"No, no it's not just a city. When you look at old places in a new light, the mundane becomes magic: sidewalks and alley walls become canvases, flickering streetlights become the flashing of a starportal... Things that you thought familiar are suddenly turned upside down and become brand new, with just a little imagination. So, tell me what you really see; a filthy brick wall, or something much, much more...?"
"My name is Sylvia, and this is my story."
Sylvia was born Sylvana Abigail Lyons on December 31st, 1999, to a wealthy family known for their contributions and successes within the medical community. Her father was a highly sought after neurosurgeon, the best in his field, and her mother was a Virologist, credited with multiple breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of infectious diseases. With parents who were so notable in the community, it was only expected that her and her three brothers would be the same. A lot was expected from each of them, even from a very young age; her older twin brothers proved exactly what their father wanted: talented, intelligent, and hard working, always had straight A+, never spoke out of turn. They were perfect. When Sylvia was born, her father was even tougher. Plus accelerated schooling, she was expected to learn an instrument and the visual arts, particularly dance. He chose ballet for her, though she had no real interest, but being daddy's girl she sucked it up and went along with it. She showed so much potential but no motivation, and her teacher even said as such, but where Sylvia really wanted to be was in front of a canvas. She adored drawing and painting, and she tried to sneak it in wherever she could. Soon a fourth child was born, another son, and for a brief time she was not under such scrutiny. She could breathe a small sigh of relief and let some of her own light shine through.
As she grew older, Sylvia became more and more disenchanted with ballet, and began to make up excuses to miss practices. Her father would have none of it, though, and she would always end up attending anyways. Slowly her style and mindset began to change as well, becoming less feminine and more tomboyish. She began to like skateboards and cars, blasting rock music from her iPod, and trading her dresses and skirts for ripped jeans and hoodies. When this shift came to her father's attention, it made him quite angry, knowing how much his family was in the spotlight, he would accept nothing less than perfect. Every morning he'd force her to wear more feminine attire to school, but she wasn't dumb; she'd pack changed of clothes under her books, change when she got to school, then change back before he picked her up, but their relationship only continued to decline from there. Soon it turned into shouting matches and slammed doors, her father trying to control more and more of her life with Sylvia just wanting to express who she wanted to be. Her older brothers often tried to go to bat for her, take the brunt of their father's anger, but he would then turn on them. The youngest sibling often acted like a snitch, sneaking into her room while she was at school and tattling to their father about anything suspicious she had or did. Finally she turned to her mother for any kind of help, but the female Kalon only shrugged sympathetically and just said "listen to your father". The night she turned 16, her father had cancelled her big party because "she didn't deserve to be celebrated acting like a brat", so she packed a backpack full of her most important items, then snuck out of her third story window and off into the night.
"It was rough, but anything was better than where I was."For two months Sylvia scrounged for food on the streets like a homeless person, always careful to hide her face, even going so far as to wear one of the hospital mouth coverings and faking a cough. She survived solely off the kindness of strangers, and took the chance to work on her drawing. She had her last sketchbook still, so she spent most of her time hanging out in cafes drawing people, the city, anything she could find. One afternoon she was approached by an older woman who'd been watching her draw for some time, and offered to buy her something from the counter. Sylvia politely declined, not looking for a handout, but the woman was persistent and made her a deal: she'd trade food for one of Sylvia's drawings. The female Kalon thought it over then accepted, allowing the woman to buy her a small meal and a drink in trade for one of the patio sketches she'd completed. They sat and talked for a little while, and when questioned, Sylvia quickly made up a story about being 19 and fresh out of high school, starting a new life from her small town and hoping to make it big. Luckily the other Kalon was easily fooled, and didn't question her too much about it. The woman offered her a good sum of money to paint a large canvas family portrait, to help her get started, and if her work was good she'd pass around her information and pricing to her high-class friends. Sylvia nervously accepted, and after a long, painstakingly detailed piece, she found a happy customer and more lining up.
