The things that scares us the most

LOCATION the small shops around the city center
DATE 14th of June 2021
TIME Noon
ATTIRE: Link
TOPIC FOR @Edith
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Noise. So much bloody noise. The city was buzzing, people were loud and chatty, and he should be happy. The humans here thrived and smiled, summer was finally here and all that. Azrael sighed a bit to himself as he walked down the main street, looking to his side as he watched the people walk by him, many people turning their head towards him because of the powerful aura. Demons shied away from him, along with all the dark creatures, and yet they felt somewhat curious about him, perhaps it was the whole - angel of death thing he had going. The slightly darker aura from dealting with so much death back then. He had promised Alessio to stay for a while, help defeat the evil, and all that boring and usual stuff. His older brothers could always find some way to make him spend his time more useful. But when it came for him to have them help with one, simple thing, they had refused. Azrael was perhaps the one of his siblings able to hold a grounge the longest, and he had still yet to even think about forgiving Eos and Uriel for what they had done.

Ripped out of his thoughts, it was like the noise tuned into the background as his piercing blue eyes saw a familiar face in the crowd. Azrael expected her here in town, it wasn't that, but Aston was a bit city after all. He walked closer to her leaning against a lamppost with his shoulder, "seeing anyting that catches your eye?" He asked gently while pulling a little smirk.

No matter where Edith went, she was always very cautious; paranoid. Even though she was standing in the middle of the street in Aston, she was on guard. As much as possible at least. She still had to do her groceries, and it was way better that it was her who went than Zakarias. So, into the crowded and noisy street she had gone and eventually got herself to stop by a booth which sold vases. She had stumbled upon a vase which she figured would suit so well on the dining table with the right flowers. She picked it up and started to inspect it. This was one of those few times where she forgot to look over her shoulder. So when someone spoke to her in Russian, she got spooked and dropped the vase. Only when the vase shattered on the stones beneath her, she realized that she knew the voice from her travel. Her shoulders lost tension and lowered themselves and she looked towards Azrael. “Not anymore,” she sighed, but gave him a gentle smile. Her gaze wandered back to the man in the booth and she was quick to pick up some cash from her wallet and apologized in English, paying for the broken vase, before she turned to Azrael and approached him, crossing her arms. “And you chose to visit the city?” she asked raising a brow with a soft smile.

The vase shattered indicating that he had frightened her, which wasn't his intentions. Azrael didn't have many romantic encounters, not as other of his siblings who had spread seeds all over the world. Anastasia, Edith was one of the few people he had been with. "Yeah, I apologize for my act on that," he chuckled a bit, watching her pay for the broken vase, even through he was just about to do the same, so he kept his wallet to himself. "Family needed me," he replied to her next question, which wasn't a lie. His family always seemed to need him for something these days, but it was alright, he told himself that if anyone had to do the job he was also thankful that it was him. Because he could help and he somewhat wanted to. "Come, walk with me," he spoke gently holding out his arm for her to take, a little old fashioned some would say, he was also an old soul. If she took his arm he would start walk down the marked have a look around, "How are you and Zakarias setting in?" he asked, hoping they had found what they were looking for, and Edith's friend had helped them in best way possible. Azrael would have done so himself, but it hadn't been easy to fit things in with prayers and everything else.

It was funny, how Edith had her advanced danger intuition, but still got spooked so easily. Sometimes she would just blame it on the paranoia. She shook her head a bit as he said he was sorry. “Don’t apologize,” she reassured and looked towards Azrael.
She reached him with her crossed arms, listening to his reply. She pulled on a soft smile. It was nice that he allowed himself to be with his family and help them when they were in need. He then held out his arm which she eyed for a split second before she took it with a gentle hand and followed him. Her eyes didn’t really stay at him, but instead they looked around eyeing the marked and the people. As he spoke her eyes did land on him for a moment before they sought out again, “Zakarias likes it very much,” she said licking her lips once. “It’s mostly the language barrier, but we’re getting there,” she replied. “Irina has been such a great help,” she admitted nodding a bit before she looked back up at him, “But we’ve- I’ve missed you,” she spoke softly. She couldn’t really tell whether or not if Zakarias had been missing Azrael, but she knew she had. She also knew that he probably couldn’t and wouldn’t stay. The city was a little bit too much, and she understood that.

