noise dept.
Product Placement
AnasAbdin
Peter Solarz
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Love Begins
izzy's playlists!
wallacepolsom
Claire Keane
PR's Tumblrdome
we're not kids anymore.
Kiana Khansmith
★
ellievsbear
Discoholic 🪩
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
d e v o n
styofa doing anything
will byers stan first human second
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
seen from Germany
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seen from United States
seen from Sweden
seen from Costa Rica
seen from Sweden
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seen from Germany
seen from Switzerland
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@hearthandhallows
⛧°. ⋆𓌹♰𓌺⋆. °⛧
#HEARTHANDHALLOWS - a dependent multimuse blog written for cardinal hill, penned by atlas.
The altar is lit with black candles, the darker, the better. So thrilling, it's killing you! In the chapel of the Holy One, in the presence of the Chosen Son, I see your light shine through. In the temple of the godly scene, in the shadow of the Nazarene, I put my love in you.
♰ muses ♰ moodboards ♰ roleplay ♰
It didn't register for Jesse to consider if he was going too fast for Linden, just as it hadn't registered earlier that day his brother might find bumper cars triggering. Both relatively simple and obvious — basic — things that a normal, considerate person would clock in on. He, on the other hand, only picked up on it once they reminded him. Their words barely processed; it was the tug back on his hand, that finally got him to shorten the length of those strides, only because he'd been unwilling to release Linden until they were seen safely into the truck.
Climbing behind the wheel, Jesse focused on trying to get his truck back to life rather than the panic of other guests fleeing the area around them. Certain residuals of fear leftover by that wild storm the other day had somehow crept back inside, setting his nerves on edge; pressing thoughts about getting Linden to safety, on whether his brother was okay, the only concerns going through at the moment. "C'mon," Jesse muttered, through clenched teeth, trying the ignition a third time as the engine made feeble attempts at life.
But Linden's question got inside, infected the cab. If he hadn't come off stiff before, there was no mistaking now the way his shoulders tensed and sweat broke out across the forehead. Magic! The question was absurd and random, to anyone else not in Cardinal Hill maybe. And it already said a lot. Them just asking in the first place, he could assume they already knew. How was he to take that? Or was there more they had to tell him and now was somehow the perfect time? Was today the day he learned Linden had magic in them, too? "Why you askin' 'bout magic, Linden?" The pause in him had been brief, but poignant, enough to reveal there was more he, too, hadn't confessed about. Before Jesse's attempts resumed with new vigor, smacking the steering wheel in some frustration — this fucking truck! Finally, it roared to life, perhaps in protest of its abuse, and Jesse wasted no time in getting them away from the corpse of the carnival.
Their eyes looked him over, noting the way that he’d stiffened. If he was a Witch himself, surely they’d have known about it by now, right? How long had they been friends? Having spent their entire childhood with Eve, they were sure they’d have picked up on something.
An eyebrow rose, and Linden turned their body so they were facing him. They watched silently as he wrestled with the truck before it finally listened, engine igniting. It wasn’t long before they were back on the road, away from whatever the fuck had just happened.
Linden didn’t say anything, just kept looking at Jesse. Their throat felt dry, and they kept thinking about what Alex had said. They hadn’t had a chance yet to ask Eve about it–if they believed him. It seemed outlandish, but…
“It just… feels like some shit’s been happenin’ lately that…” they swallowed, “I don’t know. I can’t explain.”
Alex hadn't meant for this emotional outburst. He was already feeling guilty for it when he felt their touch, and then they were hugging. And despite himself, Alex melted into the touch, into the comfort that he felt he hadn't had in decades. He leaned into them and wrapped them up just as fiercely, letting his head rest against theirs, letting his wounded heart finally settle and rest for a moment. He knew he didn't deserve this and yet here Linden was, offering comfort, seeing him more clearly than anyone really had. It was one of the things he had missed most. Being truly known by someone and it made him hurt even more to know it had been his choices that had ruined this. His stubbornness that hadn't allowed him to open up to the person he loved most in this world.
He could've held onto them forever, and tried not to seem to sad when there was finally some distance between them. But he could still feel their arms around him, still feel the gentle tilt of their head against his. When they pulled back, Alex reached up for a moment to brush his thumb against their cheek. "I'm not leaving again." It felt like it held no weight and he knew that but he meant it. He didn't think he would be able to stay but now being here with them, knowing they were pregnant, it was impossible to leave. There was no way he was going to leave them again and whatever he had to do to make that possible, he'd figure it out. He had to.
"A boy? Now wouldn't that be something." His voice was softer, shoulders more at ease as he sat in their company. A version of himself he hadn't been in so long yet it felt so natural to him. So he laughed with them and the mention of Eve made him groan. "I know they are, I've already seen Amory," he admitted, having caught the starling on his ledge just the other night. "I heard they opened a cafe, haven't been for obvious reasons but I don't think Eve is above throwing a coffee cup at my head in front of other people," he said with a softer laugh, the idea of all of them being together again tugging at his heart.
He hesitated then reached out to take their hands, giving them a gentle squeeze before bringing them to his lips for a gentle kiss. "I'm here," he said softly, "I know that doesn't mean shit right now. But even if it takes me every lifetime to earn your trust again, I will spend every lifetime making up for all the hurt I caused. I promise you that. I'm here for you and I'm here for this child, however I can be."
