Do You Know Who You Are?

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    Antonio Nero | Cain | 2500+
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    When your dreams all fail
    And the ones we hail
    Are the worst of all
    And the blood's run stale

    I wanna hide the truth
    I wanna shelter you
    But with the beast inside
    There's nowhere we can hide


    Charlotte 'Charas' Vandersby | 22
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    April 25th, 2019 at 03:35am
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    Kolasi had become every ounce of Antonio's purpose. Each time that he lost Charas, another part of him died. Another part of him stopped caring about what had once been everything to him. His priorities had shifted, he no longer cared to train the Knights of Hell. He no longer cared what other demons thought of him because at the end of the day, making sure that Charas loved him and was proud of his decisions was all that really mattered. If a demon wanted to raise concerns with him, they were more than capable of doing so but it would have been not unlike speaking to a brick wall.

    The day that he lost Charas for the last time had been one of the most difficult things that he had ever had to endure. If it meant being able to be at peace with Charas, he would have gone through 1,000 years of torture time and time again, he would have been happy to. Would have welcomed the opportunity with open arms. He remembered the way that Charas had begged him to save her, to hold her close, and to figure out why she was in so much pain. It had taken him a moment to sort it out but Charas had been poisoned. The poison was slow moving, it would wear Charas down and make her violently ill. And she would end up drowning in her own blood. Anthonio had been desperate but he had not lied to her since the first time they were together.

    Antonio had made the difficult decision to tell Charas that he could no longer search her out, he could not find her after her departure this time. He was poison to her, he was death. His hands would never personally bring her end but his presence would always cause Charas to not reach her full potential. Antonio couldn't do that to her, no longer. Charas had accepted the concept as well as she could and in the next breathe, asked a promise of him that took his breathe away. Make something of himself, create good in the world. Do no harm unto others, to be as happy as he was when he had her in his arms.

    - - - - -

    Each day was the same routine. Wake up in the small apartment less than a block away from his bar. Shower, ready himself for the day and head down to the bar to begin the preparations for the day. An hour after he arrived, his chef would appear to begin the kitchen preparations and two hours later, the doors would open at four in the afternoon. Being later in the week, they were fully expecting a crowd to accumulate by six in the evening.

    The bar was suffering a bit and as any good owner would do, Antonio stepped behind the line to help bail them out. He was focused on the work set out before him, so much so that he didn't notice when a young girl ran in frantically. The woman all but launched herself at the bar and was yelling a mile a minute at one of his bartenders. Antonio's head snapped up so that he could access the situation. In that moment, his heart would have skipped a beat if it were beating in the first place. Her.

    His brows furrowed as he stepped around the bartender, cluing into what the girl was shouting about. She was being chased. By men with glowing eyes? His temper soared as he straightened, his eyes flicking to the door that Charlotte had just come through, just as a pair of men strode through the door. As if nothing was wrong, even when their eyes landed on Charlotte immediately. Antonio sneered slightly, the mood in the entire building shifting. "Darlin'," he drawled, reaching for a bar clothe to wipe his hands off on. The mood had shifted so much so that even patrons were chancing nervous glances his way. "Not a soul in this bar will lay a hand on you tonight. Sit," Antonio murmured, motioning toward an empty stool. His eyes were locked on the two men as they made their way through the crowd, slowly inching closer to Charlotte.

    "What can I get you to drink?"
    April 25th, 2019 at 03:36am
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    Charlotte had gone about her usual daily routine that day, dressing in something warm so that the cool fall weather wouldn't be a problem, before heading to the university's library to work on her research. She'd graduated early and at the top of her class from her undergrad with a degree in history, and had been accepted into a prestigious graduate program that allowed her to conduct her own research while she wrote her dissertation, and they gave her a healthy stipend to live off of. By 6:30pm, she had decided it was best to leave the library for the day so that she would have time to stop by the grocery store on her way back to her apartment. However, as she neared the grocery store she found her path blocked by two tall men, who didn't step aside despite her polite "Excuse me." When she looked up to ask why they were blocking her path, she saw their glowing eyes, and when one of them reached out to grab her she turned and quickly ran the other way.

