Get in Line

Colin Hopper. Black Locusts Mafia Boss. 44.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

She was forced to exist in the shadows after the festival. Claire went between staying at her new apartment, visiting Liam whenever the quiet got too still, and hoping from the depths she could discover what she hadn't in the light. There were still so many unknowns that put those who were magic in danger, the woman taking it upon herself to ensure their safety from the monster who sought to strike them down. The quiet got lonely some days so she'd find herself in the company of a lounge singer and a glass of cabernet sauvignon. At least then she felt like she could blend into the crowd, nothing more than a woman at a bar enjoying the end of her day with a drink. This had been the first time she was caught but it was he who drew more attention than the one living in darkness. While the passersby guests gawked at the man out of his element, the force that went without saying, she was not intimidated as she stood in his blind spot where she frequented.

His attention was snagged with a cough beneath her breath, a smile forming instantaneously when their gaze had reconnected after all this time. "I've never known Colin Hopper to not win a gamble," she replied taking a step toward her familiar stranger. "It's good to see you." A hand reached out to make sure he was real and not a figment of her imagination. His sturdy figure still a safe place for her touch to land, finding warmth on his cheeks that had been kissed by the winter breeze. "Oh come on now, you know it takes more than that to get rid of me. You still haven't been able to." Claire's arm wrapped around his as she took her place beside him and led him to the corner of the bar she'd claimed. It only took a wave to the bartender for him to notice, requesting a glass of whiskey for the man who joined her. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" An assumption that nothing Colin ever did was without reason and this one peaked her curiosity.

[hoppingseason]

Her compliment landed like a spark, igniting his ego and sending a rush of dopamine coursing through his system. After weeks of relentless survival mode, the tension in his body began to dissolve. There was something about Claire—her presence, her radiant smile—that felt like a breath of fresh air cutting through the smog of his polluted world. When her hand brushed against his cheek, it was as though his battered soul surrendered, if only for a moment. He was a man, after all, and the warmth of her touch felt disarmingly tender against the hardened edges of his existence.

"I wouldn’t want to get rid of you," he admitted, his voice low but steady. The pretense was gone, stripped away by the sheer force of what he felt. He hadn’t come all this way to hide how much he yearned for her.

When Claire, with her sharp wit and quiet confidence, asked why he was there—clearly aware that she was the reason—he paused, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Her perceptiveness disarmed him as much as her presence did. "I need you," he confessed, the honesty raw and unfiltered. His eyes met hers, steady and unwavering. "I can’t get you off my mind, so I had to see you."

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning but spoken casually enough to mask his vulnerability. He downed the last of his whiskey in one smooth motion, signaling for another glass. In her company, the world seemed quieter, his demons a little less loud. For now, that was enough.

[hoppingseason]

//starter @anctherdogday

When Hopper sat quietly in the hospital room, his presence heavy yet silent. Annette lay recovering, aware of him sitting there. Neither spoke. Hopper had no words. His guilt gnawed at him. He had failed to protect her—his only daughter—and now they were both grieving. Annette had not only endured her own pain but also the unbearable loss of her child. The weight of it crushed them both. Hopper’s stoic demeanor betrayed little, save for the flicker of anger simmering in his eyes. What could he say to ease her suffering when his own was so profound? So he said nothing at all.

Days turned into weeks, and the rhythm of life hesitantly resumed. The family, fractured but trying, began piecing together a semblance of normalcy. By Christmas Eve, Hopper found himself standing in the glow of holiday lights, watching Annette from across the room. This time, she was smiling. It was faint and fragile, but it was there—a flicker of the person she used to be. Catching her eye, Hopper gave her a small, almost shy smile of his own. He tilted his head, motioning for her to follow him outside.

"How are you?" he asked when they were alone, his gruff voice softer than usual. For a man like Hopper, words didn’t come easily, especially not those soaked in emotion. "Do you need anything? Or want anything? I can buy you everything. Just say it," he said, his voice awkward and rushed. "Whatever you want," he added, his tone almost pleading. Beneath the surface lay the truth: this was his way of saying he loved her, that he was sorry, that he was still trying to be the father she needed.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

They were sitting on opposite sides of the same table as they had been since their youth. She watched him with an effervescent smile still cascading over her posie pink lips. He'd been curious to her growing up but now Claire believed she'd gotten a good look at the man he'd become. While many things had changed about the pair, there were ties to the other they couldn't forget. She knew him when all they had were their dreams and now they both stood as the people they wanted to be. The blonde moved a step closer to him, their gaze having never broken. Many people might've feared to stare death in the eye like this but she felt safe in his eye's embrace. She'd seen the man beneath the power and it was in him that she entrusted herself.

