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[altanonder]

There'd been a time when Altan had been more fond of rules, everything laid out in its perfect order, but he'd long ago given up on that line of thinking. He'd done his best to find some kind of middle ground between the quiet discipline of his childhood and the wild freedom that followed, enough to feel settled and balanced. "Perhaps, I guess time will tell." He tried to keep the doubt out of his tone, alongside the lingering worry. Maybe he'd have pushed more if he knew the other man and the entire situation better, but Altan knew better than to dig into family matters. "Honestly, I think that's partly why people respected you." His shoulders shrugged lightly, not wanting to further place a burden on the other man when Altan knew he was surely struggling with everything that had transpired in the past couple of months. "It's alright, not your responsibility anymore. I just thought I'd pass on that you're missed amongst the crew." Grasping the other's hand in a firm shake before letting go, he surveyed their surroundings once more, "Maybe it just means we're surviving, but barely holding on. So, you've got any grand plans when it comes to this place? Might be a nice change of pace."

"I... I wouldn't know," He offered up with a small shrug. "But, if red tape has been put into place, it likely should have been there before too. I just had never been the best at playing by the rules." If he had been better at following the protocol, he would have never accidentally dropped the vile of werewolf serum that had altered his friend's life forever, which yes had put K Labs on the map and his friend's life seemed to be all the better for it. But, he knew if anyone ever found out, any integrity his friend's accomplishment had made would go down the drain with a snap of a finger. "Also, if we're being honest, science was never really much of my thing, so I kind of always let the experts do what they do best, for better or worse. Though, sorry if you can't really explore the avenues you want anymore. That sucks," He admitted, raising the bottle in his hand up to the other seeing that he found himself in a similar boat now, with no idea what to do with his future or if he even had one. "Song Seo-Joon," He introduced himself, shifting the beer bottle to the other hand as he reached over and gave Altan's hand a shake. "You're not intruding and I'm figuring it out. Though, sure. Better. Whatever the hell that means."

[altanonder]

A chuckle left his lips as he returned the hug, relief coming fast at the fact that there seemed to be no lasting damange inflicted on his friend. "Probably for the best we never formed anything official. Wouldn't want to recruit any new members into bad coping mechanisms." While the occasional night out was still a happy respite from everything, he'd done his best to leave the worst of it in the past. "It suits you, although I'm sorry things turned to shit so soon after. Is Jasmine doing alright?" Perhaps normality was too much to hope for in Lunar Cove, but even so, Altan wished that they could have at least had a few months to recupperate and for his friends to enjoy a proper honeymoon. "Glad those wolf-genes are still doing their job. But you got it, if there's anyone in the pack who needs a little extra help, just let me know. And I'll do my best to check in on the rest." Following behind Nico, a slightly skeptical eyebrow raised, "Should have brought wine if we're going to charcute, although I'm not sure if I'm an expert, the last time was some fancy foundrasing dinner. But honestly? A beer sounds like the perfect accompiament - so maybe I'm not sophisticated enough."

·✥·

Nico didn't hesitate or flinch as he pulled Altan in for a quick, warm hug. "There was a club? I thought we all just got together once in a while to drink our mistakes into oblivion, but I thought that was more of a coping mechanism than a pasttime... but trust me, no one is more surprised than I am." He chuckled a little and gave his arm an experimental rotation from the shoulder as he pulled away. "I'm doing fine, mostly just stiff and getting restless. At a certain point I think the silver makes things tricky, but the full moon should help. You could save your magic hands for any of our friends that are less used to taking hits than I am, though? I've checked with most of the pack and they seem to be recovering, but every bit helps, you know." He nodded over his shoulder as he headed back into the house, and added, "You want some coffee? Beer? We got a charcuterie board now, d'you charcute?" After a quick google search on what to do with Rohan's housewarming gift, he was determined to make use of it, even if that meant just piling some cheese slices and salami on it and pretending to be fancy.

[altanonder]

"I think you're allowed more than one break-down a year, especially after everything that's happened." A small chuckle left his throat, and for a moment he let the lightness linger as he rolled the paint in even strokes over the patches of wall that were still bare. It was a welcome reminder of what things could be like, that maybe, even despite all their shared history and the darkness surrounding Lunar Cove, things could find an equilibrium. "I see how it is, I do all the work while you get to sit and look pretty. Seems entirely fair."

There was still something off about her, as if all the fight he was used to had been drained. It only heightened the concern that had brought him to her doorstep, heart aching at the way it almost seemed as if she was convincing herself that him ending things was the correct solution. He'd suspected that she was craving a deeper connection, that the reason she let him hold her through the night wasn't just for the convenience of morning sex and breakfast, but that maybe he was a source of much-needed comfort. "You wanted more too, didn't you?" No one could have predicted what had happened at the Masquerade Ball, but Altan wondered if having a place to turn to after would have been exactly what Poppy needed, if she wouldn't be as off if she'd known she could turn up at his doorstep. Maybe it would have been better to swallow his feelings, especially given how unstable Lunar Cove was, and allow things to progress as they were in a way that didn't force Poppy's hand. But it was too late for that now, and the most he could hope to do was reassure her that the way she seemed to see herself wasn't the reality of how he viewed her.

