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Post by Jace D. Masters on Dec 28, 2012 3:40:15 GMT 10
Winter was in the air. The snow was heavy on the ground, and animals were bustling away or sleeping for the long freeze. However, there was life in the area. People were out here and there pushing around snow in an effort to either clear their yards of the streets. Leave it to humans to be the species that turned about the snow around them in an effort to change their environments. It was one of the things that made them vastly different from most creatures. On a large scale, humans changed the world around them for better or for worse.
It was still early in the morning, though, and there were even fewer humans out in the cold than regularly. Most were still sleeping or possibly curled up by some form of warmth. That was not the case for one man, though. Walking down the slick pavement that led to nowhere, Jace shivered briefly bringing the thick jacket he had dawned higher on his shoulders in an effort to keep the ice out of his blood. A brief smile came and went from his face as the chill took that moment to stick fingers down his pants instead, and it was all he could do not to shiver that much more.
He had supposed he would go jogging that morning, but as the cold hit him, he settled for a walk instead. The frigid conditions had a supernatural way of awakening old injuries and making his bones creek only causing Jace to feel old in the process. He wasn't that old was he? Twenty-five was a prime time for most! However, what would have been the time of his life had been cut short years ago when chaos had taken hold. Those scars didn't need the cold to be aggravated. Shivering yet again, the somewhat young man let out a sigh and shook his head before continuing to walk. Blue eyes flashed down the road as he turned and found himself back on the streets of his childhood. His parents had since sold the house and had moved into a smaller gated community for various reasons, but the building was still there probably filled with adults and children like it had been years ago.
Jace resisted the urge to groan. Why was he doing this to himself? He could easily go 'home' for the holidays and simply hang around his parent's house or maybe even his sisters'. They would certainly let him in and take care of him. However, he didn't want to burden them with that. He wasn't the most social creatures, and though he knew they cared, he couldn't quite feel the same way. They had never shared the pain that came with having a life torn apart so violently that all one could do was cough in response. Heh, he sounded like a terrible sitcom.
Coughing briefly, Jace started down the street looking one way and then the other. As he drew up to his old house, the young man stared up at it with a daunted expression unable to find the words to feel the emotions of the moment. Some part of it got it right though: pain. It still hurt....still hurt....
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Post by Raven Tyler on Dec 28, 2012 4:24:34 GMT 10
 Raven Tyler's Outfit Tagged:Jace Masters Word Count: 597 Raven's breath came from her mouth in large plumes of visible air as she trekked across the stiff snow that had fallen through the night. She glared at the rising sun, hoping for a warmer day as she pulled her black coat tighter around her, hoping to lock the warmth around her. She stuffed her hands deep into her pockets while looking around at the people that had begun to awake. They went about their daily chores, seemingly happy with the boring task of shoveling snow. A memory of helping her father clear their driveway wrenched through her, squeezing her heart painfully before she was able to force the poisonous memory away. Her breath came out in short bursts while she quickly scurried off the sidewalk to compose herself. She went around the large tree that was growing between two vaguely familiar houses, and pushed through some well trimmed bushes. Raven stumbled, and caught herself painfully on her hands in the freezing cold snow. She cursed and rolled over onto her back as she rubbed her hands together, trying to get some kind of warmth through the cold skin. With a sigh, she pulled at her scarf, evening it out as she watched the snow-filled clouds slowly pass by. There was a quiet screech of metal behind her, making her jump to her feet and feel at her waist, before she forgot that she had left her things at home. She frowned at herself, not only for forgetting her protection, but also because it had only been the wind pulling at the old child's big toy that made up the neighborhood park. She heaved a sigh before she came up to it, running her fingers delicately over the rusting slides and swings. Raven had the brief thought of playing on the swings for awhile, but she knew that it would only be procrastination for what needed to be done today. Tears began to burn at her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, and pulled her phone from her pocket, shooting a text to her twin brother to let him know about her plans for the day. After a quick glance at the clock on it's screen, she frowned at how early it was, since it felt like it was so much later then it was. She sighed, and left the small, old park behind as she trekked back up the hill, towards a fence that looked so familiar. The shiny red paint of the wood reflected brightly from the ice that covered the sidewalk thickly, causing another memory to wrench through her body painfully. She grabbed onto the fence, not caring for splinters, before she was able to stand up straight, and make her way around to the front of her house. Someone called out her name, and with a start, she turned to see an old neighbor, someone that frankly, Raven was surprised to see still alive and moving around. She forced a smile across her lips as she waved back to the old, old lady. When the lady tried to get her to come across the road, she just shook her head firmly before turning to the door of the house. The door that hadn't been opened ever since Ryan and herself had left, not wanting to be in the home of her parents when they weren't there. She heaved a painful sigh as she slid her old key into the lock. It easily twisted in the deadbolt, and the door unlocked before me. It slowly swung inwards as she tried to fight up some courage to step across the threshold. |
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Post by Jace D. Masters on Dec 28, 2012 5:26:13 GMT 10
He couldn't stare at the house for too long. No, he wouldn't look at it for too long. There were too many endearing memories that never played out like they were supposed to in that house. He was supposed to inherit the place, maybe fix it up a bit and then start a family in there. Abby was supposed to grow up in that house and have one of the rooms his sisters had had. Things weren't supposed to have played out the way they had. It was all supposed to be some terrible dream, but despite his efforts, Jace had yet to wake up yet. No matter how much he tried, every time he opened his eyes, he was back again in the world that had failed him.