    She ducked into the first open shop she saw, which happened to be a bar, quickly shutting the door and leaning her weight back against it to make sure it was closed as she took a shaky breath, glancing out the window to see if they were still behind her before quickly making her way through the crowd to speak with the bartender, begging him to let her use the phone so that she could call the police.

    "Please, these two men are following me, my phone isn't charged and I need to call the police." She pleaded, opening her mouth to say more, although her voice caught in her throat when she heard the door open and close, slowly turning to look at the men who had been chasing her, who were now standing in the doorway staring at her. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for an escape route, although when Antonio spoke her eyes snapped to him, giving a little nod as she took a seat at the bar when he told her to, pushing aside her urge to run.

    "Um.. Wine, please?" She responded softly when he asked her what she wanted to drink, keeping her eyes focused on the counter in front of her, convinced that if she looked back at the men who had been chasing her she would find them right behind her and ready to grab her. She hadn't been much of a drinker ever, but she had enjoyed having the occasional glass of wine with her friends in college, and she knew for certain that she could use a glass now.
    April 25th, 2019 at 05:54am
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    Antonio set his hands on the edge of the bar, his eyes never leaving the two men as they lurked through the crowd. They seemingly had not picked up on him watching them as they inched around, trying to seem nonchalant in nature. His eyes narrowed slightly as he fought against the anger that began to swirl around him. He had gotten used to not being angry because he had tried so damn hard for Charas. He had made a promise to a dying woman that was his world, even until this day. Everything that he did, it was for Charas. it was because of that promise that he had made her all of those thousands of years ago.

    He had a business to run, he couldn't react. While he had never lost his cool in Kolasi, he was almost positive that he would lose quite a few customers. Kolasi was a popular bar, there was no doubt about that but he still couldn't afford the bad publicity that would come from him losing his temper. Gritting his teeth, he turned his head to the side just enough for his eyes to connect with the bartender to his right. "Pahlmeyer," he uttered the name of their most expensive Merlot. While he would never be able to admit to Charlotte who he was to her, or who she was to him, he would take as best care of her as he could. And that included Charlotte being well fed and able to drink what she wanted.

    Antonio stepped to the side just slightly, his eyes locking with the man who seemed to be the ringleader. The man seemed a bit confused, his head cocking to the side as he sniffed the air. Antonio did his best to stay under the radar, he hadn't made contact with another demon in hundreds of years. But he still knew how to pick one out in the crowd. The men smelt of sulphur and iron, indicating they had recently fed. Antonio leaned forward, setting his forearms on the edge of the bar.

    "Leave. Now," Antonio spoke the worlds in an ancient language that sounded like the echo of a deep growl, laced with metallic scraps. A language only for demons, only understood by them, only spoken by them. The men stopped dead in their tracks, looking at each other. They seemed to have a silent conversation before simultaneously taking another step forward.

    Raising an eyebrow as they challenged him, Antonio lifted his arm and tugged at his left sleeve. He pulled it up just enough to reveal the mark on his arm. The two men seemingly paled, looked at each other before twisting and all but running out of the bar. Antonio sneered slightly before dropping his sleeve back down. He doubted anyone would recognize it and certainly, Charlotte wouldn't. There was nothing in his mind that held an ounce of worry that she might recognize the mark on his forearm - he'd never had a single person recognize it in nearly two millennia. Clearing his throat as he turned back to the young blonde, he gave her a small smile. "Sorry about that, darlin'," he rasped, stepping back over so that he was directly in front of her. "Are you hungry? It's on the house."
    April 28th, 2019 at 11:40pm
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    Charlotte had decided it would probably be best to keep her eyes from wandering, half convinced that if she looked at the men who had been chasing her that they would steal her soul or something. However, she couldn't help but glance over at Antonio when she heard him speak in such a strange tongue, her frown deepening as she spotted the mark on his arm, although she quickly looked away before he could notice her staring. While whatever he had said was a mystery to her, she recognized the mark, but couldn't quite pinpoint where she'd seen it before, although now she was desperately trying to remember.

