dig up her bones.

[kannikaxmaneo]

✉ — @maneoxhana​ said: "if we get arrested it’s your fault.”

“Isn’t it always?” Kannika thought it was just sort of a given that if anything against the law (aside from the necessary Amaranthine activities) went down involving the two best friends, it was usually her doing. She’d be surprised and a little bit suspicious, after all, if Hana were the one suggesting they do outlandish and illegal things as a form of recreation. “But you’re being ridiculous! We’re not gonna get arrested for walking on the grass when there’s a sign that says not to. If anything, the landowner might just come out and shoo us away or whatever,” she brushed off nonchalantly, continuing to tug on the angel’s hand in encouragement to follow her. “How else am I supposed to show you the frog? It had spots, Cas! Spots! It was so cute, and then it just hopped away. Not my fault it can’t read the signs.”

[jesterfields]

[kannikaxmaneo]

masonmaneo​:

he can’t help but scoff out another chuckle when the girl tried to pin him with a hostile glare, but it does close to nothing to deter him. “ah, right, i guess you wouldn’t know,” he says, tone laced with blatant sarcasm. he didn’t plan to stay long, but now that he’s gotten a reaction out of the girl he finds that maybe his night has become a little bit more entertaining. this girl clearly has her own way of getting what she needs if she hasn’t been booted from her gang yet—surprisingly enough to mason. he wonders how likely this girl is to punch him if he pushes too much. she has to be supernatural of some sort, so he keeps his guard up even if he looks nonchalant about it at the moment.

he tilts his head to the side to assess the girl a little more, taking in her stiff demeanor and the focus in her eyes. not to mention the annoyance that radiates off of her in waves at mason’s presence. “you really don’t like me pointing out your flaws, do you?” mason muses with a smirk on his face. he props his chin up on his fist where his elbow leaning on the bar counter. “you need a little constructive criticism to be able to improve and you clearly need it,” he says, before lowering his voice to say, “as the head of an organization not much different than yours, but also extremely different from yours, it’s probably wise you take my advice even if i am a conceited asshole, don’t you think?” he doesn’t need to specify who he is and he’d be surprised if she didn’t know who he was at this point. venor has a vast reputation within the gangs the las time he checked and he did tend to check often.

he decided to play a different game with the game, wondering how she’ll react. the skinwalker makes sure to keep his voice low enough that the others around him won’t hear. “who are you with anyways? is it amaranthine, the renowned girl gang, or maybe invictus? they seem to collect a wide variety of misfits, no?” mason wonders out loud, directing his attention to the girl who passes his questions in order to reach across the table and take a sip out of the drink she’d paid for. he waves the bartender over to him and buys himself his own drink. “what’s your name, miss spy lady?” mason asks, swirling his glass in his hand with an eyebrow raised in silent question.

Kannika fixed her eyes on the man incredulously. “You say that like anyone enjoys an unwanted pop quiz. I didn’t ask for your advice, nor do I fuckin’ care what you have to say to be entirely honest with you,” she clarified, rolling her eyes dramatically. Her flaws. Fuck him if he thinks she can’t get exactly what she wants while also acting like a overdramatic spy lady from all those old films. If all else fails, she can always just erase memories with a little tap to a witness’s forehead (which, to be fair, was something that she had to result to often... oh well, it worked, didn’t it?). With every word that came out of this man’s mouth, she was closer to considering giving him a little tap to the forehead too. A breathy laugh escaped the witch’s lips. “Now, what do you get out of telling me that, hm? You expect me to show respect to the big boss man or somethin’?” It wasn’t hard to narrow down organizations around the city that she didn’t already have a face to put to the big boss yet, after all. Invictus was run by that old wolf, the Aegis was very loud and proud about their so-called king, and Veritas supposedly all bowed down to that little fae who owned the nightclubs downtown. Kannika wasn’t sure she entirely believed that last one but y’know. Either way, she’d never had any qualms about Venor, as secretive as they were— they had their contracts and minded their business— but if their leader was really this much of a dick, she might just have a reason for disdain.

