another _dream_ is come U N D O N E {for Dakota;;}

[Clarissa Hale]

For the most part, the land around the Hale house was peaceful and silent. It wasn't raining, the birds weren't chirping away like usual, and nothing was shuffling in the brush. Sure, it could be called peaceful. But it felt more foreboding than anything, as if there was a storm coming that would rip trees from the ground and dash them against the unassuming little house that sat in their midst. But there was nothing weather wise that gave any hints toward a coming storm. The skies weren't eerily clear, and a light drizzle was starting to fall sporadically. So if it wasn't the weather, what was it that was driving the animals around here off? The unassuming observer would probably puzzle over the scene and move quickly on, seeing as there was nothing of any interest in the little clearing with the little two-story home that looked a little careworn. Inside the house Clary sat at the kitchen table, toying absentmindedly with a small pebble that had been smoothed down by the constant beating of some water source. Even she could feel something was up, could taste the tension that permeated the air.

With a small clunk she dropped the pebble to the table and picked it up again, running her thumb over it thoughtfully as she gazed at it sightlessly, her brow furrowing. Conner had been a bit... odd lately, especially when she'd come home and told him about Dakota being back, and about the missing letters. For some reason Conner had got uncomfortable about it, although he hadn't said anything about it. Besides, her brother wouldn't have hidden them. Her brother might hate Dakota with a burning passion, but he was just a big teddy bear when it came down to it. All bark and no bite. Especially when his girl Melanie was around. The way her brother had changed because of that girl had shocked Clary and made her feel oddly impressed. Conner did things for her that he'd never do for anyone else but Clary. Such as taking a day off of work, or performing random acts of kindness (such as clumsily picking a bouquet of wildflowers for her and leaving them in her room) almost every single day. Still, she could understand the feeling of being so completely wrapped around someone's finger and loving it. She knew just how that felt.

The sound of the door opening and slamming shut, along with the jingle of keys and the smell of ink, alerted her to her brothers presence. Clary snatched the pebble into her fist and pocketed it as she perked up, listening to her brothers steps as he plodded down the hall. "Clary...?"

[/color] she heard him call softly. "Mel?"[/color] Perhaps it was a bit odd for her brothers girlfriend to be living with them, but Clary had gotten over it rather fast. Mel was too nice of a girl to hate, especially when she saw (well, not saw per say) how happy she made her brother. "Mel went out." Clary called in response as her brother plodded into the kitchen. "She went out to get me some milk. We're out again." she said by way of an explanation as she heard him approach the fridge. She heard him pause and make a soft noise of acknowledgement before he pulled up a chair at the table and sat down. Neither sibling said anything for a little while, both of them simply sitting and listening to the rain that drummed softly on the windows. The drizzle was starting to come down a bit harder now. The air seemed even more tense now, which only made Clary oddly confused. Something was... wrong... but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Dakota coming today?"[/color] Conner said finally, making Clary jump a little. "Oh. Yeah. He said he'd stop by today, he's bringing his sister. Says he wants me to meet her, or something." Clary shrugged, but Conner didn't respond. She waited patiently for an answer and didn't get one, so she just let it rest and allowed silence to envelop the room again. Conner had never been much of a talker, but for some reason his silence today seemed.. different. ".. Will he be here soon?"[/color] he said finally. Clary's brow furrowed into a frown, starting to become rather suspicious of her brothers almost brooding silence. "Yes, he is. And don't you dare go ballistic on him Conner. I already handled him, okay? You can save your shouting for when his sister isn't present, okay?" she said, a bit too sharply than she would reply normally. Conner just went silent again and didn't respond, although she heard him shift in his seat. Clary sighed, rolling her eyes as she sank back into her thoughts again, waiting for the knock which would set her free from he silent monotony of this house.

ooc;; crap post. xD but there you go,
[/size][/blockquote]

[dakota ephraim black]

"Listen, Aud, if you're not gonna talk to me about it, you're gonna talk to Clary."

[/color]

"One, I told you not to call me that, Kota. Two, your girlfriend isn't much better. And three, are we seriously walking? What is this, the Stone Age?"[/color]

"It's called exercise."

"It's called, get a car."

Rolling his eyes for perhaps the tenth time in the past five minutes (a habit he had picked up while hanging around Audrey), Dakota stared down his little sister with unveiled incredulity. Is she honestly serious?[/color] Grinding his teeth together and attempting to make his way through the dirt path, he was only too-aware of the absence of footsteps trailing behind him. He didn't have to look to know Audrey was still standing on the front porch, more than likely crossing her arms with a haughty look on her face. Halting in his steps, Dakota sighed in defeat. Turning around at the smirk his sister was now proudly offering, he questioned her. "You're not moving, are you?"[/color] The following single statement almost made him lose his balance. "These shoes cost over a hundred."[/color] The senior then directed his gaze towards the sky, perhaps in silent begging asking why God bestowed such a gift on the young man. Ducking his head at Audrey and nodding in acknowledgment, the crease between her narrowed eyes gave way her immediate suspicion. Dakota had never given in so easily before. "Dakota - "

"Dakota Ephraim, put me down!"[/color] The girl's exclamations of protest died on her lips as he had sprinted faster than she would have noticed, throwing her over his back in a less-comfortable position than he had put Clary in back at school. He seemed not to have heard her, now walking in a leisurely pace in the direction he knew to be the Hale residence. Dakota did snicker, however, when he heard a rather wolf-like growl escape her mouth as her words became quieter but increasingly more threatening. Although, when they had reached the halfway point, Dakota had made it a point to murmur just how important it would be for her to remain on good behavior, and that the whole imprinting thing wasn't a joke like she had mocked it several times before. He knew she couldn't perceive it yet as a good thing, but it didn't stop him from trying to explain anyway. Nothing was wrong, she had insisted, with falling in love without some mystical connection that 'pulled' you two together. Either way, he had pleaded that she at least try, and it was with a flicker of softening that she replied she would... attempt, friendliness. He avoided mud on the trail and dropped her down on the porch when they had reached their destination, gently enough that it wouldn't bother her, and raised his eyebrows fractionally at her as if daring her to say something.

"Good enough for you, princess?"[/color]

"Well, you could polish my shoes and do my nails, but I'm good for now."[/color]

Her sickeningly-sweet smile made him roll his eyes yet again at her. It seemed they had done nothing since their arrival but banter/bicker back and forth like that. The wins and losses had been divided evenly, but at least there seemed to be some level of tolerance there. At least, Dakota hoped he hadn't just been imagining it. Not all siblings were like that, were they? From what he could remember, Conner and Clary seemed to have gotten along fairly well; when he wasn't trying to shield her from every little thing that might possess a threat, anyway. Speaking of which, how would the eldest Hale react to him now that he was back? Open arms and a friendly gesture were quite obviously out of the question, but the last time that they had been in the same area... his thoughts lingered on the rage the burly brown wolf hurled at him, the keen, sharp desire to punish him for what he had done, kill him even. Of course, it was deserved then, but now? There was no telling. Clary had informed him in passing on how somewhat gentler he had become after his imprint, Melanie, had taken an impacting presence on him. Dakota grimaced; something inside him told (or warned, give or take) him that this visit would be... enlightening, to put it lightly.

