moorliit

[moorliit]

her heart skipped at the sound of sami's voice. cady wanted so badly to peer over his shoulder with the hopes of catching just a glimpse of the little girl. who did she take after more? did she have her mother's eyes with her father's hair? it took just about every ounce of her willpower to remain firmly planted where she was on the porch. one thing at a time, she said over and over in hear mind, the mantra being the driving force. "i was just saying, any time she needs to sell something, i'll be her number one customer," cadance said, a smile crossing her face.

the smile only lasted for a few moments, however, as she watched the wheels start to turn and bennett's demeanor started to shift. she had it all planned out: befriend him and slowly leave little clues to make her revelation an easier pill to swallow. but her heart yearned for him and had said fuck it. "i-" cady took a deep breath, watching as he closed the door behind him, shielding sami from harm no doubt. "i'm sorry. i swear i wasn't planning to just spring this on you," she muttered, her eyes moving from the closed door to meet his gaze. "something happened - awakened in me - after i..." she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. cady didn't even want to acknowledge that she had died in his arms, the cries of their newborn being the last thing she heard. "two years after sami was born i just...woke up. i didn't really understand it - i still don't - but what happened to me....what i am..." the word was on the tip of her tongue and once she said it, either he would think her crazy and turn his back on her or he'd believe everything she said and they'd find a way to figure everything else out together. "i'm a phoenix, bennett. and ever since i was reborn and my memories started to come back, i've been trying to find my way back to you. and sami."

bennett felt like he was going to catch fire, which was... awful, and familiar, but familiar in a way that seemed as if it had happened to another person entirely. he'd lost cady years ago, and when that happened, he lost himself, too. he became what sami needed him to be - a father, and a good one at that, but he was incapable of being anything else. this flickering heat in his empty veins that were screaming at him to pull this woman against his body was awakening that version of himself that he had buried next to his wife, and it was as addictive as it was terrifying. 'daddy, who's there', sami called out from inside, snapping bennett out of his stupor just long enough to reply. "It's a new neighbor, bubs, just keep coloring." 'can I meet them?' she asked, and bennett shot the woman an apologetic glance. "no talking to strangers, remember?" he heard a frustrated huff and playfully rolled his eyes at the woman in front of him. "i'm sorry," he said. "you were saying?"

it was... indescribable, the feeling that nearly knocked him clean to the ground as she answered her name. he was torn between falling to his knees and slamming the door in her face. "i-," he gasped, less an actual attempt at speaking and more an exhale of breath. he stepped onto the porch, clicking the door shut behind him and taking a moment to gather his thoughts before replying. it's hopeless, any semblance of a thought is bouncing wildly around his skull. "it..." cady is on repeat in his mind. meeting another woman who makes his fucking soul ache is one thing, that same woman being named cadance is another, but to know the exact name he always used... the word that had last passed his lips when he was screaming it, cradling her body to his chest... the ground was shaking beneath him. "I don't know what - I don't know if this is a joke, or some kind of - you... what are... what is this? please, cady, tell me what this is." and it didn't matter if he sounded like a fucking lunatic, he felt like one, too. he just needed to know.

[moorliit]

would he be upset about the little lie she just told? cadance couldn't quite tell by the look on his face. she had hoped he would understand why she just didn't come out and yell "it's me, cadance. the wife you watch die giving birth to our daughter." that probably wouldn't have gone over well. no - this seemed like the safest option for now. she sucked in the air, holding it between her cheeks before he spoke again. oh, how he had missed his voice. the way it would change just as he was falling asleep or when he was angry. the way hit would hitch when she kissed her favourite spot on his neck. even if he didn't notice her yet, she would do everything to just listen to him speak.

at the mention of sami, something pulled at cady's heart, twisting it in her chest. where she had committed everything about bennett to memory, his daughter - their daughter - was a complete stranger. it wasn't like the little one would recall the stories told or the songs cady sang while she was still pregnant. "i've never been able to turn down a child knocking at my door trying to sell something. she can come knocking and i'll pay whatever she asks," she muttered, wondering if the little girl would come be curious as to who was at the door and come running. when their hands touched, something sparked in cadance like a fire had been reignited. as if part of her was dormant until she had connected with him again. "cadance. but you'll call me cady," she said breathlessly.

