#i left my fucking laptop at work i prepared the wrong spells i signed up for this stupid fucking

[hylianengineer]

Seething with rage because my DnD character might be about to die (mini boss fight, unconcious, already failed a death save, and I'm the healer), we won't get to resolve the cliffhanger for three more weeks (my job is making me do fieldwork on our game nights), and on top of everything else happening in my life right now that just feels unfair.

[raleigh-ocean]

one more time (one more chance) | cordelia goode & raleigh ocean

Summary: Sometimes Cordelia thought she was in the verge of losing Raleigh forever, between her own fears and choices. She thought that she would spend the rest of her life yearning to fix whatever was left of their relationship, aching in silence till the day it didn't matter anymore. But when the oportunity came up, Cordelia decided that she wasn't going to die without fighting for what her heart wanted.

She didn't know, however, that Raleigh was trying to aim for the same in her own way.

words: 12, 406

n/a: What a trip, whatta trip! I've been writing this for several days, building the closure and new start these two deserved. So i hope you enjoy it as much as I did while writing. I love Ray with all my heart and soul, she's my favourite oc and I want her to have the oportunity to live a happy life. And I also love Cordelia a lot, of course! I’ll leave you here the song that inspired the title and the emotions behind it!

Cordelia pressed her hands to her forehead, trying to discern if it was a good idea to actually go alone that time to San Francisco. 

Obviously she didn’t want to go alone, being around those warlocks was a pain in the ass for sure, even when Behold tried to make her visits easier and actually nice at some points. But she always had one of her girls by her side to accompany her and give her a hand when she couldn't think straight between the constant overflow of magic around her mixed with the tiredness that came with it all.

Looking away from her papers and all the men that she would have to interview and test, Cordelia's eyes fell to her companion in the office. After almost five years, it didn't feel out of place having the red haired woman in dark purple blouse in the desk by her side. Wilhemina was writing something in her laptop, glasses perched on her nose and eyes a bit squinted which was sign that whatever she was doing it wasn't having the outcome she wanted. Taking her coffee from where she abandoned it a couple hours ago, Cordelia tried to subtly keep watching her and wondering if maybe Wilhemina wanted to go with her to this trip. She soon scratched the idea, because why would she want to be around Cordelia in the first place; and, second, she needed someone that already knew a lot of magic theory, and the other woman was still far from that point.

"I don't know why, but I usually hear your head working like a train station, Goode," Wilhemina's voice boomed in the silent office with a tone that totally said 'stop from doing that'. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to fetch your wife so I can have some peace to work?"

That was one thing she liked about her co-worker, how direct she could be without losing her focus on what she was doing.

"Actually...I don't know what to do," she confessed without missing a beat, not bothering in hiding her worries from the other woman, who, at that, focused on her finally. "I fly in a few days to get all this stuff at Hawthorne sorted out, but none is available to accompany me," Cordelia got an inquisitive look from Wilhemina, asking her to keep going. "Zoe and Mallory are in vacation, they needed it; Queenie and Madison have to stay or we'll be short at teaching; Misty, well, I'm not forcing her into a plane right now...and Coco and you aren't still qualified enough to help me in that aspect, so I'm wondering what to do."

Wilhemina hummed in response, bringing a finger to her chin for a second, curling it so it rested under her lower lip - dark lipstick not that perfect anymore after half day gone. Cordelia almost mimicked her, opting for placing her chin in her hands and just resting her elbows in the table, trying to think a bit more.

"Why don't you ask Raleigh?" Wilhemina started typing again at her laptop, resuming her thinking. "She could easily help you."

Ah, yeah, why wouldn't she ask her? Cordelia felt her chest tight, mostly because she wanted to avoid bothering the other woman or imposing on her in any way. And she felt that she lost the right to ask her for anything after the stunt Cordelia played on her three years ago. It marked in their records the point where they started to drift apart from each other, and Cordelia didn't blame her at all being completely honest...but her heart twisted in her chest, as if it was nagging her about the whole thing once again.

"She's probably too busy," the excuse fell from her lips easily, easier than saying she was afraid to ask matter of fact. 

"If busy means wrestling with the dog in the backyard or wrestling the cat to touch his paws," Wilhemina snorted ever so softly, raising both her hands. "Fuck, she is president's busy level."

"Wasn't she doing some research on warpping spells and was elbow deep in it?" Cordelia frowned at the statement, having heard about that a few days ago from Queenie when she asked why Raleigh seemed so distressed one afternoon before her lessons with the youngest. 

"Sometimes I forget that you forget how she is," a heavy sigh that weighed in Cordelia's chest for the both of them. "She finished that yesterday night after pulling two days of non-stop schedule, so now I have a hyperactive five eleven gremlin till she finds another 'not so correct' spell that needs of her," they locked eyes for the first time in hours since they were there, and Cordelia could see how Wilhemina had a different glow from usual, more relaxed, and was wearing her hair down. She checked her phone in a swift move and then sighed. "Well, at least I had one until she ran out of battery three hours ago, apparently."

It only gave Cordelia time to feel the blush going up from her chest to her face, fast like a shooting star, and she cleared her throat in an attempt to also clear her mind. She still was getting used to everything related with Wilhemina and Raleigh, but at least she could say she was getting better at not thinking about it so much.

However, once it passed a few seconds, only one sensation filled the Supreme: uneasiness. It was more because a part of her was eager to take the offer, but the other part of her was screaming and shaking her head madly at the simple idea.

"I'll think about it over dinner," was the only thing Cordelia managed to say, not giving an answer yet making, without noticing, Wilhemina to grin sideways ever so softly. "I'll have to make you or one of the girls take her classes and-"

"Oh no, you pay me to do your taxes and other stuff like that sweetheart, we both know I'm not suited to teach History of the Coven, I barely keep up with the basics," there she was again, making Cordelia chuckle lightly with her antics, the woman she was starting to appreciate in a more personal way. Wilhemina hummed for a second, checking her wristwatch. "And it's time for me to prepare for lessons, so I'll leave to get another coffee before that."

Cordelia barely waved goodbye to her, her eyes focused again in the information Behold had sent her about everyone, when Wilhemina closed the office's door with a 'the kingdom as all yours now'. She didn't pay attention to the different portrait pictures of the warlocks, so it was only intel what was she reading. Checking her email once again, Cordelia thought to herself why they needed her approval this time. Maybe it was because they relied for too long in the Council since the Supreme was missing most of the time before you came around, a little voice in her head replied and it only made her just rest her forehead in the desk. 

Damned Fiona and whatever she didn't do for like forty or fifty years.

At least there weren't many spots to cover, so in maybe two days she would be back home if everything went according to the plan. But if she was alone, two days would be three and she couldn't help but groan a bit louder with that possibility in mind.

When she heard someone knocking at her door minutes later, still forehead in the desk and eyes closed, she didn't actually pay much attention and groaned again to let them in. Students knew her office was open for them from breakfast to mid noon and it was past six already, so the only ones allowed were her girls.

"In need of a super massage? Rumor has it that you were feeling super stressed."

Upon hearing that voice, Cordelia finally lifted her head from the desk, forgetting altogether for a few moments that she had a red mark in her forehead and about her own worries. Misty was there, peeking from the door ajar with a half smile and offering her warm magic to her, like she always did every time they were in the same room.

"If the rumor was wearing purple, don’t pay much attention,” Cordelia felt herself smiling softly when she gestured Misty to come in, moving her fingers a bit till they were laced with her wife’s. “But I wouldn’t say no to a kiss and maybe the super massage later.”

Misty laughed at that, moving towards her wife and leaning in to give her what she wanted. It made the knot in the back of Cordelia’s head ease and it made her hum in response, now circling her wife with both arms and pulling her to her lap. Misty whined a bit for that, only making Cordelia to tighten the hug and nuzzle her face against her shoulder, both hands finding their right place in Misty’s swollen belly. 

“Where’s our tiny hurricane?” asked Cordelia, pushing her own magic to her wife, warm and soothing in equal parts. “How the other one is behaving today?”

“Rhia is taking a nap under Coco’s extreme watch, which means Coco is sleeping too,” Misty sighed placidly while her hands went to the papers over the desk, letting herself be pampered in tiny kisses across her shoulders and Cordelia’s thumb caressing her side. “She’s been calm so far, let’s see if tonight stay the same or I have to add another restless night to my count,” she chuckled tiredly because of that, but she was now interested in what she was reading. Even when they decided not to know the baby’s gender, Misty was firm believer they were another girl. “This people is really...talented, mon Dieu, how can this one know all of that? He’s barely eighteen and he’s almost as skilled as Leighs...and she’s really old.”

It was the time for Cordelia to chuckle, because she also saw that. Taking a peak from over Misty’s shoulder, she tried to point some information around the lower part of the paper in which stated that the young man came from a long lineage of warlocks.

“Hawthorne has had a steady come and go of students for years, sweetie; we’ve been almost eradicated until I become the Supreme, so I think they have the advantage in that I guess,” Cordelia shrugged and then pressed her forehead between Misty’s shoulder blades. “And I’ll try to ignore the fact that you called us old, by the way. Auch.”

“You know what I meant, only you two are in this...can I call it level? It's a bit scary, I now get why they want you to test them," scattering the different file cards as if they were a fan. "I wouldn't even know how to proceed."

Pressing her cheek in Misty's back, Cordelia tried to form a thought or at least something to say next, but she found herself speechless. Some of the young men in the file cards had an amazing record, but at the same time it showed everywhere that many of those had it because of their families or because they were closer to some of the authorities at hand. It scared her too seeing people capable of doing so much at such young age apparently and, as she drew a little pattern over her wife's belly, her mind drifted again to the other person in the whole Academy that took her time to teach her how to build her confidence when she was young. Misty kept commenting about the file cards, more to herself than for Cordelia, until she had to put her hands over hers to get her attention.

"I'll be late to the lesson if you fall asleep, Dee," a soft chuckle that became a lovely smile. "Shall we start going or are you staying here today?"

Cordelia wanted to hide and not to think about what should she do in the next few days, stay with Misty in bed only caring about her and about Rhiannon and their unborn baby. But she decided to put on a brave face and nod, groaning a 'let's go, today I'll watch you work' and making them to finally stand up. She didn't pay much attention the second they were out of the office, letting Misty to guide her towards the Ancient Room.

When they arrived, everyone was already there except for Zoe and Mallory, which were probably fast asleep somewhere in Europe. Queenie smiled at them wide and Madison kept chattering with Coco, who always tried to pass by before the whole thing started since she wasn't ready yet to assist those lessons, with Rhiannon in her arms, who lightened up at the presence of her mothers. Wilhemina was reading something in her notebook in the end of the couch and the couple took a seat by her side, Cordelia taking the middle between her wife and the red headed with her daughter in her arms, all cuddled and ready to take another quick nap in the next few minutes.

"If I didn’t know you well, I would’ve been impressed that you tried to outrank us,” Mina mumbled to Cordelia when she was sure Rhiannon was distracted with Misty’s rings. “But I know you two just talked in that office.”

The bickering was eternal between them, easy as pie, and it made Cordelia feel warmth crawling up her neck because she knew what the other woman was referring to. She was about to reply something clever, something that would outsmart the other woman, but right when she tried to open her mouth a new voice in the room made everyone there be silent.

