"Light's out."

"I've seen injustice in the world and I've corrected it."

[weirdgio-deactivated20191003]

Gilmore Girls \  The Ins and Outs of Inns (2x08)

[thaliawinsor]

Birthday Surprise

[gh0st-wr1ter]

thaliawinsor‌:

Confusion and surprise meshed together on her face at his insistence she not leave. More surprising still was the lack of gravel in his voice, as Nightingale she’d always teased him about the forced ‘superhero’ voice but without it Pitch didn’t quite… seem like Pitch. With almost too much ease she glanced towards the wall before he threw the bag, knowing from the way he slipped it from his shoulders which of his usual party tricks would be coming next. 

“Don’t you have other things you’re out here for? No offence but I don’t really like the idea of you whisking me off and then needing to ditch midway through because someone is doing something illegal… being stood up once is my limit for today I think.” She spoke with more honesty than she normally felt confident with, but the night had already testing her limits on exactly how let down she’d allow other people to make her feel. 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, because I do.” She said, certain that the events between Pitch and Thalia were enough that such a statement wouldn’t seem out of place between them. Once more she reached for her phone and once more she saw nothing new awaiting her attention. Petty anger bubbled softly beneath the surface at her friend as she turned off the screen, even for Talon this was running spectacularly late.

She glanced at his outstretched hand, hesitating as her mind formulated a decision she’d be comfortable with. Thalia knew if she left now with the dark haired hero she’d be writing off any hope of Talon attempting to make things up to her with a botched excuse later - she also knew if she went straight home it would be a rather pathetic night of moping for her. “If I don’t enjoy myself, and you won’t get mad if I don’t, you promise to take me home?” She repeated carefully, clarifying the main concern she had, whilst stepping forward to place her hand in his despite his answer.

Even though she was certain she’d seen the promised views a dozen times before, not that she’d tell him as such, she knew the real treat would be seeing them with him. Part of her wondered if, to some extent, Pitch knew who she was and this was his attempt to coax the truth out - why else would her partner be so interested in an otherwise ordinary woman like herself? Regardless of his reasons & motivation she felt nothing but gratitude towards him and the kindness he was showing her. “Thank you… for stopping and checking up on me again. I know I’m sulking but you’re dealing with it very well.”

“It’s a slow night.” Pitch answered, half joking in his tone to break the building tension. “Believe me, I’d much rather be spending this time with you. I think the city will be okay if I take a night to myself.” He smiled, still feeling the guilt pierce him with the irony in his words knowing that until he could fins a way to repair the damage he’s done that it would be his normal emotional state. “If you say the word, I’ll have you home, I promise.”

True to the cliche, Pitch whisked Thalia off of her feet since it’s much easier to carry her than take her by hand. He was delicate of course. He’d handled enough delicate women or children in his vigilante life that he was confident in what he and they could handle, what he wasn’t prepared for was in holding her how much solid muscle she had. Maybe it was the change of being on her feet most of the night during her work or simply living a healthier lifestyle, but her physical formidability shocked him nonetheless. At the risk of ruining her night even more, he kept it to himself as something told him that telling her she was heavier than he thought she’d be was a terrible idea.

“Oh- of course.” He answered, a bit surprised she was thanking him. The Talon part of his brain knew that a thank you was the last thing to expect. The Pitch he was presenting had to play it off like it was normal. “I think we’ve reached a point with each other where, while I don’t pick favorites, you’re climbing your way up my list.” The quick-fire juggling he was putting himself through was getting concerning and Pitch knew he’d have to try harder at being alone with her if he was going to keep his identity a secret...

Bobbing and weaving through the shadows got them to their destination in a short enough amount of time that he impressed himself. He took a moment to keep her still in case the traversing was waiting to catch up with her, and set her down gently on her feet. The rooftop wasn’t extravagant by any means. In fact, at face value it was very plain with it’s simple layout and bland coloring with only a few objects to rest on. The building was such a tall office building that the architects he was sure wouldn’t have put much care into it anyway,  but it wasn’t the rooftop that he brought her there for. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder after he was sure enough time had passed to let any stomach turns finish and turned her towards the city lights all twinkling along with the stars. “I come up here when my patrols end sometimes. You can see everything... the Harbor, the Neon district, even the Atlas and Hyperion buildings don’t look so daunting from this view.” He pointed and gestured when he spoke. “It’s completely out of the way from where I live but it’s worth it for this. Especially at sunrise. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on keeping you here that long.” He leaned against one of the object protruding from the rooftop as a makeshift chair. “If you hate it I won’t be mad. I’m a man of my word, so if you give yours, I’ll have you home... Or if you wanted to see another. I don’t mind spending the night with you if it helps take your mind off things.” His tone was more hopeful than he would have liked. Even though he fully intended on making good on his word to take her home if she asked, he still hoped she wouldn’t.

[gh0st-wr1ter]

thaliawinsor‌:

She winced at the light tilt to his voice, the stress and tension coming out from his tone despite his attempts to brush it off. She prayed for the ball to find its way into the tower, the longing for a win no longer focused on the prize hanging overhead but for the sake of his mood. Her hand never moved from its place on his back, keeping a steady pace as she traced circles lightly on the small section before he moved for his third and final throw.

Her jaw dropped, as did the attendants, when the ball knocked over every last can in the tower. The fall was so perfect is seemed rehearsed and had she not seen the sheer determination in his eyes Thalia would’ve assumed it came down to luck. She was so swept up in the awe of him achieving the seemingly impossible feat that when he returned with the oversized bear she was caught off guard.

