#chatzy: ari

[faetedwill]

Put a Pin In It || Sloane / Cass / Ari / Rio / Jonas

TIMING: On Cass’s birthday (mid July)  LOCATION: The farm house  PARTIES: @faetedwill @stolensiren @3starsquinn @letsbenditlikebennett @moonrivermedium SUMMARY:  For Cass’s birthday, Sloane, Jonas, Rio, and Ari get together to celebrate their friend.  CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A 

Sloane wasn’t sure why she was so nervous about Cass’s birthday celebration. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been invited to any parties growing up, or maybe it was because she wanted to make a good and lasting impression. Whatever it was, it ended up with Sloane buying way too many cartons of cupcakes of varying flavors, as well as 5 slurpees. She hadn’t yet met Jonas, so she wasn’t sure what flavor he would prefer, so she hoped she’d gone in the right direction of blue raspberry. Who didn’t love blue raspberry? Very possibly Jonas, but she hoped that wasn’t the case. 

But it seemed alright. Slurpee in hand, Sloane sat across from Jonas, just next to Cass in one of the camping chairs that Ari had pulled out for the five of them. “Ari, whatever the hell you’re doing over there, it smells good.” She shot a look at Ari’s before finding the bright red straw of her slurpee and sucking down a small portion of the liquid. The threat of a brain freeze lingered, but she ignored it as she leaned back. She didn’t know too much about superheroes, so she opted for something on the easier side– Spider Gwen while Steve ran around with a cape red cape she had fashioned from a bed sheet. 

Admittedly, Ari may have gone overboard when it came to the food portion of the party. She was still coming out of the post demon possession slump and wanted this party to be fun for all of them, especially Cass who she knew had also been having a go of things as of late. White Crest had a habit of that, putting good people through bad shit, so this party was going to be a blast. She stood by the grill donning her admittedly cheesy Wolfsbane costume as Luna ran around saying hi to everyone in her Supergirl costume. Or as Ari preferred to call it, her Super Good Girl costume. 

Kebabs, burgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers were all cooking on the grill while some sides were still inside for safe keeping. Ari didn’t know what bugs White Crest had flying around this time of year, but now wasn’t the time to find out, especially if they were those stinging bees that made everything all trippy. “We’ve got veggie burgers for you, regular burgers, hot dogs, chicken kebabs, corn on here. Got some other sides and stuff in the house. I think we have a ton of desserts too, even for the dogs.” 

“Then there’s some games and stuff for after we eat, too,” Ari said brightly, feeling a little over-excited to have most of her friends here. 

Jonas sat awkwardly in his chair, Blue was on his feet in her batgirl costume soaking up the attention he could offer with one free hand. He was using the other to hold up his slurpee and was taking sips from it from time to time. He liked blue raspberry and normally would have downed it by now but didn’t think a brain freeze would do his head any good. Jonas had gone the opposite direction from Ari and had brought way too many supplies to make sure there were enough plates and napkins and paper cups all superhero themed. He even brought little goodie bags filled with homemade cookies for humans and dogs to take home later. 

Jonas hadn’t dressed up, he thought Blue being in costume was good enough for the both of them. The dog was surprisingly alright with it, “Blue why don’t you-don’t you go greet the other guests?” His feet were starting to fall asleep. “Do you-do you want any help Ari?” He turned around in his seat hoping to have a reason to get up. The dog didn’t seem to agree at first but after all the shuffling from Jonas she finally got up and went to sit on someone else’s feet and beg for pets. 

The party was like nothing Cass had ever experienced before. It was certainly unlike anything anyone had ever done for her. It made her feel warm inside, put a grin on her face that nothing could erase. Her costume — a Silk costume she’d been putting together for Halloween — might have felt a little hot if not for the fans pumped up to full blast and the slushie cooling her gloved hands. She grinned as she took a sip, the bandana from the costume hanging around her neck. Leaning down, she scratched Blue behind the ears and flashed Jonas a small smile.

“It really does smell amazing,” she said in Ari’s direction, leg bouncing where she sat. “Are you sure you don’t mind doing the cooking? I can get up to help you if you want.” That unquenchable desire to make herself useful was on full display, had seen her hovering near Ari for the first few minutes of the party until she was led over to one of the chairs. At the mention of games, she perked up even further. “What kind? I love party games.” She turned to Sloane, flashing her a grin. “I bet you could pin so many tails on so many donkeys.” 

Social gatherings had never been something Orion excelled at. He had an awkward enough time carrying a conversation with one person. Around multiple he tended to fade into the background and try to disappear entirely. But despite not knowing the person they were celebrating, Ari had made sure that Rio got the invite and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin the party. So he threw together a makeshift Wiccan outfit which mostly consisted of a long sleeve black shirt and black pants with a red cape. He was currently scratching at his head under the headband he had bought to complete the look, an accessory he wasn’t used to wearing that was causing his forehead to sweat and his brown hair to stick to his skin. 

“I’ve offered to help her multiple times.” Rio shrugged, taking a long sip from the slurpee that Sloane had brought along. She had been a familiar face - both of them having grown up in town. But they had never been friends. “She didn’t accept it. Though to be fair- I’m not really known for my cooking skills.” He was sure Ari had heard all about how awful his diet was from Athena when the two lived together. His sister had constantly berated him and tried to get him to eat healthier. “I suck at party games” Rio admitted, forcing himself to perk back up immediately, “But I’m in.”

Sloane felt mildly guilty for not having offered Ari some help like both Jonas and Cass, but as Rio spoke, she knew that he had the right idea — even if they offered, Ari would shoo them away. Too many hands in the kitchen, or something. Her dad used that expression more times than she could count, and most of the time, she was forced to listen to him. She’d at the very least be on clean-up duty. “I think our way of helping might be eating all of the food that way she doesn’t have leftovers for like, days.” 

At Cass’s comment about pin the tail on the donkey, Sloane snorted. “That’s like, oddly specific.” The banshee leaned forward in her chair and reached to pat Blue on the side, scratching just at her hip. She began to kick her leg out, just as Steve usually did when she hit the right spot. “She might be in competition with Steve for who’s cuter, Jonas.” Sloane flashed him a smile before turning her attention to her own dog who had taken one of Luna’s toys and was currently running around with it. “Party games will be fun either way, even if we’re not good at them.” She wasn’t, or at least, she didn’t know if she was. She hadn’t ever had the opportunity to take part, other than the ones that went on in the classroom at the end of each year. 

For the most part, Ari liked taking charge in the kitchen and having that arena to herself. Aside from the fact she was easily distracted, she always had a system going inside her head that she didn’t like to have disrupted. Celeste, Athena, and Kaden were the only people she’d really felt comfortable sharing the kitchen with. They had a cadence and worked well together without getting in the other’s way. She did appreciate the offer for help though. The thought always counted. “I’ve got it covered,” she said with a smile, “I can be a little controlling in the kitchen… or well, grill I guess currently.” 

Ari couldn’t help but laugh at Rio and Sloane’s very accurate predictions about her. “Yeah,” she laughed, “They were spot on with that one. Eating all the food is helping.” She opened the top to give the burgers a final flip and started removing the hot dogs and corn. She didn’t go as overboard in the game department, but they had a selection. “Uh, cornhole I think it’s called? And Cards Against Humanity and yes, pin the tail on the donkey. I’ve never played it so felt like a good time to start,” she answered with a grin.

Jonas looked over at Sloane and smiled, “Steve is-is very cute.” He gave up on the idea of helping Ari and instead played with the straw in his cup. “I wouldn’t mind playing some-some games.” It would give his brain something to do, he was used to going to bars and parties but never very good at just mingling. Talking was all well and good but actively doing something while talking was even better. It would probably make everyone else feel more at ease too. 

“How about we start with -start with pin the tail. I want to see if Sloane is actually-actually great at it.” Jonas didn’t know Sloane so he was curious as to why Cass would say she seemed like she’d be able to pin so many donkey tails. “Though we should do it -do it where the dogs are kept out of the way.” Blue was needy and he didn’t want her to accidentally trip someone while they were holding a tail or end up in the way. She was a big dog after all. 

It was hardly a surprise that Ari was refusing help, though Cass still wished she could get her to accept some. But the werewolf seemed happy to do it, and it was enough to make Cass relax. “I can, like, only make pasta, to be honest,” she admitted with a sheepish shrug. She was working on perfecting other recipes, but it was the kind of thing that would take time. And it probably wouldn’t be great if the food at the party was all burned. She wanted everyone to have fun, not to have to eat burned burgers. “But eating I’m pretty good at. Like, pretty much a pro.” 

Jonas’s suggestion was a good one, and Cass nodded along as he spoke. “I just have, like, a gut feeling. Like, you just have pin the tail on the donkey vibes. Corn hole is gonna be my game, though. I’m totally gonna kick all your asses.” Really, she didn’t care who won and who lost; she was just happy to be here. Happy to have friends who’d come together to celebrate her birthday for… what was probably the first time in twenty-three years. 

Orion found himself smiling as the group talked about which game to play. Though he didn’t know most of these people, he knew if Ari trusted them that he could relax around them as well. Sloane and Cass both seemed more social and at ease in the group setting, similar to how Ari was. Which left Jonas and Rio to be the more reserved ones. He wasn’t sure whether he felt more or less comfortable around Jonas after the guy had quite literally seen Rio at his most vulnerable. But there was a certain connection there knowing they both suffered from panic attacks. That he hadn’t been judging Rio for it. “I’m with Cass. Eating is a great skill of mine. All the work before hand? Not winning any awards there.” He hadn’t been back in town long, but as long as he had been crashing with Ari he didn’t think she had asked for his help cooking once. Clearly, Athena had told her about his lack of skill.

“I’d like to see this tail pinning skill too. I think you’re going to nail it.” Rio offered Sloane a thumbs up. He wasn’t sure this was a skill someone could be naturally good at, but he was willing to play along. For the vibes and all. “What’s corn hole again? That one with the bean bags? And like the hole that you throw it at?” Jesus, his introvert was showing. “I’m so sorry for whoever’s team I end up on in advance. Whatever happens… just know I’m trying my best.”

Sloane leaned forward in her chair, scooting forward enough so that the back legs were lifted off of the ground. She rocked back a bit to tap them against the floor. “I’m going to either prove, or destroy the expectations you have.” She beamed at Cass before she got to her feet. Slurpee still in hand, Sloane took a long sip, wincing slightly at the feeling at the back of her throat, just beyond her tonsils. “Eating is easy, it’s the cooking part is hard. I mean, unless you’re a part of one of those eating contests or something.” 

The banshee nodded thoughtfully at Cass’s declaration that she’d be good at corn hole. She hadn’t ever played that one. “Not sure, but why the hell don’t they call it something else? What’s the purpose of corn?” Sloane whistled for Steve who came running around the corner, Luna’s toy still in his mouth. She leaned forward as he knocked against her leg, tail beating quickly in the air. “I second Jonas though, I think Steve might try to take the bean bag out of the air, it’ll make you lose. He’ll be the reigning champion, Cass.” Sloane watched as Steve trotted away to find somebody else to gain attention from and then she looked at Rio as he offered his condolences for his less-than stellar gameplay. “There’s an odd number of us, we can be on a team. You’ll need me for the pin-the-tail.” 

“I don’t mind - I don’t mind just being a judge and watching the dogs.” Jonas was more than comfortable just watching. Plus if someone kept an eye on the dogs he’d feel better about it. He didn’t want them running around on their own while everyone was playing and he thought Blue would appreciate it if she could sit by him. 

“They used to- used to fill the bags with corn.” Jonas explained, though he wasn’t sure the others were looking for an explanation really still he had it and thought he might as well offer it. He turned towards Rio and offered a smile, “I’m sure you’ll do just- do just fine, besides the point is to - is to have fun.” He tried to reassure the other man though he did know that some people could get competitive and was hoping it wouldn’t get to that. But he stood and took a few more sips of his slurpee before moving past his chair to round up the pups. 

“You always surpass my expectations,” Cass replied with a grin, and it was true. Everyone here did, even Rio, who she’d only just met. She’d never expected this kind of companionship from any of them, because she didn’t expect it from anyone at all. Cass had been alone most of her life; moments like this reminded her that that wasn’t the case anymore. It was a good feeling. “You should only sit out if you want to,” she told Jonas, wanting to ensure that he was having a good time, too. “We can have one team with three people! If Rio’s as bad at is as he says he’ll be, maybe we’ll give him the advantage.” She flashed Rio a quick grin as she said it.

She blinked at the explanation behind the game’s name, intrigued. “What are they filled with now? And why did they stop filling them with corn? I’ve got so many questions.” Jonas was right, though; the point of all the games was only to have a good time. Cass doubted anyone there was entirely concerned with winning. 

“I agree with Cass. If you want to play, we’d love to have you on our team.” Sloane pointed from herself to Rio. “I’m speaking for him, by the way.” She wasn’t sure if that was a great idea considering she didn’t know him very well at all, but still. “Hey, who says Rio will make us lose. Maybe it will be me. But Jonas? Definitely going to be a champion.” Sloane grabbed a chip from one of the opened bags and popped it into her mouth. 

At Jonas’s explanation, Sloane stopped mid-chew. “Wait, really?” She blinked at him. “So it totally lost its meaning then.” Like a lot of things, but– “that’s cool, appreciate the explanation!” She smiled at Jonas to really drive in the point that she was grateful he took the time to teach her something, even if it’d been a joke. Now she could use that tidbit of information if she ever needed to. 

  Ari smiled as she brought food over to the table they’d set up outside. If it was pin the tail on the donkey skeleton, she was pretty sure Sloane could figure it out based on the bones alone. Maybe that translated to a poster of Jack the donkey. She’d fly with it. “You know, I’m gonna believe you’re a natural at the donkey game. It’d be the most random hidden talent ever and I’m here for it.” 

She took a seat with her friends and appreciated how normal this all was. Just a group of friends together celebrating a birthday on a nice summer day. Most days, Ari found herself wondering why she stayed here when it brought so much hurt, but sitting here, it was easy to see why. Moments just like this one. She shot Cass a smirk and so exclaimed, “We’ll have to be on separate teams to keep things fair because we already know I’m good at corn hole.” She nudged her shoulder to Rio’s. “I’ll take Rio. I can make enough shots for the both of us.” 

“Oh I actually know this!” Rio chimed in excitedly at Cass’s question. If there was anything that was going to help break him out of his shell it was random historical facts. “Since the 70’s normal beanbags have been filled with these beads called EPS beads. It’s like a cheap plastic material.” Rio tried to explain. Admittedly, he knew more about the name of the material than he did about what EPS actually stood for, “Don’t ask me how I know that. It was a weird rabbit hole involving Hacky sack. As for why they use it, whoo knows. Corn kernels go bad eventually and can get moldy if wet so maybe longevity? But I didn’t even know they used to use real corn kernels, so thanks for the trivia, Jonas.” Rio smiled in his direction. Jonas wouldn’t know, but random pieces of information were like gold to Rio. He lived for learning stuff like that. 

Blue was making her rounds and Rio was happy to finally kneel down and scratch her behind the ears to as he tried to keep his attention towards the group. “I’m happy wherever you put me.” Surprisingly, he meant it too. The anxiety he had felt for being around people that weren’t just Ari had slowly melted away. “I’m mostly just excited to eat Ari’s food.”

“If we’re sure about the teams then I don’t-I don’t mind it.” Jonas was fine sitting it out, but he was glad to play if the others wanted him too. How long had it been since he actually played a party game? Maybe Alex’s last birthday? At least not since he came to White Crest. But here he was surrounded by wonderful people at a party, really he was starting to feel more at home in the town because of the people he kept running into. “I am excited to get a chance to- chance to eat too.” 

Jonas hadn’t gotten the chance to eat Ari’s cooking before, so far the two had only had take out and restaurant food while in each others company so far. “So Ari is the one to - one to beat in cornhole and Sloane in - in pin the tail.” 

Cass grinned as Ari brought the food over, wasting little time in grabbing a burger for her plate. “It definitely wouldn’t be fair if we were on the same team,” she agreed, though she’d never actually played cornhole before to know if it was true. “We’d totally destroy the competition.” She found that she didn’t really mind what team she ended up on; everyone here would make the game fun, regardless of how they were divided. 

She listened with interest as Rio launched into an explanation regarding the makeup of beanbags, nodding along as he spoke. “I guess it would make sense to use something that won’t get moldy and gross. Maybe it’s cheaper, too?” Things usually came down to the bottom line where companies were concerned, she’d learned. Between Jonas and Rio, Cass certainly knew a lot more about beanbags now than she had before, and she flashed the two of them a bright grin in thanks. “Food is pretty exciting. And, hey, the quicker we eat it, the quicker we can see if we’re right about our party game predictions!”

“They should have called it Mold Hole if that were the case, then.” Sloane squinted, expression fixing into something disgusted. “Wait, never mind.” Sloane followed Ari back over to the table and took a seat, wasting no time in grabbing one of the veggie burgers that Ari had prepared especially for her. Maybe others, too, but she couldn’t be sure about their diets. It wasn’t like it mattered, did it? If Ari trusted them all to be here, then maybe Sloane should, too. “I hope that if I ever get thrown to the wolves–” She cleared her throat, trying not to make eye contact with Ari about her joke, “that is trivia, it’s about bean bags.” 

Now Sloane had to be good at pin the tail. If she wasn’t, she’d be ruining just about every expectation that the group had. With a smile, she took a bite out of her burger and wiped her hand against her mouth before she pointed at Rio with her pinky finger. “I might need to take you out for some trivia.” She glanced over to Jonas. “You, too. You guys would win us the big bucks.” The banshee put her burger back down, only finishing her sentence once she was done with her bite. “Not that that’s all you’re good for.” Her gaze cut over to Ari, then to Cass. “This is like, really good. Cass, she really pulled out all the stops for you on your…” it occurred to her then that she didn’t know how old her friend was. “Birthday.” 

Once Ari was certain everyone had gotten some of what they wanted on their plates, she filled her own with kebabs and one of the corn cobs. She listened to the corn hole fun facts somewhat intrigued. That explained the original name, but Rio was right, rotten corn probably didn’t smell great. “Good thing they changed it then, Could definitely do without the stale or moldy corn smell.” 

While trivia was far from something Ari was good at, she had the feeling Rio and Jonas on a team could kick some major butt. “You might be onto something there,” she laughed, “I’m only good at the sports part of trivia and even then it’s like… soccer. Or repair stuff! Actually between all of us we should cover most of the categories.” 

There was a proud grin on her face as people mentioned the food was really good. Ari always enjoyed feeding people and it was even better when they liked the food. “Had to,” she joked, “You only turn 23 once… probably”

“I would love a trivia night” Rio interjected immediately. He wasn’t convinced that he could yell out answers in a crowded bar, but he was pretty confident that half of this group would if he mumbled it. “Next birthday party should definitely be that.” He hesitated at suggesting it for his own birthday. That seemed lame. Especially when Ari was the only one here that he could legitimately count as a friend before today. He at least hoped they all considered him a friend now. “Yeah, I agree. I suck at sport stuff.  We can all balance each other out.” 

