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NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Cornelia Hael Bradford on October 1, 2017 at 20:18

The rain splashed against the windows in a rhythmic hum, the echo of thunder now slowly fading away as only the water droplets remained tainting her view of the city. Cornelia sat by her desk at work, a blue pen dancing across her knuckles as she twirled it around her fingers, peering over the piles of case files stacked on her desk and out the window, unusually distracted. Going back home after work was one of the most tedious tasks for the young detective. Stepping inside the empty house with memories of all those lost and pushed away hiding in every corner had been especially painful in the past few weeks. So being trapped inside her office for the evening because of the downpour should have been the most favourable confines if it hadn't been for her racing thoughts.

It had been a good few weeks and Abraxas had been still at large. Nobody knew where he was and what he was up to and Cornelia feared this disappearance was usually a warning before the storm and a part of her feared who she might lose next to her father's vow to kill everyone she cared about. She refused to take a lover for that very reason, guarding her feelings to keep as many people as possible safe but she couldn't hold herself back from caring for the Nephilims she led, neither the friends she involuntarily developed a bond with, and especially not her family. Or well, a bunch of people who shared the same bloodline as her.

Jonathan and Cornelia had settled their differences and had come together as a family but Isaiah and Clarissa were still not as open to the idea of familiality as the oldest Bradford. Cornelia herself had her inhibitions about the twins, especially the male considering his psychotic tendencies. It was difficult not to care for them, but at the same time, the very idea of supporting them and being with them went against her core values; something she was known for. 

As if on cue, her phone buzzed. She reached out for the matte black phone lying on the mahogany, the screen lighting up with a surprising text. Cornelia had to keep herself from raising an eyebrow at the peculiarity of the meeting Clarissa invited her to. Bonding over alcohol wasn't exactly the way she had planned to settle their differences. Texting back that she'd be there soon, the female stood from her seat in her heeled boots. Sliding her phone into the back pocket of her black denims, she walked out of the office, grabbing her leather jacket on the way. 

Striding down the hallway, she slid her hands into the jacket before holstering her gun from her belt, safely concealing it between the layers of clothing in her usual routine as she walked out of the precinct and into the black Chevy Camaro waiting for her in the parking lot. 

The drive was short, the car swerving past the traffic and beating the rain to finally roll up in front of the bar. Cornelia waited inside the car for a few moments, taking a deep breath before getting out and making a run for it past the glass double doors and inside. As soon as the warmth of the bar swept around her, wrapping itself around her frame in a tight embrace, Cornelia was relieved of the initial chill of the rain. Running her fingers through her long caramel locks to free the droplets of water, she walked towards the large counter, cocoa optics moving around the place to spot a familiar darker haired female. 

Approaching her, Cornelia slowly took the seat beside the other angel-child, arching a singular brow at her half-sister, "Who did you kill now?"

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Clarissa Bradford ~Admin~ on October 7, 2017 at 15:42

The rain fell softly and elegantly to the ground, autumnal animals scurrying and warbling in the depths of the shadows; the untouched, crisp leafs danced within the October air to the music which was silent to the normal ear. The town buzzed with excitement at the new month, many enjoying the run up to their favourite holiday; Halloween. Clarissa wasn’t too fussed about the event, she only saw it as candy for pesky children who want a pat on the back for dressing up, for every day monsters to remove their masks for one night only and finally, another reason for the young individuals of the city to drink their body weight in alcohol. Fingers ran across the rough brick wall, grazing the skin as they did so; boots creating tiny splashes within the puddles which had sprawled out across the path.

With thunder in her stride, her arms crossed tightly over her torso; her face neutral, almost cold and unapproachable; that, however, didn’t stop the cat callers or the wolf whistles as she past a certain, stereotypical group of men.  Normally, the Nephilim would have wanted to react to such disrespect but luckily for them her mind was elsewhere, focused on the task at hand of meeting her sister but more importantly to find out the information regarding their Father. The situation grew impatiently within the pits of Clarissa’s stomach, she had waited far too long to meet Daddy Dearest and she couldn’t fathom as to why.  He knew of her existence, he knew of all his offspring’s existence but did nothing about the situation.

A low growl vibrated in the back of her throat in annoyance as she finally reached the bar. Forcing a sickly sweet smile upon her glossed lips as she revealed her ID to the security men on the doors; the bass of the music caused the ground beneath to shudder in delight as she entered the dimly lit room; her lavender specked eyes lazily glanced over the already drunk mortals and those on a mission to be in that state in a few hours’ time. With a slight snort of amusement, she carried herself to the bar, shrugging off her leather jacket and hooking it on the curve of her arm. “Beer please, put it on a tab” To sweeten her Sister up, her non partying Sister that is, she thought the drinks would be on her this evening; however, it was going to be a very cheap evening with choosing Cornelia as a drinking buddy.