Seemingly overnight she went from a homeless kid on the street to a sought-after artist, always careful to cover her tracks, but always willing to take on a new client. Suddenly her work was everywhere, and the more money she made, the more money she could pump into her supplies and creating more and more pieces to sell, from canvases and charcoal sketches to her giant murals painted along the sides of buildings and walls. She managed to couch surf with new friends she made, eventually moving in and helping pay rent, just getting by until the day she turned eighteen. It was always a challenge keeping hidden, avoiding places she knew her father would look, and keeping her full name away from her work. She adopted the pen name "Geometric", and signed all of her work with a
5-diamond chain pattern, that quickly became popular with fans throughout the city. She became so popular, in fact, that she was constantly being called for interviews and stories from local new outlets. She took many of them over the phone, not quite willing to show her face until the day she turned eighteen, when she finally made her first television appearance. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, and after that she began receiving requests from other city councils, offering her big bucks to come to their cities and beautify landmarks there. She continued to avoid her father, but now it was less on purpose and more due to her busy schedule; as a legal adult, she could now go fully public with her identity, get her GED, and find her own place. By the end of the year, she had her own apartment on the nicer side of town, a dog, and her own motorcycle. Life was good.
"But, even the most fortunate people run out of luck eventually."It was just after her 20th birthday that Sylvia found herself in her favorite coffee shop, just finishing up another long night of painting. She was chatting with the barista as he made her drink, telling him about her newest commission when suddenly the door slammed open, followed by a very angry male voice yelling her full first name. Immediately the female Kalon went into guard mode, and turned to face her father.
"Can I help you?" She knew exactly who he was; the confusion that flashed through his eyes amused her, but she stayed focused and steeled her nerves. He must have read her mother's emails; they'd talked a few times recently, and they'd agreed to meet here at a later date. He was just lucky she'd stopped through here today, she supposed; how
unlucky for her. The older Kalon snarled and stormed up to her, getting right in the smaller female's face. He began to yell and threaten her, demanding she get into the dark SUV that he'd screamed up in, and that he would not tolerate disobedience again, regardless of her age.
"I'm eighteen now. I'm a grown adult with my own income and my own bills. Forcing me into that vehicle constitutes kidnapping, and I will press charges." The cafe was deathly silent, bystanders growing nervous and antsy; some looked ready to defend their favorite street artist, while others seemed keen on bolting at the first sign of danger. There was another moment of silence filled with the male Kalon's silent rage, and this seemed to anger him even more. She turned and grabbed her hot coffee that had been set on the bar behind her, and she nodded tensely.
"Have a great day." Suddenly she felt the drink slapped out of her hands, spilling across her front and scalding her fur and skin. She screamed and went to curse, but he'd already grabbed her by her hair and was dragging her towards the entrance of the shop. She kicked and yelled, but the grip he had was way too tight, and she could feel panic rising in her chest. If he'd do something like this in public, then... but before he was able to get to the door, a massive shadow blocked the morning sun coming through the tall windows, jerking her hair as he stopped abruptly.
"
Let her go." Her father sneered a retort, one that the other,
taller male Kalon didn't seem to like. The shadow was all she had to go by, and he must be huge... "
I said let her go," he repeated, this time with more emphasis. Suddenly Sylvia felt her hair release, and she stumbled forward. If not for this dark-furred stranger, she would have smashed face first into the floor; he helped her up gently, using only one arm to lift her upright. In milliseconds, her father was in the new Kalon's face, yelling and screaming just like he'd done to her. Except this time, the stranger towered over him, and was regarding him with a neutral, almost bored expression. Her heart raced as the older man drew back a fist and swung, but the stranger was prepared.
