Sing Like Nobody Is Listening

Elora Spiros, 31, Aspiring Musician, Siren. Closed RP for Wicked's Rest

[contemporarybardess]

Tender Resignation || Elora & Alistair

Parties: @deathsplaything & @contemporarybardess

Timing: Present

Location: The Sugar Pot

Triggers: None

Summary: Elora puts in her official resignation at the Sugar Pot

The hardest part was out of the way. Elora was in an extremely emotional state after her conversation with Mack, but she had one more person she needed to talk to before she headed out of town for good. Interestingly enough, she was scheduled for a shift the next day. She was currently on her way to let Alistair know that she wouldn’t be able to make it in. 

It was the afternoon, so the shop was still open. Elora quickly breezed and said hello to Melody as she entered. “Is Alistair here? I need to talk to him. It’s…sort of an urgent issue. I promise I’ll fill you in as soon as I’m done talking to him.” 

She didn’t like being short with Melody or coming as if she was keeping something from her. After all, the two had bonded over her time working at the Sugar Pot. However, there was a chance that both of them could be in danger, and she couldn’t waste anytime explaining herself twice. 

_____

It was near the end of the day for the Sugar Pot, and Melody had let Alistair go home early, nothing she couldn’t finish on her own. It was near closing that Elora came into the shop, looking as white as a sheet. “Oh, no they’re at home,” Melody explained. “Give me a moment, alright?” She pulled out her phone and called up Alistair. “Can you come downstairs? It’s urgent.” She told them, then hung up the phone before they could protest. It wasn’t longer than two minutes before Alistair was walking through the front doors of the shop with Brutus leading the way. 

“What’s the problem?” They asked hurriedly, half expecting someone to be bleeding out in the middle of the shop, that’s the way things seemed to go for them. “Oh, not that kind of urgent,” Melody spoke apologetically. Alistair seemed to understand, nodding their head slowly after looking through the gaze of their familiar. “Right. What’s the matter, Elora?” Alistair asked with furrowed brows.

_____

Elora waited patiently for Alistair’s arrival. She sometimes forgot he lived right above the shop, and thought it to be very convenient given the current circumstances. 

“Listen, somebody from my past has found me, and they sent people to kidnap me. I don’t know how long he’s been stalking me or how much he knows about me, but this one really fucked up guy”, Elora explained, trying to hold it down enough to work out an explanation. Trying not to break completely. “He’ll do whatever it takes to hurt me. Killing me isn’t enough. The longer I stay in town…the more and more danger everyone I know here is going to be in.” 

She knew Alistair was crafty enough to probably hold his own if some of Jake’s goons came after him. But there was no way she’d forgive herself if he or Melody were to get hurt because of her. It wasn’t a risk she was willing to even entertain.

____________________________________

As soon as the information was out of her mouth, Alistair knew what Elora was inferring. She was leaving town. Of course, they wanted to tell her that the two of them could take care of themselves, that they’d willingly fight by her side if it came to it, but that’s not what she was asking of them. “I’m sorry this is happening to you.” They spoke softly, weight shifting side to side as they processed the information. 

Melody took the news harder, letting out a soft noise before walking over to Elora and hugging her tight. “We’re here for you if you decide to come back, you hear me? We’re tougher than we look.” She gave Elora a sad smile, then took a step away. Alistair moved away from the front door, a lot more subdued and quieter than Meldoy was about the situation. 

“You’re always welcome here, okay? Anything you need, we’re here for you. If you ever come back, you have a job here.” Alistair told her, nodding their head with a tight smile. It was hard to lose an employee, especially one as enigmatic and larger than life as Elora.

_____

They were both so sweet to her about it, this was one of the most difficult things Elora had to do. However, they at least seemed to understand. It was also reassuring to know that she was always welcome back if she were ever to return. She wanted to say that if she wasn’t back in a year’s time, she had probably been killed in her pursuit of justice. She knew, though, that that would only make them worry more. 

“Thank you both…” She could feel tears welling up again, feeling as if a dam were about to break when Melody embraced her. She needed to hold it together. She needed to come off as the strong person she needed to be to take on this challenge. “I won’t be alone. I have a little muscle with me in the form of Ginger. She’s tied up outside, I figured it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to bring her around Brutus. 

She then approached Alistair, opening her arms to offer up a hug as well. “Thank you for everything. I won’t forget either of you.” 

Alistair wasn’t a hugger. Physical contact besides someone guiding them around by holding their hand was the extent of things. But as they watched through Brutus’s eyes, Elora opened her arms up to them, and they knew they couldn’t just turn it down. “Keep Ginger close, and call us if you ever need anything, you understand? I don’t care how far away you are, we’ll help you.” They closed the gap between themselves and Elora and hugged her tightly, albeit briefly before stepping away.

“Take care of yourself,” Alistair told Elora with a curt nod of their head. Melody, meanwhile felt the need to wipe a tear away, sad to lose Elora, especially like this. “We aren’t scared of hunters. Hunters are scared of us.” She told Elora, handing her over a bag she had been preparing since the moment Elora walked in with that sad expression. “Tea bags, your favorites.” She started as she handed it over. “Some spending money– don’t tell me no. The last thing you need is them tracking you through your debit card.” Melody held up a finger as Elora opened her mouth to protest. “I won’t be hearing no for an answer. Just… give him hell when you see him, okay?” Melody pleaded, giving Elora’s shoulders one final squeeze before letting her go. 

_____

Knowing she had allies was comforting for Elora. Even though she was leaving everything behind, she wouldn’t be truly alone. “Thank you again. I plan on ditching my phone, since it’s such an easy way to track me down. But I know the number to the store, and I’ll call if I ever have any issues…or just get a little homesick.” When she had first met Alistair, she didn’t exactly appreciate the manner in which he healed people. But she thought back to his insistence on exterminating the bad in order to help the good thrive better. Isn’t that what she was doing? 

“Melody” she answered with a warm smile. “You’ve always been too good to me. This is all so thoughtful.” For what seemed like the millionth time over the past couple days, Elora found herself overwhelmed with emotion. Here were all of these people all worried for her and wanting the best for her. She could never thank them enough. If she lived, she vowed to repay them all for the help they’d given her. “Don’t worry. When I’m through with him, hell will look like it would have been a better alternative.” She wiped again at the tears welling up in her eyes as she graciously accepted the bag. 

“I’ll miss you guys. I really will.” 

Alistair cracked a sad smile, knowing it would be sad to see Elora go. But there was no changing a made-up kind, they knew that all too well. “Take care of yourself.” Was all they could say before opening the door for Elora. If she had to get out of there, then they weren’t going to stop her. “We’ll miss you too, Elora.” Melody said softly, giving Elora one final squeeze before letting her go. 

“Hold on.” Alistair suddenly said, letting go of the door and disappearing into the back room. They began running their hands across meticulously labeled bottles in the healing room until they came across the one they needed. Coming back out, Alistair handed Elora a vial. “It’s a powerful healing potion. I was saving it for a rainy day, but you may need it more. Don’t let him win. No matter what.”

It was hard to let employees go when it was such a small business, everyone became a family. And losing family, well, it was something that Alistair was used to. Even if they didn’t want to be. “Good luck.” They finally said before letting Elora go out the door and on the run. 

While Elora knew Alistair had many different potions in the back room, she didn’t know he was in possession of such a powerful healing potion. Furthermore, she didn’t think he would give said powerful potion to her. 

With a nod of determination, Elora simply replied “I won’t”, before heading out the door. This was the start of a new chapter, one that she would hopefully be done with soon. However, she knew the truth. He was a weasely little snake who would put a hundred men in front of him for cover. It didn’t matter. None of it did. She’d find him, and they’d have their last standoff. Devil take the hindmost.

