Castle of Glass [Elijah Cole]

[Zelda (DELETED 4403)]

There was a façade that Zelda always wore. A mask, thick and heavy, which she wore so often that even she was unaware of it. She never removed it, for fear of what she might look like underneath. Live in the moment, she would always say. Never let the past predict your future; don’t stress about a future that might never come to fruition. Fun had been the aim of the game. She never did care if she was never rich. She never did care if she never had a place of her own that she did not rent. She had her parents. She had her friends. She had a job that she loved, with a boss that she loved, with fellow employees that she loved. She had her hobby; she had the roller derby team, and the competitions, and the constant adrenaline rush.
One night, just because she was out at night, just because she happened to be handing out flyers to the wrong person at the wrong time, all of the things that she had loved had, more or less, been taken from her.

Although she could still see her parents – and still did, on occasion – she didn’t see them quite as often, for fear that they might realise something was different. Something was wrong. And that she might bring some kind of danger to them. Her friends she had had to ditch, for the very same reasons. They wouldn’t understand why she wouldn’t come to brunch anymore, or shopping in the afternoon, or to throw frizbees in the park. Of course, yes, she could have kept her job – but how would she explain not wolfing down the diner’s food like she had once before? How would she explain that she could only work night times? And there were mirrors in that place, too – how would she have been able to dodge them? She wouldn’t have. And besides, she had friends at work. She couldn’t risk it. The same with the derby team. They’d meet to practice during the day. There’d be competitions that would start early on in the day, and push on until night time.

Zelda had to start a whole new life. That was fine, she told herself. It would all be okay. Live in the moment – find the silver linings. Immortality! And think, some of the things she could do! The power that she had! These were the silver linings.

And yet, the façade was beginning to crack.

In her mortal life, Zelda had been highly social. She rarely slept, because she couldn’t bare missing the opportunity to go out and have fun with friends, to meet new people, to dance the night away, to laugh and cajole and generally live life to its fullest. To take pleasure in all that life had to offer, and to take none of it for granted. Maybe that’s why she’d survived like this for so long – she hadn’t taken anything for granted, ever. She’d milked every moment, savoured it, as if it might be her last.

But now? More often than not, she found herself alone. She didn’t have a solid group of ‘vampire’ friends. She didn’t have anyone she called on to go out with, to have fun. Crashing parties was all well and good, but she could never keep the acquaintances that she made.

It was a nagging, darkening tangle in her soul that continued to grow; her mood began to sour. She frowned more. She was lonely. So used was the redhead to being surrounded by people who she loved, and who loved her back – and now she count those solid acquaintances on one hand. One single lonely hand.

She fished the bright pink phone from her bag and dialled his number. His. The one person in the moment who she felt could calm her down and soothe her nerves. She lifted the phone to her ear. She stood, her knee jerking impatiently, painted nails brought to her lips as she nibbled at the tip with her front teeth. She wasn’t even dressed like her usual glamorous self – her hair was loose over what could be considered a rather ugly beige knitted vest, which was loose over a striped, loosely knitted, colourful blouse. Long, form-fitting jeans. Jeans, for crying out loud! She never wore jeans.

Her eyes – a bright and weird mixture of caramel and greenery – darted to and fro as the phone rang on the other end of the line. A light breeze touched her hair. She blinked, and vaguely watched a couple, hand in hand, walking together across the street. She continued to watch, as she waited. Lost in her own whirlwind of thoughts, and feeling as fragile as class. One blow, and she’d shatter completely.

[Attire]

[Elijah Cole (DELETED 5419)]

Elijah Cole had made his way along the city streets with Colonel, his spotted Great Dane. The beautiful mongrel had been full of energy that early evening, leading to not only a stolen hot dog, but two! He shook his head as the tale wagged, leading the pretty ladies at the shopping center to stop with whoever they were with and coo over the large monster with slobber dripping off his fur hoping for belly rubs and ear massages. Well, Colonel would certainly be spoiled as he tsked between prim and proper blondes with big, white teeth smiles.

"Glutton." He teased the pooch, letting that behemoth totter over to a stretch of grass, water a lamp post, and aptly sit down in the freshly mowed patch. Elijah took that moment to sit down himself upon a bench, knowing that the energetic pooch would be sitting right beside him if it hadn't been for the fresh grass. He watched Colonel chuff and huff, stuffing his nose into the greenery as if it were alive and teasing him with a game of hide and seek at that very moment.

