A CLOUD HANGS OVER THIS CITY BY THE SEA., TAG: ACHILLES

[ENID ASTRELLA CARMICHAEL]

iwatch the ships pass and wonder if she might be , out there and sober as well from loneliness. please do persist girl, it's time we met and made a mess

JUST STAY WITH ME AWHILE!

Enid Astrella Carmichael has found herself living through the looking glass. Not everything is as it seems in her world of chipped nail polish, soft, pathetic no's to lennox, and her smiles that slowly melt under all the stress. Living in this world is not always easy – people always peer through the mirror into her world, and she sees them and smiles genuinely, but they only see her frown, this girl with the sad eyes and the ever-fading smiles. Nobody dare fall into her world, nobody dare trespass on a land so heavily guarded by a man so sadistic and cynical. They fear him, even on the other side of the glass. Perhaps things aren't so different from her side of the mirror to the next side – fear is universal. A man with clenched fists and a thunderbolt sparking between his eyebrows is enough to make you afraid, too afraid to even notice that you're leaving the fair-haired girl behind. Fear is funny, that way. Let him manipulate her, try to use her body for his desires, and let you use fear as an excuse to not step into the ring and defend her. It's none of your business, keep telling yourself that, as you paint over the looking glass as to never see her abandoned face again.

She tells herself she's over-reacting all the time, tells herself to stop crying, tells her fingernails to stop cutting into the palm of her hand and making lunar marks. Yet she never was a good listener. She's just twenty-two, still a child with the state of mind she has, and all of a sudden here she is being asked to grow up. She can't understand it. Can't understand why Lennox wants to take advantage of her, because throughout her life she was just never enough. Her hips were never wide enough, she was never pureblooded enough, her breasts weren't big enough, her flirting wasn't expressive enough. Ironically enough it never bothered her much until Lennox started noticing her – perhaps it was because he was noticing her for all the wrong reasons, or maybe she just liked being the wallflower. Either way, she suddenly was enough, and holding all this in is wasn't healthy. It's the reason she dreams at night, or the reason sometimes she bits her knuckles just enough to taste blood. It's dumb, and she knows this, but there she is again, holding it in, incapable of exploding. She just didn't have the strength for that.

She had been extremely embarrassed when she had checked in to St. Mungos the day before. She had been at home after a long day at work (there hadn't been any field work to do, so she had been stuck in the office, and of course Lennox was there as well) and had drew up a bath. Enid, to feel her skin tingle and to remind herself that she was alive, took the hottest baths she possibly could. It burned, didn't feel that amazing, but it was a habit Enid had had for awhile. The bathroom was always steamy after her bath, and this time, when stepping out, she had taken a mis-step and gone done hard, her jaw smashing into the marble of her tub and her head lashing back and hitting the pole that her dry towels hung on.

In only a robe she had immediately sent out for St. Mungo's, not caring how she looked, with her still wet hair all in a tangle, and blood dripping off a busted lip. People stared at her as if she was crazy, and she surely did look as if she should have a couple of cats under her robe to throw at passerby's. Yet none of that mattered – she had work the next morning and only wanted to be ready to go in strong. That is what her life revolved around now – being mentally and physically strong enough to go into work, to do her job and be able to stand up to Lennox, if he decided to threaten her again that day. No going in with a slack-jaw or concussion, she wouldn't allow it!

After spending far too long with a nurse that was simply rude, she was sent home and got to sleep on it, and woke up strong and ready to face another day of work. While at the office, Achilles' owl arrived, she had smacked herself in the forehead for being so stupid (resulting in a wince, because of last nights injuries) and after work had immediately set off for St. Mungos. An uneasy feeling nestled in the pit of her intestines – she couldn't help it. No matter how many times she assured Achilles (and herself, mostly herself) that she wasn't afraid of him and that she trusted him...well she still knew she was. Of course, Enid was a friendly girl, above all else, friendly and naïve. And the last thing she would ever want to do is hurt someones feelings. So she found herself knocking on his door and peering in. “Achilles? It's Enid Carmichael, come to make sure you haven't mugged me of any money!” She smiles at him as she slips into his office, looking totally at peace and comfortable being alone with her vampire friend.

Yet not everything is as it seems through the looking glass.

credit: stalk me redneck! & coti-tastic!

[ACHILLES BALOR D'EATH]

Maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your time, I can't deal, it's so unfair.

And it feels like heaven's so far away.

Achilles enjoyed his work at St. Mungo's to an extent. Perhaps he would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been a means to an end. Vampirism was, to say the least, frowned upon in the wizarding community. Wizards and muggles alike feared what his kind was, and though vampires were chalked off as fairytale in the muggle world, the wizards knew better. They knew about his kind, and unfortunately, most of his kind had made the wrong impression.

Though he was a relatively young vampire, Achilles couldn't escape the shadow that had been cast by those that came before him. Many feared and hated his species. Laws had been passed, stipulations had been drawn, and he would always look guilty for a crime he had not committed to someone. When he'd found the article in Enid's purse, Achilles had known that it would only be a matter of time before he was questioned.

A vampire had murdered people in London, and so he would be a suspect, though he had been at St. Mungo's at the time, and it had generally been a very long time since he'd stepped into the muggle world. He didn't like to take chances or test his limits. It was better to play it safe. Which was why he hadn't stopped worrying about his meeting with Enid since his last owl had arrived.

He'd had a full day of patients, ranging from minor to serious wounds. An unfortunate older man had gotten into a bar fight with the wrong type of wizard, and he'd been hit with the crucio curse. The spell-caster had escaped, but the victim had been brought directly to St. Mungo's. Fortunately for him, he hadn't been held under the power of the curse for too long. Though he was prone to babbling mindlessly at the moment, within the week, Achilles knew that he would recover.

And it felt good to him to save what he could of these peoples' lives. He told himself that it was how he was meant to live: saving lives and not destroying them. He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't going to hurt anyone ever again. Nina's death had been a mistake. She had antagonized him, cornered him, forced him to bite her. She had been a junkie for the vampire's bite, and she had been bound to run out of luck sooner or later.

Though it was a plausible excuse, Achilles could not relinquish the guilt that he felt, and that guilt followed him on a daily basis. That was why he had applied to St. Mungo's for his career. That was why he came back, every evening, worked long hours into the night, and made himself face blood when it was near him. He had to prove to himself and the world at large that he wasn't a threat, but a law-abiding, peaceful citizen.

And though charades were called for, how long could he go before breaking? Human blood straight from the neck made him strong, powerful, and alive. He was living only half a life on cold, bagged blood. How long could he curb his cravings?

Fearing his own uncertainty, Achilles had tended to a patient who had accidentally made all of the fingers on his right hand disappear, and then he ducked into his office. Pulling out the top drawer of his desk, he rummaged quickly through the contents, pulling a dark red lollipop out of the back. He unwrapped it quickly, sticking it into his mouth. The blood-flavored lollipop could help him stay in control until he got home, away from all of these wonderful scents.

Speaking of... Achilles jolted as a knock sounded on his door. He heard Enid calling to him, but, for a moment, he merely sat there, the lollipop crammed into his mouth. He had been warned time and again not to be alone with anyone, not to give himself any opportunities. The Ministry had drilled these rules into him when he'd registered as a vampire. No alone time, nothing intimate, don't overestimate yourself. Because, when it came down to it, he was weak, he was a monster, and he would do anything for blood.

