#chatzy: athena

[3starsquinn]

Out of the Blue || Ariana, Athena & Orion

Timing: Last night, following this chatzy

Parties: @letsbenditlikebennett​, @athenaquinn​ & @3starsquinn​

Summary: Rio comes to visit Athena in the hospital following their encounter with Lydia.

Content: Mentions of Abuse

Orion hated hospitals. Apparently, that sentiment lasted beyond his father’s death. As it turned out, the mood was not any less depressing or the setting any less melancholy as it had been when his father worked the halls of this place. Being in the hospital reminded him of his childhood, quietly following his family down these same halls and faking a smile for the staff that spoke about him instead of to him directly. Even now he remembered exactly how it felt, because he felt the same way again. His chest was tight, anxiety skyrocketing and his heart beating so rapidly that it threatened to punch a hole through him. But even as every instinct fought against him, Rio forced himself into an elevator up to the floor the front desk had specified. He owed an apology to his sister, something he never planned on doing. Then again, he had never pictured himself breaking her arm either. He had been such an idiot, blindly promising something to a woman he had barely known. There had been no way to know that she had been as monstrous as she had turned out, but knowing that did nothing to alleviate the guilt. He didn’t know how to even begin apologizing to people. To Athena and Luce for hurting them. To Winston for forcing them to make such a hard decision. To Ariana for unknowingly helping the woman who killed her friend. To Kaden for ever holding any doubts about him. He had screwed everything up, made everyone worry and all in some idiotic attempt to protect a serial killer masquerading as a Fae afraid of hunters. Some genius Rio turned out to be.

Orion checked in with the nurses station, asking them to point out Athena’s room. He was biding his time, hands in pocket and staring at the ground as he dragged himself across the tiles and towards the door, but he stopped himself when he heard voices. Two very familiar voices. He debated moving any closer, but began shaking his head. Nope. I can do this another time. He spun around, heading away from the room and back towards the elevators when a nurse swooped in to stop him, “Wrong way, sweetie. Her room’s right over here. I’ll show you.” She grabbed onto his shoulder gently and guided him back around and down the hall. He was too awkward to try to stop her. Instead he just smiled and blushed, staying silent as she eased him forward down the hall and into the doorway. On arrival, Rio was immediately greeted by not only Athena, but Ariana. Both were staring at him from the comfort of her way too small hospital bed. He mumbled a thanks to the nurse, at least hoping to spare her of the awkwardness that Rio was ready to endure. “Oh uh. Hey you two. How’s it going?” Dumb question. 

She’d been doing her best to just focus on Ariana, to block out the rest of the world around them. Even though things had grown calmer since Ariana had arrived, she still couldn’t help but still occasionally seize up in a moment of panic. Athena buried her face into Ariana’s shoulder, doing her best to keep her arm upright. She’d be allowed to go home soon, she had heard. She knew that, because broken arms didn’t mean long hospital stays and she was old enough that they didn’t ask too many questions about any of what had happened. Saying that she’d had a bad fall did the job well enough, and having many of the staff know her family made it so that they didn’t push too far. She just hoped that her brother was okay, wherever he was. He’d been in so much distress back with Lydia and everything. 

Except, apparently, she didn’t have to think much longer because she heard a noise at the doorway and looked up, still laying against Ariana. “I - Ri.” She blinked a few times. “Hi.” Athena bit her lip. “You can - we’re - I - better?” She sighed. “You can come in.” She didn’t move from her position against Ariana, her eyes falling shut for a moment before reopening. “There’s a chair, and there’s Jello, if you want. Too sweet for us - but if you need something.” She gave a small nod. “Plus side, at least my cast is cute? I’m glad to see you too. Really.” She looked straight at her brother. “They didn’t send you to the hospital, did they?”

Normally, it was hard to surprise Ariana. It was one of the many benefits of having a heightened sense of hearing and smell. Given everything, the only sound she found herself focusing on was the soft thumps Athena’s heart made as they laid there in the small hospital bed. It just barely kept her grounded though she could still see the events at Lydia’s home playing over and over in her mind. The way Kelly and Chloe screamed as Todd fell to the ground. How much blood had poured from him. How it still seemed to linger in her nose the same way Sammy’s had. A familiar voice finally brought her out of her head. She blinked slowly and looked up at Rio. “Hey,” she said quietly, still nestled into Athena. Thankfully, she seemed to have the whole greeting thing down and was offering him Jello. “It’s good to see you, Rio.” And it was. She knew he had to be struggling right now. She knew how difficult it was to have someone use your words to make you hurt people you cared for. Somehow, anger was still able to surface in here, but she took and deep breath and asked, “You doing okay?”   

Orion was absolutely not doing okay. But everything considered, he didn’t exactly have the right to tell them otherwise. How did he even begin to describe how he was feeling? Guilty for being part of what had happened? Weak for falling under her guise in the first place? Disgust that she had been killed right in front of him, by people that he cared about? For all the emotions that he felt, none of them could measure up to Athena and Ariana’s pain. Besides, he needed to try to stay positive. “Uh yeah, I’m fine. No hospital for me.” Rio grabbed at the burn in his side where Winston had tased him. The thing still stung, but the pain wouldn’t last much longer. The scar might stick around for awhile though, the voltage would have been pretty high if it was strong enough to knock out a hunter. “Are you both okay?” He hadn’t exactly figured out yet how to word his apology to Athena. Maybe she didn’t blame him, but that did nothing to make him feel any better about everything. It didn’t change the look in her eyes or the sound of her bones snapping. The thought itself made Rio’s stomach flip. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. I can come back later.” Or never, that worked too.

“Good. I - it’s always good to not have to go - I mean, hospitals help, but I’m glad you didn’t have to go.” Athena bit her lip. She watched him hold onto his side, and she wanted to ask him if she could check it out, make sure he actually was okay and wasn’t just faking it, which she knew he was prone to doing, sometimes. They both were. “I’m fine,” she looked over to Ariana, “we’re fine.” Relatively, at least. “I mean - you know, could be better, but…” She pushed herself up using her free hand, though still did her best to stay as close to Ariana as was possible. “No, you can stay. Please. I’d like you to stay.” She did - she knew that something had to be at least a bit up if her brother was willing to come to the hospital and if he felt the need to track her down. She used her good hand to gesture at him to come and sit down. “Stay.” Her voice was more clear now. “You’re not interrupting anything. Saves me a FaceTime call at least, right?” She let a ghost of a smile cross her lips.

“Yes, it’s better you’re not hurt enough to need hospital care,” Ariana agreed. It was apparent that there was some tension between both of them. Their relationship had barely been on the mend before all of this happened which she supposed left things in a delicate state now. She gave Athena’s good arm a gentle squeeze before she shifted. She didn’t want to take away from the conversation they likely needed to have. More than anything, she wanted to see Rio and Athena get back to a good place. They both deserved as much after everything they’d been through. With a small nod, she said, “We’re okay.” Physically speaking, she was anyway. She hadn’t been hurt. She looked to Rio earnestly, “Please, stay.” She looked between the twins and felt this gnawing need to leave the room. Let them talk this whole thing through. “I could really go for some coffee and I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about. Would you like me to grab some for you? I think they have hot chocolate, too.” The last part was more for Rio. If she remembered from mornings spent at his home alongside Winston and Ricky, he’d never gone for the coffee. 

Either they were both lying, or Ariana and Athena had better coping techniques than Orion had. Because he was certainly not okay. But for the sake of his own sanity as well as those around him, he needed to at least pretend to be. It was better than completely falling apart. “I’ll take a hot chocolate. Please.” Rio was self aware enough to know that Ariana was leaving more for his and Athena’s benefit rather than an actual desire to get coffee. But for how much he wanted to argue against her being the one to go and hightail it out of the hospital himself, he didn’t think either of them would let him. Ariana seemed pretty passionate about reconnecting the Quinn twins. And Athena had always cared more about their connection than Rio himself had. Before, Rio had good reason to steer clear. He wasn’t so clear anymore. Even after Ariana slipped from the bed and left the room, Rio didn’t move from the wall on the opposite side of the room. “I’m so sorry. About your arm and Lydia and.. well everything that happened yesterday I guess. I didn’t know.”

“You can get me a coffee if you’d like.” Athena looked over to Ariana. “With milk? Not too much sugar - I mean - you know what I like.” She sighed for a moment, focusing back on her brother. “You’ll come back soon?” She fiddled with the edge of her shirt, watching Ariana before she focused back on her brother. Her free hand reached out to where Ariana had been just moments before, a sigh of relief (or perhaps resignation, she wasn’t sure) escaped her lips. “You - it’s fine. It’s fine.” She said, her voice slipping, for a moment, into the tone it had taken on when they were children. “I figure I kind of deserve this, given everything I ever did to you.” She looked at him, eyes practically pleading. “Please come, at least sit within two feet of me, okay? I’m sorry you - I’m - I’m just glad you’re alive.” She could feel tears prick the corner of her eyes then. You’re not supposed to cry. 

Alone in the room with his sister, Orion began fiddling the belt loops of his jeans to distract himself. He didn’t want to make eye contact with his sister. He didn’t want to know what she was thinking. Surprising even him, Athena didn’t seem to care about her own arm at all. She had only seemed concerned about Rio. “This was completely different.” Rio shrugged, though in all actuality he wasn’t sure that it was. Was Athena simply manipulated by their parents the same way Rio was manipulated by Lydia? He knew it was different, but considering Rio’s injuries had never landed him in the hospital it barely seemed like the time to compare notes. With a sigh, he pushed off of the wall and practically tiptoed across the floor towards the bed. He still wouldn’t sit, but he found a spot leaning against the window instead. “I was never in any danger of dying. But I hurt the three of you.” Despite it all, he did truly believe Lydia had no intentions of hurting him. Not out of the kindness of her hurt of course, but because if she had ever come back to White Crest Rio could have been a useful pawn. He would have been forced to live with the knowledge that he helped a psychotic murderer. He still had to live with it now. In some ways, maybe that was worse. He could tell when Athena was starting to cry, though he hadn’t seen it for himself since they were little kids. “This is a stupid question but... she’s dead, yeah?”

“It’s not.” Athena shook her head. “It is - karma, or something? I don’t know. I’d say it was what I deserved,” she didn’t know exactly what to say. She hadn’t expected her brother to show up at the hospital, though she also wasn’t always sure what she was supposed to expect of him, now. He’d been manipulated by a fae and there was no universe in which she could blame him for that, though she was furious that he’d managed to get himself promise-bound despite her years of begging him to be careful. “You could have been. You don’t - she almost - I think she would have killed you if she stopped finding you useful.” She shook her head. She grabbed one of the too-rough tissues and pressed it against her cheek. “It’s not stupid, and yes. Very much so. I - I really relished in it, Ri - the way it felt, the power I felt. She deserved it - for what she did to you and what she did to Ariana.” She moved over on her bed. “I’m not so big, you can sit with me, yeah? Consider it a necessary apology if you really need something like that.” 

Maybe Athena was right. Maybe it was some sort of karma, but it definitely wasn’t a payback that Orion derived any joy from. He didn’t know how to respond so he chose not to. Better not to fall too deeply into that rabbit hole right now. Athena was probably right that Lydia would have gotten rid of him eventually once he had worn out his use. Rio’s real concern was how much he would have been forced to do before that time came. “Yeah well, as it turns out I apparently have more use than we originally thought.” With another shrug, Rio stared out the window and focused on a flock of birds flying past. What alternate dimension had Rio fallen into where Athena was the injured one crying and Rio was standing around stoically? “Right.” Rio didn’t love Athena’s answer. She took too much pride in taking her life. Monster or not, someone had just been killed. For once, Rio wasn’t even arguing against it. He just didn’t like how much she seemed to enjoy it while it was happening. “Well I don’t love that answer. But.. . I’m glad she’s gone.” At the very least the two could agree on that. But it seemed like sharing a hospital bed was pushing his limits. The two had been through a lot together this month, but it didn’t erase that he had been ready to drop his family entirely. Rio wasn’t ready to let all bygones be bygones. “I don’t want to take Ari’s spot. She’ll be back soon.” He used as an excuse, then crossed his arms as if to stand firm in his statement.

“I’ve always known you had use.” Athena whispered. Didn’t want to delve too far into that particular analysis, because she knew that digging up those sorts of conversations might just result in an argument and she was currently far from feeling up to that. Not here, not now, not with her brother. Not with her brother who she’d almost not once but twice in just over the past month. She shrugged. “You did ask, and I’ve tried to be more honest with you, at least as much as possible.” Athena glanced over at the window, at the birds outside. Why couldn’t her own brother look her in the eyes? They’d talked to some degree since everything had happened on their birthday, but now - now he wasn’t able to look at her? She looked back, looked past him - finding that she didn’t know just how to look at him, either. “You wouldn’t - she - okay,” she finally settled on. “You sure you don’t want Jello? You look like you haven’t eaten in days.”

It was still surreal that Orion and Athena were having conversations like this at all, let alone in a hospital room after fighting one another. Even after it all, the craziest thing was that Rio had been able to get the jump on Athena at all. He supposed it would be easy for Athena to underestimate him though. All these years and Athena had never seen Rio properly fight back. “It’s not a judgement.” At least, he didn’t mean for it to be taken as one. For as much as the idea of enjoying someone’s murder made him want to scream, he couldn’t exactly argue that he was mourning Lydia’s death. “It’s me being uncomfortable with that stuff. I’m trying to be honest too.” For what it was worth, Athena didn’t fight him on the seating arrangement. Another in the long list of odd changes between their dynamic. Athena hadn’t always been that quick to give up when she wanted something. “I’m fine.” Rio shook his head. He always looked like this, though she was right that it had been awhile. He had been rushing to get Lydia to safety that he had barely eaten anything. And after Winston brought him home he felt too sick to eat. Even now, as his stomach felt empty it still protested the idea of eating. “I’m not that hungry.”

She couldn’t even imagine the last time she’d been in the hospital with her brother. If ever. Orion hadn’t ever liked it, even when Athena had begged her father to let her come with him, to walk around the floors and beg the staff for a clipboard that was too big for her six-year-old arms to hold. “Okay. I - I didn’t know.” Her lips were set into a firm line and she looked away from her brother again. She was grateful he’d come by to check on her, grateful he did still care. “I’m glad you are, really and truly. It’s something we’re both moving toward, I think.” She grabbed her cup of water, taking another small sip of it. She didn’t have the energy to fight her brother. Be it fatigue from everything that had just happened or from the twenty-one years of being forced in some part to be adversaries - eleven solid years of that, she figured - Athena didn’t know. She just knew that yelling wouldn’t do her any good with respect to changing things or getting Ri to listen. “Okay. I - I haven’t - okay. I get that.” She forced her lips into a sad sort of smile. “It’s weird being in the hospital on this end. Not a fan. People who - well, people know me here.” She paused. “Know us, I guess.”

Orion had come to apologize. He had already done that and yet he was still standing in here with Athena. He didn’t know what to do or what to say. The two had talked more in the last month than they had in the last year or two. Despite this, Rio realized that he still had no idea how to actually talk to his sister. Aside from their parents, a few friends and an awkward tendency to like the same people, Rio had nothing in common with Athena. He didn’t know what that meant for their relationship. All he knew was that Athena would - now more than ever - want to continue talking and building some actual semblance of a familial relationship. Rio needed to decide if that was actually an option he would entertain. For now, he remained undecided. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Now more than ever. I keep getting pity looks from people about dad.” He had ignored more than a few outreaches by people checking in on him following his parent’s death. Most of them had come from coworkers at the hospital that never saw him in person. He never figured he would have to face them if he avoided the White Crest hospital for the remainder of his life. A small silence settled over the two after that, both lost in their own worlds. “Ari’s on her way back, I think.” He spoke up once he heard someone moving down the hall. It was hard to pick out the specific sounds and scents of a person, but Rio was slowly getting back at it. The mixed smell of chocolate and coffee made Rio assume it was her on her way back to the room.

She couldn’t remember the last time that she and her brother had talked this much. Athena only knew that it hadn’t been in forever. Even though she’d tried to, it had always sort of fallen flat - and she knew that it was because of their parents, perhaps - or perhaps something else. She wasn’t sure, and a whole lot of things were spinning around now, and she didn’t have the energy to force it or fight anything. “I know. I know.” She repeated, only loud enough for him to hear - just a whisper, but she knew he’d pick up on it, with his good hearing and all. “Try being a future doctor and his child and currently in the hospital. I am just real glad they finally left me alone a bit.” She glanced down at her lap as Rio made a remark about Ariana. “Okay.” She pushed herself up with her free hand. “I - it’ll be okay. We’ll be okay.” She pursed her lips off to the side. They had to be. With everything they’d gone through in the last month-and-a-bit, they had to be. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if she actually lost him, after having nearly lost him far too many times already.

[drowningisinevitable-retired]

Bad Blood || Athena & Mina

TIMING: Early June PARTIES: @drowningisinevitable and @athenaquinn LOCATION: The Toll Bridge SUMMARY: :) CONTENT: mentions of past emotional abuse

It was very, very, early, and Mina was running. Her leg muscles burned in that good way that came from physical exertion, not just from being hurt or harmed. She forgot how much she missed this. How much she needed this. Yes, Mina was a water nymph, but she was raised as a hunter, and hunting did not allow for extended time in the water. Hunting was a human pursuit, and training was a hunting pursuit, so she’d adapted. She’d learned to like running, to like being on land, to seeing water as a necessity, not a want, and she was good at treating it that way. Sometimes, now that she was in White Crest and running was less about learning to flee for her life and more about just being exercise, she even listened to music. But, even with Barrett Wilbert Weed singing “Dead Girl Walking,” she still heard the sounds of voices, some deep, some high, and Mina squinted as she looked into the distance. There was some sort of bridge, and her eyes widened as she took in the familiar figure of Athena Quinn standing with… a troll. Mina slowed to a jog as she got closer, not sure what she was supposed to do, here.

After everything with the whole tree growing out of a spriggan thing, Athena had been hesitant, for a little while. Hesitant wasn’t a word that she’d ever, in all twenty-one years of her life, ever used to describe herself. Hesitant didn’t get things done. Hesitant let humans die. Hesitant cried on the floor unable to move on the day of her birthday and made it so that her brother had to deal with everything. She’d been different since October, she knew that much, and she kicked herself for it all the time. So she’d gone out - not even to hunt, not necessarily (though she still had all her knives on her, of course, always, always), and yet, as luck would have it, she’d happened upon a troll. Which was certainly not anything ideal, though for the moment she was standing about twenty feet away from it when she felt another, more unfortunately familiar feeling shoot up through her whole body. Fae. Rolling her eyes, she whipped her head around, her high ponytail swinging. Mina. Former not-really-needed math tutor who she’d tried to go on a hunt with and was possibly more than met the eye. “Mina.” Crossed her arms.

“Ah, hi,” Mina said as she jogged up to Athena. She didn’t… quite know where she stood with the younger hunter. A warden, at that, and quite the impressive one despite being a few years Mina’s junior. Better than the other warden she’d run into as of late. Off in the distance, the troll seemed to be… talking to itself in several different voices. Or maybe there were others? Mina couldn’t make out anyone else on the bridge. It was just… a troll on a bridge. “So…” she trailed off. She didn’t really know what to say. There was always the question of where she stood with wardens when they realized that she wasn’t as much of a threat as she appeared. Some of them still attempted to go after her until her dad said no. But Mina’s dad wasn’t here anymore, and she couldn’t use the “I was raised a hunter!” thing without a lot of people just not believing her, despite the whole being unable to lie thing. Still, small talk would be awkward, wouldn’t it. Not that it wasn’t already awkward. “I don’t suppose you have an idea how to pass… that?”

“Hi.” Athena replied, tone terse. Mina was an unfortunate conundrum. Unfortunate, namely because killing her hadn’t proven to be fruitful at all, so far. Every time, something came up - either they were in the middle of a library at school, or they’d gotten attacked by something that had proven to be far more necessary to deal with in the moment than Mina was. “So…” she raised an eyebrow, looking straight at Mina. “No, I do not. Otherwise I might have already gone by it.” Trolls weren’t something she was an expert in, but she did know enough to know that even if the troll seemed relatively unbothered at the moment that could all change in a second and that then they might both be in a bit of trouble. Don’t get a headache, she had to remind herself. Just deal with this whole situation. Troll and maybe even the fae, too. “It is quite a that, though, and it’s just about ruined my whole afternoon, how unfortunate.” She clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth.

Athena was one of those hunters that had the capability to make Mina feel small, even though she was the taller and older of the two. Mina had never carried herself with such confidence, even in situations that she thought she had some semblance of control over. This wasn’t a situation that she felt she had control over. She looked away from Athena, not particularly wanting to show that she was unsure about this. “Right.” She looked towards the bridge, towards the troll that seemed to be talking to itself, though Mina could hear other voices answering back from under the bridge. The only thing she really knew about trolls was that they were very, very distantly Fae (though, she didn’t think this particular kinship would matter) and that they were hard to kill. They’d do better off just trying to talk their way out of this. Or… they’d do better just turning around. “How do you want to go about this?” she asked. “I mean, would you like to turn around? It’s a troll. Those aren’t… fun to deal with. Or they like to make-- to make deals, maybe, so safe passage over the bridge?”

She hated trolls. They were stupid and bothersome and actually vaguely dangerous (though Athena had dealt with worse), not to mention they were a pain to kill. Mina would have been easier to kill. So much easier, even though she could hold her own surprisingly well. She didn’t like the fact that there were voices replying under the bridge. Being outnumbered wasn’t anything that truly fazed her, but it also didn’t mean that she liked it. “I mean, we can stab it.” A harsh giggle escaped her lips. “I’m good with a knife, and you know that we’re not in some children’s tale that my preschool told all wrong. Why would goats go over a bridge anyhow? Never mind, not the point. Also I don’t do deals. Not with anyone but those I trust, and especially not around you.” Athena frowned. “You’ve dealt with them before?” The question escaped her before she could stop it, but she was admittedly curious. The troll was grumbling now, and Athena took another step away from it.

“It’s skin is quite thick, otherwise stabbing it might work,” Mina said, considering the situation. “They’re practically made of rock. Not really! But there’s a lot of minerals in their skin. It’s best to go for the stomach, it’s more sensitive, but I imagine they’re aware of that fact and try to keep everything protected.” She shrunk in on herself, brushing a few fallen strands from her ponytail out of her face and looking away from Athena. Of course she wouldn’t make deals around Mina. Athena was smart. She was a good warden. She knew better than to be stupid. “Right,” she said, quietly. “Sorry. I could make a deal to make sure you can pass? Unless you want to stab it. I’m also good with knives.” Probably not as good, though, but still. “I helped my dad and a few others deal with one before, and it took a bit of time to take it down..” It followed her to its doom without even realizing it until it was too late. Troll body parts were pretty expensive, her dad had told her. He ended up making a pretty penny off of it.

“YOU THERE!” the troll called, causing Mina to jump. “YOU THERE COME HERE.”

“What a bummer,” Athena replied, voice just edging on the verge of whining, though not crossing over quite fully into that territory. “I was so hoping for a chance to use my knife.” She continued, pulling one out. Her lips curved into a smirk. “Yes, they just might be aware of that, though it might not hurt to try. You know?” Mina was shrinking away just a bit and Athena felt proud of herself for that, though it was hardly anything to make a big deal of. She knew she was good at being more collected than most, and she felt grateful that she hadn’t started to hear her parents’ voices again too much, yet. “It is just in your nature to try, it is no fault of your own.” She replied, her voice changing to one sickly-sweet and patronizing, “oh? Well, stabbing might be good. Otherwise I might have to find another use for these.” She didn’t hide her glance at Mina's neck and chest. “I might like to see how you do it.” She bit her lip, chewing on it for a moment. A moment that was cut quite incredibly too short by the troll’s voice, and she found herself stiffening.

“Which one of us?” She called out, crossing her arms over her chest, twirling the knife in between her fingertips. “We just want to pass, and I can make things so very difficult if you don’t let us, you know.”

“I mean, you’re welcome to try,” Mina said, swallowing down nerves. She’d worked with hunters like Athena, their words laced with malice and something harsh. The difference now was that they had known Mina was working with them. Athena probably still thought that she was a very unusual, very dangerous Fae. “The worst that could happen is that they kill us.” Athena for trying to stab them, Mina for allowing her to do so and not leaving. “Right. My nature.” But Athena really had no idea what Mina’s nature was. Or maybe she did, but she didn’t know how hard Mina fought against it all the time. There was no way to tell the other girl that and have her believe Mina. She could say that she spent her entire life fighting for people, and she’d probably still be accused of lying. Even when it was almost impossible for her to lie. She made eye contact with Athena after the intent of where those knives could go was clear. Oh no. This was not being careful, was it? This was willingly putting herself into a dangerous situation. The situation just so happened to be a short blonde girl twirling knives between her fingers. “Wait, do you want me to try too--”

“Me. My turn now.” And the figure on the bridge was jerked down and replaced with another. “YOU.” Pointing at Athena. “AND YOU.” Pointing at Mina, too. “COME HERE.”

“Maybe I will.” Athena giggled, though it was softer this time. Except she knew that at least some people had seen her with Mina, and though she doubted any of this could be directly traced back to her, she did have to give it a moment’s pause. “Well, it’s in their nature to do so anyhow, so I wouldn’t be surprised, even if they weren’t specifically provoked.” She gave a small murmur of agreement at Mina’s statement. No matter what confusion the fae made her feel, she was still fae and that wasn’t good. She might have been relatively well-behaved thus far but it was always relative, and Athena knew better than to let her guard down. She flashed her another grin as she made eye contact - at least she seemed to know her place. “I -” she began, though her words were quickly cut short by the trolls on the bridge.

“You know,” Athena began, taking a few steps forward, “I don’t especially like being told what to do.” She could hear the trolls grumbling and could also practically hear her brother sighing at her potentially angering a bunch of rock-monsters. “Did nobody ever teach you any manners?”

Feeling her heart plummet, Mina wondered just how smart it was to go about tempting a hunter like this, especially so soon after she’d been attacked by one. And she… It wasn’t that she necessarily liked Athena. The younger girl made her vastly uncomfortable at times, and made her feel small, and made her feel like she was so much younger, still working with her dad and an endless parade of hunters and slayers and wardens that hated her more than she hated herself. It wasn’t that she liked Athena; but she understood Athena. So she wouldn’t beg, if the younger girl decided to turn that knife on her. But she would run. “Athena, I know that you think I’m dangerous, but I promise I--” Once more, she was cut off by the sound of the trolls. She watched as Athena walked forward, and there was a part of Mina that considered just walking in the opposite direction, but she didn’t. She took a few steps forward of her own. She wasn’t going to leave Athena to deal with this alone. She couldn’t help but flinch at Athena’s words, though. Trolls were stupid, but that didn’t mean they should be antagonized.

“YOU KNOW NO MANNERS,” the troll grumbled back, his voice sounding like boulders tumbling down a mountain side. He was tall. Not the tallest creature ever, but he clearly towered over the warden and the fae, and that was clear to see even from a distance. “YOU WANT CROSS TROLL BRIDGE? YOU PAY TED’S TROLL TOLL.”

Athena’s smile was still cruel - and perhaps Mina didn’t deserve it, but she didn’t care. Maybe she could up and get rid of some trolls and a fae all in one fell swoop. “I do not think you are,” she rolled her tongue around in her mouth - over and over again - “well, you said it, not me. I’d say more of a pest than anything else.” Lydia had been dangerous. Mina - she was a nuisance. Athena still held her knife out in front of her. She killed flies and spiders with her hands or with shoes, but that wouldn’t work when the pest in question had a good few inches on her.  “Do not promise. Do not use that word.” She could feel herself bristling. You’re weak. Her father’s voice. Not now. Please, not now. She had to concentrate. She had to, had to, had to.

She stiffened as the troll’s booming voice echoed through the forest. “I don’t pay tolls for this. This is a public space, so let us go by or else you might have a little more of a problem on your hands.” She spun the knife quickly between her fingers. “How does that sound?”

Leaning away from the knife, Mina muttered, “Right, just a bloody pest, then.” She was beginning to realize that she needed to leave. Athena was going to try and kill her, and Mina… she was supposed to be not ending up in these situations. But Athena hadn’t attacked her yet. She didn’t think she’d get a chance to explain herself, but she could at least try to prove to Athena that she didn’t need to die, that she’d actually really, really prefer it if she didn’t. “Sorry, sorry. I-- No promises, but, please, can’t we just make it across the bridge and go our separate ways and… I’d just like to get home,” Mina finished, quietly. “I have people I’d like to get home to with minimal injuries.”

“YOU CROSS TOLL BRIDGE, YOU PAY TROLL TOO,” the troll, Ted, apparently, shouted back at them, stomping his foot and causing the ground to shake.

“Sheisse,” Mina said under her breath, as she looked between Athena and the troll. To the warden, she said, “Why are you antagonizing them, there’s only two of us. We can’t take them on our own.” To the troll she called out, “What… what is the price?”

“WE WANT SOCKS. YOU GIVE US RIGHT SOCKS,” the troll yelled. “MUST BE RIGHT SOCK.”

“Yes. Exactly.” Athena clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Pest. Not a threat. I’ve dealt with worse.” Besides, you squish pests, which is what I should have done with you before. She could feel her whole body tense up, because she was bad, she’d let too many things go, and wasn’t even always hunting as much as she used to. She didn’t like to focus too much on that, but far, far too often it just came all flooding back to her, and sometimes, the fact that she wasn’t what her parents had expected of her (even though she did still hunt - heck, she’d killed that spriggan just the other month) felt like she was drowning. She couldn’t mess up here. “Yeah, well, we can see. Maybe you should’ve brought one of them with you.” Maybe that was too harsh to spit out, but she couldn’t help herself. Might’ve nearly been valedictorian, but that didn’t mean she was always careful with her words, just good at using them. Most of the time.

She steadied herself as the ground shook, before turning to Mina, her nose wrinkled in disgust. “I’m just being honest.” She replied, drawing out the ‘o’. “Isn’t that what you like? Honesty?” She turned to the troll. “Seriously? That’s - ew. What exactly are you gonna do with them, anyhow?”

Mina didn’t think Athena had dealt with anyone like her at all, but she decided against saying it. She was tired. “Not a threat,” she said, and the words were acrid. She didn’t believe them. She wasn’t going to hurt Athena, though. She’d been raised not to. She knew better. She stayed small, cowed. “How gracious of you. I appreciate you considering that.” Thinking about it, really, who could Mina have possibly brought with her? She said she had people to that cared about her, people to get home to, but she’d been distancing herself from the people that remained in her life. Instead, she said, “I guess I should have. Really did think this was just going to be a quiet run, though.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes. “Honesty’s fine, not antagonization. There’s at least two of them, and it’s bad enough to attempt taking on one.”

“NO EW. IT’S--” The troll stopped speaking and looked behind him, before disappearing under the bridge.

In his place, a much, much smaller troll stepped out, completely different from the other two. “It’s no ew!!! You give socks, I keep and let you go!”

Mina blinked. How strange. “And… you… just want our socks?”

“Right socks!” the tiny troll said. “You give right socks, and Ted let you pass his bridge!”

“Mmm,” Athena simply hummed in response. She knew that she really should just kill Mina and be done with it. Kill her, turn around, walk the other way. She didn’t need to go across the bridge, though the fact that horrible-ugly-grotesque supernatural creatures were blocking her way made her more keen to attempt it, to do it even if it wasn’t a must-do. She’d always been stubborn that way, climbing up play structures and trees with Dani, even when her brother told her all the ways that she could probably hurt herself. Which was outrageous, especially since she had far superior reflexes than just about anybody else she knew. “This town doesn’t always know the meaning of that, though.” She giggled. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hand in the air.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, knife still dangling between her fingers, Athena looked at the trolls as they had their exchange. “I’ve dealt with enough creeps in my time who like my clothing items.” She wrinkled her nose. “What are you going to do with them?”

How hard would it be for Mina to retaliate? She thought Athena was a good hunter. She thought Athena was dangerous. All of her life, she’d been taught not to hurt humans, even humans that threatened her. She wondered if she could snap Athena’s wrist before she could use those knives. She wondered if the knives would even hurt that bad. Wouldn’t be the first time she got stabbed with something iron. Mina had no doubt it would be the last. But she didn’t. She didn’t. She couldn’t. She just sighed. She was tired. She was so wretchedly tired, and she knew she wasn’t going to sleep, even if she did make it out of this without a tiny warden girl stabbing her in the forest. “One day, you’re going to come across someone who isn’t a pest, Athena. Hunting isn’t a game. I thought you’d know that.” She kept her eyes on the ground, though, and her voice quiet.

Mina turned her focus back to the short troll in front of them and called out, “Do… do all of you want socks or--”

“All?” the troll squeaked out. “Who is all? There is just we, just you and Ted.”

“But there’s two other trolls at least under the bridge, and--”

“Just Ted I am Ted!!” the troll said, his voice growing higher and higher with indignance. “You come here and give Ted socks or face the consequences!!”

“Kurwa mac,” Mina muttered, certain that both the warden next to her and the troll wouldn’t understand Polish. “Fine. I’m crossing the bridge, and I’m going-- going home.” Another lie, bitter in her mouth. She fought it down. She’d go somewhere. She started untying her right shoe.

“I do know that.” Of course she did. Athena narrowed her eyes. The very fact that Mina was even halfway implying otherwise was revolting and infuriating and she figured, for a moment, that perhaps she should just slit the fae’s throat and be done with it. Squish the pest, make sure she stopped talking and talking and even though Athena knew that Mina wasn’t being very loud or even especially long-winded (asking her about math got more out of her), it was still almost too much. But she was determined to not get a headache, even though that particular fight might end up being a losing battle, depending. She knew that she should be better - after all, she was an actual adult, and the fact that fae sometimes still gave her headaches was something that made her stomach twist itself into knots.

“All.” She raised an eyebrow. “I -” bit her lip for a moment. Because she needed to think. She wasn’t keen to give away socks to something, even if it would make for easier passage. The troll’s rising voice did make her ears hurt, but she pushed the feeling aside.

She wasn’t going to let them get the best of her. Athena knew she was better than that.

“I don’t think you’re going home.” She moved closer to Mina. “Why are you giving into their wishes anyhow? Just move on by.” Athena huffed, hearing the troll’s voice rising in pitch. “Don’t untie your shoe, come on, grow something of a spine.” She ran her tongue over the front of her teeth, picking up a stick. “What about this?” She waved it at the troll - she knew it likely wouldn’t do well, but it was worth an attempt. “I’ll give you this, you let us go, and then everyone’s happy.” She flashed them a bright, wholly fake smile.

“I just wanted to make sure,” Mina said, looking up at Athena with tired eyes. She wondered, if this became a fight, how long it would take her to hold the smaller girl off before she could run. She’d just have to keep the knives away from anything vital, possibly throw Athena on the ground. She could get away like that. She’d just have to be quick. At the very least, it’d be a nice work out. It’d be something to think about that wasn’t the ache in her chest that still hadn’t dulled.

Mina got up and leaned away from the smaller girl, but her eyes narrowed as she finally looked at Athena. “You caught me,” she said, the tone of her voice growing dry. “I’m not going home at all. Why, I’m headed out into the woods with the other Fae to lure unsuspecting humans into faerie rings so that we can have our wicked ways with them.” Mina was so tired. The lies scratched at her throat like nails. “The faster we give them our bloody socks, Athena, the faster we can leave. It’s that simple.”

Ted, meanwhile, was looking at the stick, the frown on his pinched little face almost comical. “Stick? You give Ted stick? Ted can get better stick! Give Ted sock or else!”

“Do you have a legitimate plan on how to deal with three trolls, or do you have a death wish? I’d really like to know,” Mina asked the younger warden.

“Oh, of course you did.” Athena shrugged. Mina looked tired - and if the warden were to be totally honest, she looked the way that Athena had felt more often than not in these past months. It was overwhelming, sometimes - the way that it could seem to nearly swallow her up. She hated it - but, the one positive of running into a fae in the middle of the woods was that for once, her own insecurities that gnawed at her were not the most bothersome thing around.

“Nice sarcasm, Mina.” She huffed. Athena knew it was an exaggeration - probably - but that didn’t mean that she appreciated what the fae was alluding to much at all. Especially because there were fae (too many fae) who did, or something similar (something worse) which made this not funny to make light of. “I still don’t want to. Why do they get to demand that we give them things? What happens when they want more than socks?” She sneered, voice turned mocking, “what about if they want someone’s arm or foot or more than that?” She didn’t think most trolls did that (she might have been set in her beliefs but she wasn’t entirely keen to over-exaggerate

usually.)

“Or else?” Athena whipped her head back to the troll. Then back to Mina. “I’m working on a plan.” She hissed. Her brother would probably give her whatever his version of an I told you so look was. She knew that angering trolls was, quite frankly, not smart, but she didn’t believe in regrets.

Except that she figured she might want to start, because one of the trolls (she hadn’t paid attention to their names - name?) was starting to walk their way with an angry look on his - its - face.

“Sarcasm? Who said anything about sarcasm?” Mina asked. She was playing a dangerous game, between the warden and the trolls,  but she was beginning to care less and less the longer they stayed out there. “The implication of sarcasm makes it seem like I can lie, right? But I can’t. I’m really going to go out into the forest and lure people to their doom. Isn’t that what you want to hear?” Wasn’t Athena just looking for an excuse to attack? Well, there. Mina was giving her one. She wanted an excuse to get out of this situation, no matter what. “And what if they just want socks? I mean, really, I feel like, if they wanted an arm or a foot, they would have already asked.” She started turning in the direction of the Teds… the trolls. “Hey, would you prefer an arm or perhaps a foot? What about-- fuck!”

Ted, in all of his not even five foot tall glory, threw a small boulder in Mina’s direction. She ducked out of the way, moving closer to the smaller warden.

“Give Ted socks or leave!” the little troll said.

One of the other trolls came out from under the bridge. “LET TED HANDLE THIS. TED WILL DEAL.”

“No, Ted has this!” the smaller troll yelled back.

Mina looked at Athena. “How’s that plan coming along?”

“Exaggerating,” Athena practically hummed to herself. “I have no specified thing that I want to hear, Mina.” She sighed. She didn’t know why she was choosing to be actively honest with a fae (or, at least, as honest as was possible for her). She chewed her lip. She didn’t know why she hadn’t attacked Mina yet - it would have been so easy (so so so easy) but she couldn’t bring herself to. Her father would have been so displeased, and the thought of that made her stomach twist up in knots. “Could be leading up to it and -” she took a few steps away from the fae as she moved closer to Athena, but not before one of the trolls threw another rock in their direction, causing her to duck down.

The back-and-forth of all the Teds was becoming more and more bothersome by the moment. “Plan is going fine.” Sure, I didn’t take into account the whole rock throwing ordeal, but hey. I’m quick on my feet. “I just have to get to one of their stomachs, and then we’re good to go.” Athena ducked away from where Mina was, sneaking towards one of the more distracted trolls - or Teds, or whatever they were calling themselves now. She aimed one of her knives towards its stomach, but before she could send it into the creature, and this Ted had turned around and raised its arm, and Athena twisted away just before the troll’s fist came crashing down onto the ground.

“TED DOES NOT LIKE WHEN HUMANS DO NOT LISTEN.” It grumbled.

“You want a good excuse to stick that knife in me,” Mina said. “Not that you need one. Not that that’s stopped anyone. But it always makes people feel better to have a reason.” She’d always felt better when there was a reason for her dad and his cohorts to kill whatever supernaturals they were up against. She felt better when she thought that they were murderers, thieves, the worst of the worst. It made it seem like there was a reason for what they were doing. She was doing her duty, leading these people to their demise. It was a good thing. She wished it still felt like a good thing. “They were just asking for bloody socks. That’s the deal, and— Would you stop throwing things, please?!”

“TED GOT THIS. TED DEAL WITH PUNY HUMANS.”

“TED GOT THIS. TED THROW ROCKS.”

“No, Ted deal with puny humans!!” The smallest one was trying really hard to be heard, but it wasn’t working.

The trolls were closing in and clearly not listening to Mina, and Athena was attempting to attack their stomachs, but all three of the Teds were coming out from under the bridge. They bickered and ignored each other’s commands, much like Athena and Mina did. They all really thought they were one creature, Mina realized. They all thought they were Ted, but they were arguing over who got to be Ted. Clearly, they were used to fighting at all. Especially not with each other. Mina turned to Athena. “We shouldn’t go for the stomachs. We should use them against each other. Make them fight themselves and then make an escape.”

“I mean, yeah, obviously.” Athena didn’t see any purpose in denying it. For all that she drove her up the wall, Mina was intuitive enough and she did understand things, even if she’d been unaware of what Athena was for a good few months of the beginning of them knowing one another. Though that was part of the beauty of being a hunter - you could sense other species, but they didn’t have any sort of an idea of what you were - until it was too late. She didn’t like how Mina was talking to her. She could never understand why Athena didn’t want to just give in. Giving in made you weak, and she would never be that. “I guess it makes some people feel better.” She shrugged. “I’m just trying to deal with them, since you clearly seem incapable of doing so.”

She didn’t like how loud the trolls were. They were giving her more than a bit of a headache and unlike the children at Sunday School who sometimes managed that with how busy and noisy they could be, the trolls had no positive side to their headache-giving abilities. “Stomachs are how you deal with them.” She quipped back. “I’d prefer to be rid of them altogether.” Athena dug the toe of her shoe into the ground and rolled her shoulders back. “Besides, I want my knife back.” Except she did at least sort of maybe see the point in Mina’s idea. “What if they still attack us?” She grabbed another knife from by her ankle. “What then?”

“I’m just trying to give you a good excuse,” Mina said. “Get this over with. I know how this works. I’ve lived it. It’ll make you feel better to have an excuse.” And, if Athena attacked her, then Mina wouldn’t feel as bad about dealing with the trolls her own way and attempting to go back to her run. She knew how this was supposed to go; she should be deferring to Athena in this situation Athena was the proper hunter. Athena was the human. Mina should be listening to her. Instead, she was butting heads. She should stop. Instead, she gritted her teeth. “What you’re trying to do is get yourself killed, whether you realize it or not. There’s three of them and two of us, and one of you, Athena. They have size and strength. They don’t have brains. This isn’t about fighting them. It’s about outsmarting them.

“YOU NOT EVEN REAL TED. I TED.” The two bigger trolls were pushing each other, the sound of it like rocks running down a mountainside. The smallest one was jumping around them, trying to get them to pay attention.

Mina said, “Certainly, if there was only one of them or we had a hunting party together.” She looked at the knife in Athena’s hand and wanted to slap herself again for coming into the woods so under— There was a small iron blade in her shoe. She bent back down, pulling the shoe off enough to pull the knife out of the makeshift sheathe she’d built into the sole. The iron pricked her finger and burnt the tip, but she didn’t care. It felt nice to at least be armed. “If they still attack us, then we fight, but we’re outnumbered, and they’re significantly stronger than us. This is about survival, now, not hunting. We can agree on that, yes? And we can get your knife back, as well.”

“Aren’t you accommodating.” Athena rolled her eyes. Your existence is excuse enough. It was true, it was what her parents had always said. By virtue of existing, fae were a threat. Even if they behaved for a moment, there would always come a time when they didn’t, and so it was best to just do away with them when the opportunity arose. Preventative, the same as bringing bandaids or an umbrella or whatever it was she’d told her brother. “I’m not, I am just doing what I am supposed to do.” She narrowed her eyebrows. It was bad enough when her brother told her off - but a fae? Even if it was one as confusing as Mina was, she didn’t like it one bit.  “Why not both- ?” She began, before being cut off by the trolls yelling.

They pushed at one another and she wished that they would just fall over the edge of a cliff but there were no cliffs in their immediate vicinity which was really unfortunate, right about now. Athena could have used that - especially because the trolls were arguing about what was likely one of the stupidest things possible.

She watched Mina bend over and remove a knife of her own, rolling her eyes. “It is about survival, sure, fine, but I’d also prefer to deal with the problem, because what about innocent humans who might come across them?” Athena scoffed. “What if they kill them? That’s on me, for letting them go.”

“Yes, well, I was raised to be,” Mina snapped back. This wasn’t the time or place to explain that she had just as much hunting experience as Athena. Maybe more, given that she’d travelled so much. Maybe less, given that she’d never killed anyone. Mina had the experience of time, of bearing witness to countless deaths. Athena had the experience of actual practice, execution. If they fought, Athena would follow through with her actions. Mina couldn’t say the same. She didn’t want to fight, anyway. She didn’t. She didn’t. “Is doing what you’re supposed to charging head first into a fight against three creatures who have size, strength, and most likely stamina on you? You’re really quite smart, Athena. I know you didn’t need me to tutor you. But that’s just stupid.”

“WHAT ABOUT YOU TAKE ONE AND TED TAKE OTHER?” one of the larger trolls said as the grappling stopped, albeit briefly. The little one was jumping up and down, still begging to be seen, to be heard, but the larger two of the three seemed to be getting scarily close to an agreement.

Mina gripped her knife a bit tighter. “I imagine that anyone else that comes across them would simply give the trolls their shoes and leave,” she said. “If you want to deal with the problem, I’d prefer you didn’t do it while I was here. I’m not going to leave you to deal with three trolls alone, but--” She sighed. “But I think it’s stupid to do this.”

