earlymorninstar

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Alyssa had nearly flinched as she heard Mansfield bark orders out once more – a habit that she knew she had to break soon. It wasn't as if she were home and it was her father losing his mind over something or another – this was her new employer and it would do her no good to be on edge over the fact that he had raised his voice. She really didn't mind bringing in her own things, after all, and when the man came to grab the box from her, she offered an apologetic look before Mansfield's hand on her arm had made her turn to look first at his hand, and then at him.

All at once she shook her head. "No; It's alright, really… I don't mind." Alyssa tried offering, although he was dead set on having the moving people do every little bit of work – which made sense considering that was what he was paying them to do. But, they'd been so behind schedule that she couldn't help but dig her own fingers in and grab a box or two if she could – anything she could do to help, regardless of the fact that Mansfield had immediately put a stop to it. She brushed a stray curl from her face as he spoke, somewhere throughout the day she had put it up in a ponytail, but it always had a habit of falling loose here and there, little curls tumbling around her face and neck even if she tucked them away. "And yes – " She began, answering his next question. "I found everything I need so far, at least – I should be just fine." Alyssa reassured him, although, she tilted her head a bit curiously over his offer for dinner.

Really, she had anticipated on getting all of her things together and sorted. A man like him had seemed busy enough, and unless Nathan had to show her anything else, she would have managed to linger about her room before sleep inevitably took over. Without a doubt she would be up first thing in the morning tomorrow to get a fresh start. But now that he had asked her to join him for dinner, something she very well never expected, it had thrown a wrench in her plans. Although – her curiosity was piqued. Already, the man before her had proven to be both exhilarating and exhausting with such eccentric behavior, but she was interested to learn more about just who she would be working for…

"Alright – " Alyssa had agreed with a small nod of her head. "Seven-thirty, then." She repeated just to make sure that she had gotten the time right, and had offered a small smile before he was off yet again, Nathan soon trailing behind him. She breathed a slow sigh as the movers continued to brush past her before she finally made her way back up the rest of the stairs and towards her room. She didn't have terribly too long to get herself situated before dinner, but she wanted to make sure that everything she had was where she wanted it to be – clothes unpacked and things put away neatly. The books she had brought were each stacked up in her own order, and after a long while she had at least been content with most of it.

This was going to be her new space for now – and it was awfully different than what she was used to. Although she knew she would have to adapt to such a strange place and, well, strange employer, this really had to have been good for her in the long run. No more did she have to worry about if her father was going to be breathing in his chair or his bed the next morning. No more did she have to try and clean up his awful messes day in and day out. No more did she have to deal with his constant abuses – however extreme that they had gotten as of late.

It was so very odd to have all of that suddenly missing from her daily routine.

As she sat there on the edge of her bed, reflecting for a moment, Alyssa was immediately brought back to the present at the memory of dinner. She blinked as she looked down to the thin watch on her wrist, cursing under her breath that the time had slipped her by. She glanced at herself in the mirror, quickly straightening out her top and skirt before she frowned at her hair, quickly pulling it out of the ponytail. A clip later and it was up in some messy up-do, those same unruly curls falling through in a few spots. She'd blown one from her face with a sigh and a shrug at her own reflection. Whatever – it would have to do anyway.

Coming out of her room, she quickly made her way down the hall and around the top banister of the staircase before coming down the stairs. As soon as she was in the foyer she glanced at her wrist again. Now… Where was the dining room again? She bit her lip for a moment as she thought about where Mansfield had taken her around earlier that day. She took the moment to look around, realizing after a few seconds that it had been just off the foyer. She quickly and quietly made her way into the dining room, seeing Mansfield sitting by himself at the head of a ridiculously long table, and she immediately apologized. "Ah- I'm sorry I'm cutting it close." She murmured as she looked down at the watch on her wrist again, her words quiet. "I was trying to get everything sorted and lost track of time…"

@freedomliveson

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Alyssa had caught it – the brief moment of pause at her response – the silence filled the air between them for only a second, but she had noticed the subtle shift in his expression and suddenly she felt if she was being scrutinized. He was a psychiatrist, after all, he probably knew the ins and outs of behavior and reasons why people did the things they'd done… And she wondered briefly if he knew more about her than she had even let off. He could have never guessed her secrets, she was sure of it – he could have never known what she'd come from or what she had dealt with throughout the years – he couldn't get past all of those walls that she had made sure to put up and secure. But in that brief, fleeting moment, she hesitated – and then he was right back at it with his quick words as he nearly bounded down the stairs. She could only stare after him, wrapping her mind around everything that had just happened within the short amount of time that she'd set foot in the house.

