Welcome to the supernatural creature's haven, Kinau. Kinau is a fictitious town on the O'ahu island of Hawaii. Why supernaturals have congregated in the island city is still unknown, but the inhabitants, human and supernatural alike, are learning to adjust to their new reality.
This site aims for a supernatural spin on a slice-of-life city, complete with an academy and college to ensure everyone has a place here.
Events
the valentines dance is open to all. staff will post a starting thread and you can post an entry or make a thread of your own. the dance will take place near the beach. its all outdoors with the dance floor being in large pavilion.
for those that show up without a date. fret not. we have a little sign up sheet for blind dates.
if you don't want your character to participate in the blind date, don't worry they can still be part of the dance.
apart from the dance there will be food/drinks and of course access to the beach.
Updates
01/29 we have a new skin! a new species and are now accepting gradeschoolers incase anyone feels like making younger characters!
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 14, 2017 5:47:55 GMT -5
She was not used to having a lot on her hands, literally. Sure, Merrick’s vampire strength may allow her to carry things more than double her weight and more, but she was not used to lugging something or someone along when she was flying. The fact that she was close to craving more blood and had an unconscious human in her grasp made it even harder for the vampire to concentrate on her flying. Her flight as more wobbly than the usual and the woman almost got her foot snagged on the chimney of one of the houses she passed. If anyone saw how much of a blunder she was tonight, it would be really embarrassing; good thing people were all slumbering now.
Merrick almost stumbled and crashed when she landed at the courtyard of her home but was able to keep her legs from giving way. The female did not bother shifting back to her normal yet and proceeded to open the sliding door with her foot before slipping in, only for her large wings to bang against the glass. The vampire growled when her bat wing hit and hissed in pain as she carefully maneuvered it so she can enter her home properly. She shook the wing to help soothe it of the unpleasant sensation as she walked over to the living room before carefully laying the unconscious girl on the soft couch.
This is really troublesome. Ugh…
Stalking off to the front main door, she opened it to find a four chiller boxes of her ‘special’ delivery. A relieved expression washed over her as she lugged all four boxes inside in one haul. Once in the kitchen, Merrick immediately opened one of the boxes and took out one blood bag before ripping off the plastic with her fangs and drinking in hungrily the blood. She almost moaned in satisfaction as she drained the bag and reached out for another. For once, she fed a little messily, with some blood dripping on the linoleum floor. After taking enough, she gasped for air as she allowed herself to recover, her eyes fluttering open and close as the red color faded back to its normal molten gold hue, the wings retracting back and disappearing and her bat-like features seemingly melting back to the soft human looks.
Once she was able to rationally think, the architect began to clean up the mess she made and quietly put away the blood bags in a special chiller she had, a separate one from the unit she places the ‘normal’ food stocks. When she finished, she huffed when she began to take off her ruined top, seeing that it was no longer usable after her wings ripped off the back part. Merrick decided to clean up and change into more comfortable clothes, knowing that it would almost be time before she becomes less active.
It did not take long before Merrick was back, now donning a loose shirt and skimpy jean shorts, with her wet hair falling upon her shoulders like a dark waterfall. She went to the slumbering girl, propped up her head nicely against one of the throw pillows on the couch before throwing a warm blanket over her form. Sighing out, the woman sat back on the one-seater sofa and began to silently read one of her college books for the meantime as she waited for the teenager to wake up.
Despite the slightly but expectedly clumsy trip, the brown-haired girl seemed to be out like a light. Nothing woke her, even as the vampire had a little difficulty returning to her home thanks to the unfamiliar weight of a person in her arms and the haze of thirst that clouded her mind. If she’d known about it, Chidori likely would have been utterly grateful that the woman had not simply left her there, and was battling her thirst to bring the teenager to a safe place without hurting her.
As she embraced the blank darkness of heavy sleep, the younger woman seemed almost at peace; no thoughts, memories, or guilt etched themselves on her expressions. With nothing to bother her unconscious mind, her body simply relaxed, and despite being a legal adult, it would be hard not to see the extremely vulnerable young girl in her. Asleep as she was, her expression reverted to the purest and simplest of emotions – a calmness that made her look so much younger than she did normally. It was rare for it to occur, and rarer still for someone else to see her like this – to date, no one else likely had other than her parents. That horrible day, and everything that came with it, left her with frequent nightmares, and a life of solitude – thought the latter was changing a little.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t say the same for the former; despite the initially peaceful sleep, eventually Chidori’s mind began to surface a little from her deep slumber, rousing itself into a hazy dream that quickly slid straight into one of her old nightmares. In her mind, she relived those moments where she had unintentionally sealed the deal with the demon and had been forced to watch as it, for lack of a better term, mutilated her parents. Given how close by the vampire was when she had begun to suffer from her nightmare, it was likely that she would see the girl’s face contort with a flurry emotions; pain, guilt, fear, anger, anguish, and finally despair.