She nearly tensed up at the mention of Amaranthine first, almost certain that he’d known who she was the entire time and was simply messing with her. Who knows— he still could be. Humming absentmindedly in response to the question, she took a sip of her stolen drink. “Who ya callin’ a misfit, bucko? You’re the one wearing a suit to a bar. Would a pair of jeans kill ya?” It was plain hypocrisy, given that her attire looked like something out of the coven season of American Horror Story, but that wasn’t something she was willing to admit. “Nikita,” she answered naturally, using the name she usually gave out in the field— it was close enough to her real name that if Hana slipped up and called her Nika, it wouldn’t entirely blow her cover. She wondered if this man would understand the reference and call her bluff. Not that she really expected him to tell her his real name either. “What about yours, Mr. Boss Man?”

[kannikaxmaneo]

maneorigs​:

Rigs kept the smile on his face, allowing his true Naga form to melt away when the witch didn’t attack him outright. The scales provided security but they felt unnecessary at the moment; if a fight were going to happen it likely would’ve when he’d revealed himself. Spreading his hands wide in a casual gesture Rigs replied, “Does it matter? If so we can pretend he called my friend a hooker, that feels like a decent excuse… don’t you think?”

He resisted the urge to walk forward, wishing to maintain the fragile peace they’d settled upon. “He seems to have fulfilled his services to you… so he’ll remain this way from now on, yes?” Rigs’ tone was casually inquisitive, the tone one used to discuss dinner options.

Kannika averted her eyes, unphased by the naga’s transformation— such things were, after all, something of a daily sighting for her as of late. A brief, breathy laugh escaped her lips in response to his answer. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t share the truth. Not that she expected him to— she would’ve done the same in his situation. “Guess he deserved it, then,” she played along, casually adjusting the ends of her sleeves. “Personally I would’ve went with ‘he poured his milk before his cereal’, but I guess slut shaming is right up there in the list of sins punishable by death.”

The witch raised an eyebrow in response to the stranger’s question. “Well, you did kinda knock the soul out of him— can’t exactly put that back, now can I?” No matter how many times some oblivious human had come to her coven back in Thailand asking them to bring a loved one back to life. Necromancy was reanimation, not revival. “Why? You need him for somethin’? Or just wanna destroy evidence?”

[kannikaxmaneo]

𝘫𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥

( @maneoxhyun-ae​ )

Kannika was slumped in the corner of the holding cell, staring aimlessly at the sterile white painted brick wall. She deserved it, really. She’d been dumb and impulsive and everything that her Amaranthine family was constantly on her ass about. But fuck if she could just let that guy talk shit without elbowing him right in the face! But nooo, apparently hitting a man because he called you a bitch for rejecting him was minor assault. If the damn off duty cop hadn’t been right there, she might have gotten away with it too—

“Kannika Baramuk? Your friend is here to pick you up.”

The dark witch’s eyes met the officer’s then, as he turned the key to open the door. Freedom. Wordlessly she complied, following him through the twisted halls and out to the police department’s lobby, where she found a familiar face awaiting her in disappointment. Goddamn it. A sheepish smile spread across her lips as she approached Hyun-ae. “Please don’t be mad at me, I can explain.”

[kannikaxmaneo]

maneorigs​:

As he watched this interaction from the edge of the alleyway, Rigs tilted his head in silent contemplation. Just what was going on? The man from yesterday would have never tolerated being spoken to in that manner, no matter how powerful this witch ( the Naga assumed, anyway ) was. Perhaps this guy was just a doppelganger? A mirage? But Rigs was certain he’d been the one to give the man that bruise…

Suddenly the other collapsed to the ground, appearing just as lifeless as he had the night before. Caught off-guard, a loud laugh ripped itself from the Naga’s throat, the deep sound bouncing off the walls of the alleyway. 

“So he was dead,” Rigs said aloud once his compulsive bout of laughter subsided. He maintained his transformed state but made it obvious he was taking his brass knuckles off as he continued, “For a second there I thought I’d lost my touch, I was sure I’d dealt with him yesterday.” Studying the woman with an amused smirk pulling at his lips he added, “Rest assured, I couldn’t care less what you’re doing, I just wanted to make sure that guy-” he pointed at the limp corpse, “was dead.”

