(True, true.)
”Heya. Wondering if you can do me a favor and get me some oranges down the block— weird request, I know. But I’m kinda busy at the moment,” Aster asked as soon as she answered. God damn his heart for bumping so much. Why is it doing that? Just… why.
He turned to Harrison…
“You need anything from the market?” He asked. He hadn’t been so caring in so long, why was he acting like this now.
"Um… sure?" Emi blinked, not thinking about blood for the moment. Why was he asking her. Wasn't he there? "I guess? Is something wrong?"
Now she knew something was wrong. He never asked her to do something, never asked Harrison anything politely ever, never talked the way he was talking now. She had been living with Aster for a while, and she had never actually seen him care,.
Aster returned his attention to Emi on the phone, waiting for Harrison to answer.
”Yeah… I guess you can phrase it that way…” he hated himself right now. He felt weak, anxious, fragile, and way too sensitive. His insecurities were getting the best of him. What happened to the true demon he was? Who knows really.
Emi groaned, leaning back on her hand, switching the phone to her other ear. She really didn't want to play psychologist to an over-dramatic demon. "What's up?" She finally asked, eyes falling on a homeless bum who slowly meandered his way toward her. When she set eyes on him, he smiled greasily and increased his pace.
Her own smile widened. Dinner time.
Aster sighed.
”Don’t worry about it. I just need oranges and that’s it. Thanks,” since he didn’t want to annoy her too much, Aster hung up and returned to the living room.
He sat down on the floor as he reached to grab his ‘Oni’ head pillow which was quite large and fluffy and a book to read. He sat there, continuing from where he left off. He seemed calm. At least for now.
Emi rolled her eyes at his words, but when he hung up, she blinked in surprise. He's never done something like that. A whisper of some unknown feeling shot through her, almost like… concern… and she shook her head, trying to get rid of the feeling. What was going on? First Aster was acting weird, and now she was feeling emotions? This wasn't right.
After a short confrontation with the homeless guy, who turned out to be trying to rape her, and her finally getting a decent meal for once, she left his body in an alley, amazed that she hadn't been caught. She bought the oranges, like she had been asked, and hurried back, wiping the last bits of blood from her face, although there were still tell-tale signs on her shirts and nails, and her eyes were startlingly bright crimson again.
Aster sensed someone coming back. Though he didn’t really care. The novel he was reading was way reaching a point where it was too good to be read another time.
“Harry,” he called “someone’s coming, you might wanna go get the door” he requested, flipping the page of the book in his hand.
A sigh flew from Harrison’s mouth as he pushed himself up from the chaise lounge he was perched on. “Yes sir.” he grumbled mockingly, restraining an eye roll as he left the living room and opened the front door. Just reaching the driveway appeared to be Emi, and he could spot the blood a mile away. “You know I think I might leave her out here for a bit.” he called to Aster, rubbing the back of his head with a groan. “Rain appears to be brewing and she could do with a wash.”
“Uh huh…” Aster sternly murmured, focusing on his book way more than he should. He didn’t really listen to what Harrison said and honestly, he couldn’t care less. However, when he finished said scene, he sighed and flipped the bookmark.
“Who was it?” Aster asked, carrying around the ‘Oni’ head pillow around as he walked to the fridge, looking for something to eat.
Emi walked up the driveway, swaying slightly. If she went without blood for long enough, the next time she had some, she would be acting a little bit drunk, or, at the very least, tipsy. She knocked on the door, seeming to be unable to find the handle to the door. She fumbled around for it for a bit, her nails accidentally leaving some scrapes on the door, before she stopped and shook her head. She set the oranges down and moved away from the house, trying to get her bearings, to stop acting so… well, drunk.
Vix had been carefully watching Lock for a while. He seemed to be doing fine. He still looked a little pale but other than that he seemed fine. "The rain should help out a bit too." She mumbled quietly to herself, looking up at the rain clouds.
Vix looked back down at Lock. "Why'd you leave without telling us?" She asked the Drus. "You almost gave Harrison a heart attack."
When Aster heard the knock, he walked to the door himself. Opening it, he saw the oranges. Well that settles the question of who but not whe— and she’s tripping like a maniac on the pavement again. He smiled a bit. It was one of those rare times when Emi seemed peaceful rather than hostile. He’ll leave her be.
He came back inside, closing the door on his way in.
“Oranges?” He asked Harrison, setting the bag down on the kitchen counter.
Lock’s eyes rolled open, though they couldn’t focus well enough to make out where he should have been looking. “Freedom.” Well, that’s what he tried to say. His speech was slurred, broken, almost a whisper. His eyes closed again and his body relaxed as the rain began to fall.
“Oranges?” Harrison cocked his head, retrieving his sketchbook from the counter. “Is that all you wanted from town?!”
Gavin watched Vix and Lock from one of the taller trees. It wasn’t in his best interest to interrupt the two. But the clouds… they were inviting him back into the building. He really didn’t like the rain.
