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DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 6, 2020 at 11:30

She laughed and scoffed when he called her a Disney princess and shook her head “I’m not the kind of girl who waits around for a man to come save her” she responded as she met his gaze, in fact, she could take care of herself better than most men took care of themselves “If anything, I relate to Fiona from Shrek much more” she grinned slightly, now there was a story which was unexpected but also wholesome. She raised her brows as though to question how seriously he seemed to take this whole board game thing, having not really played them and always trying to avoid group sports and activities, Nora had pretty much managed to avoid competitiveness in most parts of her life “That does beg the question of whether a board game has caused massive damage to a friendship of yours in the past” she hummed and tilted her head.

She shifted in her seat a little, wondering what it was about her that came across as Slytherin, though he wasn’t wrong “I mean with your reckless resolve, can it be anything but Gryffindor?” she raised her brows curiously, he seemed like the type who believed in doing the right thing and being bold, it fitted with his personality best in her opinion. “You and your act before thinking behavior would definitely be rejected from the Slytherin and Ravenclaw admissions board” she laughed softly “But it is awfully brave of you to throw yourself in the middle of a fight to make sure people don’t get hurt” she would commend the stupidity to a certain level.

They definitely shared that sentiment, about having a lot of things they wanted to do but not necessarily having the friends to share it with, Nora had always kept to herself but that didn’t mean she didn’t see others doing fun things with their friends or their significant others and wish for a moment she could have that, experience it herself. “Me neither, if it wasn’t obvious” she responded and gave a short sarcastic laugh “Most people know better than to get close to me and then there’s you” she squinted as though she was sizing him up “You’re a whole different case” she found it hard to understand his motivations and logic. She scoffed when he said she thought she was being cute “I am cute, excuse you” she jested back rolling her eyes.

She laughed at the way he talked about a relationship “Alright grandpa” she teased shaking her head at the old saying he used. His musings about how a relationship should be made her ponder for a moment “I have no idea” she responded and laughed softly “Not every relationship works out, sometimes people are too different or want different things” not that every relationship was doomed to fail but in her experience, not every one was a fairytale. “Some people only want sex and none of the mushy stuff, some people prefer to focus on their career over building a family, some people want kids while others don’t” she shrugged “I guess it’s important to choose...carefully” she had always been that, careful with her heart.

His words about coyness made her laugh before her eyes widened when he leaned down to eat the popcorn from her hand, she could feel the way his lips grazed gently against the palm of her hand and then her gaze followed him as he leaned back against the pillow with that smug look on his face “Oh you like popcorn a whole lot huh” she commented and laughed before grabbing a small handful of it and throwing it at him.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 8, 2020 at 14:57

He raised his eyebrows in surprise when she said that, “Hey I never said you were the kind of damsel in distress type of girl, Miss Nordstroem” he held both his hands up in defense before chuckling, “Not every Disney princesses had to wait for their princes to come saving them though, no? Look at Fiona” he pointed out playfully when she said she resonated better with Fiona from Shrek. “There’s also… Elsa? Pocahontas? Not a princess but she may as well be one. Oh… Princess Tiana.” Don’t get him wrong, he respects women, how could he not? He would gladly say it’s all thanks to his upbringing, with his mother always chastising him whenever he did anything slightly lesser in mannerisms, or his elder sister who is also the first born in the family, who would not hesitate to whack him at the back if he ever talked bad or belittled anyone. And she whacks hard. 

“Though I think there’s nothing wrong with wanting someone to save you. It’s not healthy to keep cycling back to being so dependent on another but it’s fine to have that… thought, you know? You’re human, you’re supposed to feel humane.” He avoided her investigative gaze and cleared his throat as an attempt to diffuse the tension of that question, “Maybe… I wouldn’t know, I didn’t count” But judging from the pout on his lips and slight huff, it was clear that maybe as a child, Julian was always the one other kids would give a stink eye to, all because he likes to win. “It only proves that I can be a fun person to be around though” he nudged her playfully and grinned. “We’re an interesting pair then, right? Slytherin and Gryffindor?” She wasn’t wrong, he would still throw himself into a fight like that again if it meant he could at least save one from the fight, “I know I’m stupid but…” he didn’t finish the sentence and only rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, he didn’t have anything to actually defend himself with.