At that thought, a slight smirk occupied the very corners of her mouth; creating an almost dimpled smile as the rim of the beer bottle met her lips. Once seated, Clarissa found herself getting edgy; her nails would tap vigorously against the somewhat sticky oak, her leg would twitch up and down from the ball of her foot. “C’mon Cor—“ Her aggravated muttering was cut off as that familiar sound of Cornelia’s voice graced the air, snorting somewhat; her muscular shoulders gave off an indifferent shrug. “I’m sure you’ll find clues soon enough, Detective.” Her own accent became sickly sweet as she politely offered her Half-Sister a seat and the second beer that she brought whilst waiting. “However, my criminal behaviour isn’t what this meeting is about.”

Clarissa was never one to beat about the bush; she was always straight to the point when a mission had a limited time scale marked against it.  

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Cornelia Hael Bradford on October 21, 2017 at 20:37

It was no surprise that the two female Bradfords were extremely wary of each other. Cornelia often found herself tracking the activities of her half-siblings, in case they were up to something she would have to be liable for. Clarissa was the most distant in terms of their relationship as well. While Jonathan and Cornelia had begun to let each other in, and beneath all the psychoticness and the threats, Isaiah was ready to stand by her side, the youngest of the family was most uncertain about her only sister. If tonight was a step towards a familial affinity, she was ready to give it a try.

The dimly lit bar was the perfect backdrop for their clandestine meeting. A faint tune playing in the air added the final touches of secrecy by creating a wall of music around the words that were going to be exchanged. Approaching the bar and the female she was meant to meet, Cornelia took the seat beside her, not surprised by the sickly sweet politeness that was shot in her direction. "I don't think you know how crimes work, sister dearest." She spoke, an equally challenging polite tone at her disposal, "You usually don't leave clues to trace back to you. Makes my job a tad bit easier."

As her gaze fell on the bottle of beer, Cornelia simply raised a brow, suppressing the inner cringe at the cheap alcohol that she never dared to bring to her lips. "Thank you, but I am not exactly a beer-person." She informed, turning her attention to the bartender. With a flick of her wrist and a curl of her index, the female dragged the bartender over to the two females with her gesture, "Could you get me a bourbon on the rocks instead?" a small smile moving up the corners of her lips as she tilted her head to the side. Although her wild party-girl days had been long gone, Cornelia still appreciated her alcohol, not wanting to even have a sip of the filth that she thought was beer. "Thank you, love." 

With that, the female moved her gaze back to Clarissa, a curious brow arched in her direction. "Well, that sounds interesting." She spoke, a hint of sarcasm hiding underneath her british accent. "Do I have to guess what this meeting is about then?" She queried before adding with mockery in her tone, "Because my first guess is that you need friends for a girl's night out and it is my honour to be the only one on your speed dial."

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Clarissa Bradford ~Admin~ on November 26, 2017 at 16:06

Clarissa watched her sister softly, yet sceptically; she couldn’t quite figure out if she truly trusted her, she wanted to, of course, but due to her own upbringing, trust didn’t come easily to her. It didn’t help with where their loyalties were in regards to their shared Father, Clarissa wanted to keep him alive, at least for the time being and well, Cornelia would probably have him killed before he could make some snarky comment about all his offspring being together.  However, deep down, Clarissa knew she would need to build a relationship with her; after all, Cornelia was the family that Clarissa wanted all this time. She let out a slight snort of amusement in the sarcastic comment about crime. “I do like to think you know my style though, it means you could try and lessen my sentence if I ever get caught” She leaned back casually into her seat; the beer bottle within her grasp, her thumb rolling over the circular opening before moving to pick the label.

She watched Cornelia with a slight twitch of her lips as she turned down the beer that she had got for her; a slight laugh bypassed her lips and into the air only to be drowned out by the faint music which lingered in the air between them, covering them from any eaves droppers. Glancing at the bourbon on the rocks with a dubious brow, she imagined what her sister would have been like in her party going days and that was something Clarissa planned to see, if only the once and that was more of a reason to try and build on their relationship. “I mean, it would be fun to watch you guess, but I’m too impatient to wait for the right answer” Her words were laced with a playful tone as she leaned forwards again, eagerly like a child. “Which unfortunately, that wasn’t” Once taking a sip of her beer, she placed the bottle down to the next one and leaned upon her forearms.