The idea of Amory staring down Alex was silly, so they laughed. The familiar was so attentive, of course Eve must have known. Thoughts of their past swelled in their mind, causing their heart to squeeze again. “It’s the best damn cafe in town, too. I think you should head over, let them throw a coffee at you. You probably deserve it.” Linden’s voice trailed off toward the end, eyeing Alex with a grin that was teasing, but there was a little truth behind it too.
They stiffened when they felt Alex reach for their hands, and their mouth wobbled when he lifted their hand and kissed them. It would be easy enough to believe them at face value, to trust them that he wouldn’t leave again–but Linden was too jaded for that. Once he’d let go of their hands, they curled up in themselves again, pulling their cardigan closer around their arms.
“I think it’ll take a while,” they admitted, looking down at the ants that had started marching around the bottom of the sunflowers near their porch. “But I’m willin’ to try and believe you.” After a beat, they stood up, wiped their hands on their pants, and reached a hand to him to help him stand. “You can start by tellin’ me more about your damn cousin. If it’s as bad as you say it is, I think… well, I don’t know, but I think just knowin’ is gonna be helpful, I guess. Shit's been weird around here.”
Location: On the Road/Seahawks game
Starter for @hearthandhallows
"I can't believe we're actually doing this." Xander laughed as he pulled onto the highway that would take them to Kingdome for the Seahawks game. Xander had only been able to go to a few games last year so he was excited to be going so early in the season. He had saved up to buy tickets for a couple of games and was hoping to bring as many different people as he could with him. When Theo had agreed, he was excited to spend more time with him, finding that when they were together it was easy for Xander to have fun. "You sure you ready for this?" He drummed his hands against the steering wheel in excitement. "I mean they've kind of grown on me even though I've always been a bears fan but, I hope they kick the broncos ass."
Theo turned to look at Xander, that flutter of happiness rising up in his chest again, light and unexpected. To say he was excited would’ve been an understatement. He’d been having fun around Xander–a lot of fun–and while he probably would’ve bought a ticket (he loved football), the fact that it was free made it all the easier to say yes.
“I can’t wait,” he said, grinning. “I haven’t been to a game since…” He trailed off, the smile faltering for a brief moment as memories threatened to bubble up–ones he didn’t want to sort through right now. He shook his head gently, nudging the past aside. “It’s been a while.”
Then, with a dry laugh, he added, “I feel like I’m betraying the Giants, but if I have to root for someone else, guess I’ll put my faith in my new state. Go Seahawks.” He smirked. “But if they choke, I’m blaming you personally.”
Leo didn't know what happened to him. He had only been like this once before, with the infamous Hugo back in Norway. For just a second, Leo wondered why he'd been thinking about his ex so much lately, especially when their courtship had been brief and so long ago. But then as Leo looked at Felix, the answer came to him immediately: that was the only other time he had been in love. What he felt for Felix now though transcended even what he had felt for Hugo though, and Leo knew without a doubt that he would protect Felix until his dying day, defending him to the death if it came to that. Obviously he hoped that it wouldn't, but there was no doubt in his mind that Felix was the most important thing to him now. Man, Leonidas, he thought, you have fallen hard for this incredible person. But of course he had; Leo thought it would have been stranger if he hadn't.
So now Leo was the kind of guy who said sappy things, but the truth was that he didn't care. Every word was genuine, and he loved Felix from the bottom of his heart and vowed to always show them just how much. "I know I said a bunch of cheesy things just now," he told Felix. "I mean them though. You know, this never used to be my style, but I think you're making me soft, Fi." But Leo was actually glad for this, glad that his partner was helping to file down some of his sharp edges. It made Leo feel less like he would only ever hurt the people he cared about, though that wasn't the kind of mindset a person just snapped out of overnight. "I guess this is just who I am now," Leo remarked, grinning and laughing before pressing a soft, happy kiss to Felix's lips. After being alone and closed off for so long, it was nice to let someone else really see him; it was nice to not feel lost in darkness but rather bathed in light. That wasn't something Leo had felt in a very long time.
Leo cupped Felix's cheek when the other guided it there, smiling at his partner. God, they were beautiful, and he didn't think Felix was even aware of that, not fully at least. "I could look at you for the rest of my life I think," Leo remarked. "There should be a painting of you hanging in the Louvre or something. Actually not The Louvre. It's kind of overrated. Sure, there's great, historically important art. But the line is fucking terrible and not worth it. So maybe somewhere I could see it every day." Actually Leo wanted more than a pierce of art, and he said without really thinking, "I'd really rather just see the real thing every day." If Felix lived with him, then he could see the other every morning when he woke up and every night before he went to sleep. It way too early for that though, right?
At Felix's comment, Leo laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not that nice," he countered. "You just bring out my soft side. I think immediately I knew you were precious and valuable, and even if I didn't totally know it yet, I think part of me just wanted to make you smile even from the beginning. You were the first hookup who became more. Much, much more." And Leo was so happy for that. Felix's suggestion surprised him, Leo's eyes wide; he had never met a partner's parents before, not even Hugo's, and now he was flooded with anxiety. "Are you sure?" he asked Felix. Then Leo clarified, "It's not that I don't want to. I'd love to meet them. But...what if they don't like me?" Normally that wasn't something Leo would worry about, but these were Felix's parents, so he wanted them to like him. Either way, he wanted to do this for Felix, so Leo nodded. "I'd love to meet them, Fi," he told his partner, and he meant it.
