#roxanna hathaway

[inanismortem]

It was time for a new background photo anyways ^_^

[yolkygoblin]

SOME FUN FACTS FOR YOU: 1) Geraldine's full name is Geraldine Aria Hathaway, 2) she's left handed, 3) she is super gifted in math but is lazy af, 4) her sparring count is 56 wins and 4 losses (which were against Roxanna, Phoenix, Mist and Drew), 5) can't sing to save her life but can dance like nobodies business, 6) may or may not have accidentally burned down a house when she was younger, 7) may or may not have accidentally shot Roxanna in the knee once because of paranoia (HOPE YOU LIKE)

I LOVE IT!! If you wrote a fic about the burning down the house thing shoot me a link to that…  bro Geraldine is so cool!! What was she paranoid about? LET ROXANNA REST 2K17 

[fairyfairypie]

If you had pick any other Hathaway sibling to die so Roxanna could be spared, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE 😏😏😏

Aaaa aaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaWhyyyy do I have to choose??How abt none of them??? Or,,,, can I choose to kill Phoenix AFTER all his friends die, in exchange for Roxanna living WITH all her friends????

[inanismortem]

Haven't posted in a long time but here's a late Halloween sketch!!!

[inanismortem]

It’s Time to Walk Our Paths

or alternatively titled: I gotta learn how to do backgrounds

companion writing under the cut.

“Raven?” Dark’s voice seemed muted as Geraldine stared down at her hand. “What’s wrong?" 

"Hm? Oh, nothing.” Geraldine flexed her hand, glancing back one more time. “It’s nothing." 

"Nothing,” echoed Phoenix disbelievingly. 

“Nothing.” Geraldine grinned sadly, happiness not quite in her eyes. “Nothing.”

“Hey guys,” Drew grunted, detaching from the crowd.  "So why was I called out here in the middle of a case?“ 

River stepped out of the crowd, joining their circle. "Well,” he murmured, turquoise eyes shimmering with something akin to tears. “She left us something." 

A silence settled over them and it was as if they were in their own little world, the crowd fading into the background, time slowing. 

"Her diary,” Mist marvelled when River drew a well worn book from his pocket. “I knew she kept one but I never pried.” Geraldine shook her head wearily, recognizing the small bright orange notebook she’d gifted Roxanna all those years before, when life was so different.

Geraldine had no idea she’d actually use the notebook.

“A good choice,” Mark murmured, reaching out to touch the cover before dropping his hand. 

“Her last entry,” Cam breathed. “It’s for us." 

"Who’s going to read it?” Leah asked tentatively, glancing down at the page that fell open, Roxanna’s familiar scripted writing neatly filling the paper.

“I will.” Geraldine reached for the dairy, trying to stop her hands from shaking as they clasped around it.

Everyone nodded their assent and waited. Geraldine took a deep breath, looked down, and started. 

Dear Diary Mist, Phoenix, Ger aldine, Leah, Benjamin Dark, Mark and Cam.

I’m not sure what I should say.

If I talked to you face to face, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be able to form words so I can only try to send a message this way.

It’s taken me a while, but I’ve accepted that we can no longer walk on the same path.

I’ll take mine, you’ll take yours, and we’ll all end up where fate takes us.

Yes, maybe you’ll fight, burn your prewritten stories and etch new ones into stone so that they are truly yours, but I think that I’ll stop fighting now.

This isn’t saying, “I give up, the Fates win.”

I am tired of struggling, yes, but they haven’t won.

Not while the memories we’ve created together still give me hope, happiness and warmth.

I’m taking a break, I suppose.

And who knows, you guys being the stubborn beings you are, might rewrite a story that will allow us to meet again.

Is this a temporary or permanent goodbye, I don’t know. It seems like I hardly know anything anymore

However, I do know I’m glad to see you all getting on well with life. 

That’s enough to give me peace of mind.

And if-Hm, no, let’s say when. When we meet again, it might be when my time is almost up, it might be when I’m long gone, already into my next life, it might very soon, I’ll do my best to stay beside you.

And if we never meet again because of whatever the circumstances, please, continue to tear through life with the same vigour you all have and continuously say, “Fuck Screw you!” to the Fates. 

Rip those pictures, cross out words and write, draw, paint your own.

I don’t have the ability to do that anymore, so if I can be selfish one last time, please, do it in my place.