It was good to hear that they were settling a bit more in, at least trying to. He understood that the language could be a bit more different. Russian and English was far from easy to compare, at least they taught English in the Russian schools these days. So it was more like that Zakarias had more fun with staying here than Anastasia did. Azrael nodded a bit, her friend Irina had helped her which he was thankful for, he thought humans were becoming more and more selfish by the day, so if one was kind enough to make sure that her friend was equipped to deal with everything. "I'm glad to hear that, perhaps one day we can make a meal or invite her over for a glass of wine, to express gratitude," Azrael knew it was perhaps a bit old fashioned that you didn't do so many gestures. To be fair he hadn't really socialized with more people than he could count on one hand, in what? The last five-hundred years? To say he needed to be around people more, wasn't a lie. She mentioned that she had missed him, which made his lip curl up in a smaller smirk. Truth to be told, he had missed her as well. Being one of the few people who wasn't an angel or part angel he had spoken to in forever. It had been nice to do some good as well, and actually live a little bit - even if it was short handed. "I've missed you as well, so perhaps we can grab a bite somewhere?" He suggested looking at her with a warmer smile.

All of Edith being lightened up when Azrael mentioned inviting Irina over for a meal or a glass of wine. It was almost as if she got taller by the suggestion, “I like that idea very much,” she said. Her eyes almost glimmered, she looked towards Azrael. She didn’t think it was old-fashioned, but she believed it was generous and thoughtful. She liked that. “And I think she would feel appreciated,” she added. She let her eyes slide back to the market. She was excited for having both her best friend and Azrael visiting on the same time. What an evening it would be, and for Irina to meet who Edith had been seeing, and who had helped her on her great escape.

She noted his smirk when she told him that she had missed him. For a short moment she thought he wouldn’t say it back, which was why she looked at the booths while they walked. But finally, he said it. He had missed her as well, which made her regain eye contact with him. It was almost as if she melted all over again. “I would love to get something to eat,” she said softly, almost drowning in his eyes. “I don’t know that many places here. Have you been here before?” she wondered; it was possible after all. She had been there for a while, but that certainly didn’t mean that she had any knowledge of where to eat – besides her English wasn’t that great yet, and most cafés didn’t understand what she wanted to order, unless she could point on a menu card.

It wasn't like he usually communicated with people using words. To be frank, him and Sariel had spent at least hundred years of just passing books to each other without saying a word. But he was therefor also really good at reading people, or maybe it was just because he could see their soul. Azrael didn't let people in that closely, not after he had lost Aurelia, because he couldn't bear losing someone like that again. Even if he knew she wasn't dead, but trapped in hell without being dead, was an even worse fate than much else. It was how he had used to feel for Eos, how terrible a fate it was for her to be trapped down there - just guarding the gates. Now, she deserved it, at least his bitterness told him that. She had kept him from reaching Aurelia, therefor she did not deserve his kindness anymore. Returning to reality as she once again spoke, and said she would love something to eat. See, Azrael wasn't really the one going out to eat or knew any place by hand. However, he had a niece who loved eating out and had asked him out a few times, just to spend time together. He was thankful for Erin for that, despite he hadn't really been a part of her life. Michael had also given him the name of a few places for dining out and the chance to stay with him in the bunker while he was here. So, naturally Azrael had accepted the offer. "My niece showed me some place a few days ago, perhaps we can try it out," he breathed out and nodded. "I haven't really been anywhere, but I trust my niece's words for what's good in this town," he admitted with a warmer smile.

"I should be close by," he informed before starting to head in the direction he recalled Erin had mentioned to him. He looked around, seeing all these people completely stuck with their heads to their phone screens, made him annoyed as usual. Why couldn't people just look up from their screens and embrace the world? Embrace what was right in front of them instead of just living through the screen.