"Okay everyone, let's get started," Raleigh made her way to the space between the couches and the fireplace, making her look even more imposing with the light from the latter hitting her from behind. "Today we are going to finish the underwater-on-earth cantrip, so I hope y'all are ready to put in good practice what we've learnt the last couple of weeks. Then we'll move to start with a new spell." Clapping her hands together for a second, she turned around to look first at Cordelia and then Misty. "I'm not making any of you put it on Misty, however, so her partner will cast it on me...which it will be fun. Who's gonna be the brave witch this night?"

Cordelia fell silent after that, just trying to focus in how the lesson went from there. Rhiannon fell asleep in her arms after getting a soft cuddle in her cheek from the teacher, so the only thing she needed to take care was holding her baby against her. 

It was easy to watch over Raleigh working, she was pretty clear in how things should get done and which were her goals to fulfill that day. Even when she wasn't part of the class, she felt as she was learning just by hearing her talk and watch the rest perform things. There was something in her that made her wonder how could Raleigh know where was the flaw when something didn't go well, how can she pick point that fatal little line in each cantrip, spell and hex that made them not work. Raleigh was precise in her craft, she believed to have the right answer to a difficult task, and that made her able to know how to proceed at any given situation.

There, watching Queenie perform the cantrip on Raleigh, Cordelia thought about what Misty told her in the office. They knew a lot of complicated magic and procedures because they were...old, in the sense that right now both Raleigh and her were the oldest members of the Coven to have been completed their training and developed their skills by basically become scholars.

Cordelia had become one under Myrtle's supervision, her own talent for potioncraft becoming the thing that she felt most confident about and later on what she mastered in the end. Before having all the powers that came with being the Supreme, she honed her skills and wrote several papers about potions, plants and different approaches to this specific craft.

Raleigh, in her side, had become one by trying to outsmart herself by studying and polishing her spellcraft. Cordelia still didn't know how she thrived so much just on her own, but she knew for a fact that the woman now trying to break a cantrip earned every right to be respected by anyone.

Which made both a scary pair, a force to be reckoned with if they ever worked together.

The thought of getting back to the warlocks in their space, their own terrain that they 'paved' to grow stronger than any witch, just made Cordelia's magic start vibrating with excitement. 

Who were they to look down on them, just because they were coming back from the ashes? Who were they to try and belittle the giant steps witches were making? And also, who were they to set in stone how things should work when magic itself didn't like to be contained.

Those thoughts stayed in Cordelia's mind for as long as the lesson lasted, making her to think about how to act with her new resolution. She was still pretty much scared of taking that step, but the fire that started in her chest was enough to build up courage and try to live behind her worries. She needed her best friend by her side in this, and she wasn't going to settle for less. 

When Misty walked towards her, Cordelia put Rhiannon in her arms with care and took a deep last breath after kissing both in the cheek with a 'I'll see you in a bit' barely whispered. Dinner was about to be served, so it wasn't weird at all that the rest were quick to make their way towards the dinner hall. Except Wilhemina, who was talking privately to Raleigh while facing the fireplace.

"Raleigh, do you have a moment? I wanted to have a word with you," Cordelia cleared her throat softly to announce herself and both women looked at her with curious eyes. "In private."

Wilhemina raised an eyebrow for a second but then she gave her girlfriend a kiss in her knuckles before excusing herself. Raleigh waited for Mina to exit the Ancient room before actually using her powers to close the doors and have the privacy the Supreme wanted. Both didn't know, however, that outside the room their respective partners shared a victory grin upon seeing this.

"Are there any new witches that need us to retrieve them again?" was the first thing the latina witch asked, moving towards one of the individual sofas to rest there. She was visibly tired but she was holding it up really well for someone that roughly slept three hours. 

"Oh no, none that I know of yet at least," Cordelia dismissed the possibility fast enough to not let the other woman to form the thought. "I was actually going to ask you a favor."

A soft warmth started to spread in her chest when Raleigh's lips formed a little 'o' and her face showed that she was both curious and surprised about what she was going to ask her. Squaring up in her seat, Raleigh made a gesture for her to continue and Cordelia felt the light pang of regret trying to get her. But she pushed forward, because good Lord she wasn't going to back up now.

"I have to pay Hawthorne a visit, test some younglings because they are changing staff," she started, fixing her eyes to her lap for a second and then doing a move with her hand. "And I want you to come with me, because…" she looked up to lock eyes with Raleigh, which was paralyzed in front of her. "Because you are my best witch and I feel you'll do a great job helping me with this."

Then the silence came. 

Cordelia was used to Raleigh's silences, knowing every of them by the back of her hand. But this one was unknown and it was weird enough to make her wonder if she was too bold to ask her anything. It was scary, because the silence held the feeling of someone that was waiting at a bus stop for one they knew for a fact wasn't going to pass by. You knew you were waiting for something that it wasn't going to happen, but what if luck was with you that day? The only thing she could do was wait for Raleigh to move, to say something, and she did the former suddenly.

Her hand on her chin and the free one in her hip, she walked towards the fireplace to put some distance between them. For once she didn't know what was going on in her head, indeed, Cordelia didn't know what was going on around Raleigh's mind since the day she came back for good to the Academy. But she was hoping for a good outcome she felt she didn't deserve.

When her friend finally talked, however, she couldn't believe the wave of relief that washed her whole.

"I'd love to accompany you, for real," there was a hint of something deep and old tinting her voice, was it excitement as well? "What are the details of the trip? You have to tell me before I pass out, I'm barely holding it together right now."

And her laugh, shy but clear, made Cordelia feel how her eyes watered a bit. But she laughed too, sighing with all the relief she felt at that moment, and gesture her to start moving.

"Come on, I'll fill you up while we get dinner, okay? Then I'll let you sleep to your heart content."

----------

Cordelia didn't know how Raleigh was capable of not going full bananas in that moment.

She felt herself getting enraged each second that passed and the man before them just kept talking and talking about things that were meant to impress them somehow. But it was getting annoying and her patience was getting cut short. Behold gave her a silent apology from his seat, while John just huffed annoyed. Ariel and Baldwin seemed to be amused with the whole thing, along with some of the other men they were testing in a couple hours, while the some others seemed uninterested about it.

Raleigh was looking at him as if she could dig holes in his skull right in that moment just by staring. She at least could recognize that, because it was the same way she used to look at Myrtle when she was alive. 

"Is it something the matter, miss Ocean?" 

The private lunch seemed to wake up from the stupor of this man talking when one of the two women in the table was addressed. Cordelia was a bit amused when Raleigh's face seemed to grow annoyed and almost looked as she used to look when she was young. The nice clothes and overall looks  - the high waisted pants, the long sleeved shirt that marked her arms, dark frame glasses and too long hair down - helped to sweeten her rough edges, those she didn't need to hide at home, but she was imposing even more like that. It reminded Cordelia of a tired CEO that showed up from time to time and leave the building feeling even more tired.

"Yes, now that you bring it up," Raleigh pushed her plate away from her, already having finished. Her hands were manicured in black, which only made her look more deadly for some reason. "You can go back with your brothers, I'm not going to test someone that holds over everyone's head how good he allegedly is." She put her hands in the arm rests, just getting a bit relaxed. "I was discerning to give you a chance to at least fail, but giving that you don't know when to shut up I decided against it."

That made Cordelia almost laugh, almost because Baldwin Pennypacker suddenly stood up with all the rage of a five four tall man could muster. Ariel put a hand over his arm, trying to soothe him to not make a scene. 

Oh this is going to be fun, was the only thought she could come up with when she saw the warlock got out of the room.

Raleigh then looked at Cordelia, her hazel eyes glistening with the same fun she was feeling, and waited for her to say something. Lunch was already done, they were having some kind of table talk time but now it seemed to need to be resumed before someone exploded in the nasty way. So she cleared her throat a bit to get everyone's attention before making the statement that the tests were about to begin. Having her best friend by her side gave her more energy to put up with all this foolery.

"How many spots they had to cover again?" mumbled Raleigh in her ear while they started to move to the library, where the Great Chancellor had decided as the assigned place. "Because I'm having the feeling that they will have to be the same four cats for another decade."

"You promised, no electroshock," warned Cordelia in a soft chuckle, moving her finger in front of her friend's face. "I don't want to start a war over something that silly."

"Ray can't get a little electroshock, as a treat?" Another little whine that made Cordelia chuckle, watching Raleigh pout but giving her another long stare that only meant warning. "Aw dang, then I'll just do my job and hope for some ice cream afterwards."

That little interaction only made Cordelia's day, being completely honest. It also made the next four hours less painful, her brain less tired while watching all these people march in front of her and show them what they could do. 

They moved as if they never got separated for fifteen, almost twenty years. The heaviness that Cordelia usually carried in her chest started to loosen, enough to not think about what would happen when the trip was over and just enjoy while she could this chance at things. Even when Raleigh rolled her eyes subtly and let her do the talking, not wanting to voice her opinion about some mediocrity, she felt good to be the one voicing what they both thought. Only when a boy, around twenty two years old, came the last one of that day batch is that she felt like she could let Raleigh speak freely.

They watched how the boy - which in a weird way, he reminded her of her friend a lot - managed to pass everything they made him perform, without showing off or smiling smugly afterwards, and Raleigh started to ask him more stuff for the sake of it. Cordelia knew most of those things were really difficult to perform and somewhat dangerous if they weren't done correctly, but having the other woman being that interested in something that wasn't revolving around whatever was inside her head was an absolute bliss.

Even Behold and John, which were watching the whole thing with the rest from the upper baranda, seemed impressed yet proud of this particular individual. Maybe he was their favourite, she wondered, or maybe he was their protegeé. Either way, along with another one of the candidates, he was one of the few they took in consideration for the role.

And this particular thing seemed to bother Ariel Agustus to no end, apparently.

During all dinner, after wrapping the examinations, only the major warlocks and them were allowed in the private room, so the tension that seemed to have died in front of the students arised with a new strength that made Cordelia start to have a headache. While discussing the points of view they had, Raleigh's hand was always near hers, while she kept feeding herself in silence. It was like an offering, a comfort between all the bullshit they were putting her through, and she was really tempted to take it.

"...you have no idea who did you discarded, did you?" Ariel's voice boomed around the room and made Raleigh finally to look at him, starting to lift her glasses from her face and put them in her head to have a clear view. "They were the best of this generation, they were more than good enough to fill those roles."

"Hawthorne isn't Robichaux, Cordelia, we work differently and have other points to achieve," Baldwin retorted that with a tone that sounded almost as if he was looking down on them. "We do care about who teach our people, we go an extra mile to get them the best."

"Then why you precised of our help to do your job, do please tell me?" This time Raleigh talked with all the anger vibrating under her skin, Cordelia could feel her magic trying to attach to hers. "Oh right, because times have changed and now you can't do as you please. Are you trying to treat us as mere bureaucracy? I don't remember Quentin Fleming to be treated this way when he was alive."

Cordelia saw Behold looking at her friend first and then looked back at her, his posture clearly showing his surprise for the outburst and also curious to see where was this leading. Ariel hit the table with both hands before pointing at the woman that was confronting him.

