scvntillas

[scvntillas]

kaya  had  had  a  relatively  easy  week ,  only  working  on  an  art  installation  made by  a  few  of  the  university  seniors.  it  was  a  fun  collaboration  between  the  arts  center  and  the  school  ,  a  partnership  that  had  paid  off  well  in  the  last  decade.  still  ,  she  deserved  a  night  to  unwind  ,  to  just  enjoy  her  weekend. her  goal  for  the  night  was  the  old  haunt  which  had  a  fitting  name  for  what  it  offered  its  patrons.  some  of  the  patrons  also  looked  like  they  were  the  reason  behind  the  name.  she  got  her  drink  from  cal  ,  aimed  for  the  reason  she  had  come  ,  and  made  little  to  no  effort  to  hide  her  approach. "you  sure  ?"  she  asked  teasingly  as  she  slid  into  the  seat  opposite  her  friend.  "you  kinda  look  like  i  kicked  your  dog  ,  or  something.  do  you  really  despise  my  company  that  much  ?"

location: the old haunt, late evening. status: open to all !

HAN-NA had a rather... tiring day teaching. All those students asking for theories about the vampire's death, wondering had it been demonic interference that ended their existence and summoned both dragons and reapers to the... peaceful town of Portum had been irksome at best.

at worst she was really close to summoning hellfire.

She had lived for seven centuries with only minimal diversions into the dark and the villainous, and for the past three centuries it had been almost without incident.

almost.

Deciding to just throw back and relax at the Old Haunt, Han-na ordered herself a glass of red wine and enjoyed the much needed solitude. Until, like all good things, it had abruptly ended.

"By all means, do sit down. I don't bite."

[scvntillas]

a   bubbly   ,   caring   water   dragon   figuring   out   how   to   live   on   her   own   .  now   works   as   the   director   at   portum   performing   arts   center   .   she   is  eight   hundred   and   twenty   six   years   old   and   has   lived   in   portum   for  twenty   years   .   adored   and   penned   by   emma

STATISTICS

i. the essentials.

name: kaya jones. nicknames: kay. gender: cisfemale. pronouns: she / her. species: dragon. sexual orientation: undefined. romantic orientation: undefined. spoken languages: english, greek, italian, french, old swedish, mongolian + several other extinct languages. age: twenty nine ( physical age ) + eight hundred and twenty six ( true age ). birthday: undocumented. employment: director at portum performing arts center. financial status: upper class.

ii. appearance.

hair colour: dark brown. hair style: large and curly. eye colour: dark brown. important physical features: plush lips, freckles. height: 5'8. weight: 50 kg. piercings: earrings in both ears, tongue piercing. tattoos: a lot all over her body.

iii. fun facts.

one. her hoard of choice are flowers. she's been collecting them for years and is in the process of figuring out the best way of preserving them. two. will spend most of her free time outside , preferably in her garden. three. loves to sing , but is sadly not very good at it.

iv. likes & dislikes.

likes: flowers , spring , dancing in the rain. dislikes: winter , loneliness.

v. additional.

hobbies: collecting and preserving flowers. drinking / smoking / drug usage: yes / yes / sometimes. soft spot: ephraim cain. fears: her love not remembering her. comforts: long , warm baths.

STORY

this story contains triggers such as grief and depression.

i spent my whole life here

for most of kaya's life , she had been alone. she doesn't remember her parents , thinks they probably loved her , but it's been centuries now. there's a small inkling of a memory of her flying next to them , newly hatched and eager to learn. she's not sure if it's something that actually happened or if it was just wishful thinking. her first years were spent trailing the shores of the island where she was born. there she learned every path and every trail , finding an interest in the beauty around her. the flowers spoke to her , and she would spend those years finding every plant and petal and cherish them like it was made out of gold.

i had no friends but the sky and sun

one day , she realised she'd found all the plants her island could offer and , for the first time , she left. that , in turn , brought new experiences. where time had stood still on the island the world had kept turning. she found that she liked it. kaya traveled from kingdom to kingdom , never staying in one place for too long. she learned to blend in , changing her name , her clothes , and her voice to match whatever world she stepped into. some nights , she sat in taverns , listening to sailors tell stories of monsters lurking beneath the sea — dragons among them , though they did not know one sat among them. and when she grew weary of one life , she left it behind , moving on to the next. she was still searching for something , something she hadn't found yet.

