x. HOW LEGENDS ARE MADE.

Hazal gave him a smile that barely tried to sell itself as real. It was the kind of smile she’d been handing out like business cards lately—just enough to say “I’m fine” without actually meaning it. “About the same,” she said, though there was no hiding the thread of honesty that slipped through. Sleeping better? Yeah, right. Every time she shut her eyes, she half-expected to open them and find herself back at Marcus’ place, his fingers wrapped around her neck, trying to squeeze the lift out of her. The thought alone made her stomach churn, but unloading all of that on Lincoln wasn’t an option. He had his own chaos to deal with. “At least I’m consistent, right?” she added, trying to toss a joke to smooth things over.

Lincoln looked at Hazal, his eyes wondering over her features. It wasn't hard to pick up on the fact that she was not okay. Nor did either of them know exactly when she would be. He nodded, "Yeah." He glanced down at his hands on the table, a small silent fell between them before he spoke up once again. "I know things have been a little weird, rightfully so. And I know you wanna deal with this on your own, as much as possible, but I am here to remind you that I am here to help in any way you need, Haz." He told her, "So, please don't shut me out because that seems the right thing to you. I don't want that."

TO: @hazalyildizs

It hadn't been a smooth month by any means. Hazal was still dealing with the after math of her stalker, and he was still trying to figure out his new living arrangements with a teenager and a convict. Things had been even somewhat rough between him and Hazal since. He didn't want to overwhelm her, but he also wanted to make sure she knew that he was there and he wasn't going anywhere. Giving her a small smile, he shifted in the booth, resting his arms on the table top, leaning forward. "How are you feeling today?" He asked softy, "Are you sleeping any better?"

areerangbabyarmy

"She's calmed down quite a bit in the last couple years, but I swear for a while there she found a way to bring it up in every conversation." She found a rum that looked good and picked it off the shelf before she changed her mind. "Okay, they better like this one or else... I give up." Sofia looked at Lincoln with sheer amusement at the way he described how his relationship started with her friend Hazal. From the sound of it, it all happened pretty fast. "Sounds exciting." That amused look shifted into a natural smile, "Good. It better stay that way. Look, I'd be a bad friend if I didn't give you the cheesy spiel. I know you're like 7 feet tall or whatever, but hurt her and I hurt you." She backed away, casual like she hadn't just threatened his life in a public place. "But like you said, it's going good, but what's with the 'considering'?"

#( interactions. )#( interactions: sofia fuentes. )

"Take the wins where you can." He tossed back, slightly bitter at knowing that his own mother hadn't gotten that memo. Then again, he guess he had to give Joelle credit, she had been right. Even if he absolutely hated the fact. His eyes followed as she picked out a bottle, giving her a smirk, "Is that your final answer?" He asked, clearly just fucking with her. At the topic switch to Hazal, Lincoln gave a soft smile. "Exciting it was." It would forever be insane to him how that happened. Considering they seemed to hate each other so much in the beginning. He scoffed as Sofia began to give the whole 'hurt her, I'll kill you' spiel. "You know I invented that, right?" He teased, before shaking his head, "Nah, don't worry. I have no intentions of doing that. I found myself really liking that girl. I want to give her the world as long as she allows me." The hint of the smile faded completely, "Considering she's being stalked at the moment.'

sparrowrps

CASEY DEIDRICK by HERNAN RODRIGUEZ

#( code blooded. )

closed starter @lincolnreid

location: the hospital

Hazal sat in the hospital room, shivering even though she had a blanket on. The bruises on her face throbbed, and her split lip stun. Her neck bore the purple marks of Marcus’ fingers. The doctors had already examined her, and documented her injuries. Before they left, she gave her medication for the pain. She wasn’t sure how long she sat alone, but when Lincoln appeared in the doorway, something inside her broke. She reached for him with trembling hands, tears spilling down her cheeks as he crossed the room and pressed her face into his chest, her fingers clutching his shirt. "I was so scared," she whispered, her voice cracking. "When he had his hands around my neck, I thought..." She couldn't finish the sentence, the memory too fresh, too raw. "I didn't think I'd make it out alive."

