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Post by Diana Herme on Jan 2, 2009 22:54:52 GMT -5
*Diana fiddled with the napkin dispenser on the table. The cracked and worn red linoleum on the booths seat, combined with the smooth Formica black table top and the black and white checked tiles of the diner all combined to make her feel somewhat familiar and safe. She had been at this diner many times during her life, most of which had been with Emily. Even now, she could remember having a sugar fight with Em’s only months before. Her father had had a promotion at work, and he had taken the family out for celebration chocolate sundaes. Everyone in town knew Joes Diner made the best, so this was where he had brought them all.
Emily had started the sugar war, tearing open her long sugar straw at both ends and then blowing sugar all over Diana, so of course Diana had had to respond with sugar from her own sugar package. Her father had yelled at them to stop, while their mother had only laughed and handed Diana more sugar straws from the next table. Not to be outdone, her father had quickly jumped up and ran to another table, scooping up their sugars and bringing them back for Emily. Diana’s eyes misted over at the memory, despite a slight chuckle rising to her lips. It all seemed like yesterday, though in reality it was so long ago now.
Now, the laughing sugar bandit of a sister she had loved forever was dead. With the help of Sebastion and the others, she had solved the mystery of her death and her involvement with the spirit of Bloody Mary. Without that need to find out what had happened, Diana’s life suddenly felt pointless. She should be eager to return to her life as a teacher of kindergarten children, but how could she go back to nap times and ABC’s, knowing all the things she knew now? The things she had seen… the things she had done.. they had changed her and she could never be the same.
Shredding her napkin, she glanced up at the large clock above the bakery stand. Five minutes until 6 pm. Sebastion had asked her to meet him here at six, to say goodbye she assumed. Now that she knew who and what he really was, she knew that he would have to move on to whatever nasty had crawled out from under someone else’s bed. His life had purpose - Meaning. It was something she envied. She hated to admit, if only to herself, that she would miss the son of a bitch. The kiss that they had shared, although brief, had hinted at the beginning of a life full of excitement and passion. Diana was hesitant to let that go.
Running a hand through her long blonde locks that hung loosely down her back, she pulled a compact out of her handbag to have a quick check of her makeup. Her red lipstick was the perfect match to the tight red sweater she wore. The mascara she wore complimented her pale blue eyes which were brighter today than they had been, their hue almost aqua in their appearance. Snapping the compact shut, she slipped it back into her bag, crossing her jean clad legs beneath the table, she looked up hopefully as she heard the bell above the door ring announcing someone’s arrival. *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Apr 8, 2009 13:54:08 GMT -5
With a reluctant crawl, Sebastian parked the Humvee at the diner and turned off the diesel. Thankfully the parking lot was practically bare for the evening, so he wouldn't feel pressured in a busy environment. He easily spotted Diana through the curtains of the diner windows, and got out of the vehicle.
Wearing his usual jeans and flannel shirt under his worn leather jacket now, he felt a bit more relaxed than in the suit. He stepped into the diner, barely noticing the little bell as he looked down the rows of tables and locked eyes with Diana. With a deep breath and a heavy heart, he made his way to her. Every thud of his of his boots on the floor punctuated the rapid beat in his chest.
He slid into the booth across from her, never once looking away. He was quiet for a moment, but when he opened his mouth, the waitress interrupted him with a "Whad'll ya have, darlins?"
"Uh, water for me," he quickly replied, likely at the same time as Diana. With the awkwardness of that looming over him now, he just smiled at Diana after she makes her order.
"So..." was about the only thing he could say, given his mind had gone completely blank. There was a reason he wanted to meet her here...now what was it?
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Post by Diana Herme on Apr 11, 2009 5:21:31 GMT -5
*Her heart jumped into her chest at the sight of him walking towards her and she tried to swallow past the lump that had formed in her throat, but all her efforts appeared fruitless for the time being. The look on his face said it all, and she felt her shoulders sag as she knew that he was here to say goodbye. His eyes locked on hers and she was unable to look away as he slid into the seat opposite her. He seemed about to say something when the waitress appeared to take their order.
