#wr cassius

[letsbenditlikebennett]

TIMING: Current-ish PARTIES: @singdreamchild & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Both Alex and Cassius find themselves on a late night stroll in the woods. The two catch up briefly when they run into each other. CONTENT: Homophobia mentions

He found himself getting more contemplative after the sun had gone down recently. And instead of continuing to hide like he had been, he had gone out more. Of course, trails closed after the sun went down, but it wasn’t his fault that his skin would start to burn if he tried to hike during daylight hours. That’s how Cassius found himself walking along the trail at sundown. His hands shoved in his pockets as he looked around at the nature around him. It gave him a sort of inspiration. Writing had been hard for him lately, and he had found himself branching out from poetry to writing a novel. It had reinvigorated him and left him with more to say than poetry ever could. So, to get ideas, he often walked around in settings he wanted to portray in his book, like the woods. 

Walking along the trail, he heard a twig snap behind him. Cassius stopped, spinning around to come face-to-face with Alex. “Oh! Hello.” He spoke with a friendly smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, no matter how hard he tried. It was an odd sight, a goth hiking. He was wearing something straight out of a Victorian mourning scene, suitable for a nighttime stroll through the streets of London in the 1800s more than it was the woods as the sun went down in the 21st century. 

“Don’t tell me you’re here to tell me to go home,” he spoke with a frown, knowing that she worked with the park rangers. “Some of us can’t get out while the sun is up for one reason or another.” Usually, he’d make up an excuse for why he couldn’t do things during the day, but he found, lately, that he just didn’t care anymore. So what if someone knew he was a vampire? The worst they could do was kill him. He found that the idea of such a fate didn’t really bother him much, either. It was a strange feeling.

The most recent full moon had made a world of a difference when it came to the restless feelings Alex had been battling, but it had also done wonders on healing up the last of the gunshot wound she got courtesy of one of maman's old friends. The thought held more bitterness than it had previously, but the werewolf was pleased that she could get out and about again without experiencing a significant amount of pain. Even before she'd become a creature of the forest herself, she'd always found peace in nature. Maybe it was because it was everything the basement wasn't— moving, filled with life, open. 

Or maybe she was just a gay girlie who really fucking loved trees and flowers. Alex figured it didn't matter that much either way. She was trying to let go of the idea of 'soft' being a bad thing and that meant whatever the reason was for the whole plant love thing didn't actually matter. It didn't have to be some guise to work as a park ranger and protect people, it could just be. She could just be. 

Alex was doing decidedly doing pretty damn good at the whole just existing thing as she walked through one of her favorite patches of the forest. The fir trees ahead had clusters of honey mushrooms growing overhead that lit up patches of the trail with the most beautiful green glow. It was decidedly a peaceful little nighttime hike that pleased the werewolf's need for a bit of movement though she found herself caught off guard when she ran into someone... her high school history teacher in full goth? Sure, that was his aesthetic normally, but it was a little jarring to see in the middle of the forest, especially considering she hadn't even heard him approach. 

“Oh hey,” she waved with a smile despite her confusion. Alex was nothing if not polite to her teachers, former and current alike. The idea of even a past teacher not liking her was enough to send her into a spiral, so she just avoided that likelihood altogether. But then, he mentioned something about her telling him to leave and not being able to get out during the day.

Alex raised a suspicious eyebrow and found herself listening for a heartbeat that wasn't there. The steady thrum of her own heart was the only one making a sound on the trail. “Huh,” she shrugged, “I wasn't gonna say shit actually. I'm still on leave from my internship so I'm out here enjoying the trail just like you.” 

If she wanted her old teacher to continue liking her, maybe brushing over the vampire suspicion would have been a better move, but her best friend was a zombie and she hung out at a farm staffed by zombies like all the time. Alex even manned their instagram account. Plus, Aria was a mare. She was like totally a friend to the undead. For once, it brought her some satisfaction knowing how much her parents would hate that. 

“So no getting out when the sun's shining...,” Alex hummed, “And no heartbeat.” She offered a smirk to show it didn't matter much to her. It wasn't like she was gonna pull that rosary out that Emilio had given her when that lapir decided she looked like lunch. “I'm guessing I shouldn't break out the garlic bread,” she asked jokingly, “Wait? Is that actually a thing?” She'd probably feel pretty murderous if she couldn't eat garlic bread either, to be fair. 

“Or is it like one of those weird media twists... like Twilight and all the werewolves wearing jorts,” she asked, half serious, “We don't wear jorts... Well, at least not all of us. I much prefer hiking pants or joggers myself. Though I've been known to rock some Daisy Dukes when the theme calls for it.” 

Like when Cass introduced her to the hoedown throwdown from Hannah Montana. That was an occasion that called for Daisy Dukes 100%. Somehow, she had the feeling her history teacher understood the importance of doing something for the aesthetic. 

—

The vampire raised a brow at Alex as she confessed she was in the woods for the same reason. He adjusted his satchel, which held the journal where he had written his ideas down. It was nice to know he wasn’t the only one out walking at night. It was nicer still that it was someone Cassius recognized as a former student. Alex had always been one of the better students, smart and memorable enough that she stuck out in his mind. Of course, it was weird to connect with a student after graduation, but it wasn’t unwelcome either. Plenty of students had reached out to him over social media over the years. He may be old, but he wasn’t a curmudgeon hiding from the internet.

He froze as soon as she started to list the things that made him a vampire. It was weird to be called out on it, but it was also nice not to hide it. Sometimes it was good to be seen for what he truly was, minus the slayer who wanted nothing more than his head to be stuck on a pike. “Caught me,” Cassius muttered with an amused smirk. “Some of us hide in plain sight, I will admit.” He crossed his arms over his chest as she spoke. “Garlic forces my fangs out, but doesn’t make me break out in a rash or anything.” He waved a hand in dismissal. “I still avoid it where I can. Some people freak out at the sudden appearance of fangs and red eyes.” He wiggled his fingers dramatically. 