Rio didn’t hesitate in stuffing his mouth with food as the others ate too. He loved Ari’s cooking. It was definitely the best meals he had in the last year or so since he left town. It was probably the best cooking since he lived with Winston and Ricky. “This is amazing, Ari. No surprise of course.” He must have thanked and complimented her a million times since running into her at The Common. But in his defense, he had a year of time to make up for. “After this we gotta put this pin the tail theory to the test.”

“Trivia night would be delightful.” Jonas was great at trivia, as long as it didn’t pertain to movies and sports but he was sure the others had that covered. He grabbed some food from the table and took a seat, Blue moved under it to catch anything he might drop. “You can’t have any.” He mumbled at her before turning his attention back to the group. 

“The food really is - really is great Ari.” Jonas offered a smile before turning to Cass, “Happy Birthday. Oh that reminds me,” He pulled out his phone and got up coming over to Cass, “I took pictures of Zan and Jayna in little - little capes.” All the smoke and noise wouldn’t have been good for the birds so they got to stay home but Jonas still wanted them to be included somehow given they were Cass’. He pulled up the pictures and handed the phone to Cass. “I wouldn’t mind - wouldn’t mind pin the tail after this.” 

“Mold Hole!” Cass repeated with an undignified snort, the sound turning into a laugh rather quickly. She felt light and good and free in a way she very rarely did here. Good company did wonders for a person. “We’d make a kickass trivia team!” She agreed with a grin. “If there are any questions about comic books, I’m your girl. Even the stupid, obscure stuff like Hellcow.” Between all of them, they’d probably have at least one expert in most of the trivia categories. 

Flashing Ari a bright grin, Cass nodded. “Hey, you never know in White Crest, right? Twenty-three might repeat!” She took a bite of the burger, humming contentedly. “This really is, like, the best burger I’ve ever had. I think I want you to cook all my meals forever now.” Leaning forward as Jonas brought over the phone, she cooed at the photos. “Oh my god, they’re so cute! Look at Zan’s little smile!” She sighed, sending the photos to herself so she could have them on her phone before handing Jonas’s back to him. “Yeah, for sure!”

Sloane was happy that her suggestion of going out for trivia seemed to catch their attention. She liked being around people she enjoyed the company of, and even though she only really knew Cass and Ari, Jonas and Rio were shaping up to be good company. When Ari clarified how old Cass was, Sloane nodded. That made sense. At Cass’s words, Sloane snorted. “Don’t say that. It might.” The reality of where they lived stayed with them every step of the way, even in their offhanded jokes. 

The banshee watched over her burger as Jonas got up to show Cass something on his phone, silently reminding herself to mind her business. If it was meant to be shared, it would be. It wasn’t like she had to be included in everything. Sloane swayed in her seat slightly as she finished off another bite of her burger. It had shocked her the first time she had Ari’s cooking. There were some key differences in the way Ari and her dad both grilled, but she had already made the joke to her dad that he might have some competition, to which he brushed off with laughter and a look that said I’d like to see her try. “Pin the tail sounds great.” After a moment, Sloane set her burger down. “Who’s Zan? Is that another dog?” 

“Hm? Oh no Zand and Jayna are um well budgies.” Jonas carefully shuffled over to Sloane and offered her his phone. “They’re rather - rather fond of Cass.” The two budgies were wearing little capes in the photos though Jayna seemed more intent on taking it off than Zan. “Hellcow? What’s Hellcow?” Jonas didn’t know much about comics but he knew there was one where a monkey had a gun, so he supposed something called Hellcow was within the realm of possibility. 

Jonas wasn’t really surprised at Cass’ age given that he had to see all her paperwork before hiring her. “Mm you shouldn’t jinx it. It might -might actually happen.” If Jonas had learned one thing from coming to White Crest, it was that anything was possible. The year repeating? Would be expected at this point. 

Rio immediately turned to Cass when she mentioned Hellcow. “Holy crap I completely forgot hellcow existed.” Jonas seemed curious too, asking about it afterwards. “I’m definitely not an expert on it. But it’s this pretty obscure Marvel comic. Pretty sure it’s about a vampire cow. I’m sure Cass knows more.” He didn’t know many comic book fans, so knowing that Cass considered herself an expert only made him like her more. He had mostly fallen behind in his comic books. He used to sneak away to Tower Comics and spend the entire day reading comics, but once he started with the Scribrary he had lost of free time to read that wasn’t ancient text or old Scribe journals. “We need to talk comic books more later, Cass.”

If it wasn’t something that could actually happen, Rio might find the year repeating joke hilarious. But as things were going now, it seemed like an all too possible outcome. The idea was enough to make Rio nauseous, but he decided to ignore it entirely and continue stuffing his face with Ari’s food. Totally worth the upcoming stomach ache. “I think it’s time to show us how pin the tail is done, Sloane.”

“There are worse years to repeat,” Cass said, a hint of fondness to her tone. “I’ve got a feeling 23 is going to be a really good one.” How could it not be, when she was kicking it off surrounded by friends with the promise of trivia and pin the tail on the donkey in her immediate future? This was the kind of thing she’d always wanted, but never imagined she might actually have. And she was glad it was real. Turning to Rio, she grinned. “A vampire cow with a serious grudge against Dracula,” she confirmed. “We’re definitely going to talk comics later!” She was ecstatic at the concept of having someone to talk comics with, really; Cass could go on for hours about her favorite books, and if Rio knew about Hellcow, he was probably pretty well-versed, too.

Finishing up her burger, she grinned and clapped her hands together. “But for right now, it’s definitely time for Sloane to school us all on pin the tail!” She was a little delighted that her completely out of left field claim that Sloane would be good at the game had stuck; it would make things funnier either way. Standing, she held a hand out to Sloane with an excited bounce. “C’mon!”

They were just birds. Well, not just birds. They were very cute birds. Sloane felt dumb for feeling left out as she looked at Jonas’s phone, a smile breaking over her features as she pointed to the one on the left. “They’re very cute. I’d love to meet them one day.” She looked up at Jonas, smile still intact. 

As both Rio and Jonas began to discuss Hellcow, Sloane leaned back, picking up her drink to take a sip of it. The slurpee had already begun to melt, so there was less ice than there was liquid and it tasted watered down. She was disappointed in the gas station for going easy on the syrup in their latest batch. “A vampire cow? Seriously?” Sloane set her drink down and shook her head with a snort. “That sounds… super obscure. Maybe that’s what I should’ve dressed Steve up as. Cass, you should have told me.” She shot a look over the table at her friend seeming far more disappointed than she actually was. 

At Rio’s suggestion that they start pin the tail, Sloane slapped the top of the table enthusiastically, ignoring the dull pain that began to splinter through her fingers. “Let’s do it!” She wasted no time in untangling herself from where she sat, folding up the paper plate and tossing it into the neighboring bin. Sloane took Cass’s hand with ease and allowed herself to be pulled toward the door that had the donkey vinyl taped to it. “I need to be spun, right?” 

[corpse--diem]

Into The Thick Of It | Ari & Erin

TIMING: Current PARTIES: @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Erin and Ariana follow Marley’s trail deep into the woods of White Crest. CONTENT WARNINGS: head trauma tw (brief mention)

Following a werewolf into the heart of the forest wasn’t something Erin ever thought she’d find herself doing. Yet, here she was. It was day time, at least for a little while yet, and while that didn’t guarantee safety for either her or Ariana, it made her feel a little bit better. Not by much. What the fuck was Marley doing out here in the middle of the woods? Every minute ticking by dragged at her sanity. Day after day with absolutely no leads was more infuriating than anything she’d had to endure in this town yet. Following Ariana right now felt like the closest thing she had to hope. She zeroed in on it, ignoring the sounds of the forest and the shadows that danced around the waning rays of sunlight that penetrated the thick foliage. She’d been quiet for some time, simply following and watching. Her nerves were twisting uncomfortably and she hurriedly her steps along to catch up with the younger woman. “How’s it, uh–going? With the whole, uh–” she gently towards her own nose to finish her sentence. “Are we, uh–are we close? Is that something you can tell?”

 Early on in their search, Ari was already not all that enthused by where her nose was leading her. While the forest was a natural place for her to hang around, she knew well enough that it was hardly safe. She wanted to be able to find Erin’s partner, to pay back a kindness to Marley. Still, the trail led them deeper into the woods and more and more, something just felt off. The trees didn’t look quite right and the ground felt lighter which didn’t even make sense. “Not so much how far away we are, but I know we’re not losing her trail just yet.” Not that she liked where it was leading them. Everything looked like it had when the weird frogs had gotten her high except without the actual mental freedom of being high. The trees were getting denser and felt like they were closing in. “Do you have any idea why Marley would be coming out here?” 

 Erin nodded. Any trail was better than no trail, she supposed. Even if it was starting to look like  Marley had wandered off into the Wonderland-themed part of the woods. It didn’t bolster her confidence in the slightest. “I’m not sure. She doesn’t even like the woods. I can’t even get her to come running with me let alone go on a miles-long hike out into the middle of nowhere.” Which was even more worrying considering her episode with Emilio last week. Her eyes focused on the ground as it threatened to move beneath them as they walked. “Could be supernatural. Could be something to do with her, uh--head. She had an accident last year and even now sometimes she sees things that aren’t there. She could’ve followed… something out here, for all I know.” For once, she hoped this was supernatural-related. There was a chance that she could actually do something if it was. She wiped her hand across her mouth, trying to focus on their surroundings again. “What the hell even is this place, anyway? What’s wrong with it?”

 Something White Crest had definitely happened which wasn’t always the worst case scenario, but it was far from the best case. Ari simply nodded. Erin was probably thinking along the same lines and she didn’t need to verbalize her thoughts, contribute to that worry. Instead, she offered, “I’m sure she had a reason.” Whether that reason was good or bad, she couldn’t be sure. She did know she didn’t smell a dead body nearby which meant at least Marley wasn’t dead at the end of their path. That didn’t seem like the right thing to say though. The slight sway everything had to it made her want to bolt the other way and she wasn’t exactly one to run from trouble. She liked trouble, she liked a physical fight. This didn’t feel like that. Anything here would likely get in her head which was dark enough as of late. The explanation Erin provided made sense even if their surroundings didn’t. “That could be it… and, like, weirdly in tune with how everything around us feels. That’s better than a lot of reasons she could be out here.” And worse. “We’re still in the forest, but something’s wrong with it. I can’t place it. It’s just off. Kind of blurred and brighter?” She forked off to the left where she smelled Marley’s scent continuing. She could vaguely recognize where they were and didn’t have a good feeling. “Erin,” she said softly, “I think we’re getting near the giant tree. Which is gone and I don’t smell any bodi-” She cut herself off, “I don’t smell anything bad, but it seems like a really specific place for her to end up.” 

 Erin appreciated Ariana’s words. An effort to try and calm her mind, probably. She was a good kid. She was trying, doing more than any one person her age probably should have to. Her lips narrowed into a tight smile and she nodded before abandoning it just as quickly. “Could be,” she agreed, following along quietly again. Eyes peeled both for any signs of her girlfriend or anything lurking around them. Dusk was rapidly approaching–at least, it should have been–but it was brighter here even in the heart of the forest with what seemed like a very faint pink or pastel hue coloring everything. Like a filter sat over the foliage and they were staring at a funhouse mirror reflection of what should have been a normal mass of trees. Erin immediately tensed at the word bodies. Ariana realized what she’d done and back tracked but it still stiffened her limbs and sent an icy chill of dread up her spine. “Uh, yeah, right.” Her eyes narrowed again as they approached a small clearing leading up to a really dead, rotting hunk that Erin assumed was the tree in question. “A giant tree?” She asked after a second, nodding towards it. She remembered a few people mentioning killer roots after she’d returned but that was the last she’d really heard about it. “What’s so special about that thing? It looks dead.”

 Of course Erin didn’t know about the tree. Ari remembered she was away for a while and apparently rumored dead. It made sense she didn’t know everything about the crazy tree. Hell, Ari lived it and she still wasn’t really sure what the fuck happened there. Was it possible for it to be re-growing and making everything around it look wrong? It could also be something new entirely. There was something supernatural going on here and that could be good or bad. Either way, it was probably better than dead. Ari trudged closer to where the tree once stood, the scent of Marley still fresh. “Oh yeah, there was a huge tree, you could see it from everywhere in town and I think it was the reason for the crazy pollen. Maybe even the reason for the giant lizard. Don’t really know, but then again I don’t understand most of what happens here.” The tree did in fact look very dead and almost distorted? Everything still had a surreal light to it. She knew she wasn’t dreaming though. She only had one kind of dream lately and this wasn’t it. She stopped in front of the tree. “I lose her scent here,” she said. She tried to mask the uneasiness, but it was alarming. “We can look around the area. See if we can find anything that may have belonged to her that could maybe give us some sort of hint.” 

 Erin’s eyes grew wide at Ari’s explanation, her words almost flippant. Just another day in White Crest. Another disaster she’d just happened to miss because she’d been kidnapped by some greedy spellcasters. “...Right,” was all she could manage, running her fingers along the rough carcass of what was left of this giant, mysterious tree. But what would Marley be doing here if it’d been long dead already? Her head snapped towards Ariana. “Here? It just–stops?” She asked, eyes flickering around as if some new hint or clue would put them back on the path or give a rational explanation as to where the fuck Marley went. The longer she looked, the less any of it made sense. She didn’t want to be here anymore, that much she knew.  “Where the hell did you go, Marley?” She murmured to herself, anxiety reeking havoc on her insides. She couldn’t just… disappear, could she? 

 Erin took a deep breath and refocused, trying to summon every little detective-ing tip she’d ever absorbed from watching Marley do her thing. That’s what she needed now. Another Marley to find Marley. Maybe she’d call Emilio after this. There was nothing normal about their surroundings but Erin cautiously looked around for anything more abnormal than the rippling of light and air and colors forming around them and trying not to freak out too badly about it. After a few moments, something squished under her feet. “Ugh, what the hell,” she grumbled, a foul odor of something rotten reaching her nostrils. A side step away from whatever she’d stepped in caused a crunch this time. Glasses broke under her feet. Sunglasses. Her heart dropped to her stomach and she couldn’t do anything but stare for a few moments. But she knew. She knew. “Those are Marley’s.”

 Ari hated this. She was not sure what she was expecting, but she hoped for something more. She could hear the worry in Erin’s voice and she wished there was something she could do. Anything, really. Still lost was hardly a relief for anyone involved. She shook off the feeling that she’d failed somehow and continued to look around the scene. It only made her more disoriented. There was blown away ash that seemed to move against the current wind and the trees also swayed the opposite way. Whatever was happening here, she didn’t like it. Illusions couldn’t be fought though she supposed even whatever was causing them could theoretically be eaten. She crouched down and looked through the brush. “This whole place feels wrong. Maybe that has something to do with it. This seems more like someone with magic would know more?” 

 When she heard the crunch of glass, Ari quickly whipped around to see what was going on. Erin’s gaze seemed to be fixed on whatever she was staring out and it caused worry to turn her stomach. She watched the woman expectantly, hoping an explanation would come soon. When it did, she simply nodded and walked over. They were in some sort of goo that smelt rotten. Not like flesh, but more in a rotting produce sort of way. That was… weird. Didn’t she sleepwalk trying to find fruit? “I think that’s fruit. I… at some point when the tree was still here I did sleep walk looking for fruit,” she explained, “Don’t know if it’s connected.” The movement of the ground thrust her forward toward where the tree once stood tall. The sky over it seemed warped and the ground was beginning to twist. “Fuck,” she grumbled as she caught her balance though the ground movement didn’t stop. “I think we need to get out of here.” 

 Marley was here. Ariana had confirmed it by scent but seeing her sunglasses, the ones she wore constantly to cover the glow or red eyes, gave Erin the intangible proof she needed. It didn’t help the twist in her gut or answer any of her questions. More sprouted up like the roots that had plundered the town those months ago. They were ruined now, crackling under her fingertips as she picked them up and it made her heart wrench. She’d have to buy her a new pair now. 

 There was nothing more that Erin wanted to do than to comb the area and holler her name until they’d found… well, something. But Ariana was talking about sleep walking for fruit and then suddenly the unsettled atmosphere was jerking her around. The ground was slipping beneath her. It wasn’t safe here. She’d find Marley, but she wouldn’t allow whatever had taken her to do any harm to the young girl she’d dragged along with her through this. She should’ve been more scared for herself, and she knew that, but she wasn’t–she knew she’d likely stay if Ariana wasn’t with her, let the suction and warped reality around them take her wherever it wanted. Maybe she’d find Marley and they’d figure it out from there. She nodded, helping Ariana with a tug as the air swirled around them. Begging and reaching to pull them in and join whatever the hell was going on. Not today. “Yeah, fuck–let’s go!” She yelled over the thunder of air and light swirling around them, darting back into the forest and towards town once more. 

[kadavernagh]

Spirit & Bone || Coyote Exorcism

TIMING: Same time as Fury & Flesh LOCATION: Regan’s cabin  CHARACTERS: Regan, Lil, Leah, Ari, and Nicole SUMMARY: A group has organized to free Regan from her coyote problem. But the coyote won’t go easy, and has some tricks up its sleeve -- or really Regan’s. Will the coyote meet its match in an exorcism, especially if it’s an ACME brand one?  CONTENT WARNINGS: Animal cruelty (mentioned/implied)

The coyote was restless. Regan didn’t know why, and it offered no explanation. Sometimes it just had a feeling. It sensed things no banshee, let alone human, could ever dream of. The scent of sweat on the skin of nearby hikers, creeping too close to the cabin. Or the sound of a hawk crushing a songbird in its claws half a mile away. Today it felt threatened, caged. And it hated feeling caged. It was desperate enough for some of its nerves to sink themselves into Regan, latching to her skin. She couldn’t shake it off any better than the coyote.

Something was going to happen. But perhaps it was the fruits of their labors, rather than anything to fear. For once, she was relieved she had already asked Emilio to patrol nearby. This was the most delicate part of the ceremony they were to do – the laying of the last bones on the mound of death they had been building for months. If they were interrupted, the whole thing was sure to unravel, decomposing to nothingness before the coyote’s hollow eyes. That couldn’t happen. This was its only path to a peaceful rest. Most of the bones in her vast collection were in place, now. She had shuffled back from the mound to the cabin, collecting the remaining skunk and raccoon bones in her arms.

Something… there was something. The coyote seemed to freeze, a deep chill emanating out from the bag its skull was swaddled in. Regan delicately set down the bones and scooped the bag up in their stead, holding it close. What did it sense? What was it? 