~ Roxanna

[inanismortem]

This is best I have ever drawn her and for once, I'm actually proud and not cringing the day after (Part of a comic strip that I don't know when I'll finish lmao)

[inanismortem]

blurb blurb blurb

Natalia laughed, her bright green eyes filled with hope. Geraldine leaned forward, touched their lips together and pulled away, turning around for a moment to sneak a peek at the current situation and spotted River flashing his wings furiously as he waged an air battle.

Phoenix fought below on the ground, just in the shadow of the hovering angel and Geraldine was struck by how well they fought together.

For all their arguments and disagreements, they fit.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the time to fawn over that as enemy snipers pelted their hiding spot.

Where was help when needed.

Probably in the void of nothingness.

She wasn't saying that her allies weren't helpful, they just had terrible timing.

Either at the worse time or never, ever to be seen.

There was no in between.

"Geraldine," Dark's voice crackled over the comm, his voice terse and Geraldine could imagine him sitting at his computer, eyebrows knit together, nervously biting his nails while observing his screen. "You all right? I could send... Mist."

Geraldine breathed a sigh of relief, before a bullet whizzed by her hand and she shook her head, deciding against it.

Her sister was strong, heck, maybe more dangerous than Phoenix but she would get killed unless the snipers were taken care of.

"Too dangerous."

"Roxanna's too far away to teleport to you in one shot, you're just out of her range and Leah..." Dark trailed off.

"Not totally reliable," Geraldine finished for him, eyeing the distance she would need to cover in order to get to the next cover.

"Yeah. Phoenix is clearly busy, River would be shot down in a minute, no objections there-"

"I heard that, Hacker-"

"Oops, okay gimme a sec, ah private line, anyways, I'm stuck here sitting uselessly on my ass, so no help from here, Cam would go, but I do not want someone to end up dead so, no go. Mark is... Oh boy he's in trouble and certainly not helping anyone any time soon, for the love of God is no one free?"

"It's a battlefield," Geraldine pointed out dryly. "You'll be free in death."

"Fair point. Kay, if you get to the little wall over there, I could direct Roxanna to pick you up one by one. Thank god, she's free."

"For now," Roxanna answered as Dark patched her through onto the private line, breathing slightly laboured. "How long?"

"Er," Geraldine cautiously stuck her head out and yanked it back when bullets struck barely inches from her. "I have no fucking clue. Some snipers have gotta go or else neither Nat or I will never make it."

"Kyle," Dark pulled in Kyle and Kyle sighed, explosions echoing through the line. "How about you take some snipers out and Mist will cover for you?"

"Who said I was going to cover for anyone?" Mist squawked. "I'm busy."

"Mist," Dark deadpanned. "You're beating your opponents into the ground, just knock them out. You want Geraldine to get herself back in one piece right? Preferably with no bullet holes?"

"Preferably? Yes, but when does anything preferable happen?"

Dark groaned.

"Please."

"LYLE YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF THE REST OR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS INTO NEXT SUNDAY!" Mist bellowed and everyone winced, turning down the volume on their comms.

It was a wonder how no one had gone deaf yet.

"Roxanna, get ready."

Roxanna remained silent on her end.

"Roxanna-Oh shit," Dark swore. "Change of plans, LEAH!"

"Where's Roxanna? What happened?"

"Um... I will tell you later. She's alive," Dark added hastily and Geraldine snarled.

Alive didn't mean anything for Roxanna, she could be passing out from blood loss and not a peep would be heard from her.

Alive ranged from slightly wounded to nearly dead and occasionally, more often than Geraldine liked, it was the latter.

"Of course she's alive now who's the fucker who hurt her and what did they do?"

"Um... She may be... Missing... A hand..."

"And the fucker who hurt her?"

"Dead," Dark replied. "But she's busy. LEAH!"

"Yes, yes I'm here!"

"Can you teleport-"

"I'm out of uses today," Leah yelped, her connection abruptly cutting off.

"I could cover for Phoenix," Roxanna mused, tapping back into the line.

"Three snipers down," Kyle chirped at the same time. "Hathaway, move."

"On it," Geraldine replied, helping Natalia get onto her feet before diving for the next cover, bullet grazing her arm. Pain exploded through her arm and she cursed, Dark joining in.

"PHOENIX!"

"Yes," Phoenix grunted. "I can hear you just fine."

"Roxanna is gonna cover for you for a sec, could you um, take a moment to fish sister dearest out of trouble?" Dark muttered.

Phoenix let out another disgruntled noise and Geraldine loved how he knew immediately it was her in trouble.

Still, at least Phoenix was one of the more reliable ones although Roxanna would be preferable because occasionally, Phoenix seemed to forget not everyone was bulletproof like him

"Sure-Oh crap."

