Perceptions of Reality (Nelle)

[Corwin]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Corwin: He no longer believed she was an apparition, though her presence still left him uneasy. A part of him wanted to walk away and pretend he’d never seen her that day; that she didn’t exist. He couldn’t do that though. The city wasn’t safe - for all he knew no city was. He had never travelled outside of the province and even those travels had happened before he knew what he knew now. So, he made sure to keep in close contact with her and watch over her. If she knew just how much he followed her and watched from afar, surely the police would be notified. He had no delusions that what he was doing was anywhere near the realm of legal. That didn’t mean he had any plans to stop in the near future. Death was all around them and it wasn’t going to touch her. She may not be his Ellen, but there was something about her… He couldn’t leave her to be another one of Death’s victims.

This was why he was where he was right now. In the shadowed alleyway outside the building where she was staying. He was out of view and was good at staying that way. They had plans to go somewhere later, her not tiring of his company just yet for some reason. He had told her he’d meet her there, like he always did after that first night. In reality, he met her right where she stayed and followed in the shadows to make sure she got there okay. He always got there after she did.

He pressed himself tighter into the shadows as the door opened, making sure he was completely out of sight as he waited for her to appear. Even now it still took him a minute to remember that it wasn’t his Ellen. It tore him apart a little each time to have that hope rush back to him just to be ripped back away, but he still couldn’t walk away.

Nelle: Pushing the door open from the apartment complex, Nelle turned back to the male behind the counter, “Thanks Henry, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She smiled, then stepped out into the cold air. Letting the door shut behind her, she reached into her jacket pockets after tossing her scarf over her neck to one side. Finding her favorite pair of stretchy black gloves with their fingertips missing, she freed them from her pockets and slipped them on one at a time. Drawing a deep breath of the frigid air only made her feel more awake, more alive than ever; and she smiled. It was a genuine smile, nothing fake about it. What could make her day go wrong? Surely nothing could dash her hopes today.

Shoving her hands in her pockets after checking her watch, she moved to the edge of the sidewalk and looked both ways down the street to make sure no cars were coming before crossing. Her flats made soft noises against the cement blacktop while she walked, and the calm, quiet evening was welcomed. She was eager to see Corwin again - the male had quickly become one of her closest friends even though he had his odd moments - Nelle was sure she had her own and it did nothing if not strengthen their relationship in the long run. She had mostly laughed his odd nature off as that being him, though she herself had her own doubts about Harper Rock, she would never outwardly come out with them. Especially to Crazy Corwin - hell - that would only make him worse.

She started to whistle a tune, one of the classical songs her Dad made her listen to while he drove the truck to take her to school in the mornings. It always seemed to lull her back into a sleepy state, though right now she was nothing short of wide awake. Maybe drinking coffee at 4pm was a bad idea? She laughed lightly to herself and shook her head, then picking right back up in the song with one long whistle before her tone changed notes and tempo that matched the song perfectly. Glancing around she then looked at the sunset - it was full of beautiful purples and yellows that swirled together to a soft pink and red. She stopped for a second to admire it, seeing the beauty in it. Though she couldn’t help but wonder how it got so cold in Harper Rock if the sun was out and shining down on it - back home it got blazing hot when the sun came out.

Corwin: He saw her look at the sunset and his eyes followed hers. She probably was remarking on how pretty it was or something like that. All Corwin could see when he looked at it was the last barrier of Death that he saw. He wasn’t naive enough to think Death claimed no victims during the daylight, but there was something about the lack of sun that made Death’s minions come out. Maybe they were able to hide who they were in the daylight and at night he could see them for who they really were. He didn’t spend too much time worrying about it, realizing he may never know the real answers so not seeing the point in wasting his time on those questions. He would find the answer he needed eventually.

He could hear the faint sounds of whatever she was humming, though not enough to truly discern what it was. He didn’t dare get any closer to her - the dilemmas of being a stalker. It was for the greater good though, so he dealt with it - even if the curiosity was eating at him. He’d have to think of a way to bring it up later that wouldn’t reveal the fact that he’d been illegally following her around this whole time… or maybe he’d just try and get over the curiosity.

Regardless, he had a job to do now that didn’t involve figuring out what that sound was. His eyes were alert as they scanned the area around her, careful not to leave her for too long while also making sure he analyzed as much of the area surrounding her as possible. There was an itch at the back of his neck that told him something was about to go wrong, though that was probably just him being paranoid. His paranoia was always worse between sunset and sunrise.

Nelle: Breathing in and out, she watched her breath evaporate into the cold air in a thin hot cloud. It floated up and almost instantly dissipated, and she sighed another one out that did the same thing as the first. “Damn cold.” She muttered under her breath, pushing her hands tighter into her pockets in turn pulling her thick black woolen jacket tighter around her. A few more words mumbled under her breath and then she was walking again, careful not to step on any of the cracks in the pavement. She wasn’t sure why she did that - avoided them - but to her it seemed natural. Sometimes she wouldn’t pay any mind to it - so she figured that it had something to do with the fact that she was alone and her mind was bored.

Rounding the corner to the nearest building, Nelle pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. She didn’t want to be late. Of course, Corwin had never once been on time - he was always late - but maybe this time would be different, she hoped. It would mean a lot to her if he could just be there on time for once - all the other times he wasn’t on time she couldn’t help but feel like their appointed time to meet up wasn’t good enough for him. Then again she had dubbed him with the nickname ‘Crazy Corwin’ for a reason - the dude had issues that much she could tell. She smirked at the thought though. It wasn’t so bad that he was different. It was actually sort of refreshing.

Continuing on, she looked up from the sidewalk and spotted the station that was about a block away now. But by now it had gotten darker, and the street lamps had not come on just yet, so the station almost looked desolate, abandoned even. Nelle knew better though - she knew that the station was running trams twenty four seven. She decided to make a call - maybe this time if she did, he wouldn't be so late. She tapped her fingertip to her phone until it was effectively calling Corwin, and put the small electronic device to her ear.

Corwin: Stalker 101 said you didn’t leave your phone on while you were following someone. He hadn’t exactly turned his phone off completely, but had set it to silent mode making him unable to hear her calling. The buzzing sensation of the phone vibrating might have alerted him, but he was too focused on his surveillance. He did wonder absently who she was calling, seeing her hand move to her ear like that - another bit of curiosity to eat away at him because he chose to keep up his illegal following instead of walking with her.

Her hand moved back to put what he assumed was her phone back away quicker than he would have expected. It seems whoever it was she had wanted to talk to wasn’t there. This did nothing to sate the curiosity or help him focus on his task. He couldn’t help but want to know everything about this mystery woman. Keeping her safe just happened to be more important than knowing every little detail like that. The reminder of why he was stalking her was like a bucket of ice water dropping down on him. He all but forgot about her humming and her phone call as his eyes and ears regained the focus they were meant to have.

Nelle: Ring. Ring. Ring. ‘You have reached the voicemail-’ She rolled her eyes and gave her head a bit of a shake. Of course he wouldn't answer. Not like she could have used the conversation right now. Looking around again she didn't see anyone, but she suddenly felt like someone was there for some reason. It was a looming feeling, something she couldn't shake. It was weird. She didn’t like it. Pushing her shoulders back a little further she walked along a little faster, picking up her pace to get to the station. Sliding inside, she exhaled a bit heavily as the warmth of being inside the building hit her tingling reddened cheeks and nose. “Brrr.”