Regan’s head turned sharply toward the door, eyes narrowed and a scream simmering in her lungs. Someone is there. Multiple someones. Its thoughts were like chattering teeth in her head. “I know.” Regan replied. We will deal with them. “I know.” She repeated, this time with finality.

Lilian had been quiet most of the time going to the cabin that they were approaching, her eyes focused on the road ahead. She was tired, dead tired from the ghosts and exorcisms that seemed to follow her around these days clinging to her. Her usual up-beat nature was tampered down knowing that this event wasn’t going to be easy. She didn’t know all the moving parts, but in fairness she rarely asked questions about the details of things. Simply, there were things that were easier not to know. Exorcists were called to be focused on a goal, not wondering about the contents of a soul. Not wondering what the coyotes wanted, even if she felt something sour about it in her mouth. 

Nodding to the others softly Lil said in a low voice, “ Is this the cabin? If so - she’s probably going to go after me first if the ghost realizes what I am. If you can get her in a chair I can draw a circle quickly. It won’t be able to get out of it then, and probably won’t be able to jump. Are we ready? ” She hoped at least. From what she was told, this seemed to be a spirit not a demon, but - well it was worth a shot at least. Her left hand curled around the chalk in her palm while her right held her dagger hoping not to use it. 

Leah could not wrap her mind around all the ways what they were about to do could go wrong, and she hated the feeling.  She had the privilege and the resources to always have a plan in a situation like this.  Or-, multiple plans, really.  Plan A, and plan B, and even plans C-ZZ when all the previous ones went wrong.  She could research, meticulously and with finality, all the ways that situations had gone wrong before, and all the ways to avoid those wrongs before they happened.  

But there was nothing concrete about this, at least not in the limited Ramirez scribary.

It wasn’t unheard of for new situations to arise, of course, but it was the first time in this life at least that Leah had to deal with it.  She gripped Nicole’s hand in hers tightly, uncomfortable with the feeling.  Regan was going to be angry.  She would have been angry being surprised like this anyway, but the possession made that anger entirely too unpredictable.  She hoped the real Regan would fight through whatever was tainting her mind, but couldn’t imagine how hard that must be.  She looked over at Lil with a nod at her question, and then back at the familiar door. “We’ll do our best.  I don’t have much to offer in strength but I can try to back her into a corner via temperature.  What are you thinking?”, she asked, turning to Ari.  Ari, who she hadn’t seen since their memorial for Alcher.  She had to remember to invite that girl over for dinner or something, lest all their interactions be through traumatic events involving mutual loved ones.  The thought made her look to Nicole again, letting out a breath.  “Maybe I can distract her somehow… maybe you two can each take a side.”

When Nicole and Leah had asked her to come along to help with some ritual, Ari hadn’t thought much of it. When it came to helping people, she rarely did. Just yes and action and that was that. The details hadn’t fully registered given the hazy state she existed in most of the time these days, but in the moment, she knew she’d know what to do. When it came to a fight, her instincts were pretty sharp. Being a predator with years of training had its perks or something. During the walk, the wolf hadn’t been paying all that much attention or she would have noticed the route seemed familiar. 

Once they were at the door of the cabin it clicked and Ari had to swallow back the panic that was rising in her. Why were they at Regan’s cabin? Maybe she really should have asked some questions, but if they were here to help Regan, it was probably fine. She was sure it wouldn’t count as repaying her debt to the banshee. Or maybe it would. She couldn’t really say. The cabin felt just as cold and sterile as it had the last time she was here. Death and wood being the primary smell. Leah’s voice pulled her out of her head. “This is Regan’s cabin,” she said, slowly, “Are we here to help her?” 

Nicole had no stakes in this situation. She didn’t even know the woman about to be exorcised. But her conscience wouldn't have allowed her to sleep at night if these women risked their lives for nothing. She had to be there to make sure Leah's bones remained intact, that Lil didn't exert herself like she almost did banishing the termites, or that Ari didn’t attempt anything reckless. Alright, she had stakes but they were different. If they needed an exit plan, she wouldn't hesitate to make it happen. No ifs or buts.

Nicole didn’t know this woman, but a beast's spirit inhabiting your body was not something she wished on anyone, even if the circumstances weren't quite the same. “Just give me enough time to leave to circle” she glanced at Lil. They had been an unconventional team against the ghost termites, but an effective one. She trusted her to get it right. And it shouldn’t be a problem for her and Ari to muscle the woman into a chair as long as she didn’t have reinforcements inside. Like those awful coyotes they fought in her garden. “We can try that” She gave Leah a curt nod, but squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Planning and executing were two different things though, especially under pressure. And so, standing right outside the cabin, ready to open the door, Nicole hoped for the best but prepared for the worst. Ariana’s question registered in her brain right as she pushed the door open. She did a double take. Wait. Did they not tell her the name? “Yeah… Why’s that—” her words died in her throat once she peered inside the slight opening, shivers running down her spine as the scent of decay flooded her lungs.

She would not get the door. It wasn’t even locked, anyway – she had only meant to stop in for the rest of the bones. Bounding over to do so wouldn’t stymie anyone with steely determination. And Regan had a feeling this was no lost hiker. She could hear them. Voices outside. Multiple, familiar, but she couldn’t place them. So she froze, letting the coldness of the bones in her arms fill her as she stared at the door knowing it would move at any moment. Her wings flicked against her back, the only anxious betrayal of her composure. The skull commanded her to be prepared. A scream whipped up like a storm inside of her lungs, and Regan held it in her chest. Movement. The door getting nudged. 

Leah. The scream seared her intercostals, wanting to be belted squarely at the librarian. There were others, too – Lil, that child Ariana, someone Regan didn’t know – but none of them enraged her quite as much. Leah’s presence said enough. She knew what this was about. “One chance,” Regan said, the edges of the scream leaking into her voice, “You all have one chance to leave.” One of the skunk bones – a darling scapula – shattered in her hands in response to the vibration. She gave the remaining bones a loving clench and then sat them down, opting to keep the more valuable skull in her bag. It would be safe there. It would always be safe with her. “Do you understand? We will do the same to your bones.”

It was already happening so fast.  Ari’s question (which Leah was glad Nicole answered), the door swinging open, and …Regan.  Still somehow both fully herself and less herself than Leah had last seen her.  She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, filled with things for the ritual and anything else they might need.  Candles, sage, a bag of salt, tears… She hoped they wouldn’t need the tears.  Then, there was the threat, and the tell-tale sign that Regan was about to scream.   Her voice echoed around them, more ominous than the threat could ever have been.  Bones shattered in Regan’s hands, and it was almost a wonder that her own bones weren’t already cracking inside her.  With a swallow, she looked hard into Regan’s eyes. She’d heard what she thought was Regan screaming plenty of times before, but from a distance.  She knew the power her scream had.  But they couldn’t leave.  They couldn’t let Regan destroy herself anymore.

She needed to get her attention; she needed to find some way to get her to listen.  She didn’t listen back at the apartment or on the internet, and she didn’t seem primed to listen now.  So Leah had to try something different.  “Regan”, she said, both in greeting an acknowledgement.  Her nerves got the best of her, and in the blink of an eye, she flashed to her flame state and then back in an instant.  Her fire hadn’t been working properly in months, but she tried to see the silver lining of it all- maybe this would serve as a good enough distraction to Regan for the time being.  With adrenaline rushing, people’s senses went into overdrive.  Maybe the shock of seeing a friend on fire would do enough of the trick.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how scary this must be for you.  None of us can.  But there is something inside you that doesn’t belong there, Regan.  It’s not there to help you, it’s using you.  And when it’s done with you, I’m worried it will leave you with nothing left.” Regan was threatening people she loved and there was no longer a doubt in Leah’s mind that she would follow through with it.  “We first met because you needed help, Regan.  In an absolutely wild situation, you needed help.  And I came, because there are things I know about this town that are just unexplainable to most people.  And we can help you now, okay? But we can’t help you if you don’t let us.”  She took a deep breath, glancing at the women around her.  ‘If there was ever any ounce of trust you had in me that I could help you with something like this… if there was ever an inch of doubt about what’s been going on with you… then I need you to promise.  Promise me you won’t scream while we’re here.”

Leah. She did something. For a second, just a second, Regan stared at where her friend stood as her slow heart raced. There had been fire. Leah, somehow, looked as if – but that was impossible. So why did her heart sprint at the impossible? The coyote was unimpressed. But an old memory dislodged itself – Augusta’s Office of Medical Examiner going up in smoke, the flames licking at the entrance of the autopsy suite, the half-finished autopsy shielded behind her. Regan squinted at Leah, seeing if she could summon back the fire with her mind for long enough to be convinced to run. But there was nothing. Only Leah. Leah and her pleading words.

“You don’t know anything,” Regan hissed, a lightbulb popping behind her. “I gave you a –” Warning. But Leah wasn’t done. And while the coyote was tugging at her, calling on her to act, something was stopping her. But not for long. The coyote’s urgency doubled at Leah’s words, enraged that it had been detected and spoken of in such a manner. What could they do? Nothing. It wouldn’t allow it. Regan wrapped her arms around her chest, no longer confident she could contain the scream even if she wanted to. And she didn’t. Right? She didn’t. The coyote confirmed it.

This was it. She would not give up her scream. The coyote knew her for the servant and weapon that she was. And while the scream wasn’t their only asset – there were still the shadows –  it was the only one capable of causing true, physical harm. It sensed Regan’s hesitation. Only a flicker of it, but enough for the coyote to grow concerned by her cowardice. You’re better than this, it reminded her, its voice like chattering teeth in her head. It was afraid, Regan realized, too slowly and too late. Think of your training. The social tethers choked out of you. These humans don’t matter. What matters is finishing the work. 

They were intruders, interlopers. The small amount of warmth Regan felt at seeing familiar faces, the tiny gap of doubt Leah had been needling at, was wrung out of her. They might as well have been strangers. Humans interfering with things beyond their ken. The coyote pushed harder. They were an active threat. Regan’s gaze darkened as she looked at the humans. It was time to listen to the storm inside of her lungs. She released it; the scream poured out of her and filled the cabin, cracking the “crack-proof” windows and shooting small shards of glass everywhere. She barely noticed it against her own skin. Was it enough? Regan looked at the huddled forms before her. More, the coyote demanded. She pushed her lungs further, deeper, and the scream continued until finally, she was breathless. 

Regan panted, trying to see what state the threat was in. The coyote didn’t want her to. It wanted her to take the bones and run. She turned to the table and reclaimed her skunk and raccoon bones, making a beeline for the door. But as she darted by one of the humans, she slowed. Go. She stopped. Go. The coyote howled and thrashed and pushed. Regan grabbed onto the door frame, and looked toward the human she’d screamed at. Leah. The name entered her thoughts for just long enough that she could latch onto it with her fingertips. She was hurt. Of course. Because – Regan choked, a lump lodging itself in her throat. Go now. Regan slowly shook her head no.

Leah had said I need you to promise… the lump in Regan’s throat grew, and the bones fell from her hands. “I–” The brief attempt to speak came out a screech. The coyote could deny her this much. She would not be permitted to answer with a promise. It filled her head with an unearthly howl, and Regan clenched the doorframe harder but didn’t stop looking at Leah. If she tried to speak, it would be a scream. So she wouldn’t. Once more, slowly, Regan nodded – this time a yes, I promise.

Things were happening fast, questions and answers coming out quicker then Lilian knew how to really address them. Still she had nodded lightly to Nicole on making sure she got out of the circle in time. She wouldn’t put the other in that situation again, if she could help it. It hadn’t occurred to Lil that everyone didn’t know what was going on, but it was getting to the point where they just needed to trust each other and do it. 

Before Lil could say anything there was horrible noise, causing her to buckle under the sound her hands automatically putting her hands over her ears for a sound she really couldn’t hear . Stumbling backwards she felt the scream more than heard it. It knocked the wind out of her and for a moment she couldn’t think.

After a moment though, she saw Leah go up and try to talk to Regan and Lil wanted to warn her to get back. Whatever this was wasn’t good. Without a thought Lil held onto her knife harder as she tried to get closer to the Librarian. She wanted to distract the ghost, get it angry at her and not attacking the other, but Lil wasn’t sure if she could do so and not get the noise to come back. Shaking she decided to go closer. 

“Regan - the spirit in Regan. I know something awful happened to you, and I’m going to help you,” Lil said calmly, one of her hands behind her back gesturing at the other two to come closer. Hoping that they would know that they might need to pull Regan back into the cabin. “Do you want to move on? You’re making a mound in the woods, why? Are you trying for a proper burial? Did you want a proper right of departure?” Lil was babbling slightly trying more gently to get the ghost to focus on her and away from Leah. It wasn’t the approach she normally took, but maybe it would be worth it. “Is that why you have all of these bones?” 

No matter how many times Leah read about a Banshee scream… no matter how many times she imagined what it might sound like in person, hearing it was 1,000 times worse than she imagined it.  Even with the earplugs she had them all put in as they were walking toward the cabin, it was all encompassing, and despite it lasting for less than a minute, it felt never ending.  She doubled over, her hands clasping at her ears in a desperate yet futile attempt at protection.  Where was Nicole?  Where were the others?  When it was about halfway done, she felt a tell-tale snap in her chest.  She let out an involuntary scream of pain, but it was indistinguishable over Regan.  

She was sure it was going to kill them.  But somehow, there was an end.  At least, she thought it was over.  Her eyes were ringing- an awful, high pitched sound that seemed to rush through her head like a train.  A hand came down to grip her chest, confirming that yes, her rib did crack during the scream.  She groaned, barely hearing herself as her ears tried to come back to Earth.  She could not stand up, at least not swiftly, but she lifted her head to find Regan.  

They locked eyes, and there was a glimpse of her old friend again.  Tears started to fill her eyes, and then Regan nodded.  It was all Leah needed to spring everything into action.  

“She’s ready.  She won’t do it again”, she yelled out. She wasn’t even sure if anyone could hear her. A swarm of relief was swelling in her chest, and she hoped it wasn't misplaced delusion from the broken rib.  “Grab her. We need to start the ritual now.”

Leah warned them. They tried to prepare in case of a scream. But Nicole soon realized there was no preparation effective enough for a banshee’s scream. She had nothing to compare it with. She shrunk, arms going up to cover both ears and head, but it wasn’t only that. The waves vibrated against her clothes, it made her blood pump faster. Glass shattered everywhere. The logs creaked dangerously. Had Regan kept going, she was certain the cabin would’ve buried them all. There was no silence when she finally stopped screaming, only a high pitched ringing and the stupor preventing her from going back into action.

Heart in her throat, she reached for Leah, who took the hit the hardest. It was exactly the type of situation she wanted to stop. Was she hurt? Mission was over if she was. Regan could exorcise herself for all she cared. Leah, being Leah, was already commanding them to do something. But her words didn’t register clearly. It was hard to overcome the ringing in her ears. Or feel like she was back in her body again. With the few words she caught, and the pointed looks, she understood the message. Lil needed them to restrain the woman. Leah thought the woman was ready to be restrained. She glanced at Ari, wondering if she’d join her, before she yanked Regan by the arm, gentleness forgone. She’d throw her over her shoulders if she put any more resistance. Yes, she wasn't easy to handle, but she was easy to overpower. She kicked the first chair she could find to face them, forcing Regan down, and looked back for instructions.

The panic that had begun to rise in her was only exacerbated by the vibrations the scream sent pulsing through her body. Ari was still frozen in place outside the cabin, hands somehow managing to find her ears as glass fell over her like a harsh rain. The knicks in her skin were nothing compared to the ache it sent through her body and the ring in her ears, but even that couldn’t cut through the worry. She should have been paying more attention, her being here wasn’t good for anyone, but it was already too late. 

Do you think I’d let you down?

Maybe not intentionally. 

Words that hadn’t even been technically spoken played in her head over the continued dull ring in her ears. Ari knew she’d fucked this up just as badly as she had with Sammy. She was letting everyone here down. She was letting Kaden down and it made her stomach turn, but heavy feet followed behind Nicole as if on autopilot. Regan made a promise of some sort so it had to be okay now. It had to be. There was no way shit like this could just keep happening. Whatever ritual they were here to perform was happening now and she had to make sure Leah and Lil weren’t hurt. “Right, yeah, ready,” she responded, but her voice remained hollow as she followed behind the others.

Lilian tried to move quickly, knowing that time was probably not on any of their sides, but she still winced as she tried to right herself. She was used to heavy bones, but she wasn’t sure the last time she felt this shaken by something. She felt a little more human and fragile then she really wanted to at the moment. She almost waited to hear the responses from Regan - the spirits in here more accurately, but she wasn’t sure how much she could reason with a ghost anyway. Either they would let her do this, or they would fight. Either way she was going to get them out of Regan. 

So when Nicole grabbed Regan, Lil went in behind the two and almost automatically said to put Regan into a chair before seeing that Nicole did it already , “Thanks - Yeah chair is perfect.” Without hesitation Lil moved to draw a circle around Regan, careful not to step into the circle or put down her knife. She didn’t want to threaten the other, but she didn’t want to have her jump either. So she didn’t point the knife at her, but kept it in her hand nonetheless the tip facing her in her hand. 

“Nicole - you need to move a little ” Lil said softly to the other hoping that she could hear her and wanting her not to get the salt on her. She might have asked Ari to move in, but she hadn’t heard the other in a second and she didn’t want to waste time. 

It happened so quickly – a woman’s arms encircling her and tossing her haphazardly into the chair. She attempted to kick. She attempted to scream. But her motions were futile and her scream amounted to nothing more than a pathetic mewl. Regan felt the hard clunk of the chair, the careless way her wings were bent across its back, and the knowledge that the precious cargo inside of her backpack had nearly been damaged.

It was all unforgivable. But she would not allow herself to feel anything else. 

Regan eyed the knife, then looked at Lil. “Iron? Doesn’t look as sharp as the cold iron daggers I’m used to. Unimpressive.” She gazed past Lil, scanning Leah, Ari, and the Other. “What is this about? Clearly there’s been some mistake. I mean, you think you’re talking to a spirit? Breaking in? Forcing me into a chair? You do not deserve answers. I do.” Regan wasn’t sure what to believe. The word believe was hardly in her vocabulary. But this, whatever it was, was insulting on all levels, and the coyote wanted to tear itself out of its bony confines. It was afraid. More than that, it still sensed something – and it was more than just what was occurring here. There was another threat. Regan adjusted herself on the chair in the small amount of wiggle room she was afforded. Her wings flicked with agitation, and she carefully positioned her backpack so as not to damage what she was meant to protect.

The skull. It was all about the skull, everything was about the skull, she had to protect–

Scream.