He folded the to go bag next to him. He took care asking for extra napkins for the messy burger. He had eaten the fries along the way. A double cheeseburger probably was not the healthiest of dinners, but McCormicks was a guilty pleasure. He had spent all day at the veterinarian clinic assisting with simple tasks to being a surgical technician in the procedure room. He donated his time and his funds to this particular establishment, one based solely upon the other.

That was where he had met Colonel. The mongrel had been skin and bones, a pure puppy with a sad face and no wag of the tail. It had broke Cole's heart. Agreeing to be his foster was the first obvious step. And then the tail wags came. The command to shake. The trick to rolling over and playing dead. The treats for a hand shake. He was a good dog.

So, while he sighed around the last bite of that burger, the phone rang. He pulled that iPhone from his pocket and looked at the beautiful redhead that graced his screen. That too, brought an instant smile to his lips. His scruffy, unshaven face certainly had broken into further glee when the woman he considered his dared to call him for a change. Often times he couldn't wait, sending her a text message or just a hello - thinking about you message right after the hours donated.

"Hello Beautiful." He murmured to her over the line when he accepted the call. His voice was deep and had a touch of playfulness to his tone. He thought about her often, relishing when she was in his arms to end his day. And in that moment, he attempted to pick a piece or two of Colonel's fur off of his pristine black, long sleeve shirt with the chill in the air matched his slacks. All that he wore that evening was black, barely matching his mood to his smiled on the phone. Yes, he smiled when he thought of her. And he even chuckled when Colonel perked his head up at 'beautiful' and gave a huffing howl into the air as he said his hellos too!

[Attire]

[Zelda (DELETED 4403)]

Zelda had begun to roll.

The skates rumbled, the sound of the wheels against the pavement akin to that of distant thunder; threatening, but only in a vague way. In a non-insistent way. The kind of thunder that says I’m coming, but I’m giving you a head start. Go hide. The redhead’s body sways with the movement; swish, one leg forward, momentum gained, lift the other leg, swish, push that leg forward, crack, rumble. Again, the flick of the wind in her hair. But all other sound is silences as the ringing stops, and his voice greets her from some unknown point in the city.

For she assumes he is still in the city, somewhere; somewhere, in the vast network of streets.

”Mmm, pretty boy,” she says. Colonel, in the background, bark-howling. Where is he? Again, her eyes dart left and right, as if she might see him right around the next corner, his lithe and tall body holding the phone to one ear, leash wrapped around the opposite hand, cutting into the skin as the dog strains against the man’s strength. And yet he would stand steadfast; the dog’s own strength would not move him. And even across the distance, she can imagine that his eyes would not be shadowed; they’d still be blue as blue. As if he were the vampire with her in his thrall, rather than the other way around.

She imagines herself already at his side, just with that voice in her ear. When she rounds the corner, however, he is not there, and instead she is greeted by a blast of cold air, slapping her out of her reverie. Reminding her of why she had called Elijah – not just to hear his voice, but because she wants to see him. No, that’s not right. It’s not a want. It’s a need.

She stops, there on the corner. She twirls on the spot, as if completely lost. As if she doesn’t know where she is, even though she knows exactly what street this is, what corner, and what direction she’d need to go in order to go home. But she feels lost – because she doesn’t know where Elijah is, and that damned adorable dog of his.

”I need you,” she says. Honest. To the point. She’s not ashamed. She glances upward; she wants to see the stars, but she can’t. The sky is too cloudy.

”Where are you?” she asked. She didn’t care where he was. Didn’t care if he was in the middle of some important meeting, or with friends. She’d drag him away, goddamnit. She would not be refused. She remained where she was, standing still, buffeted by the wind on that lone corner. A gang of three boys passed her by – one gave a wolf whistle, the other two cackled. She flicked them the middle finger, and they cackled some more, but passed on by. She held her breath as she waited for answer from the man on the other end of the phone.