    Once the two men were gone her shoulders relaxed as she let out a sigh, running her hands over her face and through her hair, as if she could wipe away the fear she still felt. She looked up at Antonio as he moved directly in front of her, pretty blue-grey eyes studying his face for only a few moments, although it felt like an eternity to her, before she shook her head a little at his offer of food. "I'm alright, thank you. You've already done more than enough, and I'd hate to impose." She offered him a faint smile. In truth she would have killed for a grilled cheese and chips right about then, but she didn't want to impose when she was perfectly capable of going to the grocery store and getting her own food.

    She took her glass of wine when it was passed to her with a soft "Thank you", taking a little sip before she began to look around the bar, deciding it was probably a good idea to familiarize herself with the place she had ended up. It was pretty crowded for a weekday night at this time, so she figured the place must be pretty popular, although she'd never come across it before. Once she was done looking around she looked back up at Antonio, offering the man another faint smile. "Is it ok if I read at the bar? Or is that something I'd have to move seats for, to make room for less boring customers."
    April 29th, 2019 at 02:13am
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    Antonio was so thoroughly convinced that there was no way that Charlotte, or anyone else in the bar for that matter, would be able to recognize the mark on his arm. It was ancient, nearly as old as he was. Modern humans didn't tend to care for things as old as either of them. He couldn't really blame them; it would be boring to him if he was just a regular old human. He eyed the men as they disappeared back through the door that they had just come through, his eyes narrowed even when he could no longer see them. Oh, he was fucking angry that Charas had been threatened in his bar. No one threatened her around him and he was almost sure that outing himself had just put her in even more danger than she already would have been. And if he just turned his back on her... the thought was enough to make him sick to his stomach. No. He would never turn his back on her, if she was in front of him. If she was near him, Antionio would always do his very best to keep her safe.

    He eyed Charlotte for a moment before deciding to put in a comfort food order. It was one of their most popular sandwiches, a triple cheese grilled cheese with bacon. He would have maybe picked something else but it seemed like Charlotte was in desperate need of comfort food. He gave a haphazard smile when he turned back to her before speaking. "You can read, darlin'. Food's on the way. On the house, of course," he said, straightening up. "After being chased by a bunch of guys, I think you prob'ly deserve a bite or two, huh?" He said, tilting his head to the side.

    "What are you goin' to read?" Antonio asked, his attention focused solely on the girl in front of him. The bar was bustling but the rush had died down so he could afford a few moments of simply enjoying the fact that Charas sat opposite of him. Even if she didn't know who she was to him, it warmed his heart to see her. It reminded him why he had decided to walk away from her all those millennia ago. It had been the hardest decision that he'd ever made but he would do it a thousand times over again, if it was for her. He'd do just about anything for the blonde haired beauty.
    May 22nd, 2019 at 05:22am
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    Charlotte offered him another faint smile when he informed her that she could stay and read, leaning down to pull one of her books from her bag, which sat at the base of the stool by her feet. She looked back up at him when he told her about the food, blushing faintly when her stomach rumbled a little, and she silently cursed herself for missing lunch. "Thank you.. I'm sure whatever it is will taste as good as it smells." She thanked him with a little smile as she set her book down on the counter in front of her. While she was flattered by his kindness, and his interest in what she was reading, she assumed that he would find it boring, like most of the people she talked to outside of her department.

    "I'm writing my dissertation on biblical myths and symbolism, and how they're portrayed in art throughout the medieval and early modern periods. This book is a translation of some of the myths I'm writing about taken from early biblical manuscripts, as well as some of the earliest depictions of them in art." She explained, doing her best to not get into the details of her work for his sake, knowing it could be boring. "It's nothing exciting to most people, but the topic was interesting enough for my dissertation proposal to be accepted." She added with a little shrug, glancing up at him as she began to flip through the pages, attempting to find the little stickynote she'd attached to the page where she'd left off.

    She hadn't paid much attention to the man behind the bar, considering she'd been focused on the men that were chasing her, but now that she had calmed down and wasn't focused on fleeing, she took a moment to study him with her curious blue eyes. He seemed familiar to him, although she was certain she'd never seen him before. Just having him stand near her seemed to put her at ease naturally, as if they were connected. Plus, there was no denying that he was attractive, even if he looked to be a few years older than her.
    May 22nd, 2019 at 05:54am
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    Antonio could not remember the last time that he had been afraid. Even the last time that he had walked away from Charas so many thousands of years ago, Antonio had known that it was coming. He'd accepted it because it was the best thing that he could possibly do for her. It had hurt, sure, but he hadn't been afraid. But the feeling that hit him when Charlotte mentioned what she was doing her dissertation on, it nearly knocked him off of his feet. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. He reached to his left arm and tugged the sleeve down a bit further, wanting to hide the mark that would reveal who he was.