The place was almost empty as a couple singular people stood around against the shell of the building waiting for the next tram to come screeching through. A person exited the bathroom as she walked by, brushing up against her as she attempted to shift her shoulder to miss them to no avail. “Sorry.” She mumbled, turning to watch the other hooded person continue on without even stopping to accept her apology - even though it wasn’t her fault. She stood there for a split second, staring. “Rude! God damn.” She said after the person who disappeared out the stations doors and into the night. She scowled and turned around, heading into the bathroom.

Corwin: He entered the station after she did, so he almost missed the exchange. Almost missed seeing the stranger pocket something after bumping into Nelle. It made his jaw clench and his eyes narrow, but he didn’t know what to do. He had no doubt that he could retrieve what was stolen, but how was he to give it back? He couldn’t just hand it to her, as he was supposed to be slacking off on the other side of town being a slow *** man who couldn’t get to the meet up point on time. He couldn’t let the scoundrel make off with the stolen goods either though.

Deciding he could figure out how to get the recovered valuables to Nelle later, he started trailing the thief. It wasn’t hard as his prey seemed to think that now that they had successfully lifted from Nelle that they were safe. Ha. They were about to realize just how wrong they were. Corwin didn’t sense Death coming off of them, so he didn’t reach for the blade he kept hidden. It was probably just some punk looking to use the stolen cash to buy games with. Perhaps Corwin could scare them straight and instead of being some punk for the rest of their life they’d become a doctor or something like that. It could happen.

Nelle: After a couple minutes in the bathroom, Nelle emerged with her hair pulled up in a tight bun and her scarf casually draped over her arm along with her coat. Her long sleeved all black shirt clung to her frame as she smoothed her free hand on the side of her light blue faded designer jeans that were just as clingy. Clearly she had touched up her makeup and reapplied her lip gloss, keeping the tiny compact items in her back pocket as she normally did. She didn't even think about the fact that her wallet had been stolen.

She pulled her phone from her pocket again and hit redial, pressing the device to her ear just in time to hear it begin to ring. Reaching the platform to board the oncoming train she crossed her arms over her chest and rocked back on her heels as the cold air wafted in from down the tunnel; the train was arriving. The phone rang again, and she sighed. Of course he wouldn't answer again. That would show he cared.

Corwin: The station was too crowded and while the thief wasn’t doing a very good job of covering their tracks, they hadn’t yet moved to somewhere quiet where Corwin could make his move. He was patient though. He watched as the punk pulled the same trick with a businessman getting who was too caught up in his phone call to notice his wallet being lifted - it made him wonder just how many stolen items the kid had on them. There was only one that mattered to Corwin, though.

It was luck more than anything that had him noticing it this time when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He almost ignored it, but pulled it out instead and dared to take his eyes off of his prey long enough to look at the screen. He took in both the name of the caller and the icon that let him know he’d already missed one call - probably from her. She couldn’t be calling to cancel, could she? The thought brought a strange feeling of unease to the pit of his stomach and had his thumb sliding down the screen to answer the call moments before putting it up to his ear.

“Hello?” Just because he had caller ID didn’t mean he ever answered like he knew who was on the other end. He’d always felt it was rude to do that. It was basic courtesy to say hello like it could be anyone on the other line and wait for them to speak. It took him a moment, but his eyes found the figure he’d been tailing and he resumed his stalking as he waited for Nelle to reply. It occurred to him that he was actually glad she had called - as now he could reassure himself that she was safe as she spoke to him, even though he couldn’t actually see her due to his change of course.

Nelle: He answered. He had answered, and Nelle had to stop and think as to why she was calling him in the first place. She blinked. “Oh uh…” She cleared her throat, the train that was arriving to the platform growing increasingly louder as it got closer to the station. “Dude, you aren't going to be late again, are you?” She asked half joking, half not, reaching up to tuck a couple loose strands of hair behind her ear carefully so as not to drop her jacket. She smiled then. It had been good to hear his voice - to know that he cared, and that he wasn't ignoring her. Or standing her up.

She glanced over to a homeless man on the ground, and started to chew her lip a bit before she went on without a response. “I already bought the tickets. It’s supposed to be a good one.” She averted her light blue eyes the moment the homeless man had looked over at her - she didn't have a lick of change in her pocket. She only had bills in her wallet. She peered down the tunnel as if it would help the train come faster. She didn't want to be the one that was late either.

Corwin: “Maybe. I’ve never been a very prompt person. It’s a fault of mine I guess.” Lies. He’d been one of the most punctual people before the accident, but he rarely referred to that time anyway. In a way he had died right along with them, the person he was today emerging in his place. Today might be different, as he’d probably have to quit tracking her and grab a taxi to catch up to her. It would most likely get to their destination before she could get there with the train.

“Have I ever made you wait long?” He knew the answer to that question, of course, as he always showed up shortly after she did, but he couldn’t assume to know that. For all he should know she could have been waiting for a while. His eyes tracked the thief as they found their next target and again made their move. This mark was agitated and cursed several profanities at the retreating figure, but their anger only served to mask their awareness of what had just happened.

Nelle: He instantly made her want to choke on her original question. “No. Not long. But still! I wouldn't mind walking into the movie theatre and seeing you standing there for a change.” She joked, the tone in her voice making that apparent. She smiled a little, reaching into her pocket looking for something. Finding it and pulling it out, she freed a piece of gum from the pack with her teeth and then re-pocketed it only to grab the piece of foil wrapped candy and unwrap it with her fingers and teeth in order to pop it into her mouth. Mmm. Spearmint. She chewed it for a moment, then let her head roll to the side.

“I’ll be there in like, twenty, okay?” She asked, chomping loudly on the gum, not realizing it was probably in his ear. It was good, and forced her to suck in a deep refreshing breath of colder air into her lungs as they opened up and her chest rose and fell in the instinctual action. She couldn't stop smiling though, for some reason. Ever since he had answered the phone, she had been smiling. It was clear to any onlookers that she enjoyed talking to him.

Corwin: Well, if Corwin could ever get over his need to make sure she didn’t meet with Death, then perhaps he could give her what she wanted from him. He doubted it though. The one he was currently following began looking for something new though - and Corwin didn’t think it was their next mark. They were looking for a quiet place to empty the valuables and ditch the wallets, which meant Corwin’s window to act was getting slim. “Well in that case…” he wasn’t able to completely mask the strain in his voice at the thought of failing to complete the mission he had set for himself. “I better get on my way so I’m not leaving you waiting this time.”

It had been his intention to scare the thief straight, but he still hadn’t come up with a solution for how to get Nelle her wallet back without her realizing he had been there. But then, a uniformed guard caught Corwin’s attention and a smirk crossed his lips. “See you in twenty.” and then he was hanging up and re-pocketing the cell phone, his trajectory changing to intercept the guard before the thief slunk away.