“Call me a twilight vampire, and I’ll leave.” He threatened, pointing a finger in her direction accusatorily. No, the only thing he had in common with Twilight was that one actor that looked spookily like him. “A werewolf?” He cocked his head to the side, brow raised. “Sharp wit, a temper to match…” he trailed off, looking over the girl’s face. “Yeah, that tracks.” He gave a soft smile. He didn’t care what she was. She had always been a good person. “One of us reps a more stereotypical look than the other, but there’s still time for you.” He gave a toothy grin. “You’re still young, after all.” He raised his brows, almost as if he was issuing a challenge.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, more of a habit to appear human than an actual need to do so. “Obviously, I hide in plain sight.” He shot back, gesturing to what he had on in all its Victorian glory. “Only gotten me caught once in all my years, so I’m doing something right.” Of course, he had also been careless, traipsing around a graveyard that he knew slayers liked to frequent. 

Hiding in plain sight. Part of her had to wonder just how old the vampire was and if he would understand the Taylor Swift reference in his own words. Alex figured she may have already been pushing her luck with being one of his favorite alumni students by asking the whole 'bones or boobs' thing. She wasn't sure dropping a pop culture lesson was the move here, especially considering he looked like he listened to whatever the Edgar Allan Poe of music was which was decidedly not Taylor Swift even if Dear Reader was decidedly a bop and a half. A bop squared even. And... It was pretty emo. 

Instead, Alex laughed. “The curse of having hearing that is just... way too good.” She shrugged. Most of the time it was more of a curse than a gift, but it helped sometimes. What was a little sensory overload in the big scheme of things anyway? “You're doing a pretty good job... wouldn't have guessed before,” she gestured, “Even if the outfit is kind of giving vibes. I just always thought you had a really good sense of fashion. But hey... garlic forces my fangs out too, but probably a very different deal.”

She just loved eating food with garlic in it. Garlic bread, garlic chicken, garlic dip— it was all delicious in her book. Then again, Alex also thought a whole moose unseasoned was delicious depending on the day of the month, so she probably wasn't anyone's go-to culinary expert. Kaden would probably laugh at her name and the phrase even being used in the same sentence considering she was more than content to eat Chefboyardee straight from the can and call it dinner. 

Alex did find herself relaxing into the easier banter. Ah the one thing that connected the supernatural together—- fucking hating Twilight. She leaned against one of the firs and chortled a bit. “Duly noted, teach.” The confirmation of her own species did leave her feeling a bit uneasy, but it was getting easier to say the words at least. “Yep, I'm a werewolf... have been this whole time actually,” she shrugged, “Got bitten when I was 7 so the moon and I have been vibing for a long time.“ 

Vibing was nicer than the truth of it, but the full moon didn't fill Alex with as much dread now that she had a taste of it outside of her bunker. Her bones didn't still carry that same antsy feeling in them the following morning. Even the jokes felt a little easier to lean into and it was a change... that she was pretty sure she welcomed. ”I don't know,“ she retorted playfully, ”I think granola gay is pretty on brand for werewolf... even if it's not on brand for Twilight werewolves, but like--- what is? Twilight got most shit wrong... and had that ugly CGI baby.“ 

She didn't actually know that for sure, but Thea had mentioned it and she trusted that bit. Alex had only seen the first two movies with Cass when it was explained the role the films played in pop culture. They were kind of fun to laugh at. 

”So you've been a vampire the whole time then too,” Alex mused, “Huh. How long has it been for you? Are you like... old enough to have been there for some of the history you taught?” Getting caught only once meant he probably wasn't out eating people left and right... which was a good thing. Not that he had given her the vibe she needed to be afraid of him when he was her teacher. All in all, he was pretty chill as far as teachers went. 

Something in him getting caught did make her own stomach turn. Alex refused to acknowledge that feeling too deeply and instead joked, “Can't say I've been as lucky on that front, but part of the fun of becoming what the family kills or whatever.“ Because somehow every attempt on her life always came back to that. Her aunt, her mother's friend.... hopefully there weren't anymore coming out of the woodwork, but she wasn't sure how much she trusted her own luck.  

Cassius couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness for Alex. The idea of being a little girl and suddenly going through trying to understand being a werewolf on top of everything else sounded awful. “Vibing is one word to use,” he muttered, though mostly to himself. “I’ve been thirty-three for one hundred and seventy-three years.” He confessed, raising his hands above his head as if to say, what can you do?

He had to take a moment to process the phrase ‘granola gay,’ he felt as if time was finally catching up to him, as he had no idea what that could mean. “What is granola gay?” He asked, face a mix of weirded out and confused. “Twilight made people think that vampires sparkled in the sun. I wish all the sun did was make me sparkle.” Cassius frowned, as if disappointed in his person's lack of sparkling skin. 

“I’ve been thirty-three for one hundred and seventy-three years.” He confessed, raising his hands above his head as if to say, what can you do? “I was born in 1817, turned in 1851.” He let out a sigh through his nose. It was weird to talk about his true age out loud. Let’s say my knowledge of Victorian England and onward is more of a lived experience than something I read about.” 

He gave a thoughtful look for a moment. “My sire was born in the 1500s. He was a plague doctor. I got much of my history knowledge from someone who lived it rather than the written variety. I became a history teacher because it was an easy gig.” He smiled wryly, knowing he had taken a lazy way out. But hey, someone had to teach it.

“The only reason I have avoided being hunted for sport for as long as I have is because I was taught to have no connections. And when I overstayed my welcome, I moved to the next place.” He shrugged a shoulder, a faraway look in his eyes as he talked about it. “My sire made sure that we put survival first.” The faraway gaze turned sad, and he shook his head as if willing the thoughts out of his mind. “I don’t recommend living your life that way. Better to learn self-defense than run away from your problems whenever the winds turn against your favor.”

