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@tribidscrsed

[rumblcs]

their noses touch for a moment and she lets out the softest breath she hadn't meant to be keeping in. " i might, " though the toothy grin that replaced her smirk was as much of a confession as he was ever going to get. his hand was in her hair, though his movements were slow, much too slow for ingrid's liking. taking the lead from someone else was never ingrid's style, but in this moment she continued to follow his. the woman was afraid that any action she took would snap him out of it, having heath cut the moment short again.

then his other hand was on her, and it was enough contact for ingrid's own to leave her pockets. she needed more, more of him. one hand slide up the arm around her waist, resting on his shoulder. she was about to speak when his lips covered hers. the witch's free hand flew upwards and her arm wraps around his neck, pulling herself even closer to him ( if that were even possible ). the kiss is returned with fervor. ever since they had parted before ingrid had been thinking of this moment. the one that she had tried to convince herself would never happen again.

she pulls back for a moment with a nod. " mhm, a lot, " ingrid had thought of him all the time. she had to say it, he had, it was only fair that an admission came from her as well. after the words she leaned back in to connect their lips, her other arm moving to circle around his neck, fingers entangling with the bit of hair on his nape. it felt as if she let him go he'd fade into the trees around them. reluctantly she pulls back again, essentially gasping for the air he'd stolen from her. " thought of this too, " she speaks softly as she rests her forehead against his.

Any scrap of control he had left vanished when her eyes flicked down to his lips. They both wanted this so bad, so why were they holding back? Heath had spent too many years unhappy. And now, the girl who brought him happiness stood within grasp. So many times had he held back from seizing what he wanted in life, so many times he had taken the backseat for friends, for his family. The detective always looked out for other, always made sure everyone else experienced happiness, never taking the moment to care even a fraction about his own life, his own happiness.

Leaning down, his nose grazed against hers. "Oh yeah, you like the sherlock holmes thing I got going on?" he teased, lips turning up in a small smile. His hand threaded through her hair, and it took everything in him to drag the moment out. He could have just grabbed her, could have just kissed her right there. Hell, he could have kissed her an hour ago on the log near the bonfire in front of anyone. But if he never got to do this again, he was going to savor it.

"Everything about you, Ingrid," he said, his other hand trailing gently down her arm from shoulder to hand before it snuck around her waist, settling on the small of her back. "You've been thinking about me too, hm?" he asked just before closing the distance between them, bringing her body close to his in a quick motion, arm tight around her waist and hand deep in her hair. His lips found her immediately and he kissed her just as he felt, like they were the only two people in the world.

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" careful now, " the warning mostly empty, coming with a bit of a smirk of her own. comments like that, even playful nature of it struck her deeper in the wake of the moment they'd shared outside of the bar. most of ingrid's impulses were destructive and most of the time violent ( verbally or physically ). the itch to take wasn't necessarily victimless, but it was much more removed than putting her hands or magic on someone else. gave her a feeling of control when she felt it all slipping from her grasp.

the witch should have taken steps backwards in time with his movements. instead she stays firmly planted in her spot, legs feeling like lead as he moved closer. " you did do something, " ingrid assures him with a strong nod. " the whole sherlock holmes thing was helpful. " to manage the spell she was meaning to do, ingrid needed to know what the demon looked like if she didn't have anything of theirs. the photo gave her that visual. " well i've got like fifteen years of pent up anger to fire in his direction. i figure that's gotta do some damage. " the power of positive thinking right ?

after a moment she had to avoid his gaze, especially when it felt as though his eyes could pierce right through her. the space between them was decreasing and it seemed like all the air was being pulled from her lungs. fingers clenched to fists in her pockets still trying to keep them from reaching out. it felt like fire, the second his finger met her skin. she could feel the heat as he drew down her neck. their eyes locking once more and she searched for something in them, anything. he was so overwhelming, nothing else around them was even registering any longer. her eyes drop down to his lips for a moment before flickering up to meet his once more. " what about me ? " the question leaving her lips softly before her own admission, " the feeling might be mutual. "

"I'd frame that too," he said with a smirk. There was something about her tendency to commit petty crime that intrigued him. He'd engaged in theft before himself, but mostly as a means to an end, needing to find a way to feed himself or even make rent when he was younger. What could she possibly be doing it for other than the rush? A good girl with a little bit of a bad streak? He hadn't known it before, but that checked all his boxes. She was his type.

