#[ josie saltzman / asiphon. ]

[nexusvcrti]

Hope looks.. fragile. Maybe it's just a trick of the light, or the way she moves because her physical appearance hasn't changed at all. She's as beautiful as ever, if not more so, and it takes an absurd amount of willpower for her to not reach over and brush back some of her hair. With a tentative smile, and her fingers twisting together, Josie glances towards the door - Freya won't be gone for long, but at least she'd been okay with giving them a bit of space to talk.

"Hope. Hi." It comes out in a breath, her smile widening ever so slightly when Hope is sitting up a bit more fully. "Not too long. A few hours, maybe. To be honest, I thought maybe it would be pretty instant. I guess it differs on person..?" It's a rhetorical question, just wondering aloud really. "But I wanted to see you. Before you make the change, I mean. And you know, while you do. If you're going to do it immediately. I.. am nervous." She finally relents and hangs her head with a smile and a laugh. "Sorry."

@asiphon is rambling and it's kind of adorable, enough that a tired smile springs to Hope's lips. But it soon fades with the realization that she can't hear Josie's heartbeat. It's a sound that she had memorized when she was nine years old, always just across the hallway, different from how Lizzie's was a little more erratic. It's unsettling how quiet the world seems in this moment, and she notices it most because that steady cadence she's used to is inaudible to her in the moment.

"It's okay," she nods, and she pulls her legs up so they're curled under her, giving Josie room to sit on the bed if she wants. "You wanted to see me like this?" It must seem underwhelming to the brunette, same old Hope but without all of the extra stuff that makes her special enough to want to murder. But she's hesitant about letting her stay in the room while she completes her transition. What if she can't control the bloodlust? That was what happened with her father, and her aunts and uncles. They gave in to the instinct to feed and hunt, and Hope refused to repeat that cycle. "I'll need a bloodbag to finish the transition, but it's probably best if you wait outside while I do... I don't want to hurt you, even accidentally." // continued from xx

[nexusvcrti]

Hope looks down at the slightly crumpled piece of paper in her hand and she carefully smooths it out, not wanting to ruin it anymore yet half-expecting it to disappear in her hands. She's not expecting the door to suddenly swing open and Josie to yank her into the room and Hope is able to catch herself before faceplanting into the rug on the ground.

She can almost smell the embarrassment seeping out of Josie, and Hope feels bad for her, even if the display is adorable. If the situation were reversed, Hope's pretty sure she would have jumped out of the window rather than face Josie. The fact that the siphon had the courage to slip the note under her door in the first place makes the butterflies in her stomach flutter even more.

"Josie," she tries to interrupt her, reaching out to touch her arm softly. "Please... breathe?" Her cheeks are flushed, resembling the shade of her hair now that it's her turn to speak. "I read it and it's okay. Because... I have a crush on you too." Saying it out loud like this is surreal, because until ten minutes ago, Hope was pretty certain that Josie hated her absolute guts. If anything, she had felt a little pathetic for having feelings for someone who seemed to hate her very existence.

"I didn't think you'd ever feel the same way."

@nexusvcrti

She had the whole thing planned out. She would write down everything that's been on her mind for the past few months in a note, and she'd slip it under Hope's door and that would be that. Except the note itself took way too long to perfect, and she'd thrown away and burned so many scraps of paper so that her sister wouldn't find them and decide to give her a stern talking to about the ramifications of having a crush on one Hope Marshall.

But she'd finally been able to figure out the right words to say, and actually was brave enough to sign her name bold and large at the end of it. Josie Saltzman. Going through the words in her head as she walked down the hall, she felt herself smiling softly to herself. I keep thinking of you all the time.

Two more steps. At first I thought, maybe it was because we keep getting into arguments. More so her sister than her, but.. I really like you. I've had a crush on you for months and I couldn't figure out a way to say it to your face. I don't know if I'd ever be brave enough. But I'm being as brave as I know how to be right now - in writing this note, giving you this. I just hope you won't tear it up or look at me different.

She swallowed hard as she reached the door. I don't expect anything. And I'm okay if you don't feel the same. I don't even know what my end goal is, really. She'd wanted to be Hope's girlfriend for so long, but even in writing it was hard to say. So she'd left it at that.