    Or would Charlotte just think that he was a crazed person, fantasizing about Cain's role in the bible? Would that be preferable? Charlotte would think he was crazy rather than think Cain was still alive, that almost seemed like the better option. Because at least then Charlotte would be oblivious to the other monsters that still roamed the Earth.

    Exhaling slowly, Antonio gave Charlotte a tired smile. He suddenly felt his age, as if he'd just lived all of his lifetimes over again. The idea of having Charlotte so close to him made his body physically ache. It wouldn't be hard at all for him to reach out and to touch her, to embrace her again but he couldn't. He couldn't because that would be painting a target on Charlotte's back that he was sure she couldn't even dream of protecting.

    "Maybe it's not interesting to everyone but must have been interesting to someone, if your dissertation was accepted. Go on," Antonio spoke, glancing around the bar for a moment. It was beginning to thin out, as people started to file out of the bar. "Tell me something that I might not know about the Bible. Entertain me for a little, hm, darling?" Antonio's eyes sparkled as he looked up, his eyes swooping over her frame. God. Her eyes were as bright and full of life as he remembered and as if he had no say in it at all, Antonio leaned closer to her. His arms braced against the bar as his lips parted, his attention focused solely on the woman in front of him. "Well?"
    June 1st, 2019 at 02:51am
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    Charlotte gave him an odd look as he seemed to panic after she told him what she was studying, watching as he tugged his sleeve further down his arm to cover the tattoo. She was worried she'd said something wrong, that maybe he had something against the Bible and would kick her out - not that she was religious or anything, she didn't believe in any of the stuff that she studied, but had always loved the stories and myths. She offered him a faint smile in return, opening her mouth to offer to leave, but was surprised when he asked her to talk about her dissertation more, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks as he leaned forward toward her.

    "Oh.. Well.. I don't know how much you know, but I can at least try to tell you something interesting.." She offered, flipping through a few pages of her book, looking for something in particular. "Um.. I don't know.. Well, Jacob and Esau were twins, right? Well, it's likely that Cain and Abel were also twins, but because their story is often overlooked by most people, everyone only really considers them to be normal brothers.. And the mark that God gave Cain after he killed his brother was likely a cross on his forehead, although I forget why, as that part of the story usually isn't depicted in art.." she explained, hoping that she wasn't boring him.
    June 1st, 2019 at 04:45am
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    Antonio would listen to Charlotte talk for the rest of his existence, if he could. He’d be perfectly content to stand here, leaning against the bar, with Charlotte talking off his ear. Hell, he thought that she could start reading the telephone book and he wouldn’t even care. He had wondered where she was, how she was, if she was enjoying the life she was leading. It appeared that she was and for even a fleeting moment, Antonio allowed himself to be happy. If she was happy, he could live with the decision that he made.

    His brows shot to his hairline when Charlotte began talking about Abel and Cain. How would she feel if she knew who she sat in front of? Who she was to him? For the briefest of moments, Antonio thought of closing down the bar early and just spilling the truth for her ears only. But that would put her in danger that he wasn’t sure he could protect her from.

    Swallowing back the thoughts, Antonio gave a thoughtful nod of his head. “Interesting theory,” he said, correct theory. “What makes you think that?” He wouldn’t question her on the comment she’d made about Cain’s mark. It wasn’t a hood idea to tell her the truth - God forbid she piece together what that meant for the mark on his arm. Who that made him. Antonio shifted slightly, raising an eyebrow before he heard his name called.

    Antonio sighed as he straightened, winking at Charlotte before he disappeared into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a plate of food for her. He set it down before resuming his position. “Well?”
    June 8th, 2019 at 05:55pm
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    Charlotte glanced up at him when he spoke, her eyes lighting up as he praised the theory, glad that she wasn't boring him. She sat up a little straighter when he asked why she thought it, flipping through her book as she tried to find the picture she was looking for. When she looked up again to answer him he was gone, and she frowned, looking around the bar as she wondered where he'd gone, but when he returned with her food she gave him a grateful smile before taking a few bites.

