#para self

[hastalikhunts]

self para: how hastalik accidentally opens a portal to an alternate dimension’s hellscape and releases demons, unbeknownst to him, using bella’s blood in an attempt to help his ‘boyfriend’ jamie speak with his deceased mother.

         Hastalik’s fingers dragged what appeared to be a thick pitch black ink around the edge of the mirror laid on the floor of his small home. It was, of course, not ink, but Bellamy’s blood, it’s dark colour so beyond the natural black humans could create that it started to absorb the light around it. If he had not believed it to be some dark sort of vampire blood Bellamy gifted Jamie each time the witch had fed her, then Hastalik would have thought it then. He’d be wrong, unfortunately, and that would be his downfall.

          It would not help that the ritual he performed was one cobbled together from advice given to him by his Mother and just general understandings of the magic others typically had performed in his coven. This was not Hastalik’s usual sort of magic but he wanted to do this for Jamie, to show him how much Hastalik cared for him, and for his happiness. A way for Jamie to communicate with the one woman he felt was his coven and his family, his Mother. He saw the way Jamie spoke of her, the way he seemed to occasionally reflect on her with the same expression when he held her cards or came across one of the books with her named scrawled inside with her handwriting. It was why when he’d risen before Jamie one morning he’d slipped not only Bella’s blood into his own belonging’s but one of the woman’s recipe cards. He’d looked for items of clothing but found none, and would not have dared to touch the tarot cards Jamie used because he imagined they’d be destroyed in this process. In the end the recipe card made the most sense, written in her hand and filled with the loving intent that came with cooking - plus he picked something no one really liked eating all that much so Jamie would be less likely to notice it gone.

              It did not occur to Hastalik that the blackened blood that existed inside Bellamy could do more than power the spell, that it’s own intent would take hold. So he filled the reflecting area of the mirror with Bella’s blood, fingers scooping up more and more - enough from more than one session of gifting to Jamie - making sure that there was no part of him that could be seen, no reflection at all. By the time he was picking up the recipe card to place in the center of the black blood his fingers were covered in it.

            His chant began, still bloody hands drawing strange symbols that seemed a mixture of Turkish letters and Greek, some combinations of the two, around the mirror, repeating the signs on top of one another over and over again, summoning his dearest Nyx and Selene to gift him their immortal strength and make this mirror a divining tool for Jamie to communicate with his mother. At first he felt it stall, no strength to his actions, on his third rotation of symbols the magic began to flow freely, black blood on the mirror moving in the same direction his hands circled it with their symbols, a whirlpool upon the reflective surface it had been placed, swallowing up the recipe card.

                Hastalik’s words grew stronger and stronger, louder and louder, actions faster and more precise. When he felt he could speak no longer, hand tired, the black blood was gone, as was the recipe card. The mirror appeared as it had been when Hastalik had first bought it instead now it radiated a dark immortal magic, throbbing with it in the air. It seemed like there had to be more to it...and yet, as Hastalik placed the palm of his hand to the frame and felt the swelling of magic in it’s frame with even more intensity he knew it had worked. Jamie would be able to speak with his mother if he asked to.

               It would not be then though, Hastalik was dirty from the spell, and work. So the frame would be abandoned until he and Jamie would next see one another. Abandoned in Hastalik’s home he would not discover until after it was too late that Bella’s blood had a magic and a mind all it’s own, a strength the vampire had been working on controlling for years. Hastalik in his momentary selfishness had never had a chance of his own strength over powering that of the demonic entity Gulamael from a hellscape of pure pain and violence. Not even if done for love.

[infinnite]

(self-para)

Finn was studying, yeah actually studying, when his dorm’s lights flickered on and off. Then he realized it was ‘cause of him. He was just blinking a lot. He was feeling suddenly sleepy as hell which was weird because he had like three and a half Red Bulls. Not the magical kind which gave you literal wings. He was gonna close ‘em for a hot sec. But he held his eyes closed for too long and when he opened ‘em again, Finn was someplace else.

“Shit, high school.” 

