avdaciter

[avdaciter]

“A friend?” Linus furrowed his brows as he watched the old Kitsune. Just like him, Dice would take his time naming things properly. A lover, a new hope, a new house, a job that fulfilled him, etc etc. “What are you–twelve, Aoyama?” He asked as he set Leo down on the floor and told his son to go grab his dinosaur backpack so they could leave soon. “Hansa is coming. She’s… more than a friend, man.” Although they usually kept to themselves, especially their relationship, it wasn’t like they had never been seen in public together. Despite his reluctance at the start, the younger gorgon had been the first person that had made Linus consider opening themselves to. The first in so long that had made his heart beat fast, and the one who would constantly make him feel guilty for moving on. Sure, he knew that Inji would have wanted him to find another partner to go through life with, but convincing himself that it was okay when it finally happened, took the werewolf some time. 

Months, actually. And Jinwoo was still trying to deal with that. The difficult days were becoming fewer than the easy ones. Still, some days still made his chest ache with guilt and grief.

Before Jinwoo allowed the dark thoughts to consume him, his gaze averted to Dice. “And you? Anyone I should keep an ear up for?” The duo hardly ever spoke of lovers, or romantic interests, and maybe that was Jinwoo’s fault for getting so damn fucking weird whenever the topic surfaced. And then again, Daisuke usually answered some questions by getting some jokes out or changing the subject. Should he feel guilty for not knowing about that side of his friend’s life? Should he even know about it? “Or is it ‘fulfil my town-wide obligation’ and go home to fuck around on the couch?” The wolf asked, chuckling as he scratched his brow, all the while looking around to double check if his kid hadn’t returned yet to the kitchen to reprimand him for saying yet another curseword. 

like  father  ,  like  son  .  an  idiom  that  goes  ages  back  ,  and  yet  when  dice  sees  some  families  in  particular  ,  they  feel  it  to  be  more  true  than  others  .  with  linus  and  leo  ,  well  ,  they're  the  pinnacle  of  what  it  means  .  a  curse  spills  out  ,  which  dice  warned  him  against  ,  and  leo  pounces  ;  the  same  would  happen  if  leo  said  something  which  could  be  seen  as  mouthing  off  .  yet  both  did  it  plenty  in  their  own  ways  .  dice  does  their  best  to  be  on  par  ,  to  not  add  to  the  whole  attitude  thing  ,  because  they  know  how  hard  it  is  to  get  it  back  out  .  their  gaze  flicks  between  father  and  son  ,  and  there's  a  slight  twitch  at  their  crow's  feet  ,  wrinkling  them  further  .  thinking  of  the  kitsune  father  they  had  —  the  pride  ,  the  distance  .  how  relieved  and  darkly  ,  nervously  excited  dice  would  get  when  he  heard  his  full  name  ,  when  the  keepers  of  inari  wished  to  see  him  .  the  attention  and  the  punishments  ,  both  welcomed  ,  because  it  was  —  something  .  never  been  all  the  more  glad  for  leo  to  not  have  to  work  a  damn  extra  minute  for  linus's  love  . “  don't  worry  .  i  plan  on  sacking  out  of  that  joint  as  soon  as  i  can  .  just  gotta  fulfill  my  town  -  wide  obligation  .  you  gonna  take  …  a  friend  with  you  ?  ”  dice  waggles  his  brows  ,  though  he  abstains  from  the  usual  whistle  he  might  do  .  he  doesn't  want  to  give  a  hint  to  leo  if  linus  plans  on  meeting  up  with  a  cute  beau  or  whatever  whilst  dancing  around  the  campfire  .  “  eh  .  he  don't  need  to  miss  out  ,  he's  right  .  let   ‘  em  have  it  at  this  age  so  that  they  don’t  want  it  later  …  that's  how  that  works  ,  right  .  ”  not  a  question  .  when  it  comes  to  children  ,  dice  professes  to  be  no  experienced  handler  ,  not  even  on  the  list  of  amateurs  .  it  ,  at  times  ,  makes  him  afraid  for  what  might  happen  in  the  future  .  shit  ,  what  wasn't  there  to  be  scared  of  ?  “  mm  .  some  folks  say  everything  .  i  sure  as  hell  ain't  ever  had  a  bonfire  like  this  with  all  this  crap  .  ” they  devolve  it  into  a  whisper  behind  their  hand  when  they  catch  leo  flinging  his  gaze  at  them  .  “  too  much  to  watch  out  ,  not  enough  woo  -  woo  to  celebrate  it  .  ” like  one  of  those  b  -  grade  horror  movies  .

[avdaciter]

Of course she’d heard about that kind of exhaustion, and, if this wasn’t her Binnie, Aeri wouldn’t have insisted on learning what was going on. Her cousin had been the closest thing to a sibling growing up. Whenever he’d visit, they’d run around the streets of Anseong together, build legos together, ride bikes in the rain so they could get the city’s best kimbap together, watch movies together, and Aeri was someone’s protective noona for a change. Even when little kids would make fun of her or call her crazy, Bin would always push the ghosts away. He was her little ball of peace in that chaotic and lonely childhood. Now, it seemed like they were somewhat strangers trying to hold onto that slim, fragile line of intimacy–or maybe Aeri was. Maybe, she’d been trying so hard to keep her family together, her head on her shoulders and push the lonely thoughts away, that maybe she was trying for something that no longer was there.

At least, she was trying, right?

