LET'S GO HAVE FUN.

all you gotta do is trust i'm being true & do it for the people who love you. mason bernal. 26.

[hntrmason]

where: park just outside salem when: may 8th status: closed for @ofxlita​

mason emerges a dark figure against the trees. his face is eclipsed by the hood he has over his head but his posture is a far cry from the one he used to sport. he is curled over his stressful days and the phantom pains that aren’t so phantom, he thinks. he is nervous, unsure if ofelia will show up or not. for the first time, mason thinks he would deserve it if the woman leaves him to rot there, or even show up with the other witches. he hesitated to text her even, not sure how to ask her around. he can’t be cheeky, can’t pretend this is a casual date. 

his eye catches the silhouette of a woman approaching and his heart races. he waits, just for a few more moments until he can confirm that this is, indeed, ofelia and that his crazed mind isn’t just conjuring things he wants to see. one thing he learned on these days in which reason seems to fail him – this state of mind makes him more honest, so much more earnest than he usually is. so he rushes to ofelia, unable to hide the relieved smile he has for her. 

“ you’re really here, ” he breathes, finally.

[hntrmason]

where: roman’s home when: soon after the ritual status: closed for @romansantcs​

mason doesn’t think he’s ever been really scared in his whole life. as a boy, he’s been precociously confident in himself, something that was supported by his parents all along. as a teen and an adult, this confidence exacerbated and while he had some scares in his life, nothing compares to what courses through him now. he thinks it’s more than fear, it’s horror. his arm still hurts and so does the place on his heart and he feels like crying for the first time in so long. the screams of jack ring on his ears and he presses on, running and running and running. 

he doesn’t go back to peter’s. no matter how he wants to, he knows it’s the first place they will try to look for him. denial runs thick and yet – yet, how can deny everything that he has seen in the woods? how can he deny the woman floating above the air and the successive attacks made to him? how can he deny that was it not for ofelia he might not have had the chance to run away?

his fist comes down on roman’s door despite the hour and he is a pale ghost of the man he used to be when the man answers it, eyes wild and desperate. “ can – can i come in? quick? ”

[hntrmason]

&& ofelia.

it is visible all over ofelia’s visage that she is softening. from a blazing inferno belittled to nothing more than few hot embers; fire always burns hot. she groans audibly, never once wanting to be free of his hand. she couldn’t explain it, the gravitational pull that kept her by his side and if she had known…perhaps she could have resisted. simplicity was a luxury she could never afford. from the first package she received from genevieve, to the death of one of her friends…to living with the constant, albeit subdued, fear. perhaps melting now would do her good.. “ i TOLD YOU you weren’t all that… ” wavering brims form a mischievous, if not slightly lopsided, grin. her own ocean-cast hues scan for his and for once - they stay there. “ but what was it…oh, ‘next michael jordan’, yeah? worked out real nice for you? ” there is a fondness echoing in her timbre that was reserved for few. the more she pondered it, the more she knew that depsite their efforts - none of the girls knew ofelia quite like mason did. and she, of course, would tell you that was a TERRIBLE thing, and that she was stupid to let down her guard with him in the first place. her tongue rolled languidly over her teeth as she calculated her next move. ( ofelia is ignorant to the comment about his aunt. perhaps, if she was in her right mind, she’d have known not to do what she did next. but how does it go? ignorance is  b l i s s ) “ so…we’re gonna stand here like statues for people to stare at or…? ” her expression, a blank canvas ready for him to paint in all his colours. her tone, saturated with a childlike glee that takes form of an eager whisper. hands, crawling like a greedy infant, cupid-glazed ivy up his arms until they reach sanctuary the nape of his neck. she felt at peace. ignorant, but at peace. 

mason stares at ofelia and he waits for her words to stir anger inside of him. he waits, patiently, for his ego to riot and beg him to harden his stance. he waits, but in vain. he remembers the voices of his friends, telling him he became soft under ofelia's hand and he never agreed once. it was their words that cast shame over his heart and made him wish for his harder edges again. right now though, with no one from his old life to patronize him, mason can let ofelia polish him into a less coarse version of himself. he tries to be angry, but he can't. instead, mason finds her attempt at poking fun at him charming – endearing, even. he shakes his head and rolls his eyes, but keeping a smile on his face.