"You were never the villain in my story, is that how you think I see it? We were both young and careless, it was as much my fault as yours." She'd never promised him anything, instead, he'd followed blindly despite all of the warnings raised by his parents and friends. Even Poppy herself, reckless and wild and free, unable to be tied down by himself or anyone else, had been a walking red flag. As much as it had almost broken him, there had been plenty of opportunities for him to see the signs, fall back into his old habits, and leave her behind. So, ultimately the choice to believe that everything would work out for them had been his alone.

His jaw tightened as she stepped away, maybe the distance was necessary, but it felt like she was running again, but this time because of a choice that she would never be able to make for him. "That's for me to decide, don't you think? If that's the type of girl I wanted, I'm sure I could have found someone by now." He'd even tried exactly that, searching for a girl whom his parents would automatically love when he brought her home, with whom it'd be easy to pursue something rather than the endless not-knowing. But while there had been ones who were perfect on paper, there had always been something missing that left him unable to commit. A spark that he'd only been able to find in her, and maybe that's why his heart had stubbornly refused to move on completely.

Setting down the beer, he turned instead to follow her behind the bar, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek and directing her gaze towards him. "I like that you're headstrong and passionate and impulsive and more sensitive than you let on. I wouldn't want to have you any other way." She was fragile too, something broken from the girl he'd once known, although he supposed that living through everything that Poppy had to endure would have wreaked havoc on even the most resilient souls. It stung to see her judging herself so harshly, and he knew that if this was what she revealed, things might be even worse in her head. "Besides, maybe this isn't where I expected to end up, but I'm grateful I'm here all the same. Without you, I might have ended up choosing a major I hated and following people's expectations of me rather than making my own path. The only villains here are the Sheriff and your parents. So maybe you are a Disney princess after all... tragic backstory, unexpected power, lots of challenges..." It wasn't the time for a joke, but he figured that something to lighten the mood might be necessary, and his features lifted in an attempt at a smile. "You certainly look the part too."

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I do. I mean hey what other choice do I have? I get like one break down a year and it’s still not been a year since the last one. I don’t think January reset it either.” She teased, putting her hands in her back pockets as she rocked forward on her heels. “I could, but why would I when I have you? You can do the work and I can not tire myself out.” Plus there was something nice about not using magic for every little whim and want, having to do the work for ones self. Watching him for a moment before her eyes drifted back down to her shoes when he started to speak once more he brought up the million dollar question. They weren’t. They were having breakfast, cuddling, and getting closer than she should have allowed them to in the first place. She knew better, she had to be better this time around. 

“Altan,” She started, but stopped a second later. She didn’t know for the first time what to say to him or his question, but she knew she owed him some kind of answer. Letting her hands drop to her sides and she just stared over at him for a long moment wordless. “It should have been just sex. I let us blur lines and for that I’m sorry.” Pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers, she almost regretted the apology. “No, I deserve worse than how you’ve treated me. You’ve been literal Prince Charming and I’m out here being the villain in your story constantly.” 

At his warning she gulped loudly, he was right she was asking questions she didn’t want the answer too, ones that she knew the answer to for that matter. Looking up at him as he stared back and she softened slightly at his dark eyes. “Yes, and no.” She admitted honestly, giving a loud sigh as she backed away from him. Turning so she wasn’t facing him and could actually think. “I don’t understand you.” She told him not bothering to even look back at him. “I don’t get how you keep wanting me despite everything.” She’d broken his heart and left him high and dry countless times, but yet here he was still wanting to be with her. It was a fact she couldn’t understand because not even she’d fool with her after everything, in fact she’d run the other direction, but here he was steady as could be. 

Walking away from him and behind the bar as she grabbed a beer for each of them, figured if they were about to do this it could at least be with some alcohol. Popping the top off the beers as she looked over at him and slid one of the beers towards him before nodding towards it. “I’m the villain here Altan, not the girl you end up with. Boys like you never end up with girls like me. You should be with some nice girl who is basically a real life Disney princess."

[altanonder]

From what he'd managed to glean about the event, it sounded like it was straight from a horror movie. A lesson in psychological torture and mindfucks. As glad as he was that he hadn't played into the games the Catalyst had set up, there was that lingering sense of guilt, as if he could have done more if only he'd decided to skip his shift that night. Probably false, logically he knew that his presence wouldn't have helped one bit, but it didn't stop the way he ached for his friends. "It sounded.. psychotic. Don't know what her end goal is, but... I doubt it'll get better from here on out, even with her out of town. It seems like they're only gearing up for something worse... don't you think?"