Audrey, however, had waited as Dakota knocked on the front door, patiently praying that the two weren't home at the time. The chances of that were as slim as they came; Dakota had called first and let her know that they were on their way before they had left the house. Or, rather, before he had left the house and dragged her along. It wasn't as if she thought badly of this Clarissa Hale, no, of course not - she had to be a patron saint to put up with Kota, much less date and (Ugh, gag me) love him. She must not have been all that bad - Dakota always spoke highly of her, anyway. Though, did he have any other choice? Imprinting.[/color] What a horrid concept. Although Dakota had taken his time to explain it wasn't like he had given his rights away, more that even if he was given the choice between Clary and any other girl in the world, there would be no competition at all. True love, but stronger? Love was stupid enough concept as it was, no need to add some werewolf freakiness to make it any more time. Did that sound just a bit jaded? Probably, but love and Audrey Black simply didn't mix. And she was about to enter a house full of imprinted teenagers. Great.[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[Clarissa Hale]

Patience was supposed to be some sort of virtue, and Clary knew that, but she couldn't help but be restless as she waited for the knock that would set her free from the oppressive silence of the house. She needed something, anything, to cut through the tension she could almost taste on her tongue, although she didn't quite know why there was so much tension in the first place. Calm down Clary. Its not like Dakota and Conner are about to have a throw down on our kitchen floor. Conner's grown up since they last met. He'll be fine. But even as she assured herself of that fact, she couldn't help but let the anxiety that was gnawing her from the inside out grow. Being anxious about Conner and Dakota was perfectly acceptable she supposed, seeing as the last time they'd met face to face Conner had tried to rip Dakota's throat out (literally, I can assure you) and she knew her brother was not the sort of person who would quickly forgive any transgression against anyone he loved. But that wasn't the only reason Clary was... well, scared ****less, to put it bluntly. Maybe it was silly (Plain idiotic.) but it was what it was. Besides, this girl was the only family member of Dakota's that she was likely to meet any time soon, and an oddly overwhelming desire for acceptance was currently coursing through the young werewolf's veins and essentially overwhelming her. Get a hold of yourself Clary. She's just another werewolf chick. Nothing you can't handle. Once again though, her assurances did little to help her nerves. And Conner's brooding silence and the possibility of a showdown wasn't making this situation any better. Conner just stared at the table while his sister gazed on the window, lost in her anxieties, absorbed by his own issues.

This won't be pretty.. he's going to figure it out...

While Clary brooded silently, Conner remained utterly immobile and simply stared straight ahead, his gaze glazed over and distant. Well, still except for his hands which were currently clenching on the fragile little wooden table and putting nice, big Conner's hand shaped dents in the edge. A muscle jumped in his jaw as his nostril's flared, the scent of that man was enough to make his blood start to boil again. Now, he knew the right thing to do was to let sleeping dogs lie (Oh the irony.) because Clary had buried the hatchet which meant he should be getting around to doing that too. But he just couldn't, he just couldn't. That boy had left his Clary to fend for herself for an entire year after stealing her precious little heart away and getting her wrapped around his finger to boot. The pain he had watched her go through during those days where she thought he was dead was enough to make Conner just despise Dakota, not that he would tell Clary that. Informing her of his.. dislike for her imprint would only cause her pain, and make her defense mechanisms kick in, those being that her hackles would raise, literally and figuratively, and she would shut herself off to him. Conner knew his sister had evolved from the shy little wolf girl she'd been before, but the only thing that had changed was how violent she was in expressing her rage. Before when she got defensive she would get quiet, get grumpy, or just shut down. Now she would go off on a furious tirade and lash out, like an injured wolf that had gotten boxed into a corner. Which did not make her older brother happy, not at all. He hated seeing her like that, which was why he hadn't told her his dislike for her imprint. Although.. even the things Dakota had done didn't exactly excuse what he'd done in retaliation. What he had done had been childish, stupid, pointless and selfish, seeing as the only one he was really hurting was Clary. Perhaps in some weird way he was trying desperately to break Clary's bond to the man who he felt did not deserve her, even though he knew all too well that such a bond could never, ever be broken. Not that the knowledge stopped him from trying. But such was the nature of Conner's selfishness. His selfishness even extended to keeping the secret even now that Dakota was back, desperate as he was to prove the bond he had with his dearest little sister. Even if Melanie was a bigger part of his life now, that didn't mean it wouldn't crush him to lose the trust of the person he'd protected, cared for and loved for the past seventeen years. Losing his sister would just be too much to bear.

The soft knock at the door made them both jump and snap back into the present. Conner shifted slightly in his seat, as if he was going to get up to answer the door, but Clary beat him. The expression on her face was a complete opposite from her previous one of pensive worry. Now it was alight with joy as she sampled the air, a broad grin spreading across her face when she caught a whiff of their guests. "I got it!" Without even giving her brother the chance to to move more than an inch, Clary sprang lightly for the hall, moving nimbly and confidently in the place she knew only by touch and yet knew so well. It took her only a minute to reach the hall where she skidded nervously to a halt, brushing her hair back and straightening her sweater (Caring about my appearance? What next.) before she rested her hand on the handle, took a deep steadying breath, and pulled it open, the smile still on her face. "Dakota." The single word that escaped her lips had a way of sounding oddly relieved, although instead of jumping him for a hug (which was her usual greeting), Clary hung back, unsure as to which of them had opened the door. Nervously she extended one hand mutely, waiting for Dakota to take it so she knew which one was which. Her sense of smell gave her a vague idea of where he was positioned, but she wasn't entirely sure. Audrey's smell was too close to his, due to the fact that they were related and they were living in the same house, and for some reason she could smell him on both of the people she knew were before her. A little sheepish smile replaced the grin after a second, a light flush creeping up into her cheeks. The disability that was always hovering on the edge of her thoughts was rearing its nasty old head again, making her feel self-conscious and out of place as always. Except this time, it was a little worse than usual. ".. Hi." she whispered finally, in greeting to Dakota's sister (wherever she was).

Just over Clary's head and a little over to the right was a pale lavender box, with the corner of a pale purple envelope poking out of it, perched on a shelf high up on the wall. Said box, and the shelf it was on, was just out of Clary's reach and within Conner's reach, and given her lack of sight it was probably a shelf that she didn't even know existed, and therefore the perfect place to hide those lovely little letters. After all, why bother ferreting them away when the person you were hiding them from couldn't see them?

Too bad someone had just arrived who could see, and who (by some miracle) just might recognized the stationary that was poking out for all with eyes to see.

[/blockquote]

[dakota ephraim black]

At least the wait for the door to be opened wasn’t prolonged, Dakota figured, as it swung open and the image of Clary stood before them both. He released a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding as his eyes looked over her appreciatively, with the look comparable to a man who has not seen light for a very long time, and has finally seen sunlight. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her at school or they had thousands of miles separating them by distance (something he faintly remembered Clary mentioning about one of her good friends and their imprint), but just being in her presence after a lapse of time – whether it be hours or days, or in his case up to a week ago, a year – settled a feeling in his chest, bringing him a relaxation he had not known of before. Admittedly, Dakota was a little surprised when she hadn’t launched herself onto him in a hug – at least, before he realized he had company and the fact he, quite literally, had to carry the brat here might mix their scents a bit. He grinned at her extended hand, though, instead just enveloping her in a giant hug as he laughed in her ear. ”Someone a little anxious?”