Lincoln's heart had been in his throat the moment he heard. He had rushed to the hospital, doing his best to remain calm, but immediately failing the second he reached the front door. The lady behind the desk was obviously used to this kind of behavior as she barely reacted before giving him the directions to Hazal's room. He'd make his way to her room, focus sharp. Turning and entering, his eyes immediately fell upon her. The bruises weren't hard to miss and neither was the split lip. His heart broken at the same time that anger bubbled in his gut. He wrapped his arms around her, caging her against him, as his rocked back and forth, shhing into the hair on top of her head. "I'm so sorry." He softy said against her head, "You did --" He pulled away slightly, looking down at the usual strong woman fragile and broken before him. "You did it. You made it. You're safe." He told her, "I'm so damn proud of you, baby." Leaning forward he pressed a kiss on her forehead, then pulling back, "What do you need? Tell me."

areerangbabyarmy

"Rough is putting it lightly, Linc. I'm getting to be ancient now. According to her at least. She had me when she was just finishing up high school so her sense of timelines is a little warped. She just wants to be the cool, young grandma. So annoying." She looked around the shelves for something semi-interesting. "Wine would work, but it's got to be a really good one if my step dad's gonna drink it. That's why it might just be best to stick to some other liquor. Maybe rum... I make a mean piña colada." She looked around at the rum bottles, trying to settle on the one she usually bought. "So... How are things going with Hazal? I thought you guys were going to kill each other. What changed?"

#( interactions. )#( interactions: sofia fuentes. )

Lincoln laughed as Sofia continued on. Suddenly not feeling so bad about Joelle when she got on his ass about this stuff. "I mean -- the older you get, the older she gets, and she already had a fair good few years on you. That young grandma thing isn't looking so great." He teased, "Who are you to deny her her wishes?" He arched a brow at her as she commented on the wine, giving a nod after a moment as he could understand that. "Alright, fair enough. Rum is a good choice. Everyone can get a little something out of rum. I'll take your word on the pina colada thing." He chuckled and shrugged, "Man -- I don't even know, okay? One day we hated each other, the next I had my tongue down her throat. What can I say? The world works in weird ways." He answered, "No, seriously -- it's going good. Considering."

shivanixrao-deactivated20250108

Shivani let out a laugh at Lincoln's confession before nodding. "Yeah see--I know people laugh when I say to like knock on wood when they say things like that or be careful what you wish for--but it's for good reason," she told him before watching Rolo lay on top of Mungo, both dogs tired out from their playtime at the park. She glanced his way when he spoke about asking for a favour, it was intriguing and she couldn't help the barrage of questions she threw his way. "Wait what? A teenage boy? A parole? I need more information than that." Because in the back of her mind, she was wondering how concerned Axel would be if she told him she was having guests over that she barely knew. Something told her he wasn't going to be too pleased with that hence her needing some more information.

#( interactions. )#( interactions: shivani rao. )

"I can see that now." He mumbled, forcing a chuckle as he shook his head. He didn't actually expect her to help him with this, but it didn't hurt to pretend for a moment. "Well -- turns out my mother had another kid after she abandoned me. And I guess after 16 years of dealing with this one, she chose to abandon him, too. In front of my door set. Like I'm some rescue for strays." It had become rather obvious, rather quickly, that this kid struggled through most of his up bringing. He got lucky to have Joelle enter his life and treat him like a son. It was clear this kid never had that. "And then my father got paroled, and well -- once again, I guess their a sign up somewhere saying my place is open to strays." He wanted to believe this was all a joke, but -- considering the last few days, it had become very clear what his life was about to look like.

She let out a laugh at his comment about Tommy's artistic preferences, observing the kids at their craft station. "He's got excellent taste indeed," she replied, her eyes bright as she watched the children work on their projects. "Thanks, askim. Tommy and I will hold down the fort here," she said, giving the small boy a gentle pat while he concentrated on his dragon masterpiece. But the peaceful moment shattered when he returned, his grip urgent on her arm. His words about he being there made her stomach drop. He knew exactly who he meant—the man who'd been stalking her for weeks. Her gaze darted to Tommy and the other children still absorbed in their crafting. Not wanting to cause panic, she kept her composure. "Ms. Rachel," she called to a nearby volunteer, "Could you watch the table for a moment?" After getting confirmation, she stepped aside with him, speaking in hushed tones.

