devouredxmuses

[devouredxmuses]

the past year had dragged by more painfully than soledad could express. since the day marcel took them home to rebekah, the mikaelsons had become the center of her world. over the years sol managed to integrate into the family rather seamlessly. while there were times they felt like an outsider, it more came from her abilities rather than how anyone treated them. it was easier for soledad to attach to a family that she knew wasn't going to go anywhere. original vampires, hybrids, tribrids, they were supposed to be more permanent than her. the loss of hayley, klaus, and elijah affected sol deeply. and not just them, hope and ingrid had disappeared just as quickly. the entire year she ached for their return.

as tempting as ingrid's offer to skip town had been, they couldn't leave their parents. marcel had lost a father, rebekah, two brothers, both a sister, and their nieces were pulling away. soledad refused to separate from the two most important people in her life when everyone was grieving so much. they didn't judge their cousins' choices, understood them while still wishing they'd made different ones. sol promised herself that she'd be here for their return, would try to be a stabilizing force for them as they had been for her. it had been lonely though. aside from the older generation of the family, hope and ingrid were her closest friends. by choice of course. death came for everyone eventually, but the tribrids were certainly the last on the list.

soledad would do anything for their cousin so when hope reached out, the banshee made their way to the mikaelson home. hope had been rather vague about what she needed, but that hadn't slowed sol down any. in fact, they'd been turning over the vision of laurie's death in their mind. wondering how he was handling the knowledge, how hope was. they weren't going to bring it up unless she did, it wasn't exactly soledad's business. a soft, sad smile tugged at her lips as hope spoke. " time's a cruel mistress, " they reply glancing at the photo. " that what i'm here for ? i didn't pack my pjs or my sleeping bag, but i'm sure we could figure something out. "

setting foot in her childhood home, felt strange call it the DESIRE to see the face of a particular someone in the parlor waiting for her or the sound of her parents bickering, over something she’d done, that her FATHER sought to reward and that her MOTHER insisted needed anything but that. the simplicity of a lifetime left behind haunted her every time she set foot inside what would once deem a SAFE haven from the outside world.

instead all she found attached to it now was pain, maybe that’s why she avoided her remaining family too. the idea of facing people who’d suffered the loss because of her ⸺ despite their constant reassurance that it was ‘ okay ‘ that they had ACCEPTED what her father had done, what elijah helped him do ‘ you’ve accomplished in twenty eight years, what i couldn’t in thousands. ‘ words that now rang hollow as she stood in her old bedroom and the scene of words exchanged floated into her head ‘ i’m going to do right by our name ‘ a promise made in vein ⸺ she had been the WRONG one to save that much still rung true.

the very feeling engrained itself in her magic, the very same that she needed to get out, and so the thought had floated into her head easily. she needed an outlet, something to pour DARK magic into, that would allow her to not worry her husband, to stop being a constant WEIGHT on his shoulders. it had been then that the memory of an old spell had popped into her head. it was a fairly simple one, and she’d asked the ONE person she knew she could trust to help. her cousin, who’s footsteps made her jump slightly as the tribrid had found herself staring at the family picture on her dresser. “ weird huh? “ she mumbled, turning to look at them. “ it feels like it’s been thousands of years ⸺ and one hasn’t even gone by. “ stupid commentary but greeting someone with a ‘ hey i want i want to drain my magic out of me ‘ didn’t make for a strong opening line, it was more so a better if ‘ eased ‘ into it sort of moment. “ i think, i miss the sleepovers in this room.. well sort of. “

location .... mikaelson family home , featuring .... sol gerard !! ( @devouredxmuses )

[devouredxmuses]

he had anticipated this sort of reaction. the collective had eyes everywhere and they had just so happened to capture the scene of her death. well, her first death. the organization was deeply invested in the survival of their members, death was too permanent so it wasn't an option. not everyone was privy to that knowledge, it's a touchy subject of course. why stress the little foot soldiers out unnecessarily ? now the seer knew the truth and here they were. tariq wasn't the welcome back party, he hadn't come to debrief the girl or do anything that was remotely helpful to her. he was here for himself. the vampire didn't move from his spot, still sitting rather comfortably at the table, one leg crossed over the other.