The woman stood tall in front of him as the space between them continued to shrink. While many would've bowed to his power she stood in its light and never shrank from its shadow. "Do you believe me to be afraid, Colin? Have you ever known me to ask you to change who you are?" Her hands rose to adjust the collar of his shirt so that it sat perfectly, laying it down with her palms before letting her arms fall again. "My place is here on the Isle, there is far more work to be done even if it must be from the shadows," she spoke assertively as she thought of her own ambitions. "We are not the children we once were. I've done enough vanishing in my time and I know now where I belong."

[hoppingseason]

-timeskip-

Once the borders reopened, the Mafia's operations exploded into a frenzy. Hopper was always on the move, fighting to maintain his stronghold on the Isle while chasing bigger opportunities beyond it. It was a hunt—high stakes, grander schemes—and Hopper thrived on the thrill. Everyone was scrambling for a piece of the new world, but his appetite was insatiable; he wanted the best.

Yet, despite the chaos and ambition consuming his days, his thoughts often drifted elsewhere—to someone.

Ever since the borders opened and she stepped away from his protection to face her own battles, Hopper had buried himself in his work. But every night, as silence crept in, he found himself wondering. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she safe—was she even alive? It gnawed at him, the not knowing. Reaching her now was out of the question; she was in hiding, always on the move.

Eventually, Hopper's curiosity won. He made quiet inquiries, tracked her last known whereabouts, and despite his packed schedule, he found himself stepping into a bar that practically screamed at him to leave. The place was eccentric, a mishmash of color and shadow, its atmosphere thick with unspoken rules. His entrance felt like a spotlight; Hopper could sense the hidden stares, the silent judgments. He was out of place, an anomaly cutting through their haze.

A soft cough behind him broke his thoughts. Turning, he saw her before he even registered the sound. She’d seen him first. "I gambled on finding you here," he said, his voice low, his eyebrow arched in that familiar mix of intrigue and confidence. The corner of his lips tugged into a sly smile. "You're alive. Looks like I won."

[attaant]

She shouldn't have been surprised that Hopper would've taken such a stance with Scamp--Atta shouldn't have even asked. Despite working closely with him now that he was further away from Hopper himself, Atta knew he had a long way to go until he might actually sever any real ties from their boss. "Understood," she said simply, figuring it would be a decision that wouldn't involve Lilah whatsoever, despite his mother likely desiring her opinion to be heard.

"A long time ago," she confirmed, "but he still ... despite my current relationship status, he thinks he might have a chance of rekindling that, so." Atta cut herself off, not caring to dive too into detail with him before his amusement could grow. "Either way, I think I could probably get him to talk, or at least, get him to tell me enough until I can get a meeting between the two of you on the calendar, if that's something you'd want." Atta could only imagine being a fly on the wall between the two of them, and, unfortunately, she would probably have to witness it sooner than later.

[hoppingseason]

-timeskip-

The borders had finally reopened, yet Hopper remained bound by the agreement they’d made long ago. The transport of his artillery was underway—just like old times. But this time, Atta was uncharacteristically silent about it, though the whole operation had first begun as a safeguard for the magical kind. They’d agreed to meet where it suited him best: his office.

He was midway through his whiskey when she entered. "Tell me everything you know about Gaston," he said, his striking blue eyes fixed on her with an intensity that left no room for pretense.

Gaston. The name carried the weight of chaos. The man was a loose cannon, but Hopper understood one thing: Atta had a hold on him. And if a rabid dog could be leashed, then surely there was a way to tame a beast.

"He's responsible for the last death," he said, "And justice isn’t an option—not yet. I can’t kill him." Hopper leaned back in his chair, the faint clink of ice in his glass the only sound between them. "Not yet," he repeated.

[ladylilah]

Had the news of their daughter’s pregnancy been dropped any other way, she was certain there would have been at least some level of anger coming from the man across from her. Not at Annette, she would hope, but at the boy that had gotten her into the situation. But none of that mattered anymore, there was no room for anything except grief - or at least for Lilah that was all she could handle at the moment. A mourning for a loss of what could have potentially been. Still, she’s glad that this is going as well as it seems to be right now. Any other or bigger type of reaction and she wasn’t sure she’d have the energy to handle it all.

