Realistic or Modern Hidden Love

[Allycena]

Thump, thump, thump, thump. Her feet carried her as quickly as they could through the brush and down the interstate. The car she had been driving all night had unfortunately quit on her in the middle of nowhere. The poor girl was on her way over the mighty Mississippi River to meet her friends in New Orleans. They were beginning their spring break road trip like they do every year, except this time they chose a more exotic atmosphere. Her breaths were heavy and quick as her lungs worked overtime to get the proper amount of oxygen into her lungs. And it only got harder to breathe from there as her heartbeat picked up at a rapid pace. She continued to run.


Sadly, it wasn’t her lucky night as the thing she had been running from had finally caught up to her. His left hand shot out and his fingers tangled themselves in her locks, yanking her back so roughly that her body met the cool ground. A cry of surprise and utter fear erupted from the girl as her hands went up and back to try and pry the man’s set from her hair. As expected, her clawing made no difference as he dragged her across the gravel road off the beat and path. His chuckle rang out into the night air as he ignored her cries for help. “No, please! No!” Her throat felt raw from the hollering pleads for her life she made.


“Who are you?! What do you want?!” She continued to belt out as he tugged her up the rickety steps of the porch. The house looked like it was rotting and falling to pieces. It smelled of death and mold. It was dark and cold. With her head now pounding, she couldn’t stop questioning herself on how she got into this mess. As her cheeks became damp and the salty trails made their way down her chin, she knew to fear the worst. The man yanked her back up and slung her against the wall, a startling crack followed suit. Whether it was the wall or one of her bones, she couldn’t tell as adrenaline pumped through her veins.


His stare was piercing and the girl felt extremely uncomfortable under the gaze. He knew just how to intimidate his prey, he knew just how to lure and capture as well. The creature brushed her hair from her face so he could get a good look at her, prompting for a wince. He used his fingertips to caress the softness of her cheeks and jawline, loving the sound of her whimpers in his ears. “Why are you doing this?” The poor thing sounded so defeated as she came to terms with her own approaching death. A grin spread itself across his features and he made sure to maintain intense eye contact when he said it too. “Well because I can, darlin.” The next moment was the most excruciatingly painful experience she had ever endured, her efforts were of course not enough to stop him from stealing her life. And just before it was light’s out, his muffled voice broke through and faded in and out. “I suppose I can give you something before this is over. I mean I sure would like for us to do this again sometime. How bout it?”





The brunette shot up in bed, heavily breathing with a light film of sweat kissing her skin. This nightmare had made it a habit of appearing every few nights and it had happened since she was a kid. Her head began to pound to the point where her vision had blurred slightly, her hazel eyes traveled out the window next to the bed and back over to the clock on the nightstand that read 7 o’clock. Time to start the day, back in the town she barely remembered from childhood. Her grandparents had both passed a couple months ago and she had finally gotten around to moving into their old home. Her brother helped her pack up her car, but after that, she was on her own.


Adelaide got dressed for the day, tying her hair into a messy bun before walking to a stack of boxes all labeled and taped up. “Well, let’s get started, shall we?” After nearly 2 hours of unpacking and sorting, Addie remembered then that she had forgotten to eat breakfast. She had a hard time with memory since the accident, some bouts of short term loss here and there every once in a while. The young woman grabbed her keys and hopped into her grandpa’s old pickup truck that sat in the driveway. The rattle of the engine sounded sweet to the memory of her late pap, it was nice to hear.

She made her way out of the driveway without successfully hitting the mailbox, thank god because when she first learned to drive, she unfortunately had to buy a new one for them. Adelaide drove down the street and around the corner, driving until she made it into town. Once she made it to the little diner off the fourway, she entered and was immediately greeted by the chiming Of bells. The aromas of the food inside made her mouth water and her eyes momentarily closed as if she was picturing herself eating everything in the kitchen.

 

[Matreania]

Azura had learned a while ago, what was wrong with him. He learned why he couldn't be treated like other kids and why there was a limit to how much time he could be around others at once. that was something that he had gotten used to over the years, but when he finally understood what was going on, he made a point to follow the rules that his mother had placed for him, even when his father was all he had left. But now, he was alone and that meant that he had to maintain his own control and that was what he did. Working only, doing odd jobs and doing work with others with as little time as he could. But he was careful not to spend any time with them that he didn't have to, for the simple fact that he could lose his temper.

So, when he got a job offer for an out of town job, he wasn't sure that he was going to be able to get through it. But the money would let him take a little time off and give him some money to fix up the old place a little. After all, the home he grow up in, was across the street from Adel's grandparents and he was sure that she would have to come by at some point. After all, so many of her family had already come to the old place, why wouldn't she? It would be ideal for him to make sure that he had the place his parents left him, in good condition when she did. But to be honest, he was not really concerned with getting the house in order for when she actually came by. He wanted to just know she was okay and what happened to make her leave.

But for now, all he could do was focus on what was going on in his life and wait for her. That was what he had been doing, for years, waiting for her. Living his life, and waiting for her to come back. He wanted to see her and that was something that made the days long, but helped him move to the next. So, when he got back into town, he didn't mind the looks that he got. He wasn't the only colored man on the street or in the town, but there was something his eyes, that made people nervous. The brightness of his eyes, made him look like everyone, from a distance, but when you really looked into them, it was like his pupils grew in size. There was a darkness inside his eyes that shined and smiled at you, even when he wasn't. So, they stayed away from him , as he came back into town, he ignored the townspeople, as he moved along the streets. It wasn't a big town, so walking was not that bad, a few miles was where he lived, so walking into town, was a matter of what he felt like. But he had hitched hiked to the job and back, so he was on his feet as he moved through the town.

As he got to the Diner that was known around the town, it was the only real place that could be called a Restaurant. He had walked all the way from the next town, he was tired and hungry and when he had the time, he helped repair their buildings. It was the only reason that he was allowed in town. After fixing a few things, he found himself allowed to shop, and eat wherever he worked, since he helped them out, they allowed him to be around. It was a ridiculous situation, that his father hated, but Azura made a point to hold his father back and earn his rights around the town. He wouldn't have his father forever, he had made that argument that he would have to find his own place.