“Hey…. d’you see that kid over there?” Corwin wasn’t sure it was a kid, but they kind of looked like one and it was the whole backstory he had made up in his head while trailing them. The guard’s eyes followed Corwin’s direction and narrowed suspiciously. Excellent, he wouldn’t have to try too hard to get the guard to go check the kid out. “What about him?” The man’s voice was gruff and he was obviously trying to act like he wasn’t at all interested. Corwin found that quite interesting, but didn’t have time to contemplate it right now.

“I hate to accuse people of things…. but” He hadn’t quite figured how he was going to broach the subject yet, but then the last mark that had gotten so angry passed Corwin’s visual field so he nodded towards him. “That kid just knocked into that guy there, and I swear I saw him take something out of one of his pockets when he did. I could be wrong…” No, he wasn’t, but he left it at that anyway and shrugged his shoulders. “Thank you for your help… we have had a few reports of things going missing around here.” The guard nodded to Corwin and then went off - towards the victim and not the thief. Corwin wanted to scream, but instead he hung back and watched in case he would need to step in and find another plan.

It wasn’t necessary though, as the victim started searching his pockets and his face turned beat red as he didn’t find anything. Then the guard was making his way over to the thief, who saw him coming. The thief tried to run, but the guard was on him, detaining him in no time at all. Excellent. Corwin turned and headed out of the bus terminal, his cell phone already up as he called a taxi company to come and get him.

Nelle: She laughed. It was a humorous laugh - because he was right. She went to say something to him, but he had already hung the phone up without even saying so much as goodbye. “Rude!” She scoffed under her breath, then gave another laugh. So her phone call had worked! He wouldn't leave her standing there waiting for him this time, looking like a blind date that had been stood up for the umpteenth time. She grinned, unable to contain it. He may have had his crazy quirks, but that didn't mean she didn't accept them. After all, since their first meeting, if she had been concerned about having him as a friend, she wouldn't have continued to get into contact with him. But she had, and in doing so, she felt like she had in turn landed a friend. A crazy one, sure, but a friend.

The train came screeching into the station finally, her loose strands of hair blowing wildly in the wind from the air exchange that the train provided. She collected herself finally, her smile fading to that of one that didn't part her lip and show her teeth, as the doors to the train opened and she took in a deep breath before stepping onto it. She didn't necessarily not like the train station - it was by far the quickest way to get around the city - but for some reason she had this inkling of a creeping feeling still under her skin and in the back of her mind. Like something was looming still, something she couldn't stop. She exhaled her breath and took another shorter one, blinking before looking around to find a seat.

There were others on the train, and a few that had piled out the door after the train had stopped. She glanced over, making eye contact with one guy who was very clean cut, and very attractive - and very much so staring her down. She blinked, then averted her eyes to the floor just in front of her, her eyebrows furrowing. What was his problem? Did she have something on her face? No, she had just checked it over in the bathroom. She frowned a bit, and looked back up over at the guy. Still staring. She swallowed audibly and almost piped up - almost asked him what his deal was. Geesh, what was it with people in this town staring at her all crazy like all the damn time?!

Instead, she shifted in her seat and crossed one leg over at the knee, leaving the one foot dangling as she rolled it around at the ankle. The train lurched forwards and started to head to the next station, and Nelle was thankful. The faster she could get off this tram and away from the extremely good looking creeper, the better. Or maybe she’d just invite him out to lunch like she had Corwin… that seemed to work well.

Corwin: The taxi company told him they had a cab nearby and so within minutes of exiting the station there was a cab pulling up and Corwin was getting into the back seat and giving out directions. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat as he felt it take off. If it had have been up to him he would have just walked, but he would have shown up way too late if he did that. So he tried to ignore the all too familiar feeling of the car moving through traffic, blocking it out of his perception altogether. The last time he’d been in a moving vehicle he’d jumped out of it while it was still moving to dry heave on the side of the road as images of his lost family assaulted him.

Tonight he was too focused on the fact that he had left Nelle in that station and that anything could happen between point A and B. The thought was enough to make his jaw clench and wish that the driver would go faster, not that it would do Nelle any good. “****…” was muttered out as he realized how idiotic he had been to go this route just to make her happy. Her safety was more important than her happiness. Would be hard for her to be happy if she had a run in with Death with no one there to protect her. It seemed like hours of misery as he contemplated all the ways her trip could go wrong, but in reality within 10 minutes the car was coming to a stop. Now it was his turn to pace like a caged animal while he waited, checking the clock on his phone every two seconds to see if the twenty minutes she had quoted him was up yet.

Nelle: She tucked some loose hair behind her ear once more, and couldn't help but to glance back over at the guy who had his cold dark eyes fixated on her. The looming feeling in the pit of her stomach got worse and worse as the time passed, and she was glad that the train was well lit for some reason. She shoved her hands under her jacket and rested it on her lap, foot bouncing slightly in the air as she waited for the train to stop again. This train ride just couldn't be over fast enough in her opinion. She knew she had another station to go, so she silently hoped that this guy got off at the next one. The train blew into the station and then lurched to a stop the same way it had at the last station, and she reached out and down to the seat next to her to steady herself.

About the same time her hand hit the seat the doors to the train opened, and she glanced back over to the creeper who wasn't moving. Damn. He was still staring, like she was his new obsession. She idly wondered what it was about her that attracted all the creepers in the city to her. Her perfume maybe? She smirked at her own thought, and turned and glanced up at a woman who had just entered the train - who was staring too; though not at her. At the creeper sitting calmly at the other end of the train. Nelle blinked, and the woman was gone, and she heard a commotion behind her, her head swiveling as fast as it could to catch the fight unravel between the two. Swords clashed, like she was watching a movie, and then she saw blood, and lots of it as the woman’s blade bit into the man's throat and slashed it wide open. Blood sprayed everywhere, and Nelle couldn't stop from leaning over and instantly expelling the contents of her stomach all over the floor of the train.

Then the train dinged to signal that the doors would be closing, and Nelle could only think to do one thing - get the hell out of dodge. She scrambled up, coughing and sputtering, slipping through her own vomit even as she reached the door and fell out of the train just in time to leave the other two in it now alone as the doors shut. She looked back and blinked, just in time to see… shadows? Were those shadows coming to life in the train? She blinked again, and watched through the windows as the shadows took a slight form and flew straight at the woman, pummeling her down and out of view. “Jesus ****!” Nelle exclaimed, quickly looking around to see if anyone else had seen that. But there was no one. The station she had gotten off at was completely empty - like a ghost town.

[Nelle]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Corwin: He was pacing. And checking his phone for the time every two minutes, because each two minutes seemed to stretch on forever. Ten minutes went by. Fifteen. Twenty. She wasn’t there. He checked his phone again to double check that it was indeed the time when she said she would be there. If he had been following her he would know what was going on, so there would be no need to worry. But he wasn’t following her. He had gone ahead to be there when she showed up so he was in the dark. The thought that something had happened to her was not something he was willing to deal with. So he waited, and paced even more furiously with his eyes practically glued to the clock on his phone when they weren’t looking up in the direction of the station.

