Cienna let Erin remove her hand from her shoulder and complied when asked to sit, she would face the demoness as she spoke a tale that made her heart jump and fall at the same time. She had already known a little about the true circles of hell though this information was knew to her, she had always thought that all demons were created as angels and had fallen from grace, this new information was recorded in her mind for later use or even for correction to her existing information. Her face would be kept deliberately passive as she tracked the sound of Erins’ voice using her ears. She would close her eyes letting herself become immersed in the words of the tale.

The appearance of the first ever mark on Erins’ wrist however caught her attention, she would ponder over this later as to what caused this to begin. Was it the will of the heavens that humans and the other species begin bonding once again? After they drove them apart. She wasn’t sure that she could ever know the true answer to that, and as Erin continued to speak she was of the conclusion that Erin still had no idea of why she was the first to receive a mark.

‘So Julie came from Egypt, not just Egypt but ancient egypt’ Cienna thought to herself as she wished for the first time in a very long time that she could see. She had heard that Egyptian women are considered a great beauty, especially to those of this country, and her home of Celtica. Cienna knew the pain of coming to a foreign land, that was essentially an entirely new world, but Erin had literally come from a new world to find her soul mate.

Cienna couldn’t help but feel sad listening to how Erin arrived barely being able to understand the language, at least Cienna was young enough to learn the language naturally as she grew. Listening further she almost wanted to smile at the meeting of her and Julie, it seemed as if the universe while trying to fuck with the natural order had united polar opposites.

”I, I guess…” she would stop thinking of how to best word her thoughts ”I guess opposites really do attract, and you must have found it extremely hard coming here… Losing everything you had to attempt to discover what these mean” she would say raising her arm and pointing at the tattoo on her wrist.

While Cienna had only just discovered that she even had a tattoo on her wrist she had found it to already be a form of trouble, not one that she wanted to get rid of but something that would invariably change the centre of her world. How much more so would it have been jarring to find one as a being raised in the depths of hell.
”How did you handle all this information back then?” she asked her voice soft and contemplative as if she were just thinking allowed to herself.

“Just tell me what the hell you’re yammerin’ on ‘bout on here, a’ight? I don’t need ya snoopin’ around like ya own the place.” There was a muttering from the other side, followed by the distinctive ‘click’ of the call ending.

Fucking Cal.

Stride grumbled and placed the phone on the countertop, running a hand through her hair. It hadn’t taken long for her to get back to the apartment, belly full and thoughts bemused at Cienna’s sudden departure. She hoped that the fairy had made it back wherever she was going without trouble- while it was likely that Cienna could take care of herself if she’d been around for this long, she just seemed so...small. Faint. Even if she was a stranger, Stride felt worried about the chick and her soulmate alike. Maybe she’d see about visiting the room Erin was in.

Idly, wondered if she could smuggle a bit of booze in. Sure, it might take a while before Erin could drink it, but Stride thought that she needed a drink more than anything in a time like this.

She would go get some extra whiskey while she was out shopping later, she decided. She had to go out to window-shop (pun intended) anyway, and to replace some of the furniture that had gotten damaged during the storm. Look into getting the locks changed, too, if Cal was really planning on stopping by for a little chat. Asshole had copied her key when she wasn’t looking, and he wasn’t exactly the type to wait to be let in.

But before she did, she’d take some time to let out some steam.

Dragging her easel out from the closet, Stride set it into the center of the room, then went to retrieve her other painting supplies. Her goggles and jacket were set neatly on the couch beside her, and, dipping brush into blended oil, she began to paint. Smears of orange and grey and black were committed to canvas, made to shape something new. Something quiet.

Stride hardly considered herself a Van Gogh, but it was...relaxing. Soothing. Private.

The canvas flushed a rosy pink under her hand, and she took in the scent of her work.