He walked in shortly after a woman that he didn't recognize, for a moment. It was a sense that rang in his mind as he moved through the door and when he started to his usual spot in the corner, he started to let his eyes wonder. She was here. He could feel it. He sat down in the corner table and his eyes locked on to her, it took a moment to know exactly who she was. And for him, it took everything he had to not rush to her and talk to her. He had to be careful, in town, he could lose his place in a moment, if he attacked her in anyway, even if it was just to ask her what happened and why she left. So, he just watched her, it was all he could do for now.

 

[Allycena]

​

Adelaide walked up to the counter and looked around the place for a moment. A blue eyed blondie popped up almost out of nowhere when her head turned back to face the front and she nearly jumped out of surprise. Her reflexes were pretty sensitive since the accident. Loud noises, sudden motions and abrupt movements all shocked her. She was easy to scare, unfortunately for her. She gave a sheepish smile before asking the waitress the question of the day.

“Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to your boss?” God, Addie. Sound like a Karen, why don’t ya? At least ya didn’t say Manager. She thought quietly after asking her. The girl nodded and quickly went to the back of the building where his office was located. Adelaide felt a little on the spot for some reason, like she was the center of attention to a lurking eye, the new main character of a regular’s narrative. Her gaze traveled around the room once more and didn’t really see anything or anyone out of the ordinary until her eyes landed on the guy sitting in the corner by himself.

His eyes seemed to be trained on her, or at least they were until she caught him. He was kinda cute at first glance, mysterious, maybe even a bit suspicious if she had any probable cause to think of him as such. Regardless of it all, she stayed put and when the owner came out from the back, she looked away. “Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?” He looked at her with an odd expression for a second before she answered. “Uhm, yeah! I was wondering if you’re hiring. I just moved back into town and I kinda need a job if I’m gonna stay.”

Adelaide had high hopes that the man would consider hiring her to work as a waitress. She would do her best to learn and succeed at the tasks provided. After all, she was a hard worker with the determination of a stubborn old man. “Hm, you do look familiar. Come to think of it, aren’t you Emilia and JJ’s kid?” When he spoke her parent’s names, she brightened up a little. “Yeah! I haven’t been here in years, we moved. What was your name again?” She extended her dainty hand to which he took and shook accordingly. ”Jay Phillips, nice to meet you again..” He squinted, leaving room to hear her name.

Her small reaction of surprise and optimism lit up the room, her smile was just as bright. “Adelaide.“ Jay shook her hand again and nodded. “Adelaide. Em always had the craziest name ideas, but it is pretty. I’ll give ya that. When can you start?” Addie let out a sigh of relief. “I can start tomorrow or maybe this weekend. I have a lot of unpacking to do. I moved back into my grandparent’s old house, by myself so I’m my only help. I’m totally available though whenever you need me. I’m ready to get started as soon as I can.” She rambled just a bit, and he loved the enthusiasm. Jay looked over to the blonde standing next to him. “See? You need more enthusiasm like Adelaide here. You’ll start this weekend. I’ll give you a day or two to get settled.” The blonde rolled her eyes and wiped the counter with a wet rag.

Adelaide nodded. “Awesome, thank you so much. You will not regret this, I promise. Speaking of, what would you recommend I order to eat for breakfast? I haven’t eaten just yet.” Jay nodded to blondie and backed away into the hall behind the counter. “I’ll leave that to my lovely Gen.” Gen handed her a menu and said that when she was ready to order, just let her know. Addie took the menu and sat down a couple tables down from Azura’s corner seat. Upon scanning over the items, the sensation of being stared at again began to burn into her. And her hazel eyes flickered back up to see his orbs of steel blue boring into her own. He did look familiar, like she knew him from somewhere. She probably went to school with him a long time ago or something.

Addie grinned slightly as she scanned the menu again. Gen came back and asked if she was ready. “What can I get you?” She asked, whipping out her notepad. The brunette thought for a moment before she looked up to the young woman. “A cup of coffee and I think I’ll just get a butter biscuit. Do you guys have strawberry jelly?” She raised her eyebrows and Gen gave a nod as she wrote everything down. “Is that it?” Adelaide nodded. “Yes, thank you.” As soon as Gen was gone with the menu in hand, a sigh fell from her lips. Her smile reappeared just as bright and her naturally bubbly personality shined through. ”Can I help you?” Her question might have been a little forward, but she hoped her smile made up for any offence he might feel toward it.

 

[Matreania]

Azura watched her move, the way that she did, made him wonder if it was her. There was a sway in her motion, like she's sure. But when she was waiting and her eyes locked to his, he noticed the way her mind seem to recognize him, but she didn't. The look in her eyes told him, that she couldn't place him, even if she recognized his face. He had grown in a few areas, but nothing that would make him as much of a stranger as her face told him, to her. There was a stone drop in his gut that told him, she had no idea who he was, or why he was watching her. It almost felt like everything that she and he had experienced meant nothing. And for a moment, his muscles tensed, as his eyes watched her. There was a fury in him, he was holding under control. Something that he had never believed he would feel towards her, but now did.

It wasn't until he saw that expression on her face, as she talked to Jay. He found a calm in seeing that she didn't know him either. But Jay passed it on as time, or maybe he knew something that Azura didn't. Either way, it was like she had no idea who she was talking to or the relationship her family had to this town. There was no doubt, that most of the town knew her personally, or even by just sight. But she was known, just as much as he was, as much as he was avoided. It snapped in his head, the way that she moved was slightly different. The way she spoke was unfamiliar with the people around her. She was different, but how different? That was something that he couldn't help but want to ask. Had she left him and this town so far in her past that she knew no one here? Had she forgotten everything that made her who she was? to him? to this town? Azura couldn't help watching her for the time. The way her lips moved, her sway of motion.

After her conversation with Jay, she sat feet from him. It was tempting to just ask her his questions, but instead he listened to her. He hadn't ordered anything, the waitress didn't come by his table as often as they did others. But he only ever ate one thing, depending on the time. At this time, he always had a big breakfast: waffles, eggs, sausage and bacon. It was the same as his father had done, every morning they stopped by this diner, they ordered the same thing. When his father passed, he kept it up, but had to earn his right to come in the diner, after his father's death. That was something that he wasn't really happy with, but when he figured himself out, he knew it was the best for everyone. When she gave her order though, it was like watching her coach herself, for a second, before she turned to him, with that smile.

