Humanity is Highly Overrated (Azaziel/Saphire Rain)

[Azaziel Vanderlin]

The day was just like any other, mere existence had become wholly grating. Not that he'd ever admit that, even to himself. He supposed sitting around, waiting for things to change wasn't really going to accomplish much of anything. He honestly hated coming out of the haze that had become his every day existence, he swore the imprint of his posterior was now a permanent sort of part of the couch he sat on most days...and they didn't even own a tv?

He hated thinking back, hated thinking about what had happened, what it meant...who he even was anymore. All of it was just memories, memories that swamped him, that became more important than the actions he'd taken and the choices he'd been forced to make.

But was that right?

No, it couldn't be. Was pining over high school days healthy? Not in the least, he was a grown man, far past chasing pretty tails and snubbing classes and loitering after hours because it made him feel cool. That might have been who he'd been, but it certainly wasn't who he was now. Not in the least. He wouldn't have even recognized himself now if he'd approached his younger self in the past. He could fair see it play out in his head, had seen it play out in his head, over and over again. Because he had nothing better to do with his time...then spend it imagining up how preposterous his life was.

Unkempt black hair, swept into his forehead and eyes, tickled across his temples with ever stale gust of breeze. Pot and the stench of weed superimposed itself over the air, seemed to sink into it until just smelling it gave one a throbbing headache, absorbed deep into one's clothes, into one's very body with a tenacity that rivaled a python squeezing the life from its prey. His deep brown eyes were piercing, always had been, it's what gave him that edge, what turned the athletic build he had into something bad boyish. He could turn and regard his fellow man with a 'look' and what a look it would be, it would catch everyone's attention, female or male and whatever remark followed said look? Laughter would ensue.

Laughter always ensued?

A crowd always dogged his footsteps, girls edging near to stand in his shadow, in his space, just to hear him talk, just to be involved, included. Never any of the sweet one's though, never that, no, only the one's that cackled, that cracked jokes at the less fortunate. That did their hair and nails up, wore push up bra's and short shorts, short skirts and gossiped about every little thing. In his scene, every word, every look, every action, rebellious or not was talked about, shared, explained and debated and demeaned. It was like eating, a necessity, something they couldn't get through the day without, something that gave their life...meaning.

Thinking back on that always got him to shake his head now, to scoff at himself. Why had he settled for that? Why had he let it overwhelm him, define who he'd been? Especially now...especially considering who he'd met...and the fact that he'd been so oblivious, been so close to her, yet blinded by the superficial until he was more shallow than a crack in the pavement after a light shower. Every single kiss, every grope, every skirt he'd lifted and butt he'd smacked, every uncouth word he'd said and laugh that he'd let escape, every single flirtation almost sickened him now, disgusted him. Every single girl he'd ever gotten close to...he regretted.

That was the truth of it.

Regret rode him hard. It was a living, breathing beast inside of him, it choked him up stronger than any thirst for blood ever could, it weighed him down more than sleep deprivation ever had, it dragged at him and kept him sitting right where he was, wallowing in it. It wasn't even regret for the most obvious things, regret for the choices he'd made over the last year, for the choices he'd made before he'd met...her. It was regret for the simple things, for the things he felt defined him as a person, the things that he felt had been fully in his control. He couldn't defend himself, he couldn't make it right in his own head or heart, couldn't justify it.

The biggest one...was the fact that after he'd come to know who Rain was...he'd learned he'd been so close...had wasted so many months, so much of his time...doing absolutely nothing productive, being wholly oblivious of her existence. He could still remember how they'd met, he considered it still, despite everything that had happened...the day he'd woken up, matured.

[Sapphire Rain]

It had been a long but enjoyable day at the bakery. As much as the day was dragging on rather slowly, no real conflict at arisen at her work, and she was grateful for that. She was happier without having to stress if something went wrong. Sliding the pan of cupcakes into the oven, she closed the oven door, setting the timer for eight minutes. Dusting her hands off, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, staring at it for a moment before texting Azaziel quickly.

