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Post by Snaggle on Oct 25, 2012 7:50:29 GMT -5
As soon as the taxi had pulled into the dimly lit car park of the royal apartment complex, William pulled open the door and stumbled out, dry heaving onto the cold pavement, his face pale and sickly. The horrific events of the evening still tumbling through his mind.
Of all the things....That could have happened that evening...
To think...One stray shot...One...mistimed run.
William had never met a hunter before, but never in his wildest nightmares had he imagined he'd ever meet one like that.
Were they all as mad as Freya? Was that the sort of life he had started to lead? Chased by insane, gun wielding...
But at least Peri was safe...Which was more than could be said for some of the poor souls left at the restaurant.
He shuddered and straightened up, glancing over his shoulder to see if Peri had left the taxi yet, before starting to stumble, as if in a daze, up to the apartment building.
He wanted nothing more than to be back inside his apartment, the door firmly locked, all lights blazing.
Hunters...Couldn't track werewolves...Could they?
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 25, 2012 15:03:18 GMT -5
Peri stepped out of the taxi almost in a daze. This hadn't quite been the way she'd imagined returning with Will to their apartment complex... Her dress was covered in dust and wrinkled, a slice on her cheek was still dribbling blood and dripping down from her chin onto her chest, and she was certain that bruises were going to soon erupt on her arms and legs from various impacts.
Shuddering slightly as she heard Will retch, she averted her gaze and began to walk - albeit with a slight hobble - towards the double doors of the apartment complex, not entirely sure how to proceed. Running a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath and pushed the doors open, trying to string words together in a coherent sentence in her mind before crossing the final frontier by saying them out loud.
"Well... what do you want to do...? I understand if you want to go home, but if you want to give it another shot... I'm sure I can cook us something..." She tried as hard as she could not to sound feeble, desperate and defeated, beginning to climb the stairs up to their floor. If he accepted, she would tell him everything. He deserved to know... No, she wanted him to know. She trusted him...
If they were going to go any further, she would need to be able to be open with him... [/blockquote] |
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Post by Snaggle on Oct 29, 2012 12:56:02 GMT -5
Pausing to push open the stiff double doors of the complex lobby- his arms aching from the small number of bumps and bruises he had received from throwing himself to the floor and crawling through broken chairs and cutlery- William found himself smiling weakly at Peri's words.
"W-well I hardly think..."
He managed, his words edged with a dull, monotonous shock, himself finding the image of the pair of them, sitting at one of their tables, calmly trying for a romantic evening- now, after what had just happened- to be almost...
...Well, he would say funny, but a man had just died.
He turned to look at her, taking in the long slender cuts and the sharp scent of blood that surrounded her frame. His words of rejection died in his throat almost as quickly as they had risen.
He slumped slightly, wearyness suddenly getting the better of him as he finally whimpered;
"Please...Don't...D-don't leave m-me on m-my own..."
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 30, 2012 7:29:49 GMT -5
Normally, Peri would have been almost taken aback by his words, almost barely audible between the thumps and clatters of their respective steps on the worn carpet of the stairs, quivering on the cool night air that seeped through the rotting wood of window frames and under doors.
Watching his shoulders slump, seeming utterly defeated by the memories of the night and the overwhelming torrent of emotion that seemed to have crashed down on both of their shoulders, Peri closed her eyes for a moment. Taking in the weary, aching thump of her head and heart echoing in her ears and seeming to vibrate behind her eyelids, beginning to realize that she too really did not want to be alone tonight.
"I couldn't if I tried..." She responded, quietly but truthfully, the strange flatness to her tone still unable to quell the emotion that dripped from the simple words. Dragging her fingertips over her cheek, crimson smearing across the pads, she found herself striding forward, other hand seeking Will's, entwining her fingers through his, leading them both towards the door to his apartment.
It was an odd feeling, really. She was suddenly so overwhelmed by the desire to protect him, to soothe him, to battle any negative memories or emotions that might dwell within his being to give him a more pleasant existence. She had almost laid her life on the line that night to make sure that Nicole... no, Freya wouldn't hurt him. Swallowing a lump in her throat at the thought of the dark haired woman, her eyes became half-lidded, the warm crimson dulling to a faded burnt umber, trying to push the memories of their friendship to the back of her mind.
It was odd how much it hurt to think about...
"Do... do you have your keys...?" [/size] |
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Post by Snaggle on Oct 31, 2012 12:00:53 GMT -5
The warm touch of Peri's hand on his own was enough to pull him away slightly from his little world of shock. Enough, at least, to look up and give her a warn smile as they padded up the stairs and along the sticky carpet.
Right now, he didn't think he ever wanted her to leave his sight. Even if for the selfish reason that he wanted her protection, her comfort.
Patting his pockets in reply to her question, he found found himself fighting the urge to laugh- not a shy little chuckle, but a loud manic wave of terrified release- the small irony of being locked out of his apartment again not lost on his shock addled mind.