The blonde giggled despite herself, playing along with the silly voice rather than roll her eyes like any sane adult would, and plucked the bear from Talons outstretched arms to hold him up on her hip. The fur was soft and smelt like the cotton candy from the food stall next door - a delightful smell in her opinion - and Thalia cuddled it closer as she followed his lead. 

“Thank you.” Her voice was muffled, head still leading against the fluffy shoulder of the child sized bear as she walked beside him. “You really didn’t need to win me him, but I’m glad you did. You can come home with me tonight and stay in my bed… maybe, there might not be room for the both of us.” She made a point of turning her head to look at the bear, just to make it clear she wasn’t making some awkward pass at Talon out of the blue.

Talon was right about the line being short and they’d barely needed to queue before it was time to pay for tickets onto the ride. She turned in a half circle, moving so the shoulder with her bag hanging from it was within Talon’s reach. “I’ll pay, it’s the least I can do - just go in my purse and grab the money.” Thalia tried her best to wrap her arms around the bear more, just to ensure they didn’t try to charge her extra for the sheer size of the prize, and lead Talon over to the neon lit carriage awaiting them.

She placed the bear delicately at her feet, leaving room beside her for Talon to slip in and be comfortable. “Did they say where they were heading off too?” Thalia asked, not bothering to look for their familiar faces in the crowd until she knew they were high enough to see them. The safety rail clicked shut on them as the ride whirred to life, starting with a stutter that didn’t bother her, and started moving them upwards slowly. “I hope they don’t mind me stealing you for a little while, though they’ll probably welcome the peace & quiet.” 

“Yeah I don’t think they’ll mind at all. In fact I’m sure they couldn’t wait to ditch me since I can be a little one-track-minded when it comes to this kind of stuff.” Talon laughed, taking a final sugary bite of his funnel cake to emphasize his point but regretting that they were rising a bit farther than he could confidently toss his plate into the garbage.

The Ferris wheel was an attraction he scarcely indulged in since Talon was always conscious of the fact he’d be trapped midair if something called for his attention, and subtle hints of that feeling still lingered in his brain making him fight the urge to bounces his knees or fidget too much in case Thalia thought she was the one causing it. The feeling only lasted until they approached the top with the wheel easing to a stop giving them a perfect view of the city lights from the harbor.

“Wow... you know, living in the city and seeing it from the Basement and work everyday really makes you forget how pretty the skyline is.” It was truly an understatement of the decade. The sun had since set, yet the lights from the city shone bright as if it were it’s own source of light etching itself against the night sky. It was the kind of ethereal beauty that stirred something inside of him, the something that not only proved to him that the city and all that he does for it as Pitch are worth it, but also the notion that reaching over to put his hand on her over the lap-bar was the next natural move to make.

Talon could already feel his hands start to get clammy which was something he hadn’t experienced since high school, and despite the social buffer stuffed bear he could feel the words he wanted to say twisting and turning on his tongue before he could even voice them as the Ferris wheel began it’s descent. “I was thinking about our Wednesdays.” He started, eyes focused on their hands which suddenly became much more interesting than the skyline. “What if we did something on another day... like your birthday. I was thinking dinner Downtown by the Mayfields. One of the foodie writers keeps going on about this really nice place and they have really good risotto. Like a date...” He asked more sheepishly than he’d ever admit. Part of him felt bad for putting her on the spot, but his father always told him that if a moment presented himself to go after it.

The Ferris wheel was beginning its descent and Talon was pleased with his timing. If she said yes it was 100% going to be the best thing to look forward to. If she said no, which he knew would really be a deflection if it’s coming from Thalia, then at least he’d know for sure that things would have to stay the way that they were. It was a small comfort through his anxious waiting for an answer that at least by the time the pair of them reached the bottom that he’d have something definitive to hold onto to know where he’d stand.

[thaliawinsor]

Thalion Family Tree (a.k.a. the Thalion children breakdown)

@gh0st-wr1ter

Laurel Miria Naysmith - Elemental Transmutation

Laurel inherited a touch based ability since Thalia’s family had been passing on the trait for generations already. Her powers manifested at a very late age, up until that point they’d believed she’d been born without a gift, after she’d started school. Her ability to manipulate the very structure of a substance and change it into something else completely is a complicated gift her parents are still wrapping their heads around. To the amusement of a child changing things in the house to gold, like her favourite fable, it so far proves nothing too dangerous. Laurel is a bright, witty and loving child, keenly intelligent and more curious than both parents put together. Foolhardy, loyal and competitive; she takes after Talon in the best and worst ways.

Tristan Theodore Naysmith - Sensory Manipulation

Tristan’s gifts made themselves known before he was even born, leaving Thalia with a more than difficult pregnancy. His ability to manipulate another person’s senses; increasing sensitivity, causing blindness or someone to go deaf, over stimulation or the complete numbing of everything, lead to worrying symptoms for the nurse to battle. Yet despite it all Thalia is perhaps a little too overprotective of him. Slightly more withdrawn and introverted, Tristan worries over his gifts in a way his sister does not and tries his best to find ways to use them to help others where he can. He’s a kind, creative & sensitive soul who takes after his father is the ‘mommys boy’ department. 

