Posts by red.

[justify]This sounds really cute and fun! I would definitely be into doing it![/justify]

[justify]Maybe my character arrives and quickly becomes lost, and begs your character to help him find his hotel? Then from there he'll try to get him to give my character a tour, and they'll exchange info and stuff? Whatever you think is best![/justify]

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[justify]My heart ached when I saw him like this. The man who had swept me off of my feet with such confidence and charm was now panicked and timid. It absolutely crushed me. And by what I could tell there was nothing I could actually do about it. It was a mental thing, and it seemed that the only way for him to push through it was to just rationalize the whole thing and ignore it. I couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult that must be. So all I could offer was my sympathy. The thought of ditching the idea of going to Sasha's to just bring him home sounded amazing right now. But I knew I couldn't do that.

The thought of isolating him grew even smaller when he mentioned that seeing Sasha might actually help. Well, he'd probably have people that could help. Not him directly. I thought that was a great idea, because obviously I could only give so much. Although I was a pretty good person to talk to, I wasn't good for giving advice. I was just as timid as he was right now. When I finished my soup I took his trembling hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

What he said next made my heart drop. There was more? Out of instinct, my grip on his hand loosened immensely. I was still barely able to swallow the news that was dropped on me only yesterday. Hell, I was still in a light stage of shock. But that was only round one? My head began to spin as I let my mind wander. It couldn't get any worse than what I already knew, right? I felt nauseous, but I knew it wasn't from the soup. I felt a small flare of anger within me, but was quick to ignore it. I wasn't going to freak out. Not if I didn't have a reason to. Yet. And besides, having me freak out would leave the both of us to be worried and jumpy. I would stay calm and open-minded, because I meant it when I said that I wanted to make this work.

I was quiet for a little, my mind in a million different places as I already began to prep myself. I couldn't spend my second day in bed crying. I at least wanted a glimpse of the sunset. Due to the mess that happened yesterday and a sh*tty, cloudy day in New York I wasn't able to see much of the sky. Or anything, really. I just wanted to spend the day with Cic, where neither of us were upset and I wasn't mad or losing my mind. "Well then we'd better get going then," I answered, my voice soft as I obviously began to prepare myself. I could tell that he was really trying to be honest with me, and that he was done holding things back. It was a relief for him to think that I could finally handle it all. I mean it was a lot, but I had to take it in doses.

Once he had finished and we paid, we headed back out to his car. I figured it was best for him to drive again, since it kept his mind at least somewhat occupied, and having him try to give me directions to Sasha's place would be insane. So I opened the door on the passenger's side, still feeling a little disconnected from it all. I still couldn't believe that this was my life. But I took his hand as I sat down, still trying to make sure he was okay. I also couldn't hide the fact that I was hovering over him now. I just wanted him to be alright. "So... Sasha knows about... you?" I asked slowly, looking over at him with curious eyes. I couldn't bring myself to say the word 'killer', even if I had forced it out. And I knew it was a dumb question, and I was sure I already knew the answer, but I at least just wanted some of this mess to make sense. Plus I was curious about their relationship in general. Maybe they met while in mid-pursuit of their targets. Small world.[/justify]

[justify]I hadn't expected for Cicero to have actually met Sasha during one of his murders. I totally should've seen it coming, though. Feeling myself stiffen when he told me how they had met, I forced a polite smile and nodded, still trying to swallow the giant pill that was his secret. I kept telling myself to just disregard all of this stuff, and to just picture it as some sort of hobby. Yeah. I could get behind that.

I became lost in my thoughts for the rest of the ride, still holding his hand lightly. He seemed a bit more calm, but maybe it was because he was zoning out or simply concentrating on driving. I could understand that. But I felt the put in my stomach returned as we pulled into the driveway, bracing myself for whatever news was to come. Of course I began to fear the worst. I got out of the car, taking Ckc's hand as he lead me up to the front door. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I took a large breath out.

Out of all of the things that we couldn't walked in on, this was the last thing I would've expected. Scythe answered the door, baked out of his mind with only a pair of boxers on and his hair sticking up in every direction. I was shocked to say the least. I probably would've been more used to it if I knew him more, but since we had only met a handful of times this completely threw me for a loop. And when he called out for Sasha, I had to look away to hide my laughter. This was too much. I honestly had been expecting to walk in on a murder, so seeing this was a huge relief. Following them in, my eyes widened slightly when I found Sasha splayed across the couch with only a bedsheet concealing him. Oh, and a pair of boxers as a nice hat.

My eyes found the brownies just as Scythe was offering one to Cicero. There were a few trays of them across the coffee table, and nearly half of a tray was gone. Oh my god. That definitely explained why only half of their brains were functioning. I took a seat next to Cicero, watching as all of this played out. Maybe this was normal for them. I came to the realization that maybe, this had happened before, but since I was blind and oblivious I had no idea. I was that way with a lot of things, I guess. My chest tightened when Cic asked Sasha why we had been asked to come, and my eyes darted over to him. Was this the news I had braced myself for?

But when Sasha got up and danced around to get Scythe, they threw another curveball at us. My mouth fell open when Sasha said the word 'marriage.' Cic started choking. I obviously didn't know much about their relationship, but from what Cicero had told me about Sasha was that he was rather... open with his relationships. Marriage was probably the last word to come to mind when I thought of him. We were both obviously stunned, and I looked over at Cic to give him a comforting smile. "Maybe it's just the brownies talking," I suggested softly, my eyes widening as I saw he had one in his hands. I just hoped he had chosen wisely. I realized we both hadn't said anything, so I switched my gaze back to the happy couple as I offered an encouraging smile. "That's... Great! Fantastic! Congrats! We're so happy for you!" I gushed out, throwing an arm around Cicero and grinning. I didn't want to seem like an ass or shoot down their 'engagement,' so I decided to play it up and be happy for both of us. Because I could tell Cicsro just about had a stroke.