Erin listened to Cienna's reply in interest.
”How did you handle all this information back then?”
"I didn't know what it was. We didn't know." Julie began pacing the room again, returning to her story.
"As she walked in the room, Julie reacted to her wrist. I realized mine was burning as well, and as I looked down it was glowing brighter now. She said something in Coptic, but I couldn't understand. I was so confused, even more so than I had previously been. The tattoo demanded I do something. I didn't know what. All I could do was stare at her beauty. She wore white fabrics and had gold jewelry all over her; on her neck, ears, hands, head, ankles. She also had some makeup. It seemed she was royalty."
Erin stared at present-day Julie as she described her, as if she were back in ancient Eygpt.
"As a Demon, you're supposed to know all languages. That was the one subject that I'd always had a problem with. I could only pick up bits and pieces of sentences in Coptic, and could only say a few words. So that's what I did. In theory, I asked her who she was. In reality, I told her she had a nice lentil. She looked at me strangely and laughed, walking toward me. She seemed restless, like me. She reached out her hand in an open palm and after staring blankly at it for a moment I took it. In that moment, everything made sense. The pulsing of the tattoo stopped and everything became clearer. It seemed something had happened to her too, because she looked at me with eyes a little wider. And when she spoke...not only could I understand her, but it was beautiful."

"She said, 'I can tell you're not native to these lands, by your cloths and the way you speak, yet you are blessed by the gods like I am. Who are you, stranger?' I could not reply. I was taken away by how soft her hands were and how confident and radiant and beautiful she was. I let it all soak in. I knew then, that I was a special Demon."

"The Pharoh commanded that Julie show me to her quarters, and off we went. As we walked, she said 'You have not answered my question, so I will answer it in my own words. I am Jumoke Abayomi, a simple villager until these symbols appeared on my wrist. It seems that my name is on your wrist, so I can only assume that whatever this means is your name. I will ask again; who are you?' She had so much elegance and curiosity in her voice that I had to answer. I told her that I was Erin Stout and that her name was too hard to pronounce so I would call her Julie Ambers, and she giggled. She asked what my name meant, and I told her that I did not know. She seemed confused by this. When we reached her quarters, I was surprised once again. They were magnificent and lavish."
She stops for a moment, recollecting everything. The moment is long, as she remembers what happened.
"Ancient Egyptians, even Julie, were quite strange. They praised their gods, had strange rituals, and had little shame. They had decided that the markings that had appeared on our wrists meant that we were selected as 'holy' by their gods. After we had entered her quarters, she guided me alongside her and...she bedded me," Erin spoke in embarrassment, an awkward smile appearing on her face.
"L-Like I said before. Demons aren't supposed to love. But after spending days with Julie, I realized what the universe had done. It had fucked me over. I was destined to love this woman and there was nothing I could do about it. And believe me when I say that I-I tried. But the universe kept drawing us back together every time. And that's what tore me a-apart."

Erin realized that she had stopped next to Julie, stroking her hair, and was crying once more.
"I was greedy. Fuck, Cienna. I was so fucking greedy back then. I had realized after a while that it wouldn't possibly - couldn't possibly - last forever. She was a human, and I a demon. I would out age her, and she would be swept away with the rest of history."
She paused again, this time for longer. Ten slow minutes passed before she spoke again. Within those ten minutes, she stared at Julie Ambers and stroked her hair. She gave the Egyptian a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Only a few years after we had gotten married, I proposed a solution to her. I said, 'What if, like the gods themselves, we could live together, forever? What if we could love?' She had told me that would be wonderful, but it was just a far away fantasy. I revealed my Demonic form, like she hadn't already known, and took her by the wrist. I looked deep into her eyes and told her my fears and my hurt. I didn't want her to leave me. She believed in an afterlife, but I would never be there. She would be alone, by herself. I-I couldn't bear the thought of that. She was terrified, wanted me to let her go. Said that we shouldn't mess with the balance of things. And I said, fuck, Cienna, I said, 'Then just once dance for me, my Lotus.' And she agreed."
Erin stared at Julie and then looked up at Cienna. She began rambling. "God fucking dammit, Cienna! She said she would dance with me! And I knew that by dancing, I would bind us together. But she didn't. I bound our souls without her consent, and she didn't know until those last few seconds. She looked up at me with wide eyes and asked me what I had done, and I told her that we could love each other forever now. And I kissed her, and I sealed it, and then we spent so long together! But we were one, and the universe moved on and gave her new Soulmates. I grew so envious, and I didn't want her hurt. I avoided them in all ways possible, by killing and scaring and threatening them."

