you the garden and the grave,

[d3c4yd]

the study of luca st. mercy, a witch who finds comfort in the realm between life and death where restless souls and swamp water threaten to swallow him whole . . .

✝ biography and connections, ✝ character tag, ✝ pinterest board, ✝ interactions,

resembling that of costa d'angelo for fangtv && loved till the bitter end by smash ( 29. she / her. est )

[godsforsakcn]

location: his house, middle of the night

status: closed for luca st. mercy / @d3c4yd

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, time began to warp and fold over on itself until the seconds stretched for what felt like hours and an entire hour passed quicker than a blink. It wasn't her first experience with such a disorienting bend and snap of reality. Hell, it wasn't even her second. Or her third. And, just like all those other nights before, Iara found herself where she always did...

Not at her own home, curled small and tight in her own bed, but barefoot and haphazardly dressed in front of Luca St. Mercy's front door. 

Even though her knuckles were blanched white around two clamped fists, she didn't knock. Iara never knocked. She didn't need to because she knew he'd find her anyway. Not because she'd had some prophetic vision of it, but because it was him. Luca always found her when she needed him.

Which is why she took three slow steps back, then a few more, until her knees gave up and she found her usual seat on the steps.

It might've only been a minute that she sat there, eyes closed, head tipped to the heavens, and cradling an unlit cigarette. Then again, maybe it was ten, or ten thousand. Either way, she clocked a near silent pad of feet across weathered porch boards eventually and, in turn, a soft and tired smile spill crookedly across her lips.

"Sorry." Iara's apology was just another beat, another step, to this now familiar song and dance. Shifting over just enough to make space for two, she sought his face in the dark and murmured, "Were you already sleeping?"

[d3c4yd]

luca couldn't remember the last time he slept without being thrown into a space where he only experiences the worst of what he's seen on the other side, a place no living person should be. some think it would become easier to break free of such a nightmare over time yet his continued struggle was apparent each time he jolted awake. his sweat was as cold as the marble walls surrounding the shower luca used for support when the scalding water proved unable to relax his trembling form. tonight was no different and he found himself cooped up in the bathroom when the moon was at its highest, trying to coax himself out of a full blown panic attack. would it ever become easier? how could he live with such a gift and continue to be functioning like he was expected to be? his spiral was short lived and so rudely interrupted groaning that most would think to be natural settling of a foundation but it could never be that simple in a world where magic exists. his mother always said it was a boundary spell their ancestors put around the property to warn them of trespassers, a fitting answer when a child asks. though he was like his father and shared the same sentiment that the grounds were very much alive and aware of who ventured onto it. any other time luca would have acted on its call but what good is he in this state? magic was a volatile beast and mixing heightened emotions with it was one way to put even the strongest witches into an early grave. so luca did what he often did best by ignoring the obvious and shifting his focus back to the water that threatened to leave behind blisters on tattooed flesh. he was getting ready to face the shower head when the water abruptly shut off and centuries old pipping rattled so loudly it scared the voices into silence for only a moment. he found himself starring at the metal fixture in disbelief till he stepped back into the real world to dress and see what had the house so restless. his feet were one with the hardwood as luca moved from his bedroom to the living room to peer out of lace curtains his mother forbid him from removing prior to going outside. eyes murky like swamp water looked over the front yard until they landed on a seated figure, earning him what sounded like a pleased sigh from the house. it never made sense to luca how one night managed to change so much between them but he welcomed the routine they had fallen into, however unhealthy it may be at times. luca abandoned his place at the window to then unlock the door, swinging it open so he could step onto the porch and towards where iara sat like she was meant to be there. "you could have came in," luca muttered with a nod to the small statue hiding the key to his house before he filled the place at her side, elbows now leaning on bent knees. "something like that," out of all the nights they spent wrapped in each other, there had only been one that showed her just how bad it could get for him. even then, luca concealed it under the guise of stress in an effort to not completely ruin whatever they wanted to consider this. it was almost too natural in the way he moved closer when her eyes fell on him, an arm retreating behind her to support his weight and fill what little space remained between them. "you just getting off work?"

