[PD] What Happened To You...? ((Edith, Kole)) -FIN-

[Cornetified]

Ever since he'd grown, Kole had done little other than research. Once he'd dared to show up at the public library, he'd read through everything he could get his hands on about potions. After his discoveries, he'd kept himself to the woods.

A demon's blood potion... but it only explained the appearance. He'd found out his evolution...

Sighing, sitting on a branch midway up a tall maple tree, he pressed his hands to his eyes. He was a gourgeist... Something twisted and wicked... That was why he'd done those things... hurt those teens....

Well, they deserved it!

No! Kole growled and pulled his legs up to drop his head onto his knees, his long hair wrapping around him comfortingly. What was he going to do..?  

[Painted Moose]

It had been some time since Edith had last been to the woods without a delivery keeping her on schedule. This time she didn't have her satchel on her, but rather a little old sliding cell phone. Though it was powered on, because of it's lack of a plan she couldn't text or call. That wasn't what she wanted it for, anyway. She had found it was much easier to type out the words she wanted to say onto the screen and show it to people than to dig out her notebook every time. And there was only one person she wanted to show it too~

Too bad she was having such a hard time finding him! It was as if Kole had disappeared. She hadn't been able to find him around the old fair grounds, or the hang out area.

A light drizzle caused Edith to stop her search mid flight and descend into the woods. She brought through the leaf barrier, coasting down through branches until an opening led her to the moist forest floor. Her bare feat squelched in the mud, damp hair clinging to her face.

The ominous clouds above made the forest darker than it normally was. Almost...spooky.
 

[Cornetified]

When the rain started up, Kole looked up to the sky and smiled. The extra coverage by the clouds made him feel a little safer... Safer? He would be safer back home, with Kyllian, but.. what would Kyllian say?

The rain fell a little harder. The branch was exposed too much and getting slick from the rain. Sighing, he turned and slid down from the branch, taking it one at a time. He didn't even have his wings anymore... Though, there was one nice thing. His hair was thick and seemed to have a mind of it's own, and the two arm-like appendages grabbed other branches to help him stay stable as he climbed down.

With the ground in sight, he dropped smoothly, his own feet still bare from the change. It was too late that he noticed the gray figure standing a few trees over, and he tensed up in fear. Edith! What was she doing out here?!  

[Painted Moose]

A little petite hand brushed thick strands of ivory hair away from wary eyes. She was just as on edge as if she had been dumped in a human city. Nothing looked right in this light...had she ever been here before? Edith wrapped her arms around her torso as she looked around to survey the scene.

Then she heard noise. As a flying type she knew the noises associated with descending from a tree, and it made her turn around sharply, just in time to see a...a scary looking man! Edith's wings unfurled behind her defensively as she gave into a shocked, voiceless gasp bringing one hand up to her mouth. She took a step back. Where had he come from? And what did he want with her?!  

[Cornetified]

Straightening up, Kole felt his heart sink into his feet. He'd scared her.

What the hell was she afraid of him for? He hadn't done anything to her!

Of course she was afraid! He was afraid of himself, and he didn't even have to see himself all the time! "I-I-I-I'm sorry!" he stuttered out, heat rising to his face. He couldn't let her realize who he was! Though, really, how could she? He looked so different. "I'm just getting out of the rain, like you."

His voice turned sharply, "so keep your a** over there, and we won't have any trouble!"

Wait- what had he just said?! "Sorry!" He turned and crouched next to the tree trunk, his nails digging into his knees as his heart thudded in his chest. It had just come out... "Just, really, I won't bother you if you stay over there, so, don't come over here!"  

[Painted Moose]

Why was he stuttering? Edith furrowed her brow, lowering her hand down towards her side. There was something familiar about him at that moment. Could he...? No, it couldn't be. It just couldn't!

The child took a tentative step forward, only to halt in her place. His sharp tone scared her. Edith bit her lower lip, drooping her shoulders as the rain started to pick up. It isn't him, it can't be. Kole would never talk to me like that! Even if he did grow, even if he did change, he wouldn't be mean. She refused to believe it!

But he looked so troubled that she knew it had to be him. Kole had changed and that was scary, but...maybe he was scared to, so that's why he was acting this way? Edith took a deep breath and walked with determination over towards Kole. even if he was kind of weird right now, he was her friend, and she couldn't see him suffer!  

[Cornetified]

With his eyes squeezed shut, Kole tried to will up a mental wall between them. Something to keep Edith over there... But he heard the footsteps as the mud squished under Edith's little feet. "I said to stay over there, Edith!" he snarled, a hand rising to smack over his mouth instantly. Dang it! Tears already welled up, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm not someone a nice person like you should be around~" he said tauntingly, his tail flicking with amusement.

Kole clenched his teeth. He should just get up and run, but he was rooted in place. He wanted to see her so badly... Wanted her to tell him it would be okay... It wouldn't be okay though. How could it?  

[Painted Moose]

Even though she stalled out of shock, it only made her more determined to get to the root of what was eating him! Edith was nothing, if not stubborn. She walked through the porous earth, water swamping her toes. He's...crying? Her heart broke to see him.