Erin was spitting out the words now, backing away from Julie. She screamed the last few words. "I'm a fucking Demon, Cienna! I always have been and will be and I hurt her, I ruined her, I took her away, I scarred her, and I-I loved her! I-I loved her...." She fell to the ground on her side, curling up and sobbing once more.

It was obvious that the Demon was a mess.

Cienna remained impassive listening to the emotions and soul pouring out of the demon before her, she could not sense her presence but it didn’t stop her feeling her presence with her heart, her story unfolding brought tears to Cienna’s eyes as she listened. She would attempt to hide her emotions though she couldn’t stop them, the tears falling from her eyes the only sign of how much she was hurting listening to this story. She felt a kinship to this demoness the likes she hadn’t felt even with Emerald but it was different for her. It felt to her like Erin and Julie formed one of a whole now. She hated this feeling that they had experienced so much pain and suffering together, she wanted it to stop.

She would sense the all-encompassing destress that Erin was feeling and floated into the air listening carefully for any sounds that would give her position away. It was difficult, however something pulled to her, it felt as if Julie were millions of miles away at this point. It was Erin that needed her more than anything and so she would do the one thing that she could think of. She followed the pull on her heart, she found the demoness her form only ‘visible’ to her sense of touch she would trace her hands over the demon and lower herself beside her sitting in her feet and placing the demons head on her knees.
As she did this she would sing softly in a language that had been forgotten to all save the fae, not of power or wars, no she sang of love of life. She let her feelings flow through her words her voice would seem to resonate around the room as if the air itself were sealing the sound with in specifically for the benefit of the demon.

”Listen to the words of the heart,
Listen for tomorrow the sun will rise,
Forgive the past, for here I am.
You need not feel this terrible pain
You need not be alone..”

The cadence of her voice falling and washing over the room she would close her eyes and spread her wings while she kneeled. Lights would begin to glimmer from her wings as she poured her heart and soul into the words that came straight from the heart. The lights and windows in the room would dim as if covered by a magical darkness however the sparkles born of her soul and given life by her wings would spread through the room. The darkness being lit by flecks of light akin to that of the night sky.

”So much pain,
Let me hold you high
I will never let you go.
My heart for yours
My life, my soul
Complete.”

She would run her hands over the demonesses face gently her fingers tracing her every curve and outline, the whole time her voice would ring softly as if a sirens song.

”Born of pain to suffer,
Let me hold you high,
Your rock, your strength
Be my light through the darkest night.”

As she sang these words the lights of the room would extinguish and reappear surrounding not only Julie but Erin as well. Her soul now bound to these two in a way that only the universe could do she would let her voice trail off softly as the tears had continued to fall from her eyes.

”you don’t have to fear” she would whisper leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on the demonesses forehead. As she did the lights and windows would restore to its normal luminance as if the song hadn’t occurred though Cienna wouldn’t budge still gently running her fingers over Erins face.

As Cienna came over to Erin, she let her put her head in Cienna's lap. She couldn't understand the words she was singing, except for a few. The translation came to her broken. She let herself go limp, sobbing. The demon hated feelings of all sorts and tried to keep them away by all means possible. Perhaps that's why she had let them all out now, after some 5,000 years of bottling them up.
She felt Cienna's hand running over her face, and for once she could say that it felt nice. She let herself be comforted by another. She felt herself relaxing a little more (emotionally) after letting some tears out. She didn't notice the lights of the room, with her eyes being shut tight as she tried to push away more feelings. She felt Cienna's lips on her forehead, and that's when her eyes snapped open.
She lay there for a minute or more so, frozen. She hadn't received so much nice attention in so many years.

Erin, and Erin alone, felt Julie's mind stir as she began to regain consciousness. She sat up suddenly, quickly taking Cienna's hands in hers. She looked into her eyes, even if she couldn't see her.
"C-Cienna. You're a good, good fairy. It's not your fault t-that Julie is this way. But p-please, please promise me something." She paused for a moment, considering if she wanted to propose this promise. "T-Tell her, remind her, about all those years ago. S-She may not believe you, but press on. Please."

