His question immediately weakened her resolve. The strength she had to deny him slipped away like water through cupped hands. “Oh, don’t.” She snapped back, her anger rising in her throat. “Don’t act like it was all me, Owen. You came here. You came to me too when you had her. When you had someone else.” The weakened resolve solidified swiftly but her anger clouded her better judgement and she let it get the best of her. “There was no point. Did there have to be a point? It was...” She waved her hands about in the air. He continued with the litany of verbal insults and she drew her mouth into a purse of irritation. 

As he stepped closely to her to make his exit, she felt, even at this proximity, the softening of the hum beneath her skin. Hop eagerly accepted the attention that Owen gave him and the dog’s happy, lolling tongue panted. Eli was dumbfounded by his last words, shocked into complete silence by the way he set their decision in stone. He had Leila. She had Hop. Their paths would never cross again. She should reach out and grab his wrist. She should tell him that she was being foolish. She should tell him why she really was pushing him away. She feared he would regret a decision to be with her, to live on the run, to constantly have to hide from unseen forces plotting their demise. She did not want him to resent her. She didn’t want to tell him that she loved him and because of that, she would not subject him to this kind of existence.

But she should have. She should tell him she loved him. She was going to. Yes, she made up her mind just as the door clicked into place and Hop whined as his companion left the apartment.

He was gone.

The hum roared back to life and she pushed away, looking out the window but not really seeing. She stood there for what felt like an eternity but only a matter of a few seconds had passed. Finally, Eliza blinked and looked down, waiting to see him entering the parking lot. What she saw, however, was much worse than the back of the man she loved. It was Gavin, and another Circle member named Peter. Eli blinked multiple times, thinking that she might just be hallucinating the pair of her former coven. No, they were quite real and Owen was headed straight into their hands. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Hop. Escape time.” Hope immediately ran to the door and leapt up and pulled down his leash. Eliza had trained him for this. Apparently, paranoid paid off. Eli grabbed her go bag from the closet by the door. She threw it on her back, grabbed her phone and opened the door. She didn’t’ spare one look back at her apartment, though she would miss it. Her skin hummed louder, deafening as she flew down the hall and cast a glance at the elevator, two more floors down and Owen would be dead. She slammed her hand against the elevator door and it screeched to a halt. It would be on the second floor. Eliza flew down the stairs, taking them three at a time with Hop racing behind her. She slid onto the second floor and nearly slammed into the opposite wall. She heard the lobby door open to them as someone walked out. They weren’t conversing - this was a mission after all. One would take the stairs. The other would wait for the elevator. They would be sending projections and while they couldn’t pick Eli up, they may detect Owen. They may know about the basement laundry room exit, but hopefully they were banking on the element of surprise.

Making her way to the elevator door, she slammed her hand against it again and it flew open. She saw a wide-eyed Owen standing there, mouth ready to say something but she didn’t have time for this discussion right now. “Shields now.” She snapped, looking over her shoulder. “They’re here. Come on.” Hop bounced excitedly behind her, glad that they were all reunited. She grabbed his shirt, careful not to touch him in case he wasn’t maintaining his ability yet to prevent him from causing her powers to sputter. She pulled him after her, taking the side stairs a she heard someone coming up the other ones. She willed her ability to make them quiet, to make them invisible as they slowly descended the stairs to the basement. They made it and she looked around. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and searched through his pockets for his own mobile. She took out the SIM cards, broke them in half and tossed them in an open machine. She shut the lid and turned it on, water flooding the technology. She left the phone in the trash. Gavin would figure it out soon enough, no point it masking them. “You should warn Leila, Owen. They’re here. They may sense her, but we have to go. Now. Do you have anything else on you they can track?”

Owen had crossed his arms over his chest, trying to ignore Hop whining at his ankles and trying to ease the tension between the pair. His eyes wandered out one of the large windows overlooking the city, listening to her and knowing that Eliza was right but really, truly wishing that she wasn’t. With Leila everything was different. Sure, she was psychic as well but clearly not as much of a threat as he was to be a ping on the Circle’s radar. Everything with Leila was simple. Everything with Eli was volcanic eruption waiting to happen. How long would it be now until they were found, he wondered.

“Come on now, Eli. Just physical?” He gave her an incredulous look, chuckling lightly in the same manner with a shake of his head. “You know it’s not just that. I mean…” He stepped towards her, but still kept his distance, noting the way she shrank herself against the door. Owen didn’t need to use any ability of his to realize she wished she could hide from this confrontation. “Obviously that’s there, but it’s more. You just wouldn’t let it be more.” His lips drew into a hard line as he came to that realization himself. That he shouldn’t let it be more either, that he should stay in Seattle with Leila and keep teaching, get a dog of his own and maybe start a family of his own. Forgetting the woman who broke into his apartment in the middle of the night, first to attempt his murder and then to escape… to the life he currently led.

Owen felt sick. His stomach was roiling and the tension in his chest wouldn’t lift. “If this was how it’s going to be then why did you bother asking me to stay Eliza?” He exhaled sharply. “If this was how we were going to end up again, arguing about being together or staying apart, and you telling me to marry another woman, then… What was the point?”

Bending down to scratch Hop behind the ears to appease him for the moment, Owen let another deep sigh part his lips before he stepped towards Eliza to make his way towards the door. “I guess it was just a mistake then. A lapse in judgment. I shouldn’t have called, we shouldn’t have gone to get drinks, and I shouldn’t have let it happen.” His words were quiet as his eyes met hers. “You don’t need to be wishy-washy, we’ll leave it at what it is. I’ll go home, and go back to Leila, and take this as a sign that… I don’t know, I guess any sort of ‘meant to happen’ is bullshit.” Owen shrugged, knowing that his words were to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince her. “So you stay safe, Eli. Maybe give me the courtesy of a warning if the Circle’s tipped off to our – my – whereabouts, if anything.”

by Simply

Eliza walked Hop in the morning, taking him on an earlier stroll than normal. It was only because she could not sleep. She had tossed and turned and relived every single moment that they had been together. She played the night that they last spent together in her mind, over and over and over again. Soft gaze flickered over the walls of her apartment when she returned, feeding Hop and going to grab her clothes for the day when there was a sharp rapping a the door.

Still dressed in her tank top and pajama shorts, she opened to door and did not expect Owen to be there. “Uhhh.” She took the cup of tea and the bagel in the bag. She shut the door behind him and Hop eagerly greeted their guest, not letting him rest until he had gotten his fill of ear scratches. She set her bagel down on the counter in his kitchen and took a sip of the mug, almost afraid it might be coffee. Of course, he remembered. She cradled in in her hands as she looked at him. Bright blue eyes flickered over him and she sighed.

“Owen…” She trailed off, leaning against the counter that she had been careful to place between them. After a moment, she pushed back, leaving her tea on the counter. She grabbed two plates and offered one to him. Eliza took her bagel out, laying it before her before taking a bite of it. It was still warm from being toasted and the cream cheese had oozed into all the little air holes. “We can’t do what we’re doing. It’ll…just end up badly for me or badly for you. I meant what I said. I can’t be around you. Now…it’s easier.” During the day, the harsh light made it feel as though she was under scrutiny, it made her more aware of her shortcomings…less likely to jump him. But at night, when he scurf had gotten slightly longer and his eyes held a mysterious glint that beckoned her.

“But at night, like last night. I,” a pause, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you. You mouth, your hands, your laugh, how you taunt me, how you love fucking coffee and for some reason hate avocados, how I just want to lay next to you. I don’t even have to be touching you, hell, just to lay with you.” Her heart hammered and her stomach knotted, nearly rejected the food that she had consumed. “Leila, Owen. Leila and Neil. You were meant to have this life. A job you love, a girlfriend who very well would have become your fiancé had I not run into you and she still should. I can’t be what you need. I have to leave.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:56 am

by Dollface

"How? How is it any easier now than it was last night? You and I both know you weren't drunk, it's not like you were out of your gourd. Nothing's changed." Owen was right, because if things were different this conversation wouldn't be happening. If things were different, and Owen harbored no feelings for her of any kind, he would be at home. Instead he stood across the counter from her, picking his bagel apart to start in on one half before the other.

Owen listened as she continued, not meet her her gaze and instead focusing very intently on the bagel before him. He twisted it this way and that, giving a slight shake of his head by the time she had finished. "It doesn't have to be like that," he mused quietly. Pushing off the edge of the counter, Owen moved around it towards her, slowly. "It could be Wendy and Neil. Why couldn't we both have the life we were meant to have with each other?" He questioned her quietly, standing much closer to her now than he was before, about an arms length between them. "One second you're asking me to stay, telling me that you want to be with me and apologizing for leaving. And now you're going to tell me you're just going to go again, just like that?"

A couple of steps towards her began to close some of the distance between the both of them. "You said it yourself yesterday that it was fate. If that's the case, and you leave, wouldn't that mean it would throw is back together again anyway? Cut out the middle man; just don't go." Owen wasn't even sure how much he believed in the idea of fate, but he needed to make a point. Owen's movements mirrored those he made last night: he stepped toward her and lifted a hand to her face, fingers skimming down her neck before tangling in her hair that was still damp from her shower. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, lightly at first before kissing her again.

When he left for her apartment this morning, he wasn't really sure what he was going to say or do. He hadn't thought of it for long out of fear that he would back out of seeing her again in the first place. "Please stay, Eli," he whispered against her mouth before his lips trailed along her jaw. He twisted them so that her back was against the counter, his other hand resting there beside her and pushing the plate her bagel was on out of the way. "I won't have to beg you now, will I? Or was that your plan all along?"

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:16 am

by Simply

He was closing distance and she took a step back. He was going to make this decision hard on her. How could he do this? No, no. He had Leila and they were just talking. He wouldn’t make any moves, not like last night. They were adults. They could control themselves around one another.

But that was entirely false. Eliza was a mess when it came to Owen. She knew it and he knew it. “I know, I know it’s not fair to you but when you’re close to me…its like I can’t control myself.” She sighed, looking down and not noticing how he was advancing towards her. Eliza knew that she said what she meant, what she really felt when he was close to her, what she really wanted. But she didn’t say what was best for them. It was best for them to be apart from one another, to reduce the risk of getting caught. The Circle was much more likely to find them if they were together. They’d kill them both.

The distance was gone and she felt his mouth of his, his hands on her skin and in her hair. Eliza gave in. Her mouth responded to his, albeit briefly before he drew away from her. He pushed her against the counter, feeling the weight of his hips as they pressed against hers. Flames erupted inside of her, spreading to every limb and igniting every nerve ending. She slid up onto the counter, wrapping her legs around his waist. She drew him closer until he was resting against the counter’s edge, their chests pressed against one another. Eli looked down into his eyes, her hands brushing through his hair.

Laughter filled the space between them as she briefly bit her lip. “Mmm, perhaps it was,” she murmured, running her mouth along his jaw, up towards his ears. “After all, I’ve had to ask you to take advantage of me every single time.” She punctuated the last three words with gentle nibbles at his earlobe. This was them. This was what they had deserved, what they had waited for. To be together again was more than she had dared to hope for. How could she turn away the man that made he body burn and her soul weep with happiness? He was her perfect match and Leila was now the furthest thing from her mind, though Eli would likely feel terribly for it later. That was future Eliza’s problem.

“It would be nice to not have to beg you for a change.” She pulled back dropping her hands from his hair. She rested her hands behind her on the counter, careful to avoid the easily forgotten bagel. Bright green eyes met his and she smirked, mimicking that little half smile he had always given her when his mind was engaging ideas that were far from appropriate.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:59 pm

by Dollface

There was no going back for Owen now that his hands were on Eliza and she was returning his kisses and sliding onto the counter, pulling him up against her. When she moved her hands into his hair, his own fell to her hips and slipped under her tank top onto her smooth, warm skin. There was no letting go of her now.

Her teeth at his earlobe elicited a low noise in his throat and his hands squeezed her sides in response, head tilting into her touch. “Come on now, you hardly had to beg. It’s not like you’ve ever had to twist my arm exactly.” Owen narrowed his blue eyes on her as she moved away from him, and as she did so his hands moved lower, then completely off of her to settle on the counter beside her thighs. That little smirk of hers was familiar enough for him to recognize that she was trying to mimic him now. “You’ve become quite the scoundrel yourself, although I suspect you were one all along. Always getting me drunk to sleep with me.”

He sighed, running his hands slowly up her thighs and to her hips again. Owen leaned towards her and pulled her back to him again, “But I’m not drunk now.” His lips brushed against hers as he spoke. “And I want you. I want you to stay, here, with me.” In the early days after she left him in Kentucky, he dreamed about a day like this, but not in the sense that he would have thought of it as a premonition. He always figured it was merely his subconscious but now… he had to wonder if he had actually seen this coming. Even if it had taken a few years, she was here, and she was real, and he didn’t want to let her go.

Owen’s hands snuck beneath her to scoop her up, lifting her with ease and maneuvering his way through the living area and to her bedroom, where he sat her down before they reached her bed. His eyes roamed over her before meeting her gaze again, and he lifted his hands to cup her face, pushing her hair back and behind her ears. “But maybe I should just let you get on with your day… You still have work today, don’t you?” Circling his arms around her, Owen drew her against him, leaving a trail of kisses across her shoulder and up her neck. “I wouldn’t want to keep you.” The teasing in his tone completely betrayed the words he spoke.

His lips still close to her ear, he nipped at the skin just below. With his hands against her bare skin, he let down part of his shield just slightly, enough that he could hopefully make the same connection he had with her the evening he’d been able to share his memories and thoughts with her. As his lips continued their path along her neck before catching her mouth with his again, he sent the thought along to her: Take me to bed, Eli.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:01 pm

by Simply

Eli didn't protest when he called her a scoundrel. "I learned from the best." She breathed against him, making a noise of surprise when he lifted her up. She kept her eyes trained on him until he placed her on the bed. Hop stood in the doorway, clearly displeased that he was not permitted to be the center of attention. Eliza was too occupied, however, to notice when Hop slipped back into the living room to pout of the couch. Bringing her lip between her teeth, the witch surveyed him, much as he did to her. At his teasing, her eyebrows furrowed together. How rude. "Don't you dare." She exhaled to him, breath catching in her throat as he nipped her skin. The next exhalation was ragged, her chest rising and falling irregularly now as need coursed through her body. Delicate fingers tangled into his messy hair as he kissed her. Eyes closed and she savored the silent, the peace that his touch brought to her ever-humming skin.

Her eyes flashed open and she pulled back from him when his voice echoed in her mind. Eli had never heard him before like that, so clearly and so intimately. He had seen her nightmares and soothed them but this....this was a whole different level of connection that she had my been expecting. Something swelled inside of her that she couldn't name yet and she sighed, searching his face. His words rattled around in her mind and that sensation, that feeling that she couldn't place peaked. Her name in his voice in her mind with the request to take him to bed. Shakily, Eli exhaled and then the world dissolved around them.

Soft hands pressed against his neck and then slowly traveled downwards to lift his shirt over his head. Eliza undressed him painstakingly slow, in stark contrast to the frenzied need the first time they were together. Her fingertips searched his body, exploring and relearning and favoring all the things she had missed. In return, his fingers brushed her and she gasped delightedly at certain times. At the pace they were going, Eli was going to be fired from her job for being multiple hours late but she didn't care. Owen was back with her. Each time he touched a new spot on her skin it burned and ached when he moved on. It was the most thrilling sensation that she hoped to always have.

It was past ten before she settled beside him on her bed. Eli rested on her stomach, elbow propped beneath her. Sheets covered midway up her back and her phone was quickly in her hands - not to devalue the time thy had spent but to call in sick. She hastily texted the assistants below her and her boss. She never had flaked so they had no reason to suspect anything was fishy with her false confession. After clearing that up, she turned her head to look down upon him, meeting his blue eyes.

"Where'd you learn that new trick, huh?" Inquiring about how he had spoken directly into her mind. A soft, satiated smile played her lips. "It was odd and exhilarating and... a complete invasion of my privacy, psychic. How rude." But she was grinning, which belied her words but she was still curious about just how strong and talented he had become.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:11 pm

by Dollface

Time ceased for Owen the moment Eliza began to undress him. There was not a thought about his responsibilities despite the week off from work, not a thought that he actually was keeping her from getting ready for her day, even as he’d teased her just moments ago. Even then he knew neither of them were going anywhere; now, they were in a bubble of their own, a world in which they were the only two in existence. He focused only Eliza and the way she felt against him, every sensation of her fingers on him and his on her like new.

He hadn’t realized how he truly missed everything about her, about being with her. Each touch was electric and he was warmed to the bones and he wanted nothing more to stay in bed with her all day. Even just lying there beside her beneath the sheets, Owen felt contentment like he hadn’t in a long time. As Eli shifted on her stomach, he was on his back with his eyes closed while she contacted her work. He had a fleeting thought that he had barely touched his bagel, hadn’t even had a drink of his coffee which likely needed to be popped into the microwave by now.

Owen decided he’d worry about that later, and tucked his hand beneath his head on the pillow when Eliza regarded him. “I dunno, which new trick are you speaking of exactly?” He gave her that grin of his, eyebrows wiggling up and down, knowing what she meant even before she specified. “Have you forgotten you’re the one who told me to practice, Eliza? So that’s what I did, I practiced. I’ve never really done that with just any other person, because it is a complete invasion of privacy. But admittedly, sometimes it’s nice to not have to speak every other thought out loud. We could have an entire conversation without having to say a word.”

There was only one other person he’d been able to experience this with, but her name was far from his lips right now. Owen focused solely on Eli, who he reached out to again, toying with a strand of hair that framed her face. “I promise I can do those things now without being detected, though. I wouldn’t put us in danger like that.” Leaning towards her, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, before he flopped back onto the bed.

“You won’t get in trouble for skipping out on work today, will you? I can call your boss and tell her that I’m your doctor and give her a very convincing explanation of just how sick you are. I could even try practicing thought manipulation and have her believing you’ll just have to stay out the remainder of the week. You just won’t be able to make it out of bed, I think.” Owen snickered and he trailed her fingers along her bare arm.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:49 pm

by Simply

Eliza’s eyes narrowed at his insinuation and she bobbed her head down quickly to steal a kiss from his lips while the grin still resided there. She felt it against her own mouth and pulled back, grinning as he continued talking. “Mmm, glad to hear that you finally listened to me. I had to basically twist your ethical little arm to try to get you to even read another person.” She considered momentarily, before his fingers touched her face, that Owen and Leila shared this ability together. Had they talked to one another this way? But his fingers brushed her face and she forgot about the other woman in his life.

“Mmm, no.” She shook her head. “My boss loves me so no, I think I’ll be okay without Dr. Neil giving her a call. But I don’t think I should spend the next week here in this location. Hop would be very unhappy with me and I have no idea how I would occupy my time.” Green eyes met his gaze and she leaned down to press her nose gently against his own. She slipped out of the bed and dressed, whipping a robe around her body and tying it off at the waist. Her hands placed on her hips, she cocked her head at him. “Now I’m going to reheat my tea and eat the rest of my bagel if it is salvageable.”

She strolled into the kitchen and he followed shortly after. As she ate, she tossed the toy with Hop and he seemed pleased with the turn of events. However, when both of their bagels had been consumed and Eli was nearly finished her tea, she somehow found herself back in bed with him. By noon, she was leaning across his chest with her robe lost somewhere between the kitchen and the bedroom. “Now you’ve worked up my appetite again – and no, not that appetite – do you want to go somewhere and grab lunch or else I have no doubt that you’ll prescribe bed rest for the remainder of the day and I’ll go stir crazy.”

This time, Eliza made certain to put on her jeans and a third-quarters length shirt. She grabbed her purse from the kitchen and slung it over her shoulder. As she waited for him to get dressed, she brushed her teeth and combed her hair. Hop pouted by the door and she turned to her companion. “Pick a place to eat for me that he can come to too, somewhere outside perhaps. It’s still warm enough to eat out during the day. And then you can fill me in on all the other little tricks you’ve come up with since I saw you last time.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:47 pm

by Dollface

The morning was perfect and slow. When Eliza suggested they finish off their breakfast, he dragged on his jeans for the time being when he followed her out. He warmed up his coffee which was good enough, and finished off his bagel next to Hop on the couch, who he snuck a piece to here and there. Once they were finished, however, Eliza had managed to distract him again and pulled him away from poor Hop until it was nearly lunch time.

“You’re thinking about food again, after just having the wonderful breakfast I slaved over?” He sighed, turning and flopping over onto his stomach pulling a pillow close underneath his head. “Mmm, you go get food. You can eat, and then bring me something back, and I’ll just take a nap here.” He closed his eyes for a second, only to peek one open and watch her movements as she pulled her clothes back on. Letting out a resigning sigh, Owen threw back the sheets and began to recover his clothes that were scattered about.

As she instructed, Owen searched on his phone for a place for lunch where Hop could join them. In the middle of it, a message from Leila popped up, and his breath caught in his throat for a second as the reality of… everything swirled around him. For now, he looked at it, choosing to mute their conversation for now so that no more notifications would pop up. “I think I found somewhere nearby,” he called out to Eliza before he moved out to the living room where she stood with the dog. For Hop’s sake, they walked, and Owen held onto the leash for the fifteen or so minutes it took them to get to the restaurant.

The air was crisp but the sky was relatively clear, a few clouds here or there, and outside in the sun it was almost warm. The waitress brought out water for Owen and Eli, Hop as well, and Owen ordered a BLT with fries for his meal, and waited for Eli to order hers before he carried on with their conversation. “I wish had more interesting things to tell you above what I’ve learned to do. I think the thought… trading, I guess you could call it, is probably one of my bigger accomplishments. That and I’m very good at reading what someone’s thinking without any sort of contact now. Much better than when we were at the Japanese restaurant that night.” Owen’s eyes glinted with mischief as he remembered the waiter who was sweet on Eli.

“You know, I worked at that little breakfast place we went to for a while when I was in Kentucky still. That guy came in and asked about you once. I said we broke up and you fled the state. I wasn’t entirely lying.” He laughed, taking a sip of his water as he shook his head. “And the manipulation thing I mentioned… I’ve thought about really trying at it, just in case. A defense mechanism I guess.” Owen propped his elbows up on the table, folding his hands in front of him. “It just seems to evil villain to me that I haven’t pursued it.” He paused for a beat, looking out over the street as the cars passed. “We could always leave from here if you really think our safety’s compromised. We could be safe together somewhere else.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 12:48 pm

by Simply

Eli ordered a wedge salad and some French fries - Hops favorite treat for lunch. Taking a sip of her water, she snorted and placed her hand over her mouth to keep it from coming back out when he mentioned the Japanese restaurant. "I still have no idea if you actually were making up those waiters thoughts or not. Sneaky thing about psychics if that there is no verifiable way to know if they're being truthful." She smiled at him and squeezed her lemon into her water, carefully picking out the seed that rested on top of an ice cube.

And then she really laughed when he spoke of how she fled the state. Shaking her head, bright blue eyes met his similarly shaded ones. "Fled the state. I left to protect you, ass, and here you go spreading baseless lies about me behind my back." The thought of manipulating someone made her slightly uneasy but she was curious about it. He needed to know the extent of his abilities, he needed to be able to utilize them to the fullest. Eliza feared that the comfort of the last two years had lessened the threat he felt from the Circle. But they could never rest. Not for long anyway. "You're hardly capable of being an evil villain. I had to berate you into just reading someone's thoughts. You could always manipulate them right back after you change their mind in the first place. That way, no real harm." She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back when the waitress brought their food. She broke up a few of the fries and dropped them down for Hop, whose tail did not stop wagging as he devoured them.

Eli chewed thoughtfully on her salad, picking at the bits of bacon that had fallen off the side. "We'll never be safe, Owen. And we'd have to change our names again. Change occupations completely." Eli sighed. She really enjoyed her job. She liked her apartment. But the necessity of it was weighing down on her. It was a conversation for another day. Not today. She could take one day off, right? Just one. "Let's talk about it later. Not today." Shaking her head, she focused on finishing her salad and tossed a few more fries to Hopscotch.

The waitress brought them one check and Eli leaned back and see out her card, tossing it down. "You paid for breakfast after all." The waitress walked off with their card and she looked down at her companion. "I need to take him to the dog park if you want to join us. You can try some manipulation on the idiots who let their dogs run all over the other ones." She signed her name Wendy Mays and left a tip. She slipped the leash around her list and Hop led them in the direction of the park, clearly in charge of the afternoon's events.

"Have you had any premonitions?" It was something she had always been curious about. Only the strongest psychics really had full-fledged premonitions. They were just lore of course, since none of them lived long enough to really craft their powers.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:52 pm

by Dollface

He realized that Eli had a point about waiting to think about – and talk about – their next move. If there was a next move at all for them or… He stopped himself there, and nodded finally in response to her words. Instead he chose to focus on his sandwich and fries the waitress brought by moments before. It was easy to grow comfortable in the last couple of years considering everything seemed to be going well and there hadn’t been any imminent threat since their run in with Gavin while they fled. However, it wasn’t as though it wasn’t at the back of his mind. How could he not think about it when it meant his life was on the line still?

They finished off their lunches and Owen too leaned back into his chair, again feeling like he could use that nap he mentioned before. “Ah, you’re right, I am not the evil villain in this scenario. Instead you’ll use the psychic to do your bidding?” Owen stretched his arms up, the hem of his shirt tugging up slightly with the movement, and he pulled it back down as he leaned forward towards Eli. “I suppose I could join you. But just because Hop definitely just told me that he wants me to go.” With the bill taken care of, Owen fell into stride beside Eli as they made their way to the dog park.

“No, not really. I mean… I don’t think so.” Owen fell silent for a while as they walked, wondering what exactly he should tell her next. “I’d seen myself seeing you again, sort of. I just figured it was more wishful thinking and my subconscious than anything, but now I’m not so sure. Anything that’s ever been close has never been clear, so I suppose I don’t trust things like that quite yet.” In reality it meant he didn’t trust his abilities as far as that, and it might be something else he needed to work on, but he wasn’t quite sure how that would work. Premonitions couldn’t exactly be pulled out of thin air.

It wasn’t long before they made it to the dog park and Owen followed Eliza’s lead towards a bigger fenced in area where the dogs could go off leash. He leaned back against the fence, one arm stretched out along it as he watched Hop greet the one other dog in the area. He glanced around, noting that the owner wasn’t far off and distracted by her phone.

“From what I can tell, she’s looking at her ex boyfriend’s social media,” he murmured to Eli, letting his eyes trail over the entirety of the park again so that he didn’t seem suspicious focusing on her too much. The young woman seemed far too engrossed in what she was doing, anyway, as her face screwed up like she saw something distasteful. “Uh oh. He was tagged by another girl.” He made an ‘eeeeesh’ sort of sound sucking in a breath through his teeth, shaking his head. “I’m going to try and get her to add the other girl.”

Owen focused in her direction, wishing he had some sunglasses on to make it look less… weird… but the manipulation didn’t seem to be working. Instead, the girl clicked her phone off and stuck it in her back pocket, folding her arms and digging her toe into the grass. Owen gave a sigh of defeat, “I told you it needs some working on. Anything else you want me to practice while we’re here? Since you seem to be so glad to be telling me what I should be doing again.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:22 pm

by Simply

“Another Circle member told me once that the strongest psychics could summon premonitions at will, search them but that it was fairly unreliable. A lot of times it would be blurry, limited but she said that rumor had it that the strongest would be actual scenarios.” Licking her lips, she cast her eyes over at him as he tried to manipulate the dog owner further across the park. Eliza’s attention flickered back to Hopscotch on occasion, making sure that he wasn’t roughhousing too much with the other dogs. Fortunately, he was chasing around crickets in a grassy patch.

“Practice makes perfect. Can’t get any better without practicing and it seems you haven’t been doing as much as you let on.” She slipped her hand up his arm, looking at him devilishly. “Though it was more than apparent earlier that you have learned other new tricks…perhaps that’s where most of your focus has been.” Eli’s hand dropped from his arm and she smirked, biting her lower lip. “Leaves a girl to wonder what else you may have to show her if you were given the appropriate incentives.” She slipped away and recalled Hopscotch, who came bounding over with glee. She ruffled his fur and latched his leash back in place.

They walked back to her apartment slowly and she stood outside not opening the door to go into the lobby just yet. The thoughts had been consuming her as they walked, since the park, and she had hoped she would be able to push them from her mind. But they remained and she shifted her feet back and forth, almost nervous to bring it up but knowing that she had to. They had to talk about it. They had nearly a full day – almost – together without discussing the complexities of what was happening between them.

“What are we going to do now, Owen?” She sighed, meeting his eyes. “About this, about Leila.” The name finally left her lips and it seemed to surround them suddenly with a crushing weight. It pressed against her chest and she inhaled. “You make all these comments about running away together but you have this whole life here. I’m not…” she put up a hand in front of him, “I’m not hysterical and I’ve thought about this and I’m not running away from you. But…you need to get your life in order and I don’t…” She ran her hand through her hair, the other holding onto Hop’s leash. “I know that we have a history but we had this whirlwind affair together. And there was adrenaline and near death experiences and excitement and sexual tension and I think that we left a lot unresolved. My fault, I know.” She met his eyes again. “But…I want you to really, really think about this. Leila knows you, no, I know not your real name but your hopes and dreams and personality. I…I can probably only list a page of information I know about you, realistically. Just.” She leaned towards the door. “I’m not running. I’m not going anywhere but I want you to really think about everything. Really, really think about it.” She leaned forward, brushed her lips lightly against his and slipped inside, leaving him behind and going to her apartment.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 10:10 pm

by Dollface

As he made his way home, the day felt like a dream, like it hardly actually happened. Back in his apartment he was truly brought down to the reality of what he’d done. He slumped on his bed and pulled up his message thread with Leila. She’d only sent him a couple of messages, which was as normal as him not answering her right away. He toyed with his phone, moving from her messages to Eli’s, feeling the itch to talk to her and resolve things but not quite knowing what to do or say.

What were they going to do? Rather, what was he going to do?

That evening, Leila came over with dinner, and Owen knew he wasn’t acting himself. He was quiet, contemplative, and his shields were more of a fortress than ever. She insisted on staying that night and while he lay beside her he fought with himself over the right thing to do. Every instinct screamed Eli Eli Eli while logic told him that Leila was the one who knew him and the hiccup of Eli arriving shouldn’t just change everything.

Sleep eluded him and finally he dragged himself the few feet from the bed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Although it was early, he found himself texting Eli that he wanted to see her again today, joking that he wouldn’t keep her from work this time when he heard Leila approaching. “Who’re you talking to so early, hm? You don’t have work; you should be back in bed. I should still be in bed,” she smiled lightly at him, hooking her arms around his bare waist. With a sigh, his hands fell to his hips as he shook his head, and he took a step back closer to the counter.

“I’m not feeling well. Maybe I’m coming down with something.” He paired the excuse with a kiss to her cheek as he went to collect a couple of coffee mugs from the cabinet.

Owen could feel her gaze follow him as Leila moved to sit quietly in one of the chairs at his small table. But she didn’t press further, surprisingly. Instead, they shared their coffee quietly as Owen – Neil, to Leila – told her he’d probably go sit at a café or the library for the day to do his lesson planning. Already he knew that sitting around his apartment and doing nothing would be… too much for him.

It was barely two days since Eli fell from the sky and back into his life and he was considering a complete upheaval. It had been about the same amount of time when she tore him from his bed in the middle of the night, running across the country because his life was in danger. He spent his day trying to work, pausing now and then to converse with Leila who admitted she thought something was up, and asking if it had to do with his run in with Wendy.

While he was fielding her questions, Eli had replied to him about meeting up later and Owen told her he would just meet her at her place after work. As the afternoon ticked by, Owen finally packed up his things as it got closer to six and made his way back to Eli’s. It was hard to imagine that he’d spend most of the day before with her; now, he felt somewhat like a stranger again, unsure of himself. He made his way up to her floor, fingers drumming nervously against his legs all the while until she opened the door up. Owen brushed past her, quiet, and sat himself down on her couch, elbows on his knees and chin falling to rest on his hands he balled into fists.

“Just the other night you were saying you wanted to be with me,” he finally said after a moment, his blue eyes finding her. “Then I told you we could do just that, and then…” Another sigh escaped him and he rubbed the palms of his hands over his face. “Then you made your little spiel about me figuring things out, which I do need to do, but you can’t tell me that running away from an entire life isn’t possible. Not that it’s ideal, but it’s been done. You did a good job taking me away from the last one.” He smiled slightly as he leaned back into her couch. “We don’t have to do that, though. We could try… us. But forgetting all the technicalities, forgetting the Circle, do you want that? Or was this just…” He bit at his lip, standing then, and he tucked his hands into his back pockets. “Now I sound like the soap opera. I just don’t want to give up a second chance, I guess.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:39 pm

by Simply

Eliza sensed him at the door before he even arrived. Her skin began to prickle and her dog’s ear perked up, looking towards the door and emitting a low whine. Opening the door, he barreled past her and took up residence on her couch. She allowed the door to click behind her, having released the handle. Bright eyes scanned him, ignoring the way his shirt feel against his abs. It was hard to look at him. It hurt to look at him, like a dull ache in her chest that spread out to every limb, making her unfathomable weak.

His words drew her attention upwards and she focused on his face, forcing herself to listen to every single word. “I know…I know.” She shook her head, keeping space between them. Eli’s logic declined exponentially the closer she got to him and they seriously needed to talk this through, to really figure it out. “I don’t mean to be so wishy-washy. It’s not as though I planned to bump into you. I can’t think,” she emphasized the word strongly, “when you’re around and I want to make sure that you had time, space to think it through. To really consider all of your options.”

She leaned against the door, shoving her hands into her pockets, looking at him through strands of hair. “We can’t forget the technicalities, Owen. We can’t forget the Circle. They should always, always, always be on your mind, on our minds. It complicates everything so very much to be together. You have got to take that into consideration when making a decision like this. We, you and I, can never just be together. We will always be running, if we are together. You can’t have this life you’ve had for the past few years with me, Owen.” Eli tucked the blonde strands of hair behind her ear so that she could see him clearly. Hop scooted over towards Owen and nudged up against his leg, lying down to let out an annoyed sigh when the man stood up. He cast his eyes from Eli to Owen, clearly wanted to be the center of attention.

“When you’re near me I can’t imagine doing anything but spending every day with you, every moment I can feeling the hum of my skin silenced just by the brushing of your fingers. I can’t even imagine giving up the chance to kiss you every morning. You are…what I want but we can’t all have what we can in this life, Owen. To be with you is to put you in danger and I don’t, I don’t think I’m the best thing for you. I really, really don’t.” She leaned further back against the door as though it would swallow her up and save her from this conversation. “We have a connection and I think it is a magical one. We are yin and yang. It’s why when we meet, physically, it’s so…explosive. Like…” she sighed, remembering yesterday morning.

“Are we not just physical…I mean,” a less reminiscent sigh escaped her lips, “You shouldn’t give up Leila, Owen, not for the….” She waved her hand at the bedroom, “the sex, the raw energy, it’s not. It won’t last.” But God, how she wished it would.

by Dollface

Eli was right about one thing: Owen was going to miss her company after tomorrow. He too realized he was going to have to make new friends as his new self. He was going to have to create an entirely new story for himself, with a made up history and family as well. It was beginning to hit him again quickly, as he got to the halfway point of his crepe, he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to eat much more. Thinking about the future suddenly felt big to him, and everything settled on him very heavily in that moment.

It was brief, how he let it settle on him, and Owen snapped himself out of it and managed a couple more bites of his dessert before he decided he was done. Thankfully, the uber wasn’t long, and they were back on their way to the motel. Owen was quiet on the drive, tipping his head back into the headrest, and when he felt her hand on his leg he gave it the lightest squeeze with his own hand. Leaving the car, he led the way slowly back to their room, and let Eli in first to flop onto the bed. The bed certainly looked inviting now. Watching her, there was no helping the slow grin on his features as he shook his head just slightly.

“What?” He echoed her, as he stood at the foot of the bed, pushing the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. Owen’s light blue eyes raked over her as she lay there before him. “I’ve been caught, have I?” Owen laughed, as he sat down on the edge of the bed first, removing his sneakers. “Who’s to say though that whatever I tell you is the truth?” Owen’s eyebrows lifted as he sneaked a glance back towards her, before he scooted back onto the bed, letting his head fall to the pillow next to Eli. “I could easily tell you that I was thinking about a joke I heard last week. Or…” The world trailed, as Owen lifted a hand, tucking back those straggling hairs of hers that kept escaping the elastic.

“You know, it’s quite the shame that you aren’t psychic, isn’t it? Because then you could read my mind. Things would be awfully quiet, though, if we could communicate that way.” His voice was a whisper again, considering their closeness, and Owen came to lie on his side, mirroring the position they’d been in last night when Eli woke from her nightmare. “But since you’re not, I suppose I could tell you that I was thinking something extremely inappropriate this morning when you asked if I’d decided what to eat.” The grin on his lips returned, and Owen’s hand drifted away from her hair, his fingers trailing down along her neck, her shoulder, to rest on her hip. “I didn’t think it’d be a comment you’d appreciate, but after the day you spent pretending to be my… what did you say? Sugar bear? Maybe I was wrong.”

Mischief laced his words, and it showed in his eyes, as they drifted from her lips then held her gaze again imploringly. “And what exactly are you thinking of, Eli?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 11:49 pm

by Simply

His hand lifted to her ear and tucked the hairs back. She felt the slightest brush of his fingers against her skin and it buzzed in his wake. She really shouldn't allow this to continue. She should stand up, ready herself for bed and make her plans for tomorrow's departure after breakfast with an awkward good hug. He'd send her on her way and she would never set her ever-changing eyes on him again. But his mouth was so close, his body heat was radiating from him and the sound of his voice lulled away any amount of reason she had left when she was this close to him.

Her breathing began to be more of an effort to keep to steady. She focused on it, concentrating on the words and her chest rising and falling in a rhythmic way. Eli laughed at him and her eyes fell to his mouth when he grinned again, that familiar smirk that hid all of his intentions behind it. She brought her bottom lip between her teeth then, examining his face and trying to discern what she should do, what she should say to him in response. "And to think when I first bumped into you I thought how polite and gentlemanly you were. Little did I know that I was running into an indecent, seducing scoundrel of a man." Her words were quite, as though she could keep them contained just between the two of them and not share them with the rest of the world.

He asked what she was thinking and then he grinned wickedly. "Oh, now the psychic is asking permission. Well, maybe you are more gentlemanly than you first let on." She glanced away from him, shrugging the shoulder that wasn't propping her up. "I could be thinking about how tired I am and how much I would love to go to sleep." Eliza's attention returned to his face. "Or, I could be thinking of a way to wipe that devilish smirk from your face."

Then she held out her hand, careful not the bump the arm that rested on her hip, causing a slow burn of desire to creep across her belly. "Or, you could tell me." Eli arched her eyebrows upwards, beckoning him. The moment his fingers brushed her palm she held his gaze intently and cocked her head to one side.

I want you to take me to bed.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:26 am

by Dollface

“You’re such a liar. You thought nothing of me being polite and gentlemanly. Did you forget you were supposed to kill me that night? And look where we are now.” Here they were, little space between them now, as close as they’d been the night before. Under completely different circumstances. Under the same circumstances as the night they first met, with mingling words and wandering hands, sly smiles to follow. Owen could blame the alcohol, blame that on the fact that when they drank together it seemed they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, but was it just that?

He didn’t really think of it, as Eliza offered her hand to him again. His hand that was on her hip, drifted away as the palm of his hand hovered over hers for just a moment. Owen’s gaze was unwavering, as he let his fingers drop against her hand, brushing the lines on her palm just enough to hear her words reverberate in his head. I want you to take me to bed.

“Well, well. Now who’s the indecent, seducing scoundrel?” It was all he needed. Without another word, Owen caught her hand with his, lacing his fingers through her own as he leaned in and caught her lips in a kiss. Just as he had that first night, he pinned that hand above her head, doing the same with the other as he shifted over her. All of the tension held between them from that day, from the last few days even, melted away in a manner of seconds. The one thing that was different about this encounter was that despite his inebriation, Owen did the best that he could to keep his shield up, to prevent any sort of vulnerability that might allow them to be found by the Circle.

He broke their kiss, rising up to kneel as his hands caught the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side. From there, everything felt like a blur – they were a flurry of clothes being shed and cast off to the side of the bed. Owen ran his hands along every inch of her skin, his lips normally soon to follow, as he drank her in, reveling in the electric feel of her skin beneath his fingers, and he could only hope that he could memorize this feeling.

It was the early hours of the next day when he had teased Eliza for making good on her promise to wipe the devilish smirk off of his face. Once they’d exhausted one another, Owen fell asleep beside Eliza, closer than the previous nights, an arm slung loose over her waist, her back warm against his chest. The sleep he fell into was deep enough that hours later, he was none the wiser to the shift of weight from the other side of the bed. Owen merely rolled over onto his back, his mouth slack, as he carried on with his sleep, with not a care in the world about the day that was to follow – the first day of the rest of his brand new life.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:56 am

by Simply

Hands pinned above her head, Eliza's control over her breathing faltered. Her breath hitched right before his mouth crashed down upon hers. Then it exhaled raggedly when he withdrew to remove his shirt. And it kept that irregularity for the remainder of the night and well into the next morning. Their clothes were gone and the darkness of the room was the only thing that separated them. Even that separation was brief. Eli memorized his muscles, his skin and his smell. She was overwhelmed by it but not as before, not to the point that she literally passed out. Instead, she sensed his restraint, his control and that fueled the fire that burned inside of her. He wanted this as much as she did. They needed this. The tension has built itself brick by brick and finally came crashing down around them.

And they fell into a comfortable sleep but Eli's did not last near so long as her companion's did. As she looked at him, she could still feel the remarkable numbness that he had imparted with their union. The hum of her skin had died down and she finally felt free of it in those moments they had shared. And moments was perhaps too brief of a time with which to express the length they spent exploring each other. Once would have been more than enough to remember him by and yet they had spent time together to the point that it was closer to dawn than to midnight when they fell to rest.

Eli was sober now, though, and reason returned. Propping herself up, she tore her eyes from him. She dressed and packed her limited belongings. She grabbed the pad of paper and broken ink pen. Her hand scribbled out a message for him with drops of ink here and there. Sighing, she set it beside the bed so that he would find it easily when he awoke.

I couldn't say goodbye to your face, Owen. But I knew I'd have to leave. It's the best way. She contemplated ending with a joke or a snarky comment but it made their time over the last couple of hours feel cheap. The last thing that she wanted to do was tarnish the memory of the best night she'd ever spent with a man...with anyone actually. Eliza slipped silently out of the motel door and headed towards the corner. She hailed a cab from her new phone and they dropped her at the bus station. She quickly found a Greyhound bus that would work its way to Atlanta. Eli stayed in Atlanta for some time before moving on. For approximately six months she spent building up an imaginary resume so that she could get a job as an executive assistant. She applied to numerous openings before taking a position in Savannah.

Two years later, she tired of the position she held and began to search anew. She had dyed her hair a lighter blonde now, with soft caramel undertones. Eliza had a few friends that knew her as Wendy but she wasn't especially close to any of them. They were important for not seeming odd or a loner. Loners could draw just as much attention as being flamboyant. Now, she was inquiring about a few new positions in diverse areas. The opportunity to move presented itself in the form of a better paying position in either Seattle or New York City. The former assassin debated for a week before choosing Seattle. It would be a new adventure.

Eli thought of Owen from time to time, wondering where he had ended up. More than once she had contemplated trying to track him down. She had even bought a ticket once, back to the same bus station she had left from. It had gone unused. Now, though, the handsome psychic was not on her mind. What was on her mind was trying to find the exact type of coffee bean her boss had had at a friends party a week ago. With nothing to go on besides "well it wasn't a dark and it wasn't Colombian", she stood in the aisle of the Whole Foods reading a number of descriptions before selecting one that would likely be right. It was a perk of her survival instincts.

She filled the bag with coffee beans and turned to one side, tying it off. Dark eyes flickered down to check her watch before cursing under her breath. She was late to pick up her dog from the groomers. Whirling, she took one step without looking and slammed into the broad chest of a fit individual.

"I'm so sorry, I was in a hurry and didn't look before taking off." She said all of this while rummaging in her cross-body purse for her phone. Blue eyes flickered upwards, then widened. "Holy shit." She exhaled stepping back. "Owen."

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 1:38 am

by Dollface

By the time Owen stirred again that morning, he was alone. It took a moment for him to register that he was in fact by himself now. When he realized that Eliza's warmth was missing, he sat up, confused, and peered around the room. It didn't take long to realize that all of her things were gone. And Eli along with them. A sigh parted his lips and he looked to his right to see the note she left for him. To say that he was disappointed would be an understatement, especially after how they spent the night before. After a whirlwind of a week, she couldn't even give him a proper goodbye?

That thought followed him for the many months that followed as Owen made a life for himself in Kentucky. In the first few days, he bought furniture and moved into his new apartment. After a couple of weeks, he landed a temporary job at the breakfast spot that he and Eli had stopped in, and after another couple of months he was able to secure a job as a fifth grade teacher in the next district over.

Owen started this life as Neil, making friends with his coworkers at the school, always stopping in to restaurant and helping out on the weekends. After that first school year, however, Owen knew he didn't want to make Kentucky his permanent home. One evening, he sat on his couch with a beer and pulled up a map of the States on his phone, and essentially picked at random. He had some criteria of course: he wanted to be close enough to a city while also close enough to a coast. Before choosing, though, he thought of Eli. He wondered if he should stick around just on the off chance that she might come back, walk into one of the restaurants they visited when they first arrived together.

But what sort of life was that? She made good on her promise. She hadn't contacted him since she left; it was safer that way.

Before moving to Seattle, he inquired about multiple jobs, and with his partially doctored resume he was able to secure a teaching position at a private high school. Now, it had been nearly two years since he left Kentucky, and he still taught English during the school year. That week, they were on fall break, which meant that Owen was essentially working from home, preparing for the next few weeks of classes since he had the extra time.

Much to his chagrin, the extra time meant that his girlfriend of the last year and a had, Leila, decided he needed to get out of his studio to join her on a shopping trip to Whole Foods. She was planning some sort of Pinterest dinner concoction, and while Owen tried to convince her just to go to the Kroger, she wouldn't listen.

They were nearly done shopping, when he wandered down a different aisle, his eyes on his phone as he searched for the last ingredient that was needed. He wasn't watching where he was going, and he probably should have been more surprised when a shorter person turned right into him. "Jesus, I'm sorry, no it's --" Owen's breath caught on his throat and he nearly dropped his phone as he murmured, "what the fuck?"

He took a step back, then took two steps forward towards Eliza. "What're you doing here? How did you find me? Are you alright? Is it..." Owen nearly reached out to her, just to check if she was real; he wanted to pinch himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. "I'm here with someone," he told her quietly, not even thinking he should have been more specific. "I'm Neil now."

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 10:55 am

by Simply

The moment she heard his voice goosebumps erupted across her skin, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Eliza swallowed, hard, her mouth suddenly dry after she spoke his name. They were never meant to cross paths again. She wasn't ever supposed to see him again. But here he was, right in front of her and taking two steps to be even closer to her. She could feel his body heat at this proximity, and with it the all too familiar ache that had remained unsatisfied for the last three years. And it was not for lack of trying, either. Blue eyes turned hazel as she searched his face. There was still a little bit of stubble along his face. Just enough to be called a beard but not enough to be what she would have considered as too much. It was the same as the night they had been together. She willed herself not to but the memory of her hands brushing against his cheeks, moving to tangle in his hair, which was a bit longer now but not by much. She barely registered his words as she reached up a hand to touch his chin, to make sure that she wasn't just hallucinating out of some twisted memory. His words hit her though and she recoiled, letting her hand fall to rest on her bag. "Neil." She smiled when she registered the reason why. "American Gods. It suits you well."

She felt the need to be close to him. The hum beneath her skin began to fade even though he had not touched her yet. The anticipation of it swelled inside of her. Here he was, after all this time. He was the same and then he wasn't. He was everything she could remember and then so much more than that. Why had she left him? The question haunted her thoughts. "Though, I still think of a scoundrel when I hear it, looking at you now. You can't escape from what you are that easily." She smirked, biting the corner of her lip. Ugh. Why? Why did she bring that up? Eli's grin faded slightly when a beautiful woman appeared behind Owen.

"Hey, babe, I think I found everything that we-" Leila stopped short in her sentence, standing beside Owen and looking from Eli then back to him. Clearly she knew that she had walked in on something. babe.As much as Elis chest tightened and her stomach knotted, she put on one of her apartment hunting smiles. She placed the coffee bean bag in her left hand and held out her right hand for Leila to take.

"I'm Wendy. It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a bit about you from Neil, when we used to keep in touch, that is. It's been about a year." She hoped they had been together about that long or this was going to sound awfully suspicious. Eli's eyes turned dark when her attention went back to Owen. She met his gaze and held it, briefly, before turning back to Leila. "We used to work together for a little while back in Kentucky." She focused back on Owen-Neil now. "I never would have thought you'd end up here. I moved here about six months ago. The job opportunity just popped up and I thought, well it's such a long way from the east coast. " The surprise still laced her voice. How had she literally run into him again, without meaning to? How did they find themselves so close together and yet so far apart from one another?

Fate was a bitch.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 1:09 pm

by Dollface

Seeing Eliza didn't feel real until she lifted her hand to his chin. Up until that point he was sure he was seeing things. Perhaps it was just someone who looked eerily similar - an evil twin who was still apart of the Circle, and knew who he was and where to find him?

No, that wasn't the case. Her touch was familiar against his skin and he found himself sighing into it before she pulled away from him, watching as the hues of her irises shift. "What can I say, it was the first thing I'd thought of that day." It felt like ages ago, the week they spent on the road, and at the same time seeing her again made it feel like she'd left him yesterday. Owen imagined this day happening, them running in together, but not in the sense that he'd actually seen it coming. No, it was merely a hope, and one he hadn't entertained since he'd tucked her sad excuse for a goodbye into a box with other memorabilia from their trip.

One of the reasons for this made her appearance in record time. Snapped out of his daze, Owen looked to the woman at his side and then back to Eli across from them. He searched for the right words, the explanation, but his old companion beat him to it. To be sure that Leila wasn't reading the situation - as she was a psychic as well - Owen threw up even more shields than he already kept in place. They had an agreement that they wouldn't read one another without explicit permission, but this situation felt different, and he didn't want to take the chance. Leila probably wouldn't appreciate the memories of her boyfriends last night with the woman introducing herself as Wendy.

Leila's easy smile lit up her face as she took Eli's hand; the smile on Owen's face was much more knowing. "I remember now! He told me a bit about you, you both moved there about the same time, right? How funny to run into each other here, of all places!" A pleasant laugh escaped her lips as she looked up to Owen. "How do you like it so far around here, Wendy? I can't even imagine how different it is from the south, I've never been. I'm still trying to get this one to take me out there sometime. You know, he mentioned going to Georgia, but I'm sure you know how it is. Traveling like that's a pain."

Owen couldn't help the heat that rose to his cheeks as Leila mentioned where Eli first ran off to when they parted ways. "Neil," Leila squeezed his arm, "I'm gonna go get in line, meet me at the front, yeah?" She pressed a quick kiss to his stubbled cheek. "It was so nice to meet you, Wendy. Don't be a stranger."

As soon as Leila wandered off down the aisle, Owen let out a breath and took a step towards Eli again. "Funny how things end up," he was still incredulous that this was happening. "How is it you're always bumping into me? Wendy?" Folding his arms over his chest, his expression softened, "I'd like to see you again, with the way things were left... Just to catch up once, at least."

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 1:39 pm

by Simply

Eliza liked the sound of Leila's voice. It was pleasant and that also annoyed her for the petty reasons she was already trying to deny weren't true. She watched the ease with which she fell into conversation. A hard ache settled into her chest. He was so happy. He had found people, a special person to share this new life with. None of Eli's relationships lasted long. They always culminated in something romantic, a night spent in the dark and then abruptly ended. In the back of her mind, though, perhaps she had been holding out hope for something that could never happen. No touch felt like his. No laugh made her grin like his did. No voice made her go weak in the knees like his did.

Her eyebrows rose at Leila's words. Owen had told this girl about her. She bit the inside of her cheek, keeping the soft smile plastered on her face. "It's really nice. A lot colder than I'm used to but the humidity is definitely familiar. I'm still getting settled in though. My boss keeps me pretty busy so I haven't had a lot of time to explore yet, but when work slows I'll be able to get it all figured out I'm sure." She kept her eyes on the beautiful girlfriend Owen had found for himself. She had to avoid looking at him. But Leila mentioned Georgia and her eyes brightened. She turned her head to Owen and responded to Leila, her eyes not leaving his now flushed face. "Georgia is a nice area. You'd fall in love with it if you visited it." Her lips punctuated the words delicately before she wished Leila farewell. Her gaze watched the girl trail off down the aisle to the check out lines.

Eliza's heart was pounding against the confines of her rib age. He stepped closer and she stepped back, bumping into the coffee bean holders behind her. Her eyes searched his face, memorizing the new lines that were there, though he was unmistakeable still the most handsome man she had ever seen. Pain ripped it's way through her chest and down to the pit of her stomach. "Fate, I guess." She smiled softly at him. Her hands were trembling, she knew and so she shoved them into her pockets, holding the bag of beans with just two fingers. "Or you're the one stalking me now, setting up this elaborate stunt to come back into my life." To ruin the perfect walls and the feelings she had put behind her as best as she could.

She knew what she and to say to him. She knew that it would be a terrible idea to meet up again, to catch up. Eli knew that being around him again would destroy her. Leaving him was the hardest thing she had done and that included breaking from The Circle. "Yeah, I'd really like that." Her words betrayed her thing and she pulled her hands out of her pockets and rummaged through her bag. "Here's my card. My cell is on the back. I do have to run and pick up my dog but text me, we can meet up." She had to be nonchalant. She couldn't let on how much she was going to drink tonight to forget the feel of his cheek against her fingers. She smiled and backed away, moving around him as though he had the plague, careful not to brush against him.

Wendy Mays
Executive Assistant

Her number was handwritten below, she clearly kept some ready to give out to her boss's clientele. She turned from him with a smile and checked out of the store as quickly as she could. The remainder of the day was a complete blur. She picked up her dog, dropped off the beans and headed home. Food was out of the question now, she needed all of the wine to calm her nerves. How could he be here? Why was this happening? She'd have to move again, soon, or she'd do something she'd regret. She drank half a bottle of red wine, slumped on the couch with her dog at her feet. And still, despite everything, she kept checking her phone every few minutes, oblivious to what was playing on the television.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 2:35 pm

by Dollface

To say that Eli's business card was burning a hole in his pocket for the rest of the evening would be an understatement. Owen couldn't ignore it, as though it were actually a leaden weight, a constant reminder. When he returned to his apartment with Leila, he tried to maintain a norma demeanor. He acted as though he felt completely normal and that he wasn't second guessing... everything in that moment. Owen continuously reminded himself how he'd fashioned a new life. He loved Leila; she was wonderful, she was good to him. But she isn't...

He couldn't let himself finish that thought.

Leila left before it got too late, as she worked fairly early on the morning and had spent the night with him before. Owen was left to his own devices then, and around nine, he finally took the business card from his pocket. Wendy Mays. Neil Peters. They were practically strangers.

