@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 "WHY IS HE FOLLOWING YOU?" Caught off guard in such severe circumstance, Erika had no time to question the girl enough for answers which clarify the mess they're abruptly thrown into. She merely could turn to the girl briefly before glueing her eyes on the road again. which proved no avail; for the girl was utterly silent, hugging her knees close to her chest as her crow soothed her panic.
It was almost a blur, the attempt to lose the follower they got on their tail; with his rather daunting panther. However, soon enough; the stranger lost his stamina, slowing down whilst her car drove down the path at the maximum speed it can go without flipping off. Once he was out of sight, Erika exhaled a deep breath she hadn't realized she held that long, Slowing down just a bit; for the speed of said car was akin to the palpitating heartbeats pounding in her chest.
She gulped down the lump she had in , panting the slightest before her vision diverted to the latter seated in her passenger seat. "are you okay?" by now, she stopped hoping for an answer, assuming the brunette was truly mute. instead, she hoped for at least a head nod. a gesture. just something to communicate with. yet once again, she got nothing from the mysterious lass.
Deciding to let her be, the blonde focused on the road, at last realizing that they were moving aimlessly. Now, she could drive the girl around all day or drop her back at her cottage but what assurance did she have that the man won't come back? It was a dilemma she had absolutely no help in. thus, she took the easier choice and headed to her own condominium.
To say that Erika was clueless would be an understatement. there were tons of questions popping in her head per second, consequencing in even worse theories. For instance, this beautiful stranger she has in her car could be dangerous herself. Hell, she did not even know her name. yet, all thoughts about her nature fleeted the moment she sensed her lean forward, falling into the arms of deep slumber which invaded after apparent fatigue. All was peaceful again, life was beautiful and nothing mattered until Luca, her mischievous familiar tried to explore the new presence.
He climbed to the passenger seat with tiny hands, eventually landing on Erika's lap. "Luca!" She almost shouted, remembering seconds later not to disturb the sleeping angel. However, when he tried to be funny and touched the girl, Erika slowed down her car, turning to the monkey before displaying her most stern disapproving face, a whisper sounding from her lips. "No touchy," Which was only met by a baby frown, following Luca's return to the backseat.
Shaking her head slightly, only then did she realize that they have already arrived home. After stopping the engine, the blonde took her time in admiring the girl, long enough to ponder whether she really should allow her safety in her private space. Eventually, She heaved a deep sigh; first, for the mild actions of her familiar and second, for the major humanized trouble she had in her pick up. Which she chose to carry bridal style into her condo.
@ᶜ˖⁺ erika l。 It had been years since Alycia had experienced an episode this bad, not even losing her lover had left her this shaken and panicked. That had at least been a controlled situation, she'd had time to herself to recover and gather her thoughts, but this, this was just chaos. Breathing was now beginning to cause the girl physical pain, her chest was tight and each breath felt like razor blades in her lungs. Being shoved into the passenger seat of the other girl's pickup was a blur, trembling hands wringing together in hopes the distraction would do her good, Alycia found herself desperately searching for her familiar knowing he would be her only comfort in an unknown environment. Luckily for her, Edgar was quick to pick up on her needs, settling himself on one of her knees that she'd pulled up to her chest in an attempt to make herself as small as possible.
Everything was too loud, too bright, her clothes that had previously been some of her most comfortable attire now felt itchy and clingy, it was like an attack on her senses but the feeling of Edgar rubbing the soft feathers atop his head onto the bridge of her nose kept her grounded enough to stop her shutting down completely. Alycia's mind was miles away, it took her around ten minutes to even realise that the vehicle she'd been pushed into was now moving. The threat was gone, Alex was gone. But the nercomancer couldn't help but wonder if she was truly safe, in a pickup truck with someone that she'd only met a few times, someone who for some reason was parked awfully close to her house, seemingly waiting for her. Oh god what had she done? This woman was probably just as bad as the man who'd chased her out of her cabin.
Rapid and laboured breathing had now slowed a little, her vision was no longer blurred and misty, though she did still have a few tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. Hands still tightly gripping her own legs, Alycia finally allowed herself to take a glance at the woman in the driver's seat, quickly looking back to the road ahead in fear of getting caught staring. Part of her wanted to thank the mysterious saviour, the other part of her wanted to jump out of the moving truck, though she was sure she wouldn't survive such a fall.
