Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! || Cora & Malinda
@mistakes-and-secrets
This trip to the zoo was something Malinda had been looking forward to since their conversation had taken place so long ago. She was worried that Cora wouldn’t remember or would have decided it wasn’t a good idea or just wouldn’t want to go with her anymore when she had sent the owl asking about it and was pleasantly surprised at the quick, eager response. Zoos had always kind of been a tricky thing for her, though, in the way that she was afraid of a lot of the bigger animals that they had there. Her whole life, she’d been afraid of big cats and birds of prey and the reptiles, which cut out some of most people’s favorite parts, and she hoped that if Cora wanted to look at them, she wouldn’t mind Malinda hanging back a little. Or a lot.
They’d decided to meet for food, and now that the weekend was here, she could feel the excitement start to bubble over. She was dressed for a day out in the sun at the zoo, but prepped for whatever the weather threw at them and already covered in a layer of sunscreen. She didn’t really fancy coming back looking like a lobster. Malinda made her way to the cafe they were meeting at, though, her backpack hanging from her back and her hat pulled on with a certain type of determination. Now all she had to do was wait and hope that Cora was actually still coming. She started by ordering herself a coffee and some soup, hoping that it would help ease her hunger and the bundle of nerves in her stomach. It wasn't until she saw Cora approaching that she felt herself relax, though. "Hey! Oh I'm so excited for this. Sit, sit, I'm starving so I already ordered a little something but I wanted to wait for you," she said with a laugh.
Things have been going great for Eva now - amazing. Things with her and Stiles were only getting better, and she really started believing that what she was can not affect who she is and what she had, and it made her relieved to no end. She was cleaning the house, since her parents would be back tomorrow. However, as she worked, the lights in the living room flickered, and Eva frowned as she leaned sideways - as if she were able to glimpse the flickering bulb, before she pursed her lips and headed to the basement to get another one, as well as the ladder which she barely managed to drag out of the store room.
Eva changed the bulb and managed not to fall and break her neck, which was something, then she climbed down slowly and started moving the ladder away, only then the light flickered off completely. She frowned, “What..” She whispered before she brought out her iPhone and turned on the flashlight, moving to the kitchen to find a candle - except the light in her phone went out as well, and she was slapping it against her palm when she felt something move behind her. Eva blinked once and looked back, before she felt her blood run cold when she saw figures rising out of the shadows, and she quickly looked down at her phone, her first instinct to call Stiles as she stepped back from the masked shadow figure, and turned on her heels to run, only there was one in front of her that quickly grabbed her - its hand gripping her head so hard she felt that her skull may crush underneath his hold. Eva struggled, tried to break away, but the the eyes had glowed and eerie golden, like a fireflies before the gold had turned to red and she knew it was a bad sign when the two figures behind it started wielding swords.
"when a kitsune rubs its tails together, it can create f i r e or l i g h t n i n g. It's called f o x f i r e."
Eva: Eva had surprisingly grown used to the nightmare so much that the fact she could close her eyes and sleep again after waking up from one started to worry her, but she was more worried about other things, among them being Cora's situation and well...her well being in general. The girl was in a constant quarrel with her brother and seemed morose lately, and that concerned Eva. She looked up at Cora as she closed her locker and smiled a bit, "Hey there." She told her with a small smile, "You look like crap." Eva pointed out, and smiled at her she looped her arm through Cora's, linked at the elbows, "Did you even sleep at all last night?" Eva asked, deciding that Chemistry wasn't going to go anywhere, and that she could linger in the hallway just to make sure Cora was okay
Cora: Cora rested her back against the locker behind her, pursing her lips tightly before shaking her head as she stood straight, holding on to Eva's arm. She let out a small sigh, nervously chuckling. "I know." She playfully rolled her eyes before nodding. "Maybe.. a wee bit before I woke up. I then didn't want to go asleep. Nightmares and so on.." She mumbled to herself, looking down before looking back up. "Should we go? I think we'll be late if we don't."
Eva: Eva glanced sideways at Cora as they walked, and she lifted a brow at Cora's choice of words, "A wee bit?" She asked, "Who are you and what have you done to Cora Hale?" She asked playfully, attempting to cheer her up. "Does everyone in this town have nightmares?" Eva sighed, "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't sleep much either." Eva told her, and she sighed once, "Yeah, okay, let's go." Eva nodded as she tugged Cora along to Chemistry class - luckily earning only a few word of chastise before they found an empty table to partner up on. She glanced sideways at Cora and pursed her lips, "Did you do the report?" She asked as she opened her binder to produce the homework she'd done, waiting for Cora to bring out her own.