"I've been around longer than you to know how things work," Cordelia saw Raleigh's fist trembling over the table, where she was pressing it. "So I won't take any opinion from you, witch. I don't even know why are you here, treating us as if you actually have a say in anythi-."

"She does because Raleigh Ocean has been appointed as chancellor by me, your fucking Supreme, so she has every right to voice her opinion."

Her heart was beating so loud in her throat, her ears and basically her whole body, that Cordelia thought she was going to burst in flames right at that moment. But she couldn't stop now that she was standing up, her magic all over the place as if she was at the mansion and not somewhere she couldn't even point as close to her.

"So I suggest you fall in line, Ariel Augustus, because all her opinions are those that reflect mine. Are we fucking clear here? Because if that's so, I think is time to wrap this gathering and for us to deliberate in private."

Cordelia didn't fail to notice, before walking out of the room with her new chancellor in tail, how Raleigh was trying to hide the utter surprise of what just happened but the slight 'o' forming in her lips was enough to make her hide her blush behind a strategically placed hand in the side of her face.

----------

Hearing Raleigh laugh so clear and pure was something Cordelia didn't expect to hear, even less being the main reason behind her laughter.

After they managed to get back to the room the warlocks had prepared for the Supreme, every serious undertone fell apart like butter over warm pan, having both women cracking up just for the sake of it. They didn't even have to say something at first, but then Raleigh couldn't stop herself from putting her best impersonation of an old lady to exclaim 'Cordelia Goode, that's not how a lady behaves, such potty mouth you have', and that only made Cordelia to give her a double middle finger up in response followed by more laughter.

"I swear, I didn't expect you to blow the fuck up just with words like that," Raleigh had her back pressed to the wall near the door, holding onto her stomach. "It's really amazing."

"I've been dealing with them for almost ten years and I'm so tired of them trying to impose their old traditions and visions," Cordelia moved from the desk where she sat to go to her suitcase. "Keeping them will only get them killed eventually, it almost happened to us, but they are adamant."

"I'm pretty sure being tired of them isn't the only thing that fired you up, remember when we were at the Academy," she couldn't help but try to hide her soft smile by getting her vanity case and some more things out the suitcase. "It took me five years to make you break one of Myrtle's rules...and now look at you, smashing the shit outta them with only a couple of sentences."

When she turned around a bit to see her companion, Raleigh was just sitting in bed with her back towards her. She seemed distracted by playing with her hands and Cordelia found that endearing. Now her friend wasn't a mighty witch standing her ground in front of all those warlocks, it was only Ray, feeling out of place, in a room that only had one bed and probably considering to stay up just so Cordelia could rest for the night. There in fancy clothes, she mimicked Cordelia to get some things out of her bag while still paying attention to the other woman in the room.

"I learnt from the best, and he was being rude to you, which I didn't like at all," she stood there, trying to discern what to do for a second. "Are you taking the bathroom first or…?"

"Sure, I was always the fastest and you took forever," that drew another laugh from Cordelia, a fake offended one for sure, but it made Raleigh to chuckle in return. "Let me take some of my stuff out and then I'm on it."

A book, a notebook and some highlighters later, Raleigh made her way with all her night clothes bundled up in her arms in a messy way that made Cordelia wonder how could Wilhemina, one of the most meticulous and impeccable women she ever met, live in the same space as the 'tidy mess' that her partner was. But then a tiny voice similar to her...comrade sounded in the back of her head, asking just the same question, knowing that Misty was another mess too.

With a sigh, Cordelia moved in the room to seat in the bed and wait. Her phone seemed a good distraction while waiting and she was looking through the staff group chat when her eyes found the book Raleigh took out. She wondered, again, what was she studying this time and she took a peek for the sake of satisfy her curiosity. To her surprise it was just an old copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which seemed to have seen better days yet at the same time it looked as if the owner have done anything in their power to keep it away from the claws of time.

She didn't poke around more, keeping in mind that the least thing she wanted was to break the trust she was trying to build with Raleigh, and soon found herself just lying in bed with her legs hanging from the edge and her hands over her stomach. Cordelia felt younger, with her eyes now closed, transported to a happier time of her life and she decided to stay there with the memory in her own silence, the sound of the shower in the background ever so softly.

"I'm surely strong enough to put you under the covers without waking you up, that didn't change at all," when Cordelia opened her eyes, Raleigh was in front of her with a little grin lighten up her tired face. She was wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants, her glasses softening her features and wet hair in a bun on top her head. "But I know you like to sleep once you get a shower, so come on miss Supreme, your turn."

Cordelia couldn't help but smile freely once she was in the privacy of the bathroom, pressing her hands together with the reminder that Raleigh had helped her to get up with such easiness that made her chuckle in the moment. Even when she was getting dressed again, her usual nightgown and robe, while trying to dry her hair as much as she could, she couldn't help but feel that something was going right for them, between them, for once in a really long time. And that was...good, great even, because Cordelia had been so afraid of messing everything up more since the day Raleigh moved out of the main house to the adjacent one.

Now she felt more confident even with the feeling that they weren't going to fix their friendship any time soon attached to her very own soul.

The first thing she saw once she was out of the bathroom, gave her new strength to keep going because of how quotidian felt. 

Raleigh was lying in bed, sprawled all big she was, under the covers as if she was trying to spread her warmth all over the place so it wasn't that cold. When they were young she used to do that for her, because she knew Cordelia was always cold at night and Raleigh was like a human radiator. She wasn't reading, as she expect her to be, but was just looking at the ceiling with a calmness that shook her. Her arms were uncovered and Cordelia felt as if she shouldn't seen them, full of marks from various origins as far as she could see and she was sure none of them came from a good motive. The one that scared her the most was in Raleigh's left arm, the inside of her elbow, as if someone had put a vial several times there till the point it formed a nasty scar.

"Are you trying to tell me I'll sleep in the couch tonight?" Cordelia tried to joke and she got a chuckle in return. 

"This place is cold, I thought you'd have a hard time sleeping because of that," Raleigh moved her arms and legs a bit, as if she was making an angel in the sheets. "Just let me stay a bit more while you get ready and I'll let you the bed all for yourself."

Oh.

She wasn't that wrong after all, but the outcome wasn't one she desired.

"I want you to stay, Ray." 

Before she could think about it, Cordelia was saying what her selfish heart wanted. Selfish as she saw it but it felt good to get it out of her chest. Because it wasn't only directed at 'stay in bed with me' but 'I want you to stay in my life', yearning to be said in that way for years.

"Then get over here already, Deli."

When she finally laid in the right side of the bed, Raleigh moving to the left to leave her space, she felt her ears warm, the rush of energy that her confession made her feel going somewhere in her body. She only had to flicker her fingers to turn off the main light of the room, but Ray already turned on the night lamp in her side. The orange-ish light was enough for them to see each other in the otherwise dark room.

Cordelia thought another silence would arose between them, one that she would probably won't know at this point, but her friend was fast to bring up a topic to talk. She indulged on it, finding herself making conversation over memories they shared and not what was of them in this moment, this present that they seem to avoid as much as they could.

While they were talking, they never fully face each other. Trying to respect their spaces in the bed, Cordelia didn't want to make Raleigh feel uncomfortable with the already strange situation, but she wasn't going to lie and say she wasn't getting more and more relaxed, her magic displayed around them without trying to break Ray's...but ready in case she reached for her. And she felt it when they had a fit of laughter, after one specific memory around how Cordelia broke someone nose by accident - 'but tell me now, was it really an accident?' 'Of course it was! I didn't see her in the first place!' -, tip toeing like a wave that's already in the last moments before going back to the ocean, making their laughs start to calm down until the truly known silence settled.

One that finally made Cordelia brave enough to turn her head and look at Raleigh with the feelings that never disappeared.

And she got her to look back at her, finally seeing the deep tiredness feeling those hazel eyes she loved once, seeing the dark circles under them, the lines around her eyes that she gained during these past four years of living in peace and how all of that made the fucking scary scar that crossed her face less important.

Was that a white hair in her left eyebrow?

Cordelia's hand traveled then to cup her cheek, unexpectedly, and her thumb was soon caressing the irregular edges of the scar, always making Raleigh self conscious of it. None except Cordelia could touch it, but she knew that Wilhemina was now the other person in the world capable of not sending the latina witch into a spiral of anxiety when doing so. And Raleigh closed her eyes at the touch, nuzzling ever so softly her face against Cordelia's hand and make her heart burst in all the love that she still got for her.

Love that didn't want to die that easily.

"I've missed you half of my life," she whispered, afraid that her ex-lover ran away if she spoke louder. 

"I'm sorry I made you miss me," Ray opened her eyes and there wasn't any trace of reproach this time, only deep and vast sadness and guilt. "I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry for everything."

"I hurt you too, several times in fact," a heartfelt giggle that seemed to hide tears about to be spilled. "But I want to do us right, because I've loved you all my life and even when our paths aren't the same anymore...I want to keep walking by your side."

In great movies, scenes like this one ended up in kisses of true, desperate, and undying love. 

But in this moment it made Raleigh to turn her body to completely face Cordelia, who also did the same, and withdraw her warm hand from her cheek to intertwine her fingers. There was a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips and her magic flow started to lace with the Supreme, as it did once in better times.

"Then why don't you start asking me what your heart wants to hear the most?"

The permission Cordelia had been waiting for twenty four years came with having Ray's free hand tugging a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"How did you truly got your scar?" Raleigh always knew that one was going to come eventually and Cordelia had it in store for a really long time. "I never believed what Myrtle said about you trying to escape the Academy."

"I got it the day your mother hexed me," Cordelia felt herself tensing up to the revelation, but she let her companion to explain herself. "I tried to fight against her, with all I got in that moment, but Fiona was ready to get what she wanted at all costs. Not only she awoke my Future's Sight but she also marked me more than she was already doing it," Raleigh's nose twitched a bit, making the skin around the part of the scar that was there to wrinkle. 

"Why she did that to you?"

"It seemed my mother denied her access to her own...gift. You know how your mother was, trying to prevent at all cost whatever was coming to take away her everything," Raleigh laughed lowly and Cordelia squeezed her hand in response. "So she took it as a challenge. I shouldn't have awaken that one but the roots were still there, somewhere deep in my magic channels, and she contained it by killing every possibility of me developing any other power, making my magic flow to sustain the artificial one and my Elektrokinesis along with my Power Negation, these two only because they were already there," the explanation sounded so technical that made Cordelia's stomach to do a weird sick flip, as if the other woman didn't see how sickening was the whole thing. "The hex was quite powerful, it was made by a Supreme after all, so that's what made me unable to do anything once my Future's Sight made me flee."

"You said 'was'...that means you don't have it anymore?" She wanted to help Raleigh to escape whatever Fiona made her, heal her and never think about her mother ever again.

"It was broken by another Supreme, blood of her blood, without her noticing it," that drew a clear laugh from Ray, even sounding playful. "When you use blood into crafting, only the same blood can do something against it. I took all the concoction you created to lock my power temporarily, remember? I knew you used your own blood to make a link and tie the source without actually altering my magic. I guess it only needed a right thrust to break the hex forever," she lifted her shoulders a bit, as if it didn't matter anymore. "You were a newbie in having a giganormous magic flow, we had sex and well, we already know what happens when one of us have sex, taking in count how much magic we have."