With a casual shift in his stance, the stranger moved out of the way of the assault, and the father's fist smashed into the plexiglas door. The bones in his paw shattered, and he screamed in pain. A second swing with his other hand followed shortly after, but the stranger quickly struck once in his chest, hitting a pressure point that sent the man to the floor. In the next millisecond the dark Kalon pulled Sylvia behind him and away from the door, and she hung onto his arm tightly as the barista came forward and held the man down until police arrived. The stranger stayed faithfully by Sylvia's side, encouraging her to press charges and acting as a shield when her father tried to lunge at her one final time before he was taken away. Once the police car was out of sight, she saw him turn to her out of the corner of her eye. "
Are you alright?" She nodded tensely, heart still racing; Sylvia hadn't noticed that she was still clutched onto his arm, hair a wreck and covered in coffee, until he gently pulled it away. She watched as he slowly pulled off the band hoodie he'd been wearing. "
Here," he said softly, holding it out to her; the female Kalon took it nervously and made her way back to the womens' restroom. A few moments later she returned, holding her coffee-stained hoodie sadly in her paws; it had been one of her favorites, and now it was ruined. She found him sitting patiently at a table, sipping an iced tea with a brand new coffee at the empty seat across from him. She sat down and took the drink appreciatively, taking a long gulp. Oh man, she needed that caffeine. After a moment she looked up to find him staring, and surprisingly she didn't find it creepy; she watched his mouth tilt upwards in a small smile, and it was like her whole world slowed for a second. She hadn't had the chance to notice that he was actually quite handsome. "
Are you sure you're alright?" He asked softly, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.
Sylvia nodded. "
Yeah, I am now, thank you. I, uh, I never caught your name?"
"
My name is Sabishii, but you're welcome to call me Sabi."
Sylvia smiled softly, taking another sip of her coffee. "
Thank you, Sabi. I'm Sylvia."
It didn't take long for the two to start talking like old friends; by the time noon rolled around, Sylvia gave in to her exhaustion and bid him goodbye, but not before they had each other's telephone numbers. She left the coffee shop feeling safe knowing her new friend was only a text away at any time.
She'd only made it a block away when her phone buzzed, and she looked down at the message there with a smile.
"It didn't take long for me to notice his affections towards me, and I liked it."Between jobs, Sylvia began to meet him at a small gym nearby to his apartment; it was, admittedly, a much seedier part of town, but walking with him made her feel nothing short of invincible. He must be a regular in the tiny business; everyone seemed to know his name as he waved in passing, maneuvering the tight corridors between equipment as he led her back to an open mat. Trophies, medals, and framed pictures lines the walls, and she saw Sabishii in quite a few of them. She slowed to scan each once, green eyes wide with surprise; there were awards for multiple martial arts, boxing, kickboxing,
vale tudo, and even kendo. The last two she'd never even heard of, but she was eager to learn more. "
Are these all yours...?"
Sabi gave a non-committal grunt, glancing at the pictures as if they were just pieces of paper. "
Not all of them, but... a few. I've done pretty well in my career," he murmured. "
I've always had a passion for combat sports; it helped me vent frustrations after work and brought in extra income for me on weekends. When I left my teaching job, it was all I had, and my winnings sustained me for a little while. I've been very fortunate."
"
And very skilled; you don't get that many awards from just luck," she commented, and he seemed to shrug. It was like he wasn't impressed by his own accomplishments, and she wondered why that was. "
So, what are we learning first?" Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he seemed to become a little more animated. "
Before we start anything, we'll cover the basics. Stance, balance, form..." Over the following weeks, Sabi and Sylvia met every morning, after she finished whatever work she'd been putting on commission. She went home exhausted; though the male Kalon wasn't extremely rough on her, the training was still brutal. While she'd never been particularly out of shape, she could feel her muscles beginning to tone up, growing stronger with each workout. But each day she left feeling more prepared to defend herself if the need ever arose.
Slowly, they began to hang out together even outside of training. They were constantly texting and talking over the phone, meeting up for quick bites and coffee breaks. She discovered that not only did he fight competitively, but that he also was a streetracer for a local garage. One night he asked if she would like to come out to a party his crew was hosting, and she quickly accepted; part of her wondered if he was considering this a "date", and the thought scared her a bit. They'd known each other almost a year now, and Sylvia had noticed that he'd been very attentive to her while he ignored the blatant advances of other girls, and that he spent nearly all of his time trying to make her happier and included. She'd be lying if she hadn't become the slightest bit affectionate towards him as well, and that she more than enjoyed his company, but... she was scared. Her father kind of ruined anything to do with men for her, and it wasn't something she could just easily let go of.