“So was I. Just only to humans, oopsie daisy.” She giggled, a sharp contrast to Mina’s voice. Maybe she did that just because of how satisfying it was to be Mina’s opposite. Athena didn’t pay too much attention to that, because it didn’t really matter, not in the end. She still didn’t know a great deal about the fae’s past, and she frankly didn’t care so much to learn about it. That didn’t matter. “You’re right, I just wanted an excuse to get close to you.” There was no use in lying about that particular tactic. “I was acing that class even before you came around, but you offered, and so I just didn’t want to turn you down. Also, maybe it is what I’m supposed to -” her voice was cut off by the sound of the trolls arguing about taking them down and that absolutely wasn’t what she’d had planned. She’d have the reflexes to fend off a few more haphazard punches, but if they really tried - well, Athena certainly wasn’t keen to get squashed by a mountain. Not today, and not ever, if she could avoid it.

“So you don’t want to deal with the -” another rock, thrown by the smallest of the three, came zooming between them, “problem, but you won’t leave me to do so?” Athena rolled her eyes. “But you do know that leaving four monsters alive is quite a bit of an issue, don’t you?” She wove the handle of the knife between her fingers. “So what am I supposed to do about that?”

Mina laughed. There was nothing funny about this. “Coincidentally, so was I. Only to humans.” Oopsie daisy. Athena still treated this like a game. She treated this like it was something that could be enjoyed, laughed at. Was that what duty was to her? Was that what killing was to her? Mina didn’t understand. She wasn’t raised like that. Her training had always reminded her that it wasn’t a game. It wasn’t something to laugh at. “Right, well, congratulations. You did peg me rightly as a fool that would help you.” Mina had opened herself up from an attack, and yet Athena had never taken it. It was understandable that she wouldn’t attack while on campus, and Athena had made it abundantly clear that she wanted Mina dead. But she kept hesitating. Even now, Athena was hesitating. Mina didn’t understand it.

The trolls were still debating among themselves, but there wouldn’t be much more time before they reached a consensus.

“No, I won’t leave you to deal with this alone,” Mina said, her voice resolute. She didn’t care if Athena hated her. She didn’t care if Athena wanted to kill her. Mina refused to leave the younger girl to deal with this alone. “Four? But there’s-- oh.” Right. Mina was the fourth monster. She was a monster. She forgot that, sometimes. Swallowing, she looked down at her feet before looking back at Athena. “What do you want to do about it? Decide quickly. We don’t have a lot of time.”

“Figures.” Athena rolled her eyes. She still didn’t know much about Mina’s history, but she did know that some aspects of it had been atypical. Or something. She only knew that she didn’t really care enough to actually learn the truth behind it. She knew that her parents wouldn’t have approved of the laugh, but she couldn’t help herself. “I mean, you offered. You know there’s others out there who’d stab you in public. Who don't care so much about public image as I do.” She’d never been this honest with Mina before, but the incessant yelling of the trolls was really starting to get to her. She was weak - she’d stopped being golden the second her parents had come into the kitchen on her and Rio’s twenty-first birthday. The thought made her stomach turn and she pushed it aside - box it up, ignore it, bury yourself in blankets when you’re back in the apartment. If she were still golden she’d up and stab Mina right in the heart and then deal with all the trolls, no matter the outcome.

So why wasn’t she?

“You - because of duty?” Her words still had a bite, but it was weaker, more tired. “Four.” She repeated. Three trolls and a fae who would have-could have-should have been a friend were she an actual hunter. Athena glanced over at the trolls. I want to kill them. “I want to kill them.” She huffed, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face. “But I’ll settle for injury.”

“You’re not--” Mina cut herself off, frustrated. Athena wasn’t going to listen to her. She wasn’t going to care. Nothing Mina said mattered. She couldn’t even goad Athena into a fight. She sighed, thinking about the warden who had attacked her in front of Rio out in the woods, how he hadn’t cared at all about another presence, how he’d attempted to kill Rio, too. “I’m well aware that there are plenty of people out there that would attack me in public, I assure you. I do appreciate you not attacking me in front of my colleagues.” Though, it was just as much for Athena’s benefit as it was for Mina’s. Athena struck Mina as someone who did care about her public image quite a lot. There’d be no furthering her education if she went to prison for murdering a TA on campus.

“Yes, because of duty,” Mina said. Why did everyone say it like that? Even Athena, someone who should understand duty said it like that. Maybe it was just about Mina being Fae. She hated being Fae sometimes, most of the time. She closed her eyes tightly. She didn’t want to deal with trolls. She opened them, looking at Athena. The younger girl looked tired. Mina almost told her to join the club. “Alright, fine, you want to injure the bloody trolls? Then let’s injure the bloody trolls.” She looked back to where the trolls were still arguing, trying to figure out which of them was the real Ted. That didn’t matter, in the end.

“Yes, of course.” Athena sighed. “Wouldn’t want the department to have to waste time finding a new TA.” She could tell Mina was annoyed, and well - if she couldn’t kill her, then maybe she could settle for just driving her up the wall. She figured her brother would probably say she was equally as good at that as she was at hunting. In another life, she might have complained about that but she couldn’t bring herself to be so bothered by it now - not if it would benefit her. Even if not too many people knew she was connected to Mina, and even if they were in the middle of the forest, she couldn’t bring herself to kill the other fae.

Maybe another time. She tossed her hair over her shoulder again. Besides, it’d have to be quick now and she’d prefer for it to not just be a stab-and-go.

“Divine power too,” she said, voice softer. Divinethebestthemostdeservinggolden. For a moment, Athena couldn’t catch her breath, but then she let it steady again. Everything was fine. Everything had to be fine, no matter what her personal opinion on that was. Personal opinions weren’t something she had about this, because too much thinking just got her in trouble. It was why she’d almost gotten squashed by the trolls and why she hadn’t just done away with the fae in front of her. “Yes. I’d like something good to come out of this. Have you ever injured a troll before?”

“You’d be surprised with how hard it is to fond and keep TAs at UMWC, especially in the maths department,” Mina muttered. She and the three guys she shared an office with were the last line of defense in a revolving door of graduate students in the department that had somehow managed to survive this town. If they didn’t annoy her on a regular basis, she would almost be endeared to them. If Athena didn’t annoy and terrify her in equal measure, she might be endeared to her, too, after tutoring her for so long and because she was another hunter. Instead, she was just annoyed and tired.

“I don’t do divinity,” Mina said. “There’s duty. There’s a code. And anything that follows is second. But, sure. Have you divine power.” She’d never met any hunters that were so steadfast in their believe that it was the divine that gave them their abilities, but sure. She could see them believing that. It made sense. As much sense as anything else she’d been told over the years. Mina wasn’t taught to put stock in divinity. There was only herself and her obligations and, before, the knowledge that humans were good and everything else was bad. She’d changed that line of reasoning, but she still believed in her duty. “I’ve…” She’d run distraction while other people had stabbed a troll. “I’ve got a good aim. If I can see where to aim at, I can probably throw a knife hard enough to injure.”

“I don’t know if I’d be that surprised. So many people go missing.” She muttered right back. Athena was practically positive that only Mina could hear what she was saying - for one, because she doubted that the trolls could fully comprehend anything halfway resembling complex language, and for two, because her voice was barely above a whisper. Unless there was a beast hunter nearby, nobody else would be able to hear.

“All three.” Athena gave another shrug. Her parents had always remarked that she and her brother were blessed with a divine ability, and that said ability permitted them to do their duty. It wasn’t what every hunter believed, but it felt comfortable. Solid, even when other things felt more fragile. She needed something to hold onto, because otherwise she knew that she’d feel like she was drowning. Even if holding onto her parents’ words perhaps kept them in her mind more than they should have been, she needed it. It made her feel like who she’d always been. “Works for me.” She quipped back. “If I can’t kill, I need to do something. I can’t just… walk out of this without doing something.”

“Yes, well, it’d be a shame to add to that number, wouldn’t it?” Mina asked, hoping to still try to appeal to the part of Athena that cared about her public image. Would it work? She didn’t know. Even if she made it through this encounter, Mina had no doubt Athena would try to kill her again. Or at least corner her and attempt to annoy her to death. The younger girl seemed to have a knack for that.

“Sure. Fine.” Mina couldn’t understand Athena’s logic, but she supposed that’s what it was; an absence of logic. It made no sense to believe in such things. Then again, wasn’t she starting to slowly think that Deirdre might be onto something about the idea of Fates? She didn’t know. “Then let’s do something, yes. We hit what we can and run for our bloody lives, and we can both live to have you threaten me at knife point another day.”

Reaching down and picking up a rock, Mina threw it at the closest Ted. “Hey! Only the real Ted would be able to come after us,” she called out, hoping to goad them into action. Her hand tightened on her knife. The three trolls looked up, ceasing their arguing. And then they immediately started charging forward, pushing and shoving at each other in their haste to get to the warden and the Fae.

“I suppose so.” Athena tapped her fingers against her thigh. It was true that enough people went missing (or died) at the university, and it was also true she’d been the reason behind at least some of them - and given that she and Mina had been seen together there was part of her that knew killing her would make it almost too easy to point fingers. Though she wasn’t the only warden on campus - and she’d always been good at faking things, after all.

“It’s how I was raised,” and perhaps, if Athena thought about it too much, it didn’t always make sense - but then again, it had to, didn’t it? If she didn’t hold onto that belief then where would she be left? She didn’t like to think about that, about the foundation of who she was being pulled out of her. “Works for me. It’d be a real honor to hold you at knifepoint without trolls around.” She managed to fight back the giggle that time, instead flashing a smirk at the fae.

At Mina’s words, the trolls began running toward them and Athena took a few steps back, holding out another one of her knives. “She’s right, you know. Only the real one can do anything about us intruders.” The sounds of the trolls pushing against one another sounded like the clattering of rocks and boulders, and she took a small glance over to Mina. “Ready?”

“We’re all just a product of our raising, aren’t we?” Mina asked, her voice dulled. Athena didn’t realize just how similar their raisings were. Except, where Athena was taught that she had some sort of divine purpose, Mina was taught that, if there was a divinity, she was nowhere near it. Her purpose was to serve and die serving, not for a god but for people. She still took that to heart, even if she’d adjusted just what it meant to be a person. “I’m sure, and there’s really just nothing I’d like more,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, the tone foreign. She’d never used sarcasm; it was basically lying. But, then again, Mina had been lying a lot, lately. It only somewhat turned her stomach.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Mina said, looking down at the one knife that she had, looking up to the trolls fighting for a taste of blood. Off all the situations, and with all the people, she didn’t expect to be facing down a group of trolls with Athena. Mina steadied herself, her heart, and prepared to throw at the first opening and run. Run from the trolls, and run from the girl that might still try to kill her if given the chance. She’d really rather live another day, if it was all the same to everyone around her.

[inspirationdivine]

Curtain Call || Lydia, Orion, Winston, Luce, Athena

Timing: Current Parties: @inspirationdivine @3starsquinn @danetobelieve @divineluce @athenaquinn Summary: After being forced to leave town by Kaden, Lydia prepares for her next steps. Others have different ideas.  Warnings: Drug manipulation (leanan sidhe kiss), references to abuse, gore tw, minor vomit tw (mentions)

Now that her arm was healing and her wing was taped together, walking was almost bearable. Lydia was also running high on painkillers, so her entire body felt like it was wrapped in cotton gauze, numb to both the outside world and the inside one. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and with a wince, she pulled it out. It was Deirdre, calling again. It was practically muscle memory at this point to tap decline and put it away again, as it had been for the dozens of calls she’d gotten from the Banshee. It must have been the mushrooms or something. Deirdre was ever so susceptible to them. Lydia pursed her lips, before looking at Rio. “I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for all of your help. My, uh, my friend will be here in an hour. You don’t mind waiting that little bit longer, do you?” She looked around at the crowded evening streets from the passenger side of her car. “You probably need to eat, right?” She asked him. 

 Orion knew nothing about this friend of Lydia’s, but figured that waiting around until they got here wouldn’t kill him. For now, Rio was pretty sure that Lydia was safe from the hunter at least. That wouldn’t stop them from coming after her again, but Lydia must have felt safe with the friend who should be coming to get her or she wouldn’t have reached out to them in the first place. Rio wasn’t sure how long it had been since Lydia had first contacted him but he knew that he hadn’t gotten any sleep. He had pulled enough all nighters in the Scribrary to know how to function with little to no sleep, but that didn’t stop his stomach from growling. “It’s fine. I’m happy to stick around.” Rio smiled at the woman and leaned his head against the car window. “It’s not a big deal, I’m not that hungry. I can wait.” He was lying obviously, his stomach growling enough proof of that. But right now his only concern was making sure that she got away from here safely. He could worry about eating later.

 Winston had not been having a good time since dealing with Bloody Mary and the Sandman; Orion had gone missing and it had been a rough ride to track him down (which Winston wouldn’t normally do with their boyfriend because CREEPY but these were unprecedented times). To make matters worse Todd had fallen off the surface of the Earth. He’d cut Winston off. Winston wasn’t sure what they had done to receive this sort of treatment, but there it was. It had been hard. Picking between going after Todd and going after Rio, but Winston hadn’t really had to think that much about the choice, it had sort of come naturally and Winston was sure that they had made the right call. They were weighed down with all manner of magical gadgetry as they followed the blinking light on their screen. “I don’t think they’re too far from here,” they whispered as they crept forward, knowing that Rio couldn’t be that much further away. Thank God for technomancy. 

 Of all the people Luce had expected to go up against Lydia with, Athena and Winston were pretty far at the bottom of her list. In fact, they were probably at the bottom. But, when she’d gotten the message from Athena, telling her about the situation, Luce had been only too willing to help. Help. That was… one way of describing what she was hoping to do. Murder, that was another word for it. A more accurate one. Fingers curling around the iron spear that she’d brought with her, Luce followed closely behind Winston. Who would have thought the neighbor kid would be leading the charge to fuck up a lady. “Mhm.” Luce nodded, the familiar grip of Lydia’s magic creeping up on her as she tried to figure out how to word things. She knew about Lydia, knew about her home and what she could do to people. But when Athena had told her about the situation, it had circumvented the fae magic that bound her to her promise. If the others already knew about Lydia , then it didn’t matter. “What’s our game plan, once we get there? I’ve got this,” She held the spear up, “But I can’t exactly just light up a bitch without there being some fall out.”

 She knew this had to be done. Whatever came of all of it, Lydia couldn’t go on living. Not because of who she was, not because of what she’d done to Ariana and now, according to Winston, possibly to her brother. Athena couldn’t help but let the iron in her blood concentrate periodically to her fingertips, her lips in a firm line. She had a couple more knives on her body than usual, because whatever was going to happen, she couldn’t leave room for anything to go wrong. She was glad that she’d asked Luce to come along - working to take down that Cù-sìth those months ago had solidified Athena’s already present respect for the woman. “I think we should avoid the fire for now - we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. She’s lived a super-duper fucking long time,” she knew her words were biting and she didn’t care, “and that means she’s got to have ways of getting out of tricky situations. So I say we go in there, make sure my brother - make sure Ri’s all safe, and kill her. Plain and simple.” Even though she had to admit to herself that it was anything but.

 “If you’re sure,” Lydia said softly. He was perfectly tolerable as far as humans went, and she’d rather keep the promises in her back pocket and keep her slate as clean as she could, at least in the eyes of those she still loved back in White Crest. She shifted, looking over the bandage on her arm to see if it needed changing. Nothing. When Lydia looked out the window, surveying the people on the road, she spotted someone she couldn’t believe was here. Lucinda Vural. Lydia looked out the right side of her window, clucking her tongue in frustration at the sight of traffic all around them. There was no easy way to drive out of here. The last thing she wanted was for Luce to find her smeared in her own blood and weak, for another way to be hurt by the Vurals. Being in a car in the vicinity of a fire spellcaster also frightened her. “We should go for a walk. Quickly, Rio. I’m so sorry.”

 “A walk? What about your friend?” Orion found himself asking, but that didn’t seem to bother Lydia much. She was already climbing out of the car in a hurry. Rio only let himself rest for another second, letting out a held breath and staring up at the roof of the car before following her out of the car. She seemed shaken. Was the hunter back around? Was that what she had been freaking out about? Immediately, Rio began looking around the place, spotting a familiar face from a block or two over. “Luce?” Rio asked aloud, glancing over at Lydia. Could that be who she had spotted? Luce was scary but she wasn’t exactly a hunter. “Last time I saw her she punched me in the face.” Rio touched at the spot on his face on reflex, a ghost pain reminding him of how strong one of her punches could be when she was mad. But the memories dissipated quickly when the traffic broke, revealing two more faces with Luce that had previously been blocked by a car. “What the-” Rio froze in place, no longer walking alongside Lydia but instead trying to figure out why Winston and Athena were together. And here of all places. “I know them.” Rio was ready to wave before he hesitated. Lydia was a fae, and whatever trauma Athena was going through at the moment, she was a warden. She hadn’t been the hunter that had attacked Lydia, but she might be just as dangerous. “What is going on?” He turned on Lydia.

 Luce wasn’t alone. That was worse, somehow. Perhaps her and Winston were on an out of town shopping trip for some reason, with the blonde girl Lydia didn’t recognise, but this was the wrong area to go for extended shop options. “I don’t know. Really, Rio, I have no idea why they’re here, but I don’t want to wait to find out if it’s a coincidence.” Lydia replied in hushed tones, already anxiously moving. “Let’s go.” She had no idea why any of them were here, but Lydia had seen at least a few times the kind of power Winston held. She also knew she had talked Todd through leaving Winston, although nothing should have connected her to that from their perspective. 

 She was seething. She could see her brother and she saw him look over. Athena had half a mind to run over right then, but she knew that she had to be careful. If not for her own life, for the lives of Luce, Winston, and her brother. She couldn’t let them die. Her skin was crawling and she wanted nothing more than to be away from Lydia, but she had to remind herself that she would be soon. “I - I don’t know why my brother - why he’s not…” Why he’s not coming over here. Though he sometimes had things planned far in advance but there was something about the whole situation that didn’t sit quite right with her, though the idea of her brother being around a murderous fae in the first place was more than enough to set her off. “We’ve got to act soon, but we also have to make sure she doesn’t hurt my brother - hurt Ri - in retaliation.” Her fingers found one of the knives pressed flush against her hip, letting the cool iron of it match the concentrated iron under her skin. “I think your spear will come in handy,” she whispered to Luce. “I don’t really care, as long as she suffers.”

 Swallowing, Winston did their best to take in the entire situation. They knew that this was complex but right now the only priority that there was was to get Orion out of here without getting him hurt. Something that was easier said than done. “I’m sorry but I don’t really care about hurting Lydia, all I care is about getting Rio out of this. I don’t know why he’s playing along but…” Winston wasn’t sure that they really cared enough to explain their thought process. Tracking Rio had not been so difficult but the question of why he was willingly assisting Lydia remained. It was a promise bind situation was all that Winston could think. “I will concentrate on making sure Rio doesn’t get hurt,” Winston had designed tech specifically for a situation like this but like most of the tech that they came up with it hadn’t exactly been field tested until now, “but the faster we can do this… well the better.”

 Wait, Rio was Athena’s brother? What fucking apples and what fucking trees... Luce shook her head-- now wasn’t the time to think about that. The two of them clearly had higher stakes in this than her. Athena and Winston wanted to make sure Rio was safe. Which was fair. But, that didn’t help the fact that he was definitely with Lydia. Letting out a sigh, Luce glanced around the busy roads. There was a lot of fucking traffic, a lot more innocent people than she could reasonably risk with her flames. Fire had a way of getting out of hand and this wasn’t the place for it right now. “Listen, the longer we stand here, the worse this is going to go. That bitch,” Luce growled, “Will do whatever it takes to get away. You two, find a way to cut her off, stop her from getting away. Try to get Rio away from her.” She said and shook her head, thinking of the way August had bent to her will. If he’d been kissed by her, Luce had no idea if it’d even be possible to get Rio back. “In the meantime,” Gripping the spear tightly in her hand, Luce watched for traffic and began to cross the road. The iron in her hands heated under her skin, her blood boiling. “Hey, Lydia. Long time no see.”

 “Does Luce have a spear?” Orion asked incredulously, eyes growing wide as he remembered the damage she had done without any weapon at all the last time the two had run into each other. They did need to go, but Rio didn’t exactly want to. Something was happening. Rio found himself glancing back and forth between the three and Lydia. Something wasn’t adding up, but Rio knew enough about Athena and Luce to know that violence was definitely on their minds. Lydia was too injured to get away from any of them right now, especially a hunter. Counting on that, Rio slid in front of Lydia, blocking Luce’s path to her as she crossed the street. “Oh uh. Hey guys. What’s up?” He tried smiling, giving a small wave before tucking his hand behind his head and scratching at his neck nervously. He was so confused. He glanced at the three, eyes finally landing on Winston and staying there, the smile disappearing from his face as their eyes locked and Rio tried to figure out why they were here with the other two. “Funny running into you here, yeah?”

 Lydia’s gaze flicked around, eyes narrowing. There was a tall department store not thirty feet away, with a flat roof, which meant there was likely rooftop access. Three blocks away, there was a safe loft where she could wait out her connection. Just fifty more minutes. Lucinda walked up close as Lydia took a nervous step back. Fucking Vurals. “That’s an iron spear,” she pointed out, her hand trembling. Rio knew these people. Shit. Maybe they really were here for Rio. But the steely stare of Lucinda told her that Rio was not the main concern. Lydia stood a little taller, her whole body aching. Her thigh buzzed again. “Did I not pay you enough for your magic, Winston? Did I not look after your human sacrifice well enough, Lucinda? I don’t even know who you are, another spellcaster, no doubt. If this is what Kaden Langley’s grace looks like, it’s not very impressive.” Lydia’s voice wobbled with nerves, even as her tone chilled like ice. “You would protect me, no matter what, wouldn’t you, Rio? You promised. I wish I didn’t have to do this, but they’re here to hurt me.” 

 “She’s hurt him and my-” Ariana. “Another good friend. She needs to suffer.” Athena nodded. “You can concentrate to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. He can’t.” I can’t live with myself if he did. I knew he was going to get in trouble with a fae one day. She couldn’t blame him though, not when there was a potential that he might not make it out of this alive. “We’ll make this efficient. That, among many other things, is something I can excel at.” She nodded at Luce and followed her across the road, hoping that the traffic would dissipate soon enough. She didn’t need innocent lives being lost, at least not as much as she could avoid. “Not so funny.” Athena’s eyes narrowed in response to her brother. “You -” her eyes widened, praying for him to somehow hear her thoughts. Not that such a thing was possible, but when they’d been children it had almost felt like it was. She hardened her gaze as it shifted over to where Lydia sat, her skin crawling. Not a spellcaster, she wanted to say. Wanted to hiss, even. She had no issues with spellcasters, but she was not one. Not at all. “Doesn’t matter who I am. I know enough about who you are.” Kaden has nothing to do with this. At least not the most significant part. As she turned to watch the exchange between her brother and Lydia, she couldn’t help but reach for her dagger again, though she didn’t remove it. You promised. “You didn’t.” Turning to look directly at her brother, Athena shook her head, doing her best to keep her breathing even. No. 

 That confirmed it. Promise bound. Great. Rio was too good for this world truly. Of course he was going to make a promise that he would be forced to keep. “Lydia, you definitely pay very well, I would’ve loved to have just worked for you, but you took Todd and now you’ve taken someone even more important and wrapped him up in a promise that he shouldn’t have to keep. I’m not going to make him break it, because that will hurt him more than I can allow, but I won’t let you keep doing this.” Winston fished into their pocket, pulling a number of tiny metal balls of twine from their pocket before tossing them through the air. The balls of twine sprouted tiny wire legs and began to scuttle towards Rio. They were made from iron. Everything had a hint of iron nowadays. Better for dealing with fae. “I’m really sorry Rio,” Winston watched as the wires of the twine reached out and began to wrap themselves around Rio’s feet. Hopefully this didn’t hurt them too much. Winston wasn’t sure if them preventing Rio from completing the promise would hurt Rio as well, they hoped not. But right now they had to deal with Lydia. She couldn’t go on. 

 When Rio stepped into her path, Luce had the uncomfortable flashback to the last time they’d run into each other. She’d been wrong then, yeah. And, as she heard Athena and Winston talk, as they pieced together the puzzle that she really didn’t care about, she had a feeling that she was going to be in the wrong again. But, it didn’t matter. Rio wouldn’t be hurt. Not in any real way compared to what she was going to do to Lydia. As Winston apologized, as they let loose their latest techno-magical marvel, she watched the way it curled around his legs. Probably not enough to stop him, but if she gave him a little help...  Luce curled her free hand into a fist. “Sorry, Rio.” She said apologetically and punched the kid square in the face once more before quickly sidestepping him to face Lydia. Holding the short spear out to block the woman’s path, she offered a tight lipped smile. “I’d say you did your job too well, Lydia.” She said as she pressed forward. It was too open here, too many eyes. If they could just get away from the street. “Why don’t we have a nice little chat about just how good you are at what you do, huh?” Luce said, the threat of violence mounting with every step she took towards the Fae woman.

 Everything happened quickly. Orion’s first instinct was to deny Lydia’s claims. He wouldn’t have promised her anything. “No- That can’t be… I didn’t-” But he kept trailing off. Back then, he hadn’t known she was a fae. She was a woman attacked by a monster in town and Rio was a hunter that had helped her. He had promised not to harm her. To protect her even. “Oh my god.” He had been so stupid. And now, everything made sense. Athena was helping Ariana look for the Fae that had killed her friend. Turned out, Rio had known her all along. His voice caught in his throat. He wanted to yell at Lydia, or to yell at the group but what was the point? This was all his fault. He had saved a monster, and now he had been trapped in her net. “Please don’t make me do that.” Rio finally spoke, begging Lydia to let him free. To stop him. The group caught on quickly, wires wrapping around Rio’s leg in an attempt by Winston to lock him into place, and seconds later another punch to the face by Luce threw him off balance. At least she apologized this time around. But as much as Rio wanted to fight against it and stay rooted in place, he felt his body moving on it’s own. “Crap. No, no, no.” He said to himself as he grabbed at the wires and began ripping them away from his legs. Don’t do this. He kept telling himself, forcing himself to stop. But he had promise bound himself to a freaking fae. “Stop me!” He yelled at the group. But he had already ripped most of the wires free and was reaching towards Luce to stop her from hurting Lydia. 

 If the blonde girl was going to act vague and detached, Lydia was going to dismiss her as entirely uninteresting. Luce and Winston were the clear threats here. “T-” Lydia frowned. They oughtn’t have been able to know about that. The detachment had been seamless, Todd’s last close connections hurt but not suspicious. In a year, no one would be able to find a single reference to DJ Dayze, but the transition had only barely started. No matter now, Todd would rot in that home of hers until she sent someone to pull him out, but she tucked that thought away. Apparently this human hunter was even more valuable than Todd. A bargaining chip. Lydia jumped back as Winston threw their gizmos on the floor, but the twine only went for Rio, not for her. Lydia’s mouth filled with saliva as her heart began to race, adrenaline numbing the searing pain in her back and arms. Luce aimed the spear she had once stolen from a red cap at Lydia, and Lydia swallowed. “I don’t want to make him fight you. If you all backed off, he would be home in a couple hours and no one would have any more issues. But that isn’t going to happen, is it?” The blonde girl’s hand twitched to something at her side, so Lydia’s did the same, slowly backing away from Lucinda’s spear. At the same moment that Rio stopped to reach for it, Lydia grabbed her own dagger and pushed it into his hand. “Your choice. Have fun.” Lydia spun and spat on a passer by, yelling for him to protect her too. She bolted down the street, licking her hand and spreading her toxin onto every human she could touch, leaving a wall of human shields in her wake. The department store would let her disappear, if she could reach it. Lydia’s phone buzzed again, as Lydia screeched in frustration. Surely Deirdre knew she would be busy?

 The fae was hardly paying attention to her, but that suited Athena just fine. She relished when those who she hunted underestimated her. It just made their deaths all the more pleasurable in the end. She knew that she couldn’t let her guard down, not even for a moment. She winced briefly at Winston and Luce’s actions, but she felt her whole body tense up at her brother’s pleading. There was no work-around right now - who knew what sort of promises he’d been exactly manipulated into, and she couldn’t risk any further harm coming to him. She couldn’t lose him. Wouldn’t lose him. Except Lydia wasn’t going to go down easy. “I do not believe you.” She replied, simply, gaze focused. Focused on Lydia before it moved to her brother, and the dagger than Lydia had placed in his hand. “Ri, no.” She hissed, as Lydia spat on someone else and began to run away. “I - we can’t let her get away.” Athena began to move in the direction where Lydia had gone - dagger now removed and clearly visible. “We also can’t - the humans need to get out of this as unharmed as possible.” She moved toward her brother for just a moment, wondering if there was a way to get the dagger out of his hands. If she could be quick and swift enough to do so. She knew how he moved, usually.  

 Winston had seen this fae affect so many people. She had killed Ariana’s friend. She had taken Todd. She was doing all of this to Rio and now she was bringing in people who had absolutely nothing to do with it and bringing them into it all. Winston swallowed before watching Rio tear through the wire that was wrapping up his body. They really hadn’t wanted to hurt their but there wasn’t really much choice here. Willing the wires to unravel and then tighten around him, Winston fought back against Rio’s frankly incredible strength. Something that Winston would’ve normally marvelled at. Hurling more balls of twine his way, they watched as Lydia tried to make her exit. Reaching out with their mind Winston tried to sense the wires that would inevitably run through all of the streets and lanes. Unfortunately this wasn’t as densely populated an area as they would’ve normally liked and therefore there was not as much around them that they would be able to use. But they would make do. “I can only do so much with these balls of twine but I’ll try and stop Lydia from getting too far.” Winston watched as she darted through the crowd, there was a telephone line hanging overhead and Winston snapped the wire with their mind, causing the copper wire to lash downwards and wrap around Lydia’s leg. “Get the dagger off of Rio and we can deal with him once Lydia’s dealt with…” Winston was concerned however, they didn’t really want to substantially hurt their boyfriend but they were beginning to wonder if they didn’t have much other choice.

 In an instant, the tension that had existed between them had exploded into motion, with action and reaction. Rio was tearing at the wires, now armed, Athena grasping the dagger, Lydia taking off through the crowd, setting up a wall of human shields between her and them. Luce gritted her teeth as one of the entranced bystanders positioned himself firmly between her and Lydia, his hands raising to block her. Hand to hand wasn’t her best skill, and neither was taking down people in a way that wouldn’t hurt them badly. Anger burning under her skin, Luce tried to focus on the sensation she’d had that night, when she’d willed the magic to crackle and explode into something more than just flame. Lightning, electricity, sharp and precise and deadly. She wanted it, needed it now more than ever.  But, when she brought her hands up, outstretched and reaching for Lydia, a burst of blue flames were conjured instead. The flames caught on the clothes of the people around her, not caring who or what they consumed. And neither did the bystanders between them. They continued to block her path, even as the fire crawled along their bodies. “Fuck.” She swore before focusing her magic, pouring energy into killing the flames, smothering them. “Shit, shit, shit!” She swore. 

 Through her perforated ear, Lydia did not hear the overhead cable snap until it cracked around her ankle. Lydia toppled, screaming like she was being burned again as she caught her weight with just one arm. Unsuspecting humans moved close to help her out of misguided kindness, but the cable had split her skin where it had lashed her first and they were hesitant to reach out. Frightened of an electric shock. Lydia grabbed one passerby, smearing her spit on him until it numbed his fear. “Get it off me!” She shrieked. His hands frantically scrabbled at the cable, as she grabbed three others, including a teenager, to pry the cable off her leg. Winston wanted her dead, but they wouldn’t electrocute her with humans at stake, right? Lydia looked up as a couple humans screamed, staring in wide eyed horror at the fire melting clothes in the crowd. They didn’t falter as their skin burned, even if they yelled in pain. That was the point of the kiss, after all, that they would set themselves on fire to keep Lydia safe. The entrancing sight was extinguished just as quickly, and the copper wire was pried from her legs. “Help me up,” she snarled, and two arms picked her up from the waist. Dizzy with the ache of a dozen injuries, Lydia forced herself to turn on her heel and run again, pushing people out of the way as she went. 

 Orion didn’t want the knife that Lydia passed off to him, but he couldn’t seem to let it go. He had to protect Lydia. Even if his brain was telling him to stop, he had to protect her. His family had been warning him their entire lives not to fall into the trap, but here he was. As his grip tightened on the knife, Rio found himself gritting his teeth. It seemed like the only physical thing he could do to restrain himself. His muscles ached as he was forced to move forward despite trying so desperately to hold himself back. He could see the three around them, Luce moving towards Lydia, Winston trying to work their magic and Athena ready to pounce at Rio at any moment. All his mind could think about was how to stop all three of them from getting to Lydia. Luce and Winston both had dangerous magic and Athena had always been stronger than Rio had. It seemed like more of a losing battle, and while that’s exactly in actuality, the reality was that he had no choice but to try. He needed to stop Luce, she was closest. But before he could move, Athena leapt at him. He had grown up fighting her his entire life, but had never once won a battle. He had never wanted to fight her, but they had known all the same moves. They had grown up memorizing each other’s moves. But Rio was different than he had been before. He had been learning moves from someone else now. He slid past her arm, grabbing onto her wrist and twisting it behind her, finally pulling her entire arm behind her back in order to pin her. With his free hand he held the knife up, begging himself internally not to use it. He was forced to protect Lydia, but that didn’t mean he’d have to kill anyone. He just needed to fulfill his promise. If he slowed them down, that was protecting her. “I’m sorry.” Rio muttered, voice shaking in anticipation, “Oh god, I’m so sorry.” He tried to drive the point home before he braced his free hand on the other side of her arm and snapped them against each other, stomach flipping at the sound of bones cracking. “Please stop me.” Rio reminded her before discarding her and taking off for the other two.

 There was almost too much happening at once - though Athena knew that she ought to have expected such. Given everything she knew about Lydia, she’d never expected this to be easy, but the very fact that this fae was so willing to take down innocent civilians just made her all the more reprehensible. She watched Winston and Luce work their magicks, though she couldn’t help but wince as Luce’s aim missed - though it was through no fault of her own - and hit a person rather than Lydia. She didn’t have too much time to focus, though - because she could see her brother move, the knife still far too shiny in his hands, looking incredibly out of place. It didn’t suit him, and not for the first time, she just wanted to make things better. Wanted to take on whatever he was feeling, even if she was furious that he’d managed to get himself into this, that he’d managed to get promise-bound to one of the most vile fae she had ever encountered. She leapt at him for a moment, but before she knew what was happening she could feel his hand grab her wrist and twist it behind her back and she didn’t change her expression, ignoring the slight pain that shot through her body. He was stronger, now, somehow, and she found herself admiring this fact for a split second before she heard his voice shaking - and she didn’t cry - their parents had taught them to avoid that, because in the end it could be used as a distraction - but she wanted to, wanted to take away all the terror that was in his voice. She watched him raise the knife up for a moment and her eyes widened. She’d seen him in their kitchen. She knew what he could do, but she hoped that something, somehow would allow him not to use that. He lowered his other arm until both were on the side of her arm - her non-dominant one, she noted, before she heard the snap and bit down on her lip hard -- too hard -- so that she wouldn’t scream. “It’s fine. You’re safe. It’s -” she felt herself sinking down onto the ground, looking over towards where Winston and Luce were. Ignoring whatever her brother was doing. “Corner Lydia. I can - I can do this, we just need to get her somewhere and…” she scrunched up her face. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

 Winston heard the dull crunch of bones and swallowed feeling slightly queasy. But they had to overcome this. They had to stop Lydia. People were going to help Todd, they were going to help everyone that was under her control and now it was Winston’s responsibility to help deal with this. She had been abusing her abilities for too long and people were getting hurt. Concern flashed across Winston’s face and they dashed onwards. Their lungs burning in protest at this much exercise and sweat speckling their brow. They’d never gotten the hang of running. They honestly weren’t entirely sure how people did it to keep fit and despite every occasion in which they had been forced to sprint away from something trying to kill them they were never going to get used to this. But they didn’t have time to reach for their inhaler right now. They knew that Athena was right, they couldn’t wait for her on this though the injury that she had just sustained looked painful. Swallowing nervously, Winston pushed through the people around them.  They were slowing them down and Winston couldn’t afford the delay. Reaching out with their magic once more, Winston grasped the wires everywhere and quickly began to force them to snap taught. The metal rose from walls, concrete and even street lights like thin snakes, wrapping around the civilians and pulling them out of the way. “We need to corner her!” It was an unfamiliar town for all of them, but Winston had technology on their side -- as always--  and was quickly able to pull up a street layout. “Luce, force her to go left.” The amount of will that they were exerting on keeping everything in place was … significant and they weren’t sure how long they could keep this up. They needed to end this and fast.

 Luce winced as she heard the snapping of bone, heard Rio apologize, but didn’t hear the slightest sound from Athena. Well. Good thing she wasn’t on the girl’s shit list, because fuck. The Murder Siblings were scarier than she’d clocked them. Nodding at Athena’s shout, she continued to charge after Lydia but the fact remained-- her magic wasn’t of any use right now, not when there were too many innocent bystanders who would get caught in the literal line of fire. But, Winston was on top of that-- they always were. More cables shot from the ground, like tendrils, and grabbed at the enraptured pedestrians, restraining them. Not for the first time, Luce was grateful for their abilities, both of the magical and problem solving variety. They’d managed to create a narrow pathway through the bodies, straight towards Lydia. “Got it!” Luce yelled as she ran through the crowd. While Winston might have stopped them from being able to bar the path, Luce gritted her teeth as the people thrashed and kicked and hit, the blows landing against her as she ran. Nails scratched at her skin, drawing blood, and she felt one of the hands yank against the choker around her neck. The material closed around her neck and she let out a strangled snarl before incinerating the thin ribbon with a burst of flame. “You can’t fucking run from us, bitch!” She yelled as she sprinted towards Lydia and threw the iron spear, aiming for the space in front of her. The iron spear skewered the side of a plastic newspaper stand box, effectively barring Lydia’s path.

 Her Aos Sí preferred to practice chasing than being chased. They didn’t focus on it, considering it beneath themselves to spend more time thinking about Hunters than was utterly necessary, but one thing they had always stressed was that looking behind you would only slow you down. Lydia’s mouth filled with saliva even as she gasped for breath, and the more she ran, the less fussy she was as to who she spit on. Children were no longer off limits as she yelled for them to protect her. The whistling in one ear only grew louder the harder she had to breath, each step searingly painful with every injury from the last few days. Lydia was dizzy from it all, dizzy because her left ear didn’t work thanks to Regan’s temper tantrum. She couldn’t ignore her pain like Deirdre, or disguise it like Felix, or heal like Remmy, and she was beginning to slow, grabbing a random human for support so that she didn’t lose her balance. Lydia couldn’t hear what was happening behind her, couldn’t hear Luce’s scream or Winston’s yells, or that her human shield had a highway right through it. It sounded like she was winning, even as she stumbled, clutching her side, her breathe laborious and agonising.

 Lydia didn’t hear anything at all until a spear shot past her, punching through the newspaper stand and quivering. She turned right, staring at Luce for only a split second before spitting on a burly man and pushing him towards Luce. “RIO!” She screamed, “PROTECT ME!” Lydia turned on her heel and ducked through a back alley, which in turn twisted right, into a space full of dumpsters and a large garage for some kind of delivery van. Lydia skidded to a stop, wincing as she almost tripped over her own feet again. All the buildings joined together. Lydia jogged over to peer around a drain pipe, where she could get through to the other street… if there hadn’t been a fence in the way. “No-” Lydia breathed, spinning around. “There has to be-” There was a five storey building to her right, with a large fire escape down the side. “Thank god,” Lydia said, dropping the glamour on her wings and running over to it, launching herself into flight. Lightning speared through her back, Lydia screamed as she crumbled to the ground, her knee skidding through a week old abandoned ready meal from McDonalds. Kaden Langley had shredded her wing - without it, she could not reach. 

 There wasn’t a lot of time to figure out a plan, and Orion couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t messy. Physically compelled to help this woman who had hurt Ariana and murdered one of her friends. Forced against his will to fight against his own friends and sister. How did Rio complete his promise without hurting the ones that he loved? He caught up to Winston quickly, diving into them and causing them both to crash against the ground. Rio rolled away from them quickly and pushed back up onto his feet. “You have to stop me” Rio told Winston. Rio brandished the knife again, the thing burning against his palm. “No, no, no” Rio fought against himself. He couldn’t hurt Winston. Not anymore than he already had. Not with this stupid knife. Rio was frantic. He didn’t know how to stop himself. He glanced behind him to see Luce still hot on Lydia’s trail. “Damn it!” Rio called it, spinning from Winston. He needed to slow Luce down. But he didn’t want to hurt her. Unfortunately, as was the case with Athena, he didn’t think that was possible at the moment. He repositioned the knife in his hand, “I’m sorry” he mumbled his apologies to Luce before aiming and hurling the thing at her, aiming for her leg. Enough to slow her down, not to permanently injure her. “Knock me out. Please, god Winston. I can’t stop.” He turned to face Winston again, pleading with them before his body would force him to fight them.

 Shoving her way past the people who were trying to stop her from reaching Lydia, Luce made her way towards the woman. She needed to do this, needed to end this. In the time that she’d been gone, the coven, her mother, her sisters, they’d been in danger. And she’d had no way of knowing, because she’d been to fucking cowardly to face the shit that was happening here in White Crest. But, she wasn’t going to run away. Not from this, not from Lydia and the threat she held towards her and everyone else she cared about. Not when the woman had the power to bend anyone she wanted to her will. Luce remembered just what Lydia had done to August, had seen the way she’d forced him to promise away his magic, had watched as he’d broken his own bones. As Lydia ran in the opposite direction of the spear, Luce paused to wrench it free from the newspaper box. But, in that small window of time, she heard Rio swear and then felt the tip of a knife plunge into the back of her leg, just below the edge of her shorts. “Fuck!” She swore, the word coming out in a strangle gasp of pain. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Rio staring at Winston, begging them. She swallowed. Winston… they had to take care of this. Grasping the knife in her leg, Luce let out a hiss of pain before yanking it out. “FUCK!” Blood rolled freely down her skin, covering her tattoos in a slick sheen of red. “Lydia, you bitch!” She snarled, knife held tightly in her grasp as she continued after the woman, forcing herself into a limping jog.

 It was becoming increasingly clear that if they all didn’t finish this off soon, Lydia might actually get away with everything. Athena squeezed her eyes shut for another moment, concentrating all of her focus on the task at hand. Her arm hurt like nothing she had ever truly experienced before, and yet she knew that she couldn’t focus on that right now. That was for later, and whatever pain she had to work through would be worth it. Not to mention, her divinely given abilities (no matter what had happened with her parents, she still couldn’t shake those words, shake that belief entirely - and now was certainly not the time to be focusing on that most of all. She was grateful for all that Luce and Winston were doing - and impressed as well, if she let herself pause to process that for any length of time. She’d express her gratitude later, once this was all done. She stood up, finally, legs far more shaky than she wished for them to be, and concentrated on the despicable, terrible, crawling feeling of a fae being nearby. Lydia had taken off, and Athena made her way after her, after Luce - she spotted her brother throw something at Luce and she winced, only for a moment, but Luce kept moving and she just had to hope and trust that Winston could control her brother. 

 Winston had been holding back a little bit. It was Rio. There wasn’t a single person in their life that meant half as much as he did right now and Winston hadn’t been able to hurt them. But their hesitance had gotten Luce hurt and as they watched the knife sail end over end through the air, Winston swallowed sadly and shook their head. “Okay… Rio ... I’m sorry.” Tears balanced in their eye as they reached into their pocket and fished out the taser they had originally designed to kill mime dopplegangers. A few adjustments had been easy enough and it worked to stun, incapacitate and kill. Flicking the settings around, Winston feinted left before bringing the taser right. They watched the two long pins of a vey heavily modified cattle prod connect with Rio’s side before they sent a long and what would undoubtedly be a painful blast of electricity through Orion. Enough volts to really do something too. They just hoped that it wasn’t too much. Orion’s body crumpled in Winston’s arms and they gently set them down, leaning them against a wall before hurtling after Luce. Sweat glistened on their forehead but there was no choice but to get her. This had to stop. They couldn’t let anyone else get hurt by this monster. 

 “No, no, no,” Lydia gasped, eyes flicking around the space. None of the fire escapes were lower, walls looming around her like a cage, the stench of rotting food and human waste filling her lungs. This couldn’t be it. There had to be some door that was unlocked, some window she could squeeze through, but she was hardly the first person to look for a way into the ground floor back here. Lydia slammed her shoulder into a door and screamed as it only rattled. If her arm wasn’t broken, if her other wasn’t burned, if her wings- Lydia’s mind kept slipping back to Deirdre, to the buzzing of her phone. It wasn’t about Texas, or Morgan, or the squished hedgehog she’d found on the side of the road. It hadn’t been, for the past two dozen calls. Lydia stepped back, her breathing shallow, eyes flicking from shuttered window to shuttered window. She should have picked up hours ago. There was nowhere she wanted to be more than in Deirdre’s arms right now. The iron spear, the copper wires, Lydia looked down at her bleeding ankle and whimpered. There had to be more than this. If she ran back through the crowd, she could push people into Winston. Twist Luce’s own mind against her with the saliva in her mouth. 

 There had to be more, but Deirdre had been calling. Perhaps it would have happened in Lydia’s living room, with the fire lit, a bottle of glass in her belly. Maybe she wouldn’t have felt the poison shutting down her brain. Or perhaps Deirdre would have slit her throat, and would have held Lydia in her warm arms as Lydia’s own heat spilled out of her in just a few short seconds. Deirdre had been calling. Because she had promised that Lydia would not die a bad death. Lydia could barely hear what was happening in the street back there, but she had seconds, and nowhere to go. 