Cora: Cora walked with Eva, letting out a laugh realizing what she just said. "I don't even know. I've probably gone crazy." Her head wandered around- knowing she couldn't tell Eva about her dream. She couldn't tell her she dreamed about her aunt physically hurting her. Cora may be a bitch sometimes but Eva was her friend and she wouldn't do that to her. "Probably." She said, nonchalantly as she walked to class, her eyes barely being able to stay open. Taking a seat when the finally entered class. The beta set her books on the table and pulled out a piece of paper, realizing it was empty. "What the hell?" She looked confused, knowing that she did it. She remembered writing it down. "I swear to-- I did it."
Eva: "Don't...say that." Eva said seriously and sighed, not really knowing how to help her friend. She sat down and brought out the paper, before she frowned as she glanced sideways at Cora, "Maybe you forgot it in your locker or at home, it's okay." Eva said quickly, trying to calm her down. "It's okay." Eva told her and looked up, before she quickly added Cora's name on the cover of her paper, "We'll say it was a group work." Eva said and then turned to the teacher to hand her the paper, before the woman eyed them and moved on, and then she glanced sideways at Cora, "You okay?"
Cora: Cora face palmed herself, a frustrated groan escaping her lips as she looked through her file, trying to find the paper she worked on but she couldn't seem to find it. "No, no. I'm sure it was here!" She almost yelled out before taking a deep breath and burying her head into her hands, nodding."Yeah, I'm sorry. It's probably because of lack of sleep." She sighed.
Eva: "Calm down, Cora." Eva whispered as she moved her hand to place it over her friend's back and sighed once, before she nodded slowly, "It's okay. Just, let's focus on this." Eva told her then turned to the teacher as she explained they'll heat up sodium bicarbonate and place half a gummy bear in it to observe the amount of calories in it. As the teacher started explaining the process, all Eva did was so much as nod off, and she wasn't even there anymore, but Julia was. She looked up when the teacher had called Eva's name and nodded as she turned on the gas, reaching for the lighter. Julia stared down at it and blinked as she glanced sideways at Cora, making sure she was not paying to what she was doing.
Cora: Cora nodded, calming herself down as she tried to think of other things that made her happier. The only two things that were good in her life now was her friends and Sebastian. How could have things gotten so messy? Cora pulled out her phone, sending Scott a text message that she needed to talk about a dream of hers. She pushed it back in, not paying attention to Eva/Julia.
Eva: Julia's eyes lingered on Cora, letting the gas permeate through the air until she could literally smell the caustic odor. She swallowed and turned back to stove looking heater in front of her, before she held the spark starter close to it, and she clicked - and that's when Eva woke up to nothing but white as he whole body flew off the seat, her arms gratefully shielding her face, but the back of her head cashing against the edge of the table behind them as she collapsed to the floor of the now bursting into flames chemistry lab.
Cora: Cora sniffed, a weird different smell as she furrowed her eyebrows at Eva. She watched the fire, feeling a pang of fear and shock run through her veins as she stayed put, knowing this wasn't good. A flashback of the fire hit her as she could hear her mother's screams, she could feel the heat reach to her face before it exploding. Cora's petite body flying back towards the wall as it slammed, feeling the fire grow closer to her. She knew she was supposed to die right now but instead, her eyes were shut but she could still see and sense everything around her; including the figure coming to here. "Cora.. Cora.." The figure whispered as it got closer, her eyes tearing up as she tried to move but she wasn't able. "No, no.. Go away!" She cried out. "Mom! Laura! Where are you?" Cora screamed, trying to find where they were. She was suddenly stuck in her room as the flame rose. The figure was still there. "No! Go! Please!" She whimpered, still crying. The body grabbed her by her arm as she looked over at the wall, seeing nothing the number 5 against the wall but was distracted by the figure pulling her- Cora screamed, trying to let go. "Mom! Help me! Please! Derek?! Where are you?" She sobbed as it pressed on her arm. Suddenly, it stopped staring at Cora's face. "I need your help, Cora.." A small smirk appeared on the figure's not so showing lips. Suddenly, everything just went blank.
