plant new seeds in the melody

Melissa Cooper | 28 owner of the Garden of Eden painfully human

[melissacoopers]

safiyebasak‌:

Caught. Safiye pulled her bottom lip between her teeth in thought and skimmed more of the books. Usually strong emotional ties did such a thing, but the results of such a thing always varied. Some spirits simply lingered because they didn’t want to leave those they loved, others had the stereotypical unfinished business, while others yet remained purely out of rage and spite. Those were the most dangerous. She pulled one more book, this one slightly newer than the other two but still appeared to have seen better days. 

“Well, you should know, most genasi don’t really do favors,” she continued without looking at the other. The fact that this girl didn’t seem to think she spoke with one certainly amused her, enough to keep that aspect of herself quiet for a little while longer. “They’re rare, and most witches aren’t fond of them. Advertising what they are can mean trouble. If this is important, I’d suggest finding a way to endear yourself to one sooner rather than later.”

It was a good thing this was so interesting, otherwise Safiye would have tried to simply sell her a couple of books and send her on her way, but aggravating a spirit by using information was unheard of, at least for her. “Tell me more,” she said, finally giving the other her full attention. “Everybody’s pissed off their parents, but usually not enough to warrant a haunting.”

“I’m a good detective and I’ve been known to be quite convincing.” The smile Melissa gave the woman was more like a cocky smirk. She was confident in her ability to find and convince a genasi, despite her obvious limitations. Plans were already churning in her mind, but at the same time, she wasn’t exactly sure she wanted to rid the world of her stepfather’s spirit though - not yet. This research was supposed to show her a way to communicate with him. “Besides, everyone talks money.”

Melissa hummed and tapped the spine of a nearby book, steady like a heartbeat. Over and over again. She considered the woman in front of her. “What’s your name? Why a bookshop?” After years of keeping her mouth shut about her stepfather and everything that led her to where she was now, her instincts revolted at telling the woman the truth. The logical part of her knew she needed to share, but she wanted to know more about the woman first. Her natural curiosity urging her in addition to the need to have something on her. Even if it was freely given.

Biting at her bottom lip, a nervous tic she developed when she was young and never lost the habit of, she made a decision. “I never said it was my parent.” Melissa attempted to give an easy smile, trying to play a little information close to her chest, but she found she didn’t want to lie about this. Never had she spoken about the rock she constantly felt in her stomach, the black thorns that clenched around her heart every time she pulled something from his library, his office. “He was a hunter. I’m very much not.” The woman could draw her own conclusions from that, but Melissa knew she stank of humanity. “He taught me things, left me books and -” No, she shouldn’t mention the artifacts. “I use it to...essentially undo his life’s work and legacy. Is that enough? To call down a vengeful spirit?” Melissa laughed breathily, knowing it probably was.

[melissacoopers]

noraxzhao‌:

The sight of the neon sign still alight in the window of Garden of Eden came as a relief as Nora quickly walked towards it. Her wife sent her last minute for a few herbs she required and didn’t realize she didn’t have until the time came to use them, and while their garden was expansive, they couldn’t possibly have everything. In her meander through town, she stopped for half a dozen pastries, and one was in her hand as she pushed quickly through the door of the shop. In startling Melissa, she too jumped and then offered an easy, apologetic smile a moment later.

“Melissa, I’m sorry,” she said as she approached. The quip about a bear earned the younger woman a nod and a dry, awkward laugh–she couldn’t know how close to the truth she was, though Nora had never actually hurt someone while transformed. Even still, Melissa’s unease didn’t seem to dissipate, and so Nora produced the paper-wrapped pastries from her purse and set about unfolding the package. “Here, have, um, an elephant ear, as an apology,” she said as she offered the treat, then began to look in her bag for something else. A moment later, she drew a folded piece of paper from it.

“Um, I’ve been sent to find some things, but honestly I don’t know what a few of them even look like…” She trailed off as she skimmed the sheet with various plants written in her wife’s neat hand. “Comfrey, Dittany of Crete, and vervain.”

The unease didn’t completely fade, but the sight of the pastry certainly made it ebb for a moment. Melissa was especially fond of Nora, because how couldn’t she be? The woman was constantly stopping in either for flowers or herbs and always for her wife. The romantic in Melissa that she thought she had smothered years ago always bucked up at the action, making her heart swell and just exude warmth for Nora. The elephant ear was just the cherry on top. 