Cordelia hit Raleigh shoulder out of embarrassment more than anything, drawing more chuckles from the woman lying by her side. Of course she knew, when Misty and her started to be more active in private the problem of her magic trying to suffocate the nearest source that wasn't hers was obvious immediately. And she knew for a fact that Raleigh had the same problem with Wilhemina when they started dating. But taking all that part out for a second, knowing the truth relieved a part of her that was holding its breathing for too long. And it felt freeing yet wrong, because it was kept from her...however, in some parts, it seemed that not even the victim of such nefarious actions was really aware of what was going to happen.

"Now it's my turn," Raleigh's weight shifted in bed, making herself more comfortable without breaking the link they shared by holding their hands. "Were you out of your fucking mind when you married that guy? I mean Deli, I know I wasn't like the best, but I always thought you'd have settled for...someone better than him or at least someone that wasn't a witch hunter."

"Wow that's really rude and at the same time, with nine years of self reflection, one kid, a second on its way and being married to someone that truly loves me I have to say...I still don't fucking know," and there wasn't any uneasy feeling behind saying that, being welcomed with another laugh. "I want to say that I was young, but I was twenty eight at the time. He came to take me in his arms like a knight in shiny armour, he tried to make me feel validated at some point, and I needed a lot of that," there wasn't hard feeling at this point of her life when she talked about Hank, only a faint annoyance because now he wasn't going to be a thread anymore. "During those nine years that passed since you disappeared until I met him, I grieved you and thought I wasn't going to know love ever again. Quite the apocalyptic and terrible thought," scratching her cheek a bit with her free hand. "And I didn't know he was trying to kill us in my defense, I was more worried about Robichaux not getting closed...at the end, Madison was the first witch I ever teached to and she was my top priority...she still is, only that now I don't know what to do to make her see it."

"Do I have to tell her that so she doesn't keep avoiding you?" Raleigh had a new glint in her eyes, a satisfied one mixed with the old playfulness that still shone in her persona at times, and Cordelia put her finger over the tip of her nose as if she was threatening her. 

"No, you just give me some more time, okay?" A simple nod and a new squeeze was the answer to that, setting the mood for another question that Raleigh surely knew was coming because Cordelia no longer could hold the eye contact. "Why did you leave? You just said the hex was broken, so I still don't get why you had to go again."

When Cordelia looked again at Raleigh, there was a heavier shadow covering her face. She really looked troubled, more than she usually did, as if there was something painful behind thinking about that question in particular. She had literal no idea about what could make her feel like that but then her face relaxed a bit, looking at her back again with now an apologetic aura that she definitely felt through their magic connection more than her gesture.

"I want to apologize in advance because... I'm not fully ready to tell you a great part of that yet," her magic was slightly withdrawing and it made Cordelia panic for a second. "I know I've told you to ask anything you wanted, but I'm still trying to figure out some stuff from that part of my life," Raleigh nuzzled her face a bit on her part of the shared pillow and then looked at their hands. "I'm sorry."

There was a chance, a decision to make, one that she destroyed completely when Raleigh appeared with Mallory and Madison at tail in the Academy that summer of two thousand eighteen.

But rebuilding it now sounded like the right thing to do.

"I already made you go at my pace for a really long time, Ray, that now you ask me to follow yours is only natural," her voice was steady and resolved, which showed that Cordelia was being serious. "And I'll do it...because I trust you, I really do, so I'm ready for anything you have to tell me now, tomorrow, in ten years or when we are two old ladies with nothing more to do than drink tea and put some stupid cantrips in younglings for the sake of it."

After so many years, Cordelia never saw Raleigh sighed that deep nor that relieved for something. And it felt good when her magic hold onto hers strong as ever. It made her be true to her words, ready to whatever she was about to hear, good, bad, hilarious, terrible...you name it. She was just going to take it.

"I left because I wanted to keep you all safe and...destroy my Future's Sight. When I told you that day that I couldn't see the future anymore I was telling the truth," Cordelia didn't get the first part but she easily recalled that conversation, right after the Council made the decision that put both Raleigh and Madison between their 'ranks' again and she had to fill new reports about them. "During my time in the Academy in two thousand thirteen, I tried to take advantage of the concoction you made to find a more everlasting effect. My investigation came to a completely dead end when you decided to stab your eyes and, in some shakespearean stupid move, decided to take all the concoction left. I was blind by the time the Seven Wonders happened," oh, so much sorrow in her voice but she didn't need to apologize when Cordelia perfectly knew it. It was an 'I'm sorry for not stopping those horrors to happen'."But when you broke the hex, I managed to actually navigate through my Future's Sight instead of drifting away."

"It sounds relieving," was the only thing she could come up with while her body got closer to Raleigh's.

"It totally was. I took everything I knew I needed with me - and I'm still very sorry about stealing all your good herbs and ingredients, your necklace and Misty's shawl - and went where my power wanted me to be," it sounded so easy coming out of Raleigh's mouth, as if it was all set in stone for her. "I ended up in Los Angeles, the Hotel Cortez specifically, and stayed there regaining all my magic and trying to see through my power the exact moment in which I should perform the final cut," there was definitely more behind that, things to say that complete the picture, but it was clear enough for Cordelia to understand. "Then I woke up one day and knew what I had to do to reach my goal. I packed my stuff, got some painkillers that probably would made me addicted if I repeatedly took them and...came back to Louisiana." So close yet so far, it was ironic to know that she was so close to them now. "I'd studied Misty's mud long enough to know it would help me, along my own version of your concoction, so I took advantage that none seem to use Misty's sack to use it myself. After hiding my notebooks and place the right incantations, I only had to dig a hole and wait for the best...which, for the sake of this crooked narration of the events, came as our sweet Mallory eventually." 

"I can say that it surprised me to learn one of my best students had been hiding such tremendous secret from all of us for so long," Cordelia managed to say that without the hurt tone after years of forgiveness, because it was really a blow for her back in that time.

"It was all my fault, Mallory was just too sweet to actually let me die in that ditch," the joke fell into place easily and it kinda scared Cordelia for a moment. "But I did it. Well, we did it. We locked what made my life so miserable to make me get a chance to live…" and she left the rest of sentence hanging, as if Raleigh was lost for a second in the memory of that exact moment and had more to say about it, but decided not to...yet. "Cordelia, I owe Mallory a big time, you don't even know how big, so when I said I'd give my life for her I'm not joking. You have one of the most talented woman under your roof."

"You meant under our roof, because you are part of these big weird family that we've become," it wasn't a lie, not even a white one, they all - as in their original girls - considered Raleigh a part of them. "Rhiannon doesn't call you auntie for nothing, you know?"

The memory of the two years old blonde baby that was Cordelia and Misty's first born made the woman have a good laugh while mumbling 'okay, okay' in an attempt to placate her friend. She knew she had it hard to find a place to finally call her own, but the Supreme was pretty sure the Coven was almost there for her. Maybe she should talk with Wilhemina about that specific matter, try to get some more thoughts about the topic from the woman that spent a great chunk of her day by Raleigh's side. 

However she wanted to focus, today at least, on her best friend as much as she could.

"And talking about that…" Raleigh finally pulled away from holding Cordelia's hand, but surprised her when she got closer and threw an arm over her waist casually. "Can I ask you how you two started? Like... I've never asked you how Misty and you got together and I want the official version to torture your adult babies once they get partners."

They never build up the courage to tell her about them. Too focused in trying to keep going with their lives, Cordelia and Misty tried to avoid as much as they could to face the truth: that they shared Raleigh at some point in their lives but now they were the ones together. But she owed it to her, from the beginning to that moment, and she was going to tell her without being scared of her blowing up or something.

"I think falling in love with Misty has been the easiest thing I've ever did," she kept it as a whisper because she couldn't believe it after all these years. "She came back and well, she needed shelter and love and healing. I helped her through it, because I owed her that much, and then I slowly found myself worrying about Misty when I knew she was as fine as she could be at that moment," those days in which both spent several hours just reading or just existing in the same space started replaying in her mind. "And one day I woke up and the only thing I wanted was to be by her side every day, to see her become the witch, the woman, I knew was buried inside of her due to all the trauma," those two years after Misty's return from Hell hadn't been the easiest but they were worth every second just because of what they had now. "So one day I was dropping her at the shack, because you know she finds comfort there, and I saw myself not wanting to go back to the house, I wanted to stay there with her...and I asked her right there if it was right for me to do so," Cordelia felt tears pilling in the corners of her eyes, ready to be spilled at any given moment. "Asking someone out it's so hard? I thought I was just a silly worm trying to get the biggest and nicest apple from the tree," Raleigh made a face that only meant the metaphor sounded really bad in a few ways. "But it seemed I was the right worm in the end, because that same night she kissed me for the first time."

It still felt out of a movie, but she didn't want it any other way. Because with Misty she learnt how to love again, how to be happy while grieving deep inside, how to overcome anything thrown her way and still have energy to last as many rounds possible. 

The whole story made Raleigh smile in a comforting way that Cordelia wasn't used to, but she welcomed it with open arms.

"I'm not going to embarrass them, I'll make them fucking cry like babies," she stated, caressing her side with care. "That was really sweet actually. You two deserve each other...and this is coming from someone that have been going out with both."

"Oh yeah, remind me again how you two were screwing each other almost under my nose and I was the last monkey in the house to know about it," there wasn't reproach behind that, which made Raleigh audibly chuckle because that wasn't actually true. 

"The last monkey is actually Zoe, because I'm pretty sure she still doesn't know," Cordelia laughed this time, shaking her head in disbelief, but her hand found again its place in Ray's cheek. "And Mimi deserved more than what I gave her, I was a nightmare for sure, to her, to everyone...but I'm glad that in end she found the dream that kept on giving with you."

It warmed Cordelia's heart to listen that in a way, to feel that it was the right closure they needed. She wished one day to tell her the same, to be able to ask Raleigh what she saw in the red-headed demon clad in purple that she called her sweetheart nowadays, how they met and when she thought she was the right one. With all those feelings, Cordelia managed to finally close the gap between them and fully embrace Raleigh after nine years. Holding her like her life depended on it, holding her as if the world was going to end tomorrow or as if she was going to disappear the next second.

The embrace was returned gladly, and Cordelia had to admit that she understood why Wilhemina felt so confident and safe when she had her close. When they were younger, Raleigh had been always more bulky than lean but time treated her body selfishly, cruelly even, letting her be more like a big walking skeleton in between events. Now her bulkiness had returned in a way that fitted her current body, strong arms that held her close without trembling, giving her a new shape that actually felt like her. But at the same time it gave her the build of someone you knew she won’t let you go no matter what.

And Raleigh didn’t let go of her friend, though, she put her as close as she was capable. Cordelia indulged and hide her face in the crook of her neck, warmth and shampoo getting in her in a comforting way, trying not to cry right in that moment in which a new silence settled between them.

One that said ‘it’s okay, we’ll get there’.

