Summer 2016 - Eddie

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TechPrincess
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Summer 2016 - Eddie

Post by TechPrincess »

<@Venom> Finishing another shot of whiskey, Eddie sighed, looking down at the phone again. The last memory he had of Cassandra St. Commons playing over and over again in his broken mind. He filled the glass again, dark eyes shooting a glare at the barmaid who jumped visibly.

<@Venom> In the corner, one of the many bikers who had attempted to take back the barside from him cradled his broken jaw with a mouth full of his own blood.

<@Venom> Another shot down, Eddie flexed his arms, stroking the tattered jacket he'd left over the chair to his right. He finished the shot in his other hand. Time to go.

<Illyana> It had not been easy to track Eddie down. Finally feeling that she had caught up to him at last, she carefully approached the door, wishing she had worn more comfortable shoes for this. She paused on the other side, surprised and shocked at the scene before her. She looked up, locking eyes with her friend. "Eddie..."

<@Venom> The echoing hiss in his mind preceded Eddie turning to her, eyes widening slightly as he took her in. He hadn't expected anyone, and if he had, it wouldn't have been Illyana. He stood, wiping his face and pushing a hand through his unkempt hair that, alongside the stubble on his face, made him appear a different man.

<Illyana> Tears threatened to fall, but Illyana tried to keep them in check. She moved to him, reaching out for him, "Eddie..." she repeated.

<@Venom> Eddie slapped her hand aside, fixing her with a scrutinizing look, "Don't. Don't touch me. Ever.", he shook his head as if confused as to why she'd even try to do so.
<Illyana> He hit her! Illyana cradled her hand, swallowing hard. She couldn't keep her tears from spilling over, but she bit the sob back. "Eddie please..."

<@Venom> Shaking his head, Eddie glanced over his shoulder at the barmaid again. She was attempting to go about business as usual, but catching his eye again, she froze. His smile crept along his features at the effect he had, turning back to Illyana again, "...sit.", he told her, moving his coat aside and re-taking his own stool.

<Illyana> Oh this was such a bad idea. Illyana carefully moved to sit down next to where Eddie sat down. Should she say something? Stay quiet? She opted for quiet.

<@Venom> Casting his eyes again to the barmaid, Eddie gestured with his hand, "WHAT are you, blind?", he snarled. She trembled as she reached for a glass, placing it carefully beside his arm before stepping back.

<@Venom> Pouring whiskey into both glasses Eddie offered Illyana one of them, shooting back his own before turning to her expectantly.

<Illyana> The whiskey made Illyana think of Pietro. She wished she was home with him instead of trying to talk down someone who wasn't her friend anymore. She downed the shot, reaching for his hand again. "Eddie... please..."

<@Venom> Eddie's hand lifted around hers and pushed it to the table, gripping it tightly enough that she couldn't move it, "Please what? You make no SENSE...", his expression broke into laughter, "You just....come in here spouting the same nonsensical words....why?"

<Illyana> "Please come back," she told him softly, trying not to cry again. What had happened to him!?

<@Venom> "They'll lock me away forever, you think I'm that stupid?", Eddie shook his head, pushing her hand away as he went back to the bottle, "I've made my choice."

<Illyana> "Maybe not! We can get you a lawyer. We can do something. Anything. Nobody wants to see you locked up."

<@Venom> Laughing bitterly, Eddie shook his head, "You are just the perfect liar, aren't you(?)"

<Illyana> "You know me better than that, Eddie. I'd never lie to you. Cecilia doen't count. I'm talking about the people who matter. Me, Hope... Cassie... the twins."

<@Venom> "And not, say, Liza, Laura, Rachel, Jean-Paul, Jay, my Dad?", Eddie laughed again, "Don't waste my time with that bullshit. You people will be fine - better than: I saved you all from that man.", he shook his head, "I avenged Cassie, and with it saved you all. A little credit where it's due, maybe?"

<Illyana> "You can't avenge someone who is still alive. She's alive, Eddie. She came back."

<@Venom> Eddie stopped dead, "....no. She's dead.", he affirmed. "I know what I saw. We both do. I felt the blood from her body on my skin, saw it. She is dead.", he looked to Illyana again, black veins criss-crossing along his neck and up his face, "How could you say that?"

<Illyana> "Because she came back." Illyana risked reaching for him again. "Eddie, look into my eyes. I wouldn't lie to you. Ever."

<@Venom> Doing so, Eddie shook his head, "No. No, nononono, she was dead, she....she can't be alive, don't you get it?", he gulped, hope betraying his heart's desire to believe this truth, "...Illyana, I will eat both your children if this is some trick. I swear on my life, I'll tear you apart. Do not do this to me."

<@Venom> Heartbeat quickening, Eddie's threats bore no weight at all, "...please don't lie to me..."

<Illyana> Risking everything, Illyana moved to wrap him in a hug. "I swear to you. She's alive."

<@Venom> Breathing heavier, Eddie remained motionless. She was alive. It wasn't possible, but here it was. Cassandra was somehow alive. His mind blurred as it tried to deal with the information, the how, the why, the what he would do now.

<@Venom> "D-didn't I say don't touch me?", he managed weakly, shuddering all the same.

<Illyana> "I may never get to see you again... and I couldn't let you leave without knowing the truth."

<@Venom> Eddie pushed her back a little bit, "I don't want you to. I did this knowing well what the world had for me. I did this for all of you, and you'll hate me forever. That's my burden to bear...", he winced at the lie from his own mouth. He did what he did because he honestly believed he was doing right.

<@Venom> And at this point he knew that was wrong.

<@Venom> But it wouldn't let him stop.

<@Venom> IT wanted everything it had taken so far. And the only way to keep himself sane was to keep it sated.

<@Venom> "You....know what I've done. Why would you try and help me?"