“Oh fuck yes,” fell out of Melissa’s lips before she could stop herself. The combination of the later hour and the fact she was still feeling a bit jumpy proved her lips looser than usual. Melissa flushed at her unprofessionalism. “I mean to say, thank you. God, I love these and I haven’t eaten all day.” There was too much to do around her business, with the back door deals for her to take a break to do something as mundane as eating. “An apology was not needed, but I’ll gladly take it and shotgun it when you leave.”

Setting the pastry aside, she simply took the list from Nora, giving her a sly smile. “Not to worry, I’ve got this. Most of these are in the back and on the house.” Melissa hadn’t pinned Nora down quite yet. She had guessed from her wife’s shopping lists that she was at least magically inclined, but she didn’t know if Nora was as well. Melissa never wished she was a Morgan by blood, except in situations like this. She just wanted to know everything about everybody. Especially their species. Her gut always told her that Nora was a human, but expect the unexpected, as her mother would say.

As Melissa moved towards the back of the shop scanning the list intently, she heard the door that led down into back of the shop slam and heavy steps down the stairs. People who didn’t care about being caught anymore. Melissa whipped around, the door that led into the back of her shop was still open, two vampires were closing in behind her. “Nora, run.” Melissa dropped the list and tried to slam the door in their faces, but one of the vampire’s arms wriggled its way through, grabbing blindly at Melissa for a moment before yanking her ponytail and dragging her through the door and into the back.

[melissacoopers]

kasandrarosales‌:

Desire. The hypnotic sensation of watching the one you love laugh with exuberance, turn the page in a chapter of her favorite book, catch your gaze from across the crowded room. “Perfect.” Yes, desire felt apt enough for her mood as she entered what was perhaps the most nostalgic time of year; the impending thought of Marina’s birthday looming ever closer. 

“My days of giving flowers are long over, now they’re simply decoration.” Despite fully acknowledging that Melissa’s affection towards her stemmed entirely from the illusion displayed by her kind, Kasandra admittedly appreciated it. Not laced with the undertones of sexual motive as most others were, their bond had become almost… Authentic. “How did Corinth Bay manage to find itself the most kindhearted florist of them all? Thank you, I appreciate it. One of these days I’ll repay the favor.”

It intrigued her on some level, to watch Melissa work with the flowers as if they were a masterpiece meant to be artfully arranged. Though she supposed that was precisely how the other woman viewed them, and she applauded her for it from within. "No, it isn’t too morbid. Death is simply a part of our reality.” Or Melissa’s, at the very least. “Wedding season is approaching thankfully. What do they call some of those brides? Bridezillas?”

"What I love about flowers is that they aren’t inherently romantic. I prefer giving them to friends. Like you,” she said with a flash of a smile. “You should give Gabriel flowers sometime. Or perhaps he should give them to you.” Gabriel, another regular. Every once in awhile the two came in together, but Melissa usually preferred talking to them one on one. 

Melissa waved her hand, a sour expression screwing up her face. It was obvious she wasn’t used to being complimented or at least was not a fan of it. It made her skin prickle “I’m not the most kindhearted,” Dramatically, made a bluh noise, sticking out her tongue for just a moment, practically in disgust. Melissa never felt she deserved the compliments, from anyone, but especially Kasandra.

Carefully, she shook herself off and passed Kasandra’s flowers over to her with a smile. “There, I’m sure that will brighten up your apartment. Which I still haven’t seen. You have to at least take a picture one time, show me how my flowers bloom in your care.” Melissa crossed the counter and still continued to put small, finishing touches on the bouquet. She was a perfectionist with her arrangements, especially when they went out to people she cared about. Melissa felt the need to impress, make herself irreplaceable - even if it was just as someones florist. 

“Ah, the bridezillas! There’s not many, but enough that I prefer working with the funeral arrangements. I don’t like all the pomp and circumstance involved in weddings either.” She inclined her head. “Frankly, I’m a lot better at dealing with people who are grieving. Maybe from practice. I take it you’re also not a fan of weddings?” 

[emilykinneyupdates]

Emily Kinney photographed by Lindsey Byrnes

[melissacoopers]

waeteeth‌:

There were meals he had to actually work for, ones he wanted to. Chat it up with a stranger, lure them outside, bite, compel, send them on their way. Even that could be cut down to basics, technically all they really had to do was find, follow, bite, and leave. That’d been a bit of an older practice though. He’d tore through moors, forests, the fucking Highlands, after not so poor unsuspecting victims. That’d been well over a century ago, just draining victims wasn’t really the best idea anymore. But every so often, something happened that just seemed too easy, to the point where Jamie thought he was being baited somehow. 