When they came to a stop, he took a few steps closer to her. He could see the worry on her face, the furrow in her brow. "I wish there was something I could do," he said, tilting his head to the side to look at her. Heath fought with his fists, was used to being the body guard for people he didn't even know. But to cause that wrinkle in Ingrid's brow? He wanted to kill the demon himself, though the idea was completely idiotic. "Ah, well, if anyone can kick his ass, I'm sure it's you." He caught himself looking at her too long, falling too deep into her eyes.

Thoughts screamed take a step back, but his feet did the opposite, moving closer to her in one stride. The thoughts were too loud and for once Asher didn't appear in them. It was just her and maybe the rush of the alcohol in his system. But his next move was stupid, purely idiotic and exactly the opposite of staying away from her. He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted it up to meet his gaze, then trailed the same finger down the column of her neck, entranced. "I can't stop thinking about you," he said, voice so low and soft as his green eyes bored into hers.

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" oh, no rock and roll is kinda my dad's thing actually. he took me to a couple concerts with little headphones and everything, " they smile fondly at the memory. " if you ever want some song recs i can definitely send some your way, " benni offers with a nod. their own eyes shifted downward to the box noting they weren't the typical ones she was used to. " the chocolatey the better, sounds like my lucky day. "

"Really?" Nova said in surprise. "I mean my dad forbade a lot of things growing up like rock n roll. I hope that isn't the case for you though." Nova replied sincerely. Nova looked at the graham crackers. "We also have chocolate graham crackers and the ones that dont taste too much like honey." Nova reassured holding up the box. "So it can be an extra cholately experience if you desire."

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a small smile tugs at her lips at his statement. " not in your lifetime, you're more likely to see a wanted poster than a mugshot, " she says matter-of-factly with a raised brow. ingrid would be damned if she ever got caught. that image he had shown her that night in the alleyway was hopefully the first and last time she'd ever be spotted. the silence that hung in the air only seemed to heighten the tension that she could feel between them. she wanted to fill it, to ask him questions, just to keep him talking. at any moment one of them could come to their senses and in would come the distance. right now ingrid just wanted to be closer. feelings she couldn't explain starting to swirl inside of her.

the voice in her head telling her this wasn't a good idea was starting to get quieter and quieter. so instead of walking in the complete other direction, she followed him deeper into the trees. away from the crowds of people and lingering eyes, somewhere that it was just the two of them. once they came to a bit of a clearing ingrid shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. the woman was afraid they would have a mind of their own and jump out and grab him if she didn't do something to contain them. every fiber of her being screamed for her to reach for him, but she couldn't. no matter how handsome he looked in the moonlight. " um, not yet, " she murmurs with furrowed brows at the question. " i figured i'd give myself one fun night before becoming a big bad demon slayer, " a bubble of laughter disguising the inadequacies she felt in regards to her powers.

"If you ever get arrested, I am framing that picture, just so you know," he said, raising his eyebrows at her in jest. He only smirked at her words, not pushing to know more even though he wished to know everything about her. All the nitty gritty details, the stuff that couldn't be found with a thorough online investigation. He wanted to know things he wouldn't admit out loud, like what her favorite flowers were and if she took cream and sugar in her coffee. Those thoughts were not welcome, as they only led him further down the rabbit hole, only spun around in his mind, making him feel like a teenager with a crush.

Because what was this really? What he was feeling? He hadn't had a crush, maybe ever, but despite his best intentions to stay away from her, he couldn't do it. And now, her hand was in his and they walked further away from the party, further away from the viewing eyes of crowds, those hungry for a sliver of gossip. He led her away, down a narrow path he knew ended with a nice view of a small stream. "So," he said, uncertain what to talk about. All he could think about was how beautiful she looked, and once those thoughts started, he couldn't stop them. And all of a sudden he was thinking about their kiss. Fingers twitched at his side, and he used all his remaining restraint not to kiss her right there. "You find that guy? For your friend?" was all he could manage to say, all he could think of to steer the conversation away from you look so beautiful, because if he hadn't said something he would have said that and then where would they be?