<Illyana> Illyana stumbled back as he pushed her, grabbing onto the bar. "Eddie think about it. You are important to me. I don't hate you... I could never hate you... all I've wanted to do is help you. I tried to find you with the others. I should have been there..."

<@Venom> "No, you shouldn't have.", Eddie affirmed, "You have no idea what I've done. No idea at all."

<Illyana> "I'm not abandoning you." Illyana reaffirmed him.

<@Venom> Glancing around as if trying to hide, Eddie leaned closer to her, "Do you have any clue what you're saying!?", he hissed, "I...it...it raped Melati, mutilated her. I...", he made a strained sound, black veins pulsing along his face, "...I...did it. And...and I have to live with the consequences."

<Illyana> She rested her forehead against his. It was so much worse than she thought. Yet he hadn't hurt her. She started to point that out, but stopped. "I'm not giving up on you. Ever."

<@Venom> Eddie grimaced. Would he have to live with dragging Illyana into the grave he'd dug as well? He frowned, turning away, "Don't say that. I'm not the man you thought I was. Eddie Brock is dead..."

<Illyana> "Eddie isn't dead. He's right there. He's just lost." She wiped her eyes, sniffling a bit.

<@Venom> Regret filled his chest as he looked down at the empty glass in his hand. The blurry, misshapen reflection of himself within it. What he'd become hardly deserved such a face. Everything seemed so empty and tasteless.

<@Venom> He shook his head, "Cassie...she'll never, ever forgive this. There's no way. I...I-I think I really loved h-....I really...love her and....", his words turned to ash in his mouth.

<Illyana> "I know you do, Eddie. Which is why I told you she isn't dead. She's ok."

<@Venom> "But...I can never see her.", Eddie laughed dryly, "....good God, isn't that just my entire life in a situation...", he shook his head, pouring another drink and silently hating himself.

<Illyana> "You just... have to not get caught going to see her."

<@Venom> Eddie smirked wryly. Easier said than done with the police and the X-Men out for him. Taking a long, deep breath, he took another shot, considering the possibilities. Would she even want to see him now? After everything he'd done?

<@Venom> He turned to Illyana once again, "You know she'll hate me forever..."

<Illyana> "I don't know what to tell you... I wish I could fix this for you. I don't even know what to advise you to do."

<@Venom> "Suicide'd be the easy way out.", Eddie scoffed, pouring another drink and raising it to her, "Aaand I'm working on it. But...I think the best thing to do is to just...exist. One painful, soul-crushing day at a time..."

<Illyana> "You can't kill yourself!" She took the bottle, pouring herself another shot and downing it. "Whatever I can do to help you I will."

<@Venom> "Go back in time and stop me throwing my life away.",

<Illyana> "If I could, you know I would." Illyana gave him a sympathetic smile. "Here..." she reached into her purse and handed him some money. "Take this. It will help."

<@Venom> Shaking his head, Eddie pushed her hand aside, "No. I'm fine..."

<Illyana> "Eddie pleae... just take it. Consider it babysitting money."

<@Venom> "Piss off...", Eddie laughed, shaking his head, "Or at least have Pietro pay me a bomb for getting rid of Kraven like I promised...", he sighed again, looking back at his glass, "...can't say I'm not a man of my word..."

<Illyana> Illyana shoved the money at him again, leaving it on the bar. "You need it. Or will need it."

<@Venom> Nodding reluctantly, Eddie slid the notes into his hand. It was true, he would. Especially now. "....thanks. And...for what it's worth - what little it's worth - I'm....sorry."

<Illyana> Illyana smiled at him. "I told you Eddie was still in there."

<@Venom> Eddie swallowed, "...mmn. Today...", he breathed, finishing his shot, "If that's all..."

<Illyana> "Then I'll always savor today." She rested her head against his shoulder.

<@Venom> Managing to stop himself shuddering, Eddie poured another drink, timidly stroking his face against her hair before finishing the next drink and standing, "...away I go then.", he lifted his coat, throwing it on and patting Illyana's shoulder on the way past, "Don't follow me again. I can't promise which you'll get..."

<Illyana> "Always looking out for me," she told him sadly, getting to her feet. "Be careful, Eddie."

<@Venom> Adjusting his jacket, he didn't look back; "Goodbye, Illyana."
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Re: Summer 2016 - Eddie

Post by Starfish »

Venom: Having stopped for gas just a few dozen miles outside New York, Eddie stood beside the meter, filling his Daytona with gas and watching the clerk in the window.

Venom: Perhaps it was paranoia - maybe a man adorned in a vest top, ragged black jeans and with a dark coat draped across his jet motorcycle was a fearsome sight - but the clerk seemed concerned by his presence.

Venom: Tutting, Eddie reached into his pocket and drew Cassie's old phone, blood still crusted on its trim. He opened a picture of her and Mayday, smiling at how happy the dark haired girl had been. And perhaps still was...

Cassie: Apparently being dead wasn't enough to keep one safe from the bills. The school had been considerate enough not to throw away the mail addressed to her name during her temporary bout of cannibal-induced death, perhaps out of sentimentality, or to forward it to her next of kin.

Cassie: Having picked a table located in a secluded corner of the library, the stack of letters piled up in front of her, Cassandra held in hand the latest overdue notice from her phone provider. It had served as a reminder that she didn't even know where the thing was, or remember when she had lost it. All she knew was that it hadn't been among the rest of her things in her room.

Cassie: Before going through the hassle of getting a new one, there was one more thing she could try. Picking up the phone provided by the school, she dialed her own number and waited, not expecting much to come out of this idea. Who knew, maybe she was about to have a really awkward chat with an employee of the city morgue.

Venom: The vibration made Eddie jump something fierce, not that the phone hadn't gone off before - texts from the service provider, marketing, etcetera - but this was wholly unexpected. An unknown cellphone number.