Feeling proud of herself, she was about to stand up but -- The idea of it actually being found by Hope started to settle into her mind. And she crouched down to look and see if the note had actually gotten that far into the room. Shit. There was no way to actually grab it. Shifting from pride at herself for being brave to absolutely mortified she took a few moments to try and reach for it or remember the spell to pull things closer. In her panic, the incantation to set it on fire was on her lips when she heard Hope's voice behind her.

Standing up quickly, she stared at her with wide eyes and decides to just bolt. Inside her room, she crumbles onto her bed with her hands covering her face, willing the note to just disappear or for Hope to not find it.

No such luck it seems, when the knock comes and then her voice filters through the wood. She could definitely just stay in her room and wait for Hope to go away, that would be a possibility. But there was also the chance of Lizzie coming back and starting a big to-do about Hope being at their door and.. God, her stomach twists and lurches at the though.

She jumps up and opens the door quickly and tugs Hope into the room, locking the door behind her. Lizzie will just have to be mad about not getting into the room at her later if she swings by. But now Hope is in her room. And knows about her feelings. Oh. Oh, god.

Her eyes widen again and she covers her face to make an absolutely pathetic sound - something like a whine. "Please, tell me you didn't read it. I'm sorry, I was going to get rid of it, I swear." But had she? "I.. it's okay if you did. And you don't feel the same." She was not going to look up and she was going to have to shut up soon. "I'm-- Oh, god."

[fightforbetter]

❝ Josie, Josie, Josie, look at me! ❞  

Palms clasped on her jaw, Hayley forces the girl to look at her, tries to catch her gaze. Her heart is thumping  —  pattering, thundering, boom boom in her chest and in her ears and in her throat. She hadn’t seen it, hadn’t even heard the gunshot. But there’s blood, so much blood, too much blood. Oh God, what if —

It’s only with incredible restraint that she resists shaking Josie’s shoulders to get a reaction. That’d make her worse, she has to remind herself. Has to take a deep breath. This is far from the first murder she’s had to face, let alone merely attempted, but it’s  —

Hope’s face flashes before her eyes. 

No, she’d never be able to explain this to her daughter. She’d never want to witness Hope try to survive this loss. She’d never want to do it herself either. Josie’s too important to them. 

starter for @asiphon​

[nexusvcrti]

Hope doesn't know how to explain what it felt like as she was transforming into the berbalang. It's similar to how she feels during the full moon, with coherent thought a distant concept while her body remains driven forward by pure instinct. All she remembers is the insatiable hunger that had nearly killed Josie and Landon and Wade and who knows how many others. For the second time in weeks, @asiphon has had to take back her magic to save Hope's life after she did something foolhardy. "I thought you were going to die today." Hope is pretty sure that telling her not to worry, that she'll come back, is not the response that Josie wants to hear. Instead she just squeezes her hand again.

"You did. You saved me," Hope tells her. She knows she probably shouldn't ask what it took, even if she can guess that it involved Josie doing something she didn't want, namely taking back her magic. A part of her wishes she had Josie's powers, so she can tell without asking whether she still kept her magic. "I'm really lucky you were here today."

[ intertwine & hold ]  –  for the sender’s muse to intertwine their finger’s the receiver’s muse and hold them during an emotional moment to reassure them. - hope/josie

The darker part of her is gone - locked away or sundered or integrated as a part of her or something she doesn't quite understand yet. Hope's hand is in hers and it's distracting, but it's also grounding in a way she didn't expect. Mainly because all she can think of is the way her hand is a bit warmer than she expected, how there's callouses on the pads of her fingers and they're a bit scratchy as they rub over the back of her hand. But she doesn't want to look up at her - doesn't want the moment to end. And she's so damn afraid that the moment she speaks, it will be broken, that Hope will let go and walk away again.

Taking in a deep breath, she glances over to see Hope's eyes softening, wide and beautiful blue. "I thought you were going to die today." Seeing Hope like that - monstrous and suffering and angry - it was almost too much to bear. "I thought.. we wouldn't get to you in time."