“ it's still working, ” he explains. “ or else they would've fired me. ” mason shrugs. he knows very well that if he wanted, he could point out ofelia's wounds. he could point out that this not-all-that player still managed to put her inside of her biggest production so far. he could, but he feels no need to. his mind occupies itself with much more agreeable scenarios as his eyes explore and he feels a shift on ofelia's demeanor towards him. mason knows, on the back of his mind, that she can be luring him to the fire and to shame however he can't stop falling further into her gaze. mason smiles and he runs a palm over one arm snaking around his neck. “ well, should we give them something to watch? ” he asks barely above a whisper before dipping his head and meeting her lips on a kiss.

[hntrmason]

&& ari. 

   even more doubt now crept in, because all things aside - he was right, painfully so. especially about peter; ari always had thought of him as one of the good ones, as far as men were concerned. the listless tone of their relationship had been a relief to her, especially after meeting some men born hot-blooded, full of passion and romance, and enough of it to make her squeamish. peter asked for little, needed little, and did so much - let her have her time, her peace, her quiet. he was, after all, her oldest and dearest friend… mason was too right. 

   peter was a good man, which made all of this worse, and once more cast a shadow on her suspicion of mason. “no, i know you are right,” ari answered, shaking her head to his words. it was unusual, what she was doing. if peter were anyone else, they’d jump to the same conclusion as mason did; hell, maybe he would, anyway. “he is maybe too good.” 

   a week - that sounded fair, as much as ari hated to admit it. now she was very conflicted on her belief about mason being a hunter - about if his aunt had really sent him - everything she had felt were fact only half an hour ago. “agreed. i can make that deal. i will be back, in a week, with answers. for peter - not for you.” 

for a moment, as ariadne falls back into her own character, mason wonders if he would’ve liked his friend’s fiancee better if she didn’t cloud herself with suspicions during day one. he thinks it’s a big perhaps, seeing how he isn’t the biggest fan of women such as ari. she is perfect for peter, of course, such a man he is that he doesn’t enjoy surprises and challenges. mason prefers women capable to challenge him and willing to set his life on fire – and to do this without a façade. ariadne hardly seems to fit the type.

he nods at her. while standing on opposite sides, they can always agree on peter. a good man. if mason had any shame at all, he’d admit that peter is too good even to him. mason can never compete with his character. but this isn’t about him – it’s about ariadne and mason can’t resist getting on top of a high horse. “ too good would be right. ” he agrees, only because it applies to her and not to him. 

a scoff and a roll of his eyes are his reply to her next sentence. mason shakes his head before meeting his eyes with ariadne’s again. “ answers for peter are answers for me, don’t you think? he’s been worried. ” he pauses. “ it’s the reason why i’ve been interested in you. nothing else. ”

[hntrmason]

&& ofelia‌.

in the archives of her mind - ofelia could hear, vivid as the morning’s rays, the voice of lucrezia whispering what the two had pondered many nights over - men ain’t shit. ofelia knew better than to fall for the same old tricks and charms of the man before her. KNEW better, but seemingly, DID worse… she melted into the palm nesting in her head of curls, used it as a makeshift splint to gather her body while her mind ran feral. people were dying. she could hear the screams and the cries of her coven while she turned over in her bed for the umpteenth time the night before. guilt. it reigned over her. her eyes closed for a brief second as she imagined what she should do. the only problem with that is that ‘rebel’ was just a five letter word that once meant ‘free’ but now it reeked of ‘death’. her lungs filled with air, her hand snaked skyward to capture his wrist between her swaying digits. she knew better than to find distraction in the allure of his words…she knew… “ why now, mason? ” there is now fire in her hushed syllables. her visage melts into something like subdued rage, her voice however was light and airy and full of pockets. her scrutiny was born of fear, it was a noble stead that carried her to all the places she wanted to go. in fact, it was what led her closer into his arms. it WASN’T the right time - her sanity could tell you that much. in fact, with witch hunters lurking close, mingling with the people ofelia cared about, his timing couldn’t be less desirable. but she had to admit…the effect of his words was calming to the storms in her mind. she found comfort in his voice, a comfort she had sworn blind she had abandoned long ago. in boston. by text. not her finest hour, sure, but one she remembered with diluted fondness. “ what about your PLANS ? ” 