[thaliawinsor]

Birthday Surprise

[gh0st-wr1ter]

thaliawinsor‌:

The voice from the shadows, and the words especially, caused Thalia to tense up quickly. Immediately her eyes moved towards the darkened alleyway, lips pressed together in a tight line as worry etched its way clearly across her face. Then she saw him and, just like every other time she’d encountered him without her mask, relief flooded through. Subconsciously she shifted, pulling her coat closer, and looked over her shoulder before taking a step out of the well lit street to join him.

“It’s my birthday,” She replied, a slight wave still in her voice from the sadness that wouldn’t quite leave, and hoped that alone would explain why she’d put so much effort in. It seemed silly, in hindsight, to have spent hours getting dressed up for dinner with her friend but she’d wanted tonight to be special. So taking the time to curl her hair or pick out something to look pretty in had seemed like the best idea. 

Thalia laughed, softly and half-heartedly, at his reprimand. Casually wiping the edge of her eye to rid herself of any excess tears. “This wasn’t a planned breaking of my promise to you… I promise. I just wanted to walk off some of my frustration before calling a cab. You don’t have to worry about me getting into trouble, again.” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Thalia noted, as much as she could through the darkness, he seemed more roughed up than usual. The marks promised him some healthy bruises in the morning and she felt a pang of guilt for taking time off as Nightingale for a selfish night to herself.

His comment caught her off guard and Thalia blinked at him owlishly, unsure exactly what to say. The knot in her stomach coiled further and the embarrassment burned its way back to her cheeks and stained them red. “Right… I-uh…Looks like you’ve had an interesting night already, getting an early start I see.” She stammered, fumbling her attempt to divert the conversation away from being stood up.

The deflection didn’t hurt as much as her mentioning it was her birthday. Of course Talon knew and was stupid enough to be standing in front of her as Pitch trying to wrestle with the thought that he blew her off out of some misguided sense of responsibility... or maybe it was chasing glory. Either way, he was paying the price for it whether she knew it or not.

“An early start. You could say that.” Early start as it may have been it certainly didn’t help him now. He was in such a hurry trying to get to the restaurant quickly that he didn’t even realize the dull ache of scattered bruises. “Hey don’t- don’t call a cab.” His voice almost faltered from it’s usual gravel from the slight panic. A cab would be too final. It would seal and secure his failure as a friend which he couldn’t bear.

“Stay out... with me? No one deserves to be stood up, especially someone like you on such a special day.” He took off his backpack, the movement jostling the diamond necklace around the inside, reminding Pitch of his other responsibility once he made up the night to her. “I know some really great views of the city. Some that no one ever gets. I know you’d like them.” He kept the tone of promise in his voice as he tossed the backpack into the wall without it making a sound, storing it in the Inbetween for when he would need it again. “You’re not going home upset while I’m around, Thalia. You can trust me.”

Guilt weighed him down again as he made it clear to the both of them that she couldn’t in fact trust him. As much as he wanted to cheer her up with unseen sights in Newhaven, there of course was the sliver of intention that was set aside for his own conscience. Maybe he’d tell her. What other excuse would he come up with that would justify being so late to their birthday date? she could handle it he thought. She’d understand...

He held out his hand palm up for her to take. “You won’t be sorry.” He smiled, “If you don’t enjoy yourself I’ll take you home, I promise.” His hope was that as Pitch he could make up for Talon’s shortcomings in her heart for the night, at least until he could figure out how on earth else he could make things up to her.

[gh0st-wr1ter]

thaliawinsor‌:

“Well hello there, my knight in shining armour.” She replied in amusement, not letting the fact he’d surprised her show and covered up the fact with a gracious smile. Thalia looked around in search of his family and frowned slightly when she couldn’t see his mini-me or mother. Talon didn’t seem too concerned with the lack of company but the odds of him coming alone seemed slim. She felt a pang of guilt at not texting to invite him to go with her but things seemed to work out in the end regardless.

The blonde grinned in spite of him when he missed. Eyes lighting up with amusement as they both shared a look, Thalia bit her tongue when she noticed the way his jaw clenched in concentration and decided to store away the teasing for after. His second throw was no better than her own attempts. After the third the urge to tease had evaporated, he really seemed annoyed at not winning - though whether it was due to the missed opportunity to win for her or his own desire to succeed driving him she’d never know.

“Talon you really don’t have to…” She stepped forward, placing her hand on his arm as he slapped down another five dollar bill on the counter. Her gaze flicking between his face and the giant teddy bear with concern slowly creeping in. “It’s just a silly game, you shouldn’t.” Her words were lost on him as his arm wound backwards and Thalia forced her lips together to silence herself. The last thing she wanted to do was be a source of distraction when he was aiming. 

Thalia chewed the inside of her cheek when he threw and hit, dead centre, of the stack. It wasn’t enough to knock them all down. Just like he’d said the cans at the bottom were weighed down. “After the next two throws, whether you win or not, we can go on the ferris wheel or for some food or something.” She said softly, placing her hand on the small of his back to try and coax his competitive edge down just a bit. 

“No no,” Talon started with a slight sing-song in his voice to mask his frustration. “At first I was going to win that bear for you but no it’s getting personal.” He put his tight hand on the small of her back to reassure Thalia that he wasn’t about to lose his cool over a kid’s game. Not completely at least. When he threw the seond ball, he managed to get most of them hit, but when they fell onto the platform, they aligned themselves back upright, further proving that the odds were unfairly stacked. What a joke... Talon thought with a scoff as he leaned back to shift his weight.