Hey you doing alright? :)

She sent off the text without thinking too hard about it, slipping the phone back into her pocket, and washing her hands before going to another counter to mix together the ingredients for cookies as well.

Try as she might, she found herself remembering simpler times, back before she had turned, before Azaziel had asked to be turned, before everything continued to go wrong no matter what she tried to do to mend it. Secretly, she missed being human. As much as being fed from terrified her, it led to feeling sick, nauseous, but she was alive.

She missed being able to speak to her father without having to walk on eggshells over certain topics. She called him every so often, to check in. It didn't mean she didn't miss him, and her mother, more than anything. She had Azaziel, and she was content, happy, grateful that he stayed with her, didn't just leave her to find someone less problematic.

She swore under her breath, digging at the cookie mix a little more in annoyance. As happy, cheerful she tried to stay, always, doubt floated in her mind. The slightest...fear that he would find a reason to leave. She never voiced her fears, always tried to keep quiet, keep happy, not really let him know just how much thinking she was doing.

He had said he wouldn't leave her, well, when they were both human, he had said that, had promised her that. Being a blood thief, complicated things. Being turned, she was sure he would walk out. Not that she was trying to chase him out, she had explained her side, her reasoning for wanting what she wanted, why she had asked to be turned.

An hour passed, and the cupcakes had been taken out and frosted, the cookies put into the oven to bake. Then those were done and Rain put them away, signing out of work for the night, heading out of the bakery and back home. She tugged her apron off, over her head, rolling it into a ball and pulling her phone out, checking her messages, replying to Azaziel if he had responded.

Hey, sorry, lots of baking to do at work, holy crap. I'm heading home. :) Need me to pick up anything before I get home?

Tucking her phone back into her pocket, she went into the train station, glancing around before heading for the nearest transport. Thanks to her daydreaming, she was there in what felt like, a shorter time. She stepped off the transport, heading towards Veil Towers.

She walked into their apartment, smiling at him and dropped her apron on a chair near the door. "Hey?" She stared at him, looking thoughtful, thinking back to when they had first met. A random guy offering her a kitchen knife to 'defend' herself, she would have usually marked him insane and carefully backed away. To this day, she still didn't know what drew her in about him. He was attractive, more than attractive, but that wasn't the thing that had pulled her in, not the main thing. She still couldn't put her finger on it.

"...How was your day?" She asked softly, interrupting her thoughts, her chipper tone of voice only sounding slightly fake, which could easily be blamed on working with customers all day. She shut the door behind her, locking it before tugging her shirt off, which had managed to get covered in flour despite her wearing the apron. She grumbled something, moving to drop it off into the laundry basket and going into the bedroom to grab another shirt.

She walked back in, a pale pink tank-top pulled over her torso. She smiled at him, moving over to him to sit in his lap and kiss him lightly before shifting to sit on her own couch cushion. Her fingers traced over his shoulder carefully, tugging at his shirt sleeve playfully.

[Azaziel Vanderlin]

The all too familiar ping of his phone going off had him blinking, waking up a little and then he sighed, digging around in his pocket to catch at the smooth edge of his phone with his finger and thumb and drag it out. The simple message glared up at him out of the dark recesses of the screen after he'd swept his thumb across the screen to unlock it. He honestly didn't know why she bothered, he knew there were times where he didn't answer, didn't even notice. Until months later...and then he stumbled over her little notes, her little letters, her little...I love you's.

A part of him felt like he didn't deserve it, that each little gesture of kindness wasn't really meant for him, that if he ignored it it would fade into nothing, break apart into something worthless.

But she just kept sending them.

He stared at the phone, unsure of how to even reply to the question. No? Yes? I'm fine? Why is life so complicated? I love you? He felt the strongest pull to put the last one in, to type it up and just stare at it. He knew it was true, even if it was undermined by fear, by the muddied trails his mind was traveling down. Where was a flirtatious joke when he needed one? Did he even remember how to flirt?