Edith pulled on a soft smile as he mentioned his niece had showed some places which they could try. She would love to see whatever she had suggested. It could be quite well after all. “I believe she might have great taste,” Edith replied, reassuring Azrael that she was sure wherever they ended up would be just perfect enough. They didn’t need that much after all.
A nod left her as he told her that it was nearby and she followed him, right by his side. While he looked at the people, she looked at the buildings, names of the streets, signs, lamps and trees. Everything that she needed to have some kind of memory of to be able to find her way to wherever they were going. This was how she managed not to get lost and was also how she usually got through the bigger hallucinations, where it was a whole room or world that changed. Details, that was what she tried to pay attention to.
Things started to blur a little, which se at first ignored, but as a metallic almost bloodlike taste filled her mouth, she raised her hand to cover her mouth and open it a bit to figure if it was her own or a sign. There was no liquid coming from her mouth. She slowed down and her sight started to blur even further. Who was this about?
“Azrael?” she whispered as things started to look like one big blob of blur. She tried to step to the side towards what she remembered was the walls of some buildings, but maybe it was into people or booths. The taste in her mouth was quite overpowering and it started to tingle on her tongue. Glimpses started to appear, and she recognized the home it was happening in. It was Andrei and Natasha’s home. It was like she stood on a scene. Viktor was there. A microphone was placed in front of her. He held a hobby knife, as if Viktor had just been helping with something simple. The spotlight was put on. Viktor raised the hobby knife and got closer and closer to the victim, and it was first when the victim raised his hands, that she realized that this was her brother. Her brother was getting killed today. She opened her mouth.

Azrael was an observant man, at least when it came to his surroundings, very aware when people were around death. After all, Azrael was the angel of death. He wasn't like the banshee's able to detect it, but he could feel when it was time for the soul to be passed on. Even if he didn't bring souls to Hell or Heaven anymore, having shared those tasks with Michael and Remiel after his disappearance, and unwillingness to see Uriel and Eos. Anastasia or Edith being anxious wasn't really something that was new, she always seemed to be unguard. But as soon as she whispered his name he stopped and turned around looking at her. He placed his hands on her shoulders for a moment, keeping her steady while he could see in her eyes what seemed to be a warning sign. Someone was going to die.

He let go of her arms and stood behind her, taking a deeper breath in. "Let it out," he spoke as he breathed out and narrowed his eyes letting her scream out loud. Making the noises in her head more bearable. "What did you see?" He asked, both knowingly that he was the angel of death, if it was someone she knew, he could help make sure the soul got into Heaven - even if it wasn't deserved. But he was also just curious to see and know how and how much a banshee could see.

The touch on her shoulders didn’t bring her back or anything. It felt like feathers on top of her shoulders, she wasn’t really there. Her eyes were completely white while she saw the things she saw. He told her told her to let it out and with no hesitation, she screamed to silence everything around her. She was way to used to this by now, but it was difficult to see how her own brother died by the hands of her own husband. As soon as she was back and she heard his question, it was like someone activated a waterfall in her eyes, making tears stream down her face. She wiped her cheeks dry, even though they were wet immediately after. It wasn’t like she felt like crying, but her eyes didn’t want to stop. She turned around to face him and dried her eyes again. “Viktor killed Andrei,” she spoke softly. “With a hobby knife in the living room,” she said, her eyes shifting a little as she processed what she had seen. She didn’t recall if she had ever presented Viktor or Andrei to Azrael, and it would make sense if he got confused if she hadn’t talked about them. For some reason Edith didn't wish to ask for Azrael to do anything, even though she was aware of the title he carried. She looked directly up into his blue-green eyes. “I heard them yelling…. The steps…” she frowned and closed her eyes shortly, “The falling… The slicing… The heartbeat,” she stopped herself in the process of the rambling. Hearing the panicked heartbeat of her brother was almost the worst thing of it all. If she had been there, this wouldn’t have happened. Victor wouldn’t have been pressured to do this. She could’ve warned both Natasha and Andrei and tell them to get themselves and their son out.

She had been used to sense these things and now when she was almost on the other side of the globe, she got something like this. It must’ve been planned. Nothing else would make sense. She didn’t want to blame herself, but she did. I must be some kind of trick to get her attention. To let her know, that things were going to change, now that she had fleed.