he feels the warmth against his wrist and reads the fire on her eyes. if mason was a sensible man, he would know to step back. hell, even his pride is telling him to step back because at every second he grows closer to wearing his heart on his sleeve. mason knows he’s not a man that can afford to do so. not after years of piled up mistakes and especially not in front of ofelia. his ego warns him of the dangers and how it must look pathetic of him to try and woo the woman who dumped him by text a moment before skipping town. but it’s just a game, he thinks, it’s not supposed to mean a thing. 

yet, he keeps his wrist where her hand holds it and searches her face. mason searches for words and they’re more honest than intended. eyes take a purposeful dip from her eyes to her mouth and then back before saying anything. “ because we’re here now, ” he replies as if it’s easy just like that. as if it’s a gift from fate that they found each other in salem and it would be a shame to waste it. “ my plans won’t be affected. ” he explains then as to persuade her. “ i was suspended from the team so i don’t have much to do. my aunt asked me to look at houses for her because she would like to move here. ” he shrugs. “ i doubt the problem are my plans or the timing. ”

[hntrmason]

&& marina.

she can feel herself relax a little when he steps back, but that relief doesn’t last long. sure, he’s not shutting her out and he hasn’t reacted violently, but… being shut in a house with someone that might have figured out her secret, who might have attacked her house.. that wasn’t exactly a plan she’d thought through before she arrived.

“she didn’t say specifically but uh —” her eyes flick to the side, the wheels in her brain almost audibly turning, “probably the living room or the kitchen.” she steps in and lets the door click shut behind her, offering the man a polite smile. “so, have you been staying here long?”

it takes a second for mason to decide he doesn’t trust this woman. he quickly ceases to believe in the tale of something borrowed but he decides to go with it. at least for now. he can put holes on her narrative later on if needed. however, as the woman speaks – has he asked her name? – mason can’t help but to wonder why she came in so unprepared. his eyebrows shoot up and he cocks his head, sporting his best confused expression. “ the living room or the kitchen? ” he echoes. “ can I ask what is it? i think not many items can be either in the living room or the kitchen and not be weird. ” he says but gestures to the living room just the same. “ define long. though i’m pretty sure i’ve been here long enough for poor peter. ”

[lamartriarca]

OFELIA MORRONE X MASON BERNAL -  P L A Y L I S T

∘ THE FEAR OF LETTING GO / to be so lonely / HOSTAGE / waitin’ / CON LA MIEL EN LOS LABIOS / i’m not yours / SHOULDN’T HAVE SAID IT / wanna be missed / TOMORROW NEVER CAME / KISS WITH A FIST / i found / FLUX ∘ i. the fear of letting go - ruelle. ⤷  ❛ we’re two battleships that always miss / but we can’t admit / this is the fear of letting go ❜ ii. to be so lonely - harry styles. ⤷  ❛ do you think it’s easy / being of the jealous kind? / ‘cause I miss the shape of your lips / your wit / it’s just a trick / and this is it, so i’m sorry ❜ iii. hostage - billie eilish. ⤷  ❛ and let me crawl inside your veins / i’ll build a wall, give you a ball and chain / it’s not like me to be so mean / you’re all I wanted / just let me hold you ❜ iv. waitin’ - jake bugg and noah cyrus. ⤷  ❛ when you’re leaving / lord knows I’ll be waiting / for I cannot refuse you / i’ve tried ❜ v. con la miel de los labios - aitana.  ⤷  ❛  me pusiste la luna en las manos / te gané sin temblar de un asalto ❜ vi. i’m not yours - angus and julia stone. ⤷  ❛ and I can think of a thousand reasons why / i don’t believe in you, i don’t believe in you and i ❜ vii. shouldn’t have said it - julia michaels. ⤷  ❛  and you’re so scared you’ll say the wrong things / so you lay low and you shut your mouth ❜ viii. wanna be missed - hayley kiyoko. ⤷  ❛ aren’t you tired every day?/ ‘cause I run through your brain / hold me down, keep me safe / this is as good as it gets ❜ ix. tomorrow never came - lana del rey and sean ono lennon.  ⤷  ❛ ‘cause if I had my way /  you’d would always stay / and you’d be my tiny dancer ❜ x. kiss with a fist - florence and the machine. ⤷  ❛ a kick to the teeth is good for some / a kiss with a fist is better then none ❜ xi. i found - amber run. ⤷  ❛ and I’ve moved further than I thought I could / but I missed you more than I thought I would  ❜ xii. flux - ellie goulding.  ⤷  ❛  when the memories pack up and leave, it will set me free / all those days on the beach will be washing away from me ❜ @hntrmason​