We sat there for a minute, letting this all sink in as I watched them jump around with each other. Don't get me wrong, I was happy, even though I didn't know how true it was, but I had something else on my mind. I hesitated on asking, since Sasha probably couldn't remember or would be able to give me a straight answer. But on the other hand, I thought it might be easier to comprehend if he told me when he was high off his ass. He'd give me the mild version. So I finally got the guts to ask. "Um... So... Cic said you had something else you wanted to tell me?" I asked, praying he somewhat knew what I was hinting at. Because I had no idea. "Some more news, maybe?" And as scared as I was to hear it, I just wanted to get it over with. And who knows, maybe the news was as good as this 'engagement' neither of us had been expecting. [/justify]

[justify]I watched with curious eyes as Sasha made his way over to us, flopping down into Cicero's lap. And although I was beginning to panic about the news, I couldn't help but smile a tiny bit. It was hilarious to see him so high. He looked up at Cicero as if asking for permission to tell me. I just wanted him to spit it out already. I was still naive enough to believe it wasn't as bad as my mind made it out to be. I didn't realize my heart was practically pounding until I basically heard it in my ears.

When Sasha talked about his wedding, I suddenly realized that he actually might have been serious. I smiled politely, cracking more of a genuine smile when he tried to figure out the terminology. So I was going to be a broomsmen, whatever that was. And Cic wasn't the worst man. I looked away and laughed, trying to make it seem like I wasn't laughing at him. "Thanks, Sash. I'm honored," I answered wholeheartedly. Even if this engagement wasn't going to happen, I was flattered that he even thought to include me in his wedding. I could tell Cicero still didn't believe that this was real, which made it even harder not to laugh.

I watched him as he spoke, and he seemed all too lax about this situation. I couldn't tell if he actually didn't see it as a major threat anymore or if he was just too high to care. Probably both. My chest tightened when he said the man was a killer. I shouldn't even be surprised at this anymore. It seemed as if everyone I came into contact with lately was some form of criminal. I squeezed my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking. It took me a second to process it all, and before I had time to ask any questions, Cicero chimed in. He was obviously hinting for Sasha to continue, and to give some sort of good news. The fact that Sasha had just left it at there was an army of serial killers just out an about was more than a little unsettling. So when Cicero did talk some sense into Sasha, I was pleased to hear the outcome. I mean, I was still terrified for Cicero's safety, and the fact that all of these people were still around, but it put me at ease that I wasn't a target.

I glanced over at Cicero after Sasha had finished, trying to pick up any sort of reaction. It seemed as if he was just as shocked as I was. But somehow, I was just more surprised than anything. I unclenched my hands to see that they were no longer shaking, and I couldn't feel my heart thudding in my chest anymore. Huh. Maybe all of this news wasn't as bad as I thought. Still terrifying, but not as bad. I didn't have much time to think things through though, as Sasha beckoned me over to look at his ring. I was rather surprised to see that he even had one. I honestly thought they had just come up with the idea while stoned and decided to stick with it.

Smiling, I stood and began to make my way over to him. And I laughed at what he said next, shaking my head and smiling. Man, he really was baked. "Oh, I don't have one. Cic didn't propose-" I turned back to smile at Cicero as I said this, but my smile suddenly faded as I saw his expression. He clearly looked flustered, and immediately I felt my entire face burn with blush. My eyes widened slightly, and I froze, gazing at him incredulously. And it suddenly became clear that Sasha hadn't pulled that thought out of his stoned mind. He was being serious. My heartbeat increased again, but this time it wasn't out of fear. "What...?" I asked softly with a tiny confused smile, stunned. The idea of marriage had always been in the back of my mind, becoming slightly more prominent when Cicero came into my life. But I hadn't ever stopped to think that it had ever crossed his mind. So I just stood there, stunned as I tried to wrap my head around all of this. A large part of me still thought that Sasha was joking, but I definitely had to second guess myself as soon as I saw the look on Cicero's face. [/justify]

[justify]My head was spinning. Had I been that oblivious to a proposal? Most of the time people are able to pick up hints or little things as signs, but I guess I had been totally blind to that. Literally. Not to mention, I had let plenty of other things go over my head while blind, so I don't know why I was so surprised. I opened my mouth but Sasha spoke first, and I kind of had to agree with him. How did you forget something like that? It was a pretty important question, after all.

I shifted in my seat, looking back over at Cicero as he responded. My heart swelled as I came to the realization that a proposal really had been in the works, and I felt my face heat up. We never talked about the idea even once, but I always sort of had it in the back of my mind. I mean, he practically lived with me already, we were borderline inseparable, he'd met my mother... We pretty much had everything checked off on the list. I just never thought I would hear him pop the question. And when he explained it to me it all made sense. It wasn't that he had forgotten about me, it was just that some other stuff got in the way. And by other stuff I mean relationship-jeopardizing stuff, which if that hadn't turned out like it did then the proposal would've been off the table. Still, I could feel myself smiling a little at his words, still stunned but feeling overwhelmingly in love with him.

Before I had the chance to respond, I was interrupted by a loud thud. My gaze snapped over to the doorway where I could barely see Scythe, and my chest tightened when he started fake-coughing. It was clear that whatever that was wasn't something I should be hearing. If I had been blind, I would have shrugged it off and thought it was a pet. I really was oblivious. I realized now with my newfound knowledge I lot could pretty much be anything, good or bad. And then it happened again, but Sasha started talking over the noise in hopes to capture our attention. I was slightly glad, since I really didn't want to think too much about whatever that sound was. Who knows, maybe it was a pet after all.