[Elijah Cole (DELETED 5419)]

Elijah Cole was the kind of man that seemed to have infinite patience. He was the kind of man that had a quiet, soft voice to the wounded animals and a wide smile to those tail waggers. He dealt well with animals of all kinds, human or otherwise. His parents always seemed exasperated when they'd take him along for those family trips and find him escaped to the local animal shelters or the zoo. His favorite family trip though had been the safari of Africa, deadly beautiful and never a moment in harm's way even if his parents thought otherwise.

Sure, he had bite marks and subsequent scars. Nothing had ever been too life threatening despite the particular fanged snake bite that wound him in a third rate hospital for a few days with enough anti-venom to cure a dozen people the staff had praised him strong enough to survive. At times, his leg still bothered him. But as Colonel sauntered up from his green perch, he rooted his snout against Elijah's elbow. With his now free hand, he reached over and would pet the mammoth's head.

It warmed his chest and his abdomen knowing that she needed him. What for, did it matter? He blew out a soft breath away from the phone's receiver and looked heavenward for a moment. She was a gorgeous, strong woman who was independent in every nature. However, he was quite elated that she had come to him - even if it was over that blasted telecommunications with her need. The jazz sauced across his consciousness, muffled by the door of the mall opening and closing just some ways away. He would not give into her need. No, not just yet. Some things they needed to do properly instead of quick, hurried in some quiet corridor.

"I am just over Wickbridge's border into Redwood. Would you like to come meet me before going home? I am sitting outside the mall enjoying the smell of greasy french fries, taking Colonel for a walk. He's certainly taken with the fresh cut grass and all the women in short skirts that give him belly rubs like he is denied anything by the gorgeous redhead I know of. Speaking of which, how was your day, dear?" He could not keep the smile from his face and switched ears. This way, he could stroke his hand down the growing anxious pet, who was wagging his tail frantically and looking around for his other best friend with a soft whine to his voice.

He liked to gently antagonize. He knew that unfortunately, due to their schedules, that had not been able to get together. His volunteer work and her odd sleep/work schedule had them both at impassible crosses in their social time. But, finally finding himself free and taking a break from attempting to locate his long lost friend in his off time, Elijah let his eyes wander around. Couples came and went, older people held hands, and business men shook outside of the attached restaurant before parting ways.

"I'm just outside the South entrance. And I'm missing you too." He murmured to her in that hungry tone, shifting his weight upon that bench to make himself more comfortable along the wooden rungs. He waited for her to give her yay or nay as far as meeting him. His eyes continued to wander along the different people coming and going, the goths to the prissy boys to the women in heels too high for a proper teasing. He gave a stroke of Colonel's ear as the mongrel's whimpering increased at the prospect of Red appearing.

"You better hurry. Someone's impatient."

[Zelda (DELETED 4403)]

”Don’t call me dear,” Zelda almost bit down the phone. ”It makes you sound like an old man,” she added, tone twinged with slight amusement, but mainly with irritation. It had nothing to do, really, with the way he teased her. She knew exactly how attractive other women were, especially those in short skirts who doted on dogs. Zelda wasn’t the kind of girl to get jealous of other girls. In fact, she’d sometimes check them out herself, even if she didn’t swing that way. She’d had her days where she’d experiments. Maybe it had rubbed off a bit.

No, her irritation was instead caused by something far deeper. A darkness that she could not name or identify. As if it were that time of the month for her, even though that never happened anymore. Would the body still react, as if on its own clock, as if by habit? Even if it did bleed anymore?

Maybe she was irritated because of the kind of relationship the two of them had fallen into. And she knew that it was all her fault, of course. She knew that she had the tendency to remain flighty, to avoid attachment. Attachment always led to future plans, and she never liked to make plans. She liked to live in the moment. It wasn’t as if she consciously avoided plans. It was just who she was, and how she had come to be. Plans were never her forte. And never had she felt inclined to attachment, either.

But right now, she was irritated that he had guessed the wrong connotation to her words. I need you, she had said. And he had told her to meet him outside, before going home. As if he assumed that was all she wanted. To go home. Although whatever Elijah said afterward should have soothed her frazzled nerves, she still hung up on him. It wasn’t as if she could soothe Colonel through the phone line, so that didn’t need to be commented on. Nor did the fact that she missed eating French fries and burgers, and that he was ******** for rubbing it in. He said he missed her; that should have calmed her, but instead reminded her of his assumptions.