At least he had taken revenge. There was always that, he supposed. He had managed to fight back against the violence that had taken everything away from him. He was still apart of it and would surely be on the winning side when it was all said and done. That was the promise he had made to himself. if he couldn't fulfill that in his life time, surely he would have made a dent for someone else to finish everything off. The hunters had those damn mythical creatures on the run!
No matter how much he told himself this, it didn't reverse the pain. Jace was left with nothing but a hollow feeling that came with a victory he may or may never see. What he would do after if the creatures ever did die out he had no idea anyways. However, with every death he felt more alive. With every scream and fear that came from the beasts, especially those damn werewolves, he felt as though he could breathe easier. Little did he know that each and every time he did it, Jace was tearing a bit of himself in the process. Little did he know that he was not healing his own wounds but inflicting them both on others and himself.
It was on happenstance that Jace had turned around just a bit to stare down the street. He wanted to tear his eyes away from what could have been, but as his eyes caught sight of a woman standing at an old house not too far away, something in him froze. That woman... that was ... the woman that had introduced him to the protettore. She was the one that had told him that vampires and werewolves, and whatever else was out there were supposed to be protected rather than hunted. How wrong she was... How very damn wrong she was...
It was ironic how well he recognized her even at a distance. She had been his friend for years, but as tragedy had ended up breaking bonds, it had broken theirs. What was she to him now save for someone that he had used to know. No, when he thought about it, she was an enemy now wasn't she? Was she still part of those weak people that justified the killing of humans?
A weakened hiss escaped from Jace as he found himself walking quickly down the street. His skin pricked, and he didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he wanted to say something. He wanted to do something. Coming up a few paces behind Raven, Jase froze unsure of what to do or say. Despite his brief anger, the walk over there had chilled him down. Now he was left with the embers of a passion that was quickly killed. After a few seconds, he settled on a question. "What are you doing here?" he asked his coarse deep voice reverberating to him. |
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Post by Raven Tyler on Dec 28, 2012 12:15:56 GMT 10
Raven Tyler's Outfit Tagged:Jace Masters Word Count: 256 Raven froze with her hand on the doorknob, her back straight as she stared into the darkness before her, not wanting to turn around and look at the the owner of such a familiar voice. An unhappy shiver traveled along her skin beneath her tight trench coat, and it had nothing to do with the cold. Biting her lip hard, she slowly turned around to meet his eyes that stared at her uncomfortably hard. She dug her fingernails into her palms inside of her pockets before giving him a stare just as hard. "My brother and I can't pay for this house anymore, so I'm the one stuck with the duty of clearing it out so whoever can sell it." She tried to keep her voice strong, but it cracked noticeably on the word 'sell'. She had to fight to keep her eyes on the man before her when she wanted to turn away and slam the door after her. She forcefully uncurled her fists before pulling them out of her jacket pockets. Raven rubbed at the crescent moon shapes that threatened to bleed, and watched him closely just as he watched her. A small voice at the back of her head was panicking, saying that this was all just too coincidental. A day designated for reopening old scars she had prepared herself for, but reopening recent deep wounds was nearly too much for her. With an awkward cough, she let her hands drop back to her sides, and asked him the same question: "Why are you here, Jace?" |
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Post by Jace D. Masters on Dec 28, 2012 12:48:09 GMT 10
The stare he received as Raven turned around was enough to chill Jace that much more. Briefly he wished he hadn't said anything and just left things as they were. He didn't know what he had been thinking in walking over and engaging the woman in conversation especially with his emotions burning holes in the bottom of his shoes. Biting the inside of his mouth, he kept his gaze strong and his expression distilled as if he had seen something that he could easily frown at but not scold. Somehow just looking at her was aching him inside more than he had imagined it would.