No doubt the gym was probably the worst place to be having a heart-to-heart, but from a quick glance around, it seemed like they were mostly alone. "C'mon, that's bullshit and we both know it." Maybe he should count it as progress that they'd met at the gym instead of a bar like they'd done so often before to drink away their issues, but Jamie looked rough, beaten down in a way that made Altan worried. "You know I'm here for you, whatever you need. You don't have to talk if that won't help, but you don't need to put on an act either."

Jamie might not have said her name, but it was pretty clear whom he meant all the same. There was an instinct to dodge the question, just as he'd done, but if there was one person whom he knew wouldn't judge him, it would be Jamie. Then again, Altan wasn't sure what there even was to say given that they'd jumped headfirst into something, without really thinking about the consequences. "Uh... yeah, it's a small town... we've reconnected." As much as he'd like to say he wouldn't fall back into old patterns, maybe it was inevitable when it came to Poppy. It'd come as a shock to hear that she'd died, and now it felt like every second spent with her he was working on borrowed time. "And you?" For a moment he wondered if he should even ask, Altan knew how things had ended - in a way that felt more finite than he and Poppy ever had, and while there was still a glimmer of hope alive for him, he wondered if that had been completely snuffed out when it came to Jamie.

It was a stupid question. Everyone knew about what happened that night. He was sure even his new cat had caught an earful from him and the parade of people in and out of his house this week. It was all anyone seemed to be able to think about, Jamie included. He'd call it a nice distraction from heartbreak, but psychological and emotional torture kind of went hand in hand.

"Glad you weren't there, man. It was..." There was no better word for it. "..fucked."

Another witch in the mix wouldn't have made a difference, and he was glad he did not worry for his friend's well-being in the moment. Though, now he worried for them all. Threats loomed on the horizon in bounds. He had no idea how he was supposed to protect them, his friends and his family. Just that, he'd die trying if he had to.

"Y-yeah.." A humorless laugh rattled in his chest, stuck behind the lump in his throat. "I'm fine."

Back down on the bench, attention returned to physical activity to get out of his head. A place filled with so much dread. Jamie couldn't see the end of it. "So uh-" Small talk between reps, an attempt to turn the conversation's tide. "-have you seen..." Did he say her name? Jamie wasn't sure. He didn't really want anyone bringing up his ex, but their situations were vastly different. "...everyone since you've been back?"

[altanonder]

His lips quirked up in a smile, head shaking slightly as he responded, "As much as I'd like to say seeing a therapist would help everyone, I doubt they could offer much in this entire scenario." He hadn't witnessed most of the destructive events that had fallen over Lunar Cove firsthand, but he could see what the aftermath had been and how drastically it had changed life in the little town that had once been so safe. But he knew it must have been especially overwhelming to suddenly find oneself in a position of power without having been prepared for the responsibility. "I think that's a perfectly normal reaction, I hope we'll all have a bit of time to recover before something else happens." It might be a foolish wish, but amongst so many of his friends, he'd noticed how their spirits had sunk bit by bit, with there seeming to be little he could do to pull them out of it. "Ahh... she passed a couple years ago." He interjected quickly, before Aiyla could get much further on making good on the idea of putting together a bouquet of flowers. "But she made sure I learned some of the more important recipes firsthand and wrote down the rest. I can share the recipe with you if you like, she'd have loved it being passed around." While he knew some families were protective over their cookbooks, his grandmother had always loved imparting her knowledge onto others, and he was grateful for the fond memories he had to remember her by, even as he'd watched her grow weaker throughout their last couple of months together. "I think we've got some good people on our side already, and we can all help lift each other up when one of us needs it the most." His head tilted as he took a bite of the pudding, "Whichever one you want to share, I'm happy to listen, but you don't need to go over all the details if you don't want to. But you know I'd never say no to more tea and food."

"Worried like, go see a shrink, Aiyla. worried?" She questioned a brief smile, "It seems it would be easier if I'm being honest." She filled her cheeks with air, considering her words before rushing into them as she often did. Exhaling, "I only mean it is tiring to care so much all the time. To go from reacting from one horrible event into another." To be literally chasing death, or was death chasing her? The age-old question of what came first, the Banshee or death? She'd easily slip into the philosophical if she didn't have company to keep. She smiled warmly as he spoke of his grandmother, "Oh, you'll have to take her some flowers from my garden as a thank you." She offered already pulling a vase out to send them in, a brief pang followed the sentiment as she had no family of her own here. No one to pass recipes down to, no family to call on for coffee and company. They'd all been left in a life that felt like it was never meant to be hers, or in a grave thanks to her. Aiyla couldn't face it, so she threw herself into other things, into flowers and thank you cards for a grandmother who passed down her wisdom to a grandson who then had been kind enough to share some small piece of it with Aiyla. "I should encourage you to leave harder, but I think it'll be good for the town to have people here. People who love it and see value in what it means to so many people like us." She raised her cup taking a sip and gave him a nod, "It has been rough, Altan." She admitted, "I could give you the short version or the detailed one, the the later might call for more tea and food at some point."