“Seeing ghosts?” His wording caught her off guard a little. As far as she knew, her father’s family didn’t have the gift of sight, so how come now was Soobin all of a sudden seeing souls that should’ve parted? But then again, seeing ghosts in Portum was basically just another Thursday in Portum. “I mean… people don’t actually die here, you know.” Aeri bit softly on her bottom lip as she sat on the edge of the arm of his couch. “My roommate is a ghost, Bin.” She chuckled softly, then climbed down to sit properly on his couch. Aeri then patted on the spot next to her, then patted on her lap, so that he could lay his head there like the old days.

Trying.

The shifts. Shifts being plural. The weeks from hell made him shift without warning. It broke her heart to see someone that used to mean the world to her, now suffering. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. “I’m sorry, Bin-ah. Have you tried talking to a witch about it?” She asked, watching him for a moment there. “Maybe they could help you with a potion or something at Madam Duala.” With what? She didn’t know, but at least she hoped they could brainstorm some ideas. “But yeah, it’s okay to recuperate. I could all use a few days to ourselves, I guess.” The exception was that, if Aeri was by herself for long, she was probably going to keep crying. A broken heart that had been mended only to be broken again tended to do that to a person. “I can go, if you want to be alone. I don’t know if you’d rather recuperate alone or not.”

the  past  has  faded  into  an  embroidered  façade  in  the  back  of  soobin's  head  ,  the  kind  which  becomes  a  flipped  -  through  scrapbook  .  he  envisions  his  parents'  faces  ,  the  drifting  to  and  fro  ,  the  severing  which  thus  ended  their  possible  relationship  .  it  was  true  serendipitous  happenstance  which  led  him  to  aeri  ,  even  if  this  fucking  town  clamped  down  hard  on  his  throat  and  shook  him  as  the  wolf  did  .  rattles  him  up  and  around  ,  tries  to  pin  him  to  the  soil  so  he  may  never  rise  again  .  feels  like  that  now  ,  practically  in  that  deep  sag  against  his  door  frame  .  but  he  gets  upright  .  “  on  …  pshh  .  i  haven't  smoked  in  years  .  ”  he  does  mean  the  green  leaf  ;  the  offence  of  nicotine  lurks  in  every  sleeve  of  every  white  t  -  shirt  ,  the  rolled  -  up  marlboro  man  ready  for  the  plucking  .  “  never  heard  of  exhaustion  so  bone  fuckin'  deep  you  slur  your  words  like  you're  drunk  ?   and  all  that  shit  ?  ” a  counter  .  a  deflection  ,  even  though  he  shudders  as  if  a  chill  besets  the  air  .  the  bright  expression  upon  his  face  ,  which  he  used  to  make  her  feel  better  ,  fades  .  she  fades  right  into  his  couch  as  though  she  belongs  there  ,  and  at  the  angle  ,  his  face  is  able  to  drop  off  its  feelings  without  being  witnessed  .  his  jaw  crooks  ,  his  molars  not  aligned  as  he  clenches  ,  to  feel  that  sense  of  the  ache  .  “  everything  is  …  like  that  .  like  i'm  seeing  …  ghosts  .  ” catches  .  (  the  polaroid  of  her  face  flashes  .  it  sets  itself  on  fire  ,  and  curdles  itself  to  ash  .  )  he  winces  as  though  struck  .  “  but  i  -  i  wouldn't  mind  getting  out  .  not  gonna  become  a  shut  -  in  .  just  ,  everything  is  real  loud  and  …  stuff  .  ”  no  ,  he  and  aeri  have  not  been  that  kind  of  close  in  years  ,  and  more  than  just  the  simplicity  of  losing  contact  yawns  terrible  between  them  ,  but  still  .  she  will  forever  be  the  closest  thing  to  a  sister  he  has  here  .  and  one  thing  hasn't  changed  much  :  the  manner  in  which  he  discusses  his  emotions  is  like  a  stuttering  ,  popping  cork  gun  .  “  the  …  shifts  were  .  bad  .  this  month  .  that's  it  .  i  promise  .  so  ,  uh  ,  yeah  ,  i  took  the  day  off  to  try  and  recuperate  .  ”  would  that  answer  her  question  ?  would  it  ever  be  possible  for  the  jeong  cousins  to  have  something  which  satisfied  them  ?

[avdaciter]

It seemed pretty obvious that the closest connection to someone in the afterlife would be their child, rather than a special token or a little trinket, but she had learned that some spirits preferred material things. Some spirits found it easier to cling to objects as it was more difficult to influence them in any way. People could hold grudges, they could turn vengeful and mean. Objects? That didn't happen. Still, Aeri didn’t discard the idea completely, and now that Kanda was beginning to open up to her, even if just a little, she was determined to make this work for the young banshee. 