He breathed out those damned words. He was in the familiar hallway of William McKinley High School, with those stupid tiny lockers and linoleum floors which always smelled like one of the jock’s sweaty gym socks. 

‘The fuck am I here for?’ Finn wondered. 

It was damn weird ‘cause the place was empty. ‘Did I come here on a Pro-D Day again?’ Finn checked for his watch and saw the back of his hand. ‘Oh I don’t wear a watch at all. Why’d I think I’d wear one here?’ He smirked at his own absent head and searched for the exit. If memory served Finn right, there should be a way out if he took a right. Finn walked through his empty high school, awed at how nothing changed. Same advertised school lunch. Same old water fountain the kids used to spit on the handle. Same leftover pop cans on the floor rolled to the edges of the walls. Finn turned a corner and stopped when he heard the noise for the first time he arrived to his high school.

The gymnasium’s door was open and Finn could hear cheering beyond the door. He jogged up, reached for the crack, and pulled the doors open. 

“Hooooooly shit!” Finn’s own voice was swallowed by the crowd’s loud yelling. This was McKinley’s gymnasium alright, with the paper banner the student council made saying HOMECOMING. The bleachers were packed, and Finn was watching the same spectacle they were. He was totally mesmerized. Music was playing, and Finn saw some guy on stage. He had some fancy ass clothes on ‘im, like he was dressed as some kinda King, but he was too far away for Finn to see his face. 

“Finn, what are you doing here?” Said Rachel, who appeared next to him. 

“What the fuc-Rachel? How’ya here? You never went to McKinley!” Finn said.

“Finn, what are you talking about! We’re in the same Glee Club!” Rachel laughed and it made the horse on her sweater jiggle. Finn snapped his head up from her shirt’s design.

“Glee Club?? I never did that shit in high school,” Finn argued. His high school did have one of those lame show choir clubs, but Finn had never joined it. He would never, not even if a teacher blackmailed him into it. Finn hated Glee Club. It meant being a social fuckin’ pariah. Big ol’ Bully Me Badge. 

“Oh Finn, you’re so silly! Come on, we should warm up for our duet together.” Rachel reached out to touch him and Finn pulled back, scared his empathy would flare up if they made skin contact.

“Rach, no, we can’t! Remember, I’m... not right... ‘m busted. I don’t know how’ta protect ya from me...” Finn’s murmur was lost in the crowd. Rachel looked concerned for a second until she shrugged. She was tossing her hair back. Finn thought it was really hot.  

“You’re right Finn, I deserve someone much more better.” Rachel said, voicing Finn’s fears. 

“Someone like me? Madam-mo-salle?” Finn heard his voice behind him and he turned around. 

“Fuckin’ shit. You’re... me?” Finn was face to face with a mirror version of him ‘cept like the mirror was rich as fuck. Actually, it reminded Finn of what he saw in the House of Mirrors at the CCB Carnival a few years back. Rachel squealed and latched herself onto the mirror image’s side, burying her face into a royal red cape. Finn was jealous seeing Rachel hug the other Finn and the other Finn’s badass cape.

“Hello my royal subject, I’m you but intelligenter and gentlemanlier. I’m an intelligentleman. Finn Khristopher Hudson. The Khristopher starts with a K for Klassiness. I’m extraordinarily, exceedingly, exceptionally, egg-saladly smart and cultured and rich and good-looking and popular.” 

The other Finn said. Finn narrowed his eyes in a squint ‘cause he had no fuckin’ clue what the other Finn was saying, even though it did sound really smart ‘cause of the long words.

“Other Finn, like, what, dude?” Finn vocalized and he was immediately embarrassed by how dumb he sounded in comparison. Other Finn and Rachel mockingly laughed at him in a perfect a cappella. Jesus fuckin’ Christ, the in tune laughter hurt more than regular not in tune laughter. 

“Don’t you assume to convene me to be other Finn, good fellow sir, how presumingly assumingly rude of you! I’m Best Finn. Or King Finn for short.” 

Finn didn’t know if King Finn was the real shorter term for Best Finn, but he didn’t argue it. Number one, Finn had gotten a D in English and number three, That guy looked like him but a million bucks richer. He probably was a million bucks richer! The crowd all cheered, yelling King Finn.