Venom: A million posibilities passed through his mind: someone from XU? The police? SHIELD? With a deep breath he answered, raising the phone to his ear and speaking in the voice of 'Emily Brock';

Chaos: "Hey! Is this Chris?"

Cassie: Cassandra blinked, dumbfounded for a moment. She hadn't expected it to still be charged after all this time, much less someone actually answering her call. "Hello?" she eventually managed to utter. "I'm afraid not, as I don't even know anyone named Chris. You appear to have found my phone, however."

Venom: The shock rendered Eddie speechless. Yes, Illyana had said she was alive, but to actually hear it was something that still seemed impossible.

Venom: Dropping his vocal facade, he cleared his breath, mind racing with things to say, settling on simplicity; "Hey...kiddo."

Cassie: Another stretch of silence followed, the second surprise hitting her even harder than the first. It took Cassandra a moment to remember how to breathe, and several attempts to formulate an articulate response. "Eddie?" she asked, her voice unsteady. All the moisture seemed to evaporated from her mouth in a single moment.

Venom: "Yeah...yeah, it's me.", he confirmed, voice as uncertain as hers. Her every word seemed so gentle - a bitter memory of the Symbiote's mockery stabbed at his chest like a needle - as he sat back against his bike;

Venom: "So...dying the new black?", he laughed dryly, the joke as hollow as his chest felt.

Cassie: "You know how they say one should try everything at least once," Cassandra responded with an equally lame joke, chuckling through the phone. She shifted in her chair, unable to sit still all of a sudden. Her grip on the phone tightened, her other hand awkwardly reaching up to play with her name. "You don't seem that surprised."

Venom: Eddie gulped, "I-Illyana mentioned you were...back. A-and I...", he paused, "...you don't seem scared that you're talking to a killer, in fairness..."

Cassie: Cassandra sat back in her chair, Eddie's remark even bringing a small smile to her face. "Would I have anything to fear from you, even if we didn't talk over phone?" She asked him. "Besides, killers aren't what they used to be anymore, anyway. Turns out even the good ones can't keep you dead for long."

Venom: "....somehow don't think that will be a problem in my case.", Eddie managed after a moment, allowing himself to smile too, "...Jesus Christ, I'm glad you're ok.", he breathed, with a breath he didn't even know he was holding, "I-I....I just....I can't even explain how I feel, I-I just...."

Cassie: "You don't have to," she said, smiling as she looked out the large window-front lining the library. "If it's anything like how my friends around here felt when they found out, I've got a pretty good impression already." Her words were followed by a moment of silence. "I'm sorry... for everything I put you through..."

Venom: Feeling the words like a ponyard in his gut, Eddie hastened after her, "No, no, please. Y-you didn't....i-it's not your fault. Please don't think that.", he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, "Cass, it....I-I just...couldn't deal with it. I was weak, I've....been weak. I couldn't fight it, I still can't. Even now, I can feel this...thing, like a hand on the back of my mind..."

Venom: He sighed, "...you know, I...I thought that it was you. I-I thought that...your ghost was asking me to do it. I-I was so convinced that I was doing the right thing for you, I didn't even consider the consequences. I-in a way I...I-I wanted it. I really wanted it..."

Venom: There was a long pause, "....I'm a fucking monster, Cassandra..."

Cassie: Cassandra took a deep breath and bit her lip. "No, you're not, Eddie," she insisted a moment later. "If you truly were, you wouldn't feel that way about yourself." She twirled a strand of black hair around her finger. "I still can't help but somehow feel responsible for what happened. To me, to you... to everyone."

Cassie: She let out a sigh and raised her gaze towards the ceiling, rolling her eyes. "Hadn't I been so foolish to get myself killed, it would never have gotten this far."

Venom: Eddie wanted to disagree, but her logic was pretty firm there. Causality took its destined course when she'd left. Of course, she hadn't gone until he'd led her there; "....it was my fault. I gave you the address. You went to protect me from myself. If I'd have only listened....then you wouldn't have even....", he gulped, "....I....thought I'd lost you forever....I-I mean, we...like....everyone had. N-not just me...I...."

Cassie: "It hit you really hard, didn't it?" She sucked on her lower lip. "Harder than anyone else." After a moment of hesitation, she added: "I had no idea you felt so strongly about me."

Venom: Silence and gentle static presided for a few moments as Eddie considered a response; "....I...didn't either. I guess, in a way, I thought of you like a kinda protege, you know? A-and.....I-I mean, I just...you seemed to like me for me, even now, you won't say I'm insane or anything, you just....everyone else hated me but you...seemed to care."

Cassie: Cassandra actually snickered. "At least you didn't say you see me as your little sister," she replied. "That might have carried all kinds of strange implications." Another deep breath, followed by a slow sigh. "How could I hate you without hating myself? You did all this because of me."

Cassie: She ran a hand through her hair, uttering a dry laugh. "I don't know whether to feel flattered or guilty because of that."

Venom: "Please don't say that...", Eddie sighed again, "...it wasn't your fault. I don't want you to be upset. I mean, I know I picked a very Shakespearian way of doing it, but...", he laughed a little himself, "...Cass, I just...I can't do this over the phone. I-I don't want to, and more to the point I don't want to endanger you. I should go...."

Cassie: "Wait!" She sat up in her chair, gripping the phone tighter. "We don't have to do it like this. Talking over the phone, I mean." Swallowing, she forced out the next words. "If you tell me where you are..."

Venom: "No.", Eddie insisted, not missing a beat, "Christ no. If this call's tapped, what then? A-and risk me losing my mind all over again? No! I won't do that to you, I will not do that! I-I...I don't want to see you hurt! Not because of me!", but he did want to see her. He wanted that more than anything in this world or any other.

Venom: Swallowing his fear, he shuddered, "...I-I want to, I really, really do, but....Cassie, if anything happened to you..."