They smiled through the kind words that Leo spoke, before a thought occurred to them, and they burst into a fit of alcohol-induced giggles. “I thought that that photo of me sucking your dick was what went in the Louvre.” Their face flushed at the memory of their concert date, and it made their heart ache.
Felix laughed through the ache, saying, “You’re wrong though. You are that nice, you’re so nice I don’t even know what to do with myself–even the first morning after, you were so nice and made me feel happy and I was just sitting there thinking, oh noooo, Felix Holloway, you like himmm,” that was the truth. Felix had liked him from day one–it felt like a miracle that Leo liked them back.
When Leo hesitated about meeting their parents, Felix’s expression softened. “I’m sure,” they said, nodding like it was the easiest decision in the world. “I mean, I’m scared too. I haven’t brought anyone home since–well. Since Jackie.”
They sniffed once and cupped Leo’s face in return, brushing their thumb along his cheek. “But they’re gonna love you. They will. You’re smart and charming and strong and funny and–you love me. That’s what they care about. They know how bad I’ve been hurting. They’ll be so happy to see I found someone who makes me feel safe.”
Felix hesitated, then said, “And if they don’t love you, that’s okay too. I still will. So much it’s kind of embarrassing.” They blinked rapidly, then said, “Oh, Leo, you need to meet my best friend. I’ve been telling him about you since that first night.” Silence, then, “Oh. Yeah. I also kind of used magic around him and now he knows about Witches.” Felix scrunched their nose up. “Is that bad?”
⋄⋄ 🍳 ⋄⋄
He'd been a bit of a night owl for as long as he could remember. As a kid, he'd often stay up past his bedtime to read comic books with a flashlight beneath the covers. There was no point in telling him differently since Lex would do it anyway. With no one there to tell him otherwise, it only got worse into adulthood. Those nights got later, longer, and crazier as he grew up. It was only upon coming to Cardinal Hill that life settled down for the first time and finally got around to buying an alarm clock, not that Lex ever went to bed when he was supposed to. He didn't work mornings anyway; there was no harm in staying up a little late.
On this particular night, he'd been working through Adventures of Captain America after the recommendation from a friend. So far, his thoughts were simple: it was no Superman. Nothing would stand a chance against the Man of Steel, but it'd never stop him from trying something new, especially while waiting for a new issue. It was good to cherry-pick others. A tap on the window took him out of the world and back to Cardinal Hill. What started as panic initially was settled at the sight of a familiar face instead of the authorities. Once at the window, he pushed it open to allow them to converse without having to raise their voices. Their reasoning made his eyebrow arch, but a smile creased his cheeks regardless of the questioning in his eye. "Hm... I don't know. Kind of sounds like you're trying to kidnap me," Lex teased, reaching over behind the curtain to take hold of his jean jacket. While slipping it over his shoulders, he looked back to Hana with a smile taking over his features. He'd never needed to sneak out before; his parents were never home to scold him anyway, which made the point mute, not that they'd mind. So long as he stayed out of too much trouble. "What've you got in mind, Dick Tracy?" Lex's shoes weren't far from reach, but he took a few steps before being able to slip them on and reapproach the window to climb through.
Hana gasped, hand flying to their chest like Lex had just accused them of a felony. “Kidnap you? I’m too charming to be a kidnapper, I’m, like, an enchanter or something.” They wiggled their fingers, then broke into another grin. “Maybe I’m just rescuing you from the tyranny of boring nights and lame routines?” They took a dramatic step back as he climbed out the window.
“Okay, okay, so,” they began, bouncing on the balls of their feet, “You ever been to the lake?” It had become one of their favorite rituals. They’d head down to the lake with their keyboard, play a few songs, swim around, then head home. It felt more exciting in the dead of night though, with a friend in tow. “I got the towels in the backpack, so don’t even worry about getting wet.” Hana waved their hand and started walking backwards down the sidewalk, leading him into the dark like it was all part of some sacred rite.
They spun in a circle once, arms wide to the sky. “Don’t worry about getting your clothes wet, either. It’s dark, nobody’s gonna see,” they laughed. Skinny dipping was second-nature to them, and at 2:00 am, who would see? Just the moon.
“No thinking allowed, detective boy. Just vibes. Come on.” Hana reached over and laced their fingers together, pulling him in the direction of the lake. “So, what were ya readin’ in there?”
Linden dropped off the basket and hurried away; they knew they'd see Eve later that night, but they wanted to surprise them with their gift first. Though, they wouldn't be surprised if Eve already knew they were coming... Armory had a knack for knowing.
The card...
Happy birthday! You know I'm not great with words, but hopefully these gifts show you how much I love you. Little guy can't wait to meet you and I know he's gonna love you too. I couldn't do any of this without you. See you soon! P.S Don't drink the wine without me! Well, I can't drink it, but I can smell it. :( Love love love, Lin
The gifts...
