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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 14, 2012 20:59:25 GMT -5
A few month later.
Richard pulled his parka closer to his body as he braced himself against the cold air. When it snowed the world actually looked beautiful. Everything appeared pure and peaceful under the blanket of white. There was no dirty snow from cars running over it, just pure white. His face felt numb from the sharp wind that cut right through him. He couldn't stay out in this much longer, he needed to find shelter.
His fingers refused to bend and his pace had slowed dramatically when he saw it. The yellow face house. His stomached twisted at the memory, but he needed to get inside and he knew for a fact this house was in adequate condition. So he began the trudge across the street and then through the front door. He immediately felt the difference when the wind could no longer hit him.
He bypassed the kitchen, refusing to look through the doorway, instead he made beeline for the family room, which he knew had a fireplace. He immediately ripped off the legs from the coffee table along with any other pieces of furniture he could get to and squatted in front of the fireplace trying to kindle the fire. Once it caught he sat back, fanning it occasionally as he waited for the warmth to fill the room and melt him.
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 14, 2012 22:00:00 GMT -5
"Under your spell again, I can't say no to you" lyrics to an old Evanescence song were sung from the bathroom of the yellow house. Athena pulled off her long sleeved gray shirt, a long slit down the back for her wings to go through, carefully trying not to rip it on the joints of her wings. She tossed the shirt aside, kicking off her snow boots that she reluctantly wore. "Crave my heart, and its bleeding in your hand. I can't say no to you" Athena continued singing, unlatching her bra and throwing it to the side as well.
She leaned into the shower, turning on the hot water. Athena had been searching other houses lately since it had begun snowing, in hopes of warm water. But the yellow house was the only one on this block that had warm, let alone hot, running water. She didn't want to leave this block in hopes of running into Richard again. She tried looking for him for a week when he left her stranded on the kitchen floor, but she was never able to find him.
Athena looked into the mirror, glancing over her wings and the scar on her neck. The spot where the bird attacked her healed in the shape of a small X, and a heart below it. She rolled her eyes "x marks the spot" she talked to herself.
Continuing humming the tune of the song stuck in her head, she slipped off her jeans, and then her underwear, tossing them in the doorway. She didn't bother closing the door now, since she hadn't seen Richard in a month, she doubted he would show up now. She climbed into the shower, and let the warm water comfort her. Her blonde hair becoming plastered to her face, and her feathers becoming a slightly dingy white.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 16, 2012 7:41:22 GMT -5
Richard peeled off his parka as it started to thaw and become damp. All of his clothes felt wet soggy, he squirmed pulling off his boots and socks. The fire felt good on his skin, while he carefully undressed down to his boxers. He hung them up by the fire to dry, he knew he had stashed other clothing upstairs in this house, but he felt weary about leaving his warm room.
He threw another peice of furniture into the fireplace, listening to it crackle and pop as it caught. He sat close to the edge of the fire place, letting the heat soak into him until it felt the hair on his arms was burning. He groaned when he went to stand up, he didnt want to redress in his still damp clothes, but it was to cold to stay in his boxers.
"Oh oh oh." He gasped as he left the warmth of his room. The chill cut straight through his bare skin and his feet pounded up the stairs, two at a time. He rounded the corner upstairs and dashed into the master bedroom.
He was rummaging through the closet looking for his napsack when he heard it. Running water. Singing. He automatically stopped digging in he closet and stood up. Someone was in he connected bathroom, showering. Richard stalked closer to the door and creeped inside, spying a pile of female clothing to match the voice.
"Who's been staying in my house?" Richard asked planning on trying to scare the girl out of coming back to this house. His house, even before the plague hit, Richard remembered and he felt weird about anyone being allowed inside.
Save for her.
He pulled back the shower curtain to reveal the intruder. Old he noticed how warm it felt in the bathroom, everything heavy with humidity
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 16, 2012 12:31:57 GMT -5
Athena pushed her hair back from her face, and stood there for a moment, letting the warmth of the shower calm and relax her. She leaned forward, her face in the water again, then leaning back she looked down at her blue feet. Her nose scrunched in displeasure, the odd blue color of her feet always bothered her. She hated the color blue ever since the outbreak. It just brought back too many unpleasant memories.