“You know, after all that I’ve asked you,” she needed to break it, with a new joke to lighten the mood because that was their usual dynamic back then, but didn’t move a bit. “I thought you’d ask me something more.”

Feeling Raleigh’s laugh trembling in her chest and throat, Cordelia’s skin against hers, was a sensation she never thought she would have missed. It felt good to be like that, that intimacy both knew was enough to start to...heal.

“Well, you said we were walking side by side from now on,” her voice was clear even as a whisper, as if she didn’t want to disturb the peace both had fallen into. “I have the rest of our lives to ask you about the not that nice things,” Cordelia felt Raleigh’s hand caressing her hair and then pressed a kiss on top of her head. “But for now I just wanted to hear about what made you happy when I wasn’t there to do it myself.”

Cordelia would swear the kiss, the damned kiss, was the thing that made her breakdown in tears like an idiot. She cried and cried, buried in the safety of Raleigh’s arms without being judged, without being told to stop, and she thanked every second of comfort she was able to receive from her best friend. Best friend, but soulmate in a way, her heart told her that with a soaring applause that ringed all over her body. 

When she was able to stop in her own terms, the tiredness hit her harder than she thought. Warm, head partly clear, being held by one of the most important people in her life...one that she thought had lost long time ago. And Ray looked back at her when she managed to lift her head and passed a big clumsy hand over her cheeks to wipe away any tears left.

If this was a movie, it was the moment in which both characters kissed to seal the promise, their love making them be able to settle their feelings. 

However their story was more like a tragicomedy and they already knew their train left, but sitting in the same bench waiting for a better one was a good plan. One in which not only they existed, but one in which they could fit everything they loved and would share from now on. One with the laughs of children not shared, of the women they loved and their friends that became the closer thing to having children together they would ever have.

And for Cordelia, that was enough.

“I’m curious about something though,” there was a tint of new playfulness in Raleigh’s voice when she talked. “You didn’t need me to test this assholes, right?”

“I don’t deal with men by myself if I can help it, being completely honest with you,” Cordelia confessed right away and the honesty of the moment felt nice in her not-so-heavy-anymore chest, a giggle leaving her lips. “But I also thought you’ll enjoy giving them a bit of Hell...and well, I do needed you here to keep me sane after all.”

“Oh you sappy witch, you know the way to a woman’s heart,” the teasing tone made her flicker her fingers against Raleigh’s forehead. “Auch, but that means a Ray can have a little electroshock, as a threat?”

The answer was still a ‘no, thank you, I don’t want to have to punish you’ which only led to more and more jokes from the latina witch, but the whole thing was enough to relax them finally and eventually fall asleep. Raleigh didn’t last long, however, but instead of going back to her book he just stood there holding Cordelia to her chest and feeling that she was starting to move in the right direction finally.

Maybe they still had a lot of problems to fix, but they had time ahead to do so. And she was in much need of a break from feeling the world worst person ever, she thought while feeling herself drift into sleep one more time.

When Cordelia woke up the next morning, cuddled from behind by Raleigh, she felt capable of anything right in that moment. She was sure the other woman was asleep, and knowing how fucked up was her sleep schedule, she just let her be and went to get herself ready.

They still had to give the warlocks their decision over the matter at hand, so they needed to get some breakfast before running the few last tests. Once she was out of the bathroom, Raleigh was already in the middle of dressing and again Cordelia couldn’t help but fix her eyes in her body. Ray was putting inside her bag all the stuff she took out the night before, still without her shirt for the day on and letting the Supreme see a scar she never knew she had. It started in the base of her hairline, in the back of her neck, and went down till her lower back as if the scarred skin was full of roots surrounding her spine.

But then all was covered with the white and black shirt that fit elegantly Raleigh’s frame and the woman turned around to smile at her with the mischief showing in her hazel eyes, a cloud less in of them.

“Ready for the final round, Goode?”

And Cordelia couldn’t help to match her grin.

“As ready as ever, Ocean.”

After a long morning, they finally decided the best three warlocks out of those they had tested, and it was surprise to find Behold and John’s protégeé between those three. He was the only one too to approach them, shaking hands with Raleigh as if she was some kind Heaven’s sent and then shaking hers with almost a matching grip. 

For Cordelia it was funny when the boy, face completely flustered, asked Raleigh for her email to keep in touch and share opinions over their interests. It only made the woman laugh openly, stating that she was much older than him and also had ‘no interest in men’ in case he tried something weird, making the twenty two years old young man to blush even harder while Behold and Cordelia laughed at him. He got the email though, and Cordelia thought the air in Hawthorne was starting to make her see things, because she was pretty sure the way Raleigh and, now that she paid more attention to his name, Rowan smiled was pretty similar. Even the way both stood as the tallest yet seemed to want to occupy the lesser space possible was similar.

She couldn’t dwell much, however, because Behold and John accompanied them outside of Hawthorne to bid farewell finally. Behold promised to pay a visit as soon as he could to them, because after all those years the witches and warlocks had been trying to live ‘together’, he truly wanted to build a bridge between them, one that could be walked by both without trying to destroy each other.

The trip back to the airport was filled with silence and Raleigh trying to let herself be engulfed by the californian sun coming from the open car window after two days being underground, Cordelia barely watching her from the corner of her eye with a smile on her lips. They didn’t have the need of really talking right now, even when they commented on tribal stuff here and there, so once they checked in and were waiting for their flight back home the only thing they have to do was waiting.

Cordelia’s phone ringed in time to not leave them much time to do some more conversation, and she couldn’t help but smile upon seeing Misty’s contact in the screen. Raleigh asked her quickly if she wanted something to drink, since she was getting hungry, and after giving her a quick nod of ‘yeah, whatever you bring is fine’ she picked up the phone.

“Hello angel, did you have lunch?” was the first thing Cordelia asked her wife, before she could say anything. “Dee, I’m having lunchernoon, which is technically best because I can’t be stopped from downing three bagels with nutella.” The term they came up with to call afternoon snack still amazed her, and she huffed in response. “I think I can hear Coco already in the back, screaming at you.” she couldn’t help but laugh, knowing how paranoid the other blonde was about food. “She can’t yell at me if I’m not in the house, baby; Queenie adopted me for the day in the other house,” hearing Misty laugh was good, even with the bits of tiredness clinging onto it. “How was the trip? Do you have to wait much to come home?” when they weren’t together in trips, Misty always called for a quick update of the events, wanting to be left with the expectation of the full story once Cordelia got home. 

For a second she got silent, searching in the distance for Raleigh. She spotted her talking with the barista, waiting for her order, and she couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Dee?” Misty’s voice brought her back and she just blinked to focus again. “Yeah, sorry sweetie, we still have forty five to get in the plane and then the four hours or so to actually get there,” Cordelia started to explain, rubbing her forehead with her hand a bit. “I think we’ll be home after dinner, which I hope not to be too tired to eat.” Now was time for Misty to fall silent and Cordelia swore she heard something shuffling in the background along with some mumbled words. “Oh okay, then I take that ‘we’ll be home’ as a good signal?” Obviously Misty knew how nervous was Cordelia about the whole thing, and it made her giggle because there was nothing to be nervous for anymore. “I think it is Mist.”

She said that watching how her best friend walked back to her, a big container with two straws in hand and half eaten cheeseburger in her other hand. Resuming her conversation with Misty over the phone after exchanging some more sweet nothings and a little panicked ‘It’s okay, Wilhemina didn’t let anyone burn down the house, don’t worry.’, Cordelia took from Raleigh’s hand the big soda and took the first sip of many.

Orange flavor soda was Cordelia’s favorite, and the detail brought a new wave of satisfaction to her.

“So...am I chancellor now?” asked Raleigh, breaking the bubble they have built the last hours of their lives. “What on Earth that even means?”

Oh fuck, she totally forgot about that. And she showed that same feeling by literally slapping herself in the forehead, startling Raleigh while trying to sip on their soda and throwing her into a fit of coughs when a few drops went down the wrong pipe. When the sudden emergency was settled, now the cold plastic container pressed over Cordelia’s hand mark in her forehead and Raleigh trying to rub her glassy eyes, Cordelia managed to come up with an answer.

“Let’s say I’m trying to give Zoe, Queenie and Misty some space to do their own stuff aside of the Council usual work and well,” Cordelia rubbed her nape with her free hand. “I thought about appointing you as our Great Chancellor, if you were up for it, maybe? Give you some probation time, see how you worked and sorted some of the things we do on daily basis…and now we have two houses, so you and I could work as the Head of them.”

“Oh.”

“If you don’t want to, it’s totally fine, I have still to talk with the rest,” the reassurement came out immediately, not wanting to stress her over the whole thing. “I can always see if Mall-”

“If you thought of me to do this then I’m in, Deli. I take your offer, be Great Chancellor and sound almighty while at it, even when I still don’t know shit about what that implies.”

There was shyness? behind Raleigh’s words, her eyes fixed in her shoes and trying to be courageous with her words even when her posture showed she wasn’t confident. And that was the only thing Cordelia needed to know they were going to be fine. If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t worry that much, right? She put the soda down between them before placing her hand over Raleigh’s cheek again, reassuring her in some way, and the exchanged tiny smiles full of hope.

It didn’t matter what was coming their way in the future, because if they were together they would overcome it with easiness. Lost brothers, kids, couples, annoying warlocks and maybe a some weddings and tears around the corner, you name it.

They weren’t ready yet, but they sure would be.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Chaos Theory

Part Four

(One boy has been found! Now what about the others? More puzzles to solve.)

If anyone was walking through the streets of the historic section of the city at 1:40am, they would’ve been surprised to see the two men sitting on the curb, staring intently at the blue screen of a laptop. Jackie had the computer carefully balanced on his knees, JJ leaning on his shoulder as he watched. “And add to the list of things this guy knows about me,” Jackie muttered. “My freaking email! Yaaaay.”

That is a bit disturbing, JJ signed, frowning. How could he know all this?

“Look, as someone who’s hacked before, I can tell you that very little on the Internet is entirely secure.” Jackie opened his email, immediately noticing a message from an email address: 4d6164@gmail.com. “But still, this guy must have some crazy skills. I’m starting to think he supplemented any cyber stalking with regular stalking. You know, following us around. Maybe placing spy cameras in hidden locations.” He clicked on the email he’d received, opening it to see it was completely blank, except for an attached zip folder called “Set 2.”

That seems a tad excessive, doesn’t it? JJ asked, but he stopped, reconsidering. Well, actually, this entire idea is excessive. If he wanted to go after you, he didn’t need to invent this entire twisted game.

“That’s true. But some people just like to fuck with others.” Jackie downloaded the zip file, then found it in the laptop’s Downloads folder and unzipped it. “What worries me is that I’ve never even heard of this guy...”

The “Set 2″ zip folder had just one file inside: 2.png. Frowning, Jackie clicked on it. What popped up was a black-and-white image of a staff, with wings sprouting from the top, two snakes twining around its length. “Oh! This, this! That’s a...uh..” Jackie bit his nails a bit, thinking.

JJ looked at him, then finger-spelled a word. C-A-D-U-C-E-U-S.