Of all the crazy things Alex could expect to find in the woods, finding herself explaining what granola gay meant to her high school history definitely wasn't one of them. It was far less nefarious than most of the things that lurked in the woods. Cassius always had possessed a certain bravado that seemed to pair well with his classic vampire style. With all the kitschy stuff in Wicked's Rest, the vampire was easy to look over. He practically blended in here. She realized that maybe Wicked's Rest, with all its terrifying faults, was the kind of place where people like them could carve out a life for themselves. Hadn't they both done just that? 

“Granola gay... is like your outdoorsy gay stereotype. Lots of flannel, lots of hiking boots, hydroflasks.” Alex grinned wickedly. “I stole mine. The hydroflask that is... Actually some of the boots and flannel too. But those fucking water bottles are like $60? Capitalism has got me fucked up on that one.” She gestured to the beanie on her head. “But like beanies, other weather friendly hats and outerwear. Backpacks instead of purses. General gist of it.” 

The whole granola aesthetic did seem fitting for what werewolves actually were, or at least, who Alex was as a werewolf. She wasn't sure her experience spoke to all werewolves, but she'd found the forest was a place her and Alan both seemed to enjoy. She'd felt her most free on the full moon weaving through the trees alongside Gael. Who knew. All she knew is it fit her. 

“Yeah, sparkling does seem more fun than catching fire,” Alex joked with a cynical laugh, ”With the way people are using highlighter these days, no one would even know the difference.“ 

How old her former history teacher was didn't surprise Alex as much as she expected. It was like pieces of a puzzle fitting together perfectly. ”And here I was going to say you don't look a day over 140,“ she quipped. “That's pretty neat though... Teaching stuff you've actually lived. And hey, you're good at it.” 

That much was true. Cassius did have a way of making the subject fun even though it wasn't normally her favorite. Alex nodded along as he spoke and found herself frowning. She'd spent a long time running and she wasn't sure she could do it again. Both she and Andy had finally started to place roots and build actual lives. Her stomach turned with guilt, she knew that was worth fighting for. It was still hard to think she shouldn't have made Andy to be the one to fight. 

“Yeah... I moved around a lot when I was younger before we settled here,” Alex explained, “Always me and my sister.” There were a lot of good memories in all the places they called home, however temporarily. “Survival is good,” she noted, “But I think you're right. It's not... living. Or unliving? It's not a life might be the better way to say that. Connections, getting to experience all that is worth fighting for, I think.” 

Cassius couldn’t stop the amused smile that broke over his features, and he shook his head and let out a soft laugh. “Definitely not me, then.” He murmured, that same smile on his features as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Guess that makes me the confused gay.” He pointed to himself with a sage nod. “If I had to choose, of course.” He tacked on, now stuck thinking about ridiculously priced water bottles. His smile turned into an annoyed frown. “Good on you for stealing it. Take capitalists down a peg.” He decided with a smirk in her direction.

“It was strange to talk about these things with a former student. Then again, Alex had already crossed a few boundaries when she dared ask him about his preferences for bones or boobs. He shuddered at the memory. He made it a habit to be polite with his former students but kindly shut down any further acts of friendship on the student’s part. He wasn’t sure why. It just never ceased to make him feel a little bit uncomfortable. Still, being friendly wasn’t that terrible. 

The vampire thought for a moment. He had lived through quite a few historical events, hadn’t he? “You want to know something kind of cool?” He asked her, the corner of his lips quirking upwards. “I may or may not have been in the stonewall riots.” He explained with a shrug of his shoulder. He remembered the pure and unbridled rage he had felt that day. He was so damn tired of hiding who he was at that point—repressing one’s sexuality since the 1800s? He could only take so much. “That’s one piece of history I was present for, anyway.” He waved a hand as if it wasn’t that important. He remembered the look on Richard’s face when he had gotten home before sunrise. He was pissed, but he was also a little proud. 

“Between you and me,” he began, letting his hands fall from his pockets. “I’m still trying to learn to make connections.” He frowned, kicking at the dirt beneath his boot. “Spent so long being taught to avoid everyone and everything at all costs makes unlearning it a bit hard.” He sighed, looking around at his surroundings momentarily before gazing back at the young werewolf. “I’m glad to see that you’re doing well, Alex. Truly.” He shuffled his feet, as if getting ready to leave.

It was a strange chance meeting, but one Alex found she didn't quite mind. Of everything and everyone she could have run into in the forest in the middle of the night, her high school history teacher was hardly even close to the worst. Running into him had actually been nice and she didn't even feel weird about the whole him being a vampire thing. That had to be progress or something, she decided. 

“Confused gay, classical gothic gay,” Alex shrugged, “Kind of go hand in hand anyway. And taking capitalists down apeg is like my favorite hobby.” She smiled proudly at that one. Maybe she couldn't actually be Robin Hood, but embracing the spirit felt right. 

When Cassius shared a bit of history with her, Alex's eyes widened with  amazement. “Really,“ she asked incredulously, ”That's... I mean it's terrible that it had to happen, but pretty fucking awesome you were out there fighting for our right to exist and all.“ It made her pretty proud to call the vampire her teacher even if she couldn't necessarily advertise that part of his history. Cass would at least appreciate it, she thought. 

Part of her understood where Cassius was coming from. Had Alex not staved off making connections outside of Andy for most of her life? It'd been easier that way, but then they found a place they could actually call home... and well, their world got bigger. ”Connections have a way of sneaking up on you in a town like this,“ she smiled wistfully as she thought of the friends she'd made, ”It's hard to unlearn, but... people can surprise you.“  She saw him moving to leave and offered a friendly wave. “Good seeing you... and take care,” she called out. 