Cassie: "I want to see you, too," Cassandra replied the very next instant. "Maybe I can help you - somehow, but you've got to let my try." She smiled, even though there was no way he could see it. The change in her expression was carried by her softening tone, however. "Shouldn't you know better than to worry about me by now?"

Cassie: "After all, curiosity isn't the only thing I have in common with cats, it seems."

Venom: Eddie bit his tongue - what was there to say? He knew that she'd made up her mind, and if the past was any indication, that meant her plan was going ahead. He sighed softly once more, "Cassie, i-if....you know what, you're right, what can I do to stop you, hm?", he let out a soft laugh, weak and yearning as he felt inside, "...alright, let's see if good news hits the press then."

Cassie: Cassandra blinked, until she thought about what he had just said. "Then I should better watch out for them," she told Eddie with a soft chuckle. "By the way, you worry too much. Anyone coming after me would soon find out how frustrating it can be to chase someone who can slip away through the shadows."

Venom: "Does that mean I'll always have to keep running after you?", he smirked, not that she could see that, though perhaps his tone carried across the gesture; "...there's so much else I want to say but....well, maybe soon. Not now, but soon..."

Cassie: "I can hardly wait," Cassandra replied, sitting up in her chair with a bright grin. "I feel like a schoolgirl about to sneak out on her secret date."

Venom: A far more happy laugh came from the other side of the phone, "So, it's a date? Heh, I'd better bring you something then, eh?", all of a sudden, Eddie was glad he'd taken Illyana's kind offering, "Flowers, picnic, maybe alcohol 'cause it's not a school night?"

Cassie: "As long as you bring yourself, what else could I ask for?" She bit down on the tip of her small finger, a smirk playing around the corners of her mouth. "Which doesn't mean I would say no to a picnic under the starlight with a bottle of nice wine."

Venom: Eddie nodded to himself, "I'll keep that in mind...", he assured her, glancing back up at the window of the gas station where the clerk had started dialing a number on the phone, "....ok, time to split. See you soon...",

Cassie: "I'll take your word for that," Cassandra replied. "Watch out for yourself, will you?" Even after hanging up, her gaze would rest on the phone in her hand for a while, a faint smile remaining on her face.

Venom: On the end of the other line, Eddie smiled also, stroking the image of Cassandra on the screen before pocketing the phone and mounting his bike. Yanking the gas tap out, he replaced it, casting a fistful of dollars out of his pocket before whipping his helmet on and reving up his bike.

Venom: Before the protesting clerk had left the door, he'd zipped back onto the highway - a black blur in the bright sunlight on its way to something better.
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Re: Summer 2016 - Eddie

Post by Chaos »

Eddie lay awake in the motel bedroom, blinking up at the pastel-blue darkness on the celling as he attempted to calm his thoughts. He remained motionless, staring up into the ether without blinking until the darkness seemed to become tiny blots of gray-rainbow, and then blinking it away, staring up at the blue again.

Outside, there was no sound. And every now and again there was sound. Sirens, shouting. Walking, talking. Nothing of note. Nothing that startled him. Nothing at all.

'RESTLESS?'

A savage word that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Eddie shot upwards, looking around in a furious panic, “...'the hell do you want...”, he murmured, frowning and curling his knees up against his chest.

'ME? We want the same thing. WE WANT THE SAME THINGS. We want. We are together. There is no 'me'.'

“Yes. There. Is.”, Eddie stressed, “I'm not like you. I'm...I don't think like that, that's not who I am.”

'WHY ARE WE RUNNING FROM WHAT WE ARE?'

“Because YOU'RE NOT A REAL THING!”, Eddie screamed, breathing harshly before roaring out in rage, “YOU'RE NOT ME! YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME!”

'WE ARE. We are you. WE are US. There is no Eddie Brock without VENOM.'

Eddie shook his head furiously, scratching at his face as if attempting to dig out the ebony veins crawling along beneath his skin, “Not true. Not true, not true, not true...”

'There is no escape from what we are. There is only this. Submit...accept us.'

“No...”

'SUBMIT!'

With another enraged cry, Eddie darted across the room and slammed his fist into the mirror over and over again, suddenly falling back, blood spattering the room as he recoiled in horror at his reflection. His face...he couldn't see his face.

It wasn't his face anymore.

'THIS is the face of us. This is our true form. Inside, this is what we are; we are THIS CREATURE. And every time Eddie Brock sees a reflection, it will see what Eddie Brock TRULLY is inside...'

It was horrifying. In the shattered remnants of the mirror, over and over again, his face was not reflected. The terrifying visage of Venom – tongue lashing, teeth like razor blades, eyes piercing and cold - stared right back at him. His bloodied hand reached up to his face, stroking it. His features were the same, but the reflection, his reflection...

...it was gone.

Echoing laughter, like a demonic choir, filled his ears as he lay before the images, dumbfounded and in pure, hopeless fear. Whatever fight he was waging with the Symbiote, he was losing.
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Re: Summer 2016 - Eddie

Post by Starfish »

Venom: Having finally made up his mind that the set-up of his rooftop midnight picnic spot was perfect, Eddie sat on the colourful duvets laid out in the center of it, lying back and letting out a sigh as he stared up at the starry night sky, far above the city below.

Venom: Shortly thereafter, he sat up again, glancing over at the wiccar basket and counting off items on his fingers before glancing over at his motorcycle (that he had carried up so as to not incur both parking fines and an impromptu police raid on the area). His reflection was still that of Venom, hulking black beast staring back at him.

Venom: His confidence shook at the sight of it, making him cringe as he looked away, shaking his head and slapping his cheeks a little before taking a deep breath; "Come on, come on; game face, Eddie..."