"Let me guess," Roxanna sighed tiredly. "Conversus Melios."

"Y-e-p," Phoenix exaggerated the word and the sound of his spear sinking into flesh rung out.

"I'll go."

"You're missing a hand," Dark admonished.

"I beat you in a race with a broken leg, what is your argument here?"

"Have you wrapped it up?" Phoenix inquired and Geraldine dove for the wall while watching River land gracefully, unsheathing his short sword.

"Yes."

"Losing any blood?"

"A little."

"Eh," Phoenix paused. "Go get them and then go to Cam right away."

Dark made a horrified noise but Geraldine wasn't too concerned.

Roxanna appeared, barely pausing to grab Geraldine who barely had time to grasp Natalia before Geraldine felt the familiar feeling of teleporting.

If there was one thing Geraldine would have loved for Roxanna to improve after opening up and not being such a smartass half the time, it would be that she would be mindful of others before she crashed them into an uncomfortable place when she stopped teleporting.

At least they were alive.

"CAM! CAM, MOVE!" Dark yelled.

"I'm not deaf, shut up for one second!" Their brother was clearly in a bad mood, storming over to them while dodging attacks at the same time, long hair flying everywhere. "Give me your hand Roxanna."

Roxanna obediently raised her hand, eyes seeming to survey the carelessly but Geraldine knew she had already determined where she was going to go next.

"Careful, I know you're ambidextrous but if you lose the other hand I swear to god I'll kill you myself," Cam threatened, hair whipping in the wind, out of his normal pigtails.

"SHE STILL HAS HER FEEEEEET!" Kyle swung past him, three Versum on his tail while waving at Geraldine. "GOOD TO SEE YOU ALIVE!"

Geraldine flipped him the bird.

Yes, life was terrible.

[inanismortem]

Just dumping the sketches I did a while ago

[inanismortem]

He walks with a heaviness in his gait, back slouched, eyes hollow.

He watches as they age, get hurt and leave.

He wonders, why, why pain he cannot feel on his skin, in his bones but instead radiate from his heart, hurts so much.

He hates the way his lover smiles understandingly at him when he pulls away, hates the way his siblings and friends act like nothing is wrong while they tend to their wounds and he sits by, unharmed.

He despises that he can't protect them despite this power, this gift, this curse he has.

He is broken in a way, in a way that many may not see after what he knows is gone.

He is tired.

"We know," a small voice replies and he realizes he has voiced his thoughts.

Her dark brown eyes are hollow like his, she is broken in a different way but broken.

"We know," she repeats, tucking her damp hair behind her ear. "You're not the only one."

He laughs softly and looks at them again.

He sees, sees the way the innocence has faded from their eyes, how their hands, once soft and tender now calloused and rough.

He senses the way that their hearts have been twisted, their spirits crushed, morals warped.

He hears their terrified screams as they try to sleep rest at night, their haunted voices, how they whisper among themselves wondering, who will die today, who will die today.

Their laughs are no longer full of joy and carelessness, their heads are filled with fear, anger, grief.

He knows that this will never be reversed, this generation will bear the scars of another that played around for their own twisted reasons.

It pains him to be aware that they will never stop suffering until they die, that their souls may carry the darkness for countless rebirths.

They are all broken in some way, some more than others but broken, broken so some pieces may never be retrieved and they may never be whole again.

"Hey," a voice calls boldly and turquoise eyes pierce into him. "Snap out of it. It's my job to be depressed, not yours."

There's a spark in these eyes.

Hope.

He prays this will ignite others and grow into a raging wildfire.

This is the type of fire he likes.

"Yeah," he laughs. "Sorry."

She laughs, imitating but not quite, a certain sadness carrying in her tone before she gets up.

"Hope," she says, seeming to read his thoughts. "It'll spread."

He's not sure about that but for now, he'll cling to that fragment, the small spark of hope and go.

[inanismortem]

Daily shenanigans of the Hathaway family. I TRIED A COMIC RIP ITS SO BAD Characters from left to right. Panel One: Roxanna, Dark Panel Two: Geraldine, Phoenix (YAY YOU GUYS FINALLY GET TO MEET HIM) Panel Three: Roxanna, Leah and Dark Panel Four: Mist, Cam and Mark (say hello!)

[inanismortem]

Just gonna throw this here lol

[inanismortem]

Roxanna didn’t sleep much at night, everyone knew. She’d lie awake at night and stare at her nightlight, fall into restless slumber for no more than an hour, wake up and pretend everything was fine.

“I don’t sleep much,” she admitted whenever they asked. 

“I’m not tired,” she always excused herself.