She noticed Kanda getting up from their spot and Aeri’s hand immediately moved up to touch her arm–as she wasn’t going to go full Kdrama and hold her wrist like a damn neanderthal, but she needed to catch the petite banshee’s attention. “Wait–hold up. What–why are you leaving?” Aeri pushed herself up, too, then wiped her hands on her shorts before brushing her hairs behind her ears. “I thought… are you leaving? I thought we were going to try and contact your parents. Maybe not here as it’s crowded and I could get easily distracted, but… you know…”

          a  shy  ,  soft  nod.  that  was  all  kanda  could  muster.  she  did  want  to  try.  it  was  terrifying  to  admit.  kanda  had  spent  so  long  trying  to  ignore  the  loss  of  their  family  and  even  opening  up  to  the  slightest  possibility  of  seeing  them  again  made  her  feel  cold  and  hot  all  at  once.  kanda  didn't  know  what  they'd  do  if  it  worked.  what  would  they  say  to  each  other  ?  what  would  they  look  like  after  all  this  time  ?  there  were  so  many  questions  and  much  to  overwhelming  to  go  through  all  at  once. do  you  have  something  of  theirs  ?  kanda  shook  her  head.  the  fire  had  taken  all  their  possessions  with  it  ,  along  with  them.  kanda  wrote  down  words  she  always  hated  to  admit  to  herself. nothing.  just  me. this  was  already  a  bad  idea.  kanda  had  only  just  gotten  around  to  trying  what  aeri  had  once  offered  ,  but  it  seemed  as  if  she  had  already  come  up  short.  kanda  didn't  want  to  be  the  reason  all  of  this  failed.  it  would  hurt  too  much.  they  moved  to  get  up  ,  before  aeri  could  tell  her  what  they  deep  down  already  knew  !

[avdaciter]

Untrained or inexperienced wolves would sometimes shift without being prompted to, but Jasper was not inexperienced. They’d been a werewolf for a long time–hell, when Jinwoo met them, they were already a werewolf, so the former alpha couldn’t understand what was happening. Maybe, if the Finches accepted talking to him about it, he could try and dig more into it and try to figure things out with them. Jasper’s question brought a little chuckle to the older wolf’s lips as he wiped the tears off of Jasper’s face. “And Skylar and Ellie, too. C’mon, I’m not going to leave them hanging, of course.” He knew desperation when he saw it, and even though Jinwoo didn’t know why, he intended to help this family, after all, they were Jasper’s family, and he cared a great deal about the younger wolf. Jasper had been able to keep him connected to a past he’d been meaning to forget. They’d been able to bring out softness in times when Jinwoo had only wanted to feel rage.

He told Jasper to stop by the house sometime soon so they could chat without all the noise and the people that surrounded them at the beach. And when Jasper finally showed up, Jinwoo already had hot chocolate (with marshmallows, since he knew they were the young wolf’s favorites) and some cookies ready for them. When they arrived, Leo and Hansa were on their way out to the park, so Leo gave them a small goodbye-hug and went on their way so that Jinwoo and the younger wolf could chat more privately. 

“Hey, kiddo. You feeling better?” He smiled, then motioned to the coffee table with the treats. “Got your hot chocolate ready.” The former alpha said, before sitting down to take his own mug with hot chocolate. “Are you and Maren still experiencing the weird shifts? I thought things had finally gone back to normal after those weeks from hell.” Jinwoo shook their head. “Let me ask you though… how are you with your wolf? I mean, do you try and get in touch with them? In sync with them?”

jasper  wasn’t  always  a  fan  of  physical  touch,  but  in  the  moment  they  needed  it.  they  were  wracked  with  tears  — that  all - absorbing,  abandoned  sobbing  that  grabbed  at  heartstrings  and  roughly  pulled.  being  a  werewolf  had  never  been  the  plan  ;  for  twenty - four  years  jasper  had  bumbled  through  the  life  that  had  been  forced  upon  them,  the  violence  that  he  had  been  force - fed  by  his  father.  when  linus  pulled  away  and  met  their  gaze,  the  wolf  fought  to  hold  it.  their  eyes  flickered  and  the  urge  to  look  away  was  almost  painful,  but  he  tried  for  as  long  as  he  could  before  they  darted  down  to  the  floor.  “and  skylar  and  ellie ? ”  he  sniffed.  if  him  and  maren  were  struggling,  he  couldn’t  even  imagine  what  the  others  were  going  through. they  had  never  had  a  real  pack,  a  real  group  to  call  their  own.  their  sisters  were  as  close  to  a  pack  as  they  had  ever  seen,  but  maybe  he  would  have  reconsidered  if  he  had  ever  found  a  group  of  people  as  kind  as  linus.  he  was  gentle  yet  strong.  tender  yet  wild.  if  only  jasper  had  such  courage.  they  took  a  deep  breath  and  wiped  their  eyes,  taking  a  deep  breath,  an  attempt  to  steady  the  trembling  breath  so  strong  it  was  almost  sickening.  “i  don’t  know  what’s  happening  to  us,”  jasper  whispered  once  their  body  had  calmed  enough  to  do  so,  “i  don’t  know  …  this  is  the  worst  thing  that  could  happen  to  us.  the  worst  thing  i  could  …  ”  his  nose  scrunched  and  he  shook  his  head.  admitting  they  were  a  wolf  was  near  impossible.  how  were  they  ever  meant  to  fix  it ?   they  were  quiet  for  a  moment,  thinking.  jasper  blinked  slowly  and  met  linus’s  gaze  again.  “there  has  to  be  …  some  sort  of  cure,  doesn’t  there ?  there  has— there  has  to  be  something.  some  magic.  some  way  of  ending  this.”

[avdaciter]

Kareem cocked their head to the side at the demon’s words. Making assumptions was all they could do, since they had no previous knowledge of the beautiful brunette sitting across from them. Well, except for the fact that she didn’t seem to have much interest in formalities such as scheduling one’s appointments.  “See, I never said that you were. However, how will I know what kind of demon you are, if I don’t ask questions based on assumptions?” The witch replied as they twirled the pen between their fingers and crossed one leg over the other. They kept their dark hues on Zehra’s, as if waiting for her response. “Either way, my apologies for making it seem like you were a basic demon.” The way she had said it, gave Kareem the impression that this type of thing was something important to the demon. Being or not being considered basic.