Then, with an inaudible gasp, her chocolate brown eyes flickered open and she sat up suddenly, earning herself a little dizzy spell as her head swam for a few moments. Blinking to clear her cloudy vision, she slowly took in the unfamiliar surroundings, her gaze wandering unguardedly until it settled upon the woman reading nearby. Memories of their earlier encounter flashed by and she tensed up, as if expecting something terrible to happen – given her history, it was a pretty natural response. Soon though, she calmed again, and strangely enough, a faint blush appeared in her cheeks – she was in a stranger’s home, by herself, the vampire who had both attacked and saved her showing a considerable amount of skin.
Unsure of how to proceed, she clammed up with her usual shyness – with no sketchpad or pencil immediately in sight, she resorted to a simple gesture; a timid half-wave and an incredibly meek smile.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 14, 2017 9:34:02 GMT -5
A sigh would leave the vampire’s lips as her eyes scanned through the words written on the book that she held. Her fingertips would brush along her temple as she read the things that she already knew by heart but still chose to go over again by choice. She had far too much time on her hands that she went to college multiple times, just to preoccupy herself in her immortal life. There were some changes here and there every now and then, but in the end, it was all the same for Merrick… the same old lessons, the same old books, the same old things over and over again.
She leans her head back against the one seater she was settled on before glancing over at her unexpected guest. Merrick has never let anyone inside her home, whether forced or invited, no soul has ever stepped within her abode until now. Her home, which she affectionately called La Vista because of its spectacular view of the beach, had been her sanctuary ever since she came here to Kinau and settled in. Considered as one of her masterpieces, the architect was quite proud of how her own house came out. It cost a lot of build, but with all the money she possessed, the vampire was more than willing to pay for the materials and labor just to make sure everything was constructed according to plan.
And indeed, it was now a reality and she was living within it on her own. The sheer size of it was quite overwhelming for one living alone, but Merrick was used to it. That usual pattern of living she does was disrupted when this girl came along. Honestly, the woman was a bit hesitant about the entire situation, but she looked at the bright side, maybe by the time this teen had recovered, she will leave and the vampire would be back to her old routine… the same old, boring routine.
The vampire looked over at the slumbering female and noticed that her face began to contort, as if she was experiencing a nightmare. At first, she thought of waking her up but thought that maybe, just maybe, it will go away. However, the girl continued to struggle, only to jolt up from the couch and be awaken all so suddenly. Whatever the dream she had would probably be terrifying if she bolted up that suddenly. She allowed the other female to recover from her ordeal, her eyes glued upon the girl as she turned another page of her book ever so casually. The girl’s small wave and her smile would only be greeted by a small nod from the vampire.
“You’re awake. Good.”
Merrick silently and gracefully stood up from her seat and set aside her book before walking over to the spot where she left the girl’s things. She pulled out the sketchpad and the odd pen she used to write earlier before walking towards the girl and handing it to her. She will have to communicate with her somehow and this was the only way she could think of. Assuming that her guest had taken the said items, the architect would quietly back away and return to her seat to settle back against it once more and put a considerable distance between them, a sign that states that she will not harm the teen.
“I’m sorry if you’re startled by the situation right now. I won’t hurt you; I have drunk enough blood to keep me satisfied for a while. I couldn’t leave you there in the forest, so taking you here was the next thing that came to mind. First off, how are you feeling?”
The woman was quite reserved, though Chidori couldn’t necessarily blame her; they were still practically strangers, even if the circumstances were a bit unusual. She was just kind of glad that there was no anger or thirst in her gaze – in fact, it was kind of nice to see the molten gold hue of her eyes now that the primal need wasn’t gripping her. Soon enough though, the contact was broken as the woman moved off to the side, to where the younger girl soon recognised the bags she had been carrying had been placed. A tinge of gratefulness ran through her again; the woman hadn’t just brought her somewhere private whilst she was unconscious – she’d had the presence of mind to grab Chidori’s things and lug them across too. She had even remembered that the sketchpad was the best way to communicate too.
Gingerly, she took the items as the woman offered them to her, for a moment simply hugging the sketchpad to her chest, as if it gave her comfort to have it back in her arms. In a way, it did – it made ‘talking’ a lot easier, yes, but it was also a valuable medium that meant a great deal to her symbolically as well. Then she breathed slowly to keep herself calm, only just realising how much space the woman was putting between them – for her safety, or did she perhaps just not want to associate too much with a random vagrant she’d nearly attacked on the edge of the forest?
Listening carefully as the woman spoke, an idle part of Chidori’s brain couldn’t help but notice that between her appearance, those gorgeous eyes of her’s, and her rather pleasant-to-listen-to voice, she was an intriguing woman. But that part of her was quiet, and locked well-away behind a few layers of negative emotions and distrust; she’d been betrayed by the people she had loved the most once upon a time, and that left her with more than a few reasons to ignore the little voice egging her on to make some new friendships. She’d managed, albeit barely, so far with her distinct lack of companionship, even if she had admittedly started to try and make some very surface-level friends in the town proper.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she pondered the question the woman posed for her. The dizzy spell from her sudden rushing was fading, but she did notice that she was still a little dazed, and more than a little sore and tired still. Whatever she had thrown into that rune had drained her, and she’d already been running on low energy by that point. At least her suspicions were correct – the woman had brought her here because leaving her unconscious at the edge of the forest was more than a little dangerous. With a swift flourish of her hand, Chidori began to write a little note in response, before turning the sketchpad around to let the woman see.