[/color] he murmured inquisitively, pressing a kiss on top of her hair,”She’ll like you, don’t worry.” He spoke too quietly for Audrey to overhear… although she hadn’t looked that interested to overhear in the first place. On the contrary, she tilted her head to the side and observed the couple with little scrutiny. It seemed imprinted couples were, at the very least, happy with each other.

The concept was still weird, though – god forbid she ever go through one of those imprinting ordeals, she’d probably end up shooting herself in the foot. Even if she insisted it wasn’t for her, though, the only imprinted couple she’d seen so far seemed to work well. Or maybe that was just Dakota and Clary, Audrey didn’t really know. What she could tell was the way he had talked about her, and the way you could practically feel (Ew, ew, ew.) his adoration for her just by being around them. But not all was well on the Hale-Black relationship front, obviously. From what she had heard/been warned about, there was a very big, very grudging werewolf male in the house that would very much like to crush her older half brother to pieces. Although she was never admit it under any sort of Chinese water torture, a part of Audrey felt a little smug that Dakota could take more than good care of himself in a fight. Not that she’d let it happen… she hadn’t met the guy yet, though. What the hell did Dakota say the boy’s (if you could call him that, if one thing she was sure of from anyone she asked about him, he was big) name was, anyway? Colin, or something? Oh, whatever, it didn’t really matter. It only really depended on what she had to think about him when they were to meet. Now of course there was the saying that first impressions leave a lot unsaid about a person, but it wasn’t as if Audrey had the time (or frankly, the interest) in pursuing every nook and cranny of someone’s life that she really couldn’t give a damn about. This was only precaution that nothing should happen, and that the matter would be taken cared of sufficiently and swiftly should it need be. Those letters, the whole mini-fight or whatever she had heard about through the grapevine at school (and later been clarified by Dakota at home), she had seen him leave the house herself to take them to the mailbox when he had been living with the rest of their family; there just wasn’t questioning his dedication toward the girl, miles away or not. And while her older brothers seemed content enough that he and Clary had settled the matter and were perfectly okay now, she wasn’t; that hadn’t been any coincidence. If anyone knew sabotage, it was Audrey, and this situation was practically reeking of foul play. And despite under the pretense Dakota was nothing more than an accessory, he was a Black.

And no one messes with a Black in Audrey’s book.

The girl’s soft greeting made her jump back to the present, and Dakota stepped back politely and nodded at her to introduce herself. Never one to be socially awkward, the feeling of being so was painfully alien to Audrey; what the hell did you say to the blind girlfriend of your half-brother you sort of kind of disliked? ”Hey,”[/color] she greeted coolly, and although Clary couldn’t see it, there wasn’t a hint of nervousness on her features; just years of practiced introductions. ”I’m Audrey, and if Dakota never shutting up was to give me any indication – you’re Clarissa Hale,”[/color] she added, a small undertone of friendliness among the sarcasm in her voice,”At least, I hope you’re her. If not, I’m going to have to have a talk with Dakota on proper ways to greet girls that aren’t his girlfriend.”[/color] At this, Dakota rolled his eyes but said nothing – there seemed to be no outward nor visible sign Audrey was going to cause any trouble with Clary, and under that impression a distinct relief seemed to alleviate weight gathered on his shoulders. The last thing he really needed was her to cause a scene and cause him any grief. Now, if they (meaning both himself and Audrey – he didn’t want to risk the chance of Audrey starting trouble with Conner, either) could visit and get along without the disruption or appearance of the eldest Hale, they might make it out alive and unscathed. Dakota could only hope it would be that easy, although Audrey’s observant eyes flickering over and pausing on a pale lavender box would hinder that chance completely. It was out of her reach, she knew that, but Dakota could probably grab it if she alerted his attention; for now, though, she smiled and bided her time. There was no reason, after all, to ruin a perfectly good moment between the three of them right now. And besides... good entertainment shouldn't be rushed.

”Hey, Clarissa, can I talk to your brother?”

This was going to be very fun indeed.[/blockquote][/size]

[Clarissa Hale]

The anxiety which was currently twisting Clary's insides into pleasant little knots melted away the second Dakota's arms enveloped her. As always, the thought of him being near had a way of carelessly brushing aside her coherent thoughts and turning her brain into little more than mush. Clary's little universe (which was already centered around him) became obsessed and absorbed with him and him alone. Even brief little lapses between when they saw each other felt like an age, and her lovely little issues with self confidence drove her to worry every time there was a lapse, worry about whether he was alright, worry about what he was doing, and most of all worry about whether he would come back. The anxiety was never very loud in her head, it kept quiet, but it was always there, and Clary highly doubted it would shove off anytime soon. But just having him hold her washed those worries and all of her other petty little cares out of her head. An oddly relieved little sigh escaped her as she settled quite happily into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him in return and holding on rather tightly as she rested her cheek on his chest. She tilted her head up just the tiniest bit when he spoke, not enough to be noticed. "Of course I am." she whispered in reply, her lips barely even moving. "And I really hope you're right." Did she ever. For some reason meeting Audrey had made her feel like she was marching off to be put in front of a firing squad. Which was not particularly appealing to her at the moment.

While Clary still worried over Dakota and their relationship in general (Of all the things to worry over.), in truth she had little to complain about. He was sweet and caring and attentive as always, simply upholding her decision that he was perfect. The cafeteria incident still haunted her though, the cat calls and jeers of her pupils still haunting the wolf-girl at school. Not a day seemed to pass without someone making a jab about it, although it was bleeding away slowly. Very, very slowly though, going about as fast as a blind snail that was trying to cross a lawn and just kept going in circles instead. If Clary could have her way she would have that event simply erased, or at least altered such that Clary and Dakota didn't have their confrontation in a crowded cafeteria. It wasn't just the venue that had an effect on the way Clary viewed the event though, it was also her behavior. She was incredibly, incredibly ashamed of the way she had acted, to the point where she would have liked nothing better than to go crawl into a hole somewhere and stay there. She could not comprehend why Dakota wouldn't want to just shove off and leave her after witnessing her little display. She had torn the necklace his mother had given him off her throat, in addition to doing a few other little things that made her cringe. When the fight had been finished Clary hadn't wasted time in finding a new chain for the necklace and wearing it again, but the guilt remained. Ever since then she had been trying to think up ways she could apologize to him for how she'd acted, to try and make up for it, but the words never seemed to be able to escape her. That, and she still hadn't completely forgiven, or forgotten, his long absence. It was that absence which caused her to worry over him possibly leaving her during a gap between they saw each other. It was incredibly irrational of her to think that way, but what else was she supposed to do? Clary had never been the most rational person alive, quite the contrary, in her eyes she had to be the most irrational person alive. And everything she did, every move she made, was oh so selfish (to her anyway), seeing as she wanted Dakota all to herself and that was all she really cared about (except for Ellie). She was her own worst enemy too, picking at the loose threads in her confidence when other people didn't, tugging at them and trying to make herself unravel. Why on earth Dakota liked her when she was such a piece of work was beyond her. But then again, her own brother (and some other people) had asked her how on earth she could love him after everything he'd done. What with betraying the pack, leaving her behind, dying, and all that other stuff.