 They were quite similar yet so different, “Quality is better than quantity, right?” he quipped softly, “I think it’s better to have one good friend you can be yourself with than 10 who you would have to wear another mask to. Not that I’m saying I can be that good friend but that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Most people know better than to do what he did but he did it, anyway. “If you can’t take a risk for something you believe in, then what’s the point?” he murmured, When she said she was cute, Julian bit his lip and nodded, “Yes you are cute” He’d be a whole other case if he was to deny that. “You do realize you’re older than me right? Pssh calling me a grandpa” He only had one serious relationship, even before then he didn't have anyone else, “I think if both sides work it out, perhaps they’ll find a way to overcome it. I refuse to believe that you have to give up just because the one you like has a stronger personality compared to you. I mean… Jane-Ann didn’t like Maleah once upon a time, she detested her actually… everyone else likes her but not my sister” Yet he had the chance to almost marry her after all. 

“But yes, it’s important to choose carefully, you have to think things through and take both sides into consideration and not just your own.” If this was an indirect confession to how he wasn’t going to give up on her, then so be it. Julian had no idea what came up to him but he found himself shamelessly eating the popcorn from her hands, only to have a handful thrown at him, “Hey! That’s not fair- you’re going to make me sweet and then the ants are going to come biting me…” But two could play at the game, so he grabbed a handful and threw it at her too, it went on for a while, until he stumbled behind and evidently fell off the bed.

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 12, 2020 at 23:58

She had to admit she definitely appreciated his effort to recall Disney princesses who saved themselves, it made a hint of a smile appear on her lips as she looked back at him “Damn nephy, you really know your Disney” she teased playfully “Who’s your favorite princess?” she gave him a pointed look as though to say don’t you dare say me. There had definitely been a time in her life when she latched onto those stories and how magical they seemed, they were the way she brightened up her life and convinced herself things would be better in the future “I always thought about how they went through these hard lives and ended up finding their happily ever after in the end” which almost seemed foreign to admit to someone else, she averted her gaze and blushed a little.

She noticed that some of the things he said could be quietly profound, it seemed like he had found a healthy balance in his life and learned things which were good for him “I’ve never really had the luxury of being able to rely on someone else” she confessed in a soft voice and glanced up at him for a moment “My parents were never really around when I was young and even though I completely idolized them” she shrugged, she was sure he knew the stories about what they did, everyone seemed to know more about her than she even knew about herself sometimes. She watched him carefully and laughed when he nudged her “It makes you unpredictable that’s for sure” she jested back, “I think that makes us opposites” she commented with a soft grin “Maybe even rivals if we’re following the movies” she pressed her lips together when he didn’t finish his sentence to defend his own recklessness “But you have a big heart” she finished it for him, nodding her head slightly.

She agreed with him there, she had never been the type who thought she needed to have a lot of friends but she did definitely want someone she thought she could take to freely “Well people tell me that I’m pretty terrible at hiding how I really feel” she commented and chuckle “Wearing a mask isn’t really something which suits me” at least in the hypothetical sense that was, after all, she did actually wear a real mask. She let a small smile cross her lips when he agreed she was cute, she watched him carefully because he seemed so serious in his voice, it made her wonder how he could be so open with such cheesy sentiments. “Just because I’m older than you, doesn’t mean you act like any less of a grandpa” she responded with a wry smile shaking her head playfully.

“I think it’s more complicated than just being able to take on the everything that comes” she responded with a half-smile “sometimes no matter how badly you want things to work out...it can’t” that wasn’t her being pessimistic so much as acknowledging that sometimes the healthiest thing people can do is walk away “Your sister seems like an interesting character” she spoke softly, she sensed some tension there between them. She bit her lip, thinking about all of her experiences until now “I’ve never really been good at knowing how my actions will affect others... I guess spending so much time alone makes you a little numb to it” normally she wouldn’t be so honest about these kinds of things but she felt like she could with him.