He was slightly taken aback by it. It had been so long since anyone had said a word to him, that was not work, that for a moment, he said nothing. He just looked at her for that moment, thinking of everything he had just thought of and the time he had spent with her. The time they shared and how abandoned he felt when she vanished. But at the same time, the moments that he just witnessed. He wanted to ask her his questions, to ask her how she could forget this home? But at the same time, he wasn't sure that she really understood what she left behind. "Your grandparents passed a while ago. Seems a little late for you to visit?" he calmly stated.

"Better her then you." he hear a voice, just a table to the side, the man there was a logger. Azura knew him from a few visits to the diner. Azura glanced to him for a moment, before he turned back to Adelaide.

"I got back in town this morning, you are just the last person I expected to be here." he sighed as he finally got his footing. He stood up, the expression on her face told him that he waited for nothing. He waited for his friend. The girl he fall in love with. But the way she smiled at him, showed him, she had no idea who he was. "My name is Azura. As he said, this town rather not have me around. But I live across the street from your grandparents' old house. So, if you want to stop by and we can talk. Otherwise, Adel, no. There is nothing you can help me with. Not anymore." he said. He spoke his peace, even if she had no idea what he was talking about. He had to say something. He raised his palm as the Waitress was on her way towards them, to let her know that he wasn't going to order or attack Adelaide. He smirked to Adel, "Have a nice day." he told Adel, before he moved to pass her table. He felt like he had to go, his fury was starting to build again. She was the one person he felt he would be able to explain himself to. To explain what he was and show her. That she could help him keep his control. But that hope died as soon as she smiled her friendly smile, to a stranger. He studied her the moment he saw her, watched her, hoping. But that was the final brick, to break the castle.

 

[Allycena]

She was a little taken back by his response, not expecting him to say what he did about her timing with her grandoarents’ deaths. She cleared her throat a bit as she watched the two men kind of stare each other down for a second. The tension in the diner grew thick, she could feel it. However what really got to her was his next response, it hit her like a wall of bricks. The attitude he gave her weighed heavy on her heart, she would eventually come to terms with it. But that name, Azura, she had heard it before. And Adel was ringing a bell too, but she couldn’t exactly put the pieces together just yet on her own.

The way she was left sitting there made her feel a bit exposed, awkward and slightly uncomfortable with herself. Gen brought her coffee and biscuit to the table and the brunette stopped her from leaving. “Hey, I’m sorry this is sudden. But can I get this to go?“ With another roll of the eyes and a heavy sigh, the waitress grabbed a to go bag and cup for her. “Thank you. I guess I’ll see you this weekend, Gen.” Addie poured her coffee into the to go cup and wrapped her biscuit up. “It’s Gennifer to you. And don’t think that we’re just gonna be besties because my dad likes you.” Her remark had Addie a bit on edge as surprise overtook her once again.

With a nod, Adelaide got up and left out to the truck. “Looks like I’ve stepped on enough toes today by existing.” Before moving back, she had an odd feeling that things would be weird. Her parents had told her what happened to her, but were pretty vague about her condition or the extent to what it did. Hopping in the truck, the heater blasted hot air on her cold feet and a shiver passed through her body. Part of her wished she had a companion or partner that would Have moved down with her so that she didn’t feel so out of place and like the bad guy for not knowing any better.

The drive wasn’t too long, the exhaust flew from the pipe under the back of the truck like the cloud of an old smoking pipe hanging from her grandpa’s mouth. When she pulled up to the house, Adelaide sat there for a little while in the heat. She had the deepest frown of bewilderment on her face, letting her eyes cast momentarily on the house across the road. That must be the house this Azura character spoke of. The way addressed her gave off the impression that they must have been close in her past life. She began to feel bad, to regret ever having left the house this morning. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, moving back on her own to deal with her past. But it was one thing she knew she had to do to get closure.

Exiting the vehicle after pulling the key from the ignition, Adelaide went inside and to the kitchen to set her food on the counter by the sink. Grabbing the sugar and a spoon, Addie stood in the window and poured a good bit of sugar into the to go cup of coffee before stirring it. Then some more, and then a little more. Tasting it, she decided, why not just a tad bit extra. She still had a sweet tooth it seemed. Her mind began to wander back to the thought of going across the road. What would happen if she did? What wouldn’t happen? He could be a psycho for all you know! No, he can’t be, right? Don’t jump to conclusions, Addie. You know better, just give it time. Maybe you’ll run into him again soon, it’s a little early to head into a situation you aren’t familiar with.

And thus, she successfully talked herself out of heading next door out of pure anxiety over what would happen if she did. He did appear pretty upset with her when he left, so they must have been important to each other, right?

 

[Matreania]

Azura sighed as he walked through the town market, grabbing some things for dinner and something for him to snack on, since he missed breakfast. That fact alone, snapped him back to her. His muscles tensed again, the fists that pressed tightly together could have broken the brick wall, if he let his fury burst. But when he got to the register, he took a few breaths. Quick to pay, he rushed out without a word, not like there was anyone he could speak to. As he thought of this, again, she came to mind. She was everything to his childhood. She made the world seem so much bigger. The things they shared and the secrets that they had, was almost too intimate to share with their age difference. But that was how things had been.

Azura shared everything with her and she shared her whole year with him. They spend the school year apart, but when they got back together, they talked about everything. There was only one thing, he never told her, which he regretted. But now, he was not sure if it was a bad thing that he never told her, how he felt about her. Was it really important? Was their friendship just a time to spend? The road they were one was private for the most part. It was isolated from the town, but her grandparents would take them into town, she had friends around town. It couldn't have all be something to pass the time? But if that is the case, then why was it not important enough for her to recall? Why is it that he felt more left behind now, then he had before? Is this town even work staying in, if that was the case? If all he was doing here was waiting for a girl that would never come, why stay?