you're unlike anyone i've ever known

until him. from the moment they met , something in kaya shifted. in all her travels , all her lifetimes , it was as if she'd been waiting for him. he was an angel , a creature of light and divinity , with wings spun from silver and a voice that carried the echoes of forgotten songs. they should never have crossed paths — one bound to the skies , the other to the realms beyond. but fate is a mischievous thing. and for the first time kaya felt like she belonged to someone. he spoke of the heavens , of the beauty of the cosmos , and she listened , captivated by a world she had never known. in turn , she showed him the earth as he had never seen it , taking him to the highest peaks and the deepest valleys, where even the stars could not reach. but love between sky and earth is not meant to last.

i'm not sorry for loving you

one day , he was just gone. no trace of his presence remained — no scent on the wind , no whisper in the sky. it was as if he had never existed at all. the tides no longer felt steady beneath kaya, and the island , once her endless sanctuary , became an abyss of sorrow. she searched the heavens , calling his name with a voice that shook the mountains. she scoured the earth , leaving no stone unturned , no realm unexplored. but the angel was gone , lost to a place she could not reach. kingdoms crumbled into dust, civilisations rose and fell, and still, she remained. the world changed, but her longing did not. kaya still remembered the heart wrenching pain that tore through her chest when he disappeared. centuries passed, but kaya did not stop searching.

i'm stuck in the moments i swore that we had

still , life moved on. she kept going like she had before , and even though it didn't feel like it had before. the one thing that kept her going was her hoard of flowers , growing with every city she lived in. whenever a flower died she felt it like a stab in her chest , so she began experimenting with different ways of preserving them. her library of knowledge grew and so did her collection. she arrived in a town , one she had only heard of in rumours. welcoming to people like her , people that needed something. kaya didn't know why she had found portum , but the safety that wrapped around her , the comfort , made her want to stay. she put down roots , she made friends. she tried to ignore the longing in her heart. to get her mind to move forward she helped found an arts center , to create something beautiful with the pain she had felt for so long. for someone that had spent most of their life roaming , the relaxing routine of having something to do felt comforting.

i wish you would chase me, or try to embrace me

one day he just appeared. with a heart that hadn't felt alive since he left she approached , running toward him with a smile as she called out his name, for once not tinged with the sadness and desperation that had laced it for so long. ephraim ! he turned to face her , and kaya's heart stopped all over again. she searched his face , desperate for some flicker of the past , some hint of the love they had shared. but there was nothing — no memory , no warmth , no pain. to him , she was just another stranger in a city of passing souls.

why in the world won't you love me too ?

the past five years have been some of the hardest in kaya's life. harder than spending eternities searching for someone that couldn't be found. harder than forcing her body to keep moving even as it just wanted to lie down and stop. but she had not. instead , she remained in portum, lingering in the city that sat between realms, watching over the angel who no longer knew her. she did not know if the past would ever return to him. if the love they had shared could be remembered , or if they were fated to begin again from nothing. but she had spent centuries searching for him and would like to stay in his life. even if it might not end the way she wanted to , she would be satisfied if they were friends. at least , that's what she kept telling herself. she kept herself busy. she made new friends , put on more shows at work. it's getting easier to live day to day and where it looked dark she can see a small silver lining.

[scvntillas]

maren  had  caught  a  whiff  of  the  scent  on  her  way  home  from  work. at  first  she  thought  her  mind  had  betrayed  her  ,  what  with  skylar  appearing  out  of  nowhere  ,  but  maren  knew  it  couldn't  be  a  coincidence.  she'd  been  walking  for  some  time  now  ,  following  the  trail  of  her  sister  toward  the  more  respectable  part  of  town.  not  wealthy  ,  but  respectable.  it  stopped  in  front  of  the  arts  center.  a  small  ,  hopeful  smile  played  on  maren's  lips.  it  seemed  like  a  place  amelia  would  seek  out  if  she'd  had  the  chance  as  a  child.  even  though  it  probably  was  closed  ,  maren  couldn't  miss  an  opportunity  like  this.  she  pushed  the  door  open  to  the  center  ,  carefully  entering  the  entrance  hall.  maybe  the  heartbreaking  reunions  with  jasper  and  eliana  had  prepared  her  for  the  possibility  of  meeting  the  rest  ,  because  this  time  all  she  felt  was  happiness  and  relief.  "ames  ?" 