    "Mm, that's good.." she mumbled around her mouthful of grilled cheese, wiping her fingers and lips with a napkin before clearing her throat. "To answer your question, in the Bible it says that 'Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain; And again, she bore his brother Abel.' Now, generally when talking about births and conceptions, the Bible will say something like 'Eve conceived and bore Abel, and then conceived and bore Cain,' but it doesn't in this case, so it's likely there was only one conception, and that the brothers were actually twins." She explained, taking another few bites of her sandwich until she found the image she had been looking for, turning the book to show him.

    "As for the mark of Cain, at least according to the guy who wrote this book, people think it was likely a cross because it represented the ancient version of the Hebrew letter tav, as it also means 'sign' or 'mark' in Hebrew.. I'm not boring you, am I?" She asked after a minute as she looked up at him with a frown, worried he'd grown bored with her more in depth explanation of the theories.
    June 8th, 2019 at 06:22pm
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    There was never a day that went by that Antonio didn’t regret that fateful decision that he’d made to kill his brother. He was almost sure that his life would be drastically different if he hadn’t - he used to wonder what it would have changed for all of humanity but he had long since stopped considering those ramifications. If he thought of it too much, it created a dull ache in his chest that seemed to last forever. Charlotte bringing up the truth of his relation to his brother had stricken closer to home than he had been prepared for.

    Offering an almost sad smile when Charlotte took a few bites of her food, Antonio tried to remind himself that she knew not who she spoke to. She had no clue how much her words caused that pain to grow in his chest. Despite not knowing Charlotte intimately, he knew she would be crestfallen if she knew the truth. That was what had attracted Cain to Charas so long ago; she never stopped caring for others.

    Antonio shook his head, his lips parted slightly as he studied Charlotte’s features. His body ached with the need to tell her the truth. She was so, so close. He was sure she was closer to the truth than anyone else had been for a long time. The tales of the Bible were often distorted and manipulated so much that they no longer even looked similar to the truth.

    “No. You’re not boring me, darlin’,” Antonio’s voice came out, a bit deeper this time. He cleared his throat, willing away the emotion that fought. To make its’ way up his throat. No. He needed to keep calm and levelheaded. The last thing that he needed was to put a larger target on her back.

    “You’re close, but not quite.. there,” Antonio muttered, his face scrunching. He was sure that he’d just admitted too much but if he fed her a few truths here or there... it would keep Charlotte closer. If he held on to her presence for just a little while longer, surely it wouldn’t hurt that bad.
    June 11th, 2019 at 01:22am
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    Charlotte frowned as she looked up at him, picking up on the subtle changes in his face that she noticed. Her suspicion that their conversation was upsetting him when she heard his voice, her frown only deepening as she quickly closed her book, pulling it back as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry.. I can tell that you're upset, we don't have to talk about it anymore, I promise.. We should talk about something else, something that you're interested in." She offered him a faint, reassuring smile, reaching across the bar to give his hand a small reassuring squeeze before quickly pulling her hand back when she realized that it was probably weird, a blush heating up her cheeks. "Sorry.."

    She gave him an odd look when he said that she was close, wondering what he could possibly have meant by that. "What do you mean I'm close?" She asked curiously, taking a few more bites from her sandwich and a few sips from her drink as she looked up at him curiously.
    June 11th, 2019 at 01:54am
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    Antonio’s calm demeanour faltered slightly when Charlotte started pulling her book away from him and apologizing. He hated that word. Sorry. He hated when she said it. She had nothing to ever apologize for, not when it was to him. In his eyes, there wasn’t a damn thing that Charlotte could do wrong. He let out a bitter laugh at the thought. Charlotte could commit any sin in the world and still, Antonio would put her on a pedestal. How he wished he could tell her.