"oh, of course," bennett said, letting out a shaky breath, shrugging off the overwhelming sense of familiarity that had blanketed him in the woman's presence. it was just - cady's heart had fluttered that same way - one weaker thump every three beats, so subtle not even an ultrasound had picked it up, but bennett could. bennett had been fluent in the language of his love, could read every twitch of her nose, every quirk of her smile, every beat of her heart. oh god he missed her something terrible, but that wasn't the fault of the woman in front of him.

"sorry, i just - got lost in my head for a moment there," he said, waving a hand with a wistful little smile, forcing it into something bright. "i'm a terrible host, please, don't apologize, and welcome to the neighborhood! it's been a while since we've gotten a new neighbor." glancing over his shoulder, he listened to sami hum, heard the drag of her crayons, made sure the green beans weren't still cooking, and turned back to the woman. "if you're around for long enough, my daughter will probably try selling you cookies, you do not need to buy them. we're plenty well off, and neither of us are all that great in the kitchen" he joked, offering her his hand. "i'm-" he started, losing the rest of his sentence the moment their skin touched, that blanket of familiarity feeling more like a cannon being shot through his chest. cadance, cadance, cadance, his brain screamed at him. bennett yanked his hand back as if he'd been electrocuted, feeling every bit as if he had, and shot her an apologetic glance. "i'm - christ, i'm sorry, i'm not usually like this, i - i'm all out of sorts, you just... i was just reminded of someone. you'll have to forgive me." he paused, moving to lift his hand again before letting it fall back to his side, not entirely sure his immortality would stand up to that blow to the chest again. "i'm bennett, i didn't catch your name?"

[moorliit]

ric grimaced at the charred stuff peppers for a few seconds before finally resolving that there was nothing to be done about them now. when he turned back to della, the frown was a permanent fixture on their face. at least until his arms were wrapped around della and he felt the weight of his failure lift from his shoulders. "i know you love them, but that doesn't mean that they make a meal," he muttered, leaning in to place a kiss at the top of her head. "well, shall i continue on with trying to make this fancy and plate the mashed potatoes? or shall i just grab us a pair of spoons and we can eat out of the pot like the cave people we so clearly are?" they asked, chuckling a bit. "i'm happy to be spending time with you too, but i had wanted tonight to be extra special."

desperately fighting to regain control over the fit of giggles she'd fallen into, delphine rearranged her expression into something adjacent to seriousness. "of course, of course," she said, nodding at alaric. "not funny at all." with a smile, she wrapped both of her arms around one of theirs, resting her chin on ric's shoulder before batting her lashes up at him. "it's really okay, ric. and besides, i love mashed potatoes! they're vegetarian and salty and savory and they expand once they get into your stomach so we'll be full in no time!" with another smile, she traced his jaw with her fingertips, eyes exploring all of the angles of their face. "you do nice things for me all the time, alaric. i'm just happy to be spending time with you."

[moorliit]

her heart pounded in her chest while she waited for what seemed like an eternity for the door to open. she wondered if he'd be able to hear it; if it sounded the same as before. "i-" cadance sucked in her breath when the door opened and she was face to face with him. every bit of strength she had was focused on keeping her feet planted so as not to jump into his arms. she hardly recognized herself when she first looked in the mirror. it would have been foolish to think bennett would know her. this was a mistake.

