NEVER MUCH OF  a dreamer.  Even as a child, Leah Rodriguez read ten too many stories of Icarus, whose expired realism would have kept him safety grounded on the tower floor.  Much like His wings, Leah grew too quickly.  Her teachings of the world are based primarily on her own perspective,  Leah, a forgotten child who taught herself to endure by way of avoidance.  Do not engage in x to prevent y.  The neglect which began enforced by the two she once loved has carried on its merry way through Leahâs life,  only itâs Leah with hands on the wheel.  At least this loneliness she controls.  Never much of a dreamer.  Now or then.Â
    âBut even realists can be twisted into a noose of their own expectations. Sheâs become content in Theliaâs safety.  Most of it she prevents. Likewise, her confidence is something of wishful thinking; a dreamerâs game.  That she will never taste the sweat and blood of defeat in battle.  Even for an enemyâs hit to landâ UNLIKELY.  But the intruder has dressed her in more than a few, an evident professional in this field.
    As a maestro in comparison, Leah takes advantage of the thiefâs vulnerable seat Lia has set for her on the ground.  Leah makes a doormat out of her,  feet bare but needless of armour when kicks to her side are swift and beating like all the hearts in that room.  Quickâ and then,  for a moment, a stillness.  Leahâs attention soars to her princess whose tower was left feeble and without dragon.  She holds a gun,  a retaliation brought to attention in a fumbled cuss.  Thelia looks small against the weapon,  like she may flail and float with it in the fear of it all.
  âââThelia,  get out!â
   (  I NEED YOU SAFE  !!!  )
  Compared to anything,  Leahâs no dragon; sheâs a wolf.  Her spoken words a growl,  gaze a darkened one,  and when the stranger notices Leahâs thwarted attention and bites back, Leah is howling like a creature under the moon.  Sheâs cupped a half-completed kick with both hands, twisting Leahâs ankle and dragging her down with her. Â
  Leah is better than that.  There is no wrestling involved,  which the intruder mustâve been plotting.  Leah accepts the new position;  where before she was a doormat,  now sheâs Leahâs throne.  Leahâs weight is crushing,  pushing in the places she knows sheâs hit.  The bitch is whining beneath her, quivering into herself, but Leah does not give in, fingers clasped around the enemyâs throat, pressing downâŚ. Was it worth it? She wants to taunt.  You didnât even get what you came for.  But Leah is silent,  stare hard and teeth gritted. Grip relaxes.  Just.  A tad more pain than necessary,  for the insult of rummaging through Liaâs apartment.  This woman is GUARDED.  Do not confuse yourself again.  Any of you.  âA rope.  Something to tie her with.  Something.  Thelia.â
The voice of her saviour worked in an attempt to catch her attention. Thelia struggled to retain focus, trembling grasp on the weapon catching most of her gaze. Leahâs demand perished versus the notion of leaving her alone with their invader, but it dragged their situation back to the light. She remained, unmoving, feet cemented to the ground. In place of a response, Thelia dropped the gun. The object collided with the floor, the sound it produced making it appear much heavier than it felt in Theliaâs hands. At that point, it was indiscernible to her whether or not the action was intentional. I wonât leave you.
Her desire shifted, thoughts locating the newfound request and honing in on how to manoeuvre it. She just wanted this to be over â the light of the moon caught sharp features, illuminating the younger womanâs jade green inspection of Leahâs order. A rope. No such object existed in Theliaâs space. The upper east side apparent was mildly lived in. Where a typical home would have various miscellaneous objects at its disposal, Theliaâs space was barren. Moreso intelligent than she would have given herself credit for, Thelia ran past Leah, then found the drawer that had been removed from the kitchen counter containing a roll of duct tape. âHere,â she called, ensuring she had Leahâs attention, then tossed the item to her friend.Â
Sirens echoed inside the room, the noise finding its way inside through an open window. The impending intervention did nothing to calm her nerves. It was only Leah that could set her mind at ease, afterwards the intruder had been bound. âLeah,â she called weakly, the exhalation of the otherâs name soft on her lips, yet the yearning was made clear; she uttered the name as though if she spoke it with enough desire it would dispel the danger laid out before them.
 She slid onto the floor, back finding a lower cupboard in the kitchen as she watched Leah perform her duty. Thelia planted herself, silent tears continuing to adorn her features with as much patience as she could muster in spite of her fear.Â