~Er.. um... I'll have a skinny caramel latte'... extra cinnamon .. thanks..~ she mumbled without breaking eye contact with Sebastion at the same time that he mumbled his own order. After the waitress left, she held her breath as he opened his mouth, but could not help but be disappointed with his rather witty start of conversation : “so”.
Sighing, she ran a shaky hand through her blonde locks again as she cleared her throat.
~So..~ she repeated, waiting for him to go on. When he didn't, she sighed again. She didn't know why this had to be so hard. It was pretty obvious that he was here to say goodbye, and considering that they hardly knew each other, it realy shouldn't have been that hard. Why then, was she shaking all over, dreading to hear those words coming out of his mouth? Her cool blue gaze finally dropped from his eyes, to stare at his mouth. She remembered the kiss, how it had made her feel and she had to stop herself from leaning over the table and picking up where they had left off.
Instead, she reached for another napkin and began shredding it with her shaking hands. Luckily, the waitress returned with their drinks, and Diana offered her a grateful smile before she stared down into the frothy cup of coffee before her. Extra cinnamon had been sprinkled on the top as requested, and Diana blew on the brew gently before she raised it to her lips for a taste. Perfect! Lowering the cup back down to the table, she raised her gaze again, once again locking eyes with Sebastion. Still, he didnt speak. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and stared straight at him.
~So.. when do you leave?~ *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Jun 10, 2009 9:43:30 GMT -5
He watched the waitress leave, and his eyes stayed off in the same general direction, blankly staring down the counter until the waitress returned moments later with his glass of water and Diana's coffee. Now he stared blankly at the water, until Diana finally broke the silence.
His eyes swiveled up to hers. He knew she was right; he was leaving. But the look on his face said he didn't want to. With a bit of resignation, he sat up straight and grabbed the glass of water. The sweat on the glass chilled his fingers.
"I'm leaving today," he replied. It was factual statement. "But..."
He took a sip from the glass of water, freezing his throat for a moment. His eyes were now locked onto hers, unable to tear them away for even a second.
"...I just wanted to say how sorry I am. ...That all this happened."
He put the glass down. He hadn't ever told her why he started hunting demons. Usually the question was dodged or artfully interrupted by something else. But he understood how she had felt when they first met. Now, after seeing a kindred spark in her, he hated driving off into the sunset leaving her behind.
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Post by Diana Herme on Jun 10, 2009 22:28:53 GMT -5
* His words hit her as though she had been slapped hard across the face. “I’m leaving today.” Three little words that shouldn’t hurt her half as much as they did, but it took all her energy not to visibly flinch as they reached her ears. She heard his apology soon after, and she nodded sadly.
~There is nothing to apologise for Sebastion… you.. well, if you hadn’t have shown up when you did, who knows what might have happened? At least I know what happened to Emily and I can put her to rest…~ she trailed off, the subject of her sisters’ death still too painful to bear.
Taking another sip of her coffee, she closed her eyes for the briefest of moments, blinking back the tears that threatened to form and taking a deep breath as she lowered the cup back down onto the table. Opening her eyes, she looked at him again, trying to ignore the stab in her heart.
~As for what happened… with us… well..~ she swallowed. ~ Again, nothing you need to apologise for, I’m the one that kissed you remember?~
She blushed slightly as she stared down at her coffee willing it to open into a giant portal that she could just slip inside and vanish to. But instead, it remained just a cup of coffee and she was still sitting across from this man she was in danger of falling in love with. A man who was about to walk out of her life, never to be seen again. *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Jun 10, 2009 22:53:18 GMT -5
His cheeks turned a light shade of red as she mentioned their kiss. She might have started it, but he hadn't stopped it. He stirred a straw in his drink blankly.
"I...well, I didn't mind the kiss," he smiled at her. "Truth be told, you're probably the first person I've ever really shared this world with. Besides other hunters, I mean. It's kind of like a secret club, I guess, and to be able to share it with someone else made me feel a little less burdened."
He stretched his neck, staring at his glass of water again. He wasn't sure where he was going with this, but something was nagging at him.