It was safe to say that Alycia had well and truly worn herself out, her eyelids had started to feel heavy as they often did after an episode and she was fully aware that she only had a few minutes before she'd crash out. She couldn't help it of course, it had always been this way for her. First she'd experience sensory overload, then she'd panic, then once she calmed down she'd sleep like a baby for a few hours and wake up feeling groggy. Before the girl could stop herself, a silent yawn had slipped past her lips, her head lulling forward a little as the tiredness began to fully consume her.
@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 Her vehicle wheels turned over the wet tracks with hissing tires, splashing the very near soil with freshly softened mud from the night before; when rain bore tirelessly upon the now damp ground. Erika wanted to avoid such pathways for cleaning her wheels was never pleasant, only added work to her already piling tasks. However, there was a certain cottage on that particular road, a dark aura alluring her to the enigma of the beautiful stranger she encountered a few times before. Foolish, isn't it? but the blonde had never been one to think much before acting. her guts lead her places she was never meant to go. And soon enough, it became rather a routine. to pass by that cottage and wish herself some fortune in catching a glimpse of that stranger she deemed compelling.
To say the least, Erika tried to befriend the brunette, attempted to talk to her more than once but it all was to no avail for the girl never spoke. never uttered a word to her; that it soon started messing with her head. very much so, she believed the girl's mute. And till now, never once did she return her friendly gestures. Was it her, maybe she was intimidating or perhaps just annoying? the blonde considered giving up multiple times but there was this feeling in her gut again, telling her to drive down that path once more. and being the impulsive intuitive person she is, she allowed herself to listen to her guts, driving her worn out body to a longer distance just so she could check on that stranger. was it some protective instinct? or was she just bored, needing a space to fill? a person to think about? She couldn't explain it to herself accurately either.
Her slender fingers drummed onto the steering wheel, humming a song she'd found on the radio a few days back; when she neared said cottage, instinctively slowing down. She could see a tall figure pushing the door open forcibly, though she wasn't in a near enough distance to distinguish the girl's reaction. This wasn't usual at all. The brunette never had people over. it was almost as though she was anti social. mute on top of that. so what was happening exactly? From the looks of it, her body language didn't seem to be happy to see that person. and it made Erika all the more concerned.
Parking on the sideway not far from the place, she leaned on the car door, inspecting any suspicious activity with her arms crossed and thoughts drowning in the worst of possibilities. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before she caught herself, suddenly regretting coming here. "what am I even doing here?" The lass muttered under her breathe, heaving a rather deep sigh. "She's probably fine, I should go." and she did turn to leave but the abruptness of the loud noise which came from there stopped her in her tracks, replacing her expression with one of shock and concern. eyebrows knitted together as she took a step into the cottage's direction.
She was ready to run in there and check on the girl when instead, the door flung open, showing the latter's horrified state running towards her. Erika was absolutely clueless. For the most part when the girl cowered behind her in pure fear, breath rapid and jittery fingers clutching onto her jacket. She had yet to comprehend the unusual turn of events when she caught a glimpse of the mysterious man, coming their way with clear raging demeanour. ", GET IN!" a panicky swear emitted from her lips as she opened the car door and pushed the girl in as gently yet as fast as possible before she got in herself, starting the engine in the speed of light and pressing hard on the accelerator in fear of getting caught by the ruthless follower.
@ᶜ˖⁺ alex t。 It was times like these that Alycia truly wished she'd chosen to practice a different area of magic. Death was a touchy subject for most people and she'd found through experience that those who'd lost someone would often go to extreme lengths to make contact with their deceased loved one. It wasn't the first time someone had lost their temper with her because she couldn't help them, but it was certainly the most terrifying time. Alex was a dangerous man, one that could easily make her suffer if he wanted to, but Alycia was painfully aware that her body wouldn't be fit to withstand any blood magic in the near future. Certainly nothing of this level.
The girl's eyebrows knitted together at his sudden change of tone. Was he begging? Had he not grabbed hold of her arms and caused her substantial discomfort, Alycia could have easily convinced herself that she'd imagined it. But no, Alex Turner was stood in her cabin, pleading with her to summon his brother.
