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1x07

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“Please do,” Evie sincerely replied, “As I said, I would be more than happy to track him down for you. And it was nice meeting you, too, Miresse. I look forward to having a conversation with you later.” Then the other woman headed towards Bernard’s office, and Evie returned to preparing the club for its opening within the hour. She was so intent on her work, on making sure that each and every little thing was perfect that - had she not had her werewolf instincts - she would have been startled by Miresse’s reappearance a half hour later. At her question, she hesitated before admitting, “I’m new here, and the fact that I’m working the floor this fast - I’m being trusted with that, and I take that trust seriously.” A beat. “With that being said, this place - it doesn’t seem like an ordinary nightclub. It feels upscale, and our clientele - down to the way they’re dressed - reflect that. Which is why, and please know this comes from a place of wanting the best for your business, I think you should have an amuse-bouche to be paired with each of your drinks. And it can be done cost-effectively, I know that it can. If, of course, that’s something you’re interested in. If not, I am just genuinely grateful that I’ve been given the chance to work here.”

Miresse smiles at Evie as she ponders who she is. She likely should have stated who she was sooner, but she liked to see what the employees would do and how they would act around someone who wasn't the big boss.

"Perfect," Miresse says to Bernard, being in his office.

"If he isn't I'll let you know," Miresse winks.

"It was nice meeting you Evie. I'll be down to talk more a bit later."

She always spoke to everyone when she came to see how things really were at each level. However, as she was from overseas, she only checked in twice a year.

Miresse disappeared for over a half hour while Bernard was in his office. After looking at the books and speaking to him, she made her way back down, coming to the front.

"So what sort of things work around here, and what doesn't? From someone who works the floor."

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Jennsen looked up at him, her big blue eyes shining with unshed tears as she nodded her head, “You’re right. I’m not. And even though she’s not here to say it, I know in my heart that my mom is so glad that we found each other. That she would agree that there is no one better to lead and guide me through all of this - however long we have together. So again, you’re right. I’m not alone. Even when we part, I will carry what you’ve taught me - I will carry a piece of you with me. And I am very grateful for that, Ross.” She wiped away the tears that threatened to spill over, before taking his arm, lightly laughing, “As I said, the blushing will most certainly not be an issue. Besides, I imagine that newlywed couples are very caught up in one another. Not that they’re not polite or kind to those around them, but that they’re sort of lost in that bliss of having just gotten married. We can use that, too.” A beat passed before she added, “It helps to focus on you, to know that I have you helping me to navigate my way through each step we take. If that just looks like a wife infatuated with her husband, so be it.” She took a deep breath before they entered the restaurant, nodding, “Ready.”

Jennsen attempted to offer him a small smile, “Then you’re doing better than I am. Because I just explained all of that to you, and I still don’t understand any of it - not really. It’s too much. But at least if I were a mutant or someone capable of using magic, I wouldn’t be alone. I would have a community, I would have other people I could ask the seemingly never-ending string of questions running through my head right now. But as it stands, it’s just me. And even if there was a way to find out more about who or - or what I really am, how could I ask questions without raising suspicion? Without calling attention to myself?” She didn’t expect him to have any answers, she was just thinking aloud. Then he was saying that they could go and deal with a small group of people, and take it from there, and she simply nodded in agreement. As for her being the blushing bride, and not fainting on him, she promised, “I’m not going to faint. But the blushing bride description will definitely be working in my favor...”

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Reagan couldn’t help but smile at the sight before her. Rylee was so happy and content with ice cream for breakfast and playing at the park. It was normal, and it was ordinary, and it was absolutely beautiful. As was Pietro’s already obvious love for the little girl; he was a natural, and Rylee was lucky to have him for a dad. She was pulled out of her thoughts when the little girl tugged on Pietro’s hand in an attempt to guide him back to the ice cream truck, and she lightly teased, “Are you telling me that’s all it takes - that this whole time a little tug on your hand would’ve gotten me a free ice cream? Because if that’s the case, I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”

Pietro had been glad that Rylee just had so much confidence.Even after what had happened to her. He ruffled her hair and just smiled fondly. "We'll get Regan an ice cream, then when you finish yours you can go and play," he told her. Rylee just grinned. She was happy to just get to go off and play. She tugged on Pietro's hand to go to the ice cream truck again.