She was laughing as the look of shock which crossed his features the moment she launched the handful of popcorn at him and then the words he spoke had her keeling over laughing, she wasn’t even surprised when a handful came her way and went flying across the room, they threw a few handfuls back and forth across the room, both laughing loudly and cloud went around eating all the stray kernels he could find. She was shocked when he fell off the bed though “Julian!” she exclaimed as she scrambled over the bed to peer over at him, thankfully he was fine though, just laying on the floor. She cracked up laughing as she peered down at him, her hair falling all around her face “You’ve brought madness into my home” she accused as she took a piece of popcorn between her finger and thumb and then reached down to feed it to him, pressing it against his bottom lip “Truce?” she spoke softly.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 13, 2020 at 16:42

At first, he panicked. He truly did. He had no idea what to say, but he also didn't want to make it sound as if he's agreeing with all the Disney princesses stereotype when it was clear that the dhampir had another thing in mind. So he raked up his mind to try and figure out the unique ones, of course he knew Disney princesses, even as a kid, he watched them a lot because his sister is a big fan. Keyword, is. You can never grow too old for Disney, she said. "If I was a collector for airplanes, then my sister is a collector on Disney princesses figurines. She still is, actually." He had to endure, one way or another. When asked who was his favorite princess, Julian pondered for a moment, "I actually like Pocahontas. She's no princess but… something about her just speaks out to me. Independent and gorgeous woman, yeah who wouldn't like someone like that" He was starting to think perhaps he did have a type, after all. The female in front of him is also strong and independent, not to mention… gorgeous. "Yours is Princess Fiona?"

 The thought of happily ever after never occurred to him but it sounds like a good way to live your life, "I think it's not as overrated as people make it out to be. You deserve to have the right to want to have happily ever after in your life. I know I do." Why fight for something that you can't even benefit from? His eyes softened slightly when he was reminded that the person before him right now once looked up to her parents, and for them to disappoint her like this, it had got to leave a lasting effect. "You can start slowly" he suggested and shrugged, "Not saying anything but you can rely on me whenever, I can't promise to be there 24/7 but if it's within my power, I can be there." He is also completely sincere. "Opposites attract, little miss cutie" he rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Haven't you heard of tropes like enemies turn to lovers or enemies turn to friends? Normal is overrated" And if that's a little spice, then why not? A small grin tugged around the corner of his lips at the sudden mention of him having a big heart, that was quite possibly the highest form of compliment he has ever received. 

"You are" he deadpanned, Nora seemed like she was trying to wear a mask every other day but there were cracks in it, he wasn't sure if anyone else noticed but he did. And maybe, just maybe, he paid better attention because of his crush. But that didn't have to necessarily be a bad thing. "No, but it means that you're still older, so if I'm grandpa then you're a grandma too" he retorted haughtily, crossing both arms as if to retaliate. "But that's okay, I like older women" he whispered playfully and snickered, there was no point beating around the bush anyway. She already knew he likes her. "Things don't always have to work out" he gave her a reassuring smile, honestly his hand was tempted to take hers, "But the most important thing is, you don't stop and give up." The relationship between him and his sister was considered… weird, but what siblings went along like a happy family? 

He didn't expect to have popcorn thrown at him but then again, he also didn't expect her to be so playful. Eventually, after a brawl with the caramel popcorn and him falling backwards, he opened one eye only to be greeted with Nora peering from above, god she looks so cute. When she pressed a popcorn against his lips with her hair dangling above him, Julian chuckled and opened his mouth, his lips touching Nora's finger gently before he got up and started cleaning the mess, she was so close earlier, his heart was beating so fast. Is this how Mary Jane feels like with Spiderman the first time? He took the bowl away and placed it on the bedside table before getting back on the bed, this time nearer, "Now can we focus on the movie? Because I don't wanna miss Breaking Free." 

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 13, 2020 at 22:50

She smiled thinking about how different the two of them must have been when they were younger, imagining a room full of Disney princesses and probably pink walls and then another covered in toy model planes, it was quite endearing. She smiled when he said Pocahontas was his favorite princess, she would say that was a pretty good choice, though he was right to say she was technically not a princess “If we’re allowed to pick those who technically aren’t princesses, I’d choose Mulan, badass fighter, able to kick the guy’s asses and still look amazing doing it” she laughed softly and smiled “And Fiona isn’t a Disney character” she teased with a wink, though from the way they made use of fairytales in the story, it was hard to believe she wasn’t.