Why wouldn't I be? You're the one doing all the work

There.

That was light-hearted enough wasn't it? It had even almost made him smile. The question about needing anything, when it did come simply had him shaking his head. Even if that was really pointless given she couldn't see it from where she was.

No, I'm good, thanks though sweetheart

Another soft sort of sigh moved through him and then his eyes closed, his head moving to rest back on the couch as he went back to daydreaming about nothing much of anything. His dark hair dragged against the light blue white pattern of the couch as he relaxed and the phone slipped out of his fingers to rest against his thigh on the cushion. It seemed like the entire night passed by before she got home but he knew it was only twenty to thirty minutes, he'd just fallen asleep. It was honestly a relief, still being able to sleep, to fall out of conscious thought and simply rest. His eyes opened when the door opened and despite having just been napping he managed to look exhausted as he glanced over her way.

"You know..." he commented dryly, "I suppose its nice to know that no matter how I feel it won't affect my good looks?"

He couldn't not joke, make a quip when her eyes hit against his own, it almost felt like an excuse for why he looked the way he did. It wasn't that the idea of feeding sickened him...well...the thought offeeding live sickened him, but not from blood bags. It was just that he hadn't been motivated to feed at all in the past couple of weeks. He didn't want her to feel concerned about it though, knew on some level that she probably did and he couldn't help but feel guilty about that.

He didn't notice the way she had to force the chipper attitude. He was just grateful for it.

"My day was fine...probably far less eventful than yours...I've spent the majority of it personifying Yoda and talking backwards...to myself. Because that's healthy?"

He trailed off, eyes following her as she stripped her shirt off, a soft sort of whistle escaping him despite himself. Now he smiled. "Was it something I said? Do you find me personifying Yoda hot?" he teased as he watched her grumble and move for the laundry bin. Amusement darkened his eyes a little even as he smirked and then followed her as she moved towards the room to change into another shirt.

"You don't have to you know!" was what he called out, "I don't mind? It's OUR house after all? You can strip down if you want to? Run around naked? Be freeeee?"

When she came back into sight the smile was still fully in place and when she sat in his lap his hands settled against her hips casually, fingers curling into her sides a little as he watched her, before kissing her back, the touch of their lips a soft, gentle thing despite his flirting. He eyed her fingers askance when she tugged at the sleeve of his shirt and then searched out her hand to thread his fingers through hers and squeeze, setting both their hands on one of his legs.

"Mmm...do you remember the day we first met?"

[Sapphire Rain]

She never really expected texts back or anything, never really wanted him to answer more than knowing he would read them eventually, know they were there and find even a small amount of happiness in each word, each emoticon. It was more a reminder to herself, that she did have someone to come home to, to lay down with at night and feel safe with, to love despite their immortal existence.

It's not really work, not to me?
I love it here, but I'm missing you. :/
And I was just wondering if you
were doing okay. We can go out in
a little while if you want?

She went back to baking for the short amount of time, before she was done and heading back. His response to her question had her smiling a little, but she didn't text him back. Moving off the transport and heading towards the tower, she debated what they could do to get out of this. Maybe they could go out into the forest for a little while, just to remember old times.

Not that those were pleasant memories, it'd probably dredge up feelings they didn't want to acknowledge or deal with. She frowned thoughtfully. Maybe just a stay-in night. Or she'd leave it up to Azaziel.

Walking in the door, she stared at him, smiling at him, chewing her lip a little at what he said. She'd ask him about that later. Hearing his day was fine had her nodding as she dropped her purse off on the chair near the door. "Yoda's awesome?" She responded, sticking her tongue out at him. And the shirt came off, thank god.

His teasing words had her laughing as she walked into their room, picking up random discarded dirty pieces of clothing and tossing them in a pile in the corner before grabbing a clean shirt and tugging it on. She debated for a moment before taking her bra off, dropping it onto the pile, adjusting the shirt so it wasn't awkward or uneven, and went back into the living room.