[hntrmason]

&& ofelia‌.

one gaze, and ofelia was disarmed. the weapons she wielded like second-appendages, the fortifications that lined her gums, reading to strike at any given moment; dismantled. it scared her. more than she would ever vocalise - more than the chaos, the hunters, the impending doom. hell, ofelia didn’t bat an eyelid at the news of any ancient sorceress rising from the dead and occupying one of her friend’s bodies but…the basketball jock from boston who couldn’t see what was right before his eyes?  d e v a s t a t i n g.  “ yes….yes, funnily enough it would be bad, mason. very bad. ” incredulity sounded in the scoff that infiltrated the narrowing space between the pair of them. her lips morphed into a down-facing curve, her head shaking at the sheer nerve of this boy. should she have expected it? tigers don’t change their stripes and the snarl and bite and POUNCE all the same. he was audacious, she’d give him that, and while her mind informed her to kick, retreat, RUN ( what she was best at ), ofelia too shared the same tether of a glance with him. “ i wasn’t expecting to ever see you again. ” her timbre was belittled to a mere whisper. pathetic, really, and she could feel her blood curdling in her veins. “ so excuse me when i say i haven’t given much THOUGHT into facilitating you in my life anymore… ” she hung her head to sever their gaze. when he looked at her, it was like looking into the sun. he was blinding. but she hadn’t yet forgotten how sweet it felt to burn. 

his intentions shift. ofelia didn’t make into his plans and yet, she is successful to steer him from his goals in salem. mason knows he will be chastised by his aunt if he would ever dare to tell her he became distracted by the pretty face of his ex-girlfriend. he knows he would be even more chastised by the men in his own group. their goal, after all, is to fight off enchantresses and not fall for their charms. he knows it all to be reckless but he doesn’t hold himself back from the danger. mason isn’t quite sure of his motivations – if it’s his ego or something entirely different but he recognizes the magnetism between them, making him unable to move away. 

“well and why won’t you give it a thought now?” he asks. a smile dances over his lips and he reaches for a lock of ofelia’s hair. he doesn’t touch skin to skin as much as he wants to, aware that the woman might as well slap him across the face. mason becomes unsure of who’s winning the game as he presses further, vulnerability sparking vulnerability. “and a real thought at that. i know you like to run, ofelia. but do you really want to?”

[hntrmason]

&& ari‌.

   suddenly it made sense - mason thought her to be unfaithful. the realization made ari laugh, a sharp, barking sound, void of humor. “mr. bernal, i was raised with honor,” ariadne informed him, but the sudden flash of dancing with cole, bodies flush together, the kiss maia planted on her cheek, cleo’s hand in hers; her ears started to burn pink, but ariadne pressed on. she held up a manicured hand, showing off the ring that at all times sat a dazzling glint on her finger. “i do not take this as lightly as you seem to assume i do. regardless of where i have been-” again, none of his business. “- i have not dishonored my fiance in any shape or form.” 

   now the doubt crept in. mason didn’t bat an eyelash at her accusation, nor cringe as she assumed a guilty person would. her frown grew, and uncertainly flickered in her eyes. he wouldn’t be the first to call her paranoid… was he just a concerned college buddy, with a strange connection to a reporter? 

  could ari really have been so wrong? 