Her question about talking not being about their current music tastes brought a small smile to his lips as he chuckled lightly. But then, the demon continued and Kareem could see that her issues were a little deeper than he’d first imagined it would be. And more interestingly: Zehra seemed to know more about her own weaknesses than most did. “Would it bother you to be easy to forget?” The doctor scribbled something down on their notebook and then raised their gaze again to look at the brunette. “And yes, writing will help me assume less and know more how to help you, ma’am. Isn’t that what you want?” Because she had brought this up before. “Are you more afraid of the questions they might ask or the answers they might give you? Because there is a distinct difference in your voice when you talk about them.”

They then got up from their seat and walked towards the smaller corner of their office where Kareem had a jar with water and some glasses. They poured a glass from themselfves and then another for Zehra. "Why don't you tell me more about this relationship of yours and why is it so important to you that you're willing to put yourself through the painful process of therapy?" The witch offered her the glass of water, then returned to their seat. "How did you two meet and how long were you together for?"

the idea of sitting in a waiting room reading magazines from 1994 makes the bridge of her nose wrinkle as if the very thought of it irritated her, brows furrowing in a silent protest. she exhales sharply, a tiny shake of her head revealing just how much she dislikes the suggestion without even saying a word. the truth is, if zehra had to book an appointment, she would find a way to talk herself out of it, convincing herself she's too busy, too tired, too anything. she leans back, but there's a slight twitch in her jaw that betrays the ease she's trying to project. the demon doesn't mention the nagging feeling she's being subtly judged or how the undertone in the doctor's questions stings more than she'd like to admit. “ ah, the assumptions, ” a click of her tongue. just because she's mulling over hypotheticals like a lovesick hellspawn in a teen drama, doesn't mean she'd actually do any of it. “ you really think i'm some kind of brooding, vengeful demon ready to kill for every slight ? please, doctor, i'm not that basic. ” some people are so quick to assume demons are the root of all rot, which ⸺ fair, but also, kind of rude. wouldn't it be lovely if they could skip straight to the emotional breakthrough part, if the truth just spilled out before kareem's probing gets too close to something raw ? a girl can dream. “ i see you're catching on, ” she nods in response. she doesn't need to tell them that the assumption is right this time, kareem seems perceptive enough to figure it out on their own. “ i imagine, when you say talk, you're not referring to a little chat about our current musical tastes, are you ? ” for the kind of talk the psychologist is hinting at, zehra would have to admit certain things and that's a different kind of pain entirely. “ the problem with talking is once you start, you have to face both the questions and the answers. and what if the answer to your question is that you were easy to forget ? ” she crosses her arms, staring at the witch with a forced smile that doesn't reach her eyes. “ so tell me, doctor, should we call my avoidance self-preservation… or just cowardice ? ” the brunette huffs, clearly annoyed with her own sentimentality. “ there. are you going to write all that down in a notebook ? demon feels feelings, world trembles. ”

[avdaciter]

Although Aeri wasn’t usually a negative person, but Jesus fucking Christ what a few couple of weeks, really. When the whiskey was placed in front of her, the Oracle debated whether or not she should drink it on a single gulp or just nurse the medicine-like amber liquid and take it on small, too terrible doses. Like her own little cup-sized torture chamber. A sigh escaped her lips as the brunette leaned on her hand, twirling the liquid inside her glass and finally deciding to throw the whole thing back at once. She made a face as the whiskey burned her throat and then, still recovering herself from the bang, she pushed the empty glass towards the bartender. “Can you get me another? Please?” She added that last part quickly, then sighed once again.

Was she going to ask to keep her tab open? “No, it’s okay. I don’t hate myself enough to leave a tab open and drink more than two whiskeys.” The oracle chuckled sardonically. This time, when the other placed the glass in front of her, she didn’t immediately drink it. Instead, she just traced the glass’ outline with her index finger. “You can say that. Just–you know, things falling apart when you’re starting to feel happy. Happens to everyone.” It had, in fact, been happening to everyone in Portum. Besides, with the council still not giving anyone anything to work on, could she really expect good news soon? “How’s your day going?”

sorcha  quinlan  is  not  a  people  person  and  every  day  they  wonder  what  possessed  them  to  take  a  job  as  a  bartender  (  perhaps  they  had  been  far  too  naive,  thinking  that  the  job's  description  amongst  the  vines  had  been  nothing  but  an  exaggeration  ━━  if  only  they  had  known  ).  and  with  everything  that  has  happened  in  portum,  sorcha's  job  had  become  less  related  to  bartending  and  more  and  more  related  to  hearing  people  spew  their  problems  as  sorcha  keeps  their  glasses  full  and  their  tabs  open  ━━  some  patrons  test  their  patience,  some  bring  out  the  empathetic  part  of  them  sorcha  had  long  thought  buried  beneath  years  of  hard  learned  lessons.

whiskey.  neat.  the  shifter  tilts  her  head,  half  impressed  and  half  curious  because  who  in  their  right  mind  would  drink  whiskey  just  like  that?  then  again,  sorcha's  palate  is  sweet  leaning  ━━  who  are  they  to  judge,  really?  "okey  dokey,  comin'  right  up."  nodding,  the  bartender  turns  on  their  heels  to  grab  the  whiskey  bottle  of  the  middle  shelf.  "nah,  don't  worry  about  it.  i  can  take  my  break  in  a  bit,  instead.  maybe  it  will  suddenly  get  busier  and  i  can  take  a  breather  outside  before  hell  breaks  loose."  sorcha  shrugs  as  she  picks  up  a  glass  and  sets  it  in  front  of  the  patron.  truth  be  told,  sorcha  is  just  curious.

the  shifter  sets  a  small  napkin  in  front  of  aeri  and  then  the  whiskey  glass  on  top.  "you  look  like  you'll  ask  to  leave  the  tab  open."  hands  on  the  counter,  sorcha  leans  forward  slightly.  good  thing  they're  not  a  cat,  they  suppose.  "bad  day?"