She crawled into Azaziel's lap out of instinct, that maybe he wanted her close, or maybe she wanted him close. Either way, she stayed near him even as she shifted down next to him, letting him have her hand and squeezing his fingers back.

"I do remember." She said softly, smiling a little at him. "...Not every day a guy offers a kitchen knife to protect yourself with?" She leaned up, kissing his cheek.

Vampire.

From the way her father cringed in almost horror and immediately got defensive and protective, that would have been the word one would assume she had said.

Boy.

That had been the word to send her father storming up the stairs, yelling in Latin about 'decievers' and 'blood-suckers' and 'death' and 'murderers in the woods with axes'.

He was overbearing sometimes.

Rain pushed her red hair from her eyes, inspecting the slight red tinge to them and prayed to god no one noticed at school. Her parents’ lectures had gotten to her again. So she couldn’t trust anyone who was too friendly or was too willing to help her, because they could be luring her away with their seductive powers of the night.

It sounded like a badly written script for some b-rated vampire flick, but unfortunately, her father worded everything along those lines. He had crosses on every day, had them stained in holy water at least once a week. Required her and her mother to wear crosses, to carry stakes at all times.

It got old after a while, she felt like a less badass version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more ‘Clueless extra number five who’s killed by a chainsaw-wielding demon, scene three.’ These thoughts didn’t exactly improve her mood as she grabbed her bag, fixed her hair up into a high ponytail and headed out of her room and out the door.

All she had said was she had a guy for a work partner in class and suddenly he was suspect number one for a vampire. She figured she’d see the signs if she ever met a vampire.

To be honest, she was doubting her parents’ logic. Surely, if vampires existed, they’d be more obvious to humans, according to the legends and myths about them.

Legends and myths always came from some bogus horror story in hopes of scaring children into behaving. As it was, Rain was calling those tales bogus and was content to live her high school career normally and without vampiric incident.

Arriving at school, she felt a sense of dread. She wasn’t in the mood for the gossip or the drama. Or the homework. But mostly the drama. A twinge of annoyance ran through her as she eyed a cluster of ‘popular’ girls stumble past her and gush about boys and football players and abs.

She didn’t know about anyone else, but she preferred books, silence, solitude. Given she didn’t find that anywhere else except the library, that was where she headed. Her first class was a free period but like hell if she was going to stay at home for that hour and a half and listen to her father drone on about evil blood-sucking demons and how to spot one.

The library was a quiet place of solitude for those too quiet and socially awkward to actually interact with other human beings. Rain raised a hand in greeting at the librarian as she walked past the front desk and went to sit down in her usual spot, a bean bag chair right next to the floor to ceiling window that looked out across the grass and woods behind their school. The sky was a stormy gray, the clouds darkening from their white fluffiness reminiscent to cotton candy, into billowing black clouds of shadowy death.

God, that was cliche.

Rain tugged her bag close after sitting down in the beanbag chair, pulling her math textbook out, along with a pencil and a notebook and began doing her assignment for the next day, scratching at her shirt sleeve briefly, the tightness of her shirt making her squirm slightly in discomfort.

The day droned on normally, attending class, going to lunch, ignoring the general human population in the school and waving to a few souls who had managed to gain friend status with her reclusive self.

At three, she was heading home, lugging her book bag over her shoulder and eyeing her phone, which thankfully, had no missed calls or unanswered texts.

As she thought about maybe stopping to grab something to eat, she felt a plink of water hit against her head. She glanced up, making a face and almost daring the rain to pour. And that it did. She huffed and glanced around for a nearby building that was actually open to the public, locating a nearby apartment building and rushing towards it, stumbling and nearly tripping from the puddles that accumulated quickly on the street, determined to send her faceplanting into the street.

Pushing the doors open and stepping inside the main lobby area of the building, she shrugged her cardigan off, shivering as she moved to sit in a nearby chair and set the piece of clothing over the armrest, her spaghetti strap shirt, while somewhat revealing, wasn’t as sleazy as some slutty shirts she had seen the cheerleaders wear at dances.