   “i am fine,” she finally answered, quieter this time, losing much of the fire she’d had moments ago. now the witch resembled more of what he would be used to, docile and gentle, contained in a box far too small for herself. her gaze fell to the bed, where her things were half packed, and another cold hand of guilt gripped her hand. when she looked at the hunter again, her expression was much more soft. “would you please not say anything to him, at least until i can? i am going to return. there is…. an emergency.” 

the whole attitude is still very much unexpected. mason would imagine that peter wouldn’t be engaged to someone who engages in confront and he took advantage of it when interacting with ariadne. he must admit that he likes this version better even as she talks him down. he isn’t completely convinced though and it shows on his expression as he casually leans against the doorframe of the bedroom. he shrugs once she is done with her lecture and while he still maintains a neutral stance, his eyes are sharper than they’ve been so far. 

“ well pardon me, ” he says, humorless just the same. mason straightens up so he can stare more directly at ariadne. “ i’m just meeting you, ariadne. i don’t know you or how you’ve been raised. the only one i know is peter and he’s a good man. excuse me for being suspicious when you need to lie about your whereabouts to him. ” 

as sudden as this combative flavor to ariadne shows up, it’s gone and mason nearly misses it. nearly, because the way her expression softens to ask him a favor serves his ego very well. mason raises his eyebrows and takes a moment to think about it. “ a week, ” he says. “ it’s fair enough, don’t you think? if you’re not back in a week to talk to him about it, i’ll spill. then i think you’ll need to rethink your excuses. ”

[hntrmason]

&& marina.

she wasn’t sure what possessed her to drop by ariadne’s house, knowing that she’d probably find mason there alone. call it curiosity, call it poor survival instincts. but she had suspicions that needed to be confirmed, and he’d gotten just a little too close for comfort at the festival. marina wasn’t usually one to second-guess her gut.

deep breaths. just keep your head calm and don’t use any magic. she paced before the door for a few minutes, finally deciding to just go with it, and pressing the doorbell. the sound of it echoing behind the door only raised her heart rate further — she couldn’t go back from this now. the door creaks open, and a smile leaps its way onto her face. “hi — can i come in?” she braces a hand on the doorframe, casual but ready to push if he tries to shut her out. “i lent something to ari a while ago — she said i could come and pick it up?”

his eyes trace the woman in front of him from head to toe. from their brief encounter during the festival mason can’t measure up the brunette properly. yet, whatever woman that is friends of ariadne’s is a suspect in his book after the latest developments. even more suspect is this behavior – he knows ariadne isn’t home but is, in fact, in town. so has his friend’s fiance sent on of her own to spy on him, even if for a small amount of time? whatever the reason behind it, mason is little inclined to believe the visit is all about retrieving something borrowed. nevertheless, mason steps back to make room for the woman to go by him. “ i mean, sure, if she said so, ” mason shrugs. “ did ariadne tell you where this item is? ”

[hntrmason]

&& ofelia‌.

one look at mason, and everything she had set out to accomplish in salem was undone. anonymity. a place where nobody knew her name. her story. ( her failures ). and here he was, still wearing his pride like a brand new designer jacket and smiling his way through thunderstorms. ofelia was quick to align her defences, hands thrust into pockets of the denim jacket three sizes too large for her, her chapped brims pursing at the tension seeping into her veins. pooling fear. a fear of what exactly? the past. she preferred her skeletons in her closet, or some place else to muffle the screams. and yet there he stood.  f u c k.  “ it’s hard not to stare. ” she admitted, and though the statement was shrouded in something almost fuzzy and nostalgic, she soon followed it up with, “ if i remember correctly, i left your ass back in boston. ” ofelia was proud of herself for that one, and it was written swiftly all over her face. she never had been the best at hiding EXACTLY how she felt. and with him, one shallow sigh and her wildfires were calmed. “ so EXCUSE ME for wondering what business you could possibly have here. ” ofelia peered up at him while she swallowed abruptly. she spoke a good game. a game she’d been the victor in too many times. but as she studied him, every fragment of ‘ moving on ‘ disintegrated before her and she had no other choice than to bear witness to how they pooled at their feet. feet that inched her agonisingly closer. a magnetic, cosmic pull that ofelia was too wise to resist. she could only hope the stars to save her. 

his eyes search. there’s wonder behind the smugness. mason is too prideful to ever admit to have had his heart broken. even if he wasn’t, he admits to being too caught up in himself to give a woman a chance to do so. ofelia seems to be his exception yet he would never say a word about it. mason will play his games and hopes something sticks, but never resort to honesty. on the note of pride,  finally there’s a bite when she tells him she left him in boston. he doesn’t flinch but the fire in his eye flickers and then he wonders – did she really leave him when she took a piece of him with her?