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Post by Diana Herme on Jun 10, 2009 23:01:39 GMT -5
* His confirmation that he hadn’t minded their kiss, combined with the smile he sent her way, caused her heart to skip a beat and her breath quickened as a faint glimmer of hope began to burn somewhere deep inside her. She wondered what she could possibly say in response, but decided for now at least, it was best to say nothing.
She nodded thoughtfully as he spoke about sharing this world with her. It was a world that scared and fascinated her at the same time, and she was more than surprised to find herself wishing she could share more of it with him. At the mention of a secret club, she took a sip of her coffee and then smiled at him over the rim of her cup before she put it back down on the table.
~So what does someone have to do to join this secret club? Were you born into it? How did you find it? You never said… I mean.. I know.. if it realy is “secret” and you cant tell me.. that’s cool.. I understand.. I just.. ya know.. its interesting, that’s all…~
How she could possibly relate to him was beyond her, as before all this had happened she was just an ordinary Kindergarten teacher. But now, so much had happened, she couldn’t bear to think about what would happen when he walked out that door and she was expected to just go back to her old life. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her, but she was too shy to broach the subject. Besides, he was obviously a lone wolf in all of this, and she didn’t want to come across as being all clingy or anything. *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Jun 10, 2009 23:17:25 GMT -5
Her question brought his eyes back up. And then his look got distant. He looked down at his glass for a moment, then cleared his throat.
"Actually, my dad was a hunter. But...I didn't find out until a few years ago."
He took another sip of water, feeling his throat grow dry from the painful memories. He looked back to Diana cocking his head, "There was an accident. Or rather...he was killed. Along with the rest of my family when I was just four. A freak fire tore through the house. I don't know how I alone survived." His voice suddenly had purpose, and he looked at her hard.
"My entire family was killed by a demon. Revenge, spite, I don't know why, but my dad being a hunter made him and the rest of the family a target. I lost my mom and my brother. My uncle raised me, and I didn't even realize it until he was killed that he'd been training me my whole life."
"I didn't choose this role in life, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna hide from it. It takes hard work and dedication, and you have to be willing to risk your life at all times. But the hardest part...the hardest part is know your friends and family could become targets. I've seen good men get trapped and killed because their family was taken hostage. Demons aren't like people. They enjoy killing. They do it for sport."
He didn't realize it until he finished, but he sounded like he was coaching her, almost promoting becoming a hunter through reverse psychology. Part of him felt she'd come to hate it, part of him didn't care.
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Post by Diana Herme on Jun 10, 2009 23:27:07 GMT -5
*She sat there in a stunned silence as he opened up to her. To hear of the way his family died filled her with such sadness, as the thought of her own recent loss filled her senses. She had lost her sister, and it had almost killed her. The thought of losing her entire family.. and at the age of FOUR??!!! It boggled her senses to think how that poor little boy had grown into this man sitting before her. She nodded slowly as he spoke of revenge. Yes, she could understand that desire, probably more than anyone. Surprised to find that she could indeed relate to him, she reached across the table to take his hand in hers, her flesh seeming to burn at his touch.
~I am so sorry.. to think what you have gone through.. and so young.. it.. pains me. Your uncle.. he has done a wonderful job, to take you in at such a young age and raise you.. ~ she trailed off as she tried to process it all. Smiling at him, she squeezed his hand. ~He would be proud to see the man you have become.~
As he spoke of family and friends becoming targets, Diana thought of her own family. She loved them both more than she could stand, and the thought of them dying at the hand of a demon caused her to shudder. Still, she wanted the life that Sebastion had. She wanted to seek revenge for what had been done to Emily and Sebastions family. Gazing into his eyes she spoke softly, slowly and thoughtfully.
~It sounds like a hard life. And a lonely one… are you.. lonely?~ She blushed again, her voice growing more quiet as her gaze lowered from his and she stared down at the table in front of her, her coffee forgotten. ~ Would you like some company?~ *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Jun 10, 2009 23:39:29 GMT -5
He smiled a bit when she mentioned how proud his uncle would be. He knew she was right. He'd returned from duty in Iraq when he was going home to see his uncle. That's when the demons struck, to throw grief and despair on him. But his uncle was tough, and had managed to at least live long enough to tell Sebastian the truth. That's when he'd made his choice.