Eyes flitting around the alleyway, Kannika toed at the man’s body with her boot, if only to be certain that he was, in fact, dead and unmoving. Was that a bit overkill? Well, yeah, because of course he was dead— she wouldn’t have been able to keep a hold over him otherwise. But would she take her chances? Absolutely not. A loud laugh echoed off the brick walls around her then, and she flinched, quickly pocketing the tiny key she held in her hand. Fuck, Jaehwa was really gonna be disappointed in her if she managed to attract unwanted attention yet again. The dark witch stood her ground, however, simply crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at the intruder as he managed to get over his laughter.

It was relieving, really, to know that he wasn’t affiliated with the man she’d just used as a puppet and coming after her for revenge or some shit, but Nika’s suspicion still wasn’t calmed in the slightest. “So you’re the one who did him in, huh? What did he ever do to you?” A lot, probably. The bastard had pissed off a lot of people, as it seemed.

[kannikaxmaneo]

maneorigs​:

@kannikaxmaneo​

Stuck selling all day, when his last deal wrapped up Rigs let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that he disliked dealing in organs, their deals just tended to go smoother than his other gigs. And, truth be told, the man preferred a little chaos in his week. After dropping off the money he’d gathered in an Inferno room, the Naga began his long trek home.

Cars were great but growing up under the sea, despite having lived outside of it for the majority of his life, still left Rigs with the inexplicable desire to use his own legs for transport. Taking the backroads, the man lit a joint to smoke as he walked, nodding every now and then as he passed someone else. One person, however, immediately caught his attention. The shape of his jaw and the bruising around his eye were a little too familiar… the enforcer was almost positive it was the man he’d beaten to death the night before. 

Putting out his joint, the Naga tossed it back into the carton he’d pulled it from and did a u-turn, carefully following the other man. Whatever bullshit magic trick this guy had used to fake his death, he owed Veritas his life for the shit he’d pulled yesterday. Rigs would make sure the payment stuck this time around. 

Just as following the man began to grow tedious, he ducked into an alleyway up ahead. Had Rigs been made? Shaking off the suspicion, the man slid both pairs of brass knuckles over his fists as he transformed and silently rounded the corner.

Some might call it lucky, really, the state in which Kannika found her target’s closest advisor the night prior. To a necromancer, coming across a dead body was much like coming across a hundred dollar bill just lying on the street— free real estate. Of course, her hold over someone was much stronger when she had been the one to end their life herself, but Hana had never exactly been a fan of those tactics, and when she was working closely with her angel of a partner, she was usually talked into finding another way. It was easier, however, to persuade her to let her do her thing when the bastard was already dead anyway. Cheers to whoever did the guy in.

The dark witch counted the seconds before her poor marionette’s anticipated return, wide brimmed black sunhat tilted low to conceal her face even in the shade of the alleyway. Not necessarily for anonymity but simply for the aesthetic— if she didn’t look like she worshiped the devil in black platforms and ripped fishnets and pentagram jewelry, then what was the point?

“Aaaaaaand he should be back right about...” she muttered to herself, eyeing the entrance to the alleyway, a smirk pulling at one corner of her lips as the beat up corpse of a man she’d sent out rounded the corner just then. “—Now. Welcome back, you ugly bastard.” Was it cruel to show disrespect to a mindless corpse who couldn’t argue back? Maybe. Did Kannika care? Not particularly. The dark witch held out a perfectly manicured hand, which the man dropped a small object into. Now wasn’t that easy? “Thank you for your service, sir. See you in hell,” she exclaimed, cheery in the most sarcastic way possible. Then she blinked once, and the man crumpled lifelessly to the ground at her feet once more.

[thebumblebeetumbletree]

“You always smile like you’re about to cry.”

“I have a right to be angry!”

“You hear my heart beat? Just focus on that.”

“I’m going to protect you.”

“Give it back.”

“Shh. Stop fussing. I’m just braiding your hair.”

“How about a kiss?”

“Here. Let’s share the blanket.”

“No- just. I really like you in my clothes.”

“Wait. Don’t pull away…not yet.”

“I’m supposed to hate you for what you did.”

“Maybe we should work on the fact that you go in fists flying when things don’t go your way.”

“Don’t look at me like that, like you’re afraid of me.”

“I thought we were friends!”

“Lie to me then.”

“There’s no time to run.”

“It’s fine. I can wait.”

“I hate you!”

“Don’t let me go.”

“Bite me!”

“You’d be a great mom.”

“You’re one hell of a guy.”

“Why are you naked?!”