"What happened? Did you see him?" she asked, her eyes searching the crowds of festival-goers. Her fingers twisted in her costume fabric, the fairy wings on her back suddenly making her feel vulnerable and visible. "Maybe we should call the police," she suggested, stepping closer to his solid presence. The cheerful music and laughter around them seemed to fade away, replaced by the cold reality of her situation. She'd believed the festival would be safe. With all these families, the security, the daylight, but her stalker had proven once again that nowhere felt truly secure anymore. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, her heart pounding, her skin going clammy.

This was exactly the moment he had been dreading. He wasn't sure what this guy's plan was, but the last thing Lincoln cared to do was play into it. As Hazal switched the class over to another volunteer, Lincoln pulled her away from the kids. If some crazed stalker was, in fact, here; watching her. He knew he wanted her separated from the children. At this point, neither really knew how far he'd go. He shook his head, "No -- I didn't see him." He answered, holding over his phone with the text thread up, "But I think he sees me."

Lincoln glanced over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the crowds of people. Nothing seemed to jump out at him, which only made him more frustrated. "We'll gonna to let the police know, but with no real idea who it is, they're not going to be able to do much. I'm hoping they can get a trace off the number, but if this dude's smart, it's probably a burner." Sighing, he hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head up at him, "We can stay? He's less likely to try anything with a crowd around? But we could also leave? You'll be no where safer than my house." With the way he had set that place up, it could war an annual purge day.

#( interactions. )#( interactions: shivani rao. )

TO: @shivanixrao

LOCATION: Dog park

"You know, how a few months back, I was telling you how quiet my house was..." He began, "And apart of me was bitching because it was so quiet... yeah, you were right when you told me to be careful what I wish for." He chuckled, Mungo laid at his feet, a leash wrapped tightly around his fist, "So-- I guess, what I'm asking..." He turned towards his face, "You got a spare room? Either for myself, a rebellious teenage boy, or a parole?"

TO: @parkersharpe

LOCATION: Soundwave

Lincoln wasn't usually much of a drinker, but tonight? Tonight, he would be. Normally, he would drink at home, but since his house was hardly a peaceful place anymore, he decided to go somewhere else that wasn't as peaceful but at least his family members weren't there. Plopping down at the bar, he immediately caught the bartender as she passed by, "Hey --" He called out, as he pulled out his wallet, placing two one hundred dollar bills down in front of her. "First hour's tip-- just keep the whiskey coming. On the rocks. In fact, just leave the bottle."

#( interactions. )#( interactions: parker sharpe. )

TO: @nicolemcrtin

LOCATION: Her house

Entering Nicole's home as though he owed it was a truly favorite past time of his. He was pretty sure she hated it, as he often scared the shit out of her when he did it, but that was kind of what it all that much better. Entering into her kitchen with a kick in his step, "You know, you really should start investing in better security, Nicky. Any weirdo could just walk in off the street." He mused, leaning himself up against one of her kitchen counters, he crossed his arms, "I am here, in person, to invite you to a formal dinner." He told her, "Yes, you must go, and yes, you must dress up." He flashed her a wide smile, "Good morning." He added in a way that suggested he was aware that he was, in fact, ruining it.

#( interactions. )#( interactions: nicole martin. )

TO: @sorenrobertson

LOCATION: Her office

Lincoln made his way into the large office, his eyes focused on the person he was there to see. He wasn't sure exactly how much she could help him, but she was about the only lawyer he trusted to even ask. "Hey--" He greeted, "Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping that you could help me with something." He paused, tilting his head slightly, "I'd like your advice on something -- if you got a minute."

#( interactions. )#( interactions: soren robertson. )

TO: @kianlawson

LOCATION: Local Diner

Lincoln sat across from his friend, his eyes searching the male, curiously. One arm swung over the back of the booth he sat in, his other hand resting on the table top, "So -- was it as bad as they say it is?" He asked, somewhat lighthearted, "Make anyone your bitch?" He immediately shook his head and shifted in the booth, "Okay, that was bad. I'm sorry -- seriously, how are you doing? I'm glad to see you're out, man. They're not actually going to try and put you away for good, are they?"

#( interactions. )#( interactions: kian lawson. )

benjicho

benji didn't like the looks that was getting flashed in his direction. even more than that, he just wished that none of it would have happened at all but there was nothing that he could do except attempt to overcome it. he hesitated for a moment, not wanting to inconvenience him before he nodded in agreement. "alright, sure," he breathed out, "i could use the company."