 Lydia didn’t even realise she was reaching for her phone before she’d even decided. She was still looking around as her thumb tapped the screen. Deirdre was on speeddial, but that didn’t mean she would pick up fast. Lydia could hear only her heartbeat faster that the dial tone. Buzz, thumpthumpthum, buzz- “I rel-” but the voice on the other line wasn’t Deirdre’s at all. It took another precious second to place the panicked tones, for Lydia to recognise  Morgan’s voice. Lydia almost sobbed at the sudden relief of it, hearing it for the first time since Morgan had told her goodbye on that awful day. Lydia caught words and snippets, barely able to piece the words together. There wasn’t time. “Deirdr- Morgan, DEIRDRE, NOW!” Lydia yelled, stifling a pitiful sound against her lip. She could barely make out what Morgan said as Lydia scrabbled to hide behind an air vent, leaning her head against the cool metal. “I relinquish you,” she breathed, the single most important thing Deirdre needed to know.  The red thread that bound them together dropped away and Lydia sobbed for its disappearance. She couldn’t hear anyone nearby, so she hurriedly tripped over her words, trying to whisper what she needed Deirdre (and Morgan, by extension) to hear. “I love you, you’re the best fae in that town, no matter what anyone says, you’re like a sister to-”

 Rage mixed with adrenaline and the heady combination urged Luce’s legs forward, even as pain radiated up her leg with every step she took. She trailed after Lydia, the spear heavy in her left hand, the knife bloody in her right. Fire burned within her, the magic begging to be released. But she couldn’t, not now. Not yet. Luce limped towards the alleyway that Lydia had run down, the spear point dragging against the asphalt as she rounded the corner. Looking around, Luce’s gaze fell on the woman screaming into her phone, clutching it like it was a lifeline. Without a word, Luce raised her hand and hurled the knife back at Lydia, sending it flying towards her. It missed, bouncing off the side of the building behind the Fae woman, but that wasn’t the point. She didn’t care if it landed because the second it had left her finger tips, the witch had thrown herself forward, spear raised and ready. Luce lunged forward, using momentum and anger to carry her. The speartip pierced through the flesh of Lydia’s shoulder, but Luce continued onwards, a ragged shout ripping through her throat as she forced the spear through the woman’s shoulder and pinned her to the wall of the alleyway. Staggering backwards, arms shaking from the effort, Luce glared at the woman. She said nothing, because there was nothing left for her to say. She was going to die here, die gasping and bleeding and in so much pain. And with her would die the threat that Lydia posed to Bea, to Nell, to her mother, to all of White Crest. 

 Athena continued to follow Luce and Lydia closely. She found the two of them turning down an alleyway, and straightened her posture, slipping another one of her knives out from its hiding space and she watched, a smirk crossing her face, as Luce threw her knife at Lydia. Lydia whimpering into the phone. Athena walked up towards where Lydia was, turning her head curiously as she had those many days of dissections during her biology classes in high school. She wouldn’t go that far, now - that would be too much and might make police do more investigative work than would be good for anyone involved, but she wanted Lydia to hurt. “You know, I don’t think calling for help is going to do you much good.” She hummed to herself before she moved a few steps closer and took one first cut against Lydia’s shoulder blade. “That must burn, mustn't it? Though I believe in balance so…” She flipped the knife in her hand, grateful that the satisfaction of hurting someone like Lydia did at least something to lessen the searing pain in her broken arm. “I’ll go for the other one, too. Not the heart yet, though I am curious about if someone who has behaved in the way that you have even has one to speak of.” Athena held her knife close to Lydia’s jawline. “Don’t try to move. I’m quick on my feet, and it seems as though she is too,” she glanced over to Luce. “I’ve got more where this one came from.” 

 As usual Winston was the last to arrive. It didn’t really matter, they were still pretty concerned for Rio and would’ve much rather been checking on him. However, he was tough, whether or not he admitted it, the poor guy had been through more then many had and still managed to retain his kindness and compassion which was honestly no small feat. Yet despite all of that Winston knew that they had to stop Lydia once and for all. Their life wouldn’t be okay until then. She’d interfered too much. With Todd, with Rio, in their own life, it was all… concerning. Swallowing, Winston rounded the corner to see Lydia pinned painfully in place. She looked… well almost pathetic frankly. Pinned to a wall, helpless, covered in wounds and hurting. Winston couldn’t say anything, there was nothing to say, all they could do was watch with an almost morbid curiosity. 

 Like everything else, Lydia did not hear Luce approaching in the same way she could not hear what, if anything, Deirdre was saying in reply, the last words she might ever hear, stolen from her because of a scream. She gasped as the knife whipped past her face, stumbling back. The phone slipped out of her hands, the one good thing she could have accomplished done. The spear pierced through her shoulder, sizzling and searing her flesh as it went under her collarbone, and hit against her shoulder blade. Lydia screamed as it caught there, scraping against the bone as Luce drove it even further forward. The bone cracked and wrenched her shoulder down as the spear pushed it out of place, driving through her back and piercing the metal vent behind her. Lydia shrieked as her legs gave out and the burning iron ate at her flesh. Every thrash of her limbs spilled fresh blood down her clothes until she managed to get her legs under her again, supporting just enough weight that the spear wasn’t pressing quite so hard against her clavicle. She tried to grab the spear with her hand, only for blisters to grow and burst, pus leaking out of her hand. Lydia’s glamour fell, skin glowing, damaged wing on show, her ears extended. Her irises looked even more iridescently blue while bloodshot and tearstained. Lydia stared at Athena in confusion. 

 “No- please-” Lydia whimpered, “I haven’t done anything to you I haven-AAAGH!” Lydia screamed at the simple iron cut on her other side, crushing part of the vent as she jerked from the pain, almost passing out. But that would have been too kind, the sharp agony forcing her awake, sobbing disgustingly as  Athena held the knife to her chin, and her flesh began to blister too, the rancid smell of overcooked barbeque cloying her senses. From the corner of her eye, she saw Winston approach too. “I’ll give you Todd back!” She cried, “I’ll relinquish him, you won’t know the difference, but you have to let me go. Please, Winston, I can’t- I’ll let him go!” Whatever brief acceptance of death there had been in the quiet was gone now as Lydia rabidly tried to pull any threads of fae promise to work in her favour. She looked back to the glimmer of satisfaction in Athena’s eyes, and realised how close they were. “Please, just let me go,” she whimpered, filling her mouth with toxic saliva. “Please, please, you don’t have to do this,” Lydia reared her head back slightly then spat in Athena’s face, watching the glob of spit run down Athena’s cheek. Maybe this wasn’t it after all, hope flickering like a candle in a storm. “Help me leave, please!”

 Winston swallowed at the mention of Todd. He was their friend. He had been their friend for more time then Winston had known about all of this and although there was literally no proof that knowing Winston had anything to do with Todd becoming involved with Lydia, Winston couldn’t help but feel profoundly responsible for everything that had happened to him. Swallowing, Winston considered everything, but they doubted that either Luce or Athena would let anything happen and Winston was pretty sure that the promise would’ve been broken by her death. “I’m sorry Lydia, but it’s not really my choice, I know you took him and I know you think he’s yours to return, but Todd doesn’t belong to anyone and that sort of thinking, treating humans as if they belong to someone-- as if they’re objects to be traded and bargained with … that’s too dangerous to be…” they couldn’t say it. They might be a killer now. They might be responsible for deaths and they might’ve done wrong but Winston couldn’t admit to it. “It’s out of my hands.” They looked at Athena and Luce, wondering what would happen next. 

 Luce turned her back on Lydia, limping away from the scene as Winston and Athena closed in. She braced herself against the wall at the edge of the alley while the blood continued to drip down her leg. She was weaponless now and her fire wouldn’t do much to stop anyone who was caught in Lydia’s thrall. But, she had to do something to make sure people couldn’t just stop them. This needed to end. Lydia needed to die. And she’d done her part, she’d helped get Athena where she needed her to be. Luce gritted her teeth as she listened to the screaming, the begging, the pleading. In those moments, she could almost forget what Lydia was capable of. Almost. But, she could never forget what she’d seen that day in the woman’s mansion. With a stubborn determination, Luce knocked over a large stack of empty plastic crates, hoping they’d block the alley from the people who were no doubt clawing at their wire confines. “I don’t know how long we have here.” Luce called over her shoulder as she leaned heavily against the wall, pressing her hand against the wound on her leg in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

 She could hear Lydia screaming, and it did little else other than further spark her curiosity. Athena figured that perhaps she ought to have flinched more than she did at the scream, but she’d watched countless operations that her father had performed, and so the screaming of a fae did little to cause a reaction. Instead, it felt good, right, and although she didn’t like to think about what similarities she held to her father (not now, not now - not when she still couldn’t help but hear her parents’ words, sometimes), she did know that she felt this way; that this much was true. Winston had arrived now, without her brother, and she didn’t want to focus on whatever was going on with Ri, right now - because hyperfocus on her brother and whatever he was going through was only going to serve to distract her, and that would increase the likelihood of failing at what she’d set out to do.

 If she were someone kinder, gentler (more like her brother, she thought) then Lydia’s pleading might have done more to work its way into her heart. Athena had long ago shut herself off from feeling anything when she hunted. It didn’t do her any good, and it was part of why she was so often very successful. Shutting out everything else permitted her to be single minded, and all of a sudden she felt something wet against her cheek and her hand flew up to touch it, fingers brushing along her cheek. Well, Lydia may have been cunning in many other ways, but still had yet to figure out that Athena was a warden. “That kind of thing doesn’t work on me.” She giggled, and the sound was off, she knew that much, but everything was all happening so fast and she heard - noted - Luce’s words - they were in public and though Lydia now very much looked as inhuman as she was, it didn’t mean that people wouldn’t come running and wouldn’t come wondering about all the screaming. She shook her head. “No, you made a terrible, horrible, very bad mistake.” She ran her knife along Lydia’s jaw then. She wanted her to suffer - for what she was but now, moreover, for all the harm that she’d caused. For what she’d made Ri do, for what she’d made Ariana do, for the fact that she surpassed the normal vileness of Leanan-Sidhe and kept humans in her basement. 

 Her arm still hurt - she did her best to not focus on that either, even though it meant that she couldn’t quite do her normal handiwork. So one-handed it would have to be. Athena took her knife again, though its color was stained darker from her handiwork thus far. She hated how public their location was, despite being off to the side in an alleyway. It meant that she probably couldn’t let Lydia suffer as painful of a death as she would have wished for her to. “Are you afraid?” Her lips fell into a small smile, eyes staring straight at Lydia. She was severely injured - had been, to a point it seemed before everyone present had gotten ahold of her. Her knife sliced through Lydia’s clothing, cutting into her skin just below her heart. Not straight to the heart, that would have been too much of a mercy. Athena had memorized the most effective ways to kill, and though she’d granted her parents that to a degree, she couldn’t bring herself to, now. “She’s almost gone.” She murmured, her voice halfway vacant, not fully present. She’d checked out towards the end sometimes during her father’s surgeries in their home. “It won’t be long now, I don’t think.” Voice monotone, she turned to look at Winston. “I did what I had to do.”

 What Winston saw in that moment would stain their memory forever. Like a black spot in their mind it would continue to haunt their dreams. The way that Athena worked, the efficiency of the knife and the way that it cut through Lydia was the stuff of nightmares. But what would really bother them was how they hadn’t intervened. After all, she’d deserved it. She’d hurt so many people, she deserved this pain. She deserved to feel some of the torment that she had made so many other people feel. Though in their heart of hearts Winston was sure that wasn’t true; they knew better then to allow someone else to suffer and they would regret this for the rest of their life. Once it was all over, and Lydia lay their suffering, Winston … swallowed. Shaking themselves out of their daze, Winston scooped up the abandoned spear that Luce had left behind and tentatively held it for a moment. “I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner…” was all they could manage to say. Their voice was barely a whisper. Their fingers tensed around the shaft of the spear before they drove it through Lydia’s heart. Blood sprayed out of the wound covering Winston’s hands, but they didn’t care. They might not have done the right thing earlier but it wasn’t too late to try and make things better. “It’s time to go.” They couldn’t make eye contact with Athena, they couldn’t look at Luce, they just had to get out of here and find Todd and make sure Rio was okay. 

 Lydia had heard the dying thoughts and fears of nearly fifty humans, she had thought she knew what it was to fear death. She had felt with startling clarity what it was to have the last tendrils of your life gently coaxed out of you after years of suffering. Nothing that prepared her for this, as Athena dragged the burning hot blade along her jaw, cutting through the burns to make fresh ones. With every cut, Athena tore apart every thread of Lydia’s sense of self, her voice hoarse as she wailed and wept. Eventually, even her begging was reduced to unintelligible gibberish, but for Athena, even that wasn’t enough. Perhaps the only mercy Regan had left her was that Lydia could not completely make out Athena’s last taunts over the pounding of her heart as Athena scraped her blade against the ridges of Lydia’s sternum, burning flesh and bone alike. 

 Every scream should have been wrung out of her, but Athena managed to tear one more out of her wretched lungs as Athena drove her knife between Lydia’s ribs. Her diaphragm and lungs bubbled and blistered under the harsh heat of the cold iron. Her vision still did not blacken, the very pain of dying keeping her awake. Like a tease, Death did not offer any reprieve quite yet as Lydia began to slowly choke on the trickle of blood that seeped into her lungs. She sobbed and tried to call Athena back to end it, not to leave her here like a bug pinned in a museum, but Athena did not turn back. Lydia saw Winston approach, but did not really see them at all, not even as they pulled the spear out of her shoulder. She did not hear their whispered apology, nor could she understand their expression, but she barely made a sound as they shattered her sternum. Her heart convulsed around the spear once, twice, and came to a final, shuddering halt. 

 There was a scream and then there was silence. Luce looked back down the alley, eyes going first to Athena, who had a ghost of a smile on her face, then to Winston, their hands covered in blood. And then to Lydia. Or rather, the body that had once been her. Remorse wasn’t a thing that she felt, not for the Fae woman. But, this was dirty work, hard work. And Winston had been the one to finish it. They shouldn’t have had to do that. Forcing herself into motion, Luce braced herself against the side of the wall as she made her way back to where Lydia’s body lay. “Hey,” She said quietly as she rested her clean hand on Winston’s shoulder, “We did what we had to do. For all the people she’s hurt, and for the lives she would have taken. We did what we had to.” Whatever it takes. The mantra returned to her mind and Luce sighed. But when would that end? 

 “You guys should go ahead. Get Rio, get him out of here. I’ll… clean this up.” Luce said with a nod, gesturing to the crumpled heap of Lydia’s body. Grasping the spear, she pulled it free from the corpse. It slid free with a sticking, wet noise and the body slumped over on the alley way. With an impassive gaze, Luce stared down at the body before her. She’d done what was right. She’d done what she had to. She did what she needed to make sure that the people she cared for were safe. Lydia would never hurt anyone again, she’d never bend them to her will. This was the right thing. 

 A circle of blue flame sprang to life around the body. Luce watched the tongues dance as she urged them higher, to burn hotter, to close in. The flames obeyed and she watched as flesh and blood, cloth and wing, give way to the fire. A thick acrid scent filled the air and Luce stepped back, her eyes watering from the intensity. It was the easiest way, the simplest solution. But, it was messy. She didn’t want Athena or Winston to see this, didn’t want them to see the way the flesh melted from the bone as the fire consumed it all. Didn’t want to have them watch the way the woman’s wings began to slowly crumble under the heat. Gritting her teeth, Luce fed more magic to the flames and watched Lydia burn.

 Winston swallowed dryly at Luce’s words as they made their way out of the alley, they knew that they had done what they had to do, but in the last year it had simply felt like they had been doing what they had had to do. They had lost so much doing what they had had to do. They had seen friends die. They had seen friends hurt. They had been hurt and they had killed. Was it two times? Three times? How had they lost count? Lydia, August, cultists, vampires. What counted as killing and what didn’t? Where was the line? Where could Winston truly say that they were able to accept what they had done. When were they going to be honest and say that they’d let this go too far. Having power … as cliche as it was meant there was responsibility … they should be better than this. The lump in their throat wouldn’t go and the blood on their hands wouldn’t stop glistening. Winston knew that Luce was right. They needed to go. “At what point do we start taking responsibility for the things we’ve done, irrespective of why we’ve done it?” Winston didn’t need an answer, after all there probably wasn’t one. Heading away from the alley, they moved back to Rio and wrapped an arm tightly under his armpit, struggling to haul him to his feet they began to head away from this, away from the now charred corpse of Lydia, away from the acrid smell of burning flesh that hung in the air.

 Orion wasn’t sure how long they had been out, only that he finally began to stir back to consciousness by being pulled onto his feet. It took a moment for Rio to adjust to the shifting before he finally jolted, stumbling forward and almost falling out of Winston’s grasp entirely. They caught him, but the sudden movement stirred a sinking migraine that had already been looming. “Wha-” He couldn’t exactly form coherent words or sentences at first. The first thing Rio was truly able to focus on was the burning pain in his side. He grabbed at it, more pain prickling up his skin as he let the memories slowly come back to him. As he began to remember what had led to him waking up here, he realized that he didn’t have the words to say, even if he could manage to speak them. How could he have been so stupid? How many people had he hurt, either directly or indirectly, by helping that woman? He wanted to cry. To scream and curse and punch the ground. But all of those actions were pointless. He couldn’t take back what he had done. He certainly couldn’t punch the pain away. “I’m going to be sick” was the first sentence he managed, breaking away from Winston’s grasp and falling against the grass. Catching himself on his palms and knees, Rio lost the little food and water he had in him. Was this caused by his guilt? The increasingly strong smell that he couldn’t ignore anymore? Maybe it was punishment for failing to complete his promise. Was trying enough? Or was he stuck with whatever consequences came from breaking a fae promise? If it was, Rio deserved whatever it had in store for him. “I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry. I don’t- I can’t believe-” At a loss for words again, Rio stopped trying. He just wanted to go home.

 Winston had finished off the job, and Athena’s lips twisted around for a moment, unsure of what to make of that. It was a final mercy, and Lydia didn’t deserve that, but it was final, which meant there was no chance of her coming back. Rio. Luce’s words cut through to her and she nodded, she had to find her brother. She grabbed a handkerchief out of her pocket, running it along the blade, moving as she’d been taught, not thinking about it - and she followed Winston out of the alleyway as the smell of burning flesh cut through the air. It was no use to focus on that right now - it was better to think of it as nothing more than when one of the kids on the soccer team had found a dead squirrel in the summer heat. That was all this was, and any other thought wouldn’t do anybody any good. In fact, recalling that particular memory was too kind for what Lydia had done. 

 She spotted her brother, but before she could reach out to him, Winston had grabbed ahold of him - which was probably better, because now that she didn’t have Lydia’s body, Lydia’s death, the feeling of the knife cutting into flesh to focus on, she could feel the pain shoot up her arm, bruising where Rio had grabbed it and snapped it. Athena shook her head. She’d get to the hospital whenever they got back to White Crest. “You don’t need to say sorry.” She said, walking over to where her brother and Winston were. “That wasn’t you, back there.” Athena wasn’t quite sure how much of whatever she was saying was getting through to her brother; she only knew that she hated seeing him like this. It was only more proof that what she’d done to Lydia was all worth it. “You’re fine. You’re safe. She’s not going to hurt you or anyone else ever again.” She tucked away the knife, a small giggle threatening to escape from her lips - perhaps from some combination of relief and desperate, still-present worry for her brother, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t make it, and instead Athena knelt next to her brother for a moment, brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead, as gently as she could. “Everything’s alright now. I -” she looked up at Winston, looked over toward the alleyway, “we all dealt with it. Everything’s okay. I won’t let anyone try to hurt you ever again.” Another pause. “We won’t. You are stronger than you think. I’ve got proof of that. Now, I think we should get out of here, yeah?”

[chasseurdeloup-retired]

Listening to Fear || Athena and Kaden

TIMING: Before the scream LOCATION: The woods PARTIES: @athenaquinn and @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY: Two hunters enter the woods. One phobid has fun.

Knife in hand, Kaden wasn’t sure how long he stood there at the edge of the trail staring up at the trees, eyes trying to find the tops of the branches, see where one tree ended and the other began. It was impossible to tell. It was also impossible to sort through what he was feeling even though he was certainly trying to. First hunt after spilling the beans to Regan. Well, as best he could manage. Somehow he expected there to be a lot more weight off his shoulders on this next hunt, but he didn’t quite feel it. Something was still nagging at him. He let out a deep exhale through his nose. He supposed it hardly mattered. What mattered was-- People screaming? And running out of the forest. “Putain,” he muttered to himself as he took off running in the direction they came from. No time to worry about feelings and crap now. He had a job to get done and he tore through the trees to get to the scene. A flash of blonde hair caught his eye across the way. “Pipsqueak if that’s you, I swear to god,” he grumbled. The last thing he needed was Blanche out in the woods getting in his way on a hunt.

Even if she didn’t intend for them to, many of Athena’s explorations on the trails around town often ended in a hunt. Admittedly, she had come into the forest today with a partial purpose to hunt, even if she didn’t know exactly what she was looking for. Not that it mattered - this town had more than enough for her to deal with. She’d been working on her breathing recently - because reacting too strongly to fae was not about to do her any good in any sort of situation. She just had to concentrate - though she also knew that she had to welcome the feeling, to welcome how viciously uncomfortable it made her feel whenever any sort of fae was nearby. This time, however, she saw the response before she could feel the fae - a number of hunters screaming and running out of the forest. Shortly after, she could feel goosebumps rise on her arms and she took off. She only skidded to a halt when she heard someone else. “I don’t know who you’re talking to, but I don’t appreciate that nickname.” Turning a corner around a tree she spotted a man. What was he doing here? Why hadn’t he left with the rest of everyone else? He wasn't fae, not as far as she could sense. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t quite place it. “My name is Athena, and I appreciate being referred to as such.”

Oh. Not Blanche. It was someone else entirely. Kaden supposed that was good. “Sorry, thought you were someone else. Someone more obnoxious, about your height, maybe a little shorter, blonde hair though I guess it’s blue sometimes, and she just never stops talki--” A screaming hiker came barreling down the path right into Kaden. He cursed and grumbled as he moved out of the way, almost tossing the man to the side. The poor guy seemed so scared, it was a wonder he didn't piss in his pants. There was another scream or two not too far off. Putain, he had to figure out what the hell was going on here. There were too many monsters to name that could scare a group of unsuspecting hikers shitles. The problem was, it didn’t seem like anything big or barreling was nearby, he’d have heard it. No wolf, probably not a beast. But what the fuck was it. “You’d better clear out, ki-- Athena.” Something about her demeanor, even though she was young, told him that “kid” wasn’t going to go over well with her. “This is dangerous.”

“I -” Athena shook her head. “Well, no. I’ve never even dyed my hair. Not once. Once Lilia said we should, for bid day, but I -” her words and the man’s were both cut off by another scream. She pressed her tongue against her teeth, trying to deduce what was going on. What was causing all of this. She knew very well that some sort of fae was around, but there could have been something else here, too. Whatever was around needed to be dealt with, and this slick-haired guy was blocking her from doing that. She knew that she didn’t even always look twenty, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Let him stop her, either. “I’m not going anywhere.” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “You, however, should probably go somewhere. I’ve got something to deal with, then I’ll go back home. Don’t worry.” She could feel the knife in her boots and the two against her hips. Practically begging to be used. She pursed her lips when she noticed that he was still standing there. “I’ve really got this. I hike in these woods all the time.”

“Me? I should leave?” Kaden scoffed at her suggestion. “Right. Not going to happen. I’m trained for situations like this. I’ve got it covered. Go home.” He charged past her into the woods without a second glance at her. Hopefully she wasn’t stupid enough to follow. And if she was, he’d work around her but he had a feeling she’d be running scared like the hikers back there. Confidence and cockiness only got you so far up against a monster. In the clearing, he paused and listened, tried to use whatever senses he could to suss out the situation. He didn’t feel anything, even anything small or subtle. No beasts nearby. Had to be some other kind of monster, fae or undead most likely. And he didn’t see anything big or scary. So why were they running away like that? Kaden spun around at the sound of rustling behind him, pulling his knife out of his pocket on instinct. Putain, it was the girl “I thought I told you to leave, this is dange--” His words cut off as he heard something behind him, but as soon as he turned to look, it was gone. All he saw was the bounce of some branches and the rustle of the leaves. Fuck, what was it?

“Yes. You should.” Athena fought away the urge to cross her arms and give a less-than-polite retort back to the man. What was he doing here, anyhow? She knew that this town attracted thrill seekers, so maybe he was one of those? It was people like that who made her job more difficult. “I’m sure whatever American Ninja Warrior type of gym you belong to has made you believe that, but I’m actually trained for this.” Great, so now she was going to have to deal with some guy who was way too confident for his own good and a fae that she still couldn’t see. After another moment she felt her whole body tense up. She made a note to continue working on that during her trainings. Not that she wanted a repeat of the whole fae incident back in March, but every time she felt like doubling over when she was around fae made her wish that she had a better handle on that particular aspect of her training. Thankfully, it hadn’t done much of anything to diminish her hunting skills, she thought, a smirk crossing her face. Hardly paying attention to the knife that the man had. Just then, out of the corner of her eye she spotted something. Dark, winged, and with what appeared to be white eyes. Phobid. At least that explained why the hikers had been screaming. “You seriously want to get out of here.” The phobid’s wings fluttered as it rose up from the branch it was sitting on. “The sooner the better.” She pulled one of her knives out from its resting place against her hip. “I’ve got this handled.” She glanced over at his. “Go use that for something else. This isn’t some stupid deer. Also, if it were, I’d advise against that sort of knife. Just a helpful tip from a local!” She flashed him a grin, though it was more passive-aggressive than kind. With a small wave of her hand, she turned back to face the branch where the phobid sat, lips pursed.

“American what?” Kaden asked, face scrunched in confusion. She had to have heard his accent and had some idea he wasn’t American. Or a ninja. Warrior, well, that depended on who you asked. Still seemed a little over the top to him. Still, he found himself rolling his eyes once again at her assessment. “Girl scouts hardly qualifies as survival training but good luck.” He couldn’t stop her, not in any way that was appropriate or that he was comfortable with, so if she insisted on following, he’d work around her. And try to keep her from getting killed. Which is why in the clearing he ignored her, let her insist that he was wrong. It didn’t matter. What mattered was pinning down the location of the monster there sending people screaming. Kaden stood still, taking in the sounds, only to be interrupted by her chatter. “I know it’s not a fucking deer. And I know what my own knives are good for thank you very fucking much, Tinkerbell.” He’d missed the creature again, but he heard it flitter. He glanced at her and followed her eyeline up to the trees and saw the small black, winged figure sitting there.

By the time Kaden realized he’d made a mistake it was too late, his eyes had locked on the creature’s glowing ones and he felt the panic rising within him. A phobid. Rationally, he knew that, knew what it was, but the grass around him suddenly felt too tall, too green. His pulse was picking up, heart starting to pound against his chest, and he shut his eyes tight, trying to force the fear from flooding his senses. He heard the small creature cackling. “Ouh more big legs,” it said with a voice not so different from Rumpleskuffs’. “More fun!” it added. Run. He had to run. Get away from the grass and the plants and the green. That’s what he has to d— No. No. He could push past this. It wasn’t real. He pulled a deep breath into his lungs and held it there a moment, grip tightened around his knife. The only thing that should feel fear is the phobid flitting around. He opened his eyes a little as he could, only viewing the world through small slits. His shaking hand put his knife away and scrambled to get the crossbow off of his back. He caught sight of the wings through the trees. The wings. Made of veins connected with glassy membranes. So similar to Regan’s. No. Not now. This wasn’t the same. Not even a little. He took a deep breath, aimed, and started firing into the trees, aim shaky. The cackling continued to echo through the clearing. “Now might be a good time to get going,” he shouted to the girl.

“American Ninja Warrior.” Athena made a face. “Look, just because you’re not from around here doesn’t mean you have to totally lack awareness of pop culture. I think the show is ridiculous, but I still know what it is.” She tapped her foot against the ground, giving a small huff at his mention of Girl Scouts. “Oh, obviously not. However, I did most of my brother’s work for Boy Scouts, and I’ve got plenty of other experience.” She certainly wasn’t a fan of this over-greased man making snide remarks about her. Even though she did know that her looks certainly worked to her benefit when out hunting. She just usually didn’t have to deal with other people underestimating her, because most of them were willing to leave her be once she asked. “Oh, absolutely not.” She knew that her voice was perhaps a bit too high pitched, and that her brother might’ve winced had he been around. “Don’t you dare call me that.” She could feel her body tense up, far too many memories of teachers in early elementary school remarking on what a lovely Tinkerbell she’d make for Halloween. She’d resented it then, and she could at least acknowledge that they had meant well. This time, she wasn’t so sure. “Well I don’t need a knock-off James Dean telling me what to do, thank you very much.”

She could spot the second that the fear overtook him. Amateur, she thought to herself. This was why people should just let her handle what she was expert at. Athena averted her eyes from the creature, though that didn’t stop its awful voice from reverberating throughout the clearing. She could slit its throat simply due to the laughter. Adjusting her posture, she turned to face the other man who was now fumbling around. Fumbling to find a crossbow. Athena rolled her eyes. “That’s not going to do anything. You’ve seen the size of that…” thing. Monster. “You need to get up close and personal. Take your Robin Hood antics elsewhere.” She pulled one of her knives out from its resting place against her hips. “Girl Scouts didn’t teach me this.” She flipped it deftly between her fingers. “Also, word of advice, don’t look into its eyes again.” She ran her finger against the cool iron of the face of the knife. “I’m not going anywhere. One of us is having a bit of a time of it and it’s not me.” In any other situation, she might’ve smirked, but this guy, whoever he was, was going to get himself killed. “Would it help if I told you in French? Would that get you to leave?” She grabbed another one of her knives (from her boot this time) and threw it against the tree where the phobid sat, watching the two of them. “See? I’ve got it.” Another giggle echoed through the clearing. “Oooh, keep-a fightin’!” The phobid cackled. “Soon you’ll be all alone. Alone in the woods, what fun!”

Kaden huffed out a laugh. Something about what he said got under her skin apparently. Guess she wasn’t a fan of small obnoxious blondes, huh? Or people with wings. Oh. Oh. Well that made a whole lot more sense now. Putain. He was stuck with a warden. This was fine. He would be fine. He was a hutner. Regan wasn’t here. Obviously. He didn’t need to be worried about being around a small, probably teenaged warden. That’s what he told himself at least. “James Dean, huh? I’ll take it. I could do worse.”

Too bad his shots weren’t landing the way his insults had. Kaden grumbled about it to himself while she tried to offer tips and tricks. “I don’t need you’re fucking advice pint size pixie,” he spat back, trying to line up another shot while his hands were shaking from stupid fear. And she had to mention the eyes. He was pretty fucking aware considering he felt like everything around him was terrifying. “I know,” he said through grit teeth, trying to keep his pulse from rising. Each blade of grass looked like knives, rising up to cut him, tear him down and prick him, make him bleed. Shit, no, no, it was just grass. He had to remember that it was just a trick, not real.

The show with the knife brought him back to reality and he rolled his eyes. Why the fuck did people like to use a party trick while in the middle of a hunt? “Quit showing off. You didn’t even hit the damn th--” Kaden cut off his words with a shout as he saw something crawling up along her back. A giant spider leg creeping behind her back. Or was it a wing? He threw himself at her, pinning her down, trying to brush the “wings” off her back while the tiny fae giggled and laughed up in the trees. “Big legs, big legs, fight fight fight!”

“You could do a heck of a lot better too, though, just saying.” She had to laugh - she knew that she ought not to, but this man was being so incredibly haphazard about everything and he was going to get both of them killed if Athena didn’t do something, and quick. “Don’t call me that.” She hissed. He was shaking, and he had looked into its eyes, and she really didn’t have the time nor the patience to be dealing with this right now. Though if she thought about it like a lesson - like one of the many lessons her parents put her through - then she could manage it. If she refocused herself and centered herself - because right now the real problem was the phobid. It would be more than enough to blind it, but she found that right now she was more keen to be done with it altogether - lest she risk it accidentally causing greater harm.

“You know and yet you still did it. Maybe you should do a review lesson. No harm in that,” he had to be a hunter, either that, or an especially cocky normal human, “we can’t all know everything.” Athena shrugged at his comment, though before she could completely respond, he’d knocked her to the ground and she struggled briefly under his weight, “get off me!” She screeched, kneeing him in the stomach, hoping it would knock the wind out of him at least so that she could do something. “I was making a point. If I want to hit something, I always make my mark.” A small giggle escaped her lips. However, the fae’s voice cut through the air and she rolled her eyes. “You’re gonna regret saying that.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Kaden snapped back at her. This. This was why he worked alone usually. That and when he did, there was no one around to see him make his mistakes. Like falling for a goddamn phobid’s illusions. But even if he knew the possibilities, the risks of the fae they were fighting, once they were in front of him, it was hard to remember that the illusions weren’t real. His pulse peaked as he tried desperately to get the wings off of her. The spider legged wings that were-- Not… there? His hands were going through them and before he could put the pieces together, he felt a sharp jab to his stomach and the breath leave his body. “Putain,” he wheezed out as he doubled over. The sound of cackling filled the clearing as the small, obnoxious creature flitted around. At least someone was having a good time. Kaden braced himself on his hands and knees, trying to breathe properly again. But it felt like the grass was getting bigger, like the blades might slice him raw. Not real, not real, he had to tell himself it wasn’t real as he shut his eyes tight, focusing on getting his shallow breathing a little deeper. It was hard when panic was creeping in. He kept his eyes closed, felt the ground beneath his fingers. “Catch it,” he choked out. “Have to-- Do you have,” deep gasp, “a net or..?” The giggling and glee persisted in the trees. “Can’t catch, can’t catch, nah nah nah nah nah!” Fae or not, Kaden was really looking forward to whacking this little shit over the head. Once he felt like he could breathe again, Kaden sat up and shrugged off his jacket. Not exactly a great net but it would have to do in a pinch.

“Review lessons are still of benefit.” Athena shrugged. “At least, that’s what I was always taught.” He was still trying to get some sort of imaginary something or other off of her but she was glad to see that the knee to his stomach had done its job. She quickly jumped up and dusted off her thighs, before narrowing her eyes at him. Clearly, she should have been doing this all on her own because even though she was inclined to believe that he was a hunter, he certainly wasn’t acting very much like one. Perhaps that wasn’t entirely fair, if he wasn’t a warden he couldn’t be expected to know just as much about fae as she did, but it didn’t make her any less annoyed. She’d just have to channel whatever annoyance she was feeling toward defeating the fae. “No, I don’t have a net.” She said, biting down on the tip of her tongue. Ignoring the incessant whining of the fae, the way that it made her want to claw her skin off, if she focused too much on it. “Yes. Jacket, that’ll work.” At least something useful can come of this, she thought to herself. “If we get it down here, just throw that over it and I can take care of the rest of it.” A malicious smirk crossed her lips as she looked up to the other hunter. “Then it won’t bother anyone ever again.”

“No one asked you,” Kaden hissed. He didn’t know if she was actually a hunter or even more specifically a warden, but he didn’t care. He was tired of little miss-know-it-all already. He was also tired of feeling his blood pounding in his veins, heart racing. Stupid fucking phobid. Maybe if he told himself what he was fighting, reminded himself in the back of his mind, he could push past all the illusions; he could stop worrying that the grass would cut him up and chop him to little pieces. Putain it was so stupid. “If you don’t have a net then why bother telling me my method is stupid?” he grumbled. He lined up the crossbow where he saw flittering in the trees, railing off shots one after another, hoping it would come close. It squeaked and darted back across the way, staying just out of reach. “Hey, you!” Kaden called out. “Ouh, scary big legs thinks he can talk back. What does he say? Are you going to attack the smaller one again? More more more!” it said, cackling as it darted away again. “Come down here and I’ll look right in your eyes. Think of all the fun you’ll have. I’ll make sure.” That seemed to pique its interest and the phobid peaked out from behind a branch. “You promise?” it asked. Kaden was careful to look to the side, away from the glowing orbs staring back at him. “Come closer and I’ll prom--” The fae got overly excited and swooped down. Just as he’d hoped. “I’ll promise to think about it!” he finished as he threw the jacket over the creature, pulling the ends together and trapping it inside. “Got it!” he shouted.

“Free advice. Seems like you might need it.” Athena spat back. She stretched for a moment, reaching her hands above her head. Readying her posture so that she would be able to act as quickly as was required. The man’s incessant nagging was doing her no favors in the concentration department, but every bothersome experience was a chance for greater growth, she reminded herself. Reminded herself again as he had the sheer audacity to make a remark on her not bringing a net. “I have my other ways and I could’ve gotten to it without it wreaking havoc all over this forest.” However, his teasing and nagging were good for one thing. The phobid seemed keen to cause greater trouble and with the man’s near promise - something that Athena had half a mind to give him a run-down lesson about - it flitted down through the tree branches, cackling in a pitch that even made Athena’s ears ache. The other man grabbed it in his jacket and a smirk crossed Athena’s face as she went over to him and grabbed the jacket, holding it in one hand, the buzzing of the phobid’s annoyance more pleasant now. “What should I do with it first, do you think?” She raised an eyebrow, adjusting her hands’ position so that she held tight to the jacket from below as she quickly unwrapped it and grabbed a hold of the phobid before it could fly away. “I could start with the eyes or the wings. Which do you think is best?”

Kaden wasn’t sure what he expected after he caught it. It was a phobid. They were hunters. If his suspicions were right, she was a warden. It should be easy. “What do you mean first?” he said, brows furrowed as she took the fae in her fingers. “Just kill--” Kaden’s eyes caught sight of the wings, twitching and fluttering in panic, hoping to get away, anywhere but there. He saw the wings. Bigger than any insect’s though similar enough. Much smaller than Regan’s. Nearly the same as Rumpleskuffs. “You promised! You promised! Big legs are all the same! Rotten evil tricky! I’ll make you scared! I will I will I will!” The fae’s voice sounded panicked and pathetic. It was hard to think of it as something worthy of scorn and hate or even fear. Then he heard her, the ire in her voice. “Wait what? Start with-- Why would you-- Just--” Just kill it? Should they kill it? It.. Was it harming anyone? Kaden shook his head, remembered his pulse, remembered the screaming hikers and terrified people. “No torture. Just kill it. Show it one kindness.” His voice was cold, stern. This wasn’t Rumpleskuffs. Or Regan. This creature hurt people. It-- It wasn’t the same. “No, no, no! Stop!” the phobid screamed while under her grasp. He clenched his jaw and tried not to feel.

“I mean how should we go about this?” She looked curiously at the other hunter. Athena wholly ignored the screaming phobid. It served it right, to be scared. Particularly when it had already done so much ever since she arrived in the forest, and who knew what it could have done before then. Her brother might have winced at what she was about to do, she considered for a moment. Just like back with the foireaux cat. “I think it deserves to be dealt with in pieces. Don’t you?” She narrowed her eyes for a moment. “Kindness? To this?” She half-spat. What kind of hunters were in this town? What kind of hunter would she be if she showed such a thing kindness? She grasped it harder, blue-painted nails nearly touching one another as she held it tightly. “Stop this! No, no! I’ll make you pay!” The phobid screamed. This had to be dealt with smoothly and quickly, now. With a quick movement of her hands, Athena sliced into one of its wings before running the blade across its eyes. “One kindness?” She looked up at the other hunter. “I’ll put it out of its misery.” She dug the knife right into where she supposed its heart would be, before dropping it onto the forest floor. “Just like you asked for.”

“Just kill it and be done,” Kaden repeated, voice harsher, but even in tone. He flinched at the sight of her cutting through the fae’s wings and eyes, turning away as she tore through it, like it was nothing. No, he was going to watch her, gaze hard, body still as she killed the creature. The wings twitched a moment as it fell on the ground with a small pathetic thud. Anger boiled through his blood, but it wasn’t at the monster, not now. Kaden reached out and grabbed her wrist, the one that had held the knife, and yanked it, twisted it so her weapon fell beside the creature. “Never do that again.” He stood over her, looking down, voice low and even just as before. “We kill monsters, we don’t torment them. We’re better than them.” He let go of her wrist, practically throwing it back to her. “The longer you take to kill a monster, the more time it has to kill you.” Kaden picked up his jacket and put his crossbow on its strap across his back. “Free advice. I think you might need it.” With that he turned and walked away, uninterested in spending any more time with the warden.

“No.” She replied. Athena knew full well that elongated periods of torture could cause more trouble than they could help, but there was something about his attitude that made her crave acting out. Relishing in the lack of comfort that he felt as she did so. She craved the control rather desperately, and this allowed it. He grabbed her wrist tightly and she winced for a moment before pushing the pain down. Responding with weakness wouldn’t do her any favors. She watched the knife fall to the ground, a certain sort of pain shooting up her arm. Work through the pain. “Don’t tell me what to do. I’m the only one who could manage this.” She giggled, then, too high-pitched and carefree for the given scenario. “We kill monsters, and sometimes a bit of a lesson needs to be taught.” Her voice was clipped, repeating words that she’d heard in some variation beforehand. “I know. But this thing wasn’t going to do anything to me. When I kill proper fae, I don’t let them stand a chance. Not once, not now, not ever.” She snorted. “I don’t need your advice. I’m plenty fine just on my own.” She bent down to pick up her knife, running her finger along the face of the blade, before giving a shrug. “See you around sometime, Robin Hood.”

[danetobelieve]

Frappuci-oh-no || Athena, Orion and Winston

When: 22/09/2020 Who: @3starsquinn & @danetobelieve & @athenaquinn​ Where: Coffee Plus Summary: Winston and Rio’s timing sucks and they manage to have a run in with Athena... Warnings: n/a

Winston looked up from their laptop. They’d been working on a little technomancy project and they weren’t sure what Rio had been doing. Anything to keep themselves busy with everything that was going on with Roland’s death and Rio’s hospitalisation. But Winston was convinced that there was never too much coffee that could be consumed in the day and whilst they had agreed to see Athena for coffee it was better seeing Rio. But as they still had not told Rio’s twin sister and Winston’s former -- they weren’t sure what she was -- that they were now dating it was probably a good idea for them not to be caught together. Glancing at the time, Winston quirked an eyebrow and sighed. “I think she’s gonna be here in a minute, you should probably …” Winston didn’t want to tell Rio to leave, but it was probably for the best. Leaning over, Winston placed a gentle kiss on Rio’s lips before he left to go and do whatever his plans were. Winston would have to ask him about those later.

Orion had been working on translating an old Scribe’s journal on exorcisms onto their database, but now he was mostly staring at the coffee listing and dozing off. Though Rio was incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of Athena and Winston hanging out, that unease had little to do with Winston and way more to do with Rio’s own relationship with his sister. Okay, admittedly it was still a little weird that Athena and Winston had been together before Rio and Winston got together. But considering none of them knew about the others, Rio could hardly hold that against anybody. So he swallowed those anxious feelings and just accepted that he was glad that Winston had let Rio know about this coffee date with Athena in the first place. Rio had planned on getting some training in today and had come here to hang out with Winston before Athena got there. Unfortunately, Rio had been so focused on the text and then staring off into space that he had lost track of time. “Crap. You’re right.” Rio jumped back into reality at Winston’s words and started shoving the laptop and book into his bag. “Have fun! I’m not just saying that!” Rio wanted Winston to be sure that Rio did support their friendship, even if Rio had always sort of hoped that the two wouldn’t continue talking to each other after Rio moved. “I’ll see you later!” Rio returned Winston’s kiss quickly before grabbing his bottle of water and walking away from the table. He was in the middle of taking a drink before glancing outside and seeing Athena outside of the cafe. On reflex, he spit the water out and dropped to the floor, crawling away from Winston’s table and behind a sign next to a very confused couple sharing coffee. He hoped he was out of sight. More than that, he hoped that she hadn’t seen him.

She was almost always early to things. She had been, back when she and Winston had first hung out, but they’d managed to beat her. Athena had to appreciate that about someone. Had to further appreciate that even though they knew more about her than she’d ever intended to be honest about, they still talked to her and even wanted to get together. However, something had given her pause upon arrival at the coffee shop. That was, her brother and Winston sitting at a table together. She’d been vaguely aware that they knew one another (mainly through a bit of figurative arm twisting on her part), but this still gave her pause. Except they kissed and she felt her eyes grow wide. Well, this was an interesting development. Then her brother got up and then somehow disappeared onto the floor, and with a smirk she pushed the door open. Flashing a small grin over to Winston, she turned on her heels over to where she could spot her brother’s hair. “Fancy meeting you here, brother dearest. Getting coffee with a friend? I didn’t know you’d taken up that habit. Friends or coffee, that is.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

Raising an eyebrow gently at the situation, Winston felt the familiar surge of anxiety rush through them as they spotted Athena making her way over to Rio who had in the least convincing way attempted to hide behind a sign with a couple giving him a very awkward look. Not to mention that they had seen Rio spit water all over the floor and promptly drop said bottle of water. “Oh fuck fuck fuck,” Winston muttered to themselves. It didn’t take a genius to work this out. Athena wasn’t dumb either. Knowing that they had definitely been rumbled, Winston swallowed away some anxiety and rose to their feet, making their way over to Athena. “You’re early,” they commented with a deep furrow on their brow. Honestly, they hadn’t been expecting this at all and they should’ve known better. Of course Athena would arrive early to something like this. “I’m pretty sure Rio was just heading out…” Winston was pretty much praying that she was going to pretend this hadn’t happened and not address this because it had been awkward enough when they’d found out from Rio that Athena was his sister, they hadn’t been looking forward to this. Though in hindsight it now seemed somewhat inevitable.

