cecemorales

[cecemorales]

The library wasn't somewhere which Cecelia normally frequented. But she was on a mission. She wanted to find out as much as she could about the old mayor, the one who was definitely the newcomer in town - though Cece didn't know if she really believed that. Something strange was happening in this town - stranger than normal - and she didn't like it. Not one little bit.

She was broken out of her trance by the voice of the other woman and she looked up to her for a second, attempting to move out of the way. Though she huffed as she realised that they had gone the same way.

Cecelia didn't recognise the other woman and she was about to turn back to her book before Piper spoke again.

She raised an eyebrow as she took in the other again and shook her head, "Not that I'm aware off." She shrugged. "I'd say probably just one of those faces but ... I don't think so." She took in Piper, trying to size her up a little. "Are you from here?"

open starter | location: woodside library

An innocent trip to pick up a book in the fifteen minutes between finishing her shift at the hotel and the store closing meant that Piper was working on enjoying gentle silences... but she wasn't so good at the stillness-of-thought part. Someone had recommended a hobby that didn't involve another person, so a book seemed the perfect fit.

Besides, signing up for a library card impulsively was right up her alley. As was returning a book four weeks late, but she'd keep that to herself and hope for the best.

"Excuse me, hon," she started in innocence - just a means of moving past them. Or in front of them, rather, through their field of view. Obstructing from the books on display with the intention of slipping right by.

She had given them a polite smile and a quick glance — the same kind given to a stranger at a grocery store when she walks in the same path as them. And then it turns into a whole ordeal where she'd accidentally mimicked the direction they'd chosen to break free of the endless void of time-locked embarrassment.

So a polite smile. But one that forced her to glance back, then turn around slowly, and study the person opposite her. A face so familiar she'd sworn she'd seen them before. In a dream, maybe. Or a former life. Curious familiarity filled her gaze, with brows knitted in fleeting recognition and a mind swimming with a need to put a name to the face.

And now it was rude. And weird.

"Sorry," she excused herself again, breaking free of her quizzical freeze to bring warmth and sincerity to her features. "So sorry... have we met before?"

[cecemorales]

ESTER EXPÓSITO as Lilí in Bandidos (S02E03) (01/???)

[cecemorales]

open at emerald enchanted

Cecelia was sure that someone was following her. From the moment that she had entered emerald enchanted, she had been sure their eyes were on her. hunters was her initial thought. she didn't know for sure though. Which was why she was trying her hardest to keep her distance. If she kept space between the two of them, then she hopefully wouldn't have to deal with any of ... that. She really wasn't in the mood for it.

As she wasn't paying attention, it was easy to bump into someone, her drink spilling down her front. "Shit" Cece snapped, "God! Do you now watch where you're going?" She huffed. She was well aware that it was entirely her fault. She was the one who wasn't watching what she was doing. But Cecelia wasn't about to admit that she was at fault. That was entirely out of character. "Fuck. This dress is completely ruined!"

[cecemorales]

The blonde raised an eyebrow as Summer placed her hand on her elbow. She understood what the other was saying though. That was just the right thing for a friend to say ... wasn't it? "Oh, trust me, my self confidence is not my problem." Cecelia laughed. She knew that she could get pretty much anyone in that place. She was all too aware that she was pretty. And she didn't exactly think she was going to end up going home alone tonight ... but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be thinking about Matt. She just wished that she could do something to get her mind off of him.

Cecelia shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe. He might think it's hot as fuck but then he also might be scared out of his wits." After what had happened at the radio station - with the voices - Cece was even more sure that she couldn't be the one to tell Matt about what she was. Because if he freaked out, then she was sure that it would break her heart. She didn't want to have to face that kind of rejection. Not from him. She could probably stand it from basically anyone but him. "You think it'd be some sort of ego boost for him?" She raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to be that? Some sort of trophy for him to win? Fuck that." She huffed. Maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit but Cecelia was nothing if not a pessimist.

