Starting over (Closed)

[Elighan (DELETED 7699)]

I relish holding this beautiful creature in my arms. I don't think I truly knew how much I missed her until tonight, until right now. When she suggests toasting to our new friendship, I smile and shake my head. She's lost none of her flair. I missed that. I missed this. All of this. I didn't imagine I'd be sharing my apartment with anyone, let alone someone like Melete. What she sees in me I'll never know. Though perhaps that isn't entirely true. I think she liked my money, my companionship came in second to what she could get from me, and honestly I never minded that. She deserved everything I ever gave her and more. She's a princess and should be treated like one. The same should be said for every woman. Any woman that allows a man to treat her as anything less doesn't know what she's worth. I know what Melete is worth, and if she ever forgets I plan to remind her. Even if I wasn't in the doghouse, I'd still have brought her gifts tonight. I missed Christmas. I don't plan to miss her birthday, but even though it’s only a few weeks away I couldn't wait to spoil her.

"For you Melete, anything. And you asked so nicely too. You know, if I didn't know better I'd say you were up to something."

I do know better. This isn't the reaction I expected but it's better than the one I deserve so I'll take it. There's a small chance that Adelita has missed me as much as I have her and that she's being nice because she knows screaming and shouting at me will have me walking out on her again. Only it wouldn't. I would have stood there and taken my punishment. I would have even let her hurt me physically if that was what she needed to vent her frustrations with me. A few broken bones are easily healed with my abilities. Bruises I would just allow to heal naturally. There's no shame in wearing those kinds of marks when they are well deserved.

I blink, forcing myself to look away from her chest. I'm not used to having to watch myself around this woman anymore and I have to be more mindful of the fact that she's married. That she broke my heart. That we are starting our friendship anew. With a smile, I seat myself on the sofa. Usually I'd open the wine while she grabs the glasses but I want to see just how much trouble I'm in. I've never seen her react like this when she's mad, so this could very well be the calm before the storm. And knowing Adelita, what a storm it will be.

"So... What have you been doing with yourself. I'm a little curious as to why you are here truth be told, did you need a night away from the pressures of married life?"

I don't tell her that I thought she'd be entertaining someone here when she told me where to come. I don't want to make her feel bad for who she is. Part of loving someone, even as a friend, is accepting for who they are. I may have realised while I was away that I can't handle a woman Melete, and that she was right to leave me, but that doesn't mean I have to cut her out of my life completely. A life without her, is a life without drama and life without a little fire is dull beyond belief.

[Adelita (DELETED 5973)]

Lita pouted and feigned a look of mock horror as Elighan mentioned her being up to something. Of course she was, and wasn't surprised that he would think that either. Lita had never been overly nice to the guy in her apartment. Scratch that, Adelita had never been nice to Elighan. She had been tolerable, maybe, but nice? Lita couldn't think of a single time she had gone out of her way to be nice to him.

"If you would prefer to get your head bitten off, I can oblige." Adelita snapped at him, bringing back the woman he was all too familiar with in the tone of voice she was using. Lita pushed herself off the counter when he took a seat to the couch, facing the television. "Are you driving tonight?" Adelita asked as she opened the cabinet to get the wine glasses with one hand, while her right foot rested against the cabinet below the sink. Tiny toes looped around the open handle of the cabinet, pulling it open slowly as she set the two glasses Lita collected from the shelving unit above the sink.

While she did this, Elighan started snooping around about her personal life, but it didn't distract Lita from the task she was pulling off. With the lower cabinet open, Lita looked over at Elighan to make sure he wasn't looking and scooped the earth choice window cleaner she used and set it next to the glasses, where she turned her body just a little bit so that it blocked what she was going to do. "If I'm not at my cafe, or forging weapons at a vampire school I've joined, then I'm almost always here. It's my home." Adelita had thought about moving weeks ago, but with his return, she felt the need more than ever to claim what had been his apartment, turned into theirs, as hers.

Adelita opened the cap to the cleaner, then uncorked the bottle of wine and poured the in clear solution first, then some red wine. She was just about to pour herself a glass, but decided that she should pour some solution in her glass too. Just in case Elighan thought his tasted funny, he could taste hers to prove that they had the same stuff in it. With both glasses filled with solution and red wine, Lita quietly put the window cleaner in the sink and left the bottle of red on the counter. "How's your sister and her family?" Adelita asked as she brought both glasses of wine over to where Elighan was sitting and started to drink her own. It wasn't as if she was going to die from being poisoned, so Lita hadn't hesitated for a second to let it find its new home down her esophagus and into her stomach.