But Mist heard the voices inside of Roxanna’s head on rare occasions and seen images of her dreams and understood why her sister almost never slept at night.

The screams had chilled her to the very bone and the images had given Mist her own nightmares for weeks. Mist recognized some of them, ones that had fallen in battle before Roxanna’s eyes, ones that had died as results of plans that hadn’t turned out well and others that she didn’t recognize but maybe were they were the ones Roxanna had killed with her own hands, during her years of being forced to fight for her own life along with the ones she had killed in battle recently.

Perhaps Roxanna would never say, but the faces and voices of the dead tortured her, even in the the realm of sleep where most sought escape.

[inanismortem]

August (I)

Hm, so I don’t know yet if I’ll do my average 1.5k - 3k worded chapters or I’ll do monstrous chapter of at 50k or more for each part of this story because it takes course over roughly a year and I plan to be really detailed about it because it all counts. 

I also feel like this is different than how I usually write, it feels super easy and good for me but I have no idea yet :D

Oh geez, SUPER OUT OF ORDER (it’s 7th in line) bleh this will all be super confusing but I’m hoping this will help unblock the prequels/spinoffs.

"So," Nora drawled, playing with her pen. "Anything in particular you're planning for your birthday?" Roxanna shook her head, leaning back against her chair, flipping through some cold cases Lana had asked to her to look at.

"Probably... Treating it like any other normal night." Quite frankly, she was a little surprised that Nora and the others even remembered her birthday. They weren't so close that it was mandatory but it was nice she supposed.

"You're turning twenty one! Legal drinking age!" Ashton protested, rolling past them in his chair.

"I'll pop some champagne and get drunk out of my mind then," Roxanna replied dryly. She wasn't going to of course, it was a waste of time and not worth the pain that came afterwards and besides, she had never liked alcohol in the first place.

Being old enough to legally drink it didn't impact her at all. She'd done it illegally before, what difference did it make?

"I'm pretty sure Zane would love to serve you your first legal drink," Ashton coaxed, sliding back to a stop next to Nora. "Plus, fun! Fun times!"

Roxanna bit back a snort. Alcohol was only good for numbing the pain when it got unbearable. She found nothing fun about it. She didn't even know if she had any other alcohol other than tequila, rum or vodka in her house.

Plus, her definition of 'fun times' widely differed from Ashton's. She would most likely be helping Drew clean up messes if she went along.

"What did you do last year?" Delancey wondered and Roxanna shrugged.

"Stayed home, read some books, watched some tv. There's really nothing to celebrate." Nothing she wanted to celebrate anyways.

There was no point. It was the same as any other day, she'd get older, she'd work, wonder how the others were faring and she'd be closer to her end.

Her end.

It seemed like eternity to her but it probably wouldn't be very long for the others.

Roxanna thought quietly, Nora and Ashton bickering in the background.

Maybe she would visit Isla's grave. She wasn't sure if she was welcome to, she hadn't even gone to the funeral and had never even left flowers for her former best friend.

But still, she itched to talk to her, even if it was just a gravestone and Isla had probably been reincarnated already.

Maybe she would visit-

She immediately cut off the thought.

She wasn't welcome at the fey mansion anymore. She wasn't sure she ever had been but she was certain she wouldn't be well received.

They knew she was alive, if they had wanted her back, they would have asked. They never hesitated in asking.

And maybe, it was just the way it was meant to be because she had never fit in, she was never meant to.

"Yoohoo," Ashton called softly, waving a hand in front of her face, a look of concern flashing across his face. Roxanna jerked out of her thoughts, flying back to the present.

She blinked rapidly, shaking her head frantically.

"Yes?"

"You've been reading the same page for five minutes," Nora pointed out and Roxanna hastily flipped the page. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been spacing out a lot recently. Especially after..." After you saw Geraldine and Leah.

Roxanna laughed, making an effort to make sure it didn't sound too careless. She was grateful that Nora worried but being concerned for her wouldn't benefit Nora in any way.

"Thinking, Green. Did they reinterview the wife? Ever?" Nora raised an eyebrow, bending over to take a look at the file.

"No, why?"

"Her airtight alibi is..." As Roxanna rattled off on the flaws she had gleaned, she let her thoughts wander again.

Kastor had been kind to her so far, she was living comfortably, not happily but comfortably. It wasn't home, really, she didn't think of anything of home anymore but it was what she had.

Drew had been accepting, so has the rest of the little group but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was just intruding. She got their jokes, regularly spent time with them and did everything friends did but it didn't feel real. She wasn't part of their circle as hard as much they tried it include her and she, tried to fit in.