By this point the promise of more food and a Ferris wheel ride were tempting especially if it meant his dignity would be left intact in place of his honor, and the teenager running the counter seemed to agree in earnest now that he had Talon’s money and most of his self-confidence, but the principle of it all drove him to a determination that could only be rivaled by his masked alter-ego.

Turning the ball to get a better grip in his hand, he wrapped himself into a better focus, not on the cans, but the dark tent around them. It would be simple and subtle... no one would know. It’s not cheating if the game is already fixed... that’s what he told himself anyway as he wound up and threw the ball again.

The timing had to be just right before the ball made contact with the cans, Taking more of his concentration to manipulate the shadows just enough to topple the cans with relative ease. they hit the floor with a collective and satisfactory clang that made Talon have to check himself to make sure he wasn’t so smug about it. “I’ll take that really big fluffy one.” The mirth in his voice was practically overflowing. The bear was inappropriately big and impractical to carry around, but the proof of victory was worth the minor encumbrance.

“Hello Thalia” He said, taking on a deep a dopey voice while waving a fluffy paw at her. “Please take me home with you and give me cuddles.” In a move that was designed not only to make her melt but also get her to hold the bear instead of him, Talon danced the bear towards her in an embrace while taking his funnel cake plate back at the same time. “See? It was meant to be look how much he loves you. Now about that food and Ferris wheel... I think I could go for something like that. The line is way shorter than it usually is and I’ll get a good enough look around to see where my family ran off to when they ditched me.”

[thaliawinsor]

Birthday Surprise

CLOSED STARTER - Thalia x Pitch @gh0st-wr1ter

Thalia fiddled with the hem of her dress for the umpteenth time. The looks from the waiters, full of pity more so than anything else, made her want to hide behind the large menu more than ever before. She could see they were itching to ask if she thought about calling it a night, after all Thalia had been holding up the table for a good 50 minutes with the constant reassurance that ‘he’s just late and will be here in a moment’ to keep them at bay. 

The candle burned ever lower and the bread basket, complimentary of course, had been emptied due to her nerves and needing something to do with her hands. A mixture of emotions swelled within her as she continued to look down at her phone to see nothing new - no notifications or missed calls. She went through the ritual of checking her signal and connections, just in case, and opening the messages to Talon to make sure they’d sent okay.

By the time she was standing to leave Thalia was too anxious and annoyed to think about being hungry, despite the beautiful food being served to those whose dates had actually bothered to show. The cool air did nothing to calm down the rising heat in her cheeks, her eyes stung but she refused to let the tears do anything other than blur her vision - the blonde couldn’t remember a time she’d felt so angry with Talon before but pushed the feelings down to focus on making her way home.

She was sure he was busy, probably held up with something incredibly urgent or important, and she would end up feeling like a brat for pouting over something as trivial as a birthday dinner when he finally made contact. She pulled the coat around herself tighter to shield against the chill and pocketed her phone, flicking it to silent in a passive aggressive manner that would ultimately benefit no one. The welcoming and warm glow from the fancy restaurant only taunted her as she made her way down the street - knowing a walk home would help calm down the negative feelings.

[gh0st-wr1ter]

Why he thought a last minute bust would be a good idea was so far beyond him at this point that Pitch was landing his hits much harder to take out the frustration he was feeling with himself. Jewel thieves never usually came with a back up squad or were packing so much heat, but by the time he found out what he was in for, it was already too late.

“Come on boys.” He said, leaning back to dodge a bat swing from one of them and sifting through the shadows to take out one of the thugs holding a handgun. “Just give me the necklace and get out of here.” Another stray punch soared through the air and missed Pitch again, giving him the opening to land another knockout blow, even with being weighed down now with a backpack containing his Talon clothes, he was still at a gross advantage to the clunky and aggressive operations of Bo$$’s entry-level henchmen. “I have something really important to get to that you’re making me late for- whoa!” He was immediately looking down the barrel of another handgun before he moved through the shadows just before he could fire the rest of the shots into the brick wall, giving Pitch the opening to grab the hot metal and smack him in the face with it and knocking him out. The smaller and unarmed crew members caught the hint after seeing two armed guys fall out, dropping the diamond necklace in their wake as they high-tailed it out of there.

Without wasting anymore time, Pitch grabbed the jewelry and stuffed it in his backpack to return later and moved as quickly as he could through the walls, not even leaving a trail to follow the thugs as he would have done normally for the police. “Shit shit shit...” He muttered under his breath as he caught the time from his peripherals seeing that he was an hour late, wondering what kind of excuse could Talon have that would ever justify standing her up... on birthday dinner.

The restaurant was in sight and a breath of relief hit Pitch until he saw a small and familiar blonde figure walking away from it’s doors. The word ‘no’ plowed through his head so quickly that without thinking, he phased through the wall to an alleyway she was approaching, hoping to intercept her and convince her to stay for just a little bit longer.

“You’re dressed up tonight.” He said from the shadows trying to mask how out of breath he was but was loud enough that he knew he’d catch her attention. It was of course an understatement. Even in something that he was sure Thalia would consider simple evening wear, she made it harder for him to catch the breath he’d since lost, the black backpack we was toting around weighed down with his own evening wear wasn’t making things any easier. “I seem to recall you making a promise not to walk alone on nights like these.” His own words turned to ash in his mouth when he realized she was upset undoubtedly from him standing her up. It wouldn’t have taken a genius to notice the signs of a pretty blonde walking home at night alone with tears threatening to fall down that it was all the product of some asshole taking her for granted. “...I’m sure he’s on his way.” He added, a bit softer this time since the guilt stirred so violently in his gut that he visibly sank.