"Oh it's not that bad." She laughed as she took her drink from Summer. "Seriously, what did you order that was so different anyway?" She raised an eyebrow but took a sip of her drink. There was a faint alarm that rang in the back of her head. Something was different. Though she quickly shook that off and put it down to there before a little more alcohol in this than the previous one. "Anyway, who have you got your eye on tonight?" She questioned, a twinkle in her eye.

Summer has gotten rather skilled at multitasking; rather, at half-listening & half-scheming specifically. Nodding along empathetically while Cecelia bemoaned her tumultuous relationship, a problem that Summer simply couldn't relate to. Any of her relationships or flings had ended because she got bored with them and moved on. She was unfamiliar with this push & pull that Cece seemed paralyzed by. "First of all," A hand goes to her friend's elbow, and while she was truly tipsy, she slurred her speech a little more. "Just to get it out of the way; you're stunning, gorgeous and can easily do better with one of the thousand gorgeous men that live in this town." Not that its a helpful thing to say, which she knows. The heart wants what it wants, or whatever. Even if Cecelia's head was getting in the way of it, Summer was about to rectify that specific problem.

She watches with feigned disinterest as she leans over the bar to order more drinks; opening up her opportunity. Stay casual, stay normal, keep her talking. "But wouldn't he be into you being..." She doesn't finish the sentence, because she doesn't need to & because its dangerous, but she wiggles her fingers a little to punctuate it. Magical. "If he's this big conspiracy theorist, wouldn't that be some kind of turn on for him? Evidence of him being right or something? Would that be a bad thing for him to be interested in that part of you?" She flashes the bartender a smile as he hands them the glasses, deliberately taking the wrong one. It's a quick sleight of hand she's done a thousand times, letting Cece talk and distract herself as she brings the cup to her chest, uncorking the potion & quickly letting it pour out. As if idly playing with the straw, she swirls it around, mixing it in. "Because, like, it is a part of you, it doesn't mean thats the only thing he likes about you, yknow?" She feigns taking a sip from the straw & grimaces. Holding the cup out to her. "Eugh, I think this is yours."

[cecemorales]

For Cecelia, fear pretty much ruled her every move. She was scared of losing him so she decided that she 'didn't care' before he could decide to leave her. She didn't tell him the truth because she didn't want to be abandoned. She would never admit it, though. Fear wasn't something which Cece would let herself show. She never wanted people to see that kind of weakness from her. She wanted to be strong - so that was the kind of person she showed to the outside world.

But that didn't mean that she didn't want to be there for him. Because of course she did. She wanted to make him feel better, one way or another. So she quickly followed after him, without saying a word. She just wanted to make sure that he felt safe. That he felt okay because whatever it was that she had heard, she did not like it. And she had brought a few little bits which had some protection charms with her. She'd plant them around the place whenever she had a second.

Her heart hurt more as Matt spoke. That was something which she would never admit to so she was glad that he was able to admit it to her, "Well, that's why I'm here." She nodded. She wasn't ever going to let something or someone hurt him. "I don't know." She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know who they were but it was probably someone just playing some sort of prank on you. It was probably nothing, yeah? Would you come home with me"?

Fear wasn't something easily hidden. At least that had always been the case for Matt. Even as a child, he could never act tough and pretend he didn't get scared of the dark until he was about thirteen. Fear controlled him more often than not and as much as he hated it, there was no changing it, not really. But that was why he asked so many questions, so he knew what was going on instead of not being left in the dark. Because even if the metaphorical dark wasn't real, it was still there, lingering and allowing everything to lurk in the shadows.

Cece being there right now, it was like shining the brightest light. She illuminated the darkness that had threatened to close around him, swallow him up. He wouldn't tell her this, not because he felt ashamed, but because it didn't matter. Once they're in the station, near the desk, he's still holding onto her hand like a lifeline. Afraid to let go of it, to be too far from her as if the voice from the phone would suddenly manifest into a living being. But what if it already had? What if it was a real person who had called? What if it hadn't been a prank?