[altanonder]

SERKAN ÇAYOĞLU YENI HAYAT | 3. BÖLÜM

[altanonder]

"Well, at least it sounds like you've got the necessities covered this time around." His lips quirked upwards in a small smile, attempting to match the humor in her expression. Although he didn't believe her, especially when she was now part of the leaders whom everyone was turning to for guidance, there was little he could do about that now. Maybe the best thing would be to simply make himself useful so that she didn't have to be alone. "Right, it's not like you can't just levitate the paintbrush to reach even higher than I can." His eyebrow raised, although he still picked up another paintbrush and started to cover the areas she hadn't yet reached.

He continued with his duties for a moment, rolling over her words in his mind. Maybe it was inadvertent, but it still stung to have her label what they were doing as just sleeping around, as if she could have picked any random stranger in town and it would have meant exactly the same. He doubted that was really the case, even if Poppy might've been content telling herself that. "We weren't just sleeping together though, were we?" Although phrased like a question, he figured that they both knew the answer. It might've been just sex when he'd simply been visiting and they were two ships passing each other in the dark, but now that he was back it'd progressed into something more, even if they'd never put a label onto it.

"I do though, you didn't deserve to be treated like that." He'd always wanted to be a safe space for Poppy, regardless of what they were. But by shutting her out, he'd failed, much as he supposed he was now, by pushing her further than she might want. It was likely a mistake to allow her to be so close when it would be easy to sink into those blue eyes. How many times had she pulled a similar move and managed to distract him from his schoolwork or, nowadays, a side project he was working on? Not that he'd ever made the right choices when it came to her, the logical part of his brain shutting off the moment his heart got involved. "Don't ask questions you don't want answers to, Poppy." There was a tinge of frustration in his words; she wasn't stupid - they both knew that, no doubt she'd already guessed what the issue was, so what was the point of laying his wounds bare? Leaning down, his voice lowered slightly as he met her gaze, determined not to back down as easily as he might've once done when they were younger. "Do you really want to know what I want?"

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“It’s fine.” Poppy reassured him softly. “I mean it’s your town too you’re welcome where you please. Plus, we’re usually open.” She commented as she let her hands drop to her sides. At him asking the million dollar question she just shrugged. “I mean I’m brushing my hair and getting out of bed. So doing better than when I originally died.” She attempted to joke even though she knew it fell flat. While she’d spiraled after dying she hadn’t near spiraled over an attempt at her life. Maybe she should have, but right now all she could was focus on making sure everyone else was alright. She still had to function for them, verses letting everything weigh on her.  “Thanks. At least someone can reach the high places I can’t.” She teased playfully trying to lighten the mood that was falling over them. 

Poppy was about to continue until he mentioned that what they were doing wasn’t the best choice for either of them. “Oh.” Giving a nod at his words since she didn’t know what else to say to any of this besides oh. Just as she went to turn around she stopped herself and looked at him. “Why exactly is this not good for either of us? I mean it’s not like we were out here committing crimes Altan. We were just having sex.” Despite asking the question aloud she knew better, that they kept dancing around one another. That it was likely that he wanted more than she could ever actually knowingly give him. 

At his words Poppy felt an unfamiliar sting in her chest, she looked down at the ground. “You don’t have to apologize for that. It’s your place I was just a guest.” She clarified as she cleared her throat. Debating on whether she wanted to ask the question and know the answer, when she likely knew it already. But that was the thing about curiosity when it came to her, she couldn’t not ask. “What exactly do you want Altan?” She asked as she took a couple steps forward so she was in front of him. “I mean you said we want different things and need to stop fooling ourselves so what do you want?” 

[altanonder]

"Kind of hard to miss. I think I would've had to lock myself in my house not to catch wind of it." His lips curved up in an attempt at a smile in the hopes of lifting the mood a little. But really, Altan knew that it was likely a lost cause to begin with. When he'd first returned to Lunar Cove, he'd been hoping that his mother had only been exaggerating, her worries amplified by her own abilities. After all, the town had always been a safe haven for people to escape to, it seemed unrealistic that it could have gotten as bad as it had. But he'd quickly found that it was only growing steadily worse, the horrors escalating to a point where it felt like they were in a living nightmare.

Even if he hadn't grown up with Jamie and reading each other's expressions was almost second nature, there was no doubt about how tense his friend was. Given everything that he'd been struggling with this past year, Altan knew that this added burden was no doubt impacting him more than he let on. As glad as he was that they'd both returned to the same place, he could only hope that moving back wouldn't lead to even more heartache and destruction.