STATUS : open. LOCATION : portum performing arts center.

there  were  many  times  in  her  life  where  amelia  had  taken  very  questionable  decisions  ;  however,  tonight  certainly  took  the  cake.  after  a  long  day  of  lots  of  rehearsals  and  performances  she  had  offered  to  stay  behind  after  work  to  close  everything  out  and  organize ;  an  act  of  loyalty  or  stupidity  —  she  asks  herself.  ten  minutes  into  her  extra  work,  five  of  those  which  were  spent  laying  on  the  floor  staring  at  the  void,  she  was  starting  to  regret  her  life  choices,  she  was  almost  considering  making  a  run  for  it  and  leaving  everything  as  it  was.  " rating  amelia  finch's  stupidest  moments:  number  one ...  tonight. "  she  said  out  loud,  not  having  noticed  the  door  of  the  building  opening.

[scvntillas]

it  took  longer  than  kanda  had  assumed  it  would  for  aeri  to  appear  in  the  doorway.  she  was  almost  done  with  the  treat  that  had  been  brought  to  her  and  was  clenching  the  box  under  her  arm  for  easy  access  when  it  was  time  for  another. hadn't  it  been  obvious  ?  kanda  hadn't  slammed  the  door  in  her  face  so  aeri  was  free  to  come  and  go  as  she  pleased.  at  least  for  now.  aeri  seemed  to  read  her  silence  as  compliance  ,  for  she  stepped  into  kanda's  room  and  sat  down  next  to  her.  all  in  time  aeri  would  open  up  about  the  reason  she  was  there. at  the  words  of  condolences  kanda  couldn't  help  the  scoff  that  escaped  her  lips.  so  that's  why  aeri  was  sneaking  around  ,  offering  bribes  in  favour  of  answers.  though  it  seemed  as  if  she  had  stumbled  upon  the  truth  by  accident.  while  still  munching  on  the  first  one  kanda  opened  another  poptart  and  inhaled  half  of  it  in  one  bite  while  pointing  to  herself.  hopefully  aeri  was  as  smart  as  a  journalist  ought  to  be.  words  were  too  hard.

          Aeri bit softly on her bottom lip as she watched Kanda storm further into the house. It took her an extra minute or two to convince herself that she was not unwanted there, and so, the oracle stepped further into the house, leaving her shoes by the doorstep. She announced a bit loudly that she was coming in, and followed Kanda to what seemed to be the Banshee’s bedroom.

After knocking a few times, the oracle cracked the door open a bit to glance around. Dark and comfortable, although Aeri didn’t see much there, it made her feel like it had Kanda’s name written all over it. “Can I come in?” She asked from the threshold and then stepped further into the room, taking a seat beside Kanda, not really knowing how or if she should comfort the other. Again, her teeth bit softly on her bottom lip, letting the silence take over. Only the soft crunches of Kanda’s pop tarts filling the room for a bit there.

"I can leave if you want to be alone." Eventually, Aeri went back to speaking. “I know we’re not close.” In fact, Aeri had always felt like Kanda didn’t really like her, but that didn’t keep the oracle from worrying about the other. There was a sweet innocence in Kanda that reminded her of how people say Aeri made them feel. So yes, she was worried. “But I know none of this must be easy for you.” Her hands rested on her lap, smoothing her skirt down until they reached her knees, covered by her tights to keep herself warm this winter. “The dead vampire, the Banshee scream, all of it.” Aeri then shifted her gaze to look at the younger being. “And I’m sorry. I don’t know if you knew the Banshee or the vampire, still… I’m sorry.”