His own thoughts are cut short when she speaks, his Adams apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly. "Physically, yea. I'm okay," he muttered, head hanging as he looked down at their hands. "Mentally, not so much. An-...and I don't know. The phone rang, I answered, did the whole greeting thing and then...all of that happened..." he trailed off, head turning just enough so he could catch a glimpse of the landline from his peripheral. "Cece, I don't know who or what the fuck that was..."

@cecemorales

[cecemorales]

Cecelia sighed as Summer pulled up on her bringing up Matt. She knew that she had been going on but he had been on her mind a lot, recently. "Oh Summer..." Cece sighed, "He was never out of the picture." Now that wasn't something she would have admitted if she hadn't had the amount of shots that she had, had so far. She always wanted to pretend like she was over Matthew. She never wanted to show her friends any sort of weakness.

"It is a bust but that doesn't mean that it isn't something I don't want." She sighed. Even talking about it now, Cecelia felt like she was a fool. She wished that she could stop her feelings for Matt. She thought that it would be so easy if she could just get over him. Why did she have to feel for him like this still? It would be so much easier if she didn't. "Nothing. I don't know what's going on there." She muttered before the lent over the bar to order herself and Summer another drink. If she was going to talk about this, then she needed another drink. "You know most of it Summer. I want to be with him. But he's so fucking stubborn with the theories and I don't think he really wants me. Once he finds out - because he's going too. At some point, he'll know - then he'll just toss me aside and I hate that." She huffed. "I hate being so god damn pathetic over him."

who: @cecemorales where: cloud 7

"Woah, wait — hold on," Still grimacing from the sting of tequila burning in the back of her throat, Summer waves her hand around: cutting Cece off while she spoke. "Radio guy's back in the picture?" The town's infamous conspiracy theorist had always seemed an interesting choice in partnership to Summer, for a variety of reasons. A witch & a human with way too many questions seemed like a recipe for disaster. But a really interesting disaster.

"I thought that was a bust," It's a wicked thought that crackles into her mind: like most of her thoughts were. The buzz of the forbidden fizzing beneath her skin & making her heart skip a beat. Her ... questionable hobby had been half the reason she invited Cece out. Clubs were the easiest place, everyone already distracted & their senses dulled in one way or another. Her friend hadn't been one of the intended targets but, at the mention of her long-running on again, off again situation, Summer's attention suddenly snapped into focus on her. She would have to wait a moment, let Cece get a little further past tipsy & distracted enough with her own problems, but she could definitely manage it... "What's going on there?"

[cecemorales]

Maybe if they had talked more. If the two of them had explained what their issues were, what they needed to work through... maybe then things would've been okay. Maybe then they would've been able to make it all work. If Matt knew that Cecelia had taught herself to not care about people because they always left her - maybe they'd be able to be a little easier on one another.

But then there would still be the big secret. The thing that she couldn't tell him. How could she ever tell him that she was a witch? She didn't really know if she could trust him with it. Not when he constantly asked questions.

No, this way was easier. This way - keeping things purely physical between them - meant that neither of them were going to get hurt. They could enjoy each other, they could be together and they could just pretend like there wasn't a storm of feelings just bubbling beneath the surface. "We definitely wouldn't." She muttered before her arms wrapped around his neck.

A part of her had thought that there would be a little bit of push back from him ... so as he kissed her, Cecelia couldn't help but smirk slightly. A soft moan falls from her lips as her hair is tugged and Cece moved one of her arms so that it is tugging his shirt upwards - well, no point hanging around when they both knew what it was they wanted. I've missed you were the words that she wanted to say but she stopped herself. She didn't think it would matter very much.

It'd been a risk he hadn't given much thought to. He'd just came from Trick R' Treat after getting his usual ( bagel and a vanilla caramel coffee with an extra shot of espresso ) when he crossed the street and saw Cece. The risk didn't just lie in asking her out, no, there was more to it. He hadn't done relationships in a while, nothing serious at least. Yet there had been something about her that made him want to try.

They tried, both of them, but it didn't work. Both of them had walls, each of them attempted to climb or break through. But neither could do so because the other would reinforce said walls. And though he won't admit it aloud, Matt knew his obsession ( because that's what it was ) with the odd happenings of town had ran her off. She would deflect his questions or she would tell him to let it go. Either way, his constant questioning and ramblings of it hadn't been in his favor.