It wasn’t the greatest hiding spot of all time, Orion knew that. But desperates times called for squeezing his eyes shut and praying for a miracle. A miracle that Athena hadn’t spotted him, Athena wouldn’t notice him now, or everyone in the coffee shop had mysteriously and inexplicably lost their vision. But fate or whatever was not on his side today and after a few excruciating seconds of hiding, Rio heard his sister speaking to him. With a sigh, Rio spin around, slowly raising his head above the sign and smiling, “Oh. Hey there Athena. What a coincidence. I was just… uh…. looking for my pen. That I dropped. On this floor. Welp, guess it’s gone forever.” Rio climbed to his feet and wiped at his pants. Then he walked around the sign and awkwardly back towards the table. “Oh. Winston. Hey! Wow isn’t this crazy? All three of us running into each other here? What a pleasant surprise. Well, you two have fun. I’ll just be going anywhere else now.” 

Winston coming over only confirmed whatever doubt she might have held. Not that Athena held many of those - she knew that her brother was hardly a touchy-feely sort of person, and even she didn’t kiss her friends on the lips as a good-bye. “Pretty sure it looks like he was heading out.” She tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and looked between the two of them. “Cut the bullshit, Ri, I saw you two. You always have been a terrible liar. I think I might like it if you stayed around a bit longer. Clearly Winston will not have a problem with that, right?” She glanced over to them. “What a shame, I did wear the shorts you so seemed to appreciate at the carnival.”

Raising an eyebrow gently, Winston had to physically restrain themselves from rolling their eyeballs a million times at Athena. Now was probably not the time for that particular expression. Honestly, Winston would rather that Rio stayed so that they weren’t forced to sit through this on their own with Athena. Whilst they couldn’t help but feel sorry for her after what her parents had inevitably put her through too, Winston also didn’t trust her half as far as they could throw her. “I literally said that they were nice shorts Athena, they are nice shorts, but you’re kind of missing the point, which was that Rio was clearly just looking for his pen,” Winston pulled one out of their pocket and handed it across to Rio, “which whilst he has not found he now has my pen to borrow and he can go and we can enjoy our coffee and we can all hang out individually at another point in time.” This had definitely not worked. She knew and Winston felt the pit in their stomach growing. What if she told her parents and what if her parents found out where Rio lived and what if they came after Rio?

Orion crossed his arms awkwardly as he listened to Athena berate him and flirt with Winston. Rio was staring at the floor, careful not to make eye contact with Athena and feeling too ashamed to make eye contact with Winston. Rio had made a lot of progress recently, but Athena had some magic ability to dig under his skin and bring out the worst qualities in him. “Um… yes. My pen.” Rio perked up when Winston agreed with Rio’s clearly bogus story and he slid over to Winston to grab the pen from Winston’s hand. “Thank you Winston. That is very nice” Rio spoke, almost robotically in an attempt to avoid any hint of admiration from leaking into his voice. It was stupid, being so afraid of Athena knowing about their relationship, but Rio couldn’t control the way that his head was hammering in his chest. But for as fearful as Rio had been about Athena finding out, he hadn’t actually considered how Winston must feel about it. Would Winston want Athena to know? Or does this whole secret thing hurt their feelings. Now Rio was even more stressed. “Isn’t this great? Friends. Hanging out. And siblings. Hanging out. At a coffee shop. I don’t even drink coffee. Wild, right?” Why were coffee shops where all the worst things happened to Rio now? “I wouldn’t want to intrude. On you two hanging out.” 

“You checked me out, don’t lie,” Athena raised an eyebrow. “Or perhaps you wanted to, but didn’t do it because of another little bit of a hiccup. No shame, I am pleased to know you thought I looked good.” Something in her chest felt tight for a moment. If there was something going on (and it was quite obvious that there was), it hurt her for a moment that Rio hadn’t told her anything. Perhaps he really was cutting her out of his life and she could almost feel the tattoo burn against her skin. “Right, your pen. How kind of you to just so happen to have one, Winston.” She glanced between the two of them. “You know what? No.” Another smirk covered her lips. “I’ve hardly gotten the chance to see my brother so much as of late, and I would like to have time with the both of you. It does seem as though we may have a bit of catching up to do. Ri, before you make up some excuse for schoolwork, I know that you are often ahead, and besides, aren’t summer classes done? Won’t you join us? I’ll even pay. Get you a hot chocolate or whatever.”

Athena was intent on making this as uncomfortable as possible and it was really starting to piss Winston off. Had they not been through enough recently with Roland and the fire? “You know what Athena, this is exactly why we didn’t tell you about this.” Winston wasn’t really thinking, a rage that they rarely felt building in their stomach. “You’re meant to be my friend AND Rio’s sister, but all you’ve done is make us both feel uncomfortable, make clearly inappropriate statements and generally act as if you’ve got some right to what we should do. What is your problem huh?” Winston glared at her, daring her to talk back. “Sure, you saw me and Rio kiss, congratulations, did it maybe strike you that there was a reason that we didn’t tell you that we were involved? Which we are by the way, so now you know.” Winston reached out and took Rio’s hand, they were sure that their boyfriend was going to be freaking out by now and Winston normally would be too. But their own pulse was racing and they were frankly furious. Athena treated Rio so poorly at times and Winston was done with being a pawn in her games. Rio deserved better then this. He deserved better then a shitty family and a shitty sister. “You know what, I think Rio will join me and I think that I’d like you to apologise and then I’ll consider whether or not I want you to join us too. If you’re not going to act like you’re actually my friend then I am not interested in you being my friend. It’s time for you to grow up and start treating everyone with more respect, because frankly you’re being really nasty and I’m done with it.” 

Well... This was awkward. Orion felt trapped between the two. Winston was defending Rio, talking back to a family that Rio had never really learned to do himself. But Rio didn’t want another argument with Athena. She wasn’t fun to be around when she was mad, and Rio didn’t want Winston caught up in the middle of that. As much as he wished could just leave, Rio didn’t want to ruin friendships. He was tired of interfering with people’s personal lives for some twisted sense of greater good that Rio had no place in trying to determine for others. It hadn’t worked with Skylar or Ariana. And he still felt a pit in his stomach thinking that he may have been the reason that Athena and Winston stopped… whatever they had been doing months ago. All because Rio thought that he knew what was best. If Rio was being honest with himself, he didn’t know anything. The last few months had made sure of that. “Hey, it’s alright.” Rio didn’t want to defend Athena. He didn’t want to be there at all. He wanted Winston to be friends with whoever they wanted to be friends with. He accepted Winston’s hand with reservation. He was still sweating and ridiculously nervous. “Seriously. It’s okay. She’s fine.” Athena owed him a lot of apologies if she ever wanted Rio to talk to her again, but none of them had anything to do with the three of them. God, could this be anymore awkward? “We’ll all stay. And I don’t need a drink I have-” Rio patted at the mesh net on his bag meant for holding his bottle of water and realized that it wasn’t there before he had dropped the thing on the floor. He dropped Winston’s hand for a moment, sliding over and picking up the now empty discarded bottle of water and tossing it in the trash can, “I guess I’ll just get some water.” He threaded his hand with Winston’s again and stared at the floor, “I can’t stay for too long. I do actually have plans in a little bit.” But he could put up with this for a while if it meant keeping the peace, right? “So uh, like Winston said, we’re dating…. Surprise.” Rio fell into the open seat and tried grinning, flashing two thumbs up.

She felt her eyes narrow at Winston’s comments. “Well maybe if you had, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Athena could feel her nails digging into the palms of her hands. “What the heck is your problem, Winston? You aren’t exactly acting like a good friend either.” She was only grateful that she hadn’t gotten her drink yet because it would undoubtedly be all over the floor by now. “You know,” she turned to her brother, then back to Winston. “You know that you invited me, and you know who I am, Winston. So don’t act all innocent just because my saint of a brother happens to be here.” Her voice was hushed but still bitter, she didn’t want everyone in the coffee shop to be even more aware of what was going on than they already were. “Also he says it’s fine. Though fine, I am sorry for surprising you, Ri, but I suppose that if we are being honest, you should know that Winston and I hooked up once. They didn’t want to do it anymore, and even though they were very kind to me in the moment, I think I misjudged them. You might want to watch out for that, if they are so quick to turn on me.” Her voice was level, perhaps unnaturally so. She slid into the seat next to her brother.  “Unlike a lot of the people both of you know, I have never claimed to be good. You can do good without being it. You know I’ve never been such a fan of surprises.”

“My problem is that you and your family treat Rio like he’s a second class citizen, my problem is that he’s such a good and sweet person that he’s actually defending you… after he’s the one who has been hurt the most” Winston felt the rage subside somewhat, but not much. Athena had clearly received a different level of treatment from her family that had twisted her in different ways to how it had twisted Rio. Winston had seen both of their scars, but they hadn’t missed the fact that Rio had far more then Athena. “I stopped hooking up with you after I found out that you used to bully a very good friend of mine and I tried to be your friend to give you the benefit of the doubt that you had changed, but yeah, maybe you did misjudge me if you think that I would ever do anything that would do something to hurt Rio.” Winston had to be careful about what they said moving forward, they didn’t want to make Rio uncomfortable. “But fine, we can get a drink.” They narrowed their eyes as they slipped opposite the two of them, detaching their hand from Rio’s as they did. “I just don’t enjoy the fact that you seemed to take pleasure in making both of us feel uncomfortable, call me old fashioned but friends don’t do that to each other.”

How did Orion try to remain neutral when the right side was so obvious? He didn’t want to cause a scene or ruin friendships, but clearly the right choice was Winston here. They were defending Rio, standing up for him in a way that Rio had only barely managed to do for himself recently. Which was why Rio hated the idea of not taking their side. But Athena was good at hiding her true nature to people. Odds were, Winston may not have seen her at her angriest. Rio didn’t think that she would completely lose her cool in a coffee shop, it didn’t seem her style. Plus she usually had a better sense of self control. But a lot had changed in the last few months. “We don’t have to do this here, okay?” Rio was talking out loud, but he was looking at Winston. Rio’s hand was still in Winston’s, and Rio gripped it tighter in an attempt to show his gratitude to Winston, “We can have coffee and we can talk, yeah? About…” Rio paused. What the heck could the three of them possibly have to talk about? “I don’t know, what do you even want to talk about? You wanted to catch up. Now you know. I don’t-” I don’t care that you two hooked up. That was what Rio had meant to say, but he wasn’t sure he could say them sincerely. He didn’t blame either of them of course. This happened before Rio moved in, before Winston knew who Athena was, before Rio and Winston became what they were now. But that didn’t mean that the doubt crept its way in every now and again. His sister had always been better at everything. How could he measure up to that? “I don’t know what you expect from me.” He settled on.

“He’s a good person.” Athena did her best to keep her voice even. Getting into a shouting match in public wasn’t about to do anything. “Well, I don’t anymore, and you still never asked me personal questions, just because you thought I was attractive. You never even knew my last name.” Athena sighed. “Not the point right now. My brother is right. We do not and should not do this here. Thank you very much for keeping me up to date.” Her voice was level - perhaps too much so, but few people besides her brother would understand that that was a way she showed her frustration, but that was beside the point. “Well, I did not expect this, but it is a good thing that I have always been adaptable.” She raised an eyebrow. “But yes, drinks! I am feeling quite generous, so I’ll buy. What would you both like? Are you sure you just want water, Ri? I am still worried you aren’t getting enough to eat.”

Rio’s hand made it clear that this wasn’t the time or the place. Winston kept their eyes locked on Rio’s. Gazing at him, Winston steadied their breath. “Fine, we’ll do this another time I guess, but I’m not going to let anyone take advantage of Rio, hurt Rio or do anything other then treat him exactly as he wants.” Winston wasn’t willing to engage with Athena on this one. She clearly hadn’t taken everything in the way that they had wanted when they had agreed to stop sleeping with one another. But here they were anyway and if she was going to buy them coffee then Winston wasn’t going to say no. “Can I have a triple shot latte please?” they said please out of habit and almost regretted it in that moment but they were nothing if not polite. 

Orion realized that despite sitting here with Athena, his hand was still holding onto Winston’s. It was under the table, but Athena as well as anyone in the store would be able to tell. More surprising than that, it didn’t bother Rio in the slightest. He didn’t care that Athena knew it was happening. Not to say that he was completely comfortable with the situation. On the contrary, Rio felt like he was one minor inconvenience away from a full blown panic attack. The entire situation was one of the most awkward situations that Rio had ever found himself in. But Rio found himself absent-mindedly stroking Winston’s palm with his thumb and that helped keep Rio grounded. “Well this is…” Rio trailed off, looking for the best adjective to describe the environment. Eventually, he spoke without thinking, “Awkward.” He sighed, betrayed by his own lips. “The water’s fine, seriously. And I eat. I totally eat.” Not always healthy food, but he definitely ate.

“He is free to speak his own mind, Winston. You do realize my brother is right here?” Athena  sighed. Even she could feel that this was all awkward, and even she had to admit that she did not feel entirely comfortable. “You got it.” She stood up abruptly and marched over to the counter, ordering Winston’s drink, followed by her own - a dirty Chai latte, and a bagel and water for her brother. It took a few minutes for everything to come together and she ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed the order when it all came, bringing it back over to the table and placing the bagel in front of Rio. “Can’t help looking out for you. Got your favorite type.” She took a sip of her drink and looked over to the two of them. “So, do I get to hear how you two met, or is that still top secret?”

“Really, Rio’s here?” Winston replied with an eye roll that was difficult to miss, “Where is he? He’s my boyfriend after all and I’d love to see him because you know I just hadn’t realised he was here with us.” It wasn’t like Winston was holding Rio’s hand or anything. Looking across the table at Rio, Winston’s eyes went wide and they sighed. “Rio, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have snapped at her like that, I just can’t stand the way that your family treats you and acts as if you’re some kind of second class citizen and I know that Athena isn’t always like that but you know, still, but yeah I probably shouldn’t have…” they trailed off as Athena headed back towards them. “We met through a mutual friend, we have like an anime night with her every now and then and the first one was when we met.” Thank God that was the truth. Would be awkward to admit that Winston had literally sleep walked in on him. 

What else could Orion do besides listen to them bicker back and forth? Seeing them now, it made Rio curious how the two usually talked before all of this. Back when Rio and Winston were just casual acquaintances and the relationship between Athena and Winston was closer than Winston and Rio’s. However, as soon as Rio started thinking about it he immediately regretted it. He realized, with a painfully awkward start, that his imagination was far too overactive. He had no troubles at all imagining what things might have been like, but forgetting those conjured images weren’t nearly as easy. As the two bickered, Rio found himself staring at one of the walls of the coffee shop, his focus homing in on one single spot near the ceiling where the painters had missed a spot. His attention was brought back to Winston with a start when they said his name, speaking directly to him. “No- seriously don’t feel bad. This? Standing up for me it’s just one of the reasons why I lo- Uh, why you’re so great.” Rio coughed through that awkward moment and tried to control his cheeks from glowing too brightly from the slip up. Rio was thankful that Winston had chosen their initial meeting when Athena had asked. Admittedly, although that night had technically been the first the two had actually met, Rio didn’t typically consider that. Maybe it had been both of their awkwardness at meeting new people, or the disaster that had come from Rio’s awful mistake to violate Skylar’s privacy. But that had seemed to be more of a precursor to their actual meeting. That night in the Scribe headquarters, despite being long before there was anything actually between the two, had been more intimate than Rio would have been comfortable admitting. Despite barely knowing Winston, the two had slept in the abandoned headquarters together. Rio had never slept in the same room as anybody that wasn’t his immediate family. Looking back, Rio may have already been head over heels for them. But Athena couldn’t know about the Scribe building, so Rio was thankful on multiple levels that Winston had kept that between them. “I didn’t know. Just so you know.” Rio said before realizing how vague he was being and deciding to elaborate, “Um, I mean about you two. I had no idea that Winston was even seeing anybody. And Winston didn’t know that we were related. All of this” Rio held up the combined hand of the two, “Was long after the two of you. I promise it wasn’t related.” For some reason, Rio still felt like he owed Athena some sort of explanation. It was almost as exhausting as it was infuriating. “And we haven’t like uh-” Rio physically had to stop himself, absolutely no clue why he would even consider telling something like that to Athena. Had he completely lost his mind? Athena didn’t need to know anything about Rio’s sex life, or lack thereof. Rio grabbed the water and took a large drink in order to get himself to stop talking for a minute.

“Yes, he is. Also, sarcasm.” Athena rolled her eyes. She didn’t like this at all, and very little of it had to do with the fact that the two of them were dating. She loathed the fact that her brother had lied to her, and the fact that someone else who she had trusted had, too. “Speaking of people who are right here.” She raised an eyebrow. “I do not treat my brother like that, and whatever we do or do not do is our private business, and not something you could understand. I care for him more than anything else in the world.” She took in a few steady breaths. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if she broke something in the middle of the café. She could work out when she got home. She needed to punch something when she got home. “When we were what? We were never anything, they slept with me and decided afterwards that they didn’t want anything to do with me.” She looked pointedly at Winston. “Sudden change of heart, after asking me out to dinner. We were never seeing each other. If you want details, we slept together, as I have just said, and that was that.” Some of us don’t need deep emotional attachments. Some of us aren’t afraid. She kept those words to herself and with a sip of her drink she sat back, her nose wrinkling as her brother did everything to side-step the word sex. “Good to know. Thanks for the details about your life, but I think I figured that out for myself.”

Honestly, Winston was in disbelief. “Sure, the way you treat him is definitely your private business, nothing that I would care about.” They couldn’t help it. They should’ve probably stopped picking a fight but Athena wasn’t exactly making this easy for them. “We stopped sleeping together because I found out what you had done to Blanche and I had been considering dating you, we stopped sleeping together because I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue having a physical relationship that might turn into something more with someone who had terrorised one of my best friends when they were at school…” Winston swallowed, “not to mention the unsolicited photos you insisted on sending me afterwards. Athena don’t act like I was being unreasonable by not wanting to see you. I get that you were hurt by it but there were good reasons for my decisions. I wasn’t trying to hurt you it just didn’t work for me anymore and I won’t be made to feel bad about that.” They already felt bad enough about everything else, they didn’t need to add something else to the list. 

Orion really didn’t want to be here. He wished he had the ability to disassociate or astral project or even just evaporate into a gaseous substance. Any of those options were preferable to hearing his sister and the person he was dating go on about their former sex life, and hearing about how they could have been the ones dating if not for the interference of one very nosy and potentially hypocritical third party. The third party of course being Rio, who had really had no business within their relationship in the first place, and now only felt worse about getting involved considering that he and Winston ended up together. An awkward set of tumbling dominoes that led to the probably the most awkward moment of his entire life. This moment right here, sitting in a coffee shop with Athena and Winston and wishing that someone would laser beam him into outer space. “I really feel like I should probably just like… go, yeah?” Rio laughed nervously, not trying to interrupt their bickering but definitely trying to get away from it. Would they have fought like this if Rio had left a few moments earlier? Or would things have been more friendly? The selfish part of Rio wasn’t sure which one he preferred. “I can totally dip out. Let you two uh- work this out. I sorta feel like I’m intruding.” Even though the conversation had begun because of him, it was starting to enter territories that Rio had no interest in hearing. It was bad enough knowing that Winston and his sister had slept together. He didn’t need Athena spilling all the gory details. 

“We barely hung out and you considered that?” Athena rolled her eyes. “Okay, terrorize is an extreme overgeneralization, but also I don’t owe you anything.” With another scoff, she added, “I am not hurt. You think something as insignificant as that could hurt me? Guess it’s good you decided to date my brother instead because we truly do not know one another much at all.” She certainly hadn’t appreciated their sudden change of heart, but focusing on interpersonal negatives was not something she considered worth dwelling on. At her brother’s nervous laugh, she whipped her gaze toward him. “No, you can stay. I’m not about to say anything more, if that’s what you’re concerned about. Besides, you haven’t taken even a bite of your bagel yet.”

Swallowing gently, Winston sighed. They didn’t want Orion to have to be watching this and honestly they didn’t even want to be having this argument with Athena. They were sure that there was potential for friendship but this wasn’t something that they would stand for. It was almost like this was why they hadn’t mentioned any of this to Athena in the first place. “I’m glad that you aren’t hurt, I wouldn’t want your feelings or anything else to be hurt. Not by me and certainly not by this.” Winston looked at her over their coffee, their stomach a pit of vipers curling on themselves, this certainly hadn’t gone the way they’d wanted. 

Things seemed to be cooling down, but Orion knew Athena’s temper. He didn’t need to give her another reason to be set off. He shouldn’t even be talking to her. He had made it pretty clear that he wanted nothing to do with her, but she didn’t seem to want to listen. Plus, he knew Winston liked her and was friendly with her. Rio was out of the ruining friendship business. “It’s fine. I already told you beforehand that I had plans anyways. It’s not like I’m purposely trying to get away or anything.” Rio was absolutely trying to get away from here, preferably as fast as humanly possibly. Or super humanly possible even. Hopefully without him there the two could hang out in peace. At least Rio knew for sure that Winston was safe around her. “I have training today anyways, so I don’t want to keep him waiting.” Not that Adam would mind much, he was way too easy going, the perfect fit for trying to train someone as neurotic and prone to panic as Rio was. “I’ll text you later, okay?” Rio squeezed Winston’s hand before pulling free from it. He was careful to avoid any comment that may lead Athena to think that the two lived together. “Athena, it was uh- We ran into each other here. So uh- that was cool. Welp, talk to you both later bye!”

“Clearly those plans weren’t that important.” Athena muttered. This had not turned out at all like she had expected it to, and apparently her brother was now keen on nearly yelling at her in public, which she was certainly not a fan of. Nor was she a fan of how Winston was acting. Her stomach felt tight and uncomfortable, in a way that she couldn’t quite place. She knew that she didn’t like it. Athena had never liked to feel uncomfortable or unsure, and that was how she was feeling now. She set her coffee down on the table and stood up at the same time as Rio did, rolling her eyes as she did so. She grabbed the edge of the chair. “No, actually, I realized I’ve got something to do for Kappa Iota Lambda, and Jenny’s gonna kill me if I don’t get over there. So I should be going. Such a shame this didn’t work out as much as the plan had been.” She glanced at Winston, a small smirk crossing her lips. “Maybe next time.”

Winston sighed, this had all turned out to be a bit of a shit show but honestly right now they weren’t sure that they were surprised. It seemed like everything in Winston’s life was going the same way. They wished that everything didn’t have to be so complicated but all they knew was that they had to keep Rio safe. That was all they could do. “Yeah, it is a shame.” Winston rose from their seat and drained their coffee. “I’ll see you around.” They didn’t bother to say anything more. What good would it do?

[streetharmacist]

don’t say a word | athena & felix

Setting: Around August 12th. Summary: All that is gold does not glitter and not all those who wander are lost. Warnings: None. (: With: @athenaquinn

In the empty monochrome cityscape that Felix wandered, he didn’t stand level with the skyscrapers. He was where he was meant to be, all five-foot-ten of him. Leave it to dreams to be the escape necessary. While he lounged in a cave and shook off the fever of coming down, he walked elsewhere. He walked free of glamour, free of effort. A lone shadow on an empty New York street. There was hardly any color when he dreamed. A moving picture directed by his mind’s eye. Inspired by everything he saw and didn’t see. He took in a slow drag of his cigarette. Breathed out. Slowed his steps to a stop. He breathed out color. That was different, he thought, as he drug his fingers through it. He looked ahead to a door across the street and further up. Color spilled out of an open doorway like tipped over paint cans. He stuck his cigarette back between his lips and as he did, his glamour concealed his skin. More color billowed from his nostrils. He took a step and then another. Just a little closer.

Athena had briefly, as a child, kept a dream journal. It had never amounted to much as she did not always remember her dreams in vivid details, save for some of the ones that were terrifying enough to make her wake up her brother. Most nights, when that happened, he was already awake. Up until recently, she had never thought that her middle name was any sort of predisposition to hearing thoughts that were not her own, and recently whatever thoughts that had come into her mind were certainly not divine by anyone’s stretch of imagination. Except possibly some kids from back in high school who snuck out to go hang out around the dumpsters. At present, she found herself all of a sudden in a city. Which was odd - she’d never been to a proper city in her lifetime. At least, not one like this. Not one even more bright like New York or Los Angeles - which she knew about from photographs. She felt a chill run up her body as she stepped into the scene. Fae. Oh no. Her dreams never included fae. Or rarely so, and certainly not in combination with - she squinted, looking at the man walking toward a colored door. Except he didn’t look quite normal. More shadow-y. She looked down at her dress, mostly white with a few spots of deep red around the hem. “Excuse me?” She queried, the chill intensifying with each step she took toward the man. The desire to crawl out of her skin too present. “Where, exactly, are we?”

Dreams were often funny, hazy things. Vague memories that faded as soon as Felix snapped awake and set about his business. Some he remembered in loose threads. Some he didn’t. Most of them were on the rails, going through the motions. This time, he was aware of the feel of the cigarette between his fingers. The concrete pathway underneath his wingtip shoes when he shifted one way and the other. Aware of how vibrancy clashed against the color-drained and that he most certainly wasn’t alone. He stopped and glanced at her, his antlered head tilted. He glanced past her. “Good question. Looks like Bleecker Street,” he answered with a shrug. “Should be a nice pizza joint and bakery around here somewhere.” He paused and lowered his cigarette. She, whoever the heck she was, seemed just as aware as he was. He had never met her. A glance was spared toward the door spilling color again. Red colored the hem of her dress. Jarring in a place directed by Orson Welles. “How the heck did you get here? You come from that door or what?”

“Bleecker what now?” Athena scrunched her face up. “I’ve lived in town my entire life and I know that’s not a street here.” Great, he had antlers. Which - well, between that and the whole shadow thing had had going on made it pretty clear what he was. Didn’t explain what was going on here. Her dreams were most often completely fae-free. “Where are we? I don’t - well, I do pizza sometimes but not always.” She waved her hand in front of her face, though the fact that he was smoking was likely the least appalling aspect of this entire situation. She tugged at her dress. The same one that she’d worn to initiation her first year at UMWC, when she’d first joined Kappa Iota Lambda. Except for the fact that, back then, it had been pure white. Eyelet lace. She gave another tug. “No, I didn’t come out of that door. I was,” Where had she been? “Elsewhere, I think. I just all of a sudden happened upon this place.” She took a few steps closer to the door, turning her head to examine it. “I don’t know what the heck that’s all about.” Felt her body tense up. “Did you come from that door?” Straight from hell? Isn’t that where all supernatural beings arise from, in the end, even if not technically speaking? “Why’s it so black and white?” Her rings felt colder. “What’s your name, anyhow?”

“Street. Bleecker Street,” Felix said. “Huh. Well, how about that. That’s pretty odd, right? Or fairly odd. It’s odd.” He was sure he hadn’t taken anything before he slept. Because he was asleep. Right? He hadn’t? He eyed his cigarette warily before he went to crush it under his foot. As he lowered it, it burst into flame and he tossed it away. It wasn’t just any flame. It was colored like an oil slick and it continued to burn as he spoke up again. “My best guess is New York City,” he said carefully as he looked at her. A stranger talking to him in a stranger dream. “Right, okay. So, you an assassin or what? You about to Krueger me?” There was laughter in his voice and it seemed to vibrate the glass windows of the buildings that enclosed them. He waved his hand. “Joking, joking. You know you got red on you?” He made the comment absently as he approached the door, the flood of color coming out. It reminded him of home. Of the array of mushrooms that colored the stone walls that led further underground. It bordered on neon fluorescence and some sort of pastel fever dream. The door opened further and went to step inside. “Nah, I came from the city. Definitely not from the door.” At her questions, he glanced back. “My name is the one my mothers gave me and the one I wear with pride. It’s a lucky name. What about you?” A lazy smile cut through his shadows before he looked back through the door. “There’s something through here. Think it’s worth a gander?”

“It is odd.” Athena couldn’t help but continue to make a face. What was going on here? None of this made sense to her. It didn’t feel real - no matter how much she could feel just what the man was. She watched the cigarette, biting her lip to refrain from making some sort of commentary about littering. ”I’ve never been to New York anything, I am very much in Maine right now.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment but when she opened them, they were both still there. “Supposed to be in Maine, at least.” Was she dreaming? Her lips curved into a smirk at his next remark. No, not an assassin. That word felt too crude for what she did. Though she did help the world. “Are you kidding? Me? Never.” She gave another tug at her dress. That much was a smidgen from a dream she’d had once or twice, one that she did not wish to think about. “Pop of color, I suppose.” There was something intriguing about the door, even if every ounce of her being was practically vibrating with discomfort. “I’m from a town, also not a door.” His manner of speech was odd. “My name is divine, one my parents gave me, too. It is as much a name of wisdom as it is of gold.” She bit her lip. “I have no idea what is going on, but why not? Alice in Wonderland turned out alright in the end.”

Last Felix knew, he was supposed to be in Maine too. Curled up next to Bea with a little space heater of a salamander near them. If he thought hard enough, a flame might wisp around his fingertips. But he couldn’t. He had been exhausted and right then, he was just curious. “I’m sure there’s a main street around here.” There sure as heck was one. In Queens. Wherever that was wherever they were. He watched the stranger closely. As lazy as his smile was, his eyes stayed sharp. Sharp as they could in a place where the edges distorted like heat waves. His expression brightened as she met his riddle with one of her own. “Wisdom and gold, wisdom and gold,” he repeated to himself as he rubbed at his jaw. He then snapped his fingers. “I’ll have to think about that one!” He shifted from foot to foot. Then eyed the door. Looked back at her with lifted brows and a mischievous grin. “Neither do I, truth be told, and isn’t that the fun part? The not knowing what’s on the other side of the--” He trailed as he stepped, or rather hopped, through the threshold with a wave at her.

“There usually is, though from what I know from Gossip Girl, I think New York’s a bit big to just have one Main Street.” Everything was more than a bit hazy and she found herself almost cold, somehow. Or perhaps those were the continued chills that came with being so very close to a fae. Athena gave a shrug. “Figure it out, I’m not giving it away.” There was a bit of a bite to her words, but there always had to be, around fae, right? She was probably more than a bit of an idiot than she would have wished to admit if she was willing to follow a fae through a door to who-knew-where. She stepped through after him and suddenly everything was bright. Or at least brighter than wherever they had just been. Shit. This was her dream. This was her and Orion’s shared bedroom, and if she wasn’t mistaken…her gaze drifted over to the corner. There sat her brother - and herself, years ago. The two of them couldn’t have been more than four or five years old. She heard her brother laugh and her chest felt horridly tight for a moment. It had been years since she heard that sound.

The fae laughed with teeth on display at her sharp tone. Not giving it away? In that case, he supposed it was out of the question to make it just that. He pocketed that thought as he moved. “Well roll me up and call me Dorothy,” Felix said as they stepped in from monochrome to technicolor. Except he was still made of harsh shadows and greys. She had been a stranger and he supposed it was his turn to take up that role. “Well this just got real strange, didn’t it? You know, from where we were and all.” They were in some sort of bedroom and he kept his sunglasses-covered eyes on her as she stepped in. It looked like a human child’s if he had to guess. It had been awhile since he had seen one. Made a couple of changes to the joint. It wasn’t something he made a habit of. The children in the corner confirmed his suspicion and he made a small well, how about that noise in his throat. Brows lifted, he took a small step towards them before he glanced at her. “You know ‘em? I sure as heck don’t.”

“We don’t have emerald glasses.” Athena raised an eyebrow. If she had to speak in riddles, so be it. Some terrible horrible fae version of the Cheshire Cat, if she were to continue with the Alice metaphor. Not even a book she especially enjoyed, though it was better than some. “It did.” Seemed to be that they’d traveled between dreams, which was something else that had never happened. Shouldn’t have been able to happen. “I do.” Stay the hell away from them, she wanted to say. Thought. Thought clear as she could before she gave a shrug. “That’s me and my brother.” Tiny Athena grabbed a toy and pressed a kiss on Tiny Orion’s forehead and Athena, observing still from afar squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before focusing back on the fae. “So, Mr. Luck, got any idea what kinda thing we’ve got going on? Can’t say I’ve ever had proper guests in my dreams before now.” I’m not afraid to stab you if you try anything funny.

Felix considered conjuring his human skin but didn’t. Whatever it was that they roamed in, because he had a heck of a time wrapping his head around it being a dream, he didn’t know what was on the other side. When eyelids split and they looked into the world again. Better to wear the dark and the anonymity it offered. “Your brother, huh?” Human children were odd things. His nose scrunched. They had been somewhere he knew, a street he grew up under, and now they were somewhere she knew. He looked from corner to corner, wall to wall. How humans could live in such boxes, he couldn’t understand. And yet he had one of his own. Had even fallen asleep in it last he checked. His eyes, half-lit moons, fell to her again. The kids couldn’t be bothered in the slightest. “I don’t know, Golden Girl, because I ain’t exactly opening dream doors to anyone either,” he glanced back to where they came from. What had once been the cityscape was now an inky wall of darkness. His shoulders eased some as he looked at it. Watched it creep through the opening like an ooze. “That’s all personal. Maybe we can ask the kiddos here.” He laughed. Loudly. “You asking you. Is it odd? The you of now seeing the you of yesterday?”

Her younger self shivered for a moment, and Athena made a face. Their home was supposed to be a place of sanctuary - all of the wards and preventions put up around it guaranteed that much. Yet here she was, bringing a fae into her childhood bedroom. “My brother. Twin, if you want to get technical.” Her words still had a bite to them, but she wanted to reach out and comfort herself - comfort her brother, even more so. As the man glanced over to her, she shifted her gaze away - to stare at the cross on the wall above her childhood bed - at the drawings from preschool - ‘My Family’ written above it in children’s script. Pink and purple and green alternating colors - ones that certainly clashed, but she vaguely remembered wanting to be creative. At least with the lettering, that was. Each family member in the drawing carefully drawn to best represent who they were in person. 

She had to roll her eyes at his golden girl remark, though she had invited that, and he hadn’t guessed her name yet, which sent a thrill through her body. Word games with fae were not something she frequently took part in - she knew it was too dangerous - but this was too good to pass up. “I mean, I’ve been smart since I was little but…” Athena’s voice trailed off as she moved to sit next to her younger self. “I don’t know if that extends to dream knowledge. Talking to myself isn’t something I usually make a habit of.” Biting her lip, she tapped herself on the shoulder. “You wouldn’t happen to know what’s going on, would you?” Tiny Athena made a face, squinting at her. “We are what you created, how am I supposed to know? I have important things to do. Ri, tell her!” Athena looked over at the younger version of her brother. Except he stood there, eyes wide open, before whispering in her younger self’s ears. “He says he doesn’t want to talk right now.” Athena rolled her eyes, remembering the countless number of times she’d used that excuse after whatever her brother had told her. Wanting to keep everything between them secret.

She moved back to look at the fae. “Well,” Athena shrugged, “looks like we’re a bit out of luck here.” She moved over to her bed and ran her fingers along the footboard. “I can be quite stubborn.”

As similar as Felix and Ruby were, they weren’t twins. She was a few years older than him and her antlers were larger. Even so, she was never one to belittle him for it. Any of it. Not even when he spoke a little too fast or wore such human clothes. As he watched the twins, he remembered. Remembered when he helped Ruby wrap bandages around the crack in her antlers. Worth it, she had told him as he cried ink into the floor. He folded his arms as he looked at the stranger with the golden name. “Like Hypnos and Thanatos,” he mused with a wry smile. “So which one are you? Sleep or death?” Death often came for those in their sleep. A fae had to wonder as he glanced around the room again. It felt off. Cheery in a packaged and sold way. Did all human rooms look so paint-by-numbers? At her remark about intelligence, he grinned. “You too, huh? Guess that makes us kindred spirits.” And heck, he could use a spirit or two. With whatever was going on. The little version of her didn’t seem keen on giving answers and he frowned. Began to question whether or not interrogating a child was the best way to go about this. Created talking to creator. Wasn’t that just the story of life? His fingers popped as he stretched them out. The dim lights of his eyes brightened by a slim margin. Not enough to drive anyone mad. He looked away from the pair of kids and looked to the door instead.

“Think there’s anyone else home? I can give it a shot.”

“I suppose so,” she glanced over at him for a moment, then back to herself and to her brother. “Thanatos,” she found herself speaking before she could think and she covered her mouth, eyes growing wide. Athena shrugged, brushing it off, “he used to help me sleep.” It was a simple enough explanation, though she knew that her brother had been up on his own most of those times. She was death though, although any she caused was all worth it, and all to better the world. She did her best to force a grin onto her face at his remark about kindred spirits - because heck no, she was not about to find any sort of hyper-intense kinship with a fae. Though it did always cause her amusement when fae didn’t pick up on what she was. Save for Deirdre, but that was another problem to deal with another time. Not right now, when she was in a totally weird dream. “Guess it does at that.” Tiny Athena made a face before turning to whisper back to Tiny Orion.

She fiddled with the ends of her hair. “I’m not sure if anybody else is around.” Sometimes her parents were in her dreams, but ones like these usually didn’t have them. Just her and her brother, together just as they were destined to be, all on their own. “I mean, even if they were, who’s to say that they’d have all the answers?” Athena stretched out her fingers, “might I ask after how you would give this a shot?”

The muted look of amusement that Felix wore sharpened at her answer. It was a foolish thing to doubt what anyone was ever capable of. Some made a living off of being underestimated. Overlooked. Most never thought twice about their own shadows. Or the light. Gilded. “I’ll keep that in mind, whoever you are.” He said with a light laugh. There weren’t many shadows in the place they walked into and he shifted from foot to foot. Tapped his fingers together silently. As amused as he had been by the entire predicament, it was fading fast. He wanted to return to the dark, get away from the fluorescence and strange whispering blonde children. Felix unfolded his arms and went to the door, his hand a claw around the knob before it closed. First, his skin hissed and then he did. Iron. His fingers didn’t close around it entirely as he looked back at her, a withered grin on his shadowy face. The lights of his eyes brightened and the little ones seemed to raise their hands to block it out as it began to flood the room. Every corner and cranny.

“I’ve got a way of getting people to see the light.”

“It may be worth it.” She was not sure what she’d do if she ever ran into him again, though Athena was already running through a number of ideas in her mind. If they ran into one another, she could always think of something last minute. If it happened, she’d work something out. She always did.  She let a smirk cover her lips as she could practically hear the hiss of the iron against his hand. Except that meant that maybe, like Deirdre, he might have some idea of what she was, too. He looked over to her and the whole room started to grow bright as she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, covering them with her arms for good measure until everything was quiet.

Athena let her breath settle for a moment before she let her eyes flicker open. The room was dark. She was the only one there. She didn’t have goosebumps running up and down her arms, nor did she feel the need to practically crawl out of her skin. There was a certain hollowness, though, and she felt her fingertips go to trace her tattoo. Everything was alright. She’d make things work out. She just had to piece together just who that fae had been. Make his lucky name not so true.

The bright, unforgiving light of his eyes illuminated the room as Felix shot up. The room. His room. He patted at the nightstand and hissed as the palm of his hand caught on the corner. “Fuck.” The palm of his hand smarted and he glanced at it, the skin raw and burned. His hand had closed around the doorknob and--What sort of dream was that? Who was that? Iron. It had been iron. The gilded girl that had smirked at him while he burned. His expression darkened and his eyes dimmed as he settled back into shadow. If there truly was a warden in his head, he would just have to tear her out.

[divineluce]

A Fae-ted Encounter || Athena & Luce

Timing: Monday, September 14th

Location: The woods outside White Crest

Tagging: @athenaquinn & @divineluce

Summary: Athena and Luce meet up for a morning run that quickly goes awry.

Athena had not necessarily expected to hang out with Luce outside of the whole getting a tattoo experience, no matter how much she had found their conversation to be enjoyable. So when Luce had mentioned a love for going for runs, Athena jumped at the chance. She found getting out and exercising to provide a certain thrill only matched by an especially good hunt or a particularly engaging textbook. It was early - just before six a.m., and the smell of the forest was calming. She began to stretch while she waited for Luce - and the feeling of her knives against her hips was comforting, as always. It was the easiest place to keep them during a run, since her running shoes didn’t provide a great deal of coverage. Particularly not as far as weaponry was considered. She had always been one to have a desire to be prepared, and this guaranteed that. Finishing up a second round of stretches, she looked up to see Luce approaching. “Hey! How’s it going this morning? Glad we were able to find the time to go for a run.”

No one ever talked about how much stress fucked with your sleep schedule. Luce was no stranger to sleepless nights, but it seemed like more often than not, she was stuck staring up at the ceiling of her room or drawing designs until her wrists ached and the sun had begun to break through the blinds of her window. Which was why she was going for a run now-- coffee could only do so much and fuck, going for a run with one of the kids she tattooed? She’d done weirder. Parking her 4x4 alongside the road, Luce stretched briefly against the side of her car before jogging towards the place they’d agreed on meeting up. It was a familiar trailhead to her, one of the many she frequented. “It’s going, it’s going. Nothing like a run to get things going though.” Luce said with a nod, tying her long hair back up in a ponytail. “Yeah, for sure. I haven’t run with a partner in a while, so it might take me a minute to match pace.” She warned, and tilted her head at the woods. “Let’s hit the trails, huh?” She grinned before setting off at a light jogging pace, just to get the blood pumping. 

“I agree completely!” Perhaps her voice held just slightly too much enthusiasm, but Athena found that she didn’t care all too much. Not to mention, that sort of behavior was likely exactly what Luce might have expected, given what she did know about her. “Not a worry, I have a few friends I run with sometimes, but I’m flexible.” She flashed the woman a grin, carefully observing her. This was an entirely different context from the last time that the two of them had hung out, and she was curious if Luce’s behavior would change in any way. She didn’t so much mind whether or not it did, she’d found her to be pleasant to talk to both in person and online, and more people to go for runs with was never a bad thing. “Let’s go!” Athena nodded, matching Luce’s pace. “Do you have a favorite trail or spot to go running? I know that I sometimes will change it up, but I think that’s carryover from sometimes not wanting to ever sit still as a kid. As much as I can deeply concentrate, I also have a need to move and see different things. Despite being small, this town does manage to provide that. On a tangential note, I hope we don’t see any moose today. That’s not a fun time on a hike.”

Raising an eyebrow at the girl’s tone, Luce decided to take it in stride. Literally, she grinned to herself at the idea. As they began to run through the woods, she kept her strides nice and measured, really focusing on just letting her muscles move, the blood to flow. It wasn’t as hot as it had been in the middle of July, thank fuck, but her natural body temperature made running in the summer a bitch. As she ran alongside the girl, Luce was reminded why she didn’t typically run with other people. People liked to talk. people liked to chatter and make small talk and she just… didn’t give a shit about it. She barely gave a shit when she was at work. But, hopefully talking more would help her stay awake. “Eh, mostly just the places around my cabin because it was closest and most convenient to me. But, there are a couple places in the national park that are pretty. There’s a cool trail that leads into a whole field of wildflowers-- it’s best in the spring, but still. Not a bad spot year round.” Luce lengthened her stride a bit, picking up the pace as they wound through the woods. “Oh, fuck no. I’m so not down for a moose run in.” She said with a shake of her head. Her silver knuckledusters were tucked into the discreet pocket in the waistband of her leggings, but those wouldn’t be enough to stop a moose, not at all. She’d just be hightailing it up the nearest tree if they ran into one.

She hadn’t doubted the woman when the two of them had discussed going for a run, but Athena was pleased to see that the woman kept up with her - was arguably a better runner than she was in some ways, though she was not too keen to admit that just yet, if at all. “That makes sense. I run on Harris Island a lot too for much of the same reason - it’s home for me, and though not the woods, it does provide wide and open space to go. Though sometimes I go through town.” Sometimes, and she’d run into banshee screams on more than one occasion. She wasn’t going to focus on that right now, though. “That sounds wonderful! Not sure if I’ve been on that trail before, but it sounds like a good place to go.” The two of them continued to make their way through the forest and Athena had to hold back a small giggle at Luce’s remark about the moose. “Though I’m not always opposed to them, they certainly are not on my ‘must see’ list ever.” There was a bit of an incline as the two of them continued through the forest, the morning air cool and calming - which was one of the number of reasons why she enjoyed this time of day as much as she did.

“Harris Island, huh? Too bougie for me.” Luce said, as they continued along the forest trail. Sure, Harris Island was pretty, but she hadn’t been back there since she’d dealt with… August. And Lydia. Her expression turned dour at the memory. That fucking bitch. She’d sworn her to silence about what they’d done, bound her, like she’d bound August. Fuck. “I’m not a big fan of the mega mansions they’ve got chilling out there. The Common’s not a bad place to run around town, though.” She added. As they made their way through the woods, Luce focused on her breathing, making sure to keep it nice and smooth. This particular trail was just a quick 1.5 mile loop, but she was still feeling the effects of her sleepless night. If she’d been in better shape, if she’d been less tired, she might have noticed the rustling in the bushes, the way the birds seem to quiet around them. But, as it was, she just kept running. 

“I mean, I still live with my parents. You are not wrong about it being a bit bougie, though I like being right near the ocean.” Athena shrugged. “I guess I’m used to it too.” She noted Luce’s change in expression and fiddled with the end of her hair for a moment, giving a small murmur of agreement at her words. “Oh yeah, The Common’s great!” When there’s no fae flocking around, but she kept those thoughts to herself. They were making their way steadily around the trail when Athena all of a sudden felt a shiver run up and down her arms as she skidded to a halt. So much for fae not ruining the hike. She turned to look at Luce, before looking back at the bushes, a rustling sound becoming more and more clear before she could spot ears. Shit. “We might have a bit of a problem.” She took in a deep breath, focusing her attention. The iron cold on her hip. 