She relaxed her wings, letting them fall slightly from her back. She grabbed a treasured small piece of soap that lay on the side of the shower, and began to rub we hands together, the bubbles forming. Athena heard a slight noise outside the door, as though someone was talking, but thought nothing of it. She knew nothing was out there, and that she was probably hearing things. Until someone burst into the shower. Her wings turned golden in a moment, Athena falling back. "What the hell?!" She cried, bringing her wings forward to cover her body. "What the fuck do you-" she screamed, her eyes turning red, but then she recognized the face. It was Richard.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 17, 2012 18:43:28 GMT -5
Richard gasped averting his eyes immediately after he recognized her. Athena. Athena? Athena
Heat flooded his cheeks, embarrassment? That couldn't be right, Richard didn't get embarrassed, especially by a naked female. But Richards were focused on the space just above his head to his right, it was where a tile was missing. He remembered climbing on the edge of the sink to take the flat head screw driver to the edges of it. Richard had thought he might be able to hide something behind it when he was younger, like he'd seen in a movie.
It turned out that it was a lot harder to get the tile to go back on the wall. HIs mother was not too happy about that, but she couldn't stay mad at him long.When he was younger, and his power less developed, his aroma was just pleasant and persuasive there was no adverse side effect until he hit puberty and power grew meaner.
"Athena." He breathed her name in a heavy sigh as he unconsciously took a step backwards, his body already ready to run for the hills, but something kept his other foot rooted in spot. The bare skin of his chest was now covered in a thin layer of water from the humid air.
It seemed he was destined to not have a shirt on around her, though this time she didn't either, the sexual part of his mind pondered at, while the other part, the rational part was screaming at him to run. Run away from the beautiful gold winged angel!
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 17, 2012 18:56:52 GMT -5
"Get out!" She shouted. Yes, Athena was happy to see him, but while she was naked? Bad timing. She took a step back, her heel hitting the side of the wall. Her other foot slipped on the wet tile, causing her to stumble and fall with a loud thump. "Damnit! That fucking hurt!" She cursed, gritting her teeth and her red eyes narrowing. She hit the ground with her fist in anger, the tile cracking. She pulled her legs up to her chest, and leaned her legs to the side slightly. She relaxed her wings, letting them fall back from covering her body. Even though the way her legs were positioned covered her well, her body was still very exposed.
"Ugh!" She dragged out, throwing her head back. Her hand was bruised now, due to how hard she hit the tile.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 17, 2012 19:23:24 GMT -5
Richard visibly flinched when she shouted at him. Oh no, she was mad. He shouldn't expect anything other than that. And when he heard the thud his eyes flicked back to look at her, seeing her fall. He clenched his hands into fists, conflicted between listening to her first command or checking to see if she was okay.
Choosing the later he picked up the towel she'd had in the bathroom. It was the Blue towel, the one Richards mom always had him pack when he went on trips with his tennis team. He moved forward to drape the towel across her form.
"Hey now, be nice to my house." He looked at the cracks in the tile with pain in his eyes, but tried to force a playful tone into his voice, but everything just came out strained and sad.
"Are you okay Athena?"
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 17, 2012 19:35:28 GMT -5
"Your house?" She asked, looking up at him with a questioning look. She picked up her hand, and grabbed the towel Richard had laid on her, holding it to her chest as she carefully stood up. "I'm sorry, I just got a bit angry. It's a problem I have" she sighed, wrapping the towel around her. Her wings lay flat on her back, glancing down at the nearly destroyed piece of tile. "I'll try to fix it" she smiled slightly. The golden color of her wings began to fade, and her red eyes changing back to their normal blue.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 17, 2012 19:45:14 GMT -5
"Yes my house." He told her not really wanting to go into much more detail about it other than that. "My house that seems to be taking pretty good care of you." Richard commented, she didn't look terrible and she obviously wasn't to weak, judging by the damage she did to his mother's favorite tiles.
Richard immediately focused on the color change of her wings. He was pondering what it meant, perhaps that she was relaxing, maybe she had a chameleon like quality or maybe mood ring-ish. All that really mattered was that she was smiling, even if it was slight. Perhaps that meant she didn't hate him too terribly.