In his mind, he went back and forth like this, until he noticed that he had finally arrived home. He paused in the moment of facing his door, before turning to the street. Across the street, was a truck he had seen at the diner. It was her truck. He sighed, half of him wanted to go across the street and get some answers. But the other half, had nothing more to really say. He had a place. A home that he rejected to go to. But now, he thought that maybe it was time to reach out. To find them. Was it time to truly give up on the people that treated him like a monster. The people that he had always known, with those he didn't. Not many orphans were tracked down by not just parents but family. Not many orphans got the chance to return those that had given them up. Now was the perfect time, now that he had nothing to hold on to here, it was time for him to make the choice, wasn't it.

He sighed as he turned away, it was too soon for him to really decided. As he entered the house, he thought of what he should do with himself for now. It was too soon for him to abandon all hope of this town. To go find his 'family' was dangerous. He didn't know them, like he knew this town. These people hated him, but it was a hate he was familiar with. He knew what to expect from them, was he really thinking of changing that, because of a girl. His mother would tell him to give it time, his father would tell him to move on, and Adel would tell him, do something. The advise he listened to, was normally Adel, but at the same time, her advise, much like his ideas, would get them in trouble. That was why Adel could never stay with her grandparents during the year; why summer was the only time she was around. Together, they were a force of trouble, to say the least. They had ideas and did things, encouraged each other to do things, that they wouldn't normally do.

He moved through the house, to the kitchen in the back of the house, and put away his groceries. There was just not enough in him to do anything but stay still. Even if what he had been waiting for, never happened, he couldn't leave. Not now. Adel had not seem to recognize him enough to know who he was, but he knew her. There was nothing more he could do about her, but he had his place here. As he finished putting things away, he started to make his father's favorite Logger Breakfast, of sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes and cheese. It was a quick and easy process for the most part, and made the time between his breakfast being cooked to being eaten shorter then if he had made what he ordered at the diner. And he was on the table in recorded time, since his mother gave him the idea of freezing his cooked left overs. He had done this to his sausage and bacon before he left and heating them back up was enough time for him to cook the potatoes. So, it shortened his time by at least half.

As he ate, his thoughts went back to his 'Family'. It was an idea, to go find them. They drifted into town ever so often and he had been partially blamed for the mess they created, because the townspeople thought that they were his friends that he did bad things with. But the truth was, he managed to get there in time to stop things from going over board. That was something that made his decision for him, he couldn't be as bad as they sometimes were, when they came into town. He couldn't hurt others as easily, because of his parents and best friend. Something his 'Family' didn't like, and was slowly trying to correct. But he was raised to try and fit in with the town. It was nothing that could be turned on and it was not a nurture vs nature thing. He couldn't turn it off and didn't want to be able to do that. He was left with no one and his parents gave him more then a family but a home. He even got to keep their house, which was left to him, to keep him in the town. But at the same time, he felt like doing bad things in this town, a lot. With the way that he was treated, why wouldn't he.

 

[Allycena]

Adelaide took a deep breath and huffed loudly as she finished her biscuit and sipped on her coffee. Time to start unpacking and organizing, so that’s exactly what she did to take her mind off of the events from earlier. Like in a motion picture, it felt like time warped and she moved quickly however it felt like the day was dragging on to her. It was like a ‘going through the motions’ type of feeling. The old record player in the corner of the living room played timeless tunes of blues and vintage jazz. The boxes surrounding Her made it feel like she was a hoarder, though she knew it to be a false claim. This was only because a lot of her grandparents‘ belongings were still taking space in the residence.

Addie moved room to room slowly throughout the day, putting away clothes and cleaning the bathroom. She took items of theirs out and set them on the floor in the hallway as she began to move things around to the best of her ability, to where she liked it. It was quite relaxing for her, cleaning and organizing. The heater on the wall of the dining room lit up on cue, and she stood in front of it for a couple of minutes to get warm. It was chillier out this time of year than she remembered, but then again, there wasn’t much that her mind really decided to cling to. She sat on the floor and went through old antique items, deciding what to stow away in boxes in storage and what to put in a garage sale one day. She couldn’t keep all their items after all.

Her parents didn’t seem overly concerned with the status of their things, so she supposed it was up to her best judgement to with them as she pleased. Another heavy sigh and the work was beginning to really consume her as she moved from room to room once more, her boxes soon became theirs that she stored in the back room. She hung some of their pictures back on the walls that she had found, along with some tapestry and decorative art. However, of course, the artist was not yet satisfied with the way things were looking so she decided to bring out the big guns with her imaginative hands.

Adelaide dragged a box of her decorations from her room back where the family lived and opened it, slowly and carefully taking out each item. Firstly, she hung the strings of lights and flowers along the walls. Fake vines creeped down the sides of the door and along the living room windows. Once she was finished, her hands rested firmly against her hips with the biggest smile of satisfaction on her ivory face. Now it was time to take the trash out and she wasnt prepared for how much colder it had gotten out there. Addie opened the front door and carried the two full garbage bags down the driveway, well tried to anyway because her feet ended up slipping out from under her and her back hit the cold wet ground. “Ow! Shit.“

The garbage bags flew up a bit but the string was still attached to her fingers, wrapped around them firmly. It seems that the damp conditions had made the ground a little slippery in places, something she wished she would have known before simple marching out there tall and proud from the work she had accomplished in those few hours. Adelaide kind of hoped he wasn’t home and hadn’t saw the incident, she already felt embarrassed enough today.

 

[Matreania]

After breakfast, Azura had some time to kill, so he started on planning what he was going to improve in the house. There was a lot that his father and he had wanted to do, before his father died. In fact, he would have started after his father had passed, if it hadn't been for him being discovered by his 'family'. They found him just after his father passed, but his parents were never part of them. There was never really any notion as to why his parents would never be around. His family had been around a few time, trying to get him to join them in their 'fun'. But never once had they mentioned what happened to his parents or who they were. He was clear in a few details, like he was lost to them, as a baby, because of a fight. And he was lost to them afterwards, because of the love his parents gave him, so when his father passed he was more exposed. But that was all he knew about what happened to him, to make his family lose him. But the fact was, the only parents he knew about, where they ones that took him in and raised him. They never spoke about what or who, his actually parents were.