[faustianbroker]

TIMING: Directly after 'bite off more than you can chew' LOCATION: nightfall grove; WR General Hospital; PARTIES: Levi (@faustianbroker) & Zack (@zackbanes) SUMMARY: Levi swoops in to rush Zack off to the hospital after his unfortunate encounter with a torple. CONTENT WARNINGS: hospitalization & brief mentions of medical procedures (minor surgery), brief mention of medical blood tw, references to pain killers

—

He probably should have texted Wynne, instead. Or one of the other roommates. Or even Vida – she was a mom, she probably would have been able to help. But in the moment, blind with pain and adrenaline crawling up his throat, Zack had punched in Levi’s number. It was dumb of him. He barely knew the guy but — blind with pain and adrenaline crawling up his throat, Zack wanted Levi there. 

Zack had curled himself into a protective little ball against the far side of the alley, hoping against all hope that there weren’t more of those horrible things. He was hazily aware of Cassius still lingering nearby, and that was another fun discovery for the night. Terrible, violent worm creatures and…something with red eyes and teeth like fangs. He was still banking on werewolf, but who knew. Levi had promised to come quick, and Zack only hoped that he would be true to his word. The man might also be a sea monster older than time, but at least he was familiar. 

Zack counted his heartbeat in the time, coming down from a rapid gallop. He breathed slow, like he had been taught years ago, centered himself in his body. Tried to keep the pain from clouding out his control. Last thing he needed was to set the damn neighborhood on fire after everything else. It wasn’t long before Zack heard a car engine and then, distantly, the rustle of Cassius taking off. He braced against the alley wall, readying himself to have to get Levi’s attention. 

—

It was lucky for Zack that Levi happened to be looking at his phone at that exact moment to set a timer for the sauce simmering on the stove. Lucky that in spite of the privacy setting that hid the actual text from appearing on the notification, the presence of the caster’s contact name was enough to bring a soft smile to the sea demon’s lips and urge him to open the text now instead of later, once he’d finished preparing dinner. Lucky most of all that upon reading the cry for help, said demon flicked off the burner and rushed to the front door, grabbing his keys instead of deciding that it didn’t need to be his problem. 

The street address was enough to go on, and while Levi could certainly get there faster if he shifted, he wouldn’t have a very good method for carrying Zack anywhere… also he’d blow his cover and he and the child would have to leave, again. And he didn’t want that this time. So it was practicality over speed, this time, though he certainly got there as fast as he could, throwing the car into park as one of the front wheels hopped the curb, leaving it running as he rounded the hood and disappeared into the dark alley. 

“Hey, hey,” he breathed, seeing the man huddled against a brick wall and hurrying over to him. The smell of blood met his nose and his gaze jumped to the wound on Zack’s leg, brows furrowing. It reeked of a demon, but he couldn’t be certain what kind. “I’m here, I got you. C’mon.” Stooping down, Levi hoisted Zack up onto his one good foot, then scooped him up fully into his arms to carry him back to the car. He was bleeding a lot, and the backseat was going to pay for that, but Levi didn’t care about that now. The instinct to do good, to be helpful and caring was overriding everything else again, thanks most certainly entirely to the bond he shared with Teddy, the humanity he shared with his ward. But this was no time to be annoyed by it. His thoughts were elsewhere. 

Getting Zack situated in the back, Levi quickly shed his sweater and helped wrap it around the spellcaster’s leg, pressing the man’s hands over it and telling him to hold it in place. “Takin’ you to the hospital,” he announced, and he’d hear no arguments. “Healing isn’t really my strength,” he explained as they pulled back onto the road, dark eyes flicking over to the rearview mirror now and then to check on Zack. “You alright? Hang in there, Zippo.”

—

Zack had sent his location, but he didn’t know how good of a job he had done. There was a lot of blood after all. But it turned out not to matter, Levi found him immediately. He wondered if it would be blasphemous to thank god in the presence of a demon.

As Levi helped him upright, Zack gave a pained noise, injured leg jostling. Not just injured, but bitten because something had bitten him and taken a chunk out. Before he could even attempt to hobble along, he found himself lifted easily into Levi’s arms. And that was…nice. Nice to be able to just collapse back against someone else and let them do the work. Nice to trust someone to help. “Thanks,” he said, ground rough between his teeth. Levi didn’t owe Zack anything, certainly not this. Certainly not dropping everything to deal with the bloody mess Zack had gotten himself into. He clutched at Levi’s sleeve and tried to keep as tight of a grip on his drifting dizzy thoughts.

“No, wait,” he protested at the mention of the hospital, but Levi was already closing the car door and wheeling around into the driver’s seat. Swallowing thickly, Zack did as he was told. Held the sweater in place, looking away from the swell of blood that was seeping up through the fabric. He shifted, uncomfortable, and pressed his forehead against the upholstery.

“What’m I supposed to tell the hospital?” Zack asked, mind cloudy. “It was… It was this thing. Like a worm but worse. And I couldn’t burn it.” He didn’t want to go to the hospital, but he also didn’t want to die bleeding out in the back of Levi’s car, so he didn’t put up any further fight. “Yeah, doc, it was just a dog. Ugliest dog you’ve ever seen, guarantee it.” The blood loss was clearly getting to him.

“I am—” Zack coughed out a laugh. “I am peachy.” The pain was constant, but in its constancy it became like a backdrop, a television with the volume turned way up that you’ve started to tune out. And then, hazy eyes drifting to the slip of Levi’s face he could see from that angle, Zack protested, “Don’t know how I feel about Zippo.”

–

“Don’t worry about that,” Levi assured, making a mental note of the apparent demon’s description. A worm that was immune to magic fire. Sounded like a torple, alright. Levi hoped, with a frown, that it wasn’t the torple he’d made into something of a pet. Still wild, but it liked to come ‘round the house now and then for attention. 

“Place like this, the hospital staff will have seen all sorts of insane shit coming through their doors. Something bit you, you don’t know what it was… that’s all they’ll need. Trust me.” And with a wound like that, he’d need plenty of stitches. Something Levi wasn’t exactly accustomed to doing, seeing as how all its own wounds were healed through an immediate, involuntary shift. 