[realmackross]

PARTIES: @contemporarybardess, @realmackross TIMING: Early May SUMMARY: Elora comes to tell Mackenzie goodbye. :( WARNINGS: Gun mention tw

It wasn’t going to be easy. Elora knew that very well. But she had to do what she needed to do in order to keep the ones she loved safe. And the first on her list was one Mackenzie Ross. As she approached where she lived, she sent her a very simple text. “Come outside. I need to talk to you”. 

There was no flirtation, no excited exclamation points, not even a single emoji. The words were plain and to the point. A bit of guilt gnawed at her, knowing that this would worry Mack. But on the other hand, she needed to be worried. For all she knew, Jake could already know exactly where she lives and exactly how to hurt her. She needed to know where Elora was going and why. More importantly, she needed to be warned, for her own safety. 

—

Mackenzie had been hanging out at home mostly since the fight with Jade. In fact, she had failed to tell Elora about it, because she had always felt like the woman was saving her. It was Mackenzie’s turn. She had at least owed her that much. But what she would be saving her from, she wasn’t quite sure yet. She was sure something in Wicked’s Rest would come out of the woodwork someday soon, but until then, she’d just cherish the time they had spent together. Like their Twilight date and the body glitter that was incorporated into the remainder of the night.

When the text came through, Mack had been eating a bowl of ice cream covered in cinnamon and watching some documentary about llamas that Kaden told her about. And as she sat down the bowl, she noticed the text and the lack of flirtiness or really any emotion to it. Had she done something wrong? Had Elora found out about the fight and was upset?

Pausing the movie, Mackenzie got up and limped outside, “Hey Babe, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?” She moved forward and reached out and gave Elora a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back with an uneasy smile on her face.

—

It didn’t take long for Mack to make her way outside to Elora. Was she limping? Mack gave her a quick peck which Elora tried to savor as much as she could. She didn’t know if she’d ever feel her kiss again. 

“You look like you got beat up! I should ask you the same thing, but…” Elora took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves as much as possible. “I have something more important that I need to talk to you about. You remember the story of where I come from right? My colony, my family, and what happened to them? Well…the guy who orchestrated the whole thing knows where I live now, and seems very dead set on setting his goons after me to finish me off”. 

She swallowed hard, trying to keep talking so she wouldn’t lose her momentum. Trying to get everything out before Mack convinced her to stay. “He’s been stalking me. Or at least having people stalk me for him. And I don’t know how much he knows about me. But I do know that as long as I’m here, you’re not safe. I don’t think many people are. He’ll hurt others to hurt me, and then he’ll kill me after I’ve lost everything. I know how he works, and I can’t let you get swept up in that. I can’t…be in town anymore.”

—

Mackenzie looked down at the ground at the mention of being beat up, but remained quiet. Elora had needed to talk about something important. Mack could hear it in the tone of her voice, and as she listened, she slowly raised her head to set her eyes back on her girlfriend. She could feel the heat, what little of it there was, rising in her cheeks, and when Elora had finished speaking, Mackenzie stayed quiet for a minute.

This couldn’t be happening. Elora had come here for a fresh start. For a safe place to live, “Elora…” The knot forming in Mackenzie’s throat was threatening to choke her out, “Let me help you with this, okay?” She stepped forward and gently put her hands on Elora’s face and rested her forehead on the redhead's, “You have helped me so many times. Saved me. Please let me be the one to save you. You don’t have to leave. You can move in with me? I’ll upgrade the security. We can fix this. We can solve this together.” Mackenzie was pleading with her. It had felt like it had come on so suddenly, and Mackenzie didn’t know what to do, but beg.

—

Elora had to admit that the thought of moving in with Mack was a tempting one, but it wouldn’t make the men that were after her go away. They’d find a way in. Find a way to strike when she least expected it. That’s what they were trained to do, and they were very efficient at it. She thought back to her parents, all of her friends and colleagues who were murdered. Murdered due to her carelessness. 

No.

She couldn’t let it happen again. Not to Mack or anyone else. If anybody was going to be hurt as a result of this it would be her and her alone. 

“I’m not losing anyone else. I’m not going to be the reason anyone else dies. I’m done with running. I’ve spent the last 4 years of my life on the fucking run. It ends now, and it ends far away from anybody I care about.” Her tears were flowing freely now, completely unable to hold it together in spite of promising herself she would try to. “I love you so much…you have no idea how much this destroys me. But it would destroy me more to see you die. I need to do this…I need to put an end to this.” 

She took a moment to catch her breath. Between her talking and sobbing she was starting to feel her lungs empty out and start to hurt, but she had to keep going. She didn’t want to leave anything unsaid. “I can’t guarantee when I’ll be back. If I’ll be back. But if I do, you’re the first person I’m running home to. I’ll be fighting for you. For our future.” 

—

This was like a nightmare. It couldn’t be real. First she had lost Brody, and, now, when she had finally managed to open her heart up again, she was losing Elora. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she watched the woman she loved breakdown, but even worse, refuse to let Mackenzie save her. It was like one thing after another, but this was the shitty cherry on top. And the more Elora cried, the more Mackenzie started to sob.

Listening to her stand firm and not give into Mackenzie’s offer left the zombie speechless. But when Elora said ‘if’ instead of ‘when’, she lost it, “Elora, baby. Please, don’t do this. Please don’t leave me. I’m dead okay? They can’t hurt me. I can’t lose you. I’ve already lost one person I gave my heart to. I can’t lose another. I can’t…Please, please, please. Don’t do this…” She gently wiped away Elora’s tears and then let her arms fall where she latched herself onto her girlfriend and pulled her in just to hold her; not wanting to let her go. Not wanting to feel the warmth of the woman she loved gone, possibly forever.

—

For a long time, Elora said nothing. She just wanted to be in the moment and enjoy Mack’s embrace for as long as she could. She wanted to stay in her arms forever, to never leave her comfort and relative warmth. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to reduce Mack to begging for her to stay. Her despair turned to anger. For the first time in her life, she wanted to kill someone. She wanted to kill Jake for everything he’d done and everything he’d put her through, and was still putting her through to this day. 

“They can hurt you. You know that, and they do too. These aren’t just some random thugs, these are hunters. They know what we are, and they know exactly how to hurt us. I don’t know what his resources are, I don’t know how many goons he has in his circle. But I do know I killed two of them. After one of them did this to me” She said before pulling her shirt sleeve down to show her the now bandaged bullet wound in her shoulder. “They’re not just going to let it be after that. They’ll send more. The whole town might be in danger, I have no idea how many they’ll send. I don’t want any more of them to die either. I need to cut it off at the head. I need to find Jake…and do what needs to be done.” 

A heavy silence fell between the two of them, Elora unsure of what to say for a while. 

“It’s him or me, at this point. I’m doing everything in my power to make sure it isn’t me.” 

—

Every time Mackenzie tried to pull away, she couldn’t. She didn’t have it in her. She couldn’t make that first move. She just wanted to linger in this moment forever with the woman she was falling madly in love with. So when Elora pulled away first, the jolt of it all had almost felt like a shock that could restart her cold, dead heart. But it didn’t. Instead, it just felt like a sharp pain that left her wanting to curl up in the darkness of her house and never leave again. It would’ve been so much easier right now if Jade had just killed her.

But when she saw the bullet wound, Mackenzie let out a growl of frustration and could feel her eyes clouding over in anger. With a quivering breath, she slowly released it hoping the anger would dissipate. She didn’t need to zomb out at this moment. This moment was Elora’s. Instead, Mackenzie gently ran her thumb over the bandage, before leaning in to kiss it softly. Pulling back, she quickly let out another quivering sigh as tears quietly rolled down her cheeks.