I am still exhausted and sore admittedly, though I no longer feel faint. I’m sorry for passing out on you so suddenly; I didn’t expect that to happen to be perfectly honest. Thank you for not leaving me there – I know it wouldn’t have been easy to bring me and my things with you with what little blood I gave you. This is perhaps a little backward, but at the very least, I would like to introduce myself, since you were kind enough not to just abandon me there – my name is Chidori. Despite the initial circumstances, it is still nice to meet you.
Funnily enough, if the woman looked her in the eye as Chidori held the sketchpad up for her to read, she would see the sincerity and understanding there – she did not hold a grudge, and perhaps didn’t even blame her at all for the attack. Truth be told, given that she had been so thirsty, the younger woman doubted she had had any real choice or control in the matter, and so could not bring herself to be angry with the woman. It was just a case of wrong time and wrong place as far as she could tell, and for now, with her thirst sated, the woman had been quite nice – which the younger girl thought was worth acknowledging and appreciating.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 15, 2017 5:16:54 GMT -5
Human can be quite sentimental with their possessions, as seen when the girl almost hugged her sketchpad when the vampire gave it to her. It was almost like she was embracing a good friend she has not seen for years and is now reunited with her. Merrick knew better, the sketchpad was more than needed for someone who cannot talk. It was her main tool for communication and without it, relaying her thoughts would be difficult. She can only imagine how it was to be deprived of your speech and resort to other ways just for people to know what you want to say. In a way, the woman felt that she was still lucky and was grateful all of her senses were working well. People often took things for granted and would regret it once it was gone.
She would patiently wait for the teen as she began to write in her sketchpad, surprised that she was taking a little too long when she asked a simple question. Still, Merrick stayed quiet as she crossed her legs together and leaned back against her chair. They were not in a hurry, at least she was not; she was already home and had no problem right now. She sat up a little straighter when the sketchpad was turned and she began to read the words that were written there: a whole paragraph, no wonder it took her some time.
“It was not easy, yes, but I did manage; that almost three centuries of practice may have paid off. But you’re welcome, nonetheless, Chidori.”
The way the teenager’s name rolled off Merrick’s tongue was somewhat like silk against skin, especially with the vampire’s Russian accent whenever she speaks. Were vampires’ tongues also made to be that smooth when speaking? Or does it come naturally? The woman smiled at Chidori gently as she slowly rubbed her chin while thinking. They were on the subject of introductions; maybe it will be fine if this girl knew who she was.
“I am Merrick.”
It was then she was reminded of her manners. Chidori was a guest in her home, so what should a host do? How do people entertain a human? Was there something she can offer? Yes, she has normal food supplies during the times when she just felt like eating human food. Their tastes are like a carnival on her tongue, but they still do not compare to blood.
“Is there anything I can get you to help with your exhaustion? Something to drink, perhaps? Have you eaten, if not, would you like something to eat?”
To eat and drink, those were the basic things Merrick knew about humans. After tuckering herself out, maybe she needed some nourishment to keep her strength up. Actually, she will need it once morning comes around: when Chidori will be going back to her own home and hopefully, she would forget about everything and move on with her normal life as always. Back to the same routine, as the woman always says. This has been one crazy night.
Well, she knew vampires could live for quite a while, but even so, it was still something else to hear someone imply they were at least 300 years old in such a casual manner. Nor could she ignore the way in which the woman spoke either – it sent a small shiver down the girl’s spine, and she couldn’t exactly say why, though she was sure it was to do with that honeyed way in which the woman spoke. Not that she really had much to compare it to of course – Chidori didn’t know all that many people, and certainly not much in the way of supernatural beings. Maybe it was just how it sounded when a vampire spoke?
Pushing those thoughts aside, the mute refocused on what was being said, listening carefully as the vampire introduced herself. If she had to place that accent, she would have said Russian, which seemed to fit the style of name in as much as Chidori could remember of what she had learned of other cultures. There was every chance she was wrong though, so she tried not to dwell on it too much, instead using her focus to try and keep her expression neutral but polite. She had kind of let her guard down so far, and the old instincts of putting up barriers between herself and others were rekindling. She didn’t want to be rude or mean though, given that they had essentially gone out of each other’s way to help the other after the… unfortunate initial encounter.
The offer of food and drink made her pause though; Chidori had been planning on eating when she had gotten back to her little ‘home’, so she hadn’t really had a lot to eat in recent times. On top of that, her magic left her drained, making her needs more pronounced – she couldn’t deny that she was hungry, thirsty, and in dire need of high-energy consumables. Usually that would mean fruit, or if she was in town, something sugary to get her energy levels up a bit. Then carbohydrates, since she would need slower-burning energy foods to ensure she didn’t just have a sugar crash. Not that she was exactly sure what to ask for right now – her head was still a bit murky, like a light haze was still clouding her mind.