[avdaciter]

Aurora let out a sigh. Her fingers brushed her wild waves from one side of her head to the other as she thought about the conversation that seemed to be going around in circles by now. It was no use to keep talking and playing with Kiyan if he was going to keep making her feel like she was some kind of needy soul. Sure, she had grown attached to the demon, especially after she had escaped captivity with her sisters, but if he was going to keep acting like that, then it was no fun for her anymore. “Nah, I’m good. I’m not one to tie people down anyway.” Especially not demons. She tried once–it didn’t work as she had expected it to. 

Forgive and not forget. Like everything else in her life.

When Kiyan spoke about Maren, there was a slight huff that escaped the gorgon’s lips. Who would’ve thought that the hurricane Kiyan would be feeling all tingly on the inside for the doe-eyed werewolf from Rosie’s. “That’s nice to hear though, Kiki. You could definitely use a breath of fresh air. You’ve been living in your own personal hell for too long.” But then again, who hadn’t? “But yeah, it’s definitely for the best. Take advantage of the fact that you can forget about people and things and just focus on the now.” God, if she could be so lucky. “Why didn’t you ask Maren to go with you to the bonfire, though? I mean… she looks like she would've enjoyed it.”

"if I wanted you to spend less time with me I would'a told you already, love." and he wasn't lying, either. as much as the demon lived to lie, for that was his nature, hard truth came just as easily to him sometimes. in this world to white lies and fake smiles, he would do the opposite. shock people with honesty. treat friends with love, and keep them on their toes. "I'm only saying... that if you want me all to yourself, you must lock me down. with strong chains too, I'm known to slip through the cracks." he shrugged. at the moment, he was as free as a bird, content to fly from one tree to another, for as long as he pleased.

his eyes rolled, but there was a sweet curl in his smile as he leaned back in his seat with a hum. "she's amazing. and wonderful. and so much more different than anyone I know. she brings me..." he glanced at his friend, voice lowering as if he was telling a secret. "...a much needed breath of fresh air." they were both independent, yet at the same time, had differing views on how to handle things, but there was never a moment of judgmental tension between them that would end in an argument. and, for one, the demon enjoyed peace. thoroughly. "I don't even think about them anymore. perhaps it is for the better."

[avdaciter]

“It’s longer than I have been living here, so, sure.” Linus replied as he twirled his whiskey inside his glass. Ten years was double the years that his son had been alive, double the years he’d decided to take his late wife’s name, and well, speaking of her, Inji was still alive back then. They were happily married and trying for kids. “‘Been here for five years. Kind of like the place, but I don’t know if I want to keep defending it if it’s going to keep throwing these curve balls my way, you know?” Because he liked control, and he liked knowing what to expect out of people and out of places. Portum had been a question mark from the start, and only when he was starting to like it, now it was making him not spend a lot of time with his kid? That wasn’t fair. Besides, praising Portum only to have this palace kick in the ass really made him feel like a fool. Stupid, even. “Can I ask–because you seem like someone who knows their wine. What would you pair with a nice risotto if you’re trying to cook for your partner?”

         (    ↻    )    “  i’d  like  to  think  so  .  ”  the  vampire  swirls  her  wine  glass  ,  watching  the  ruby  liquid  swish  around  .  she  knows  she’s  a  paranoid  person  but  the  nagging  feeling  that  something  big  is  coming  isn’t  unwarranted  .  just  look  at  everything  that’s  happened  in  a  matter  of  months  .  “  if  you  consider  ten  years  long  ,  then  sure  ,  ”  she  attempts  at  a  joke  .  because  what’s  a  decade  in  comparison  to  the  centuries  she’s  already  lived  ?  with  the  town  in  flux  ,  she  often  wonders  if  she  should  leave  or  take  over  .  the  council  hasn’t  made  a  very  compelling  argument  on  why  they  should  continue  to  serve  as  the  town’s  leadership  .  the  power  vacuum  is  there  .  “  and  you  ?  how  long  have  you  been  living  here  ?  ”

[avdaciter]

Aurora guided young Jasper further into her apartment, closing the door behind them, after making sure that the young wolf could continue on their own. Her hand fell on the small of their back and when they reached the kitchen, the older gorgon removed their hand from the spot so she could get everything for their hot chocolate. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?” She asked, but was quick to add, as she didn’t want to pressure them. “Whenever you’re ready.” The gorgon said, before busing herself with the chocolate, cutting the bar into small pieces so it was easier to melt into a creamier state. 