while her expression was one of anger, his own was calm. a smile even present on his lips. " hm, " he starts as a hand reaches up to tap his chin for a moment, " that isn't exactly true now is it ? " the man didn't particularly give a shit about what piper did or didn't do for the collective, it was what she hadn't done for him. the possessiveness over his missing son had only heightened in his vampirism, though his ability to search for him had been limited at the same time. relying on weaker vampires or this child before him to do so only brought a deep sense of irritation. she'd seemed truthful when he'd questioned her before, but the photographs he'd gotten hold of proved her dishonesty.

the closeness between the pair was palpable in the images and tariq had to reign in the fury that was threatening burst free. " you have something of mine. " his features morphed into something more cutting. he pushes the folder forward on the table, an invitation for her to sift through its contents. " back in the day they used to cut liars' tongues out, you know, and i am pretty old school. but i'm feeling rather forgiving at the moment, it must me your lucky day. "

There had been no time at all to get her mind back together. At the time of her death, everything in her brain had scattered to the winds, leaving her feeling hopeless and drained. Coming back to had her putting the pieces back together slowly as she tried to remember how to be a human being once more. How had she ever done this in the first place? Walked around the city with her secrets? These days, everyone seemed to look in her direction. Did they know what she'd done? Who she'd killed? Who she'd harmed? That she'd died and come back to life for reasons she still didn't really understand?

All of it was tiring and all she wanted to do, after a long and emotional conversation with Rory, was collapse in her own bed, stare at the ceiling for several hours, and eventually pass out contemplating a good ninety percent of her life choices. Of course, that would have been too easy, and nothing in her life was easy those days. Everything came with a bit of extra effort, a difficult decision, or a cost she didn't understand yet. That's how it felt, anyways. Like every decision she made was waiting around the corner to sock her in the face. Like deciding whether or not to have coffee or tea three weeks ago would eventually catch up with her at some point. Everything had her walking on a tight rope, looking over the edges, careful.

She tried not to think about the Collective or about how she would even go about leaving. She had a feeling that leaving and joining differed in difficulty. As she stepped into her home, faced with her coworker, all of those thoughts flooded back in. His calm nature frustrated her endlessly, especially in her desire for answers to the many questions plaguing her day in and day out. Something snapped back in the depths of her mind, like a bucket overflowing, overwhelm turned to anger and she snapped, too. "What are you doing in my house?" she asked, tone sharp, arms crossed over her chest. "I do everything for you, for that stupid group—I don't have anything left for you to take."

[devouredxmuses]

" actually no, not usually anyway. " emery was usually a very firm individual, it took a lot to sway him. though now, he had a list of failures lining up in his wake, that was new. something he didn't really know how to manage. he'd never been in such a position before, standing squarely between two people he really cared about. he was slightly offended, if he looked deeply into it, offended that heath didn't trust him enough to fix whatever problem had sprung from piper's actions. still though, the vampire was going to let them walk away, it weren't for the older tribrid. emery just felt way too off-kilter. he let out a rather hefty laugh at her words, finding them a little too real. " absolutely can relate. it's something i've found along the way. it was a hard sell. somehow though, it's not as comforting as it should be. " though in this moment, with an apparent kindred spirit, there was some odd sense of comfort.

" i'm afraid i wouldn't even know where to start, but the offer is greatly appreciate it. " he tips his imaginary hat. how does he verbalize the hellscape he was navigating at the moment ? plus, any admissions of anything could come back and bite him, or this kind stranger in the ass. mikaelson mess was best kept quiet. at least until he could dream up some way to patch up the aftermath. " though, if you've got anything you need to get off your chest, i've been told i'm a pretty good listener. " he wanted to offer it back, even if she wouldn't take it. " i mean, sounds like a useful skill if someone's pissing you off. quite a power you yield. " clearly he knew nothing about the other, but still, it felt harsh, and probably a cover for something. he wasn't going to pry. " you been here long ? i'm going on a year and, wow, never a dull day. "

“ EASILY OFFENDED ARE WE? “ she questioned with a raise of her brow. “ would it help if i said the best people are usually some version of ‘ off their rocker ‘? “ she added with a flip of her dark tresses behind her right shoulders as a laugh slipped past faded pink colored lips. “ how was that? convincing? been trying to get myself to believe it for far longer than i’d like to admit. “ and these days it wasn’t exactly simple ⸺ god did she miss the world of fashion shows, couture and superficial conventions at least then she knew what to expect. she could dress for that PART, the heiress half of herself she knew how to play to perfection but this idea that she had to uphold a HUNTING legacy? now that, she had a problem with. still something about the guy in front of her made it easy to talk, maybe it was the total strangers part or… “ but something tells me you relate. “ there it was a kindred soul of sorts, maybe not an exact match but for now it was the best she had.