He turned on he television but didn't watch anything. He tidied his apartment, pacing, as though he was trying to fight himself from contacting her. She'd been in such a rush to part ways with him after all that he thought maybe she didn't want to actually catch up with him. Settling onto the couch, he decided to just plug her number into the message. Maybe I should have chosen Peter for my new name. He sent the first message, and then tossed his phone to the opposite end of his sofa like it was riddled with bacteria.

Only a couple more minutes passed. Owen reached down for his phone, where there was no response from Eliza. He finally decided to send her another: What are you doing tonight? I don't have work in the morning, the school's on break for the week... He stopped there, not wanting to sound like he was absolutely desperate to see her again. Truthfully, he did really want to see Eliza before she was bound to run off again to who knows where. He just needed to see her on his own once to get the closure he wasn't granted when she left before saying goodbye in Kentucky.

That was all, wasn't it?

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 3:35 pm

by Simply

Eliza's phone vibrated and she snatched it off her lap so quickly that her dog jumped up and looked around as though they were getting ready to go on a walk. It was just her boss, letting her know they didn't need to be in until 10 because she would be going out with a new gentleman caller and might be late. She sighed, scratching her dogs ears and settling him back down. Her hand ran through the dark fur and then her phone went off again. She picked it up and there it was, a number she didn't recognize. Opening the text, dark eyes read the words and she say there for a minute. Should she even respond? No. She really shouldn't. She should put in her two week notice at work and move away. This was dangerous.

Her phone went off again and she hesitated to look down at it. Eliza chewed on her bottom lip. She started typing and stopped. Standing, she began to pace, her dog's dark eyes watching her as she did so. Don't respond. Don't respond. Don't respond. Sighing, she began to type again and hit send before she could reason herself out of it.

I don't have to work until later tomorrow morning. We could meet up for a drink if you want. I know this little bar that's pretty quite just down the street from where I live. Want to meet up there? he responded quickly, agreeing and she fled to her closet to rummage through her clothes. What was she going to wear? Dear god this was like being in college and going on a date all over again. But this was not a date. This was just two friends. He has a girlfriend, a really nice and stunningly gorgeous girlfriend. Eliza paused as she pulled on her tight, black jeans. She looked at herself, shirtless in the mirror and examined herself. Did she look at same? Did he still find her attractive? Shaking her head, she grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She shouldn't try to look nice. Yet, she still tousled her hair and put on a tinted chapstick.

She opened the door to the bar a few minutes later and looked around. He wasn't here yet. Maybe he had changed his mind. She looked at her phone and there were no new messages. Chewing on her lip she grabbed an empty circular booth and settled in. The roaming bartender came over and she ordered tequila on the rocks. She ran her finger along the rim. "Waiting on a date?" The bartender asked when he refilled her glass. Eliza shook her head. "No, just an old friend. We haven't seen each other in a long time." Nervousness began to set in. What if he didn't come?

But also, what would happen if he did?

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 6:39 pm

by Dollface

Eliza suggested getting a drink and Owen had to stop himself from making a quip about what happened when they drank. It wouldn't be appropriate, considering Leila and all that. Then he wondered if Eliza was with someone else too that she hadn't mentioned, not that there'd been much time to do so. Looking back on the encounter in the store, everything happened so fast, it was really only a matter of a few minutes that only seemed to tick by slowly. Owen hardly remembered saying much to her when she ran into him; he'd been too busy trying to figure out if she was a mirage.

Assuring her that he would meet her at the bar she suggested shortly, Owen wandered towards the closet to pull out a long sleeved flannel to throw over his t-shirt. He grabbed his phone to order a Lyft down to the bar, not wanting to bother driving his car down when he knew they'd likely have a few drinks. As he waited, he freshened up in the bathroom, trying to get his too long hair to cooperate with him. When it got to this length, the ends curled just a little bit which he wasn't a huge fan of, but it was what it was.

Once his ride arrived, it wasn't long before he got to the bar. For a moment, he stood near the door, scanning he crowd. When he didn't spot her right away, he considered leaving and making the walk home to clear his head. But then, he spotted her in the curved booth, and with a smile lifting the corners of his lips, he moved towards her. "Hi there," he greeted her as he slid into the side of the booth opposite her. Before he got much farther, the bartender arrived, and Owen decided to order whatever it was Eli had in front of her without realizing what she was drinking. "I'm still having a hard time believing this is happening," he admitted with a short laugh, running the palms over the top of his jeans.

A waitress returned with his drink, and before Owen could even get the glass to his lips, he could smell the tequila. "Tequila? Are you trying to have a repeat of that first night?" He smiled again, shaking his head as he took the first sip of tequila. "I just mean, you know. The getting drunk. Not the rest of it." He had a girlfriend. A long term girlfriend. A girlfriend who he'd started thinking about a serious future with, even though sometimes he still felt like his future was up in the air. In spite of their common traits, she was still one the wiser about who he truly was, and he'd like to keep it that way.

"So..." Owen let the word trail, his eyes falling on his glass as he moved it in a slow circular motion. "You were really in Georgia most of that time then?" He took a swig of his tequila. "I did think about driving there to see if I could find you, using my abilities and all that. I figured you'd keep well hidden, though." Owen felt awkward, sitting there almost ramrod with his back against the booth. He wanted to lean closer, to get a better look at her in the dim lighting of the bar. He couldn't, and he shouldn't, so he stayed out. It was a whole new brand of tension for them. "How's the the executive assistant life? You talked it up so much for me you decided to go for it yourself?"

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 11:16 pm

by Simply

“Hey,” she looked up to see his bright blue eyes and smiled at him. A repeat of the first night. The first night when her skin had burned at his touch and the only thought on her mind was trying to get him undressed as quickly as possible. He stammered over his explanation and she looked down at the clear liquid in her glass. He cheeks flushed at his mention of the rest of it. The rest of it, everything that she had already thought about for the last few hours while she waited for his text. Clearing her throat, Eli responded, turning her attention back to him again. “Of course, tequila. I’ve developed quite a taste for it over the last few years.”

Her eyes surveyed him. “For the most part, Atlanta then Savannah. The humidity was nice, even though I know most people don’t like it.” She shrugged, taking another sip of her drink, thankful that she had eaten and would not become completely drunk in a matter of minutes. “To find me?” Surprise expressed on her features and her mouth formed an “O.” She felt the tension in the air and could have cut it with a knife. Swallowing, she leaned back, playing with her cup at arm’s length. “Fortunately, I’ve been able to fly beneath the radar for a time.”

Eliza laughed at him bringing up the executive assistant. “Yeah, I didn’t mean to. I just kind of fell into it. It’s ironic, but my abilities help me in being able to provide the best possible assistant services. When they ask for something that I can’t possibly discern, I just somehow know where to find it or which option to choose. It’s such a stupid use of my talents but what else can I do? I have to lay low, can’t go competing and winning American Ninja Warrior challenges.” She smirked and looked over him carefully, before drowning her second glass of tequila and pushing it away from her.

“Leila.” Well, she might as well. “She seems sweet. How long have you guys been…” she made a motion with her hands, clearly standing for the word together. “And when did you move to Seattle? I never would have come here if I had known that this is where you were. I didn’t track you down, I promise.” But would she have come? Were those words a lie that she fabricated to hide how she really felt from him. The bartender came over but Eli waved her away with a polite ‘no, thank you.’ She couldn’t afford to lose control of herself tonight. She couldn’t afford to make a fool of herself in front of someone that had moved on. Eli knew she couldn’t handle the rejection of it all.

“And what are you doing? You mentioned school. Are you in school or teaching it?” Eliza suddenly wanted to move away from the conversation of Leila. She didn’t want to know about her.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 11:52 pm

by Dollface

Something about the fact that she had enjoyed the humidity made Owen laugh, thinking it was just very… her. She went against the grain of course, even in the simplest of things. His laughter subsided as she came to the realization that he nearly went to Georgia to find her, and the silence settled thickly for a moment once again. Owen wanted so badly to be able to catch up truly like old friends, speaking fondly on their memories and their time together. But it wasn’t that easy for the two of them; nothing had been easy for them from the very beginning.

“For what it’s worth, I would love to see you on American Ninja Warrior, although I don’t think your competitors would fare very well.” He tried to tease her now, to make the conversation lighter, as he followed her suit and he finished off the liquor in his glass. So far, he didn’t feel more than a buzz, and he didn’t intend on getting crazy with Eli. They were just catching up. After all, how likely was it that he would see her again after this?

Owen stopped the rhythmic movement of his glass over the table when his girlfriend’s name passed Eli’s lips. He glanced up at the woman across from him through his eyelashes, like he was caught, and he bit down on his lower lip as she babbled on for a second. “It’s been… about a year and a half or so. I’ve been here two years, so we met about six months after that. I got set up by the office lady at the school, and… it worked out I suppose.” Truly, that had been an understatement up until the very moment that Eliza bumped into him at Whole Foods. Owen would have been able to describe himself as extremely content, happy for the most part. Now his world felt topsy turvy.

While Eliza waved away the bartender, Owen ordered a beer for himself, and folded his arms onto the black table. “Oh god no, I’m done with going to school. No, I’m teaching high school actually. Thankfully the kids aren’t as bad as those in middle school, but back in Kentucky I was teaching fifth grade, and that was a lot of fun. I kind of miss it. The class, not Kentucky. I still don’t know how your rock solid intuition managed to land us in a place like that.” Owen’s beer arrived, and he took a drink from it before he continued speaking. “I miss that damn apartment too. I’m paying more here for my damn studio than that place, it’s ridiculous.”

He shook his head, his eyes drifting out over the rest of the bar before settling on the woman in front of him again. “What else is new? You said you got a dog?” The small talk was killing him, but he didn’t know what else he was supposed to do right now. “Are you… seeing anyone too?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:22 am

by Simply

“That’s a long time. I’m impressed that she’s put up with you for that amount of time. A few days in the car were enough for me.” She smirked, trying to lighten the situation at hand, to talk about anything else than the fact that all she wanted to do and slide down the cushions and take his face in her hands. Eliza looked down at his lips for a moment, as he said “it worked out.” Yes, they worked out. They were working out. He was happy. He didn’t need Eliza strolling in and wrecking everything. Pushing her lips together, tightly, she found herself smiling when he talked about school.

“It was a beautiful. I did like that apartment.” I liked the bedroom, especially much. She looked down, fidgeting with her empty glass. She remembered pressing herself up against him in that bedroom. She remembered the heat from his body radiating off and filling her with this strong warmth. All she wanted to do was to be closer to that warmth. Soft, brown eyes examined his face, before she took the offering of discussing her dog rather quickly.

“I do. He’s a medium thing but he sheds like a ridiculous amount. I have to have someone come and clean the apartment twice a week just to get rid of all the hairs he leaves everywhere. Maybe you could meet him sometime. He likes to go to the park so we may text you if you want to go, maybe.” Owen asked her about her own relationship status. Blue eyes burned into him then and she swallowed firmly. “No, no I don’t have anyone that I’m seeing. I’ve been on a few dates here and there,” and some one night stands, which she made sure to not mention out loud, “but nothing has really stuck.” A shrug of her shoulders.

“I just go to work and then go home. I’ve watched nearly everything that Netflix has to offer. Documentaries are my favorite now, especially the food ones.” The bartender brought over some mixed nuts to the table and Eliza did order another drink. The witch proceeded to rummage through the nuts, sorting them back and forth without eating any of them. Her drink arrived and she took a large sip. It was hard to not drink in a situation like this.

“What have you been doing? Do you use your abilities on your students? Have you used them since? What can you do now?” She shifted the conversation towards something that would be easier to discuss. “Care to show me any new tricks?”

Whattttt? Why would she even say that?

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:38 am

by Dollface

Owen could tell that something… something particular was on Eliza’s mind the moment that she spoke about the apartment. He wasn’t sure what it was, exactly, but he noticed the shift in her demeanor, and it was like he watched her go through a flipbook of memories in an instant. Owen wished so badly he could reach across, to get a read on her, to know just what she was thinking or what she really wanted to say to him. Everything was so stilted, with hardly any of the ease they shared during the week they spent together a few years ago. Had the two of them really changed that much?

No. The biggest change was the elephant in the room that kept Owen on his side of the booth, and Eliza’s on hers.

“Just give your dog my number and he can text me anytime he’d like me to meet you guys at the park. Or, I guess you could do it, if you really want to.” He smirked across the table at her, head tipped to the side just slightly to see if he could elicit a laugh or a roll of her eyes. So badly, he wanted to be able to act the same, to joke and banter back and forth as quickly as they’d been able to. There was still something flickering between them, he could feel it and he was sure that she could as well. And he just hadn’t been able to help himself and ask the burning question as to whether Eliza was with someone or not.

Not that it changed his relationship status.

A sense of satisfaction washed over him though, and he tried hard to keep his expression passive. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve gone through pretty much all of the Food Network shows available on there also. A year in Kentucky was boring as hell.” When the bartender came by with the snacks, Owen reached into the bowl to grab a few, his fingertips nudging hers for a fraction of a second. It wasn’t enough to get anything from her, but it certainly got his attention and for that brief moment it felt like everything stopped around him.

Drawing in a deep breath, he brought his hand out of the bowl and dropped the nuts onto one of the extra napkins near him. “New tricks?” He grinned at her, a dark eyebrow lifting in her direction. “No, not in particular. Although… my mind is practically Fort Knox. Leila, she… well, she happens to be share similar abilities. So we keep things pretty closed up with one another unless we decide otherwise. We usually don’t.” Owen’s stomach flip flopped, bringing up Leila to Eli. Something about it felt wrong, and so he quickly changed the subject.

“As far as the kids go, you don’t even need to be a damn psychic to know what’s going on. High school kids are some of the worst at keeping secrets the way that word gets around, and their minds aren’t exactly quiet.” Owen shook his head, draining the rest of his beer before pushing it off to the side of the table. “So for the most part, things have been pretty calm the last few years, I guess.” Owen nodded his head slowly, his teeth catching his lower lip. “Until you ran right into me, of course. You sure know how to shake a guy’s life up.” He let out a shaky breath when the words left him. “I like the hair, by the way. When I first saw you I thought maybe I was running into your evil blonde twin who was exacting her revenge or something.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:01 am

by Simply

Owen mentioned Leila when talking about his abilities and she perked up. Bright blue eyes flickered to hazel then green and back again. “Leila’s a psychic.” It was a statement and a question all at the same time. Leila was a psychic. They had the same abilities. Owen was able to share one of the most intimate parts of his life with her, a part that he was not able to experience with Eliza. She fought the urge to sigh, to express any kind of irritation or bewilderment with his confession. “I shook her hand. Owen, did she read me?!”

Eliza’s heart became to pound against her ribcage, beating and beating and beating. Had Leila seen anything? No, no she couldn’t have because Owen was here with her and they were together. If Leila had seen anything, well Owen would certainly not be calmly talking to her now. Her abilities would have protected her from Leila but still, there was a possibility that she could have read something about her, something small or a faint memory of calling Neil as Owen.

“I just have a habit of running into you and shaking things up.” But his attention turned to her hair and she brushed a few strands behind her ear, blushing slightly. “I needed something different. Glad it meets your approval.” Her eyes ran over him and the scruff that resided on his face. She inched a bit closer, so that he was within reaching distance. “I see you kept the beard.” Eliza reached out and barely brushed her fingers along the stubble that trailed his jaw. She let it trail from the corner of his jaw to his chin before she drew her hand back and set it in her lap. “It really does make you look like a scoundrel.”

Eli smirked and grabbed her drink, draining it. Licking her lips, she met his gaze and held it for a long time. “It is really good to see you, but I don’t think I should drink anymore. Running into you has…really brought back some memories.” She slipped out of the booth. “It was really good to see you…Neil. Leila is a really nice girl and I hope that you enjoy your work, and enjoy Seattle. I don’t think we’ll run into each other much anymore…maybe that’s a good thing?” She shrugged, shoving her hands into her pockets. “But…maybe we will then, I don’t know.” Eliza laughed, nervously. “Want to walk out with me, at least?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:29 am

by Dollface

“No, chances are she completely blocked herself from doing so when she shook your hand. It’s something I’m better at now too; if I don’t want a reading from someone when we make contact, then I can block it, in a sense.” Now, he spoke of it nonchalantly, even though this was something Owen hadn’t been able to do when he first met Eli. Sitting there with her, though, he was practically a live wire. If he could have touched her to give her his thoughts, what he truly wanted to say to her or show her what he was thinking, he might have. There were so many reasons he chose not to, however.

“Honestly, you’d look great if you shaved your head bald, so it’s not very difficult to meet my approval,” he said, watching her as she began to scoot closer to him. Owen felt his heart rate pick up instantly, and he froze as she sat beside him. His lips parted just slightly, eyes dropping to her hand, watching the path her fingers drew along his face. “I’m still not sure if you mean well when you say that or not. Besides, if anyone would know, I guess it would be you.” Owen nearly reached out to grab her hand that she dropped to her lap, but then she was shifting away from him and he released the breath that caught in his throat, hoping she didn’t notice.

Running into you has…really brought back some memories. There went his breath again, because Owen could only imagine what sort of memories she meant. After all, when the two of them mixed their alcohol with each other… Well, Owen didn’t exactly forget the last night they spent together. “Yeah, of course,” he fumbled for his words and his wallet as well, pulling out the necessary cash to take care of their tab. “You said you live nearby? I’d love to meet your dog.”

The grin on his lips was wild as he followed her lead, slipping out of the booth behind her. Once they were out on the street, their conversation remained relatively light, and it was only a few minutes before they reached Eli’s building. There was something about being on her turf that made him feel more relaxed, less like they could have been watched at the bar. He’d been sure not to say her name – her real name – out loud; referring to her new identity still felt wrong.

When she opened the door, Owen was immediately greeted by the happy, scruffy little face of her dog. “And what did you name this guy, huh? Shmee?” Owen questioned Eliza as he knelt down to pet the dog, scratching behind his ears and giving the necessary belly rubs when he flopped onto the floor. Standing, he sighed – that sigh one usually gives when they’re about to say their goodbyes. “It really was good to see you, Eli.” Owen was maybe a step or two away from her now, and his eyes dropped to the toes of his shoes. “It took me a while, but I know why you left the way you did. I get it. But…” Pausing, he reached out for her hand, taking it in his as he swept his thumb across her knuckles. “I’m glad you’re here now. And I’d like to run into you again, maybe. But if you plan on taking off, I get that too, just… I don’t know. I’d like to actually say goodbye.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 2:00 am

by Simply

Eliza didn't protest when he offered to walk her home. She welcomed it. She enjoyed the night air as they strolled to her apartment. Eli waved to the man at the desk, as her residence had 24 hour security. Witches would be able to get through, of course, but I made her feel better to had an added layer of protection in case anyone ever came hunting for her. She unlocked her door and her dog can bounding toward them. He sniffed Owen once and decided he liked him. "Hopscotch. But I just call him Hop. He's a rescue. I didn't have the heart to rename him. He seemed to really like it."

He grabbed her hand and she thought she might collapse into a puddle at his feet. It was a gentle grip, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. Every single inching movement sent shockwaves up her spine. The numbness trailed after it and she leaned closer to him. How she wanted to feel him thumb careless every inch of her body again. She recalled the way he had nearly worshipped her that last night and how she would never be able to forget the taste of sweat on his skin.

And then he said her name. Her real name. Eliza's breath rushed out and she tried to regain it but it was evident she was having a hard time with their proximity. It was too far. They were too far apart from each other. She took a step closer to him and looked up into his eyes, searching them. "It's too hard to say goodbye to you, Owen, you have to know that it's still true for me." She leaned in, taking her free hand and brushing his cheek again, letting it trail down his neck to his chest.

"It's far too hard to say goodbye to you. Even after three years. I can't imagine saying goodbye and not..." she trailed off and withdrew her hand from his chest, looking down at Hop, who had brought Owen his favorite toy and dropped it at his feet. "I've missed you." The words left her in a rush and she couldn't take them back, she couldn't unsay them to the man before her even if she wanted to. But did she?

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:23 am

by Dollface

Eliza wasn’t the only one having a problem with their close proximity. He was practically fighting the instinct to pull her against him, finally, after all their time apart. Owen’s entire body was rigid, but it melted away when she pressed her hand to his face again and explained why she hadn’t said goodbye to him the first time around. He wanted to ask why, what made it so hard for her to leave like that, but he knew why and he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it out loud. The things she felt, he felt them, and they warred with the feelings he also had for Leila.

Owen was a mess, thinking of her while Eliza was in front again, and saying the words he didn’t know he wanted hear all along. He sneaked his free hand around to the small of her back, pulling Eliza closer and eliminating the space between them. His forehead dropped to rest on hers as his eyes closed. “That’s probably the best and worst thing you could possibly say to me right now.” Owen really needed to step back; he needed to evaluate what he was doing before things went a step too far. Below them, Hop served as a sort of reminder, making little whining nudges or sniffing around Owen’s shoes as if to say that he was there, too. Not that a dog was much of an accountability buddy.

“I missed you too.” He said simply, exhaling deeply again as his head shook slightly. “You turned my world upside down and then you were just… gone. Sometimes it felt like a dream. This still feels like a dream.” But she felt entirely real, the warmth of her body so close, his finger tips just barely skimming the skin at the small of her back, between the hem of her shirt and the waist of her jeans. Sucking in a deep breath, he pulled his head away to look at her, biting onto his lower. “I think I should go, Eliza.” I don’t trust myself right now, Eliza.

And it had absolutely nothing to do with the alcohol in his system, despite the little bit of a buzz he had. No, Owen felt sober compared to the drunken experiences they’d shared previously. It was simply the call to be near her, to touch her and take her to bed to remind her of just what she’d missed the last few years since they’d been together. Saying he should go and leaving were two entirely different things, however, and Owen felt like he’d been drilled to the spot he stood in. “You just let Hop here know that if he needs some company at the park sometime, I’d love to come.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:49 pm

by Simply

Owen’s hand curled around her back and pulled her closer. Her eyes flickered up to him as heat spread up her back and curled around her waist. Eli felt the hum beneath her skin begin to subside as their contact. How she had ached for this feeling, how she had attempted to replicate it with a variety of individuals that all failed in their endeavors. Their foreheads touched and she sighed, ignited by the contact and terrified by what would happen next. “I keep thinking that this is all just a dream, that I’ll wake up tomorrow and those texts will not be in my phone and I won’t be able to…” to touch you again, to hear your voice, to taste your skin.

Her name on his lips caused her eyes meet his, searching them. Don’t go./i] Her gaze implored him. She wanted him to stay, even if it was just one more night. Even if she would regret it tomorrow, she wanted him to stay the night. She needed him to stay with her. Her eyes went dark at the idea of not being able to touch him again. She wanted to slip her hands under his shirt, to know if any of the muscles had changed – stronger, leaner. “Hop would love to have you on his park adventures, I’m sure and I’ll try to put up with your company.”

Eliza thought of letting him leave there at that moment. Just end the conversation on talking about the dog, but she couldn’t allow it to happen. Her heart hammered and she slipped her hands up his chest, wrapping around his neck. Slowly, she tangled her hands into his hair. It was longer than she remembered and her hands filled with him. She made no move to pull him downward. She merely held him in place. She couldn’t bear to part with him, not yet. “I’m sorry I left you. I had reasons then but they don’t seem to hold any weight now. “

She looked away, down at the limited space between them. “I can’t…” She exhaled, her ragged breath hitching in her throat. Eli licked her lips and moved her hands to rest behind his ears, and partially against his jaw. The stubble prickled her palms, her eyes shifting to hazel. “You could stay.” It was wrong of her to tempt him this way. What kind of person was she to request this of him, to put him in this position? She was selfish She was terribly, terribly selfish and in this moment she was weaker than she had ever been. Vulnerability laced her words and she met his gaze, loosening her grip on his hair.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:39 pm

by Dollface

He should have been able to leave after commenting on the dog. That was good even ground he thought, to leave it at that, and he could have let go of her and backed his way to the door. Owen even was already thinking that he would just make the trek home by foot. He needed the time to clear his head. You need to go home and take a cold shower is what you need. Eliza wasn’t helping him though with the way she slipped her hands along his chest, tightening her fingers in his dark hair. “Are you just saying that to make me stay?” He teased her, a small smile hovering at his lips, though there was some truth to his words.

After the years that passed it was good to hear the apology, but in some ways it made no difference now. It didn’t change the fact that Eli left that night without a whisper and it didn’t change the fact they had built new lives – his involving another person.

In spite of his own words, Owen’s other arm slipped around Eliza’s waist, his hands meeting at the small of her back where his fingers splayed. “Eli…” he shook his head, inhaling sharply as he stopped because he wasn’t sure where he was going with that. “You have no idea how badly I want to stay.” Of course she had to know. He wanted her in the way that he couldn’t have her; wanted her in the way he shouldn’t have, considering Leila. “And not just because of Hop.” Owen’s laugh was husky. “But there are… things… that make me staying complicated, Eli. This alone is enough of a compromising position.” Still, he didn’t let go of her. He also didn’t want to bring Leila directly into Eliza’s home that way.

Right now, he so badly wanted it to be just them, to shut everything down if only for a little while so they could have their time together. But that’s just not how things worked, especially not for them. Withdrawing a hand from her back, he brought her chin between his thumb and forefinger, keeping her gaze tilted upward on him. “If I leave tonight, will you still agree to see me again sometime? Sometime soon?” He lifted his brow, his expression hopeful. “If I can have you in my life right now in any way, I’d be happy.” Not that they’d had the chance to test having anything the sort of a relationship that consisted of anything less than teasing, flirting, and extremely close proximity.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:56 pm

by Simply

“Then stay.” She breathed in response to him, feeling his other arm encircle her. She leaned against his chest, looking at him directly. Eliza was begging him not to go. It was pathetic really, to be talking like this, to be acting this way. She was the one that had left him. She chose this and brought all of this upon them. But now she regretted it. She deserved his departure didn’t she? Yet, how could she bear it without him now? He was here. He was right in front of her, touching her, saying her name. Eli swallowed hard when his fingers took her chin. Kiss me.

His question hit her like bricks and she slipped backwards, out of his grasp. Hop eagerly stamped his feet, thinking that now was the time that the pair was going to pay attention to his vastly more important needs. He realized he was wrong though and laid down, setting his head on the plush toy and looked from one of them to the other, clearly displeased with the sequence of events that was unfolding before him. Eli ran her fingers through her hair and turned her back to him.

“Asking me that, is like me asking you to stay, Owen.” Eliza responded, turning back to face him but staying out of his reach. She couldn’t bear it anymore, being this close without being able to touch him like she wanted to. “I want to say no to you. I want to tell you that I can’t see you again, Owen. This,” she motioned between them, clearly exasperated, “this was just to catch up and look where we ended up.” She threw her hands up, indicating her apartment. “My bed is just in that room. If we were both drunk enough…” She bit her lip, looking down. “I can only imagine what type of different conversation we might be having.”

A sigh tore itself from her lips. “But you know I couldn’t do that. You know if you text me, I’ll be there, just for the opportunity to be near you, to be around you on the off chance you hand may brush mine. With the hope that maybe…you’d be less of the man that you are. The idea of it,” she shook her head again, at herself, at him, at them, “of being with you, it’s all I can think about when I’m with you. The moment you’re around my skin begins to hum louder, as though it just…just wants you to soothe it. Gah,” she stepped even further away, pacing, “it sounds ridiculous.” A sharp laugh. “I sound like a soap opera.” She faced him yet again, eyes bearing into his. “But I mean it, Owen. I can’t be strong around you. You’d have to manage that enough for the both of us.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:23 pm

by Dollface

Eliza's movement was sudden, Owen's eyes widened as he watched her stumble back and away from him. She moved with a purpose to put distance between them and he fought the urge to bring her back to him. The absence of her left an ache in his chest. He wanted to rewind a few seconds, thinking maybe he'd change his answer and instead, he'd be shedding his clothes and she'd be shedding hers and they'd be making their way to her bed. That would have been much easier, wouldn't it?

"Let's be honest, we wouldn't be having a conversation at all." The words were practically mumbled and Owen wasn't even sure if they were acknowledged because the woman in front of him continued. He felt like he should be comforting her, reassuring her... doing something other than standing there and watching her as she unloaded. "I... I'm sorry." Owen wasn't even sure what he was apologizing for, and he felt like apologizing for nothing in the first place.

Shaking his head, Owen raked his fingers through his hair this time, turning and taking a step towards the door. But he stopped, turning around to Eliza again. "I just need some time. I need to figure things out. Is that too much to ask?" He implored, that desperation lacing his tone again. "It's been three years, I thought I'd never see you again, and then you just... you turn up and everything feels the same as it did the night we bumped into each other. I won't lie and say that I feel nothing or say that even in the last year and a half that I haven't wondered or thought 'what if.' I can hardly be strong for myself let alone the both of us." Owen let out another breath of exasperation as he moved across the floor slowly, making his way towards the witch.

Catching her hand, he pulled her to him again and his other hand lifted to the side of her face. Owen first pressed a kiss to her forehead, to her cheek, catching her lips with is and thinking I'm done for, I'm done for, I'm done for. It was the type of kiss that left his head spinning, left him wanting more and more of her. He broke away, lacing his fingers into her blonde tendrils to keep her close, a swear parting his lips.

"I need to go Eli. I need to go." Owen shook his head and he stepped away from her again, moving quickly to the door, putting his hand on he knob as if doing so would keep him accountable. He had the thought that he proved her right: he certainly wasn't strong enough to stay away from her. "I'm sorry," he repeated, eyes moving from Eliza, to Hop, to the floor and back up again. Without another word or another useless apology, he opened the door and left her apartment. Once he was down the hall and in the elevator, he let out the breath he was holding, wondering what the hell he was going to do.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:45 pm

by Simply

She certainly would have preferred that they weren’t talking right now. They had always communicated better to each other one a silent front. Eliza turned around, just as he snatched her hand. She wanted to jerk back but he was pressed against her. His smell surrounded her and his hands were upon her hair, face, cheeks, neck. And he kissed her, God, he kissed her. Her mouth eagerly met his, trying to make this moment last longer than it was going to. Hungrily, she bit his lip, gently, so as not to leave a discernable mark. He was gone before she could register it, left standing like a statue in the middle of her living room, fingers to her lips as though she could hold that feeling there forever.

Hop made a small noise of protest and drew her out of her reverie. She leaned down and picked up his toy. She was met with a happy little wag of his tail. For the next forty-five minutes they played fetch, though sometimes he would keep it for himself longer than was appropriate for the game. Hop tired himself out and moved into her bedroom and jumped up onto the bed. She reached for her phone, sought out his number and hesitated. Sighing, she tossed her phone on the bedside table and took the most bone-chilling shower she possibly could have.

Bright eyes were clearly not seeing what she was doing as she went through the motions of preparing for work the next morning. As she laid down into bed, hair still wet and looking more like her natural color than before, Eliza spun her phone in her hands. She twisted it this way and that, pondering a number of options that she had before her. Licking her lips, she stared at the ceiling. Finally, she settled on a decision and opened the text thread where they had agreed to meet up to see one another.

I’m sorry. It’s easier to think when you’re not right in front of me. I want to be with you. She backspaced that line and started over, clearly getting frustrated with herself.

I’m sorry. It’s easier to think when you’re not right in front of me. I shouldn’t have asked you. It was terrible of me and I just missed you. It’s so hard to be with you and not actually be with you. I can move. I’ll leave Seattle, Owen, I can because you have a life here. You have a job. You have Leila. I saw how she looked at you. And you her. I can’t be the person that ruins your life again.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:12 am

by Dollface

Owen resolved not to walk home that night. He took a lyft home again, needing the distraction of another person to have polite conversation with on the way home. As the car wound through the streets back to his apartment, Leila messaged him him to say goodnight. His fingers hovered over the letters, debating sending her a response, and instead he clicked the button on the side that put the phone to sleep. In fact, he turned it off altogether. In the morning, he would tell her that he'd turned in a lot earlier than expected.

That did not happen, actually.

Owen spent a portion of the night sitting and staring and whatever he'd left on TV before he went to meet Eliza. He took a cool shower before he finally crawled into bed, and stared out the window instead and fighting the urge to call Eli and smooth everything over. Owen wanted to apologize, to tell her that he was with Leila and that he shouldn't be kissing people other than his girlfriend. But god, did he want to kiss Eli again. He wanted her in bed curled up beside him, wanted her hands tangled in his hair and her lips on his neck.

By the time he woke the next morning he had only slept for a few hours. Regardless of the fact that he wasn't working, Owen woke early, turned on his phone, and texted Leila right away to say good morning and that he fell asleep early and wished her a good day at work. From that point, he knew he wouldn't hear from her for at least a few hours, and Owen made a decision about how he would start his day.

After he dressed, he made is way down to his car. He went to a cafe that he frequented, ordered a coffee and a tea with two bagels to go. And then, he got back in the drivers seat, where he sat contemplating his decision for a second. As he did so, his phone dinged: a text from Eliza. He glanced over it once, then twice, and without responding he headed in the direction he'd intended in the first place. Owen didn't even have to use his abilities to remember where the bar was the night before, or her apartment building. He passed the attendant at the front, mentioning he was going up to visit Wendy.

The entire ride up to her floor he questioned himself and debated just heading straight down to go home. That was the right thing to do. But the next thing he knew, he was down the hall and in front of her apartment, he was knocking on the door, and she was answering.

"I know you still have work this morning but I had to come by." He spoke quickly, handing the tea and the paper bag with her bagel to her. "You don't have to leave, Eli, you can't. I wouldn't let you without saying goodbye, and you've already said so yourself that you wouldn't be able to, so just... just don't go." He felt as if he let all the words go in a breath. "I have a life and a job here, but so do you. You didn't ruin my life. But you leaving? I don't want to go through that again."

by Simply

Eli gave him a skeptical face, halfway between amused and flabbergasted. “Random people are not going to know you’re reading them and it is not as though you’re utilizing the information for some ulterior, dark motive.” She shrugged, picking at the ends of her still drying hair. “Say, if you were to read someone and found out that they left their car unlocked and you go steal it…that is something I’d have to hunt you down for. If you’re using it to protect yourself, to hide from…” A pause, as she also smirked, “someone like me, then that’s a different story. You have to be able to read people you meet. You have to make sure they’re not from The Circle.”

She plopped herself onto the bed corner, beginning to braid her hair back so it would stay out of her face while she slept. “And then you can manipulate thoughts, small things, of course. They want an apple instead of a banana. I don’t know…” Guilt tore at her but so did her newfound desire to preserve his life. Yet, at the end of it all, the choice to utilize his magic was his alone to make. “You need to be able to defend yourself if Gavin ever finds you. You need to be able to give yourself enough time to run.”

She allowed the conversation to trail off while he showered. Even though the television hummed in the background, she was oblivious to the machinations of the people onscreen. Eli’s mind contemplated what she would have done with her abilities, had she been born psychic. Would she have turned out like Owen? Or would she have turned out like one of the people that she had killed? The back and forth thoughts consumed her until he emerged from the bathroom, thankfully, fully clothed this time.

A smile played sorrowfully on her lips at his suggestion. “Mmmm, financial purposes?” She laughed, leaning back on the pillow prop she had made for herself while he was in the shower. “Sure you don’t have some other person for keeping me around…”A long pause, “say, to save your sorry ass if The Circle shows up?” But they both knew that she was not implying that by her little moment of silence. A smirk and she shook her head, turning her attention to the hem of her sleeping shirt. “No, I think it is best that I move on as quickly as possibly. They’ll find a way to track us if we remain together. I didn’t forsake all my training to make it this far and then you wind up dead.” She did abandon her job, her loyalty to the people that shaped her gift, but for the first time Eliza did not abandon her principles. Killing people had always been justified, as much as she could tell herself that, even though each one caused a dark mark on her soul.

“I think I’ll take a spin around Georgia. It seems like such a pleasant little state with its peaches and southern charm. Who knows.” She shrugged again, yawning. Eli allowed her eyes to close for a moment, then a moment longer until she merely kept talking to him with her eyes completely shut. Then she eventually stopped answering and her breathing steadied.

Hours passed but dawn still lingering off in the distance, waiting, listening. In the dead of the night, Eli woke up with a jolt – a silent scream on her lips. Her skin was clammy and coated with sweat. Her hair hung around her face where it had come undone from its binds. She placed a hand against her chest, just over her breasts, feeling the pounding of her heart beneath it. She had been dreaming of a kill again., one of the ones she had succeeded on – three that had happened before something about Owen changed her life. She had dreamt of the explosion, the crash that resulted from her magic defending her when the psychic sensed danger. The heat had been upon her but this time…this time she had been the one screaming in pain, in agony, in death.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:45 pm

by Dollface

He hated to admit what Eliza said about needing to read people was true. After this, how was he going to trust just about anyone, other than the girl who was in bed beside him? The one person he trusted, although at first it seemed unlikely that he should, and after tomorrow he’d have no idea where she was. It seemed unlikely that their paths would ever cross again, unless Eli managed a way to find him, which was probably the only way they’d see one another again. That had been her job at one point after all; that’s what led them here.

Owen’s eyes had closed, absently listening as her words about Georgia mingled with the sounds from the television. Owen imagined saying something about maybe going to New York at some point, or maybe somewhere remote, but he wasn’t sure if he’d actually said that or had already drifted off to sleep and was merely thinking it. To sleep somewhat peacefully was nice. The source of his previous nightmares was the woman who lay next to him, and now that she wasn’t a threat, his dreams were relatively quiet. That night, he dreamt he was driving, the road ahead of him endless. As he drove, he was alone, until he’d looked over at one point to see his aunt sitting beside him. It made his heart ache, and his gaze lingered just long enough before he turned his attention back towards the road, his car hurtling towards a dark figure.

Gavin.

Waking with a start, he let his breathing settle, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and rubbing his hands over his eyes and hair. Looking to Eliza beside him, it seemed she was having even more fitful sleep than he had. His attention raked over her for a second, wondering if he should wake her and pull her from whatever nightmare plagued her, but he left her alone for the time being. Owen glanced at the clock; it was far too early to be awake for the day. After getting a drink of water, he returned to bed, and once he got himself comfortable and his head hit the pillow, he felt Eliza bolt up beside him.

Immediately, without thinking about it, he reached out a hand to touch his fingers to hers, his eyes imploring her in the dark. “It’s okay, Eliza,” he murmured to her quietly, and twisted onto his side. “If it makes you feel any better, I had a dream that I nearly ran Gavin over. Instead of you haunting me, I guess it’s his turn now.” He tried to keep his tone light, the small smile on his lips not reaching his eyes. “What was yours?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:20 pm

by Simply

t was so warm, the air was thick with smoke and she couldn’t breathe. This was how they had died and this is now how she would die. She deserved it after all. She had killed someone. They were not innocent but they did not deserve the death she had given them. The nightmare progressed until it tore her awake. Panting, darkness blurred her vision until she felt fingers brush against her and she recoiled instantly. The numbness of his touch lingering, aiding her in the realization that she was no longer in the dream.

She was no longer alone.

Eli could feel his eyes on her, could feel his questions lingering behind his gaze. Sighing, she positioned the pillows to prop her up and leaned back against them slightly. Exhaling and inhaling slowly, she finally responded to him after a long moment of silence. She was trying to compose her thoughts and she had no doubt that if he touched her again, he would be able to read her. That was how raw her emotions were at this moment, so vulnerable. It was not a feeling that she enjoyed.

“Hmm, well that doesn’t sound too bad to me right now. Running him over would solve a lot of our problems.” Eli gave him a half-hearted smirk and ran her hands over her face. The air from the fan was turning her sweat cold against her skin. Shifting in position, she adjusted the blankets over her, drawing them up to just beneath her breasts. The cold was welcome after the heat of the nightmare that she had endured. Dark eyes turned towards him then and she shook her head. “I don’t particularly like to talk about them.”

But the darkness of the room, the gentle light in his eyes, altered her opinion. “You tend to have certain regrets when you're an assassin, especially when you become disillusioned with the company that you keep." Eli turned her attention to her hands that picked at her hangnails. "My first was successful," she stumbled over the word, at the idea that she had been conditioned to think ending a life was something to be proud of, "but not uneventful. She sensed me at the last moment, I'm not sure how. Some wards maybe." A shrug, dismissing the little details. "And she tried to block me or defend herself or attack me. It's a bit of a blur. But for some reason my power manifested as fire and the house she and I were in burned down but..." a trail of silence followed. "Obviously I'm still here. She is not."

Eliza laughed then but it was the sorrowful laugh of a jaded individual. "It took me weeks to sleep at all after that. And sometimes I feel it again, that guilt and that shame. Can't hide from that." Another laugh and she rubbed at her cheeks that were slick with tears that she didn't realize had been silently trailing down her face. "Sorry if I woke you."

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 3:04 pm

by Dollface

The brief touch of his fingers against hers brought none of her thoughts to his mind; it was only her emotions that he felt a little stronger. But she shook off the touch almost right away, and Owen withdrew his hand to pull the blanket up higher on himself. “I’ll make sure if we see him again just to end things that way then,” he responded quietly, smiling again as she at least attempted some sort of humor despite her current state. Owen sighed as he propped a hand up under his head, elbow resting against the pillow as he glanced up to her. “Nobody likes to talk about them, but if you just keep thinking about it, it’ll make it worse.”

So he wasn’t sure how much truth that held exactly, but Owen liked to think it would help if she didn’t keep it to herself. He did believe there was some power in speaking things out loud instead of letting them fester in your mind. When Eliza revealed what the nightmare was, he knew though that this was something that was going to plague her regardless of her revealing the memory out loud. A knot formed in his stomach, hearing the way she spoke about her first… mission. There was the very real realization that could have been him.

Again, he felt conflicted. He felt bad for Eli, for still carrying this with her, but there was no denying the truth that she’d killed someone and many others. “No, you didn’t wake me,” he finally said, pressing his lips together for a second. “But if you feel guilty about keeping me awake, then that just means you owe me breakfast. And on the plus side, we don’t have to tear out of here first thing in the morning. We can afford to sleep in a little today, yeah?”

Turning to his other side, he reached for the cup of water he’d filled not long ago, and handed it over to her. He felt it was the least that he could do, short of feeling sorry that she still carried it with her to this extent. “At least this is the end of the road for… your previously chosen profession. You get a chance to start over, redeem yourself in some way.” Owen wasn’t sure how much better that would make her feel exactly. “I’m sure no one else in the Circle could say that.” Owen also suspected anyone who wanted out probably wouldn’t live to see that day and could only hope Eliza would remain an outlier in that regard.

“I could try and help get you back to sleep if you’d like,” he told her quietly, dropping his head back to the pillow, his eyes closing. “I haven’t practiced much, but now and again I can shift emotion and mood. But there’d have to be… physical contact of some sort.” He paused to peer up at her. “I just thought I’d ask before I tried. I wouldn’t want to pick up a reading by mistake.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 3:47 pm

by Simply

The psychic ability did not run through her veins but even she could feel the way his attitude changed when she mentioned what had drawn her from her slumber. The tension hung in the air and while she knew that there was no judgement in his gaze, she feared that the specific details of what she had done would turn him away from her for good. After all, he had managed to look past the fact that she had tried to kill him. Would someone else's death be too much for him to bear?

His proposal made her eyebrows rise up on her forehead. She brought her lip between her teeth and chewed on it thoughtfully for a few moments. He would potentially be able to read her. He would be able to feel her feelings and manipulate them. The idea made her stomach clench and turn. The idea of permitting someone to have that kind of power over her would be something entirely new, foreign.

Swallowing, Eli nodded. "But don't go further than you should. You don't know what you're liable to find in my mind." She smirked slightly but it was evident that the nightmare still tarnished her mood. She sat up straighter for a moment, tying her hair back into its braid to keep it out of her face and off her neck. With that settled, Eliza settled back into her pillows and sheet, turned to face him. Dark eyes turned blue, lingering with the hope that he may be able to help her pass the feeling of shame and of foreboding.

Holding out her hand to him, in the slight space between them, she hesitated. "Is it wrong to ask for this feeling to pass?" Her open hand closed slightly, fingers curling inward and away from her companion. "Don't I deserve to live with it? Shouldn't I have to endure this pain forever because of what I've done?" Blue eyes turned navy as she spoke and she looked at him. Questions hung on her lips and she gnawed on the inside of her cheek for a while, awaiting his response. Didn't she deserve to suffer. After all the pain that she had likely caused in The Circle's name.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 4:06 pm

by Dollface

There was the chance that Eliza would deny him, that she could shake off the offer, turn over and try to sleep on her own. However, he knew how awake he was from his own reverie, so he could only imagine how on edge he was. There wasn’t much to the imagination though, the fear that coursed through her still was apparent. “I’ll try my best, I promise,” he assured her. “But just in case, those secrets are safe with me.” The smile on his lips was sincere, and he watched her carefully as she settled in beside him. Suddenly he was aware of her proximity, despite the fact that they’d been sleeping next to each other for several days now.

This felt different though. Did it feel different to her? He hadn’t even touched her yet, and Owen felt nervous almost. He needed to get it under wraps because he didn’t want to take the chance of reading her thoughts, her memories.

Owen was about to reach for her hand when her fingers closed into a fist, and his blue eyes sought out her dark ones. “If I were a completely unbiased party, you probably wouldn’t like my answer to that question.” He told her this simply, a hollow laugh falling into the space between them. “I can’t be the judge of that though, Eliza. I think…” The words trailed as he reached out to her, the tips of his fingers brushing over her knuckles until he reached the tips of hers, prying them gently away from her palm so that his hand slid over hers, fingers stopping just before her wrist. “I think if you hold onto your past and what you’ve done like this, it’ll eat away at you. The best you can do is focus on your future, now.”

Closing his eyes, Owen let a feeling of calm and peace wash over him in hopes that maybe the feeling would transfer to her. He wondered how it felt on her end; what was she seeing, what was she thinking? Owen thought of very specific feelings then: the contentment of reading his favorite book, or when he stumbled upon a movie he really liked playing on TV and it wasn’t even five minutes in. He thought of the night they spent with his friends at the lounge, the first night he’d met Eliza, when he brought her home and they joked and flirted before... No, his mind didn’t wander that far. It would defeat the purpose of their little exercise here.

His breathing was deep, inhaling slowly and exhaling just the same. “What is it like? I’ve always wondered. Do you see anything? Feel anything?”


Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 4:52 pm

by Simply

The sensation of his fingers against her knuckles both alarmed and soothed her. The now familiar numbness inched its way upward with his fingers, allowing her fingers to uncurl and permit him access to the soft lines of her palm. His words did not entirely comfort her but the honesty in them was refreshing. Anyone else would have thought that she was a monster and left her as such. She had attempted to kill him and now here he was, offering to soothe the pain that she had brought down onto her self. Nodding, she stretched out her fingers once more

Immediately she felt a coolness wash over her. It traveled up her arm to the back and her neck and rushed outwards. Eli inhaled sharply and resisted the urge to withdraw, to protect herself from the unlimited access he would have to her mind. Yet, she felt no probing, no searching, no pain. Closing her eyes, the witch steadied her heartbeat and was met with memories that were not her own.

She was reading a novel in his house. She had a sense that she was and was not herself. It pushed the nightmare further back but didn't stop it entirely. It nudged against the calm he sought to bestow on her. Swallowing, she then saw herself and him and felt...all the things she had when they had met. It flooded over her then, the calm and safety she felt when he touched her. The memory of his touch was so close and the nightmare crept back to its hiding place. For a moment, a fleeting second, she saw herself as he had seen her that night. She thought of that time as she remembered it - not worrying about anything but the thoughts of how to explore more of him. She felt his want, his desire and she almost felt...it was gone. It has drawn back and she opened her eyes. The sense of foreboding, of anguish, was still present but tolerable now. She could manage it as it was. She could sleep now.

"It's....like memory sharing, if you can do that." Eliza knew more about psychics than most. After all, know thy enemy. And even still she knew the bare minimum of what they could do. With time, Owen might surprise her with his abilities. "I saw a book you read but it was as though I was reading it. It was surreal." Elis voice was a whisper. Even though they were the only ones occupying the shadowy room, she felt as though breaking the quiet would scare off the calm that soothed her. "And I saw myself and you, as you. It was...very hard to describe." Swallowing, she was afraid to ask but had to.

"What did you see?" And even still she let her hand rest beneath his. Slender finger could feel the soft pulse of his heart, fingertips barely caressing the underside of his wrist. She did not want to sever that contact. Almost imperceptibly, Eli's fingers moved back and forth against the skin where his wrist met his palm.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 5:51 pm

by Dollface

This was a complete shot in the dark for Owen and he could only hope that it would work. In fact, he was a little surprised that Eliza would agree, but she seemed to push past whatever weird sensation his touch offered when they first made contact. His breathing was in sync with hers, their pulses moving in time together, and it truly felt as if everything surrounding them began to melt away as he focused solely on his abilities. Against the memories that he elicited, he could feel Eli’s nightmare pushing against him. He felt the heat of the fire that she described, the fear and regret and guilt that had seized her.

Then, he pushed harder against it. He fought past it to offer her solace. When he felt the tension lift, he listened to her carefully, nodding his head slightly in understanding. “I can’t say I’ve ever tried before, but I assume it could be possible. Like I said, I generally try not to read people, so I’ve never tried something so extensive before.” And now that this was apparently possible, he was going to be much more careful about accidental touch than he was before. “In a way, you’d say it was kind of like a dream, but where you see yourself from a different perspective?”

Owen was all too aware of her touch. He could feel her pulse against the pads of his fingers, just the same as she could feel his own thrumming away against his wrist, and it was enough to soothe him as well. Owen had thought about retracting his touch, but he decided that he wouldn’t until she did. Closing his eyes as she questioned him, Owen focused on the sensation of her fingers moving against his wrist, a low hum moving in his throat as he thought over her words. “I saw the same as you did, but from my own point of view, as my memories. I just tried to think of things made me feel happy. Kind of like in Peter Pan, how you have to think happy thoughts to fly.” Another smile tugged his lips upward. “I haven’t quite practiced that, though, so I’ll stick to happy thoughts keeping the nightmares away.”

Clearing his throat, he let out a soft sigh. “I could feel your nightmare, in a way. I felt the feelings attached to heat, the heat of it trying to break through the line of connection. Which makes sense when you think of it logically, trading the bad for the good.” He was just glad he didn’t feel any aftershocks of it, he wasn’t lying there reliving her nightmare. He was glad to know Eliza didn’t seem to be reliving it anymore either.

“Maybe we should try to sleep now,” he spoke barely above a whisper, giving her hand a light squeeze, thumb brushing against the side of her palm, “tomorrow’s a big day.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:54 pm

by Simply

He could feel her nightmare. Did he see it? Did he see what she had done? Fear made her heart flutter momentarily, calmed by the lingering ache his touch caused. She knew that one session with him, with this transition of memories from one person to the other, would not alleviate all of her pain, her shame, her doubt. Eliza wasn’t sure that she could be anything other than what she had always been. Yet, that should not stop her now, should it? He had given up his friends, his family, his life in order to survive – to flee with her. She could surely find some other way to live. Even still, as though it was soothing her now, her fingers made slow arches back and forth again the tender flesh of his wrist. The arches they made likely beginning to prickle for him. She had forgotten she was doing the motion, as he suggested that she fall asleep, that they try to get some rest before their day tomorrow. “Mmm, fine, breakfast on me then.” She closed her eyes, fingertips still tracing his skin. His thumb lightly stroked the side of her hand and her movement ceased. A thrill echoed in her chest and her eyelashes fluttered.

Eli did not withdraw her hand. Instead, she fell into a far more restful sleep than she had ever had. She dreamed only of reading books in a curved window seat with the soft afternoon light streaming through.

The next morning, Eliza woke early and slipped out of bed. She changed, careful not to wake him, and slipped out of the room. He heart was ponding even before she began running. She ran and ran and ran until her lungs burned and her mind cleared. Her feet halted after three miles and she panted, leaning over with her hands on her knees. The moment her movement stopped, her thoughts returned. Perhaps she should stay. Perhaps they could find a place together, or at least in the same area…make it easier on their limited financials right now. He would be able to help her through the nightmares – how to be more normal and she could help him defend himself.

And you’d end up in his bed.

Eli was a logical individual. As much as she hated to admit it, her physical attraction to him was the driving force behind all of her considerations to stay with him. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood on the inside of her mouth. Wiping away the metallic flavor, she turned and ran back again. The jog was slower going back but it permitted her some time to just be and to not question everything. The witch arrived back at the motel and entered, using the key that she had secured in her waistband. Owen was still sleeping and she picked up one of his shoes and tossed it towards him, careful to hit his leg rather than his head. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. Breakfast waits for not man.” With that, she slipped off into the shower, then changed and emerged, fresh-faced and somewhat more comfortable in her own skin. “What kind of food do you want?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 10:22 pm

by Dollface

He woke just barely hearing the key card in the door, followed by the door opening and closing, signaling that someone was entering the room. Owen let his eyes drift open just barely, making sure that Eliza was the one who was moving about the room, and it wasn’t a surprise guest like Gavin. Owen was planning on going back to sleep, until he felt his sneaker hit his leg, and a groan escaped him as he rolled over onto his back. “Breakfast can wait, what did I say about sleeping in?” He grumbled, yawned, and tucked his arm behind his head. As he listened to the shower start, Owen laid there with his eyes closed as he processed their moment from the night before. They’d fallen asleep with their hands still clasped, and he dreamt what he could only imagine were some of Eliza’s own memories.

Instead of seeing her training, though, Owen was the one in the thick of it in her place. Being pushed farther than he felt he would have liked in the dream, until he was absolutely forced to defend himself for his life. A face appeared more than once, a face that seemed as though it should be familiar to him but as he thought on it, he wouldn’t have been able to pick out the man from his own memories. At whatever point that Eliza had left that morning, the connection had been severed and Owen slept without any other dreams until he woke to her arrival.

As he got dressed, he wondered if he should broach the subject at all, after Eliza had explicitly told him not to read any of her memories. It certainly hadn’t been purposeful, but he didn’t like the thought that he was keeping something from her. She emerged, and it didn’t give him time to give it much more thought, as he took her place in the bathroom to brush his teeth before they’d be out and about for most of the day.

The smell of her soap was sweet, and with her question of what he wanted for breakfast, he bit back a very inappropriate comment that would probably get his second shoe thrown at his head. A light smirk played upon his lips as he looked towards her, his shoulders lifting and falling in a shrug. “I’d be content with a bagel and coffee, I don’t need anything fancy. Plus, I think I’d like to get out there and find a place as soon as we can.” Owen scratched at the stubble on his chin – if it could even be called that, considering now it was bordering on an actual beard, which he still wasn’t quite used to. But now that he was on the run… Maybe Eli was right, and he’d keep it.

After finishing his morning routine, Owen grabbed his jacket and threw it over his shoulders, and ushered Eli out of the apartment and towards the car to head to their first stop. “Where did you run off to this morning, by the way? Did you meet up with your little friend from the restaurant yesterday?” He teased her, wiggling his eyebrows in her direction as he took his place in the driver’s seat.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 10:47 pm

by Simply

The shower helped her aching muscles and she stood in the water longer than she necessarily needed to. Towel drying her hair, Eliza watched as he smirked. “What?” She inquired, moving over towards the bed, narrowing her eyes at him slightly. “What was that little…” she mimicked the quirk of his mouth, the mouth that made even coffee taste good. She continued to run her fingers through her hair while he got ready for the day.