Adelita Other NPCs/Objects Moderate Stealthy Opened cabinet door with toes Succeeded

[Elighan (DELETED 7699)]

I try not to smile when the feisty female asks me if I'd rather have my head bitten off. Of course I wouldn't, but I don't like Adelita being fake with me. I want things to go back to the way they were before I left. Though maybe not back to exactly how they were before. Our previous arrangement didn't work out so well for me and technically she cheated on me. I don't know for sure if any bodily fluids were exchanged, so I can't prove that kind of cheating, but she went and bound herself to another man. It would have knocked my confidence a whole lot more had I not been expecting her to cheat on me one day. I had just hoped it was going to be later rather than sooner.

I flick through the TV channels looking for something to watch, or perhaps ignore. I didn't ask about her life so that I could ignore her reply. I just want to find something that I can put on as background noise. Which inevitable means I end up on a music channel. I choose an easy listening station and settle back into the cushions as my new, old friend brings our drinks over.

I find it curious that she doesn't mention her husband and that she's calling my flat home, but I don't remark upon it. I'd rather wait until she's had a few drinks before asking again. It would probably be safer for us both. Though I don't recall if she feels the effects any more. Though the act itself should settle her down and make her open up to me more.

"My car is in the bay downstairs, and my sister is well now, thank you for asking." It’s not like Melete to ask after my family, but I appreciate the thought. She's obviously still playing nice, which means she's either missed me or she wants something. If I was a betting man, which I can be, I'd say it's the latter.

I pick my glass up from the table and as always, I inhale its scent first. I immediately know that something isn't right with it. There's a note of something that just doesn't work. This is why I don't drink the cheap stuff myself and I certainly wouldn't have expected Melete to have bought something this bad, so it was likely a gift from someone. I look up at her and she's happily drinking it down, so I take a tentative sip. It tastes as bad as it smells. There's an aftertaste to it that's not at all pleasant. She's obviously not been looking after herself properly if she's been buying and drinking this stuff. Whatever it is, I know to avoid it in the future. Though I'm tempted to drink it just to be polite.

"I think this bottle might be corked sweetheart," I go to stand to go check. I didn't see anything floating in the glass but that doesn't mean anything. I also want to check the label. In order to avoid something, you first have to know what it is, and I could be wrong; it could be a good bottle that's gone bad. I simply won't know until I check for myself.

[Adelita (DELETED 5973)]

She didn't care about his family, not really. And Lita didn't care about where his car was, because Elighan wasn't going to go anywhere, any time soon. But, Lita played nice and listened to his answers anyways before flashing him a smile when he thanked her for being nice. It was rare; the woman being nice to him.

"Really? I don't taste anything wrong with it." Adelita interjected as Elighan stood. A hand, her free hand snaked out for Elighan as Lita attempted to deny him from moving any further and away from her. Mostly, because he might see the bottle in the sink and start to put two and two together. He wasn't an idiot by any means, even if he was a little whiny and needed to grow a pair sometimes. Most times.

"Who cares about the wine? Don't drink it." Adelita wrapped the hand around his free arm and laughed. "I don't care. I won't cry about you not liking something I like." Adelita set her own glass down on the table in front of the couch, before she pulled out a final attempt at keeping him in place. Was she above it? Not at all.

"I'm here because I'm not married anymore. We were never married." Lita spoke, as she sat back in the couch, pulling him with her. "We were married, but it was some big pretend marriage or something. I hated it. I'll never do it again. Ever." Lita spoke with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders as her bare feet rested against Elighan's shin, eyes on him.

"And this is the only place I could go. As you know, I don't really have anyone here. Any other family. Human or otherwise." Lita kept jabbering on before her other hand patted at the seat next to her on the couch. "Forget the wine. I'll throw it out later and you can buy me better wine." Adelita had to come up with a different plan, and that required some time on her end. Thankfully, Elighan wasn't going anywhere.