The King Finn bowed all noble-like, and his cool cape whooshed like in comic books. Rachel let go and swooned and King Finn caught her all cool like in comic books.  

“Fuck, okay, sorry, dude-- uhhh, King dude?” Finn apologized. 

“It’s complimentary, Peasant Finn.” King Finn smirked and clapped his gloved hands. “Loyal royal subjects! Show yourselves!” 

At the sound of King Finn’s order, the gym door opened again and Finn saw his fellow NYADA classmates enter in what he remembered as the McKinley sports jerseys and outfits. Matt, Brody, Karofsky, and even Kurt! They were all dressed like Finn’s football team, the McKinley Titans, and they went by King Finn, clapping his shoulder as they flanked behind the regal lookin’ bro. 

But it was the cheerleaders who caught Finn’s eyes. All the girls at NYADA, Rachel also included somehow, were dressed in the red outfits Finn remembered so well. Marley, Tina... Finn’s throat caught a breath when he saw Q in that skirt. Then it turned into a full choking on air when he saw Elliott out of all people in that skirt, wearing a full face of makeup! 

“Elliott?” Finn said and Elliott batted his eyelashes. Finn completely lost his words when the next person showed up tho, it was Blaine, no makeup, wearing the same swishy skirt, showing his legs. 

‘What the fuck is happening?’ Finn had to turn his head away, and sideways glanced back at the King, who was laughing as the cheerleaders all went to give him a hug. Some of the girls even gave the King a kiss on the cheek! It was like some big hugging harem. This had to be the worst fuckin’ nightmare Finn ever had and one time he dreamed the clown from It became his mom. The Red Bull done Finn in.

“Jealous, Peasant?” King Finn grinned. “I know you are. You want everyone to like you like how they adore me. You wanna be me, don’t you?”

“N-nah dude, who wants ‘ta be a fuckin’ prick like you! Why are my friends lookin’ like this? Did you set ‘em up for it? Is this an illusion? ‘Tana? Did you do something?” Finn asked Santana who wasn’t hugging King Finn. She was picking her nose.

Santana laughed and her skirt swayed. “No, I have better things to do than use my magic on someone as worthless and simpleminded as you. If I illusioned you, you would never figure it out, because you’re stupid.”

Finn bit his tongue because he knew what Santana was saying was true. The crowd was laughing along to her words, muttering the words Finn remembered from high school. Finn was nothing but a dumb jock who had nothing after he graduated. Already peaked.

“See, Peasant? You know how they all see you. You know they think you’re stupid, a dumbass, an idiot, an Amiibo. They see you as a dumb fuckboy, and you don’t know how to defend yourself from this accusation. Can’t figure out how to be smart. Can’t figure out how to not be a goddamn chore to your friends ‘cause of your dumb ass. You know that’s how they see ya, it’s right there in the way they talk to ya. Am I hitting it close, my royal subject?”

“S-shut up, dude... that ain’t fair, you don’t know me...”

“But I do, Finn Christopher Hudson with the C for Classless. You’re the Lima Loser who only got a new coat of paint. Right, Kurt, that’s how the saying goes?”

Kurt was checking his nails. “Yep, whatever.” 

Finn was jealous by how easily King Finn got Kurt to agree.

“Shut up, King Dude. Shut up.”

“I know you. You say you’re over high school and you’re over being popular but that isn’t the truth at all. Mea culpa. You just didn’t feel like you deserved this crown but if you were as smart, as rich, as cultured as I am, you wouldn’t think twice about being on top. You love being on top, don’t ya, Hudson? Top dog who gets all the girls... and maybe some of the guys, heh.”

“Ok, but who hasn’t had gay thoughts?!?!”

“I know your secret, Peasant Finn. You tried so hard to keep it but you couldn’t help it, my royal subject.”

“No, it can’t be... Don’t say it!”

“You like...”

“No! No!! Fucking shut up, dude! Shut the fuck up!”