“Nice. Must be lucky living out home.” Luce remarked, the comment sounding offhand. But, a part of her meant it. The recent wound of her mother, turning her back on the three of them, was still raw, still open and painful. She hated her mother for what she’d done to them, hated her father for never standing up for them, but she couldn’t shake the sadness that came with losing them. She shouldn’t feel so fucked up about it. She didn’t regret what she’d done. She’d done what was right. Even if it came at the cost of unclean hands and of losing the people she loved most. Before she could get too in her feelings about it all, Athena came to an abrupt halt. Taken off guard, Luce stumbled to a stop but managed to right herself. “What? What’s up?” She asked, looking at the trees around them.

“I am lucky, but I also love my family, so I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Athena shrugged. She wouldn’t, would she? Shaking any sort of thought like that out of her mind, she refocused herself on what was actually going on. Namely, the giant gosh darned fae-dog that was just off in the bushes. “Don’t move.” She gave a small nod, the creature standing up now. “It’s a - well. It’s not a normal dog.” Cù-sìth, she thought, her mind whirring as it often did, as she’d been trained to do. “You see that, right? Large dog. Very quiet.” She huffed. It might not be quiet for long. 

“That’s more than fair, for sure.” Luce nodded in agreement. After all, family was why she still lived at Bea’s. She could be back at her cabin, she could be staying there right now in fact. But, since they’d been cast out of the coven… there was a part of her-- a part of her that she refused to show to her sisters-- that wanted to keep what remained of her family close. All of those thoughts were pushed out of her mind at the girl’s words. Scanning the woods around them, Luce’s eyes fell on the giant dog that was lurking in the bushes. It wasn’t a wolf, so not a werewolf, but she wasn’t exactly familiar with every beast that ran around the woods. “Yeah, I see it.” She said, her hands resting on the waistband of her leggings, feeling the curve of the metal tucked in her pocket. “What’s the plan? Back away slowly?”

She didn’t know how much Luce knew. Athena remembered that the woman had grown up in this town, but she also knew that none of that guaranteed knowledge of anything. It made her job both easier and more difficult, but right now she wasn’t going to focus on anything but Luce and getting her to safety. “Good.” She nodded. “That’s - backing away is good, but these - they’re real fast when they want to be. Might not look it, but they are. Can be.” The cold iron of her knife was incredibly appealing but she couldn’t bring it out just yet. “You - we don’t want it to howl.” She whispered to Luce, taking another few steps towards the woman. “That’s not good. It’s - their howls aren’t normal.” She looked over at her. Athena knew that she’d be fine, but as fae as she was aware, Luce wasn’t a warden. “They are not the friendliest of dogs.”

As she stared at the creature, Luce was able to see that there the “dog’s” fur was green, with tufts of what looked like grass sticking out in clumps. “Is there any reason why this thing looks like a Husky fucked a hedge?” She hissed, as she tried to back away from the dog while discreetly pulling the knuckleduster from her pocket. But, her leggings were just a bit too tight and the weapon remained stubbornly tucked in her waistband. Christ. A dummy thicc joke went through her mind briefly, but it was quickly pushed out of her mind as the creature began to stalk towards them, hackles raised. “What do you mean their howls aren’t normal?” She asked, but before the girl could answer, the dog was already opening its mouth, a horrific howl coming from its maw. Instantly, Luce went to her knees, clasping her hands over her ears, but that couldn’t keep the bellowing sound that had already pierced her skull. 

“Because it’s one of the worst kinds of dogs you could ever see.” Athena admittedly had to smirk just slightly at Luce’s comment. Well, if that was anything to go off of, then perhaps she would have an easier time convincing her that this thing would be better off dead. “I mean that -” before she could respond, the creature had howled and though Athena knew it would have no sort of effect on her, Luce wouldn’t be so lucky. “We’ve got ten minutes max until it might howl again. Sometimes - there’s some ways or cases when people die after three howls.” She knew that she was talking faster than normal but she had to get all of the information to Luce as best as she could. “You - it’s going to make you feel afraid, but that’s okay. It’s - well,” she pulled one of her iron daggers out of its resting place against her hip. “I might have a solution. It is the only way to deal with this. It could do a lot of harm to those in town if we let it get away.”

The howl was the worst thing she’d ever heard-- and Luce had sat through more shitty fucking local bands at Soul than she wanted to admit. Fuck. It was as though her blood had gone cold, while at the same time, her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her goddamn chest. Fear, the overwhelming sensation of dread, of terror, of the urge to run as fast and as far as her feet could take her from that thing filled her chest. “F-Fuck!” Luce managed as her hands fell to the earth, clawing at the dirt. Heart pounding, eyes daring wildly, she stared up at the girl with unseeing eyes, too overwhelmed by sheer terror to do much more than stare. But, she saw a flash of metal, a knife. Was she going to hurt her too? Was she going to attack her like that fucking hedge husky? Fuck. Blue flames ignited in the dirt around her hands, a reflex, a means to protecting herself, even as the fear clung to her.

This wasn’t her fault, but some part of her thought that maybe she should have been more careful. Athena glanced between the cù sìth and Luce. Luce, who now had flames around her fingertips. Spellcaster? Or something else, Athena wasn’t quite sure at first. Holding the knife out toward the dog, she knelt down next to Luce, careful not to touch the other woman. “That thing over there causes fear. It’s doing this to you on purpose.” She wasn’t certain if Luce would even fully understand what was going on, but she needed the woman to know that she wasn’t going to hurt her, but that this creature was going to do a lot of harm if one of them didn’t get rid of it. “Fire might not do much, though it is a good idea,” she said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

Luce’s gulped in air, taking it in with rapid, panting breaths. The thing, she couldn’t see it, couldn’t tell where it had disappeared in the brush around them. She wanted to wrap herself in flames, protect herself from that thing. Its howl still rang in her ears as her fingers dug deeper into the earth, as though the gesture would ground her and keep her safe. As she struggled to control herself, Luce was able to catch the snippets of words-- Athena, Luce remembered her name through the oppressive waves of fear. It wasn’t just dread, the lingering howl rattled in her mind and she could hear voices. Screaming, in pain, begging for something to end. Bea. Nell. Ulf. Remmy. Nadia. Morgan. “No. No, no, no, no, no.” She said, curling up in on herself as she tried to ignore it. But, the flames around her grew, blue tongues curling around her arms now.

The woman was having an anxiety attack of some sort. Or at least that was what it seemed like to Athena. “Look. I’m not going to hurt you.” She didn’t know how much of what she was saying was getting through to Luce, so she kept repeating it, in different ways. They didn’t have much time to act. “Will that keep you safe?” She queried, looking down at the fire. For a brief flash of a moment, she found herself wishing that she could give the other woman some immunity to the creature just like she had. But if that wasn’t possible, ridding the world of it was the next best thing. “I can make this stop, if you’d like. I can - your fire might be able to help too.” Her voice held a certain sort of gentleness that surprised even her, but if that was what it took, she would gladly comply. “One blow to a major organ of that thing using my knife and we’ll be free. It won’t hurt you or anyone else.”

Dimly, Luce could see the way that the girl looked at the fire that was winding up her forearms, coiling like snakes around her biceps. “Y-yeah.” She managed, doing her best to try and calm herself. Her heart was still racing, her breathing still too quick. Her head felt strange, like it was going to fucking… pop off or something. Christ. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck that dog and it’s fucked up howl. Gritting her teeth, Luce staggered to her feet and looked at Athena. “How? And… why aren’t you..?” Her voice trailed off as she gestured to herself. The girl hadn’t even missed a beat when the creature had howled. How?

She wasn’t supposed to tell others what she was. That was practically a cardinal rule back home, but she knew she’d messed that rule up a number of times, be it on purpose or on accident. But she knew what Luce was, or had some sort of idea, and it was only fair for Luce to know what Athena was, too. “I’m a warden. I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself, but that’s why it is not doing anything to me. It is a form of fae, but it is going to do a lot of harm if we don’t take care of it as soon as possible.” She looked over at Luce. “Your reaction is normal for anyone who isn’t fae and isn’t a warden. We need to deal with it… soon. It’ll likely howl again soon, and that’s not good for anyone.”

As the girl explained just why she was able to withstand the fucked dog’s howl, Luce’s eyes widened. A Warden? That was some kind of hunter, right? She had no idea that there were specific hunters that went after different shit, but sure, that worked. She could roll with that, as long as Athena could fucking handle it. “Okay. Okay. W-what can I do to help?” She asked, hating the way her voice stammered with fear. She was better than this, she was fucking better than this. Clenching her fists, she did her best to rein in the flames a bit, just to keep them away from the girl. She doubted that wardens were fireproof. “I can… set fire to things. Or blow shit up. But I don’t know where it is.” She said, her eyes darting around the forest around them.

“If you want to keep it trapped, that might do us both a lot of good.” Athena bit her lip. She looked over at Luce carefully. Even if she was one to sometimes rush into things, even she could tell that right now was not the time for that. “We don’t want it escaping, but maybe blocking it so that it’s got no choice but to come towards me. That could help.” She analyzed the scene around them quickly - doing her best to take in as much of it as she could. Doing her best to think a few steps ahead. “Setting fire is good.” She glanced around them. “I think…” she closed her eyes for a moment, letting her skin feel cold. Doing her best to embrace the feeling. “It’s by those trees,” she said, upon opening her eyes. “I can see its tail.”

Swallowing, Luce shook her head in an attempt to get the ringing out of her ears. She could light shit on fire. That was all she was good for and she sure as shit wasn’t going to stop doing it now. Glancing over at the girl, she frowned when she saw that Athena’s eyes were closed. What the fuck..? Some kinda fucking Spidey-Sense bullshit? Hunter stuff? Whatever, as long as it worked, she wasn’t going to argue with it. Flicking her fingers in the direction Athena had told her, the trails of flame flew from her arms and slithered across the ground. The twin snakes of blue ignited the brush around them, sending fire and smoke into the air as Luce directed the magic to create a circle around the beast. “W-what now?” She managed as she brought one of her hands up with a grasping motion, sending the blue flames up into the air. Her fire, it was flickering, not as powerful as it usually was, and it took every effort to keep her grasp on her magic. 

“If you can help.” Athena repeated. “If you can help at all, we can corral this thing and we can be rid of it.” She ran her fingertips along the knife, savoring the feeling of the cold iron. Just like always. It was comforting, though she knew well enough not to voice that to anyone. She was good at playing the part of normal, and even though Luce clearly knew something was up now, she didn’t have to act in the same way that she could act at home. In fact, Athena was acutely aware of just how much she shouldn’t act that way. Luce, though she clearly had some powers of her own, was still human, and that meant Athena had to do her best to protect her. To make sure she was safe and well. “It’ll be quick after that. I’m good and I’m fast, and then you won’t be afraid anymore.” 

Gritting her teeth, Luce nodded. “I can do that. I can… do that.” She managed, though the words were more to reassure herself than Athena. Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded as the beast began to snap and bite at the flames, as though it was testing the boundary. She urged the magic forward, feeding the flames with power that made them rise higher into the air, their cobalt tongues dancing among the brush. The creature let out a yelp and scampered back into the center of the circle, its tail low and hackles raised as it spun around, searching for a way out. “Go get ‘em, Tiger.” She growled, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to hold this for very long. Her magic was intrinsically tied into her emotions and fear like this, the primal urge to run? It made wielding the flames incredibly draining. 

Although Luce was clearly terrified, Athena had to appreciate how willing she was to jump right into action. She made a mental note of that - for the future, at least - one never knew when something like that could come in handy. Right now was not the time to focus on the future - right now she had to focus on getting rid of this thing. Whatever Luce was doing was working, and Athena let a breath out. “On it.” She said, and under any other circumstance she would have flashed a grin towards Luce, but the other woman likely wouldn’t respond to that right now, and so she kept it internal, her face professional. She took off toward the creature, permitting a smirk to cross her face as she came closer. “You can’t hurt me.” She giggled. “You can’t do anything to me.” The creature stood by her. It had been just over eight minutes, which meant it might howl again at any point. She had to stop it before that happened. “I can, however, do a whole lot to you.” She held tightly onto her knife before digging it into the creature’s chest, praying that she hit a vital organ, and grinning when it collapsed onto the ground. Turning around, she rushed back over to Luce. “It’s gone now. It’s not going to hurt you. Or anyone.” 

Keeping the circle of fire going without letting it burn the girl was hard, harder than Luce wanted to admit. But, she was going to make sure that fucking terror hound was gone. And if Athena said she could deal with it, she’d believe her. Just send in the blonde kid with a knife, no big deal. She watched as the girl circled the creature, stance just as predatory, before darting forward and plunging the knife into its chest. And then, it was over. Like that. Releasing her hold on the magic that was straining from her grasp, Luce let out a sigh and slumped back down on the ground. The howl, that fucking howl, it still had her messed up. But at least it was dead. “Nice.” She managed, wiping the sweat from her brow with a weary hand. “Fuck.” Luce muttered with a shake of her head. “Thanks for that.” She said not really sure what else she was meant to say. Thanks for shanking a fucked up dog? Thanks for being chill with the whole fire thing? Whatever.

She was hesitant to touch Luce, and so Athena instead settled for kneeling next to the woman, making sure that she was still breathing. The cù-sìth was dealt with, she didn’t have to worry about it surprise-attacking them. “Thank you. I - well, I don’t usually lose if I put my mind to anything. Be it something like this or an exam.” She wasn’t sure that her attempt to lighten the mood would have the intended effect, but so long as the thing was dealt with and Luce was alive, that was all that mattered. She found herself relieved that Luce also didn’t seem opposed to her hobby. “Oh - yeah, of course. It’s what I do.” She pulled her knees up against her chest and looked over to Luce. “We should get you home, probably. It’s - well, the - that cù-sìth is gone now. It’s - you’ll be alright.” She offered her a small smile. “I appreciate all the help you provided too. Nice team up, if a bit unexpected. Certainly not how all of my runs end.”

Not the type to lose, a perfectionist, huh? She sounded like Bea. Luce shook her hands out, dusting some of the dirt from her palms. Or… well, how Bea had used to sound. Her sister hadn’t been the same since everything that had happened. “Well, sounds like I lucked out big time.” She said and sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. She was absolutely wiped and it was only what… fucking 8? Christ. She still had work, still had appointments to keep. “Yeah, thanks. I need a big ass coffee, but I think I’ll be good after that.” Luce nodded. “No problem. Obviously, I’m not a hunter-- witch, duh-- but I’m not a fan of shit like that kicking it in the woods. I’m happy to help.” She said, before letting out a wry laugh. “Definitely not how they tend to go. Either way… thanks, Athena.” She said offering a slight wave of her hand before heading back to her car. Who’d have fucking thought? The semi-neurotic blonde who’d stepped into Ink Inc, a hunter? Whatever. She’d heard of weirder shit. And at the moment, she didn’t really care to question it, not when the girl had saved her from getting turned into dog food. But still… Who’d have thought?

[celestelavie]

Campus Tours || Athena & Celeste

TIMING: About a week ago PARTIES: @athenaquinn & @celestelavie SUMMARY: Since they’re staying in town long term, Celeste decides to go to UMWC to get information on their nursing program. Athena shows a lost Celeste around

After a particularly grueling shift at the diner, Celeste had decided she needed a step in the right direction. College had never made much sense, being on the run all the time, but if they were going to be making roots here, now was a good time as any to start. It felt like a huge step to be taking with the threat of her parents still looming, but she had to believe even that would be under wraps soon enough. She could at least hope as much anyway. She figured she could visit the Admissions office as the very least and get an idea of what her next steps needed to be. However, she found the campus to be a little overwhelming to navigate. She stared down at the map on her phone, trying to figure out what part of it corresponded with the building. She’d been grumbling at her phone when she noticed a figure in front of her just in time to prevent herself from a collision. “Sorry,” she started, “Oh! You’re Athena, right? Ariana’s friend?”

School was out for the summer, but that didn’t mean that Athena wasn’t still on campus. She liked going swimming in the pool and she had friends taking summer courses. It was also a place in town that she knew her parents were fine with her spending time at. They had to be, even though they didn’t wish for her to live on campus. Today she was simply going for a walk around campus, enjoying the nice weather. She wondered where her brother was - he had still not yet come home, and part of her worried for him, no matter how angry she was at him for leaving in the first place. Caught up briefly in her own thoughts she didn’t see the woman who was about to run into her, but luckily the woman stopped before the two of them collided, and Athena briefly side stepped, ready to wave and be on her way when the woman began talking to her. “Oh! Yes, I am! You must be Celeste.” She grinned, turning to face the woman. “How are you? It is such a wonderful sort of coincidence to run into you.”

Of all the people to nearly run into, Celeste had to be grateful that it was a friend of Ariana’s. Using the map on her cell phone to navigate the campus had proven to be more difficult than she would have liked. Plus, it was good to actually meet Athena. By all indications, she was a good influence and had gotten Ariana in with that summer soccer camp she was so excited for. She extended her hand forward to shake Athena’s, “It’s good to meet you in person. I’ve heard great things about you and your cookies were quite delicious.” She stuffed the phone back into the pocket of her jeans and answered, “Oh, I’m doing well. I was just looking for the Admissions office, actually. The map was a little confusing… hence, the near collision.”

She’d been wondering if she was ever going to get to meet Celeste. Athena was always curious about other siblings - and the fact that Celeste was a good deal older than Ariana just added another layer of fascination into the whole thing. They also seemed to get along well. Better than her and Orion, certainly, though Athena was self-aware enough to know that though she and her brother might have appeared like ideal siblings, they had not been that for years. Namely due to his refusal to believe in his destiny - or at least that was what she told herself. “It is good to meet you in person too.” She took Celeste’s hand in her own and gave it a quick, solid shake. “I am glad you have heard good things - and oh, I’m so glad! Baking and sharing what I bake is just the best.” She tossed a bit of her hair over her shoulder. “Well, you know, I might be able to help you with that. You were headed sort of in the right direction. What do you say? We can walk and chat along the way? If you don’t mind the company, that is.”

Celeste welcomed the idea of someone helping her find her way to the Admissions Office, especially a friend of Ariana’s. It was becoming more and more apparent that the younger woman really was a perfectionist. Celeste couldn’t even remember the last time she baked something though she was sure it was probably chocolate chip cookies. “Well, I can’t complain since I get to eat some of the baked goods. I’ve never been much of a baker myself.” She shifted her purse on her shoulder and exclaimed, “I’ll gladly take the help. I was beginning to feel a bit silly not being able to find it. Chatting would also be nice.” She smiled as she followed Athena’s lead, thankful she ran into someone she sort of knew to help her find her way. “How’s everything been with you? I know Ariana mentioned you two would be volunteering at a soccer camp together this summer.”

“Well, if you ever want some recipes to try out, I’ve got some good starter ones to try.” Athena grinned. “I won’t go all out and send you complicated ones, don’t worry.” She gave a small shrug. “Just let me know.” She grinned as Celeste accepted her offer of help. Good - this would give her a specific task for the day. Not to mention, she was curious to get to know Celeste more. She liked Ariana, and it was good to get to know the family members of those you were friends with, wasn’t it? “Please, this campus is a mess of planning, sometimes. You’d think an admissions office would be the easiest thing to find and yet it is far from it.” Adjusting her pace so that she was in line with Celeste, Athena grinned. “Chatting would be nice. Things with me are good. College is out for the summer, which is nice, though I do like school so part of me is also sad - but I think I did very well in all my classes this semester so I am pleased. Ariana and I will be doing that! Starts the end of June, and I’m super excited. Ariana’s such a great soccer player, and it’ll be nice to have her around. How about you? How are the repairs on your home going? I hope well, though I know these things can sometimes take forever.”

“I may take you up on that one of these days,” Celeste responded with a smile, “Thank goodness, I remember my mom tried to have me make a meringue once without any previous guidance on it and it… well, it turned out disastrous.”  She welcomed the chance to get to know one of Ariana’s friends. One of these days, when they were able to have a place of their own again, they’d have to have her over. As they walked through the campus, Celeste laughed. “Yes, they definitely didn’t make it easy. I was hoping to get some information on what I’d need to do to get myself enrolled in the nursing program.” She kept pace with the younger girl and listened as she talked about her summer. It was rare to see someone who liked school, but she supposed she understood. She seemed like a very ambitious young woman. “Well, I’m glad to hear your grades are doing well. What brings you to campus if you’re out of class for the summer? I know she’s really excited for the camp, too. She’s always loved soccer.” At the mention of their home, she shifted her glance a bit. It wasn’t like she could explain it anyway, so she shrugged, “It’s coming along. Hopefully we can be home soon.”

“Absolutely, just let me know.” Athena grinned. “Meringues are incredibly tricky to get right, so I will be certain to not give you any of those recipes. Admittedly, even I do not love working with meringue, so I do not have many recipes that even use that.” She found Celeste surprisingly easy to talk to - though she supposed that she should not have been so very surprised, in the end. Athena liked to think of herself as someone who could win most anyone over. Certainly something she’d used to her advantage on more than one occasion. So far though, at least in this conversation, everything she had said was filled to the brim with honesty - or at least as much so as she ever properly used. “Oh, nursing! That’s so fantastic! One of the girls in my sorority is starting there in the fall, it’s supposed to be a wonderful program.” She glanced over to Celeste. “Thank you, and well - I like the campus, and it gives me a nice space to walk around and collect my thoughts. It’s nice to walk around here and not have to focus on thinking about an exam or paper or project that I’ll have to do.” She bit her lip. “I’ve loved soccer for years too. It seemed like a nice thing to mention to her, especially given how skilled she is.” She watched Celeste’s expression change for a moment at the mention of her home and for a moment (though only a fleeting one) Athena wondered if perhaps that was not the best sort of question to have asked. “I hope you can be as well.” She continued to make her way through the campus, past a few classroom buildings, as she pointed them out, “that’s where some of my favorite classes have been held. Introduction to Neuroscience, for one. The class that I came into excited for and left knowing that it’d have to be one of my majors.” She looked back over at the other woman. “Can I ask - what draws you to nursing?”

The talk of meringue brought Celeste to a not so pleasant flashback of a job she worked back in San Diego at a bakery. It had been short lived due to how many meringues she had messed up and she had no intention of putting herself through that kind of torture again. “That’s a relief. If it’s meringue-free, I’m sure I can make the recipe work and not have flashback nightmares to an awful job I had when we lived in San Diego.” Somehow the news that Athena was in a sorority hadn’t been surprising to her. Everything about her screamed Type A from her school ambitions and her involvement as a student athlete. Even down to the enjoying campus when she didn’t even have to be here. It was a nice enough campus, but she had to imagine a break was nice. She knew Ariana was always eager to leave school unless she had practice. “Maybe I’ll see her in classes then. I’m sure I have a ton of prerequisites to take. I haven’t taken any college classes.” Hell, she hadn’t even graduated high school though she had gotten her GED. Technically, she also had a very convincing counterfeit diploma and transcripts, too, but she was inclined to take the honest route. She walked along with Athena, bag swinging from her shoulder and mused, “I suppose I can understand that. The campus is nice and I’m sure has good spots for reading and the like.” Celeste smiled as she spoke of how she enjoyed soccer and how skilled Ariana was. It made her proud to see Ari excel at something, especially when it was something she enjoyed. She hoped the carpentry apprenticeship worked out well for her. “I’m sure you two will have a lovely time.” She shrugged calmly at Athena’s well wishes. The little house they’d been staying in wouldn’t be an option anymore. Finding a new place would be nice though. Ulfric’s was kind of cramped and as cordial as he was capable of being, it was fairly plain to see he wasn’t her biggest fan. She focused instead on the last part, “Well, I’ve always wanted to do something that helps people and I’m not at all squeamish.” She thought to her own stitches on her leg that she’d done herself, “Figured I have the personality to provide comfort and medical care, so may as well go for it now that Ariana is out in the working world. You mentioned going into the medical field as well, right?”

“You lived in California?” Athena’s eyes lit up for a moment. “I’d love to go there someday.” It was almost as though with everything Celeste said she felt all the more connected to her - or even if not connected - more intrigued. She’d lived such an interesting life - lived in so many different places, and Athena had only been in one. She knew that it was for an incredibly good reason, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t sometimes wish she could have traveled elsewhere. “You may! I’ll tell her to look out for you. You might need to do some prereqs, but like, I know they always want new students so that’s also something in your favor.” She gave a small shrug to the woman. “Besides, if you’re anything like your sister, you’re likely a quick learner. She told me she was struggling with math classes but then got up to nearly an A in almost no time!” It was genuine, her compliment - she knew that she wasn’t always genuine but she did enjoy talking to Ariana. So she figured that being honest was the best way to go about things in this case. “Exactly. Especially with the beautiful weather, it’s nicer to go here than in a library or coffee shop in order to read. Plus, I know this makes me sound like a giant nerd - not that there’s anything wrong with that - but sometimes I like to get my books for the fall in advance and read those, and doing it on campus seems even nicer.” Her grin matched Celeste’s. “I bet we will, it’s a great camp and she seems so excited.” Celeste didn’t seem to want to remark any more on Athena’s comment about the house - which was fine. She knew that they were still mostly strangers, and just because some people enjoyed talking about home repairs, others were more cautious. She only hoped that there hadn’t been a sort of terrible attack. “I feel much the same way - and yes, all of that makes sense. I am going into the medical field! Hopefully I’ll get into some good med schools come next year. I agree though, I truly just want to do whatever I can to help make the world a better place, and if medicine is one way to do that, then why not?”

“Yes,” Celeste answered with a small grin. It had been a very brief stint before her parents had gotten wind of their location, but she had enjoyed it. The state had a lot to offer in terms of different terrains and national parks. “It’s a beautiful state. I miss it sometimes, but White Crest has a homey feel to it.” The prospect of being a student again still had her nerves on edge, but having a connection could be nice. Make the whole thing easier. “I appreciate that. I’m sure any friend of yours is lovely.” As much was true. Athena seemed like a smart kid with a good head on her shoulders. She was definitely driven and friendly. It was nice to have someone showing her the way around campus. There was a certain excited energy that came with being here and it was nice to get some of it out. She walked alongside the girl and commented, “It has been beautiful as of late. It’s good that you enjoy where and what you study. I imagine it makes the whole keeping up with your coursework so much easier.” At least she had assumed as much. It’d been too many years since she had to study anything herself. A smile grew on her face at the mention of Ariana being excited for the soccer camp. It was nice she had something to look forward to, even in the midst of everything else. They were choosing somewhere to be home permanently which gave them both the freedom to pursue things they were passionate about. “She really is, which I love to see.” They walked through a part of campus that had a fair number of little picnic tables under trees. She could envision herself content under one just studying away. As much had always been something that felt so out of reach, but here she was. She studied the campus around her and listened as Athena spoke. “That’s an admirable goal. You seem to be very motivated, so I have no doubt you’ll reach it. I like the way you think though, helping people. The whole leaving the world a better place than you found it thing. I wish you the best of luck with applying and getting into med schools.”

“White Crest has a homey feel for me too,” Athena grinned. “Then again, it has been my home my whole life, so I suppose to some degree that’s to be expected. Though, if you don’t mind, I might ask you about California sometime.” She shrugged. “Oh, of course! She’s great, and plus, she knows the place well and so she’ll get you all in the know and everything. Which is something that counts, I think. Even if just to let you know all the shortcuts around campus.” Celeste seemed happy, and that made Athena stand up straighter and continue to lead the woman along, giving a small wave as she passed a boy who was in one of her lectures last semester. “It has been, and I am so glad for that. Though I love Maine, winters do get so dreary. Also true, that studying what I love does make everything a lot easier. More appealing, too.” Another nod. “I’m glad, I’m glad I could do this for her - but she really got in all on her own. Knowing me was an added bonus to her application, she’s incredible in her own merit.” She sighed. “Thank you, and same to you. Anyone who wants to further their education is bound to succeed in their own way.” She did believe that, to an extent. Certainly, this was a bit more forced than usual, but she wanted to make a good impression. “I agree. I have always been that way, for as long as I can remember. Just wanting to make the world as good a place as is possible. Thank you!” She looked up. “We’re almost to the admissions building. Not too hard after all, hm?” She winked.

“I didn’t live there too long, but I’d be happy to answer any California questions that I can,” Celeste stated easily with a smile. She did know the state was a popular tourist destination for a good number of reasons. Her initial thought when they had moved there was that it would be far enough away from the Aquilla Estate that her parents wouldn’t venture out there on a whim. She’d been wrong and now they were going to be here soon enough. She focused back on the nursing school things, noting each building they passed. “Thank you, Athena. I look forward to hopefully joining in the program and meeting her. This place is huge, shortcuts would be most helpful.” Potential study partners were also a plus. She’d always enjoyed making friends. Celeste smiled in the direction of the boy Athena waved at, not wanting to appear rude. She’d yet to experience a Maine winter so she wasn’t sure what she was in for. Whether it’d be better or worse than winter in other states. “I suppose I’ll see for myself soon enough,” she thought aloud with a laugh. It couldn’t be any worse than Minnesota. There was a surge of pride that went through her hearing Athena speak so highly of Ariana. Their life hadn’t been easy, but she’d always done her best to steer Ari in the right direction. “Thank you, I know she’s a bright kid. Passionate, too. I’m sure the kids will get that from both of you.” She scanned their surroundings, noting they were by the Financial Aid department. She made a mental note of that. She’d need to visit them shortly after Admissions. Not surprisingly, Athena mentioned they were close. “Oh good, I’ve been trying to keep an eye on landmarks to make it easier for next time. Thank you for taking the time to lead the way. Good deeds definitely help in making the world a better place.”

“Oh, I don’t expect you to be an expert, it’d just be more what it was like living there,” Athena offered an easy smile. “Of course - I hope you get into the program too, and shortcuts are for sure always handy to know.” Though the nursing program and medical school did not always work together so much, if Athena did end up at UMWC’s medical school (her parents might want that, she figured - even though Johns Hopkins or Harvard or Geffen were all higher up, she’d stay here if it was needed) then there was a chance that they’d run into one another, still. “I suppose you will, although hopefully not too soon! We had a time of complete darkness, and that was a bit difficult, but I do not wish for winter in the middle of summer.” This entire conversation was incredibly normal. She was used to it, but there was something about Celeste that felt more natural than some of the other conversations she’d had. Maybe it was that even though she was meeting her for the first time technically, they had already connected a bit online and Athena did already know her sister. The shared interest in the medical field didn’t hurt, nor did the fact that Celeste was certainly not fae. “I’m sure they will,” she said with a quick nod. “You have a good sense of awareness, it’ll serve you well here. The landmarks method is a good way to go about it, it allows you to figure out where places are from any point. Also, don’t even mention it, I’m more than happy to be able to help out and to finally meet you. Good deeds do indeed, and the world certainly needs more of that.”  

“Warmer, sunnier, more hip if that’s still what the kids are saying. Way less mimes,” Celeste answered with a laugh. Of all the things in White Crest, she found she hated the mimes most of all. With a wide smile, she said, “Thank you, Athena. I appreciate it.” The prospect of being able to settle in a place and beginning to build a real life both excited and terrified her. Still, it’d be nice to pursue something she was actually passionate about and never have to ask another person how they wanted their eggs. The mention of the complete darkness made her laugh lightly. “Yes, definitely don’t want winter too soon. I’d like to enjoy the summer weather.” Though she figured she’d opt from going swimming anywhere in White Crest. It seemed almost inevitable something would try to eat her and that wasn’t her idea of summer fun. She looked over the Admissions building, still slightly filled with nerves to get this journey started before turning back to Athena. “Thank you. I agree with you, landmarks and being aware of your surroundings truly help. I think I could actually find this building again. It truly was great meeting you. Once Ariana and I get settled back into our home, you’ll have to come by for dinner and games some night. Enjoy your day, Athena!” With a final wave, she made her way into the Admissions Building feeling more hopeful than she had in a long time.

[deathduty]

Girls Just Wanna Have Guinea Pigs || Athena & Deirdre

Two normal humans getting along very well with lots of guinea pigs :)

Meeting with some child to go to a guinea pig café was not Deirdre’s first choice in lunch activity. But, it also wasn’t her last and as much as she hated to admit it, she loved those damn helpless tiny creatures. With their cute squeaks. Their long bodies. Their silky fur. They were not only completely useless, but so obviously useless. Like humans, but oh, so much better. She strode into the café with large steps, finding the girl she was looking for easily enough and shooting her an apologetic smile as she slid into the seat opposite. “I’m sorry I’m late I--thank you for saving my seat. I didn’t think I’d get so hold up--” making sure people died like they were supposed to. She’d swallowed a scream, and had to wait patiently for the marks to fade before she could risk a meeting in public. “--in traffic. Athena, right?” Deirdre’s Irish accent was rushed, and in her fluster, she’d extended her bare hand out---forgetting in a moment about the coldness of her skin. “It’s a delight to meet you in person.”

The only reason she’d agreed to come out was because she had always wanted to visit the guinea pig café. Athena liked guinea pigs, even though she knew some might not assume so, given her nature. But they were helpless, and she’d enjoyed cuddling with the few that she had encountered in her life so far. So she’d gotten to the café early and found a space to sit. The café was not too full, although as was typical for her, she found herself on rather high alert. She’d worn a few silver rings today, though not too many, not enough that it would look weird, only tasteful. It was handy that wearing multiple rings was something of a trend. The door opened and a few people walked in, and suddenly Athena felt something. Sensed something. One of those people who had come in was fae and given that the feeling got so much worse as the woman approached her table she had a terrible feeling that she might be the fae in question. “Yes.” She said, forcing a grin across her lips. “You must be Deirdre. It is no trouble, I was simply spending my time resting.” She shrugged. “A moment to relax is very much welcomed, especially when you are the person I am waiting for.” She took the woman’s hand, careful to avoid concentrating the iron in her blood for once. In a place like this, she’d have to be a bit more careful. Her hand was cold; incredibly so. “Please, sit down. I was just looking at the menu for the day and they have spinach.” She made a face. “I absolutely hate how many places serve that, you know?” 

Deirdre didn't like Athena. She decided that perhaps the moment the child introduced herself online, ruining at least the fun of meeting someone whose name she didn't care to know (and she really didn't care to know any human names). But there was suddenly something very, very curious about Athena. And that curiosity booked down to: spinach. This was a guinea pig themed café, of course they had leafy greens galore. Not that Deirdre really could enjoy them and spinach was the worst offender. But Athena wasn't fae, Deirdre knew that. What was she trying to say then? Deirdre's brow quirked up, and she forced a smile of her own. "Really?" She touched her chest. It wasn't even I hate spinach, a fact she agreed with and knew many humans did too. It was I hate how many places serve that. Odd wording. "I love spinach! My doctor says I don't get enough iron in my diet and what's better than a little green salad? Did you want to order some? Do we have to order something before we can steal—sorry, cuddle—the guinea pigs?" Curious indeed. But a warden should have burned her hand, or maybe Athena was testing her too. 

She wanted to crawl out of her skin. This was what she got for going out with strangers who she talked to on the internet. Athena grinned at the woman, her lips curved into a perfect smile. Let out a light laugh. “I mean, yeah. I can manage cooked spinach, like in spanakopita, but raw? Ick.” She made a face. If the woman was going to lean into loving spinach, then Athena would follow suit. “You know, I sometimes tend to run anemic,” a patently false statement, but one she could back up, “and I have iron supplements on me. Can I give you one?” She glanced over to the menu. “We do not have to, I don’t think. Also, Deirdre,” she murmured, reaching out again to touch her hand, “we are not stealing them. You can adopt them though!! If you wanted to do that.” She dropped Deirdre’s hand and went to pick up one of the guinea pigs, scratching its back until it started to purr. This woman - this fae didn’t deserve to be near the guinea pigs. Entirely harmless creatures, and who knew what she might try to do to them? Even though Athena wasn’t exactly able to just stab her right now - she had to think of the other people around them. Which meant she had to be careful, at least a bit more than usual.

Okay, so Athena was undoubtedly a warden. Deirdre smiled under the only explanation that made sense. It thrilled her. Unlike her other fae counterparts, Deirdre didn’t know fear. She could scream now and Athena would be done---with glass shattered and confusion swirling around her, she slashing her knife against her throat and the scene is over quicker than the curtains know how to close on a crime scene. Maybe she runs for a couple of years, but a vagabond life laid in her future anyway, what was the crime in a jump start? “Why would I take iron supplements from a stranger? I don’t know what’s in them. And I’m not anemic. I get the right amount of iron.” And, best of all, this was a warden that knew what she was doing. She’d never compliment her, but Deirdre had met people twice her age with half the tact---half the finesse. And the touching her? What artistry! Let the fae know exactly how iron could seep through her skin. She’d never compliment her, but this was fun--killing her was going to be fun. “Then why are we sitting here talking about spinach when we could be petting the pigs!” Deirdre stood abruptly, a wide and devilish smile plastered across her face. Why play coy now? Would it be more fun if the warden knew that Deirdre had worked the game out already? She moved towards the petting area, shooting a glance back. “Unless you have...some kind of problem with me being so close to those poor, defenseless creatures. So helpless. So vulnerable to the right kind of predator. It’s not an issue, is it?”

Athena dug her nails into the palms of her hands. But she was going to maintain her composure - perfect, eyes sparkling, hair up in her ponytail with a scrunchie Amanda had given her at the Big-Little reveal. If this woman, this fae - this horrifying being - was about to play all nice and with sly remarks, she could too. “You can never be too sure,” she quipped, her ponytail swinging back and forth, “so many girls in my sorority don’t, so I just like to carry it around, but yeah, taking things from strangers is just asking for trouble.” Athena watched Deirdre move toward the guinea pigs, watched as the fae turned around. “They are defenceless.” She stood up, marching over to where Deirdre was standing. I do not want you near them. “But last I checked, there are no hawks in this shop,” she bent over to grab one of the guinea pigs that was close to Deirdre, picking it up and rubbing its back as it began to purr, “so of course, it’s not an issue at all.” She held the guinea pigs close to her chest. If Deirdre were not fae, Athena would have considered her beautiful. Strikingly so, even - but as things were, the devilish smile was met by a fake one on Athena’s part; one she’d used too many times during Rush when girls who she didn’t want to speak to at all decided to come up and make conversation.

“Hm, you mentioned that before--the sorority. You attend UMWC?” Deirdre smiled pleasantly, as though she weren’t trying to assert that even if they both left this meeting breathing, Deirdre knew where to find her. She could ask for the name of the sorority, but how many Athena’s attended UMWC? Deirdre was an easy enough woman to find, there was something to be said about Athena being equally as vulnerable. Maybe she wouldn’t just hurt Athena, maybe there was a sorority begging to learn the role of humans below fae. Or maybe she wouldn’t do anything at all; the game was simply having Athena think she would. Most wardens didn’t think of banshees as much of a danger, they didn’t feed from humans, most lacked the control necessary to kill with a wail. Most wardens would be wrong though, even if that underestimation was the space in which Deirdre could really have fun. Time would tell what kind of a warden Athena was. Either way, Deirdre would have her fun. “Oh, of course,” Deirdre picked up a pig of her own, feeling some condenado in the bunch, she tried to grab the one that felt the most normal. She could do without losing a finger. “How silly of me! There are no predators in this restaurant. Just hungry humans and cute little guinea pigs.” Deirdre rubbed under its chin, earning herself a purr against the sound of the other guinea pigs’ wheeking. “What do you study, Athena? The joy of taking iron supplements?”

“I do.” Athena grinned; perhaps it was stupid to be telling this monster, this fae, all these facts about her, but she was supposed to make nice, even if making nice was filled with false words and fake smiles. She’d mastered both of those by the time that she was nine. In another world, one where Deirdre was human, this would have been a very pleasant outing. Getting to know more people was always beneficial, but that only was truly accurate when those people were human. She wondered for a moment if it would be best for her to kill the woman in front of her herself, or if it would be more prudent to bring her to her father, to ask him if she could help out on a very special operation. Part of her wanted to do an experiment of her own, to further prove to her father that she was entirely capable of all of this. “Of course humans, Deirdre.” Athena giggled, though her gaze was focused on the guinea pig the fae had picked up, “there is no need to place greater emphasis on that word, I understand.” Another grin. “Good joke, but no. I study Neuroscience and Religion. I am on the pre-med track.” Another giggle. “I have always wanted to help people, for as long as I can remember. Help make the world a better place.”

This warden was good. Deirdre smiled at her, despite herself. Poised, calm--she was so young too. She’d been raised right, trained well and probably executed her duty better. She wasn’t so caught up in herself that she couldn’t offer her admiration for that. Athena reminded her a little of herself at the girl’s age. Unfortunately, warden or not, Deirdre had been playing this game longer. She’d been trained too, how to grit her teeth against the burn of iron. How to scream quicker than anyone could fire a gun. Fate was to be obeyed, above all. She learned how to accept her death, if it were ever predicted. She knew. And that knowing was the power. Athena, for all her prowess, wouldn’t stand a chance. But this meant all the more fun in playing with her. “Sorry,” the fae laughed, petting her guinea pig, “I just like the way that word rolls off my tongue.” She feigned a short hum of surprise, nodding along. “You must be a good person then, Athena. So noble!” Of course, leave it to a warden to think what they were doing was helping people. But life was cyclical, and even Deirdre was subject to that cycle. “Science and religion is an odd combination, but it makes you all the more intriguing.” She noticed Athena’s eyes on the animal she’d picked up, and with ease, she squeezed the creature a little harder until it let out a cry of distress. She’d feign cluelessness the beat after, dropping the guinea pig back into its pen with surprise--as though she didn’t know she could have that much force--but she wanted to watch Athena first. 

“Well, there is something to be said for the beauty of language.” Athena looked at Deirdre. “I speak three, and hope to learn more sometime. Maybe Gaelic. What do you think, should I do Scottish or Irish?” She was not about to back down; even if she couldn’t pull out one of the small, almost switch-blade-like knives that was in her purse, stick it into Deirdre’s heart and be done with it. God, she was going to have to go for a long run after this. Go to her mother’s gym, or some room in the house and get all of her pent up energy out. “Well, I do try my gosh darn best, Deirdre! Means so much that you have taken notice.” She felt sick, complimenting a known fae. It was one thing to do so on the internet, by accident. But in person? She only reminded herself that it was what she had to do, that nothing exchanged between the two of them was genuine. “I value my religious background, and learning about different religions can be crucial to understanding humanity as a whole. I understand that I will never bring religion into scientific practice, that would be unethical.” She giggled again, though the smile dropped quickly when the guinea pig let out a distressing squeak. Still holding the other one in her arms, Athena bent over to grab the one that Deirdre had dropped. “Mind the guinea pigs, they are more fragile than some other creatures.” She looked over at her. “It is necessary to mind your hold on them, please.”

And thus must have been the start of deduction. Deirdre smiled pleasantly. What she was was a terribly kept secret. The years and her growing mastery only made her more brazen, less inclined to hide. A warden had only once hurt her, and then only because they’d jumped at her from behind. For all she knew, she was untouchable. “Irish, of course!” She beamed, “well, I’m biased.” She gestured to her throat, “I’ve got the accent and everything. It’s where I’m from.” Deirdre imagined Athena’s thoughts looked like a catalog, running through all the Irish-based fae. If it mattered at all, maybe Athena already knew. “Oh, I know. I’m delightful. Would you like to compliment me more, Athena?” Would she? Even if everything was faked, where did Athena’s pride demand she draw lines? “You’d be smarter than most people then. I can admire that,” Deirdre smiled gently, as though she might have been genuine. “Oh! I’m so sorry! Sometimes I just don’t know how strong I’m holding something.” And she tried her best to look sorry about it. She shifted her weight, “would it be so bad if one got hurt? Are some creatures not simply made...inferior?”

“You are?” Athena raised an eyebrow. Well, that meant something. Her accent would have been more alluring, more beautiful if it was not attached to what she was. “I suppose that would be your line of thinking. Do you have any resources for how I could learn? Do you take students?” She chirped, holding back a gag, a scowl, a look of disgust. She didn’t want lessons from a fae, but if gritting her teeth was what it took to get this woman in a private place, then she would do it. Do it bring a small, letter opener sized knife. She wondered for a moment if concentrating the iron under her skin would hurt more against a small open wound than it would normally. Athena smiled for a moment, before focusing back on the present situation. “You have nice hair. Most do not take the effort to care about their hair. I do, but so many don’t.” It was an incredibly superficial compliment, but that was not something she was about to give away.  “Oh, thank you.” She grinned, giving a small, satisfied shrug of her shoulders, as well as she could while holding two guinea pigs. “Well, please be more mindful around delicate beings.” She let the two guinea pigs back down before looking back up at Deirdre. “This is a sanctuary of a place for them, it would be terrible if one was hurt.” She pouted. “What on earth do you mean? I believe that helping others, especially those who might find themselves in trouble, is quite crucial.”

Deirdre laughed, unsure if Athena was acting surprised or hadn’t yet worked out the nuances of European accents. She figured it was the former, which spoke well of the young girl’s acting capabilities. Too bad there weren’t Academy Awards for this sort of thing. “You want to be my student?” Deirdre quirked her brow up, breaking a moment later into another laugh. That was one way to lure her into a place she could be killed without worry. But Athena had to be better than that, she had to be too clever. Gaelic lessons were too easy. Athena had to work for it, a game of cat and mouse needed to be played and Deirdre would force Athena to play with her. “If you want, we could meet in some public places, I can teach you. But you don’t want that, Athena.” And there was no way Athena didn’t already know Gaelic. Deirdre reached up to touch her hair as she mentioned it, grinning wildly under the praise. So Athena was willing to play along. She always liked a warden with that kind of sense. “Thank you! Your hair could be better though.” She, however, delighted in annoyance. She hadn’t yet formed her plan of attack on Athena, but she wanted it to be drawn out. Deirdre tilted her head, “what do you mean? Would you help every creature? The chickens bred for slaughter? The clueless doe traipsing between trees before a hunter’s bullet rips through its skull?” Deirdre turned her body, now intrigued by what Athena would say. “The circle of life is paramount. Those higher up on the food chain get their say...and what would you? Meddle in between?”