“It’s about Daddy dearest, and potentially my Mother.” Clarissa wondered how much information she should give; too much could temporarily shut down her operation whilst not giving enough information would make her Detective Sister wary. “I need him to provide me with information, and to do that, well, I need all the files you have on his whereabouts.”  She wasn't sure what Cornelia's reaction would be; she was sure that she would share all information she had on him but Rissa also knew she would also try and talk her out of making such a deal with the devil. 

 

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Cornelia Hael Bradford on January 13, 2018 at 0:24

The smell of cheap alcohol and greasy food hung low in the air as Cornelia listened to her sister. Despite looking at her glass of bourbon, she could feel Clarissa's eyes scanning her in an attempt to read her just as she tried to read the older female. Her index traced the rim of the glass, a chuckle leaving her lips, "Patience after all, is a virtue." She spoke, the mockery evident in her accented tone. Turning her head to finally look at the brunette, Cornelia then raised a brow in a gesture for her to continue with what she had to say.

It was true that Clarissa was an assassin and Cornelia an officer of the law, yet fate had intertwined their paths to perform as one; a family and it was evident that neither of them knew how to untangle the intricacies and reach a stable ground. Although Cornelia had promised herself to give her siblings a chance, it felt more and more difficult as time passed and they revealed a bit more of who they were, and the kind of things they did. Yet, at the same time she found that their bond grew the more they shared and let each other in. Despite inhibitions, the youngest Bradford was ready to let them past her walls if that's what it took for them to act as one and finally defeat Abraxas.

The moment Clarissa mentioned that this was about their father, Cornelia's gaze lowered back to the drink, already sensing that this wasn't gonna go the direction she was hoping for it to. At the back of her mind, the detective knew Clarissa didn't appear to hate their father as much as she did. In spite of the things he had done to all of them individually, a part of her believed that Clarissa still wanted to reach out to him in the hopes for an actual familial relationship, which Cornelia knew was not only impossible, but also dangerous. The only thing she wanted from Abraxas was to see him behind bars for the rest of eternity. 

Clarissa's words however snapped the female back into reality as she narrowed her eyes at her sister, quizzically, "You want information from our father?" She questioned, almost in disbelief of the situation, "What makes you think he's gonna give you anything? Have you forgotten who he is?" Her tone was almost a whisper, but the firmness was evident, almost rushing her words in shock of the situation. 

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Clarissa Bradford ~Admin~ on February 21, 2018 at 21:03

It was true, she knew what Abraxas was capable of and that he wished for his children to be either dead or down right lonely, however, Clarissa’s inner child who craved a father figure couldn’t help but cling on to the slightest bit of hope that one day she could indeed have that relationship filled; even if her Father was the devil.  She was the walking definition of Daddy Issues and she was torn between wanting to kill him, alongside her Mother for their lack of parenthood and role in her life or admire him for his strength of creating an empire. Either way, right now all she craved was information from him on the whereabouts of her Mother so that the Twins could kill the old hag for abandoning them; however, she knew that this would come with a price and that Abraxas would want something in return. Her mind ran with a few different options that he would want but realistically, she knew there was only one outcome – to kill Cornelia, however, despite the rocky relationship the two girls had, that would be one thing she could never do.

With a tight hold on the neck of the bottle, she downed the rest of what was left in it before allowing a pleasurable shiver to run the course of her body; her forearms resting on the very edge of the almost sticky wooden table. “And it will come with a very heavy price, I am sure.” She muttered in a frustrated tone, but that didn’t put her off the idea of bargaining with the man; everyone knew that the devil was a good man to deal with.  “Oh, I think he’ll like what I have to offer” Clarissa’s words with laced with a slight laugh as amusement rang in the musky and smoke ridden air between them. Just tell her what you have planned. Rissa thought to herself, Cornelia knew who she was – an assassin born and bred but despite being her Sister, she was also a Detective who firmly believed in punishment for cold blooded murder.

“Because, with his information, I could lead him to the woman that birthed two of his bastard children” The amused tone disappeared as the realisation hit -  that was what Isaiah and she were to him, bastard children as they were not Aurelia’s children, the woman who was supposedly the love of his life. The Twins were a product of a one night stand. “And if you were Abraxas, would you turn that offer down? To find the woman who brought shame to your name?” Clarissa tilted her head a little; she knew Cornelia would never be sold on her plan.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Cornelia Hael Bradford on March 30, 2018 at 17:34

It was true that Cornelia completely, utterly despised her father. She had spent years and years hating him to her very core. But, she had also spent years trying to get his attention, to prove herself worthy in his eyes. In her early childhood, that's all she wanted. She saw the look of shame in Abraxas's eyes everytime he looked at her, and she was not one to ignore the icy cold stare that created a distance between them. Despite that, she had trained hard with the members of Damnation to become the very best so that one day he could look at her proudly and pass on his legacy. Now, however, seeing him for who the psychopath murderer truly is, Cornelia wanted nothing of that life, and she certainly did not want his love and acceptance.