Mackenzie wanted to beg some more. She wanted to ask if she could come with Elora, so she wouldn’t have to face her demons alone, but the zombie knew the answer. She knew this was something that her love had to face on her own, just like Mackenzie had her own things to face, “I want to beg. I want to beg with all of my heart, because that’s all I can offer you at this moment, is my heart. I know however much I plead will be shot down, but if I can just ask…can we have one more night together. Just…I want to hold you, and I want to look into your eyes and tell you how much I love you. And what you’ve done for me, because I’m afraid I’ll never get to do it again, and I didn’t get that before…with Brody. I didn’t get that. Please. Please don’t leave me without one more night.”

—

Elora had felt her heart flutter as she felt Mackenzie’s lips press against her bandages. She wanted to say yes and move in with her. She wanted to stay. She wanted it to be just the two of them against the world. But she knew that’s not how reality works. She knew that the fairy tale would have to end at some point and she’d need to venture back into grimy reality to silence her demons once and for all. 

“One night… one night sounds really nice actually” Elora said, letting out some mixture of a sob and a laugh. “I want as much time as I can possibly get with you. You’re all I’ll ever think about. When I fight, I’ll fight for you. For the life you and I want to have together. I love you Mackenzie Ross. I love you with every fiber of who I am. And no matter what happens I’m fighting until I can’t fight anymore.

One night. She willed for the sun to never come up again.

[contemporarybardess]

Exodus || Elora Solo

Parties: @contemporarybardess

Timing: Current

Location: Elora's Home

Triggers: Gun Use tw

Summary: Elora's quiet evening to herself is interrupted.

In spite of experiencing more than her own fair share of trauma and loss, Elora Spiros always figured she had a pretty good head on her shoulders in spite of it all. Why, then, did she have this recent sense of paranoia? Every time she stepped out of her house for any minor thing, she always felt an extra pair of eyes watching her. It had been this way for the past two weeks. In spite of this, she had never found anybody near her home. Ginger, her 200 pound hellhound she had managed to domesticate into a pet, would stare into the distance and growl, but never broke into pursuit of whatever it sensed. 

Tonight was her first night of relative calm, and she decided to enjoy it by staying in and making herself a nice cup of tea. She put some music on and poured herself a cup before huddling in front of her laptop and putting on a movie. She settled on a cheesy romantic comedy, a pretty bad one at that, in order to help further lighten the mood a little. Just as she settled in, Ginger nudged her leg with her nose, indicating she wanted to be let out. 

With a soft sigh, Elora paused the movie and sauntered over to the back door. “Be quick, Gingy, I just have to see how it ends” Elora said sarcastically before watching the beast run outside. She always wondered if she should ever try her hand at filmmaking, after all, it’s not like she could do a much worse job than some of the stuff she saw getting pumped out.

Suddenly, a deep booming bark echoed through her house, reverberating inside her chest. “I swear Gingy if it’s another rabbit…” Elora trailed off, walking outside to where she heard her dog barking. She could see her nose pointed towards a darkened area of the woods behind her house, her deep growl still sending vibrations through her body. Suddenly, that feeling of dread had returned. The pit in her stomach grew to a size larger than it had ever been before, and Elora suddenly found her hands shaking. For what felt like an eternity, the silence was only underscored by Ginger’s low growling. 

Then, the silence was suddenly broken when a shot rang out. Then another. And then another. Elora felt an intense burning sensation in her right shoulder and knew she had been hit. She didn’t have time to worry about the wound now, she needed to get herself and Ginger back in the house. If she could barricade them and buy time for the police to show up, they could finally know some peace while the crazy person gets locked up. 

She had almost made to the doorway of her home, when suddenly her heart sank. Standing in the doorway was a tall man dressed in leathers, carrying various knives and firearms. Another shot rang out from the distance, landing about 5 inches to the left of Elora’s left foot. 

“Hold your fire ye damn idiot, can’t ya see I’m standing right here?!” The man in the doorway yelled into the distance. Clearly, the two men were in cahoots. An organized attack from people this well armed and coordinated could only mean one thing. These weren’t just random murderers, they were hunters. And she was meant to be the prey, of course. 

“Whaddowe have here? I was expecting the sole survivor of the Red Waters Massacre to put up more of a fight than this.” 

How did they know about that? The massacre, while still fresh in Elora’s mind, had happened years ago. While she was certain the massacre was popular in hunters’ circles, she wouldn’t think that any would go so far as to track her down all this way unless they felt they had unfinished business with her in particular. But the only person that would fit that description would be…no.

She refocused her mind. This could not be happening. Not now, not after everything she had fought for to earn herself a normal life in this town. She tried to sneak in a punch to the gut on the man standing at her door while his guard was down, but he quickly blocked that attack and grabbed hard onto her arm. He then swung her around until she stumbled and fell onto her kitchen floor. 

While Elora was on the ground, Ginger leapt into action, pouncing on the man. With a few swift kicks, the man was able to subdue Ginger for the time being, but not before she got in several deep bites on the man. 

“Fuckin’ beast. It’s one thing to be a monster yourself, but at least you look human. And here you are playing mother to some abomination. I’d gut you like a fish right here and now, but he wants us to leave you alive.” 

He. She knew fully well who “he” was. If he really knew where she was, then everyone she was close with here was also in danger. It didn’t matter if they were fae, undead, or human. This band of hunters wouldn’t discriminate if it meant hurting her. Hurting her for daring to defy their will and surviving. 

“I s’pose it doesn’t mean I can’t take a couple fingers as souvenirs? After all, you don’t need those to live.” The hunter said, now moving his dirty bearded face close to Elora’s. His breath smelled of cheap bourbon. She heard the other man enter the house; followed immediately by the sound of him screaming and Ginger growling savagely. 

Her tall assailant got up to watch as his partner was being mauled by Ginger, now back and ready to fight. As he moved to aid his friend, Elora mustered up enough strength to sweep his leg, causing the man to trip. With a sickening crunching sound, Ginger snapped the gunmen’s neck and haphazardly tossed his body back outside. 

Still on the ground, the taller assailant reached for his own pistol and aimed it at Ginger. Elora quickly grabbed the man’s hand and wrestled with the gun for a while, before it became dislodged from both of their grasps and skidded across the floor. Elora noticed a familiar glow starting within Ginger’s stomach. She allowed the man to dive for the gun, giving her distance from the man. As the man finally secured his pistol and staggered back to his feet, a brilliant flash of light erupted from Ginger’s mouth, and the man was unceremoniously set ablaze. 

The man’s screams died down quickly as his body crumpled to the ground. Not wanting to waste any time, Elora quickly worked to extinguish the blaze so the entire estate didn’t burn down. Miraculously, she was able to contain the fire well and only ended up with some charred cabinetry and melted tiles. 

She didn’t know what to do with the bodies. She didn’t care at that point. Jake wouldn’t stop sending men after her until he could get whatever revenge he wanted on her. And he would hurt anybody he needed to in order to make Elora give in. There was only one way to truly stop this. 

Hunt down Jake before she gets hunted down herself. 

There were, of course, some caveats to this plan. Mainly that she had no idea where Jake actually was and that, if she did find him, she’d be hopelessly outgunned. In spite of this, it was the only way to keep herself and the people she loved safe. She would have to leave town. And she knew there was a good chance she’d never make it back. But if it meant that, at the end of it all, she would achieve a life of peace, it would be worth the temporary sacrifices. 

Elora grabbed a bag and packed whatever essentials she could find. She called Ginger to her side and walked out the front door with her.

She had some goodbyes she needed to make.