Zelda huffed as she shoved the phone into her pocket. She sighed, releasing all of her negative energy, and stepped back into the safety of the shadows. She closed her eyes, rolled her head on her shoulders, and focused. She knew exactly the place Elijah was speaking of. And she teleported herself directly to him – or thereabouts. The first thing she noticed was the overly large dog. She had landed behind Elijah.

”I didn’t mean I need you,” she all but barked. ”I meant I need you,” she clarified, fully expecting him to understand the subtle difference.

[Elijah Cole (DELETED 5419)]

He could tell in that moment that she was certainly unhappy. Or perhaps, there was something that he had not been made aware of. Something was going on with his beautiful redhead that was beyond his current understanding. He thought for a moment about being an old man in her eyes. Well, some of his mannerisms certainly would portray those of an older man. He held the door for others, he said his Please and Thank You, and he bestowed kindness upon those that could not return it. As for his calling her dear, that was perhaps a bad habit.

He knew that some did not like little nicknames or endearments. Hon, Honey, Darling, and Babe certainly might have topped his list. While the line on the phone went dead, he didn't know whether to be amused more or concerned. Instead, his frown deepened and the lines between his eyebrows increased. He had been around his parents that called each other everything, even asshole a time or two when they both got on each other's nerves. Never, had he thought, did Zelda particularly voice her distaste for such in the past.

"It is alright, Colonel." That was all he said quietly to the dog that insisted on rooting his big head between Elijah's body and his arm. He would loosen the hold just briefly on the nylon strap of the leash and pet the frustrated dog's head. Sure, he pocketed that iPhone back into his slacks. He ended the disconnected tone just prior to scratching his mammoth's ears and before he could even take his next breath, he felt the hair at the back of his neck stand up.

Then came the tug of the dog's leash as the beloved beast moved off to the side, butting his head adamantly against Zelda's hip as her voice sounded. He wanted attention, his tail thwapping his owner's upper arm while Elijah did not even turn around quiet yet. No, he took a moment to himself knowing Red came after all. Honestly, after her hanging up he had figured the evening plans were blown. It was not that he could take Colonel into the mall after all and go shopping. No, eventually they would have just headed home and made a night of it after their walk together.

"I'm right here, Zelda." He said to her quietly. He could feel her irritation simmer from her in waves and still he did not give her his face. He remained sitting on that bench, with his back still to her since she had come up behind him. While Colonel pestered her for petting and attention, he simply wiped his hand on the remaining napkin he had left before he pitched the empty bag of fast food into the garbage bin at the end of the bench. He waited her out even more, wondering just what had her so very upset that night.

[Zelda (DELETED 4403)]

Yes, he was. Right there. Right in front of her. Zelda inhaled; she could smell the crispness of the air, but intermingled, even though he did not move, was Elijah’s personal scent. As if it had wafted from him while he was sitting there, as if a little bubble of Elijah warmth surrounded him, and reached out to her across the divide. There was the hint of salt and potatoes, of fried fat and melted cheese and … some kind of condiment that she couldn’t place. And then, of course, she could smell Colonel, in all his doggy-ness. That particular smell that only dogs could get. It wasn’t a bad smell. It didn’t smell like anything dead, or like he’d rolled in something. She liked the smell, for what it was worth. And, even though Elijah was right there, Zelda instead dropped to her haunches and wrapped her arms around the overly-large dog’s neck.

The redhead hummed as she rested her cheek against the dog’s shoulder; regardless of how restless and excited Colonel was, she didn’t let him bowl her over. She did, however, let his tongue attack her face and neck as she pulled away. She even laughed. That was the joy of animals. They were so happy, so carefree, so ignorant of human problems. Of vampiric problems, she supposed, though they were one in the same. Everything that she was feeling was what humans were capable of feeling, too. Humans could be lonely. Humans could feel a disconnect. They could feel apart from the world.

Even right here, with one person right there who could, perhaps, banish the wringing feeling around her soul, she still felt somehow apart. Was she deliberately holding herself apart? Was that a thing? Surely not. She didn’t understand why she would do something like that to herself. Finally, she stood up again. She rolled around the edge of the bench, and sat herself down next to Elijah; and there were his eyes. She could never get enough of those eyes. And it was as if, in that moment, she got a hit of something that she was missing, that she didn’t realise she was missing. She sighed, in that melancholy kind of way, and slumped. That previously licked cheek of hers rested against Elijah’s shoulder.