Another 10 minutes passed by like that and he was starting to get strange looks. Nelle still wasn’t there and she hadn’t even called to let him know that something had happened. What if she couldn’t call? What if Death had gotten her when he let his guard down? What if he had failed her too? The thought made him stop in his tracks and had every muscle in his body trembling. “No.” The word was barely out of his mouth and he was running towards the station, running like he had every night in his nightmares in an attempt to get to his family in time. He wouldn’t fail again.

He knocked into people as he entered the station, looking around furiously for the woman whose appearance would be noticeable to him no matter how big of a crowd they were in. She wasn’t there though. He’d felt it the second he walked through the doors, but still he had searched. He had kept his phone gripped in his hand so he quickly brought it up, typing in her number from memory without even going through his contact list and hitting call, the ringing sound jarring the last of his sanity as he waited for her to pick up. Waited to be told it was all okay - that he was freaked out over nothing.

Nelle: The empty station gave her the creeps. She was shaking as she moved to pick up her jacket and scarf, hot tears springing to her eyes as she struggled to make sense of what she had just seen, and why the station she was in was so empty The shelves that held brochures were tipped over, and much of the glass was broken… like something had shook the whole building. She felt her hot tears fall down her cheeks as she got to her knees and felt her stomach flip again, and she couldn't stop the lurching that had her bent over with her hands planted firmly on the ground as she expelled what was left in her stomach to the floor.

Crying for a moment she sat there, trying to catch her breath between soft sobs, trying to stop her hands that were trembling beyond control. She sat back then on her butt, finally, wiping her face with her hands as she looked around again. Nothing. No one. She felt her lips tremble as she blinked, sniffled, and then finally shifted to stand up. “What the ****!” She yelled, expecting people to come out of the woodwork at any time, like hidden bugs in the night. Spotting the bathroom, she made her way shakily and slowly to it, completely forgetting for the time being that she had somewhere to be, someone to meet up with.

Reaching the sink, she set her jacket up on it with her scarf and clutched to the rim of the sink as she struggled to catch her breath. She stared at herself in the mirror, trying to make sense of everything. “What the ****… was that?” She asked no one but herself, her words echoing in the empty bathroom. What had she witnessed? It was almost… supernatural. It wasn’t right! She struggled to catch her breath and not to dry heave. Was she losing her mind? What was happening to her? Was she sleeping? Maybe that was it. Maybe she was just still on the train, and had dozed off, and was dreaming all of this. Caught up in a horrible nightmare that wouldn't end. She pinched herself. Nothing. She felt more hot tears spring into her eyes as she swallowed thickly and held them at bay.

It wouldn't do her much good to stand around and cry about it, would it? No. She turned the water on and splashed some on her face, cleaning up as best as she could. She was suddenly glad that she had the gum in her pocket, as she pulled another piece out and started chewing it to get the horrid taste of vomit out of her mouth and off her breath. And then her phone rang in her pocket, having her jump clear out of her skin. She coughed then, having swallowed her gum, and hit her chest a couple of times before pulling the device from her pocket and answering it with a croaked voice. “Hello?”

Corwin: She answered the phone, which should have put his mind at ease. It should have reassured him that she was okay and that he was ridiculous for going crazy like this. It should have made him smile one of those rare small smiles that seemed to escape him every so often for her. It did none of those things. It didn’t even come close to any of those things. It had him feeling feelings he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in a while. Feelings he used to drink away before even brushing his teeth in the morning.

The dread was like a poison running through his veins, taking everything in its path and leaving him empty. “Where are you?” The words came out in a dangerous tone, one that wasn’t even necessarily easy to identify as his. The look in his eyes as he stared out into nothing as if expecting to see the danger was chilling and sent several people off to the other side of the station to avoid him.

Nelle: She blinked, still struggling to hold back tears that threatened to well up again and make her light blue hues sparkle. She swallowed audibly, struggling to formulate a sentence that made sense. Where was she? It seemed like and easy enough question, but then there she was, mouth hanging half ajar, with no words escaping it. She breathed out a shudder, and tried not to blink - every time she did the image of the woman’s sword cutting into the man flashed, then again and she saw the shadows coming to life. What the hell was she going through?!

“I’m…” She stopped again. She didn’t know. She drew a deep breath and blinked quickly, unable to hold her tears back as they did exactly what she didn't want them to do, in welling up and trailing her cheeks silently. She stared in the mirror, the clear, raw emotion seeping off her voice. “I don't know… something happened.” She did not explain. She couldn't. If she gave voice to what happened… that for sure would mean she was crazy. That it happened, and that she was certainly losing her marbles.

Corwin: Her words did nothing to draw the poison out of him. How could she not know where she was? What had happened? Another look around him confirmed she wasn’t where he was. So she was somewhere between there and the station where he’d left her. Unless she had never even gotten on the train? He was about to ask, but a moment before the question left his lips he remembered something important. He shouldn’t really know. He’d never officially walked her back to where she was staying. For all he should know, she lived within walking distance and hadn’t needed to take public transportation at all. For all he knew, she’d been out shopping and not coming straight from her place.

“Where were you last? Where were you headed? What’s the last place you remember being?” The words themselves didn’t come out too quickly, but he didn’t exactly leave room in between the questions for her to answer him. He wanted answers. He needed answers. He needed to be given some sort of direction so he could find her and make sure she was okay before whatever the threat was got the best of her.

Nelle: He was spitting out question after question - as if she didn't have any of her own! Hell, she couldn't even figure out where she was, how was any of that helping? She needed to get out of the bathroom. She needed fresh air. And fast, because her stomach was flipping over and over again with every sharp silent breath she drew. “Oh god. Hold on, okay?” But she didn't give him time to answer as the phone left her ear and she scooped up her jacket and scarf to head for the exit of the bathroom. Her face was still dripping water as she pushed the door open - and there were people.

More people than at the other station though not as many as there normally is, Nelle stopped and blinked. She nearly whimpered, the only thought running through her mind at the time of that she really was losing it. She wiped her eyes and composed herself though, the best that she could, and pushed through the flow of people out to the doors to outside. She pushed into the cold night, the air hitting her clammy skin and washing over her as it instantly calmed her stomach. She put the phone back to her ear, looking around. “I’m standing across the street from the Honeymead Library.” She informed, rather clearly. Being around the other people had her collected - for the moment.

Corwin: The minute the answer was out he snapped his phone closed and put it back in his pocket, already racing out of the station. He could have waited for the next one, could have called for another horrid taxi, but he knew he could get there just as quick if not quicker by just running. He knew the area like the back of his hand, having grown up in Harper Rock and spent quite a bit of time looking for shortcuts.

It wasn’t pretty; running through alleys and cutting through back yards. He had a dog chasing him at one point and scared a group of teenagers hanging out in a back yard, leading them to run inside probably to call the cops. He didn’t focus on any of that as he just continued to tear through, making the directions up as he went knowing he was good at keeping track so he’d have a good idea of where he was and which direction he had to go to get where he needed to be.

Soon enough, though not as soon as he would have liked, he was running out of an alley that was just a block away from the library. He didn’t stop, taking off across the street in a diagonal and nearly getting hit by two different vehicles before getting safely to the other side. And there she was, standing right where she’d said she was and looking completely shaken. Looking alive. He wasn’t too late.