He asked what was wrong with Cicero, and I had to admit that I was pretty impressed by his awareness. Looking at how many brownies he had consumed, I would've expected him to be practically braindead on the couch. Then again, it wasn't hard to tell that something was up with him. He was still a little shaky, and was becoming more and more distant by the hour. Surprisingly, though, Sasha appeared to make him calm down a little. Although he made Cic's blood pressure high from stress, he was surprisingly good at bringing out the better side of him. My eyes widened slightly as I watched Sasha cram two more brownies into his mouth. Yeah. He wasn't braindead yet, but he was definitely on the path to being there. My attention shifted back to Cicero as he explained the situation to Sasha, and I tried to read his expression. He found it pretty funny that he was so caught up on being called a bottom, and I had to admit that it was kind of funny. I wouldn't have expected that he would get so offended over it.

I obviously had my opinion on it, but I kept my mouth shut. After all, I would be the one who knew that answer the most, besides Cic. Suddenly Sasha was on his feet again, over to us in an instant and clamping a hand over Cicero's mouth. He asked for me to tell him, and I felt the warmth in my face returning. But I couldn't help but laugh a little as I shook my head and answered, "Definitely not a bottom." And now that I really thought about it, I couldn't think of a single instance where I would see him as one. It was sort of a given that he was the one in charge when I was blind, and I didn't think that that was going to change. My mind was still wrapped up in all of the proposal talk, but I pushed my way out of it as I looked over by a Scythe again. It would definitely be a topic of conversation later, though. I figured it would be better to talk about that with only Cic in the room, and without a third party Sasha to intervene. And as I looked over at the doorway, I couldn't help but become more than a little curious. "Um... Is everything okay?" I asked cautiously, my eyes moving from Sasha to Scythe. I regretted my question as soon as I asked it. I feel like I should know better than to ask questions in a house full of serial killers.[/justify]

[justify]I watched with a smile as Sasha crawled off of Cicero, pleased with my answer. But before I could say anything else we were all surprised by another thud. I looked back over to the door, curious, but not curious enough to actually get up and investigate. I knew better in a house like this where literally anything could be behind that door. Instead I kept my place next to Cicero, leaning into his side and looking over at Scythe as he assured me that everything was fine. Yeah right. I had a vague idea of what it could be, especially with what I now knew about everyone, but I denied it. That definitely couldn't happen while I was around.

Scythe seemed a little frustrated, which is why I didn't say anything more. That, and I was too nervous that I'd get more information on what was behind that door. And at this point I was pretty sure I didn't need any more clues. He finally broke down and told us, and it seemed like no one else but me was phased by this. My blood ran cold as I realized how calm they had been this entire time, even though they knew what was on the other side of that door as soon as we walked in. So it was definitely a person, and I had a pretty good idea of what was going to become of them after Cicero and I left. Hopefully after Cicero and I left. I wasn't mentally prepared to see a murder for the second time in my life. I didn't say anything, but my eyes moved from Scythe to the door again, and I gave a small nod in response, cracking a nervous smile.

For some reason, though, I wasn't scared of them. I somehow just knew they wouldn't hurt me. They didn't have a reason to, anyway. Hell, I even called the cops on Cicero and they didn't even touch me. I was just freaked out by the fact that they had plans for this guy behind the door if he didn't start talking. I didn't get to think about this for long, since Cic suddenly asked Sasha about the sunset. Immediately, I brightened up. The thought of watching the sunset had completely slipped my mind, but now that he brought it up I was more than a little excited that it was a clear day. I wanted nothing more than to end my night by watching the sunset with him. I had been totally fine with going somewhere we've went before, but Sasha suggested we go to his place. I was all for that, especially when he said the views were breathtaking. Plus, we wouldn't be surrounded by tourists and other couples. It'd be just us.

He tossed Cic the keys and I grinned, excited. Turning to him I added on to what Cicero said. "Yeah, thanks Sash-" I started, but stopped immediately when my eyes moved down to see the crimson color of blood staining his shirt. And it was right around the spot he had been stabbed, so I had a feeling I knew what it was from. I let out a small sigh as Scythe ushered him to the couch. They definitely should've been healed by now, but from what Cicero had told me Sasha wasn't one to sit still. And by the way they spoke, it sounded like this definitely wasn't the first time this had happened. That promised Sasha a nice scar if he ever gave the stiches a chance to mend him.

I was about to get up and start helping, but as I began to move we all froze at the loudest thud. And what came next made me sit right back down on the couch, and I felt myself shrink lower next to Cicero. My eyes widened when I saw a foot, and my worst guess as to what was behind the door had been confirmed. Scythe seemed unbothered by all of this, moving behind the couch to get something. I felt my chest tighten when the man yelled, and I pressed myself closer to Cic with wide eyes. They grew even wider when I saw the bat. And I knew exactly what was coming next, so I looked away, burying my face into Cicero's chest as I heard bones shattering. Unlike the first time I had seen Cicero, I had never felt more safe with his presence. But as the man groaned and howled, I pulled back slightly to look up at him, my eyes panicked. "T-They're not going to... Not right now, are they?" I whispered as my worried eyes searched his face. I didn't think I was ever ready to witness a second murder, but now definitely wasn't the time. [/justify]

[justify]He told me not to worry about it, and I almost couldn't help but laugh. How could I not be worried? The only thing that was keeping me grounded was the fact that he was holding me. I think I would've lost it if I was here by myself. I didn't hear any more noise from behind the door for a while, which was both concerning and a relief. I tried not to put too much thought into all of this as I slowly began to loosen my grip on Cicero, watching as Scythe attempted to stitch Sasha back up. He was surprisingly good at fixing stitches, but I was sure that was because this definitely wasn't the first time he had to do this for Sasha.

Scythe switched his attention to us, and I felt Cic pull me closer to him. I still wasn't sure whether I should be scared of him or not. We had only met a few times, and each time Sasha had been with him. I didn't really know him all that well, but I knew he was a good friend of Cicero's so I at least trusted him a little. I watched as he placed himself down next to me, and calmly explained that I wasn't in any danger. Surprisingly, I had stopped shaking, and I gave him a small, cautious nod with a nervous smile in response. He sounded so genuine. I felt myself get rid of my death grip on Cicero's arm, now surprisingly more calm. And even though I knew in the back of my mind that the man in the closet's fate was grim, I felt significantly less threatened.