Angry that he was given so little credit, feeling defiant, Achilles dropped the lollipop into the trash, stood, and opened the door. Despite his inner turmoil, Achilles offered Enid a smile.

"Hello, Enid. Come right in. Your purse is right over there in the corner. I think you'll find everything in place."

His smile didn't falter, but he recoiled on the inside. He shouldn't invite her into the office. The empty hall outside was bad enough. How would he feel closed into this smaller space with her? With her scent? A scent which was very nice. He had noticed before, but he had attempted to ignore it. Now, full of doubt, he couldn't dispell what had already began to coil up his nostrils.

She smelled really, really lovely, didn't she? And she was quite pretty. It wasn't as if he'd never noticed that she was, or that she had the prettiest neck too. It was elegant as it curved away from her collarbone. It looked very smooth. Very appealing.

Achilles held his breath. What was he doing? He couldn't think like that. That voice inside of his head that was smooth and charming was not him. He wouldn't hurt Enid. He'd promised.

"How's your head doing? Feeling all right now? I heard that you took quite the fall. It's a wonder you escaped with nothing more than a few bruises."

Without thinking, he reached up, brushed her hair back a little to examine the bruises, remembering only afterward that Enid had hit the back of her head. There was nothing but unblemished skin where he was looking. He dropped his hand, embarrassed.

"Sorry. I try to play doctor too much, I suppose. Anyway--ah--your purse, yes, it's right over there."

He pointed toward a chair in the corner of the office where he had left her purse for her.

Notes: Sorry it's a little long and windy. xD Got carried away. - Credit: stalk me redneck! - Tag: Enid

[ENID ASTRELLA CARMICHAEL]

i watch the ships pass and wonder if she might be , out there and sober as well from loneliness. please do persist girl, it's time we met and made a mess

JUST STAY WITH ME AWHILE!

When Enid was young, her father used to take her to puppet shows. She'd watch the marionettes with awe, the way they moved and tapped about, their wooden heels clicking together three times, yet they never got to go home. Her father always allowed her to stay until the end of the show, and she'd watch with rapt attention as the dolls were carefully folded into a box and stored away until the next show. On the way home she liked to think that at the inkiest time of night the dolls would kick open the box and dance and leap on their own time, with nobody controlling their movements. She imagined them cutting their strings off; each morning the puppeteer waking up and cursing at another broken string, another thing to fix. She'd smile imagining their frustration, and her father would turn to her with a raised eyebrow and he'd ask what was so funny, and she'd shrug and say 'oh, the show was delightful, daddy,' like the most proper pureblood princess, and he'd agreed and all was well.

Perhaps she wouldn't have been so optimistic as a child if she realized that even humans can't escape the strings that are attached to them. No child-like wonderment or inky black night could make them come alive and cut off their ties to the world itself. She couldn't outrun this life of hers, but she could switch to a different play, a different show. That's really what she needed to do – nobody came to her shows anymore anyways, nobody wanted to see the pathetic girl who was too afraid to speak up and make a difference in her own life. It got boring. It got boring even for her. So she waits, every night, for the blackest part of the night. She waits for her moment to come alive, to cut off her strings and cause a riot, but the night is never dark enough or her dreams are never true enough. Still, she does dream about changing the course of her life, of standing up to Lennox and turning him in, and becoming a stronger more independent girl, as happy as she once was. Why stop dreaming when you're still asleep?

Yet there was no dreaming or sleeping now, not when she was going into the lair of a vampire. OFFICE. OFFICE, ENID! The thought kept going through her mind, punishing herself for at first calling it a lair. I mean, a lair was something batman might have, or a werewolf. No, no a werewolf would be a cave. Right? Oh bollocks, she didn't fucking know. She didn't know anything about vampires, or about...well anything, actually. She wasn't by any means great friends with Achilles, but she knew him fairly well, and that was no way to think about someone you trusted. Yet Enid couldn't even convince herself that she trusted him. The night she got the owl from him she had laid in bed and thought (wondered, dreamed, imagined) of how it must feel to be a vampire. To crave something and not be able to have it. To want to hurt someone. To want to be normal.

...Wait, she did know how all three of those things felt. Yet she didn't want to admit it, and so she turned over in her bed and shut her eyes tight, and counted the sheep until sleep slowly came.

“I was kidding, by the way.” She remembered him saying his sense of humor was fairly ancient, and she definitely didn't want him to think she thought he was a thief. “I know you wouldn't take anything.” But did she know anything about him? Of course not. She definitely could not even fathom what was running through his mind right now. She wasn't even quite sure she wanted to know.

“Oh my goodness, yes. I'm such an idiot, you know? I slipped when getting out of the tub, totally just flew, feet up in the air, my head crashing on the tub! It was embarrasing, coming in here with nothing but my bath-robe on, I felt like everyone was star...” She trailed off as his hand reached up to check her skin for bruises, but of course there were none where his hand was. Instinctively she raised her hand up to his, placing her palm over his, yet she jolted backwards at the same time, letting both of their hands drop down. Her heart was racing, and she suddenly felt awful – had she offended him? “Sorry! Your hands are just so cold!” But of course that wasn't it, because her hands had been just as cold as his. No, no, it all had to do with who he was, and she felt just as embarrassed as he was- it was evident now as the blood rushed upwards, and she blushed lightly. “I'm so sorry, yes, my purse, ok.” She walked towards the purse and slung it over her shoulder. She stood there, looking down at the spot where it had lain, before turning her head towards him, her eyes wide and cautious, unsure if this was right. To question him, to try and understand him. But she had to – it is just the way she is.

“I...I mean, how do you manage to work here, of all places? All the blood and...injuries. I'm sorry if I'm stepping over any boundaries here, but, I mean...it's just crazy to me. In a good way. In a respectful way.” She wondered if they should continue the conversation elsewhere, in public maybe, but she felt ok, now. She felt like he was ok.

Curious, naïve, gentle, with a complete lack of common sense. The perfect recipe for a disaster.

notes:haha no it was great <3 i love him so much, like you can't help but feel bad for the poor guy! mine is very rambl-y, sorry about that :( but enid's curiousity has been sparked. stupiddd girl xD

credit: stalk me redneck! & coti-tastic!

[ACHILLES BALOR D'EATH]

Maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your time, I can't deal, it's so unfair.

And it feels like heaven's so far away.

Achilles thought of the trash can underneath his desk where his blood-flavored lollipop rested unfinished. Perhaps he should have been less drastic, should have kept the lollipop around to eb the stirrings of hunger that always started to swirl to the surface when he was around humans. He tried to chuckle a little for Enid's sake, but it had been a poor choice to invite her into his office alone, and he knew it.

"Of course, I knew that you were teasing me this go around."

He liked the way that Enid seemed relaxed around him, that she at least pretended to be. She could talk and talk forever without skipping a beat, like he was a normal person that she was engaging with, like he was one of her oldest and dearest friends. He probably was the oldest. He wondered if she thought much about that, or if shse overlooked it like most people did, because his face was the face of a man in his early twenties.