He managed a smile at the small protest, shrugging his shoulders. “Best I could do, I’m a little frazzled.” He didn’t like the way Zack’s voice had slurred slightly, and pressed his foot on the gas pedal just a little harder.

Pulling up outside the emergency room, the car was abandoned a second time as Levi gathered Zack from the back seat and hoisted him up in his arms again, marching for the front doors and turning his back to them to press against the crash bar and get them inside quick as he could. The security that milled about the desk scrambled at the sight, two going for a stretcher as Levi approached the desk. “Bleeding out,” he warned, looking over at the stretcher as it was wheeled up to him, carefully setting Zack down onto the miserably thin cushion covered with sheets the texture of paper towels, not allowing the others to assist. “Get a fucking surgeon, yeah?” There was a venomous bite in his tone as he snapped at the desk attendant, as if it were her fault. “I’ll stay to fill out the paperwork.” 

—

Another laugh, loose and thin, pressed from Zack. It was probably true; in a place like Wicked’s Rest the ER staff must have seen far more than their fair share of crazy shit. That was somewhat comforting, at least. They would have had their practice. Maybe Zack wouldn’t be the first person they had seen with a bite from a…whatever the hell that was.

He tried not to drift, knowing that it would be great to lose consciousness. He must have, though, because he came out of a dim sleep to find himself, once again in Levi’s arms. Zack wanted to insist that he could walk on his own but. Well, it would definitely be a lie. And then he was on a stretcher and Levi was, thankfully, taking charge of the situation, barking at the staff. Zack’s tongue was too heavy and his head was too packed with cotton to find any words. He settled for looping his hand around Levi’s wrist, squeezing there. And then he was being carted away. 

It was all, more or less, a blur after that. Assessments and x-rays and anesthesia and antibiotics. Zack signed something and was helped into a flimsy hospital gown and then signed something else and then was wheeled into surgery. Hours later, he was in a room, his leg having been irrigated, debrided, stitched and wrapped up. The pain killers in his system weren’t too bad either. Not long after he was settled in, a nurse came by, cheerful grin on her face. “Up for a visitor, sweetie?”

When Levi appeared, Zack offered a sheepish sort of smile. “Probably not how you wanted to spend your night, huh? Sorry about that.” His hands smoothed over the scratchy fabric of the sheet laid over his good leg. “And thanks.” He remembered, dimly, Jonas telling him not to use that word, to say I appreciate it instead, for whatever reason. Zack didn’t like the idea of doing that, not with Levi. “Like, seriously. Thank you. I could very possibly be dead if you hadn’t come…”

—

He could have left. He gave the hospital as much information as he could, but frankly, he didn’t know much about the guy, yet. The only truly helpful thing he could do was offer to pay the expenses, leaving his information with billing before resuming his pacing.

He could have left. And a few times, he thought about it. Twice, his anxious energy carried him to the door. Once, back outside. The car had been moved by a helpful employee, who looked up as the door slid open and Levi stood there stupidly for a minute or two, shirt and jeans still soaked in blood. But every time, the thought of that look that had been on Zack’s face, the feel of his hand tightening around the demon’s wrist just before he was carted away… it pulled him back inside. 

He stood now in front of the check-in desk, looking distant. A nearby nurse on her way to her meal break noticed and frowned, walking over and placing a gentle hand on his arm. 

“Sir?” Levi blinked, looking down at her. “Sir, um… if you want, we could find some scrubs for you to wear, if you don’t want to leave. You’re…” She gestured at his front and he looked down, only now noticing the red stains of Zack’s blood on his clothes. 

“Oh. Uh… yeah, sure. That’d be fine.” 

He wouldn’t have to stay overnight, said the nurse that took Levi back to the recovery room. Not that there was much night left, but he knew what she meant. Zack was closed up and dosed with antibiotics, with only a note that he’d need to stay off the leg for a few weeks. A single crutch was provided, drawing Levi’s gaze as he entered the room. Only for a moment, though, before his attention fell on Zack in the little bed in the even littler room, while the nurse excused herself and the sounds of the hospital bustled on behind him. 

“Don’t,” Levi said after a sharp inhale, looking around him for a brief moment before grabbing a chair and pulling it up next to the bed. “Don’t, ah… it’s fine. Nothing to apologize for.” He set the bag of his own bloodied clothes on the floor beside him, tugging at the hem of the scrub shirt. It was a little short. “Ahh, no, you wouldn’t be dead,” the demon lied, offering him a soft smile. “Just in shit shape.” Glancing around them again and deciding he very much did not like this environment, Levi shifted his weight in his chair. “They told me you can leave, when you feel up for it. I can take you—uh. We can leave.” 

There was a pause, and then he reached for Zack’s wrist to give it a familiar squeeze, fingers lingering on the patient wristband. “How’re you feeling?”

—

Stupidly, the first thing Zack did was grin at the sight of Levi. But someone had gotten him some scrubs, it seemed, to trade for the top Zack had bled all over and it was definitely too small. “Okay, but I also have to apologize about your sweater,” he added, half-joking, half actually abashed. “They definitely threw it away.” He had been panting when they pulled it away from the wound, teeth gnashed together with a fine sheen of sweat over his skin from the pain.

“Yeah, well, tell that to the artery that was bleeding out in my leg,” he commented, brow furrowed. “Jesus,” he huffed and let his head drop back against the pillows. “That thing just wouldn’t let go. I really think it was trying to eat me.” He could still remember the sick pull of the thing’s jaw, the way it wasn’t just latched on in attack, but in some kind of hunger. Like the hunger in the other guy’s eyes, too. “Wouldn’t mind never running into something like that again.”