She pulled her hair from its rubber band prison painfully, wincing as she grumbled through the painful jerks she was having to deal with from her hair tangling around the rubber band inexplicably. Tugs of pain erupted wherever the rubber band pulled at, but she finally got it free and eyed the rubber band that now had stray bits of her hair wrapped tightly around it, she tossed it in the garbage nearby before shivering and crossing her arms over her chest, her damp hair hanging limply in her face, bright blue eyes wide.

After a moment of recovering and ‘gee it’s cold’, she grabbed her phone, typing out a text to her dad explaining why she was late getting home and to not worry. She sent it off and then curled into the chair, the soft plumpness and cushion of it making her feel secure, almost at home. She glanced around at the few people in the lobby who were staring out the windows as well, before seeing a young man nearby. She stared at him for a moment before looking away, reaching for her phone and pretending to text, just so he hadn’t thought she was looking at him. How awkward that would be…

[Azaziel Vanderlin]

He didn't answer the text she sent in reply, didn't know what to say to it. Should he address it? Dredge up things better left discussed in person, not over the limited character limit his phone provided? He simply read it, stared it down thoughtfully for a few long moments and then let it slowly fade out of his mind again. Once she got home he would expend effort into thinking, into responding honestly about how he felt. He'd been mulling a thought around all day, a decision he wanted her opinion on, even if he thought it was likely impossible.

He was tired of wasting each day.

When she finally got home he found himself matching her smile, everything brightened somehow by her cheer, her sheer personality. He loved that about her, truly did. It was so easy for his mood to lift. "Yes he is." Was his response to her saying Yoda was awesome. He could hear her laughter rebounding through the house even as she walked into the bedroom and it really did get his mood to lift, even more than it had before. A soft sort of sigh escaped him and then he sat up, adjusted how he was sitting on the couch so he could eye her curiously. When she sat in his lap he was reminded in spite of himself, just what it was he had, even if he didn't feel like he deserved it.

Bad boy that he was he immediately noticed her lack of bra, even if he didn't call attention to it. Instead the simple recognition of what she'd done triggered the thoughts he'd been having before he walked in the door, which in turn came back around to the day they'd met. The day his life had turned around. When she moved to sit next to him he leaned into her a little, letting his thumb brush across her hand gently as she responded to his question.

A chuckle escaped.

"Hey...it was all I could afford at the time...I was barely not homeless...you're lucky I wasn't sporting a beard...and wearing clothes that hadn't been washed in three weeks...which...is only because the hospital washed what I was wearing before they let me get dressed again..."

[Azaziel Vanderlin]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay-

*Azaziel Vanderl waves at her from where he's perched and then pats the empty seat next to him.

‹Sapphire Rain› She walked over to him, sliding into the chair next to him and smiling at him briefly before looking at the computer in front of her. She dragged her bag up into her lap, rolling her eyes to the ceiling, then meeting Azaziel's gaze in a 'I really do kind of sort of have a life other than work. Really?' look. She pulled out a notebook, then a text book from her bag and flipped open the textbook after showing him the cover, the title. Pre-Calculus.

‹Sapphire Rain› "How are you?" She asked softly, pressing the book open until it wouldn't randomly flip shut while she was working, her reddish brown hair falling over one shoulder as she rummaged in her bag for a pen.

‹Azaziel Vanderl› He found himself making a face at the title of the book she pulled out, a sympathetic wince touching down on his features even as he swivled the chair he was in and leaned against the counter in a lazy 'totally not awkward at all' sort of way. He would have spoken first but she beat him to the punch. "Honestly?" he replied, sounding like he was mulling that over, "Not too bad...a little...tired, but that's to be expected. After all...city...other people...grr...cave man no like..."