“ so hey, if you need to let something go, i’m exactly the girl for the job. believe me i won’t JUDGE ⸺ with the things i’ve seen these last couple of months? i’ve gotten pretty good with unusual. “ sure she’d leave it there, because she laughed soon after, pulling back, her frame gracefully shifting in her chair she smirked. “ oh trust me, i’ve made the moniker entirely my OWN, much to my delight and the misery of others. “ he’d learn that soon enough, just like everyone she interacted with did. “ as special as a nightmare after a bad bowl of sushi… sure. “

[devouredxmuses]

" that where ya get it from ? being annoying that is. " she quips with a playful glint in her eye. " it a pack problem or something ? " it was just too fun, giving him a little poke. just to see how he reacts. caroline's own annoying habits were personally formed over the years. really no one to blame but herself. well, her transition certainly heightened them. maybe katherine pierce had a hand in it. add all the craziness of motherhood, loving a mikaelson, losing him, could anyone blame her ? " nothing more constant than change, " she muses dully. something she still has really yet come to grips with even though it is the only thing she can count on.

she huffs out a laugh, " you know, i believe that to be completely true. " granted, it took a while for people to use her and smart in the same sentence. that was neither here nor there. " ughhhhh, " caroline groans as he leaves more frosting on her. " you're digging yourself a deep grave here, gabe. " her words holding no malice, only a challenging edge matching the grin that started to form on her lips. in just enough time, the vampire side steps and the cake remnants smash onto the floor instead of her. " i spent a lot of money on this dress. you ruin it, you're dead. " she lets him have his head start, caroline forbes was a lady after all. making up ground was easy, beside him in a flash her hand reaches out to clasp around his wrist to stop him in his tracks. " you're looking far too clean, a little hungry too. let me help you out with that. " there was only a little bit of cake in her grip, mostly frosting. up went her hand, pressing it right into his face. taking a step back she smirks before turning on her heel and throwing over her shoulder, " oopsies. at least your suit's clean. " @tricrsed

HAD HE THOUGHT THIS through? the answer was no, at least not past seeing the pretty blonde who he’d never admit was ‘ nice to look at ‘ flustered, for no other reason than PERSONAL enjoyment. the thought making him realize that she could be right after all ⸺ he did spend too much time surrounded by CHILDREN. “ yeah you’d think. “ some frustration was present in his voice, he knew what the dynamics in the pack were hope had a right hand and it wasn’t HIM. however logan in his mind, was just as much a child as the tribrid the pack had fought a war for all those years ago. “ nothing like a pack of headstrong annoying wolves to kill that tradition. “ he declared with half a smirk, mildly irritated at the fact but oddly PROUD at the same time. he was after all no stranger to giving a mikaelson lip, being alive was a merit to his friendship with both jackson and hayley. “ change sucks and all that..” he trailed with a swish of his hand only for a laugh to leave him as the cake she’s caught exploded in her face.

“ smart and i don’t usually go in the same sentence sweetheart. “ he eyed the woman who stood about a few small inches or so shorter than him. “ but no one’s ever accused me of being BORING either and i take that seriously. “ and with such a sentence he tapped her nose once more, leaving frosting behind before he moved in an attempt to dodge her baseball like pitch of cake. “ and hey, your daughter, your old creepy closet suit… i’d think on that before you try again. “ and with that he made a fast reach for the bucket filled with semi wet cake from the rags they’d been using to clean it off the ground and blindly tossed a large handful, at her. “ i think.. i’ve more than earned a head start don’t you? “ he called out as he dashed towards the bar counter. “ be a good host, you know you want to. “

[devouredxmuses]

THE SOPRANOS Season 1 | Episode 10 - "A Hit Is a Hit"

[devouredxmuses]

" you think i don't know about pissed ? what fuels anger ? " unfortunately she knew it too well. knew how the fury is a stronger feeling, builds power when you feel weak. it was a mutation of sadness, of grief, of shame. of all emotions that are just too painful to face. a way to harden oneself when you feel the cracking start, when bursting at the seems is imminent. makes you feel whole, filling in the cavities eroded from anguish. locking it all away was still so so tempting. it had felt so good to feel nothing. the devastation ingrid left in her wake was one of the biggest things keeping her grounded. compartmentalizing was what brought ingrid to this moment. cutting off and shoving way bits of herself, of her emotions to stand firm. turns out all she had left after the carving was the monster inside that she fought her entire childhood to avoid, one she wish didn't exist.