"Things were perfect. In fact, they were too perfect."Despite her better judgement, Sylvia got herself all dressed up and ready, just in time for Sabi to pick her up in his Mitsubishi EVO and head out of town to a cabin outside of the city limits. It was surrounded by woods and far from civilization, but it was anything but quiet. Cars and bikes lined the long hidden driveway up to the home, and the land between the lake's edge and was filled with lights and people. Most were huddled around a campfire laughing, while others danced in the cheap strobe lights and enjoyed the cool night air. Sylvia could feel her anxiety rising as they approached, but from the moment she walked in, she was ushered into the group and treated like family, without them even knowing who she was. The female Kalon made quick friends with another Kalon she heard called
Vaporwave, and by midnight she had partied and danced herself to exhaustion. Throughout the entire party, she'd watched her friend keep his distance, but those multicolored eyes never left her for longer than a few seconds. Finally, under the light of the full moon, she met Sabi on the house's dock, and they sat with their paws in the cold water.
"
I'm glad you came tonight," he murmured, glancing over at the female Kalon. She turned and smiled at him, and she could see a glint of nerves in those gorgeous multicolored eyes.
"
I'm glad I did, too," she whispered back.
"
Sylvia, I... I don't do love. I've always failed in it, one way or another, but something about you makes me feel differently. Like I can do better. I'm sorry to drop something heavy on you after all the fun you've had." He paused, and took a deep breath. "
But I was hoping that I could convince you to give me a chance to treat you right. Like I said, I'm not good at this kind of thing, but... I want to be." Sylvia could feel her heart racing in her chest; she wanted to be excited and say yes to him, to go back to his place and cuddle up on his couch to watch the next Fast & Furious movie she'd never seen, but the stone that settled in her stomach was too powerful. She wasn't ready to be someone's significant other; hell, she wasn't sure yet if she wanted to be one
ever, so she swallowed her panic and her desires.
"
Sabi, I didn't know how to tell you, but I've been offered multiple commissions in New York, all of which are very high paid pieces. I'm probably going to be taking them, and I don't know if I'll ever come back, so I," she hesitated a moment. "
I think it would be better for us to not go this route. You're a great guy, and I'm not trying to break your heart, I swear, but I'm not ready for this. You stay here and enjoy the party, I'm going to see if Vaporwave can take me home." In the next moment she was gone, leaving the dark-furred Kalon alone on that empty dock, staring out at the moon-touched lake with nothing but sadness.
"It was so easy to just walk away, take a new job in a far off place..."The moment her plane touched down at JFK International Airport, Sylvia could
feel the busy thrum and energy of the city around her, and she wasn't even downtown yet. Right off of the plane, she could see how fast people rushed, beelining straight from point A to point B without so much as a care who they trampled on their way. With Creed stuck to her side, she carefully maneuvered the thick crowds to the best of her ability, collected her bags, and scrambled into the last available cab. The yellow vehicle was like a beacon of hope on an otherwise dull, grey, rainy day, and provided safe passage to her new home while she focused on calming her anxiety. When they arrived, Sylvia expected the walk in to her new apartment in the heart of the city to feel like something out of a movie, but she couldn't have been more wrong. Even once her new furniture and boxes were in, and Creed was sprawled out across the couch, the apartment felt lifeless and empty. She unpacked plants, books, pictures, even her favorite radio, but nothing seemed to fill that void. She didn't have much time before she was slated to start the first mural, so she had to pick and choose what was important and what she needed sooner rather than later. Anything else would just have to wait.
Sighing, she began to hang the pictures she'd already unpacked along the entry hall of her small flat. There were pictures of her and clients with their completed works, photos of nature she'd taken with her own camera, and plenty of pictures with her and Sabishii in various places they'd hung out at. Green eyes scanning those happy memories, her heart fell a bit; right now, she really missed him, but this was for the best. She'd sold her apartment in Jacksonville, already uprooted everything and hauled it up the east coast... This was home now. New clients, new buildings, new and exciting things to do. So, squaring her shoulders, Sylvia pepped herself up and looked out to the future, gazing out at the New York skyline. This was where entertainers and artists came to make it big, and she was oh so ready to spread her wings to their full limit. But in the end, things never really got better.