That was something that came to mind, as he worked, planning the first project and what would follow. He needed to make sure to have something to do, before he started, because when he started to idle....Well, idling was not something that was good for him, especially with a town like this. He did his best to keep the town safe from his family, but it only added to their mistrust and suspicion of him. That was what he wasn't sure how he was going to get through. He had been alone most of his life, because f how different he knew he was, after all, he was colored. There weren't many colored people in the town, but that wasn't the only think that made him different. Being colored with eyes like his, was something the townspeople were no where need ready for. It became a point that colored or white, they all treated him differently, his parents were the only ones that knew that he was a good person. They reminded him about this fact. Adel also seem to see good in him, she was always beside him, as he went through the summer of this town. Or at least she had been.

For a moment, he found the fury of the betrayal, still fresh. But it quickly vanished, when there was a flash of a dark grin, in his presents. He looked around, the sun has already went down and the grin was only the fury of darkness that lingered around his family. He stopped what he was doing; he had been feeding the fire he had started in the fireplace. He knew that she was coming. He wasn't sure why, there had not been any reason for her to come. But then again, the times that they had visit, always followed his fury, he had noticed this and had known that they came around because they smelled it. So, he should have known that she would be here. But then again, he never knew what family member was near, and like every other member, she was just as twisted in her idea of fun.

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She laughed so loud that she was sure that the girl could hear her. She had been walking down the street when she saw Adelaide's ungraceful landing. She moved across the street and laughed as she went towards her, "Oh my." she said as she caught her breath, "Looks like you deary could use some help." she grinned, with a shadow around her eyes. "What do you think? Do you want some help?" she said. The way she spoke it was like she was saying the words to help, but meaning something a lot more dangerous for the girl to accept. Truth was, she had been near the town, to watch over her cousin, but the fact that she had just happened to come in contact with anyone, at this time, was amusing. She was almost too excited to hear what the answer was.

"Enough." Azura snapped, as he walked over. It was cold in the winter time, but he hadn't had a chance to get a jacket. Which was fine with him, he only used a jacket and made fires because it was what everyone else did. But the truth was, he didn't get cold, and being hot was almost natural to him. He rushed over towards Adel as she was on the ground and sighed, as he reached out to help her up, "I will help you up." he said, glaring at his cousin.

"Don't look at me, she fall on her own." his cousin chuckled, "I was just trying to help. Much like I was coming to help you." she grinned. Azura would have felt the chill of her words, if it wasn't for the fact that he had become so used to them.

"Not needed." he assured his cousin, as he made a point to stay between her and Adel. There was nothing he could do, if Adel was suspicious of what she was witnessing, but he wasn't going to make it a point to allow her to be in danger. All he could do, was to make sure that he stayed between them both, no matter what it took.

 

[Allycena]

Upon hearing this sudden laughter, her first thought was of how foolish she must have looked until she realized how rude the person it came from was. Adelaide watched the girl approach her with a mocking couple of comments until she was offered a helping hand, or what seemed like one upon first glance. Her grip on the trash bags had released soon after her fall, the ground beneath her was beginning to dampen her clothes just a bit and before she accepted this feeble display of concern and aid, the guy from earlier at the diner ran over to her rescue.

He didn’t say anything to her at first, but by the looks of how he acted around this woman made Adelaide confused but not entirely surprised. Seeing as she didn’t know this girl, his actions and words toward her made sense as it sounded like they knew each other well and clearly didn’t take a liking to one another. Azura looked a little on edge, tense and uncomfortable. Addie had to admit that she was a little surprised to find him out there without a coat of some sort because the temperature was surely dropping and the windchill was from Hell if it had iced over.

When he offered His own set of hands, she took them and used a combine effort to pull herself up off of the freezing earth floor. The way he treated this situation with this woman was beginning to give her certain vibes that everything was and would not alright. As if she could really judge, seeing as she didn’t know the girl or her intentions. She seemed a little rude and condescending, however the hostility between the two could have just been a joke of some degree that she awaited to have the ice broken to. They did look a bit alike, she wouldn’t lie as she got to observing the two of them further.

“Thanks.” Was her simple answer for the time being as she tried to understand what was going on between them and of course playing The possible scenarios in her mind of what could go wrong and more. It wasn’t hard for her mind to drift to that state of belief, that things would turn out for the worst. It had become a habit of hers over the years as she was usually not disappointed by herself being right about the decline of goodness in certain situations.

“Hey, don’t we have some stuff to talk about?” Adelaide tried to redirect The narrative so that maybe he could get rid of this woman that he clearly has a sustained amount of disdain for. Maybe he would take the bait she was serving and help her back into the house or maybe across the road to his place to inevitably discuss whatever was on their minds, especially his seeing how he treated her the way he did in that diner. A chill that was more than the temperature outside ran through her as the woman‘s attitude shifted, kind of making Addie a little more anxious beneath the surface.

 

[Matreania]

Azura started to help Adel up, as he kept an eye on his cousin. He hadn't wanted to have any contact with her this soon, after the diner, but that was not really something he could help. There were things that he couldn't stop from happening, but he had to at least try to make sure that they didn't get worse. It was something he had decided when he found out exactly what he was and what he could do. There was just so much of his parents that he had, he didn't want to disappoint the only people that stayed with him. It's why he made sure that his cousin didn't try anything, but she behaved.

His cousin stayed where she was and watched with amusement, as Azura got Adel on her fete and started to pick up her bags. "Yeah, but maybe another time." he stated, as he sighed. He wanted to understand why she would just throw away any memory of him, but he couldn't say anything about it, with his cousin there. It was clear to his cousin and his family what he had been waiting for. He didn't hid it from his family, because it was something that he had wanted to bad. But now, that was a pain for him to remember, to talk about right now, he couldn't do that. Especially when his cousin was there, if she caught wind, not even he could stop her from 'playing' with Adel. Not without loosing his temper and revealing exactly what he was.

