╰ ･ﾟ ✖ ‘ﾟHOLDING THE UNIVERSE

✖ ¦ 「 ATLAS DESAI. SUPERNATURAL HUNTER. 」* ◦ i have scars on my palms and the insides of my fingers. there is blood in my mouth and staining my clothes. i have died too many times to count and come back again stronger. ( are you proud of me, momma? are you proud of me, pappa? )

[noahtaalo-blog]

Noah launched himself into the air and did a triple Salchow with ease. Ice skating had always been a talent of his, even though he was a mermaid. The indoor arena was also pleasantly cool.

“Sorry, Just missed the ice,” He said to a person he just noticed was coming into the sports center.

[catalystforhire-blog]

“Well, I’ll just call ice and tell them we can meet up some other time,” Atlas replied, sarcastic and casual. He stepped into the place with ease, gazing around at everything in sight with vague interest. Ice skating wasn’t a thing he ever quite learned. It’s not like Mumbai was particularly cold ― he thinks the most chilly it got was a solid sixty degrees. “Did you learn how to ice skate just to impress random passerbys?”

[kcyleeisms]

╰☆⊰;     A bar was not the right place for Kaylee. At least, not in the real world. She was used to taverns filled with elves and dwarfes and orcs. “Hey, hello….” she nervously played with her glasses. “Can I…. I would really like the same she has - please?” the bloned tried to order, pointing at the drink the woman next to her was sipping on.

[catalystforhire-blog]

“First time alcoholic or just naturally shy?” Atlas asked, grinning at Kaylee and propping his arm on the counter to shamelessly stare at her. The hunter had just gotten back from a particularly rough test, and needed to cool off, which is how he wound up coming in. He sipped at a simple beer, peering over at Kaylee. “What brings you to this fine establishment?”

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

Athena’s shoulders relaxed a bit, realizing maybe this hunter wasn’t much of a threat after all. She pursed her lips. “Next time do something smarter for your body and don’t wander around near Grimm’s forest at night… Unless you want to get eaten by something.” She hummed thoughtfully. “Better yet, don’t be a hunter.” She uncrossed her arms and began to walk out of the forest.

“I’ll have you know my IQ is three points above average, my par ― I mean, I was tested,” Atlas replied, almost curt but mostly entirely amused with himself. He did that often; saying his parents did things because saying ‘his family’ was too open for questions. But the truth was Atlas had no actual memories of his biological parents, and they hadn’t seen him since the day they gave him away to his mother’s sister. Atlas followed her quickly, walking cheerily, “I can’t help being a hunter. It’s not a refundable discount sort of thing. Just like you can’t help chasing cars and eating your owner’s homework.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

Purposefully ignoring the orphan comment, Athena inhaled sharply and crossed her arms. She took a couple steps forward and tilted her chin up with an air of confidence. “Alright… So what are you here for? Did I serve you at the bar and you forgot to give me a tip? Do you need directions to the nearest motel?” Her tone was filled with satire.

“A bit of fresh air, would you believe?” Atlas grinned, shark-like. “Statistics say that if you go outside and spend more time breathing fresh air you indeed learn how to inhale more deeply, meaning you bring more air into your longs and muscles, meaning better blood flow and brain functions. I’m really just doing what’s best for my body.” He shook his head, grinning to himself, looking at Athena through his dark eyelashes.

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

Athena wasn’t at all fooled by his jesting. The man had seen her golden eyes and he had a fearless posture. It was either a hunter or a vampire. Dark brows furrowed and she took a step forward. “I didn’t follow you, you followed me. If you did it so you could find out who my pack was and kill us all, let me save you the trouble,” she spat. “I don’t have one and I’m not one of the wolves killing the humans so back off.”

“You actively trailed me, following me is only a short walk away,” Atlas noted, still sickly cool. He knew there was a clear difference, but was unwilling to admit his mistake, too prideful to even imagine such a thing. “Awe, little omega? Being a cute little orphan has got to suck. Has life been hard, Bruce Wayne?” Once, in a fit of annoyance, his aunt had asked him, ‘Tamē gambhīra hō'ī śakē?’ to which he replied, serene, ‘Seems not.’ Atlas painstakingly licked his lips, “I think,” he said, smile shark-like, “you’re making biased assumptions.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

I S O B E L:

“Whatever makes you happy, I guess.” Isobel was never searching for any sorts of romantic relationships, either, but that also did not mean she was into shameless flirting without any boundaries. “I can only hope you didn’t really mean what you’d texted me last night. Just saying.”

“And many things do,” Atlas replied easily, and the words tasted bitter on his tongue. (Him and his happiness, whatever that may be, hadn’t been very close in a very long time.) He washed away tenseness with a sip of vanilla chai, barely even feeling the scorching liquid as he swallowed. The hunter crossed his legs, silently swishing the liquid in the cup he had it in, listening as Isobel spoke. “I’m not a liar,” he lied, “If it meant anything, I’d certainly tell you. And, even if I am a liar, I’m not a coward.”