But this, the sex, it was carnal and the only damn thing they got right. It's why they kept coming back to one another; no other reason or so they could tell themselves. Her question makes him chuckle, fingers weaving their way further into hair. "Mmm...wouldn't want that, now would we?" He mused, eyes searching her own as her second question was asked. This wasn't the night where they talked.

He thought about being a sarcastic asshole, but he chose not. An arm came to wrap around her, pulling her close and up a bit. Matt allowed lips to ghost over hers, brushing against them with a subtle smirk tugging at his own. The hand on her back snaked downward to waist before rounding over pert ass. He gave a squeeze as lips pressed heatedly against her own, a small grown leaving him while fingers lodged in hair gave a slight tug.

[cecemorales]

The dedication that Kora and Valina had to their craft was certainly one which Cecelia admired. Although she wasn't easily impressed, she definitely was by the two women. "Well, if you need any extra hands next year, you know where to find me." Cecelia shrugged. It wasn't an offer that she would extend to just anyone but she had come to like Kora. And if she got to spend time around her and Valina - and, more importantly, learning from the two of them - well, that was more than alright by her.

Cecelia nodded a little as she listened to Kora. She glanced back over to the other woman. "Will the incantation work if I gift it to someone?" Cecelia asked. If it did, then she knew exactly what she would want from it. If it didn't, she'd think of something. She was taken by them, that was for sure. "If so, do you have any for protection?"

A HUM OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS PROVIDED at the question, also taking a quick glance down at the brooms Cece seemed to be admiring. ❝ Yes, well, we had to, if we wanted everything to be done in time. ❞ But they enjoyed doing it, quality time spent together making things for others to appreciate and take some positivity from for their day to day lives. Might've seemed trivial or even overall meaningless to some, but the concept was still there and tactful.

❝ The little brooms are cute, aren't they? And they each have their own incantations as well, though inspired by the Krampus lore, there's no evil attached to them, of course. Good fortune and personal gain, mostly. Is there anything in your life currently that you wish to fulfill? You don't have to get into specifics but, they do provide some individual value depending on what you're looking for. ❞

[cecemorales]

Westray's New Years Eve Party

Cecelia attends the event with @djwhittmore.

[cecemorales]

Cecelia nodded, "That's a fair enough reason, I suppose." She shrugged. She didn't really have a reason, herself. FOMO, maybe? She wasn't sure. And if it was that, then she wasn't about to admit it out loud. She raised an eyebrow though, as he continued. "Then what's stopping you? Maybe you shouldn't be in here with me and out there instead. That's where all the chrismtas spirt is." She rolled her eyes.

Why did he still come? Tradition. Necessity. It would be just his luck that the year he decided to abstain from the festivities that something would go down. But that was a lot to put on a stranger. "I like the lights," Is his initial response, dark eyes moving forward for a second, to think about how he'd expound on that. "I'd like to enjoy it. So there's a hope for a hope. Just can't yet get my head around it. Yeah. To shorten it up for you."

[cecemorales]

Cecelia nodded, "Yeah, I noticed you're excited by all of this." She didn't mean it as a bitchy comment. Really, Cece was jealous. She wished that she could let her hair down a little more. She wished she could look on the bright side of things a little more. It just wasn't her natural default. "Diana." Cece hissed, shaking her head. "Seriously, save your money."

"An excuse? No, no- I'm just excited by everything. It makes me smile so much! To see all of the lights and decorations and then to be here with you, one of my best friends- oh, also I'm meeting up with Clementine later, speaking of best friends- it just makes me so cheery and light, to use your words," Diana rushed it all out with said excitement. "Oh, too bad. I've already bought you five gifts and I need to get you more. I'm thinking something matching."

[cecemorales]

After hearing his voice and hearing how scared he seemed, there hadn't been a doubt in her mind. She needed to be there for him. She needed to make sure that he was okay. He didn't know about her. He didn't know that she was a witch but if something was happening, she wouldn't hesitate to let him see what she was capable off. She knew that she needed to help him.

