{EXP POST}♥ ♥ Another Day, Another Lie, Another Passing ♥ ♥

[• Echo]

Arms lifted and out to the sides, fingers trailing along the green walls of vines and leaves that made up the twisting maze, a girl made her way through the greenery. The walls lifted almost four feet above her slight, 5 foot 2 inches frame, but she didn't feel the least bit out of place. She was dressed in a sleek black dress, the straps thin and pulled together in the center of her back by silver rinestones to form an X. There were two layers to the dress; The black silk as the underlayer, and the velvet, thin overlayer. Part of the upper layer was see-through, imprints of leaves and roses. It only reached midway down her thighs, tight around her upper body but flowing out slightly right below her stomach. The moon was a mere crescent in the sky, allowing the light of the stars and the milky way to shine and show completely and fully in the clear night sky. Not a cloud was seen on the horizon, in or out of the maze. In the distance she heard a clock begin to chime. Once, twice, again and again... It stopped after ten. Ten o'clock at night. The girl lifted her head to look up at the sky, the breeze ruffling her dark hair, pulled up in an elegant French Twist, illuminating her light coffee-colored skin. Inhaling deeply the fresh night air, she continued walking forward. Coming to a fork in the path, she turned left, dropping her white arm by her side where it brushed against her dress, the feeling that of silk on silk. She let out a breath that she had been holding in subconciously, weaving her way through the maze until finally, finally, she made in to the center.

The heart of the maze was only about 40 feet in width and length, formed in a circle with various other paths breaking away from it. The maze was the most intricate that Raphael (pronounced Raw-fi-ell) had ever seen in her entire lifetime, and she travelled a lot, yet always seemed to end back up in this one place, nestled in the heart of Connaught, Ireland, set amidst the rolling gree landscapes. There was just something about that land here that seemed to enchant her.

Benches were spread along the walls of the maze wherever there was no opening, and a ten foot pong shaped in a perfect circle was in the center. It was what the maze had been built around. Good sized rocks were set around the pool, the surface dark and glassy looking, a few fish darting around just below and sending ripples running throughout. Raphael stepped forward towards the pond, her long, five inch heels stilettos making hardly any noise even as she walked across the marble ground. Her face was a mask, concealing her thoughts and feelings from the rest of the world, yet her guard slowly seemed to drop as she stopped by the pond, leaning against one of the taller rocks. She felt her throat close off, a burn coming behind her eyes. She quickly blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. Here was the only place where she ever could truly be herself, drop her guard. She knew many people visited this maze, it was open to the public afterall, no matter how many times she had begged her father to close it off, and she could only hope that no one else found their way to the center to find her. She doubted it; She had only met a total of seven, not including herself, her mother, and her best friend who had ever found their way through the entire thing. Scattered around inside the maze where lamp posts which people could use to send up smoke signals if they ever got lost. Almost all ended up having to do so, and one of the groundskeepers would grab a map and make their way into the maze to help the lost find their way back.

A sad, small smile spread across the young woman's face, never reaching her eyes as she stared with an empty gaze into the water until she heard footsteps coming through the maze towards the center, and immdiately her shoulders tensed, eyes hardening as she turned to face the person who stepped out from the trees.


{Please, if you post, please be descriptive, this is a mature post!}

[LoveOnHerArms]

Bennie~
slowly i walk around the garden giving small smiles and waves to the girl that looked at me and giggled smiling, shaking my head i spot Gwen aw hell why did she have to fine me? before she could see me i duck into the maze and start wandering through it, thinking wishing i was back home or some place i could mess around with my sword and buddies, but no i was stuck here for the week, i rolled my eyes and shook my head again, slowly i come to the center of it, i've been in the center before not many could but i loved a challenge and found it, walking into the center i stop short seeing a girl who was gorgeous, i looked at her my mop of dark brown curls in my bright green eyes, i smiled "hi, i didnt think anyone would be here" i say then take a couple more steps to her my hand behind my back or they would be in my pockets but i didnt have any in the black dress pants i was wearing to match the silk black long sleeve shirt.