Gingerly, the mute began to write again, though her message was a bit shorter this time, albeit still followed by a relatively meek expression – she was a bit shy after all. That sounds good, honestly, though I don’t wish to impose. Water would be fine, though if you have anything high in sugar or carbs to eat, that would be perfect. If it’s not too much trouble of course.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 22, 2017 7:18:43 GMT -5
gotta stay high all my life to forget i'm missing you
She may start sounding too concerned after that offer, but the vampire would feel guilty if she did not help this teenager back on her feet. While this part of town may not be that too riddled with crime, Merrick still wanted to make sure that Chidori will have enough strength to fend off would-be attackers. Whether the teen uses her fists or her magic, as long as she can knock them back, any way would be fine to the older woman. Ah, if only she can walk freely under the sun, but staying out too long would mean a very, very painful experience and a long stay indoors to recuperate. She had experienced that and it is something she would rather not go through again.
Upon reading Chidori’s note, the vampire’s expression quickly changed; her brow furrowing and her nose even scrunching as the teenager’s choice for food worried her. Sugar and carbohydrates may help out in keeping her strength but it gets burned too quickly and in no time, the young woman may just find herself crashing. Was this how people eat these days? What happened to the healthy living of old? Shaking her head, Merrick rubbed her temple as she tried to think of a proper way of voicing out her opinion.
“It’s nothing; it’s the least I can do. However, I cannot let you just eat anything that’s merely made of sugar or carbs. You will need to eat a proper meal if you really want your strength to come back up.”
She knows that she was starting to sound like a parent, but she cannot help it. Humans were more already fragile creatures and yet they make themselves even more vulnerable to disease by consuming less than healthy food and drink. Standing from her seat, the vampire walked past the chair where Chidori sat on and went to the kitchen to start preparing what she considers a proper meal, or at least what she thinks is good for the girl.
“Wait here, I’ll fix you up something.”
The sounds of cabinets being opened and pans placed on the stove can be heard from the kitchen, though it was not much of a bother given how spacious the vampire’s home was. It was too large for just one person and yet Merrick could bear to live in this house on her own. The house practically screams luxury in every corner, but it felt a little cold as the feeling of solitude begins to set in. If not for the sounds that came from the kitchen, Chidori might have that sensation of the isolation closing in on her.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, the woman cooked a few eggs, some Hungarian sausage, mashed potatoes with gravy and buttered corn and carrots. She did this while setting up the table, her movement swift yet refined as she did her task without letting anything distract her. She also placed some fruits on the table, knowing that it is essential to have fruit in a human meal. In no time, the aroma of the cooked meal wafted from the room as Merrick came back for Chidori. She held out a hand towards the girl as a faint smile could be seen from her lips.
The vampire’s reaction struck Chidori as a little strange – she seemed… exasperated at Chidori’s note, making the mute wonder what was wrong. It didn’t take long to pick up the hint though; she thought the younger girl had been asking for something that was just sugar or carbs. She’d meant foods high in them, which there were plenty of healthy options for, but it was a honest enough misinterpretation, and in a way, it made Chidori feel oddly touched at the concern for her welfare.
On the cusp of starting to write something else, the brown-haired woman paused when she saw Merrick move, saying that she would sort something out. With a faint blush, there was little else she could do but nod gently and let the older woman step out of the room to presumably go make something in the kitchen. The echoing of the noises made her contemplate just how spacious the vampire’s house seemed from what little she had seen so far – certainly it felt like it was built for more than one person. Alas, that was not her business, and she wasn’t about to pry into the life of the woman who was looking after her rather sincerely.
Instead, she resumed writing a note, so it would be ready to show Merrick when she finished cooking. She shivered gently however, when the smell of the food reached her, undeniably pleasant and making her a little surprised at the complexity of the aroma. If she had to guess, there was very much a proper meal prepared for her. When the vampire returned to the room, Chidori showed her the note first, a gentle smile on her lips. My apologies if I was not very clear in my message before. I did not mean to suggest something that was only sugar or carbs, just high in them, as my energy levels are so low. You are right of course, that I need a fully-rounded meal to recuperate, so thank you very much for cooking for me.
With that, she gingerly stood and took the offered hand, her touch slight, gentle, but trusting. Inasmuch as she could tell, Merrick had been incredibly nice to her when all things were said and done, and Chidori couldn’t help but be reminded a time that seemed so long ago now when she had thought her life was filled with happiness and love. The memory made her shiver though, and it was all she could do to hold back the tears that threatened to well up from inside, her previously light expression having drooped into one touched with severe sorrow.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 23, 2017 9:39:50 GMT -5
gotta stay high all my life to forget i'm missing you
She had just met this teenager and she could kick herself mentally for acting too concerned for her well-being. If she was like any other cold-hearted vampire out there, Merrick would have left Chidori out there in the forest, but she was not like that. Instead, she offered her hospitality and even cooked a meal for the teenager. What was next? In an attempt to suppress the voice that screamed within her head that she should just stop being nice, the woman took a few deep breaths as she waited for the girl to respond to her offer of a simple breakfast.