[mysticmused-deactivated20250814]

TIMING: Current

LOCATION: Dive Bar

PARTIES: @ashton-taylor-murphy @contemporarybardess

SUMMARY: Elora sings and takes the stage, impressing Ashton as she is on the hunt. What do you know? Ashton has a heart and, despite being hungry, decides to talk Elora out of the deal with the devil. Elora figures out pretty quick that Ashton is not entirely human and, in turn, tells Ashton she is a Siren. They are just friends. Some artists just have to go their own way.

CONTENT: Partner death tw, Alcohol tw

It was Elora’s first gig in months and she could feel her nerves wearing away at her gut the more she anticipated taking the stage. Not that she was worried about her ability to perform, she had an extreme natural talent for singing after all, being a siren. It was more so that she had created nothing new in over a year and she was worried the music in her current set was growing stale. Her talent and ability always carried her through, but actually writing the music was another story entirely. 

As she took the stage, she looked out into the dimly lit bar. It wasn’t the most extravagant place to perform, but a gig was a gig. She hadn’t made any money outside of the tea shop in a very long time and she was looking forward to considering herself a “professional” again, even if just for one night. So there she stood, striking a confident pose, ready to finally get back into her groove.

Ashton was Irish; as stereotypical as that is, she liked to let loose and enjoy herself. A drink or two or three, and usually that led to other things, but tonight was different. She’d felt that pull as soon as the singer took the stage. Ashton felt the need to watch with intensity over the brim of her glass until it was emptied and swallowed and slammed back onto the bar. This was going to be good. The bar was quite a dive, but Ashton was not put off by it. She loved the atmosphere and upbeat attitudes of the patrons and the way her boots seemed to stick to the floors ever so slightly.

“Another, and all her drinks on me tonight.” Ashton glanced toward the stage to indicate her request, “Give this to the performer as well and tell her to find me after the set.” Ashton tucked her business card, which she carried as a talent agent, into the server's apron with a generous tip.

The set had actually gone great. Once Elora got into the swing of things her nerves completely vanished. And the bar patrons didn’t seem to mind the lack of variety, she doubted they even noticed at all. She was about to take her rather paltry pay for the gig when one of the servers came up to her and handed her a business card. A business card and more cash than she’d ever seen in one piece before. 

“Ashton Taylor Murphy, talent agent” Elora read the words to herself at least six times. She almost couldn’t believe it. Had she been discovered? Did she finally have some sort of chance at a big break? She excitedly looked out into the bar area, seeing if she could spot the woman who the business card belonged to. There was no way she could pass an opportunity like this up, after all. 

At last she spotted the woman and eagerly approached her. She had to make her way past the rowdy and sweaty bar patrons to get to her, but she didn’t care. It was worth being able to make some real progress with her career. As she came closer, the two made eye contact, and Elora stuck out her hand for the other woman to shake. “I would just like to say, thank you so much! I’m really glad you enjoyed the show. I see I got your attention, and I’d be very excited to talk shop with you!” 

Ashton was glad the woman approached her. Though she hadn’t worked promoting talent consistently since Margot, this was an opportunity for both of them to win. Ashton shook her hand with a smile, “you did get my attention. Seems you—“ Ashton held a little tighter to her hand, “could use some muse.” Just a little jolt, enough to feel the conductivity of such a deal, “You have a beautiful voice and an ability to captivate an audience. Do You want to bring the world to its knees with your lyrics?”

Her eagerness was exciting yet terrifying. She was too ready to make it as an artist, and that attitude left her vulnerable to a muse like Ashton, but Fuck was this draw something more potent than any she’d felt before.

“I ask nothing for my services but one thing: sustain me, and you’ll become a household name.”

Elora’s excitement quickly gave way to panic as she realized exactly who this woman was. SHe made no attempt to hide it, which she figured was reassuring, perhaps. But her heart sank as she realized this was not going to be a simple meeting with a talent agent. No artistry without sacrifice. No beauty without pain. And no success without loss. She knew the game by now, nothing would ever come for free. But she still often gave her hopes up anyway. 

“Did somebody smell desperation? Well…” Elora was trying to load up a smartass retort, initially wanting nothing to do with the woman in front of her. However, she couldn’t deny that she wanted what the woman was offering. She was stuck and it seemed she’d never make it on her own. But her talent mixed with this woman’s…abilities would almost certainly give her  the push she would need to really become a big name. Sirens tended to live a bit longer than the average human, so Elora reasoned she’d likely only be giving up her “bonus years” as it were. 

“How can I tell you can actually provide that to me? If I give part of myself to you, to sustain you, I need to be certain that your end of the bargain will be upheld.” She knew these types could be ruthlessly deceitful, and she didn’t want to make a deal with anybody she couldn’t trust.

“Nothing comes without trust. The address on that card is legitimate, my home. I trusted you enough to give it to you.” Ashton leaned back into the bar to her freshly refilled glass, “You only give what you can handle. I only take enough to get by.” The muse's eyes locked onto her reflection in the amber liquid. How often had she been here with others like this, a bargain made and a life cut short, “You should say no to me, but you probably won't.” 

Ashton sighed, “You don’t need to choose today or tonight. I’d rather you tell me to fuck off and save yourself. But your voice is beautiful; you do not reek of desperation. You radiate the potential to captivate stadiums full of people rather than dive bars.” 

The muse admired her reluctance; caution was wise with her kind. Some did not value life as much as she did. “If you have questions, come to my home, and I’ll answer all truthfully, but not here. I’d also prefer neither of us indulges in—“ Ashton held up her glass, “this, and you are on my tab tonight. Now, I was planning to dance if you’d like to join.” Fuck it all, Ashton was going to make herself have a good time. 

The passive honesty wasn’t the type of behavior that Elora had grown to expect from a fae looking to strike a deal. Typically their approach resembled more that of a used car salesman. This woman seemed to genuinely be looking out for her best interest. Only take enough to get by. What did that mean? How much was “just enough?” Still, the woman was right about one thing. There was a non zero chance of her accepting the offer still.

“We’ll be in touch, Ashton. I…thank you for your kind words. I’ll be honest, a place like this wasn’t exactly the place I thought I’d end up. You really think I have the potential to make it that big?” Even if talent and composition aligned perfectly, there was so much luck and networking involved to really break the mold into super stardom. Could this woman really provide all of that for her?  

“For right now, I’m going to join you out on that dance floor! After all, no reason we can’t get better acquainted before talking more business.” And with that, Elora allowed herself to cut loose and simply have a good time with the mysterious woman.  The specificities, the pros and cons and hows and whys could all be ironed out later. For the time being she had hope, and she hadn’t had it for a very long time. So she intended to enjoy and celebrate that hope as much as possible. She only wished that Mack were here for this. 

Mack. 

She…realized she should probably discuss something this major with Mack before finalizing anything. After all, sacrificing your life force to another being is kinda something one should at least run by their partner before committing. She figured the two would probably get along great, if they ever met. 

“Anything you put your mind to. I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t think you could. You also need time to mull it over.” Ashton let the music run through her veins as she imagined a different time and place. One where she wasn’t a parasite and her love was in her arms, just adoring each other. The smell of beer and sweat filled the air. Margot loved places like this. She found them inspiring. Ashton never really understood why. 

The singer joined her, making her smile, “I agree; better acquainted; tell me why you started singing. What was the thing that inspired your first song?” The muse was always curious about the inspiration behind the pursuit. Margot had been a writer before she met Ashton; there were always other muses, Les dangerous ones.

“The last thing I want to do is disrupt your life. It would be best if you gave this a lot of thought. Talk it over with someone you trust; hell, bring a representative when you come to my home. I have seen enough artists who don’t evaluate the consequences.” Ashton could speak freely in the crowd where everything was lost on the dance floor. The secrets would remain secret if only helped by the excess of booze. 