“You have…superpowers?”

“Put me down!”

“There’s only one bed…”

“First one to make a noise loses.”

“Did you just…agree with me?”

“You’re insane!”

“I know. Isn’t it great?”

“Why is he bleeding?”

“Want to see what kind of trouble we can get into?”

“Do you sleep anymore?”

“It’s just a papercut.”

“You’re not as evil as people think you are.”

“I don’t give a damn.”

“It’s a long story.”

You’re a part of the family, didn’t you know?“

“Woah! Slow down, what’s going on?”

“This is a one time thing.”

“You smell nice.”

“Did you just lick me?”

“Stop telling me you’re okay!”

“What a pretty sight.”

“Take off your clothes.”

“Car sex looks way easier in the movies.”

“Where are your clothes!”

“When did we get a cat?”

“He did what?!”

“You look pretty today. I like you in blue.”

“Stop calling me that! That’s not my name.”

“Are you flirting…with me?”

“Oh! That’s not my leg!”

“I like your voice.”

“You’re still here and making- pancakes?”

“No, I said we were safer. Not safe.”

“If we get arrested it’s your fault.”

“Do you ever think we should stop doing this?”

“Are you scared?”

“Promise me you won’t take it off.”

“They’re afraid of me.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“I lost a bet.”

“I don’t regret anything.”

“You’ll break his heart if you do this.”

“What’s in your hair?”

“You don’t want to know, trust me.”

“Are you always an ass, or am I just special?”

“Did you hear something?”

“I can’t stop shaking.”

“You got about as much charm as a dead slug.”

“Oh! This one’s pretty.”

“Shut up and get over here.”

“You’ve got to believe me!”

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

“What’s up with your dad?”

“Please. Don’t stop.”

“Take my hand.”

“Don’t bleed on my floor.”

“Would you please put your tongue away.”

“Deep breath now.”

“Is that a lighter in your pants or you just happy to see me?”

“Why can’t you love me?”

“I like your face.”

“God, I could kiss you right now. Wait- uh…”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Who are you?”

“How did I get here?”

“That’s disgusting. You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“Five minutes! And that’s it!”

“Eyes up here, amigo.”

“You like me?”

“I don’t like the dark.”

“What is that?”

“Are you smiling or is that a grimace? I can’t tell the difference.”

“We’re not going to die.”

“You wrote me a poem?”

“Stop staring! It’s rude.”

“Bend over.”

“Kiss me, asshole.”

[kannikaxmaneo]

While playing GTA

Kannika: WE'RE getting CHASED BY THE POLICE, WHY ARE WE STOPPED?

Hana: THERE'S A TRAFFIC LIGHT, NIKA, RED MEANS STOP.

[kannikaxmaneo]

✉ — @sominmaneo asked: 109 with somin ( going people watching )

Kannika’s eyes shifted between patrons of the little coffee shop they were stationed in on the east side of town, taking in the little things that they did. It was weird, watching strangers for once when she wasn’t sent on a mission, even weirder without Hana by her side to constantly remind her to stay hidden and for God’s sake, Kannika, don’t talk to them—

But this wasn’t for a mission, and Amaranthine’s second in command was the one lounging in the chair beside her rather than her fellow spy. The dark witch duo was simply taking a break from their work endeavors, and what better stress reliever than coffee and making fun of random strangers?

“I bet he’s a vampire simp,” Nika muttered, taking a sip of her iced coffee to place emphasis on the statement. “Like— you can’t tell me he doesn’t look like he fantasizes about some lady vamp using him like a juice box.” Somin focused her gaze on the same man Kannika was referring to, and the spy could hear a hum of agreement escape her lips.

“I don’t think it’s limited to just vampires, he might just follow any woman around like a lost puppy.”

Kannika squinted her eyes at the man. Honestly? She could see it. There was a reason she and Somin got along.

[kannikaxmaneo]

✉ — @maneoxhana​ asked: 27 drawing/writing on one another

“So it looks like this, see? Just like the one on my back.” Nika finished the rune she was drawing on the angel’s forearm with one short stroke of her sharpie, leaning back to watch as her best friend studied her work with a close eye.