Cassie: "So I picked the right rooftop," the young, feminine voice echoed through the night, cutting off his muttered monologue. Shortly after, the shadows close to the edge peeled away to bring her slender figure into the dim light of the stars above and the glowing city below. "Your message may have been somewhat cryptic."

Venom: "Cassie.", Eddie smiled up at her, eyes tired and longing. Unable to contain himself, he bolted to his feet, racing to her and embracing her gently. He let out a long sigh, stroking her shoulders, "Oh, God, it's really, really you...."

Cassie: "The one and only," Cassandra replied, cautiously returning his embrace, her head rested against his shoulder for a fleeting moment. Raising her gaze, she took her time to study Eddie's face. "I'll go ahead and say this was my most convincing vanishing act thus far." A light chuckle came across her lips.

Venom: "Not that I think my opinion counts for much but I'd personally rather you didn't make a habit of it.", he responded, smile on his face also as he looked into her violet eyes, "I really missed you..."

Cassie: "At least it was a killer performance." She laughed at her own joke, while her hands lightly traced down his arms. "Excuse the terrible pun; I simply can't help making light of anything bad that happens. I alway say that's the best way to deal with it."

Cassie: She nodded firmly. "And don't worry, I don't plan to have myself get eaten again anytime soon." Falling silent, her smile remained. "I missed you, too. I was wondering why you weren't with the others during the funeral service."

Venom: Eddie simply smiled back as best he could, "Mmn...sorry, just... it was no place for me. Not...under circumstances.", he started back, "Care to sit? We can catch up, it...feels like forever since I saw you."

Cassie: "It certainly felt like an eternity until my memories returned and I found the way back home." Cassandra followed, the sight of the rooftop picnic bringing a smile to her face. "I should have expected you to go through with this idea. This looks absolutely wonderful."

Cassie: She let herself sink down onto the soft blanket, crossing her legs underneath her body. "Yes, I heard you had some... differences with the others at school." Casting him a feeling glance, she brushed a black strand out of her face.

Venom: Taking a seat beside her, Eddie frowned, "Yeah...something like that...", he sighed, "Turns out I'm a real heartbreaker...", his attempt at a joke made him smirk, fading as he caught his reflection in the sode of his bike, "It's like living in a nightmare. But at least you're here.",

Venom: Weak smile returning he reached over to the wiccar basket, lifting it between them and opening it, "I bought er...chinese. 'Cause it's totally romantic kinda. And chardonay for when that fails."

Cassie: "Ah, fried noodles and spicy meat; the quickest way to a girl's heart." Cassandra chuckled, shifting closer to the basket to sneak a quick peek at its contents. "And at least there's one consoling thing about nightmares." She looked up, a tiny smile curling the edge of her mouth. "No matter how bad they get, at some point you have to wake up."

Venom: Eddie shook his head solemnly, "There's not really any escape for me.", he confessed, glancing back at his horrifying reflection with a sad glint in his eyes, "...a-anyway, let's not talk about it...", forcing his smile back, he offered her a noodle box, "Let's just....try and enjoy this, hm? Not every day I get to hang out atop the Daily Bugle with a gorgeous girl, you know..."

Cassie: "You're not? I'm shocked!" She grinned, accepting the offered box. "I always pegged you for the guy who saved the world and got the girl in the end." Pulling the lid open, hot steam and the appetizing scent of Chinese food reached her nose. "This smells delicious; thank you."

Cassie: She held up her left hand and conjured a pair of chopsticks out of shadows swirling around her fingers, showing Eddie a clever smile before digging right into her food. "Bon appétit!!"

Venom: "Eeeh, it's nothing too special, but I'm glad you like it.", he laughed nervously, lifting another out for himself, "And....yeah, I guess I used to be like that, you know? The cocky hero, so sure of myself...but something changed after Circle Pines. I guess this symbiote thing has always been a pain in my ass..."

Venom: Snapping apart a pair of disposable chopsticks, Eddie picked at his food, "It's never been something I can control all the time, and after everything with Trask, something changed. My girlfriend, she just...I dunno, she just got more and more distant, like she was running away. Can't say I blame her in hindsight..."

Cassie: "That must be a terrible burden," Cassandra commented without looking up from her food, playing with the contents of her box and poking them with her chopsticks. "I can't even imagine how it must be, to not be the master of yourself, and share your body with such a malevolent being."

Cassie: She looked up, impish smile painted across her lips. "At least I can say I'm the one leading me down my wicked ways."

Venom: "I guess.", Eddie smirked back a little, trying to drag his attention from the reflection behind him, "I-it's just that...I'm not sure I don't want it sometimes, you know? Like, once before I fought Pietro while he was being posessed by Johnny Dee; I was being beaten badly, and all I could think about was lashing back, just....I-I wanted to finish him. I wanted to finish all of them off. I wanted power."

Venom: Helping himself to a mouthful of food, he sighed a little, staring down at the noodle box, "And I got it. I transformed and kicked ass. And...it felt amazing. Anyone I didn't scare, I pummled to dust. Hell, when Cessily was captured I thought 'damn, if only I had the strength to push through these maniacs'; and I just 'venom'd' out and tore through."

Venom: Laughing a little, he shook his head, "I am such a fucking hypocrite...I loved it - and I pretend I didn't but....I fucking did. And it hurts..."

Cassie: "I think you should be happy it does," she replied, picking up a fried piece of bell pepper. "Hurt, I mean. It show you still care, and that you're not the uncaring badass that you might believe to be." Popping the spicy vegetable into her mouth, Cassandra smiled at Eddie as she chewed her food.

Cassie: "And all those ugly thing that happened, with Kraven, and between you and the others, that was the symbiote's doing, yes?" She looked up at him expectantly, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

Venom: Eddie nodded, "Yeah.", he affirmed, wanting to make it as clear as possible, "I-I would never, ever do that. Y-you know that...right?", he gulped, "...y-you know...what I did? All of it?", his hand shook gently in nervousness as he looked into her eyes.