As she’s guided into his arms, Lilah doesn’t hesitate in wrapping her own around him and pressing her head right into his chest, taking comfort from having him near and holding onto her. Her breath comes out somewhat shaky as she gives a little nod, confirming without words again that he was right - Annette was going to be fine. It would be a rough few weeks or even months as they moved past this, but she was going to be alright in the long run. “I will when this is over,” she promises, knowing that even if she wanted to, the stress of everything happening around her would keep her from getting any proper rest or relaxation. “I have to wait for Annie to wake up and break the news to her, then my brother’s here and Colette’s boyfriend - I need to check up on them later too. There’s too much to do.” A whole list of things ran through her head that needed done and as always, it felt like each responsibility fell on her. The only saving grace was that she knew her two eldest were taking care of each other and she didn’t have to worry too hard on either of them.

[hoppingseason]

-timeskip-

The opening of the borders only meant more work for Hopper. Rest was a luxury he couldn’t afford. The relentless demands of his trade and the ever-present dangers it posed to his life—and his family—left no room for pause. Stopping wasn’t an option; it would only invite greater peril.

Even after the devastating loss of Annette's child, a family he had hoped to call his kin, Hopper pressed on. The business and the violence it brought were inseparable, and abandoning either felt like abandoning his family. He knew everyone around him was stretched thin, yet the best solace he could offer was his presence. That’s why, despite his disdain for celebrations, he agreed to attend the party Lilah had begged him to join.

Standing in the doorway, a cigarette in one hand, he exhaled into the crisp night air. The cold bit at his skin, a sharp contrast to the warmth of Lilah’s hand as it slipped through his arm. "You’ve decorated the place nicely," he said, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the horizon.

Hopper could only hope there was some semblance of peace in Lilah’s life—if not now, then someday. Yet, they both knew that peace wasn’t a card in his deck. This evening was nothing more than a fleeting reprieve, a brief illusion of tranquility. “I’m leaving in a few hours,” he added, breaking the silence. “Meeting an Italian mafia.”

[ladylilah]

As he repeated her confirmation that Annette was safe, she nodded her head, echoing the words right back. “She’s fine. She’ll be alright.” It was just as much a reassurance for Colin as it was herself. For all Lilah had been sitting at their daughters side since the moment they had allowed visitation, the bone chilling fear that she was going to lose her had yet to fully fade. Despite all the doctors ensuring she would be perfectly fine, she couldn’t help but worry that the situation would somehow change at any moment. The bullet had been removed, the wound cleaned and patched up, and a blood infusion successfully completed - but there was a paranoid part of Lilah’s brain that couldn’t stop obsessing over something going wrong.

But that wasn’t going to get them anywhere, not right now at least. She had to set aside her own worries and focus on breaking the news to Colin. While technically this wasn’t really her news to tell, Annette was going to have enough to deal with when she woke up - the last thing she needed on top of that was having to tell her father the one thing she had been dreading having to face even before everything blew up. Following him out into the hallway, Lilah watches as he commands his men to step aside but still keep guard, all without talking. It’ll never not be impressive and almost awe inspiring, the way that he can so easily navigate himself in this world. It’s as he looks back at her that she knows he’s focusing in on what she has to say, and it’s with a deep breath to steady herself that she figures the best course of action is to simply rip the band-aid off and dive right into it.

“She was pregnant,” the words leave her mouth steadily but are quickly followed by a rush of explanation that Lilah was practically famous for at this point in her life. “She was going to tell you - once she decided what to do with the baby. She was going through with the pregnancy but wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep it or put it up for adoption. But she –” there’s a pause as she takes another deep breath and closes her eyes, moreso because of her own breaking heart over the next thing she’s about to say rather than out of fear of how Colin might be taking this all. “She lost a lot of blood and with the stress of being shot… She lost the baby. She doesn’t know yet, though. I’m going to tell her whenever she wakes up for longer than just a minute or two.”

[hoppingseason]

"Pregnant? Annie is pregnant?" The look on his face was incomprehensible. Joy flickered briefly before being extinguished, leaving behind only the soot of his burned hopes. His hands instinctively touched his face as he took a step back, trying to absorb the news. "She lost the baby," he repeated, his voice tinged with dismay. Despite everything, he clung to the fact that Annie was still alive—it was the only solace he could hold onto.