“It is rare that I see your back, Kannika. You tend to wear very dark and not very revealing clothing... But I see now.” A soft smile tugged at the corners of the witch’s lips, if only because it was so fucking nice to hear Hana’s voice again. The amount of times Kannika had prayed within the span of the past few weeks in hopes that the angel would be able to speak back to her as she once had... well, the number was somewhat embarrassing. “What is this one for?”

It tugged at the witch’s heartstrings, really, that her best friend was suddenly so interested in her craft, the things she believed in. It came from a place of loss, she knew that— she needed something to fill a void, and Kannika happened to be a doorway to something that could do that for her, even if it was only temporary. But Hana was so genuine in her interest that Kannika didn’t mind teaching her. Not in the slightest.

“This one calls upon the moon to light paths in the darkness. Metaphorically, of course— you’d have to use a spell to emit actual light— but, um... it essentially asks for the spirits to send signs. To help you make a decision or lead you toward an opportunity.”

Hana nodded as if she were taking the information in. “Does it work?”

“I— I mean, it sent me a call from my aunt when I had no one else to turn to... It sent me a friend when when I needed one the most. So yeah, I think the moon has taken mercy on me.” Kannika averted her eyes downward, popping the lid on and off the sharpie as a means of distracting herself from the honest emotion she hadn’t been quite ready to spill, but did anyway.

“...I think that’s beautiful, Kannika.”

[kannikaxmaneo]

✉ — @maneoseojin​ asked: 89 - playing 20 questions

“—So, yeah. That’s why I think Satan should have monthly meet and greets.” Kannika sipped at her milkshake as if she’d really done something with that answer. What was the question again? Definitely not anything about hi-touches with the devil, but somewhere along in her bullshit rant, she’d managed to get off track. Oh well. Now Seojin knew about her wildest shower thoughts.

“That’s... thought-provoking as always, Nika.” She couldn’t exactly tell if the angel was being sarcastic or not, but she took the compliment as it was either way. “Your turn to ask a question, then. Hit me with your best.”

The witch smiled, almost too cheerfully to be sincere. “What are your intentions with my best friend?”

Seojin blinked, and Kannika simply went back to sipping at her milkshake. “Did... did you suggest we play this game just so that you could ask me that?”

“Maybe. Now answer the question, old man.”

[kannikaxmaneo]

𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘪'𝘮 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧

[kannikaxmaneo]

masonmaneo‌:

mason can’t help but laugh. what starts as a chuckles turns into a full belly laugh which only makes for more patrons to turn to look at the two of them. “this is what you usually do?” mason says as his laughter turns into sporadic gasping chuckles. maybe it’s because mason is the leader of venor, but he can’t help critiquing others when they could be doing better. he’s fully aware that everyone has their own styles, but that’s just not what this looks like. it looks like lack of skill and lack of training. unfortunately for this girl, mason was not only extremely critical, but also unable to keep his mouth closed when his opinions clearly aren’t wanted. he’d dare to say that that’s when he feels the most inclined to give his opinion.

“if you could just,” mason makes a show of shaking out his body and raises his eyebrows at the girl, “loosen up a little. you’re so uptight, it doesn’t look natural at all.” there’s a poking at the back of mason’s head that tells him maybe he doesn’t need to be giving an espionage lesson out in public, but the excuse of “because he shouldn’t” has never stopped him before. “thank you for the drink and you don’t have to tell me, but let me show you something,” he says before turning his body towards her.

“why did you pick me to give a drink to out of everyone,” he pauses just to see if she has an answer and then says, “because i was alone?” mason turns to look at a person who had been sitting a few tables away from him, completely alone. he then raises his eyebrows and turns towards another person alone who had been standing against the wall for a while, seeming to be contemplating if they would join their friends out on the dance floor. he turns back to the girl, “there are other people alone. it’s because i stand out. others are here in far less formal clothing, and certainly no one is here in a professionally tailored suit,” he says with a lopsided smile, “and so do you. my eye was drawn to you because you stand out. i don’t know who you work for, but i would hate to have you on my team.” he scoffs, taking a sip of the drink the girl before him had so kindly purchased for him.