“That’s not a bad idea, but perhaps in a slightly…better area of town. It won’t be the Ritz certainly, but I think he will be able to scrape some money together for you for a good few months rents in order to be able to a nicer place.” She scrunched her hair slightly, trying to give it some volume but knowing that it would fall flat the moment it hit the warm air outside. Better than nothing, she had to try to give herself a different look. Perhaps she would dye her hair…a deep, auburn brown maybe. The left the motel room and she slipped into the passenger’s seat.

“I literally ran off this morning. I just ran. I enjoy physical activity. I like running. It clears my mind.” She gave him some directions to a bagel and doughnut shoppe that she had seen when she was running. “Now who is to say if I ran to meet my waiter friend or not. A quickie in a Starbucks bathroom in the morning help calms the nerves, after all.” She smirked over at him as they pulled into the parking lot for the little mom and pop shop. She nearly skipped into the store and ordered herself a tea, bagel and a doughnut that was covered in chocolate and rainbow sprinkles.

Eli grabbed a little booth after paying for their breakfast, turning her nose up at his coffee mug, pushing it away from her slightly. “Are you offended by my taste in men? I like my men quiet and free of the reek that is coffee. Sorry that that doesn’t apply to you.” She smirked at him and tore into her bagel that had lox and cream cheese on it. She finished off her bagel, half her tea, before starting on her doughnut. Bright green eyes flickered over to his and she wondered if he would come here after they parted ways.

“Maybe we should start in midtown. We can drive around and stop into some apartment complexes just to look around.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 11:27 pm

by Dollface

“A quickie in a Starbucks, huh? Guess I’ll have to keep that in mind.” Owen lifted an eyebrow again, turning his attention towards her briefly before looking back to the road again. He followed her directions to the breakfast spot, which was easy enough to get to. The area they were in really wasn’t too bad, there were certainly a lot of little shops like the one they were going to stop in, so he could assume the bigger part of the city was still a ways away. Maybe something like this would be better for him though, for now; a place to slow down for a few months or so in a place where no one knew him.

Pulling into a parking space, Owen followed after Eli at a slower rate than the skip that carried her into the shop. Owen was welcomed with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked breakfast goods. When she finished, he ordered a coffee and a egg sandwich on a bagel. He was given the coffee first, which he doctored to his liking off to the side, and grabbed his bagel once it was ready, following Eli to the booth she chose. “Oh, please,” he replied with a sigh, taking a sip of his coffee before setting the mug on the table in between them. “I think you like it more than you let on.” Owen took a couple bites out of his sandwich before he went on. “It’s like, when you’re kids, and they tell you that when someone picks on you, they like you? That’s you about all this coffee business.” He was smirking at her again, mirroring the one he wore this morning when he thought of his snarky breakfast comment.

“And you can’t say anything about me not being quiet, you’re quite chatty yourself, especially when you’re drunk,” he pointed at her, before grabbing his coffee mug to take a sip again. Owen finished off his sandwich, and as she started in on her doughnut, he reached across the table to grab it and steal a piece. He popped it into his mouth, and folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back into the booth. “Sure, that sounds fine. If I can just find a studio for now that’s not crazy expensive and I won’t get mugged, I’ll be happy.”

With that, Owen drained his coffee, and grabbed a couple of dollar bills out of his wallet to leave a tip on the table. “Apartment hunting can be a pretty draining task, though. Just let me know if you need to stop into a Starbucks to let off some steam.” Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, Owen slid out of the booth to head back towards the car and start on their journey.

They drove a little farther out of the town that they were staying, more towards the suburbs. Owen followed Eliza’s directions again towards an apartment that was going to be leasing one bedroom and studio apartments as soon as possible – which was lucky for him. Their first stop seemed nice enough, and Owen led the way into the leasing office with Eli by his side.

“Well, hello!” Owen was greeted by the lady at the front desk in the office who was far too cheery since it was before ten in the morning. “I’m Marcia, how can I help ya’ll today?” Her smile was bright, and Owen looked to Eliza with wide eyes and a smile that was stretched a little thin, as he reached over the desk to shake the woman’s outstretched hand.

“I, uh, we’re just coming into town and need a place kinda quick, if that’s going to work at all?”

“Well, alright, whatcha lookin for? A one bedroom? Or do ya’ll need some space for a little one?”

Owen’s mouth turned into an ‘o’ as he realized that the woman across from them assumed that they were a couple. Rolling with it, Owen slipped an arm around Eli, pulling her close to his side as he gave a small shake of his head. “Nah, it’s just the two of us. She had to move for… work. So here we are! It’s been a little crazy, but we’d like to settle in somewhere nice, and quick too.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:01 am

by Simply

Red tinged her cheeks at his comment about Starbucks. She bit her lip gently, thoughtfully holding it between her teeth and running her tongue back and forth across the portion she held in her mouth. Shifting, she settled into the passenger seat again, thinking a little too much about the possibilities of dragging him into a Starbucks and taking him up on that offer. The possibilities were…well close to endless. The back of her mind was toying with the notion as they walked into a decent looking condo complex. Bright blue eyes flickered over to the cheery woman that greeted them both. Then Owen’s arm was around her and she fell into character. This could be a fun moment for them, after all.

“Absolutely. Hun, don’t you like the landscaping out front. It would be good for when we have our families visit. And I heard there is a pool, too, Marcia. We’d love to be shown around the grounds in additional to a one bedroom. We could settle for a studio.” She turned towards him, staying in his arm as her face tilted upwards toward him. “We don’t need much room, after all.” She smirked, grinning at him as Marcia began to collect some papers and keys to show them certain apartments.

Marcia began to show them around. She took them to the studio first, which was terribly small but perfectly comfortable for one person. “Mmm, this may be a little less than what we were looking for. Don’t you think so, babe?” She strolled into the small kitchen area. “Let’s see the one bedroom. I don’t know if I love the idea of my kitchen right next to my mattress. Mmm, no.” She waggled a finger at the space, as though they had spent a lot of time looking at different apartments and that this was not the one for them.

Marcia led them to the one bedroom with a balcony and Eliza began to nod. “Yes, this is much more what we are looking for, don’t you think, darling? We could put our couch here and the chair here. And then on the porch we could put out some of those hanging flower baskets to brighten it up. Wouldn’t that be just delightful?” Eli smiled at him and rolled her eyes when Marcia’s back was turned. “Let’s look at the bedroom.” She led him into the small bedroom and Marcia stayed behind. “Oh this will do nicely.” She said loudly before pulling him further into the room.

“What do you think? You could bring all of your future one-night stands here. Woo them in and then you take them and gently push them, here,” her voice was low, soft, so Marcia wouldn’t hear. She pressed her body against him, pinning him to the wall. The heat passed between them and then she drew away. “And then work your way to the bed here,” she twirled in place, smirking at him. “Then lean over them and give them that little grin you do when your thoughts are necessarily in the best place. “ She cast a sideways glance at him. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:30 am

by Dollface

It was like a switch flipped, the way that Eliza fell into her role as his significant other. He grinned down at her as her gaze tilted up to him, and he gave the slightest shake of his head, trying not to laugh as the apartment manager began to gather her things to show them around. Eliza was right, though – the grounds were nice, but as they wandered into the studio apartment, he knew it wasn’t going to be enough, even if it was just for him and it would just be temporary. “Oh, definitely, we’ll need a little more space with the mess you make in the kitchen,” he replied to Eli with a furrow in his brow, his hands resting on his hips as he surveyed the small room.

Off to the one bedroom they went, and Owen had grasped Eli’s hand in his as they followed Marcia. To keep up the appearance of being together, of course. Once they were inside the apartment, he let go of her hand, and walked around to get a good look at the place. The balcony was nice, everything seemed clean, and it would be perfect just for him. “Delightful, of course, I know how much you love your… flower baskets…” Owen tilted an eyebrow at Eliza, and stifled a laugh when she rolled her eyes as Marcia looked to be readying the paperwork on one of the kitchen counters.

Owen followed Eli suspiciously into the bedroom, humming lightly in agreement to her words. “It’ll do just fine, I think…” His words trailed off, as she pushed up against the wall, and his breath caught in his throat as her body came flush up against his. Eli was gone before he could pull her tighter against him, and that same breath that had caught was let out shakily. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Smirks? I don’t smirk.” The young man sauntered towards her, reaching for her hand again and twining her fingers with her, dragging him close to her again. “I was going to say you have the honor of being my only one night stand, and that I’d likely not have another…” Owen touched his index finger to her chin, tilting her face up towards his.

“But you’ve kinda stuck around the last week, so I might have to revoke that from you.” His eyes flickered from her own light eyes, down to her lips, before he sought her gaze again, and brushed his thumb against her lower lip. That grin tugged the corners of his mouth upward before he caught his lower lip between his teeth briefly. “We should probably head back out there before Marcia thinks we’re canoodling in here like a couple of newlyweds.”

“Excuse me!” Right on cue, the woman in the other room called out for them, and Owen broke away from his companion to drag her back into the small kitchen area. “So, what do you two think? You ready to call this little place home?” She beamed at them, clearly hopeful that she’d reeled them in quickly.

Owen rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, raising his eyebrows as he glanced to Eli like he needed to consult with her. “Well, we do still have those other appointments today for walk throughs…” It was a lie, of course, but Owen was nervous about grabbing the first apartment that he saw. Not to mention, he wondered if they’d keep this little charade up if they went anywhere else, and to be honest, Owen was having fun. “What do you think, babe?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:48 am

by Simply

His fingers on her chin made her shiver. Her eyes did not fail to notice the way his darted down to her mouth and then back up to her face. “The one and only, hmmm?” She murmured back to him, her eyes closing when his thumb brushed her lip. Damn. She exhaled slowly when he led her back into the other room. “It’s awfully beautiful but I think we should keep the rest of our appointments, hun. You know how I hate to not show up.” She saw the way Marcia shifted. “But, I definitely think we should swing back by here if this sit he one for us.

“Do you have a card, Marcia, that we can keep with us and give you a call later today if this one ends up being the one we want?” Marcia nodded eagerly and handed the couple a card. Eliza slid it into her back pocket and led Owen back to the car, laughing when Marcia was out of earshot. “Want to go see some more. I’m thinking that I can put on a real good southern accent and throw some charm at the next gal that shows us around?”

They toured two more placed before she looked at the time. “Hey, we need to go meet my contact now. That way you can have all the proper identification if you do find a place that you want. “ She directed him back to where they were to meet, taking a small detour along the way because she had gotten slightly turned around. “Just wait here.” She said as she slipped out of the now parked car. She moved over to another car, a small navy one that was parked a few spaces over. She leaned into the window, appearing to laugh and twirl her hair like a girl meeting a date for dinner. He handed her two packets and she took them, hanging around a few moments longer before returning back to the car with Owen.

“Got them!” She held out one to him. “Don’t open it around me, though. I think it would be best if we don’t exchange our new identities in case….anything were to go wrong.” She became rather serious as she said that but then smiled and they headed to their last stop.

“Hello! I’m Pamela. How might I help you today?”

“Hi Pam! I’m Jeanne and this is my fiancé. “ She gushed over the word, resting a hand against Owen’s chest and staring up into his eyes as though she’d never seen anyone half so handsome as him. “We just moved to the area and we’re looking for a place to stay and then a nice ring shop. He popped the question last night and oh my gawd. Pam, it was so romantic but he surprised even himself, he said, cause he didn’t want to wait a single.moment.longer. He didn’t even have time to get a ring and that just means so much to me.” She turned her back on pam as she pressed both hands to Owen’s chest and grinned devilishly up at him. “He’s a big romantic, my sugar bear.” She waited a moment before turning her attention to Pamela again. “Sorry, I’m just so excited. Do you have any one bedrooms available?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:17 am

by Dollface

After the day that they were having, walking through apartments and putting on the best shows of their lives pretending to be together, Owen thought to himself jokingly that he’d make a mighty fine actor. Eli was laying it on thick with the apartment managers that they met, and he managed to follow suit, charming everyone along the way. So far, the first place was the best that they’d seen, but Owen was ready to check out one more when Eliza mentioned that they’d need to stop to meet her contact for their papers. “Sure thing, honey britches.”

They drove off to the meeting point, and Owen listened to Eli as she told him to stay put. For the time being, he reached back into his bag to read his book while she got their new identification. When it took her a few minutes longer than he would have imagined, his eyes wandered out in her direction, noting the way she spoke to the guy in the other car. An eyebrow lifted, and something welled inside him that he squashed down right away. There was no use entertaining any feelings such as that.

So he immersed himself back into the story until Eli returned, handing his papers off to him. Taking the folder into his hand, he sucked in a deep breath. “Sure, sure, of course. Totally makes sense. Why would I wanna see you after today anyway?” He joked with a lift of his brows, and threw the car into reverse to make their way back onto the road.

The last place, the fourth, looked nicer than all of the rest. A handful of the apartments were all one story apartments attached to one another, which Owen thought was perfect because nobody liked having to deal with upstairs or downstairs neighbors. As they walked to the office, he crossed his fingers that one of those would be open for him. Eli wasted no time falling into character, and he plastered the biggest grin on his face as he hooked his arm around her waist again. “That’s right, and we’d love to find something right away. Especially if a one story unit is available.”

Pamela glanced between them, her eyebrows high on her forehead. “Weeellll, as a matter of fact, we’ve got a couple of those units open, I’d love to show you ‘round one. The… privacy is nice, or so we hear. Come along, now.” Just as all of the other managers did, she gathered up some keys and paperwork, and led them to the apartment buildings.

They took their time to look around, and Owen was sold. After looking around the unit, Owen followed her back to the office and explained that he’d like to come by tomorrow with the deposit and finish up the paperwork, explaining everything was still a mess with the recent move. He must have been charming enough, because Pamela agreed. She sent him away with her business card, with a couple suggestions for ring shops written down on the back.

Owen led the way back to the car, and had tossed the keys to Eliza so that she could drive this time. “Sugar bear, huh?” He leaned back against the seat, smiling over at her as he gave another shake of his head. “You’re damn convincing, you know that?” Owen lowered his voice as he let his elbow rest against the console between their seats, and leaned towards her a little bit, his chin falling into the palm of his hand. “It’s almost like… you like me a little bit or something, Eli.” He bit down on his lower lip again a little bit, before he gave a shake of his head, pulling back to buckle up.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:32 am

by Simply

“Oh, I had to use that one. I had been saving it all day. And don’t forget that you’re the one that started this. I was more than happy to just be a friend helping out a friend.” She settled herself into the driver’s seat. “Mmm, don’t go getting a big head now. I’m a very good actress. It came with the job.” She pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the motel. She wanted to get a few things in order before they went somewhere for dinner. She motioned to his package on the ground. “There is a phone in there with some data if you want to search around and figure out a place for dinner. You can buy this time, too, since I was extremely helpful in wooing those women over to your side.”

She pulled into the motel parking lot and hopped out. After walking around inside and outside all day, she wanted to change her clothes and tie up her hair in a bun that looked half-way decent if they would be coming somewhere for dinner. She began rummaging through her bag and drew out one of the newer shirts that she had bought the other day. Changing, she emerged from the bathroom in a fresh shirt and a nicer pair of slacks.

“Find anywhere good to eat? I’m starving. Those little snacks the places had were not a great substitute for lunch but it was pretty fun so as long as you get me a nice dinner I should be good to go.” Hazel eyes flickered over to him as she sat on the end of the bed. She handed him the keys. “No, don’t tell me, just surprise me.” Eliza grinned, brushing back the wisps of hair that hang around her face despite the rest being pulled back into a bun.

She sat in the passenger seat while he directed them towards their destination. “I would make such a great imaginary fiancé with my flower baskets and my cooking skills.” She laughed. “And you, bringing up wood whittling. I mean, seriously.” She laughed hard, covering her mouth. “Wood whittling?! Who even does that anymore? I didn’t even know that way a hobby that people had.” She focused her attention on the restaurant as they parked and she peered out. “Japanese huh?” She grinned. There wasn’t really a food type that she didn’t like…except for coffee. Coffee was terrible.

“Full of surprises.” She stepped out and then whirled back on him. “Now, don’t go plying me with wine to get my drunk. You had your chance with me and you blew it by passing out.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:52 am

by Dollface

Back at the motel, Owen was glad to plop onto the bed for a moment, while Eli flitted about the room to get ready for dinner already. It was amazing that the day was practically over, and Owen was hit with the realization that they had a few hours left to their day together, and Eli would be gone in the morning. Briefly, he wondered just how she was going to go about that, but Owen tried not to dwell on it as he rifled through the package with his brand new identity to find his new phone.

For now, he hooked it up to the charger and decided he wanted to put on a new change of clothes himself. While Eliza went off to the bathroom, Owen changed quickly into a dark pair of jeans and a black long sleeved, v-neck shirt. He went to the mirror that hung on the wall by the door, shifting his hand through his hair a couple of times to tame it just a little bit. Then, he pulled up the web browser on the phone, searching for some place for them to eat. He settled on something different, and as he’d decided Eli emerged and he smiled up at her. “You really are very, very demanding, Eli.” Her name was almost a sigh on his lips as he stood from the edge of the bed, tucking his phone into his pocket now.

“No surprises here, I plan on taking to you to a nice dinner at the local McD’s. It’s a value menu night for my fiancé.” Keys in hand, he led the way out to the car, and drove off to their dinner destination. A genuine, hearty laugh escaped him when she brought up the fibs they told at their tours today. Owen wouldn’t admit it, but he actually had done some wood whittling back in the day, but only the summer he went to camp.

They arrived at the Japanese restaurant, and he was pleased with her apparent surprise. “I’ve gotta keep you on your toes, Eli.” He winked at her as he exited the car, rounding it to meet her on the other side. “Me, get you drunk? Why, I never. Besides, if I was going to get you drunk on anything tonight, it’s not going to be wine. We need something a little better than that, to celebrate and all.”

Was there something to celebrate? There was a hollow feeling that settled inside of him with that word, as he led the way into the restaurant. It was nice, going out with just one other person, because they were seated rather quickly in a u-shaped booth with a high back. Owen scooted in, somewhat close to the middle, and ordered a glass of water for now. “Thanks for sticking around and helping me out today, Eli. I mean, thanks for it all, but you didn’t really have to help me out with the whole apartment thing.” His eyes were focused on the small, black napkin that the waiter had dropped off with their water glasses. “I’d say I owe you one, but I think dinner tonight will have to suffice. I could try to find some wood and whittle you something nice?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 2:10 am

by Simply

“You enjoy getting me drunk, and don’t even try to deny it.” She narrowed her eyes at him, but her smile gave away her tease. She slid into the booth near him, requesting water to start. Bright eyes flickered over the menu and then over to him. When their waiter returned with their glasses of water, she requested sake for them both. The rice wine would pair nicely with their dinner, no matter what they ordered. “It was fun, I won’t deny that. And I had to wait on my papers anyway, so why not follow you around and make a spectacle of myself?” She grinned and sipped at her water. She perused the menu, looking over the sushi appetizers and the entrees with rice on the side. She cocked her head back and forth, tucking the wisps behind her ear to keep them from tickling her cheek.

The waiter returned with their drink selection and two small sake cups. Eliza ordered the spicy yellowtail roll as her appetizer and then a teriyaki chicken for her meal with a side of chinese broccoli. She poured the sake into their mugs and offered him one. “You’re lucky I’m trying to keep this dinner classy. No sake bombs for you.” She grinned and sipped her wine. “And I wouldn’t mind a nicely carved wooden boat. I’ve always dreamed of one.” Eli laughed and leaned back, holding her sake in her hands and sipping it occasionally.

“The last place really was the nicest. I think you’ll like it there, for the time being until you get your ducks in a row and decide what you want to do. I do think I will give Georgia a try, at least for a few weeks, before moving on. I’ll keep moving around in case they’ve figured out how to track me. That way they think I’m still on the run.” She grinned, clearly having spent a lot of time thinking about this and setting up a plan.

Eliza filled up their cups once again and sipped on hers. “I think there is an IKEA here that you can get some cheap furniture from, since it might look a little sketchy that you don’t have anything to move in with.” Her appetizer arrived after a few minutes and she placed it between them in case he wanted any. They ate in silence for a while and finished the first carafe of sake before she ordered another one.

“You know you are going to have to practice right…on people, that aren’t me.” She grinned as she said it, but the serious tone lingered behind her words. He needed to be prepared. “You’re not altering anything just…monitoring.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 2:47 am

by Dollface

As he perused the menu, Owen glanced up towards Eliza, catching the way her fingers brushed her stray hair behind her ear, and he fought off the urge to do so himself. Ever since last night… there was no forgetting the sensation of her fingertips against his skin, their pulses syncing as their breathing did, as he’d calmed her from her restless sleep. Finally, he glanced away from her when the waiter returned with their sake and to take their orders. Owen didn’t bother with an appetizer, and ordered a yakisoba beef dish as his meal. “Our last night together, and you don’t want to have fun? Come on now, Eliza, this should be a night to remember.” A dark brow lifted and he smirked, taking a sip of sake from the cup she offered him.

Owen nodded slowly, letting his eyes roam over the rest of the restaurant and its patrons as his companion spoke of his new living arrangement. “Well, if you ever need to make a pit stop while you’re on the run, you’ll know where to find me. For a little while at least.” Owen smiled, knowing she’d probably shoot that down, and drained the small cup of its contents. “I think I would like to try my hand at teaching, so I’ll see what I can do about sticking around for a school year.” Shrugging, he thanked her for refilling his cup, and took another sip before setting it down, remembering that they hadn’t eaten much before now.

He needed to slow down. Thankfully, Eliza’s appetizer arrived, and Owen reached for his chopsticks to help her out with it. “I’ll worry about securing the apartment first, since I’m sure I can’t move in right away tomorrow, and then I’ll worry about furniture and all that.”

Now, he felt safe… safer than he had before, at least. He checked every now and then to see if there was anyone around who might be watching them, and he was always met with nothing. Sighing as she brought up those powers, Owen set down his chopsticks, leaning back into the back of the booth. “I know I will, Eli. I will. It’s just something hard to come to terms with when I’ve always lived a certain way up until this point. Everything about my powers used to be so simple, just something… extra. Like a toe.” Owen laughed, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair, before dropping it to the seat between them.

“Even monitoring, checking in on someone who I might be suspicious of feels like I’m walking in on them naked or something. I don’t know,” he sighed again, exasperated with his own explanation. “Or like reading someone’s diary.” Except now, reading someone’s diary would be life or death if he wasn’t careful. “Look at me, you’ve got me babbling already. And you wanted to accuse me of getting you drunk?” Owen was grinning again, a laugh on his lips as the waiter stopped by now with their entrees, and as the waiter went to hand Owen his plate, he got the slightest bit of contact from him, and decided to do what Eli had brought up. He would practice on someone else.

It was a brief contact, but he caught enough to register a thought, and a smirk flickered over his lips. “Thank you very much,” he said to the young man, as he’d set down the second carafe of sake. “So,” Owen leaned in close to Eli, his eyes focused on mixing up the noodles on his plate, “our waiter seems to be wondering if we’re a couple or not. I didn’t get much more than that, but I suspect it’s because he’d like to possibly leave his number for you. What’s with you and the wait staff, Eli?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:14 pm

by Simply

“Ah, yes. It is difficult to completely change your values so suddenly. I can’t imagine what it is like to suddenly decide to alter the course of your life because fate threw something, or someone, in your path. “ Eliza drained off the sake from her second mug and cast his a sidelong glance, licking her bottom lip. She drew it between her teeth and smirked at him. Yes, she was playing him a little harshly with that one but she did need to push him towards it. After all, when she left him tomorrow, he was going to be without an instructor, as terribly as she was with that. He kept chattering on and she poured herself another mug of sake, leaning back into the cushions and flickering her eyes over to him. “I’m drinking as well. “ She waved her cup in his direction. “Don’t think that there is some conspiracy to get you waste, while I remain sober.” Hazel eyes danced over him and noticed his little smirk. She narrowed her eyes in hi direction, wondering just precisely what he was up to with that little grin that made her stomach tighten.

“Does he now?” She raised her eyebrows and put her attention in the waiter’s direction as he poured water at another table. He caught her looking and she tilted her head at him and smiled, blushing slightly. Eli watched as he turned his back and then made his way to another, closer table. His eyes darted back to her frequently. “Well, I can’t help how I appeal to waiters when I got out. I just have a certain charm that cannot be denied.”

Eliza slipped closer to him, right as he had taken his mug again to sip at his sake, his fork resting on his plate. She focused solely on Owen, but was acutely aware of the waiter’s eyes on them both from the entry to the kitchen. She slipped her hand up his chest, jumping to his jawline once she had reached his collarbone. She ran her finger from the left side of his jaw to the middle, smiling slightly. Then she mimicked the way he had brushed his tongue against her lip, doing the same to him. Withdrawing, she moved back in front of her meal, starting to eat it.

“Well, when he comes back, now you can discern precisely what he is thinking now. I’m interested to see what he is thinking.” She ate the rest of her meal, waiting for the waiter to return. He motioned to ask if they wanted another and she nodded. “One last carafe. We can uber, now that you have a phone under your secret new name.” She smirked and drained her glass. “Now when he comes back, make sure to get a read. I’m dying,” she scooted closer to him again, having finished her meal, “to know what he thinks about you, and me.” This game was fun and she was more than a little tipsy. It was like a more risqué version of apartment hunting and drunk Eliza was too impaired to think better of it.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 4:59 pm

by Dollface

“Demanding, and so modest too, Eli,” he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth as if reprimanding her, taking another bite of his meal, before he went to finish off the sake in his cup. It was hardly a second before Eliza nearly closed the distance on the seat between them, and instead of looking to her face, Owen watched her hand. He could feel the heat of her through the fabric of his shirt, which felt more thin than it probably was as she skittered her fingers upward. “You love to put on a show, don’t you?” He whispered to her, a half smile on his lips again as his eyes caught hers, a sigh escaping him as her thumb brushed his lower lip. “Maybe you should head out west, try your hand at acting. Although being recognized wouldn’t be the best idea.”

He shook his head at her as she released her touch, and Owen couldn’t help but find their waiter as well, only to find him glancing from their table quickly as he went to tend to some of his other guests. “Poor guy,” Owen had started to say something more on the subject, when their waiter returned briefly and another carafe of sake was ordered. With her close, Owen dropped a hand to her knee, a flash of a memory of their first night together flickering through his mind. If Eliza was going to put on the show, why couldn’t he? He was tipsy at this point as well, and it was the last time he’d see her… He tipped his head, speaking close to her ear,“I could probably tell you what he thinks without even getting a read from him. He’s probably thinking I’m a chump and you’re far too pretty to be out with a guy like me.”

As if on cue, the waiter returned. Owen glanced sideways at him before turning his attention fully, thanking him and making contact with his fingers again as he took the carafe to rest it on the table close to them. The waiter left the check on the table as well, mentioning that they weren’t being rushed out, before leaving the pair alone again. “Well, I was close,” Owen said, his voice still low, and removed his hand from Eliza’s knee. First, he took the necessary cash from his wallet to leave with the check, then filled their cups once more with the sake. “Mostly, he just thought it was a shame that apparently you weren’t single, but maybe this was a first or second date that wouldn’t lead to much more, and he might see you again. Little does he know, he’d see me again before he’d see you, but I don’t think he’d want to take me out on a date.”

His tone was filled with amusement as he said this, and Owen lifted the sake to his lips again. “Is that proof enough for you I’ll be able to read others when you’re gone? Or shall we keep playing?” Owen leaned back into the booth, his hand falling between them, his pinky finger seeking out hers. “I could always try practicing trying to read without touch. It is a little more difficult, but not impossible. Although, since you are getting me good and drunk, I don’t know how good I’d be at it.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:31 pm

by Simply

Eliza watched as he read the waiter, trying to see if she could discern anything but knowing that she likely couldn't tell one way or the other. She noticed the slight contact, the brush of their hands and turned her attention to him in interest at what the waiter thought. She laughed at Owen's words, shaking her head before immediately tucking the straggling hairs behind her right ear using her right hand. Her left rested on the seat space between them and she did not fail to notice the inching movement his made until the smallest of their fingers rested against each other. Excitement and fear raced through her body.

"Mmm, you see the thing is though is that you could be making it up entirely. How do I even know that he is thinking those things?" She inquired but laughed, finishing off the remaining bit of rice wine that they have in the carafe. The bills rested on the check and she slipped her hand under his and tugged slightly, before letting go and slipping out of the booth. "Let's try your hand at it while we walk around some. I did see a little dessert place a few shops down. You can prove yourself by reading what people will order before they even do it. That way we'll know if you're just full of shit or not." Eliza smirked and walked out of the restaurant. As they strolled down the street, she kept her hands clasped in front of her around her wallet.

They entered the small dessert shoppe that apparently specialized in sweet twists on crepes. She nodded her head to the old man and granddaughter at the front of the line of people. "All right Houdini, tell me what they're going to order before they do it. Let's see how good you are, even if you're a little drunk." Her eyes twinkled at him and she pressed her hands up against the glass, admiring the confections contained inside.

This would be the last time she had someone to talk to until she got settled in Georgia for a while. She's have to make friends. She'd have to find a job and have coworkers and go on outings with them. Yet, she was positive that it would not quite feel the same as it did with Owen. The ease of talking to him, confessing things. It came so quickly - after all near death experiences bind people together rather quickly.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:09 pm

by Dollface

“I promise you, I’m not,” he replied with a lift of her brow, and after the tug of her hand, he followed her lead out of the booth. “Why would I lie to you, Eli?” Really, he had nothing to gain from telling her the waiter was thinking one thing when he really thought another. Of course, he also knew that his companion was just about intoxicated as he was, and now she was having fun with him. He supposed the least he could do was continue along with her whims – and he wouldn’t argue with dessert, either.

Owen walked alongside Eliza as they wandered down the street to the creperie. The sweet scents around them were mesmerizing, and his eyes were scanning the menu before he even thought about trying to read anyone around them. Eliza brought him back to their mission at hand, however, as Owen tucked away his own choice in the back of his mind. “Why don’t we up the stakes? If I’m right, dessert’s on you.” He bit down on his lower lip as he glanced over towards her, before he settled his attention on the patrons in front of them. The younger of the two was easier to read, as children tend to be. “The little girl wants a strawberry and banana crepe with nutella and powdered sugar.” Owen leaned close to Eliza, slipping a hand onto the small of her back, lips close to her ear. Gaze focused on the older man now, who seemed to be pondering over the menu far more extensively than his granddaughter.

“He’s going to decide to split it with her, saying he’s not big on sweets.” A moment after he spoke, Owen listened in on them as they ordered. The little girl spoke for herself, asking for the strawberry and banana crepes with Nutella, and her grandfather explained that was going to be it for them, that they would split their dessert. “Ha!” Owen exclaimed a little louder than he’d intended, and quickly averted his attention to the glass case in front of him, pointing at a giant cream puff that was filled with whipped cream.

Clearing his throat, waiting for the attention to drift away from him, he turned back to Eliza. “O ye of little faith, I believe you owe me dessert now. No more tasks, now. I’m positively spent, you’ve drained me of all my energy.” He sighed, feigning exasperation with her. The line moved forward, and Owen moved to the cash register to order a fruit filled crepe for himself before he moved to the side so Eliza could order as well. Their desserts were ready quickly, the crepes filled to the brim in a cone cup, and Owen grabbed for Eliza’s hand to lead her outside to sit on a bench along the sidewalk.

Tipsy as he was, he gave no thought to how much he was seeking out her touch in the simplest of ways, even if it was very brief. Owen did, however, have a fleeting thought that this was almost like a proper date – like the one he tried to take her on before she’d tried to kill him and they ran off together. “As nice as our little road trip has been – and as delicious this is – I can’t wait to have a kitchen of my own to cook in again. And a bed to myself, I guess.” He was joking with her of course, and nudged his elbow into her side, casting a glance in her direction.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:43 pm

by Simply

Eliza decided that instead of the treats behind the glass she was absolutely going to have to order a crepe. Silently, she debated on whether or not to get the Nutella crepe or the strawberry cream. His voice drew her out of her decision making and she turned her slightly flushed face to look back at him. Then she whirled her whole body around and leaned against the slight counter that jutted from the glass enclosure. "You seem to be professing at a remarkable pace. If you keep it up who knows what you'd be able to do. Might even be able to con your way into a really lax job with excellent pay so you can then do what you want to. You can write those secret things you mentioned but won't really tell me what they are." As though the thought just struck her, Eli leaned towards him and whispered. "Do you write romance novels? No, even better, so you write science fiction romance novels?" She grinned delightedly and laughed at the thought of him writing an epic love tale set between a human and alien. Eliza cringed shortly thereafter at the thought of it.

Eli laughed at his victory and bowed to him. "I apologize for doubting you, master psychic. How foolish of me." Bright eyes flickered to the worker behind the counter and they quickly had their crepes after Eliza paid for their food. Bright blue eyes flickered to their joined hands as he led her out of the little cafe and out into the warm air of the night. She settled into a seat beside him and narrowed her eyes when he mentioned sleeping alone

"Don't kid yourself. I know you'll miss me waking you up with my night terrors. How well will you sleep without being awoken regularly in the middle of the night?" She smiled at him and nudged him back but did so by scooting closer to him. Eli devoured her crepe until there was only one fourth left and she couldn't possible eat any more. She set the little container down beside her and leaned back comfortably, waiting for him to finish. "But I can't lie that having my own place will be pretty nice and not spending all my in a car will be enjoyable."

Once he had finished they hailed an uber. "Let's go back. I'm exhausted. I may not even be able to change. That bed is going to look so good that I might just fall into it immediately." They hailed the uber and she placed her hand on his leg when they had arrived at the motel. Waiting to scoot out after him. When they entered the room she jumped into the bed and laid back, kicking off her shoes as she did so. "What?" She said, her cheeks rosy and her eyes alight. "What is that smirk for? And his morning before we left...what were you thinking about?" She smiled coyly, propping herself up on an elbow, gazing at him.

by Dollface

He definitely wouldn’t admit it right now, considering he wasn’t the one hurt, but the sight of the blood and Eliza’s wound caused his stomach to roil just a little bit. At that point, he realized he hadn’t eaten, hadn’t had anything to drink since the Coke with their pizza last night. He knew he needed something in his system despite the slight roll of nausea that hit him. Even Owen winced just a little bit when she peeled her own shirt off to put pressure on the injury, and he kept his eyes on the road. Not even because he didn’t want to seem like he’d be ogling at her, but the blood wouldn’t make him feel any better and he needed to focus on getting them the hell out of town.

At her laughter, he let out his own hoarse chuckle, shaking his head. “Must have missed it in my bag last night. Guess it worked out in a way.” His last words were mumbled, a furrow in his brow. Owen wished that it hadn’t worked out this way; they were supposed to be on a fairly leisurely drive headed towards Columbus, and now he was wondering if they were even going to wind up there at all. Something told Owen that they wouldn’t, that Gavin probably saw exactly where they’d planned on going already and would head in that direction the moment that he could.

“We’ll stop again later and practice. I’ll drive for the day, you need… you need to rest. Try and eat something too.” A shuddering breath left him as he eased into his seat, eyes lingering in his rearview mirror longer than he usually would have. It didn’t seem like they were being followed, but he didn’t ease up on the gas pedal much. He was going quick enough without exceeding the speed limit too much, because the last thing they needed tacked on to their day was a speeding ticket that would hold them up even longer.

“And I thought you said they weren’t your friends anyway. After a stunt like that, I’d definitely agree.” Owen gripped the steering wheel tightly, a light flare of anger rushing through him as the sight of Gavin flashed in his mind again. Something about him seemed familiar, but Owen knew that he’d never seen him, met him. He must just have one of those faces that seemed easily recognizable.

Leaning over, Owen reached for her satchel, bringing it up into the middle console so he could go through it. He passed Eliza one of the muffins if she decided she wanted it, grabbing an apple that she’d picked up so he could bite into it. “It was last night, wasn’t it? Your barriers… not working or whatever,” he talked around the apple, his eyes straight forward, uncertain that he wanted to look her in the eye. While he drove, he worked on his own, trying to build up the shield while keeping his worry in check. “Figures, doesn’t it? I act defensively and nearly kill you. We almost sleep together and that nearly kills you. When we stop, I’ll just get some bubble wrap and put you in that, because I’m noticing an awful trend here.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 4:17 pm

by Simply

She noticed his attempts to hide the discomfort that her wound caused him but there was nothing she could do about it. At least he was holding himself together during this situation they found themselves in. Then he began to baby her, take care of her and she couldn’t help but smile a little bit through the pain. She too the muffin and began to eat it slowly, ignoring the fact that there were crumbs falling between her bar and skin and along her lap. She finished one slowly and could have certainly gone for the drink that Gavin had prevented her from getting.

Eliza closed her eyes, focusing on controlling her breathing. In and out. In and out. She could feel her body beginning to stitch her together and the pain was agonizing. While she might certainly love the idea that she would heal at an exponential rate, the process was extremely uncomfortable. She listened to him putting the pieces together himself and sighed, turning to look at him. “I think so.” The memory of his hand holding her above her head hit her and she tried to hide the way her breath hitched, it coming out as a cough that tore through her side. A groan of pain left her.

“Well this makes three times that you’ve nearly kill me, so therefore it’s three to two.” Eli grinned at him, trying to focus on anything but the anatomical stitching of her wound. “Are you some kind of male black widow?” A smirk danced on her lips as she closed her eyes again. “But, yeah, I think you’re right. I don’t know why it happens but if they tracked me and not you…maybe when you’re not focusing on blocking entry into your mind, you…steal mine when you touch me.” The need to keep her eyes closed and not look at him while she talked about it.

“So there’s this constant,” a pause, as though trying to make it not sound stupid like it always had in her mind, “a hum beneath my skin. It’s always been there so I thought that’s just how everyone felt all the time. Turns out it is my magic intertwined with my life, with my survival. I’ve always had it and it became my normal. It is my normal.” As she talked, her free hand absentmindedly brushed the crumbs that lingered on her skin.

“When you touch me, the humming stops.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 5:05 pm

by Dollface

When you touch me, the humming stops.

Something about her saying that really made him want to reach over, to take her hand gently, and to really pay attention to what happened when their skin made contact. Now, it felt forbidden, that any sort of extra touch could put them in more danger than they were already in, and he swore he felt himself physically lock up a little bit. “We’ll just have to be more… careful then, I guess. If we can only get a one bed room again, we’ll build a little wall so you aren’t tempted with any funny business.” Owen tried to tease her a little bit, a light smile on his lips as he turned to look at her.

The conversation quieted for the most part, staying relatively light here and there. After being on the road for a couple of hours, Owen figured they needed to stop and get something to drink, and most importantly a first aid kit to take care of Eliza’s wound. Off the side of the road was a Wal-Mart, and before they wandered in, Owen carefully helped Eliza into the old shirt of his he’d offered before. “You’re sure you want to come in? I can be in and out on my own as soon as possible.” The look on her face had told him that he had once again asked a dumb question, and so he conceded despite knowing she must have been uncomfortable.

He quickly gathered what they needed; also picking up some extra clothes while they were there. Owen had wandered down the book aisle, grabbing something for himself, when he spotted something else. He’d cast a quick glance towards Eliza, who was distracted, and tucked it amongst the things in his hands as he hoped she wouldn’t notice it when they went to pay for it all.

Once they were back in the parking lot, he dropped the bag he was carrying to the hood of the car, opening up the little first aid kit he’d found. “If you’d like, we could get something to eat before we hit the road again, and just keep going til it’s late.” With a dark eyebrow raised, he posed the question, and took an antiseptic wipe slowly over the wound, knowing that he must have been paling slightly as he did so. Just to make sure, he threw up that defense of his so she didn’t try to get in his mind and see what he really felt just then, though he plainly wore it on his face.

Out of the kit, he removed butterfly bandages, placing a few carefully across the injury on her side. “Well, I guess you can just call me Nurse Owen then. I’m sorry I don’t have one of those skimpy outfits to wear for you.” Owen grinned down at her, closing up the box and putting it back in the bag. “So, I might have got a little something extra. For the drive.” He took his lower lip between his teeth then as he went through the grey plastic bag, finally retrieving what he’d bought without her looking. In the aisle, he found Atonement, and remembered how on that first night, Eliza mentioned her copy was battered from all the times she’d read it. “I figured it might be nice to have it along for the trip. Now you have a nice new copy to read through til it’s falling apart.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 5:37 pm

by Simply

Eliza used the bathroom in Wal-mart, careful to keep her side covered with her arm so that no one would get too curious about the pink tinge. She did purchase a couple of extra clothes, comfortable pieces and then one really cute top that would flatter her if she ever managed to be able to lift her arm above her head. “I think that’s a good idea. I can drive now.” But then she held up her shirt above the wound, her back to the store and they were parked far enough away that no one would inquire about what they were doing. She winced when the wipe ran across her skin. Eli hissed at him, but stayed completely still.

“Food sounds good. Then we can keep driving.” Her skin prickled where his fingertips brushed her skin. For the remained of the bandages, she held her breath, trying to focus on the breeze that was blowing instead of the feel of his skin on hers. When he had finished, she lowered down his shirt over the wound again and placed her hand over it. Thankfully her bleeding at stopped but she could see the bruise beginning to spread across her hip. She turned back to the car to get in but he drew her attention to him again. Owen held out Atonement to her and she flickered her eyes upwards to his and back to the book. Eli took it from him and held it carefully. Confusion flickered across her face and then her heart began to pound in her chest. “You…I mean, thank you, but how…you remembered.” That was not quite a complete sentence but she cradled the book in her hands and smiled at him. Warmth spread through her and she bit the inside of her cheek, unsure of what else to say. She had to say something to change the way he was looking at her and the way she was undoubtedly looking at him. It ended poorly.

“I suppose that was the least you could do after failing to wear appropriate work attire, nurse.” She grinned and slipped into the passenger seat, hand against her side. Clearly, her offer to drive had been retracted. She threw her purchased items into the back. “There’s a diner up the street, I think, closer to the highway. We can eat there and then get on the road. I need to figure out – ah!” She had leaned down to get the little map book and the pain in her side shot up her side. “Dammit!” After a moment, she grabbed the book and began to flip through it. Eli performed her little ritual until the book landed on Lexington, Kentucky. “And I’ve picked our new destination. We’ll have to backtrack a bit but that shouldn’t be a bad thing.”

They drove down to the diner she had mentioned. She occupied a small booth and ordered a salad with the creamy ranch dressing. “Think you’d be up to practice?” She needed to be able to shield his mind at all times, without thinking about it. Then, perhaps, he would be able to extend that to her and then their contact wouldn’t be such an issue. Whoa. That little train of thought had quickly derailed and she focused on the water that the waitress placed in front of her.

“Now, she’s too cheerful for me. It’s so hard to find a waitress with the appropriate level of merriment.” She smirked slightly and slipped one hand under the table to hold her side.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:29 pm

by Dollface

“I have a pretty good memory, which is a curse and a blessing sometimes. I guess today it worked in my favor.” Owen shrugged nonchalantly again, rubbing his hand over the side of his face, which he couldn’t wait to shave later when they made their last stop. He got in the car then, refusing to let her drive for the day at least. Owen would be able to make it; he didn’t suspect he’d be up to practicing once they reached their destination, but he’d be able to make it. Ever since theyd ran out of the hotel his adrenaline had been pumping, and nothing had changed. Even without a drop of caffeine in his system, he felt wired again, thriving off of the simple instinct to survive. They just needed to make it through the day.

To do that, they needed food. So he happily drove down the street towards the diner, which looked a little bit nicer than their first stop the day before. A little bell dinged above them, indicating their entrance; the tables were clean, the booths newer, and their waitress had a nice smile on her face when they seated themselves. After Eli ordered her salad, Owen ordered himself a grilled chicken sandwich with French fries on the side, foregoing a coffee for now for some water. “Practice? Oh, Eli,” he spoke with an almost patronizing tone, his head tipped to the side slightly. “Little do you know, I was practicing most of the drive actually. Not much of a headache, either, so I guess that’s an improvement.”

Owen leaned back against the booth, stretching his arms over his head before he linked his hands behind it for a moment. “Is there just no pleasing you, Eli?” He smirked across the table at her, the mischief touching his eyes just barely as he spoke. Unlinking his hands, he leaned forward, unwrapping is straw to stick into his water glass and take a sip. “I was thinking, while I was practicing actually,” he started, his arms folding to rest on the table now as he leaned towards her a bit. “Maybe once I get to the point where I can keep my shield up without thinking about it, it might… change things. It would make sense, wouldn’t it, if it’s meant to keep your power – your type of power, I guess – out.”

Again, he took a sip of his water, and then swirled the straw around in the liquid. Shield up, he reached his hand across the table fingertips brushing along hers just slightly. “That way, I guess if you decided to hell with it all and you wanted to kill me, it wouldn’t feel like death or anything when I tried to defend myself.” Granted, that wasn’t his first thought exactly; the first one wasn’t what he felt was appropriate for the diner.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 6:52 pm

by Simply

“I’m a very hard person to please,” She responded, swirling her straw in her own drink slowly, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. “Things have to be just right…” Eli bit her lip when he reached out to her, feeling the tingle of his fingers as they brushed her. Unwittingly, the young woman’s fingers inched towards his, feeling the bottom side of his fingers with a feather touch. It felt nice to feel the slow numbness that crept upwards. He continued to explain himself and her eyebrows shot up, looking at him directly.

“Ah yes,” She seemed to be musing on the thought, “because that’s what you were doing all that practicing for.” The smirk danced on her lips and then their waitress was back, happily chattering on about how they make their French fries and dressing from scratch. Eli smiled politely before sighing at the effort it took to deal with the overly happy woman. She slowly withdrew her hand from his touch, grabbing her fork. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone but Owen and even then he usually managed to test the limits of her patience.

Not in the same well, but to-may-toe to-mah-toe.

Eagerly, she delved into the salad that was composed of romaine, chicken, carrots, radishes and a number of other vegetables. Eli dumped the dressed on top and mixed it around, eating hungrily. She finished nearly three glasses of water before she had finished her meal. Having been famished, the salad did not fill her and she ordered a slice of peach cobbler from the waitress. “What?” She shrugged when he looked at her, surprised. “I almost died today so I think I can eat a little dessert, even if we are on a budget.”

The dessert came with a healthy serving of whipped cream. “Want some?” She pushed the plate towards the middle and offering him the dessert. She devoured half and when they were done she paid and slipped to the restroom. Meeting him outside, Eli brushed back her hair that was a wavy mess from having slept with it wet. Sitting I the passenger seat, she set her new book in her lap, fingers running over the fresh pages, the smell reaching her nose. “I feel so worthless, being chauffeured around.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 7:13 pm

by Dollface

Even after Eliza rescinded her touch, that little tingle remained at the tips of his fingers. It was light, certainly not as pronounced as anything was the night before, or Saturday when they’d been about to get into bed with each other for the first time. Still, it lingered, and he had to wonder if it had anything to do with their magic at all or if it was simply his attraction towards her. Owen mused to himself silently, as he dug into his sandwich. The grilled chicken was on sourdough bread, his favorite, although by the time he got to the second half he’d done without some of the bread and just ate the chicken on its own.

He shared his French fries with the girl across from him, stealing some of the ranch that was leftover in the little cup for her salad. “Oh, I’m not judging, eat all the dessert you want. I’m just shocked you’d want to eat it all before we have to sit in the car for forever again.” Shrugging his shoulders, he’d pushed his finished lunch off to the side, letting his eyes fall closed for only a second before the smell of peaches hit him. There was no denying Eliza’s offer, and he happily helped her finish off the cobbler before they left the fine establishment.

Owen was in and out of the bathroom before Eliza, and he waited by the car for her, eyes scanning the road and the horizon for signs of any sort of threat. He’d dragged his eyes back towards the front door of the diner as she stepped through, a small smile appearing on his face. Owen couldn’t help but think about how good she looked in his shirt; it wasn’t too baggy, but in his humble opinion, it hung on her just right. Voicing none of this and keeping it confined to his thoughts, he opened the passenger door for her before rounding the car and hopping back into the driver’s seat.

“You need to worry about healing, Eli; you were just mangled. You relax, read your book, sleep off your cobbler.” Owen hunkered down into his seat, leaning his head back against the head rest as he swung back in the direction that they’d come from, before they’d head towards Kentucky. “If you’re feeling better by tomorrow then you can finish off the drive to the last stop, I won’t argue. Your only task is to keep an eye out for someone to stay, somewhere that hopefully has a door on the bathroom. I don’t want to subject you to anymore embarrassment seeing me half naked in a towel.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 7:34 pm

by Simply

Eli noticed how he watched her and tugged at the bottom of the shirt, thinking she must look a fright with tousled hair and the slow way she had to walk to keep from the bandages pulling uncomfortably against her skin. The movement of the car lulled her and she snuggled into the seat. “Oh please. Seeing you without your shirt has become so routine at this point it would hardly phase me.” She waved her hand at him but looked sidelong in his direction. She ended the conversation with that and opened Atonement. She read nearly two paragraphs before she fell asleep.

She slept for nearly four hours until a bump on the highway woke her with a moan. “Ahhh, fuck.” She clutched her side, rubbing at the wound gently. That led them into a casual conversation and comfortable banter before the night began to descend upon them. She watched the exit signs until she saw a decent looking motel with a few places to eat around it, so they could order it and relax, letting her heal. Eli put her book back into her bag, the new with the old.

Owen pulled them into the one she suggested. She waited in the car while he checked them in. Another single bed in the room, but another king, fortunately enough. Entering the room, she turned back to him with a slightly amused expression on her face. “Really? I’m starting to think that you’re doing this on purpose to try and seduce me…or kill me. One of the two.” She dropped her satchel beside the bed and the bag of clothes that she had brought. She began to sort them, tearing off the tags. The clothing continues to pile up, ending with a series of lace undergarments.

“It’s your turn to order food while I shower.” She smiled, grabbing a few of the articles of clothing and taking them into the bathroom with her. She shut the door, thank God there was a door. After a moment, she came back out with the shirt off. “Can you take these bandages and put one of the waterproof ones on?” Her voice was light, nonchalant but her cheeks were slightly flushed. “I can reach them but I took the first one,” she held it in her hand towards him, “but I can’t take another one. I’ll never remove them. It hurts like a bitch. I’ll just leave them on forever.” There Eliza was in all her glory, terrified to take off her bandages because it hurt.

“Maybe I can make it a new style.” The bruise had turned a very deep shade of purple, bordering on black and spread from her exposed hipbone to right beneath her breast, covered by her bandeau. It curved around her side and spread just past her belly button.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 7:57 pm

by Dollface

By the time Eliza woke from her nap, Owen felt the day weighing on him. Now, he was beginning to get tired, and he’d let his defenses drop just slightly because he was sure that all the effort he was putting into that didn’t help how exhausted he felt. He did realize he had to have driven at least ten hours or so over the course of the day, only stopping once while Eliza slept to get coffee at a drive thru. The caffeine hadn’t done much to help him, though; he needed to get out of the car. Honestly, what he wanted the most, was to find a park and just… run. Not run because he was trying not to be murdered by someone from the Circle, but go for a run because his body craved it.

He had a feeling that wouldn’t happen for a wihle.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too long after she woke that they were pulling into another motel. Once they were in the room, he slumped onto the edge of the bed, an elbow on his knee as he rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to ease the tension. “Please, you were the one who picked this place, Eli,” he said with a sigh, watching her now as she took the clothes out of the bag. “If anyone’s trying to seduce anyone, it’s you. Look at all that fancy, lacy Walmart underwear. You’re very clearly trying to sway me with your womanly wiles.”

Owen sighed, shaking his head at her as he grabbed his own bags, dropping them onto the bed as he began to sort through everything. He had merely nodded in response to her request to dinner, thinking he’d get to it in a second. There was a Chinese food place down the street, and he hoped they delivered, because he definitely wanted to eat too much and food coma into a good night’s sleep. Owen was grabbing the receiver for the room phone when Eliza meandered from the bathroom, only in her lace bandeau and her jeans.

He hoped that his expression remained passive, but he wasn’t sure he was successful. “Oh,” was all he said quietly, giving a dip of his head in a nod as he set the phone back down. “Sure. Of course.” Yeah, he’d bandaged her up earlier, but she hadn’t been shirtless. In fact, he hadn’t seen her so undressed since the night she came home with him, and wound up in the same state of undress before they’d passed out. Nearing her, he took the first aid kit from one of the bags, spreading it open on the small desk in the room, retrieving one of the new bandages.

“Oh, definitely. It’s very sexy, a great look,” he told her, his voice low as his lips turned up in a smile. “You just go out and walk around like this, and soon enough, people will be sporting tattoos that look just like your bruise.” While he spoke, Owen carefully removed the bandages that had been stuck on her side for the entirety of the day, trying to be as careful as he possibly could so he didn’t exacerbate the wound or press into the bruise. He quickly replaced them with the waterproof bandage that she requested. “There you are, good to go,” he said quietly, his hand resting lightly on her side for a second longer than it should have, blue eyes on hers, before he turned away and back to the phone.

Owen didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until the moment he heard the bathroom door close behind her. Then, he called the Chinese place down the street, who said they’d be able to deliver his order in about fifteen minutes. For now Owen made himself comfortable on the side of the bed closest to the door, his eyelids drooping as he laid there with an arm thrown across his eyes, listening to the sound of the shower in the bathroom, and it nearly lulled him to sleep. The moment that he felt like he could have, there was a loud knock on the door, and he dragged himself out of bed to retrieve their dinner. Owen spread everything out on the desk, opening the containers and nodding to himself, pleased with his choices. He found the container with the beef and broccoli as he heard the bathroom door open, and he called out to Eliza, “I hope you’re hungry, because I might have ordered way too much food for two people. Though I suppose if any of our little friends drop by, we could share.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 8:20 pm

by Simply

She whimpered like a child with each one he removed. It was promptly followed by “ouch” every single time. Eliza wasn’t used to this kind of pain, wasn’t use to the bandages and was a bigger baby than a four-year-old toddler that had skinned his knee. “Gosh, you caught me. I decided to sport this magnificent bruise as part of my master plan to draw you into my bed.” The waterproof bandage adhered tightly to her skin and she rested her hand on top of it. The feel of his hand against her waist drew her eyes up to his. Just stay…and he was gone to order dinner.

Eliza’s shower was much colder than the one she had taken the night before. When she stepped out there wasn’t even steam on the mirror. Shaking her hair slightly into the towel. She dressed in a loose fitting pair of pajama pants she had purchased and a top. Delicate hands drew up her dirty, discarded clothes. She held his shirt for a moment and opened the door. The smell of Chinese met her nose and she sighed. “I love Chinese.” She murmured, setting the old clothes down and moving over to the buffet that he had spread across the desk.

“Pork Lo mein, mmmmm.” She piled her plate with lo mein and egg rolls and beef and broccoli. “You did a good job with the selection but that’s a ton of food. I don’t mind leftovers for breakfast though.” She smiled. Bright blue eyes looked over at him as she sat down on the bed and began to eat. She pushed the remote over to him. “Your turn to pick something.” She ate hungrily, getting extra lo mein after she had cleaned her plate. Eliza’s appetite had increased since the injury, perhaps her body needed the fuel to patch her up. “Hopefully we can keep moving and with your shield improving maybe Lexington will be a final stop for you.”

She finished her meal and washed her hands. “I can’t eat any more. It’s all you.” She laughed a bit but stopped when her side ached. Eli placed her garments into her satchel, leaving a pair of clothes out for the next day. “I can wash these.” She held up his shirt that she had been wearing all day. “I got some of the detergent that can be used in the sink.” Licking her lips, she moved to the sink and dropped them in. She scrubbed at them for a moment before hanging them up in the closet on the empty hangers. After a few items, she sat back down on the bed. She inched herself up to the headboard. Positioning a number of pillows behind her, she leaned back.