Just as Alycia had started to relax a little, when she'd started to think that maybe she could explain the situation and perhaps even ask him if he could wait a few months for her to recover, he entire aura had changed again. It became apparent that a discussion would not be an option, he was angry, far too angry to sit around and reason with her. The necromancer was almost certain she'd never flinched so hard as when he'd raised his hand to punch the wall beside her head. Her breathing became thick, a lump forming in the back of and tears welling in the corners of her eyes. She was giving him exactly what he wanted, Alex had wanted to scare her and now here she was backed into a wall, trembling and crying because of him. The girl resented that he probably got some sick thrill out of this, that he was fully aware of her issues with loud noises and anything that could send her senses into overload but he continued to shout in her face.
Beads of sweat had started to form on Alyica's forehead, breathing itself was an almost impossible task and if she didn't get away fast she was going to have an episode she wasn't sure she'd ever fully recover from. It was a knee jerk reaction, he'd turned around for a few seconds and before Alycia could even think about it she'd made a run for the door, only glancing back to check that her familiar, Edgar, had followed her. Of course he had, he was the only one who'd never leave her.
Of course it wasn't easy to run when your legs were trembling so violently, but god did she try. Alex would easily be able to out-run her, in fact he probably wouldn't even break a sweat, but the one thing she had to her advantage was that she knew these woods like the back of her hand. Well, that and the fact that there appeared to be a vehicle parked by the side of the road just a few yards ahead. Now Alycia had never been the religious type, nor was she one to be excited about seeing another human being, but she caught herself praising god when she saw someone next to said vehicle. The terrified girl refused to look back, using every slither of energy she had in her body to continue sprinting towards her destination.
Reaching the other person was nothing short of a blessing and Alycia wasn't proud of it, but she was cowering behind the rather dashing blonde within seconds, her eyes pleading for any kind of assistance that'd get her out of this situation.
@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 Would it be that much of a surprise if Alex regrets the event which changed the course of his life? He is brutal, cruel and heartless. He cannot deny his crimes. But is it wrong to miss the time his anger did not fully control him? The time where he wasn't a fugitive, running scared from the grasp of punishment? it all started with his brother, and it should end that way. If he could only speak to him once, that's all he needs. Call it closure if you want, but for once, he isn't completely emotionless.
His gaze locked on her visage, hold tightened on her shoulder, as though applying pressure to her mentally more than physically. He truly hoped he'd scare her enough into doing what he needs. for this was his only chance. she's the only necromancer he knows of. one which he owes. most necromancers are usually very wicked. while this one is just a hopeless softie he could scare less. far too easy if you asked, really. But when she finally met his eye and refused with a shaky breath, that's when Alex lost it. "So now you open your mouth, huh?"
Slowly, he withdrew his hand, a straight face maintained whilst he stepped away from her, only to rub his temples. "What do you mean 'i can't'?" He uttered lowly, voice layered with a slightly evident anger. The lad could feel his erratic heartbeats pounding in his head once more, fueling the flame he tried to extinguish before entering her door.
"No, you have to." pacing back and forth, he was on the cusp of losing his temper. until he came to a stop in front of her, hands raising to grab a hold of her both arms. "You've got to do it, I need to talk to him." It was strange of him to plead, if anything, it only indicated his desperation. which wasn't exactly good when feelings of betrayal had shown across his features.
"You just don't want to help me, do you?" Alex started panting albeit not so heavily, in an attempt to conceal his rage. but it all went to vain as he let go of her arms and collided his clenching fist with the wooden wall beside her head. "You've been practising since we were ing young, GODDAMIT, ALYCIA." profanities slipped from beneath his shortened breath, hands withdrawing once more to rest on his temples as he turned away from her.
@ᶜ˖⁺ alex t。 Keeping calm had never been something Alycia was very good at, so as you can imagine, being backed into her own cabin wall by a man who towered over her in stature wasn't exactly something she could brush off with a few deep breaths. 'Look at you. So scared.' The girl would be lying if she'd said his words didn't effect her, they made her feel small, as though she were below him in every way possible. However, she didn't dare react and show her displeasure, that would only provoke him more...and she knew exactly what he was capable of.