Her golden orbs looked at the newly scribbled note, feeling rather embarrassed that she misinterpreted the last note showed to her. If there was a way to put some color on the vampire's cheeks, what she did was enough to tinge the pale with the faintest of pinks. Merrick was sure that she was not herself today; she barely gets this unhinged when around people but why was she making a blunder now in front of a teenager? Her free hand unconsciously rose to touch her cheek, feeling a slight warmth upon the usually pale skin, apparently even vampires can blush. She was taken back to reality by the sensation of a warm hand upon her own, making her look at Chidori.
Ah, well. At least she did not decline.
Merrick was about to lead the girl into the kitchen when she felt once more that something was bothering her guest. Looking at the brown-haired female, the vampire tried to decipher Chidori's thoughts as she held the other girl's hand. The woman frowned as she saw sadness upon the teenager's features, and that small shiver, it made her wonder if there was something deeper to what she can see on the surface. She was not sure anymore if she was still doing the right thing and the silence cannot provide her any answers.
"Chidori... Look at me."
The woman's hold on her hand slowly loosened as she urged her guest to look into her golden eyes. The faint trace of Merrick's smile was gone, now replaced by a sad frown that almost matched the girl's. While her grip on the human's hand may not be tight, she placed her other hand over it as she sighed out and went on to repeat what she said while adding a statement of her own.
"Look at me. Is there something bothering you? Is it me? Just from what I'm seeing, I can tell you have something on your mind. I only wish to help you... if you will let me."
She was a little lost in her own world as her thoughts drifted backwards, to memories she wasn’t so fond of, to a vivid, terrifying scene she would never be able to forget. She didn’t notice the vampire woman blushing (a feat in and of itself had Chidori been paying attention), nor did she notice when that gaze fell upon her. The mute was trapped in that horrid place, trying to desperately keep herself together, the guilt, anger, and sadness clawing at the tiny semblance of peace she’d managed to build for herself.
Merrick’s voice did invade that sanctum though, soft at first, then louder, enough to drag her back to her senses, back to the present, another shiver running down her spine. Looking up into the other woman’s worried face, already missing the ghost of a smile if she were to admit, Chidori looked very much the vulnerable, tragedy-scarred young girl that she was. All semblances of power, of strength, of confidence were gone completely, leaving her with her anxieties, guilt, and sorrow. Gingerly, she shook her head, trying to indicate that it wasn’t Merrick’s fault, not really. Then she realised the vampire might think she was saying no to her help and cursed inwardly.
They hadn’t moved far yet, so it wasn’t much effort for the mortal girl to retrieve her sketchpad and pencil, though it meant slipping her hand out of the other’s comforting grasp. Then, when she had the tools to communicate at the ready… Chidori found herself at a loss of what to write. She was being so open with this woman already, someone she barely knew. Normally she’d have just pushed people away politely, gotten back on her own two feet as soon as possible and disappeared before she could get hurt again. But circumstances had made that impossible today, and she had found herself opening up and surprisingly feeling cared for by the older woman, though that opened old wounds and made her wonder if she was just setting herself up to be damaged even more.
As if the worry and sadness were too much to bear, the younger girl ended up lowering herself to the floor, sitting where she was, her hands trembling. Could she really trust someone again? Would she recover if it turned out like last time? Was she simply cursed to always be alone and in pain? She didn’t know the answers, despite how desperate she was to know. To trust someone now would be a leap of faith, and Chidori wasn’t sure if she could make it. If she did, it could either and on solid ground, giving her someone she could trust, talk to, maybe even start to heal some of the damage done previously; or it could destroy her ability to be around others entirely, not even thinking twice about trusting others again.
Taking a deep, ragged breath, as if the motion were causing razors to drag across her ribcage, the mute shakily began to pencil a note on a fresh page, biting her lip gently to keep the tears from welling up and dripping onto the sketchpad. When she was done, she slowly turned it around to show Merrick, trembling all over as she did so.
It’s not your fault Merrick, you’ve been nothing but nice to me. It’s just that the last people to care for me, the last people I was able to trust, betrayed me to give themselves power, like I was a pawn to be sacrificed. It hurts, and even you being so nice hurts, because I don’t know if I can trust you or anyone again. I want to but I don’t know if I should, if I even can. Maybe it would be better for you to put me aside, just take me back to the forest – I’m damaged goods after all, and even if you don’t hurt me, I’ll probably end up hurting you somehow. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I can barely control my powers as you’ve seen. I might just be beyond help now, and I don’t want you to get hurt trying, not after you’ve been so kind to me. I just don’t know what to do Merrick, and everything hurts so much I can’t think straight, so I get trapped in my own memories and thoughts, wondering if it would be better to just kill myself and end my misery before I make others miserable.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 24, 2017 8:57:10 GMT -5
gotta stay high all my life to forget i'm missing you
Worry was now evident upon Merrick’s face as the girl failed to acknowledge her at first. It took some time before Chidori finally looked at her, but her own uneasiness only jumped up several notches when she saw the look in the teenager’s eyes. There was a mixture of several emotions in them; anger, though she can see anger and sadness dominating all those things. What was going through the girl’s mind right now? The vampire wished she can read minds so she will be able to understand better; communicating through writing helped but it cannot compare to what verbal communication can do. She found herself clueless on what to do next.
