macabr3s

[macabr3s]

    ›    STATUS    :    closed.     ›    LOCATION    :    white  oleander.     ›    FEATURING    :    theo  &  mavi  (  @freshcir  ).

         (    ↻    )    theo  is  glad  that  things  are  back  to  normal  so  to  speak  .  the  witch  wasn’t  sure  how  much  longer  they  could  stand  the  chaos  had  it  continued  .  the  temporary  lapse  in  magic  affected  their  gift  with  plants  and  let’s  just  say  they’d  prefer  not  to  deal  with  that  again  .  she’s  fixing  up  an  arrangement  when  the  bell  above  the  door  sounds  .  “  hi  there  !  lookin’  for  anything  in  particular  ?  i  personally  recommend  the  lilies  but  if  you  have  a  cat  ,  i’d  reckon  you  best  stay  clear  of  those  .  ”

[macabr3s]

    ›    STATUS    :    closed.     ›    LOCATION    :    potion  &  pentacle.     ›    FEATURING    :    theo  &  lian  (  @mistbled  ).

         (    ↻    )    “  hi  lian  ,  ”  theo  greets  the  younger  witch  with  a  smile  as  they  stroll  through  the  door  to  potion  &  pentacle  .  “  got  any  new  and  exciting  specials  for  the  day  ?  i  won’t  lie  ,  i  came  in  here  without  a  list  so  i’m  just  waitin’  for  somethin'  to  speak  to  me  ,  ”  they  half-joke  .  eyes  scan  the  lined  shelves  as  they  continue  to  browse  .  they’re  usually  here  with  a  purpose  but  with  everything  going  on  ,  theo’s  already  gotten  all  that  they  need  to  prepare  for  the  worst  .

[macabr3s]

    ›    STATUS    :    closed.     ›    LOCATION    :    the  golden  piston.     ›    FEATURING    :    theo  &  soobin  (  @mad3wells  ).

         (    ↻    )    theo  turns  the  key  in  ignition  of  their  bike  .  features  quickly  morph  into  a  light  grimace  while  the  bike  sputters  .  purchasing  this  vintage  honda  cb900  was  truly  a  gamble  .  but  the  witch  needed  something  to  occupy  her  time  .  and  it’d  been  a  while  since  she  fully  restored  a  bike  .  doing  maintenance  work  on  her  current  yamaha  xsr  900  isn’t  the  same  .  after  what  seemed  like  an  eternity  ,  the  engine  finally  roars  to  life  .  “  oh  thank  god  ,  ”  she  lets  out  a  relieved  sigh  .  “  you  know  ,  ”  she  starts  ,  head  turning  to  face  soobin  .  “  i  was  real  concerned  that  i’d  have  to  shell  out  more  money  for  an  engine  swap  .  what  would  that  even  be  if  i  ordered  through  the  shop  ?  don’t  suppose  you  would’ve  been  able  to  get  me  that  good  of  a  deal  ?  ”

[macabr3s]

    ›    STATUS    :    open.     ›    LOCATION    :    the  old  haunt.     ›    FEATURING    :    hera  &  your  muse.

         (    ↻    )    “  i  know  this  will  come  off  insensitive  ,  ”  hera  starts  .  “  but  i  fully  expected  something  bad  to  happen  during  that  bonfire  .  ”  the  vampire  had  attended  the  cleanup  and  stayed  for  the  first  hour  of  the  bonfire  before  calling  it  .  it’s  not  like  she  was  in  the  mood  to  celebrate  .  especially  not  with  the  town’s  questionable  leadership  .  she  wouldn’t  even  trust  them  to  run  a  bath  much  less  make  decisions  about  the  town  and  its  residents  .  “  are  we  all  counting  down  the  days  until  the  next  big  thing  happens  ?  or  is  it  just  me  ?  ”

[macabr3s]

GEMMA CHAN via Instagram on March 7, 2024

[macabr3s]

Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 2

[macabr3s]

[macabr3s]