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him.

”I know. You are right here. Thank you,” she said, slowly, the words drifting out into the air upon her breath. Blindly, she sought his hand, flexing her fingers through his, grip tight until she realised just how hard she was squeezing – and then she let go.

[Elijah Cole (DELETED 5419)]

While he held Colonel's leash, he waited patiently for Zelda to make the next move. It was like a fine game of chess with her. Strategy was never quite known and always changed upon the opponent's advances. He liked that specific edge with her. He liked knowing that he could care for a woman that was almost devoid of society's expectations of her very self. Though her intentions were not always clear, Elijah Cole still remained patient as he sat upon that bench.

While Colonel's leash seemed to finally give some in the taut lead, he smiled when he heard his lover's laugh. No doubt the mammoth dog was rooting his head under the woman's chin or having his way - which meant greeting kisses of his tongue as Elijah continued to be whipped in the arm by his tail. His mind seemed, in that moment, to concentrate on the word lover. Was Zelda his lover? She was more than just an acquaintance or friend. She seemed to never press him for a title to what they had together. They both respected each other's schedules for the most part.

However, there were days that he did not even know what she was doing. There were times that went by where it was two or three or four days where they did barely anything together but text or call. And then, then it seemed almost like they were both famished for attention. For need. For want of each other's company and in that moment he seemed pretty certain that this was one of those times that Zelda had simply wanted him. And maybe Colonel, too. He was pretty much a packaged deal. Besides, who did not like animals as fun loving and particular with habits and hotdog fetishes like his beloved giant?

When she rounded his side, he looked up at her. His beautiful redhead was certainly full of salt and vinegar and it brought the hint of a smile to his lips. She looked ever intent, but in a sad way. And so for that moment when she sat next to him, he instantly lifted that arm to cradle her against his body. He pulled her into him, enveloping her in his scent and personal presence of concerned calm. His hand that was wound around her furthest shoulder speared through her pretty locks and twisted briefly into the lava locks he licked to often play with.

"You are welcome." He murmured against her temple. He lowered his chin just enough to brush his lips in a chaste kiss against her flesh as she settled against him. Colonel came around front of the bench, dropped to his belly and sat contently in front of his favorite two people with his tongue wagging and his eyes now on the prowl for more potential food. He felt her grip in his hand. He squeezed her own fingers back now. He did not seem to mind or even grimace at how tightly she had been holding on. He simply absorbed her. Elijah Cole let his fingertips soothe across her hair, fingertips barely caressing her neck to touching the lobe of her ear before he just breathed with her.

In and out his chest rose, stealing that precious charbroiled air from the local restaurant and the sweetness of the soft serve ice cream parlor just a ways away. His heart was a calming beat, tacking away to Colonel's pants upon the grass under their feet. While he looked down upon Zelda, he watched their entwined fingers when she loosened her grip. He still held her hand. He still watched as he had them intertwined with her own. He had already told her he missed her. He already had bugged her in text messages, telling her hello, asking her what she was doing as they days had passed, or giving her opportunity to meet in the limited time frames he had open. But, it was obvious until his evening and night was free that she wanted him.

Though he opened his mouth, no words came out. It was just enough in that moment to sit with her.

[Zelda (DELETED 4403)]

This wasn’t like Zelda. Not at all, and she knew it, too. The way she was acting? It surrounded her like a noxious gas, choking her from the inside out. It was a relief, when the only thing that Elijah said was You are welcome. At least he didn’t ask what was wrong. She might have flown off the handle. And yet, still, just sitting there, cradled against him, Zelda somehow felt vulnerable. She ought to feel safe, oughtn’t she?

She remembered overhearing all kinds of conversations as she kicked around the city, or when she had worked at the diner. Groups of girls all desperate and upset about something their men had said or done. They always wanted to know what it meant. They’d throw out their men’s actions onto the table and sift through them, discussing them, tearing them apart as if he were a scheming ********. Zelda, who spent a lot of her time around men (as friends), wanted to slap these prissy fuckers. Wanted to tell them that men don’t mean anything. They’re simple creatures and they’re not playing some game. They’re just reacting, and acting, and doing what they please. And sometimes, they’d do things to please their women, too. Sometimes, they were assholes. So if he does something awful, you dump his ******* *** because he’s not worth it.