As words escaped into the air, he reflected on the familiar format of her voice and tone as if she were telling him not to do something stupid in school, but as her voice dropped a little at the word sell, he struggled not to flinch. "Ah," he replied allowing the word to graze off his lips ever so softly. He remembered what it had been like when his parents had chosen to sell their house, but he mentally kicked himself as the memory came back again. It should have been his house. It should have been his, Tanya, and Abby's house.
Briefly blue eyes glazed over in a subtle depression that Jace found himself fighting off as much as possible. He had to be careful. Though Protettore were not normally violent types, he wouldn't put it past Raven to try and beat some words into him about his actions. He didn't need his pride smacked at the moment when he had already failed to protect the things that meant the most to him. The awkward cough drew Jace's thoughts back out of him again, and as the question was asked, he drew in a breath. "It's...that time of year again..." he mumbled shaking his head briefly before his features were allowed to solidify again in some form of confidence.
"Just kicking old habits," he replied after a moment changing the conversation a little. "Can't be helped that it's still the safest neighborhood to go jogging," he half laughed or rather tried to. It came off as more of a cough than anything else. |
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Post by Raven Tyler on Dec 28, 2012 13:42:52 GMT 10
Raven Tyler's Outfit Tagged:Jace Masters Word Count: 281 Raven fought the urge to reach out and touch his arm, something that she would have done without a millisecond of hesitation just so little a time ago. She frowned to herself, before letting her own chocked laugh join his. With a glance around, at the people that seemed to start flowing out of their house, children playing, and the adults laughing at the antics of their neighbors, she let herself begin to relax. Her back slouched forward enough to be comfortable, and with a heavy sigh, she leaned against the door-jam behind her. She let her eyes travel over him, finding the differences on somebody that she used to know better then she knew herself. His hunter training had obviously finally filled out all of that muscle that he had been destined to, even when they were children. Once again she curled her hand into a fist to keep from touching an old, now distant friend. "If there's anything I can remember from those days, this neighborhood was a good one to jog in," Raven said, trying to keep the conversation going, but the grating awkwardness left her voice in something a kind of murmur level. She dragged her eyes from the man that shared her porch with her, and watched the sun ascend. Even though she was supposed to be one of the protectors of the supernatural, the sun rising always gave her a sense of security that the danger was lessened greatly. Once her gaze settled back onto Jace, she cracked a rare smile for him and stood up straight from the wall. With a bite of her lip, she extended a temporary olive branch. "Do you want to come in?" |
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Post by Jace D. Masters on Dec 28, 2012 14:11:26 GMT 10
A simple motion may have been exactly what would have cracked Jace in that moment. If Raven had succeeded in touching his arm, a gesture Jace knew a bit too well in the familiar hand shakes they did as children, it might have been all that was necessary for him to fall down and ask for her friendship yet again. In his weakened state, he had very little defenses on his own. Memories were flooding him with regrets that he could never repent for, and the snow around was far warmer than the ice in his soul. However, pride kept him in his place, and the motion was not done in the end of it all. There was a wall between them thicker than the irony curtain that had once graced itself through Germany.
The reverberation of a laugh from Raven was enough to draw a weak sigh from Jace in the process. At one time, his laugh might have heightened but the cold not from the weather per say had stiffed it downwards and made it hard to bear. Despite the fact that he was aware of the things around him, the senses of people becoming more active in the world, Jace couldn't bring himself to relax fully. He shivered briefly and then shook his head his eyes darting away from Raven for a moment before refocusing on her again.