    Forcing the thoughts away, Antonio cleared his throat as he shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t tell her but God, the words were itching to be let out. He tilted his head to the side, deciding to give her something more without revealing everything to her. “...just keep digging a bit more. You’re on the right path with Cain’s mark but you’re not quite there,” he said, nodding toward her book. “It’s similar to a cross, yes.. but not quite,” he said, offering a bit of a bigger smile. “Either way, though, I’m sure your dissertation is fantastic, darlin’.”
    June 12th, 2019 at 09:45pm
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    Charlotte gave him an odd look as he laughed, and an even odder one as he encouraged her to dig more, frowning as she looked up at him. How would he know what Cain's mark looked like? Did he study this stuff too, or did he know someone else who was? She wanted to ask all of those questions and more, but something in her gut told her not to push it, and that he'd tell her eventually. "Alright..." She murmured, blushing faintly and offering him a faint smile in return as he called her darlin', looking down at the bar sheepishly.

    She looked up again when she realized how empty the bar had gotten, and when she saw the time she frowned deeply, sliding off her stool and putting her book back into her bag. "I should get going so you can close up for the night.. Thank you for helping me earlier.." she frowned a bit as she realized something, looking up at him sheepishly. "I don't remember if you introduced yourself.. But I'm Charlotte." She murmured softly as another blush heated up her cheeks, looking up at him as she waited to hear his name.
    June 12th, 2019 at 10:04pm
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    Antonio hoped that his little nickname for her didn't bother her. He may not be able to love her in the way that he wanted to but he could at the very least show her a bit of kindness. Right? He swallowed, chewing on the inside of his lip as he studied the girl in front of him. She wasn't the same person he had loved all those millennia ago but she was a version of that woman and already, Antonio found himself adoring her. He wanted to reach out and show her just how much he could love her, how much he would do for her. But how many times had he lost her? Far too many times, he didn't know if he could bare the weight of losing her again.

    He glanced around the bar, giving a onesided shrug when he too realized just how empty the bar was. Antonio had been so focused on Charlotte that he didn't notice just how late it had gotten. He managed a smile as he stood straighter, looking around the bar for a second time.

    Antonio's attention was pulled back to Charlotte when she was speaking again. He chuckled, holding his hand out to her. "My apologies, miss. I'm Antonio," he introduced himself properly with the name that he had gone by for so long. "Charlotte is a beautiful name. For a beautiful girl," he added, leaning forward to press a light kiss to Charlotte's knuckles before he released her hand. His brows pulled together as he glanced toward the door. "If you want to stay a little while longer, I could escort you home or I can at least call you a cab. That way you can get home safe. What with those things chasing you in here," Antonio offered, needing to know that Charlotte could get home safe, at the very least.
    June 14th, 2019 at 07:46pm
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    Charlotte smiled up at him as he introduced himself, taking his hand to shake, although she blushed brightly as he kissed her knuckles and called her beautiful. "It's nice to meet you, Antonio.. If you really don't mind walking me home, I'd appreciate it very much, I'd hate to leave and see those things waiting for me around the corner." She explained with a little smile, taking a seat at one of the empty tables so she could wait for Antonio to walk her home. She wasn't quite sure what to think of him, especially considering the pull she felt toward him, but she had no clue why she felt so drawn toward him, and she was happy to spend some more time with him, as he seemed nice enough.

    Once he was finished tidying up the bar for the night she stood and stepped outside with him, taking a deep breath of the fresh air with a content little sigh. "My apartment isn't too far, I promise. Have you owned the bar for a long time?" She asked curiously as they began to walk, linking her arm with his both in order to keep up with him and because she felt safer walking that way.
    June 14th, 2019 at 08:03pm
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    Antonio was nodding even before Charlotte could finish accepting his offer. He would do just about anything at all for Charlotte. He would move Heaven and Earth for her, anything he could to put a smile on her face. Anything at all that would keep her happy, that's what Antonio's purpose was. He was supposed to stay far away from Charlotte so that she could live a full life but for some cruel reason, here she stood in front of him. He knew it was wrong. He should have sent her right back out the door when she came in... she would have met an unhappy demise but she would be reborn again. To live another life. But Antonio was selfish and that was the root of most of his problems.

    Offering his arm to Charlotte felt like home. It made him want to press closer to her, reassure her that she was safe. He'd always do everything that he could to keep her safe but she wouldn't understand if he told her that. She'd probably just think he was coming on too strong, that he was being creepy... something like that.