She laughed under her breath and smiled, his positivity was a shining light on her personality, something which made him able to draw you in and keep your attention, she definitely liked the way he always seemed to be able to upturn something positive “It would help if I knew what a happy ended even looked like for me” she didn’t really let herself get attached to the big hopes and dreams because she knew how disappointed she could be if she never reached them. He was persistent, she would definitely credit him for that, the way he kept not so subtly slipping into conversation how he wanted her to let him in a little. There was a part of her that was curious, though another extremely apprehensive “No one has ever said that to me before” she confessed as she watched him carefully. She scoffed when he mentioned tropes though “Aren’t they called tropes because they are overdone and often unrealistic?” she jested with a playful shake of her head.

She sighed when he affirmed her thought she was pretty bad at hiding her real feelings, she could be a generally negative seeming person, she liked to think most of the time she was just being realistic but she did often tend on assuming things wouldn’t work out before seeing them through “See, if even you agree then I have no hope” after all she was sure he wanted to see the best in her but no doubt he got the impression that beneath it all, she was a little broken inside. She gasped when he called her a grandma though “How dare you, take that back now” she scolded him, playfully slapping his shoulder and giving him a mock glare, especially when he spoke the words about liking older women. Perhaps he was right and perhaps she needed to take more chances and see where things led her but she wasn’t that kind of person who sought change often, it scared her and it was usually easier for her to stay wrapped up in her little bubble “There’s some relationships that can’t be fixed” she commented in a soft voice “No matter how much you wish they could be” of course she was referencing the fact she could never forgive her parents for what they did, for all the people they hut, she couldn’t even begin to justify it.

The popcorn fight was unexpected but she actually had a lot of fun, there was something really freeing in acting like a kid and throwing handfuls of food across the room. But after he fell off the bed she realized something for just a moment. She worried about him. As she peered down at him, he was okay though. His lips felt soft against her fingertip and she lingered there a little longer than she probably should have before rolling back onto the bed and collecting stray pieces of popcorn from all the places they had landed. She was still laughing under her breath as they settled back to watch the movie “Yes, we can most definitely watch the rest of the movie” she commented with a laugh. She noticed how close he was sitting and so out of curiosity she hovered her hand against his, her pinky brushing over the back of his hand, perhaps she was hoping he would take it.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 14, 2020 at 17:12

While Nora grew up alone as the only child and had close to no one to befriend her like he had his sister, Julian hoped that with him sharing a little bit of his life story, the other female might feel a bit comfortable to let him in more. He's doing well already. Better than most, he'd say. "I think every woman could be a queen if they wanted to. Which means… every girl is a princess" he trailed, that's the way he had been raised up, to respect everyone, especially the women, his mother and sister were two strong females, people he looked up to. "And Mulan is a badass, she looks good doing what she does too. Mulan huh? Yeah I can definitely try to picture you as one." When she exclaimed that Fiona wasn't exactly a Disney princess to begin with, Julian scoffed and rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, "Oh please… with how many Disney elements they put in? Definitely enough to make her a Disney princess. Can't fault you though… she's strong and was already beautiful inside and out" Which kinda makes Nora more admirable on his view.

 She stood out not because she wanted the attention but because she's already unique. If she had those negative and bad energy surrounding her with dull and solemn thoughts, then he could be there to be the light for it. He's not an overly enthusiastic person who could laugh and smile easily but he likes making her happy, so in a way, it doesn't even feel like a chore for him. If it'll make her smile, then wouldn't that be enough to make him smile? "I think it sucks the fun out of it if you know what a happy end would look like… you'd also be putting a lot of expectations on your shoulders which is not healthy. I don't know how it looks for me now… once upon a time ago, I did. Well, at least I thought I did. Look how it turned out? I was even more heartbroken because I couldn't fulfill those expectations I yearned for." No matter how far Nora would try to push him away, he would always try to find a way to come back bouncing, stronger and more persistent than ever. 

Someone had to stand up when they were already knocked down. Technically, she hasn't rejected him. Not fully. The dhampir allowed him to be here, after all. He's here in her room, watching a movie they both liked, eating popcorn with each other, being quite close to one another in proximity. What's not to like? "Well, now you have one person who said it to you." Julian narrowed his hazel hues on her and flicked her gently, clicking his tongue while doing so, "Sometimes the most unrealistic things we see could be realistic to others. I know you've heard employees falling for their bosses but instead of behaving like an errand boy or secretary screwing his boss secretly, I'm here comforting you like a good friend, with no ulterior motives. There's not much of that going on, is there?" When she sighed, his eyes drooped lower and he pursed his lips, he hoped he didn't say anything that was offensive. 