A brief nod was given at Raven's words as the attempt at conversation was left rolling still. "Yeah it always...felt safe," he murmured after a moment looking back at her and allowing his features to fall a little. " 'Cept fro the vamp at school..." he murmured after a moment very briefly hoping that Raven would let his words go after that. It was a memory of the past- one that he did his best to not look back on fondly yet somehow did anyways.
The smile was a surprise, and Jace found himself unable to do anything but return the smile. It made thinks feel off. It was a time different from any others now wasn't it? Someone had bashed a clock and turned it back to the days when nothing really mattered, and they were both in the Protettore. If only. How amusing it was that even as a hunter he longed for something that he had once thought fondly of. No. Protettore were the enemies now. They were trying to stop him from fixing the world and riding it of all the unnecessary creatures the creatures who had ruined his life and taken the lives of people who were special to him.
A question was asked, and for a few seconds, Jace stared surprised that it had been asked. Had she just invited him in? Was it really alright to go in? "I can't stay too long," he replied briefly. "But alright.." he replied before stepping into the house. The slight temperature change was noticeable for only a moment as it seemed the heating had been cut off to conserve electricity while none were at home. Shivering briefly, Jace stepped farther in allowing his eyes to travel over the various walls he had once looked upon for various reasons when he was younger.
"It's been a while.." |
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Post by Raven Tyler on Dec 29, 2012 8:43:55 GMT 10
Raven Tyler's Outfit Tagged:Jace Masters Word Count: 295 Raven's eyes swept across the dark room, taking in all of the sheet-covered furniture. All of the furniture that had somehow survived through her childhood without being destroyed. She quickly wiped away a stray tear as she pulled her purse off of her shoulder and set it down on the table next to the door. Her fingers brushed across the white sheet, remembering how it had been where she had always put her newest paintings so her father would see them as soon as he got home. "Ah, yeah, it's been awhile for me too," she said softly as she pulled her hand away from the table and unzipped her purse. From it she drew two Blue Moon beers, which she smoothly popped the caps off of with ease. She held out one for Jace without looking at him. She bit her lip as she wondered why she was here with him, after so long of not talking to him. They had mutually pushed the other out of their lives for different reasons, and she had come to terms that it would stay that way, but now they were standing in a room full of shared memories, and she was offering him a beer. The near absurdity of it almost made her break out in hysterical laughter, but she tamed it to a small smile that stretched her lips painfully in the cold. The cold wind rattled the door behind them, making her jump as the quietness was broken by the cold winter air that was quickly streaming in behind them. Raven turned around and went to close the door, careful not to lock it and make either one of them uncomfortable with the thought of not being able to escape, if this somehow became sour between them. |
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Post by Jace D. Masters on Dec 29, 2012 15:39:04 GMT 10
The house had the uncanny ability to bring nostalgia far stronger than Jace was used to back to the front of his mind. He wished he was but a young teenager again in the world that was so much brighter by default However, he had grown up as all children had to, and the peter pan complex was shut down vigorously with the understanding that it was foolish and a waste of mental wishes. Who would have thought even then it somehow plagued him to such a degree. Maybe he would never move past it no matter what he tried. Maybe he was like the snow itself nothing but a complacent figure that came with the seasons. It fit him in a cruel way.
A blue eye slid sideways and caught sight of Raven's motion, and he knew it well enough from the few times that he had seen it. She was upset. He understood, and every part of him wanted to console her for it. However, the wisps of doubt that caressed his muscles refused to do such. Raven had moved yet again, and Jace blinked a few stray eyelashes away before refocusing as she set her purse down. After a moment, blue eyes refocused on the walls and the covered furniture as if they were much more interesting to the old friend he was talking to.
The soft 'pop' sound of a bottle was enough to set Jace on edge, and his entire body rippled with uncertainty for a moment as his eyes darted back to Raven. However, when he caught sight of the drinks, he calmed considerably again, and his pulse dropped once more. There was no danger. As the beer was offered forwards, he hesitated. It could easily be a trap to get him either in a weakened state or flat out drunk, or it could even have some other toxin in it that would render him immobile. There were various reasons like that why he shouldn't have taken the drink like that, but as he found himself clasping the drink from her he looked down at it in wonder. Who kept beer in their bag? Raven did he supposed.