For how long they'd known each other, he'd seen Jamie at his very worst, just as the other man had done for him, but through it all, they'd always supported each other. Only now, it felt like a futile endeavor when so much had gone to hell and the most he could do was offer up words of encouragement that felt hollow. "You hanging in there? The Catalyst didn't drain you completely dry, did she?"

closed starter for @altanonder Jamie & Atlan at the Gym. 🏋🏻

What the fuck had been going on in this town while he'd been away? Twenty two months and the whole place had gone to shit, and everyone in it had lost their fucking minds. Jamie was convinced. Everyone had gone insane, and staying here was probably going to drive him insane, too, but he couldn't leave now. Not with such an imminent threat of danger looming. Some psychotic bitch on a money hungry power trip playing mind games with the lot of them like they were a real life Saw movie.

He played that night on repeat like a masochist, tore up by turmoil and anxiety. How was he supposed to help them? Protect the town, the coven, his family? A mess of a man who was still half a boy in his heart.

It's time to grow up, Jamie. He could hear his sisters, all taking turns to, say. You're not Peter Pan.

"Hey."

The greeting came all of a sudden, as the pair of friends lifted weights at the local gym. It was good for Jamie to get out of his house for anything that didn't involve a drink, but his thoughts raced non stop when he let all the lights stay on upstairs.

"What do you - uh.." What do you think we should do about the psycho killer running around town? Jamie already knew Altan didn't have the answer to that. Just like no one on the council seemed to either. "..did you hear about the masquerade party?"

[altanonder]

It was a bit overwhelming talking to Todd. Even after he'd left Lunar Cove, and had been at his most rebellious, Altan had never been as enthusiastic, although perhaps that was just a side-effect of finally being able to continue living. He couldn't imagine what it must've been like to live as a ghost for as long as the other man had, or perhaps it was simply his nature. Regardless, it was a nice change of pace when so many, including himself, seemed increasingly concerned about what the fate of their town would be and a reminder that not every day had to be overshadowed by the threats that seemed ever-present. "Have you started looking at some apartment complexes? I know Shadow Lake has some that are more affordable, might be better than living in a motel. And then you can get your own water bed and maybe invest in a streaming service. Although they're suffering from quantity over quality nowadays too."

His eyebrows raised at how unaffected Todd sounded, maybe the hand was mostly healed, but Altan knew he'd feel guilty if he injured it further under his watch. Even if he could just wave his hand over it and heal it a second time, he didn't want to put further strain on the injury, after all, there was only so much magic could do. "Magic has some nasty side effects, but it can do a whole lot of good too, I'm glad someone helped you heal it. Maybe we'll still take it a bit easy today - I was hoping to stain some of the floors. Should be a quick job between the two of us."

"Hey! What's up, brah? I'm stoked and ready: keepin' it steady. Besides, I ain't got nothin' to do all day. I live in a goddamn motel. And not a cool one with a water bed. Grody as hell, you know? And, like, look, there's so many TV channels now and still nothing to watch. What's that about?" Todd sighed very deeply before flashing an easy grin, cocking his head to one side. While he had managed to land a few more permanent gigs by now, he was still in the market for various odd jobs to try and build up some sort of financial cushion. Coming back into the world without a penny to one's name was hard as heck, he was realizing. But fortunately, despite the look of him, Todd was genuinely rather handy and did know his way around a toolkit; he likely could do it for a genuine living if he'd had more focus. But he was going to model and make more money anyway.

At Altan's words, however, the young man's brow shot up, and he seemed to remembers his injury. Eyes darted down to the cast. "Oh, this? This is nothing, bro. Really...someone waved their hands over it, and it kinda...healed a little. Righteous, right? I'm still gettin' used to all this magic shit. Which is wild as hell. 'Cause I was a ghost and all. But still. Nothin' even crushed my hand! It crushed itself. Like, bam! Crushed. Gag me, right? I was, like, wigging out. Totes un-cool." He wrinkled his nose. "Whatta ya need done, huh?"

[altanonder]

With as much destruction as Lunar Cove had seen, Altan wouldn't have judged anyone for hitting their breaking point. There were too many losses, too much to process, even if he hadn't been personally affected by the Masquerade Party. As interwoven as their town was, the ramifications were still there, and so many people whom he loved were still reeling. "Can't blame you for that, I think most everyone's in the same boat, I'd probably be more worried if you were perfectly unaffected." Stepping into the warm light of Aiyla's kitchen, he did his best to maintain the normalcy that she'd set out for, even if they both knew that it wasn't entirely honest. "I don't know about that, any praise should be delivered to my grandmother, the recipe is all hers. But thank you." He was lucky enough to still have his family close by, but he entirely understood the sentiment. Having someone else nearby to help bridge that gap had been something he'd lacked in California, and now that he was back, he was grateful that they were able to partake in this tradition together. "I'm afraid I've settled for being a permanent resident of Lunar Cove, for better or worse. I've done enough running, it's time I offered what little help I can." Most likely, his presence wouldn't change anything besides being a boost of morale to his friends, but if there was even a slight chance that he didn't have to hear about someone's untimely death, he would take it. "Afiyet olsun." Raising his cup in acknowledgment, he mimicked her words. "How've you been? If there's anything I can do besides come around with some comfort food, please let me know."

