder, enough so that she would stop on her own. "Maya, listen... I know you probably have things to do, but would you come to eat dinner with us tonight -- or tomorrow, or the next? With Arkady and I? I would really be glad if you accepted." The sharp features of her face seemed to melt into a more feminine, softer form as she smiled genuinely while she gave the offer. "I think that... that he would like it, too. Please?"

[krispey]

Maya stopped, turning around, eyes on Sophie. Her fingers ran along the edge of the large envelope she held in her hands as she took in Sophie's offer. Her eyes sauntered to the ground in thought. Well, it may be kind of hard seeing the two of them together, seeing their oh so happy relationship right there...But it will still give me a chance to relieve some of the past grudges that float in the back of my head...And I could bring Clint!. Her eyes lifted up, parallel with Sophie's, a smile on her face. "I'd love to," Maya responded, "And tonight is just fine with me."