He has always felt alone. The darkness creeps in on silent feet, crawling at him as they grab onto him. His eyes closed, and his hands are balled into fists. It hurts to breathe. It's a panic attack.
Not again! Not here!
As the newest student at Foremistia Academy, Steve Falenwolfe has planned for today to be a good, normal day. But when has Steve ever had a normal day in his entire life? As a young adult - he is now fifteen, an adult in Elf and other such species - he is expected to act normal. Cool. And adult.
But he is not a full-blooded Elf. Or even a Vampire! He's always been bullied for being a round ear, a half-blood. His breathing painfully quickens and he halts his walking, someone slams into him behind, throwing him onto the ground. He lets out a yell and flails until he falls.
Not again! This is the worst day of my life!
He had just picked up his schedule and was going to his first class - Human sciences. He starts muttering Russian and Romanian curses as he tries to stand, finding himself - embarrassingly - unbalanced. He falls back on his rear.
A half-blooded Vampire-Elf, Steve was born in Romania near a forest that he and his folks jokingly called Transylvania. But little did they know how accurate they were!
He has always felt alone. The darkness creeps in on silent feet, crawling at him as they grab onto him. His eyes closed, and his hands are balled into fists. It hurts to breathe. It's a panic attack.
Not again! Not here!
As the newest student at Foremistia Academy, Steve Falenwolfe has planned for today to be a good, normal day. But when has Steve ever had a normal day in his entire life? As a young adult - he is now fifteen, an adult in Elf and other such species - he is expected to act normal. Cool. And adult.
But he is not a full-blooded Elf. Or even a Vampire! He's always been bullied for being a round ear, a half-blood. His breathing painfully quickens and he halts his walking, someone slams into him behind, throwing him onto the ground. He lets out a yell and flails until he falls.
Not again! This is the worst day of my life!
He had just picked up his schedule and was going to his first class - Human sciences. He starts muttering Russian and Romanian curses as he tries to stand, finding himself - embarrassingly - unbalanced. He falls back on his rear.
A half-blooded Vampire-Elf, Steve was born in Romania near a forest that he and his folks jokingly called Transylvania. But little did they know how accurate they were!
Brushing a strand of her long sandy-blonde hair out of tired blue eyes, she looked down at the piece of paper clutched in her scarred hands. The young girl, fourteen years old, was still processing what had happened in the past month. Her father had let her go to school. For the first time since her mother died, all those years ago, she was allowed to go to school.
Eaden didn't actually remember when her mom had been alive, but she'd inferred things from the way her father talked about the woman. Eaden didn't know it, but she'd been adopted at the age of four, after her mother had died and her biological dad had dropped her on the side of a street. Now she lived with the man who had adopted her, who she assumed to be her biological father.
She - not paying attention - let out a yelp as she tripped over something - no, someone - and fell. She lost hold of her schedule, watching it flutter away as she propped herself up with her forearm. "Sorry," she said, standing up, smoothing out her black dress. Eaden looked to see who she'd tripped over. A boy who looked just a bit older than her, looking anything but happy.
She wasn't exactly a fan of boys, as the only one she knew was her father, who would hurt her multiple times a day. Therefore, she attempted to shrink into herself, taking a tiny step back. "Sorry," she said again.
__________________
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Brushing a strand of her long sandy-blonde hair out of tired blue eyes, she looked down at the piece of paper clutched in her scarred hands. The young girl, fourteen years old, was still processing what had happened in the past month. Her father had let her go to school. For the first time since her mother died, all those years ago, she was allowed to go to school.
Eaden didn't actually remember when her mom had been alive, but she'd inferred things from the way her father talked about the woman. Eaden didn't know it, but she'd been adopted at the age of four, after her mother had died and her biological dad had dropped her on the side of a street. Now she lived with the man who had adopted her, who she assumed to be her biological father.
She - not paying attention - let out a yelp as she tripped over something - no, someone - and fell. She lost hold of her schedule, watching it flutter away as she propped herself up with her forearm. "Sorry," she said, standing up, smoothing out her black dress. Eaden looked to see who she'd tripped over. A boy who looked just a bit older than her, looking anything but happy.
She wasn't exactly a fan of boys, as the only one she knew was her father, who would hurt her multiple times a day. Therefore, she attempted to shrink into herself, taking a tiny step back. "Sorry," she said again.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Steve says quietly as he starts to stumble up, racing away to grab her schedule. When he has it, he comes back and holds it out to her and looks at the ground. "We have Human Sciences together." He murmurs and looks away again.