A heavy silence settled between them as they stood there, grappling with the intangible mess and misery that seemed to engulf them. Hopper lingered in the quiet, his thoughts racing, before he pulled Lilah into his arms. At the end of the day, he was grateful to be a father, even if it meant dealing with these dreadful problems. There was a time when this was only a distant dream for him, and despite the dire circumstances, the pain made it all feel more real. "She's fine, and she'll be fine," he reassured her, resting her head on his chest. "You have to rest, Lilah."

[ladylilah]

~ timeskip, the hospital after the festival attack ~

From the moment she had been informed that her daughter was amongst the dozens of individuals being rushed to the hospital once the dust had settled from the hunter’s attack, Lilah hadn’t thought of anything else. Her brother was admitted as well, along with James - having taken a hit to protect another one of her children - but she barely had any chance to really register those injuries. Not yet at least. Not while she was sitting in a plastic chair, waiting to hear news of Annette. No one else mattered, not her brother or her ex, the only thing she could think of was that her daughter would be alright. And then once the nurse came back to confirm that she indeed would be… but that she had lost the baby, well then that was the only other thing she could think of instead.

Sitting now in one of the uncomfortable hospital room chairs, Annette still knocked out from the medication and sedation they had given her earlier, she simply stared at the unconscious body of her daughter on the bed. The nurse earlier had offered to be the one to tell her about the miscarriage, but Lilah had dismissed the idea instantly, knowing that the news needed to be broken by herself. For all the younger girl had been conflicted on being a mother and had yet to determine what she was going to do, it would be a blow, finding out that she had lost the baby. And Lilah needed to be there, to be the one to help soften that blow.

Her head in her hands, she can’t help but jump a little as the door to the room flies open, her head snapping up to see who it could be. It’s not a surprise that the person bursting into the room in such a blaze is Colin. And the sight of him is enough to spark Lilah right into action. “She’s okay,” she promises, standing up and moving to put herself between his body and the hospital bed. Not that she didn’t want him to see their daughter, but Annette needed rest - her body needed time to simply recover. Hands reaching up to press onto his chest, she tried her best to calm the racing of his heart that she could feel under her palms. “She’s alright. She was shot, but she’s going to be okay. She lost a lot of blood. She lost – ” She’d lost more than just blood, but that was a situation that needed to be explained and shouldn’t be done right in this small room. “Come on. Let her rest. Come into the hall with me, there’s – there’s something I need to tell you.”

[hoppingseason]

Hopper had made sure that none of the Locusts, or anyone particularly under his control, would be involved in the incident. So, when he heard that his own daughter was caught in the crossfire, a raging anger engulfed him, and a sinking feeling that he might lose her gnawed inside him. In a state of hurry, he fled to the hospital where she was, with a couple of his men following after him. As the doors opened and hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, Lilah stood up as if expecting him.

"Is she alive?" was his first question, his deep blue eyes searching for answers in hers. Hopper was rarely afraid, and despite his strong demeanor and sturdy stance, his hands were cold and shaking beneath his coat.

"She's fine," He repeated what she said, and for a moment he could finally breathe. Taking a step back, he looked at the ground, his hands on his waist, trying to collect his breath. It felt like the journey to the hospital was the longest he had ever made. The ringing in his head continued, but knowing that Annette was fine allowed him to let out a breath of relief.

"I'll give blood, whatever she needs," he added, eager to provide anything he could. He shot glances at the closed doors, but Lilah urged him away to let their daughter rest. Once outside, he left his men to guard from afar. With one look back at Lilah, it was enough to signal that he was listening to whatever she had to say.

[attaant]

The questions she had were left unanswered, though Atta should've known to expect anything more. His silence about her sister meant that he wasn't able to give her a name yet, but she could at least tell that he had some idea. What was said and left unspoken were a kind of language they had, one that Atta was still working on becoming fluent in. She knew now what silence meant, and what warranted pressing, in a way that she hadn't when they'd first begun to work together. The little respect she'd built in his eye was shown now, as a paper was slid her way--a stark difference from the kind of unwarranted, sporadic action Hopper used to take when it came to using her resources. This was a warning that she'd once before dreamed of getting.