[scvntillas]

what  calahan  said  was  wrong.  if  they  were  keeping  score  kanda  was  the  one  that  had  failed.  kanda  had  let  cal  go  unprotected  and  it  had  been  too  close  a  call.  a  vampire  had  died  and  kanda  had  almost  lost  the  one  family  she  had  left.  she  had  told  calahan  of  the  dread  and  doom  that  had  been  growing  in  her  chest.  the  last  time  she  had  allowed  herself  to  feel  it  it  had  taken  years  for  it  to  implode.  years  upon  years  and  with  doctors  and  shrinks  and  the  judging  stares  from  everyone  around  them.  kanda  could  still  feel  the  heat  from  the  flames.  if  they  had  been  more  clever  her  family  would've  been  standing  beside  her.  instead  she  had  just  let  her  family  burn.  her  brothers  ...  they  had  been  so  small  and  she  had  done  nothing  to  save  them. and  now  it  had  almost  happened  again.  with  kanda  unable  to  do  anything  to  stop  it. again. kanda  shook  her  head.  they  knew  that  calahan  wouldn't  allow  himself  forgiveness  and  kanda  couldn't  understand  why.  calahan  hadn't  been  the  one  to  walk  around  with  death  in  their  chest  ,  just  waiting  for  the  unlucky  soul  it  belonged  to.  "had  ro  ,"  they  mumbled  ,  though  from  what  she  could  remember  ro  had  been  every  inch  the  child  their  family  joked  that  he  was.  very  weepy.  "not  alone."  now  that  calahan's  hand  was  in  theirs  it  was  hard  to  let  go.  they  squeezed  ,  feeling  calmer  now  that  they  knew  he  was  back  by  her  side.  "safe.  both  safe."

guilt  had  always  been  in  calahan’s  life.   it  existed  like  a  ghost  —  a  banshee  —  following  alongside  every  decision,  every  meeting,  every  word  he  spoke  and  then  regretted.  it  was  a  heaviness  in  his  stomach  like  a  lead  weight,  and  after  a  hundred  years  of  feeling  it  deeply,  painfully,  it  still  remained  like  a  sickness.  in  that  hospital  room,  the  guilt  was  suffocating  ;  if  he  had  any  breath  left  to  spare,  he  would  have  been  wheezing,  clutching  his  throat,  begging  for  air.  instead,  calahan  sat  rigidly  as  he  always  did.  his  golden  eyes  were  dull  and  empty,  closer  to  the  dirty  yellow  of  a  stagnant  puddle  or  old  curtains.  the  vampire  looked  dishevelled  and  exhausted  ;  he  didn’t  need  sleep,  but  since  coming  back  to  portum  all  the  vampire  had  wanted  was  to  lay  down,  close  his  eyes,  and  drift  away. so  many  years  had  been  spent  crafting  a  family.  calahan  had  gathered  his  collection  of  wayward  strays,  those  of  his  own  flesh  and  blood  and  those  amputated  from  their  own  families  and  floating,  untethered.  their  home  was  a  sanctuary  for  those  that  had  nowhere  else  to  go,  a  haven  within  a  haven.  portum  was  safe,  but  calahan  and  liam’s  mansion  was  somewhere  to  unwind,  to  allow  yourself  to  be  taken  care  of.  the  idea  that  one  of  his  own  had  been  shaken  as  badly  as  kanda  had  felt  like  a  knife  through  his  own  heart.  at  first  he  thought  that  the  window  had  been  left  open,  and  that  the  sensation  atop  his  hand  was  a  harsh  breeze  from  the  bitter  portum  wintertime.  instead,  when  he  glanced  up,  he  realised  it  was  kanda  herself.  “i  have  to  apologise.”  calahan’s  words  sounded  as  though  he  had  just  sprinted  a  mile.  “you  were  here  on  your  own.  you  had  to  see  what  happened,  you  had  to  deal  with  the  consequences  and  i  wasn’t  there  to  help  you.  i’m  meant  to  be  your  —  ”  friend?  mentor?  father?  the  word  caught  in  his  throat  and  stayed  there.  he  had  always  wanted  to  be  a  dad,  had  always  felt  as  though  it  was  behind  the  corner  just  waiting  for  him  to  reach  out  and  grab.  the  vampire  pressed  his  lips  firmly  together  and  tried  again.  “it’s  my  job  to  keep  all  of  you  safe,  and  i  failed.”