Perhaps she had a silly look on her face, but Nathan's words had pulled her from her thoughts and she blinked, focusing on him at the bottom of the stairs for a moment longer. His joke really had fallen thin – mainly due to the fact that it had seemed more a fact than a joke. She already could gather how very eccentric he really was, and she'd only met him for a few moments… Insanity, well, it seemed more plausible than laughable.

Alyssa quickly shook her head as she moved to step down the staircase towards him, brushing away a stray curl from her face in the wake of it all. "I'm sorry – I'm just…" She began with a small smile. "Just trying to figure out how this all happened that quickly, is all. It's a bit to take in…" She offered, her voice quiet and still cautious. She was almost waiting for him to burst right back through that door as if it were all a joke and she was foolish to believe it all.

Once more, Nathan had brought her back from reality as her gaze shifted to the front door, almost to quell her own worries before she looked back to him. "Ah – my address. Yes – thankfully, I don't live too far off from here…" Alyssa explained before she had given him her address, eager to travel along to get her things in an effort to make sure that everything arrived in one piece.

She hadn't intended on taking too much – she really didn't need to bring too much at the end of the day, but once those men were in her little house, it seemed that they simply unleashed and filtered in like ants, wrapping things up and shoving them in the truck before she could even dispute it. It was odd, her empty little house full of life that seemed so out of place in that moment. Who would have thought every bit of her life could be packed up so easily and tossed aside? Who would have thought that just hours later she would have been standing in an empty bedroom, wondering if she really had made the right decision?

What was so terribly wrong about it? She had placed herself in a good position and she was doing everything she could to help her father… who, truthfully, she wasn't so sure he deserved it. At the end of the day, he was her father and no matter how many times she had to pick herself up off the floor, patch up a hole in the wall, hide a bruise or two – she would still be there at the end of the day just to make sure that he was okay… Part of her couldn't blame him – he had lost a wife when her mother passed away, but she had also lost her mother as well… They both had to deal with a loss, but Alyssa had to deal with her father's depression instead…

She shook her head to rid herself of her wandering thoughts, breathing a slow sigh as she eyed her empty room once more. This was a good thing – it had to be, for her father's sake and hers.

And maybe the eccentric Mr. Coates would keep her busy enough that she wouldn't have to dwell on it much longer. She could collect a paycheck and send it right on its way – she could breathe for once…

Eventually they had ended up back at the large house, her belongings already being shuffled inside and she was quick to try and unpack and sort everything through. The entire ordeal had taken far too long for her liking, and apparently from what she'd heard through the open front door that she knew Nathan had ran off to – it wasn't to the liking of a certain Mr. Coates, either. She nearly flinched at his tone as she carried one of her own boxes up the stairs, wondering if her suspicion that he might have a bit of suppressed anger behind that eccentricity was true as well…

@freedomliveson

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Hahaha alright!!

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Everything was happening so terribly fast that Alyssa was nearly second-guessing her own decisions. He seemed quite pleased with her even after a quick assessment and before she knew it, he was ready to take her on a tour of the home. And yet, he had this sweeping way of flooding her with every little detail in such a short amount of time that she found herself almost overwhelmed, drowning in information and answers before she could even ask the question. It was almost exhilarating – perhaps more interaction than she'd gotten with anyone over the past few months. She'd been used to the general passers-by at the library, answering an occasional question once in a while, which- truth-be-told - had been nice. On the other hand, she'd also been used to the constant swearing and demeaning from her father. This bit of interaction had been so foreign to her that she nearly fought to grasp at the ends of it before it slipped away.