Cassie: Cassandra returned his gaze, before her serious expression made way for a soft smile that brightened her expression. "Of course I know that you would never do such things, but I guess I just needed to hear that from you. I'm sorry I had to ask."

Venom: "N-no, it's....it's fine. I-I understand.", he admitted, eyes returning to his food. Continuing eating in silence the next three mouthfuls, he glanced back at her, "I erm....I wanted to ask you something, actually..."

Cassie: She took a deep breath, eyes lowering towards her food again, whish she idly stirred with her chopsticks. "I know what you did to Kraven, and that you... your symbiote hurt some of the teachers and students trying to stop you." Her gaze returned to his face. "Cecilia, Rachel, Cessily... I saw what happened to Melati's eye."

Venom: Cringing, Eddie recalled all of the moments vividly, "Her eye?", he gulped - she clearly had no clue of what he'd really done; "...t-there's...I-I just...", he bit his tongue, mind playing out how horribly the next few words could turn things, "...I-It's not...actually that simple. Cass, there's a reason that I think I'm a monster. T-the things I've done...."

Cassie: His words gave her pause, the food she barely paid any attention to completely forgotten. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice cracking a little. "Are you talking about Kraven? I heard his death was pretty gruesome. Then again, I guess that is what you call karmic retribution."

Venom: Eddie looked away, "...I...t-the symbiote took control when I fought Mel. And...i-it didn't just stop at beating her.", he felt sick just saying it, shuddering gently, "...it...did some really, really horrific things. I-I don't wanna go into detail, I really, really don'y want to..."

Cassie: The girl's face appeared frozen solid, only her violet eyes betraying the train of thoughts racing behind them. The box placed in front of her, she looked down at her lap, seemingly contemplating the nature of her hands. "You don't have to," came her hushed reply. "I have a very vivid imagination, remember?"

Venom: Finding no words, Eddie placed his food aside and reached into the basket, withdrawing a small bottle of whiskey and cracking it open. It was being saved for if Cassandra left him; now felt like the time.

Venom: Cracking the cap open he took a long swig, hissing a little at the taste and looking away in silence. Moments later he offered the bottle to her, "One for the road(?)"

Cassie: Looking up, Cassandra studied the offered bottle with an almost puzzled expression. The silence between them stretched into painful seconds, before it was finally broken by her picking up the box of food. "But I still have noodles," she told Eddie.

Venom: Eddie glanced back at her, leaving the bottle between them, "Mmn. Alright...", he lifted his food again, picking at it idly, "...you sure you wanna stay?"

Cassie: "If I didn't want to be here, you'd be talking only to shadows by now," Cassandra replied, shaping another set of chopsticks out of solid darkness. Without looking up, a faint, cryptic smile had crept back onto her lips.

Venom: "...point taken.", Eddie concurred, frowning as he chewed another mouthful. Clearing his throat he turned to her again, "...why? Why are you still here? Why do you care?",

Venom: He sighed, "Sorry, that's...unfair, I'm not mad, I just...", shuffling in his seat he shrugged, "D-d'you...feel something? F-for me, like I do for you or...?"

Cassie: Cassandra raised her gaze, eyes focused on Eddie's face. "I'm here because it's the right thing to do," she said. "You may no longer believe in heroes, but I still do. And if you don't want to be one, anymore, I'll simply have to try twice as hard and be one for the both of us."

Cassie: "I know Dr. McCoy would disagree with me, and say that my striking lack of being dead is only a further manifestation of my abilities, but perhaps there is more to it," she continued, her gaze drifting across the nightly skyline. "A reason why I'm still alive. And even if there is none, and it's all just the chaotic whims of fate, I can still give it purpose."

Cassie: She fell silent for a moment, her eyes avoiding his for the moment. "As for what I feel for you... I don't know if it's the same thing you feel for me, because I don't know how you feel."

Venom: Eddie swallowed dryly, contemplating the wisdom of what he wanted to say; "...i-it's not important.", he shook his head, "F-forget I..."

Venom: Glancing back at his reflection he sighed once more; he'd lost everything else, why cling to dignity? "I...I love you, Cassie. I...don't get it either but...I do."

Cassie: A lump formed in her throat, making it hard to swallow. She looked back at his face, seeking his eyes with her own. "I had a feeling you might," Cassandra replied, a shy smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

Venom: Letting the silence preside once again, Eddie picked more at his food, appetite all but gone. He let out a shaky breath, eyes flicking up to study the skyline for a few moments before going back to idly prodding the noodles in the box. Minutes felt like they passed before he let out another shuddering sigh;

Venom: "....so...we're just gonna pause there then(?)", he glanced back at Cassandra, eyes filled moreso with exhaustion than the sadness suffocating him inside.

Cassie: Cassandra put her box of noodles down and cradled her hands in her lap. "Pause? I wasn't aware you could simply tell your feelings to take a break like that." She was still smiling at Eddie. "Though, to be honest, you probably couldn't have picked a more tricky and elusive prey to pursue."

Venom: Eddie nodded, "Hm...that and a more awkward time to find my voice, no doubt...", he offered a wry smirk in return, mirthless as his features as he set his food down, letting out a long sigh and rubbing his eyes, "Got my competition cut out for me, too: what, with you constantly shacking up with the rabbit. Oh, and you and Parker too, right?", he shook his head, lying back with his palms over his eyes, "Oh, Edward Charles, you absolute mess."

Cassie: "It's true I stole more hearts than I can keep, and never let anyone keep mine," Cassandra admitted without a hint of regret in her voice, the smile brightening her face. "I'm a performer at heart, Eddie, coming from a traveling circus. I've learned how to make people fall for me head over heels a long time ago."

