The Park, Thursday Evening

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod walked around town, enjoying the dwindling sunlight as he watched it dip below the horizon. He hadn't seen nearly enough sunsets in his 18 (ish) years.

The cool breeze ran through his hair, and he put his hands in his pockets, idly fingering the small bottle of holy water he'd taken to keeping there. He still wasn't sure if a cross would work, since he didn't know his religion.


[ooc: For all your park needs, and hopefully for vampire_darla.]

Comments

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

She curled up on the dirt near the roots of a tree, arms over her head as though protecting herself from the sky falling. Dirt and blood smeared her white dress, and she was murmuring something over and over again under her breath.

[[OOC: About to be away for 2 hours, but this gets us started...]]

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod heard something, but wasn't sure what it was. He walked over to the tree and recognized the figure as a woman. He crouched down. "Hello? Do you need some help?"

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

Darla looked up. Tears mixed with blood from scratches on her face. "I don't..." Her voice broke. "I don't think you can."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Jarod didn't step back, but he did pull his hands (and the bottle of holy water) out of his pockets. "Darla?"

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

She bent her head again, looking down. "For my sins," she said bitterly.

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

He didn't ask what sins, having gotten quite the earful on that subject recently. Jarod's voice was soft and low, but he still didn't get closer than an arm's distance away.

"What has happened?"

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

She laughed. It was a harsh sound. "Ever feel like you're being torn in two from the inside? I can't stand it. I feel like... I hate everything I want, and I want everything I hate."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"Why do you feel that way?" He had felt that way before, but he didn't think it was a good idea to tell Darla that.

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

"Because someone did this to me. They put this soul inside of me and now I can't... I won't..." She looks up at Jarod, her eyes wild. "Drusilla threw me out. Like garbage. Because I'm tainted. Like Angel. The soul is bleeding into me... I can't live with everything I've done!"

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"You're not tainted." He reached out for her and offered his hand to help her stand. "And now that you have a soul, people will help you. Like they do with Angel."

"Do you have anywhere to stay?"

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

Darla looked at his hand for a moment. "But I am. By the soul if you're a demon, and by the demon if you're a human. Either way, I'm... wrong."

She reached out and took his hand, letting him help her. "I haven't thought that far ahead," she said. "I don't have anywhere to go."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"Not wrong. Unique. Like your soul." He braced a hand under her elbow and held her steady. "We have spare rooms at the Sin. You can stay there until you figure out what you want to do."

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

She looked up at him, her expression dazed. "Why are you being nice to me? Last time I saw you, I said that you were nothing more than food to me."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"You just told me you weren't that person any longer." He almost looked into her eyes, but remembered Drusilla and looked just below them instead. "If you aren't lying, you deserve a second chance."

[vampire-darla.livejournal.com]

"I'm not lying," Darla said quietly. "I wish I were."

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

"Then come on. (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomtownies/617978.html?thread=24122874#t24122874) We can deal with this tomorrow."