Lead me Home || 1x1 w/ .winter and .Addicted.

[.edawnie.]

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x ♦Aiden Alexander Whitemoore♦
xx♦Tag(s): Autumn♦
xx♦Mood: Intrigued♦
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With vague interest, Aiden fiddled with the menu, unsure what to order. Like he had thought before, he wasn't really hungry but he wouldn't mind munching on something. Finally, after staring at the menu for what seemed like ages, he decided he would get a slice of raspberry cheesecake and a frappaccino, despite the cold. Nodding in confirmation of his own order, Aiden set down the menu and let his eyes wander to the girl in front of him. She seemed tense but at the same time completely in control of her actions. Even when she, rather aggressively, shut off the radio she seemed to be in control of everything she was doing. Aiden raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, instead reclining back into the seat and clasping his hands together in his lap. Not commenting on anything she said, Aiden made a mental note to not ask about the reports seeing as it was a trigger to her irritation. "I'll have a raspberry cheesecake and a caramel frap," Aiden said to the shaking boy, with a smirk on his lips and his accent clipping his words. Most of the time, Aiden didn't mean to sound harsh or rude but his style of shortening his words and his accent only adding to it, he came off intimidating. When the server left again, Aiden slowly shifted his eyes back to the girl in front of him. He wasn't one to typically talk and right now wasn't any different of a moment. Instead, he clalcualted everything about her, his dark eyes practically penetrating her thoughts. His every movement read that he was analyzing her and the silence between her questions and his answer only grew. Eventually, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, and rested his head in the palm of his hand, his eyes never wandering. This was yet another thing people didn't like about him. Every one of his actions seemed hostile when in reality it was his curiosity that made him so focused on his surroundings. "Traffic, mainly," he said simply, as if all his staring and swirling thoughts had vanished. "I'm not one for small talk," he said with a practical chuckle in voice. "But if you must know," he told her in an almost, almost, playful tone, "I'm Aiden."
Fidgeting with his bow tie, he turned his head away from the brown haired girl sitting across from him and to the window that was to his right. A pair of cops sped by,lights flashing and sirens wailing. He was curious as to why there seemed to be so much trouble today but he figured it had to be because of what was replaying over and over on the news. This chaos was not only happening in the states but all over the world, according to some reports. The idea that something so drastic was so far from being controlled made a small panic rise in his chest but he wasn't going to share this thought. Not here, not ever. Swallowing, Aiden forced his eyes from the window and to the table where he stared at the smalls scratch and engravings on it from previous customers. If he was going to try to make the rest of his day any better then he was going to have to stop thinking about all the negative things going on around him. In reality though, it was so much easier to focus on the bad than the good. Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Aiden then trailed it through his black hair before placing it back in his lap. He had to find one of his friends and relax. He wasn't going to be able to take the stress of today much longer if he didn't find someone to help take things off his mind. Right now, however, that wasn't an option seeing as he had a guest in his booth. He was tempted to ask her something else but for some reason he didn't. If he was in her place, he wouldn't want to be questioned so why should he make the effort when he himself wouldn't appreciate it? Restraining a sigh, he refocused his dark brown eyes back on the table where he played with his thumbs.