That night, even with Creed's warmth and her favorite ambient track playing, Sylvia found herself unable to rest for more than a few minutes at a time. The sounds of the city outside were just enough to keep her awake, and the newness of the flat kept her from feeling safe and secure. She sighed, tossed, and turned, but sleep still eluded the female Kalon, and she went to meet her first big client clutching a hot coffee and stifling every yawn she could. She could tell it was agitating the manager of the bank she was standing in, and she chuckled nervously, explaining that she'd just flown in the day before and didn't sleep well. He scoffed unforgivingly, and went back to outlining exactly what he wanted, what time she needed to be done, then complained about having to hire extra security to watch her overnight. Her excitement fell at his callous behavior; New York was definitely not living up to expectations. Not yet, at least.
"But leaving didn't make me happy. That year in New York was absolutely miserable."Sylvia was shocked at the sheer amount of people who were all vying for her work; celebrities wanted their portraits painted, businesses wanted murals both on the inside and outsides of their buildings, and she couldn't keep freestyle canvases for longer than a few days at best. Before things even began to calm down in the slightest, a year had passed, and her apartment was still the same stacked-box mess that it had been when she moved in. Finally she was able to eke out a few days to just relax, and she opted to take one of those days to unpack more things; over the past year the small flat had begun to feel more like home, more lived in, and with each little memory she unpacked it continued to get better.
As she knelt beside a particularly large box, a black sleeve sticking out of the rest of her clothes caught her eye, and she pulled on it curiously. Holding it out in front of her, a touch of sadness hit her chest and she slowly lowered it to look down at the faded lettering. It was Sabishii's band hoodie, the one he'd given her to wear when he defended her in the coffee shop. She swore she'd returned this thing ages ago, but the more she thought about it, the more apparent it was that she never had. Hugging it close, she could smell must from being packed away, but there was also just the faintest hint of the cologne he'd always worn. She whined softly, and Creed quickly jumped down from his throne to check on his master. It was then that this whole plan came crashing down around her. She hated New York; it was too noisy, too busy, too many people. Most of her clients were horrible, nasty people, and the few good ones always went too fast. She had no artistic liberty, little time to draw and paint what
she wanted to, and worst of all, she had no friends to turn to. Even though she wasn't really into joining the gang, she missed Sabi and his crew horribly.
She slept on her choices that night, and the next day, rose with the morning sun; Sylvia hadn't slept that well since she'd moved, and she felt more clear minded that she'd ever been in the last 12 months. She took a deep breath as she fixed her morning coffee; a dark, bitter brew that she bought from Zabar's just down from her complex. She winced at the taste, even overloaded with sugar and cream didn't seem to help any, and moved out onto her balcony to watch the rising star color the buildings with waves of flame. As beautiful as it was, it only took about 30 minutes sitting out on her balcony to make a final decision: she wanted to go home. As soon as these last two murals were finished, she would be Jacksonville bound once more, and even Creed seemed to be excited about this new turn of events.
Sylvia swore she'd never finished two murals as fast as she did these; two weeks later, she'd put on the final touches, confirmed that the clients were happy, and gotten paid. Only a week later, she'd already packed up her flat, rented a U-Haul, and set off on an adventure; this time, instead of a short flight, she trailed her way down the eastern seaboard on her final exodus.
"The best day of my life was coming back to him."Luckily, she left her previous landlord on good terms, and by some stroke of good fortune, her old apartment hadn't been rented out yet. Sylvia quickly signed on it again, and paid her lease up for the entire year with the money she'd made in New York, just as a gesture of good faith. As soon as the boxes were unloaded and the van returned, she hopped on her motorcycle and sped off, checking the places she thought he'd be: the gym, the coffee shop, even the riverbank where they'd sat and talked for hours on end, but he wasn't there. The last place she could check was the lake house, but those chances were slim; did she even remember the route? It was fairly simple, only a few turns... She could make it. She would recognize the way. It was already dark, but she wasn't afraid of those country roads, not even on her bike. She just hoped desperately that he would be there.