Edith bent down to try to get to his eye level and reached out a hand to tentatively place it on his shoulder. She wanted to wrap him up in her arms and never let him go, but...Edith couldn't stop her shivering. She couldn't stop herself from looking unsure and frightened like a bird ready to take flight at any one moment.

You're a nice person, too, Kole. What's wrong with you? She knew he had changed, and maybe that's what was wrong? This wasn't anything they couldn't get past. This wasn't the first time he had changed, right? So it was nothing new.  

[Cornetified]

Flinching from the touch, Kole slowly raised his gaze over toward Edith. She.. was still here? Was she not that afraid-?

The moment his eyes fell on the child though, they hardened into something dark, and a sharp smirk rose. "What're you so afraid of?" he whispered, one arm of hair reaching over to pat the top of her head. "You're shivering quite a bit, and it isn't from the rain. Am I really so scary? That hurts, you know." His regular arm rose, touching a long nail to Edith's chin. "Friends aren't supposed to be afraid of each other. I'm not scared of you, after all~"  

[Painted Moose]

Edith's soft hand moved down towards his back in the beginnings of a hug that ended with her nails turning into claws in his shirt. Her entire body tensed after looking into his eyes. Everything in her was screaming to run away, but that wasn't right! This was Kole, not a monster!

But then, if it wasn't a monster, why was her heart beating so fast? Why were her eyes watering? She flinched when his hair came out to touch her, trying to duck to get away from it with no avail. Edith opened her mouth, and swallowed. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. She didn't want to hurt him, she wanted to help!

The nail was the last straw. Edith jerked back, creeped out beyond all belief and tried to pull away from him.  

[Cornetified]

Chuckling, Kole shook his head as the arm of hair slid down to grip Edith's shoulder. "And now you're crying? What kind of friend are you? Shouldn't you be accepting me as I am?"

No! This was wrong!

His fingers cupped under her jaw. "I can make your tears stop... Make it so you're not afraid anymore..." He held up a large seed in his free hand, and aimed to stick it onto Edith's neck. His grin widened with pleased surprise. Leech seed. This was new! It would take her health slowly. It would be fun to watch...  

[Painted Moose]

I'm trying! She was trying her hardest, but Edith was stubborn, not brave. She wasn't like her brother or Kyllian; the girl was scared. Her eyes popped at the sight of that ominous seed. No, no, NO!

Edith struggled against him, but Kole was bigger than her, stronger...She leaned away from the seed and raised her wings to start beating furiously in an effort to give her lift. Unbeknownst to her in her desire to get away she had pumped them so hard and fast that it had created a Whirlwind, stirring up the air hard enough to break his contact. She took flight as fast as she could into the nearest branch, gripping onto the tree trunk shakily as the storms winds were intensified by her maneuver.  

[Cornetified]

Kole's hand had slowed down to savor the moment, grin growing as Edith struggled all the more. What a waste of her precious energy...

But then the wind picked up, and he felt her tugged from his grasp. His fangs bared in a snarl, his black arms rising to cover his face from the gusting winds. His lanky body was shoved back and forth, forcing him to back up against the tree for support. Who knew the little girl had that power? His feet slipped on the slick earth, and his head knocked against the ground.

Dizzy, he scrambled to get behind the trunk, blinking away the dirt being thrown into his face. What was he doing?! He looked down at the seed, thankfully still in his hand, and he shoved it into the earth forcefully, burying it in the mud. Edith... He'd almost hurt Edith... His sadness and fear finally broke through, and his tears flowed freely. Surely she would never even look at him after this! Why did he have to evolve? Why?! "I'm sorry," he murmured to the raging wind, his hair protecting him from the flying sticks and debris. He couldn't move in this wind. "Edith! I can't go in this wind!" he hollered, doubting she could hear him above the wind. But, he needed to run, needed to get away before he hurt her again.  

[Painted Moose]

Edith rocked on her perch. Her muddy feet fought to gain purchase on the slick branch, and even then she didn't feel safe, so she climbed up to the next highest one. From there she was crouched, body in a quick crouch for a speedy take off.

Her wings never stopped. Once she realized that it was her ability that had saved her all of her fear and worry had been poured in through pure adrenaline. She couldn't see him from here; not that she wanted to. Edith was sobbing into her hands and couldn't seem to stop.

Debris cut into her skin, but she didn't care. She had failed to save her friend because she was too scared of him. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry sorry sorry...

She didn't hear much of what he said, but almost on an impulse she stopped the whirlwind. It was if her body were ready for him to leave when her heart wanted him to stay. Edith was exposed on her branch, wings shielding her as she cried. Even voiceless she hiccuped, and whined.  

[Cornetified]

As the wind died down, Kole hugged his knees again. He could hear her... Why were those silent tears so fascinating?

He grit his teeth and shook his head. What could he even say..? "I'm not safe for you," he managed to force out around the lump in his throat. "Please.. you can't come near me anymore." He pushed himself up from the mud and just started walking. He could still feel the draw. Edith was terrified and confused. He wanted to nurture those feelings in her... but then his gut would clench painfully, and his legs kept him moving away from one of the few people he cared most about. He was dangerous...