“Well, who better to learn from than a native speaker?” Athena replied through a forced grin. Of course she had no desire to learn from the woman in front of her, to spend time learning such a language. Even if it could be handy to know, she could pick it up from textbooks and online videos. But if it got this fae to keep talking to her, Athena would suffer through it. This woman’s words made her feel the need to stand up straighter. “You are right, I do not want that. My parents might get worried I’m trying to do too much, you know?” A small pout, followed by another giggle. “Oh?” Athena replied, a brief flash of frustration crossing her face. “How do you think my hair could be better? I do always try to use the best shampoos and conditioners that one can find, and nobody else has ever found fault in it.” Athena turned on her heels and began to make her way back to the table. “Well, I am unable to help every creature, but I think that making an effort to protect the most vulnerable ones is well worth it, if one can.” Not that this woman would understand, even if Athena had to admit she was a more intriguing fae, which would make her all the more intriguing to examine, when she killed her. Between being cold, being Irish -- Athena was starting to place together just what this woman might be. “Hmm?” She raised her eyes to the woman, “well, I do believe in balance, but I am not quite so much enough of an idiot to run in between a hunter and their deer. What about you? What are your thoughts on the circle of life?”

"Oh, you're good." Deirdre couldn't help herself. Keeping up their charade of friendliness wasn't as appealing to her as dangling something else in front of Athena. "Eye contact. Smiles, forced but it's almost too hard to tell. Chipper attitude, cute giggle...I'm sure you're very popular." Or at least good enough to do this with more ease. Of course, there was an edge to her, something a little off. Deirdre had that too when she did this sort of thing. The trick was turning that into some kind of intrigue, something to reel someone in. Not that she was about to give tips to Athena, not that she really knew if it helped. Deirdre seduced humans, Fae must have been a different game. She did, however, end up following behind the warden in interest—so maybe it was working anyway. "Well, no one else is as smart as me, as observant. Clearly I'm the only one who can tell you that your hair is detestable. In fact, I promise." And she had no troubles with that. Everything about Athena was detestable, that was simply her nature as a warden. Though, detestable as she was, this was an admirable show. Deirdre took her seat, caught up in another laugh. Athena was exactly the person who ran between a hunter and their deer, a fox and it's rabbit-dinner. And of course, ask the banshee what she thought about the circle of life.  "Life is simply what it is. We live, we die." But did Deirdre give her thoughts? Taunt Athena with knowledge and boast about how she didn't care, how it didn't matter if Athena knew. Deirdre could kill her even then, especially then. Haughty, she offered herself up, so sure she was untouchable. "And death is the most beautiful part. So certain. So steady. All things must die and that's what interests me; the death." 

Her eyes narrowed for only a moment at Deirdre’s remarks. Athena could tell that this fae was mocking her, mocking her words, her comments dripping with sarcasm. However, if she thought that she was going to bait Athena into reacting in a certain way, she was in for a surprise. “Mhm! I was! Captain of the soccer team, on homecoming and prom court, a favorite of many teachers, you name it!” She glared when Deirdre couldn’t see her, before settling down on the chairs back at their original table. “I have heard that word should be used carefully.” She said, clicking her tongue against her teeth, “and funny you should say that, because as I stated, nobody else has ever said anything was an issue, in fact my little, Amanda, adores my hair, as do most of my friends. Boys when I was in high school too, and even now. So it is so incredibly amusing that you somehow manage to find fault in it.” Her fingers did travel up to fiddle with the end of her hair for a moment before she focused back on Deirdre. “We may, but we do so much in between.” All of this talk of death, the Irish accent, Banshee was the only true and easy thing that Deirdre could be. She would be satisfying to kill, because though they were only predictors of death by most accounts, that was far worse than typical fae, though not as terrible as the ones who actively fed on humans. “Should that be the case, I would not recommend you get an animal. Death is not supposed to be the most interesting part of animal companionship.” She sat up straighter, still acutely aware that she was smaller than the woman in front of her, but that did not mean anything. She’d taken down a werewolf that was far larger than she was in stature and weight, size meant nothing. “Should we not also celebrate the blessing of life, Deirdre? Is that not of importance, too?”

Athena would be fun to kill. That had been the only thought coursing through Deirdre’s head at the moment. She was already fun to play with, when their games turned deadly, the banshee expected only entertainment. “Is it?” Her brow quirked up, “well, Athena. Shouldn’t you know by now that I’m an amusing woman?” She glanced at the menu, but whatever hunger she once had died long ago. Fun as this was, she didn’t fancy sitting through a meal with Athena. More conversation. More dancing around the obvious. Playing nice was getting boring. She’d been trying to goad Athena into an argument, but the blonde kept up with her. She could give her credit there, fake as her pep must have been, it was a strong facade. Now though, it was grating on her. There was clearly nothing else to be gained here. “Oh, but death is the most interesting part of anything. Humans are animals,” she smiled, “I think I might keep one.” She pulled her gloves out of her pocket and slipped them on, meticulous as if each finger were delicate china. She watched Athena straighten, wondered if that was her version of puffing her chest out. Would she start hissing like an animal if Deirdre pushed this more? “Should we celebrate life? When it’s so easy to take away? You know, don’t you, Athena? Or do you really want to play pretend with me all day?” 

Her whole body was on edge. She’d always felt this way around fae, though sometimes the feeling was stronger than other times. This was one of the times where she felt more disgusted, more on edge, more like she could hardly sit still. Athena had felt this to some degree for a good while now, she had memories dating back to even preschool, of feeling weird and jumpy, of needing to find Orion to breathe, of staying away from certain kids or their parents, even. Once her parents had more fully explained what her incredible power was, things made more sense, but that didn’t make elementary school any easier in that regard, even though she tried to tune out the feelings to concentrate in class, even though she’d told her mom and dad about one boy, Jesse’s mom who felt weird, and then Jesse’s mom had gone missing. She could play at whatever game Deirdre was setting out for her. “I do not know you well enough, Deirdre, and I should not wish to make such snap judgements.” She wasn’t hungry anymore, even though there was a different sort of hunger that settled in her stomach now, raw and gnawing. “Might keep a human? That seems rather unfair, I believe all humans should be free, should have equal rights and not be bound to anything,” her emphasis on bound perhaps all too clear, “we should celebrate life. It is why Spring is my favorite season, new life comes into the world.” She clicked her tongue again, “I do know about the fragility of life, Deirdre. I still believe human life is worth celebrating.” She smirked. “Play pretend? Whatever do you mean?” She dug her nails against her thigh, steadying herself. “You seem to be playing pretend just as equally as I might have been, why should I be the one to stop?”

"Then let me stop," Deirdre leaned in, grinning lopsided and cat-like. "I might keep a human. I might keep you. Wouldn't that be fun? The warden trapped under my command? You're so young, Athena. No one would blame you if you lost to a Fae." She stood, her full height towering over the table and casting shadow down to Athena. The jovial sounds of the guinea pig café swelled around them, but their world was sharper, devoid of that kind of ignorance. "You know me well enough to know I've been at this much longer than you, little warden. So whatever your next move is, it better be smart. I don't deal with new life, with spring. I know winter and you will too." She shifted, moving out from behind the table. Then slammed a hundred dollar bill down, grinning wider somehow. "Buy yourself something to eat. You'll need your strength. Maybe start with some spinach?" And with that, she turned to leave. 

At Deirdre’s words, she could feel herself stiffen again. Athena dug her nails further into her thighs. “Funny you should say that, I don’t tend to lose, ever.” Even though she had to admit that some of what the other woman was saying had to be true, she must’ve been at this for a decent amount of time if she was so easily able to identify Athena. She watched the woman get up, throwing money on the table. “Maybe I’ll invest it in something special instead, why let money like this go to waste?” But before she’d finished her sentence, Deirdre was gone, and after a few moments, Athena stuffed the dollar bill into her pocket and walked out too, not even caring that the door slammed shut behind her.

[3starsquinn]

Glory & Gore || Athena & Orion (Ft. The Quinn Family)

Location: Quinn House

Time: 4/21/20

Trigger Warning: Emotional Abuse & Physical Abuse mentions

Summary: Linda & James Quinn have another surprise in store for the Quinn Twins. Neither of them are going to like it.

Orion’s evil watermelon bruised arm was still sore, and it was only made worse as his face was shoved into the hard flooring of the guest house. Athena had him pinned, his arm twisted behind his back and digging into his back. Or maybe that was Athena’s knee as she put all of her wait onto him. Wait, nope, it was definitely both. Orion scrambled, trying to force his sister off of him, but he knew how these things went. The more he struggled, the further his knee would press into his back. Eventually, Orion released a heavy breath and stopped squirming. He could practically hear the disinterest in his parent’s sigh. “That’s enough, Athena. Reset.” His mom snapped, and finally, Orion could breathe again. He rolled away from his sister and pushed himself back onto his feet, breathing heavily and wiping at the sweat on his forehead and arms. “Ouch.” He mumbled as he hit a particularly fragile spot on his arm. The wound from the farmer’s market had mostly healed, at least until today. Now some of the scabs had cracked open again and blood dripped down his arm. He shook the pain off and got back into a fighting stance. Not that he planned to fight back as much as he planned to avoid Athena’s blows as long as he could. 

She’d been winning at their training sessions for as long as she could remember. Athena liked the feeling of winning, but even more than that, even if she had things in her life that she didn’t win (like that Valedictorian position in high school, how it had gone to Blanche, of all people, instead), she just had to not lose. She knew she weighed less than her brother, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t best him every time they fought. She had her knee pressed into his back, holding him down, 1, 2, 3 - and her parents called her off and she jumped up with ease as he rolled away from her, adjusting her ponytail for a split second, ignoring the red on Orion’s arm, don’t get distracted, she gave a roll of her shoulders and ran toward Orion again, grabbing one of his arms and twisting it around, holding it behind him for a moment, doing her best to not let him move one bit. A quick glance over to their parents, to their mom especially - though her expression was stoic - to their dad, and it was much the same. She kicked one of her brother’s ankles, sending them back both to the floor. “Come on,” she hissed in his ear as she half pinned him to the ground again, “try a bit harder, this is too easy.” 

Athena, as always, was quicker at starting than Orion was. Before he even had time to process, his feet were kicked out from under him and his back was on the ground again. The sudden impact left a sharp pain shooting across his back, worsened when Athena was once again pinning him down. It was sloppier this time, with his back to the ground, he had more room to wiggle around, and better openings to break his leg free and shove against Athena’s, loosening her grip enough to slide out from under her and push himself back onto his feet. Of course, she was quick at recovery too, and by the time he had regained his footing she was throwing a punch. He ducked out of it’s way, sliding to the left and turning his body dodge the left jab that Athena was following up with. Maybe he couldn’t out run her forever, but he knew her moves. A kick would be next, and Orion lifted his own knee to the side to block it’s impact. It went on like this for longer than Orion had expected. He usually didn’t fight this long to get away from her. Typically his endurance finally gave out or Athena finally switched things up in a fit of rage and knocked him out, usually literally. He blocked another kick and stumbled backwards, trying to create some distance between the two. He was breathing heavy, and the distance between the two meant he may have just a few seconds to catch his breath. But something caught his senses. Some kind of sound, peaking above Orion’s threshold and taking notice. There was someone, or something here. With their family. Unfortunately, his concentration on whatever that sound was had thrown him off guard, and he never saw Athena’s fist coming before it decked him in the face. Then he was on the floor again. “Wait, wait, wait.” Orion whisper-yelled at his sister, trying to stop the onslaught of violence so he could try to pick up on that sound again. “I hear something.”

She was light on her feet and she knew how to use it to her greatest advantage. Certainly, it was why her pee-wee gymnastics teacher had asked her parents to pull her - because she was able to do things that were too advanced and was also far too easily distracted (it turned out that the gymnastics assistant teacher had been fae, and so she’d been the one to blame, not Athena). She also didn’t lose. Not to creatures and certainly not to her brother. So she went after him, just as usual - jab, then kick. She could practically feel their parents’ stares on her back and so she continued with her brother, until she felt her skin crawl. No. No freaking way absolutely not. Why wasn’t their dad doing anything? Before she could look over to him she noticed that Orion’s concentration was off just slightly more than was typical and she used that chance to deck him in the face, lowering herself to the ground, trying to push off the feeling of her skin crawling, the feeling that she had felt with Deirdre, back in the guinea pig café. “I know.” She hissed to him, stopping for a moment. “I feel something.” She looked at him, her eyes conveying more than her words could. More accurately, too. Fae. He had to know, had to know the second that the word feel came out of her mouth. Her fist collided with the ground mere centimeters from his head. 

She felt something? Orion and Athena both knew that could only mean one thing. “Get off me.” Orion began squirming even more than he had earlier in the training. Being pinned down was never a comfortable feeling. He knew that he was claustrophobic, and the feeling of being unable to move made his skin crawl. But now, knowing that something was here only made that feeling of terror rise even stronger. Instead of squirming he was thrashing around, shoving at Athena and practically be!”ng “Let me up, let me up, let me up!” When she finally obliged, Orion took the opportunity to crawl away, as far as he could get from where he had heard the noise. He eventually hit a wall and used it to crawl back up onto his feet. “So you both could tell? Good.” He heard his dad’s voice but didn’t bother looking over at him. His eyes were still trained at the door. “We figured that we would surprise you both for today’s lesson.” Orion immediately looked over at Athena, the two both exchanging a look. But he wasn’t sure their looks meant the same thing. Orion knew what this meant. It was the same thing this time as it was two years ago. The only difference was they had chosen a Fae this time. Some poor person that Athena was going to have to kill. But when the door opened a long silence followed before a figure came stumbling out and into the room. “Holy-” Orion began, taking notice of the person, severely beaten down and probably starved. He knew that woman, from high school. From his class. “Mrs. Winters?”

“Why?” Athena frowned, her hands pressed firmly against his wrists. Ignore it. Ignore the feeling, you were born for this. Her brother started half screaming and she moved to cover her ears, the feeling of a fae almost too much for her. Worse than when she’d met Deirdre, somehow. She removed her hands from her ears as their father’s voice rang through the training room. She looked up at him from where she was on the ground, legs curled around her body. Looked over to Orion, then - and loathed, for a moment, how they’d managed to look at one another perfectly in sync. Even if his look was far more apprehensive than hers was, though she felt just slightly blindsided. Did they not trust her? She was a damn good hunter, one of the best around, she didn’t need to prove anything. However, before she could say anything the door opened and someone came into the room. Someone she recognized, someone to blame for feeling itchy and like she couldn’t sit still in high school. Orion spoke her name before she could, and she could practically feel the grins on her parents’ faces. “Good job. Athena, stand up.” And she did, tall as she could, even though Mrs. Winters still had a good four inches on her. The woman, the fae didn’t move and Athena narrowed her eyebrows just as her mother called over to her brother, “Orion, come join your sister. This is for the both of you.” Athena shot a glance over to her brother. Eighteenth birthday, part two. 

Orion couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening. This was just like the werewolf all over again. Yet somehow it was even worse. Orion knew her. It was his teacher, someone he had spoken to and shared ideas with. She had helped him. And now she was here, standing in front of the two and barely acknowledging that she knew them. This was wrong. Something was wrong. “No.. no, no, no.” Orion mumbled, his voice shaky and frantic. She had to be drugged somehow. She didn’t seem to recognize the twins at all. Or she was so far tortured and starved that she couldn’t focus. “No. Athena. We can’t do this.” He said, slightly louder this time around. He took notice of her legs, a glamour wearing in and out. Through the visibility Orion could make out what appeared to be hind legs. A deer or goat or…? “She’s a Glaistig!” Orion gasped, the realization coming to him. “Athena... stay back. They have a higher tolerance to iron. They can drink human blood.” But staying back may not be as easy as it sounded. Mrs Winters seemed to finally come to her senses, but instead of confusion or fear, the only emotion the teacher had for the students seemed to be rage. Her eyes homed in on the twins and let out a scream before lunging towards them.

We have to. The only thought that swirled around Athena’s head. “That isn’t true, Orion.” She said, forcing her voice to be just a bit more sing-songy than was appropriate, given the circumstances. She had often claimed to have a sunny disposition, after all. “I know.” She hissed at her brother. “I have read about them, I -” Before she could finish her sentence the fae was running at the two of them, toward Athena first as Orion stepped out of the way, and Athena blocked the first punch, focusing on moving the iron under her skin to concentrate into her hand, grabbing the woman’s wrist (it didn’t help to think of her has their teacher, as someone who had appeared kind, hiding behind the mask of what she actually was) and concentrating with all her might, even though the woman had a slightly higher iron tolerance. She backed away for a split second before knocking Athena onto the ground, and Athena kicked her legs, and the other woman hit the side of Athena’s face as she squirmed under her, and Athena gave another kick, rolling the two of them around so that she was on top, pressing the woman’s hands down, not wanting to let her nails extend. “Keep going.” She heard her parents, speaking in perfect unison. Something she had to admire, even if she gave it more than a second’s thought, it was a bit weird that they managed to do that so frequently. Athena gave another punch toward the fae’s face, though it didn’t do as much as usual. She still hissed at Athena, glaring straight at her. “Orion! Come on!” She yelled, her hands still on the woman’s wrists.

“Keep going” This was a nightmare. Orion wasn’t sure that he could move. He could only watch as Athena grappled around with their former teacher. Orion’s fists were clenched and he tried to think through the situation. And needed ideas. Something. Anything. How was he going to stop this? They were both going to kill each other. And just like before, his parents were just going to sit and watch. This wasn’t right. Orion had known that for a long time, but it was never as apparent as it was now. Athena was gaining the upper hand, knocking the teacher onto the ground and pinning her there. And now she was screaming at him. What was he supposed to do? What could he do? He was useless. Sideless. He was too weak and scared to help his teacher and he refused to help his family. But if he didn't do something, Athena was going to kill that woman. “Wait! “ Orion yelled, wondering what he could possibly say to stop her. “You can’t kill her. She was our teacher. She’s not a monster.” And Orion was right, he knew he was. Whatever made her this way… this wasn’t her. He had laughed with her about weird historical events and felt safe going to her class. She wasn’t some faceless monster or some cruel killer like his parents wanted to convince them. She had a face and a family and feelings. “Something is wrong here. They did something to her. To make her this way. You know that she’s not a monster. Please.”

She was struggling, more than usual. More than she should have. Why wasn’t Orion doing anything? Useless, she thought, or he actually wished for her to come to harm. Athena pressed all of her weight - which was not much, granted - against the fae, the woman, pushing any thoughts of who she was out of her mind. “She is.” Athena hissed at Orion, her hair coming loose from her ponytail and plastered against her face. “They did nothing.” She said, a glance over to her brother. “These sort of fae are born this way, harm others. It is in their very nature.” But in that moment the woman got the upper hand, in that moment of Athena looking over to Orion, and flipped the two of them back around, her hand pressed against Athena’s throat. Athena struggled against her, but whatever had been happening before must have begun to wear off, because she was strong, despite all of Athena’s kicking and half screaming, though her screams came out more in brief gasps, her breath growing shorter, the iron under her skin doing very little against this woman. 

For a moment, Orion thought that he had gotten through to Athena. Sure, her words were conveying the same mind numbingly ignorant and harmful statements that his family had been cramming down their throats their whole lives. But she hadn’t killed her yet. The words didn’t match the statement. Was Athena… hesitating? This was it. The moment that Orion had hoped would always happen. Athena would realize that his parent’s words weren’t some sort of scripture. That they were manipulative and cruel. Evil, even. They could help Mrs. Winters. They could turn the tables and end this senseless violence. With Athena’s help, maybe the two could actually make a difference. But then their teacher broke free from the woman's grasp, and suddenly Athena was under the woman. “Athena!” Orion cried out, but his feet still wouldn’t move. What could he do? He couldn’t hurt his teacher. He knew this wasn’t her. But he couldn’t sit here and watch his sister die either. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t- The sound of gunshots broke through his raging thoughts. The shots echoed around the room, the noise so loud that Orion flinched, covering his ears and shutting his eyes from the shock. He was afraid to open them again. But he did, one eye at a time as things finally came back to focus. Athena was still on the ground, but his teacher was no longer on top of her. Instead she laid on the ground, motionless beside her. “No, no,no.” He began, finally moving and running across the room, holding a hand out to Athena to try to help her up, “Are you okay?” He managed to ask her, but he couldn’t stop staring… at her. This couldn’t be happening. She was… she… “She’s not dead yet. But those iron bullets will keep her out for a while.” He heard his mother state. He didn’t bother looking over at her. “How do we kill one?” His father chimed in, trying to make the whole ordeal into some sort of pop quiz. Orion knew the answer. But he wouldn’t say it. He couldn’t.

All of a sudden a shot rang out through the room and all of a sudden the fae was next to her and Athena jumped up, using Orion’s hand, her whole body wracked with chills. She wanted to be sick. She was going to be sick very soon, but she kept her cool, kept a level head as she dug her nails into the palm of her hand. She didn’t lose, and she could feel a single tear run down her cheek, though she brushed it away quickly. “I’m fine.” She whispered to her brother. “Don’t cry.” Her mother spoke, voice cold. “Of course not, mother.” Athena replied, though she didn’t reply to her father’s question. This was on Orion, and she looked over to him, expectantly. Maybe the two of them would get off a bit easier if he could just answer. “Well…?” Their father queried, taking a few steps towards the woman on the ground, looking up at the twins, a smug grin on his face.

“Don’t Cry” Great advice, mom. Orion almost wanted to roll his eyes, if he wasn't so horrified. He felt nauseous. Maybe he did want to cry. He wasn’t sure right now. He felt so many emotions. Disgust. Fear. Anger. So much anger. But what could he do? He was powerless here. He clenched his fists, squeezing them so tightly he felt his nails digging into the skin of his palms. His eyes were trained onto the floor. He couldn’t stare at his former teacher anymore than he could look at his sister or his parents. “Decapitation. Blood loss.” He spoke monotone. He knew what was coming. He just wished he could stop it. “Well, get on with it.” His mother again. Followed by a loud clattering noise. A knife, sliding across the hardwood flooring and settling between Orion and Athena. “This isn’t right. I will not just… kill a person that is helpless. I will not do this.” He practically whispered at first, building up to normal volume. He had never spoken to his family like this before. Even on his eighteenth birthday, nobody had spoken after the incident. His family had simply left him there, claw wounds dug into his side and a lifeless body next to him. “Athena… it’s- this isn’t self defense. Or saving someone’s life. This is murder.”

This was about a million and one times worse than their eighteenth birthday. Athena remained still, stoic. Blinked a few times, forcing any other would-be tears away from her eyes. Because she didn’t cry. She, Athena Joan Quinn, was stronger than that. Especially if her brother was about to cry. He’d cried for her when they were four and she’d fallen off of the monkey bars, nearly breaking her arm. She should have applauded the balance of it all, but not now. The woman lay on the ground, still not moving. “I knew that.” She said, clicking her tongue against the back of her teeth. She pushed Orion’s words out of her mind and picked up the knife, almost as though she didn’t have control over her own actions. Mrs. Winters had been nice, if a bit quirky. But she still picked up the knife and made her way over, kneeling next to her, the knife in her hands, the feeling of the handle satisfying. She could do this. She held the knife close to the woman’s throat, ready to slice against her skin before she saw herself dropping the knife, it falling next to her father’s feet. Without a word, he picked it up, kneeling across from her before she could move, and slit the womans’ throat, blood coming out and hitting Athena’s hand and she jerked her hand away too quickly, touched her face too quickly and she knew that she had blood there, now. “I - I’m sorry.” Were the only words that could leave her lips.

Athena couldn’t do it either. She never cried, but Orion knew his sister This was the closest that she would come to it. She was struggling with this too. Maybe not as vocally, but she was struggling nonetheless. Maybe she wasn’t as far gone as Orion thought. She didn’t want to kill Mrs. Winters either. Something was there. Even knowing what disappointing them lead to. She had seen what happened to Orion when he couldn’t do what they wanted. She knew what disobeying an order meant. Orion breathed a sigh of relief regardless. But then his father swopped down and a few seconds later his teacher’s throat was slit and his blood splattered from Mrs. Winter’s throat. Orion gasped, covering his mouth. Now the tears started coming. He couldn’t stop them. But these tears weren’t out of fear or sadness now. Not this time. More than anything now… he was angry. Seething hatred for his parents and this life. “You.. you guys are monsters.” He breathed. The body lying on the floor was horrible to look at and yet he couldn’t look away. Not until he heard his mother stepping towards him. “Don’t talk that way to us.” She reprimanded, reaching her arm out to him. Orion practically jumped away, flinging his arm out and smacking her hand away from him. “Don’t touch me!” He screamed. He was in hysterics. The tears streaming helplessly down his face and his heart rate so rapid he thought it may either explode or stop beating entirely. “You guys are murderers! You’re pure evil.” He was so angry. He was mad that his parents were forcing them to do this. He was angry that they had just murdered someone, and it was just one more notch on their extensive kill list. He was mad that he had no choice but to hide it from everyone. Of course he was angry and horrified that someone had just died. Even if the root of that anger came from other places too. “And you were going to let me die.” He cried out, the sadness finally breaking through into his voice. He was still angry. He was still disgusted. But he was heartbroken too. “You saved Athena! You saw her being attacked and you intervened! You.. you..” His voice died out. He could see the look in his parent’s eyes. The punishment would be catastrophic. But he couldn’t stop now. “I saw you both. On my birthday. When that werewolf- that man- attacked me. His claws tore into my side and he was trying to rip my throat out. And you just watched. I would have died, but you didn’t do anything! You-” They had wanted him to die. The truth gutted him. He supposed that he had known for a while, but it had always been more of a theory or a sinking feeling in his stomach than something he could confirm. Everything in their life had built up to their eighteenth birthday. Orion had always been a burden. Orion had assumed that it was a test, just another manipulation tactic for him to see that the supernatural was evil. But instead… it had been a ploy to get rid of their problem. Maybe Athena would have been even more driven if she had the death of her brother on her conscience. Something else to drive her hatred of werewolves. It was smart really. If only she hadn’t saved him. 

She could taste the blood. She’d wiped it just slightly too close to her mouth and she could taste it, she knew that it was there but she didn’t move. Athena had already disobeyed her parents, and she could already feel the pain on her skin that would come later. She wasn’t sure exactly what form it would take, but she didn’t want to think about this right now. Then her brother was cry-yelling and she turned toward him, eyebrows narrowed. Willing him to just stop, because none of his yelling was going to do any of them any good. She backed away from him as he yelled at their mother, though their father hardly looked at her, causing her to look down at the ground. Then her brother was yelling about their eighteenth birthday and Athena backed up against a wall, pressing her hands against it, steadying herself, not focusing at all on what Orion was saying. Or trying not too, but his words filled her mind and so did his implications. Because no matter what, no matter how much she tried to not understand him implicitly, she knew that she still did, to some degree. No, never. She wanted to say, no, they watched because they knew I could handle it. “I am sorry.” She said, her voice nearly trembling. “Do not apologize.” Their mother hissed in her direction. “You know better, Athena. You too, Orion.” Athena didn’t respond to that, not this time. She stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with Orion. Too stoic for what she should have been, not reacting in the way most would, with their dead teacher mere feet away from them and with her blood on her face, lips, even hair. Would her parents even allow her the length of a shower she’d need to get rid of this all? She doubted it. Doubted she would even get a shower until they were done with her. I do not fail. Her lips trembled for a moment. But this time, she had. “I was about to die, Orion.” She said, her voice too even. “You did nothing, so they - they had to.” I had to save you, then. We are still each other’s other half, even if not as we used to be. I wasn’t going to let you die. Would you have let me die? She pressed her hand against her mouth at that thought. Did he want her to? No - he couldn’t, right? Not even if he hated her with his whole being.

“You’re right. I do know better.” Orion was furious. He knew at this point that it was too late to stop. He had already gone too far, said too much. At this point he knew what was coming his way. He really only had one option. One that had been long coming. That he should have done years ago. “I’m done.” He said again. His parent’s said nothing too. Maybe this was what they wanted. Or maybe they were thinking of all the ways they were going to end him when they got the chance. But Orion wasn’t going to give them that chance. But Athena was blaming him for this. What did she expect? This wasn’t his teacher’s fault or her doing. She was innocent in all of this. Another victim of the Quinn family. “I shouldn’t have to!” Orion yelled in his own defense at Athena. “They did this! They kidnapped Mrs. Winters and they did something to her. She’s not a killer. And I’m not a killer.” He could feel a panic attack coming. He needed to get away from here. “And I don’t think you’re a killer. You’re a victim of those monsters. Manipulated and scared into their bidding.” He pointed over at his parents. Their silence was still driving him insane. He wished he knew what they were thinking.  “I’m done with this family. And with this legacy. I’m not like you monsters. And I want nothing to do with you.” Then he was walking towards the door, hoping that nobody tried to stop him. He wasn’t sure that he could fight them off if they tried to stop him, but he needed to be out of the guest house, off of this property and away from his family. 

Athena was not typically a quiet person. She could be, but she preferred to make her presence known. Not now, though. Athena watched her brother turn around and yell at her. Scream at her. About their parents. No, they know what is best. Mother and father’s word is as good as God’s. Pressed the palms of her hands against her thighs. Don’t leave. She bit down as hard as she could on her lip, tasting blood. Whether it was her former teacher’s or her own, she wasn’t sure, and she didn’t look at Orion as he turned and left, only turned back toward her parents with another, “I’m sorry.” Sorry for failing you. I know I shouldn’t have. When the door slammed shut, she glanced quickly over to it, her eyes narrowing. She’d get him to come back. She had to.

@athenaquinn

[athena-decker]

Library Date

Chatzy thread with @thedarkestpartofhollis

NAT: Athena couldn't help but admire the lions that flanked the New York Public Library. The marble structure surrounded by concrete and steel was always a sight to behold but it couldn't compare to the inside of the structure. Of course she'd always adored the library. It was like out of a fairytale and her parents would bring her there when they could. She'd spent plenty of time there as a student though it was harder to appreciate it's beauty with a final due in the morning. Athena stepped inside wearing a leather jacket with fleece lining a a scarf around her head and neck. She spotted Hollis almost immediately, still dressed in his work clothes same as her. Though she would never complain about him wearing a suit. 

 "Hey you," she chimed before standing on her toes to give him a little kiss. She took his hand. "I'm excited for our date. Where are you taking me?" She noticed a lot of people exiting the library. "I think they're closing soon. Holiday hours."

SAM: Since he and Athena had made things official, he had been plotting about what to do for Christmas for her. He knew they had to go on some type of date. Hollis mulled over the things she liked and loved and it suddenly clicked for him. The New York Public Library would be perfect. And luckily for him, he had a city official that owed him a couple favors. After everything was set up and Athena agreed to meet him after work, the date was set in motion. 

 Hollis on the steps of the library, leaning up against one of the railings, smoking a cigarette. He watched as patrons filed out and soon Athena came into his view. Hollis smiled warmly the moment he saw her and returned her kiss, "Hey to you too. You look beautiful." His blue eyes shifted towards the library as she spoke and he smiled once again, "Good thing too. I would hate to have random people show up during our date." Hollis stated. Offering her his cigarette so she could take a drag, he then squished it out on the railing behind him and tossed it into the nearest ashtray. His hand held hers, rubbing his thumb along the back of hand as he guided them inside the library once the last person left, "We have the whole place to ourselves for the evening."

NAT: She chuckled when Hollis mentioned she looked beautiful. "I came straight from work." Getting from Queens to the Bronx wasn't the absolute worst but it did take a good chunk of time that could have been spent getting gussied up for Hollis. He didn't seem to mind but Athena liked looking nice and wearing something a bit more revealing than the cardigans and dresses she wore to work. Hollis mentioned random people interrupting thier date and Athena raised a brow, confused. Then he offered his cigarette to her, Athena not even pulling it from his fingers instead letting him hold it as she took a drag. 

 Hollis lead her inside the library and it was starting to make sense. "Wait, so it's just us?" She blinked. "You rented the library for me?" Even as she said it it sounded ridiculous but looking around the place was empty save for a security guard wandering about. Though as soon as he saw them he just nodded and went on his way. Athena squeezed Hollis' hand. "You... Are very good at spoiling me." She got up on her toes again, this time grabbing the collar of his coat to pull him down into a kiss

SAM: He laughed quietly when she asked about renting the library and he shrugged his shoulders, "Rent, borrowed. One in the same." Hollis smirked softly, "One of the city officials owed me a favor or two so I called it in for tonight." Hollis didn't mind. Most of the time, he forgot about the favors he was owed and they just fell to the wayside. But he figured he could actually use one for once. He watched as the security guard wandered off before turned his gaze back to Athena. His smile grew a bit more, "You make it easy to do so." He responded, kissing her back. 

 Pulling away, Hollis stepped behind her and pulled her coat off then took off his own and set them down on the counter up front, "I have another thing planned but that can wait a bit if you want to just...explore." He spoke, grabbing her hand once again, "Not that you haven't been here before, but it's different when it's empty." Watching her explore the library would be a gift all in its own, honestly. Watching someone do what they love was always a special thing.

NAT: Something about a city official owing Hollis a favor made her excited. The idea that her boyfriend could just get the public library all to himself... Athena tried to not think of what other favors he could call in. Though there were definitely some spots in the city she would love to experience without the crowds. Hollis was right-- she was easy to spoil. 

 Athena let Hollis slip off he coat, revealing a simple dark blue cardigan atop a dress patterned with oranges and blossoms. Hollis didn't have to say anything more as Athena stepped deeper into the library, admiring the tall bookshelves and even taller ceilings. Like it was her first time in the building. Athena slowly turned in a circle just taking it all in-- having never seen the library this empty. "As a kid I wanted this library for myself. Like when Belle gets the library in Beauty and The Beast."

SAM: As Athena began to walk through the library like she was a kid in a candy store, Hollis couldn't help but admire her. He let her hand go and just trailed a bit behind her, not wanting to ruin anything for her. For really the first time, he had taken in the beauty of the building. He had obviously been there. Quite a lot, actually. But never like this. "Does that make me the Beast?" He asked, his brow quirking before he chuckled. It's obvious that Hollis was, in literally all capacities. 

 While he moved through the library, his cane clomped against the floor and he was suddenly extremely aware of just how loud and obnoxious that was. Especially in a grand place like they were in. He proceeded to then take his time as he walked (well, hobbled), trying to be as quiet as he could so he wouldn't bother her in her happy place.

NAT:"I don't think you could ever be as mean as the Beast," Athena noted, eyes still focused on her surroundings. "But the handsome and brave bits are there so really you're the best parts of the package." Plus he was smart, and Athena didn't need to be attacked by wolves for Hollis to soften up. Well she had been attacked by a witch but by that point she and Hollis were already pretty smitten with each other. Even if that had been their second date... 

 They walked further into the library, the clicks of Athena's heals and soft thud of Hollis' cane echoing through the room. "You think they let people get married here?" She thought aloud, not really considering the implications of talking about marriage with her boyfriend. "It would be so pretty," she said dreamy. "The guests can sit at the work tables," she giggled. The farther she walked she realized the sound of Hollis' cane had faded and she turned around, expecting to have lost him to a shelf of books or some particularly appealing design. Instead he was just a few paces behind her, but he seemed to be moving slower. Athena walked back to him and took his hand without a word, continuing on their walk now hand in hand.

SAM: He continued to walk slowly but surely through the library, he smiled softly at her question, not really thinking too much about it. It was a fair question, "I'm fairly certain they do." He said, "From what I know, they let pretty much anyone host a party here as long as you have the money." A public library would never deny money. Then again, most places wouldn't. Watching Athena wander back towards him and grabbing his hand, Hollis kept the pace with her, deciding to ignore the sound of his cane. 

 His eyes shifted around the room before the fell back upon Athena, "How's the romance section here?" Hollis asked with a smile, knowing that was her favorite genre to read, which he thought was totally suiting for her. Hollis was more of a science fiction or an autobiography kind of guy. Which was kind of funny considering one was total impossible and make believe and the other was someone's actual life.

NAT: Athena was the type to think maybe a bit too much about her wedding day. Her mother having never been married herself made Athena want that special day all the more. She of course had wished over and over that her father and mother would marry each other and Athena would get to watch her mom walk in a white dress-- but that was never to be. So instead she fantasized about her day, in her white dress, in a gorgeous venue with her handsome partner. Though that last part was always the most vague part of the fantasy. "A proper party here would feel odd. Everyone just talking instead of whispering... seems wrong." 

 She laughed when he inquired about the romance section. "Oh gosh I don't even know. When I was a kid visiting all I wanted to read were the classics so the librarians would complement me. I wonder if the copy of Oliver Twist I loaned is still here..." She paused a moment and looked at a nearby bookshelf. Letting go of Hollis' hand she stepped into the line of books, scanning the shelves for a moment before pulling a book out. "Found one," she exclaimed, walking back to join Hollis. "It's one of those Austen style romances." She flipped through the pages rapidly. "I ready it back in college not a lot of..." she hesitated-- not sure if Hollis fully understood what Athena had meant when she said she read romance novels.

SAM: It wasn't a secret that a lot of the time when he was around Athena, he would just watch her. Not in a weird a way, or at least he hoped it wasn't. He was just curious and wanted to try to take in every little thing that she did. Right now, he could see her lost in her thoughts, curious about what she was thinking about. He could always ask but if it was important enough, she would say something assumed. His eyes shifted away as she spoke up again and he chuckled quietly, "I suppose that's true." He said, "I feel like we're breaking the rules just by talking." Hollis added in with a smile. 

 His lips curled into a smile as she reminisced about when she younger, "I bet they were. You don't see many kids reading the classics." Not unless they were forced to in school, of course. Hollis followed after Athena for a moment before he paused at the end of the aisle, watching as she pulled out a book. He looked down at it as she brought it to him and Hollis gingerly took the book, beginning to flip through it. "I do know you like Jane Austen." He said, recalling their first conversation fondly. Flipping through the pages, he read over a few lines of a few different pages in different spots of the book and his head tilted, blinking a few times before he looked up at her with a smile, "I see why you like romance novels so much." Hollis laughed.

NAT:"Oh no, the lawyer? Breaking the rules?" She looked at him with a cheeky grin, her brows raised. "You're going to get disbarred if you're not careful." It was funny to think of Hollis breaking any laws... Especially when Athena would incidentally break laws doing seraph work. It was all for the good of the community-- and it wasn't like she was intentionally vandalizing places. Not her fault if a werewolf wanted to throw her out a window. 

 "I just wanted to seem smart," she admitted. "I don't think I actually learned anything when reading it." When Hollis took the book from her hands she considered snatching it back. It wasn't the worst book he could flip through but as she watched his eyes scan the page she wondered if he was reading dialogue, heavy petting, or the real stuff. When Hollis started laughing she grabbed the book back, reading the page to see how bad the damage was. "Of course you'd read that scene." She rolled her eyes and shook her head, more at herself than Hollis. "Okay so I read the smutty stuff... This isn't even all that bad, not like the stuff people publish online nowadays."

SAM: Hollis couldn't help but admire Athena from over the pages of the book. Another laugh fell from him as she grabbed the book, "Well, what other part am I supposed to read?" He asked, "Is that not the point of the books?" Hollis couldn't imagine there was too much plot in those novels but he could be wrong. His brow quirked at her comment and he wondered what exactly people were writing on the internet. 

 Turning around, he began to look over the books in the aisle, curious about what else was there. After a few moments, Hollis turned back towards Athena and stepped towards her once again. Reaching his hand out, he gently cupped her chin and tilted her head up before he pressed a kiss to her soft lips. With a soft smile, he pulled back, admiring her once again. It's what he often did. He was just too lucky to have her in his life. "What other parts of the library do you like?" He asked, grabbing her hand once again.

NAT: "There are parlor scenes! Garden strolls, balls-- it's still romance it just doesn't shy away from the end result." One problem with the classics were the endings were rarely satisfactory. Romance didn't really have that issue. She noticed Hollis' brow when she brought up the internet but didn't add anything else. He was an adult-- if he wanted to find it he would. 

 He turned his attention to the books and Athena wondered if he was trying to find another romance novel to embarrass her with. Instead he turned and without a word leaned down to give her a kiss. A light and enchanting kiss, like kissing a sleeping princess. Hollis pulled away and Athena blinked slowly, looking up at his smile and feeling butterflies still. "Oh," she snapped out of her romantic daze. "Well... uh..." Her brain was still foggy from the abrupt but sweet kiss. Athena had no idea what possessed him to kiss her then and there but she supposed that was one of the pleasures of a relationship. 

 "I want to know what books you like," she decided. "I know you said you haven't really read since college but I'm curious.

SAM: Not needing a reason to show affection for someone was one of Hollis' favorite parts of being in a relationship. Just being able to give Athena sweet kisses and affections made him happy. Hollis wanted her to know that she was important to him and by doing little things like that, he hoped she would understand it. Athena was truly the best thing to have happened to Hollis in a very long time. He couldn't put into words how he felt whenever she was around. He just knew that he was happy. 

Hollis smiled and shrugged his shoulders , "I'll read almost anything, to get honest. But if I had to choose probably...science fiction and autobiographies. Fahrenheit 451 was good. The Martian.  Dune." He paused and chuckled, "You know. All the ones everyone else has read." Admittedly, Hollis didn't dig too deep into the genre. He felt the popular ones were popular for a reason, "Maybe you'll be the reason I start reading again. Every year, I have it on my New Years Resolution list and I read a few pages of a book, put it down and never open it again." Hollis admitted with a laugh.

NAT: "Science fiction--" she started only for Hollis to make it worse with autobiographies being his second choice. Athena couldn't keep herself from laughing. It was such an old man answer, liking autobiographies. "How can you even trust what their writing? I'm sure my sisters remember our childhoods very differently than I do." Even if his preferences were almost the opposite of hers she still looked at him with hearts in her eyes. "Maybe we can find a scifi-romance to read together. It might not have the social commentary but it will definitely have aliens." 

 They continued along, Athena trying to think of a scifi book she had been wanting to read. "We could always read something by Octavia Butler. I'd make sure you finish whatever book we started together." She smirked, "and if you didn't I just wouldn't kiss you till I did." It was a pretty weak threat considering Athena still felt like she was walking on air when she kissed Hollis but she had to come up with something.

SAM: His jaw fell ajar when she laughed at his book choices before he pouted and hung his head a bit. But he quickly laughed it off and shrugged his shoulders, "I guess you can't." Hollis admitted, running his fingers through his hair, "I never really thought that they could be lying." That was extremely naïve of him, looking back at it, but he always found autobiographies so interesting. He would now be taking those stories with a grain of salt. Hollis chuckled and nodded his head, "I am sure those exist." Though he wasn't sure what that book would contain. 

 Admittedly, he wasn't great with authors, but he would read whatever she wanted. Hollis couldn't help but smile at her 'threat', "Oh, well. Why would I ever want to finish the book?" He asked with a smile. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. It was hard for him not to want to show her affection whenever they were together. "We don't have to read something sci-fi." He conceded, "I'll read whatever you want to read." Hollis didn't mind. Any time spent with Athena was great for him.

NAT: "Aw," she cooed when she saw Hollis pouting from her teasing. She reached up and pinched one of his cheeks. "It's okay dear, nerds are kinda sexy." She couldn't help but chuckled when Hollis admitted he never thought about authors lying in thier books. "Oh, they exist," she assured him. 

 Now it was her turn to pout. "I don't think you could stand to not kiss me even for a day." It was another bold statement from someone who couldn't do the same. Hollis kissed the top of her head and Athena giggled past her pout. "I know we'll find something we both enjoy. Even if we have to go through every library in the city." Then she surprised him by hopping up and wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him down into another kiss. She hummed as she held his face before pulling away. "Though you might find you actually like smooching aliens." She kissed the tip of his nose. "Should we keep rummaging through the shelves or is there something else you'd like to show me?"

SAM: "I know I couldn't." Hollis stated, not even bothering to deny it. If he could, he would just lay around the house with her all day long, holding her, kissing her, just doing whatever really. But he knew that wasn't possible all the time. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, Hollis' arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her close, returning her kiss. He laughed, "I sure hope. I don't need that kind of revelation so late in my life." 

 Another smile crossed his lips when she spoke and he nodded, slowly pulling away from her and grabbing her hand once again, "I do actually. To The Rose Room, we go." He said with a flick of his brows as he began to lead her to the room. 

 After a few minutes, they arrived at the specified room, Hollis covered her eyes and slowly led her inside, "Ready?" He asked before he pressed a soft kiss to her temple and removed his hands. The room was lit with several candles (which the security guard helped him with before he left) and there was small picnic set up in the center of the room, "I do hope you're hungry." If not, it wasn't a big deal. She could always take the food home.

NAT: A proud grin pulled at her lips when Hollis admitted he couldn't go 24 hours without kissing her. Not that Athena could do much better. She loved when he pulled her close his large hands and arms wrapped around her like over grown tree branches. "Aw but it's fun," she teased but decided she didn't need Hollis to like the idea of alien space romances... Though she did think he'd enjoy them. 

 She let him lead her through the library rather excited when he mentioned the rose room. He slipped behind her and covered her eyes, Athena giggling. She just nodded yes, leaning into his lips  before he pulled his hands away. Athena blinked, taking in the room usually alit with chandeliers now with those gothic lighting of candles. Even so the picnic set up was very visible and Athena felt her breath catch in her throat. "Hollis..." She finally spoke in awe. 