Some pretty blonde smelling of spilled booze cutting down an alleyway? 

He’d consider that fast food. He’d been smoking at the mouth of the alleyway on his phone, trying to convince Nixon to meet him somewhere when he’d spotted her. He stopped mid text, shoved his phone in his back pocket. “Little late tae be out, innit?” It was a casual purr following a trail of smoke from his lips. Poor thing really, he’d make this just a quick snack and send her on her way. She might not even have heard him, or if she did, she kept moving. 

That was fair. 

Stubbing his cigarette out on the wall, he’d been leaning against, he was quick to move toward her, trap her between himself and the alley wall. “Where ye aff tae so fast love?” One hand against the wall, the other gently cupping the side of her face. His voice was as smooth as silk, eyes trained on hers. 

Halfway down the alleyway, Melissa tripped on her heels. They didn’t break, but it was enough to delay her just so she could hear the voice of the man blocking her exit. His cigarette was an enticing glow in the dark, barely lighting up his face. She’d heard his question but ignored it. “Those things’ll kill you,” she said, leaning her shoulder against the wall of the alley as she watched the stranger. He moved quicker than he had the right to - like a predator and alarm bells went off.

A voice in the back of Melissa’s head that sounded suspiciously like her stepfather told her to run. Something deep in her gut was screaming the same thing, clawing at her insides. The drunk fog had already taken hold of her mind, dulling the life-saving senses that she had worked so hard to hone. And his eyes, trained on her in a way that made her feel he could see her bones. The whimper that left her lips when he touched her was pathetic, fearful and just a little needy. Melissa touched people, people didn’t touch her.

She tried to recover, intimidate with a puffed up chest and an expression she attempted to make look confident, but everything tonight was off. "Why do you care?” Her eyes narrowed. Make them think you’re big, but she felt very small with her back against the cool wall of the alley. Small and trapped within his arms and eyes. “You gonna walk me home to fuck me? Or are you planning on mugging me first?”

[melissacoopers]

lcadelacruz‌:

“Clearly.” A flippant gesture towards the scooter itself as she cast hues to the cobbled pavement beyond made that it was entirely obvious that Melissa Cooper – was not using it for it’s intended purpose. For whatever reasons, one of which offered in the light serving of what sounded like paranoia. “Slashed the tire? Who the fuck would go out of their way to slash a scooter tire?” It seemed almost, redundant. If it were here? She’d have just taken it, dumped it somewhere else, or rolled it right off a cliffs edge but then again, Lia never did things in halves. Instead of pointing the near obvious out, Lia shook off the shifting laughter that bloomed on rosy lips, “You’re trying to tell me someone vandalized your damn scooter, and I’m the dramatic one?” Yes – she certainly was some unholy level of dramatic, that much most people who knew her understood by now at least. “Have I..—” As taken aback as the question might have left her, Lia was quick to recover, the happened look of penchant surprise replaced by one of gentle incredulity thereafter, “I walk into your shop and half the shit in there wants to die just by my being there, what makes you think taking something home is going to make it last any longer?” She was anything but a green thumb; mostly for her own whirlwind of chosen chaos, the time to look after anything beyond the patients that kept her mind at ease was a stretch at best. “How about we just say you gave it to me.. but you hang onto it and keep whatever it is.. alive?”

"All the shady gang members I’ve turned against me, of course. They’re trying to keep me down.” There was a kernel of truth there. Melissa was sure there were people that weren’t fans of what she was doing in the Garden. She doubted any kind of retribution she got through that would be scooter-related though. “I’m not being dramatic, I’m being cautious.” She tapped her nose once with her single index finger and raised an eyebrow at Lia. Then her entire demeanor deflated and she shrugged. “It was probably just a drunk teenager, showing off. My home isn’t in the best neighborhood.” Her stepfather and mother had purposefully chosen a neighborhood that was a hotbed of supernatural activity of the shadiest kind. A wonderful environment for a fourteen-year-old Melissa.