When Jasper finally spoke, the brunette furrowed her brows as she slowly swirled the chocolate to let it melt. Since Jasper wasn’t much of a fan of eye-contact, she figured he wouldn’t mind that she wasn’t constantly watching. “He tried to bite you…” She repeated, as if to try and see if she had understood it correctly. “And from the sounds of it, you weren’t in agreement with it?” It was easy to assume things, but Aurora didn’t wasn’t to rely her response on those assumptions. “You came here crying and desperate… was it the bite that scared you? I mean, were you scared? What are or were you feeling?”

it  was  almost  impossible  for  jasper  to  vocalise  when  they  got  to  that  stage.  the  devastation  —  the  panic  — had  stolen  the  breath  from  their  lungs,  but  the  pressure  of  rory’s  arms  around  them  was  enough  to  dull  the  sadness  at  least  a  little.  they  weren’t  alone  anymore,  and  there  was  someone  to  protect  them  from  the  wrath  of  their  own  emotions  ;  with  everything  that  had  been  happening  with  powers  and  deaths  and  spooky  coverups  jasper  was  terrified  of  what  might  happen  if  they  were  left  alone. a  soft  nod,  and  their  bodies  peeled  apart.  jasper  wiped  his  face  with  both  hands  in  clumsy,  big  strokes,  sniffing  and  following  along  behind  rory  to  their  small  kitchen.  the  little,  wet  noises  continued  —  quick  attempts  to  catch  his  breath,  sniffs  and  whimpers  and  wobbles  of  their  lower  lip  —  as  they  pushed  themself  up  to  sit  on  the  counter.  “koda,”  the  name  made  them  feel  sick.  the  man  he  loved  so  dearly,  so  desperately,  and  might  have  lost  forever.  “we  were  …  we  were  having  sex  and  he  …  he  tried  to  bite  me.”

[avdaciter]

closed starter ; aeri jeong

with    sloane xia liu    @   envy   (  @mistbled  )

Aeri had never been one to feel apathy, however, she had been feeling too much these last couple of weeks, so now that she hadn’t been feeling anything, the Oracle wondered if it was better or worse than before. Letting out a sigh, she ordered another drink by the bar. Nothing like her usual, sweet, go-to choices. No, she needed something strong and bitter to make her at least feel something and not something to pick up her mood. The bartender placed something in front of her and Aeri sipped on it, immediately making a face at the strong taste. “Oof… pretty sure someone could make a bomb out of this drink.” She swallowed down the bitter liquid and then turned to the person beside her. “Does yours taste better?”

[avdaciter]

Kareem hadn’t picked any summer classes that year. He’d promised he’d be working on his craft as well as his clinic, which meant that he would be teaching regular semester classes only. Of course, there was not to say that he wouldn’t help students with Master or post-grad thesis if they ever came to him, which seemed to be the case today as he stood in front of the Hallowed Grounds menu and tried to pick something to eat while revising some new additions’ to two students’ papers. After picking out his orders, the witch noticed how packed this place was, so he was glad that someone had offered him a spot to sit. “I mean, if you don’t mind the company, I certainly won’t either.” He nodded, placing his coffee cup and bacon muffin on the table, then sliding his laptop bag from his shoulder. “Thanks, by the way." The professor-slash-psychotherapist said as he pulled his own laptop from his bag and placed it on the table. "‘Been working on anything good?”

it  was  as  if  she  was  in  a  trance  as  she  worked  on  her  laptop  creating,  what  she  believed,  to  be  the  her  next  big  set  for  tomorrow  night  at  envy.  she,  though,  lived  there  and  even  when  it  wasn't  her  night,  she  was  there  to  help  with  whatever  was  needed.  not  to  mentioned  she  enjoying  going  and  just  talking  to  the  patrons  when  they  arrived.  lost  in  thought,  she  had  yet  to  notice  how  packed  it  was  getting  here  with  the  afternoon  rush.  not  too  long  she  felt  a  presence  and  looked  toward  who  was  in  her  vicinity.  "if  you're  in  need  of  a  spot,  i  can  move  my  bag  and  you  can  take  the  chair  in  front  of  me.  we  can  split  the  table  if  you  do  not  mind  the  company.  I  promise,  I  do  not  bite."  tala  said  in  sweet  enchanting  tone.

{ open to everyone | at the hallowed grounds during the afternoon } 

[avdaciter]

Ever since her near-encounter with a tiny concussion, Aeri had pulled back from stepping out of Portum to pursue news. Maybe it just showed how weak she was in comparison to others. Maybe, if she were stronger, she would’ve been able to fight back. Letting out a sigh, the oracle kept her eyes on the path ahead of her while some bubbly K-pop song blasted from her headphones’ speakers. She was trying to think of a new strategy to pry answers from the council members, after all, it was consuming her to feel this helpless and so far away from the truth. If only she could do more…

She felt the demonic presence way before someone bumped into her, but, since Aeri had moved into a town full of demons, the burning sensation under her ribcage was almost like a regular thing to feel whenever she stepped outside, so she wasn’t really predicting being bumped into. Still, when she lost her balance a little, it prompted her gaze up and so, she pulled her headphone from over her ears and rested it around her neck. A frustrated gruff escaped her lips and she was about to return her headphones to her ears when someone called her and prompted to turn around.