"C-Cienna. You're a good, good fairy. It's not your fault t-that Julie is this way. But p-please, please promise me something."
"T-Tell her, remind her, about all those years ago. S-She may not believe you, but press on. Please."
Cienna wasn’t sure ow to respond to this, she wanted to shake her head and deny the thought that she could possibly be anything but evil, she had caused pain to everyone after all that was the path she walked. Darkness was her choice to gain command over the wind to not be a burden to all those she cared for she had no choice, but here and now, this demon, she was calling her good. She wanted so very much to do something, anything to show this demon that she appreciated it.
Her request was not a simple one Cienna knew this but she also knew if they were to ever be truly happy she would have to somehow bring up this subject. She had the ability to share her past experiences but they were always in her own senses. Meaning that what she heard, felt, and tasted. Others, save for those who often flew on wings, could understand her wind sense so that would simply be white noise to her brain.
”I will…” she said the words coming to her mouth without the bidden thought to do so. She knew in that moment that she would, no matter what she had to do, she would sacrifice anything to make Julie and Erin happy again. ‘Like two sides of the one coin, what one felt surely had to effect the other’ she thought. ”if you two are happy… she would pause taking a breath ”that’s all that matters. she would add this as she squeezes Erin’s hands tightly. She would try to smile as sweetly as she could for Erin, the effect of which most likely being comical to anyone else as the smile would reveal her fangs and be somewhat awkward. She had never been good at hiding her emotions behind falsified emotions. She could however normally remain passive looking but the tears on her cheeks belied that too.
”The worst part of being a fairy. Is that I will always be evil.” she spoke this line softly in fae as if talking to herself. She deserved to be punished and she knew it and then a thought occurred to her ”uhm you don’t have a home to go to anymore… seeing.. as how… I…yeah...” she said looking down unsure of how to proceed with her line of thoughts past what she had said “Do… do… doyouwanttocomelivewithme??” the sentence was mixed English and fae and barely legible even to herself as she blushed heavily.

Erin gave a small smile to Cienna, now having the ability to understand Fae after struggling with the few words. "The origins of your alignment or who you are, don't have to define you," she replied this part in Fae. When asked if they wanted to come and live with Cienna, Erin replied, in English, "You might want to ask that to Julie yourself. She is the host of my body." Erin's image began to fade, and she gave toothy grin. "Stay safe, Tin-Dark Fairy," she quickly corrected herself as the rest of her faded away.

---

Julie slowly opened her eyes, blinking at the white light of the hospital room. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, before turning her head to the window and looking outside at the city. She then turned her head to her arm, where an IV was connected. She knew there was no need for it, but did not remove it anyway. Lastly, she looked to the figure on the floor. After struggling for a moment, she realized it was Cienna.
"Ci-" she began, before coughing. He throat was parched, having been asleep for a while. She wanted to speak though. She looked to the nightstand and grabbed the glass of water that was beside its pitcher. She drank for a moment, cleared her throat, and began again.
"W-What are you doing here?" she asked first and then, upon seeing her on the floor, said, "Are you okay?"

Cienna would tilt her head hearing Erin say to stay safe, the next thing she knew she couldn’t feel Erin’s presence anywhere near her, like she had vanished now. However, she became keenly aware of another presence pulling on her. ‘Julie!’ she thought tilting her head listening to any tell-tale sounds that would reveal that she was awake. Her breathing while steady showed all the hallmarks of someone waking.

"Ci-"

Julie made a kind of squeaking sound to Ciennas ears, ‘was that supposed to be an attempt at my name?’ she pondered as she sat on her feet still, the pain in her feet had been numbed until now where it had just started to rear its ugly head again.
"W-What are you doing here?"

"Are you okay?"

Honestly Cienna had a hard time even thinking how to answer that question. Why she was here was simple she wanted to apologize, she wanted to make sure that Julie was fine, and not to say the least she wanted to be with Julie more. How to word these thoughts she was trying to process her chaotic thoughts and feelings.

‘no I’m not ok.’ She thought to herself her hand moving to cover her tattoo, she was hurting because she knew that Julie and Erin were hurting. Tears again falling from her eyes she let her head drop she wanted to break down and cry. She took a deep shaky breath trying to steady herself again she would look up at Julie spreading her wings and lifting up of the ground and moving to the seat she had originally taken up before she spoke with Erin.