“You like Superman more than Batman! You always did! You think Batman is too edgy and honestly just a rich asshole where edgelords just dump their fantasies onto! Even if Superman is boring he’s a better hero than Batman!”

“NO! NO! YOU’RE NOT ME!! Batman is cooler because of the dark angst and shitty revenge plots!”

“Yea I am you! I’m the you that you wanna be!”

Finn was shocked by the grip on his collar. King Finn had grabbed him with both hands, and the crown slipped off his head and landed on the floor. It rolled with a loud metallic ringing noise. Suddenly they were the only two in the gymnasium. 

“You want your friends to treat you with basic respect.” King Finn was chuckling, shaking Finn violently. 

Finn gritted his teeth. “No! You’re not me! That’s not true!”

“You don’t wanna feel shamed for not knowing things. For not getting it like the rest. For being slow.”  

Finn’s own hands struggled to push the royal off of his neck.

“Shut up!”

“You know if you were better like me, you would be treated better. No one treats a poor dumb person nice. Not even yourself. Not even me.”

“Fuck off!” Finn finally shoved King Finn off of him. Finn rebalanced on his feet and headed out for the gym door. King Finn landed on his ass and laughed. 

“Yea dude, fuckin’ run off. S’what you do all the time, right? If you get in too deep, then you gotta analyze shit, and you know, you fuckin’ know you don’t got any talent for that. S’why you fuckin’ fail as an empath.”

Finn slammed the gym door behind him, and the loud sound rang in his ears, causing Finn to lean back and fall off his chair.

“Shit!” Finn hissed and opened his sleepy eyes. He was back at his room in NYADA. 

‘What the fuck?’ Finn thought and grabbed his sore head and back. ‘What a weird ass dream...’ Finn shook it off just as his phone buzzed a new text. It was from Blaine and he was asking for help. Something was wrong with Kurt.

[thisbrutalbelle]

self para relating to @ianncardero. @monsterbyamile, @ephrampettaline, @teddyaynesworth ( other characters are also free to note bella’s disappearance by the fact she won’t be answering calls or texts and will obviously not be at work )

       bella is kidnapped by masked men leaving her house in disarray.

tw: violence, blood, assault, kidnapping.

note: bella’s halloween party is still a go but this is why she will not be participating in the main’s plot until after halloween.

          “Stop barking, Boss,” Bella said as she kneaded dough on the kitchen counter. He had been barking for what felt like five straight minutes now. He had rarely ever barked this much, even when he was little. The only person she could recall him responding to this way had been the priest that Bella slept with, the man who had tried to kill her. Home alone like this though? It was peculiar. When his barks grew quieter she was relieved that he’d at least gone upstairs to do his barking so it didn’t ring in her ears quite so thoroughly. “Finally.”

          Fingers grasped in a fist at a clump of Bella’s brown hair, ripping her backwards as her heels stumbled, snapping the stiletto heels of one. In her hands the dough was pulled down, some of it still stuck to her flesh but most of it falling and leaving a soft thud to hit her ears. But she hadn’t heard them, not a beat of their hearts had begun to throb in her ears. She hadn’t smelt them, not a whiff of their body odor of gun powder. She hadn’t seen them, not a flash of their black on black military attire. Not even when they held her now did she hear or smell them.

        She could feel them though, the throbbing of blood through their fingers at the back of her scalp indicated that they were alive. The hands that immediately grasped her arms that went out to rip at whoever had touched her were wrapped in gloves and even then she could feel a faint movement of blood on her skin. Whoever had come into her home was very much alive but clearly lacked the kind of human morality that most people subjected themselves.

       “Fucking let me-,” Bellamy began only to feel whoever still grasped her hair throw her down against her own counter. A terrible mistake because it gave her enough leverage to stab the man in the leg with her unbroken heel. She heard him then, the sound of his flesh opening up to her and god that smell, the blood that wafted into the air and right into her nose. It was so fucking fresh and leaking out of a torn muscle. If she were not so afraid she may have stopped to eat him. Instead she took the opportunity to rip her arms from those that held her.