(gack sorry its not as long or as good as yours)

[• Echo]

♥ Raphael ♥

I lifted my chin slightly as I saw the man step out of the shadows, softening my eyes and rolling my shoulders around, a smile coming onto my face that didn't truly reach my eyes. "Hey, I didn't really, as well. You don't find many people in the middle of this maze, its just too complicated for them to find their way through, I guess," I say, my voice suave, like water rushing over smooth stones in a lazy brook. My eyes truly smiled as I remembered all the times my mother and I would walk through the maze during the busy days when people flocked out here to try to make their way through our maze. We would search for the people who got lost, "saving" at least fifteen people on those days. We pretended we were superheroes, rescuing all the damsels in distress and everyone else who needed it along the way. Later we would walk out to the woods, not caring that the distance was well over three miles, and find our tree, the massive hemlock which grew just under the cover of the forest. We would sit on the swing and talk and laugh, telling stories and having the time of our lives.

My mind was brought back to reality from my thoughts the way a ripple would run through the calm water of the pond, shaking away the fairytale-like memories that seemed to no longer belong to myself or this lifetime. My head shook slightly, eyes sparkling in the moonlight, a smile on my face as I looked back up at him from the marble ground. "I'm Raphael, by the way. Raphael Grace."

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i looked at her noting that the smile on her face was stretched and didnt make her eye sparkle i wander what her face would look like if it was a real smile, i chuckled listening to her and nodded "yeah thats why its such a nice place to come to be alone or think" i said then smiled bigger seeing that the smile on her face made her eyes sparkle this time i was right she looks gorgeous when her eyes light up i thought waiting to make her smile like that more, i got the feeling that she didnt. then seeing her snap out of her thought back to me i smiled at her "its cool to meet you" i said bowing playfully then i looked at her with a cocky ass grin "im Bennie" walking closer to her i looked at her "so what were you doing here alby yourself "Gracie?" i asked kneeling down in front of her

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I heard myself laughing softly as he bowed, smiling for real, a first in such a long time. There was just something about him that seemed to make it easy for me to talk to. I hadn't met someone like him since I had met Regan when I was seven. He had supposed to have had an arranged marriage, it had been arranged before he could even talk or walk, but then he'd turned out to be gay and it was called off. His mother died of a disease when he was eight, and his father disowned him, so my family took him in. But then there had been Thomas, too... Pushing the memories that seemed to be flooding back all of a sudden to the back of my mind until I could pull them back out when I was alone, I redirected my focus back onto the man as he introduced himself as Bennie, laughing softly again as he knelt down. "Just revisiting my home, sir, if it's okay for He Who Actually Knows His Way Around The Maze," I said, cocking my head slightly to the side as I looked down at him. "And what of you? I've hardly seen anyone who knows their way around the maze, and even less who are willing to attempt it at night."

[LoveOnHerArms]

~bennie~
i chuckled and looked at her with a cocky grin "i guess its ok with me" i said playing then cleared my throat "a cocky guy who knows his way around the maze" i said looking at her, hoping that, that answer would do for her, maybe when i know her better i would tell her but not right now, i thought shoving the feeling of telling her down. "so why are you hiding from the party? the people start asking questions when the daughter of the host is gone"

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I blink a couple times, still smiling. "That's fine by me, I guess. The maze is open to all," I say, looking around once more at the circular center, my expression soft and content for now. I snorted softly, the sound slight and barely detectable, even in the still night air. "It wouldn't be the first time I disappointed the guests, this time I actually showed up," I say, my voice quiet, almost as if I were talking to myself, tilting my head back to look up at the night sky. Looking back at him, I smiled again. "No need to continue kneeling, though my family may be close enough to royalty, I consider myself to be far from it," I say.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i nodded and smirked "yeah, and its great to get away from people or starkers" i said watching her, this girl interested me, i got this protective feeling, i wanted to make her smile so her whole face lights up, to make her laugh, to know what makes her cry and to make her happy. i shook my head at myself and listen to her, then grinned at her smile, god she was gorgeous!, chuckling i stood up and looked at her "right, well Gracie would you like to come with me back to the party?" i asked "plus you would be doing me a favor"