“My wife loved this sort of place; coming here reminds me of her.” Ashton closed her eyes and let the music paint a picture of perfection in her mind. 

On hearing the muse’s words, Elora couldn’t help but blush a bit. Had she really, truly seen the potential? Honesty was not common among this sort, at least from what Elora had heard, but the woman in front her seemed so kind and genuine. She decided she could trust her after all, but still needed to think over the arrangement. Even she outright said herself it wasn’t a decision she should take lightly. 

“I started singing from an early age, just a fun thing to do. Full disclosure, since I know what you are, I’m a siren. So I’ve always been very naturally gifted when it comes to being a singer. I decided to try and make something of myself after something extremely tragic befell my home. Sort of a way of trying to have everyone who was lost live on, in a way. By seeing someone from the colony go on and succeed in life.” She left out that the tragedy was, in her mind, almost entirely her fault. The visit from her mother’s spirit was helpful in alleviating some of the guilt she felt, but it didn’t change the fact that none of it would have happened if it weren’t for her. “I think a lot of home whenever I try to write something new. I focus on the good memories, of course, that’s why everything is so upbeat and poppy. But it’s hard not to have some of the negative feelings bleed through a bit.” 

She appreciated Ashton’s willingness to have her bring someone with her. She even encouraged her to bring someone along! She couldn’t think of any better partner other than Mack. After all, not only was she the one she was by far the closest with in town, but she also had some insight into working in the entertainment industry. “I’ve seen it too. I’ll bring my girlfriend, Mack. I think you two would get along great! She’s an actress too, so she knows a lot about the ins and outs of the industry.” 

When Ashton mentioned her wife, Elora felt a pang of sympathy. Losing a romantic partner could be devastating, but she was at least happy to see that she was remembering her in a positive light. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Elora began. She didn’t really know what else to say, she hadn’t experienced that particular form of loss before. “`Tis better to have loved and lost”? Cliched, the woman would probably want nothing to do with her if she said some canned phrase like that. “How long were the two of you together? What was her name?” 

“That makes sense.” Ashton nodded at the confession. There was an enthralling aspect to the music that had not quite been explained, and she seemed to conclude that Ashton was more than some beautiful talent agent. No wonder She was supernatural herself. Immediately, the muse felt relieved: "Full disclosure: I am 95 years old and married to Margot Fisher. She was a writer, she died. You can combine those details and wrap them into a nice bow.” Her words were not bitter or hostile, just a solemn warning. “Do not take this lightly. I –” The muse needed a drink suddenly. Anything to burn the sorrow out of her throat, “You love your girlfriend? Fucking forget you ever met me.” 

Ashton veered toward the bar, calling for something to drown out the rising pain. Why did charge hunting always end with this unrelenting guilt? It swelled up inside like a rogue wave in the ocean with nowhere to go, nothing left to destroy. With the drink in hand, she drained the contents in one gulp. Fire seared in her throat; numb was what she needed to be to secure a meal. “It's not better to have loved. It's worse for people like me. It didn’t matter how much I loved her. I tried to wash it, but a wash is giving some back.” Ashton wasn’t sure how much she knew about a muse, “But it was too much. I took too much. I took too much because I restrained myself.” It hit then, Mack, fuck. “Your Girlfriend is Mack Ross? Fuck me.” Ashton started to laugh. It was a small world they lived in, a small world indeed. 

Ashton didn’t expound on how she knew Mack. It was personal, and Ashton was not one to betray confidence. “I think we will get along well, but you got to think about this. I couldn’t save her. I won’t put you anywhere near that point. If you accept, don’t ask me to. You will want it.” Ashton’s eyes glistened with tears, and she struggled to hold back. These tears would never stop falling, and she was going to make damn sure this artist realized the fucking line in the sand was not something to lay with. 

How she spoke about her home life and family hurt Ashton's chest. She didn’t have that now. No family she cared to claim. She wanted to feel that belonging again. Margot had been that for her. It was times like this when she needed to scream and scream. “Beautiful beginnings, but you must return and dip your toes in the water again. Don’t lose it, the thing that makes your song.” Ashton closed her eyes, “Have you ever heard lyrics that bring you to your knees? I think you can bring thousands to their knees if you put conviction behind the words and emotions, even the ones that aren’t comfortable. You don’t need me to do it, but I want to be there to fall on my knees and feel it.”

It was immediately clear to Elora that the muse in front of her had loved deeply. She had been a writer? Had Ashton fed off of her in order for them to be inspired? The dots were connecting for Elora, and she soon found Margot’s fate merging with her own. This…couldn’t be the way she found her success. Even if she found her success, it wouldn’t be her own. It wouldn’t accomplish what she had truly set out to do. Even Ashton was telling her to forget the whole ordeal. 

“You know Mack? Dumb question, I guess. Everyone knows Mack Ross. Yes, she’s here in town now! Working as a bartender, but she still does some acting work on the side. Hasn’t found much work since…well it’s a long story.” Then she thought of Mack. How devastated she’d be if Elora died young. If this woman is prone to “taking too much” as she said, it wouldn’t be worth the heartbreak it would cause. 

“I think you and I will get along well, strictly as friends. As tempting as the proposal is…I simply can’t take it. I don’t want to cause any more pain to anyoneelse. If I were to die from the arrangement…a lot of people would get hurt.” After her colony’s destruction, it didn’t seem like there was anyone else in the world left to care about her. But that wasn’t true, she had people in this town who would be beside themselves if something serious were to happen to her. She couldn’t do it…if not for her own sake than for theirs. 

“Maybe I will return. I’ll get back to my roots. I’ll forge my own path and make it so big there’s no way you won’t hear about it! I’ll bring people to their knees, but I’m going to do it my way.” Elora, while she was turning down a proposal of sorts, didn’t want to come off as rude. So she gave a slight curtsy before making her way out of the bar. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Ashton. Thank you for not goading me into doing something stupid”. And with that, she made her way out of the bar and back home. Tomorrow, she’d have to fill Mack in on everything that had transpired and make her promise to stop her if she ever tried to do anything dumb like that again.

Ashton was pleased, hungry, but pleased that the siren had rejected the offer. The muse was tired of it all. Those who wanted it all cost that 15 minutes of fame; they were fleeting, and Ashton could tell them apart from ones who had more to live for. It was something like redemption to talk her down. Did it make her less dangerous? Did it make her anything at all different from what she was? “Heard of her, talked once.Maybe one day I'll live to see happily ever after, even if it's vicariously through someone else eyes.” 

The muse looked down at her phone as she nursed her 2nd, maybe 3rd glass of bourbon. There was an ad for a driver, Sai, was that Bat Boy? She wondered if he was still around to give her a ride home.The Bat guy was strange, but he did make Ashton smile more often than not. She did need to tell him about her generous bat donation anyway. Some girl emerged on the stage to the familiar tune of Linger by the Cranberries and Ashton took that as a cosmic sign, better call Sai.

[closingwaters]

Okay I'm officially peeved.

Who stole the cookies I just baked?!

[contemporarybardess]

Stealing cookies fresh out of the oven? Some people have no shame. I'm sure they were delicious, but for the sake of the thieves, I hope they tasted terrible. At least you can always make another batch?

[zofiawithaz]

Has anyone thought to look for the giant body that goes with this giant disembodied leg?

[contemporarybardess]

I'm scared to, honestly. The leg is freaky looking enough, I definitely don't want to see whatever Eldritch horror it could be connected to.