Sliding the paper toward her, Atta was unsurprised with his terms: he'd never been known to leave her with much for herself, at the end of the day. But, it was a better deal than she'd gotten in the past. The only word that stuck out to her was a name, one that she should've foreseen on the short list of people Hopper wanted on this. "Scamp? You think Lilah's going to let him?" It wasn't her business, though--this was between the two men, and Scamp's mother, so she simply scribbled her signature on the bottom of the page in approval. "I can speak to Gaston, if you need me to. See what he's willing to tell me."

[hoppingseason]

"It's for Scamp to decide," Hopper said, taking the papers back and returning to his work. "If he wanted Lilah's permission, he could climb back into her womb." This was the way with the Locusts. Hopper respected his mother, but in the world of men, all decisions and responsibilities rested solely on them. Their job was to protect and provide by any means necessary. Atta had to understand that, yet she still asked foolish questions.

Hopper paused when she mentioned Gaston. "You had a relationship with him, eh?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. He didn't know the details or if anything was still going on between them, so he watched her reaction closely. "What makes you think he would cooperate with you?" he continued. "Unless he's still into you, in which case, by all means."

[visionsofmagic]

✡  ▶   • cillian murphy characters  ― header & icons [for tw, tumblr]  •  ◀  ✡

◤ character(s): scarecrow from the dark knight trilogy, thomas shelby from peaky blinders, raymond leon from in time & robert fischer from inception ◢

[attaant]

It was all the confirmation that Atta needed to know a few things to be true: Hopper had, in fact, had some level of involvement, he'd somehow either gotten her sister targeted or knew someone who had, and the borders were going to open soon. As she ran the list of facts through her head, Atta nodded to herself as she quickly processed before another question was posed, this time at her. Before she could answer, what mattered most to her was her sister, more than herself, even more than the public. "Who targeted her?" she probed, "Do you know?" Though she was fine, it didn't matter--whoever was out to hurt Dot would try again, probably when Buster wasn't around to protect her.

This move was one of the first Atta could actually agree with. Not only were there personal benefits in going against the Hunters, having known a certain ex-boyfriend of hers had something against magical beings, but she knew this was actual good that she would be doing. "I can do that," she agreed easily. "I have trucks at a warehouse on the other side of the border. You can use them, as long as they remain intact by the end of their use," Atta added, in reference to how many he'd blown up in the past.

[hoppingseason]

Hopper actually had a good idea who might have targeted her sister, but without certainty, there was no point in answering her question. What mattered was that it would happen again if neither of them acted quickly. This shared interest between them was unforeseen. Hopper wanted to open the borders for his own benefit, and Claire was driven by her need to survive. With Gaston leading the Hunters and another new face causing havoc, they were more unpredictable than ever. Gaston's cunning and unpredictability made him especially dangerous. Hopper hadn't anticipated that the Hunters would sacrifice their own kind for the hunt. This was no longer a game to them; it had become an obsession for blood and power. Hopper could relate, though on a different level.

"No promises," he replied. He cared little for Atta's demands; his priority was getting his artillery distributed for their offensive. This temporary alliance served his purpose, but once the borders opened, Hopper intended to seize her properties to expand his domain. For now, this was the plan. Hopper threw her a paper with numbers on it, the amount of vehicles he needed, and three people in charge of distributing it. "They would know what to do," He stated, leaving her out of words again.

[ladylilah]

With everything going on in her own house, with her children and her ex-husband, Lilah had barely given any thought to what might happen once the borders were open. The threats that would come with the rest of the world being welcomed back into the island felt so insignificant in comparison to Tristan Tramp hanging over her head. Though she knew that wasn’t the case for Colin. In fact, as far as she was aware, he didn’t even know of Tristan’s return. And his business made the borders opening far more relevant than hers.

The moment he pauses, Lilah’s hand reaches out to rest on his, giving a gentle squeeze to let him know she is still here. He hadn’t lost her. Not yet at least. And hopefully not ever. She wants to promise him that, but she can’t do that, not in good conscience. Not when she knows what’s out there - coming after her specifically, wanting her dead. And as Colin asks to be completely communicative, to tell him everything that she’s doing, Lilah knows it’s time to own up to the secret of it all.