while it may look like judging to a stranger, or even to kaya, it wasn't. it was a desperate need to pull her favorite person in the world back from the edge that she had a hand in pushing her to. an attempt to save her from the inevitable switch back ( because ingrid would get her back, or she'd die trying ). once her own humanity was restored, all the suffering slammed back into her hard enough to shatter. then came the impacts of what she had done with it off. all on the heels of intensified emotions.

" when i realized hiding from shit isn't going to make it go away. " because that was what flipping off a humanity switch was. avoidance of it all, not the destruction. she was trying to formulate something else to say, but she wasn't good with words. then came the collective comment and ingrid's head snaps to really face kaya. " excuse me ? " narrowed eyes and a hardened expression. " you think an organization that forced me to kill you has your best interest at heart ? that they give a fuck about your relationship ? i know you have a brain, kaya, use it. " the words were harsh, but it all came out. realization starting to settle in, a beginning of understanding of what all this had been for starting to dawn on her. though, before she can even bring that up there's more said. she had been worried for theo, ever since talking with laurie. " what the fuck are you talking about ? "

God, this entire conversation was a complete waste of her time. Why she had sought out the red-head in the first place, she had no idea. She should have figured that her best friend would only have negative things to say, despite Ingrid's own long trail of mistakes. "What pain?" she asked flatly, following her best friend out of the coffee shop but not attempting to make any less of a scene. She threw her arms out to her sides. "I'm not hiding anything, not eliminating any pain, Ing. I'm pissed." She flipped her hand over to admire her finger nails. "Maybe I'm just better at compartmentalizing than you are."

In all honestly, she was pissed. At herself, at circumstance, at everything that had ever happened in New Orleans. The loss of her parents, Theo's rejection, the Collective's meddling. But none of it really mattered in the grand scheme of things. Her anger was just anger and it wasn't going anywhere no matter what she tried, so what good there in keeping it around? In letting it nag her at every twist and turn? No, tucking it away and turning things off made everything simpler, even if she could still acknowledge the anger that lie beneath the surface.

"When did you get so boring?" she asked, sipping her stolen drink. Hadn't she watched her best friend rip heads off the past summer? Couldn't she go back to that? It was more more interesting than this whole judgmental speech she was giving in front of the coffee house. "There is no making it right. You did it, it's done. But no worries, I found a way to make this whole Collective thing work for me. They helped me get Teddy back, so. I think there's some good in them after all." Okay, so maybe she didn't actually believe that, but she wished to get a rise out of the tribrid somehow. "You haven't seen him lately, have you?" Kaya asked, smirking. "No, you wouldn't have. So let me fill you in, he looks good on an operating table."

[devouredxmuses]

NORMAL PEOPLE (2020) dir. Lenny Abrahamson, Hettie Macdonald

[devouredxmuses]

Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Lila Flores ⸺ THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS 3.04 | "Franklin the Fox"

[devouredxmuses]

@hellonexrth & @hntershunted

Halliwell Sisters Appreciation Week → Day 4 - Favourite Sisterly Moment

[devouredxmuses]

@hntershunted & @hellonexrth

4.01 | 5.15 | 5.19

[devouredxmuses]

@hellonexrth

Imagine meeting someone who wanted to learn your past not to punish you, but to understand how you needed to be loved.

[devouredxmuses]

@hellonexrth

SHADOW AND BONE (2021 — ) EPISODE 6 - THE HEART IS AN ARROW

[devouredxmuses]

