[center][h2] Facts of Grief[/h2] [h3][color=skyblue]இ [/color][color=#7BCDC8][i]ℭ [/i][/color][color=#57A3C6]h a r l e s[/color] [color=#4E99C6][i]Λ [/i][/color][color=#3F88C6]e o n[/color][color=skyblue] இ[/color] & [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/V2Ee2pk.jpg[/IMG] [/h3][hr][sub][h3][u][b]Time[/b][/u][/h3][h3]Day 3 ~ 2:30 pm [/h3][h3][u][b]Location[/b][/u][/h3][h3]Charles’ home [/h3][/sub][/center] [hr] Azulia hummed as she entered the house. Scratching at her skin, she looked at her arms and blinked at the sight of hives forming along her skin. She scratched at them confused of what could have caused them. The only thing that could cause such a reaction was animal fur. Frowning, she retraced her memory to earlier that day and frowned deeply when it hit her. [color=A569BD]“!”[/color] Making a shocked noise, her mind went back to a lady she met today and she just so happen to have a dog with her. She groaned and scratched in frustration. How, in all her careful movements around animals, could dog fur got on her. [color=A569BD]“Oh, there better be something for these damn things”[/color] she rushed to the bathroom after dropping her bag near the front door. After minutes upon minutes of rummaging through everything, she found an anti-itch cream in some of the drawers. Sighing with relief, she began to rub it into her irritated skin. A loud creak was heard in the foyer. It was followed by a loud thump when Charles shut the door on his way inside, his feet dragged across the wooden floor and stepped heavily into the living room. He casually removed his coat then hung it up the rack nearby. Every movement seemed to be weighed down by a sense of depression after his visit with Lilith, his mind conflicted and confused as usual by her condition. Each visit the symptoms seemed to wane and wax much like the phases of the moon, resulting in more conflict within himself. He rubbed the back of his neck to sooth the risen hairs lingering there. Upon briefly hearing the thunk of the cabinet, he paused in the middle of his walk and pulled back to glimpse down the hallway toward both the bedrooms and bathroom. His eyes narrowed a moment before he began to shift his direction to there. [color=#7BCDC8] “Azulia, is that you? Everything alright?”[/color] He asked in a calm, but cautious tone. It seemed he was prepared for it to be someone else. Azulia, not noticing the footsteps coming towards her position, continued to rub the salve into her skin, which had turned a bright red from her constant scratching. She jumped when she suddenly heard Charles’ voice come from outside the bathroom door. [color=A569BD]“U um y yeah, it's me,”[/color] she said, her arms twitching. She let out an impressive growl of annoyance as she lightly scratched the hives once again. [color=A569BD]“Say Charles, how long does this anti itch stuff take to kick in?”[/color] Charles overlooked the growl, assuming it was directed at the hives, and entered the restroom. He shook his head then reached for the anti-itch cream as he read the instructions. The professor frowned then answered,[color=#7BCDC8] “According to the instructions, in about five minutes for twenty-four hours relief. I suggest some witch hazel or an oatmeal soak, the later likely best.”[/color] He gently took the young girl’s arm and examined the botches before confirming his suspicions,[color=#7BCDC8] “Yes, an oatmeal soak is more likely. I’ll go get the oats, while you try to avoid itching it.”[/color] [color=A569BD]“Thanks, ugh can't believe that dog got fur on my skin, I was so careful”[/color] she muttered as she gripped the toilet trying not to itch the annoying bumps on her arms. [color=#7BCDC8] “From my understanding of physics and animal fur, it's not hard. They shed everywhere so avoiding it is like trying to avoid air: impossible. In fact, trying harder has likely made it worse,”[/color] Charles commented as he returned, overhearing the tail end of Azulia’s frustrated words, and then placed the oatmeal container on the sink’s counter. He gestured for her attention as he pulled down the salve and unscrewed the lid to show her the contents. The slightly off white wax was soft and room temperature, ideal for spreading it across skin. He thought for a moment and decided to check his assumption,[color=#7BCDC8] “Do you have any experience in how to prepare an oatmeal bath or do you need me to demonstrate for you?”[/color] Tightening her lips, she looked at the oatmeal. She never had to do it since she was never exposed to animals back when her mom was alive, her mom was extremely cautious about it, so she never had to take an oatmeal bath. [color=A569BD]“Well, mom was a cautious person, so she made sure I was never exposed after we found out about the allergy when I was a small child, so you would need to demonstrate it for me”[/color] she said with a sheepish shrug of her shoulders before scratching the hives again, muttering something that sounded like a cuss word. Charles looked harder at Azulia, either appearing to try to understand something or determining if she was bending the truth. After a moment, he let his facial features relax as he stated what was on his mind,[color=#7BCDC8] “I’m sorry to say, as parent myself, trying to shield your child from exposure to an allergy is easier said than done. Especially with something commonly found in everyday life. It might also explain your reaction being so terrible as well.”[/color] The professor moved toward the bath, his hand gestured for Azulia to move before he sat down upon the toilet lid and started the warm water. He popped opened the plastic lid then showed her how finely it was chopped by shifting it through his fingers. Finally he waited until about an inch or so of water had filled up the bottom when he began to measure out and dump about four hand scoops into the water. As the last one fell in, he then stirred the oatmeal until the water was a pale and watered down milky color. His hand withdrew from the water, shaking the excess water off a bit, to turn off the faucet. [color=#7BCDC8] “I’ll leave you to soak in there for about twenty to thirty minutes. That should stop the inflammatory and itching. After patting, not rubbing, yourself dry put this on,”[/color] he passed her the salve as he made his way out, adding to his earlier words. [color=#7BCDC8] “It should prevent the itch from emerging again,”[/color] his hand closed the door behind him. Azulia nodded and undressed. She got into the bath and laid there, lost in thought. She remember the day like it was yesterday. Her mom finally got a day off work to finally take her to the zoo like she always begged her for and the zoo happened to have a petting area. Azulia could remember petting one of the goats there and then a bunch of red bumps appearing on her skin. She could never forget the look of fear and panic on her mother’s face, not even a million years. She was in the hospital for a day and a half getting treated for the allergic reaction. She sunk more into the water and oats, her mother’s panic face clear in her mind as she drove her to the emergency room. [color=A569BD]“So much for getting a puppy that Christmas”[/color] she chuckled softly to herself. Thirty minutes went by quickly and soon she got out of the bath tub, wrapping herself with a towel nearby and patted herself dry. She looked at the slave Charles had gotten out and began to rub it into her skin. When she finished, she got redressed and exited the bathroom. Looking around for Charles, she found him shortly. [color=A569BD]“So am I still going with you to explore the college?”