"I agree because I want to be honest. But I'm still here… you know, doesn't that mean anything? I mean I'm not your typical gold digging pretty boy toy… so there must be a reason I'm here right?" He paused momentarily before clearing his throat, "You don't think I'm a typical gold digging pretty boy toy right?" He laughed when she slapped him playfully for calling her a grandma, "You started it, I was just finishing this. Like a responsible gentleman" he even stuck his tongue out. Maybe Nora couldn't forgive her parents for what they did and it wasn't as if he was expecting her to do that, "And it's fine to not forgive and forget. You have to take time for yourself, okay? Take care of yourself because no one else may do it for you." The whole ordeal on what just happened still surprised the Nephilim, the fall from the bed didn't hurt him because it would definitely take a lot more to even elicit a groan of pain from him. But he did groan from surprise earlier, so there was that. 

Behaving so shamelessly by even daring to eye her when he ate that popcorn from her finger, god knows what kind of spirit possessed him today. His eyes may be on the TV screen but when he sensed her pinky brushing against his hand, his eyes were immediately darted and Julian took that chance to engulf his larger hand to her comfortable ones, clasping them together like it was the most normal thing ever. It's warm. 

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 15, 2020 at 16:41

She laughed, he was definitely the type who had his head in the clouds a little but she kinda liked that about him, he was positive and kind and could seem to turn anything and spin it around to be optimistic, she laughed softly “Okay Queen sounds a little more badass” she admitted with a hint of a smile on her lips. He went on to share some of his insight on Mulan which made her smile because he really did know his stuff and he made it sound special, much like the story felt to her when she was younger “Maybe I kinda liked the idea of a princess who wasn’t scared to wield a weapon too” considering she was a dhampir, weapons were a part of who she was, she saw a little of herself in the story she supposed “Honestly I think it was Universal’s way of mocking Disney a little” she laughed softly, she did like the movies a lot though.

She glanced over at him, a little surprised by his answer and that he didn’t think they were supposed to be able to spoil the ending “But if you never know what happily ever after is...then how would you know you’re living it?” she tilted her head slightly, he was right when he said having high expectations tended to end with disappointment though. “A cheesy person would say getting married was happily ever after” she commented thoughtfully “But when you think about it, that’s probably more of a beginning than it is an ending...no one’s life ends the moment they get married” or at least if they were living a happy and fulfilled one that was the case. She chuckled when he flicked against her shoulder, noticing the way he was staring at her which made her chuckle, she understood what he was trying to do and honestly, she had to give him credit for his determination “Well true” she commented with a wry smile “Does that make you boring?” she snickered in a teasing manner.

She had to admit that the way he tended to speak everything on his mind, regardless of whether he thought it through first was pretty endearing, the way he spoke about how he wasn’t a gold digger made her laugh “I mean...you are pretty” she teased with a playful scrunch of her nose, that wasn’t a lie, she would have to be blind not to notice how striking his features were or how well proportioned his body was “But from what I’ve seen you’re also a good person who cares more about others than he does money” she responded and patted his shoulder, affirming she didn’t think he was looking for money. She was staring into space for a while as she thought about her parents for a while “Yeah” she responded pressing her lips together “I’ve gotten pretty good at looking out for myself” too good at it, some might argue because every sense of danger sent her running for the hills.

Before long they were back to the movie, she was watching the screen and taking in the story but she was always very aware of him sitting next to her, she was glad he didn’t comment or even act like he noticed when she brushed her hand over his, only let out a little sigh of relief when he took her hand in his, it was bigger than hers, hers felt engulfed by his touch as her fingers threaded through his. She grinned the moment Breaking Free finally began, humming along to the music and snuggling herself against the bed, it had been a strangely long day she had to admit and she was getting tired.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 16, 2020 at 7:11

“That’s right, a queen sounds more fitting” he affirmed, the grin felt a lot brighter now when he could see the same emotion Nora felt. There was probably nothing more he liked better than to make her happy and see her smile. Laugh, if he could. “The idea of a princess who could wield weapons huh? Are you sure you’re not just looking at yourself? I mean… you have the gene well thought out already. Dhampir, pretty sure you can wield a weapon easily and you already looked like a badass being the COO.” If only he knew about her alter ego going off in the night, but unfortunately, Julian does not. “They have yet to create a princess who could wield one but maybe someday, they can accept the idea and make it come true” Evolution and diversity didn’t seem so far away with the kind of world they live in. Things were better than the last, albeit slowly, but the progress is there. Somewhere. 

