⛅️: How do they keep the person they lost in good memory (eventually)?
Kieran: Have you seen his little storage unit out in the greenhouse (and down in his office. And bedroom closet. And part of Aly's office)? All spaces that are his are positively stacked with shoeboxes and old 50 cal ammo cans full of photos, newspaper clippings and antique mementos. And that's not counting the work he's done in the garden, setting up little memorial plaques along the trail leading out to the lake.
Josie: After her mother (Aine) died saving her and her childrens' lives, Josie's one method of coping and eventually remembering was to keep her mother's house and gardens up the way she remembered them being when she was growing up. Split-rail fences, thatched roof, crawling with ivy vines, daffodils in the spring, and hollyhocks in the summer. Every now and then she'll look out the front window and see CeCe and Michael playing under the oak tree, and wonder if her mother enjoyed the same view.
Henry: There is no good memory here. Every minute of knowing her was a bittersweet agony. Knowing that she wasn't going to make it through the next winter, knowing that if they got caught, they'd both be left for dead- he was a coward and walked away when he shouldn't have. But while he had her? 'What if we ran away?'
'What if we could make a home?'
'What if we're all we need?'
But then, some memories are best left to the dust. Or in a poorly built cairn deep in the Appalachian mountains. The top stone bears only two letters.
M. W.
Robin: Sunlight reminds Robin of what he had before. Before the humans rose to power and scarred the land and filled it with metal and wheels and roaring steam engines.
On the worst days, you will find him alone in one of the last sacred spots that the humans haven't touched, reveling in the sunlight, birds, the wind through the leaves. When the wind is just right, it's almost as if she's there with him, raking clever fingers through his hair, and the sunlight is their son kissing his cheek. But that was ages ago. He can honor their memory best by being happy now. He has a feeling she would have been happy with his new love too.
welcome to the final post of horror aus for halloween 2020! i hope you all enjoyed the ride. i apologize for not having everything ready on halloween like i originally planned. remember that the inbox and dms are always open for questions, comments and concerns. if you missed them, here are parts one, two and three. all warnings still apply, so be forewarned.
i know things are scary right now. but to quote the infamous n. gaiman: fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.
take it from me when i say that we outnumber the monsters of this world--and more importantly, take heart.
click below the cut if you, too, like doing the monster mash (no offense but it is kind of a graveyard smash...)
there’s bloodstains beneath the carpet - a ∆ au inspired by the super, co-starring technical officer drake and @agents-of-virtue's agent annabelle
it was a new start. for both drew and matthew. a new city, shining with opportunities and adventure. they had no shortage of hope--but maybe did have a little shortage of cash.
all the same, the knox-edwards boarding house wasn’t that bad. grimy and with a level of grunge akin to a garage band circa 1995, sure, but nothing unbearable.
but as drew was stuck in the hallway holding up their couch, matthew trying to figure out who needed to pivot and in what direction in order to not have furniture stuck in the doorway, he overheard it:
“what? another one? are you serious?”
two people were walking down the hallway, and they didn’t look to be much older than himself, or matthew. a man and woman, close together, as if they were conspiring.
“wait, drew, i think i got it, turn left a little bit--”
“as a heart attack. that makes it four people in three months. i’m telling you bekah, something fuckin’ weird in goin’ on here. people don’t just up and vanish from their own homes, and--oh!”
“drew! are you listening to me? turn it left!”
oh shit. oh shit. don’t act like you were obviously eavesdropping, maybe they didn’t notice...
“drew!”
“hi!”
welp. all right. be cool.
“uh--hello!” but he yelped when matthew unexpectedly let go of the couch, and it landed on the ground with a hard thud.
but drew was still processing what he heard. four people in three months? what did that mean?
won’t you cut me down? - a second chances au inspired by seven in heaven
joan, normally, wasn’t so forward. at least, not a society-thrown event where multiple agencies were represented, and especially not when he knew lilith was around and not above reprimanding an agent in front of god and everyone else in the room.
but he’d had quite a bit to drink.
the evening was winding down.
and josie... josie was breathtaking.
he couldn’t help it.