     She got maybe three steps barefoot, one heel she’d kicked off with her movement while the other was stuck in someone’s leg. She’d have gotten further, been able to pick up the pace if not for the fact she was confronted with three more men ( or women ) in black who stood in wait for her rush of speed, knowing she would have to halt before them.

     For someone who had been literally kidnapped twice, and almost kidnapped numerous more times Bellamy really should have had some kind of plan for if people were intending to do this. Maybe a tape that should have been played or at least some form of insurance that people could use if they decided to ransom her. Instead all she had were her fangs which she allowed to fall, opening her mouth to them as though it would be a threat, a bigger ones that her blackened eyes alone could be. None of them seemed scared by her actions though and just as she went to punch one of the people before her, figuring it was worth a shot, she felt an intense scattered burn on her arm.

      Bella’s eyes turned as her body repelled, slamming so hard against the fridge that it left an indent of her body in it. Someone had sprayed her arm with something that had burnt her flesh as though it were acid. Weeping bubbles immediately appearing, she wanted to cover it, to wrap her cool hand around it but knew it would only end up harming her more were she to. So she rushed forward once more, only to have another spray the substance in her eyes. She had not screamed so loudly in the past year, voicebox aching as her high pitched scream felt so high it could have shattered her fangs like glass.

      With her vision taken all she had was her touch, someone grabbing her wounded arm tightly, having her holler out even more. They dragged her by it, fingers tearing at the lovely wallpaper in her dining room, false nails snapping off one by one as she lifted the paper up off the walls. She could hear each one fall to the ground as others stepped hard on her floors while she stumbled. There were too many sounds now, too much to hear for her to know exactly how many had been there. At least five, if not more, perhaps they had expected her to do better but Bellamy had never been too great of a fighter. She was generally just scrappy.

     Which was why when she fell to the ground as she was pulled through her lounge room her undamaged arm searched wildly until she felt something small and metal, slamming it against the leg she had fallen against, more blood. Another’s the smell slightly more iron than copper as the other’s was. “Fuckin’ cunt,” the man let out, his wounded leg slamming his foot down onto her face and breaking her nose. It was her turn to truly bleed, clotted dark blood spilling forth from her nostrils, body already trying to heal that though it seemed incapable of healing her burns.

     Releasing her arm another grabbed her legs, whatever on their gloves burning her ankles enough that Bella couldn’t resist, instead she reached out, grabbing for whatever she could hold onto, knocking over one of the side tables and scattering what was on it to the floor including one of her drinks. Her hand that had reached her nose left bloody prints on her white couch and then suddenly as she felt the cool breeze of her open windows she felt another heel to her face, then another, blood spilling from her nose and getting into her hair. Again and again and again until she lost count.

      Left behind was her bloody shoe, next to the dough she had been kneading, surrounded by the blood it had produced in her kitchen, another shoe broken beside her dented fridge, the scratch marks and false nails in her dining room, blood along the floor from where she had stabbed the man to her window, knocked over furniture, the open window that blew cool salty air into the air conditioned apartment and finally Boss loudly barking from the office he had been closed into.

[infinnite]

Finn’s Japan Essay

Dear NYADA Eschange Exchange Board,

My name is Finn Hudson and please let me go to Japan and I’d like to explane explan explain why I need to go to Japan. I’m dumb not the smartest dude guy student around, I’ve found me myself to be stanted stunted when it comes to knowing about my verizons horizons. But s’why that’s why I’d like the oportunaty oppotonity oppoturinty opportunity to know about a different calture culture. My mom, who is the greatest person in the whole world, said that the important thing about college was the learning. I’m not good with my studies...And I wanna want to get better at them. As a dude student from Noetherlfer Nothefler Nothelfer, it’s up to me to know how I can be a better guy to help the people around me. It’d be a great esperience expirince experience for me to go. I’m a shcalorship scholarship student and I got scouted for Obex. This trip is like an obex game, I want to have fun, do NYADA proud at new places, and create bonds with my tripmates. Please consider my application to the Japan Exchange Trip. 