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    “  i  wish  i  could  say  it’s  because  i  was  appreciating  the  beauty  of  the  prose  .  i  was  for  sure  distracted  ,  ”  dani  admits  with  a  sheepish  grin  .  “  you  ever  have  those  moments  where  you’re  just  staring  right  through  the  page  ?  not  even  at  the  words  or  anything  ?  ”  she’ll  ask  noa  .  with  all  that’s  happening  ,  the  wolf  had  been  trying  to  find  ways  to  distract  herself  .  art  is  one  of  the  few  outlets  she  often  turned  too  ,  but  even  then  it  felt  like  it  wasn’t  enough  .  and  it’s  not  like  there  was  an  influx  of  portum  residents  that  wanted  to  get  tattoos  .  the  repetitive  notion  of  that  usually  is  enough  to  keep  her  thoughts  at  bay  .  “  little  women  is  a  classic  .  who  do  you  vibe  most  with  ?  it’s  a  mix  of  jo  and  amy  for  me  to  be  honest  .  ”

BOOKS WERE ONE OF the very few aspects of freedom they had left. for a time noa had wondered if they'd ever truly need an escape, usng books as an opprotunity to travel -- considering they were stuck here. in their solace, in their happy place. as a creative, perhaps it made sense that not only was she drawn to books -- but critical of the material. " hey, that's not a bad thing. sometimes the prose is so beautiful, that you have to take the time to read it again. " of course, she can't help but aknowledge the sheepish nature her demenor evolves into. " hey, it's quite alright. i've read pages perhaps ten, twelve times. " it was an easier thing to focus on, not just the written word -- but even the ink on the printed paper. it had taken so long for noa to allow herself to feel safe -- even when all of her demons were still walking the earth. her smile is gentle as she examins the book, her smile softening. she took had a soft spot in her heart for the book. " ah, a classic. i remember wanting to jump into the pages when i first read it. " the ghost nods. " sometimes we just need a familiar book to come back to. for me, it's little women. "

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    “  fair  enough  ,  ”  the  younger  wolf  agrees  with  a  laugh  .  she’s  honestly  been  through  worse  while  she  was  being  persecuted  .  the  town  descending  into  disarray  feels  like  a  mere  blip  in  comparison  .  but  dani  does  continue  to  wonder  why  she  won’t  just   leave  .  it’s  not  like  she’s  completely  tethered  to  the  town  and  yet  something  is  keeping  her  here  .  “  i  mean  ,  i’m  having  as  much  fun  as  i  can  for  an  event  that’s  meant  to  be  a  distraction  .  i’m  just  glad  i’m  not  walking  around  with  wolf  ears  on  my  head  anymore  .  things  could  totally  be  worse  .  plus  ,  i’m  not  trying  to  add  to  all  the  negativity  ,  y’know  ?  i  think  we’ve  got  a  lot  of  that  going  around  right  now  .  ”

nyra   felt   someone   collide   into   her   shoulder   and   instinctively   reached   out   to   steady   them   both.   the   apology   reached   her   ears   and   nyra's   posture   relaxed   at   the   sound   of   her   friend's   voice.   "dani!"   she   greeted,   her   lips   tugging   into   a   smile.   "you're   fine,   i've   taken   worse   hits."   her   gaze   flicked   across   the   bonfire   and   the   mood   that   fought   to   remain   bright   despite   all   the   trials   the   citizens   of   portum   had   been   put   through   lately.   "yeah,   i   didn't   think   i'd   be   up   for   it   either,   but..."   she   shrugged,   and   looked   at   her   friend's   face.   "figured   if   the   world's   gonna   fall   apart,   i   might   as   well   get   a   drink   first.   what   about   you?"