[d3c4yd]

WHO. aspara kore, @coffinled WHERE. cemetery near lafleur church WHEN. a little after sundown

no one ever told luca that he couldn't simply get over grief, no— he would be walking alongside it for the rest of his life it seemed and he still hadn't come to terms with that. it didn't matter how many times he sat in front of her headstone and talked through his frustrations with the cold granite, there seemed to be no end in sight for his suffering. all luca could do was lose himself in the world and voices around him, fading into whatever darkness wanted to so desperately call him home. today was no different as the witch sat in front of the grave site on a weathered bench, a lit cigarette hung from his fingertips with no care towards the smoke that hit his cheeks. although it broke his heart every time he ventured into the cemetery, it proved to be the one place he experienced total silence from the restless souls. a wise decision on their part, they'd be stupid to follow him to where they truly belonged and luca was almost thankful for it. though that peace would be short lived today and replaced by something far worse than the usually gentle whispers that cozied up to his ear from sun up to sun down. disembodied voices carried in the wind towards his place on the bench and hit him like a bus, broad shoulders flinching so suddenly that luca almost dropped his cigarette. a slew of colorful words uttered from his lips while he brushed away fallen ash, attempting to swallow the dread that began to rise like bile in the back of his throat. the voices he heard always carried the same tone unless they were displeased with him but never did they sound like the ones who clung to a particular woman. the first time he passed by the other in town, luca swore his eardrums were going to explode with how loud and disembodied the voices were. a part of him was curious as to why they were so guttural but he knew how that ended for the cat and luca had no plans of dying any time soon. they were closing in on luca and a small voice inside him screamed to run in the other direction but he sat still, head turning slightly to look at the other as they approached. what would he say? hello, why are the dead screaming in your presence? some in town already believed that he was missing a few marbles from his intimate relationship with death and spewing utter nonsense wouldn't do him any favors. silence was the best way to go and yet luca heard the words come from his own mouth before he had time to close it, a typical case of his heart and mind at bitter odds. "they'll be fixin' to lock the gates in an hour or so,"

[d3c4yd]

WHO. whittaker jo, @petalslain WHERE. coffee shop WHEN. just past noon

"you are never pouring my drinks again," luca muttered into the crook of a tanned arm, his forehead rubbing into the flesh like it might offer relief to his pounding headache. he knew slowing down was in his best interest but luca had a bad habit of not being able to resist his friends and their desire to party like they were still seventeen. a head of brown locks finally lifted to look at jo with an expression that either looked like luca was either holding back laughter or the contents of his queasy stomach. she was among the select few that knew luca at his core and saw him through every moment in their lives— no matter how high or low. "is this what i get for saying i can out drink you?"

[pradawifey-deactivated20240529]

[d3c4yd]

✞          「    intricate tattoos peeking out from under crisp black scrubs, being far too familiar with the realm between life and death, expectations that seem to grow heavier as the generations pass, falling asleep to the distant sound of peep frogs & restless spirits  」          cis man.   he / him.   ╱   now   nobody   in   lafleur   is   saying   LUCA ST. MERCY  is   trouble,   but   nobody's   exactly   rushin'   to   defend   them   either.   folks   have   been   talkin'   about   the   28   year   old   embalmer since   the   day   they   rolled   into   town.   seems   there's   always   some   new   story   about   how   they're   allegedly   a   witch   and   have   been   here   for   28 years.   i   don't   put   much   stock   in   every   rumor   that   floats   through   this   shithole,   but   with   an   attentive,  cautious   &   reticent   reputation   like   theirs,   something   tells   me   we   only   scratched   the   surface   of   the   COSTA D'ANGELO   wannabe's   story. 

trigger warnings include mentions of a car accident, death and emotional distress.

stats ,

⤷  full name:  luca st. mercy,  nicknames: lucky ( close friends ), lu ( family and close friends ),  birthday && age:  25th of june, 1998  ( 28 ), birthplace:  lafluer, lousiana,  gender:  cis man,  pronouns:  he + him,  sexuality:  heterosexual,  occupation:  embalmer at saint mercy funeral home,