Zelda had never been one of those girls. She’d never clung to every word and every action of her significant other. Had she ever really had a lasting boyfriend? A few, maybe, but they had never really lasted too long. A couple of weeks. The longest, maybe two months. She didn’t think she was a slut. Or a whore. She just liked to have fun, and men were far simpler than women gave them credit for. Men could get sentimental, too. They wanted to settle down, and have a woman for keeps. Zelda had never been that woman for them. Though there’d been a few who’d been in it for fun, just like she had. Hell, there were a few she was still friends with to this day.

But no. That wasn’t right either, was it? She wasn’t friends with them anymore. She couldn’t. They’d figure out what she was. And she couldn’t have that, could she? Or could she?

Elijah knew. Elijah didn’t care. Why Elijah, and not the friends she already knew, from her past? Perhaps because he was new. He was a stranger. Maybe she never expected this relationship of theirs to last longer than a couple of weeks. It would end. And she would be fine with it. Wouldn’t she?

”I’m lonely, ‘Lijah,” she said, finally. She knew exactly what was wrong. And in the end, she decided she’d tell him. Because why else had she called him? ”I used to have this whole life, y’know? Would never be a night I wasn’t out with friends or at a party or some kind of dinner, or gathering. I had my job. I had the derby team. But I had to give it all up and I don’t have any of it anymore,” she said with a frown. She didn’t look up at him. She just sat there, limp against his shoulder, her hand still loose in his, staring into the distance and the people coming and going from the shopping centre.

[Elijah Cole (DELETED 5419)]

He held her against him. He held her in a way that allowed her to pull away if need be. But, in truth, Elijah did not want to let her go. He did not want to demand time from her. He did not want to rock the boat given her precious expectations and clear signals that he was just for the moment. Was that not how relationships were? Just for the moment with him? At first, he was thankful that Zelda hadn't had the discussion with him. You know, the one where the woman asks just what this means and what is the next step in that relationship that might have or should have just been a one night stand.

Well, Zelda was not a one night stand. She was not an affair either. She was a woman that enjoyed just as much freedom as he had. She was a woman that he could not pin down with that question, knowing it would be completely unfair. Hence, perhaps, why he was understanding and accepting of the term lover for her. Because he cherished the times they spent together and relished the smile that she put upon his face. She made him feel whole in this cold land, distant from his own family and friends to look for someone that had been lost to him.

His hand smoothed through her red hair. His fingers would comb through her locks as she laid her cheek against his shoulder. He made no move to resituate her. He made no inclination that he was uncomfortable. He held her as close to his body as she let him. Briefly, he looked down to Colonel who had his tongue lulled out and his tail thumping happily against the grass. He was sitting guard in front of his two favorites and one of them was not even human. He understood why this could be so very disconcerting to the beauty leaning against his side.

She had family and friends to protect. She had a life that she had to let go of. She had a job that it was obvious she enjoyed and had to leave for fear of the hours no doubt messing up with her ability to exist in the afterlife of all that she knew. He dropped his chin again, briefly brushing his lips against her temple. No doubt that couple day's old of growth tickled her flesh. "Nothing can replace them. No one can fill the void that you were to them. If they did not stick by you, then they were meant to fall away. Family will always be family, Zelda, no matter if times change."

His voice was soft, but firm. He wasn't telling her what to do or how to do it. In his own life lessons, he was simply trying to comfort her. "This is why you look forward instead of back. You try to find new friends. Create new bonds. Get another job. Find some other friends with the same interests. Start your own derby." He was trying to encourage her. He was trying to let her mind run along the path of new beginnings instead of old, painful losses. "There is nothing wrong with keeping in touch with who you were so long as it doesn't pull you down. Meet with your parents. Schedule a night out with old friends. What is stopping you, Zelda?"

His question was calm and soft, perhaps not wanting to grate upon the nerves that she exposed to him. He thought of her as a human, full of light and warmth. Full of smiles and the center of the party. And now, in that moment, he couldn't imagine anything changed but the stillness of her heart in her chest. She was his beautiful woman. "If you will wither in the sun, then you must bloom under the moon."

He lifted their clasped hands and kissed her knuckles, giving a squeeze to her palm in the process.