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x ♦Elias Daniel McCarthy♦
xx♦Tag(s): April♦
xx♦Mood: Concerned♦
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Elias chuckled when he heard the squeal that escaped April and he returned her embrace by wrapping his arms tightly around her and slightly picking her up. With a smile on his face, he sat and admired his friend, just happy to be back with her. "Traffic is killer!" he said, agreeing. "I didn't mind it to much though, but I've been great," he told her, finally settling in and sipping some of his iced coffee. "Faelyn's kept me busy," he told her with a shrug, now letting her take over the conversation. As Elias listened to April rant about her sister, his eyes visibly widened. Her mother had died and her sister hadn't let her know? Elias had to restrain himself from letting his draw drop from the shock of that mere fact. He had lost his mother himself and the thought of not being able to know that and be left in wonder instead made a chill run down his spine. "Oh April," Elias whispered, seeing the tears start to fall. Leaning over the table, he gently wiped the tears with his thumb, letting his fingers linger slightly below her chin. With a sigh, he stood from where he sat and went over to her side of the booth, making her scoot over as he sat down and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry your sister sucks," he said, attempting to figure out what he should even tell her. When his parents had died, his brother hadn't said anything. He hadn't said anything for weeks and Elias learned to accept it when it happened. Now, here he was, in the same situation but he was the one who had to comfort his friend and not the opposite way around. "Well first thing is first, I am more than willing to drive you down to the cemetery to pay our respects," he told her with a small encouraging smile. "And if you really want to, though I don't recommend it, we can visits your sister as well," he added, squeezing her shoulder. From what he's heard so far about Autumn, she didn't seem like someone who needed to be in April's life at all. Their characters were too different and all Elias could see was April getting more hurt and torn down. "And that text isn't important. It's probably just spam," he told her , brushing the subject away.This random text didn't pose any immediate problems and could be dealt with later. Right now all he could think of was the looming fact that his best friend's mother had died and they had to start school tomorrow. "Do you want to stay at my place tonight? We can try to watch some movies and eat junk food," he offered, knowing it wasn't much but just a start. He had pushed all his feelings aside when he was in April's position but he knew that she could't just forget it like he did. She felt everything and he admired her for it thought sometimes it was a curse. "Or I can spend the night at your place... I just want to make sure you're alright," he said, mumbling the last bit as it was hidden by a deep sigh. Tomorrow was going to be hell for the two of them and he had never dreaded school as much as he was dreading it now. "And don't worry about tomorrow okay? We'll just shove through the day and Ill be there through all of it. Promise." Elias didn't plan on making his best friend deal with this on her own. He was going to help her through as much of it as he could, even if he wasn't able to express it in words he knew he would.

[.winter]

Autumn Hope | 17 | Feeling: Agitated

"Who said I was one for it either?" I snapped back, placing one of those false smiles on my face as I tried my hardest to be polite. Honestly, if people haven't already picked it up, I'm not a big people person. I've never been. Even since the day I was old enough to walk, I've cried if my mother wasn't holding me, and I would be that one kid in the back of the class reading or drawing some stupid flower while the other kids laughed and giggled with the activity the teacher provided. Me, well, as I've grown up, I've known from the start people are monsters, ever since birth. Their parents learn how to be monsters, than pass it down to their young, and I guess I was an exception. Exception to being a monster and just replacing that aspect with a hollow confused soul. The shaky waiter snapped me out of my harsh reverie, his shaky hand setting my drink lightly next to me and next to, Aiden? That was his name, right? "My name is undecided." I joked, than thinking about claims and titles that society placed on every single person, and shuttered as I noticed myself being to human again. Always to human. "Can I get your order t-today? Try o-our pumpkin p-pancakes-" and honestly I couldn't take this waiter anymore, picking the pancakes so he could stop shaking. I didn't have time for this. "Pumpkin pancakes than." I smiled the most genuine I could muster, and the waiter blushed as he pushed his glasses up and gave her a nod about the pancakes. Than, his expression changed immensely as he turned to Aiden, as if he was a bear and not a customer. How weird. "C-can I get yours t-to sir?" The waiter asked as nicely as possible, and I couldn't help but notice I was swaying my feet under the table, hitting his by accident as I flashed a look of apology towards him. What was wrong with me today? And the most bizarre thing happened, right before he could respond, 3 or 4 cops stomped into the diner and cuffed their hands in announcement. "Excuse me, everybody, but we are looking for a red haired girl with brown eyes who ran over an officers foot while being pulled over for a speeding ticket. We will be checking in here just in case to find this girl." But before these stupid fat cops could even finish talking, I wiped my mouth with my thumb, put my sunglasses on, and raised the hood of my sweater. "Well it was nice to meet you, Aiden, but I got to go. Unless you want to come with me, or you can spend the rest of your morning being pestered with questions about me." And in a weird way, I guess I was flirting if that was what you wanted to call it, but in another way I was totally just being my hell of a self. I was honestly, for the first time, extremely curious as to what he was going to do. Yes, I ran over a cops foot, but that was because this cop was everything but the word honest and genuine. When does it make it okay to flirt and practically demand a date with the person you are charging? If anything happens to this world, he will definitely be the first to go. The cops had started asking questions to the customers, the cooks, waiters and cashiers, and that was definitely when my nervous quirks started to show. I only had a couple, I learned how to tame the rest, but the first was so stupid I had no idea why my body still pressed on doing so. My finger curled up to meet my long hair, twirling the threads into a constant circle, exchanging sides time to time. And the other one was the worst, biting my lips. Over and over until they were practically raw and the salty liquid coated my tongue for minutes that lingered and burned. I was hoping my nerves didn't come to that one. Who knows, maybe one day I could master them. Eventually I got to nervous to wait for an answer from the boy sitting in front of me, and started walking out nonchalantly out of the diner without my food or the check. Of course, then, the cops called to me. Dammit. "Excuse me miss, can we ask you a few questions before we go?" And shivers were thrown down my spine as the cop that was hitting on mes voice pushed through my ears. No, oh god no. Great. "Nope." And with my luck, he recognized my voice, and my feet went from a walk to a run. Although, full and through I expected nerves, and that bubble you get in your stomach when you want to vomit from fear. But this time, an excited smile ran across my face, and adreanline was pumped through my veins. I ran out to my car, throwing myself in it as the cops ran towards me, and I took one last glance to see if that boy I was talking to changed his mind or made up his mind as to coming with me. Why did I ask him? Gosh I don't know, maybe because my cockiness was getting the best of me today, or that connection I had thought about earlier actually meant something. Whatever it was, I didn't press it, waiting a flimsy 10 seconds to find out if I was going to pull out this plan alone or with someone. It was so weird, because that plan that I thought was as simple as getting away from a freaky cop, felt like something much more, as if I was going to face the world alone or with someone else.