He didn’t even bother trying to stop, nearly knocking Nelle over as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close as if just that simple action could protect her from everything out there that would try to hurt her. Passers by gave them looks, some even looked worried at the crazed looking man who had just kind of sort of attacked a woman standing there. He didn’t care. He’d made it there and she wasn’t dead. He wasn’t too late. He’d made it.

Nelle: Silence. The line was quiet, and she exhaled slowly with her cheeks puffed before sucking in another deep breath of the cold Canadian air. “Hello….?” Nothing. “Corwin.” Nothing. Silence. Pulling the phone from her ear to look at the screen, she frowned. If he was going to be making it a habit to hang up on her, she wouldn't be calling him very often. She sighed, shoving her phone in her pocket. The cold finally bit into her with a gust of wind, and she shivered, finally pulling her jacket on and tossing her scarf around her neck and over her shoulder. Hands found pockets, and she stepped back just enough to put her back to the wall of the train station.

She looked like a hot mess. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly swollen from the constant threat of tears that wanted to give herself away. Her hands were trembling in her pockets, not just from the cold. From the thought of everything. What had that all been? Had it been just something she could have imagined? No, it had been real. She couldn't have imagined that if she tried - especially the scent of blood in the air. That had been real. It had all been real. Her stomach flipped over itself in the pit of her belly, and she felt like lurching up more dry heaves still. Her mouth watered at the thought, so she kept swallowing to make sure that didn't happen.

Looking up at the sound of horns and screeching tires, Nelle saw Corwin then. He was running, and she blinked. Her eyes danced then to a hooded figure who was seemingly walking towards her too - but who turned and saw Corwin and seemingly changed course. She blinked again, and swallowed harshly, Corwin coming up on her and wrapping her up in an instant hug. It was like he knew. He just knew, something wasn't right. She blinked, more tears falling down her cheeks as she buried her face in his shoulder. She didn't know how or why, but he instantly made her feel better.

Corwin: It was five minutes before he could even think of releasing her. Even then, he did so hesitatingly as if the mere act of releasing her could put her back into jeopardy. The weight of his concealed weapon was heavy against his skin as he thought of the possibility of needing to pull it out to defend her, which he would do without a thought. Death wasn’t going to get her too. He would put his last breath and the last beat of his heart to making sure that it was so.

He took in her appearance more clearly as he released her - the pale look of her face and the red swollen look to her eyes made him want to growl and swipe out at anyone that came near them as if they were the threat that had caused her such turmoil. He didn’t like her being out in the open like this with so many directions for Death to come. He could only do so much to protect her and he had already failed her once tonight.

Reluctantly he let his eyes drift away from her long enough to locate somewhere safer they could go. There was a small coffee shop that didn’t look too busy right now. He didn’t say anything, not ready to just yet, but curled his arm around her waist to shepherd her over into the warm building. It made a dinging sound as he opened it, alerting everyone to their arrival - not that there were a lot of people to alert.

There were two unenthused looking employees behind the counter, a young looking kid making an order and a couple of tables on the right hand side had patrons sitting down and chattering or just enjoying their food. The left hand tables were all empty, so he moved them over to a table against the wall as far away from everyone else as he could manage. It would give him the advantage of being able to see all potential directions a threat might come from, and give them the ability to speak quietly without being overheard. It would have to do for now.

Nelle: Oh, how the night had gone so wrong. She had anticipated seeing a movie, maybe catching a stargazed walk through the streets afterwards, finally allowing Corwin to walk her home. But noooo, that had been too much to ask for, as he stood there with her, sheltering her from the harsh reality that was the real world. All too real. She was sure her mind had been fractured, that something wasn't right upstairs; a bolt sheared and stripped or a gear loose. But then the cold air was biting at her paled cheeks, and she shivered again. Sniffling, she felt his arm stay around her waist as she couldn't help but pull her far hand from the warmth of its pocket and use it to curl her fingers onto a bit of his jacket.

He led them to a cafe, and she swallowed thickly as the dinging of the door startled her, the warm air hitting her now clammy skin like she had walked too close to a bon fire. They tingled with warmth, and by the time they had taken their seats at the table - her next to him still as she leaned in against him - they were beat red with splotches up around her eyes proving she had been crying. She sniffled again and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, motioning for him to hand her a napkin. “Could you…” She couldn’t even get the rest of the sentence out.

Corwin: He didn’t need her to finish the sentence, quickly handing her the requested napkin. He wanted to get her something warm and comforting - some hot chocolate maybe, but he didn’t dare get up and leave her there and he doubted this was the kind of place where the employees waited on their customers. It had a more serve-yourself kind of feel to it.

He still didn’t know what had happened, but he quickly slid his jacket off, careful to make sure his sweater didn’t lift up and reveal the concealed weapon that lay beneath, and laid it over top of her shoulders. It was warm in the building but he thought that with things like shock you were supposed to make sure they kept warm. Maybe he was wrong, but that was the first thought that popped into his mind.

There was no flinching as she kept herself close to him. The fear in his mind of being too late was still too close to the surface for him to be able to rebut any sort of reminder that she was in fact okay. He didn’t know what to say though. It had been so long since he’d been in a comforting role and he felt awkward. Instead, he let his eyes roam around the cafe, assuring himself that there were no threats lurking just out of reach waiting for his guard to be down.

Nelle: The jacket around her shoulders on top of her own only made her more warm. She felt her eyes grow heavy, the way they would sometimes feel after she swam for long periods of time, the way her muscles felt tired then was how they felt now too. Exhaustion. She was so tired, the way the day had drained everything from her, taken every inch of her sanity and realism and flipped it upside down on its axis, making everything around her seem distorted. She swallowed again, only this time she accidentally swallowed her gum, causing her to cough a couple of times before swallowing a bit more forcefully and rubbing at her throat. “Ouch.” She frowned.

He clearly knew something was wrong. And she was just about to blurt out to him, to tell him the whole story, but then she stopped herself. It all sounded so crazy in her head. How would something like that being verbalized not make her sound like she was so nuts? But then she remembered what she called him; Crazy Corwin. Surely it wouldn't be so farfetched to the guy she had already deemed as lost in his mind? She nodded very softly to herself, assured that he would understand or at least help her come up with a reasonable postulate as to what exactly had happened. “I was on the train…” She recalled, trying to steady her shaking voice, “...and this guy was staring at me. Like he wanted me. Or needed me. It was creepy. But just before I could ask him what his deal was…” She paused, swallowing thickly again, “This woman got on and attacked him with a giant sword. He was bleeding and I could smell it.” She scrunched her nose up.

Shutting her eyes, she saw the event play out again. Only this time, there was something different. Something that she had clearly not realized until just now. “His blood was black…” She whispered, staring down at the table that was where she had put the crumpled napkin after wiping her nose. “I don't… the shadows… moved. Attacked…” She couldn't finish the story, once again feeling too choked up to force any more words out past her vocal chords.

Corwin: Black blood. Corwin’s whole body stiffened next to Nelle as images of his first encounter with black blood flooded his mind. The images were blurry as most things from back then were, but he remembered that blood. It was the blood of Death and one of its minions had had their sights on Nelle. She didn’t even understand what that meant and he’d hoped she would never need to know. Maybe she still didn’t? But how could he keep her safe if she walked around thinking everything was okay with the world.