“Oh shit, can you hand me my book. I don’t want to get back up.” She laughed a bit at being rendered useless for the entirety of the day.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 8:59 pm

by Dollface

“Are you sure I’m the psychic? You read my mind, I was already planning what I’d like to have before we head out tomorrow.” He grinned at her, brows lifting as he plopped himself on one side of the bed with his meal. Owen was sighing with complete satisfaction. He was comfortable and he was eating, and now flipping through the channels. Finally, he settled on a channel that was playing The Princess Bride, though it was already halfway through. Owen didn’t care; it was one of those movies, for him, that if it was on he had to watch it. House rules, he’d say if he was at home.

As soon as it entered his mind he didn’t let himself dwell there. Obviously he wondered what was going on with Dahlia, his friends as well. Had they called the authorities, reported him missing? He hadn’t even considered that as a possibility, not until that moment. But he had to shut it down, and so he stuffed himself with food and ignored his feelings. He nearly choked on it, however, when Eli said that Lexington could be his final spot. “Oh, oh no, I’d never make it in Kentucky. We can stop for however long, you can leave me there and I’ll move on somewhere else, but that’s not gonna work for me permanently.”

Owen shook his head, standing from the bed to put some of the lo mein on his plate, grabbing for an egg roll with sweet and sour sauce as well. He was enjoying his food thoroughly, and the movie as well, when Eliza had left to go wash their things. By the time she returned, Owen had tapped out, leaving his nearly empty plate on the table beside the bed, eyes closing for a moment as he tried to get himself prepared to go take a shower. The bed shifted next to him, and he didn’t move, until Eliza made her request. “Hmm, I suppose so. Though I’m ashamed you’d rather read your book than watch one of the best movies of all time.”

He gave her a teasing glare as he pulled himself off of the bed, going to her bag to retrieve the newer copy of the book. Owen passed it over to her, before he quietly went through his own things and took out a change of clothes for the night. Once more, he found himself taking his time in the warm water of the shower, though it wasn’t as long as the night before, because he just wanted to get back into bed. That evening, he decided to be nice and he threw on a tank top with his pajama pants, and he ambled back into the room, running his hand over his dark hair. Owen had even been too tired to shave the stubble of his face, conceding to the fact that he’d go another day with a little bit of a beard.

Finally, finally, he could get really truly settled. He wiggled under one of the blankets, propping up the pillows the way Eliza had as he scooted next to her. “So,” he said quietly as he looked over to her, an arm rising to rest behind his head, and with his other hand he tapped the cover of the book with his finger, “how’s it going over there? Is everything being atoned as it should be?” Owen wiggled his eyebrows, the smile on his face bordering on goofy. Owen had already admitted he’d never read the book before, and while he’d seen the movie there wasn’t much that he remembered. “Did you still want to practice tonight?” He asked quietly, following it with a yawn. “I don’t think I’m going to make it very long, to be honest.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 11:16 pm

by Simply

“Thanks.” She said, flipping back to where she had left off. “And it’s a great movie but this is one of the best books of all time. Have you seen the movie for it?” He went to go shower and her attention turned to the pages before her. She read and didn’t even realize that he had gotten out of the shower until she felt the weight of him on the bed beside her. Misty gaze flickered over to him and then she blinked a few times to make her eyes dry.

Eli laughed at his question about the atonement occurring within the pages of her book. She closed it and set it on her lap, turning to look at him. His goofy expression made her laughter return and she shoved him lightly on his shoulder. His shoulder was bare and her skin tingled slightly before she withdrew. “I see you managed to find a shirt to wear tonight…well...part of a shirt.” She scanned him over and debated helping him practice.

“We should but you’ll have to have more restraint. I wouldn’t be able to help you for long if you turn your defenses into offenses.” Eliza gestured to her wound, hiding beneath the soft cotton fabric of her shirt. She set her book to the side, resting it on the nightstand. Her eyes turned dark, in preparation for trying to push the limits of is mental abilities. She pushed herself upward further, wincing slightly. The wound started to throb as she focused her energy on him. It was going to exhaust her but she needed him to advance.

Pushing, she sent her energy towards him, towards his defenses and met a verifiable wall of psychic ability. She furrowed her brows and pushed further, finding a small crack but unable to penetrate it before he tossed her back. After nearly thirty minutes of it, she collapsed back against the pillows. “I think that’s enough. I can’t…” a exhale left her lip, “I can’t do any more with my side.” She gestured to it and closed her eyes. “You’ve gotten a hell of a lot better. Soon you’ll be able to summon premonitions and improve your telepathy, telekinesis.” She grinned a bit, looking at him with tired eyes. “I’ll make you a real psychic yet. If I’m going to go against my entire culture, might as well make a compete 180, huh?”

“How does it feel when you’re using it – more natural? Do you think you can expand it? Go beyond just your own barriers?” Her voice got softer and she slipped off the bed and then underneath the covers. Eliza hunkered down, looking up at him from her position. “Do you think you’ll continue growing your powers, once you can stop running?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 11:52 pm

by Dollface

“I told you, Eli, I didn’t want to tempt you again, especially in your condition. You need to rest and not worry about getting all bothered over my… shirtlessness.” That grin of his remained fixed on his lips, though his expression turned more neutral as Eliza decided they could practice his defenses for a little while. Owen had already turned off the TV at that point, wanting no distraction of any kind so that they could hopefully get through with it sooner than they had yesterday. He’d certainly spent plenty of time practicing even if there was nothing or nobody in particular that he was blocking out, but it seemed to have helped him.

Over the little bit of time that Eliza tried to push past his barriers, he never let her slip through once. She’d nearly made it, but he focused intently, but was careful not to push back against her as not to cause her any more pain than she was already in. The time seemed to fly by, and when she conceded, he was able to let out a sigh of relief of his own. “Well, long, boring, open road while you slept, I had a little bit of time to get better at it I guess. The ever looming threat of being followed definitely helped.” From where he sat, he stretched his arms up over his head, yawning before he settled back against his pillows again.

“They’ll call you the Eli, psychic whisperer, except now it’s not ‘cause you’re their silent exterminator, but you’re helping them. Talk about a beautiful redemption story.” Owen chuckled at his own words as he pulled the covers up to over his chest, and leaned over to his left to tug the cord on his lamp, letting the room fall darker save for the lamp on Eliza’s side. She shuffled in beside him, and he took notice of the fact that she didn’t leave a blanket between them like she had the night before. No, the warmth of her body was easily discernible despite how big the bed actually was.

“It’s odd, I guess. Sometimes it’s easier, like closing a curtain or blinds I guess. At first it was more tedious, like… I don’t know. Like I was building a fence, a wall of some sort.” It was hard to explain to her, especially since her ability to do so was innate. It was second nature to have those defenses up, but for Owen? There’d never been the threat of someone being able to enter his mind, even from a distance “I’m not sure I thought that far ahead, honestly.” He spoke quietly; for some reason, the darkened room caused his voice to lower, in spite of the fact that they were completely alone. “I could, I guess, if I figured out exactly what to do, what capabilities I might have. There has to be some reason that I’m a target.” His eyebrows knotted together as he thought of this, and he shifted slightly on his side, his hand brushing close enough to hers that their pinkies touched.

Owen brushed his fingertip along the side of her hand. “Perhaps I’ll just find someone else who will want to teach me in good old Kentucky since you won’t be sticking around. You know any other Circle members who want to defect with a psychic?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 12:07 am

by Simply

"Others with abilities not natural like mine say that when they first start to utilize their abilities they have to think of it as a physical action. It sounds quite similar to the wall building you were talking about. Over time the projection and manifestation became easier. A mere thought of fire or wind or movement caused it to happen, where before they had to picture themselves starting a fire from scratch." Her shoulder raised around her head in a shrug, bringing the covers higher up her neck. The warmth of the sheets and the slight radiation of his warm made her start to feel drowsy. Eli's eyes closed as they talked, at least until his pinky brushed against her.

The barest of movement made her tremble and her eyes met his. She searched them for a moment. If he initiated something, would she give herself over to it? Would she have the strength to stop it? It would be the end of them, if he even kissed her. The action of pinning her to the bed last night was enough to result in the Circle picking up a link to her. The internal war raged in her chest when he broadened the contact.

"It would be a tough sell I think. Wanted: Expect in magical instruction to train a half fledge psychic who enjoys walking around half dressed and has terrible taste in beverages." Eliza smiled sleepily, her fingers stretching out to meet his, feeling the cool numbing touch that excited and frightened her. "I think that you'll do fine, so long as you practice. I'm not a psychic so I wouldn't be able to do you much good long term. I just know how to protect myself from other witches and it's the least I can do to impart this information to you." A yawn left her lips and she nuzzled her face further into the pillow.

The assassin's eyes closed, still speaking. "You can practice when I drive tomorrow. Hopefully this sexy bruise doesn't ache like it does now. I should be healed in a few days at most by the time we get to Kentucky. I'll reach out to my contacts to get you all the papers you'll need. You'll need a new name then identification, social security, passport...W2 history..." she trailed off, the pain and fatigue of the day catching up to her again. Soon her breath was rhythmic and soft filling the space between them.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 12:25 am

by Dollface

Her fingers tightened against his and suddenly everything was different. Instead of that touch being electric, lighting his skin and causing that buzz to radiate over him, Owen was able to sense her emotions. It was as if he was touching anyone else: he could feel her sleepiness mingling with his own, he got a sense of her discomfort and pain from her injury. Something else lingered there too, as well as confusion. It startled him, and he wondered if he should interrupt her, wonder if he should say something. Owen wondered what she felt in that moment, if it was any different for her than usual.

Normally, he didn’t like to get readings from people unexpectedly, though it did happen. Some people were more vulnerable than others, and perhaps it had something to do with their guards being down. Currently, Eliza’s were, as she was healing at her magic was busy trying to keep her alive, as she’d said earlier. As he held onto her hand, his eyes closed, he listened to her speak quietly, the words drifting off into her easy breaths that indicated she was falling asleep.

Again, he released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, and he stared up at the dark ceiling. For a long time, he laid like that, his hand still in hers, and the feelings that he’d picked up began to ebb away due to the fact she fell into a deeper sleep. Owen was startled, and he stayed staring at the ceiling for some time, before eventually he too fell asleep beside her. That night, he dreamt of the previous one. He dreamt that they had continued a little farther along than they had, her request of I want you to take me to bed repeated and he could have sworn her felt her soft touch roaming into his hair and lips against his ear.

And in that dream, they were so rudely interrupted by Gavin again. That time, he’d managed to blast open the door, and he had no hesitation in sending that blast of power towards them, which caused Owen to be snatched from his sleep immediately. When he woke, he realized that both he and Eli had turned in their sleep that night, his chest close to her back, his arm draped carefully over her hip. The utter warmth from their bodies being so close for an extended period of time didn’t make the idea of getting up to be stuck in a car any sort of enjoyable.

When he tipped his eyes towards the clock, it read closer to seven. It was definitely a later start than the last couple of days. “Eli,” he whispered quietly, his lips close to her ear. Owen didn’t touch her though, having lifted his arm away from her, and he didn’t want to hit her or get hit. “Something happened last night,” he started, not wanting to keep the secret from her. Maybe not the best way to start off the explanation, though, so he continued. “When you took my hand last night. You fell asleep and I could actually read you. Just a little bit, I didn’t get any sort of picture or anything, but I felt what you did.” His voice was still thick with sleep as he rolled onto his back. “I’m sorry. I usually don’t like to accidentally do that, but it just… hit me.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 10:47 am

by Simply

Whether it was the exhaustion or her powers easing her pain, Eliza slept a dreamless sleep. The hours were free from nightmares and heartaches. They were free of Gavin and the pain of her betrayal to the people that had raised her all her life. They were free of the guilt of her past transgressions. She was completely free and her mind and her body began to heal over those minutes that slipped into hours. She awoke easily, sliding from sleep to awake in a smooth transition at the sound of her name against her ear. She startled then, feeling the hat of another body close to hers. Immediately, she tried to turn herself over and was met with the protests of her healing wound. Sharply, she inhaled air through her teeth and then exhaled shakily. “Fuck.” She murmured, turning her head into the pillow.

“What?” He had started speaking before she could fully comprehend his words. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him. “You did a reading on me?!” Eli’s brow furrowed and her face was a mixture of confusion, hurt and surprise. What had he seen in that little bit? What had he felt that she felt? Did he sense the pain or the guilt or the desire? Eliza’s mind raced about, trying to remember what she had thought about before going to sleep. Then…did it really matter that much?

Sighing, she pushed herself upwards fully, but slowly being as gentle as she could with the wound. Eli swung her legs over the side of the bed. “It’s likely a combination of your power growing and my inability to completely shield myself.” Owen was similar to a baby bird. Sometimes he could fly and sometimes he fell out of the nest. She couldn’t begrudge him when a strong wind carried him further than he had gone before. “Just…don’t make a habit of it.” She lifted her shirt then and turned to him. “Do the honors?” She said, gesturing at the large bandage across her belly. “I need to see what it looks like. And then we need to get on the road, we’re late.”

After he removed the bandage to her muffled grunts of discomfort, she examined herself in the bathroom mirror. It was smaller than yesterday, healing from the outside inward. Her skin had patched itself closed but the bruise remained. Eliza took a few testing large breaths but the ribs were still fractures, recovering slowly. She dressed herself in fresh clothes, grabbed the one she had washed the night before and packed her bag. “I think I can drive today.” With that, she swiped the keys off of the counter and stood by the door. Carefully, she peeked out the window to make sure no more Circle members waited to ambush them.

“I have an idea. Now, I don’t know if this works because psychics aren’t trained at our Institute but the idea of it makes sense to me.” Coughing, she pressed her hand against her side at the memory of Gavin’s magic. “You should be able to determine if there are people outside. It’s kind of like making a mental sweep of the area. Want to try?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 5:11 pm

by Dollface

“I’m sorry.” Owen apologized again as he peeled himself from the bed this time, rounding it to meet her where she stood. “Every now and then it happens involuntarily with some people… I don’t like doing it without permission. It feels like trespassing in a way.” The furrow in his brow matched hers as he began to slowly peel the bandage away from her skin, trying to be as careful as possible. He lifted his eyebrow now as he assessed it, noting how much better it looked than it had yesterday. “Well, I won’t argue with you today then,” Owen shrugged his shoulders, lifting off the tank top he slept in as he crossed the room to his bag.

Owen put on one of his new t-shirts and a dark pair of jeans for their drive today. He had his things packed up quickly, and he swung his backpack over his shoulder as he went to follow Eliza out of their room and to the car. As she made the suggestion to try if he could get a sense of anyone linger, waiting for them, he bit at his lower lip as he thought about it. “Sure, it wouldn’t hurt to try. I’ll just add human EMF reader onto my ever growing list of new abilities.” He smiled, closing his eyes a little bit as he focused. In his mind, Owen thought about his own ability, how it felt; he thought about Eliza’s, how her magic felt to him. And then, he pushed against that feeling, trying to search past their vicinity to see if there was anyone else who bore those same traits.

“Nothing, we’re good,” he breathed out, and as he opened his eyes he felt the strain starting at his temples already. Pulling the door open, he let Eliza through first he followed suit. Once the doors were unlocked, he dropped into the passenger seat, sighing slightly. “I know it’s only been a couple of days, but it feels weird that this is the last leg of it all.” It wouldn’t take them long to get to Lexington, even with a stop on the way. He’d barely known Eliza for a week, he’d realized, but he’d spent most of the week with her at this point and it was odd to think that she wouldn’t be around for much longer once he got everything settled.

Briefly, they stopped at the gas station down the way from the motel, preparing for the last little part of their journey. Owen had an iced coffee in hand, a breakfast bar in the other, as he watched the highway stretch out in front of them. “We’ll be completely different people in the next couple of days, won’t we?” He inquired, turning his eyes to her profile. “You might have to pick a name for me, Eli, because I’m terrible at naming things. When I was young, my aunt gave in and let me have a hamster. I named it Hammy, and I think that alone was enough to make it run away within the same week.”

He set his drink down into the cup holder in the console, when he went to put his trash into a plastic bag he’d put at his feet. Owen also took his book from his bag, flipping through it, glancing over the description on the back. “Will it be… frowned upon, if I call my aunt when we get to Lexington? I just need to know that she’s okay.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 16, 2017 12:09 pm

by Simply

“Basically. If you can figure out how to do things over the course of the next few days, why not utilize to…y’know, not die.” Eliza said sarcastically, but her tone indicated how pleased she was at his ability to attempt new things with his powers. After all, he must have been fairly powerful for the Circle to find him and want him eliminated. His aunt must not have been, being as old as she was and they had no idea she possessed any intuitive powers. It was something Eli pondered multiple times over the course of the last few days. How did the Circle choose her targets? What criteria did they meet that brought them to the attention of the Circle? The thoughts crossed her mind again until he gave her the all-clear signal.

Setting her satchel in the back seat, she nodded. It was an odd sensation that this would all be (hopefully) coming to an end within the next few days. At their next stop she’d use a phone to contact Jason, a skilled forger who had a thing for her. He wouldn’t want her captured but it would likely be a one-time assistance. Yet, one time was all she needed help with. She’d get herself some new papers and some for Owen and then they would part ways.

It was more dangerous for them both when they were together.

The brunette nodded again, taking a big sip of her Dr. Pepper and chewing thoughtfully on one of those pre-packaged blueberry muffins from the gas station. This time, her shirt prevented the crumbs from tumbling down her chest. The highway lay before them, flat at this point with very little to look at in terms of scenery. Laughing, she shook her head at him. “You were a kid though. Kids are not the most creative beings in the whole world when it comes to names. But Hammy is pretty terrible. And are you sure you want to give me that kind of power…I could choose something awful, like Hannibal or Adolf…”

Asking about his aunt made her uneasy because she didn’t want to say no, she wanted him to be able to call her and let her know that he was okay. “Owen…” She sighed, shifting uncomfortably in the driver’s seat. “I don’t think that is the best idea. Calling can be traced too easily, too quickly. After a week maybe you could send her a postcard before you move on to another city. Harder to track that way but she’ll still receive something to know you’re all right. Then after a few years maybe…but they’ll always monitor her, especially if we successfully manage to get away.”

Eliza knew it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. She knew it would be difficult for him and that he might disobey but he sure as hell better not do it while they were still together. Eli knew she likely wouldn’t survive another face off with Gavin. At the thought of her former friend, she brushed her fingers over the uncovered bruise, idly running her fingers back and forth over the shirt. “What are you reading?” She asked, turning her head over to look but focusing back on the road before she could discern any information off of the cover.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 16, 2017 9:52 pm

by Dollface

“Nevermind. No name privileges for you.” Owen glanced over at her with his brows knotted together, shaking his head. He should have known she’d have a quip like that at the ready for him. Now, as he actually pondered it, he really wasn’t sure how this whole identity change was going to work. Everything, even his history, was going to be completely different. The thought of that, essentially losing himself in the whole process, left a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach that he tried desperately to push away.

It didn’t help that when he questioned Eliza about his aunt, her answer wasn’t promising. Really, he had expected it, but thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask her anyway. Silently, he nodded his head, murmuring that it made sense. He figured that, maybe it was a good sign she hadn’t tried to contact him in anyway, and Owen hoped he had enough intuition himself to know if something was seriously wrong with her, the way she would know herself. Owen also hoped that she could tell, even miles away, that at the very least he was still alive and Eliza hadn’t killed him and tossed him in a ditch.

Owen was only a few pages into his book at that point when Eliza’s voice touched his ears again. He peeked over at her, then the cover, “American Gods, Neil Gaiman. People rave about it – and him – but I’ve never read anything of before so I thought I’d give it a shot finally. Maybe I’ll move onto Atonement next if I finish this quickly enough.” Owen smiled, before returning to the story that was beginning to unfold in front of him. He continued like that for a couple of hours maybe, easing in and out of conversation with Eliza as well, before he nodded off for a little while. The nap was fitful, and he woke up pretty groggy when he felt the car begin to slow down. A glance to the clock told him that it had been another few hours since he’d first fallen asleep.

He yawned, maybe in a bit of an exaggeration as he stretched his arms over his head, looping his hands behind the headrest. “So this is Lexington, huh?” So far, there wasn’t too much to see, most of it looking like the highway stops that they’d frequented since early Wednesday morning. “What’s first on our to-do list boss? Have your shiny new name picked out?” Owen’s eyes drifted out the window too, taking in the scenery that passed them by. “Maybe I’ll keep the beard and dye my hair. I’ve always wanted to know if blondes do have more fun.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 5:37 pm

by Simply

Guilt settled into her stomach when the silence enveloped them. She knew that he didn’t like the answer that she gave him and couldn’t help but feel poorly about it. Fortunately, it ended when she asked about his book and there was no anger or irritation in his voice when he responded to her. “Interesting. I haven’t read it either. Let me know how it is, though I can vouch for the brilliance of Atonement, if that one doesn’t keep your interest.” And the conversation waxed and waned over the next few hours and she occasionally had to shift her position to prevent sporadic, sharp pains from becoming chronic.

“Mmm. Beautiful place, huh?” She asked, as they drove through a rather shady part of the city that was off of the highway. Dark eyes flickered over the exits and she chose one at random that was in a better part, but not the nicest areas. It would afford them some creature comforts but wouldn’t be terribly unaffordable. She would need to find a payphone, as difficult as that was during this time. She preferred to contact her agent in that manner and he would provide cell phones with their new names and relatively untraceable. At his suggestion of dying his hair, she grimaced.

“Uh, no. Though the beard…” She shrugged, as though she didn’t give it much thought. However, she rather liked the rugged look he had developed over the past few days. It had grown enough to where it looked soft to the touch. “And yes, I have a new name picked out I think but I can’t decide if I want to be called that.” She smiled. “Best we don’t exchange those, though…in case either of us is every compromised.” Licking her lips, she pulled into a motel parking lot and spied a payphone. They wouldn’t be staying at this motel but it would serve as a decent meet up location.

“I’m going to call my contact from here. I’ll give him the information that I would like on my new IDs and then I’ll hand the phone to you. Got a name prepared? Do you need a bit more time?” She grabbed some of the change they had accumulated over the past few days. Eliza slipped out of the car and moved to the phone. She dialed from memory and began to laugh and talk in an amused tone to the individual on the other end of the line. After a few minutes, she motioned to Owen and handed the phone over.

After he was done, she said her goodbyes and scheduled a meet. “He’ll have our IDs by tomorrow – passports, ID and social security card. Beyond that, you’ll have to make due. But you have two more days with me and then we’ll part ways. We shouldn’t run into any more trouble.” Another shrug. Eli tossed him the keys. “Pick somewhere for dinner.” She climbed into the passenger seat and eased the chair back, her hand cradling her side.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 11:21 pm

by Dollface

Owen followed Eliza out of the car towards the pay phone, thinking that he wasn’t even sure how many of these were around anymore. He leaned back against the building, trying not to eavesdrop on her conversation or commit to memory what she told her contact about her new information. When it was Owen’s turn, he took the phone, his conversation much more business-like than the cordiality Eliza’s held. He’d picked a new name, although it wasn’t extremely original as he still hadn’t thought of one he’d liked by the time they’d reached Kentucky. Now, he would have a new identity, and it would be like the Owen prior never existed at all. This thought settled onto him when he passed the payphone back to his companion.

Thinking about it made him a little nervous; he stood there while she said her goodbyes, biting at the edge of his thumb for a second before she addressed him. For a moment he fumbled with the keys, nodding his head quietly in response to her demand to pick their next stop before they would be done for the evening. “Always so demanding, you are,” he’d mumbled under his breath, sliding his narrowed gaze towards her before he started the car. Owen drove in a bit of a daze, and as he went down the road he spotted a hole in the wall Italian place in a strip mall. He swung into the parking lot without a second thought, or consulting Eliza if she thought it was okay.

The place was pretty crowded, but it was a Friday so he wasn’t too surprised. The pair was seated in a corner booth by a hostess, and Owen decided to order a small carafe of wine for them to share over the course of their meal. “So now that you’ll be on the run as a normal person, are you going to get a real job?” Owen lifted a brow, peering at her over the laminated menu he held. “You’ve got the perfect sunny disposition to be a waitress like the many we’ve met on our trip,” he teased her, a little smile turning his lips upward. Owen stopped scanning the menu as he decided on the chicken parmesan dish, and set it down before him.

“Or you could work at a bookstore, maybe a library. Fudge a college degree for library sciences and you could feed your reading addiction for free and make money.” Owen leaned back into the booth, just in time for the waitress to bring by waters and the wine. He poured himself a glass, then one for Eli and slid it in her direction. “I’ll just have the one glass with dinner, so the rest is yours. Just try to keep your hands to yourself tonight, Eli.” Taking a sip, he flashed that smile in her direction again.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:46 am

by Simply

Eliza released a barking laugh at his question. “A real job?” She motioned to herself and to him. “Despite what you represent,” she spoke of her failures, “I was quite good at my old job which was a real job believe it or not. I was paid.” She sipped at the water that was on the table and raised both of her eyebrows when he ordered the wine for them. “And I have a very unique set of skills which will permit me to have a real job, as you say.” A shrug of her shoulders as she traded her water for wine. “You can’t expect me to finish this by myself.” She responded, knowing full well that one of them would have to drive and she didn’t particularly want it to be her. Eli ordered the mussel frites, wanting something fried and salty to go with her wine. “And I’m offended that you think I need to fudge a college degree. I’ll let you know I have a BA in English and a BS in Biology, thank you.” While she was slightly offended by it, she smiled as she sipped the wine he had chosen for them.

It would be easy enough to fudge another set of degrees at a lesser college and then use her knowledge of English literature to get herself a library job, but it was a tough market to be in right now. Pursing her lips, she considered what she may do, before deflecting and probing his thoughts on the matter. “And what will you do? You’ll have to find a job that isn’t related to your abilities or else they’ll find you faster that way. And try not to win the lottery. That’s another way that the Circle tracks people. Win the lottery too frequently and…well, they send me.” A pause. “Sent me, at least.”

The food arrived and she set to separate the mussels from their shell, discarding them in an empty bowl the waiter had brought. “You could always be an excellent personal assistant if you master emotional reading and telepathy.” She popped a french fry into her mouth. Eli had already finished one of her glasses by the time she was halfway through her meal and poured another for herself. Only a half glass remained and she hastily poured it into his. “You’ll be able to drive.” She smirked. “Personal assisting would be easy if you know what you boss wants before they even articulate it. Make yourself indispensible. Wouldn’t be a bad gig.”

Eliza finished off her food and leaned back, completely stuffed and a little tipsy off of her two glasses but nowhere near drunk. The waiter came and deposited their check, resulting in Eli counting out some of their remaining cash and leaving a hefty tip. When Owen gave her a look she laughed, “What?! He was the perfect disposition. Not too chatty. Really nice and he checked in without being annoying.” When Owen had finished, she drained the remaining drops from her glass and headed outside. “I saw a little motel a few blocks back that looked decent. We should have our documents by tomorrow around dinner. Oh, yeah and I forgot to mention that he’ll be taking your car sooo…” She grinned nervously. “I told him the make and model and he’ll have a similar one for you but we have to get rid of this one.” The explanation was simple enough to her as she climbed in the passenger seat.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:55 pm

by Dollface

They spoke of their new job prospects as though they were kids fresh out of college, deciding what they could do with the rest of their lives. In that way, it was equally as daunting considering they were instead two adults running from an organization who wanted the both of them dead at this point. “I guess I couldn’t turn that idea down,” Owen admitted to her suggestion with a shrug of his shoulders, as he cut into the chicken that was set in front of him. He considered it as he twirled pasta onto his fork so he could get a bite of both. “To be honest, I haven’t thought of it much, other than knowing I’d rather have something than nothing so I don’t have to stay in Kentucky of all places for long.”

He sent her a sidelong glance, accompanied by a smile, as he sipped his glass of wine. Owen did wonder for what reason her magic had sent her this way for, other than the fact that it had to have been close enough for her contact. It didn’t matter; he knew he wouldn’t stay for long before he found somewhere else to call his home. Owen might have eventually moved anyway, though he truthfully wouldn’t have strayed far from his Aunt considering she was his only family.

By the time Owen nearly finished his meal, Eli was pouring wine into his glass, and he sighed as though she were inconveniencing him. “Fine, if you insist.” He picked at his food the rest of the time, leaving just a little bit of wine by the time their check arrived. Owen leaned onto the table again, watching Eliza leave a generous tip for their waiter, a dark brow turned upward. “Right. Do you want to hang around til he’s off? I can be scarce, if you catch my drift,” he joked, watching as she now finished the remains of her wine. He watched her, noting that she had that same disposition on the first night they’d met. Her guard was down, just the slightest bit, her words came easier, something about her was more… goofy.

All Owen could do was smile and shake his head at her. “I figured as much. Good thing I’m not one of those guys who’s weirdly attached to his car,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders, and dropped into the driver’s seat to hit their last motel stop of their trip. It wasn’t far, and Owen checked the two of them into yet another room with one bed to share. Just like the last hotel, it was more decent than the first, and it was just fine for the next couple of nights.

Once they were in the room, Owen wasted no time in dropping his stuff by the bed, kicking off his shoes, and finding the remote before flopping on one side of the bed. “You know, on second thought, maybe I won’t even bother with a car,” he said, flipping through the channels before finding Cash Cab. “We’ve lived in that damn thing for the last three days. I’m good for a while.” Owen sighed, toying with the remote, his eyes drifting from the TV to Eliza. “It’s pretty impressive that we’ve managed so well, three days in the car with just the other. I don’t think I could have done that with one of my friends even without getting a little sick of them.” The corners of his mouth turned up a little bit. “Unless of course you’re secretly plotting to kill me again.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:29 pm

by Simply

Eli raised her eyebrows suggestively, tossing a look over at their server. “I would really appreciate it, if you don’t mind giving us a few hours alone.” She took a sip of her wine, placing the glass down beside her plate. Her eyes shifted slowly from green to a dark brown, almost black, as she watched the server move about the room. They slipped back over to Owen, smirking slightly. “Or perhaps he could take me back to his place, that way you’d be able to relax.” The witch bit her lip and laughed.

Their room was the last one they would have together, before they went their separate ways. They would never see each other again after tomorrow night and she wasn’t super thrilled about the prospect but she also wasn’t upset about it. Her emotions flitted back and forth as they rode in the car but their arrival made her realize how exhausted she was. She collapsed onto the bed. “It’s because I was trained to endure torture so I’m used to it.” Eli turned her head towards him, smirking as she moved to position the pillows to support her while her attention returned to the Cash Cab.

“And you’d be dead by now if I really wanted to kill you and if you were a remotely normal psychic, that is. “ At that, she pressed against his mind, trying to find the weaknesses in his shield and was rewarded with nothing. “But you’ve gotten better. If you didn’t have that weird vibrating numb shield, we wouldn’t be here having this conversation.” She voiced what she had only thought about. If his touch didn’t render her abilities null and void, she would have killed him. It felt weird to consider out loud, but the truth was evident. “Though who knows, maybe your unfailing charm and dashing good looks would have saved you.” She mused, joking to begin to diffuse what would have been too deep of a conversation for this evening.

Eliza pushed herself and went to shower. The warm water rushed over her and she shifted her weight, trying to clear her head and prevent herself from the slow burning desire to touch him, to kiss him. Wine made it harder to resist but her training balanced her. She dressed after getting out and stood in the bathroom door, drying her hair with her towel. “Do you want to go look at apartments or look at classifieds for jobs? I would recommend staying here for a few months, five maybe six and then move on. With your shields in place they shouldn’t be able to track us this far so it’s a safe zone.”

“Our documents should be prepared tomorrow so you could have a place quickly. He’s also getting us some bank accounts, stocked with a few thousand. He owes me that much. I’ve sent him a extensive amount of work over the last few years.” At the expensive of the Circle, but she was the face of it and her contact wouldn’t let her down. “Should be enough for a few months rent until you can secure a decent job.” She hung up her towel to dry, moving back to the edge of the bed. “If you work on the mind reading, you could make a killing as a personal assistant.” Her finger pointed directly at him. “Just don’t try to practice on me.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2017 1:17 pm

by Dollface

Owen’s own emotions were at war as they sat beside each other, trying to ignore the truth of their situation while Eliza made a joke and the bells started going off on the TV signaling that someone answered a question right. “I think my charm and dashing good looks had more to do with it than my supposed ‘weird vibrating numb shield.’” It was his turn to tease her, though the smile on his lips wasn’t as sincere as it could have been. Owen’s eyes followed her as she drifted off toward the shower, his gaze lingering for a second longer than it should have, before he averted his attention to the TV.

For a moment while he sat there, he closed his eyes, projecting is shield out to practice a little, to be certain that they were safe. He wondered what else he might be able to make himself do, how he could improve upon his abilities… and wondered if that would make him even more of a threat to the Circle. Or anyone else out there who didn’t think those like him should exist. Were there other groups, other people like that? Before, he’d never considered it often, due to the fact he kept it such a secret, he didn’t even really try to monetize his abilities like others did.

The bathroom door opened and Eliza popped out, and Owen opened his eyes to turn his attention towards her. Arms folded across his chest, he tilted an eyebrow up as she brought up using his abilities for a job. “Well, if I can’t practice on you, then who do I have to practice on? As much as my abilities might help me… I don’t like reading people without them knowing.” It made him feel uncomfortable thinking about it – it made him uncomfortable remembering that he’d done it accidentally with her even.

“I’ll try to find something else, I don’t want to waste my school on being a personal assistant. I’d rather… I dunno, maybe teach. But I can worry about that tomorrow. I mean, I probably won’t find something right away.” Owen should have been more worried about it – having a job, having a place to live instead of hopping from hotel to hotel until he found something. He still had some cash leftover, he knew how to live below his means; this was going to be temporary.

This was what he continued to tell himself as he’d gone off to the bathroom to shower. He couldn’t help but think he couldn’t wait to have a place of his own again, a place that might be something akin to home. Although he enjoyed Eli’s company, wouldn’t mind her sticking around, he needed to be in one place for a little while. Traveling had taken its toll on him.

After his shower, he dressed, and wandered slowly out to the shared room and took his place on the bed beside Eliza again. “It might make some sense if you stick around for a few months or something, too,” he mused as his head hit the pillow, his eyes falling closed with an arm propped behind his head. “I mean, for financial purposes and all. Saving money on rent temporarily could definitely help in the long run.”

by Simply

Owen was not understanding what she was saying and was giving her far more credit than she deserves after all that she had done. What if the other psychics hadn't really been horrible people? Well except for the first one she had been assigned to. He would use his abilities to cheat at gambling and seduce a slew of women by reading their minds, leaving them with a series of unfortunate diseases - all curable fortunately. But she had still ended their lives and that was something you weren't supposed to do according to mortals. Even if they were psychics. Her insides knotted themselves into a tangle and she grabbed the opportunity he gave her when he brought up her drink choice.

"I have to get my caffeine somehow. You just settle into sleep, avocado-hater and I'll try to steel myself against the onslaught of coffee fumes that will flood this car when we have to stop for it when it's your turn to drive." She smiled and waited until she heard the slow breaths of his sleep. She exhaled the breaths that she hadn't realized she had been holding for longer than normal. Her mind wandered to her training, exploring all the psychic lore that she had been indoctrinated with once her path was chosen for her.

The forbidden psychic magic was known among all Circle members but the precise reason, what exactly had happened remained tightly contained within the membership of the highest levels of their organization. Gavin's father was one such member. She had met him on a handful of occasions at formal Circle gatherings that took place every few years. He was handsome, for an older man, and was rumored to be involved with another higher up in the Circle. Gavin's mother had met an early death from complications of a heart murmur she had had since she was a child. Gavin had never known her and it only seemed to show in his dealings with women. He inherited his love of polygamous arrangements from his father.

Eliza drove for six hours without stopping until the need for food and gas were necessary. She pulled off the highway and quickly slugged him in the arm, no desire to gently shake him awake and feel the horrible magic he used to defend himself. "Wake up psychic. It's your turn to drive. But I need some greasy food first." Taco Bell was joined to the gas station and she was more than ready for a steak quesadilla and nachos. Dr. Pepper was also in order, despite her companion's foolish aversion to it. She parked and hopped out, leaving him with the keys. After using the restroom to wash her hands and check if her makeup was too smeared from rubbing her eyes, she ordered and grabbed a table. Eagerly tearing into the cheesy, artery-clogging goodness, Eli asked, "Sleep well?"

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 4:12 pm

by Dollface

He hadn’t realized just how tired he was until they went quiet, and within minutes he was done for. Surprisingly, his sleep was deep, his mind blank. No nightmare, no dream, nothing. Briefly, he’d woken up, heard Eliza singing lightly along with whatever was on the radio, and he smiled to himself before falling back asleep for the next few hours. It wasn’t until she socked him in the arm that he jolted awake. “Jesus Christ,” he frowned at her, opposite rubbing his upper arm where she’d punched him. “We’re going to have to find a better system to waking each other up, cause that isn’t going to work for me.” Something told him that he probably didn’t have much say in the matter, because he wasn’t sure what exactly would work for them considering the touching each other thing was kind of complicated.

Well. Except for other situations.

Owen got out of the car, stretching his arms high over his head, a yawn escaping him as they wandered to her choice of rest stop. Taco Bell wouldn’t have been his first choice, unless he was drunk, but beggars couldn’t be choosers in their situation and so he wouldn’t complain. Owen ordered a crunchwrap supreme with a couple of tacos and a water for himself after Eliza finished her order, paid in cash, and followed her to the table when their food was ready.

“I slept as well as one possibly can in the car,” he shrugged his shoulders, biting into one of his tacos first before he finished chewing and continued. “Honestly though, I can’t wait to take a break at a hotel tonight.” A small smile lit his lips as he took a swig of his water, “but don’t get any ideas, Eliza.” With a mischievous glint in his eyes he’d mirrored her words from early that morning in the diner. It was odd to think that they’d done that merely hours ago; it felt like an entirely different day. Not to mention, at this time yesterday he’d been at work, anticipating his dinner with the lethal girl across from him.

Finishing up his taco, he moved onto the crunchwrap, a sigh of contentment leaving him as if it was one of the best things he’d had in a while. He took in their surroundings out the window, keeping an eye on the parking lot, even if he didn’t know who or what he might be looking for. It was simply instinct to be on alert knowing that he, they, were being tracked. Even with no coffee in his system, he was sitting there with his eyes flitting about, foot bouncing lightly against the tiled floor. “I never thought I’d say this, but I actually can’t wait to just get to Ohio at this point.” He shook his head again, moving on now to his last taco. “If I stay there, how long will you stick around?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 6:18 pm

by Simply

Eliza was mid-nacho when he mentioned ideas she may get in their hotel room. Choking, she took a large swig of her drink, coughing significantly afterwards until she regained the ability to breath without her throat itching. “You are quite full of yourself for someone whose first one night stand attempt was with an assassin.” It was a low blow but he was surprisingly confident for someone with such poor taste in women, and she didn’t even take that as an insult. It was a terribly idea of his that she didn’t plan on letting him forget about. He needed to be able to defend himself.

“You can’t stay in Ohio. That’s just a quick stop, a short term goal.” She finished off her nachos, dumping the excess cheese over the quesadilla. She avoided answering his question and instead prattled on. “By the time we get there and you move on to the next place, I hope to have helped you figure out how to shield yourself from trackers. We’ll practice tonight, so don’t get too comfortable with the idea of a leisurely night watching pointless television.” Eliza finished off her quesadilla and stood up. She tossed the trash away and refilled her drink.

Together they walked back to the car and she eagerly climbed back into the passenger seat that she had occupied earlier in the day. She settled herself in, dropping her wallet back into her satchel and her sunglasses back onto her face. They filled the car with gas and then back onto the highway. “All right, so, describe exactly what you can do. Can you summon premonitions visually or just innately, through feeling? We have to figure out how to get you to be able to summon a shield for you mind before I can even think of leaving you alone. You won’t last a moment, without me.” She turned her head over to him, “no offense.”

Eliza tried to stay awake for a while but then her need for sleep overwhelmed her. At some point doing her restless slumber, she leaned onto the middle console, head rested partially on his seat and partially on his arm. Her lips parted slightly, gentle exhalations sounding like small sighs as she slept. Even in her dreams, her heart raced and they were hunted. He failed the make his shields to protect them from scrying. They were caught. They were tortured and they were executed.

Waking as the car slowed, she stretched and realized it was nearly six in the evening, though she was still tired. “Find a cheap motel?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 7:01 pm

by Dollface

Owen had actually been hoping that by the time they could settle into the motel, that he could relax a little bit. Relax as much as someone in his situation could. Then Eliza mentioned practicing… a shield or something, and he sighed in resignation. He followed her lead as they headed back to the car, though he stopped inside of the gas station to pay to fill up the tank, grabbing iced coffee for this leg of the trip and some more snacks just in case. He slipped his own pair of sunglasses over his eyes as they hit the road yet again, for the last time that day thankfully.

Idly, he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in time with the quiet music coming from the speakers. When Eliza questioned him about his abilities, he just barely tipped his attention to her, shrugging his shoulders. “More innately, I suppose. I can’t pick and choose what’s given to me, if that’s what you’re asking, as of right now I can’t force it. If I really tried to control that… I might be able to. Might be the same with this shield business you keep talking about.” Another shrug of his shoulders, as he certainly wasn’t offended when she said he wouldn’t last. Owen didn’t think he would either, not on his own.

Not much else was said about this for now, though; Eliza was knocked out soon enough, and it was Owen, his snacks, and the radio. When she had slouched onto him, he was surprised that the contact didn’t have any effect on her or wake her up, so he let her rest on him for the duration of the trip. He’d relaxed into his seat, keeping an eye out for any of the roadside motels that might be cheap and hopefully not terribly gross. When a Super 8 came into view, he pulled off the highway and it wasn’t long before he pulled into the parking lot. “Cheapish,” he responded to her as he put the car into park, eyes averting to her as she stretched, but quickly glanced away.

“I know we don’t have unlimited funds, but I’d rather not tempt fate with being the plot of some slasher movie by staying at a Bates Motel equivalent. Also, continental breakfast is a plus.” With that, he stepped out of the car, rounding it to the back to retrieve his bag. They wandered inside, and he was thankful that they were getting a room in the middle of the week which made it a little cheaper. He felt like he was being judged, like the receptionist suspected because they were only there for the night, “passing through,” and he was sure he seemed awkward. Especially when told that they only had rooms with one king sized bed available.

But it was room, and it was a bed instead of his passenger seat. And when they reached the room, he dropped his backpack onto the floor near the foot of it and dropped onto one side of the bed on his back, hands rubbing over his face. “I vote we order in pizza for dinner. I’m not getting back into that car until tomorrow, and even then you may have to force me into it.” Heaving another sigh, he perched himself up on his elbows, head tilted to the side a little bit as he looked at her. “And tell me more about developing a shield, I’d rather get to it sooner than later so I can shower and go to sleep.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 7:24 pm

by Simply

“At least it is a king sized bed.” She snorted, clearly irritated with the situation but not wanting to draw attention to herself or him. She muttered, irritated the entire way to the room, entering it with annoyance and dropped her satchel into the only chair that sat in the corner nearest the door. She rummaged through her satchel and drew out her spare pair of clothes. Eliza wanted to feel clean and fresh, turning, she noted that the bathroom didn’t precisely have a door on it. The shower was just around a corner hidden from view. Ugh, could she catch a break please? “Showering first, then we’ll talk training.” She slipped around that corner and undressed in the shower, throwing her clothes over before she started the water.

The warmth felt great, running across her holders and down her back. She allowed her mind to relax and drift away from the stresses that she felt in every single muscle. It had been pressing with an unbearable weight against her neck and between her shoulder blades. She washed her hair with the provided shampoos and conditioners. She reached out for a towel and pulled in into the shower with her. “Hey, close your eyes out there.” She didn’t want to get her lean pair of clothes wet in the shower. Drying herself off, she stepped out, turning a quick eye to make sure that he was not looking at her. She dressed herself in a soft comfortable pair of workout pants and a lace bandeau. She pulled a soft cotton shirt over her head and then began to dry her hair with the towel.

“All right, let’s get started. Sit up.” She moved over, placing her satchel on the ground and pulling the chair so that they were right across from each other. “I have a wide range of talents that present themselves when I need them, when my survival is threatened. On occasion I can…trick myself, so to speak into utilizing a component of that ability. That’s what I am going to do here.” She dried her hair a bit more and then tossed the damp towel to the side. “Give me something of yours, something that is relatively special but not necessarily valuable.” Eliza just needed an object he touched a lot, that was infused with his energy. The Circle would have found many objects of this kind in his apartment and would be utilizing them in order to find them both.

With the object in her hand, she closed her eyes. She willed her power to feel the fear that she felt at the idea of being caught. She was afraid that his lack of ability to control himself would get her caught. She needed to know where he was in order to penetrate his mind. It took a moment, making her heart race and her palms clammy. And there it was, his mind. It was the same as tracking him, but since she already knew where he was…a headache would be the best indicator if she was successful. Through the link, she pushed a discomfort towards his mind, waiting for him to flinch. She stopped and opened her eyes. “Pleasant?” She scoffed, leaning back in the chair. The goal of this is that you do no want to allow me to penetrate your shields, your mind.

“Again.” She snapped. Eliza was a taskmaster. He had to learn. He had to be able to shield himself. “Until you’re able to stop my three out of five times, no pizza for you.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 7:48 pm

by Dollface

When she left him to take a shower, he pulled one of the pillows under his head and closed his eyes. Owen dozed for a moment, one arm propped under his head, the other half off the bed. Only when she called out to him from the makeshift bathroom did he pull himself out of sleep quickly, glancing over to the clock to see he’d only been sleeping for the ten or so minutes she’d been in the shower. It only made him feel more tired, which was perfect company for the hunger pangs he already felt.

“So demanding you are,” he mumbled under his breath, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees and shoulders slouched. With his dark brows raised, his hand scratched at the stubble on his cheek, and he idly thought to himself that he needed to invest in a razor before he had more facial hair than he was used to. Focus, he told himself. You need to focus. “I…don’t know if I grabbed anything like that on my way out,” he admitted with a frown, patting his pockets, taking his keys out. On the key ring was one of those novelty key chains from another state that his aunt had gotten from him when she’d gone out of town sometime. Maybe it was silly, but he’d had it on there ever since.

He placed it in Eliza’s hands, watching her warily, arms folded over his chest now. Then, after what seemed like a while, a small pain tinged at his temple which caused another furrow in his brow. His fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose and he shook his head, “Sure, pleasant isn’t the first word I’d use to describe it, but why don’t we go with that.” He huffed, wanting to flop back onto the bed again and refuse to do any of it, but he stayed seated across from her instead. “Seriously? Three out of five when I’ve never done this before? You realize we’ve been in the car for twelve hours total today. Almost sixteen, including when you stole me out of bed last night.”

But she didn’t waver. No, Eliza held true to her words, and she forced him to do it again. And again. It was truly no easy task for him to block her from slithering that little bit of discomfort into his mind. Owen had to close his eyes, block out every distraction. The process to get to that point was almost as like a meditation of sorts; he had to relax himself, get to the point that he thought or felt of nothing else but building up that barrier of defense. But he did it once. Then he failed a couple of times, before he was able to do it again.

By then, his head was pounding from the focus of it all, and by the time he had been able to block her for the third time, he was reaching to riffle through his bag for the Advil. “There. You’ve got your three, now make good on your deal and call for the pizza, and put on some mindless television. It’s—” he paused, looking at the clock, and groaned, “it’s already almost eight! I’m done practicing. It can wait til we get to Ohio.” At this point he was hungry, tired, and felt much like a petulant toddler. “I’m going to go take my shower now,” he said as he stood, letting his hands fall to the arms on her chair, leaning close to her, “and no peeking.” He smiled at her as he stood straight, and looked back over his shoulder at her with a wicked grin before he disappeared around the corner and turned on the hot water.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 8:07 pm

by Simply

Eliza’s eyes turned a steely blue when he tried to argue with the success rate that she had outlined for him. “You realize that means I don’t eat either. And I am someone that does get rather hangry. Again.” The word was harsh. Her own head began to pound, pound, pound by the twentieth attempt. By the fiftieth he had managed three and she sighed, exhausted. She leaned back again, exasperated as he ordered her about as though he had just made a good grade on his report card and deserved ice cream as a reward. He startled her from her thoughts when he leaned forward. His body heat was so close to her, his breath ran don beneath her chin and across her neck. It set every nerve ending alight with a word that she refused to call desire. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” She glared in response, watching him go before muttering under her breath. “Prick.”

Did he know the effect that he had on her? Did she have the same effect on him? Did his body hum at her touch? Did the world go into a calm like he had never felt before when she kissed him back? Narrowing her eyes, she allowed them to close, listening the pound of her own heartbeat in her head. Grabbing the Advil from his bag, she took some without water. She needed a long moment to allow it to sink it but her stomach rumbled in protest. She called a pizza on the landline (something she hadn’t done in a number of years.) She placed an order to two small pizzas, breadsticks and soda. She gave them their hotel room and they said it would be able twenty minutes.

She flipped on the television and flickered through the channels before settling on reruns of Supernatural. It was a show she enjoyed, seeing how they portrayed witches and the ideas that there were other creatures beyond witches out there. The pizza arrived and smelled delicious. She left the pizzas on the bedside table, poured herself some Coke into the coffee mugs that the room provided. She tore the lid off one of the boxes to use it as a plate and grabbed three slices of pizza. Eliza had been careful to avoid looking towards the shower but he had to be done already, right? “Pizza is ready Ow- Oh God, sorry, I thought you’d be dressed already.” She stood there for a moment, looking at him. His torso was slightly damp and his hair was slowly beginning to dry but all that rested around his waist was a towel. Eyes flickered from gray to bright green. She looked him over quickly, before turning around quickly but could not shake the image from her mind. “Okay, sooo pizza’s ready.” She settled onto the edge of the bed and began to eat her pizza and breadsticks, dunking them in marinara in an attempt to force her mind to focus on anything but the half naked image of him.

“I got two kinds. I wasn’t sure what you liked.” Anything to not talk about the awkwardness that had just occurred. She may be an assassin but she could still be embarrassed. She turned up the sound on the television, hoping he wouldn’t bring it up but feeling as though that was hopeless.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 8:22 pm

by Dollface

Owen let the shower water run for a while to get hot, wishing that the not-really-a-bathroom did have a door so he could shut it and just sit in the steam for a little bit, like a sauna. It was a shame that he couldn’t, so he settled for letting the water get as hot as he could take it while he peeled his clothes off – the same clothes he’d been in since he dressed last night. Before he ran off into the bathroom, he’d grabbed his pajama pants and an old band tee he hadn’t worn in years, even though if he was at home he’d normally just sleep in his underwear, but he had a feeling that his companion might object to that.

Once he got into the shower, he took his time, just letting the water beat across his lightly freckled shoulders before he even bothered with shampoo and all of that. And, of course, not that he had any problem with being around Eliza, it was nice to have a moment to himself too; he was sure that she felt the same. Especially after her little bit of ‘training’ and pushing him time after time. Owen was certain that, if he really wanted to, he could fall asleep under the warm spray of water, but already it was beginning to turn cold even though Eliza’s shower previously hadn’t been very long either. At least they were only there for one night.

Shutting the water off, he grabbed for a towel hanging up right outside of it, drying off his hair first while he still stood in the stall, and drying some of his body as well before wrapping the towel around his waist. In the shower, he hadn’t even heard the knock on the door for the arrival of the pizza. He’d made the move to step towards the walkway between the bathroom and the room, when Eliza came into view right in front of him. “Oh,” he started, and seeing her reaction his own look of shock turned into a wide smile on his face. “I’m sorry, I was just…”

Owen couldn’t finish before Eliza ran off back into the room, leaving the young man chuckling as he moved to dress himself now. Then, a little idea wandered into his head. He hurried along getting himself dressed, because now he could smell the pizza. However… Owen decided to forego the shirt he’d brought in with him, simply slipping on his boxers and pajama pants before he wandered back out into the room.

“I’m sure whatever you got was fine, Eli,” he replied to her nonchalantly, an easy smile tugging his mouth upward as he moved into the direction of the pizza. He did the same as she had – ripping the top of the box off so he could plate his pizza, and wandered back over to the bed to sit beside her. “Thank you, by the way. I’ll give you some cash so we’re even.” He nodded, taking a bite of his pizza before his attention wandered to the television. “Oh man, I love this show, although I honestly can’t believe they’re still making new episodes.” Owen shook his head, taking another bite of his pizza. He looked over to Eliza then, raising an eyebrow, “I bet you’re one of the Dean girls, aren’t you Eliza?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 9:35 pm

by Simply

As he strolled back into the room, obviously shirtless, she glowered at him. At first, she said nothing, shoving more pizza in her mouth as the bed sunk slightly when he seated himself beside her, but leaving a bit of space between them, fortunately enough. She focused on the lifeline he offered her rather than addressed his naked torso, at this moment at least. She chewed her pizza thoughtfully, before he addressed her as Dean’s girl. She snorted, swallowing her pizza before looking at him incredulously. “You determined to make me choke on my food today, aren’t you?” Brushing back a strand of wet hair that was not coated with grease from dinner, she focused on him. “Dean’s a riot, don’t get me wrong, but it’s Sam Winchester all the way. Who wants someone that looks good and can fight, when you can have the brother that’s smart, can fight and looks good? I’m appalled that you would even subject me to that.”

She tore the crust off her pizza and ate it first, alternating it with a breadstick. “Don’t get me wrong, if the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn’t turn him down. But given the choice…Sam all the way.” She turned her head to him then and looked him over carefully, making it painfully obvious that she was looking him over. “And what’s this, Casanova? Trying to woo me into bed with you again? I’m not drunk tonight so whatever this is,” she waved the remaining crust up and down at his bared chest, “is not going to work on me.” The implication that she would only sleep with him when drunk was plain.

The show continued on as the Winchester boys were hunting a pack of vampires. Eliza finished off her pizza, placed the lid haphazardly on one of the boxes and refilled her drink. She sat down on the bed again, drawing her feet up beneath her and cradling her mug as though it actually had something hot in it. She attempted to pointedly ignore the half dressed man beside her.

Ever the taskmaster, she didn’t give him any warning when she pushed herself towards his mind. After holding on to the little keychain long enough some of the energy remained and she could search for him without holding on to it. He winced and she withdrew. “It has to be up at all times or they’ll find you. The moment this mental shield falters, they’ll be at the door and they won’t be knocking.” The words seemed harsh but their purpose was twofold. Firstly, he needed to be able to keep himself safe. Secondly, she needed a distracted from his well-defined chest. He clearly didn’t eat pizza very often…

“Now finish up your pizza and lets get back to it. When you can keep me out five consecutive times, then you can sleep.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 11:21 pm

by Dollface

Really, he didn’t eat pizza often, probably about as much as he’d eat at Taco bell – and this was the second time he was having pizza in the last week. There wasn’t a whole lot to do about it while they were on the road, though, so he tried not to think or worry about it too much. He only grabbed a couple of slices, a breadstick too, and sipped the soda from the coffee mug she’d left on the table beside him. While he worked on his first piece, he nodded his head as if in understanding of Eliza’s reasoning for picking the younger Winchester brother, while silently thinking if it was him he’d probably go for Dean. But he didn’t voice this, give any indication of it, and then she had changed the subject entirely.