He rolled his head to meet Levi’s eyes, huffing out a sigh. “Yeah. Yes, please, if you wouldn’t mind. I…” Zack couldn’t say he didn’t like hospitals, this was the first time he had ever been in a proper one, really. But he would be much happier when he was out of there. “I just gotta–” he gave a humorless laugh. “I don’t have health insurance, obviously, so I gotta figure that out.” He didn’t even want to think about how much all this would cost. “If you wouldn’t mind giving me a ride, again. Promise I won’t bleed as much, this time.” 

The touch to his wrist was almost hesitant, more gentle than it had any right being. An echo of his half-panicked grip before being taken away, just hours before. Zack closed his eyes, let out a long exhale. It was nice, though, that he wasn’t there alone. He had wondered when they parked him, whether Levi had bolted – Zack wouldn’t have blamed him if he had. 

“Like I got eaten for dinner,” Zack quipped in answer, “and not in the fun way.” He scrubbed his free hand over his face. “Fucking hurts.” That was for sure. But, also, “Gave me some good drugs, though.” So the pain was more of dull throb, radiating from somewhere vaguely below his waist. “Exhausted,” he added. “And keyed up.”  

—

Clicking his tongue, Levi waved a dismissive hand. “I can get a new one. Knew it was a goner when I decided to use it as a sponge.” At the mention of the creature, Levi let a thoughtful quietness float between them, gaze far-off as he chewed his lip. “Yeah, that—” he finally said, coming back into the moment, “—that was probably a torple.” A demon, he didn’t say. “Cutting off the head’s the only real way to put it out of your misery.” 

With Zack seeming receptive to his offer to take him home, the demon felt the need to elaborate, albeit with some admitted clunkiness. “Don’t worry about the money,” he began, his gaze bopping around the bed that Zack was laying on without actually meeting the other’s, “that’s—I gave them my address.” So the bill would come to him in the mail, and Zack wouldn’t have to worry about how much it’d cost. “I don’t love the idea of sending you home to that cramped apartment you’ve got.” It wasn’t that the sea demon had never shown compassion before, but it was usually just that—a show. Something to keep a person on the line as long as possible, if only for entertainment’s sake. Maybe that’s what this was, too. Levi couldn’t tell, but decided to try and convince himself it was. “I know you’ve got roommates, but I’m sure they’re all busy working their asses off to afford rent. I’d rather—” He stalled, finally finding his footing and glancing up  to meet Zack’s gaze, that slight discomfort melting away from his expression to be replaced by a practiced smile. “You can stay at mine for a bit, if you want. I’m sure it’d be more comfortable for you. If you need things from your place, we can go get those, first.”

—

“Thank you for your sacrifice,” Zack offered, still a little heady with the pain killers. Some of that ease wore away, though, as Levi offered his suggestion of what he thought the thing that attacked Zack may have been. “A torple?” he repeated, incredulously. “Awesome. Do those…generally go around trying to eat people’s legs?” Sure, Zack had signed on with the idea that all he could imagine was real. It was hard to hold onto skepticism when the guy you were casually sleeping with could turn into a massive sea demon. And you had seen him do it. But there were so many elements and angles to it all. There was still so much for him to learn.

The first reaction was relief, when Levi told him about the bill. Because, really, Zack hadn’t been sure how he was going to cover whatever massive debts were likely to have been coming his way. Following the relief was just the thought that it was nice. Not necessarily to have someone pay for it all (although, yes, that too) but just to have someone who had already taken care of things, taken care of him. A decade and a half Zack had kept himself to himself and hadn’t allowed the opportunity of anyone else coming in. “That’s probably way too much,” was all Zack could wrench out. Because after the relief and the revel, there was guilt. Taking that amount of money from someone who was, more or less, a stranger… Levi had no reason to clear that much money for him, just like he had no reason to drop whatever he had been doing that evening to scoop Zack up from bleeding out. “Thank you. Really, I…” What could he say to that, other than “thank you”?

And then, further gratitude. “Wow, you really are trying to make me your kept boy,” Zack joked. The humor faded away though and he would have protested but Levi seemed so sure. That smile on his face was balanced and even and spoke of years, centuries, of knowing what he was doing. “Okay,” he agreed without much of a token fight. Just, “If you’re sure. That…” Yeah, he didn’t want to have to worry about his roommates trying to take care of them. Because they would, likely, to their own detriment and then Zack would have to feel guilty about all of them ending up evicted. “That would be great.”

Zack shrugged, indicating the backpack that had come in with him. A nurse had placed it on one of the other empty chairs. “Whatever I need, really, is in there.” Tablet, phone, wallet, all the essentials. He had gotten used to carrying what was most important with him. “As long as you’re willing to donate another shirt to the cause.”

—

“Not… exactly. They uh, they only go for spellcasters, I’m afraid. Just their preferred diet,” he answered in a hushed tone. The admission that they were a type of demon sat at the tip of Levi’s tongue, but this didn’t feel like the right moment to tell Zack that. If ever. What did it matter, anyway? Not at all. Forget about it. The brief protest in regards to the money was met with a shake of his head, but no more. He wasn’t going to argue it, certainly, and Zack never even had to see the price tag. American healthcare was wack, anyway. That and all the thank you’s—Zack was lucky he wasn’t fae. Levi was lucky he wasn’t fae. What a shit life that would be.

The joke managed to draw forth a deep, genuine laugh. “Hey, come on, I’m not, I’m just trying to give you the best leg up I can.” He looked down at Zack’s bandaged leg, shrugged, and then snickered again to himself. “Pun not intended.” Truthfully, that big house was lonely after Teddy had announced that they’d gotten their own houseboat and were moving out. Which Levi couldn’t fault them for, of course—they were an adult, after all, or at least they were according to human timelines. Levi didn’t like feeling lonely. It was, in fact, one of his very least favorite things. Reminded him too much of home.