‹Sapphire Rain› Rain smiled in response, her aqua-colored eyes focused on finding the elusive pen she knew was in her bag. Finally finding it, she pulled it out and let her bag drop to the floor. She flipped open her notebook, dating it and titling it with the assignment. "What have you been up to today? Besides blowing up my email?" She teased softly, glancing at her book briefly before writing out the first problem and beginning to solve it, pausing to look at him, let him know she was listening, before looking back at her notebook as she wrote.

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "If I recall, you sent the first one, all I was doing was replying..." he retorted and then smiled and shrugged. "Usual hobo stuff...wandering here and there...failing at pickpocketing. Getting smacked upside the head by old ladies and their purses full of bricks...hunting bears..."

‹Sapphire Rain› "True." She grinned, then glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. "Sounds like a very dangerous hobo life you lead." She tugged at the sleeves of her dark brown sweater absently, blinking at her notebook, then at the textbook. "BS." She muttered, before erasing part of her solution and redoing it. She crossed her legs under the desk, the ruffly skirt she wore over black lace tights shifting ever so slightly with the movement, but not revealing anything scandalous. "I've tried pickpocketing," She admitted absently, finding the solution to the problem and giving her book a 'wtf' look before moving on. "I suck at it. Haven't gotten slapped with a purse yet. Some guy did tell me to go get a job though."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Hmhm..." he agreed, nonchalantly, her raised eyebrows causing his own to lift, even if the crooked smile on his face was anything but mocking. It was all good humor, "Hence my undeniable inclination to arm pretty girls with kitchenware whenever possible..." He watched her figure out her homework, feeling entertained by the faces she made even if he sympathized with how frustrating it could be to fight with the complicated equations. "I'm too paranoid to get a job..." he found himself admitting and the first sigh she'd heard him make escaped, the chair he was in protesting a little as he relaxed back into it. "I don't even know if it'd be possible to get hired..."

‹Sapphire Rain› Rain laughed softly, biting her tongue absently, her lips pursing slightly with the action as she stared at her textbook, eyeing the formula and problem before working to solve it. "I would get a job. I would love to have money of my own to spend. But school takes up my time, what my dad wants me to study takes up time. I don't have any time to myself, hardly. Except right now. I'm 'heading home from school' right now, actually. I'm supposed to be. But I don't care. My dad'll chew me out when I get home and it'll all be fine and good."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Hey...you'd be surprised the damage you can do with a spoon..." he said, giving her a sideways look at her laughter. "You know you could always run away with me and live in the wild...sleep in trees...there's a large one out there...would seat two people comfortably?" He found himself suggesting. "Because you know...that'd be the smart, risk free solution to everything? Oh...and you never did tell me what he has you 'studying'?"

[Sapphire Rain]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay-


‹Sapphire Rain› "How much good would a spoon do against a bear?" She watched him, then sighed and shook her head. "If I ran away, I'd never be able to forgive myself...I don't want my family to see me as a failure..." Already knowing any progress to get her homework done was impossible at the moment, she shut her textbook and notebook, then looked at him. "Mythology. It's the crazy hobby of his, to chase after figments of the imagination and drag proof out into the open. Go as far as arming his family against said fictional things." She shook her head. "I don't believe any of it. For all that he has raised me, to be logical and think rationally, that's the most irrational thing he's ever asked me, begged me to believe in...to trust him about."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Not much..." he had to admit. "I don't even think your knife would really stand up to one, unless you shot it first..." At her response to his suggestion he nodded, "It wouldn't be a failure...it'd be you taking a risk...yeah...doing something they wouldn't like...sure...but you can't define yourself by other's expectations...you won't, eventually you'll reach a point in your life where the only opinion that will matter will be your own...how you get there though...that's entirely up to you." He watched her shut her textbook, tempted to say sorry if he was the cause of distraction and then at her answer he frowned a little. "Like what? What does he protect you against? Arm you against? Asked you to believe in?"