Melissa broke out into a grin and gently gripped Lia’s wrist, inclining her head towards where the Garden of Eden was, not too far off now. She tugged slightly at the woman. “Don’t you trust me, Lia?” She had something special picked out for Lia, a plant she didn’t usually carry in her shop because she was a florist after all and people normally came to her for romantic bouquets or sympathy wreaths. The flashy stuff. “I wouldn’t give you one of my precious plants just to kill. I also have something edible for you, so if you want the treat, you need the plant.” 

[melissacoopers]

blackmagicadjacent‌:

The thing that had come to nag at the corners of Juna’s mind most over the past few years was how difficult it was to pinpoint supernatural creatures on sight alone. Not that she ever expected it to be easy. Why would the universe make anything simple for her, especially when her goal was living life without a curse to contend with?

Dealing in occult items was her creative solution. Make herself useful to people who might very well be witches, and perhaps she could learn to pick them out of a crowd. Maybe even make herself an asset they’re willing to invest in. One thing all her work over the years had taught her better than anything else: most people don’t expend any effort on something they won’t see a return from.

Still, she was new and couldn’t afford to be picky with her business. Feet up on the desk before her, book in her lap, Juna lifted her gaze to the woman who entered without so much as a twitch of her stony expression. The way the stranger’s face split nearly gave Juna a headache. Here we go. Thunking her boots onto the floor, Juna rose to meet her. “Welcome in.” Her accent was thick enough that she might as well had just said it in German. “You said you have something I may be interested in?” Her eyes grazed the black disk in her hand, though she said nothing just yet. Better to let the newcomer explain.

Melissa fluttered happily over to Juna’s desk, her nervous and excited energy bleeding through in every movement, expression. For someone who managed to keep so many secrets, she was still an open book when it came to her emotions - especially the positive ones and they were all positive when it came to Juna. 

Taking a seat before Juna, it felt a bit like she was on a blind date that only Melissa knew about. She had even gotten dressed up and everything, wearing a sundress that she only reserved for people she wanted to impress, a shade of lipstick that would have stood out if you saw Melissa daily and knew she was never the type to wear much, if any, makeup. “You’re from Germany?” Her own Greek accent came through in her English. The first thing she asked had nothing to do with any magical objects of course but was about Juna. She had to get to the point, though before the woman lost interest.

With careful hands, she slid the black disk across the table towards Juna, eyes trained on her fellow human’s expression. “I’d be cautious with it if I were you. I don’t know what it does, just that it’s important. I’m not sure I want to sell it yet, I just want to know about it for now,” she said in an attempt to cover her ass. That was true enough. She had no idea what the thing was for, why her mother was so proud of its acquisition.

Melissa cocked her head, ready to pry now. “You must be used to being cautious with these things though. You have to be extra careful, right?”

[melissacoopers]

safiyebasak‌:

Ah, so certainly not a tourist. Safiye smiled a little and tipped her head to one side thoughtfully. This was a dangerous subject even for a practiced witch, and so someone she assumed to be entirely mundane inquiring after such information was nothing short of deadly. The genasi rounded the counter and moved towards a specific section closer to the back of the store where less sunlight hit the particular books. One she arrived, she waited for the other to catch up before she began with a few questions.

“Is this a summoned spirit, or one caught on this plane by other means?” she asked as she skimmed the faded spines of the books on the shelf. She pulled one that probably neared about eighty years old and carefully leafed through it for a few moments before she replaced it and pulled another of similar age. “You should know, you’ll probably have to find a genasi for any spirit work,” she said after a moment, glancing at her to gauge her reaction. “Unless you’re purely looking for information, of course.”

Melissa followed the shopkeep and the cat, in turn, followed her. The two were like ducklings, aimlessly following behind the dark-haired woman. As she walked, her fingers skimmed the scratchy spines of the books, eyes raking over the ones that obviously looked older with a questioning look. Her eyes lit up at some of the titles, curiosity already running rampant. She had to tear herself away back to where the woman was. The further they got into the store, the more enticing the books became.

“That’s a good question.” Melissa tapped the spine of a heavy, red-covered book and hmmed to herself. “It all started fairly suddenly, I hadn’t thought that he might have been summoned, but I think he’s just caught here.” She didn’t flinch when the woman started talking about genasi, but she did smile. “So that means you aren’t one. I’m only looking for information right now anyway. Trying to keep this quiet.” Leaning in, she started to skim the book over the woman’s shoulder. There was a sentence about sending the spirit back to the bowels of hell and her brow furrowed.