[scvntillas]

though  liam  might  not  be  the  closest  with  his  boss  (  who  in  their  right  mind  would  be  ?  )  he  appreciated  their  company  that  evening.  most  of  the  time  he'd  try  and  make  himself  scarce  ,  because  he  knew  he  wasn't  the  most  effective  worker.  being  blind  in  one  eye  kind  of  made  that  a  given.  but  he  was  charming  ,  siren  song  or  not  ,  and  he  could  calm  down  the  most  impatient  of  customers.  aravis  not  pushing  the  issue  was  comforting  ,  even  if  they  were  still  in  a  way  that  told  liam  they  were  waiting  for  him  to  speak.  "i'm  fine,  ravi.  it's  nothing."  a  beat.  "i  just  can't  fucking  breathe  because  a  vampire  has  been  killed  and  it  could've  been  calahan  ,  but  other  than  that  it's  nothing."

they listen as liam justifies staying, responding with a shrug. personally, ravi doesn't care one way or the other about the shop being open — they'd be puttering around all the same. their employees are seventy-five percent of ravi's impulse control to not totally rework the shop's organisation system every day, so it's probably good ( for everyone else ) if he stays. “ if you're sure, ” ravi acquiesces, though they make no move to leave. “ i'm here if you want to talk. ” in the meantime, they perch on a convenient stepladder and pull out the book they were reading earlier in the break room. no need to push, but they do want to keep an eye on things. just in case.

[scvntillas]

liam  returned  mari's  ,  frankly  impressive  ,  eyeroll  with  one  of  his  own.  "i  fucking  knew  you  had  the  hots  for  him.  back  off  ,  lady.  he's  taken  –  ow  !  what  the  fuck  ?"  liam  glared  at  her  angrily  as  he  rubbed  his  forehead.  "if  that  bruises  i'm  telling  on  you."  he  didn't  know  why  this  attitude  came  out  whenever  he  talked  to  marisela  ,  but  she  truly  had  a  way  of  pulling  out  the  worst  of  him.  hearing  the  real  reason  mari  knew  of  cal's  purchase.  "i  suppose  you  want  a  thank  you.  i'll  think  about  it."  he  rubbed  his  forehead  once  more  to  make  his  point.  the  thought  of  thank  you's  immediately  disappeared  when  she  ,  once  again  ,  kept  the  insults  coming.  "he's  the  perfect  age  for  me  ,"  he  sniffed  ,  not  dignifying  her  slander  with  a  response.  "take  your  stupid  book  and  get  out  of  the  store."

marisela  rolled  her  eyes  so  hard  she  was  surprised  they  didn’t  get  stuck  like  that. “oh,  you  caught  me,  liam,”  she  said,  the  sarcasm  all  but  punching  liam  in  the  face. “i  can’t  believe  your  impeccable  intuition  has  foiled  my  elaborate  hot  chocolate  poisoning  scheme  to  seduce  calahan  away.  guess  i’ll  just  have  to  find  another  way,”  she  sighed  dramatically  before  she  narrowed  her  eyes.  reaching  across  the  counter,  marisela  poked  liam’s  forehead. “no,  goldfish  brain.  i  ran  into  him  at  the  café  the  other  day  and  he  was  overwhelmed  with  what  to  choose  for  you.  i  helped  him  out,  so you’re  welcome.” the  raven-haired  woman  grabbed  the  spell book  she’d  ordered  and  hugged  it  to  her  chest. “i paid when i ordered,” she confirmed, smirking  wryly  before  throwing  another  taunt  liam’s  way.  “and  for  the  record,  you’re  five  years  younger  than  me  –  so  that  would  mean  cal’s  too  old  for you,  immortal  or  not,”  she  paused  to  offer  her  friend  a  wicked  grin  knowing  he definitely  would  not  appreciate  her  comments.  “but  don’t  worry,  i  know  how  delicate  your  ego  is,  so  i’ll  leave  him  to  you.  i  think  he’s  good  for  you  anyway, somehow  he  manages  to  calm  you  down.”