April Hope | 17 | Feeling: Better

The first thing that went through my head was how amazing Elias really was to have as a best friend. Here he was, comforting me without a second hesitation and hurry or doubt that I will be able to handle this on my phone. It already made me feel better, considering the fact he had wiped away the few tears that I allowed to fall on my cheeks and lifting the corner of his lip to that light smile I thought some girl would absolutely love someday. Yeah, sure, I could see Elias as a boyfriend, but no way for me. Anytime 2 best friends tried to change the status to friends and to boyfriend or girlfriends, it just always crumbled and feelings would be hurt and expectations would be smashed, so oftenly when the topic sprouted to my mind I shut it down, just like I am about to do now. His touch made me feel extremely better, and I nodded and licked my lips before I could form what I was about to say. "That would be amazing if I could spend the night at your place. Honestly, I don't remember the last time I had slept at my own house with autumn in it. I don't remember the last word she spoke about me." The words came out bitter and regretful, just as I felt about my sister. That topic, no matter how many times discussed or thought about, seemed to be forever incurable and that one problem that you couldn't ever solve despite how many times you attempted it. "No, I don't want to see autumn. I mean if she tried to reach out and talk to me, sure, but I don't know what I did to make her hate me so much, or what happened to her to make her be so secluded and quiet." I muffled, my thoughts trying as hard as they could to avoid the topic ask the thought of my mother. We were never really that close when she was sick, considering she was so sick she started to forget who I even was, but we were really close before she got sick. I felt awful, not being around for that, but my feelings would always be so incredibly hurt when my mother didn't even know who I was. Perhaps I would admit I was a coward, but how could I help cowardice at 16? It seems I was a hell of a lot older than I was just 12 months ago, and in a way I was. God, I feel like I'm 100 frikin years old. "Yes. That's what I want to do, have a movie marathon and eat pop tarts and chocolate and cake." My voice got more and more excited as I listed the foods, a smile but weak smile growing across my face. Although his idea was genuine and kind, I don't think I was ready to go to the cemetery the day I found out my mother had died, I feel like I should go when I feel a bit more, ready to mourn. Right now it was fresh like an open wound, easy to bleed and not so easy to close and heal. "Yeah but what could that mean? 8 days? I feel like it's an omen and I have to read it or else something really bad is gonna happen. But you're right, probably just some stupid chain text. 'Send to 10 people and your crush will kiss you tomorrow at 9' yeah right." I imitated with a roll of my eyes and a sip to my delicious spicy drink, the taste calming me just a tad bit more. "What do you think happened to autumn? Ever since she was little she has always been..I don't know quiet?" I guessed, hoping Elias could summarize the problem to a possible solution. "Did you ever meet her? I don't remember." Asking that question made me feel a bit bad, because shouldn't your sister know your best friend? And your favorite color and tv show and thing to do? I didn't know any of those things for autumn, and autumn didn't know anything about those for me. Shows how great of sisters we ever were. The chasing of a white car and some police cars broke my reverie, making me snap and jump a bit in my seat, my eyes glazing over to the window and seeing the chaos of cars. "I wonder what that's all about?" The question was making me more curious than it should have, but I just swallowed my curiosity and listened to the radio overhead. 3,800 citizens in Africa presumed dead - more than 10,000 infected with sickness - spreading to America starting in New York- but I had to shut my eyes and close my ears with my hands, because that commercial was god awful to listen to. Whatever this stupid virus was, it apparently was getting extremely serious if the CDC was getting involved, and I tried not to think about it. This stupid rumor was probably just a rumor and staying at that, for money or interest or whatever, so I didn't take it to seriously. It would all die down eventually, the drama, the rumor, and whatever else.