Finally, however, his questing fingers caught the cold lump of metal in his jacket pocke. He pulled out his apartment key, watching it glint dully in the artifical corridor lighting before turning to his door and opening it with shaking hands.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 31, 2012 12:14:58 GMT -5
Sighing in slight relief as he found his keys and unlocked the door, Peri hesitated for a moment before walking in, momentarily releasing her grip on Will's hand as she caught sight of herself in a mirror. The cut on her face had healed enough to scab, but there was still a smear of crimson across her cheek that was beginning to dry in a dark crust, her dress was - thankfully - not damaged, but was covered in dirt and crumpled, and her hair was a mess, with smudged, unattractive make-up. She looked an absolute sight...
Turning to Will, she smiled awkwardly, now beginning to become aware of how much she ached after that little battle earlier in the evening. "Would you... would you mind if I used your shower? Nic.... F-Freya kind of did a number on my appearance earlier." She sighed for a moment, before managing to pull a slightly teasing smile onto her features, if not a weak one.
"It's a shame too. I looked damn fantastic when I left the house." She chuckled weakly, touching awkwardly at the bloody smear on her cheek. The evening could have been so amazing... Now she had one very large worry bubbling away at the back of her mind that just wouldn't leave. She had to find Nicole... but Will was her first priority now. She knew now more than ever that she couldn't bear to let anything happen to him, she had gotten herself in too deep to turn back now. |
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Post by Snaggle on Oct 31, 2012 12:29:22 GMT -5
"O-of course"
Pausing to flick the hall lights on as he closed the door behind him, allowing the warm yellow light to flood the small room before leading the way to the bathroom door. Trying not to notice Peri's shocked expression as she gazed at herself in the little hallway mirror, he turned back to her with a weak smile.
"I-I think y-you still look..."
He trailed off, realising even as he said them, that those words probably sounded perfectly needy and pathetic. Instead he covered the statement with a cough and pushed open the bathroom door for her.
"erm...T-towels are o-on the rack o-over there...W-would you like a-a...C-coffe or...s-something?"
He was going to have to ask soon, he knew it; he couldn't keep pushing it to the back of his mind. Freya had...had known Peri, and Peri had known her too...
How?
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 31, 2012 12:42:26 GMT -5
Nodding gratefully, Peri removed her shoes by the front door before padding through the hall to the bathroom, shivering a little as warm carpet turned to cold tile, sending sparks and shivers through the thin material of her tights and up her legs. Turning back to look over her shoulder, she took in his offer of a coffee, and despite not liking the substance much, agreed. She was going to need it... given the situation, it was likely going to be a long night... She owed it to him to explain at least why they were attacked by a crazy psychopath, who knew Peri all too well...
Closing the bathroom door behind her, she quickly slipped off her dress and underwear and stepped into the shower, trying to make it as quick as possible, washing the dried blood, dirt and sweat from her skin and easing her aching muscles under the hot water, before turning off the shower and wrapping herself in a towel, figuring that if anything, it would just reverse the effects of the shower to put on the dirty dress once more. Folding up her clothes, she put them under one arm, dried off her hair a little with a towel and wandered back out into the living room, looking almost a little bashful to be walking around Will's apartment only in a towel.
Taking a deep breath, she walked out into sight, more nervous about the inevitable questions that loomed before her, the more time ticked on. How on earth was she meant to explain all of this.... |
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Post by Snaggle on Oct 31, 2012 17:08:45 GMT -5
William was huddled on the sofa when Peri finally appeared, his shivering hands clasped around a steaming coffee mug, his crumpled suit jacket folded neatly on one of the arm rests.
He smiled weakly up at the towel-covered woman, glad to see that the cuts and scrapes appeared to be healing, and that the worn, thrown-about appearance had been somewhat removed by the hot shower water.
He motioned to the small side table, where an identical mug of coffee sat waiting for her, and then to the empty sofa cushions.
"Y-you should s-sit down...erm...heh....w-wouldn't w-want to hurt y-your stomach...
He trailed off and shifted uneasily, unsure of how to start asking the questions he wanted to ask, not even sure if Peri would be willing- or able- to answer them.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Oct 31, 2012 17:41:42 GMT -5
Settling down amongst the sofa cushions, taking care to keep herself modest and decent in the soft - albeit, now slightly damp - towel, she took the coffee mug from the side table and took a long sip, shuddering slightly as the bitter liquid slipped down her throat. Ugh. She still didn't like coffee, no matter what way she looked at it. Thankfully, it had the effect she had been after, and suddenly her eyelids felt less heavy and her brain woke up, the gears beginning to turn once more.
Right. This should be a little easier, now...
Taking a deep breath, she cradled the warm mug in her hands, struggling to meet Will's gaze, trying to steel herself, knowing she may as well get it over with. "I... I imagine you're probably wondering... about tonight..." She began, trying to maintain a straight forward, business-like tone.
Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to travel back into memory, pulling the words straight from her past to explain it the best.
"Nic-... Freya... was my best friend when I was a teenager. We met in highschool, we were pretty much inseparable. She was always pretty antisocial, and I... well, you can imagine, heh... This was before... I mean... you know. When I was... human." Peri paused for a moment, tilting the mug from one side to the other, watching the liquid ripple and slosh up each china wall, never managing to spill over the top.