Her grandma’s ring had been plucked from around her neck without her even realizing it, which made her reach for the necklace holding it when she saw the demon’s wicked smirk as he held it. “I don’t go around making deals with demons.” The oracle paused her music and crossed her arms, stepping closer to him when he placed the ring and the slim chain in his back pocket. “This ring you’re holding? It’s important to me. Give. it. back." She paused. A moment of hesitation, maybe, before adding a clear: "Please.”

there's  far  more  to  benjamin  than  he  would  ever  let  on  —  he  was  intelligent,  quick-witted  &  incredibly  charismatic  to  the  point  that  it  became  dangerous  if  he  found  someone  he  could  lay  on  the  charm  with.  but  his  six  months  in  portum  have  shown  him  that  it's  far  harder  to  be  able  to  charm  &  manipulate  those  who  have  gifts  &  are  considered  of  the  supernatural  variety.  which  means  he  wasn't  able  to  hone  in  his  skills  —  unable  to  manipulate,  unable  to  steal,  unable  to  fully  hide  in  plain  sight  as  well  as  he  could  in  various  small  towns  he  happened  to  stumble  upon  the  past  few  centuries.  benjamin  had  started  to  feel  rusty,  like  he  was  losing  his  'power'  even  though  he  knew  he  very  much  was  not  ...  not  to  mention  just  how  bored  benjamin  felt  just  living  a  day  to  day  monotonous  life.  his  life  used  to  be  nothing  but  chaos  but  now?  he  felt  almost  too  normal  for  his  own  good  &  he  needed  to  do  something  —  anything. he's  walking  around  town  when  he  spots  someone  familiar,  a  small  devilish  smirk  pulling  on  his  lips  as  an  idea  pops  into  his  head  ...  a  prank  of  sorts  but  also  a  way  to  test  if  he  truly  was  as  rusty  as  he  felt.  his  nose  is  stuck  in  his  phone  as  he  pretended  to  be  invested  in  whatever  site  he'd  pulled  up  at  random  —  accidentally  (  or  so  he'd  tell  them  at  first  )  bumping  into  the  person  he'd  walked  by,  starting  to  make  his  way  further  down  the  road  before  he  stops  dead  in  his  tracks.  "hey..."  he  calls  out,  turning  on  his  heels  to  face  the  person  he'd  just  pickpocketed  with  an  all  too  innocent  smile  pulled  on  his  lips  as  if  he  was  a  good  samaritan.  "i  think  this  is  yours?"  benjamin  asks,  flashing  the  object  he'd  pickpocketed  in  plain  sight  for  them  to  see  before  he  stuffs  it  into  the  back  pocket  of  his  jeans,  leaning  against  the  brick  wall  with  a  raise  of  his  brow.  "it's  mine  for  now,  i've  decided  to  hold  it  hostage."  benjamin  says  with  a  nonchalant  shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "unless  you  decide  to  come  with  me  to  do  something?  i'm  bored  out  of  my  damn  mind."  he  continues,  a  mischievous  look  in  his  eye  as  he  looks  in  their  direction.  "soooo  what's  it  going  to  be?  deal  or  no  deal?"

[avdaciter]

It had somewhat become a new part of his post-werewolf run: to light up a cigarette as he walked back home. It helped Linus keep his head on his shoulders, especially when it came to his wolf. If the wolf was happy, the Linus was happy–and fucking hell, he’s been happy as hell lately. With Leo being on summer school vacation, Linus was glad that his sitter had some extra hours to spare that early evening, which allowed the wolf to carry on with his mix of a bad and a good habit of his. He ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling the dark strands in hopes to get some remaining leaves or sticks out of his hair, as the other hand carried the cigarette from his sides to his lips. Someone called him out and the wolf stopped, turning around to check what it was.

“Hey…you’re Lena’s mom, yeah?” He asked. Placing the cigarette back between his lips, the wolf picked the lighter from his pocket and rolled the ignition, covering it with his hand so the wind wouldn’t blow it out. “I think I’ve seen you around the school.”

Who: open. When: open. Where: open.

The click of the lighter strikes; one, two, three times. Nothing. It casts Vy's head backwards, annoyance instantly brewing beneath her skin — though she somehow manages to contain herself from displaying much more of it, favors a brief try of patience instead. Again; one, two, three. Nothing. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me." This time the frustration does escape her. It was bad enough that the powers she had only just started to grasp any knowledge or understanding of had just as quickly short-wired and become unpredictable, sure there'd been talk that things were right again but Vy had spent the better part of the month far from eager to test that theory, now- "Can't even get a fucking lighter to work?" A question muttered to whatever god or entity clearly enjoyed toying with her so much, forcing her to do the very thing she didn't wish to. "Hey!" She calls out to the first person being she sees, removing the cigarette from between her lips and lifting it, trying to soften both her voice and frustrations. "Any chance you got a light?"

[avdaciter]

adria arjona via instagram

[avdaciter]

closed starter ; aurora otero

with    aravis scott    @   the beach   (  @writtcn  )

Rory shifted her weight to her elbows, tilting her head from one side to the other as she enjoyed the heat that radiated from the sun. The sun had always been one of her best friends, a comforting, silent friend that indicated that she was still alive. Still up and running no matter how hard her night had been or how many horrors she had seen throughout the previous day. Her skin tingled with heat and Aurora adjusted her sunglasses over the bridge of her nose, then looked to her side. “Honestly, Ravi how do you do it?” Rory chuckled, looking at her friend. “I mean, days off to me are such dreadful days. Sitting around and doing nothing?” The gorgon then raised her hand, playfully shaking it for dramatic purposes. "Look at me. I'm shaking!" She chuckled, then sat up straight, once again, sighing happily. "How were things at the house with all hell breaking loose? Were you and your partner okay?"