My eyes followed him as he moved back to Sasha, messing with his hair and offering him more brownies. The thought that they would probably finish an entire tray of pot brownies in a day was astonishing, but I felt like I was the only one who was surprised by this. However I was quickly pulled from my thoughts when Cicero spoke up again. He offered to leave, and I felt immense relief come over me. I felt bad for ditching them so suddenly, but I didn't want to stick around to see what became of the man in the closet. And when he mentioned that we still had time to do something else, I immediately perked up. Now I was definitely more than a little eager to get going.

My mind immediately started thinking about the never-ending list of date ideas I had come up with weeks ago. But now I limited my options a little more, since I knew Cicero was still rather paranoid and I didn't want to go somewhere else where something worse could happen. That was partially why I was so glad we would be by ourselves tonight. No interference, no threats. We both didn't need that to happen. So I sat there for a while, lost in thought as I tried to think of some place calm to go. But in the middle of my thinking he mentioned wanting to stop by his place for a second. My heart skipped a beat. I could feel my face becoming warm again at the thought and I smiled a little and nodded. "Y-Yeah, that's fine," I forced out, trying my best to appear calm and collected about it all. But I forced myself to calm down, as I told myself over and over that maybe he just had to turn some lights off or something. I didn't want to get my hopes up.

A sudden thought made me pull back, grabbing his arm and grinning. I didn't mean to startle him, I just became so excited so quickly that I didn't know what to do with myself. "Can we go to the botanical gardens? It's all inside so the flowers are alive year-round. And I'm sure they're setting up for Christmas, too." Now that I said it out loud, it probably sounded ridiculous. I don't think anyone else would be excited to go look at flowers. But just thinking about how I could see their colors with full clarity made me eager to get going. I almost asked Scythe and Sasha if they wanted to tag along, but I was sure they had other things to do as soon as we left. [/justify]

[justify]I was now more than a little eager to get going. It was a mix of wanting to leave for Cic and I's safety, but mostly just wanting to see bright colors. For some reason I had always been into flowers (which my dad wasn't too happy about) but I never had much of a green thumb. So admiring them would have to do. At first I was a bit hesitant to bring up the idea, since I wasn't sure if he found looking at flowers as much fun as I did. But he seemed pretty physched about it, and we were quick to get to our feet and head out. I turned around to congratulate the two one more time, stealing a quick glance at the closet before stepping out.

There was traffic, but nothing too major as we made our way through the city. I hoped there wouldn't be too much on our way to Sasha's, since there was nothing that would get in my way of seeing the sunset. I smiled to myself as I thought about seeing my first clear sunset. It would be the first in eight months. I had always liked watching them before, but I never really went out of my way to see them like I did now. I was glad I did, though, since it gave me an excuse to stay out with Cicero more. As I thought this he took my hand, and I looked over to smile at him. It was crazy to think that we had only been together for five months. It felt like a year, at least.

My smile faltered slightly at what he said next. I understood that he was just trying to calm me down, and I was still pretty shaken up about it, but it was all still so surprising. I didn't know whether I was more shocked at the fact that this had been going on, or how calm everyone was. They didn't even blink when they heard pounding on the door, nor did they slink away when Scythe got out the bat. It was all so strange to me. And as terrified as I was, I knew somewhere within me that they were no threat to me. "Yeah, I get it." I sucked in a breath through my teeth, my soft smile returning. "But I'll get used to it I think. It was just a bit of a shock, that's all." Okay, it was a lot more than a bit of a shock. I was horrified. But it was a mix of me not wanting to dwell on it and being eager to go inside, so I kept my response short. We couldn't have this kind of talk ruin our date, anyway.

It didn't seem very busy, which was beneficial in more ways than one. It made it much easier to see more stuff, but also significantly decreased the risk of being threatened for the both of us. I knew I definitely couldn't deal with any more, and I definitely knew that Cic didn't need another threat. He was already still a little shaky. Having another incident happen in one day would just about send him over the edge, and I was nowhere near ready to deal with that. But I pushed these thoughts aside as we stepped inside, and I was pleasantly surprised at how warm it was. For the plants, I guess.

Immediately I gravitated towards the more exotic ones, since they were so colorful. A large smile found its way onto my face, and stayed there as I moved from plant to plant, pulling him along with me. I must've said "Babe, look," at least a million times, but I couldn't help it. I was just so excited that I could see it all. Even though the city was pretty colorful, I was completely floored by the vibrant colors of the flowers. I frequently let go of his hand to wander off a little, turning back to him and pointing at a new plant practically every second. We started to make our way into the room with the rose gardens when I stopped brieflly, turning to him to kiss his cheek. This had to be boring for him. Who else in the world liked staring at plants? "I just wanted to thank you for being so patient with me," I grinned sheepishly, pulling back to gaze at him. He really was sweet. I'm sure anyone else would be pulling their hair out if I took them here, but he didn't say a single thing. I opened my mouth to say something else, but my gaze shifted to just above his head and I paused. Behind him was a huge hanging basket of bright purple flowers. "Oh my God, babe. Look at those!" I gasped, turning him around with me to go admire the massive blossoms. [/justify]

[justify]I was pretty sure I could stay in those gardens forever. I wasn't sure if it was all of the different scents or colors, but I was beyond happy. We were probably there for a total of two hours. Any normal person would only spend about an hour, but I couldn't help it. I was just so excited to see. There was always something different in each room, new colors or patterns catching my attention. I became even more excited when I realized that this would only be the first of many real dates. Dates that I could actually participate in.