Aiyla swung the door open wide, inviting him in and taking the thermos as she did. "You're too kind." She admitted a warm smile that had not quite reached her eyes. "Come to the kitchen, I can use the company or I'll likely slip into insanity." She pulled out two coffee mugs for them, followed by two glasses of water and squares of lokum that she sat neatly at the table. "I think you must make it better than I can. It smells wonderful." Her stomach growled and so she set out two bowls and spoons for them as well to share in coffee and a meal with her neighbor. Someone who had offered her a piece of a home that she'd felt so far away from since running away all those years ago. "I should tell you to run away before things got worse- but, " She spoke while filling his cup with the coffee and Fırında sütlaç for them to share, "then I'd have no one to share this with, and I fear I may miss these moments too much. Don't let that change how you think of me." She smiled, "Afiyet olsun." She said, may what you eat bring well-being. If it was as magic as he claimed, Aiyla had no doubt about it.

[altanonder]

"Sorry - I should have called in advance, I didn't mean to startle you." Bending down he picked up a spare rag to help wipe away some of the splattered paint, before glancing back up at her. "Yeah. You've been taking care of yourself, right?" Maybe it wasn't his responsibility to worry, and he sure as hell knew that Poppy could handle herself on her own, but he also knew she shouldn't have to. What had happened at the masquerade, and even beyond that, was more than any one of the people involved should be dealing with on their own. But while he knew she had no shortage of friends to help her out, there was so much more of her pain that was kept under the surface, and he worried that she was almost near her breaking point. "Sure, I can do that."

He hadn't been expecting the apology, his breath catching in his throat at how sincere she sounded. Were it not for all the times in the past when he'd been left without an explanation, he'd have believed that maybe she'd started seeing their rendezvous as something more too. History would suggest otherwise, but there was always that maybe that he couldn't help but want to cling to. "You don't have to be sorry - you didn't do anything wrong. I... I just realized that what we were doing... might not be the best choice, for either of us." Although what the alternative was, he didn't have an answer to, even despite the years of them circling around each other and the countless tries at finding an in-between. They couldn't simply be friends, but he couldn't picture Poppy not being in his life either.

Altan knew he was being vague, that what he really owed her was the full truth. But he wasn't sure if he could confess to how many times he'd tried to keep his feelings at bay. It was hard not to yearn for those nights that turned into sleepy mornings, ones that felt so different from everything they'd done in the past, especially when she snagged one of his shirts and stayed for breakfast. In truth, it wasn't just the sweatshirt she'd unknowingly selected, but how lonely his house felt without her, how he'd started to picture all the dreams he'd thought he'd abandoned when she'd left that first time. For the first time since their high school days, he'd been able to envision them working it out, now that they were long past teenage immaturity and had grown into themselves, with no plans of leaving the town or college acceptances putting an expiration date on what they could be. But he didn't want to be another cage, the way so many other people and things had been in her life. "We've always wanted different things, Poppy - maybe it's time we stopped fooling ourselves. But I shouldn't have asked you to leave like that, especially not without an explanation. I'm sorry I did."

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Ever since the masquerade Poppy had done any and everything she could to avoid having a moment alone, maybe due to the fact she didn’t want to deal with it all or that she was honestly exhausted from it all. Especially since she’d found out the Catalyst had been a witch and been right under her nose the whole time. It felt like she was the worst leader of them all at this point even though she knew it wasn’t her fault, she still couldn’t not blame herself. So she’d turned up the music to drown out her thoughts and decided to work on Starlight since it was the only distraction that she had left; all the other distractions she’d long blown up for one reason or another.

What Poppy hadn’t heard was Altan coming up behind her until he’d spoke, starling her as she dropped the paint brush onto the ground at her feet. Whipping around to look at him and she felt a rush of emotions hit her suddenly. She hadn’t seen him since the last incident at his house, which had resulted in him kicking her out. He had been so mad for some reason unknown to her, then it was over in a snap. Although with the two of them things always felt unfinished, they drew in one another like a moth to a flame.  “Hey,” Finally greeting as the air returned to her lungs. “You wanted to check on me?” She questioned as she repeated his words back to him. Bending down to pick up the roller off the floor and she tossed it into the paint pan. Wiping her hands on her shorts to get off any paint that been on them, she put her hands in her back pockets. Rocking back and forth on her heels nervously as she mentioned the bar and the ball, she just shrugged. “Oh—“ Trailing off with a nod. “I mean if you want you could help me paint?” Tilting her head towards the white paint on the floor next to her feet. “Otherwise I’m not sure there’s much you can do.” She replied honestly. While she wanted him to be able to fix all her problems with a quick snap of his fingers the wounds she had weren’t easily healed. 