“ ah, you see, i’d love to tell you my business but that’s a privilege you left back in boston. ” he says and his smile is sharper then. his fight is to destabilize her as she does him. with this purpose he steps closer now, actively invading her space. his voice drops lower and he stares at her, eye to eye. “ but would It be so bad if i told you that you’re part of my business in salem, now? ” he asks. “ believe me i didn’t try to find you, it’s not my style. but now that i have – would that be so revolting to you, ofelia? ”

[hntrmason]

&& asteria.

HE LOOKED PRETTY worried about her, the crease in his brow and the way his hands were splayed out as if to make sure she didn’t roll over and die right there. she’d always been a delicate little thing, her size and spirit accounting heavily into it, and she offered him a warm smile that took some work to muster up given her weekend so far. “of course i did, my mom says i’m really good with faces.” asteria explained with a lighthearted laugh falling from her lips, fingers combing through her golden locks to try and fix herself up again.

“MASON, nice to meet you, despite…all of this.” and she motioned to the scene around her for good measure, looking at his hand and pulling herself up as she lifts the leg she fell on, not wanting to put pressure on the thing as a small sting of pain surges through her knee, “i’m astrid, by the way.” glancing down to her knee as she lets go of his hand, she sighs with a frown, “i really need to stop daydreaming while i ride, i almost flattened that poor turtle back there.” 

“ it seems that she was right, ” mason concedes as an answer. fact is, he is pretty much the opposite – his manager would tell him that he needs to be better in attaching names to faces. he ignores him for the most part. being attractive and a good player should be enough, shouldn’t it? the man would probably not remember the girl if not for her beauty and the setting alike. while mason interacted with a fair share of women during the festival, he made sure to have their faces on his mind. mason doesn’t think this one can be a witch, though. far too delicate and sweet talking to be considered menacing any way. 

“ nice to meet you, astrid. ” he says with a smile and a grip on her hand. he doesn’t let go when she’s on both her feet again, using balance as an excuse. the man raises his eyebrows and lets out a chuckle when the blonde points out to the turtle. “ i’d be worried about your safety when you’re daydreaming. ” he tells her. “ do you live far? i can help you take your bike home and all that. ”

[hntrmason]

&& ofelia.

whispers of witch hunters, those who would stop at nothing to ‘expose’ all that ofelia and her peers had worked so hard for…sent shivers running down ofelia’s spine. it was ironic, really, how ofelia had learned to live her life as though in a movie. without restraint, without pre-meditation and with generous lashings of spontaneity and youthful recklessness. and though she supposed she ought to be outgrowing such a phase…one look at mason across the trashed lawn of the local park sent unfamiliar waves of familiarity, a sequel if you will, to the rollercoaster they had embarked on, through ofelia. and you know what they say about the SEQUEL..it’s never as good as the ORIGINAL.  “ stalking? ” ofelia was unable to mask the unenthused look that was signature to her countenance. “ you’re gonna need new material to catch me off-guard. ” her hands plunged into her pockets as she edged towards him. she tried not to let the paranoia of the night before’s events to faze her as she studied him. besides, from what she remembered, he was all TONGUE and no TEETH. and she wasn’t sure it was the talking that she and her fellow witches should be truly afraid of. “ but no, of course— you’re right. ” she played along with his apparent delusion. not because she particularly agreed with him, but because it was something light-hearted to contrast her sinking hope. “ i just can’t get enough of you, mason bernal. ” she lied. though her tone was oozing with charisma, a friendliness even, her eyes soon widened like a doe caught in a bright light and ofelia stopped in her tracks. BERNAL. the surname was familiar….and not just because it was something she’d whispered lovingly on hot summer nights. no. it held an air of a danger that rattled her sane mind. but, her momentary fright wasn’t something to dwell on. it wasn’t the time, nor the place. 