“What are you talking about, woo you into bed?” He looked at her, as if confused, shaking his head. “Eliza, I’m just trying to sleep comfortably tonight is all. I mean, you saw last night, what my usual bed time attire is.” An eyebrow lifted in her direction, as if he was trying to plant that image in her mind on his own. Briefly, he wondered if he had the ability to do something like that if given the chance to practice. “I would prefer to be more dressed down, but I figured it was inappropriate. I didn’t want you to get too tempted with sharing the bed and all.”

He polished off the first piece, and the second didn’t take long either before he was feeling far too full for eating quicker than usual. Now, now Owen was ready to sleep; he didn’t even care that it was barely half past nine. He assumed they’d be up early as well, to get to Columbus sooner rather than later, hopefully avoiding whoever this Gavin person was in the process. While he thought of these things, thought about turning over to set the alarm, something pushed against his mind and he swore under his breath, the discomfort radiating down his neck even. Owen glared at his companion, readying himself to push back against her before the sensation ebbed away.

“No. I already said I was done for the night. We can pick it back up tomorrow in the car if you’re so insistent, you can drive and be a nuisance while I practice creating your weird mind fortress.” Owen’s arms folded loosely against his still bare chest as he settled back against the headboard. “I know it’s important, and we’re being chased by your little assassin friends, but it’s been a long ass day. You’d benefit from trying to relax a little.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 11:39 pm

by Simply

The idea of him in bed, in just his undergarments, flickered to life in her mind. It pressed itself there so strongly that she felt the beginnings of a shiver, ready to race down her spine with lightening speed. She couldn’t bear the thought of it any long, of the fact that he might see what just the mere thought of him in such a manner had on her. She knew that if she permitted the thought to take root, she’d lean towards him, even if just to feel the warmth radiate off his skin, to see the gooseflesh that developed where his hair met his neck. It would undo her.

And right now, Eli couldn’t afford to come undone.

His protests fell on deaf ears. “First of all, Gavin is not my friend.” She snapped. Well, he had been but he certainly wouldn’t be any longer. They had been lovers more than friends, coworkers more than friends. The idea of Gavin starkly contrasted with the thought she had previously that it made her scowl at Owen for it. “This isn’t a game, Owen. Gavin isn’t going to have some quarter life crises like I did. He is a Circle loyalist. He would sooner cut his own throat than let you escape, than let you live. I can’t protect you forever.” The boy needed some tough love right now and Eliza figured she was the only one that could give that to him right now. “Your lack of ability could not only get you killed, but it could get me killed.” She turned squared towards him, occupying half the bed, her back to the television. Her legs were crossed and her hands rested on her knees. Her posture was relaxed, in direct opposition with her tone. “And I have no intention of dying.”

Eli’s anger and fear of death prickled against her and allowed the connection to form easily enough. She was getting faster at it, just as he was. Headache be damned, he needed to man up. They didn’t have long. She couldn’t find a way to tell him that they had maybe two days left before they were found. Her previous suggestion of five had been optimistic. So unless he could prevent being tracked…well, they were dead in the water. “I said again.” And she pushed towards him, focusing just on sending little spikes of discomfort that would radiated from the main source. It was would irritating at best. It might worsen his headache but a bruised pride and some more Advil would be the price to pay to keep them alive.

“I guess you are all talk, huh? Both with these psychic abilities you’re supposed to possess and your bedroom prowess.” Eli was poking at his ego on purpose, attempting to provoke a response out of him. Perhaps his power had to be pushed that way, like hers had. If her life hadn’t been threatened by the knife all those years ago, she might be a simple paper pusher for the Circle, rather than one of their most powerful weapons. “Defend yourself.” She hissed, voice low, pushing at him again.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:10 am

by Dollface

Of course he knew that she wasn’t going to be around forever to protect him – he’d come to that conclusion himself. It was probably best, for their own safety, that eventually they went separate ways; he understood that. Owen understood he had a target on his back. None of this was news to him, though he knew that she had a point. He’d also come to the realization that at any given time in the next ten, twenty, thirty years, someone could still come after him, that there was the chance he’d never actually be truly safe. Owen would probably spend the good majority of his life looking over his shoulder, wondering. “I guess I’d also like to avoid dying also,” he conceded, mumbling and sighing.

It was then that Owen mirrored her sitting position; he sat up straighter, crossing his legs as he leaned his elbows on his knees. He tipped his head from one side to the other, letting his eyes close again, trying to relax himself, every muscle, entirely. Those first little pinpricks of discomfort hit him again, and he pushed back, clearing his mind in an attempt to keep her out. It was as if a wave hit his mind, it wavered for a moment, but the longer he focused the longer he was able to keep the shield intact. Owen was doing pretty alright for himself, or so he thought, until Eli’s soft voice touched his ears, and all of a sudden he was snapped to the present, his defense weakening and he was aware of her.

“Quiet, Eliza,” it was his turn to snap now, brows furrowed as he opened his eyes for a moment to look at her before closing them again, willing his concentration to stay in place. “I never claimed to be some psychic extraordinaire, or some threat to society that you and your people seem to think I am.” Owen, as far as he knew, wasn’t a threat. He was just trying to live as normal of a life as he possibly could with the abilities that he had. He’d been happy with where he was at, and then she came along and completely shook everything up.

Although he faltered slightly, Owen pushed back against her again. He had relaxed more, breathing in a deep sigh and exhaling slowly. “I also never claimed anything about my bedroom prowess, as you so call it, but you seem so focused on that, Eli.” His words were low, just as hers were, and his blue eyes zeroed in on hers. “Why are you so concerned? Have you been thinking about what happened, or what would have happened had our powers not practically blown our fuses?” His defense flickered just a bit, before he focused on blocking her out again. If she was going to bite, he’d bite right back.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:21 am

by Simply

He bid her silence and that allowed a flicker of annoyance it spike up inside of her. Who was he to give her orders? He had never even attempted to explore the extent of his powers and here she was trying to save his life and he was telling her to be quite? Anger flickered behind her gaze and her hands curled on her knees from being splayed to tight fists. She was no psychic and her attempt at this mental penetration was started to weigh on her. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel the beginning curls of a grin on her lips. It seemed that she could provoke him into starting to tap into his true potential. Good.

The smirk was gone, quickly, as pain flared in her head and a pillow found the side of his head to make it stop. The pain had radiated down her back, spreading across her shoulders so that her hands began to go numb. It was the psychological assault akin to his defensive touch. She exhaled slowly, feeling it slowly begin to ebb away. “Sorry,” she motioned to the pillow that had forcefully smacked in him the face, “but that fucking hurt.”

Eliza rubbed at the back of her neck before turning it one way to the other with slight little pops of release from the joints. “That’s the kind of power you should put towards your defenses, constantly.” She murmured, anything louder than a whisper threatened to make her head explode. “And I’m not concerned about it, but it seems to be a little point of pride for you,” she motioned to his bare chest, “and it seems if I attack you precious ego, you actually manage to put up somewhat of a fight.” She downplayed how painful it was then, because even saying that it fucking hurt did not manage to fully encompass that pain that had exploded through her followed by a crippling numbness. Her power had retaliated to protect herself by hitting him with the nearest projectile.

“Thankfully my ability knocked me out to prevent me form enduring such things. It is a survival instinct after all.” Eli, the pain almost gone now, teased him in an attempt to defuse the tension. She had not particularly cared about his prowess one way or the other but she certainly did want him to be able to keep a shield up every single hour of the day, awake or asleep, driving or riding. He needed to survive. She had to make sure he would like so that she could assuage some of her guilt and because well…she thought the world might be a slightly grimmer place without him in it. Eli would be damned if she said it out loud, though.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:36 am

by Dollface

All he was doing was focusing on pushing her out, keeping her own powers from doing anything to him. And then, all of a sudden, he was being smacked in the face with a pillow, completely breaking his concentration and throwing him off entirely. “Eliza…” he grumbled, rubbing his hands on his face as he shook his head. “You could have said something. Can you please stop fucking hitting me? Please?” Between being socked in the arm earlier, and now this – even if it was a pillow – he thought maybe he’d have to give her a good lesson in using her words. “I get it, okay, you’re a trained assassin, you’re physical, yadda yadda, but a little warning. And don’t even start with some shit about it being some preparation for what to expect.”

He harrumphed, frustrated that he was going to have to regain his focus all over again. For never practicing before that night, he felt confident that this was something that he could excel at, and the moment that he had, she punished him. Well, what did she think was going to happen, especially knowing how their powers tended to react when they decided to mingle? Then, there she went again, prodding at him like a sleeping bear, fully admitting to try and deflate whatever ego she thought that he had. “This,” he motioned to himself just as she’d done before, “has nothing to do with pride, and everything to do with you being flabbergasted and blushing when you saw me in the towel before,” he told her with a playful smile.

“And come on now, Eli. I know we were both drunk, but it wasn’t that bad. Don’t act like you were so gratefully rescued by your instinctual powers or whatever bullshit you keep trying to convince yourself of.” Owen leaned closer, his elbows still resting against his knees, fingers dangling so they brushed against her knees lightly. The move was nothing like he’d done that night, when she’d come back to his apartment; that was purposeful, now he was teasing, trying to draw reaction from her as well. “I remember very well how you were sat in my lap, asking me to take you to bed.” His eyes drifted from her own, to her full lips, before he dragged his gaze to hers again.

I’m willing to oblige, was what he answered that night, before he’d scooped her up and done as she asked. He could easily replay it in his mind, the complete willingness on both parts, the pure need and want they fed into each other. Throughout all of this, however, he tried to keep that block up just in case she tried to throw another damn curve ball at him. “I’m sorry for whatever happened before, but would you say we’re done for the night? Did that at least make up for the five you so rudely demanded?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:53 am

by Simply

I want you to take me to bed. She had said, meaning to say something else entirely. The memory of it made her heart pick up. Pounding irregularly in her chest and making heart blossom across her stomach. Eliza had never said anything so brazen before. Oh, she’d said cruder things to lovers she’d taken, to boys she had dallied with but he made her feel eloquent. At the same time, the eloquence, the life that he had brought out of her made her very uneasy.

Owen unsettled her.

Especially when he brushed his fingers against her knees. Thank goodness for the pants that went down to her ankles. The mere thought of his skin caresses her, not harming her, made goosebumps erupt along her arms, giving herself away. Traitor. She murmured to her body, that was supposed to assist in her survival but was shoving her under the bus instead. “Yes, yes we’re done for tonight. My head can’t really take anymore.” She rubbed at her neck again, trying to create another sensation that was not the idly stroking of his fingers. She had noticed the way he had let his eyes fall to her lips and she cursed him, scooting slightly so that his touch was lighter, not as beckoning.

She need another distraction, this wasn’t working well enough. “I didn’t mean to hit you. It’s not a conscious thought with me sometimes, especially when I’m in the midst of actual physical harm. My magic just…reacts.” Licking her lips, she kept her eyes focused on his, because if she looked down for a moment, she would be lost and she did not want to grow any more attached to him that she already had. She was just prepping him, creating a life for him so that he would be safe and she could move on.

“Do you have any idea what it feels like when you touch me?” She cocked her head, eyes turning dark again. “Its complete agony when you’ve grabbed my wrist. You send this power in that numbs and travels. I’m rooted to the spot as I feel my body begin to wither away from me. I stop feeling myself. And then just now, when you fought back,” she swallowed, trying to describe the sensation, “I thought I might die. I thought, without a doubt, that if you kept pushing you’d kill me. My mind would had melted away into utter nothingness and my body would go limp, trapped in this terrible twilight because awake and asleep.”

But it wasn’t how he always touched her. Unbidden, the memory of his words met her ears again as though he had said them. So demanding tonight, Eliza. She recalled the movement of his hand up her spine. His touch was aching slow and soft, not like the rushed forceful movement of men she’d been with before. It was as if he had know that the speed, or lack thereof, with which is touched her made it all the more agonizingly amazing.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 1:15 am

by Dollface

Finally, she said that they were done for the night, and he let go of whatever effort he was actually putting in to keeping any sort of shield up. A little remained, as though he’d already built up some resistance from their practice, but he wasn’t sure it would actually do him much good. Still, he thought that something had to have been better than nothing. He simply watched her now, his attention falling to where his touch landed on her knees. Purposeful, but slight, as though it was accidental and he wasn’t actively trying to see her squirm. But he saw her goose bumps, was sure that she was trying to distract herself with the way she fidgeted across from him. It was adorable, and Owen felt that overwhelming urge to close the distance between them and kiss her like he had last night.

His stomach curled at her question, wondering just where she was going with her question about his touch – and it went in the entirely opposite one that he was assuming. “I’m sorry,” Owen spoke quietly, shaking his head. “I don’t register what’s going on with you when I do that, no. I guess that’s my own ability reacting defensively, as yours does. I mean, obviously there’s something, a bit of a reaction, but it doesn’t hurt me also, if that’s what you were getting at.” He licked his lips, drawing is hands away from her now to brush his hands over his legs.

“It doesn’t…” he started, eyes still tracing her face as he decided he wanted to choose his words carefully. “When I’m not acting defensively though, it doesn’t feel like that.” Statement, not a question, because he knew for himself that it was much, much different. Only when Eli acted purposefully – trying to kill him – did her touch do anything to cause him any sort of physical pain. But when she’d raked her hands through his hair, down his neck, over his chest when she had been the one dressing him down to his underwear the other night…

He could hear his own heartbeat drumming away in his ears. “What did it feel like that night, Eli?” There was a playful lilt to his words, as he leaned his body away from hers, despite the fact that he’d rather be pulling her into his lap and picking up where they’d left off. In spite of the frustration he’d felt with her barely moments ago as she kept pushing him to defend himself. Instead, he dropped his palms behind him, flat on the bed, the faintest smile on his lips. The push and pull between them had him feeling more awake than before, his own curiosity piqued now though he seemed to be treading dangerous territory.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 1:29 am

by Simply

Owen’s statement caught her off-guard and her eyes flickered to blue in surprise, watching him lean back, away from her. The distance between them grew and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized that he had been holding the entire time his fingers brushed her knees. Then his question, his name singing off his lips. Her heart pounded and a faint pink rose into her cheeks. She squashed it down quickly, her fidgeting ceasing entirely. She stared at him for a long moment. There was no expression on her face as she looked at him.

He was playing a game with her, walking the line between curiosity and provocation. Her initial manner of response would have been to laugh at him, tell him to shove it and immediately go to sleep. Yet, he wasn’t to play this game with her, to figure out how far he could push her buttons before she would crack. Whether it was her competitive nature, or something she wouldn’t willingly admit, Eliza altered the approach that she would normally have taken to such a taunt. She stretched then, arms above her head, closing her eyes briefly. The lacy bandeau clung to parts of the light shirt she wore, before her hand lowered to her sides and she shifted her feet beneath her bottom.

“That’s had to explain, precisely,” Eliza’s voice dropped into a soft purr of warning. He had picked a dangerous path to walk down and now he would suffer the consequences for it. “That night was such a blur in my memories, hazed by the alcohol and the unconsciousness that followed.” Lies. She remembered nearly every detail leading up to the moment he whispered her name. Oh, Eliza. Slowly, she moved up the mattress to him, catlike as her voice had been.

She brushed a fingertip across his collarbone, lined with muscles but forming perfect hollows on either side of his neck. “When you brushed my skin just for a moment, it makes the hum of my skin flicker.” She continued to close to space between them. She topped her ascent, only inches from his face. Her other hand came to tangle, briefly, in his dark hair. “When your hands were in my hair, electricity raced down my spine and when your put your mouth,” she brought her lips along his jaw so gently that it would be hard to discern if the warmth was from her lips on his skin of merely her breath, “like this, there’s be a pleasant numbness that would trail all the way up with you.” Each word was punctuated with the movement of her mouth upwards, until she came to his ear and whispered the last one.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 1:58 am

by Dollface

She was a blank slate sitting across from him. Without his touch, even the lightest one, he could discern nothing of her right now, as she gave him no reaction for a while. In that brief moment, he remained stoic; waiting to see what she was going to do or say. That stretch of hers tipped him off, though, watching as the light fabric of her shirt lifted up just enough, giving him a teasing glance at the soft skin beneath. Slowly, he trailed his eyes back to her face, her expression just as placid as his own.

Well, he tried to remain neutral at least, but even the low intonation of her words was enough to make his stomach twist again in anticipation. “I don’t think it was as much of a blur as you make it out to be,” he replied quietly, giving a tilt of his brow as he watched her closely. Every move of hers seemed calculated, as she shifted closer towards him on the bed, and Owen found that his fingers tightened his grip just the slightest bit on the comforter beneath him. Bed, they needed to go to bed, they needed to lie down and fall asleep before… before he was completely and utterly distracted by her.

Then, she was touching him, the move utterly tantalizing and his façade immediately dropped. Owen watched the trail of her finger, her words buzzing in his ears, before he met her gaze. A sigh parted his lips when her fingers wove into his dark hair again, and he leaned into the touch, much like he had the last time they found themselves in such a similar position. Where her lips and where her breath trailed over him, that same feeling began to thrum beneath his skin, just as she described. It was electric, like fire and ice mingling, one sensation fighting to top the other. His eyes were closed then, and her name fell from his lips lightly, a breath, giving a shake of his head.

“What happened to being so drunk that you can’t recall, huh?” Owen’s tone matched hers: low, as if they needed to keep as quiet as they possibly could from anyone who could have been listening. “I’m glad to see that your memory seems to be recovered, though.” Owen brought himself into a more straight sitting position, so that he wasn’t supporting himself on his hands anymore. Instead, he busied one, letting it drift to Eli’s leg. It moved slowly up and over her hip, not even hesitating at the fabric of her t-shirt before he dipped beneath to grab her side, pulling her closer to him.

He tipped his head, so that they were eye-level with one another again, and he trailed his fingers slowly over her skin. “We should probably try to get some rest now, Eli,” he whispered quietly, nearly against her lips, his gaze unwavering as it held hers. “You’ve kept me up late enough as it is, and since you have the first driving shift of the morning…” Pausing, he pulled back just slightly, and lifted his other hand now to push her still damp hair back behind her ear. “I wouldn’t want you to be distracted any longer than you already have been.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 2:11 am

by Simply

She elicited her own name from his lips and smirked against the gentle curve of his ear. The game they played now was one that made a knot form in her stomach, threatening to spread heat across her hips and down her legs. The he drew her close, hand beneath her shirt and the numbness, the pleasant, lack of hum spread where his fingers rested, shooting out like stars. Her breath hitched. She hadn’t been able to prevent it as it had done so.

He was going to be her undoing.

The heat of his breath ran across her jaw and down her neck. If he would just keep saying her name, she’d have kept perfectly still, content to have the fiery pressure of his hand against her back. “Who says I’m distracted?” She murmured in response, trying her best to keep my mind clear enough for the banter that he was clearly much better at maintaining when their skin rested on skin. The colors in her gaze shifted so rapidly that they were merely a swirling molten pool of emotion, giving away everything and nothing at the same time.

“You really do think so highly of yourself, don’t you?” The playful ton of her voice was soft, holding on to the memories of hushed whispered on his couch. She longed to discover more of his secrets, to delve back into what they had started. Owen rendered her useless at a touch and as long as their contact remained, she didn’t care for a moment. “Giving yourself credit for something that hadn’t even happened.” Her words were firm and playful, even though her heart pounded in her chest.

She ran her hand along the curve of his side, slipping to travel across his broad chest. The hand in his hair slackened slightly, idly twirling curls near the nape of his neck. She wondered what he felt when she touched him. Was it anything like she felt or was it the typical rush of lust and desire, nothing more than she felt like the other men she’d been with. “You’ll have to try harder than this to distract me, if that’s your goal.” The challenge hung in the air as her eyes lowered to his mouth, taking in the curve of it and then the strong angle of his jaw, before turning to meet his eyes.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 2:29 am

by Dollface

They’d gone from zero to sixty and what felt like seconds. Wasn’t it just not long ago that she said he nearly tried to kill her himself, when he pushed his mind back against hers, smacking him with the pillow? Now, she was practically in his lap and their hands had started to roam, his thoughts following suit. He chuckled lightly at the suggestion that she wasn’t distracted, because if she wasn’t, wouldn’t they have simply gone to bed? Owen would have turned out the light, turned the volume down on the TV, and tucked himself into bed.

“I didn’t say anything about taking any sort of credit. But if you’re going to imply that I’m the one causing the distraction…” His words trailed, just as his hands did, the one at her side slipping up her back now, brushing lightly over the lacy fabric of the bandeau beneath her top. Eliza’s own touch seemed to be traveling, eliciting a small sound from him as her fingers left a warm hum behind. Not only that, but her fingers at the back of his neck was relaxing, and if that was all she was doing then he likely could have fallen asleep. The comfort of that mingling with everything else though, and Owen was a live wire.

And he certainly took her next statement as a challenge.

Owen said nothing, and instead brought his arms around her, and he shifted her down onto the mattress. His hands drifted along her sides again, up her arms so that he pressed his hands into hers, just up above her head. “I wasn’t trying to at first, to distract you, you know,” he mumbled against her skin, lips fluttering along her jaw, close to her ear. “I asked you a question, and that was all. You could have given me a simple answer, or stomped on my ego and insisted that touching me was just as awful as it usually is. In fact, you’re the one who’s been distracting me.” Owen was face to face with her again at that point, and he brought his hands carefully away from hers, resting them on either side of his head as he hovered over her.

“You want to know something, though?” He dropped his lips against her throat, “everything you said, I can feel it too. It’s too much and not enough all at once.” A sigh escaped him, “and you want to know something else?” He lifted an eyebrow, his head moving slightly to the side. “I’m going to go brush my teeth, turn off the light… and go to sleep.” He grinned wildly, and slipped away from her, and sat along the edge of the bed as he grabbed for his bag to find his things. “Also, if you’d like to sleep with the television on, that’s fine. I don’t think I’ll have any issues getting to sleep.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 2:50 am

by Simply

Then he was above her and it was all she could do to focus on his words. The tantalizing burn of his fingers along her flesh, drawing upwards with an ease that made her want to groan. His trek didn’t stop until their hands rested together, above her head. The position was vulnerable, one she hadn’t been in and enjoyed quite so thoroughly before. She desired to lace her hands with his, to have him ran his fingers along her skin, not permitting her the satisfaction of touching him until she begged, begged him like she had that first night in his bedroom. To be exposed again…

Eliza hummed in response to his question, the pressure of his lisp against her throat sending her mind into a frenzy. She couldn’t think, couldn’t move and dared not breathe. His words were the perfect way to describe it – the complete nothingness and the utter wholeness she felt when they touched like this, like lovers, like people who fit together. A blink and a wild grin replaced the teasing smirk on his face. All of the warmth was gone as quickly as it had began, too fast, too soon. A hiss left between her teeth, low and soft as he moved into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

She ran her hands over her eyes, wanting to punch something or someone very, very firmly in the face. The knot that he had tied in her stomach failed to loosen and she imagined anything but the security she had felt with her legs around his waist, moving from living room to bedroom. “You’re unbearable.” She breathed, unsure if he would hear her and not really caring if he did. It wasn’t enough. It was too much. The description ate at her soul and she frowned, rubbing at her face. She waited for him to finish before grabbing her own things in irritated silence. She brushed her hair, brushed her teeth and flossed. Eli clicked off the television and climbed into the bed, careful to use one less cover than he was. She didn’t want to accidentally graze his skin in the night.

Nine hours down the highway a cellphone rang. Gavin picked it up.
“We found her.”
“How? She can’t be…” Disbelief painted his words
“Does it matter?”
“Where?”
The voice on the other end gave him the address and he sped off, hurrying to his destination.

Eliza slept fitfully and woke at six in the morning, dressed and paced for thirty minutes as though cooling herself down from the heat that lingering from his touch. She tossed a pillow at him. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. You better be up by then.” Her words were ice, as though still annoying by the course of the previous evening. She slipped out the door and rounded to go get breakfast. She grabbed a couple of muffins, some fruit and a yogurt. She stuffed them into her satchel for Owen to eat in the car. They didn’t have time for a sit down breakfast. She paused to get them drinks at the vending machine, just outside the main lobby when she heard a voice that sent chills down her spine.

“A good friend and I want to surprise him.” She heard the woman behind the counter say something but she wasn’t sure what it was but it was likely their room number.Fucking fuck. She abandoned the idea of a drink and raced back to their room. She threw the door open and shut it quickly. Without hesitation, she grabbed him from where he was brushing his teeth and dragged him to the door. “Got everything.?!We have to leave right now.” She left him to grab his bag as she opened the door to go start the car.

“Well hello Ellie.” Gavin stood at the door, one hand in his pocket and the other about to knock. She slammed the door shut but not before he sent a blast a power her way. Instinct took over but she saw Owen out of the corner of her eye. If she evaded it entirely, he’d be killed. Cursing, she shifted her weight, letting the door close and the burst of energy knick her side. She cried out. One hand clutched the wound and the other waved over the doors, warding them temporarily. She took a few steps back, leaning on the corner of the bed. Panting, she kept a hand on her side. Sweat prickled around her hairline and she cast a glance at her companion.

They were about to die.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 3:14 am

by Dollface

Owen honestly didn’t sleep any easier than Eliza did that night. Something… something was off. He dreamt that night, and while it wasn’t as bad as the previous nightmare, the sense of a looming threat lingered. Eliza was there, with him, as fires began to erupt around them, one by one, closing them in. Owen swore he could feel the heat, and suddenly he became aware that he was stuck, that this was not reality. And then, a pillow to the face shook him completely out of the reverie. He swore the scent of smoke was clinging to him, ash in his mouth, burning his eyes. No; there was only Eliza, her words cold before she slipped out of the room.

Sighing, he laid there, rubbing his hands over his face before he pulled himself up. Slowly, he moved about the room, changing from his pajamas to another set of clothes. He wondered if they’d stop somewhere and get more things, because as of right now, he only had a few days worth and no way to wash them currently. The idea of wearing his old clothes, the ones he’d been in all day yesterday, wasn’t appealing in the slightest. Owen made a mental note to bring this up on the drive with Eliza, as he stood at the bathroom counter, brushing his teeth.

What happened next was a blur: Eliza wasn’t there, then suddenly she was, looking as though she’d seen a ghost. Or worse. “Alright, alright, I’m ready, what’s --.”

The door opened, and another man’s voice reached him, and Owen was glad to be relatively out of sight despite the bathroom opening was right beside the door that led to their room. Hearing the person who was after him, after them, chilled him to his bones. His breath left him in that moment, his blue eyes wide as his hand had dropped instantly to the counter, knuckles paled as he gripped it. Immediately, he threw up that defense just as Eliza had taught him, and he stumbled out of the bathroom to see her sitting at the edge of the bed gripping her side. “What the fuck just happened,” he finally breathed out the words as he shifted closer, kneeling in front of her as his hand brushed the wound at her side, the touch feather light.

“Ellie, won’t you open the door?” The deep, unfamiliar voice sounded on the other side again, his fist loud against the door.

Out, they needed to get out immediately, covertly if they possibly could, but he didn’t see how. “We shouldn’t have stopped, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed.” The words rushed out of him as he shook his head, gaze drifting towards the door where he was certain whoever was there tried to get past whatever defense Eliza had put up herself. “Do you think what happens with us when I defend myself would happen with the others too? We could get away. I could… I don’t know, drain his energy?” Owen remembered how Eliza had reacted the second time she’d tried to finish her task, outside the Bistro. “If he’s disoriented at the very least, it could be a chance.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 3:26 am

by Simply

“My wards won’t hold for long. My magic is focusing on…”She hissed as she raised her shirt, blood pooling beneath pale skin. That bruise and the trauma lay beneath it was going to take a number of days to heal and it would leave her m ore defenseless. A slew of curses exited her lips as she, held her hand firmly against the spot where she had been hit, where she had attempted to save Owen from being hit by Gavin’s blast. Her attention focused on his words. “I don’t think so.” She shook her head, loathe to admit it. “Your other abilities might have proven useful but you can’t utilize them. You haven’t practiced enough.”

A pause. “Beside, I don’t want you getting near enough to touch him. His powers are vastly different from mine.”

Eliza’s breath came and went, labored and harsh. Her mind raced as she thought of the best way to escape. She had to talk this through out loud. “It’s only Gavin. He was closest so they weren’t able to send a backup yet. The wards are holding for now but won’t for long.” She chewed on her lip, handing her satchel to him. “Take all of our things. Grab the keys. You’re driving.” His plan to have Eliza drive the first shift was proving to not be the case. “I can drop my wards and obliterate the door. It won’t kill him,” she spoke of death casually, as though the lack of it in the situation was a disappointment, “but he should be knocked back. That would give you enough time to run to the car.”

She wondered if she would make it to the car before Gavin regained himself. She’d have to tell Owen she could, or he might not go. “You start the car and I’ll run out after and then we’ll go. It’ll give us a bit of a headstart on the road and we can take less traveled routes to get where we’re going. I may need to pick a new destination but we can cross that bridge when we get there.” She sighed, trying not to focus on the ever worsening pain in her side. Her eyes were a worried shade of brown.

“Do you think you an do it? No hesitating because the second I drop the barrier we’ll have to run.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 10:34 am

by Dollface

Gavin’s presence made this situation far more real than he would have liked. Without the other Circle member on right there, it was at least a little easy to ignore it, while knowing that the threat was there. But they’d had hours on him, they were doing so well. What had changed, he wondered? How did he find them, when Eliza had been so sure that they weren’t able to be tracked as long as she was by his side. All of this entered his mind in seconds, while Owen listened to Eliza’s plans, nodding his head rapidly. Grab the things. Get in the car. Go. They had to go..

“Yes, yes, of course I can do that, are you sure you’ll be able to?” And while he posed the question, noting her worried expression along with the wound at her side, coating her shirt a deep red, he knew that she didn’t have a choice. Eliza would do it anyway.

Keys were in his hand as he threw anything of theirs in his bag, looping both straps onto his back as he also crossed Eliza’s satchel over his body, feeling somewhat like a crazy bag person for a moment and if they had the time he probably would have made some sort of sarcastic comment about it. Owen, breathless, gave Eliza a nod as if to indicate that he was ready for her to do what she needed to do, and that second she let that barrier drop, sent her blast of power towards the door, Owen ran like his life quite literally depended on it. He gave a quick glance back at his companion, and as he leapt over Gavin, he glanced back at him as well,

If time was their friend, he would have given him a double take, a cold feeling settling in him, but instead he pushed onwards towards a door that led out the back into the parking lot. Purposely, he’d parked close yesterday, just in case and he was glad for it. Out the door, Owen briefly thought about how grateful he also was that the motel didn’t have his card, also didn’t have his real name on hand for the room, because the clean up fee for what was happening there would be a bitch.

In the car, his breaths were heavy like he’d run a marathon as opposed to the quick sprint, and he fumbled to get the keys into the ignition as he watched the door, praying that Eliza would be appearing any moment. As soon as he did see her, he unlocked the passenger side door for her, throwing it open just in time for her to slide into the passenger seat. Once her door was closed, he didn’t even wait for her to buckle herself in before he threw his car into reverse, peeling out of the parking lot and getting on the road to get right onto the highway.

“Holy shit,” he said, and repeated it a few times, his voice quieting as he tried to even his breaths, inhaling through his nose, exhaling out of his mouth. “Are you okay?” His eyes were wide as he took in the sight of her, the sight of the blood on her shirt. As he sped onto the highway, he reached down to where he threw his bag, near where her legs were at, and took out that old shirt he’d meant to wear to bed tonight. “Here, you can put this on and use yours as a bandage of sorts. We can… I don’t know, when we get far away, we can stop and get some things?”

Owen felt like he was floundering, not sure of what to do, completely shaken up by the arrival of the other man. “How do you think… I thought we weren’t able to be tracked right now.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 12:01 pm

by Simply

He acquiesced and she closed her eyes. Eliza gathered all of the strength that she could muster. This was going to hurt like a bitch, there was no other way to phrase it. Exhaling, softly, because she had no doubt that her lower ribs were fractured, if not completely broken. Fearful hazel eyes flickered up and him and he nodded. Idly, Eli couldn’t help but think that he looked a little ridiculous wearing two bags. With a nod, she released the warding and immediately her power surged through the door. It splinter into a thousand pieces and she could see through the wreckage that Gavin was thrown to the ground, promptly covered in the remaining fragments of the door.

She rose and made it to the door, made it over him, but her movements were slow. She was almost past Gavin’s head when his fingers latched around her ankle, one the same side as he wound. She sought to pull herself free but the effort was overwhelming. Gaze flicked from the car that Owen was now starting, back to Gavin. He would require a healer, but he’d survive. “I can help Ellie…” He moaned, his movement causing pieces of the wood to slight to the ground around him. “We can fix this.” She cocked her head and tried to pull her leg free once more.

“Gavin...” She hissed between her white teeth. She could feel the pull of the Circle, of home in her veins. Eli wanted to accept, but her magic was in overload, protection was all that mattered and her skin began to warm to an unbearable level. Gavin released her and cradled his hand, struggling to move. She limped towards the car just as the door swung wide for her. Throwing herself in, the assassin ground her teeth together as it caused more blood to slowly leak from her wound. Well, as least she wasn’t going to bleed out, but internal bleeding was nothing issue.

They took off and she leaned the passenger seat back, closing her eyes. Steadily, her body temperature returned to normal but her breathing remained shallow. Incredulously, her eyes opened and turned to him. Dumb question. Her eyes read, unable to open her mouth to scold him for something so ridiculous. But, that was the pain talking. Eli was never very good with pain – after all she rarely was injured and this was the worst injury she had ever sustained. The pain was excruciating.

He offered her the shirt and she considered that it wasn’t a half bad idea. Slowly, she began to peel off her own shirt. It was stained with blood and dust. She turned herself over slightly so she wouldn’t drip any on the car seat. Carefully, she wrapped her shirt around her tightly and secured it in place. A shaking hand covered the wound, applying pressure. Her body would begin to control the bleeding but the pain of the recovery would linger. Taking his shirt, she held it in her hand for a while. She couldn’t muster the strength to put it on just yet. Modesty, as she sat in just her bra, was gone.

“So you did have a shirt you could have worn last night.” She managed a soft chuckle before wincing, leaning back into the chair, one hand on his shirt and one on her side. “I think they tracked me.” The words were a whisper, as though the idea was unfathomable. “I don’t know how they did but he knew that I would be there. He knew that I would answer the door. He tracked me in hopes you were with me. You think he’d have a better greeting for a friend than this.” If Eli stayed light hearted, if she tried to ignore the pain and sorrow coursing through her then may she wouldn’t fall about. “My barriers must have faltered. I don’t know ho-” Her mind raced and her magic helped her place the pieces together. Swallowing, she remained silent, turning the conversation elsewhere.

“You need your barriers more than ever now. You have to practice and feel them and know that they’re in place because my attention will be on not dying.”

by Dollface

Oh, how badly he wanted to tease her, there was a quip on the tip of his tongue about how he had not tried to take her to bed – there’d been no trying. He couldn’t forget the look in her eyes when those words left her: I want you to take me to bed. The please that followed, the last word she’d spoken before they’d forget everything. Warmth spread over him, and he was glad that the street lights weren’t so bright because he was sure that his cheeks had gained some color that wasn’t there before. “Didn’t hurt to try, I guess.” The smile on his lips was tight, and he was thankful that there was no one around who could read his mind.

She spoke again, and the tension eased just enough to emit a barking laugh from him as she was the one who made a joke about what she meant to do. “Need I remind you, Eliza, that it was you trying to kill me that interrupted my precious sleep.” That smile had flickered into a grin, and the young man shook his head while he – yet again – turned over the events of Saturday in his head. “I mean, I know I very literally took you to bed. I remember being in my room, I remember… getting undressed. I’d like to think, if we progressed further than that, we’d remember. Plus, we both woke up with whatever clothes we’d been left in, so there’s nothing else happened.”

Sunday morning, he’d made a similar statement, although much more suggestive than he made it now. “I don’t know. I think something to do with how our powers tend to… mesh, or clash, I guess, sent us into some overdrive. Knocked us out?” A shrug of his shoulders, and he ran a hand through his already tousled dark hair and across the back of his neck. “It’s just, that night, there was obviously… touching… involved, and it wasn’t anything like when I was trying to defend myself.”

Now, he was trying to figure it out, the technicalities of it. As they walked, he ventured to reach his hand closer to hers, fingertips brushing her hand as though he was going to take it. A jolt wavered through him, like a seismic wave, and his eyes remained on her as he waited for a reaction. In spite of everything, he was drawn to her, that relentless tug just… lingering.

What the fuck. It seemed to be the phrase that encompassed everything.

“This has hands down been the weirdest three days of my life.” Owen shook his head as they neared closer to a hotel, which he assumed was hers as their pace had slowed considerably since they’d left the restaurant. “Now I’m ruined, though. Even if, when, I do run off, I’ll never be able to just take a girl home from the bar without thinking I’m going to wake up to her smothering me, or poisoning my coffee.” A lopsided grin appeared on his face as he turned his attention towards Eliza again, reaching over to brush his knuckles against hers again. “Maybe you’d have been better off if you tried to get me like that.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 1:58 am

by Simply

He was joking about her murder attempt, well that had to be good for something didn’t it? He wasn’t still angry with her. He wasn’t running as fast as he could away from her and alerting the police…though, police were never an option for people such as themselves. Magic precluded them from the constrictions…and niceties that mortals possessed and utilized regularly. He began to speak about that night and she focused strongly on his words, trying to recall.

“I suppose that’s possible. My particular set of skills are linked to my survival but something about you, what you can really do…it messes me up inside.” Not necessarily in a bad way. She recalled the pleasurable tingle that ran up and down her spine when his hand was cupping her jaw. The feel of his mouth upon hers was…exquisite. It was a feeling she wanted to bottle and keep forever. His hand brushed hers and she froze, mid-step. It shot up her arm and across her chest, projecting downward into the pit of her stomach before exploding in a burst of warmth. Her eyes closed and her breath caught in her chest.

Then it was gone and she tried to keep walking as though it hadn’t happened….and as though she didn’t want it to happen again.

“Oh, so you make taking girls home from bars a common occurrence then? Here I was thinking I was special.” She smirked, the glow of the hotel lights beginning to hit her face. Even at her slower pace, the time had come for them to part ways. Eliza kept walking around the side of the hotel, towards the stair entrance that did not go through the main lobby. Something drew her that way but perhaps it was just her desire to be alone with him, for just a moment or two longer. “If only I liked coffee, that would have been the easier way to be rid of you.”

Their knuckles brushed and she leaned back against the white-washed brick wall beside the door. The illuminated Exit sign was blinking “exi” as the t had been out since she had taken residence in the hotel. “You should really stop doing that, you know.” She murmured, able to hear the hum of the lights. “And I know it’s on purpose, before you even feign innocence.” A grin danced on her lips as she looked down at his hand. Her gaze traveled back upwards, lingering momentarily on his lips, before meeting his blue eyes. “Even after I try to kill you, you’re still trying to get me into bed.” It was meant as a joke but it came out on just a breath of exhalation. Did she want him to try again…? Even she wasn’t certain.

“Thank you for walking me back.” It sounded so stupid, said out loud. “You should really consider that move we talked about though…I really wouldn’t like hearing that someone else got to you.” Her breath grew more shallow. “But only because I’m a competitive person,” she tried to correct for her words, bumbling over them like an idiot before she gave up. “Well fuck…” A laugh slipped out of her lips as she examined his face again, memorizing it. Her hand reached up and she brushed it, every so gently, through his dark hair, before clasping her hands in front of her. Then, she felt the need to occupy her mind with anything but thoughts of him. She began searching her pockets for her keycard.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 2:24 am

by Dollface

“Take you to bed? You’re the one who brought me here. We could have walked anywhere, but here we are. You’re still trying to seduce me, what with the booze, your womanly wiles…” He stepped towards her, both hands in his pockets for the time being. “I guess walking you back was the last I could do, since you spared me and all.” A shrug of his shoulders then, nonchalant, like this was a completely normal conversation to be having with anyone.

Owen knew that she was right, about leaving, but he hated thinking about what it meant. It entailed upending his life, leaving his closest friends without any explanation. So, he nodded his head, acknowledging the statement, but right now he didn’t want to give it too much thought. Tomorrow he’d deal with it, take the day off of work, consult with his aunt about what he – they – should ultimately do. How was he even going to sleep through the night with what he knew now?

He was completely distracted though, caught off guard by the whisper that fell past Eliza’s lips, by the touch of her hand against the side of his face. Just as he had the other night, he leaned into the touch, a sigh escaping him at the sensation. Then, she was gone, pretending to fumble through her bag, and Owen acted without thinking much further. A hand fell to hers, stilling her movement, while the other lifted to cup her chin and tilt her attention up to him. “Eliza…” Her name parted his lips, but nothing followed, save for the kiss he pressed to her lips. His arm encircled her waist, pulling her closer towards him, and for a moment he was able to forget about everything. The contact was like a shock to the system, he swore he felt a humming beneath his skin, every brush of her body against his electric.

Withdrawing, he brushed his lips against her cheek, and took a step back. “Maybe you should also consider your options about going back.” Owen didn’t like the thought that because she couldn’t complete her assignment, that it could be the end for her. A thought flickered in the back of his mind: why should he care, considering she was initially out to murder him? He didn’t know, he didn’t have the answer, and it scared him.

Another step back from her, he dropped all physical contact, and threw a glance over his shoulder before he looked back towards Eliza. He wanted to tell her he’d text her when he got home safe. He wanted to know if it was okay if he contacted her when he was out of town, when he had a new phone, when he was an entirely new person, but he already knew the answer, it was on the tip of his tongue. No. It was safer to sever whatever had woven between them now, rather than risk both of their lives more than they already were.

So, instead, he offered her a smile that touched his eyes. “Goodnight, Eliza. Thanks for dinner.” And with that, Owen turned, merely casting a quick glance back at her over his shoulder as he wandered off to find a taxi to take him home.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 2:30 am

by Simply

God, the way he said her name. It distracted her long enough for his lips to fall on hers. His arm pulled her close and electricity shot all through her. Their bodies pressed against each other and her hands darted beneath the shirt he wore, feeling the prickle of numbness against her fingertips. How his touch was so two-sided was beyond her. And he was gone. It ended before she could really kiss him back. Their contact was severed.

“Goodnight.” She finally managed to whisper. A whisper to no one, as he had already wandered off.

The idea of the hotel room depressed her. She stood in front of the doorway to her room, twirling her key card back and forth between her fingers. Sighing, she rested her head against the door and shoved the key into the opening. It clicked around a moment or two and then permitted her entry. She turned the handle and flicked the light on, back to the room. She bolted it behind her, turning around while looking at her hands. Damn, she was melancholy and it wasn’t just for the threat of treason looming over her.

“Well hey.”

Immediately, she grabbed the letter opener and flung it, allow her gift to guide it to its intended target. Yet it found itself squarely wedged in the wall, at a 90 degree angle from where she had projected it. Her eyes adjusted and the lamp beside the chair was turned on.

“For fuck’s sake, Gavin. What in the whole wide world were you thinking?! I could have killed you.”

“Please, Ellie,” the tall drink of water that had been sitting in the chair stood up and crossed the room, “you know better that I do that you couldn’t kill me even if you really tried.” Eliza scoffed but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, though space separated them. In the back of her mind, she though of a similar hand on her wrist and grimaced. She twisted out of his grasp and shoved him.

“It’s not a joke,” she chided, “I could have maimed you at the very least.”

Gavin snorted and grabbed at her waist. “How’s the mark?” Eliza squirmed and placed her hands on his chest but didn’t withdraw.

“Is that why you’re here? Are they sending you of all people to check up on me?” She scowled at him, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t need a babysitter, especially you. You can’t even keep a gerbil alive.”

“I was thirteen!” He laughed, running a hand of her back as hers ran down his arms, resting above his elbows. “And girls were distracting at that age. Gerbils were inconsequential.” Eliza couldn’t help but laugh and shook her head at him. She lapsed, momentarily, into the comfort of their banter. She had known him since she was eleven. He was quick to his gifts and she was bumbling through them. Yet, she got a waist and curves a bit before the other girls and Gavin has noticed. They…learned from each other. “But did you,” he said after a moment, “complete the task?”

Whatever moment they had was over, and she wasn’t necessarily sorry for it. “So you are here for business and not pleasure.”

“Can’t it be both?” Gavin smirked. Reaching for her as she slipped away to sit on the bed.
“No. Now what do you want.”
“It’s taken you longer than usual to check in. You’ve been here for a week.”
“He’s been with his friends. He’s younger than the other targets. A week is hardly a long time. The one before me took weeks to complete a job.”
“He was nearing 60.”
“So, he had more experience.”

Gavin threw up his hands in defense. “Okay, okay. They just wanted someone to check in and I figured…we could make this a more…memorable experience.” He smiled suggestively at her and she rolled her eyes, but a blush rose to her cheeks.

“Gavin, it’s been what…four years? Weren’t you with Sarah Lyman anyways?”
“She’s so dull. We stopped seeing each other months ago.”
“So you’re bored. Well thank you for the compliment.”
“Come on Ellie….”
“Oh go away, Gavin. I’m not interested tonight.”
“Tomorrow then.” He said decisively. Eliza stood up and shoved him towards the door.
“Goodnight Gavin.”

“See you tomorrow. “ He smiled.
“Definitely not. Now leave me alone I have work to do.” She opened the door and he stood, leaning in the doorway.
“They want it done quickly, Ellie.” His voice grew serious. “They want it done by Friday.”
“They’re giving me deadlines now?” Eliza grew defensive, cautious. Gavin was a Circle man through and through.
“Don’t take it personally. They just want you to improve. You can do this.” He smiled and she shoved him out the door.
“Fine. It’ll be done by then and you can stop by on Thursday instead, if you’re still interested.” She smiled at him and shut the door in his face. She waited a breath or two, leaning against the door, before muttering a couple of fucks beneath her breath.

For nearly an hour, Eliza paced back and forth, chewing on her lip. That wasn’t enough time and with Gavin here. He was probably watching her. Had he installed alarms in the room while he had been in here alone? Did he know she was faltering? No. No, how could they possibly know at this point? She had always been loyal. She had always been faithful to their cause. Even now, the itch to complete her mission wanted to be scratched. But what had Owen done to deserve it. Hell, he was decent enough to walk her to her hotel after she attempted to kill him, not once but twice.

“Fuck.” They were a screwed up pair and she couldn’t let him die. Grabbing her satchel, she shoved her glasses, book and spare clothes inside. She slipped out and made it look as though she was going out for recon. Yet, she followed a very convoluted route to his apartment. He had already locked the door but it took a matter of seconds for it to open to her touch. She stepped inside and it was completely dark. Well, he was not going to like her for this. She crept into his bedroom. He was sleeping, shirt off and she wondered, quickly, if he didn’t sleep in anything at all. “Owen. Owen. Wake up.” She whispered, placing her hand gently on his chest. It was a moment too late when she realized that she probably she should have put it anywhere but over his heart.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 2:55 am

by Dollface

Goddammit. Goddammit.

It took everything in him not to turn back to Eliza and push her up against the wall of the hotel and kiss her again. It took everything in him not to say to hell with it all, to go with her up to her hotel room, to finish what they’d started just a few nights ago. Somehow, with every fiber of his being, he practiced self control and within minutes he had an Uber ready for him so that he could go home. The driver had inquired politely about his evening, and Owen had been at a loss for words.

“Interesting. It was interesting to say the least. Weird date, I guess.” He’d left it at that, not divulging much more information for the short duration of the drive to his apartment. Once he was there, he had slumped on the couch, staring at his phone. What the hell was he supposed to do next? Was he supposed to warn his friends, his jobs, or the landlord? His aunt, he needed to call Dahlia. If he did anything in the next couple of days, she needed to know that something bigger was going on, much bigger than either of them could have ever expected.

“We can be gone by the end of the week,” she had told him simply. “We can’t… you don’t mess with the Circle, Owen.” His aunt hadn’t divulged much more than that, but the way in which she said it sent a chill down his spine. It made him want to know more – more about what Eliza had told him as well, how everything had started, and why they were so intent on eradicating psychics altogether. In his entire life, of anyone he’d come across with ability, none of them were more than a little weird maybe. None of them held any sort of power that was harmful, even if maybe they used it to their monetary advantage. That was simply a small, ethical issue.

After discussing a quick plan with his aunt, he bolted his door shut, and readied himself for bed. Owen had already decided that he was going to call off work the next day, so he had time to sleep in and…deal with the whole mess he found himself in. Thursday, he’d resign from the library, but see if he could keep his job at the magazine somehow. Say that he needed to work completely from home – even if home wasn’t permanent. He had to figure it out somehow, he needed some cash flow.

His mind hadn’t stopped going for the last few days, but finally, it quieted enough to let him drift to sleep.

Running, he was running in his dream, there was a hand in his that set him alight, made him feel like he was flying despite the absolute terror he could feel in his dream. He watched it through his eyes this time, and every time he tried to shift his attention back to see what he was running from, there was black. Pitch black.

Owen.

His name was spoken from far away; the tone familiar but he couldn’t quite place it. Again, he heard it, and in his dream he tried to answer, but nothing happened – not until the heat began to kindle in his chest. His eyes shot open again, as if a switch had been flipped and it was always so easy to go from sleep to awake. Owen grabbed the hand at her chest, only slightly in a defensive maneuver but also to make sure that it was real, Eliza was real and she was there… in his apartment.

“Eliza,” he rasped, confusion furrowing his brow as he sat up slightly in his bed. “What… What… How did you even get in here?” He dropped her hand then, shifting so that he sat along the edge of the bed now, and both of his across his face in an attempt to wake him further. Blue eyes took in the sight of her, bag on her hip like she was ready to go somewhere. “What’s going on? Are you… Did you decide to run? You just couldn’t leave without a proper goodbye?” Owen couldn’t help but tease her, and reached out for her hand again to tug her closer to him. “I listened to your suggestion. I told my aunt, we’ll be gone at the end of the week.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 10:59 am

by Simply

Blue eyes flickered towards hers in alarm. His hand wrapped around hers and she winced, biting her lip firmly to keep from punching him in the face to make him let go of her hand. But she knew that maybe the best thing would have been to prod him with a stick or something. She was going to have to work on the way she woke him up. Like she would be doing it often? The thought flickered across her mind and she shook her head, dark hair brushing across her shoulder. Perhaps she would be, because they needed to leave right now.

He released her and she drew back, rubbing at her hand where his grip had been. “Seriously? That’s your question…” She rolled her eyes and managed to see that he did not, indeed, sleep in the nude. Part of her was relieved. She turned and clicked the light on, which perhaps she should have done first when she entered the room. So many should haves crossed her mind. Had she decided to run? She hadn’t really though it all the way through at this point. Eliza had just known that she needed to be absolutely certain that he was out of the city, headed anywhere, by the time the sun started to rise.

And he teased her. He really had no idea how much of a big deal this was. She moved to grab some of his things, but his hand was on hers. This time, instead of a wince she sighed. “You need to be gone right now.” She said, sure that she was startling him, but she needed to do it to get him moving. “They came to check up on me. I don’t know why…” She chewed on her lip, taking her hand from his and moving about his room, throwing a pair of jeans and a clean shirt at him. “They’ve never followed up on me. Maybe they sensed something was wrong.” But they could never track her, they couldn’t follow her magically.

“Fuck.” She drew out her phone. Immediately the thing fried, sparking and dying in her hand. That confirmed it for her. Her magic knew more than she did most time, bent of helping her survive. “You have to leave tonight, right now. And no, I’m not joking and I’m not overreacting. Gavin showed up at my hotel room, gave me a deadline.” Eli didn’t bother explaining who Gavin was. She took his phone and it immediately disintegrated, dust falling through her fingertips like snowflakes on a winter day. Alarm was gripping her heart but she managed to push through it.

“We can grab burners on the road.” We. Well, she couldn’t very well let him do it on his own, he’d end up electrified and burnt to a crisp in a matter of seconds. He wouldn’t even make it out of the county. “Now stop sitting there like a bump on a damned log. Let’s go.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 3:41 pm

by Dollface

It hadn’t been three hours since he’d fallen asleep that he woke up to Eli hovering over him again, and not quite in the way that he would have preferred. Especially considering her being there meant that she had to have broken into his apartment somehow, the detail of which he’d have to ask her about… After leaving her at her hotel, he didn’t think he’d hear from her again, let alone find her in his bedroom, waking him and turning on his light and telling him he needed to be gone in a tone that insisted he probably should have been gone yesterday. It had been instinct to tease her, to keep things light, despite the complicated nature of their… relationship to one another.

“Now? It’s like, one in the morning, Eliza, I’ve got it…” He had it figured out, he was about to tell her, but something about her urgency settled on him. Now, watching her, he realized just how shaken up she was by the fact that she’d been checked on. Briefly, he wondered just how long she was usually given for a task, how long they expected her to take to do what she was supposed to do.

Owen didn’t know who Gavin was, but the name, the word ‘deadline,’ mixed with her urgency left a bad taste in his mouth, an awful feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach. He still sat there, cradling the shirt and jeans she’d thrown at him, and looked down like he had to figure out what he was supposed to do with those things. Silent, he watched as her phone had turned to dust, as she went and did the same thing with his. In the back of his mind, he wondered if that affected his two year contract at all, but knew that wouldn’t even matter anymore. All of the little details of his life that seemed so important seemed completely inconsequential now that he realized it was all going to be left behind.

“I can’t… I don’t…” Owen had a difficult time finding his words, couldn’t quite articulate what he needed, what he was feeling. How? My car’s still over by the restaurant, I have to give notice to work, I…” But Eliza wasn’t budging – she kind of looked like a mother did when she’d told her kid to do something six times already and was going to do something about it now that it was the seventh time – because they didn’t have the time. At that point, he knew that he was likely good as dead if he stayed, if they stayed, and with resignation he finally stood from his bed. Quickly, he pulled on his jeans over his boxer briefs, t-shirt over his chest, and quietly maneuvered to the adjacent bathroom to gather some necessities.

“Where are we going, Eliza? What’s your plan?” He questioned her while he found an old backpack to throw his things in, along with a few changes of clothes. She had to have a plan, of where they could go, if there was anyone else they could trust to help. Right? After all, she was the one who was busting in and insisting they go. Pulling on his shoes, he remained quiet again as he led the way through his apartment, out the still open front door. He took no time to pause, to see if there was anything else he needed to collect, because then he would linger and second guess his going with her.

Once they were out onto the street, he finally tipped his blue eyes over to her. “What changed your mind?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 11:16 pm

by Simply

His protests fell on deaf ears. Eliza did not know what compelled her to aid in his escape, to help him flee from the task that she had been assigned to perform. It was sheer madness, complete folly that guided her but her rational thoughts did not present her from continuing forward with the task of helping him get out of the city. Would be go with him beyond that? Or would she return – lie to them that she had finished him off? Even now, the witch was not sure. “We’ll be taking your car. It’s not that far of a walk.” She gestured at the dark ashes that littered the ground. “Can’t very well call an Uber.”

Her gaze was averted as he dressed himself, focusing on the apartment that he had made his own but would be leaving behind. “I don’t quite have one beyond getting the fuck out of town. I’ll figure it out as we go. I didn’t really have much time after her showed up. I’m sure my room is already watched. When I don’t return in a few hours, they’ll come here to look we need to be gone.” They exited the apartment complex and the cool night air brushed against her cheeks. She inhaled quickly and hurried them off down the street, towards the restaurant. It was approximately a ten-minute drive with traffic and the walk would likely take them at least thirty minutes, but they couldn’t go on food.