"You don't have to fix it." He told her not wanting to inconvenience her. Chivalry was supposed to have been long dead by now, but he couldn't help but want to make things as easy on her as possible.
"And angry you is kind of hot." He winked at her suggestively.
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 17, 2012 20:02:54 GMT -5
"Yeah," she scoffed, "you haven't seen my bad side yet Richie," She unconsciously shortened his name. Stepping out of the shower, she quickly bent over and grabbed her bra, then tried to grab her shirt, which he happened to be standing on "Excuse me," she cooed, pointing at her shirt and looking up at Richard. He didn't look any different, down to being shirtless. But this time he was also pants less. She smiled slightly.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 17, 2012 20:25:10 GMT -5
Richard grinned coyly, when she tried to retrieve her shirt. "I actually quite like you without this." He scooped down claiming the shirt as his own. "Call it rental fee, for living in my house." He joked her, not catching the use of his nickname. It was so natural to be referred to it, that even after years of no one calling him Richie, it still felt right.
Richard slung her shirt over his shoulder and started to leave the bathroom. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish getting dressed." He told her and moved to leave. "You're welcome to join me." He flirted, his earlier fear over meeting her again momentarily forgotten.
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 17, 2012 20:33:16 GMT -5
"Hey! Give me that!" She snapped, reaching for her shirt, although slightly flirtatious. She eyed her pants and underwear in the doorway, ready to leap for them if Richard was going to take them too. Her eyes narrowed, looking back up at Richard. Her boots were by the shower, but she would rather leave them there than wear them, the cloth on her feet always felt restricting.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 17, 2012 20:47:08 GMT -5
Richard gave and tossed the clothing back at her, it was too cold to let her run around in just a bra. He went back to the closet of the connected master bedroom. "I'm going to change in here." Her told her grabbing the duffle of clothes. "I'll meet you downstairs in the family room, I have a fire going." He said while he knelt to unzip the compartments.
"We can catch up and stuff..." He paused for a second and looked up at her meeting her eyes.
"I've missed you." he admitted before looking away and back down to his clothes, ending the conversation. He turned his back to her to change is boxers among other things.
Downstairs, and dressed in clean thick clothes Richard waited to see if Athena would come down stairs. He currently was sitting in front of the fire, trying to heat up some cans of soup carefully in the fireplace.
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Post by Athena Diorio on Oct 17, 2012 20:59:05 GMT -5
"Thank you" she commented, catching her shirt when he tossed it back to her. "I-" she was taken aback when he said he missed her. She thought he hated her at one point, and that he never even thought to remember her. "I'll meet you downstairs then" she finished her sentence.
She picked up the other articles of clothing in the doorway when Richard walked out, then closed it. She dropped the towel, and preceded to pull on her underwear and bra. Then after stepping into her shirt and pulling it up over her hips and threading her arms into the holes. She was halfway done pulling on her pants when she stopped, debating on actually wearing them. They were skin tight, which didn't protect much from the cold. Plus Richard claimed he had a fire going. Athena shrugged, pulling her pants away from her legs and throwing them to the side. Finally, the turned off the shower, before turning to walk out the door.
Athena began to make her way downstairs, barefoot. She immediately felt warmer when her feet hit the bottom step, a sigh of comfort escaping her lips. "It feels great in here" she smiled, walking into the living room, then plopping down onto the floor beside Richard.
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Post by Richard Gades on Oct 18, 2012 7:09:14 GMT -5
Richard perked up a smilie immediately appearing when he heard her enter the room. Richard turned to look her over when she sat down, his eyes quickly travelled over her top to bottom, and quickly did a double take. No pants. Interesting.
"What I wouldn't do to have some 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire.'" Richard quoted the old Christmas tune, one he hated heard in years. "Jack Frost nipping on your nose." He continued humming meeting her eyes.
"There's soup heating that you an have later." He told her avoiding the real subject. He prodded at the logs of the fire, sending up a small cloud of ash. They swirled in the air briefly, reminding him of milky way that could now be seen in the sky.
"It's almost Christmas time." Richard commented he was one of the few who still liked to keep track of the days, months, and hours after the end. Holidays and solstices still existed in his mind.
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