She would hold up the book that appeared blank to the eyes though a close inspection would reveal the cover like all the pages had small patterned, raised dots. She had used the book as an excuse to come back to spend time with Julie. It now served as an excuse to let her re-order her thoughts.
There was also the promise she made to Erin she had to find the right way to tell Julie without upsetting her, and to try and stop their pain.

”I…. I…. I….” she shook her head again her emotions were threatening to take control so she bit her bottom lip hard, her fangs piercing her lip before she spoke again “I, wanted to apologize, I wanted to make sure you were…” she stopped as tears fell from her eyes again, she couldn’t bring herself to even imply that Julie needed to be watched.
”your home… was destroyed…” her voice would sound almost desperate in its sorrow. ”you…. Do you… doyouwanttostaywithme?” again she almost vomited the words at Julie instead of actually speaking.

Julie watched as Cienna lifted herself up and sat in one of the chairs beside her bed. She watched for a moment as her fairy struggled with her emotions, stumbling over her own words.
When asked if she wanted to stay with her, Julie blinked a few times.
"I-I mean, my apartment is gonna be f-fine. I-I mean, they'll probably need to r-repair it, so.... Y-Yeah," she got out, still confused as to why the fairy had been on the floor and was so emotional. She moved one of her hands out from under the covers, reaching out for Cienna's. She couldn't reach it, being in the bed. She winced with pain as she finally (barely) touched their fingertips.
"W-why are you c-crying?" she asked now.

"I-I mean, my apartment is gonna be f-fine. I-I mean, they'll probably need to r-repair it, so.... Y-Yeah,"

Cienna knew that the apartment could be repaired of course, she hadn’t destroyed the building just damaged it, but as her powers hit Julies apartment the hardest it looked like a bomb had gone off inside so the repairs would need to happen before anyone could live there, or so she had felt. She could hear the sounds of Julie moving, maybe getting more comfortable than she was, even having her wings folded down she felt the air showing that Julie had made a move to get marginally closer to her.

"W-why are you c-crying?"

As she heard this difficult question she felt Julies fingers touching hers and would lean forward encasing her hand with her own squeezing lightly.
”It’s difficult to say.” She says as she turns her wrist to reveal what she thought would be Erins name, which in actual fact would show Julies name again with Erins name faded just below. ”I spoke to her.” she would say softly looking down ”She told… she told me your story, and I’m scared. she would admit as she listened for Julies reaction. Would she be angry at her, or would she want to run away again.

Stefany nurses a cup of coffee in her hands, watching the swirls of smoke coming out of the mug. She was bored, and sleepy. Studying for her exams had made her a sort of coffee zombie, living on caffeine instead of brains. She leaned back in her chair, yawning as she did and fished out her phone from where it was stored in the corner of her shoulder bag. Her delicate fingers fly across the touch screen as she messages all of her friends. No response. They must've all been busy with their social lives. Stefany flings her highlighted across the table and sighs, albeit very loudly. The day was going to be uneventful for sure. She would've liked someone to at least disturb it, if not blow it out of proportion. Anything but discovering her soulmate. That was too big of a disruption. She smiled to herself and returned to her studies.

As Cienna revealed her wrist, Julie looked at it curiously. As usual with her Soulmates, Erin's name was shadowing underneath her own. When mentioned that Cienna had spoken to "her", she widened her eyes. The names must have switched.
"M-My story?" Julie asked, confused. Something switched within her. "About how that bitch was sent from the gods to curse me, for something I don't even remember that I did?! D-Did she tell you what I did to deserve her?" she asked now, turning from anger to frantic. "P-Please. Cienna. I-If you know, t-tell me." Julie's hand that was connected to Cienna's was now shaking.