“Disney could be overrated but that’s our childhood, no?” he chuckled, everyone watched Disney as a child, at least a majority did. “Good question” how would anyone know if they didn’t have a hint of what would happen? “I think that’s the beauty of it. On not knowing what it entails fully. You’ll be taking a high risk on the high road. High risk… high returns, right? Isn’t that what most business corporations talk about?” Once upon a time ago, he probably would’ve been that cheesy person too. His idea of happily ever after was when he could marry the love of his life. Then when it didn’t work out, it felt so weird. Dull and boring. “I would’ve said that too, when I was younger. But now it feels different. I’m not even a whole new person but it’s alarming to see how different my priorities seemed to lie back then.” Julian couldn’t help but to scoff at that remark, “I will have you know that I am nowhere near boring, excuse you” he huffed and narrowed his hazel hues towards her playfully. 

His cheeks were flushed slightly when she said he was pretty, now that wasn’t the first time someone has called him a pretty boy, though it could sound condescending from others when he was younger because it was supposed to be demeaning, he grew out of it. His comrades could be quite harsh, even though his features weren’t exactly soft either. “Why thank you for that high end compliment, Miss, I must say that you are gorgeous as well” Of course he would say that. How could he not? He’s had a crush on her for months long, it’s hard for him not to notice even the smallest details. He spared her a small smile when she said that, “Good… because I’m all here for you and just you, nothing more about what you own and what you have.” If money was what he was after, he wouldn’t even bother befriending Nora the way he is doing now. “You’re a lot more independent than you make yourself to be, Len… even outside of work, you seem to know what you want and you have no problem reaching out for it.” And that warranted enough respect. 

Her hands fit right into his larger ones with no problem and the way she didn’t even pull away meant that she didn’t mind, which was honestly making his heart flip internally, holding hands with your crush? Checked. By the time Breaking Free finally came on, he was also humming softly to himself, only realizing that the female next to him was snuggling deeper against the pillows, indicating she was tired. He had no idea when his eyelids started growing droopier, but even before the movie started rolling the credits, he had fallen asleep, with his hand still clasping Nora’s. 

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 17, 2020 at 17:20

“And don’t you forget it” she teased with a playful pointed finger in his direction. She liked talking to him because she felt like she could mention any part of her life and he would want to answer and that made her feel important “I mean every little girl tries to look for herself in some character right?” she shrugged and grinned sheepishly, she always thought most of the stories were too far away from her world but there were a few like that one which she could actually relate to. “Maybe one day” she commented and nodded her head thoughtfully “I do like that it’s become normal for female characters to be badasses who can save themselves more recently” she certainly never waited around for a man to save her, that was for sure.

She nodded slightly “The thing we idolize and look forward to watching” she remembered watching the same VHS tapes over and over again until the machine had eventually eaten them because they had been overplayed so much “I’m pretty sure my mom ruined one of my tapes once because she was so fed up of me wanting to watch it on a constant loop” she laughed softly, at that obsession level, it was probably for the best she had to admit. “Not knowing is scary to me” she admitted with a half-smile “A lot of the time surprise has come into my life in very negative ways” that was why she now liked to know all the facts and information and make correct decisions based on it. She smiled and nodded softly “People and dreams, they change with time” she pressed her lips together “There was a time when all I wanted to was to succeed in my career and now I’m here...now what?” she chuckled, there was actually a kind of emptiness to reaching your goals.