Melissa hadn’t been a particularly private person before she started The Garden, but she was now in a position where she had to be. Her bright blue eyes flickered to the woman’s dark ones and there was only a moment of debate in her mind before the story started to spill. “I did something to this spirit. Well, not before he died. After he died I...I’ve been using his things and information he gave me in ways I know he would hate.” She let out a huff and gave the woman a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Really gives ‘your choices will haunt you’ a whole new meaning.”

[melissacoopers]

silaskyun‌:

More often than not, Silas was one to refuse help when it came to such minimal things as his shop. He knew that it could use a more delicate touch, a fresh mind that hadn’t had to do the daily things that a shop like this required, but the cubi still refused. Melissa had become more than just a regular to him, but someone he actually enjoyed as far as company goes. She never seemed to pry for more information and was just generally curious about the life of each trinket before reaching its spot on the shelf. Maybe that was part of the reason Silas still refused. He hardly wanted to slip up on what he truly was, but a different feeling struck him. The feeling of being rude, the thought that it might be even stranger not to allow a kind offer. Especially when it had been given half a dozen times. “Things have been pleasant,” he answered casually, “Weather has been fairly forgiving during my hunts and I couldn’t really ask for more.” For a moment he skirted around the topic of rearranging, trying to find the right words to accept her offer without sounding at least a little desperate. “I can smell spring, which I assume is the direct cause of your own refresh? I suppose it couldn’t hurt to have a little help with my own.”

Melissa immediately perked up, sharp and excited blue eyes meeting his deep brown. Silas had never given her an answer even bordering a yes before. No, that wasn’t true, he would beat around the bush, give a maybe, but Melissa could hear every bone in him screaming no. It was a little game she played with him at that point, a steady constant. Melissa would always ask, Silas would always say no. Unable to contain her delight, she eagerly gripped Silas’ wrist to give it a squeeze, emotion coming out in a tactile form as it often did with her.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked a bit like a wolf eyeing its meal, but her face turned skeptical. “Really, Silas? What got you to say yes? Did you see a rat one day or something?” She paused. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Melissa dropped her grip to his hand and gave him another squeeze, this one she hoped was reassuring. If she let herself, she knew she could be a bulldozer. She valued Silas’ calming, puzzling, fascinating presence too much to have him be collateral damage in her neverending quest for knowledge. 

“If you mean it, you have to tell me your favorite kind of take out,” she said, dropping his hand, but not his gaze. “You also should prepare yourself for a million questions about everything.” Melissa’s expression turned almost challenging as she turned back to the painting. “Where’d you get her from?”

[melissacoopers]

antoniagrcgor‌:

“Antonia Gregor.” She shook Melissa’s hand. “I teach Classic + Medieval Literature at the university.” She smiled and pushed some stray hair strands back behind her ear. “And never apologize for asking questions. Euripedes said to question everything. I live by that motto every day. And I encourage my students to as well. So, I guess you would fit right in my class.”

Melissa scoffed slightly, shaking her head at the idea of her in a classroom once more. It was enticing but felt out of reach. “I miss being a student sometimes, but no, my school days are long over. I wanted to stay in school longer, actually, but life gets in the way,” she said with an easy shrug that said she’d accepted her fate long ago. 

“Well, Antonia Gregor.” Melissa liked saying people’s full names, feeling the way fit into her mouth. “It was nice meeting you despite the circumstances of me...fully running into you.” With a quick and practiced hand, Melissa fished a business card out of her purse. “Here, I run a florist down the street. If you ever need flowers, your first vase is on the house. There’s also a bakery next door. And a funeral parlor. I’m on a strange street,” she said, shaking her head.

[melissacoopers]

noahkramer‌:

       Noah smiled to himself at her words about humanity. He had learned the hard way that humanity indeed needed a lot of help – his father was a prime example. But he simply tried to make the world a little bit of a better place by helping the children and teenagers at the hospital. “Trying is all we need to do for now. It’s better than not trying at all,” he pointed out as he pushed the scooter along the sidewalk, trying his best to not get in the way of those passing by that looked particularly stressed out.

        Her words met deaf ears, for Noah was someone who would always help for the sake of helping, no matter if he got something in return. It was somewhat engraved into his DNA that he couldn’t decline anyone any help they needed. “Hey, I agreed to something from the bakery, right? So you’re not bleeding me out,” he said playfully. Looking over at her now, he arched his brows. He couldn’t say he’d ever heard of that place, but then again there were plenty of corners in Corinth Bay he hadn’t seen after all these years of living here. “I’m afraid I’ve never heard of it. What is it?”