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    dani  thanks  the  bartender  as  she  accepts  her  drink  .  before  the  wolf  has  a  chance  to  take  a  sip  ,  skylar  approaches  .  “  listen  ,  i  know  better  than  to  get  between  a  person  and  whatever  food  they’ve  left  in  their  purse  .  ”  hands  are  raised  up  as  if  she’s  surrendering  .  “  trust  me  .  also  i  know  better  than  to  go  digging  around  in  someone’s  purse  .  that’s  just  not  very  nice  and  kinda  weirdo  behavior  .  so  no  ,  definitely  did  not  touch  or  eat  the  chicken  wing  you  left  in  your  purse  .  ”  

who: closed starter for @macabr3s where: the old haunt

After leaving her bag unattended at the bar, Skylar noticed something missing when she returned. Something very important. Something that was going to make or break her evening. Something she had been looking forward to all day. "Listen well and listen good. Because I'm only gonna ask you this once. And maybe a few times after that if I feel like it. Did you or did you not eat the chicken wing I left in my purse? I'm not mad, I just want to know." The wolf leaned in close and resisted the urge to sniff their breath. But she would if it came down to it.

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    did  hayden  make  the  right  decision  moving  back  to  portum  ?  it  felt  like  the  right  thing  to  do  at  the  time  .  but  now  ,  she’s  not  so  sure  .  portum  was  supposed  to  be  a  safety  net  for  her  .  “  i  don’t  know  if  anyone’s  buying  it  at  this  point  .  again  ,  i’m  all  for  keeping  up  morale  but  it’s  not  exactly  hitting  the  mark  when  they  haven’t  said  anything  ,  ”  the  gorgon  sighs  .  “  and  you’re  right  .  it’s  supposed  to  be  safe  here  .  they  should  tell  us  if  we’re  in  danger  .  at  least  then  i  can  start  preparing  to  jump  ship  before  things  get  really  bad  ,  ”  the  last  part  is  said  almost  flippantly  .  “  they’re  probably  thinking  we  can  ride  this  one  out  .  like  sure  the  timing  is  impeccable  but  it  was  not  a  fun  couple  of  weeks  just  wearing  sunglasses  because  i  didn’t  want  to  turn  anyone  else  into  stone  .  ”

ender  wasn’t  of  the  same  belief.  what  use  was  annual  celebration  if,  next  year,  portum  might  not  be  standing  at  all ?  maybe  it  would  be  the  last  bonfire  before  everything  burst  into  flames.  she  sighed,  and  pushed  away  her  attempt  at  distraction,  letting  some  of  the  beads  lazily  fall  from  the  curl  of  white  thread.  “i  know  i’m  not  buying  it,”  mumbled  the  ghost,  “i  would  have  a  lot  more  respect  for  them  if  they  actually  said  something.  if  they  stood  up  and  admitted  that  something  freaky  is  happening.  if  we’re  in  danger,  they  should  tell  us  …  ”  but  then  what  could  she  do ?  there  was  no  life  for  ender  beyond  the  fog,  not  like  some  of  the  other  residents.  they  could  spread  out  and  find  sanctuary  somewhere  else.  for  her,  it  was  portum  or  whatever  laid  beyond  …  was  she  ready  for  that ? 

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    “  i  wouldn’t  sweat  it  ,  soobin  .  we’ve  got  our  off  days  ,  ”  hayden  says  encouragingly  .  did  running  this  route  the  first  couple  of  times  have  her  questioning  her  endurance  ?  absolutely  .  but  it’s  slowly  become  one  of  her  go-to  routes  ever  since  she  was  able  to  set  a  good  pace  .  and  she  has  no  doubt  that  under  normal  circumstances  ,  the  wolf  at  least  have  a  half  mile  lead  over  her  .  she’s  competitive  but  she  also  knows  her  limits  as  an  athlete  .  however  ,  he  still  remains  as  one  of  her  favorite  running  partners  .  and  fortunately  ,  the  only  thing  that’s  really  affected  the  gorgon  was  turning  things  to  stone  .  although  ,  she’s  still  a  little  shaken  up  after  accidentally  turning  a  deer  to  stone  during  her  run  last  week  .  “  you  sure  you  okay  ,  dude  ?  we  could  totally  take  a  breather  or  we  finish  off  this  last  quarter  of  a  mile  and  then  collapse  on  the  ground  .  ”

LOADING. ↻ CLOSED STARTER LOTTERY .

CHOSEN. ↻ JEONG SOOBIN & HAYDEN SULLIVAN . @macabr3s .

