Your Lovely Side

Hangovers and Guts

Graves' POV

My eyes feel heavy as I try to force them open, crud and light alike stopping me, making me screw my eyes shut again as I attempt to try to wake myself up and figure out where I am.

   Vaguely I hear someone walking down the hallway, and I sniff the air, ignoring the smells of the embers burning away in a fireplace and the endless smell of sex  I realize that I'm home and I settle to go back to sleep, already knowing who it is coming down the hallway, but not caring with this hangover sitting on top of my head.

   Just as I'm about to drift off, a large smack hits my cheek and I curse, the sting not helping my condition at all. I mutter a "Fuck you, Ares." before my eyes are even open and all I hear is a laugh before he answers, his steps receding.

"In your dreams." He says and when I open my eye just a crack I see him going to sit on the ottoman sitting in the corner of the room, the look on his face obvious.

"You've featured in them quite a few times, believe me." I admit playfully with a wistful sigh, which only makes the Enchanted bastard chuckle and shake his head, too used to my antics to be too bothered with them. I close my eyes again to ward against the eve sun trying to stab me in the socket, but of course, time for peace is no where to be found.

"Let's go, Graves." I hear Ares call impatiently, and with another quick glance to the window, I realize that the sun isn't rising but setting. I try to remember all that happened last night but I don't remember anything passed 3 am.

"What time is it?" I ask, my eyes closing again.

"The sun is almost down." He answers, like I guessed, my eyes immediately snap open as panic sets in. I was hoping I was wrong. Not very likely but there's a first time for everything. I hear Ares snicker as I jump out the bed, not caring where happens to the other bodies, my hands and legs smacking against strangers body parts and faces as I stumble on my way to get up. Once I manage to get up, my body naked in all its glory, if not covered by evidence of hours of fun, I find myself looking down at the sleeping bodies, annoyed that they're still here.

"Whoever is here by the time I get out the shower is going to be apart of the Prey tonight." I call out casually, my voice almost bored. Immediately everyone who was lazily sprawled on the bed, suddenly gains life in their limbs as the race out the bed, tripping over themselves and each other to get out of my room, with or without their clothes. I snicker to myself at their reaction though it's not like I can blame them.

I would be scared at the threat, too. Every two days in the morning, a group of random people are chosen to be the Prey, trying to avoid the rest of us as predators. They have the whole city to hide, all they have to do is hide until dawn, whoever remains at the end of the Night gets to chose the next group. The Predators have all night to find the hidden Prey, and whoever has the most finds and are able to subdue and hold them wins. The Prey have two days to hide and at the end of the second day, when the sun disappears it's game on. There's very few rules. No killing. No harming outsiders in any way, though they can be used.

If you find two subdued Prey you can steal them and claim them as your own. You can even capture a predator. One predator counts as two prey. The winner at the end of the night is named King for the next two days virtually remaining untouchable to any pranks attack or anything else the restless Enchanted do to each other between games.

    Ares has been the King of the Game for as long as I can remember, and since we became friends, I help him with the game, never really playing seriously for myself though I usually end up with a good score by the end of the night. Though lately the games have definitely gotten a lot more interesting playing with Ares.

   I make my way lazily towards the bathroom and turn on the shower, taking a second to piss before I hop in, Ares going to sit on the counter as he waits. As I wash myself, the memories of early last night with my family come rushing back to me and I frown, pain shooting through my chest at the memory. Clearing my throat, I go to break the silence, easing my voice so it can be heard over the splatter of the water as I wash.

"Are you ready?" I ask him, amusement all over my face as I think about the fact that Ares has a little problem that has been arising lately during each game.

"Of course I'm ready. It's just another Hunt, Graves. " He answers flatly, and I struggle not laugh, Ares clearly not understanding where the line of questioning is going.

"You forgot again, didn't you?" Unable to hide the humor in my voice, I snicker, glad that I have the honor of reminding my dearest friend about the teeny little inconvenience he clearly forgot about.
There's a moment of silence as he tries to put the piece together but after a few moments there's still nothing. "You know I should just see what happens, but you'd probably try and kill me afterwards." I chuckle in amusement while Ares groans clearly annoyed with my antics.

Clearly irritated , Ares cut off my laugh with a growl of annoyance the energy in the room flashing. "What have I forgotten, Graves? And hurry up we're running out of time."

Turning the water off, I step out the shower, steam engulfing my body as I dries off, the burning shower exactly what I needed to clear my head and bring life back into my body. Shaking my head I finally give him the answer, trying and failing to keep the smile off of my face.

  "It's the ninth of the month. Your Vampire is coming tonight. Are you ready?"

   "Fucking bitch!" Is his reply and the answer says it all, and this time there's no smile on my face. I start to put lotion on myself, thinking quietly about just how jealous I am of Ares. Not only does he have a Soulmate, but he doesn't have anyone that he needs to protect them from. Not like me.

   He has to chance to be happy and he's throwing it all away.

Sometimes it makes me want to punch him, especially since he doesn't even have a good fucking reason.

But I digress.

"I'm ready." He tries to lie to me but I roll my eyes.

"None of us really are. It's just a lie we tell ourselves to make us feel better." I tell him before walking out of the bathroom to get dressed.

Undoubtedly this game was going to be interesting. But I can't quiet shake the feeling that it just might be so for me too.

~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm doing this exercise where I try to use more positive language. Studies show that changing the way you think about your world and situation can change the way your brain operates over time. So instead of thinking about how hard something is, I'm trying to tell myself that I am strong enough or focused enough to do it.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Whats an affirmation you need to start telling yourself?