her words, intended for a bite, do nothing to pull down the smile mason sustains on his face. he is meant to bother her and to elicit any reaction from her and while she seems less than impressed with his efforts, they are still successful. ofelia talks back and she is in on the game and all this time mason just wants to play. his smile widens to see her as a willing participant and he finds himself stepping closer into her space. rather than menacing, he goes for playful and charming – a strategy ofelia should be familiar with it. it matters not, mason thinks the nostalgia adds to it. 

“ ah, ” he lets out, content and malicious all at the same time. “ i do remember when you used to say that and be serious. ” mason adds. he takes the shift on ofelia’s eyes to be consequence of his own words and it brushes his ego, spurs him on. he remembers when this banter would be usual, though ofelia never meant much by it in the past. a part of him that cares for the sentimental misses it. the bigger part of him understands that it’s better that they’re not together anymore seeing how much he favors her. “ i bet there’s a bit of truth behind that, or else you wouldn’t be staring at me before, would you? ” 

[hntrmason]

&& ari‌.

   peter. god, as if ari didn’t need more guilt piled onto her heavy soul, now she was being reminded directly to her face how little she was giving care or thought to him. though if she were honest, ariadne wondered if he’d even care - gone a week, or two, or four… it wouldn’t be the first trip one of them had to take, and it wouldn’t be the first time the other was carefree about it. still; mason made a point, and it was the first time ari had told her fiance such a large lie. now that she was caught, she could only assume mason would include peter on her actings, which meant her family would definitely hear about it… 

   “i do not have time for this,” ari sighed, brazen and rude, unlike herself; even with mason, who hadn’t exactly gotten the best version of her to begin with. she pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes shutting as she tried desperately to conjure some sort of fitting tale or lie, or bargain, to get out of this awkwardness unscathed. when she drew back her hand from her face, the irritation was apparent in the flash of her almond eyes. “my business is my own, and peter trusts me enough to understand that. i was going to leave a note… i just- i had not yet.” 

   a nicer ari, one less stressed and on the verge of coming undone, would have thanked mason for the reminder, but instead her eyes narrowed. empowered by her recent desperation to solve the coven’s problems, ari took a step forward, drawing her full 5′9″ frame up, chin lifted. “you would do well to remember that it is you who is a guest in our home. would peter like to know you have been going through my belongings?” 

mason is taken aback by the new attitude ariadne chooses. the man is aware that his presence causes discomfort and that he is definitely not her favorite person and yet, never seems to have struck her nerve quite like right now. since day one, he watched ariadne swallow down her distaste for him but never owning to it. he expects things never to change but his friend’s fiancee appears to have more to show. his eyebrows rise high on his face and he is nearly delighted by her response. he has not the faintest idea what caused ariadne to drop her manners in such way but he guesses it has to be something drastic. witch hunters perhaps?

“ were you, now? ” he asks. his voice and his expression betray the skepticism. mason is taunting her. he still thinks ariadne might be cheating on peter on the side of being a witch and he wants to check if she feels any guilt at all. “ of course peter trusts you but – i’m wondering if he should. all this time you were in town, but couldn’t come to your own bed? ” 

her accusation throws him off but he is quickly recomposing himself. there’s no way ariadne could’ve seen him, he thinks. he was up and away as soon as he heard the front door open. instead of any excuses, mason laughs. he shakes his head as if this is the single most ludicrous thing he’s ever heard in his life. “ going through your belongings? ” he repeats, incredulous. “ oh ari, are you alright? i know you don’t fancy me but that’s next level paranoia. ”

[hntrmason]

&& asteria.

AS SOMEONE RUNS up to her, she squints her eyes to peer up at them, bright hues taking a moment to focus in before he blocks the sun from her vision. he’s familiar, something about his size and tone of voice strikes up the memory of the festival when she enlisted his help to grab the fairy statue that now was on a shelf in her apartment. thus far, he hasn’t posed any type of threat, and with a lot of people around she relaxes the tense feeling in her shoulders, “oh, hi…” asteria murmurs, watching as he crouches down beside her, moving her fingers up and through her hair as she now feels a stinging in her palms from when she braced her fall. 