“I haven’t changed my mind. Not really. “ She shrugged, swinging her satchel around so that it tapped on her backside rather than against her thighs. Her paced was fast, nearly breaking into a run and every time there was a sound, she whipped her head backward, examining the night and the shadows. “I knew you wouldn’t survive on your own. I can’t really let anyone else succeed where I failed, after all. I have a reputation to uphold.” Eliza teased gently, but there was alarm in her voice. She turned the corner towards the restaurant and then let him lead him to his car.

“Get in and drive. Head north. Most people run south or west so northeast would be even better.” She slipped into the passenger seat and lowered her bag to the ground between her feet. As the car started, she drew out a small book of maps. She kept it with her just in case her phone service went out. She began to flip through the pages. Closing her dark eyes, Eliza swallowed and ran her fingers through the pages, one, twice, three times until she stopped. She closed the book and opened it again. Columbus, Ohio. She did it again. Columbus, Ohio. A final and third time. Columbus, Ohio. “Follow signs to Columbus, we’ll be safe in that direction, for a time.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 11:51 pm

by Dollface

Owen shuddered at the idea that whoever had paid a visit to Eliza would likely be in his apartment in a couple of hours, turning it over for any sign of where he’d gone. They were both in deep shit now, there was no denying it. Just thinking of that was enough to quicken his pace beside her, even though they were walking as quick as they possibly could already without actually jogging to his car.

With her joke, he laughed, shaking his head as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. “Some reputation. I’m sorry to say that at this point I think you’ve completely spoiled it. Sorry.” Finally, they reached his car, and he fumbled with his keys for a moment before he unlocked it. Slumping into the driver’s seat, he tossed his bag into the back. It felt like it only took him seconds to get the car started and they were on the road, Owen buckling his seat belt after the matter. He’d given a nod of acceptance to her suggestion to head north, following the signs for the highway to go that direction.

When he was a kid, and he and his aunt had moved, it had been exciting. They were going somewhere new, where nobody knew who they were; nobody knew what he could do. He’d have the chance to make new friends – friends that he was leaving behind now. They’d likely never hear from him again or know the truth about his disappearance. His stomach twisted at that thought, and he tried desperately to push it away, and focus on Eliza’s words. “Columbus, Ohio? That’s… extremely specific. But if you insist…”

A dark eyebrow tilted upward as he snuck a glance over at her. “How long do you think it will take for them to track us down there? I mean, we’ve got a pretty good head started at this point, right.” His words were hopeful, but even he wasn’t entirely convinced that they had that much of an advantage over whatever Circle members would wind up following after them.

“I did the east to west trip once, with my aunt,” he said quietly, settling back into his seat, though his grip on the steering wheel was still tight. Owen’s nerves had yet to quiet, and he didn’t think that he could stand complete silence right now. Not when his thoughts were so wild. “We drove the whole way. I didn’t think I’d ever make that trip by car again.” He shook his head, chuckling a little bit. “I’m going to warn you. I know we’re on the run and all that, but I’m going to need to make a pit stop for coffee at some point. You did drag me out of bed in the middle of the night, after all.”

His tone was lighter than before, the smile tugging on his lips a little more genuine now as he returned his attention to the dark highway. “Has anything ever… happened like this before? With anyone else in the Circle?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 10:45 pm

by Simply

They started driving through the darkness, bright headlines tearing through the night. “It’s part of my…ability.” She shrugged. “I don’t really have any control of it. And before you chastise me for scolding you about control, it’s because I’m not normal.” She waved her hands, knowing she was about to get teased for her statements. “My magic, if that’s what you psychics still call it, is different. It never manifested like the rest of the coven’s abilities. So, when I need a little guidance, it kicks in.” She tossed the book of maps back into her satchel, though it missed and fell onto the floor in front of her.

Her eyes turned out the side window, not looking at him. “Probably not long. The sooner Gavin gets to your house, the sooner he can take some of your things back to the trackers. It would take maybe five days.” Chewing on the inside of her lip, Eliza wondered if he could learn to cloak himself. She couldn’t be tracked but he could. He would be their undoing if he didn’t learn how to manifest his powers better. And the mention of coffee made her wrinkled her nose. “Going to stink up the whole car with that stench.”

Eli had maybe four hundred dollars in her wallet but they would need to withdraw a decent amount of his savings. “We need to stop soon anyway, before we get out of the city. At this point, the highway we’ll get on will diverge north and south in a few miles. Stop before then.” She motioned to a couple of the exit signs. “They may take some time to track you magically, but they an follow your debit card easily if we use it on the way. Draw out your maximum and I will. It will get us through for a while.”

His question confused her. She licked her lips, turning from the window towards him. “What do you mean?” Eyebrows knit together in concern and confusion. “Has anyone ever tried to run you mean, like a psychic? Or has the Circle delegate ever ran off to save the target?” She said the last question extremely sarcastically, indicating that no one had certainly ever tried to do what they were doing. It was suicide. But choosing how she was better than the alternative, right?

Fear gripped her heart. “Here, take this exit.” She pointed to the one that was coming up. “You can get your terrible beverage and I can get something that tastes good.” Grinning, she tried to cover her anxiety.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 11:17 pm

by Dollface

The estimate of five days sent a little shiver down his spine. It would take a while to even get to Ohio in the first place, and by the time they got there, they’d probably have to move again. There had to be something that she could do, or he could do, to prevent them from being tracked down. Then again, it seemed that it was their job in the first place. Find who you need to, then get rid of them. Still, Owen tried to make sense of it, the reasoning that Eliza gave him as to why psychics weren’t supposed to exist.

For now, he didn’t bring it up; they had hours upon hours at this point to talk about anything, and that wasn’t something he wanted to discuss. Part of him wasn’t even sure how much he wanted to talk, to strike up conversation as they drove, but at the same time he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to stay quiet for too long. The silence would drive him insane, and already he found himself checking all of his mirrors more often than normal, wondering if someone was tailing him.

So far, they were good. He nodded idly in response to Eliza’s suggestion to get off sooner rather than later, and at her question, noting her tone, he gave her a little glare as he shrugged in response at first. “That’s not such a dumb question, though. You don’t know how many of you might have… delayed things with a mark to, well, do what we nearly did.” A slow grin slid over his lips as he cast a sidelong glance at her. “I meant more like, has anyone just decided to defect. Just said fuck it, I’m done and left?” Owen wouldn’t be surprised if someone had, but then he also suspected if someone did so, they probably didn’t survive for long after.

Owen followed her quick direction, off the exit and towards a strip mall, towards a gas station that he figured was his best bet. He could get coffee, even if it wasn’t his first choice of where to get it, there was likely an ATM, and then they could be on their way. As they walked inside, he noticed just how on edge she was; the fluorescent lights made her eyes look even wilder as they scoured the aisles. As he followed after her, he had pressed his hand to her lower back in an attempt to ease her tension, wondering if it had that exact since it was what he was focusing on.

Still, he found himself also looking over his shoulder, despite the fact he had no idea who to look for. He figured he’d know if he saw them.

Back in the car after they withdrew all their cash, and got their preferred drinks, Owen had propped a little bag of Cheez-its in his lap. “We should probably stop off somewhere at some point to sleep too, you know. As much as I love not being followed and murdered, it won’t do us any good to kill ourselves with exhaustion either.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 11:47 pm

by Simply

“I didn’t delay things to do anything. To maintain my cover, to get in with you, I bumped into you at the bar and there was just…too much alcohol. “ She glared at his grin, taking in the curve of his lips before looking away. “Asshole.” She murmured, though the corner of her mouth turned upwards slightly. The seriousness of his question though, made her think. No one ever left the Circle. One could retire from working for the Circle but no one ever left. Oddly, it wasn’t something that she had considered beforehand. “I… I don’t think so. It’s nothing something that people do exactly.”

Parking, walking inside, Eliza felt as though she was on autopilot. Her body was merely performing the actions she thought were necessarily in order to keep her alive. Sighing, his hand rested on her back and shocks prickled up her spine. His touch made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Bright eyes flickered over to him, turning to take in his face. His touch startled her out of her reverie – bringing her back to the present. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she merely didn’t. She allowed herself to grab a packet of starburst, a bottle of Snapple and a bag of Bugles.

He took back over driving and she reclined the passenger seat a little more. “Probably, but we could just take turns driving and sleeping. We would get there faster.” She gnawed on her lip. “At least through tonight and we can stop tomorrow night. Deal?” She inquired, though she wasn’t going to allow him to protest. If they put as much distance as they could between them and Gavin tonight…well, that would make her feel immensely better. Because in the back of her mind, Eliza still felt Gavin’s hands on her and needed to run from the memory.

“But, yeah, I think we should stop tomorrow night.” She crossed her legs, one leaning up against the door and the other crossing the middle console, jeans brushing against his. “So, what can you do with your powers, psychic? Can you control them? Can you choose what you want to see? Can you move things? What’s the extend of what you can do?” She asked the questions in rapid fire fashion but the survivalist inside of her needed to know what tools she had at their disposal.

“Sorry…but I want to know what we can do together to help prevent us from being caught so I can get you settled someplace. I don’t expect you to keep running forever.” But she would. Somehow they would find her eventually and that wasn’t a good thing.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 12:06 am

by Dollface

Something about the way that Eliza got comfortable in the passenger seat, reclining it, was enough to draw another small smile out of him. It seemed so…normal, natural. Like they were just a couple of friends off on a road trip that started in the middle of the night. Not like they were running for their lives. He took a sip of his coffee once they were on the highway again, heading north for the time being. It was odd to be on the road so late, with so few cars around them. Normal, everything seemed so normal, and it alarmed him because everything had changed.

Her knee just barely brushed his leg, but it was enough to draw him from his thoughts, and his dark brows lifted in question at her own. “My, my, are we playing twenty questions? Talk about a middle school throwback.” That smile of his returned, and he sighed, settling back into his seat as he left one hand on the wheel, the other dropping to his leg. “Well, I told you a little bit about how I’m better at… sensing people’s feelings when I touch them. Or an object of theirs. I can pick up pictures of what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, past, present, future… That’s the easiest for me to control. It started with telekinesis when I was a kid, so there’s some of that too, but I’m so used to… you know, not using it around people, that I don’t bother half the time.”

A shrug of his shoulders, like this was the most normal conversation to be having. Normal, nothing was normal. “Every now and then I get the rare dream or premonition.” Suddenly, something settled in him, and his stomach twisted. “In fact, the night before I met you, I’d had a nightmare that had been recurring… It had gone away for a while, after having it for months, but then it came back that night. I was being hunted.” The last admittance was quiet, and a frown had set in his features.

Owen took another sip of his coffee, the warm drink soothing him slightly as he tightened the knuckles of his hand against the steering wheel. “I guess I’ve – well, my aunt and I – never bothered to see what else… what other capabilities there might be. I never bothered to care; I was content with what I was dealt, and it’s not like I planned on doing anything with it.” That was a half-lie. He did monetize his abilities, but that was a secret for another time that he wasn’t yet ready to come out with.

Eliza had spoken of him not running forever. Blue eyes turned towards her, tracing over her profile, perhaps glancing a little longer than he should have considering the fact that he was driving. “And what about you? You can’t run forever either. I mean, even if they can’t track you… it would get old, not being settled.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 12:19 am

by Simply

Eliza listened to him, trying to store little bits of information about what his talents were. He seemed to have dabbled a little bit in all of the normal psychic stuff. Apparently, according to hushed whispered when they were teenagers, there were psychics who could draw their premonitions at will. They could shield their mind and infiltrate thoughts. There was even the rumor that they could alter thoughts, alter the futures that they saw but that was thoroughly debunked. That couldn’t happen.

“Well, you need to start practicing. We can crash early tomorrow and you can build up your skills. You need to be able to use it to defend yourself. Telekinesis – knives and other projectiles, as well as deflecting anything that comes at you. And you should be able to shield your mind, after all the mind is a psychics domain. If you figure it out quickly enough, then you shouldn’t be able to be tracked. You can essentially make yourself invisible.” A shrug, but a hopeful one. “They said it’s a little bit how mine works. My power wants to protect me so my mind and essence are hidden from locator spells and trackers.”

“It’s why I am so good at my job.” A pause, looking down at her hands. “Was so good at my job.” And awkward silence fell between them for a moment before she cleared her throat and he asked her about what she planned on doing with the rest of her now-ruined life. A tricky question to be posed, indeed. As she considered it, her gaze turned out the windshield, seeing another car pass in front of them and disappear, speeding off.

“I hadn’t really though about it much, yet, but I don’t really have a home and I don’t see myself really choosing one place to stay for my whole life. That seems dreadfully boring. I’m used to traveling, finding new placed to go and explore.” Leaning down, she grabbed her Starburst and began to unwrap them. “Do you like the pink ones?” She offered it to him. “They’re everyone’s favorites but the red are mine. I actually like the pink ones the least.” She unwrapped a yellow one for herself before chewing it thoughtfully.

“Where would you like to end up? If we can get you to the point where your mental barriers don’t require any thought – we’d have to find someone to fabricate documents for you, to help you settle but I think we can manage it. I know of a couple of people – mortals – that would do it for me without alerting the Circle.” There were actually only 2 people that wouldn’t readily turn her over for a price, but two was better than none.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 12:42 am

by Dollface

The way she spoke about what he should do, what he had to learn how to do, just left him wondering about the Circle. He wondered about the philosophy, the teaching they must have done that left Eliza so knowledgeable about… all of it. To Owen it seemed that she had been honed, taught since she was young, and he had a brief image of being taken out by some psychic-hating, teenaged Circle member instead of the dark lumbering object from his nightmare. Apparently, he needn’t be afraid of that; he should have been careful about who he picked up when he was out with his friends.

But Eliza was there, sitting next to him still. “Well. I’d say I’m sorry that I helped kind of ruin that for you but… you know. The whole being alive thing still is nice.” For now. For now, they were good, they had a head start. They were alive.

An odd feeling settled in him with her next words. Obviously, he wasn’t sure entirely what was going on when it came to the two of them, there was something there, but the idea of her eventually leaving… Left him feeling unsettled. He kept his expression passive though as he focused on the road, nodding his head quietly. “To each their own, I guess.” Indeed, because he of course had always seen himself settled somewhere, an expansive future ahead of him. He had plans. “Just promise me you’ll get to Alaska,” he teased her with a flash of a smile.

Owen munched on a cracker when Eliza brought up the Starburst preferences. “I don’t mind the pink ones,” he said with a shrug, “the orange are my favorite though, even if everyone hates them. I’ll gladly take a pink one though.” And so he did, popping it in his mouth to chew, before he reached into the bag in his lap to pass over some cheez-its for her. His finger tips just barely brushed her skin, but it was enough to cause that tingling sensation to travel all the way up his arm, and again his eyes stayed focused on her for a beat longer than he should have.

Finally, he turned his attention to the road yet again. “So there is a weird little psychic witness protection program,” he said, chuckling at the joke he’d made earlier when she’d first told him he had to run. “I don’t know, really. Anywhere there isn’t too much snow. But if it came down to it, I’d settle anywhere I knew I would be safe, and stay that way. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that.”

Not with the Circle after both of them now. “Did you ever think about what it would like if you weren’t a part of the Circle?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 1:31 am

by Simply

At Alaska, Eliza felt her heart flutter and she smiled. Even though they were in a very unique predicament, she appreciated that he remembered the little things that she told him. “It is on my bucket list.” She picked through her starburst and found an orange one. She wrapped it gingerly, snacking on the crackers that he had laid on her jeans in between unfolding the paper casing. “Orange, really? Of all the colors??” Her voice was teasing as she handed the unwrapped candy to him. “As long as we don’t have to share the red ones, we’ll get along just fine.”

“Ha. No. We just use…different names when we travel sometimes and before you ask, yes, my name is Eliza.” A pause. “Well Elizabeth but I’ve never been called that. Ever.” Brushing her hair out her eyes, she drank some of her Snapple and set it in the crook of her knee. “You could always go to the southeast eventually. I’m sure that you could avoid the snow down there but at least get some seasons. Good biscuits too.”

Licking her lips, Eliza turned towards him, eyebrows raised. “So after 2am we just go straight for the heavy hitting questions, huh?” Half a joke, but half serious. It was a very deep question and she pondered it a moment, opening all of the other colored candy first, making a pile of red on her knee – clearly saving the best for last. She ate three before she responded to him. “No, not until last night and I didn’t really think it through, probably still haven’t. But…” Her eyes remained on him, looking to his hand on the steering wheel, while the other flickered to the hand putting cheese crackers in his mouth.

“You basically just asked a fish if it ever thought what it would do if it walked on land. “ Her face turned back to the window, looking out at the dark trees flickered past quickly. “It wasn’t something that was really a possibility. You’re born into it, after all. Your parents are coven members, you’re taught every day how to control you powers and our history. We’re not homeschooled because that draws attention – makes you seem cult-like. So we go to regular schools and afterwards there’s a special after school program for us every day. And then they encourage us on certain jobs. Some members keep normal jobs – lawyers, bankers, investors – and then there are people like myself, who are naturals at certain occupations.” She ate one of the red Starbursts then. Every time she mentioned her job, it started to make her feel guilty, terrible almost and so she compartmentalized and pushed those thoughts away.

To replace it, Eli’s thoughts flickered back to when his fingers brushed hers. Did it feel the same way to him? Did it feel like his heart would stop and beat faster than it ever had simultaneously? Should she ask? No. Exhaling, she finished the rest of her red Starburst and started on her Bugles. “Want any? They’re better than your Cheez-Itz, no offense.” Laughing, she stole one right from his lap and ate it at the same time as her Bugle. “Not a bad combination.”

“Why did your aunt raise you?” She asked. It was a bit personal but they had nearly eighteen hours of driving and after she tried to kill him, few topics seemed off limits.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 1:54 am

by Dollface

Owen's brow furrowed when she had the audacity to judge him on his candy flavor preference. "Do you have a problem with the orange ones? They've never done anything to you." He sent her a little glare, though he was teasing. "Go ahead and eat all the red ones you want. I'll take care of the orange since they're such a nuisance." And he certainly had no issue taking the orange starburst from her now as he popped it in his mouth to savor the flavor.

While he drove, Owen listened rather intently as Eliza went on to describe exactly what it was like to live amongst the Circle, grow up the way she had. "Huh," was all he found to say at first when she finished, turning it all over in his mind. "So, what you're saying is most of you carry on like normal human beings like we do? But we, for some reason, aren't allowed." No, he wasn't trying to start a fight or a debate, what have you, but he couldn't help but to draw the comparison. "I'm sorry. It's just... I guess it's weird to think that for the most part we all just live among each other the way we do. Obviously, I've known about the circle but... I just figured I was never a blip on the radar."

The snacks seemed to be a sort of truce. Something to break the serious conversation, thankfully. Owen reached onto the bugle bag, grabbing a few, and stuck them on the tops of his fingers of his other hand like he used to do when he was a kid. As he plucked one off with his teeth, he found himself stopping rather abruptly when Eliza hit him with her next question.

"Talk about hard hitting; you don't hold back." Blue eyes drifted towards her, an eye brow lifted upward, he ate the last two bugles before he gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "My mother died when I was young; my aunt is her sister. I don't think... I mean, I've never known what really happened. I was pretty young, and even still everything is so vague about what happened to her. My grandparents are out there, somewhere, but if I've ever met them I don't remember it. And I've never known my dad at all, he's never been in the picture, and I've never particularly cared." To drive the point home, the young man shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as he possibly could. "So it's always just been me and Aunt Dahlia, really. Obviously I have my friends that you met, but she's probably one of my best friends too." And the guilt of leaving her settled deep in his core.

"Do you -- do they go after family? If they can't find a mark?" The realization of this possibility hit him hard, and when he spoke, he did so quietly. It was as if simply saying it like that was enough to speak he idea into existence, and Owen couldn't stand the thought that anyone having any relation to him, familial or not, could be hurt because of him.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 7:42 pm

by Simply

“A problem?! No no no.” She grinned as she spoke. “They’re just nowhere near as delicious as the red ones, so you clearly have a terrible palate.” Eliza muttered the last sentence under her breath, but made it loud enough so that he would hear the words laced with her teasing tone. Delicately, she tossed another two orange ones into his lap, listening as they crumbled the Cheez-Its bag that still rested in his lap. The woman rolled her eyes. “Don’t play the martyr. The taboo of your existence endures for a reason. I don’t know the specifics of it.” She confessed. Bright emerald eyes, now, flickered out the window. The need to avoid looking at him while she talked about his death remained strongly engrained in her. “Someone in the Circle tracks psychic activity,” her hand waved about, “so you were a blip but too big of one that needed to be…addressed. They’re working on a method to determine psychics before they’re born but that requires some aspects of mental magic which in and of itself can be considered psychic. It’s complex and above my pay grade so I didn’t pay much attention to it.”

“Sorry about your mom.” She murmured, turning her attention back to him. He was young though, not quite old enough to remember the pain of it as Eliza did when she lost her parents. “And I’m not certain but they never sent me after family. They know about your aunt, but she’s not a psychic on our registry so she shouldn’t be at risk. At best, they’ll question her discretely on where you may have gone. To be honest, though, they’ll be more interested in catching you and me. They may think, for a while, that you’ve kidnapped me but that will change when they see the camera footage at that gas station. Then…well, it won’t be pretty.”

Eliza wondered how long it would take them to start looking for them along the highway. Gavin was…persistent. If he didn’t discover that she was already gone, he certainly would by the next day. His desire to spend time with her would outweigh her request she was certain of that Gavin was one of the most tenacious men she had ever met. He always had been.

“Why did you take me home?” The question hung in the car between them. Eli laughed, unbraiding her hair and tying it up into a bun on the top of her head so that she could lean her head comfortably back on the headrest. She reclined the chair even further and closed her eyes. “Is it something you do often?” There was no judgment in her voice. “Or was it just because I am so devastating beautiful and impressingly witty that you were smitten from the moment you spilled your drink on my very nice jacket?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 10:22 pm

by Dollface

There seemed to be so many details about… everything regarding the Circle, what they did. It was a lot to take in, especially since it had been merely hours since Eliza told him the truth about who she was, what she was meant to do. Maybe he would have been seen as crazy for even thinking about getting into a car with her considering she had been meant to kill him, up until he’d been able to stop her outside of the bistro, but there was a little voice in the back of his mind that whispered to just trust her. If anyone was going to help him, it would be here, as she knew everything about the people who wanted him dead.

He propped an elbow up against the door, tipping his head into his hand, eyes on the road in front of him. Eliza’s question took him completely off guard, dark brows shooting up as he laughed almost nervously. “I was definitely smitten the moment you bumped into me and nearly dropped my freshly poured drink in a busy bar.” Owen slid his eyes toward her then, noting she almost seemed relaxed sitting in his passenger seat. He also noted how cute she looked with her hair up in that messy bun. “I wasn’t lying when I said I’d never taken someone home before like that. Usually when I’m out like that, I don’t meet women unless I’m being set up.” He gave a shrug of his shoulders. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when I asked you to come back; I guess I could have assumed the obvious, but I just wanted to spend more time with you.”

Now, they had plenty of time together, even if it wasn’t the most ideal situation.

Eventually, the conversation petered off. With the late hour, silence fell between them, and it didn’t seem to take long before Eliza quieted beside him and he could hear the shallow breaths that accompanied sleep. He had maybe had three hours at home before she kidnapped him, which in the past, in his college days, had been a sufficient amount of time to be able to function, but he wasn’t so lucky anymore. Owen knew that in a few hours he’d have to wake her; for now, he let her doze, while he kept his eyes on the road in front of and behind him.

Though the sun wasn’t entirely making its ascent, the colors that accompanied dawn began to lighten the sky. A flick of his eyes to the clock, and it was closer to 5:30 now – they’d been on the road for a few hours, and they’d probably have to stop, if only to stretch their legs quick and grab something to eat that was more substantial then cheezits and Starburst.

Without rousing his companion, Owen followed the signs to the nearest rest stop that included a gas station and a diner. Pulling onto the side street now, Owen pulled up to a red light. “Eliza,” he spoke quietly, touching his hand gently to her arm to try and pull her from sleep, “I’m pulling off so we can take a break. I need sustenance, the orange Starburst just aren’t doing it for me.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 10:47 pm

by Simply

Eliza dreamed, or rather, suffered from nightmares throughout the few hours of sleep that she accumulated. Gavin was there. His face was twisted into a gruesome mask of inhumanity, waiting to inflict the necessary punishment upon her for her treachery. Various people surrounded them but pain struck her heart with every word Gavin said to her, listing off how she had betrayed the people that had raised her, nurtured her and stuck by her even when she proved hopeless at regular spells. The moment when Gavin brought his hand down towards her, she jolted awake to a hand on her shoulder. Instinct took over. She reached out to grab the hand and twisted, just slightly before a familiar tingle raced up her arm. Eli drew her hand away, rubbing her eyes as the light blinded her.

“Ah, sorry. Habits.” She stretched and as they pulled off to a little diner and gas station, she tried to steady her thoughts. Rubbing at her neck, Eliza yawned. “Thanks for letting me rest. I can take over driving so you can then we can stop tonight and both catch up on sleep.”

The diner looked rather poorly maintained but they claimed to have a word renowned macaroni and cheese, which was enough for Eliza. They got gas, paying in cash before parking at the diner. Licking her lips she got out of the car and reached upward, stretching largely enough to show her midriff for a moment. “I’m starving. You were right about the Starburst.”

The assassin strolled into the diner and headed to the back, looking at the front door they had entered from and the door leading to the kitchen. Their table was equidistant from both exits. She settled into the tearing leather booth, taking the poorly washed menu from the place behind the napkins. She looked over it briefly, before realizing that it was morning and they wouldn’t have mac and cheese yet. She sighed. “Oh, yuck, are you going to get coffee again.” She smirked as the waitress brought them glasses of water without any ice in them. She walked away without another word. “She’s cheerful.” Eli laughed, choosing a large stack of pancakes with extra bacon, mentally.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 11:27 pm

by Dollface

“Jesus!” He exclaimed when Eliza twisted his arm, rubbing his other hand over it when he took it back from her, brow furrowing. “Sure, habits. You’re just getting payback.” Owen huffed as the light turned green and he went up the street towards the gas station and diner. He was more than glad to get out, stretch his legs a little bit, and eat something. Even last night when they’d had dinner, he was certain he’d probably had more whiskey than he did pasta. With that, he felt the beginnings of a headache starting at his temples, and made sure while he gassed up the car to grab something for it.

Although the diner did look drab, the pure scent of breakfast nearly smacked him in the face as they walked in and it was like nothing had ever smelt as good. Owen was of the belief that these were the best kinds of places, even if it didn’t look too impressive. He followed Eliza into a booth, slipping into the side opposite to her and glossing the menu in front of him. A smile touched his lips at her accusatory question, an eyebrow lifting as he looked up at her through his lashes. “For your information no, I won’t, because I would like to get some sleep while in the car. So, no, I won’t make you suffer from the mere smell of it.”

He gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes as he settled back into the seat of the booth, their waitress dropping off waters… and that was it. “Well, maybe she heard you insult her coffee. Didn’t you see the sign? World’s best coffee and mac and cheese, Eli. Her life’s work, and here you are making jabs at it.” Owen shook his head at her, feigning his shame with her. “Also, it’s five in the morning, and who wants to be working that early?”

If he had it his way, he’d still be asleep. Asleep in his bed, for a little while longer, before he was supposed to go see his aunt. That’s right – he was meant to be taking the day off so they could get their plan in order to be leaving by the end of the week. Now… Owen was already gone, with Eliza in tow.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for their less than friendly waitress to return, taking Eliza’s order and then Owen’s – orange juice, a standard egg breakfast with bacon, hash browns, and rye toast. “You never had a regular old job like this, did you, you were lucky enough to be spared?” A corner of his mouth tilted upward as he questioned her, his head shaking lightly – it was such a normal question, too. As though they were still trying to learn about one another, feel each other out for those weird little details. “My first job was in fast food and it was terrible, people are awful. Now those are the people that you and the Circle need to be after.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 12:00 am

by Simply

“Well she could at least try to smile.” She responded, clearly grumpy from lack of sleep. Eliza sighed, laughing at his next comment unexpectedly. “My apologies to her royal highness then for the insult to her fine establishment.” After ordered, she tossed the menu back behind the napkins, eying all the salt that had been spilled around the holder that housed pepper and ketchup as well. She licked her lips again, noting how dry they were from sleeping with her mouth partially opened.

“No, of course not…well, I did work at a bookstore in college to make a little extra spending money that was not a part of my stipend from the Circle.” A shrug lifted her shoulders. “But that wasn’t really a job, it was easy and enjoyable. If it was slow and I had stocked everything, hen I could sit and read the books without purchasing them.” A slight smile played on her lips as she remembered all of the little notes she’d leave in the books she read as a delightful little surprise for the purchaser. “But it was only for two years and I didn’t do that during the summer. Summer was the best time for training so I returned home for that.”

The waitress brought the food and extra whipped cream. Eliza healthily layered it on top of her chocolate chip pancakes, before drowning the in syrup. She needed all of the sugar in order to survive the drive that she was about to undertake. “I wish we could just hire a driver to take us the rest of the way. I’m exhausted.” The waitress came back to check on them and she ordered a Dr. Pepper for the caffeine. Devoting herself to the food, she scarfed down every last bite, before ordering a small side of hash browns.

Pushing the empty plate to the edge of the table, she looked over at him. “We can switch again around 1:00, then drive until we hit a spot after 6:00 that we can get a cheap motel.” Eliza looked down at her hash browns, sprinkling them with salt and some ketchup on the side. Eating a few bites, she focused on her food. “And don’t get any ideas either.” Smirking, she finished the majority of her hash browns before the bill arrived and she paid for it with cash. Staining, she stretched once more and grabbed the keys from him. “Come on now, we don’t want to wait too long.” Eli didn’t wait for him but looked over the parking lot before deeming it safe enough. She assumed the driver’s seat, found a radio station that was tolerate (regretting not having her phone) and once he was in the car, she headed back to the highway.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 12:43 am

by Dollface

“Oh, of course,” he replied, folding his arms across, “everyone knows that summer is the prime time for training in your speciality.” How was it so easy to tease her, joke with her about who she was and what she did? He had been her target less than twenty four hours ago. Owen realized maybe he was just delirious from the lack of sleep and all that – it was much easier to blame it on that.

When the waitress brought their food by, he dug right in, knowing that sleep was going to be on the horizon for him. Not only that, but he knew that they shouldn’t be stopped for long; the way that Eli had talked about Gavin made him move at a speed much quicker than he would have liked when it came to enjoying his breakfast. But right now, food was fuel, it wasn’t there for them to linger over. “That would probably be like, the most expensive Uber in existence. We could get into the world record book maybe though,” he grinned, wiggling his brows upward as he finished off a piece of bacon

Carrying on with finishing his meal, he only left behind a part of his over medium egg, and settled back into the booth yet again as he drained the last of his orange juice. Letting his eyes close, he nodded in response as Eliza’s voice reached his ears. Her last comment made him smirk, a low chuckle rumbling from his throat. “Why, I’d never, Eli. I’m a perfect gentleman.” He opened his eyes, then winked at her, and had no problem with passing over his keys to her.

Back in the car, he settled comfortably into the passenger seat, pulling his jacket off of his shoulders now to use as a makeshift blanket over himself. He hadn’t realized just how exhausted he was until he got settled, somewhat comfortable in the seat. Owen tried not to focus on how weird it was to be the passenger in his own car, with someone he hardly knew at the wheel. “You know how you asked me last night why I took you home?” Owen questioned her with his eyes closed, not waiting for her to answer. “Why did you agree to come, considering everything? I take it you’ve never gotten close to a target like that before, have you?” The conversation had been left off, and Owen couldn’t deny that his curiosity had gotten the best of him. “I guess I’m just curious ‘cause you know… you were still you, but also not.” A pause, and he opened his eyes just a little bit to look over to her. Quickly, his blue eyes traced her profile again, remembering their kiss, where he’d left others along her jawline, her neck. “Would you have gone through with it if nothing had happened that night?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 11:31 am

by Simply

Owen's question did not surprise her. In fact she had expected it last night and had been shocked he hadn't followed up then, but perhaps he was nervous to ask her. Eliza certainly was nervous to answer but not because of anything in particular. What was her reason for saying yes? The alcohol was certainly a really large component of her acceptance of his offer. She hadn't drank that much since college and couldn't handle her liquor like she used to. Her fingers drummed on the steering wheel, contemplating what she would say. He finished his inquiry with a real kicker of a question and her fingers stopped their movement.

"Well I was wondering when you'd get around to asking but can't deny that I was hopeful that you would never bring it up." Eliza kept her now dark eyes focused on the road. "No, I hadn't gotten close to a mark like I had with you but I'd befriended one to get inside her house. Friend is a strong word there." A shrug. She didn't like to think about Penny, the sweet middle aged woman who was using her abilities to win lotteries. "I was drunk, and I'm not just using that as an excuse. I figured that I could get you alone, especially when you invited me back. I didn't expect or plan to...." another hand gesture that he could certainly figure out. "You're the youngest target I've ever had. You're only slightly older than I am so I don't know. I lost sight of my mission." A slight smirk, trying to lighten the discussion. "Luckily for you."

Chewing on her lower lip as though it might save her from having to answer him, Eliza finally sighed. "If you hadn't woken up the morning after...I might have. I probably would have." The truth of it weighed heavily on her and she exhaled slowly through purses lips, trying to slow down her heart rate. She recalled the feeling of his hurried touch along her skin, dancing beneath the hem of her shirt. She stayed her hand at the memory of that feeling, at the fear that she's never know what that freedom felt like again. "Outside the restaurant, I don't think I could have. I tried and just...couldn't and that's before you used whatever that defensive mojo is to kill me slowly one nerve at a time. So I basically think we're even for that last one." By no stroke of the imagination did the assassin think they were even, but it was more of an attempt at humor than anything else. This conversation was giving her irregular heart palpitations.

"Why'd you even come with me last night? I could have just been luring you to your death. You don't even know me." There was a little panic in her voice. She didn't really want to know the answers. She didn't want to discuss this any further. "I've killed people, you know that right?" He had to know that. He had to understand it. But to speak it out loud made it real. "I'm helping you in an attempt to right the wrongs because...I've watched you, I've interacted with you and I don't think you're a threat but what if you are and I essentially just doomed us all." Clearing her theist, her eyes focused hard on the road. She grabbed her sunglasses from her satchel and slipped them on. Partially to hide from the sun and to hide the prickle of tears that she refused to let fall. "I am not a good person. And I'm not saying that for sympathy. I'm saying that so you understand it, so that you really know who I am. Just because I spared you doesn't mean I've changed over night."

The words filled the car and suffocated her.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 1:13 pm

by Dollface

Owen did have to wonder, if he didn’t have his own abilities, would the feeling that Eliza had pushed into his chest that morning even roused him? Would any normal person have woken up, or would they have died in their sleep, never knowing what happened? He’d felt that pain, it had radiated into his entire being and he shuddered as he remembered it. The way that their abilities mingled was certainly interesting, especially knowing that it wasn’t always like that. “Even my ass,” he said with a snort, “we won’t ever be even, Eli.” He didn’t think he had to say why; even if he’d hurt her, it definitely hadn’t been intentional, and his own abilities must have kicked in to defend him, just like he said her own magic worked.

Apparently, it was her turn for the kicker of a question, one he’d already pondered over the night before especially. He did have a lot of time to think after all, while she slept fitfully in the passenger seat that he now lounged in. Eliza’s words sunk in as his gaze trailed out the windshield, watching as the cars past by them, on the opposite side of the highway as well. “You may not have changed overnight, but I don’t think it’s too late to start righting your wrongs, and this isn’t a bad start.” Perhaps he was playing devil’s advocate, in a way. “I don’t know, Eliza. Of course I wondered if, at first, it was another rouse for you to… get me completely alone. But you already had two chances, you told me everything in confidence yourself. And maybe it has something to do with my own abilities… I don’t know, heightened intuition that I can read into a little bit better since I’m not drunk off my ass from all the tequila you fed me.”

More teasing words from him now, his tone light where hers had definitely turned much serious before. It was a serious matter though, there was no denying that. “I may not be able to read you very well, not at all, but I can generally get a sense of things still. I guess I just trust that you’re going to help me is all. Not to mention, you know the Circle, what they do, so who better than someone from the inside. And if that comes back to bite me in the ass, well, I’d be dead and it’d be too late to care anyway.” Maybe that thought process was a little bit on the more morbid side, but it was the truth, wasn’t it?

He still had so many questions for her, some of them a little unconventional, but he didn’t voice them. The mood in the car was heavy, thick, and he didn’t want to leave it like that while she had to drive and he slept. “On a completely unrelated note,” he said with a sigh, opening one eye to peek at her, “I can’t believe you think coffee is disgusting but you’re drinking Dr. Pepper before seven in the morning. I refuse to accept any more coffee judgment the rest of this trip, Eli.”

by Simply

“Mmm,” was all she managed to say in response to his question before his hands gripped her and pulled her closer. His mouth was on hers. It was more than she had imagined it would be and she shivered, excitement coursing through her veins. Numbness slid down her spine but then every single nerve ending was alight with the most wonderful feeling she’d ever felt in all her life. It was as though every barrier that her gift had bestowed on her was crumbling down, giving way to his lips and his hands. The end was the most tantalizing – the slight kiss to the corner of her lips, then her jaw. She sighed in irritation when he stopped, too drunk to bother hiding her displeasure.

Eliza had never been so caught up by a man before. Sure, she’d made her way through the select few of Circle boys and even some mortals in college but nothing alarmed her and excited her quite like his touch. It had to be the alcohol messing with her system and the pizza? Now wasn’t the time that she was going to fuss over the semantics of the feelings he gave her. She wanted more.

His breath ran down the back of her neck as he whispered in her ear. “Well…I suppose it is only fair.” She murmured, drawing back from him so that just his fingers grazed the space between her shirt and her jeans. Her eyes took him in, her breath falling in gentle exhalations. He had these permanent dimples, etched against the strong set of his jaw that was dappled with soft dark stubble. His hair was thick but tousled now, after her intrusion. It was as she looked at him that she noticed that his nose was just slightly offset to his right but in the barely noticeable sort of way.

She drew back completely from him then, before slipping one leg across his lap and settling herself there as she had pictured in her mind before. Her body’s hum quieted momentarily. “It’s not much of a secret…but you’d approve, as it has nothing to do with coffee.” Her fingers snaked up the back of his neck again, twisting his hair gently, fingernails brushing his scalp slightly. Her mouth lowered itself to his ear and she traced the curve with her mouth before settling where he would easily be able to hear her. “I want you to take me to bed.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could think them through. She had meant to tell him that she cried every single time she read Atonement and that each time her heart broke all over again. But she had said what she really thought and now her heart raced. It was too bold. Slowly, she drew her head back from beside his and met his eyes, anxiety clinging to the corners.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 11:48 pm

by Dollface

His day had started so… inconsequential. Then nightmare that had tugged him from his sleep was so far from his mind now, the lunch with his aunt… it was like it had happened on two completely separate days. There had been no way of knowing that this was how his night would end, his lips on a beautiful girl who seemed to want him just as much as he wanted her right now. Owen had assumed he would join his friends, he’d dip out relatively early, and be in bed at a relatively normal time while he enjoyed his Sunday to himself.

It was Sunday now, he realized. The wee hours of Sunday, and he wasn’t alone. Far from alone, as he didn’t let his hands stray from Eliza, eyes holding hers even though she seemed to be looking him over. A tiny part of him felt self conscious – wondered if she could tell that his nose had been broken once back in high school, wondered if… hell, he hoped that he didn’t have any semblance of pizza sauce on his face from before now.

Then, before he could protest, she shifted away from him, and Owen’s hands disconnected from her skin. The disconnection caused some of the haze to fall from his mind, his senses feeling just a bit clearer for the moment, before she was in his lap. His heart stuttered as she leaned towards him, the fuzz of white noise lowly humming in his mind, reverberating in his ears. “That’s a secret worth telling if you ask me,” he murmured, but the words didn’t seem necessary as her hands soon returned to him again.

There was no masking the sigh that parted his lips as her fingers slipped through his hair, and Owen’s hands drifted to her sides again, thumbs pressing against her hips as he pulled her against him. Her breath, her lips on his ear caused his breath to catch again, and the statement that followed nearly flipped a switch in him he didn’t know existed. Time stilled for a breath, before Owen tipped his head so he could return the favor, pressing a kiss to her ear lobe. “So demanding tonight, Eliza. First the French fries, now…” His words were low, warm against her ear, “but I’m willing to oblige.”

Owen caught her mouth with his own then, and shifted her legs then to bring them around his waist. Hands slid slowly up past her thighs, finally resting to splay on her lower back as he stood from the couch, lifting her with him. Breaking their kiss – partially to see where he was going, and partially to tease her with kisses across her jaw, and down her throat – he stepped towards his room and nudged open the door with his side.

Carefully, he set her on the edge of his bed, and came to kneel in front of her. Again, his hands roamed over her thighs, fingers now venturing to dance over the warm skin beneath her top before he deftly slipped the fabric up and over her head. He couldn’t help but think that oh my god I can’t believe I’m doing this I’ve never done this before is this really happening. There she was, in front of him, causing everything in him to go absolutely haywire. The frenzied kisses, touches, her lips and skin against his made him feel even more intoxicated than he’d been back at the lounge

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 12:07 am

by Simply

Willing to oblige. She shuddered, anticipation bubbling up inside of her. She could feel the hum transfer from her skin to him, replaced by the numbness that was so thrilling for her to finally feel for the first time in the entirety of her life. Eliza kissed him back fervently, teeth grazing along his bottom lip, as her tongue tasted his. Coffee would hold a much fonder memory from this point forward. Before she realized it, he had taken charge of the entire interaction and she sighed, the noise drawn from her by his tantalizing kisses against her throat.

His room came with a soft gust of cool air against her skin, before he set her down. His hands withdrew from her and she looked at him with a bewildered expression before his hands returned to her legs. She tilted her head back, body arching slightly. It wasn’t her first one nightstand but it certainly was her first with a mark. Her shirt was gone before she realized it but with its disappearance, so too did her reservations disappear. “Owen.” She breathed, grabbing at his arm, drawing him upwards. She stood before him, pulling his shirt up and over his head, discarding it next to her own.

The sight of him gave her pause. There was a surprising amount of muscle beneath the shirt than she had been expecting. “Editor. Writer. Workout fanatic? You are full of more secrets than you let on, coffee-lover.” She murmured the words, reaching out to brushing her hands across his chest.

The movement electrified her senses and drew her out of her reverie. Hastily, she wanted to touch more of him, needed to explore every inch that she could. One hand drew his head down to hers, kissing him deeply. Once their lips were locked, her fingers deftly began to undo his belt, then the buttons and then pushing them down around his ankles.

Eli’s hand roved over his body, tangled back up into his hair and leaned backwards, pulling him down onto the bed. The weight of his body on top of hers, the skin against skin made her breathless. She drew her lips back from him and gasped. “Owen,” She breathed again, limbs beginning to overload with the tingling of numbness. “Please…” She whispered the word against the hollow of his throat, moving her mouth upward to capture his lips and when she did so, she had a momentarily of alarm before everything went black.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 12:34 am

by Dollface

There was no proper way to describe how he felt when his name fell from her lips, the longing so apparent in barely a breath. He gazed down at her, eyes following the curve of her throat down her chest, to the line of her jeans that were slung low on her hips. His hands hovered close, wanting to touch more of her, but she had drawn him upwards and taken away his first piece of clothing as well. The surprise on her face was enough to illicit a lazy grin from the young man, laughter escaping as well as he shook his head in response. “Oh, Eliza,” he sighed her name, “you don’t even know the best of them yet.”

He reveled in the feeling of her hands over his chest, and Owen dropped his hands to the small of her back again. Eliza kissed him again, and one of his hands slipped up across her spine, the touch slow and soft before his fingers knotted into her hair. The weight of his pants dropped to the floor, the cool air hitting his legs just before he followed her onto the bed. One leg settled between hers, the other on one side of her, and as she spoke his name, pleaded with him, he trailed his hands down her body, lips traveling along her neck.

It was all so much, too much, and as that please echoed in his mind, it was his turn to fall towards the white noise that consumed him.

Black. Everything turned black then.

Owen didn’t dream that night; there wasn’t a nightmare. There was simply… nothing. It was rare that he didn’t dream of anything at all. Honestly, he was relieved for the lack of nightmare, but some part of his subconscious knew something was wrong with the fact that he received nothing the entire night. No dream, no premonition.

Nothing, and then everything all at once all over again. Fire. There was a fire starting in his chest and he was clawing his way through the black when his eyes shot open. Eliza hovered over him, something in her eyes so… different than night before. First, the night flashed briefly in his memory. She bumped into him at the bar. They were drinking. He brought her home. Coffee. Pizza. Trading secrets on the couch. Then… What? Mere seconds had passed as he flipped through his memories; panic flooded through him and immediately he reached towards her, grabbing her wrists more firmly intended. “What,” was all he could choke out at first, before he realized he could breathe. The burning in his chest ebbed away, a warmth spreading over his shoulders, down his arms, all the way to his fingers where his skin met hers.

That low hum filled him again, blue eyes searching hers. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Owen!” He heard the voice from the front of the apartment. Aunt Dahlia – she sounded worried. “Owen, I’m coming in!” The key was in the lock before she even gave him a chance to tell her no! or please no I’m mostly naked with a girl I met from last night who was possibly trying to set my heart on fire and no I’m not speaking metaphorically! That would have taken too long, of course.

“Goddammit,” he cursed under his breath, releasing Eliza a little more roughly than he’d intended, and launched himself from the bed, praying he had time to find a pair of pants for himself at the very least and… something to cover up Eliza as well.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 12:52 am

by Simply

It surprised her how much she wanted to know his secrets. For now, however, she would settled for exploring the very curves of his muscles, the secrets his skin held each time he brushed his fingertips against a new part of her body. Then there was utter nothingness. Eli did dream. They were filled with hushed whispers. There was a trial. She walked along the halls and heard the painful snickers. It was her trial. The Circle was condemning her for treason. They had found out. She was to be put the death. The thoughts of the nightmare were rapid until they jolted her from her frightening dream.

Eliza awoke to the constricting of her chest in fear. Sitting up, she regretted it immediately. The sharpness of hangover pain struck her. Grimacing, she lowered herself back down and felt the warmth of another’s skin. Owen. Her mark. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “ She cursed, pushing herself up more delicately this time. She didn’t have a shirt on and he had….less than that. “Fuck.” She exhaled. How had she been so foolish? So stupid as to sleep with a mark – her target. Did she sleep with him? She strained to remember. All she could recall was the way that his said her name – Eli in question, in desire. “Fuck.” She forced the thoughts from her mind. Do it and do it quickly.

She held her hand above his heart, pointedly avoiding looking at him, any part of him. Her hand began to shake slightly as she forced her abilities towards him. To survive, to avoid the Circle’s wrath, she had to kill him. Her gift manifested to assist her, working to stop his heart. Then she could not feel her hand, her fingers, her abilities. Numbness spread up her arm the moment his hand latched on to her. Alarm etched itself in her eyes as she shot her gaze to him. No one could stop her power. It was what made her the best choice for the Circle’s assassin. Eli’s eyes went dark, meeting his blue ones. She was saved from answering from an older woman’s voice traveling through the door. A witness. “Fuck.” She exclaimed shortly after her cursed.

Hurriedly, she bolted off the bed and grabbed for her shirt. The key turned in the lock and the door opened. She managed to feel the fabric in her hands and hastily drew it over her head. She didn’t have time to realize that she was wearing it inside out…and that it wasn’t hers. Fuck again. She shook out her tangled curls, watching him as he was caught reaching for his pants by a woman she could only assume was his aunt…or a cougar that had keys to his apartment. Eliza settled on the former. They were caught, Eliza looking very much like she had spent a night tumbling with the man that was dressed in only his boxers.

“Oh. Oh. Owen. Uh. I thought you might be in…well…” Was all his aunt managed to say before she turned from the bedroom door and moved into the kitchen. “I’ll just…wait here and you can come out when you’re ready.” She waved awkwardly at Eliza. “Hello, um, yes.” She shut the door as she went into the kitchen. Eliza whirled to face Owen, uncertain of what to do. This was certainly new territory for her.

“Did we…did we?” The assassin motioned between the two of them and then gestured downwards and towards the bed. “Oh fuck.” How was she going to get rid of him now? There was a witness. Someone had seen her. She had never had to dispose of another person beside her target. “Fuck.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 1:21 am

by Dollface

Fuck. Fuck was right. Eliza continued to say just what Owen was thinking over and over as Dahlia stumbled into the room, her own blue eyes saucers as she beheld the sight before her. “Sorry…” was all he could figure out to say before she turned her back to move towards the kitchen. Finally, he found the dark pants he’d discarded the night before, as he cast a sidelong glance towards the other person in his room. When she tried to discern what had happened – what might have happened – he narrowed his eyes on her, his head tipping to the side as he tried to figure out just what she was thinking.

“Are you… okay…?” His words trailed off as he approached her, but passed by to go to his closet and find a t-shirt. “All you’ve said is fuck since I woke up to you doing… doing… whatever it was you were doing to me.” The words were low, a hiss, as not to tip off his aunt to any unsatisfactory conversation that was happening not far from her. “And I don’t know. I don’t know if we…” Owen mimicked the gestures she previously made towards them, towards the bed. His mouth was dry, his head was throbbing, but he needed to find out what Dahlia was doing here. The young man took in a deep breath, pushing a hand through his dark hair. “Why would it be so bad if we did?”

From the doorway, he heard the sound of Dahlia clearing her throat, and Owen turned to see her standing there with a glass of water and the bottle of Advil from his kitchen cabinet. “Oh good, everyone’s decent now, good,” she said pleasantly, a smile alighting her face as she passed the bottle of medicine and glass to Owen first. Her eyes flickered towards Eliza, taking in the pure shock that had taken over her. “I just decided I’d stop by to make sure you were alright. It’s… well, later than usual,” Owen took a moment to flick his eyes towards the clock on his bedside table to see that it was after ten already, “and something just told me to… come by to check, I guess.”

The smile on her lips now was tight. “Woman’s intuition, I guess. I’m sure you know all about that don’t you…”

“Eliza. This is Eliza, Aunt Dahlia.” Owen introduced her, before he took a swig of water and a dose of the Advil that would hopefully, and quickly, ease the hangover that plagued him. “And we’re alright. Just hungover, I think. You know how it is.” The young man tried to seem easy going, but he wasn’t sure Dahlia bought it. “We, uh – we did have… plans for brunch though, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to kick you out….”

Yes. Yes he did. Because he needed to figure out what was going on with this new friend of his.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 1:35 am

by Simply

He moved closer and she shrunk back. The feeling of all of her power flooding out of her when he grabbed her wrist had been startling enough. It was nothing like how his touch had been last night. Also, se knew with certainty that she didn’t want to feel the stark nothingness of this morning again. Why would it be so bad if we did? “Because –” Well, firstly, because she could remember none of it after sayings his name, nearly begging him to not stop touching her. Eli wasn’t a beggar either. Secondly, because I am supposed to have killed you, not slept with you.

Yet, she was interrupted by Dahlia and then promptly introduced to her. Fuck again. Owen had given the witness her name. Now, according to code, she would have to kill her. Eli shifted slightly on her feet, as his oversized shirt draped off her shoulder. She waved, sheepishly. “Hi. Uh…not precisely how I expected to meet you but it is a pleasure despite the, um, circumstances.” A distinct unpleasant experience, rather, but she could hardly bring herself to say such a thing out loud. Owen was working to get rid of his aunt and Eli thought it best that she help that situation so she could figure out how to get herself out of this current predicament she was in.

“Yes…I had forgotten about that!” She explained, feigning surprise and worry at the idea of being late to brunch on Sunday. “We were going to meet up with some friends for brunch and I know we’re going to be late if we don’t get ready…” Eli chewed on her lip as Aunt Dahlia took her in from head to toe, clearly committing Eliza’s form to memory. An excellent first impression.

“Ah well. I understand. I just wanted to check in, as I hadn’t heard from you yet and it was…late.” The way the woman said late made Eliza realize that it was not the hour that had worried the woman. She cocked her head slightly, tangled hair brushing her bared shoulder. This woman was a psychic. How had she managed to evade the Circle? If she wasn’t a full psychic then she was an intuitive and that was almost as bad, according to all the lore, that is. “But call me later, Owen, I want to talk about some news that I received this morning shortly before I stopped by.” She inclined her head to Eli who sheepishly grinned. Dark brown eyes watched as the older woman set the water and medication on the dresser of his bedroom and proceded to let herself out.

Exasperated, Eli slumped back onto the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. “Fucking fuck.” Clearly Owen hadn’t put together that she was a coven member, that she had abilities or he would have used his to attempt to kill her, or he would have alerted his aunt. Or…he was another kind of crazy entirely – on that she couldn’t readily read. Standing, she needed to make her exit swiftly and regroup. “Thanks for the…uhh...” she gestured to the bed and began to back her way out of the room, “pizza and water but it’s late and I should really go.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 1:52 am

by Dollface

“Of course, Aunt Dahlia. As soon as I’m back, I’ll call you.” Owen tried to give her a reassuring smile, calling out a quick ‘love you’ as she meandered out of the apartment and locked the door behind her as well. Not that anyone else should be barging into his apartment, as far as he knew at least.

With Dahlia gone, he whirled on Eliza, curiosity burning in his gaze, arms folding over his chest again. “Still having a stroke over there?” He inquired about the use of what seemed to be her favorite swear word, and dropped his arms to his side, laughter curling from his lips as she made a move to sneak out of there. “First, you’re welcome,” he said as he took a step towards her, and another, before he curled his hand lightly around her wrist again. Something moved in him that time as well, and throbbing of his mind dimmed for a moment, returned, dimmed again, like some sort of connection was… off.

“Come on, you can’t go just yet,” he spoke lowly, his gaze imploring. He wasn’t sure what sort of approach to take with her. Owen was touching her, and he got absolutely nothing for her. No trace of fear, anxiety, uncertainty – things he could see clearly etched into her features. “Not only do we apparently have a brunch date now, but you still haven’t explained yourself, Eliza.”

He wasn’t crazy, right? Something had happened. She was doing something to him. Maybe that was the dream, maybe he was making it all up, maybe it was some weird drunken hallucination from the night before. Still. Despite all of it, that lingering feeling of want was still wavering beneath the surface. Something else had happened, or almost happened, and the tension of it rippled between the two of them, nearly tangible. “I don’t know what happened last night, after we were talking on the couch. I wish I remembered,” he told her calmly, quietly, and released her hold. For a split second, he wondered if that was the best idea.

Owen dared to take a few steps away from her. Silently, he took the glass of water, taking another sip before he passed it, and the Advil, over to the young woman across from him. “What were you doing to me this morning, Eliza?” Blue eyes narrowed again, and suddenly he felt… vulnerable. Too vulnerable. It just figured that the one time he brought a girl home after a night of drinking, it would end… pretty terribly. Nothing was worse than practically being walked in on by his aunt of all people. “I woke up feeling like… like my heart was going to explode. I mean, fuck. I’ve had bad mornings after drinking, but nothing like that.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 2:05 am

by Simply

He grabbed her wrist and she froze. Numbness began to creep down her arm after radiating through her palm. Eliza tried once, to free herself from his grasp, weakly, before refusing to move any longer. At his words, she narrowed her eyes. “Full of yourself, much? You can’t even remember what we did or did not do and yet your think yourself gracious enough to say you’re welcome?” Her eyes rolled, but despite her outward bravado, she was clearly afraid of him now. What kind of psychic was he that he could negate her power, that he could stop his own death so swiftly?