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they couldn't help the stifled laugh from falling at his words. wearing a helmet wouldn't have helped her much in the past few days. " oh my gosh, who pissed in your cheerios to give you that kinda attitude ? " benni asks with another laugh and shake of their head. " clearly you don't trust easily, i think i should start working on that. " the last half of their sentence was more for themself. a reminder they would truly need to take to heart in her future. " i'd say i'm starting to feel more like the tin man these days, " they said giving him a nod.

something about the man was familiar. benni couldn't exactly put her finger on where she'd seen him or if they ever really had. " i'm in no rush to find it at the moment, " eyes scanning quickly to see if it would jump out at her. " but i might take you up on that in a little bit. or you can owe me one. "

“ WHAT CAN I SAY? life’s tough, we should all be wearing helmets. “ the man joked with a snort. the hand holding onto the cup he’d been offered, swirled it around. “ besides wouldn’t appearing trustworthy be the exact way for you to ‘ get me? ‘tsk, tsk, i’m on to you. “ he stated with a playful tilt of his chin. “ how very wicked witch of the west of you. “ he deadpanned with a roll of his shoulders, listening to her he nodded.

“ want any help finding it? “ the girl was familiar to him, not an acquaintance per say but he knew enough about his target to pin point the ‘ friends ‘ and ‘ others ‘ she surrounded herself with ⸺ that is if said target was actually capable of making any real connections. “ only way i’ll take this very GENEROUS gift.. without offering something else in return. “

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the emergency text from kaya had ingrid moving at damn near lightning speed to the lockwood's. with absolute zero context this could have been theo related or demon related. two wildly different situations. instead of ruminating over what it could be she just moved quicker. seeing kaya and asher outside the house ingrid mumbled an incantation to strengthen her hearing, seeing if she could gather a bit more context before skipping up the steps. Ingrid goes where I go. She's coming with us, and she'll come back safe too. And come on, get your head out of your ass, Asher. There's no world where I leave you in hell, was what she heard before she cut off the spell. that was all the context she really needed. hell, that meant only one thing; demon time.

now actually within ear shot a toothy grin plastered over her features. " oh i was born ready, " she muses with a hefty nod. her fingertips twitched with power at the mere thought of getting to kill the son of a bitch that hurt kaya and her family. her eyes scanned the bag and some of its contents. weapons. " any of those for me or am i strictly witchly ? "

@lothariolockwood

A lot had gone on in the space of her talking. Asher, again, stared for another long minute before he spoke. “Hold the phone…. Hold it right there. YOU. You did magic, instead of… our super bad ass witch friend.” But then his other big brother mode kicked in. “I’m sorry, who the hell is Teddy?” Shaking his head he held his hands up. “Alright let’s count the flaws. I’m not saying NO mind you because right now you look like you’ve put a shit ton of thought into this and I’m never one to count you out of a fight.”

“It’s easy for us to get to hell. Because part of us came from there. Ingrid doesn’t have that. If she gets stuck down there we might not be able to fix it. So when she gets here, you get to make sure there’s no grievous skeletons in her closet that leaves her damned. It’s not like it’s just a free pass in there. Second… this is going to be your first time going. And I need you to remember the part of you that does belong there is going to be hungry to get out. You better keep yourself controlled. And if you can’t, I need you to tell me.”

Sighing, he closed his eyes. “Third, you need to not jump right in. We have to make sure we work as a team. Because if I lose you again….” Asher’s jaw clenched and he looked at the ground before he turned around to avoid eye contact altogether. “Just promise me if anything happens you won’t stay and you’ll get out with Ing.”