They started to approach The Garden of Eden and Melissa waved Noah off, taking over the reins of her scooter so to speak to roll it into the alleyway beside her shop. She turned to him with warm eyes. She liked people like Noah, that emanated warmth that she knew helped other people to grow. Like the sun. “Agreed, Noah. So. Now is when I start to be nosy,” she said as she leaned her ride against the wall. Melissa felt the need to warn him. “Are you from Corinth? What do you do? Other than being a boy scout by helping random ladies on the street. Not that I’m complaining!”

Melissa started to lead the two of them to the bakery next door, the vanilla scent familiar since she could often smell it wafting into her shop. Before opening the door, she gestured to The Garden. “My flower shop. There’s an empty apartment upstairs too so it’s a been a bit of a bed and breakfast too as of late. Let me know if you know anyone that needs a place to stay.” He didn’t seem to know about it so he was either human or new to town. She’d figure it out.

Pushing the doors open made the vanilla hit them full force and made Melissa playfully pump her eyebrows at Noah. “Your favorite kind of sweet says a lot about you, you know.”

[melissacoopers]

@waeteeth​

The noise and crowd of the bar she had packed herself and her college friends into at the beginning of the night was getting to be too much for Melissa. When she was first invited, she couldn’t pass up the quality time with her friends or the half-price mojitos, but when someone spills their drink on you it was a sign to call it a night. The bar scene had never been for Melissa either. She loved the mixed drinks, couldn’t do the crowds.

When she first stepped outside she was chilled to the bone, but she didn’t put her coat on, preferring the bite of the night air. Melissa checked her phone, midnight. It probably would have been smarter to order a car, but the Garden of Eden was nearby and she was just the right amount of tipsy and confident. She hauled her purse up onto her shoulder and started the walk to her storefront, wishing she had the foresight to jam flats or slippers into her purse for the journey. 

Melissa used a pillar to swing herself off the main street and into a short alley that led to her street. She knew the streets like the back of her hand at this point. She felt in her element.

[melissacoopers]

Hera, Apollo, Oedipus

hera: what are your views on marriage, and how - if at all - would you like to be wed?

In a word, my view on marriage is...complicated. It would have to be a very special person to convince me to get married. I think, in some couples - and this was certainly the case in my engagement - the wedding is just something you project onto. It’s the be all, end all and it becomes so important it overshadows the actual relationship. You have to get married, it’s what your life script says. Fuck that! I just want love, who cares about the trappings?

apollo: what’s the worst illness you’ve suffered from?

Not technically an illness, but I’ve always been a pretty healthy person and the night was so horrific I’m counting it. The second time I got drunk I thought I was a pro and went completely overboard. I ended up getting sick three times, once on the girl I liked, once on the hosts bed and once when I got home, right in front of my mother. She almost hauled me to the police station there and then.

oedipus: with hindsight, what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

I’m still doing it. I constantly lie to my mother about what I’m doing, where I am, the things I know about the veil. Sometimes I think I regret it, but ultimately I think it’d be worse to let her and Morgans kill people who are just trying to survive with the lot they’ve been given in life. 

[melissacoopers]

Medea & Astyanax

medea: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done out of spite?

Here’s the thing, I get mad easily and I react very quickly without thinking. Usually, I regret it afterward. There was a point in our relationship where my ex-fiance and I had a date set for our wedding and they chose to back out of it. So I flushed their engagement ring down the toilet. Not my engagement ring, theirs. I don’t regret it.

astyanax: what is the most tragic thing to have happened to you or involving you?

Watching my father get sick and slowly die in front of me was pretty fucking tragic. Especially when I think back on it, I didn’t even realize he was dying. I was an idealistic kid and I just thought, yeah dad is sick, but everything was going to be okay. I didn’t want to see how he was just wasting away before my eyes. 

Then my stepfather, his death was so sudden I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.

[melissacoopers]

fire-blooded‌:

It was towards the end of the day, and Damien had already killed half the lights in the store with the intention to retire to the back and better inspect a large aged vase he had purchased. The markings had been suspicious to him, and there had been a distinct hint of something dark mingling within the hand painted images. 