However, she tried not to be too disheartened about the situation. No, if she has to bear with the way they have to talk then so be it; there could be worse things than this. The shaking of the head was something she was not sure of; Merrick would ask more about it but she was hesitant to press further with more questions. When Chidori pulled her hand away from her grasp, she would follow it and seemed to ready herself as she saw the girl pull her ever trusty sketchpad and pen. The vampire can tell that she was having an internal struggle on what to right but she was patient and will give her as much time as she needed. The sight of Chidori falling onto the floor to sit there as if defeated was the final sign Merrick needed to confirm that this teenager was carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders, something that she alone cannot handle.
The way she wrote shakily on the paper was almost too painful to watch, the vampire's worried look only turning worse as she tried not to speak so she can let the younger woman finish her writing. She crouched down by the teen as she stared at the long note and Merrick tried not to read it yet, afraid that Chidori might think she was getting impatient which was far from it. The architect distracted herself by turning her gaze towards something else, anything that looked interesting that time, but alas, her eyes would end up looking at her troubled guest. Finally, when the sketchpad was turned quite shakily so, Merrick began to silently read it and as she went along, her frown curled down even more. The woman breathed out as she turned her eyes towards Chidori, gold locking onto brown.
"I never asked you to put your trust in me nor am I ask you to do that right now. That would be too much to demand from you, especially when you just met me. I don't know what you went through in the past, but from the way you're acting right now, I can only assume that it's something that hurt you so much. They really hurt you."
Merrick sighed out and closed her eyes, not exactly sure if what she was saying will even make sense to the girl, but she meant it. The woman will understand if Chidori chose not to trust her, it was fine because it was just how people are made. Everyone was made to be wary of others, even more so after they have been betrayed. Painful memories were not easy to bury; she was aware, for she had her own past that she wishes to forget but cannot. The vampire's own hurt was different from the teen's and yet both feel the pain.
"However, I cannot find it in me to just let you be after all that's happened now... that is why I am offering you my aid. I am not asking for anything in return nor do I mind if you can barely control your powers. If you're worried about hurting me, then it's a risk I'm willing to take; I am made of tougher things after all. All I want right now is to see to it that you'll be back on your feet once you have decided to step out my door."
Sadness could be seen in Merrick's eyes as she spoke, though the unspoken emotion would be because of how powerless she felt right at that moment. Despite being a powerful being that roamed the land for centuries, she cannot do anything to ease the pain of this young woman. She reached out and gently placed her hand on top of Chidori's head before petting her and stroking the brunette locks with her fingers. The vampire tried to offer a sad, weak smile as she looked at Chidori before shaking her head at her.
"I don't believe you're beyond help, Chidori. I believe that there is still a chance for you to control your powers and fix yourself... and someone will come along to help you with that. It may take some time, but I know that someone's out there who you can put your trust once more and they won't break it like what those people did to you in the past. You may be losing hope right now, but it's because the one in front of you is not that person who can completely help you. So please, don't think that you should just end everything just because of that. Please don't."
That's right, Merrick will not deny that she was not the person this girl can fully trust. Given that she is a vampire and distrustful in her own way, Chidori will just have to stay strong to find that individual or be patient until that one comes along. The architect will just be a fleeting presence in this girl's life but she might as well leave a good impression of her despite of what had happened between them that night, something to remind the brunette that there were still people out there who are still kind at heart. She pulled her hand away from Chidori's head as she began to speak quietly once more.
"We may have started out on the wrong foot and you may have memories that may be too painful for you to bear, but I can offer you a small remedy for that. A nice, warm meal and a short period of just enjoying the company of another person. I can never erase the bad things you harbor inside your heart, but I can give you a memory that you can look back to without feeling so sad... It is all I can offer."
The woman held out her hand once more towards the younger female and this time, that gentle smile returned to Merrick's face. The smile itself told the girl that she was more than free to accept the offer and if she chose to decline it, it was fine for the woman as well. In the end, whatever choice Chidori makes, the vampire will respect it.
The pain didn’t stop, the little razors digging into her skin with every breath she took; the pain of her memories, of her guilt, of the anguish that riddled her so strongly that it had simply all come bubbling forward now that someone had loosened the tight grip she had on it. It was bound to happen someday of course, and perhaps better now when someone else was around, rather than in anger or depression that would have led to her causing serious damage to others or herself. Still, right now, it was hard to keep her focus, to listen carefully to the vampire woman’s words as she processed the note and commented on its contents.