[.edawnie.]

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x ♦Aiden Alexander Whitemoore♦
xx♦Tag(s): Autumn♦
xx♦Mood: Intrigued♦
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At her sudden shift in tone, Aiden raised an eyebrow. Well damn, was all he managed to think as a smirk crossed his lips. He always loved people who were feisty as they posed a challenge. The only reason he didn't start to toy with her was because of his lack of background knowledge on her and how she would react to any hostility on his behalf. To his own surprise, he didn't feel a spark of anger ignite in him but instead a playful one arise. Aiden typically had a short temper with just as short a line of patience so the fact that he hadn't become annoyed with her tone astonished him. "Nice to meet you, Unknown," he teased back, reclining back into the chair. Aiden found himself with a small smirk on his face simply because he was starting to become entertained by this girl in front of him and her constant shift from aggression to forced friendliness. She seemed to have invisible little walls stacking themselves up around herself and the longer the two sat together the more it became notable. He, of course, didn't comment on how she seemed reluctant to share anything but he made sure to make a mental note of it in case it were to come up again. He wasn't sure why she seemed to be like this because she had even refused to give him her name but then again, he was a complete stranger. When the poor sap that called himself a waiter came stumbling back over to them, Aiden felt the corners of his lips tug into a viscous smile. Nothing about the way his dark eyes seemed to glint or the curl his mouth had swirled into gave a friendly tone. The gesture that should have been taken as a sign of friendliness became one of hostility, his dark eyes penetrating into those of the waiters. Before the sarcastic remark that had been bubbling in Aiden's chest was able to leave his mouth, he felt something bump into his leg, making his eyes momentarily shift to the girl in front of him. She gave him an apologetic look letting him know she hadn't meant to but his wicked intentions were already fleeting. Aiden gave a sort of scoff, his eyes rolling back over to look at the waiter, disinterest once again shining in them. "I'll have-," but he was interrupted yet again. Aiden bit his lip in an attempt to keep from saying anything and let his attention shift over to the second voice. This time, he was not interrupted by the brunette in front of him but by some rather large police officers entering into the diner. They began by having one of them give an announcement about the fact that they were on the search for someone, a girl in particular, and that she was being charged with a speeding ticket and later running a cops foot over. Upon hearing what she had done, Aiden let out a snort in an attempt to suppress a chuckle. He himself had many encounters with police officers and because of how rude he could be they never ended well. Luckily for him, his father was drowning in money and was able to bail him out every time as well as get his record cleared. The girl then asked him a question, one he certainly did not expect, which left him baffled enough to have her leave before he could answer. Aiden decided to not follow in suit, his eyes trailing after he as she attempted to leave the diner. Of course before she could leave she was stopped by an officer, making him instinctively rise from his spot the idea of stopping the man fueling him. Thankfully, the girl was able to slip past the man and dash out of the place, Aiden turning to whip out his wallet and drop forty dollars on the table. "Keep the change," was all he managed to mutter out to the waiter as he ran out after her only to be stopped by another man in uniform. When Aiden felt the harsh grip of the man's hand on his bicep, he went into immediate self-defense mode, which only led in him practically drop kicking the officer. Running over to her car, he threw open the door and landed himself in the passengers seat, a smirk playing on his lips. "Not the first time I would be charged with aggravated assault on an officer."