Cassie: "Which doesn't mean I never had any feeling for those I invited into my trailer." She placed a hand on her chest. "Some of them stay with me, even when I had to move on." Taking a deep breath, she bit her lower lip. "However, I'm not sure you would understand. The way you feel, you love, is different from mine."

Cassie: Her gaze met his again as she looked up. "It's love, nonetheless." Her hand reached out to touch his.

Venom: Eddie sat up again, hand shying from hers, "I understand completely...", he assured her, "...I lost any chance at the life I wanted a long time ago. I'm nothing more than a shadow of who I was anyway...if there's still any 'me' left in a few days...", he looked away, "...I just...I know what you're saying but..."

Venom: He smirked to himself, laughing dryly, "Man, what did I even expect? That somehow we'd....I don't know, fucking elope? Maybe SHIELD would decide 'hey, turns out Eddie is a pretty cool guy' and just accept me back for what I've done?", he looked at her again, dry laughter followed with a sudden, somewhat hysteric outburst, "How fucking stupid is that?!",

Venom: Shaking his head again he sniffed, a tear glinting down his face as he looked away, still in stitches, "This is just the perfect ending to a perfect mess! What did I expect!?", he creased, holding his chest and honestly biting back tears.

Cassie: "Would you stop wallowing in self-pity already, you big, foolish dolt," Cassandra told him, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she gave Eddie a stern look. "I might just have admitted to loving you, as well, and all you do is lament your fate."

Venom: Eddie shook his head, "N-no, I just...", he exhaled, "...I-I just wonder why it feels so bittersweet, you know? Like...what was I hoping for?", he let his shoulders fall, "...I-I don't...I mean, I'm sorry if you think I don't appreciate it. T-that is...er...", he frowned a little, "...c-can you...stop? You're making me feel really nervous..."

Cassie: Cassandra sucked in the air and let out a sigh, before getting up on her knees and shifting closer to Eddie. "How so? I thought you wanted to see me again?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I came here because I thought it might help you, not to cause you more pain. And because I wanted to see you, too."

Venom: "It was the look you gave me...k-kinda felt like I'd...", he gulped a little, heart and body calling out to his mind not to move as her hand touched him, "...I must be completely mad even considering this. After all I've done, knowing what it might do for you...", his cheek stroked against the back of her hand, "...please forgive me. I didn't mean for any of this..."

Cassie: "There's nothing to forgive, because it wasn't you who did all those things," she told him, her voice calm. "Whom I won't forgive is that monster living inside you, that has dug its claws into your soul and causes all this suffering and grief, to you and those around you."

Cassie: Moving closer, Cassandra leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You're a good man, Eddie, but this thing is poisoning your mind."

Venom: Eddie nodded slowly, his other hand curling around Cassandra's frame as he held himself against her, "I can't fight it anymore. I can't...", he looked up at her, "...I'm sorry, but...I just don't think there's any hope anymore. Not for me...I really, really fucked this up.", he smiled weakly, sadness evident in his eyes as he looked into hers.

Cassie: She returned his gaze, a heartfelt smile on her lips. "That's okay," she reassured him, slender fingers stroking through his hair and down the sides of his face. "I have enough hope for both of us." For a moment, Cassandra simply looked into Eddie's eyes, before she lowered her head to press her lips to his in a tender kiss.

Venom: Eyes closing slowly, Eddie kissed her back. A million thoughts flowed through his mind - how wrong it might have been for someone as old as him to do this, how much more complicated things might be if he persisted, how it might hurt more in the long run - yet all those thoughts were out weighed by the singular want for the peace and passion of those moments.

Venom: Arms rising to hold Cassandra gently and closer, he slid his tongue gently between her lips, passionately returing her kiss, consumed by the need for that one shared instance in time; an instance he had ached for far too long.

Cassie: Giving in to the bout of passion, Cassandra let herself slip into Eddie's embrace and sat astride his lap, her arms draped over his shoulders. Their lips and tongues moved almost by themselves, their actions dictated by baser desires. Only when both of them had to catch a breath did they parts, looking at each other eye to eye.

Cassie: "I feel like I'm about to make another foolish mistake," the girl whispered, not sounding concerned the lease, an excited smile playing across her lips. "But I don't seem to have learned anything from all the others, so why start now?"

Venom: "Funny; I was thinking the same...", Eddie replied in a low voice, "...sorry in advance but...", he placed a few kisses gently onto her neck, "...I love you. I love you and I need you...", he breathed, "...even if only for tonight...if I lose everything I am, I just want you to know me for who I am now.",

Venom: He looked back into her eyes, "Remember the man, alright? Not the monster everyone else sees..."

Cassie: Cassandra vowed that she would do anything in her power to not let it come this far - that she would find a way to save him from the demons that haunted him. She owed him this much. He had gone down this road for her, so it was her responsibility to guide him back. No one else would.

Cassie: But she didn't tell him that. He wouldn't have believed her, or only tried to dissuade her from even making the attempt to help him. So she simply smiled at Eddie. "If you want me to remember the man," she said, her look extending an invitation, "you should show me the man."
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Re: Summer 2016 - Eddie

Post by steyn »

So much drama!
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Re: Summer 2016 - Eddie

Post by Starfish »

Venom: Having woken up before Cassandra, Eddie had already gotten himself dressed in his clothes, returning to her side as she lay sleeping and settling beside her. He smiled at how peaceful she seemed, stroking her hair aside to press a gentle kiss onto her cheek.

Venom: The rising sun cast the city in a bright pink-orange light as he reached for his motorcycle helmet, looking down into the visor. Staring back at him, as ever, the bestial visage of his 'counterpart'.

Venom: It reminded him of all that had happened - of how even sat beside the beautiful girl in the romantic first light of day the life he knew was still over. But it didn't hurt anymore. Not as badly as it had done. On some level, he'd accepted things - at least, in this moment, he had...