Grief. He knew grief better than anyone on this planet, this universe, because just like he was the angel of death, he was also the angel of grief. So, he knew the signs. She had seen or felt someone close to her die, someone she knew. It wasn't the loss over just seeing a random person die. The names didn't ring a bell, he didn't know these people, but he didn't have to. Death didn't scare the archangel, death was death, the reason to the murder was not in his interest as well. It didn't matter how people died, it mattered what happened to their souls after - at least if you asked Azrael. It was terrible, and despite the human thing to do was embrace the person in front of you experiencing this grief. Azrael couldn't help but feeling drawn to his duties, and he placed a quick hand on her shoulder. "I will be back," he mumbled a bit before teleporting himself out of there. He had to get this person's soul and transfer it to Heaven rather than the risk of it getting into Hell. Getting into Hell was a lot easier these days than getting into Heaven.

It took it's sweet time. Going back home to Heaven for a short minute was never just a short minute. It took at least a couple of hours till he landed back on Earth in an alley, just not to drag too much attention to himself. Then he walked back to Anastasia, letting his deep blue eyes search for her. Finally, finding her in the crowd. "Sorry it took so long."

She felt a hand on her shoulder which made her look into his eyes and give him a nod. She could be alone with this anyway. He disappeared. Her eyes looked around, searching for somewhere, where she could get some peace and therefore sought into an alley where she leaned up against a wall. She could feel that her body was shaking from the adrenaline and shock.
She felt like she was used to seeing people get killed, and how danger got closer and closer, but for some reason, when it was someone so close to her, it hit differently. In her state of grief, she even called Irina to tell her that Andrei was dead, and Viktor had been the one who killed him. It was sickening. She ended the call quickly, whether or not she took it, or it went to voicemail. Edith just rested herself up against the wall and tried to piece the puzzle together and tried not to blame herself too greatly. Besides, the paranoia only kept her busy, now that someone so close to her had been killed. She was almost scared of whoever passed the alley she stood in.

After a couple of hours she saw a greater light from behind some of the buildings, which made her get up from the wall and start approaching the light and the alley it had been in. Hopefully she could meet Azrael halfway. She pulled on a slightly pained smile as she saw him. He apologized, but she just shook her head, “It’s alright,” she whispered. She wasn’t completely certain about what he had been doing, but she was certain that he had had his reasons, right after he had heard what she had seen. It had been a painful number of hours, but now he was back.
She sank a lump in her throat, “Are you still hungry?” she questioned. Most of all, she wished to go home and check up on Zakaria, to make sure that he was okay, and hadn’t gotten any strange calls or something like that. She didn’t want to tell her son just yet about his uncle. At the same time, she just wished to push the pictures completely out of her head and to forget it for a moment. Just to be with Azrael and find some peace of mind.

It wasn't like he really truly cared if she thought of it as right or alright, he had done it because it was his calling. Even if she had found it rude, he would still have done it. Mostly cause the angelic duties came before anything else, the main reason why he refused to fall in love again, or get involved with someone, because he knew one day he would leave - and after having his heart broken, he wasn't going to do that to anyone else. So, if he could spare others of that feeling, he would. Azrael appreciated she didn't ask about it either, even through he was certain that a part of her had to be curious about it - or at least it was how he thought. It was funny how she asked if he still was hungry, he didn't feel hunger the same way as humans, he didn't really need food. Asking if someone wanted to grab a bite was just the thing he found most bound to humanity.

"No, its quite alright, I reckon there is somewhere you would rather be?" He pressed his brows a bit together as he was very observant of her. Azrael had children, only one of them were alive to this day, and he was perhaps not the best father to keep an eye out for her - but back when he had lost Katana the first time, it had been his main priority. Looking after his children.

I reckon there is somewhere you would rather be?
It made Edith remember to breathe for a second. She nodded a little, “Zakaria, yeah,” she breathed out nodding. She looked over her shoulder to check if anyone was watching them, or maybe just because she was used to constantly look over her shoulder. “We should… I should go,” she said as her eyes landed on  his again. She took a sharper breath in. She didn’t want their meeting to end just yet. She wished to catch up for the time they hadn’t seen each other. After all, he was a busy man and she had to appreciate the time she got with him. “If you don’t have anything else to do, you’re welcome to join,” she said pulling on a slight smile starting to feel a little restless.