"no, i'm not looking for the tenors," cady replied, meeting bennett's eyes, urging him to see who she was. "i'm sorry to drop by uninvited," she said quietly. "i moved in across the street, and i-uh, i'm introducing myself to the neighbours," she lied, her ruse coming back into her brain while she stretched out her hand, hoping her nerves had calmed down.

the smell of sami's human diet burned bennett's hyper-sensitive nose as he stir-fried green beans for the evening's dinner, and while pondering this, his chin tilted up at the sound of his doorbell. hmm. "were you expecting someone?," he asked sami jokingly. she fell into a fit of giggles, shaking her head. 'no daddy!' she squealed, going back to the highly intriguing coloring book page she was working on. "alright, i'll go check, you stay here, okay?" 'mkay!' with that, he took the pan off its heat, tucking the handle in and away from where sami might accidentally try to reach it, and wiped his hands on the cloth over his shoulder on the walk to the front door.

"oh," he said, taking in the sight of the woman standing before him. she was... beautiful in a way that had bennett's cold, dead heart thumping, which felt unnatural at best and guilt-inducing at worst. he hadn't looked at a woman in that way since... "sorry," he said, shaking off the strange feeling. "can i help you? i don't believe we were expecting anyone tonight, if you were looking for the tenors, they're just down the street."

[moorliit]

tiernan nursed the amber filled glass in front of them, trying to think of something comforting or reassuring to say to emrys - but nothing was coming to mind. "careful, you'll inflate my ego. i've never had to pay for a drink and you're just adding fuel to the fire," they laughed before taking a sip from his glass. "but honestly, you're not really going to give up are you? you're too pretty to be throwing in the towel."

closed starter for @moorliit ( emrys & tiernan ! )

"Honestly, at this point I'm about to give up men, y'know? They're just so frustrating," Emrys groaned, taking a sip of his own drink, before realising the other needed a refill. "Oh, your next drinks are on me. Have as many as you want. You've let me ramble for ages."

[moorliit]

"i'm never late," mars muttered, smirking slightly. "i arrive precisely when i mean to. you're just early. if you must know, i have an excellent excuse for not arriving on time. i was avoiding someone."

closed starter for @moorliit ( luc & utp ! )

"You're late," Luc huffs, half annoyed, half amused. "Fashionably so like a the true queer that you are, though, so I'll let you off."

[moorliit]

"rightfully so," cesar commented. "i don't think anyone should be chasing after a man. let them come to you and all that."

closed starter for @moorliit ( kian & utp ! )

"But I found out that day I can run fast with the right motivation," Kian shrugged his shoulders. "Apart from that, I don't run for no man."

[moorliit]

starter status: closed for @bloodwiine (suri & upt) location: outside at night, somewhere that makes sense

"the stars are not as bright tonight," suri muttered, tearing her gaze away from the night sky and back at her companion. "surely this is an omen of some kind for them to be so dim. there's not a cloud in the sky..."

[moorliit]

starter status: closed for @lilyofthevvlley (cadance & bennett) location: outside the ainsley home

her hands were shaking - rightfully so. cadance never thought she would see bennett again or their daughter but after years of searching, she'd finally found her way back to them. but she was scared because there was a lot that can happen to a person over the course of five years. cady had first spotted them at the park just a few days back while coming out of the coffee shop. at first she thought it was a cruel figment of her imagination, but she had been compelled to follow them. of all the things, it had come down to stalking her own family, but she had to be absolutely sure that it was him. and that the little girl was her daughter.

"you were reborn from ashes, cady. you can do this," she muttered to herself. taking a deep breath, cadance forced her feet to move, carrying her along the path that led to the front door until she was at arm's length. mustering all the courage she had, cadance reached up and wrapped her fingers around the door knocker and knocking a few times.

[moorliit]

starter status: closed for @lunarrbxnshee (cesar & utp) location: edge of midnight labyrinth at night

"don't worry, i wasn't planning on going in," cesar muttered, looking over his shoulder at the sounds of footsteps behind him. "i was just sitting here - thinking. this will be my fourth full moon and i'm still not not used to it. i just needed to clear my head ya know?"

