it's getting louder....

               “I already know the answer to this but I just have to ask – did you cry the entire time I was away?” @wailingaxrelia​

“It’s the only one I fuckin’ got right now, alright? And it’s a whole hell of a lot better than yours.” Everything else between them, their shared kiss and the gnawing ache of being so fucking close without the ability to reach out, paled in comparison to Aurelia’s life hanging in the balance. Her fiancé, the wedding, all of it became trivial now. “Don’t say shit like that.” Without even consciously choosing the action, dark hues flitted down to the unmarred flesh of her neck where puncture wounds once resided. For a man who grew up without an education and only the streets to guide him, Vince didn’t know a whole hell of a lot in this life. What he did know, however, was that if anything happened to this fragile human girl that he’d burn Red Creek to the ground and leave a trail of blood spanning the whole province. “You’re gonna be fine and I’ll figure out a way to get around this. Whatever he wants, it’s got everything to do with me and you’re just collateral.” Running a hand through raven locks, he finally released an almost manic chuckle— the whole situation had grown absolutely ludicrous if he were being honest. “To be fair, you weren’t supposed to worry at all. I didn’t expect you to come outside this fuckin’ early, thought I could slip by all mysterious and whatnot.”

How many children will they have naturally? - None, it’s not possible

How many children will they adopt? - Four or five. A few from the Canada/US and they adopt siblings from a foreign country

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Vince, and he doesn’t get stuck with them, he just does it because he’s still in shock that they’re his kids

Who is the stricter parent? - Aurelia

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Neither, they’re boys, they’ll learn eventually and they’re not interested in creating a divide between them and their kids

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - They both do it, every morning, together.

Who is the more loved parent? - Vince

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Aurelia drags Vince to all of them

Who cried the most at graduation? - Aurelia, it was embarrassing and Vince did his best to get the kids to stop whining about her crying

Who is on top? - Vince

Who is the one to instigate things? - Vince, usually.. But sometimes she surprises him

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - She has to stop him when she can’t capably move her legs

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - No, Vince is too selfless and though she might try and return the favor, he’ll usually always turn the tables back on her again.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

Her pleas went practically unheard, deafened by the blinding rage that seethed through him. He might have snapped her wrist had the sound of the keys hitting the floor not jolted him back to his senses, but still he didn’t let go. Noah looked into her eyes and was greeted by the fear that he loved so much. He took a deep breathe and pulled her closer, so that they might have been mistaken for slow dancing should anyone have seen them. ( “If there’s one thing you should know about me Aurelia. It’s that I have a very short temper, so if you wish to make it to your wedding alive then I wouldn’t suggest doing anything like that again.” ) He released her then, snatching the keys off the floor and tossing them across the room. Cracking his neck he took a step back, looking to his left to a mirror that was hung on the wall. He pulled at the collar of his blood stain shirt - inspecting the area where there should have been a gaping hole, now all healed up. 

( “Stop begging!” ) He snapped, turning back to look at the pawn in his game of chess. ( “I don’t want Vince to do anything, bar admit his true self. See I’m trying to teach him a lesson, idiot was foolish enough to fall for a human - well, a mortal at the very least - he’s hiding who he really is, and I’m not really a fan of repressing your true nature.” ) He moved towards the back door and flipped the lock, and then turned to her with a almost polite smile on his face. ( “We shared everything, always have - I don’t see why you should be the exception to that rule.” )

Raised voices didn’t usually bother her, but attached to someone seemingly so unhinged it was almost too much for her to openly handle without flinching, the blonde catching the mindless apology on her tongue before it slipped and broke the air. “You know he won’t do that.” She said instead, though --- in reality, she wasn’t sure to what lengths Vince might go in such a situation, she could really only hope that it didn’t end with the kind of acceptance that had changed her friend before her. “And this? --- This is really your true nature?” Though she’d already tried distracting him, the longer she spoke, the better chance she had of working something out, or perhaps her fiance would come home earlier than usual, a neighbor or something -- but something was better than nothing. “You haven’t always been like this -- We’re friends, Noah.. You’ve never been like this before.” Then again --- she’d never really known what Noah was doing until Vince worked it out for himself. Everything she remembered about the Carmikael was a well suited facade. He flicked the lock and her heart lept into her chest, instinctively she moved backwards slowly, the smile that broke his features made her feel ill. “Share? --- You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not anything to him. We broke up years ago. He’s not going to care...-- whatever you do, it’ll be for nothing.”