Regan’s chest heaved, and she opened her mouth, attempting to summon even a wisp of what she had before, but her lungs were failing her. Sweat dripped from her temples as she choked out nothing but an unbecoming yelp. Scream. Now. “I’m trying,” Regan growled, immediately regretting the display of irritability. The promise would not allow it. But the coyote wasn’t one to give up. Not in its first lifetime, and not in any of the following ones. Certainly not in death. 

The coyotes came, all twelve, and they had never looked so low and so mean. They appeared by the chair, trying to force space between the skull and their assailants. Foamy spittle sprayed across the wooden floor, and stiff hairs bristled along their backs. Regan knew what they probably didn’t: the coyotes would only buy time. They couldn’t kill. She needed to think. And perhaps, even more than her connection to death, that was why the skull had chosen her. She would not fail it.

The pain in Leah’s side would not dull out.  Instead, it sparked with every subtle movement, and flashed with every breath.  The nod was barely a breath of a promise, but it was apparently enough to keep any more screams at bay.  She winced at the sight of Regan being thrown around, cognizant of the vials of tears still tucked safely in her bag should they end up needing them.  “You’re severely underestimating my intelligence- and our friendship, for that matter, if you expect me to believe there’s not a coyote spirit hijacking your own right now”, she groaned out, pushing against her legs to help herself finally stand up fully.  “I will answer any questions you might have when we’re done, but it’s been pretty clear to me that up until now you didn’t want to talk.  Have you changed your mind?  Are you ready to talk, Regan?”

She was about to warn the others to be careful with Regan because of how uncomfortable she looked as they were working to tie her up, but something about how the banshee was moving caught Leah’s eyes.  She wasn’t adjusting herself because she was uncomfortable, she realized.  No, she was adjusting herself because she was trying not to harm whatever was in her bag.  

The only thing that might be important enough was the very skull they were here to destroy.

Leah’s mind was racing, and Regan seemingly responded out loud to someone who wasn’t there.  It was an unneeded confirmation that there was something else going on here.  She didn’t have too much time to think about it though, because she was suddenly thrown back off her feet.  She had never seen anything like the twelve seething wisps of coyotes that filled the room before them, and it filled her with such a wave of dread and incompetence that she wasn’t prepared for. The descriptions from Nicole and Kaden about them had been apt, but it wasn’t comforting in the slightest. This was why she was worried about this ritual and exorcism and ritual.  She had pulled pieces of similar situations when preparing for this ritual.  She had no idea what they were up against, and so she had no idea if  their methods were going to work.  

Lil raised her eyebrow slightly at the comment about the knife still trying to concentrate on preparing for the ritual, and not putting  Nicole near the salt. She wasn’t quite sure what would happen, but she didn’t want her to be hurt. “Not sure what you mean by that, but trust me it’ll do what it needs to do.” After all, she didn’t need it to be sharp. 

Before she could do anything else she saw the ghosts like a howl. Like before, they seemed to be coyotes and at one point Lil thought they were. They weren’t something from beyond trapped here, and there was something like a twinge of sadness to see them. Lil couldn’t tell how they died by looking at them, whoever had killed the Coyote was careful, but the spirits didn’t seem right either with too many of them working together. Cursing under her breath Lil pointed her knife to the ground and got ready to throw some of the salt at the wolves. She could try and banish them, but she wasn’t sure if she’d get up afterwards which would lead to this process to be longer. So she moved between Regan and Nicole to finish the circle scrambling up to get into the circle to replace Nicole and keep Regan in the chair.  “Hey Ari or Leah - come, come help me keep her down. I can’t do the ritual inside here. The ghosts shouldn’t be able to cross. Nicole, if you still got that knife I gave you, now’s a great time to use it.”

The scene around Ari moved in slow motion as she stayed rooted a good distance away. This was the last place she should be and she’d been so absentminded as they made their way there she didn’t realize until it was too late. For a moment, everything sounded muffled though that could have been the effect of the scream. It wasn’t until she heard her name that she made any sort of motion. She shook her head, trying to figure out what was being asked of her. Instinctively, she made a move toward Lil to what was asked. Leah had taken the brunt of the scream and someone needed to help. On the chance that Regan asked something of her, she could fight it, she would accept the consequences. Her own carelessness was what got her here. “Got it,” she said, trying to sound more certain than she actually was. 

Ari approached the chair Regan was seated in from behind and grabbed a hold of the banshee’s shoulders firmly, putting a good deal of her strength into the motion while trying to dodge fluttering wings.  

Lil was scrambling to draw some sort of circle on the cabin floor, and the others seemed to be under the impression that they could hold her down onto the chair. “I owe you nothing,” Regan said, trying to tear away from them, eyes going black as fury filled her. What did they think they were doing? How dare they touch her? How dare they make her coyote feel such terror after lifetimes of suffering? They wouldn’t. They couldn’t. The coyotes would – but something stopped them. Several had bowed down to lunge at the intruders, but it was as if they froze, became objects. A couple of them then pointed their muzzles toward the door, sensing something that Regan couldn’t. What could possibly be more important than this? She asked inwardly, hoping her coyote could supply an answer, and explain that the two of them were not truly threatened.

The only response was a savage growl.

The coyotes vanished in the same manner they had appeared. Seconds. Regan knew she only had seconds to come up with a plan to protect both herself, and the skull, whose judgment seemed to be erring for the first time. And she felt… alone. Why? She had the skull. But it only offered pained howls and furious snarling. No. She was on her own. And because of that, she had even greater responsibility not to fail.

An idea struck her. The invisible strings that Lydia once spoke of – ready to be tugged and plucked when the time came to collect. Regan hissed and squirmed away from Leah’s hands, and looked only at Ariana. Her voice was cold and stony when she spoke, and for a second, right when it hit her ears, she barely recognized it. “It’s time. Stop them by any means necessary.”

When she’d seen the ghost coyotes, her hand itched to reach for the bag of salt she knew was in the pocket of her jacket, but Ari kept her hands firmly on Regan’s shoulder. She refused to look at the banshee or process the shuffled noises around her. Her focus shifted entirely to the feeling of Regan’s shoulder under her hand and how she was cooler than Ari had expected. How each flutter of her wings sent a flap of cold air toward the wolf. It could only do so much though. She felt the sharp iciness of Regan’s eyes on her and she had no choice but to hear the words. Stop them by any means necessary. 

Her heart dropped and everything around her became static. Any means necessary. Ari had to believe Regan didn’t truly know how dangerous an ask that was. “Regan,” she said through a strained voice, “You don’t want to do that. I won’t be able to stop myself from hurting you either.” But her bones ached under her skin, demanding her to move, to do something. She took a few slow steps back to put some distance between herself and the others. A sheen of sweat was already coating her skin as she fought what the promise demanded of her. 

Rooted in place, Ari heaved in short breaths that burned. It felt like her body was moving forward without her, ripping her apart in the process. She had to fight it, she couldn’t let the strings of the promise pull her. She wouldn’t hurt anyone here, she couldn’t, but there was only so long she could suppress the side of her that was more wolf-like. Ari knew she didn’t want to hurt them, the wolf only knew it was in pain and needed to bite back. The claws came out first, against her will and she still resisted. The searing pain in her now more paw like hands only grew the longer she tried to keep herself in control of her own form, but it was a wasted effort. 

Fur sprouted along her body as her body contorted and shifted into its lupine shape. Ari could hear the cracking of bones and tearing of clothes before the room no longer became full of her friends, but her next meal. Yellow eyes scanned the room, picking their prey. Drool hung off large jowls as the wolf let out a low growl as it began circling the women in the room, ready to pounce at whoever moved next.

Leah wanted to bark out that the skull must have been her bag.  That Regan was adjusting over it and trying to protect it and its very proximity might have been the thing that was corrupting her mind.  But Regan would have heard, and they needed to be 3 steps ahead of her if they wanted this to work.  Without some sort of mind communication, that meant Leah would have to get the skull from behind Regan herself.  She was glad that Ari elected to go stand by Regan, because any movements at all, sudden or not, shot sharp pains through her chest.   It was enough, anyway, that they had to deal with the coyote ghosts-  Or at least it would have been, if they didn’t seem to get distracted by something and scurry off.

It had to have been the other group that drew their attention, but to Leah, that wasn’t good news.  To save Regan, they needed the other group just as distraction free as they needed themselves.  She didn’t have too much time to dwell on the thought, though, because what was going on in front of her was much more terrifying.

She had not registered that Regan had spoken directly to Ari.  She had barely even registered the cold, calculated voice that came out of her friend.  Instead, all she could focus on was the seething, searing transformation in front of her.  Her breath hitched, and for the first time in the last few minutes, it was not due to the pain in her ribs.  Her mind flashed back to the Alcher wolf, to the two of them tumbling down her stairs as each of them tried to fight for the upper hand.  To lying, broken and bruised at the bottom, sure she was going to die.  She couldn’t breath or think.  Her eyes searched desperately around the room, trying to find an out or a solution or anything that might prove that this could still be a success instead of a jumble of obstacles that were impossible to overcome.

And then her eyes landed on Nicole’s.

Ariana transformed into a monstrous beast, coerced by some sort of banshee power. It was no longer their friend, but a ferocious creature ready to rip them to shreds with no remorse. And Nicole wanted to focus on what a horrendous oversight was to bring the girl along with them, but Leah’s gaze found hers across the room.

Leah was looking at her. The woman who always had one last trick up her sleeve was seeking her help. Which only meant they were truly, undeniably fucking screwed. Her limbs trembled as she held one hand up, but the emotionless tone she used masked her fear perfectly. “Regan” she looked between Lil and Leah. “Focus on her. Do it, quick. Finish the exorcism” she commanded, taking a step forward. “I’ll— I’ll… I—” She’ll what? Nicole felt none of the bold determination the situation required, only the sheer panic wrapping around her ribcage. This was it. How they all died. Her airway constricted as she bore into savage yellow eyes.

There won’t be a second time. A promise Nicole slurred every night for a year as she lay on unfamiliar curbsides, more alcohol than blood in her veins. More animal than human back then. Guilt ridden and angry with herself. A promise often followed by a plea: For fate to take her too, and the universe to show her mercy. Never again she’d turn into the beast that took everything from her. It was her mantra, repeated through clenched teeth and salty tears until it became her essence. What helped her out the quicksands of grief. The spirit had coiled within her plenty of times after that, threatened to take over, but each time she prevailed. Control like a chokehold. Never once let the jaguar win.  

There wouldn’t be a second time, but Lil didn’t deserve this after selflessly offering her help time and time again. No second time, but Ari shouldn’t have to carry the burden of ending three lives. Leah shouldn’t have to be traumatized again by a beast. There wasn't supposed to be a second time except, brown eyes met feral yellow, and the spirit clawed desperate against her ribs, ready to be freed at last.

Nicole thought of her father, of his actions as he faced his reckoning. Giving her the best shot at survival. She stood there, proof of his sacrifice. She had to give them the same chance, whether it took a year, or five or a decade of her life. Her gaze sought Leah, wondering if she'd ever see her again. But if it was the last time she saw her then— fuck, she wanted her image burned into her mind. In the end, all she wanted was to stop being torn apart every time she found something worth living for. She thought she’d be beat down already, numb. Yet the unfairness of life filled her lungs with rage. Her muscles burned. This time, she let it happen. Something bigger was required. Something fiercer. She was something. It was something. She said she'd get them an exit plan. 

There was no exit, but she was the plan.

Flesh tore and bones shifted, but the jaguar ripped through her so fast and so fierce that she barely suffered. It came out bigger, angrier, more threatening than it had at seventeen. No intent on running this time, but set to kill instead. The thundering roar vibrated against the floor, and it was the only warning before the jaguar lunged towards the wolf. Two forces of nature clashed, teeth and claws out to destroy. Humans forgotten as they battled for dominance. The wolf struck first, but the jaguar recovered quickly, claws slicing its upper body. The wood buckled and cracked beneath them, their beastly bodies thrashing about with furious strength, too big to fit through the door frame without damaging it. As a result, it was torn out as the beasts freed themselves from the cabin’s containment. Out in the open, their fight turned into a thrilling chase.

Lil’s jaw stealed as she heard words around her she didn’t quite understand. She was used to being a human in a room full of supernaturals, but sometimes there was a bit of her that  remembered all too well she was a human. One swipe and her life was over in this room, and part of her recognized that she should be scared of that. After all, she was usually calculated with situations she couldn’t handle. She bowed to a demon for Christ's sake knowing that she couldn’t do anything dead. 

Still she promised. Lil promised to get Regan out of this, and she’d already resolved herself to this fate. She hadn’t done so to any one person nor was it a binding promise , but when she said she could do this she meant it. She would do it.  Maybe the noises in the background of people fighting turning more into supernatural creatures might disturb her. Maybe she wanted to go help them and not be stuck in a ritual she couldn’t be taken out of until it was done, but she wouldn’t be a help either. She had to trust that she wasn’t about to get attacked. She had to hope whatever was happening to Ari would dissipate if she did this. She had to trust that Nicole was handling this as she told them to focus on the ritual. 

So with a grip on her knife Lil kneeled down and struck the outside of the circle and said softly to Leah, “I’m probably going to pass out after this. You’re going to want to break the skull when I’m done.” 

With that Lil looked at Regan for a moment resigning herself to a ritual that wasn’t going to be pleasant. Still she said softly with a hint of pity she normally didn’t have for ghosts, to the ghost she was fairly sure was still in Regan, “I am going to give you as proper of a funerary rite as I can. I will try to make sure your bones are buried.” Maybe it was a sympathy that the coyote didn’t deserve after the havoc, but with the bits Lil could put together there was something tragic with the ghost she couldn’t help but want to put to rest. Even if her ears were still ringing, and her bones vibrating, she could at least try to do the right thing. 

With that Lil started the ritual, her voice ringing out clear as she started speaking in Latin, her knife turning hot quickly. 

Regan expected Ariana to simply throw herself in front of her. The presence of a child there would have stopped the others in their tracks. Or perhaps she would leap onto them, limbs flailing like a wild animal as they refused to kick her off, not wanting to risk hurting her. No. That was not what happened. Ariana was shaky when she looked at Regan, her eyes pleading with her to take it back. Moments later, Regan understood why. Where Ariana once stood, then bowed, then writhed, there was a snarling beast. Regan’s mouth dropped open. How– no. That wasn’t – but the skull pushed all thoughts of the impossible away. It doesn’t matter. It managed to snarl as much, even in its nearly blind rage. She knew it was right. The beast was less handsome than her own favorite predatory mammal, but more useful at the moment. It scanned the room as if on a hunt, and Regan got to work trying to wiggle out of the chair, singularly focused and trying to block out the wolf-thing in the room. It didn’t want her right now. But the Other was up to something. The way Leah looked at her. The demands she gave. Regan grit her teeth, trying with renewed effort to get away. The scream she coughed up withered and died before it left her mouth. 

And then there was a second beast, this one a jaguar, and it lunged at the first beast, cartwheeling and clawing toward the front of the cabin. Regan’s stomach hardened like a rock. This was bad. Beyond possible, and incredibly bad. She was failing the skull. She said she would never do that.

That was – Regan couldn’t think of anything else. What else did she have? There were the daggers. So many of them in here, but none within reach. She strained, especially as Lil spoke of the skull. They knew. Leah. Of course. She still couldn’t make sense of what this whole thing was, though. The circles, the Latin, the bags of miscellania brought in. Regan craned her neck at Lil, eyes narrowed. And what Lil said made her run cold. “You’re going to give me what?” She spat, lips bared back. “Funerary rites? Bury my bones? What does that– you’re going to kill me? Is that it? You think you can kill me?” The coyote was still pulled elsewhere. She didn’t understand it. But when she needed its support now, it was nowhere to be found. “It’s not– whatever you think you’re doing, whatever homeopathic nonsense this– Leah thought there was a spirit in me, whatever that means. You have it wrong.” Her bag grazed against the back of the chair, and her heart skipped a beat. The coyote still seemed distracted, in another place. Part of her yearned to mention the skull, that it was the skull, they wanted the skull, she wasn’t goddamn possessed, but then she felt the waves of death coming off of it, and all was forgiven. Lil was already chanting, so Regan tried to catch Leah’s eyes. Something. Maybe she could manage something. It was the pained way Leah held herself, and the sharp breathing that sank in. She had done that. “Leah,” Regan started, an apology on her tongue. But the skull had many times insisted apologies were not given to those who were inferior to you. She swallowed it back. And the coyote, even in its relative absence, had the final say. “You still don’t know anything.”

When Leah had looked to Nicole, she didn’t know what kind of help she expected.  Perhaps a calming gaze or some reassuring words, or even a quick way to solve the new Ariana wolf debacle.  But what came of her pleading was so unexpected that Leah almost couldn’t catch her breath at the sight of it.  Nicole was being ripped apart by the Jaguar inside, and Leah couldn’t take her eyes off the sight as she watched it take over.

They hadn’t had a chance to practice.  They should have taken the time to practice having Nicole try to change in a situation that wasn’t stress induced.  Because that had to be why she changed for so long the first time, right?  Five years gone… and then another several being lost trying to find her way back to who she was.  Leah couldn’t bear five years.  Not when they had only just begun.  But then, this was different from the first time, it had to be.  All those years ago, Nicole was basically still a child.  She hadn’t expected to turn, she hadn’t even tried to.  But Nicole’s eyes had locked on hers before she changed, deliberately and with finality.  She knew what she was doing.  She wanted this, and maybe it was the smartest way to save them.  Leah couldn’t even gather how she felt about Nicole and Ari tumbling out of the cabin, because they had to continue helping Regan.  Because if the exorcism didn’t work, all of this carnage would be for nothing.  It had to work.

It had to work.

She nodded at Lil’s request, eyeing Regan sitting in the chair.  It wouldn’t be easy to get the bag from her, not when she was practically sitting on it.  “Not your bones”, she told Regan, getting closer.  Her steps were slow and cautious, and her hand held her side the entire time she inched forward.  “She’s speaking with the coyote.”  Lil was deep into her ritual now, so it  was practically just her and Regan in the room.  Well, her and Regan and whatever was corrupting Regan’s mind.  Was it dormant?  Did it leave with the ghost coyotes a few moments ago?  Regan was still riddled with anger and confusion, but there was a mere moment where their eyes caught when Leah knew it was the real Regan again.  Her friend’s expression pleaded with her; though whether the pleading was apologetic or desperation for help she couldn’t tell.  But regardless, Leah gave her a shaky nod.  “I do know”, she whispered, her voice barely heard under Lil’s chanting.  She was still inching closer, her eyes traveling between Regan’s and the bag behind her.  “I know this is scary and confusing.  I know none of this seems like it can be possible.”  She hoped to fate that the rope holding her in place was strong enough. Tentatively, she reached out, putting her hand on Regan’s. Regan’s skin was a stark, cold contrast to her own, something she always wondered if Regan ever realized.  Or, was it like so many other things with Regan, that she found it easier to explain the strange away than face it head on.  