[realmackross]

Well that's not a phone call I expected to receive...Not everyday you here from Buzzfeed. Shit. Shit. Shit. Stay cool, Mackenzie. They don't know anything.

[contemporarybardess]

That's kind of a major company to get contacted by! But hey, you've got the star power and this town has the weirdness power. It was only a matter of time until you got their attention! Although...maybe this attention isn't the best kind to get.

[animotoph0bia]

The Frosty's machine is broken again? I won't say it's my thirteenth reason but it's definitely like at least the twelfth...

[contemporarybardess]

They don't want to pay for more Frosty, so they just say the machine's broken. That way we won't complain like we would if they took it off the menu. Then the machine will be "fixed" again for another week or two before breaking again. Cheap asses.

[luckylockjaw]

No, no, he's on to somethin. The number of times I've needed a ride home from a bar and couldn't find a damn cabby and had to wreck a nice outfit so I could shift and make the trip a helluva lot faster-- ... These are perfect operatin hours.

[contemporarybardess]

Well that's a good point, I guess. Someone has to do it after all. I keep forgetting Wicked's Rest has such an active night life. This way at least people leaving the bars will have a cabby so they don't feel the need to do anything stupid.

[realmackross]

PARTIES: @contemporarybardess, @realmackross TIMING: Sometime in the spring SUMMARY: Elora & Mack have a Twilight themed date night where some secrets are revealed... WARNINGS: Just a soft thread with a sire and a zombie! ♥

It had been a while since Mackenzie had gotten to do anything just fun and cute with Elora. In fact, it had felt like it had been months. And she knew it probably had to do something with the fact that the two still didn’t live together, but Mack just wasn’t ready. The one year anniversary of Brody’s death had literally just passed, and she still couldn’t bring herself to fully commit every part of her life to Elora; though she clearly wasn’t going to tell Elora that. She loved the woman with most of her heart, but moving on still felt wrong.

However, tonight, she was going to make it a point to spend time with her girlfriend, and she knew just the place to go…

“I really hope you like sparkly vampires. It’s the only thing showing, and I thought that if we got bored of seeing Robert Pattison’s sparkling peeled potato skin, we could just make out.” Mackenzie looked over at Elora with a hopeful grin as she shut off the engine on her Mini Cooper. The first movie hadn’t quite started yet, so there was still time for concessions, bathroom breaks, and finding a spot in the grass up front with the blankets she brought, if Elora didn’t want to stay in the car the whole time.

—

Finally, just a cozy date night watching a cheesy vampire movie with her girlfriend. No violence. No cosmic bullshit cutting in. Just Elora and Mackenzie…and the other people watching the Twilight marathon, of course. While she always got butterflies whenever she saw her still, quality alone time that wasn’t interrupted was rare. They both had very…busy and eventful lives after all. 

“Well I used to have a crush on that sparkly potato skin when I was younger. But I’d never turn down a makeout session, you know that.” It was a bit embarrassing to admit she was a recovering Twihard, but she also knew pretty much every girl went through that phase at one point or another. 

“Y’know, I was expecting a better turnout” she said, looking out at the crowd of people. The turnout seemed decent, but definitely didn’t seem to match the fervor the online petition had implied would be present. “I guess not everyone can tough it out through all the movies, eh? Can’t blame them, I’m not so sure we’ll make it either.” She was hoping that they’d get too tired to give Mack an excuse to spend the night at Elora’s place. Or for Elora to spend the night at Mack’s. Either way, they hadn’t had much time co-habitating and she definitely wanted to make it happen. It just felt more cozy and couple-y.

—

When Mack had heard that Elora had a crush on Edward Cullen, a wide grin spread across her cheeks, “Wait…what? Were you a Twihard, Elora Spiros?” Mackenzie had never really gotten the appeal of the movies, at least not when they had first released, considering she was only ten years old. But by the time she had turned thirteen, it was all she could talk about. She had caught the tail end of the obsession, but it didn’t matter. The pasty sparkly vampires and werewolf who wore jorts had their hooks in her heart, and she wanted more. It would take another year or so for her to actually grow out of it, but rumor has it, there’s still some of Mackenzie Ross’s (TwihardGirlie98) fanfic still floating around the internet today.

“I…Okay, I’ll admit it. I was a Twihard, too. But like at the tailend of the hype, because I was ten when the first movie came out, and my parents wouldn’t let me read the books until I was a little older…” If she could blush, she would, “Who was your favorite character?” This date was already so telling, but she loved it. It made her feel so much closer to Elora. Something she needed out of fear that they might have been drifting apart.

“You know, I’m surprised too, but it’s probably because everyone and their mother and brother own all the movies and don’t want to be bothered by sitting in a car for three years just to see Edward Cullen sparkle and brood on the big screen.” Mack laughed softly. “Besides, I would rather us not make it…if you catch my drift…” She grinned coyly at Elora.

—

With mock embarrassment, Elora put her hands up and said “Guilty as charged! Me and pretty much everyone else I went to middle school with.” She then caught herself, as she technically didn’t go to school with any of them. “Well, the girls who were the same age as me, I should say. It was like some hive mind virus that targeted tween girls specifically. It was sort of some weird fever dream we all woke up out of years later.” All of her Twilight merch was long gone now, burned up with pretty much everything else, but she hung on to a lot of her New Moon T-shirts until well after her teenage years. Those times were fun to look back on, even if they did make her cringe more than anything. 

“I knew it! You totally seem like the type! No offense, of course. Nobody’s immune from the Twilight phenomenon, not even the infallible Ms. Mackenzie Ross.” She thought about Mack’s question for a little while. There were so many characters, but not many that were particularly good or likable. “I like the dad. What was his name? Charlie? He had a good head on his shoulders and only wanted what was best for Bella. Took the whole existence of vampires and werewolves surprisingly well. I mean, mildly freaked out of course, but didn’t get hung up on it too much! The real question is…Team Jacob or Team Edward?”

“I wouldn’t mind cutting out early either” Elora said, knowing fully well what her girlfriend had in mind. It had been a while since they had a chill night just to themselves, and while watching bad vampire romance was a good date night it wasn’t quite what Elora had wanted. “Let’s at least make it to the baseball scene from the first movie. After that everything goes downhill anyway”.

—

Mack laughed at Elora. She knew exactly what the other woman was talking about though, because she had witnessed its phenomena, even growing up on movie sets. She could remember the adults on set talking about it and trying to ask them what they were talking about. Even some of her younger co-stars had been allowed to bask in the glory of its success, but Mack had been left on the sidelines, until she wasn’t anymore and her room was plastered from head-to-toe. But the real height of her obsession came, when she was allowed to attend the Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 premiere. She hadn’t recalled the memory until now, sitting next to her girlfriend while having this conversation, and she honestly wasn’t quite sure if she had wanted to admit it out of the fear of being teased for eternity by Elora, “Yeah, yeah…the dad was cool. Nice guy in real life too. And you’re right. He did keep a pretty level head. You know…he kind of reminds me of Kaden. Have you two met? He wouldn’t get the reference, but if you ever meet him, tell me he doesn’t remind you of Charlie.”

Mackenzie was trying to stall, but it was getting harder and harder, because even she wanted to laugh at herself and the situation, “Oh come on…why did you have to ask me that?” She paused thinking, before finally giving the redhead an answer, “So I was Team Edward all the way growing up, but there is some bias because I had worked on a movie with Robert before, but now that I’m an actual member of the undead, I’m gonna have to go Team Jacob. Who wouldn’t love a nice, warm fuzzy werewolf to snuggle up to on cold, winter nights. Any chance you might be able to grow some fur? Perpetually cold dead girl over here.” She let out a snort, before playfully nudging her girlfriend to let her know she was kidding.