The knock at the door had his head lifting, and it was one he knew well. Fingers gently brushed against the side of the vase, savoring the small spark of something there, before venturing back to the front. “Right here.” He said softly, announcing his presence as he stepped from the darkness of the back room to the creeping shadows near his front counter. He offered a smile, one that was far more genuine than any other human would come in contact with. She’d gotten him to warm up to her, though it had honestly taken some time.

“What are you after this time around?” He sighed, arms stretching out across the glass countertop as he bent forward and stretched with a grunt. His lower back was bothering him–something that would heal in the short walk home.

She was a fun regular to have, with good tastes too–and Damien always enjoyed fishing around to locate something specific she was after. He would admit to cutting her better deals too, a fairness he didn’t offer many, and in return she whispered a warning here and there of potential dangers around the corner. Damien was no fool–he knew hunters would gladly take his life if the opportunity was open to them.

The store was dark, it felt brooding in the dusk of the evening and the way the shadows played in the space made it feel every bit the magical place Melissa knew it to be. Now it just felt like it fit on a horror set too. Damien emerged from the shadows like a dark creature she knew he technically was and Melissa couldn’t help the bright grin that came to her face when she saw him. So fitting. Without filter, she said, “You would be a good horror movie star.” Melissa leaned across the counter, locking her wide blue eyes with Damien’s. “Not the bad guy, though. I think you could pull off a scream queen.”

Without waiting for him to answer (she was already planning the movie in her head anyway) Melissa slid the small velvet container that hid the ring across the counter. With a pump of her eyebrows and a playful smile, she said, “I thought it was obvious. I’m after your hand in marriage.” She straightened herself up, leaning away from the counter and tapping a single index finger on the box. “But, something’s wrong with your engagement ring.” 

Melissa popped the box open but didn’t touch the ring, instead indicating with her finger where she wanted Damien to look. She hadn’t touched it since she tried to figure it out and failed. Melissa’s gut told her it was magic and she didn’t want to mess with anything she had no information about. “One of my tenants left this. There are panels around this ring, I can see them and feel them, but I can’t for the life of me get them open. This could just be a rusted old ring or...” She inclined her head towards Damien with a raised eyebrow, taking a moment to observe him now.

It was easy to clock the way Damien held himself wasn’t quite right. She knew him at this point, knew his movements after many a long day where she peppered him with questions on magical items. “Pull your back in a grand heist? That’s how I assume you get half of this stuff. Big Ocean’s 11 type plans.” Melissa teased, but the question was genuine and so was the concern in her eyes. The ring could wait.

[melissacoopers]

@cxnnxrmorgan

The ocean air ripped through the streets of Corinth Bay in a sharp breeze that upturned debris and sent fallen leaves skittering. When Melissa pushed open the door to L&P Goods, the wind helped take the weight off her, sending the door flying a little too suddenly. It took a second, to wrangle the door and the two coffees in her hands, but she managed it and walked the familiar path to Connor’s counter.

Melissa made it a habit to visit Connor ever since he came into town. She had vaguely known about him before. Her stepfather was proud of his Morgan lineage and proud to show off the family he married into which meant a lot of Morgan family events and a surprising amount of late nights where her stepdad locked her in a conversation about the Morgan family tree. Knowing what she does now, she wouldn’t give up those impromptu lectures for anything. It was how she came to know Connor’s name, after all. 

The relationship started as Melissa poking and prodding, but it was hard for her to keep it up and she genuinely warmed to Connor. Placing their coffees on the counter, she leaned in towards Connor with a conspiratory smile. “Ask the boss if you can take a break. I want to take you on a walk. I even brought a bribe.” She held Connor’s coffee out, wiggling it enticingly in her hand.  It didn’t take long after they initially met for her to shoehorn herself into his life. The bakery was a good excuse to ease herself in gently as she could, but now Melissa just tended to be her demanding self with him.

[melissacoopers]

Demeter, Pandora, Thetis

demeter: what would you most grieve for if it was taken from you?

My mother. There’s a lot we disagree about, but I’ve always felt like I just fit in with her. That kind of acceptance is rare to find.

pandora: what is the worst gift you’ve ever received?

The first Christmas my stepfather spent with me, he still wasn’t quite used to teenagers and he ended up getting me a Barbie Dreamhouse as a gift. So expensive, so impractical, so not for my age. Bless him, he tried.

thetis: what’s the most you’ve ever done for your loved ones?

Maybe this is a copout, but I try to do as much as I can for the ones I love every day. I don’t know how to quantify that. I know it always felt a lot harder when I was a kid, though.