“Brunch isn’t my thing, either. No really into coffee and biscuits.” At his release, she exhaled that breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Feeling flooded back into her arm with the gentle hum that always lingered beneath the surface. She rubbed at the spot where his hand at been. Why had he not affected her thusly last night? Perhaps he had and she had been too drunk to realize it. No, that was certainly not it. His touch had been…overly pleasant, intoxicating in its own right – moreso than the drinks at the bar they had been in.

Turning her back on him, she slipped off his shirt and retrieved her own. Pulling it down over her bared skin, Eli turned back towards Owen, looking him over before laughing. “Doing to you? What on earth are you talking about?” She listened to him bumble his way through the explanation of the heart attack he had been about to have. Her laugh was amused as she smirked at him from her safe position a few feet away. Taking the water and pills, she downed them quickly – knowing that the best solution to her problem was a clear head. Currently, hers was threatening to break through her skull.

“I don’t know what you think you felt or didn’t feel this morning but I can assure you I didn’t cast some type of spell to make your hangover worse. You managed that all on your own with those tequila shots.” She shrugged and headed into the kitchen, trying to find where she put both her phone and her clutch. Her eyes found the shoes she had removed the night before but she rummaged through the mess they had left in search of her other belongings. “Look, you’re a nice guy and all. And you must be one hell of a one night stand since clearly it was so mind blowing that I can’t even remember what happened after taking your pants off.” She grabbed her clutch from underneath the empty pizza box and turned back, making sure they were separated by a decent distance. “But I do have to go.” She needed him to stop pestering her. She needed to leave, regroup and come up with a plan to be rid of him once and for all…even if it would be the hardest thing she ever had to do. Because even though she knew her job well, she could still taste the coffee on his lips and feel the openness that came from his touch.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 2:30 am

by Dollface

Owen watched her carefully. He calculated her movements, particularly catching the way that she rubbed at her wrist after he’d held it again. Purposely, he hadn’t grabbed her like he did when he first woke up; the second touch was lighter, it probably would have seemed more sweet and intimate from the outside looking in. Had he affected her in such a way? He wondered exactly what she felt, because he felt something too. Something was off, something was different. Who was she? What was she?

“Oh please,” he muttered behind her, scoffing at the way that she was completely trying to dismiss what he’d described. What was she going to try to do, manipulate his memory so that he remembered something entirely different? “Those were tequila shots that you practically forced on me, might I add.” He did make that choice. Part of him wished he hadn’t, because this, whatever it was, probably wouldn’t be happening right now. Owen would be alone in his apartment on a Sunday morning per usual, having coffee, maybe a bagel. Maybe he would have gone for a walk down to the coffee shop.

Instead, he stood across from Eliza, feeling a weird combination of attraction and mistrust as he watched her, listened to her. For a moment, he surveyed the distance between them, turning the words over in his head for considering. Then he stepped towards her easily, came right up to her, and lifted his hand to the side of her face again, the mirror action to what he’d done last night. “At the risk of sounding extremely condescending and kind of like an asshole… I think we’d both remember if something happened last night, don’t you think?” He grinned down at her, and had a flash of a memory of her lips on his mouth and her hands in his hair, the weight of her against him.

“Obviously I can’t make you stay and get brunch with me,” he said, sighing slightly as he dropped his hand from her, his mind clear and free again. “But I’d like to see you again.” Hands found the pockets in his jeans, teeth catching his lower lip. Maneuvering around her, he found a stray receipt and a pen, scrawling out his cell phone number before handing it over to her. “Tuesday night. I’m off work at five. Just tell me where you’d like to meet, and I’ll be there.”

He only had an inkling of what sort of risk he was taking – as far as he knew, really, he was just risking not hearing from her. Deep down, though, he knew something else was going on, and he wanted an answer. Clearly, there was no dragging it out from her right now, so he decided to turn on his charm instead. A lazy smile tugged the corners of his mouth upwards, eyes locking on hers, “I look forward to hearing from you. I bet we could get through a whole trove of secrets over dinner.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 2:47 am

by Simply

She had not been cautious enough. Owen closed the distance that had separated them quickly. His presence wasn’t threatening this time, however. Instead, his hand pressed itself against her cheek, cradling her jaw tenderly. And then there it was again – that soft hum died away and her whole body seemed to open to a nothingnesss that was pure bliss. It sent aftershocks in its wake, coursing through her so strongly that all she longed to do was to draw his mouth down to hers, to finish what they had started and possibly repeat what she could not even remember. “Consider yourself accomplished in both.” She responded, though the soft way she exhaled after the words might have betrayed how his touch affected her.

Eliza, surprised, took the note and shoved it into her back pocket. “If you’re lucky enough. “ She shrugged, spotting her phone under a paper plate and retrieving it quickly. Eliza slipped her shoes back on and slung her jacket over her arm. Her hand was about to reach for the doorknob when he mentioned secrets and it made her shiver. Before she could stop herself (and she would blame this on the hangover for the rest of time), she responded “If it happens to be more real secrets, then you might have yourself a date.” Biting her lip, she smirked and slipped out of his apartment. Eli nearly ran down the stairs and out the front, pausing to catch her breath only when she had run nearly a mile down the block.

“What the fuck?” She murmured beneath her breath, running her hands though her tousled hair s she trekked back to the hotel she was staying in. A warm shower and an entire kettle of tea managed to calm her enough to formulate a plan. She would text him tomorrow – set up a date for late in the evening on Tuesday, feigning that she couldn’t get away any earlier. It would be a secluded spot. She had the rest of the afternoon to find such a place, after all. The light recon would permit her to find the perfect spot to kill him on his way to dinner without being interrupted by an aunt or stopped by some odd effect of the hangover. Eliza had attributed the lack of her power to the hangover. The assassin had merely had too much of a migraine to complete the task and that him awakening merely startled her.

Dinner and secrets at 8. Tomorrow – Pascal’s Bistro. She texted the words and hit send. Even though she knew he’d accept, a part of her was anxious for his reply. She found herself pacing back and forth until her responded to her nearly an hour later, affirming his desire to be there. Smiling to herself, she fell asleep that night with the faint memory of lips against her neck and the rush of warm breath against her shoulder.

Tuesday evening came and Eliza was in position at half past seven in the evening. She was dressed in black jeans and a dark green sweater. Her hair was braided back away from her face and she hadn’t bothered to put much makeup on. After all, they’d never make it to that actual dinner part of the evening. She heard someone rounding the corner and her instincts divulged that it was him. She slipped behind him, silent as a church mouse before grabbing his arm, twisting and shoving him against the brick. One hand clamped itself over his mouth to prevent him from crying out. She used the weight of her hips to pin him against the wall. With her other hand, Eliza rested it over his chest and mentally pushed. It had to be done. He was her mark. She couldn’t afford to fail. Yet, even as she told herself she was using all of her strength, something flickered in the back of her mine. Eli.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 4:43 pm

by Dollface

The door clicked closed behind Eli, and Owen’s eyes lingered there. Idly, his hand reached to where the pain in his chest had flared first thing that morning, before slipping to rub at the back of his neck. “What the fuck,” he’d breathed. He had to give himself a moment before he could do anything else. What had happened, where had things gone… wrong? Was something wrong? Over and over, he replayed the events of the night, trying to dredge up the feeling of when he touched her at any instance. All he could remember was that it had never been like any other experience with anyone, but Eliza offered nothing.

Eventually, he managed to get on with his day. He made a fresh batch of coffee. He went out, got breakfast for himself, and when he thought it had been long enough to have been out at brunch, he called Dahlia. She practically lit into him like he was in high school and got home past curfew! Why wasn’t he answering her texts, her phone calls, was he sure he was okay and did that little wench do anything to him and Owen probably didn’t get a word in edgewise for a good few minutes. Owen very rarely lied to her, but he spun a version of the truth, trying to dance around the fact that Eliza had to have been trying something on him.

He did wonder if she was a witch. If she actually was casting some sort of spell on him, but not one to increase the massive hangover that he’d nursed almost the entire day. Owen wasn’t daft, and he knew that there were other people who had abilities, those who had magic in them, could wield it as they please. But it seemed like everybody tended to stay in their little niches, so he was really only familiar with the psychic community, its friends and its enemies.

Monday night, Eli’s message arrived. He’d been on his way home from work, and in spite of himself and his suspicions, something tugged at his core the way the smile tugged at his lips. He grinned at her message, and as soon as he got home he sent her quick reply that he’d be there.

Tuesday passed without any consequence, though he was ready for the end of the day, to see Eliza again. He dressed himself in a pair of dark jeans and a more casual button up shirt this time. He was running a little early, per usual, but headed towards Pascal’s anyway. Owen was lucky to find a parking spot on the street only a couple blocks away from the bistro that Eli chose. As he wandered in that direction, he paid little attention to his surroundings, other than the people that walked past him.

He pulled out his phone, beginning to tap out a message to Eliza that he was a little early and he’d be waiting outside for her, when suddenly he felt a yank on his arm, a small hand clamp tightly over his mouth, and his back slammed into the brick wall of an alley.

Blue eyes were wild when they were met with the sight of Eliza in front of him, pinning him back against the building. For a moment, his breathing ragged, as he felt that threatening pulse banging at his chest again. He managed to calm himself just slightly, knowing that rising panic wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Eyes never left hers, as his name flickered in his mind.

Eli.
Eli.

He watched, waiting for her to falter, and he could have sworn the thrum of her magic, power, whatever the hell it was, started toe bb. Owen pushed back against her hips leaving him enough room to wiggle an arm free from behind him and attempt to push her away from him. Any little bit of distance helped. With a hand free, he wrapped it around hers that pressed against his mouth, making sure their contact was skin to skin.

“What. Are. You. Doing.” He spoke to her through clenched teeth, eyes narrowed to slits. “What happened to ‘oh, I don’t know what you’re talking about Owen? What do you mean I used some ‘spell’ to give you a fucking hangover from hell, Owen?’ Fucking liar.” His words were quiet, surprisingly, because he didn’t want to bring attention to the two of them. Really, it was the completely wrong thing to do, because he was certain now that Eliza at the very least was trying to cause him some harm.

But she didn’t, for the second time now in fact. That had some semblance of meaning, didn’t it?

They were close again, close like they had been last night, despite the entirely different context. And still, his eyes tipping briefly down to her lips before he held her gaze again. “Who are you? Or maybe I should be asking what you are, exactly?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 5:02 pm

by Simply

Eliza just needed to push a little bit more - just a little bit more. A little bit more and she would be able to finish this for good, to be rid of him and the Circle's scrutiny for a time. Yet did she want the extinguish the one person who had ever really made her feel what it was like to be free of the survivalist hum that constantly ran its low current beneath her skin? It made her hesitate long enough to give him a small window of time. He wretched her arm free and she felt his hand on her worst again, pressing against her flesh. It hurt as the numbness crept up her arm and the power pulled itself back around her heart, her life source. It wanted to protect her from him and in result, she was powerless to end his life.

Their proximity was not lost of her but she was struggling through the painful nothingness that he was causing to course through her body. His touch was heaven and it was hell. She jerked trying to pull herself free from his grasp but he was stronger than her. Could he have at least not worked out?! She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes at him. Magic wasn't her only recourse but her limbs were prickling with numbness. She was struck still, unable to retaliate.

"Don't be naive. You know what the fuck I am. And I assume you know why I'm here." What was the point in trying to hide it? He had caught her twice now. Once could be written off, especially since he was hungover. Twice...well, he was smart enough to see through any lie she could possibly concoct. He had to know that psychics were not permitted to live, though it surprised her to have his psychic aunt interrupt them Sunday morning.

Her eyes flickered down to his mouth and then to the fingers that completely encircled her delicate wrist. "You're hurting me, you know." She said the words matter-of-fairly but it didn't keep the pain from echoing in her words. How could he do this? Psychics had premonitions. Psychics were emphatic and at times could manipulate others feelings but this...he had completely incapacitated her by merely his touch. Eliza's eyes were dark now, nearly black and she moved closer to him. Her limbs were sluggish, as she drew her free hand upward, hands splaying across his chest before she, as quickly as she could, pinched a small spot on the arm holding her wrist. Her touch was sharp and strong and his fingers I curled slightly in response to the pain she had inflicted. The moment his hand just hovered around her worst she jerked back. Eli took a step backwards but it was taking time for her legs to function properly again. She stumbled and tried to right her position by pitch herself forward and ended up meter millimeters from their body's colliding. Her hand rested on the brick beside his shoulder, holding herself out. Eli gasped and panted, a bizarre combination of breaths as though she had just run a marathon and been kicked in the chest.

"A better question is - what the fuck are you and what did you do to me?" Her breath was a whisper across his neck and her eyes met his.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 5:24 pm

by Dollface

Okay, so she was trying to hurt him. Kill him maybe? She was trying to do something, but he wasn’t sure what she was exactly, he still hadn’t quite figured it out. The thought of the Circle crossed his mind, the group that his aunt had told him about here and there, those that wished the wipe out as many psychics as they possibly could. He’d always assumed they would be brutal, ruthless. If that was the case, he thought he would have definitely been dead already.

When she mentioned the hurt, he glanced away from her eyes then and to the hand that encircled her arm, brows furrowing a bit. “You’re complaining about me hurting you when you just slammed me into the fucking wall?” Those eyes narrowed again, and he knew that he wasn’t even gripping her that hard. When he’d left her incapacitated Sunday morning, it hadn’t taken much at all to quiet her power. Before he had much time to give it more thought, she hovered closer to him, pinched him, and he slammed back against the wall again, the surprise of the movement slackening his hold on her.

Eliza backed away, and he stayed pressed against the wall as much as he could. His breathing was ragged again as he took her in, how slow she still moved after he’d let go of her. His eyes closed just lightly as her words were a breath against him; that was all it took to send him reeling back to Saturday night. “Don’t be naïve, Eliza,” he mimicked the same words she spoke second ago, “You clearly know who the fuck I am if you’re so intent on… whatever this is. Trying to kill me? What were you doing, trying to induce a heart attack in a perfectly healthy twenty-eight year old?” He sounded incredulous, like she could have done a lot better at trying to kill him. Coming to accept the truth of what was happening was the first step, he guessed.

Silence settled between them as she tried to catch her breath it seemed, as Owen slowed his own. “Is this because…” His voice trailed, an hand reaching out to cup her elbow, the touch not having the same affect in the least through the fabric of her sweater. “My abilities? You know about them already, don’t you?” For a breath he paused, before his thoughts started to tumble out of his mouth, “your own – your power, magic? I can’t read you.” Briefly, he wondered what would happen if he held something that was hers, rather than if he touched her directly.

No, what the fuck was he doing? This wasn’t a science experiment, she had tried to kill him. Twice. He’d never take a girl home the same night he met her again.

“Fuck,” he breathed, his eyes lifting towards the sky. “Just let me go, Eliza. I haven’t done anything to anyone. I don’t deserve this.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 9:49 pm

by Simply

Eliza was afraid. She was afraid of him and she was afraid of what her failure meant for herself by the Circle’s hand. Her heart clenched and the fear pressed itself, suffocating, against her chest. She was struggling to breathe through all of the emotions that crashed towards her and the lingering memory of the utter pain he had inflicted on her entire body. She raised her eyes back up to him when he hand settled on her elbow, trying to hide the way she flinched when he touched her. Even though it wasn’t on her skin, she knew now that pain he could cause and she was scared.

“Of course, I know what you are, generally speaking, but you’re…you’re not like them.” Her body seemed to sag under the weight of her words. “You’re not just a psychic. Psychics have no power over me and when you touch me, I feel as though I’m dying. And trust me, I have no idea what that feels like.” Eliza did not really know what pain meant until he had grabbed her wrist on Sunday. For as long as she had been alive, no one had ever made her feel pain…until Owen.

Drawing away from him, she was careful with her steps now, certain to make sure her feet were steady before placing her weight on them all. “You don’t understand. I can’t just let you go.” She laughed, brushing back some of the strands of hair that had come undone from her braid. She still kept her voice low, pacing back and forth in front of him. What was she going to do? If she couldn’t be a use to the Circle then…She clenched her eyes tightly together, removing that thought from her mind at least for now. She had to kill him. She had to. But his words rang in her ears. He didn’t deserve this. “Fuck.” He held a Master’s in English. He liked to read and write and even though he foolishly didn’t like avocados, he was a human being. It wasn’t a thought she had ever really considered in depth before. Psychics were abominations. They knew the threat they posed and continued to use their magic against the greater good...didn’t they?” Eliza bit her lip, stopping in front of him again.

The conflict battled inside of her and she needed to punch something, hard. She walked a few feet away from him and slammed her fist into the very solid brick wall. Except the wall merely gave way around her fist, much like play dough gives way to a child’s finger. Her magic always protected her from harm, even when all she wanted to do was inflict it upon herself. “Fucking fuck fuck.” She cursed, finding a lack of the usual level of comfort she got from saying that particular word. Marching back to him, she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t very well kill him now, not with his innate ability to render her completely powerless. “Look. I have a job to do. You’re that job.” She paused, narrowing her eyes. “And not in the very poor judgment way that happened last night.” A sigh. “It’s not what you have done, it’s what you will do. Psychics aren’t permitted, especially you. I don’t know what the fuck you are but you’re not normal. No one can hurt me. And I don’t mean that in a poor pitiful me, you hurt my feelings kind of way. You physically hurt me. You reduced my magic to its lowest form. How do you do it?” Curiosity poked through and she shook her head, scratching at her neck, pointedly avoiding looking at his lips.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 10:09 pm

by Dollface

Not just a psychic. His entire life, that’s what he’d summed it up as. He was just a psychic, one who had proficiency as an empath and every now and then would get the rare future telling premonition, but he’d always been… just a psychic. It was just a part of him. Now, Eliza was telling him something completely different, and he felt a trace of fear at that. Fear that, if Eliza wasn’t going to be able to complete her task, how long would it be until someone else came after him?

Dahlia had moved them partially because of that, not wanting to risk his life, her own, after what happened to his mother. His mind was hazy then, thinking of the possibilities as he watched her move back and forth in front of him, and he shook his head slightly, finding himself slumping back, settling at a crouch with his back against the wall. Then, all of a sudden, he heard the crack of her fist against the wall, noting that she came back unscathed. “So you can demolish a wall, but I make you feel like death?” He raised his brows, his tone incredulous. “I just – how was I supposed to know? That night, it wasn’t…”

It hadn’t been like that at all. Touching her, skin against skin, was pure ecstasy. That is, of course, until he couldn’t remember anything after a certain point. Had the booze, everything, cause something inside the both of them to just short circuit? Peering up at her, he ran a hand through his dark hair, letting his eyes fall closed as her words washed over him. A heavy sigh left him as he stood up again, folding his arms over his chest, blue eyes dropping to hers.

“I don’t know how I do it, Eli,” he admitted quietly, shaking his head. “I don’t know, it’s never happened with anyone before. Usually, I…” Owen trailed off, his gaze darting about, as if someone was going to listen in on their conversation and find out the truth about him. “I’m best at reading people’s thoughts, their feelings, or seeing their past, their future when I touch them or touch something they own. When I was young, it started with telekinis, telepathy, but that’s not what I’m best at. Everything else…” Again, he gave a shake of his head.

“I don’t know why the fuck I’m even telling you all of this,” he spoke pure disbelief again, his lips tugging up into a bit of a smile, and a short laugh escaping him. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about. What are you so convinced that I’m going to do? You know what I do with my power? Usually, not a goddamn thing. I hate that sometimes, when someone brushes too close I can feel their emotions or catch a glimpse into their life without asking, like I’m trespassing. I carry on like a normal person about eighty percent of the time, so I don’t see what your issue is with someone like me.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 10:30 pm

by Simply

She didn’t feel the need to tell him how his touch had elicited the most delightful sensation across her hips and against her spine. “Well that’s good, because I’m pretty sure you would kill anyone else you did that to.” She snapped back, irritated that his had no idea of his potential. It was because he was a psychic, because he had been raised outside the fold of the Circle. “Do you not bother practicing, improving your control?” She was incredulous. Eliza sighed, looking at him carefully. She examined his face, even the slight off-center nature of his nose and found him even more appealing than the night they spent- No. She shook her head.

“I don’t know what I’m talking about?” She barked at him and drew the attention of a couple entering the bistro. She shrunk back slightly, waiting until they had gone inside. “Are you fucking kidding me? You have no sense of coven history do you? Psychics are forbidden. You’re supposed to be tested in utero and if it comes out psychic…well…” She shrugged her shoulders. She had been indoctrinated to believe that he and all of his kind were against the greater good’s interests. Licking her lips, Eli shook her head, seeing another small group of people enter the bistro. “Here is not the place to have this discussion…” She murmured, stepping back from him.

“Come on.” She headed towards the bistro, which was coincidentally in the same direction as his apartment. She noticed how he warily looked at here and did not seem interested in following. “I’m not going to try again, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m hungry after almost dying so if you want to know more about why you should die…well….” She shrugged and didn’t much care if he followed at this point or not. She had her own things to sort out if he decided to run for the hills and report her. If that was the case, she would be long gone by tomorrow, trying to figure out the best way to complete her task…if she could manage it.

“Table for two.” She said when they entered. It was apparently a romantic spot, which made her purse her lips. Well, he hadn’t walked in the door yet so perhaps- then there he was. She turned, surprise etched on her face. “Yes, two.” The waiter moved to seat them and fortunately it was in a booth on the other side of the restaurant with only a few people occupying the tables around them.

“Whiskey, straight.” She said to the host before he had time to leave their menus in front of them. He nodded his head and slipped away to put the order in at the bar.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 10:51 pm

by Dollface

Eliza didn’t have to be psychic to read him – he was wary to follow her, didn’t have much of an interest in sharing a meal with her. But dammit, he was hungry too, even if it wasn’t from his own accidental attempt to hurt her. “I don’t know what ‘coven’ you’re a part of, but jesus Christ, I sure hope they’ve introduced some more sensitivity courses over the years or something.” His arms remained folded over his chest, like a wounded child, murmuring behind her, “if you want to know more about why you should die. Fine, then you can pay.”

Finally, he dropped his arms to his side, wandering slowly behind her in the direction of the bistro. Owen had been to Pascal’s before, had taken dates here now and again, which also served to the confusion he felt that she wanted to move their ‘discussion’ here of all places. For now, he remained silent, tucking his hands into his pockets as he stood near her. The waiter didn’t seem convinced that anything between them screamed date: from the way they stood next to each other, from their very clearly disheveled appearances. Unless the waiter assumed they were getting busy behind the building before they came in to dine.

The booth was cozy, the lighting dim with a small candle off to the side of the table. It was quiet, a great place for a date, but not for discussing the matter of terminating his life.

“Make that two whiskeys, please,” he chimed in before the waiter could escape. The menu sat before him, and he didn’t bother looking at it yet. Owen tried to survey the young woman in front of him, try to piece how she’d acted two nights ago and how she acted towards him now together. Clearly, everything had been a rouse, but to what extent exactly? Underlying the very obvious tension brought on by the fact that her job was to murder him – to murder others like him, apparently – there was definitely something else. Something, other than his death grip, that gave her pause.

Finally, he flicked his eyes downward, if only to lift them back to her face as his arms fell to rest on the table and he leaned forward. “I’m curious, Eli,” he began, his tongue flicking out over his lips, “why you thought discussing why you need to… kill me, would be better done in here, a restaurant, where people generally like to eavesdrop, as opposed to somewhere more secluded.”

Obviously, by that time, it was nearing eight and he was hungry, though his appetite had been suppressed a bit by her news. “I have practiced, you know. Certain things were easier than others. But… it’s just me and my aunt. My mother, she was too, but…” His words dipped when the waiter came by to drop off their drinks, take their orders. Owen waited for Eliza, before ordering a pasta dish for himself first.

“We know others, not many as far as I know at least. It’s not my identity like some make it out to be for themselves. I never wanted it to be that way.” A shrug of his shoulders, and he took a swig of the hard liquor the burned down his throat. “You owe me the truth about yourself, Eliza. You speak of a coven like you’re… a witch, but that’s not it, is it?” Owen didn’t want to voice his own speculation of what she was a part of, something he knew so little about.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 11:22 pm

by Simply

Eliza felt the weight of his gaze upon her, pressing against her when he examined her. The scrutiny wasn’t something she was unused to. She had been poked and prodded and examined since the moment she was born. Apparently her parents had been rather well-to-do casters before their death in a care accident shortly after she was born. The cliché of it was almost unbearable, but that was a matter for another day. Dark eyes flickered over him.

“No one can hear us.” She waved a hand about at the people beside them and across the restaurant. There was no need to explain that her particular ability to survive extending to people learning of her secrets, so her talent hid her words from others and subsequently his. “Don’t worry, I didn’t bring you here in an attempt to seduce you with my feminine wiles over food and drink.” She rolled her eyes at the mere thought of them returning to the playful banter that they had engaged in Saturday evening.

“I do not owe you anything at all.” She said, having ordered something random off the menu, not particularly caring what it was. She flickered her gaze across his face. Lowered her attention to her drink, she drained it completely, grimacing slightly as the burn slid down her throat. She exhaled slowly after she was finished, letting the glass clatter back to the table. She ran her finger absentmindedly around the rim of the empty container. “Of course I am a witch.” She snapped, evidently offended by his insinuation.

“I just don’t possess the same abilities as most do. Mine are…unique.” She shrugged again, moving the glass back and forth now, focusing her attention on it as she spoke to him. Sighing, she stopped and brushing her hair back behind her ears. “And I am part of the coven of covens. The Circle. In the mid 1850s,” she began like she was actually a story-teller now, not pretending to be one, “after a terrible tragedy brought about by a psychic, The Circle and other lesser covens convened. It was voted that psychic abilities would be outlawed. No more would psychics be permitted to live due to the threat you and your kind pose. So, since that time there have been assassins, like myself,” she pointedly avoided looking up at his blue eyes. She feared the hatred she would see there. “It’s…what we have to do. For the good of the world, for humans, for mortals. “

Eliza swallowed, fear burning through her. “I’ve never…it’s not like I intended to…” Silence. “You’re not like them. Like the others that I have…encountered. I do not know what to make of this, Owen but I…I was tasked with killing you but I can’t.” She whispered the last word, raising her eyes to his. They visibly turned from black to blue before his gaze.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 11:43 pm

by Dollface

Owen would definitely disagree that she owed him nothing after what happened, but he wasn’t keen to bicker about it. Especially with her correction that she was a witch, completely catching him off guard. “Oh,” was all he found he could murmur. He then looked away from her, simply listening as she went on with her explanation of what exactly brought them here. Truthfully, he had to suppress the little bit of a shudder that passed over him with the way she spoke of his kind, the people that were like him. Like they were abominations, like they were the ones who rounded up a group of people to get rid of another because of their differences.

“Well then. The Circle,” he breathed, when Eliza finished her explanation. “You sound like you’ve been brainwashed, honestly.” He told her this plainly, with a shrug of his shoulders. “You don’t see how that seems so wrong? One person, an outlier, does something they shouldn’t and all of a sudden the rest that share one trait have to suffer for it?” Owen shook his head and took another sip from his glass. It was almost empty, and he thought about draining it like Eliza had, then ordering another… but he’d made the mistake of driving there. Then again, when he set out for the evening, he hadn’t even planned on having a drink. Something about their encounter made him feel like he needed to take the edge off their tension a little bit, but so far, it wasn’t easing in the slightest.

The young man’s stomach twisted tightly into a knot at her admittance. His eyes locked on hers, he noticed the shift in color, but told himself it had to have been a trick of the light. Too much, this was all too much, and a part of him just wanted to get up and leave the table and pick up a burger and a milkshake and barricade himself in his apartment – no, to go to his aunt’s. He didn’t. He stayed, his heavy gaze holding hers still. “I guess I should be glad that you can’t,” he finally said, another breathy laugh leaving him.

When the waiter arrived with their food, he merely offered him a thanks before he began to push the pasta around with his fork. “You say you can’t, like it’s just a physical thing,” he noted, tipping his glance up to her quickly, “but I think it’s more than that.” Owen took a bite of his food, trying to weigh her reaction, to see if she understood what he was getting at. “Saturday night… God, I almost can’t believe I’m saying this, but I had a good time. A really good fucking time, even if by Sunday morning you made it really… weird. And I still don’t remember everything that happened, but what I can remember, I can’t shake it, Eli.” So where, exactly, did that leave them?

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 11:58 pm

by Simply

“It’s not like that!” She snapped when he insulted the Circle, but then…perhaps it was precisely like that. A narrow-minded faction of people set on destroying another. It was a tale as old as time, was it not? But Eliza knew of the destruction that psychics could wage. She had been told of it time and time again, reinforced that they could manipulate other people, a basic tenant that she not be permitted. They could see the future and adjust their actions accordingly for their own selfish benefit. Yet, Owen…hell, she didn’t know him that well but she had researched him. She had nearly slept with him – she knew enough at this point, didn’t she? Eliza settled into a moment of silence afterwards, forgetting to thank the waiter for their food.

Suddenly, she was not hungry at all.

The words hung in the air between them. Eliza’s heart beat rapidly at the truth in them. “It is a physical thing. You render me completely obsolete at the mere grasp of your hand. I cannot lay a hand on you.” She stuffed a bit of the food into her mouth, chewing it without any passion for the meal. Swallowing, the food made her throat feel dry and she promptly ordered another drink…two, one for him. It wasn’t the best idea, but fuck it, right?

Saturday. He brought it up and all she could think of was how damned long that drink was taking to make it to their table. She looked down, avoiding his eyes and focusing on the cheese and tomato sauce that melted together like molten lava on the plate before her. He had a good time. Damn, had she not also had a good time? Had she not begged for him to touch her, to whisper again the crook of her neck? “I don’t remember either.” She murmured, but she remembered the way he said her name. Oh, Eliza. Oh, Eliza. Oh, Eliza. She heard him murmur her name, the memory already making heat slowly spread through her.

“I don’t know. They’ll send someone else, you know…when I fail.” The words pained her to even speak them aloud, but on her second bite of the pasta, she knew that she would ne unable to kill him and it wasn’t merely physical. Eli placed her fork down. After all, how could she kill the one person who made her feel so alive? “They won’t stop. You’ll have to run, move somewhere else. You won’t be able to work at a library or write for your magazine. All of the things that make you who you are will need to be wiped clean. You’ll have to start over.”

Eyes met his again and they shifted from a pale blue to the saddest green. “I can buy you two days, at most, before they follow up on me. Then perhaps a day for them to realize that I’m not going to succeed. That should…be enough.” It was so final, so dramatic and yet it was the truth. He needed to start packing now, he needed to run now. She wouldn’t be able to stop them. They would cut her down and she did not think even her abilities could save her.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 12:22 am

by Dollface

The smile on his lips betrayed him. She was purposefully avoiding his gaze now as he brought up the other night, and all he could do was smile. The avoidance seemed to be her way of agreeing, even if all she told him was that she, too, couldn’t remember. “You know what they say,” he teased lightly, “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” A pause, when he realized what their conversation was initially about. “And I don’t mean you keep trying to kill me just because you couldn’t the first two times.” But Eliza had already told him that she couldn’t; soon enough, she was voicing what he feared, that it wouldn’t stop with her.

Picking at the crust on the garlic bread that accompanied his pasta, Owen just shook his head, attention now focused on his dish. He couldn’t accept what she was telling him. “I can’t do that, Eliza. How am I just supposed to leave my aunt, my friend, my job, everything behind? I can’t very well wipe my existence clean. Can’t you just… fudge it? Report that you did, you got me good, and then we go our separate ways?”

Finally, his blue eyes met hers – they were green now, muted, and he knew that what he was suggesting wasn’t possible. In his stomach, his food turned to lead, and he this time he barely acknowledged the wait staff that brought their second drinks to the table. Without a word, he drained his first, and took a sip from the second. He could get a taxi if he needed one.

“No, it’s not enough,” he bit back quietly, incredulous again. “I won’t do it. How am I supposed to just lie down and take it, accept the fact that I’ll probably just be running for my entire life now? Especially knowing you just… found me.” One moment, Eliza hadn’t been on his radar in the slightest. Now there she was, along with however many others that made up the Circle and wanted him dead.

Dead. Dead. He could be dead in a day’s time. He should have been dead now, had he not affected her the way that he did. Now, he’d lost his appetite, and focused again on the second glass of whiskey that Eli had generously ordered for the two of them. Briefly, he wondered if they did specials on the bottle like they did with the wine. “And what about you?” He asked with a tip of his head to the side. “What will they make of you, once you go back, admit that you weren’t able to kill me?” Curiosity had spiked, just slightly, but he also felt… concerned. If the Circle didn’t give a damn about murder, it wouldn’t surprise him that they could be cold towards their own. “Will you just… be given another ‘assignment?’”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 12:43 am

by Simply

“You have to.” She retorted, reaching out to grab her glass and finish it off, leaving her food only half eaten. It was all the food that she could stomach for now. “I didn’t claim that it would be easy as packing a bag and going on vacation but you have two options. Die or live. There is no in between, Owen.” She pushed her place away from her and leaned back against the red leather of the booth, closing her eyes for a long moment after her asked what would become of her.

They would hold a trial. They were democratic, after all. She could defend herself but in the end she would lose. She would be killed, once they figured out a way around her defenses. Or, they would lock in in a sunless, barren room and wait for her to die on her own. For a moment, Eliza couldn’t figure out which one would really be worse. Would it hurt to die? Would it feel the same way that Owen’s defensive grasp did? Or would it be just like going to sleep? It wouldn’t be so bad if they let her close her eyes and fall asleep…

“I haven’t failed before. This is uncharted territory for me.” Eliza didn’t know why she spared him the precise details of what would occur once the report was in that she had not eliminated her target. She shifted the conversation, uncomfortable that he might press her for more information. “Your aunt is one – a psychic. She’s eluded us for the majority of her life and I doubt she has no idea that the Circle exists. Tell her.” Opening her eyes, the assassin smirked then. “She sensed me, didn’t she?” Leaning forward, she shoved her empty glass forward until it clinked against him. “That’s why she came over Sunday morning.” She laughed, pulling the hair-tie out of her hair and wrapping around her wrist. Her fingers ran through her braid, untying it and letting it flow in loose waves around her shoulders.

The waiter came and merely deposited their check. She drew her credit card out and threw it down. She bit her lip. “I think they bought the check because they didn’t want us to drink ourselves into a stupor like Saturday night.” She stumbled over the word Saturday and a blush slipped itself across her cheeks. The waiter returned with the check and she signed, being generous with the tip.

Standing up, she walked towards the door, waiting outside for him. Her hands shoved themselves in the pocket of her jacket. “I’m sorry…if that is worth anything.” A shrug and she looked up at him, sheepishly almost.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 1:02 am

by Dollface

There is no in between.

It was kind of a funny thing, in a way. He thought about how a person lives, knowing that eventually they’ll die. More often than not, they’ll never know when, just that it’s going to happen. They figure they’ll marry, have a family – maybe one that includes children, grandchildren, maybe great grandchildren if they’re so lucky. Sometimes, it doesn’t work out like that, and Owen wasn’t entirely sure what exactly he saw for his future, but this wasn’t it. This was life or death staring him in the face, he had a choice to make, and he didn’t want to make it. He couldn’t.

“We’ve picked up and moved before, but not like this, not some… psychic witness protection program bullshit.” He wondered if something like that existed, considering the threat of the Circle, of other, regular average humans who knew of their existence and wanted them eradicated. Maybe Eliza was right, maybe he needed to come to his aunt with this rather than leave her in the dust while he ran off to save his own ass. Immediately, he felt guilty, having not considered that she’d go with him right away. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he allowed anything to happen to her considering how she’d taken care of him.

“Oh, she definitely knew,” Owen reassured her with a light smile, finishing off his second glass of whiskey now, clinking it against hers on the table. “She’s never barged in like that, especially when I’ve just seen her the day before. She… probably sensed something was wrong with me more than anything, or that something was about to happen.” He nearly brought up the nightmares that had plagued him for so long, but they were interrupted by the quick exchange with the waiter, and suddenly it didn’t seem to matter.

Owen didn’t bother asking for his food to be boxed. It felt like a waste, but he knew that with everything… leftovers weren’t his first priority. Everything weighing on his shoulders, Owen stood to follow Eliza out of the restaurant, onto the sidewalk, and came to stand beside her. “That depends on what you’re sorry for, I suppose,” he replied with a chuckle as his eyes settled on hers. There was something about the way that she looked at him that did make him want to reassure her, made him want to reach and brush the loose curls back from her face as the light breeze began to tug at the strands.

“You mind if we walk a bit? I drove, but I definitely don’t need to start driving just yet. Just because I’m doomed doesn’t mean I necessarily have a death wish.” There you go, Owen. Joke about it, that will make it a lot easier to deal with.

And so they set off in the opposite direction of his car, the young man tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I don’t see why you can’t start over too, you know,” he finally said after the silence had settled between them. “What’s stopping you from cutting ties, running?” His attention tipped towards her briefly as they meandered down the street, past the few little shops that still remained open. A thought flickered through his head, and he laughed before speaking it into existence, “we could always run away together; it’s a very romantic story if you ask me. Boy meets girl, girl tries to murder boy… I think I heard that Alaska’s pretty nice this time of year.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 1:22 am

by Simply

“Sorry for everything? Sorry for trying to kill you Sunday morning. Sorry for trying to kill you this evening. Sorry for lying about it. Sorry for seducing you…no, she wasn’t quite so sorry about that part, if she was being honest. Then he asked her for a walk and she shrugged, figuring that he could walk her to her hotel at the very least. She didn’t hate his company, after all. Swallowing, she watched his movement and wondered if she touched him now and he reciprocated…would it hurt? And then he made her laugh. It was a surprise laugh and she bit her lip to keep the rest inside. “I’ve heard the same thing about Alaska.” She checked her hip against his body, just a sight nudge to acknowledge his joke. “I can’t. They can track me since so many of them have interacted with me. They have articles of mine. They’d find me in a moment.” Or would they? She licked her lips. “Maybe not though…” Her power would protect her from them, from their tracking.

“Are you trying to seduce me, avocado-hater? I will have you know that I am a very pure, innocent soul and I don’t appreciate your attempts to whisk me away. You already tried to take me to bed….” She conveniently left out the part where she begged him to take her there. Eliza enjoyed the walk, passing only a few people who were out at night. It was a Tuesday night after all and the bar scene was not at its peak. “But the sentiment is nice.” She fell quiet again, letting the breeze whisk her hair about her face. She could see her hotel just two blocks away and knew they would be there in about ten minutes. This was the end of their time together and she was…hesitant for it to end.

If only she could damned remember what had happened after she begged him, pleaded with him. That might give her some comfort when they locked her up. His labored breath against her ear and the way he always had something witty to retort, even when she thought she was being far for clever than he was. It made her heart ache for something that she couldn’t name. Eliza chewed on the inside of her lip before she blurted out. “What do you think happened?” She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “On Saturday night I mean.”

“Because on Sunday, I was certainly trying to kill you when you very inconveniently woke up.” She joked, but then felt ashamed. Guilt soaked into her. She had eliminated a number of older physics, weaker ones. Eliza shifted, pushing down the anxiety. Did he think that they had gone through with it? If they had, why couldn’t she remember? It pained her to not be able to remember. Unknowingly, she had slowed her pace to prolong the time they would get to talk to each other.

by Dollface

Owen woke with a start, gasping for breath, as he finally clawed himself free from his nightmare.

His whole body tensed, arms fixed at his sides and fingers grasping desperately for his sheets as he swam to consciousness. Relief first washed over him as he realized he’d been stuck in a dream. Although, it wasn’t just a dream, but a nightmare he thought had finally gone away after plaguing him for months. He thought he was free from it, that perhaps it was a phase, rather than a premonition of his future. But the frequency of it was hard to debate.

When you dream about being followed from some willowy, dark, generally creepy figure as you run and run and run until you reach a cliff that looks down into pure nothingness, you start to believe that maybe something or someone is after you.

He was just paranoid, he told himself. There was nothing he had ever done exactly to make him a target… but he knew his existence in and of itself wasn’t favored by all.

You see, Owen was… different. That was the word he liked to use if he were to describe himself. When he was young, he’d felt different, like he was not quite sick but not quite well, either. For some time, he felt this constant tension in his. Like something was just dying to break out of him. His palms would itch and his teachers constantly complained to his Aunt that he was fidgety, or that he could never pay attention in class. His Auntie managed to brush those comments off, and he was never in trouble for it – but that was because she knew.

Sometimes he felt like she would watch him. Waiting. Not in fear or wariness, but in anticipation. It was drawn out of him slowly, and by the littlest things. There was one morning he woke early before her, and he wandered into the kitchen, sleepy but wanting a bowl of cereal to eat while he watched the morning cartoons. But the stool was nowhere to be found and he didn’t want to disturb Aunt Dahlia, and when he stared longingly to the top of the cabinet where the Frosted Flakes were, they toppled down onto counter with a thunk.

This was probably the smallest of his offenses.

When Owen was ten, an older boy tried to pick on him for his “orphan” status and a bad haircut. He’d kept his head low, not uttering a word or lifting a finger, but his anger boiled and boiled and eventually he sent the kid flying backwards and into the set of lockers across the hallway. He didn’t seriously hurt the other boy, but it was enough for his suspension.

It didn’t take long before his aunt insisted they move, and on their road trip, she explained to him the magic that coursed through him and the responsibilities that came along with it. As they drove, he thought of something. He’d been told already that his aunt never knew who his father was exactly, that he hadn’t been around by the time he was born. His mother, though, he had a very vague memory of her before her death when he was barely three years old. Because he was young, he was never given any fleshed out reason, he didn’t need to know the details. He’d been told that sometimes, bad things happen to even the best of people, whatever that was supposed to mean.

There was no doubt he thought of his mother often. A lot of times he was sure that her presence was somewhere near, like when he felt especially lonely or plagued by how she’d been taken from him so young. Not to mention, his aunt was the only family he really had around. She didn’t speak of her own parents often, and if she had any other siblings or contact with anyone else, he was none the wiser. It was just the two of them, and as he eventually grew older, Owen was able to make friends that were just as good as family anyway.

Over the years, as he honed his abilities – being especially proficient in being able to move objects without a touch, and mostly with the will of a simple thought – he grew confident to ask the truth of what happened to his mother.

“There are people that don’t favor us,” Dahlia replied quietly. “Some, who are stronger, are… I don’t know. Seen as a threat I suppose. They can see too much. They might know too much.”

He thought about what he knew of his mother. He’d learned that she was quite good at learning things about people if she made physical contact with them or a personal object. She had dreams and premonitions of the future, both big and small, that plagued her. Mostly, he wondered if she knew that she was going to die so young.

That was the thought that haunted him, especially when his own nightmares with the stalking figure leading him to the edge of a cliff had started. Having premonitions in general, and reading them, wasn’t entirely his strong suit. Every now and then he’d see flashes of something happening – like spilling a hot cup of coffee on himself on his trek for work – and it would actually happen! But when he had that dream about winning the lottery, moving out of his shitty apartment? It wasn’t in the cards.

Instead he was just lucky enough to have that impending feeling of dread following him just about everywhere. That fidgety feeling from when he was younger had returned to the surface. He’d become somewhat paranoid, thinking he was being watched by someone or something, especially when he was alone. Every other week his Aunt insisted on visiting and cleansing the apartment, he would take her to lunch, and then she’d tell him about some new pretty psychic girl she knew who was just too perfect for him. When the nightmare had subsided, he’d felt confident enough to go on a couple of dates, but neither of them amounted to more than that.

Now that the nightmare had returned, his resolve was completely shaken. Still, he hadn’t managed to drag himself out of bed. He’d closed his eyes again, trying to bring to mind a tranquil image to calm him. He breathed deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly, before he pulled himself from the covers to sit on the edge of the bed. He reached to the right towards his nightstand, his phone moving effortlessly into his hand as he checked his messages.

From his aunt: Are you ok??

He chuckled to himself. It arrived fifteen minutes ago, meaning she must have sensed – or seen – something. He tapped out a quick reply in which he told her nothing but the truth. Over the years, he learned that there was absolutely no chance he could lie to her.

The second message was from Thomas, sent the night before: You better be coming out with us tomorrow night!

For now, he left it alone, and got up to ready himself for the day, trying to forget what had plagued him while he slept. The warm water helped to ease the tension from his muscles. He dressed, set up a pot of decaf coffee, mentally going through the things he had to do for the day. His aunt messaged him again, asking if she could come by to burn her sage and then they could go out to lunch. There was no turning her down, so he replied to her before getting back to his friend about later that evening.

Truthfully, Owen wasn’t sure how he felt about going out just yet. Sometimes, his friends were just as insistent as his aunt about bringing girls around to try and fix him up with. Thomas and his fiancée, Marianne, had been together for years, while Lucas generally had a revolving door of girlfriends that lasted a month or so here and there, depending on his mood. Their favorite thing to do was to surprise him with a friend of Marianne’s, or a gal one of Lucas’ girls knew, giving him absolutely no warning.

Sometimes the niggling feeling that something was just going to be plain wrong with the night might tip him off there’d be a surprise guest, but he didn’t always pay attention. That niggling feeling could always mean something else entirely, like a flat tire, bad weather, or terrible food. The options were endless. Apparently, death might have been on the menu as well.

Owen went about his day as normal as he possibly could. Dahlia arrived in the early afternoon to cleanse the apartment, and then they went out to their usual diner for burgers and fries. From there, they parted ways, and he went about his Saturday on his own. Later on, while he got ready to head out to see his friends, he felt off again. Almost like he was walking around blatantly ignoring something extremely important; like he was pretending. This was the truth to some degree, because the good majority of people in his life didn’t know what he could do. Not in a serious manner, at the very least, he just seemed to be particularly good with his ‘hunches’ and ‘intuition’ as his friends liked to call it.

The group met downtown for dinner. Thankfully, he got to fly solo that night, likely because they were celebrating Thomas’ birthday, and events like that they tried to keep a little more exclusive. Owen especially didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness that came along with a first date, a blind date, and he was thankful that it seemed like nobody else wanted it either.

After a couple of drinks that warmed them up at dinner, it was decided they’d head down the street to another lounge for a few more. Normally, at this point in the night, Owen might be a wet blanket and end the night early. Drinking had this way of muddling with his abilities, bringing down his defenses and making him more vulnerable than he’d like to be. But he wanted to enjoy a night out for once, forgetting the nightmare that was following him around again. Even as they walked a couple of block, Owen couldn’t shake the sense of being watched. He felt his heart rate pick up just slightly, paranoia kicking in, but any time he tipped his eyes over his shoulders to sneak a glance at who was around, he realized there was no use. Downtown was busy on a Saturday night as usual, and from what he could tell no one was even paying a lick of attention to him. Inhaling a tight breath, he gave a shake of his head to himself as he trailed into the lounge behind his group of friends. Paranoid. He was just being paranoid.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:28 pm

by Simply

“Again.” The voice was harsh, but a kindness lingering behind it well hidden in the tone. Marie addressed a young girl before her, who was lingering between innocence and womanhood. The recipient of those commands was scrawny, all limbs and forehead acne.

“Nothing is going to change this time!” Eliza responded, disgruntled, stamping her feet in a more childish fashion than girls her age typically acted. “I’m not any good at this.”

“Again.” The command was followed by a snort but not backlash. Light brown eyes focused intently on a metal knife, resting on a fully aluminum table. The weapon began to rattle slightly without physical provocation, but clearly that was not the intended movement. A discouraged grunt exited the young woman and she turned away from the object. Her eye color was ever-changing shifted towards hazel as Eliza focused on the pale beige walls of the relatively barren room. These sessions taxed her mentally and physically. She would slip into her bed at night, a moment would pass, and she would be dragged to school and then to after-hours classes.

“I can’t do this.”
“You can.” The middle-aged woman responded, crossing her arms in front of her.
“No I can’t! I am struggling with things the toddlers can do, Marie! I don’t have powers.”
“They are just delayed. They will come in time.”
“I’m thirteen! Jack can already move twice his weird and height and I’m older than him by a year.” Desperation seeped into Eliza’s voice.
“It will happen.”

To this, the girl rolled her eyes and stomped away from the table, her instructor and the small object she couldn’t even lift in the air with her abilities. Eliza plopped all her body weight onto a stool. Feet rested on the highest rung and she dropped her chin into her hands, defeated. All of the other members of the coven her age were far superior in their talent and control. Eliza was subjected to classes with the six-year-olds and it had become such an embarrassment that The Circle had handed her over to Marie, as a last ditch effort to draw something out of her. If unsuccessful, Eliza would be relegated to administrative duties for the group – or worse, encouraged to seek employment beyond their walls. Become a doctor or lawyer or something mediocre in comparison with the people she grew up with. The idea frightened her, but even her fear would not draw her powers forth.

Marie uncrossed her arms and frowned slightly, her eyes the only indication that she had stopped listening to the child. On occasion, Eliza showed great potential but it had never manifested in a setting that could be replicated. Everyone had thought she was just a slow learner, someone that took more one-on-one attention. For nearly eleven months that had proved futile. With a flash, Marie’s focus returned and with it the knife flew across the room towards Eliza with alarming accuracy for her hunched shoulders.

Eliza’s head darted upwards at the glint of metal and she threw up her hands, protecting her face. The knife nearly froze, barely creeping forward towards the palms of her hands. Surprised registered in the girl’s eyes and then irritation and anger flickered across her brow as her eyebrows knitted together. The knife shattered then, falling to the ground as mere particles of silver dust. “What the fu-?” Her gaze turned to her teacher, who was smiling broadly.

“I do not know why I didn’t see it before.” She clasped her hands together. “Also, language. We don’t tolerate foul mouths here.”
“Are you kidding?! You just tried to kill me!”
The older woman waved her hand about. “I never would have let it touch you but that clears up quite a few things.”
“What?! That occasionally I get lucky and don’t die?!” Incredulous, she tossed up her hands and headed towards the door.

“No. You’re quite powerful, actually but somehow you’re repressed.” She ran her hand in Eliza’s general direction. “We shall have Claudene take another look at you,” she referenced the head healer of The Circle, “she wasn’t looking for something like this.”

Something like this turned out to be the most remarkable lock on abilities that The Circle had ever encountered. After extensive testing and rigorous examinations, it was determined that Eliza had a barrier hiding her magic, protecting it for some reason they could not discern. It only came to life to ensure her survival. She was never harmed, never hurt. She could not recall since the age of eleven having even bled or cut her finger on a piece of paper. Things had just occurred that she had considered lucky. Now, however, the girl had an understanding of what it was and what she could do with it if she just considered tasks and objectives as aspects of her own survival. The training she endured and beyond had molded her into a forced to be reckoned with. At twenty, she had completed college among mortals and excelled in physical combat. No one could touch her, with mind or with hand. She was, in essence, invincible.

That made her The Circle’s best candidate for…exterminations.

The Circle possessed a very rigid set of rules. Abilities were regulated and put to use by the group with the objectives of ensuring the survival of gifted individuals, hiding them from the mortals around them and prosperity of its members. Another was that every seer would be laid to rest. Since 1813, psychics were forbidden. It was a nasty bit of history that was best left in the past but its legacy lived on. Seers were not permitted to live. By 1860 The Circle had declared the eradication of such individuals. Yet, this was just the ease the mind of the gifted populace under their authority. Every few years, a Finder would sense that one had reached their potential and stepped into their power. At that point, they would send an exterminator, someone to execute The Circle’s will and ensure no one was wiser.

Presently, Eliza had eliminated three threats to The Circle’s established rule. The first mission succeeded without so much as a whimper in the night. It had gone surprisingly well – beginner’s luck some would call it. The second had resulted in a house fire, but she was steadily getting the hang out it. She never questioned the orders they handed to her or the individuals that they directed her towards. They were threats to their way of life, her way of life. She would not let anyone destroy the family that she had built and who had shaped her. She had never known her parents and The Circle had always been where she was raised, as long as her memory was. She did not harbor any sadness or curiosity about her parents. It happened frequently, that gifted children from gifted families were left in their care when they were unwanted. Eliza had been well educated, traveled and was cultured in a few languages even.

It was at times like this that she often reminisced on her good fortune. A new task was bestowed upon her and as she walked the streets at night, following behind her target at a distance, Eliza felt the thrill of a hunt. The descriptors had been: Owen Sterling, twenty-eight, handsome, orphan (mother exterminated by The Circle fifteen years prior). There were more, but the only one she needed to know was that he was a psychic and had to be removed. Unfortunately, the night chosen after a week of surveillance had yielded a part of some kind for one of his friends. It was unlikely that she would be able to complete her mission this evening, but perhaps she could make it easier on herself. Inserting herself into his life was a tactic that Eliza did well. She wore different personalities like people did clothes. This particular adaptability permitted her to excel in her field.

Eliza dined by herself at the bar of the restaurant, occasionally casting an eye in their direction, but careful to not draw attention by flirting with the financial adviser next to her. As the company paid for their bill, she slipped to the restroom and refreshed her face. Light make-up, nothing too extravagant based on the girls that he and his friends carried on with. Her shirt was low cut but not trashy, a tasteful peblum with skinny black jeans and black booties – perfect for a night out on the town. She gathered her jacket and headed out the door behind them, pretending to text as she walked. She still did so as she entered the lounge behind them. The music was louder here, but not intolerable. As she aged, she found loud dance clubs less comfortable and more annoying. She watched them, gathering drinks and sipping them. The outskirts of the lounge she lurked, making small conversations here and there until a suitable amount of time passed. Owen was returning with another drink, headed back to his group. This was her chance. Walking swiftly, she was faux texting on her phoe before she turned to sout something back to someone that did not exist.

“Yes I know, just one sec-” She bumped into his arm, yet not the one holding his newly acquired beverage. Her phone clattered to the ground and she rushed to apologize. “I am so sorry. Wasn’t watching where I was going.” She leaned down, not looking at him yet, appearing drunk when she was not even slightly. She picked up her phone and wiped it on the side of her pants as her now green eyes flickered up to him. “Did I spill your drink? I can get you another. Again, I’m so sorry. I know I look like a hot college mess but I promise those days are behind me.” Eliza laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 10:10 pm

by Dollface

Once inside of the lounge with a drink, Owen managed to calm himself a little. They were lucky enough to snag a booth that sat along the perimeter of the lounge so they could enjoy their drinks and people watch. Near the back, there was a DJ spinning, but the music was loud to the point that they were talking over each other and everyone else in the lounge just to have a conversation. It was a little more low-key than the places they’d frequented when they’d been in college.

As he worked on his beer, he let his attention wander from the conversation and instead trailed his gaze over the lounge. It didn’t hurt for him to be aware of his surroundings, just in case. But no one seemed out of the ordinary – just a little too drunk for how early in the evening it seemed. He wasn’t one to judge, though, considering he was buzzed, on his third drink of the night so far, and was gearing up for a fourth. There was a voice in the back of his mind telling him that he didn’t need to, he probably shouldn’t, but how often did he get to do this? The older they got, it was harder for all of them to get together, and Owen genuinely wanted to enjoy himself.