“But you will. If you honestly think he’s not gonna bee-line right for you—” His words were clipped short by the outburst which came from his own ill-timed jab towards a man who possessed someone he wanted. A childish comment, but Vince was nothing if not the epitome of juvenile dramatics when his own selfishness was challenged. “He wants my attention, if he shows up then he’s fuckin’ got it. Problem solved… Temporarily, at least. Gotta come up with a long term game plan.” Without a moment of pause or any attempt at quelling the blunt nature of this topic, he continued. Aurelia’s unease about her circumstances would only benefit her own safety, not hinder it. “Who says you haven’t let him in before? Compulsion’s a tricky little bastard.” Then with a sigh at how she could brush this off in light of relationship drama, as though her very fragile life didn’t hang in the bloody balance, his stare hardened minutely. “You’re really underestimating the depravity of some folks, Lia.”

Noah’s head cocked, he’d not yet returned to his apartment, instead choosing to visit the family home and basing himself from there for the time being. He didn’t however for a moment truly believe the woman had sent him an invitation to her wedding, and if she had it was probably a decoy. ( “I’m slightly offended that you didn’t rsvp for me, as if I’d miss your wedding Aurelia. I love a good party, and I cannot wait to meet this lucky husband to be of yours.” ) Eyes narrowed at the obvious mention of Lyssa, who else would Aurelia be referencing. His lips twisted into a snarl as he thought about how much his other side turly believed he loved that no good vampire. ( “He loved her. Or thought he did anyway. I was only ever interested in the sex - which truth be told wasn’t worth the chase in the end.” ) Noah could sense she was trying to be coy, playing naive to what he really meant, and he smirked as she took a matching step away from her as he moved towards her, showing her true wary colors. He’d been about to reveal his true desire, quit the charade and tell her exactly what he was thirsty for, but she had lunged forward and plunged her key into the base of his throat. He roared in pain, hands flinging to his throat to clasp at the wound as he gasped and gurgled for air through the blood that threatened to drown him. 

Anger fell like a tsunami through him, washing away any other emotions that he might have been feeling. Pure rage settled at a boiling point in his chest and he saw nothing but red. The pain forgotten in seconds as he felt the primal instinct to hunt kick in and within a fraction of a second Noah was blocking her path once poor. Hand still firmly held to his throat, he snarled at the woman who had dared to stand up to him. ( “That. Hurt.” ) He gasped, his wounds healing at a faster rate than most, but to slowly for his liking. ( “You’re going to regret that Aurelia, you should have just played nice and I wouldn’t have been forced to hurt you.” ) He lunged forward himself, bloody hand grabbing at the wrist in which the keys were still held in her hand, squeezing tightly he waited until her hand had no choice but to open and the keys fell to the floor. 

Every step she took felt as if it fell too short, too slowly, Aurelia almost tripping over the floor runner as the door came into full view just as it was blocked almost completely by his form. The blood dripping from his throat, one in the same with that which coated her own hand, slippery and glistening in the afternoon light that spilled over his shoulder. She couldn’t slow down quick enough, almost tumbling right into him and only gaining her footing a moment before, trying to double back only to be caught in place by his hand. “No.-- Noah stop.” A whimper that escaped with the swelling fear in her throat of what came next. It was true, she might have done nothing, compiled and suffered through something she’d once again be forced to forget, but the memory of fear that reflected in Vincent’s eyes when he’d realized what was happening was enough to scare her enough; enough to force her hand when faced with the real possibility that this could go on until he grew bored enough to simply kill her instead.  His grip tightened and despite all her efforts to not react, she felt bone and muscle object and she cried out; her eyes beginning to water as she dropped the set of keys. The sound of them hitting the hardwood floor completely lost on her while her own heartbeat pounded in her ears, Aurelia’s only response to at least try and tug her hand from his grip. “I’m sorry..--- I’m sorry.. Noah please don’t.. Whatever it is.. Whatever it is you want Vince to do, I can get him to do it. I can make him do whatever it is you want just.-- don’t please.” 