@hntershunted

The Mummy (1999) dir. Stephen Sommers

[devouredxmuses]

the following line of questioning is expected, a reaction that sol had found to be natural. when faced with very real and apparently imminent death, finding sense in it all was understandable. they just weren't exactly skilled in handling such conversations. words were hard to find when she needed them in these moments, and half the time soledad didn't have any answers. " yes and no. " unhelpful, she thought while squeezing their eyes shut. after another deep breath she tries again, " i'm certain, but there's always some probability to avoid it. just not sure how high that probability is. "

soledad's arms cross tightly around her body in some subconscious way to comfort themself. " it's not always that simple. i don't know how you end up in the warehouse. you might not be who puts you there. " they only see and feel the end, the last, final, painful moments. " sometimes a warning is enough and it changes things. deaths hinge upon a multitude of decisions made. not always our own. i can check, just not right now. " surely another vision would pull the rest of her consciousness and they couldn't afford to pass out in the middle of the sidewalk. " if you give me a night to rest, i can try again. " if this was anyone else, soledad wouldn't offer. the universe had taken so much from her cousin, if sol could stop it from taking laurie she would. she just needed time. " i'm sorry. "

These were not the answers he was looking for, not the answers that he wanted to hear. With everything going on in this city, couldn't the powers that be, or whatever, cut him some slack once and a while? How could he possibly approach his loving wife and tell her that he was destined to die? No, that simply would not work. He shook his head, looking down at the woman before him. "Are you certain?" he asked sharply. "Or can it be avoided?"

His fingers twitched at his side, yearning to be balled tight into a fist, the adrenaline shooting through his veins begging him to release all the restraints he placed on himself and lash out with anger and fangs bared. He kept it tamped down, somehow. "I just don't go to this warehouse. I stay away from the little demon girl and everything's fine. Right?" He had no time to react further, no time to think about everything that would spiral should he die, no time to think about his life being on the line at all in the first place. His thoughts could only be channeled in one direction, in thinking about how to prevent it from ever occurring in the first place.

[devouredxmuses]

" y'know, i was going to ask if your mom's friends are nosy like mine. then i remembered, i guess in this case i could easily be considered your mother's nosy friend. " because benni was probably the nosiest person they've ever met. a soft laugh slips from her as she lifts a hand up to brush the hair that had fallen into her eye line. " fifty/fifty ? oh you're generous. definitely elena's kid. " they wave their hand dismissively, " i mean we can't all have everything. plus, i picked up a few of those myself over the years but, i essentially have two left feet on the dance font. so looks like we make a pretty good match, " benni replies with a grin.

benni's investigations into the mikaelson family had been what she would consider preliminary research. it started mostly because of how the family's history wove through the streets of the city. the human had an itch for consuming information and once their magical third eye was opened, nothing seemed to be enough to scratch it. there's a soft grimace that passes over her lips for a moment. the family did somehow seem to be harbingers of death, if not the cause of it themselves. " well on that note, i'll count my lucky stars i've made it out so far. and i'll cross my fingers for the future. " not that such a comment would keep benni from attending anything else thrown by the family, but it would certainly remind them to keep the liquor intake to a minimum.

“ THE BLESSING AND CURSE of having beloved parents. “ the brunette mused with a scrunch of her nose. “ maybe i’ll write a book about it one day… split our profits? fifty / fifty? “ she questioned with slight of her chin. a happy grin was on her features, finding herself at ease around strangers without her family was not her FORTE ⸺ but then again she had asked out a girl, maybe it was growth? she’d need to remind herself to thank LAURIE for his help… for the millionth time. “ just call me elena gilbert jr… without the amazingly useful life saving skills. but i do make a mean dance partner, years of training. “ she rambled on, a blush rising to pale cheeks as her head shook.

“ fits their reputation i’d say. “ she’d always known the mikaelson’s to be ‘ grand ‘ and well a little, if not a lot ‘ evil ‘ according to her parents ⸺ but klaus had married her aunt caroline, which like the blonde vampire, made alexia think that there was more to the mystery even if she didn’t exactly get to see it. “ big and dramatic, i once heard my dad say it wasn’t a mikaelson party if someone didn’t die… so hey, i think in the grand scheme of things, we absolutely lucked out. “

[devouredxmuses]

the universe was smart not to give caroline forbes a werewolf gene. listening to people wasn't exactly her strong suit and having to take orders from anyone felt like torture. " aren't they supposed to do that regardless ? " she asked with a raised brow. it was mostly rhetorical. she'd been around enough wolves to understand that pack dynamics weren't as simple. hope's ascension to the role was on the heels of some of the greatest devastation one could go through. it felt as though the storms kept coming for her. the pack wasn't something caroline could help her with, aside from general support. maybe sometime soon, the skies would clear, and hope would be able to get some more of the sunlight she so greatly deserved.