They just couldn't see what she saw, or they chose not to. After all, he was perfect. It was Clary who was the snag.

A little bit of panic flickered in her when Dakota stepped away, her hand extending automatically to capture his hand before he could get too far away. Without him here her already fragile confidence was taking a dive down into the pit of despair. While Clary's issues with confidence had gotten a little better (ironically) during his absence, all the progress she'd made melted in the face of Audrey Black. But it was perfectly natural to be nervous, wasn't it? The cool sarcasm of Audrey's voice did nothing for her nerves, instead just helping her along the path of anxiety. But there was a small trace of friendliness in her voice, and Clary would know. Who better to hear undertones than the blind girl with enhanced hearing? "Thats me." she replied, smiling a little hopefully in what she thought was her direction. The smile broadened when Audrey made a joke, her eyes crinkling as she giggled, the worry melting away from her expression completely. It was rather amazing how a person's features changed when they laughed, really laughed. "Don't worry. I've got him well trained." she joked lightly in return, her smile warm and welcoming, not to mention a little hopeful. "Come on inside, it doesn't make sense for all of us to just stand here on the doorstep." Clary tugged gently on Dakota's hand as she stepped back into the house herself, moving a little to the side, to let them both in. Perhaps this whole ordeal wouldn't be as bad as she thought. Maybe, just maybe, they could all get through this without anyone starting a fight or getting into one. Heaven forbid, the last thing she wanted was to make a poor impression. Embarrassing herself was not on the list of things she wanted to do today, not at all. If this went wrong.. well, she didn't know what she would do. A sudden, fervent wish for Melanie to be here to keep her brother's temper in check struck her, although she knew Mel wouldn't be back for a good long while. Just her luck.

Slight confusion flickered over Clary's features when Audrey asked to see Conner, but she masked that fast. "Sure." she responded quickly, turning slightly to face the kitchen. "Conner! Dakota and Audrey are here!" she called loudly. There was only a momentary pause before Conner emerged, towering above all present as he slowly advanced, his gaze resting briefly on Dakota (his expression looking rather like someone who was smelling something mildly disagreeable) before his gaze flicked once to the box and then, finally down to Audrey. "You must be Audrey."

[/color] he said by way of a greeting, stopping next to his sister, his deep rumble of a voice oddly quiet as per usual. The fact that he had failed to greet Dakota was not missed by Clary.

This was going to be interesting.[/blockquote][/size]

[dakota ephraim black]

He shook his head the barest fraction back and forth to convey his slight disbelief – he had already drilled Audrey pretty well on the consequences if she were to do anything to bother Clary. “I am, you’ll see.”

[/color] There was nothing to be worried about, hopefully. But if Dakota wasn’t so watchful of his girlfriend he wouldn’t have noticed the hugs she gave him (whenever he had an absence, even if just for a day) held just a little tighter than normal. The belief that Clary still had… issues so to speak, about him leaving for any point in time was obvious to him. It wasn’t as if the guilt pang in the depths of his chest was enough; Dakota just couldn’t figure out what he could do to prove to her that he wasn’t going to be going anywhere without her from now on. But however much he racked the insides of his brain for a successful answer, he was left with nothing. Just waiting and (assumingly) showing her with time that he wouldn’t screw up like that again was all Dakota could manage for the time being. It wasn’t like he was about to get any advice from anyone anytime soon; where was he supposed to look, at his sister? When you’re about to rip a guy’s head off and realize he was only yelling at your blood for sleeping with his sister...[/color] Dakota trailed off in thought; yeah, Audrey was a no-go for love consolation.

But the whole confrontation being in a rather filled cafeteria with spectators whispering (and occasionally shouting) commentary back and forth, well, that hadn’t made matters any better. Dakota had been long used to stares since he was fifteen, even though the matter of those stares had been accompanied by comments like He looks like he’s going to kill someone and I’m not talking to him, you do it!, they were still negative attention. And the fact was, truly, their fight was the epitome of negative attention from their peers. The half-breed could take the comments in stride without a matter of even pausing to think about it, but it was much to his dismay that Clary probably wasn’t used to all the rumors and hushed whispers about them both now. Dakota made it a point to shoot very dark, very threatening looks at those who kept at the taunting for too long, or when Clary looked like she just didn’t want to even try to deal with it at the time, which worked to an extent. Trying to throw such an event under the rug in a high school was comparable to trying to get away with murder. At least they were safely sheltered from such on the days they were off from school and away from prying eyes, enough that Dakota could trace soothing circles on Clary’s hand with his thumb without a girl wondering out loud what “sort of trouble he had gotten into to hurt her again.” It was only those comments, few and far in between, that managed to slither under Dakota’s skin. A kind of shame hung about in the air when they were made; it seemed the student body seemed more than prepared to talk about Dakota’s mistakes like they had with Clary’s temper. It wasn’t as if they knew the whole story, though, of course not. Dakota just happened to “go away for the summer” to “clear his head”. As if that made it any better. Pushing the thoughts of school far, far away into the corners of his mind, eyebrows raised somewhat comically at Clary’s next choice of words. ”Trained, huh?”[/color] he grinned boyishly, ducking his head to press a light kiss against her lips before managing a small laugh. “Last time I checked I wasn’t the dog anymore,”[/color] Dakota added, rolling his eyes and growling playfully to add effect,“You, on the other hand, make a cute mutt.”[/color] The chances of him getting away with making such teasing comments without a smack to the arm or shoulder, were, as Dakota knew well, far too slim. But if it made her smile, then, it was worth the try.

The younger Black watched their exchange and Dakota’s imminent happy glow whenever he was around the Hale sister; It’s different seeing it in person, I guess. She shook her head, the barest of twitching on the edges of her lips not going missed by Dakota, although he soon put that out of mind with her next dry comment. ”Don’t fuss, Kota, I saw you at the store when you were trying to pick out-“[/color] His back straightened as he stiffened, and he shot her a panicked look, shaking his head vehemently. She cocked her head to the side and regarded him questioningly, before she understood what was going on. Audrey paused in the beat of a half-second, then finished her sentence. ”… The right type of ice cream the second she said she had a small craving.”[/color] Her tone was flowing and smooth, delivered without a hint of being unsure or having been interrupted; however, the damage had been done, and Dakota breathed out a small sigh. He wasn’t sure what the chances were of Clary asking him about it at this very second, but if she chose to later he might be able to think of some valid excuse when the freezing of his body began to slowly relax since the anxious moment was now over. Squeezing her hand gently as she began to lead them inside the house, when Audrey stepped over the threshold he had the most fleeting second of relief that nothing had gone wrong so far. At least, until Audrey had asked for Conner’s presence; appearing well dumb-founded, it would be a lie to say Dakota hadn’t immediately tensed somewhat as the burly Hale entered the room. It was then he felt slight vindication about himself of how much he had grown; Conner was still taller than him by a few inches, but at the very least Dakota looked the part of being just as strong as him. He realized he was still holding Clary’s hand as well.