[/color] She asked. [color=#7BCDC8] “Yes, you are. Through I wasn’t expecting you to have a breakout when we did. Are you sure you feel up to it?”[/color] Charles asked as he lowered the newspaper he read during her soak, his attention pulled from it. Part of him had been rereading the article over the jail break in hopes a second review might reveal additional clues, but as expected there wasn’t any. That fact worried him on the inside. It was pointless to worry about it now, his exterior revealed little about his tension or stress over the matter to Azulia. Currently he appeared to be a calm individual waiting for her reply. Her eyebrow twitched as he said that. As if she was expecting it either and she gave him a look. She sat down and sighed, opening her mouth. [color=A569BD]“Yeah I am up to it. This will be the very first time I actually get to spend time with my adopted father. It's still strange to be here. I always wake up thinking my mom would come through that bedroom door any second now with a smile on her lips”[/color] She said tracing the table with her finger. [color=A569BD]“Did you ever think like that when someone you loved died?”[/color] She asked looking at him. [color=#7BCDC8] “All the time.”[/color] Charles leaned forward and placed the paper upon the coffee table at his side, folding it neatly on instinct. His eyes took a moment to casually study his adoptive daughter, taking the time to consider his next words carefully and finally broke the silence building between them,[color=#7BCDC8] “I have lived a very long life and experienced almost every emotion a man should and can. You would assume eventually someone like me would grow numb.”[/color] He let the words sink in a moment before he continued before he could be interrupted,[color=#7BCDC8] “I still feel it as if it was the first time. Even now, time to time I expect to walk up and hear a loved one’s voice calling to me to wake up. Some days, I find myself not wanting to even stir and rise from my bed. So I know very well about what you talk about.”[/color] Azulia was silent after he finished speaking, her mind wrapping around his words intently. They made sense to her now, but if she had heard the words months before, she wouldn't have been able to. She looked at him. [color=A569BD]“What were your thoughts and emotions when you found out I was coming and when you read the letter my mother wrote to you?”[/color] She said as she struggled to find words. [color=A569BD]“I only saw a few emotions when you read it, but I couldn't decipher them.”[/color] She said, her finger stopping its movements completely, pointed at an angle towards Charles. [color=#7BCDC8] “Honestly? I was shocked and a bunch of other emotions all mixed up. See, I had an unsavory encounter with a Prae arriving at my home and questioning me before your arrival. An incident I prefer to avoid getting into,”[/color] Charles stated, his figure rose and gestured for Azulia to follow him toward the coat rack. [color=#7BCDC8] “With my lifespan being rather lengthy, my memories aren’t the same as everyone. I have compartmentalize them or the past and present become hard to tell apart. Your mother was a wonderful, but sadly timid individual. Something you both have in common,”[/color] Charles began to place on his coat, his arm passed a umbrella toward her which indicated he wanted to be prepared incase it rained. He turned to size up Azulia, noting her facial features reflected her mother so well and brought the familiarity of depression to rise to the surface at knowing she would near again grace his or her daughter’s life ever again. At least she was in a better place, he thought bitterly. [color=#7BCDC8] “I’m sad you’ll never get to see her pride at the woman you will become, but current I see your presence as a gift. An unexpected and precious one. It’s the biggest reason I want you to enjoy being a child for however long you can because it’s an experience you’ll never get back and everyone should have once in their lifetimes.”[/color] Azulia stood and followed Charles to the door. She listened to his words carefully. She could tell he cared a lot for her mom and it made her feel happy. She somewhat knew that her life here wasn't good, but never knew why. She grabbed her purse. [color=A569BD]“I may not know what happened to mom here, but I'm glad she had someone here who cared for her like you did. She always used to say ‘My professor could have easily ignored it like everyone else, but he chose not to.’ She never truly gave your name for some reason, saying that when the time came, I would know.”[/color] Her eyes down casted a bit. [color=A569BD]“Being a nurse, she knew how short lives could be and how unexpected it could be taken away. She always told me stories of how she held some people’s hands in comfort as they slowly passed away, even if they did make her cry.”[/color] She looked at him. [color=A569BD]“I thank you for being a part of my mom’s life and even my own, Charles, or dad. Still don't know what to call you through,”[/color] she said blushing a little bit. [color=#7BCDC8] “Whatever makes you comfortable,”[/color] Charles said as he opened the door and guided her out with a hand upon her shoulder. [color=#7BCDC8] “If it helps I haven't been a father in a long time so I'm going to be bloody rusty at this, but keep in mind I have your best interests at heart. I intent to not fail your mom’s memory if I can help it.”[/color] Azulia smiled brightly and wrapped her danity arms around his midsection in a somewhat tight hug, her eyes closed as she felt a surge of emotion rise in her throat. The emotion was strong, but not strong enough to allow tears to fall.