‹Sapphire Rain› She shrugged. "It's not something I can easily drag myself out of and say I'm not going to do it....just because I don't want to...eventually, I'll leave it behind and find something else I want to do." She blinked when he asked her what her father wanted her to study, believe in. She grabbed her notebook again, turning to a blank page before writing carefully, 'Vampires.' She handed the notebook to him, then shook her head. "...I don't want any part of his research, of what he wants me to do. It's a waste of time. I won't, I don't believe in anything until I see it for myself with my own eyes..." Her words trailed off as her eyes drifted away from his face, moving to rest somewhere just past his head, looking at his shoulder. His neck, to be more specific. She reached out her hand, ready to push aside his hair and look at the redness, the mark she had just glimpsed. "...What is that?" She asked softly, her eyes widened.

‹Azaziel Vanderl› He didn't argue with her although the look he gave her was a full on 'sure it is' kind of challenge. When she wrote down the single word on her notebook and showed it to him he sort of stilled, staring at it. His breath sort of escaped, the first thought in his mind, burning on his tongue was 'you know?!' But it never escaped. The touch to his neck had him flinching away and up, the notebook falling from his hands, hitting the side of the desk and then falling to the floor as he scrambled out of the chair. He ducked down to retrieve her notebook and then held it out to her. His other hand moved to his neck, fingers covering the marks, palm settling against it almost defensively. "It's proof..." he said, "For me at least...most of those that...get attacked don't remember anything, they just wake up displaced...but..." he trailed off, shook his head, shook her notebook at her. "I can't talk about it here...if you want to know what I know...if you're open to it...even if you don't believe it...find me on the outskirts of town...I'll give you directions."


‹Sapphire Rain› Rain flinched in response when he flinched away, moving away from her and dropping her notebook in the process. She watched him pick it up, hold it out to her, while his other hand covered the marks. Now she knew she wasn't just imagining what she had seen. She swallowed carefully, then glanced around at the people nearby before looking back at him and taking her notebook back silently. Hearing his offer, she could only stare at her notebook absently, her gaze tracing over the page again and again, pausing each time on the single word that stood out on the crinkled, but nearly bare page. She looked back at him, then finally nodded. "Okay..."

[Azaziel Vanderlin]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay-


‹Azaziel Vanderl› His hand dropped away a little instead of massaging at the illusive ache that he could still feel, it was different when he was the one in control of where and when. Different when he knew who'd marked him and why. He relaxed a little the tension falling away the slightest bit and then when she took her notebook back he caught at the back of the chair and then leaned on it. "Just go South....down...straight down from here...you'll hit forest...that's where I'll be." He noticed the way she was staring at the wound and then sighed a little, "I've seen it with my own eyes...I can show you...if you want...I don't know what your father does or doesn't believe, does or doesn't know...all I know is what it feels like to wake up in a ditch...half dead...and know an overwhelming sense of terror...because the only memory you have of what happened is nothing...and then it happens again...and again...and each time you're a little bit closer to just not waking up again."



‹Sapphire Rain› Rain was silent, staring at the word for a long moment before finally closing the notebook and grabbing her textbook. She slipped them both inside her bag, then stood up, grabbing her pen as well before looking up at him, watching him. "I'll meet you there."


‹Azaziel Vanderl› He nodded, his eyes searching hers for a moment before he backed up, managing not to hit or kick his heels against anything before he turned and ducked out of the small cafe. When she made it outside he was just...gone. He didn't intend on going back to the same place later either. Now that there was no need to endanger himself.

*small while later*

‹Sapphire Rain› She watched him, all the while absently clutching the fabrics to her leg, if only to assure herself that she wasn't bleeding to death. The trek into the woods hadn't been all that uneventful, for her at least. She'd encountered some of the local wildlife, but at least they hadn't gone too far away from the city, she'd been able to find him easily enough, even with the injury she'd acquired.


* Azaziel Vanderl pushes up to his feet again and then starts clearing up the area around them.

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "How do you feel about a fire...and rabbit for dinner?"


‹Sapphire Rain› "It's food. Anything sounds good."

‹Sapphire Rain› She brushed away some of the leaves and branches near her, looking away from him for a few long moments.