“Tough crowd. S’pose I deserve that one for some reason I’m not even gonna try to comprehend right now.” Distance had been her request from the very start, for Vince to evaporate from the blonde’s life and allow her to live as humanly as possible with her new love. As far as the vampire concerned himself, he only followed her orders to the letter. “Nobody, huh? Then I guess I’ll just pretend I didn’t fuckin’ run into the guy ten minutes before I showed up here. I’m sure your old man’s got just the thing to take down an Original, so I can be on my way… Oh wait.” They both knew in a fight between her fiancé and an immortal, unkillable entity, only a single outcome would be possible and it ended with her own devastating loss. “Like it or not, I’m your only key to freedom.”

( “Friends… right. Of course.” ) What a foreign concept to this Noah. The version of himself who didn’t need anyone, nor particularly want them for any reasons other than his own selfish entertainment. ( “Oh, yes - how could I forget. And no. Nothing good has ever come from the concept of love - because that’s all it is, a concept and one that can easily be forgotten, traded, used and ignored. But good luck with your upcoming nuptials and your happily ever after marriage.” ) There was no sincerity in his tone when he wished her luck, instead there was a hint of mockery. It made him sick to think about how his ‘alter-ego’ had put so much stock into the idea of love, how he had so easily given his heart to people and openly showed them affection. What a waste of time and energy. ( “Not quite the red I was looking for…” ) Noah replied, taking a few slow and steady steps towards the blonde. 

“Did you get the invite I sent?” She asked almost off handedly, “I sent it to your apartment, but I know you’ve been gone. I know it’s late, and past the rsvp date, but I can make an exception for you -- If you were still coming at least.” It wasn’t confident in the least, her voice not quite shaky but bordering the expanse of nerves. “So you’ve never loved anyone at all? I don’t know if I could believe it after seeing you with the blonde woman that owns that bar in town. You seemed quite smitten with her.” A smirk played at her lips though she didn’t feel it at all, not with her mind spinning at a thousand miles per minute. “I don’t know what else I’ve got, but I mean, I can take a look for you?” Aurelia offered as she took a step towards the kitchen almost entirely in sync with his steps towards her, still toying with the keys in her hand. Three more steps and she’d be in the hallway completely, give or take twelve more steps to her left and she could reach the back door; it was unlocked, she’d let the cat out when she’d brought the groceries in. The people that lived behind her were nosy, always in their backyard. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll ---” She drove one of the multitude of keys on her key chain into the base of his throat, bearing no mind to whether it bothered him any as she took off towards the rear of her home almost entirely aware that she’d likely never make it.

( “I’ll take that as a compliment.” ) He could hear her heart pounding in her chest from across the room, he wondered if it would have even been noticeable had his hearing not been so advanced. ( “Love. HA. If you believe in such nonsense.” ) Noah rolled his eyes and scoffed, there was no such thing as love - time had proven that again and again. Everyone was willing to sacrifice love for something else, and if they could do that - what did love really mean? ( “Uh uh uh - where are your manners Aurelia.” ) Noah scolded, moving faster than humanly possible to block her escape.  ( “You have a guest, the least you could do is offer them a drink.”

“It was a compliment. Friends don’t forget friends, right?” They weren’t friends, she knew that now. Her knowledge of the supernatural had extended to the original families for as long as she could remember, her parents had never kept her in the dark about any of it, but she’d never expected to get so caught up in it. “I’m getting married in four weeks, of course I believe in it.” Brows furrowed as if she might have been confused by his objection of it. “I’m guessing you don’t?” She didn’t know where her aversion to silence came from, though she supposed if she kept him talking the more likely Rhett was to come home. Caught short of the hallway, she swallowed thickly and cast an apologetic look up at him. “-- You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy, and getting everything done for the wedding is just.. I’m all over the place --- There’s a bottle of red in the kitchen?” And knives. “I can look past it being four in the afternoon if you can...” 

( “You remember me, good.” ) He got to his feet, looking at the bags of spilled groceries on the floor, knowing full well that he could have caught them but chose not to. ( “How… charming. He’s a more patient man than me, it would seem.” ) Bending to scoop up and apple that had rolled to his feet from the floor, Noah grinned. ( “Would you believe me if I said the door was open?” )

“You’re a hard man to forget.” A laugh tacked to the end lifted in a nervous tick despite her small smile. He was hard to forget, after the revelation of what he’d been doing had been brought to her attention by Vince, buried beneath a compulsion that left her forgetting their every encounter. It sounded ridiculous, but now -- with him in her living room, maybe not so ridiculous anymore. “He loves her, that’s why he does it.” No, no she knew she locked the house when she’d left, she always did. An innate habit since she’d first learnt about the supernatural. “You know..-- I just realized I completely forgot to check up with the wedding planner and get milk . Do you.. do you think we could catch up a little later maybe?”