#( interactions. )#( interactions: benji cho. )

Lincoln was aware that no one liked to be treated like glass, especially not after a traumatic experience. Therefore, he wasn’t going to do that to him. Instead, he decided to treat him like everything was alright. Because it would be, eventually. He nodded, “Good— I could use some as well. You feeling this place still? There this new place down by the beach I think would be cool to try out.”

wildheartcd

She couldn't help but roll her eyes when he brought their friendship into it. "Backhanded compliments are the way that I show my love." It was more or less true but he'd gotten her while she was hungover so she couldn't muster a side of her that wasn't sarcastic and a little miserable right now. "I drank more than I should have and it's actually a party that I crashed. I would have assumed you were at home, cuddled up with your girlfriend so I didn't even try to see if you were free."

"Don't worry - I won't make an attempt without knowing that it'll work and I'll get away with it. I've watched too many crime documentaries, I know all the ways in which they fuck up and get caught so I'm confident I can do it and get away with it." More or less, but it would be easier to do here with no witnesses. She considered for a moment and then shrugged half-heartedly. "I guess that's fair enough— deal."

#( interactions. )#( interactions: sienna chavez. )

"I would have not have guessed. You radiates nothing but love and tenderness." He mocked, more than aware that that was, in fact, exactly how she'd always show her love. He'd take what he could get. He arched a brow at her as she tossed back her answer. His eyes rolling moments later as he laughed, "Wow, you make me sound old." He told her, avoiding the fact that she was right. He just didn't need to admit that.

"That just means you're smart, Si." He mused, "I wouldn't expect anything less from you." If nothing else, he knew his friend was and would always do things in success. "Just, make it quick. I don't want to see it coming, or suffer through it." Quick and easy was the way, if he said so himself. "Good. Now --" He looked over his shoulder, "Are you going to keep up with me? Or am I going to have to stop every few minutes to make sure you're still with me?"

The gauzy material of her fairy wings caught the afternoon light while Hazal supervised the craft table at the Fright Fest. She fixed the crown of flowers atop her dark hair, smiling at Lincoln's playful comment about the little boy's jealousy. She couldn't help but notice how Tommy, the six-year-old who'd been glued to her side all afternoon, shot Lincoln another fierce glare. The kid had appointed himself her personal protector, and it was equally adorable and amusing. "He's a sweetheart. Can't blame him for having taste," she said with a wink, returning her attention to a little girl struggling with her paper pumpkin. She helped the girl straighten out her crooked stem, earning a gap-toothed smile in return.

Her chest squeezed at his words about being good with kids. The comment hit closer to home than she wanted to admit. Volunteering at events like this filled an empty space inside her. She'd dreamed of having children someday, and sometimes she wondered if that dream would ever come true. "I'd love some water," she replied, pushing back a stray strand of hair. "Maybe grab some of those caramel apples too? The kids keep talking about them." Her eyes drifted to Tommy, his crayon moving with fierce concentration across the orange paper. He was drawing what looked like a knight fighting a dragon—though the dragon bore a suspicious resemblance to Lincoln. "Though you might want to bring back extras—I think someone here might fight you for them." The boy immediately scooted his chair closer to her, showing her his artwork with pride.

Lincoln chuckled at her remark, hardly able to fault her or the little boy. Hazal was a beautiful woman, as well as smart. It wasn’t hard to see why people took to her. If anything, he found it amusing, his sudden rivalry with a 6 year old. "He got excellent taste, we love to see it." He replied, chuckling as he shook his head and focused on Hazal. He gave her a firm nod when she asked for a drink, amusement brought a half smile to his face as she suggested he bring something for her new friend as well. "Of course, I'd hate to make him anymore of an enemy." He glanced over at the boy who was still scrabbling away with his project, then back at Hazal, "I'll be back."

Turning, he made his way towards the food ventures. Getting in line, he'd shove a hand into the pocket of his jacket, while the other one grabbed his phone. Seconds into him scrolling through his device, a text from an unknown number popped up.

'You really think you can save her.'

Followed by another text,

'I warned her.'

Another text,

'Now watch me show her.'

His head whipped up towards the direction he had left Hazal, he could see she was still busy with her new friend. He'd search around, over the crowds of people around him. No one stood out to him, he had no idea who this was, or what they had planned. Without a second thought, he rushed out of the line, towards the direction he just came. Once he got close to her, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the art table. Glancing over her shoulder, "Hey, um, we might have a problem." He looked down at her, "I think he's here."