No, Alyssa couldn't very well disappoint her new employer – she was determined to make good by her promise that she would be perfectly capable. However, she felt as if she had enough self-doubt that should she try to bottle it up, it would still overflow. How difficult would it be to keep the place tidy? She'd done it day in and day out at home, now she was only in a much larger home – more ground to cover and only enough time in the day to do so. Still, Alyssa was up for the challenge and as long as it kept her mind busy and the bills paid, then there was absolutely nothing she could complain about.

Although, the more Mr. Coates had spoken, the more she wondered just how eccentric he really was. He'd complained about the gardens and yet, she could see nothing wrong with them. They seemed far from dreary in her eye, but then again, who was she to know a thing or two about formal gardens? Maybe she just was ignorant in the subject and he knew exactly what he was talking about?

The girl remained awfully quiet as he soon was leading her throughout the home, the click of her heels steadily behind him was perhaps the only sound that came from her as she absorbed every bit of information he'd fed her. The place was much larger than she could have expected, and she continued to make mental notes of where everything was should she become lost one day or another. At least there were other employees around – she could use the help getting on her own two feet at least.

They had eventually ended up to where she was to stay and she had gotten a quick peek in the room before he led her away once more. Of course it was far more luxurious than she was used to. Their little two bedroom home only held so much – so suddenly be able to have her own, rather large room, to her herself was rather exciting. Maybe she could get a decent wink of sleep once in a while here, where she didn't have to worry so much about her father and what he might be getting into once she'd gone to bed. Perhaps this entire ordeal was a blessing in disguise.

Alyssa followed him in silence, still grasping her portfolio to her chest while she listened to him. However, her curiosity was piqued at the mention that the right side of the home had been off limits and she raised a brow without meaning to. She'd almost parted her lips to ask about it, but thought against it. It wasn't her place, first off, and thankfully Nathan had interrupted her before she'd made the poor decision. Thankfully so, she had shifted a bit in place while they both spoke, once more her curiosity lit as Mansfield addressed her again. A psychiatrist? Perhaps that was why he was so haphazard in deciding to hire her after only a few short minutes of discussion. He probably could figure out that she wasn't some sort of crazy woman that he was inviting in his home – but then she wondered just what else he could have noticed.

Her thoughts had been cut off abruptly as his next words had given her pause before she immediately shook her head to answer his question. "No, sir—" She needed this job terribly and she'd be a fool to simply leave it without warning. Although, she wondered just why others had done just that – the little snippet of a possible temper that she'd just seen could have very well been a reason. Or, maybe he was hiding some massive secret within the rooms on the right side of the house. Her imagination could have run wild, but she thought it best not to speculate… At least not while standing right in front of him. "Like I've previously said, I do not expect to disappoint." Alyssa finally reiterated. "And, I believe you have everything covered, as far as any questions I could have had. I'm sure if anything comes up, Nathan could be of some assistance." She gave a little shrug of her shoulders then. No, he didn't have to worry about her in the least. She intended on getting her job done at the end of the day and staying out of everyone's hair by the end of it all – just as she was used to at home.

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

No problem at all!! :)

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara hadn’t intended on slipping off - amidst all of the chaos and the blood being taken from her, all she really had wanted to do was sleep even though part of her had wanted to remain aware of just what was going on around her. Eventually, sleep had taken her under, and regardless of how she thought it might have been a welcome thing, her dreams were where she couldn’t escape her past even if she tried. And this time, with the sudden recollection of that night thrust into the forefront of her memories, it was only bound to be worse.

She’d pictured every detail; felt every emotion - remembered both the fear and exhilaration of running away from home, clinging to the hope that she could start anew on her own, as if the notion of a young girl off on her own in the world was more than possible. Looking back on it now, she knew full well she would have been killed - be it by human, monster, or animal, it would have been inevitable that she wouldn’t have lasted. And yet, amongst her frenzied running in an effort to get far away from her father and her family before they knew she was gone - he’d been there.