She was just a visitor, a passing acquaintance.

Not much could feel real after coming back from the dead she supposed, but for someone who had had a very firm grip on reality and essentially understood things that could be understood thoroughly, the feeling was foreign and even though she adapted easily, it was unsettling.

She hated the feeling of not being in a zone where she had some semblance of control.

"Roxanna," Drew's voice startled her and she whipped around, barely able to stop from lashing out from surprise. "Phone call."

"For... Me?" Not a lot of people called her. Calls were reserved for people outside of the city, everyone knew where to find her and when but she didn't have much people outside of Kastor that would want to speak to her.

"It's Phoenix."

Roxanna started to reach for the phone before she halted, her poker face firmly in place. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

She had barely even spoken to Phoenix after the... Incident.

Predictably, he has been mad, no, furious, not only because she hadn't confided in him or their siblings, but because she had told River, someone that hadn't been all that trustworthy for most people back then.

And she couldn't help feel that she damaged River and Phoenix's relationship in some way, asking River to keep such a heavy secret from someone he cared so much about, essentially making River choose between helping her and being true to her brother.

She hasn't damaged their relationship really, that was sugar coating the results, she had nearly destroyed it. Phoenix wasn't hurt easily but she knew River had unintentionally tore a ragged wound in Phoenix's heart.

"If you don't want to talk to him," Drew murmured comfortingly. "I could tell him."

Roxanna shook her head and took the phone from Drew, quickly retreating to the break room. Leaning against the door, she sighed heavily before bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She winced as her voice cracked, nervousness thrumming through her body, leg jumping and down.

"Roxanna." Phoenix's voice was warm, welcoming but it did nothing to soothe her. She knew he was still hurting, she hadn't even apologized and even though he had never asked, she owed him one along with a explanation.

"Phoenix, how are you?" Her voice was uncharacteristically high, cracking every few words.

Control was nowhere to be found.

"I'm good," Phoenix hummed cheerfully, as if her stuttering and being nervous was normal. "How about you?"

Roxanna let out a shaky breath. "I'm fine. They're treating me very well here."

"Roxanna," Phoenix sounded a little stern. "'Fine' means many things."

"I'm fine, really." She was fine, physically. Mentally was another matter, mentally was always another matter, it was so complicated with no set or certain answer, different for each person and quite frankly, she wasn't sure if she had ever been fine, mentally.

"Roxanna-"

"Is something wrong?" Roxanna redirected. Phoenix didn't just ever call out of the blue for no reason, it wasn't him, he probably had a request or-

"I just wanted to hear you voice," Phoenix admitted quietly. "I miss you."

"Oh..."

"It's not any less lively here, it's just, it feels a little more empty." Phoenix sounded wistful.

"Ah," Roxanna finally managed to bring her voice back to acceptable tone. "I..." Miss you guys too.

The words got stuck in her throat, she didn't know why and her voice was back to the unstable high pitched tone.

"Um... You're welcome here anytime, despite what others say." Roxanna's leg started bouncing again and she let out a nervous laugh without even thinking about it.

"I um, don't think that's particularly true for Leah." Or most of them. Phoenix went silent before he sighed mournfully.

"Leah said you weren't welcome to come back, didn't she?"

"Yes." Among other things.

"Geraldine misses you. You were one of the only ones she trusted fully."

Roxanna recalled Geraldine's pained expression, the thin press of her lips as she turned away without saying a word.

"I don't think..." She trailed off, feeling the urge to cry all of a sudden. "I don't think she does anymore."

"Miss you? Or trust?"

Roxanna bit her lip and felt a tear trace down her face.

"Both," she barely managed to get out, wincing as if someone had punched her in the gut because that was what it truly felt like.

She had been pushing those thoughts to the back of her head for a while, ever since they had seen each other again, trying to distance herself, trying to tell herself that it wasn't true but now, it glaringly obvious that it was.

And it hurt, the pain she'd been staving off shattering her poorly built walls, rushing back in.

"That's not-"

"Phoenix," she interrupted him, her hand trembling and she tried to concentrate on something, something to keep her grounded. "I have to go."

"Roxanna-"

"It was nice t-talking to-" She couldn't finish her sentence, ending the call as fast as she could, pressing the end call button as hard as she could. The phone fell from her loose grip and she slid to the floor, a quiet sob escaping her before she buried her face into her hands. Her head throbbed, her heart was constricting and she couldn't breathe.

"Roxanna?" Nora called from the other side of the door. "You alright in there?"

