He broke his leg when he was a human and it was never set right so he has a permanent limp even as a vampire.
He has a few scar that he has gotten from fighting, one along his hip and the other from the middle of his shoulder blades down to mid bicep.
His worst ones are from where priest tried to preform and exorcism on him believing him to be possessed by a demon. He has a cross burnt into his back from it as well as burn scars from having holy water thrown on him.
The eyes that turned to catch her gaze filled the animator with a sorrow and guilty she hadn’t felt in such a long time. He didn’t need to tell her that he was hurt, that not only her words but her actions had hurt him and the worst part about it was that she didn’t know how to remedy it. It was true that he had been kind, friendly even and had taken great strides towards reeling in Jean-Claude, but Anita had never been one to accept everything at a face value. And maybe that should change, but those things take time.
“Axel.” She bowed her head, attempting to hide her own shame and pain in this odd interaction between the two lost souls. “This is hard for me… I’m the Executioner, essentially a Necromancer, a monster to some and prey to other, and recently I’m the WatchDog and human servant to someone that I wish I had never met over circumstances that I haven’t even dealt with yet.” Shaking her head to clear the wanting tears that began to well up in her eyes, Anita met his gaze again. “I’m alive because I assume, Axel. I have to.”
She blinked and felt the wet and hot brushing of a tear against her cheek. “But I am sorry, truly sorry. You have been kind, but experiences lead me to mistake kindness for treachery,” Anita smiled gently, “It’s rare to meet a genuine guy for someone like me, I’m not even what you could consider….. enough.” The phrase she was omitting was ‘wife-material.’ Her ex’s mother’s voice still heavy in her ear for rejecting her for not being enough for her precious boy that had always led the animator to the child memory of not being normal enough for her own step-mother and father.
“I am sorry, truly.”
He knew what it was like not to be able to trust anyone, he had lived through that over so many years, he knew what it was like to feel like a monster, he had been one for many years and had been treat as such but in his eyes she was not a monster. She was just someone trying to by in this world and keeps having terrible luck.
“You are not a monster, prey for those who enjoy human blood and suffering, yes. But you could never be a monster.” He told her softly frowning at the fact that yes she was still a vampires servant. “You should not be the watchdog and human servant to a man who forced it upon you. Human servants are meant to be chosen and given the choice once they have been told everything that it entails.” Axel explained.
He moved over to her and wiped her tears away as he saw them fall onto her cheeks. “I am kind because I know how it feels to be on the other end, to be scared for your life every day, to be watching your back and every move you make has to be careful so you do not get caught. I have seen and been on the receiving end of human hatred and fear. I have been used as a killing machine by the woman who turned me into a vampire.” He moved his hand away from her cheek and sighed as he looked at her.
“My kindness is real. And you are more than enough.” Axel whispered to her as he pulled her in for a hug. “I forgive you.”
Ms. Blake? Now, he hadn’t called her that in a while, at least not until their initial meeting were long behind them, waving in the distance. And that change of demeanor, the ones that only vampires can successfully do almost shocked her. Anita was almost positive that it was because of her, that perhaps she had harmed his feelings- which she had now begun to realize after years of hunting them that they did- and perhaps harmed a potential friendship at that. Could she, an almost murderer in the eyes of many supernaturals, be friends with a vampire? Was that possible? How could she trust someone with the power to snap her spine in the blink of an eye? How could someone trust her enough to lay down their defenses and allow her to be a part of their life? Their death?
Anita felt the coming rages of another migraine and held the bridge of her nose in attempt to calm the gnashing sea of thoughts and worries.
“Hey.” After a few moments of quiet consideration, Anita stood and maneuvered her way around her desk, following the now somber vampire out of her door to her greatest of embarrassments. “Look, I didn’t mean to be rude or anything,” she smiled slowly, her eyes downcast, “It’s just been a long day and I haven’t had anything to eat.” She chuckled, “Remember, I get hangry.”