⤷  faceclaim:  costa d'angelo,  height:  6’4  (193 cm),  build:  muscular throughout,  hair color + style:  here,  eye color:  hazel,  tattoos:  here,  piercings: none,  wardrobe:  here,  scars:  none worth noting,

⤷  theme song:  falling inside the black by skillet,  parallels:  adam  conant ( secret circle ),   freddie mcclair ( skins ), manfred bernardo ( midnight texas ), william magnusson ( skam norway ), personality type:  isfp,  moral alignment:  lawful good,  temperament:  sanguine,  favorite color:  dark blue, 

⤷  economic status:  middle class, living arrangements:  2 bedroom guest house on his family's property,  education level:  bachelors in mortuary science,  languages:  english and italian, likes: anything covered in dark chocolate, going fishing with his daughter, collecting records, rewatching the same movie eighty times, how peaceful it is at sunrise, reading thriller novels, the smell of burnt lavender and rosemary, knit sweaters despite the lousiana heat,   dislikes:  quiet rooms, messy environments, those who disrespect the dead, driving in a downpour, using magic with selfish or malicious intent, sour candy, cigarettes without menthol, his dislike for causing harm being mistaken as an inability to do so,

⤷  species: witch, magical focus: necromancy and its applications / techniques, summoning, and spell casting, unique abilities: acute hearing of the dead and freedom to enter, venture in and leave purgatory,

about ,

⤷ eldest of the st. mercy family, who are quietly respected for their special care of the dead at saint mercy funeral home, and devotion to assisting restless souls who cannot pass on or are deserving of justice.

⤷ luca's upbringing was not lacking in love or attention but there was ignoring the expectations his family had for him as a death favored witch, something his bloodline only saw every generation or so.

⤷ he has always been quiet, not readily offering his opinion out of an rotational fear of upsetting others, a people pleaser at best but acts of service has become his way of expressing his true feelings.

⤷ luca has always been studious, finding school to be a much needed escape from his family's business and magical practices, high marks were an easy feat and it earned him a full ride to receive a degree in mortuary sciences. ⤷ he became a father after graduating college and was set to marry his high school sweetheart the following spring but heavy rainfall and a distracted driver took her life too soon, a loss that luca still struggles with today.

⤷ it has been a long five years for luca, as a single father, as a son and witch as his ability to hear the dead is louder than ever, forcing him further from the light he so desperately needs. ⤷ yet he somehow remains grounded in swampy waters, and an active member in the magical community in lafluer, offering his knowledge to those who seek it and being a silent but dangerous protector of the dead.

active ties,

⤷ mother: ⤷ father: ⤷ younger sibling: see wanted connection here ⤷ daughter: nadia st. mercy ( npc, five years old ) ⤷ childhood friend group: archie breaux, jolene whittaker, ⤷ best friend: dylan guidry ⤷ friends to strangers: grace burke ⤷ superantural buddy: katherine marin ⤷ unlikely drinking buddy: kozen de vos ⤷ situationship: iara gonçalves de santos ⤷ the dead told me about you: viktor rousseau ⤷ you missed one: stefano blanco / belail

wanted ties,

⤷ childhood friend group ( inspo can be found here, here, here && here ) : 2 / 4 ⤷ tattoo artist ⤷ ghost he has tried to help pass on but they refuse ⤷ call upon the dead for me: a muse who is seeking out luca in an attempt to contact the dead ( reason can be utp ) and they're willing to do anything to get what they seek ⤷ not so quietly respected: a muse who has also lived in lafluer all of their life and doesn't agree with the way the st. mercy's interact with the dead, they could see it as unnatural or unholy ( if going the religious route ) but all around a negative dynamic ⤷ parent friend: a muse who also has a young child and their kids are friends, someone luca has learned to lean on when single parenting becomes too much and learns from them, very wholesome support system because it takes a village!

[mothercains]

COSTA D'ANGELO as alex in tell me lies