WHERE. ↻ A RUNNING TRAIL IN THE FOREST .

“  if  this  is  messing  with  my  fucking  endurance  …  ”  the  wolf  pauses  ,  glances  to  the  gorgon  not  far  behind  them  .  scans  the  outline  of  her  silhouette  and  scours  for  signs  of  weaknesses  .  god  ,  were  wolves  going  to  be  grounded  now  ?  unable  to  run  but  trapped  in  human  form  ?  soobin  wanted  to  both  burst  right  out  of  his  skin  and  shrink  up  to  disappear  ,  but  he  agreed  to  go  on  his  run  through  the  forest  with  her  and  was  not  about  to  fall  back  on  his  word  .  he  couldn't  .  not  even  with  the  small  things,  no  ,  soobin  would  never  forgive  himself  .  hold  a  grudge  that  rots  him  over  something  stupid  .  “  how  the  hell  are  you  still  holding  up  ?  did  this  hill  get  steeper  overnight  ?  jesus  .  ”   he  has  the  sneaking  suspicion  if  he  peels  his  shirt  off  ,  like  he  normally  would  ,  he'll  wolf  out  like  twilight  says  .  so  he  opts  for  yanking  the  damp  hem  up  and  out  of  his  running  shorts  and  mopping  the  sweat  from  his  forehead  with  it  .  his  abdomen  trembles  with  each  pant  .  “  might  be  the  pace  …  yeah  ,  gotta  be  .  ”  for  he  would  liken  his  own  gait  to  running  from  something  .

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          (    ↻    )    “  you’d  think  that  with  a  place  like  this  the  council  would  at  least  be  a  little  more  creative  !  throw  in  bigfoot  or  something  .  or  a  mothman  sighting  .  i  don’t  know  .  spice  it  up  !  if  they’re  gonna  lie  ,  at  least  do  a  better  job  and  not  give  us  the  laziest  excuse  in  the  book  ,  ”  hayden  facetiously  jokes  .  she’d  never  been  the  one  to  be  critical  of  the  council  .  then  again  ,  she  never  had  a  reason  to  be  critical  in  a  town  like  this  .  “  well  ,  ”  the  gorgon  starts  ,  opening  the  door  and  gesturing  for  sora  to  enter  before  her  .  “  build-a-ghoul  did  just  recently  launch  their  summer  line  .  the  loch  ness  monster  is  looking  kinda  cute  .  ”

         "Why  is  everyone  so  surprised?  It's  funny  in  the  sense  that  an  animal  attack  in  this  town  is  probably  the  most  lazy  and  DREADFUL  excuse  they  could  come  up  with.  Abuse  of  power  comes  at  no  surprise  or  whatever  the  saying  is."  Frankly,  Sora  can't  believe  that  so  many  people  would  have  faith  in  a  governing  body  of  any  sort.  No  matter  what  kind  of  safe  haven  this  was,  political  corruption  was  everywhere.  "What  kind?  I'm  particular  about  my  emotional  support  plushies."

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    the  town  were  able  to  regain  control  of  their  abilities  no  thanks  to  the  council  .  it’s  frustrating  just  how  useless  they  were  .  don’t  get  her  wrong  ,  she’s  glad  that  her  family  was  fine  .  she’d  been  concerned  about  the  jeong  family  .  aeri’s  mother  and  grandmother  have  had  the  misfortune  of  moving  to  this  town  when  things  have  started  to  go  to  shit  .  so  she’d  been  a  little  more  on  edge  than  usual  .  and  despite  insisting  that  she’s  fine  ,  she  appreciates  aeri’s  daily  check-in  text  .  but  it’s  her  belief  that  the  young  oracle  needn’t  worry  about  her  and  focus  on  her  family  .

despite  things  ‘  returning  back  to  normal  ’  as  everyone  liked  to  claim  ,  she  doesn’t  believe  that  this  is  the  last  of  it  .  with  no  answers  and  a  lack  of  action  from  the  council  ,  hera  finds  herself  more  and  more  tempted  to  do  something  .  she’s  always  had  a  plan  if  orchestrating  a  quiet  takeover  were  necessary  .  however  ,  the  vampire  never  actually  thought  it’d  be  necessary  .  there’s  a  first  for  everything  ,  she  supposes  .