"I... No," Roxanna gasped out.

"Open up, I could-"

"No," Roxanna quickly cut her off. "Please, I just... I just need... Some..."

"Roxanna," Nora stopped trying to open the door, her voice gentle but commanding. "You're having a panic attack again."

And somewhere where her rationality still existed, Roxanna knew Nora was right but she shredded the rationality and turned to her instincts that would ultimate destroy whatever sensibility she had left.

"N-No I-I'm-" Her tears blurred her vision and she shook her head frantically even if Nora couldn't see. "I-I'm fi-fine!"

"Roxanna-"

"Please," she whimpered. "Please, just leave me alone!"

She clapped her hands over her ears and hunched over, curling into a ball. She didn't want to listen to anyone, she didn't want talk to anyone, she just wanted to-She didn't know what she wanted to do but, but-

Reality stung and maybe she hadn't noticed this before because she was so unfeeling but it was terrible and it made her feel like-She couldn't describe it and perhaps-

She was drowning in her thoughts and voices that had haunted her head recently but had quieted down for a bit returned a tenfold and then it was torture, she couldn't tell what was the difference between reality and hallucinations anymore.

"Roxanna," Drew called, might've called, Roxanna wasn't sure because for a moment she heard Dark and then a slew of accusations from her siblings as she thought the others were trying to talk to her but all she heard was her siblings, her old friends and the other fey.

It was a multitude of voices rising in crescendo, all of them blurring into each other, crashing down on her and Roxanna just wanted everything to be quiet again.

[inanismortem]

References are very helpful...

[inanismortem]

I am very biased on who I draw... (IDK IT'S VERY EASY AND VERY LIKEABLE AT THE SAME TIME!!!)

[inanismortem]

SO SO I DUNNO WHAT THIS IS SINCE I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY WRITTEN THE BOOK YET, IT’S JUST A LOT OF SEPARATE SCENES BUT HERE’S LIKE A SNEAK PEEK AT SOMETHING I MIGHT NOT EVEN WRITE?

and this is related to my ocs so it’s here

sPoILERs

super sorry for the terrible writing

Phoenix could hear them.

Geraldine was screaming, her voice desperate.

"NO!" Leah shrieked, beating away at Versum as they kept her away from her sister. "GERALDINE!"

Roxanna was further away, slamming her knives into the unturned fey trying to kill her. To a lot of people, she probably looked calm but she was agitated. Phoenix could tell by the way she kept half turning her head in Geraldine's direction before snapping back to her current opponents.

Geraldine's scream of agony tore through the air and Leah cried back. "GERALDINE!" Roxanna's face twitched and for a moment, her face was drawn into what looked like a faint snarl.

"LEAH!" River shouted, barrelling into the Versum who had tried to take advantage of Leah's temporary distraction. "CONCENTRATE!" His strings whipped out, catching the Versum before they could touch Leah.

"Tch," Jordan scoffed, pressing a foot against Phoenix's chest to keep him down. "That angel lover of yours is persistent, isn't he?"

"River's not my lover," Phoenix snarled, trying to dislodge the older immortal.

"Ah, I guess not," Jordan agreed, striking down another fey who was trying to help Phoenix. "After all, what would such a tainted Lux want with someone like you?" Phoenix's temper flared at the mention of River's dangerous state. He shouldn't have reached it yet Phoenix had let him, not noticing it until it was so bad River could easily fall anytime.

"PHOENIX!" Leah sobbed as River hauled her away. "HELP HER!" Geraldine was barely moving and Scott raised his spear, a carnal smile on his face. Phoenix struggled to get Jordan's foot off his chest, oh how he'd love to beat the other immortal's ass but Jordan had years of experience on him and easily kept him down.

Phoenix needed help. Desperately.

As if on cue, Kyle leapt out of nowhere with Nicholas in tow, slamming into Jordan with a whoop of joy.

"EAT DIRT YOU IMMORTAL DOUCHEBAG!" Kyle shouted joyfully. Phoenix felt a moment of relief, chuckling a little. Trust Kyle to brighten up any situation.

"Go help-" Nicholas started before Geraldine screamed again, only this time in fear.

"ROXANNA!"

Leah let out a similar cry of despair and even River halted, his eyes widening before he heaved out a shout.

"ROXANNA!" Leah wailed. "NO!"

Geraldine had no choice but to teleport away- When had she gotten healed- before Scott stabbed her again.

"So," Jordan asked jovially, catching Kyle's side with a knife. "Looks like you'll be losing the clone instead." Kyle head butted Jordan and Phoenix winced, knowing it'd only knock the other immortal back, not break a nose.