He looked over Diana as she suddenly grew shy and asked...suddenly his heart pounded in his chest as the words left her lips. To some, she might have been propositioning they share a hotel room, but to him...it was more meaningful than any one night stand offer.
"You'd....No, you can't do that. What about your life? Your family here? You'd be leaving that all behind. I can't let you do that. I'm a hunter to protect people like you, to protect the innocent families who don't know there's really creatures that go bump in the night out there, and to make sure they never find out. I'm sorry, but I can't allow it."
He was hard at the end, trying not to let his fantasies get away with himself. He'd only let her come along if she showed true commitment to the cause, not just him. He couldn't let her be some piece on the side while he kept her out of danger at every turn.
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Post by Diana Herme on Jun 10, 2009 23:58:09 GMT -5
*His rejection stung and she pulled her hand back from him as though she had been burned. Busying herself with finishing her coffee, Diana didn’t say anything for several moments as she took several slow long sips. Finally, she put the cup down and stared hard into his eyes.
~You say you’re a hunter to protect people like “me”? People who are innocent about the true nature of what really goes bump in the night? Sebastion, don’t you see? That’s not me.. not anymore. After everything I’ve seen, how can you expect me to go back to finger paint and ABC’s? My old life is gone… and yeah, my family is here.. but.. how can I carry on being their dutiful daughter.. going off to work every day, and coming over every Sunday for the family roast.. sitting opposite the empty seat where my sister is supposed to be? Especially when I know that you are out there, fighting the kinds of bastards that took her from me in the first place?!~
She sighed and stared down at her hands, surprised to see that they had somehow released another napkin from its former silver prison and were now shredding it to pieces similar to its predecessor.
~I am not going to beg you..~ she said quietly, staring down at the napkin. ~If you don’t want me tagging along… ~she sighed. ~ I guess I will understand.. I mean, what else can I do..?~ Finally, she looked up at him. ~But I can’t go back to being “me”. That life is over.. and you know it.~ *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Jan 10, 2010 0:22:47 GMT -5
Sebastian took a gulp of his water as he stared at Diana. After turning it over in his mind, he smiled at her.
"What will you tell them? Your family, I mean. When you go missing. You could make up some story about a new job, I guess, but anything that involves contacting them as little as possible would be best. You know what I'm getting at..." Sure, it was easy for her to say she was going to come with him, but doing so was a bit more complicated.
"I guess what I mean is, I don't want you disappearing and your family starting manhunt for the last person seen with you. 'I' 'E', me." He leaned forward over the table to her. "It'd be bad for business if, you know, you were hanging around a fugitive. We'll have problems enough as it is when the random body gets left behind, but usually they don't have anyone to go on TV with a sympathetic face and cry all over the place on the evening news in every single American household."
He wanted her to realize this wasn't as simple as 'running away from home,' but much more complicated. He nodded with a secret wink, adding, "And when we're on the road, you'll be using different identities, as I'm sure you already know."
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Post by Diana Herme on Jan 10, 2010 0:48:21 GMT -5
*She heard his words, and although he continued to speak to her, the realisation of the first sentence he had said washed over her in happy waves. He was asking her what she was going to tell her family; how she was going to explain her sudden disappearance. That meant that he wanted her to join him!
Diana felt giddy with relief, a huge idiotic grin creasing her dark red lips. He was still talking to her however, explaining how difficult it would be if she just disappeared and the grin lessened slightly to a satisfied smile as she mulled this over.
~I could tell them I just need to take off for a while.. it would be understandable.. after.. you know..~ she still had to swallow quickly to stop the lump in her throat rising at the thought of Emily. ~Actually, if you had said that I couldn’t have come with you, I probably would have taken off for a while. I’ve had a holiday to Mexico planned for over a year now, I just never got a chance to go. My folks know all about it, so they would believe that’s where I am. And… ~ she grinned again as her mind kicked into gear. ~I have a friend in Mexico, Vanessa. She owes me some favours from college.. I am sure that I could call them in and she would be able to post some postcards or letters for me from Mexico so that the postmarks don’t give me away… ~ she trailed off as her eyes shifted over Sebastian’s shoulder, her mind drifting to the future.