[gh0st-wr1ter]

thaliawinsor‌:

Game of Throws - OPEN STARTER

Thalia had an airtight tactical plan for tackling the festival and all would be well had she actually managed to follow it. Rides should always come first due to the zero risk of throwing up any festival food & not having to worry about keeping prizes won or pretty things safe. However, she’d been so drawn in by the cute display of Etsy like crafts in the stalls at the entrance that within the hour she’d already managed to by more windchimes and knitted goods than she’d care to admit.

Weighed down by her newfound treasures it made sense to move onto the game stalls, with varying challenges on offer from hook-a-duck to buzzwires she knew she was in for a long haul. The prizes on offer lacked anything of substance, small stuffed bears and plastic toys for the most part, but the giant teddy bear overhanging the stacked cans called to her like a siren song. “I need it…” The almost thirty-year-old muttered to herself, noticing as children ahead of her failed to knock cans down even upon direct impact. The game was a fix, figures, but maybe someone with a far stronger arm than her would have better luck…

His mother and Treant were long gone after Talon turned his attention to the funnel cake stand for half a second, but really, when else was he going to find it red velvet flavored?

Instead of looking for them right away Talon took to enjoying the pocket of alone time as he strolled around the fair. He had more elbow room than he remembered from last time, and rather than fall immediately suspicious he allowed the warm dough to melt in his mouth and enjoy the extra space. Less people after all meant less to worry about.

He caught a flash of blonde from the corner of his eye and like a moth was attracted to her like a flame, staying silent as he watched her try and fail at knocking over the cans. He stayed silent, keeping the element of surprise as his eyes followed to her hand holding the ball, then to the stacked cans, then to the prizes hanging tantalizingly close.

“They’re weighted at the bottom. The trick is to throw a crazy slugger at the bottom cans so the rest can topple down.” He placed a five dollar bill on the countertop and the attendant handed him three balls for three tries, trying not to gag at how ludicrously priced a simple game was. He held out his half-eaten funnel for Thalia to hold and he smiled. “Hopefully I can win that bear for you otherwise I’ll be embarrassed and out five bucks. 

Talon wound up and missed the first ball completely... then the second grazed a can without barely making it budge. The third ball connected, but only with the middle can making the top three fall down but still leaving a the base intact and losing the game. He scrunched his eyebrows together and didn’t take his eyes away from the cans as he reached into his back pocket again for his wallet and placed another fiver on the counter for another three tries. 

He couldn’t help but notice that the tent housing the game was poorly lit and when he wound up for his next try with a much more serious game face on, he had to also practice the mantra in his head. don’t cheat... don’t cheat... don’t...

[gh0st-wr1ter]

Trial by Fire || Aiden & Talon

[gh0st-wr1ter]

gh0st-wr1ter‌:

asotoriver‌:

He was pretty sure he knew why most of the tension seemed to leave him as soon as he heard that he wasn’t going to be questioned about credentials. It’s not like he had any to speak of in the first place. Taking a seat, and doing his best not to circle his wrists, he tried to stamp out any remaining anxiousness that might make him seem like he was crawling out of his own skin.

“Writing interested me because I like to ramble,” Aiden replied, a little laugh escaping him. “For me, it was hard enough not to go off on tangents in the middle of a conversation, and more often than not, I ended up losing whoever I was talking to completely.” He definitely hoped that wasn’t the case now. “Putting it into writing let me go off on my little circles without annoying someone. After I figured that out, I just kind of… kept doing it. It helps to keep my thoughts straight and it lets me get them out to other people.”

The first question was easy enough to answer, a truth that he didn’t have to think through. But the second and third questions made him pause. It’s not like he’d thought very far into the future. His decision to accept the interview offer was split second, and now it looked like he’d have to think of an answer in that same span of time.

So he opted for a half-truth, hoping that it didn’t come off too on the fly. It helped that, so far, neither Talon nor Ricky were looking at him like they were about to throw him out of the building as soon as possible. Aiden chose to take that as a good sign. “I don’t really know much about ranks, but becoming a better writer is definitely something that I would like to do. If being in a competitive environment is something that would help, then yeah, I’m all for it.”

He took a breath, his thumb reaching for his wrist, wanting to do something with his hands. “As for goals in my future?” And here was the tricky part. “I want to be able to be heard, and for people to understand what it is that I’m saying. Writing seems to be the best way for me personally, so any outlet for me to share my opinions, and I’ll use it, probably. If people read something that makes them consider an outlook that they’d never thought of before because it was so muddled by tangents in a spoken conversation, then that’s something that I’d consider a win.” He thought for a second, going over his words. There may have been more truth in them than he’d wanted, but at the very least it wasn’t like he’d completely bombed.

God, he hoped the rest of the questions were easier. He really would like to exit the building without having a complete existential crisis.

“Tangents in a spoken conversation? That’s pretty much the gist of what we do here.” Said Talon, hoping to ease a bit of the tension. “What matters is making sure we put it together in a way that keeps people reading tha’ts you know. Factual.” He clarified before Ricky could give him an expressively confused look.