This isn’t happening. Ironic how that had been precisely his own thought process upon seeing Noah’s unfortunate mug roll back into town, more than aware of what implications came along with the Original vampire. “That’s weird. You sound just like The Three Bears when they caught me yesterday.” All humorless jesting aside, he lifted himself off the porch steps and readjusted his leather shield against the ungodly Canadian climate. “Lemme see your neck, psycho. Promise it’s not for my fuckin’ benefit this time.”

@wailingaxrelia

( “Ahh - you’re home. Finally - I was getting rather peckish and if I’d of been left waiting any longer I might have had to of popped next door and paid your neighbor a visit. She likes to sing - out of key, I might add. Very annoying. I’d probably be doing you a favor.” ) 

Startled; she seemed to be in an almost permanent state of it, even as the bag in her hands toppled to the floor as her hand reached to grip at a heart she couldn’t still in her chest. “Jesus.. fuck, Noah. Mrs Keaton? She sings for her husband, and he doesn’t have the heart to tell her about the pitch.” Though mention of her neighbor fell wayside to curiosity that she was well aware landed in a damning place. “What’re you.. ---- How did you get in here?”

“Don’t mind me.” He spoke from the front steps of her home as though his own personal residence had been taken up on Aurelia’s stoop, fingers tapping the end of a lit cigarette onto the sidewalk below. “Just your friendly neighbourhood watchdog out here.” As if that perfectly explained his reemergence after two months of leaving her in peace to plan the pretend wedding of her dreams; bullshit, she was an eloping kinda gal from day one. “For curiosity’s sake, does your dearly beloved happen to know who’s come back to town? —No? Shame he’s not keepin’ up with the weekly newsletter. Aren’t you so glad I taught myself to read?” @wailingaxrelia

“He knows what you mean to me and that fuckin’ with you puts me right where he wants me.” This entire situation boiled down to one of Noah Carmikael’s deadly games, to a manipulation tactic the off-vampire used against anyone he saw fit. Even those who stood by his side for centuries. “Dunno, but he likes me more than anybody else save a couple. Rhett’s a what? Too late.” This is because of you. He only just managed to swallow back the sharp protest that had she listened to him in the first place, had she understood that he never spoke her name to off-vampires or brought her into his world for this very reason, she would be safe. Rugged features flickered between that annoyance and a semblance of hurt before he finally opted to blank them entirely, voice falling monotone as he continued. “He’ll kill you if he sees that I’m not playin’ along. You become useless to him. If I don’t do something, he’ll rip your heart out and leave it for me to find.” And Aurelia was not in a position to make orders right now. “No.”

“Where? Where does he want you? Why is he doing this?” Perhaps the numbness had begun to fade, a certain flush finding it’s way back to her cheeks as panic rose in her throat. What was she tangled up in? How did it even come to this? “He likes you more than anyone else and he’s..-- you’re insane, you’re all absolutely insane.” Taking a step away from him, she found it so hard to look at him like she’d known him for so many years, difficult to find familiarity in features she’d traced a million times in her head, with the pads of her thumbs. “You’re all fucking insane.” The curse flew from her lips without even an ounce of hesitation, the petite female usually choosing something a little more childlike, but the panic -- the panic matched with the unsettled feeling that had seemingly followed her for weeks now made it so difficult to breathe. “He’s a... No, you know what? It doesn’t matter. If you’d stayed gone, this wouldn’t have..--- none of this would have happened.” She wouldn’t be second guessing her engagement, she wouldn’t want him so relentlessly, even now -- and more importantly, she wouldn’t have a Carmikael ripping into her throat whenever he saw fit. “Vince..-- leave it. Just walk away, just...--- you’re good at that, so just.. just leave it.” It was cold, even for her -- but pleading with him in any other context would make everything all the harder for her. “Please.. Please stop.” All she could see was his end.

“Do you really need to question that? Okay - are you ready? A boy has as many sisters as brothers, but each sister has only half as many sisters as brothers. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?”

“No.. No I’m definitely not ready. A boy has...-- how many brothers.. How am I supposed to..-- that’s not a riddle, that’s math homework. I hated math..-- half as many sisters as brothers. I don’t know.. I don’t know. Noah this is ridiculous, enough, please.”