“Listen about the last time we saw each other….” She started, but didn’t know exactly where to go with this and instead started to stumble over her words. “I don’t know what I did exactly to piss you off so much, but…” She continued to trail on. “I’m sorry.” 

[altanonder]

It seemed as if he'd struck a nerve, not that Altan hadn't been aware his statement came with the risk of being immediately dismissed or being entirely out of bounds. However, that didn't seem to be entirely the case with the other man's muttered-out words, ones that felt almost resentful. Of whom, he couldn't tell, and he'd almost convinced himself it was directed at him and he was about to apologize for intruding into Song's time, before the next words followed and made Altan pause. While it might be true, especially if Song believed it himself, the people he knew the best were his colleagues, and amongst them, Altan had gotten a very clear impression of the fact that K-Labs used to be run much differently than it was now. Even if he was going off a more logical approach, the conclusion remained that the advancements the Lab had made had drastically reduced ever since his cousin had taken over. "I'm not sure that's the case, the amount of red tape and hoops we have to jump through in order to get anything innovative approved feels unproductive." While he understood the importance of taking the necessary precautions before approving a project, it seemed vital that they take some measures forward, especially when they were facing an enemy that had already taken out so many of their own. "The facility I was working for before was obviously not magic-based, so I spent a lot of my free time developing ideas that I never got to execute. I was hoping to at least explore some here." His hand reached out in an offered handshake, hoping that he hadn't entirely soured the other man's perception of him. "Yes, Altan Önder. I'm sorry to have mentioned it and for intruding on your time, I'm sure it's been difficult enough readjusting. You've probably got enough on your mind as it is, I hope you've been doing better." Although what better was, especially after an event as traumatic as what Song must have endured, Altan couldn't say.

"Eh, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good time though," He offered up, barely registering the cool night air or the sound of waves crashing off in the distance as he gave the other a slumped shrug. His gaze falling down towards the nearly empty bottle that was dangling loosely from his left hand, but not loose enough to let any of the precious drink spill out. A lawsuit hardly concerned him. He had more than enough money sitting in his trust to pay off anyone who fell overboard and it wasn't as if there weren't a number of lawyers in his family alone who could many any unfortunate situation go away in a blink of an eye, let alone the lawyers who he was friends with who would likely happily take a case for him or two. But, as the man beside him mentioned K-Labs, he visibly tensed. His fingers curled tighter around the neck of the bottle until they were practically ball into a fist. "Not going to happen," He muttered out, knowing all too well that what his parents said went when it came to the Song family and, while they seemed overjoyed that he was back, it seemed that him being taken to begin with had presented them with the perfect opportunity to phase him out of his sliver of power the moment it started to become successful. K-Labs was in 'better' hands. He had too much on his plate already. He should recuperate and relax. If only one person had bothered to ask what he wanted. Downing back another swig of whiskey, he passed Altan a quick glance. "Sorry, but you're likely better off without me anyway." Talk about a liability. If it ever came out that K-Labs' biggest breakthrough had been an accident on his part, the reputation of the Labs would be destroyed and then what? They'd all be back to square one hanging out in some dingy underfunded research facility, trying to make ends meet. Only then, no one would be glad he had come back. "I don't really think there's much of a future left for me, but thanks. Önder was it?"

[altanonder]

Todd & Altan; @xthetoddinatorx location: altan's home

When he'd bought the home in Sunny Harbor, Altan had known that it needed work. But he'd decided that if he was going to stay in Lunar Cove for the foreseeable future, he wanted to settle down his roots properly in a way he hadn't done during his time in California, and that included making the house his own. There wasn't much left to do now, most of the major renovations were completed, and the tasks that remained didn't justify hiring professionals but instead just needed an extra hand. While he knew his friends would help him, they had enough on their plates as it was, and Todd had proven himself helpful and friendly. Opening his door, he gestured to the other man to step inside, "Hey! Thanks for stopping by, sorry for the last-minute call, just had a few more touch-ups..." Words trailing off, his eyebrows furrowed as he took a glance at Todd's left hand. "You alright? You should have said you were hurt. I wouldn't have asked you to come out here."

[altanonder]

Aiyla & Altan; @aiylabaysal location: aiyla's home

The tradition of bringing one of their homeland's dishes had been started by Aiyla, and Altan was still touched at how welcome it had made him feel when he'd first moved back to Lunar Cove. With so much destroyed, and the damage to the Emerald Hotel unmistakable, Altan knew there wasn't much he could do to ease the burden that had been placed upon his friends, but he figured that perhaps it might be comforting for her to have some attempt at normalcy. "I can't promise it's going to live up to the one my grandmother used to make, but I brought you Fırında sütlaç. She used to swear it was its own form of magic, and I can personally attest that I fully believe it's true." It'd been one of the many recipes she had taught him in the year he'd lived in Amasya, but perhaps one of the more nostalgic ones given how often his own mother had made it for him after a rough day. Holding out the dish, alongside a thermos, he gestured towards her door, "I also brought some coffee too, in case you're in the mood for a visitor."