Seb: He was running late, but it was already well into the first period so there was no need for him to rush. As Seb made his way up the stairs to the front entrance, he pulled out his phone to check the time, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion over Cora's text, but he shrugged it off and headed inside. Passing through the main hallway, he slowed in his step as the fire alarm burst on and people began rushing out of a classroom down the hall. He had almost turned around, ready to head back outside until he saw the glow of the flames in the lab and the number of the classroom -- realizing Cora was in that class. Slowly, Sebastian picked up the pace in his step as he scanned the faces of the people who had already exited, none of them who he was looking for. Now he was running, pushing through the frightened faces of students heading out of the building, into the Chemistry lab. The teacher had picked up the fire extinguisher and was already putting out flames near a few students, but Seb caught sight of the small familiar frame lying on the floor. Immediately, he rushed beside her. "Cora... Cora! Come on, wake up. Heal. Something." His hand moved to her neck, trying to pull her up and away from the flames that hadn't been put out.
Eva: Eva had began to come around, but as soon as she did she felt her entire body heave with the heat that spread through it, and she coughed, trying to breathe in to take in what was happening. She gasped as her hand moved to the side of her head, touching open gash, before she gasped when she felt the other burn on her other arm. Eva didn't realize the teacher was pulling her out of the class until she was in the hallway under the fire alarms water soaking her clothes. The school nurse was moving over the student, and Eva had finally managed to take a few even breaths before she rested her head back against the all, almost relaxing before she realized Cora as still in there, and with a panicked gasp, she tried to get up, "Cora, where's Cora?" She asked the school nurse hurriedly, still finding it hard to breathe as her head tried to wrap around all of this.
Cora: Cora was still unconscious but she could feel her body move-- she had no control over it whatsoever. Cough after cough, Cora rolled over feeling a massive amount of pain in her back but choosing to ignore it. She felt weak and vulnerable, recalling the dream that seemed so real and it was. She couldn't open her eyes but when she did, it wasn't Cora. It was the Nogitsune. It knew if Cora died, the Nogitsune would be effected so looking at Sebastian. She glanced over to the door, coughing once again. "T-Take me out, please." She grabbed his arm.
Seb: A wave of relief washed over him as she finally started to come around. Though it was short lived because he still had to worry about getting her out of the room. Sebastian nodded, slipping an arm under her legs, the other supporting her back as he picked her up. Thankfully she wasn't very heavy, and he stood up easily. "Should I take you to the nurse or will you heal?" He asked, glancing down at her as he carried her out into the hall, looking around and already heading to the direction of the nurses office just in case.
Eva: Eva looked up when she saw Sebastian step out of the class, carrying Cora, and she sighed, relieved, her whole body relaxing before she finally allowed herself to close her eyes and lean back against the wall as the nurse tended to the burn on her arm, the pain there growing too much to the extent that Eva willed herself to pass out instead, and she did.
Cora: Cora now had absolutely no control over what her body did or planned to do-- it was all the dark spirit that was in her. It let Sebastian carry her towards the nurse before shaking her head furiously. Cora tried to fight it to talk but nothing came out except the Nogitsune's actions. "I'll heal. I don't need a nurse." She pursed her lips, glancing over at Eva. "Is Eva okay?" She asked; The Nogitsune was only here because of Jennifer and if it's Host wasn't well then Jennifer couldn't reappear. It looked at Sebastian with Cora's brown eyes trying it's best to sound like the girl. Foxes were smart enough to trick people into believing things that aren't true.
Seb: He stopped mid-step and nodded at her decision, turning a corner so no one would pay attention to them and putting her down, leaning her back against a locker. "Eva?" He asked, eyes widening -- he hadn't even realized she was there, but he racked his brain trying to remember if he'd seen her. "Hang on," Seb mumbled, getting up to check around the corner to see Eva propped up against a wall. "Yeah, she's out there with the nurse." He answered, sitting down next to Cora and facing her, "Are you okay? What happened?" His face was concerned, but he shook his head changing his mind about his questions. "Actually, don't talk. Don't waste your energy."
Cora: Cora nodded, pointing at Eva who was sitting with the nurse. Waiting impatiently and as soon as Sebastian went to check on Eva, a small smirk appeared on Cora's lips. It soon faded away once Sebastian came back, nodding. Adding a hint of saddness to her face, remembering Cora's background. A fire was where her family died and the Nogitsune had done his research. Cora nodded, before resting her head against the locker. "I want to go home.. Can you take me home?"