Throughout the years she’d been able to forget certain things. The sharp lines of each and every detail had been blurred and faded, but the pain of his absence had still remained. She was able to recall every sound, feel every touch, smell every smell - reliving each and every moment. The pain of it all, when he’d finally sealed the deal on her immortality hadn’t even been as terrible as it could have been - at least not to her now, after all of the pain and wounds she’d endured over the years, the self-inflicted damaged she’d caused herself in an effort to pull herself from the world she’d no longer wished to exist in -- it was when she had woken up in Christian’s home - the realization that the man in front of her wasn’t the one whos hushed words still hung on the air, who had turned her into a monster all at once against her own will -- that man was gone, and he was long gone - she would learn, as she went on an inevitable and eternal search.

That hollowness - the emptiness that filled her soul in his absence is what hurt the most. The bond that was supposed to be formed day in and day out had been severed at birth - and it was an ache that she could never rid herself of.

Clara had awoken with a start, taking in a sharp breath as her eyes had shot open. It took her a moment to focus on the room, to realize exactly where she was at before she’d given a small groan. She felt exhausted and her body felt heavy. She felt as if she couldn’t even lift her own head if she tried. The frown fell upon her lips as she willed away that feeling - the ache that her nightmares always brought her as she turned her head to see Kieran still unconscious in the bed next to her.

She’d only focused on Ryanair next after a long moment, and she breathed a slow sigh. “Ironic, isn’t it?” Her words were quiet, almost a whisper on the air throughout the beeps of the monitors that Kieran was hooked up to. “That the one thing he’d thrown away was the one thing he ended up needing.” Clara spoke, her words heavy with disdain as she turned her head to look at the ceiling. Why she continued to put herself through this was beyond her -- part of her had been ready to run out the door, let him die then and there. She really would get over it -- she would have to. It couldn’t have been much worse than the empty bond that they barely shared.

@Arista

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

You as well!!

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Of all things Alyssa had been expecting of an interview, the sudden whirlwind of conversation and details had not exactly been fully anticipated. He was quite the interesting sort of man, from what she could gather in those few short moments, at least. She could have hardly gotten a word in even if she tried; however, part of her was pleased over such a thing. The less she had to talk and fight for herself, the better. On paper, she knew full well she wasn't exactly qualified, however, from experience, she was probably overly suited for the position. She was used to picking up other people's messes day in and day out, fixing things that had gotten broken along the way, tidying up and keeping organized to the best of her ability when she needed to.

He seemed pleased that she had a degree even though it hardly pertained to the job at all. Then again, she wasn't sure she would have wanted someone who hadn't gone to at least some form of schooling roaming their home. She supposed you had to hold a level of trust over someone who was going to take over such a position, and she had hoped she would have come off as such. At least, Alyssa would give him no reason to think otherwise. She listened to him rattle off his favorite genres and what he'd been interested in and thankfully it had helped her relax in the slightest. Reading and writing had most definitely been where she found herself most comfortable, and if that was the one thing they would have in common, then so be it. Although, she didn't quite know how much interaction she would have with him other than this interview.

Alyssa had parted her lips to try and give him an answer, but he quickly had silenced her to move onto other things. She couldn't help but blink, the tilt of her head showing her curiosity to how quick he was able to switch from one topic to another. It was almost exhilarating as it was nearly exhausting. She had inkling that this man was full of much more knowledge than she could fathom.

Still, she listened to him, unsure of where she still stood; unsure of what more he could have wanted to know about her; unsure of if she would even land the job. Everything he threw at her she immediately took away, almost tempted to write everything down in case she'd missed something important. From what she could gather, she would be obligated to live there, which wouldn't be a terrible problem considering there was nothing for her at home at this point. She would have to learn everything from Nathan – whom she supposed was the man who had led her into this room in the first place. At least he seemed nice enough – hopefully they would be able to get along, that is, if she had gotten the job. Then there was the salary, which had caught her mildly off-guard. It was much more than what she'd made at the library, that was for certain, and it would get her well on her way to paying for her father – especially if she really didn't have to worry about other expenses considering she would be staying there.