It was Audrey, however, who caught the look of disdain that lingered on Dakota. Strike one.[/color] She took effort in trying not to roll her eyes as Conner’s eyes flickered over the box (Could you be any more obvious, smartass?[/color]) before onto herself. There was no scrutiny or ounce of dislike on her face, though, as she smiled warmly up at his face. She would not miss that he had not registered Dakota with a proper greeting. Strike two.[/color] No amount of disrespect, however little, would be tolerated. ”Nice to meet you, finally. I was wondering if I could have a few words with you alone, though,”[/color] she requested, looking towards Clary and Dakota for permission perhaps,”If that’s alright, I mean. I won’t take long, I promise.”[/color] Dakota struggled to find words for a moment, vainly trying to see through her guise, knowing it was there but not what was under it. ”It’s fine with me, I guess,”[/color] he replied nonchalantly. Audrey smiled pleasantly, observing all three.

Strike three and you’re out.[/color][/blockquote][/size]

[Clarissa Hale]

A faint look of disbelief and minor hesitation crossed her features for a fraction of a second, but that passed fast. It wasn't that Clary thought Audrey was cruel in any way, it was just.. well, she doubted that Audrey would like her very much. After all, she was the blind imprint of her brother. What value could Clary possibly hold in the girls eyes? Maybe to keep Dakota happy, but how else? A blind girl couldn't have any value in her eyes. How could she. "I hope so."

[/color] she mumbled, looking down at her feet as she made sure to maintain her steady grip on her boyfriend. The fact that she was so incredibly clingy made her feel the tiniest bit of shame, but not enough to make her stop. The fear was greater than the stigma against appearing weak, at least when it came to Dakota. When it came to him her pride was all but forgotten, and the one thing that mattered was staying close to and being with him. Still... maybe I shouldn't be so clingy. Maybe I embarrass him. Maybe I annoy him.. I probably do. I'm even annoyed at myself.[/color] The inner monologue that was constantly chipping away at her own self-confidence was nothing new to Clary. It was old news by far, seeing as she'd been doing it to herself since her childhood. She had yet to find a cure for it, seeing as words never had any effect on it.

Especially not the words of her not-so-kind observers the day confronted Dakota. They hadn't exactly been... encouraging to say the least. Clary had gotten used to being invisible, before she'd met Dakota anyway. Before she'd hung around with him she'd just been the blind girl with the ferocious, brooding elder brother. The students were curious for a little while but their short attention spans quickly found something else to amuse them with. So Clary had settled into her anonymity, her role as loner and outcast, and she'd liked it just fine. Until Dakota had come into the picture. Then all of a sudden she was noticed. "Hey look at that." "No way!" "She's talking to that guy and she doesn't even look scared!" "Yeah, and look at his face. Complete 180 from normal man." The arrival of Dakota had basically shot whatever hopes she'd had of remaining unnoticed in the face. Being associated with the former transfer student and now runaway-come-back student made her notable, at least in the eyes of her peers. And Clary did not like that one bit. The rumors and snide comments were always there too, always rubbing against her nerves, always irritating and embarrassing her. At first she just ducked her head or snarled in response, but that slowly died away too. To the point where she was perfectly happy with simply ducking her head and letting Dakota handle it. She was just sick of it, far too sick of it. She could only fight back so much before she got tired out, and all that. Still, comments about Dakota's departure and her own unstable emotions managed to grate at her even more than any teasing. Good thing Dakota was in practically all of her classes. Having him around kept her calm, more or less, or at least less prone to jumping whoever it was who was talking. But the depressing thought of school dissolved when Dakota kissed her lightly on the lips. The cold anxiety that had been twisting her gut inside out melted at his touch and she smiled a little in return, her expression instantly lightening even more. "That so? I beg to differ. I remember telling you to jump and you asking how high."[/color] she teased in return. While Clary did not normally take well to teasing, no matter how it was meant, she was willing to make exceptions. Besides, the fact that she was anxious over Aud's impression was surprisingly making her a bit more open to joking around at the moment. So she laughed at his comment, reaching up to punch him (playfully, naturally, barely a tap) in the shoulder. "I'll have you know that I'm no ordinary little mutt."[/color]

The Hale sister in question could feel the gaze of the Black sister on her (she didn't know how she could, she just did) and she instantly felt a little abashed. After all, etiquette said something about not showing too much affection in front of others didn't it? Made them feel excluded and like a third-wheel, whatever that was. But while she could feel the gaze that didn't mean she could see it and read into it. All she had to go on was whatever Audrey said. And what Audrey said next managed to puzzle Clary seeing as Dakota went stiff as a rod when she started speaking. She might not have been able to see it but she could feel it, and no small detail went missed by Clary if she could help it. Her brow knitted together as she gazed at him, her hand giving his a slight squeeze as she gave him a mutely questioning look. They had definitely passed some sort of look between them, that much she knew. She also knew that whatever it was he'd gotten, it hadn't been ice cream. ".. You okay?"[/color] she said, her tone a little bit nervous as she puzzled over just what it could have been that Audrey had been going to say, although she quickly found that she hadn't the faintest idea. The thought that she could just ask him now came to mind, but she dismissed that idea. To interrogate him in front of a guest would be rude. Far too rude. So she said nothing else to supplement her inquiry about how he was feeling and simply returned the squeeze he gave as they entered the house. And then her brother came in and she all but forgot Aud's slip up. (Key word: almost.) The moment Conner entered Clary stood straighter, squaring her shoulders slightly as she laced her fingers through Dakota's. The wary but defiant look on her face looked more like the face a person would have if they were about to march off into some sort of battle. Which, given the circumstances, Clary probably was.

The elder Hale took in the appearance of the younger Black with a wary look in his eye. Conner already knew how cunning Dakota could be and he didn't doubt that his baby sister would be just as much of a potential danger as he was. Still, she deserved the benefit of the doubt (Or at least the benefit of postponed dislike[/color]). There was something about her expression that made Conner feel oddly nervous, even though it was perfectly warm and nice. "Yeah.. nice to meet you too."[/color] He spoke slowly, his gaze becoming more wary as she went on. Something was up and for some reason Conner was getting a very bad feeling about this situation. A very, very bad feeling. But what could he do, tell Clary he was getting a bad vibe? Sure, Conner's vibes about people were almost always accurate (just look at Dakota.. old Dakota anyway) but he doubted that Clary would be willing to agree with him in this case. "Fine with me..."[/color] Clary replied as well, listening carefully to her brother as he shifted in place.

".. Sure."[/color]

Without another word, Conner wandered back down the hall and turned into the kitchen. The moment he was there he planted himself next to the counter, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on it as he waited for whatever it was she was going to do. Which he doubted would be good.[/blockquote][/size]

[dakota ephraim black]

Without a doubt Dakota was aware that Clary had insecurities, though to the extent to which they constantly nagged at her was unknown to him. He just held her closer to him without even bothering to think about it for a second; it was natural to gravitate towards her, in sync with the very beat of his heart. Even blind to it in his own way because of how he felt about her; after all, there was nothing in his eyes that his girlfriend had anything to be insecure or ashamed of. Audrey knew better, too, than to hurt someone Dakota was so close to when he didn’t really have too many friends. The social stigma of him as an aggressive sophomore hadn’t completely been erased from the minds of his peers; really, it was only the pack werewolves who knew he had gone a long way since then. High school really hadn’t been “the best four years” of his life as many had quoted it to be, however cliché it was. It had, however, led to the best person in his life, and for that Dakota would grudgingly admit La Push High wasn’t so bad in that factor. It held good people; good, gossiping people that seemed to be more interested in the lives of others’ than their own at times, but good people nonetheless.