“I think I can manage that, yeah,” Levi agreed with a grin. The curtain that had been drawn across the open door that faced the nurse’s station was gently pulled back as a nurse announced herself to them before stepping inside, grinning at them both and approaching the mobile computer in the room to take down a few last notes and officially clear Zack for departure after making sure he was fully aware and stable. “You might feel groggy for a few days from the anesthesia, so just take it easy,” she warned, her gaze jumping from Zack over to Levi. “He shouldn’t be left alone the rest of today, if you can manage that. Make sure he gets plenty of fluids and stays off the leg for a couple days. After that, getting around with the crutch will be sufficient. In the meantime, keep it elevated whenever possible.” 

With Zack discharged, Levi changed back into his bloody shirt and helped Zack get re-dressed in his own bloodied clothes, finding their hellish appearance to be a funny way to leave the hospital. The car was brought around by the valet, who certainly gave them a very concerned once-over before handing over the keys. It wasn’t a long drive from Deersprings to World’s End, made quicker by the fact that they were up before the sun, and subsequently, most of the town as well, so the causeway was empty. 

Back at home, Levi provided comfortable lounge clothes for Zack and pulled back the bedding in the downstairs guest room. The sun was just creeping over the horizon, bathing the interior of the home in a warm, golden light. “You should get some sleep,” he suggested as he pulled the soiled shirt off over his head and gathered up the ones Zack had discarded on the floor. There wasn’t much point in trying to save them, so they were trash-bound. “And yell if you need anything, yeah? I’ll hear.” The crutch was placed within reach, as well as the caster’s phone that sat on the bedside table. Levi needed to go clean up whatever he’d left on the stove the night before, hoping that it hadn’t had the time to attract ants, or something. 

—

“Well, that doesn’t seem fair,” Zack protested. “What, do we just taste extra good to them or something?” But it was unsettling to know there were things that would hunt him. Not through any higher mind, or motive, just by instinct. Just because of what he was, and what the thing was. All the time spent worrying about the humans finding him, and there was  a whole other field to consider. He had more research to do. Zack grinned, a little dizzily, when Levi made the leg pun. “You really are a dad,” he joked..

Zack had been to Levi’s before, but in a…wildly different context. He trailed behind the other man, following him to a room on the first floor. The crutch was manageable, pain meds still working, and changing into Levi’s offered clothes wasn’t so difficult. That reassured Zack, who had been worried about being bedridden, having a stretch of recovery. Aside from his own qualms about being unable to move around…How long before Levi got tired of him?

Because he watched, a little twitchily, as Levi moved around the room — tidying his clothes and setting things up. Zack wasn’t used to someone else doing things for him. Given, he had never been hurt quite like this before. Whatever the situation had been in the past, though, he made it through on his own. It made nerves crop up in his chest, worry that it would be one more thing that could be used against him.

Levi came near again, setting the provided crutch and Zack’s phone within reach. He would have to text Wynne, at least, let them know what happened, to some degree, and where he was. Before all that, though, before Levi could move away, Zack caught his wrist. “Wait,” he said, drawing the other man back to the edge of the bed. With a little strain, Zack levered himself and pressed up into a kiss.

He couldn’t start anything, obviously. Injury aside, Zack was exhausted. The adrenaline had spiraled out of him and between that and the painkillers, he was practically falling asleep sitting up. But this wasn’t about that, anyway, about starting something. It was a thank you, but more than that, it was an easy expression of affection. It was just Zack doing what Levi had instructed him to weeks ago. He wanted to kiss Levi, to slide the hand not supporting him around the back of the other man’s neck, and so he did.

—

What would Ni’Fohnskutet think if it could see Lkrak’Oaazhir now? Playing house with the humans for thirty years, mating and splitting and mating again, all while raising one of them as if it was the demon’s own. Disgraceful, Levi could hear the voice in his head. What are you, mad? Perhaps. Perhaps he had gone a bit mad after all this time. Not just the time he’d spent raising Teddy, but all the time he’d spent these past centuries masquerading as a human when the desire struck him, or swimming in their seas and battling their ships and captains, securing dozens of names for itself in history. 

Maybe it had gone mad. Or maybe it just saw something that the others didn’t. Humanity, and the other branches of intelligent but decidedly inhuman life, didn’t need to be ruled. There was no reason for it, other than ego. And that wasn’t to say that Leviathan lacked an ego, it had plenty of self-confidence to spare, but… all this time spent with them, and it saw purpose for these people where no other demons did. Hell, no other demons really cared to try and see. There was something special about the way Zack snaked a hand around Levi’s wrist, pulling him back toward the bed. Something that Levi never got tired of, no matter how many times it happened, that always kept him coming back for more. 

They ought to try playing house too, he thought, smiling into the kiss and bracing his hands on either side of Zack’s head. It was sure worth it.

[tkmedia]

90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Isaiah McKoy, Jarvis Miller, Henry Mondeaux