“Yes! Caduceus!” Jackie shook his head. “Man, my brain is all over tonight. More than usual.” He took a deep breath. “You know what this is? It’s a medical symbol. Henrik has a sweater with a caduceus on it, Jack got him it for his birthday one year.” Guess they now knew who the second set of puzzles was for.

Focus, Jackie, JJ implored. But is this all there is? I don’t understand what this could be pointing to, other than...who’s next.

“Well, with your puzzle I had to play around with editing an audio file.” Jackie closed the image and opened the laptop’s photo editor. “Might as well start doing the same for this picture. I mean, obviously not audio editing, but you know.”

The very first thing Jackie did when opening up the editor was click on the brightness slider and slide it all the way to the brightest setting. And words immediately appeared in the previously black area of the caduceus’s staff. Jackie leaned closer, tilting his head to the side. “ ‘Follow the skulls’...” he read out loud. His brows furrowed. “Well that means nothing.”

JJ waved his hand in front of Jackie’s face to get his attention, then signed, Perhaps it relates to some clues in the city around us?

“Maybe. But I don’t have any idea what that could be referring to.” Jackie tapped his fingers against the laptop’s edge. After a moment, he started playing around with more sliders on the editing program. After turning up the contrast, something else appeared. “Whoa, hey, what are these?”

A string of figures were now wrapping around the edges of the picture. Small words in the top left corner said “Start here.”

It must be some kind of code, right? JJ asked. They’re numbers, but they go too high to be a simple alphabet substitution.

“Yeah, but there are letters too.” Jackie began reading the string out loud. “68 74 74 70 73 3a 2f 2f...I have no idea what this is. But I guess that’s what Google is for.” He opened up the website, plugging ‘cipher decoder’ into the search bar. An overwhelming amount of results popped up. He blinked. “I...I don’t even know where to start.”

Trial and error? JJ suggested.

Jackie’s face fell, a gray cloud falling over his expression. His eyes darted to the small clock in the corner of the laptop.

Perhaps there is one that could identify the cipher when you type it in? JJ suggested. But other than that, we don’t really have much of an option.

“...you’re right. You’re right.” Jackie took a deep breath. And another. “Okay, let’s start.”

It took five minutes to find a decoder that gave them something recognizable after plugging in the code from the picture. It turned out to be a url for a YouTube video, which Jackie immediately typed into a new tab.

“Oh! Uh, there’s earbuds.” Jackie handed one of the buds to JJ. “We can listen together. I know we could just take out the earbuds and listen with the laptop speakers, but just in case...” Just in case of what? He wasn’t sure. But JJ took the earbud anyway, awkwardly putting it in.

Jackie didn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t...this. He physically leaned backwards at the sound of the intro: “Yo, what’s up guys? I’m Chase, and welcome to Bro Average!” He had to pause it for a moment, just to bask in the confusion. “I-I thought...” he said slowly. “Was...was I wrong about who...?”

JJ looked confused as well. Perhaps it’s both of them?

“But there are four sets? I-I don’t...?” Jackie shook his head. “Nevermind, it’ll make sense later, once we actually get to them. Because we’re going to. In time.” Jackie laughed. JJ gave him a concerned look that he waved away. “I-I’m fine, let’s just...see if there are any clues here." He pressed play.

It looked like any other video by Chase. In fact, Jackie thought he’d seen it before. It followed the same format at first. The music, the shots of Chase hanging out, the attempts at trickshots that always failed at first. Chase once said he liked to include the fails so the viewers would know he’s no better at these than anyone else, and that anyone could do the tricks if they tried. But then—

What was that? JJ signed quickly.

“I don’t know.” Jackie paused the video. He used the arrow keys to go back, but when that failed to pick anything up, he resorted to using the comma and period keys on the keyboard to go frame by frame. Until he finally managed to capture the image that had popped up for a split second: A hollow red circle, divided into fourths, with a red skull in the center. There were also a few strange dots and dashes along the bottom.

Am I correct in assuming Chase didn’t originally have those in his video? JJ asked. But then, how did that get there? Is it possible to put images in a video on the web?

“No, but...” Jackie tapped the screen. “This is on a different channel.” Indeed, instead of Chase’s BroAverage channel at the bottom of the video, the channel name was a string of numbers with a few letters that looked similar to the encoded url that had been hidden in the .png of the caduceus. “That means the video could’ve been downloaded, then edited and reuploaded. There could be more of these...actually, there probably are. The image said ‘follow the skulls,’ I bet it meant ones in here.” He frowned. “What are these dashes? Morse code?”

JJ nodded in agreement.

“Well, great, guess we’re going to have to write these down and find another decoder—”

Jackie. JJ raised an eyebrow. I know Morse code.

“You do?” Jackie blinked. “I didn’t know that. Since when?”

Since... JJ paused. 1923, I believe.

“Oh. Okay. Well, that saves us some time. Here, I’ll just open up Notepad and write down the code on this image, then we can see if there are more images sneaked into the video.”

There were. Five more times, the image of the red skull appeared, each time accompanied by more Morse code. Jackie copied the code into a page on Notepad, and once he was sure there was nothing else hidden in the video, he passed the laptop to JJ. JJ glared at the code, then slowly began the process of translating. Jackie looked around the dark city while he worked, legs bouncing. The city was always empty at night, but it seemed even quieter than normal. He didn’t like it.

What if the gamemaster was somewhere in the darkness right now? He said he’d be watching. How? What if he was following them? Or were there cameras, invisible eyes, dangling in the shadows? Making sure they didn’t break the rules and get help? What time was it? How much was left? Though he didn’t want to, Jackie began wondering what would happen if he failed. He knew the basics, of course, he’d never see the others again. But what would happen to them? Would it end with something as simple as a gunshot? Or would it last longer? Maybe they wouldn’t be killed at all, maybe they’d vanish into a worse fate—

JJ tapped Jackie’s arm, and Jackie yelped. JJ sharply withdrew his hand, then asked, Are you alright?

“Y-yeah, I-I just was, um...thinking. You startled me. Are you done?”

JJ clearly didn’t think Jackie was actually alright, but he nodded. I’ve finished. I believe it’s an address.

“Here, lemme see.” Jackie scooted closer. It was indeed a simple address. “Spiralnest Street...that’s in the north part of the city. It...it’s dangerous there.”

Well, we don’t have much of a choice, do we? JJ signed, sighing.

“No. No, we don’t. We’re going to have to be quick, and hope we don’t attract any attention.” Jackie closed his eyes, preparing himself, then opened them again. “We can’t take public transportation, nothing runs this late at night. Neither of us can drive, and even if we could, we don’t have a car. How fast can you run?”

JJ bit his lip. Not as fast as I would like.

Jackie looked at the time on the laptop. He watched the numbers change from 1:56 to 1:57. His stomach twisted sharply. “Okay. Okay. We have time. We’ll be quick.” He shut the laptop, putting it back in the box. “Let’s go.”

He stood up, and JJ did as well. He grabbed his hand and the two of them started running.

And somewhere else in the city, a man sitting at a desk leaned back in his chair, staring at a screen on a bank of monitors. Three hours left. They were still ahead of schedule, but now only slightly.

He reached over and switched cameras, checking first on a room with two people behind a sheet of plexiglass, then another with a single man lying unconscious on the floor. Good. Nothing had changed.

He stood up. By his calculations, it would take them anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour and a half to reach their destination. Enough time to drive over there and set up the final puzzle of Set 2. He chuckled.

He couldn’t wait for this part. It was a classic, one of his favorites. Though he had a feeling Jackieboy and his friends wouldn’t appreciate it as much.

[ellebabywrites]

SISU - Zhang Yixing

Type : Oneshot // Mafia!au // Angst // Smut

Word Count : 3878

Author Note : This is a birthday surprise request for @exogotmethirsty !! Happy Birthday my lovely and I hope you like this Lay story !! 💕🥰💛 ( this isn’t proof read because I had to do some stuff after I’d finished so please excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes 😬)

You’d wanted a fresh start , a do-over , to hit the reset button on the disaster that was your life . So naturally you did what everyone does in a quarter life crisis and moved away to an unfamiliar city , far from everyone you knew . Perfect .

Things had been going fairly well your first week in town despite everything being so unfamiliar . You’d finished setting up your apartment , finally getting all of your books organised and photos from back home framed and set up around the place ; found a perfect little cafe you can work from and even found what you’d thought was a good route for your late night runs , leading you past the river and back around to your apartment complex . Well , you had thought it was a good route right up till this very moment , where you stood completely lost on the corner of the street .

It was dark now and still being unfamiliar with the neighbourhood you felt uneasy . Every muscle in your body was begging for a hot shower and some rest , if you could only figure out the way back .

“Need some help ?” A voice spoke from behind you making you jump in surprise . Awkwardly laughing off the embarrassment while placing a hand on your chest , trying to calm your heart , you looked at the man in front of you . Not one to be naïve to the situation you promptly shook you head , “no thanks , I’m good” and with a soft smile you turned away and walked down whichever road , not wanting to be left alone with a stranger in the dark , hoping it would lead you back to the warmth of your place .

After a minute of walking you heard footsteps approaching you from behind , glancing to the side you saw it was the same man . Your heart began thumping rapidly in your chest as a state of panic swept over . You sped up your pace slightly before the man had reached out and grabbed hold of your wrist .

“Do you even know where you are ? It’s not safe around here .” His grip on you was firm but not painful and his eyes read more worried than predatory . Seeing you staring back at him slightly panicked and speechless , he gently released your wrist and let out a deep sigh .

“Look I’m sorry for scaring you but it’s really not safe out this late and you look pretty lost . Where do you live ? I’ll walk you home .”

Taking a moment to look him over preparing for anything to happen , you swallowed the lump in your throat and eyed him cautiously .

“I don’t even know you .” His eyes lit up slightly hearing you finally answer him, “I’m Lay . Now you know me , c’mon I’ll make sure you get back safely .” He gestured you to follow him and for some reason you did . Not feeling the uneasiness you had initially, you spoke up again , “You don’t know where I live .” Lay stopped walking and spun around to meet you with a playful grin , “Then you should tell me huh ?”

Looking around trying to figure it out alone , the ache in your legs remind you that you’re truly screwed without accepting his help . Sighing and looking into his eyes for any signs of malice once more , you give in and tell him your address .

“Great , well it’s definitely not this way ,” he laughs pointing the direction you were heading, “c’mon it’s not far.” The two of you start walking back towards your apartment .

“New around here....?” Lay asks , trailing off at the absence of your name, “Y/N and Yeah , I uh - I just moved here” you answered shyly, not being able to hold eye contact with him . Lay was possibly the most beautiful person you’d ever seen and not even with the current situation could you deny the way he was making you blush . Still , he was a stranger . A very pretty stranger , but a stranger nonetheless and you remained weary of him .

“Well Y/N , some advice from someone who knows this place well , you shouldn’t come out here alone this late again. It’s not safe .” He tells you , looking deep into your eyes with a stern expression telling you he was serious .

“Why not ? Why isn’t it safe ?” Your curiosity and distaste for being told what to do bubbling up , now you were the one looking at him , waiting for some explanation . Lay looked back at you and smiled , ruffling your hair as if the pair of you were close friends , “don’t worry about it , just , stay safe .” He turned back to face forward and saw your building was just up ahead , “there you go , back safe and sound” you followed his eyes and the relief that ran through you at the sight of the familiar building had you letting out a sigh of content .