His face fell with a grimace, not by Clary’s taunting jab back at him, but the look on Audrey’s face as his eyes snapped back to his sister. Oh, God. I’m never gonna hear the end of this now.

[/color] Truth, his sister raised an eyebrow fractionally at him, a smirk on her lips playing as she opened her mouth before he cut her off sharply. ”That never happened,”[/color] he mumbled somewhat embarrassingly, both to Audrey and Clary in the same comment. Dakota failed to mention, though, he would probably say that (more or less), should Clary honestly ask him to do so. He would never admit to such a thing, however, and it was very fortunate for him that the werewolf in question didn’t seem so commanding of him anyway. ”So, Kota…,”[/color] Audrey began, holding back a snicker. Dakota shot her a dark look. ”Hush,” [/color] he lightly reprimanded, ”And I’ve told you a million times not to call me that, AJ.”[/color] She huffed at him, repeating what she had told him the first time he had given her the nickname; it wasn’t her fault that their mom decided to give her the middle name Joy. But Audrey did take it with good grace, choosing not to bother Dakota any more than what would once her plan would be set in motion. Dakota did scoff, though, when Clary very lightly punched him on the shoulder and added another statement. ”Okay, okay. You’re my mutt, and that makes you extraordinary,”[/color] he amended playfully, laughing afterwards. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, the affection and care he had for her radiating off every pore. When Audrey had her little slip up, however, he knew she could feel him tense up and the questioning look she gave him was more than enough to confirm the thought. ”Of course, don’t put crazy thoughts in your head,”[/color] he shrugged casually, but the slight hardness in his voice was still there. Audrey remained impassive, but she was slightly remorseful; it didn’t look like Clary would bother him about it now, but later a question would surely arise to haunt him about it. All for a girl…[/color] It baffled her, to put it simply.

But that didn’t matter to her right now, staring confidently into the eyes of one Conner Hale. For someone of his stature and size, and for what she was about to do, Audrey Black showed no ounce of fear, the simple fact because she didn’t feel any. She had crushed many men’s spirits before, some even bigger than him, this was just another routine job of ensuring she stayed on top. Or rather, ensuring her family name should not be tainted. Yes, this was a job for blood, and Audrey knew exactly what buttons to press to leak out the truth. As both Dakota and Clary clarified they were, in fact, fine with her having a private word with the eldest Hale sibling, she gave a small, reassuring (which did nothing to aid Dakota’s nerves at this point; what the hell is she thinking?[/color]) smile to the couple before turning and walking at a leisurely pace behind the taller figure. Once Conner reached the kitchen counter and crossed his arms with a somewhat expectant look on his face, Audrey kept a six foot distance and studied the room for a few moments. I guess it’s an alright place… quaint, or whatever.[/color] She sighed dramatically, and then stared down Conner with a hardness in her eyes that wasn’t there before. “Conner Alexander Hale. Twenty years of age. Native American and European descent. Goalie of La Push’s soccer team when enrolled. Elder brother of Clarissa Hale. Aspires to work in architecture,”[/color] she recalled softly, as if reading it off an invisible sheet of paper; truth be told school files weren’t hard to get your hands on if your name was Audrey Black,”I think it’s interesting you’re so protective of your own sibling but don’t seem to realize when you toy with a Black, the wolves come calling.”[/color] She wasn’t exactly straightforward, hanging off her sentences with an air that there was a lot more left to be said, or in her case, unsaid. Audrey closed her eyes for a moment, pausing, before opening them again and looking at Conner with disinterest. ”I can also promise my bite is definitely just as bad as my bark, Conner.”[/color]

”He doesn’t know as of yet, though,”[/color] she added as an afterthought, as if the small statement could cause any sort of condolence in the man’s mind. Audrey drummed her fingers along a dining table, the click of her nails repetitive and – if the mind trick worked - thoroughly maddening as the seconds ticked on. ”I like hearing bullshit stories, so why don’t you tell me a good reason why you hid Dakota’s letters from Clarissa in the past year?” Audrey requested quietly of him, swirls of dark brown surveying his every reaction to gauge herself what move she would make next. This was just a beginner’s route, too – there was much worse to come if the man said the wrong answer. No smirk nor smile ever graced her lips as she waited for him to speak, however self-assured she was. Which she had every right to be because, after all, you never mess with a Black.[/blockquote][/size]

[Clarissa Hale]

The suddenly increased proximity between Clary and Dakota made some of Clary's whirling insecurities shut up for a good few minutes. They hovered on the edges though, naturally, downright refusing to leave the poor Hale girl alone. But since when had they ever left her alone? They had perhaps disappeared for a year or two after her mother's death but they had never left entirely. The fact that she was incapable of getting rid of her insecurities was what disgusted Clarissa the most. That was the thing that made her weak, that fatal flaw which she just couldn't buff out no matter how hard she rubbed at it. And since Clarissa didn't exactly enjoy being perceived as weak her issue with self-confidence just made her self-loathing even worse. It was a vicious little circle to be sure and Clary just kept on perpetuating like a dog that refused to stop chasing its tail, even though it could never ever catch it seeing as it was attached to it's own rear end. But even though she was trapped in the problem of her own making, Dakota did make it feel a little better. So long as she was with him the demons in her head seemed to go away for a little bit, and any sort of reprieve, no matter how short, was always welcome. Like now, for example. The doom and gloom clouds in her mind were being shooed away rather impatiently by the happier thoughts and feelings that were determined to take their place.

A little giggle escaped Clary when Dakota spoke, a rather smug (and definitely cheerful) grin spreading across her lips. Still, she did make a little bit of an effort to redeem herself. She managed to look the tiniest bit abashed, although she grinned wickedly when he mumbled a response to her statement and just snickered again, positively glowing with pride for the fact that she'd managed to tease Dakota when normally it was the other way around. To say that it made her feel smug would be a bit of an understatement. But even though she was exceedingly proud of herself she did feel a little bit bad for giving his sister ammunition to tease him. But as they said, all was fair in love in war, so.. perhaps she could get away with it? "Not yet."

[/color] she said cheerfully in response to his statement, a broad and wicked grin on her face. Not that she'd ever do that of course. Well.. maybe once. For fun. Just to see what would happen, maybe. But she'd apologize right after of course and never do it again. She wouldn't want him trying to use it on her to get back at her, cause she'd jump if he told her to. Hell, she'd do whatever he wanted to do whenever he wanted her to do it. She was always eager to please, well, make him happy anyway. Not that she'd admit that though. Clary still had her little stigma against commitment and getting too attached, although that little paranoia was of a much smaller magnitude than it had been before. In a way she felt a tiny bit jealous when Dakota and his sister teased each other. Clary and Conner just didn't really do that. They hadn't given each other nicknames to tease the other one either. Then again, you didn't really need them right? She rolled her eyes and crinkled her nose when Dakota spoke again. "Who ever said I was yours?"[/color] she teased back, although truth be told she really was his. Utterly and completely. In case her statement gave him any sort of pause she returned the squeeze, her smile deteriorating from a smirk into the shy little smile that belonged to him and him alone. But the worry was still in her eyes, even when he brushed off the question. Somehow she doubted it, but she'd put off questions til later. Now was not the time.