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I smiled again without opening my mouth, closing my eyes for a moment. "A favor," I mused softly to myself, reopening my eyes to look at him again, my gaze soft, almost sad in a way. *To a man whose name I hardly know* I added silently to myself, but didn't let the extra thoughts show through my expression. "Of course," I say, taking another step closer to him and lacing my arm through his, my eyes sparking slightly. "Let's see if the mastermind can find his way back out of the maze," I teased, Irish accent strong.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i watch her waiting for her to answer me, really i would love it if she came back with me , then maybe Gwen would stop flirting and trying to get me to leave with her. i nodded "yeah just a favor" i answered back then seeing the kinda sad look i get a feeling to make her laugh and smile, i grinned hearing the answer "great" i offer my arm and smiled when she linked arms looking down at her i chuckled "Gracie i love a challenge" i say back in a cocky tone then start walking back with her

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I chuckled softly, tipping my head as I smiled. "Well, unless you've gone through here before, then it should be. Though every single path is completely different that the others," I say, stepping quietly beside him, my long heels hardly making any noise from years of training. I took a deep breath inwardly, remembering the questions my parents had bombed me with before I had come to the maze. My mother had been less demanding; She knew that I, like her, wanting my privacy, my peace, but my father knew no such bounds, never seeing the line where he should stop at. Tilting my head back up, I looked at the starry night sky, picking out figures that no one else ever truly bothered to look at. Sure, there were the stars, the designs that had names, but those were just a few possibilities out of millions.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i looked down at her and smirked "i've been here before" i say then turn left walking a couple steps then take a right, the silents was getting to me "so why were you hiding the here anyway?" i asked looking down at her then taking another left, then stopped and looked down at her with serious eyes i wanted to know why she looked so sad back there "you can tell me, really" i said softly

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I make a soft laughing sound, glancing up at his face for a minute. My heart sped slightly at the way he looked against the contrast of the sky, but I looked back down quickly. "Then it should be a breeze if you've got a photographic memory," I say, walking beside him, watching where he went. But he kept choosing the right paths. Stopping, I looked up at him, pausing. I had found it better in life when you find yourself in positions where someone demands an answer, to either lie or tell the truth. Or you could tell half the truth and add a small lie. In most cases, including this one, I chose the third option. "I came out here to think..." True. "...I've been having problems lately with a job..." True. "...And I thought that maybe I would get some idea on how to 'keep moving forward'..." Lie. "...And not worry my parents." True. Thankfully, I was excellent at lying, so nothing tipped off in my tone, expression, or the way I said it to show that it wasn't all completely true. I made my voice a little embarrassed, and forced a small smile, brows pulling together slightly. "I'm sorry," I say, glancing down for a moment before looking back up at him.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i looked down at her listening to her, ok so i could believe some of it but it was waved into lies, but i wasnt going to say anything to her, not yet at lest...i trail off in my thoughts, hearing the slightly embarrassed tone in her voice and the forced small smiled i let out a breath and rake my free hand through my hair "ahh i see, so thats why you were out here in the dark to think" gently putting my free hand on her shoulder i smiled warmly at her, she had a lot on her mind, she didnt need me buggin her about it too "no reason to be sorry Gracie, i was just wandering" i simply say then looked around the sky "how about we get movin again" i start walking again thinking then letting out a breath i looked down at her then back ahead

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I smile small, looking up at him. "Yes. When you're somewhere that's quiet and familiar, it's easier to think," I say, but felt a drop in my chest. I hadn't actually done much thinking before he came in, and I didn't like lying to him, either. Blinking long, I smile, turning back towards the path. "Can I ask you something?" I ask after a moment of walking, tilting my head back to look up at him. "Why do you call me Gracie?"