[scvntillas]

there  was  a  sense  of  gabriel  being  used  to  give  vague  answers  to  skirt  around  the  truth.  juniper  pushed  down  a  smile  and  nodded  amusedly.  "are  your  investigative  senses  tingling  ?"  she  asked  ,  "is  there  a  murderer  in  portum  ?"  the  thought  was  an  unsettling  one.  especially  sad  was  the  thought  that  people  who  had  come  here  to  feel  safe  had  had  that  taken  from  them.  juni  knew  that  her  and  her  sisters  relied  on  the  safety  portum  brought.  she  didn't  think  that  the  ones  who  had  held  them  before  would  come  here  (  they  were  both  human  and  dead  )  but  power  and  greed  had  a  way  of  tainting  even  the  purest  of  souls.  "so  what's  your  process  ?"  she  asked  ,  ever  the  academic.  "you  get  a  feel  for  the  crime  scene  and  then  go  from  there  ?"

❝ work. ❞ is an easy excuse. yet gabriel doesn't find the need for them much, not one to see reason in hiding their true intentions. ❝ and an extra set of eyes couldn't hurt. ❞ they did spend many, many years looking for people — which was much easier in the rest of the world, that wasn't veiled in magic. ❝ usually the people i'm looking for aren't murderers, though. ❞ unless they're the reason for one of said missing people. what they actually planned to find out there, gabriel wasn't sure. the fog was difficult to see through and supernaturals didn't leave traces the way others did. ❝ i think it's kind of pointless, though. but being outside helps me think. ❞

[scvntillas]

"koda  ,  hi  man  !"  liam  rubbed  his  eyes  tiredly.  koda's  friendliness  was  not  surprising  ,  but  welcome.  since  the  ...  event  occurred  he'd  texted  back  and  forth  with  jasper  ,  who  seemed  to  be  the  most  shaken  up  out  of  all  of  them.  "we're  ...  hanging  in  there.  cal  is  pretty  busy  taking  care  of  kanda  at  the  moment  ...  so  i  didn't  know  what  to  do  except  try  and  take  my  mind  off  things."  he  made  a  non-committal  motion  around  the  bookstore.  he  hummed  quietly  at  the  statement  that  he  already  knew.  it  was  a  surprise  that  jasper  had  even  let  koda  leave.  "i  don't  know  what  to  think  ,"  he  admitted.  "i  imagine  jasper's  reaction  is  pretty  similar  to  mine."

"someone's miles away, huh?" koda teased as he finally caught liam's attention, brushing it off with a shrug of his shoulders. "nah, man. I'm good. I just thought i'd... come and check on you. see how you and cal are doing," he admitted, running a hand through his hair as he looked around the empty store. he'd never admit it, but koda was terrified. for the first time in his adult life, he was happy with his place in the world – he felt peace and secure at the same time. the news of the murder had only shaken that up, a looming threat that was walking through the town. it could be anyone. "how are you both taking the news? i'm sure you know, jasper's a mess. i wouldn't be surprised if you were, too."

[scvntillas]

BONES & ALL (2022) directed by Luca Guadagnino

[scvntillas]

time  seemed  to  slow  down  and  just  as  the  first  time  ,  maren's  world  narrowed  down  to  the  arms  she  had  wrapped  around  her.  ellie  looked  so  different  from  the  last  time  she'd  seen  her  ,  but  she  smelled  the  same  ,  and  that  made  maren  sob  into  her  neck  ,  burying  herself  in  the  scent  that  was  synonymous  with  home.  maren  was  aware  that  she  was  probably  making  a  scene  ,  but  at  that  moment  it  didn't  matter.  her  sister  was  here.  in  portum. her  face  was  cradled  so  gently  ,  tears  brushed  away  by  the  caring  touch  ellie  always  had.  "i  missed  you  too  ,"  maren  sniffed  ,  mouth  tasting  of  salt.  "where  did  you  go  ?"  it  had  been  so  long  since  maren  saw�� eliana  ,  and  when  asking  jasper  about  her  it  had  only  been  met  with  more  confusion.  jasper  hadn't  seen  her  either.  for  months  eliana  had  only  been  a  question  with  no  answer. somehow  eliana's  words  didn't  make  any  sense  ,  while  at  the  same  time  feeling  perfectly  in  sync  with  who  she  was.  "i  ...  you  were  still  there  ?"  maren  stared  at  her  sister  in  disbelief.  "i  didn't  ...  it  was  all  empty."  maren  doesn't  remember  a  lot  of  her  escape  ,  but  the  apartment  had  felt  dull  and  dead  when  she  stumbled  toward  the  front  door.  "i  left  you  ?"