He turned around to his cousin, "Go." he snapped as he started towards the trash. He through Adel's trash away for her. As he watched his cousin pouted at the command as she clicked her heels and started to his house. She was not used to taking orders, but thankfully she was willing to listen to them. He had learned that she would follow his orders a few years ago. She wasn't the only one, this was his town, his family respected that fact enough so that would follow his order. But he made sure that she went inside the house, before he turned to Adel, "The weather is going t get worse, so I will salt this for you, so this doesn't happen again." he said as he moved towards her, again.

"Stay away from her, her help is not something you want." he assured her, since it looked like she was going to take the offer his cousin had given her. He couldn't just let his cousin take control of any situation, because it was going to end in blood, tissue, fluids and who knows what else. There was a lot that he had to learn that hard way, and that fact was one of them. He made sure that he was there when they were around for that fact. He could sense when they were near, like they could sense when he was around, so it was easier then he would have liked, but benefitical.

 

[Allycena]

As she watched Azura throw her trash bags away, she felt the eyes of the girl burning holes into her with those light orbs of crystal. The tension between the two relatives was uncomfortably thick and hostile to a degree. She wasn’t quite sure what to do or what to say to make the situation better, that’s why she brought up their next conversation needed. The way he spoke to the girl made Adelaide curious as to why he was being so harsh and serious with her. She wanted to question him but was too afraid of being snapped on as he did with her. He acted like he wanted to get rid of ever having anything to do with her in the future because their conversation would obviously be about the past and how it played into their present.

Addie looked down at her feet after he mentioned the weather getting worse, salting it was a smart move. He had always been handy in that way, but of course she didn’t quite remember that just yet. However despite the lack of memory, there was that gut feeling that the thought was true. He looked on edge and highly alert as if anything could escalate into something more tragic or horrendous. His words were very short with her as if she was being dismissed. “Thank you, I’d appreciate it a lot. The salt, but also your warning. We must have meant something to each other if you’re still worried about me like you’re showing right now.” She shifted on her feet a little to make sure she had enough traction to walk.

“Look, the main reason why I said what I did just then was to give you an excuse to get away from her. Seeing as you two clearly have a sour history. You must be relatives, I can see it. I know you don’t want to talk today, and that’s fine. I don’t really want to either, especially after that little show of attitude you gave me back there. I need a little time myself to take in the town I don’t exactly remember too well.“ Adelaide took a couple of steps toward her doorway and stopped when she had the door wide open. Turning to connect eyes with him once more, she continued. “I’m not sure how comfortable I am with this, but whenever you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here. I’m sorry that I don‘t remember you. I am..“

She paused, dropping her head a moment and letting her hair cast a curtain over her face so he didn’t see her guilt even if it was just for a second. “I hate that I don’t. I’m sure we’ll figure this all out soon, no matter how hard on both ends it might be in the process. Be careful out there, you know where to find me.” Addie made her way into the house but just before she closed the door, she left him with one more note. “And until I feel like this Adel that you know so well again, I’d like to be called Addie.” After all, it was what she was used to and identified with over the past nine years.

 

[Matreania]

Azura sighed as he listened to her. He didn't have the words to explain to her that what he said before was something that he needed to say. There was a shadow of those words, in his mind, that he was avoiding for now. After all, she had meant so much to him before, and now, she couldn't even recall who he was. The worse part, he thought of, was that he wasn't who he was before. There were things that she had no idea, that happened, while she was gone to him and he wasn't sure that she would ever really be able to understand what was right in front of her. Instead, he made his way to follow her, to make sure that she was okay. More importantly, he followed her to the house to make sure that she got in safely.

When she was explaining why she brought it up and let him know he could stop by to talk about it, he wanted to remind her that he had to her the same thing before. But he had his cousin in his house, now. There was no way, that he could have this back and forth with Adel. If he was too far from his cousin, there was no telling what she would do and what trouble she would cause, before he could get to her. There was nothing he could leave to chance, so all he did was listen to what she had to say, until she ended it with what she wanted to be called. And Azura sighed, "I will keep that in mind if I call on you." he said, more in a way that said he wouldn't think twice. There was a fact that he didn't plan to come to her until she came to speak with him. But that was not that case, at the moment, so there was no telling when the next time, he would be talking to her again.

So, when she was in the house, "Night." was all he said before he started towards home. There was an eerie feeling that there was more to the visit of his cousin than to torture the new girl. He was sure that he couldn't think about what Adel was really talking about when there was something at his house that could make things a lot more dangerous in town than a lover's spat. So, turned away to rush back, but made a point to look back to make sure her door was closed before he crossed the street to meet with his cousin. His cousin was already out of the house again, when he was crossing the street and she smirked at him.

"You know she would be good to play with." her cousin stated, in a playful voice, "We could string her up and twist and turn her little strings."

Azura glared at her, as his hand snapped around his cousin's arm, "Inside, now." he growled at her. If there was anything he wasn't, was the type to actually hurt someone just for fun.

"Come on, Couzin. I can for you." she said as she seem to pout with a smile in her eyes. But she was tossed in the house again and Azura followed her inside as he slammed the door behind them and locked it.

 

[Allycena]

Adelaide started to feel awful as the dawning realization of her condition became abundantly clear to her then. She hated that she didn’t remember him, he felt so familiar and even important but she just couldn’t figure out or quite pinpoint who he was. The young woman retired inside for the evening and made herself some soup after taking a shower. The soup helped keep her warm and hydrated as she sat on her bed and watched the news. Nothing too excited displayed on the box with moving pictures until a couple of wrecks and missing persons reports showed up.

Over the next week or so, Adelaide began to unpack more and decorate her grandparents’ home the way she wished to. The fact that she was even there living on her own was bizarre. She had surely come a long way since the accident, somewhat successfully learning how to live again. Also starting her first few days at work, it was difficult but manageable to adjust and figure out. She tried her best to learn whatever skills it took to do the job correctly.

It was a week after her first day of work when she caught a break to enjoy a day or two of relaxation. Addie decided to take it easy and have some fun, dressing up in a good few layers before heading outside into the front yard. Very light flurries began to fall from the sky as she got a shovel and piled snow up into a heaping lump of ice. She smoothed put out and continued to build it up until it was half her height. The midsection of the figure was a bit smaller than the bottom. As she worked on the top, she couldn’t quite reach as high as she wanted so the only logical thing she could think to do in the moment was get the ladder from the side of the shed.