But he wasn't. He was fifty-seven, he was immortal, he was a monster. He was a vampire, and he couldn't forget that. Each moment Enid spent alone with him was dangerous. He knew this, had been told this since he'd become a vampire. He worked at St. Mungo's to test his limits, to prove that he wasn't a murderer, but, every day, he grew weaker for the taste of real, warm human blood.

Achilles held his breath as he caught Enid off guard, as her hand lifted and--just for a second--rested over the top of his own. It had been a long, long time since anyone had touched his hands. As Enid jolted backwards, Achilles was forced to remember why that was: because he was cold, half-dead. He scared people. He heard the way that her heart was jumping, recognizing the pace for what it was: fear. But then the blood rushed to her face, and the scent of it was everywhere. Achilles felt his throat tighten. There was a steady roar humming in his ears.

No, no, no. Control it. Control it.

"It's all right," he barely choked out the words. "I shouldn't have taken the liberty. Really, there's no need to apologize. I'm the one that should be sorry. I didn't mean to... I forget how cold my hands are."

He bit off the rest of his apology as Enid hurried to collect her purse, feeling the darkness of embarrassment settle over him. He shouldn't have been so stupid. He wasn't human anymore. He couldn't just touch people. It not only tested his boundaries too much, but it frightened those that he reached out to. Whether or not Enid truly believed that he wouldn't hurt her, she still had her instincts that made her wary of him.

When she turned back to him, her eyes were wide. Achilles could hardly believe that there might be curiosity there as well as fear. She was really too trusting of him, and he knew it, and there were darker parts of him that wanted to take advantage of it.

"I do it for that exact reason: it's respectable. If I can come here, day in and day out, if I can tend to patients and be around blood and keep my head, people start to trust me, start to see me for something more than just a monster," the words were past his lips before he could rethink them.

Though many could put two and two together over why he'd chosen St. Mungo's, Achilles had made a habit of not confirming their beliefs one way or the other. It was his secret of sorts, his demon to hide. But Enid was kind and young and trusting, and the way she was staring at him...

"This was a career I chose as a human, but it became the career that was necessary when I became a vampire. I work at St. Mungo's for selfish reasons, and I've always been surprised that the Ministry allows it." A dark, bitter smile rose to his lips. "After all, I am dangerous. That's what they've always told me. That's what everyone believes. I'm testing my limits each day that I'm here. Would you find it hard to believe that you're the first person in some time to come into my office alone?"

And for good reason. Being alone with Enid was unwise. He knew this. He should have ushered her out the second that she'd retrieved her purse, but her kindness, her easy trust, had made him reluctant to relinquish her company. He was being greedy, and he shouldn't have been, especially since, after she had blushed with embarrassment, the scent of her blood was now thick in the small space of his office.

It smelled very sweet and innocent. It smelled very much like he imagined Enid's blood would. He could practically taste it as it filled his senses, and a few small warning signals went off inside his head. But this was Enid. He couldn't hurt her, could he? She was one of the very few to ever trust him, and he couldn't take advantage of that.

Especially after how hard he'd worked to establish himself here, in the wizard world at St. Mungo's. He had put so much effort into becoming a respectable member of society. He had tortured himself every day of what was going to be his long, long life just to blend. He couldn't throw it all away just because he'd been foolish enough to ask Enid into his office.

Still, Achilles couldn't help but to notice that there was only one door to his office, and he was standing in front of it.

Notes: Aw <3 Achilles loves Enid's curiosity and trusting nature. - Credit: stalk me redneck! - Tag: Enid

[ENID ASTRELLA CARMICHAEL]

i watch the ships pass and wonder if she might be , out there and sober as well from loneliness. please do persist girl, it's time we met and made a mess

JUST STAY WITH ME AWHILE!

The elegance of her neck shuddered as she turned from him for a minute, letting his voice (so full of something that she assumed was sorrow) drift over her while she looked out the window. She found herself seeking out the horizons these days.

The place where the earth met the sky, where harmony existed. Actually it was the only place where harmony existed. She craved it, she wanted to run towards it and find it, roll in its glittery splendor, the red-brown of the dirt world mixing with the blues of the heavens. With a selfishness that only Enid could maintain, she wanted it. Wanted to sink her teeth into it, to trample it into the thinnest line and break it up into itty bitty pieces. To make a lasso from it and wrangle up all these people and teach them harmony, teach them the ways of the world, teach them wisdom that she didn't even have.

Then there was a piece of her that wanted to brandish it like a weapon, to tighten it around the necks of some of these creatures and pull until there was no air left in their lungs.

“Don't worry about it Achilles, we're totally fine.” It was good that she was standing on the other side of the office, now – otherwise she couldn't promise herself that she wouldn't reach out a hand to comfort him. Such a stupid girl, really. It was crazy how terrified she was of him. Yet she wanted to prove to herself that she could handle any curses in life. The curse of being alone with someone who craved blood. The curse of not knowing what to do. The curse of a man relentless for her body.

But there are no such things as curses; there are only monsters.

So maybe she wants to prove to herself she can handle monsters. That she can handle Lennox because, she tells herself that he is much worse then Achilles. Deep down, though, she knows Achilles is far more dangerous, a worse threat, and definitely a real monster. Standing here with him, though, is an odd way to prove herself she can handle Lennox though. Too bad (with her heart racing and her eyes so wide and timid) she really wasn't proving anything, besides her ability to hold the oddest conversation with a vampire and the ability to put herself into danger. She used to know what she wanted from life, really she did. Then she started getting thrown into grown-up situations, and people starting expecting her to make grown-up decisions. And when she had to stop being naïve and grow-up, she lost herself and fell into this trap Lennox placed for her. On the outside she was always perfectly normal, with a chipper smirk placed upon those ever-twitching lips, always eager to greet everyone with a joke and a gentle laugh. Yet on the inside she was jagged, torn, but she could hardly understand that side of her new self, that darker side, and so she could never truly embrace it. She left it buried deep down, a dark abyss, a bottomless pit that she tried to stay away from but like a vortex it has always slowly dragged her closer and closer. This is the reason for pushing people away slowly, or for that sometimes haunted expression, an expression mostly worn around the office.

Nobody sees this. Nobody sees how torn up she is, how lost and lonely she is despite constantly being surrounded by friends and family and laughter. It did stir up something within her – whether it be resentment or just anger. Yet how mad could she be – she chose not to tell anyone? How long could she go on playing the pathetic little victim? Maybe until the ability emerged from her- the ability to hurt and to be hurt that lingered inside. Yet which would she pick – would she hurt Lennox or would she be hurt by him? She couldn't decide. She couldn't fathom the outcome of either things, and this is what captivated her so.

It was like getting far too close to a blazing fire, a deadly fire, but because the beauty of destruction that the fire possesses you cannot take your eyes away. And because you cannot tear your attention from the haze it engulfs you and you are just part of the chaos now. If Enid could ever make up her mind and take action, would be chaos and beauty all wrapped in one. It would be light and darkness, good and bad, sin and virtue. Either way nothing good could come out of this.

But right now she is so so far away from all of that blackmail and the idea of Lennox, and even if it was present in this room it would take an atomic bomb to break through the walls she has built around it. She has hidden the problem so far away that sometimes she forgets that is a piece of her life now, until she realizes she's looking over her shoulder in the office, and pushing people away slowly.