Cienna nodded hearing Julie wanting to hear about her story, sadly she knew that it wasn’t at all like Julie thought it was.
”She… she told me, but… it’s not… it’s not what you think.” she would say softly before steadying herself with a deep breath before she would continue.
She would recount the story that Erin had told her just before the whole time not letting go of Julies hand. She was careful to make sure that she portrayed everything from the emotions that Erin had displayed to the simplest gestures. She wanted Julie to know that Erin had been telling the truth. She had no way of knowing how Julie would react to this information, she could only hope that she would understand.
”Please believe me.” she said softly barely above a whisper she was scared that Julie wouldn’t believe her and would cause more pain and suffering for her. She felt responsible for Julie’s suffering at least in part and she was determined to make up for it, even if it meant taking on the suffering of years to make her smile.
”I don’t want you to leave. she whispered in fae.

At first, as Cienna had begun to tell Julie was Erin had told her, Julie let her. As they arrived at the part that they were Soulmates, Julie began shaking her head lightly. When she finally reached the end, asking her to believe it, Julie spoke. "No. No no, no. Whatever she told you is wrong. She's purely evil, given to me by the Gods themselves. And now she's trying to make you make me believe something else."
The reason that Julie denied this, is because she knew that it was true. Her memories were beginning to come back, and she didn't want to believe that Erin had actually done what she did. A single tear slipped out of her right eye, and she continued to shake her head.
"Why would you believe her? You see how she's taunted you before."

"Why would you believe her? You see how she's taunted you before."
Cienna would sigh softly hovering up and sitting on the bed beside Julies body and gently touching her face ever so gently. “I believe because I felt her emotions.” She would say softly. Her tone was soothing and filled with emotions. “I want you both to be happy…” she was speaking the truth, it was the one thing she wanted most in the world at this point. Were it not Julie and Erin sharing one body that she were bonded to she might have found it impossible, but with those two she found she couldn’t accept one without the other, they were likened to a coin, two sides, of the whole.

”why do you think that the gods cursed you?” she would ask softly her tone showing love and care to the woman on the bed she was now sitting on. She didn’t know what else she could do other than resort to her magic which she already knew was beginning to weaken thanks to the day prior. She also considered it to be rather obtrusive to use her magic in a method that would bend the will of another living being.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The next morning Zephyr would return to attempt to catch the owner of the unit at home or maybe talk to the other tenants to find out if any other strange things have happened there recently. It’s not like this case was going to be easy to solve as the powerful magic that stopped the tornado had all but destroyed the traces of magic that created it before he could arrive on the scene. As he walked he happened to glance at his wrist a new marking having etched itself onto his skin.
“Oh Fuck me!” he says as he read it, ‘today!’ he thought to himself as he arrived at the apartment building now seriously debating returning to the church and waiting the day out. He knew that wasn’t really an option as he had to complete his investigation before the church would give him further instructions. He would enter into the building allowing his senses to expand again, as he had suspected all traces of magic being erased by now he would sigh.
”Time to get it started with. He walks around the building knocking on doors, some answer and are happy to give him any information they can, while others don’t answer at all, then there are those that answer and simply slam the door shut on him again. He would shrug to himself as he reached another door the smell of paints and turpentine permeating the air around it he would reach up an knock, he would note the slight burn of his wrist but honestly would ignore it unless it got a lot worse.

---

"Why her?" she now asked, before Cienna asked her why she thought the Gods had cursed her. "I-I don't know. It was something I did. It's best not to question them." She watched Cienna stroking her face, and couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you're being so kind, b-but I just don't know why you'd want to help either of us. I-It's best, for you, if you stay away from me. Like you, I-I'm not what I seem."
There it was. She was beginning to admit to her past. She could remember herself as the Egyptian princess. They had all loved her, just because a name had appeared on her wrist. She had twisted them around. She had done terrible things, things that she had forgotten on purpose. Even Erin couldn't possibly know all that was to her.
"M-Maybe we should stay away f-from each other. I-It seems we're both a little d-dangerous...." There were a few more tears slipping from her grasp now.