[founderscouncil]

@asiphon​​ asked for [ LINGER ]: taking the receiver’s hand, the sender lifts it to their lips, and gently kisses their knuckles, lingering for a moment before withdrawing.

          She holds her breath, trembling in a way that has become all too familiar to Penelope over the last several months. Josie’s lips are warm and alive against her skin, and it’s as though something in Penelope breaks as she reaches out to grasp Josie’s wrist before she can pull away completely. “Jojo,” she breathes out, and if there are tears sparkling along her eyelashes, she truly doesn’t have it in herself to give a fuck. “Am I dead?” She has to be because what other explanation is there for her dead (ex?) girlfriend standing in front of her looking very much alive?

[cursedbcrn]

@asiphon​ / for the birthday girl

Eleven.

She remembers how that day felt, standing at the window and watching as a giant bouncy castle was inflated and caterers wheeled in an enormous cake decorated with Josie and Lizzie’s names. She had been trying so hard to be good, had been practicing her meditation, had been dutifully attending her therapy sessions with Miss Tig. She also remembers Caroline and Alaric arguing in hushed tones behind her, one insisting that she be allowed to attend the party that literally everyone else in the school had been invited to, and the other not wanting to ruin his daughters’ birthday party. 

There had only been a feeling of dread as Caroline took her hand, despite Alaric’s grumbling behind them, and Hope still remembers the hush that fell over the crowd as the three of them appeared at the edge of the party. Lizzie’s face quickly morphed into an ugly scowl, and Josie? Josie looked like Hope had simultaneously fulfilled and shattered her dreams in a single instant, and that, more than anything else, made her gut twist. 

The rest was a blur of screams and magic, shouts of disgust and the scent of burnt rubber, and Hope was being led away by Alaric, hand clamped tightly around her upper arm as he pulled the tribrid into his office to lecture her. Even if Caroline had stepped in after a solid ten minutes, and Alaric had apologized by getting her ice cream and letting her roam around a local art exhibit, it was not enough to wipe away the feeling in her chest when she thought about Josie’s face when she saw Hope. 

Sixteen. 

She didn’t plan on going to this party, even if the twins had learned their lesson about purposely not inviting Hope. It was understood between them that she wasn’t welcome there, and over the years, she grew to see it as the blessing it was. She didn’t have to spend an entire night kowtowing and pretending she liked Lizzie Saltzman. No amount of bad party music and finger foods would make up for that. 

But Hope stared down at the talisman she had requested from her Aunt Rebekah, the metal heavy in her palm. Her heart was beating like a drum, and Hope let out a slow breath as she slipped the talisman into the envelope, along with the note she’d written for Josie. It was short and sweet and Hope had to resist the urge to rip it up and burn all evidence of it. 

She didn’t, obviously, but there was still a sick feeling in her chest as she opened the door to her room and peered outside. Making herself invisible was easy, and with the coast clear, it was almost anticlimactic the way she left the note behind Josie’s pillow without a single thing going wrong. Hope wasn’t used to that. 

Later, when she sees the talisman hanging around Josie’s neck, Hope doesn’t give a damn that her dress is covered in zombie remains. The relief that rockets through her is staggering, and for the first time in years, she doesn’t totally hate March 15. 

Seventeen.

She wants to rip that damn microphone from the air and strangle the Necromancer with its cable, but all Hope can do is focus on Josie. The crowd around them fades as she pleads with the siphon to come back to them. It is instinctual, how willingly she gets on her knees and begs, all for Josie. 

Hope can’t disguise the way her heart leaps in her chest when she sees her emerge, just for a second. The way she says Hope’s name that has the tribrid reaching out for her. 

“Jo, is that you?”

She flickers away again, and Hope crumbles inside when dark lips and obsidian eyes taunt her. Even later, when they are tucked away in the fairytale landscape of Josie’s consciousness, Hope still feels the sting of those words because she knows there is a part of Josie that feels that way, or wishes she could. 

The last thing she remembers thinking before she was turned to stone was that she forgot to get a gift for Josie that year.

Eighteen.