Bringing the glass of alcohol to her lips, the brunette took a sip, letting the golden liquid burn its way down her throat as she scoffed at her older sister. "And what is it that you have to offer?" She asked tilting her head back, her warm cocoa locks falling over her shoulders as she raised a curious brow, though a part of her feared the only thing Abraxas would want from Clarissa would not end well for the youngest Bradford. "I'm simply curious."

Cornelia never understood the intricacies of family and despite being half-siblings, the female considered the psychotic twins family, though a twinge of pain clutched her heart every time she was reminded of Abraxas's infidelity. It was almost ironical and downright hilarious that the male had his own series of affairs and killed her mother because he was suspicious of her faithfulness. "Bastard or not," Cornelia started, her gaze moving back to the older brunette, "I hardly think you bring any less shame to him than I do." She informed, rolling her shoulders back, "Abraxas doesn't care about us, Clarissa." There was a pleading in her tone, one that she didn't intend on showing, "You're only going to make yourself look vulnerable to him with this."

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Clarissa Bradford ~Admin~ on April 16, 2018 at 14:43

The alcohol had yet to sent shivers throughout the muscular frame of the hell bound Nephilim and she hated how sober she felt - this conversation needed more than just a few bottles of beer and before she really had time to contemplate her actions; she ordered herself, and Cornelia a shot or two of tequila and a further beer for herself. Clarissa wasn’t one to speak much about family, she was bitter about the whole thing despite secretly longing for some form, thus having Cornelia somewhat plead with her to stop her reckless ideas; she simply didn’t know what to do or react. The Nephilim knew she could be childish and extremely impulsive and not many would think the way she did - not many would want to kill their Mother for leaving them on someone’s doorstep. Hell, she didn’t even know if this was something Isaiah would approve of, she didn’t quite understand his take on this family malarkey; Rissa knew he was loyal to Cornelia, much like herself if she ever consciously admitted it - but their Mother, Rissa had no idea.

“I wouldn’t offer to kill you, if that is what you mean.” Clarissa laughed softly as her ordered drinks found their way to their table and she simply sent a nod in thanks to the barman - she would pay off the tab towards the end of the night. “I would offer to kill my Mother, that is, of course if he doesn’t beat me to it.” She knew Corn knew more about Abraxas, hence why she organised the meeting between the two; but without Cornelia’s help, Clarissa would be going back to square one. She knew that this side of the conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere, thus, her muscular shoulders rolled some as she reached out to wrap her fingers round one of the tequila shots. Rissa raised the miniature glass upwards in some form of toast to her sister before throwing her head back and allowing the rather horrid tasting liquid to run down the back of her throat which caused her countenance to grimace and a shudder to run down the course of her back.

“Nevertheless, are you willing to share some information on our Father. As even without my desire to meet my birth mother, I would like to know more about Abraxas.” She commented, leaning back into the chair as her gaze fell upon Cornelia curiously.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Cornelia Hael Bradford on April 25, 2018 at 7:20

Cornelia understood to an extent where Clarissa was coming from. Growing up, she had always had her mother by her side, but the other female wasn't privileged enough to have that. While Cornelia hopped from one place to another to evade her father, seeking shelter in her mother's arms was a constant that Clarissa never had. All she was given was dark gloomy walls of an orphanage and the feeling of being abandoned. Cornelia understood that, she really did. But a part of her never registered why, seeing what their father is capable of, the brunette would still seek him out. The youngest Bradford had also wanted his approval at one point of time but that quickly faded when she realised the psychopath he was. Didn't Clarissa understand that when the truth was staring right at her face?

With a deep exhale, the angel-child brought the glass of whiskey to her lips, a malty after-taste clinging to the crimson flesh before flowing down her throat. It was a long way to drunkeness. "You would kill your mother?" Cornelia looked up to face the female, raising an astonished brow at the thought. There was no look of judgement on her features, but a marked confusion at the idea of what that would achieve. "If Abraxas does care about her, he's probably already had her killed." She mused, though the words she spoke seemed strangely unfamiliar, of course she thought he didn't care about his infidelities, but she was also aware the only way to make Clarissa believe that is by finding it out herself.