Alycia's breath hitched in and she quickly diverted her eyes from his to the floor, flinching when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Had she believed Alex would simply kill her, she wouldn't be so terrified. After all, what did she have to live for? But a part of her knew that he wouldn't make it so easy, he was sadistic, unfeeling, a quick and painless death would be completely out of character. 'I just want you to summon my brother'. Now that, that truly took Alycia by surprise. Why on earth did Alex suddenly decide he wanted to make contact with someone he himself had killed all those years ago? Maybe he did have feelings, though the girl highly doubted that his reasons for contacting him would hold any kind of emotional value.
Alex wasn't the type of man you wanted to say no to and he certainly wasn't the type of man who took kindly to not being given what he wanted. But Alycia physically couldn't help him. She was weak, her body still feeling the effects of the last time she'd used her blood for magic. Those who'd never performed blood magic didn't seem to understand how draining it was, how close to death you could bring yourself just to raise someone who'd passed for a mere hour. The necromancer took in a shaky breath before finally allowing herself to look up at him again, tensing when their eyes met. Alycia shook her head, looking as apologetic as she possibly could, perhaps he'd take pity on her. 'I can't' She mouthed the words, hoping and praying that he wouldn't react violently.
@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 The anxiety growing inside him took appearance in the form of bangs on her door, for he was impatient. nerves wrecking at the thought of finally ending this nightmare. With closed eyes he waited, hands tugging onto the backpack he held so tight against his shoulder; as though it was an anchor to reality. To think about it, the fact that he left everything behind to come seek comfort from his dead brother tells much about his mental state. for instance, he could just murder this one as well, the one which caused him to get caught. But no, he wasn't just about to ruin his chances. he could kill her if it doesn't work out. but for now, he has to be patient.
It felt like forever before she opened that door. however, when she did, it was as though all the composure he had just evaporated. She looked a lot like her young self, nothing changed much. those were still the innocent eyes he knew back when not getting caught while playing under waterfalls was his biggest worry. She wasn't just any friend he had. she was different, just like him. it was a pure intimacy they shared in the form of protecting actions and trusting gazes. She wasn't one to speak much but she managed to become the closest to his heart. at least till the time he got caught. then there was nothing. no intimacy, no trust. just a few betrayed looks before he was banished.
Seeing her after so long, his feelings were suddenly up to 100. He just stood there, staring at her terrified state. somehow she wasn't any different from his victims now. they all panted and trembled at the sight of him. and she was no exception. it hurt him to have thought that she'd actually be happy to see him when all she displayed was a horrified expression when he showed at her door. "Won't you let me in, alyc?" One of his eyebrows elevated in feigned dismay, not even waiting for her response to press his hand above her head and push the door open. "Or have you forgotten all the good memories we had?"
He pushed through the front door, stepping into her private space and finally turning when he'd examined her cabin with a rather judgemental look. There was it, a scoff emitting out of his lips. Alex bit the inside of his cheek, walking towards the terrified alyc leisurely, as though enjoying the fear he's causing. it's all he'd wanted after all, right? for people to fear him. for them to quiver at the sound of his name. But not her. He thought she'd understand his reasons; for she was the one to drag him out of heaven and into the arms of darkness. But there she was instead, breathing rapidly like its the end of the world.
Once the gap between them lessened, he stood infront of her face and shot a glare, forming an intense eye contact he intended to torture her with. until he couldn't hold in the hysterical chuckle anymore. "Look at you. so scared."
He reached one of his hands to rest upon her shoulder whilst his free one brushed the bridge of his nose. "You see, i won't hurt you. i just want you to summon my brother."
@ᶜ˖⁺ alex t。 It wasn't an uncommon sight, crumpled pieces of paper strewn across the oak table in the middle of her living room, illuminated only by the soft flickers of the copious amounts of candles she'd gathered over time. A weary face fell into charcoal stained palms, a heavy sigh escaping her plump lips. She'd been trying for hours, relentlessly working until her hands cramped up, but no matter how hard she tried, Alycia just couldn't get her art to capture the raw beauty of her muse. Though, a part of her insisted that it didn't matter, no matter how well she sketched her, it wouldn't bring her back. It was a rather pessimistic mindset, but the necromancer had never been one for optimism, false hope, it was so fleeting. Nothing good ever lasted.