[infinnite]

( self para )

Finn was waiting on the front step of the man’s brownstone house, trying not to look suspicious as each member of the team went inside. He wanted to go in too, kick down the doors like he could in Call of Duty or burst in like a character from Overwatch, but he knew he was nothing but a supporting dude in this scene. ‘Maybe someday I’ll actually be something more than that.’ He thought. ‘Nahh, who are you kidding, Hudson.’ Finn stroked the side of his head and thought hard to focus on the gross cold desire that the man had shown when he had met Santana. This fucking pervert made Finn feel so sick inside and maybe that was lucky that this emotion was so clear to grab onto. Finn could hear the pull of other moods inside but they were one single note of self-hating obsessiveness. Finn didn’t get pulled under it even though it was something he could empathize with easy on the spot. It was the feeling of being stuck in Ohio and knowing he was rotting away. No wonder Finn’s dad left him.

‘Shit, don’t think that shit.’ Finn thought. Finn was the lookout. He had to only look out. He wasn’t no leader who stabilized people like Blaine, or did things to action like LN dudes. He couldn’t even heal right like Sam and Quinn. Finn was lookout. Everyone was capable af. Tina with her magic. And the best of the fucking best, Puck had gone in there too, so it was gonna be aight. Finn had the sticker that Santana had slapped on him. He had everyone’s numbers to send the group text if he sensed anything wrong. It was gonna be aight. ‘Christ Hudson, you’re a piece of shit.’ Finn thought and shook it off. ‘Concentrate on that motherfucker, idiot. Don’t let the other moods affect you. C’mon remember Liberty Island? That was you, you sonnuva. That was you. It changes everything.’ He had no damn clue on how to send his encouragement to everyone through the house and receive that man’s mood at the same time, but he sure wished everyone well. That Mr. P guy had no idea what was happening.

Finn breathed hard when a sharp realization ran through him. “Oh fucking shit.” The dull cold was turned up into a blizzard inside Finn’s skin. The amusement was gone. In its stead was preying anger and the desire to fuck up someone for fun. “Santana!” Finn quickly thumbed the keys to text everyone with shaking hands.

[Text] GET THE FUCK OUT NOW

[infinnite]

(Self Para)

Finn was fucking tired when he got home that afternoon. The cardine that grilled him was an asshole. The man had a thick mustache and a breath like tobacco and a face that itched to be punched in. Finn had to hold back his fists, being exposed to all that cocky anger during the interrogation had been draining on an empath. Three hours they held him. 

Finn could tell by the first half hour that the men in uniform didn’t give a crap about his story. They talked about video footage but didn’t give enough details, leading Finn down pieces of the clues to trap him into a confession. Finn felt in the tense air in that room. He could feel they wanted to crack his head open and see what was inside. Were cardines all like this? Back in his hometown, his mom had proudly talked about her job as a cardine like it was a public service.

How disappointed would his mom be. Shit. Shit. Fucking shit. He shouldn’t think about that. Finn knocked his head against a cabinet as he was searching for a cup to get some water. He finished his cup but his throat hurt, throbbing from the stress. The mirror was worth millions, and supposedly a member of Copper Copper Boron was the mastermind behind its heist. What a load of bullshit was that? His brothers as much as Finn loved them couldn’t even finish a game of Monopoly without threatening to straight up murder each other. Fuck, it didn’t matter any more and Finn knew it. 

The cardines found his prints on the mirror and knew that he broke it. Finn kept quiet about Mason, not knowing what the cardines knew and didn’t, and silently wished that the other wouldn’t get grilled as hard as Finn was getting it. The way the mood went to some sick enjoyment of watching Finn squirm would never leave Finn. He drank another cup of water but he knew that his headache wasn’t gonna cut it out. How was he gonna get that money. Finn found it hard to breathe for two long and hard minutes. 

“Shit, I need a drink.” Finn said. He picked himself up from the floor where he had fallen. His eyes fell on his small kitchenette’s counter where a pop tart maker sat. “That’ll work.”