And hearing his voice just told her how much she needed to be there. She hated hearing him so afraid. Whatever it was that had made him this way, Cecelia wanted to do something about it - though she wasn't particularly sure that she knew what she could do. Especially since she didn't know what had really happened.

She quickly moved into the building as Matthew pulled her in. She kept a hold of him as he spoke, "Yeah, I was listening. Are you okay?" She asked him, looking up at him. "What the hell happened?"

After 10pm he didn't expect too many listeners. Knew most folks would be calling it a night and winding down. Tonight, however, he hoped someone was listening. What they would do to help ( with what he didn't know ) him, he wasn't sure. But just knowing someone was listening and possibly cared would do him a bit of good.

In hindsight, he should have been at least somewhat prepared if someone did come out here. When he heard the knock on the door, as gentle as it was, Matt still jumped. His head whipped to look in the direction of the front—the only door—with hands gripping the arms of the chair until knuckles turned white. He thought about calling out, but he knew he had already broken plenty of horror movie rules tonight. So he wouldn't add to it. Not yet at least.

When he heard the familiar voice, only then did he relax somewhat. It could have been a trick. Lips came to part as he found the courage to at least stand from the chair, feet carrying him slowly towards the door. "—Cece?" He asked, voice trembling slightly. Which he hated, but he had had a night. He moved to the door and slowly opened it, cracking the door ever so slightly.

Only when he saw her with his own eyes, did he open the door. "Jesus...am I glad to see you..." he muttered as he grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. The door was quickly shut and locked; something he hadn't done earlier. "Did you...were you listenin'?"

[cecemorales]

"I dunno. Call it intuition." Cecelia shrugged. She thought that there was a lot of other things she could be spending her time on, better things. She thought that romance was just a way for people to distract from the fact that they probably weren't right together. It was just a distraction from everything that was lacking. "Oh my god." Cecelia hissed, "Stop that." She reached out to Gabe, shaking her head. Though there was a small smile on her face showing him that she didn't really mean it. "How ever will you survive?"

Cecelia raised an eyebrow as she looked up at the board, "Too long. Too long for how bad they all are." She muttered, shaking her head. When everything was taken over in Christmas, it kind of annoyed her a little. Because she didn't understand why it all needed to go so overboard.

"Whaaat. What on earth could possibly give you that idea about me?" Gabe grins, giving a little shrug. He could be romantic, with the right person, but it was not something he often leaned into. Too much romance made him cringe, not enough made him bored, so there had to be just the right balance. Maybe some playful 'your face' jokes thrown in the mix. "Oh, yeah?" He turns to look at a random person walking by, "Excuse me, if I asked you to kiss me, do you think I am kissable?" The person gives him a weird look, not answering, then ends up walking away a little quickly. He snorts, looking to Ceceila again, "Oh, my struggles and woes."

Gabe nods when she tells him to lead the way, leading them towards the nearby holiday beverage stand. He looks up at the hand painted menu sign, "How long do you think it takes them to come up with these holiday punny names for drinks?"

[cecemorales]

As she often found herself, Cece was listening to the radio at home. Not because she liked the music necessarily but because she liked to hear his voice - not that she would ever admit that if she was asked. But tonight was different. It was weird. He seemed … spooked. And Cecelia didn’t like hearing him like that. She knew his schedule well enough at this point and when she realised that he was still there, after he usually was, she decided to go. She had to make sure he was okay. In a town like theirs, it wasn’t worth risking it. Cece made sure she had some potions ready - healing, mostly, and set off.

Once she gently knocked on the door, she wasn’t sure just trying the handle and walking in would be too good of an idea. “Matt?” Cecelia called out, a lot softer than she typically was. “Matt, it’s Cece. Are you okay?”

Open; the radio station

To say he was freaked out wouldn't even begin to cover it. He had been sat in the station the entire day except for a quick run into town around noon, he needed his daily bagel from the bakery. But other than that, he'd been there all day and night. Which is when things began to get weird, as soon as the sun had settled behind the mountains.