A bouquet of yellow roses which symbolize friendship, joy, and happiness, lovingly crafted and enchanted by Jinhwan. A bottle of Bordeaux. A caramel cake decorated with tiny chocolates, lovingly made by Felix and begrudgingly asked for by Linden. A plate of homemade caramels. A handcrafted ceramic mug with a note inside of it that says, "It's a ceramic cup! This was fucking hard to make so you better love it," and a copy of Bella Donna on vinyl. (@lovesspell)
Davis couldn't help but beam at Leon's response. "You knew?" he asked. "Was it my sunny disposition?" Davis knew that people saw him as a positive, happy person, and that was mostly true; he didn't let them see the darker parts, the ones he'd kept locked away as much as he could. Occasionally they came out though, manifesting in his myriad of insecurities. Davis could see that was what was happening when he could remain objective (which wasn't often). "Warm and sweet?" Davis asked, blushing a little, but he was smiling even more now. "Do you really think that? Thank you, Leon!" The other's words were so kind, and Davis felt the urge to hug him, so he did. But it was just for a second because a moment after pulling Leon against his chest, he realized he was still wet. "I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, releasing the other man. "I didn't mean to get your shirt wet. I just...I like hugs." There was no denying that.
The sweet words continued, and Davis just kept thinking how nice Leon was, one of the nicest people he'd met in a long time. They were definitely friends now, Davis had decided, though he pretty much could make friends with everyone he met. It wasn't like he was collecting them or something, but Davis did like when other people found something pleasing about him, when they wanted to be around him. Not everyone in his life had, after all, a memory that that Davis didn't like to think about. "Thank you, Leon," Davis said again. "You're making me feel really happy." So many people had told Davis that he needed to change, that he needed to grow up, like he had never experienced hardship. But Davis had experienced it, had lost a lot, and he just did his best not to let that loss feel like an anchor sinking into the sea, drowning him; it would if he let it. "I just try to keep things happy and light," Davis explained. "I could let myself be sad, but it just...it hurts too much to do that. So I do my best to look on the bright side, you know? It's not always easy or even possible, but I do my best." It was all Davis could really do.
When the handsome man was gone, Davis looked at Leon and smiled, pleased to have met two nice people today. But then his smile faded, not because he didn't like what Leon said but just because he wasn't sure he believed it. "He was flirting with me?" Davis asked, stunned. "No he wasn't, right? He couldn't have been." Or could he? Now Davis was second-guessing everything about that encounter - the man had touched him a lot, that much was true. "That guy was so handsome though! Are you sure?" Davis asked. Someone like that was flirting with him? It couldn't be. It would be like someone as cute as Leon flirting with him - they could do better. Davis didn't think he was ugly or anything, but there were a lot of things he still needed to work on before he was really happy with how he looked. "You think I'm like a real-life bard?" Davis asked, beaming, cheeks a little warm. That was the best thing about this conversation because not only did it make Davis feel desirable in a way he didn't usually, it appealed to his nerdy side. Plus the fact that it was coming from a cute guy helped too.
Leon hadn’t expected the hug, and bristled slightly, but only for a moment before his arms lifted to hug him back. “Oh,” he said with a quiet laugh, brushing at one of the damp spots on his shirt. “It’s okay. I don’t mind hugs.”
There was something about the way Davis spoke–about how he kept things light because the alternative hurt too much–that tugged at Leon’s chest in a way that wasn’t entirely comfortable, but felt honest. He looked at him and nodded.
“I get that,” he said gently. “It’s okay to not want to sit in it all the time. I think sometimes we just... survive however we can. And if that means being a sunbeam to other people, that’s not nothing. That’s kind of incredible, actually.”
When Davis doubted the flirting, Leon tilted his head, feeling even moreso amused. “Yes, Davis. He was so flirting with you.” His expression softened into something more bashful as Davis kept beaming. “And yes. You’re totally a bard. You’ve got the charm and the hair and the whole ‘let’s hug it out’ thing. It’s kind of perfect.”
He looked down at the condensation that was pooling down his cup. Leon swirled the coffee around, hoping that the ice hadn’t melted down too much. “I’m probably gonna head out of here soon,” he said, squinting up to look at the sun. “But… if you wanted to, uh, hang out sometime, I’d like that. I could give you my number?”
Once he spoke his answer, no, Matilda felt the weight of so many years lift ever so slightly from her shoulders. Despite dreaming about it for years, she'd never gotten to hear what he would say, always waking up seconds before Haruki was just about to respond. She watched as his hands hovered over her body, something that never would've happened before. In their relationship, they were never shy about showing affection. Yet she also knew that their life before was over. It had been over for several years thanks to her departure.
Her lower lip quivered as stray tears fell from her eyes. She'd do her best to wipe them away, but the more he spoke, the harder that became. The scene must've been a spectacle for the gym staff; the few employees that were around seemed to stop in their tracks, eyes fixed on the two blubbering adults.
Looking back from Haruki to the front desk, she realized this was not the place for this reunion. Taking keys from her pocket, she handed them to the front desk and wiped her eyes once more. "Close up for me, I don't think I will be back for the night. I'll fill you all in tomorrow."
Facing the love of her life once more, she finally smiled at his sentiment. "It's not presumptuous to say, I promise. Can you come with me? There is so much I want to say..." Taking his hands in hers, she placed his knuckles to her lips. "I missed you so much."
When he saw the tear slip down her cheek, Haruki’s resolve faltered.
His hand moved before he could second-guess it, fingers brushing gently against her skin, his thumb barely grazing her cheekbone. The touch was featherlight, reverent, like he wasn’t sure she was real. He stood there, frozen, caught in the moment, eyes sweeping across her face as if he could memorize her all over again–every curve of sorrow, relief, every flicker of emotion he’d never wanted to cause.