@cxrsedmuse @rumblcs

[rumblcs]

ingrid didn't usually find herself drinking much at events like these, especially with all of the freak things happening in the city. still she found herself a couple drinks in leaving her with a slight tipsy feeling. that buzz was certainly affecting her awareness of her surroundings as well as her depth perception. the collision almost brought a shout from the witch, but seeing it was her cousin, a grin tugged at her lips. " no worries, felicity, " she offers kindly, " i'm good, are you ? just as much my fault as it is yours. "

open to all ! location: paradigm gardens event 002: lighting of the solstice @inaducursehqstarters

As Felicity twirled to the catchy beat of the music at the lively bonfire event in town, she found herself completely immersed in the joyful atmosphere. Lost in the moment, she accidentally collided with someone nearby, causing her to stop abruptly and turn around in surprise. With a sheepish smile on her face, she quickly stepped forward and offered her sincere apology to the person she had bumped into, "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Are you alright?"

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ingrid could barely contain the almost giddy expression that was threatening to take over her entire face. the flush on kaya's face and theo's awkward movements were so cute. the witch had to continuously bite her tongue. this was a moment she saw coming years ago. her gaze moves to meet kaya's and a quick lift of her brows shot in her direction. theo and kaya had been constants in her life and the thought of them together just made sense. clearly they were figuring it out and ingrid was happy enough watching from the side lines.

she slings one arm over theo's shoulder before speaking again, " y'know, kaya and i can handle our alcohol much better than you can. you wouldn't be dragging us home, more like herding our staggering asses like the border collie you are, einstein. " now she turns a little to kaya, arm still around theo, " beer pong first, then a s'more or two. maybe burning can find itself into the equation if we feel particularly flamed. what do ya say gang ? "

Kaya's rambling stopped dead in its tracks as soon as Theo approached. For a second, she stood looking at him completely dumbstruck. Until he opened his mouth, Ingrid opened hers, and she snapped back to reality. God, what had gotten into her? Had the kiss really been that good? Well... yes, but that wasn't something she wanted to think about while her best friend was standing right in front of her. Even that passing thought made her cheeks turn red.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure if any one of us goes down, the other two are legally obligated to follow. That's like, best friend code 101." The hellhound made quick eye contact with the witch at her side, internally screaming. She wasn't supposed to feel so awkward around Theo, and that's why the whole thing had been a mistake. Thankfully, they stood close by to the bar, and another drink was within arm's reach. Taking a long sip, she exhaled. "Okay, so what's the game plan? S'mores, burning shit? Beer pong?" Glancing at Theo she stated, matter-of-factly, "Me and Ing crush at beer pong."

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" you got it, " benni holds the box given to them and starts moving in the direction of the fire. " i've never actually had a s'more, " they confess with a small laugh. " i'm not really a graham cracker fan and i was always totally fine with just a roasted marshmallow. i think i'm going to change that tonight, " they say with a nod.

"That's great to hear. Glad you are keeping up with treatment." Nova said sincerely. She didn't want Benni to get an infection. Nova handed her the box of marshallows. "I think this is a fair amount I'll carry the chocolate and graham crackers."

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she listened silently when he spoke. the one thing ingrid had to give asher was his fervor, especially in this particular moment. if anything similar had happened to her siblings, ingrid would be out for blood. hell she still was in regards to kaya. " i think you're going to have to fight kaya for the honor of ending 'em, " she muses with a dry laugh. maybe the two of them could each get a few hits in before the demon was finally destroyed. the witch thought for a moment at the hellhounds question. dreams hadn't been something she had really dabbled in, but she remembered something from her studies. " so i do know of one spell. it's a more active thing, a dream manipulation spell, i could implant a specific dream in her head. i feel like that's more invasive than simply eliminating nightmares. let me see if i can find something like the latter before we try it. " if she couldn't find one, the redhead could always create one. " asher, you're a good brother. "

“I was giving him all I had. For everything. For Mariana. Kaya. My mom.” He was getting heated just thinking about the whole interaction again, every bruise throbbing in unison as he did so. “You’re right. He won’t. Because I’m gonna hunt him down. And when I get my hands on him this time… he’s not getting away. I’m gonna kill him.” Glancing at the bottle, he sighed. “Speaking of Mari…” he turned to her then. “She’s not sleeping alright… I need to help her anyway I can and she keeps having these nightmares. Can you teach me something? I know you’ve got all that witchy knowledge and know more magic than anyone… tell me there’s a way to keep her dreams good. I’m not the best big brother in the world but… if I can do one or two things right I’d like to.”