“joan--joan!” she laughed as he turned her, taking her elbow and leading her down a hallway close to one of the larger coat closets. “what are you d--”
her voice cut off abruptly to the tune of joan’s mouth on hers, and the closing of a closet door.
joan didn’t stop to think about how this particular door wasn’t room he distinctly remembered. he was tipsy and enamored and his wife consumed his senses. he didn’t care.
but he did care a while later, after they’d made themselves presentable again and opened the door to a manor that was much, much quieter than he was expecting.
and josie felt it too.
it was an odd sensation, to feel that he’d stepped out of one place and into another entirely.
josie asked quietly, “where... where did everyone go?”
mini soundtrack sampler includes: jack white, ‘i’m shakin’‘ + konrad old money & sleep steady, ‘rage’ + k. flay, ‘blood in the cut’
my hands are growing colder - an inverse functions au inspired by eli
ginny knew erik wasn’t broken. she would rather have faced down a demon or some unholy thing sprung out of the gate than ever describe him like that.
but he was--unique.
beyond the understanding of most medical doctors, at least. even aly and caroline were struggling to treat his symptoms. it was like he’d become allergic to everything around him over the course of just a few days. his symptoms were sudden, severe, and left her nervous.
it wasn’t just allergies. she knew that. and if she had to seek help outside of the society, then so be it. all that mattered to her was seeing him brought back to health.
and late one night, during a despair-fueled search through some files in the archives that looked like they hadn’t been touched in years, she found a name: dr. isabella horn.
the fact that lacey, who’d been overseeing the roanoe medical wards for ages, hadn’t heard of her, should have been a warning.
but desperate times call for desperate measures.
the next day, they were on their way to a facility in the middle of the midwest--though ‘facility’ wasn’t quite the right word. it looked more like a mansion, with nothing but wheat fields all around as far as they eye could see. the horizon was only broken by the occasional oil derrick.
and they were surprised when they had to be buzzed through pressurized, completely sterile chambers to even get inside.
but there, right at the front of the welcoming committee, was a woman with dark eyes, and an easy smile.
“good afternoon! you must be ginny and erik, welcome. i’m dr. horn.”
but ginny didn’t trust her grin.
and that should have been the second warning.
mini soundtrack sampler includes: stevie wonder, ‘superstitious’ + the killers, ‘when you were young’ + the revivalists, ‘wish i knew you’
i saw your bones on the road - a pastel goth au inspired by the silence
meli would look back on it and realize with no small sense of irony how loud it was when it began.
the screaming, the terror. how she blasted her spotify on her furious drive to guiliana’s house in the blessedly quiet suburbs, eyes constantly searching the sky. she knew that the responsible thing to do would be to listen to the coverage on the radio, but honestly? she’d heard enough. she had more than half a brain, and she knew exactly what to do.
get her girlfriend and head--okay, maybe she didn’t know exactly what to do.
but giuliana was smart. they’d figure it out together.
the government didn’t know what they were, exactly. nobody did. meli only knew that they were calling them vesps.
it was a word that she mulled over frantically. linguistics was always a welcome distraction. she thought she’d heard it before, but all she could think of was the latin vespere. it roughly translated to ‘from the evening,’ or ‘from the night.’
from the dark.
perhaps that was an apt name.
the sunset had painted the sky in shades that were obnoxiously beautiful given the circumstances, and her jeep lurched in protest as she abruptly slammed the gear shift into park in the glow of guiliana’s porch lights.
in the distance, she could hear shrieking--but not that of human beings.
mini soundtrack sampler includes: mourning ritual, ‘bad moon rising’ + twenty one pilots, ‘ride’ + royal blood, ‘trouble’s coming’
waiting for the vultures - a time traveler’s husband au inspired by the houses october built
it had been dara’s idea.
“oh it’ll be fun! think about it, italy and the states celebrate halloween with way, way different aesthetics. think of this as getting a sampler of how america does it,” she said, sitting in silvano’s lap, charm volume as far up as it would go.
and he agreed. “all right--okay. a grand adventure across the country hitting as many haunted houses as we can.”
“geez, try not to sound too excited.”
he murmured into her shoulder, “i’m mostly excited to spend time with you. but if a road trip through october is what you want, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
he was rewarded with kisses peppered all over his face and a very excited dara dragging him excitedly to best buy to pick up a camcorder. “what? of course we need a camera! if we record everything then it’s like--i don’t know. like it’s ours. we can go back to it whenever want, and we can show all our friends the cool places we saw when we get home!”
dara hadn’t known then.
she didn’t know it would start with one lone figure in a clown costume standing in front of the rv like he was going to charge at it. she didn’t know that they would end up surrounded, followed. abducted.
it had been dara’s idea.
and she would never forgive herself.
mini soundtrack sampler includes: van halen, ‘runnin’ with the devil’ + the 1975, ‘if you’re too shy (let me know)’ + afi, ‘miss murder’
1 & 17 (for both magic & mischief and second chances)
1. What are things they both find funny?
Magic & Mischief: exchanging cat memes via text when they're not having serious discussions.