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x ♦Elias Daniel McCarthy♦
xx♦Tag(s): April♦
xx♦Mood: Concerned♦
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Elias let himself sit in a silence as April thought about his offer. When she agreed to spending the night at his house he felt his heart speed up and a smile instantly spread across his face. "Awesome! I miss having you over," he told her happily. If she was over he'd be able to keep an eye on her and make sure that she didn't have time to be sad. Dealing with death was something he was all too familiar with and he was more than willing to be there for his best friend. Sometimes distraction was all he needed and if it wasn't that that he wanted it was just the idea of having some there with him through it all that made it all better. If he could do either with her he would feel his job as best friend was completed and well done. "I don't blame you," he told her with a shrug when she said she didn't want to go see her sister. Her sister, Autumn, never seemed like a nice person to Elias. She had always seemed to put April down and it made Elias ache knowing that April, who was nothing but sweet in his eyes, could be so easily torn apart and shut down by someone who was supposed to be very important in her life. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was sort of happy that they weren't going to see Autumn. It more than likely wouldn't be a good thing for April to have to deal with especially right after the death of her mother. "I don't think she hates you," he voiced quietly, thinking out his next words carefully. To him, it mainly just seemed that Autumn was a negative and defensive person in general so she had the tendency to lash out at April who was the complete opposite. "I think she just never took the time to get to know you," he told her with a shrug. Maybe with her spending the night he could take the opportunity to make her momentarily forget all these negative things in her life. "We can go get junk food shopping at the super market when we're done here in preparation for tonight," he told her with a chuckle mainly due to her sudden excitement on the idea. However, when she brought up the chain mail text he frowned lightly. "I doubt it means anything. People these days are ridiculous with the things they send to get attention," he said, rolling his eyes at the same time. Chain mail was still a common thing and he was constantly tagged on it on social media. "She probably just doesn't know how to deal with the blows life deals out," he told her with another shrug, "some people know how to and others let it knock them down. I feel like she might just he hiding behind some facade to.. like... I dunno... protect herself," he voiced, not quite sure where he was going with his train of thought but ending it where he did. Some people chose to be harsh so that the world couldn't stop on them like it had done before and it was possible that April's sister had followed in the same path. Then again, he had only met the girl once so he couldn't really gather anything besides speculations. "I met her once.. sorta. I mean I saw her but we were never introduced. I only saw her talking with you," he told April with a shrug, "it doesn't matter anyways." Standing up, Elias offered her a hand and he motioned towards the door with his head. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he said, noticing her reaction to the radio. He had been hearing the reports all day and they had been driving him insane. The reports about this out break had started weeks ago but only some cases made it to the news. Now it seemed that the only thing being announced on any network or radio channel was this spreading disease. Whatever it was that was happening, he didn't want to add it to the plate of concerns that he and April had stacking up. "How 'bout we go get snacks,"he offered, wanting to change the subject and path of negative topics they had been on. Plus, he was dying to get some ice cream and chips so that they could start binge watching shows and movies together.