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2021 offseason practices concluded last week. Next up for the team is their annual training camp, which should get underway in the latter part of July. Ahead of training camp, we will preview the team’s 90-man roster three players at a time for you as part of a 30-post series. This Steelers 90-man roster preview that includes outlooks for each player goes alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow along with. The next three players we will preview today are Isaiah McKoy, Jarvis Miller, and Henry Mondeaux. WR Isaiah McKoy — McKoy, one of the Steelers rookie undrafted free agents signed this year, caught 123 passes for 1,750 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 24 games he played in at Kent State. Mainly a Z-type receiver, McKoy registered quite a few catches down the field during his college career and a lot of those included him winning on the outside against either press or off coverages. At his pro day, McKoy registered a 4.68-second time in the 40-yard dash. He does play faster than that on tape, however. Even so, he’s not a blazer and not a twitchy player off the line but he does get open down the field. He also exhibited some contested catch ability in college. Outlook: The Steelers seem fairly stacked on their wide receiver depth chart entering this year’s training camp so barring any injuries to the top five, McKoy will have an extremely hard time surviving the final few rounds of cuts. If, however, McKoy stays healthy throughout the summer and has an above average training camp and preseason, he might ultimately land on the Steelers practice squad to start the 2021 regular season as a developmental Z-receiver. ILB Jarvis Miller — The Steelers signed Miller to their offseason roster back in late March. The former undrafted free agent spent four years (2015-18) at Penn State before playing at the University of Massachusetts as a graduate student in 2019. He played in 12 games for Massachusetts in 2019 and started 11 of them. He was fourth on the team with 60 tackles and had 4.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and a quarterback hurry. During his career at Penn State, Miller played in 33 total games from 2016-18. He finished with 23 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, one pass defense and a fumble recovery. He finished his college career with 83 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. Undrafted in 2020, Miller measured in as his pro day at 6015, 225-pounds. He caught the Steelers’ eye at the UMass pro day this year. Outlook: Miller virtually has zero shot at making the Steelers 53-man roster this year. He could, however, wind up making the practice squad to start the 2021 regular season and especially if he excels on special teams during the preseason. The Steelers will keep at least one inside linebacker on their practice squad this year and possibly even as many as two if teams are allowed to have 16 total players once again. DT Henry Mondeaux — After starting the 2020 season on the Steelers practice squad, Mondeaux was promoted to the 53-man roster in late October. He then proceeded to dress for every game the remainder of the season and ultimately logged 88 total defensive snaps, 182 special teams snaps and one snap on offense as a fullback. He finished the 2020 regular season with five total tackles, one of which resulted in lost yardage and two quarterback hits. Mondeaux had previously spent the entire 2019 season on the Steelers practice squad. Outlook: After spending a lot of time on the Steelers 53-man roster in 2020, Mondeaux will be hard-pressed to survive the team’s final rounds of roster cuts this summer barring injuries happening ahead of him on the team’s depth chart. Mondeaux is mostly a defensive tackle type and with Tyson Alualu and Carlos Davis both slated to nab two of the six total defensive line jobs on the 53-man roster come Week 1, the former undrafted free agent out of Oregon might ultimately need to settle for a practice squad spot to start the 2021 regular season and he’ll have quite a bit of competition for that as well. Previous Posts In Series 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: DeMarkus Acy, Marcus Allen, Tyson Alualu 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Abdullah Anderson, Kalen Ballage, Zach Banner 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Jordan Berry, Chris Boswell, Antoine Brooks Jr. 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Shakur Brown, Isaiah Buggs, Calvin Bundage 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Devin Bush, Rico Bussey, Kameron Canaday 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: T.J. Carter, Demarcus Christmas, Chase Claypool 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Aviante Collins, Rashaad Coward, Anthony Coyle 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Carlos Davis, Stephen Denmark, Joshua Dobbs 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Kevin Dotson, Eric Ebron, Terrell Edmunds 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Trey Edmunds, B.J. Finney, Minkah Fitzpatrick 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, Mark Gilbert 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Ulysees Gilbert III, Joe Haden, Joe Haeg 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Najee Harris, Pressley Harvin III, Dwayne Haskins 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Kendrick Green, J.C. Hassenauer, Cameron Heyward 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Alex Highsmith, Anthony Johnson, Buddy Johnson 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Diontae Johnson, Jamir Jones, Jarron Jones 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Miles Killebrew, Christian Kuntz, Justin Layne 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: John Leglue, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Cassius Marsh 90 In 30: Steelers 2021 Training Camp Preview Series: Arthur Maulet, Ray-Ray McCloud, Anthony McFarland Jr.

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[t4chargers-blog]

Week 15 - 2018 Roster Moves

After a Thursday night win on the road, the Chargers management has made some changes to  their active roster. 

Depth has been added to the defensive line, in the additions of DT Adam Butler, DT Antwaun Woods, and DE Cassius Marsh. Butler lead a successful rookie season in New England last year with 11 tackles and 2 sacks and will see game time in the remaining games of the season. Cassius Marsh has 3 sacks already this season and will look to make an impact on his second team in LA.

On offense, the Chargers are moving away from Geno Smith with the signing of second year Quarterback Davis Webb. Additionally, Phillip Rivers has been given a few new receivers in TE Christopher Herndon IV, WR Bruce Ellington, and WR Carlos Henerson. All 3 of these players are expected to have snaps next week, Herndon will play in 3 TE sets, Henerson will be in for kick returns along with Travis Benjamin and Bruce Ellington will serve as a rotational player at reciever. With 377 yards on the season and a touchdown, Ellington is looking to continue the best season of his career.

Practice squad linebacker from the Bengals, Jordan Evans, was added on Saturday. His future is unsure but with his speed at the linebacker position he may be able to make a move to safety.

The defensive backfield added depth also with the additions of S/CB Quinten Rollins and S J.J. Wilcox, known for their careers on the Packers and Cowboys respectively.

To make room for these additions the players cut are as follows: FB John Kuhn, TE Darren Waller, TE Austin Traylor, WR Damion Ratley, QB Geno Smith, DE Dakoda Watson, DT Justin Jones, DT Andrew Brown, LB Neville Hewitt, S Lonnie Ballentine.

[primascriptura]

Patriots declared RB Mike Gillislee, DT Malcom Brown, OT Marcus Cannon, OL Cole Croston, WR Chris Hogan, DE Cassius Marsh and CB Eric Rowe inactive for Week 10 against the Broncos.

[tdavenport88]

Three WR trade targets for Eagles

The Eagles will address their wide receiver position in the offseason. Here are three options that can be acquired via trade.

Adding to the wide receiver group is a priority for the Eagles this offseason. There are quite a few free agents that will likely draw interest from the Eagles.

Related:Signing Alshon Jeffery may not be a definite fix for Eagles offense

Philadelphia can also look to acquire help by way of trade. Here are three trade options that can help the Eagles:

Brandon Marshall | Jets

Marshall is in the…