Phoenix glanced over again and he saw Roxanna's navy blue armour, covered in mud and... Blood. Too much to be good.

River let out an enraged roar, watching Scott's spear yank free of Roxanna's body, the blade dripping with blood. She made no noise but Phoenix knew, knew she could hold in so much pain.

"Hey," Nicholas grunted, shifting into a defensive stance. "Go. We can handle this braleur." His eyes glittered but Phoenix hesitated.

Nicholas was capable, but this was an immortal that had killed countless of their best warriors. Nicholas had a wife and two children at home.

Specifically, Phoenix's sister and nieces.

"Look-"

"I'll be fine," Nicholas snarled. "I married your sister and am still alive, corrigez-moi si j'ai tort. I'll live." Phoenix knew he wasn't budging so he turned and ran.

Phoenix charged at Scott, praying he could save Roxanna. He skidded to a stop, feeling like someone had taken his heart and crushed it.

No.

No.

No.

Roxanna lay on the ground, unmoving but conscious with wounds Phoenix knew she wouldn't survive. Roxanna had lived through many wounds, many situations but even her regeneration couldn't heal wounds like that.

"Ph-Phoenix!" Roxanna rasped out, her eyes glazed over with pain. Blood was already spilling out of her body, staining the ground. "Don't."

"Ah, it's you," Scott greeted Phoenix with a sweet smile, twirling his spear in his hands. "What are you going to do? Kill me?" he asked mockingly.

"I will," Phoenix snarled. He was, one way or another and he'd gladly let anything else help as well.

"Phoenix," Roxanna choked out. "Go help the others."

"When did you," Phoenix gritted out. "When did you..." When did you become the type of person to sacrifice yourself?

"PHOENIX," Leah screeched urgently. "RIVER!" He heard the more cries of pain. Phoenix spun around, feeling like the universe was hitting him with everything it had at the moment.

River was falling. His wings were becoming the black Phoenix dreaded seeing, black veins creeping over his skin.

River's panicked turquoise eyes met his, a hint of desperation in them.

Look away, they said.

"Ah, the angel," Scott sounded amused. "I've never seen one fall, he'll be a fine specimen." River convulsed, his eyes squeezing shut. It was Leah's turn to attempt to fend off the Versum except she wasn't doing too well.

Phoenix's temper flared, the thought of River's being someone's lab rat, test subject or being holed up in a facility while being studied for someone's sick interests enraging him. He attacked and Scott grinned at him, challenging him.

Phoenix knew even if he was immortal, Scott could still beat him.

Natalya lay still not far away, the effects of a knockout spell apparent.

If Scott didn't touch him, he'd be fine. Scott seemed to know what he was thinking, head cocking to the side and he smirked.

"Oh, I'll be able to touch you alright."

He disappeared with a crack and Phoenix cursed, narrowly avoiding the hand that soared toward the back of his head. Out of all the powers, Leos were the hardest to fight against for him. Wheeling around, he had no time for a counterattack, only barely managing to block the next attempt with his spear. Scotts's other hand clamped down on the spear as well, the spell he attempted to work on it fizzling out.

Phoenix thanked Dark for working such intricate spells into his spear or else it would have been long gone. Scott tried again and part of the spear splintered.

Dark was going to have an aneurysm. Or he was going to find a way to beat Scott from where he was because he hated when something he tinkered with failed.

Phoenix jumped back just as Scott's hand barely grazed his face. It didn't matter. Even the slightest touch would have some effect on him.

Point proven when his limbs locked up, his body feeling sluggish.

Immobilization spell.

Phoenix struggled to stay standing, using his spear to stop himself from letting his knees collapse. He needed at least thirty seconds to fight off the effects but he didn't have thirty seconds. Scott's hand was already starting to cover his face.

Roxanna shifted, her hand suddenly coming up and a glint of silver buried itself into Scott's side. The movement was too much, Roxanna hacking up blood, struggling to draw in air.

Scott staggered away, screeching. Phoenix would've gone after him, but Roxanna was sounding worse and worse, her eyes barely blinking open again.

"Roxanna," Phoenix sunk down next to her, cradling her head in hand and trying to press down on one of her many wounds with his other. "Hang in there, Cam won't be l-"

"Phoenix," she cut him off, eyes glazed over with pain but full of determination. "You can save him."

"Who?" Phoenix wasn't thinking of anyone but her, about how he could possibly save her, heal her wounds and let her live.

"River, you can save River. He doesn't need to fall."