~Of course.. after a while.. I could just tell them that I’ve decided to stay in Mexico.. that its too painful to return, ya know? I mean.. I know you said as “little contact as possible” but I am sure the occasional Christmas wouldn’t be pushing it.. depending on what we were hunting at the time?~ she looked up at him hopefully, her blue eyes even brighter at the prospect of her new future. *
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Post by Sebastian Marlin on Jan 10, 2010 1:13:24 GMT -5
Watching her eyes light up was a comfort to him, and he smiled again. "Mexico...yeah, that sounds like a great cover. I think you deserve a vacation." He was grinning now, too.
He looked out the window to his Humvee. The morning sun hadn't moved an inch, it seemed. He'd intended to be long gone after working the Bloody Mary case, but now it seemed he was going to have a very late start. He was also realizing he'd need to start training Diana in basic combat. Her instincts seemed pretty sharp, so perhaps she'd be a quick study.
"So when do you want to head off? I don't have anything lined up, so we can go whenever you feel like it. It'll also give us time to teach you a few things about handling a weapon and tracking certain 'inhumans.' If you're going to tag along, I need a partner I can rely on."
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Post by Diana Herme on Jan 10, 2010 1:31:16 GMT -5
*She laughed when he said that she deserved a vacation and her eyes lit up when he asked her when she wanted to take off.
~Well.. I just need to swing by my place.. pack a few things, ya know? I.. don’t think I could handle a whole “goodbye thing” with the folks, so I think I’ll just slip a note through their door…~ she trailed off, thinking things through while she drained her coffee and reached for her wallet. Pulling a five dollar note out to pay for her coffee, she let it fall to the table.
~Let’s go back to my place.. you can follow me right?~ Almost skipping in happiness, Diana led the way out of the diner and out to her Toyota. Soon she was back at her place and led Sebastion into her lounge.
~I’m gonna head up to my room, write the letter for my folks and pack some clothes. Have a look around and see if anything might be useful for us to take on the road? You’re the expert on what I will need after all..~ she skipped up the stairs and was gone for just over half an hour. When she returned, she was carrying an army green duffel bag over her back while each hand dragged a large red suitcase down the stairs. Huffing under the strain, she came to a stop at the foot of the stairs.
~I think I got everything from up there… and I thought it best to send the folks an email, rather than leaving them a letter. I’ve got my laptop with me too, so I can keep in contact with them through email. Trust me, it will keep my mom off my back if she knows she can nag me at any given opportunity…~
She paused then, both to catch her breath and to cast one last look around her home. It was bought and paid for, thanks largely to a generous heritance from her Grandmother. Once they were settled into their new way of life, she would have to make arrangements for the place to be leased out. The thought saddened her, as she could still smell Emily in every room and hear her laughter echo down the hall. She had all of her favourite photos of her sister tucked neatly into her bag however, and she knew that she would take her memories with her, no matter how far away from home she ended up. Blinking back the tears that threatened to appear, she smiled brightly at Sebastion.
~So did you find anything worth taking? I’ve got some room left in the duffel bag.. oh that reminds me.. ~ She marched over to her CD tower and selected her favourite top ten. Stacking them in her bag, the fact that ACDC’s “Highway to Hell” was on top of the stack was not lost on her. Grinning, she held it up to show Sebastion.
~An omen, ya think?~ she laughed, before dropping it back into the bag.
Soon, her bags were neatly packed away in the back of the huge Humvee and Diana turned to cast one last look up at her house. She did not know how long it would be until she saw it again, and realised that she did not have any photos of it. Taking her cell phone out of her pocket, she snapped a photo of her house, before saving it and slipping her cell back into her pocket. Smiling over at Sebastion, she ran a hand through her long blonde curls.
~Ready when you are.. ~ *
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