Even when Audrey smiled as she walked away the tension did not evaporate and Clary looked after her nervously before she looked back to Dakota. "Why would she want to talk to Conner?"[/color] she said, completely failing to comprehend the situation as her brow furrowed. Conner was.. Conner. What could she possibly want? The same question (although phrased a bit differently of course) ran through Conner's head as he studied Audrey while she took in her surroundings. She gave him the impression he normally got when he was observing some sort of predator. There was just something about her air that made him feel cautious, something about her that he just didn't like. Not that he could put his finger on it though. But then again, his feelings about people had never once been proven wrong (At least not entirely wrong) But the new hardness in her gaze when she finally turned back to him wasn't missed and Conner instantly straightened, squaring his shoulders as his stance became defensive, and just the tiniest bit imposing. Though the list she rattled off certainly wasn't what he had been expecting. His gaze immediately became even more guarded as she listed off facts about him that no person who had just moved here should know, such as the fact that he'd been goalie on the team. Just what was wrong with this girl? Normal people didn't do this. Normal people didn't know so much about a person they'd never even met. Although what she said next started to answer his questions about why she was here and why she'd had a point to learn so much about him. His expression instantly went blank and about as expressive as a rock. His eyes looked like they'd shut off, so that it was nigh impossible to read what he was thinking through his expression. "I protect my own. No one touches the Hales."[/color] he said curtly to her words, refusing to elaborate or even respond to the bit about her bite.

As she continued Conner could already see where this was going. This girl had found out about the letters, somehow, and she was determined to get back at him, him, for messing with her kin. And she thought she could threaten him. How cute. But people trying to talk stuff out of him or mess with him had long since stopped working, and no little stuck up teenaged wolf with issues about her werewolf side was going to intimidate him. He was Conner Hale, master of being utterly expressionless and detached. She could talk all she wanted but she wasn't getting anything that she wanted out of him, certainly not revenge. And if she thought she could snap at him or his family without getting bitten back she was sorely mistaken. Still, Conner wouldn't lie. Not about the letters. She already knew after all, and he was sick of lying. "Why the fuck do I have to explain myself to you?"[/color] Despite the words his voice was surprisingly even and expressionless. Although it was the tiniest bit cold.[/size][/blockquote]

[dakota ephraim black]

Not yet?

[/color] Dakota repressed a groan as he made a face and faced her with incredulity,”But, but you love me,”[/color] he pouted, jutting out his lower lip as hazel eyes became wide and pleading,”You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”[/color] God, Dakota certainly hoped she wouldn’t test it out. If Clarissa Hale told him to go cliff diving and land directly onto the rocks – well, he’d do it if it was what she really wanted. The phrase ‘I’d do anything for you’ – which he had told her several times before – was quite too literal for his taste. It wasn’t as if Dakota could help it; what she wanted, if it was in his power to do it, it would happen. There was nothing he wouldn’t do if it brought a smile to her features, no matter how mortifyingly embarrassing it might be. Teasing from his peers would (hopefully) eventually fade, but the image and pride that he had caused her happiness would last forever. His pout deepened, however, at her next comment. ”Oh, I get it,”[/color] he nodded solemnly, rolling his eyes and pecking her on the lips,”You only keep me around because we’re so totally gonna be voted Most Dramatic Couple of the Year in the yearbook. Uh huh. I see where you’re coming from.”[/color] As of recently, though (given after the grand confrontation in the cafeteria), they seemed far from dramatic. His joking persona dissipated into the surrounding air, however, at Audrey and Conner’s retreating backs. Only vaguely did he hear Clary’s question, to which he just shrugged; he had no idea, either.

Audrey hadn’t missed the straightening of his posture and the defensive glare in his eyes, as well as a sharp glint when she had listed off what she had gathered about the werewolf. He was clearly prepared to take her offensive strategy to the ground, but did he realize he wasn’t dealing with your average, pissed off wolf girl? When she had finished her tiny speech, however, he had become passive and non respondent. Good boy,[/color] she mocked internally, enjoying his stiff tone and answer. He was reacting like an other overgrown male brute would, and it didn't surprise her in the slightest. If anything, it only encouraged her to press on and get under his skin. However tight-lipped and annoyed he was, anyway, it wouldn't be enough until it was more than just Audrey who knew of his little secret. A poorly kept one at that, she figured. Even if Clarissa was blind, obviously she had friends of the sort (her brow furrowed as she fought to remember - that one girl, right? Eleanor... or... what?) who could stumble upon it. Or maybe Audrey was just observant, as Dakota hadn't noticed it, either. No... she was just very dedicated to her games, that was all. "And somehow this gives you the assumption that the Blacks' are to be toyed with?"[/color] she asked, raising a delicate eyebrow at Conner; he might have had somewhat reasonable intentions, but the fact stood he had caused Dakota trouble. Her brother, her blood. That... well, it was just unacceptable. He would learn to see that for himself, too; though she wasn't quite sure she would be able to predict her half brother's reaction once this all came about. Dakota had this new 'no-violence' thing going on, and even the jeers he got for being with Clary never made him so much as turn his head. He did, however, when the gossip bothered her, so maybe it all had to be put into perspective.

She heaved a sigh at his next words, growing bored as he growled the statement slash... warning? Audrey couldn't tell, but at the moment she didn't quite care. It was a real shame, Conner didn't seem to want to play by the rules, or even attempt to try to make it fun; and if he didn't play by the rules, why, she couldn't drag it out. And that was boring. "Okay,[/color] she shrugged lightly,"Explain to Clary."[/color] Without a second glance back towards him, she turned on her heel and left the kitchen in quick strides, nearly rushing to the front room back to where Dakota and Clary were. At her faux annoyed and offended face, Dakota jumped and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Aud? Aud, what's wrong?"[/color] he asked urgently, his eyes flickering back down to the hall to the kitchen, his mind racing with outrageous thoughts. She shook her head, as if she couldn't speak, and Dakota's growing tension caused a tightening of his muscles; what did Conner do? He could say whatever the hell he wanted to him, that was fine, but Audrey hadn't done anything; his teeth locked together like a face as he struggled to compose himself. No, he had to convince himself it wouldn't help to be upset right now; he had a little sister and Clary to keep himself in check. And right now Clary, he was sure, had enough on her plate without a full-blown fight between himself and Conner to deal with. It was for those two reasons alone that Dakota shook his head and looked down directly into Audrey's eyes. "Audrey, what did he do?"[/color] he asked again, lowly, calmer this time around without the panicked edge. She inhaled a deep breath, and pointedly looked above his shoulder to the 'hidden' lavender box ontop the shelf; her look had said it all, and with immediate curiousity, Dakota leaned the short way to catch it in his hands, bringing it down to open it. It was dusty, and.... and in his handwriting.