[thebellamybarnesarchive]

Golden Rose || SelfPara

        Bella’s fingers held the jewelry box in her hand, an anxious rising in her chest as she looked at it. It was strange how instinctively she knew she wouldn’t get to know who it was from. Even if Miles had still been around she’d have never assumed it was from him, and the gifts had been appearing in her office during times when Kemper was away. Sure, other people did sent her gifts. Brands sent her flowers for her birthday as a thanks for continued service, supernatural designers sent her gowns to wear that she could post for others to see, her friends sent her silly things like doordash when she’d told them she was hungry, but certain gifts she could sense were not such things. Certain gifts were more.

          This was definitely more. More than she’d been receiving from her admirer while Miles was with her. Bella still had them, at least the expensive candies she’d been sent in a delicate glass jar, eyes diverting to it, and the French cookbook that had been left for her which the candies sat atop. They’d been kept here for her, to make her smile where no one could see. Why show off that someone else found her appealing when her boyfriend would never have been concerned? It was immature but it hurt her. She didn’t expect jealousy that rang with violence but it hurt to not even have a certain kind of possessiveness. If Miles had seen the candies and the book he’d have simply said they should have signed their name.

          It took courage, mind running a mile a minute on why she didn’t deserve to open the gift, for her to finally do so. Thumb print pushing on the area where the box lifted and drawing it up. A small note was within the box, hiding the gift itself. “‘Roses suit you better anyway, TW,’” Bellamy read aloud, a frown coming to her brows as confusion struck her for a second, placing the paper down and exposing what was beneath.

         A slender gold chain held a golden rose stem, the rose itself a brilliant matte red. It sat so simply in the box and yet Bellamy knew exactly what the note meant quickly. A replacement for the daisy pearls Miles had bought her that she’d always worn when they were together, now ripped apart and thrown in a fire. A tender smile crossed her expression, corners of her lips pulling into her cheeks with nails caressing the chain down to the rose. Roses did suit her better anyway.

         Pulling the necklace from the box she immediately placed it around her neck, quite used to clasping things with her ridiculous faux nails. The cool metal sat on her own cool skin, rose grazing her cleavage. She took a moment to admire herself, drawing her phone out and taking a picture of herself. She wasn’t sure if she’d post it yet. If that would be cruel, especially since she knew she would say something about there being better people out there. So for the moment she simply kept the image for herself.

         Of course the rest of the day the necklace remained around her neck, the vampire playing with the rose as she read emails and typed, gently caressing the gift, soft smile coming to her face every once in a while as the weight of the kindness snuck up on her. Maybe they’d never say who they were, and maybe that was for the best because if she knew them they’d probably realise she wasn’t worth all the effort, but it made her happy to know someone out there at least presently believed that she was.

           Roses certainly suited her better.

[infinnite]

(self para)

The Hiffler was sitting on a lawn chair with a thinly veiled drink in hand. Finn was sitting next to him and looking awkward with his long limbs and worried expression. He hadn’t been at the sitdown every day and wondered if that was good or bad. Some people were camping out, and Finn was reminded of the poor cabin trip they had in the summer with those cultist faes. 

“Dude, shouldn’t we like do shit? Carry signs?” Finn pointed out to the vocal protesters who were marching in a circle. His frat brother turned his lazy head over and said, “Naaah. We just gotta like show up.”

“The fuck does that mean,” Finn said and gave a sheepish smile to a girl next to them who picked up her stuff and moved away. The Hiffler sighed and looked at Finn. “Dude, I’m not an activist type. Y’know that. This is like skipping classes and getting some cred. I get both of both worlds. Don’t think too much ‘bout it.” The Hiffler patted Finn on the shoulder before getting up to see a group of hot girls. “Ladies, have you been with a wolfman?” The Hiffler howled and walked over to them, leaving Finn behind with his thoughts.

Finn didn’t feel like he was the right person to be here, until he spotted a wave of witches marching along too. The feeling he got from them was anger but not the fresh raw pain he felt from the LN speakers. It was the disappointment of the past and the determination to fix things moving forward. Finn took that emotion in, pushing out his old doubts that he didn’t belong. No, that was bullshit he had been telling himself to not get involved more. 

Finn saw that there were people handing out signs. Walking over, Finn took one to the surprise of the sign giver and marched toward the Main Building with the rest of the protesters.