Alyssa had shifted slightly in her seat, still gripping onto the edges of her portfolio in her lap as if her nerves had still been coursing through her, but she had brightened in the slightest over the mention of it, almost a bit of relief crossing her features – even more so when she was suddenly told that she did, in fact, have the job. Just like that. Just like it was nothing at all – as if she wasn't worrying to death over what she would do if she didn’t get it.

She had blinked in her surprise, almost forgetting to answer his question all at once, but Alyssa quickly shook her head, the waves of her blonde hair falling around her shoulders. "I – Just –" Clearly she was at a loss for words momentarily before she collected herself rather quickly. "Sorry," She just as quickly apologized with almost an embarrassed smile on her lips. "Thank you, I mean. I really appreciate the opportunity, and I won't disappoint." She reassured him, once more, as if she needed to.

@freedomliveson

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Haha works fine with me!

[Save Me From The Dark] freedomliveson x earlymorninstar

Oh, if it really was only a change in routine that she was after, she would have certainly found something better to do than to work for someone as their personal housekeeper that was for certain. Alyssa absolutely could imagine quite a few other things to keep herself occupied in the absence of her father, however, none of those held any amount of monetary gain which she needed to keep him exactly where he needed to be for the time being. She was forced into this, more so than she would like to admit, and silently hoped it would not be as terrible as she was already deducing it to be. Hell, she certainly had enough practice picking up after her own father half of the time – at least this bit of work wouldn't come with the inevitable abuse that soon sprouted up in her own home.

Nathan had instructed her to wait and soon she had been left alone in that large room, awkwardly standing in the middle of it all. Her gaze roamed the walls and furniture, the fine things all thrown together in one room. Perhaps they lingered on the bar for a little longer than they should have – she would certainly give for something to calm her own nerves, but, she'd strayed from liquor at least for a while now, given the hell that she had to live with because of it. Alyssa hadn't quite known how long she'd been standing there, simply observing and taking everything in piece by piece before she'd heard the large steps behind her.

Alyssa had quickly turned to face him as soon as he had entered the room, so it wouldn't seem as if she was making too much of a fool of herself for gawking at his belongings. If anything, she seemed curious, however, when she finally had met the owner – Mansfield Coats. He hardly was what she was anticipating, considering he was much younger than the image she held in her mind. Typically, she had only pictured some old, lonely soul locked away in a big house with so many expensive tastes and belongings, but the man who stood in front of her was far from what she could have expected.

She had easily allowed her smile to fall about her lips again as he introduced himself, and she was thankful that the other man had at least informed him of her name prior. "Good afternoon, Mr. Coates." She replied formally enough before he had instructed her to sit. She'd easily extended her hand to shake his as well before she smoothed her skirt down beneath her as she sat. She felt as if she were a bundle of nerves, hoping not to ruin the opportunity, knowing how terribly she needed it – hoping she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

Alyssa had placed her portfolio in her lap before she opened it, taking out the neatly typed resume before she had handed it to him. And here came the awful moment of having to sell herself – She always felt so terribly awkward when she had to talk about herself. What really was there to tell? The truth was far too depressing for anyone to hear, and she would never come out and say it even if she wanted to. It was always best to fluff up the truth as best she could. Think positive, Alyssa…

She had tilted her head in thought for a moment, as she neatly crossed her legs, her hands sitting just as neatly in her lap. "Well, I'm not sure exactly what you'd like to know.. " She began after a moment. "I've always lived around here, for starters. Graduated with a BA in English Language and Literature from Fairleigh Dickinson University by the city – hardly had a chance to actually use it, of course." She offered with a small smile. "Been employed by a few places, all of which I've stayed quite a few years before other opportunities had arisen – the most recent being the local public library – " She continued. Such silly little facts, all of which he could have gathered by her resume all on his own. "To be honest, I haven't quite held a job such as this one, but I'm absolutely a quick learner and more than organized and qualified to fill it." She added as an afterthought, almost defending herself as if she needed to.

@freedomliveson