[Elighan (DELETED 7699)]

I pause and look down at Adelita when she grabs my hand. It doesn’t even cross my mind that this is a diversion tactic. Adelita always does, what she wants to do. I go willingly back onto the couch, the wine forgotten. Well, almost forgotten. She says she liked it. I can’t see how. It tastes disgusting. I thought she had a better palette than that. I thought she had taste. Desperate times might call for desperate measures but she told me she still had my money, so she’s not desperate. She’s staying in my apartment too. She says she’s paying rent but if she is, it’s not to me, which means she’s being scammed. She’s a smart girl though so I don’t know how she’d let that happen to her.

I grab her bare feet, lift them onto my lap and start rubbing the abused appendages between my hands. Her feet are colder than a human’s but it doesn’t bother me. It never has. All Adelita’s flaws are perfection, and I’m sure she knows it.

“I don’t understand. You were never really married or you just aren’t counting it as a marriage. You must have had some very strong, very real feelings to move in with the man and try a relationship with him. After all, you did leave me for him and I know I didn’t treat you badly.”

I don’t mean to sound insulting, though she will likely take it that way. I’m not conceited either, I knew she could do better me from the night we met. Still, I had to try. Not knowing what could have been would have tortured me. I knew I couldn’t keep her but that doesn’t have me wondering how she could leave me the way she did. Why she left me when she did. I thought she was happy. Then she disappeared, citing my behaviour as the reason. I was never unreasonable. At least I wasn’t what any rational human being could call unreasonable, but Adelita isn’t like us mere mortals, she is so much more. She is the princess I’ve always suspected her to be; beautiful, flawed and utterly unique. She’s the reason I’m here. And not because I expect anything from her but because I didn’t like the way we left things. I still have much to learn from the enchantress beside me.

“I am glad you thought to come here though, Melete. Though I honestly don’t understand why you didn’t try to contact me when things went wrong. When you needed someone. Even if I’d been unable to come here in person, I would have found a way to help you. I would have welcomed your company where I was even, if you were willing to leave this city. You didn’t have to go through any of this alone.”

I take a moment to really look her over. She looks well. There are no signs that I can see that she has been grieving. It may not be the healthiest of plans to sit at home, alone and eat popcorn in bed while you watch television but then everyone deserved to relax in their own ways and she mentioned having gone into business for herself. That is something I am eager to hear about but it doesn’t really warrant talking about right now. Right now I want to understand the pain of what she’s been through so that I can help her erase it, grow stronger and move forward. I should have been here for her. But then I had to be there for Caitlyn too. My loyalties had been divided, but then again any loyalty I had to this woman should have died the day she told me what she done, what she planned to do. Yet here I sit, massaging the soft pads of her feet, hoping to help her find herself once more, even if it does sound as if she’s already set herself on the road to recovery.

[Adelita (DELETED 5973)]

The Mexican woman swishes the foot he was working on to the left and right, teasing his ability to keep a hold on her foot. "Why do you even care?" She sighed before rolling her eyes. "I'm not with him anymore, which is why I am here. Does the rest of it matter?" Lita looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes before shrugging her shoulders high and then letting them drop low. "I told you I was sort of married to him. In some crazy vampire way. Now, I'm not. That's all you need to know, right? Or did you want to hear how it sucked and I'll never take a trip down that road again?" Lita pulled one of her feet away from him and pressed it against Elighan's chest before she tipped her head back to rest it on the arm of the couch as she dug her body into it deeper.

Then she laughed when he asked why she didn't try to reach out for him. "I couldn't even give you any of your money back. Your account at the local bank was closed out, apparently. How was I supposed to find you, in god knows where?" Adelita looked at Elighan working on the bottom of her other foot, the one she allowed him to keep in his grasp.

"I'm not coming to work for you again. You might leave town again and leave me jobless again." Lita changed the subject as her eyes glazed over, attempting to ignore the hands that caressed the sole's of her feet. Elighan could do some things right, though Adelita would never admit that to him. Ever. "So don't think about asking. I started my own business. It's called Origenes. It's a Mexican Cafe. If I can't go back, I figure I may as well bring a little Mexican flair to Harper Rock. Everyone loves a saucy burrito." Her red lips turned into a coy smile as the thought about the play on her words that could have been done, wondering if Elighan would have put two and two together.