but  for  now  ,  she  chooses  to  spend  her  day  with  aeri  and  her  mother  at  the  beach  .  she  tries  to  focus  as  the  oracle’s  mother  fills  them  in  on  the  latest  gossip  taking  place  at  rosie’s  .  but  her  mind  can’t  help  but  wander  .  there’s  so  much  that  needs  to  be  done  .  it  doesn’t  feel  right  to  sit  idly  on  the  beach  .  but  this  isn’t  about  her  .  a  small  smile  is  plastered  on  the  vampire’s  face  ,  nodding  every  once  in  a  while  to  acknowledge  the  conversation  at  hand  .  

“  are  they  ?  ”  hera  hums  .  “  i  can’t  say  that  i  get  many  of  those  at  the  museum  ,  no  .  ”  she’ll  shake  her  head  .  “  although  anyone  who  dares  cause  a  disruption  in  the  art  museum  will  have  to  unfortunately  leave  .  and  i’m  not  above  escorting  them  out  to  make  sure  ,  ”  she  chuckles  .  “  but  how  are  you  ?  i  know  things  have  gone  back  to  the  status  quo  but  it  doesn’t  mean  that  we’re  all  okay  .  ”

Physically most of the town was fine, but of course, Aeri couldn’t help but worry about the vampire who had been part of her family for such a long time and, would probably continue doing so. Especially because now all the gang was together. Her mother, her grandmother, Aeri, Hera, Soobin… they could handle this as a family. 

Each day that passed, Aeri would send a text to auntie Hera to check in on her and ask if she needed anything. Hera had always been such a pillar of strength and resilience that it was impossible for the young oracle not to admire her the way she did. And yet, days went by without answers from the council, without changes in town and with Aeri trying to keep her family away from any harm.

Eventually, things went back to normal. Her mom went back to working at Rosie’s and her grandma went back to doing sessions at Potion & Pentacle. Aeri kept pressing authorities for answers in her coverages at the paper and Hera went back to the Art Center. Things were good, things were great, but whatever was going on in Portum still left people without answers, and, even though they were all reunited at the beach to celebrate the end of bad tidings, it still left Aeri with a bitter taste in her mouth.

She held onto Hera’s waist as her mother filled them in on what had happened at Rosie’s that morning. Something about a lover’s quarrel which made her laugh all the way back from the grill. “Apparently those are in season in Portum.” Aeri chuckled, looking up at her aunt. “I don’t think you get many of those at the museum, do you, imo?”

[macabr3s]

          (    ↻    )    the  corner  of  her  lip  quirks  up  into  an  amused  smirk  before  she  waves  down  a  bartender  for  another  round  of  drinks  .  “  glad  to  hear  i’m  not  alone  .  ”  fortunately  ,  hera  hadn’t  been  plagued  by  such  misfortunes  .  however  ,  it  doesn’t  mean  the  vampire  can’t  sympathize  with  what’s  happening  to  the  other  vampires  in  town  .  it  further  proves  to  her  that  the  council’s  grip  on  this  town  is  slipping  .  what  would  happen  if  she  were  act  on  the  urge  to  forcibly  take  over  ?  could  she  count  on  her  friends  and  acquaintances  to  help  ?  “  i  can  only  imagine  .  don’t  tell  me  you’re  the  only  one  keeping  things  running  .  i  heard  that  there’ve  been  some  people  who’ve  nearly  drowned  .  and  to  no  one’s  surprise  ,  the  council  is  still  hoping  things  will resolve  itself  .  ”

homicidal is perhaps too kind a word for the feeling cris has at the moment. for weeks, he has been plagued by thirst and waning control, and the bad associations those things carry for him. so suffice it to say, he's about one wrong word away from snapping. “ something like that, ” he says, tone flat as the ocean this morning. at the moment, even he doesn't know if he means it in a joking way or not. cris nods gratefully at her offer. “ please. it is exhausting trying to keep the dock running with all that is going on. ” in the last day alone, he's dealt with fights between merpeople drawn to the water and fisherfolk throwing nets ( despite being told, repeatedly, to keep their work clear of the areas mers frequent ), people whose abilities would normally let them swim nearly drowning and having to be pulled out by whoever was closest ( twice cris had to jump in, fully clothed ) and also the usual managing boats docking and leaving.