Second Chances: the antics of their children.
17. What senses (sights, smells, feelings, etc). remind them of each other?
Kieran: summer mornings down by the pond when there's no wind and a hint of fog coming off the water surface. Sweet iced tea.
Aly: laying on a picnic blanket in the afternoon with the sun warming her through. The smell of crushed grass beneath her, and the taste of clover blossoms.
Josie: standing in the middle of an ancient olive grove in the Holy Land, with the sunset filtering through the leaves. The scent of frangipani and incense smoke; the tartness of pomegranate on her tongue, and the feeling of sun-warmed rocky ground beneath her bare feet.
I'll leave it to @agents-of-virtue to divulge what senses remind Joan of Josie.
Josie was out in the gardens, dozing in a hammock. Ever since her cousin's arrival here, the garden is in much better shape, and it's pleasant to spend time out there.
Joan is somewhere nearby, likely asleep. They had both gotten back from a joint investigation with Statesman regarding a church full of dead civilians and the man they believed responsible being shot dead outside the door. But that was barely two days ago. Hopefully that was the last of it.
A bit from a private discord RP that I was rereading today between myself and @agents-of-virtue .
What you see is Josephine and Joan discussing Kieran and the infant @agent-hood and @agent-thorn whom they have just ensured will stay with their mother, instead of the fae taking Carter to live in the Courts in Ireland.
Just thought it was amusing in hindsight, and wanted to share.
Children: 3, Ephraim Friedmann (1945-2029) adopted. Michael James and Catherine Celeste 'CeCe' O'Neill (born 2/2/27, children of of Joan Rahal-O'Neill of Roanoke.)
D.O.R: May 25, 1882
Recruitment Details: Following the Phoenix Park Murders in 1882, Josephine (then an agent of the Fae Courts and unknown to Borley) discovered a connection between the Unseelie and the uprisings taking place throughout Ireland. While still sympathetic to her country, she did not think that the violent route was the appropriate one. She agreed to help Borley as a liason between the agency and the courts.
Served 1882-1945
Hiatus taken 1945-1967 to raise her son
Reinstated 1968-present day
Charges/Record(If applicable): N/A
Mentor(s): Ness, the White Lady, and Queen Titania
Student(s): N/A
Designation: Field Agent, Secretary, and Court Ambassador for the UK.
Specialities: Nature-based magic and manipulation of the environment, bargaining, finder of loopholes, hand-to-hand combat, and hexes.
Affiliations: The Seelie Court, The Borely Council, Agent Elfin of Roanoke (cousin), and Agent Nephilim of Roanoke (fiance and eventual husband)
Completed Missions: 30 (for the Court) 13 (for Borely)
@faegents HELLO! TIS I! I am your Secret Santa! 😃 I decided to give your mechanic boy a bit of Christmas joy because I love him and need to see more of him.
Any way, enjoy!
Paperwork. This was what he agreed to, so he shouldn't complain. Shouldn't being the key word. Joan took a deep breath and sighed. Why do so many supernatural entities have to crawl out of the woodwork around this time of year? Just because the veil is thin does not mean you should pass through. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe a walk around the manor would clear his mind.
Joan sighed as he threw on a coat, grabbing his scarf and gloves as he walked out the door. Nature had decided to bless them with snow a day before Christmas. His eyes were drawn to the lights along the house and in the windows, the tree in the parlor looking as warm and inviting as any other house. It brought a smile to his face. Even when one has been alive for millenia, the joy of the season can be infectious.
The fresh snow crunched under his boots as he continued to walk the grounds. He found himself in front of the garage. It looked lifeless on the outside and there were no lights shining through the windows. Was Santi not going to decorate? Not even a little? It was a few years after his centennial anniversary of joining and things can way heavy on the mind once you've been in one place for so long...
Joan looked down at his watch. There were only a few hours left in the day... He sighed. If this was going to work, he would need help. Joan quickly made his way back to his home just on the edge of manor grounds. "Josephine? I know this is last minute, but I need your help. Are you up for cooking late into the night?"
She looked up from her spot on the couch, shivering from the cold gust of wind he brought with him. "Under any other circumstances, I would say no, but you have that look about you. Who's in need of saving through comfort this time?" A soft laugh left her as she beckoned him over towards the fire.
He smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Santi. The garage isn't done up. I don't know how I didn't notice until now. Even when he's busy with missions during this time of year he'll at least put lights along the gables. But there's nothing." He sighed as he settled on the couch beside her. "I know that he has fond enough memories for Christmas, and it worries me that he hasn't done anything..."
"Well, cooking like an Italian nun from a few centuries ago is no easy task. Especially the night before Christmas... And where are you going to get a tree? All the shops will be closed by now." She looked up at him.
"I have my ways, dove. Don't you worry." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "But are you willing to do it? Maybe not every last thing, but at least a dish or two? I promise you'll be greatly rewarded..." The teasing note in his voice could not be missed.
She laughed as she smacked away his cold hands. "If I did not love you as much as I do, what would you do without me?"
He kissed her hands. "Suffer a great deal from the lack of you, my dearest. Now, if you would like, try and start on the food now so we can finish it up tomorrow. I have to go find a tree." Joan gave her one last quick kiss before grabbing more heavy duty winter gear. His ax would be just outside in their shed. “I promise to be back well before the day ends. If you need anything, call me and I am sure that I will find a way to get it.” With that, the door closed behind him and he went off on his journey.
A few hours later, Joan had returned to manor grounds with his axe over one shoulder and a tree dragging on the snow covered ground behind him. Hopefully Josephine was working on the food because he has another daunting task in front of him. Santi was out on a late night drive, Joan saw him leave, so he only had a small window to get everything into the barn and set up. Thankfully he knows where Santi keeps all of his decorations. The tinsel, the ornaments, even garland for the handrail to his loft, Joan was going to put out everything.
He was halfway through stringing lights through the tree when he saw Josie pass the window and duck into the door. “It’s the best I can do on a short notice, but I made lasagna! Thankfully I had some sauce from when we canned the tomatoes this summer. It won’t be exactly like the nuns made, but it will definitely have more love baked into it. I didn’t cook it all the way so that we can finish it off here and fill the garage with the smell.” She was holding the dish in double gloved hands as she made her way to the toaster oven that Santi kept in the garage. “So, what else needs to be done?”
“Well,” Joan smiled at her, “we need to finish the tree, hang the garland and wreath, and put his presents under the tree. I can give you the garland and you can string it up everywhere? Lord knows that he has enough boxes to cover this entire place.” He laughed softly. “I’ll handle the wreath and then run back to the house for his presents.”
Josie took the long line of fake pine and ribbon with a smile. “I will cover every inch of open space, I promise.” She laughed softly. “I hope that he likes all of this. I wonder why he didn’t decorate this year...”
“Whatever the reason, we are going to set this up for him and I am sure that he is going to like it. Now,” he pressed a kiss to her cheek, “let’s get to it.”
With all the speed they could muster, they put everything up. The tree sparkled with lights and ornaments, pine and ribbon was wrapped around every conceivable space, and the presents were beautifully wrapped with ribbons on top. Just in time too. Joan heard the sound of Santi pulling up. “Quick!” He threw a Santa hat at Josie and pressed play on the sound system so that a soft piano rendition of O Tannenbaum played.
The door opened and Santi looked around confused. When did all of this happen? And why does it smell so good? “Wh... What? What’s this?” His eyes were wide and a few tears had gathered at the edges of his eyes.
“Happy Christmas, Santi.” Joan smiled. “I hope you don’t mind but it looked like you could do with a bit of holiday cheer. And I think,” he looked at his watch. It was just past midnight. “I think that Saint Nicholas has made his rounds.”
Dark eyes looked towards the tree. There was a small handful of presents that were beautifully wrapped. No doubt by Josie. “I...” He wiped his eyes. “Thank you. I can’t believe that you would do all of this for me. And in such a short time too...”
Joan came over to him and wrapped him in a hug. “Nonsense. Josie and I would do anything for you. You’re our family. And family is together on the holidays.”
Santi held on to him tightly. He doesn't know what’s gotten into him this season, but seeing everything that his two closest and oldest friends have done? A few tears escaped and rolled down his cheeks. “Thank you so much. I, I don’t know what else to say...”
“You can say Happy Christmas and go sit at the table. Josie made a lasagna and I don’t care if it’s midnight. I know that since you are awake, you’re hungry. Sit down and get settled.” He smiled and let Josie grab the lasagna. “Happy Christmas, Santi.