The day only barely registers for Hope, already well into the afternoon by the time she remembers the significance of the date. She spent the morning gorging herself on a sorority house, and she only remembered because there happened to be a set of identical twins on her list of victims. 

Maybe she should give them a call. 

An annoying little flare prickles at the back of her head as a voice sounding suspiciously like her own reminds her that Lizzie is dead, and she won’t be celebrating another birthday. It’s guilt, shouting at her from the depths of her memories and Hope has to take a deep breath to push it back. 

Crimson mixes with gold in her eyes as her nostrils flare. Fuck. Shit. Damn. Fuck all of this. 

Fishing out a piece of paper, she messily scrawls three words on it before it disappears in a flash. Finally, it feels like some of the weight on her chest lifts, and Hope grumbles as she reaches for a drink. 

In Josie’s pocket, however many miles away, a singed piece of paper appears, with Hope’s undeniable handwriting. 

Happy birthday, Josie. 

[sanguionus]

@asiphon​  //  sc

 Coming back was turning out to be an even bigger adjustment this time than it had been the first. Even with her past looming closely the first time, the truth of her fate and whereabouts spreading throughout the school. Even with all of that, she felt more at ease then that she did now. Like she had missed too much, let go of even more. And hearing the whispers  ( or being confronted by Lizzie about how her sister was better off without her )  Jade knew that she had. She knew, just was well, that she had no right to feel as bothered by it as she was feeling. Knew that the ugly, burning sensation at the back of her neck had nothing to do with the desperate need to dig her fangs into warm skin.

 She kicked a rock on the ground as she made her way over to where the siphoner was, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. Jade wasn’t sure what drove her to seek Josie out, even though the witch had been nothing but warm towards her, they weren’t nowhere near close to how it was before she left. And the name she’s been hearing made her insides turn.  “ So... a werewolf?.”  the words were out before she could try to stop herself, and she kicked herself mentally at the stupidity. She had no right to question Josie, but the need to know was burning deep on the pit of her stomach.  “ Sorry... none of my business.”  a pause... and she cleared her throat.  “ but... no, nevermind.”

[vrake]

bring back harry and josie saltzman ty

send me muses or characters you think would make a great ship for mine!

oHHHH friend, you and me both be wanting them back. Yelling at @asiphon to give them to me again, so we can give them to y'all.

[nexusvcrti]

She had been too reckless in her pursuit of trying to figure this particular monster - and mostly trying to do as such to make up for all the hell she'd caused just by virtue of letting the dark magic get the better of her. In doing so, she'd forgotten that she was still recovering, still weak from not having her magic - and maybe, just maybe she had something to prove to the others for doubting her. She's not bleeding, which is a blessing in itself, but her head throbs and she's certain she'll be battered and bruised the next day. Warm arms cradle her, but she doesn't have the energy to open her eyes or move or do anything but lay limply in the person's arms. "'Msorry.."

When Lizzie first burst into Hope and Cleo's room, declaring that @asiphon was missing, Hope took three breaths to steady herself before replying. Even if every instinct was jumping to the ready to track down Josie, Hope reminded herself that Josie had been avoiding her for a reason. Not that she can really blame the other witch. So much has happened in the last few months, from Landon breaking up with Josie, to Josie succumbing to her dark magic, to sealing her magic away entirely and transferring to Mystic Falls High. It's the last one that stings Hope the most.

But Lizzie insisted and the gnawing feeling in Hope's gut only grew, especially knowing that there's still a monster out there they haven't defeated yet. And now, as she carries Josie in her arms, bruised and beaten by that exact same monster, Hope hates herself for hesitating, for delaying even a single second that allowed Josie to get hurt. "Shh, you're okay," Hope murmurs as she carries Josie into the Old Mill, and sets her down on the lumpy couch that one of the wolves dragged in. Now that she can look at her, Hope begins to seethe as she sees the marks left on her, but she tries to push it down. "What were you thinking, Josie?"