[macabr3s]

         (    ↻    )    hera  was  born  with  ambition  running  through  her  veins  during  a  time  where  it  would  be  downright  nearly  impossible  to  pursue  it  .  but  she  managed  .  it  wasn’t  glamorous  ,  but  she  did  what  needed  to  be  done  .  backdoor  deals  ,  forging  alliances  ,  securing  leverage  .  it’s  more  than  what  the  council  has  been  doing  .  at  the  end  of  the  day  ,  she’s  not  surprised  nor  does  she  pretend  to  be  .  it’s  disappointing  for  a  town  that’s  built  its  reputation  around  being  a  safe  haven  .  she  knows  for  a  fact  she  can  do  a  better  job  at  leading  this  town  .  will  now  be  the  time  that  the  vampire  acts  on  her  ambitions  once  more  ?

“  most  people  here  can’t  even  begin  to  understand  the  severity  of  it  ,  ”  hera  can’t  help  but  scoff  .  “  i  mean  no  offense  to  the  residents  of  this  town  but  most  of  them  have  forgotten  what  it’s  like  to  live  in  the  real  world  .  this  town  has  protected  them  for  so  long  and  sheltered  them  from  any  danger  .  but  i  understand  where  you’re  coming  from  ,  calahan  .  which  begs  the  question  …  ”  she  trails  off  ,  bringing  the  glass  up  to  her  lips  to  take  a  generous  sip  .  “  what  do  we  plan  to  do  about  it  ?  ”

could  calahan  council  portum  better ?  could  he  make  decisions  with  both  god  and  the  good  of  portum’s  residents  in  his  heart ?  maybe  he  could  wear  a  red  cloak  like  a  cardinal  —  keep  his  head  high,  judgement  fair  and,  ultimately,  his  priorities  firmly  on  the  people.  the  council  were  full  of  sick,  venom - tongued  lies  ;  nothing  was  ‘ normal ’  anymore,  and  if  there  was  one  other  person  within  the  fog  that  could  understand  his  concerns  it  was  hera.  “thank  you,”  he  nodded,  stepping  across  the  threshold  and  brushing  down  the  front  of  his  long  jacket  despite  the  heat.  a  humorless  chuckle  came  from  the  last  offer.  “i’m  …  i’m  trying  to  cut  down  on  the  red  stuff.” it  had  been  a  whirlwind,  a  fever  of  blood  sickness  that  had  pulled  calahan  from  the  streets  of  portum  for  a  handful  of  hard  weeks.  tremors,  shivers  ;  long  nights  with  liam  wetting  his  brow  and  whispering  sweet  nothings  as  he  fought  through  the  snowballing  addiction.  in  a  way,  he  was  glad  for  it  —  the  hardship  had  prepared  him  for  the  unquenchable  thirst  that  had  ridden  in  with  the  sunshine.  the  vampire  felt  the  desire  like  a  hole  in  the  head  —  how  could  he  not ?  —  but  he  straightened  his  back,  called  upon  faith  and  love,  and  spurned  the  need  as  though  it  was  a  desperate  lover. he  took  the  scotch,  swilled  the  drink  in  the  bottom  of  the  glass.  “i  don’t  know,  hera,”  he  replied,  “but  it’s  not  good,  and  i  can’t  trust  many  people  to  understand  the  severity  of  it.  i’ve  lived  through  wars,  through  revolutions  …  ”  calahan  took  a  drink  to  rid  the  dryness  in  his  throat,  “history  is  repeating,  and  i  don’t  like  the  direction  its  going  in.”