“That’s right.” Ricky interjected. “Reading through some of these posts was interesting and grabbing. Opinion pieces aren’t our most popular but there’s a touch about yours that’s... alluring. Welp. We have an opening in the research department. It’s a good growth area and a fantastic place to start here. I’ll have to pay you the base salary for lack of experience, but obviously that comes with time. Anyway, when can you start?”

With as much surprise that he was sure Aiden was feeling, Talon snapped his attention at Ricky. Who didn’t seem bothered or at all concerned that the person Talon brought in to interview was... well, green. He raised his eyebrows and placed Aiden’s folder on the desk in front of them.

“Talon will train you and make sure you have everything you need to you know... ‘set yourself up for success.’” He added air quotes with his coffee. “Talon will give you your schedule and starting guidelines. Don’t take too long though, you promised me a report. Don’t think I forgot. It was nice to meet you Adrian. Welcome to BuzzNews... pending drug test.”

As Ricky sauntered off Talon shifted his attention back to Aiden, nervously scratching his chin at the awkwardness. That was almost too easy. He didn’t remember his own interview being so short or decisive. He thought perhaps Ricky knew what he was doing or wanted to test his judge of character? The more he dwelled on trying to understand how his boss operated, the worse he’d make whatever threat of a headache was starting to form.

He inwardly concluded and hope that Aiden’s natural talent would help him at BuzzNews “So uh... guess that means you’re a part of the team? Research is a good place to start. It’s where I came from and where Thalia was before, so... Right, just enjoy your weekend I guess? Get here bright and early on Monday and I’ll have your orientation materials ready I guess. Is there anything you need from me? Bus schedules? Department store recommendation for work attire? Formal training?” As a reporter now Talon knew there were only a few things in the scope of his control, but being that Aiden was filling the entry position available now the he moved up, he felt responsible for his new coworker (pending drug test). “Oh, do you prefer blood tests or a urine sample? I know that’s a weird question but HR needs to know.”

[gh0st-wr1ter]

han solo, darth vader, snoke, and r2d2!

han solo: does your muse like to take risks?

Too often, but more as Pitch than as Talon. Ironically, being Pitch is the biggest risk he’s willing to take for fear of endangering his family. Where Talon would tend to make a more calculated decision when it comes to Risk, Pitch is very much heart first.

darth vader: who is your muse most afraid to lose in life?

His mother. Losing one parent was hard enough, but of everything he does to make sure she’s in a position of safety, if anything happened to her whether he could control it or not, he’d feel guilty for not being able to save her.

snoke: does your muse have a weakness they are unaware of?

What Talon ignores is his biggest weakness when it comes to his powers. While his shadow is a reflection of Talon’s character, there’s no level of companionship with its host that would make the entity hesitate to be in the driver’s seat should his sense of purpose falter. While Helen had no sinister intentions when she cursed him, there’s no denying that there may soon be price that needs to be paid...

[gh0st-wr1ter]

R2D2

r2d2: how often does your muse swear?

Depending on the company he’s around, Talon can be a horrible potty mouth, or a complete church boy. He  can drop his Rated R content pretty comfortably at home and work, but depending on how well a night of patrol might be going, Pitch isn’t afraid to string together exactly how much a bullet might suck to take.

[gh0st-wr1ter]

Clear Head Happy Heart || Open Starter

[gh0st-wr1ter]

thaliawinsor‌:

Things were going fine until his offhand comment about her taking up a Vigilante mantle. It was in that moment, between the brief hair playing and silly smile, that she realised how close he’d gotten. It flustered her, and not in the fun ‘hes the hero who saved me’ kind of way, and caused her to take a step or two back. Of course, as Nightingale she wore a mask to hide her identity but it didn’t cover her entire face. They’d spent so many nights on patrol together that it would be silly of him not to notice if he paid enough attention.

There was a small part of her, as silly as it sounded, that wondered how many times he’d made that offer to others he had saved. And if they did take up a night shift patrolling the town with Pitch, how quickly would he replace Nightingale? It was a silly thing to feel jealous of - but she’d felt the green-eyed monster rear its head over far more petty things before.

“You want to give me a lift home in exchange for water?” The blonde asked, bemused by the realisation they really didn’t stock themselves well for nightly patrols. It wasn’t as though you could drop by a store to grab snacks or a drink in full gear. And stopping at a public water fountain was a bad enough idea without the worry of a criminal catching you off guard.

It was a stupid suggestion to consider. Thalia had no idea if Pitch had ever broken their promise and followed her home one night as Nightingale - there had been more than enough causes for concern lately that she wouldn’t put it past him if he were feeling overprotective. “You’d have to make sure no one saw you,” She started, dismissing every reasonable thought in her head telling her to say the exact opposite. “There’s a fire escape and a window I very unwisely leave unlatched. That way no one will see us together. That would cause a stir at Buzznews that I don’t really want to deal with. Then we can see what we can do about keeping you hydrated - heroism is thirsty work after all.”

The prospect of an escape window prompted him to raise an eyebrow behind his mask, the mention that no one would see them either added an oddly exciting factor to what was otherwise just an innocent rendezvous for a cup of water.

“You’re right. Those reporters would have a fit and never leave you alone if they saw the likes of me creeping through your window.” His charming smile peeked through, and he took a step closer to hold out his hand for her to take. “But I kind of like the idea... I might make some significant other of yours jealous.”