[moorliit]

starter status: closed for @lilyofthevvlley (ric & della) location: alaric's home

"no, it's not funny," alaric said, trying to contain a laugh of his own while tossing the smoking pan into the sink. the plan had been to cook a romantic dinner for him and della and it had been going according to plan until he forgot to turn off the oven once the timer went off. "i wanted to do something nice for you," ric frowned as they walked around the counter to sit next to her. "now all i have is mashed potatoes and that's not exactly a meal."

[moorliit]

"this is going to be mind blowing," alaric started, looking over at river before they continued, "but did you try asking him? i went years not realizing my best friend loved me so i'm not exactly sure i will be the best judge but i can try and help."

closed starter for @moorliit ( river & utp ! )

"I just wish I knew where we stood now, y'know? because i would gladly be his bitch," He admitted, letting out a sigh.

[moorliit]

"who the hell steals silverware? like what purpose does it serve? also, how did you find out he was stealing your silverware?" tiernan was bursting with all sorts of questions, uncaring on how invasive it might come off. "i will heed your warning. i have little desire to give my time to anyone who cannot leave me satisfied and i like to keep my spoons where they are."

"Trust me, been there, done that. First of all, it'll be the most boring sex you'll ever have, his dick is the size of a tic tac and he'll steal your silverware." Cleo shuddered, shaking her head. "So unless you want to be deeply unsatisfied and missing your spoons, I'd stay far away."

[moorliit]

"i have always loved a pastel colour pallet," myth replied. "as much as i want to say purple, i don't think i can make my entire home monochromatic. or can i? are there rules against that kind of thing?" she laughed. "i want whatever inspires you. regardless of what it looks like, it will be a cherished gift always."

"then we could drink from matching mugs!" she giggles excitedly and it sounds like honey. "are there any colors you'd prefer? patterns, maybe? big mugs or little mugs?"

[moorliit]

"i suppose there is a lot of similarities when it comes to potions and cooking or medicine. i've had a lot of trial and error when it comes to developing a new potion but what i put it in it all depends on what i want it to do. and the intentions i have behind it. there have been a number that have not worked out in my favour over my years," suri replied, keeping a gentle smile. "it's hard to make something go against nature. it's a natural process for herbs to go bad such as with mortals," mahsuri remarked, thinking of her own forbidden powers. "i'm sure there are those that have tried but manipulating something last longer than it should is not something i would toil with."

"I'll be sure to mark that down on my list," he repeated with a small nod, smiling back. "I've never said it aloud, but I've always been curious about potions, and how one figures out what goes with what, but I suppose similar can be said about medicine and food. That sounds quite similar to what we do over at the farm. I'm surprised there isn't a spell to prevent that yet, or is there and I just haven't heard of it?"

[moorliit]

"i don't think there is much a doctor is going to able to do with my unevolved genetics," alaric said, laughing at the comment from rowan. "at least not while keeping my dna unaltered."

After the noise passed, Rowan was able to relax enough to turn their attention to Ric. They'd seen the other aboard the Estrella a couple times, "Or you're simply too human," Rowan countered, glancing out to sea once more in hopes of seeing something. "No offense or anything, but from what I've learned about humans, your hearing sucks." Rowan told him with an apologetic shrug. "Maybe you should see one regardless."

[moorliit]

tiernan pursed their lips, moving closer to cade. "you can push a different kind of button if you wish," they remarked, letting out a low chuckle. "i didn't realise you knew anything about history," tiernan teased, nudging the other's shoulder playfully before shaking his head. "no. i do not need a doctor and i would rather business not be something discussed tonight."

"But pushing your buttons is far too much fun for that," Cade countered, though was unable to hide his amusement at the other's antics. "I much prefer a different kind of battle, though I'd argue what you did now and what they did centuries ago is a very different kind of dance," he added. "Not at the moment, unless you require a doctor?" They jested, eyebrows arching.