He jumped down and landed in the gardens. He then opened the door that led into the house, immediately meeting Aster’s eyes.
“Well… not exactly. But I didn’t get the chance to buy anything else,” Aster got out one of the oranges, peeling its skin off and plopping one of its cloves into his mouth.
“So, you want oranges?” He asked again.
When Gavin walked in, he turned to meet the boy’s gaze.
“What’s up butterfly boy?”
When it started to rain, Emi simply collapsed onto the yard. The grass had been trimmed recently, and it was comfortable, although it prickled her a bit. She sat on the grass, the cool of the water slowly helping her regain her senses. She shook her head, trying to clear the annoying cloud that covered her thinking. She didn't want to go inside.
Vix let out a sigh. "I guess I can't argue with that." She said with a shrug. "It's understandable, expecially with your situation."
Vix looked up as she felt the rain start to fall. A smile started to crawl across her face. Vix everything about rain. How it felt, how it sounded, how it smelled. She loved it. Of course, if she was out in the rain too long she stared to smell like wet dog and then Harrison would force her to take a shower, but it was worth it.
Harrison made it to the florists and immediately picked up the fallen bag. And the woman.. that must have been Cora! Wow.. she was stunning.
“Hey Cor, nice to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances. I——“ What was he doing?! He knew he’d seen Aster and Lock pass by him, so why was he still talking? “Meet up tomorrow, 10am, I’ll meet you at one of the coffee shops just text me which one.” He waved to her before turning to exit the shop. “Your hair looks nice by the way.”Harrison jumped back in his car and started driving home. Lock and Aster must have been back by now——this knowledge put his mind at ease. Or at least, it should have done.. Who was that laid down on the pavement?!
Cora stood in the middle of the florists alone. At the moment she could do nothing but blink. "I–. Thanks!" she called out, long after Harrison had ran out the door. She tucked her hair behind her ear as his words echoed in her head. Don't be stupid Cora, there are a lot more important things to worry about right now. Like who the hell had just taken that boy. But she trusted Harry. Though her heart raced, she knew he had it under control.
On impulse, she bought a bouquet of lilies and walked out of the florists. She was walking back to the cottage she was renting when she got a text. She pulled out her phone and smiled. It was a text from Harry, letting her know that everything was alright and thanking her. "Of course. The next time you need someone to stand with the troubled kid in the florist's shop, you know who the call ;). See you tomorrow Harry".
Cora couldn't help but wonder what Harry's life was right now. Who was that boy? Who was that man? Oh well, she was sure he could answer all her questions tomorrow. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered to life at the thought.
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Eidus saw the rain trickle down. He enjoys the first minute of it when the droplets are small, cooling him down during hot days like these. When the rain became a storm, however, he moved into cover. It was just a normal umbrella but with his low profile he was unlikely to get wet from the rain.
"Are you just going to stand in the middle of the rain?" He asked Eskja who was still outside. He understood she was a dragon, an ice dragon to be exact, but it would be unusual to see someone out in the heavy rain.
Eskja smiled. “Forgot, sorry.” As the rain began, she looked into the sky, shielding her eyes with her hand. “No,” she said. “I think I’ll move into cover too.” She jogged into cover. Eskja could handle the rain - but in this form, it was much harder to.
She looked out to the rain again.
Gavin didn’t reply, he just gave Aster a fearful glare. The demon was playing a trick again… he couldn’t be this warm boy we was now. Well, let’s see if he could actually come to that conclusion.
“You mind if I had one of those oranges?” He asked, wondering how the demon would respond. Usually, it was a big ‘no’.
Eidus reached his hand out of the umbrella into the rain, the heavy droplets impact his skin and trickled down his arm. "I don't mind making a run back to the house, and I am sure no one would see me shift." There was silence before he continued to speak. "Of course, only if you would go with me. Or we can just wait this out".
Aster sighed when Gavin gave the question. He reached into the bag, throwing an orange at the butterfly.
“Now go elsewhere, somewhere that I won’t see you,” the demon gave. It wasn’t entirely clear whether he was being sarcastic or whatever but at least he shared so that was something.
However, the reason he did what he did was that he wanted to go out tonight. Finding ‘preys’ if that was what he wanted to do. Partially because he wanted to test his new methods of hypnosis as well and, as a demon of lust and wrath, potentially lay his hands on some of the virgins in the city.
The cloud wasn't lifting. Emi couldn't think clearly. It was annoying. She hit her head with the palm of her hand, as if to loose something inside. She hated this side effect of drinking blood, but it was addicting, too.
Looking up at the clouds, Eskja watched the rain fall.
“I can go with you,” Eskja said. “We don’t know how long this’ll be lasting, and I’d like to get my fish I purchased into the fridge while it stays nice.” She looked back to Eidus.