“Tristan’s back,” she blurts out, her grip on his hand tightening as if trying to keep him from running away. Not that there was anywhere he could easily go, considering they were in a moving vehicle, but Lilah wouldn’t put it past him to shout for the driver to stop and bolt out. This is something she should have told him long ago, but hadn’t wanted to burden him atop everything else he was dealing with. Now she sees the potential error in that thinking. “I don’t know how or why - but he’s back. He’s been back since Atta’s wedding,” she confesses, words rushing out in her usual way as she tries to say everything before he can have a chance to properly react. “He’s confronted me twice. And he’s been trying to get to the children. He hurt my brother and Angelica, and god knows who else. He - he’s trying to kill me. He can’t do it himself, I - I think that’s part of whatever deal he made. But he’s been trying to convince someone else to do it for him. He asked Atta and James - they both refused, but I… don’t know if he’s found anyone else since.”

It’s a lot to take in, a lot that she has kept close to her chest and hidden from him for months at this point - but Lilah knows the gears are likely already turning in his head. Plans are being formed, ones that she could only hope wouldn’t put him directly in Tristan’s line of fire. Nor did she want them to interfere with the ones she herself had laid out already. “I’m working with Buster. And James now as well. We’ve been coming up with a plan to get rid of him, for good this time.” Admitting that she has been working on this without him brings on a wave of guilt and she squeezes his hand once more as she tries her best to explain herself. “I knew you had so much going on, with the borders and this war you say is coming. I - I didn’t want to add anything else onto you. Not when I can handle it, not when it’s my problem to deal with. But I should have told you earlier. To at least keep you in the loop.”

[hoppingseason]

Hopper took a deep breath, bracing himself as Lilah's warm hand touched his. She had always possessed a kind heart, which often seemed to bring her more pain than joy. Despite their divergent choices, Hopper never harbored any resentment toward her decisions; she was always clear about his own intentions, and what she thought was best. Yet, their conflicting choices weighed heavily on him, and as she gripped his hand as if her life depended on it, he sensed something significant was about to unfold.

Her words rushed out swiftly, urgent and unfiltered. She needed to unburden herself before he could respond. Hopper remained silent, listening intently as she presented problem after problem, question after question, risk after risk, and threat after threat. Amidst the looming war as the borders opened, another pressing issue demanded his attention. This was familiar territory for Hopper, but the involvement of his family elevated the stakes.

When Buster and James' names entered the conversation, Hopper gritted his teeth, a wave of anger rising within him. Lilah sought help from strangers, from sources other than him. The potential escalation of threats infuriated him, but deeper still was a wounded ego. It felt as if Lilah didn't recognize his own power. Despite his clenched jaw and simmering rage, he remained silent, her hand on his keeping him grounded. He took a moment to compose himself, allowing logic to guide his response. "What else do I need to know?" he finally asked, his tone demanding honesty. "How have you been collaborating with those men?"

[attaant]

who: atta & @hoppingseason where: thumper's yard

She shouldn't have felt the same kind of nerves approaching her boss unannounced now as she had when she was younger, but Atta couldn't help herself. Rumors had begun to fly around the hotel about Myles' brother's involvement in the attack, though Atta hadn't recognized any of the men as ones who worked for Hopper. The one she was more concerned with was the whispers about the borders opening soon, especially after this. To keep people trapped on an unsafe island, with nowhere to go, would've been cruel. And, if Atta was only finding out about this the night prior, that meant that Hopper must have already known, and was likely a hundred steps ahead of her.

With a knock on his door, Atta entered as he waved her in unceremoniously. She took the seat across from his desk, the debate she'd began on her way over on how to approach this still not mentally settled. "Were you at the festival last night? I didn't see you, or anyone else, but I wasn't sure if I was missing something." It wasn't a direct accusation, but enough for Hopper to know what she'd meant. "And is it true, about the borders?" Atta added, hoping he would appreciate her directness.

[hoppingseason]

Hopper didn't look back at her, his eyes fixed on his payroll. The list of names he had recruited for the impending war was long, and the festival chaos had arrived sooner than expected. Colin hadn't anticipated that the Hunters would dare to launch a full-scale attack, especially after he had made it clear he wouldn't supply them with weapons this time. His dealings with the Hunters had always been strictly business, but with Claire involved, he had been cautious—perhaps to the detriment of his connections with them.

The Locusts, busy planning their own offensive, were not part of the festival. "There's more to come," he stated matter-of-factly. "I've heard your sister was targeted. They will continue to be so," Hopper said, taking a sip of whiskey, his head still bowed over his desk as he scribbled notes. "Some factions of Hunters are provoking, no one is safe until the borders are opened."