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" well now i know you're lying, " she chuckles with a shake of her head, " i have never been arrested. " thankfully. surely she'd get her ass absolutely handed to her by both of her parents and that was the last thing she would ever need. " cute to know i have a fan though, " she teases as one hand lifts to push her hair over to one shoulder. letting the light breeze cool down her neck. it really was starting to get warm and she couldn't decipher the exact cause. being close to him seemed to affect her more than she'd like to admit. no, he certainly didn't know everything. why did she have the urge to tell him everything ? " and you probably never will, " a brow raised as she spoke. maybe it was a challenge, a dare even. the witch felt herself wanting to know about him. wanting to unlock the apparent vault that was heathcliff blackwell.

her gaze shifted from heath's face to his outstretched hand then back to meet his eyes. it would be smart of her to keep herself firmly planted on the log with her hands clasped tightly in her lap. of course she didn't do such a thing. ingrid put her cup down to the side and got to her feet. she grasped his hand gently and tugged lightly to motion him upwards before reluctantly letting go. her fingertips itched to entwine with his. there were too many people around, and there was still the small sting of the memory of his prior rejection. " c'mon, let's, " still a smile finds its way onto her face.

He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as she spoke. Poking fun at her petty crime habits was always a good time. He didn't actually know that much about it, other than the one photo he'd seen. It could have been the only time she'd stolen, for all he knew. But that wouldn't stop him from teasing her endlessly about it. "I've actually got your mugshot framed in my office," he jested, looking down his nose at her. They seemed to get closer and closer, even though his body was planted firmly in one spot. They were like magnets, unable to stay away. "I definitely don't know everything," he said, hazel eyes finding hers. But god, did he want to know everything about her. When had that happened? How could he turn it off?

I want to stay. His lips pressed into a smile, the corners turning upwards as he restrained himself from giving her another full-tooth smile. Taking a sip of the remains of his beer, he placed the bottle on the ground next to his foot, then held out his hand for her to take, or not. "Let's go for a walk," he said, eyeing her carefully. He was so aware of everyone around them, everyone within view. And though he just wanted to talk to her, he couldn't turn off the part of his brain that eavesdropped on all conversations, all voices in range interrupting his thought process. Or maybe, it was just her that made it impossible to think, impossible to completely clear his head.

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elijah, that had to be the absolute last name caroline expected to hear. frankly it had her taken aback. his words reverberated in her brain, it wasn't him, elijah. the blonde shook her head roughly, it didn't matter right now. having eren calm down was priority number one, she could get to the bottom of whatever happened later. " did you complete the transition, sweetheart ? " she needed to know exactly where he was at in order to figure out how to best help him. the expression on his face didn't bring her any comfort. though clearly he had been through a lot, who wouldn't be shaken.

"There were two voices and it wasn't him, don't be mad at Elijah, please," he said as he was led inside, feeling every part of him giving up on anything remotely possible. He was stuck, he was now immortal with no idea on how to move forward with his life. Looking down at the ground, a haunted and lifeless look was all that could be seen in his eyes as he wondered what would happen to him now

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What’s something you would change if you ran the world? (ingrid)

" i'll be so real with you. ruling the world sounds like a nightmare. i cannot even rule myself properly. but if i was somehow thrust into that position, i'm getting rid of all oranges and orange flavored things. we don't need 'em. yuck. "

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" oh he definitely is, completely out of his mind. but even a broken clock is right twice a day, " a gentle laugh accompanying her words. maybe it was the guilt swirling in her gut, or the gratefulness and touch of admiration for him for bringing kaya home, but she couldn't be as harsh with him. not right now anyway. ingrid wraps her arms around herself as her gaze leaves him and moves toward the ground. " sounds like a cowardly move if you ask me, poofing away in the middle of a fight. " surely she'd think that, as she could never give anything up. the grip on her cup tightens a hair as he brings up heath. " yeah, " she replies shortly, not wanting to divulge anything else about the interaction. " they're not going to get away with it, lockwood, any of it. "