Great. The first person I meet doesn't like me. Or so he thinks. He's not used to being around other people.
He smells her. It's weird - she's the first person he's ever been able to smell. He looks down at her, and notices her scarred hands. He holds out his own, and notices that their scars are almost identical. He then puts his hands behind his back, to hide the embarrassment of his father's abuse.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Steve says quietly as he starts to stumble up, racing away to grab her schedule. When he has it, he comes back and holds it out to her and looks at the ground. "We have Human Sciences together." He murmurs and looks away again.
Great. The first person I meet doesn't like me. Or so he thinks. He's not used to being around other people.
He smells her. It's weird - she's the first person he's ever been able to smell. He looks down at her, and notices her scarred hands. He holds out his own, and notices that their scars are almost identical. He then puts his hands behind his back, to hide the embarrassment of his father's abuse.
She smelled like roses with the tiniest hint of blood. Eaden stared wide-eyed at his scarred hands, frozen. So far, he was the first person she'd ever seen like that. Like her. When he hid his hands, she took her schedule, noticing with great fear that he was right.
Eaden had her first class with him.
"O-oh," she stuttered, swallowing nervously.
__________________
❝ GOOD MOOOOOORNING!! Are you ready to complete your contractual obligations? ❞
She smelled like roses with the tiniest hint of blood. Eaden stared wide-eyed at his scarred hands, frozen. So far, he was the first person she'd ever seen like that. Like her. When he hid his hands, she took her schedule, noticing with great fear that he was right.
Eaden had her first class with him.
"O-oh," she stuttered, swallowing nervously.
"Are... Are you... What's wrong?" He asks, shying away as he wonders what he did wrong this time. Fear is evident in his bright leaf green right eye, but there is a blankness in his left, blood-red eye. The sheer smell of her almost pushes him over the edge - he can painfully feel his fangs shift, and they then dig at his lip, making it bleed. He almost yells - it's painful, but not overly so.
He genuinely hopes he hadn't done something wrong. He wishes he was back in Romania - or even Russia - because then he would feel more at home.
"Are... Are you... What's wrong?" He asks, shying away as he wonders what he did wrong this time. Fear is evident in his bright leaf green right eye, but there is a blankness in his left, blood-red eye. The sheer smell of her almost pushes him over the edge - he can painfully feel his fangs shift, and they then dig at his lip, making it bleed. He almost yells - it's painful, but not overly so.
He genuinely hopes he hadn't done something wrong. He wishes he was back in Romania - or even Russia - because then he would feel more at home.
She felt her face flush red. "Oh, no no, nothing's wrong," Eaden tried to assure him, forcing a smile onto her face. "Just, ehm... nervous," she said quickly. Father had taught her that she must appear to be fine in every situation, otherwise...
She shivered, clutching her wrist.
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❝ GOOD MOOOOOORNING!! Are you ready to complete your contractual obligations? ❞
She felt her face flush red. "Oh, no no, nothing's wrong," Eaden tried to assure him, forcing a smile onto her face. "Just, ehm... nervous," she said quickly. Father had taught her that she must appear to be fine in every situation, otherwise...
She shivered, clutching her wrist.
Something is not normal. He thinks to himself before shrugging it off. If she doesn't want to talk about it, he will not pry. It's none of his concern anyways! "You're new here, aren't you...?"
Something is not normal. He thinks to himself before shrugging it off. If she doesn't want to talk about it, he will not pry. It's none of his concern anyways! "You're new here, aren't you...?"
Eaden nodded, looking away. "Yes," she answered.
__________________
❝ GOOD MOOOOOORNING!! Are you ready to complete your contractual obligations? ❞
Relief fills him and he tries not to smile, successfully. He no longer feels so alone - he has always been alone since... As long ago as he can remember.
He frowns at the ground before he looks at her. "I guess we should get to class then. Right."
Relief fills him and he tries not to smile, successfully. He no longer feels so alone - he has always been alone since... As long ago as he can remember.
He frowns at the ground before he looks at her. "I guess we should get to class then. Right."
Eaden nodded. "Yes," she said again, putting her schedule into her dress pocket. "We should." Eaden gave the boy a glance, too scared to ask his name, and began to make her way toward their first class.
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❝ GOOD MOOOOOORNING!! Are you ready to complete your contractual obligations? ❞
The Last Rose