When she fished in her pocket for her keys and handed them off, the spell broke. His hand dropped. A faint flush colored his cheeks as awareness crept in–they were in public, possibly drawing attention–but that didn’t stop the tears from gathering in his eyes. He didn’t look away.
And then Matilda spoke.
His chest ached with the weight of her voice, soft and steady, and he exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for years. When she lifted his hand to her lips, his eyes followed the motion and his mouth trembled. “Yes, of course. I’ll go anywhere with you,” and just like that, it was like he was that bright-tail bushy-eyed kid again, staring at Matilda like she owned the stars.
Rudy laughed - probably a little too loudly for their setting - and he shook his head. "You're wasting your time if you're looking to dig up any dirt on me." The more that Rudy thought about it, however, the more he wondered whether or not that was true. Either way, he wasn't going to allude to any of that now, not even when only in the presence of someone who he trusted. "I can take an hour today," he told Luna. While Rudy personally believed that there was a lot to uncover there in Cardinal Hill, he found himself struggling to actually do just that. Taking an hour, therefore, felt right.
He sat down on the bench, and for just a moment, he allowed himself to soak in the sunlight. It was so easy to avoid it for so much of the day, particularly with his habit of spending long times in darkrooms. "If I ever become sick of Pepsi, or choose water over it, I'm no longer the Rudy that you know, and I'd want you to contact someone about that." While Rudy was only joking, there was a fair amount of truth in his words. Rudy had never been the healthiest person. "Thank you." He was more appreciative of their presence - and the food - than those two words could properly express.
"Well if you ever need a second person around to feel a little safer digging deeper into the search, just let me know." Rudy understood if they wanted to work alone, being someone who definitely did a lot of that himself, but he wanted to extend the offer nonetheless. "I can be extremely stealthy when I choose to be," he added. After chewing his food for a moment, he spoke up again. "I'm not saying it's the smartest decision, but I will say that I totally get it."
It was hard not to laugh again. There was just something about Rudy that made it easy to let her guard down–like she could lean into the weirdness a little more when he was around. His joke made her smile grow, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “We might need a signal… or a safe word.” The second it left her mouth, her face lit up in alarm. “Oh! Uh–not, like, that kind of safe word–just, y’know, something we’d both recognize. Something the other Rudy wouldn’t.” She fumbled her words with a half-laugh and looked away, trying to tuck the embarrassment under a shaky breath and a bite of sandwich.
She was still mentally spiraling over that when Rudy offered to come with her. The words barely registered at first–until they did. Her head snapped up and she nearly dropped her sandwich in surprise. “Wait, really?” she asked, breathless. “You’d go look with me?” Her voice was soft with disbelief, but her eyes had already gone wide with wonder. She leaned in closer without thinking and looked at him like he’d just offered to split the moon with her.
"I knew I liked you for a reason," he chuckled. "I called my brother Pennywise the other day, he totally lost his shit - I don't blame him. I used to call him big head when we were younger; his head isn't even that big, I just knew it got a good reaction out of him. He's never read IT, but he's seen Tim Curry's Pennywise, so he knew exactly what I meant by it," he laughed. It was a little mean, sure, but Lucien meant it in a brotherly way.
He thought back on his cousin's birthday party as well as he could, but it was hard to recollect it in enough detail. Lucien hadn't been the happiest kid, and the event had been around the time of either his brother's conception, or his birth - Lucien couldn't be sure - so he was having an even harder time then. "I don't remember him being overly scary. I think he was just a regular clown. No big head or anything." He shrugged. "So," he looked around them. "Where to?"
Felix’s eyes lit up at Lucien’s response, his grin widening as he laughed. “Big head is such a classic sibling move. The kind of insult that’s not even mean, it’s just perfectly annoying.” He shook his head fondly, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Honestly, if someone called me Pennywise growing up, I probably would’ve made it my whole personality. Just leaned into it. Balloon in one hand, cursed little grin in the other. I kind of love that he knew the reference even without reading the book. Tim Curry’s version really was a cultural reset. That big forehead alone deserves awards.”
At Lucien’s mention of the clown from the party, Felix tilted his head slightly. “Hmm. Regular clown with regular head. Got it. Still, I think you’re incredibly brave for surviving a clown-themed party and the existential horror of sibling chaos all in one childhood. That’s impressive.”
He spun once on his heel, taking in the glittering lights, the smell of fried food, the thrum of energy in the air. “So, where to…” he echoed with a grin, bumping his shoulder lightly into Lucien’s, “Are you afraid of heights?”
After the chaos of the carnival, Dimi's nerves had been frayed. He'd been there on the last night when everything had happened, but luckily he, Ozma, and Enzo were okay. Even so, Dimi had felt something happen, something in the air that felt unnatural. And while he wasn't a witch himself, Ozma kept insisting that she had felt like her magic had disappeared for a few minutes, and that was what what had made her cry, not everything else that had happened at the carnival that night; that had been the most traumatizing thing. And now she was having nightmares again, which she hadn't had since they left Minneapolis. Dimi definitely hated that.
Tonight Ozma was with a friend, and while Dimi had been hesitant to let her go, she had basically begged him, so in the end he had relented. But now Dimi needed something to calm his own nerves, so he was at Breaking Glass, intending to just have a drink or two, something to settle himself. But he had barely been there, having just sat down, when suddenly he was wet. "Whoa!" Dimi exclaimed, caught off-guard and leaping off of the stool he was sitting in. It was all over his pants, but he wasn't really worried about that. "Oh hey, don't be sorry," Dimi assured the stranger. "Total accident." Then he grinned, admitting, "Alright, so I didn't actually witness what happened, but I am taking this one on faith." It could have been worse; Dimi's pants were just a little wet now. Sitting back down, he turned to the handsome stranger and said, "Really, it's alright. My name is Dimi by the way." He hoped by introducing himself it would put the man at ease."