[Elighan (DELETED 7699)]

I resist the urge I have to roll my eyes at Adelita as she attempts to berate me and put me in my place. I know my place with this woman all too well and it's hardly necessary. She seems to enjoy making me miserable but if it makes her feel better I'll go with it. It sounds like she had a rough time of it while I was away. It couldn't be helped, but I should have left her my sister's contact details. Though she had mine and she could have used them but she chose not to. It's typical of her really, not to ask for help.

I continue to massage the underside of her foot with the pads of my thumbs, rubbing in small circles. I want her to relax. I need her to relax. I honestly feel guilty for not being here, even though I shouldn't do.

"You had my phone number and email Melete. I would have replied. But I respect the fact that you likely didn't think you'd get a response from me. I just need you to know that had I of know, that I would have found a way to be here for you."

I try to imagine Adelita working in a cafe, even if it is her own but I can't quite do it. She's a wonderful hostess and she's great at making part with their money, or she was when she worked at Jenks. I can't imagine her dealing kindly with customers if they have complaints about the food or service and that thought makes me smile. I can see practically bullying the poor soul into changing their mind and complimenting her in some way. She's good like that.

"If you don't want to work for me, that's your choice. Of course I would have loved to have had you back at Jenks." I give it a little thought and then add. "I'm proud of you princess. It sounds like you put down some roots while I was away."

I'm not sure if she'll take that as the compliment it's supposed to be. She's only grown in strength since I first met her and that only makes her all the more attractive in my eyes. I have to be careful not to take her suggestive words and gestures to heart as that's just the way she is. I can't afford to go down that road again, not when I've only just managed to clear my head of her. She's the reason I'm here, but I'm not going to try and win her back. I was honestly hoping to find her happy in her relationship with her husband, but it changes nothing now that i know she's free and single once more.

[Adelita (DELETED 5973)]

"Maybe I'll help you just a little. To get started again. For a cut of the profit." Adelita made sure to say that part as clear as possible before addressing the other things Elighan had mentioned prior. "So it's my fault, I had such a hard time? That is what you are saying?" Narrowed eyes focused on Elighan, trying to determine his meaning. "I didn't leave-you did. Without so much of a word-or anything more than a really lame email. I tried to email you and it didn't go through. It was sent right back to me." Adelita crossed her arms at her chest before sighing. "I didn't call you because of that very reason. Why waste my time trying to track down someone who doesn't want to be found? Not all of us are perverted spies." She stuck her tongue out at him, while Lita grabbed a decorative pillow from behind her and tossed it at him.

"So what? Who cares anymore?" Adelita watched the pillow bounce against the arm rest and land on the floor. "It's over and done with and now that I know you're sorry, you're forgiven." She smiled coyly at Elighan before stretching her arms over her head. "About eighty percent forgiven." Her forgiveness didn't come free or cheap, but once he was stuck here with her, Lita would forgive him then and only then. "Are you planning on staying or are you going to tuck tail and run again? I don't like remakes." Adelita laughed before removing her feet from off Elighan so she could stand and move to the kitchen, collecting both their wine glasses. "They're never the same-remakes." There was a single shrug of her left shoulder before she moved to the kitchen, plotting how to kill Elighan.

With the drinks down the drain, Lita moved to the fridge and opened it. "You sure you aren't hungry? I have a lot of....beer. And ice cream?" Adelita laughed. "I didn't expect to have company. Human anyways." She admitted with sigh. However she was going to kill Elighan, it wasn't going to be as clean as the poisoning would have been. Brown eyes scanned the kitchen, falling on the half filled bottle of wine. She could smack him upside the head with it. No, she might just knock him out and not kill him. Finally, her eyes landed on the knife block. She was going to have to stab Elighan. Flat hands went to the counter as she weighed the pros and cons. There were more cons than pro, but he didn't leave her much choice. Now, to get him in here...away from carpeting and the furniture.

And then a thought came to mind. Lita grabbed the half opened bottle of wine from the counter, turned and then let it slip from her fingers. It crashed to the floor, flinging glass everywhere and making a small puddle of wine at her feet. "Damnit." Lita cursed quietly as she started to slowly move to clean things up. He would help, because Elighan was that sort of guy. As annoying as it could be some time, Lita could always count on him to do the right thing.