Seb: Sebastian nodded again, getting up from where he was sitting. "Yeah, my car's not far. I'll carry you." He said, looking at Cora pointedly. He expected some sort of argument to that, and he was sure she'd complain about it later but he wasn't going to let her walk anywhere until she was fully healed. Seb picked her up again, careful to watch out for her burns as he did so and brought her out to his car. He let her stand so he could open the door for her, helping her in before heading to the driver's seat and heading towards her house.
Cora: If Cora could speak, she'd tell him that she could do it on her own but The Nogitsune did nothing. "Alright." It looked down at the burns, hoping they'd heal faster but it was taking it's time. Reaching the car, Cora stood up leaning against the door frame before taking a seat and laying her hand on the burning spot. "Can you call Derek? He'll probably say I deserve it but yeah--" It caught itself off, turning around to face the door as a small smile appeared on her lips, hiding it with her hair.
Eva: Months she's been nothing - unseen, unheard - but only noticed by one. Her niece, Eva. The body moved but it wasn't Eva controlling it. When Eva wakes up she won't even remember any of this, Julia made sure. She walked into the familiar building, smiling at the memory she'd shared with Derek in this very loft, before she put on her game face and pulled the door open, "Cora?" She called out, trying to sound like her niece as much as she possibly could, wallking into the loft slowly as she glanced around.
Cora: Cora pursed her lips into a thin line as she waited for Eva to show-- the girl had been a friend of hers lately and they've only been growing surprising closer everyday. Cassie was nowhere to be found and Derek and Cora were still on no speaking terms, so she spent most of her time alone or with Sebastian. Her head shot up, hearing Eva's familiar voice. "I'm here." She yelled out.
Eva: Eva, Julia, moved when she heard the girl's voice - The last time she'd seen Cora Hale, the girl was dying because she'd poisoned her with mistletoe. The only reason Julia did that was to keep Derek on her side, the winning side. But he'd betrayed her, and there was no better pay back than what she was about to do. She plastered a smile on her face as she climbed the stair to find Cora in her room, "Hey you." She said, "What are you doing?" She asked as she glanced around, setting her bag down, "Are you okay?" She asked, the fake concern almost believable to Julia herself.
Cora: Cora laid there, playing with the hems of her shirt as her hearing focused on Eva. She knew the girl was getting closer and as she shut her eyes for merely a second, she let out a sign rolling over not bothering to get up. "Just laying in bed." She mumbled, snuggling her pillow before shaking her head. "No. Derek and I aren't on speaking terms." She rolled her eyes.
Eva: Julia lifted a brow as she stared down at the girl laying in the bed - last time Julia saw Cora, the girl had lots of fire in her. Eva sighed, or that's what Eva would have done, "Still?" She asked as she moved to stand by the bed, "Well, lying around won't fix it. Come on, I'll let you get a few good punches in." Julia said with an overly optimistic attitude, having gotten good with her acting skills since her days as Jennifer, and she offered her hand to Cora.
Cora: Cora nodded, sitting up to face Eva as she knew she had a point. She got out of bed then grabbed Eva's hand, nodding in agreement. "You're right. Come on. Do you know where we can go train? I don't mind where we go, honestly. I just need to punch something or someone." Cora chuckled lightly before crossing her arms tightly.
Eva: Julia smiled, fighting the urge to smirk as the girl took her hand and got up. She shrugged a little, "I know a place." She said slowly and blinked once, the expression on her face shifting completely from Eva's innocuous one to an unfamiliar, manic face that only made the innocent beauty of her niece seem terrifying. She reached into her pocket and brought out a fistful of purple powder, "Goodnight." She told her with a sweet smile, before she blew the wolfsbane at Cora's face.
Cora: Cora raised an eyebrow, taking a deep breath before biting her lower lip and nodded. "Sounds good to me." She shrugged, not really asking where the place is but was confused when Eva said good night. "Excus--" She was cut off when Eva blew wolfsbane at her, making the girl slowly lose focus and fall to the ground not grasping what had just happened. Did Eva just knock her out?
Eva: Julia watched as Cora collapsed to the ground, slowly starting to lose conscious. "I'd knock you out with some good, powerful spell - but you see, I have no juice in me. For now. I have a friend who is going to help me with that situation...and you're going to help me, help me friend." She crouched down and tilted her head, clicking her tongue once, "Poor Cora." Julia whispered, before she gently, almost maternally, moved her hands over Cora's eyes to drag down her lids, and smiled to herself, "All yours."