Before he could ask her for her address, responsibility interrupted predictably and inconveniently as the familiar pop of gunshots startled the nearby pigeons and alerted him to his priorities that were eagerly burning for him to pay attention to. Annoyed, he sighed heavily through his nostrils, closing his hand an offered an apologetic look as well as it could translate behind his mask.

“I can’t tell if my timing is poor or theirs is impeccable. I don’t want to be the guy that gives you a rain check, but I’m afraid I’ll have to cash in on the glass of water for next time.” Without too much more hesitation in the fear that he might give into it, Pitch walks confidently backwards to the edge of the building. “Hopefully I won’t have to save you to see you again. Though you know, I’m your Huckleberry.”

Another smile and he was gone into the night. Traversing closer through the shadows towards the direction of the gunshots, hoping that whatever tore him away from what might have been a much easier night was worth pulling him away.

[gh0st-wr1ter]

Clear Head Happy Heart || Open Starter

[gh0st-wr1ter]

bo-abrams‌:

He chuckled weakly at the thought of Mainframe as a mid-lifer. “That would make things interesting, I suppose.” Of course the man who’d become infamous as the arch-nemesis of Spectrum wouldn’t settle for buying himself a nice car or an affair- he’d go after the city and her people. He’d have to keep an eye out when he was in mask. No matter how invisible Mainframe tried to be, there was always a trail. He just had to know where to look.

He’d mostly tuned out Pitch, caught up in the train of thought. It was the rarely said, but still familiar “I’m impressed” that brought him back to the conversation. He blinked before rocking back on his heels with a small smile. “Oh, well thanks, I guess.” Maybe it was the conversation or the fact that he hadn’t actually done anything that impressive, but he felt himself curling inwards slightly rather than expanding in confidence.

He nodded slowly at the offer. He wasn’t supposed to know what was coming with a “free lift”. But since his apparent iron stomach had disappeared with the effects of Mainframes box all that time ago, he wouldn’t have to feign much once it had happened. “If you could get me to Neon, that’d be perfect, but it’s really no problem for me to walk. I don’t want to be a bother…” He doubted he’d get away with walking home on his own, Pitch rarely let him go long distances in the city even as Watcher.

“Neon?” He repeated, sifting through the network of roads and buildings in his head as fast as he could to determine a decent enough shortcut or drop-off point. “I can swing that. Nah, I don’t think it’s best to walk by yourself anywhere at this time of night. Nothing against you... consider it for my own peace of mine rather than me not thinking your capable or something...” He was starting to trail off and babble. Clearly he’d been hanging around Thalia for too long.

Pitch held out his hand in his usual expectant manner for Bo to take before remembering he hadn’t in fact gone with him before... or did he? For some reason it was hard to keep track. “Oh yeah and uh... you might want to close your eyes.” He added, taking away his hand to make sure he went over the important details. “And don’t try to think about what’s in your stomach- actually, you didn’t have a big dinner, did you? Never mind it doesn’t matter. I hope you like roller coasters...”

Even with his warnings and disclaimers, it was hard for Pitch to hide his smile in anticipation of people going through the Inbetween for the first time. “You’ll be there faster than you can say ‘holy shit please make it stop.’”

[gh0st-wr1ter]

@thaliawinsor

Me (11:50PM): Hey sunshine! I know you’re working but I have a big favor to ask you.

Me (11:53PM): It’s not urgent, so I don’t want you to stress out.

Me (11:53PM): But it’s a big favor.

Me (11:54PM): The kind that would leave me indebted to you for... ever.

Me (11:54PM): I'll even throw in giving you your birthday present early!

Me (11:54PM): Can you call me when you get a sec? Or if you’d rather I text it that’s cool too.

Me (12:00AM): Again not urgent.

Me (12:00AM): Oh shit Happy Tuesday!

[amelia-reid]

First Encounters // Open Starter

[gh0st-wr1ter]

amelia-reid‌:

Her jaw tightened before she could stop it, and she only hoped he hadn’t seen.  The hospital was the last place she wanted go, but his other suggestion wasn’t much better.  Perhaps it was petty, but begging Nightingale’s help was a particularly unappealing option, given their last interaction.  It went beyond admitting weakness, to something even more humiliating.  No, she’d be much better off on her own.

“That really won’t be necessary. At worst, it’s a cracked rib, and it’s not like there’s much that can be done for that anyway.  Certainly not anything I can’t manage myself.”  She shrugged, trying still to appear casual, but careful now to balance the movement after he’d caught her favoring her left side.

“But to return to your previous point, what exactly do you think you’re getting?”  Maybe she could get him to drop the subject of help if she diverted back to the banter.  He’d seemed…prone to it, earlier.  Ignoring the offered hand, she turned slightly, starting a slow circle around him, her gaze tracking him intently.  Her eyes sharp, but not malicious.  “Because I’ve read,” it was a light pun, tracing all the way back to the earlier comments about books, but she made sure to highlight it in her tone nonetheless.  “about you, Pitch.  And I’ll hazard I know what you are better than you do what I am.”  She finished the challenge with a smile that, behind the mask, didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You shouldn’t believe everything you read. A lot of those writers at BuzzNews are a bunch of half-baked wannabes anyway.” He replied with a dry laugh in his throat. letting the silence hang in the air as if there was a missed beat between them.

He opened his mouth to speak again, intrigued and delighted that Anima was entertaining whatever back and forth they created. It seemed familiar to him... as if perhaps the smile could reach her eyes it would spark whatever was on the tip of his tongue into words. only to be interrupted by the approaching sound of screeching tires and police sirens.