The man laughed, and the look that Kannika sent in his direction could be perceived as nothing less than indignation. Face scrunched up in the most offended and irritated expression she could muster— and given the shit she’s been forced to put up with in the past, that was quite a feat. “I don’t know what you mean,” she gritted through her teeth. “I’m not usually put in this kind of situation, so I wouldn’t fucking know, now would I?” It was useless to try and convince the man that she wasn’t any kind of spy at this point, that much was certain, but she spouted the words anyway. The last thing she needed was a fucking man trying to tell her how to do her job, and if there was anything she could do to convince the people around her that he was just drunk and bothering her, she’d take that opportunity.

Loosen up a little. No. She would not, in fact, do such a thing when told to do so by anybody, much less by some guy who had just suddenly decided that he knows her better than she knows herself. If at all possible, she managed to tense up even more, partly because her fucking fight or flight response was going off big time, partly just to spite him. “No thank you,” the witch responded simply, rolling her eyes as she realized he wasn’t about to just take no for an answer.

Kannika wasn’t listening, not really— she got the gist of his spiel, but it was like his words went in one ear and right back out the other. To be fair, there wasn’t much that would have gotten her to pay attention to his advice at this point anyway. She was already primed to hate every word that left his mouth, and she wasn’t exactly someone who could easily be swayed. She waited, raising an eyebrow as if to ask ‘you done?’ before she leaned in slightly closer. “Listen, asshole,” the witch spat, voice hushed under the dull roar of the bar. “I chose you because you were the first person I saw when I turned my head. You’re not some special snowflake in a schmancy fucking suit, you were just nearby. And let the record show that I’d also really fucking hate to have you on my team too. You could’ve kept this all to yourself and been on your merry way, but you put a target on yourself by approaching me instead. You’re a conceited asshole, sir.” Eyes watched resentfully as he took a sip of the drink she bought him. As soon as he set the glass back down, she reached out and slid it to her side of the table. Petty. “And you don’t deserve nice things,” she muttered.

[sagamemes]

non-sexual forms of intimacy.   send me ‘INTIMACY +’ a number between 1-125 and i’ll write a starter or a drabble about our muses engaging in a form of intimacy outside of sexual context.   note: as the level of trust required for the things listed here varies a lot, feel free to send multiple numbers if you aren’t sure if they’ll work! bonus:   if the mun is comfortable with randomising a number if asked, state so in the tags when you reblog!

1        watching tv/movies together

2        going to an event together  ( like a carnival, festival, etc. )

3        going on dates, like to the movies or shopping

4        sharing secrets

5        hugs

6        sharing drinks

7        having a phone call

8        touching noses

9        cuddling

10      having a philosophical discussion

11      hand holding

12      sharing jokes

13      sharing smiles

14      laying your head on someone’s shoulder

15      linking arms

Keep reading

[kannikaxmaneo]

... 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 — self para.

Burning.

When she closed her eyes, everything was burning. She was tripping over her own feet on a burning staircase, fleeing toward a burning lobby, and behind her, her angel was burning. It never stopped. Even as she opened her eyes to the sterile white of the hospital, everything behind her eyelids was still burning.

“You’re such a fool—” Kannika whispered into the silence of the room, breath hitching on the very last syllable. The silence was the worst part. If Hana were awake, she’d be a source of constant noise in an otherwise dreary and uninteresting world. Kannika missed the noise already. “...Bravest, kindest, stupidest fool I’ve ever met.” 

I’m not worth saving.

I’m not worth saving.

I’m not worth saving.

Ink spread smoothly over patches of un-charred skin, black sharpie creating intricate patterns that mirrored the ones permanently etched into Kannika’s own body. Protection runes, healing runes, anything she could think of to bring about positive energy from the world around them. Would they even make any sort of difference to an already divine being? Maybe not. But if Kannika didn’t do something with even a semblance of being able to help, she might just go insane. A single tear fell onto the angel’s forearm, disrupting the fresh ink. Kannika simply wiped a thumb over the spot and drew back over it to connect the lines with a shaky hand.

Hana was a beautiful masterpiece of runes drawn messily over the expanse of both of her arms, and Kannika wasn’t quite sure how she’d explain herself should a doctor intrude, but she couldn’t care less. This was what she knew. This was how they had dealt with the sick and injured in her coven. The runes were normally more of a permanent fixture, but Kannika could respect her best friend’s aversion to marking her body. Under her breath, she whispered incantations in Thai, calling upon any pagan god who was willing to listen. Spare her angel, just this once. And she would never ask for anything again. 