caroline's very lovely vampiric abilities were able to sense the projectile before it ever made contact. only problem being, that projectile was cake. covered in frosting. and when her hand reaches to catch it, roughly, frosting flies out from between her clenched fingers and a good drop lands unceremoniously onto her cheek. she takes a rather deep breath, because all the head popping conversation should not become reality. the blonde barely hears his instigation, but she still catches it. caroline was too tired to really fight, and god it had been so long since she had fun. a concept that felt so foreign in her grief. a rather serene smile works its way onto her face. " be careful for what you wish for. " this time the vampire dodges the next piece that flies in her direction. " oh, you're so dead, landry. " words followed by a certified giggle. grabbing fist fulls of her own, the woman is on her feet and after him. " was it smart starting a fight with someone faster than you ? " in an flash she's standing in the direction he was moving, facing him. " hope you're quicker on your feet than i think you are. " there goes the dessert from her left hand, sailing right for him.

“ ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THEIR alpha? “ he suggested with a roll of his shoulders, a hand coming to ruffle the end of his curls. “ crazy thought, but hey more bizarre things have been known to happen. “ he finished with a wink. not that he entirely blamed the kid ⸺ leadership wasn’t easy for anyone, especially so when it was UNWANTED and despite hope’s many qualities, unlimited power counted in them, the wolf could sense her reluctance a fact that often made him miss hayley… a friend he’d lost and who’s right hand he’d become after jackson.

“ but we’ll save that particular miracle for later hmm? at present.. i think you have other concerns. “ and with that be tossed a piece of cake at the blonde, a chuckle leaving him as his brows rose in obvious challenge. “ your creepy closet, your suit to ruin really. “ he gestured towards what he considered a ridiculous get up. “ so what will it be blondie? you’re gonna pull that stick lodged up your ass out and have some fun? “ maybe he was being insensitive she was a WIDOW after all and from what he’d seen she certainly did love her husband, a mystery that eluded them all outside of perhaps the very girl who’s wedding cake he now tossed so freely. “ think fast! “ he finished as he tossed another rather large chunk in her direction before he pushed himself off the ground, cake gathered in fist fulls as he moved.

[devouredxmuses]

" well to be fair, i haven't dipped my toes into the whole, clinician thing. " where would he even start ? watching one of the closest people to him be forced to stab herself to death ? his best friend nearly choking the life out of her ? or should he go further back. piercing that stake right through the heart of his mother's hunter, maybe ? all stories that would surely make him certifiable. plus, there wasn't enough time in the world to unpack any of that. instead, emery would swallow it all. " knowing i'm nuts and being told i'm nuts are two completely different things. " a self-conscious laugh slips from him with a shrug.

" personified headache ? that's cold. hope that title is self-given, " emery replies giving the other an empathetic smile. he didn't know her outside of this coffee shop, but that still felt a little harsh. the psychic was well acquainted with self-deprecation. " oh you weren't a fan ? now that i think of it, the cat was a little...creepy. i always thought thing 1 and thing 2 were pretty funny. begged for a blue dye job for like a week. " he had been told no every single ask. blue stands out, we don't want to stand out, his mother would remind him. his gaze flicked down to his sweater and promptly noticed the snag on his shoulder. " well, one of us is at least. " words leaving him with a chuckle. " this city sure is something special, huh ? " to put it lightly.

“ IS IT? I’D THINK it’s more of a sign that new orleans has shit therapists. “ or something to that effect, because what doctor would listen to her without attempting to have her committed? god did she miss normalcy, life before she’d decided that HOME is where she needed to be was so much simpler, no traumatized best friends for one thing. friends that she didn’t know how to help. she didn’t even know what BECK was doing, but here she was having coffee and going about life like nothing had changed.

maybe the world had always been right about her, and she really was obsessively SELF ABSORBED. “ ah well you see, agreeable has never been used to describe me. “ she declared as she took her seat across from him. “ i’m something of a ‘ personified headache ‘ it’s a gift. “ she joked with a dramatic hand placed over her heart a laugh soon following his observation. “ hey, i’m sure we’d make a better story than that CREEPY cat, that traumatized children. “ her to be exact, especially the film. she’d had nightmares for weeks, had made bingham stand guard at her door for days on end after watching it. “ and far, better dressed… “ at least she was, but in the spirit of self improvement pointing that out, during a first conversation felt a tad too much like pushing her luck. “ but hey, creepy talking animals would be a far more normal tuesday, at least around here anyway. “