He continued to explain without giving her room to question. "I need you to facilitate the direct transport of my artillery to the magical beings on my list, and my men. I'll open the borders before the Hunters annihilate them all," Hopper declared. "Tell me, Atta, is your ego more important than the safety of the people?" It wasn't a request; it was an order. Finally, Hopper lifted his head and fixed his gaze on her, awaiting her response.

[crownedinlight]

⋄⋄ ✨ ⋄⋄

A word she knew rarely left his lips from how it had just then. Even the man who held the world in his hand had not been able to find a true form of happiness. She sympathized with a man who knew had bloodstains on his hands, having ever since they were children when he got his knuckles bloody for her. Colin hadn't saved her in quite some time, but right now Claire saw nothing else besides the man she'd always known. "I don't think your brother is as simple as you think," the blonde ever so slightly corrected. Myles and Colin never truly saw each other as she came to know by seeing them both so clearly. "The world hurts us all eventually. We've all suffered a broken heart." That was one of the many pains that unite people in emotion, the same kind she hoped would bring magic users out to fight for their freedom. "There can be light beneath it though, even if it only peaks through," Claire reminded him with a small orb of light appearing and disappearing in the palm of her hand. A simple trick but one she recalled showing him in their youth.

There was a wildfire tumbling towards her and she stood unflinching in front of its flames. He had been a force of nature for as long as she'd known him. Claire's eyes looked up into those of the fire before her, giving her own a small squint from a sitting smile. "Can anyone truly have what they want? Can anyone really have Colin Hopper?" These two questions she'd pondered before in a different context. Something had been beneath the surface in unspoken glances, lost time, and sharing stale cigarette smoke. "What do you want, Colin?" The blonde turned the question back at him, tossing back the pour of whiskey before intercepting his gaze once again. "I've never known you to be a man who doesn't take what he wants."

[hoppingseason]

His lips curled slightly at Claire's words, finding amusement in her perpetual grace amidst the chaos of their world—a noble figure in his eyes. Despite their closeness, Hopper had always placed her on a pedestal, seeing her as untouchable, especially compared to his own bloodstained hands. It almost felt sacrilegious to hold her, so pristine amid the turmoil. Yet, her unwavering optimism remained elusive to him.

"Whatever you say," he answered with a slight shrug, though he disagreed, he had no intention of persuading her. Perhaps Hopper had witnessed too much cruelty to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel—as it often turned out to be another train to trample him over. Her response was swift and clever, drawing Hopper's intense gaze on her. There was a pause as he contemplated his next move. Her wit matched his own, but he was not accustomed to conceding.

"No one," he replied, his gaze unwavering. His own soul was not truly his, he was a fragmented being driven solely by desire. "Are you content with my absence? Are you satisfied with who I am?" he challenged. Claire knew Hopper well, understanding the depths to which he had sunk in his climb to the top—the irony of his ambitions. "Or will you vanish once more, as you did, when the borders open for us?"

[sonandheirofnothinginparticular]

[attaant]

As much as she wanted to argue, or feign of shock, Atta couldn't say that she hadn't seen this remark coming. She'd thought the same about the man more times than she should probably admit to him, too. But, she feared she couldn't get away with admitting that to his face without his wish coming true. "How kind of you," she remarked, no hint of either amusement or disdain in her voice. She'd simply grown used to his distaste for her over the years, nothing about his statement really surprising her now. In fact, what came as more of a shock was that he didn't just pull his gun on her and take care of it himself, now.

"I'm not killing myself," Atta stated, a hint of an incredulous laugh topping her words. She'd never even think to do that, after how long she'd struggled with him and how many people she had to live for now. "If you can think of something else that will give you satisfaction, that doesn't involve killing myself, or anyone in my family, you know where to find me."

[hoppingseason]

Hopper smirked at her response, slightly amused that Atta had become so accustomed to his subtle antics and apparent disdain for her, despite her persistent efforts. Standing beside him, she seemed intent on reclaiming a position that would put them on equal footing. Hopper, however, merely took another puff of his cigarette, watching as the smoke curled lazily around him. The breeze shifted, sending a tendril of smoke in her direction—a subtle gesture to expel her.