[nexusvcrti]

Hope rolls her eyes at Josie's first statement. "Thank you for not murdering me, even though you could have," she pitches her voice slightly higher to mimic Josie's. "Why, you're welcome, Jo. Don't mention it." The tribrid glances at the rear view mirror, nothing but trees and empty road behind them. "You're the one who kept insisting that you won't stop trying to bring my humanity back. You should consider yourself lucky I brought you along. Now you won't have to waste precious energy to find where I am." Her head leans against the headrest lazily as she lets the car really speed down the empty stretch of highway. She speaks as nonchalantly as if they were trying to figure out what to have for lunch.

The shrill chirp of her cell phone interrupts them and Hope fishes the device out of her pocket and presses a button to answer the call. "Hello Agatha," she sings out in greeting. "Oh, sorry, did I ruin your surprise? I thought I'd cut right to the chase since we're all busy people. You might want to tell Greg the Alpha and whoever your vampire is that I'm on my way. Okay great chat, bye bye now." Hope hangs up the phone with her message delivered and she focuses back on Josie.

"C'mon, it's a long drive to Florida. I know you're the resident pouty face champion, but you can't pout the entire ride there."

@nexusvcrti / cont.

Her entire body locks up, and she's afraid of what might come next — Whether Hope's lack of humanity will show through or if she had made a correct assumption about what lies beneath. She can't even blink when Hope reaches out to touch her - though she's certain if she could, she would flinch back. Instead, hair is tucked behind her ear and she's reminded of when her uncle had done the exact same.

The only difference is Hope's thumb along her lower lip - far more intimate than anything they've ever shared.

Once they're in the car, her unblinking eyes are watering, tears rolling down her cheeks. When the spell releases, she takes in a deep shaking breath, and immediately turns to look behind them. They're too far out to see the school, and her mind turns to Lizzie, to MG, to Flori.. She grimaces and swallows. "Either this is an elaborate murder plan or I was right."

[dvarapala]

Ethan and MG are with Lizzie. That’s what Udyati notices from the corner of her eye when she slips away to go find Josie. While Udyati didn’t have the... best relationship with Headmaster Saltzman, she still recognized that he’s been a pilar of support for many.

Besides, had it been her mom in there, there’s no telling what Udyati would’ve done. 

It takes her a while, but she manages to find Josie in the end. Silently, she sits down beside her friend and looks at them. “We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. We can just sit here.” Her accent sounds a little rougher, a little thicker, a little more pronounced because of the emotions this day’s evoked. “But if you do want to talk, Jo, I’m here to listen.” / @asiphon​

[naturesloopholed]

positivity for asiphon (bc duh)

KING!  What can I say about the photoshop KING themself?  Aside from the fact that they have a skill with editing that they share with the world?  And is always willing to help me with the little stuff? Or will let me just talk it out in the dms until I figure out what I did wrong myself because I have done that a few times with PS.  It is always funny because I’m like “oopsies! I forgot to do this!”  King has a knack for being able to make you see sides of characters that I hadn’t expected to like.  Their passion for writing and Josie Saltzman is always noticed.  If I have a question on Josie?  I go slide into their dms asking about it to see what they made of the scene. King is one of those calm people that I enjoy talking with even if it is out of character things.  King has amazing taste in music  (we might share a band / genre...) ,  they are easy to talk with,  and are a sweet person!  They are a joy to talk with when we go back and forth in the dms no matter the topic. 

[nexusvcrti]

It's a stalemate, even if Hope doesn't want to admit it yet. @asiphon stares up at her with that defiant set to her jaw and Hope's fingers twitch with the urge to snap her neck. To be done with this all. The hesitation alone tells them both what Hope isn't ready to hear yet, and she crouches slowly so she's eye level with Josie. She stares at her, like she's trying to decipher what is going on in her mind, but finally she lifts her hand. "Corporis impetus." The words freeze Josie as is, fully conscious and aware, just unable to physically move. "So what are we going to do now, Jo?" Hope sighs like a disappointed parent, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair away that had fallen into Josie's face. She brushes her thumb against Josie's lower lip and turns her head as she hears the sounds of running feet headed in their direction. With a whisper, she's outside with the Mercedes, Josie's frozen form belted into the passenger seat, while Hope deposits the duffel bag of stolen weapons into the trunk of her aunt's car. They're on the road within minutes, and only when Salvatore has disappeared from her rearview mirror does she lift the spell from Josie, waiting silently (and a bit smugly) as Josie adjusts.

you failed. accept it. - hope/josie

She'd absorbed so much dark magic for this, and all she'd gotten for her trouble was thrown across the room. But she wasn't giving up - she'd seen the way Hope looked down at her. Her face had been blank, but there was hesitation. Hope hadn't hurt her. That was key. That meant that somewhere in there was a chance. "For now. I failed for now. I won't stop trying, Hope."