Leah assumed Lil was nearing the end of the ritual, because her chants were getting louder and more demanding.  She had to do this now, if ever. “I may not know everything, Regan.  But there’s a hell of a lot I do know.  And I know that skull has to be the cause of all this.” 

By the time she finished speaking, her free hand was already on the bag behind Regan, and she took the opportunity of distraction to yank it out from behind her.  The skull clattered inside the bag, and just as Lil finished her chant, Leah pulled it out and slammed it onto the ground.  For a moment, she stared at it, trying to understand how so much power and corruption can lie dormant in such a small vessel.  They needed to destroy it for good, so that even after Lil’s exorcism, no harm could come from it again.  

So she stared at it, finally letting all the seething anger she held for it over the last few months release.  Her anger for lost friends, for people too blind to see the beauty of what they truly were, and even for all those months Regan lost being a muse to something none of them quite understood.  Just like when she destroyed the tree, she was struck with how a town full of such beauty and wonder could also hold such a dark, sinister underbelly.  It wasn’t going to work.  Her fire hadn’t behaved properly in months.  But somehow, miraculously, she watched in front of her as anger turned to flame, and the skull was finally set ablaze.  

The skull, the skull, the skull. Regan thrashed back, trying to twist away from Leah enough that she couldn’t find purchase on the bag. But she was stuck, and the coyote had abandoned her, and Lil’s chants rose far above the scuffling chair and her failed screams of desperation. All that came was more hacking, and for a moment, it struck Regan how much she had been relying on the scream and the coyote – two things that should have felt utterly alien to her. To anyone. What happened? But Leah’s hands found the bag, and her thoughts were dashed, refocused on the tender bones cocooned in there. “Do not touch it,” Regan growled, twisting more. She couldn’t reach them. Couldn’t reach Leah. Leah’s eyes seemed to say that she couldn’t reach her, either. “You don’t deserve to–” Regan hollered, but it was too late.

The sound of the skull shattering into the floor of her cabin sent tears to her eyes. While it remained mostly intact, parts of the parietals fragmented and flew off. The already-fragile maxillae were ground to mere dust. “Stop!” Regan screeched, but it wasn’t the kind of screech she needed, and Leah’s shoe was firm against the frontal bone and– “Stop! Don’t hurt it! It didn’t do anything wrong, it just–” Leah’s eyes were glued to the skull, her skull, and Regan knew she didn’t have long to plead. “The coyote doesn’t deserve this. It didn’t deserve any of what happened. Please don’t hurt it. It–” But Leah almost seemed to be elsewhere. Regan didn’t understand what was on her face. 

Until she did. The anger was unmistakable. The kind of anger she sometimes wished she could still feel, but it had to be the first to go, the first to sacrifice for her control. Leah’s burned red and hot. It almost smelled like smoke. And then the first of maybe-actual-smoke wafted upward, a gray hair becoming a curling, sizzling tendril, and it smoldered against her nostrils, and the panic inside her screamed where she couldn’t. It was a lifetime ago – the morgue going up in flames, the smell of burning skin and hair, the cough she had for weeks after they yanked her out. And powerless, all she could do was watch the fire engulf what she loved once again, as the chanting rose in a sinister arc and the smoke burned her watery eyes.

Lil didn’t like the commotion around her when she did a ritual, but to be fair it wasn’t as if it was ever a silent endeavor. Usually though, it wasn’t this chaotic. Ghosts rarely wanted to exit a host, especially ones that wanted to finish what they were doing. She wanted to say that she was doing the right thing, that the spirit was distorted, that it needed to move beyond. She wasn’t hurting it - she’d never cause pain to a ghost despite not particularly liking them. Hell, she was pretty sure the person was the one that ended up feeling the pain of the exorcism, not the ghost.  She wanted to say a lot to calm down the two in front of her, but the ritual didn’t allow for deviation. 

Her words rose higher, Lil’s hands gripping the knife as it became warmer and warmer the feeling of temporary power making her bones feel more steady. She tried not to think of the fact it was going to hurt worse when it was done.  Her eyes closed, trying to block out the pleading and the want to assure Regan she wasn’t trying to hurt her. She was trying to tell the Coyote that it was okay. Instead she finally opened her eyes looking at Regan - or past her really for a moment as the words came to an end, “ -Coyote spiritus, tempus est ire. Relinque! Anima tua in pace requiescat. Relinquere Regan et requiescere.”  

For a moment the dagger felt like a warm fire instead of unbearably hot, Lil thinking that if she could see her final words that they would be golden. It was different than normal, and if she could think about it for a moment Lil might have wondered if her will had gotten stronger. She doubted that though. 

She couldn’t see the ghosts, not sure if they were still here but knowing that the rope was snapped between the spirit and Regan.  For a moment it felt still for Lil, even if she could see Regan turning and pleading. Her body felt weightless and strong, like she wasn’t quite here and instead on a different plane. It should have scared her but it felt peaceful for a moment  - until it slammed back into her. Her dagger turned ice cold as she struggled to keep a hold of it. Whatever adrenaline she had left her body as she suddenly felt the scream rattling in her bones again. Folding over for a moment she could smell smoke - and what she could imagine was ash. 

Lil tried to speak, but what came out was more of a rough whisper than anything the shout taking out the bits of her normal voice. “ The - Spirit is at rest. The coyote - I don’t think he’s in pain anymore. - Uh, I don't think I can get up.” She hoped whatever had caused Ari and Nicole to start fighting might ease up now, so one of them would get her back to her car at least. 

The Latin, the smoke stuck inside her nostrils, the sensation that something dear to her was slowly peeling its presence out of the room, out of this world. Regan hadn’t felt so overwhelmed in her confusion since the day her dad died and everything changed. The rope dug into her and she could feel contusions forming from her thrashing against the chair, but what else could she do? The skull was destroyed. Dust. The coyote – she could barely feel it, even its rage. It was a howl turned hiss turned whimper, and it reminded Regan of its past deaths, the desperate animal noises of so many deaths it didn’t deserve. And now it would have another, also underserved, all because she had failed.

Regan tried to scream, her voice rising into a screech as the coyote’s very existence receded to nothing. The room, her head, her duty – it was all so empty. She wasn’t sure at which point she was able to scream again, but it meant this was over, didn’t it? That thought gave her no pleasure, and only fostered more bitterness toward the people who were responsible. The scream changed once again into a sob. One, then another. And the rope was cut, and concern filled the eyes of the traitor. Regan glanced toward the floor at the other one. She didn’t understand what just happened, but it had sapped most of Lil’s energy, clearly. Regan didn’t care. She didn’t. Traitors. 

“Leave.” Regan commanded, not able to wrench her eyes away from the pile of bone ash on the floor. She was sure Leah was hurt. Lil was exhausted. The traitors who couldn’t understand the coyote wasn’t an enemy. She had people to make amends with – Kaden, Emilio, Metzli, Ariana – so many. But right now, all she could think about was the ash, and the silence in her skull. The coyote was gone, somehow vanquished. Another death it did nothing to deserve. And where did this leave her? 

Regan barely noticed as Leah and Lil limped out together. She was no more alone.

[athenaquinn]

People Like Us || Ariana & Athena

TIMING: Current (tonight) PARTIES: @letsbenditlikebennett and @athenaquinn SUMMARY: Making good on an honesty agreement means sharing everything. CONTENT: Internalized homophobia (brief mention)

She’d fallen into a routine since she’d started staying with Ariana. What she’d figured would have been days had quickly turned to weeks, and now that she knew about the promise and had the name of the fae, it seemed critical to stay close-by. If for nothing else than to help keep Ariana safe. Athena had busied herself with baking something - because that was the best way she could keep her mind sane, keep her mind off of everything else. Everything else including not only the impending hunt that she’d have to do, regardless of whatever they found out. That much she couldn’t shake.

In the weeks since her parents had died - died, been killed, still pending investigation - she’d come to realize that she was more able to breathe than she ever had been before. Been able to be more honest to herself, no matter how unnerving it was at times. Athena knew that she owed it to Ariana to always be honest, and she supposed that such honesty included new moments of self-discovery. She knew that Ariana was coming home soon and pulled the snickerdoodle cookies out of the oven, breathing in their warm scent. She heard the door open just as she finished putting the last of the cookies onto the baking sheet, removing her apron and giving a small wave to Ariana. “Hey,” she began, giving another wave. You don’t have to be shy, you two are always honest. She wouldn’t judge you for this if she hasn’t judged you for being a hunter. “I made cookies. I - also, if you’ve got the time, I’d love - I have something I’d like to ask you about?”

Before she even opened the door, Ariana could smell the cinnamon from the fresh baked cookies from the hallway. There always seemed to be some sort of treat in the apartment with Athena around and she found herself growing very used to her presence. It was nice coming home to her and being able to share her day with someone. There was a slight presence of confusion that she’d mostly chosen to ignore because right now her friend needed her and vice versa. She took in a deep breath as she opened the door and smiled as she walked in. She returned Athena’s wave and said, “It smells amazing in here.” She peered over the counter and saw cookies cooling. She set her backpack down on the barstool and joked, “You know, I’m starting to get used to this whole having fresh baked goods in the apartment all the time. You’re not going to be able to stop baking now.”

At the mention of wanting to talk about something, Ariana perked up a little bit and nodded. Though she was concerned considering how their luck had been lately, she’d always listen. “Of course, we can talk about whatever you’d like,” she said as she made her way toward the couch. She plopped down in her normal spot near the window and patted the seat next to her so Athena would join her. She lightly pat Luna’s head as it ended up in her lap almost on cue and looked to her friend. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“Snickerdoodles are incredible in that way.” Athena shrugged for a moment. She was grateful that she hadn’t had to spend time alone - and even though she knew that she could have stayed at her sorority house, this felt nicer. Though she used to consider herself very much someone who liked to be the center of attention, being tucked away was almost comforting. “Well, I like baking, so that’s okay by me. I may have to broaden my range of items, wouldn’t want you getting bored of them.”

Ariana always looked so kind, so comforting, so willing to do anything for her. For anyone, really. Back when they’d first met, it was something that had drawn Athena to her - admittedly odd, the pureness of Ariana’s heart and how eager she was about the world, but there hadn’t been any true reason to question any of that, because perhaps knowing someone so good wasn’t so bad, after all. She didn’t know why what she wanted to tell Ariana now was making her freeze up. Perhaps because even she wasn’t sure it was real. Her parents would have vehemently denied it much like they’d denied any hint of such a reality with her brother. For the very reason that while she’d been able to pick out bits and pieces of that truth with him, he’d never said it to their parents. Which was why every time she had any sort of inkling she’d pushed it away. However, as she’d learned in the case of who her parents truly were, denial didn’t always work so well. “Okay.” She walked over, bare feet on the cold floor, and sat next to Ariana, curling her legs up around herself. “It’s - no, it’s not bad. Or, I mean… I thought it was. I thought it - it’s not bad. I hope you don’t see it that way.” Ariana wouldn’t. She’d asked a girl to prom, that much Athena knew. “It’s, well… I’ve done a lot of self-reflecting these past few weeks, and I’d love to be able to tell you more about something I’ve come to… terms with? That sounds harsh but…” she trailed off, fingertips running against her golden ring. The silver ones were long forgotten, at least in the walls of the apartment. “Is that okay?”

“You and the snickerdoodles both. It wouldn’t smell this good in here without the amazing baker,” Ariana said brightly with a small smirk on her face. There was something that felt natural about all of this that she was choosing to ride into. With everything else going on, these moments they shared had become a bright spot in her daily life. She knew it had far less to do with the baking itself than the person doing said baking. Something about Athena’s presence made her feel safe and less alone even if they’d both been through hell these past few weeks. Her head did a slight tilt as she spoke.  “As long as I get to enjoy whatever you make with you, I doubt I’ll ever get bored.”

It seemed Athena was a bit nervous about whatever she had to share, so Ariana reached over and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, “There’s not anything you could tell me that’d make me think any less of you. We may not agree on everything, but we’re honest with each other and respect each other, I’ll always follow through on that, okay?” As much as she racked her brain, she couldn’t think of what Athena could possibly be coming to terms with. She always seemed so sure of herself though in a way, she seemed a bit softer after the death of her parents. It hadn’t seemed to greatly change her outlook on hunting and Ariana doubted this had anything to do with that. She grew curious though. Whatever part of herself that Athena was opening up to share with her, she’d cherish it. She looked to Athena, ready to listen to whatever it is she was about to tell her and answered, “Of course it’s okay. You can always tell me anything, Athena.”

“That is fair, we come as a certified package deal.” Athena bit her lip. This was all supposed to be easy - this was all casual and calm, and though there was still a certain heaviness that still hung onto her words. That shouldn’t have been the case and yet here she was, still lamenting over something that had finally enabled her to be herself more than she’d ever been. She grinned over at Ariana. “Well, though sweets are still not my favorite thing to consume, I think I find you a worthy sort of exception to make. Besides, when something smells so good, how can I refuse?”

She played with the ends of her hair, debating on how she could best tell her friend. The one person in the world who she felt closest to, other than her actual twin brother. Athena nodded. “You say that. I just - this is complicated. It’s something I should have realized before, but it’s - it’s not like before.” Like with my parents. “I think, if anything, being more level-headed and able to think on my own helped me come to terms with it?” It seemed more obvious that she wanted to admit, signs that she should have picked up on years ago, like how she always wanted to stay after class in eighth grade to talk to Ms. Flynn and how she’d felt weird when Betsy had wanted to go as friends to Homecoming with another girl on the soccer team and not with Athena. “Okay.” She began. “Okay.” She repeated herself. Let her hands find Ariana’s once again. “I - well, so my parents never really were big believers on anything but the whole ‘a man and a woman are what make a relationship and what make marriage’, and I prescribed to that for myself, at least, for so long - I was fine about others loving who they wanted to love, but I think - I am saying too much for this.” She looked down at their hands, then back up. “I think that I mean, I like boys, I do, that was never a falsehood, but I think that I might like girls at least as much, if not more. I just never really let myself acknowledge that. Until recently.” She puckered her lips to the side. “Is that - that’s what I wanted to say, and I trust you and we’ve agreed to be honest, so I thought you should be the first one who I told. Ri doesn’t even know.”

It was hard to fight the smile on her face as Athena mentioned she was worth an exception. There was something about it that left Ariana with a warm feeling she couldn’t quite explain. Even through the difficulties, she found getting through her day to day life was a bit easier with Athena here. Whatever it was that Athena had to tell her, she knew she’d be able to accept it. What was most important was that they continued their pact of being honest with each other and part of that included reserving judgment. Her head tilted to the side as Athena spoke as she looked to her features to find some sort of indication of what this revelation would be. She ended up shaking her head. “We realize things when we’re ready, too. Whatever it is, you’ve figured it out in your own time and that’s okay?” Was this some sort of hunting thing? She’d like to think she at least had some sort of outlook of her own on that considering Athena would never hurt her. It had to be something else though she couldn’t place what.

As Athena went on about the whole man and woman thing, the dots connected themselves in her mind. Ariana had her suspicions before but had chalked them entirely up to wishful thinking. Maybe slightly chalked it up to how much Athena loved Alex Morgan, too, but that was more speculative than anything else. Now, she was here speaking her truth and Ariana couldn’t be happier for her. From what she gathered, she hadn’t had all that much freedom in her parents home and she knew her friend deserved to live her truth. She gave Athena’s hands a squeeze as they found their way to hers as a reminder that she wasn’t in this alone and that she never had to be. “So you’re bisexual then,” she said easily and looked to Athena hoping her eyes conveyed the support she was going for. “I’m glad you feel comfortable admitting it. To me is a good start. You know I’ll never judge you for anything, especially not that. I mean, I think you already know I am, too.” There was a small part of her mind that she simply couldn’t quiet though. She’d told Athena before how she felt and it had been overshadowed by everything else she revealed. She couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she helped her reach this realization. It felt a bit selfish, but she had to ask. “Can I ask what made you come to this realization? If not, it’s okay. I’m just glad you felt safe coming to me with this.”

“I mean, I used to think I had my whole life planned out, that I understood exactly how I was going to live the rest of my days even when I was four years old. Which is obviously not super logical at all, but it was who I was as a kid.” Athena scrunched her nose up. “Which I doubt comes as any sort of surprise to you. Obviously also my life has not turned out just as four-year-old Athena thought it would.” She could breathe easier here, though, and even though she couldn’t help but worry that she was doing something wrong or committing some sort of horrendous act. Which wasn’t true, and she reminded herself that she’d never thought lesser of anyone else who wasn’t straight, and yet she’d believed that she had to be.

Ariana was being kind and supportive because - because she was Ariana and that was what she did. That was who she was, wholly and completely. She was too good, too kind and warm and better than anyone - especially Athena - deserved. You do deserve love, she had to remind herself. Had to repeat it, almost like a mantra, because the idea of having people who cared for her properly and genuinely wasn’t something she was used to. Love without other obligations. “Yes.” She smiled carefully, looking over to Ariana. “Of course. That’s part of why I feel like I can be open about this with you, and why I wanted to tell you, more explicitly. I wanted to. There’s no obligation, there never has been, not with you.” Everything was easy between the two of them, so much so that even something that made Athena feel as confused and unsure as this did was easier with Ariana around. “You can - of course.” She squeezed Ariana’s hand. “I mean, I think I’ve known for a while now, but I wasn’t able to put it into words. Able or willing to, I suppose.” She sucked in her lower lip for a moment. “You helped, too. I - you told me about the crush way back when and -” she steadied her breath. “I don’t know, it felt sort of nice. Actually really nice. It made me confused because - well, the idea of a girl liking me felt good, and what was I supposed to do with that?” She bit her lip. “So turns out you’ve helped me figure out a whole lot of things. You are quite extraordinary and - is that okay? You asked, and we did agree to be honest, and I also am a firm believer of credit where credit is due, and you certainly deserve credit for this.”

“Not at all a surprise, but it’s okay if things don’t go as planned. We can plan all we want. Sometimes the world still has other plans for us,” Ariana noted with a soft grin on her features. She let her arm rest on the back of the couch and watched her friend. It always amazed her just how put together and organized she was. It was such a contrast to how Ariana navigated her own life, but she found she admired her all the more for it. That sense of awe only seemed to strengthen as she confirmed she was in fact bisexual. It wasn’t part of her life plan or what her parents deemed was okay for her, but she was exploring that part of herself anyway. Ariana had personally always been lucky to have Celeste who accepted her without conditions. It was brave for Athena to come out despite not having had that kind of acceptance in her life before. Her lips twitched upward and her eyes stayed on Athena. “I’m glad you’re learning to accept this part of yourself and that you feel comfortable enough to tell me about it. And you’re right about the obligation thing, I’d never want you to be anything but yourself with me.”