[Elighan (DELETED 7699)]

I'm not sure why she's mad at me but then again I'm not entirely sure it matters; my breathing seems to be enough to set her off at times. I could argue with her, state my case but there's very little point, she'll only hear what she wants to hear. It's the way she is. She's determined to believe that she didn't leave me for another man, that that doesn't count perhaps as she didn't leave the city but it counts to me. I don't think she's even acknowledged the hurt she's caused me. My mood lifts though when she calls me a perverted spy, causing me to chuckle and perhaps angering her further. Thankfully she doesn't seem affected by it and even says I'm mostly forgiven.

I didn't come back to reprimand her for crimes past. I came back because leaving the way I had, running away the way I did, wasn't fair to either of us. I should have made more of an effort to stay in touch, to make sure she was okay. I stupidly believed the money would be enough to get her through any upcoming hardships; I neglected to plan for any emotional upheaval.

I open my mouth to tell her that I'm not going anywhere but she's already offering me something else to drink, and ice-cream. She can be rather sweet when she wants to be. And clumsy even, apparently. I frown as the bottle slips from her grasp. I though Melete had more grace than that, but that's neither here nor there, within I'm on my feet to help her.

I walk into the kitchen, crouch down and begin gathering up the larger shards of glass by hand.

"Can you get the dust pan and brush from under the kitchen counter please?" I ask, as I go about the task of cleaning up the mess she made.

I don't mind helping her out. I'd rather be the one to get my hands dirty. Melete shouldn't dealing with this sort of thing, even if she is quick to heal. The simple fact is that I can heal quicker. I can channel my energy through my body and instantly heal any wound I have. The power has its limitations of course, but I have ways of boosting my mystical energy, should the need arise. A cut to the hand should I slip with the glass, would be nothing I can't handle.

"I'm very glad to hear I'm mostly forgiven princess. I have to say I was prepared for an entirely different reaction upon seeing you and am happy to find that I was wrong."

Relieved is probably a better word. I'd been prepared for a drama storm and had instead been welcomed with somewhat reluctant open arms. It's apparent that she's trying though. She's mad at me still but she's making an effort. I can handle Melete being mad at me, I just couldn't have handled being rejected again. I'd probably have to consider closing my businesses down for good and relocating. Thankfully that doesn't seem like it will be necessary now.

[Adelita (DELETED 5973)]

As Adelita expected, Elighan came to her 'rescue,' with the wine bottle mishap and started taking control of the situation. He more or less directed her on what to do, which was fine with her. With Elighan believing he was in control of things, he wouldn't suspect what was going to come to him. "Absolutely." Adelita said quietly as she moved to get the small, hand broom and the dust pan from under it, shaking her head as Lita recalled how it was he would remember it was still there. Not that she used it a lot. But this had been his apartment first.

Adelita opened the cabinet under the sink and started rummaging around, pushing some cleaning supplies aside in search of the broom and dust pan. "Here it is." Adelita said as she pulled it out and showed it to Elighan. "You had to leave. So what? I want to leave this place too. Almost every day. Remington is gone. Godric too. I have very little friends beside Whinny. No connections to this place." Adelita wasn't mad he had to go take care of things-she was upset that he did it without any real notice and that he either never replied to her emails, or blocked her email address to prevent getting any of her emails. "I'm very glad you are back." And the Mexican woman was-but she was going to make sure he wasn't leaving. Ever again.

"Here." The woman held out the small, off white pan to Elighan before moving to a tiny closet. "I'll get a couple plastic bags." She told him, eyes back on the butcher block. Lita opened the door to the tiny closet that held a larger broom in it, a plethora of bags from various stores, the trash bin and other bigger odds and ends that didn't have a home yet. "I really would like for you to stay longer than you did before." Or forever. Only Adelita hadn't said that part.

With the door opened, she looked back at Elighan and then to the butcher block, wondering if the view was blocked enough. "Be careful of all that glass." She warned him as Lita rustled around in the closet with one hand and reached for a knife in the block. "I don't want to hear your whining about a cut. Even if you can heal it insanely fast." Adelita snorted a little before she grabbed the knife closest to her, which was a steak knife and set it very quietly on the counter near the wall of the tiny pantry closet.