Or when she keeps on looking towards the horizon, never realizing that all she ever truly craves is harmony within himself.

“You're not a monster. That vampire that let his cravings take over him, the one who killed that man – he was a monster. You have control. You have more control then half of the normal humans here.” She didn't apologize for calling him abnormal – he obviously was not normal, so why apologize for stating an obvious fact? She was smiling encouragingly at him, up until that dark look crept into his eyes and he breathed words that pulled up the hairs on the back of her neck. 'I am dangerous...' he spoke it so confidently. And she couldn't gasp and widen her eyes in surprise – she knew this and knew it well. However she wasn't aware that she was one of the few brave souls to enter his office alone. She gulped, rather audibly, and clutched at her purse. “But...you're fine, right? You're fine with me being here alone, of course you are, you're a seasoned professional vampire.” She smiled to show she was joking, yet there was that flicker in her eyes that wanted him to reassure her. Reassure her while blocking her exit from his office. Hmm, tricky tricky.

She didn't know how to leave now. She, being the naïve girl who still sought warmth in other people to make up for the cold Lennox was sucking out of her, didn't want to push him aside and run out. She feared hurting anyones feelings, which made her the perfect victim for blackmail. So she leaned back against the place where he had placed her purse and with an inquisitve look that suggested she really was interested and not freaked out completely, asked “Why doesn't St. Mungo's help you out? I mean there has to be blood here for you to drink...or eat...consume.” She fumbled through her words, trying to be vampire-sensitive. Oh god, she really was an idiot.

I mean, you're doing great on your own. Like I said, I have nothing but respect for you. But can't anyone help you?” Her brows furrowed as if truly concerned, and it slipped her ignorant little mind that he might wonder if she was volunteering herself for this 'Achilles savior' position.

Oh stupid girl, look what you're digging yourself into.

notes: I RAMBLE LOTSSS. sorry :] totally hope my posts dont bore you to death. they kinda drag on & on xD

credit: stalk me redneck! & coti-tastic!

[ACHILLES BALOR D'EATH]

Maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your time, I can't deal, it's so unfair.

And it feels like heaven's so far away.

Totally fine? Achilles could hardly agree, but he nodded and smiled to reassure her. The staff of St. Mungo's, for one, would frown on his being alone with a patient outside of a normal visit. They all knew of his condition, and, if it had been up to some of them, he was sure that he'd be locked in the padded area, or in a cage. Somewhere where he couldn't break free or nibble on a neck that was as appealing as Enid's.

How many times before had he warned himself not to be too friendly? Enid was almost child-like in her manner, in the way that she seemed to have absolute trust in him. It made her all the more alluring to him, because his predator instincts knew that she wanted to trust him, that she didn't want to hurt him by thinking or acting like she felt that he was a monster. It was a foolish mistake, but his human side warmed to her because of her tolerance of him.

He looked with her towards the window, towards the horizon. He saw the wink of sunlight and inwardly recoiled. Any length of time that he stood too long in the rays would make him feverish and ill. He could no longer enjoy that human warmth. He would not feel it on his back again as he walked through his father's vineyard. He would not stand in it and hear his mother laughing, his father singing in Italian. Achilles looked away from the horizon that fixated Enid. It hurt him.

He closed his eyes as she argued for him, persisting in her belief that he was as human as a vampire could be. He could hardly believe that he had her so fooled, but then, she barely knew him. He kept everyone at arm's length. He told no one the truth, told no one how he really felt each day, how his stomach churned for something more, how it was churning right then for a taste of her blood.

"Yes, I have control," he agreed.

But for how long?

"Nonetheless, I'm hardly better than the vampire you are looking for. I am a vampire too. There is a very thin line separating us. I can never take that line for granted. When I lose sight of it, I will be just like the one that killed those people."

When he lost sight of it, he would kill everyone. He would murder the mortals until he'd filled his belly with blood and could drink no more. He would think nothing of it, because, after losing sight of that line, the only thing that would matter would be the blood. He toed that line dangerously each day. All for the sake of proving to the humans that he was human too--some part of him.

He wasn't an animal. He had feelings. He had needs.

Achilles opened his eyes, looking at Enid. There was the blood, yes, but he was also a man. He couldn't love anyone, couldn't make love to them. He couldn't touch anyone or be touched in return. If he caved to his emotions, he would risk his control. He would hurt someone, kill them. He could never have a family or a life outside of the one he had created alone, the one where he worked at St. Mungo's, and that was his life.

He could see the way that she was afraid in the way that she clutched her bag, the way that she swallowed hard. The fear excited a primitive side of him but repelled the one that was still hardwired into humanity. Achilles was sorry that she was afraid of him. He would have liked to have had a friend like Enid. Maybe, if he had been human, he would have even enjoyed trying to court her. She was attractive. It was not like he had never considered it. But he didn't have those options.

"Yes, I'm fine."

He assured her, because he knew that she needed it, though he was not sure that he believed it. He was not fine, mentally. He wanted to scream, to cry, to suffer like a human. But he had his facade, and he could not let it fall. He could not cave to his need to tell Enid--to tell anyone--how he was really feeling. He could not divulge his fears.

"They extended their help by allowing me to work here. I can't expect them to do more. It would probably trouble them, I think, for anyone to know that they were feeding a vampire the blood of their patients." Achilles frowned. "Wouldn't it alarm you to think that the blood they drew from you to run tests was then given to me to drink? It's better that I...dine elsewhere."

And it wasn't just that. He knew what else St. Mungo's was afraid of. They knew that, once he had tasted someone's blood, his senses would target the person until the source had run dry. He would crave them, like drugs. It would drive him mad until he tasted them again, and, if he didn't kill them, they would become equally as addicted to his bite. Vampire donors were illegal. St. Mungo's would not allow him the chance.

"Thank you, Enid, but no, no one can help me without risking something in return. Don't worry about me. I will be fine. I have been fine for this long, after all."

He tried to smile, but the conversation had dampened his mood, had done a variety of things to his senses and emotions that would not allow him to flex his mouth. There was still the fact that he was hungry and weak, that Enid's scent was everywhere, and that he was in front of the door. He had not failed to notice that Enid had remained tucked into the corner. She was afraid of him, of course, and he should have done something, should have moved and given her the chance to leave if she wanted, but he couldn't seem to. Hunger aside, he was lonely, unhappy.

"Changing the subject, how is your work at the Ministry? It seems I haven't seen you around lately. You don't have business to rush off to that I'm keeping you from, do you?"

Notes: You're fine! I'm terribly long-winded with Achilles, but I'm really enjoying the thread. - Credit: stalk me redneck! - Tag: Enid

[ENID ASTRELLA CARMICHAEL]

i watch the ships pass and wonder if she might be , out there and sober as well from loneliness. please do persist girl, it's time we met and made a mess

JUST STAY WITH ME AWHILE!