With one last inky black line, she lifted the marker, eyes scanning warily over her own work. Perhaps it wasn’t the most practical solution, but it made her feel better, if only the slightest bit. “I tried,” the dark witch muttered as she put the cap back on her sharpie, dropping it unceremoniously into her lap. “I’ve never been a protector like you, but I tried.” She leaned back into the chair she currently resided in, pulling her knees up close to her chest in vulnerability. “...I tried,” she repeated once more, this time whispered more to herself than to the unconscious woman lying before her, features twisting as if she might cry again now that she no longer had something to distract her. 

Everything was burning again.

Hands covered her closed eyes as if that might smother the flames, but the darkness only made them burn brighter. How could she just sit here, powerless, while everything was burning?

And I’m still not worth saving.

With a deep, shaky breath, the dark witch sat up straight in her chair once more, leaning slightly forward over the disfigured body of the only person who had ever shown true care for her. Her best friend, her angel. Awkwardly, her hands found themselves pressed palms together just as Hana had taught her, albeit at an awkward angle to avoid bending her injured wrist. 

And yet, she didn’t know what to say.

She’d prayed to Cas before, in times of desperation. She’d always had something to say, something to ask for, something to tell her. But what was she supposed to tell her at a time when she didn’t even know what to tell herself to keep calm?

“... I’m so sorry—” is what finally left her throat, choking up around the words as tears streamed freely down her cheeks. Kannika’s forehead fell against her joined hands. “You don’t deserve any of this— you wouldn’t even... even be there if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be tied up in any of this— you’re so fucking stupid, Cas, I told you I wasn’t worth saving and I meant it—”

She paused. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to curse in prayer, I take it back. It’s just... I don’t get it, Cas. I don’t understand why you would do such a thing. You matter too, you’re not just a mindless guardian, you’re my best friend... I miss my best friend, please come back to me soon...”

Silence fell over the hospital room once more, over the burning space behind Kannika’s closed eyelids. Was it ridiculous that she’d expected something back? Of course she wasn’t getting anything back. Her angel was in critical condition and it was all her fault. Sighing in disappointment, she let out a hushed “amen”, lowering her hands and opening her eyes to the sterile white of the room once more. Nothing has changed.

And the fire was still burning.

[kannikaxmaneo]

𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘪'𝘮 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘧

[kannikaxmaneo]

masonmaneo‌:

the girl was being obvious enough that it was almost comical. mason had left the office and stopped at the bar on his way home. it was a friday night, so the bar was pretty busy, but it was too early in the night still for him. he came just to have a drink and then go home to change before going back out to the club. if he plays his cards right—and he always does—he won’t be going home along tonight. but, since he’s been sitting at the bar, his eye was on the young girl who had eyes across the street, eyes peeking over the edge of her glasses, watching the other side of the window while rarely blinking. he, on the other hand, has been watching her without making himself known at all. he doesn’t realize just how oblivious she’d been about his watchful eyes until the young bartender places another drink in front of him.

“i didn’t order another drink,” mason says with a raise of his eyebrows and the girl in front of him shrugs. “i told that girl over there she had to order something else and she said to give you a drink and put it on her tab. i guess it’s your lucky night,” the girl says before walking away. he has to scoff under his breath. she’d been sitting here for so long that she was on the verge of being thrown out of the bar, and then sends the man who’s been watching her attempt to watch someone else. this girl is definitely not in venor, he makes a point to know everyone in his building on a personal lever and he’s never seen this girl in his life, which means she has to be part of one of the gangs which he makes a point to not get involved in. not to mention, no venor member would ever be this obvious on a stake out.

he makes the decision to get up out of his seat, though he’s not sure why. at the very least, whatever she was looking into could be some sort of use to him if it meant finding more hunters to eradicate. he taps a finger onto the girls shoulder and she– looks unimpressed. he snorts out a laugh. “i’m the guy you just sent a drink, honey,” he says, flashing her a charming smile. mason sits down beside her and follows her line of site, placing his chin in his hand. “you’re extremely obvious, you know,” he murmurs, nodding across the street. “you’ve been ignore everyone around you on a fairly busy day like you think you’re going to blend in when you don’t. you stick out like a sore thumb and you’re not aware of your surroundings at all. i’ve been watching you for at least a half an hour and you managed to send me a drink, rather than anyone else,” he turns toward her, head still in his hand and raises his eyebrows at her. “what are you watching for anyways?”