    "I've owned the bar for a bit longer than I should probably admit to you," Antonio commented, a playful grin on his features. He glanced her way, raising na eyebrow as he let her lead the way back to her apartment. "So," he began, clearing his throat. "What led you to studying the Bible? If I may ask," he said, wanting to calm his curiosity at least a bit before they parted ways.
    June 18th, 2019 at 04:00am
  • katahdin

    katahdin (100)

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    United States
    @ castle.

    Charlotte offered him a kind smile as she took his arm, leading him through the streets to her apartment at a slow pace. She couldn't explain it, but it felt right to be at his side, and she wasn't quite ready to part ways from him, a little voice in her heart begging her not to let him go. She giggled a little at his statement about his bar, looking up at him. "Well, how old are you? And when did you buy the bar?" She asked curiously.

    She was a bit surprised by his question to her, giving a little shrug. "Growing up I went to a private school that was officiated with the church, so I grew up hearing the stories and in class one year we read the entire Bible just to pick apart the stories and their lessons.. It was really fun, plus I've always loved classical art, and Biblical themes are very important for a lot of painters." She explained, studying his features for a moment or two before looking back out at the street, frowning when she spotted the door to her apartment building, sad that she'd have to leave him so soon.

    She sighed a little once they were in front of the door, looking up at him with a small smile, although she looked a bit sad. "Well, here's my apartment.. Thank you for walking me, I really appreciate it, especially considering those things are still out there.." she frowned a little as a thought crossed her mind, looking up at the building to where her windows were before looking around the empty streets and then back to him. "Would... Would you come up with me? I just want to make sure they didn't break in and aren't there waiting for me to get home.."
    June 18th, 2019 at 04:16am
  • castle.

    castle. (2000)

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    Canada
    Antonio hadn't had blood on his hands since the day that he promised Charlotte he would do better in life. Since the day that he had told her he couldn't pursue her any longer. The thought was enough for his heart to break because walking away from her was the hardest thing he had ever done. It wasn't killing his brother, it wasn't the countless atrocities that he had committed in the name of proving himself to Lucifer. No, it was the memory of when he had walked away from Charas for the last time. That was the only thing that truly haunted him.

    "Let's just say that I've been around the block a few times," Antonio teased, glancing Charlotte's way. "I've owned the bar for the past fifteen or so years. It's not always that glamorous but it provides me with a wealthy lifestyle. I live above the bar so it's nothing particularly spectacular but I like the routine. It's good for me," Antonio admitted softly.

    Antonio's back straightened as they came to a stop in front of Charlotte's building. He pulled his arm from her, shoving his hands into his pockets. It was better if he just walked away. Antonio knew that, he did, but then Charlotte was speaking again and she was inviting him up to her apartment and his willpower went right out of the window. Even if all he did was check out her apartment and make sure she was safe, Antonio would happily do it. He didn't mind. He'd do anything to keep her safe.

    Exhaling slowly, Antonio gave a nod as a gentle smile settled on his features. "Of course, darlin'. If it'll help you feel a bit better," he said, giving a nod of his head. He moved to follow her into the building, inhaling deeply. The sulfur in the air wasn't nearly as present as it would have been if the demons were still in the vicinity but it was there and that sent panic flooding through him. He wasn't stupid, he knew what would have happened to Charlotte if she hadn't somehow stumbled into his bar. The only thing that had protected her was his identity. Not many were foolish enough to go against Antonio.

    He cleared his throat, looking around her living room. "Stay here, hm? I'm going to check the rooms out," he said, his voice taking on a bit of an edge as he started walking through the room. His body was tightened, poised, ready for a fight that Antonio knew wasn't coming his way. When he came to a stop in front of her, Antonio shoved his hands into his pockets again. "Place is all clear, don't think whoever they are are going to come this way again," he paused, his face scrunching a bit. "But I'm going to give you my phone number, okay? If they come back, call me. I don't care what time of day it is, you can call me. It doesn't matter if you think they're following you or if they actually are. I will come find you and I will keep you safe," his words took on a hard edge as he stood a bit taller. It was a promise that he wasn't sure Charlotte would fully take to heart but he meant every word he spoke.

    "Promise me, darlin'. Please."
    June 24th, 2019 at 05:53am