In her current dreams she is a child all over again, in a summer night in the backyard of the home she grew up in. Mama's silhouette could be see in the kitchen window that overlooked the yard, cleaning up the remains of dinner, and her papa was leaning back in a rickety lawn chair, watching Enid and Dio run around to catch the night time bugs to put them in jars and call the creatures theirs, if only for a day or so. When mama finally comes outside Dio is laying down, looking up at the stars but Enid has no time for that. Instead she starts to spin and spin, flapping her wings and wriggling her body every which way in an attempt to go faster, in an attempt to escape the holds of gravity and spin into the sky. She spins so hard that every freckle flies from her face and her hair flies into her mouth and she's shining like a shooting star as she spins and feels the earth under her bare feet, and she knows that something sweet and magical is shooting up from that earth straight into her small body.

When she wakes up she swears her family is there with there, Dio with his jar of bugs, her papa with his pipe and mama with her hands that always smelled like cooking. Yet they aren't. She's twenty-two years old but she still wants to run and hug her father close, she still wants him to protect her from this world that can leave you out to dry so so fast.

What had happened to the bugs in the jars, or to that magic feeling coming up from the earth and shooting into her very being? All Enid wishes is that her and Dio had been smart enough to catch the childhood in a jar before it slipped away as quickly as it had. Before she was thrown into a grown up world, somehow unexpectedly, left alone to make grown up decisions.

There isn't a night that goes by where Enid doesn't dream. The dreams these days mostly involve Lennox, or being outcast by society. Being cast aside because she wouldn't sleep with someone, or remaining within society at the cost of giving herself up to a man she didn't even like. She wants to call these dreams nightmares, desperately wants them to frighten her, but how can you even have a nightmare when the dreams are, in fact, reality? In the past weeks, every night before bed, she lay there thinking good thoughts, battling whatever part of her brain gave her dreams, begging it to let her sleep dreamless. Yet every morning there she is again, sweat on her brow, the sheets clenched tightly between her gnarled fingers, a pit of helplessness and frustration growing and caving in within her.

She doesn't want to be this person. She doesn't want to be the girl who gets blackmailed and is timid and a pushover and a crybaby and depressed. She wants to be strong, firm, and give him her mind. Enid can't though – God, she can't even make a decision these days, and it was obvious that Lennox (although probably enjoying it) was losing his patience. Sure, her brave face is practically forced on. Sure, she tries to tell herself she's not being the cliché blackmailed victim. Yet in reality she is scared. She is scared of Lennox, or of losing her job, or of hating herself for giving in. She has loved the woman she has become for so long now that she isn't sure how she could possibly survive turning against herself.

She wondered if Achilles knew how comforting he was. God it was odd to think of it that way, this man who could easily turn against her. Yet here they were and he has this soothing voice and he spoke so properly and she just wanted to lean back and listen to him speak. Although she hoped if that ever happened the topic wouldn't be about vampire stuff. It scared her to bits. But she had brought it up and now she felt badly. “I'm sorry...I didn't mean to pry.” Oh! But she did. She was awfully nosy, especially these days. It felt good to find out someone else was going through a fucked up situation themselves. And honestly how could she complain? Poor Achilles was making sacrifice after sacrifice just so he could live freely in the wizarding world. She was blind to this, though – she couldn't grasp how a vampire felt, even though she could see how defeated Achilles was, how lonely and sad and...hungry. Oh, that couldn't be right... she couldn't think such thoughts.

“It is fascinating, though. I mean...you are fascinating. For many reason besides the obvious...” She smiled with a brightness in her eyes that showed she meant it. Ah, if nothing else Enid was honest, and completely open, much like a child. Sometimes it came across as rash or hurtful, but never on purpose. Enid's intent in life was definitely not to make enemies.

Finally she pushed herself from the corner she had huddled in. The distance between the two was almost insulting, and so she walked a few steps closer. The trusting look in her eyes was out of place with someone like Achilles, but perhaps Enid was looking for someone to talk to, anyone but Lennox. And Achilles...well maybe he could understand. Enid hadn't told anyone else about Lennox, mostly because she was too ashamed to tell her friends, and she was worried they would spill it to someone else. Who would Achilles tell? His loneliness, at the moment, was to her advantage. So she gulped and walked closer to him, as if walking closer to making the first choice she has made so far while dealing with Lennox – the first person to tell.

“The ministry...eh, I'd rather be here, with you. Trust me, you aren't keeping me from anything – you're saving me.” She reaches out and her fingers make the slightest contact with his arm. Her skin was ice cold, but whether it was because she was afraid of Achilles (which she still was, despite her stupidity telling herself she wasn't) or because she was unsure of why she was going to tell him the Lennox situation...well even she was unsure.

“Achilles can I tell you something...? You have to promise me not to tell anyone else, I haven't told anyone else.” Her eyes were bright and her fingers closed around his elbow as if trying to tell him this was serious. Finally she broke contact though, realizing Achilles' may not even like contact with someone he really hardly knew.

If that little sentence didn't intrigue a person what possibly would?

notes: i'm rusty bwahha <3

credit: stalk me redneck! & coti-tastic!

[ACHILLES BALOR D'EATH]

Maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your time, I can't deal, it's so unfair.

And it feels like heaven's so far away.

Achilles felt a rumbling much like when a stomach growls, only it was soundless, and he was the only one aware of the hunger. His gaze shifted over Enid for a moment, looking toward the blank wall to her left. A stray thought sprang to mind for a moment, making him wonder why he'd never decorated his office.

Though he didn't care so much about his own sense of abiance, the blank walls could be offsetting to visitors. There was nothing for them to look at, to give them the impression that he was like all of the rest of them, needing silly things like pictures and flowers to color a room. To Achilles, it was just a room, just a place to hide in between patients and regain a full sense of his composure.

He often ducked into his office during the day. On a bad day, he visited it between each patient, if only just to take a breather, gasping in breaths of sterilized air that was not polluted with the scent of blood. Mostly, he used the escape to nurse a blood flavored lollipop.

He had considered, once, keeping a cooler of emergency bagged blood in his office, for those particularly bad days. Thankfully, he'd never experienced one of those days, and so the lollipops were the biggest safety net he kept on hand. Perhaps he'd been too confident. He was feeling uneasy with just Enid being in the room, and she was still standing a full room's length away.

Achilles shook his head. He was too weak, too vulnerable. He was a fool if he ever thought that he would be able to have an actual relationship with anyone. The loneliness would have to continue crushing him, because he couldn't allow himself to be close to anyone, not physically or mentally. It was a painful thought: thinking he'd never be able to marry, have kids. Could he have kids? He wondered it often, but wasn't sure.

Achilles felt the back of his head ache slightly, most likely from the strain of concentration. So much of it went into his life every single day: concentrate on the job, concentrate on not concentrating on the blood, concentrate on being thankful for what he had. What he had being the ability to live, mostly, outside of persecution, unlike the others of his kind, such as the vampire that had been in Enid's newspaper clipping.

Enid. She looked so uncertain standing there, across the room, and yet there she continued to stand, as if unable to run away from him. She was such a trusting creature. Trusting in at least the sense that she was standing in a closed room with a vampire.

A vampire that was, really, not all that old, not that long trained in the art of resistance and control. Achilles smiled, despite himself. Of course, all Enid saw was the body of a young, twenty-something man. The human eye was so easily deceived by the physical. It was something that his kind enjoyed immensely, not only for the fact that it was easy to lure victims in, but also for the fact that most people would enjoy looking young forever.