The sight of the other man leaping up made his stomach drop, but when he grinned, the tension eased out of his shoulders and he let out a laugh–half relief, half embarrassment.
“Faith, huh? You’re generous. I swear I wasn’t trying to baptize you in… this drink,” he winced again, still dabbing away at the mess on the bar. Thankfully the bartender had returned and with the help of America’s best paper towels, the only remainder of the spill was, unfortunately, on the strangers pants.
Connor straightened, flashing a smile back at him. “I’m Connor,” he said, offering his hand. “And, uh, officially the guy who owes you a drink. Or at least laundry money.” His grin tilted, a little mischievous despite the flush creeping up his ears.
It was like there were two people inside of him. One was telling Griffin that he needed to get the hell off this boat, to swim away if he needed to. But the other wanted to kiss Theo again. Hell, the other wanted to do a lot more than that. But this time Griffin didn’t listen to either of them. It felt like a good medium between to two extremes - he didn’t kiss his ex again, but he also didn’t pull away. He almost made a joke about Theo being so good at kissing that he must have been keeping in practice, but as soon as he had the thought, Griffin very much did not think it was funny. That wasn’t something Griffin wanted to think about.
So Griffin just focused on his ex and the way his lips looked after a good kiss. That was one of the first things he had loved about Theo, and that feeling was still there - for better or worse. Griffin put his arm around Theo as the boat went along, and he rubbed his shoulder, holding him against his side. “We are going to get you an elephant ear then,” Griffin decided firmly. Anything for his man…only Theo wasn’t his man, not anymore. But they were pretending right now. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to be riding anything that spins that much,” he assured Theo.
“Twenty questions?” Griffin asked. He liked the sound of that, and it reminded him of two people getting to know each other on a first date. It made this feel new and not tangled up in the past. “That sounds great,” he agreed. Griffin knew the answer to Theo’s question right away and said, “I don’t really. Most of them are either a let down or, well, not nearly stable enough to feel safe. But I like this. And I like the fun house. We should do that later.” It could be kind of creepy, but Griffin would keep Theo safe. “I’ll stick close, don’t worry,” he promised the man. “Same question for you. And also, if you could only eat an elephant ear or a funnel cake, which would you choose?”
He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t feel like a giddy teenager at that moment. It was so familiar, and the butterflies in his stomach were fluttering about, begging to be let loose. He raised his hand and brushed his fingers against Griffin’s, savoring the way it felt to be held.
“The fun house? I can barely walk for shit these days and you think I’m not gonna fall on my ass lookin’ at those mirrors?” He laughed, his smile turning into something undeniably fond when Griffin said he’d stick around. Self-deprecating humor was a new thing for him–Griffin would learn that soon enough.
“I’m gonna have to pass on the rides. Same reason.” Theo shuddered at the thought of getting on the little coaster the carnival had built, or the god-forsaken Zipper. “Can you imagine me? On the zipper?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’d probably turn into dust and fade away.”
They’d been on the ride for a minute, and Theo assumed they were getting closer to the end. The thought made him frown–he didn’t want to let go of Griffin. Not yet. Instead of thinking about that, he considered the second half of Griffin’s question. “Elephant ear, no questions. Okay, if you could be any animal, what would you be?”
⋄⋄ 🌼 ⋄⋄
In all honesty, she was pretty excited considering this was her first date. Whoever it was Felix picked could be trusted; they wouldn’t have sent her to the wolves. Their judgment was all she needed to feel safe. This would be fun; besides, this was a movie she’d been looking forward to seeing on tape, but now she could experience it as the director intended. If Felix liked him, then he couldn’t be bad company. Still, she wanted to look her best while also being true to herself. Stevie wouldn’t change for anyone, incapable of being anyone besides unapologetically Stevie.
She'd decided on a pair of her favorite jeans, a cropped t-shirt, and a jean jacket that was littered with embroidered flowers done by yours truly. When there were only so many things to do, she made sure to do them all. It was a hobby taken up to jazz up her closet while also adding another time killer to her arsenal. The girl sat on the couch anxiously petting a cat with each hand, mumbling to them about her worries, not wanting to bother Felix with the nonsense. At the same time, an element of thrilling anticipation made her understand why people did this sort of thing, and then there was a knock at the door.
"Wish me luck," she asked of the animals, getting up from the couch, along with a few brushes to her pants to whisk off the cat hair. Without even seeing him, Stevie started to smile, it only growing as she opened the door to reveal the mystery man. "In the flesh." The girl gave a wave down as if introducing herself to the world itself, which in a way she felt like she was. "Ah, good, it's no fun to start with the bad stuff." A joke that could've gone either way, but Stevie didn't hold back from being herself, only hoping that he wouldn't mind either. "I don't think I caught your name," she confessed, biting into her bottom lip sheepishly. It wasn't unlikely that she'd been told, but she couldn't recall in the moment.
Then he said it.
And she thought her stomach might fall down into the sole of her shoe. After all this time, it was him.