While honesty was their thing, Ariana knew this current show of it required Athena to be more open with herself than she had been previously. Something about the way it was explained that she helped Athena come to this realization made her heart flutter in her chest. It was a light feeling that made her tilt her head slightly as she listened and tried to piece together just what she’d meant by it. “That makes sense,” she said slowly before joking, “Straight girls don’t typically like Alex Morgan as much as you do.” She used the hand from the arm she wasn’t leaning on to playfully nudge Athena and found she didn’t want to pull her hand away. When Athena hadn’t mentioned the whole crush thing again, she’d made the choice to push those feelings aside despite the occasional flirtatious remark. Now, she didn’t quite feel the need to now that she knew Athena thought it felt nice knowing she liked her. There was only one way of knowing for sure. She’d never been one to beat around the bush, so she simply asked. “Does it still feel nice? I respect you and value our friendship, so I’ve tried not to think about that too much, but it sounds like you might feel the same way. It’s okay if you don’t, you’re more important to me than that. If you do though, well…” A mischievous smirk crossed her face which served to convey the fact she was in fact being suggestive while also keeping things light-hearted. She could tell Athena was still nervous as she spoke and the way she bit her lip was endearing. She placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Of course, it’s okay. I’m glad I could help with this. More importantly, I’ll never fault you for being honest with me, even if it’s on something we don’t see eye to eye on.”

“So I have recently learned.” Athena replied, raising an eyebrow. It was overwhelming, having things not all go to plan, and she did find that she felt more confused and lost recently than she had in the past, but having those who she knew she could trust, even if that number was small, meant that she was able to feel more stable than she knew she might have otherwise been able to feel. “I am working on it. It is a continuous process, but it is one I think is worth exploring - worth making myself as self-aware as I am able to be, even if parts of it are difficult to accept because I was so taught to see them as wrong, and I like to be without faults as much as possible. Which I - I know some of what I do is faulted by others, but at least within my own world I wanted to be without faults of any sort.” She pressed her knees together again, the pressure comforting and affirming before she looked back at Ariana.

“Okay, fine, that is fair and she might have been someone who I admire for more than just her skills on the field - though regardless of whether or not I am attracted to her I do admire her for all she has done for women’s soccer.” Athena grinned at Ariana’s nudge. It was a good sign, that they were so easily able to maintain the same easy back-and-forth conversations and actions that they had shared ever since they had gotten to know one another. Then Ariana was asking her more questions and Athena could, for a brief moment, feel herself freeze up again. Whatever she answered would be okay, and here Ariana was confirming that - here she was, proving that she didn’t deserve someone like Athena feeling nice about her having a crush on her. “It does.” She found herself saying before she could stop. “It - well, I don’t think it stopped feeling nice, even if it was confusing - and I mean, you are one of my best friends first and foremost, and I am so grateful for that above all else but…” her voice trailed off. “I do.” She let her own lips curve upwards to match Ariana’s smirk with one of her own, shifting herself a bit closer, not wanting to move away. It seemed as though her friend felt similarly, with the shift of her hand to her shoulder. “I feel the same way about you. Again.” Everything that Ariana was seemed to continuously surprise Athena in the very best way possible, and though she knew that there were undoubtedly things that the two of them would not ever quite see eye-to-eye on, Ariana was one of the most open and accepting people she’d ever met in her life. “We do work quite well that way.” She let her gaze fall onto Ariana’s lips for a small moment before looking back up. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

It didn’t come as a shock to Ariana that Athena preferred to be without fault. Almost every single thing she did showed her perfectionist tendencies. While it was something she admired about her friend, Ari felt it was important that she knew it wasn’t always expected of her. Everyone had faults and made mistakes. That was simply part of life and it was important Athena knew that she had freedom to make those errors, especially with her. She’d always do her best to show Athena the same understanding she showed her. “I do understand that. Your determination to strive toward perfection is something I admire about you very much, but that doesn’t change the fact you’re allowed to make mistakes or have faults whether they be by someone else’s standards are your own. You may be Super Girl, but you don’t have to be perfect. No one is.”

“Oh, for sure. Alex Morgan kicks ass and is totally a great role model. Still, doesn’t change the fact you think she’s hot,” Ariana joked playfully and felt more at ease than she had in months. There was no hiding how wide her smile grew when Athena said she felt the same way. Ariana had her suspicions, but she never truly wanted to push it, especially not after what Athena had been through. Just as she hoped, Athena brought it up in her own time. While their friendship came first, she couldn’t help but feel elated that Athena liked her, too. “Well, good,” she said in a cheery tone that gave way to just how good it really made her feel, “You’ll always be one of my best friends first, but… It is nice that you feel the same. I mean, who wouldn’t be happy to know that you like them? You’re kind of amazing.” The way Athena’s eyes lingered on her lips wasn’t lost on her. It in fact sent another weird flutter through her that was hard to explain. She found her own eyes watching Athena, taking in the moment. There was something about the way she held herself that Ariana found captivating. Even in this moment of being unsure, she still seemed more self assured than most people she’d met. “We do,” was all she managed to get out with a short nod before she extended her hand towards Athena, letting it run through her hair before she leaned forward and placed a kiss on Athena’s lips. The confirmation Athena felt the same was all she needed to push her forward. She could vaguely smell and taste the cinnamon from baking on her and found her to be impossibly soft in a way you wouldn’t quite expect from someone who always had knives on her person. It felt almost as if she was floating in that moment and lingered before pulling away. Her eyes remained on Athena and tried to gauge just what she was feeling. Wanting to be sure she hadn’t crossed a line, she asked, “Was that okay?”

“Well, that’s all part of learning, I think. My parents put a lot on me - both academics-wise, hunting-wise, and general life-wise. I do not want to talk about them - I am done with that - but it was something I was always eager to fall into because I wanted to please them and because, well, I like being the best at everything I can be.” Athena nodded, not wanting to say too much all at once, but wanting to explain everything that she could. Now that she was able to start to figure out her own thoughts - though those of her parents still got too much in the way too often - she sometimes felt as though she was overflowing, and she knew that she’d share this with her brother eventually, but for the time being, the person she wanted to share it with most was Ariana.

“Yeah, well, she’s really nice to look at, what can I say?” She grinned. “It’s unfair, really, but I’m also not opposed. We should watch one of her games with her temporary new team again sometime.” Athena continued to watch Ariana carefully, observing her every movement, the way she started to smile more as Athena continued to explain herself, the way she seemed more self-assured (which was a darn good look on her, if Athena had anything to say about it). “You’ll always be one of my best friends, too - truly. There’s nobody, not even some of my closest friends from high school and college, who I trust as much as I trust you and my brother, and there’s some things - like this, even - that I feel safer telling you about first because of how open we’ve been from the very start of this all. From the moment we met, even though I know it technically took us a bit of time to actually share all the details we have, we’re doing pretty good on that front if I do say so myself.” She felt her cheeks grow pink. “Well, thanks, and I know I am, but so are you. I’ve said this many times, but you’re someone to be admired, Ariana - really and truly.” Then she felt Ariana’s hand running through her hair - like it had done so many times before - yet this time felt different - and then Ariana’s lips were on her own and they felt incredibly warm and safe and soft. It was different, a sense of calm that came along with the kiss rather than any sort of frantic rush. Calm in the best way, though she supposed that she shouldn’t have been at all surprised by that, given that Ariana was a great source of calm for her in all situations. “It was more than okay.” She whispered before shifting closer to Ariana again, letting her hand find her waist as she kissed her back, breathing in the smell of lemongrass and of Ariana’s shampoo. She broke away for a small moment before pressing another, brief kiss against her lips. “Absolutely, fantastically more than okay.” She felt her cheeks growing hot. “Hope I live up to expectations - not that - I just - hope I was good.” She glanced down at her hands, her lips still firmly in a smile.

“Making mistakes is part of learning, that’s true. I just want you to know I don’t expect you to be perfect. I know I joke and call you Super Girl, but I do know you’re a real person who is always trying her best and I think that’s amazing,” Ariana assured her and avoided speaking of her parents more. She knew Athena didn’t want to talk about them anymore and she respected that. There were often times she found herself exhausted from talking about the bad things she’d been through. Carving out a space that was safe for Athena was important for her and she knew that meant talking about things as she was ready to. It was something Ariana was more than willing to provide though she found she couldn’t quite take her eyes off Athena. Somehow, the more she learned about her, the more fascinated Ariana found herself becoming. She possessed so much strength and discipline and wielded it in such a way that always seemed to leave Ariana captivated with her. Even as she leaned against the back of the sofa, she couldn’t quite pull her eyes away from Athena. With a small laugh, she responded, “You and Alex Morgan share that feature. I may be a bit biased, but I think you’re better to look at. Even so, I’d still love to watch another match with you.”

The smile on her face wasn’t disappearing any time soon and Ariana wouldn’t have it any other way. For so long, everything had felt so dark that she found this to be such a welcome change. In general, having Athena here had made things easier, but this was different. She felt a sense of happiness that wasn’t quite familiar to her. It was new to her in the best of ways and she kept her gaze on Athena as she spoke with her hand comfortably in hers again. “The same goes for you,” she said softly as her thumb drew patterns on Athena’s palm, “I trust you, too. I know it took time to build up our whole honesty pact, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Especially lately, I know there’s nothing I can’t come to you with. I’m glad I can be that person for you, too. You deserve someone you feel safe talking to and it means so much to me I can be that person for you.” The smile on her face remained and somehow continued to grow as Athena noted she was someone worth admiring. Coming from her, it meant the world to Ariana. A sense of warmth flooded over her as it was confirmed her kiss was okay and before she knew it, Athena's lips were on hers again. It was easy to lose herself in the moment as one hand found Athena’s hair again and the other rested on her waist as she leaned closer to her. Something about being this close to Athena made her feel safer than she had in months. It was what had been helping her sleep these past few weeks, but this was different. There was a certain sense of peace that came with the feeling of Athena’s lips on hers that was better than anything she could have imagined. It was a perfect moment that she’d happily play on repeat given the chance. She found herself missing the feeling the moment there was space between them again, but she let her eyes flutter open and watch as she spoke. “Fantastically okay, I can live with that,” she said happily. The slight flush in Athena’s cheeks was endearing and she answered, “Hmm, you know, I’m not sure. I think I’ll have to try again just to be sure.” She placed another short but sweet kiss on Athena’s lips for good measure and looked back at her. “I can confirm you beat expectations. Though I think I may need a reminder of that every once and awhile, you know, just to be sure.”

“I mean, not that I’m always perfect. I am a real person but I also do still love that nickname and strive to live up to it as much as I am able.” Athena sighed. “I do try my best, you do have that right.” She wasn’t sure what she had done to deserve someone like Ariana in her life, despite the fact that most of the other people she spent time with would do even worse than chastise her for it, but she still didn’t consider herself entirely deserving of being in the company of someone who was so purely so good. “Well, lucky for you I don’t think I’m going anywhere anytime soon, so…” she trailed off, letting a small, playful smirk cross her lips. “Good. We’ll watch one soon. I mean, I also think that you might give her a run for her money in terms of soccer players who I like to look at. Besides, you’re much closer by and I actually know you, so you’ve got some pluses in your book that I don’t know if she’ll ever measure up to.”

She had felt safe and comfortable being here in Ariana’s apartment, but with everything that they were sharing right now she felt even more safe and welcomed than she’d ever felt anywhere. Even though Athena had been given everything that she assumed she wanted, her bedroom decorated and full to the brim with clothing and books and, when she was younger, toys - it was different than the situation she found herself in now. Being around someone who knew everything about her and who’d welcomed her for one evening - an evening that had turned into multiple weeks now and Athena found that she wasn’t especially keen to have it change anytime soon. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You’re one of the only people I can actually be myself around, regardless of whatever sort of unexpected or ironic sort of deal that might imply. Or whatever… my point is, I’m glad to have you and glad we ended up where we are.” The movements of Ariana’s fingers against her palm served to calm her once again. “You are the person I feel safest around, full stop. I trust you completely and entirely,” and my trust doesn’t come easily, was left unspoken, left unsaid but she knew that Ariana understood that she didn’t give away her trust so very easily or simply. “Good, or else I might have to come up with other horribly cheesy combinations of adjectives which might just undo my entire reputation. You’d be worth it, though.” She liked the feeling of Ariana’s hand on her own waist too, the confirmation that she was safe and that she wasn’t all alone. Then Ariana was kissing her again, and it was brief and soft and she found that she longed for more right at that moment. “I…” she began, her cheeks only growing pinker. “Yes. I think I would be more than okay with reminding you of that as often as you see fit.” She moved forward again, pressing her lips softly against Ariana’s, breathing against them, before she broke away once more. “I do very much like to confirm things.” She ran her fingers along her lips. “We can do this a lot. I - honestly? These are some of the best kisses that I’ve had.” She raised an eyebrow. “There we go with our honesty again, huh?”

“You do live up to it,” Ariana said simply as she meant it wholeheartedly. There was a reason she had chosen the nickname for her. This whole moment still felt a little surreal to her. She hadn’t necessarily expected anything months ago when she told Athena about her crush, but here they were now and she found she couldn’t imagine it any other way now. There was a certain sense of ease that came with all of this, as if it was just the way things were supposed to be for them. She found her hand seemed to fit perfectly in Athena’s and being close to her just felt right. Now it seemed she was even above Alex Morgan in Athena’s book which only served to make her smile widen and her cheeks flush a deeper shade of pink. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, you’re my favorite soccer player to look at. I know that’s a high compliment coming from you.”

Even though the circumstances that brought them to this moment weren’t the best, Ariana couldn’t help but find she was glad they made it to this moment. Something about Athena’s presence made it feel more like home which was a feeling the place had been lacking. They’d fallen into a sort of routine that felt comfortable for her in ways she hadn’t quite expected. The moments they were sharing now only furthered that feeling. She’d already enjoyed falling asleep with Athena by her side, but now she imagined it could only get better. Her hand remained comfortably on Athena’s waist as she spoke and she looked at her earnestly, “It makes me so happy I can be that person for you and I’m happy we’ve ended up where we are, too. I know I can be myself with you, too.” Despite everything her parents taught her, Athena was still able to see her for who she was rather than what she was. With the own troubles Ariana found herself facing, she also knew she could count on Athena to be by her side. It made her feel invincible where she had previously felt small, as if there was nothing the two of them couldn’t face down. “I feel safe with you, too. I don’t want to touch on the things that make us upset while we’re having such a nice moment, but really, I mean that. Having you here, I’ve been able to relax and actually get a decent night’s sleep.” The smile didn’t leave her face as Athena spoke again. She found herself never fully leaning away. Now that she was so close to her, she didn’t want to stop. “I’m okay with cheesy. Don’t worry, I won’t tell everyone and ruin your reputation as a badass,” she joked and found herself pulled into another kiss. This was something she could get used to. The grin never left her lips even as Athena pulled away. “Good,” she said, “Because I think I’d like to do this as often as possible.” With that, she found herself being drawn to Athena again as if there was some sort of magnet between them. This time, she found herself unable to pull away and simply let herself get lost in a moment she deemed perfect.

[letsbenditlikebennett]

Text Message || Ariana & Celeste 👯💖

Celeste: Where are you? It's past midnight on a school night.

Celeste: Ariana, answer your damn phone.

Celeste: Are you ok????

Ariana: Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be home soon.

Celeste: I'm expecting a better answer than that.

[oceansrevenge]

[meta] Was it easy to find your character's voice?

[meta] Yes and no! Marina was really only supposed to exist for one finale chatzy with the chalice and then never be heard of again. Turns out, I did have fun writing her right away, but I'd been nervous about it and had Casey help me word the deal she made with Tepin, Sam, and Bobbi. Outside of that initial nervousness, she's been easy to fall into. Fae nonsense is my favorite, but given they can't lie and are careful with their words, I had always been kind of intimidated at the thought of writing a fae character. But it's been easier than I thought. That and Marina is just a very fun contrast to Ari (good and stupid).

[inspirationdivine]

Batman and the Wolf || Plot Arc

Act 1: An Unlikely Friendship

Lydia keeps three humans trapped in her home: Anneliese has been there the longest, Chloe is the oldest, and Sammy is the youngest and newest, child of slayers but entirely human. He doesn’t really get it yet.

Ariana is optimistic and excited to settle in a town with more wolves. She lives with her sister, Celeste, on the run from Celeste’s family 

Domesticity || Sammy Solo (references to domestic abuse, emotional abuse)

Chloe finds a way around their promise binds, and a way for the humans to sneak out in the evenings. 

Forest Batman || Chatzy

While on a night time run through the woods, Ariana runs into one of Lydia’s humans. She calls him Ace. 

Sketch of a Bat || Gift from Sammy to Ari

Moonlight Chats || Chatzy

Ariana and Sammy sneak back out to their spot in the woods to see each other. They take a stroll over to the cliffs overlooking the beach and chat for a bit. Ariana sneakily follows him back home.

A Toy Bat || Gift from Ari to Sammy

Everyone’s Having A Ball || Chatzy

Lydia and Ariana meet, and get vague first impressions. Neither of them know the other knows Sammy.

Ariana went to prom, was kidnapped by Celeste’s family, but managed to escape them... only to lose her only sister. 

Batman and the Wolf in Shining Armour || Chatzy

After After looking for Ace/Sammy out in the woods for the past few nights, Ariana finally comes across him again. Wholesome times ensue. Ariana commits to saving Sammy from whatever’s going on, even though Sammy asks her not to. 

Act 2: A Mystery to Solve

Harm’s Way || Chatzy

Ariana goes snooping around to figure out where Ace (Sammy) is and if he’s safe. While following where that tunnel leads, she finds Lydia outside her home and has a tense meeting. Lydia promise binds Ariana’s “Thank You”

Waiting In the Wings || Sammy Solo  (references to domestic abuse, emotional abuse)

Sammy sees Ariana investigate, and realises just how much he’s betrayed Lydia in sneaking out to see Ariana. 

Look After You || Chatzy  (domestic abuse, emotional abuse discussion)

After a while of not seeing each other, Ariana and Ace finally catch each other at their spot. Ariana has done some investigation and Ace addresses that she showed up at Lydia’s. Now she knows where he lives, he can talk a little more. Ariana promises to save him, and not to harm Lydia.

Beyond The Veil || Ariana Solo

Ariana digs through the internet, and works out what Lydia is: a Leanan-Sidhe

Sound of Settling || Ariana Solo (Abuse Mentions)

After speaking with Athena, Ariana looks into local artists as she contemplates offering another artist to Lydia in place of Sammy/Ace.

