time to t a l k {Raychel}

[igloogirl]

It was about midday on a Saturday, and though the sun was not shining, Gabriella was inside. She had marched up to the sixth floor, in view of the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room, but a bit hidden by the shadows. She didn't want everyone to see her, after all. But she did need to talk to Raychel. Her friend had become a bit careless now that she was a vampire, not knowing how much her actions could effect those around her.

Leaning against the wall slightly, Gabriella ran a hand through her hair, prepared for a long wait in the corridor. But, being a vampire herself, she was capable of waiting for a long time. And eventually Raychel would either have to go into or come out of her common room. And when she did, Gabriella would get a chance to talk to her. Footsteps echoed quite loudly to Gabriella's highly sensitive ears and she pushed herself further into the corner, holding her body completely still.

[broadway]

"There isn't a need for you to hide Gabriella." Raychel said, her voice a purr. She raised an eyebrow as the shadows parted. Her ability was starting to match her thoughts, whether they be good or not. Raychel stood a good distance away from her friend, studying her. "I am being careless." She replied softly, her body tensing. She didn't need to look at Gabby long enough to know why her friend wanted to talk. "You've always known me to a be a rebel." She joked. Her expression turned serious. "But darling, control comes easy when you engorge yourself... And it somehow comes easier to me... I don't know why, but I have some control. Not a lot, but enough."

[igloogirl]

Gabriella didn't reply, she merely took Raychel's wrist and led her to the nearby window. With a motion that seemed to say "follow," Gabriella climbed onto the sill, looked around twice, then dropped to the ground. They needed more privacy than a corridor in a crowded school. As she waited for Raychel, Gabriella pondered her emotions. She realized that she was mad, angrier than she had been in a long time. And yet she wasn't blowing up. Her anger made her calm, rational.

[broadway]

Raychel quickly and quietly did as Gabby instructed. She warily watched her friend. She knew Gabby well enough to know how she was feeling. Raychel let out a strangled sigh of frustration and finally let her emotions seep through. Raychel had no idea how much this whole ordeal had been affecting her, but with each dry sob, she knew. "I'm so stupid, and scared, and lost, and I have no idea who I am anymore Gabby! I'm careless because..." Raychel shrieked in frustration, her voice shaky. She muffled her cries by burying her head into her arm. "Because I'm a reckless, frightened fool." she muttered quietly. Calming herself, she looked up at Gabby. "Help me. Guide me. Heal me." she pleaded, her strained voice full of irrational self-ashamedness.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella gave her friend a hug momentarily while she was still sobbing, then backed away a bit once Raychel had calmed down again. "Of course I'm going to help you," she said with a slight smile. "What did you think I would do, watch you try to control yourself?" Once she was sure Raychel was entirely calm once more, Gabriella beckoned for her to follow her into the forest. They could talk more easily there.

[broadway]

Raychel gave a weak, pathetic excuse for a smile and followed her friend into the woods. The thick scent engulfed her and she breathed it all in. It was familiar, and she enjoyed that. Raychel watched Gabby with a somber look on her face. "I was so stupid. So reckless, and stupid. So childish, reckless and stupid." she muttered to her best friend. "Incredibly childish." she added, adding a bit of emphasis on how truly awful she felt about the whole ordeal.

[igloogirl]

"Stop saying that," Gabriella said once they were under the cover of the trees. "First, it's not your fault that Isabelle decided to make you a vampire. And second, there's no use regretting things that you've already done. You know better now; you won't do them again." Gabriella sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Now, have you seen Isabelle since she Turned you?"

[broadway]

Raychel's stomach tightened. It was true, Isabelle had stopped her during her first hunt in the forest. She solemnly nodded her head, her features expressing her terror. She didn't speak, for fear her words would betray some emotion hidden deep within her. Raychel met Gabby's gaze fearfully. "I had no choice. I would have run... but... I wanted to just bow at her feet, to put myself at her mercy. This... this power took over me. I wanted to run, but I couldn't. It was a nightmare, a bloody nightmare." she whispered, curmbling down into the soft grass.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella had a sudden urge to punch something, but resisted and refocused on Raychel. This was worse than she had expected, it seemed as though Isabelle was planning to use Raychel for something. "So you ran into her in the woods," Gabriella repeated slowly. "Any other time? Has she contacted you at all?"

[broadway]

Raychel met her friend's gaze and shook her head fiercely. "No, never. Not after that night." she replied quickly. It wasn't a lie, but she knew that would be a false statement in due time. No doubt she would request an audience with Raychel yet again. Raychel's shoulders shook as she began pitifully sobbing once more, but it wasn't as violent as the first time. She felt everything was crumbling around her, her future, her life, her friends, her family, everything. Nothing made sense to her anymore, and it was all so frustrating.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella sat down next to her friend and placed her arms around her once more, allowing Raychel to sob. "It'll be alright," Gabriella said soothingly. At least Raychel understood the importance of Isabelle Turning her, Gabriella had been afraid that she wouldn't understand what it meant to be a vampire, but was glad to find that she was wrong.

[broadway]

Raychel stifled a sob with a quick, sharp intake of breath. "I hope you're right." she replied as she released the air from her lungs. "I hope you're right." she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. She placed her head on Gabby's shoulder and sobbed a bit more. It was quite a strange and frustrating thing, now that she could no longer produce tears. The dry sobs shaking her whole body were unfamiliar, which caused more sobs to rock her. She had never felt so lost in her entire life.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella had never seen Raychel sob so much, not even when her parents had died, which had been a truly terrible time in her life. But Gabriella supposed this was yet another terrible time in Raychel's life. She knew it had been in hers, at least for a while. But by now, she was pretty much used to being a vampire, though she still wished she was human.

[broadway]

Raychel was miserable. True, this wasn't her immediate reaction after being Turned. She had been too hungry for it to sink in. Now, it was as if it had been eating her away this whole time without her being aware of it. Raychel was happy she wasn't shrieking in multiple languages like she had done when she found out her paren'ts were dead. That had been embarrassing. Of course, she was heading down that road, all the signs poined to that exact result.

[igloogirl]

Gabriella waited until Raychel's sobs had stopped before she let her friend go once more. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" she asked gently. Perhaps there was more than one reason behind Raychel's sobs, though Gabriella knew that being Turned was enough to make anyone cry.