“I’m Connor,” he offered quickly, hand lifting in a small wave even though they were standing only a few feet apart. “Sorry, I should’ve said that right away. Felix kind of dropped me into this, so I’ve been trying to play it cool and, uh–” he broke off with another laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Not sure I’m pulling that off.”
For just a second, though, when her expression shifted–like something hit her harder than it should’ve–he tilted his head, concern flickering behind the boyish smile. “Hey, you okay?” he asked gently. “I didn’t… say something weird, did I?”
His tone stayed light, teasing enough to give her an out if she needed it, but his eyes lingered. “I mean, first impressions matter, right? And I’d really like mine to be a good one.” He could feel his face flush, but it wasn't from the warm summer air.
After a beat, he held his hand out with a soft smile. "If you're still in, I'm still in-and we got a movie to catch."
Vale hated when he got like this. More than that, he hated when people saw him get like this. It was bad enough that this ever even happened, that he was this damaged that he could be triggered so easily. Vale deserved it though, deserved to be this damaged after what he had done. Actually he deserved much worse, like what had happened to his friends, and Vale felt himself drowning in memories of that night and thoughts of where those friends were now. It was all his fault, which meant the way he felt now was his fault too.
If Vale had been alone, he would have spiraled into the abyss. And even now, he could still feel himself being pulled in that direction. But Hana’s hand on his knees was a grounding presence, and though Vale wanted to succumb to the darkness just like always, he couldn’t do it in front of them. So he opened his eyes, managing a smile (or at least a stoic expression) and saying, “I’m okay. Sorry.” He didn’t want to get into it and hoped that Hana wouldn’t ask.
It was just as Vale suspected. Hana described their flier, which already sounded much like his own, and then their reaction when he asked about the secret was enough confirmation to know that they were the same. The fliers were too similar to be unrelated, and he wondered who else might have gotten one. Maybe the whole town had, though surely they wouldn’t have secrets like Vale’s. And that made him wonder what Hana’s was, though he would never ask. Nodding, Vale replied, “Yeah, I got one too. It was just like you said. It was me only not, and then the words…” He trailed off, not intending to ever tell Hana what the flier said. “They were true,” he told them. “They were terrible and true. And it was also something only one other person knows, but I know that person wouldn’t have told anyone or made the flier. And that wouldn’t explain how they would know your secret too.” Vale paused, thinking this all through and sighing. “What the actual fuck,” he said quietly, stunned by all of this.
They brought their knees to their chest, wrapping their arms around themselves. As Vale explained his situation with the flyers, their brows creased and they looked toward the sky in thought.
Hana wasn’t a witch. They didn’t come from some magical family or have ghost-summoning cousins. Until now, they’d lived their life fully rooted in the mundane–they graduated, joined a band, went to concerts, and got gas station snacks at 2 a.m. The usual. They liked magic tricks because they were fake. That was the fun part. And yet…
“Only one other person?” They repeated, glancing at him like the two of them must have been missing something. Hana thought back on their own flyer and shuddered. They hadn’t told anyone about the locket.
“...Dude, are we about to be abducted by, like, aliens or something? Or did someone in Cardinal Hill like, summon demons and we’re all about to be sacrified?” It was half a joke. But only half. They looked at Vale with wide, anxious eyes, the kind that were very much not ready for demonic sacrifices, interdimensional curses, or literally any of this.
༝༝ 🎨 ༝༝
They hadn’t been getting out as often as they told themselves they would. Maybe it was the happenings around town or the rock that sat at the bottom of their stomach. Elle hadn’t felt all that social lately. There were only a few people who might’ve been able to slip through the cracks of her free time. When Aris caught her leaving the cafe earlier that week, she couldn’t turn down an after-school adventure in the forest later that week. They thought it might even be good for them to be amongst the trees instead of seeing from their classroom window. The students had been somewhere between unfazed and agoraphobic. Elle couldn’t blame them when she’d felt her own power drain from her like a bathtub until she’d been a shell left unprepared to fight off mildew. This would be good for them.
“Hm?” They drew back from the sketches that their nose had been buried in, adjusting their braids out of their field of vision, and taking the page for assessment. Elle squinted thoughtfully at the doodle in search of its identity. “Yeah, I could see a bat, but I’m also kind of getting bird or maybe even a vampire if you’re a real creative.” They laughed before the words had even come out, amused at Aris’ preface. While there might’ve been something to say for what each of them saw, it wasn’t a skill Elle possessed, at least not enough to make a genuine juxtaposition.
How were they? A question they didn’t even know the answer to. Instead of explaining, they started with a shrug, holding out the picture to create more distance from the question, or at least give pause for them to think about it. There wasn’t a good answer, not when they felt the brink of something horrible on the horizon. A feeling they hadn’t recognized since their father stopped haunting their world. "If weird shit stopped happening, I'd be a lot better," she finally decided on.
Aris’s grin widened when Elle added “vampire” into the mix, and he gave a soft, amused scoff. “Okay, now I’m gonna see a little Nosferatu every time I look at it. Thanks for that,” he said, voice deadpan though he was still smiling. “Bat-bird-vampire inkblot. Very seasonal. If it starts moving on its own, though, I’m blaming you.”
He reached for the paper again and turned the page ever so slightly, brow furrowing like it might reveal something new at a different angle. But when he glanced back up, the playfulness in his expression faded just a touch.