New Moon Rising || Chatzy (Some emotional/domestic abuse mentions)

Ariana tells Sammy her idea to save him from eventually dying in Lydia’s custody - turn him into a werewolf

Act III: A Plan Goes South

A series of wolf and fae murders loop Lydia and Ariana into meeting again, but now Ariana knows just what Lydia is

Onion Tears || Lydia, Morgan, Deirdre and Ariana Chatzy (self harm)

Lydia and Ariana join Morgan and Deirdre at a funeral, as tensions run high

Lydia was attacked by a vampire, sustaining serious injuries. She becomes more unpredictable, meaner, and more likely to make mistakes. 

Waiting Game || Ariana Solo

Ariana goes to meet Sammy to turn him into a wolf as planned, except nothing goes as planned.

Ghosted || Ariana and Blanche Chatzy

After Sammy doesn’t show up to meet her the night she’s supposed to bite him, Ariana runs to Blanche’s in a panic.

Where’s Waldo || Sammy Solo (domestic and emotional abuse tw)

So why didn’t Sammy show up last night?

Eclipse || Chatzy  (Abuse mentions)

Finally after weeks of Ariana going out to their spot every night, Sammy (Ace) turns up and they settle on a new timeline for their wolfy plans.

I’ll Make a Wolf Out Of You || Chatzy (Abuse mentions and medical blood)

This time, Ariana and Ace (Sammy) meet up as planned so she can turn him into a werewolf.

Howl || Sammy Solo (domestic abuse)

Sammy escapes for the full moon

Scream || Sammy Solo (domestic, emotional, physical abuse, gun use)

Lydia finds out about Sammy’s escape, and kills him for the betrayal

Just Me and the Moon || Ariana Solo (panic attack, grief)

Ariana goes to the tunnel to meet Ace before their first full moon together only to find she’ll be spending this full moon solo.

Watch the Sky || Ariana Solo (Grief)

The morning after the full moon, Ariana struggles to come to terms with Sammy’s death and the role she played in it.

[ariianaz]

𝓈𝒾𝒸𝓀𝓁𝓎 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 ... ari & james.

note: this thread started on chatzy. those portions of the thread are beneath the cut.

ari: the tiny brunette couldn’t remember the last time she felt so small. she’d spent the better part of the last three days curled up in bed, piggy & toulouse nestled in front of her, rightly claiming their roles as the ‘little spoons.’ a kettle of hot water began to boil on the stove, and ariana had lit a small number of candles around her new york city apartment (not that she could smell them, but she appreciated the ambiance regardless). as soon as the kettle sang its whistling song, she pulled it from the burner and poured it over the bag of tea that sat in the bottom of her favorite mug, the aroma of mint & honey soon vaguely greeting the singer’s senses. as the tea steeped for the required five minutes, she couldn’t help but scroll through her phone and look at her last conversation with james. she couldn’t put her finger on why, exactly —- but something was different between the two of them. she only hoped she hadn’t ruined the friendship they’d built over the last year. it wasn’t until a knock on her apartment door startled her that the brunette was moving to the entryway and extending her height to her tiptoes to try and see who it was. the grin on her face was enormous when she pulled open the door to reveal james on the other side. “i hate you,” she said with a laugh as she pulled her small frame into his chest. “you weren’t supposedly to /actually/ come. i look like a high-maintenance princess now.” she ushered him inside, shutting and locking the door behind them. “should i ask what you’re doing here? are you here to remind me how mad you are that i ghosted you?”

james: the colombian was enjoying annoying ari. he knew how much she couldn't stand the way he annoyed her but he had fun. at the same time, pretending to hate her, he cared about her a lot and knowing that she was sick was fucking terrible. it was a shame that he was living in liverpool now because if he was living in new york city, she would have to get used to his presence every damn day. but for ariana's surprise, he was in new york city right now, just to take care of her and be there for her. she thought he would never do that, but he would and that was exactly what he was doing right now. as he knocked on the door, he waited for her to open it and once she did, he gave her a big smile. "hello, most dramatic person i've ever met in my life." he said as he completely ignored the fact that she said she hated him. holding her in his arms, he rolled his eyes. "well, if you don't know how to fucking take care of yourself, then i do." he shrugged. listening to her questions, he sighed. "i'm here because..." he paused, showing her a chicken soup. "you were asking me for soup every five fucking seconds and here it is." he said, giving it to her. "you're fucking welcome, by the way. and yeah, you keep ghosting me and that's terrible. you have to love me." he said as he pouted, sitting on the couch, making himself comfortable.

ari: “stop lying to me,” ariana shook her head. “you’ve met yourself —- there’s no way i can be the most dramatic person i’ve ever met in your life, thank you very much.” she sighed dramatically as he rolled his eyes. “i know how to take care of myself,” she said grumpily, her arms folded protectively across her chest. “maybe, i just needed a reason to get you to come over that was less embarrassing than the fact that i just wanted to see you.” she rolled her own eyes and moved to the kitchen to pick up her tea. the soft smile on her face just wouldn’t leave; he was being so sweet, and she couldn’t help but want to know why. “you can be so cute sometimes, you know? if only you put more of the energy you save for driving me nuts to being sweet, we could go somewhere...” she took the soup from him and, after grabbing a spoon from the kitchen, moved to sit next to him on the couch. “thank you for this. and for coming, seriously. like —- holy shit, you’re so far away.” she pulled the lid off the bowl of soup and took a small sip, allowing the warm liquid to coat her sore throat. “did you want to watch a movie or something?” she sniffled. “i’m unfortunately not the most fun right now,” she paused, “if you ever thought i was fun.”

james: "ariana, i can be very dramatic but you definitely win. honestly, you're the most dramatic person ever and thank god i can handle you because holy shit, i'd tell you to fuck off right away if i wasn't your friend." he laughed, running his fingers through his hair and sighing. "you don't know how to take care of yourself, if you did, you wouldn't ask me a million times to come over and bring you soup." licking his lips, he shrugged. when she was basically admitting that she wanted to see him, he couldn't help but smile. it was rare when ariana was being honest and not annoying him and know that he knew that she wanted to see him, he was feeling happy. when she called him cute, he crossed his arms, head touching the couch as he kept looking at her. "um, what? are you actually being nice? you think i'm cute? and what exactly do you want us to go?" suddenly, he was interested and he was ready to make ari admit whatever she was trying to tell him. "that's not a problem, you know i'm here for you. doesn't matter where i live." he said as he pinched her cheek. "we can watch whatever you want, i'm not picky." laughing at what she said, he was going to agree but he figured he would be nice this time. "don't even worry about it, i know you're sick. have you been taking your meds or no?"

ari: “i think you’d tell me to fuck off regardless, because you definitely have,” she laughed, “and i don’t really blame you. i’m a lot to put up with.” she furrowed her eyebrows. “nah, that’s definitely not it, james,” she rolled her eyes. “i can handle myself. i’m just lazy. don’t act like you’ve never been sick & lazy before.” she ruffled her hair before picking up a big blanket and throwing it at james. it hit him in the face before falling in a heap into his lap. “i’m nice sometimes. i won’t repeat myself, but i said what i said. and i don’t know,” she nibbled on her lower lip. “somewhere... sometime... maybe.” she licked across her lips nervously. “i know, but —-,” she objected. “long plane rides suck. let me fly to you sometime soon. can i come to a game? when i don’t feel and look like shit anymore, i mean.” she poked her tongue out at him as he pinched her cheek. “just pick something, rodriguez. jeez.” she picked up the remote from the side table and threw it at him; this one, thankfully, didn’t hit him in the face. “which meds? my cold meds or the ones so i don’t cry all the time?”

james: "i do because i like you." he shrugged. was he lying? he wasn't. the way he treated her was mostly because he didn't want to show her how much he liked her and then she would never think that he actually really liked her, but she was also smart enough to figure out whatever was happening between them. "i don't get sick too often, but when i do, i just want to stay in bed and that's about it." when the blanket hit his face, he groaned, laughing and throwing it into her lap as well, making sure it was covering them both. "somewhere, sometime, where the fuck are we going and what the fuck is going on?" he was just fucking around. "it does. i fucking hate plane rides. and of course you can come to a game!" he told her, rolling his eyes when she stuck her tongue out at him, he tapped her nose carefully. "let's just fucking go with titanic, we'll both fall asleep knowing how boring it is." he said, grabbing the remote as he tried to find the movie. "cold meds. i didn't know you took something else. why's that? wanna talk about it? i'll be your therapist."

[winebleeds]

REPOST DON’T REBLOG.

———  BASICS! ♡

(PEN)NAME:    pineapple 🍍

PRONOUNS:   she / her

ZODIAC SIGN:     taurus sun, aquarius moon, libra rising i think... but im an aries at heart.

TAKEN OR SINGLE:    single  and happy that way

———  THREE  FACTS! ♡

the nickname ‘pineapple’ came from someone saying it meant i was ditzy & my apush teacher thought it was so hilarious that it stuck... icb that’s been my nickname for ten years now.

i, too, have a vinyl record... alongside the many old albums my parents had during their 20′s. granted, i never play this vinyl since i think i broke the needle.

the first movie i remember seeing in the movie theaters was the pokemon 2000 movie... which says a lot because i can’t remember the last movie i saw in a movie theater.

———  EXPERIENCE! ♡

i feel like im the only one here that started on devianart back like 2010, where writing h*****a fanfics became rping. then it transferred to chatzy where i made the first version of liz & later raleigh. then the whole state personification community (...yeah...) started moving to tumblr in 2013 and that’s how i got dragged to hell.

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE! ♡

uh. idk. i would say i lean towards grumpier muses (arthur k*rkland, liz, g*ralt) with some ‘dad’ muses too (obi w*n, r*ck gr*mes), but i’ve really just stuck to the spencers since 2013. however, if i ever lean towards canon characters as muses, it’s males since i usually relate to male muses over female ones; liz has just been a super odd exception. 

——— FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡  

FLUFF:  you see. it’s cute and all. and it establishes how soft some of these grumpier characters can get but...

ANGST: you need to fluff to make the angst oh so worth it. >:3

SMUT: no... or rather it can be implied and idc if someone else writes it, but it’s just not for me. mainly because my asexual ass knows squat about sexual feelings and body parts.

PLOT / MEMES:   im a mixture of both memes & plotting. hell, so many dynamics occurred through shitposts and just grow from here. though i will say that the more comfortable i am with you, the easier it is for me to plot things out or get ideas going. so ooc interactions are important to delve in the ic stuff, if only bc im a little timid & want to make sure everything’s okay with the other person. like, sometimes i am slower because im trying to gain the courage to talk / trying to get the right words down... even if i do talk a lot too it’s... a paradox of my personality. and, yeah, sometimes ic interactions don’t mesh and it just up being ooc interactions which, i am more than happy to just comment on posts and send headcanon questions. we’re all people who want to talk about our creations or things that are going on. as for other general stuff, im better if im the only replying instead of starting a thread / starter, since im able to build more from that. im also probably not going to send ic memes w/o some sort of plotting, but someone sending me memes, w/o previous interactions, often ends up with me in the pm’s. so feel free to send memes... or just roast on jamie. someone gotta lower that boy’s ego.

tagged by:   stole from @naivty tagging:   just tag me if you take the bait.

[losephs]

———  BASICS! ♡

NAME! ♡    Lo PRONOUNS! ♡     she / her ZODIAC SIGN! ♡     aries sun / taurus moon / aquarius rising! TAKEN OR SINGLE! ♡     the singlest of souls

———  THREE  FACTS! ♡

1! ♡    i’ve moved nine times in four years and i’ve somehow doubled in age because of it

2! ♡    my cat luna is my world (and my ESA) i love her very very much and would be dead without her she’s my little sidekick

3! ♡     i love weed??? big pot head

———  EXPERIENCE! ♡

PLATFORMS USED! ♡     tumblr, twitter, instagram, kik, chatzy

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE! ♡

GENDER! ♡    i guess female just because i AM female? but also i don’t mind playing boys. i love f/f ships, but m/f ships are good too! i generally don’t ever write m/m ships, not that i of course have anything against them it just isn’t my vibe, maybe because i’m too gay idk lmao LEAST FAVOURITE FACE(S)! ♡   i don’t THINK? i have any?? actually victoria justice has me scarred from past bad RP experiences -- and that meme of her, liz gillies, and ariana lmfao

MULTI OR SINGLE! ♡     muse?? bc multi then lmao FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡    

FLUFF :   i love fluff and it’s great in short but i feel like it doesn’t work well in longevity for plots? fluff is so great and warming, i just often have experience with it feeling because it becomes boring and repetitive if that’s ALL you have

ANGST :  LOOOOOVE it. give it to me. all of it. any kinds. any time. angst honestly really inspires me. it helps me connect to my characters and reach depths i feel are otherwise unreachable. 

SMUT :   i definitely don’t mind writing smut at all. i follow the natural chemistry, and with chemistry, sex often happens so smutting is always fine. i’m kink-friendly, so don’t worry about feeling judged or anything.

PLOT / MEMES! ♡    literally any and all are welcome. if you want a plot, and i don’t have a character that fits it, i will MAKE one to fit it. i love plotting, writing, and developing characters and ships. 

tagged  by:  @lesbianismx <3 ty for the tag bb tagging: @virgoxwrites @mcndegreen @thesocietytv

[lovclylonclylost]

———  BASICS! ♡

NAME! ♡    saz PRONOUNS! ♡     she / her. ZODIAC SIGN! ♡     aries. TAKEN OR SINGLE! ♡     it’s complicated

———  THREE  FACTS! ♡

1! ♡     i start college in august for my degree in english education

2! ♡   i work for a cell phone refurbishment company

3! ♡     i’m born and raised in MA, where i’ll be moving back to after i finish my degree

———  EXPERIENCE! ♡

PLATFORMS USED! ♡    tumblr, discord, neopets (in my early days), neatchat, chatzy, AIM (again earlydays) and email.

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE! ♡

GENDER! ♡   I play more females but I am totally fine playing male for certain people/characters. LEAST FAVOURITE FACE(S)! ♡   team 10.

MULTI OR SINGLE! ♡     multi FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡    

FLUFF :  give me all the fluff.

ANGST :  yess

SMUT :   not often

PLOT / MEMES! ♡    both cause i’m a ho for all things interaction.

tagged by: @banishedmoonindie tagging: @kingxfmischief @jcnniezkim @childhealcr and anyone else who wants to do it!!!

[winebleeds-a]

———  𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 ! ♡

NAME !  pineapple PRONOUNS !  she / her ZODIAC SIGN !  ♡    taurus, aries.  TAKEN OR SINGLE !  ♡  single

———  𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒  !  ♡

1 !  ♡     i love shiny things. like those popular sequin thingies that are two different colors. 2 !  ♡     i’m jealous of banana right now because she travels everywhere. take me next time. 3 !  ♡     i bought myself really pretty purple tulips for valentine’s day.

———  𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  ! ♡

PLATFORMS USED !  ♡    tumblah  ,  discrap , chatzy , devianart heh

———  𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  ! ♡

FEMALE OR MALE !  ♡    no preference LEAST FAVORITE FACE(S) !  ♡     problematic peeps. um. dylan o’briefcase. MULTI OR SINGLE !  ♡     multi everything. FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT !  ♡  shitposts PLOT / MEMES !  ♡     plotting. because memes are unpredictable in terms of me answering & having an idea for it.

TAGGED BY :  at banana because i forgot which blog you posted this on. i couldn’t take an e out my name if i tried. TAGGING :  your dog

[hcnniballxcter]

———  BASICS !

NAME .    Toni PRONOUNS .     She / Her / Hers ZODIAC  SIGN .     I’m an Aries TAKEN  OR  SINGLE .       Single (and ready to mingle)

———  THREE  FACTS   !

1 .      I own over 100 movies 2 .      I am currently a barista and a bartender 3 .      I love to sing.

———  EXPERIENCE !

PLATFORMS  USED .     Tumblr, discord, chatzy, and skype (the last two were back in the olden days)

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE !

FEMALE  OR  MALE ?    Male, all of the characters I’ve ever written were male with the exception of Loki simply due to the fact that I enjoy writing a female version of him sometimes. LEAST  FAVORITE  FACE(S)  ?    I don’t dislike any faces for fc tbh MULTI  OR  SINGLE  ?      If we’re talking para length, typically multi, but I gues it depends on how much I can write for a reply, so single can be fine FLUFF  /  ANGST  /  SMUT  ?    Mostly angst and smut with other themes, the occasional fluff is okay though. PLOT  /  MEMES  ?     Both is good!

tagged by: @xgraham

[thepharaohisdead-longlivetheking]

Tagged by: @starcrossedking

Name: Alexa Age: 23 Pronouns: She/her Sexuality: Ain't no lie, I'm bi bi bi Zodiac sign: Aries Taken or single: Single pringle

Four Things About This Blog:

This doofus was a complete accident that came from a 4 AM hype conversation with @letsescapefromreality when I was struggling to finish a huge project and had accidentally thrown myself back into the fandom, originally we were just doing some Dragonshipping IM RPs but then she was just  "LET'S MAKE BLOGS" and, I the queen of no self-control and questionable decision making, went "YES"

Additionally, I never intended to go public, I was originally just going to RP with Tiffany as exclusives but when her muses died I really, REALLY didn't want to give up Atem so I started looking for one or two people to RP with because I had 0.0% confidence in my YGO writing and, at the time, was only looking to do D/S RPing (I've done that for years, it's a long story) and then somehow @begrudgingbabygoth found me and thanks to Bee I was able to venture out a little and weeeee here I am

If you go aaaaall the way back to the beginning of history you can actually see that I used to RP with gifs instead of icons, because that's generally what you do with live-action RPs and it's been YEARS since I've RP'd anime so I didn't really realize that people don't... tend to do that in anime fandoms xD I thought I'd hate going back to icons but I actually like it just as much as gifs, it's a little easier to find the right expression when the expression isn't moving/changing, it’s not as fancy but it’s easier

For a little wile I was actually doing well with keeping up with my replies but then that went down the drain, I promise though that I 1000000000000000% intend to get to everything I owe, I just really suck and had some issues lately with time stuff because of crunching for work

Three Mun Facts:

I write books for a living!

I'm a horror junkie and a fantasy junkie and I will rip out an organ and give it to you if you bring me some horror and/or supernatural/fantasy AUs, or hell, even canonverse! I'd freaking LOVE a canonverse supernatural thing, canonverse Bigfoot encounter YES!!