It took us a while to fully go through all of the rooms, mainly because I stopped at basically every flower to either show Cicero or take a picture of it. It was cute to see other couples that had the same idea, and I frequently saw them stop to show each other flowers like Cic and I were doing. Once we had made it back to the front, and my phone's storage was almost full, I looked down at my phone to check the time. It was nearly three-thirty, which surprised me. I felt myself getting a little anxious, because I knew since it was getting closer to winter that the sun set earlier, at around five. And as much as I considered going through the gardens for a second time, I was not going to risk missing the sunset. Especially since we had been offered to see it at Sasha's place, which apparently had a great view.

I turned to him, showing him the time on my phone and smiling. "We should probably go, shouldn't we? We can not miss the sunset tonight. It's supposed to rain for the next few days, so this is our only chance. Plus you said you wanted to stop by your place, right?" As I said this, I felt my stomach flip from that nervous-excited feeling. Ever since Sasha had casually brought up a proposal was in the works, I had been curious as to when he was planning on popping the question. Obviously his plan was to do it yesterday but, well... At least he hadn't. Because as complicated as yesterday was, it would've been a whole lot messier if a proposal had been thrown into the mix.

But I still didn't want to get my hopes up. With my luck I would get all worked up about a proposal and it would end up to be just him stopping by to lock his door or something. Either way, though, we needed to get going. I was obviously a little paranoid about missing the sunset now as we made our way outside, taking his hand. I let out a tiny sigh of relief as I realized nothing threatening had happened to either of us. All of this was still very new to me, and I was glad to be avoiding violence as much as possible, sans whatever happened at Scythe's house. I was trying not to think about that too much. I got into the passenger's seat, sitting back as he made his way to his place, absentmindedly scrolling through my phone and admiring all of the flowers for a second time.

With all of these proposal thoughts on my mind, it made me think of Sasha and Scythe. I hadn't realized that had been in a serious relationship until today when I saw Sasha's ring. Looking over at Cic I asked curiously, "So, do you think Sasha and Scythe's engagement is legit? I mean, they were pretty baked but I got the impression that they did it before the brownies. Do you think they'll last? Maybe they'll do an open relationship type of thing, since from what you've told me they're not all that into monogamy." I didn't ask in a negative or judgmental way, I was just genuinely curious. I really didn't know too much about their personal lives, besides what Sasha told me last night about himself. I was still processing that, too. But if this whole engagement was for real, I would definitely be nothing but supportive. I was going to be a 'broomsmen' after all. [/justify]

[justify]He seemed to realize that we couldn't stay at the gardens forever, which was bittersweet for me. As much as I wanted to walk around for at least another hour, we were losing precious daylight. I smiled softly when he took my hand, looking over to gaze at him. I had planned out our first real date over and over, filling the day up with an overwhelming amount of extravagant things, but now that it was actually happening I was glad we did such mellow things. Now I didn't want it any other way. When he spoke up about Sasha and Scythe I nodded in agreement. I had a feeling their marriage would be open, and I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I pictured myself in the same situation. Me? In a gay, open marriage? My dad would definitely have a stroke.

I was lost in my thoughts as he pulled up to his place, and he kissed my cheek before getting out and disappearing behind his front door. I almost asked to follow him, since I obviously had never seen the inside, but I realized he might not want me to tag along. After all, I had a pretty good idea as to what he was doing. But every time I thought about a proposal, I shot the ideas down. I wasn't going to get my hopes up. Besides, even if it was a proposal, who said he was going to do it tonight? I wasn't going to spend my whole night getting caught up in false assumptions. I decided to look through my pictures again as I waited, admiring the flowers for what seemed like the tenth time. It probably was.

Maybe I was just impatient, but it seemed like he was taking a while. I constantly began checking the time on my phone, and I quickly realized that it actually had been a while. How long did it take to turn some lights off or something? I felt myself start to become sick with worry. I couldn't help it. Now instead of studying the flowers I studied the front door, waiting for any sign of him. I was almost tempted to go check on him. It would give me an excuse to finally see his place, anyway. I shivered a little, reaching down to mess with the heat as I kept my eyes glued to the door.

When he finally did come out, he looked like he saw a ghost. Actually, he looked like he was a ghost with how pale he had gotten. At first, I thought with a heavy heart that maybe he could find the ring, but I realized it looked worse than that. I watched as he played it off as nothing, getting into the car and smiling at me. He didn't acknowledge my concern as he began to drive off, suggesting that we could watch a movie since we would probably have enough time. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," I answered, my eyes still fixed on him. It suddenly dawned on me that if I were still blind I probably wouldn't even notice anything was wrong. I would simply hear his light voice and assume everything was fine. My chest tightened at this. How oblivious had I been in this whole relationship? I decided to leave him alone for a little, trying to suppress my questions and concerns as he drove.

To distract myself, I gazed out the window as we began to leave the city. Sasha's place obviously wasn't far from the city since he was here all the time, but it still felt nice to get away even if it wasn't far. I couldn't even try to remember the last time I left the city. Probably to see my parents, which was over two years ago. I watched as the skyscrapers became more sparse, and there became more actual houses instead of apartment complexes. But I couldn't stay focused on them for long. I was still pretty concerned about him. Somehow it didn't seem like his paranoia had returned; it seemed like a different type of worried. Plus, I had started to notice a pattern. Instances like the night of when I was pushed around by a drunk and when we had gotten into a minor car accident stuck out to me. Whenever something major happened, specifically something threatening, he tried to shrug it off or cover it up by changing the subject. I had a feeling he was doing that now. I reached over to take his hand in mine, rubbing my thumb lightly across the back of his hand. "Baby, is everything okay?" I asked, tilting my head slightly as I looked over at him. Hopefully when we got to Sasha's he would relax. He really needed to.