When she stepped up onto the first couple of steps, she reached the perfect height to finish the head. Her snowman was nearly finished within the couple of hours that she was out there, except it had something missing. The final details! Ah yes, the brunette had to look around for something to use as eyes, a nose, smile, arms, and buttons. Addie’s gaze did occasionally flicker over to Azura’s house across the road, wondering if he was inside.

 

[Matreania]

Azura glared at his cousin for a moment before rolling his eyes, "What are you here for?" He asked as he started back to his fire to make sure that it hadn't died. He hadn't been outside for long, but he was also not to the point that he didn't have to feed the fire.

Hos cousin skipped behind him, as she followed his lead, "I thought you would like to come with me to see your new friend. You know, the one from this morning?" she giggled. She had to stop suddenly when he did and glared at her before he continued on. "Come on, Coz, you have to end this goody boy routine at some point."

"It's not a routine, it's my life and I have decided what I want and that is for me." He explained as he stopped at his fireplace and feed the fire, which seem to be burning just fine. It was one of the few things he found peace with, the crackling of the flames and wood. The heat was just an afterthought, the sound was more of a calming sound for him. His parents often started a fire, just for him, to calm him or help him fall asleep, at first when they first brought him home. It was the only thing that would calm him enough, but after that, it was their parental trip, to help him.

His cousin sat down on the chair facing the fire, as he kneeled in front of him, making are the fire didn't die, she sighed, "Azura? Do you really plan on staying with these.....things? Honestly? There are only good for a nice quiet hunt. Take the girl across the street....."

"Don't." Azura snapped at her, his glare was sharp enough to blood right through her. "Stay away from her, Ammit" he warned.

Ammit sighed, "She isn't the old couple." she protested, "Those pets are dead, soul and all, gone and rotting." then she grinned, "Unless you feed on them. Did you?" she said with some excitement and a grin that was hopeful that Azura had taken the souls.

"No. I did not." Azura sighed, in annoyance, "But until she dies, that girl is under my protection, just like the couple was. You stay away from her and her home. I mean it, Ammit. If Dakini, Kino, Erebus, Lilitu, Melchom, or, you threaten her life in any way, I will be sure that Nyx is aware of my warning and if I can't get you, she will." he growled.

Ammit pouted, between her own glare at him, "You just have to use your sister, in such a way, you are Azazel or would you prefer Azrael?" she teased.

"My name is Azura." he snapped as he growled again, it only took a step towards her, as his arms reached out to the seat to stop himself from attacking her. The Chair nearly crumbled under her as he did, it cracked, as she grinned up at him.

"Only because they didn't listen. I think I will stick around, just to make sure that your fury doesn't get out, without help. The last thing you want is for that little human to see this part of you. I would put those fangs away, you have some blood in those eyes of yours. If she sees that, we will have no choice but to deal with her." Ammit grinned, "Since you have a human name, let's call me...Amira. Would hate for her to figure out what we are. But I am sure her soul tastes delightful." she giggled, with joy. Azura sighed, his teeth had sharpened and eyes had turned bloodthirsty, he could feel the claws that once were hands wrapped around the chair and the way they clinched onto the chair like talons. And more fury and he would lose his human form if he let it out, the way he did with his cousin, just now.

"Fine. But you don't go anywhere that I don't," he told her as he straightens up, he looked down at her as he returned to his human form, "And if you get out of my sight, I just might let my fury out on you, whether my sister approves or not." he told her as he started out of the room, "I am going to bed."

"And the fire?" Ammit asked as she straighten up.

"Deal with it, yourself," he said, calling back to her as she smiled, with amusement.

The last week or so, Ammit and Azura didn't leave the house too much, in fact, they spent an hour or two, at most, in town every few days, doing odd jobs. Azura didn't want the town to think that he was hiding away, but he didn't want Ammit to use her powers too much. So, they did simple jobs, the first thing they had done, when she arrived was to salt the driveway and doorways of Adel's house. Then they salted the road into town. From then on, they did some odd jobs that dealt more with making sure the snow wouldn't stop anyone from moving along the town as needed. Shoveling snow, salting, fixing heaters, assuring that every road was driveable.

The town took to Ammit just as they had Azura, they saw a darkness in her and avoided her. But unlike Azura, they said nothing to Ammit or commented on her. They had more fear of her than of Azura, the way she moved, and how she watched Azura work. The fact that Azura snapped at her a lot concerned them, but they didn't understand just how things were between the two, so they stayed out of the way, there wasn't a brave enough soul of the town to really get between them. The shadow around the two, made the night seem like midday.

It had been a few days into the week, when Ammit smirked out the window, she chuckled, "What?" Azura asked as he looked out the window. She was watching Adel working on the snow. He sighed as she chuckled again, amused at the work that was being put in on something so trivial.

"Do humans actually like those things?" she giggled, as she asked. Azura sighed as he moved away from the window.

"It's fun. They build something trivial as a way to feel like they have done something and to because changing shapes of things is interesting." Azura explained, knowing that there was a lot more to it than that, but he couldn't expect Ammit to understand.

"It's humorous." she chuckled, as she watched Adel start on the middle section. "Reminds me of little Leonard. He kept failing and getting up until he finally got feed." she laughed darkly, "He would stake the flesh, organs, and bones in different ways, to try and remake the creature, it was darn right hilarious to watch." she laughed.

Azura sighed, "Not the same thing." he said, as he moved towards the kitchen.

Ammit looked confused at the direction he left the room for a moment before she got to her feet and moved to leave the house. She was not supposed to leave without him, but the window was open, he could see her. And she couldn't help but wonder what it was like to play house with your food. That was how she saw Azura was doing. Playing nice with those around him, instead of eating them. But she had faith that he would snap into fury and eat them all the same like he was born to. So, she left the door open as she walked out towards Adel, as she was looking for what she needed. She grinned, "Hello, neighbor." she said with a honey tone in her voice, as she stopped to look at what Adel had made, "Just a question? But why did you create such a silly thing? And for hours, no less? Is this a normal thing for you?" she asked bluntly.