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The mist, oblivious to time...

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kate's 365 days of ships:

day 78: clarice fong & john proudstar the gifted

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“Dead?” Clarice finished for him. “From what I understand, there are worse things for us. Mutants talk. Our kind get hauled off - prisons, mutant detention centers, even asylums. All a doctor has to say is that we’re a danger to ourselves or, more importantly, to humans, and we’re gone. But it’s about what happens after. Suddenly we disappear from the systems. From the facilities. And the lengths they’re willing to go through to understand how the X-gene works, or how they might be able to use our powers against their enemies...” She trailed off, shaking her head. “...Not saying you don’t have people chasing after you, but it’s a whole different kind of hunt when you’re a mutant. And Purifiers are your run-of-the-mill hate group, and I’ll give you three guesses as to who they hate - who they want to ‘purify’ the world of, and the first two don’t count.”

James had to admit the odds were stacked against Clarice, no matter how much of the strange teleportation power she had. They could still kill or grab her if they caught her off-guard, and it didn't sound out of the realm of possibility.

"Well...I guess you've done something right, considering you're here talking to me and not..." He trailed off and didn't finish the thought, figuring she could fill in the blanks.

"I can relate a little bit, though I ain't got to worry about getting tracked like that. Like the Purifiers...who exactly are they, anyway?"

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“It’s not going to get worse,” Evie reassured him with a shake of her head, “Like I said, this is literally what I do, and I was trained by the best. So we’re going to get through this together, and I want to thank you for fighting with me, for trying so hard. I know that those who love you, who are waiting for you to return home will be grateful, too.” As for his comment about her being strong and how that would keep him alive, she simply said, “We’re a team. And why would I run? If someone needs help, you don’t take off in the opposite direction, you help them.” She gently took his hands in an attempt to press them to the injury so that she could retrieve the med kit from her bag; she needed to get the wound sewn up as quickly as possible. “Yes, you are. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Devendra - I’m Evelyn. Evie. And I don’t know what that means, but maybe you can explain it to me while I patch you up.” Then he said that he was currently just a man who needed to live, and she shook her head, “I don’t believe that. I believe that every life is important, that every life holds immense value. And you are going to fight another day, but that fight is going to have to start right now, because I don’t have any pain medication in my kit.” She would need to cart around a ridiculous amount for it to even begin to have an effect on a wolf - which she obviously couldn’t do - so it wasn’t part of her arsenal.

Dev’s eyes flickered with faint gratitude despite the pain, his breath ragged but steadying under her calm words. He tried to focus, the haze around him thinning just enough to catch the edge of her determination. “Not my worst,” he whispered, voice low and strained. “But close enough... If it gets worse... I won’t-” A sharp cough cut him off, and blood dripped from his lips again. He clenched his jaw. “I’m trying. Fighting... for them.” His gaze drifted toward where the wolf had been, then back to Evie. “You’re… strong. That’ll keep me alive.” The hint of a breath caught in his throat. “Thanks... for not running.”

He gave a weak, grim nod. “I’m staying.”

Dev’s eyes darkened for a moment as he struggled to hold on, then he forced the words out, voice rough but steady. “My name’s Devendra Yug.” He swallowed hard, wincing against the pain. “They call me the ruler of Chanderi… but right now, I’m just a man who needs to live.” His gaze locked on Evie’s, raw and honest despite the blood and exhaustion. “Help me… so I can fight another day.”

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A huff of air escaped Thomas’ lips, “Again, not one to give advice on that; I like being quiet as much as my sister likes to chirp away. And I don’t know anything about vampires, I don’t know if they live in groups, if whoever changed you was supposed to help you work through all of this - I don’t even know if you have any kind of established law as a species. But, seeing as the entire world doesn’t know that you exist, that even werewolves don’t seem to know you exist, there must be some kind of system in place. Question is, who do you go to - who can you trust to show you the ropes.” As for his family, he was silent for a long beat, considering his words, “You have to get the need to feed under control first. After that, you might be able to pop in and out of their lives for a little while, but eventually... You’re not aging, and they’re going to notice that. You’re going to have to let them go to keep them safe.” Then he asked what was on the ‘not behaving list’, and once again Thomas deadpanned, “Killing you.”