I remembered what he said to me earlier, how he would probably act a little jumpy tonight since he was still so paranoid. But for some reason I had a feeling that this wasn't a related problem. And as eager as I was to get to Sasha's, I just wanted to help him out first. There was no way I was going to enjoy the sunset if he was still distraught. [/justify]

[justify]When I asked if he was okay, I honestly was not expecting a proper response. I was just waiting for the generic 'Yeah, babe, everything's good,' but it wasn't like that at all. It actually took me off guard quite a bit. I turned to really look at him now, listening and giving his hand a comforting squeeze. I knew I should expect the completely unexpected now that I really knew him, but I was still getting used to it all. After all, I had just found out yesterday. Now I was knee-deep and no going back.

It wasn't that I was terrified of him, he didn't freak me out in the slightest. That was probably because I was so overwhelmingly naive and the news he gave me practically rolled right off of my back. It was obviously due to the fact that I so badly wanted our relationship to work out, but something within me just knew not to be afraid of him. Of course I knew I would get a little freaked out when he got angry and wanted to kill someone, but I would learn how to deal with that. I would do everything in my power not to just start crying and be of no help. That was going to be pretty hard. I hated seeing him so paranoid, and it didn't help that I was so timid. But even I had surprised myself with how calm I had been throughout all of this. I think I was able to process it all if I didn't think about it too much. If I started going into detail, or God forbid started picturing things, that was where I tapped out.

My chest tightened when he mentioned Malakai. I thought we were done with him. Sasha told us not to worry which put me at ease, but here I was, worrying again. It didn't help that I had no idea who he actually was, since the only time we had come into contact was when he came to my place. I was blind, though, so I really couldn't count that as meeting him. I froze completely when he brought up the detail about the dead body. I didn't even breathe. It was still extremely foreign for him to be talking about this kind of stuff with me, and not to mention madly uncomfortabe. I just stared down at my feet, trying to take it all in that the man we 'didn't have to worry about' was after us. Well, Cic. Actually, I really didn't know. Neither of us did. Whoever this Malakai guy was he wa a pretty sporadic with his actions, and even Cicero labeled him as unpredictable. I bit my lip, looking out the window to try and pull myself together. I told myself I wasn't going to cry today.

I felt myself getting worked up, so I took a shaky breath in and sighed gently, leveling myself. But he mimicked Sasha as he told me not to worry about it, which both frustrated me and instinctively calmed me down. How was I not supposed to worry when everyone else was? Someone may or may not be after us, and I was just supposed to ignore it? I looked back over at him, trying to read his expression. He seemed indifferent. Worried, but not panicked. "M-Maybe it was just someone else..." I thought aloud, although that clearly wasn't any better. Who knows, maybe someone just randomly died in his apartment. As awful as that still was I tried to tell myself that to attempt to calm me down in any way. I could tell he just wanted to have a good time tonight, and obviously I did too. It was slightly more comforting when he added the part about being at Sasha's. It was like a mini vacation for us. Hopefully, it would also serve as a vacation from the chaos. "Yeah, plus I doubt he'd know about this last minute trip, anyway," I added, trying to calm both of us down. Even though we didn't even know who he was after at this point, it seemed like we would be off the grid for at least a night.

It was becoming obvious that we were definitely out of the city. I wondered how much longer it would be until we got to Sasha's place, and out of habit I checked the time on my phone. We were still okay. It was strange that Sasha didn't just move into the city, since he was practically there every day. I could understand not wanting to live in such a dense area, though, and I was obviously glad that he had amazing views from his current house. He mentioned the part about Sasha having guards, and I felt my tense self relax slightly. It's not like we were going to the middle of nowhere, which was good. I sighed softly, forcing a tiny smile. "Just so long as he doesn't ruin our sunset tonight." I said it jokingly, but I was serious. Once we were there I was going to use every fiber of my being to try and not think about this. I wasn't going to spend another sleepless night worrying, especially if the point of this night was to relax.

//ditto. i've been mentally checked out from school since like last week and my break doesn't start for another two weeks, so don't sweat it at all[/justify]

[justify][omg I'm dead. quality meme content a++]

I practically jumped out of the car as soon as we got there. It was a mix of excitement of being out of my hthe city, and the anxious feeling that we were going to miss the sunset. The house was beautiful, and it was obvious that Cicero hadn't been kidding when he mentioned that Sasha had quite the sum of money. I figured he had a nice place, but I never expected this as we drove up to the large estate. We stopped at the iron gates as Cic rang us in, and I heard the pleasant tone of a woman. She seemed to recognize Cic, and I lost it when she made him "state his business." The gates opened, and my eyes widened slightly as it revealed the rest of the place. Man, Sasha really did live a lavish life. It just made me all the more excited to see what the inside looked like.

We arrived at the front to see a girl standing there, obviously expecting us. I figured it was the girl on the intercom, since she seemed to recognize Cicero in an instant. Quickly remembering that I was entering a house of serial killers my guard went up, but I relaxed immensely when she started talking. She introduced herself and I did the same, smiling in return. It seemed to me that she actually wasn't a killer, which was strangely refreshing. After only talking to serial killers for the past few days (and technically months if you count my relationship with Cicero) it was nice to actually be in contact with an innocent person. She congratulated me on my sight, and I perked up immediately. "Thanks. Yeah, I'm pretty psyched about it, too."

When Sloane brought up the dark room I had to restrain myself from running to find it. It would've taken me a while in a house that big. I squeezed Cic's hand, excited. I felt like every second spent talking was a second wasted of the sunset. Obviously that wasn't true, but I was just overly impatient. And what she said last made my face go bright red. Well, it was Sasha they were used to living with, after all. "Thanks, Sloane. Really nice meeting you," I responded graciously, already starting to tug Cicero down the hall. I don't think I had ever been in a house with an elevator, so that was a first. I pressed the button to the top floor, practically bouncing off the walls as the doors closed. I had wanted this for so long.