[leepacey]

[catalystforhire-blog]

G W E N:

“Because, at least to me, you do not seem like a guy who would be constantly high. Or sleep with their professor,” the faerie only shook her head. Laughing again. “But, you are of course welcome to prove me wrong here.”

“Now I have to do it, just to prove you wrong,” Atlas said, tone almost admonishing. The hunter advanced on her on long strides, lightly grabbing her hand and raising it above her head. He directed a hand in a small circe, “Twirl, please, miss!”

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

“Whoever you are, I know you’re not human.” Athena kept her eyes narrowed. “And if you think it’s a good idea to follow a werewolf without reason, you’re mistaken.”

Atlas gave a faux shocked gasp, “What do you mean I’m not human? Are you mentally ill, ma’am? Maybe you should back up a bit, I’ll expect the sirens will come soon.” The hunter cocked his head to the side as he took a taunting step away, posture still entirely casual. He wasn’t avoiding a fight ― Atlas had been raised too dignified to ever do anything like that. “Werewolf is a big word to be throwing about so casually.” He splayed his hands sideways in a careless effect, smile wide, “And if you do think it’s a good idea to follow a hunter without reason... you’re mistaken.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

Athena listened, a look of annoyed disbelief on her face. When he finished speaking she started to look more threatening, since inside she was getting more and more nervous. She waited for his true intentions. “…”

"Or would you rather mean what I need from you?" Atlas plowed through. He silently thought what he had often, English was such a weird language. Though he had been learning it since a child in his ramrod preparation, the words still somehow felt ungainly on his tongue—not meaning he mispronounced anything, his words were managed finely, but rather it was odd to say things in such a identifiably different way. "Nothing in particular, if I'm being honest." He was not being honest. "Maybe less glares..."

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

“Is it any of your business?,” Athena asked, a dangerous tone in her voice. “Who are you and what the hell do you want?”

“Probably not,” he noted, still calmly casual, “But Ben Jonson was right, you know. Curiosity killed the cat.” The final ending of the proverb (’but satisfaction brought it back’) was left unsaid, but he did his best to let it seep into the air. “I’m Atlas. Atlas Desai. That’s dehsay, not disigh. What do I want? Hmm, I don’t know, that’s a tough one... World peace, the end of child poverty, them to start stocking Gatorade instead of Powerade in the vending machine near my lit class.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

G W E N:

“I might be small, but I still can demand anything I want. And I am also getting it most of the time.” The faerie’s laugh was as clear as the ringing of a bell. “Besides, you can’t really say anything against having a little fun now and then, can you?”

“Madachod,” he murmurs, raising his dark eyebrows in clear amusement. Atlas stood still, shoulders set back in his usual poised manner. “Who says I don’t have fun? For all you know, I’m a frat pledge; running around constantly high, sleeping with my profs or something. I’m a fun guy.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

I S O B E L:

“You know,” Isobel stated dryly while taking a sip from her coffee, “If I wouldn’t know you better, I would think you are doing that on purpose. Sending such texts to me in the middle of the night, I mean. You really need a girlfriend, Atlas. Really.”

Atlas pursed his lips, convulsive smile a bit drawn back. He peered across at Isobel in apprehension, “Our work doesn’t provide great opportunities for romantic relationships,” he says primly, “Besides, dating is overrated. I should get a dog instead. I could name it Pork Chop or something else that has great opportunities for nicknames.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

A T H E N A:

Eyes glowing gold before dimming, Athena tensed defensively. If he was following her and not surprised to see the eyes, then he had to be some kind of a threat. “… I can handle myself,” she said calmly.

“Are you sure about that?” Atlas asked, curious and pleased. “Because you were stalked into the woods. That doesn’t seem quite... handled.” His words are primly placed, part out of practice and part out of simply being on the edges of fluent in English. “Here’s what I’m wondering; what are you doing out so late? The neighborhood watch surely wouldn’t appreciate breaking curfew.”

[catalystforhire-blog]

P E C A N:

“I find weapons fascinating to look at, but I’m not eager to try and use one.” She admits.

Atlas ran his tongue along his teeth, curious. “Out of distaste or lack of skill?”

[catalystforhire-blog]

P E C A N:

“It is excessive.” Pecan nods. “Looked like a preparation for war.”

War, Atlas thinks, or a very precariously stuffed warehouse. “The war on guns is really expanding our morals, don’t you think?” he says in a genial, taught way. (In his head he hears the word of his aunt, ‘Atlasbhai, disṭrēkśana saraḷa chē jō tamē tēnē yōgya rītē karō chō.’) “Not much of a weapon girl, are you?”

[catalystforhire-blog]

P E C A N:

“I was wondering why you were texting me a list of equipment you need.” Pecan laughs a bit. “Do you really need that many grenades?”

“It was a special order,” Atlas replied reflexively, then quickly backtracked, “Or, it would have been, if I had send it. What would one want with so many weapons, anyway? Isn’t that just a bit excessive?”