“As someone who just wants to get past them instead of actually dealing with them, I am probably the last person in the world who should talk to you about overwhelming emotions,” Thomas admitted. “So I’m going to take a page out of my sister’s book and say, after everything you’ve been through, you can’t blame yourself for it; anyone would feel that way. Not to mention, if everything has suddenly become heightened - your hearing, your sense of smell, and so on, it only makes sense that it would extend to your emotions. If you want to talk about them, I’m not as great at giving advice, clearly, but I am a good listener.” He then nodded, “That’s my hope. But it’s Evelyn. She’s going to worry more about you and me and what we might need than what she does. Hell, the latter won’t even occur to her. Still, if we’re not around, makes it harder for her to focus on us.” As for them giving her time and showing her that they could behave, Thomas deadpanned, “When did we make that agreement?”

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Luke Mitchell, still obsessing about his coffee.

“Thinking about coffee”. (photo by @JustinBettman)

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Do you give second chances? -Lucan

“That would involve interacting with anyone beyond doing my job.”

[[I tried, anon, I really did, but it’s Lucan 😂. Getting him to answer any sort of question like this - without it directly involving another particular character/thread - is like pulling teeth.]]

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“I could go outside before,” Annie replied with a shrug. “For the most part, no one would be able to see me, though. It’s like I’d make a bit of progress, and then some sort of setback would happen, and I would disappear again. But between confronting Owen and everything that happened with Herrick... Something changed. I changed.” She felt different now. More powerful - both mentally and physically. And she didn’t know what it meant, or what it would mean down the line - especially since she’d literally denied death’s door - but for now, she was enjoying feeling the most alive she’d felt... well, since she’d been alive. Then she was moving a strand of hair away from Mitchell’s face, telling him how lucky she was to have him - quickly adding George as well - but not before Mitchell stated that they were both lucky. That brought a smile to her face, and a bit of a sheepish one at that, however it quickly turned into a grin as he became excited at the idea of takeaway. “I know you too well. Just put The Real Hustle on TV along with it, and it’s your idea of the perfect night in. And not the best, but not the worst; we don’t want our plan to be completely obvious.”

Annie continued to laugh, shaking her head, “I’ve spent almost all of the time that we’ve known each other in that house - I should’ve kept a tally.” Then she was telling him, whether she was visible or not, how he always made her feel seen and how glad she was that he was still there, and his simple response spoke volumes. They were both silent for a beat, taking one another in, and she reached up to brush a strand of hair away from his face, “How lucky I am to have you.” Having realized what she said, she looked down, quickly adding, “Both of you, I mean. My boys.” As for him telling her that he didn’t need the quality pizza, that it wasn’t like pizza that had gone off could kill him or anything, she lightly laughed again, “I think we can both mark ourselves as safe from bad pizza. But we do have enough to get you a pizza that’s a step above frozen. We could do takeaway on a night you’re not planning on burning dinner...”

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“I’m just trying to find a balance,” Reagan replied before explaining, “I mean, I know you have powers, you know I have powers, and I’m guessing you’ve somehow managed to stay under the radar while I haven’t. ....There’s a bounty on my head.” Words that she knew could change everything, that could demolish what they’d built so far, but she needed to be honest with him. “So I only show up when I’m sure that the coast is clear, that I’m not bringing any danger to your doorstep. And having someone to talk to again has been great - you are a great listener. I just hope - because I know I talk a lot - that you feel like that’s been reciprocal, like you can talk to me, too.”

Pietro nodded. He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Well, you can reach out to me whenever you want to or need to. Even if you just want to hang out. I'm always going to be up for that," he assured her. "I don't think it's such a bad thing to need to talk to someone sometimes. And I'm a good listener."

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Moon and Venus conjunction

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Imogen Poots