 Now it was her turn to take his hand and lead him, bringing him right to the picnic and sitting down on the soft blanket. "And I thought picnics in December were a bad idea. " She looked at him with dreamy eyes, feeling even more like a princess. Athena moved closer to Hollis, leaning over to press her forehead against his as if she were about to kiss him. Instead she spoke softly "what did you pack to eat?"

SAM: His hands found purchase on her shoulders as she took in the view in front of her. Hollis' gaze didn't budge from his girlfriend, taking in the moment. Hollis very rarely had the opportunity to spoil people so he was truly enjoying the experience. It was even better that he was able to provide such an experience for a wonderful person like Athena. He had been planning the museum for a bit now and he was glad that she was enjoying it as much as he thought she would. 

Hollis followed Athena towards the blanket and he took his time getting down onto the floor, groaning quietly once he was sat. His right hand massaged at his thigh for a moment and he smiled, "Typically, they're not the best idea. But we're not really much for traditional." At least, Hollis didn't think so. His gaze met her own as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. Softly, his hand cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb along her jawline. 

"Chicken caprese sandwiches. And some pasta salad." He said simply, barely thinking about anything else but Athena, "I would have made something but I was at work longer than I expected." Hollis shrugged softly as he closed the gap between their lips and kissed her softly.

NAT: She watched Hollis struggle to sit down, needing a moment to massage his leg before he got comfortable. Athena just watched, hoping someday she could learn to help him. Her gramps needed help sometimes with moving as well, even used a cane when he went on longer walks. But she still felt useless when it came to Hollis' injury. The least she could do was help him manage the pain... though she also knew Hollis wouldn't want her thinking about that right now. 

"No," she laughed, "we're not very traditional at all." Though she wondered what he was referencing. Their difference in age or the fact that neither of them were quite human. Both? Either way she hummed with content as he stroked her jawline, always appreciating his little touches. He gave her a soft kiss. "I didn't know you could cook," sandwiches and salad wasn't much but it was better then a lot of men. Hell, her and Zeke struggled for a while after her mom died, neither of them having any experience in the kitchen. Nowadays they managed but thankful that Athena' had a chef for a brother who liked stopping by with leftovers from his bistro. 

"Eating in a library seems extra naughty," she teased giving Hollis a wink. She opened up the basket and pulled out the plates and food. "But we'll keep it a secret between us."

SAM: At least he wasn't the only one who didn't think they were the typical couple. Aside from the whole seraph-werewolf thing, which was far from typical, but their general second date wasn't quite traditional either. And honestly, neither was renting the entire New York library. But, who liked traditional anyway? 

He smiled and nodded, "I do. I've been cooking since I was a kid. My mom always needed help in the kitchen and my dad was usually busy or just didn't want to help so I did." Hollis recalled the memories fondly, "I have the problem of making way too much food. It's that Italian in me." He chuckled. Leftovers were Hollis' best friend, over the years.  So he would be quite happy to give some food to Athena and Zeke, if they would want it. 

"We're just breaking all the rules today." Hollis smiled, shaking his head a bit. Reaching into the basket after she pulled out the plates, he passed her one of the sandwiches and a bowl of the pasta salad, "I hope you like it."

NAT: "Sounds like a dad," she joked as she got the plates ready. "My grandpa was the same but for two generations," she rolled her eyes though there was still a smile on her face. Hollis didn't talk much about his family which Athena supposed was just because she had so much more family to talk about. He had no siblings, just a mother and father. Athena meanwhile sort of had two dads, Chris and Zeke both of whom raised her. "Sounds like a wonderful problem to have. I'm sure Zeke won't mind leftovers." 

With the plates all ready Athena looked at Hollis with sweet eyes. "I'm sure it's perfect. Just like the rest of this date." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, tempted to kiss him further but she stopped herself. "Food before desert," she said to herself more than Hollis. Though they were both like teenagers always unable to stop touching and kissing each other. Athena took a couple bites, realizing there really wasn't a dainty way to eat a sandwich. "It's really good," she assured Hollis. "Reminds me of deli food. But like, a really good deli."

SAM: Most of the time, Hollis just avoided discussing much about his tiny family. There wasn't much to talk about, to he quite honest. His parents were extremely normal. They went to work, came home, made dinner, watched TV and went to bed. When his parents found out they were going to have a kid, they were actually pretty displeased with the news. Luckily for Hollis, by the time he came around, they warmed up to the idea. However the main reason why he avoided the subject was the fact that he hadn't spoken to them since he was turned. It was a subject he just didn't want to think about. 

 Hollis felt his cheeks flush a bit from her comment about the date and he smiled as she kissed his cheek. His brow quirked at her comment and he smirked softly, nodding. Though the comment was probably for her own sake, it was a nice reminder. Taking a bite of his sandwich, he nodded his head as she spoke before he chimed in a few moments later, "I realized that there is not a lot good food to take on a picnic in a library so my choices were limited." He was just glad that she liked it. Pulling the picnic basket closer to him, Hollis peered inside, smiling softly, "I also brought your actual Christmas gift." Hollis said, "You can have it today if you want. Or wait. It's your choice."

NAT: She felt his warm cheeks against her lips and it was hard not to feel flattered. Still they were so smitten with each other same as their first date. Just without the awkward flubbing about whether or not this was a date. 

"I think you made wonderful choices considering the limitations," she assured him. It was funny to think that in what must have been a long process to get this all set up that Athena would have any qualms. There could have been greasy fast food in that basket and Athena still would have loved it. But instead it was food Hollis had made for her, after pulling out a favor for her so she could have a whole library to herself. And to think that wasn't the end of it. 

Hollis pulled out a box and Athena perked up, pausing her chewing. She quickly swallowed the food. "Hollis what do you mean actual gift?" She quirked an amused brow. "I think this," she gestured at the library. "Is already a pretty spectacular gift." Oh of course he had to give her the option of opening her gift now versus later. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Hollis in the box. "I... well, I want you to be there when I open it..." Her fingered creeped over to the box taking it in her own hands. "But I mean it-- you didn't have to get me anything else."

SAM: Hollis' love language was gift giving, if it wasn't blaringly obvious from the dates they've been on to her birthday. And even though he had brought her to the library and all that, it wasn't something that was, technically, tangible and something she could keep. Hollis wanted to make sure she had something like that so of course he got it. 

He watched with sheer amusement as she looked between him and the gift like a little girl.  It was tempting, he was sure. Being taunted with a gift. And it seemed that she gave into the temptation because she gingerly took it from him. He laughed and smiled, nodding, "I know I didn't have to. But I wanted to. It's Christmas. I had to get you something tangible." Hollis hoped she liked the gift. It wasn't anything all that special. Just a classy gold bracelet because he noticed she liked gold jewelry. Not to mention she was a very a classy lady so it just suited her. "Go ahead and open it." He said with a wave of his hand before he took another bite of his sandwich.

NAT: She wasn't lying when she said Hollis didn't have to get her a gift. This date was an experience she had only ever dreamed of. Something she would likely never experience again... However she did like tangible gifts. And she already knew Hollis was a good gift giver. She pursed her lips before finally taking the box from Hollis. 

Opening up she found a gold bracelet. "Oh wow," she breathed picking the bracelet up. Tiny chains made a band of gold, seamless and flowing like a river. Without missing a beat Athena attempted to put the bracelet on, fumbling a little with the clasp. "It's so... Perfect really."

SAM: Hollis watched Athena intently as she grabbed the gift fully from him and opened it up. He wanted to remember moments like these. Obviously, he wasn't there when she opened up her birthday gifts so, technically, this was the first he would see her opening up a gift. It was a small, special moment. Not one Hollis experienced much, to be quite honest. 

His eyes lit up a little from her reaction, figuring it was a good 'oh wow'. Hollis wiped his hands on his napkin before he leaned over and helped Athena with the clasp of the bracelet. Once it was on, he spun it around and smiled, looking up to her, "Just like you." Hollis pressed a kiss to her forehead, his hand running along her hair, more than happy to just have moments like this.

NAT: So focused on trying to close the tiny clasp around her wrist she didn't notice Hollis till his hand took hold of the clasp as well. The bracelet fit her perfectly, just loose enough to move around her wrist. It was simple but elegant, something Athena would have bought herself in a heartbeat. If she could afford it that is. Hollis noted the bracelet was perfect like her and his fingers brushed along her curls. 

Athena tried to think of what to say, how to match the complement of the gift. It felt boring to just call Hollis perfect in return even if he was pretty perfect in her own right. So Athena defaulted to answering with touch, catching Hollis' lips in her's.  This kiss was much deeper then the little pecks they'd given each other throughout the night, Athena wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her.

SAM: His hand brushed along her beautiful curls once again as he looked her over. He loved her curls. They were just so Athena. He had been almost too focused on that action that he was a little surprised when she pulled him towards her and kissed him deeply. Hollis immediately hummed against her lips, returning the kiss just as deeply. He had a fair amount of relationships over his life. Some weren't much of anything, others had a bit more merit. However, none of them were like how he felt with Athena. None of them came remotely close to it. When they were together, she was the only thing on his mind. She was the only thing that mattered. If she wanted to have sex in a library, then that was good for him.

NAT: Feeling him hum against her lips Athena felt her whole body flush with warmth. She felt safe with him. Both in that she knew Hollis would never hurt her and in that he was established and comfortable. He was a catch and it confused Athena that he was ever single at all. Like anyone could pass up a handsome lawyer with such a gentle touch. There was the werewolf thing but Athena honestly forgot about that most of the time. As he kissed her, she slowly fell back onto the blanket with Hollis on top of her. 

Her fingers tangled themselves in his long hair as she pressed her body closer to him. It was perfect. He was perfect. It was just them... And the public library they were in. Athena pulled away from Hollis suddenly, looking at him with big eyes. "There are probably cameras here," she stated.

SAM: He followed her down as she fell back against the blanket, his lips never leaving hers. Hollis kissed her a bit more feverishly as her fingers curled in his hair. She knew how much he loved that. However, when she suddenly pulled away from him, concern immediately crossed his face and he brought one of his hands to her face, gently brushing his thumb along her cheek, "Are you--" He began but to speak but he cut himself off at her statement. 

Lifting his head up, Hollis' eyes shifted around as he looked up at the ceiling and he couldn't help but laugh when he saw, indeed, a camera. A slight blush crossed his cheeks as he grabbed Athena and pulled her back up. Hollis pulled her into his lap and pressed quick kiss to her jawline, "That didn't even cross my mind." Hollis admitted with a laugh, "I'm glad you thought about it." How embarrassing would that be?

NAT: He looked so concerned when he stopped, about to ask if she was alright. Which just made her want to kiss him more. With Hollis still on top of her Athena rolled her head back trying to follow his gaze. He laughed just as she found the camera herself. Her gut did a summersault, face growing flush as she realized someone had seen all of that. Or would be seeing it in the morning. 

Hollis sat up taking Athena with him. He kissed her jaw before she buried her face in his neck out of embarrassment. At his question she laughed-- louder than she should have. "Oh god so embarrassing," she agreed. Her cheek still pressed against his neck she lifted up her wrist to admire the bracelet once more. "I guess we'll just have to wait till your place for my gift to you," she teased.

SAM: He grinned wide as she buried her face into his neck, bringing his hand up to her hair and gently stroking it. It was truly embarrassing to think about and his face was probably beet red from it. He was so thankful that she had thought about that. Whenever he was around Athena, she was the primary thing on his mind and everything else was just kind of there. "They would never let anyone rent this place again." Hollis laughed, placing his his cheek against the top her head, "And we'd be banned for life." Pause. "Probably from all libraries." 

Hollis smiled once again, nodding, "I can't wait." He chuckled. Really though, seeing the person you love spending time and doing something they love was a gift all itself. As that thought crossed his mind, Hollis' eyes widened a bit and he pushed it away. He absolutely could not and should not think that right now. He would truly seem insane if he did (if didn't already come off that way) and that wasn't something he needed. Hollis couldn't mess this up with Athena. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he then spoke, "We should find a book to read. We can sit in here around the candlelight. It'll be like the blackout all over again."

NAT: She laughed with him when he mentioned never being allowed to rent the library again. It was a good way to hide how nervous she was. Hollis had no idea about their time in the infirmary being on tape. As much as Athena would prefer to not tell him, she had to at some point. Else Hollis might wonder why Hayden gagged a little each time she saw him. But now was not the time. Maybe tomorrow morning when they were too groggy to care and still high off the night before. Maybe then... 

 Hollis still held her tightly but she felt a shift. Like he just had a thought he knew he shouldn't have had. Athena just figured his mind had wandered a bit too deep into fantasy, not a great idea considering the camera pointed at the both of them. Still, he kissed his head and suggested they read a book together. "The night we met..." She added. "Gosh, I didn't think about how romantic that was. I just wanted to see the page." She giggled at she stood up and kissed the crown of his head. "Wait here." 

Athena rushed back to the shelves thinking what book they should read. Nothing romance, Hollis had seen too much from just skimming a book. Sci-fi was off the table too just because she wasn't in the mood for it. Hollis liked the classics didn't he? On an endcap an array of books for the holiday season where displayed. Athena grabbed a copy of short stories by O Henry then rushed back to join Hollis.

SAM: He smiled, "It was pretty romantic of you." Hollis joked as she stood up. His smiled softly as she kissed his head and watched as she bounced off to go and find them a book to read. The moment she was out of his view, Hollis put his face into his hands and laid down against the blanket. The thought crossed his mind that it was hard for him to believe that he was so enamored by Athena so quickly but it quickly fled. 

It wasn't hard for him to believe at all. 

The moment he saw her, Hollis was intrigued by her. And the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that she was absolutely perfect to him and he would do anything to make her smile and to feel like she was the only person in the world that mattered. Hollis rubbed at his eyes for a moment before he ran his hands down his face and sat back up before she returned. Hollis reached over and grabbed his pasta salad and continued to munch on it. A few moments later, she returned and he smiled up at her, "What'd you find?" He asked, reaching his hand up to grab hers to encourage her to sit on his lap again.

NAT: She wasn't aware of the love crisis going on in Hollis' head. In all honestly Athena hadn't thought much about how much she cared about Hollis. She just knew she cared. Immensely. Maybe more than she should for the short time they had been together. But there was an element of romance to that-- falling for someone so quickly you didn't even recognize the fall. Just the end destination. 

She took his hand before sitting back in his lap. She was always amazed by how perfectly she fit there, Hollis just tall enough to rest his chin on her head while she sat between his legs. She was always careful not to put too much pressure on his bad leg-- though Hollis had never once complained. "I got a collection of short stories so we don't get too invested," she joked. She opened up the book to The Gift of the Magi. "I loved this story in school, even if all my classmates thought it was dumb."

SAM: The moment Athena sat down on his lap, he smiled warmly and wrapped his arms around, holding her middle. It was hard for Hollis to keep his hands off of Athena in all capacities. He just felt better when she was near him. All other things faded away when he was with her. She brought him peace that he rarely felt. She made him feel like he wasn't the monster he was. He hoped that one day he would be able to tell her these things but he wasn't sure when. Hollis' main concern right now was trying not to ruin the best thing that has happened to him in a very long time. 

 Moving his head down, he pressed a long kiss to her neck before he pulled away with a smile, "Good find." He said, his eyes looking over the page, reading the title, "I don't think I've read this one." His eyes shifted towards her as she spoke and he pulled her closer, letting he rest against his chest. Hollis loved hearing small tidbits like that about Athena. Gently, he rested his cheek on her head and glanced down at the book, "What's it about?"

NAT: He kissed her neck and like with every kiss Athena felt her heart flutter. It wasn't fair how he could make her feel that way with just a kiss-- but Athena figured Hollis had to feel similar. The way he held her, the way he always wanted her in his lap or touching him in some way when they were together, his never ending kisses... Smitten was the word Athena had been using but she wondered if there was more too it. It was too soon for love, right? But why shouldn't she love a man who had showed her nothing but endless affection. "It's about this couple who buy each other Christmas gifts," she explained. "But obvious it's a bit more than that otherwise it wouldn't be much a story." She turned back to Hollis, holding his chin before she kissed his cheek. Then turned back to the book and began reading aloud, settling into his lap.

[athenaquinn]

ooc semi hiatus note

hello! just a small note to say i will be on semi hiatus until january 15th on athena & evelyn - i will still be doing chatzies as quickly as i can but i need to give myself time to relax because of a combination of some medical things & grad school.

thank you very much for your understanding and i love you all so very much ❤️

[letsbenditlikebennett]

[Meta Anon Monday] What is your favorite/most exciting/most interesting aspect of your character to explore in plots?

This is something I’ll definitely be diving deeper into as time goes on, but definitely, the way she’s kind of in between these two worlds since she was raised by a hunter. On the one hand, she’s always longed to be around other wolves. On the other, she really wants to bridge the gap and kind of stop the whole cycle of violence going on. To her credit, it has been sort of working on the hunter side. (Rio obviously excluded because he’s always been a sweet bean) But Athena, Kaden, Adam, and Rio all see Ariana as a person and Kaden especially is leaning away from killing wolves (just look at that most recent chatzy with Luis which was GOLD by the way). She got Alcher to agree to not seek Adam out again. So like, there’s progress there. That being said, it’s a very, very lofty ideal and I’m sure there will be some challenges to it along the way. 

[danetobelieve]

Don’t Drop Dead || Athena and Winston

When: 22/06/2020 Who: @athenaquinn & @danetobelieve. Where: The carnival . Summary: Athena and Winston try the drop ride with varied success. Warnings: None

Winston shifted their glasses and shuffled their feet. The ice cream they’d bought from one of the stands as they waited for Athena to arrive was good. Really good. It was days like this when Winston really enjoyed the summers of Maine. The weather was amazing, the sun shining, the sky a deep sapphire and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. There was a cool breeze rolling in from the ocean and sure there was the weird creepy carnival music but Winston could forget that. They were determined to have a normal, cool, absolutely okay time. No weird supernatural shenanigans. Spotting Athena, they waved and made their way over. “Hey, you get here okay?”

When she’d first heard about the carnival, Athena had been intrigued. If nothing else, it gave her something else to occupy her mind after everything that had happened recently. Winston was a good person to spend time with, and she found herself feeling oddly relieved that they wanted to spend time with her. Something new, but not something she was used to feeling, but she did consider them a friend and there was a small pang somewhere in her whenever they said they didn’t want to spend time together. But you didn’t invite people you hated to the carnival - or at least good people like Winston didn’t. It was a nice day - just warm enough and perfect weather to finally break out her shorts and one of her Kappa Iota Lambda rush shirts. Casual, but she knew that she still looked good. Summertime did make hiding the knives a bit more difficult, but she still had one pressed against her hip bones, covered by her shirt. No matter how possibly normal this carnival might be, it was always important to be safe. She arrived and began to make her way over, pausing as they began walking too. “I did. Nice to do normal small town things.” Athena grinned at them. “So, what would you like to do first?” She shook her head for a moment, her gaze flicking over to their neck. “Actually, no, nevermind, what on earth happened to you?”

Honestly, Winston was amazed that the wound on their neck had healed as much as it had. They shared it now. With Luce and Nell. They each had a third of the same scar that Bea did. Where she had lost her head … quite literally. Fortunately however, they had been able to reattach it and now things were looking better for all of them. But Winston kind of sucked at lying. So they did their best not to. “Oh, this?” they knew that although it was mostly healed and just a few days away from becoming a fully healed scar, “I had a run in with some undead …” it wasn’t technically a lie, “and I got cut and it’s still healing. Don’t worry, it’s fine. I was with a bunch of other spell casters and a hunter came and helped us too so we were fine in the end.” Again, none of that was a lie. But they had been very careful to not explain that something was undead because of them. They knew the taboo around necromancy. They weren’t going to risk anything happening to the Vural’s because of this. They didn’t deserve that. “You want to go on one of the rides or something?” Winston tried to ignore Athena’s legs. But they were toned, the brief glance had told them that. It was infuriating that she was so hot. It was also infuriating that she was apparently so oblivious … to everything. “I heard that they’ve got some pretty good stuff this time round but I never really came here before so i don’t have a comparison point.” 

At their mention of a run in with some undead Athena felt her body tense up. That vampire back months ago? Something else? But they mentioned that there was at least another hunter there and she breathed a sigh of relief. “At least someone else was there to help you. I hope everything got taken care of.” Even though part of her felt a small pang that they hadn’t thought to call her. Maybe it had been a slayer who’d come by, who’d sensed what was wrong and had helped out because of that. She’d focus on that rather than the fact that maybe they didn’t want to call on her. They’d agreed to go to the carnival with her and that was something. Maybe they were starting to understand her perspective more - or maybe, based on the fact that she caught them looking at her out of the corner of her eye - it was just that she was pretty. She’d take either. Perhaps the shorts had been a good choice outside of sheer practicality.  “Sure, we can go on a ride!” She grinned. “Which one did you have in mind? I can’t recall if I’ve been to this carnival before, but it’ll be fun to go on some anyhow, I think.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked over to them. “What sounds best to you?”

“Oh, yeah, we solved the problem and having help is definitely great.” Bea was no longer dead, but August had instead taken her place. Winston didn’t regret their decision, they just weren’t sure that their conscience felt the same. It didn’t matter, they were going to have to learn to live with it because there was no going back now. Glancing around they spotted a drop ride and raised an eyebrow at it, the lurching pit in their stomach was already there. It had been there since they’d brought Bea back. It felt like they were boiling under their skin at moments and then at others it was just a pit. So what was a drop ride compared to that right? Eager to find something that they could do together, “We could try that?” Winston asked tentatively, “I don’t know what the ride is called but I guess it looks cool?” Winston wasn’t really the type to go to carnivals and fun fairs, theme parks were even kind of a step to far. But here they were anyway, trying their best to enjoy a more normal summer. 

“I’m glad. Not that I’d ever doubt your skill in problem solving.” Athena gave a small nod. “You do know how to think fast and on your feet.” She watched them carefully as they took a look around the carnival. Truthfully, she did not care what the two of them did. While she loved the feeling of how busy the carnival was, she knew that she still had to keep an eye out. “Yeah, sure - if you’d like.” She bit her lip for a moment. “I don’t know what it’s called either, but it looks like quite something.” She could hear the sound of screams as the ride cycled back up again to start. It’s just a ride, not somewhere to save people. Probably. “Let’s do it.” She grabbed their hand for a moment and pulled them over to where the ride was, before dropping it and walking up to the operator. “We’d like to go next, please.” She flashed them a small smile. Always best to make a good first impression, if possible. The operator gave the two of them a once over with a small grin and motioned to stand in line, just behind a couple other people. 

“You’ve lived in White Crest long enough to realise that sometimes you don’t have any choice other then thinking on your feet.” Winston almost protested when Athena grabbed their hand, before gratefully realising that they’d not grabbed the hand with the eye in it. That might’ve hurt. They weren’t really sure, no one had grabbed it yet. “Cool, yeah, sure, cool.” Winston smiled as best they could, honestly they were still recovering from the ritual. It was hot as shit. They weren’t sure that a drop ride was really the best idea but suddenly they were being ushered into the line. Winston watched the ride wind up, lifting the members of the public strapped into their seats high into the air before bringing them down before stopping just mere feet away from the ground. There were screams of delight, terror and horror. Winston’s stomach turned and they swallowed their fear the best they could. It was a ride. These were definitely safe. The silence got the better of them and Winston couldn’t help but break it. “Having a good summer?” Winston asked as they were harnessed into their seats. 

“I mean, yes. I do in fact think on my feet a lot. I like to think it’s a good skill, though the ways that I have to do so aren’t always easily discussed with the wider world.” Athena raised an eyebrow. It was nice to be able to admit that, even though Winston didn’t know the full extent of what she did. Not that she cared, nor did she think whatever she did was wrong, but there was a small part of her that wanted to keep them out of at least part of it. Even though they hadn’t seemed to have any issue with her being a hunter she knew that it was not something she was supposed to talk about in most company. It was much nicer, anyhow, to just enjoy their company. Maybe she should have talked them out of this ride, she wondered, as she noticed their face as the two of them got towards the front of the line. One of the people working on the ride glanced at Winston with a broad smile on their face and Athena flashed them a glare. Not that she was even close to being nice all the time, but there was something about the smile that unnerved her just slightly. Before she could take time to process it, they were ushered onto the ride and Winston was asking her questions. “Huh? Yeah! I am!” She grinned. “Soccer camp starts in a bit over a week, and I’m super excited to help coach that. How about you? You graduated, right? What’s it like out in the big wide world?” They’d still have a minute or two while everyone else was buckling in. “Sorry I didn’t get you anything. I’ll have to do that soon.”

Everything always circled back to the fact that they weren’t normal and they weren’t in a normal place and it wasn’t a normal time. Winston didn’t mind. It wasn’t their fault. But even now they knew that there was this constant reminder that something was different. “If you couldn’t think on your feet then I would have legitimate concerns about your survival in this place.” As they were strapped into their seat, Winston listened carefully to what Athena had planned. “Oh, nice cool, soccer camp sounds like a good way to keep busy plus you get to enjoy all of this great weather.” There was the familiar click of a buckle sliding into place and then suddenly the attendants were stepping back. “Oh, yeah, I graduate-” Winston’s words were quite literally left behind them as they were shot up into the air. From the ground it hadn’t looked quite so violent. But in that second Winston was dragged through the air, the g-force causing any loose skin to ripple from the momentum of the ride. Winston’s mouth was open and screaming some obscenity but they were convinced that any sound they’d made had been left behind. As they were dragged through the air they were just as quickly falling and as the ground came flying towards them Winston was gripped with terrror and then as quickly as it all started it stopped. Gasping in breaths of air, Winston sat in silence for a moment before turning and looking at Athena. “I don’t remember what we were talking about…”

“I’ve been thinking on my feet and been darn good at it since I was tiny.” Athena raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t afraid to admit that. Orion would have said that she thought on her feet more than with her brain sometimes, but it got the both of them out of trouble so who was he to complain about her process? “Yeah, and it’s a good way to stay active, too.” Winston was about to comment when all of a sudden the ride started and it was not the sort of rush that she liked. Not one that she got from doing her duty, nor one she felt after a good game or run. Then, suddenly they were back on the ground she unclenched her hands from the fists that had formed, nails digging into the palms of her hands. “What?” She looked over to them. “I - I don’t either. I also worry I might be sick.” She looked over at them. “I’d like to be done with this ride though. Maybe go get a slush or something? It’s hot out.” She tugged at the collar of her shirt. One of the operators was walking over towards them, glancing over at Athena - they brushed against her shoulder and when she met their gaze, about to ask them if they could please be let off of the ride all she could see was her brother, dead on the floor, body cold. “No!” She screamed, pushing against the man. “I mean,” she caught her breath, looking around. Orion was nowhere to be seen. Her hands felt clammy and she looked over to Winston, before back to the man, “I see there - there’s others waiting to go. Can you let us off?” She wasn't afraid. She didn’t get afraid. That wasn’t her job. 

“Some of us are clearly just born lucky,” Winston couldn’t help the sarcasm, of course they were joking. They hoped Athena didn’t take offense to it, they just hadn’t been a natural at any of this. They weren’t sure that they were even good at it now. They felt like they were often just doing enough to keep their head above the surface and that was it. “Exactly, staying active is very important.” Yet Winston really made little to no effort to stay fit, they hadn’t returned to the gym after happening to meet Athena there. Though that might’ve been more because of how busy they had been rather then anything more. “Yeah let’s definitely not do that again,” a drink sounded like a good idea, except Athena suddenly looked pale. Winston knew she wanted to get them off and this wasn’t that difficult tech. Reaching out with their mind they focussed on the locking mechanism and sending the relevant electrical charges to the right place. Except, of course they overdid it. They hadn’t anticipated the amount of power that was going to come surging out of them and the locks exploded open with quite a lot of force. The restraints snapping open and Winston couldn’t help but blush as people yelped in surprise. “That was weird…”

“I mean, I do have an advantage in the genetics department as far as that goes.” She raised an eyebrow. Athena didn’t speak for a moment after they’d stopped and the man had come over. Rio was okay, he was alive, everything was fine. Then why did she feel a sense of unease? Why did the man look like he was about to reach out again? All of a sudden there was a sound almost like an explosion and the locks opened with far greater force than normal. She caught Winston’s blush and nodded. “Really weird.” She felt herself practically fall out of the ride, though at least her natural abilities were always there for her, and so she caught herself, readjusting her position. She stood up and began walking away from the ride, hoping Winston would follow her. “I’m sorry. I just - well, never mind. We should go do something else.” She turned around and flashed a glare at the man. At least she’d thrown him off, at least she’d had the sense to do that. “I need something to eat. We should find that slush.” The coolness of the iron against her hip felt all too appealing, but this was a public space and she couldn’t do anything right now.

As Athena stumbled out of the ride, Winston was quick to follow suit. They’d decided the longer that they spent at this carnival the more certain they were that they didn’t want to come back if it was going to be like this every time. “I am glad that was over, I don’t think that will be a ride that I ever go on again.” They were worried about Athena. It was clear that whatever had happened to her on the ride had rattled her and Winston hadn’t ever seen her like that before. “Are you okay … did something happen other then the rides nearly exploding?” Winston felt guilty about that but from the way that Athena had reacted they had tried to get her out of the situation that made her uncomfortable as soon as they could. “Defo, let’s get some food.” Winston wanted a corndog, where better place to get one at a carnival?

“I don’t think I’ll go on one of those ever again, either.” Athena half-whispered. Then Winston was asking how she was and she shook her head. “I just saw something back there. Something that there’s no way was real. I don’t - I’m not seeing things, though.” She bit her lip. “Like, I don’t know, a vision - something that I’ve only seen in the worst parts of my imagination, of what-ifs.” She forced a smile onto her lips and bumped her hip against one of theirs. Trying to at least attempt to make light of it. “Good. Maybe I just haven’t eaten enough.” She knew of some creatures - not as much detail as she should have - that could cause horrifying visions, but the idea of them running a ride made her feel ill. “I’ll buy. I should probably get myself something that isn’t just sugar. Maybe I’ll go all out and get fries or something.” She grinned. “What about you?”

Frowning gently at Athena’s description of what had happened to her, Winston sighed and nodded. “That is weird,” they didn’t know what the hell could’ve caused that sort of thing for Athena and they were pretty sure that she wasn’t the type to get hysterical or freak out and make things up, no they believed her, “let’s make sure that we keep some distance between them, it just sounds like they got to you a bit maybe?” Winston wasn’t really sure honestly what the hell they’d done to Athena but they didn’t want to repeat the performance for her. “It’s pretty hot too, we can chill out for a bit and try and calm down….” Winston honestly couldn’t have felt more useless if they had tried. “Uh, maybe a corndog or something…” they shrugged, “we could see what they’ve got?” 

“Really weird. I - I’ll ask when I go home.” She shrugged off the would-be mention of her parents. Clearly they were hunters, if she was, but she also didn’t want to go down that route. Not right now, right now she’d focus on Winston. They were there. They were a solid, real person for Athena to focus on. “I guess, it’s whatever.” She shrugged. “It is hot, and I think I’m just about done with rides. We can just eat and walk around or whatever?” She looked over at them and smiled. “Hey, it’s okay! Maybe I didn’t sleep well enough, or something? I’d love to go and see what they’ve got.” She took a few steps forward and turned back to look at them. “I appreciate what you did back there, both for the sheer wow factor and for helping me out. Goodness knows I didn’t want them getting us out of that ride.”

Raising an eyebrow, Winston blushed a little bit. They had been hoping that their little incident on the ride hadn’t been noticed but of course it had been. Athena was as observant as ever, which made sense. “Yeah, well, you looked like you needed an out and I wanted to do my best to give us one without drawing too much attention.” Which they hadn’t exactly succeeded in, maybe that wasn’t that important though. No one had realised it was them aside from Athena and she knew about their magic. Had for a while. “That’s a good idea,” Winston agreed as they headed towards the stalls of food, it was your standard affair. Nothing really out of place. Nothing that you wouldn’t expect to be there. “You have something that you want specifically?” 

“Well, I’ve saved you, you’ve saved me, I think I like how this is all balancing itself out, don’t you?” Athena winked at them. “Besides, you know this town, they’ll just say it was some hardware malfunction or something else and everyone will forget about it.” She offered them a soft smile. “If anything, maybe they’ll pause that ride for a while and that can only benefit everyone.” She pulled a scrunchie off of her wrist and tied her hair up into a ponytail before focusing back on Winston. “I think I could do with some fries first, at least - which you’re welcome to share, if you want. Maybe we’ll find a booth with both those and the corndog you’re looking for?” 

“I don’t know if that is necessarily comparable to fighting off a bunch of vampires, but I’ll take it anyway.” Winston returned her wink with a smile. Despite everything they still enjoyed Athena’s company and she was Rio’s sister. They wanted to make Rios family work for him, but somehow they couldn’t help but think about the fact that Rio’s parents had definitely been the worst parents there were. Was Athena really entirely to blame for the way she’d turned out? “I was hoping that it would just be clocked to a malfunction or something because people wouldn’t know for sure what had happened, I think I’m safe. Besides, if anyone normal asks they’re not going to believe in magic. “Uh, we can definitely look,” it didn’t take long for Winston to locate a food truck that had both. “Do you want a slushie too?” 

“Well, I think it’s plenty impressive. Besides, I don’t always fight vampires,” her tone was hushed, now. Even if other people didn’t believe in the supernatural, Athena didn’t want them overhearing, “that’s not my specialty.” She gave a half-hearted shrug. “I bet they will. I mean, magic?” Her voice was still quiet, only audible to Winston. “As if! You know these sorts of cheap rides, they’re always breaking down.” She followed their gaze to the food truck. “Oh, wonderful. I’m paying, and sure, I’ll get a slush. When in Rome, right?”

[inspirationdivine]

Batman and the Wolf || Plot Arc

Act 1: An Unlikely Friendship

Lydia keeps three humans trapped in her home: Anneliese has been there the longest, Chloe is the oldest, and Sammy is the youngest and newest, child of slayers but entirely human. He doesn’t really get it yet.

Ariana is optimistic and excited to settle in a town with more wolves. She lives with her sister, Celeste, on the run from Celeste’s family 

Domesticity || Sammy Solo (references to domestic abuse, emotional abuse)

Chloe finds a way around their promise binds, and a way for the humans to sneak out in the evenings. 

Forest Batman || Chatzy

While on a night time run through the woods, Ariana runs into one of Lydia’s humans. She calls him Ace. 

Sketch of a Bat || Gift from Sammy to Ari

Moonlight Chats || Chatzy

Ariana and Sammy sneak back out to their spot in the woods to see each other. They take a stroll over to the cliffs overlooking the beach and chat for a bit. Ariana sneakily follows him back home.

A Toy Bat || Gift from Ari to Sammy

Everyone’s Having A Ball || Chatzy

Lydia and Ariana meet, and get vague first impressions. Neither of them know the other knows Sammy.

Ariana went to prom, was kidnapped by Celeste’s family, but managed to escape them... only to lose her only sister. 

Batman and the Wolf in Shining Armour || Chatzy

After After looking for Ace/Sammy out in the woods for the past few nights, Ariana finally comes across him again. Wholesome times ensue. Ariana commits to saving Sammy from whatever’s going on, even though Sammy asks her not to. 

Act 2: A Mystery to Solve

Harm’s Way || Chatzy

Ariana goes snooping around to figure out where Ace (Sammy) is and if he’s safe. While following where that tunnel leads, she finds Lydia outside her home and has a tense meeting. Lydia promise binds Ariana’s “Thank You”

Waiting In the Wings || Sammy Solo  (references to domestic abuse, emotional abuse)

Sammy sees Ariana investigate, and realises just how much he’s betrayed Lydia in sneaking out to see Ariana. 

Look After You || Chatzy  (domestic abuse, emotional abuse discussion)

After a while of not seeing each other, Ariana and Ace finally catch each other at their spot. Ariana has done some investigation and Ace addresses that she showed up at Lydia’s. Now she knows where he lives, he can talk a little more. Ariana promises to save him, and not to harm Lydia.

Beyond The Veil || Ariana Solo

Ariana digs through the internet, and works out what Lydia is: a Leanan-Sidhe

Sound of Settling || Ariana Solo (Abuse Mentions)

After speaking with Athena, Ariana looks into local artists as she contemplates offering another artist to Lydia in place of Sammy/Ace.

New Moon Rising || Chatzy (Some emotional/domestic abuse mentions)

Ariana tells Sammy her idea to save him from eventually dying in Lydia’s custody - turn him into a werewolf

Act III: A Plan Goes South

A series of wolf and fae murders loop Lydia and Ariana into meeting again, but now Ariana knows just what Lydia is

Onion Tears || Lydia, Morgan, Deirdre and Ariana Chatzy (self harm)

Lydia and Ariana join Morgan and Deirdre at a funeral, as tensions run high

Lydia was attacked by a vampire, sustaining serious injuries. She becomes more unpredictable, meaner, and more likely to make mistakes. 

Waiting Game || Ariana Solo

Ariana goes to meet Sammy to turn him into a wolf as planned, except nothing goes as planned.

Ghosted || Ariana and Blanche Chatzy

After Sammy doesn’t show up to meet her the night she’s supposed to bite him, Ariana runs to Blanche’s in a panic.

Where’s Waldo || Sammy Solo (domestic and emotional abuse tw)

So why didn’t Sammy show up last night?

Eclipse || Chatzy  (Abuse mentions)

Finally after weeks of Ariana going out to their spot every night, Sammy (Ace) turns up and they settle on a new timeline for their wolfy plans.

I’ll Make a Wolf Out Of You || Chatzy (Abuse mentions and medical blood)

This time, Ariana and Ace (Sammy) meet up as planned so she can turn him into a werewolf.

Howl || Sammy Solo (domestic abuse)

Sammy escapes for the full moon

Scream || Sammy Solo (domestic, emotional, physical abuse, gun use)

Lydia finds out about Sammy’s escape, and kills him for the betrayal

Just Me and the Moon || Ariana Solo (panic attack, grief)

Ariana goes to the tunnel to meet Ace before their first full moon together only to find she’ll be spending this full moon solo.

Watch the Sky || Ariana Solo (Grief)

The morning after the full moon, Ariana struggles to come to terms with Sammy’s death and the role she played in it.

[wickedsrest-rp-archive]

Undertow || Season 1 Finale Chatzy

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Dark Score Lake (opposite side as Storm Front) PARTIES: @nelllraiser @athenaquinn @offrankies @laylacooke @jane-the-zombie SUMMARY: The ritual at the lake

This was different than anything Nell had ever done before, leading a ritual that she didn’t even yet have all the parts for. To her understanding, she was simply meant to wait here with the circle she’d drawn in the ground, at least able to prepare that much when it came to the magic that would be needed to be rid of this plague on their town once and for all. Her hand tapped against the strap of the backpack that was on her back as it was holding rather precious cargo, something that would be needed to complete the ritual properly. The others will come, she’d been told, and all she could do was blindly put her faith in the words of Winston, hoping that they’d been right. She wasn’t sure if they’d get more than one shot at this, and having White Crest pulled into a hellscape, or vice versa, was something he wouldn’t let happen to the town. So she waited at the edge of the lake, not all that far from where she’d first met the cultists. So much of the situation still didn’t make sense, but it didn’t matter. She had the instructions, and she would follow them, doing her duty to make sure that the demon was taken care of. She squinted along the skyline, looking for anyone who might be approaching for the ritual. With the sun behind them, it was hard to make out a face, so Nell called out to them. “Hey! What are you...doing here?” How the hell else was she meant to figure out if someone was compelled or not?

She’d just been finishing reading another one of her books for the fall semester (she knew that it was far in advance, but until other summer obligations started up, she might as well get ahead on things - after all, one never knew when she might have to put in extra hours or days of training and she was not about to fall behind in any of her classes) when Athena felt herself stand up, close her textbook, and brushed her hands against her jeans and adjusted the scrunchie on her wrist as she made her way down the stairs and outside, not speaking a word. It was a long walk, but that wasn’t something she minded at all. More exercise was good, and she could feel the comforting cold iron against her hip bones (it was the only place that made sense to keep the knives when she wasn’t in the mood for wearing boots, after all). Athena could feel the coolness of her rings against her fingers. The only benefit of Rio leaving home was that at least he couldn’t hide them any more. She continued to walk, making her way through downtown, only occasionally glancing around. Finally, she felt herself come to a standstill, a bit of a ways away from the edge of the lake. Someone called out to her. “I am here because,” her voice trailed off, “it is the right thing to do.” She heard another sound and turned around.

Layla had been laying in her corner in Frankie’s room, snuggled up and trying to finally get a goodnight’s sleep, granted it was still early. A lot had been going on since the night she faced Kaden’s ghost of a mother, and with Winn on the run and everything else that had recently occurred, it had left her feeling drained both emotionally and physically. And now knowing that she had taken a human life, a dark shadow seemed to loom over the teenager’s heart, permanently. However, with eyes wide open, she got to her feet, and with no words, found herself going for a walk. Her mind seemed to be hollow. No thoughts about the past several weeks or even about the woman she loved. Just the idea that she needed to get to the lake. She needed to meet up with everyone else. Barefoot, wearing a pair of shorts and Frankie’s yellow hoodie, she walked along streets and through grass and dirt, until she reached where she was going. Seeing the other two people waiting, she stood quietly. Even recognizing Nell for what she was, but still no words or alarm. Just the need to be there and to wait for further instructions.

After a long and exciting shift, all Frankie wanted to do was go home and tell Graham all about the old man that had managed to drink seven milkshakes in a row, watch a bad movie and call it a night. But her body seemed to have different plans for her, because when she walked out of Al’s, her feet started guiding her in the opposite direction of her apartment, towards the lake. Just a quick detour. Right, she needed to take care of something first. Did she? Her head felt heavy, very heavy, the walk that should’ve taken her half an hour feeling like seconds, and before she even realized what she had gone to, she was standing next to three other girls. They were all glowing, so, so bright in contrast to the shadows that were already forming from the sunset, the red, purple and light blue blending together in her temporary dizziness, but it didn’t matter. Not right now. She needed to take care of something first. Her expression was blank as she walked next to Layla, eyes fixated on the brunette and her aura; there was a vague sound of dogs panting and… was that something slimy moving nearby? Catching her attention, but they were irrelevant for now. She needed to take care of something first.

Jane was having second thoughts about splitting up with Bo, if only because she was overtly concerned that Bo was going to get into trouble that Jane couldn’t bail her out from. The call came in late, and both of them were sent out to check on a disturbance at Dark Score, splitting up when they saw two disturbances on either side of the lake. Why they didn’t just send patrol officers out, she didn’t know, but as Janee approached the group, hand on her gun, she realized it was just a bunch of children. Jane scowled. Was this some sort of summer party? She hadn’t busted an honest to god party since she was back on patrol. “Hey!” Jane barked, flashing her badge. She looked down at the ground, seeing a strange circle. Oh god. What the hell was that? Was this a meme? Or wiccan things? She was about 90% sure it wasn’t some cult bullshit - there weren’t any white men around to lead any sacrifices. Jane was already exasperated. “Police. Does someone want to explain to me exactly what’s going on here? Don’t you know the lake is dangerous?”

Nell counted them as they came, knowing she’d need three for the ritual. One...two...three...people and— a fourth? There wasn’t supposed to be a fourth. However, it quickly became clear which of these things was not like the other when the cop opened her mouth. Of course there was a cop here. It would have been too easy otherwise, wouldn’t it? She squinted at the woman in question first, deciding what to do. What had been that...other cop’s name she met the other day? Would name dropping work? “Oh- don’t worry,” she began with polished ease, “I know Detective Stryder. I’m...helping her.” Sure- that sounded decent, right? Hopefully they’d at least know each other or something. Brushing the cop aside, she turned to the rest of those that had gathered. Layla, she recognized. That would be the shifter they needed. But the other two- one of them looked vaguely familiar, as if she might have seen a picture of the girl in a yearbook somewhere or otherwise. The other? An utter stranger. Pointing between them she asked, “Okay, what are you two? Which is the Hunter and which is the...regular human?” Her tone left no room for question, ready to get down to business and make this as quick as possible.

There was a woman from the police here. Athena turned her head to the side, examining her. That was odd. Especially because she was asking what was going on. As though - Athena glanced around her - they were all supposed to know. She had just gone on a walk. That was no reason to be questioned, was it? Then someone in front of her - who she thought she recognized from high school, though not from her grade. Older? Regardless, whoever this was was asking about hunters and regular humans and Athena made a face. “I think we are all regular humans, here.” She could at least say that nobody here was fae. Anything else was possible. As if she was going to out herself. For all she knew, this person hated hunters, didn’t respect what they did, and would do some sort of grievous harm if she found out. “Why do you need to know, anyhow?” She shook her head, briefly, her ponytail swinging back and forth. She turned to the policewoman, “the lake is only dangerous if you do not have a sense of self-preservation. I am not about to swim here.”

When Layla saw Frankie coming upon the group, her heart began to race and butterflies seemed to dance around in her stomach like they always did when she caught sight of her best friend and lover. But something was telling her to stay still. To not move. To just be. Even the new arrivals didn’t seem to phase her, and when she heard the police officer start to question them, she remained quiet. She wasn’t sure why she had been summoned or why she didn’t feel the urge to communicate. However, when she noticed Frankie move in beside her, Layla stepped over to be slightly closer and gently reached out her fingertips to at least feel Frankie. It was that connection that seemed to make her heart feel at ease. Everything was okay as long as she was there. Even having a bounty hunter nearby didn’t seem to phase her as long as she could see, smell, and hear her girlfriend’s beating heart.