“Are you sure you’re okay with that uh... cracked rib?” He asked, stretching his legs with some lunges before he sprung into action. “Since you know so much about  me, you’ll also know that duty calls, but I don’t want to leave a damsel in distress.” She looked like the type of woman who would hate that sort of comment, and perhaps he;d gotten too comfortable, but it was a good way to test to see how much she’d be willing to throw a punch if the injury was worse than she was letting on.

With his lopsided smile still p\smeared across his face, Pitch took backwards strides towards th ledge of the building dividing his attention as best as he could for the impending chase and the vigilante in front of him. “How about this. I’ll go after this cleanup. If I spot you with me, I’ll know you can live with it and you can show me what you’re made of. Maybe I can study you like you’ve been studying me. If I don’t, then maybe I’ll catch you on the flip-side, Anima. I’m sure I’ll be seeing much more of you around.”

With a tiny salute and a smile, Pitch fell backwards into the shadows in pursuit, hoping to hear the sound of footsteps to follow...

[gh0st-wr1ter]

Roll for Perception || Talon & Bo

[gh0st-wr1ter]

bo-abrams‌:

Bo had been worried he wouldn’t find the house, he wasn’t exactly good with directions. But a few texts with Treant once he got off the bus and it was easy enough to get there. He triple checked that he’d brought everything he needed- sure he’d done it before he left, but what if he left something on the bus? A grin spreading across his face he knocked on the front door, bouncing on the balls of his feet. It was barely a moment before the door popped open, and he grinned at his friend. “Hey Treant! You ready to play?”

He popped his shoes off at the door- a habit he’d learned through several battles with his mother over the years. He made sure to note the bathroom down the hall as they passed towards the kitchen as it was pointed out. Treant was obviously excited to get started- he rushed through the basic tour in about a minute as he practically dragged Bo towards the table. A wry smile ghosted across his face. Treant was one of the few people he knew that could talk as quickly when they were excited.

His eyebrow popped up at the sight of Talon peering down at a character sheet as they walked in. He’d known the two were brothers- social media worked wonders and Bo had had plenty of time to go digging since their first meeting at the bar so long ago. Maybe it shouldn’t have been obvious that Treant’s full grown brother would be here, but Bo couldn’t find it in him to be surprised.

He smiled and waved a hello at Mrs. Naysmith when Treant pointed her out. At his friend’s question he brightened and started to dig into his bag. “Well I wanted to try something new this time, and you mentioned we might need a healer. I’ve never played a paladin before- I know, I know, they’re only half-casters. I usually go with dex based classes, but you know, there’s uh… some things I’ve been hoping to learn how to do and I think trying this out might help even if we haven’t gotten to subclasses yet!” He smiled serenely at Talon when he noticed the staring. Maybe the bartender journalist hadn’t realized he’d be coming?

“I’ve got a few things to lay out, which seat is mine?” he asked Treant. Would it be awkward to get water for himself? Treant had said there would be food at some point, but it never hurt to have a drink on hand. “Do you mind if I uh,” he finished the question with a point towards the kitchen. Playing a high charisma character might be harder than expected…

“No no, I’ll get all of the refreshments. You’re the guest in casa Naysmith so I’ll make sure we have refreshments my friend.” Treant gestured for Bo to sit in the empty seat next to Talon and the Elephant would stay unaddressed in the far side of the room.

It was the sort of awkward that was very obvious to everyone in the room. Clearly Bo and Talon knew each other, but Talon wasn’t about to make Bo feel weird for being underage at a bar. On top of that, the Redstone had been such a strange and traumatic experience that Talon wasn’t going to bring that up either. The stalemate was enough to give him goosebumps in anticipation of conversational landmines, but thankfully they’d be living in a fictional world for the next few hours to distract from all of that.

Treant came back as promised with a two liter bottle of soda and glasses of ice, and set the scene along with the table. The characters all met in a tavern as per true D&D fashion, and thankfully Treant was prepared enough that they were underway in no time.

~~

“I can’t believe you rolled a natural 1. You’re luck with those dice has been ridiculous.″ Treant laughed as Erembour (Talon) missed his attack so viciously that he ended up taking 3 points of damage, putting him in a critical state.

“God dammit, these dice are cursed!” he cried, completely missing the irony that it may have in fact been the one holding them in his shadow’s clever yet annoying way of messing with him... could it even do that? Before he could ponder it more, he realized after the quick math on his character sheet that Erembour was unconscious.

“Wow that was fast.” Said their mother as she sipped from her glass, knowing her comment would earn a scowl from her oldest son.

“Erembour falls to the ground, greatly wounding himself with his own Eldritch Blast and the zombies all try to attack and... miss. The chattering bones in their mouths angrily await their next opportunity to strike but our paladin rears up for his next move!” Treants arms flailed as he threw the turn over to Bo. “You gonna come to your party member’s rescue or are you gonna go for the glory kill? Chances are you’ll do better with him not about to die...”

[gh0st-wr1ter]

“I can’t stop thinking about you, not matter how hard I try not to.”

“Don’t think too much, Watcher. If you tried to do everything like me you’ll drive yourself crazy.” Pitch stood to his feet after dusting off his hands from handling a thug. “You handle yourself well too. You’ll be at this longer than me by the time you’re my age, so really I should be the one watching you.” He smiled, offering a smile to his young companion. “Don’t let it get to your head though.”