The girl remained seated as she reached for her cloth, wiping away the evidence of her efforts that remained on her hands. It had come to the point where enough was enough, she'd exhausted her creative mind, for today at least and soon enough she was gathering her papers, looking over the few that she'd deemed worthy of keeping. Perhaps she could alter them, make them into something she was proud of when she had the energy. But for now they got pushed into a pile and left on the table, the ones she'd discarded would at least make good kindling for the fire.
Alycia visibly tensed at the sound of the door. It had been at least eight months since anyone had come calling for her, in fact, it was such an uncommon event that she'd almost started to think she might have finally slipped under the radar. Of course she wouldn't be that lucky. It was impossible for the girl not to be suspicious, what business did people have visiting her? Perhaps it was another one of those pesky hikers that seemed to love getting lost in the area, though that was more of a summertime occurrence. December didn't seem like the prime of hiking season. So that narrowed the options down a little, either someone was looking for her in particular, or they'd heard of her practices and wanted to use them for personal gain. Either way, Alycia only worked for herself. Using blood magic for her own needs was labouring enough, she wasn't about to go out of her way so some sap could contact their dead pet rabbit for sixth grade.
Mentally preparing herself to turn away whoever had come knocking, Alycia took a few deep breaths, wringing her hands together as she often did when her nerves got the better of her. Doing so only reminded her of her failed efforts to contact the one she'd recently lost, her thumb tracing over the stitches on her palm. 'Blood must have blood'. The necromancer ran her fingers through her hair, pushing a few soft brunette curls back out of her face as her other hand reached for the door handle, giving it a sharp turn before half opening the door, just enough so she could peer out.
The cold air had hit her like brick wall, though it was the sight of a childhood friend that truly knocked the air out her lungs. Alex Turner. Someone she'd thought she'd never see again, someone she /hoped/ she'd never see again. Their last meeting, though many years ago, had been far from joyous. She'd been a witness of him murdering his own brother, Alycia would have kept it quiet had her parents not practically bullied the information out of her... and of course that didn't leave the pair on the best of terms. Eyes widening slightly, her mind utterly blank, Alycia contemplated slamming the door shut and running for the hills, it probably would have been a good idea, but no. She stood completely still, frozen in fear, her chest rising and falling heavily, heart thumping against her ribcage.
@ᶜ˖⁺ alycia d。 With a sunken heart, he walked down the path of forgotten shelter, the gloomy light of street lamps illuminating his tall figure. It was quite strange to come 'home' after all these years. Though is it really considered — home; at this point? in spite of how long he'd been away, It was as though not much had changed. The Pathway trees still swayed with the same old idle breeze, It's heady scent bringing a sense of nostalgia to the fuzzy mind of the distressed lad. And yet, the bittersweet simper his features displayed was far too soon washed away by a rush of rage, vengeful thoughts drowning out all others and coming above all. Ghostly echoes found way into his head again, filling him with the horrors of his own decisions. Though, don't be mistaken. He doesn't blame himself as much as you'd expect. After all, he does have someone to blame.
However, he didn't come all the way down here for revenge. His moves had no calculations for that at the moment. He merely wanted to communicate with his brother again, the one which he killed in a time where everything escalated far too quickly for a young boy to contain. If he could only reverse time. or at least have the ability to apologize. for taking away a life his brother deserved to live. then and only then will he be able to not feel aggravated by the acute voice rustling "murderer" inside his head. the wretched cause of bestowing chaos on earth all would evaporate if he could pour all his rage out on something. or someone. but instead, he only seems to get angrier after every death he brings upon.
The lad pressed the cold cigarette to his lips, allowing nicotine to fill his lungs with toxins in hope of wiping out the scent of his old life from the air. from his own mind. smoke danced like ghosts in the breeze before him but he's lying to himself. he's still alive, his brother is still dead, this wasn't over.
Alycia's cottage was right in front of him. The infamous necromancer which served no one but herself. he heard a lot about the quiet wicked, "Creepy and obsessed with warpaint." is what most said about the grown up version of the young girl he knew. though it wasn't much of a surprise, really. She always had this unique aura to her. one which he fancied and others found rather eerie.
Alex's lungs deflated air in a deep exhale whilst he dropped the cig to the ground, stepping on a flame akin to the one he needed to contain before entering that door. which he knocked on hesitatingly. He wasn't sure if he should say anything, what if she doesn't open? after all, he wasn't much of a friendly face. However, he chose to keep the threats to himself for now, maybe feigning kindness could actually work.