eliana  barely  had  time  to  register  the  surprise  in  maren’s  face  before  they  crashed  into  each  other.  she  wrapped  her  arms  around  maren  with  such  desperation  that  she  was  certain  she’d  squeeze  all  the  air  out  of  her  little  sister’s  lungs.  maren’s  voice  was  so  fragile  and  full  of  disbelief,  it  twisted  something  in  her,  and  for  a  moment,  she  couldn’t  find  the  words.  ellie  just  held  on  tighter,  one  hand  cradling  the  back  of  maren’s  head  and  the  other  pulling  her  closer  as  if  her  sister  would  disappear  if  she  let  go.  “it’s  me,”  she  said,  her  voice  cracking  as  her  eyes  stung  with  tears. “i’m  here.  i found  you.”   ellie  pulled  back  slightly,  and  cupped  maren’s  tear-streaked  face  in  her  hands  as  her  dark  blue  eyes  scanned  over  her  sister’s  face  trying  to  memorize  every  detail.  it’d  been  so  long  since  she’d  been  allowed  to  gaze  freely  as  maren,  she  desperately  wanted  to  catalogue  every  change  she  could  find. “i  missed  you  so  much,”  ellie  sniffled,  the  tip  of  her  nose  already  turning  a  bright  red.  the  words  not  just  reflecting  on  the  months  since  maren  managed  to  escape  their  family  home,  but  also  the  years  her  sister  had  been  locked  up  in  the  equivalent  of  a  closet  and  isolated  from  them.   “i’ve  been  looking  for  you  for  months.  ever  since  you  left.   i  can’t  believe  i  finally found  you.  are  you  okay??”

[scvntillas]

"great  !"  juniper  tried  ,  and  failed  ,  to  hide  her  excitment.  "you  can  come  by  every  day  between  one  and  three  pm.  you  want  my  number  to  let  me  know  what  day  it'll  be  ?"  juni  held  out  her  hand  to  hopefully  be  able  to  add  her  phone  number  to  hansa's  phone.  "even  if  you  don't  end  up  texting  it  can  be  good  to  have  ,  yeah  ?"  it's  good  to  have  a  network  around  you  ,  someone  to  reach  out  to  if  you  were  in  need  of  help.  "i  think  life  is  treating  me  pretty  well  at  the  moment  ,"  came  the  honest  reply.  "it  sounds  tone-deaf  to  put  it  that  way  but  compared  to  previous  lifetimes  i'm  pretty  satisfied."  she  nudged  hansa  gently.  "how  about  you  ?"

❝ yeah ... that seems like the best option for now. ❞ school being a worry of hers wasn't really what hansa had expected for herself. but she hadn't expected much. and she certainly hadn't imagined having people like juniper, whose opinions and thoughts mattered to her, and who seemed to care for her as well. it was nice. ❝ sure, i'd love that. ❞ the other gorgon brings hansa back from fading into her thoughts. ❝ don't worry. i want to take you up on it. ❞ hansa wanted to be passionate about something; maybe some of juniper's would rub off on her. ❝ how are things with you? besides work? ❞ which seemed to be going well as she obviously enjoyed it.

[scvntillas]

it  was  always  peaceful  to  see  the  lack  of  people  lining  the  streets  ,  hurrying  to  work  or  to  grab  a  bite  to  eat  ,  and  there  was  time  to  just  breathe.  hera  seemed  to  share  their  sentiment.  however  ,  the  question  gave  them  pause.  the  tumultuous  events  had  left  them  worn  out  and  still  reeling.  this  night  was  one  of  the  first  that  they  had  left  and  the  freedom  she  usually  felt  was  switched  with  an  insistent  itching  to  go  back  ,  to  make  sure  everyone  was  okay. "don't  know  ,"  they  replied  ,  shrugging  casually.  it  was  hard  to  explain  the  pressing  on  her  chest  ,  the  ache  in  her  throat.  she  eyed  the  vampire  carefully.  "you  ok  ?"  it  was  a  simple  question  ,  but  thinking  of  everything  that  had  happened  in  just  a  few  weeks  made  it  a  much  harder  one  to  answer.  kanda  knew  that  better  than  anyone  ,  but  the  vampires  of  portum  must  feel  a  different  kind  of  fear.  kanda  had  seen  it  in  calahan  and  wondered  if  hera  felt  the  same.