Cassie: Even though the months had progressed far into summer, the early morning air still had a sharp chill to it. The naked girl didn't mind the cold breeze stroking her exposed skin, however, only waking when the glare of the rising sun pierced her closed eyelids. Curling up tighter on the crumpled blanket, she instinctively shied away from the merciless rays.

Cassie: Her vision blurred, she was still able to make out the familiar silhouette against the fiery background, watching Eddie through half-open eyes. "Good morning," she said, a faint smile playing across her lips, and turned to lie on her back. Drawing the cool air into her lungs, she stretched her slender limbs.

Venom: The voice from behind him made Eddie smile back, turning from his reflection to look at the owner of the gentle voice, "Hey, you...", leaving his helmet to one side, he shuffled closer to her, rolling over and stroking her cheek with his hand, "Sleep well?"

Cassie: Cassandra squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun as she gave a thoroughly content nod in response. "Short, but sweet," she replied, her smile turning more into a smirk. "I remember the sky already turning bright when we finally went to sleep."

Venom: "Terrible conduct - a grown man like me keepin' you up past your bedtime.", Eddie smirked, leaning closer to kiss her lips softly.

Cassie: "It was my own idea to sneak out of my room at night when I have school in the morning." The teenage girl reached up and draped her arms over the older man's shoulders, before she lifted her head off the blanket to return his kiss. "Maybe you should have given me a good spanking and sent me to bed instead."

Venom: Eddie let out a dry laugh, hands stroking her lithe frame and giving her rear a little pinch, "Maybe I'll give you one as a 'thank you'?", he laughed, looking into her eyes, "I ever tell you that you're beautiful?"

Cassie: "I'm pretty sure you did." Cassandra wore a playful smirk as she squirmed softly against his body. "More importantly, you showed me." Craning her neck, she placed a trail of tender kisses along Eddie's jaw. "I hope I managed to get the same compliment across last night. If not..." Her lips began to trail down his body.

Venom: "You did. Trust me.", he assured her, shuddering against her tender lips, "Come on, I just got dressed..."

Cassie: "You could get dressed again." She snickered, before her cheeky expression became a tad more serious, and she took the time to let her gaze pass over his body. "You were about to leave, weren't you?"

Venom: Looking away, Eddie nodded, "Mmn...it's just...easier if I do. I can't ever go back, you know that. So I have to....", he sighed, "I-I was going to say goodbye, I wasn't just gonna run."

Cassie: Sitting up on the blanket, Cassandra bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "I have to admit, a part of me expected you to," she told him, an inscrutable smile on lips. "Just as a part of me hoped I could somehow convince you to stay and come back with me."

Venom: Eddie nodded, lying down beside her and frowning up at the dawn sky, "...I want to. Christ knows I do, but I can't. That's not who I am anymore...I was too weak to be in the end..."

Cassie: Her head turned towards him, Cassandra watched Eddie, remaining silent for several seconds. "It's okay to be weak sometimes," she told him a moment later, a faint smile returning to her face. "As long as you never give up trying to be stronger person."

Venom: "A stronger person would turn himself in, face up to his mistakes...", Eddie closed his eyes, a winding maze of sable veins crawling up the side of his neck beneath his skin, "...but I can't. Even if I tried to, there's no way I could. And even if I could, the world doesn't have a way to stop this thing..."

Venom: He looked up at Cassandra again, "I'm....really sorry I got you involved..."

Cassie: "Then you're even more silly than I thought you were!" The younger girl took the edge of her words with a laugh. "After all, I managed to get myself involved all on my own. Have you forgotten it was me how decided to poke her curious pretty nose where it didn't belong, just as it was me who thought herself clever enough to catch Kraven all by herself?"

Cassie: She gave Eddie a sympathetic smile. "No matter how you may feel about me, you're not my father or my big brother. Don't let my age fool you - I've lived my own life for quite some time now." Her hand came to rest on his shoulder. "You're not responsible for me."

Cassie: Taking a deep breath, she then looked away, letting her gaze wander across the skyline basked in the rays of the early sun. "You know, I'll always leave a key under the doormat for you."

Venom: Eddie sat up, hand reaching for hers, "I chose to be responsible. It was MY decision to do what I did. It was the right thing. It was RETRIBUTION...", closing his eyes, he shook his head, "...I...don't deserve your kindness. Or your heart..."

Cassie: "See, that's the funny thing about kindness." Turning her head again, she looked back at Eddie, another smile playing across her lips. "I can chose to give it to whomever I want, whether you want to or not."

Venom: "Your heart, too?", Eddie asked, a wry smile on his own face, "Or was that - like in my case - an unexpected addition?"

Cassie: Cassandra snickered again, leaning over to put her arms around Eddie's shoulder. "You just will have to share it with everything else I hold dear," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Venom: "Hey, better than nothin'.", he assured her, leaning to one side and kissing her back, "I do love you, for what ever a murdering psychopath's love is worth...", he smirked.

Cassie: "This makes me feel as if I were caught up in a twisted version of the beauty and the beast." Showing him a grin, she closed the distance between them for one more lingering kiss. Then she slowly sat back. "If you don't get going now, I'll end up tearing those clothes right off you again."

Venom: With a nod, Eddie stood, stretching and casting a snare of webbing down to lift his helmet. He turned, starting for his motorcycle and pausing, "....you know what?", he grinned, dropping the helmet and sitting back down, "Screw it - five more minutes...", he slid off his shirt, nuzzling at Cassandra's neck, "...what's another hour or two?"

Cassie: Cassandra sank back on the blanket, her body seeking his as she wrapped her arms around his chest to pull him down on top of her. "It's much easier to teleport when its getting dark again, anyway..." Gazing towards the brightening sky, an exhilarated smile lit up her features.
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