“Sounds like a real dumbass if you ask me.” He joked as she sat beside him. Looking over at her, he took a moment to really let that sink in. A ‘thank you’ from Ingrid. Might as well have been a gold star. He looked away again before he gave her an answer. “Dunno. Poofed away in a cloud of smoke before I could get any good look at my work.” He muttered. “Hoping I left one hell of an impression though. Touch the people I care about, get lit up like the Fourth of July.” He took a sip of his drink, still sounding bitter when he asked her his next question, not intending to but the thought of his ass getting beat in that alley still had him torqued up. “Heath give you everything you needed?”

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What’s one small thing or practice that has vastly improved your quality of life? (caroline)

" journaling. if i'm able to scribble down my thoughts before they leave my mouth, usually then they're nicer by the time they're verbalized. plus it helps me sort out my crazy sometimes. not fool proof though, i haven't gotten a pocket one on me all the time or anything. maybe i should though. "

[rumblcs]

seeing the pulsing veins under diana's eyes had benni's widening in a mixture of fear and surprise. the other was a vampire so of course the human didn't have enough time to react before her fangs were piercing her skin. how could this be ? how could this person she believed she'd known rather well ( not entirely of course ) be a vampire. a sense of numbness settled into her bones for a moment as the creature recoils back. instinctively her hand slides into her coat pocket to retrieve one of the stakes she'd stashed.

for a moment she was frozen, stuck in rumination over every interaction she could remember the pair ever having in the past. were there signs benni missed in their ignorance ? or even worse; had this happened before ? " what did i do ? " benni's frantic voice raises while her grip on the stake hardens. they don't move towards diana, frozen in their spot. " what did you do ? " it felt like elena all over again, but worse.

benni's friendship with the gilbert had been developing, so was the trust. but diana had both from benni. betrayal stinging their eyes as tears of their own began to form. her heart began pounding in their chest, unable to even feel the wound any longer, adrenaline kicking in. though she could feel the light sensation of her blood trailing down her skin " what the fuck, diana ? i thought we were — " the word friends died on their tongue. benni knew there were good vampires out there, her aunt was undead proof.

Standing in front of Benni made an uncomfortable amount of feeling stir in her chest. They had been true friends. Though Diana fed on her constantly and compelled her to forget certain moments, she had felt real and true feelings for the person standing before her at one point. And perhaps that was what made her flee New York in such a hurry. Feelings had never been her strong suit, even as a human. And connecting with Benni? Well, it had made her crazy. She'd worried about her, thought about her constantly, even when not in her presence, and that was not okay.

To escape those feelings, she'd compelled the human to forget their, well, involvement, leaving only details of their friendship. Her brain screamed at her, those feelings rising again. Ones of care, of worry, of a certain kind of love—platonic or not—that she'd never experienced before. And all of that, all of the thoughts circling her brain, made her want to scream. It was like she wasn't properly equipped to deal with feelings like these, of friendship or otherwise. Getting close to people had never been an option and it still absolutely was not.

Diana cleared her throat. "Right, Europe," she said, voice slightly hoarse. "There's so much to tell." But her voice came out plain and uninterested as she wrestled with the obnoxious emotions inside of her. She barely listened, barely understood what they said. And before she could realize what was happening, the veins around her eyes deepened and her fangs extended. "I'm sorry," she said, the words coming out despite her desire to push them back and away.

And then she seized Benni, sinking her teeth into their neck. They only drank from them a bit before pushing her away, retching and grasping at her throat. "What?" she asked, desperation in her voice, "What did you do to me?" All at once flashbacks came of the vervain her parents had forced upon her. The way she'd felt so docile, so incapable of being herself for so long.

She dropped to her knees, and felt tears sting at her eyes as she avoided looking at Benni. What was wrong with her? Why had she hurt someone she thought a friend of? Why had her parents hurt their own daughter? Why did she always make the wrong choice? Were those tears stinging at her eyes? "Don't look at me," she ordered, using her strength to zip away from Benni, throwing her back up against a nearby tree, making eye contact with Benni across the way. Awaiting their next move.