“...Oh,” Kannika concluded dumbly, eyes returning immediately to the scene outside, hoping that he’d take the hint and leave her alone. Of course, that was only wishful thinking, as she could sense him sliding into the seat beside her without hesitation. Goddamn it. The witch didn’t even bother to spare him her gaze again, simply keeping her eyes on the situation outside the window as she took in his speech. Ah, so he was that kinda person, huh? Judging by the way he criticized her technique, probably in the business of sneaking around himself, though Kannika didn’t exactly have a good enough grip on his demeanor to mentally place him with any of the other gangs of the city, should he even belong to one. Any normal spy should be concerned that someone had picked them out of a crowd so easily, right? But Kannika had never claimed to be a normal spy, and being inconspicuous wasn’t exactly her M.O.

“Why would I tell you that?” she snapped, falling easily into the angsty guarded bitch persona that had always come so easy to her. Perhaps it wasn’t much of a persona after all but more just... her personality. Act dumb, make a scene, become a distraction. Such were the only things she was actually good at when it came to espionage. “I just bought you a drink, shit, men can never just say thank you, huh? It’s always what do you want and thanks, I’ll need this when you start acting like a bitch again, like shut the fuck up Chan! Maybe I just wanted to be nice for once! But here you are, meeting another woman outside of a shady bar like the asshole you are!” Her tone rose with every new complaint, attracting the attention of a few of the patrons nearby, selling the illusion that she was just some unhinged woman spying on her unfaithful boyfriend. 

[maneoxhana]

𝐸𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓏𝑒

[kannikaxmaneo]

maneoxhana‌:

Kannika’s question gave the Angel pause. 

Would that be worth breaking the rules for? Preventing the loss of lives was always a good thing, no matter how one looks at it. It’s never a bad thing, so doing what needed to be done was also (probably) not a bad thing. Is that not, after all, a guardian angel’s sole purpose in life? To protect? is that not the mentality that got you kicked from the heavens? a cold voice nagged in the back of her mind. she elected to ignore it. 

She took a sip and nearly choked as a boba rocketed out of the straw right to the back of her throat. She had to take a moment to try not to die before she responded, “I-” she interrupted herself with a few more coughs, “I suppose you’re right. We couldn’t be faulted for preventative measures should they prove useful enough to stop future attacks.” 

She nodded with a bright, cheesy grin, the golden hour rays reflecting off her eyes like absolute starlight. It was a wonder, really, how a creature The Creator hated so much could still look so absolutely angelic and innocent. Doe eyes filled with happiness, optimism, and wonder, a beaming smile meant only for her best friend, and hair billowing in the soft breeze. Hana would have thought it a sick, cruel joke if only she were aware of the way she looked. Probably a good thing for her that she doesn’t. 

“Yes. We can stay near the border and see what we can find out, maybe see if we can overhear anything from their side. Promise me, Kannika,” she looked her charge in the eyes with intent, “Promise me we stay on our side and we won’t cross any borders tonight?” 

A subtle hint of triumph fell over the witch’s features as Hana admitted that she was right, a phrase that Kannika was sure she’d never tire of hearing— out of her guardian’s mouth or otherwise. “Exactly. Jaehwa isn’t mean enough to punish us for saving lives, that would just be petty.” Which would be sound logic had there not been the very likely chance that they wouldn’t find anything at all and would just be going against orders in vain. Kannika, for one, liked to ignore flaws in her logic.

It didn’t go over her head just how angelic her best friend actually was— it had been one of the first things she’d noticed when they first met, after all. But it wasn’t only skin deep, it was something that radiated through Hana’s entire being and blessed everyone she came into contact with. It made Nika feel guilty, really, that she was stuck with her of all people, doomed to remain by her side until her god deemed her worthy to return to whatever heaven she’d resided in before. A heaven that Kannika had concluded no longer wanted her— and that suspicion was hard to bare, especially as her gaze fell upon the angel’s bright features, so full of hope. Who would sentence such a being to life alongside such a corrupted, broken thing? A god who Kannika would never respect, that much was certain.

The dark witch averted her eyes. 

“... Fine, Cas. I promise I won’t step a single foot over the border. Happy?”