“Totally fine with waiting for the baseball scene. It’s like the best part of the movie, but I have a tiny bit of embarrassing information to share, and I don’t know if it will make you want to cut out sooner or not leave at all…” Mackenzie forced down the nerves that had formed in her throat as she pulled out her phone and searched online for something. When she finally found it, she quickly handed off her phone to Elora and turned away from the window. It was a video of a little Mackenzie at the Breaking Dawn Part 1 premiere answering everybody’s favorite question – the one Elora had just asked. And as she heard her voice fill the car, she couldn’t help but put her head down in embarrassment.

—

She wasn’t sure why, but Elora’s eyes widened a bit when Mack mentioned Charlie being a nice guy in real life as well as on screen. Sure, she was a major celebrity who had met pretty much all of the huge A-listers already, but did she really mean to tell her she’d met the Charlie Swan?

“Man, I’ll never get over you just knowing people. It must be so cool to know what people are like off camera. Well…the ones who are nice at least” She had heard talk of a Kaden in town, but had never gotten the pleasure of actually meeting him. “Nah, I’ve never met him. Nice guy then, I’m assuming? It’s nice to see decent guys around here, they aren’t super common.” It was true. There a lot of shady folks hanging around here, so knowing who was friend or foe was very important information to have. 

“Well I’m glad you finally came around to the side of reason! Jacob was so much better for her, I can’t believe she went with the crusty vampire man instead.” She laughed a bit at the fur comment, knowing that feathers just wouldn’t fill the same purpose for her. “I mean, there technically is a way I can make myself warm, it would just be very painful for me and probably burn you to a crisp. So…sorry but your dreams of a furnace girlfriend are going to have to be put on the back burner.”

She couldn’t help but crack a smile as she saw a young Mack, fully human and full of life, giving her interview. She was so young then, she always found it interesting seeing people she met as adults when they were children. “That’s adorable! You were so excited for the sparkly man! Also…really puts into perspective how long you’ve been a star for. I guess being a fan girl is a little different when you know the people personally, huh?”

—

Mackenzie had learned early on that celebrities were just people. It had come after an embarrassing moment on one of the first sets she had worked on, when she had gotten so nervous to be around one of the leading stars that she started to cry. It had stopped production, but the person she was working with had been patient with her and had spoken to her in a way that reassured her that everything was okay, and to remember that even the biggest Hollywood stars were just people and this was just a job, and at the end of the day they were all just friends having fun together. Of course, that worked until Mack grew older and started to realize that not all actors felt the same way; some who thought they hung the moon. But at the end of the day, Mack had learned to be kind and humble, and whenever there was someone feeling nervous, she was going to treat them with the same respect she had learned as a child, “At the end of the day, they’re all just people. Even the ones who think they’re God’s greatest gift to man.” She smiled warmly at Elora, before changing the subject to Kaden, “But yeah, if you want me to introduce you to him sometime, just let me know.”

Elora’s comment about Edward and Jacob made Mack laugh, “Crusty vampire man. That’s so accurate it hurts though. That’s why there’s fanfiction. So all your literary and movie dreams come true, when the plot doesn’t go the way you want it to.” She couldn’t believe she had just admitted that either. This trip to Twilight was proving to be more embarrassing for Mack than anything else, but she wouldn’t have it any other way, “You know, that's a shame though that you’d burn me to a crisp. I guess I’ll just stick with my fifteen heated blankets.” She was being serious too. “You heard me.”

It was a relief when the video was over, and Mack could put her phone away. If Elora wanted more, she could google it for herself, “Yeah…mention that, and I’ll disown you, Elora Spiros.” She was joking of course. “I mean, I’ll be honest – despite what I told you earlier, I still bragged to the few friends that I had that I knew Edward Cullen. I couldn’t help myself though. I was young and dumb.”

Looking up, Mackenzie noticed the movie was about to start, “Did you want anything, before this thing starts?” She was honestly looking forward more to the makeout sesh and what might follow then watching a movie about sparkly vampires.

—

“Yeah, everyone’s just another person. It’s just that some people need to be reminded that they’re only people.” Elora knew all too well what some members of the rich and powerful thought of themselves. Some people thought themselves to be gods of some degree, and demanded they be treated as such. “I’d like that. The more friends the better in this town, that’s for sure.” 

Elora knew about fanfiction all too well. She had written some herself, mostly when she was a teenager through her early 20s. It’s not a phase of her life she’s proud of, but if Mack was willing to show an embarrassing moment from her past then Elora figured she should be too. “Well, since we’re sharing. I know quite a bit about fanfiction and writing the ending I want. I actually used to post on AO3 a lot…I kind of had a problem actually. I just had a lot of my own ideas on what the canon should be so I wrote it into existence!” She knew there were a lot of fanfiction writers out there so saying she wrote wasn’t the most embarrassing thing in the world. However, she would fight tooth and nail to stop Mack from actually reading what she wrote. Her screenname wasn’t exactly easy to guess. 

“How could you NOT brag?! I don’t care how famous you are, every girl that age had the hots for Mr. Pattinson. And now he’s off being Batman, times really have changed.” She thought, thinking about how his acting skills really did have a huge glow up after the Twilight movies wrapped. He was a good actor when he wasn’t sparkling like a diamond. 

“We can just share some popcorn. I don’t want to eat too much, especially if we have…y’know…plans for after this.” The baseball scene couldn’t come fast enough. Although Elora had to admit she’d probably genuinely enjoy watching the movie up until that point.

—

“I’m not like that am I?” Mackenzie looked at Elora. She had come to this town hoping and praying she wouldn’t be recognized, but knew she probably would. Of course, the mansion out on World’s End Isle probably didn’t make her seem very humble or down-to-Earth, but Mackenzie tried to be. She really did. “I just…I don’t want to be perceived as an asshole.” Now, she was paranoid. Did Elora ever think of her that way?

Mack’s smile had dropped as she worried, until Elora had brought up AO3 and fanfiction, “Wait…what?! You wrote fanfiction? I want to read it! I showed you my embarrassing red carpet video, and look, I’ll even tell you my screenname, because I’m sure my stuff is still out there, if you tell me yours or at least share some of your fanfiction!” Her sad face turned to one of a puppy dog pout, she wanted to see this fanfiction dammit!

“I mean, I guess you have a point, and he really did glow up, didn’t he. Now, he’s got a kid. Good for him, you know? But if you think this is going to take my mind off of you admitting that you wrote fanfiction, you’re wrong.” It was hard talking about anything else now. “Look, I’ll go get the popcorn and soda…” She paused thinking on Elora’s words with a grin, “And nothing else…and while I’m gone, you can pull up AO3…accidentally leave your phone on the dash, and I can be all…whoops! What is this?!” Mackenzie put the puppy dog pout on and stared at her girlfriend.

—

 Elora felt her heart stop for a moment at Mack’s question. In truth, she was one of the realest and most down to earth people she had ever met. “Not at all!” She blurted out quickly. “Quite the opposite, actually. I’ve met some fairly well recognized bands and artists and there’s just so many pompous douches in the entertainment industry.” She then grabbed hold of Mack’s hand and looked into her eyes. “But not you. Never you.” 

Elora’s panic soon gave way to embarrassment as it seemed Mack wouldn’t let her off the hook about her fanfic days. She wouldn’t mind sharing if it was any good. But making a fic where the Cullen clan enter the World Series of Poker and titling it “High Stakes” isn’t exactly the peak of literature. Still, Mack did have a point. If she could see a mildly embarrassing red carpet video, they could cringe at some bad fics together

“Fiiine, you win. But be nice! I was a teenager. I think…maybe early 20s. Either way, I’m a much better writer now!” She begrudgingly opened up to her old screenname on AO3 and set her phone on the dash, resigning herself to her fate. If she can love me after reading these she’ll love me through anything, she thought to herself with a smirk. She was starting to get peckish and hoped she’d come back with their popcorn soon.