‹Azaziel Vanderl› He gave her a bemused look at that and then felt himself frown a little at the lost sort of way she was looking away from him. He sat back on his heels a little, the elbow of one arm resting on his knees even as his other fingers splayed out against the ground to keep his weight centered. "We can sleep down on the ground too...I have enough pelts to make an actual bed out of it...and I don't think trying to climb a tree would be very comfortable..."

[Sapphire Rain]

‹Sapphire Rain› Rain nodded, looking back up at him. "Okay." She nodded slightly. "I'd probably fall and break my leg, with my luck..."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "No you wouldn't."
‹Azaziel Vanderl› "I wouldn't let you fall..."
‹Azaziel Vanderl› His voice was dead serious, the concern having evened the tone of it out until the slightly 'rough' pitch of it was wholly believable, wholly firm. "I'm sorry I wasn't there..."

‹Sapphire Rain› She gave him a look, then smiled slightly before looking away again. Rain shook her head. "It's my fault. I started the fight with it...I just reacted when I saw it near me..." She gestured at her leg. "Obviously, I didn't react quickly enough."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "I need to buy you a gun...obviously kitchen ware isn't cutting it..." he found his own lips twitching a little at the self made pun and then he stood up, moving into the surrounding area to gather up large sticks and twigs and drag them back to the small area he'd cleared out.

‹Sapphire Rain› "You don't need to buy me anything. Eventually I'll be able to save up enough money..." She watched him gather up the sticks and twigs, then said softly, "...Will you teach me? To start a fire?"


‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Sure..." he said and then he shook his head. "You can pay me back...its hard to make money without a job...I...sell what I hunt...and...donate." He shot her a quick look and then glanced away. His lips pursed and then he sort of stilled. "I don't...I don't mind...helping you out...until you can stand on your own."

‹Sapphire Rain› "I'll pay you back." She nodded, then blinked. "You don't have to do that..." She watched him, then swallowed.

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Kidnapper's prerogative?" he reasoned out and then his general good humor returned, "Besides...there are other ways you could pay me back..." a wink followed that as he pulled a lighter out of his pocket and waved it at her with a grin. "Know how to use one of these?" he changed the subject easily even if you could still see the playfulness in his entire demeanor.

‹Sapphire Rain› Rain shook her head and laughed. "Ha, yeah, right. In your dreams. You'll be getting money, nothing else from me." She teased back, then nodded. "I know how to use a lighter."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Every night..." he admitted, "But it hasn't made me pmsy yet...I'm handling the sexual frustration just fine." At her saying she knew how to use a lighter he nodded, "Well, that's how I light fires...I never was a boyscout...I did try...uh...shooting things up to get them to light up once though...that didn't really do anything productive though." He made a face, "And...when bullets get hot enough they smoke..."

‹Sapphire Rain› "Oh, well, as long as you have it handled, and won't have a breakdown any time soon, I won't worry." She smiled slightly, then shrugged. "I used to smoke, and occasionally, my friends and I would set our notebooks and textbooks on fire. But that's hardly starting a campfire..."

‹Azaziel Vanderl› "Nope...no breakdown...I'm one with the eunuch mentality..." He slanted a sort of narrow eyed look her way and then blinked at what she said. "I got suckered into trying pot...back in the day...but this one I actually bought at the...local gas station out of desperation." He nodded at her saying they were different and then explained what he was doing, "The idea is to make a little...tent...a small...fort with the branches...and then put whatever you want to light inside, underneath it. You want to make sure you have enough of whatever it is you intend to set on fire to actually set the wood itself on fire...otherwise it'll just burn out...you can't start a branch on fire....and then expect it to light the others...not with your lighter at least...you'd burn out before you did anything productive."

‹Sapphire Rain› She shook her head at him, rolling her eyes. "My dad stresses me out. It's why I started smoking. I don't do it anymore, but..." She shrugged, then listened to his explanation silently. "Okay, I get it..."