         the  feeling  of  paranoia  never  really  goes  away  .  sure  it  can  dull  as  one  lulls  oneself  into  a  false  sense  of  security  but  that’s  never  been  hera’s  thing  .  the  vampire  likes  being  one  step  ahead  .  practically  lives  for  it  .  viewing  life  as  a  never  ending  chess  game  .  but  the  shift  from  a  fast-paced  city  life  to  a  tamer  one  in  a  smaller  town  gets  her  restless  from  time  to  time  .  despite  making  residence  in  portum  for  a  decade  ,  she’ll  find  herself  taking  advantage  of  the  stillness  of  the  town  once  the  shops  are  closed  and  the  residents  are  safely  tucked  in  their  homes  .

she  turns  the  collar  of  her  coat  up  as  she  makes  her  way  down  the  street  .  eyes  immediately  spot  a  lone  figure  and  as  she  nears  ,  she  recognizes  that  the  lone  figure  is  kanda  .  she  meets  the  banshee’s  nod  with  one  of  her  own  .  “  looks  like  i’m  not  the  only  one  out  tonight  .  can't  sleep  either  ?  or  long  night  ?  ”

[scvntillas]

after  feeling  like  they  were  getting  smothered  to  death  by  cal's  constant  doting  and  ro's  sorrowful  eyes  ,  kanda  basically  leapt  toward  the  door  when  she  heard  the  bell  ring.  it  was  her  first  day  back  home  and  ,  while  it  was  nice  to  not  be  under  the  strict  gaze  of  the  evil  nurse  that  had  made  sure  kanda  stayed  put  and  didn't  try  and  sneak  out  when  she  got  bored  ,  it  also  felt  like  their  eyes  were  on  them  every  time  she  moved.  words  were  still  hard  ,  but  she  tried  to  push  through  the  discomfort  for  cal  and  ro  ,  because  they  could  tell  how  much  they  needed  verbal  confirmation  that  she  was  okay.  so  kanda  didn't  know  why  she  was  drawn  to  answering  the  door.  it  would  be  a  terrible  experience  and  not  one  kanda  was  used  to  have.  but  after  they  opened  the  door  ,  somehow  ,  it  all  made  sense.  "e-el'ise  ?"  the  name  got  stuck  in  her  mouth  ,  feeling  rough  and  unfamiliar.  eloise  hadn't  ever  been  to  their  house  before  and  it  was  strange  to  see  her  standing  in  the  doorway.  "you  ...  hi  ?"

*       ☁️     STARTER   open   to   kanda  chokdee     [   . . .   ]     @scvntillas     ╱     TIME   &   LOCATION   mid - morning  ,   a  few  days  after  the  finding   .   kanda’s  mansion   .

               very  few  times  in  life  eloise  dawkins  staggers,  she’s  too  sure  of  herself  to  do  something  like  that,  to  doubt  like  that,  but  as  she  approaches  kanda’s  door,  as  she  raises  her  hand  to  ring  the  bell,  she  does  it.  her  hand  rest  slightly  tremulous  mid - air,  uncertain,  and  then  return  to  the  side  of  her  body  just  to  be  raised�� again.  she  chastise  herself  under  her  breath  at  the  stupidity  of  her  actions,  and  finally  press  the  button,  holding  her  breath   ⸺   kanda  lives  with  too  many  people,  and  too  many  people has  never  bothered  her,  yet  this  time  it  makes  her  nervous,  uncomfortable  as  she  waits  for  the  door  to  open.  why  has  kanda  disappeared  out  of  nowhere  after  what  happened ?   why  are  they  the  only  one  eloise  hasn’t  been  able  to  reach ?   questions  swarm  her  mind  in  a  maddening  way,  quickening  her  pulse  and  her  breathing  that  stops  in  a  small  gasp  when  the  door  is  opened  at  last.     “  fuck  …  sorry.  hi.  ”

[scvntillas]

Nikita | 3x19 Self-Destruct

[scvntillas]

@irigy

Bones | 4.04 “The Finger in the Nest”

[scvntillas]

@silkeared , @fatestln , @cynefins

Your brother’s kind of a dweeb, huh?