 

[Allycena]

Just as she caught sight of the door opening across the street in her peripheral vision, a small light lit itself inside of her. Maybe now finally they could start talking to each other more and basically relearning one another. Adelaide was so nervous but excited for a reason she couldn’t quite explain, that was just how she had always been. That is, until she realized just who had crossed the road to engage in conversation with her. It was the girl from a week beforehand, her attitude toward the activity she was partaking in seemed a bit snarky and ultimately uninterested. With a sigh, Addie patted the ice and snow off of her hands and looked over at her. “Because it’s fun. Even if it’s a daunting task, the outcome is quite fulfilling. This is just a normal thing for normal people, I guess. Have you never built a snowman before?”

”It’s okay if you haven’t, I mean, I haven‘t in a long time so.. Why are you asking? You don’t appear very interested, other than just to pry.” Adelaide had always been a forefront character, a headstrong peep, small but mighty in some contexts. Growing up, she had the confidence of a lion with the gentle softness of a bunny, a flip that could switch over so quickly if she felt some type of way. This might have been one of those times, she could tell that the girl before her wasn’t all too eager to be real friends so she wondered just what her motive was.

“Look, I think we started off on the wrong foot.” With a deep breath, Adelaide bowed her head a moment before stepping a bit closer and holding out her hand to shake. “I’m Adelaide. I’m an old friend of Azura’s, not that I really remember too well..” she trailed off on the last bit while looking off to the left and down. “What was your name again? I don’t recall.” Honestly, Addie wished that Azura would come out of that house any moment just to rescue her again and maybe this time, stay with her and do what they unofficially planned to do.

 

[Matreania]

Ammit smirked, as she watched Adelaide, "I know who you are, but I never said mine." she told her, as she moved around and looked at the snow. "So, you like playing in the snow?" she commented, as she looked at Adelaide, "And no, I am not really. But I have to find something to focus on. If I really got interested, I don't think you would like the way things would go for this town." she grinned. Before she looked at the snowman, "So, if I destroyed this, you will happily make another." she grinned, "Or would you try to stop me?" she asked. Ammit knew that no person wanted to see their hard work go in flames. She figured that out, when she set fire to the humans that were claimed. She had to kill a lot of beings that day, a pack of them.

"I keep trying to figure out what makes you so special. There is nothing human in him, so it's not like you bring that out. That old couple was apparently sweet, old friends of his kidnappers, so I figured that was why they were important. But you have no idea who he is." she sniffed the air, "Amnesia, huh?" she said with a grin, "Oh, this is funny. Makes me wonder if you will be able to hold his favor with the rate you are going. I know Azura better then you currently do, so, I won't tell him why you forgot him. And I will tell you this, old friend is what you would call it now, but there was a time...." she said, her head shifting side to side, "Well, it's hard to say it. But think of this, secrets are best kept to yourself. What would you call someone you share it with?" she grinned with amusement, tossing little crumbs at Adelaide, to see if how she felt about the information.

 

[Allycena]

With a heavy sigh, Addie threw her arms up in compliance. “No, I suppose not. I’ve spent enough time out here in the freezing cold working on a masterpiece, there’s no sense in rebuilding it.“ She grabbed the shovel that laid nearby and her gloves from the snow that she had pulled off earlier to help with detailing the mountainous winter symbol. The wind chill was nearly below 25 degrees and the shiver she felt travel through her body was almost painful.

The more she listened to the girl speak, the more confused she became until her words really struck a nerve. “Wait, what did you say? What are you talking about? Old couple? Are you referencing my grandparents?” Her tone was very specific in nature, seeing as none of what she was saying made sense and the possibility of her knowing her grandparents struck something deep down that didn’t sit well. It had been years since she had seen her grandparents and it killed her inside that she wasn’t there when they passed or even after.

What the hell did she mean by human? Was his personality inhuman Or something of the sort? Had he become desensitized Or heartless? Adelaide was angry at herself for not remembering who he was or his importance to her, especially now that this girl was poking and prodding in their business.

 

[Matreania]

Ammit smirked at her reaction, it was clear that what she was asking, was not all that was going through her head and that was amusing to her. It was like watching a mouse on a wheel, you know they won't get to the end but it is fun to watch them try. "I supposed I do." she grinned, "You know, I wanted to get rid of them every time I stopped by and he just wouldn't allow it. After all, " she sighed deeply as she looked to the house, "This place. It was their home, what better place? But death got to them before I could. Azura seemed to like them, helping little by little to make sure they could keep up with this place." She smiled, as she looked at Addie, "I look forward to finding out how long you will take." she said, then paused, "Azura." she said as if she was surprised to see him when she turned around.

Azura had noticed that Ammit was gone. He had thought for a moment that had rushed into town for what she called fun, but when he noticed that she across the street, he knew he had to move quickly. The last thing he needed was for Ammit to say something that she shouldn't. It was a skill of hers that already nearly cost him a job and sometimes he thought she might be doing it just to push him out of town. But he wasn't planning on leaving, even if Adel didn't know who he was or that she seem different. Instead, he glared at his cousin, "I don't recall coming here." he said, as calmly as he could manage.

Ammit smirked, "I was just getting to know the pet." she hummed, as she moved towards him, "Is it so bad to talk to them. And you like this one, don't you? I know you said not to leave your sight, but I was just across the window's view." she motioned to the window that faced exactly where she stood, "Completely within view,"

"You know what I meant." Azura told Ammit and she was aware that he was not talking about her being in his sight but near him enough that she couldn't interact with others.

Ammit sighed as she glanced to Addie, "You know, he does this to me all the time." she said rolling her eyes as she started towards Azura to stand beside him. When she stood beside him, "You know, if you weren't so distracted, you would notice that something is wrong with your little friend." she told Azura, motioning to Addie, "Isn't there, deary?" she pointed to her own head, "There is a reason you keep missing names and faces, of this little town." Ammit was amused by Azura's confusion. BUt since he avoided his nature and eating, she wasn't surprised that he had no idea what she meant. "Anyway, I am done. She is boring as expected, I think I am ready for lunch." she said, as she patted her cousin's shoulder and started back across the street to go inside.

Azura looked confused for a moment longer, before he turned to Adel, "Sorry, for interrupting your day."