It was all he could do to not sweep her away to somewhere safe, though the fact that nowhere was safe helped that. “Did it get you?” His tone was back to dangerous, the thought of one of Death’s minions touching Nelle pushing him right back into that dark place.

Nelle: She blinked up at him, staring for a moment. He cared. He genuinely cared. It was like he was trying to protect her, the way he had ran to her, and carted her off to a safe place, asking if she was okay. He cared. She felt the hot sting of tears welling up in her eyes again as she shook her head. “No… I got the hell outta dodge. That **** wasn’t right. What the hell was it?” She asked no one in particular, more so still trying to figure out exactly what it was that she had gone through. The entire experience that seemed entirely dream like. But she was awake, that much she knew. Corwin’s touch made her know that truth.

She shook her head, clearly still choked up as the words forced past vocal chords were hoarse. “What’s going on?” She asked him, watery greyish blue hues dashing up to his face as she stared intensely. She felt like he knew something more than he was letting off… he was wanting to know if she was alright, not if she was going mental. “What’s going on Corwin? Why aren’t you thinking I’m some kind of loon?”

Corwin: He hadn’t told her about what lurked in the shadows yet. Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to tell her. Now he didn’t have a choice - Death had noticed her. She could be in danger and it wouldn’t do her any good not to know. He looked around, verifying that no one was really paying them much attention and that no one had moved within earshot. It wouldn’t do for someone else to think that they were some kind of a loon. Or for the wrong person to overhear and put them even more on Death’s hit list.

“Because you’re not one… You’ve just seen what so many never see - what it doesn’t want us to see.” How to tell her… just because she’d seen something didn’t mean she was ready to believe him. He had to try, though. “Death is a very real presence here… a malevolent one.” He looked around again, his paranoia becoming more evident with each word. “Death walks around like one of us, stalking us. Feeding off of us before ultimately ripping us away.”

Nelle: Not one. Not a loon. Surely he was joking? But his face showed nothing but seriousness, and she blinked her tears away. He wasn't joking. He was serious. How could he be so serious about something like that? But then her thoughts drifted to her memories of the night’s events, and she set her jaw. It made sense, to a point, what he was saying. But she still had questions. “Like… the grim reaper?” She asked, her own gaze shifting to the people around then back to his. It was so calming the way his eyes always made her feel. Which was weird, the way there were always on alert and looking for unknown threats.

She wanted to tell him no. That he was wrong, that none of it made sense. What he was saying couldn't be true. But the more and more she thought about it, the more and more it made sense. The more it helped the puzzle pieces of the night fit together to form one cohesive memory. Those people were monsters, and Nelle had seen it first-hand. “Jesus.” She whispered, bringing her hand to her forehead and pressing her clammy palm against it for a moment as she processed the information.

Corwin: He knew that feeling. He knew exactly what she was going through, because he had been there before himself. Even through the liquor haze he remembered when it finally registered in his brain what he had seen. The black blood of Death. The minion had come to his bed side trying to convince him it was something other than Death. Vampire. The very thought was absurd. It was Death. He knew the truth and hadn’t been about to let it mess with his mind.

“I… don’t know.” He hated that. He wished he had answers for her, but he didn’t. He hadn’t been able to get any concrete evidence. He’d been watching them, trying to figure things out before Nelle had come out of nowhere like a ghost. He’d been too busy keeping an eye on her to further his quest for answers. “I know there’s more than one. I’ve felt them when they’ve passed me… felt their Deathly powers.” His eyes tracked towards the door as the bell chimed again and he watched as a new group of what looked to be teenagers made their way to the counter. None of them set off his inner senses that made him feel compelled to attack. Still, he watched them for any signs of danger; Death was tricky like that.

Nelle: He didn't know. She sighed. Finally her head shook almost as if she were in disbelief. This was all too much. Too much to handle. To process. She needed a damn drink. She swallowed thickly and let her hand rub down her face, letting out a soft grumble as she drew in a deep breath in a feeble attempt to feel better. Her stomach still flipped. She really could use that drink. Licking over her lips and sighing, she looked over to him. He was staring at the new group who had just entered, like one of them was going to walk over and shank one of them. She nudged him with her elbow gently.

“Can you just… I just… need to go home.” She didn't know how exactly to ask him to accompany her. She slowly slid from his grip and stood up, her knees still yelling at her that they felt like pure jello, as she slid his jacket off her shoulders and moved to hold it out for him as she took a step to the side in order for him to have enough room to stand up from the bench. “Walk me home Crazy.” She gave him a small smile; though as small as it was, it was clear that it was genuine.

Corwin: He would have been walking her home regardless, but with her offer it meant that he’d be actually walking her home instead of stalking her. He hadn’t even really waited for her to offer it before standing up with her and taking the offered jacket. He would give it back in a second if she needed it, but for now he slipped it back on and linked his arm with hers. “Of course… Did you want to walk or…” He wasn’t sure if she would want to get back on the station, but he would go with her if she wanted to.

Nelle: His arm linked with hers, and she felt like she could brave anything. How did he do that to her? Make her feel so… invincible? She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder as she felt the newfound confidence rush through her, though she knew that exhaustion was well on its way towards waving over her and crushing her bravery for the night. She sighed and gave him a weak smile. “Maybe a cab would be the better choice.” She wasn’t sure just how much longer she could stand with her knees acting like joints filled with nothing but jello. She leaned into him and he gave her the support she needed, and suddenly she wondered what she would have done had she not known him. Had she not had been meeting up with him even. She knew one thing for sure - he had made the experience ten times easier that she had, and for that she was ever grateful.

[Corwin]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

April 5th, 2014

Corwin: It felt like every nerve in his entire body was active. At the slightest sound from outside his head was jerking towards the noise, just for him to “relax” back into the couch cushions at the realization it was just a car door or some other normal nightly noise and not Death knocking on Nelle’s door. She was probably asleep by now, possibly aided by the bottle of wine that she had taken with her. It made it hard for him to resist the urge to walk over to the door to her room and open it just so he could verify that she was alright. But that would be creepy and hard to explain if she were to still be awake or wake up in the process.

Instead he stayed on the couch, his eyes moving back and forth from the door leading outside, to the clock on the wall and then finally to the door to her room before starting the process all over again. He watched seconds tick by and the way the light reflecting off the moon changed, making the shadows in the room almost seem to move around him. Every second amping him up even further as all the nerves in his body seemed to tighten until he felt like the slightest movement or noise could make him explode.

Nelle: Sleep. It had come incredibly easily after finishing off her bottle of cheap wine. And of course the way exhaustion sets in after adrenaline wears off, so before she knew it she was crashed on the bed, in such a deep sleep (with the help of the alcohol too) that she was even drooling. Hours passed, and the sun came up after the moon set, following the cycle of night to day as it had from the beginning of time. She stirred at first, groaning as the onset of the aftermath of the bottle of wine had finally taken its toll. Pushing herself up and smacking her lips, licking over them thirstily, she grumbled and pushed out of the bed. Still dressed in the clothes from the night prior, and rubbing her sandpapery eyes, she stumbled half asleep, half hungover to the bathroom.