“I GUESS I kind of got lost in my thoughts.” she huffs out, glancing down at the blood dripping down her knee with a pout on her lips, “i’m…i think i’m okay, um, i met you at the festival the other night right?” asteria asked, giving him a little smile, whatever she could muster due to the exhaustion of lack of sleep and worrisome thoughts.

there is a somewhat staged crease on his forehead when he looks down at the girl. if he is honest with himself, he would say it’s a little excessive however girls seem to like guys who are caring, mason isn’t the man most girls would want but he can disguise himself as much if he wants to. and right now, he wears the soft concern on his face and his hands hover over her as if he’s tentative, not knowing if he should touch her or not. 

he lets out a little chuckle at her next words and he shakes his head. “ it looks like it, ” he tells her and his tone is kind. “ ah, yes, you recognized me! i’m mason – i don’t know if we ever introduced ourselves. ” mason replies with a small smile. he offers his hand to her then, his expression morphing back into worry. “ can you stand? let me help you – your knee doesn’t look all that good. ”

[spcckyszns]

location: public park time & date: noon, saturday the 23rd who: @hntrmason​

WHILE SHE WAS INFORMED not to go anywhere alone, she didn’t consider a crowded public park as alone, she needed to ride her bike and clear her head. all of the madness that had happened, the loss and the dark thoughts, they were crowded in her typically sunny mind. normally she would ride her bike at night, but she knew better than to do that right now, it left her vulnerable and alone at a time anyone could strike. she wasn’t sure if she was even on any of the witch hunter’s radar, roland was the only one she knew of, maybe there were only two; him and this jack guy. and since one was captured at gen’s house and she knew what roland looked like, that made her a little bit at ease.

SO MUCH SO that she wasn’t paying attention as she rode down the sidewalk and almost hit a turtle crossing the pavement, making her swerve and crash her bike into a bush. “shoot!” she said under her breath, lyrica her butterfly familiar fluttering around in the air as she sighed, looking at the scrape to her knee. “this is just great.” asteria pouted with a shake of her head as she just sat there, feeling her eyes water up a bit with tears at her overwhelming emotions getting caught in her chest again.

[hntrmason]

mason is by no means a true gentleman. he cares for little but himself and isn’t quite inclined to help just anyone. running on the park, his only goal is to expel the intrusive thoughts. after years of training, he knows how to do this well: but it requires immersion from him to make sure he’s stepping right and breathing right. usually, when accidents happened in front of him, mason but runs around it. after all, everyone will have a rough day eventually. when he sees this particular girl fall though, he stops. he recognizes her from the festival – the fairy statue girl. blonde and very cute and, it seems, in need of help. again, no true gentleman: mason stops because she looks sweet and pretty and vulnerable. 

“ hey! ” he runs towards the girl shortly. mason rips off the earphones he’s wearing and lets it dangle around his neck as he crouches next to the fairy girl. “ are you alright? ” he asks, faking genuine concern on his face. “ are you hurt? ”

[hntrmason]

WHERE: ari and peter’s home WHEN: saturday  STATUS: closed for @marinachois​

mason isn’t one to stay too much at home but with ariadne away and peter apologizing profusely for having to work on a saturday, he finds the perfect opportunity to snoop around. he assures his friend there’s nothing to it and that they can catch up later and wishes him a good day. once he is gone, mason takes a deep breath, wonders where to start looking. there’s a bit of a if i was a witch where i would hide something magical exercise before he decides to settle for the room where the woman sets the flowers brought to her every friday. 

he barely has any time to look around before he is startled by the doorbell. mason feels his stomach drop but ultimately convinces himself there’s nothing to it. the danger lies in ariadne or peter finding him and neither of them would ring the doorbell. he laughs at himself before going towards the door, knowing he wouldn’t be too helpful to whoever is behind it. 

“ sorry, i’m afraid the owners aren’t ho– ” he stops himself mid-sentence when he recognizes the woman before him. “ oh, you. how can i help you? ”