[altanonder]

Nico & Altan; @nicocastillo location: nico & jas's home

"Hey man, congrats on officially leaving the bachelor's club. Who'd have thought you'd be the first one of us to tie the knot?" While he'd generally be one to greet his friends with a hug, with the way Nico's arm hung, Altan doubted that his wounds had fully healed, even despite his accelerated healing. "I know you've probably been patching yourself up well enough on your own. But would you like some magical help?" His lips quirked up in a smile, attempting to disguise the flicker of worry while a little spark of magic weaved across his fingertips. "Or anything else that needs doing, really. I'm completely at your disposal for the day." Although he knew his friends would be fine without his help, between Nico and Jasmine's injuries Altan was certain there was at least something he could do to make life a little easier for them both. He doubted that this was how they'd pictured starting married life, and his heart ached for the fact that they couldn't be enjoying this time as they should be.

[altanonder]

The salt air and crash of waves were one of the many reasons he'd settled in Sunny Harbor, it felt peaceful, like the attempt he'd made at settling down in California combined with everything he'd missed about Lunar Cove. It'd been a while since he'd last stepped foot in Shipfaced, even though he'd never given up alcohol entirely, his trips to bars were far more infrequent than they had been in his twenties and his drink of choice rarely strayed away from a pint of beer. "I feel like I should say it reeks of a floating liability. Someone has a drink too many, tips over this railing and..." A raised eyebrow accompanied his glance towards the waters below as his voice trailed off. Not terribly deep, but enough that Altan was surprised the bar had stood as long as it had without someone falling overboard and filing a suit. "You're missed at K-Labs. I know I didn't have you as my boss, but you made the place what it is and I know we could do even more with you back in charge." Perhaps it wasn't his place to interject, he couldn't imagine the amount of trauma that came with losing eight months of your life -- but there'd been a reason he'd chosen not to keep his old job while working remotely and had joined the research facility instead, and a lot of it had to do with the man beside him. "That being said, I'm sure you could turn this place into something more, just like you did there."

@lunarcovestarters

"What do you think?" He finally asked, glancing up from the bottle of whiskey that was currently dangling precariously between his fingers as he leaned over the rail of the pirate ship of a boat that was in need of a hell of a lot of work before the bar would be able to be reopened to the public. He had vague memories of Shipfaced back when he was a kid, but it had always been too kitchy for his own liking. The previous owner would dress up as a Pirate and shout 'yarg' at whoever entered for god knows what reason. But, the foundation was there and it had a pretty nice space downstairs that could be turned into his own quarters to live which very well meant that he could solve his lack of a home and lack of a job problem in one go. It was just a question of whether or not it would be profitable. "Boat Bar, place you want to spend your Saturday night or does it reek of seasickness and a recipe for disaster?"

[altanonder]

Poppy & Altan; @moonglowmagic location: starlight bar

There was a strange irony in being back in the place he'd grown up, with so much changed, and yet some things had forever been altered. But perhaps the same could be said about him, and the fact that time never left anything as it had once been. Still, it was hard to look at the destruction that the Catalyst had left and not feel a sense of anxiety when Lunar Cove had stood as a sanctuary for so many years. By now the path to Poppy's back door was a familiar one, even despite the month that had passed since he'd last taken it, but the damage that clung to the building despite the obvious attempts at repair was not. It came with a stab of guilt -- guilt for not attending the ball and doing his best to keep the people he loved safe, guilt for being the one to place distance between them for once. Perhaps it was especially present because he knew that the council leaders were the main targets and there had been a fear in Poppy's eyes when he returned that had never been there in their youth despite all her attempts to hide it.

Maybe it was foolish to allow himself to hope for a future that they could never align on. He'd felt it that night, with Poppy clad in the sweatshirt that signified everything that he'd given up for her. But he wasn't eighteen anymore, and he knew that he hadn't been fair to her when he'd asked her to leave. The loss of his high school dreams; both of living up to everyone's expectations of him and the life he'd pictured with Poppy by his side shouldn't be her responsibility to bear, even if she'd been a part of the wreckage. And the sense of regret was acute, enough to wonder if this was what Poppy felt every time she'd left him behind, or if it didn't matter to her in the slightest. But after almost twenty years, he'd long ago stopped trying to erase what Poppy meant to him. While it had been easier to push to the back of his mind when he was out of state, it lingered now, enough that he didn't hesitate to knock and hope she'd let him back in.

Time had proven that there were some things he'd never be able to get over, and the way his heart still stuttered at the sight of her was one of them. It'd become a habit for his eyes to skim over every visible inch of skin for an injury or a mark, even when he was well aware he'd find nothing but unbroken skin. Now though, he could see some faint injuries and bruising, and his hands tensed to control the magic itching to heal her before even a word was said. "I just wanted to check up on you, I... heard about what happened with the bar and the ball. Is there anything I can do to help?"