"Her real name is Nicole... she saw me get attacked and bitten, I think it might have screwed her in the head a little... As for why she was calling herself Freya, I don't know." Taking another long sip of coffee, she looked back to Will, stopping to allow him to ask whatever questions he might have. |
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Post by Snaggle on Oct 31, 2012 19:48:27 GMT -5
Without William having to prompt, or even having to attempt to assemble the jumbled questions in his mind into some kind of respectable, speakable, order, he found himself listening to Peri quietly explain.
He found himself leaning forward slightly as she spoke of the woman from the courtyard being her friend- a strange image to fit through his mind, considering what he had just witnessed- and felt a small chill run down his spine as she admitted to once being human.
Somehow this small muttered statement caught his attention for longer than it maybe should have done, helped on by the sudden small silence that followed her words.
William felt his heart go out to Peri; a tighter, aching feeling gripping him as he longed to reach forward and embrace her again- tell her that he knew how that felt...
"s-so"
He managed weakly, once Peri had finished, his hands still cradling the cooling mug.
"Y-you were best friends...a-and yet s-she...w-wants to k-kill you?"
the final part of his question was whispered in a shrill little squeak, William himself unsure if he even understood the situation.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Nov 1, 2012 6:41:47 GMT -5
Peri winced slightly at his question, the obvious hurt and confusion now becoming very apparent in her eyes and expression. Grip tightening on the mug, her eyes narrowed, only seeming to return from her stress filled daydream as she became aware that the pressure of her nails and fingertips on the china had now left cracks across the plain white.
Feebly placing the mug back on the table - hoping that Will hadn't noticed - she kept her gaze averted, not entirely sure what to tell him in response. "I... I don't know..." She replied softly, her voice almost seeming to crack with suppressed emotion. She didn't know why Nicole suddenly wanted her dead. She didn't know what had suddenly poisoned her best friend's mind so that she had developed this... psychotic persona, Freya, that screamed at her and tried to kill her.
She missed Nicole dearly.
"I moved here not long after I was bitten... I ended up on the streets for a while after the attack, the change kind of drove me crazy in the beginning... So that was the first time I had seen Nicole in years." Her voice wavered, seeming almost on the verge of tears. Inclining her head into her chest, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to gain a little more control over her emotions before continuing. |
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Post by Snaggle on Nov 1, 2012 8:54:34 GMT -5
"D-do you think s-she'll come back? I-I mean the Police-"
William paused as he wanted Peri slump, her dark head bowed deepily in a look of pain and misery.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure if what she wanted now was a gentle hug or to be left alone to quietly compose herself.
Reliving memories of one's turning was hard enough, but William could hardly imagine sitting down and telling someone about it, let alone with the added heartache of beleiving yourself to have driven someone insane in the process.
...Having created a hunter like the one they had just witnessed...
Setting his mug down carefully on the side, he shuffled over to her, concluding that if a hug was what Peri wanted right now, then he would present himself to hug her, but if she decided otherwise, then atleast he would be nearby for her.
He wanted nothing more than to see her safe, and happy as he had hoped he'd see her tonight- before everything turned.
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Post by *Kittlez. on Nov 1, 2012 15:15:22 GMT -5
Peri sighed deeply, seeming to have composed herself from her previous bout of near-tears, still opting to gently slump to the side and rest her head on Will's shoulder, grateful for his closeness.
"Knowing Nicole... probably. I doubt she even got arrested... D-don't let that scare you, though. I won't let her hurt you..." Peri lifted her head back up to look him in the eyes as she said this, wanting him to know that she meant every word from the bottom of her heart.
"Maybe... maybe I can talk to her... if she doesn't try and shoot me first, of course..." Peri sighed heavily, becoming aware that she was shivering, only wearing the towel, and the warmth of the shower had cooled to a strong chill.
"As long as you're safe... that's really all that matters, to me anyway..." |
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Post by Snaggle on Nov 4, 2012 13:47:15 GMT -5
Feeling the warm weight of Peri's head on his shoulder again, William allowed a small feeling of comfort to wash through him- they had survived, they were alright; everything would heal over time and no lasting damage.
If Freya...Or Nicole...or whatever it was she called herself showed up again...Well, William hoped it would be far, far in the future, when he has his pack behind him and was able to put up some sort of a fight for Peri; he knew all to well the damage a small pack of werewolves could do to a human.
And even that idea terrified him.
Maybe...Maybe Peri was right, and her friend would listen to her after all. Blocking out what had happened afterwards, she had been perfectly polite to him before werewolves were mentioned. Maybe...
But he didn't want to think about this anymore; he knew more than he thought he wanted to know and it made him feel unsafe. Having been warned of hunted long ago, back when he first found himself cursed and alone, meeting one at last had broken the safe little bubble he had surrounded himself with.
Shaking his head to clear it of such morbid thoughts, William paused to notice Peri shivering softly next to him. Feeling a smooth wash of guilt for leaving her to explain in only a towel, he smiled nervously before asking.
"W-wouldyou...L-Like a dressing g-gown?"
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