—

Mackenzie had immediately felt relief at Elora’s words in regards to her fame and the way she had treated people. There had easily been the exceptions, like Jade. But even with Jade, Mack had originally tried to be nice. But the loving grip Elora had on Mack’s hand solidified just how right she had gotten it when she had chosen to start falling in love with this woman. Someone who had chosen to see the real Mackenzie Ross for more than just a celebrity.

A giddiness had taken over the young actress though when Elora finally agreed to let Mack see the fanfic, and like a child excited on Christmas morning, Mackenzie hurried off to get the popcorn.

And just like that she was back in a flash and right back in her seat next to Elora, “Here’s your popcorn. Now gimme gimme gimme!” She was impatient like a child until she noticed the phone sitting on the dash, and quickly pulled it back. For the next hour, Mackenzie was going to sit and read the beautiful works of art that her girlfriend had gifted to the world, while the inspiration for such works played in the background.

—

As her girlfriend scrolled through some of the worst fanfiction she can remember reading in a very long time, Elora simply tried to focus on the movie. It actually wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, there were some genuine sweet and entertaining moments. Nevertheless, it was still Twilight. The cheesiness would always be there to stop it from being more than just a guilty pleasure watch. 

At long last the fated baseball scene ran its course, and the pair shot each other a knowing look as their deadline had finally arrived. 

“Well,” Elora began, “Shall we head back to my place for a little night cap? Maybe we can do something less embarrassing than reading my old fics.”

—

Mackenzie had squealed with delight, throwing Elora a glance of genuine enjoyment every now and then, sometimes just stopping to catch the redhead in a moment of intrigue. God, she’s beautiful. The way the light from the screen accented the silhouette of her face and more had easily made Mackenzie ready to leave, and when the time had finally come, and Elora spoke, the zombie was in full agreement with the idea, “Babe, I might take inspiration from your old fics.”

Leaning over to give Elora her phone back, Mackenzie snuck in a quick kiss, before starting the engine of her Mini Cooper. Giving Edward and his ragtag team of vampires one last look, she peeled out of the parking lot with her girlfriend ready to go home and make a little magic of their own and the fifty things of glitter Mackenzie kept stashed in her bathroom for special occasions.

[saithebatguy]

[contemporarybardess]

9pm-4am? There are definitely people out at night but don't you think you'd make more money during the day? A lot more people needing rides during those hours, wouldn't you think?

[recoveringdreamer]

[user spends a long time staring at the screen before typing.]

Does anyone [...] know anything about [...] interior design?

[contemporarybardess]

Do I know anything? Probably not. Do I tend to have a lot of strong opinions on where things should go anyway? Absolutely. If you need advice, I'd love to offer some. It may not be the best, but it's free!

[inesfromwc]

Does anyone want to do something fun and/or distracting? I can't - I've been so - I don't know what I'm feeling anymore.

Like going to the movies or perhaps going to see the leg? I think going to the leg would be distracting right? I have some time off so you know.

[contemporarybardess]

The leg is really weird, and kinda creepy up close. Doesn't mean it isn't cool though, and definitely can make for a great distraction! A movie would probably distract you for longer though. You can really only look at a freaky disembodied leg for so long.

[longislandcharm]

Maybe you should leave that thing along. None of them look too friendly and they seem to be multiplying. Please tell me we don't have another reindeer situation on our hands.

[contemporarybardess]

Yep. Leaving it alone. Definitely don't have him quarantined in the basement away from my cat until he learns to love me Not going anywhere near it.

[contemporarybardess]

Remember Who You Are || Elora Solo

Parties: @contemporarybardess

Timing: Current, during the eclipse

Location: Elora’s Home

Triggers: Parental Death

Summary: Elora gets ready to enjoy the eclipse, but is visited by a familiar spirit instead

The fog was getting unbearable. All Elora wanted to do was go out and put up posters for the dog she found, but she couldn’t even see well enough to venture too far away from her house! At least, that was her excuse. In actuality, she really wanted an excuse to keep the dog as her own.

As the sky overhead darkened, she quickly grabbed her special eclipse glasses. She hadn’t realized it was already time! The phenomenon still fascinated her, even though she had seen several already. 

“It’s an oddly beautiful sight, isn’t it?” 

The voice came from behind her, just inside her home, and made her stand stock still. She turned around slowly, and saw…nothing. She had forgotten to take her eclipse glasses off. After she removed them, she saw something that flooded her with a complex mix of emotions. 

Her mother.

“M…mom?” She immediately felt herself burst into tears at the sight of her. Desperately, she reached out to try and pull her mother into an embrace, but could grab only the air in front of her. It hurt. It hurt that she couldn’t touch her but it also overjoyed her to at least see her and hear her voice again. 

“I want to hold you too, love, but right now this is all we can manage,” her mother said, tears welling up in her own eyes.

She had so many questions. So much she wanted to say. Eventually, one question emerged above all others. 

“Where’s Dad?”

“The eclipse is what’s allowing you to see me. Unfortunately your father and I weren’t sure if you could see both of us at once, so decided I should be the one here to see you.”

She couldn’t believe it. She was really here. She…she didn’t deserve to have her here. She didn’t deserve this level of love and compassion after what she had done. She was almost relieved her father wasn’t here so she wouldn’t have to face him. 

“Little dove, you know it isn’t your fault.” Elora’s mother’s words cut through her self loathing. Just as it always had, her voice had wrapped around her like a blanket and made her feel safe again.

“Your father and I both love you very much. I wish I could stay longer but…the power is only here for a short time.” 

“Your ring…” Elora began to say while looking down at her hand, confessing she had more or less pawned it to Alistair. 

“Your hand! Damn the ring, I’m glad your hand is back to normal! Awful thing that that brute did to you” her mother answered back immediately. 

“You don’t hate me for what happened?” Elora finally asked after a period of silence. She had always carried the weight with her that her parents may have cursed her name in their final moments.

“Elora…” her mother began, surprised and sounding somewhat hurt by the question. “You are our daughter no matter what. And we’re proud to call you our daughter. I mean, look at you now! Starting your own life, forging your own path. You have a very lovely home and were smart enough to get it for free! Not to mention a job and a girlfriend. What more can a parent ask for?” 

Before she could answer, the visage of Elora’s mother began to fade. 

“We love you, forever and always” were the last words she uttered before she faded away forever. She was gone…again. Just as she did, the sky brightened again. But to Elora, it was just as dull out as ever. 

Still, she felt the weight of her guilt completely lift from her shoulders. It was a heavy load, heavier than she thought it would be. She could do nothing but continue sobbing. Sobbing in joy, sadness, grief, and absolution. A cacophony emotion all released in one large torrent of tears. When she was done, however, she had never felt better.

[recoveringdreamer]

What's it look like? Maybe you could put up flyers around town! I'm working on some, we could save on printing if you want to chip in and just add the dog info to it?

[contemporarybardess]

That sounds great actually! I'd like to meet the owner and maybe give them some training tips. Just little things, like "no ripping the siding off the house" and "no breathing fire". It's...a weird dog.

What are your flyers for?

[stonekey]

Is it me? I mean I know I'm here but Uh, is the dog trying to eat you?

[contemporarybardess]

He growled at me a bunch. Lunged at me even, but thankfully I was close to my house and ended up slamming the door in his face before he got to me. Thank goodness this guy's house had those heavy ass wooden doors.

It was weird though, the closer it came to me, it almost started to look like it was glowing.