"Don't worry. I don't feel as if you're prying. Really, it's sort of nice to seem interesting to someone." Rather than frightening, he thought.

Achilles lifted a hand, ran it through his hair, dropping it when Enid said that he was fascinating. He looked toward the floor, a smile playing on his mouth again. He supposed that he was fascinating. Sometimes it was hard to recall what he had thought of vampires when he was human. The concept of immortality, at the very least, was an interesting one.

"Fascinating?" he mused.

He started to tell her the same: that she was fascinating to him, because she at least pretended not to be too frightened of him to be near her. A ministry employee, of all people, being sympathetic to him. She was an oddity all on her own, he thought. But he didn't say, because she crossed the room to him, touched his arm. Her hand was chilled, and he wondered for a moment if it was from fear. He didn't think that his office was all that cool.

"Enid..."

Achilles looked down at her hand. It had been awhile since he'd felt a friendly hand on his skin. He felt something stir underneath the skin where she touched, something he was unfamiliar with, that felt, bizarrely, warm. He looked up at her face as she told him she'd rather be with him. He was sure that what he was thinking was not the way that she meant it, but still, for a moment, he felt warmed by the idea. But it was fleeting, because that, of course, was not what she had meant, and it was, of course, better that she hadn't meant it.

"Yes." Of course, she just wanted to confide in him, most likely because he was older than he seemed, easier to confide in. "Of course. I promise. What is it, Enid?"

It was the first time that Achilles realized that Enid had her own share of tension hovering around her. It was present in the room with them, making it feel smaller, stuffier. Or maybe it was the fact that her fingers had closed around his elbow, and the connection had felt like more than it should have been.

He supposed--though he regretted it--that it was better when she dropped her grip and let her hand fall to her side. He considered taking that hand up again, closing it in his. She seemed like she needed the comfort... Or maybe it was just him, needing the physical connection. He was hungry for it.

Clearing his throat, Achilles fought to keep his thoughts on the situation at hand. Enid wanted a confidante, and that was the least he could do for her, considering she'd been so pleasant toward him.

"I won't tell anyone." He smiled, almost sadly. "It may be hard to believe, but not many people want to stand near enough to me long enough to chat."

Notes: I'm totally way rustier than you. xD - Credit: stalk me redneck! - Tag: Enid

[ENID ASTRELLA CARMICHAEL]

i watch the ships pass and wonder if she might be , out there and sober as well from loneliness. please do persist girl, it's time we met and made a mess

JUST STAY WITH ME AWHILE!

The universe had a way of setting things into motion that could just as well be left alone. Planets align, stars explode, black holes destroy and light creates. A purse is accidentally left at a hospital by a girl who bumped her head and fell into a situation that she wasn't sure she wanted to be in. But she's here now and Achilles is promising her that he won't tell a soul because he has no one to tell and she can only offer him a weak smile and reprimand herself. 'Enid, he has no one because everyone has enough common sense to stay away from a vampire, a killing machine! Leave, now, and take your secret with you.' It's only a second before she shakes those thoughts from her mind – they come from a piece of her that almost doesn't exist, something most people call common sense. Over the years she's lost more and more of it, in astonishing numbers. Instead she takes a timid step back and lets her eyes close for a second, somehow knowing she could trust Achilles, yet unsure if it was fair to put anymore burdens on him. Not that this might even bother him...to be honest she just wanted to get it off her chest. He didn't need any part in it – she knew that she simply wanted someone to listen.

She stands with her eyes closed for a minute or so, and listens to the silence clashing within her ears, the beat of her heart, and the breaking of lives that resonates within the world. Her breathing is unsettled even, a forced, practiced rhythm rather than a natural occurrence. Her blood rushes recklessly through her veins, fueled by a ruthless, staccato pulse – if only she knew that Achilles could feel her blood she'd try to control it, for his sake. But she doesn't know this, how can she? All she knows is she's here with a vampire that she hardly knew before today, and still hardly knew now that she stops to think about it. The stale air of enclosure clings to her, coming at her from all sides to hold her together – it’s inescapable. She wants to open her lashes, now, and see the world through new eyes.

It's the same old world though. There were so many questions and the universe stood atop each one and crushed them, revealing no answers, mocking the people of this life.

Enid watches Achilles carefully – the sad smile, the tired eyes, she soaked him in. In his immortal youth he was handsome, but it was a thought that slipped through her mind like sand slips through fingers, so fine and easy. Even if a relationship was possible, it was the last thing on her mind right now. Maybe if this wasn't happening the thought of trying to find a special and hidden emotion within Achilles would invigorate her. She'd try and take him apart and love him and fix him. She'd find it a challenge. Yet she knew that he might not have the energy or even the capability of such ways of lives. Ways of lives that maybe could make him happy. Achilles D'eath was a sad story, from beginning to end. If only she knew how he struggled each in everyday in his life she would refrain from telling him about Lennox. It almost seemed trivial compared to the troubles he faced. Yet maybe the universe put these two together for a reason- both lonely, unhappy and so so lost. Maybe the universe just wanted them to be found.

She had promised herself never to cry if she told someone. She didn't want to seem fragile and weak. Before all of this she was strong and passionate, firey and spunky, but Lennox was breaking her down. Now all she felt was weakness. She hated pity. But her eyes were welling up already and she knew she had to just spit it out before she completely broke down.

“I'm being blackmailed.” It sounded so stupid, she thought, when said aloud. “There's a man that I work with. He's pretty high-up in the ministry and he has told me, quite simply, that if I sleep with him I get to keep my job. And if I don't...well, basically he will destroy me. Sometimes I think he wants me to say no. Sometimes I think he gets excited in thinking up ways to ruin my life...” There. It was out. She shuddered, as if releasing all the weights she had been carrying. There were a few tears that rolled down her face but she paid them no mind...it actually felt good in a sad sort of way. Relief! She hadn't felt that in such a long time.

“I don't know what to do. And I don't know how much longer he's willing to wait for an answer. He's so intimidating...and it's taken everything in me to refuse. I thought of going to the authorities but he's a powerful man and I don't know who is on his side. Just tell me that I am a very stupid girl that needs to grow up and just sleep with the beast of a man to keep my life in order. It's just sex.” But it isn't. It's pride and dignity and everything she's built up within herself. It was awful to think that one man could make it all come crashing down, and her former self would wither away, as if it never had been there to begin with. There was no way Achilles could be fooled by her words – it wasn't just sex to her. It was made evident by her gentle cries now. The last of the tears slither down her neck and pool around her collar bones.

“I don't want to play the part of the girl who is pitied and weak and tearful. I just...I don't know what to do anymore.”

She reaches out for him, she wants comfort, but her common sense actually snaps into action. Achilles wasn't her father, or a close friend. He wasn't obliged to be her wall of support, and God, did he even like human contact? He was just there. No reason for hugs or wiping away of tears or patting of hair. She'd pay any amount of money for any of those three things right about now, though.

There goes the universe again, throwing out curveballs and sitting atop a throne of rich lives and broken dreams. He stares down at these two, the man who cannot get what he desires and the girl who can't find her way any longer.

notes: psssh. lets just both admit we're awesome and leave it @ that :] i rushed this! ill be gone for most of tomorrow so i still wanted to get you a reply :)

credit: stalk me redneck! & coti-tastic!