Again, maybe it was just my lack of patience but the elevator seemed to take forever. I still held his hand in mine, but frequently checked the time on my phone in the other. We were right on time. I kept looking over at him to flash an excited smile, just like the night of the Empire State Building. But compared to now, I was practically ecstatic. The elevator doors opened, and although I was expecting a glorious view right away we were met with another small hallway and a door. I led the way, now walking backwards and taking both of his hands, grinning. I only turned around to reach for the door, pausing for a split second before opening it. Everyone had said spectacular views, but I had no idea what I was walking into.

To say the least, I was at a loss for words. I pushed the door open and was met with what was probably the best view I had ever seen. There were floor to ceiling windows that stretched from wall to wall, and the entire room was illuminated by the colors of the sunset. I let out a tiny gasp, and I felt tears prick at my eyes. I couldn't help it. I was just so overwhelmed with happiness that I didn't know what to do with myself. My grip on his hands were basically nonexistent as I floated over to the windows, just taking it all in. Since we were out of the city, we had the perfect view of the skyline, which had turned pink and orange due to the setting sun. This was so much better than the Empire State Building. No wind or other couples or annoying drunks either, which was a major plus.

I stood there for what seemed like forever, soaking in all of the colors and views. I hadn't seen the city in so long, and it was as if Cic took me here to experience seeing it all in one night. We could practically see the entire thing with a view like this. I remembered how to breathe again as I slowly turned back to him, forcing myself to look away from the colorful sky for a second. "Cic..." I breathed with a small smile, still completely tongue tied. I had never been treated so special. I had never felt so loved in my life. I had never felt so much love for another person in my life. Walking back over to him, I placed my hands on either side of his face, kissing him gently. I was still trying not to cry. "Thank you." And I didn't just mean it for the sunset, and we both knew that. I couldn't stay focused on him for long, though, since there were still windows behind him. They immediately caught my attention as I walked over to the other side, now met with completely new views. And my heart ached with happiness. [/justify]

[justify][Would you mind if I tracked this? Just looking for a picture!^^][/justify]

[justify][font=andale mono]From anyone else's standpoint, Mei's life was perfect. Flawless, even. Having married young, she now had her life ahead of her with a husband and beautiful home, the things most girls strove for. And Mei loved her life, too. For the most part, at least. Although she technically didn't need to work with her husband being as successful as he was, she spent her days in her lovely home painting, then either selling or giving away her pieces. It helped to pass the time. Besides the cat she and Hak owned together, things quickly became pretty lonely for her shortly after she was wed. It's not that she didn't like her life, it's just that the woman went to bed every night feeling as if something was missing.

Mei had spent months trying to fill the hole in her heart. It took her a while to figure out what was truly bothering her, anyways. After all, who could complain when she had a life like this? Everything she wanted, or so she thought. But after a while she soon came to the realization that it was the lack of affection in her marraige that made her feel quite empty. Not even so much physical affection, practically just acknowledgement in general. Being quite the bubbly spirit, she would frequently be all over Hak in the beginning of their relationship, simply wanting him to smile. He was so stiff, so typically being sweet or affectionate have little to no reward. Somehow, however, that was what had pulled her into him from the start. She found his personality intriguing, but she soon realized after their wedding that his tendency to distance himself would only worsen.

At first she had thought he was cheating. Of course she had been in denial, but after talking about it with a few friends they had all suggested that he was having an affair. She of course had been too worried to bring it up to him, but was even more terrified at the thought of a failing marraige. Her mother had always told her she should only marry once, and this was her chance. So she decided to keep doing her duty as a wife, and to continue being her bubbly self as if pushing all negative thoughts into the back of her mind. If anything, she became even more perky, merely focusing on the positives. And somewhere in her mind she thought that maybe, just maybe if she showed him enough love he would do the same.

It was later in the morning when Mei began to stir, her eyelids slowly pulling open as she drowsily came to her senses. She had been up rather late the night before, working on another painting. She didn't even have to hint at that, though, since her hands were slightly speckled with small bits of dried paint that had managed to get onto her whilst painting. The girl yawned a little, rubbing her eyes as she groggily pushed the hair from her face. Blinking in surprise when she noticed Hak still next to her, she couldn't help but rub her eyes again, as if to see that this was really real. "Hm? Hak?" she rasped, her tone still dripping with sleep. "It's rather late isn't it? Were you not planning on going into the office today?" Truth be told, Mei barely knew anything about his job. All she knew was that it had to do with sales, and that he was in charge. But she tried her best to sound interested as she began to sit up, stretching a little.

[/justify]

[justify][font=andale mono]The sound of quickened footsteps could be heard along with the rain as a girl hurried herself up the seemingly never-ending driveway of the mansion. She took short, quick breaths as she tried not to panic, but she knew she had to arrive on time if she wanted to make a good impression. After all, the girl had been searching for a job for months. The last thing she needed was to be turned away at the front door. So she had ditched her cab after it became stuck in traffic, and she dragged her bag behind her as she attempted to dodge raindrops on her trek up the driveway.

A mix of family and financial problems had brought Mei up to this point. She had recently turned eighteen, and all her life she had dreamt of living on her own. Her parents didn't have much to begin with, and Mei had decided to take a bit of the burned off of them by moving out. And far away. She wanted the taste of being alone, so a week after her eighteenth birthday she had packed her bags and was out the door. No plans. No job. Looking back at her past decisions made her heart heavy, but since she was already here she had to make the best of it. When she had arrived at the small apartment she called home, the manager was there waiting with quite the hefty rent fee. The girl practically shelled out all of the money she had brought with her, and had spent the past month or so living off of bare necessities. It was not the lavish life she was expecting when living alone, but it would have to do.