The first fanfics I ever wrote were for Yugioh (they were so bad *sobs* I was eight) and the fics I'm currently writing are.... also for Yugioh!! It's hilarious to me how age and being out of fandom vs being in fandom has changed my ideas, desires, beleifs, plots, etc about the series, I actually would have done more YGO fics by now probably if I wasn't trying to work on my Sterek Week fics because that's next month and hnnn I've finished NOTHING.... I run this event, I should be better than this xD I also have written/am planning to write more Teen Wolf, Supergirl, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Yuri!!! On Ice, and a few other things... if I ever get my shit together with getting the Sterek Week fics done

EXPERIENCE:

How’d you start: RPing in notes on DeviantART

Platforms you’ve used: DeviantART, Livejournal, Tumblr, Chatzy, Groupme, and whatever IM device I use with my freind Nicole at any given time

Best experience: So far, nock on wood, my YGO blogs here on Tumblr are by far my best experience

Worst experience: Some various other experiences I've had RPing on Tumblr, those are some LONG stories though

MUSE PREFERENCES:

Original or canon: Canon

Favourite face: Tyler Hoechlin, almost all of my OCs have his faceclaim, including the main blog this one is attached to, my favorite face to play against is Dylan O'Brien (any Teen Wolf fans will understand exactly what's going on here)

Least favorite face: I don't think I have any to be honest? I'm not the biggest fan of RPing with non-actors and musicians (so porn stars, social media stars, models, etc) because it's a little uncomfortable, that aside, I can't think of any specific FCs I have anything against

Multi or single: Both

WRITING PREFERENCES:

Plots or memes: I love both honestly!

Best time to write: At night

Do you like your muse(s): I love all of my muses, especially Atem, to be honest, I've never loved him more <3

How long (months/years?): RP in general, about ten years, on Tumblr, around... sevenish? I took a three or so year long break after my first RP blog flopped andd then got into it again with groups, before finally going back to indie

Fluff, angst or smut: Believe it or not I've actually done smut blogs for years (again, it's a long story) so smut and fluff, I'm really not a big fan of angst

[tribridwrites]

Been slacking a bit on contributions to OC positivity week but rather than subjecting you all to my horrendous photoshopping skills, I wanted to make a mini-shoutout post instead for the wonderful writers on my dash who have OCs.

@asafehavenx ​ & @defectivenightmares​ : We started out in the POI fandom, and we’ve gotten all the way here. It’s always a joy to see you both on my dash, and I’m glad that we’ve been able to make the leap beyond one singular fandom. Hopefully now that my schedule has calmed down some, we’ll be able to get the ball going on some more things :)

@moralityblurred / @bbyassassin & @wrathrisen : I haven’t been following either of you for very long, but I’m already quite in love with your characters? With regards to both Ari and Cam, I love the dichotomy of boys who are soft ( even though they’ve been through trauma ), and yet they can kill me if they wanted to. There’s a depth to your characters that I love to see unfold. I always love seeing your posts on my dash, whether they’re edits or meta posts. It’s clear that you both love your characters very much and I love watching them develop.

@gothknight ​: My very first RP friend. We started at the bottom of the trash pile, and we’re still at the bottom of the trash pile. I remember staying up for hours ( back when I was able to do such a thing ) in fucking chatzys and coming up with the most ridiculous and amazing plots / characters that will always be a huge part of my writing, no matter how far we’ve come. It makes me really happy that we’re able to keep writing and still have the same vibe that we had back when we were wee youngins.

@warglitched ​: My love and light. I love every single one of your OCs, past and present. I know for a fact that my muses wouldn’t even be half as fleshed out if it weren’t for you and your muses helping me to push those boundaries. Between your skill in worldbuilding and your ability to create interesting, developed characters, I am in constant awe of you. I could not be even half as inspired to be here and develop my characters without you. The worlds we create together are the bright spots in my day, and I want everyone to know how brilliant you are. 

[nckjcns]

( ❛ ᴛʜɪs ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ  𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖒𝖊 — gregg, joe, & ariana )

@ariianas @kecry

[going to post this as an intro bc chatzy deleted the whole middle section UNTIL joe came in. all u missed was a really sad ari finding him & calling joe. so yeah here enjoy bye.xx]

Gregg: it seemed like the shit was piling up & dealing with it was something gregg had no intention of doing anytime soon. in order to ignore it all ( plus the pesky little memories that were currently occupying his mind ) drugs were his new best friend. there wasn’t any filming that needed to be done today and barbara was god knows where- so the brit was alone in his LA apartment. bored & alone. that was the scary part, though. when you have nothing to do your memories creep up on you like a thief in the knight. you end up thinking more than usual & allowing your brain to just do it’s own thing. like a character off of breaking bad he poured the magical contents into the cooker & loaded his syringe with about 20 units of water. once the two were mixed together he watched the contents turn into something that reminded him of gasoline. the male loaded his needle and took a second to rethink his decisions. it didn’t help, though.“just a bit more..” he whispered to himself before injecting the needle into the nearest available vein. he had to switch arms daily or else his veins would collapse from overuse and make it more than noticeable how he had been torturing his body. there was a small sting when the needle first broke through his newly tanned skin & for a moment-- he felt total bliss. while he was so focused on the feeling he forgot to stop squeezing the syringe and the drug continued to snake its way through his body. he remembered, eventually, but when his body went weak & his eyes began to close; this all seemed like such a terrible idea. it was too late. he had no idea what was happening but it was all happening all too fast. as his body went warm and the room began to spin his only thought was; “junkies die. not me. i’m not a junkie. so this can’t be happening to me.” everything went black & the male laid back on his bed, needle still in his arm.

Joe: seeing gregg's name show up on his phone was the shock of his life. he knew that his /former/ best friend was going through something recently. joe knew what was going out, and despite his better judgement he didn't reach out to him. he figured his WIFE could handle it. the wounds the situation between ariana and gregg caused where healing. scaring over in fact. but seeing that name pop up on his phone made it feel like it was just /yesterday/ they spit those awful words at each other. he let it ring a bit longer before he reluctantly accepted the call, putting it to his ear. "uh......hello ?" the twenty six year old awkwardly answered. he tried to sound tough in case this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. but joe was an anxious fuck, his fingers were ALREADY trembling.

Ariana: ‘ fuck ’ she mouthed to gregg, her entire frame heating up in pure nerves. the last time ariana heard joe’s voice was the day that ended it all, which sent an unsettling pain to the pit of her stomach. “hey, it’s ari,” she started, “don’t hang up.” the decision to spit out the truth was far from easy since this would be the /second time/ she delivered news about her husband, which would have ultimately proved joe right. with that aside, ariana took a moment to deeply inhale and exhale before mustering up enough courage to speak. “to make a very long, fucked up story short ───” she swallowed, not knowing how he was going to react, “gregg had an accident and ... you’re the only person i know that could help. like, right now.” she was practically pleading for his assistance as she stood in place, crossed fingers in the hopes that the other male wouldn’t disappoint.

Joe: hearing ariana's voice was.... well, it was the last thing he expected. joe was absolutely awful with any type of confrontation, and for a woman he used to adore so much... he couldn't help but to harbor an intense dread whenever he thought of her. "uh----------," was the only thing he could get out when she insisted not to hang up. it was tempting, he couldn't lie. but when she said gregg had an accident, all bets were off and he quickly shot off "wait---what, what kind of accident ? is he okay ? are you okay ?"

Ariana: “i, uh, don’t know what you would consider ‘ potentially overdosing, ’” she sighed, speaking in a whispered tone, loud enough for only them two to hear. there was another inch of relief as he stood on the line with her, not blaming him if he just decided to hang up at the mention of her name. this wasn’t about her ( or so she kept convincing herself ), so she prayed that joe could finally look past that once he arrived. “i’m fine, but he’s pretty ... you know, banged up.” that was far from a lie since gregg’s appearance took a complete turn, compared to any other night they spent together.“look, can i expect you here within the hour, or what?”

Joe: "....do you know what he's using ?" joe is suddenly doing fifty things at once, flinging up off the bed, tossing his clothes and possessions into a suitcase. for now, none of the hurt feelings and harsh words mattered. he just had to get wherever gregg was at. "what do you mean an hour ? i thought you guys left bali ? you're going to need to be more specific with what's going on here, ariana.... please."

Ariana: with occasional glances over her shoulder, actually spitting out the next words required more work than she thought. “well, i walked in his room and there was a needle in his arm,” she spoke, growing completely numb with the situation, “and he would’ve choked on his vomit if i didn’t get here when i did.” she had no clue if gregg wanted joe to know the finer details, but one look at him and joe would’ve instantly pieced it together. her head tilted itself at an angle to his next sentence, which instantly caught her by surprise. “we did, and when the hell did you fly over there ? ─── you know what ? not important, just hurry.”

Joe: "okay. that's heroin," joe confirmed, instantly feeling sick. people DIED from heroin overdoses every day. "i----uh, is there any weird brown substances around ? if there is, flush it." the actor instructed, throwing his duffle bag over his shoulder. "like right before you guys left. but listen---i'll get the first flight i can. in the meantime, don't let him leave the room, ariana. even when he goes to the bathroom, you watch him."

Ariana: the reassurance in his voice about the substance sent goosebumps to her arm, wondering how she allowed it to get this far. so far that gregg looked past her, and focused on a near-death experience instead. all of her bottled up emotions were slowly eating up her core, and could you blame her ? for the moment, the mention of the bathroom strikes her attention, yet she’s too consumed in her own thoughts to acknowledge the boy’s former activities. “yeah, i- i’ll watch him. unblock my number.” with that, she hung up, lowering the phone from her ear. “he’s coming.”

Gregg: it had been a total of about 24 hours since gregg had his little incident. according to ariana they were waiting on joe ( for some reason ) and gregg went from sick, to kind of okay, to even more sick. his body was craving more of something he couldn’t have. ariana wouldn’t even let him out of her sight- he couldn’t shower alone, eat alone, let alone use the bathroom alone. it was exhausting. but what made it worse was that his body was beginning to feel like it was collapsing every hour that passed. gregg was spending his last few hours in bed, not wanting to be bothered at all. his current mood was overly irritated and he couldn’t stop shaking. this was the worst feeling in the world-- craving something he knew he couldn’t have. & his body beating him up for being free of it. “come on.. is this really what we’re gonna do? hold me in this room until what? i have shit to do.”

Ariana: from the moment that ariana stepped foot into gregg’s apartment, she had no idea what the past few hours would’ve entailed. the young starlet completed a huge transition since she first entered, the set of tasks that she had to accomplish took most of her energy hard of her. it was hard enough for her to sleep due to the nightmares, but a deep sleep meant she might’ve missed any plea for help from her husband. ariana was beginning to question joe’s arrival since hours passed without any form of communication, but stalling gregg had been her main concern. “shut up,” she deterred his motives, eliminating any thought of him moving from his own mind, “you did this to yourself, so now you’re going to sit in it. literally. there’s no shot in hell that you’re moving until you’re sober .... completely sober, greggory.” one palm brought itself to her face as she finished speaking, gently rocking herself back and forth. “don’t even think about it.”

Joe: he had friends who did hard drugs. charlie heaton, the most famous one. but joe had spent the entire flight reading up on his heroin withdrawal information, from detox, to what to feed him. he had became a walking, talking addiction counselor in a matter of hours. joe was nervous as fuck but this wasn't about him. gregg's life was at stake, here. reaching gregg's apartment door, he knocked, shifting his weight back and forth as he anxiously awaited an answer.

Ariana: thumbs fiddled with themselves as she sat in silence, continuing to chew on her inner cheek as she surveyed her surroundings. with gregg falling in and out of sleep, there wasn’t much to do other than wonder how she had gotten to this point. not only that, but how she allowed the other male to fall back on drugs opposed to her. she snapped out of her thoughts prior to a couple of knocks, the same knocks that sent her flying across the spacious walls to the door. ariana took a moment to compose herself, moving any strands of hair behind her ears before swinging the door open. “finally,,” she started, a small smile placed itself on her lips, “i honestly thought you were a no-show.” seeing joe was weird, of course, which must’ve been why the smile faded once she remembered why he came. “he’s upstairs, and i’d, uh ... walk on thin ice, honestly. he’s moody, and incredibly sassy.”

Joe: seeing ariana for the first time since everything.... that was intense. if this had been any normal situation, joe would be flubbing up every other word, a flustered mess. instead, he gave her a sad smile of acknowledgement, "come on. you know i couldn't abandon him like this." he took a step inside, setting his duffle bag on the floor, heading into the kitchen to grab a glass of water, for gregg. "that's because he wants to get high," joe replied with dismay, "i---uh, yeah... be up there." and with that, he trudged up the stairs, heart racing. he paused at the door, giving it a gentle knock to let gregg know someone was about to enter. then joe stepped in, door closing behind him. his heart broke at the sight before him, but he somehow remained stoic, "hey there, old buddy."

Gregg: gregg might as well had been twinkling his toes and saying his alphabet with how ariana could freely go downstairs while he sat up here like a nine year old on punishment. he knew what was coming-- a pity party was about to rain in on him in his bedroom. if it wasn’t joe at the door, it was barbara, and he had yet to figure out what was worse. being sober fucking sucked. all he could think about was his parents and all the dumb things he had gotten himself into in the past few months. joe walking in was like a scene out of a movie- no matter how fucked up he was he couldn’t deny that he missed him. “ah! the man of the hour!” the male raised his arms up and showcased a huge smile, his voice clearly sarcastic. but as soon as his arms went past his head he threw his upper body over the bed and vomited into the newly positioned bedside trashcan. his stomach contracting & causing him severe abdominal pain afterwards. “oh fuck me.” he groaned before tossing his head back.

Joe: gregg looked awful. and seeing that.... it really took a toll on joe. as a man who typically became lost in his emotions, he had no choice but to swallow it all and be the STRONG one for once. if he even had it in him. but he wanted to think that he /did/. before he could say anything in reply to gregg's sarcastic remark, he was already vomiting. joe rushed to his side, setting the glass of water on the nightstand. "well---good news is, looks like you're just puking up stomach acid at this point. bad news ? you're dehydrated. but i'm afraid if you drink that water, you're just gonna throw it up again. not good, right ? joe sat on the edge of the bed, tentatively because he didn't know what gregg would do next, "so where's the heroin ? you got anymore ?"

Gregg: there was no way gregg could even see the severity of the situation right now. he was way too deep in his shitty mood and the constant shivering and vomiting wasn’t making it any better. but the worst part of it all was that he wanted to sleep, but the concoction of everything he was going through wouldn’t allow his eyes to close for more than a second. yet, through all of this, he knew joe was his saving grace. “ok.... so... /doc/ do i drink water or do i sit here and fucking off myself.” at this point he was irritated, if they weren’t going to let him get high then this was going to be a shit show. the male placed his hand on joe’s shoulder and sighed. “no. i don’t. or i wouldn’t be dying right now. but look. ariana. she’s a bit of a.. worrisome kind of girl. but you. i can reason with you. tell her i’m fine, let me.. get more of my happy stuff and we can go on about our lives like this never happened.”

Ariana: all ariana could do was sit on the sidelines while they reunited, fully aware that she was main reason as to why they fell off in the first place. the thought of them rekindling their friendship was something she could look forward to, watching how familiar their mannerisms were for each other. “gregg,” she scolded him, arms crossed themselves across her chest, “behave.” she decided it was best to momentarily tune out of their conversation, she owed them that much. besides, it seemed to ariana like joe knew /exactly/ what would cure gregg, ultimately the goal for inviting him into another secret. regardless of gregg’s unpleasant reaction to his arrival, ariana was sure that she owed joe more than she could promise. only if he managed to fix gregg, of course. eyes peered on the their conversation, kind of content with the way things were playing out so far.

Joe: there were some things that joe felt confident with, but risking gregg's life ? it wasn't something he was willing test the odds with. "listen, i---" his gaze shifts between ariana and gregg, knowing full well she was the only rational one here. "okay. so here's what we're going to do. we're going to get a doctor here. make him sign a nondisclosure," he nodded, feeling like this was the best way to ensure gregg got the care he needed, "and buddy, if you let a doctor check you out, he's going to give you something to help you sleep. wouldn't that be nice ? sleep ?"

Gregg: the males brows furrowed in confusion as he shook his head to all the comments that were being made right now. “oh fuck no!” he exclaimed both at ariana telling him to behave and also at joe mentioning a doctor. “you hate me. i’m convinced. is this my karma? look, i watched thirteen reasons why. you can just shove some gatorade down my throat, i’ll curse you out for a bit and we’ll be fine.” rolling his eyes, he couldn’t stand the thought of a doctor. at least not one that was going to be invading his personal space and judging him on his recent decisions. “sleep is cool i guess..” he mumbled, at this point sounding like a teenage boy.

Ariana: “gregg, are you kidding me? this isn’t a fucking television show,” she snapped, genuinely concerned for his well-being. the fact that he would even allude to that in a situation like this told her everything that she needed to know. there was nothing she wished more than to keep gregg’s wishes about a doctor, but if that’s what it took for his recovery then ariana was willing to look past his desires. “exactly, and you’ll waking up feeling like the old gregg again.” she was desperately praying for this to work since it was the only option, any other choice would expose this rendezvous.

Joe: joe scoffed when gregg actually compared what he was going through to a television show. thankfully, ariana spoke for him, quite literally taking the words out of his mouth. "i'm not saying he's going to do anything crazy ! maybe give you an iv, some vitamins, hydrated. jesus, that's going to take a hell of a lot less time than going cold turkey. and--and," he began having to focus his thoughts, "doctors, they can't say shit anyways, right ? that's against the law. no one will even have to know this happened except the three of us."

Gregg: “that didn’t stop-” the male paused, refraining from relating this situation yet again, to a tv show. it took him a moment to really look around and notice his surroundings. ariana wasn’t letting him do what he wanted and putting her foot down for the first time. and out of all people joe was here. he was actually here. someone that gregg loved a lot more than he would admit came to help. so this had to be more serious than what gregg could see. “ok..” he let out a sigh before biting the inside of his lip. “call the damn doctor then.”

Ariana: ariana cocked her head to the side once he started, only to roll her eyes once he stopped himself from speaking. part of her wondered where this desire to be high came from, especially since there were other methods before heroine. cocaine, for instance, seemed to be amongst hollywood’s most elite stars. some fell from the addiction, but thankfully gregg wasn’t a beloved star who was gone before his time. and, to ariana’s surprise, would have joe to thank for gregg’s swayed decisions. “finally,” her arms fell to her sides, “he has some sense. welcome, we’ve missed you.”

Joe: "listen, if it makes you feel any better," he said, looking his best friend in the eye, "i'll be here the whole time. i promise. if you need someone to yell at, talk to, anything. i'm not fucking leaving this room until you're good." with a deep sigh, addressing the fact he truly /wanted/ to be here. he stood up, offering ariana a hesitant smile, flashes of his awkward self appearing as he jabbed his thumb toward the door, "i---um, i'll go make some calls and get someone here."

Gregg: all other factors aside, gregg really appreciated what everyone was doing for him. this wasn’t him, it never was. but he let the things he was going through attack him until he didn’t know what else to go to once alcohol stopped working. but it was finally time to face his fears and he was so blessed to have the two most influential people in his life to help with that. “thank you.” was all he could make out as he nodded at the both of them.