The urge that led her there had disappeared as fast as it had arrived when the cop barked at them. Frankie blinked repeatedly, looking around in confusion, her eyes landing on her girlfriend, silently asking her what the hell was happening, but as much as she tried to move in closer, to take her hand and get both of them out of there, she couldn’t. Her feet wouldn’t budge.  Her eyes moved back to the brunette and the purple softly moving around her, the familiar black of a recent loss sputtered on it like painting drops, and a weird red joined the mix. And then she looked back to the cop, the lack of aura suggesting that she was a… vampire?, and then back to the brunette, actively looking away from the bright red that the blonde was irradiating. Her hand grasped at Layla’s, just to feel something familiar and remotely comforting. “Uhm--” She started, feeling her heartbeat speed up. “I don’t—I didn’t know the lake was dangerous. I’m so sorry ma’am.”

“Detective Stryder?” Jane looked at Nell, a bit amused, crossing her arms over her chest. “You mean my partner?” She glanced to the other three, fighting back an eye roll at the defiant answer. Oh crap, did one of them just call her ma’am? A ma’am? God, she was like the crypt keeper compared to these girls. “I’ll remind you all that the lake was closed off for a long time because of dangerous activity.” But something was clearly going on here that wasn’t normal. The dark haired girl had just asked about hunters, and somehow, she was fairly certain that she hadn’t been talking about deer hunters. She turned to Nell, hands on her hips. “Cut the bullshit for a minute please, what’s going on here? Magic? Hunters?” She paused. “Zombies?”

Nell squinted at the girl who had been first to reply, realizing this was perhaps going to be a little harder than she thought, even sans demons or otherwise. “Sure- let’s pretend we’re all regular humans for a second.” Now what? What was the customary greeting for a ritual like this? Thankfully, it seemed that Jane had given her an in. “Yes- that,” she said as she pointed to the cop. “No zombies, though. But magic, Hunters, shifters, and humans. All in one place.” This was as good a segway as any to delve into what was needed for the ritual. “We were brought here to help White Crest, to make sure that asshole demon squid boy in the lake doesn’t eat us all whole, town included, probably. So- that being said- each of you was magically compelled to be here, each an integral part of the spell we need to do. Apart from you, I think,” she paused for a moment to jab a thumb towards Jane. “But if we could all get along for just like- ten minutes tops or something, that’d be great. And I can tell you all how to start the process. Then you guys can go back to doing whatever after we’ve helped yeet Squidward.”

“Who’s pretending?” Athena crossed her arms. She looked over to everyone else. “The lake is no longer closed off, though I apologise for whoever might have called you here.” She flashed a grin over to the policewoman. Charming adults had always been a strong suit of hers - she knew that was part of how she kept out of having people tell on her back in school. The teachers loved her. Hopefully she could just get the woman to leave and then - she narrowed her eyes. Ignored the hunter bit, but instead focused on shifter. So someone else here wasn’t human. Well, that much was intriguing. “Magically?” Was someone else a spellcaster? Just like Winston? She pushed that idea out of her mind for now. If she was here to help the town, then it was meant to be. It was what she was born for, after all. “Fine. Yes, I am one of those.” A small smirk covered her lips. “I can’t say I’ve ever been in a spell before, though. Does this make you the leader?” Her eyes narrowed, briefly. “I will try it for ten minutes, though I’m not about to make any promises. Those can be dangerous, you know.” She moved her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow. “Fine, tell us what we have to do.”

Layla blinked a few times. All the talk around her seemed to bring her out of whatever trance she had been in, whether it was her mind trying to protect her or something more magical at work, “Frankie…” Her voice held worry. And as she listened to the cop, Nell, and some random person she had never met, who oddly reminded her of Rio, she knew that this wasn’t exactly the place she wanted to be. She knew fear had already gotten her into some sticky situations in the past, and being a werewolf surrounded by people, she mostly assumed to be human, especially Frankie, had made her worry skyrocket. With Nell explaining the situation, Layla’s eyes met the brunette’s, “Why me? I get you need a werewolf or whatever, but why me? There’s more skilled...wolves around White Crest, and I don’t want to accidentally hurt somebody.” She glanced back to her girlfriend and as much as she wanted to move and pull Frankie with her, she couldn’t.

“Demon?” Frankie’s voice was high pitched and her eyes grew wide in surprise as the apparent witch explained why they were there, and guessed that she was the human, definitely sure that Layla was the shifter, and definitely sure that she wasn’t a hunter. Sure, if vampires and werewolves were a thing, of course there had to be hunters – Teen Wolf had taught her that much – but she wasn’t ready for the world of supernatural that was right outside her window, and Demons was too big of a concept to grasp. Frankie had a hard time swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat, finally with the courage to stare at the blonde girl, but couldn’t help but squint from the bright aura. A shiver went up her spine as she recalled her grandmother telling her to stay away from the bright red, but she never explained why. “S-Squid demon? Like Cthulhu?” What the fuck? “I don’t – This is –“ She could feel the panic attack coming, her hand squeezing Layla’s harder, staring at her for a moment, and then at the cop in desperation. “Demons aren’t- They don’t exist, right? Right…?”

Jane was getting less happy with how this was going by the minute. Bratty young adults mixed with demonic - did she just say Squidward? Squid demon? Jane held her forehead a minute, before glancing up to the sky. Demonic squid demon. Great. Awesome. Wow. She let out a low sigh, looking between everyone. The girl that originally called it Squidward seemed to know what she was doing. Fantastic. She folded her arms over her chest. She didn’t exactly belong in the ritual, but leaving children here to do it themselves wasn’t exactly a smart idea. After all, she was the one that was going to live forever. It seemed like some of these children didn't even want to be here - and one was a werewolf and a hunter. Well, the red head was the werewolf, and if she had to make an educated guess, the one that wasn’t having a panic attack about the demon was the hunter. But who knew? “Why don’t we all take a minute to breathe,” Jane suggested, glancing at Nell. “Before someone passes out and before you all… you all… yeet… Squid… ward…” Some of those words were like a different language. Jane winced. “What exactly does this whole thing encompass?” Jane asked Nell. “What do you need? And how can I offer you to help?”

Nell couldn’t be sure, but based off of the girls reactions to the news, and the declaration of not making promises, she would hazard a guess that the blonde would be the one who was the Hunter. She already knew Layla was the shifter, and the one seemingly having a hard time grasping the concept of a demon was mostly likely the ‘innocent’ human. “What are your names?” she asked, realizing this would be easier if she knew them. “I’m Nell- and I don’t know if I’m meant to be the ‘leader’, I just know what’s going on so- I figured I’d organize. So the first step is that the shifter has to- well….shift.” Her eyes slid to Layla, still uncertain about her feelings on the werewolf. But those didn’t matter now, not at a time like this. “But it’s meant to be the Hunter who gets them to shift. But only shift,” she said carefully. “If anyone dies during the ceremony, it won’t work- so if we can just all keep from killing each other-” As if the universe had heard her and decided to make things far more difficult, a sort of slopping sound emerged from the lake, and hooded heads could be seen rising from it.,water sliding off their heads as they raised their hands, eyes embedded in the centers of them. “The cultists.” It made sense that they would be here. After all, they most likely wanted the squid demon to succeed, and they didn’t look friendly in the least. “Uhh- that’s something you could maybe help with,” she finished, turning towards the cop, motioning towards the cultists. “I’d love to breathe, unfortunately I don’t think those eyeball freaks are going to give us the opportunity. She turned towards the girl that seemed to fit the role of innocent human, “I’m sorry you got thrown into this, but we have to focus, alright? Panicking will only make things worse, and make it more likely that someone gets hurt. And you wouldn’t be here unless the magic thought you could handle it.” Nell wasn’t entirely actually sure of that, but she needed to say something to reassure the girl. “Same goes for you, Layla. I don’t know why the magic chose any of you, but it did- and that’s what matters. Not the why.” Not right now, at least.

Well, the redhead was the werewolf. If only more supernatural creatures were that willing to out themselves, Athena thought. Nell. The name sounded familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it right now. “Athena.” She crossed her arms again. How had she been allowed to know what was going on? Though, Athena supposed, she’d always been good at thinking on her feet. Dealing with unexpected events was something she was fine with - excelled at, usually, if her training sessions were anything to refer to. She narrowed her eyes at the next comment. Though before she could speak Nell was clarifying - first that Athena apparently had to be the one to make her, and then that nobody was allowed to die. “Well, you have to tell her that more than me, probably.” I’m not the unstable monster here. She glanced over to where Nell was looking - strange figures - with, were those eyes? - in the middle of their hands and shook her head. “Well, some of us were born to help better the world, so whatever caused me to be here is what it is.” She tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear, turning to the redhead. “So, how hard is it going to be to get you to turn?”

The teenage werewolf had pretty much ignored the cop, up until she wanted to plead for help to get her and Frankie out of there, and stat. Especially considering the strange looking people now emerging from the lake. A sight that made the hair on her arms stand on end. But as much as she tried to make herself leave, she just couldn’t. But how anyone else wanted to willingly stay was beyond her? At least that’s what it had seemed like when the hunter, Athena, and, of course, the bounty hunter, Nell, explained the situation and accepted their fate. Turning her attention back on Frankie, before hearing the question about shifting, she mouthed the words “I love you”. If anything was going to happen, Layla wanted Frankie to know that she loved her. Her eyes back on the hunter, she spoke up, “Impossible, because I’m not going to do it. I could kill somebody, and isn’t that like the last thing you want to happen?” The words were nearly impossible to get out of her mouth after the way the full moon had gone. If she could refuse this, she would, and the glare on her face indicated she was not changing, at least not willingly; of course there was that tiny little fact that she still didn’t know how to change willingly either.

If someone dies during the ceremony. Some of us were born to help better the world. Frankie’s head was spinning, and she had to hug herself to keep herself from shaking. Many people had warned her so far that this town was more than just a little weird and quirky, but this was definitely not something she had imagined in her wildest dream. It didn’t help that there were people emerging from the water, looking like they had been straight up taken from a Dark Souls game. “Frankie.” She managed to reply, though it mattered little. Her eyes focused on Layla, mostly to avoid the more and more vivid fire emanating from Athena but also because something familiar and vaguely normal would help to ground her. Nell was right - it wouldn’t help anyone to have a breakdown in the middle of whatever was happening, and after taking deep breaths while her eyes were closed, she weakly nodded, staring at the floor, trying her hardest to ignore the damn sounds and--- she couldn’t. It wouldn’t surprise her if she looked like she was about to puke; or worse, faint. “Okay, just-- I really don’t understand what’s happening and these damn dogs just won’t fucking shut up---” Her voice raised with every word she said, and she drowned a scream as the weird people got closer and closer to them, and with her feet finally cooperating, she stood in front of Layla, fishing her pepper spray from her backpack in a lame attempt to protect her.

Jane liked to think she was actually doing pretty well at being accepting considering everything was going on. She could freak out that there was a squid demon - named squidward? - later, there was a job to be done. “Jane,” she repeated her own name for the benefit of the children when she saw the cultists start rising out of the water. The hair on the back of her neck stood up - danger? A bit of excitement coursed through her as her hand went to her gun as the chanting started. Well they definitely didn’t sound human. Reports of cultists with eyes sewn shut and eyes in their hands had been flooding the station, along with the giant eyeball of a sun. Lord, those things were not human. She drew her weapon, and looked exasperatedly at Nell. The chanting was growing louder, the Cultists slowly making their way to shore. “Slightly adjusted plan,” Jane said. “You all listen to whatever the hell Nell says you should do, and don’t freak u ing kill each other. I’ll deal with them - or try to.” Jane hit the safety off her glock and took aim. “And stop complaining.” And then she started shooting.

So this was Athena? Nell gave her another quick once over, curiosity getting the best of her before she shifted back to focus. There’d be time for questions later, when they weren’t under a time crunch for a ritual, and when cultists weren’t attacking. She didn’t bother hiding her eyeroll at the derogatory assumption that Layla would need to be restrained from killing more than Athena, but didn’t comment on it for now. At least Athena seemed willing to do what needed to be done, and was ready to help. “The ritual...says the Hunter needs to force the shifter to change.” She gave Athena a meaningful glance, hoping she’d take it as wordless confirmation to do whatever she needed to do to get Layla to change. Generally, Nell wasn’t one to encourage things such as this, but they had a mission, and she wasn’t going to put the entire town into jeopardy. “No killing,” she reminded Athena and Layla before saying. “We can cover you while you start, though.” As for Layla, Nell’s patience was running thin. They needed to get this ritual done before the moon reached its highest point. Otherwise, it would be too late. “Look- we don’t have a choice. If you don’t do this- if we don’t do this- the demon gets its way, and it’s not going to be pretty. It wants to bring literal hell here, and plenty more people are going to die if you don’t do this. I won’t let you kill anyone. And you know I can make good on that promise.” After all, they’d had their scuffle in the woods. “We don’t have the time to be selfish or scared right now.” The words might seem harsh, but Nell didn’t have time to coddle during moments like these. “You’ll come in after the shift happens, Frankie. I’ll let you know when.” She did, however, nod approvingly at Frankie’s pepper spray. “Be careful.” Thank god Jane seemed ready and raring to go after the cultists, though. “Now go!” Nell reiterated to Athena and Layla before joining Jane in going after the cultists, magic bursting from her hands as she tried to keep them at bay.

The werewolf - well, the girl who was a werewolf - was already refusing. This might be more work than Athena would have initially thought. “I do not wish for anyone to die who does not deserve it.” She looked over to Nell, “and while I am slightly disinclined to believe everything she says, we all ended up here for a reason, and somehow she was given a sort of heads up about it, so…” She took a few steps towards the redhead. Layla, she’d said her name was. Not that it mattered too much right now. The other girl stepped in front of her - Frankie - and it was all that Athena could do to not roll her eyes. Was she going to be the one to entirely mess up the ceremony by getting in the way? Her gaze was briefly interrupted by the policewoman giving them instructions and then Nell yelling as well. This was why she usually did things on her own. Too many other people meant others could get hurt and that there was a risk for misunderstanding. Though, she supposed, given the weird people with eye-hands coming out of the lake, a bit of back up never hurt. Especially given that Nell clearly had some sort of extra powers going for her. She raised an eyebrow at Layla. “Well, it seems that you either have to shift, or else more of those beings, or worse, might show up. Are you truly that selfish that you do not care at all about the well-being of this town?” She reached her arm out and grabbed one of Layla’s hands, waiting to see if the cold silver of her rings would cause any further reaction, any reason to motivate her to start transforming. “How does that feel? Apologies for the rashes that might come. Terrible side effect, I know.”

What the hell was happening? It was like another nightmare she was stuck in and couldn’t get out of. Both Nell and Athena were trying to force her to shift, when normally, that’s the last thing any of them ever wanted. However, when Frankie stepped in front of her to try and protect her, Layla’s heart started to pound so hard, she thought she might have a heart attack, “Frankie, I appreciate you trying to protect me, but listen, if I change, which is probably going to happen, I need you to run. Don’t try and protect me, okay? Just. Run.” She had leaned in close and spoke these words only to the love of her life. But before she could say anything else, Layla felt the silver on her hand causing her to let out a growl of pain. With as much force as she could, she jerked her hand away; tears forming on the brims of her eyes, “It’s not going to work, Bitch. So step off.” Her glare was cold on Athena. She could feel the wolf inside her starting to try and claw its way to the surface, but she continued to refuse the change.

“I’m not leaving you--” Frankie’s words to Layla were cut short when the blonde reached forward, and between the growl, the bright colors, and the cop aiming her gun at the lake people, she didn’t know what to do. Her right hands desperately clutched at the small spray bottle, while her left reached forward to grab Athena’s shoulder to pull her away from her girlfriend, but she stopped mid-air, her aura even more frightening now that she was up close. The bright color flowing around her, mixed with even brighter shades of red and black painted made her breath choke on her throat. It was too much - too many noises, too many colors, too many people, and Frankie took a couple steps back, drowning a scream when she heard the cop shoot at a person, head yanked to look at the mess - blood that made her think it was actually ink flooding from the gunshot that had landed perfectly on their forehead, flopping on the ground as life left their body. The other people kept walking towards them as if one of them hadn’t just died next to them, and, after glancing at the hunter and the werewolf, she moved so she was now standing between Nell and Jane.  “What the fuck what the fuck---” Hand shaked, and she screamed once more as another shot was fired.

Jane shot to wound, not kill. At least, that’s what she did at first until she saw the younger one - Nell magicking to kill. These things, whatever they were, weren’t truly human, and she would be damned if some creepy freaks with their eyes sewed shut were going to hurt a few teenaged girls - no matter how drama queen-esque they were acting. She was only somewhat aware of the arguments ensuing behind her as her and Nell worked - more kept coming. Fine by her. She didn’t mind getting into a fight. She could already feel the adrenaline pounding in her veins as she shot one of them in the head. She would need to switch to hand to hand soon, she had ammo on her, and her spare piece, but there were only so many bullets and … well, there were a lot of these guys. Only Frankie’s yelling made her briefly pause, glancing over her shoulder, and Jane cursed. “Hey, Nell.” Jane called, pulling out her push knife. “You may want to go babysit the children. Let me take care of these eye-handed freaks.”

If Nell had anything to say about it, Frankie would not be running when Layla shifted. After all, her’s was the blood they also needed to complete the ritual, and Nell had purposefully left that bit out so far. She could only imagine how much more difficult it might be to get Layla to shift if she knew she’d be made to take Frankie’s blood. So at the moment, that knowledge was a need to know basis. As she continued to blast cultists, she wasted no time in Summoning the three hellhounds that were bound to the tattoo on her arm, biting her thumb to swipe the blood over the circle on her arm. It only took a moment for them to spring forward, and to begin mowing through the cultists with poisonous and fiery breath, the stench of burned flesh quickly filling the air. With them helping Jane, Nell was free to return to Layla and Athena for the moment. She locked eyes with the Hunter, hoping the other girl would understand the silent pact she was making with her. She’d help if Athena needed it, to make sure Layla shifted whether she liked it or not. There was the entire town at stake, and Nell wasn’t about to let possibly thousands die because of Layla’s inhibitions. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Layla,” she said in a way that was barely veiled as a threat. “I wish there was another way, but there isn’t. It’s either you shift- or you condemn an entire town to death. We won’t let you kill anyone. And if you don’t shift, the blood of the entirety of White Crest will be on your hands.”

Athena narrowed her eyes. The wolf - still a girl right now - shook her hand off and it was all she could do to keep from snorting. She wanted to laugh - this girl had a human (as far as Athena could tell, at least) protecting her. Athena raised her eyebrows at the other girl, “you know she could tear you apart easily, right? Wouldn’t even blink.” Her stomach clenched for a moment as she thought back to Orion, to their birthday, to - she shook her head. The policewoman was shooting and then, all of a sudden there were Hellhounds? Athena shook her head for a moment as Nell walked over to her. She’d have to deal with that later, apparently. She did let a small, though unkind giggle escape her lips. “You wouldn’t want to be responsible for any more deaths, would you?” She grabbed Layla’s wrist again, taking a few steps closer, holding on tighter. Athena looked over to Frankie. Looked back over to Layla, keeping her grip tighter this time, the silver pressed cool against her wrist. She’d never made someone transform, but she was not about to fail at her first attempt.

Her attention shifted between all that was going on, including watching Hellhounds appear in the open. Layla had never seen one, but it had her heart pounding. However, it was Nell and Athena who scared her more. She wouldn’t admit it though. The pair was hellbent on getting her to shift, and now, they were trying to guilt trip her. Fuck. An entire fucking town? She squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could just trying to think. With Frankie freaking out and at risk, Hellhounds and a cop killing cultists, and Nell and Athena advancing on her, everything was becoming overwhelming, not to mention she had literally just killed someone days prior and could remember every detail of it like the back of her hand. It was the hot burn of silver once again pressed to her wrist that broke her. But if they wanted a fucking werewolf, they were going to get a fucking werewolf. However, the one person she would refuse to hurt was Frankie, because if she did, she knew forgiving herself would be impossible.

Opening her now glowing yellow eyes to the hunter standing in front of her, the person staring back was no longer apparent. And just like that her claws begin to force their way out of her fingertips. Her human teeth began to drop out and dripping fangs with thick saliva replaced them. As she fell to her knees, silver still burning her flesh, Layla let out a deafening scream that even garnished the attention of the cultists continually emerging from the water’s edge. And soon her screams deepened into growls. Bones began to break and organs began to shift. Her body elongated and long red fur took growth out of her mangled and tearing skin. It was a slow and extremely painful process she had not mastered as a young wolf pup. Tail now jutting from her backside, perked ears atop her head, and a snout with the jaw strength of a great white shark, Layla had found her footing again. Though small in stature for a wolf, she stood towering over everyone in her presence. Hunched over and ready for a fight, or better yet, her next meal, she growled at Athena and Nell. They had wanted this, and now she was going to make sure they knew just how scary she could be. Letting out a loud roar merely inches from Athena’s face, she stood at the ready to fight.

She wanted to yell at them to stop pressuring Layla, to stop saying such nasty words at her. Despite everything happening around her - the shooting, the fireballs, and now demon dogs that had appeared out of nowhere - Frankie still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that demons were real and not just something to joke around and pretend to mess with when they played ouija. And if Layla shifting was needed to stop the potential massacre Nell had prophesied, then she couldn’t really say anything. At least now she could explain the noise she’d kept hearing since she arrived, but the realization didn’t bring her any comfort considering their situation. Her head was spinning once more, but she stood her ground as well as she could. Or at least she was trying to, until a scream emerging from Layla drew Frankie’s attention and made her head snap in her direction. The scene unfolding before her eyes made all the blood leave her face. It’s a lot better you’re not there when she turns into a wolf. Graham’s words kept repeating on her mind as she watched Layla shift, in both horrified fascination, until it was too much for her. Between the smell of burnt corpses, the bright colors swirling all around them the other girls,, the sound and sight of Layla’s bones shifting and the fact that a wolf had replaced her girlfriend, Frankie couldn’t keep her shit together anymore. Turning around from the others and moving as far as her body allowed her, Frankie bent over and puked, tears running down her face from the effort, both hands clenching to her thighs as she avoided falling on her knees and somehow succeeded.

Jane got punched in the face by someone with creepy eye hands as she watched, gapping slightly, as three ginormous hell dogs spawned out of Nell’s tattoo. She crashed down to the ground, cultist on top of her - never let them get on top of you! It was kind of sad that she could still hear her TO’s voice in her head, even after 14 years, but as her fist connected with the cultists face and she flipped him, quickly shoving her knife into their neck, and getting up to help the hell hounds… melt cultists. The smell of burned flesh reached her nose as their skin bubbled and blistered before melting away completely. The mingled chanting was starting to die out, and Jane cursed again as she leapt into the fray again. “If we could move this ritual along -” Jane yelled, struggling one of the cultists down to the ground. “That would be absolutely stellar!”

At least Layla had finally shifted. Now came for the tricky part, though. To get the human’s blood without letting Layla kill her. Nell glanced over to Frankie, her mouth turning into a sympathetic line. The poor girl had absolutely no idea what was going on, and Nell couldn't see any way to make this less scarring that it might already need to be. The moon rising slowly, but steadily was a constant reminder, telling her to hurry this along. So she finally revealed the next step. “We need Layla to spill some of Frankie’s blood! That’s the next part of the ritual we need to make it complete!” And Nell had to catch that spilled blood in a bowl. Looking to Athena once more she yelled over the chaos of the cultists and the wolf, “Just a little bit of blood! Even a pinprick will do it! If you can lead Layla to Frankie- I’ll make sure Frankie doesn’t get hurt any more than she needs to!”

The girl shifted, finally - and Athena stood still, not willing to let the sound that the wolf let out bother her one bit. Even though she could feel herself flashing back to her eighteenth birthday. To Orion, on the floor. To the wolf in the room with them. If there hadn’t been a silver pipe… She took a step back for a moment, before Nell’s words registered in her mind. They needed the werewolf to spill some of the other girl’s blood? Athena could feel her eyes narrowing. “This is the polar opposite of what I’m supposed to do.” She spat. “I live to protect, to help, not to hurt humans.” She glared at everyone around her, before focusing on the werewolf. “I don’t know and I don’t care if you can understand me, but if you hurt that girl over there I will make your life terrible. Apparently we can’t kill now, but trust me, you do not want to cross me.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Think you can handle that, or was what I just said too complicated for you to understand?”

Layla cocked her head to the side. The last thing she had remembered as a werewolf was killing an innocent man. And if wolves could have anxiety, she’d lay down on the grass and sob, but her animal instincts were telling her otherwise. These humans around her were just meaty playthings to paw at, stalk, and consume. Even the creepy snuggie wearing cultists were fascinating to her, but her anger lay with Athena and Nell, because in this moment, her transformation was their fault. Letting out another roar, she struggled to understand what Athena was saying. She still hadn’t learned that fine balance of being both human and beast, and instead of waiting any longer, she advanced towards Athena ready to pounce on her and rip her apart. But if she was going to succeed in not hurting Frankie, she was going to have to find that balance fast, regardless of the fact that she had no clue the magenta haired woman was her intended target.

It took a while before Frankie could process Nell’s words, and she slowly turned around, arms wrapped around her now even weaker body. Her face was pale and maybe a little green from the sickness this whole turmoil had given her, but shock was still written all over it. Shock and fear. “Wh--- What?!” As if the dying cultists and demons weren’t enough, now Layla needed to… hurt her? On purpose? Panicky eyes landed on the spellcaster, and then on the hunter, and then on the spellcaster again, and she tried to take a step back and get the hell out of there despite having told her girlfriend she wouldn’t leave her, finally understanding why everyone kept telling her to stop romanticizing a damn werewolf, but her feet were suddenly glued to the ground once more, and she felt like barfing once more, but held it, taking a deep breath and finally looking at the wolf. That was her. That was Layla not ten twenty feet away; not just the glorious animal she enjoyed seeing at the zoo behind a glass. Frankie’s heartbeat was wild, sweat starting to appear on the back of her neck and palms as her body reacted with fear. She hated it - every time she had thought about this moment she had imagined it differently, under completely different circumstances, and definitely with no spilled blood involved. But it didn’t matter what she had imagined or what she wanted now, and the sound of more gunshots pushed her towards a decision.

Her hand dropped the pepper spray, and she made her way towards Athena, one slow, trembling step at a time. The sound of leaves being crushed and rustled became louder than the sound of panting dogs and slugs, to the point it almost felt like a kid was jumping on a pile of leaves right next to her ear, but she continued walking, landing her shaking hand on Athena’s shoulder, wide hazel eyes still fixated on the animal. “It’s--- It’s okay.”

Nell’s exasperation grew once again, not having any patience left for anything that might get in the way of completing the ritual on time. “I know it’s not what you do! But it’s what we need for the ritual. So we just need to get over it, and get the blood. Then you can go back to doing whatever it was that you were doing before.” With the ritual’s end growing closer the cultists seemed to be renewing their attack, even more of them emerging from the water, reaching with eye filled hands, and gnashing mouths. The demonic language they’d been chanting before fell from them once again, and as it came to a close- something began to rise from the puddles of water on the shore. A Vodnik, seemingly brought forth by their combined efforts to add to their attempts to ruin the ritual and those involved with it. She stood at the ready by Frankie, and turned to give the girl a reassuring nod. “Thank you for helping. I wish there was another way but- there just isn’t. And I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Nell followed Frankie, closely, half positioned in front of the girl to provide something of a barrier from the wolf that was Layla, but also leaving enough room for a claw or tooth or whatever it may be that was chosen to prick Frankie’s innocent, human skin.

“I would prefer if you did not tell me to ‘get over it’, thank you.” Athena bristled. “I know what I’m doing.” However, what was most unexpected was the other girl’s hand on her shoulder and Athena turned to look at her, “I won’t let you die. Okay?” She sighed. She wasn’t sure what her parents would think about this - not that she had any plans to tell them. Even though she was helping to save the town the fact that she was about to encourage a monster to hurt someone who’d seemingly done nothing wrong was not what she’d been raised to do. Though it was for bettering the town - that was what she’d been born for. Bettering the town and the world. Athena could still feel the cold iron blades pressed against her hip bone. If she needed to harm the werewolf, she would. The werewolf was close to her and she could hear its breathing - she shrugged the girl’s hand off her shoulder, instead letting her fingers wrap around Frankie’s wrist. Nothing too hard, but just enough. She knew she had a solid grip, even when being relatively gentle. “You won’t die. I’ve been doing this long enough.” Not this, but hunting. She’d never helped a monster harm a human. She looked up at the werewolf. “Kill her and this is apparently all off, so don’t think I’ll hesitate to kill you then. Got it?”

When Layla, through yellow glowing eyes, saw Frankie move towards the other two women, she put on the breaks. Her heart, in that moment, was outweighing her mind and even the instinct to kill. Panting and casting a shadow over the three of them, she growled in frustration. But her ears perked at the sound of water shifting and moving and something coming out of it. Looking back, she saw the Vodnik in all it’s ugly-ass glory and without thinking, let out a loud howl to the moon! Turning her attention back to the three women, Layla noticed Athena grab Frankie’s arm and without thinking it through, moved on instinct to protect her bringing up a huge paw and coming down hard hoping to hit Athena and free Frankie!

There was yet to be any color in Frankie’s face, still pale as a sheet, too focused on the wolf in front of her to notice anything behind her. “It’s not-- I’m not worried about me.” Though the way her voice was trembling showed the complete opposite. When the other girl grabbed her, a chill went up her spine. This was happening. Would she throw her at Layla as an offering? No- Despite her rough exterior and the bright red dancing around her, now that they were standing next to each other Frankie could notice the faint, barely visible brown hiding under the crimson color. The color of doubt. Despite how much she wanted to punch her for being an asshole to her girlfriend, the human couldn’t help but feel sorry about Athena. But whatever sorry she felt was suddenly cut short by the wolf lunging at them, a scream leaving her as she tried to push the hunter away. ““Layla no!” The claws barely got her but they still left a small yet deep cut on her forearm, blood slowly but steadily starting to flow out of it. Her free hand pressed the wound, and she moved so she was standing between the group and the wolf, tears forming on her eyes. “Stop---- Layla!”

The demon dogs - were they truly demon dogs? - were a hell of a thing. Jane had jumped on the back of another cultist, taking him down from behind as she watched the snarling hot breath melt and bubble away cultist after cultist faster than her or her gun ever could. The loud chanting was beginning to get to her, though, the strange tongue sitting strangely in her head as she was only vaguely aware of what the hell was going on in the circle. There was a big wolf, lots of high pitched yelling - god, what the hell was she doing in high school? It wasn’t going to demon summoning rituals. Or anti-demon summoning rituals. Whatever the hell this was. But as she saw one of the cultists slip by the dogs and her and get too close to the girls (and the wolf?), she jammed her elbow into the face of one and she launched herself at the other, bringing them down to the ground. “Hurry up,” Jane hissed at the group. “I can only keep doing this for so long, even with the help of Scooby Doo and his Fire Loving pals.”

“And I would prefer if a giant squid demon hadn’t decided to infiltrate White Crest and make a dinner of it. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of choosing.” Nell’s patience was continuing to run thin, the window for them being able to complete the ritual growing smaller and smaller. At this rate, they’d only get one shot. Finally, the second part of the ritual had been completed, and Nell was quickly darting forward to summon a bowl from thin air in order to catch the blood that was falling from Frankie’s arm. “It’s alright, it’s okay. No one’s getting hurt today. Not any more than they need to,” she tried to console as she watched the blood gather in the bowl, willing it to move faster. There was that same, strange pull in her gut she’d felt when her mysterious magic had manifested with Kaden and Montgomery, but she paid it no mind at the moment. She needed to focus, especially now that there was an angry werewolf about. “How’d you know his name?” she called back to Jane, the slightest air of a joke in her voice. Now it was Nell’s turn to complete the ritual, and to take her place near Frankie she called over the hellhound who’s name was, indeed, Scooby. “He won’t hurt you, he’s just going to help protect you,” she promised Frankie before turning and running back to her magic circle, being careful not to spill the innocent human’s blood. All they needed now was the demon to give the blood, and then be sacrificed. She finally reached into the backpack she’d brought along with her, pulling out an ornate jewelry box riddled with pearl inlay, and brimming with magic. But as she unclasped the box, and spoke a few demonic words over it, it wasn’t a string of pearls that began to grow from its depths. She and Darwin had prepared the twinned demons, summoning them beforehand so they would be ready. The Dator Vitae was quick to form, it’s hooked teeth filling the place where it’s face should have been. As always, he was dapperly dressed to the nines, apparently seeing this occasion as a fitting venue for his best suit and skin. Wordlessly, he bent forward to offer Nell his strangely smooth arm, knowing this was what he’d been brought here to do, and accepting his responsibility in it all. A little flash of silver later, paired with her magic swelling in her stomach and some carefully chosen words, the demon’s blood was filling a separate bowl she’d prepared. Once that was done, she gave him an understanding nod speaking more of those strange, twisting, demonesque words to him. In a flash, he was off and latching onto the back of one of the cultists necks, hooking those rows of endless teeth into the back of their neck. It didn’t take long for him to drain them, and before everyone’s very eyes the cultist simply...vanished. As if he’d never been there to begin with. Next, the demon advanced onto the Vodnik, sparing an eyeless look towards Jane, as if suggesting they take it down together. Meanwhile, Nell got to work, her circle beginning to glow as her chanting started.

“Bitch,” Athena responded, glaring over to the other girl. “I know that, obviously. I was just saying. Last I checked, I’m still allowed to have my own opinions.” All of a sudden the werewolf was lunging at her and Frankie, and the werewolf’s paw coming close to the two of them until it grazed the other girl’s arm and Athena glared. “Stop it. You are going to kill her.” She wasn’t allowed to kill the wolf. At least not unless Frankie died. Then, all bets were off. Nell came over and was taking the blood and Athena could feel herself physically stiffen, her hands clenched into fists. This is to help the town, she reminded herself, the cold feeling of her knives all too appealing against her hips. Then Nell seemed to walk over somewhere and Athena pulled a few bandaids out of her jeans pocket, unwrapping them to place on Frankie’s arm. “This won’t be a catch-all, when this is done you should clean it out, but this will help for now.” She heard a noise and looked up, a Dator Vitae appearing all of a sudden. As if this night could get any worse. “Keep that thing away from me. You’re all screwed if it decides that it’s keen on taking some powers.” She didn’t care that it seemed mostly focused on the robed figures. Those sorts of things could be highly unpredictable.

The animalistic side of Layla had wanted to continue to attack, but as she watched Frankie plead for her to stop, she gave up. It was the blood on Frankie’s arm that made the young werewolf let out a sad howl. She had done the last thing she had ever wanted to do. No, it wasn’t anything like during the full moon, but she had swore not to hurt her girlfriend, and that’s exactly what happened. Anger welling up inside her, as she watched Nell draw the blood into the bowl, the ginger wolf started to pace back and forth restlessly, before she couldn’t take it anymore. Turning her anger on the cultists making their way up the beach, the werewolf lunged forward and began to rip one of them apart with her sharp fangs. Giving no mind to the life behind whatever had made these creatures function, and when she was finished with one, she resumed to rip apart another and another, until her fur was covered in their blood; all the hurt she was feeling coming out in rage.

Frankie let Athena patch (or attempt to, anyways) up her arm, offering a weak smile that definitely didn’t fit on her pale, scared face. “Thanks.” Not the words she had expected to say to the girl who had been threatening her girlfriend not five minutes ago, but manners were always first. Her smile quickly fell when Nell started gathering her blood, and the human had to fight the urge to barf once more when she turned around and saw a… was that a demon worm? Attack the cultists, her lands landing on the wolf that was now helping the demon dogs tear some others apart. Whatever progress they had made after the full moon incident, Frankie was sure it was gone. Too tired, and now that the ritual seemed to be almost over (or so she thought, considering what the witch had said), Frankie allowed herself to slowly kneel, curiously but lowkey terrifiedly looking at the demon dog that had taken watch over her.

“If we could cool the teenage dramatics until after this is done, that would be fantastic.” Jane swore quietly as the cultist beneath her fell limp. They aren’t human, Jane reminded herself as the adrenaline pounded through her body. They aren’t human and they didn’t apply to human law, just like the redhead who was tearing them apart with her wolf claws. Jane could stop and process the carnage and the blood and the horror later, but she needed to focus on pushing this through to the end. Besides, there was a part of her that liked it. That liked the danger of it all even if she was gambling with more than her own life. Nell wasted no time calling Scooby - the choice in name made her smirk, despite the carnage around them - and calling… Well. Jane didn’t quite believe her eyes as she stood, push-knife in hand as the thing grabbed a stray cultist. It looked to her, the invitation  extended as it advanced towards the Vodnik.

She moved forward without thinking. The blonde didn’t like this thing and wanted to stay away from it, but Jane didn’t quite mind it, even if she didn’t know what it was. The Vodnik hissed in it’s little puddle just as Nell’s circle began to glow. Things happened quickly after that. In magic that Jane had never seen before, water rose and slammed hard into the Dator Vitae and Jane - the demon stayed on its feet more easily than she did, and she slammed down into the cold dirt. Water around her denied physics, seeming more solid as she thrashed once, twice, three times before she pushed her way too her feet just as the Dater Vitae burst threw the cocoon off water the Vodnik formed around Jane had her gun drawn immediately was the Vitae’s teeth sunk into the Vodnik’s neck, ripping him from his puddle. The Vodnik screamed and the water splashed back to the ground, and Jane wasted no time in shooting. She emptied a whole magazine, her aim dead on into Vodnik's skull. With that, the vodnik blood splattered everywhere and the Dater Vitae checking the bullet holes in his suit, Jane reached into her pocket and reloaded her gun.

Chaos continued to erupt around Nell, but she was doing her best to drown it out, knowing that if her focus slipped, that was it. It’d be over. Their one chance to get rid of the demon that had dared to try and make a meal of their town would have its way. White Crest as they knew it would be no more. Scooby maintained his post near Frankie, torching any cultist that approached her with his fiery breath and teeth bared. The words spoken to her and around her melted into nothingness, all her attention going into her spell. She was knelt at the edge of her circle, raising the two bowls of blood to the moon as if it were granting them approval before she carefully mixed them together, and the innocent blood of a human and the blood of a demon became one. She wished they could understand- those that had been gathered here. The demon who’d joined them was no ordinary one, a Dator Vitae that had always worked in a pair of the demons, the Yin to its Yang taking part in the ritual Darwin was conducting on the beach in tandem with Nell. She wished they would know that the demon had made this sacrifice willingly, giving its old and ancient life to restore magical balance to the world, to White Crest by providing its draining energies to the ritual with its death. That it was giving its life to save them all, an entire town of humans it didn’t even know. But such was its sacred duty, and it would perform it well.

The light coming off of Nell’s circle was quickly becoming blinding as her magic mounted, and the mixed blood turned into a brilliant gold. Her hand dipped into the bowl, and she began to paint golden, shimmering runes on her arms. As if he could sense that his time had come, the Dator Vitae rejoined her, and she reached out to paint a matching set of shapes on its strange skin. The two of them glowed in tandem as Nell rose from the ground, her mouth having stopped moving, but the magic chanting seeming to continue of its own volition. “It’s time,” she simply said, extending a hand to lead the demon into the water of the lake, a trail of shining magic following in their wake.

Frankie seemed to be okay - or, at least as okay as any human could be, right now. Athena bit her lip and made a mental note to bake something to send her, after. As a ‘I’m sorry you almost got killed by a monster and I couldn’t do anything about it because I’m not allowed to kill anything or else I screw over the whole town’. She’d have to think about what that would be. One of the other creatures was near the girl now but it seemed to not be about to hurt her - Athena wasn’t about to entirely believe that, but she did stand up for now, as one of the hooded figures came toward her and it had eyes in its hand and without thinking, she pulled one of her daggers from where it rested against her hip and she found herself digging it into the beings (it couldn’t be human, no humans had eyes in their hands) abdomen, right next to where the ribs would be. The creature - being - whatever - collapsed on the ground and Athena removed her dagger, eyes focused on whatever next ones would come.

All she could see was red. The rage inside her for what she had done during the full moon, but now especially to Frankie, after the fight they had, left her with bloodlust. As she continued to rip through the never-ending amount of cultists, Layla started to tire out, but she couldn’t stop. She had to finish them off, every last one of them; if not for the town, then at least for the woman she loved. But as she grew weaker, the Pan’s Labyrinth version of walking snuggies began to overtake her. Beating her down and piling on top of her. Ripping at fur and using whatever they could, Layla was overrun by the mysterious followers of the Temple of Eye (Illuminati Confirmed), and letting out a loud yelp found herself struggling, until she couldn’t fight anymore. Once they had finished, they climbed off of her motionless body moving forward towards the group that Layla had failed at protecting.

The sounds of gunshots, the smell of burnt bodies and the swirling colors dancing around the group didn't seem to bother Frankie anymore. She had fallen in some kind of shocked acceptance, hazel eyes staring at the demon dog that was looking around, pouncing at any cultists that dared get too close to the light up circle. Her whole body felt numb and heavy, and the only thing that was keeping her from fainting was the pain the wound on her forearm brought. And she would've remained that way for the rest of the ritual, but she was still conscious enough to notice the wolf's whimper and eventual silence, her head slowly clocking to one side, and her sight met horror, a piercing scream pushing its way out of her lungs. Layla was literally buried beneath a pile of cultists, and the freaks were quickly climbing off her to go after them, but Frankie only had eyes for the unmoving animal. The human scrambled to stand up and run towards Layla, the demon dog following suit and biting and burning the cultists that got too close to her, and if one or two had attempted to grab her and left awful nail scratches on her arms as she ran, Frankie didn't notice. She kept screaming her girlfriend’s name until she reached the wolf, collapsing on her knees as she buried her hands on the blood dipped fur, taking her head between her shaking hands and towering over it, her whole body a weak protection but one nonetheless. Snapping her head back to the group, tears were furiously falling down her face, and she screamed: "Hurry up!“

Somewhere on the shore, Nell was vaguely aware that Layla had fallen, and hadn’t risen from where she’d gone limp. Fuck. If she’d died, all of this would be for naught- the entire ritual would be null and void, and the squid would most likely devour their town whole, whether it was figuratively or not. But it was too late to go back now, and there was no way she could check on Layla with the moon nearly at its peak. This had to be down now.

The trail of gold followed Nell and the demon into the water, spilling into the lake around them, the inky black of it already clearing up into its normal, blue-green hue. But it only extended about a foot in any direction of the pair of them, making a perfect circle around them. The witch looked up into the face of the demon one last time, still thinking of how no one would even know to thank him, or remember his name. She’d have to find her own way to honor him, to make sure his memory didn’t fade after his sacrifice. “Thank you,” she said one last time, the two little words feeling flimsy in her mouth despite the heavy emotion they were imbued with. The Dator Vitae simply nodded its strange head in response, accepting its duty readily, ready to do what it had been born for. All the magical energy of the ritual was swirling around them, seeming to static and spark in the air. Currently, Nell was the epicenter of it, but now it was time for the last step. Her eyes closing to the world around her, she drew the power closer, hands held out in front of her as the moon reached its zenith in the sky above. Her palms begin to fill with that golden glow that had marked the rest of the magic, pooling in her grasp. It took every ounce of her focus to make sure it didn’t lash out or escape. Magic didn’t naturally want to be bound or held, a wild and volatile thing that always needed a guiding hand. The effort of it all caused her nose to bleed, the blood going unnoticed by her, far too wrapped up in the magic to be distracted by such a thing. Her muscles seemed to ache under its weight, bones creaking as she finally managed to grasp it all. And then- she shoved it forth into the Dator Vitae all at once, the demon jerking as if he’d been shocked by the paddles of a defibrillator on a daytime soap opera.

It was more than enough to short circuit the demon, instantly stopping whatever equivalent he had of a heart as he went limp. The sacrifice had been made. With the magic released, Nell herself dropped to her knees in the lake without meaning to, the relief of the magical weight lifting off her making her legs go slack. Almost instantly, a great beacon of light shot out of the lake where the Dator Vitae had sunk below the rippling surface. It went up into the sky as far as the sky could see, and somewhere in the distance Nell could see the answering beacon of Darwin’s ritual, gone up at the exact same moment. They’d done it. The rituals, against all odds, had been completed. Now it was all up to those going directly against the squid.

It was back to the cultists again as Nell led the Dator Vitae away to complete what she had too. Jane was alright with that. The blonde one handled herself just fine and the wolf was… well, a wolf.  She was more worried about Frankie, trying to keep close to her while keeping a spare eye out on everyone else as the deafening chants of the cultists rang in her ears. She had just slammed another one onto the ground when she heard Frankie scream Layla’s name. It took only a moment to jerk her head up and take a few steps forward before she clocked the wolf breathing. Shit. Jane cursed under her breath as she prepared to continue fighting. She could cover Frankie and Layla for now but -

And then it was all over in a flash of light. Beacons of light touched the sky, and Jane stopped, squinting as cultists fell limp all around them. The girls around her were alright - or as alright as they could be. How did one recover from this - Jane realized in a moment that she was far too comfortable with still being here than she should be. She was here, alive for another day, another night. How much longer, she wondered, flatly. Kavanagh’s death scream echoed in her ears. Funny how she hadn’t thought of that this entire time. She heaved out a low sigh, brushing a stray hair from her face. How many chances would White Crest give her to gamble with her life? Jane’s eyes found Frankie and her tear streamed face, clinging to Layla’s tired wolf form,to Athena and her weapon, and to Nell still in the water, no doubt weakened by the magic she had just performed, the Dator Vitae no longer in sight. Jane frowned, set her shoulders, clicking the safety back on her weapon and stowing it back in it’s holster. How many more chances would White Crest give all of them?