She chuckled under her breath when he returned the compliment towards her and she pretended to flip her hair like a teenage girl, which turned out pretty funny because she had short hair which framed her face “Thanks” she spoke softly, she did make an effort to look nice and while that certainly wasn’t with the intention of impressing a man, she would take what she could get. “I mean I wouldn’t blame you if a tiny tiny part of it was for this really comfortable bed” she commented with a laugh under her breath, everyone was guilty of wanting materialistic things sometimes and she would call out anyone who disagreed. “Sometimes” she responded as she glanced over to him for a moment “Other times I have no idea what I’m doing” she confessed with a soft smile “But that’s okay, such is life to get lost sometimes” the important part was to keep moving forward.

The tiredness came over her quite suddenly, though she was determined to watch until the end of the movie so she kept blinking it away but by the time she final song was finished, she felt herself feeling heavier as her head buried in the pillows. Her hand never let go of his as she allowed herself to slip into a peaceful sleep.

She woke up to the feeling of sunlight on her face from the window which made her blink and try to move her hand to shield it from the light only to realize it was trapped because of the arms which were wrapped around her frame. She took a moment to recall last night before she realized who those arms belonged to. She shifted a little to make herself comfortable but she didn’t try to move him from around her. He was warm and she could hear his sleepy shallow breathing if she listened closely. What an interesting way to wake up on Christmas. Though she couldn’t say she was mad about it, he felt nice, nestled up against her neck, his scent completely surrounding her. Maybe she didn’t want him to wake just yet.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 18, 2020 at 17:22

He didn't say anything to confirm her words but the smile he gave her was probably enough to hint the dhampir that he agreed with what she has said, "Every child wants to find something in them that they believe would make them remarkable" he murmured softly, he wasn't excluded from the bunch either and he could understand why people tried their hardest to achieve that mindset. Everyone wanted to be their own person even when they're actually following others. Everyone wanted to be unique. "They should be promoting more of that, because god knows how true it actually is" strong females existed in the world, people could take the easiest example today, even a working female in the sector could already show that. He knew once upon a time ago, females weren't taken seriously enough to even be given any work. Now it's changed. "Your mom shouldn't have done that, there were plenty of other ways to approach the problem instead of lashing out of frustration."

 Patience, not everyone would have a high tolerance when it comes to that but he was positive that if anyone wanted to achieve anything, they had to risk it. He was so tempted to say it's scary to him too, not knowing what the future holds for him after going through what could possibly be categorized as one the most tragic phase of his life, but he refrained himself from doing so. They can talk about that another day. "Now you maintain it. Keep yourself happy. It's a responsibility to yourself" he pointed to her with his index finger, "it is something that you are obligated to do to yourself." Julian feels that it's unhealthy to only stop at one part where they feel like its the 'end' of it. There must be something else after it. They live to learn, after all. The way she flipped her hair had him clutching his stomach because he was laughing uncontrollably at the sight of it, in his defense, it was quite funny. "Okay, fine… maybe a tiny… tiny part of me feels for this bed." It is comfortable.

 He nodded in affirmation when she said it's okay to get lost sometimes, "That's right." Maybe a small part of him didn't want to let go of her hand, so he held onto her as he too, fell into slumber. Cloud had settled himself in between their legs earlier and was sleeping at the edge of the bed while Julian found himself snuggling towards Nora. He didn't know if he was dreaming or not but when he sensed someone moving against him, he peeked one eye open lazily and out of instinct, but when he saw it was just Nora, he closed it again and continued to pull her closer. Maybe he had accidentally snuggled against her over the night and he didn't want to let her go. Not just yet. Besides, she smells good, with his face buried against her neck, lips pressed against her collarbone. By the time he woke up, he greeted the morning with a small whine and protest of being woken up early with his incoherent grumbles, he wasn't an early riser, obviously. 

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 20, 2020 at 10:29

She was becoming increasingly sleepier and it was then that she realized that it had been a pretty long day for both of them, despite the fact that it seemed to fly by. Was that how it was supposed to feel when you were with someone you felt like you could freely talk to? Nora didn’t really know because she always tended to prefer being on her own. He was positive and he was thoughtful and he made her question her own views on things. He had been through something that should crush a person from the inside out. He had lost the person he loved, before he even got to marry her and she couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain he had been through because of it. Despite it, he was this warm and approachable person, who was dorky and proud of it, who had this stupid goofy smile she couldn’t stop herself staring at. He made her feel happier, which wasn’t something she was used to at all.