Cienna would listen as Julie spoke each word hitting her harder than the last. Her neutral composure collapsing as Julie finished speaking. Her eyes closing tightly to try and hold back the tears as her small body quivered all over. ”s…sorry… i… I’m.. sorry…” she said lifting off Julies bed and backing towards the door. Her mind numb with the pain that was going through her, the darkness now complete she couldn’t think, she turned fleeing from the room as fast as she could fly tears falling from her face as she did so. She would leave the hospital flying a little faster than a person would walk taking off straight up into the air. ”stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid she yelled at herself while flying in any direction to get away from the pain. ”No one will ever love you! You don’t deserve it.” she continued abusing herself.
If she had been thinking when she left she might have remembered the book and her purse which she had left sitting on the side of Julies bed. She had not been thinking though she was in pain and wanted to escape, she wanted to forget the pain. She found her flying around her own apartment building as if by some force of chance. The flight home had been a blur she only remembered the darkness holding her. She landed on her balcony and turned to face the city and screamed as more tears fell from her face. “Why! Why! Why!” she demanded of the very air itself as if it would answer her

---

Julie watched with no expression on her face as Cienna rushed out of her room and she collapsed back onto her pillow. The salty liquid was falling from her eyes now, unstoppable. She just couldn't understand as to why-
"Jules," she heard now. She shut her eyes tight, trying to rid her mind of the demon.
"Go away!" she yelled. But shutting her eyes had just made it worse. Now, she could see the demon's face, and she said her name again. It was filled with sorrow. "Ugh!" she now yelled in disgust, opening her eyes again.
"I'll just wait for you to pass out," she now said with softness. "We...we need to talk."
"Do we really?! And about what?! What would you want to talk to me about!?" But Julie knew exactly what.
"Please-" Erin began again, but Julie wouldn't take any of it.
"No. Shut up. I don't want you here. I never did." Erin shut up.
After a few hours more of staring at the ceiling, she was let out of the hospital. She was told to call a number if she ever wanted to jump off a building again, and Julie told the nurse some not-so-friendly words in return. As she was about to leave, she saw that Cienna had left her purse and book.
"Really?!" she said, swearing before she stormed out of the hospital. She looked up to the night sky. "Really, Universe?! Are you fucking serious?! You wanna fuck me over like this?!" A man passing by walked a little faster, and Julie looked down from the sky and sighed as she realized she didn't really have a place to stay. Off to Cienna's it was. After finding her address and everything from her purse, Julie began to walk.
After arriving, she stared at the door for a moment and gave a few breaths in and out. Erin, all this time, had said nothing. Finally, she gave a knock.
"C-Cienna?" she called out, her voice wavering. "I-It's m-me, J-Julie."

Sometime had passed and Cienna had been laying on her bed feeling lifeless, she had long since exhausted her ability to cry and now she just laid on her bed with nothing but a shirt to cover her body. She had thought that a shower might help clear her mind, it had the opposite effect on her, she hadn’t even dried her hair or her wings so when she heard the knock on her door she had no intention of responding.
"C-Cienna?"
A familiar voice, but how, there was no way that it could be Julie after all she didn’t want anything to do with her, and she distinctly remembered not telling Julie her address.
"I-It's m-me, J-Julie."
There was no mistaking it now, that was Julie knocking on her door, How was this even possible. She pulled herself up onto her knees and stood on the ground, the carpeted floor hurting her feet but she didn’t care, the pain distracted her from the aching in her chest she walked to her front door and hesitated for a moment. ‘why.’ She thought to herself before opening it, the shirt she was wearing coming down to her mid thighs if Julie looked at her legs she would notice the severe cutting and bruising on her small feet.
Her wings were drooping down and like her hair appeared to be wet. She wasn’t sure what to say, Julie had come to her so maybe she had something to say. She turned her face to look up at her soulmate her eyes seeming more blank than usual for a blind person and her cheeks stained from tears.

---

As Cienna opened the door, Julie looked down at her. She could see her bruised feet and the long shirt she was wearing, the tears that stained her cheeks, her wet hair and her wet wings. In short, she looked awful. The Dark Fairy looked back up at her, and something hit Julie hard. She didn't like Cienna being like this. At all.
Neither one of them spoke for the longest time. She couldn't believe she was standing here right now. Fuck the Universe, man.
"I-I have your purse. A-and your b-book," Julie finally spoke softly, still looking at Cienna. "A-And I-I don't have a home t-to go back to y-yet. B-But I-I understand if you want me to go s-somewhere else."