[cursedbcrn]

JOSIE SALTZMAN ( @asiphon​​ ) wants ''everything is going to be okay'' kisses

          She didn’t know what possessed her to take the red-eye to Belgium. It had been months since she sent the red oak spear for Josie to keep safe, wrapped in unassuming cardboard and spelled to look innocuous. It wasn’t fear that drove her, a worry that she needed to make sure that the only thing in the world that could kill her was safe, but it was something else that pulled her halfway across the world. Someone else. 

She hadn’t seen Josie since that day in the gym, when she had placed her consciousness into a therapy box to stall the older Saltzman twin from coming after her. But if Hope really thought about it, that day set in motion the chain of events that led her to standing outside of Josie’s dormitory, with a familiar talisman tucked against her rapidly beating heart. For months, she had hesitated on taking this step, worried that her time without her humanity might have completely fractured her relationship with Josie. After all, she had killed Lizzie (even if the blonde had come back), and there was no one in this world more important to Josie than her twin. 

But as she saw Josie come over the hill, books clutched to her chest and pen tucked behind her ear, Hope could feel a sense of ease and calm wash over her, and she smiled as the siphoner stopped short, staring at her. A warning probably would’ve been better, but honestly Hope was pretty pleased with the look of utter shock that she managed to pull from her. It took only a few short steps before the distance between them closed, and Hope reached out to grasp Josie’s hand, like she needed the physical confirmation that she was really here and looking at Josie right now. 

And yet, now that she was finally here, words failed her. Everything that she had been through in her short life, the pain, the love, the sheer terror of being alone, and it finally hit her that this was what her parents wanted for her. An epic love and to finally live. Hope opened her mouth a few times before closing it again, unsure where to even begin. With thanks, with a confession, with a promise that she would spend the rest of her immortal life trying to make up for all that Josie had done for her. 

So instead she leaned up on her toes to press the softest kiss to the corner of Josie’s lips, and moved back to gauge her reaction. And in Josie’s eyes, she found nothing but love and adoration directed at her, despite all of her mistakes and missteps. So Hope leaned in again, to kiss her fully and pour into that single action everything she needed to say. 

Everything was going to be okay.

[sanguionus]

@asiphon​  sent  ❛ i’ve lost my mind . ❜

 Jade  had  heard  her  coming,  the  silent  steps  of  the  girl  forever  engraved  in  her  mind  and  the  suspicion  had  been  confirmed  when  the  brunette’s  perfume  reached  her  nostrils.  Even  then,  she  only  turned  when  the  girl  spoke,  a  frown  on  her  face.  Of  all  the  things  she  could’ve  expected  the  girl  to  say,  that  definitely  wasn’t  it.  Rising  an  eyebrow,  she  waited  for  Josie  to  elaborate  and  when  she  didn’t,  Jade  fought  the  urge  to  smile.  “ I’m  pretty  sure  we’ve  all  lost  our  minds  at  least  once  or  twice  in  our  lives...  I  know  I have.”

 Shrugging,  she  did  smile  this  time,  bumping  her  shoulder  lightly  against  Josie’s.  “ Wanna  tell  me  what  has  driven  you  to  that  conclusion  now?  What  could’ve  Josie  Saltzman  done  to  make  her  think  she’s  lost  her  mind?.”  her  words  gentle  despite  the  light  humor  they  carry.  As  if  she  was  trying  to  convey  she  got  it  if  it  was  something  serious,  but  trying  to  keep  the  air  around  them  as  light  as  it  could.

[ruinaerch]

finally updated my pinned post with all my blogs ;-; just a heads up that i’m mainly active on my josie saltzman blog @asiphon, though i try to balance my time between all of them!