Something was caught in his stomach, like he had just gotten the wind knocked out of him in the surprise. The envelopes were open, too, and he could feel out the braille words he had written just that past summer. "These are... they're my...,"[/color] he trailed off, quiet and unsure of what to do next. Wordlessly, Dakota passed the box into Clary's hands, knowing that she would push it out of him eventually and that by what little they said she would have already been driven insane with the urge to wanting to know what was going on. As Dakota surveyed Clarissa's reaction, however, Audrey was the one glancing down the hall, awaiting a burly werewolf who was sure to be in even bigger trouble.[/blockquote][/size]

[Clarissa Hale]

A wicked grin spread across Clary's features in response to Dakota's statement. She rolled her eyes in response to whatever facial expression she guessed he was making. Given the circumstances she had a pretty good idea of the appropriate expression, and she reacted accordingly. She could have been completely wrong of course, but who would blame her? "Mm. I don't know just yet. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I can get awfully bored you know, and what better way is there to amuse myself than make you do stuff?"

[/color] she teased. It was kind of.. fun to jokingly threaten Dakota. Joking around wasn't something Clary was really used to, given how serious she'd always been, so even the simplest jokes seemed to be downright hilarious. To her anyway. Although generally she still kept to her old silent, serious routine unless she was with Jace, Ellie, or Dakota. At least the list of her friends now had more than one name on it. That had to be something. The grin only broadened when he leaned forward to peck her on the lips. "Well duh."[/color] Rolling her eyes dramatically she tossed her hair, doing a rather good impression of the haughty girls who prowled the La Push campus. "You know me. I just looove the spotlight. Can't get enough of it."[/color] Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and her impression was rather spoiled by the little smile that was peeking out and the giggle she was barely able to stifle. She did manage to get serious when Dakota didn't respond to her question. She reached forward cautiously and rested a hand on his shoulder, quick enough to catch the shrug.

This girl was trouble, there was nothing else for it. There was an air about her that just made Conner want to walk away and not look back, but he couldn't. No matter how badly he wanted to turn tail, he refused to run away. She was just one girl, and no matter how many bad vibes he got from her that didn't mean he couldn't take her. Still, while he originally had been on the offensive he knew the best course if action would probably be to ignore her or at least not give her the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him. Eventually the pint sized brat would get tired of her games and would go find something else to amuse herself with, but until then he would just have to play the game of "sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me". What Conner did not understand was that Audrey was no ordinary girl and she would not just give up after initial failure. Oh no. Far from it. That girl would instead be poking and prodding at him until she got what she wanted, whatever that was. Not that dear old Conner knew that anyway. His eyes remained coolly impassive as he gazed down at her, waiting patiently for her to start whatever little routine she was going to do. It would probably involve a bunch of insults and false accusations, all of which he vowed to remain mute on. So when she talked about the Blacks and him messing with them he simply didn't respond, watching her coldly as he waited for her to do something at least a little more interesting. Wasn't she going to try the insult thing? Or was she just going to tell him off in that wimpy fashion? If so, then he was getting all worked up for nothing. Which would be stupid, not to mention a waste of his time. Not that he wanted a fight, he simply didn't want some random chick to be wasting his time that he could be spending doing something constructive.

Eyes narrowing at her sigh, Conner straightened up again, a flash of defiance appearing for a split second in his blank facade. But what she did next was something he hadn't expected, not at all. He stood there stupidly for a second, watching her retreating form before the words clicked. He continued to stand there, conflicted and utterly incapable of action as he stared after her, his thoughts wrestling over what to do. But whatever he did, he knew it wouldn't matter. The cat was out of the bag. Finally he decided to follow, emerging into the hall just in time to witness the scene. Clary had looked up when Audrey had approached Dakota, one hand remaining attached to his sleeve as she followed him mutely, refusing to let him get too far away. Her blind gaze was focused questioningly on Dakota, because seeing as Audrey wasn't exactly saying anything she couldn't tell what was happening. Almost like a reflex, Clary's grip tightened on Dakota's sleeve the moment she deduced something was up. She could feel Dakota tensing up, which did not bode well, not at all. ".. Dakota?"[/color] she mumbled weakly, feeling awfully out of the loop and more than a little bit lost. "What's going on? What happened to Audrey?"[/color] Blindly gazing at where she thought her boyfriend was Clary cursed her blindness for what had to be the five millionth time. It always got in her way, always made her such a weak little cripple. Always had to make her not normal. Well it was her lot in life and she would just have to deal with it. Not that she liked having to deal with it. At all. Feeling awfully confused, not to mention humiliated, Clary finally released Dakota's sleeve when he moved to the shelf, folding her arms across her chest instead as she waited, perhaps not so patiently, to hear someone say something that explained just what the hell was going on. Meanwhile, Conner just hovered at the end of the hall, silent as a statue, his expression still oddly blank.

A questioning look appeared on Clary's face when Dakota pressed a box into her hands. The wood felt oddly rough to the touch and yet smooth, as if it had been painted very crudely. It felt rather like the box she'd painted for her brother with what was supposedly lavender paint for a birthday gift. He'd said he liked purple, after all. "Clary, wait. I can-..."[/color] Conner started to say, but never finished. Clary had lifted the lid and reached into the box, her fingers ghosting over the braille imprinted onto one of the many letters there. Still not saying a single word, Clary ran her fingers over some of the writing, her expression oddly empty. It was rather like the calm before the storm. Turning slowly on her heel, Clary looked to the general area where her brother's voice had come from. Then, without warning, she hurled the box, letters and all, as hard as she could in his direction. To no one's surprise she missed, the box sailing into an ornamental pot on a table instead of at her intended target. The pot shattered spectacularly and the box hit the floor with a satisfying bang, even managing to dent the floor a little with a corner.

It was very rare to see Clary act violently when expressing her anger. Usually she just screamed. But Conner knew her well enough to know that this silent fury meant she was really, really pissed off. The expression on her face was enough to testify to that, seeing as it was contorted with rage. But there was also pain there, quite a lot of pain, as she glared at the one person who had never betrayed her, her lip curling into a vicious snarl as her eyes burned with tears. "Clary! Wait! Please!"[/color] Conner yelped desperately, but she would have none on it. Without ever saying a word, only making a noise somewhere between a sob and a scream, she went sprinting for the door, kicking it open so hard that she managed to make the top part come off the hinges. And she didn't stop there. Without so much as a backward glance she went sprinting for the woods, her entire body quivering violently before she exploded into a giant mass of gray fur, leaving her shredded clothes in her wake as she bounded for the forest. Without giving a whit about her surroundings she went charging in, running through a little baby sapling that got in her way. There was no thought in her head, no sense of what she was doing. All she knew was that her heart hurt like someone had stuck it with a knife clean through and she just had to get away, far away, before she went to pieces.

Instead of chasing her, Conner just stood there and watched, his expression rather hollow, as if he'd had the life taken out of him. He closed his eyes, hanging his head like a dog that had gotten kicked, visibly wincing as a loud, keening howl of agony echoed from the forest.[/size][/blockquote]