She hadn’t really thought about the repercussions of falling asleep during the movie, it was the same as every night really, Cloud had snuck up onto the bed and found a spot to curl up in where her legs weren’t. But what was really different was having someone’s arms around her, holding her while she slept. She had never experienced it before and while she was sleeping and therefore didn’t really process the situation she was in, she knew she felt safe. Something she didn’t normally. Which led way to her having a rather peaceful dream about waves rolling on the beach, relaxing and nothing like the nightmares she usually had. When she awoke, she was aware of the way his sturdy arms felt around her petite frame, along with the warmth of his breath against the back of her neck. She was blushing just from realizing the situation she had allowed herself to be in, or perhaps she was more embarrassed by the fact she liked being in his arms.

She heard the whine than escaped his lips when the sun rays work him up and laughed softly, fluttered her eyes open and then turning so that she was laying on the other side, facing him “We fell asleep one movie in...I feel like that’s a binge-watch fail” she confessed in a soft voice as she looked up into his eyes. This felt so intimate, more intimate than she was expecting to let herself get with him. Before long she cleared her throat and then averted her gaze from his, forcing herself to pull away from his grip and sit up in the bed. She was still wearing her clothes from yesterday which made her chuckle slightly “Well...this wasn’t exactly how I pictured my Christmas to begin but” she glanced over at him and grinned sheepishly “Definitely better than being alone” she bit her lip, right at that moment Cloud woke up and started getting excited because they were awake too “Yes my little polar bear, it’s time to wake up” she teased as she started playing with him, tearing him with little pokes against his side which made him roll over and let him have belly rubs.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 20, 2020 at 17:15

He couldn’t remember the last time he actually had a good night's sleep on a bed without feeling pressured or stressed by his work. The pillows were soft and Nora was not kidding when she said the bed is comfortable, she was not lying nor was she stopping short on the truth. It really is comfortable. His head feels light on the pillow and with his arms engulfing her and his face buried against her neck. Yeah, that felt really comfortable, indeed. His head was over the clouds and he actually enjoyed the night with her. He hasn’t felt like this ever since he lost Maleah, but with Nora, everything felt so familiar yet so different. The butterflies and sparks were definitely there, but maybe, just maybe it’s a bit different with the dhampir. He found himself wanting to get into it more, to pursue his own boss in this twisted romance he had played in his head. Okay, maybe he was guilty for liking her, but she hasn't been making things easy for him not to like her, especially after last night.

 Spending time with her, the last thing he expected was to be able to gauge more from her but he was given more information than he thought he'd get, and Julian was forever grateful to know that Nora trusted him in that sense to be divulging with him. That did make him feel a lot better. The closest thing he's had to hugging against him in his sleep was a plushie he had, decorating his empty and solemn bed that rarely got a visit from the owner itself. Nora sure made a good plushie from how well the Nephilim drew her closer to him with each passing moment. By the time he stirred in his sleep, he let out a few small and inaudible whines about being woken up, with his arms still resting around the female, until he fluttered his eyes open and met her clear ones after she turned around to face him. He still had one arm draped over her then too, and Julian did not pull away. Not yet anyway, and maybe he wanted to blame it on the drowsy state he was in after waking up. Maybe.

 "Yeah, maybe we were too tired from what we did. Technically, we decorated a Christmas tree and talked a lot last night. Maybe we can reschedule the binge watch… later. When we have time" he swore his eyes sparkled in anticipation and enthusiasm, that was basically him trying to get another date out of it. It may not be date, whatever this was, but it sure felt like one so maybe regarding it as one wouldn't be the most offensive thing to do. The way she stared at him made his eyes softened, if only he could stare into her eyes forever like this. But before long, she had pulled herself up, leaving Julian to scramble to get up while stretching out his arms cutely, "Could be worse, right? I mean… you probably didn't expect to wake up next to a guy on Christmas morning, but… hey, at least it'll be a story to tell in the future" he teased and craned his neck slightly as he yawned softly. "Mhmm… definitely better than being alone. Which I will yet again thank you for saving me from" his eyes landed on the dog that received constant loving from his owner, which also made him smile as he rubbed his hand behind his ears while Nora gave him belly rubs, "So, tell me, what's your first plan of the day? I mean aside from showering and all because we need to do that first."

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