With nothing but her headlights illuminating the roads in front of her and no other traffic to slow her down, Sylvia screamed through every red light and stop sign. At this point, she didn't even care if a Trooper pulled out behind her; she just had to find Sabi. Another mile down the long road, and suddenly car headlights lit up the world; she briefly prepared to see those blue strobes light up, but they never did. Suddenly the car sped up and wove into the opposite lane, and it was then she noticed the bright green undercarriage lights and familiar dark form that stared at her from the driver's seat. She grinned behind her helmet and revved her bike. She might not be all that interested in becoming a streetracer, but she could make an exception, just this once. She tore off down the road, leaving the dark EVO behind as she sped for the lake house. She'd never hit 120 on her bike before, and the feeling was absolutely exhilarating.
By the time Sabi pulled in behind her, Sylvia had already dismounted and removed her helmet. She stood leaning against her bike casually, chest tight and nerves running rampant as he parked and stepped out of his car. "
Hi," she said nervously, and after a moment he gave the smallest smile. "
Hi." Sylvia did her best to formulate words, but it was at this moment she realized she had not thought this through, and the silence was incredibly awkward. She began to panic internally until suddenly Sabi offered both of his hands to her, palms up, and she happily took them. The moment her hands met his she calmed, and he pulled her into his chest. It was a silver screen image as he embraced her, and she nuzzled her face into his dark fur, breathing in that familiar cologne. There were no words spoken, no explanations needed; the two just stood by the entrance to the small home, enjoying each others' company and the cool, moonless night.
It was only a month later that not only had Sabi moved in with her, but she'd also said "yes" to his love, his crew, and his ring.
"Now you know me... or do you?"A normal day in Sylvia's life starts at sundown; she awakes in the afternoon, slowly untangling herself from the way she's been bound to Sabishii while they sleep. Usually, this also stirs both the male Kalon and their companion Creed, and usually leads to a brief cuddle session while Sabi tries to convince her to stay in bed a bit longer. When she's finally free, she stretches deeply and pads out into her condo's kitchen and starts a pot of their favorite coffee, and begins to work on breakfast. It takes Sabi only a few minutes to finish waking up, and he comes out to kiss her good morning and help her cook. They eat together, taking their time to talk about their day, upcoming bills, anything that needs discussion. The clean up the kitchen together as well, and make their bed. Sylvia takes a shower first, then dries her hair while he showers, and she dresses for the day ahead. Last thing before walking out the door is she feeds Creed, then puts on his collar and heads out with him right on her heels.
If she's currently working on a commission, she dresses in her paint-stained black jeans and a "throw away hoodie", typically a cheap black or white one that she doesn't mind getting paint on, then grabs her motorcycle helmet and keys. She carries an identification badge as well as a written approval from the owner of the building or business she's working on; doing spray painting at night, in a hoodie, with a filter mask on gets her stopped by police more often than you'd think, so she makes sure to always carry proper documentation to prove what she's doing is legal. Normally there's no further issue, but sometimes it does happen. Creed always hangs around close by, so just in case a non-officer individual comes around to cause trouble, he's there to protect his master.
If she's not currently working on a commission or a project, often times she'll go with Sabi to the NSR Garage to take part in whatever they're doing. While she's officially an NSR member, she doesn't actually streetrace anything. She's often there just to look good and socialize; she does, however, tag locations that Jackson wants, but after an incident she had with another local gang, she makes sure to only mark where Jackson tells her. Her activities largely depend on what the rest of the crew is up to, such as meet ups, races, shows, or just hanging around at the garage, the lakehouse, or their favorite food joints. It's always something new and exciting. Very few nights to Sabi and Sylvia actually get to stay in and laze around the condo, but to be honest, those are her most favorite ones of all.
It's normally well passed sunrise that Sabi and Sylvia stop at their favorite coffee shop to taste the new brews and say hello to their friends there. Usually they'll sit in the corner booth underneath the hanging plants and fairy lights, watching the morning traffic slowly dissipate. It's usually between nine and ten in the morning that they get home and shower again, then all three head to bed to watch some television, and sleep until the night returns.
Sylvia- story idea: she tags an area for NSR, not understanding the repercussions. Causes an issue with the Red Devils, another Jacksonville based street racing garage, so Jackson, Sabi, and her go to straighten it out. TRD Leader curses at her and Sabi gets angry; mention that "she's never been so terrified of someone who wasn't even yelling"; Sabi talks with great anger and authority in his voice, but never yells or threatens. Very intimidating.