"How unfortunate," he replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm. His cigarette was now halfway gone, signaling that Atta had only a fleeting moment left in his presence. "Hmmm," he murmured, feigning interest. "You have no use for me," Hopper continued, viewing her defiance as nothing more than an annoyance to be discarded. "You're useless."

[ladylilah]

“I do know that,” she agrees, not even attempting to fight that fact. “But I’ve also come to realize it might be impossible to guarantee her safety anymore.” And maybe it always had been, considering the man that had pretended to be her father for the first twenty something years of her life had hardly been the protector he always claimed. Maybe none of Lilah’s children really had ever had any real chance at living a safe and normal life, thanks to Tristan. But that wasn’t a thought she was going to focus on right now, less the guilt of all her past decisions and the implications they had on her kids starts to sink in again and drag her down. “Don’t go scaring him off. Or making any disapproval too obvious - it’ll only make her want him more.”

Raising her eyebrow at his counter, Lilah simply shakes her head ever so slightly and lets out a small breath of a laugh. “I suppose they should just be happy you bothered to show your face at all, hmm?” she teases, accepting his declaration that they’d be leaving within the next handful of minutes. If this party was an event that she actually cared about, she might have fought back on that time frame being decided for her, but truth be told she hardly cared about being here anymore. From her run in with Tristan earlier in the night to the simple fact that she couldn’t stand half of the attendees at the party, Lilah was beyond ready to put this night behind her. “I’ve already made my rounds of talking to friends and clients. And the kids all have safe rides home. I’m fine to leave whenever you’ve made your presence known enough.” For she knew that was the whole reason he had even bothered to come tonight.

[hoppingseason]

xx skip

It was difficult for anyone to keep up with the pace of Hopper's mind. He was always doing more, being more, taking more. Sitting in the back of the car, his eyes were fixed on the passing scenery outside the window, accustomed to the speed at which the driver navigated. Lilah sat beside him, her concern evident in her gaze. Hopper remained silent, lost in his thoughts, but he could feel her eyes on him.

"Have you prepared?" he asked, clearing his throat. There was a pause as he looked down, as if bracing himself for what he was about to admit. "I will be opening the borders soon, and that promises new threats," he added matter-of-factly. Hopper was particularly obsessed with preparation, intoxicated by execution, despite all the risks involved. Nothing was ever quite enough for him.

"Lilah, I need you to be completely communicative with me, or else I might lose yo—" He paused, his voice cracking slightly before he collected himself. "Annette, you, my men," he added, sighing and looking back out the window of the moving vehicle. "I don't want you doing anything I don't know about."

[ladylilah]

“Yes, a crush. Surely you remember what those are,” she confirms with a grin of her own, teasing ever so slightly. All of this was new for him - watching his child develop feelings for someone and going through the beginning stages of potentially dating them. While every case of this situation was different, Lilah had already been through it so many times with all of her kids that it tended to phase her less than it seemed to be doing so for Colin now. “He’s a sweet boy, actually. Despite his job and affiliations. And they’ve been friendly with each other for years. He may not be the most ideal pick, but he makes her happy and that’s what matters, right?” She asked the question not because she didn’t know the answer herself - but because she wanted him to understand and agree with the sentiment.

Shaking her head ever so slightly, she held back from rolling her eyes at his laughter. “Exactly. It’s because you’re Hopper that people are going to expect you to be here for more than just twenty minutes or so,” she points out, even though she’s fairly certain he’s already well aware of that fact. “Oh, you know events like these could go on all night. At least a few more hours, for certain.”

[hoppingseason]

Colin raised an eyebrow, attempting to empathize with her perspective. Having once been on the receiving end of parental scrutiny himself, he felt a pang of empathy for the boy. Yet, his ego insisted that this situation was different. Lilah wasn't the child of a mafia boss; and loyalty meant more than just to Annette—it extended to the entire family. "I'll soon know everything about him," he declared, the statement carrying a veiled threat as he debated whether the young man deserved any association with the Locust at all. "Her happiness doesn't guarantee her safety, you know that," he added, always adopting a logical stance, playing devil's advocate.

Colin smiled, shaking his head slightly. "But I'm here now, aren't I?" he countered, anticipating her lecture on punctuality and courtesy. "Hours?" he scoffed, utterly convinced he wouldn't be bothered to stay that long. "We're leaving in a few minutes; you've got twenty more," he declared, his tone more commanding than negotiable.