She wasn’t wrong, either – she’d never asked for trust, but somehow, it had happened anyway. Enough for the brunette to babble on about the troubles that kept her weighed down like an anchor dragging across the ocean floor. Although it seemed that Merrick also seemed to understand the gravity of the pain, and for a brief moment of clarity, the brunette regarded the elder woman’s face with a flash of concern and wonder; had the vampire suffered a powerful tragedy, enough to make her understand the kind of pain Chidori was holding in every moment? Perhaps now she’d simply added an unnecessary burden to the vampire’s life, and the thought made her cringe strongly enough that her body jolted. She even started to hyperventilate, the panic surging as her anxiety hounded her like a shark smelling blood, sensing a vulnerability and making her worry incessantly about it. Tears began to stream from her eyes, her tight hold on it vanishing when her anxiety took the reins, washing down her cheeks as a built-up well of sadness took the opportunity as freedom.
It was all she could do to hear and actually take in more of what Merrick said at that point, as the sadness in her eyes solidified her feeling on anxiety, making her wonder if she could just disappear inside a black hole right now and stop causing trouble for everyone, especially the nice ones like the woman beside her. But… her words suggested she didn’t mind – that she wanted to help, perhaps because it was the right thing to do, or simply because she was that kind underneath it all. Either way, the panic started to recede slowly, and then hastened in its retreat when the woman’s hand touched her hair. She froze at the contact, and then almost immediately settled into it, shivering lightly but pressing towards her touch, rather than pulling away. It had a soothing effect on the mute; her panic was disappearing, and although her anguish was still a roiling mass of pain and anger and guilt, it was almost bearable for those moments.
And so she listened as best she could, given this was the closest semblance of peace she had had since she had started to unravel at the seams. It was those words then, as the vampire simultaneously offered her aid and blamed her ‘inability to help’ for Chidori’s rather pessimistic outlook. At that, she couldn’t help but shake her head vigorously, disagreeing vehemently – she’d have been a complete mess right now without Merrick’s help. It would likely have only been days before a breakdown, even if they had never met, given her mental instability. If anything, the vampire was helping enough to make Chidori actually think about these things from a different perspective, enough to make it seem like maybe, with a little bit of luck and a lot of effort, it…might not be hopeless. It was a tiny spark of hope, and she clung to it with all the energy she had left.
At the offer of a decent memory, a good one to help reflect on in times of need, the brunette nodded gingerly, trying her best to slow her breathing and take long, deep breaths, forcing herself out of the panic, out of the pain. It took a few moments, sitting there with Merrick, but slowly, her tears came to a halt, and her breathing resembled something a bit closer to normal. She was still shaky, and she had to rub away the trails of tears staining her cheeks, but it was something considering she had been in the midst of a mental breakdown only moments before. Carefully, she lifted her non-dominant hand to take the vampire’s, the other writing a note in her sketchpad – something she wanted to ‘say’ before she went with her. Her mouth quirked up a little; the hint of a smile as she wrote the second part.
It was painful, and it is still painful, but I think you understand that pretty well. Maybe you’re right, and there is hope. I suppose all I can do is keep stumbling along, and pray that that hope becomes a reality. You’re wrong about one thing though – you’re already helping. I’m not so sure about this ‘one person’ thing but I do know that you have helped me already Merrick. I might not have seen many more days if I had had this breakdown on my own. You really have helped, and I hope maybe, I might be able to return the favour in some way down the line. So I’ll take you up on that offer.
With that, she let herself brave a small, timid smile, and shakily shifted to move with Merrick, feeling slightly more in control than she had been a few minutes earlier.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 26, 2017 3:49:13 GMT -5
gotta stay high all my life to forget i'm missing you
Maybe there was a perk in living for so long. With age comes this almost unbelievable patience with several matters, whether it was with the smallest of details to people. Or perhaps this vampire just had this innate kindness within her. Merrick had been taught by her parents how to deal with various types of people when she was just a young fledgling. At first, it was how to hold herself back when it comes to dealing with her blood lust until it came down to actually interacting with them when it comes to their business. However, those centuries of seemingly perfected expressions and statements were rendered invalid when it came to this. Nothing in Merrick’s past experience could prepare her for this.
The only thing the vampire can do that time was wait until Chidori has calmed down. She was not sure whether her words were enough to assuage the distraught teenager, but she had prayed that somehow, she can make her see that it was never a good thought to end everything just like that. For Merrick, her life can go on forever, but to humans, a life was something so precious and so fragile to just waste and cut short.
A quick whiff, the scent of scent of salt tickled the vampire’s nose and her eyes bore witness to the girl as she began to weep. Her expression was sad and concerned at the same time, but Merrick knew that it was just fine to cry and let it out. However, she saw that her touch to the girl’s head sent a soothing effect to her and the tears ceased to flow. It did not take long before a faint trace of a smile began to be seen on Chidori’s lips. The vampire remained quiet as the teen wrote another batch of sentences for her to read and when she saw it, Merrick gently smiled at her and reached out her hands toward the brunette’s cheeks.