Pressing the open drink to his lips after a moment Jace took in the fine liquid. The sudden outburst of laughter was enough to send a chill down the hunter's spine, and he found himself looking at her with an almost accusing look for a brief moment. Had she really just done something to him? However, as he found his eyes tracing over her facial features, he grew sure that was not the case. That was more of a hurt laugh than anything.... An echo laugh escaped from him after a moment, and Jace took another sip. "How many years has it been?" he asked calmly a soft sigh escaping from him as he asked the question.
As Raven moved to close the door, Jace's eyes followed her carefully watching as she simply closed it rather than anything. The steady pounding in his chest had gone up despite the fact that it had not been locked. He felt as though the house were some sort of terrible trap, yet at the same time he felt the ridiculous urge to press onwards through it. After a moment or so, he stepped farther into it walking into yet another room as he did so. "Too long," he sighed after a moment at the sheer sight of the furniture and the like. |
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Post by Raven Tyler on Feb 14, 2013 5:59:32 GMT 10
Raven Tyler's Outfit Tagged:Jace Masters Word Count: 315 Raven slowly followed him as she put the beer to her lips and took a drag off of it. "Too long," she echoed softly as her eyes travelled over the room before them. The living room where the two of them had shared many nights watching movies and many days listening to music, quietly strumming on that old acoustic guitar that her dad had gotten her. Her heart clenched painfully as the memories faded from the room, and it became dark and unlived in once again. She grabbed an edge of a white sheet and whipped it off the dark leather couch that hadn't been touched in years. Glancing at Jace, she quickly folded the sheet and draped it over the back of it before taking a seat on the cold leather. The couch made those odd little squeaky noises of old abuse and negligence, all too loud in the echoing silence that stretched between the two of them as her mind wandered to better days once again. With a quick shake of her head, she watched her old friend as his eyes wandered the room as her's did. Taking another drag off her beer, she set it on the covered table beside her. Raven fought a yawn down, the little sleep that she had achieved the night before wasn't enough for the day that she had been given. A headache began to pulse at the base of her skull, making her wince and rub at the spot. With a sigh, she said: "Oh how I wish that life had had different plans for us, Jace. We always thought that we'd be friends until the day we died." Tears pushed at the back of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away and looked at the man that had played such a big part of her life when she was younger, and was now such a stranger. |
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Post by Jace D. Masters on Feb 14, 2013 7:11:14 GMT 10
Instinctively eyes moved towards the leather chair and examined it as the sheet was pulled off, and the familiarity with which the couch came into focus was enough to strangle something in Jace. A quiet sound escaped from him before his eyes zoomed away and finally towards the ceiling as he took a rather hefty gulp of his drink- the brief burn of it a surprise to him for only a moment. As she sat down, he looked back down again briefly wishing to sit next to her, joke, and and have fun like days gone by. It would have been so simply then to sit next to her and just start again as if the last years of their lives hadn't existed. It was cruel to them both to even consider it, though. They were made by the markers of history, and to forget that was to forget what he existed for. Jace sourly understood that at the base of it all.
Unable to sit down, Jace turned and started walking around the room slowly examining the walls as memories flashed before him. He couldn't help but think of different times, times where innocence was a thing that was herd of... a time when he wanted to protect the things that would later rob him of his happiness. As Raven sighed, Jace looked back towards her, those light blue eyes flashing with question for a moment. How easy it would be to ask her what all had gone on in her life, but how hard it would be to deal with the recourse of such a question. At a time before, he might have even asked without thinking about it. However, now he was uncertain and would wait for the answer. As she spoke, he sighed deeply shaking his head. Life was a cynical creature of chaos now wasn't it? "Don't speak like that..." he murmured far from an order at Raven. If anything it was a lackluster request, something a wounded man asked in a pinch of mercy. However, memories still came all the same. They were supposed to be friends forever. They were supposed to be neighbors for life or something like that. As much as he denied it, some part of Jace remembered that sentiment all too well.
"I..." Jace opened his mouth and closed it again. How could he say what was now trying to escape him without making the situation that much more complicated? Instead, he fell silent again a sigh escaping from him in weakness.. What could he say? What could he say?
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