[ACHILLES BALOR D'EATH]

Maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your time, I can't deal, it's so unfair.

And it feels like heaven's so far away.

Achilles couldn't remember the last time that anyone had shared a secret with him. Hogwarts, probably, a long time ago. His body felt as young and limber as ever, but Achilles hadn't been in school for maybe forty years. It made him feel ancient--regardless of what he looked like on the outside. Enid could have almost been his daughter, and yet he was standing there, had thought, more than once, about how pretty she was.

Was it his fault? His body was stuck in his twenties, and so he was treated, mostly, like a young man. Sometimes it became difficult for him to discern who he really was. Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like had he aged, had he actually been in his fifties like he should have been.

Achilles watched Enid close her eyes, wondering if she felt as old and wary as he suddenly did. Even if she did, she looked incredibly young standing there with her eyes closed. She seemed even more vulnerable that way.

Achilles swallowed. Outside his office, down the hall, he could hear the sound of someone wailing. It was a pitiful sound that escalated for a moment and then faded away--the victim likely being hushed by a nurse, given some potion to ease the pain of whatever had been done to them. Even as it died away, Achilles felt the wail deep in his chest.

It was like his own wail--the one he never released. It was like the wail that Enid seemed as if she might claim. Whatever she was about to say to him, Achilles knew that it wasn't going to be pleasant. It was hurting her--this secret. For a bright, frightening second, Achilles thought it might have had to do with him. Maybe Enid didn't truly enjoy his company. Maybe she was really there because of the news clipping, because the ministry really thought that he was the murderous vampire.

Achilles breathed in through his mouth, telling himself that, whatever it was, he would let Enid tell him before he reacted. If she was just a spy for the ministry, could he hate her for it? No. He couldn't, because, even if it was true, she had still treated him with a kindness that he seldomly experienced. How stupid of him to be so easily moved.

Bracing himself, Achilles was startled when Enid's eyes welled with tears. So startled that he physically winced. It wasn't as if he had never seen tears before--in his profession, he saw a lot of them--but it was something about the breaking down of Enid's emotions creating them that disturbed him, and then the words were out of her mouth, and Achilles understood.

"What?" Achilles asked, dumbly, as Enid shuddered.

It wasn't as if he didn't understand what she had said to him, but something about it was so grossly unreal that Achilles didn't, at first, believe her. Why would someone blackmail Enid?

Oh... Of course. Why should it startle him that there were people like the one blackmailing Enid out there? He knew how cruel the world was, knew what kinds of things people would do to get what they wanted. But to Enid? Achilles ground his teeth together for a moment, feelilng a raw cloud of anger grow inside of his chest. He was used to being mistreated and harrassed, but who could do that to Enid?

Achilles opened his mouth to speak, but then he realized that Enid was--if only just for a second--starting to reach for him, and his lips pressed back together. Mortals always needed physical reassurance, someone to hold them.

And wouldn't he have liked to hold Enid? Though she would probably regret reaching for him when she was pressed against his cold, hard chest from which no heat rose to meet her. She would press her ear against him and hear nothing, and wouldn't that be more unsettling than comforting? But the idea that she wanted to be held had already curled up his spine, and Achilles, foolishly, couldn't help himself.

It'd been a long time since he'd comforted anyone, and so his hand shook--for just a moment--uncertainly as he reached out and brushed his thumb across her cheek, collecting the moisture of tears.

"Forgive me for taking the liberty, but..."

Carefully, Achilles reached for her, drawing her slowly against him until her hips were pressed to his, and he could circle his arms around her, which he did. She was very warm, he noticed, and soft. Holding her against him, Achilles felt a sliver of his past humanity attempting to climb to the surface. Despite the circumstances, he felt almost joyful at the fact that he was holding someone again, that he was almost--almost--human.

Achilles ran a hand up and down her spine, smoothing her hair with the other. So pleased was he with his ability to actually comfort that Achilles, if only for the time being, was more man than vampire, and, miraculously, his thirst for blood was quite low on his priority list.

"You're not weak or stupid, Enid. I think, all things considered, that you're handling yourself quite well. Most people would have been broken by now."

Achilles paused, realizing that this confession came with an expected answer. She wanted his opinion on what she should do, but she had, mistakenly, consulted a biased party. Not that she would know that he was attracted to her, not that he ever planned on letting her know. Enid was too perfect for him to risk.

"If you sleep with him, you risk your humanity. What are you if you become an object for this man? I know you well enough to know that it can't be just...sex for you."

He doubted that it could be 'just sex' for anyone, not when they had to sacrifice their will and part of themselves, not when it was taken unwillingly.

"If you don't, you risk your profession, and perhaps I am not the right person to ask about this, because, as you know, my profession is the only thing that keeps me human enough to survive."

Achilles tightened his arms slightly, as if conveying the act of hugging her. How strange it was that, all this time, he felt as if he was the last person any mortal would seek for comfort, unless they were looking for the comfort of death. He would have greatly enjoyed standing there forever, holding Enid in his arms. But she, of course, would wither away, and he would remain.

"All of those things aside, I, personally, would tell you not to do it, but I'm...biased. I don't want to see you controlled, Enid, though maybe you would make it through it and remain unharmed. It's just...unpleasant for me, imagining another man touching you, handling you that way."

Achilles sighed, wondering if he'd said too much there, wondering what exactly that would have sounded like to her. He wanted to be outraged for her, to yell and wave his fists like the heroic men in films. But he was a vampire, and he'd seen too much of this world to be surprised by anything.

He smiled, dryly, above Enid's head. "Would you like for me to kill him for you? I am already suspected for murder, I imagine, so why not make it true?"

Achilles wondered if he really would kill someone for Enid. He felt anger for the man that was blackmailing her, and what would he feel--how would it escalate--if he found out that Enid went through with it? He had lost his humanity. He didn't want to see someone like Enid lose hers.

"Tell me what I can do to help you."

Notes: We are awesome! xD And, uh, yeah, sorry for writing a novel there. I got carried away, so I made myself stop. - Credit: stalk me redneck! - Tag: Enid

[ENID ASTRELLA CARMICHAEL]

i watch the ships pass and wonder if she might be , out there and sober as well from loneliness. please do persist girl, it's time we met and made a mess

JUST STAY WITH ME AWHILE!

Once upon a time, Enid was fantastic.

Fantastic is a word often used to describe something great, something glorified, something right in the world. Yet sometimes it slips our mind that fantastic is merely an adjective, a word that you can stick in front of any word out there. A person conflicted with evil may describe a murder scene as fantastically brutal, wanting to live in a world where blood and guts skewed across the floor was the most natural thing in the world. A person may look out the window on a surprising rainy day, a beach bag already packed, a bathing suit under their white t-shirt and turn away and mutter 'well that's a fantastic shame.' Each life lived is fantastic then, in it's own way, not for the fact that the life is great, praiseworthy, or even good. Each life is fantastic because it is individual, the choices that we make more fantastic than the last.

So we begin to see that Enid was, and still is, fantastic, yet in such a different sad way that it almost makes you shake your head in disappointment. What a wasted existence, some may say.