Cora: Cora's eyes were still open when she heard Eva talk-- she couldn't understand what was happening. "Wha--" Her voice slowly faded off, her consciousness fading away as she felt trapped inside her body, not being able to escape what was going on.
i want to be there to see your reactions // zeke&cora
Lately Zeke had been finding himself spending much time with a girl he'd have never imagined befriending: Cora. Simply because they had never talked before or even acknowledged each other before they started talking over the course of the few hectic weeks. He had begun to find himself liking her company, she was good for him, she always seemed to keep him in an upbeat mood when she was around him. It was better than always feeling angry about life in general and taking out his anger on others as a result.
Cora had been mentioning a show called The Following that she really wanted Zeke to watch. At first, he had no interest of actually watching it. The title itself bored him, however, as she begun to explain it, she found himself slightly intrigued by it. But it was the way that her eyes lit up as she spoke about the show that made him want to watch it. She said something about wanting to be there to see his reactions because they would be that good. With that said, he found himself grabbing a leather jacket and driving over to Cora's house before knocking on the door of her apartment.
"It's just on the outside of town, underneath the mausoleum." Regina said as walked with her mother to her car. It would be a bit of a walk to the cemetery, even if they took the woods behind her house, her car would be faster. Regina walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Cora and motioned for her to get in. "It'll be faster if I drive us there, it's quite a trek, the cemetery." She tried to explain with love and reassurance in her eyes. "I've been driving for nearly 30 years, you're perfectly safe, Mother."
Regina still couldn't get over the fact that there was something not right about this. She never would have offered to put her heart back in, if she wanted it she could have done so long ago. Why now?
Regina paced her living room floor. "I am an idiot. That's it. I am a moron." She said to herself. He seemed understanding enough but she was still afraid she might have ruined that friendship. The queen sat angrily down on the edge of her sofa. How could she be so stupid? She needed someone to talk to about this. There was only one person she wanted to talk to even if she didn't really want to.
"Mama?" She called into the empty air. "I know you've been watching me. I don't know how, or why, but I know you've been keeping tabs on me. I need you right now, Mama. Please." She whispered at the end, and put her head back into her hands.
The last book Lucy had ever read and let alone probably held in her hands was Macbeth. She had eventually understood it after weeks of searching for translations for almost every which word. It was the final project of her senior year in high school. Considering the rest of her work that year would hold her grade up and she already knew that college wasn't in her future, it didn't matter what grade she got on it. Despite this, she wanted to do well. Lucy knew that it was probably the last project she would ever do, and spending all the time that she did on it provided a distraction and a reason to be out of the house. A month away from graduation and a month away from moving out. It was the end, and at the same time, a new beginning.
After finally getting through the play, and verifying that she had actually understood it, she felt as though she may have been able to read a couple more of Shakespeare's plays. They weren't as bad as all of the kids had cracked them up to be anyways. However, it seemed as though all too soon, life had kicked in. She had started her random jobs which pretty much went all of the place. With her part of rent do every month, it seemed as though her time was either spent working or worrying about not working enough. Finally the initial phases of moving out seemed to calm down. The little family was earning enough money to actually buy things, and work wasn't as frequent as it had once seemed. By then, Lucy had forgot about Macbeth and most stories in general.
When Cora first brought up borrowing the books, Lucy was doubtful that she would be able to finish them. To be honest, she still was. Although it was only a fraction of her, she thought back to her high school days, and wondered if she would be able to finish and enjoy a book as she had back then. Possibly because that when she had started reading, it was a distraction, and although she had grown to love it, it no longer was an escape from the world she lived in then. Perhaps it could serve as an escape from her adult life now. The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that she would be able to power through the novels.
She left so that she would arrive at the coffee shop a little early. Lucy was never one to be that early, but she really didn't want to be late, especially since she thought that Cora may think she forgot if she was too late. When she got there, she walked in and took a moment to smell the roasting coffee. Lucy had always loved the smell of coffee. Then, she decided while she was here, she might as well order something for herself. Her favorite had always been a cappuccino, and they weren't as expensive as some of the more fancy things. It only took a moment to get the drink after paying the cashier. She wasn't sure whether that meant that the service was really good, or the coffee would be bad because it was too rushed.
Looking around the room, her eyes settled on a table by the window. It had two chairs and a round surface. It was a cute little thing that seemed to fit into the environment the shop portrayed. After settling down in one of the chairs, she took a sip of her coffee. It had been a little too soon, which she learned after slightly burning her tongue. She decided to let it cool as she waited for Cora to walk in and join her.