“Thank you Lay , I would have been wondering around all night” you laugh gently and move to look up at him . Lay stares back and offers a warm smile , reaching out yet again to pet your hair, “no problem Y/N just don’t get lost again, “ his face hardening slightly he continues “I’m serious about it not being safe , especially for a pretty girl like you .”

Before you can react he’s sending you a playful wink and walking away , leaving you to stand outside and watch him as he goes , wondering what the hell that meant.

As you made your way inside your apartment and then the shower , your mind kept wondering back to Lay’s words . Its not safe . What did he mean by that ? You hadn’t seen anybody else while you were out , there wasn’t a particularly high crime rate in the area (not as high as anywhere else at least) , what had made him so adamant about it not being safe for you ? Seeing the time you decide to ignore those questions for now , you allow yourself to crawl into bed and drift to sleep , much to the relief of your sore muscles .

After leaving Y/N , Lay’s phone started ringing , letting out a groan at who was obviously calling and the scolding he was inevitably about to receive , he reluctantly picked up.

”Where the hell are you !?”

“Relax I’m on my way back now” he answered calmly.

“Yeah you better be , what the fuck were you thinking leaving your post ? You left Chen to sweep the area alone !”

“I did sweep the area , there was a civilian out so I took her home , calm down Suho I’m almost back at the base you can yell at me there . ”

Hanging up , Lay moves quickly through the empty streets , anxiously preparing for his leaders reaction to both him leaving while on the job and now hanging up on him mid-yell . Being apart of EXO meant that Lay’s focus was always on the team , ruthlessly doing their job ; but seeing you look so innocent running around their territory completely lost , he couldn’t help but take pity and offer help . Seeing your big eyes glistening up at him in uncertainty , hearing your voice stutter as you tried not seem too afraid - somehow you had pulled at his heartstrings and he now felt that taking care of you was going to be another responsibility . One he was more than happy to have .

-

Weeks went by since that first meeting with Lay and you had yet see him again . Falling into a routine , your new life was beginning to feel much more comfortable .

Most days you spent at the cafe working on your blog and arranging meetings with clients . Being an already established beauty blogger you’d easily managed to make connections with local brands and companies who wanted their products featured . So here you sat yet again , empty coffee cups surrounding your laptop as you furiously typed away trying to finish up a piece about skin care . The messy bun from this morning now drooping into some type of knot at your shoulders and strained eyes from staring at a screen all day really completing the look of exhausted you were definitely going for .

It was real miracle that you’d found this place . A strong WiFi connection matched with the calm atmosphere and smell of vanilla making it an ideal place to camp out all day and work ; as well as the more than accommodating staff that kept you topped up on coffee . It had become your safe haven . One that was promptly interrupted when you heard someone pull up the chair in front of you .

“Hello again ,“ a familiar voice said making you look up , “Lay ?” He looked beautiful again . Dark hair messily falling onto his face ; doe eyes taking in your slightly disheveled state “working hard I see “ he teased smirking at you . Leaning back on his chair to make himself at home , you realise he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon .

“Yes actually , did you need something ?” You quipped . It wasn’t his fault you were in a bad mood but you were seriously behind and needed to get this article posted today , no time for whatever game he seemed to think was going on between the two of you .

Lay found you irritability rather amusing and for a second wondered how far he could push it , but right now there were more urgent matters to discuss .

“I need you .” Was all he said . Face stoic and eyes dark , no hint he was kidding from his voice .

“E-excuse me ?” The confession taking you by surprise and snapping you out of the mood you’d been in . Hands starting to sweat from the tension , you shifted under his gaze .

“I need you to come with me Y/N .” Lay kept his voice firm and face serious so there would be no room for argument - but you’d met this guy once and while yes he seemed nice enough then , his demeanour now was starting to scare you . Sensing something was wrong you decided it was time to leave .

“I’m sorry I don’t know what you’re talking about but I- I have to leave actually....” you stuttered out , moving to pack away your things and make a swift escape , but Lay was too fast . Grabbing your arm to stop your movements he looked at you seriously , keeping eye contact and dropping his voice low .

“Y/N . It’s not safe . You need to come with me right now “

“I don’t even know you ,” you hissed ripping your arm out of his grasp “Now leave me alone .”

And then there was chaos .

Barely making it towards the door before gunshots and screaming filled your ears . Everything happened in a second , glass shattering around your now crouched body , people running every direction trying to get away , eyes glassing over as you lied there frozen .

Hands grabbed onto your shoulders and lifted you up , coming face to face with Lay he held your face in his hands making you focus on him instead of the mess around you .

“Y/N we need to get out of here , right now . You need to stay with me , okay ?”

Nodding along quickly , past hesitation gone now only thinking about getting away from whatever the hell was happening .

Lay moved quickly as another bullet shot straight between the two of you , he grabbed onto your hand and pulled you out the back of the cafe , never once loosening his grip . You’d noticed that about him , how he’d always keep a firm grip on you , never enough to hurt only enough to keep you close .

“Y/N move ! Come on , into that car !” He pulled you towards a black jeep and all but threw you in to the back , as the door shut behind the pair of you , two shots were heard coming towards your direction .

“Drive D.O !” Lay shouted to whomever was sitting up front , pulling you into his side and holding your head down to shield you from the attack . “Stay down Y/N , it’s okay I’ve got you ,” he leaned in and whispered into your hair .

-

Eventually things seemed to come to a stop and all that was left was a stiff silence only broken up with your suppressed whimpering . It all happened so quick . One minute your stressing over a late blog post and the next you’re dodging bullets and pressing up against the handsome stranger that walked you home that one time , in the back of a random car going god-knows where . The initial shock and adrenaline had worn off and now you were left with the panic .

Once the car pulls to a stop Lay leads you out and into an old brick building . He held you close to him as you made your way through the dark hallways ,

“Where are we ?” You asked him nervously , hands still shaking and eyes glossy , you didn’t know if you could trust him yet but something told you to stay with him .

“Don’t worry I’ll explain everything ,” you could hear hushed talking from somewhere but before you could question it Lay laced his fingers with yours and takes you up some stairs .

Leading you into a bedroom he sits you on the bed and takes a second to pace before kneeling down in front of you . His usual playful expression replaced with one of worry . Looking you over , holding onto your hands tightly . “Are you hurt anywhere ? Are you alright ?” His voice was hushed as he examined you for damage ,

“Lay what’s g-going on ?” Voice hoarse you looked up at him begging for some kind of information but he avoided your stare , continuing just to inspect your arms and hands.

“Did you get hit ? Are you hurt ?”

“Lay !” Having enough you shouted , snapping him out of whatever zone he’d entered , “tell me what the fuck is going on !”

Sighing and looking down , Lay stepped away from you . “I’m sorry Y/N.”

Bracing yourself for an explanation , already feeling worn down from the events of the day , you were reaching your limit .

“I’m apart of EXO , we’re a mafia group that runs this area . Recently an enemy group has been trying to bring us down and take our territories ; when I helped you home that night someone saw us and you’ve became a target . We found out about it this morning and that’s why I came to get you earlier , but I wasn’t soon enough . I’m sorry Y/N , it’s not safe anywhere for you right now , not until we can get rid of the enemy group.”

After a rushed explanation of what was happening , Lay stood in front of you waiting for a reaction . Usually people try to run or start crying hysterically when they find out they’re involved in EXO’s business , but you just sat there staring back at him , un-phased .

“Are you kidding me ?” You ask , voice monotonous . Out of all the things you could get caught up in , of course you would stumble into a gang war .

“So I can’t leave right ?” You deadpanned , the exhaustion starting to wear you down and the familiar situation leaving you numb . Lay was shocked . He expected screaming , anger , an escape attempt ; but you simply rolled to lie down on the bed and shut your eyes . “Great .” You whispered , more to yourself than him .

Thinking it was best to give you some time to take everything in , Lay leaves you to rest .

-

It had been roughly 3 and a half weeks since the incident at the cafe and consequently since you’d started staying with EXO . At first it was a nuisance , you not wanting anything to do with this life again , not wanting to be watched by 9 men constantly . 9 men that you’ve since gotten to know a lot better . There was Suho , who from what you could tell was the leader ; he didn’t talk to you much but kept a watchful eye whenever you were around , but as leader you suppose that was his job . Then there was Chen ; Chanyeol ; Xuimin and Baekhyun - they seemed to be the field workers , constantly going in and out on “patrols” . You spoke to them whenever they were around , and after a week or so they had gotten used to your company and opened up to you a bit more . Next there was D.O , he was quiet and quite intimidating but after observing him for a while ; the way he interacted with you and everyone else when not focused on work ; you could tell deep down he was a soft sweetheart , especially for his members . Kai and Sehun were the most welcoming of you , not treating you as a delicate flower like the others did which you appreciated , it made you feel like less of a burden .They spoke to you as friends , granted the topic of the current events never came up but they took interest in what you had to say about your life and work . Work particularly feeling like a distant memory as any attempts to update your blog “could be tracked by the enemy” as Lay had told you . Lay . The one you had grown closest to . You’d gathered he was field worker before from your first meeting ; but since the cafe he had chosen to stay close with you , never leaving you in the building alone or making sure that you were with at least three of the other guys before he would leave .

It wouldn’t be too far off to say you’d become attached to Lay in this time . Call it a crush , call it Stockholm syndrome - all you knew was you didn’t like being far from him and the more time you spent with him , the closer you felt you needed to be .

Tonight almost everyone was out , bar Suho ; D.O and Lay who were all downstairs . You were lying on your bed reading a book Xuimin had given you a few days ago ; when you started to hear the guys shouting .

“I’m not leaving !”

“You have to , we need you to check the 5th quarter ! Everyone else is tied up !” , that was Suho , clearly agitated by Lay’s slacking recently.

“No I’m staying here ! End of discussion .”

You heard them go back and forth for some time before a slammed door and sound of footsteps coming towards your room .

“He’s crazy !” Lay rants as he falls beside you on the bed , “actually insane !”

“What’s wrong ?” You ask calmly, moving to face him and stroke his arm soothingly .

“ He wants me to go to the 5th quarter , it’s 2 hours away and I would have to stay for a few days , what if something happenend when I was gone , I wouldn’t be able to get back here in time . I told him I’m not leaving you for that long and he didn’t like it .” Lay turned so he could mirror your position and face you .

“If you need to go , I’ll be okay . The others will be back soon anyway and D.O is still here . If you need to go , go .” You whispered closely to him , feeling his breathe fanning you .

“No .” He whispered back , hand moving to brush the hair out of your face , “I’m not leaving you .”

“Lay ...”

“I am not , leaving you .” His lips coming dangerously close to your own , the temptation far too much for either of you . The tension between you had become almost unbearable as of late , lingering touches and stolen glances weren’t enough anymore . You needed him . He needed you .

Before you knew it , your lips were smashed against his , teeth clashing in desperation , hands pulling off each others clothes in a rush . Burying your face into his neck you started sucking and biting at the smooth skin . He smelt like sandalwood and it was intoxicating . A low moan escaped his lips once yours reached a spot under his jaw ; Lay moved you to straddle him , gripping onto your hips with an unfamiliar harshness that made you shiver .