"How?" Phoenix gasped out, raising his head to look at River who was curled up amongst the carnage. "There's no way to halt a falling-"

"He needs an anchor. Something-" Roxanna coughed again, her hand gripping Phoenix's tightening briefly before she relaxed again. "Something h-he ca-cares about."

You.

Roxanna didn't say it out loud, she didn't need to.

"O-Okay," he stammered, looking wildly around for Cam before realizing Cam wasn't coming, Cam couldn't because his leg was broken. All the other medics were busy, scattered, spread so thinly across the battlefield. "We need to wait for a medic-"

"Nix," she wheezed softly, Phoenix froze, she only ever called him by a nickname when she was too tired or giving up. "Th-That will t-take too long. I... I won't... Make it anyways," she finished, a wry smile spreading across her face, her head falling to the side.

"No!" Phoenix shouted. "You're going to live, you have so many things to do in life!"

Roxanna gazed back up at him, her eyes clearing for a moment and she raised a shaking hand to caress his face.

"N-Nix... You h-have to ch-choose. St-Stay with me... Until I-I die... Or saving... Saving the... The on-one you care ab... Bout..." Phoenix's chest constricted.

Yes, yes he loved River. More than he could ever love someone romantically. But he loved Roxanna too. As an older brother, he couldn't abandon her.

River let out another wail of pain and Leah was sobbing not far away, angrily slashing at the Versum.

"He-Help Leah... S-Save River... M... Ake sure... Make sure... Make sure everyone else is happy," she said strongly, eyes shining with tears.

"Roxanna, please, please don't go," Phoenix pleaded, feeling his tears slip down his face. "We won't be happy without you."

I won't be happy, he thought bitterly. I just found you, got to know you.

"I've... I've heard... That... A... Lot," she murmured faintly. "I-I am s-so sorry... I... Didn't mean to hurt you... I," she took in another painful breath. "I... Don't want to hurt... Anyone else..." She sounded heartbroken, on the verge of tears.

Phoenix could see the blood flow slowing down, which meant she didn't have enough in her body. He could feel it, the warm blood still coating his hands. Roxanna was drifting in and out of consciousness, he knew no amount of healing magic or medical attention could save her.

"Nix," she let her hand fall to the ground with a full thud. "Yo-You have to g-go... Or e-else it'll b-be too la-late..." Phoenix wanted to scream.

Curse the world.

Why had it handed him this choice?

To leave his sister alone in her final moments and to save one that he loved.

To stay with his sister in her final moments and to let one he loved die.

"I-"

"Go," she urged. "I'll be fine." Roxanna, for all her claims of being unemotional, selfish and uncaring was selfless. She cared. Too much. She had emotions. She felt them. She hid them.

"I... Love you," Phoenix whispered brokenly, brushing her hair out of her face, noticing how young she looked with her hair down.

In the end, she wasn't twenty yet.

In the end, she was still a child.

In the end, she was just like every fallen fey except she wasn't.

In the end, she was still his sister, clone or not and she didn't deserve to die.

"Me too," a tear slid down her face. "T-Tell the oth-others for me?"

"Of course."

"I-I'm sorry... C-Can... I... Can I be selfish?" Roxanna was many things. Selfish was not one of them

"Of course." Phoenix swallowed thickly.

"Don't... Don't tell them? N-Not yet?"

Phoenix knew what she was doing. Leah would fall apart as soon as she learned about Roxanna's death and Geraldine wouldn't be much better.

She didn't want to cause them more grief.

That was not selfish.

But, but if he did, then it would be even worse when they did find out.

"Of course," he replied, shutting his eyes. "Of course."

She'd never asked of anything of him and this, this, was the only thing she had ever requested.

"Thank you. G-Goodbye Nix."

She smiled.

The stupid smile Phoenix abhorred, the smile she always used to cover her emotions, to tell everyone she was fine even though she wasn't.

She was trying to comfort him.

Phoenix's tears blurred his vision.

"Goodbye Roxanna," he choked out and he got up, turning away, letting her hand slip out of his. "Hòu huì yǒu qī," he uttered softly, using a phrase Geraldine had taught him, trying to pronounce it the best he could.

A broken laugh floated from her blood painted lips and she squeezed her eyes shut before looking at him one last time, tears filling into the corners.

"Bǎo zhòng," she replied.

Take care.

Phoenix ran.

Ran and didn't look back.

He let the tears fall.

-

Roxanna shut her eyes, feeling Phoenix's comforting presence fade away.

She was alone again.

It was okay.

It was okay.

It was okay.

No, it wasn't.

She cried.

Goodbye.