“Yeah,” he murmured, “You and me both.” There was a moment of quiet that followed–not heavy, but thoughtful, like the woods were listening too. Aris looked at Elle properly now, his eyes a little softer, a little more intent.
“I don’t know what it is,” he said after a beat. Though, he had a feeling. He definitely had a feeling. It was the same thing that sat heavy in his stomach and made him wince if he thought about his memories too much. He wondered if they felt it too.
“Nothing beats a little fresh air though, yeah?” Aris tried to keep his voice light, but it was clear that his mind was elsewhere now.
The memory of that day made Copper laugh, though it had been kind of scary at the time. "First and last time we tried that," he said, grinning at his brother. "But I think we learned a valuable lesson that day about fire safety. If we do it, we'll have to make some adjustments, but yeah...fire wards would definitely be a good idea. And maybe we should do this outside." They would have to work out the logistics of this idea. As the conversation shifted, Copper held his hands up in surrender, saying, "Hey, it wasn't my idea, it was our dads', so you need to blame them. I just went along with it. And it wasn't like we lied or anything, we just let you believe that we believed your cover story. And truly where was the harm in that? It was what you wanted, right? In fact, maybe I shouldn't even have told you. Dammit...too late now I guess."
Copper really did want popcorn though, so the brothers made their way in that direction. Aris was always someone Copper could just be present with; they didn't always have to fill the silence because the silence was (almost) always comfortable between them. Still, there was a part of Copper that felt gleeful at the bomb of a question he was about to drop on his brother - biding his time was just going to make it more of a surprise. Indeed, Copper was smiling and barely containing his laughter as he asked Aris about Ocean and waited for his brother's reply. But Copper couldn't not laugh when Aris's face burned red - it just burst out of him. "Oh trust me, I know you don't need the tunnel of love as an excuse for making out with your boyfriend. I've seen you two together." Even if Copper hadn't seen them making out, he saw the way they looked at each other and could imagine it happened frequently. It was the same way Copper looked at Corey.
Maybe this was something they should do more often. It was nice to hear Aris talk about Ocean and see the love in his expression, and he said, "Shit, you've really got it bad for this boy, don't you?" Copper couldn't remember if he'd ever seen Aris like this before, and that thought brought a smile to his face. His brother deserved happiness. "Are you gonna win him a prize too?" Copper asked. "Maybe show off your muscles at the strongman game? Or maybe throw a baseball at some bottles to knock them over? I'm sure Ocean would love to know that you can hit a target." When he said that, Copper paused, face a little warm. "Alright, that came out a little dirtier than I intended, so let's pretend I didn't say it." And then he just laughed.
When he heard Aris's news though, Copper looked at him, taken aback and eyes wide. "Wow, really?" he asked, stunned but also very happy for his brother. He was smiling again, patting Aris on the shoulder. "Isn't being in love like...just the best damn thing there is?" Copper asked. He felt that way, and he'd been lucky enough to be in love with two incredible men. But then Copper's smile fell away as Aris continued. They had reached the popcorn stand and were in line, so they had to keep their voices down, but the carnival was loud enough that no one would likely overhear. "Do you really think that'll make him leave?" Copper asked. "I know he loves you too. I can it in his eyes, even when you're not in the room. The other day you went to the bathroom, and he just sat on the couch with this happy smile on his face, clearly full of thoughts of you. You're like the sun and the moon to him, I can tell." Of this, Copper was certain. "First of all, you don't have to tell him," Copper told Aris. "This doesn't change who you are, so it doesn't matter as much as you think it does. But even if you do, I know he's not going anywhere. And besides, he probably has secrets too..." Copper trailed off, thinking about something he hadn't told Aris yet. "The other night when he stayed over, I had a dream about him," he started. "Not one of those dreams, so don't worry. But it felt so real...kinda felt like a memory." And if what Copper had dreamt was true, well...he knew Ocean had a secret too. "This is only a mess if you let it be," Copper told Aris. "Loving someone should be the simplest thing in the world, especially when they love you back."
Aris groaned into his hands as Copper immediately started laughing at him, shaking his head like he regretted every life decision that led him to this exact moment. The idea of his little brother seeing him make-out with his boyfriend made him want to die.
The look he shot Copper was half-mortified, half-affectionate. “You’ve got a fucked up little mind, don’t you?” He grinned through the embarrassment, his face slightly pink along with his brother’s, and elbowed Copper lightly.
But the teasing gave way to quiet when Copper asked, "You've really got it bad for this boy, don't you?" Aris didn’t say anything at first. He just nodded, that flustered smile softening into something more serious. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I do.”
At the popcorn stand, the warm scent of butter filled the space between them, and Aris focused on that for a moment. But when Copper spoke again, when he said "do you really think that'll make him leave?"–Aris felt his throat tighten.
He looked down at his hands, then back at Copper, trying to laugh it off and failing. “I don’t know. Maybe not. But I think about it all the time. I think about what his face would look like if he knew what I’d done. And it scares the hell out of me, because… he looks at me like I’m good. And I’m not sure I’ve earned that.”
He tried to blink away the burn in his eyes, sniffing once before it got too close to crying territory. But Copper’s words hit harder than he expected. Aris rubbed at the back of his neck again, voice a little hoarse now. “The sun and the moon, huh?”
And then–the dream. Aris’s head lifted at that, brows drawing together in interest. Not suspicion. Just… curiosity. He didn’t press too hard. “A memory?” he echoed. “What kind of memory?”