[avdaciter]

Aeri drew in a breath. In a way, she wanted to tell Ender that she understood the feeling, after all, whenever she stepped foot in their apartment, that was the feeling she’d been picking up, but saying that could possibly worry her best friend, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment. Letting out a sigh, Aeri pulled Ender into another hug, then planted a kiss on the side of her head. “I should have stayed. I’m sorry that I didn’t.” Because now that Kai had left to figure some things out, Aeri kind of felt like she’d abandoned her friend in exchange for the well-being of someone else. Maybe it had been her well-being, maybe it had been Kai’s but either way, she felt like she’d let Ender down. “I promise that won’t happen again.” Letting out a sigh, the oracle forced a smile on her lips, mostly because she needed to keep her spirits up for her bestie. “As for how you were feeling... No, I don't know what that might be. Maybe... maybe it has to do with how lonely we feel in our dying time?" Even though not everybody died alone, most people she had talked to, seemed to have the same thing to say about their dying moments: that it had been their most lonely moment so far. You're brought into this world alone and you leave alone. "Can we not go to work today? I feel like recharging with my best friend.”

ender  had  never  once  thought  that  it  was  aeri’s  failing.  her  friend  could  never  do  anything  wrong  —  ender  would  have  robbed  a  bank  for  her,  taken  a  life  for  her  —  and  she  stared  at  her  closest  companion  with  dark,  shimmering  eyes,  holding  her  hand  in  both  of  hers.  “aeri,  my  love  …  ”  she  whispered,  “i  never  blamed  you.  don’t  ever  apologise  to  me.  the  only  way  you’d  ever  have  to  say  sorry  is  if  you  got  lipstick  on  one  of  my  handbags.  i  promise  you,  i’m  okay.”  she  hadn’t  felt  okay.  if  anything,  ender  had  felt  worse  than  ever.  the  pain  of  being  alone,  of  being  marooned  on  an  island  with  no  way  of  pulling  herself  to  shore.  but  none  of  that  was  anyone’s  fault  other  than  the  strange  tricks  the  fog  was  playing. she  had  wondered  whether  that  was  what  came  next,  an  eternal  darkness.  the  nothingness  —  the  wall  that  had  been  drawn  between  ender  and  her  friends  —  had  made  her  question  whether  it  was  her  time.  but  there  had  been  no  door,  no  resolution,  no  clear  ending  …  how  could  she  ever  leave  her  brother  behind,  or  the  friends  that  she  had  made  over  her  last  year  in  portum ?  the  grip  on  aeri’s  hands  tightened,  and  she  thought  for  a  moment  before  letting  out  a  deep  sigh  she  didn’t  need.  “it  felt  …  it  felt  like  i  was  in  a  box  and  i  was  screaming  and  nobody  could  hear  me.  i  felt  cold,  and  i  felt  dead  …  i  felt  like  i  was  divorced  from  the  world.”  their  eyes  met.  ender  gave  a  sad  smile.  “any  ideas ? ”

[avdaciter]

Kareem chuckled as he wrapped one arm around Lian’s slim shoulders. Yes, yes, the younger witch was right. It wouldn’t be fair to say that about Lian and not accept her saying that about Kareem. “How’s the family doing, kid?” Not only was the Aldersly one of the pivotal families in Portum, but they also happened to be close to the Howards–or at least, they had been to Lian’s mother and grandmother, so it almost felt like the younger witch was family to him, too. “Yeah, running some errands, picking up some things for Litha and also, I kind of wanted to say hi, check in on you and how you were doing after the town went haywire.” With that, Kareem pulled away from Lian to take a good look at them and smiled down at her. “Got anything new to tell me? I can't remember the last time we talked... was it Imbolc or...?”

the  last  thing  lian  remembers  as  they  enter  madam  duala  is  the  first  step  outside  their  home,  their  grandmother's  voice  booming  through  the  halls  behind  them.  guided  by  priscilla's  wants  and  needs  or  her  own  subconscious,  lian  ends  up  exactly  where  she  needs  to  be  ━━  the  witch  has  half  a  mind  to  think  that  their  grandmother  made  sure  they  went  straight  to  madam  duala  and  didn't  get  distracted  on  the  way  there  (  if  there's  someone  that  knows  just  how  easily  lian  loses  sight  of  a  errand,  especially  if  there  are  animals  or  forests  involved,  it's  their  grandmother  ━━  and  yet,  never  has  the  aldersley  matriach  been  irritated  by  this...  shortcoming  of  lian's.  priscilla  says  it's  a  gift,  instead  ).

the  bell  rings  and  echoes  through  the  store.  lian's  mind  is  pulled  back  from  whatever  cloud  it  rested  upon  for...  however  long  it  took  her  to  get  here.  hazel  eyes  look  at  the  list  on  paper  her  grandmother  hands  her  just  before  she  leaves  the  house  and  reads  the  items  under  their  breath.  lian  is  halfway  through  the  list  when  she  hears  a  familiar  voice  and  the  witch  smiles  before  she  even  sees  kareem.

whatever  weight  is  on  lian's  shoulder  (  from  all  that  haunts  portum,  from  all  those  that  struggle  to  this  day  )  quickly  dissipates  in  the  presence  of  one  is  family  in  all  but  blood.  "only  if  i  can  count  running  into  you  as  a  litha  blessing  as  well.  we  cannot  have  double  standards  on  such  an  important  day,  can  we?"  a  playful  remark,  the  list  becoming  second  to  kareem's  company.  "ah...  as  well  as  one  can  be,  considering  everything  that's  going  on.  even  if  everything's  kinda  calm  right  now.  how  are  you?  running  errands  as  well?"