Flipping on the light, she instantly regretted the decision and flipped it back off, before leaning over the sink and pushing the handle to turn on the cold water. Splashing it on her face she freshened herself up as best as she could, the images of the night before still flashing in her mind. It hadn't been real, had it? No. Surely it was just a dream, with the help of the bottle of wine and her overly active imagination. Right? Shutting the water off and toweling her face dry, she licked over her lips again and resolved to get a glass of ice water from the mini kitchen her small hotel room provided. It wasn't much, but it had everything she needed, and for the time being it made do. Exiting her room she stopped and stared stupidly at Corwin who was awake and on her couch. If he is here… “Ohhh god.” She mumbled, the all too realistic fact that the night prior hadn't been a dream slamming into her as her stomach churned and she half stumbled over to him to plop down heavily on the couch next to him. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?” Her heavy words croaked out past dry vocal chords, and she rubbed at her dry eyes with a shake of her head.

Corwin: His eyes had just started to droop, the excitement of the day finally getting the better of him, when the sounds of Nelle waking up jerked him back awake. He knew he’d crash at some point from the toxic adrenaline, but he could push through for now. He needed to make sure that she was okay. That was turning out to be a full time 24/7 job.

He hated the almost crushed look that came over her face as she saw him sitting there - had she wanted him to leave? He had gotten the impression that she’d wanted him to stay, but maybe he was wrong. He was just about to get up and get out of her hair when she flopped down next to him and the heart wrenching words were out of her mouth. He wanted to lie, act like he had no idea what she was talking about. Preserve her innocence from the darkness for just a little bit longer. But she was vulnerable like this and Death had most likely seen her.

The instincts from last night came roaring back as he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt at comfort. It felt awkward, a truth that would have made his Ellen sad. He’d always been so good at this. Words tumbled through his mind though he wasn’t sure which words to give her. You’re okay now. I’m here. You’re safe. Leave...run away. It’s not safe here. What do you remember? I have you. I won’t let them hurt you. Did they see you? Go back to Arizona. I’ll keep you safe.

Instead of saying any of that he just shook his head and closed his eyes. “No… it wasn’t a dream.” The words flying through his head came to an immediate stop as everything went still and quiet, waiting for her.

Nelle: Not a dream. It hadn’t been a dream. It was real, or as real as it could sound in her head, that there was Death in the city. Though she wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by that; “Death”. Was it an evil? A battle of good and bad? Were there angels walking around too? She sighed and leaned into him, not taking note that the hug for him seemed awkward. She needed the comfort, and to her that’s all it was. He was strong, and she could feel that coursing through him as she practically melted against him. “Well what the ****.” She mumbled into him, her head not stopping its small shake of almost disbelief. But how could she ignore him confirming that it was real? She couldn’t. All she could do was think about how she was going to get past it. Past all of it. And move on.

First things first, she knew she needed that water. Her head was starting to pound like a four A.M. alarm clock, thudding incessantly and she couldn’t stop it. “Ugh.” She groaned again, pulling from him to stand up, straightening up and moving to the kitchen to open a cabinet and pull down a plastic cup. Wrenching the faucet’s lever upwards and to the right, she gave it a second before dipping the cup under the running stream of ice cold water and then bringing it to her lips. After a moment she sighed and turned around, both hands cradling the cup at her center as she looked him over. He looked like hell. Like he hadn’t slept a wink in days, and he probably needed to shower. But she had questions. Clearing her throat, she started with the most obvious one. “Now what?”

Corwin: He blinked at her, again at a loss for what to say. How was he supposed to know where to go from here? It wasn’t as if he’d ever told anyone about the dangers of the city. He remembered the night he’d truly realized what was out there and couldn’t help but shudder internally. “That’s… up to you.” His voice sounded hoarse, like the words were torn and shredded on the way through his vocal cords. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, trying to alleviate the burning sensation that had started to worm its way into them. “What do you want to do now?”

Nelle: He was right to turn the question around on her. Because in all honesty, she had asked it of herself and not really of him. What would she do now? She could just pretend it never happened, pretend to be blind to the truth… but that wasn't like her at all. She was a tough woman, not backing down from a fight. She could get past this. Get over it. She would. And she knew it. She took another giant gulp and swallowed it, looking down at the cup for a moment before she looked over to Corwin. “What are you doing? Fighting?” She couldn't help but tip her head to the side. He looked ragged, and she finally understood why. Why he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Why he looked so… disheveled. And she found her heart going out to him. “You do, don't you?”

Corwin: The question caught him off guard and he snapped his eyes open to look at her. “I do what I can.” It was a losing battle; he had yet to find a weakness he could exploit. “There is more to this city than you know. More than you saw tonight even…” He wished he had more to tell her, but all of his knowledge came from experience and not actual fact.

He stood up, slipping off his sweater to reveal the straps overtop of the white tshirt he wore that held his weapons out of sight. He slowly pulled each of the blades out of their sheaths and laid them on the coffee table in front of him, removing the gun he so rarely used last and placing it above the rest.

Now that the sweater was gone, some of the tattoos he kept hidden were revealed. There were matching sets of runes on either side of his throat as well as the insides of his wrists and sets of interlocking runes were wound around each bicep. There were still many more, but thankfully his current apparel still covered the majority of them. “Fighting is what I am… not what I do.”

Nelle: She watched him closely, noticing how he moved so fluidly, and with purpose. And then he was pulling his hoodie off, and she couldn't help but to wonder if he was overheating just sitting there. She blinked. The man was armed to the teeth! How had she not known, with the hugs he had given her, surely she would have felt at least one of those weapons! She couldn't help her jaw drop just a little, as she then laughed a little under her breath and set the cup down on the counter and moved slowly over to him, looking at the tattooed runes on his neck.

She had to resist the urge to touch one, but she felt she still didn't fully understand what he truly meant by the statement. “What you are? What do you mean?” She asked rather pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyes his weapons. They were good weapons, but none looked like the blade she had packed away in her personal effects that was once her fathers. Or well. Adopted fathers. That blade was perfect.

[Nelle]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Corwin: He shrugged his shoulders and sat back down, relaxing against the back cushion as he stared off into nothingness. It felt weird to not have the familiar weight of weapons on him, but somehow it was okay. “I’m not really sure what I mean. What I don’t know far outweighs what I do know.” He was surprised she hadn’t freaked out at all over the fact that the guy she’d supposed to hang out with the night before had come prepared with a whole arsenal of weapons. Shouldn’t she be worried about that?

His attention turned back to her as his paranoia sparked up again. What if she was a minion of Death as well? The thought had come across his mind before, but he didn’t get the Death vibe from her… maybe that was all the more reason to be more skeptical? She could be the perfectly sculpted Trojan horse leading to his demise. His muscles clenched at the thought as he suddenly felt more exposed than he ever had before. He wanted to look over at his weapons, get ready to lunge for one if needed, but he didn’t dare look away from the woman in front of him.