You impatiently started to grind down onto him , you’d been waiting for this for so long now you just wanted him to take you as soon as possibly .

“Lay ... please “ you whimpered against his lips , desperate for more .

“What do you want baby girl , tell me what you want , I’ll give you anything you want ,” he replies , hands moving to unclasp you bra hastily and squeezing your breasts .

“Want you to fuck me , please fuck me Lay , I need you so bad please ...” moving back to make more marks on the other side of his neck , hands fiddling with his belt .

Hearing you beg for him , Lay quickly flipped you onto your back and removed the last of your clothing ; he reached out for a condom before you stopped him , bringing his hands back to your breasts ,

“No condom , I want to feel you , let me feel you , please ...” whispering seductively .

“Fuck Y/N , you’re so sexy , my God ,”

Pumping himself a few times , Lay lines up with your entrance , one hand on the bed next to your head to keep him up and the other holding your leg around his waist . He started slowly , thrusting into you gently so you could get used to him before he couldn’t take it anymore and sped up .

“Fuck fuck fuck , oh my God Right there ...” you moaned out , the pleasure becoming too much , feeling him inside you , filling you up so perfectly , bringing you to the edge . “I’m , I’m so close , so close , please don’t stop ,”

His hands moved to lift your hips off the bed slightly so he could pound into you deeper and faster , you were sure there would be bruises left by his fingers on your hips but you didn’t mind , the ones you’d left on his neck would match perfectly .

“Are you close baby girl ? Are you going to come for me ? Touch yourself Y/N , come all over me ,” leaning over you his teeth tugged at your ear whispering profanities as you snaked your hand down to rub circles against your clit .

Feeling the knot in your stomach finally release your orgasm washed over you , shaking with pleasure . The pressure of it all making your walls clench tightly around him , Lay followed soon after . He moaned loudly into your neck , leaving soft kisses trailing up to your lips .

The pair of you stayed like that for a moment , him still balls deep inside you , bodies sweaty and pressed together , just staring lovingly into each other’s eyes . Eventually he rolls off of you only to pull you back into his side , kissing your crown and whispering sweet words to soothe you , “I’m not leaving you “ he repeats into your hair and you kiss him back tenderly .

-

Just as the two of you were drifting into a blissful post sex slumber , there was a loud bang from downstairs causing the room to shake slightly . “What was that !?” You asked panicked . It was too soon for the others to be back and there was no reason for anything to be happening with Suho and D.O .

“I don’t know ,” Lay gets up quickly and starts to dress , motioning for you to be quiet , “you stay here I’ll be right back .” He went to leave the room , eyebrows furrowed and breathing shallow . “Lay ...“ you started to protest but the look he sent you told you this wasn’t a discussion. “I’ll be right back baby , just stay here okay , I promise .”

And then he was gone . You quickly put your clothes back on and sat patiently on the bed , waiting for Lay , or anyone for that matter , to come back to you . But nobody did . The silence was deafening and it took all your will power to stay in the room and not run down to see what was going on yourself .

And then you heard gunshots .

[satirical-sade]

1. Are you solitary or in a coven? solitary forever


2. Do you consider yourself Wiccan, Pagan, witch, or other? a witch, unless i've never met you, then i'm pagan


3. What is your zodiac sign? pisces


4. Do you have a Patron God/dess? not really no


5. Do you work with a Pantheon? nope


6. Do you use tarot, palmistry, or any other kind of divination? tarot


7. What are some of your favorite herbs to use in your practice? (if any) blessed thistle!


8. How would you define your craft? low spoon spirit work


9. Do you curse? If not, do you accept others who do? no, i don't because i'm devoutly wiccan so i follow pretty much every wiccan rule, but to each their own, it might bite you in the ass, it might not, who knows


10. How long have you been practicing? 1ish year


11. Do you currently or have you ever had any familiars? yes! my doggo bryant


12. Do you believe in Karma or Reincarnation? only the three fold law, and no


13. Do you have a magical name? no, i tend to use eren even though my name is michael


14. Are you “out of the broom closet”? ya


15. What was the last spell you performed? i enchanted my necklace


16. Would you consider yourself knowledgeable? somewhat


17. Do you write your own spells? yes because let's be real not all spells are gonna work for what you need


18. Do you have a book of shadows? If so, how is it written and/or set up? yes, and it depends on what happening that day


19. Do you worship nature? no i believe all souls are equal unless proven otherwise so


20. What is your favorite gemstone? any goldstone


21. Do you use feathers, claws, fur, pelt, skeletons/bones, or any other animal body part for magical work? no, unless i happen to find a random feather or bone out in nature because that's the only way i know it was done without harming anybody


22. Do you have an altar? yes


23. What is your preferred element? out of the four, water, out of the five, soul


24. Do you consider yourself an Alchemist? not at all, but i want to be


25. Are you any other type of magical practitioner besides a witch? i'm a wannabe psychic but idk how that's gonna end


26. What got you interested in witchcraft? one of my ex girlfriends


27. Have you ever performed a spell or ritual with the company of anyone who was not a witch? no


28. Have you ever used ouija? no


29. Do you consider yourself a psychic? okay so i'm not naturally gifted but i am trying to train


30. Do you have a spirit guide? If so, what is it? maybe? he's a river elf if i do have one


31. What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started? SPIRITS ARE REAL


32. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite? yes and samhain


33. Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children? i would tell them about a lot of religions but i wouldn't force them to


34. Do you meditate? sometimes


35. What is your favorite season? winter


36. What is your favorite type of magick to preform? anything involving spirits


37. How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life? i don't know how to explain it but i burn sage and stuff


38. What is your favorite witchy movie? not a movie but supernatural 😂


39. What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why? i don't really have a favorite but i do remember one that taught me how to organize my bos but i don't have it anymore


40. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not. a protection spell, successful


41. What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you? okay, my friend's spirit companion went through me (he's a trickster btw) to get to my friend and as a parting gift, he left about 20 random spirits at my house, one of which is violent


42. What is your favourite type of candle to use? i'm not very picky about my candles


43. What is your favorite witchy tool? don't have one


44. Do you or have you ever made your own witchy tools? nope


45. Have you ever worked with any magical creatures such as the fea or spirits? pretty much all my work is with spirits


46. Do you practice color magic? nope


47. Do you or have you ever had a witchy teacher or mentor of any kind? nope


48. What is your preferred way of shopping for witchcraft supplies? at a metaphysical shop near my house


49. Do you believe in predestination or fate? i believe in fate but i also believe that fate is not set in stone, like current fate may say i'm going to have a wonderful happy life with three kids, i could grow up and have zero, destiny is a thing but it's not set


50. What do you do to reconnect when you are feeling out of touch with your practice? i talk to random spirits


51. Have you ever had any supernatural experiences? my computer makes beeps when it's unplugged and off, even when the battery is out of it


52. What is your biggest witchy pet peeve? SPIRITS MAKING MY LAPTOP BEEP


53. Do you like incense? If so what’s your favorite scent? yes and sage


54. Do you keep a dream journal of any kind? i do not, but i should


55. What has been your biggest witchcraft disaster? haven’t had one yet thank the gods


56. What has been your biggest witchcraft success? having a spirit companion


57. What in your practice do you do that you may feel silly or embarrassed about? spirits tbh


58. Do you believe that you can be an atheist, Christian, Muslim or some other faith and still be a witch too? yes but i really don't understand being a christian witch, because it's against the ten commandments


59. Do you ever feel insecure, unsure or even scared of spell work? insecure and unsure but not scared


60. Do you ever hold yourself to a standard in your witchcraft that you feel you may never obtain? not really


61. What is something witch related that you want right now? this isn't physical but i would like some clairaudience


62. What is your rune of choice? don’t have one


63. What is your tarot card of choice? ace of cups


64. Do you use essential oils? If so what is your favorite? nope


65. Have you ever taken any kind of witchcraft or pagan courses? no


66. Do you wear pagan jewelry in public? i always wear my pentacle necklace


67. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your faith or being a witch? no


68. Do you read or subscribe to any pagan magazines? no


69. Do you think it’s important to know the history of paganism and witchcraft? yes


70. What are your favorite things about being a witch? just having this magical energy about, other pagans can usually tell i’m pagan even without showing the my necklace or tell the
71. What are your least favorite things about being a witch? judgement also i never have the energy


72. Do you listen to any pagan music? If so who is your favorite singer/band? are there actually pagan bands??? why was i not informed???


73. Do you celebrate the Esbbats? If so, how? no


74. Do you ever work skyclad? no i hate myself too much


75. Do you think witchcraft has improved your life? If so, how? yes, it’s given me an anchor in life


76. Where do you draw inspiration from for your practice? everywhere


77. Do you believe in ‘fantasy’ creatures? (Unicorns, fairies, elves, gnomes, ghosts, etc) yes! not unicorns though but i could be wrong on that


78. What’s your favorite sigil/symbol? the pentacle


79. Do you use blood magick in your practice? Why or why not? no because i have a bad habit of self harming and i don't want to trigger that


80. Could you ever be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t support your practice? no i get if you don't believe but it's the same as if you don't support me being trans, it's a huge part of my life so either stfu and go away or get your ass into the 21st century


81. In what area or subject would you most like your craft to grow? psychic abilities


82. What’s your favorite candle scent? Do you use it in your practice?
83. Do you have a pre-ritual ritual? (I.e. Something you do before rituals to prepare qyourself for them). If so what is it? i do no

but i do usually talk to one of my companions


84. What real life witch most inspires your practice? none really


85. What is your favorite method of communicating with deity? tarot


86. How do you like to organize all your witchy items and ingredients? in a cute little box


87. Do you have any witches in your family that you know of? no


88. How have you created your path? What is unique about it? through trail and error, i do a lot of demon works so that’s unique-ish


89. Do you feel you have any natural gifts or affinities (premonitions, hearing spirits, etc.) that led you toward the craft? If so what are they? spirits, even evil ones, have never tried to hurt me, idk if that counts but that’s what i got


90. Do you believe you can initiate yourself or do you have to be initiated by another witch or coven? i would like to be initiated by a coven but i think it's perfectly valid to do it yourself


91. When you first started out in your path what was the first thing or things you bought? tarot cards


92. What is the most spiritual or magickal place you’ve been? books beans and candles in birmingham alabama


93. What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is searching for their matron and patron deities? you don't have to to pick the "typical" ones just because everyone else does, fuck everyone else you are your own person, that being said, if you feel a connection to a "typical" god, then don't be afraid to choose them


94. What techniques do you use to 'get in the zone’ for meditation? i don’t meditate tbh


95. Did visualization come easily to you or did you have to practice at it? visualization is very easy for me


96. Do you prefer day or night? Why? night, less disruption


97. What do you think is the best time and place to do spell work? night time, in my room


98. How did you feel when you cast your first circle? Did you stumble or did it go smoothly? i have never casted a circle, my necklace is my circle


99. Do you believe witchcraft gets easier with time and practice? yes, things because more second nature


100. Do you believe in many gods or one God with many faces? many gods