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i nodded "right right" i say then take a left thinking baout it, Mac was going to flip out on me when we got back, rolling my eyes what else was new? he flipped out on me a lot, snapping out of it i looked down at her and nodded "yeah sure" smirking when she asked, i shrugged and looked down at her "eh to me you look more like a Gracie then a Raphael, i'll stop if you dont like it" i said then groaned hearing a voice Gwen, he was in the maze somewhere, taking a left that i knew what the wrong way but i wasnt to hid a little longer from her

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I smile small, making the laughing sound again. "No, no, it's fine, really," I say, cocking my head slightly to the side as I heard someone's voice. Another person in the maze. They sounded lost. Arching my eyebrows as he turned away from the sound, down a wrong lane, I push my bangs behind my ears. "Got a problem with helping lost souls or do you really just want to get out of the maze," I tease slightly, a hint of curiousity in my voice. This way only kept turning left, going around in a full circle before a few ways branched out, all but one to dead ends.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i chuckled and smiled down at her "ok" i say leading her away from the voice, then looking back down at her i smirked slightly "i have nothing against helping someone besides Gwen, and this leads you deeper into the maze not out" i pointed out letting out a breath i stopped not being able to hear Gwen anymore. "can we just stay here for a little bit?" i asked looking her in the eyes "besides want to know some more about you Gracie" i said in a playful tone

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I smiled softly, my eyes blank again. "Just testing you. I know every pathway in here, I had hours to spend seaching it when I was five," I pointed out, stopping when he did. Shifting my shoulders so that I was facing him slightly more, I arch my eyebrows, smiling teasingly. "That sounds a little creepy," I say, forcing my heartbeat to slow again as I looked him in the eyes, mine a mask once more.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i chuckled and looked down at her "sorry didnt mean for it to sound like that but really i want to know more about you" i say looking her in the eyes, i didnt mask over my eyes like she did, i only do that with the court and other people like that. "why do you hide your feelings so much? even when its just you and another person?" i asked softly then reach over and gently tuck some lose hair behind her ear, something about her made me what to be her night in shining armor

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I shake my head slightly, rolling my eyes, a small smile on my lips. "Yeah, sure," I say half-heartedly, hearing his next question. I was tired of questions, tired of people always trying to pry into my life and crack me open. There were so many things that I had refused to talk about for so long. Everything I had done since I left home at just twelve had completely changed me, I wasn't truly the same person now as I was then, though people kept trying, trying to bring me out, to change me back. But it wouldn't work, not now. "Because I have to," I say softly. There was only one person who had ever actually accepted it, and there possibly could have been two, but she had gone long ago. "If I actually let my guard down then I'd probably be run out of here, or looked down on even more, or, or something," I say, almost to myself. *Just like Regan* I thought to myself. Geez, I just wanted to see him right now, he was my best friend. It didn't bother me that he was gay, it was more fun. Him being gay meant he could be as crude as a male yet I could still talk to him about shopping and guys and such/

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i looked down at her listening to her and nodded "i understand " i said softly then looked around us, boy i understand stood better then she knew, my life was about smiling for people and acting happy like i didnt have a care in the world...right, i snorted softly thinking about it and then looked back at her hearing her softly like she was talking to herself "Gracie i understand, really i do we can talk about something else if you want" i offer dropping the subject then looked at the blacken sky and cursed under my breath Mac was so going to kill me for disappearing for this long,

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I shook my head slightly after listening to him, not quite convinced that he actually understood. "Can we just, get back to the, party, for now?" I asked, stumbling over the word as I turned back to look at him, forcing a small smile onto my face. "I want to talk to someone that I haven't seen in what seems more like twenty years than two," I say. Regan was the closest person to me and even he didn't truly understand since he wasn't employed in the same job I was.

[• Echo]

~Raphael
I shook my head slightly after listening to him, not quite convinced that he actually understood. "Can we just, get back to the, party, for now?" I asked, stumbling over the word as I turned back to look at him, forcing a small smile onto my face. "I want to talk to someone that I haven't seen in what seems more like twenty years than two," I say. Regan was the closest person to me and even he didn't truly understand since he wasn't employed in the same job I was.

[LoveOnHerArms]

~Bennie~
i looked at her and nodded "yeah sure" i said seeing the forced stretched smile on her face, i offer her my arm again then looked around "so do you want to get us out or me?" i asked glancing down at her then looking back at the way we came thinking, she obviously wanted to get away from me or something like that, witch meant Gwen would be waiting for me, groaning softly i hang my head for a sec then looked back at her waiting

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