As the bartender brought two shots of tequile, Cornelia reached forward and curled her fingers around one of the glasses, bringing the glass up in air as she returned her sister's gesture before downing the contents in one go, the strong taste causing her to wince as she slammed the shot glass back on the counter with a soft cough, brows creasing. When her features began to ease once again, Cornelia's hues flickered around the pub, "Okay." She spoke, dragging her gaze back to the older brunette. "Okay I will give you the information, but." She paused, tilting the empty shot glass absentmindedly, "On the condition that you will let me know about your plan every step of the way." It was a difficult bargain to make. Cornelia was sure her sister didn't trust her enough to let her in on her plans, but this was the only way they could bridge the gap between them. Further, Abraxas Bradford was a ghost to the rest of the world, if Clarissa could get information out of elsewhere, she wouldn't be sitting at that bar that night and asking Cornelia for it. They both had something to gain out of this.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Clarissa Bradford ~Admin~ on May 3, 2018 at 20:25

The atmosphere in the bar began to grow as more individuals danced their way past the bouncers and the front door into the dance floor. The buzz of people, the vibrations of the music began to make the ground beneath their feet shudder. More laughter rang in their ears as bodies began to surround the small table in which the Bradfords sat upon; thankfully for those individuals who took residency in that spot were too far gone and mortal to be able to understand or even comprehend what the two sisters were speaking about. Even if one of them was a bright spark and could string the words together, they would only presume the girls were speaking of a messed up family in a fictional tv show. Upon allowing her gaze to fall upon the newcomers of the bar, she hoped that in a few hours she could be in that state, but for now, she would need to suppress her desire for recklessness and focus on what truly mattered and the issue that was on hand - Abraxas Bradford and her unidentified Mother.

A few prolonged moments passed before returning her attention back to Cornelia and the look of astonishment that danced upon her younger half-sister’s countenance; the rather expressive look made a light rumble of a chuckle to rattle against the rib like cage which kept the laugh to be internal. “I would. Afterall, the only reason she has the title of Mother is because I am unaware of her true name.” Yet for once, the pair of them had a similar thought pattern, Abraxas probably got to her the moment he found out about the Twins - either way, she needed to know the status of her Mother’s life. If he had gotten to the woman before she had, Rissa couldn't deny that she would, to be frank, be pissed off that Abraxas got the pleasure of such a thrilling kill.

Clarissa shook her head slightly in amusement as the alcohol bypassed Cornelia’s tastebuds; it was almost like she could see the goosebumps appearing on her flesh. Yet the amused expression soon turned into one that could only be described as almost shock as Cornelia accepted her many thoughts as long as she was to be kept up with her plans; of course, Rissa had yet to come up with a well thought out plan and that was too embarrassing to be said out loud. “Every step of the way, but as for now, we keep it between us. We know what Isaiah is like.” She mused silently. Clarissa wanted to suggest that they wait until morning to go through all the files and facts that Corn had on their Father, however, Rissa didn't want to risk her half sister sleeping on it and then change her mind - of course, she knew Cornelia was a woman of her word but she wasn't willing to take the risk as they had come so far. “I hope you haven't got any plans tonight, shall we do this at your place or your office” A wink dropped from her left eye as she sat forwards somewhat eagerly.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Cornelia Hael Bradford on May 28, 2018 at 18:53

For the first time Cornelia felt that the Bradford siblings had found common ground, even if it wasn't exactly the way it was expected of them. She knew agreeing to Clarissa's plan was a risk, but she was also aware that nothing the younger female could say would ever change her mind, so Cornelia would be able to help better if she went along with it. At least, that way she would be able to sense an approaching danger and maybe even convince Clarissa that asking their father for help was futile.

Raising a brow at the mention of Isaiah, Cornelia had half a mind to ask if there was more to her words than just the usual nature of Isaiah, but she decided not to pursue it, rolling her shoulders back instead in agreement. "Yeah I suppose involving Isaiah is not the best option." Dragging her hickory hues from the shot glass to her half-sister, Cornelia then watched as a sort of eagerness washed over Clarissa, chuckling at the wink she dropped.

"Let's do it at my place. I don't think the precinct will appreciate us using its resources at this time of the night." Rising to her feet, the female reached into her back pocket and placed a few neatly folded notes from her wallet onto the bartop, the bills enough to cover their drinks and tips. "And even if I did have plans tonight, it's not like you would have leave me be." With that, she walked towards the entrance, looking over her shoulder one last time at her sister. "I'm driving."