And now for an even odder moment, she found herself rubbing her hands on her work trousers, “Uh, would you like feed me? No, go eat with- er, come watch me eat?”
He was hurt and it was from how she was acting towards him, yes he was a vampire but he still had feelings and she had hurt them. He knew she found it hard to trust people and let her defenses down but he had been nothing but nice and a gentleman at that. He had not pushed the fact that he had feelings for her, he had not been as Jean-Claude had.
He stopped walking as she came out of the office, he turned and looked at her. “It is not what you said…..it is what you didn’t say, I could tell what was going through your head when I gave you my gift Ms.Blake. Do not blame it on being hangry.” He told her with s frown before running a hand over his face.
He thought about her offer for a moment, watching her rub her hands on her pants. “I can cook for you if you wish…Or we could go out and you can get something to eat.” Axel was still upset at how she had handled the who situation. “Though I will point something out Anita. I am not Jean-Claude, not everything I do is a play to get you into my bed nor is it a power play. I am on the council, I have enough power, I do not need to be master of this city. Though I have stayed long than I had planned because of certain things. The gift tonight was just that a gift for putting up with me and the ripples I have caused by being here. So do not assume that I am like every other vampire you have dealt with.” He told her letting everything that was building up with how she had been acting out.
Anita grinned wider and shook the package, her ears pricking at the concentrated sound of probably seeds? She shook it again, her brows furrowed in thought until she set the box down, reached into her drawer for a knife and cut the gift open. “Eh,” she responded over her fixed project, “I’ll have a break when I’m dead at this rate, no offense.” The thought sparked her interest and she jolted her head up from the focus, her mouth agape and apologizing, “Oh, sorry.”
Heading back to opening the gift, a little bit more solemnly than before, Anita managed to free its contents with a satisfying smirk. “Coffee and Chocolate,” she pursed her lips approvingly at the vampire, “You know the ways…” Now that thought was interesting. Anita wasn’t certain why he was trying to get on her good graces, was this a political ploy, was he trying to woo her away from Jean-Claude to prove that fancy-fresh fang that he could? Was she just collateral payment in the council’s sending the ancient vampire to the states to reel Jean-Claude in? Was this just so that he could undermine, sneak into her bed while sneaking into the Master of St. Louis’ layer and take over from the shadows?
The thoughts hurt her head and she frowned unknowingly as she set the box down with a curt, “Thank you, Mr. Alrikson.”
She sighed, pushing a hand over her thick curls, “Well. I’m now in charge of the whole, punishment thing,” her brows fluttered, “So that at least changes the way it’s operated so far… It seems that your ‘suggestions’ turned into giving me a headache.” Anita chuckled lightly at that and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms slightly and glanced around at the blue walls surrounding them, “All in all he hasn’t given up hope to make me… his, for the lack of a better term so his approach is lighter, but still bothersome. Harmless. But bothersome.”
He laughed as she apologized for her joke he shook his head and smiled at her. “Why are you sorry? You would not even be able to have a break when you were dead unless you were in the ground.” He smirked as he watched her open the box.
“The ways to your heart?” He asked with a small smile as he noticed the change in her now, he had a feeling that she was thinking that this was all a big political move on his part and that he just wanted to steal her away from Jean-Claude, while yes the later was a little true, he had just wanted to thank her for putting up with him and letting him call upon her when he needed help.
He frowned and stood up. “You are welcome Ms. Blake.” Axel told her, his tone changing from being light hearted and fun as it had been to more serious and hurt.
“At least that has changed.” He mumbled as he moved towards the door. “Perhaps he will never give up Ms.Blake, to him you are nothing more that a symbol of power, he would see it as giving him a leg up on the ladder of power to have the executioner at his side. I shall leave you to your work. Lord knows you have a lot to get through.” Axel told her as he opened the door and walked out of it.
the-solitary-monster 