With that, Owen excused himself from the booth and wound his way through the crowd and tables towards the bar. After a minute or two of waiting for the bartender’s attention, he ordered a Jack and Coke and was ready to make his way back towards the booth. He noticed that Marianne was getting out of the booth to head to the bar herself, and in the next moment he heard a voice to the left to him and before he could turn his attention that way, someone bumped into him.

If only he’d seen it coming.

But he didn’t, and if he’d been in the right mind he might have pondered over that a little bit more. The contact was brief, however, so he felt nothing more than the physical jolt of her running into his arm. Owen just swore under his breath and steadied his right hand, focusing on keeping it in the glass so that it didn’t end up all over his pants. Eyebrows shot up as he turned to the brunette who ran into him, blue eyes finding hers when she looked up from the ground finally. Here he’d been worried about someone following him and silently planning on killing him, but instead he was running into a pretty girl who was not the ‘hot college mess’ that she was claiming. “No,” he said initially, once he’d realized he probably looked ridiculous just standing there, not saying anything in response, “no, my drink is just fine actually.” Owen raised it, as if to indicate such, and took a sip.

His eyes flicked towards the bar, where Marianne now stood, and he could see her smirking right at him. She lifted a brow towards the girl who’d bumped into him, before she turned her attention back to the bar. He was already warm from the alcohol in his system, and there was no helping the warmth that crept to his cheeks with that glance. Owen hoped that the brunette didn’t notice as much when his eyes drifted back to her.

“I can’t help but notice that you don’t have a drink yourself. I mean, I don’t think I was paying too great attention myself, I think I’m partially at fault here. The least I could do is buy you one.” A smile lifted the corners of his lips, his free hand tucking into the pocket of his black slacks. “Unless people don’t do that anymore, getting drinks with strangers they bump into at the bar. Or if you need to get back to your friends…” He could have sworn she had been saying something to someone else before bumping into him, unless she was actually saying, ‘hey maybe you should pay attention to where you’re walking’ before their collision.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:18 am

by Simply

For the first time, Eliza took in his face up close and in person rather than scrutinizing a photograph. He was terribly attractive, she had to give him that. Likely, he had wooed quite a number of young ladies so far during the course of his life. Pity, he would not be able to do any more heart breaking. She’d have to find a way to end his life quietly, without arousing suspicion. Accidents and suicides were the easiest manner in which to dispose of psychic filth. A pretty shell encasing a treasonous interior. Not his fault, though, she has mused often enough. All of the individuals that she had been tasked with disposing of were not brought up as part of The Circle. One didn’t even understand her power. Made the work that much easier, even though they could never See her coming.

Unfortunately, the information that The Circle had on Owen was limited and the extent of his abilities unknown.

“Oh, good. I’d hate to have wasted it.” Eliza grinned, slipping her phone into her back pocket. “No, I just got in so I haven’t worked my way to the bar yet but I’d be an idiot to turn down a free drink.” She sidled up beside him and backtracked towards the bar at first, before turning just slightly. Hard t get was always a good option with men. Not too hard to get, though. She needed to be able to get him alone at some point. The executioner’s goal was to be back east in three days. “Vodka soda.” She said to the bartender, having worked her way between two groups of chatting individuals.

He handed it to her and she held it gently with one hand. “I came with a couple of people but I’m more of a fifth wheel to them.” Vague, relatively nondescript and something that he might relate to seeing as there appeared to be a few couples paired up from the group he had been spending his time with. “Thank you for the drink,” she lifted it towards him as she squeezed the juice from the lemon into the liquid and ice-filled glass. “You are not what I expected to run into. I nearly topple your drink and you buy me on…” She smirked a little bit, bright eyes meeting his gaze.

“Unless you planned to bump into me and this is all an elaborate pick up attempt.” The sparkled in her eye gleamed a little brighter. Eliza took a long sip of her drink. Absentmindedly, she wondered if he used is abilities to pick up girls. Her head cocked slightly as the thought tumbled around inside of her mind. “Which, I have to admit would be fairly complicated but still commendable.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 1:29 am

by Dollface

It occurred to Owen after asking about a drink he probably should have asked about her phone, remembering that it clattered to the floor when they ran into each other. That would have been the polite thing to do, even if it seemed everything was okay by the way she tucked it into her pocket without another glance, and he tried to shake off the feeling that maybe he skipped over some sort of… bumping-into-another-person etiquette. And somewhat to his surprise, she was taking him up on her offer, and he followed her towards the bar.

Owen paid for her drink, as promised, and once she had it in hand he led them off to a table so they didn’t take up space at the bar. “Who were you expecting to run into exactly then? I could take your drink for myself and just yell at you for running into me instead if that’s what you’d prefer.” Owen was smirking then, taking a sip of his drink as he glanced over her.

Truthfully, he was trying to read her a little bit. There was the obvious: she was beautiful, she was amusing with the way she teased about their mishap, and he was intrigued. Still, it was more difficult for him to get anything more based off of just being around someone; usually it was more beneficial if he was in direct contact with the person or something of theirs. And he definitely didn’t want to come on too strong – not just with this girl, but with anyone – so he kept his glass in hand, despite its place on the table, and toyed with the edge of his napkin as well.

A genuine laugh escaped him then at her mention of him running into her deliberately, and if he’d been more sober he might have been more wary of a comment like that. “Don’t forget who bumped into who now. If anyone planned anything, it definitely would have been you. And since it was you – who did the bumping into, I mean – that means the rouse would be even more elaborate if I made it all happen just so I could buy you a drink. I have to say, that would be the most interesting way that I’ve ever been approached by a woman before, so kudos to you.” If only he’d been fortunate enough to see this happening.

“I’m Owen, by the way,” he met her gaze, his smile reaching his eyes as he introduced himself, “professional fifth-wheel. Consider the drink a thank you for a little… reprieve, I guess.” Thankfully, the night had been good, bordering on great even, and at that moment he felt completely normal. All of the paranoia from earlier had drifted away, the nightmare far from his mind.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 4:25 pm

by Simply

“You never know these days. Some people can be so touchy over mere accidents. “ Eliza brushed back her hair with her free hand. “But I think I prefer you how you are.” Or dead. Dead would be a vast improvement. To keep herself from smiling inappropriately at her own mental jest, she brought her drink to her lips and look a slow sip, feeling the ice press against her skin before clattering back down into the glass. She had never felt the pressure of a psychic’s reading. Apparently, however, the other executioners before her had reported that it was quite uncomfortable. They would push into thoughts and Circle members could sense it. Apparently mortals would just have slight itching around the ears and nose…hence the old saying, “your ears must be burning.”

His laugh was infectious and she felt her smile growing. Yet, she would not be enticed by such things. A job was a job no matter how pleasant the target seemed at first. He was a psychic and he had to die or else the balance would be tipped and the world plunged into the chaos of 1812. Drawing a breath, she steadied her resolve, as she was apt to do before completing a task. “Ah, you caught me.” A smirk dance on her lips as she settled herself at the tall table onto one of the leather-covered stools. “My plan was actually to break my phone and pressure you into buying me a new one, but it didn’t so a drink will have to do.” A laugh as she worked her phone out of her pocket and set it on the table between their glasses.

“Eliza, but everyone calls me Eli.” She raised her drink to him and then took another sip, nearly halfway done in a short span of time. “It is nice to make the acquaintance of another fifth-wheel. Someone has to do our jobs and I take it quite seriously. Perhaps we can trade the tips and tricks of the trade. ” She laughed again, pleasantly. Light brown eyes trailed along the room, looking over to where her “friends” had been standing. There were quite a few couples over in that direction so it made it easy to fit along in with the lie she had manufactured.

“Do they constantly try and set you up with their friends? This one time, my best girl friend, bless her heart, decided that she wanted us to date brothers. Brothers.” Eliza snorted out the word a second time. “That ended miserably and ever since I have been so wary of their suggestions but how can you tell them that you don’t need to be with someone. I’m just not one of those…coupley couples, y’know? Never quite works itself out the way they want it to.” Now the ice was above the liquid line. This would be the only drink she could have here so she would be slow with finishing the rest. A clouded mind would slow things down.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:54 pm

by Dollface

“I can’t lie; I much prefer your company and buying you a drink, rather than shelling out the cash for a new phone. Sorry your plan was thwarted.” His words were thick with a teasing lilt and Owen felt unable to wipe the smile off of his face. The conversation with this girl – Eliza – was so easy. It definitely helped that this was a situation that he sort of put himself in, rather than being put in the spot… and he’d had three drinks already. He made a mental note to himself that he should have only one more after the one in his hand. It had been a long time since he’d been hung over, and even if he had another day to recover before he went back to work, he didn’t want to waste his Sunday miserable.

Tucking that note to the back of his mind, he focused on her again as he took another sip of his drink. “Oh, no, I understand completely,” he agreed, swirling the ice and last remaining liquid in his glass. Owen shook his head, sighing, before he continued. “Brothers is bad, but my friend, Lucas, set me up with his girlfriend’s twin at one point when we were in college.” With that, he drained his drink, and cast a glance towards the booth he’d been in before running into Eliza. “My aunt. Goodness. I love her, but she’s the worst with the set ups, and the funny thing is, she’s never been married or with anyone as long as I can remember. I’d rather be third or fifth wheel than settle though, you know?”

That was what he told himself from time to time at least. It’s not like he was in any rush for any particular reason. Not to mention he worried over the idea of telling someone he was with for a considerable amount of the time about the whole ‘psychic abilities’ thing. There had only been one girl a few years ago who he thought he might see a future with, and after he told her things began to deteriorate. She hadn’t been able to trust him, thinking that perhaps he swayed things – or her in general – and just thought the whole thing was ‘weird’ and insisted he needed mental help when she left.

“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind getting another drink,” he suggested, nodding towards their empty glasses with a tilt of his brow. This was far beyond what he usually did, but Owen was truly, genuinely enjoying himself, and that’s all he’d set out to do that night. “I have it on good authority that the best way to avoid fifth-wheeling is having another drink with the stranger you bumped into.” He winked at her then, obviously feeling a little confident, and before he could get an actual answer, Owen was making his way towards the bar again.

He ordered another Jack and Coke for himself, a vodka and soda for Eliza, and as he waited he felt a touch on his shoulder. Owen turned to see Marianne, who was giggling as she pointed a finger in his face. “You little Casanova, buying that pretty girl another drink! I told Thomas no, he couldn’t set you up with anyone tonight, and boy I’m glad he didn’t! I wanted to spare you, and I didn’t want my birthday dinner to be awkward honestly, but this makes it even better!”

Owen’s brows raised, and turned to look towards Eliza before trailing his light eyes back to his friend. “Thank you for sparing me, Mari,” he replied, and thankfully in that moment his drinks were ready. “I’m going to…”

“You have to bring her to the table, Owen! It’s my birthday, we’ll do shots! Pleaaaase.” She was half insisting and half whining, and the young man shook his head, saying he’d give her the option but didn’t make any promises.

He was conflicted about it himself, as he went back to the table, glad to see that Eliza was still actually there. “Sorry about the wait. My friend found me at the bar, she’s a little toasted because it’s her birthday,” he explained as he set Eliza’s drink in front of her before making his way back to his own seat, “and now she’s insisting that we join them over at their booth.” Owen took a moment to take a drink, let his eyes wander the room, and then focused his attention on the woman across from him. “I told her I made no promises, though. Besides, at some point I’m sure you’ll want to get back to your friends.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:17 pm

by Simply

“Well your flattery is working, easing the blow of a failed plan.” She drained her glass as she said so, smiling after she swallowed. Her eyes shifted from the light brown to a bright green, flickering back and forth across his face as he agreed with her assessment of being the tag-along on couples adventures. “Twins, oh lord, you cannot be serious. The sounds absolutely terrible.” She pulled a face, pushing the now drained cup away from her, listening to the ice clink together against its confines. “Agreed. There’s no point in choosing someone to be with just for the sake of not being alone. And people think that being alone is so terrible when in reality, it can be so much more pleasant.” A shrug lifted her shoulders before she made to protest to another beverage but he had already worked his way towards the bar.

At this point, Eliza should just slip away from the table and disappear into the crowd before departing. It would do better with her mission, to not become so involved but she could not readily say what kept her anchored to the leather chair she occupied. Idly, she spun her dark hair between her fingers. At times, her body would dispel the alcohol from her body if it was essential to her survival. One night a friend of a friend of a friend got handsy after a night out, she was extremely drunk but then suddenly, she was sober. Eli supposed that if her body decided so, she would sober up today in order to be clear-headed tomorrow.

“No worries.” She responded, turning around and taking the drink that her offered to her. She a sip, almost as though her hands were acting against her own will. Her gaze following his, towards the group of individuals he had gone to dinner with, as they were readily becoming more rambunctious as the liquor ran through their systems. His suggestion, brought about by the birthday girl, gave her pause, pondering if it was worthwhile. The words left her before she could stop them. “I think my friends are better off without me, so I wouldn’t mind meeting yours.” A broad smile was given to him and she picked up her drink, following him to his friends.

The girls were giggling and the guys were sitting and standing about. One girl, the one that she had seen celebrating her birthday, squealed as the pair approached. “Owen!” She reached out and drew Eliza into a hug, which caused the girl to looked sideways at Owen before awkwardly returning the embrace. “We’re glad he brought you over with us. We’ve just gotten shots! Shots shots shots! Here, we got extra just in case he brought you over!” She held out two shot glasses to bother Owen and Eliza. Eliza took it, both hands busy now. Sheepishly, she looked over at Owen and shrugged, as Marianne’s attention turned elsewhere.

“Cheers?” She held her shot glass out and when he touched his to hers, she drew it back. The tequila disappeared in one swallow and she grimaced, taking a quick sip of her vodka soda to wash it down. “I haven’t taken a shot in nearly a year. “ And it seemed she’d be making up for lost time as Marianne overheard her.

“Here, take another!” She sloppily handed them another each and set down their empty ones on a nearby table.

Eliza raised her eyebrows to him. “Your friends enjoy a good party,” she laughed, looking at their second tequila shot. “I don’t think I can keep up with them.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:51 am

by Dollface

There was no masking the surprise on his face when Eliza agreed to the idea of meeting his friends, mostly because he assumed after their second drink she’d probably excuse herself. It’s not like she owed him her time or anything, she could have even completely blown him off while he was away. So the surprise was pleasant, and it ebbed into a slow smile on his face when he stood to follow her back towards the booth he’d been in previously. Thomas was standing off to the side while Marianne had one side to herself, while Lucas and his current girlfriend, Lucy (Owen teased him about that one a little bit), sat opposite to her.

It seemed that Marianne’s celebration was in full swing, and she was partaking as much as she could, by the empty glasses scattered about the table amongst the full shot glasses. “I’m so sorry,” he tried to speak quietly, leaning down closer so that only Eliza could hear, “normally she doesn’t accost any new people we bring around. At least she’s a happy drunk.” That smirk returned to his lips as he straightened, downing the shot of tequila in one swift move. He grimaced, not even trying to hide it, and took a generous sip from his regular drink which really didn’t help him any.

Setting the glass down for the time being, he started to undo the buttons on the sleeves of his shirt, rolling them up to his elbows. “They sure do, but you seem to be holding your own,” he said with a sigh, his smile lopsided when he returned his blue eyes to Eliza. “Now you can live up to the hot college mess you said you were earlier.” With that, he took his second shot, and he knew it wasn’t going to be long before he felt the effect of just about everything he’d had to drink so far.

Lucas and his girlfriend had excused themselves after downing a couple shots of their own, and Owen slid into the booth first, gesturing for Eliza to follow suit. “I think you’ve made Marianne’s night by taking your first two shots in over a year. Thank you for entertaining her whims at what could possibly be your own expense,” he teased, his words light. Owen sat closer to the wall, angling himself so that he tried to face her a little better. His friends were off in their own world across from them now, back to their mixed drinks while Thomas insisted that maybe Marianne slow it down just a little bit. Normally, he’d be able to get a good feeling as to whether or not the night was going to take a turn for the worst. Tonight, however, his inhibitions were completely tossed to the side.

Not only did he hardly ever drink this much anymore, but he certainly didn’t go about being so vulnerable around someone he didn’t know well.

But the alcohol made him feel warm, he felt good, and Eliza was beautiful and sitting beside him and he wasn’t particularly focused on much else. “I hope it’s not too forward, but running into you has vastly improved my night as well,” he spoke low, thankful again that there wasn’t a need for shouting over the crowd or the music that seemed to be a hum in the background now. “And now neither of us is fifth-wheeling right now, how about that?” A smile lifted his lips just before he took another sip from his glass. “So, Eliza, tell me something about yourself. Like, for instance… what’s a normal Saturday night for you? Or do you make friends with strangers at bars frequently?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:44 pm

by Simply

Owen’s breath against her ear sent a little shiver down the back of her neck, gooseflesh erupting along the path. Eliza laughed, turning her head back towards him. “Don’t worry about it. She seems sweet.” She watched him roll up his sleeves, as though he was warming from the liquor. The back of her neck suddenly felt even warmer beneath her hair and she shrugged herself out of her light jacket. Tossing it onto the booth, she let it crumple into a pile, immediately forgotten. With two shots and two drinks inside of her now, she certainly would turn into that college mess she had joked about beforehand. “I hope never to meet that Eli again, she was quite the disaster.” Which was both true and false at the same time. She had enjoyed time in college but graduating in three years rather than four had occupied the majority of her time. After outside of classes, The Circle was training he to be their greatest weapon.

The brunette lowered herself into the booth beside him, scooting closer so that half of her left leg wouldn’t hang off the edge. Their legs touched at first and she moved hers together so they wouldn’t any longer. Eliza hadn’t drunk heavily in a long time and it was beginning to set in. Soft lips tingled and she licked them before bringing her vodka to her lips. Stop drinking. The back of her mind told her. Just get up and go back to the hotel. Ignoring that little voice, Eliza smiled. “No trouble at all. What is a terrible hangover between new acquaintances?” She was nearly done with her third drink of the night, having consumed the first her bought her and a glass of white wine at the bar where they had had dinner. This was not going to end well for either of them.

“It feels weird, not being the fifth wheel, but does it count if you’re fifth-wheeling with another fifth-wheel?” A smirk played her lips and then she laughed at the absurdity of her question. “I sound like a complete idiot. Forgive me.” Shaking her head, her wavy locks brushed across her now bare shoulders. The thick-strapped, burgundy tank top contrast beautifully against her lighter skin. Bright green eyes met his as he inquired about her. A little truth wouldn’t hurt.

“A normal Saturday?” Well, that included training extensively with her other Circle members. They would participate in both hand-to-hand and magical combat. Eliza was undefeated since she was eighteen. Afterwards, she would shower and curl up in bed with a new book. She enjoyed reading fantasy novels and what people imagined gift individuals to be like. It made for an enjoyable break. “Reading, mostly. I get done with work at five on Saturdays and I’m usually pretty wiped.” Not false, but not entirely true. “Befriending stangers at bars is not something I’ve done since college.” She laughed again, taking a sip of her drink.

“How about you?” Tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear, she held up a hand before he could answer. “No no, that’s too simple. Tell me something about you that no one else knows.” Eliza grinned broadly. “It’s not like I have anyone that I could tell anyways, having just met you.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:32 pm

by Dollface

Mention of the possibility of tomorrow’s hang over made Owen assess the drink that was still in his hand. It was going to be his last, especially after two shots of tequila, and how quickly he’d had everything. There was a time where it wouldn’t have even been a second thought, and the drinking would have just tapered off as the night went on. Now, as he was older, he made a conscious effort, and not just for the sake how he’d feel tomorrow. Truthfully, he didn’t want to get plastered and make a fool of himself in public, in front of Eliza.

A slow smile appeared on his face and Owen shook his head at her fifth wheel comment. “You don’t sound like an idiot, I promise,” he assured her. “I got what you meant, and I do think it counts. Or cancels each other out. Something like that.” Another laugh escaped him because now Owen felt like he wasn’t making any sense. He took another slow sip of his drink, as if that was going to help him be any more clear minded.

Blue eyes remained focused on Eliza when she answered him, his head tipped to the side just slightly as he listened. Even in his haze, he noticed the pause before she went to explain a typical Saturday night. He picked up on cues and tells rather easily, but he really didn’t think a whole lot of it, especially now. It did make him curious, but he picked up nothing strange about her demeanor or her answer. “I never made a habit of myself, but it seems to be working out in our favor.”

When she posed her next question, his dark brows lifted in curiosity. Asking about something no one else knew, he felt his stomach coil and he laughed again. “You just go right for the loaded questions, huh?” His words were laced with amusement he regarded her, and he clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, contemplating just what he would actually tell her. So… I have psychic abilities like being able to move things without touching them, reading your thoughts and sometimes seeing things that are going to happen in the future.

It didn’t exactly work like that. Owen took a moment to finish his drink, and when he set it down on the table, he scooted just a little bit closer to Eliza. “As long as you promise not to tell anyone,” he raised his brows again, wet his lips, “so. I tell people I’m allergic to avocado, but the truth is I just don’t like it, and it’s easier to say I’m allergic than have everyone on my back about hating guacamole.” He couldn’t help but grin as he told her this, fighting off laughter as well, before he was shaking his head again at himself. “I’m sorry, I know, that’s a lot to take in from someone you’ve just met, but it’s good to get those things out in the open, right?”

Owen knew how talkative he was being now, when normally he had the tendency to be a little more quiet and reserved. A smile still lingered on his lips, and he took his lower lip between his teeth for a moment before he spoke again, “I could give you a more serious answer, but maybe it’s more suitable for somewhere more…” He almost said ‘private’ but something about that word just felt weird, and he certainly didn’t want to seem like he was suggesting anything questionable. They’d only just met, after all, and if he was being honest (which he supposed he could have admitted to her), he’d never taken a girl home the same night they’d met. “Maybe another time. But for now, it’s your turn,” he met her eyes, amusement touching his smile and his gaze again. “What’s your deep dark secret? I can promise my discretion, but Marianne has selective hearing and might choose to listen in on our conversation the moment you make your confession.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 6:46 pm

by Simply

The alcohol made her stomach flutter and her normally stalwart defenses began to crumble. Steadily working her way towards intoxication, Eliza finished the last bit of the drink she still had and then pushed it onto the table in front of them. No more. She scolded herself. They would talk, she would ease her way into his life and make him comfortable around her so that she could strike without fear of retaliation. The Circle’s assassin was attempting to convince herself that this was all a means to an end so that the guilt wouldn’t start to sink in.

“There’s really no point in small talk amongst fifth wheels, our bond already transcends such pleasantries.” A smirk and she tucked her hair behind her ears before letting her hand fall to lightly touch his knee. She then laid her hand back in her lap, leaning with her other hand onto the table. Her head plopping onto her fit, head cocked at him. “Besides, what is the point of tequila shots if you don’t just get straight to the good stuff?” Oh lordy, this was going to end very poorly for her tomorrow if she didn’t make her escape right now.

A devilish grin played her lips and she leaned closer. “I won’t tell a living soul.” His confession resulted in a shocked gasp. “You don’t like avocado. Well, I can see I’ve wasted my time getting to know you. I certainly can’t be affiliated with someone that turns their nose up at guacamole.” Drunk eyes danced playfully as she shook her head, throwing her hands up in a fed up manner. “I wish I could say that it has been a pleasure but…that confession quite soured the evening. “ Eliza couldn’t hold the laughter in another minute. Then his words trailed off and she raised both of her eyebrows, watching the way his lip was held by his teeth. How distracting. “More…?” Yet his attention shifted to posing a question towards her. Her darkest secret. Well, I’m a part of a secret, magical organization that has firm guidelines concerning the proper disposal of anyone showing any penchant for seer abilities. You are one of these individuals and I’m the best assassin they have so…do you mind if we just go ahead and get this over with? She grimaced internally at the idea of saying those words out loud.

“If I told you, I really would have to kill you and we’ve been having such a nice time. Though, one less avocado hater in the world wouldn’t be so bad…” She winked at him just as Marianne came to rescue her, unknowingly of course.

“More shots! The bartender gave us all another round on the house. Here!” She pushed the shots she had in her hands towards them before turning back to her fiancé and promptly spilling a bit of her own glass onto his shoes.

“She’s going to be the death of me, I think.” But she took one of the three that remained on the table and held it up to cheers with him. “But those two are yours. I can’t possible do another one.” She downed it, before the music flickered on and off. The buzz between her ears escalated. Well, Eliza was thoroughly drunk now and a blackout hovered on the horizon. “Why is the music doing that…oh,” She laughed at herself. It had certainly been a while since her last night on the town. “They’re closing soon aren’t they?” Green eyes snuck a peek at her phone to confirm her suspicions.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 11:38 pm

by Dollface

Their conversation was so easy. He was entirely amused by Eliza, drawn in, and he couldn't help but to mirror her laughter and her smirk. But as soon as she set her hand on his knee, he faltered. He knew well enough to control himself - even inebriated - and not to let the quick shift in his emotions show in his face. Owen was taught not to physically react. But a strange feeling coursed through him when she touched him, and more than anything he felt uncertain. The contact was brief - soon enough her hand left him and just a ghost of her touch lingered. Immediately, any uncertainty and unease lifted like a fog and he was drawn back to the present, only feeling the warmth and elation that came with a little too much alcohol in one's system.

Owen was awaiting the answer to his question when she was cut off quickly by Marianne's arrival with more tequila in hand. Another hearty laugh escaped him, followed by an exaggerated sigh. "Well, it was nice knowing you, because I'm not sure I'll make it until morning myself." Regardless, he threw any remaining caution to the wind. He gave Eliza another crooked smile as he picked up his shot glass, clicked it to hers, and downed the tequila. It went down smoother than the last two, but he certainly didn't need to tempt fate by having anymore. "I'll let the birthday girl take care of those; I'm not trying to make an ass of myself tonight."

The night seemed to be nearing its end, however. Owen really hadn't been paying attention to the time that had passed since... well, since he'd run into Eliza. Then she mentioned the music and its cue, and he smiled and nodded to her words. "I didn't realize how late it had gotten already. Honestly, I haven't stayed out this late in ages."

He felt hesitant knowing that the night was drawing to a close. "You never did answer my question, though," he mentioned. Owen's hand found his face, scratching at the stubble as though pondering something, as if he was deep in thought. "But I don't think I want an answer for that one anymore - not yet. I might come back to that question another time, though." The smile he wore held mischief that reached his blue eyes.

"I should preface with, I don't usually do this," the young man began, biting down on the corner of his lower lip again briefly, "but would you like to, I don't know, ,8'r back to my place?" In that moment he was really hoping he wasn't misjudging her energy - their energy. But then, he thought, the worst that could happen was she could decline and he'd likely never see her again. The night would simply belong in this moment, and considering how drunk they both were, maybe it wouldn't even be remembered.

Still. He figured it didn't hurt to take a chance. "Unless you have to get back to your friends, which is totally understandable. I just thought..." The young man's words trailed and he gave a shake of his head. "I could make us some coffee. And then get to that deep, dark secret of yours."

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 7:01 pm

by Simply

“It is probably better this way, that you never know the secrets I really hold.” She laughed. Eliza had failed to notice the shift in magic that conspired between them when she had briefly touched his knee. It had been a complete mistake, but one she was not sober enough to regret just yet. Her eyes glinted darkly, shifting towards a gentle brown. Her attention shifted back to the people finishing off the last of their drinks, until he beckoned her back with the trailing sound of his voice. Both of her eyebrows rose above her eyes, at his question. Then she permitted him to ramble on, the smirk on the right side of her mouth growing more pronounced with each passing word of his. Finally, she slipped out of the booth and titled her head towards the door, ignoring the whispering of mistake mistake mistake by her mind.

“I don’t think they’ll miss me tonight. But I’ll only come with you on one condition,” she smiled, grabbing her jacket, and headed back towards the door, fairly confident that he would follow (whether naturally or because of the intensely staggering amount of alcohol coursing through her system). She strolled towards the front, managing it easily with the thinning of the crowds as other drunkards made their way home for the night.

Eliza leaned against the wall outside, drawing her phone out of her pocket. She knew where he lived, but that despite her intoxication, she knew better than to reveal that information. “My secret stays my secret but I will take that coffee.” She smiled broadly and held out her phone to him. The Uber app was up with their current location as pick-up and the cursor blinking at destination. When he entered it in, she placed her phone back in her pocket. She climbed into the car when it arrived and grabbed him by the shirt to pull him after her, making no contacts with his skin.

Their arrival at his place was coupled with laughter and a rushed apology to the driver, nearly forgetting her jacket and rushing back to grab it through the window. “Sorry, sorry.” Eliza giggled…giggled. Who was this person?? “Now show me around this place…” her hand waved about the front door, listening to him get his keys, “and make that one hell of a strong cup of coffee because I don’t think that I am going to be able to move tomorrow or live tomorrow…” She tripped up the stairs and laughed, catching herself.

The door opened and she stumbled against him, but skin did not touch skin prohibiting the strongest reading he’d be able to get on her. Fabric to hand would do something, give him an inkling but not strong enough to read her thoroughly. Eliza’s eyes sifted to blue in the darkness of the room. “Do you have any food too? Food would be excellent. I love food. Particularly French fries but this isn’t McDonald’s…do you have French fries?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:13 pm

by Dollface

Owen wouldn’t have been able to explain just how he felt when Eliza agreed to go back to his apartment with him. He was surprised and nervous now almost, as he tried to remember what sort of state he’d left it in. Was his laundry left out? Were there dirty dishes in the sink that he’d said ‘fuck it’ to before he left, thinking he’d be home at a reasonable hour to do them before bed? With all of his jumbled thoughts crossing paths in his mind, it took him a second to tap in his address to get their Uber.

While they’d waited, Marianne and Thomas both shot him a sort of knowing glance, smirks on their faces and giggle escaping Marianne. Before he knew it, he was tumbling into the car behind Eliza and on the way home. He was bringing a girl home. Like he’d told her already, it was something he’d never done before, and certainly had never had any plans to do so… ever, honestly, as it was never how he went about things. But all of his inhibitions were thrown to the wind apparently, and it wasn’t long before they were at his building.

His laughter followed hers as she giggled behind him, the two of them stumbling up the stairs to the second floor where his apartment was. “You need to prepare yourself. I’m going to make the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had.” Owen grinned as they somehow made it into his apartment after he fumbled with his keys for a moment, and he found himself pressed against the door with Eliza’s own body just barely pressed to him. Now that he had more alcohol in his system, any sort of reading he’d get from their contact was practically null. Now, it just felt as if something was buzzing between them, an electric current that lit up under his skin.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I have any French fries. I hope that isn’t a deal break,” he told her quietly, his left hand lifting to find the light switch, before he dropped both of his hands deftly to her sides. Owen’s blue eyes wandered away from the brunette, wandering towards the kitchen, before his gaze found hers again. “I do have a frozen pizza I think, if you think you have the patience to wait for it.” A dark eyebrow lifted, and the young man’s hands had drifted down to her hips and his eyes flicked down to her lips just briefly, but instead of pulling her closer like he might have done, he moved her back a step so that he could move into the kitchen.

He tipped his chin over his shoulder to look at her and then he turned fully to see her, grinning all the while. “Please, make yourself at home, get comfortable. It’ll be a little bit for the coffee to brew and the oven to heat up.” He took his own time to kick off his shoes, although even drunk he felt a little bit silly walking around in socked feet and his nicer clothing while making coffee and pizza.

He turned the oven on, and started brewing a fresh pot of coffee. Owen rifled through the cabinets for two coffee mugs, retrieving creamer from the fridge and sweetener from another cabinet. In spite of being drunk, he moved about his kitchen pretty easily, even if he had to check and recheck his cabinets for the baking sheet a few times. Now that he just had to wait, he paused, leaning against the counter and folding his arms over his chest. “If you’re going to eat my pizza and drink my coffee, you’ll have to tell me something about yourself first. Trade a fact for your coffee, house rules.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2017 7:21 pm

by Simply

Sobriety would have immensely improved the understanding of the electricity that passed between them. It hummed beneath her skin, attempting to awaken the muddled part of her mind. It failed miserably, suppressed firmly by the alcohol coursing through her veins. A exasperated sigh escaped her as she flopped herself onto one of the bar stools, “French fries are the best drunk food. Especially with cheese. And chili. And ketchup mixed with mayo for dipping.” The second sigh to leave her lips was one of longing, directly particularly at the idea of the greasy culinary concoction she was imagining in her head.

“But pizza will do, I suppose.” She grinned, resting her head on her hands. Brown eyes flickered over to the shoes he had just discarded and made her want to be free of hers as well. She reached down and unzipped her boots, attempting to kick it off before sending it flying into the now closed door. Eliza cringed and looked at him from the side. “Soooorrrrryyy.” Yet, she proceeded to do something nearly identical with the second, which made her laugh.

“A fact for the coffee. Well….this may be a deal breaker for you but, “ Eliza leaned in conspiratorially, looking at the dark liquid now brewing in the pot. “Are you ready? I mean this is avocado level stuff right here, so prepare yourself.” Inhaling, her hands spread flat on the counter between them. “I don’t even drink coffee.” The witch smiled, tucking her socked feet up beneath her to make her appear taller on the barstool that she occupied.

“It tastes absolutely terrible and it makes my hands shake. I can’t have shaky hands for my job so coffee is a no-go. But it takes like ass anyways so I don’t feel as though I am missing out on anything. But tea now that is a beverage I can get on board with, but I suppose I’ll settle for water with my pizza. Hydrating would be a good idea at this point because the more I sit here the more I feel those shots that your friend gave us. What was her name again…Margaret. MARY! Mary…” Eliza tasted the names on her tongue and knew that they felt wrong, but couldn’t manage to remember why they were incorrect.

Shrugging, the oven dinged and she jumped off. She stumbled slightly, catching herself on the refrigerator handle, managing to upright herself. The freezer air hit her face with surprising refreshness. She rummaged around, manage to find two frozen pizzas – four cheese and meat lovers. “Four cheese it is. To make up for the discouraging lack of French fries in this apartment.” The package was quickly opened and she popped it into the oven. Whirling around, she leaned against the oven door, feeling the venting heat against her back.

“Your turn!” Cocking her head to the side, dark hair tumbled against her shoulder.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 5:45 pm

by Dollface

Considering he was just as inebriated as Eliza, he couldn’t help but laugh at not one of her shoes, but both, colliding with his front door as he got the coffee ready. He was certain there had probably never been this much noise emanating from his apartment, at this hour at least. Hopefully there wouldn’t be a knock on his door from an irritated neighbor, or the super the next morning to tell him that he needed to keep it down when it was two-thirty in the morning.

Granted, he wasn’t thinking about it much at that exact moment, he was busy. The coffee began brewing and he settled his attention on her, from across the other side of the breakfast bar. His hands laid along the edge, leaning forward just a bit as she’d lowered her voice before her big reveal. “Excuse me?” He replied with a grin and a tilt of his brow, his tone feigning offense as she went on with her explanation. “I’m sorry, I just can’t listen to this blasphemy. I should just send you home right now, honestly.”

His blue eyes narrowed on her, but he couldn’t hold the expression for long before the smile returned. Hydrating probably was a good idea, and into the fridge he went to get the water pitcher. “Marianne, who likes to think we’re still in college sometimes and we can take a night out like this without having to take the entire next day to recover.” He might have been drunk, but he knew what was waiting for him tomorrow.

While Eliza nearly flew off the barstool to get the pizza from the freezer, he filled up a glass of water for her, another one for himself. “After your blasphemous statement about coffee just now, you should be glad I’m letting you eat any of my food, Eliza,” he mentioned, leaning his back against the counter beside the oven while he sipped at his water.

As if the movement were instinctive, he lifted his hand to brush that curl of her hair back behind her ear, away from her shoulder, while he considered what he could tell her about himself. The brief contact left his fingertips buzzing, and he felt distracted, and quickly drew his hand back to rest at the edge of the counter again. This was such new territory for him, and there was something, something there but something else still holding him just the smallest bit back.

Owen needed to quell his nerves. With as much liquid courage in his system, he didn’t feel that much more confident than usual. “Let’s see…” he began, his teeth catching his lower lip, “well, I moved here with my aunt when I was 10, from the Midwest. I think I prefer the west coast, I’m not sure I’d want to leave.” He gave a shrug of his shoulders. Finally, the coffee finished brewing, and he reached for the mug he’d retrieved to fill that and doctor the beverage to his liking. “What about you, are you from around here?”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 9:51 pm

by Simply

“We’ll just have to agree to harbor these deep dark secrets and never speak of them again. Avocados and coffee. The darkest of secrets.” She laughed, brushing her hair back as she tasted Marianne’s name again, trying to commit it into her fuddled memory. She licked her lips, just as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. It was the lightest of touches, drawing her hair with it. Her skin electrified, sparking the recesses of her mind –clearing it through the fog of drunkenness. Then it ended and the sluggish nature of her mind returned.

She grasped her water in her hand, taking a slow sip as she listened to him talk about his life and how he ended up here. Funnily enough, she knew that little fact already. She knew where he had been born and that he ended up here. An aunt was is guardian when he was younger. There was little mention of his parents that The Circle could gather but it didn’t much matter. Records showed that they were dead and he was the only child of their union. There would be no further problems or need to remove any siblings from the equation.

The smell of pizza began to fill the small kitchen. “Around here? No. I didn’t start here, at least.” She smiled and knew (albeit not soberly) that this conversation needed to shift from herself and her history. Having been raised in The Circle, Eliza was well aware that she couldn’t very well divulge the truth. Dark eyes flickered back to him. “I think I would like to live along the coast, perhaps in Georgia or even Alaska. I know that they are vastly different places.” She laughed crouching down to peer at the pizza through the window in the oven.

“Alaska is beautiful, I’ve heard. I’ve always wanted to see it and I don’t so much mind the cold.” She rose back up, rocking on the balls of her feet as she took another swig of water. The aroma of melted cheese filled her nostrils and she inhaled deeply, hoisting herself up to the counter next to him. She kicked him lightly with her foot, swinging them back and forth. The tap tap tap against the cabinets was the soft thud of her heel against the wood. “Do you like to read?” She asked, knocking her foot against the side of his knee. “I do.” That was true. The pizza timer began to beep and she kicked him harder. “You’re up! Pizza time!”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sat May 06, 2017 11:55 pm

by Dollface

One would think the coffee, the water, time itself and not having alcohol now for a good half hour at the very least would have started to sober him up. But he still felt especially drunk, and he wondered if it was her very presence, their lilting conversation. There was a relatively easy back and forth, despite the conversation dipping towards the ‘getting to know each other’ territory. Asking about secrets, backgrounds, simple things like what you like to do in your free time. It had no quality of being forced, which usually happened on the typical first or blind date.

Her answer was vague, he noted, and then realized that maybe his own had been just as vague and there was no need to read into it. There was no promise they’d see each other after tonight, even if he’d like to, so then what was the point in divulging every detail? Although… truthfully, he didn’t know where exactly this night was going to end, and he wasn’t going to make any brash assumptions. For now, they were relative strangers, attempting to sober up over pizza and light conversation. And Owen was more than okay with that.

“I can’t say I blame you for wanting to be on one end or the other of the country. There’s not too much to be desired about the middle if you ask me,” he replied with a smile, following her gaze towards the oven. Soon enough, she joined him on the counter, her foot linking with his, and his eyes flickered back and forth at the movement of their feet for a second and to her eyes. Something stirred in him, just slightly again, and he tried to stamp it down by distracting himself with his coffee.

“Do I like to read?” He asked her, almost incredulous, and scoffed like it was the most offensive thing she could have asked him. “Of course I do. I wanted to get into editing, but I haven’t quite got there yet. Someday, hopefully.” Currently, Owen worked at the library with a side gig to help bring in a little more money so he could afford to live on his own, but wasn’t feeling outgoing enough to share with Eliza everything he did for a living.

The timer was his saving grace, as he pushed himself off the counter. Finding a couple of pot holders, he took the pizza from the oven, a sigh of contentment parting his lips as the scent swirled around him. “I hope that this makes up for my lack of French fries,” he said, tilting his blue eyes towards Eliza, another grin tilting the corners of his lips up. While the pizza cooled, he grabbed a couple of plates, and didn’t wait much longer before he started cutting the pizza into eighths, serving his guest two to start with, two for himself.

“What do you like to read?” He asked before taking a bite of his pizza. “Tell me about your favorite book.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 7:57 pm

by Simply

“The middle is like…these weird nothingness that you merely travel through to get from the east to the west. Except Chicago. I went there once.” To kill a woman. “And I really enjoyed it. During the summer, the wind felt so cool on my skin by the pier. I could have stood there for hours, listening to the kids and feeling the breeze.” Eli laughed, feeling the skin around her food go numb from where it touched his. It was just the alcohol.

Surprised filed her gaze as she head snapped towards him. “Really? An editor. Journalism or more along the lines of book editing – fantasy, historical fiction, non-fiction? Did you major in English in college?” Had he gone to college? She squinted slightly, as if trying to remember it on his file but the pages in her memory were blurred. Then the pizza was procured and offered to her. The smell of melted cheese and meats rushed upwards with the steam against her face. “Mmmm. I think I can survive on this.”

A grin played her face before she shoved pizza into her mouth. The grease dripped down her chin and she laughed, mouth stuffed to the brim with crust, sauce and cheese. She held her hand beneath her chin, cupping it to catch anything that might fall to the floor. The assassin grabbed a paper towel from behind him and wiped her face. “Attractive, no?” She laughed, returning to the half eaten slice he’d given her.

“I love to read, but I think you have just asked one of the most difficult questions a bibliophile could ever be asked.” The next bite was chewed thoughtfully. “Is it too morbid to say The Emperor of Maladies?” A grimace flickered across her face, almost ashamed to admit that such a terribly depressing non-fiction was one of her favorites. “It’s the history of cancer but I found it fascinating. Though,” a paused, finishing the slice of pizza much the same as a ravenous animal might, “Atonement is my most worn book. I think I have read it nearly twenty times through. I probably need a new copy at this point but it is hard to part with it.”

She finished the other slice and finished off her water. Eliza wiped her hands on a fresh paper towel and meandered into the small living area. She settled herself onto the couch, lying back against the arm. Her arm bent and she lowered her head down onto the crook. “Now you’re up, guacamole hater. Tell me a story about yourself – something from when you were younger.” She jerked her thumb towards the smaller space beside her that was open for him, should he want it. Though, the back of her mind whispered that she should leave. Her full stomach and buzz of booze won out again though. Just rest, they told her, you can finish your work tomorrow after you’ve relaxed. “I like stories.” She murmured, keeping her tired eyes on him.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 8:33 pm

by Dollface

Owen was working on his piece of pizza when her words reached him, shocked at what he’d told her about himself. “I did, actually – I’ve got my Masters, but it doesn’t seem to be doing me much good right now,” he stated with a chuckle, a slight shake of his head. When she asked about the finer details, his face warmed a bit at the mention of journalism, but he shook his head. “More along the lines of editing; fiction is what I would have preferred but…” The male gave a shrug of his shoulders. “One of these days it’ll happen.”

He hoped it did, at least. There was nothing wrong with the library, he’d been there for years now, but eventually he wanted to do more.

Now, he wasn’t thinking about it that much, and now he was laughing at the way she completely devoured her pizza. He didn’t answer her question, because honestly, even with the sauce dripping off her chin, Owen wanted to close the short distance between them and kiss her. Maybe not with pizza in their mouths, obviously. Still, the want to do so was still there.

The timing was definitely off; now wasn’t the moment. One could argue that there never was that right time, but they were talking, they were eating most importantly. Owen was even onto his second piece of pizza at the point that Eliza started talking books. “Atonement… I don’t think I’ve read that, but I definitely watched the movie at some point.” A pause as he set his plate down on the counter, leaving the remaining crust to his second piece. “Which I know is definitely considered a crime against humanity for someone who loves to read.”

They were both finished eating now, and Owen could tell that some of his buzz had worn. His coffee had cooled slightly as well, but he still drank it, and even poured a little more into his mug when Eliza wandered into his small living room. “Should I tell you about my first, horrific incident with guacamole?” He teased, trailing in before settling beside her on the couch, leaving his mug on the small table to his right. For a moment, he remained quiet, trying to think of something… pleasant from his childhood that he could tell her. For much of it, he was a confused child, trying to figure out what he was more than who. Trying to figure out how to control his abilities, how to hide them.

He tilted his head onto the back of the couch, eyes falling closed for just a moment before he felt that spinning feeling start. A memory clicked in his mind, and blue eyes wandered towards the girl beside him, his sleepy gaze full of amusement. “So, my aunt pretty much raised me, right? And from what I know about my extended family, it’s not very big, like I don’t even know if I have cousins,” he licked his lips, and mimicked her posture, propping his elbow on the back of the couch, he allowed his head to fall to the palm of his hand. “Needless to say, she had pretty much zero experience with children. Anyway, this was before I – I stayed with her permanently, but my mom was away and she was watching me. One of my first teeth was wiggly, and I asked her to help me pull it, but it wasn’t quite ready yet…” His voice trailed and he laughed. “I nearly passed out from seeing the blood, I think, and she had no clue what to do. She was screaming, afraid that she’d traumatized me, but I think I’m alright for the most part. I still don’t really like the sight of blood, but I don’t know many people who do.”

His other hand fell to her knee at that point, his thumb beginning to trace a slow, lazy circle against the dark fabric of her jeans. “Your turn. And I expect a good story from someone who reads so much they consider themselves a bibliophile.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 9:08 pm

by Simply

Lazy gaze followed the slow way that he moved along, setting his coffee down and joining her on the couch. His body heat radiated gently from him, pressing against her leg. She drew the leg furthest from him under the other, but left the one against him where it was. As Eli listened to his story, she noticed that the normal hum under her skin quieted when he was near. It was unsettling and comforting at the same time. It was something new, the numbness that his contact brought to her. It soothed the constant buzz she had since her abilities had manifested.

The end of his tale brought a laugh from her mouth, pushing herself up from her reclined position to take in the relaxed one that he had assumed. “Blood doesn’t bother me so that’s not precisely a sensation I think that I’d be familiar with.” She giggled again, the idea of blood bothering her amusing – though she doubted he would make that leap. She had been trained in hand-to-hand combat, if her abilities ever failed her. Eli had drawn blood on more people that she cared to ever attempt to count. Licking her lips, she lowered her eyes to hand drawing patterns on her knee then upwards towards his mouth. She lingered there, long enough to be obvious before back to his eyes. Her own lip was drawn between her teeth, pressing gently down, focusing on the imperfect circles creating little tingles of coolness through her jeans.

“I’m a lover of stories but not necessarily a story teller.” Eli leaned back but towards him this time, her shoulder touching his. Her head tilted upwards and she examined the ceiling with mild interest. “But, I suppose I can try my hand at it. Ahem. We begin this tale on a warm summer’s day…” But then she laughed and turned her head to the side, looking at his hand and his face, absently flickered between the two. “I grew up going to this after school program for gifted kids,” Gifted being a particularly special word for these individuals. “But I wasn’t as talented as the rest of them – even the younger kids just took the to games and programs that were offered so much faster than I did. I didn’t quite fit in with the rest of them because I was terrible at every game and no one wanted me on their team. When I was about twelve, I was hitting that awkward stage where you desperately want to be like by the other kids, especially the older ones. This one girl was showing off the the group of older boys, right, by drinking coffee from the adult’s section and I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal and I could do that. Well…” She smirked, biting her lip again for a moment. “I took a big sip of decaf coffee from the cup I made myself. Not only was it molten lava hot, it tasted nothing like that the older girl had been describing as ‘no big deal, kinda sweet.’ And that, is precisely how I came to hate coffee.”

Eliza laughed. “I don’t know if that is the story you were hoping for but I thought it might serve.” Her buzz was diminishing but still clouding her mind. Almost hesitantly, she placed her hand on his arm, right beneath the level of his shirt. Her skin hummed, heightened momentarily before feeling precisely how putting a cold hand under hot water did. She inhaled slowly through her teeth and exhaled shakily. It was electrifying and not in an unpleasant way. Was this the alcohol affecting her interactions with other individuals who were magically inclined? What would it be like to kiss him? To feel that spread through her? Another shaky breath and she leaned forward slightly, but hesitated – stopped by the contract she knew she was obligated to fill in the very back of her mind. “Tell me a real secret.” She murmured, her voice softer than a bird’s feather, floating in the space of breath between them. “A real one.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 10:07 pm

by Dollface

His hand felt like it was on fire, that electric current thrumming beneath his skin again. There was no missing the way her eyes flickered from his, just a hair lower, and without thinking he moved towards her just slightly. He made no move though, not as she spoke, spinning her own story now. Truthfully, it was hard for him to focus, to let the syllables and the words and sentences connect for a moment. But then he took in a deep breath, the movement of his thumb stilling, though he left his hand to rest against her leg.

Now, he listened, his attention rapt and another smile flickering across his face when she revealed just what made her hate coffee so much. “There-in lies the problem, Eliza,” her name was just a sigh from his lips, “first, you were drinking decaf. There’s really not much point in drinking decaf if you’re going to be drinking coffee. Second, you drank it black the first time, which might even be a graver mistake than the first.” His tongue flicked out over his lips, “but that story will do, I guess. I might still have to try to convert you, though.”

Then, her hand fell directly to his arm, and he swore he could practically hear the buzzing of the direct contact of her skin. Usually, something like this might pull a picture to his mind – maybe a memory from the person he was touching, or a thought that might be fluttering through their head at that particular moment. With Eliza, however, he drew nothing; he didn’t want to see anything, didn’t want to make that sort of trespass into her thought process, but he felt absolutely wired. There was a buzzing in his ears, in his own mind, and it took some effort to quell it in that moment, because Owen didn’t want to move an inch.

That hand on her leg shifted just the slightest bit higher, and as her body leaned closer to his; blue eyes now dropped to her mouth, watching as they formed the request for another secret. “A real one?” He repeated, tipping his eyes to hers now, a dark brow arched. “I thought the guacamole secret served its purpose earlier,” he whispered to her, mischief tangled in his words, though he knew he wasn’t going to get out of it without telling her something.

“You have to promise that you won’t tell anyone, of course,” he requested just as quietly as she’d spoken before. Owen couldn’t help but let his gaze drop to her lips again, tempted to forget about the secret, to close the distance between them. “I…” his voice trailed, his free hand lifting to her face. His thumb brushed against her jaw before his fingers toyed with her dark hair, brushing it back from her face again. “I don’t just work at the library. I have a second job working for a magazine, writing a column under a pseudonym. The even bigger secret, that you’ll have to earn, is what exactly I write.” That grin of his made its way over his lips again, as a sigh parted between them, eyes flickering to hers, holding her gaze. “Bonus secret,” he added with a tilt of his brow, “I’d really like to kiss you right now.”

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 10:31 pm

by Simply

Every single movement that he made was electrifying and crippling at the same moment. She felt the tantalizing way his hand move, inched just slightly upwards, no longer making those circles against her jeans. Even as he stopped, as the cycle of numbness was now constant – she wished it wouldn’t quite end. The pounding of her own heart filled her ears in a panicked, flickering way it never did when she was on a job. Eliza had always been a steady, constant hum but when he was near she was disrupted, uneven.

She grinned at his mention of avocados. “Hardly. That was a surface secret. A real one.” She repeated, before he continued. A hasty nod of her head, confirming her ability to keep his secrets, sent strands of hair brushing across her shoulder and shading the space between their faces. The seclusion made his breath rush warmly down her neck and she worked very deliberately to keep from making her breath noticeable. Then he had to go and bring his hand to her face.

All of her thoughts ceased – stopped mid-track – the moment he touched her – skin to skin. A stillness entered her mind for a long second before she was able to resume her own thoughts, sluggishly. Focus on his words. She chided herself. Better yet, kill him and be done with it. But his thumb stroked the line of her jaw and then drew her hair back. How was she supposed to breathe? Was this part of his ability? No, her talents wouldn’t permit her to be persuaded this way and even if they did …she didn’t care night now. She needed more, something.

At his confession, Eliza smiled broadly, eyes flickered between his as she searched them. “A writer now…not just a fancy editor with a Master’s degree. I was unaware I was in the presence of such a smarty pants.” God, you sound stupid. The thought hit her and she scrunched her lips, before his bonus declaration hit her ears. Startled, she looked him directly in the eyes. Scrunches lips turned into a soft ‘O’ of surprise. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, threatening to explode out of chest. With her hand against her face, her mind couldn’t race but it moved as quickly as possible.

She considered the possibilities – she could just slip from her position onto his lap. She could draw back and leave – the smarter decision. Eli’s eyes flickered from dark green to a light blue as she tilted her head slightly. Slowly, she raised her hand from his arm to his neck, inching it upwards and back, brushing through the strands of his dark hair. Her fingers prickled with numbness and she had to know what it felt like, needed to know what it would be like – just a touch. The distance between them closed and she grazed his lips with her own. Like a fairy’s breath, it was the lightest touch she could have possibly bestowed upon him. Yet it electrified her, sending a shudder against her neck and down her spine to spread across her waist and to the tips of her toes. She drew a few inches back, inhaling unevenly. “What’s stopping you?” She whispered, barely forming the words as her mouth turned upwards just at one corner.

“And I can think of a few ways to earn a bit more of that secret and pseudonym, if you’re willing.” Eyes danced back and forth between his once more, before biting her lower lip. Her hand untangled itself from his hair and dropped downwards slightly to rest at the crook of his neck.

Re: it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 10:54 pm

by Dollface

Owen hadn’t even given himself a chance to linger on his first confession before jumping to the second – the one he definitely deemed more important. He realized that he could have just kissed her by now, that there was hardly any space between them, and maybe it was… weird that he told her he’d like to, rather than just making the move to do it. But she was drunk, he was drunk, and he wanted to respect that invisible boundary line that lay between them. Sure, he’d brought her back to his apartment, they’d spent the majority of the night together, but that didn’t mean anything was supposed to happen.

Something seemed bound to happen, however.

Her movements were slow, the weight of her hand warm against his neck and he couldn’t help that he leaned into the touch just slightly. That buzzing feeling followed, intensifying, especially when she just barely grazed her lips against his. Eyes closed, his breath hitched, the grip of both his hands tightening just the slightest bit as she pulled away from him then. “I—” he prepared to answer her, before that smile appeared on her features and her next suggestion followed.

Another chuckle escaped him, “is that right, Eli?” He practically breathed the words again, and as her hand traveled downwards, his own did the same. The hand that had been in her hair drifted down to her waist and he pulled her towards him, closer, as if there was any room left, and he kissed her. His lips touched hers and it certainly wasn’t a kiss he’d ever experienced before, and if he was in his right mind, he might have been wondering if maybe, just maybe… Eliza was like him.

Instead, he assumed their inebriation had something to do with it. Because that kiss warmed him from his head to his toes, fire dancing on his fingertips as one hand gripped her side, the other at the back of her head, threading through her loose dark curls. His teeth nipped at her lower lip as he pulled back just slightly, leaving a kiss at the corner of her mouth, another against her jaw. “It’s going to take quite a bit to get that secret out of me, you know,” he whispered, his mouth hovering close to her ear.

Owen had tipped his head to look at her this time. His hands lowered to her hips, beneath the bottom of her top but not daring yet to drift over her skin despite the fact he was itching to roam – he kept himself in check. “I’d like to hear a secret from you now, please. Don’t think you could distract me that much. And no more of this coffee slandering nonsense.”

All times are UTC-05:00
Page 1 of 8

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited
https://www.phpbb.com/

Ink and Prose

An advanced roleplaying community.
http://inkandprose.comm/

it's just i can't seem to sleep these days and you can't seem to stop digging this grave

http://inkandprose.comm/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3550

Page 2 of 8