During her hogwarts years she had been the sweet girl, not interesting enough to remember yet not quite plain enough to forget She found herself untouchable, back then, thick-skinned and feisty, ready to tell someone what was on her mind, yet ready to retreat if she made the truth sound too mean. Her naivety intrigued the boys and annoyed the girls, and the way she lacked common sense annoyed, well, everybody. Her friends were scattered throughout the school – she had a tendency to make friends with people she found interesting, not phased by which house they were in, and so her group of friends were odd yet had fun that only teenage girls could have. They were disgustingly secure in their world of giggle-inducing jokes and painting their nails, the outside world raging on around them without them noticing one bit.

Seven years of school passed and the outside world begun clawing at their collars, and soon it dragged them down with it, most of the girls finding themselves drowning in reality (except the ones with trust funds and parents that didnt want their darling daughters to grow up), fighting for a paying job, so young still in a world that was so grown up. Enid thought herself lucky for finding the job at the ministry – oh my, was she wrong. And finally that castle of stone walls she had found herself raised up on and protected by was crumbling, and she found it surprising that she had been (with the help of blackmail) the only one able to destroy it. Her knife was the only that had found its way lodged into her back, and with a misunderstanding of the world around her, she thought she could get used to being this way, being meek and mild, more isolated and insecure, completely opposite of what she had once been.

But here was Achilles holding her close and she felt those stone walls start to build up again. She let his words ring in her ears and he suckers her into believing him. Her fingers lace into the fabric of his shirt, making fists that seemed to never want to let go. He was cold, yet he had life, and the combination was exhilarating to her. She wanted to answer him but she felt secure, for the first time in a long time, and the moment was beautiful. But then he was saying he didn't want another man touching her, or was he confessing...? She couldn't tell but her breath drew in harshly and she let go and took a step back, now holding him at arms length as she studied him. “Achilles I...I...”

She was speechless and she convinced herself that she was speechless for a reason – she was meant to do something else with her lips besides speaking. Her arms, slithering like the devious snake that climbed up the forbidden tree, found their way around his neck and she pushed herself into him, the top of her hair rubbing against his cheek before her lips found his. It wasn't a passionate kiss, or sexy or lustful – it was endearing, as if she had wanted to explore this for awhile. It lasted much longer than it should have (seeing as it never should have happened in the first place) and it only stopped when her hand came to stroke his cheek and instantly recoiled at the ice cold of his skin.

When, oh when, did her life get so fantastic that she thought it ok to lock lips with a vampire?

Even though it was agonizing torture, she stepped away from him, and exaggerated a tremble, so he could see it. The deafening silence was humming now, her fingers clutched her purse, and she exhaled much too loudly. God, it had been so easy. So fucking easy, to forget Lennox and bring Achilles into this.

She was a bitch, plain and simple. She didn't think for once that Achilles would think she had moved away because she was repulsed by who he was. That wasn't it at all – in reality she had stopped the moment she had created because she feared bringing Achilles into this. Having feelings for someone while being blackmailed by someone else was stupid – even she knew that. Especially when the person she kissed had just willingly offered to kill the blackmailer. She could have sworn he had seemed eager, but everything that happened and was said before the kiss was foggy to her now. This time she cried for a different reason, and somehow she found the doorknob.

“I'm so sorry...I...I didn't mean to involve you...” And with that she was out the door, fleeing.

Enid Carmichael was sure getting good at running away.

Her life was running just like a play and she knew, whatever the outcome, that the ending would be utterly fantastic.

notes: poor achilles, she didnt run cuz he was a vamp, promise. anyways! i didnt really have eni reply to his killing comment b/c i figured they could talk about that later. idk if you wanted him to owl her or if you want her to owl him. doesnt matter to me. but that could be a good topic in the owl maybe? haha. hope you like it. i tried to end it well :/

credit: stalk me redneck! & coti-tastic!

[ACHILLES BALOR D'EATH]

Maybe in another life, I could find you there. Pulled away before your time, I can't deal, it's so unfair.

And it feels like heaven's so far away.

Achilles scolded himself inwardly as he felt Enid pull away. Of course he had misread her. Why would she want to be comforted by a vampire? If anything, being held by him probably only felt like being held by a corpse, andwho would want that? Not Enid. She was trying to find comfort in a horrible situation, and he had just overstepped the boundaries.

He started to apologize when she said his name. Seeing her floundering for the right words to tell him that she wasn't interested in him on even the most basic level. He would just apologize, and there would be no reason for her to embarrass--

Achilles mind blanked abruptly, startled by the contact of Enid's mouth against his. It was such a foreign sensation that--for a moment--his entire world teetered precariously, and he had to take a full second to remember where he was at. It wasn't a fierce and needy kiss, but it wasn't platonic either.

Achilles was relieved to find that he responded to it--that he still knew how. As Enid's arms looped his neck, Achilles twined his around her waist, lifting so that she was almost on her toes. It was the closest to alive he'd felt in years--since his first and last taste of human blood straight from the neck. And it ended too quickly, too quickly for him to memorize the curve of her lips or how soft they were.

He nearly groaned when it was over, and she was pulling away. The kiss had been achingly sweet to him, just like her sweet scent that, with his guard down, he'd been inhaling rather unwisely. He started to lean in after her, wanting to keep her there, in his arms--not realizing that he was drawn in, as well, by the nice flutter of her pulse that he could almost see beating at her throat-- but then she touched his cheek, and he felt her recoil, and it was as if she'd pulled that hand back and slapped him. He stiffened abruptly, feeling pain in the hollow part of his chest as she stumbled away from him.

"Enid..."

His voice trailed off as he saw that she was crying again, knowing that it was far from the emotion he'd hoped to evoke. Achilles started to reach for her but stopped, seeing that her hand had caught the doorknob. He froze to his spot as she apologized pointlessly, swung open the door, and fled. As if she was terrified of him.

And, when she was gone, he realized his folly: he'd allowed himself to be too close to her. If she had kissed him, it was only because she'd been drawn into the vampire side of him, which was obviously--he realized now--very hungry. He felt the aching emptiness of his insides, how much more profound the hunger was now that the source from which his second nature hoped to feed from was gone, and Achilles took two steps forward and slammed and locked his office door.

He staggered away from it, dropping himself onto his chair, turning, blindly, to yank open drawers. He rummaged through them, slinging things aside.

Of course she was scared. She'd probably felt his fangs. She'd probably realized what she was doing--kissing a vampire, a total death wish. And wasn't it good that she had fled? It was worse that he was physically attracted to her. Letting his guard down and his emotions free to kiss her had been stupid. If she'd shifted or moved just the right way, or if her pulse had skipped up a beat, he could have lost it. The last thing Enid needed was a hungry vampire.

He didn't know why he couldn't seem to remember that his lollipops were in the third drawer, but he found them at last, picked out two, ripped their papers off, and shoved the blood-flavored treats into his mouth. He leaned back into his chair, but was surprised to find that the hunger wasn't completely sated.

It was more than just the hunger for blood that he'd felt. His foolish--foolish--human emotions had come into play as well. Achilles closed his eyes, growling to himself.

What had he done? He had to apologize. He brought his hand to his face, massaging his temples. He'd do it by owl. He wouldn't frighten her with his physical presence again.

Notes: An owl is headed your way. - Credit: stalk me redneck! - Tag: Enid