With no actual plans in the works, Mei took up her favorite hobby: painting. She was quite the artist, and had even tried to sell some of her work for any sort of income. It was no use, as no one in the area was interested. Having no other options, she decided to finally buckle down and find a job. The circumstances were quite strange. Mei had been in a cafe, chatting it up with one of the baristas when she asked if they needed any help. Unfortunately they didn't, but the worker knew someone who did. And that was what led her up to this moment now; soaked and freezing and dragging practically all of her belongings behind her. She needed this job.

Hugging her coat tighter around herself, the girl let out a soft sigh of relief when she had made it up to the front door. She wanted nothing more than to be in a warm bed, but she knew there would definitely be work to be done as soon as she walked through the door. Trying to ignore the feeling of her pounding heard, she rang the doorbell. Fixing the wet bow in her hair and adjusting her coat, she tried to make herself look as presentable as possible when her new boss opened the front door.

And when he did, she had to admit that she was more than a little shocked. He looked much younger than he had sounded on the phone. Blinking in surprise, Mei lifted her eyes to lock with the other's, immediately giving him a cheerful smile. Although she was drenched and wanted to do badly get some rest, she knew she had to make the best of all of this. However she shrank back slightly when she noticed how unenthusiastic this mad was. Did he not want her here? But she dropped her bags as she outstretched a friendly hand to him, grinning. "Ah, indeed I am. I'm Mei," she greeted happily, shaking his hand as if she had practiced all of this. And as nervous as she was by him, she tried to conceal it as she stood there with a wide smile. But she couldn't help but ask about the obvious. Tilting her head to the side slightly she blurted out, "But... Am I at the wrong address? Forgive me, but you sounded much different on the phone..." Immediately, she regretted asking once she realized how rude that probably sounded. But the words were already hanging in the air as she gazed up at him, trying not to look as timid as she really was.

[justify]Mei couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief as he told her this news. The thought of showing up at the wrong house had been one of her many worries, and she didn't want to make a fool of herself on the first day. She let out a soft 'oh' when he informed her that he was the son of the man she had talked to, and she nodded in apprehension. Immediately, she couldn't help but notice how stern the other was. Was it something she said? Regardless she took his invitation to follow him inside and out of the rain, picking up her suitcase that sat behind her.

She tried to pay attention to what he was explaining, but it was hard to listen as she quickly became distracted by the house. It was stunning. Never in her life had she seen such an opulent place, and it nearly took her breath away. Already, it seemed like a maze as she noticed all of the hallways that branched off from the front room. Mei hugged her bag closer to herself, fearful that she would get dirt on the pristine floors, or knock a priceless item over. However as beautiful as it was, it seemed empty. Like no one actually lived in it. She wondered if there were other maids around, or if the family really wasn't around much like the other had said.

While taking this all in, her eyes couldn't help but trail over the other. Her eyebrows knotted together in confusion as she wondered as to why he was so cold. Who would be unhappy with a life like this? He probably wasn't much older than she was, and he practically had everything he wanted and then some. She smiled a bit when he mentioned the part about refraining her from getting lost, laughing a little and joking, "But how do you not get lost in a place like this?" After all, this was practically a palace. Mei couldn't help but take a peek down one of the halls, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the many doors within it. She would definitely be getting lost.

He stiffly introduced herself, and she turned back to him with a warm smile in hopes to lighten his mood. It didn't work. "Pleasure to meet you, Ao," she responded in a bubbly tone, trying to put her best foot forward with him. She was worried it was something she had done to make him so distant, but she shrugged it off as she buried her thoughts. Her bag was slowly beginning to feel heavier and heavier, and it suddenly occurred to her that she had been holding it for a quite awhile. But she dare not put it down. Not in a pristine place like this. So instead she asked, "Ao, do you know where I'll be staying? I figured I'd put my belongings away then get right to work," she suggested, turning back to face him. And she couldn't help but feel relieved when she realized that rent was no longer an issue. She had just hoped she had made the right choice with this job, since she knew she would definitely be around for a while. [/justify]

[justify]The girl's own smile faltered just slightly as she realized he wasn't even forcing a smile. What was with him? But instead of letting his cold attitude get to her and bring down the mood she continued to look around for a little while, admiring the glittering chandelier and fluffy pillows on each chair. Her stomach tightened as she realized she would most definitely get lost in a place like this. She just hoped it wasn't on her first day. Plus, by getting a feel for Ao's personality she knew he would dread coming to find her if she couldn't find her way around.

Mei was taken out of her thoughts when she heard Ao's voice, and he was offering help. Although she was slightly surprised by this, she turned to face him and look up into his cold eyes. She couldn't figure him out. How could someone live in such a place and be so unhappy? Mei herself had practically nothing, but she had enough happiness and energy to cover for him. Maybe he was just having a bad day. But when he asked to take her bag she happily shook her head, heaving it over her shoulder and propping it up. "That won't be necessary, I don't want to be too dependent. After all, I've gotta learn to do stuff on my own around here anyway, right?" Especially on her first day, Mei didn't want to come off as needy or clingy, and definitely not with Ao. She could tell he wasn't such a big fan of others depending on him, so why start now? Besides, she wanted to prove to at least someone that she could be independent in life.

She waited for him to lead the way, curious as to which hallway they would go down. And as much as she wanted to make a god first impression and be diligent and quiet, she had some questions. Mei could tell that he wasn't one to talk much, but he was the only one around so she would have to ask him, anyway. She had been dawdling a little, stopping to look at the beautiful paintings on the walls or to admire the furniture set up. But she jogged a little to catch up to him, huffing out a small sigh of exhaustion as she adjusted her bag. She still didn't want to ask for his help, though. "Um... I've never done this before... So forgive me if I sound inexperienced, but when I talked to your father on the phone he said something about a uniform?" Mei asked gently, looking over at him as they walked down the hall. Of course she wouldn't mind working in her normal clothes, but since Ao's father had mentioned it and since it seemed more professional, she figured Ao would know a thing or two about them.[/justify]