Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters, I’m simply borrowing them
Author’s Notes: This is the first part in a new Bloodbound AU I thought of recently. It pulls my TF MC Tillie into a slightly alternate BB universe with my MC Faye. This particular part, or prologue (if I can call it that), was inspired by some drabble prompts by enmchoices. There will be more to come… eventually.
Acknowledgements: A big thank you to enmchoices for inspiring this sister relationship to become a thing and for all the motivation she continually brings me. Also a thanks to the informal writing group members. Your support means everything.
Other notes: Faye’s wake-up alarm is “Good Girls” by Elle King
Summary: After a late start, Faye rushes to be on time for an important interview, one which may change her life more than she ever realizes
“…Well I walked in the light and I lived in the sun, now I die for the night ‘cause the days are done…”
A groan escaped my lips as I reluctantly rolled over, relying on muscle memory to turn off my alarm. I peeked at my phone through a paper-thin crack in my eyelids. Overly familiar red numerals illuminated against a black background read 9:18 AM.
FUCK.
Flying out of bed I flung my covers hastily to the side, not bothering to pull up them up afterwards. I’d hit the snooze button more times than I thought and was about two seconds from being late for what I hoped would be my last job interview in a long while.
Though I’d found a job bar-tending pretty quickly after moving to New York a year prior, it was simply a means to an end. I had hurriedly gotten bored there and had grown tired of grossly inebriated bros and lecherous old men thinking they could hit on me if I so much as breathed in their direction. Besides, despite the devil-may-care attitude I took on 24/7, I did want to find a job I could grown into, one that could become a career some day and maybe even utilized my fancy college degree. Scores of applications and dozens of rejection letters later, I’d finally attained a promising looking interview at none other than the illustrious Raines Corporation.
I threw on a pair of olive green dress slacks and a flowing black blouse – one of the two remotely formal outfits I owned. Settling on a leaving it down for lack of time, I swiftly pulled a brush through my thick shoulder length red hair. The scent of soothingly bitter coffee tangling with the mouth-watering sweetness of chocolate greeted me fondly as I flung open my bedroom door.
Damn that girl is too nice. And yet I like her anyways, I thought, my mouth curving into a grin.
Tillie’s overly-sweet personality and will to please everyone had rubbed me the wrong way at first. However, I’d also been a young teen fresh from a stint at Juvie who’d been placed in her fifteenth foster home in half as many years- life rubbed me the wrong way. By some miraculous stint of luck, the saint of a girl, nearly one year my junior, became my sister via adoption and my best friend through… well nothing short of magic. Many years and life-changing experiences later, we found ourselves living together once more and were closer than ever.
After hastily brushing my teeth and slipping on a pair of black converse, I grabbed the banana chocolate chip muffin and my already full travel mug off the counter-top.
“Can you please summon whatever devil you made a deal with to be awake and productive at such a god-awful hour and put in a good word for me?” I remarked, leaning against the open bedroom door. Light shades of pinks, blues, and purples danced on my retinas as I gazed around the meticulously organized room, a vast contrast to the dark colored organized-chaos (emphasis on the chaos) of my own.
The worn computer chair situated in front of a pristine wooden desk swiveled around to reveal my sister. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, its deep brown hue accentuated against the soft mint green of her sundress. A content expression played across her features, momentarily masking the deeply etched stress I hadn’t failed to notice. She was pushing herself too hard again, as always, likely trying to meet an asinine self-imposed deadline.
Filling my mouth with scrumptious muffin, I made a mental note to convince her to join me in some flavor of mindless distraction once I returned.
“Actually, I slept in until nearly seven this morning,” Tillie stated matter-of-factly.
“I’m sure the sun appreciated you not beating it for once.”
“You could join the battle too if you didn’t stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing Skyrim. I still blame Lily for getting you hooked on that.”
“Thanks mom, I’ll keep that in mind.” I flashed a teasing smile. “Really though, thanks for the caffeine and carbs fix. I need it today.”
“You need it every day,” she countered, a similarly cheeky grin forming on her lips. “But, I couldn’t let you turn into Faye the Grouch during your interview, especially not if you have the chance to meet Adrian Raines.”
A loud snort echoed through the small apartment, my eyes practically rolling out of their sockets. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. And I’ll be sure to let my potential new boss know his biggest fan and in-her-dreams girlfriend is looking out for him.”
“I simply admire how successful he’s become at such a young age; I’m not in love with him or anything!” She retorted far too quickly before peering over my shoulder, her eyes widening. “You should get going soon if you want to be on time.”
“Shit, you’re right,” I affirmed, glancing at the clock on my phone.
Already in motion again, I took an overzealous swig from the coffee mug. Pain rolled off my tongue and down my throat as the soon as the scalding, yet perfectly sweetened, liquid descended into my mouth. I continued on, sweeping up my purse while a rather inventive string of profanities filled the air.
“Everything ok?”
“Just peachy. Figured I’d practice how I’m going to greet my interviewer.” Each word dripped with my signature snark, eliciting a rumble of laughter from Tillie. “Write like the wind today, Jane Austen!” I yelled behind me, rushing out the door.
Feet skimmed over pavement as I hurried to my car, attempting to prepare myself mentally for the task in front of me. But I couldn’t have prepared for what the interview would bring about, the complete change of reality Tillie and I would face.
Because in the end, no one is truly ready for their world to become endless night.