Nelle: No, she wasn't worried that he was armed to the teeth. He clearly knew something was going on in the city that she was not aware of, and so in hindsight, she was glad he was walking around armed to the bone. She knew he was crazy, so as far as him being plastered up with weapons she figured it came with the mental state. Everything slowly was starting to make more and more sense about Corwin now that she thought about it. The way he looked, the way he acted, all boiling down to the extremely well hidden battle between him and “Death” that he was fighting. And not just fighting it - but doing it alone.

She didn't move, just stood there staring back at him, her light blues piercing his brown dark orbs. “You aren't alone now.” She found herself reassuring him, like it would solve all his problems in one now that she knew what he did. She glanced to his array of weapons. Thinking about it, she had a thought. If he was going to be going up against Death itself, he would need something better. “Hold on.” And with that she turned and disappeared into the bedroom.

Corwin: Those words in that voice sent Corwin reeling. He was 18 again, sitting on his parents couch in a conversation with an angel that most would think was way too deep for two kids who hadn’t even graduated yet, even if she was about to. His hand went over his heart as she left the room, the organ feeling like it was about to implode and causing him to gasp.

Nelle: Finding what she had been looking for, she got up and nudged at her suitcase, but decided to just leave it as she made her way back out of the bedroom with the small machete. It was a kukri machete, and had come from her adopted father just before he died. It had never been used, but it was perfect. The blade was sharpened to never dull, and the whole blade was jet black. The handle was wrapped in black and red twine, and she unsheathed it as she rounded the corner and made her way back to Corwin. Twirling it a couple times she smiled. Yes, he would love it. And use it.

She flipped it and held it with both hands, one on the non-sharp edge and the other on the handle, to hand it over to him properly. “My adopted father gave this to me before he passed away. It will serve you perfectly and help to keep you safe. Besides. I have a feeling you will use it more than me.” She flopped back down on the couch next to him after he took the blade from her.

Corwin: By the time Nelle came back he had mostly composed himself, though he still felt as if his heart might just beat right out of his chest. This woman had the ability to resurrect so many of his ghosts. The blade she handed him was beautiful, the design much more flawless than any of the ones he had set down on the table in front of them. He shook his head and attempted to hand the blade back over to her.

“I can’t accept this. Besides, you will need to have your own protection. You’ve seen some of what this city hides now, you should always have something with you to keep you safe.” He didn’t chip in the fact that he was usually so close that she would never need to pull a weapon… mostly because she would likely find that fact creepy, but also because if she was relying on him she might be in trouble on the rare occasion when he wasn’t just a breath away. Like last night.

Nelle: Crossing her leg over the other at the knee, she slid her arm to the back of the couch and rested her head in her hand as she looked over at Corwin. He was already trying to give the knife back, and she shook her head and put her hand up to tell him no. “Nah. You don't think I have others?” Sure, she didn’t, but he didn't need to know that. She’d go buy a gun later on and that would suffice.

She didn't allow him to hand back the blade. “Trust me. It’s better in your hands. Besides. It’s a better blade than any you have there, and it’d make me feel better knowing you have it.” She smiled warmly to him. He looked so lost. Or was that just fatigue? He clearly needed sleep. And she was starting to feel like he was putting it off for her. “Look. You need some rest. Go lay down in my bed. I’m not going anywhere - promise.” And with that she touched him on his arm, gently, reassuringly. Of course she knew she couldn't make him go, and he probably wouldn't, but the offer was there. “Unless you’re hungry?”

Corwin: Going in to the other room to sleep was just not an option. The night was over and while his observations led him to believe that Death stuck to the darkness, he didn’t actually know for sure that that was the case. Fuel on the other hand sounded like a good idea, maybe breakfast would be enough to help him stay up a bit longer. Hopefully.

“Food sounds good.” He wasn’t actually hungry so he wouldn’t tell her that, but simply saying it sounded like a good idea seemed okay. “Do you have any coffee?” He wasn’t in the habit of drinking the vile stuff often, only when it seemed necessary. Like when he felt like he could pass out any second.

Nelle: He had agreed at least on the food, and then asked for some coffee. She agreed that it sounded good as well, and she nodded, moving to stand up and head over to the kitchenette area that was just across the room. She pulled the coffee pot out from the wall and opened its lid, then reaching to open the cabinet and pull down a fresh coffee filter that already had the coffee grounds sealed in it. Stuffing it in the top, she ran the water from the faucet and then filled the machine up with about five cups of water. Closing the lid and flipping the switch to on, she turned and opened the next cabinet, pulling down two coffee mugs, and then shifting over to the fridge after setting the mugs down onto the countertop. Pulling out the creamer, she didn't even glance back at him as she spoke.

“Two cream, two sugar?” She assumed, the same way that she took her own, as she started to prepare the mug that would be hers, to her liking. It was exactly how her father drank his coffee, the way her mother made it for him for countless years. Hearing the coffee brewing made her think of home. The way it smelled of coffee and creamer in her little motel room made her smile and she couldn't help the way it warmed into her eyes. Sure, they still felt like sandpaper from the previous night’s activities, but she was smiling.

Corwin: He would have answered her. He would have told her that he took his coffee black - which probably would seem strange of someone who didn’t actually like coffee. Considering how rarely he drank the stuff and the fact that it was usually to keep his *** awake so he wanted it to be as potent as possible. He wouldn’t have gotten into all of that, then again he might have just come out with a simple sure to her question. Instead, the only sound that answered Nelle’s question was the soft snoring as his body finally succumbed to its need for sleep - a thing he had been depriving it off too much since she’d shown up.

The blade she had given him lay perfectly across his lap, the rest of his weapons still displayed for her. He didn’t lay down, but his head tilted backwards against the back of the couch exposing his throat as he slept. It was a vulnerability that shouldn’t have allowed him to close his eyes, let alone actually fall asleep, but somehow that is exactly what he did.

Nelle: She blinked, turning around and seeing Corwin passed out on the cough, head tipped back, throat exposed, twelve o’clock stubbled gracing the skin there. She blinked again, then smiled at him, giving a soft shake of her head as her shoulder dropped a little and she sighed. He may have denied it, but she knew all along just how tired he had to of been. She turned and set her creamer down, resolving that the coffee for her could wait.

Moving to him, she grabbed the blanket folded up on the chair and set it to the armrest of the couch. Moving quietly she thought to take his shoes off, but decided that would wake him up and so she just picked up his legs one at a time and laid him down on the couch. Shoving a pillow under his head as best as she could, she assured herself that he would be okay as she reached and undraped the blanket around him and tucked him in. “There ya go.” She whispered, giving him a pat on his shoulder gently before heading back to the coffee. She wouldn't leave like she had told him, and so she made her cup of coffee and made her way back to the room.

Shutting the door behind her, she quietly shuffled to the bed and sat heavily on it. Taking a deep breath, she felt her eyes well up in tears. The world as she knew it was falling apart. Changing. Or rather, she was just starting to see it for what it truly was. How different it was, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. Of course, she knew she had to; but that didn't make it all the easier. She shook her head and took a couple gulps off the coffee mug, swallowing thickly and setting it on the nightstand. How could she go on like this? But there was Corwin. He helped her, hugged her, and made her feel like she meant something to him. Maybe this wasn't all bad? She had Corwin. Sitting there, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, shaking her head and letting the air out of her lungs. She would go on. She would, for Corwin. Together, they would take on death.