Cool hands would softly cup the warm cheeks and her thumbs would brush away the remaining tears that fell from Chidori’s lids and the wet streams that stained her face. An almost inaudible shush would come from Merrick’s lips as she tried to further calm down the young woman before her. She would soon pull away one hand while she allowed her fingers of her other hand to brush against that warm cheek.
“You will have to keep going if you do want to return that favor, Chidori. This old vampire will take your word for it. It’s alright to cry so you can let it out, little one. You’re human; it’s okay to break down once in a while but you should remember to get back up. Chin up, chin up.”
The hand that held Chidori’s hand tightened its grasp around the girl’s, though not too much, it was just enough to assure the teenager that she was there right now. Merrick carefully guided her to her feet so they can rise off from the floor. That time, the woman hoped that she did not make the girl perturbed by her actions. As long as there was a faint trace of a smile on that face, the vampire will be at ease. If the girl followed through, they would soon be standing and this will allow the older female to place her hand on the shorter girl’s head.
“Now, how about that meal I offered earlier? We don’t want to keep the food waiting or it will get cold, no? It’s best to put something inside your belly so you can regain your strength. I can also prepare some hot chocolate for you if you like… or maybe something else, just tell me what you want.”
She couldn’t help but blush when she felt both hands upon her cheeks, though Chidori didn’t pull away as Merrick wiped away what was left of her tears. Instead, she simply watched with honest, open eyes that conveyed some sense of the depths of sorrow she struggled to keep afloat in. The faint smile was still there though – the vampire woman was doing just about everything right to keep the brunette in the moment and help calm her down. It stopped her from flitting back to the horrible memories, whilst still allowing her to take comfort in the gentle affection she craved so dearly.
Besides, the elder woman was right – if she wanted to pay Merrick back, Chidori needed to keep on going. There were still plenty of tears to shed, but they were no longer threatening to burst from the corners of her eyes, so the brunette simply leaned into hand brushing her cheek. Perhaps, if she had been capable of making noise, she would be cooing softly, almost like a kitten being stroked. Alas, without the sound, the only sign of her soothed state was the relaxing of her body, and the gentle movement of her breathing returning to normal. Idly however, she wondered at the vampire’s choice of words – that it was okay to break down because she was human – and whether Merrick thought that others like herself couldn’t, shouldn’t, or didn’t break down too.
The idle curiosity passed soon enough, as she was distracted by a tightened grip of her hand, which she met with a gentle squeeze to confirm she was glad for the closeness, for the comfort, and that she was slowly getting better again. By the time they were standing, and the hand rested on her head, the smile had grown just a little more, and with it, it was easy to see how happiness utterly changed the girl’s features, becoming brighter and more vibrant. She nodded lightly at Merrick’s questions, and then paused with a thoughtful expression at the mention of hot chocolate before giving a small nod, her cheeks lighting up a little more as she blushed at the indulgence of a cup of hot chocolate along with everything else the vampire woman had done for her.
Post by Merrick Bartholomew on Jan 28, 2017 9:10:27 GMT -5
gotta stay high all my life to forget i'm missing you
Removing her hand upon Chidori’s head, Merrick began to lead the teenager into the dining room so she can eat. The vampire was relieved that the girl managed to calm down after some convincing, though she knew that there would still be possibilities when she would be overwhelmed by her sadness once more. She had to wonder what had happened to this young woman that made her distrust society and close herself up. It would probably be something really traumatizing or at least something that hurt her so much; to think she had to go through that at a very young age. The older woman would even be considered luckier despite her own misfortunes.
Of course, all these thoughts will be kept hidden inside her head as she kept her mouth shut, keeping the words at bay. There was no need to bring that up, after all, she promise Chidori a pleasant memory starting at that moment; no way she was going to ruin her word. Pushing away those negative feelings, Merrick started to think of what else she can do to prolong the teenager’s momentary peace with her. Soon enough, they arrived at their intended destination.
The dining room was a spacious area, the furniture mostly made of grayish-brown good and the accents were white, all designed to be simple yet elegant to the eyes. It was not far from the equally large kitchen area and right by its side, large curtains cover what seems to be sliding doors. The rectangular table itself can serve eight people, this time though, it will only seat the two females. Merrick led Chidori to the chair at the head of the table where before it was the meal the vampire had prepared for her: eggs, sausages, mashed potatoes, corn, carrots and fruits. The utensils were set up for eating.
Soon enough, the woman let go of the girl’s hand so she can pull out the chair. Gesturing towards the seat, Merrick looked at her guest and said, “Come and sit, please.” The vampire soon let out a soft breath as she lightly drummed her fingers against the head of the chair, thinking of what she will do next, until she was reminded of the drink she mentioned earlier.
“You can go ahead and eat; I’ll be getting your hot chocolate for you. Don’t be shy, okay? You can eat as much as you want, I can always cook some more.”
408 ◆ Chidori Tsukino ◆ still short, but straight to the point.
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