when i lived alone;

[ofhope]

who; joshua + lucrezia, cass & spike
what; stalking can be tiring work
where; the gardens, then outside the bathaus, then back at the mansion
when; august 30th-31st
rating; pg-13 (the high end)

lucrezia;

Joshua simply hadn't known how to handle the situation when it first occurred, and the healthiest way for Joshua to handle something (emotional wise) he can't yet understand is just to ignore it until it's worked out or goes away. In this case, the person had been sent away, but that did not erase the problem her failed memory presented. It didn't help him sleep at night, or feel more content in his solace in the day, disturbed only occasionally by a maid or one of the ever present animals under one's feet.

So naturally, if he had nothing else to do, the next logical step was to spend his time keeping an eye on her. He wouldn't halt or interrupt her time playing with others and basking in a naïveté she hadn't possessed for some time now, but he would be sure no grievous harm came to her. Cassandra may have been her 'knight', and Spike the occasional prized punching bag, but even if he trusted them (he didn't), he would have watched her anyway. She had always been worth watching; this was the girl he had initially been drawn to, only she carried even more of a glow. Perhaps that husband hadn't yet marked her, which would explain much.

She seems to take a certain amount of joy in the myriad flowers and plants that color the grandiose garden, but it's not until she passes the sunflowers that he appears, standing in front of the tallest stalks and observing her with what could seem an easy smile, hands in his pants pockets. If asked, he would simply say impulse brought him closer; perhaps the effluvious combination of sunflower and madonna lily is simply too much for Joshua to resist.

cass;

One meeting had been enough, at least to both sate his urges and answer silent inquiries he'd had deep in his soul — what is worth remembering, and what isn't. Who is worth protecting no matter what, and who is disposable with the change of the tides. ...A few years ago, the answer to the last wonder would be 'everybody'. But he has changed, either because of those bastard's experimentation or the castle's own trials, he can't know. So for once knowing brings no peace, but only temporary accord.

Joshua doesn't care if there are cameras, but he does keep an eye out for trip wires or ditches, understanding that two out of the three occupants of this house might be happy to catch him like a rat in a trap. But it doesn't keep him away, it only keeps him careful. His horns are visible as he uses all his senses for his own guard before he finds himself outside the bedroom window belonging to Cassandra Cain. This is a window he's looked in plenty of times from a distance whenever Lucrezia was inside, though this is the first time he's close enough to lean in if he wanted. The open window would make this disgustingly easy access for a burglar...if the residents were less capable people, that is.

It's barely a sound, his tap against the windowsill, just enough to awaken a true soldier of the night, but not enough for his little princess that slumbers so peacefully inside. He can always just let himself right in, but that would be rude, and risk awakening Lucrezia even more. Again, one meeting was enough.

spike;

These tribulations, these attempts to better understand his own motivations and those around him, leave his mind strained and his soul tired. Though Joshua would be loathe to show it around others, he is more affected by the castle's hijinks than any would ever suspect. So he returns to the mansion swiftly, not wasting time on a leisurely walk or fly, the ache in his head always carrying the risk of grave foreshadowing.

Nothing violent of it comes this time, but Joshua still feels like to collapse when he reaches the mansion before dawn. He doesn't even make it upstairs to his bedroom, instead dropping onto a Victorian couch decorating the half-assembled library, and promptly falling asleep. When he awakens again, it's almost noon, and one of the two maids has taken it upon herself to gently shake him awake. Perhaps in serving Zelman, they had learned not to entertain their fears. Or maybe by now they had grown comfortable around the teenager, knowing the signs that showed themselves when it was time to get out of dodge.

Your friend Mister Spiegel has come to call on you, Master Joshua.

What is that, now? Spike is the last person he expected a visit from, since the man had to have seen Lucrezia's entry and figured out she wasn't here. Joshua's no fool, understanding that the young blonde woman is a great motivator for the man's visits, even if she seems to wound him with comments that are beyond her ken.

Does he expect to be treated better by Joshua? Well, that's always a dangerous line to walk, but any 'friends' of the Apostle would have to be fully aware of that. He lets the maid fuss with his hair and his clothes in order to make him slightly more presentable, but he really could care less before he ambles out to the foyer to see just what brings the poor masochist to the demon's door.