Midnight was when he was supposed to leave. To call it a night and go home to get at least four hours of sleep; always woke up before that fifth hour rolled in. But he hadn't been able to move from the desk, eyes staring at the phone. Waiting for it to ring or for something to crawl out of it. Either way, he wasn't moving, wasn't going to leave because that meant going out into the dark. Then making a somewhat lengthy drive home and he could safely say he was terrified.

[cecemorales]

Now playing: ...sometimes I don't like what is requested, but no matter what I'll play it. So up next we've got Juno by Sabrina Carpenter as requested by one @cecemorales ...

[cecemorales]

"And somethings tells me that neither of us is that." Cecelia raised an eyebrow. She certainly was not a romantic. She never had been. Romance just had never been on the cards for her, it wasn't something she was particularly interested by. "That does sound like some sort of come on. I'm not going to lie." She shrugged, a smirk on her lips as she spoke. "Something tells me you won't struggle too hard - with or without the mistletoe." She commented. She definitely didn't mean that as a come on. She thought that it was just pretty obvious that he was an attractive man, so why pretend otherwise? The tipsiness probably didn't help her forthrightness either. "Sounds good. Lead the way."

"Yeah, I guess so. Nothing spectacular, unless you're a hopeless romantic at heart." He shrugged, looking back to the mistletoe in the distance. The returned question made him shake his head before he answered, "I have not. I'm not just saying that to try and kiss you under it. I swear. I've just never found myself under a mistletoe with someone, but...I think I'm good on its mystical powers of romance. Maybe next year I'll consider trying to find myself underneath one with someone." The witch doubted it, but he was not about to be the debby downer of the season. " Mistletoes aside. Are you interested in grabbing something caffeinated? That little shop up ahead is rumored to have some delicious holiday beverages."

[cecemorales]

The day that Matthew spoke to her at work, it had tipped her world completely on it's head. Because she never let people get too close. She had all of these walls up that she just refused to let down. She didn't usually want to let people in. But with him? She wanted, so badly, to let him in. She wanted to let him see the darkest sides of her. And that was what made her bolt, each and every time.

And his questions never really helped. She was scared. She had no idea what he would do when he found out. Would he leave? Was that all he wanted? Did he already know? There were too many questions that ran through her head and she just couldn't get rid of them. She couldn't let herself fall for him. It was too dangerous.

Cecelia rolled her eyes as she looked up at Matt. She was never going to tire of being with him. She was basically completely addicted to him. Though it wasn't something which she was about to say. "My moments? You're going to ruin my reputation." She chuckled, her arms moving to wrap around his neck. "Do we have to keep talking or are you going to do what I know you want to do?"

There was something going on with the town. Something that only a select few knew about and he was left to wonder. He was an outsider despite having been there for a decade now, but he understood. Knew that it was going to take a lot of trust building with the locals before anyone felt keen enough to open up. But that wasn't the case with Cecelia, no, she had been a happy accident.

Just out for a walk a little over a year ago and he happened to pass the florist at the right time. Because there she had been, sun beating down on her and he knew he had to know her name. To at least take a chance of asking her out and seeing if it went anywhere, but we all know how that ended. There was a always a constant push and pull between them, Matt feeling the resistance from her and how she kept him at an arms distance. How she would react to him bringing up the weird things in town and asking her about it, mostly wanting her opinion, but she never gave it.

In the long run, they just didn't work. At least not in a relationship, not one that lasted longer than two to three months. But this, the simplicity of sharing in basic human desire, they were good at. So there was no surprise on his part as he watched the other walk up to him, his head bowing slightly to look down at her. He can't help but smirk at her question as his hand fell to take hold of her waist while the other came to rest at the back of her neck.

"I don't know...you have your moments," he mused, keeping out of reach of her lips for a brief second before he closed the gap. They didn't have to do the formal thing, they both knew why she was there and why he replied to her text. Why he opened the door and why he pulled her closer to him as he kissed her feverishly and possessively.